FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020 www.thepeninsula.qa12 RABIA II - 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8454

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Business | 13

2 RIYALS

Qatar, Turkey enhance cooperation with several pacts

QNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed yesterday with President of the Republic of Turkey, H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan the strategic bilateral cooperation in all fields, particularly the political, economic, investment, defence, energy, education, transport, and sports fields.

The sixth meeting of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Stra-tegic Committee, which was held at the presidential palace in Ankara, reviewed the out-comes of previous meetings, and ways to enhance the committee’s work to advance the interest of the two peoples.

The two sides also discussed the latest regional and interna-tional developments, and exchanged their views regarding them. The two sides

focused in particular on devel-opments in Palestine, Libya, and Syria.

Afterwards, H H the Amir and H E the Turkish President witnessed the signing of a memorandum to purchase a stake in Istinye Park shopping center, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Qatar Investment Authority and Altin Halic on potential joint investment in the Golden Horn project, a memorandum to purchase a stake in Borsa Istanbul, an agreement selling and purchasing Ortadogu Antalya port between Global Liman and QTerminals, and a memorandum of under-standing between Qatar Free Zones Authority and the Turkish Ministry of Trade on cooperating in the field of free zones.

H H the Amir and H E the President also witnessed the

signing of a joint announcement on the establishment of a joint economic and trade committee between the Qatari Ministry of

Commerce and Industry and the Turkish Ministry of Trade, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of

managing water, a letter of intent between the Qatari Min-istry of Finance and the Turkish Ministry of Finance and Treasury that aims to enhance cooperation in the economic and financial fields, a memo-randum of understanding for cooperation in family, women, and social services affairs, a declaration of intent on exchanging diplomats between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomatic Institute and the Diplomacy Academy of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the signing of the meeting minutes of the

Qatar-Turkey Supreme Stra-tegic Committee.

The signing ceremony was attended by Their Excellencies members of the official dele-gation accompanying H H the Amir. It was attended on the Turkish side by Their Excel-lencies ministers and ranking officials. H H the Amir was met upon arrival to the presidential palace with an official reception.

The Amir attended a luncheon banquet held by the Turkish President, in honour of His Highness and the accom-panying delegation. �P2

Sixth meeting of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee reviews the outcomes of previous meetings and ways to enhance the committee’s work.

Memorandum to purchase a stake in Istinye Park shopping centre signed.

MoU between Qatar Investment Authority and Altin Halic of Turkey on potential joint investment in the Golden Horn project signed.

Agreements to purchase a stake in Borsa Istanbul, selling and purchase of Ortadogu Antalya port between Global Liman and QTerminals concluded.

Qatar Free Zones Authority and the Turkish Ministry of Trade sign MoU on cooperation in the free zones.

Qatar calls for condemning illegal measures by siege countriesQNA — NEW YORK

The State of Qatar called for condemning the unlawful unilateral coercive measures imposed by the blockading coun-tries and pointed out that the appli-cation of unilateral coercive measures targeting the State continues despite the evidence that they are unlawful and the relevant rulings issued by the competent international bodies such as the International Court of Justice.

This came in a statement by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, H E Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani in the UN Security Coun-cil’s virtual Arria-Formula meeting on ‘End Unilateral Coercive Measures Now’, which

was called for by Russia, China, South Africa, Niger and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Sheikha Alya stated that the State of Qatar has been facing illegal measures and a blockade imposed on it unilaterally without justification or legal basis for more than three years.

She said that the attempt to undermine sovereignty and political independence is unac-ceptable and illegal, stressing that this attempt contradicts interna-tional law and obligations under the UN Charter, and undermines collective security frameworks and, thus, threatens regional and international peace and security in a region that receives special attention by the Security Council.

These coercive measures violate UN General Assembly

resolutions, she said, referring to UN Resolution 74/154 entitled Human Rights and Unilateral Coercive Measures, which urges all states to stop taking or imple-menting any unilateral measures that are inconsistent with inter-national law and the UN Charter.

She pointed out that these uni-lateral measures against the State of Qatar resulted, and continues to result in, social and humani-tarian consequences affecting the citizens and residents of the State, as well as many human rights violations. �P2

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of the Republic of Turkey, H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessing the signing of an agreement in Ankara, yesterday.

World Cup can transform people’s attitudes to sustainability in QatarTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), believes the FIFA World Cup has the potential to transform people’s attitudes to sustainability in Qatar.

Speaking during the Doha Smart Cities Summit, Al Thawadi outlined the different ways Qatar 2022 will help people leverage new technology and change their lives for the better.

Organised by Msheireb Properties, the virtual summit brought together experts to discuss the future of smart cities through a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions. Discussions focused on how to leverage smart technology to tackle COVID-19, responses to climate change, the importance of cybersecurity and the potential of autonomous vehicles.

During his keynote address, Al Thawadi highlighted the importance of sustainability – one of the core pillars of Qatar 2022.

“There is a close connection between sustainability and legacy, and we have affirmed our commitment to both since the first moments of preparing Qatar’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup,” said Al Thawadi.

Qatar and FIFA have made several commitments around sustainability, all of which are outlined in the Qatar 2022 Sus-tainability Strategy, most

notably a plan to deliver the first carbon neutral World Cup in history.

Another example of sus-tainability can be found at Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, which is being constructed using shipping containers and will be completely dismantled after the tournament, with its parts used to create sporting facilities across Qatar and overseas. It will be the first fully demountable stadium in FIFA World Cup history. �P2

I conducted with brother President Erdogan in Ankara, a successful round of talks on Qatari-Turkish partnership. We agreed to employ more of our countries’ capabilities to consolidate this partnership, which is constantly evolving for the goodness and interests of our people. We also exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues and developments.

The attempt to undermine sovereignty and political independence is unac-ceptable and illegal, stressing that this attempt contradicts international law and obligations under the UN Charter.

H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani

There is a close connection between sustainability and legacy, and we have affirmed our commitment to both since the first moments of preparing Qatar’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup.

Hassan Al Thawadi

Automatic exceptional entry permit service for travellersTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

In a move to further ease travel restrictions, Qatar yesterday announced automatic excep-tional entry permit service for travellers departing and returning to Qatar. The decision will come into effect starting November 29.

Government Communica-tions Office, said in a statement that residents who are currently in Qatar and wish to travel and return will automatically receive an exceptional entry permit upon departure. The resident or their employer will be able to

printout the exceptional entry permit from the Ministry of Inte-rior’s website at any point after the resident has departed Qatar. Requests will no longer need to be submitted through the “Qatar Portal” website. The permit will be available automatically upon registration of the resident’s departure from Qatar.

GCO said that the automatic exceptional entry permit service will not be available for resi-dents who are currently outside the State of Qatar. They are still required to obtain the excep-tional return permit via the “Qatar Portal” website if they

wish to return to Qatar.According to GCO, the quar-

antine period will be for one week only after arrival in the country, regardless of desti-nation. Home quarantine will be applied to those coming from countries on the Ministry of Public Health’s Green List. Hotel quarantine is mandatory for those coming from countries that are not included in the Green List. The quarantine period for those who use shared quarantine facilities will be two weeks. The decision is based on national and international epi-demiology statistics.

Based on these new proce-dures, a Coronavirus (COVID-19) test will be con-ducted for those returning from travel upon arrival to the country in the event they haven’t had a test within 48 hours before travelling to Doha by one of Ministry of Public Health’s accredited COVID-19 Testing Centers. Then a second test will be conducted on the sixth day from the date of arrival. The status on the Ehteraz application will remain yellow until the end of the seventh day from the date of arrival.

02 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020HOME

W ALRUWAIS : 21o → 28o W ALKHOR : 22o → 28o W DUKHAN : 18o → 27o W WAKRAH : 21o → 30o W MESAIEED : 21o → 30o W ABUSAMRA : 17o → 29o

Moderate temperature daytime and partly cloudy with a chance of scattered rain, blowing dust at times.

Minimum Maximum23oC 29oC

WEATHER TODAY

LOW TIDE 09:37 – 21:48

HIGH TIDE 04:08 – 13:47

PRAYER TIMINGSPPPPRAYRRRAAAYARA MMMMIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGMMMMMMMMMIIINNNNNNGGGGNNNNGGGIINNNNGNNNNNNNNN

PRAYERTIMINGS

FAJRSUNRISE

04.37 am 05.59 am

DHUHR 11.21 am

ISHA 06.15 pmMAGHRIBASR 02.23 pm

04.45 pm

Shura Council’s financial committee discusses draft state budgetQNA — DOHA

The Shura Council’s Financial Affairs Committee held yesterday a meeting to examine the draft state budget for the 2021 fiscal year and the draft law to adopt it.

The committee discussed the draft budget under the chair-manship of its rapporteur H E Ali bin Abdullatif Al Misnad Al Mohannadi in the attendance of Assistant Undersecretary for Treasury Affairs at the Ministry of Finance Abdulrahman Fouad Al Modahka, Assistant Undersecretary for Financial Policy Affairs at the Min-istry of Finance Abdulrahman Mohammed Jolo, Director of the budget department at the Ministry of Finance Salman Mohammed Al Mahmoud , Director of the department regulating public projects at the Ministry of Finance Youssef Mubarak Al Kuwari, Director of the shared services affairs at Ashghal Mishal Sultan Al Hitmi, and director of financial and administrative affairs at Ashghal Nouf Saleh Al Fuhaid.

The committee decided to present its report on the 2021 fiscal year budget and its draft law to the Shura Council.

Minister of Culture & Sports opens Euro film fest

AYENI OLUSEGUN THE PENINSULA

The Minister of Culture & Sports, H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali alongside nine European ambassadors and embassy representatives in Qatar, inaugurated the ‘The European Drive-In Film Festival’ yesterday at the Doha Festival City. The festival will run until November 28. Tickets for the event are already sold out, according to organisers.

Ambassadors in attendance were Ambassador of Austria H E Karin Fich-tinger-Grohe, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Belgium Céline Ganseman, Ambassador of Italy H E Alessandro Prunas, Ambassador of Germany H E Dr. Claudius Fischbach, Ambassador of Sweden H E Anders Bengtcén, Second Secretary of Embassy of the Netherlands Ilyaas Sherally, Ambassador of Portugal H E António Alves de Carvalho, and Ambassador of Swit-zerland H E Edgar Dörig. Also present was Assistant General Manager of Bawabat Al Shamal Real Estate Company Jihad Zarkout, and General Business Manager of Nestlé Qatar Zaher Abou Khamis.

Swedish envoy, H E Anders Bengtcén

said: “The European Drive-in Film Fes-tival comes just a few days after the suc-cessful Ajyal Film Festival. This means that November will be the month of Film Festivals here in Doha. We are proud to be part of this community effort to bring quality films to the Qatari public. Culture plays a fundamental role in the relations between people and countries, breaching communication, and building integrated communities to support openness and mutual understanding.”

“During the next three evenings,

films from nine European countries will be shown representing part of the vibrant and dynamic film culture and industry in Europe. The selected films represent a broad spectrum of themes and subjects. We hope that audiences at this festival will enjoy the festival. I thank H E, the minister, for his support,” he added.

Guests can watch the movies in an outdoor venue with a large screen as each day will host three screenings. The films lined up for the festival include The

Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (Sweden), Brothers Of The Wind (Austria); Les Chevaliers Blancs (Belgium); Po Strnisti Bos (Czechia); Gundermann (Germany); Quanto Basta (Italy); Achtste Groepers Huilen Niet (The Netherlands); A Mae E Que Sabe (Portugal); and I’Apollon De Gaza (Switzerland).

The envoys emphasized the impor-tance of arts, especially with the current coronavirus pandemic and the restric-tions on preventing its spread.

The German ambassador said: “Coronavirsu has had a huge impact on culture and cultural events that would have normally taken place. The COVID-19 has shown us how important cultural events are for our emotional wellbeing. I thank the Swedish embassy for spearheading this event.”

DHFC Assistant GM Jihad Zarkout said: “Thank you to all the ambassadors for making this one-of-a-kind Film Fes-tival happen in Qatar. Qatar is a desti-nation that holds an incredible diversity of cultures, languages, and arts coming from across the world. We can discover a new cultural experience here every day, which makes this wonderful country so unique. The European Drive-In Film Festival is one of the largest and most impressive cultural projects globally, unifying a multitude of cultures and cin-ematographic talents.

“After so many months of limited activities, Qatar’s community was very much in need for such a joyful gathering, and the European Drive-In Film Festival came just at the right time.”

Minister of Culture and Sports, H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, attending the inauguration of the European Drive-in Film Festival at Doha Festival City, yesterday. Also seen is the Ambassador of Sweden, H E Anders Bengtcén.

Mall of Qatar announces great shopping dealsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Mall of Qatar, the nation’s mall, has announced the launch of great shopping deals, including unique promotional offers from more than 100 leading brands to choose from.

With something for everyone, the shopping deals will also incen-tivize shoppers via an unbeatable series of promotions and offers, with more than 50% discounts, buy two get one free, and offers with endless choice of brands.

The promotion covers special deals across wide range of fashion stores such as Bershka, Pull & Bear, Top Shop, H&M, New Yorker, Sacoor Brothers, DKNY, Abercombie & Fitch, and Salam Store. Beauty & perfumes shoppers will also enjoy great discounts offered by popular brands such as Pari Gallery, The Body Shop, Debenhams, MAC, Beauty Gallery, and much more.

Various footwear and sports brands are also giving reductions such as Aldo, Foot Locker, Dune London, Crocs, Birkenstock, Steve Maden, Charles & Keith, Ecco, Kurt Geiger, Nike, Athelete’ co, Go Sports, and much more. As for the home and décor shoppers, leading brands

are offering further discounts including Home r us, Dwell, Pottery Barn, Villeroy & Bosch, and much more with a range of fantastic offers that will cater to everyone during this promotion.

Taking advantage of the sales promotion, customers can lev-erage from the great deals to shop and get their copouns to take part in the current Shop & Win cam-paign. Mall of Qatar visitors will need to buy a gift card of a minimum value of QR300 and shop later or spend QR300 or more in any of the Mall outlets to be eligible for the weekly raffle draw to win a car.

Also, customers who buy Gifts Card’s worth QR500 or spend QR500 or more will be entitled to participate in the grand prize raffle draw to win one of the two luxury cars on December 10 on the mall’s anniversary, and on December 18, on Qatar National Day. Seven cars were delivered so far to the winners, and 13 more are still available till January 14, 2021. Mall of Qatar has worked tirelessly to bring world-class brands together to offer excep-tional value to its customers to enjoy fantastic discounts.

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Interior has announced that Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) in the Republic of India will reopen on December 3, 2020. Appointment to visit the Centre in India can be made through the QVC website, the Ministry said on its Twitter account yesterday.

Qatar Visa Centre in India to reopen on December 3

Qatar calls for condemning illegal measures by siege countries

FROM PAGE 1In this context, she referred to UN reports, the latest of which is the preliminary findings of UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights Alena Douhan and her recent visit to the State of Qatar. She reviewed the most prominent violations in the Special Rapporteur’s report, including numerous violations of fundamental rights and freedoms, such as the right to family life, education, work, treatment, private property, the practice of religion and access to justice.

She indicated that the Special Rapporteur expressed concern about the blockading countries’ application of various forms of unilateral trade embargoes against Qatar, which restricts trade in goods, services, and trade-related intellectual property rights, and hinders the full achievement of the Sus-tainable Development Goals, also noting the Special Rap-porteur’s concern about the demand to close Qatari media outlets, which undermines freedom of expression.

Concluding her statement, Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani pointed out that the appli-cation of unilateral coercive measures targeting the State of Qatar continues despite the evidence that they are unlawful and the relevant rulings issued by the com-petent international bodies such as the International Court of Justice.

World Cup can transform people’s attitudes to sustainability in Qatar

FROM PAGE 1

“Thousands of seats will be donated for the purpose of building sports facilities in a number of countries in coordination with FIFA, and, in doing so, providing a unique mode of legacy that organisers of future major tournaments can benefit from,” said Al Thawadi.

Al Thawadi also spoke about how the stadiums built for the tournament were designed in a manner that would eliminate the creation of so-called ‘white ele-phants’. He said: “Our goal behind designing the sta-diums and their surrounding areas is not limited to hosting matches over a 28-day period only. Rather, our focus was on building modern, versatile facilities that serve all members of society and enhance community bonds long after the tournament ends.”

Between them, all eight Qatar 2022 stadiums feature a vast range of legacy facilities, including public parks, shops, restaurants, sporting facilities and more.

Al Thawadi also spoke about how organisers are committed to creating a fan experience that is centered on smart technologies, leveraging other initiatives by Msheireb, Qatar Foundation and other Qatar 2022 stakeholders.

“Work continues tirelessly to ensure the provision of a smart experience for visitors in 2022, from the moment they board a plane to Qatar, to connecting to a 5G network, commuting aboard the Doha Metro, staying at Msheireb or other locations, and transporting between different tournament stadiums and all tourist attractions in the country,” said Al Thawadi. In par-ticular, Al Thawadi stressed the importance of working with a variety of different partners to create what he referred to as, “an exceptional, unparalleled experience in 2022”.

Qatar, Turkey enhance cooperation with several pacts

FROM PAGE 1

The Amir and the Turkish Pres-ident visited the Nation’s Library of the Presidency in Ankara. During the visit, they were informed on the contents of the library in terms of books, journals, and university dissertations, in addition to the electronic database of books. The Amir and the President were also briefed on ways the library’s research and scientific services provided to its visitors.

The Amir sent a message to H E the President, in which he expressed his thanks and appre-ciation for the warm hospitality

and honour His Highness and the accompanying delegation received during the official visit, during which the two sides affirmed their firm keenness and common determination to con-tinue to support and strengthen the strong fraternal relations and strategic partnership between the two countries in various fields for the good and the interest of the two peoples.

The Amir wished in the message the President good health and wellness and con-tinued success, and for the brother Turkish people further progress and prosperity.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the guard of honour ceremony in Ankara with the President of the Republic of Turkey H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan, yesterday. BELOW: Amir and Turkish President during a visit to the Nation's Library of the Presidency in Ankara.

The Minister of Culture & Sports, H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali alongside nine European ambassadors and embassy representatives in Qatar, inaugurated the ‘The European Drive-In Film Festival’ yesterday at the Doha Festival City. The festival will run until November 28.

H H the Amir and H E the Turkish President witnessed the signing of a memorandum to purchase a stake in Istinye Park shopping center, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Qatar Investment Authority and Altin Halic on potential joint investment in the Golden Horn project, a memorandum to purchase a stake in Borsa Istanbul, an agreement selling and purchasing Ortadogu Antalya port between Global Liman and QTerminals, and a memorandum of understanding between Qatar Free Zones Authority and the Turkish Ministry of Trade on cooperating in the field of free zones.

03FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020 HOME

Qatar attends Arab Justice Ministers' meeting

Deputy PM and Minister of State for Defence Affairs meets US Acting Defence Secretary

The State of Qatar, represented by the Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, participated yesterday in the 36th meeting of Arab Justice Ministers, which took place via video conferencing. The meeting dealt with enhancing Arab and international cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. It also discussed the Arab agreement for combatting cybercrime, and a draft Arab law on preventing hate crime. The meeting also reviewed a number of articles and documents related to joint Arab work.

Education Ministry launches NSRC’s virtual exhibitionQNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has launched the virtual exhibition of the annual National Science Research Competition (NSRC) in cooperation with Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

The competit ion announced the winners of high school, elementary, and junior high school categories. It also announced the winners of Katara’s Olympiad in Astronomy.

Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater said that the competition celebrates researchers and innovators by encouraging them to pursue their topics of interest. She added that the competition also encourages cooperation and competition, in addition to showcasing the projects under-taken by students to solve the world’s problems.

She noted that the extraor-dinary conditions imposed by the coronavirus all over the world meant that the compe-tition could not be held as in the past, and added that the ministry remained committed to holding the event nonetheless. She also expressed her pride at seeing some of the students win inter-national awards for their work.

