Volume 23 | Number 7727 | 2 RiyalsSaturday 1 December 2018 | 23 Rabia I 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa

Shops are prominently

displaying items for

Qatar National Day

which include T-shirts,

caps, flags stickers,

gift boxes and

watches having image

of H H the Amir and

the National Flag.

BUSINESS | 14 SPORT | 17

Barcelona's Umtiti to undergo knee treatment in Doha

Pakistan devalues rupee

for fifth time this year

Future bright for Qatar-Thailand ties: EnvoyRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

The future of bilateral relations between Thailand and Qatar looks bright with continuous and increasing cooperation in various fields such as trade, energy and tourism, Thailand’s Ambassador to Qatar Nathapol Khantahiran has said.

Speaking at Thailand’s National Day celebration on Thursday, the ambassador noted that Thailand and Qatar enjoy strong economic cooperation as trade volume between the

two countries in the first nine months of this year has already exceeded last year’s total trade exchange value.

“On the economic aspect, the ongoing Gulf crisis does not deter Thailand from her strong will-ingness to further strengthen relations with Qatar. In 2017, the total trade volume between our two countries valued at $2.82bn. For the past nine months of this year, our two way trade reached $2.94bn, which already surpassed that of last year,” he noted.

“Qatar still remains the biggest supplier of LNG to my

country, while export from Thailand to Qatar has increased around 35 percent when com-paring with the same period of last year. Together, we witness the positive progress and bright future of our business and trade,” the envoy added.

On tourism, he said Thailand is well-known for its attractive tourist destinations, high-quality healthcare and world-class services, while expressing delight on the expansion of Qatar Airways’ services to major Thai destinations. “Each year, more than 30,000 Qatari tourists are

warmly welcomed in Thailand for their holiday and medical treatment. We are also delighted to learn that Qatar Airways sees our country as one of the top destinations and already expanded its services by having over 60 flights per week to five major cities, which help bring millions of visitors from around the globe to Thailand,” he said.

In the field of culture, he stressed the Embassy has been working hard to promote Thai culture in Qatar in partnership with various local public and private entities. On September

13, it organised the Thai Classical Crossover Music Show, in coop-eration with the Katara Cultural Village, featuring VieTrio.

Meanwhile, a Thai Food Week was launched on Thursday in cooperation with The St. Regis Doha running until December 5 at Vine Restaurant.

He underscored the the “excellent and cordial friendship” both countries enjoy in the past 38 years as demonstrated by continuous and increasing coop-eration in different areas as well as regular exchanges of high-level visits. �P2

Qatar actively working to establish scientific, research and legal base in nuclear energyQNA VIENNA

The State of Qatar has affirmed its keen interest in benefiting from the peaceful applications of nuclear energy, for the prosperity and improvement of the quality of life that can be can achieved through these applications, stressing the importance attached to this energy in the implementation of the Sus-tainable Development Plan 2030, which has comprehensive goals that balance the three dimensions of sustainable development — eco-nomic, social and environmental.

Qatar warned that the expansion of nuclear power plants, especially in some countries that

have overstated their contracts in recent years to build many nuclear power plants at a time when their infrastructure, national expertise, regulatory frameworks and safety personnel have not been com-pleted, could create legitimate con-cerns about the safety and security of energy reactors.

These concerns are increasing in the geographically neigh-bouring countries, which calls for strengthening national, regional and international legal frame-works, increasing transparency, sharing information and building confidence in those activities.

This came in a statement of the State of Qatar, delivered by Acting Charge d’Affaires in the

Qatari Embassy in Vienna, Abdullah bin Nasser Al Fahid, before the High-level Interna-tional Ministerial Conference on Science and Nuclear Technology organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He highlighted the keen interest of the State of Qatar in ben-efiting from the peaceful applica-tions of nuclear energy, because of the prosperity and improvement of the quality of life that can be can achieved through these applica-tions, adding that the State is actively working to establish its sci-entific, research and legal base in the field of nuclear energy in order to be able to keep pace with the latest technologies. �P2

National Day fervour grips QatarSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

With National Day approaching near, patriotic fervour has gripped the country. Shops are filled with items related to Qatar National Day while roads and streets can be seen adorned with national flags and col-ourful lights.

Matching the buoyant spirit of residents, companies have launched several offers while organisatios have lined up several events to ensure that Qatar National Day, celebrated on December 18, will be unforgettable.

Shops are prominently dis-playing items for National Day which include T-shirts, caps, flags stickers, gift boxes and watches having image of H H the Amir and National Flag.

“Although National Day is still few weeks away, we have started seeing pick-up in sales of items related to National Day. Currently, children are the main buyers of these items,” a salesman at the shop in Matar Qadeem told The Peninsula.

Hotels and restaurants have taken the lead so far in announcing offers and dis-counts for Qatar National Day. Residents will have opportunity to savour traditional Qatari fla-vours. In order to support local farms, the hotels will be serving food items prepared with

locally grown vegetables.Banana Island Resort Doha

has planned ‘I Love Qatar’ Friday brunch which aims to promote local food market.

“The best way to celebrate the Qatar National Day and its accompanying preparations, is to recognise and to contribute in support of Qatari farmers, who play a pivotal role in this gen-erous society, and are vital in securing the requirements of the Qatari market from vegetables to fruits, thereby contributing effectively to the local economic cycle,” said Andreas Haugg, Executive Assistant Manager Food & Beverage, Banana Island Resort Doha.

“We are delighted to share with members of the com-munity, both local and expats their preparations to celebrate National Day,” he added.

Through the “I Love Qatar” Friday brunch, diners will be treated to fresh produce from local farms and relish tradi-tional Qatari cuisine and dishes

A shop in Old Airport area displaying various Qatar National Day items, yesterday. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT / THE PENINSULA

that will take visitors on a sen-sational dining trip. This initi-ative by the resort is to support local Qatari farmers.

Qatar National Library has already announced to hold

month-long events to mark National Day.

Visitors can take part in a series of lectures, exhibitions and other activities in celebration of Qatar National Day.

For those who want to be adventurous in National Day, tour operators have lined up trips to desert which offers res-idents a chance to drive over the dunes and ride camels.

Qatar’s Cherif and Tijan win Beach Volleyball crownQatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan Janko (centre) pose on the podium after winning the AVC Aspire Beach Volleyball Qatar Master 2018 title at Aspire Park, yesterday. Silver medalists Cole Durant and Damien Schumann (left) of Australia, and Japan’s bronze medalists Yuya Ageba and Gottsu Ishijm along with officials are also seen. �P17

Petrol prices decline by over 12% this monthQNA DOHA

Qatar Petroleum (QP) announced yesterday the diesel and petrol prices for the month of December 2018.

Price of super grade petrol will be QR1.85 per litre which is 12.2 percent lower than the November price of QR2.10 per litre.

The price of premium grade petrol is set at QR1.80 per litre in December, com-pared to QR2.05 per litre in November, a decline by about 12.2 percent

QP set the diesel price at QR2 per litre for December, compared to QR2.05 per litre in November, a decline by 2.4 percent.

Eight short films to be screened at Ajyal todayTHE PENINSULA DOHA

A selection of charming shorts that will keep the whole family entertained, the final showcase of films by local talents, an insightful dis-cussion on music in cinema and general screenings of international films are the highlights of today at the sixth Ajyal Film Festival.

Following the over-whelming response to first Made in Qatar programme presented by Ooredoo, the second Programme, featuring eight short films by Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers, will be screened today at 7pm at the Katara Drama Theatre.

This will be followed by the Made in Qatar awards evaluated by an eminent jury that includes Turkish Actress Tuba Unsal, Dr. Amal Mohammed Al Malki, Founding Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sci-ences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and Irish film-maker Collin McIvor.

02 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018HOME

Amir greets Governor-General of Barbados

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday a cable of congratulations to the Governor-General of Barbados, Sandra Mason, on the occasion of her country’s Independence Day. Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also sent a cable of congratulations to the Governor-General on the occasion of her country’s Independence Day. Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day. QNA

Ooredoo Myanmar 4G rollout reaches 300 townshipsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Ooredoo Myanmar, the leading provider of telecommunication services in Myanmar, announced the rollout its 4G network in 300 townships across Myanmar, as it becomes the widest 4G network coverage provider in Myanmar.

Ooredoo Myanmar is the first operator to offer a superior 4G network in Myanmar, and its intensive network rollout is enabling about 26 million people to access high speed internet services. In addition to 4G expansion, it became the first operator in Myanmar to showcase Voice over LTE (VoLTE). Earlier, Ooredoo completed a 4G Pro network demonstration, showcasing its readiness to bring in 5G.

Vikram Sinha, Ooredoo Myanmar’s CEO, said “We are really proud to have delivered our fastest 4G network across 300 townships in Myanmar. With this milestone, Ooredoo reaches to about 92 percent of total population and enables them to take advantage of our fastest 4G network. Our team continues to work tirelessly to offer stronger coverage, and to meet ever-growing customers’ demand.”

Message from Deputy PM to Kuwaiti counterpartKuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah has received a written message from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, pertaining to bilateral relations and means to support and promote them. Qatar’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Bandar bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, handed the message during a meeting with the Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

New Porsche 911: More powerful, faster with latest designTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Entering the eighth generation, the new Porsche 911 celebrated its world premiere on the eve of this year’s L.A. Auto Show, with the reveal of the 911 Carrera S and 4S Coupé models. The brand’s icon continues to set the standard when it comes to exclusive sportiness. Unmis-takably committed to the Porsche design DNA with a more muscular look and an interior featuring a 10.9-inch touch-screen monitor, the new 911 is timeless and modern. Intelligent control and chassis elements as well as innovative assistance systems enhance the masterfully uncompromising dynamism that the classic rear-engine sports car is famed for.

The next generation of flat-six turbocharged engines has been further developed and is more powerful than ever before, resulting in a performance of 450 hp (331 kW) in the 911 Carrera S and 4S. An improved injection process and a new layout for the turbochargers and charge air cooling system enhance drive efficiency even further. The power is delivered by a newly developed eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (dual-clutch

transmission). Additional high-lights include new assistance systems, such as the Porsche Wet mode to make driving even safer, Night Vision Assist with thermal imaging camera, as well as com-prehensive connectivity now also using swarm intelligence.

The turbocharged flat-six engine of the 911 Carrera S* and 911 Carrera 4S* now produces 450 hp (331 kW). This corresponds to an increase of 30 hp (22 kW) compared with the previous gen-eration. Both 911 models beat the four-second mark for acceler-ation from zero to 100 km/h: the rear-wheel-drive 911 Carrera S needs 3.7 seconds and the 911

Carrera 4S, with all-wheel drive, just 3.6 seconds. This makes both cars 0.4 seconds faster than their predecessors. The optional Sport Chrono Package reduces the sprint by a further 0.2 seconds. The top speed has been measured at 308 km/h for the 911 Carrera S and 306 km/h for the all-wheel-drive version. The fuel con-sumption (NEDC-correlated) of the 911 Carrera S is 8.9 l/100 km, while the 911 Carrera 4S records this figure as 9.0 l/100 km.

The exterior design is com-pletely new and emphasises the leap in performance for the 911 internally coded as 992. Signifi-cantly wider wheel housings

arch over the 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels. The rear end is now the same width across all models, high-lighting the slimline centre section. At the front, the body is 45 mm wider. Electrical pop-out handles in the doors emphasise the tapered and smooth side contour, while a bonnet with a pronounced recess evokes the design of the first 911 genera-tions. At the rear, all models feature a rear significantly wider, variable-position rear spoiler and the seamless, elegant light strip. Apart from the front and rear sections, the entire outer shell is now made from

aluminium.The completely new interior

is characterised by the clear and straight lines of the dashboard with recessed instruments, inspired by the 911 models from the 1970s. Alongside the central rev counter — typical for Porsche — two thin, frameless displays supply information to the driver. The centre screen of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) is now 10.9 inches, and can be operated easily and without distraction thanks to the new interior design. Located underneath this there is a compact switch unit with five buttons for direct access to

important vehicle functions. In terms of digitalisation, the 911 takes the next step into the future with permanent connectivity as well as new functions and services. The standard PCM fea-tures include navigation as well as Porsche Connect Plus.

In a world first, Porsche has developed the Wet mode, included as standard. This function detects water on the road, preconditions the control systems accordingly and warns the driver, who can then set up the vehicle for enhanced safety, by simply pushing a button or using the mode switch on the steering wheel (Sport Chrono Package). The warning and brake assist system, also fitted as standard, detects the risk of col-lisions with moving objects and initiates emergency braking if necessary. Night Vision Assist with a thermal imaging camera is optionally available for the 911 for the first time. The adaptive cruise control option includes automatic distance control, stop-and-go function, reversible occupant protection and an innovative autonomous Emer-gency Assist function.

