SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani honoured yesterday the 83 winners of the Education Excellence Award, who are master and doctorate’s degree holders, university and high schools graduates and outstanding primary and prepar-atory education students, in addition to the winners in the categories of outstanding teacher and school and scientific research.

The 13th Education Excel-lence Day Award ceremony 2020 took place at Doha

Sheraton Hotel yesterday under the theme ‘Excellence Builds Generations’. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, a number of Their Excellencies Sheikhs and Ministers, a number of Their Excellencies heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to the State, senior officials in the education, higher education and research sector and parents of the outstanding students.

About 300 candidates including students of schools and universities as well teachers and educational institutions

contested for 13th Education Excellence Award in nine cat-egories of the award — excellent student (primary, preparatory and secondary school sepa-rately), excellent student of uni-versity, excellent teacher and excellence scientific research, master degree holder, PhD degree holder, excellence school.

Education Excellence Day (EED) award aims at consoli-dating and promoting the culture of excellence in the field of education by celebrating out-standing winners. The award is designed to create healthy com-petition among all educational

practitioners to show the best practice with due perfection and dedication.

A film about the 2020 Award and the winners in various categories and their future aspirations to serve their country was screened during the ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Al Hammadi expressed his thanks and gratitude for H H the Amir’s honour and patronisation of the c e r e m o n y , a n d His Highness’ gracious spon-soring of this award since its

inception 13 years ago.The Minister of Education

and Higher Education hailed the important role and sincere efforts of the late former Min-ister of Education and Higher Education H E Sheikha Ahmed Al Mahmoud, who contributed to the development of edu-cation in Qatar and was one of the founders of the Education Excellence Award.

His Excellency indicated that this edition of the Award has wit-nessed a qualitative development in terms of the nature of partici-pations and the honoured persons, as about 300 students and edu-cational institutions compete for

this award, 83 of whom met the criteria for excellence.

H E the Minister added that this year has witnessed the par-ticipation of a greater number of military educational institu-tions, such as the Police College and the Al Zaeem Air College, in addition to the Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College which participated in the past.

H E the Minister pointed out that this edition witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of honorees in the higher education category, especially among students and graduates of national univer-sities. �P2

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Amir honours winners of Education Excellence Award

Amir holds phone calls with Kuwait Amir, Afghan PresidentQNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a tele-phone conversation with Amir of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah yesterday evening.

During the phone call which H H the Amir received from H H the Amir of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah congratulated H H the Amir on the success of the Qatari mediation and its

good offices which culminated in signing the peace agreement between the United States and the Afghan Taliban movement.

The two sides also reviewed the close brotherly relations between the two countries and means of enhancing and promoting them, in addition to a number of regional and international issues.

Meanwhile, H H the Amir held another telephone con-versation with President of the

Islamic Republic of Afghan-istan Dr. Ashraf Ghani, yes-terday evening.

During the phone call which H H the Amir made to H E the Afghan President, they reviewed the bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them.

The two sides also dis-cussed the latest developments in Afghanistan, especially with regard to the peace agreement signed recently in Doha between the United States and the Afghan Taliban movement.

The Afghan President praised the efforts of the State of Qatar which contributed to reaching this historic agreement.

H H the Amir affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue to exert efforts that would help in conducting dialogue between the Afghan gov-ernment and Taliban to reach another peace agreement between the two parties that would lead to achieving security and stability in Afghanistan.

SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Two new private universities with capacity of thousands of seats are expected to open by the next academic year 2020-21 while other two universities are also in the planning process.

The new universities will offer variety of educational programs at competitive feees to meet the growing demand of higher education in Qatar.

“A new private university, University of Lusial, will open in September this year with initial capacity of seats ranging from 1,000 students to 1,500 students,” said Acting Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs at the Min-istry of Education and Higher Education, Dr Khalid Al Ali while talking to The Peninsula.

He said that the new uni-versity which received initial approval from the Ministry will teach students in Arabic and English. “We are in the process of opening an Indian university which is also expected to open by next aca-demic year,” said Al Ali.

He said that feasibility study report is expected to be submitted this week at the department concerned at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to open Indian university (a campus of Savitribai Phule Pune Uni-versity in Qatar).

Speaking about the location of the new Indian

university, Dr Khalid Al Ali said: “Currently the proposed university is under feasibility study which will mention location and other details like the capacity of seats.”

He said that new uni-versity will offer almost the same programs of main uni-versity ‘Savitribai Phule Pune University’ serving to all stu-dents living in Qatar espe-cially the expatriates. Savit-ribai Phule Pune University offers excellent programs in various areas including Science, Commerce, Arts, Languages and Management Studies.

“We have two more appli-cations for opening interna-tional university of Far-East and Western countries,” said Acting Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs.

He said that the higher education is a corner-stone for education all over the world as it meets the demand of job market for all sectors including government and private sector. “Therefore, the Ministry decided to increase the number of universities to serve citizens and expatriates in Qatar,” he added.

“The Ministry received applications to open new private universities in Qatar which will offer programs to expatriate students at com-petitive prices enabling all students to pursue their higher education. The new universities will have in dif-ferent standards,” said Dr Al Ali.

Qatari-Turkish relations getstronger post-blockade: EnvoyTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar, H E Fikret Ozer, has said that the Turkish-Qatari rela-tions are strong and distinct and that they become more stronger after the blockade imposed on Qatar.

“The blockade was a turning point in the relations between the two countries. The relations have developed at all levels, whether economically, politically or tourism, as the volume of trade exchange between the two countries has increased significantly in recent years,” said the Ambassador during a press conference at his residence on the occasion of end of his tenure.

“At the end of 2016, Tur-key’s exports to Qatar were $439m. In 2017, exports increased to $648m, an increase of 48 percent. In 2018, it reached more than $1bn, while in 2019, it reached about $1.17bn,” said H E the Ambassador.

H E the Ambassador pointed

out that the Qatari investments in Turkey also increased in recent years, reaching about $22bn. “These investments are in a number of fields, including real estate, hospitality, and others. Turkey’s exports to Qatar include many goods, and Qatar’s exports to Turkey include LNG, petroleum products and others.”

He added that many admin-istrative and legal agreements were signed between the two countries. Regarding bilateral tourism, the Ambassador said that the number of Qatari vis-itors to Turkey in 2016 was around 30,000 which in 2019 reached to 110,000 visitors.

Giving more details about bilateral relations, the Ambas-sador said: “When the blockade imposed on Qatar three years ago, Turkey was against it and President of the Republic of Turkey H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the accusa-tions of the siege countries were not convincing and unfair.

“We can say that the siege on Qatar was a turning point in the relations between the two coun-

tries,” said H E the Ambassador.H E the Ambassador further

said that Qatar was dependent on the blockading countries for many of the daily needs that were imported from those coun-tries but in coordination with the Turkish side in the early days of the blockade those imports were compensated and thus Qatar succeeded in overcoming the crisis with the help of Turkey.

He added that on the very first day of blockade, about 10 planes were dispatched to transport daily needs to Qatar and the supplies were not interrupted rather increased thereafter.

“Today, Qatar is the strongest as there is full dependence on many local products. As many as 400 production units are oper-ating in Qatar,” H E the Ambas-sador said.

Turkish contracting com-panies contribute significantly to building projects related to FIFA 2022 World Cup Qatar and Qatar National Vision 2030. “In 2019, $1.2bn worth of project contract were secured by the Turkish companies in Qatar,” he said.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with some of the winners of Education Excellence Award. RIGHT: H H the Amir honours one of the winners.

Two new private universities to open next academic year

One new case of

COVID-19 as

total rises to 8

QNA — DOHA

With one more person diag-nosed with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) by the health authorities, the total number of cases in the country has risen to eight, yesterday.

The Ministry of Public Health(MoPH) confirmed that the infected patient is a Qatari citizen who was evacuated from Iran by Qatar on a private plane on February 27.

The infected patient was subjected to immediate quar-antine on arrival in Qatar and has not had contact with com-munity members since his arrival. The risk of outbreaks of the disease in the wider com-munity in Qatar is still very low.

The infected patient was admitted to the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) under complete isolation and is in stable condition, the Ministry said. The first seven positive cases that were recently diagnosed with COVID-19, are in a stable health condition and are undergoing treatment at the CDC. �P2

02 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020HOME

Amir honours winners of Education Excellence AwardCLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Education Excellence Award 2020 ceremony at the Doha Sheraton Hotel, yesterday. H H the Amir; Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani; Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah; Their Excellencies the Ministers and officials during the ceremony. H H the Amir with the winners of the award on the sidelines of the ceremony. The winners of the award during the meeting with H H the Amir. Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani during the ceremony.

FROM PAGE 1

H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Al Hammadi said that the Ministry of Education has been working to provide the best educational cadres and develop their capabilities through training programs that adopt the best standards and are consistent with the Qatari

values and culture, and cover 19 specialties targeting school principals, management staff and teachers. H E the Minister affirmed that Qatar has spared no effort in providing all means of care and privileges at home and abroad, noting that as an encouragement for the out-standing persons in the

educational field, they will be provided the opportunity to be ambassadors of the State of Qatar at relevant regional and international conferences and forums.

H H the Amir met with the winners of the Education Excel-lence Award 2020 on the side-lines of the ceremony held at

the Doha Sheraton hotel yesterday.

During the meeting, H H the Amir exchanged conversations with the winners, praising their performance and achievements. His Highness also stressed the importance of the post-edu-cation stage that requires eve-ryone to work together and

make efforts to increase pro-duction and contribute to the development process in Qatar. His Highness noted the need to continue achievements in order to serve the country.

For their part, the winners expressed great thanks and gratitude to HH the Amir for the opportunity to meet His

Highness and honour them, stressing their keenness to go ahead and continue with efforts and giving to serve the State and the society.

The meeting was attended by H E the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.

One new case of COVID-19

FROM PAGE 1

The MoPH has reassured that it will continue to monitor those who have been in quar-antine for any symptoms and will continue to take all nec-essary measures to limit the spread of the virus.

The Ministry has also set up a dedicated, round-the-clock call center to answer all questions and inquiries related to COVID-19. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

Registration process for Senyar Festival witnesses great demand QNA — DOHA

The organising committee of the pearl diving and fishing contest (Senyar Festival 2020) announced that the registration process for the ninth edition of the festival is witnessing a great demand, noting that the Katara Beach Management will continue keeping it open for registration to participants in the “Haddaq” and “Laffah” fishing contests and pearl diving until March 22.

The organising committee

for the festival revealed that the Haddaq and Laffah fishing contests will be held in the first week at Al Jnoub Reserve, located in Al Ashat Island. The second week will witness the announcement of the Laffah challenge, which will be held in Halul Island, in which the first seven winning teams of the Haddaq and Laffah contests will participate in a total of 14 teams. This coincides with the start of the diving champi-onship, he said, pointing out that Senyar will witness the

crowning of the winning teams for both contests.

The organising committee has set the conditions for par-ticipation for this year, namely that the loader be traditional or developed wood, is suitable for navigation, the requirement of safety tools and navigation devices, as well as the validity of the license of the loader. The Laffah team should be com-posed of 10-13 members and pearl diving team shall include 8-12.

The committee also

stipulated that the participants must be of the Qatari nation-ality. Four people from GCC countries and residents in

Qatar are also allowed to reg-ister. The teams can choose fishing or pearl diving contests and teams participating in fishing contest are entitled to participate in the pearl diving competition.

The Senyar Festival, in its ninth year, is intended to evoke memories of the past and revive the Qatari traditions associated with the sea. It also intended to revive the tradi-tions of ancestors and their customs related to marine life and environment.

The Senyar Festival, in its ninth year, is intended to evoke memories of the past and revive the Qatari traditions associated with the sea.

I congratulate all outstanding (winners of

award) for proving their efficiency and

achieving their ambitions who will be an

important source for providing State institutions and its economy with

innovative capabilities.

03WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 HOME

Foreign Minister meets members of DAFG

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met yesterday with the members of German-Arab Friendship Association (DAFG), during His Excellency’s visit to Germany. The meeting reviewed the prospects for cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Association, in addition to issues of common concern.

Ooredoo deploys unique Ericsson

Spectrum Sharing as part of

nationwide network modernisation

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar’s leading telecommunica-tions operator has announced a milestone in its network modern-isation programme, with the successful deployment of Erics-son’s Spectrum Sharing tech-nology.

Ooredoo is the first in the Middle East region - and one of only three operators worldwide - to deploy the revolutionary Ericsson Spectrum Sharing tech-nology on its network in Doha, as part of a modernisation pro-gramme designed to enhance the ongoing development of full nationwide 5G coverage and to ensure progress is smooth, effi-cient and adaptable.

Ooredoo was the first in the world to launch a commercial 5G network in 2018, as well as test 5G use cases in 2019, and con-tinues its pioneering progress with the deployment of Ericsson’s revolutionary technology.

Critical to the provision of high-speed, reliable internet for Qatari citizens and residents is the ability for Ooredoo to run its traffic on 4G and 5G simultane-ously on the same frequency band and radio hardware, which

is made possible by the Ericsson Spectrum Sharing technology, a key part of Ericsson’s 5G platform.

The vastly enhanced capa-bilities of Ooredoo’s 5G network will accelerate the digitalisation of industries, generating new opportunities and enabling the launch and deployment of new, advanced technologies. User experience will also vastly improve, with significantly higher speeds and higher-capacity services.

From an operations per-spective, the collaboration with technology leader Ericsson enables smoother management of data traffic for Ooredoo, alongside simplification of network operations.

Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Exec-utive Officer at Ooredoo Qatar, said: “We are honoured to be working with Ericsson on our network modernisation pro-gramme, a project which has set new industry standards for speed, quality, efficiency and adaptability. The excellent working relationship between Ooredoo and Ericsson has been a major contributor to the success of the programme.”

OFFICIAL NEWS

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin

Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir

H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad

Al Thani sent yesterday cables

of congratulations to the Presi-

dent of the Republic of Bulgaria,

H E Rumen Radev, on the occasion

of his country’s National Day. The

Prime Minister and Minister of Inte-

rior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa

bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, also sent a

cable of congratulations to the Prime

Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria,

H E Boyko Borissov, on the occasion

of his country’s National Day. QNA

Amir sends congratulations to President of Bulgaria

Amir sends condolences to President of NigeriaDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin

Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H

Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani,

and the Prime Minister and Minis-

ter of Interior, H E Sheikh Khalid bin

Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, sent

yesterday cables of condolences to

the President of the Federal Republic

of Nigeria, H E Muhammadu Buhari,

on the victims of the armed attacks

that targeted villages in northern

Nigeria, wishing a speedy recov-

ery for the injured. QNA

‘Honouring outstanding students embodies State’s commitment to developing their capabilities’ SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The Acting Under-Secretary for Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Dr Khalid Al Ali, said that the Education Excellence Award encourages students to exert more efforts to increase their performance to achieve excellence.

“Receiving awards from the hand of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is a great honour for winners and it is also source of inspiration for other students,” said Dr. Khalid Al Ali while speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of 13 Education Excellence Day Award.

The Assistant Under-Sec-retary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Al Khater, said that celebrating the Education Excellence Award and honouring the outstanding students of Qatar embodies the

commitment of Qatar for devel-oping the capacities of students, and its keenness on unlocking their potentials, encouraging individuals to scientific research and prompting institutions to develop their performance.

Al Khater said that cele-brating the Education Excel-lence Day also contributes to spreading the spirit of inno-vation and competition among researchers and directing indi-vidual and institutional energies towards excellence and moving towards the creation of knowledge locally and globally.

“As the world is moving rapidly towards scientific research, discovery and crea-tivity, the State of Qatar was the first to launch this award, which is sponsored by Amir H E Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” Al Khater added.

She congratulated all winners of the Education Excel-lence Award, praising their efforts and their perseverance

to win the award.Hamad Abdulaziz Falah

Abdullah Al Doseri from the University of Al Zaem Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Atitiyah Air Academy, a student of Aviation Science who won the medal in the category of Excellent University Student said that the award encourages students to exert more efforts for being excellent.

“I will develop myself for greater achievements. The excellence is not for one day but it goes throughout all stages of the life and career,” he added.

Noof Abdulaziz Abdul-rahman Turkei Al Subaie, a student of journalism from Northwestern University in Qatar, who received gold medal at the Education Excellence Award, said that the award encourages students to do hard work and focus more on their studies.

She suggested the students to participate in extra-cur-riculum activities to sharpen their hidden talents. Speaking about future ambition, Noof said that she wanted to be a movie script writer.

Noof Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Turkei Al Subaie, a student from Northwester University in Qatar. RIGHT: Hamad Abdulaziz Falah Abdullah Al Doseri, a student from the University of Al Zaem Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Attiyah Air Academy.

The Acting Under-Secretary for Higher Education Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Dr Khalid Al Ali. RIGHT: The Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Al Khater. PICS: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA

Integration of Horn of Africa project gets positive response from stakeholdersSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

The project of integration of Horn of Africa has received enthusiastic response from various stakeholders, said the former president of the Republic of South Africa and Chairperson of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel, H E Thabo Mbeki, yesterday. He was delivering a lecture at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies on ‘Peacemaking in the Horn of Africa and the Strategic Dialogue with the Arab Gulf States.

He said that the Horn of Africa is an important region of African continent, partly

because of its location and also because of the size of popu-lation. The region has a popu-lation of around 260 million people. Located in the Eastern part of the continent, the Horn of Africa consists of Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Dji-bouti, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.

“What has encouraged the panel is the in each of the country we visited there has been very enthusiastic response to the project,” Thabo Mbeki said.

“The Horn of Africa is important for the continent in itself, it is important for the con-tinent in context of its relations

with other countries outside the continent and it is important with regard to its own relations

with rest of the continent. It is a strategic area,” said Thabo Mbeki. Thabo Mbeki met yes-terday with H H the Amir.