Executive Director of the Qatar National Research Fund, Dr. Abdul Sattar Al Taie said that in line with the vision and mission of the QNRF to build national capabilities in scien-tific research at all stages, the fund, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, has encouraged school students at all levels to employ the knowledge and skills they learn through training them in scien-tific research methodologies.

Director of Information Technology Tareq Al Emadi congratulated all the winners of the competition and thanked all those in charge of the virtual exhibition for their efforts, and said that the Ministry has given public service and simplifying user procedures as a priority, making it one of the first gov-ernment agencies to implement digital transformation in its services to online use.

Al Emadi said that the min-istry reached 85% of its services to be electronic through more than 80 electronic services that are currently available on the public service portal of the Min-istry of Education.

Director of Capacity Building at QNRF, Dr. Aisha Al Obaidly affirmed that the launch of the High School

Research Experience Program (HSREP) is a qualitative addition to training students for research outside the school framework, specifically in uni-versities under the supervision of academic advisors from uni-versities and research centres.

It is noteworthy that the online platform is a virtual exhibition to display the distin-guished research of students and teachers, and to announce first places in all academic levels and categories of projects submitted via the following link: https://educompetitions.edu.gov.qa/.

Research and projects will be presented annually on the platform, and are available through the ministry’s website to all schools and the general public.

Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater speaking at the launch ceremony.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah met yesterday with the US Acting Secretary of Defence, H E Christopher Miller, who is currently visiting Qatar. They discussed military relations between the two friendly countries and means to promote them, in addition to the latest regional and international developments. The meeting was attended by a lineup of Armed Forces senior officials, and the delegation accompanying the US Official. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs also met with Republican Senator John Barrasso, who is currently visiting the country.

Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater, said that the annual National Science Research Competition (NSRC) celebrates researchers and innovators by encouraging them to pursue their topics of interest.

Qatar-Turkey ties exceptional, governed by moral referenceQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Turkey, H E Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi said that Qatari-Turkish relations are distinct, stressing that this rela-tionship is governed by a moral reference and has gone through many challenges before reaching the stage of strategic relations and comprehensive partnership.

In his statement to QNA, Ambassador Al Shafi said what strengthened the status of that relationship was the great con-vergence at the level of leaders and the people, the common denominators between the two countries, the unlimited solidarity in times of crises, the converging and harmonious political visions in many files and issues, as well as the sincere and continuous efforts made by the two sides to preserve this distinguished level of relations.

The official visit of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Republic of Turkey yesterday to chair the sixth meeting of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee with Turkish President H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in addition to the meetings, talks and agreements that will result from it, will add great momentum to the bilateral relations and lead to exploring new horizons, as it will contribute to strengthening and developing existing cooperation mecha-nisms, he stressed.

In December 2014, H H the Amir and H E President of the Turkish Republic, had signed an agreement to establish a (Supreme Strategic Committee) between the two countries. Under this agreement, a large number of min-istries, governmental and private institutions in the two countries, in addition to the concerned sectors, have engaged in talks to prepare for bilateral agreements, memo-randa of understanding and coop-eration protocols. The Higher Stra-tegic Committee has also acted as an important mechanism to

strengthen bilateral relations in all fields, Ambassador Al Shafi added.

These meetings resulted in opening new horizons of cooper-ation between the two countries and also contributed to enhancing trade exchange and cooperation at the economic, financial, com-mercial, educational, agricultural, technological and defense levels. In addition to the beneficial measures that accompanied all this for the citizens of the two coun-tries, such as easing restrictions on investments, preventing double

taxation and joint exemption from travel visas between the State of Qatar and the Turkish Republic for holders of regular passports from citizens of the two countries.

This visit gives the Supreme Strategic Committee’s meetings a regular and permanent character. It will also contribute to strength-ening the bonds of strategic part-nership and exceptional relations between the two countries.

On the importance and impli-cations of the timing of this visit, Ambassador Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi said that this visit comes at a time when the world is suf-fering from severe polarization and challenges, in addition to the outbreak of the coronavirus pan-demic and the negative effects that this has left.

On the effect of this visit on the existing cooperation

between the two countries in dif-ferent areas, H E the States Ambassador to Ankara indicated that this visit and the meetings and agreements that will result from it will have a great impact on consolidating and stabilizing the gains that have been achieved, codifying and organ-izing the various aspects of coop-eration, developing legal and implementation frameworks for it, finding other prospects for cooperation and providing more beneficial measures.

QNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, H E Mehmet Mustafa Goksu affirmed the growing development of Qatari-Turkish relations, as the two countries became strategic allies, in light of the great leap in their relations in various fields of joint cooperation.

In a statement to QNA, Ambassador said that bilateral relations between the two countries have wit-nessed remarkable progress in recent years in all fields to become strategic partners that cooperate on many issues at the bilateral, regional and international levels.

He added that the regular holding of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Com-mittee meetings at the highest level annually is an indication of the strength of this relationship and strong evidence of the commitment of the two countries, as stra-tegic allies, to strengthen their partnership in various fields.

He pointed out that the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Stra-tegic Committee meeting is being held in light of regional and international political and economic challenges, which makes it imperative for the two countries to consult, coordinate and exchange views regarding them in a way that con-tributes to achieving their common interests and enhances their role in pro-moting security and peace in the region and the world.

On the agreements that will be signed during the meeting, H E Ambassador explained that a number of new agreements will be signed between the two sides, in addition to 52 agreements that were

previously signed. He added that after signing the new cooperation agreements, the number of agreements between the two countries is expected to exceed 60 agreements that will cover many and varied fields, including economic, indus-trial, cultural and Islamic affairs, and in the family domain, as well as

international trade and water resources.

On the commercial and investment aspects, he said that the relations between the two countries have reflected positively on the trade and investment field, adding that the trade exchange between Qatar and Turkey witnessed important development during the past years, and last year it recorded a growth of about 6 percent.

He also pointed out that Qatari companies are the third largest investors in the field of contracting in the Turkish market, and high-lighted that more than 179 Qatari companies operate in Turkey and the volume of Qatari investments has reached more than $22bn.

Regarding Turkish com-panies in Qatar, he noted that more than 500 Turkish companies are active in Qatar, working in vital fields, and actively participating in infrastructure projects, pointing out that a number of Turkish companies won contracts worth $1.2bn.

In the field of tourism, His Excellency stated that the number of Qatari visitors to Turkey reached 110,000 last year, up from 30,000 in 2016.

Qatari investments in Turkey reach over $22bn

Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar, H E Mehmet Mustafa GoksuAmbassador of Qatar to Turkey, H E Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi

The official visit of Amir H H

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al

Thani to the Republic of Turkey

yesterday to chair the sixth

meeting of the Qatar-Turkey

Supreme Strategic Committee

with Turkish President H E

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in

addition to the meetings, talks

and agreements that will result

from it, will add great

momentum to the bilateral

relations.

H E Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi

Ambassador of Qatar to Turkey

The regular holding of

Qatar-Turkey Supreme

Strategic Committee

meetings at the highest

level annually is an

indication of the

strength of this

relationship and strong

evidence of the

commitment of the two

countries, as strategic

allies, to strengthen

their partnership in

various fields.

H E Mehmet Mustafa Goksu

Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar

04 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020MIDDLE EAST

A total of 251 people died

and more than 2,000

were injured in the

bloody 2016 coup

attempt against President

Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Court documents showed

337 defendants handed

life sentences for murder,

violating the

constitutional order and

attempting to assassinate

Erdogan. Sixty suspects

were given jail sentences

of various lengths while

75 were acquitted.

Turkish riot police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Sincan Penal Institution at the 4th Heavy Penal Court near Ankara, yesterday.

Turkey jails 337 for life in 2016 coup trialAFP — ANKARA

A Turkish court jailed more than 300 former pilots and other suspects for life in a mass trial stemming from a bloody 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Fethullah Gulen, a US-based preacher, is accused of ordering the failed putsch. His movement has been proscribed as a ter-rorist group by Ankara, but the 79-year-old denies all charges.

A total of 251 people died and more than 2,000 were injured in what has turned into the defining moment of Erdogan’s rule and contem-porary Turkish politics.

Turkey’s largest courtroom was packed with dozens of security personnel and the pre-siding judge ordered one pro-testing defendant to “Sit down!” several times before reading the verdict.

He issued multiple life sen-tences to 27 disgruntled air force pilots who bombed the capital Ankara and civilians who orchestrated the coup attempt from inside the Akinci military base near the capital.

Court documents showed 337 defendants handed life sen-tences for murder, violating the constitutional order and attempting to assassinate Erdogan. Sixty suspects were given jail sentences of various lengths while 75 were acquitted.

“Justice has been served,”

Ufuk Yegin, who represents a victims’ families association, said. “It was a very important trial for the Turkish judicial system and for the country,” added Muaz Ergezen, another lawyer for the victims.

“It is a trial that will go down in history.”

The then chief of staff general Hulusi Akar — now the defence minister — and other top commanders were held hostage at the military base overnight before their rescue on the morning of July 16, 2016.

F-16 fighter jets struck the parliament building, the road near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the special

forces and the Ankara police.Erdogan was on vacation in

southern Turkey at the time.The bombs killed 68 people

in the capital and injured more than 200. Nine civilians also died trying to stop the plotters at the entrance to the base.

Gulen, Adil Oksuz — a the-ology lecturer who officials claim was a key coordinator of what was happening on the ground — and four others are being tried in absentia.

Oksuz was detained shortly

after the coup bid but released later and is now on the run.

Yesterday's verdict culmi-nates a trial that began in August 2017 involving nearly 500 suspects.

Businessman Kemal Batmaz, accused of assisting Oksuz, was among dozens of defendants handed multiple aggravated life sentences for playing leading roles in Erdogan’s attempted overthrow.

An aggravated life sentence has tougher terms of detention

and replaced the death penalty after it was abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey’s drive to join the European Union.

The putsch bid was stamped out quickly, but its legacy still haunts Turkey.

Ten of a total 289 trials into the failed overthrow of Erdogan are still under way, state news agency Anadolu reported.

More than 2,800 people have been jailed for life, with judges convicting nearly 4,500 suspects since July 2016.

Turkey does not expect sanctions over Russian S-400s under BidenREUTERS — ANKARA

Turkey does not expect ties with the United States to be strained under President-elect Joe Biden and does not antic-ipate sanctions over its purchase of Russia S-400 defence systems, a senior official in President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party said.

Relations have been tense between Ankara and Wash-ington over issues from policy towards Syria to the US refusal to extradite a cleric Turkey blames for a 2016 coup attempt.

Turkey has relied on the good personal ties between Erdogan and US President Donald Trump to smooth over divisions.

Ankara’s purchase last year of the S-400s, which are not

compatible with Nato defences, raised the prospect of US sanc-tions early next year if Con-gress approves a defence spending bill which the House of Representatives has already voted to include language requiring the president to sanction Turkey.

In an interviews, AK Party Deputy Chairman Numan Kur-tulmus played down that prospect.

“The US President will most likely watch the balance in the Middle East very carefully for US interests, and will not want to continue the tense ties with Turkey,” Kurtulmus said.

“...I believe they will take positive steps in the future.”

Washington says the S-400s pose a threat to the capabilities of its F-35 stealth

fighter jets and has removed Turkey from the jet programme where it was a manufacturer and buyer.

Ankara says the S-400s will not be integrated into Nato and has called for a joint working group to discuss US concerns. Kurtulmus repeated that Turkey would not bow to pressure to return the Russian systems, or leave them unused.

“Sorry, but we didn’t procure these to hide them. We got them to meet Turkey’s security needs,” he said.

While Erdogan has down-played the possible fallout from these sanctions and vowed counter-sanctions, he has also promised economic and judicial reforms, following an overhaul of Turkey’s economic lead-ership amid a plunge in the lira.

Air strikes kill 19 Iran-backed fighters in Syria: MonitorAFP — BEIRUT

Air strikes likely carried out by Israel killed at least 19 pro-Iran militia fighters in war-torn eastern Syria, a war monitor said yesterday.

The early morning strikes hit positions of Iran-backed militias outside the town of Albu Kamal in Deir Ezzor province, killing mostly Pakistani fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Syrian state media did not report the attack and Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes, but the Observatory has accused the Jewish state of launching at least two other aerial attacks against pro-Iran forces in Syria since Saturday.

Early on Wednesday, at least eight Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes near Damascus and in southern Syria, according to the war monitor, which is based in the UK but relies on a network of sources inside Syria. On Sat-urday night, air strikes near Albu Kamal killed at least 14 pro-Iran militia fighters.

Iran backs President Bashar Al Assad’s regime in Syria’s civil war. The latest strikes came after Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan called on the Security Council to take immediate action to remove Iranian forces from Syria.

“Israel... demands a total rollback of Iran and its proxies from Syria and the removal of Iranian military infrastructure from Syrian territory,” he said in a letter addressed to the head of the UN Security Council.

Israel has carried out hun-dreds of air and missile strikes on Syria since the country’s civil war broke out in 2011, targeting Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces as well as Syrian gov-ernment troops. Syria’s war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions more since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has confirmed that urgent relief aid is needed for three million Syrian refugees before winter, noting that the recent rain in northern Syria have destroyed or damaged hundreds of tents in dis-placement sites in the prov-inces of Idlib and Aleppo.

Palestinian detainee Maher Al Akhras flashes the victory sign with his daughter as he arrives at his home in the West Bank village of Seylat Al Dhahr, south of Jenin city, following his release by Israeli authorities, yesterday.

Israel frees Palestinian who waged 103-day hunger strikeAFP — NABLUS

Israel yesterday released a Pales-tinian who waged a 103-day hunger strike to protest Israeli rules allowing his detention without charge, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club said.

Maher Al Akhras, arrested over alleged membership of a militia group, was transferred from a Tel Aviv hospital to Nab-lus’s Al Najah University Hospital in the occupied West Bank, the prisoners’ rights group said.

A decision on releasing him to return home will follow “a medical assessment of his con-dition”, Al Najah hospital medical director Abdul-Karim

Al Barqawi said. Akhras, 49, was arrested near Nablus in July and put in administrative detention, a policy that Israel uses to hold suspected militants without charge.

He is suspected of links to the armed Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, labelled a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

The father of six launched his fast to protest a four-month detention order, which had been due to end on November 26.

Akhras, who been arrested by Israel several times previ-ously, ended his hunger strike after Israeli authorities com-mitted to not extending his

detention beyond that date.Israel’s administrative

detention policy, inherited from the British mandate of Palestine, allows the internment of pris-oners without charge for renewable periods of up to six months each time.

Israel says the procedure allows authorities to hold sus-pects and prevent attacks while continuing to gather evidence, but critics and rights groups say the system is abused.

Around 355 Palestinians were being held under administrative detention orders as of August, including two minors, according to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.

Thailand returns Iranians in swap with Australian lecturerAFP — BANGKOK

Thailand confirmed yesterday it had returned three Iranians jailed over a 2012 bomb plot in Bangkok, in an announcement that came after Tehran freed an Australian-British lecturer imprisoned for alleged spying. The kingdom’s corrections department said two of the men — Masoud Sedaghatzadeh and Saeid Moradi — were transferred as prisoners while the third, Mohammad Khazaei, was granted a royal pardon in August.

Thai officials have not explicitly linked the transfer with the release of Middle East scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who returned to Australia after two years in detention in Iran on espionage charges. But Iranian state TV said on Wednesday that Moore-Gilbert was swapped for three Iranians.

The trio freed by Thailand had all been jailed over a botched bomb plot that Israel linked to a spate of attacks on its diplomats around the world. The plot came to light on Valentine’s Day 2012 when a huge explosion ripped the roof off a house in suburban Bangkok after bombs apparently detonated accidentally inside.

Moradi, aged 29 at the time, threw a bomb at police as he fled the scene but succeeded only in blowing his own legs off, while Khazaei, then 43, made it to the airport before being apprehended. In 2013 a Bangkok court jailed Moradi for life for attempted murder and sentenced Khazaei to 15 years for possession of explosives.

Sailing river bends, young Iraqis rock the boatAFP — BAGHDAD

Mariam Khaled squinted her eyes, drew in her sail against the wind and set her white dinghy towards a point on the riverbank: Adhamiya, to be precise, in central Baghdad.

With the orange sunset sat-urating the sky, a cluster of mostly teenage sailors, wind-surfers and jet-skiers were making waves along the river Tigris. “It’s a difficult sport that requires a lot of effort, and plenty of patience and perse-verance,” 16-year-old Khaled, a former junior swimming champion, said.

“But I want to show eve-ryone that we, Iraqi women, can

succeed,” she added, after pulling her dinghy up the muddy bank.

The water sports are also revolutionising how Iraqis interact with the historic Tigris and Euphrates, which gave the country its byname of the “land between the two rivers” mil-lennia ago.

Water levels in the twin rivers have dropped by half because of dams upstream in neighbouring Turkey and Iran.

One year in Baghdad, the levels drew so low that resi-dents could squelch between the banks of the Tigris on foot.

Following the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam

Hussein in 2003, Adhamiya became the heart of a Sunni insurrection and one of the most dangerous places in Baghdad.

The dark years of Iraq’s sec-tarian fighting from 2006 until 2008 pitted it against the Shia district of Kadhimiya, just across the Tigris.

The remains of victims who were thrown into the river back then still sometimes wash ashore— but today, Baghdad’s river bends see much more life than death.

Along the waterfront, res-taurants and small funfairs are teeming with families who gaze out at the young athletes.

“It’s now a place of leisure and relaxation,” said Ghazi Al Shayaa, a sports journalist.

“It’s a joy to see Baghdadis gathering here nearly every day to watch the swimmers or the boats go by,” he said.

The latest major round of violence in Iraq ended in 2017, when the government declared victory in its years-long fight against the Islamic State group.

The next year, Ahmad Mazlum came up with a crazy idea: setting up Iraq’s first water sports federation. Its riv-erside headquarters in Adhamiya is identifiable by the rows of white dinghies and bright windsurfing sails.

Half of the 10 dinghies are Iraqi-made, at around $600 each. “An (imported) sailboat can cost $10,000. So we had to

build our own in a workshop we set up with the club members,” said Mazlum, the federation’s deputy head.

Members of the Iraqi Water Sports Federation are pictured on the banks of the river Tigris, in the Adhamiya district of capital Baghdad.

05FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020 ISLAM

Migration: An Islamic perspectiveZEKI SARITOPRAK

The term for migration in Islam is hijra. The active participle of the word is muhajir. The Islamic tradition contains two related

terms as well. They are ghurba and gharib. Both terms have a connotation of being strange in a certain place. The difference between hijra and ghurba is that hijra involves permanent relo-cation while ghurba can be either per-manent or temporary. There is a very famous Arabic statement in this regard: “The stranger is blind even if he has eyes,” which indicates the vulnerability of the stranger and suggests that the stranger needs help and guidance.

The Quran speaks of the migration experiences of many prophets such as Adam, Abraham, Lot, Jonah, Jacob, and Moses (peace be upon them). Since Adam, the father of humanity, migrated from heaven to earth, the tradition of Islam considers all human beings as immi-grants. Therefore, the primordial fatherland of humanity is heaven, while the earth is a place for temporary relo-cation. This view seems to be dominant in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as well. He likens himself to a traveller who stays for a short time to rest under the shade of a tree and then continues on his journey.1

Migration can take place for many reasons: Economic, religious, or simply for relocation. Islam has witnessed various waves of migration. The Holy Quran speaks of oppressed and weak people on earth and suggests that they could migrate from their oppressed positions to another land of God. The verse says: “Was not the earth of God spacious enough for you to flee for refuge?” (4:97).

The verse indirectly suggests that those who have authority should take care of refugees, since it speaks of God as the owner of the land. Therefore, the worldly owners and authorities should feel closeness and openness to those who are destitute and oppressed and therefore open the doors of their borders for them.

