Silatech aims at 5 million jobs for youth Qatar, Russia pledge · 2019. 3. 5. · arrival at Vienna...

Volume 23 | Number 7821 | 2 RiyalsTuesday 5 March 2019 | 28 Jumada II 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa

New Ooredoo tvYour hero for family entertainmentGoogle, Android, Android TV, Chromecast and other related marks

and logos are trademarks of Google LLC.

BUSINESS | 01 SPORT | 12

Al Duhail, Al Sadd eye winning starts at Asian Champions League

QFB appoints

Al Obaidly as CEO

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, and his accompanying delegation yesterday. The Minister conveyed the greetings of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and his best wishes for the Qatari people of further progress and prosperity. H H the Amir conveyed his greetings to the President and wished him health and well-being. They reviewed the existing relations of cooperation between the two friendly countries and the areas of their development, in addition to regional and international developments, especially developments in Syria, Libya and Somalia in addition to the Gulf crisis.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Vienna yesterday on a two-day official visit to the Republic of Austria. H H the Amir and the accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Vienna International Airport by Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Karin Kneissl, and members of Qatar’s Embassy in Vienna.

Silatech aims at 5 million jobs for youthQNA DOHA

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, announced that youth will receive three million employment opportunities globally by 2022, calling for more partners to help raise that number to five million.

During the high-level event, “Empowering Youth, Transforming Societies,” hosted by Silatech at the International Conference Centre

Geneva, Her Highness reaffirmed Silatech’s commitment to tackling rising youth unemployment through economic and social empowerment, particularly in developing regions with increas-ingly young populations.

At 30 percent, youth unem-ployment in the Arab region is cur-rently one of the highest in the world, compared to 13 percent glo-bally. “Without meaningful work, our young men and women have no hope for the future, leaving them more vulnerable to radical-ization, violence, and political

extremism,” said Her Highness.Her Highness warned that

without decent livelihood oppor-tunities and meaningful work frustrated youth become socially, politically and economically excluded, exacerbating pressing global challenges like poverty, social unrest, and illegal mass migration.

“Young men and women need the chance to earn a living that will allow them to support their fam-ilies, contribute to society, and build better futures,”

Her Highness continued. “This

is the hope that Silatech offers.” Established in 2008, Silatech, with the help of over 300 partners, has successfully empowered more than one million young people with economic opportunities and jobs in 17 countries.

H H Sheikha Moza also par-ticipated in a panel where Her Highness discussed some of the challenges Silatech programs face, including regional instability and economic exclusion. As a solution, Her Highness stressed the impor-tance of investing in both edu-cation and employment. �P2

Qatar, EU sign Comprehensive Air Transport AgreementTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar and the EU initialled a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels yesterday. Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti and European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen witnessed the signing event.

The first of its kind between the EU and a Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC) member state, the agreement allows for open air-space between Qatar and all the EU member states with unlimited access to their respective terri-tories, in addition to daily shipment flights between the two sides.

The agreement was initialled by Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Chairman Abdulla bin Nasser Turki Al Subaey and the Head of Unit, International Transport Affairs, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Carlos Acosta. Qatar Airways Group Chief

Executive Akbar Al Baker and Qatari Ambassador to Belgium Abdulrahman bin Mohamed Al Khulaifi were in attendance.

“This agreement, which reflects the EU’s trust in Qatar’s potentials, will allow for the lib-eralisation of the fundamental mobility rights between Qatar and EU markets — one of the oldest and largest in the world in the realm of air transport,” said the Minister.

“This will contribute to increasing the mobility, tourism and trade exchange between Doha and EU capital cities,

widening the partnership with EU countries and developing our national carrier’s network, thus supporting economic growth across all sectors,” he added.

“This agreement,” he noted, “is a completion to the pivotal role the State of Qatar has been playing in developing the global air transport industry and also boosts Qatar’s ranking as one of the leading countries in the region in air transport.”

“The agreement also recog-nises the key role our civil aviation bodies play and their compliance with global standards.” �P3

Nod for 2019-20school calendarTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi has approved the annual calendar of schools for the academic year 2019-20. According to the calendar, school staff will begin duty on August 20, 2019, while students start classes on August 25.

The mid-year break will

begin on December 22, 2019, and will continue until January 2, 2020, while the second-semester break will be from April 5 to 9 for the same year. The end-of-year break for school staff will start on July 5 and will end on August 20, 2020.

Also under the calendar, school staff will start work on August 23, 2020, for the aca-demic year 2020-21 and student will attend on 25 of the same month.

Amir meets Russian Foreign MinisterAmir arrives in Vienna on two-day official visit

Qatar, Russia pledgeto boost relationsSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Qatar and the Russian Federation affirmed yesterday their intention to strengthen their relations in several fields and to enhance joint cooperation, especially in economic and trade fields.

Doha and Moscow stressed their concord on several regional and global issues, par-ticularly with regard to the need for dialogue to resolve any existing crisis through political and diplomatic endeavours.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdul-rahman Al Thani said yesterday in a joint press conference, held at Amiri Diwan, with the Min-ister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, that he had held con-structive discussions with the Russian minister on all regional and international issues.

H E the Deputy Prime Min-ister and Minister of Foreign Affairs added that there was a common vision for resolving

crises through peaceful means and dialogue. He added that the talks with the Russian side dealt with the exchange of views on the developments achieved, whether in the political solution or on the ground with regard to the Syrian crisis, where it was stressed the position of Qatar supporting that the political solution agreed upon by the Syrian people is the only solution to end the Syrian crisis.

H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman said that the dis-cussions also touched on Libya and the necessity of establishing security and that there should be one government and one army, pointing out that the Qatari and Russian sides agreed to support Skhirat agreement and its outputs and Qatar’s support to the Government of National Accord resulting from this agreement.

He also said that the two sides exchanged views on the Palestinian issue and the peace process, and joint efforts to end the division between Pales-tinians. �P3

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech, during a panel discussion on “Empowering Youth, Transforming Societies”, in Geneva, yesterday.

02 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019HOME

Amir receives

message from

Azerbaijan President

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

received yesterday a written

message from the Presi-

dent of Azerbaijan, Ilham

Aliyev, pertaining to bilat-

eral relations and means of

further enhancing and boost-

ing them. Minister of State for

Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin

Saad Al Muraikhi received the

message, during his meet-

ing with the Ambassador of

the Republic of Azerbaijan to

Qatar, Rashad Ismayilov. QNA

OFFICIAL NEWS

Shura Council

committee meets

DOHA: The Internal and

External Affairs Committee

of the Shura Council held a

meeting yesterday, chaired

by its Rapporteur Abdulla bin

Fahad bin Ghorab Al Marri. At

the meeting, the Committee

endorsed the recommen-

dations on the request for

a general discussion on the

increase of traffic accidents

in Qatar and decided to raise

its recommendations to the

Shura Council. QNA

Amir meets Chairman of High Council of Libya

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met yesterday at Amiri Diwan with the Chairman of the High Council of State of Libya, Khaled Ammar Al Mishri, and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations and ways to support and promote them, in addition to developments in Libya, where the Chairman of the High Council of State of Libya briefed H H the Amir on the latest developments, thanking H H the Amir for the State of Qatar’s position in supporting the Libyan government and people. H H the Amir affirmed the State of Qatar’s firm stance in supporting the unity and stability of Libya.

Shura Council reviews status of judicial seizureQNA DOHA

The Shura Council held its regular weekly meeting yesterday under the chair-manship of Council’s Deputy Speaker H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Sulaiti.

At the outset of the meeting, the Council reviewed the mem-orandum of the General Secre-tariat of the Cabinet on the Shura Council’s recommendation on status of judicial seizure.

The memorandum of the General Secretariat of the Cabinet approved the recom-mendation of the Shura Council to rehabilitate and train candi-dates to obtain the status of judicial seizure.

The memorandum also included the administration of legislation in the General Secre-tariat of the Cabinet to take the necessary measures to prepare a study on the recommendation of the Shoura Council to include the penalty imposed on violators in light of the views of the Public

Prosecution.The Shura Council expressed

thanks and appreciation to the esteemed government for its keenness and response to its recommendation in this regard and the measures it has taken.

During the meeting, the Council discussed a draft law to repeal Law No. 6 of 2016 on combating the smuggling of petroleum products and the illicit transaction in them.

After discussion, the Council approved the mentioned draft law and decided to transmit its recommendations thereon to the esteemed Government.

The Council also reviewed a report by its delegation par-ticipating in the first plenary session of the third session of the second legislative term of the Arab parliament , held recently at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo.

The Council was briefed on the report of its delegation par-ticipating in the Mediterranean Dialogue Conference 2019, held recently in Rome, Italy.

Qatar to attend 50th Sessionof UN Statistical CommissionQNA DOHA

Qatar will participate in the 50th Session of United Nations (UN) Statistical Commission, which will begin today at UN Headquarters in New York and will last four days, with a delegation headed by President of Planning and Statistics Authority H E Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al Nabit.

The agenda of this session includes several important topics related to data and indicators on the goals of the sus-tainable development agenda 2030, and to measure the progress achieved by states in achieving those goals agreed upon in 2015, in particular, the prepa-ration of relevant national and interna-tional reports.

The session also reviews important reports prepared by the working groups in the preparation of indicators of progress, partnerships, coordination and national statistical capacity-building, as well as reports and working papers on linking the basic principles of official sta-tistics with open data that can be made available to the public to be easily proc-essed using the available technological tools.

The work of the session is expected to yield fruitful results in decision-making on several important statistical topics such as the preparation of national data quality

frameworks, which ensures the pro-duction of high-quality, accurate data, financial statistics, national accounts, prices, environmental accounting, indus-trial statistics, disaster statistics, and other relevant topics.

The President of Planning and Sta-tistics Authority, H E Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al Nabit, is scheduled to meet with a number of heads of delegations of some friendly countries to discuss the latest updates on the statistical process, exchange experiences and learn from suc-cessful lessons. Also, he will meet with the head of the UN Statistics Division, the director and heads of delegations of United Nations Economic and Social Com-mission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Arab Institute for Statistics, the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and others.

Al Nabat stressed that Planning and Statistics Authority will continue this year to carry out the modernization of the sta-tistical system, which it initiated in coop-eration with UN organizations and Arab and regional organizations, with the aim of building national capacities and pro-viding data on sustainable development of high quality and timely provision to users, as the authority is preparing for the implementation of the population, housing and establishment census 2020.

Silatech aims at 5 million jobs for youth

FROM PAGE 1

“Educa t i on w i t ho u t employment can lead to

frustration... and employment without education is a false dream,” said H H Sheikh Moza.

H H Sheikh Moza

emphasised the role of quality education in shaping youth for the future, but it must be fol-lowed by meaningful

employment to give youth a chance to become productive cit-izens and “the engine of eco-nomic growth.”

The event included speakers and panellists such as Michelle Bachelet Jeria, United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights; Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Minister of Somalia; Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech’s Board of Trustees, addressing the “Empowering Youth, Transforming Societies,” event organised by Silatech in Geneva, yesterday. RIGHT: H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. Her Highness also met Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khayre. During the meetings, a number of topics of mutual interest were discussed, especially Silatech’s ongoing efforts to empower young people in different parts of the world.

Qatar-Turkey educational cooperation praised QNA DOHA

The Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey, Ziya Selcuk, hailed the brotherly rela-tions between his country and the State of Qatar, describing them as excellent and witnessing continuous progress and development in various fields. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) at the end of a two-day visit to Qatar, the Minister said that Qatar and Turkey have the common will to promote bilateral relations in the interests of the two brotherly peoples in all matters and issues of interest.

He said that his visit to the State of Qatar was fruitful, during which he discussed with Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi, a number of topics that will enhance educational, and research cooperation between Doha and Ankara in the fields of public and higher education, including education for people with special needs.

He added that his presence in Qatar also pro-vided him with the opportunity to visit a number of educational and cultural institutions in the country, such as schools, universities, museums, and centers for the education of people with special needs. He stressed that they all have valuable potentials and advantages in terms of content, methodology, and design. The Minister pointed out that the next phase will witness more educa-tional cooperation between Qatar and Turkey, especially with regard to the exchange of experts and expertise in light of the similarities between the two education systems.

Qatar, Cuba review culture and sports tiesMinister of Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, met yesterday with the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the State of Qatar, Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez. They discussed aspects of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture and sports and means of enhancing and developing them.

03TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 HOME

Qatar, Britain discuss defence cooperation

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah yesterday met with the British Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Sir Nicholas Carter, and his accompanying delegation. The meeting discussed bilateral relations between the Qatari Armed Forces and their British counterparts. The meeting was attended by a number of senior officers of the Qatari Armed Forces.

Qatar, EU sign Comprehensive Air Transport AgreementFROM PAGE 1

“It also recognises the role of Qatar Airways, which is widely recognized as one of the best carriers in the world and the best in terms of efficiency and quality, while consistently reporting the highest growth rates regionally and universally.”

The Minister thanked Al Subaey and Al Baker for their crucial roles and efforts to conclude the agreement and to all con-tributors from the EU.

Al Baker said; “This historic landmark agreement will offer a host of opportu-nities for airlines in Europe and Qatar to collaborate and cooperate together, ensuring fair access to markets, competing for market share based on products and services that the customer wants and is willing to purchase.”

Al Subaey noted the significant role the agreement would play in opening up future horizons for broader cooperation between Qatar and the EU member states, as well as boosting their bilateral relations.

With this agreement in place, he said, Qatar could upgrade its mobility rights and increase its cooperation with the EU member states in all aviation aspects.

He said the agreement was a historic event, particularly under the unjust

blockade on Qatar and confirmed that the country is continuing to meet ever more ambitious targets in the aviation industry, which is one of the country’s most active economic sectors.

“This event comes in the context of

the significant development Qatar’s air transport industry has been witnessing. It also fits in our plan for exploring more new opportunities to enable our national carrier to reach as many destinations as it can around the world. In addition, it

enables Qatar Airways to boost its oper-ational processes; something which helps widen Qatar-EU cooperation and secure a common ground for airlines from both parties to explore and find new gateways

for broader cooperat ion a n d coordination.”

This Qatar-EU Compre-hensive Air T r a n s p o r t Agreement pro-vides a new level of compe-tition for car-riers in Europe and Qatar. Both parties are expected to take bold steps t h r o u g h agreeing upon the terms and c o n d i t i o n s relating to fair competition, the environment, consumer pro-tection, social aspects and

transparency, in addition to an item relating to doing business under which Qatar will no longer force European car-riers to have a local sales agent to be able to operate flights to Doha.

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, and other officials at the event.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, at a joint press conference.

Qatar, Russia pledge to boost relationsFROM PAGE 1

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of ending this division and seeking recon-ciliation among all the Palestinian parties.

On the latest developments of the Gulf crisis, the Deputy Prime Minister said that there are no new moves regarding the crisis except those exerted by the Amir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, as part of the efforts to hold a dialogue, along with the efforts of the United States seeking to end the crisis.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that there are no practical steps in the crisis or any changes that prove that there has been a change in the approach and behaviour of the blockading coun-tries since the beginning of the crisis, as the speech and the meth-odology followed are still the same since the beginning of the crisis.

He said that Qatar reiterates the position it has declared from the beginning and is ready for dia-logue if the blockading countries are ready to enter into a positive rational and constructive dialogue. He pointed out that the continu-ation of the same methodology and policy are not indicative of any solution.

The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that the talks with the Russian minister dealt with the Gulf crisis and its repercussions on the issues of regional security in the region, and how these repercussions began to reach other issues of concern to us and the Middle East.

In response to a question on

Qatar’s reservations about Syria’s return to the Arab League, he said that the reasons behind the sus-pension of Syria’s membership in the Arab League still exist, and there was nothing new to change this decision, and we are com-mitted to a political solution in Syria accepted by the Syrian people so that Syria’s seat will be for a political leadership repre-senting the Syrian people.

Commenting about Qatar’s efforts to conclude a military deal with Russia to buy the Russian missile defence system (S400) and the opposition of some countries such as Saudi Arabia for this deal, he said that such deals are a sov-ereign decision of the State of Qatar and no Saudi Arabia or any other country are concerned with such issue.

The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that there are discus-sions with Russia for acquiring dif-ferent military equipment and there is no agreement currently for the defence systems (S400). He noted that there is a technical committee which is studying the options available that can benefit both parties from any agreement reached, and that the Qatari tech-nical team examines the needs of Qatar of military equipment from Russia, on the basis of an agreement between both parties in this regard.

Concerning the talks between Taliban and the United States in Doha, he said: “we have to be opti-mistic about these talks because of our desire to achieve peace in Afghanistan, stressing that peace will not come by force, but by dia-logue and understanding.”

For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Fed-eration, Sergey Lavrov, said that his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister discussed the situation in Syria and Libya, where both sides stressed the need to calm the sit-uation according to international resolutions and laws.

“We also discussed the Pales-tinian issue and the peace process, where we agreed on the need to resolve it as per international con-sensus, as well as our discussion of the Gulf crisis and the need for calm, taking the Russian initiative on common security in the region.”

The Russian Foreign Minister hailed the depth relations between

Qatar and his country, stressing the importance of the relationship between the Qatar Investment Authority and the Russian Fund for Investment in the oil and gas sector. He stressed on the keenness of the Russian private sector to invest in this field, given Qatar’s readiness to host the World Cup 2022, and the role of Russian expertise in organizing such massive sports events and their willingness to participate in these events.

In response to a question about the expected visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Qatar, Lavrov said that President Putin has responded to the invitation to visit the State of Qatar within the

framework of a Gulf tour, noting that the timing of the visit will be determined later.

On the cooperation between the two sides in the technical and military field, the Russian Foreign Minister said that an agreement had been signed between the two sides for nearly a year and a half, stressing the parties’ adherence to this agreement, and “in the event of the State of Qatar to apply for a defence system, the matter will be studied in accordance with this agreement.”

On the formation of a new working committee to find a solution to the Syrian crisis, Sergey Lavrov pointed out that there are a number of mechanisms such as

the International Support Group for Syria and the United Nations Humanitarian Aid Group, adding that many international efforts are being made in this regard, and that there is no need for a new mechanism.

On the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister to Moscow, Sergei Lavrov said that the visit discussed the Middle East peace process. “Pres-ident Putin emphasized the Russian position to overcome the obstacles to a settlement,” he said.

He also referred to Russia’s invitation to the parties to a dia-logue hosted by Moscow without conditions, and “Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas agreed in principle to the proposal and is now before them,” noting that Russia believes that there will be no progress in the peace process without dialogue.

On the situation in Afghan-istan, Lavrov said that Russia is fol-lowing the situation there and is making an effort to launch a process of political reconciliation in this country. “We have been accused of having connection with the Taliban, and now there is a Russian-US connection on this issue and there is no need for international competition. We are neighbors with Afghanistan and a peaceful solution to the crisis must be reached.”

With regard to the Venezuelan crisis, the Russian Foreign Minister stressed the support of his country to the Venezuelan people, calling on the United States to stop the policy of threat and commitment to the sovereignty and stability of States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah yesterday met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov. During the meeting, they reviewed relations between the two friendly countries and means of enhancing them. The meeting was attended by the State of Qatar’s Ambassador in Moscow, Fahad bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, as well as a number of senior officers of the Qatari Armed Forces.

Deputy PM meets Russian Foreign Minister


Shura Council Speaker holds meetings during APU conference

The Speaker of Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, met separately yesterday with the Speaker of the Shura Council of the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali; the Speaker of the Parliament of the Lebanese Republic, Nabih Berri; and Speaker of the Council of Representatives of the Republic of Iraq, Mohamed Al Halbousi, on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Arab Parliamentary Union (APU), held in Amman under the slogan “Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of Palestine”. Discussions dealt with parliamentary relations of common interest and ways of strengthening them. The meeting was attended by a number of members of the Shura Council.