The former President of the Republic of South Africa said that during the meeting they discussed relations between Qatar and the African Union and a number of issues of common concern.

“We are talking to each country and want to know that what they think about the project of integration of Horn of Africa. We have been to four country so far - Rwanda, Dji-bouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and later this month we will meet Sudan and South Sudan, Ethiopian and hopefully Eritrea. We are trying to finish all of these countries this month,” Thabo Mbeki said. He said that

there are certain countries in the gulf that are already involved in one way or the other.

“It would not be possible to get elaborated view of what should happen in terms of process of the integration of Horn of Africa, without taking into account of the views of the countries from outside of the horn which are present in the horn,” he said.

“The task is to finish the visit of various countries and get their views and perspectives about what they should think happen with regard to the process of the integration of the Horn of Africa,” Thabo Mbeki said.

H E Thabo Mbeki, speaking at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. PIC: QASSIM RAHMATULLAH/THE PENINSULA

Qatari investments in Kuwait amount to 40% of foreign investmentsQNA — DOHA

Qatar and Kuwait have one of the strongest strategic relations and bilateral trade and investment alliances in the Middle East region, said First Deputy Chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abdulwahab Al Wazzan.

In an exclusive interview with the Qatari newspaper Lusail which was published yes-terday, Al Wazzan said Qatari investments in Kuwait amount to 40 percent of the country’s foreign investments at $4.1bn. Al Wazzan added that the bilateral meetings between the

two sides will bring more joint projects.

Trade exchange between both countries achieved an annual growth rate of 27 percent since 2016, reaching $534m in 2018, compared to $330m in 2016, he said, adding that the growth of Kuwaiti exports to Qatar is driven by demand for food products and chemical products, as the value of each category increased almost fourfold since 2016, while the value of manufactured exports has doubled and the value of exported machines increased by 57 percent.

Al Wazzan further stressed that the preliminary figures

showed that the volume of trade exchange between Qatar and Kuwait during the first nine months of 2019 is estimated at $293m.

He expressed his hopes for both countries to continue expanding their trade relations, especially with the recent agreement to supply 1 million tonnes of Qatari LNG annually to Kuwait over the next 15 years, which is another step towards developing close and mutual trade relations, along with Kuwaiti imports, which play an increasingly important role in the Qatari market. Other recent achievements in trade relations between both countries include

the opening of a representative office for the Kuwait Public Authority for Industry in the Qatar Chamber, the organi-sation of a permanent exhibition for Qatari industries in Kuwait, and the organisation of a joint exhibition for the products of the two countries in different coun-tries around the world.

Al Wazzan added that the most important sectors expected to witness growth in invest-ments are the information tech-nology and programme devel-opment sector, environmental services, health care, ware-housing and logistics services, tourism, hotels and enter-tainment. Regarding the

inauguration of the maritime line between Qatar and Kuwait, Al Wazzan described the line as an important and major factor for increasing commercial exchange between Qatar and Kuwait during the next stage. He pointed out that the next period requires taking advantage of the maritime line to increase the export and import of industrial products to reduce dependence on oil and energy as key sources for income.

As for the joint trade exhibi-tions between the two countries, Al Wazzan said that organising such exhibitions contributes to the promotion of national p r o d u c t s a n d

enhances communication between merchants and man-ufacturers towards achieving a strategic industrial and com-mercial partnership between Kuwaiti and Qatari business sectors, while serving the national economy and enhancing trade exchanges.

Moving forward, Al Wazzan said he hoped that the coming period will witness an exchange of a number of economic dele-gations between the two coun-tries to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation between Qatari and Kuwaiti companies and to upgrade the level of trade exchange and establish joint projects.

The former President of the Republic of South Africa said that during the meeting they discussed relations between Qatar and the African Union and a number of issues of common concern.

Al Khater said that celebrating the Education Excellence Day also contributes to spreading the spirit of innovation and competition among researchers.

Qatar participates in meeting of general directors of customs

QNA — CAIRO

The 40th meeting of the general directors of customs in the Arab countries started yesterday at the headquarters of the League of Arab States.

The State of Qatar was rep-resented at the meeting by H E D e p u t y P e r m a n e n t

Representative of the State of Qatar to the League of Arab States Ambassador, Hassan bin Ahmed Al Mutawa.

The meeting discusses issues related to the Arab customs union and follow up the implementation of the work of the customs procedures and information committee and the

Arab customs cooperation agreement.

The meeting will also review the amended agreement to regulate transit transport between Arab countries and the unified guiding initiative on the security and facilitation of trade exchange between Arab countries.

04 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020HOME

Al Muraikhi meets Chairperson of AU High-Level Implementation PanelMinister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, met yesterday with former South African president and Chairperson of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), H E Thabo Mbeki, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, the cooperation and relations between the State of Qatar and the African Union were reviewed, in addition to issues of common concern.

EU embassies, EPR join hands for the environmentRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Coinciding with World Wildlife Day, nine European Union member-state embassies in Qatar yesterday signed agreement with Elite Paper Recycling (EPR), Qatar’s first paper recycling company, demonstrating their strong commitment toward envi-ronment protection.

The event, held at Belgian Ambassador Bart De Groof’s residence, witnessed ambas-sadors and representatives of embassies of Austria, Belgium Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, the Neth-erlands, and Portugal sign MoU with EPR under the latter’s Green Diplomacy Program aimed at promoting environ-mental sustainability and recy-cling across their programs and activities.

With yesterday’s MoU signing, the number of embassies under EPR’s Green Diplomacy Program has reached around 22 which also includes Unesco Doha Office and Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Abdulla Al Suwaidi, Chairman of EPR, signed MoUs with Gerald Poellabauer of the

Austrian Embassy; Bart De Groof, Ambassador of Belgium to Qatar; Dr. Stoimen Velev, Charge d’Affaires at Bulgarian Embassy, Hrvoje Petrusic of Croatian Embassy; Michalis A. Zacharioglou, Ambassador of Cyprus to Qatar; Daniel Johannes Schemske, Deputy Head of Mission at German Embassy; Dr. Barnabas Fodor, Ambassador of Hungary to Qatar; Frederique de Man, Charge d’Affaires at the Neth-erlands Embassy; and Ricardo Pracana, Ambassador of Por-tugal to Qatar.

Franck Gellet, Ambassador of France to Qatar and Anders Bengtcen, Ambassador of Sweden to Qatar who both signed MoUs with EPR were also present at yesterday’s signing ceremony.

“I am beyond pleased that we will be signing MoU Part-nership on Public Awareness for Green Initiatives and Recy-cling with some of the European Union member countries. This exceptional group of EU coun-tries’ partnership is a great milestone for us as local Qatari SME and it will send a strong message to the local and inter-national communities that recycling today is essential and a must,” said Al Suwaidi.

While underlining the importance of recycling in the fight against climate change, Al Suwaidi lauded the embassies in joining hands with EPR to raise awareness on sustaina-bility and contribute to pro-tecting the environment.

The signing ceremony was made even more significant as it coincided with the observance of World Wildlife Day with the motto “Sustaining all life on Earth” which has now become the most important annual global event dedicated to wildlife, he added.

As the country’s pioneering paper recycling company, EPR currently has over 100 trucks circulating all over Qatar with over 2,000 Dumpsters deployed and collecting over 3,500 tonnes of waste paper a month. It collects from homes, government, companies, NGOs, embassies, schools and univer-sities free of charge and has partnered with over 250 schools and universities.

Recently, EPR launched the first-of-its-kind state-of-the-art “Eco Dome” edutainment facility in its premises, marking another milestone in its efforts to raise awareness on climate change and the importance of paper recycling.

Chairman of Elite Paper Recycling Company, Abdullah Ibrahim Al Suwaidi, with ambassadors and representatives of EU member-state embassies in Qatar and other officials, during the MoU signing ceremony held at the Belgian ambassador’s residence yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA

Lulu Hypermarket campaign promotes hand hygiene THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Lulu Hypermarket, a major retailer of the region, has started a massive campaign named “Your Health is in Your Hands” at all its stores, aiming to promote awareness of hand hygiene among its customers, employees and general public, as the risk factors for the increased infection and trans-mission of diseases are mainly associated with the hand hygiene.

The campaign was organised as an appraisal of the functioning of its preset standard operating procedures

that are observed on a regular basis from the beginning at various levels, aiming to ensure health safety and wellness of its customers and employees alike, as it is highly important to ensure that the retail space is safe to navigate.

The company has taken measures to ensure that all shared surfaces and touch points at hypermarkets such as shopping trolley handles, baskets, handrails of the travel-lators and lifts, and washrooms are cleaned thoroughly on a continuous basis.

Touching a germ-laden spot can put you at risk of infection

in case if you later touch vul-nerable areas on your face such as mouth, nose and eyes.

They have also imple-mented a strict hand hygiene protocol to follow at all areas especially sections like butchery, fish counter, hot kitchen and bakery etc. where raw meat and other food items are handled.

Sreekanth, Chief Hygiene

Officer at Lulu Hypermarkets, quoted WHO that, “inculcating the habit of adopting simple-to-follow measures on personal hygiene such as washing hands the right way at the right time with soap and water could help a person prevent himself effec-tively from the infection of a wide variety of germs that cause infectious diseases like flu, E.coli, norovirus and cold

causing inflammation of nose and throat etc. to a great extent."

The Lulu management indi-cated that they have started close monitoring of the temper-atures of their staff and mer-chandisers when they report for duty and go back.

They have also made it compulsory for all employees to undergo regular hygiene training sessions.

Lulu Hypermarket said it is cleaning and sanitising shared surfaces and touch points such as trolley handles and handrails of travelators on a regular basis as a precautionary measure.

‘Childhood obesity increases risk of asthma’FAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Qatar is joining other countries to mark the World Obesity Day today, encouraging practical solutions to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, undertake proper treatment, and reverse the obesity crisis.

Over the last several decades, obesity and asthma prevalence have both increased among children in Qatar, said a study — by the Primary Health Care Cor-poration (PHCC) — on the asso-ciation between body mass index (BMI) and asthma in children aged 5-12 .

“Most epidemiological studies propose that obesity at infancy and early childhood increases the risk of asthma in children. The recently adopted electronic recording system for health care visits in Primary Health Care Corporation of Qatar provided a convenient oppor-tunity to assess the possible link between asthma and obesity in children aged 5-12,” according

to the study published in Q-Science Connect by Hamad bin Khalifa University Press.

The case study by Dr Shajitha Thekke Veettil and Dr Ahmed Sameer Alnuaimi was done on electronic health records for children aged 5 to 12 years who visited one of the PHCC health centres during the two years study period between 2016 and 2017.

A total of 9,889 children with a diagnosis of asthma and valid BMI (BMI is a standardised measure for body weight by adjusting it to body height) meas-urement were included in the cases group and an identical number of children who visited the health centres for other reasons and had valid BMI meas-urements were randomly enrolled in the control group.

The study showed that obesity was significantly more frequent among asthmatics (24.9%) compared to non-asth-matic controls (17.7%).

Having asthma significantly increased the risk of being obese

by 41% in simple analysis, while it was further increased to 70% using complex mathematical modelling (controlling for the possible effect of age, gender and nationality on the association between obesity and asthma).

In conclusion, the current observational study based on a large sample of 5-12 years old children documented a strong association between asthma and obesity.

This positive association between asthma and obesity was stronger among older children and female Qatari children.

To recall, about 43% of the total students who participated in a growth monitoring pro-gramme by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) were found to be overweight or obese. While 21.2% were overweight, 21.5% were obese. Combined overweight and obesity prevalence was 44.8% and 40.4% among males and females, respectively, and 45.6% and 40.9% among Qatari and non-Qatar i s tudents , respectively.

Week-long wellness initiative for differently-abled childrenTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Allevia medical Center, Wellcare Pharmacies, NIARC-Ladies Wing Qatar Chapter and allwell.live are organising a week-long Wellness Initiative for differently-abled children from March 13 to 19.

This is a new movement in Qatar that comprehensively vis-ualises a long term wellness for the differently-abled kids and family as a single entity. The

Wellness Initiative will include free consultation and investi-gation in Pediatrics, Dental, Orthopedics, ENT, Physiotherapy, Audiometry, X Ray & Ultrasound Scan and lab departments of Allevia Medical Center, Al Wukair Branch.

Wellcare Pharmacies would be providing professional pharmacy and counselling services and NIARC-Ladies Wing

Qatar Chapter would be pro-viding experience-based family support services. allwell.live through its philanthropic wing would provide a comprehensive guidance, information and support for the entire event.

Parent of Differently-abled children can register through phone via 44412999, by Whatsapp at 55212999, or via an online form at http://bit.ly/

AllwellNiarcFreeSpecialMedi-calCamp

Ashraf K P, Chairman of Allevia Medical Center said that Allevia focuses on the tagline “Wellness in Reach”, aiming at providing compassionate, acces-sible, high-quality, and cost effective health care and wellness through its core values of attention, listen, love, empathy, value, information and

assurance.NIARC-Qatar Chapter is the

extended global service chapter for Nest International Academy and Research Center, which is a non-profit organisation estab-lished in 2005. NIARC is an organisation focused on pro-viding support for differently-abled children, primarily serving schooling, daycare and rehabil-itation sectors.

Compass International School celebrates Sports Week THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Compass International School (Compass) recently held a Sports Week at its four campuses across Doha in support of Qatar National Sport Day and the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Children took part in a spec-tacular week of sporting activities including athletics, obstacle courses, football, handball and tug-of-war. With the support of Com-pass’s outstanding teaching team

and parents, children enjoyed a week of being active at Compass’s campuses in Gharaffa, Madinat Khalifa, Rayyan and Themaid.

At the new, state-of-the-art Themaid Campus, students enjoyed Sports Week in some of the finest school sports facilities in Qatar including an outdoor football pitch and huge multi-purpose sports hall.

Paul Holyome, Executive Prin-cipal at Compass International School, said: “At Compass Interna-tional School we are committed to

encouraging our students to lead a healthy lifestyle and supporting the State of Qatar in National Sport Day. Our Sports Week activities certainly demonstrate that commitment. Our philosophy is ‘Be Ambitious’ and every student displayed that phi-losophy throughout Sports Week as they faced new challenges, tried their best and enthusiastically sup-ported their peers.”

Compass International School is one of Qatar’s leading schools, providing the very best of British

and international curricula for over thirteen years.

Through bespoke global edu-cational experiences, collaborations with some of the world’s finest institutions, including the Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT) and The Juilliard School, and a personalised approach to learning, Compass delivers excellent academic outcomes for children at all levels at its four cam-puses conveniently located across Doha.

Customs Authority

holds lecture on

Arab Customs Day

QNA — DOHA

The General Authority of Customs participated in the Arab Customs Day which falls on March 3 each year, by organising an awareness lecture about the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and combating commercial fraud and coun-terfeiting of all kinds.

By organising this annual event, the Authority aims to showcase the latest develop-ments related to combating commercial fraud and explain all measures to protect intel-lectual property, and to introduce the basic concepts of intellectual property and related parties from the public sector and the private sector.

Ibrahim Abu Fantas, an expert in operations man-agement and risk analysis, reviewed, during the lecture, a number of examples of trademark imitation opera-tions, explaining ways of com-paring the counterfeit and original brands and how to dif-ferentiate between them.

Commercial fraud and its negative effects on the strength and progress of the economy were also discussed, explaining in detail the laws regulating the protection of intellectual property rights.

A child taking part in a sport competition during Compass International School sports week.

05WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 HOME

Kahramaa, Oracle sign pact to implement ‘Customer Relationship and Billing Management System’THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) signed yesterday an agreement with Oracle Corporation (Oracle) to implement a Customer Relationship and Billing Management System, to provide a remarkable unified and comprehensive business system to enrich customer services mechanism and expe-rience.

In Kahramaa’s strategic journey towards fulfilling its business objectives and attainment of the business excellence dimensions covering Kahramaa Vision 2030, the agreement with Oracle for deploying and implementation of a state-of-the-art Utility Billing and Customer Rela-tionship Management and

Billing System will breathe new life into customer touchpoints by creating personalised, dynamic experiences oriented towards boosting customer engagement and ensuring cus-tomer satisfaction.

The agreement was signed by Kahramaa President Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, and David de Mayo, First Vice Pres-ident of Oracle at Kahramaa’s Head Office in the presence of senior functionaries of both organizations.

This project comes within the framework of Kahramaa’s endeavor to achieve one of its most important goals of excel-lence in customer services. The total cost of the project is about QR55m and its implementation will take 22 months.

It provides a unique expe-r i e n c e t h r o u g h o u t

the customer’s journey with Kahramaa, starting from regis-tration initially until the issuance of the bill and its col-lection. At several levels of business transactions where the system functions including Kah-ramaa website, its application for smartphones, support systems, new interfaces to provide self-services at the highest quality standards, it simplifies and felicitates proce-dures in accordance with inter-national best practices to keep pace with the information rev-olution and the accelerating requirements of valued customers.

Kahramaa excels at the international level by providing a global standard in regulations and procedures. The system also reflects a unique development of smart services, which

represents a fundamental change in the concept of service provision through the inclusions of dynamic programs and appli-cations, automatic chatting tools, and data analysis to ensure responsiveness to customers’ needs and their access to a unique personal experience.

The system will provide the latest applications at the call center and emergency offices which allows taking advantage of the capabilities of artificial

intelligence, including the ‘Mobile Workforce Management’.