The verse continues... “as for the helpless men, women and children who have neither the strength nor the means to escape, God may pardon them. Surely God pardons and forgives. Those who migrate for the sake of God shall find many places for refuge in the land in great abundance” (4:99-100).

Therefore, according to Islamic teaching, every part of the earth is God’s land. Although today we have put up borders in order to divide nations and stop the flow of emigration and immi-gration from one land to another, in the teaching of Islam all lands belong to God and all people are servants of God.

A similar statement which indicates that the entire land belongs to God is found in one of the sayings of the Prophet: “God has made the entire face of the earth as a Mosque for me and its soil as pure.”2

Today, we have Muslim immigrants in many parts of the world, in the United States of America as well as Europe. Most of these migrations are for economic reasons, and few of them are for religious freedom. Similarly, there are many Muslim countries that receive immigrants from different parts of the world. The most interesting and well-known journeys of migration in the history of Islam are the three famous occurrences that happened in early period. These early migrations were religiously oriented. In other words, Muslims migrated for religious reasons. In the city of Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers

were persecuted by his opponents for their ‘new religion’. In order to have a safe place, they needed to migrate. Two of their three migrations were small-scale migrations.

One of them was the Prophet’s migration to the city of Taif, seeking refuge from the hostile reaction and persecution of Makkan idol worshipers. In fact, this might not even be called a full migration, since the Prophet (PBUH) wanted to convince the people of the city to accept him and his followers for their full-scale migration. Instead of giving him help, the people of this city encouraged their children and slaves to attack the Prophet and his companions and even to stone them. His foot was wounded and bled. This event became one of the worst events in the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Prophet did not ask God to punish them for their bad behaviour against him in the hope that there might be some good generations to come out of the offspring of this people.

The second migration came when a marginalised social class who con-verted to Islam, faced severe perse-cution. Slaves and women were at great risk. By torturing them, the Makkan elite believed that they would dis-courage the weaker people. In fact, the opposite became true, because the per-secution increased their loyalty to the Prophet and to their faith. Realising their painful situation, the Prophet asked them to migrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Therefore, this migration was made at the request of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), although he himself did not participate in it. This particular event is also considered one of the early encounters between Muslims and Christians, when Muslims received support and encouragement from the Christian king. Abyssinia was a Christian kingdom which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) thought would be a safe refuge for his followers.

In the sixth year of the his prophethood, about eighty-three members of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) community, male and female, under the leadership of his cousin Ja’far bin Abu Talib, left the city of Makkah for Abyssinia, including some prom-inent figures who would later be caliphs in Islam, such as Uthman bin Affan and his wife.3

Although they were followed by the idol worshippers and through

diplomacy they were asked to return, after several conversations with them, the Abyssinian King Negus and his reli-gious advisors, convinced of the immi-grants’ innocence, refused to return them to the Makkans. This honest and kind behaviour of the king and his monks received praise in the Quran and was the occasion of certain Quranic verses. The king’s good behaviour towards immigrants became an important reference for later Muslim-Christian relations.

Painful migrationThe largest and the most important

migration in the history of Islam is the migration of the Prophet (PBUH) from the city of Makkah to the city of Madinah, 280 miles north of Makkah. Because of the significance of this migration, it marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar. The Prophet (PBUH) did love his hometown, Makkah. When he needed to leave, he turned back to the city and said, “O Makkaha! I know you are the most blessed (khayr) of the land of God. If your people did not force me to leave I would never have left you.”4

It is also narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) made the following prayer while he migrated: “Lord, you have taken me from the most blessed city. Please, take me to another blessed city.” Prior to the migration, the Prophet (PBUH) and Muslims were all singled out by the elite in the city of Makkah. The wealthy merchants of the city imposed a severe economic boycott against the Prophet and his followers for three years. It is believed that out of this economic boycott came star-vation, and the Prophet’s wife, Khadija, died. The Prophet called this “the year of grief (huzn).”

One of the important aspects of this migration was the request that came from the people of Madinah. They wanted the Prophet to migrate to their town in order to stop the ongoing tribal warfare. Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) peace-making skill prompted the people of this city to go to him with such a request. Therefore, the Prophet asked his companions to migrate one by one. Eventually he and his close friend, Abu Bakr, who would later be the first caliph in Islam, migrated under a great risk of being attacked or killed. A man had been offered one hundred camels if he

could find Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his friend and kill them before they migrated. The Prophet successfully finished his painful migration, a long journey made on the back of a camel. After arriving at the city of Madinah, which was a multicul-tural and multi-reli-gious city, the first thing he did was to establish foundations for an interconnected society where people could live peacefully with one another. Muslims made up only fifteen percent of Madinah’s population w h e n P r o p h e t Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to the city. The population was otherwise made up of Arab idol wor-shippers, members of Jewish tribes, and a few others. Success-

fully, he brought a peaceful life to the conflicting tribes through an important document that he developed, the Constitution of Madinah or the Madinah Charter, in which equality between all members of society, regardless of religion, was established.

There is no doubt that the Muslims who migrated from Makkah were financially weak because they had to leave everything behind in Madinah. They were unable to carry their pos-sessions with them. Their poverty and weakness was to be solved through the wisdom of the Prophet. Because there were Muslim citizens in Madinah prior to the immigrants’ arrival, the immi-grants were called muhajir. In order to integrate immigrants with the local Muslims, the Prophet declared broth-erhood between every immigrant and local Muslim, and he asked the local Muslims to help the immigrants. Such a unique brotherhood created two important groups in the history of Islam who became the subjects of praise in the Quran: Muhajirun (immigrants) and Ansar (helpers).

Speaking of these people, the Quran says: The men who stayed in their own city (Madinah) and embraced Islam before them loved those who have sought refuge with them. They do not covet what they are given but rather prefer their brothers and sisters above themselves although they are in need. Those who preserve themselves from their own greed shall surely prosper. (59:9)

The Prophet named one Ansar and one Muhajirun, and he declared them brothers and sisters. Ansar shared their money and their farms with their brothers to the extent that the immi-grant Muslims received legal rights from the inheritance of their Ansar brothers. When one of the Ansars died, his Muhajirun brother would be his heir. Some of the immigrants were very hon-ourable and did not want to ask for help. Instead of asking for assistance they would say, “show me the way of the marketplace.”5

The brotherhood the Prophet declared brought prosperity and soli-darity to the community. It was not only a material cooperation, but a spiritual one as well. For example, the broth-erhood would listen to the Prophet in turn. When one of them needed to go

to work, he would ask his brother or sister to wait for the Prophet’s com-panionship in order to receive what the Prophet had said, so that the one who was not working could share the Prophet’s words with the one who was working. The Prophet’s brotherhood also helped to create a warm environment for immigrants and to strengthen society. The Prophet achieved a full inclusion of immigrants. For example, Africans and women were folded into the hierarchical society. The declaration of brotherhood between members of these two commu-nities was not random. The Prophet looked at their characteristics, their spir-itual compatibilities, and even their tastes, and he declared brotherhood and sis-terhood between these two segments of society. It took five months for the Prophet to get to know them well.

The Quran refers to their earlier sit-uation when it says: “Remember when you were enemies. God has united your hearts and through his grace you have become brothers” (3:103).

The practice of the Prophet with regards to immigrants can be taken as an example for our modern-day approach to migration and immigrants. The teaching of Islam has very important foundations for providing mutual help among immigrants and cit-izens. The Quran and the sayings of the Prophet contain many examples of peaceful societies made of immigrants as well as regular citizens.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “You cannot be a real believer unless you want for your brother what you want for yourself.”6

Notes:1. The story of this saying of the Prophet is narrated by one of his companions, Ibn Abbas. According to the story, Umar visited the Prophet while he was sit-ting on a mat, and he said to the Prophet that the Prophet should have a wonderful bed instead of sleeping on a mat. The Prophet responded in the following way: “I don’t have anything to do with this world. My story is like a rider in a desert who takes shade under a tree for a certain moment and then departs from there.” (Ahmad bin Hanbal. Al-Musnad Volume 6 p. 40. These page numbers are based on the electronic version of the text which is available at: www.al-Islam.com. Accessed on 4/8/2007.)2. This saying of the Prophet suggests that the Prophet and his community were privileged with three things. First, that the whole face of the earth was made pure and available as a place of worship or as a mosque. Second, that our rows in prayer became similar to the rows of angels when they had their prayer. The final verses of the second chapter of the Qur’an were given to him as a gift. (Ibn Hibban. Electronic Version: www.alsunnah.com Accessed on: 4/7/2007.)3. The entire story mentions that when they went to Abyssinia and met with King Negus, the King listened to them, and at the end he said, “You are welcome and the one from whom you came is also welcome. I believe that he is God’s messenger. He is the one that I found in the Gospel. Jesus gave good news of him. Live in Abyssinia wherever you want. If I was not the King, I would be willing to carry the sandals of the Prophet.” When he died, the Prophet was in Madinah, and he said to his companions, “Your brother Ashama (Negus) died in Abyssinia,” and he asked them to have a funeral prayer for him. (Ismail bin Kathir. Al Syrah al-Nabawiyyah. Volume 2, p. 9-10. The pages are based on the electronic version of the text which is available at www.alwar-raq.com. Accessed on 4/8/2007.)4. Ibn Kathir. Ibid. Volume 2 p. 285.5. The particular questions might include: Show me what the local buying and selling customs are? Show me where the marketplace is? This implies that one’s skills in the marketplace would not have been easily transferable from one town to the next.6. Bukhari. Hadith no. 12. (in his al-Sahih, Vol. 1, p. 20 in the electronic version which is available at www.al-Islam.com. Accessed on 4/7/08.)

Courtesy: The Journal of Scriptural Reasoning

MUZAMMIL SIDDIQI

Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and reject not Faith. (Quran 2:152)

And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): “If ye are grateful, I will add more favours unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My pun-ishment is terrible indeed.” (Quran 14:7)

We bestowed Wisdom on Luqman: “Show (thy) gratitude to Allah.” Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise. (Quran 31:12)

The National Day of Thanksgiving in America is a beautiful holiday. It contains a good spirit and noble message. It is not a holiday of any par-ticular religion. It is not a Christian or Jewish holiday but it has many deeply religious and spiritual meanings. America at thanksgiving is America at its best. It is unfortunate that like many other moral and spiritual things this holiday is also turned nowadays into too much indulgence and

commercialism. It is important that we remember and remind others about the spirit of thanksgiving.

The Quranic word for thanks is “shukr.” It is mentioned in the Quran many times. It is the quality of human beings and it is also the quality of Allah. According to scholars Shukr means: “It is the consideration of the favour and its acknowledgment. Shukr from the human means the recognition of the favour. Shukr from Allah means the reward and appreciation.”

Shukr is a very important principle in Islam. It is a quality of the believers and it is a source of all goodness. Shukr is used in the Quran sometimes as equivalent to faith. The faithful are thankful people and the unfaithful are ungrateful people. Allah has described His Prophets and Messengers among those who were thankful people. Prophet Noah was a grateful servant of Allah (Quran 17:3). Prophet Abraham used to thank Allah for His many blessings (Quran 16:121). Prophet David and his family were told to be grateful

to Allah (Quran 34:13). Allah told His Prophet Muhammad: Nay, but worship Allah, and be of those who give thanks. (Quran 39:66)

Allah also promised: Nor can a soul die except by Allah’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that who are thankful. (Quran 3:145)

In Islam thanksgiving is not only a particular religious act or service; it is the whole life. The whole life should be lived in obedience to our Ultimate Benefactor, Allah. God has been good to us and so in our thankfulness we should worship Him, obey His com-mands and orders. Our daily prayers, our fasting during Ramadan, our Zakat and Hajj are all our acts of thanks-giving. We should do them not only as duties that must be performed but as our gratitude to our Lord and Creator.

Furthermore, we should remind ourselves that we are constantly under

Allah’s favours and blessings. There are many special prayers that the Prophet taught us to keep us on the path of gratitude and thankfulness.

When we eat, he told us that we should say: When the Prophet used to eat or drink, he used to say, “Thanks be to Allah Who gave us food and drink and made us Muslims.” (Tirmidhi)

Whenever the Prophet put on any new dress, he would say its name ‘Amamah or shirt or shawl, then he would say, “O Allah, Thanks be to You, You gave me this to wear. I ask You to give me the good of this dress and the good for which it is made and I ask You to protect me from the evil of this dress and from the evil of that for which it is made.” (Tirmidhi)

When the Prophet used to mount his camel going on a journey he used to say Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest) three times and then he would say, “Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have

accomplished this (by ourselves). And to our Lord, surely, must we turn back!” (Quran 43:13)

O Allah, we ask you this journey righteousness and piety and the deeds that are pleasing to you. O Allah, make this journey easy for us and shorten its distance. O Allah, You are the Com-panion in journey and You are the Guardian for the family (left behind). O Allah, We ask you to protect us from the exhaustion of journey, from bad scenes and from bad return to our property and family.” When he used to return he used to say, “Returning, repenting, worshiping and praising our Lord.” (Muslim)

Islam does not only teach us to thank Allah, but we are also told to thank our parents, our spouses, our friends, neigh-bours and all those who do any good to us. The Prophet said: “Those who do not thank people, they do not thank Allah.” (Tirmidhi) www.islamicity.org

An Islamic Thanksgiving Shukr is a very important principle in Islam. It is a quality of the believers and it is a source of all goodness. Shukr is used in the Quran sometimes as equivalent to faith. The faithful are thankful people and the unfaithful are ungrateful people. Allah has described His Prophets and Messengers among those who were thankful people.

The practice of the Prophet

Muhammad (Peace Be

Upon Him) with regards to

immigrants can be taken

as an example for our

modern-day approach to

migration and immigrants.

The teaching of Islam has

very important

foundations for providing

mutual help among

immigrants and citizens.

The Quran and the sayings

of the Prophet contain

many examples of peaceful

societies made of

immigrants as well as

regular citizens. The

Prophet (PBUH) said: “You

cannot be a real believer

unless you want for your

brother what you want

for yourself.

06 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020AFRICA

Abiy orders ‘final’ offensive against Tigray leadersAFP — ADDIS ABABA

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on yesterday ordered Ethiopia’s army to launch a “final” offensive against Tigray’s dissident leaders in their regional capital Mekele, saying the deadline for their surrender had expired.

Abiy, the winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, late Sunday gave the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) 72 hours to lay down their arms.

The ultimatum was rejected by the leaders of the region, whose forces have been fighting federal troops in the country’s north for three weeks. Violence has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced more than 40,000.

Ethiopia’s army — which in recent days said it was advancing on Mekele with tanks — had been directed “to con-clude the third and final phase”

against the TPLF, Abiy said.“In this final phase, great

care will be given to protect innocent civilians from harm. All efforts will be made to ensure that the city of Mekele, which was built through the hard work of our people, will not be severely damaged,” Abiy promised.

He said “thousands” of TPLF militia and special forces had surrendered to federal forces before the deadline lapsed.

It was not immediately clear how close the army was to the city. A communications blackout in Tigray and restric-tions on reporting have made verifying claims from both sides difficult.

Diplomats briefed on the fighting told AFP Wednesday that federal forces were at least 30km from Mekele to the north and the south.

The threatened assault and fears for Mekele’s half a million inhabitants accelerated diplo-matic efforts this week to mediate, with the UN Security Council holding its first meeting on the crisis on Tuesday.

A team of special envoys dispatched by the African Union (AU) to try to mediate between the warring parties arrived in Addis Ababa late Wednesday, said a spokesperson for the 55-member bloc.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged “the

leaders of Ethiopia to do every-thing possible to protect civilians” as the US, EU and other interna-tional powers encouraged medi-ation through the AU, headquar-tered in Addis Ababa.

Rights groups have warned bombarding Mekele could con-stitute a war crime.

“Despite the Ethiopian mil-itary’s warnings to residents, warnings alone do not absolve the government of its obligation to take constant care to protect civilians, particularly when using airpower and heavy weaponry” in congested urban areas, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

Abiy stressed that Ethiopia’s defence forces had “carefully devised” a strategy to defeat the TPLF in Mekele without harming civilians or public property.

“We call on the people of Mekele and its environs to disarm, stay at home and stay away from military targets” and

assist by handing over TPLF ele-ments in their midst, Abiy said.

Abiy ordered troops into Tigray on November 4 following alleged attacks by TPLF forces on federal military camps in the region.

He has resisted appeals for talks. His government signalled it would meet the AU envoys “as a matter of respect” but flatly refused to negotiate.

As international pressure mounted this week, Abiy issued a strongly-worded statement rejecting outside “interference” in what he labelled an internal “law enforcement” operation.

“We therefore respectfully urge the international com-munity to refrain from any unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference and respect the fundamental principles of non-intervention under interna-tional law,” he said.

Since the fighting began, rockets have fallen on the

Eritrean capital Asmara and Ethiopian cities outside Tigray, spurring fears the conflict could destabilise the wider Horn of Africa region.

Hundreds have reportedly been killed, although an accurate figure is not known. Ethiopia’s rights watchdog this week said at least 600 civilians were massacred in the Tigrayan town of Mai-Kadra alone.

The UN, in its latest crisis report, said shortages of cash and fuel were “very critical” in Tigray and humanitarians were struggling to meet needs. Abiy committed Thursday to opening a humanitarian access route into Tigray and working with the UN and other aid agencies to help those in need.

More than 40,000 people meanwhile have crossed into eastern Sudan, where the UN says a “full-blown humanitarian crisis is unfolding” in one of the country’s poorest regions.

A teacher giving lesson in a classroom of Albert Street Primary School, in Johannesburg CBD, yesterday.

Burkina Faso President Kabore wins reelectionAFP — OUAGADOUGOU

Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore (pictured) has won a second term after gaining an outright majority in the first round of elections, the country’s elec-toral board announced yesterday.

“Mr Kabore... with 57.87 percent of the vote, is provi-sionally elected president of (Burkina) Faso in the first round,” said Newton Ahmed Barry, head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

Eddie Komboigo, the can-didate of a once-ruling party, came second in Sunday’s vote with 15.48 percent of the ballot, followed by Zephirin Diabre, considered by pundits to be the best-placed opposition hopeful, with 12.46 percent.

President Kabore, 63, has been under fire for his response to a five-year-old militant insurgency that has rolled in from Mali.

But he was the favourite and by winning an overall majority in the first round he avoids a runoff vote in which he would have had to stand against a single candidate backed by a united opposition.

The elections on Sunday were for Burkina’s legislature as well as its presidency, where executive power in the former F r e n c h c o l o n y i s concentrated.

The paramount court, the Constitutional Council, has a

week in which to confirm the outcome.

One of the poorest coun-tries in the world, Burkina Faso is struggling with a militant campaign that has claimed at least 1,200 lives since 2015 and forced around a million people to flee their homes.

Opposition parties say the vote was marked by fraud and flawed procedures, threatening to reject “results stained by irregularities.”

Their complaints include polling stations that either did not open or opened late, insecure handling of ballot boxes and arbitrary changes to voting areas.

Because of the unrest, the election was not held across at least one-fifth of the territory, denying up to 350,000 people the right to vote, according to CENI’s figures.

Pro-Kabore parties on Tuesday argued that all candi-dates were equally affected by the problems and that in any case these were not on a scale to have any major impact on the result.

Rescue workers installing a water pump to drain water from a mine shaft to gain access to at least 40 informal gold miners trapped inside a collapsed shaft at Ran Mine in Bindura, yesterday.

Dozens trapped in Zimbabwe mine shaft collapseAFP — HARARE

At least 40 informal miners in Zimbabwe have been trapped underground after a shaft in a disused gold mine collapsed, the country’s miners’ federation said yesterday.

The incident occurred late Wednesday in the town of Bindura, around 70 km north of the capital Harare, said Wel-lington Takavarasha, head of Zimbabwe Miners Federation.

Takavarasha added that the

miners were working inside the disused Ran Gold Mine when a shaft caved in. Six miners have since been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital.