Qatar participates in joint meeting of Arab Interior & Justice Ministers CouncilQNA DOHA

The State of Qatar participated in the joint meeting of the Arab Interior and Justice Ministers Council held yesterday in the sisterly Republic of Tunisia. The delegation of the State of Qatar to the meeting was headed by Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr. Issa bin

Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi. The joint ministerial meeting discussed the acti-vation of the Arab security and judicial conventions and strategies and deci-sions related to combating terrorism issued by the joint Arab labor institu-tions .

Several agreements were also signed such as the Arab Convention for the regulation of transplantation of Human organs and tissue, the Arab Convention on Prevention and

Combating Human Cloning, and the Arab protocol against trafficking in persons, especially women and children, the supplementary pro-tocol to the Arab convention against transnational organized crime, the Arab protocol for the prevention and control of maritime piracy and armed robbery, and the Supple-mentary Protocol to the Arab con-vention against transnational organised crime.

Qatar attends Arab League meeting in CairoQNA CAIRO

The State of Qatar partic-ipated yesterday in the 151st Session of the Council of the Arab League at the level of Permanent Delegates under the chairmanship of Somalia as a successor to Sudan, at the head-quarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League.

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League Ambassador, Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi, chaired Qatar’s delegation to the meeting.

The session discusses the draft agenda, which includes the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Secretariat and the procedures for the implemen-tation of Council resolutions between 150-151 sessions as well as the draft agenda of the Council of the Arab League at the 30th summit in Tunisia in March.

It also discusses issues related to the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Israeli conflict. This item includes a number of topics, including follow-up to the political developments of the

Palestinian issue, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and activating the Arab peace initiative, in addition to the Israeli violations in the occupied Jerusalem, Arab water security, Israel’s theft of water in the occupied Arab territories, and the occupied Syrian Golan.

The session will discuss issues of solidarity with Lebanon, developments in Syria, Libya and Yemen, support for peace and development in Sudan, support for Somalia and

countries from Africa. The draft agenda includes a

number of social and cultural issues, including support for internally displaced persons in Arab countries and displaced Iraqis in particular, and the proc-lamation of March 28 every year as a day to celebrate the Arab musical culture and permanent membership of the State of Pal-estine in the executive office of the Council of Arab Youth and Sports Ministers.

QNA DOHA

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, H E Yousef Mohammed Al Othman Al Fakhro met yesterday with Minister of Social Devel-

opment in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Basma Ishaqat and her accompa-nying delegation.

During the meeting, they discussed the joint cooperation between the two sides and ways to support and develop it.

Qatar, Jordan discuss cooperationin social development

CNA-Q hosts ‘Dare to Lead’ lectureTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) hosted a lecture to promote leadership qualities among students, recently. Marie Quigley presented ther session entitled ’Dare to Lead’ which is a research-based presentation on the factors that influence courage in leadership.

Marie is an executive coach, trainer, facilitator, writer and speaker. She inspires human potential and awareness development by supporting leaders from all walks of life to understand and break through their limiting patterns of thoughts and behaviours and move towards creating new pow-erful ways of being and doing.

Born in the UK Marie has worked overseas since 1993. She has been based in Qatar for the past seven years. She is the first and only facili-tator in the Middle East to be certified in Dr Brené Brown’s research based Daring Way, Rising Strong, and Dare to Lead programs.

According to Ms. AlJazzi Fetais, Associate Vice President - Student Affairs, “CNA-Q was pleased to host Marie Quigley and to hear her words of inspiration on the aspects of leading through adversity and with bravery. We appreciate the partnership we have had with QAPCO for a number of years that makes these learning experiences possible.”

This initiative is supported by Qatar Petro-chemical Company (QAPCO) .

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi, at the meeting.

Al Muraikhi, Uzbekistan Minister discuss ties

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, met yesterday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov, who is currently on a visit to Qatar. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition to the issues of common concern. Non-Resident Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Qatar, Bakhromjon Aloev, and a number of foreign ministry officials attended the meeting.


Ooredoo’s new ‘IoT Builder’ to boost digital business in Qatar THE PENINSULA DOHA

Ooredoo, the region’s leading enabler of digital business inno-vation, announced yesterday that it has launched a new Internet of Things (IoT) platform, IoT Builder, to drive innovations in smart nationwide transformation.

The IoT Builder solution, running on Software AG’s Cumu-locity IoT platform, enables Ooredooo to develop applications and to integrate connected devices for its business cus-tomers. Cumulocity IoT is Software AG’s industry-leading open, independent, and telco-grade secure IoT platform.

The IoT solutions will be hosted in Ooredoo’s world-class Qatar Data Centre, which pro-vides strict security and data sov-ereignty. Robust security is vital for the government and public sectors, Qatar’s Smart Cities

ecosystem, and players in critical national infrastructure.

Yousuf Abdulla Al Kubaisi, COO, Ooredoo, said: “IoT Builder combines integrated real-time data analytics visualisation, with scalable storage and device security, to drive new digital business.

We’ve invested in developing this product because we under-stand that as Qatar’s organisa-tions enter the Internet of Things era, they need scalable IT infra-structure to meet their future business needs. We have the capabilities and experience to

help businesses use IoT Builder to have full control over their IoT solutions.”

David Milot, Vice-President of Solutions for EMEA, Software AG, said: “In a region that is leading the way in development and innovation, having solutions in place to discover and amplify the value of data is of strategic importance. Cumulocity IoT pro-vides the leading IoT platform covering the whole value prop-osition cycle - from data col-lection to device management, real-time analytics and API inter-action with a growing ecosystem.

This allows data to be deployed at the right time and in the right format to empower people, nations and businesses. It creates a pathway to smarter cities, safer societies, better energy efficiency, increased comfort and authentic innovation”.

FROM LEFT: David Milot, Vice-President of Solutions for EMEA, Software AG; Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, CBO-Ooredoo, and Gunther Ottendorfer, CTIO, Ooredoo.

MME’s new system for household waste collection to add beauty to cities SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The General Cleanliness Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) plans to provide small trashcans to households in a bid to scrap the existing system of garbage bins placed outside the houses to ensure hygiene and to increase the beauty of the cities.

“The project ‘cities sans garbage bins’ will be imple-mented at some areas in Doha on an experiment basis by the end of this year,” Safar Mubarak Al Shafi, Director of the General Cleanliness Department, told The Peninsula.

He said that under the project small trashcans of size 240 litres and 360 litres will be provided to the households.

“The trashcans will be kept inside the houses and they will be taken out in front of the houses at evening for a while when the cleaning vehicles of General Cleanliness Department passed by the areas to collect garbage,” said Al Shafi.

He said that the project aims at increasing the beauty of cities, ensuring health and hygiene and protecting the environment. “The project will be among those unique projects implemented by Qatar in the field of collecting wastes,” said Al Shafi.

The Ministry of Municipality

and Environment, he said, col-lects solid wastes from all over the country free of cost.

“General Cleanliness Department dispatch special vehicles for collecting solid wastes like furniture and carpets which usually are being placed besides the garbage bins,” said Al Shafi.

He added that such types of wastes increased on the occa-sions like holy month of Ramadan and Eid when people change their furniture. “We are working to educate people to place solid wastes besides garbage bins not inside it to avoid damaging the bins,” said Al Shafi.

The Director of the General Cleanliness Department also revealed the launch new projects for sorting out paper wastes in schools and government organisations.

“An awareness campaign will be run to educate all seg-ments of society about sorting out paper wastes so they could cooperate with the Ministry in this regards,” said Al Shafi. He said that the General Cleanliness Department will focus on sorting out wastes from main source, the initial stage of collecting wastes in coming days.

“The advanced programmes will be launched to achieve international standard in this regards,” said Al Shafi. He said that Domestic Solid Waste Man-agement Centre at Mesaieed is the most advanced facility in the Middle East which converts waste into energy, high quality fertilizers or recycling materials.

The IoT solutions will be hosted in Ooredoo’s world-class Qatar Data Centre, which provides strict security and data sovereignty.

Safar Mubarak Al Shafi, Director of the General Cleanliness Department.

The Director of the General Cleanliness Department also revealed launching of new projects for sorting out paper wastes in schools and government organizations.

PHCC launches bowel cancer awareness campaignTHE PENINSULA DOHA

With an aim to strengthen its outreach towards bowel cancer awareness and to mark inter-national bowel cancer awareness month, Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has launched a campaign, ‘I Got Screened & Encourage You Too.’

Like in previous years, PHCC, through its highly suc-cessful Screen for Life program, aims to enhance its reach to the people of Qatar on the impor-tance of early screening for bowel cancer.

Dr Shaikha Abu Shaikha, Manager of Screening Pro-grams at PHCC, said, “Screen for Life is a program by PHCC aiming to educate and raise awareness on the importance of early detection of breast and bowel cancer in Qatar.

Buoyed by the tremendous response we have gained over the years, we are confident that our campaign this year, “I Got Screened & Encourage You Too” is going to be all the more impactful and will help Qatar become one of the healthier nations across the globe.”

“Over the coming months

this campaign will keep reminding people to go for regular screening at one of the three screening suites and ensure that they lead a healthy life.

Additionally, to achieve a rather exemplary growth, our centers are working across the year to offer Qatari citizens screening appointments as per their convenience,” she added.

This year’s campaign tagline ‘I Got Screened & Encourage You Too’ is a message from participants who got screened for bowel cancer in the Program’s clinics and would like to encourage others to do the same.

People’s experience affects others posi t ively and encourage them to do the same. This message is sent through videos that will be posted on the Program’s social media accounts and advertisements in the newspapers and screens in malls.

As part of the International Bowel Cancer Awareness month, PHCC is leading a Bowel Cancer Campaign to raise awareness on the pre-vention of bowel cancer and advise the public about the benefits of early detection as it

can lead up to 90% survival rate. The campaign aims to increase the screening figures and encourage people to take action.

To mark the global Bowel Cancer Awareness month, the ‘Screen for Life’ campaign will include a series of reminder messages urging both men and women, specifically in the target age bracket of 50-74, and inspire them to take a proactive approach to their health.

Through this initiative, people are constantly reminded that they can carry out the Fecal Immuno-chemical Test (FIT) test with ease in the privacy of their own home and they can collect their complementary kit from one of the PHCC screening suites at Al Wakra, Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail Health Centers.

Patients can get the bowel screening done at any of the three screening suites at Al Wakra, Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail Health Centers by taking a prior appointment to avoid any hassle.

To book an appointment for screening, call the dedicated call center on 8001112.

Al Muraikhi meets outgoing Sri Lankan envoy

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, met yesterday with the Ambassador of the Republic of Sri Lanka to Qatar, Don Prince Solomon Anura Liyanage, on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. H E the Minister extended thanks to the Ambassador for his efforts in promoting bilateral relations, wishing him success in his future duties.


Qatar andGermanyreview bilateral tiesQNA DOHA

The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, met yesterday with the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Qatar, Hans-Udo Muzel.

During the meeting, bilateral relations between and ways of boosting them were dis-cussed, as well as matters of common concern.

H E the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also met

The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, discusses bilateral relations and ways to boost them with the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Qatar, Hans-Udo Muzel, yesterday.

yesterday with the Ambassador of the Republic of Sri Lanka to Qatar, Don Prince Solomon Anura Liy-anage, on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. Al

Hammadi extended thanks to the Ambassador of Sri Lanka for his efforts in promoting bilateral rela-tions, wishing him success in his future duties.

Qatar shares glory of its STEM education system at Kuwait event QNA KUWAIT

The Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Al Khater, presented the Qatari experience in following the STEM system in schools, during a panel discussion in Kuwait’s Gulf University for Science and Tech-nology (GUST), attended by a number of educational and scientific research officials.

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, in an interdis-ciplinary and applied approach.

Al Khater discussed Qatar’s experience in building the cur-riculum of this system and the mechanism of its implemen-tation in schools, how to manage the school, lessons learned from the experience, difficulties and ways to address it, as well as training mechanism for teachers and the school administration of the STEM curriculum.

She also touched on about the methodology of the system as an educational input that was developed to prepare students of general education for university and postgraduate studies in the fields of science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics, and joining a university specialisation linked to these four sciences.

Al Khater said that STEM’s teaching methodology aims to enhance the inquiry, verification, logical thinking, collaborative skills of students and to teach them to work as a team. As well as the development of the pro-gramme in an integrated manner enhances the understanding of educational curricula in relation to these fields, which achieves the quality of education required and provides the labour market with qualified workers in the field of advanced technology.

She added that STEM is a multidisciplinary approach in which students learn and apply the concepts of science, tech-nology, engineering, and math-ematics by their very nature and cross-reference the definition of each discipline or field related to this science.

The Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Al Khater (right), speaks at a session at Kuwait’s Gulf University for Science and Technology.

More than 1,000 inpatients cared for at QRI since openingTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Since opening its first inpatient unit in March 2017, Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) has delivered specialist care to more than 1,000 inpatients through its stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, pain management, and paediatric rehabilitation programmes.

Dr Wafa Al Yazeedi, Chair-person of Rehabilitation at QRI, says the hospital’s rehabilitation teams place great emphasis on encouraging patients to incor-porate physical exercise into daily activity as part of their recovery. She says regular exercise can improve the physical and mental effects of injury and disease.

“Regular exercise helps to

prevent or manage a wide range of illnesses and health concerns, including stroke, metabolic syn-drome, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, arthritis, and many types of cancer. It can also help improve cognitive function. By encouraging our patients to engage in regular physical activity while they are part of our inpatient programs, we are helping them create healthy habits that we hope they will continue after they leave the hospital,” said Dr Al Yazeedi.

She said that, exercise can have a dramatic impact on how well and how quickly patients recover from illnesses like stroke or heart disease, or from injuries caused by falls or motor vehicle accidents. However, she cautions that there is a fine line between supporting and rushing recovery,

especially in the case of patients who have had prolonged bed rest and may have lost muscle mass or strength.

“A stroke can impact how well an individual sits, moves, balances, stands, and walks. Exercise after a stroke can have a dramatic pos-itive effect, improving the patient’s fitness and general health and also reducing their risk of having another stroke,” said Al Yazeedi.

“For patients with chronic dis-eases like diabetes and hyper-tension, regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent compli-cations. However, it is important to talk to your doctor about what

level and type of exercise are right for you. The level, type, and amount of recommended exercise will vary from person to person. Your care team can provide advice, modifications, and even recommendations on activities you may not have considered,” she added. To reap the benefits of physical activity, Dr Al Yazeedi recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. “With their doctor’s consent, most individuals recov-ering from injury or illness can engage in physical activity for upwards of 30 minutes a day, five days a week.”

The gym at Hamad Medical Corporation’s Qatar Rehabilitation Institute.

DI to share expertise in social work, psychology with Jordan THE PENINSULA DOHA

Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) signed a memo-randum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Social Development at the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, covering several items to bridge the ways of cooperation between them and reflected on the improvement of projects and work in the agreed research areas and related scientific activities.

The MoU was signed by Acting DI Provost, Dr. Yasir Suleiman Malley and the Min-ister of Social Development of Jordanian, Basma Ishaqat.

The MoU included several areas of cooperation, including the exchange of experiences and experts in the fields of psy-chology and social work, field training and summer training for students of the School of

Psychology and Social Work (SPSW) at the Institute, within the centres and institutions of the ministry specialised in Jordan. In addition to holding seminars, workshops, confer-ences and research of common interest.

The MoU also provides sci-entific and professional consul-tations and training for employees of the centres and institutions of the Ministry of Social Development in Jordan, in areas in which the institute specialises and offers them within its various colleges and centres.

The signing ceremony was held at the DI headquarters, with the participation of a number of deans and programme heads, representatives of the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development and the Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Doha and a number of officials.


Workshop on gut-brain connection heldSHAHAB AL RAYAHI DOHA

Brain Education Middle East (BEME) organised a presen-tation-cum-workshop on gut-brain connection in a newly opened Alif Café on January 19.

The learning event aided the attendees and café personnel by sharing with them ideas and methods on how to change their eating habits, how to begin a bal-anced diet and stick to it, as well as presenting new biological knowledge on the gut in par-ticular regarding its significant connection to the brain.

For instance, over 90% of our serotonin that makes us feel happy and over 50% of our dopamine that makes us feel joyful, both important hormones in the body, are released in the gut.

In order to keep our gut healthy, we must exercise the gut and manage our own stress. Hippocrates once said: “All dis-eases begin in the gut.”

What some people do not realize is that a human body has a second brain named ‘gut brain’. T h i s g u t b r a i n

works independently as well as in connection to the primary brain. They are connected to that extent that if anything changes to one’s condition, the other’s function will alter as well.

The attendees at the session attempted a way to heal their gut by using the healing life wand, an acupressure tool especially designed to relieve the body and recover the gut.

The healing life wand is used by tapping and applying constant and gentle rhythmic pressure to the part of the body in need of healing.

The wand greatly benefits the small intestine of the body when pressed on the navel. Stimulating the navel is a way to activate the energy system in the body. The exercise leaves the center of the body warm and filled with circulation to aid helpful microbes in digestion that eventually battle against harmful microbes.

A principle for a strong and healthy body, used in the learning session, was ‘water up, fire down’. It means ‘cool head, warm body’ that maintains a harmonic and serene balance in

the human body by preventing diseases and keeping the gut brain and the primary brain healthy.

Brain Education Middle East’s program and master trainer, Mohammad Abu Zainab, was the main presenter of the session. After the presentation, attendees made pairs using mats to give and receive the healing life wand exercise to one another.

One partner on the receiving end controlled their breathing while the other used the healing life wand to tap in circles around the receiver’s navel.

They tapped in a circular pattern because different points around the navel activate energy system in different areas of the body so that they could feel com-pletely refreshed, at ease, and more lively. The workshop was attended by a number of people.

The participants expressed their satisfaction over feelings of happiness induced by the exercise. Some participants felt that they were either better at receiving or at giving. Others said that they never felt alone, even for a moment.

HBKU to showcase programs at education fair in Turkey THE PENINSULA DOHA

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is to showcase the full breadth of its programs during the annual International Education Fair in Turkey, to be held in the cities of Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir from March 9 to 15.

HBKU will set up booths throughout the event, where pro-spective students will be able to meet with representatives from HBKU Student Affairs, Office of Enrollment, and faculty members, and avail important information about the Univer-sity’s programs, campus life, and p o t e n t i a l r e s e a r c h opportunities.

Maryam Al Mannai, Vice- President for Student Affairs at HBKU, said: “HBKU is an aca-demic institution that exposes its students to diverse perspectives through its extensive programs. By participating in the upcoming International Education Fair, HBKU will seek to leverage his-torical and current relations with Turkey, while introducing pro-spective students to our pro-grams, and inviting them to pursue their studies in Qatar. It is our hope that the next generation of innovators will benefit from our multidisciplinary offerings

and use their degrees to make an impact in their local communities and beyond.”

The annual event showcases a host of international education institutions and academic experts through a series of one-on-one sessions, interviews, seminars, presentations, and workshops, to assist prospective students to make informed decisions about the next phase of their academic journey.

HBKU will have booths set up on March 9 and 10 at the Istanbul Fair (European Side), Hilton Istanbul Bosporus; on March 11 at the Istanbul Fair (Asian Side), Dedeman Bostanci Hotel Con-vention Center; on March 13 at the Ankara Fair, JW Marriott Hotel Ankara and on March 15 at

the Izmir Fair, Hilton Izmir.On the sidelines of the event,

a delegation from HBKU com-prising representatives from the colleges, admissions staff, and relevant organizers will deliver information sessions about the University’s programs and activ-ities. Several additional visits and tours are planned at leading uni-versities in Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir.

More than 700 students rep-resenting 55 nationalities are cur-rently enrolled in HBKU’s aca-demic programs. The University is uniquely situated in Education City, providing its students with access to state-of-the-art facil-ities, an exceptional learning environment, and an immersive cultural experience.

HBKU will conduct several visits in the cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir as part of its participation at the International Education Fair in Turkey.

Around 30,000 benefit from Qatar Cancer Society’s awareness activitiesTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) has hosted 216 health education and awareness activities and reached around 30,000 people in 2018.

The activities include awareness workshops, training programmes and conferences.