The 911 Carrera S and 4S models are available for order now. First deliveries are expected mid next year.

The eighth generation Porsche 911.

Qatar attends South-South Development & Cooperation meetQNA NEW YORK

The State of Qatar has partici-pated in the Global Meeting on South-South Development and Cooperation at the UN Head-quarters in New York. The dele-gation was headed by Director

of the International Co-operation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tariq Ali Al Ansari .

Al Ansari participated as a speaker at the high-level plenary session for directors general and policy makers, where he gave a presentation on the Qatari

experience in institution and capacity building and Qatar’s role in the South-South Development Agenda, through its numerous chairmanship of relevant global forums and arrangements and its hosting of several global meetings on South-South cooperation.

FROM LEFT: Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Yousef bin Mohamed Al Othman Fakhro, Ambassador of Thailand to the State of Qatar Nathapol Khantahiran, Minister of Justice and State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr Issa Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi and Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo, Director of Department of Protocol, during the occasion of the National Day of the Kingdom of Thailand celebration held yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

FROM PAGE 1

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar and the Government of the State of Qatar for taking very good care and allowing the Thai people to live and work happily in this country. We stand ready to assist Qatar in fulfilling its dream of achieving the country’s National Vision and hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022,” the envoy said.

He also touched on Thailand enhancing its relations with all partners and playing a con-structive role in Asean and the international community.

He said Thai economy reg-istered the highest rate in five years with GDP growth rate reaching about 4.8 percent in the first half of 2018 and the overall economic expansion

this year is projected in the range of 4.2 to 4.7 percent with infrastructure investment, export and tourism as the key drivers of the economy.

The event was graced by Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi; Minister of Adminis-trative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Yousef bin Mohamed Al Othman Fakhro; Director of the Pro-tocol Department at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo and Rashid Al Duhaimi, Assistant Director of Asian Affairs Department, Min-istry of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassadors of Asean member countries in Qatar, dignitaries and Thai citizens were among those who attended the auspicious event.

FROM PAGE 1

Abdullah bin Nasser Al Fahid said that nuclear science and technology are among the most important technologies of this age because it can make a broad contribution to the devel-opment of various fields of life and make an effective contri-bution to the implementation of the 17 sustainable devel-opment goals embodied in the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan. He voiced Qatar’s appre-ciation for the important role played by the IAEA in trans-ferring nuclear expertise and techniques through scientific seminars and training work-shops in various aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and its keenness on having many participants in these activities.

The Technical Cooperation Program (TCP), which is the main instrument for the transfer of nuclear technology, plays a major role in improving the health and lives of indi-viduals by adapting nuclear science and technology and making them available in the areas of health care, food, agri-culture, industry and many other areas, he added.

He stressed that the State of Qatar had consistently sup-ported the Programme paying, in full, its contributions to the TCP annual budget. He further called for addressing the issue of the TCP limited resources and providing adequate resources to it.

Al Fahid referred to the ren-ovation and modernization of the IAEA laboratories in Seib-ersdorf, where the laboratory after the completion of the modernisation will carry the training of cadres from IAEA Member States in the areas of food security, water resources management, human health, environmental radioactivity and livestock, underlining Qatar’s keenness to be one of the 34 countries that have con-tributed to the financing of the IAEA Laboratories’ moderni-zation project.

Concluding the statement, Abdullah bin Nasser Al Fahid expressed Doha’s hope to con-tinue its cooperation with the IAEA in all areas of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and its support for the principles con-tained in the Vienna Ministerial Declaration on Nuclear Science and Technology.

Qatar actively working to establish scientific, research and legal base in N-energy

Future bright for Qatar-Thailand ties: Envoy

03SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 HOME

‘The Majlis – Cultures in Dialogue’ exhibition opens at Unesco HQTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Majlis – Cultures in Dialogue, a travelling cross-cultural exhi-bition that features a collection of the Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al-Thani Museum opened up to a great start, hosting more than 200 VIP guests on Thursday at the Unesco Headquarters in Paris, taking the audience’s delight to a new height with a specially composed song ‘Cultures In Dialogue’, by noted Qatari composer Dana Al Fardan.

The exhibition was highly appreciated by the personages as well as international media, who have attended the first day of the opening ceremony. It was suc-cessful in distinctly establishing rich Qatari culture on the global canvas through impressive arte-facts. This event also emphasised on the importance that museums play in showcasing the cultural prowess in initiating dialogue.

Kees Wieringa, Director of the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, in the presence of Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani and Xing Qu, the Deputy Director General of Unesco for Culture, welcomed a number of journalists from highly esteemed French and international media for engaging guided tours during the day.

Preceding the inauguration delegates’ speeches, VIP guests had the opportunity to view the astonishing and exceptional col-lection that bear witness to hun-dreds of years of intercultural dia-logue and interaction of civilisa-tions, through a guided tour around the exhibition. Objects of great beauty and deep fascination including Chinese Qurans, mosque lamps made in Vienna, Persian

carpets with Russian texts fea-turing the Virgin Mary, and mystic artefacts shared from Africa across the Arab world to India, were the prime highlights, triggering a diversification of thoughts and emotions.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani and Xing Qu addressed gov-ernment, cultural and corporate officials from Qatar and France, representatives of a number of cultural institutions, as well as Andrew Faulkner, Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Shell, with warm welcoming words, as they celebrated the opening of the exhibition.

The Majlis – Cultures in Dia-logue has been organised at the initiative of the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al-Thani Museum, in col-laboration with the Unesco Doha Office, the Qatar National Com-mission for Education, Culture and Science, and Qatar Museums. Under the Platinum sponsorship of Qatar Shell, the Silver spon-sorship of Refalo & Zammit Pace Advocates and local sponsorships of QNB and Katara Hospitality, the exhibition will stop in the Unesco Headquarters for a duration of two weeks before moving forward to the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, for a two-month period.

Commenting on this occasion, Sheikh Faisal said: “We are over-whelmed to receive such a stu-pendous response for “Majlis – Cultures in Dialogue” event in Paris. The city is known to be a connoisseur of global art & culture and the success of this event very well resonates with its inherent philosophy of spreading peace by way of artefacts, handicrafts, arts and songs.”

“By taking this event to various parts of the globe, we

intent to spread the message of hope and positivity, by way of breath-taking artistic displays, to the global canvas and encourage visitors to respond to what they see by sharing their own stories, creating dialogue between East and West, between young and old, within a real Majlis seating. This event has also positioned Qatar firmly on the global map and reaffirmed its strength to the global audience,” he said.

Dr Anna Paolini, Director of Unesco Doha Office, said: “The Majlis – Cultures in Dialogue in Paris truly exemplifies how art can perfectly play the role of a critical enabler in building bilateral ties. In sync with the philosophy that museums play a decisive role in

strengthening the creative economy locally and regionally, we take immense pride in associ-ating with this noble cause and such an exemplary initiative. Qatar possesses a great culture and it needed to be projected in the right way and the right place; hence the Majlis which did an excellent job in propagating the very notion of blending art with business to drive future growth.”

QNB Group Acting CEO, Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa, said: “Throughout the years, QNB Group has supported many initi-atives and events that promote the rich heritage of our beloved nation, and we are very happy to help make The Majlis – Cultures in Dialogue initiative happen and continue on this path, through

providing our local sponsorship. By sharing the roots and values of the Qatari people with other com-munities outside Qatar, we can all contribute to bridging cultural understanding, promoting a peaceful co-existence, and achieving prosperity for all.”

Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, Chairman of Katara Hospitality, said: “We are proud to host the gala dinner for the grand dignitaries attending The Majlis - Cultures in Dialogue exhi-bition opening ceremony. This is such a unique endeavour being held under the patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of Unesco to bind two regions together. The Gala Night facilitated networking

opportunities for the like-minded people to connect over cultural matters, moreover to discuss and deliberate upon the key role museums play in showcasing a region’s cultural prowess.”

Noted composer, Dana Al Fardan, said: “Music is a universal language that transcends physical and cultural barriers, creating shared values and experiences that enrich the human spirit and condition. I am proud and hon-oured to participate in this noble cause to unite humanity through the arts. This piece was composed to highlight historical commonal-ities between civilisations around the world. The musical features of this composition resonate between eastern as well as western cultural movements and traditions, with the intention of bridging the gap, and invoking a heritage based on inclusion”.

The exhibition is only the beginning of a much bigger project to connect people, beliefs and cul-tures by creating opportunities for respectful, yet incisive dialogues to take place. The project envisions to create a platform where rel-evant cultural aspects can be dis-cussed, and original perspectives can be generated through col-lective thinking. The aim is to ini-tiate meaningful connections between people and cultures and stimulate enriched dialogue around the world.

The Majlis – Cultures in Dia-logue is a visitor’s experience that reveals how global perspectives can vary depending on the position of the viewer. Following Paris, the exhibition will visit several countries, including Austria, Germany, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. The tour will also include the United States by 2021.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani (third right) along with other dignitaries at the Majlis seating at Unesco Headquarters in Paris.

Harry Potter star in Ajyal to inspire the youthRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Harry Potter star Tom Felton said he was blown away by Qatari hospitality and Qatar’s amazing architecture and landscape on his first visit to the country, while expressing interest to work with Doha Film Institute (DFI) in the future.

In Doha as celebrity guest at the ongoing sixth Ajyal Film Fes-tival, Felton, known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the hit Harry Potter film series, was speaking to reporters at a press briefing yes-terday at Katara Cultural Village. “I’m very excited to be here. Eve-ryone is so lovely and it’s a beau-tiful country. It’s my first trip in this part of the world and Qatar is absolutely beautiful and I’m very excited to see more of it,” he said.

He was thrilled to be part of

the festival and “to instil excitement in the youngsters here and so many youngsters around the world. I feel it’s very important to give back in a way because they gave me a lot of inspiration when I was growing up making films.”

“I’m just here to explore this part of the world for the first time and hopefully get the chance to inspire lots of youngsters who are passionate about film,” the British actor and musician added.

Asked on whether he is willing to get involved in a DFI project if given the chance, he said: “Abso-lutely. I’ve only been here for 24 hours but I’m already blown away of the hospitality and the beautiful architecture and the amazing landscape, so maybe this will be the first of many trips to come.”

On his view of the concept of Ajyal having young jurors, he said: “I think it’s fantastic. I think it’s the

most important thing to try to inspire the youth; these are the next great filmmakers of the world, aren’t they? I was so heavily inspired when I was six or seven years old so to get such a mixed group of people from around the world at that age, I think, you can never underestimate the effect that might have.”

Over 550 young jurors from 55 nationalities including 25 inter-national jurors from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom make up this year’s Ajyal jury.

On being identified by many for his villainous Harry Potter role, he said: “I feel very grateful, I won’t be sitting here if it was not for that. There are many actors who have done many different things but they will be remembered for certain roles. I’m very proud of it,

very grateful; I’m sure all the kids I’m about to meet know me for that role.”

He said he is currently busy with his latest project “Origin” which is a sci-fi ten-part series currently showing via YouTube

Premium. “A TV show on YouTube has just been launched in YouTube Premium called “Origin”, a ten-part series which we have been shooting for the last seven months or so. That was the last project I did,” he noted.

This year’s Ajyal Film Festival being held at Katara features 81 films from 36 countries are par-ticipating in this year’s festival which also comprises exciting events and activities including the Ajyal Creativity Hub.

Q-Targets gears up for QND exhibitionAMNA PERVAIZ RAO THE PENINSULA

Founders of Q-Targets Art Gallery Andrii and Nadiia Cher-novil, a Ukrainian couple, are all set to launch National Day Art Exhibition at Gate Mall.

In April 2016, their creative group launched a project ‘Q-Targets — message for peace for next generations’, where ‘Q’ means ‘Qatar’ and ‘Targets’ means ‘real governmental, social and cultural targets of country Qatar and society’.

For the project, the couple uses shooting target papers and participants write their personal and original message of peace on them.

Each participant is asked to leave a message in their native language by answering the question: “What is your positive

message for peace?”Under a very well-managed

project, a searchable personal Q-Targets number is assigned to each participant.

Talking to The Peninsula about the project which is set to be launched on Qatar National Day, Nadiia Chernovil said that the aim of this project is to bring more countries together in the name of peace and harmony.

“When we talk about Qatar

National Day we get patriotic; as an expatriate, I am very proud to live life in State of Qatar.”

“Art is a unique language which is understandable to eve-ryone. That’s the reason we are calling everyone under one roof to express their love and peace on one platform,” she added.