“Those who were rescued said there were about 40 people in the mine shaft at the time of the incident,” said Takavarasha, adding that rescue efforts were ongoing.

Mining is a major source of foreign currency for Zimbabwe, where gold alone accounts for 60 percent of exports.

The landlocked southern African country is home to vast gold and mineral reserves, including diamonds and platinum.

The gold sector provides jobs to nearly 10 percent of the country’s population, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).

Small-scale miners often operate illegally to avoid selling their bullion to the state-owned buyer as they are paid only 55 percent in foreign currency.

Former Sudan PM Al Mahdi dies of COVID-19AP — CAIRO

Sadiq Al Mahdi, Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister and leader of the country’s largest political party, has died of COVID-19 in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, his party said. He was 84.

Al Mahdi was taken to Abu Dhabi for treatment in early November, and died late Wednesday. His body was expected to arrive in Sudan for burial today morning, the National Ummah Party tweeted. It had announced Al Mahdi tested positive for the coronavirus on October 29.

Al Mahdi was overthrown in a 1989 Islamist-backed coup that brought longtime autocrat Omar Al Bashir to power. Nearly three decades later, Al Mahdi’s party allied with a pro-democracy uprising in Sudan that led the military to overthrow Al Bashir in 2019.

Sudan has since been ruled by a transitional military-civilian government. Elections could possibly be held in late 2022.

Al Mahdi was one of the staunchest opponents of Sudan’s recent normalisation of ties with Israel, which he dismissed as “an apartheid state” because of its treatment of the Palestinians. He also accused US President Donald Trump of being racist against Muslims and Black people.

Sudan’s government declared three days of national mourning.

South Africa’s Ramaphosa faces no-confidence vote

REUTERS — CAPE TOWN

The speaker of South Africa’s lower house of parliament has authorised a vote on a motion of no-confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa (pictured), a parliamentary official said yesterday.

The request for the vote was made by a small political party, the African Transfor-mation Movement (ATM), which has only two seats in the 400-member National Assembly, meaning the motion has little chance of succeeding.

“There had been a request by the ATM for a motion of no-confidence in the president that came through several months ago. The speaker has approved that request, and our recom-mendation is that it be dealt with next Thursday,” the official told the National

Assembly’s programming committee.

A spokeswoman for the parliamentary caucus of the governing African National Congress (ANC) party, which Ramaphosa leads, declined to comment.

The ANC has 230 seats in the National Assembly.

Ramaphosa’s predecessor as head of state, Jacob Zuma, survived many no-confidence votes before being ousted by Ramaphosa’s allies in the ANC in February 2018 amid growing corruption scandals.

According to the consti-tution, a motion of no confi-dence in the president needs to be supported by a simple majority or at least 201 law-makers in the National Assembly to pass.

The constitution also makes provision for the removal of a sitting president for serious vio-lations of law, misconduct or an inability to perform the functions of the office, but this requires a two-thirds majority in the assembly.

The ATM’s leader was not immediately available to say why the request for the no-confidence vote had been made. The largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said it did not support the ATM motion.

Prime Minister Abiy stressed that Ethiopia’s defence forces had “carefully devised” a strategy to defeat the TPLF in Mekele without harming civilians or public property.

'Africa may wait for COVID-19 vaccinations'REUTERS — JOHANNESBURG

Mass vaccination against COVID-19 is unlikely to start in Africa until midway through next year and keeping vaccines cold could be a big challenge, the continent’s disease control group said yesterday.

Some European countries expect to start rolling out vac-cination campaigns as early as January. But health cam-paigners are worried that Africa will find itself near the back of the queue for COVID-19 vac-cines after wealthier nations signed a raft of bilateral vaccine supply deals with pharmaceu-tical companies.

“We are very concerned as a continent that we will not have access to vaccines in a

timely fashion,” said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, an African Union agency.

“It will not be, in my view, up to (the) middle of next year before we truly start to get vac-cination into Africa,” he told a news conference. “There were also logistical problems to overcome in Africa, a hot con-tinent with perennial chal-lenges supplying electricity.”

The continent of 1.3 billion people has recorded more than 2.1 million confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, according to a Reuters tally, though it has had a lower death rate than other continents.

It has recorded only 50,000 deaths, because African

countries have imposed strict lockdowns and have generally younger populations.

Many African nations have expressed interest in taking part in the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the World Health Organization. It is expected — but not certain — that less wealthy countries will receive vaccines at low or no cost via COVAX next year.

Nkengasong said his agency’s aim was for 60 percent of the continent’s pop-ulation to be vaccinated even-tually, adding that, so far the AstraZeneca vaccine candidate offered “the best possibility for distribution in Africa” because its temperature storage condi-tions were less strict than others.

Morocco upholds jail terms for 23 Sahrawis over 2010 killingsAFP — RABAT

A Moroccan appeals court has upheld jail sentences ranging up to life for 23 Sahrawis over the killings of security personnel a decade ago, a defence lawyer said.

Morocco and rebel Polisario Front, which seeks inde-pendence for disputed Western Sahara territory, have accused each other of provoking deadly clashes between police and Sahrawi protesters at a camp for displaced people in Gdeim Izik in November 2010.

“The Court of Cassation on Wednesday dismissed all the appeals” of the 23 defendants, Mohamed Fadel Leili said. “This is the final decision.”

The appeals court’s decision comes amid heightened ten-sions in the territory, where the two sides have traded regular fire since a three-decade UN-backed ceasefire broke down earlier this month.

The 23 defendants were found guilty in 2013 by a mil-itary court which sentenced them to jail terms ranging from 20 years to life.

Four of the defendants have completed their sentences, the lawyer said.

07FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020 ASIA

Malaysia PM gains political lifeline with budget nodAP — KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysia’s Parliament approved the government’s proposed 2021 budget yesterday, throwing a political lifeline to embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin amid strong resistance to his 9-month-old leadership.

Opposition lawmakers as well as members of his gov-erning coalition had warned during three weeks of debate that they would reject the budget, citing insufficient funding to fight a surge in coro-navirus cases and help those hit by the pandemic.

Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz made some concessions and included more goodies in minor revisions to the 322.5bn ringgit ($79bn) budget, the biggest ever, in his concluding speech yesterday in response to the complaints. He insisted that “this is a COVID-19 budget, a budget for survival and resilience.” In the end, the budget was approved despite the dis-senting voices. Still, Muhyiddin is not yet safe. A second round of debate on the budget begins next week, with specific budget provi-sions up for approval.

“A budget vote has always been a de facto vote of confi-dence or no-confidence in the government,” said Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, a political science professor at Malaysia’s Uni-versity of Science.

Muhyiddin’s “government is temporarily secure but it will continue to have to fight from bill to bill as it survives on a slender majority and on the goodwill of bigger parties in the

(governing) coalition,” he said, adding that bargaining and horse-trading will continue to take place.

Had Muhyiddin failed to obtain Parliament’s support for the budget, it would have trig-gered new calls for him to resign or spur him to seek a general election, which is not favored during the surge in coronavirus cases. Malaysia’s cases have jumped sixfold in two months to nearly 60,000.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim warned it wasn’t a victory for Muhyiddin’s coa-lition yet. He said his camp will scrutinize details in the pro-posed budget in the second round of debate and will oppose it if changes are not made.

Muhyiddin, 73, has only a slim two-seat majority in Parliament. He has been challenged by Anwar, who last month said he has majority support to form a new government with defections from Muhyiddin’s coalition.

The support reportedly comes from the United Malays National Organization, the biggest party in the unelected governing coalition, which was angry at being side-lined amid rivalry with Muhyid-

din’s own Malay party.Lawmakers from both sides

of the divide have also pushed for a vote of no-confidence in Muhy-iddin, but the bids have been thwarted by the house speaker.

Muhyiddin last month pro-posed a coronavirus emergency that would have suspended Par-liament and given him uncon-tested powers, but it sparked widespread anger. The king rejected the proposal, saying t h a t e x i s t i n g l a w s

were sufficient to tackle the pandemic, but urged lawmakers to back the budget.

The palace issued a statement later Thursday welcoming the budget approval and said the king thanked lawmakers for heeding his advice. Muhyiddin in a sep-arate statement said the approval will ensure economic recovery efforts can go on.

“He got lucky again - until the next showdown, as his gov-ernment remains a decidedly

weak one,” said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

Muhyiddin took power in March after withdrawing his party from Anwar’s ruling reformist alliance that won 2018 polls. He tied up with the corruption-tainted UMNO and other opposition parties to form a Malay-centric gov-ernment, but his adminis-tration has been riven by infighting.

Malaysia’s Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz speaks during a session of the lower house of parliament, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday.

Farmers in India clash with police during protest against new laws

AP — NEW DELHI

Thousands of Indian farmers clashed with police in northern Haryana state yesterday during a protest demanding that the government abolish new farming laws that they fear will reduce their earnings and give more power to corpo-rations.

The farmers, who were traveling toward the capital, New Delhi, on tractors and motorbikes, flung police bar-ricades into a river and threw bricks and stones at the officers near Ambala district. Police halted them by firing teargas and water cannons.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. “Such kind of injustice toward farmers is not fair. Peaceful protest is their constitutional right,” New Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Hundreds of police were also deployed at the border between New Delhi and Haryana to block the protesters.

The farmers say the farming laws, which were approved by Parliament in September, could cause the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices and result in their being exploited by corporations that would buy their crops at cheap prices.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the laws are aimed at reforming India’s farming sector by giving farmers the freedom to market their produce and boosting agricul-tural growth through private investment.

For the last two months, farmer unions unwilling to accept the laws have camped on highways in Punjab and Haryana states. In an attempt to pacify them, the federal government has called leaders of the farmers to a second round of negotiations on December 3 after the first round failed last month.

NZ's Mahuta brings new outlook to foreign affairsAP — WELLINGTON

Diplomats like to remain neutral but Nanaia Mahuta let the veil slip a little when a winner was declared in the US election by tweeting a smiley-face emoji.

Mahuta, the first indigenous Maori woman to be appointed New Zealand’s foreign affairs minister, suppresses a real-life smile when asked about it.

“Look, what I can say is that there were encouraging signs in those speeches,” she said in an interview. She said the victory speech by Vice Pres-ident-elect Kamala Harris was “inspirational to many women around the world.”

Mahuta, 50, was a surprise pick for the role, despite being a respected performer in Par-liament for almost half her life, since she was first elected in

1996 at age 26. She is part of the most diverse group of law-makers ever appointed to the top roles in Cabinet after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won a second term in a landslide victory last month.

Mahuta said she felt joyous at being chosen and promised to bring a new perspective to foreign affairs.

She didn’t have to wait long for her first contentious moment. New Zealand has long been cautious of criticizing China, its largest trading partner.

But Mahuta last week took the step of joining Australia, Canada, the UK and the US in condemning China for imposing new rules to disqualify legis-lators in Hong Kong.

China reacted with anger.“Be careful not to get poked

in the eye,” Chinese foreign

ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in response, referring to the “Five Eyes” military alliance among the five countries.

Mahuta said she had talked with Ardern before deciding to sign the statement and felt it was a natural progression to “turn the dial up” and join with other countries. She said she thinks the relationship with China is mature enough to with-stand such disagreements.

Still, it will pose a challenge for Mahuta to find the right balance to strike with an increasingly assertive China and a combative US. For now, Mahuta said she intends to focus on building relationships with New Zealand’s immediate island neighbours in the Pacific, even if the coronavirus prevents her traveling there in person.

“This could be the period of

the Zoom diplomacy,” she said.People around the world

have been curious about Mahuta’s moko kauae, or sacred facial tattoo, which she got four years ago to celebrate her her-itage, ancestors and connection to Papatuanuku, or Mother Earth.

“The most common question is, did it hurt?” she laughs.

The answer? Not really, because her mind went to a dif-ferent place. She said wearing the moko makes her more mindful “in how you want to be as a person, how you treat other people. So that it’s almost like a compass.”

Thirty years ago, before there was a revival of Maori culture in New Zealand, facial tattoos tended to be associated with gang members. Mahuta said she still finds negative

reactions to hers in some parts of the country, but these days most people recognize it as an affirmation of culture.

Mahuta is the daughter of the late Sir Robert Mahuta, a key figure in the Tainui tribe who helped settle a groundbreaking financial claim with the gov-ernment for land that was taken during colonisation.

Mahuta said her father was her mentor and a tough task-master. But it was the students she met as a university tutor who convinced her to go into politics, not her dad. “I think if he had his way, I wouldn’t be in politics, I’d be in the tribe,” she said.

Lara Greaves, a lecturer in politics at the University of Auckland, said Mahuta is well prepared for her role because she has spent her whole life steeped in high-level cultural diplomacy in Maori society.

Australia to dismiss at least 10 soldiers over Afghan killings

REUTERS — SYDNEY

Australia has issued termi-nation notices to at least 10 special forces soldiers after the release of a report that found credible evidence of unlawful killings in Afghanistan, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said yesterday.

An independent report published last week in redacted form said there was evidence that 39 unarmed Afghan prisoners and civilians were killed by 19 Australian soldiers.

None of the 19 soldiers was identified in the report, which was written by a state judge appointed by the inspector-general of defence. The 19 current and former soldiers have been referred for possible prosecution.

Amid the immediate fallout, the ABC said 10 soldiers had been formally notified that they would be dismissed.

The broadcaster did not identify any of the 10 but said all of them were witnesses or accessories and therefore not among the 19 referred for pos-sible criminal charges.

The Department of Defence did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ABC said the 10 sol-diers would have at least 14 days to respond to the termi-nation notices. It did not say if any of them had legal representation.

Australia’s most senior military official apologised to Afghanistan last week after the release of the report.

Mass evacuations hailed for casualty-free India cycloneAFP — PUDUCHERRY

Accurate forecasting and the evacuation of several hundred thousand people helped avert any loss of life after a cyclone clobbered southeast India, authorities said yesterday, as rescuers worked to restore power and clear fallen trees.

Nivar made landfall at 3.05am (2135 GMT) near Puducherry, packing gusts of up to 130km per hour, uprooting trees and bringing torrential rain of up to 30 cen-timetres in a few hours in some parts.

Thousands of emergency personnel were deployed in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry as authorities began restoring power that had been suspended to prevent damage to the elec-tricity grid.

One woman in Tamil Nadu died after a boundary wall col-lapsed following heavy rains late Wednesday, local media reported, but this was not con-firmed by local authorities who said there was no loss of life.

“People have given us full

cooperation,” said O Panneer-selvam, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu state.

“It’s a solace that nothing untoward happened and the weakening of the cyclone is

good news,” he said, adding that 250,000 people were housed in shelters in the southern state as a precaution.

Rescue workers were using heavy machinery to remove

hundreds of trees uprooted in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Electricity pylons were also toppled in some areas, and several flash floods were reported.

Emergency and rescue workers clear a street after a tree fell due to heavy rains and strong winds after Cyclone Nivar landfall, in Puducherry, India, yesterday.

Cambodia begins mass trial of opposition activistsAP — PHNOM PENH

A Cambodian court yesterday began hearing the cases of nearly 130 government critics and opponents charged with treason for taking part in nonvi-olent political activities over the past three years, in what one of them called a sham trial.

Only 33 defendants attended yesterday’s session at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, with some believed to be overseas. Most are former members or supporters of the

disbanded Cambodia National Rescue Party.

As the sole opposition party in Parliament, it had been expected to present a strong challenge to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian Peo-ple’s Party in the 2018 general election. But in late 2017, Hun Sen launched a sweeping crackdown on his opponents and the CNRP was forced by the high court to disband and its lawmakers removed from Parliament.

Virtually all of the defendants

have been charged with con-spiracy to commit treason and incitement to commit a felony, which together carry a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison, according to defence lawyers and human rights activists.

It was not immediately clear why only 33 defendants attended yesterday’s court session. An unknown number are believed to be living abroad, including senior politicians and Cambodian labourers in neigh-boring countries, said Ny Sokha of the local rights group

ADHOC. Cambodian law allows trials in absentia.

Judge Ros Piseth agreed to split the defendants into two groups to make the proceedings easier, with the first group having its initial hearing on Jan. 14 and the other on March 4.

The judge said he was adjourning the trial for now so that defendants who did not yet have lawyers and declined court-appointed ones could find representation.

Sam Sokong, one of the defense lawyers, said earlier this

week that he feared his clients could not get a fair judgment because there are so many being tried at the same time.

“I am very doubtful about this arrangement and whether fairness will be received by my clients according to the inter-national standard,” he said.

One of the best-known defendants living in Cambodia is Theary Seng, a Cambodian-American lawyer who has long been one of the most outspoken critics of Hun Sen and his government.

Finance Minister Zafrul Aziz made some concessions and included more goodies in minor revisions to the budget, the biggest ever, in his concluding speech yesterday in response to the complaints. He insisted that “this is a COVID-19 budget, a budget for survival and resilience.”

08 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020VIEWS

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DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

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MOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

AMIR H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Ankara comes on the heels of back-to-back meetings between Qatar and Turkey at the highest level in recent years. H H the Amir and Turkish President H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired the sixth meeting of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee in Ankara, yesterday.

The relationship between Doha and Ankara is rooted in decades of close religious, cultural and trade ties. In recent years the two countries have increased bilateral cooperation in various fields including tourism, defence and knowledge sharing.

Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee has been convening annually since its first meeting in Doha in 2015. Ever since the two countries have signed 52 agreements to enhance cooperation in diverse fields. A number of agreements in the fields of economy, culture, trade, education, Islamic and family affairs, and water management were signed at the sixth round.

The trade ties between the two countries have increased tremendously over the past years, and cur-rently more than 500 Turkish companies are operating in Qatar. The total value of the projects undertaken by Turkish contracting companies since 2002 is $18.5bn. Similarly, Qatari investment and the footprint of Qatari companies in Turkey has also increased as currently 280 Qatari firms are engaged in various sectors in Turkey and the Qatari investments in Turkey have risen to $22bn. Qatar-Turkey bilateral trade volume has tripled over the past five years to more than $2bn in 2019.

The number of Qatari tourists to Turkey has also increased tremendously from about 30,000 in 2014, to about 110,000 in 2019. There are also more than 11,000 Turkish citizens who live and work in Qatar in different fields. The two countries have also worked closely on many issues at the bilateral, regional and international levels for years, and Turkey has also been a strong sup-porter for Doha’s mediatory role for peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region and elsewhere.

Turkish President, who recently visited Doha, has termed the bilateral cooperation with Qatar a win-win part-nership. He said Turkey-Qatar Combined Joint Force Command was a symbol of brotherhood, friendship, sol-idarity, and sincerity between the two countries, adding that Turkey’s military presence in Qatar was contributing to the stability in the whole region. President Erdogan said Qatar had emerged stronger despite the unjust blockade imposed against it, hoping the crisis is resolved soon.

Qatar’s cooperative ties with Turkey have served the cause of peace, justice, and respect for the inter-national law in the region and beyond.

Qatar-Turkey ties

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Quote of the day

We now have reason to hope that by spring, community testing and vaccines will combine to end this era of restrictions. But to get there, we must first navigate a hard winter, when the burden on our NHS and cold weather favours the virus.

Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with President of the Republic of Turkey H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a visit to Turkey, yesterday.

QNA

The sixth meeting of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee, under the chairmanship of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of the Republic of Turkey H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reflects the unwavering commitment of the two countries’ leadership to enhance bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

This year’s meeting will focus on advancing the strategic partnership in dif-ferent fields. It will also see both sides exchange views on regional and interna-tional issues of joint interest, and sign a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding. The new agreements will touch on a range of fields such as investment and industrial cooperation, commerce, free zones, water resources, and Islamic affairs among others. They will likely bring the total number of agreements signed between both sides to 60.

The two sides sign new agreements every year at the meeting of their joint supreme stra-tegic committee since the meetings first started in 2014. The signing of those agreements reflects the strong intention of both sides to enhance cooperation.