These activities have target school and university students, employees of the governmental and private sectors, individuals living with cancer and their fam-ilies, health care providers and people with special needs Sheikh

Dr. Khalid Bin Jabor Al Thani, chairman of QCS said “ Cancer awareness, prevention methods and early detection are among the main objectives of QCS.

He stressed that QCS has worked over the past 20 years to expand the base of beneficiaries through activities, services and reach all segments of the society.

A view of QCS’s awareness workshop.

UCL Qatar students participate in Asian libraries meet in New DelhiTHE PENINSULA DOHA

UCL Qatar students have partici-pated in the Sixth International Conference of Asian Special Libraries in India on Libraries and Librarianship in Digital Plus Era, as part of the latest international study trip organised by the university.

The conference, which took place at Ambedkar University Delhi, exposed students on UCL Qatar’s Library and Information Studies MA programme to the latest technologies and develop-ments in Digital Libraries and Library Science.

Students also witnessed the processes behind archiving his-torically significant records and materials during a visit to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.

The trip was led by Armin Straube, Teaching Fellow of the Library and Information Studies MA at UCL Qatar, who said, “Through this visit, our students could observe how theory learned at UCL Qatar can be implemented on a larger scale.

The libraries and museums in Qatar house valuable heritage material and study trips such as this help our students broaden their horizons.”

The international visit pro-grammes at UCL Qatar are a central part of the university’s commitment to use its interna-tional networks to develop Qatar’s future workforce.

With the country quickly establishing itself as a regional leader in libraries and librar-ianship, study trips are designed to equip students with practical skills that can be applied in the workplace and provide them with opportunities to share knowledge with their peers around the world.

Islam Elshahidi, a UCL Qatar Library and Information Studies MA Programme student, com-mented: “Thanks to UCL Qatar for giving us this opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of our pro-gramme and become more open to what the world has to offer.”

While in India, the students also had the chance to explore the country, visiting iconic sites such as the Taj Mahal and the India Gate of Delhi.

UCL Qatar was set up in 2010 as a partnership between Uni-versity College London, one of the top ten universities in the world, and Qatar Foundation.

During this time, it has developed a leading international study trip programme to help stu-dents expand their practical expe-rience and professional networks. Previous trips have included visits to Muscat, Istanbul and Berlin.

UCL Qatar students pose for a group photo at the India Gate in New Delhi.

Mohammad Abu Zainab, Brain Education Middle East’s program and master trainer, and Shahab Al Rayahi with participants after the workshop.

09TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 MIDDLE EAST

Israeli forces stand guard next to a destroyed car, after two Palestinian were shot dead, in the occupied West Bank village of Kafr Nama, northwest of Ramallah, yesterday.

US deploys missile defence system in IsraelREUTERS BERLIN

The US military has deployed its most advanced air and missile defence system in Israel for the first time, US and Israeli military officials said yesterday.

The deployment, which began in March, was intended to test the US military’s ability to rapidly deploy such weapons around the world, said a spokes-woman for US European Command.

Israeli Prime Minister Ben-jamin Netanyahu welcomed the arrival of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system as a sign of the US com-mitment to Israeli security.

“The American THAAD system is considered among the most advanced systems in the world, and together with our defence systems, we are stronger in dealing with threats, close or distant, emanating from all areas of the Middle East,” he said.

The move comes amid increased tensions between Israel and Iran over Israel’s bombing campaign in Syria and comments in which Iran’s foreign minister said he could not rule out the possibility of military conflict between the two countries. The US military said the decision to rapidly move the THAAD system to Israel was intended “as a demonstration of the United States’ continued commitment to Israel’s regional security.”

“THAAD is the most advanced integrated air and missile defence system in the world, and this deployment readiness exercise demonstrates that US forces are agile and can respond quickly and

unpredictably to any threat, anywhere, at any time,” US European Command said in a statement.

Lockheed Martin, the biggest US arms maker, builds and inte-grates the THAAD system, which is designed to shoot down short-, medium- and interme-diate-range ballistic missiles. Raytheon, another US firm, builds its advanced radar.

As part of the deployment, US forces will work at various locations in Europe, the United States and in Israel to operate the system in close cooperation with the Israel Defence Forces, it said. US officials declined to say how quickly the system was moved to Israel from its home base at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the deployment differed from previous simu-lated US-Israel joint military exercises and involved tactical coordination on the ground.

He said all of the compo-nents of the THAAD system were at an air force base in the Negev desert, in southern Israel, and would soon be moved to an undisclosed site in southern Israel.

Turkey urges Muslim states to stand up against IsraelANATOLIA HATAY, TURKEY

Turkey’s foreign minister appealed yesterday to Muslim nations to speak out strongly against Israeli policies against Palestinians. Those who refrain from raising their voice against Israel cannot defend Jerusalem, said Mevlut Cavusoglu at an election campaign event in southern Hatay province.

“We see that those Muslim countries which get afraid of the US and Israel start faltering. There are even some countries

pressuring Palestine ‘not to raise their voice too much’. Are these the ones to defend Jerusalem?” said Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu also said that the same countries acted “cowardly” when voting against the US and Israel at various Islamic summits and UN General Assembly meetings in the last two years.

Cavusoglu said Turkey was struggling against many threats including terrorism, adding that the stability and peace in Syria were important for Turkish border cities like Hatay.

In December 2017, US

President Donald Trump sparked international outrage when he unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and vowed to relocate Washington’s embassy to the city.

Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, claiming it as Israel’s “eternal undivided capital” — a move never recognised by the international community.

International law views the entire West Bank as “occupied territory” and considers all Israeli

settlement building there as illegal. Later visiting a refugee camp in Yayladagi, Cavusoglu vowed to stand up with Syria’s Bayirbucak Turkmen population. “When Syria is stabilised, our Syrian brothers and sisters, including Bayirbucak Turkmens, will return to their homes in peace.”

The Turkish foreign minister said Turkey was exerting every effort to find a lasting solution in Syria. “We will clear east of the Euphrates River from terrorists, there is no other alternative or option.”

Israeli forces shoot dead 2 Palestinians

AFP/RAMALLAH

Israeli forces yesterday shot and killed two young Palestinians who carried out a car-ramming attack in the occupied West Bank, injuring a soldier and a policeman, police and the army said.

The army said security forces fired at three assailants, “neutral-ising two of them and lightly injuring a third”, while police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said two of the Palestinians were killed.

“Assailants ran over a number of soldiers who had stopped at the side of the road on their way out of the village” of Kafr Nama, northwest of Ramallah, a military statement said.

“An (army) officer was severely injured and a border police soldier was lightly injured as a result,” the army said.

Rosenfeld said that the policeman injured in the pre-dawn attack was subsequently released from hospital.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised soldiers for having swiftly “eliminated” the

Palestinians and vowed to fast-track the punitive dem-olitions of their homes. “I have ordered that the demo-litions of these homes be speeded up,” he said.

Israel regularly razes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks against Israelis. “House demolition is an administrative procedure. It is carried out without trial and without any requirement to present evidence,” Israeli rights

group B’Tselem says on its website.

The Palestinian health min-istry named the two men killed as Amir Mahmoud Darraj and Yussef Anqawi, both 20.

Kafr Nama’s mayor said that troops were leaving the village on foot after a raid to arrest a Palestinian suspect there when the incident occurred. Israel’s army said its troops had arrested 11 alleged operatives of the Pal-estinian Islamist movement

Hamas in the Ramallah area overnight. Meanwhile, Israeli attack heli-copters yesterday struck Hamas military positions in Gaza, offi-cials said, after the country’s army reported a balloon-borne “explosive device” from the Palestinian enclave targeted its territory. Yesterday’s raid, which resulted in damage to the Hamas positions but no casualties, was the third tit-for-tat exchange in as many days.

US says closing consulate in Jerusalem no policy shiftAP JERUSALEM

The United States has officially shuttered its consulate in Jeru-salem, downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by folding it into the US Embassy to Israel.

For decades, the consulate functioned as a de facto embassy to the Palestinians. Now, that outreach will be handled by a

Palestinian affairs unit, under the command of the embassy.

The symbolic shift hands authority over US diplomatic channels with the West Bank and Gaza to ambassador David Friedman, a longtime supporter and fundraiser for the West Bank settler movement and fierce critic of the Palestinian leadership.

The announcement from the State Department came early

yesterday in Jerusalem, the merger effective that day.

“This decision was driven by our global efforts to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our diplomatic engagements and operations,” State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement. “It does not signal a change of US policy on Jeru-salem, the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip.”

In a farewell video addressed

to the consulate’s Palestinian partners, Consul General Karen Sasahara, who is leaving her post as the unofficial US ambassador to the Palestinians and will not be replaced, maintains that new Palestinian unit at the embassy will carry forward the mission of the consulate, “in support of the strengthening of American-Palestinian ties, to boost eco-nomic opportunities for the Pal-estinians and facilitate cultural

and educational exchanges.”When first announced by US

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in October, the move infuriated Palestinians, fueling their suspi-cions that the US was recognising Israeli control over east Jeru-salem and the West Bank, terri-tories that Palestinians seek for a future state. Palestinian official Saeb Erekat called the move “the final nail in the coffin” for the US role in peacemaking.

Iran says Moscow ties ‘strong’, shrugs off Israel-Russia coordinationAFP/TEHRAN

Iran’s foreign ministry insisted yesterday that Tehran’s ties with Moscow are “strong” and shrugged off reported Israeli-Russian coordination on a with-drawal of foreign forces from Syria.

“Iran’s ties with Moscow are strong and we are always in touch and consult with each other,” ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in Tehran.

On a visit last week to Moscow where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the Jewish state would “not allow the mil-itary entrenchment of Iran in Syria”.

“President Putin and I also agreed on a common goal: the withdrawal of foreign forces that arrived in Syria after the

outbreak of the civil war. We agreed to establish a joint team to advance this goal, together with other elements,” Netanyahu said.

Russia, which like Iran has sided with the government in the Syrian conflict, has not officially reacted to his statement.

But for Ghasemi, it was just another example of Israeli “psy-chological” warfare.

Israeli officials “have a habit they cannot quit, and that is lying. (They are) creating a psy-chological atmosphere to affect Iran’s relations with its neigh-bours and Russia,” he said.

Yemeni children and female Houthi protesters gather during a rally against the intervention led by Saudi Arabia in the country, in the capital Sana’a, yesterday.

Southern Yemenis warn exclusion from talks could trigger new conflictREUTERS GENEVA

A separatist leader from south Yemen said a UN-mediated peace deal that fails to address the south’s wish for self-deter-mination would be “dangerous” and could trigger a new conflict. In the war between the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and Yemen’s internationally recognised Pres-ident Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, southern forces form part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis.

As such, the south - where many long wanted to secede from the north - is not included in peace talks mediated by UN negotiator Martin Griffiths as a party in its own right. Ahmed Omar bin Fareed, a senior member of the Southern Transi-tional Council (STC), the southern sepa-ratist movement’s political body, told

Reuters the south needed to be included in the peace process to avoid further con-flict if a deal does not satisfy their demand for self-determination.

“They will not accept this. And they will fight again,” Bin Fareed said. “So you have two choices: start another war against them to start another crisis, or to understand the aspirations of the people, and to avoid any political crisis or unrest in the region. They will likely defend their interests if they feel their interests are marginalised in the diplomatic process.”

The STC has met Griffiths three times and he understands their aspirations, Bin Fareed said. “He promised us that we will be at the table. But when?” Excluding the STC while talks progress on a new constitution, a national government and preparation for national elections would be “a difficult scenario for us”.

Egypt releasesaward-winning photojournalistAFP CAIRO

Award-winning Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid was released yesterday after spending nearly six years in prison following his arrest while covering a bloody crackdown on protests.

The photographer, widely known as Shawkan, faces five years of strict supervision and will be required to spend every night sleeping at his local police station, but he vowed to resume his work.

Shawkan last year received Unesco’s World Freedom Prize for his “courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression”, dismaying the Egyptian authorities who accused him of “terrorist and criminal acts”.

Speaking at his home in Giza, he said the first moments of his release felt “as if I was flying”. Imprisonment was “an experience that I can never forget”, the 31-year-old told said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch welcomed Shawkan’s release while deploring the state of jour-nalism in Egypt.

“Since Shawkan’s arrest in 2013, Egypt has descended further into darkness and sup-pression of a free media,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East and North Africa head.

“While we joyfully cele-brate his release, it’s also a reminder of how far Egypt has fallen since 2011,” when an uprising toppled longtime pres-ident Hosni Mubarak and stirred hopes of a democratic awakening, she said in a statement.

The move comes amid increased tensions between Israel and Iran over Israel’s bombing campaign in Syria and comments in which Iran’s foreign minister said he could not rule out the possibility of military conflict between the two countries.

The relations between Austria and Qatar are strong, deep, progressing and continuously growing. It covers many fields, lead by political, economic, sports, culture, and tourism fields. Qatar is also an important economic partner to Austria where the volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounted to $250m in 2015 and Austrian small and medium-sized companies began to find their way to Qatar, whereas Qatari investments to Austria continue to grow, especially in real estate.

THE WASHINGTON POST

10 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019VIEWS

Qatari-Austrian relations witness sustainable growth

The visit of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Republic of Austria comes as part of the

wise leadership’s strategy and the keenness to keep strong and robust communication, cooperation and coordination with states. This serves Qatar’s economic goals and plans, developmental programs, its aspira-tions, and its benefits in various fields.

The Amir is expected to hold talks with President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and H E Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz. During the talks, they will touch on the bilateral relations between both countries and ways to boost and develop them in various fields. They will also discuss a number of topics of common interest.

The relations between Austria and Qatar are strong, deep, pro-gressing and continuously growing. It covers many fields, lead by political, economic, sports, culture, and

tourism fields. Qatar is also an important economic partner to Austria where the volume of trade exchange between the two coun-tries amounted to $250 million in 2015 and Austrian small and medium-sized com-panies began to find their way to Qatar, whereas Qatari investments to Austria continue to grow, espe-cially in real estate.

The bilateral relations between Qatar and Austria began in the 1970s, where the

State of Qatar was one of the first Gulf countries that initiated the opening of an embassy in Vienna in 1975, and in the same year a medical office was opened to meet the needs of many Qatari nationals who travel

to Austria for treatment. The two countries exchanged visits by senior officials who contributed to the pro-motion and revitalization of bilateral relations, including the visit of the Austrian president in late February 2009 to Doha, accompanied by a high-level economic delegation. The same goes for the Qatari side, H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, who was then Minister of State for International Cooperation and Acting Minister of Business and Trade, visited the Austrian capital in November 2009 with an economic delegation, giving the bilateral rela-tions great impetus.

The visit of the Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to Vienna in 2010 inaugurated a new chapter in the history of relations between the two countries and established broad prospects for bilateral cooperation and the devel-opment of economic and trade rela-tions between the two countries.

Following this visit, Austria decided to open an embassy in Doha and on the sidelines of the inaugu-ration in December 2011, the Austrian president visited Doha and stressed on the importance of promoting the economic and trade relations between both countries, as well as encouraging joint investments between the businessmen of both states.

He also affirmed upgrading the level of diplomatic relations to lay the foundations of a new strategy for cooperation between the two coun-tries in the economic, trade and investment.

In September 2018, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Austria and met with H E Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs Karin Kneissl, where they dis-cussed the bilateral relations and ways to boost and develop them as well as a number of topics of common interest.

In November of 2015, another round of political talks was held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the

Republic of Austria during which they discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields and means of supporting them and developing them.

With regards to the economy, there is a joint Qatari- Austrian desire to strengthen ties and to allow for greater trade and wider opportu-nities to attract Austrian investment to serve the mutual interests of both parties. In 2003, a Qatari-Austrian economic forum was held in Vienna, under the supervision of the Society for Austro-Arab relations.

In December 2016, the Diplo-matic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a Qatari-Austrian Relations seminar where HE Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the State of Qatar Willi Kemble was invited. The ambassador affirmed the existence of future projects and important economic issues to be discussed between the two countries.

He pointed out that there are many Austrian companies that are active in carrying out a number of important projects which are being held in the State of Qatar, including the Rail project and hospital man-agement. In addition to many Aus-trian competencies participating in the projects preparing for the World Cup Qatar 2022. His Excellency also highlighted the integration of many Austrians into Qatari society, some of which work in sports and Aspire Sports Academy, including those working in aviation and airport security.

The State of Qatar and the Republic of Austria play effective, distinct and coordinated roles in the service of humanity, international security, and peace. The two coun-tries also play roles that seek active mediation to settle disputes and resolve issues in many of the world’s areas of conflict. Both countries are also meeting points for many inter-national events and conferences such as interfaith dialogue. In Vienna, there is a United Nations head-quarters which a hosting site for a large number of international organi-zations and bodies.

QNA

QUOTE OF THE DAYThere are so many

French people who love Italy and Italians

who love France and the French. But

suddenly, we almost forgot that we have

to keep on learning to understand each other.

Emmanuel Macron French President

Man-made disaster looms over Puerto Rico

Most Americans know Puerto Rico as the scene of the worst humanitarian and economic disaster of

our nation’s recent history, Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island in September 2017 and from which it has yet to recover completely.

Just before that, though, Puerto Rico had been the focal point of a far more hopeful development: a rare piece of legislation enacted by Con-gress in 2016 with the goal of prag-matically addressing a real-world problem on a bipartisan basis. The Promesa Act (the acronym equates to the Spanish word for “promise”) admittedly responded to another crisis on the island: its enormous debt, made up of borrowings and unfunded pension liabilities totaling roughly $130 billion. Yet the basic solution - a bankruptcylike debt workout led by a board of financial experts and supervised by an impartial federal court - offered Puerto Rico a chance to reform its government and resume growth. The

hurricane obviously set debt restruc-turing back, but the process has resumed and continues to progress. Indeed, disaster recovery and financial stability are interdependent.

Now, however, there is a man-made disaster looming, in the form of a Feb. 15 federal appeals court ruling declaring as unconstitutional the financial oversight board that Promesa created. The decision represents a strange meeting of the minds between a doctrinaire three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit and creditors of the U.S. common-wealth - led by hedge fund Aurelius Investment and bond insurer Assured Guaranty, which are betting that the overthrow of the Promesa board will enable them to demand a better payout.

The creditors argued that the board and its debt-reduction actions to date are illegitimate because its members were chosen by a special process, prescribed in the Promesa Act, involving both houses of Congress and the president - rather than by presidential appointment with Senate confirmation. In a fit of constitutional persnicketiness, the 1st Circuit agreed,

brushing aside the board’s argument that the Promesa Act appointment process was perfectly constitutional in light of Congress’ broad authority to legislate for federal territories such as Puerto Rico.

The court portrayed the board as an affront to Puerto Rican autonomy - “more like Roman proconsuls picked in Rome” - a flight of political rhetoric that was especially inappropriate given that the island’s elected gov-ernment, opposition party, major interest groups and many creditors all submitted briefs in support of the board.

Fortunately, the ruling does not retroactively undo the debt restruc-turing achieved so far, but it does becloud the future, because the court gave the president and the Senate only 90 days to “reconstitute” the board. Given the difficulties of dealing with the White House and Capitol Hill, that deadline may prove impossible to meet. The board has announced its intention to instead seek relief from the Supreme Court - which, if it cares about both Puerto Rico’s future and sensible constitutional interpretation, will grant it.

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser reaffirmed Silatech’s commitment to tackling rising youth unemployment through economic and social empowerment, particularly in developing regions with increasingly young populations.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM [email protected]

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI [email protected]

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIALEmpowering youth

With an ambitious plan to expand its outreach and create thousands of new job opportunities for youth, Silatech yesterday renewed its commitment to empower young

men and women. H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, announced that youth will receive three million employment opportunities globally by 2022, calling for more partners to help raise that number to five million.