The exhibition will start on December 16, 2018 and will con-tinue until January 10, 2019. Artists from 40 countries will participate in the exhibition. During these days, public will be given teasers of the development of art.

Art pieces from the Q-Targets Art Gallery will be displayed which will not be included for sale.

Chernovil added, “This unique art piece will be created with Q-Targets from all over the world. No tickets will be required

for the event, the project will be showcased during the closing ceremony.”

Neville R Koen, Head of Properties at The Gate Mall said: “This is a very special year for Qatar in terms of the blockade, as we have come out a chal-lenging year very well. In terms of participating in this occasion, we will be hosting an exhibition in our multi-purpose hall. We will be displaying a special banner of 12x19 size on our north entrance.”

“Following the guidelines provided from the Amiri Diwan, we will display a very unique piece in line with Qatar National Day,” Koen added.

Recently, within the creative project Q-Targets, the local Qatari and expatriate artists’ art pieces were displayed in the biggest cities of Ukraine.

Ukrainian artist couple Andrii and Nadiia Chernovil founders of Q-Targets Art Gallery with Neville R. Koen, Head of Properties at The Gate Mall. PIC: AMNA PERVAIZ RAO / THE PENINSULA

Harry Potter star Tom Felton in Doha as celebrity guest at the ongoing sixth Ajyal Film Festival, yesterday.

The exhibition will

start on December

16, 2018 and will

continue until January

10, 2019. Artists from

40 countries will

participate in the

exhibition.

04 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Former South African President Jacob Zuma speaks to supporters after his court appearance in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, yesterday.

In South Africa, Zuma’s graft case put off till MayAFP PIETERMARITZBURG

Former South African president Jacob Zuma will return to court in May for a hearing on whether corruption charges against him should be dropped, a judge ruled yesterday.

Zuma, who served as pres-ident from 2009 until February, is battling to quash charges against him linked to a $2.5bn corruption case linked to a 1990s arms deal.

He has been charged with

16 counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

“The criminal proceedings... are postponed to 20 May 2019,” Judge Mjabuliseni Isaac Madondo said during a brief hearing at Pietermaritzburg High Court at which Zuma was present.

The former president is accused of taking around 4m rand ($340,000) in bribes from French defence company Thales, which is also in the dock.

At the time of the deal, Zuma was a provincial economy

minister and later deputy pres-ident of the ruling ANC party.

Both Zuma and the French arms maker deny all charges.

The charges were first brought against Zuma in 2005 but dropped by prosecutors in 2009, before being reinstated in 2016.

Beset by scandal, Zuma was forced to resign in February after a long stand-off with the ANC. His successor Cyril Ram-aphosa has vowed to root out corruption in government and the party.

Gazans rally along

Israel buffer zone

for 36th weekANATOLIA GAZA CITY/RAMALLAH

For the 36th consecutive Friday, thousands of Palestinians converged on the Gaza-Israel buffer zone to take part in ongoing mass demonstrations against Israel’s decades-long occupation.

In a statement, Gaza’s National Authority for Breaking the Siege renewed its call to the people of Gaza to take part in the ongoing rallies.

Hamas spokesman Abdul-latif Al Qanoua, for his part, said in a statement: “Palestinians are asking the world to translate this day of solidarity with our people into practical actions, like lifting the siege [on Gaza] and ending the [Israeli] occu-pation.” Instituted by the UN in 1977, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is marked each year on November 29.

Protesters in Gaza demand the right to return to their homes and villages in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.

They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s economy and deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many

basic commodities. Since the rallies began on March 30, more than 210 Palestinians have been martyred — and thousands more injured — by Israeli troops deployed near the buffer zone. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 28 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army gunfire while taking part in yes-terday’s demonstration.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, meanwhile, Israeli troops forcibly dispersed several Friday rallies, leaving five Palestinians injured by gunfire and dozens more suf-fering the effects of teargas, according to witnesses.

“Two Palestinians were hurt by heavy ammunition when Israeli troops broke up a protest march that began fol-lowing Friday prayers,” Murad Ishteiwi, a popular resistance activist in the town of Kafr Qaddum, said.

Since the rallies

began on March

30, more than 210

Palestinians have

been martyred —

and thousands more

injured — by Israeli

troops deployed near

the buffer zone.

Yemeni fishermen waiting along the shore in the Red Sea city of Hodeida.

Yemen fishermen face starvation at home or death at seaAFP HODEIDA

Ali Mohammed has been fishing off Hodeida since he was a child, but for the first time in 30 years, the Yemeni father of eight cannot feed his family.

He and his fellow fisherman are facing “tragedy”, he said as he emptied his net at a harbour in the battle-scarred Red Sea city.

“We are really scared to go out to sea, to the extent that we say

goodbye to our children every time we leave the house because we do not know if we are coming back.” Hodeida, home to Yemen’s most vital port, has been the target of a fierce pro-government offensive to retake it from Houthi rebels who have held it since 2014.

The fishing harbour where Mohammed landed his catch lies just one kilometre from the front-lines. The fighting poses a mortal threat to an industry the World Bank says employed some 10,000

registered fishermen in Hodeida and the surrounding province before the war.

Under heavy international pressure, loyalist forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition have suspended a five-month battle to seize Hodeida. But the United Nations said Tuesday that opera-tions at the vital port had fallen by nearly half over the past two weeks. The coalition says its air and maritime embargo is needed to prevent Iran delivering weapons

to the Huthis. The danger of being shot or intercepted at sea has forced fishermen to stay close to shore. “A rocket could strike you and you wouldn’t know where it came from,” Mohammed said.

“There are fishermen still missing at sea... they went out and never came back.”

In the fish market near the harbour, white marble basins that were once filled to the brim with fish now hold what very little comes from the day’s catch.

A participant gestures as she competes during the Arbil international bike marathon, in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region, yesterday.

Arbil international bike marathon

Damascus accuses Israel of first Syria strikes since air defence upgradeAFP BEIRUT

Damascus yesterday accused Israel of striking Syria, in what a monitor said were the such first missiles to hit the country since an air defence upgrade after the downing of a Russian plane in September.

The Syrian regime claimed its air defence systems shot

down all “hostile targets” on late Thursday. Israel did not confirm carrying out raids but denied any losses. The Syrian foreign min-istry said yesterday it had com-plained to the United Nations about “the Israeli aggression yes-terday on the area of Kisweh south of Damascus”.

According to the Syria Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes hit two positions in

the south of Damascus province, one an area where there are Iranian weapons depots in Kisweh. “Israeli forces bom-barded for an hour,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Two missiles hit “weapons depots belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah as well as Iranian forces” in Kisweh.

Another missile hit the area of Harfa, where there is a Syrian

military base, the Britain-based monitor said.

In Kisweh, “the depots that were targeted are used to tem-porarily store rockets until they are taken somewhere else,” Abdel Rahman said.

“It appears the Israelis had intelligence that weapons had arrived there recently,” he said.

The state news agency said the attack was foiled and did not

admit to any losses.“Our air defences fired on

hostile targets over the Kisweh area and downed them,” SANA said, citing a military source.

Initial reports by the Observ-atory suggested there were no casualties.

The Israeli military denied any of its assets were hit but stopped short of denying it had conducted strikes at all.

Zimbabwe starts building new parliamentAFP HARARE

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday laid the foundation stone for huge new parliament to be built with Chinese funds outside the capital Harare. The imposing circular complex will be built over 32 months by the Shanghai Construction group at Mount Hampden, 18km north-west of Harare, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Officials say the current colonial-era parliamentary building in the city centre is too small to accommodate lawmakers.

Tunisia dismantles terrorist cellsANATOLIA TUNIS

The Tunisian authorities have broken up four “terrorist sleeper cells” that had been planning attacks inside the North African country, according to the Interior Ministry. In a statement, the ministry said at least 12 people — constituting four “sleeper cells” — had been arrested by Tunisian security forces. “A significant quantity of explosive and chemical materials — including toxic gases, electronic components and a drone — were confis-cated,” the statement read.

Rwandan scribe under terror lensAFP KIGALI

Rwandan investigators are holding a journalist accused of receiving explosives and plotting with terrorists, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has said. Phocas Nday-izera, a 39-year-old freelance journalist working for the BBC’s local language service, was reported missing over a week ago before turning up in custody. Ndayizera now faces a maximum 20-year jail term if found guilty under Rwanda’s anti-terrorism laws.

Court rejects white farmers’ challenge to land expropriationREUTERS CAPE TOWN

South Africa’s High Court rejected a legal challenge yesterday brought by a group representing white farmers against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans for land expropriation without compen-sation.

Land is a hot-button issue in South Africa where racial inequality remains entrenched more than two decades after the end of apartheid when mil-lions of the black majority were dispossessed of their land by a white minority.

Ramaphosa, who replaced scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma in February, has made land redistribution a flagship policy as he seeks to unite the

fractured ruling African National Congress (ANC) and win public support ahead of an election next year.

In its legal challenge, Afri-forum questioned the legality of a key parliamentary com-mittee report which recom-mended a change to the con-stitution to allow land expro-priation without compensation. “The relief sought by the appli-cants... is dismissed,” said Judge Vincent Saldanha.

Afriforum, which repre-sents mostly white Afrikaners, alleged that the parliamentary committee had illegally appointed an external service provider to compile the report, and also failed to consider more than 100,000 submissions opposing land expropriation without compensation.

A third of schools shut in HodeidaQNA SANA’A

United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) announced that more than 60,000 boys and girls are out of school because of the fighting in and around Hodeida in Yemen.

The violence has forced over a third of all schools there to close, with 15 located on the frontline and others badly damaged or being used as shelters for displaced families.

Despite the many hard-ships they face, countless teachers across Yemen con-tinue to educate children in any way that they can.

05SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 HOME

Many farmers vowed

to vote against the

BJP in the 2019

Lok Sabha polls.

06 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018ASIA

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) is welcomed by Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri at Costa Salguero in Buenos Aires during the G20 Leaders’ Summit, yesterday.

Modi pursues yoga diplomacy at Argentina G20 summitAFP BUENOS AIRES

Stepping away from the sealed security zone and ceremonial pomp of the Group of 20 summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought a message dear to his heart to host Argentina — the value of yoga.

With the sound of rush-hour traffic audible outside, about 4,000 yoga practitioners in Buenos Aires took to their mats in a convention hall to hear Modi as well as a troupe of 70 Indian musicians.

“I arrived in Buenos Aires a short time ago after a trip of more than 24 hours, but thanks to your enthusiasm and affection I feel like I’m still in India,” Modi told the crowd.

The right-wing leader has made yoga a diplomatic priority since taking office in 2014. Modi

has promoted an International Day of Yoga and dedicated a government office to yoga, the Indian-rooted spiritual exer-cises that have found a global following among seekers of mental and physical strength.

Modi in his remarks voiced hope that the summit of the Group of 20 economic powers would make progress on inter-national challenges such as sus-tainable development and climate change. He also voiced hope for greater relations with Argentina, seeing pharmaceu-ticals, energy and information, and aerospace technology as areas of cooperation.

The Buenos Aires yoga fol-lowers folded their arms together toward the sun in a traditional “surya” greeting. Several voiced support for the theme of Modi’s appearance, that yoga can be a route to peace.

Farmers march towards the Parliament house during a rally to protest soaring farm operating costs and plunging prices of their produce, in New Delhi, yesterday.

Opposition displays unity at mega farmers rallyIANS NEW DELHI

A massive farmers rally in the national capital yesterday turned into a show of opposition unity with leaders including Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing the Modi government of plunging the country into an acute agrarian crisis and backed demands for a complete loan waiver and higher crop prices.

Led by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Com-mittee, which represents over 200 farm outfits, thousands of farmers marched from the his-toric Ramlila Maidan to Par-liament Street demanding a special session of Parliament pass bills to cancel farm loans and to ensure guaranteed remu-nerative prices for farm com-modities based on the recom-mendations of the M S Swami-nathan Commission.

Two private member bills in this regard were introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2017 by Swa-bhimani Shetkari Sanghtana

leader and MP Raju Shetti, who warned yesterday that the Modi government would face defeat in the 2019 elections unless it accepted farmers’ demands.

A host of opposition leaders including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, CPI-M General Sec-retary Sitaram Yechury, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress’ Dinesh Trivedi, Loktantrik Janata Dal’s Sharad Yadav and TDP leader K. Raveendra Kumar tore into the Modi government over its “anti-farmer policies”.