The sixth meeting was preceded by a number of meetings and consultations. H E the Turkish President visited Doha on October 7 and discussed with H H the Amir strategic bilateral relations and the means to enhance them. They also exchanged views on regional

and international issues of joint interest. Qatar and Turkey also held a prepar-

atory ministerial meeting for the sixth session of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Stra-tegic Committee in Antalya on November 5. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani represented the State of Qatar in the meeting, while Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Mevlut Cavusoglu repre-sented the Republic of Turkey.

The Qatari-Turkish Business Forum also took place on Sept. 29 through video con-ference, where 1500 companies from both countries discussed investment opportunities.

Joint Technical Committee also held yes-terday its second meeting through video conference. The meeting discussed issues related to the use of skilled workers from the Republic of Turkey in the State of Qatar, as well as the employment fair in which the Turkish side will display the Turkish labor skills suitable for the Qatari labor market, and coordinate with the Qatar Chamber to hold the exhibition through visual communi-cation technology.

Bilateral ties has seen a noticeable boost recently thanks to the commitment of H H the Amir and the President of Turkey’s determination to enhance them, especially that both sides agree on many of the regional and international issues. The supreme stra-tegic committee have also helped grow these ties in many fields. Ties between the two countries have been tested over the past few years, and have proved its resilience with

each test. Trade ties concurrently continue to grow

rapidly, with trade volume tripling over the past five years to more than $2 billion in 2019. Turkish products and services are fourth largest on the list of Qatari imports, based on official data for the first six months of this year.

The total number of Qatari companies operating in Turkey reached 280, repre-senting the third largest investor in Turkey’s construction market. Turkey is also one of the favored destination for Qataris, whether for investment or tourism.

Total Qatari investments in Turkey exceed the $22 billion, spread over a number of industries such as tourism, agriculture, energy, defense, banking, and real estate. Meanwhile, there are more than 500 Turkish companies operating in Qatar. There are also more than 11,000 Turkish citizens who live and work in Qatar in different fields.

KELLY AYOTTE, JOSEPH DUNFORD & NANCY LINDBORG THE WASHINGTON POST

Over the past four years, the Trump administration took bold actions to initiate negotia-tions between the Kabul government and the Taliban insurgency. For the first time since the Afghanistan conflict began more than 40 years ago, an Afghan government began talking to its main insurgent rival about creating a foun-dation for a stable future. Thanks to this diplomatic initi-ative, the pressing question about the US presence in Afghanistan is no longer about winning an “endless war” but about brokering a lasting peace.

Congress called last year for the establishment of the Afghanistan Study Group, which we lead, to examine US options in Afghanistan and to report in early 2021. In our eight months of consultations with US, Afghan and interna-tional leaders and experts, our 15-member bipartisan group believes it has emerged with a clear understanding of the current situation in Afghanistan

- and what is necessary to protect US national security interests.

Our study group has a strong and united position: An abrupt withdrawal of US troops, as is now being con-templated by the Trump administration, would undermine the fragile but potentially transformational peace process. It would embolden the Taliban, desta-bilize the Kabul government and allow terrorist groups to reconsolidate. A civil war could result, provoking a wider regional conflict and an inevi-table humanitarian and migration crisis.

The US military presence in Afghanistan underpins the negotiations, which offer the likeliest path to peace in that country since 9/11. Getting US troops out of Afghanistan is the Taliban’s main goal. During our consultations with more than 60 interlocutors, we have looked intensely at the question of whether a credible peace deal between the Afghan gov-ernment and the Taliban is possible. There has been one clear and consistent response:

No deal will emerge as long as the Taliban believes the United States is withdrawing troops imminently, without regard for the Taliban’s behavior.

If the United States takes that path before genuine progress is achieved, it will give up the leverage that could produce a sustainable political compromise. Doing so would also damage US credibility with its allies and partners.

At the same time, the greatly reduced US presence over the past few years has sig-naled to the Afghan gov-ernment that the United States’ patience and resources are limited, and that Kabul also must negotiate in good faith.

For the immediate future, the United States should embrace a peace-centered strategy that has the following elements:

First, we should make clear to all parties involved what the desired end state will be. In par-ticular, a post-peace Afghan-istan must be able to either suf-ficiently control its territory to prevent the harboring of ter-rorists or accept international assistance to do so.

Second, affirm the US com-mitment to Afghanistan’s consti-tutional order and the country’s gains in human rights, including the rights of women. Having put severe pressure on the Afghan government to enter talks with the Taliban, the United States must now show that its support will continue as long as the Afghan government negotiates in good faith, fights corruption and reaches out to all elements of Afghan society. During the negotiations, our remaining troops will back Afghan security forces as they keep the Taliban from a battlefield victory and continue to lead the fight against terrorist groups.

Third, reemphasise to the Taliban that the full withdrawal of US troops is strictly condi-tional on progress toward peace, including a genuine and broad reduction in violence - a reduction that at the moment is not in evidence. Our study group’s assessment is that the Taliban has instigated most of the recent violence and is under-mining their claim that they can and will prevent the use of Afghan soil by Al Qaeda, the Islamic State or other terrorists.

Qatar and Turkey, a strategic partnership built on joint interests & mutual respect

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We can’t abandon Afghanistan

Established in 1996

Bilateral ties has seen a noticeable

boost recently thanks to the

commitment of H H the Amir and the

President of Turkey’s determination

to enhance them, especially that both

sides agree on many of the regional

and international issues. The supreme

strategic committee have also helped

grow these ties in many fields.

09FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020 ASIA

China’s FM touts S Korea ties amid row with USAP — SEOUL

China’s top diplomat yesterday stressed the importance of bilateral relations while meeting senior officials in South Korea, where there’s growing concern the country is becoming squeezed between its biggest trading partner and military ally the United States.

After meeting South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that his visit amid a spreading corona-virus pandemic shows how much Beijing values its relations with Seoul. He called for stronger cooperation over anti-virus efforts, trade and finding a peaceful solution to a nuclear standoff with North Korea.

When asked whether Beijing was pressing Seoul to choose a side amid rising US-China tensions over trade, security and other issues, Wang

said “America is not the only nation in the world.” “There are 190 countries and each of them are sovereign nations,” he said.

“They include China and South Korea, which are close neighbours and should visit each other more often like relatives.”

Wang, who arrived in Seoul following a visit to Japan where

he met Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, to met South Korean President Moon Jae-in later yesterday.

In Tokyo on Wednesday, Wang told Suga that he wants the two Asian powers to have good relations and cooperate in fighting the coronavirus and reviving their pandemic-hit economies. But the two sides remain at odds over an island dispute.

South Korea has been eager to repair its relations with China, its biggest trade partner that reacted furiously to Seoul’s decision to deploy an advanced US anti-missile system on its soil in 2016 to better cope with North Korean threats.

There’s also concern in South Korea over a deepening row between Washington and Beijing over trade, security, human rights and other issues, which could force Seoul into a difficult balancing act.

China, which has claimed

that the US anti-missile system in South Korea could be recon-figured to peep into its territory, had been accused by Seoul of retaliating by limiting Chinese tour groups visits to South Korea.

South Korea had hoped to

secure a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping this year in what Seoul officials describe as a key step in repairing relations, but the pandemic has complicated such plans.

When asked about a pos-sible visit by Xi, Wang pointed

to the face masks worn by reporters, saying that the coro-navirus situation must first be contained.

South Korea earlier reported 583 new cases of the coronavirus, its biggest daily increase in about eight months.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) talking with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting at the presidential house in Seoul, yesterday.

Philippines to sign vaccine supply deal with AstraZenecaREUTERS — MANILA

The Philippines is set to sign a supply agreement for Astra-Zeneca’s potential COVID-19 vaccine today, the first such deal in a country aiming to further reopen its economy that has been ravaged by the pandemic.

Carlito Galvez, a top coro-navirus task force official, told a media briefing the deal would be for two million doses. However, Joey Con-cepcion, a government business adviser, told Reuters the private sector was aiming to procure more than that.

The deal will augment government efforts to lock in supplies to inoculate around two-thirds of its 108 million population, and is another boost for AstraZeneca, which has already signed supply deals for more than three billion doses of its experi-mental vaccine developed with the University of Oxford.

The private firms will pay for the vaccine and donate half of the supply to the gov-ernment, with the other half to be used to cover employees in the private sector, Con-cepcion said, without identi-fying the private companies.

Galvez, the former general in charge of strategy to fight the coronavirus, said the gov-ernment had separate negotia-tions with AstraZeneca, which said on Monday its COVID-19 shot could be up to 90% effective and cheaper to make than some rivals. The vaccine still has to be approved by regulators.

The government is also in talks with China’s Sinovac over a 20-50 million vaccine supply deal, as well as US drugmaker Pfizer, Galvez said earlier.

The Philippineshas grad-ually lifted coronavirus curbs since May after imposing one of the strictest lockdowns globally

Pakistanis join final trials for China-made vaccineAGENCIES — ISLAMABAD

Thousands of volunteers are flocking to research hospitals across Pakistan to join final-stage clinical trials of a Chinese-made vaccine for the corona-virus.

It is the first time Pakistan has participated in such a trial, which comes amid a string of positive vaccine announce-ments by Western pharmaceu-tical companies this month.

The vaccine is being developed by CanSinoBio and the Beijing Institute of Biotech-nology China.

“I have volunteered myself for a noble cause that will help humanity,” said a volunteer at Islamabad’s Shifa hospital, where hundreds of participants are being paid about $50 for their trouble.

Others should “step forward and take part in this noble cause which will save lives,” he added.

For years, China has focused much of its attention in Pakistan on mammoth development projects, bankrolling the con-struction of roads, power plants and a strategic port.

Beijing has now tapped one of its closest allies to participate in the vaccine trials, despite Pakistan’s chequered history with inoculation campaigns.

“We hope to have some findings ready about the accuracy and efficacy of the vaccine in two to three months,” Ejaz Ahmad Khan, the principal researcher overseeing the trial in Pakistan, said.

Officials said Pakistan has already inoculated about 7,000 of the 10,000 participants expected to receive a jab.

The trials come with intensive care wards across the country nearing capacity as a second, deadlier wave of the coronavirus spreads and offi-cials struggle to counter public

indifference to the pandemic.Meanwhile, Pakistan shut

its schools and postponed exams yesterday to try to curb new coronavirus infections and a rise in the number of people in hospital with COVID-19.

Students, including those at higher educational institutions as well as in private schools, are expected to continue classes through distance learning until December 24, when schools are scheduled to go on winter break until January 11.

“All efforts will be made to make sure that education con-tinues from home,” Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said on Monday, announcing the closure of schools, adding that “if the situation improves” schools would reopen on January 11.

Pakistan reported 3,306 new cases on Wednesday, and 40 deaths from the pandemic, with 2,485 patients currently admitted in hospitals, according

to officials. There have been 386,198 total cases in the country recorded so far, and 7,843 deaths.

The decision to close schools, officials have said, was based on an increase in the rate of positive test results in the country. The rate of people testing positive in June was as high as 23 percent, but dropped to a low of 1.7 percent by Sep-tember. It has since begun to increase again, reaching 7.41 percent this week.

More than 19 percent of new cases were from educational institutions, where the rate of positive results had nearly doubled in one week to reach 3.3 percent, officials said on Monday.

The south Asian country has ruled out a wide ranging lockdown, opting to close down non-essential public gatherings in a bid to keep the economy afloat through the pandemic.

“We do not know what this

winter is going to be like, so there is a bit of worry right now because our cases are rising up quite rapidly these days,” Prime Minister Imran Khan told an event organized by the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.

“We are going to only lock down the non-essential, in other words the public gath-erings and so on where our economy doesn’t get hurt.” Pakistan closed educational insitutions between March and September to combat the spread of the virus. State tele-vision and radio stations were used to broadcast lessons for students at home for students in government schools.

Less than a year after the coronavirus that has claimed 1.4 million lives began spreading across the globe, a number of highly promising CCOVID-19 vaccines are on the cusp of release.

Indonesia's Mount Merapi spews ashA couple watches as smoke spewing from Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta yesterday, after the Indonesia Geological agency raised the status of alert for Merapi to the second highest ahead of a possible eruption.

Indonesian minister apologises after arrest on bribe chargeAP — JAKARTA

Indonesia’s anti-corruption commission formally named the country’s fisheries minister as a suspect in taking bribes related to exports of lobster larvae, and alleged he used the money on a luxury shopping spree during a visit to the United States.

Maritime Affairs and Fish-eries Minister Edhy Prabowo was arrested upon arrival at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Inter-national Airport early Wednesday from a working visit to the US, the deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Nurul Ghufron, told Kompas TV.

Prabowo apologised, saying, “I will be responsible for what I have done.” He was later named as a suspect along with five other officials and a businessman for allegedly taking bribes in exchange for permits related to exports of lobster larvae and other commodities this year.

The anti-corruption com-mission, known in Indonesia by its acronym KPK, said Prabowo is accused of receiving at least 3.4bn rupiah ($240,000) from several com-panies through his two per-sonal assistants, who were also named as suspects, this month.

Another deputy chairman of the KPK, Nawawi Pamolango, told a news con-ference just before midnight that Prabowo and his wife had spent some of the money to buy branded goods during their US visit, including a Rolex watch and Louis Vuitton bags.

Prabowo earlier this year rolled back a ban on lobster larvae exports put in place by his predecessor. That decision sparked criticism from his predecessor and activists over

sustainability concerns.President Joko Widodo said

he respected the decision of the anti-corruption commission to arrest Prabowo.

“I believe the KPK works in a transparent, open and pro-fessional manner,” Widodo told reporters. “The government consistently supports cor-ruption eradication efforts.”

Prabowo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if found guilty. It could further tarnish Widodo’s credibility when it comes to fighting corruption. Two previous members of Widodo’s Cabinet have already been sentenced to prison terms in corruption cases.

Former Social Affairs Minister Idrus Marham was sentenced to five years in a bribery case related to a coal-fired power plant project on Sumatra island, while former Youth and Sport Minister Imam Nahrawi got seven years after he was found guilty of per-sonally using a National Sports Committee grant.

Prabowo is the deputy chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, formerly a rival to Widodo’s party. He joined the Cabinet in November 2019 as part of an alliance forged after Widodo’s election to a second term, along with the party’s chairman and former Widodo’s rival in the 2019 presidential election, Prabowo Subianto, who currently serves as defense minister.

Considered by many to be one of Subianto’s most trusted aides, Prabowo told reporters that he would resign as minister and politician from Gerindra.

“I apologize to Mr. President... I have betrayed his trust, and to Prabowo Subianto, my teacher who has taught many things,” he told reporters before entering a car to be taken to a holding cell

Top brands compensate garment workers in ThailandREUTERS — BANGKOK

Garment workers in Thailand who were illegally underpaid while making products for major brands are set to receive compensation worth about 3 million baht ($99,000) from the factory owner and companies such as Starbucks and Walt Disney Co.

A Thomson Reuters Foun-dation investigation in September 2019 found dozens of migrants from Myanmar working at several factories in the western region of Mae Sot were paid less than the daily minimum wage of 310 Thai baht ($10.15).

A group of 26 workers at one of the factories raided last year by officials sued the owner — Kanlayanee Ruengri— in August for failing to pay the 3.5 million baht owed to them.

The workers agreed a set-tlement this month worth 1 million baht, said Jirarat Moonsiri, a lawyer from the Human Rights and Devel-opment Foundation (HRDF) who represented the migrants.

Kanlayanee — who closed her business following the raid — could not be reached for comment. “It was clear this was the maximum amount the owner could offer, which is why the workers agreed to accept,” said Jirarat.

Interviews with workers by NGOs found that they were making goods for companies from Universal Studios to Brit-ain’s largest supermarket Tesco. The brands said her factory had been subcontracted by their sup-pliers or partners without per-mission. Disney, Starbucks and Tesco this week confirmed the

workers would receive compen-sation — either directly or via the brands’ suppliers which sourced from Kanlayanee’s factory.

“The case shows that at the end of the day, brands are not able to deny their responsibility (for workers),” said Suchart Tra-koonhutip, a coordinator at MAP Foundation, which has supported the workers and been in dis-cussion with the companies.

Located 500km from the capital Bangkok, Mae Sot is the main entry point into western Thailand and a trade hub home to about 430 factories and at least 44,500 workers — mainly migrants seeking to make money to send back to their families.

Last year, labour ministry official Somboon Trisilanun said Mae Sot — which is part of a special economic zone (SEZ) — was a “black hole” as many

factories there were difficult to inspect.

HRDF and MAP Foundation estimate less than a dozen fac-tories paid minimum wage based on research and inter-views in the area.

Tesco this month sent 736,000 baht to the group of workers, and gave another 1.1 million baht to MAP Foundation to support migrants in Mae Sot, according to the NGO. The retailer said it had made two payments but did not confirm the sums involved.

Starbucks said its local business partner was in the process of paying 600,000 baht to the workers, while Disney said the company sourcing Disney-branded products from Kanlayanee’s factory had com-mitted to giving the same amount in compensation.

After meeting South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that his visit amid a spreading coronavirus pandemic shows how much Beijing values its relations with Seoul.

10 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020EUROPE

Germany extends COVID-19 restrictions to early JanuaryAFP — BERLIN

Germany will extend its current coronavirus restrictions through to early January unless there is a dramatic drop in infections — something that is not expected, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

Merkel said the measures introduced in early November, including limits on private gath-erings and the closure of res-taurants, leisure and cultural facilities, cannot be lifted given current infection rates.

The curbs will be continued “until December 20 first but we assume that... due to the very high incidence of infection, restrictions will have to apply until the beginning of January,” Merkel said.

The agreement means con-tinued closures for restaurants, sporting facilities and cultural venues in Europe’s biggest economy, though schools and

shops will remain open.From December 1, private

gatherings will be limited to five people from two households — down from 10 people currently, though children are exempted from the new rule.

For the festive period from December 23 to New Year’s day, rules on gatherings will be slightly eased to allow up to 10 adults meeting, with children under 14 exempted.

But this does not mean that parties will be allowed, according to a deal hammered out by Merkel’s government and Germany’s 16 states — rather, the motto for the period will be to remain at home.

“Employers are urgently requested to check if company holidays or home working solu-tions can be applied from December 23 to January 1 to allow companies to close, so that nationwide, we can implement the basic principle

‘we are staying home’,” according to the agreement.

Other measures agreed include trains expanding their seating capacity, in order to better ensure distancing between passengers.

Fireworks will be banned on certain public squares to prevent people from gathering in large groups on New Year’s Eve in particular.

Germany will also seek a deal with European partners to close ski slopes through to early January, to prevent the virus spreading further.

“I will say this openly that it won’t be easy, but we will try,”

Merkel said. The measures were agreed after more than seven hours of tense talks, with some less-affected regions calling for lighter restrictions.

In order to ease restrictions, the infection rate would have to come down to below 50 new cases per 100,000 people per week, Merkel said — a far cry

from the current seven-day incidence of almost 140.

“The steeply rising curve has become a flat one, but this is only a partial success. We can by no means be satisfied,” she said.

Germany has registered a total of 961,320 coronavirus cases and 14,771 deaths.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a speech during a session at the Bundestag in Berlin, yesterday.

French court rejects graft trial delay for SarkozyAFP — PARIS

A Paris court yesterday rejected a request to postpone the corruption trial for former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and two other defendants, ordering them to appear in person for hearings that will begin on Monday.

Sarkozy became France’s first modern head of state to appear in the dock this week, on suspicions he promised a plush job to a judge in exchange for inside infor-mation on a campaign finance inquiry.

Lawyers for the judge, 73-year-old Gilbert Azibert, sought a postponement for medical reasons when the trial opens on Monday, saying he had health problems that made public appearances risky during the Covid-19 outbreak.

But a medical exam ordered by the court deter-mined Azibert could indeed appear in court as long as strict social distancing measures were respected, and the trial will resume next Monday.