The new billing system pro-vides an integrated devel-opment of the bill issuance cycle from meter reading to bill issuance through smart appli-cations which uses advanced technologies and programs to reduce the human interference in a way that guarantees regular billing at the highest standards of accuracy and supports the K a h r a m a a f i n a n c i a l

sustainability.The project is a qualitative

leap in the services for cus-tomers as it is a strategic tool that provides a unified window which displays all customers’ contact points with all Kah-ramaa departments and a com-prehensive integrated vision around the clock. It helps Kah-ramaa to better understand the needs of its customers and taking initiatives to provide them with better services.

Kahramaa President, Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, and David de Mayo, First Vice-President of Oracle, with other officials during the agreement signing ceremony.

QF launches competition for global healthcare innovatorsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) opened applications for the WISH Innovation Spark Competition and the WISH Innovation Booster Compe-tition – two new innovation competi-tions that provide talented entrepreneurs a platform to promote ideas and products aimed at improving the delivery and quality of healthcare. Applications to the competitions are open until July 31.

The WISH Innovation Spark Com-petition is aimed at entrepreneurs who seek to solve healthcare challenges by developing and validating a scalable project – typically early stage innova-tions or start-ups. While, the WISH Innovation Booster Competition is aimed at exciting innovations looking to scale up and grow.

The competitions are open to local and international applicants, aligning with WISH’s mission to build a healthier world through global collab-oration. WISH has removed the age

limit for the Innovation Spark. However, applicants for both

competitions will be expected to meet other criteria, such as the market need

for the proposed innovation and its potential for sustainable future growth.

Shortlisted innovations will be show-cased to world-renowned health experts, policy makers and potential investors at the upcoming WISH 2020 summit, to be held at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha from November 16-18.

By providing entrepreneurs with a platform at a major global event, this year’s new competitions will allow sig-nificantly enhanced support that includes mentoring, media promotion, training sessions to help market ideas, and one-on-one meetings with potential investors.

Mahmoud El Achi, Head of Inno-vation at WISH, an initiative of Qatar Foundation, said, “We have revamped existing WISH innovation competitions and removed previous age restrictions for entry to widen the field of appli-cants. This year, we’re keen to hear about innovations that promote sus-tainability while also being impactful.

“Having assessed previous WISH

innovation competitions, we’ve iden-tified a need to offer greater men-torship support and guidance to inno-vators with fledgling ideas, and to provide the tools and contacts for more established innovations to reach their potential.”

Since it was announced in 2012, WISH has showcased around 100 of the most exciting global healthcare innovations at previous WISH summits, each with the potential to transform global health, by reducing the costs of healthcare delivery and improving the quality of care for patients.

Through its new competitions, WISH is keen to promote a wide range of healthcare innovations that can include devices, applications, inno-vative delivery models, design-based solutions, and business models that aim to improve the quality of medical care while also reducing the cost of care. The shortlisted winners of both com-petitions will be announced in Sep-tember 2020.

The competitions are open to local and international applicants, aligning with WISH’s mission to build a healthier world through global collaboration.

06 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020HOME

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Mulberry Tavern launched at Hilton The Pearl

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Mulberry Tavern, has been launched at Hilton The Pearl. Open 7 days per week, guests can enjoy an elevated dining experience with an eclectic menu freshly prepared with the finest local produce.

Savour dishes inspired by French technique and British cuisine, including traditional favourites and sumptuous conti-nental dishes.

Some of Mulberry Tavern’s dishes include Pan-Seared Cod Fish with sautéed leek and peas, paired with a creamy bisque sauce, as well as Pepper Steak – seared pepper-crusted beef tenderloin with pepper sauce.

To finish, enjoy Chaud-Froid Mulberry Cheesecake, a light cheesecake with white mulberry biscuit, finished with pear and saffron sauce.

To complement dishes, a spe-cially crafted beverage menu includes a vibrant selection, as well as an extensive offering of bev-erages. Showcasing modern wood panelling and exposed brickwork, Mulberry Tavern offers a sophisti-cated, cosy ambience to enjoy with friends or to celebrate with larger groups.

Spreading across two levels, the outlet also features live sports broadcasting across numerous large screen TVs and pool table, providing additional entertainment offerings

for guests to enjoy.The outdoor terrace located on

the ground level serves as an inner-city oasis with a slick urban outlook and provides an area to relax and dine for those looking for an al-fresco experience.

“Mulberry Tavern is a very special concept and is something that we feel very strongly about. This is one place where you’re always amongst friends,” said Hassan El Wahidi, General Manager, Hilton Doha The Pearl Residences.

Mulberry Tavern is open from Sunday to Wednesday from 3pm to 12am, Thursdays from 3pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday from 12:30pm to 1am.

Mulberry Tavern is open from Sunday to Wednesday from 3pm to 12am, Thursdays from 3pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday from 12:30pm to 1am.

QRCS, UNDP open sustainable development projects in NepalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has completed a multi-sector development project in Gorkha Bazaar, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, under an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Gorkha Municipality, for the benefit of 32,636 persons.

The purpose of the project is to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, as well as support livelihoods and food security, through enhancing productive WASH infrastructure.

With an overall budget of $374,000, the project is co-funded by QRCS ($150,000), Gorkha Municipality ($176,862), and UNDP ($47,505). The project involved building a health centre to provide basic health care for 1,200 persons, two water purification and dis-tribution plant for the benefit of 400 families, a basic education school, two irrigation canals, and a waste removal unit for

Gorkha’s central hospital.As a significant contribution

to one of the country’s most underserved areas, the new facilities would help to improve

the living standards of the pop-ulation in many ways. From a sustainable perspective, the local community and councils were engaged in the

implementation process. Then, the project was handed over to the Gorkha Municipality, under the supervision of UNDP.

The inauguration and

handover ceremony was attended by H E Yousuf bin Mohamed Al Hail, Ambassador of Qatar to Nepal; Rajan Raj Panta, Mayor of Gorkha Munic-ipality; Chandrakala Paudel, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooper-atives, and Poverty Alleviation (MoLMCPA); Ayshanie Meda-gangoda-Labe, Resident Rep-resentative of UNDP in Nepal; government and local officials; community leaders; media reporters; and the public.

In his remarks, Al Hail said he was so happy for opening this project, meeting the bene-ficiaries, and feeling their joy.

He emphasized Qatar’s commitment to supporting Nepal, in light of the strong bilateral government and popular relations. “The Nepalese community in Qatar is highly welcomed,” Al-Hail added.

The Mayor of Gorkha thanked the Ambassador of Qatar, QRCS, and UNDP, prom-ising to do whatever necessary to run the project well and

enable everyone to benefit from it. “We are fully responsible for ensuring more effective oper-ation and maintenance,” said Panta.

In her speech, Paudel appreciated the development operations by Qatar in Nepal. She thanked the three partners for making this achievement in one of districts most vulnerable areas. She hoped they would keep working together against poverty. Medagangoda-Labe called for cooperation with QRCS on Phase 2 of UNDP’s Community Infrastructure and Livelihood Recovery Pro-gramme (CILRP).

QRCS commenced its work in Nepal in 2013, with multiple WASH projects. In 2015, a rep-resentation office was estab-lished to respond to a destructive earthquake. Its scope of work expanded to include livelihood, food security, health care, shelter, and emergency relief. So far, these operations have benefited around 1.7 million persons, at a total value of over $2.9m.

H E Yousuf bin Mohamed Al Hail, Ambassador of Qatar to Nepal, with local authorities during the opening of the development project implemented by QRCS and UNDP in Nepal.

Commitment of Qatar’s judiciary to support global judicial integrity hailedIRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

Praising hosting of second high-level meeting of Global Judicial Integrity Network by Qatar, Zerrin Gungor, President of the Council of State of the Republic of Turkey has said that Qatar is ruled by the rule of law.

“The high-level meeting of Global Judicial Integrity Network is very-well planned and my meeting with the Pres-ident of the Supreme Judiciary Council and the President of the Court of Cassation H E Dr. Hassan bin Lahdan Al Hassan Al Mohannadi was very useful,” she said while talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the high-level meeting held in Doha on February 25-26.

“The topics of the meeting are very interesting like the use of social media by judges. I think the meeting will make a change in the mindset of people for judiciary. I also appreciate the efforts of Qatar for hosting such an important meeting. It is a sign that Qatar is ruled by the rule of law and the State respects the rule of law,” Zerrin Gungor said.

The high-level meeting was hosted by the Supreme Judiciary Council under the title ‘Past, Present, Future’ and attended by senior officials, heads of

judicial bodies, councils and courts from around 120 coun-tries, and a number of officials from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Global Judicial Integrity Network is one of the key results of the efforts of the UNODC Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, which aims to assist member states in imple-menting vital areas of the Doha Declaration adopted at the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2015.

Talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the meeting, Justice Mushir Alam of the Supreme Court of Pakistan said that the meeting was a

wonderful experience. “You learn by attending such confer-ences. The integrity of judiciary which is always questioned will find a way forward through this meeting.”

Justice Mushir Alam further said: “We can improve the judicial integrity and perception of judiciary among general public by such meetings. I will take my experience from this high-level meeting back to Pakistan on how perception of a judge should improve and how judges should improve while delivering justice.” Justice Mushir Alam noted that the meeting would have an impact on judicial integrity worldwide as the participants would try to implement the declaration in their countries.

Slaikate Wattanapan, Pres-ident of the Supreme Court of Thailand, said that Qatar had done a good job to promote judicial integrity. “The idea of this high-level meeting is to strengthen judicial integrity to

deliver justice and protect peo-ple’s rights. I laud the com-mitment of Qatar’s judiciary to support judicial integrity in the world.”

He said that important dis-cussions took place on judicial integrity in the meeting in which judges and experts from all over the world shared their knowledge and experiences with their fellow judges. “The topics of the meeting were very useful and the participants will take the outcome of this meeting to their respective countries to streamline the rec-ommendations in their own systems.”

Horacio Bernardes-Neto, President of International Bar Association (IBA), said that Global Judicial Integrity Network was doing good job by conducting training for judges. He said that the meeting was well-represented by the judges and judicial experts from around the world.

Bernardes-Neto, a Brazilian

lawyer who heads the IBA, further said that a good number of Qatari lawyers had IBA membership. “The International Bar Associ-ation is the largest association of lawyers boasting membership of over 100,000 individuals and 189 bars from 130 countries.”

He said that the association works together with the United Nations. “In the second high-level meeting of Global Judicial Integrity Network, we also dis-cussed bullying and sexual har-assment in legal profession,” he said, adding that the issue of sexual harassment in legal pro-fession was on decline due to more positive attitude of younger generations.

“New generations are more respectful for one another and their integrity standards are high. Corruption is found in all societies but is relatively under control in developed countries where strong check and balance mechanisms are in place.”

Judge Ju Yeon Lee from Suwon District Court, South

Korea said that she was very glad to participate in the meeting which was attended and addressed by her profes-sional colleagues from all over the world.

“The topics discussed in the second high-level meeting of Global Judicial Integrity Network are very important like the use of social media by judges, gender-related judicial integrity issues, the use of arti-ficial intelligence (AI) in judici-aries etc. This is my first visit to Qatar and I am thankful to Qatar for hosting such an important meeting.”

Justice Lesetedi Isaac from High Court of Botswana said that the role of judiciary was crucial to safeguard rights of people and protect other organs of a State from the greed of power and money. “This meeting will be helpful to create a just society by promoting judicial integrity,” he said, praising the organization of the high-level meeting in a flawless manner.

FROM LEFT: Horacio Bernardes-Neto, President of International Bar Association; Slaikate Wattanapan, President of the Supreme Court of Thailand; Justice Mushir Alam of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Justice Lesetedi Isaac of the High Court of Botswana.

The high-level meeting was hosted by the Supreme Judiciary Council under the title ‘Past, Present, Future’ and attended by senior officials, heads of judicial bodies, councils and courts from around 120 countries, and a number of officials from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

07WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 GULF / MIDDLE EAST

Kuwait asks passengers from 10 nations to provide virus-free certificatesAGENCIES — KUWAIT CITY

Kuwait’s civil aviation authority said yesterday passengers from 10 countries including India, Turkey and Egypt must produce certificates issued by the Kuwaiti embassy saying they are coronavirus free.

Passengers who do not provide the certificates will not be allowed into Kuwait, the avi-ation authority said on Twitter.

United Arab Emirates announced yesterday that schools and higher educational institutions will be closed for four weeks starting on Sunday to avoid the spreading of coro-navirus. The statement from the education ministry, posted by the state news agency (WAM), added that the spring holidays, which were due to start from March 29 to April 12, will now start on Sunday.

Oman’s ministry of health

confirmed yesterday six new cases of coronavirus in the country, raising the total number to 12, according to the ministry’s twitter account.

The ministry said in its statement that all new cases were related to travel to Iran, four are Iranian nationals and two are Bahraini citizens.

More than 2,300 people are currently being quarantined in Oman to stop the potential

spread of the novel corona-virus, Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Saeedi said. Dr. Al Saeedi said: “As of 2 March 2020, there were 2,367 patients currently under quarantine procedures. This includes 49 in institutional quarantine, and 2,318 in home quarantine”.

“The ministry has further strengthened health procedures at all points of entry and intro-duced institutional quarantine in all the governorates of the Sul-tanate, where a number of places have been designated for quar-antine, in addition to organizing home quarantine, particularly for Omani citizens,” he said.

He added that the ministry had developed a compre-hensive guide on the institu-tional and home quarantine and is providing the required medical consultation and care for quarantined persons.

Vehicles pass by a billboard showing precautionary instructions against the COVID-19 as they drive along a main highway in Kuwait City, yesterday.

Thousands of Yemeni families displaced after heavy clashes: UN

AFP — DUBAI

More than 2,000 families have been displaced after heavy fighting in northern Yemen, the United Nations said yesterday, after the Houthi rebels seized control of a provincial capital.

The Iran-backed Houthis took control of Al Hazm, capital of the northern province of Al Jawf, on Sunday, government sources said. The loss of the strategic city means the militia now threatens the oil-rich neighbouring province of Marib.

Since the fall of the city, “an estimated 1,800 families reportedly fled heavily popu-lated districts of Al Ghayl and Al Hazm in Al Jawf”, the UN humanitarian coordination agency OCHA said in a statement. It added that “2,100 displaced families reached Marib on March 1”.

Al Jawf has been mostly controlled by the Huthis, but its capital — only 150km south of the border with Saudi Arabia — had been in the hands of the government.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2014 when they captured the capital Sanaa and swathes of the impoverished Arab nation. The government has been backed by a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015.

Since the Saudi-led coa-lition intervened in March 2015, tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions dis-placed, in what the UN has termed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Iran orders troops to fight coronavirus outbreak as 77 deadAP — TEHRAN

Iran’s supreme leader put the Islamic Republic’s armed forces on alert yesterday to assist health officials in combating the outbreak of the new coronavirus - the deadliest outside of China - that authorities say has killed 77 people.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decision was announced after state media broadcast images of the 80-year-old leader planting a tree wearing dis-posable gloves ahead of Iran’s upcoming arbor day, showing how concern about the virus now reaches up to the top of the country’s Shiite the-ocracy. Iranian media reported that 23 members of parliament now had the virus, as did the head of the country’s emergency services.

“Whatever helps public health and prevents the spread of the disease is good and what helps to spread it is sin,” Khamenei said, who has not worn gloves at past arbor day plantings.

After downplaying the coronavirus as recently as last week, Iranian authorities said yesterday they had

plans to potentially mobilise 300,000 soldiers and volunteers to confront the virus. It wasn’t clear if Khamenei’s order would set them in motion helping sanitise streets, direct traffic

and track possible contacts those ill with the virus had with others, as ini-tially suggested.

There are now over 2,530 cases of the new coronavirus across the

Mideast. Of those outside Iran in the region, most link back to the Islamic Republic.

Yet experts worry Iran’s percentage of deaths to infections, now around 3.3%, is much higher than other coun-tries, suggesting the number of infec-tions in Iran may be far greater than current figures show. Iran stands alone in how the virus has affected its gov-ernment, even compared to hard-hit China, the epicenter of the outbreak.

The death of Expediency Council member Mohammad Mirmohammadi on Monday makes him the highest-ranking official within Iran’s leadership to be killed by the virus. State media referred to him as a confidant of Khamenei. The virus earlier killed Hadi Khosroshahi, Iran’s former ambas-sador to the Vatican, as well as a recently elected member of parliament.

Those sick include Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar, the English-speaking spokeswoman for the stu-dents who seized the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and sparked the 444-day hostage crisis, state media

reported. Also sick is Iraj Harirchi, the head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus who tried to downplay the virus before falling ill.

Yesterday, lawmaker Abdolreza Mesri told Iranian state television’s Young Journalists Club programme that 23 members of parliament had the coronavirus. He urged all lawmakers to avoid the public.

“These people have a close rela-tionship with the people and they carry different viruses from different parts of the country, which may create a new virus, so we recommend the law-makers to cut off their relationship with the public for now,” Mesri said.

The semiofficial ILNA and Tasnim news agencies in Iran also reported that Pirhossein Koulivand, the head of the country’s emergency services, had come down with the new illness. They offered no other immediate details.

An activist group also said yes-terday that Wikipedia’s Farsi-language website appeared to be disrupted in Iran after a close confidant to the supreme leader died of the new coronavirus.

Iraqi health authorities reported new five suspected cases of coronavirus in the southern province of Dhi Qar yesterday. In a statement, health official Abdul-Hussein Al Jaberi said samples have been taken

from the five and sent to labs for examination. “The five cases suspected of being infected with the virus are four people from Dhi Qar who recently visited Iran, and one person from Najaf province who was visiting Dhi

Qar,” he said. On Monday, the Iraqi authorities confirmed 27 cases of the novel COVID-19. Last week, Baghdad shut schools and univer-sities for 10 days and banned travel to virus-hit states as part of its fight against the disease.