Pledging the opposition’s solidarity with the farmers, Gandhi declared that “farm loans will have to be waived even if it required changing the Prime Minister”. “We all are with you. Be it changing laws or changing the Prime Minister, we will do everything that is

required to ensure your loans are waived. If any government insults the farmers, then it has to be uprooted and that is going to happen,” said Gandhi.

Accusing Modi of speaking only for his “industrialist cronies”, Gandhi said farmers were not demanding any free gift but seeking what was their right. “When 3.5 lakh crore of loans of the biggest industrialists can be written off by the Modi government, then the loans of millions of farmers will also have to be waived,” he thundered.

Kejriwal charged the Modi government with “back-stabbing” farmers by telling the Supreme Court that it cannot implement recommendations of the M S Swaminathan Com-mission which the BJP promised to do so in 2014. “They (farmers) are not begging but fighting for their rights,” said Kejriwal.

Many farmers vowed to vote against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “Modi is not my enemy. But he has not fulfilled the promises he made to farmers,” said Rajendra Prasad, a farmer from Uttar Pradesh.

NTA extends NEET registration deadline after Apex Court orderIANS NEW DELHI

The National Testing Agency (NTA) yesterday extended the deadline for registration for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate courses in the field of medicine and den-tistry to December 7, 2018.

The agency, which has taken over the task of con-ducting NEET from CBSE, took the decision after the Supreme Court order, which on Thursday had allowed aspirants above the age of 25 years of age to sit for the exams.

The Central Board of Sec-ondary Education (CBSE) has set the upper age limit at 25 years for one to be eligible for sitting for this exam. The Supreme Court in its order allowed the candidates of 25 years of age and above to sit for the exam only provi-sionally till final judgement comes in the matter.

The previous deadline for the exam, scheduled to be held in May, 2019, was November 30. “In view of the Honorable Supreme Court order... dated 29th November, 2018, the petitioners/candi-dates who are 25 years of age and above shall be entitled to apply and appear in NEET (UG)-2019 examination pro-visionally subject to final outcome of these matters,” read the NTA notification.

“Accordingly last date for filing online application form has been extended by one week — from November 30 to December 7 and fee payment from December 1 to December 8.” As per the NTA’s current guidelines also, the upper age limit is 25 years with five years’ relaxation for SC/ST/ OBC and persons with disability.

Drones to soon transport organs, supplies between hospitalsIANS NEW DELHI

India could soon see the use of drones for transporting organs and other emergency medical supplies between hospitals under the new policy for remotely piloted aircraft, the official registration process for which began yesterday.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said the government is examining the possibility of creating “drone ports” in hospitals to permit this kind of transportation.

“Following the registration beginning from December 1, the required licenses will be issued from a month later to accord drones legal status in India. We are working on the next step of

our drone policy where we are looking at allowing flying drones beyond the line of sight in certain areas,” Sinha said.

The Minister said that a main area of consideration is the cre-ation of drone corridors between hospitals. “Drone ports in hos-pitals can allow quick transpor-tation of harvested organs to recipients under the Drone Policy 2.0 or the next generation of our policy that was recently announced,” Sinha said.

“The draft civil aviation requirement for Drone Policy 2.0 will be issued for consultation on January 15 at a global aviation summit India is hosting in Mumbai,” he added.

Sinha also said that major changes are being considered in the next phase of the drone policy

such as allowing a single pilot to operate multiple drones for con-signment delivery in certain areas.

The government in August announced a policy and guide-lines for drones designed to open up an array of opportunities in the Indian civil aviation sector.

Unveiling the Drone Regu-lations 1.0, Civil Aviation Min-ister Suresh Prabhu had said that these would help foster tech-nology and innovation in the development of drones — which have an extensive range of appli-cations ranging from disaster relief, aerial surveys and in agri-culture to precision logistics.

Drone Regulations 1.0 have been formulated as an “all digital process” with a “Digital Sky” platform in order to put in place a system that is totally online.

“The Digital Sky platform will be a first national unmanned traffic management platform that implements ‘no permission, no takeoff’ for remotely piloted aircraft,” Sinha said. Users will be required to make one-time registration of their drones, pilots and owners on the platform, which will also allow for online filing of a drone’s specific flight path and use.

The regulations are intended to enable visual line-of-sight, daytime only and a maximum of 400 feet altitude operations. The regulations list various cate-gories of drones, and all of these except the “nano” type weighing less than 250 gram and those owned by government and intel-ligence agencies, are to be reg-istered and issued with a Unique

Identification Number.As per the regulations, “for

flying in controlled airspace, filing of flight plan and obtaining Air Defence Clearance/Flight Infor-mation Centre number shall be necessary.” These define the “no-drone zones” around airports, near international borders, Vijay Chowk in Delhi, state Secretariat complexes in state capitals, stra-tegic locations and vital military installations, among others.

The FAQs released by the Ministry specify that delivery of items using drones is “not allowed as of now.” Government agencies, however, can use drones for making deliveries.

Minimum manufacturing standards and training require-ments of drone pilots have also been specified in the regulations.

Women protestWomen shout slogans during a protest, organised by the members of the All India Mahila Congress, against a price hike in cooking gas and electricity, in Mumbai, India, yesterday.

Sri Lanka’s House blocks govt spending amid crisisAFP COLOMBO

Sri Lanka’s parliament yes-terday escalated a power struggle with President Maithripala Sirisena, voting to block spending by the dis-puted government he installed last month.

The legislature decided to suspend money allocated for all ministries a day after cutting off funds to the office of Mahinda Rajapakse, who was controversially appointed to replace prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Wickremesinghe’s party said parliament was taking full financial control because the cabinet named by Rajapakse was unconstitu-tional and therefore running the government illegally.

Yesterday’s resolution, approved with the support of 122 MPs in the 225-member assembly, stopped spending by all ministers and their staff.

However, it allowed the treasury to pay salaries and pensions and spend on main-taining essential services.

The move came a day after the country’s main minority Tamil party sided with Wick-remesinghe’s coalition. Yester-day’s move weakens Sirisena and Rajapakse, who will not be able to finance their adminis-tration. It worsens matters for the government which has been unable to present a budget for 2019 and risks entering the new year without parliamentary approval for any new spending.

Bangladesh arrests 10 Rohingya refugees bound for MalaysiaAFP COX’S BAZAR

Bangladeshi police have arrested 10 Rohingya refugees as they were about to board a boat to travel to Malaysia, an officer said yesterday.

Southeast Bangladesh is home to around a million Rohingya, most of whom fled Myanmar last year following a military crackdown and are now in vast camps. There are fears that with the current calmer weather, many may try to reach other more prosperous countries by boat by paying often unscru-pulous traffickers.

The elite Rapid Action Bat-talion said it stopped the six young women and four men at Shah Porir Dwip, a coastal station

before they could board a boat on the Naf river estuary dividing Bangladesh and Myanmar.

“They were about to head to Malaysia through the Bay of Bengal. The girls won’t be aged more than 22 years. They were tempted that they can get married with well-off persons in Malaysia,” RAB Cox’s Bazar chief Mahedi Hasan said.

People smugglers in recent years have taken tens of thou-sands of Rohingya to Malaysia before Bangladesh launched a crackdown in 2015. Hasan said the women paid $100 each to traffickers and the men paid nearly $250. “Each of them were supposed to pay another 200,000 taka (nearly $2,500) once the boat crosses Thai waters,” he said.

It marked the first

time in a decade that

a train from the South

entered North Korea.

07SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 ASIA

Two Koreas start journey for railway reconnectionAFP SEOUL

A South Korean train crossed into North Korea yesterday for the first time in a decade — packed with engineers on a mission to upgrade the North’s dilapidated rail tracks and create a linked, cross-border network.

Connecting up the railway systems was one of the agree-ments made earlier this year in a key meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the South’s President Moon Jae-in. It marked the first time in a decade that a train from the South entered North Korea.

TV footage yesterday showed a red, white and blue train — dis-playing a banner reading “Iron Horse is now running toward the era of peace and prosperity” — pull away from the South’s Dorasan station, the nearest ter-minal from the western part of the inter-Korean border.

“This signals the start of co-prosperity of the North and the South by reconnecting railways,” Transport Minister Kim

Hyun-mee said. She added the railway reconnection would help expand the country’s “economic territory” to Eurasia by land, as the division of the Korean peninsula has left South Korea geopolitically cut off from the continent for many decades.

The six-carriage train is transporting 28 South Koreans including railway engineers and other personnel, and carrying 55 tonnes of fuel and an electricity generator. There is a passenger coach, a sleeping coach, an office coach and a wagon loaded with water for showers and laundry.

When it arrives at Panmun Station — the first North Korean

terminal across the border — the six carriages will be linked up to a North Korean train, and the South Korean locomotive will return home. The South Koreans and their counterparts will live in the train, inspecting two railway lines for a total of 18 days — one linking the North’s southernmost Kaesong City to Sinuiju City near the Chinese border, and the other connecting Mount Kumgang near the inter-Korean border to Tumen River bordering Russia in the east. They will travel 2,600km on railway tracks together, the transport ministry said.

Before the division of the Korean peninsula in 1948, there

were two railway lines linking the North to the South — one in the west and the other in the east.

As a gesture towards recon-ciliation, the two Koreas recon-nected the western line in 2007 and limited numbers of freight trains transported materials and goods to and from the Seoul-invested Kaesong industrial zone in the North for about a year. But the line has since then been put out of service due to heightened tension over the North’s nuclear development programme.

The current railway project has also faced delays over con-cerns it could violate UN sanctions imposed on the North over its

nuclear and missile programmes. But the UN Security Council granted an exemption for the joint study last week, although it is unclear whether others will be given as the project progresses.

Seoul said the survey was purely aimed at gathering infor-mation on the current state of the North’s rail system and assured that actual restoration works would come only after consents from the UN. The South’s Unifi-cation Ministry has earmarked some 63.4bn won ($56.6m) for next year on the assumption that it will take five years to repair and improve the two railway routes in the North.

Defence expoVisitors check guns on display during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar “IDEAS 2018” in Karachi, Pakistan.

Imran Khan allays fears on dollar hikeINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said yesterday that his gov-ernment was taking steps to ensure that a shortage of dollars would not exist in the future.

Addressing a ceremony to announce the launch of a car manufacturing plant by JW Forland, the Prime Minister spoke on the dollar reaching an all-time high of Rs142 in the interbank.

The Prime Minister said he had been receiving calls since morning about the hike in the dollar price. “I want to tell eve-ryone not to worry about the dollar hike. There is an adjustment taking place. We are taking steps which will ensure that there won’t be a shortage of dollars in Pakistan.”

The Prime Minister high-lighted that Pakistan’s biggest problem was the current account deficit which stood at almost $18.5bn.

“The government is tasked with overcoming the deficit. When there is pressure on the dollar, the exchange rate increases.” Prime Minister Khan stressed there was a need for a change in mindset, emphasising

that his government had made investment easier.

“Investment creates jobs and brings dollars in the country.” He spoke on ease of doing business for investors, which in turn would attract more investors.

According to the Prime Min-ister, there was a need for tech-nological transfer, which he said was among the areas of focus during his trip to China. “For the first time, we have asked China for a technology transfer. When there is technology transfer, the country prospers.”

The Prime Minister further said that Pakistan had trans-formed into an import economy where manufacturing had diminished. “Where there were once factories, real estate projects now exist.” Prime Min-ister Khan said for the first time in Pakistan’s history a complete car manufacturing plant was being set up and this would create 5,000 jobs which would increase to 35,000 in the future.

Speaking on the issue of money laundering, Prime Min-ister Khan said the government was taking steps to bring back looted money. “There is $10bn of money laundering annually in Pakistan.”

Pakistan reduces petrol, diesel pricesINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The government of Pakistan yesterday reduced the price of petroleum by Rs2 per litre, negating the proposed hike by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority. Finance Minister Asad Umar, addressing a press conference here, announced a decrease of Rs2 per litre in petrol and diesel prices.

Price of kerosene oil has been cut by Rs3 per litre, whereas light diesel oil price has been slashed by Rs5 per

litre. Price of domestic petrol has been decreased by Rs2 per litre, he said.

“Global oil prices rose in October, however the gov-ernment only increased the petroleum prices by half as much that month,” Umar said. Petrol prices had been raised by Rs5 per litre in October.

Following the price revi-sions, petrol will now be sold at Rs95.83 per litre, diesel at Rs110.94 per litre, kerosene oil at Rs83.50 and light diesel oil at Rs77.44, effective from December 1.

Beijing lashes out at US for South China Sea sail-byAFP BEIJING

China yesterday scolded the United States for sending naval vessels close to dis-puted islands in the South China Sea where Beijing has built military installations.