During a high-level event titled “Empowering Youth, Trans-forming Societies”, hosted by Silatech at the International Con-ference Centre in Geneva yesterday, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser reaffirmed Silatech’s commitment to tackling rising youth unemployment through economic and social empow-erment, particularly in developing regions with increasingly young populations. “Young men and women need the chance to earn a living that will allow them to support their families, contribute to society, and build better futures,” H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser said. “This is the hope that Silatech offers.”

In 2006, as a member in the High-Level Group and an Ambassador in the UN Alliance of Civilisations, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser launched Silatech as an international non-profit and non-governmental development organisation that

aims to connect young people with the jobs and resources needed to establish and develop their projects by offering innovative employment solutions in collabo-ration with partners locally, regionally and internationally with a particular focus on youth employment in countries affected by conflict, economically. In 10 years, Silatech has managed to provide more than one million and 100,000 jobs to young people in the Middle East and Africa.

In order to achieve its current and future plans, Silatech is collab-orating with more than 300 regional and international partners at the level of governments and financial institutions in the coun-tries in which it operates, major international organisations, EU, World Bank, UN and its agencies such as the International Labour Organisation, UN Counter-Ter-rorism Centre, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Women, UN Development

Program, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other academic institutions as well as the private sector.

Stressing the importance of investing in both education and employment, H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser said: “Edu-cation without employment can lead to frustration... and employment without education is a false dream.” Her Highness emphasized the role of quality education in shaping youth for the future, but it must be followed by meaningful employment to give youth a chance to become productive citizens and “the engine of economic growth”.

Silatech has provided a number of innovative electronic solutions and platforms to connect young people with jobs. As part of its work to promote the youth employment, Silatech has supported the establishment and rehabilitation of 272 employment and vocational guidance centers in several coun-tries. Silatech also supports a research center that conducts studies and research on issues of economic empowerment, employment and unemployment in the Arab world.

The global education monitoring report includes increasing numbers of migrants and displaced people in the world, which is increasing day by day, with the number of migrants reaching about 763 million worldwide. He said that the conflicts and wars in recent years have led to the displacement of nearly 40 million people, in addition to 19 million due to natural disasters.

11TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 OPINION

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OFFICETEL: 4455 7741 / 767FAX: +974 4455 7758

MANAGING EDITORTEL: 4462 7505

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORTEL: 4455 7769

LOCAL NEWS SECTION TEL: 4455 7743

BUSINESS NEWS SECTION TEL: 4462 7535

SPORT NEWS SECTION TEL: 4455 7745

ONLINE SECTION TEL: 4462 [email protected]

PUBLIC RELATIONSTEL: 4455 [email protected]

ADVERTISING DEPARTMENTTEL: 4455 7837 / 780FAX: 4455 7870 [email protected]

CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENTTEL: 4455 [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTION & DISTRIBUTIONTEL: 4455 7809 / 839FAX: [email protected]

D-RING ROADPOST BOX: 3488DOHA - [email protected]

All thoughts and views expressed in these columns are those of the writers,not of the newspaper.

All correspondence regarding Views and Opinion pages should be sent to editor-in-chiefoffice or mailed to the [email protected]

Berlin arms policy risks ‘German-free’ Europeandefence projects

Al Hammadi: Providing education for migrants, refugees is moral obligation

ANDREA SHALAL REUTERS

QNA

Germany’s latest restrictions on arms exports risk making Berlin a pariah in Europe’s defence industry, threatening

future collaboration on weapons development and its own ambitions to foster a common European defence policy.

Germany’s decision to unilaterally

halt all shipments of military equipment to Saudi Arabia in November after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has brought long-standing differences between Berlin and its European partners over arms controls to a tipping point.

The move has put a question mark over billions of euros of military orders, including a 10 billion pound deal to sell 48 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Riyadh, and has prompted some firms such as Airbus to strip German components from some of their products. With British defense con-tractor BAE Systems, the company behind the Eurofighter Typhoon, warning that the German embargo would weigh on its financial per-formance, London and Paris are racing to convince Berlin to lift it.

The Social Democrats (SPD), junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, want to keep the arms freeze against Saudi Arabia in place and reach agreement on a more restrictive export policy, keen to avoid further losses among German voters

who are cautious on arms sales.Merkel’s conservatives, keen to

smooth the rift with France and Britain, are piling pressure on the SPD by accusing them of jeopardising German industry and jobs. But the SPD notes that the coalition parties agreed last year to halt future arms sales to any countries involved in the Yemen conflict, which includes Saudi Arabia.

Paralyzed by domestic political squabbling, Berlin on Friday put off a decision about extending the embargo beyond its current March 9 deadline till the end of the month, fuelling concerns among European allies and industry.

“We see no way to resolve the issue at this point,” said one European industry official. “There’s a complete stalemate.”

Germany, which has tightened controls on arms sales in recent years, accounts for just under 2 percent of total Saudi arms imports. But its role in making components for other coun-tries’ exports means that Berlin can still derail lucrative European projects.

In addition to the Eurofighter Typhoon contract, Germany’s Saudi arms ban is also holding up shipments of Meteor air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia by MBDA, which is jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Italy’s Leonardo, since the missiles’ propulsion system and warheads are built in Germany.

Two sources familiar with coalition discussions said the parties could agree to a partial lifting of the freeze for a number of patrol boats being built for Saudi Arabia by privately-held Luerssen, and the Meteor missiles, since neither system is being used in the Yemen war. However nothing was decided, and the Eurofighter sale was still in question.

Agreements covering the Eurofighter and the Meteor missile were meant to prevent any country unilaterally halting exports but they

were framed as memorandums of understanding to safeguard confiden-tiality, not binding formal treaties.

Berlin’s failure to abide by these agreements and its lack of coordi-nation with France on the Saudi arms embargo have Paris convinced it needs a binding agreement before moving ahead on joint weapons programmes with Germany valued at tens of billions of euros over the next decades.

Paris and Berlin have drafted a bilateral paper spelling out that the two countries will only block each other’s exports when “direct interests or national security are compromised”, excluding something like the Khashoggi case.

But discord within Germany’s ruling coalition has stalled its com-pletion, according to two sources familiar with the issue. It also remains unclear if the bilateral pact needs German parliamentary approval.

The SPD had no immediate new comment on the issue, but party leader Andrea Nahles last month said her party would insist on agreement on tighter German export guidelines before moving forward on other issues such as Franco-German defence ties.

Eric Trappier, chief executive of Rafale-maker Dassault Aviation, said last week it was watching the process closely. “It is obvious that if we are really going to launch a Franco-German fighter programme, the export rules need to be defined as soon as possible,” he told reporters.

Dirk Hoke, head of Airbus Defence and Space, told Reuters an agreement was imperative before the two coun-tries could move ahead on the new warplane, or sign a contract as expected by year’s end for joint work on a new European drone.

“This will harm Germany’s part-nership with France in the longer-term if no serious, long-term solutions are found,” he said.

Provision of education for migrants and refugees, who were deprived of it, is a moral obligation of those respon-

sible and a human duty to all indi-viduals and communities.

The wise leadership led by the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani firmly believes that edu-cation is a human right and a necessity for achieving sustainable development, which has made edu-cation in the country gain constant concern and support at all levels.

Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, Chairman of Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science said progress has been made by the State of Qatar towards meeting the goals of the fourth goal of sustainable development.

Speaking during the event of the global education monitoring report 2019 organized by the ministry yes-terday on migration, displacement, and education; the minister said, for early childhood, the enrollment rate for kindergartens increased by 18.2 percent, healthy growth and edu-cation for children under five rose to 92.9 percent, adult literacy rate reached 98.5 percent.

His Excellency said that all schools have also completed the facilities, technical needs, and laboratories required to create a 100 percent serious learning environment, as well as the preparation and rehabilitation of teachers before service and achieved full equality between genders in all stages of public education.

H E Al Hammadi said the global education monitoring report includes increasing numbers of migrants and displaced people in the world, which is increasing day by day, with the number of migrants reaching about 763 million worldwide. He said that the conflicts and wars in recent years have led to the displacement of nearly 40 million people, in addition to 19 million due to natural disasters.

His Excellency said these numbers are facing serious challenges and dif-ficult environmental conditions affecting their access to good edu-cation. His Excellency added that these challenges make it difficult to classify of these migrants in terms of number, age and school stages they were in before migrating from their country. It is also difficult to classify the curriculum they will study, as to should it be the destination’s cur-riculum or their own countries, or will a curriculum be prepared for them. In addition to the number of teachers

who wish to work under those condi-tions, especially in light of the lack of the required school environment, His Excellency added.

H E Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi stated that this report addresses the mechanism of providing quality education including teachers and school envi-ronment, in addition to enhancing diversity and developing skills among immigrant and refugee students with multiple classes, languages, and cultures.

H E the minister also stressed that the State of Qatar has the lead in this field, in view of its conviction and awareness of its humanitarian duty towards the peoples of the world and to help countries achieve the devel-opment goals as part of the global partnership for the achievement of the goals of the Sustainable Development Plan. He noted that the State had since early supported and provided edu-cation to millions of children, migrant students, and refugees throughout the world.

H E the minister noted the launch of several initiatives in this area, including (QUEST) to educate and train 400,000 Syrian refugees inside Syria and in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey for three years at a cost of over USD 100 million.

He also added that ‘Educate a child’ initiative launched by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser since 2012, has achieved education for the most marginalized groups in the world and has provided education to 10 million children in the world, as well as ‘Al Fakhoora’ initiative to ensure that young people have a good education in Gaza and West Bank.

Furthermore, H E Minister of Edu-cation and Higher Education stated that the State of Qatar has provided millions of dollars to enable UNRWA to support education projects in Pal-estine, and ROTA initiative has also contributed to providing basic and qualitative education for primary and secondary school students in Asia and the Middle East to ensure a better future for children in poor and affected countries by conflict and disaster.

H E Al Hammadi added that the most recent of these initiatives was the pledge made by H H the Amir, to provide quality education to one million girls around the world by 2021, during his participation in the round table held last September on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly meetings in

Germany’s decision to unilaterally halt all shipments of military equipment to Saudi Arabia in November after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has brought long-standing differences between Berlin and its European partners over arms controls to a tipping point.

New York. He said that there’s a need of a comprehensive approach to enhancing the role of Infor-mation and Communications Tech-nology (ICT) in education to ensure that all immigrant and refugee groups have access to quality edu-cation and are able to move from formal to lifelong education through educational software and means of electronic communication.

Meanwhile, Director of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2019, Manos Antoninis spoke about the report and made a presentation in this regard, addressing migration and dis-placement issues from the per-spective of teachers and education administrators who face the reality of diversity in classrooms, school courtyards and local communities, labor markets and societies.

Antoninis said that education systems in the world are united in terms of the commitment to ensure quality, equitable and inclusive education and to promote a life-long opportunity for all.

The report contains several recommendations, including the protection of the right to edu-cation of migrants and displaced persons, the need to integrate them into the national education system, the importance of har-nessing their capacities, under-standing and planning for their needs, including the history of migration and displacement in education, and the numbers of immigrant and refugee teachers to address diversity.

During the event, a panel dis-cussion was held on the report with the participation of a number of officials, experts, and stakeholders from the State of Qatar and beyond.

Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, speaking during the event of the global education monitoring report 2019 on migration, displacement, and education.

12 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Zambia suspends pro-opposition news channel

LUSAKA: Zambia’s broad-

casting regulator yesterday

ordered a one-month sus-

pension of a TV channel that

has been critical of the gov-

ernment, just days after the

governing party accused

the station of bias and

unprofessionalism.

Established seven years ago

by a former cameraman

at the state-owned Zam-

bia National Broadcasting

Corporation, Prime TV has

openly condemned the gov-

ernment of President Edgar

Lungu. The Independ-

ent Broadcasting Authority

(IBA) “resolved to suspend

(the) license with immedi-

ate effect for 30 days,” IBA

board secretary Josephine

Mapoma told a news con-

ference in Lusaka. “During

the suspension period the

station is expected to con-

duct in-house training in

basic journalism, ethics and

news script writing,” said

Mapoma. AFP

IN SHORT

South Sudan, Ethiopia

and Eritrea meet

for stabilisation

Four Americans and

and pilot dead in

copter crash in Kenya

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIO-PIA: Leaders of Ethiopia and

Eritrea paid an official visit to

South Sudan yesterday in an

effort to take another step

towards the regional integra-

tion. South Sudan’s President

Salva Kiir postponed his visit

to Bahr El Gazel region of

Chad to host Eritrean Pres-

ident Isaias Afwerki and

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy

Ahmed in a rare meeting in

the capital Juba. Regional

security and creating tighter

economic ties among the

countries in the region topped

the agenda of the daylong

meeting, a diplomatic source

said. ANATOLIA

NAIROBI: Four Americans

and their Kenyan pilot were

killed when their helicopter

crashed just after takeoff from

a remote island in Lake Tur-

kana in northwestern Kenya,

officials said. The aircraft

came down in Central Island

National Park at around 8pm

on Sunday, Kenya’s National

Police Service said on its Twit-

ter feed, killing all on board.

The cause of the crash had

yet to be determined. The

US embassy in Kenya listed

three of the four dead Amer-

icans as Anders Asher Jesiah

Burke, Brandon Howe Stap-

per and Kyle John Forti, adding

that it was offering assistance

to the families of the deceased.

REUTERS

CAIRO: Egypt will host an

Arab ministerial meeting

today to discuss the situation

in conflict-ridden Libya. The

meeting will bring together

the foreign ministers of Egypt,

Algeria and Tunisia for talks

on the Libyan crisis, the state-

run Al Ahram newspaper

reported. No details were pro-

vided about the content of the

meeting. The Egyptian author-

ities have yet to confirm the

meeting. In early 2017, the

three countries unveiled a tri-

partite initiative to advance

a political settlement to the

crisis in Libya that called for

rejecting any military solution

to the Libyan conflict.

Libya has been beset by tur-

moil since 2011, when a

bloody Nato-backed uprising

led to the ouster and death of

strongman Muammar Gaddafi

after more than four decades

in power. ANATOLIA

150 IS fighters leave Syria’s BaghouzREUTERS DEIR AL ZOR PROVINCE, SYRIA

Scores of Islamic State (IS) fighters surrendered to US-backed forces yesterday, a war monitor said, after a fero-cious assault to overrun their last shred of territory in eastern Syria.

Islamic State faces defeat in Baghouz, the only remaining patch of land it still holds in the area straddling Iraq and Syria where it declared a caliphate in 2014, although it still has control in a few remote areas.

Early yesterday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they had slowed their assault on Islamic State because more civilians were trapped in the area, though it vowed to capture it soon. A convoy of trucks was visible heading into Baghouz in the morning, and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 150 mili-tants left the enclave, along with about 250 other people.

There was no immediate confirmation of the surrenders from the SDF or any indication as to how many jihadists remained holed up inside.

Islamic State’s fighters have gradually fallen back on Baghouz at the Iraqi border as they retreated down the Euphrates in the face of sus-tained assault in both countries after its grotesque displays of cruelty roused global fury.

Despite the setbacks, the group remains a deadly threat, developing alternatives to its caliphate ranging from rural insurgency to urban bombings by affiliates in the region and beyond, many governments say.

The Syrian Democratic Forces this weekend resumed its assault on the group’s pocket in the village of Baghouz, the

The members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stand guard on top of a building during shelling on the Islamic State group’s last holdout of Baghouz, in the eastern Syrian Deir Al Zor province, yesterday.

culmination of a campaign that included the capture of Raqqa in 2017, when IS also faced other big defeats in Iraq and Syria.

The militia had already paused its attack for weeks to allow thousands of people to flee the area, including Islamic State supporters, fighters, children, local people and some of the group’s captives. It said on Friday that only jihadists remained, but now says some more civilians are left.

“We’re slowing down the offensive in Baghouz due to a small number of civilians held as human shields by Daesh,” said SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali on

Twitter, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

However, “the battle to retake the last ISIS holdout is going to be over soon,” he added.

Dozens of trucks similar to those that had evacuated people from the enclave in recent weeks were visible heading back there on Monday and the drivers said they were going to pick people up at Baghouz. Col Sean Ryan, spokesman for the US-led coa-lition, said in an email that he could not verify who Islamic State was holding but hoped they would be released unharmed.

On Sunday, the SDF faced

landmines, car bombs, tunnel ambushes and suicide attacks as they attempted to overrun the enclave - tactics the jihadist group has honed through its hard-fought retreat down the Euphrates.

Reuters photographs from Baghouz on Sunday showed dark plumes of smoke rising above houses and palm trees, and SDF fighters shooting into the Islamic State enclave. While the capture of Baghouz would mark a milestone in the fight against Islamic State, the group is expected to remain a security threat as an insurgent force with sleeper cells and some pockets of remote territory.

Algeria: Anger boils despite President’s offer to protestersAP ALGIERS

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s offer of a new constitution and a truncated next term does not appear to have satisfied protesters, who faced off with riot police overnight.

Crowds of mainly young pro-testers demonstrated into the early hours of yesterday after Bouteflika’s campaign manager formalised the president’s can-didacy for a fifth term in an April 18 election.

As well as voicing opposition to Bouteflika’s attempt to hold onto power, the protesters are accusing the country’s secretive leadership of failing to share Algeria’s gas wealth, heavy-handed security policies and widespread corruption.

Police fired tear gas on pro-testers crying “Bouteflika, Get Out!” at Maurice Audin Square in western Algiers, according to images on Algerian private tel-evision networks.

Demonstrators set a social security office on fire in the working class neighbourhood of Belouizdad, an Islamist stronghold, prompting clashes with police.The number of

people injured or arrested has not been released.

Demonstrations were also held in other cities against

another term for Bouteflika, who has barely been seen in public since a 2013 stroke and is facing protests over his leadership of

Africa’s largest country. Responding to Algeria’s biggest protest movement in years, Bouteflika said on Sunday in a statement that if he’s re-elected, he would hold a referendum on a new constitution and call an early election in which he wouldn’t run.

He also promised to fight endemic corruption, better dis-tribute Algeria’s wealth — which is heavily dependent on natural gas — and create better oppor-tunities for Algerians who risk their lives to try to migrate across the Mediterranean to Europe.

“I am resolute: If God wants and the Algerian people give me its trust, I will take the challenge of changing the regime,” Boute-flika wrote in a statement read on national television by cam-paign chief Abdelghani Zaalane.

But protesters don’t want Bouteflika to run at all in the April 18 vote, and described the offer as a ploy to remain in power. Opposition parties are holding meetings Monday to decide the next steps after Boute-flika’s announcement.

Opposition figures largely rejected Bouteflika’s offers, and appeals are spreading online for a new nationwide protest action

Friday. “What Bouteflika is pro-posing is just a maneuver to find a way to buy time,” Mustapha Bouchachi, a member of the Mouwatana protest movement, said yesterday on El Hayat tele-vision. He said Bouteflika refused to consider similar reform pro-posals offered by the opposition in 2015. “It’s too late,” he said. “There’s only one thing left for him to do - withdraw his can-didacy and return home, if he wants to avoid a new bloodbath in Algeria.”

Questions are swirling around who is actually running the country - the 82-year-old Bouteflika or a coterie of pow-erful aides and generals. His campaign chief submitted Boute-flika’s candidacy on Sunday, instead of the president himself, who was in Switzerland last week for medical tests.

Mystery around Bouteflika’s whereabouts and doubts about his fitness for office prompted the Algerian ambassador to France to insist yesterday that “of course he is alive.”

“He’s the one who is deciding, not the system,” Ambassador Abdelkader Mesdoua said on France’s CNews television.

The opponents protest against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s candidacy in Algiers, Algeria, yesterday.

CAR peace deal under strain as militia quitsAFP BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN

REPUBLIC

Less than a month after it was signed, the Central African Republic’s peace agreement was under strain yesterday after a militia group abandoned the deal and a second said it was quitting a new government designed to be the keystone of the accord.

The Democratic Front of the Central African People (FPDC), one of 14 armed groups that inked the so-called Khartoum Agreement, announced it was walking away in protest at a newly formed government.