UN agency: Iran nearly triples stockpile of enriched uraniumAP — VIENNA

Iran has nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium since November in violation of its deal with world powers and is refusing to answer questions about three possible unde-clared nuclear sites, the UN atomic watchdog agency said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency made the statement in a confidential report distributed to member countries that was seen by The Associated Press. The agency said as of Feb. 19, Iran’s total stockpile of low-enriched uranium amounted to 1,020.9 kilograms (1.1 tons), compared to 372.3 kilograms noted in its last report on Nov. 3, 2019.

The current stockpile puts Iran within reach of the amount needed to produce a nuclear weapon, which it insists it does not want to do.

The nuclear deal that Iran signed in 2015 with the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia, known as the Joint Compre-hensive Plan of Action, allows Iran only to keep a stockpile of 202.8 kilograms.

The JCPOA promised Iran economic incentives in return for the curbs on its nuclear program, but since President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal unilaterally in 2018, Iran has been slowly vio-lating the deal’s restrictions. With the violations, Tehran has said it hopes to put pressure on the other nations involved to increase economic incentives to make up for hard-hitting sanctions imposed by Wash-ington after the American withdrawal.

In a second report issued Tuesday, the IAEA said it had identified three locations in Iran where the country possibly stored undeclared nuclear material or undertook nuclear-related activities without declaring it to international observers. It said it had sent questions to Iran in three sep-arate letters but received no answers.

According to the Wash-ington-based Arms Control Association, Iran would need roughly 1,050 kilograms of low-enriched uranium - under 5% purity - and would then need to enrich it further to weapons-grade, or more than 90% purity, for a weapon.

With the nuclear deal in place, Iran’s so-called “breakout time” - the period Tehran would need to build a bomb if it choose - stood around a year. As Iran has stepped away from the limits of the 2015 nuclear deal, it slowly has narrowed that window.

However, that doesn’t mean that Iran would imme-diately rush toward a bomb if all materials were in place.

Prior to the nuclear deal, Iran enriched its uranium up to 20%, which is just a short technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. In 2013, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was already over 7,000 kilograms with higher enrichment, but it didn’t pursue a bomb.

Iran has been violating other restrictions in the JCPOA, including the stock of heavy water it is allowed and the number and type of centrifuges it operates.

An Iraqi man wearing a protective mask looks at birds displayed for sale in a cage at Baghdad’s Al Ghazel bird market yesterday as the number of clients has dwindled due to fears of the spread of the coronavirus across the country.

Netanyahu leads, but still lacks majorityREUTERS — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led yesterday in Israel’s third national election in less than a year but was short of a governing majority, nearly complete results showed.

Netanyahu claimed victory in Monday’s vote over his main challenger, former armed forces chief Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party, after exit polls projected the conservative leader’s Likud party had come out on top.

“We turned lemons into lemonade,” he told a cheering crowd at Likud’s election head-quarters as exit polls were released. But Gantz stopped short of conceding defeat, saying the election could result in another deadlock and he understood and shared his sup-porters’ “feeling of disap-pointment and pain”.

With some 90% of votes counted, Likud said Netanyahu

met leaders of religious-rightist parties and secured their renewed pledge to join him in a coalition. That appeared to promise him 59 seats in par-liament — two short of a ruling majority. Netanyahu and his prospective partners “would not bar from the government parties that recognise the State of Israel as a Jewish and dem-ocratic state,” Likud said in a statement.

That beckoned Gantz’s cen-trist Blue and White and ex-defence minister Avigdor Lie-berman’s secularist-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu parties. But Gantz has ruled out sitting with Netanyahu, and Lieberman has long feuded with the premier’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish partners over their constituents’ state benefits.

A win for Netanyahu, 70, would be testament to the political durability of Israel’s longest-serving leader, who fought the latest campaign

under the shadow of a looming corruption trial.

It would also pave the way for Netanyahu to make good on his pledge to annex Jewish set-tlements in the occupied West Bank, and the region’s Jordan Valley, under a peace plan pre-sented by US President Donald Trump.

Palestinians have rejected the proposal, saying it would kill their dream of establishing a viable state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Likud led Blue and White by 36 seats to 32, and Lieber-man’s party, with seven, could tip the balance in complicated coalition building. A Likud spokesman said he expected Netanyahu to get lawmakers from the opposing camp to cross sides. Lieberman said he would convene his party tomorrow afternoon to choose who to back.

A Palestinian protester scuffles with Israeli soldiers after Israeli tractors started working on a Palestinian land near the village of Aqraba, south of Nablus, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, yesterday.

Passengers from 10 countries including India, Turkey and Egypt who do not provide the certificates issued by the Kuwaiti embassy will not be allowed into Kuwait, the aviation authority said on Twitter.

Qatar called on member states and all donors to provide more support to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and to the International Narcotics Control Board, in order to strengthen their primary role in implementing joint pledges.

08 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

“EDUCATION is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” the global peace icon Nelson Mandela once said. There can be no better explanation about the importance of education. Qatar has been shrewd in investing its money and resources and that is why the state gives greater importance to investing in education of its people knowing well that it is a sure-fire investment which will definitely be paid off for a better and more prosperous future.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yes-terday honoured 83 outstanding winners in the edu-cation sector recognising their perseverance and efforts to reach the pinnacle of their chosen branch of learning and teaching. When we look at it in a global perspective, it is not so common that the top most leader of a country finds time to honour students, but Qatar thinks differently and education is of paramount interest to the country. As the students said during the ceremony, this gesture has not only left an indelible mark in their life, but it will act as a catalyst for the young generation who are following them. The presence of H H the Amir and H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, a number of Their Excellencies Ministers and other dignitaries at the 13th Education Excellence Awards ceremony shows the value Qatar places on education.

The winners of the award represented master and doctorate degree holders, university and high school graduates, primary and preparatory students, out-standing teacher, school and scientific research.

Addressing the award ceremony Minister of Edu-cation and Higher Education, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, said that Qatar has spared no effort in providing all means of care and privileges at home and abroad, noting that as an encouragement for the outstanding persons in the educational field, they will be provided the opportunity to be ambas-sadors of the Qatar at relevant regional and interna-tional conferences and forums.

The 13th edition of the awards was the biggest with the participation of more entities including Military and Police institutions, foreign universities and other private education institutions. This is a proof of Qatar’s holistic view of education encompassing its citizens and res-idents by giving equal opportunities to everyone irre-spective of gender or nationality.

When it comes to education, for Qatar it is not just spending some money, but the country makes sure that the sector is managed by able governance, suffi-cient consultation with stakeholders in the decision-making process, qualified teachers, adequate physical facilities and enough financing for teaching and learning material.

Qatar’s emphasis on education

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Quote of the day

Greek authorities are facing a very difficult task in

containing the situation (migrant tensions). This

border is not only a Greek border, but it is also

a European border and I stand here today as a

European at your side.

Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President

Abdullah bin Nasser, the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the State of Qatar and its Permanent Mission to the United Nations and International Organisations in Vienna, addressing the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

QNA — VIENNA

The State of Qatar underlined that the threat of narcotic drugs to the health and safety of all mankind still exists, in light of its escalating negative repercus-sions on the social, economic and political stability of countries, the rule of law and sustainable development.

This came in the statement of the State of Qatar, delivered by Abdullah bin Nasser , the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the State of Qatar and its Permanent Mission to the United Nations and International Organizations in Vienna, during the 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), currently in session in Vienna.

Al Fuhaid said confronting the world drug problem is a general and shared responsibility that must be addressed in a mul-tilateral framework, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and other provi-sions of international law, calling for supporting the political com-mitment with action on the ground, and intensifying the efforts to counter the global drug problem and strengthen the pre-vention of drug abuse, especially among children and youth, as well as in educational commu-nities, with the aim of reaching drug-free societies.

The statement noted that the difference in tools, means and priorities, and the complexity of the world drug problem, should not detract us from our common goal of achieving the full objec-tives of the three drug agree-ments and ministerial declara-tions for 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2019, and adhering to the spirit of Vienna Consensual which has

guided our work during the past decades, as well as supporting the primary role of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs as the policy-making body with the primary responsibility for drug control matters.

The statement said that mobilizing sufficient resources to confront the drug problem is an investment for the present and future of humanity. In this context, the State warned of the wrong approach of legalizing cannabis use for recreational purposes, indicating that it con-tradicts with the comprehensive implementation of treaties and threatens the health and well-being of societies. The State of Qatar called for a thorough and comprehensive review of WHO experts’ recommendations regarding the scheduling of can-nabis and related materials, noting that the review should include economic, legal, social, health and administrative aspects and an assessment of all risks.

The statement underlined that Qatar gives top priority to protecting society from the scourge of drugs, and the national committee for narcotics control implements a strategy with a comprehensive approach that focuses first on prevention efforts, community protection, law enforcement, attention to drug victims, and the involvement of the health, social, economic, judicial and human rights sector in formulating and implementing preventive initiatives.

It noted that the Qatar launched a national preventive education campaign, included schools, institutes, colleges, uni-versities, youth centers, sports clubs and others, with the aim of engaging young people in

educating their peers about the dangers of drugs. The State also adopted the “Prevention Ambas-sadors” program aiming at building a group of community alliances with a number of sectors operating in the country to immunize the community from drugs. This policy resulted in making Qatar one of the cleanest countries in the world from the drug epidemic, in addition to its contribution to the regional and international efforts to combat drugs, and its gen-erous support for regional and international programs.

The State of Qatar also referred to the Global Program for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, which is funded by the State of Qatar, stressing that it is the largest program funded by one country in the history of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as it includes many activ-ities aimed at immunizing soci-eties, and the youth in particular, from drugs and crime. More than 30 thousand specialists in more than 190 countries benefited from the activities of the Global Program.

The program also provided direct technical assistance to 34 countries to build capacities for more than 15 thousand people, as well as educational programs that benefited 120 thousand stu-dents and 1700 teacher all over the world.

In conclusion, the State of Qatar called on member states and all donors to provide more support to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and to the International Narcotics Control Board, in order to strengthen their primary role in imple-menting joint pledges.

JAPAN NEWS - YOMIURI

Can the 18 years of fighting in Afghanistan be brought to an end and the stability and reconstruction of the country be achieved? The road is still rough.

The United States and the Taliban, the former ruling power in Afghanistan, have signed a peace agreement.

The United States plans to reduce the number of its troops stationed in Afghan-istan in a phased manner from about 13,000 and withdraw them completely over the next 14 months. The Taliban will not allow ter-rorist organizations to conduct activities based in Afghanistan that threaten the safety of the United States and its allies, nor will it allow them to conduct training or raise funds.

The administration of US

President Donald Trump has intermittently held direct talks with the Taliban since 2018. Trump is apparently trying to emphasize the return of US soldiers and reducing the cost of the US military presence in Afghanistan as “achievements” for the presi-dential election this autumn.

The Afghan government did not participate in this agreement. The focus will be on whether the Afghan gov-ernment and the Taliban will be able to hold talks on the future management of the country in line with the agreement.

US military intervention in Afghanistan began in 2001. The United States attacked the then Taliban regime for hiding Al-Qaida, the interna-tional terrorist organization that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The regime col-lapsed, but the Taliban subse-

quently regained power.Constructive support vitalAbout 2,400 US soldiers

have died in Afghanistan. The annual number of civilian casualties has exceeded 10,000 for six consecutive years since 2014, when the US military handed over the responsibility for securing the country to Afghan security forces. If the reduction of US forces creates a “power vacuum,” there is a possibility that the situation could further deteriorate.

Even if the Taliban makes efforts to scale back the vio-lence, there is no guarantee that it will be able to control the activities of Al-Qaida and the Islamic State extremist group, among others.

“If bad things happen, we’ll go back,” Trump has said. It is only natural that he urged the Taliban to implement the agreement and

indicated his intention to review the withdrawal of US forces depending on the situ-ation. A hasty withdrawal of troops must be avoided.

The political turmoil in the Afghan government is a cause for concern. Vote counting in the presidential election in September last year was delayed due to allegations of fraud.

To realize stable gov-ernance, it is essential for each party to make efforts to promote reconciliation and improve public security.

China and Russia are increasing their influence in Afghanistan through the Taliban. Instead of competing for influence with each other, the countries concerned should continue to provide constructive assistance to prevent Afghanistan from reverting to a “hotbed of terrorism.”

Qatar calls for confronting world drug problem within the framework of UN charter and international law

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Challenges ahead for Afghanistan on road to stability

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09WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Turkey shoots down Syrian warplane as fighting escalatesREUTERS — ISTANBUL

Turkey shot down a Syrian government warplane yesterday over northwest Syria, where fighting has intensified in recent weeks as Turkish forces have intervened in the battle over the last remaining area under rebel control.

It was the third Syrian war-plane Turkey has shot down since Sunday in an escalating campaign against President Bashar Al Assad’s forces that threatens to bring NATO-member Turkey into direct con-frontation with Assad’s super-power ally Russia.

With more than a million refugees amassing since December on the Turkish border, the battle for Idlib has brought what the United Nations fears might be the worst human-itarian crisis of the nine-year-old Syrian civil war.

Turkish-backed fighters have fought back and forth in recent weeks against gov-ernment forces backed by Russia and Iran for control of the strategic crossroads town of Saraqeb. The town controls access both to Syria’s biggest city Aleppo, held by the gov-ernment, and to Idlib, the last major rebel-held city.

Last week, a Syrian air strike killed at least 34 Turkish soldiers in the deadliest attack on the Turkish army in decades. Moscow, which has anti-aircraft missiles in Syria, has since

warned Turkey that it cannot guarantee the safety of Turkish planes in Syrian skies.

The Turkish Defence Min-istry said that its forces had shot down a Syrian L-39 ground attack jet. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency confirmed the plane had been shot down over Idlib province by missiles fired from Turkish warplanes.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are due to meet tomorrow to try to find ways to avert conflict.

Asked about the prospect of direct clashes with Turkey, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “We hope that we’re able to absolutely minimise this risk thanks to the close contact between the two countries’ militaries.”

Turkey, already home to 3.6 million Syrian refugees, says it cannot take any more. It wants to push Assad’s forces back to lines agreed in a 2017 deal bro-kered with Russia and Iran, which left a buffer zone in northern Syria near its border.

Since last week, Turkey has thrown open its frontiers with

Greece and Bulgaria to allow migrants to enter the EU, a move apparently aimed at putting pressure on European countries to back it in Syria.

Some 10,000 migrants have tried to cross into Greece by land in recent days and more than 1,000 have arrived by sea at Greek islands, creating fears of a repeat of the 2015-2016 migration crisis, when more than 1 million people crossed into Greece and 4,000 drowned in the Aegean. Escalating military action by Russia and Turkey in Idlib risks a direct confrontation between the two major foreign powers in Syria’s war, days ahead of a summit of their leaders to hammer out a deal to halt the fighting.

Both countries say they hope to avoid a head-on clash, but after Turkey ramped up attacks on Russian-backed Syrian forces and Russian military police helped secure a town seized from Turkey-backed rebels, all sides acknowledge the risk.

“Turkey does not intend to clash with Russia in any way,

and Russia does not want that either,” a Turkish security official said. “But on the battle-field it’s another story. It’s so complicated that an accidental attack on one another is the biggest risk.”

NATO member Turkey has the alliance’s second largest army. Russia, a nuclear-armed power, has a major air base in Syria and deployed warships in the Mediterranean last week.

Russian support since 2015 has been instrumental in turning the tide of the war in favour of President Bashar Al Assad, who says he will recapture “every inch” of Syrian land.

“Russia is taking a very tough stance and showing it’s ready for conflict,” said former Russian lawmaker Sergey Markov. “An attack on Saraqeb will be an attack on Russia.”

The s h o w d o w n i n northwest Syria comes ahead of tomorrow's meeting between Presidents Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin, suggesting both sides are seeking to consolidate their military position in part to bolster their negotiating hand.

A Syrian opposition figure described the battle for Saraqeb, at the junction of Syria’s main north-south and east-west highways, as a “war

of wills”, while a rebel military commander said both countries were trying to impose a “fait accompli”.

“The Syrian government is trying to take over new places with Russian support ahead of the Erdogan-Putin meeting,” the Turkish security official said. “They are trying to have the upper hand at the table”.

Turkey insisted last month that Syrian forces withdraw to Idlib frontlines established in a 2017 “de-escalation” accord. Damascus and Moscow ignored the demand, taking more ter-ritory in a conflict they frame as a war on terrorists.

Libya's Haftar opens diplomatic mission in DamascusAFP — DAMASCUS

Representatives of Libya’s rebel strongman Khalifa Haftar yesterday opened a diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The Libyan flag was raised above the North African country’s embassy in the Syrian capital for the first time since 2012.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Al Meqdad attended the flag hoisting, which he said came as both sides faced a common enemy.

“When Syria decides to renew ties with... Libya, it is recognition that we are waging a single battle in Syria and Libya against terrorism and those supporting it,” he said.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with the two rival authorities now vying for power.

Turkey backs Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord in the capital Tripoli, and has dispatched troops and pro-Turkish Syrian fighters there.

Haftar’s move in Syria came as ten-sions have spiralled between the Assad regime and Turkish forces in the northwest, where Turkey has downed several regime jets and bombs have killed dozens of troops on each side.

Haftar’s parallel administration sent its 'foreign minister' Abdulhadi Lahweej and 'deputy prime minister' Abdul Rahman Al Ahiresh.

“This is not the embassy of the east or of the west” of Libya, Syria’s Meqdad claimed.

“We believe in a single Libya... Our enemy is he who sells the country to the coloniser,” he added.

Syria’s conflict, sparked by the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011, has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions.

The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in November 2011 as the death toll mounted.

Several regional powers, betting on the demise of Assad’s regime, suspended diplomatic ties with Damascus.