The US and its allies have in recent times sent planes and warships to the area for “freedom of navigation” operations, intended as a signal to Beijing of their right under international law to pass through the waters claimed by China.

The USS Chancellorsville guided missile destroyer on Monday entered waters off the Paracel Islands, known as Xisha in Chinese, said Peo-ple’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre spokesman Li Huamin in a statement.

Aircraft and warships were scrambled, sending out warnings for the American vessel to leave the area. “We urge the US to strengthen the management of its vessels and aircraft that pass by Chinese territory to prevent unexpected events,” Li said. China has also lodged a diplomatic complaint with the US, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, calling on the US to “immedi-ately stop such provocative actions that violate China’s sovereignty”.

The Paracels are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea though Taiwan, the Philip-pines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.

Further angering those countries, and the US, Beijing has moved aggressively to build up reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. It was the second US naval operation to irk China this week.

Women entrepreneurs’ Tiffin Service offers healthy foodINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The Tiffin Service, meant to serve home cooked culinary delights by women entrepre-neurs to office workers and bachelors at affordable rates, is entering as a new trend of food service in the twin cities.

A significant number of females have started offering home made foods in the offices on order in tiffin carriers to its potential clients helping them contribute to the economic well being of their families.

Noreen, offering Tiffin Services with the brand name of Haleem Dhaba in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, said, she encashed peoples’ concern about healthy food and that is why she started offering

foods to working class to make them enjoy home made food delights. “This business never goes stale. If you are a woman who loves to cook there is nothing to stop you from becoming a successful food entrepreneur,” she added.

She said demand of home meals was gradually increasing as people love to have quality food and her prime targets were working people who have to remain in office for long hours and do not prefer restaurants.

Noreen said the significance of Tiffin Service was that every individual’s needs were catered as per requirement. “Few like spicy and many people like to have Chinese style chilli free foods” she added.

A customer, Sabeen Ahmed said: “I have to reach office early

morning and most of the time could not prepare food for myself and I call Tiffin Service and enjoy healthy food with an ease of mind.” The best thing about this service, she said, “is that food offered at restaurants can never be an alternative to the home made stuff.”

The Tifin Service was a new initiative in country’s food industry as health issues were forcing people, especially working class, to avoid junk foods of res-taurants and “their exorbitant rates were unaffordable for the students class”, said Ahmed Ali a student of Islamic University.

Dr Waseem Malik of Alshifa Hospital, said: “The Tiffin Service is exceptional as food is cooked in strict observance of hygiene and use of fresh ingredients make food different from restaurant.”

Five dead, 32 injured in HK coach crashA policeman walks past a crushed taxi after a coach (back) collided with it in Hong Kong yesterday. Five people were killed and 32 injured after a coach on its way to Hong Kong’s airport collided with a taxi, police said, with passengers reportedly thrown from the coach’s windows on impact.

Six injured after Vietjet flight loses wheels on landingAFP HANOI

Six people were injured after a the wheels of a recently delivered Vietjet Airbus plane flew off as the aircraft made a rough landing in central Vietnam, officials said yesterday.

On Thursday evening, a plane lost its nose wheels as it made a rough landing in Buon Ma Thuot from Ho Chi Minh City, according to the transport ministry.

The flight “encountered a serious incident during landing, during which two front wheels of the aircraft were lost,” according to a report by the ministry for the Prime Minister. Images published by industry publication Flightglobal showed the nose wheels shorn off and

the emergency slides deployed from the plane’s side.

The flight’s 207 passengers were safely evacuated but six people were briefly hospi-talised with minor injuries, Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority said.

The Airbus A321 plane had been delivered to Vietjet two weeks ago, though it was not clear if it was a new aircraft.

An Airbus spokesperson said they “are in contact with the airline to determine what occurred and will provide all necessary technical assistance”.

The airline, the country’s fastest growing carrier and owned by Vietnam’s richest woman, said it was in contact with authorities to “assess the incident and promptly support all affected passengers”.

23 dead in US air strike in Helmand: UNAFP KABUL

At least 23 civilians, including women and children, were killed by a US air strike in southern Afghanistan earlier this week, according to an UN investigation, as ordinary Afghans continue to bear the brunt of the 17-year conflict.

“Initial findings indicate that the vast majority of the victims were women and children,” the UN mission in Afghanistan said in a report, adding that at least three people were also injured.

The strike occurred during a firefight between Afghan special forces working with US advisors and Taliban insurgents late on Tuesday in restive Helmand province.

Iran’s message to

the international

community is

that the US

administration—

not the Islamic

Republic—is the

rogue actor.

To be sure, the

Tehran regime

has wanted to

successfully

convince the world

of this narrative

since 1979.

08 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018VIEWS

How will Iran confront the US sanctions?

US President Donald Trump’s determination to distinguish his presidency by erasing the legacy of his predecessoris

arguably most evident with respect to President Trump’s approach to Iran. President Barack Obama saw the limited ability of sanctions and pressure on Tehran to produce pos-itive outcomes from the standpoint of American national interests. To the contrary, Trump is determined to conduct an extremely hawkish and markedly less diplomatic foreign policy vis-à-vis Iran =. The current administration seeks to push the Islamic Republic toward capitulation on numerous issues from Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs, to Iran’s regional conduct by applying “maximum pressure” on the regime.

As of this month, Iran is again subject to a series of tough unilateral and internationally unpopular sanc-tions imposed by the United States. These sanctions come in the framework of a strategy adopted by Trump following Washington’s with-drawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA), which Iran and six global powers (a.k.a. the “P5+1”) signed in 2015. Trump also added 700 individuals and institutions, including banks, vessels, and aircraft, to the

sanctions list.In the

Arab world, where Iran has wreaked much havoc, high-ranking government officials and average cit-izens on the street are asking ques-tions about Trump’s strategies for dealing with Iran’s malignant conduct. Can these sanc-tions make the Middle East safer, or will they only fuel greater

instability? Can these measures against Tehran increase or decrease the risks of the Islamic Republic from one day developing a nuclear weapon? How might these sanctions affect the price of oil? Will punishing Iran economically make a war involving Tehran more or less likely?

For all the White House’s rhetoric about curbing the Iranian regime’s worst behaviour, there is hardly any sign that Washington’s policies throughout the Trump presidency have changed Tehran’s regional conduct. Arguments in favour of harsher sanctions on Iran have often relied on the premise that denying Tehran access to sources of revenue will result in the Islamic Republic ending—or at least decreasing—its support for various non-state actors in

the region which the US State Department and numerous Arab states recognize as terrorist groups. Yet when Iran was sanctioned heavily during periods of the George W Bush and Obama presidencies, there was no decrease in Tehran’s financial backing for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, or various Shi’a militias in Iraq.

There is no evidence that this time around sanctions would bring about such a positive result from the US administration’s standpoint. In fact, today in Yemen Iran pays a price to maintain its support for Ansurallah (the dominant Houthi militia) that is very low. Tehran could easily continue supporting Ansurallah even with US-imposed sanctions inflicting immense harm on Iran’s economy. What is certain is that millions of Iranians, especially those below the poverty line, will suffer from the sanctions, but it isdoubtful that such measures will result in Tehran’s strategic partners in the region losing their funding from the Islamic Republic.

An official from the US State Department has confirmed that the administration’s view of Iranian conduct worsening since the JCPOA’s implementation in early 2016 was a major factor driving the White House toward the decision to pull America out of the accord. The White House’s hope is that the economic toll paid by Iran because of these sanctions will result in the Tehran regime coming to the table and offering to renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on terms that include the Islamic Republic making major concessions with respect to its ties to Lebanese Hezbollah, Yemen’s Ansur-allah, and other non-state actors in the region, on top of Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic program.

Ultimately, it is unclear how much Iran will be isolated from the interna-tional economy as a result of the sanc-tions that Washington re-imposed this month. Although the Trump adminis-tration would like to, at least even-tually, see all purchasers of Iranian oil bring their oil to zero, Tehran is pro-viding countries with incentives to continue purchasing the nation’s s oil. Such incentives include discounted prices for crude, nearly free shipping, and insurance for cargos.

India, for example, will be keen to avoid succumbing to US pressure to stop purchasing Iranian oil due to India and Iran’s geographic proximity and the fact that Indian refineries have a configuration for processing Iran’s oil from which it would be very costly to transition. In the case of the EU, China,

and Russia, there is consideration of an “oil-for-goods” scheme which officials in Tehran have discussed. If the Ira-nians can send their oil to foreign ports, they can blend it with other countries’ oil and sell it on the global market even if sanctions remain in place. Reportedly, the Russians have given thought to the idea of purchasing Iranian oil, then renaming it as Russian oil, prior to selling it elsewhere. Given that the Iranian officials are crafty and capable of working with many parties worldwide to circumvent US-imposed sanctions, the use of oil swaps can benefit the Tehran regime immensely and call into question the effectiveness of Trump’s strategies for choking Iran.

Unquestionably, the administra-tion’s ultimate objectives vis-à-vis Iran appear unclear. Some rhetoric indicates that the White House is pushing for regime change but offi-cials have stated that the goals are limited to changing Tehran’s regional conduct, not ousting the Iranian regime nor harming the country’s 82 million citizens. As the Trump admin-istration stands by its decision to walk away from the JCPOA and take a hard stance against Tehran that is designed to pressure Iran into capitulating on major issues, the White House’s strat-egies risk leaving the US far more iso-lated than Iran. Given that Tehran complied with the JCPOA since its implementation in early 2016, the Iranian leadership is telling the world that Tehran has been responsible while Washington has failed to maintain its commitments as a sig-natory to the watershed nuclear deal.

With Trump at the helm the US has become isolated on scores of other global issues from the Paris Climate Accord to the embargo on Cuba and Jerusalem. Within this framework, the Islamic Republic’s leadership is taking advantage of an unprecedented oppor-tunity to capitalize on a new global environment in which it is“ Trump vs. Everyone Else on Iran at the UN”, unlike the Obama era when the US had more credibility in its positions against Tehran.

But Iran’s message to the interna-tional community is that the US administration—not the Islamic Republic—is the rogue actor. To be sure, the Tehran regime has wanted to successfully convince the world of this narrative since 1979. Yet now Iran is having the easiest time doing so as the Trump administration isolates the United States on issues where virtually the rest of the world has reached a consensus.

The writer is Director of Gulf International Center.

DR. KHALID AL JABER

QUOTE OF THE DAYWe are so close to the

elimination of polio, but we have to use all of

our international tools to achieve this end.

The ongoing situation continues to require that

a public health emergency of international concern

should be applied. Helen Rees

Chair of WHO’s international emergency committee

The Qatar School

of Science and

Technology for

Boys adopts

an educational

approach based

on the teaching

of science,

technology,

engineering and

mathematics

(STEM) in an

integrated manner.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFIeditorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMEDm.salim@pen.com.qa

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

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Quality education

Education is an essential tool for everyone to enhance knowledge and achieve success in life. Qatar’s edu-cation sector is growing and this was evident when

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani inaugurated the Qatar School of Science and Technology for Boys. The school adopts an educational approach based on the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in an inte-grated manner. The Prime Minister and Interior Minister affirmed that Qatar, under the leadership of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, attaches importance to the educational system, praising the idea of establishing the school by providing students with innovative and stim-ulating educational experiences in the fields of science and technology, especially in research, development and problem solving, preparing them to contribute effectively to the knowledge-based economy, achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 and providing the country with qualified educational outputs capable of continuing university studies or engage in the labor market.

Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahid Al Hammadi highlighted the impor-tance of the school and said there is no doubt that the Ministry’s quest for a knowledge-based economy requires building quality educational institutions, building students’ minds, developing their innovations, adopting their ideas and polishing them to the highest levels of quality and production. The specialized secondary school that includes grades from 9 to 12 carries the aspirations of out-standing Qatari students seeking scientific excellence and who are serious in achieving their aca-demic ambitions.

The Minister said the school is different than other schools as it targets talented Qatari students in the field of science who show a passion for technology, engi-neering and mathematics. The

school provides a unique educational experience for Qatari students through its laboratories which contributes to con-structing a strong scientific and research base in the sec-ondary stage, which continues during university, compre-hensively supporting distinguished students which will create a new Qatari generation that is able to globally compete with their research and projects. This is the right investment to build future generations armed with the skills of the 21st century, especially in the fields of science on which the econ-omies of developed countries in our modern world rely on.

The school aims to build a generation of scientists, researchers and inventors, to provide the Qatari labor market with rare scientific disciplines and to provide the country with educational outputs that possess the skills for a knowledge-based economy, thus benefiting the objectives of the Qatar National Vision. Qatar has placed science, tech-nology and innovation at the top of its national priorities and has included them in its strategic plans and national vision goals. Qatar, no doubt, is taking care of its talented youth and knows that they are valuable treasures and that their capabilities must be developed.