“In any event and, unfor-tunately, no matter the risk, we will continue the proceedings starting Monday,” Azibert’s lawyer, Dominique Allegrini, told journalists after the hearing.

Sarkozy made no statement as he entered the courtroom.

Only one other French president, Sarkozy’s political mentor Jacques Chirac, has faced trial after leaving office — but because of ill health, Chirac never appeared in court for his conviction in a fake-jobs scandal.

Prosecutors say Sarkozy and his lawyer, Thierry Herzog, tried to bribe Azibert with a job in Monaco, if he would provide information on an inquiry into claims Sarkozy accepted illicit payments from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Betten-court during his 2007 presi-dential campaign.

Wiretaps of conversations between Herzog and Sarkozy — who used a secret phone bought under the alias of “Paul Bismuth” — purportedly reveal the two men making plans to get Azibert to help sway the inquiry. Sarkozy has denied the accusations, denouncing this month “a scandal that will go down in history.” Charged with bribery and influence peddling, Sarkozy risks a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of ¤1m.

Restaurant and cafe owners protest against government's pandemic-related restrictions in Marseille, France, yesterday. Restaurants will stay closed until January 20, the government has said.

PM: Pandemic weakening more in France than elsewhere in EuropeREUTERS — PARIS

France has done a better job of flattening a second wave of COVID-19 infections that some of its European neighbours but it would be premature to talk about an end to the lockdown, Prime Minister Jean Castex said yesterday.

Castex said the ‘R’ rate that measures the spread was now at 0.65 countrywide, the same level France reached at the end of a three-month confinement in the spring, but that citizens must not lower their guard over the festive holidays.

“Your efforts are paying div-idend,” Castex said. “Pressure

from the epidemic is weakening and it is weakening more in France than in other European nations.” President Emmanuel Macron this week announced a phased unwinding of the lockdown, to begin tomorrow with the re-opening of non-essential shops and then the-atres, museums and cinemas in mid-December.

Stores must restrict numbers to 1 client for every 8 square metres of shop floor, put in place one-way systems where pos-sible and ventilate their premises. Health Minister Olivier Veran said a COVID-19 patient was admitted to intensive care every six minutes.

Italy reports 29,003 new virus cases, 822 deaths REUTERS — ROME

Italy reported 822 COVID 19-related deaths yesterday, up from 722 the day before, and 29,003 new infections, up from 25,853 on Wednesday, the health ministry said.

There were 232,711 swabs carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 230,007.

Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and has seen 52,850 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain’s. It has also reg-istered 1.510 million cases.

While Italy’s daily death tolls have been amongst the highest in Europe over recent days, the rise in hospital admis-sions and intensive care

occupancy has slowed, sug-gesting the latest wave of infec-tions was receding.

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 34,038 on Thursday, a decline of 275 from the day before.

The number in intensive care decreased by two, fol-lowing an increase of 32 on Wednesday, and now stands at 3,846.

When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was acceler-ating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by around 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day.

The northern region of Lombardy remained the hardest hit area yesterday, reporting 5,697 new cases.

Austria warns EU ski ban would be ‘disastrous’AFP — VIENNA

Proposals for an EU-wide ban on ski holidays to curb corona-virus infections came under heavy fire in Austria yesterday, with government and industry representatives warning that the fallout for the country’s tourism-reliant economy would be “disastrous”.

Germany and Italy are pushing for Europe to ban such ski holidays as the number of worldwide infections reached a new peak of more than 60 million.

But as Austria’s more than 250 ski destinations make much of their profits during the Christmas and New Year period, industry representatives suggest the move could knock up to a third off total revenues for the sector.

“This would be absolutely disastrous, not just for us but the entire country,” said Franz Hoerl, head of the Austrian ski lift operators’ association and a member of parliament.

On Tuesday, Austrian finance minister Gernot Bluemel estimated that the

proposed ban would cost the sector up to ¤2bn.

Winter sports-mad Austria is currently under lockdown until December 7.

And ski resorts and the gov-ernment have invested millions of euros in coronavirus measures for the coming season, with lifts and resorts planning to open in time for Christmas. Last season, one of the first destinations to be affected was Ischgl, a tiny village in the western province of Tyrol, where more than 6,000 tourists are thought to

have contracted the virus.“We live off tourism not 100

percent, but 110 percent, so this would be an enormous strain on us,” Andreas Steibl, head of Ischgl’s tourism association, said of the proposed ban.

While the EU’s health com-missioner has suggested that an EU-wide ban was unlikely, Italy and France have said their own ski lifts will remain closed throughout the Christmas holidays.

And in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged people not to go on skiing trips this winter.

Britain reports 498 deaths from COVID-19Pedestrians walk by a billboard displaying a Manchester City Council message about the national lockdown restrictions to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic in the centre of Manchester, northwest England, yesterday. Britain recorded 17,555 new coronavirus cases yesterday and 498 new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test.

Italy to launch first Europe-US ‘virus-free’ flightsAFP — ROME

Italy will offer Europe’s first coronavirus-free corridor with the United States for passengers who have tested negative for COVID-19, scrapping the obligation for new arrivals to quarantine.

Rome’s Fiumicino airport said yesterday it had sealed a deal with Italian airline Alitalia and Delta Air Lines of the United States for the special flights between selected North American cities and the Italian capital from next month.

Similar corridors will also be trialled between Rome and the German cities of Munich and Frankfurt, it said.

The move follows the launch in September of virus-free domestic flights between Rome and financial capital Milan. “The new travel pro-tocols, planned on an experi-mental basis on flights from the United States to Fium-icino... will be progressively offered to passengers as early as December,” Fiumicino said in a statement.

“The experimental phase will aim to evaluate the effec-tiveness and functionality of the new travel mode, with the aim of making it more widely available in view of the summer 2021 season,” it added.

The airport said travellers would be able to skip quar-antine by doing a test 48 hours before departure and one on landing in Rome.

EU nations on Mediterranean coast renew push for migrant quotasAP — BRUSSELS

Four European Union countries that hundreds of thousands of unauthorised migrants have entered over the past five years have expressed concern that new proposals to revamp the EU’s asylum system will continue to leave them to cope with the challenge alone.

Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain said in a joint paper that mandatory quotas for sharing

out people who qualify for refugee status among the 27 EU countries must be pursued. Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, among others, reject such a move.

“The front-line member states cannot face the migratory pressure on the whole European Union,” the four countries said in a text sent to the European Commission, which drew up the asylum plans, the EU Council

representing member countries and Germany, which holds the bloc’s presidency.

The entry in 2015 of well over one million migrants, mostly people fleeing conflict in Syria, sounded the death knell for the EU’s asylum system, and sparked a deep political crisis that continues to echo even though entries have dropped to a relative trickle.

The row over who should take responsibility for people

when they arrive and how much other EU countries should assist has helped fuel public support for far-right parties across the bloc. Populist gov-ernments in Hungary and Poland, notably, challenged a previous system of migrant quotas at Europe’s top court.

In the text, seen by AP, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain argue that their responsibilities as countries where most unau-thorised migrants arrive across

the Mediterranean Sea are strict and clear in the “New Pact for Migration and Asylum,” but that the duties of their EU partners are not. “The notion of man-datory relocation should remain and be pursued as the main sol-idarity tool,” the text continued.

Under the reform plans, migrants arriving at Europe’s outside borders without per-mission to enter would be screened within five days. They

would then enter an asylum procedure or be deported, both within 12 weeks. People could be held in detention and would not be deemed to have officially entered the EU.

EU countries would then face two choices: take in some of the refugees or provide other material and logistical support; or if they are not willing to do that, they could take charge of deporting people whose appli-cations are refused.

Germany has registered a total of 961,320 coronavirus cases and 14,771 deaths.

11FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020 EUROPE / AMERICAS

Russia's top diplomat says West meddling in BelarusAFP — MINSK

Russia’s foreign minister accused the West of interfering in Belarus yesterday as he met strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko who has faced months of protests over his disputed re-election.

Sergei Lavrov held talks with Lukashenko and other top officials in the capital Minsk, in the latest show of Russia’s support for authorities in its ex-Soviet neighbour.

Thousands of protesters demanding Lukashenko’s res-ignation have taken to the streets of Minsk every weekend since an August 9 election that saw the 66-year-old claim a sixth term in office.

Protesters believe political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 38, who took her jailed hus-band’s place in the presidential race, was the true winner.

Moscow has continued to

back Lukashenko since the pro-tests erupted.

Speaking at a press con-ference with his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei, Lavrov accused the United

States and several European countries of “gross inter-ference” in the domestic affairs of Belarus. “The wise Belarusian people are able to sort them-selves out without any outside

prompting and intrusive offers of unsolicited mediation,” Lavrov said.

Lukashenko has accused Western countries of orches-trating the demonstrations and conspiring to have him removed after 26 years in power. Lavrov said the West is “using dirty methods of so-called colour revolutions, including manipulating public opinion, supporting forces that are openly anti-government and promoting their radicalisation”.

Several Western leaders have refused to recognise the results of the election and v o i c e d s u p p o r t f o r Tikhanovskaya, who fled to EU member Lithuania shortly after the vote. The European Union has slapped sanctions on Lukashenko and a number of his allies citing election rigging and a violent police crackdown on demonstrators.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) and his Belarus counterpart Vladimir Makei ahead of a meeting, in Minsk, yesterday.

Chile protesters clash with police Protesters clash with Chilean riot police during a demonstration to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday.

Latin America governments facing vaccine distribution challengesAFP — MONTEVIDEO

Cash-strapped Latin American governments face severe geographical, economic and social challenges in trying to ensure life-saving COVID-19 vaccines are made available to vulnerable populations, experts say.

Megacities like Sao Paulo, mountain ranges like the Andes as well as the vast Amazon basin pose just a few of the geo-graphical problems for

distributors, given the vital need to maintain the cold chain to preserve the vaccines.

Transporting vaccines “to the most distant parts of the big cities and to peripheral neigh-bourhoods, with the need to conserve the cold chain, will be the first major challenge,” Colombian epidemiologist Carlos Trillos told AFP.

Governments also face a race against time to provide training to those handling the doses throughout the cold

chain, he said. Amazon basin countries had an early taste of the geographical challenges ahead for their vaccination campaigns, after health workers struggled to provide care for three million indigenous people scattered throughout the rain-forest, an area almost seven times the size of Spain.

Vaccine campaigners also worry about rampant disinfor-mation in the continent worst-affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 12.5 million of the 630 million Latin Americans have been infected with the corona-virus and at least 435,000 have died, a third of the total number of deaths worldwide, according to AFP figures based on official data. The process will be “chal-lenging and costly” said Jarbas Barbosa, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organi-zation (PAHO).

The organisation expects to distribute vaccines in the region between March and May 2021

through Covax, a WHO initiative to guarantee equal access for impoverished countries.

All Latin American and Car-ibbean countries have joined Covax, although some lack funds to purchase vaccines themselves, Barbosa said.

In any case Covax will only provide enough vaccines for 10 to 20 percent of the population, forcing many governments to sign separate bilateral agree-ments with laboratories and biotechnology companies.

Countries in the region are having to spend significant amounts of money on these pre-purchases just as they are expe-riencing historic economic con-tractions from the impact of the pandemic. Lower-income coun-tries like Bolivia, Haiti, Guyana and several Caribbean island states are betting on the Covax-eligible status to receive vaccines without contributing funds. So is El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, recently battered by Hurricanes Iota and Eta.

Colombia extends emergency until FebruaryREUTERS — BOGOTA

Colombia’s government will extend its health state of emer-gency by three months, Pres-ident Ivan Duque said on Wednesday, as he urged people to avoid crowds and keep up safety measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Andean country has had over 1.27 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and nearly

36,000 deaths. Active cases number 57,260.

It held a gradually-loosened national quarantine for five and a half months earlier this year, sending economic growth into negative territory and unem-ployment soaring.

Most economic activities are now allowed, as are inter-national flights, but face masks are required in public. Concerts and other large events are

banned. “The sanitary emer-gency will extend until Feb-ruary 28, 2021,” Duque said on his nightly television program. “We will extend this process for 90 days and we’re doing it to maintain control (and) detailed monitoring.”

Duque urged viewers to avoid crowds and use safety measures to avoid second out-breaks like those seen in Europe.

Greece extends coronavirus lockdown by a weekAP — ATHENS, GREECE

G r e e c e ’ s g o v e r n m e n t spokesman yesterday announced a weeklong extension to the country’s current lockdown, due to the continued spread of the coro-navirus, particularly in the north of the country.

Stelios Petas said the lockdown, which was due to end on November 30, would be extended to the morning of December 7.

“The decision is necessary as the epidemiological load continues to be high,” Petsas said. “In particular in some areas it is a source of concern.” The announcement came amid a 24-hour strike by civil servants on a variety of demands, including better workplace protection against the coronavirus. The strike dis-rupted public transport and services, while several hundred people defied a ban on gath-erings imposed due to the pan-demic, holding protests in Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki.

Ferries to the islands were halted and the Athens metro system and tram were shut for yesterday’s strike, although buses continued to run in the

capital. Flights that had been canceled or rescheduled went ahead, however, as air traffic controllers called off their strike after a court ruled their participation illegal.

Greek journalists were also participating with a two-hour work stoppage between 11 am and 1 pm, during which no news broadcasts were aired.

About 400 people gathered in central Athens for a protest march, while about 150 striking workers also gathered briefly for a protest rally in Thessaloniki.

Civil servants unions called the strike on a variety of demands, including the increase of coronavirus-related protective measures in work-places and in schools, mass hirings in the public transport and health sectors, and salary increases for civil servants.

Public transport workers are also calling for workers to be allowed to undergo tests for COVID-19 at their companies’ expense. Greece has so far reg-istered more than 97,000 con-firmed coronavirus cases and just over 1,900 deaths in a country of 11 million. Nearly 600 people are intubated in ICUs nationwide, according to figures released on Wednesday.

Russia sees record COVID-19 cases, deathsAFP — MOSCOW

Russia yesterday registered record numbers for daily infections and deaths from the coronavirus for the second time in less than a week.

Health officials reported 25,487 new infections, bringing the national total to 2,187,990 cases since the beginning of the pandemic — the fifth-highest caseload in the world.

Health authorities also reported 524 deaths, raising Russia’s total fatalities from COVID-19 to 38,062.

It was the second time since Saturday that the country had registered record increases for both cases and deaths.

Despite the surge — which President Vladimir Putin last week described as “alarming” — Russia has not imposed the kind of lockdowns seen in some parts of Europe.

Authorities in many regions have required mask-wearing in public spaces and limited the number of in-office workers, but have not reintro-duced the strict stay-at-home order put in place in the spring.

Russia has registered a much lower virus fatality rate than other badly hit countries, raising concerns that author-ities are downplaying the severity of the health crisis.

Russia’s federal statistics service has released data showing excess deaths of more than 117,000 year-on-year between March and Sep-tember, indicating that virus fatalities could be much higher. While Moscow saw the most new cases yesterday, the second wave is hitting the country’s poorly funded regions the hardest.

Russia is pinning its hopes for controlling the pandemic on home-made vaccines, including the Sputnik V vaccine that researchers said Tuesday was 95 percent effective.

The jab will be provided free to Russian citizens and Moscow is looking to secure major international orders in the global race to supply vac-cines. Last month Putin announced that Russia had registered a second vaccine, EpiVacCorona.

PM says Finland’s COVID-19 situation worsening rapidly

REUTERS — HELSINKI

Finland’s COVID-19 situation has worsened rapidly in recent days, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said yesterday, though she added that the government had decided it did not yet have the grounds to adopt emergency measures as it did in March.

Finland’s 14-day inci-dence rate per 100,000 inhabitants stood at 75.8 on Wednesday, Europe’s second lowest level behind Iceland, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control data showed, but the Finnish gov-ernment warned the number of new cases was rising at a worrying pace again.

In the worst hit region around the capital Helsinki, the number of new cases rose by nearly 70% last week from the week before, the region’s Chief Medical Officer Markku Makijarvi said.

“The coronavirus situ-ation has worsened in Finland rapidly. The number of infections has increased and the amount of those in need of hospitalisation has risen,” Marin told reporters.

“In my opinion, we should not rule out any measures,” she added, referring to the possibility of resorting to a national state of emergency again.

Yesterday, the gov-ernment recommended regional authorities tempo-rarily close all high-risk public spaces in regions where case numbers were rising rapidly.

New cases are on the rise in around half of the country, with two regions out of 21 more severely affected, health authorities said.

The region around Hel-sinki will ban all public meetings both indoors and outdoors and send pupils and students of more than 15 years old home to remote learning, among other measures, local health authorities said.

Hungary, Poland remain defiant in standoff with EUREUTERS — BUDAPEST

Hungary and Poland insisted there could be no rule of law conditions to access the European Union’s multiannual budget and recovery fund unless the EU changes its founding treaty, digging in their heels as the bloc seeks to unwind the deadlock.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said yesterday his country would have Poland’s backing in the continued row over the pair’s recent blocking of the ¤1.8 trillion worth of EU funds vital to restart the econ-omies of the 27 member states.

The veto decision by Poland and Hungary, both beneficiaries of the budget and the recovery plan, is likely to delay hundreds of billions of euros in funds just as the 27-nation bloc is facing

a second wave of COVID-19 and a double-dip recession.

“This debate cannot be solved with money,” Orban, standing alongside Poland’s premier Mateusz Morawiecki, said in a press statement in Budapest.

“Those who conflate these two issues (rule of law and crisis funding) are irresponsible as at a time of crisis rapid decisions are needed to aid the economy.”

The crisis compounds an already thorny relationship between Brussels and the two countries, which have been accused of eroding democratic standards.

Both countries are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of courts, media and non-governmental organisations.

The premiers also issued a joint statement which empha-sised they would have each other’s backs in upcoming negotiations.

They proposed a “two-track process” to facilitate the adoption of the financial package, saying it should be dis-cussed in the European Council “whether a link between the

Rule of Law and the financial interests of the Union should be established”. Polish Prime Min-ister Morawiecki repeated the veto was a real weapon.

“The use of veto today is the base scenario that we discussed in order to actually change the bad dynamics that have recently been imposed,” Morawiecki said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki pose ahead of their meeting in Budapest, Hungary, yesterday.

Both countries are under

EU investigation for

undermining the

independence of courts,

media and non-

governmental

organisations.

12 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020AMERICAS

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, a

cherished tradition nearly a century old featuring giant

balloons and colourful floats, went ahead in a truncated

made-for-TV celebration across just one city block, with no

crowds and much of it pre-recorded.

Americans celebrate Thanksgiving under pall of pandemicAFP — WASHINGTON

Millions of Americans defied public health guidelines yesterday to spend a subdued Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends as corona-virus deaths surged worldwide.

More than a million people were screened at US airports on Wednesday — the fifth straight day with roughly that number of air travellers bent on enjoying one of the biggest US annual celebrations.

The exodus came despite warnings that mass travel threatens to significantly worsen the pandemic in the country hardest hit, with a six-month high of more than 2,400 deaths in just the past 24 hours.

President-elect Joe Biden offered a message of hope however in a Thanksgiving video address that rallied Amer-icans to pull together to defeat the outbreak.

Vaccine breakthroughs have raised hopes for an end to the outbreak but much of the world faces a gloomy winter dampened by lockdowns, eco-nomic anxiety and devastating loss.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert,

said he was expecting “a surge superimposed upon a surge” caused by the big getaway, indi-cating that he would be restricting celebrations to an online chat with his daughters.

Globally, more than 60 million infections and 1.4 million deaths have been recorded since the new coro-navirus emerged in China late last year, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources.

Despite the burst of travel in America — still far below last year’s Thanksgiving numbers — pandemic restrictions meant that there was a somber, stoical undercurrent to this year’s festivities.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, a cherished tradition nearly a century old featuring giant bal-loons and colourful floats, went ahead in a truncated

made-for-TV celebration across just one city block, with no crowds and much of it pre-recorded.