Smoke billows above the rebel-controlled village of Sarmin near the regime-held town of Saraqeb, in the eastern part of the Idlib province in northwestern Syria, during airstrikes by pro-regime forces, yesterday.

Passengers filling the forms to show their contact details for tracing, at the gate of entry upon arrival at the Murtala International Airport in Lagos, yesterday. Nigeria is monitoring 58 people who had contact with an Italian man infected with the new coronavirus, the health minister said.

Algeria reports two new viruscases, bringing the total to 5REUTERS — CAIRO

Algeria reported two new coronavirus cases, which brings the total of confirmed cases to five, state news agency said quoting a statement from health ministry.

The statement added that the two new cases are from the same family, a father and daughter, and were living in France, adding that there’s an investigation going to determine the identities of the people who were in contact with them.

Meanwhile, Mauritania's health ministry yesterday confirmed that no coronavirus infection has been reported in the country so far. Activists earlier said that a Mauritanian had died from the virus in the capital Nouakchott.

In a statement, the ministry said samples have been taken from two people suspected of having contracted the virus.

“Tests proved that they were not infected with the virus,” the ministry said. On Monday, Mauritania’s neighbors, Senegal and Morocco, reported their first case of coronavirus.

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has reached 3,044, with more than 89,000 infected.

The World Health Organization, which already declared the out-break an international health emergency, has updated the global risk level to ‘very high.’

Nigerian bandits kill dozens of people in five villagesAP — LAGOS

Bandits have killed dozens of people in attacks on five villages in northern Nigeria, officials and witnesses said.

The Kaduna state com-missioner for security, Samuel Aruwan, said in a statement that bandits attacked the Igabi and Giwa areas on Sunday.

In the village of Kerawa, where the highest death toll was recorded, 41 corpses were buried, said Aruwan.

Although he did not give the total death toll, residents said more than 50 people were killed. The bandits also burned several houses and looted properties, Aruba Garba from Zariyawa village said.

“Thousands of people have fled,” he said late on Monday.

The incident comes about two weeks after bandits killed 31 people in neighboring Katsina state.

Scores of people have been killed in recent years by the well-armed bandits who kidnap people for ransom and also raid villages to steal cows in Nigeria’s northern states.

“This banditry should be declared an insurgency and they should be fought in the same way as the Boko Haram,” said Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state said after he visited the scene of the latest incident.

Visa plans to offer credit cards in Sudan after US sanctions endBLOOMBERG — KHARTOUM

Visa Inc. is working with selected banks in Sudan to introduce its payments products, the latest Western brand to weigh entering the North African country after the lifting of US sanctions and the overthrow of its long-time dictator.

“Visa is pleased to be building new partnerships that will bring the benefit of Visa’s world-class payment tech-nology to help support financial inclusion and economic growth in Sudan,” Will Stickney, a spokesman for Visa, said in an

emailed statement. He didn’t give more details.

A spokesperson for Sudan’s central bank wasn’t immedi-ately available to comment. Sudan Tribune, a Paris-based website, earlier cited a central bank official as saying several local banks planned to issue Visa cards. Sudan, where Pres-ident Omar Hassan Al Bashir was ousted by the army in April after mass protests, is scrab-bling to reverse its pariah status and rebuild the economy shat-tered by decades of misman-agement and the loss of much

of its oil wealth with South Sudan’s 2011 secession.

Over the past year, a trickle of Western brands have appeared in the capital, Khartoum, most notably local franchises of Yum! Brands Inc’s Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sudan’s international isolation began in 1993 when the US labeled the nation, then ruled by Bashir, a state sponsor of terrorism and later imposed crippling sanctions that lasted until 2017. Africa’s third-largest country, Sudan has a population of 43.1 million and more than

80% of its residents are employed in agriculture.

Visa doesn’t permit financial firms domiciled in countries subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions to issue cards on its network. The company in November said that list still includes Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Crimea.

Sudan is still designated a sponsor of terrorism by the US The transitional government is campaigning for the listing to be dropped, saying it’s pre-venting any large-scale foreign investment.

Reporters gather in front of the Libyan Embassy during its reopening in the Syrian capital Damascus, yesterday.

Ethiopia chides US

for ‘undiplomatic’

role in Nile Dam

talksAFP — ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopia yesterday accused the United States of being “undiplomatic” in its push to resolve a row over a giant dam on the Nile River but vowed to continue with ongoing talks.

The Grand Ethiopian Ren-aissance Dam, set to become the largest hydropower plant in Africa, has been a source of tension between Addis Ababa and Cairo since Ethiopia broke ground on it in 2011.

The US Treasury Department stepped in last year to facilitate talks between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan — another downstream country — after Egyptian President reached out to US President Donald Trump, a close ally. Last week the Treasury Department issued a statement claiming an agreement had been reached and urged Ethiopia to sign “at the earliest possible time”.

Egypt issued its own statement saying it had ini-tialled the agreement, calling it “fair and balanced” and in “the common interest of the three countries”.

Ethiopia, which skipped the most recent round of talks, denied there was a deal and expressed “disappointment” with the US statement, but did not spell out its position on future negotiations.

Escalating military action by Russia and Turkey in Idlib risks a direct confrontation between the two major foreign powers in Syria’s war, days ahead of a summit of their leaders to hammer out a deal to halt the fighting.

10 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020ASIA

‘Unprecedented’ mental health issues seen in Hong Kong amid virus fearsREUTERS — HONG KONG

As Hong Kong tries to contain the coronavirus outbreak, medical experts say many in the Asian financial hub are reeling from increased anxiety and an unprec-edented level of mental health issues.

The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic came after months of tumultuous anti-government protests that had already led to a sharp increase in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they said. It also touches on fears of the 2003 SARS epidemic, which killed nearly 300 people in the city.

“Hong Kong is in a unique position, due to changes to our routine, previous months of social unrest and deep memories of SARS,” said Carol Liang, an executive at Mind Hong Kong, a mental health charity in the former British colony.

A University of Hong Kong survey found that a third of adults

in the special administrative region reported symptoms of PTSD, up from 2 percent in 2015, while 11 percent reported depression, up from 2 percent during the Occupy protests in 2014.

Since January, tens of thou-sands have been working from

home, many cooped up in tiny apartments, while the stockpiling of basic food and cleaning products has become common.

Children stuck at home must grapple with online learning while many families, particularly the poor, are unable to get pro-tective gear because.

“Hoarding tissue, bags of rice, are measures to cope with the anxiety rather than fulfilling needs of daily life. They are hoarding way beyond their only needs,” said Eliza Cheung, a clinical psychologist at Hong Kong Red Cross.

Hong Kong has about 100 confirmed cases of the corona-virus and has reported two deaths. A mental health hotline the government opened in January has received about 25,000 calls, authorities said, while voluntary groups have sprung into action to help counsel people, particularly those quar-antined at home.

“We have everyone calling

from the entire spectrum, elderly from the nursing home to teen-agers. We are just trying to hang onto each day as it is at the moment,” said Karman Leung, chief executive of Samaritans Hong Kong, a local non-govern-mental organisation that assists people in distress.

Low-income residents have been particularly hurt by a deep-ening slowdown in Hong Kong’s

economy, battered by protests and the Sino-US trade war. The Society for Community Organi-sation (SoCO), a local organi-sation that works on poverty alle-viation, said 70 percent of poor families can’t afford masks and disinfectant.

Authorities have pledged cash handouts to residents and tax breaks to businesses.

Last week, the city’s finance

secretary unveiled measures to allocate “sufficient resources” to help with mental health problems. Some residents remain optimistic.

“This virus, I thought it came at a good time, where we are so divided. Hopefully it will bring us together again. Each one of us hopefully trying to fight this disease,” said Derek Au, 46, a Hong Kong resident.

People wearing protective face masks walk along the financial Central district, in Hong Kong, on Monday.

UN appeals for $877m to help Rohingya refugees in BangladeshANATOLIA — DHAKA

UN agencies and their partners yesterday launched the 2020 Joint Response Plan for Rohingya humanitarian crisis, with an appeal aiming to raise $877m for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and other vulnerable commu-nities there.

“Building on the efforts and success of previous years, the appeal aims to raise $877m to respond to the needs of approx-imately 855,000 Rohingya ref-ugees from Myanmar and over 444,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in the communities generously hosting them”, said a statement

issued by UNHCR yesterday.The statement said that

urgent funding is needed to meet the fundamental needs of the ref-ugees — such as access to food, shelter, clean water and sani-tation — and that 55 percent of the overall appeal would be spend here.

The UN also expressed con-cerns as “health, protection, edu-cation, site management, energy and environment [at Rohingya refugee camps] continue to be critical to ensuring the safety and dignity of Rohingya refugees, and the well-being of local Bangla-deshis,” it added. Until peaceful and sustainable repatriation of

Rohingya could be done, the world must stand by the perse-cuted people as well as the gov-ernment and people of Bang-ladesh who continue to host them, said UN High Commis-sioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

“Most important will be engaging refugees and hearing their voices and understanding their hopes and vision for the future,” he added.

Terming Bangladesh’s long annual monsoon and cyclone seasons as risks for Rohingya ref-ugees living in squalid makeshift camps, the statement said the UN aid agencies were working

tirelessly for them since the beginning of the Rohingya influx in 2017.

“An important achievement in 2019 was the biometric regis-tration of all Rohingya refugees living in the camps, with those over the age of 12 receiving indi-vidual identity documents. This secures their identities, enhances their protection and lays the foundations for an even more targeted, effective and efficient humanitarian response going forward,” it said.

The statement termed the minimisation of deforestation at Bangladesh’s southern hill areas, where the Rohingya refugee

camps are located, a great achievement.

“All Rohingya refugee house-holds now use Liquefied Petroleum Gas for cooking, which has led to a staggering 80 percent drop in demand for firewood. Some 30,000 local Bangladeshi families are also now included in the initiative,” it added.

Referring to one of the most crying needs of Rohingya, edu-cation, the statement said: “A pilot phase will get underway shortly, targeting 10,000 children in grades 6 to 9, with plans to scale up currently under development.”

India cancels all

visas to citizens

of 4 countries

IANS — NEW DELHI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said that all visas issued to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, yesterday or before, and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with immediate effect.

Those required to travel to India due to compelling reasons, may seek fresh visas from the nearest Indian embassy or consulate, it said.

“All regular/e-visas issued to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan issued yesterday or before and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with imme-diate effect. They may not enter India from air, land or seaport ICP,” the DGCA cir-cular said.

It further said that the regular or e-visas issued to all other nationals who have travelled to China, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Japan, on or after February 1, and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with imme-diate effect, it said.

“Diplomats, officials of UN and other international bodies, OCI cardholders and aircrew from above countries are exempted from such restrictions on entry. However, medical screening is compulsory.”

Passengers arriving directly, or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore must undergo medical screening at port of entry.Indonesia’s most active volcano

erupts, spews ash into skyAP — YOGYAKARTA

Indonesia’s most active volcano erupted yesterday, spewing sand and pyroclastic material and sending a massive column of smoke and ash as high as 6,000 metres into the sky.

The eruption of Mount Merapi on the main island of Java unleashed searing gas clouds 2km down its slopes, Indonesia’s Geology and Volcanology

Research Agency said on its website. It said villagers living on Merapi’s fertile slopes are advised to stay 3km from the cra-ter’s mouth.

Ash from the eruption made rain thick and muddy in several villages. Witnesses said the sound was heard 30km away.

The agency did not raise the alert status of Merapi, which already was at the third-highest level due to its ongoing activity.

The 2,968-metre mountain is the most active of 500 Indo-nesian volcanoes. It has rumbled and generated dark hot clouds since last year. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 353 people. Indonesia, an archipelago of 240 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines around the ocean.

People walk along a road following an eruption by Mount Merapi in Solo, Indonesia, yesterday .

India to boost quarantine, isolation wards to fight new coronavirusIANS — NEW DELHI

In measures for cluster management of coronavirus, the government is asking the states to identify sites for quar-antine facilities and isolation wards, including facilities of the armed forces, paramilitary forces, medical colleges and PSUs within their jurisdiction.

This was decided at a meeting held by Cabinet Sec-retary Rajiv Gauba through video conference here, with secretaries of ministries con-cerned, and state Chief Secre-taries and Health Secretaries to review and assess action taken for containment of COVID-19.

The meeting comes on a day when the first coronavirus case has been detected in Delhi and a flurry of cases are being reported on a single patient’s trial from Delhi to Agra.

The guidelines on cluster management of COVID-19 have been communicated to the states two days ago. The oper-ationalisation of the guidelines was emphasised upon and the Chief Secretaries were requested to review the same.

The states have been asked to hold coordination meetings with the related ministries and arrive at a plan on possible quarantine facilities in the states.

They have also been asked to augment isolation wards and include facilities of the labour department, armed forces,

paramilitary forces, medical colleges and PSUs within their jurisdiction.

It was also decided that Dis-trict Collectors shall now be involved in cluster management in their district. They should hold coordination meetings and ensure that teams at the district, block and village levels are made for cluster management as per the SOPs communicated.

The district administration will also hold meetings with hospital associations to identify isolation wards.

The Health Ministry is working with FICCI to work out detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for COVID-19 management in private hospitals.

It was also informed that apart from the three COVID-19 positive cases from Kerala, who have recovered, three more cases have been confirmed pos-itive for COVID-19 and six have heavy viral load and are awaiting confirmation. All are in isolation and are stable.

Also, 24 persons, including 21 Italian tourists and three Indians (bus driver, conductor and tourist guide), who had contact with the Italian national found confirmed as COVID-19 positive in Jaipur, have been shifted to the ITBP facility for testing. Depending on the result, future course of action will be taken, according to an official statement.

Australia to use biosecurity law to restrict movements of virus patientsREUTERS — SYDNEY

Australia will use a little-known biosecurity law to restrict the movements of people suspected of having the coronavirus, its at torney-general sa id yesterday.

Australia on Monday con-firmed the first community transmission of coronavirus

after a doctor contracted it. State health officials have said the unidentified doctor has not travelled overseas in months and had not treated any of the other confirmed cases.

Amid fears of a widespread outbreak, Attorney-General Christian Porter said the gov-ernment will expand the use of a rarely used law that would

either designate some places as out of bounds or place the patient in home detention.

“Under the biosecurity act, you could have the prevention of movement from persons in and out of particular places,” Porter told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“You might have a major sporting event where people

would be in very, very close proximity to each other and... it might be determined that the risk of transmission at a venue like that was too high.”

The law, enacted in 2015, has rarely been used outside Australia’s agricultural sector.

Prime Minister Scott Mor-rison last week said a pandemic was likely and Australia has

moved to try and prevent the virus from reaching its shores.

Since February 1 Australia has stopped any foreigner from entering directly from China, where the virus originated.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner and the move has prevented thousands of stu-dents and tourists from entering Australia.

South Korea’s first feminist party set to be launched

REUTERS — SEOUL

South Korea’s first feminist party has vowed to push for equal pay and tougher laws to end widespread voyeurism against women as it gears up to contest an upcoming election.

Due to be launched on March 8 — International Women’s Day — the Women’s Party has signed up over 8,000 members, founded as a growing feminism movement has started to emerge in the socially conservative Asian nation.

It is hoping to win four of 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs in an April 15 poll although political analysts said it would be a challenge for the fledgling party.

A mental health hotline the government opened in January has received about 25,000 calls, authorities said, while voluntary groups have sprung into action to help counsel people, particularly those quarantined at home.

11WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 ASIA

South Korea’s Presidentdeclares war on virus asnumber of cases riseREUTERS — SEOUL

South Korea’s President declared war on the coronavirus yesterday, ordering additional hospital beds and more face masks to be made available as the number of cases rose by 974 in the worst epidemic of any nation outside China.

President Moon Jae-in apol-ogised for shortages of face masks and promised support for virus-hit small businesses in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy, which has now reported 5,186 cases of the flu-like disease and 34 deaths.

“The entire country has entered war against the infec-tious disease as the crisis in Daegu and Gyeongbuk province has reached the highest point,”

he told a cabinet meeting, referring to the hardest-hit parts of the country.

“I am very sorry to the people that we are not able to supply masks swiftly and sufficiently, a n d h a v e c a u s e d inconvenience.”

The virus which originated in China late last year began to spread rapidly in South Korea after it entered the congregation of a Christian sect in Daegu city, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.

Daegu’s mayor told reporters he had asked the president for 3,000 more hospital rooms to cope with the rising number of the coronavirus patients.

The leader of the sect and self-proclaimed messiah Lee Man-hee tested negative for the virus on Monday, having been

threatened with arrest unless he agreed to be examined.

He had earlier apologised for the sect’s role in spreading the virus and called the epidemic a “great calamity”.

The church and Lee per-sonally have come under intense scrutiny and growing public anger, and some politicians have reported them for prosecution.

President Moon ordered masks to be stockpiled as a stra-tegic item so suppliers can increase output without fear of producing surplus.

There have been long queues outside retail stores and online suppliers have been selling out as soon as stock arrives, even though the World Health Organ-isation says healthy people only need to wear masks if they are

caring for someone who is sick.Lee Ji-eun, a 34-year-old

doctor in Seoul, said her daily routine began with surfing the internet to try to find masks for her family.

“It is totally a lottery. I click

‘buy’ like crazy every morning, but I only succeeded in pur-chasing a few last week,” she said.

“There aren’t enough even for doctors when treating patients.”

In Daegu, people yesterday were lining up at pharmacies to buy masks distributed by the government. A man was caught lining up to buy a mask after testing positive for the virus, a police official said.

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in (second left) and ministers wearing face masks attend a cabinet meeting at the government complex, in Seoul yesterday.

Kazakhstan frees

prominent

prisoner after

decade in jail

AFP — NUR-SULTAN

A court in Kazakhstan yesterday freed the former head of the world’s largest uranium producer, who is one of the country’s best-known political prisoners, after a decade behind bars.