China’s ‘penetrate and sway’ schemeTHE WASHINGTON POST

After a few decades of engagement and openness with the West, China under Pres-ident Xi Jinping has shifted to a

strategy of defending and promoting its authoritarian regime, including through an influence campaign inside the United States. It seeks to “penetrate and sway” the Chinese American community, Chinese students in the United States, US civil society organizations, universities, think tanks, media and businesses. That is the conclusion of a new report by an impressive group of US scholars, who warn that China’s political operations in

the United States cannot be ignored.The report, “Chinese Influence &

American Interests: Promoting Con-structive Vigilance,” written by a team led by Larry Diamond of the Hoover Institution and Stanford University and Orville Schell of the Asia Society, delib-erately refrains from alarmism, and the authors make a determined effort not to stir hysteria that could rebound against Chinese Americans and lead to a new red scare. They point out that China has not sought to interfere in a national election or to sow confusion or inflame discourse in the ways that Russia has done.

But these experts, many of whom

championed engagement with China in earlier years, portray a looming and malevolent force that is taking advantage of US openness and freedoms to advance the goals of the Chinese Communist Party, which believes in neither. The fruits of this campaign, which has accelerated since Xi took power in 2012, are both greater sway in the United States and a cherry- picking of valuable technology. The report advances the idea that China’s earlier soft power has now been trans-formed into “sharp power” that can “challenge, and sometimes even undermine, core American freedoms, norms, and laws.”

Qatar Foundation,

the larger home for

CIS, has assumed a

special role in the

discussion of the

future of education

through the World

Innovation Summit

for Education (WISE),

which is currently the

most comprehensive

platform to bring

together innovators in

the field of education.

09SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 OPINION

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The fiction of race andthe damage it wreaks

Global shifts in education drive the delivery of applied Islamic education

COURTLAND MILLOY THE WASHINGTON POST

M EVREN TOK & SABIKA SHABAN

Race is a biological fiction, a concept with no basis in anatomy. It is a myth, pseudo-science, a fraud, a social con

job. Kwame Anthony Appiah, a pro-fessor of philosophy and law at New York University, has been hammering that fact for more than 40 years. It is, Appiah, says, “racial antirealism.”

Appiah grew up in Ghana and earned a doctorate from Cambridge. A cultural theorist, referred to by some as a “postmodern Socrates,” he was presented with a National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2012. Appiah was back in Washington recently to discuss his new book, “The Lies That Bind.” The title pretty much sums up our national predicament on race - a society organized into con-flicting groups. One of the most critical of those lies is fuelled by a delusion based primarily on skin color.

While much of “the scientific superstructure of race has been dis-mantled in the past century,” Appiah writes in the book, “the world outside the sciences hasn’t taken much notice. Too many of us remain captive to a perilous cartography of colour.”

We’ve seen a resurgence of that racial peril in recent years, most recently in political campaigns marred with racial invective - in Mis-sissippi, Georgia, Florida and even in the progressive District of Columbia.

In the race for US Senate in Missis-sippi, a black man and a white woman are competing. In a state with one of the highest numbers of recorded lynchings, the white candidate has joked about a “public hanging.”

In Georgia, a robocall labeled the black female candidate for governor “a

poor man’s Aunt Jemima,” a reference to an image that has racist connota-tions. In Florida, a white candidate for governor told voters not to vote for the black candidate because they couldn’t afford to “monkey this up.”

And in the liberal District, a white Jewish candidate for an at-large council seat was portrayed as an out-sider in corners of the city where many blacks feel they’re being left behind or pushed out.

In an interview, I asked Appiah for his take on the emotional havoc that race is wreaking on us - specifically on white and black people, the two groups at the center of the friction.

Both groups are paying a steep price for being bound by the lie.

“There are a lot of anxieties around race,” Appiah said.

Fear and anger among white people who believe black people are less than and unequal. Fear and anger among black people for whom his-toric atrocities by white people make it impossible to trust fully.

“I feel we are going through a low period,” he said. “President Trump didn’t start it,” Appiah said, referring to Trump’s appeal to and embrace of people and policies that have been at minimum inflammatory. But, Appiah said, Trump made it worse. Like his distorted use of the word “nation-alism,” which might have been the root of a shared American identity. Instead, Trump turned it into an appeal to racism.

“What he is doing is dog-whistling to people who call themselves nation-alist but who are really a racially identified people who want America to be a white nation. Responsible people don’t do that, because in a society so divided, you get violence, and at the end of that road is ethnic cleansing and genocide. And once you set these things in motion, you can’t control them.”

The shooting up of black churches and synagogues provides ample proof.

“The fact that these people are clearly unbalanced doesn’t mean that they are being affected by the trends in the culture,” Appiah said. “When

you encourage groups that are anti-Semitic and racist, you encourage crazy people to do bad things. Even people who are not clinically insane will sit in front of a [computer screen] sharing hateful language that can only lead to violence in the end.”

White people aren’t the only ones to have bought into the fallacy of race.

Far too many black people have internalized the legacies of the old racist structure, Appiah said. It affects how you respond to challenges, how you think about yourself, he said. “There is also a constant barrage of negativity about black people in the culture, and it’s bound to affect you.”

Two weeks ago, I wrote a column questioning why more black men had not spoken up against the way Trump had mistreated black female elected officials and journalists. I asked Appiah what he thought about such an appeal to racial solidarity.

He noted that historically, oppressed groups often band together to fight injustice. However, any notion that 40 million “black” people felt the same way because of their race was unrealistic.

And unproductive.“There is a danger in making

racial identities too central to our conceptions of ours,” he says.

But there’s also no getting around it. With racial identity comes a set of norms to which members are expected to adhere, but these norms can be in conflict with personal ambition and freedom of expression.

“I think it’s important to know how incredibly diverse black people are,” he said. “If I say, ‘Imagine the face of a black man,’ people will have a picture, but only a tiny proportion will fit that picture.”

Appiah’s father, Joseph Emmanuel Appiah, was a lawyer, politician and Ghanaian anti-colonial activist. He was black. His mother, Peggy Appiah, was an English aristocrat. She was white.

Asked about his own racial identi-fication, he said, “People know I’m not white.”

That’s how the construct of race plays out.

A tectonic shift is taking place in the very nature of global education. The educational models of the past (which

albeit stubbornly continue in many institutions today) lack empathy, critical and analytical thought, and an ingrained respect for ethical and global citizenship. However, what is emerging is yet to be defined, but certain qualities are already visible. The College of Islamic Studies (CIS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, recently hosted Imran Sayeed—MIT professor, entrepreneur, and educa-tional specialist—who identified what he refers to as three “foundational elements” that “yet need to be fully realized” across most institutions in the future of education. These ele-ments pave the way for successful transformations that are brought about by disruptive technologies—or, in fact, any paradigmatic change.

An important aspect of what is emerging today focuses on Sayeed’s focus, which was on new pedagogical and technological tools that foster inclusion and innovation inside and outside the classroom. These transfor-mations open up educational delivery to people of varying learning styles

and strength profiles, and to children in limiting environments such as refugee camps, remote communities, and socio-economic restrictions. Say-eed’s presentation represents the force of the tectonic shifts that tech-nology can stir. For instance, “learning revolutions,” a hot topic in global edu-cational circles, address the ways dis-ruptive technologies affect classroom settings and broader teaching and learning dynamics.

How do these “revolutions” res-onate with the Muslim world? We were intrigued to look at CIS as a microcosm of study, and to gauge if CIS was primed for such revolutions by adopting the foundational ele-ments. We observed to what degree the elements—namely ethical sensi-tivity, collaborative spirit, and inherent curiosity—have become part of the college in recent years.

CIS emits a tantalizing vibe by being sensitive to the way religion, ethics, and morality are studied, researched, and disseminated. The college acts as a purposeful laboratory where we continue to test, apply, revise, develop, and forge the future in Islamic education. The syllabi prompt discussions on the

implications of Islamic thought, values, and ethics on sometimes con-tentious issues, not only in contem-porary studies, but in finance, economy, global affairs, history, art, and architecture. Students are prompted to consider Islamic thought on controversial themes such as genomics and palliative care, the balance between profitability and sustainability, and the role of Muslims in the urban war against climate change; amongst many others.

In terms of collaborative spirit, Qatar Foundation, the larger home for CIS, has assumed a special role in the discussion of the future of education through the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), which is cur-rently the most comprehensive platform to bring together innovators in the field of education. Here at CIS, we extend on WISE’s global effort locally by drawing on innovative strategies in education and applying them to how Islamic studies is delivered in postgraduate education. One facet at the college involves encouraging collaborative opportu-nities with local and global thought leaders in each discipline at the student, program, and college levels to encourage multi-faceted approaches to modern-day questions.

In fostering a love for learning in our students, CIS builds on Qatar Foundation’s efforts in developing educational environments for empowerment and inclusion. The college is in continuous advancement towards becoming a global benchmark in offering nuanced examinations of traditional Islamic knowledge within the context of the challenges faced in modern societies. The syllabi are structured to individu-alize learning, to promote investiga-tional thinking, and to produce thought leaders and innovators who can diagnose future challenges and become home-grown innovators of the Islamic world.

CIS has cultivated a community of practice among students, faculty, and local actors around a common problem, inquiry, and multi-faceted project. Students are engaged both as learners and collaborators in

While much of

“the scientific

superstructure

of race has been

dismantled in the

past century,”

Appiah writes in the

book, “the world

outside the sciences

hasn’t taken much

notice. Too many of

us remain captive

to a perilous

cartography of

colour.”

developing applied knowledge in their disciplines of interest informed by Islamic studies. It is truly an exciting time to graduate such contributors to the Muslim world and beyond, who carry forward the beacon of Islamic enlightenment, and yet instinc-tively understand how to navigate the complexity of today’s world as leaders in Islamic global citi-zenship. When looking at Sayeed’s three foundational elements that precede technological—or any sys-temic—change, we see the College of the Islamic Studies is truly well ahead of the game.

Dr. M Evren Tok is Associate Dean of Innovation and Com-munity Engagement and Sabika Shaban is Academic Journals and Publications Specialist at the College of Islamic Studies (CIS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), in Doha, Qatar.

The Graduate Studies Open House witnessed the attendance of more than 350 prospective students with interest in HBKU’s programs.

10 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018EUROPE

Foul play ruled

out over Merkel

plane incidentREUTERS BERLIN

The German Air Force said yesterday that there was no suspicion of criminal activity after a malfunction forced a plane carrying Chancellor Angela Merkel to the G20 summit in Argentina to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier, German daily Rhei-nische Post cited security sources as saying the government was checking whether the incident on Thursday had a “criminal background”, though the sources added that investigators would typically look “in all directions” after such an incident.

But a spokesman for the German Air Force said there was no suspicion of any crime, adding: “It’s a standard check of the radio equipment that failed.”

Merkel was on her way from Germany to the summit when the government’s Airbus A340 made an unscheduled but safe landing at Cologne-Bonn airport late on Thursday.

Guido Henrich, commander of the German Air Force’s gov-ernment fleet, told reporters the pilots experienced the radio

failure over the Netherlands and that other systems failed too, so they landed at Cologne-Bonn airport.

An electronic failure was the problem.

“The part concerned was an electronic distribution box, which we have changed,” Henrich, adding that the Air

Force was sending another plane to Argentina for Merkel’s return journey from the G20.

Der Spiegel magazine said the government plane’s entire communication system malfunc-tioned, constituting a serious emergency, with the crew forced to plan the landing using an on-board satellite phone.

The air force spokesman said the plane had not discharged jet fuel before landing in Cologne, contrary to earlier reports.

The Chancellor called the incident a “serious malfunction”. She and German Finance Min-ister Olaf Scholz resumed their travel to Buenos Aires early yesterday.

A spokesman for the

German Air Force

said there was no

suspicion of any

crime, adding: “It’s a

standard check of the

radio equipment that

failed.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down from Airbus “Konrad Adenauer” on the tarmac of Cologne’s airport after an emergency landing.

Hackers use Brexit in phishing email, experts warnAP LONDON

Cybersecurity experts at consulting firm Accenture warned that Russian hackers are using public interest in Brexit as a lure in their latest phishing emails.

The company’s security division issued an advisory about a Brexit-themed doc-ument intended to deliver malware to targets.

Accenture said the Microsoft Word file started circulating the same day this month that the British gov-ernment agreed on a draft of its agreement to leave the EU.