Biden described how he normally travels to the New England coast for a big family feast, but would be staying home in Delaware this year for a small get-together.

“I know this isn’t the way many of us hoped we’d spend our holiday. We know that a small act of staying home is a gift to our fellow Americans,” he said in his message, posted to social media.

On radio and TV, chefs have been making suggestions on scaling down meals for smaller gatherings, or even sharing bits of what they cook and leaving it on the doorstep of friends and family, so it at least feels like a shared meal.

The New York Times asked readers to state in six words or

less what they were grateful for and published some of these lines as Americans tried to make the best of the holiday.

“A furtive hug with a friend,” one entry reads. “Windows have never been so important,” said another.

America’s political divisions were also evident.

Outgoing President Donald Trump’s White House has urged “all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship,” despite the health risk.

But Biden called on them to

hunker down and keep observing health guidelines until a vaccine becomes available. “There is real hope, tangible hope. So hang on. Don’t let yourself surrender to the fatigue,” Biden said on Wednesday.

Trump pardons ex-aide Flynn who pleaded guilty in Russia probe AP — WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday, ending a yearslong prosecution in the Russia investigation that saw Flynn twice plead guilty to lying to the FBI and then reverse himself before the Justice Department stepped in to dismiss his case.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon,” Trump tweeted. “Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!”

The pardon, in the waning weeks of Trump’s single term, is part of a broader effort by Trump to undo the results of a Russia investigation that shadowed his administration and yielded criminal charges against a half-dozen associates. It comes just months after the president commuted the sentence of another asso-ciate, Roger Stone, days before he was to report to prison.

A Justice Department official said the department was not consulted on the pardon and learned on Wednesday of the plan. But the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, noted that the president has the legal power to pardon Flynn. The move is likely to energise

supporters who have taken up Flynn as a cause celebre and rallied around the retired Army lieutenant general as the victim of what they assert is an unfair prosecution, even though Flynn twice admitted guilt. Trump has repeatedly spoken warmly about Flynn and, in an indication of his personal interest in his fate, asked then-FBI Director James Comey in February 2017 to end a criminal investigation into the national security adviser.

In a statement, Flynn’s family thanked Trump “for answering our prayers and the prayers of a nation” by issuing the pardon.

Democrats lambasted the pardon as undeserved and unprincipled. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “an act of grave corruption and a brazen abuse of power,” while Representative Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said a “pardon by Trump does not erase” the truth of Flynn’s guilty plea, “no matter how Trump and his allies try to suggest otherwise.”

“The President’s enablers have con-structed an elaborate narrative in which Trump and Flynn are victims and the Constitution is subject to the whims of the president,” House Judiciary Com-mittee Chair Jerry Nadler said in a statement. “Americans soundly rejected

this nonsense when they voted out Pres-ident Trump. ”

The pardon is the final step in a case defined by twists and turns. The most dramatic came in May when the Justice Department abruptly moved to dismiss the case, insisting that Flynn should not have been interviewed by the FBI in the first place, only to have US District Judge Emmet Sullivan resist the request and appoint a former judge to argue against the federal government’s position and to evaluate whether Flynn should be held in criminal contempt for perjury.

That former judge, John Gleeson,

called the Justice Department’s dismissal request an abuse of power and said its grounds for dropping the case were ever-evolving and “patently pretextual.” As Sullivan declined to immediately dismiss the prosecution, Flynn lawyer Sidney Powell sought to bypass the judge by asking a federal appeals court to direct him to drop the matter. A three-judge panel did exactly that, but the full court overturned that decision and sent the case back to Sullivan.

At a hearing in September, Powell told Sullivan that she had discussed Flynn’s case with Trump but also said she did not want a pardon — presumably because she wanted him to be vindicated in the courts.

Powell emerged separately in recent weeks as a public face of Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden, but the Trump legal team distanced itself from her after she advanced a series of uncor-roborated conspiracy claims.

The pardon spares Flynn the possi-bility of any prison sentence, which Sul-livan could potentially have imposed had he ultimately rejected the Justice Depart-ment’s dismissal request. That request was made after a review of the case by a federal prosecutor from St. Louis who had been specially appointed by Attorney General William Barr.

A file photo of Michael Flynn

Biden: Americans ‘won’t stand’ for attempt to derail vote resultAFP — WASHINGTON

President-elect Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Americans “won’t stand” for attempts to derail the US election outcome, as Donald Trump called for the results to be overturned.

In a speech on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, Biden said in his hometown of Wilm-ington, Delaware, that Amer-icans “have full and fair and free elections, and then we honour the results.” “The people of this nation and the laws of the land won’t stand for anything else,” he said.

The Democrat’s statement

signalled a hardening line against Trump who for more than three weeks has been touting conspiracy theories, with no meaningful evidence, that Biden stole victory on November 3.

Trump dug his heels in. “We have to turn the election over,” he told Republican supporters in Pennsylvania.

“This election was rigged,” Trump said via telephone, repeating several claims of vote tampering that have been shot down in courtrooms across the country. Trump said “all we need is to have some judge listen to it properly.”

Trump had been due earlier to appear in person at the Republican meeting, which took place near the Civil War battlefield site of Gettysburg. He cancelled at the last minute.

The gathering, which also featured Trump’s controversial personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, was portrayed by the president on Twitter as a “very important Pennsylvania State Senate hearing.” It was in fact held in a hotel in the small town and, rather than an official hearing, was merely a forum for Trump’s ardent supporters to push his claims.

Biden won Pennsylvania by

a margin of 80,000 votes on November 3, helping him assemble a convincing nationwide victory and making Trump a one-term president.

Trump, who tore up countless norms during his four years in power, is carving out new territory with his refusal to concede to Biden.

Supporters suggest he is already eying an announcement of running for president again in 2024.

Building his brand ahead of a new campaign might be one explanation for the real estate tycoon’s dogged pursuit of such a lost cause.

Alleged mastermind of Mormon killings arrested REUTERS — MEXICO CITY

Mexico captured a gang leader accused of being the mastermind behind the massacre of nine women and children of US-Mexican origin, authorities confirmed on Wednesday, a move that Wash-ington hailed as a victory for bilateral cooperation.

Suspected drug cartel hitmen shot dead the three women and six children from families of Mormon origin in the northern Mexican border state of Sonora in broad day-light on November 4, 2019, sparking outrage in Mexico and the United States.

On Monday, security forces detained Roberto Gonzalez, known as “the 32,” in the northern state of Chihuahua, along with two other alleged

members of the criminal organisation, “La Linea,” the federal attorney general’s office said on Wednesday.

It accused Gonzalez of being the “intellectual architect” of the massacre.

“There’s still so much to clarify about what happened, but at least these arrests are an advance in the case,” said Adrian LeBaron, who lost a daughter and three grand-children in the attack.

After the attack, US Pres-ident Donald Trump called for the United States and Mexico to wage “war” on cartels.

US Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau congratu-lated Mexican security forces for the new arrests. “Excellent cooperation between author-ities in both countries. There will be justice!” he wrote on Twitter.

US extends TikTok sale deadline to Dec 4AFP — WASHINGTON

The US Treasury on Wednesday said it had extended by seven days the November 27 deadline given to the Chinese owner of TikTok to sell the popular social media platform’s American business.

“The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has granted ByteDance a one-week extension, from November 27, 2020 to December 4, 2020 to allow time to review a revised sub-mission that the Committee recently received,” a Treasury spokesperson said.

President Donald Trump’s administration has expressed national security concerns over the app, claiming it could be used for Chinese espionage and threatening to ban it.

The ban has been chal-lenged in courts, including a case in Washington and a sep-arate filing by the app’s “cre-ators” in a Pennsylvania court, which blocked the ban on October 30, though the gov-ernment is appealing that order. Trump has claimed that TikTok — which has some 100 million US users — can be used to collect data on Americans for Chinese espionage, a claim denied by the company.

The White House has said TikTok must become a US firm controlled by American investors to avert a ban.

But any plan would likely need approval from Beijing.

CIA officer killed in Somalia: US media reportsAFP — WASHINGTON

A CIA officer was killed in combat in Somalia in recent days, US media said yesterday without releasing details of how the agent died.

The veteran officer was a member of the CIA’s Special Activities Center, a paramil-itary branch that carries out some of the US intelligence agency’s most dangerous tasks, The New York Times said.

The officer died of injuries sustained during an operation last week, according to CNN.

The CIA has not com-mented publicly on the death.

Washington has some 700 troops deployed in Somalia carrying out training of Somali forces and conducting counter-terrorism raids against the Al Shabaab militant group, which Washington des-ignated a terrorist movement in 2008. Earlier this month, Washington put on its terror blacklist the leader of an elite unit of the Al Qaeda-affiliated group blamed for a January attack in Kenya that killed three Americans.

Al Shabaab is estimated to have between 5,000 and 9,000 fighters who have vowed to overthrow the Somali government, which is supported by some 20,000 troops from the African Union.

The slain US operative was a veteran of special forces operations, having previously been a member of the elite SEAL Team 6, the Times reported. The outgoing admin-istration of President Donald Trump is considering with-drawing all US forces from Somalia by the time he leaves office in January, the paper added.

Mexico protest clashes Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women outside the Government Palace in Mexico City, on Wednesday. Demonstrators marched through the Mexican capital and scuffled with police during an angry protest at widespread violence against women in the Latin American nation.

Volunteers with the nonprofit Hosea Helps participate in a Thanksgiving food giveaway event at the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta, US, yesterday.

BusinessFRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020

QSE FTSE 100 DOW BRENT6,368.25 -22.84 (0.36%) 29,872.47 -173.77 (0.58%) $45.20 (-1.12) 10,290.20 -13.69 (-0.13%)

ECB’s chief economist sounds alarm on worrying financing conditionsWe will recalibrate our instruments, as appropriate, to respond to the unfolding situation and to ensure that financing conditions remain favorable to support the economic recovery.

Business | 14Philip Lane ECB's chief economist

13

EwWtr

PPPPPEEEEE

Gains were led by the

Banks & Financial

Services and

Transportation indices,

gaining 2.1 percent and

1.7 percent, respectively.

Top gainers were QNB

Group and Qatar

Navigation, rising 4.4

percent and 4.0 percent,

respectively.

World markets subdued as US trading shut for ThanksgivingAP — TOKYO

Global stock markets were subdued yesterday after significant gains in recent days and as US trading remained closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Investors have been in an upbeat mood this week, pushing the Dow above 30,000 for the first time, on news of the development of corona-virus vaccines and treatments.

They then became more cautious as coronavirus infection rates remain high in many major economies and after the release of a batch of discour-aging US economic data, including jobless numbers.

Germany’s DAX was up less than 0.1 percent to 13,291 while France’s CAC 40 dipped about 0.1 percent to 5,565. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.5 percent to 6,356.

US markets will be closed yes-terday and be open for half the day today. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.9 percent to finish at 26,537.31, the highest level for the index since the collapse of the Japanese “bubble economy” nearly three decades ago.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.7 percent to 6,636.40, but South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.9 percent to 2,625.91. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.6

percent to 26,819.45, while the Shanghai Composite was up 0.2 percent at 3,369.73.

Cases of COVID-19 continue to soar around the world, and deaths related to the sickness are growing, hitting more than 1.4 million people cumulatively worldwide. Worries are growing about it spreading during the Thanksgiving holiday in the US

In Japan, authorities asked restau-rants and bars to close early, and people to refrain from travel. European governments are looking to ease existing restrictions ahead of Christmas, though many limits on business are expected to continue.

Economic data has been mixed this week, with reports showing the number of Americans seeking unem-ployment aid jumped last week to the highest level in more than a month. A separate report showed consumer spending posted the weakest gain since April.

“The market overall has reached by most standards what we call over-bought conditions, and that typically suggests that the market would need to digest the gains, perhaps pause a bit, and consolidate,” said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Pru-dential Financial.

The Commerce Department said

US consumer spending, the primary driver of the economy, rose by a sluggish 0.5 percent in October, the weakest gain since April when the pandemic first erupted.

At the same time, the government said that income, which provides the fuel for consumer spending, fell 0.7 percent in October.

In energy trading, benchmark US crude shed 79 cents to $44.92 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 84 cents to $47.69 a barrel.

The dollar inched down to 104.24 yen from 104.50 yen. The euro cost $1.1901, up from $1.1885.

QE's benchmark index surges 180 points in a weekSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Shares in Qatar stock market ended the week on a positive note as shares registered strong gains during the week. The Qatar Stock Exchange (QE) Index has risen by 180 points or around 2 percent to close at 10,290.20 points yesterday from 10,107 on previous Thursday.

Of the total five trading days during the week, the index closed at higher levels than pre-vious closing session on three days. Stock market started the week on bullish note as the QE Index rose 0.9 percent to close at 10,202.8 on Sunday. Gains were led by the Banks & Financial Services and Trans-portation indices, gaining 2.1 percent and 1.7 percent, respec-tively. Top gainers were QNB Group and Qatar Navigation, rising 4.4 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively. Among the top losers, Dlala Brokerage & Investment Holding Company fell 4.7 percent, while Mazaya Real Estate Development was down 3.3 percent.

On Monday, the QE Index

rose 1.2 percent to close at 10,329.7. Gains were led by the Real Estate and Industrials indices, gaining 3.0 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. Top gainers were Ezdan Holding Group and Qatari German Company for Medical Devices, rising 10.0 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively. Among the top losers, Medicare Group fell 2.4 percent, while Qatar Insurance Company was down 1.7 percent.

The index could not maintain rising trend next day as the QE Index declined 0.7 percent to close at 10,261.2 on

Tuesday. Losses were led by the Banks & Financial Services and Consumer Goods & Services indices, falling 1.7 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

Top losers were Qatar Islamic Bank and QNB Group, falling 2.6 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. Among the top gainers, Qatar General Ins & Reins Co. gained 5.3 percent, while Qatar Gas Transport Company was up 3.4 percent.

On Wednesday, the QE Index rose 0.4 percent to close at 10,303.9. Gains were led by the Industrials and Consumer

Goods & Services indices, gaining 1.7 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. Top gainers were Qatar Cinema & Film Distribution Co. and Al Meera Consumer Goods Co., rising 7.0 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively. Among the top losers, Qatar General Insurance & Reins. Co. fell 7.1 percent, while Qatar Gas Transport Co. Ltd. was down 5.4 percent.

However, the index wit-nessed a drop of 13.69 points or 0.13 percent yesterday as it closed at 10,290.20 compared to previous closing of 10,303

points on Wednesday.The volume of shares traded

decreased to 156.6 million from 200.8 million on Wednesday and the value of shares decreased to QR415m from QR507.8 million on Wednesday.

Indices of three sectors closed with gains while four sectors ended in red zone yesterday.

QSE Total Return Index decreased 0.13 percent to 19,782.58 points and QSE Al Rayan Islamic Index fell 0.21 percent to 4,185.87 points. QSE All Share Index lost 0.17 percent to 3,162.88 points.

QE Index movement during the past five trading sessions.

Poland launches new COVID-19 economic aid of about $10bn

REUTERS — WARSAW

Poland is introducing a pro-gramme to help its economy withstand the hit from the novel coronavirus pandemic worth about $9-10bn, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (pictured) said yesterday, as it confronts a second wave of infections.

Emerging Europe’s largest economy weathered the first wave of the coronavirus pan-demic well, but after a strong recovery in the summer it looks set to slide back into recession in the fourth quarter as the second wave hits.

“Today it is necessary to save industries in the most dif-ficult situation, and in 2021 to support entrepreneurs in terms of investment, economy and business, as well as employees,” Morawiecki told a news conference.

Morawiecki said the pro-gramme would be worth 35 billion to 40 billion zlotys ($9.33bn to $10.67bn), with 3 billion zlotys in aid for micro firms, 5 billion zlotys for small firms and the remaining 25-27 billion zlotys going to medium and large firms.

Vodafone Qatar announces weekend mega sale on smartphonesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Vodafone Qatar announced yes-terday that a selection of smart-phone devices, including a range that are 5G enabled, will be on sale during the much awaited mega sales starting this weekend.

Customers can get more value for money on a fantastic choice of smartphones, MiFis and routers and pair them with Vodafone Qatar’s reliable world class GigaNet network. For cus-tomers wanting to make a 5G

move, Vodafone 5G is in prime locations such as Hamad Inter-national Airport; Mall of Qatar, several hotels including Park Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental; popular destinations such as Msheireb Downtown Doha, Katara and Souq Waqif; and dozens of residential locations including Al Waab, Umm Slal, Al Rayyan, Gharaffa, Abu Hamor, Mamoura, Al Sadd, Bin Mahmoud, Muntazah, Bin Omran, Madinat Khalifa, Al Aziziyah. In addition to covering

75 percent of Doha with 5G, Vodafone Qatar has extended 5G coverage to other areas outside Doha such as Al Khor, Al Wakra and a number of camping areas in Sealine.

The devices featured in the promotion include high-end phones of iPhone, Xiaomi,Oppo, HTC, Huawei and Inseego .

The promotion runs from November 26 to 28 and is valid for purchases made via Voda-fone’s e-Shop and in Vodafone’s retail stores.

Repsol to rein in oil output, boost renewables capacity fivefoldBLOOMBERG

Repsol SA outlined its plans for a greener future, saying it intends to wind down the search for oil and expand its renewable capacity fivefold during the next decade.

The Spanish company, which was the first oil major to set a net-zero emissions target a year ago, will put its projects into “harvest mode” as it refo-cuses on higher-value oil pro-duction in fewer countries. Cash flow from Repsol’s petroleum business will be fun-neled into an expansion of renewable capacity to 15

gigawatts -- including wind and solar -- from the current 2.95 gigawatts.

“By 2030, Repsol will be a company that is renewed, more sustainable, and more focused,” the company said in its strategic plan published yesterday. “Our strategy is based on a multi-energy offering that combines all the technologies for decarbonization.”

Repsol’s decision last December to write down the value of its oil assets by €4.8bn ($5.7bn) and its promise to eliminate net emissions of greenhouse gases from its operations by 2050 was the

first step in a dramatic shift for the oil industry. Larger European rivals, including Total SE, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc, have since followed suit or gone even further with their green pledges, although the US majors remain committed to fossil fuels.

Repsol’s new strategy also includes a concrete target for green-hydrogen production, setting it apart from other oil producers. Most companies argue this fuel is not yet cost-effective. Repsol is seeking to align itself with the Spanish government’s aim of trans-forming the country into a key

European hub for hydrogen shipments, and the company aims to produce more than 1.2 gigawatts in 2030.

The Spanish firm said it plans to use three types of tech-nology to produce green hydrogen: electrolysis -- using renewable electricity to make hydrogen from water -- biomethane in steam reformers, which extracts hydrogen from gas produced from biological sources, and photoelectrolysis where sunlight is used to extract hydrogen from water.

Repsol’s share price fell 3.3 percent to €8.45 at 10:17 am in Madrid. That’s down about 40

percent this year.The energy producer set a

new dividend policy, moving all payouts to cash and no longer offering a so-called scrip, which is paid in shares. Repsol said it doesn’t plan to increase debt in the next five years, and is targeting adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of more than €8.2bn by 2025.

Chairman Antonio Brufau (pictured) started to publicly outline his intention to build a cleaner oil firm as far back as 2016. Central to the Catalan-native’s strategy is becoming what he calls an all-around

“energy company” rather than an oil producer. Last month, Chief Executive Officer Josu Jon Imaz said he is already spending more on developing renewable projects than searching for oil.

14 FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020BUSINESS

The Governing Council

next sets policy on

December 10 and is

widely expected to

increase and extend its

€1.35 trillion ($1.6

trillion) pandemic asset-

purchase programme as

well as offer more

long-term funding to

banks.