Mukhtar Djakishev, 56, who led the state uranium giant Kazatomprom for over 10 years prior to his arrest on embez-zlement charges in 2009, was considered a political prisoner by international rights groups.

The decision of a court in the northeastern city of Semey to release Djakishev with less than four years of his 14-year sen-tence remaining came after appeals for early release were rejected last year and in 2018.

“The court decided to satisfy the request of the convict ME Djakishev for early conditional release,” said judge Zhanat Abenova, to whoops and cheers from supporters in the courtroom during proceedings broadcast live on Facebook.

Djakishev’s legal team has argued that he is seriously ill and requires urgent medical attention. Kazakhstan ignored a demand for his immediate release from the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2015. Djakishev’s tenure in charge of Kazatomprom saw the company emerge as a leading player on the international uranium market.

Many believe that he paid the price for his close ties to Mukhtar Ablyazov, a former banker and energy minister who fled the country in 2009 during a struggle over a bank that Ablyazov chaired. Ablyazov sub-sequently waged a struggle against the Kazakh regime from abroad, while his supporters and Kazakh civil society groups have continued to champion Djaki-shev’s case.

2,000 travellers fromSindh quarantined asfifth case reportedAGENCIES — KARACHI

The Sindh province government of Pakistan was informed that over 2,000 pilgrims who had travelled to Iran from across the province have been placed in quarantine for coronavirus in Taftan, Balochistan.

Meanwhle, Pakistan yes-terday confirmed a fifth case of the novel coronavirus.

“We have now 5th con-firmed case of #COVID19 in federal areas. Patient is stable and is being managed well,” Dr Zafar Mirza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, said on Twitter.

The quarantined individuals have been placed in a ‘tent city’ set up by the Balochistan gov-ernment for Pakistani nationals entering the country from Iran.

“We are in contact with the Balochistan government,” said Sindh health department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf, adding that the families of those who have been placed in quar-antine had also reached out to the provincial government.

Given the current situation, the health department has advised Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to send rations for the people of Sindh in the tent city.

“We understand the burden on the Balochistan government

and want to reduce it,” explained Yousuf.

A budget of Rs100m for the efforts against coronavirus has been proposed to the CM and was expected to be approved in a Sindh cabinet meeting scheduled to be held yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Sindh edu-cation department suspended the registration of 58 private educational institutions in the province, for violating the gov-ernment’s orders to remain closed until March 13 amid fears about coronavirus.

Regional teams in all of Sindh’s divisions visited 422 private schools to check their compliance with the order, which had been issued a day earlier in order to allow the com-pletion of the quarantine period by suspected coronavirus patients.

In Karachi, 40 schools had their registration suspended as they were found open despite the orders. The schools were located in areas including Lyari, Korangi, Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Hadeed and Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Sindh private schools reg-istrar Rafia Mallah said that inspection teams had visited 265 schools in different parts of the city and found 40 of them func-tioning as per their normal schedules.

Time for Afghans to decide their future: Pakistan FMINTERNEWS — ISLAMABAD

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan has played the role it had to play in the Afghan peace process, now it was up to the people of the country to decide their future.

“Pakistan has always been in favour of peace,” Qureshi told BBC Urdu in an interview.

“Now it is up to the people of Afghanistan to decide what they want to do. They need to decide what they want to do about their future and what country do they want.”

The foreign minister also dismissed reports of Pakistan meddling in the country’s affairs.

“Pakistan does not want to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal matters. We just want good relations with them,” he said.

When asked what Pakistan think of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, the foreign

minister said, “If you want peace, there is no other way other than an inclusive government. The more you take people together, the better it would be. I hope the setup in the future is more inclusive.”

Speaking about the issue of prisoners release between the Afghan government and Taliban,

Qureshi said, “Prisoner exchanges have also happened in the past. If releasing the pris-oners helps in making the envi-ronment more conducive, then I think President Ashraf Ghani should think about this decision openheartedly.”

He continued, “I am

confident President Ghani will keep Afghanistan’s interests and peace. I also know that the Americans have been keeping him in the loop with all the developments.”

The foreign minister noted that the prisoner exchange cannot be one sided. “If the prisoner exchange happens it has to be from both sides,” Qureshi said.

Just hours after the US-Taliban peace deal, Ghani had rejected a key component of the agreement that called for the release of thousands of insurgent prisoners.

On the subject of spoilers, Qureshi said there were some elements which were not happy over the agreement.

“This is the first step towards peace and in the right direction,” Qureshi said, adding that some people did not want peace in the country for their own interests.

When asked if he was

pointing towards a specific country, the foreign minister said he was not. “I am pointing towards those who wanted to use Afghanistan against Pakistan.”

“We do not want Afghan-istan to be used by any group or organisation. We don’t want Afghanistan to be used against us or anyone.”

On the subject of the post troops withdrawal situation in the country, Qureshi said, the agreement happened because there had been no mechanism in the past.

“Previously, there had been no mechanism or oversight. Keeping these experiences in mind, steps are being taken so something such as groups taking over does not happen.”

“Of course spoilers are there, but we have to take steps keeping in mind the bigger picture,” Qureshi remarked.

Pakistan had earlier also

warned about the role of spoilers wanting to sabotage the deal. Qureshi while addressing a press conference a day after the deal signing had said, “We have to keep eyes on them. A mech-anism must be put in place to identify those playing a negative role.”

Responding to a question about reluctance from the Afghan government, the foreign minister said, “If we look in the past there has always been a trust gap. Pakistan has always wanted to move forward. If we are stuck in the past, we will never be able to achieve what we want for the future.”

“We want our country to be safe,” he said.

“There will be a border fence on the Pakistan-Afghan border to answer any allegations of movements on the border. I hope the Afghan government welcomes the decision and take it in a positive manner.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

China sees increase in newcases coming from abroadAFP — BEIJING

China reported an increase yesterday in cases of the new coronavirus coming from abroad, as the country where the disease first emerged now worries about importing infec-tions.

In total there have been 13 confirmed cases of the virus being imported to the mainland — all in Chinese nationals returning from overseas.

More than 3,100 people have died and over 90,000 have been infected worldwide.

The vast majority of cases are in China, but South Korea, Italy and Iran have emerged as the countries with the most cases outside the epicentre.

Eight Chinese nationals who worked in the same restaurant in Italy’s northern Lombardy region have tested positive for the virus in eastern Zhejiang province, according to the local government. They flew home to China from Italy last week.

There have also been four confirmed cases of infections originating in Iran — two in Beijing and two in the northern

Ningxia region — and one case in the southern city of Shenzhen in a person who had travelled from Britain via Hong Kong.

China has been imple-menting a series of measures to try and prevent its containment efforts being undone by cases brought into the country.

Those arriving in the capital from virus-hit countries —including South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan — must self-quar-antine for 14 days, the deputy secretary of Beijing’s government said at a press briefing yesterday.

People wearing face masks cross a street, in Beijing, yesterday.

Australian Associated Press to shut down after 85 yearsAP — CANBERRA

The national news agency Australian Associated Press said yesterday it will close in late June, its 85 years in business vanquished by a decline in subscribers and free distribution of news content on digital plat-forms.

“The saddest day: AAP closes

after 85 years of excellence in journalism. The AAP family will be sorely missed,” AAP Editor-in-Chief Tony Gillies said in a tweet.

Sydney-based AAP was started in 1935 by newspaper publisher Keith Murdoch, father of News Corp. founder Rupert Murdoch. It is owned by Aus-tralian news organisations News

Corp. Australia, Nine Enter-tainment Co., Seven West Media and Australian Community Media.

The agency is renowned for its fair and impartial reporting and its extraordinary reach across rural and urban Australia. The surprise decision by its owners to close the agency comes amid a brutal consolidation in the

industry and raised an outcry both from its staff and from many Australians who view it as a pillar of a free and fair press.

“When you have such an important institution such as AAP coming to an end,... that is a matter of real concern,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament.

Anthony Albanese, the oppo-

sition leader, concurred, saying, “Today is a tragedy for our

democracy.” Australian media organisations face mounting financial pressure, with global digital giants Google and Facebook taking a growing chunk of advertising revenue. The company said it had reached the point where it was “no longer viable to continue.”

“Pakistan has always been in favour of peace,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told BBC Urdu in an interview. “Now it is up to the people of Afghanistan to decide what they want to do.”

12 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020EUROPE

Protest for pay hike in Madrid

Russian court rules in favour of facial recognition over privacy claimsREUTERS — MOSCOW

A Moscow court ruled yesterday that the city’s facial recognition system does not violate the privacy of its citizens, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs said — a blow to activists who had hoped to ban the technology’s use.

Lawyer and activist Alena Popova and opposition poli-tician Vladimir Milov of the Sol-idarnost party had filed a case against Moscow’s Department of Technology (DIT), which manages the video surveillance programme, seeking to ban the technology’s use at mass events and protests.

Moscow completed its facial recognition rollout with the awarding of a small software contract in December, having already spent at least $50m on hardware, and its system now boasts more than 105,000 sur-veillance cameras fitted with the technology.

The system remained in operation while court pro-ceedings were ongoing, with authorities using the tech-nology to ensure people ordered to remain at home or at their hotels under corona-virus quarantine to do so.

“This ruling shows there are no legal defences for facial rec-ognition complaints,” said Pop-ova’s lawyer, Kirill Koroteev.

Popova also had a November lawsuit dismissed on the same grounds.

On its website, the DIT says it uses video surveillance in crowded areas to “ensure safety”, and that video footage is deleted within five days of an incident.

Putin's critic accuses Russia of freezing his bank accountsREUTERS — MOSCOW

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny accused Russian authorities of emptying and blocking his bank accounts and those of his close family, a move he said was unfair and aimed at stran-gling him and his supporters financially.

Navalny, 43, an outspoken opponent of President Vladimir Putin who has tried to build an anti-Kremlin movement by exposing official corruption, said his own accounts had been frozen as had the bank cards of his wife, son, daughter and parents.

Navalny said that accounts belonging to him and his wife had not only been blocked since Monday, but were now over-drawn to the tune of $1.13m.

His 11-year-old son’s savings, the result of weekly pocket money handouts, had also disappeared, he said on his website.

The Kremlin declined to discuss the blocking of

Navalny’s accounts, saying bank freezes were not a matter for the president’s office.

Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition politician, said the freezes appeared linked to a criminal case opened by investigators into suspected money laundering by his Anti-Corruption Foundation, allega-tions he says are fabricated.

The investigation was opened last August after Navalny called on people to attend rallies that grew into Moscow’s biggest sustained protest movement in years before fizzling out.

“I’m not going to lie, this is fairly unpleasant. My parents are elderly people, pensioners. Like everyone they have ill-nesses, medicine (to buy) and so on. No idea how they’ll pay for their utilities,” he said.

Navalny was barred from running for president in 2018 because of a past conviction on charges he has called trumped up. Putin won that election by a landslide.

Germany unearths right-wing radicals in military after scandalREUTERS — BERLIN

Germany has discovered eight right-wing radicals in its armed forces and 27 individuals who have reservations about the constitution, according to a report commissioned to help root out extremism in the military after a scandal in 2017.

Germany is struggling to tackle a rise in right-wing rad-icalism which has culminated in attacks including a shooting rampage in Hanau two weeks ago when a racist gunman killed 11 people, including migrants and himself.

The report, by German mil-itary intelligence, showed that in addition to the eight people categorised as “right-wing extremists”, a further two were members of a network that claims allegiance to the pre-war German Reich.

“There is no place for extremism in the armed forces,” said the report, submitted to par-liament but not yet officially pre-sented. “(The report) represents an important pillar in guaran-teeing a transparent and unified picture of the situation”.

The right-wing radicals were discovered after a military

intelligence unit investigated 592 individuals suspected of holding broadly anti-constitu-tional views.

By comparison, the report showed four confirmed IS and no established Left wing mili-tants in the armed forces, which has a total of 265,000 uni-formed and civilian employees.

The investigations were prompted by the arrest in 2017 of an army officer who was sus-pected of planning a racially motivated attack. Legal pro-ceedings in that case are continuing.

Also in the year 2017, Nazi

memorabilia, including Nazi-era Wehrmacht helmets, was found at a barracks. While pos-sessing Wehrmacht items is not an offence, the then defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, said any veneration of Hitler’s army was unacceptable.

The numbers may not look high, but given Germany’s Nazi past, many lawmakers insist on ‘zero tolerance’ and demanded action.

“This overview is long overdue and can only be the beginning,” said Greens law-maker Agnieszka Brugger, in a statement after the report was

leaked to some media, adding that right-wing extremism was a threat to Germany’s demo-cratic order.

“Swift and decisive action must follow on from these findings, the people who have been found must leave the armed forces as soon as pos-sible,” she added.

The report did not make clear recommendations on what steps the authorities should now take as a result of its findings, but the study will keep moni-toring suspected cases and reg-ularly inform parliament and the public.

Merkel’s coalition at odds on stimulus to offset virus impactBLOOMBERG — BERLIN

Divisions within Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition were laid bare yesterday when top officials disagreed publicly about the need for a stimulus package to offset potential economic damage from the coronavirus.

Ralph Brinkhaus, the head of Merkel’s parliamentary caucus, said it’s “much too soon to talk about a crisis” and warned against talking down the economy. That came just hours after Alexander Dobrindt, the deputy caucus leader and a member of the Bavarian branch of Merkel’s bloc, proposed using Germany’s budget surplus to fund a stimulus package.

“We have to be in a position to act, for example on the issue of cash for short-term work” in case factories are forced to halt because of disruptions to supply

chains, Brinkhaus told reporters in Berlin before a meeting of the CDU/CSU caucus. “It’s much too soon to talk about being in a crisis. You can talk such crises into happening. We have a strong economy in Germany, and we’re counting on it.”

The comments added to the sense of confusion about the government’s response to the coronavirus, which threatens Germany’s export-reliant economy at a time when it’s already mired in a manufac-turing slump. Discussions around a boost in spending have gathered pace in recent months after Germany nar-rowly avoided recession last year.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, a member of Merkel’s Social Democratic coalition partners, has resisted calls for a spending boost, while saying the money is there if needed.

Economy Minister Peter Alt-maier, a member of the chan-cellor’s CDU party, on Monday reiterated that he wants to

discuss stimulus measures with Scholz, including possible cor-porate tax relief.

Dobrindt raised the

prospect of making as much as $56bn available this year and said measures will be discussed this Sunday by the ruling coa-lition. He backed Scholz in ruling out a loosening of rules that limit government borrowing.

Rolf Muetzenich, the head of the SPD caucus, suggested bringing forward the abolition of a levy to help fund the rebuilding of the former Com-munist eastern states, the so-called “Solidarity Tax.”

“That’s a simple measure and could offset any dip that we’ll have in growth,” he told reporters, repeating SPD demands for a significant increase in spending.

“We want very strong investment that on the one hand has an impact on the economy, but especially puts the regions and the local authorities in a position to invest,” he said.

France to requisition all face mask stocks and production: MacronAFP — PARIS

French authorities will requi-sition all face mask stocks and production in the coming months in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Pres-ident Emmanuel Macron said.

“We will distribute them to health professionals and to French people infected with the coronavirus,” Macron said on Twitter.

Fears of catching the virus have sparked a run on masks as well as sanitising hand gel in France, leading some stores and online retailers to hike prices.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that he had ordered France’s consumer and anti-fraud watchdog to open an investigation after reports that prices had doubled or even tripled.

“I’m ready to regulate prices of masks and gels by decree if the abuses are numerous,” he said on Twitter.

Macron’s announcement came as the health ministry announced a fourth death from the virus.

France has confirmed 204 cases of the virus that emerged in China last December.

Slovenia Parliament elects Jansa as PM-designateREUTERS — LJUBLJANA

Slovenia’s parliament elected Janez Jansa as Prime Minister-designate yesterday, handing a third term to a centre-right leader who plans to decen-tralise the state and fight red tape to improve services and economic growth.

Jansa, 61, led the gov-ernment from 2004 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2013. He is close to Hungarian Prime Min-ister Viktor Orban and advo-cates stricter border controls to prevent the illegal inflow of migrants.

He was elected by 52 votes to 31, said parliamentary speaker Dejan Zidan. Jansa has to present his cabinet to par-liament in 15 days and will take over after the cabinet is con-firmed by parliament.

“We are aware that there are important challenges ahead of us but at the same time we are sure that we can beat those challenges by responsible man-agement of the state,” Jansa told parliament after the vote.

Jansa, the head of the largest

party in parliament, the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), is set to replace centre-left Marjan Sarec, who resigned in January, as his minority government lacked parliamentary support.

Last week, Jansa formed a coalition with the centre-left Party of Modern Centre (SMC), the conservative New Slovenia and the pensioners’ party Desus. The four parties together hold 48 out of 90 parliamentary seats.

Jansa told parliament before the vote his government will

work towards cutting red tape, improving infrastructure and decentralising the country.

He also said taxes on wages will have to increase to fund the national health system and care for the elderly. The country must also improve economic growth, which stood at 1.7% year-on-year in the last quarter of 2019, the lowest quarterly growth since 2013.

He said being a member of the European Union and Nato is in the “strategic interest” of Slovenia which will take over the EU presidency in the second half of 2021.

He added his government plans to introduce army con-scription as Slovenia’s profes-sional army “is not capable of defending the state”, and said he hoped to cooperate with the opposition on the main projects.

In 2013, he was sentenced to two years in prison for taking a bribe in a 2006 armoured vehicle deal but served only six months before the Constitu-tional Court overturned the sen-tence and ordered a retrial. The case eventually expired. Jansa

denied any wrongdoing.A regular parliamentary

election is due in the middle of 2022.