The document had Brexit in its file name but contained only garbled text used to trick users into activating a macro command to load malicious content.

Accenture said it appears the cyberattackers were Russian based on software used in previous hacking attempts, adding that they often use news headlines to trick victims.

May accuses Labour Party of betraying people over BrexitAP LONDON

British Prime Minister Theresa May accused the opposition Labour Party of betraying the British people by trying to stop Brexit as she went on the offensive yesterday in her battle to win approval of the widely criticized divorce agreement she negotiated with the European Union.

With less than two weeks to go before a vote in the House of Commons, May is trying to win

support from lawmakers of all parties who have balked at the deal. She declined to entertain questions about what alternative she might offer if the current agreement is rejected on December 11.

“I’ve got a plan, I’ve got a proposal, I’ve got the deal that I’ve negotiated,” she said ahead of the G-20 summit in Argentina. “We don’t see any alternative coming forward from the Labour Party. ... Instead, what I see from Labour is an attempt to frustrate what the government is doing to

deliver Brexit for the British people. That is actually a betrayal of the British people.”

The agreement ratified by EU leaders last weekend came more than two years after a UK refer-endum in which 52 percent of those who cast ballots voted to leave the bloc. Some opponents are calling for a second refer-endum now that the costs of leaving the EU have become clear, but May said that would violate the trust of the 17.4 million people who voted for Brexit in 2016.

The prime minister has been highlighting the risks of leaving the EU without a deal in a bid to persuade skeptical lawmakers - including many of her fellow Conservatives — to back the agreement.

Many members of Par-liament oppose the deal because it leaves details of the future rela-tionship between Britain and the EU to be negotiated during a transition period that will last least 21 months. Of particular concern is a backstop that could leave Britain tied to the EU for

years if the two sides can’t agree on how to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland.

Leaving the EU without a deal would end more than 40 years of free trade and disrupt the flow of goods and services between Britain and its most important trading partners. The Bank of England warned this week that a no-deal Brexit would plunge Britain into a severe recession.

May’s comments came after lawmakers proposed an amendment that could stop

Brexit if Parliament rejects her agreement.

The amendment says Par-liament must be able to express its view on how the government should proceed if the prime min-ister’s plan is defeated.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, a staunch Brexiteer who is one of the most vocal critics of the deal, said yesterday the gov-ernment was trying to frighten people into accepting it with dire forecasts about the impact of leaving the EU without an agreement.

11SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 EUROPE / AMERICAS

Ukraine ups the ante as tensions escalateREUTERS KIEV

Ukraine yesterday banned Russian men of combat age from entering the country, a move introduced under martial law after Russia fired on and captured three Ukrainian naval ships off Crimea last weekend.

Ukraine announced it was barring entry to Russian men between 16-60 years and a senior state security official said Kiev was considering whether to respond in kind with “mirror actions” to the Black Sea incident.

Earlier, in a move applauded in Kiev, US President Donald Trump called off a meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Argentina to signal Washington’s disapproval of Russian behaviour in the naval clash with Ukraine.

The Russian rouble, which is sensitive to events that might lead to new sanctions being imposed on Russia, fell on news of the cancelled meeting.

In a further boost to Ukraine, the EU released 500 million euros in financial assistance to Kiev and European Council Pres-ident Donald Tusk predicted Brussels would roll over sanc-tions on Russia at a summit on December 13 to 14.

President Petro Poroshenko, referring to Russia’s seizure and

subsequent annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatist uprisings in eastern Ukraine, said banning Russian men was important for stopping a full-scale invasion.

“These are measures to block the Russian Federation from forming detachments of private armies here, which in fact are representatives of the Armed Forces of the Russian Feder-ation,” Poroshenko said.

“And not allow them to carry out the operations that they tried to conduct in 2014,” he added.

Officials said they might also impose additional restrictions on Russian citizens already in Ukraine.

In Moscow, a Russian law-maker was quoted by RIA news agency as saying Russia had no plans for a reciprocal move to bar Ukrainian men.

The EU has propped up

Ukraine’s war-scarred economy since the Crimea annexation while prodding the pro-Western authorities to pass reforms and tackle corruption.

“Today’s European Com-mission decision on dis-bursement comes at a crucial moment when Ukraine and its people face a new aggression from Russia and need to see sol-idarity from international partners,” said Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis.

Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for last Sun-day’s clash at the Kerch Strait through which ships have to pass to reach Ukrainian ports at Ber-dyansk and Mariupol.

It prompted Ukraine to introduce martial law for a period of 30 days from Wednesday in regions of the country thought most vulnerable to a Russian attack. Poroshenko has requested Nato to deploy ships to the area.

Russia says it will deploy a new division of Pantsir medium-range surface-to-air systems on the Crimean peninsula by the end of the year, Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the Southern Military District as saying. A Pantsir division can comprise between 12 and 18 mil-itary vehicles, it said.

The planned deployment comes after Russia announced

it had deployed a new battalion of advanced S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, its fourth such battalion, to the peninsula’s north. A Crimean security source was also quoted by Interfax on Thursday saying that Russia planned to build a new missile early-warning radar station in Crimea next year.

Russian officials accuse Poroshenko of artificially man-ufacturing a crisis to prop up

sagging ratings ahead of an election next March.

But the incident has prompted renewed calls for more Western sanctions on Russia.

Tusk will chair an EU summit on December 13 and 14, which is due to roll over for another year the bloc’s measures against Rus-sia’s defence, energy and banking sectors.

“Europe is united in its

support to Ukraine’s sover-eignty and territorial integrity. This is why I am sure that the EU will roll over the sanctions against Russia in December,” Tusk told a news conference in Argentina.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday said London would push for “appro-priate sanctions” and called on Russia to release the Ukrainian vessels and crew.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (centre) chairs a meeting with heads of military and security forces in Kiev, yesterday.

French parliament vote to ban child smackingREUTERS PARIS

Members of the French parliament voted in favour of a ban on parents smacking their children, falling into line with the majority of European Union member states, although there will be no punishment for breaking the law.

The civil code will be updated to state that parental

authority must be exercised without violence and that parents may not resort to “physical, verbal or psycho-logical violence, nor to corporal punishment or humiliation”.

The ban was approved in a thinly attended National Assembly session yesterday, with 51 votes in favour, one against and three abstentions.

It reverses parental rights to discipline children using

corporal punishment granted under Napoleon in the early 1800s.

“Education through violence can only create more violence in society. It also leads to failure at school, illness, suicide, anti-social behaviour and delinquence,” said Maud Petit of the centrist MoDem party, a partner in parliament with French President Emmanuel Macron’s LREM party.

The ban was proposed by

France’s gender equality min-ister, Marlene Schiappa, who told Le Parisien newspaper that parents are wrong to believe that shouting, slapping or twisting children’s ears are appropriate ways to assert authority.

“No violence is educational,” she said.

French First Lady Brigitte Macron also supported the ban, but a few conservative and far-right MPs have condemned it as

an interference in families’ private lives.

As part of the vote, the gov-ernment will prepare a report about parental violence and propose measures to educate parents.

Following the example of Sweden in 1966, some 54 coun-tries have introduced similar laws banning corporal pun-ishment in home, according to French data.

The EU released

€500m in financial

assistance to Kiev

and European Council

President Donald

Tusk predicted

Brussels would roll

over sanctions on

Russia at a summit on

December 13 to 14.

UN helps hundreds of caravan migrants return homeAFP GENEVA

The United Nations said yesterday it had helped hundreds of Central Americans who trav-elled with migrant caravans towards the United States to return to their home countries.

The International Organi-zation for Migration said as of Wednesday, it had helped 453 migrants, including unaccom-panied children, who had expressed the desire to return to their countries of origin.

In addition, “over 300 Central American migrants have

expressed their interest in returning from Tijuana, and IOM is coordinating safe and dig-nified means of transport for them,” the UN agency’s spokesman Joel Millman told reporters in Geneva.

He said that a full 84 percent of those already returned to their countries were men, and that most had been returned to Honduras (57 percent) and El Salvador (38 percent), while five percent had been sent back to Guatemala.

“Twenty-five unaccom-panied migrant children returned by plane,” he said.

More than 6,000 migrants who travelled to the northern Mexican city by caravan are camped out hoping to apply for asylum or sneak into the United States, fleeing poverty and vio-lence in their home countries.

US President Donald Trump, who has called the caravan an “invasion” full of “hardened criminals” and “thugs,” is seeking to overhaul asylum policy to keep applicants out pending approval.

Facing a hostile welcome and little hope, a growing number of migrants have decided to turn back.

Mud and debris flow from the Holy Fire burn area after flash flooding, on Trabuco Canyon Road, in California, yesterday.

Floods hit fire-ravaged CaliforniaAP SAN FRANCISCO

Flash floods hit a wildfire-scarred area of Northern Cali-fornia, forcing officials to deploy swift water rescue teams to save people stuck in vehicles and rescue them from homes after a downpour near the Paradise area.

Authorities said they used boats to rescue people from three homes and told people in about 100 vehicles to stay in place until the rain receded in late afternoon. They received reports of flooding on roads and of downed trees and utility poles.

Dale Word, a firmware engineer, was evacuated briefly from his semi-rural Chico neighborhood for the second

time this month.Word waded out in thigh-

high water to higher ground until the rain receded, leaving a mess of sticky mud and debris. He said he was stunned by the disasters that have hit Butte County. The fire came within several hundred feet of his home.

“Everywhere you go you’re talking to people who have lost everything and it’s just tragic,” Word said, jokingly adding, “It feels like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are going to come riding over the hill any day now.”

Thursday’s storm brought 1½ inches of rain in an hour, top-pling trees and trapping motorists in flooded roads downstream, said National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Shoemaker.

“This is heavy rain in a short

period of time and that’s the worst thing that can happen in the burn scar,” he said.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Department ordered evacua-tions but could not say how many people were affected. The water rescues were in an area of Chico, which is downhill from Paradise, and a city where many of the wildfire evacuees have been staying since the town of 27,000 was destroyed just three weeks ago by a deadly wildfire.

People from three homes in Word’s Chico neighborhood were rescued by boat, said Rick Carhart, a spokesman with the California Department of For-estry and Fire Protection. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said that at one point, people in about 100 vehicles were told to stay in place.

Slovak minister resigns after MPs reject UN migration pactANATOLIA BRATISLAVA

Slovakia’s foreign minister resigned after its parliament adopted a resolution advising the government to reject a UN pact on the treatment of migrants.

Miroslav Lajcak (pictured) quit in protest against parlia-ment’s rejection of the UN’s Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, Foreign Ministry spokesman Boris Gandel told the Slovak news agency TASR.

In a vote in the Slovak par-liament, 90 of its 150 law-makers voted against the pact.

Lajcak warned last week that he would tender his resig-nation if the country did not

sign the document. The resolution said the

Slovak government should “take a disapproving stance” toward the pact.

It also stated that the pact is not in line with the country’s current security and migration policies.

Italy arrests 30 suspected mobstersAP ROME

Police in a sweep against Italy’s so-called “fourth Mafia” have arrested 30 suspected mobsters.

Italy’s national anti-Mafia prosecutor, Federico Cafiero de Raho, said that the Foggia-based figures allegedly operated extortion rackets and used violence to control their “territory” near the “spur” of the boot-shaped peninsula in southeast Italy.

The prosecutor thanked “the few courageous business owners” who denounced extortion attempts.

Blaze in Slovakia leaves five deadAP BRATISLAVA

Slovak firefighters said five people, including four children, have been killed in a house fire in eastern Slovakia.

The statement said the blaze broke out around 3am yesterday in a four-room house in the town of Richnava.

Officials said the children ranged in age from 5 to 9, and one 28-year-old died as well.

Richnava Mayor Ivan Dunka confirmed a mother and her four children lived there.

12 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018AMERICAS / CLASSIFIEDS

Starwood hotels hit by massive data breachAP BETHESDA

The information of as many as 500 million guests at Starwood hotels has been compromised and Marriott said that it’s discovered that unauthorized access to data within its Starwood network has been taking place since 2014.

It could be among the largest data breaches on record.

The company said that credit card numbers and expi-ration dates of some guests may have been taken. For as many as two-thirds of those affected, data exposed could include mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest account infor-mation, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure infor-mation, reservation date and communication preferences. For some guests, the infor-mation was limited to name and sometimes other data such as mailing address, email a d d r e s s o r o t h e r information.

“We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves,” CEO Arne Sorenson said in a pre-pared statement. “We are doing everything we can to support our guests, and using lessons learned to be better moving forward.”

Email notifications to those who may have been affected began rolling out yesterday.