The FPDC “is resolved purely and simply to withdraw from the peace process,” it said in a statement. The group, whose stronghold is in the northwest, protested that the new gov-ernment formed on Sunday was

“far from being inclusive”. Just hours after the ministerial list was unveiled, the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC), said it was leaving the government.

The FPRC did not specify whether it planned to remain part of the peace process, but charged the authorities with “bad faith, amateurism and incompetence.” The peace agreement was forged after negotiations in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum before being signed in Bangui on February 6. The deal brings together Pres-ident Faustin-Archange Touadera and the leaders of the 14 armed groups who control most of the CAR.

It is the eighth attempt to bring peace to the CAR, one of the world’s poorest and most unstable countries, since mainly

Muslim rebels ousted president Francois Bozize, a Christian, in 2013.

France, the former colonial ruler, intervened militarily under a UN mandate as fears grew of a Rwandan-style genocide. The Seleka were forced from power and in February 2016, Touadera, a former prime minister, was elected president. Under peace accord’s provisions, Touadera agreed to form an “inclusive” government.

But in the team unveiled on Sunday, the ministers in sen-sitive key posts all kept their jobs, while six of the 14 armed groups obtained no post at all.

One of those left out, the Movement of Central African Freedom Fighters for Justice (MLCJ), a small group in the north of the country, warned the authorities “to look again” at the list.

Uganda says Rwanda partially lifts trade blockadeREUTERS KAMPALA

Rwanda has started to allow trucks carrying goods from Uganda to enter at one of the main crossing points on their shared border, the Ugandan government said yesterday, a sign that renewed hostil-ities have started to ease.

Rwanda last week abruptly begun blocking cargo trucks from Uganda from entering its territory as well as stopping its nationals from crossing over to Uganda.

Uganda summoned Rwanda’s ambassador to Kampala on Friday to protest against the border closure.

Ofwono Opondo, Uganda’s government spokesman, said on Monday that the flow of cargo traffic had been eased at Mirama Hills, one of the three main border crossings between the countries. Uganda will review allegations of arbitrary detentions of Rwandese which authorities in Kigali have cited as one the reasons for stopping the country’s nationals from coming to Uganda, Opondo said.

“Specific cases raised on alleged arbitrary arrests or detentions shall be handled through normal diplomatic channels,” he wrote on Twitter. Two other crossings including the busy Katuna border post remain closed, he said. The hostilities, fuelled by longstanding mutual suspicions and allegations of supporting each other’s dissi-dents, are unlikely to escalate into war because of overwhelming western diplomatic pressure on both sides to calm the situation, analysts said.

Rwanda depends for much of its imports on a trade route through Uganda to Kenya’s Indian Ocean seaport of Mombasa.

Egypt to host tripartite

ministerial meeting

on Libya today

Islamic State (IS) faces defeat in Baghouz, the only remaining patch of land it still holds in the area straddling Iraq and Syria where it declared a caliphate in 2014, although it still has control in a few remote areas.

13TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 ASIA

Final millions bathe at Kumbh festivalAFP ALLAHABAD

India’s Kumbh Mela religious mega festival wraps up with some 10 million pilgrims expected to take a final holy plunge, taking the final tally towards 250 million, officials said. “We expect at least 10 million today because it is both the last day and Mahashiv-ratri,” one of the biggest Hindu holy days, government official Prabhat Shukla said.

“Around 220 million people have visited the Kumbh as per our last calcula-tions. The final tally will only be updated after the end of the festival but it could be around 250 million,” Shukla added. The 48-day festival in the northern city of Alla-habad, recently renamed Prayagraj after the region’s ancient Hindu name by the state’s Hindu nationalist government, began in February.

Hindus believe bathing at the meeting point of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the

mythical Saraswati at the festival — home to a vast tent city bigger than Manhattan — brings salvation. This year’s festival was the Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela, which denotes the completion of the six-year half cycle of the even bigger and grander Maha (great) Kumbh festival, held every 12 years.

Authorities have spent about $40m on an operation to block some drains and make sure others undergo cleaning so that waste water pouring into the rivers does not threaten the pilgrims. More than 30,000 police were on duty to manage the huge crowds and prevent deadly stampedes seen at previous gatherings.

Special skimmer boats collected waste from the surface of the rivers and more than 40,000 temporary toilets have been installed. Devotees meditate on the banks of the rivers after the dip and collect Ganges water in cans to take home. Many observe complete silence for the rest of the day after their ritual bath.

Devotees arrive to take a holy dip at the Sangam on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri and the last day of the Kumbh Mela festival in Allahabad, yesterday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gesturing during a visit to the new building of the Guru Gobind Singh Hospital in Jamnagar, yesterday.

None would have survived if we had Rafale: ModiIANS JAMNAGAR

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday asserted that the defence situation in the country would have been different if the Indian Air Force had Rafale fighter jets. “Not one this side would have gone and no one on the other would have survived,” he added.

Addressing a rally here, the prime minister called upon the Opposition, without naming it, to use “common sense” when it speaks about the Rafale jets.

“If the Indian Air Force had the Rafale today, the situation would have been different, but some people do not have it in them to understand this,” Modi said, adding “When I say this, they question the Air Force strikes.”

The prime minister went on, “The nation agrees that the disease of terrorism has to be eliminated. I want to ask you, don’t you trust what our armed forces say? “Should or should not everyone, including me, believe in our armed forces without raising questions? We should be proud of our armed forces.” Modi was addressing the rally after inaugurating a 750-bed annexe and PG hostel of the Guru Gobind Singh Hospital.

He also laid the foundation stones of various development projects in the Saurashtra region.

The prime minister

inaugurated the Ahmedabad Metro rail’s six-km-long first phase, 14 years after the project was launched when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister. Accom-panied by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Modi travelled from Vastral to Nirant Road metro station in the eastern industrial suburb of Ahmedabad after flagging off the train.

Meanwhile, questioning BJP

President Amit Shah’s claims on the February 26 air strikes in Pakistan, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party slammed him and his party for not trusting the armed forces and “milking the air strikes for politics”.

Responding to Shah’s claim on Sunday that more than 250 ter-rorists were killed in the air strikes, the two parties said the BJP’s claims were not in line with the Air Force statement in this regard.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari tweeted, “AVM RGK Kapoor said, ‘it would be premature to say what is the number of casualties that we have been able to inflict on those camps and what is the number of deaths.’ But Amit Shah says over 250 terrorists killed in air strikes.”

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal also questioned Shah’s claim. “The (Air) Force

cannot lie. The BJP is lying. The whole country is with the (Air) Force, only the BJP is against them,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

“Is the (Air) Force lying as per Amit Shah? The (Air) Force has clearly said it isn’t sure if anyone died or not (in the air strikes). Are the BJP and Shah calling the (Air) Force a liar for their electoral benefit? The nation believes in the Forces. Don’t Shah and the BJP trust them?” he said in tweet.

We don’t count casualties after strikes: IAF ChiefBLOOMBERG NEW DELHI

Indian Air Force doesn’t count casualties, the government does, Air Chief BS Dhanoa said, as opposition leaders call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for proof of success on recent strikes against Pakistan.

“We hit our target. The Air Force doesn’t calculate casualty numbers, the government does that,” Dhanoa said at a briefing in the southern city of Coim-batore. “IAF is not in a position to clarify the number of casualties. The government will clarify that. We don’t count human casualties, we count what targets we have hit or not.”

Questions from opposition political leaders are increasing after Modi’s main ally in the ruling party, Amit Shah, at a cam-paign rally on Sunday said “more than 250” terrorists were killed in recent air strikes in Pakistan. The government hasn’t provided an official tally and its critics allege the ruling party is using the attacks to bolster support before elections that could be called any day now.

IAF downsPakistan UAVIANS NEW DELHI

The India-Pakistan tension might have eased a bit, but an Indian Air Force Su-30 MKI yesterday shot down a Paki-stani Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the Nal sector on the International Border in Rajasthan. IAF Chief BS Dhanoa had claimed that the operations were still going on as he refused to go into details about the aerial engagement between the two forces. Sources said the forces continued to be on high state of alert and that the air defence systems are manned to deal with any eventuality.

NC, PDP & Congress for concurrent polls in J&KIANS SRINAGAR

All the mainstream political parties, which met the Election Commission (EC) team here, have favoured holding simulta-neous polls to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior leaders of the National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress met the EC team, headed by Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena.

The EC team visited the state to review preparations for the Lok Sabha elections.

The team, comprising senior

ECI officials, is scheduled to meet leaders of seven national and three regional political parties in Srinagar and Jammu to seek their response on holding elections in the state.

The team will also hold dis-cussions with the Deputy Com-missioners and Senior Superin-tendents of Police of the 10 dis-tricts in the Valley and two districts in the Ladakh division.

Sources said the EC team will also be briefed about the security situation in the state, following the cross-border ten-sions in the past one week.

The team will hold a press conference in Jammu before flying back to Delhi today.

Stubble burning causes nearly $30bn losses in IndiaIANS NEW DELHI

Not just growing respiratory diseases but crop residue burning (CRB) has led to economic loss of nearly $30bn annually for the three north Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi every year in India, says a study.

The study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and partner institutes estimate — for the first time — the health and economic costs of CRB in northern India. “Economic losses owing to exposure to air pollution from firecracker burning are estimated

to be around $7bn a year. In five years, the economic loss due to burning of crop residue and fire-crackers is estimated to be $190bn, or nearly 1.7 percent of India’s GDP,” said the study.

The study analysed health data from more than 250,000 individuals of all ages residing in rural and urban areas in India.

It used Nasa satellite data on fire activity to estimate the health impact of living in areas with intense crop burning by com-paring them with areas unaffected by CRB. The researchers observed that as crop burning increased, respiratory health worsened.

The research noted that health

was measured by the frequency of reported hospital visits for acute respiratory infection (ARI), symptoms.

They examined other factors that could contribute to poor res-piratory health such as firecracker burning during Diwali (it usually coincides with time of CRB) and motor vehicle density. “Smoke from the burning of agricultural crop residue by farmers in Haryana and Punjab particularly contributes to Delhi’s poor air, increasing the risk of ARI three-fold for those living in districts with intense crop burning,” said IFPRI Research Fellow and co-author of the study, Samuel Scott.

Former BJD MP Jay Panda joins BJPIANS NEW DELHI

Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Jay Panda joined the BJP here in the presence of Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Juel Oram and other senior party leaders.

Panda, a four-time member of Parliament, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kendrapara constituency of Odisha in 2014. He was suspended from the BJD for “anti-party activities” on January 24, 2018.

Having been at loggerheads with Odisha Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik for months, Panda finally quit the party on May 28 last year, two weeks after he tendered his res-ignation as the Lok Sabha member. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha in May 2009 from Kendrapara parliamentary con-stituency. Earlier, he twice rep-resented his state in the Rajya Sabha between 2000 and 2006.

One of the founding members of the BJD, Panda worked in the corporate sector before joining politics.

DMK inks poll deal with CPI, VCK, IJKIANS CHENNAI

The DMK concluded electoral pacts with three more Tamil Nadu parties — the CPI, the VCK and the IJK — for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

As per the agreement inked between the DMK and three parties, the CPI and the VCK get two seats each while the IJK gets one. Speaking to the media, VCK leader Thirumavalavan said the two constituencies will be decided later and expressed confidence that the DMK-led alliance will win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats — 39 in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat.

Till now, the DMK has signed electoral alliance pacts with six parties, alloting them 16 seats in the state and Puducherry. While the Congress has got nine seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat, the CPI and the VCK have been given two seats each, and the IUML, the KDMK and the IJK one seat each.

The DMK is also holding talks with Vaiko’s MDMK and the CPI-Marxist and a decision is expected today.

CPI-M to support Congress where it is in direct contest with BJPIANS NEW DELHI

The CPI-M said that in order to defeat the BJP-led alliance and ensure an alternative secular government is formed at the Centre, it would lend support to the Congress in states where it is in direct contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The party said that in West Bengal, it won’t go for mutual

contest in the present six sitting Lok Sabha seats which are cur-rently held by Congress and the Left Front. The Communist Party of India-Marxist’s Central Com-mittee had earlier decided that the party will adopt suitable tactics to ensure the maximization of the pooling of anti-BJP and anti-Tri-namool Congress votes.

The party added that in Tamil Nadu, discussions were on for seat sharing with DMK and with NCP

in Maharashtra for contesting Dindori or Palghar seats where it “independently polls around a lakh votes each”. In Bihar, talks are being held with RJD for con-testing Ujiarpur seat in Samastipur district, it said.

“In Odisha, where simulta-neous elections will be held, the CPI-M will contest the Bhu-baneswar Lok Sabha and a few Assembly seats including its sitting seat Bonnai,” it added.

Kerala CPI to field 2 MLAs in pollsIANS THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The CPI’s Kerala unit sprang a surprise here yesterday by recommending four names for the Lok Sabha seats the party contests and dropping the sitting MP. CN Jayadevan who won Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in 2014 has been dropped and the names of two sitting legislators — C Divakaran (Thiruvanan-thapuram) and Chittayam Gopa-kumar (Mavelikera) — have been added to the list.

Rajaji Mathew Thomas, a former legislator, has been

asked to contest from Thrissur and P P Suneer the Wayanad seat.

Speaking to the media, Divakaran, a former State Min-ister, said the state council has cleared his name and now the national executive will take a decision. “If it’s cleared then I will contest and win,” said Divakaran.

Incidentally, Divakaran will be taking on two-time Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor. The national executive will meet in Delhi tomorrow and Thursday to take a final decision, said Thomas.

14 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019ASIA

IN SHORT

Islamabad vows action against militant groupsREUTERS ISLAMABAD

Pakistan plans to take action against militant groups oper-ating on its soil, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said yesterday.

“A full-fledged strategy is now in place. We have different strategies for different groups, but the main aim is that we have to enforce the writ of the state. We have to demilitarise if there are groups (on our soil),” the minister said.

Chaudhry said the decision to act was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee before the Pulwama suicide bombing in Indian-held Kashmir.

Pakistan’s English-language Dawn newspaper also said that a source briefed journalists that a crackdown against militant groups was imminent. “The action would soon be visible as things progress,” Dawn cited the source as saying.

Chaudhry said Pakistan would use an “economic, political and administrative strategy” that would adhere to Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP) formulated in 2014, which vowed to stamp out militant groups. Analysts say security services carrying out NAP did not target anti-India outfits.

Chaudhry added that Pakistan would also fulfil

demands set out by a global watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which put Pakistan on a terrorism watch list in 2018 on the urging of the United States and the European nations.

“We have to implement FATF conditions, and likewise, we have taken strict measures on money laundering to dry the source of funding for these groups,” Chaudhry said.

The information minister said the government was looking to close “loopholes” that allowed banned groups to operate. “With banned groups it will be made sure that they will be banned in practical terms also,” he said. “The problem is that they change names and start operating from other names. This needs to be taken care of.”

Chaudhry, however, denied the Indian accusations that Pakistan was involved in the February 14 Pulwama attack, which led to a sharp rise in hos-tilities. “We have looked at the incident and it is our considered opinion that Pulwama has nothing to do with us,” Chaudhry said.

An Indian passenger on-board the Samjhauta Express waves to her relatives as the train leaves Lahore railway station, yesterday.

Pakistan desirespeace in region,says QureshiINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the entire world knows Pakistan’s penchant for peace.

The minister’s statement came after he presided over a consultative session at the Foreign Office yesterday. Former foreign secretaries and envoys attended the session, where Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua was also present. Important matters per-taining to Pakistan-India standoff and diplomatic issues were discussed in the session.

The foreign minister said that Pakistan welcomed Organ-isation of Islamic Cooperation’s resolution against Indian forces’ atrocities in Indian-adminis-tered Kashmir.

The meeting agreed to con-tinue the consultative sessions on diplomatic issues.

The foreign minister, while speaking to the media a day earlier, said Indian Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi’s gov-ernment had put the Kashmir issue on the agendas of inter-national forums - something which has always been avoided by the previous Indian governments.

The US, the UK, the EU, Russia, China and Turkey want to de-escalate the border ten-sions between Pakistan and India, Qureshi said. “A small section of the Indian gov-ernment for their political ambitions desire to put the region in war,” he added.

Train link between Pakistan, India restoredAP LAHORE

A key train service between Pakistan and India resumed and schools in Pakistani Kashmir opened yesterday in another sign of easing tensions between the two countries since a major escalation last week.

P a k i s t a n R a i l w a y s spokesman Ejaz Shah said the train service, known as the Samjhauta Express, left Lahore for India’s border town of Atari, with some 180 passengers on board.

Pakistan suspended the train service last week as tensions escalated following India’s air-strike on Tuesday inside Pakistan.

Schools in Pakistan-controlled

Kashmir opened yesterday after seven days of closure amid the heightened tensions.

Raja Jaleel, head teacher at a secondary school in Chakothi, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC) border in the dis-puted region, said classes resumed but attendance was thin.

He lauded the courage of the students who attended, as many of the area’s parents are keeping their children home for their safety.

“We have started our day with prayers for peace,” said the head teacher, adding that the students also chanted slogans in support of the army.

Schools were closed when Indian and Pakistani troops were trading fire across the

LoC. At least eight civilians and two soldiers have been killed in Pakistani-control led Kashmir since tensions soared following India’s air strike last Tuesday.

The reopening of schools on the Pakistani side of Kashmir and the resumption of the train service amid the lull in the crossfire for the second consec-utive day suggests that both the countries have heeded interna-tional calls to exercise restraint. However, Pakistan hasn’t yet opened its airspace for flights to or from the east.

Senior civil aviation official Aamir Mahboob said that there was “no change yet in our avi-ation policy toward east but the west corridor is open for all flights.”

Man who resolves Kashmir dispute should get Nobel, not me: Imran AGENCIES ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the man who resolves the lingering Kashmir issue between Pakistan and India would deserve the Noble Peace Prize.

The premier took to Twitter amid calls for the Nobel Peace Prize for him after he decided to release the captured Indian pilot to help defuse tensions with India.

“I am not worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. The person

worthy of this would be the one who solves the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and paves the way for peace and human devel-opment in the subcontinent,” he wrote on the social media platform.

Khan’s move to release the pilot, who was held after his fighter jet was shot down by Pakistan in Pakistani side of Kashmir on Wednesday, was lauded the world over and online campaigns sought the Nobel Peace Prize for him.

After Khan’s tweet, his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), tweeted the same in Hindi to reach Indians.

#NobelPeacePrizeForIm-ranKhan began trending on Twitter soon after the prime minister announced in a joint session of Parliament on Thursday that Pakistan would release Wing Commander Abhi-nandan, who was handed over to Indian officials at the Wagah border crossing the next day.

Prime Minister Imran’s gesture was hailed by world

leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

A motion was also submitted in the National Assembly Secre-tariat on Saturday, calling for the PM to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Meanwhile, the ruling PTI party thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish people for extending support to Pakistan during its recent stand-off with India.

“We, as people of Pakistan, thank Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people for their

support in this difficult time,” PTI said in a Twitter message posted in Turkish language.

“We are peaceful people and we don’t want war,” it added.

On Saturday, the Turkish president had said that Turkey was ready to do its part to de-escalate tensions between Pakistan and India.

The president also hailed Pakistan’s move to hand over the captured Indian pilot as a goodwill gesture and said he looked forward to seeing similar steps from India.

Residents displaced by flooding have a meal in a makeshift camp in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Bangladesh to relocateRohingya to remote isletANATOLIA DHAKA

Bangladesh will relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to a remote islet by mid-April, a government minister confirmed yesterday.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed last week instructed completion of the relocation of 23,000 Rohingya families to Bhashan Char by April 15,” local media quoted Mohamed Enamur Rahman, State Minister for Disaster and Relief Management.

To make the islet livable, all facilities — including housing, power, communication, health care, storm surge protection, and cyclone shelter centres —have been provided, Rahman added.

International groups and rights bodies including the UN, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, however, have repeatedly warned the move could be risky and urged Bangladesh to go through the project with Rohingya refugees on a voluntary basis and with due clarification.