Slovenian Democratic Party leader Janez Jansa (centre) after being elected as Slovenia’s Prime Minister-designate by the members of the National Assembly in Ljubljana, yesterday.

We are aware that there are important challenges ahead of us but at the same time we are sure that we can beat those challenges by responsible management of the state: Janez Jansa

Police and gendarmerie members gather in front of parliament building during a demonstration demanding equal salaries across the country, in Madrid, yesterday. Thousands of security officials gathered for an anti-government protest upon the call from police and gendarmerie unions.

One in five UK children report nightmares about climate changeREUTERS — LONDON

One in five children are having nightmares about climate change, according to a British survey, as students globally stage protests over a lack of action to curb global warming.

About 17 percent of children in Britain said worries about climate change were disturbing their sleep while 19 percent said these fears were giving them nightmares.

The survey of 2,000 children aged eight to 16, con-ducted by pollster Savanta-ComRes for BBC Newsround, also found that two in five, or 41 percent, did not trust adults to tackle the climate crisis.

Over the past year, millions of young people have flooded the streets of cities around the world demanding political leaders take urgent steps to stop climate change, inspired by 17-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

Emma Citron, a consultant clinical child psychologist based in London, said young people were clearly fearful about climate change with the survey finding 58 percent were worried about the impact that climate change will have on their lives.

“Public figures like David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have helped young people to voice their worries and we have to make sure that we as adults listen to them and ... help them become involved in positive change,” she said in a statement. “We all need to support them not to feel hopeless but rather to present to them hopeful and balanced messages about their futures and ensure that they get the right professional help if their anxiety is unduly high.”

The American Psycho-logical Association has said it was aware of reports of growing “eco-anxiety” in children, but research was needed to establish how common it was. Britain’s Oxford Dictionaries recorded a 4,290 percent increase in the term “eco-anxiety” in 2019, particularly among young people.

13WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 EUROPE / AMERICAS

Kremlin ‘strongly rejects’ UN's war crimes allegations REUTERS — MOSCOW

The Kremlin yesterday rejected allegations by the United Nations that Russia may have committed war crimes in Syria last year, saying the UN inves-tigators were in no position to know what is happening on the ground.

“We strongly reject these accusations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “It’s obvious that one com-mission can not have reliable information of what is hap-pening on the ground.”

A report released on Monday by a UN commission found that Russia — the Syrian government’s main ally against rebels and militants — con-ducted air strikes on a popular market and a camp for dis-placed people that killed dozens of civilians in July and August.

“In both incidents, the Russian Air Force did not direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the war crime of launching indiscrim-inate attacks in civilian areas,” the report said.

Peskov said the report failed to take into account attacks by militant groups which meant that at the very least the judgements of the commission were one-sided.

“We absolutely do not agree with these statements,” he said.

The UN report blamed

Russia for an air strike in the city of Maarat Al Numan on July 22 when at least 43 civilians were killed. Two residential buildings and 25 shops were destroyed after at least two Russian planes left Hmeimim air base and circled the area, it said.

“We have reasonable grounds to believe that these were Russian planes with Russian pilots,” said UN com-mission panel member Hanny Megally.

Monday’s report covered the period from July 2019 to mid-January 2020.

Since December, around one million people have been displaced from Syria’s north-western Idlib region as the fighting has escalated, in what the UN says may be the worst humanitarian crisis in nine years of war.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said statements by Turkey and other Western countries regarding the flow of refugees and a humanitarian crisis in the region were groundless, the Interfax news agency reported.

Dmitry Peskov said: It’s obvious that one commission can not have reliable information of what is happening on the ground.

Migrant crisis: EU pledges aid to GreeceREUTERS — KASTANIES

European Union officials yesterday promised more cash for Greece during a visit to its border with Turkey which tens of thousands of migrants and refugees have been trying for days to breach.

The officials urged Turkey to abide by a 2016 deal which requires it to keep the migrants on its soil in return for EU aid. After an upsurge in fighting in Syria last week, Ankara says it will no longer stop migrants who want to reach Europe.

Greek riot police have used tear gas against the migrants at its Kastanies border post, while the coastguard has tried to stop boats transporting migrants to Greece’s Aegean islands. A Syrian boy died on Monday after his boat capsized in the area.

“The situation at our border is not only an issue for Greece to manage, it is the responsi-bility of Europe as a whole,” the head of the EU’s executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, told a news conference at Kastanies.

“We will hold the line and our unity will prevail,” she said after touring the area with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the heads of the European Council and Parliament.

Von der Leyen announced additional aid of 700 million euros to help Greece deal with the migrant crisis.

Brussels is desperate to avoid a repeat of the 2015-16 crisis, when more than a million migrants entered the EU from Turkey via the Balkans,

straining European security and welfare systems and boosting support for far-right parties.

Greek troops and riot police remained on high alert along the Turkish border yesterday, though there were no reports of significant new clashes with the migrants.

“There were only a few attempts today (to cross the border). Let’s hope they get the message,” a machine gun-toting army officer said at the Kast-anies border post.

Army jeeps patrolled the area and roads leading to the Evros river which marks the

Greek-Turkish border remained shut.

The crisis has badly strained ties, never good, between Ankara and Athens.

Mitsotakis accused Ankara of deliberately encouraging migrants to head to the border in order to “promote its geopo-litical agenda and divert attention from the situation in Syria”.

He also said these migrants were not fleeing the latest flareup of fighting in Syria’s Idlib province but were people “who have been living safely in Turkey for a long period of

time”. Many speak fluent Turkish, he added.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also accused Turkey of using the ref-ugees to “blackmail” Europe.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan infuriated Mitsotakis on Monday by accusing Greek border guards of killing two migrants and wounding a third, a claim denied by Athens.

Yesterday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Greek forces were shooting migrants “in the back as they are running away”, but he pro-vided no evidence.

15 dead as torrential rain hits BrazilAFP — SAO PAULO

At least 15 people have been killed in torrential rain that hit the Brazilian states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, triggering flash floods and destroying houses, authorities said yesterday.

Violent storms in recent days have dumped a month’s worth of rain on some areas in a matter of hours, devastating poor neighborhoods on the southern coast of Sao Paulo state and on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, the country’s second-biggest city.

At least 10 people were killed early yesterday and one is missing in Sao Paulo after floods and landslides hit the

coastal cities of Santos, Sao Vicente and Guaruja, state authorities said.

One of the dead was a fire-fighter who was working on a rescue operation when he was killed by a landslide.

“I express my solidarity with those who are suffering from these heavy rains,” Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria wrote on Twitter.

Several highways were blocked by fallen trees and landslides, including some linking Santos, the largest port in South America, to Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and eco-nomic capital.

In Rio de Janeiro, author-ities said the death toll had risen to at least five after three days

of violent rain that swept away houses and cars and left some communities covered in water or mud.

The victims were electro-cuted, buried in landslides or drowned, emergency officials said.

The disaster turned political in Rio when the city’s Mayor Marcelo Crivella, a far-right evangelical bishop, blamed res-idents for the flooding.

During a visit to an affected community, he told journalists, “The people can’t be throwing trash on hillsides, in storm drains and in the street.”

Mid-press conference, someone pelted him in the face with a ball of mud, captured in a video that went viral online.

Rescuers search for victims at the Morro do Macaco Molhado favela in Guaruja, 95km from Sao Paulo, after torrential rains killed at least 15 people in Brazil, yesterday.

MEPs irked by Greta Thunberg's visit despite coronavirus ban

AFP — BRUSSELS

European lawmakers yesterday complained that a visit by eco-warrior Greta Thunberg to European Parliament is set to go ahead despite a moratorium on all outside visits to the chamber.

In a letter to parliament president David Sassoli, con-servative MEP Nuno Melo of Portugal asked what justified an “exception” when “in matters of health risk, human beings are democratically equal”.

“How can we explain this to our visitors and guests”, added Belgian MEP Hilde Vautmans, a liberal, in another letter to Sassoli.

“Everyone should be treated equally. If the European Parliament grants an exception to Greta Thunberg, this house will not be taken seriously.”

Sassoli on Monday announced the immediate

suspension of all visits to the European Parliament, a measure that applied not only to tourists, but also to guests of MEPs, their assistants and lobbyists.

But Thunberg’s speech to MEPs in Brussels today is still set to go ahead.

“This is not a decision linked to a particular person,” a spokeswoman for the insti-tution said. “Any speaker spe-cifically invited by the pres-ident of an official body of the parliament is allowed to attend” if he or she respects the health rules.

On Twitter, French MEP Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé was surprised by the invitation to the 17-tear-old Swedish campaigner.

“My assistant is not allowed to come to the plenary session in Strasbourg (next week), but Greta Thunberg will be there tomorrow”, she said.

Venezuela official denies armed threats to Guaidó AP — CARACAS

A powerful ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denied any type of armed threats against US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó as shown in a widely circulated photograph.

The image taken by a member of Guaidó’s press team depicts an armed man in street clothes and a motorcycle helmet pointing a pistol at a group of people led by Guaidó during a Saturday street rally.

Opposit ion leaders

marching with Guaidó said that socialist hardliners loyal to Maduro also opened fire to intimidate opposition supporters at the event in the central city of Barquisimeto, injuring a 16-year-old boy who was shot in the leg.

However, Maduro ally and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello in a news conference called the photo a “lie” dis-tributed by the opposition in an attempt to trick Guaidó fol-lowers into thinking his life is in danger.

“He’re an alleged gunman,

an armed man,” Cabello said, holding up a copy of the photo. “Everyone is calm... and Guaidó keeps on talking.”

Cabello said that the boy was injured a long distance from Guaidó, dismissing it as an unrelated incident.

According to opposition leaders on Saturday, about 200 armed civilians and gov-ernment security forces ambushed marchers led by Guaidó. They said several others were roughed up as the Maduro loyalists harassed participants.

FROM LEFT (foreground): Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel disembark a Chinook helicopter after flying over the border, in the region of Evros, in Greece yesterday.

Jailed Catalan leader can’t temporarily serve as EU lawmaker: Top courtREUTERS — LUXEMBOURG

A jailed Catalan separatist leader elected to the European Parliament while behind bars cannot serve as an EU lawmaker or enjoy immunity while his case is heard by the European Union Court of Justice, another EU court said.

Oriol Junqueras (pictured), who was voted into the EU assembly in 2019 despite being detained in Spain since 2017 for his role in an illegal inde-pendence referendum in Cata-lonia, had requested the court to reinstate his rights as an EU

lawmaker until a final court verdict.

“The Vice-President of the General Court dismisses the application of Mr Junqueras ... for interim measures,” the General Court, which is the second highest in the EU, said in a statement.

Junqueras has asked the European Court of Justice, the EU’s top court, to rule on whether he has full EU lawmaker rights and immunity from prosecution. That judgement is expected soon.

The October 2017 refer-endum, which was declared illegal by Spanish courts, led to

a short-lived declaration of Catalan independence, plunging Spain into its biggest political crisis in decades.

While his case is ongoing, the General Court said, Junqueras’ request had no legal standing because under EU rules, the court could not force parliament to change its own procedures. It also had no power over Spanish courts in this instance because they were not directly involved in Junqueras’ demands of the assembly.

The European Parliament has rejected Junqueras’ demand for special measures to protect

his immunity. It has also declared his seat vacant.

The dismissal of special measures is a setback for the Catalan separatist movement as it seeks to use any European rulings as a way to challenge Junqueras’ conviction in Spain.

Junqueras, the Catalan gov-ernment’s former deputy leader, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. The Spanish Supreme Court did not allow him to leave prison to take his oath on the Spanish constitution or travel to the first session of the European Parliament in July last year, after May elections.

Chile to send experts to China for virus measuresANATOLIA — ANKARA

Chile will send a delegation of health professionals to coro-navirus-hit China as soon as possible to learn the Asian country’s experience in containing the outbreak, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

“After last Friday President Sebastian Pinera spoke by tel-ephone with the Chinese pres-ident, Xi Jinping, saying the Health Ministry will soon send to China a delegation of pro-fessionals who will know in the field the measures taken by that country to face the Public Health Emergency of International Importance by COVID-19,” the statement said.

The announcement came after Health Minister Jaime Manalich’s meeting in China with Chinese Ambassador to Chile Xu Bu.

The delegation will consist of four national experts, including two doctors, a nurse and a statistical professional.

“The objective of this meeting has been to follow up on the conversation that Pres-ident Sebastian Pinera had last Friday with the Chinese president, to recognise all the efforts that this country, with very intense measures, is making to control the out-break of coronavirus,” Man-alich said.

The situation in China is “extraordinarily important” as the number of new corona-virus cases increases every day worldwide, Manalich added, underscoring that the measures China have applied are “working”.

14 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020AMERICAS

US votes in crucial primaries after former rivals back BidenAFP — HOUSTON

Americans were voting in 14 states yesterday with Joe Biden counting on a wave of endorse-ments by other moderate candidates to help blunt the momentum of leftist front-runner Bernie Sanders and catapult him atop the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Mas-sachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren were also on the ballot as voters from Maine to Cali-fornia trooped to the polls on Super Tuesday to decide who will face Donald Trump in November.

“Today’s the day!” tweeted Biden, the 77-year-old former vice-president who is making his third bid for the White House. “Make sure to get out and vote.”

After disappointing finishes in the first three contests, Biden revived his flagging campaign with a landslide win in South Carolina on Saturday and is hoping the energy from that victory carries over into Super Tuesday.

A total of 1,357 delegates were at stake yesterday and Biden needed a good per-formance to prevent Sanders from taking a potentially insur-mountable lead ahead of the next contests.

A candidate needs 1,991 del-egates to win the nomination at the party convention in Mil-waukee, Wisconsin, in July.

Biden’s hopes received a major boost on Monday when he received the endorsements of three of his defeated rivals for the nomination.

The Democratic estab-lishment is desperate to unite around a centrist candidate who can triumph over Sanders, who they see as too far to the left to represent the party against Trump.

Pete Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, threw his support behind Biden a day after quitting the race himself.

“I’m looking for a president who will draw out what is best in each of us,” Buttigieg said in Dallas, Texas, with the former vice-president at his side.

B i d e n a p p e a r e d

reinvigorated by the support, and he repeatedly flashed his million-watt smile.

He emotionally compared Buttigieg to his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

“The fact that he’s prepared to help me means a great deal to me,” Biden said of Buttigieg. “I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son Beau.

“I know that may not mean much to most people but to me it’s the highest compliment I can give any man or woman.”

Biden took the stage at another rally with Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, who also endorsed him for pres-ident. Biden later introduced Beto O’Rourke, who made a big splash early in the Democratic race but then fizzled out. “We need somebody who can beat Donald Trump (and) in Joe Biden we have that man,” O’Rourke said.

US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, US, on Monday.

Trump lobs fresh barbs at Democrats AP — CHARLOTTE, US

President Donald Trump gloated about the stock market roaring back on Monday, while throwing sharp barbs at the thinning Democratic presi-dential field on the eve of Super Tuesday’s big round of primaries.

Stocks rose on Monday on hopes that central banks will take action to shield the global economy from the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.

“Do you think our oppo-nents were thrilled when they saw the stock market today?” asked Trump, who has taken credit for a bull market throughout his three years in office.

The President threw some of his hardest punches at former vice-president Joe Biden, who is coming off a decisive win in Saturday’s South Carolina primary. Trump picked at Biden’s propensity for rhetorical stumbles on the stump, suggesting it was a sign of senility.

“I honestly don’t think he knows what office he’s running for,” Trump said.

He speculated that if Biden wins the White House, “he’s not going to be running it. Other people are going to. They’re going to put him into a home and other people are going to be running the country and they’re going to be super left radical crazies.”

Trump allowed that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who finished at or near the top in three of the first four nominating contests, “does have some enthusiasm, but much less than we have.” It is

a crucial moment in the nomi-nation battle: Biden is making the case that moderates need to consolidate behind him to stop Sanders, a Democratic socialist, and give Democrats a shot at beating Trump in November.

Two moderates have exited the race: former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Former New York City Mayor Bloomberg, who skipped the first four contests, was to appear on the ballot for the first time yesterday.

Trump speculated there may have been a “quid pro quo” for Buttigieg — the offer of a job in the next Democratic admin-istration for dropping out and endorsing Biden.

“Impeach them. They should be impeached,” Trump said.

Trump has offered daily commentary on the Democratic race, alternately boasting that

no Democrat has a chance against him, ridiculing the top tier of candidates with derisive nicknames, and arguing that the party’s establishment is trying to steal the nomination from Sanders.

Sanders shot back at Trump on CNN on Monday night, saying: “President Trump, stay out of the Democratic primary. Why don’t you do your job for a change as President?”

North Carolina, a perennial swing state, is among the 14 states, one territory and voters abroad that cast their ballots yesterday, races that represent about a third of all delegates.

Trump’s rally in Charlotte follows his campaign’s pattern of churning out robust counter-programming throughout the Democratic nominating process.

In recent weeks, the Pres-ident has held rallies in each of the four early voting states for the presidential nomination.

Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders addresses a rally in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Monday.

US coronavirus cases top 100, death toll rises to 6REUTERS — NEW YORK

A New York man tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the total confirmed cases in the state to two, offi-cials said yesterday, as the number of infections in the United States topped 100 and the central bank acted to protect the economy.

The 50-year-old man who lives in a New York suburb and works in Man-hattan had an underlying respiratory illness and is hospitalized, Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a news con-ference. He said the patient had not traveled to countries hardest hit in the worldwide coronavirus outbreak but that he had visited Miami recently.

As of Monday evening, six people in the United States had died of the illness associated with the virus, all of them in Washington state, health officials said.

More than 100 people nationwide have tested positive for the virus, including the two in New York, according to health officials.