Bloomberg donates

$50m to fight opioidsAP WASHINGTON

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s charity has announced a $50m donation to help fight the nation’s opioid epidemic. Bloomberg Philan-thropies said over the next three years it will help up to 10 states address the causes of opioid addiction and strengthen prevention and treatment programs.

Its initiative involves a part-nership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Johns Hopkins University and Vital Strategies.

Bloomberg, who has been considering a 2020 Democratic presidential bid, was expected to discuss the funding today during his keynote address at The Bloomberg American Health Summit in Washington.

A spokeswoman said there was “no stated link” between his political aspirations and the $50m investment to fight opioids. Bloomberg’s charity said CDC data shows there were more than 70,000 US drug overdose deaths last year, including more than 47,000 from opioids, the highest numbers on record. It said those numbers are a leading factor in the decline of US life expectancy over the past three years.

Bloomberg called the sobering numbers part of “a

national crisis.”“For the first time since

World War I, life expectancy in the US has declined over the past three years — and opioids are a big reason why,” he said. “We cannot sit by and allow this alarming trend to continue —not when so many Americans are being killed in what should be the prime of their lives.”

He said in a statement he hoped his charity’s work in Pennsylvania, one of the states hardest hit by the opioids crisis, would lay the groundwork “for more effective action across the country.”

The partnership focuses on identifying new approaches to tackle opioids and plugging gaps in current treatment and pre-vention programs. Staff members from partner organi-zations will support state and local programs to reduce opi-oid-related deaths, and suc-cessful initiatives and guidelines will be replicated elsewhere,

with the goal of creating a model for the rest of the nation.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said he was “deeply grateful” for the financial and technical resources his state will receive through the partnership w i t h B l o o m b e r g Philanthropies.

“From our first responders and health care professionals to teachers and social service pro-viders, heroes across our com-monwealth are saving lives and protecting residents in our com-munities every day from this awful scourge,” Wolf, a Dem-ocrat, said in a statement issued by the Bloomberg charity. “We are doing everything we can to help them, and I am confident that this partnership will mark a turning point in our efforts.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration said this month in its National Drug Threat Assessment that heroin, fentanyl and other opioids continue to be the highest drug threat in the nation.

Bloomberg, who has been an independent, a Republican and a Democrat, declared lifetime allegiance to the Dem-ocratic Party and outlined an aggressive timeline for deciding whether to run for president in an interview with this month.

He has regularly criticized President Donald Trump and spent a fortune to help elect Democrats in the midterm elections.

Bloomberg

Philanthropies said

over the next three

years it will help up

to 10 states address

the causes of opioid

addiction and

strengthen prevention

and treatment

programs.

Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (centre) attends the graduation of officers of the School of Aeronautical Specialists in Guaratingueta, Brazil, yesterday.

Bolsonaro names seventh military man to CabinetAFP RIO DE JANEIRO

President-elect Jair Bolsonaro named Admiral Bento Costa Lima Leite his minister of mines and energy yesterday, continuing his militarization of Brazil’s incoming government.

Seven of ex-army captain Bolsonaro’s 20 ministers announced so far are from the armed forces.

“I’m not appointing military people because they’re from the military. It’s because of their training and what they did when they were active,” said Bolsonaro in quotes carried by the Universo Online website.

As with all his major announcements, far-right

Bolsonaro used Twitter to share the news. He is expected to announce his environment and human rights ministers next.

The 60-year-old Lima Leite is currently serving as general manager of nuclear and tech-nological development for the Brazilian navy.

The future mines and energy minister will also join the board of directors of Bra-zil’s nuclear development authority, Nuclebras.

Bolsonaro has already put the ministries of defense, insti-tutional security, science and technology, infrastructure, and transparency, supervision and control in the hands of military personnel while his government secretary is a retired general.

USAID pledges $13m aid for Venezuelan migrantsAP WASHINGTON

The US Agency for International Development is pledging $18m in new aid for Venezuelan migrants and the opposition in both Nicaragua and Cuba.

USAID chief Mark Green

said yesterday the agency is putting an additional $13.6m for those fleeing Venezuela to neighboring countries, bringing the total to $108.6 since the beginning of fiscal year 2017.

Green also announced addi-tional $4m to support civil society organizations in

Nicaragua, bringing the total to $5.5m. He was speaking at the Center for Strategic and Interna-tional Studies in Washington.

The official added that USAID will provide additional $750,000 in humanitarian assistance for political prisoners in Cuba.

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Nasa chooses nine companies to bid on flying to MoonAFP WASHINGTON

The US space agency announced the nine private companies, mostly start-ups, that will bid on $2.6bn in contacts to build spacecraft to carry payloads to the Moon as early as 2019.

The move is part of Nasa’s goal of sending people to the Moon in the next decade, for the first time since the Apollo era of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine described the announcement as “tan-gible progress in America’s return to the Moon’s surface to stay.” Of the group, the only well-known name is aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, which has a long track record of success with Nasa and built the InSight lander that touched down Monday on Mars.

The others are Astrobotic Tech-nology, Inc.; Deep Space Systems; Draper; Firefly Aerospace, Inc.; Intu-itive Machines, LLC; Masten Space Systems, Inc.; Moon Express; and Orbit Beyond.

“The Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts are indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts with a combined maximum contract value of $2.6bn during the next 10 years,” said a Nasa statement.

Nasa has not given any specifics for the bidding process, other than to say it will “look at a number of factors when comparing the bids, such as technical feasibility, price and schedule.”

The decision marks a stark change in Nasa’s mode of operation when it comes to America’s Moon aspirations — though private companies have been used for years to ferry gear to the Inter-national Space Station, and SpaceX and Boeing are working on spacecraft to carry astronauts to the Moon as early as 2019.

Instead of running a government-funded space programme, like Apollo, the US space agency will buy services, essentially becoming a customer to private businesses that build their own spacecraft.

The approach will allow Nasa to cut costs, Bridenstine said.

Earlier this year, Nasa canceled its only robotic vehicle under development to explore the surface of the Moon, known as the Resource Prospector (RP) mission.

The vehicle had been in devel-opment for about a decade to explore a polar region of the Moon.

In 2017, President Donald Trump announced the United States would once again send people to the lunar

surface, as a step on the path to shipping people to Mars by the 2030s.

Nasa’s current plan is to start by sending gear to the Moon, and build an orbiting lunar station beginning in 2022.

By 2023, the first rocket would carry astronauts around the Moon, in an even more distant orbit than the Apollo missions.

Landing actual astronauts on the Moon probably won’t happen until the end of the 2020s, Nasa has said.

‘Moon rocks’ fetches $855,000 at auctionREUTERS NEW YORK

Three fragments of rocks retrieved from the moon by a Soviet space mission in 1970 were sold for $855,000 at a New York auction.

Sotheby’s auction house said the “moon rocks” are the only known documented lunar matter in private hands. They were offered for sale by an unidentified private American collector who pur-chased them at auction in 1993 for $442,500.

Sotheby’s said the buyer on Thursday was another private American collector, but the name was not disclosed.

The auction house said ahead of the sale that the fragments, ranging in size from about .079 inches by .079 inches to .039 inches by .039 inches, could fetch up to $1m.

The lunar samples originally belonged to Nina Ivanovna Koroleva, the widow of former Soviet space program director Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. They were presented to her as a gift on behalf of the Soviet Union in recognition of her husband’s contributions to the program, Sotheby’s said.

The particles were retrieved in September 1970 by the unmanned Luna-16, which drilled a hole in the surface to a depth of 13.8 inches and extracted a core sample, the auction house said in a statement.

Most other known samples taken from the moon remain with the two entities that collected them: the United States during the Apollo 11-17 missions and the Soviet Union via the unmanned Luna-16, Luna-20, and Luna-24 missions.

Collectors pay huge sums for space exploration artifacts. Last year Sotheby’s sold a zippered bag stamped with the words “Lunar Sample Return” laced with moon dust which was used by Neil Arm-strong for the first manned mission to the moon in 1969, for $1.8m.

Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine (centre) during an event at Nasa headquarters, in Washington, DC.

Alexandra Palace Theatre in London reopensA member of staff poses on the stage of Alexandra Palace Theatre, now open to the public for the first time in 80 years, during a media call following a $34.5m restoration, in London, yesterday. Originally opened in 1875, Alexandra Palace Theatre was a home for spectacle and delight, where audiences were entertained by pantomime, opera, drama, ballet and music hall.

Hugh Jackman to embark on world tourAFP LOS ANGELES

Riding the tide of success from his smash hit musical movie “The Greatest Showman,” actor Hugh Jackman announced that he would be embarking on a world tour.

The Tony-award-winning actor said the tour, entitled “The Man. The Music. The Show,” would kick off next year, featuring numbers from “The Greatest Showman” and “Les Miser-ables,” and other songs from Broadway and film.

There will be 12 dates across Europe, starting in Hamburg, Germany on May 13, with additional shows in Switzerland, France and Britain.

There will also be 22 shows across the United States including in Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Florida and California.

Despite lukewarm reviews, “The Greatest Showman” has defied all expectations since opening in theatres a year ago, breaking box office records and topping music charts.

The soundtrack has sold more than any other in the United States this year, according to Nielsen Music.

The feel-good movie is based on the life of famed show businessman PT Barnum, played by Jackman.

French restaurants often ‘lamentable’: Top food guideAFP PARIS

The standard of French cuisine is on the slide, the head of the authoritative La Liste ranking warned despite a Paris restaurant being declared the best in the world for the third year running.

Beyond the top gastronomic hot spots, the level of cooking was some-times “lamentable” said Philippe Faure, a former French ambassador who also heads the country’s tourism promotion council.

“Thirty or 40 years ago you could cross the country stopping randomly every 20km and eat very well; there were good bistros everywhere. But that is no longer the case,” he said.

“Without using a guide you can now eat better in Switzerland, Spain and in Italy,” he added, when it used to be “the other way around”.

Faure said that while high-end French gastronomy was thriving — with Guy Savoy’s riverside Paris restaurant ranked the best in the world alongside French-born Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in New York — it has “not succeeded in pulling up the rest”.

“There are too few (good) gastro-nomic bistros in the big towns and not enough young people doing good things.

“In the provinces it’s lamentable, it’s not good,” he declared.

The extraordinary admission comes three years after the French-based La

Liste was set up as a scientific counter-weight to the British-based 50 Best Res-taurants guide which had long been accused of “French bashing”.

La Liste’s “guide of guides” ranks the 1,000 best restaurants in the world by aggregating millions of reviews from guides like the Michelin to newspapers and websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Faure said that while haute cuisine is still regarded as the best in the world, with a revival in traditional French cooking in the US, more humble French restaurants were struggling abroad.

That was also because French cooking was more demanding and needed greater technique, he argued.

“Fifty to 100 French restaurants were closing every year in Japan (when he was ambassador there in 2011) while 200 Italian ones were opening. Italian cooking is very easy” in comparison, he said.

“You can’t go wrong. Pasta, con-serves, sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese keep for years.

“But in a French restaurant you have to have fresh salads, fresh fish sauces, delicate fine cheeses and that is infi-nitely more complicated and costly and it demands a lot of know-how,” he said.

Faure said nearly half of the tourists who have made France the most visited country in the world come because they want to eat well.

But he warned that this captive market was in revolt, citing a Chinese blogger who had regaled his six millions

followers about his “horribly bad” meal on Mont Saint Michel, one of the country’s b e s t k n o w n landmarks.

Japan and China have more of the world’s best restau-rants than anywhere else, according to the ranking, which will be published on Monday.

Japan topped the list for the fourth year running with 148 res-taurants making it into the top 1,000 — up 10 on last year — with China fast catching up with 143.

France came third with 116 and the US fourth with 92, although many of those were French, or run — like the New York’s top-ranked Le Bernardin — by French chefs.

Le Bernardin was narrowly pipped for the top spot last year after rocketing up the rankings. Finally sharing the number one slot is a triumph for its owner Ripert, 53, after a year marked by personal tragedy.

He discovered the body of his best friend and fellow celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in a French hotel in June after the bestselling writer and presenter of CNN’s “Parts Unknown” killed himself.

Melbourne restaurant Attica led half a dozen high-performing Australian kitchens, taking joint eighth place.

The best-placed British restaurant was television chef Gordon Ramsay’s eponymous London establishment which came joint 16th.

Faure said that the big trends were for more natural, organic and eco-friendly food.

But in the Instagram age, how food looked on a smartphone has never been more important.

“There is a growing trend to eat with the eyes,” he said.

A file photo of French chef Guy Savoy in the dining room of his Michelin three-starred restaurant “Restaurant Guy Savoy” in the Monnaie de Paris, in Paris.