The minister said that a meeting had been held at the prime minister’s office to address the concerns and another was scheduled for March 6.

Under the government plan, the minister said, over 103,000 Rohingya out of over a million who fled Myanmar will be moved to Bhashan Char at an estimated cost of over 23.12bn Bangladeshi taka ($275.3m), fully managed by Bangladesh’s government.

Until the Rohingya reset-tlement project began one year ago, the islet was apparently uninhabited, mostly used for cattle grazing and as a hub for pirates.

The islet emerged from the Bay of Bengal in 2006 and is about 30km from the mainland, and 52km from the southern Noakhali district.

In 2013, the area was declared a forest reserve. Motor-boats are the only mode of travel to the island.

Around 1,350 acres of land were proposed for the Rohingya rehabilitation project.

However, the journey to Bhasan Char is a difficult and during bad weather can be a dangerous trip.

The average elevation of Bhasan Char is 2.84 meters above mean sea level, according to Bangladesh Naval sources.

According to Forest Department data and available information, a part of the remote island disappears into the sea every year due to erosion.

Myanmar police seize haul of meth pillsAFP YANGON

Myanmar authorities seized more than 10 million meth pills worth $13.3m over the weekend, police said yesterday.

High-grade crystal meth — or ‘ice’ — is smuggled out of Myanmar via sophisticated net-works to lucrative developed

markets while lower-quality pills are pumped out to domestic market as well as neighbouring Thailand and Bangladesh.

Two different busts took place in the west of the country at the weekend, state-run media said yesterday, one in Magway region and one in Maungdaw in Rakhine state.

“It’s the biggest drugs seizure

this year in the country and the biggest ever in Maungdaw region in Rakhine State,” police colonel Win Ko Ko said.

The pills were likely destined for Bangladesh, where they have become an easy source of income for the Rohingya Muslim refugees who have poured across the border since a 2017 military crackdown.

Man hanged for Saudi

diplomat’s murder

in Bangladesh

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi man

was hanged in a jail outside

Dhaka over the murder of a

Saudi diplomat in 2012, an

official said yesterday. Kha-

laf Al Ali, 45, who worked in

the consular section of the

Saudi Arabian embassy, was

shot in the capital’s diplo-

matic zone in front of his

rented apartment. He later

died in hospital. Police at that

time said 30-year-old Sai-

ful Islam, who was hanged

on Sunday, led the gang who

tried to rob the diplomat. “He

was executed in accordance

with a court order,” prison

official Shahjahan Ahmed

said.The Supreme Court in

August upheld Islam’s death

sentence. He was originally

sentenced to death in 2013

by a trial court. AFP

Information Minister stresses the need for tackling banned groups operating under new names.

Rains, flash floods

leave 13 dead in

Balochistan

QUETTA: Authorities say

heavy rains and flash floods

over the weekend in Pakistan’s

southwestern Balochistan

province have killed at least 13

people, injured a dozen oth-

ers and damaged hundreds

of homes. Imran Zarkon, head

of provincial disaster manage-

ment authority, yesterday said

that nine districts of the prov-

ince were affected by flash

floods triggered by heavy rains

and snow. Hundreds of mud

houses have been damaged

and scores of goats and sheep

washed away. He says infra-

structure in some districts, like

bridges and roads, were also

damaged. Zarkon says rescue

and relief teams were sent to

all affected districts and pro-

vided people with shelter,

food and other needs. In some

places, they rescued people

stranded by the flooding. He

said relief work was under way

as the rains have stopped. AP

Flood woes

15TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 ASIA

Moon urges new US-N Korea talksAGENCIES SEOUL

South Korea President Moon Jae-in yesterday urged the US and North Korea to quickly resume denuclearisation talks after their Hanoi summit last week ended without a deal.

Moon, who has adopted a dovish approach to Pyongyang and brokered the US-North Korea talks process, urged his officials to find out what exactly had gone awry at the high-stakes meeting, and predicted a deal would ultimately be reached.

“We hope that both countries will continue their dialogue and that their leaders meet again quickly to reach an agreement that was held off this time,” Moon said during a security meeting in Seoul.

“While I believe the North-US talks will produce an agreement in the end, I ask offi-cials to work hard for the resumption of working-level talks between the US and the North as it is not favourable to have a long absence or stalemate

in talks.” The second meeting between US President Donald Trump and the North’s Kim Jong Un broke up in disarray on Thursday in the Vietnamese capital, without even a joint statement.

Trump said at a press con-ference after the summit that the North Koreans had wanted sanc-tions against Pyongyang “lifted in their entirety”.

According to a senior US official, Pyongyang in return

offered only to close down “a portion of the Yongbyon complex”, a sprawling site cov-ering multiple nuclear facilities — and the North is believed to have other uranium enrichment plants.

North Korea rebuffed the claims, saying it had only wanted some measures eased, and that its proposal to close “all the nuclear production facilities” at Yongbyon was its best and final offer. “I ask that we find out the exact gap between the two sides that led to a no-deal at the Hanoi summit and explore ways to narrow down that gap,” Moon said.

In the meantime, the US President said that the reason for the conclusion of US-South Korea annual large-scale mil-itary drills is to save money, .

“The reason I do not want military drills with South Korea is to save hundreds of millions of dollars for the US for which we are not reimbursed,” he tweeted. “That was my position long before I became President.”

REUTERS VIENNA

The nuclear reactor that is believed to have supplied much of the plutonium for North Korea’s nuclear weapons appears to have been shut down for the past three months, the UN atomic watchdog said yesterday.

The reactor is part of North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex. The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency has not had access to North Korea since Pyongyang expelled its inspectors in 2009, and it now monitors the coun-try’s nuclear activities mainly through satellite imagery.

Some independent analysts believe the ageing reactor is having technical problems. “The agency has not observed any indications of the operation of

the 5MW(e) reactor since early December 2018,” IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano (pic-tured) said in a closed-door speech to his agency’s Board of Governors, which is meeting this week. At the radiochemical lab-oratory that separates plutonium from the reactor’s spent fuel, there were no indications of such reprocessing activities, Amano added.

North Korean nuclear reactorshut down for months: IAEA

Moon, who has adopted a dovish approach to Pyongyang and brokered the US-North Korea talks process, urged his officials to find out what exactly had gone awry at the high-stakes meeting, and predicted a deal would ultimately be reached.

Cohen hearing may have hurt summit: TrumpAP WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump is suggesting that a congressional hearing Democrats arranged with his former personal attorney may have contributed to his failure to reach a deal with North Korean leader.

After sending his national security adviser, John Bolton, to the Sunday talk shows to paint the summit as a success, Trump lashed out at Democrats in a tweet on Sunday night, crit-icising their decision to hold the hearing featuring his former lawyer Michael Cohen while he was overseas.

“For the Democrats to interview in open hearings a convicted liar & fraudster, at the same time as the very important Nuclear Summit with North Korea, is perhaps a new low in American politics and may have contributed to the ‘walk,’” Trump tweeted. “Never done when a president is overseas. Shame!” The White House did not immediately respond to questions about why the hearing would have contributed to Trump’s decision not to accept Kim’s terms or whether members of the North Korean negotiating team indicated they were aware of the split-screen news coverage in the US.

As Trump wrapped up his trip, he complained that Dem-ocrats had scheduled the hearing at the same time as his negotiations. He described it as a “fake hearing” and said having it in the middle of this “very important summit” was “really a terrible thing.” Trump said they could have held it a few days later and had more time to prepare.

During the House Oversight Committee hearing, Cohen, who has turned on Trump and has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress earlier to protect Trump, was harshly critical of his former boss, calling him a racist, a con man and a cheat.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen holds a baby as he arrives to speak at the ground-breaking ceremony of a project for flood protection and drainage improvement, in Phnom Penh, yesterday.

Cambodian Premier imposes deadline on lifting political banAP PHNOM PENH

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen warned opposition politicians yesterday that they should act quickly if they want bans on their political activity lifted because he will soon rescind the opportunity.

Hun Sen said at a ground-breaking project for a flood control project in Phnom Penh that he will not negotiate with the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party to lift the ban on all 118 of its former law-makers, and that each banned member will have to apply individually.

“I wish to send you a final message that if you are still indif-ferent, the door will be shutting down before or after the

Cambodian Lunar New Year,” Hun Sen said, referring to the country’s traditional New Year that falls in mid-April. “And after that the door will be closed - if you are making a request, I will ignore it.”

The five-year ban was imposed when the opposition party was dissolved by court order in November 2017 on a weakly supported charge of conspiring with the United States to over-throw the government. The offer to lift the bans comes with condi-tions, and there are no guarantees that new legal action would not be taken against the opposition politicians, many of whom fled Cambodia.“The door is now open, whether you enter or not is up to you, but don’t expect that there will be political negotiations or a political compromise,” he added.

China accuses detained Canadians of stealing state secretsAFP BEIJING

China suspects detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets, state media reported yesterday, turning up the heat in a diplomatic row between Beijing and Ottawa as a top Huawei executive faces possible extradition.

Another Canadian in Chinese detention — businessman Michael Spavor — was one of Kovrig’s main sources of intelli-gence, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing author-ities. The pair were detained in December in what observers see as retaliation just days after Canada arrested Chinese telecom giant Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, at the

request of the United States. Chinese authorities had previ-ously said the two Canadian men were under investigation on sus-picion of endangering national security. Spying charges could expose them to tough prison sentences.

Kovrig, who now works for the International Crisis Group think-tank, had often entered China using a non-diplomatic

passport and business visas and has been gathering intelligence since 2017, Xinhua said.

The new allegations come three days after Canada launched the extradition process against Meng, angering Beijing, which called the action a “severe political incident.” Meng will be in court in Vancouver tomorrow to schedule a date for her extra-dition hearing. The United States

wants to put her on trial on fraud charges for alleged Iran sanc-tions-busting and lying to US banks about it. Ottawa has said the two Canadian citizens were “arbitrarily” detained and that interrogations of Kovrig breached the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations — alle-gations Beijing flatly rejected.

A group of Canadian parl iamentarians had earlier

complained to Chinese author-ities that Kovrig and Spavor have been denied access to lawyers, and remain in “com-pletely unacceptable” detention conditions.

“China’s approach is no dif-ferent from the rest of the world in dealing with such cases involving national security cases,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said.

Japan says yes to research using human cells in animalsAFP TOKYO

Japan has given the green light to a controversial research process involving implanting animals with human stem cells that could eventually help grow human organs for transplant inside animal hosts.

The decision by the edu-cation and science ministry on Friday to revise its guidelines means Japanese researchers can now apply for permits to carry out studies employing the tech-nique, a ministry official said.

The process involves implanting embryonic animals with human “induced pluripotent stem” (iPS) cells, which can transform into the building blocks of any part of the body. The idea is for the iPS cells to grow into transplantable human organs inside the animal embryos.

Japan had previously required researchers to ter-minate animal embryos implanted with human cells

after 14 days “due to ethical con-cerns over the vague line between human beings and animals,” the official said.

The old regulations also pre-vented researchers from placing the embryos into animal wombs to allow them to develop.

But the ministry has dropped both restrictions “as we have concluded that there is techni-cally zero risk of producing a new organism mixing human and animal elements under the research,” the official added.

Researchers will now, for instance, be allowed to create animal embryos with a human pancreas and transplant it into the womb of an animal, which could in theory result in the birth of a baby animal with a human pancreas.

In practice, where similar research has been carried else-where, the embryos have been terminated before delivery, avoiding the thorny moral issues raised by creating creatures that contain both human and animal cells.

Philippines seizes 1,500 rare turtles in luggageAFP MANILA

Some 1,500 live exotic turtles — some restrained with duct-tape — have been found inside an airline passenger’s luggage, Phil-ippine authorities said yesterday, as they vowed a crackdown on the lucrative wildlife trade.

The Philippines is a major source and transit point of wildlife trafficking, according to a 2018 report by the US State Department.

The turtles and tortoises were found at Manila airport on Sunday in the luggage of a Fil-ipino passenger, who had arrived from Hong Kong, hidden among clothes and shoes.

The person fled before authorities could confront him, customs officials said. “We saw the images from the x-ray (machine),” Manila airport customs chief Carmelita Talusan said. “We never expected it would reach as many as 1,530,” Talusan said. “Our staff were taking care not to hurt them because duct tape was used to immobilise the turtles.” Talusan

said the matter was under inves-tigation and authorities had identified the passenger, who

could face charges of violating the nation’s illegal wildlife trading law, which carry a

maximum two years in prison. The seized were estimated to be worth $87,000, the customs bureau said. Among the animals found were the Indian Star Tor-toise, classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The turtles confiscated on Sunday were likely destined to be sold in the Philippines or smuggled to other countries using false documents, envi-ronment officials said. “It’s for business purposes. Those turtles are expensive. It’s such a lucrative business. There are buyers and collectors who treat them as pets,” environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda said.

“We are stepping up our all-out drive against the black market of endangered species.” Antiporda added the Philippines would ask Chinese authorities whether they wanted to take back the confiscated turtles which were being quarantined and treated in Manila. Sunday’s haul was the latest in a series of seizures of smuggled wildlife at the capital’s airport.

Tortoises are seen covered in duct tape after being seized by Philippine Customs in Manila, Philippines.

16 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019EUROPE

Germany to strip IS fighters of citizenshipREUTERS BERLIN

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and their Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners have agreed a plan to strip some Germans who fight for the IS militant group of their citizenship, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said yesterday.

More than 1,000 Germans have left their country for war zones in the Middle East since 2013 and the government has

been debating how to deal with them as US-backed forces are poised to take the last patch of territory from IS group in Syria.

About a third have returned to Germany, another third are believed to have died and the rest are believed to be still in Iraq and Syria, including some detained by Iraqi forces and US-backed fighters in Syria.

An Interior Ministry spokes-woman told a news conference yesterday that three criteria must be met to allow the government to denaturalise Germans who take up arms for the IS militant group.

Such individuals must have

a second citizenship and be adults. They would be stripped of their citizenship should they fight for IS militant group after the new rules come into effect.

The compromise ended a dispute over the issue between conservative Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and SPD Justice Minister Katarina Barley.

US President Donald Trump last month urged Britain, France and Germany to take back more than 800 captured IS fighters and put them on trial.

Germany said it would take back fighters only if the suspects have consular access.

Britain last month revoked the citizenship of a teenager who had left London when she was aged 15 to join IS militant group in Syria.

The case of Shamima Begum highlighted the security, legal and ethical dilemmas facing European governments dealing with citizens who had sworn allegiance to a group determined to destroy the West.

Picture ‘error’ on spy attack anniversaryREUTERS LONDON

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s office posted a picture of the wrong English city when it sought to mark the anniversary of the poisoning of a former Russian double agent that London has blamed on Kremlin.

Over a picture of green trees, a river and Bath’s spire, Theresa May’s twitter feed said: “Salisbury has fought back so well from such a devastating and reckless incident — a testament to the resolve, forbearance and positivity of the community.”

“This was an error which has now been rectified,” May said when asked about the picture on a visit to Salisbury Cathedral.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia, were found slumped on a public bench in the English city of Salisbury on March 4 last year, and Britain has charged two Russians in absentia with their attempted murder.

Russia has denied involvement in the poisoning.

“I’m here in the cathedral which is a great attraction, won-derful things to come and see,” May said in a televised interview.

“Salisbury is open for business. What I’ve seen today here in Salisbury is the tre-mendous spirit and resolve of the people of Salisbury. It’s been a difficult year for them.”

May’s tweet with the picture of Bath, a nearby city known for its Roman-built baths, was later changed to show a picture of her Downing Street office.

The prime minister has two twitter accounts.

A spokesman for the prime minister said the wrong picture was used following a human error and was corrected as soon as possible.

An Interior Ministry spokeswoman said that three criteria must be met to allow the government to denaturalise Germans who take up arms for the IS group.

Raft raceCarnival revellers with their self-made floats ride down the Schiltach stream during the ‘Bach na fahre’ (race down the stream) raft contest in Schramberg, Germany, yesterday.

Swiss skier pledges prize money to fight climate changeAP GENEVA

Hitting back at the president of his sport’s governing body, Swiss skier Daniel Yule will give his prize money this month to an athlete-backed charity campaigning against climate change.

The Olympic gold medallist said he is “putting my money where my mouth is” after criti-cising International Ski Feder-ation President Gian Franco Kasper at the world champion-ships last month.

Kasper’s comments about “so-called climate change” in a Swiss newspaper interview prompted Colorado-based non-profit Protect Our Winters to urge him to resign .

Yule, a slalom specialist, made his pledge in an Instagram post ahead of World Cup races on the next two Sundays.

“After the FIS president denied climate change during the last World Championships, I’ve decided to donate half of the prize money I earn at the last two world cup races in Kransjka Gora and Andorra to @protectourwintersswitzerland.”

Both slalom races offer $45,000 for winning, with prize money paid for top 30 placings down to $500 for 30th.

Yule has earned almost $90,000 in prize money this season, including his first World Cup win in December in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

The 26-year-old skier, whose parents are British, also helped Switzerland win gold in the team event at the worlds in Are, Sweden. The Swiss also won team gold at 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.

Yule’s pledge was quickly liked on Instagram by Olympic slalom champion Andre Myhrer of Sweden, who wrote “That’s amazing” with a thumbs up emoji.

In interviews during world championships, Yule said he was disappointed with Kasper’s comments, which the long-time FIS leader later said were not meant to be taken literally.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety also used social media last month to chal-lenge Kasper’s views on climate change. “Time for leadership that is in touch with reality and forward thinking,” the American racer wrote on Twitter .

Kasper was an International Olympic Committee member for 18 years and sat on its executive board until last year when both positions lapsed for age reasons. He is now an honourary IOC member.

Two more dead as knife attacks in Britain soarREUTERS LONDON

Two teenagers were killed in knife attacks in Britain over the weekend, bringing the total number of people killed in stab-bings this year to at least 24 and pushing the bloodshed to the forefront of national concern.

British Interior Minister Sajid Javid said he would be meeting police chiefs this week to find ways to tackle the problem as he called for an end to the “senseless violence”.

“Young people are being

murdered across the county, it can’t go on,” Javid said.

Police said the surge in knife crime in a country where guns are hard to obtain has been driven by several factors, including rivalries between drug gangs, cuts to youth services, and provocations on social media. Many have occurred in poor areas of the capital, London.

The issue has shot to the top of the political agenda after figures show the number of deaths from stabbings reached a record high last year. The number of children in England

aged 16 and under being stabbed rose by 93 percent between 2016 and 2018.

At the same time, police have suffered big cuts in staffing and funding under austerity measures imposed by Prime Minister Theresa May’s government.

In the latest deaths, 17-year-old schoolboy Yousef Ghaleb Makki, was stabbed in a village near Manchester while he was visiting a friend. Two boys, also aged 17, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Jodie Chesney, a 17-year-old

Girl Scout, was killed in a knife attack in a park in east London. Her family have called her murder a “totally random and unprovoked attack”.

“A Knife to the Heart of Britain”, the Daily Mail splashed across its front page yesterday along with a photograph of Chesney.

British media also made much of the fact that Makki lived in an affluent area and went to a private school. Most attacks take place in more deprived areas with higher general crime rates.

The former home of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal covered with tarpaulin and scaffolding and secured by police, exactly one year to the day since the assissination attempt on Skripal with the nerve agent Novichok, in Salisbury, yesterday.

Deputy to slain Gdansk mayor wins by-electionAP WARSAW

The deputy to slain Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz has won a by-election to become his successor and the first woman to hold the post, offi-cials in Gdansk said yesterday.

The city’s electoral com-mission said that 39-year-old lawyer Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (pictured) was backed by more than 82 percent of voters in Sunday’s vote.

She had been acting mayor since Adamowicz’s January 14 death from stab wounds he suf-fered the day before while on stage during a charity event.

The attacker is awaiting trial.

Adamowicz’s slaying became a platform for calls for political reconciliation but also criticism of Poland’s conserv-ative ruling party.