The suburban Westchester County man was in serious condition, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement, adding that the confirmation was made by the city’s public health lab-oratory on its first day of testing.

“With the results confirmed within

a number of hours, we were immedi-ately able to take next steps to stop the spread of this virus,” de Blasio said.

“We have said from the beginning that it is likely we will see more positive cases of the coronavirus.” Previously, all testing was conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention (CDC), a process that created a delay of several days before the result

was known.Public health officials across the

country are focused on prevention efforts and federal regulators approved an emergency order to make more face masks available to health workers.

Officials said healthy people do not need masks and that frequent hand-washing is a better preventative measure, saving the masks for health

care workers and sick patients.The US House of Representatives is

aiming for today to debate a multi-billion-dollar bill providing emergency funds.

US President Donald Trump yes-terday said his administration was working with Congress to pass an emer-gency spending measure to fight the virus, adding that he expects lawmakers to authorize about $8.5bn.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) closed an office in Wash-ington state for 14 days yesterday after an employee visited a family member at a nursing home in the Seattle suburb where four residents have died. The employee had visited before the presence of coronavirus was known there, DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said during a congressional hearing.

The public transportation agency in New York, the most densely populated major US city with more than 8 million people, said on Twitter it was deploying “enhanced sanitizing procedures” for stations, train cars, buses and certain vehicles.

The New York Metropolitan Trans-portation Authority (MTA) said it would disinfect frequently-used surfaces from subway ticket machines to turnstiles daily, and its full fleet every 72 hours.

People wear face masks as they walk down a street in Flushing area of Queens, in New York City, on Monday.

US sanctions two

Chinese linked to

N Korean hack

AFP — WASHINGTON

US authorities on Monday sanctioned two Chinese citizens and accused them of of laundering more than $100m in cryptocurrency stolen in a 2018 cyberattack linked to North Korea.

Tian Yinyin and Li Jiadong are accused of working with Lazarus Group, sponsored by North Korea and blamed for the April 2018 hack of an unnamed cryptocurrency exchange in which about $250m were stolen.

“The North Korean regime has continued its widespread campaign of extensive cyber-attacks on financial institu-tions to steal funds,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “The United States will continue to protect the global financial system by holding accountable those who help North Korea engage in cyber crime.”

Trudeau calls for

national climate

debate in Canada

AFP — MONTREAL

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on Monday for a major national debate involving everyone from industry to indigenous groups to move the country to carbon neutrality by 2050 and still grow the economy.

Trudeau was reelected last October, with a minority gov-ernment, after a campaign focused on climate issues. He vowed that Canada would reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by mid-century.

Sixty-six other countries have already signed onto the pledge “Around the world and right here in Canada, the debate between environment and economy is becoming increasingly contentious and polarized,” Trudeau said in a speech to mining executives at an annual conference in Toronto.

“We want to work with you to grow Canada’s pros-perity by taking carbon pol-lution out of our environment and out of our economy,” he added. “This is a big project, not one any government can do on its own.” He called for the national debate over the coming next months.

“We all need to roll up our sleeves and pitch in: govern-ments, businesses, civil society, indigenous communities and all Canadians,” he said during his first major speech on the environment this year.

Trudeau’s words came days after an Alberta mining firm’s surprise announcement that it had withdrawn its application to develop a controversial $15bn oil sands mining project.

The CEO of Teck Resources said investors and consumers increasingly want a framework in place that reconciles resources development and climate change, but “this does not yet exist here today.”

Another conflict played out in recent weeks after a localized indigenous protest against a British Columbia natural gas pipeline grew into widespread blockades of railways, roads and ports across the vast country, causing major supply disruptions and layoffs.

Former candidates Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke have thrown their support behind Joe Biden.

Tornadoes leave 22 dead in US state of TennesseeAFP — WASHINGTON

At least 22 people died as tornadoes ripped through Tennessee early yesterday, destroying buildings and toppling power lines hours before the southern US state was to vote in Super Tuesday primaries, officials said.

Devastation could be seen across the rubble-strewn state capital Nashville, where a tornado touched down shortly after midnight.

Residents described running for their lives as their homes came down around them, with the authorities reporting that tens of thousands of residents were without power.

The National Weather Service tweeted as one twister tore through an area west of Nashville.

Footage broadcast by the local ABC affiliate showed cars piled up, hangars destroyed and what appeared to be dozens of aircraft smashed into each other at Nashville’s John C. Tune airport.

“In the hours ahead, we will continue deploying search and rescue teams, opening shelters across the state, and sending emergency personnel to our communities hit hardest,” Gov-ernor Bill Lee wrote on Twitter.

Tennessee Emergency Man-agement Agency (TEMA) public information officer Maggie Hannan confirmed that the toll had risen to 22 across four counties.

The Nashville Fire Department tweeted that it was responding to reports of approximately 40 structure col-lapses around the city, while overturned tractor trailers and other vehicles littered state highways.

US President Donald Trump tweeted that “we will continue to monitor the developments. The Federal Government is with you all of the way during this difficult time.”

The series of severe storms that passed through Tennessee caused major damage “to buildings, roads, bridges, util-ities and businesses in several

counties,” TEMA said.“Tornado damage has been

reported throughout West and Middle Tennessee including downtown Nashville,” it added.

Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter that “Nashville is hurting, and our community has been devastated,” as he urged people to lend a helping hand.

More than 47,000 cus-tomers were without power,

Nashville Electric reported.Tennessee is one of 14 states

voting in the crucial Super Tuesday primaries, which will help determine the Democratic nominee for November’s pres-idential election.

Cooper told a news con-ference that 15 polling stations had been affected by storm damage, which was less than 10 percent of the total.

A man views damage in an alley behind Woodland Street after a tornado touched down in Nashville, US, yesterday.

15WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 HOME

CROSSWORD MALL ROYAL PLAZA

QF’s Education City Golf Club is ‘extraordinary’, says course designer José Maria OlázabalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

When the first tee shot of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters 2020 is struck at the Education City Golf Club this week, it will be a proud moment for the sporting mind behind the Qatar Foundation course – legendary golfer José Maria Olazábal.

The Spaniard, who twice won the Masters Tournament – one of golf’s top four prizes – and both played in and captained winning European sides in the Ryder Cup, the sport’s greatest team contest, has turned his attention to designing courses rather than dominating them since his top-level playing career ended.

And while he has master-minded the layout of golfing venues from Spain, Italy, and Greece to China and Turkey, Olazábal says the Education City Golf Club – which will stage its first international tournament when it hosts the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters from March 5 to 8 is special, not least because it reflects the environment of knowledge that surrounds it at Qatar Foundation.

“The project is unlike any other we have been involved in so far,” he said in the build-up to the competition. “It was my first design in the Middle East, and it

was fantastic to work in a new culture and among so many dif-ferent nationalities that took part in the development.

“What made it extraordinary for me were the people and the location. We are right in the middle of several universities (at Qatar Foundation) and next door to a thriving city. We are

surrounded by campuses, an amazing horse-riding stadium, and now even a World Cup football stadium, all merely a pitch away.

“That is an impressive location, and it fills us with immense pride to be the designers of the golf courses (at Education City Golf Club).”

Olazábal and his team designed all three courses at the Qatar Foundation facility, and said two key themes shaped their work. “First, there is the setting within Education City, where teaching and striving for excel-lence are the focus of daily life,” he said.

“We made sure teaching receives a prominent role at the club, and we deliberately designed not only very generous practice facilities with a nine-hole par three course wrapped around them, but we placed them right in the heart of the club. We wanted to leave no doubt about the importance of teaching and learning, whether you are young or old, a beginner or a professional.

“Secondly, there is the land itself. A wadi runs through the north-eastern part of the site and

also provides a bit of an elevation change on what is otherwise a flat piece of land. We brought out the wadi as a strong character-istic and intentionally let the course to the wadi area early on in the round, to set the tone. We repeat the theme of the dry riv-erbed a few times across the courses, and I am pleased with how it turned out.”

Through design features such as this, Olazábal said it has been possible to make the golf course “interesting” despite being on what is essentially a flat piece of land. And with its nine-hole and six-hole courses being floodlit, he points out, “golf can be enjoyed all year round – in the winters, temperatures in Doha are perfect for golf, and in the summers we have the luxury of playing in the evenings.”

He hopes that both top players and those for whom golf is a hobby, a social activity, or a way of staying fit will gain from tackling the Education City Golf Club courses. “My view has always been that the golf course should be a challenging, but also fair, test for professionals and an enjoyable, fun experience for amateurs,” he said.

The Education City Golf Club will stage its first international tournament when it hosts the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters from March 5 to 8.

José Maria Olazábal at Qatar Foundation’s Education City Golf Club.

Draupathi is a 2020 Tamil-language rural drama film directed and produced by Mohan G. The film stars Richard Rishi and Sheela Rajkumar in the lead roles, with a supporting cast including Karunas and Nishanth.

DRAUPATHI

Stardog & Turbocat (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 3:30pm Trance (2D/Malayalam) 2:30pmThappad (2D/Hindi) 11:15pm; Forensic (2D/Malayalam) 7:30, 8:30, 9:00 & 11:15pmVFW 9:45pm;Kannum Kannum (2D/Tamil) 5:30 & 11:00pm;The Call Of The Wild (2D/Drama) 5:30pmThe Invisible Man (2D/Horror) 3:00pmSonic: The Hedgehog (2D/Action) 7:15pm

Trance (2D/Malayalam) 11:00am, 5:15, 8:30 & 111:45pm; Thappad (2D/Hindi) 11:00am, 5:15pmStardog & Turbocat (2D/Animation) 12:15, 2:15 & 4:15pm; Kannum Kannum (2D/Tamil) 11:30, 2:15 & 6:15pm; Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2D/Malayalam) 2:00 & 8:15pmThe Invisible Man (2D/Horror) 9:15 & 12:00pm

LANDMARK

AL KHOR

Trance (2D/Malayalam) 7:00, 8:15, 10:15pm Kannum Kannum (2D/Tamil) 6:00 & 11:30pmAyyappanum Koshiyum (2D/Malayalam) 10:15pmParama Padham Vilayattu (2D/Hindi) 9:00pmDoordarshan (2D/Hindi) 6:30pm Varane Avashyamund (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pm

ASIAN TOWN ROXY

FLIK Mirqab Mall

Bad Boys For Life (2D/Action) 11:40, 2:10, 4:40, 7:10, 9:35pm &

12:00 midnight.

Brahms: The Boy 2 (2D/Horror) 6:10, 10:10pm & 12:00 midnight

Birds Of Prey (2D/Action) 10:15am, 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:00, 9:10 &

11:30pm

Sonic: The Hedgehog (2D/Action) 10;20am, 12:20, 2:20, 4:20, 6:20,

8:20, 10:20pm & 0:20am

The Call Of The Wild (2D/Drama) 10:30am, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30,

8:30 & 10:30pm

The Invisible Man (2D/Horror) 10:10am, 12:40, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10 &

10:40pm

VFW (2D/Action) 2:00 & 6:00pm

Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2D/Malayalam) 4:30 & 10:450m; Bheeshma (2D/Telugu) 11:00am, 4:30 & 10:00pmKannum Kannum (2D/Tamil) 12:30, 3:40, 7:00 & 10:10pm; Parama Padham Vilayattu (2D/Tamil)

8:20 & 11:00pm; Mafia (2D/Tamil) 2:00 & 7:30pmSonic: The Hedgehog (2D/Action) 11:00am, 12:30, 1:10, 3:20, 2:30, 12:30, 3:40, 3:20, 7:30pmSundooq Al Dunya (2D/Horror) 5:30, 5:50, 8;30 & 10:20pmStardog & Turbocat (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 3:45pmThappad (2D/Hindi) 5:30 & 10:40pmThe Invisible Man (2D/Horror) 11:00am, 1:00, 7:50, 10:00pm; Trance (2D/Malayalam) 10:30am, 12:30, 1:00, 3:00, 3:30, 5:30, 6:00, 8;10, 8;40, 10:45 & 11:15pm

Doordarshan (2D/Hindi) 2:00pm

Stardog & Turbocat (2D/Animation) 4:30pm

The Invisible Man (2D/Horror) 6:00pm

Trance (2D/Malayalam) 8:15 & 11:15pm

Draupathi (2D/Tamil) 4:15pm

Thappad (2D/Hindi) 5:00pm

Sundooq Al Dunya (2D/Horror) 9:45pm

Forensic (2D/Malayalam) 7:30 & 11:30pm

Sonic: The Hedgehog (2D/Action) 2:15 & 7:00pmThappad (2D/Hindi) 2:30, 5:00 & 11:30pm; Kannum Kannum (2D/Tamil) 4:00 & 11:30pm Forensic (2D/Malayalam) 7:30, 9:00 & 11:30pmThe Call Of The Wild (2D/Drama) 7:30pmDoordarshan (2D/Hindi) 9:15pmStardog & Turbocat (2D/Animation) 3:00pmTrance (2D/Malayalam) 4:30pmSundooq Al Dunya (2D/Horror) 9:45pm

16 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020MORNING BREAK

FAJR SUNRISE 04.38 am 05.54 am

W A L R U WA I S : 19o↗ 21o W A L K H O R : 17o↗ 25o W D U K H A N : 18o↗ 21o W WA K R A H : 13o↗ 26o W M E S A I E E D 13o↗ 26o W A B U S A M R A 16o↗ 23o

PRAYER TIMINGS WEATHER TODAY

HIGH TIDE 07:29 – 22:25 LOW TIDE 03:03 – 15:33

Moderate temperature daytime with slight dust to blowing dust

at some places at times relatively cold by night.

Minimum Maximum17oC 25oC

ZUHRMAGHRIB

11.46 am05.39 pm

ASR ISHA

03.07 pm07.09 pm

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Twitter staff to

work from home

over virus fearsAFP — SAN FRANCISCO

Twitter staff across the world were asked to work from home starting Monday in an effort to stop the spread of the deadly new coronavirus epidemic.

At the same time, thou-sands of staff at Google’s European headquarters in Ireland were told to stay away for the day after one employee reported flu-like symptoms.

The outbreak has spread across the world since emerging in central China late last year, killing more than 3,100 people, infecting over 90,000, and prompting a wave of travel restrictions.

Twitter’s decision to ask its staff to avoid the office follows similar requests by govern-ments in virus hotspots.

“We are strongly encour-aging all employees globally to work from home if they’re able,” Twitter human resources chief Jennifer Christie said in a Monday blog post.

“Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus for us — and the world around us.” Working from home will be mandatory for employees at the company’s South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan offices, Christie said.

Twitter had already announced the suspension of “non-critical” business travel and events last week.

Handshake? No thanks: Virus changes global habitsAFP — PARIS

Say no to a handshake, and definitely avoid hugging. Instead, try a direct gaze, or maybe a hand gesture.

Around the world people are changing their habits at work and home to reduce the risk of contracting the new coronavirus and prevent it from spreading any further.

ChinaIn the capital of the country

where the outbreak began, red hoardings tell people not to shake hands but to join their own hands together in a sign of greeting.

Loudspeakers tell people to make the traditional gong shou gesture — a fist in the opposite palm — to say hello.

FranceNewspapers in France have

been filled with advice on how to replace handshaking, a common formality at work.

Etiquette expert Philippe Lichtfus, who has been widely cited in the media, says hand-shakes are a relatively recent development that began in the Middle Ages.

He says simply looking into a person’s eyes can suffice as a greeting.

BrazilBrazil’s health ministry has

recommended that citizens not share metal straws used to consume the caffeine-rich South American drink mate, also known as chimarrao.

Meanwhile a kiss is totally advised against as a greeting.

GermanyIn a sign of the times, Ger-

many’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer rebuffed Chancellor Angela Merkel’s attempt to shake hands with him on Monday, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself.

They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.

Romania Romania’s Martisor festival

marks the beginning of spring when talismanic strings and flowers are handed out.

But the government has passed on a message to people urging them to hand over the flowers and talismans without the accompanying kiss. “Let’s give the flowers but not the kiss,” said Nelu Tataru, state secretary at the health ministry.

IranIs the footshake the new

handshake? In Iran, where 66 people have been killed by the virus, a video has gone viral showing three friends meeting — hands in their pockets, with two of them wearing masks — tapping their feet against each other as a greeting.

A similar video in Lebanon shows singer Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.

New ZealandSome educational institu-

tions in New Zealand have temporarily abandoned the Maori greeting known as the hongi — which involves two people pressing their noses together.

Wellington polytechnic WelTec said that instead of staff greeting new students with a hongi, its welcome cer-emony would instead include a waiata, or Maori song.

Australia New South Wales Health

Minister Brad Hazzard urged Australians to kiss with caution

and suggested a pat on the back instead of a handshake.

“It’s a very Australian thing to put your hand out to shake hands, for example. I would be suggesting to the community... it’s time that Aussies actually gave each other a pat on the back for the time being — no handshaking,” he said.

“There are other things that can be done — I’m not going to say don’t kiss, but certainly you could be exercising a degree of care and caution with who you choose to kiss.”

United StatesNBA stars have been given

a series of recommendations including that players inter-acting with fans should bump fists rather than high-five and avoid taking items such as pens, balls and jerseys to auto-graph, ESPN reported.

Some players have already taken steps to limit their exposure to the virus. Portland Trail Blazers star C.J. McCollum said he was no longer signing autographs because of the outbreak.

“Make sure y’all washing y’all hands with soap for 20 or more seconds & covering ya mouths when you cough,” McCollum wrote on Twitter.

Alexander Dobrindt (left), leader of the CSU parliamentary group, greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel (centre), avoiding a handshake in times of coronavirus, as Ralph Brinkhaus (right), parliamentary group leader of the conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group looks on prior to the start of a parliamentary group meeting in Berlin, yesterday.