In her first comments as mayor, Dulkiewicz thanked voters and asked them to help cultivate a sense of community out of their collective sorrow.

London museum agrees to return emperor’s locks of hair to Ethiopia

AFP LONDON

A London museum said yesterday it will return to Ethiopia the locks of hair allegedly taken by British troops from an emperor who committed suicide rather than be captured over 150 years ago.

The National Army Museum will repatriate the hair, cut from the head of emperor Tewodros II, following a formal request from Ethiopia last year.

“We believe the Ethiopian government claim to repatriate is reasonable and we are pleased to be able to assist,” said Terri Dendy, the museum’s head of collections standards and care, adding it had reached the decision after spending “considerable time researching the provenance and cultural sensitivities around this matter”.

“(It) is very much based on the desire to inter the hair within the tomb alongside the emperor,” Dendy said. “Tewodros was entombed in Trinity Monastery in northern Ethiopia.”

It acquired the two locks in 1959 — one of which was framed with a letter and the emperor’s seal — from the family of an artist who had painted the emperor before his death in 1868.

May’s top lawyer seeks legal fix to Brexit riddleREUTERS LONDON

Prime Minister Theresa May’s top lawyer will try to clinch a Brexit compromise with the European Union this week in a last-ditch bid to win over rebel-lious British lawmakers before crunch votes that could delay the divorce.

The United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29 but still has no deal in place gov-erning its exit terms, after law-makers voted in January by 432 to 230 votes to reject an agreement May reached last year with the bloc.

May is hoping to win over enough lawmakers to pass it, by agreeing a legal addendum with the EU on the deal’s most con-troversial element: a “backstop” to ensure no hard border between EU-member Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox, Britain’s top government lawyer, is due to meet EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels today.

“The attorney-general con-tinues to pursue legally binding changes to the backstop that are necessary to ensure the EU cannot hold the UK in it indefi-nitely,” a spokesman for May said. “We’re now at a particu-larly critical stage in these negotiations.”

He declined to go into any

specifics about the kind of legally binding changes Cox was trying to secure.

As Brexit goes down to the line, investors are watching to see if May can win over enough law-makers to her deal. If she cannot, then the exit date is almost certain to be delayed by lawmakers eager to avoid a no-deal exit.

British lawmakers oppose the backstop because it requires Britain to apply some EU rules in Northern Ireland indefinitely, unless another plan for keeping the border open can be agreed in future. May has promised to seek changes, although the EU has refused to reopen the draft treaty. Parliament will vote on her deal by March 12.

If they reject the deal, law-makers will have a vote on whether to leave without a deal, and then on whether to delay Brexit, probably by a few months until the end of June.

In a bid to win over oppo-sition Labour Party lawmakers, May will set out plans for a $2.11bn fund to help to boost economic growth in Brexit-sup-porting communities.

The Labour Party’s finance spokesman, John McDonnell, said the fund was “Brexit bribery”. “This towns fund smacks of desperation from a government reduced to bribing Members of Parliament to vote for their damaging flagship Brexit legislation.”

17TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 EUROPE

Putin officially suspends arms treaty with USAFP MOSCOW

President Vladimir Putin yesterday officially suspended Russia’s participation in a key Cold War-era arms treaty, after the US first moved to ditch the INF deal.

Putin “signed a decree regarding the suspension of Rus-sia’s participation in the agreement between the USSR and the US,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The move was taken fol-lowing “a violation of the United States of its obligations under the treaty,” it said.

Moscow and Washington have accused one another of breaching the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces agreement concluded between the US and the former Soviet Union in 1987.

US President Donald Trump said in February that Wash-ington would start a process to withdraw from the deal within six months.

Putin responded soon after that Russia was planning to suspend its involvement.

He said Russia would seek to develop medium-range mis-siles in response to what he said were similar projects in the US, raising the spectre of a new arms race.

In his state of the nation address last month, Putin threatened to deploy new mis-siles against Western capitals.

The longtime Russian leader warned Washington against deploying any new missiles in Europe following the collapse of the treaty, saying Moscow

would consider it a “serious threat”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed the threats as “bluster” designed to divide Washington and its allies.

Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the INF treaty ended a superpower buildup of warheads that had frightened Europe.

It banned ground-launched missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500km.

The deal addressed Soviet nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles targeting Western capitals, but put no restrictions on other major military actors such as China.

Nato has said that US allies “fully support” its withdrawal from the pact, insisting that Rus-sia’s 9M729 ground-launched cruise missile systems violate the treaty.

European leaders have voiced fears over the conse-quences of the treaty’s demise and called on Russia to address concerns before the US formally leaves in August.

Moscow has also expressed concern that Washington’s decision to withdraw from the INF could jeopardise the extension of the New START treaty.

Estonia’s centre-right oppn party wins pollsREUTERS TALLINN

Estonia’s opposition centre-right Reform party pulled off a surprise win over Prime Minister Juri Ratas’ governing centre-left Centre party in Sunday’s parlia-mentary elections.

The results put Reform leader Kaja Kallas in the pole position to become the country’s first female prime minister, although she will have to tackle difficult negotiations to form a governing coalition.

Most opinion polls since late last year had put Centre in front, although recent surveys indi-cated a tight race, with some suggesting pro-business Reform could pull ahead.

“I have to admit I prepared two speeches,” Kallas said near midnight speaking to a cheering crowd of her supporters. “Now starts the real work to form the government and start to govern t h i s c o u n t r y m o r e intelligently.”

Reform won 28.8 percent of the vote, giving it 34 seats in the new 101-seat parliament. Centre stood at 23.1 percent and the far-right EKRE at 17.8 percent, more than doubling its vote from the previous election, said the State Electoral Office.

Kallas, a 41-year-old lawyer and former European Parliament member, took over as Reform leader less than a year ago. The party’s founders include her father, Siim Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister and EU commissioner.

Estonia’s president is due to nominate the candidate for prime minister in coming days,

after which the nominee will begin negotiations to form a coa-lition as all parties fell well short of winning a majority.

Kallas looks likely to face a difficult task in hammering out a coalition government in the parliament where all other parties have ruled out governing with the eurosceptic nationalists of EKRE.

EKRE’s success could lead to a coalition of Estonia’s main rivals - Ratas’ traditionally pro-Russian Centre and pro-Western Reform — which have not gov-erned together since the year 2003.

“Now it’s my duty and goal to work, for our party will be in the coalition,” Ratas said while admitting defeat.

Kaja Kallas, leader of the liberal Reform Party, addressing the crowd after winning Estonia’s general election, in Tallinn, yesterday.

French President calls for reconciliation with ItalyAFP ROME

French President Emmanuel Macron has launched a call for reconciliation with Italy following a diplomatic spat between the neighbours that saw Paris briefly recall its ambassador.

Relations between the two countries have fractured due to repeated clashes between cen-trist Macron and Italy’s populist coalition government.

In February, Paris recalled ambassador Christian Masset for a week in protest at “unfounded attacks and outlandish claims” by the Italian government.

“There has been intemperate talk. There have been various twists and turns and I think we owe it to our people, to our history and to Europe, to get past that,” Macron said on Italian television.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Macron said he would host his Italian counterpart Sergio Mat-tarella at Amboise, central France, on May 2 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci “with French and Italian youth”.

“We will talk about the future and Europe,” he added.

The two presidents intend to g o “ b e y o n d t h e

misunderstandings that can sometimes arise in political or economic life and which are, for me, secondary,” Macron said, without mentioning Prime Min-ister Giuseppe Conte or other Italian leaders.

With the exception of a question about the planned Lyon-Turin rail link — which he stressed the importance of —Macron did not mention other divisive subjects such as Italian populist leaders’ support of the “yellow vest” protestors in France or the merger between French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique (formerly STX France) and Italy’s Fincantieri.

On the other hand, he spoke at length about his love of Italy and his travels.

“There are so many French people who love Italy and Italians who love France and the French. But suddenly, we almost forgot that we have to keep on learning to understand each other,” Macron said.

“I do not underestimate any of the difficulties of everyday life and the impatience, but I believe that between our countries there is and always has been a lot of heart, that is to say, friendship, love,” he said in a final message.

In Italy, the interview pro-voked controversy even before

its release as Macron chose to be interviewed by Fabio Fazio, a nemesis of Italy’s deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and nationalists who consider him archetypal “trendy” journalist.

During his interview, the French president also quoted writer Roberto Saviano, one of Salvini’s most virulent critics, and lambasted “the simplifi-cation of the message of some nationalists”.

“No country, no one in Europe, nor Italy, nor France, will solve its own problems by opposing other European coun-tries and by withdrawing back to the national level,” he insisted.

Forest fires rage across northern SpainAFP MADRID

Dozens of wildfires raged across northern Spain yesterday, fuelled by strong, dry winds and warm temperatures, local offi-cials said, unusual in a region that is normally rainy, especially in winter.

Some 300 firefighters and soldiers backed by nine water-dropping aircraft battled 99 forest fire burning across the Asturias region, local emergency services said, while another 18

blazes raged in neighbouring Cantabria.

The fires were being fed by strong southerly winds, with gusts of up to 100km an hour, and unusually warm tempera-tures for this time of the year, local officials said. No injuries were reported.

Temperatures hit 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday in Gijon, the largest city in Asturias, according to national weather office Aemet.

All of Asturias faced either an “very high” or “extreme” risk

of wildfires yesterday, the region’s government said.

The president of the regional government of Cantabria, Miguel Angel Revilla, urged locals to be vigilant, warning that today’s forecast was for more “very strong winds” from the south.

Spain is prone to wildfires in summer, especially in the more arid southern regions and along its Mediterranean coastline.

But such incidents are unusual in winter, especially in rainier northern regions such as Asturias and Cantabria.

The Kremlin said in a statement that the move was taken following “a violation of the United States of its obligations under the treaty.

Belarus fines journalist for illegally obtaining dataAFP MINSK

The editor of a Belarusian inde-pendent news website avoided jail yesterday but was fined by a court in Minsk in a case denounced by rights activists as censorship.

Marina Zolotova, editor-in-chief of Tut.by, was fined $3,400 for “unauthorised” access to services provided by the state news agency BelTA.

She was detained in August last year with several other jour-nalists. BelTA accused them of failing to pay subscription fees.

Zolotova faced up to five years in prison after being accused of negligence for failing to control her subordinates as they logged in to access BelTA’s wire.

“I was pleased that the sen-tence turned out to be softer than what the prosecutor had asked,”

a smiling Zolotova said in court.She thanked colleagues for

their support in the case before hugging her crying mother.

Zolotova implied the accu-sations made against her were a pretext for authorities to put pressure on her popular publication.

“This case is much deeper

and more serious than the case of unauthorised access,” she said after the ruling.

“The essence of it is to deal with Tut.by and independent media, to show who is in charge,” she added.

The charges were brought against Zolotova despite the fact that BelTA makes its stories

freely accessible soon after sub-scribers see them.

Rights watchdog the Council of Europe and NGO Reporters Without Borders expressed concern at the time of her detention last year.

Zolotova said she had not yet decided whether to appeal the ruling.

Marina Zolotova, editor-in-chief of Tut.by independent news website, arrives to hear the announcement of the sentence in Minsk, Belarus, yesterday.

UK Royals to block ‘trolls’ on their social media sitesAP LONDON

Britain’s royal family is warning that it will block trolls posting offensive messages on its social media channels — and may report offenders to the author-ities.

The Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Ken-sington Palace issued new guidelines yesterday, spelling out the policy banning offensive, hateful and racist language.

The guidelines come amid concern about the online abuse aimed at the wives of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Much of the social media abuse has centred around rival fans of the Duchess of Cam-bridge and the Duchess of Sussex.

The royals said guidelines were introduced to try to maintain a safe environment on their social media channels and calls for users to show “courtesy, kindness and respect.”

The Royal Family site on Twitter has some 3.87 million followers.

Graft scandal: Poroshenkoremoves defence officialAFP KIEV

Ukrainian President Petro Poro-shenko said he had fired a close ally and defence official over a corruption scandal, seeking to distance himself from the controversy weeks before seeking re-election.

Oleg Gladkovsky, deputy head of the national security council, profited from the sale of smuggled Russian military parts to state defence companies at inflated prices, according to a report last week by an inde-pendent media outlet.

Poroshenko, who is not accused of involvement, is seeking re-election at the March 31 presidential vote and in opinion polls comes in second to a comedian who plays the Ukrainian head of state in a TV comedy.

However, the report by the Bihus.info investigative jour-nalism unit has accused

Poroshenko of turning a blind eye to protect former business partner Gladkovsky.

“This morning... I signed a decree dismissing Oleg Gladk-ovsky from the post,” Poro-shenko said.

He called for a criminal probe opened by the anti-cor-ruption prosecutor’s office to be completed as soon as possible.

Accusations of self-enrichment at the expense of the army are particularly damaging in Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian-backed sepa-ratists in the east since 2014.

The conflict has claimed some 13,000 lives.

Corruption is endemic in Ukraine and successive leaders have promised to tackle the issue, without lasting success.

Anger with the political elite is partly behind the rise of Volo-dymyr Zelensky, a TV actor with no political experience who is the frontrunner in the upcoming presidential vote.

18 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019 AMERICAS

81 document requests issued in Trump probeREUTERS WASHINGTON

A US congressional panel said-yesterday that it has served document requests on 81 government agencies, entities and individuals as part of an investigation into alleged obstruction of justice and other abuses by President Donald Trump and others.

Among those targeted by the Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee are the president’s sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, WikiLeaks, White House aide and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weis-selberg, former US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions and former White House counsel Don McGahn.

“We have seen the damage done to our democratic institu-tions in the two years that the Congress refused to conduct responsible oversight. Congress must provide a check on abuses of power,” House Judiciary Com-mittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement.

Among the committee’s aims is determining whether Trump may have obstructed justice by ousting perceived enemies at the Justice Department, such as former FBI Director James Comey, and abused his presi-dential power by possibly

offering pardons or tampering with witnesses.

“The House Judiciary Com-mittee’s letter has been received by the White House,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. “The (White House) Counsel’s Office and relevant White House officials will review it and respond at the appropriate time.”

Justice Department spokes-woman Kerri Kupec said the department has received the committee’s letter and is evalu-ating the request.

Republicans in Congress

accuse Democrats of pursuing an impeachment agenda as part of a political strategy to reclaim White House in 2020 election.

Comey was leading an inves-tigation into Russia activities in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with Trump’s campaign when the president fired him in May 2017.

The investigation was sub-sequently taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is expected to end his investigation and report his findings to Attorney General William Barr in coming weeks.

Nadler said Mueller and prosecutors conducting investi-gators in the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office are aware of the committee’s action.

“We will act quickly to gather this information, assess the

evidence, and follow the facts where they lead with full trans-parency with the American people,” Nadler said.

Some of those the committee is seeking documents from are among the dozens indicted by Mueller. They include former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former Trump adviser Roger Stone, and former attorney Michael Cohen.

Also on the committee’s list are others who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign or in the White House such as Hope Hicks, Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer; Rhona Graff, a long-time executive assistant at the Trump Organization; and David Pecker, chief executive of American Media Inc, which pub-lishes the supermarket tabloid

the National Enquirer.Trump maintains that his

campaign did not collude with Russia and has repeatedly attacked the investigation, Mueller and his staff on Twitter.

The committee’s investi-gation will cast a wider net than Mueller, whose investigation is focused on specific crimes. The panel also is looking at whether Trump has used the White House for personal enrichment in vio-lation of the Constitution’s emol-uments clause.

Several US congressional committees are pursuing inves-tigations focusing on Trump.

Democrats said Cohen’s tes-timony before the House Over-sight Committee last week directly implicated Trump in various crimes including cam-paign finance violations.

Tornadoes in Alabama leave 23 deadREUTERS BEAUREGARD

Rescuers in Alabama yesterday dug through the remnants of homes and businesses destroyed by a pair of tornadoes that killed at least 23 people, including children, the deadliest such storms to strike the US.

The tornadoes ripped through the state’s Lee County on Sunday with winds of at least 240 kph, at the midpoint of the five-step Enhanced Fujita scale, which meteorologists use to measure tornado strength.

Mobile homes were tossed on their sides and ripped open,

their contents strewn on the ground, live television images showed. Pieces of homes hung from trees that were not flat-tened by the storm.

More than 50 people were reported injured and the death toll is expected to rise, author-ities said, which could make the storms deadlier than the tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma, in 2013, killing 24 people.

“It looks almost as if someone took a giant knife and just scraped the ground. There are slabs where homes formerly stood, debris everywhere, trees are snapped,” Lee County Sheriff

Jay Jones said. “I’ve not seen this level of destruction ever in my experience in Lee County.”

One of the dead was a 6-year-old child, Jones said.

Two of the injured have sus-tained critical injuries and at least 20 people remain unac-counted for, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said.

On Twitter on Sunday, US President Donald Trump urged affected residents of Alabama and other areas to be “careful and safe.”

“To the families and friends of the victims, and to the injured, God bless you all!” the president tweeted.

Debris and a damaged house are seen following a tornado, in Beauregard, Alabama, yesterday.

The White House spokeswoman said it had received a request for documents from the House Judiciary Committee, adding that, the Counsel’s Office and White House officials will review it and respond at the appropriate time.

Melania begins 3-state ‘Be Best’ tourAP TULSA

Melania Trump is in Oklahoma to open a three-state tour to highlight all three components of her “Be Best” childhood initi-ative.

The first lady yesterday visited the Dove School of Dis-covery, a Tulsa elementary

school that the White House says incorporates character edu-cation in its curriculum.

She also visited Seattle-area tech company later yesterday to learn about programmes and apps designed to teach children how to be safe online, and about technology to help children with disabilities.

Mrs. Trump concludes the

tour today in Las Vegas by par-ticipating in a town hall on the opioid crisis.

It’s her first solo domestic overnight trip in her official capacity.

The first lady launched “Be Best” last May to focus on child well-being, online safety and bullying prevention, and opioid abuse.

US First Lady Melania Trump visits the Dove School of Discovery during a two-day, three-state tour promoting her “Be Best” initiative in Tulsa, Oklahoma, yesterday.

Opposition leader returns to Venezuelain affront to MaduroAP CARACAS

Declaring he knows he is at risk, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido returned yesterday to his homeland to renew his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Guaido landed at the coun-try’s main airport, about 40km from Caracas, the capital. He said in a tweet that he success-fully passed through immi-gration checks.

“We know the risks that we face, that’s never stopped us,” the 35-year-old leader of Ven-ezuela’s National Assembly said as he moved through a crowd that included several Western ambassadors.

The United States and about 50 other countries have recog-nised Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, arguing that last year’s re-election of Maduro was illegitimate because popular opposition candidates were barred from running.

“The regime must under-stand, the dictatorship must understand... that we’re stronger

than ever. We’ll continue pro-testing, we’ll continue mobi-lizing,” said Guaido, who had ignored an official ban on foreign travel to leave Vene-zuela, first for Colombia and then elsewhere in Latin America.

Guaido has called for nationwide demonstrations coinciding with his arrival. Thousands of supporters heeded the call, peacefully gathering at a Caracas plaza and in other locations around the country. Some people carried national flags.

Guaido, who has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, said the goal of his return is to intensify internal pressure on Maduro. Besides Colombia, Guaido visited Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador over the past week. All are countries that support his campaign against Maduro.

US National Security Adviser John Bolton tweeted that threats or action by Maduro’s gov-ernment against Guaido “will be met with a strong and significant response from the United States and the international community.”

Enough Senate votes to reject emergency order: McConnellAP LOUISVILLE

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that opponents of President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency along the US-Mexico border have enough votes in the Republican-led Senate to prevail on a resolution aimed at blocking the move.

McConnell, who fell in line behind Trump despite his own misgivings about the declaration, said Trump will veto the reso-lution and that it’s likely to be sustained in Congress.

McConnell’s remarks in his home state came after fellow Kentucky Sen Rand Paul became the latest GOP lawmaker to say he can’t go along with the White House on the emergency declaration.

“I think what is clear in the Senate is there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval, which will then be vetoed by the president and then, in all likelihood, the veto will be upheld in the House,” McConnell said

The Democratic-led House recently voted to upend Trump’s declaration, which he declared

to circumvent Congress and funnel billions of extra dollars to erecting his proposed border wall.

Asked if the Senate can try to amend the resolution, McCo-nnell said senators have been consulting with the parliamen-tarian about “what options there are, if any.”

McConnell acknowledged he had counselled the president against making the declaration. He said he’s worried that Trump’s move would set a precedent for future Democratic presidents to make such a declaration for their own purposes.

Whitaker leaves Justice DepartmentREUTERS WASHINGTON

Matthew Whitaker, whose brief tenure as acting US attorney-general was marred by accu-sations that he might try to interfere in a probe of President Donald Trump’s campaign, left his Justice Department (DOJ) job over the weekend, a department spokeswoman confirmed.

Whitaker’s last day at the department was on Saturday, the spokeswoman said.

In mid-February, Attorney

General William Barr was sworn in and Whitaker stepped down from the top post to become a senior counsellor in the office of the associate attorney-general.

In one of his final acts as acting attorney general, Whitaker testified before the House Judiciary Committee where combative Democratic lawmakers pressed him on whether he had tried to interfere with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump’s cam-paign colluded with Russia.

Police union cancels plan to raffle off shotgun and rifleAP BERGENFIELD

A New Jersey police union has cancelled a raffle that listed a semi-automatic rifle and a shotgun as prizes.

Bergenfield police said a state statute bars giving away weapons as prizes and the event has been cancelled.

NorthJersey.com reports Det. Dave Tortora, president of Bergenfield PBA Local 309, said on Thursday the firearms raffle was a way to help his 46-member organisation raise money.

Bergenfield police said-anyone who purchased tickets will be refunded.

The Bergen County Prose-cutor’s Office became involved after a NorthJersey.com reporter was seeking comment about the legality of the raffle. Tortora apologizsed in his statement Thursday.

The union was offering two guns as a raffle prize to help fund a scholarship for Bergen-field High School students.

US actor Luke Perry dead at 52REUTERS LOS ANGELES

American actor Luke Perry, the former star of 1990s television series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” died yesterday, aged 52, after suffering a massive stroke last week, his publicist said.

“Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suf-fering a massive stroke,” pub-licist Arnold Robinson said in a statement.

“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time,” the statement added.


Doha British School to introduce Year 12 & Year 13 programmesTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Doha British School, accredited by British Schools Overseas as ‘outstanding’, is embarking on a new stage in its ongoing growth and development.

From September 2019, Doha British School will add a range of ten GCE A-Levels to its portfolio of pre-university qual-ifications. A Levels are the ‘gold standard’ of the British qualifi-cation structure. A Levels will complement the qualifications already on offer, including the IB Diploma and AS-Levels.

In addition, DBS will be

offering a range of vocational subjects from the Business and Technology in Education Council.

These are cutting-edge, flexible qualifications recently developed in the United Kingdom to make student ready for the world of work. They also allow entry to more than 339

Universities worldwide.“DBS is the only school in

Qatar that offers such a range of courses post-16. We are con-fident of our high standards, and our reputation for educa-tional excellence can compare with schools anywhere in the world,” said Terry McGuire, DBS Principal.

QRCS and KRCS delegation hand shelters to Rohingya refugees in BangladeshTHE PENINSULA DOHA

A joint high-profile delegation from Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) has visited Bangladesh to review humanitarian operations for the Rohingya refugees and hand over newly built shelters to refugee camp inhabitants.

QRCS was represented by Ali bin Hassan Al-Hammadi, Secretary-General, and Dr. Faouzi Oussedik, Head of Inter-national Relations.

KRCS’s delegation was headed by the organization’s President, Dr. Hilal Mussaed Al-Sayer.

First, the delegation went to Camp No. 14 to hand the new shelters over to some Rohingya families. The handover

ceremony was attended by Adel Mohammed A.H. Hayat, Ambas-sador of Kuwait to Bangladesh; Md. Feroz Salah Uddin, Sec-retary-General of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS); and staff of BDRCS and QRCS’s representation mission in Bangladesh.

The three partners com-mended the tr ipart i te

humanitarian cooperation in the best interest of the Rohingya refugees, which culminated in this first-of-its-kind project.

Following the handover of the first batch of shelters, the delegation took a tour in the Friendship Village and talked to the beneficiaries about their impression and needs.

The first phase of the project involved building 55 shelters and four public latrines; installing six solar lampposts; carrying out site development, shelter sup-ports, and passageway clearing; and distributing nonfood items (NFIs) including cooking fuel, kitchenware, solar lamps, rugs, umbrellas, and seeds.

After that, QRCS’s dele-gation headed for the BDRCS primary health care complex,

where they spent some time communicating with the patients and doctors. Then, they visited QRCS’s primary health care center at Camp No. 19,

which is funded by Qatar’s Min-istry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

The visit concluded with a quick tour at QRCS’s clinic at

Camp No. 4. Funded by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the clinic serves both the Rohingya refugees and the host community.

QRCS and KRCS delegation pose for a group photo at a Rohingya refugee camp.

Chef Nobu demonstrates culinary magic at QIFF 2019 Chef’s TableTHE PENINSULA DOHA

World-renowned Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa (pictured) demonstrated his master skills to the participants of the Chef’s Table interactive cooking and tasting session held on Sunday in partnership with the Four Seasons Doha as part of this year’s Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) events.

The star chef shared tech-niques and tips related to the art of sushi making and, also, signed copies of his books for his fans.

Select 5-star restaurants across Doha are offering diners a unique opportunity to join internationally-acclaimed chefs for an interactive cooking and

tasting experience through QIFF Chef’s Table. More sessions are available with world acclaimed chefs including US chef Richard Sandoval at Toro Toro Res-taurant, Marsa Malaz Kem-pinski, Francesco Scala and Shane Macneill at Novikov Doha, at Katara, Chef Eric Lanlard at Astor Grill, ST. Regis Hotel, and Jason Atherton at Pearl Social Restaurant, Marsa Malaz Kempinski.

There are 12 to 20 seats available per table and the per person cost ranges from QR500 to QR1,000; bookings can be made through the restaurant’s/ hotels’ reservation platforms.

The three partners commended the tripartite humanitarian cooperation in the best interest of the Rohingya refugees, which culminated in this first-of-its-kind project.

GMC inaugurates new state-of-the-art showroom in QatarTHE PENINSULA DOHA

GMC, in partnership with their exclusive distributor in Qatar, Mannai Trading, opened the doors of its first-ever 3S (Sales, Service and Spare parts) facility in the country. The retail space, conveniently located in the capital city of Doha, features the brand’s upgraded design, 2,231 sqm of customer envi-ronment including a dedicated Denali corner. The opening also saw the debut of the all-new GMC Sierra.

As part of a multi-million-dollar investment, GMC’s first-of-its-kind fully integrated 3S facility will offer customers a complete and premium experience with sales, service and spare parts all under the one roof and accommodate up to 26 new models of the brand’s latest premium SUV line up.

Mohamed Helmy, Group General Manager, Mannai Trading Company, said: “GMC is an iconic brand in the country, with a long and rich history in the country. We are proud to offer our GMC customers a truly first-class experience that the brand is known for, in addition to premium after-care services. Going a step further we have also designed a dedicated Denali area giving customers of the premium

sub-brand of GMC a unique experience when coming to our showroom.”

Celebrating the new showroom were senior executives from General Motors who were present at the opening cer-emony, including Alan Batey, President of GM North America & Chevy Global Brand Chief; John Roth, President and Managing Director of GM Middle East & Africa; Chris Karaboyas, Senior Business Planning Manager; John Stapleton, CFO of GM North America; and Ofori Agboka, Executive Director, Human Resources for North America, Africa and Middle East Operations.

The game-changing all-new 2019 Sierra pickup truck, which will be show-cased at the new facility, has been taken to the next level with a complete redesign featuring enhanced exterior design, all-terrain capability and luxurious levels of refinement. Distinguished by bold design and segment-leading technol-ogies, the Denali line up of the next gen-eration Sierra once again redefines the premium pickup, while advancing Denali’s legacy as the pinnacle of GMC design, capability and refinement.

Outside of North America, the Middle East is the only region GMC exports to, cementing the significance of the Arab countries in shaping the heritage of the GMC brand.

New GMC Sierra launch at GMC showroom in Industrial Area, yesterday.PIC: ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA

Mannai celebrates launch of new showroom with region’s first display of Cadillac XT6THE PENINSULA DOHA

Cadillac Qatar, represented by Mannai Trading Company, has redefined the luxury customer experience with the opening of its new showroom which follows Cadillac’s latest corporate identity, with multi-million investments.

To celebrate the brand’s first-of-its-kind facility in the region, Cadillac revealed the all-new XT6 which marks its first appearance in the Middle East.

In line with the global brand direction in upgrading its customer experience, the new 2500 square-meter Cadillac facility houses a number of amenities including the first built-in Service Lane and Virtual Reality Room. The showroom is located in E Industrial Street and can accommodate up to 27 vehicles.

The first-ever XT4 has also made its local debut, and is now on sale, allowing customers to be one of the first to own the all-new compact SUV which is tai-lored for the next generation of luxury customers.

Mohamed Helmy; Group General

Manager, Mannai Automotive, com-mented, “The launch of the new Cadillac showroom marks an important mile-stone for the brand in the region. We are proud to be taking the lead in enhancing the Cadillac customer experience in the Middle East, specifically in Qatar. The new Cadillac facility is the perfect home for the highly-anticipated all-new Cadillac lineup, that is led by the first-ever XT4.”

Underscoring this milestone for the company, top executives from the American automotive giant were present at the showroom opening ceremony. Including Alan Batey, President of GM North America & Chevy Global Brand Chief, Chris Karaboyas, Senior Business Planning Manager, John Stapleton, CFO of GM North America, John Roth, Pres-ident and Managing Director of GM Middle East & Africa, and Christian Soemmer, Managing Director of Cadillac Middle East.

As Cadillac’s largest crossover, the 2020 XT6 has been created to make the most of passengers’ time on the road with the all-new three-row model boasting

a luxurious, adaptable and connected cabin, complemented by responsive han-dling and a comprehensive suite of safety features.

The Cadillac XT4 models are driven by an all-new Cadillac 2.0L Turbo engine, producing an SAE-certified output of 237 hp (177 kW). Coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission with next-generation Electronic Pre-cision Shift, the new engine features new efficiency-enhancing technologies including Active Fuel Management (cyl-inder deactivation).

The new Cadillac showroom is now open to customers from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm, 6 days a week and is located at E Industrial Street.

“Our investment in this new facility shows our unwavering commitment to the brand and our customers in Qatar and is a testament to our belief in the brand and the direction it is going. With our customer’s convenience and trust in mind, we know they expect the very best from us and this is what we aim to give with our new showroom and service center,” added Mohamed Helmy.

Khalid Ahmed Al Mannai (second right), Vice-Chairman, Mannai Corporation; with Alekh Grewal (left), Group Chief Executive Officer & Director; and other officials during the display of Cadillac XT6 at Cadillac’s new showroom in Industrial Area, yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT/ THE PENINSULA

20 TUESDAY 5 MARCH 2019MORNING BREAK

QA to unveil enhanced Economy Class at ITB BerlinTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Airways (QA) announced yesterday that it will unveil its enhanced Economy Class product at ITB Berlin 2019, the world’s largest travel and tourism trade show, yesterday.

The reveal, to take place at Qatar Airways’ exhibition stand on the first day of the show, will be followed by a press conference at 12pm, at which further details on the airline’s exciting plans for 2019 will be shared with global media.

Conference delegates and visitors to ITB 2019 are invited to the airline’s stand to see for themselves the inno-vative technology and design that Qatar Airways has brought to its enhanced Economy Class product.

There will be an opportunity for vis-itors to interact with the airline’s latest products and to experience Qatar Airways’ world-renowned five-star hospitality.

Akbar Al Baker, QA’s Group Chief Executive, said: “It is always a pleasure to come to ITB Berlin, and this year is no different. QA is known by travellers around the world for its continued commitment to innovation

and to redefining the customer expe-rience. This year we are delighted to reveal our newly-enhanced Economy Class product at ITB, a further tes-tament to our dedication to improving passenger comfort at every level. We look forward to welcoming guests and visitors to our stand, where they can experience our world-class products and hospitality firsthand.”

At ITB 2017, QA launched its

revolutionary Business Class seat, Qsuite, which features the world’s first-ever double bed in Business Class. Qsuite takes cabin innovation to a whole new level with its quad configuration, providing passengers even more choice, privacy and per-sonalisation. Since its launch, Qsuite has won a host of awards, including the prestigious Skytrax awards in 2018 for ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’.

ITB Berlin 2019 will showcase a range of travel exhibitors from more than 180 countries and five conti-nents, providing more than 160,000 visitors with the latest information on new products, services and facil-ities in the tourism industry. QA wel-comes all guests to ITB to visit its exhibition pavilion in Hall 2.2, stand 207 and 208 from March 6-10.

Mada Center graduates AT professionals THE PENINSULA DOHA

Mada Center yesterday held a gradu-ation ceremony for the participants of the Capacity Building Program for Super Users in Assistive Technology (AT) and ICT Accessibility, bringing the number of Super Users graduating from this programme in various sectors to 74.

Mada has built capabilities for AT professionals from stakeholders through the launch of the AT Super Users Program to support persons with disabilities.

Mada’s efforts in this field are part of the centre’s commitment to its strategy of partnership with relevant stake-holders and the implementation of the

scope of work agreement signed with Sidra Medicine, which aims to build the capacity of the Sidra Medicine staff in AT and access to ICT through training and the establishment of an AT station to support persons with disabilities.

Maha Al Mansouri, CEO of Mada, presented on the Mada Program for Super Users Capacity Building in ICT and AT.

“Mada Center is building the capa-bilities of our strategic partners through the Super Users intensive training pro-gramme on the basics and use of assistive technology in support of people with disabilities and the elderly,” she said.

Dr. Abdulla Al Kaabi, the Executive Vice Chief Medical Officer of Sidra

Medicine, said: “I salute Mada Center for its team which is dedicated to support children with disabilities. This part-nership is important for us and for children who are eager to communicate with their families. We are waiting for the impact of what our specialists have learned in this programme on children in Sidra.”

Maha Al Mansouri, Dr Abdullah Al Kaabi, and Dr Emad Deeb, Director of The Learning Center at Qatar Foun-dation, recognised graduates from both sides and presented graduation certifi-cates of the programme.

The CEO of Mada also recognised the first Super User from Qatar Rehabili-tation Center at HMC to pass the ATP test.

The graduates of Mada Center’s Capacity Building Program for Super Users in Assistive Technology (AT) and ICT Accessibility with officials during the graduation ceremony.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “This year we are delighted to reveal our newly-enhanced Economy Class product at ITB, a further testament to our dedication to improving passenger comfort at every level. We look forward to welcoming guests and visitors to our stand, where they can experience our world-class products and hospitality firsthand.”

Shangri-La Hotel, Doha achieves Forbes Travel Guide ‘Recommended’ ratingTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Shangri-La Hotel, Doha has achieved the “Recommended” rating in the 2019 edition of the Forbes Travel Guide.

Developed by Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company W.L.L. (ARTIC), the international hospitality subsidiary of Al Faisal Holding Company, one of Qatar’s

largest private diversified industry groups, the hotel’s plush accommodation and lifestyle facilities deliver a unique blend of Asian and Qatari hospitality and are complemented by an exciting collection of dining and entertainment venues.

“We are honoured to be part of the Forbes Travel Guide 2019 winners’ list. The award reaf-firms our commitment to delight

our guests with warm Asian hos-pitality and our team’s passion to deliver service from the heart that creates unforgettable expe-riences,” said TJ Joulak, General Manager, Shangri La Hotel, Doha.

Tarek M El Sayed, Managing Director and CEO, Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company ‘ARTIC’, said: ‘We are delighted that our hotel is among the winners of the prestigious Forbes

Travel Guide 2019 Star Awards. This award recognises the quality of Shangri-La Hotel, Doha as a world-class luxury hotel and also a strong endorsement of ARTIC’s investment strategy which is focused on asset quality, location and architectural design.”

“The award also reflects the success of our strategy of part-nering with leading international operators that are able to add

value to our assets through pro-viding the highest quality products and services. We look forward to continuing our part-nership with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and achieving even greater results in the future.”

The Forbes Travel Guide rates properties in 76 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.

Campaign backs Qatar’s commitment towards right to educationTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, in cooperation with the Shafallah Center for Persons with Disabilities, has organised an awareness lecture on the right to education campaign.

The campaign was launched by the Qatar National Commission for Edu-cation, Culture and Science in part-nership with the Unesco Office in Doha, the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Education Above All Foun-dation the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The global campaign for the right to education, which we are currently discussing, comes within the framework of the efforts of the State of Qatar to

support the right to education at the national and international levels,” said Aisha Tawar Al Kuwari, Head of the Right to Education Campaign.

She said that as Unesco announced the campaign, the Qatar National Com-mission for Education, Culture and Science initiated by setting up a com-mittee comprising members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Edu-cation Above All Foundation, the Min-istry of Education and Higher Edu-cation, the National Human Rights Committee and the Unesco Regional Office in Doha.

“The committee was assigned to make planning, supervise and carry out the activities and events held under the campaign for students, parents, asso-ciations and civil society organizations, and all parts of society, as each person has the right to education and lifelong

learning,” said Al Kuwari. “We get together today with a number of offi-cials and intellectuals to discuss with them the status and rights of the dis-abled persons.”

She said that the universal decla-ration on the rights of the disabled persons, issued by the United Nations General Assembly, affirms a set of basic rights that the disabled have the right to enjoy without discrimination because of disability, Which affirms their right to enjoy the full civil, political, economic and social rights enjoyed by other human beings, and in no way discrim-inate and respect for their human dignity.

“The State of Qatar spares no effort to integrate people with disabilities into any form of disability. It has provided them with all the means to obtain their right to education,” said Al Kuwari.

Educational experts during the event organised by the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science as part of the right to education campaign.

DFI to host more than 100 global experts at Qumra 2019THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qumra 2019, presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) from March 15 to 20, will host more than 100 international film industry experts who will mentor 36 Qumra projects, mostly helmed by first- and second-time filmmakers.

Along with the Qumra Masters, the six-day event will welcome accomplished film directors, producers, film fes-tival directors, programmers, consultants, fund managers, sales professionals, acquisition heads, script experts, distrib-utors, video on demand (VoD) platforms and broadcasters, and other industry professionals.

2019 Qumra industry dele-gates includes representation from more than 15 leading inter-national film festivals, and exec-utives from some of the world’s leading film production com-panies, sales and distribution companies, and cultural and funding agencies

International delegates come from countries ranging from Chile to Italy, Canada to Japan and the UK to the USA among others. Regional dele-gates come from Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tukey, Syria and Tunisia.

The Qumra industry pro-gramme focuses on 36 projects from 19 countries at various stages of development.

“We are pleased to once again host the world’s leading film industry professionals at our Qumra 2019,” said Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Exec-utive Officer of the DFI. “The tools that delegates provide elevate the creative and tech-nical standards of film pro-duction in Qatar and the region, and hones filmmakers’ ability to identify and connect to local and global audiences.”

FAJRSHOROOK

04. 38 AM

05. 54 AM

11. 45 AM

03. 07 PM

05. 40 PM

07. 10 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS

HIGH TIDE 04:27 – 15:37 LOW TIDE 12:08 –22:40

Mild daytime and cold by night.

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum16oC 26oC

Silatech aims at 5 million jobs for youth Qatar, Russia pledge · 2019. 3. 5. · arrival at Vienna...

Documents

Transcript of Silatech aims at 5 million jobs for youth Qatar, Russia pledge · 2019. 3. 5. · arrival at Vienna...