ECB’s chief economist sounds alarm on worrying financing conditionsBLOOMBERG

The euro-area economy is seeing initial signs of strained financing conditions, European Central Bank chief economist Philip Lane (pictured) said in remarks just two weeks before policy makers meet to reset their monetary stimulus.

“There are some worrying signals in recent survey data,” he said in an online speech yes-terday, citing indicators on lending, investment, and access to finance for small- and medium-sized businesses. “We will recalibrate our instruments, as appropriate, to respond to the unfolding situation and to ensure that financing conditions remain favorable to support the eco-nomic recovery.”

The Governing Council next sets policy on December 10 and is widely expected to increase and extend its €1.35 trillion ($1.6 trillion) pandemic asset-purchase programme as well as offer more long-term funding to banks. Par-allel to Lane’s speech, the ECB published the account of its last policy meeting on October 28-29, which showed officials broadly

in favor of action.“Members widely agreed

that, given the sharper slowdown in growth momentum and the weakening of underlying inflation dynamics compared with what had previously been expected, as well as the deterio-ration in the balance of risks, it would be warranted to recali-brate the monetary policy instru-ments in December,” according to the account.

Since the October update, new coronavirus lockdowns have hit the euro-area economy, which will likely contract in the

fourth quarter. Lane said the ECB intends to keep borrowing costs low through the pandemic and into the recovery phase after the immediate crisis is over.

“While the arrival in the coming weeks and months of further positive signals about progress in the roll-out of vaccine treatments would certainly be highly welcome,” Lane added, “it is essential that the macroeco-nomic recovery is not derailed by a premature steepening of the yield curve.”

According to the account, Lane already voiced concerns over lending surveys during the

October meeting, but officials chose to wait for uncertainties including the US election, Brexit, and national budget plans to be resolved before planning their next move.

Some of his colleagues also questioned the severity of any financial tightening seen until then.

“It was remarked, however, that the results of the bank lending survey should not be over-interpreted or overstated,” the report said, pointing to sub-stantial credit easing observed in the second quarter, underpinned by state-guaranteed lending.

A few Governing Council members were skeptical of the effectiveness of more bond pur-chases, which adds to indications that the ECB will also consider ramping up its long-term loan facility for banks.

“While the existing mon-etary-policy instruments were viewed as effective, questions were raised about possible non-linearities, side effects and ‘diminishing returns’ in an envi-ronment of high uncertainty and very favorable financial condi-tions,” the account said.

UK’s Johnson picks new chief of staff to lead post-Cummings ‘reset’REUTERS - LONDON

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Dan Rosen-field (pictured), a business consultant and former treasury official, as his new chief of staff yesterday as he tries to restore trust in his leadership.

Johnson is reshaping his senior team of advisers fol-lowing the departure of Dominic Cummings earlier this month. Cummings was seen as the driving force behind John-son’s strategy on Brexit and most other policies, and his exit has been billed as a chance for a ‘reset’ for the British leader.

Rosenfield joins from Hakluyt, a strategic advisory firm for businesses and investors, where he has been global head of corporate clients and head of the UK business since 2016, the gov-ernment said.

He previously worked at Bank of America as a man-aging director of investment banking, and spent over a decade working in the finance ministry where he served as a senior aide to former finance ministers Alistair Darling and George Osborne.

“Dan is a class act and an inspired appointment,” said Rupert Harrison, a former aide to Osborne who now works for Blackrock. He described Rosenfield as bright, tough and politically savvy.

Johnson has been heavily criticised for his response to the COVID-19 crisis and a failure to communicate

properly with elected members of his ruling Conservative Party, which has stirred rebellion over lockdown rules and Brexit policies.

The decision to hire a rel-atively low profile former civil servant marks a change of direction for a prime minister whose inner circle was previ-ously largely made up of alumni from the 2016 Brexit campaign, with Cummings at the fore.

The chief of staff is tradi-tionally the most powerful political appointment in the prime minister’s office.

Though exact responsibil-ities vary according the leaders’ preference, the job involves providing strategic and political advice to help the prime minister take decisions.

Rosenfield will begin work on December 7 and officially take up the Chief of Staff role on January 1, Downing Street said.

UK delivery prices jump ahead of Brexit cliff edge as firms rush to stockpileREUTERS - LONDON

British businesses are rushing to stockpile goods just five weeks before post-Brexit customs checks come into force on January 1, driving up the cost of cross-border deliveries and cutting capacity, industry sources said. Logistics companies told Reuters they have seen a surge in demand

to bring goods into the country before any potential disruption in January, and customs agents report being overwhelmed by pleas for help from traders nav-igating new rules for the first time.

“We have told our customers that the best thing you can do now is stock up, stockpile, and they’re bringing in as much as they can,” Jon Swallow, director

of Jordon Freight, told Reuters of the changing dynamic in the last two weeks. “The consequence of that is there’s simply not enough capacity and the prices are going through the roof.”

Swallow said the increased demand had pushed prices up by around 20 percent in recent weeks and would likely rise further in December. Fellow freight specialist Tony Shally said

his Espace Europe had seen the cost of journeys between Poland and England, and France and England, rise by more than 10 percent. The frantic activity reflects the need to get ready for UK’s departure from the world’s biggest trading bloc which will spark a need for customs and safety declarations, and some checks, when goods move into the EU after December 31.

Eurostar seeks UK funding after state handout to airportsBLOOMBERG

Channel Tunnel express-train operator Eurostar International Ltd. said it’s lobbying the British government for financial support after help was provided to English airports.

Chief Executive Officer Jacques Damas (pictured) wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak after the Treasury announced grants to hubs equivalent to their business-rate bills, up to a maximum of £8m ($11m) each.

“The new scheme of rates relief for airports puts Eurostar at a direct disadvantage against its airline competitors,” a spokeswoman said, adding that the company “has been left fighting for its survival” by the coronavirus crisis.

Demand on Eurostar routes linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam has plunged by 95 percent as national lockdowns triggered by the pandemic s tunt

international travel. The company, which is 55 percent owned by French state railroad SNCF, says it has received money from shareholders, without disclosing how much. Other investors are funds Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec and Hermes

Infrastructure, which control a combined 40 percent of the company, and Belgium, which has a 5 percent stake.

Eurostar, which employs 3,000 people and has its head-quarters in London, said it has so far received only furlough funding from the UK, compared

with 1.8 billion pounds in British government support to aviation through loans, tax deferrals and financing. The company is also in talks with the French gov-ernment, the spokeswoman said.

The UK Department for Transport said the government

recognizes the financial chal-lenges facing Eurostar and has been engaging with it on a regular basis since the start of the outbreak.

“We will continue to work closely with them as we support the safe recovery of interna-tional travel,” it said.

In addition to extending airport aid to include interna-tional rail services, Eurostar said it wants the UK to incorporate high-speed trains in its support for the travel sector, especially in light of its low-carbon cre-dentials. That should start with a reduction in access charges on High Speed 1, the UK section of the Channel Tunnel line, which are three times higher than those in France, the spokes-woman said.

While Britain has rescued domestic UK rail operators with emergency agreements and provided a £1.8bn bailout for the London subway, Eurostar hasn’t qualified for those pro-grams, she said.

Damas took on the CEO role last month after a career at SNCF and its overseas arm Keolis, as well as SNCF-con-trolled Thalys, a provider of high-speed trains between Paris and Brussels with which Eurostar is merging operations. He replaced Mike Cooper, who made a surprise exit to run the UK-based Arriva arm of Deutsche Bahn AG.

The Guardian reposted on Eurostar’s appeal to Sunak earlier.

A file photo of passengers boarding a Eurostar International LTD train at a station in the UK.

The world’s oldest bank is facing problems againBLOOMBERG

You can understand why Italy might want to hand yet another round of state aid to Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA. It is, after all, the world’s oldest bank. And while by no means systemic, the lender is large enough to rock the country’s finance industry. Paschi also employs thousands in Siena.

But protecting a city’s livelihood shouldn’t come at any cost. Keeping investors in the dark about the bank’s real financial health and skirting around state aid rules - which is what happened when Paschi was last rescued only three years ago - would create lingering damage and undermine trust in the institutions that govern Italy and Europe.

Paschi’s most recent financial report, published on November 13, is hardly reassuring. In it, the bank says it expects capital to fall below regu-latory requirements, without elabo-rating on the size of the deficit. But on November 5, when the bank first reported its earnings for the months through September, it had said capital buffers still exceeded regulators’ demands.

What changed between these two filings is unclear. Bluebell Partners, an adviser to Paschi shareholders seeking damages for its past misdeeds, has asked regulators to shed light on the discrepancy. A Paschi spokesman

declined to comment.What’s more, in the November

13 report Paschi says it is a going concern because the government (which owns about two-thirds of the bank) supports strengthening its capital to meet the regulatory minimum. Would the bank not be a going concern without those funds? True, having the Italian state as a shareholder gives comfort that private investors wouldn’t be able to provide. But whether taxpayer funds can be deployed isn’t certain. One constraint is the international rules by which Italy needs to abide.

Italian press reports say Paschi may need as much as €2.5bn ($3bn) of gov-ernment funds to persuade UniCredit SpA, a bigger rival, to take over the bank. Taxpayer money could cover the capital shortfall, in addition to the costs of merging with UniCredit, which may also be shielded from Paschi’s legal risks. What these government funds would cover matters, and not just because Italian taxpayers deserve to know. The lender has been pushed to the edge because of past wrongdoing; the pan-demic, which has prompted Europe to loosen state aid rules, shouldn’t be used as cover for yet another rescue.

Paschi, a regional commercial bank, never recovered from buying a rival it couldn’t afford in 2007. Since then, a series of desperate attempts to keep it afloat and

halfhearted restructurings have left it limping. Two counts of fraud by two different sets of the lender’s man-agers didn’t help.

Spiraling legal claims and bad loans, accumulated well before the pandemic, are now weakening the lender’s solvency. But how much capital the bank needs this time around, in what would be the fourth state-backed funding since 2009, is educated guesswork. The European Central Bank, the lender’s principal

regulator, plans a stress test next year. The exercise should reveal any likely future shortfalls from souring loans in the economic downturn, probably adding to the existing deficit.

The European Union has relaxed its state aid regime to let member countries save businesses put under strain by COVID-19. It is even letting nations recapitalize lenders, provided the banks aren’t likely to fail. The ECB said it couldn’t comment on individual companies when I asked whether

Paschi’s recent disclosures might affect its assessment of the lender’s viability.

So far, this feels like the rerun of a movie we’ve seen before. Back in 2017, with the blessing of the ECB and Brussels, Paschi received Italian funds that were meant to cover potential future losses stemming from a stress test. In reality, the new money covered existing weaknesses. The bank was probably insolvent at the time of the recapitalization, and should have been wound down.

In fairness, banks and their super-visors are still testing the complex set of rules put in place under the EU’s Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive of 2013, designed to shield public funds after the bailouts of the financial and sovereign debt crises. Regulators also have to manage public perceptions when a deposit-taking bank is under strain, and avoid fanning concern that might deepen the lender’s problems.

But if Italy is to avoid any doubt that it’s playing by the rules, it needs to be trans-parent about how it’s rescuing Paschi.

To thrive, Europe’s overbanked industry needs to become more inte-grated, with a common deposit-insurance scheme and the ability to move funds freely across the region. Keeping Paschi alive shouldn’t become another reason for skeptics to resist a stronger financial union.

An outside view of Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA's headquarters building in Siena, Italy.

15FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020SportKhaleel Al Jabir, President of Qatar Swimming Association

pose with officials and Al Sadd captain Abdulaziz Al Obaidly, who

received the 2019-2020 Qatar Cup trophy after the season-

ending competition at Hamad Aquatic Centre, yesterday. It is

the fourth Qatar Cup trophy for Al Sadd. They won the Qatar

Cup with a total of 79.24 points, followed by Al Arabi (72.17) and

Qatar Sports Club (69.05). Al Jabir congratulated all

the participants and praised them for their commitment

despite the challenges.

Kh l l Al J bi P id t f

Swimming: Al Sadd crowned Qatar Cup champions

Time to put on a show: England skipper Morgan

AFP – CAPE TOWN

England captain Eoin Morgan says his England team are determined to “put on a bit of a show” in the Twenty20 international series, which starts at Newlands stadium in Cape Town today.

Morgan said he had become well aware of the importance of live televised sport during the lockdown imposed by Covid-19.

“It’s huge,” he said of the chance to play international sport and provide enter-tainment for viewers.

But Morgan said he did not foresee an early end to the need for teams to remain in bio-secure “bubbles” while playing.

“There’s news about vaccines but the first to receive it will be the people who really need it. We are well down the pecking order of who should be prioritised,” he said.

“I don’t see any change before the start of our own summer.” England have further winter tours planned to Sri Lanka and India before then.

Morgan said England intended to field their best possible team against South Africa.

“It’s the first time in a long time we’ve had a full-strength team available for selection. It’s very exciting.” He said he believed his team were well prepared, with some players having been active in the recent Indian Premier League while others had benefited from an extended off-season rest.

“Training was very dangerous,” he joked about England’s big-hitting batsmen flexing their muscles in practice.

South Africa captain Quinton de Kock said his country’s large 24-man squad had been picked to cover both the T20 series and a one-day international series imme-diately afterwards.

“We will narrow it down to 12 or 13 when we get to the ground today,” he said.

Two unnamed South African players remain in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19 but Cricket South Africa announced on Thursday there had been no new positive cases after a third round of testing.

However, all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius had been ruled out of both series after suf-fering a hamstring injury during training.

Out of quarantine and into the fray, India tour gets underwayREUTERS – SYDNEY

The plans for India’s tour of Australia have been ripped up and redrawn dozens of times over the last eight months but the action finally gets underway with the first one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground today.

It was at the same venerable ground on March 13 that Australia last hosted international men’s cricket, with the hosts beating New Zealand by 71 runs to snap a five-match losing streak in one-dayers.

The 48,000 seats were empty that day as the COVID-19 pan-demic began to bite but Australia’s relative success at containing the virus means up to half of them will be occupied today.

India’s squad will be raring to go after coming out of two weeks of quarantine, while Australia’s players will be reunited after pre-paring in two separate groups to satisfy biosecurity protocols.

Virat Kohli’s tourists are the second ranked ODI side in the world and will be looking to get into their groove in the three 50-over and three Twenty20 matches that precede the four-match test series around the new year.

“It’s important to start well in the white-ball series,” India vice-captain KL Rahul said.

“We are playing for the country after a while. We enjoy coming here and playing hard cricket.” Skipper Kohli will return home after the first test to attend the birth of his first child.

India have not played a one-dayer since they lost a series 3-0 in New Zealand in February but the players have had plenty of opportunities to sharpen their skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was left out of the ODI squad and opener Rohit Sharma will miss the two short format series at least with a ham-string issue.

Aaron Finch led Australia to a 2-1 series triumph in England in

September and his side is likely to look pretty similar with the all-important addition of former skipper Steve Smith, who missed the 50-over matches because of concussion.

Smith and opener David Warner were also absent in the aftermath of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal when India won ODI and test series on their last visit but both batsmen will be in the Australia team.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s absence with an ankle injury might offer an opportunity to uncapped youngsters Cameron Green and Will Pucovski, who have been in prolific form with the bat in the Sheffield Shield.

Finch said he thought the unusual preparations would not have an impact on the Australian players, who will stand in a circle barefoot to recognise the coun-try’s indigenous people before the match.

“I think everyone’s on the same page in terms of how we want to play one-day cricket and build up some really good momentum,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“Everyone’s just really looking forward to getting out and playing for Australia.”

The two captains India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Aaron Finch

AUSTRALIA VS INDIA - ODI SERIES

FIXTURES (Start at 2.40pm local, 0340 GMT)

Nov. 27: First ODI - Sydney Cricket Ground

Nov. 29: Second ODI - Sydney Cricket Ground

Dec. 2: Third ODI - Manuka Oval, Canberra

AUSTRALIAWorld ranking: 4

Captain: Aaron Finch

Coach: Justin Langer

Top ranked batsman: Aaron Finch (7)

Top ranked bowler: Pat Cummins (6)

Squad: Aaron Finch, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex

Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood,

Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn

Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc,

Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David

Warner, Adam Zampa

INDIAWorld ranking: 2

Captain: Virat Kohli

Coach: Ravi Shastri

Top ranked batsman: Virat Kohli (1)

Top ranked bowler: Jasprit Bumrah (2)

Squad: Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL

Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey,

Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja,

Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah,

Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur

ODI HEAD TO HEADMatches: 140, Australia wins: 78

India wins: 52, No result: 10

LAST THREE SERIES2019-20 India beat Australia 2-1

2018-19 Australia beat India 3-2

2018-19 India beat Australia 2-1

Salary cap should not handicap top talent: HamiltonREUTERS – MANAMA

Any proposed cap on the salaries of Formula One drivers should be careful not to hold back the sport’s top talent, newly crowned seven-times champion Lewis Hamilton said yesterday.

Formula One has been dis-cussing a cap on driver salaries as part of a wider effort to level the financial playing field between the wealthiest and poorest teams on the grid.

“I’m not personally opposed to it,” the Briton, who equalled Michael Schumacher’s record haul of seven titles at the last race in Turkey, told reporters in a video conference call at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

“I do think about the next up and coming young stars that are coming through and I don’t particularly see why they should be handicapped if they’re bringing something huge to the sport.” The sport has already agreed a $145m cap on teams’ overall budgets for next year which is set to reduce further to $140m in 2022.

The salary cap, however, is not a part of those measures and is still some way away, with a proposal calling for it to be implemented in 2023 put before the Formula One Com-mission in October.

“This sport controls pretty much the driver’s image,” added the 35-year-old, who earns an estimated £40m ($53.40m) a year and is in negotiations over an extension to his Mercedes contract which is set to expire at the end of this year.

14TH RACE MEETING - AL SAFLIYA CUP RESULTSAL SAFLIYA CUP (QA Listed) (Far Bend)Noor Al Hawa (Georges Mikhalides, trainer/Alberto Sanna, jockey)PUREBRED ARABIAN CONDITIONS (Far Bend)Akmar (Hadi Nasser Rashid Al Ramzani/Faleh Bughanaim)THOROUGHBREDS (Class 3) (Far Bend)Taxiwala (Osama Omer E Al Dafea/Mickael Berto)THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (Far Bend)Zyzzyva (Ibrahim Saeed Ibrahim Al Malki/Ronan Thomas)THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (Qatari Riders Only) (Far Bend)Thierry (Gassim Mohammad Ghazali/Saleh Salem Al Marri)PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Far Bend)Djalnor (Mohammed Gassim Ghazali/Marco Casamento)LOCAL THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (3 Year Olds) (Far Bend)S K Shawaheen (Mohammed Hamad Al Attiya/Alberto Sanna)LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (3 Year Olds) (Far Bend)AJS Berline (Hadi Nasser Rashid Al Ramzani/Marco Casamento)

World champion Colemanappeals two-year banREUTERS – LAUSANNE

World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman (pictured) has appealed against his ban for breaching anti-doping whereabouts rules, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said yesterday.

CAS said it had registered Coleman’s appeal after he was banned for two years by the Athletics Integrity Unit’s (AIU) Disciplinary Tri-bunal last month and is set to miss next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Under the so-called whereabouts rule, elite athletes must make themselves available for random out-of-competition testing and state a location and one-hour window where they can be found on any given day.

Three failures to properly file whereabouts information or being absent during the hour stated in a 12-month period can result in a one- or two-year suspension.

The American sprinter said at the time of his provisional suspension that anti-doping offi- cials had not followed procedure when he missed them after going Christmas shopping last year at

a time when he had said he would be at home.

CAS also said it had registered an appeal relating to world 400

metres champion Salwa Eid Naser. CAS said the sport’s

governing body World Athletics (WA) has filed

an appeal against the decision of the AIU’s Disciplinary Tribunal to clear the Bahrain runner of com-

mitting an anti-doping rule vio-

lation (ADRV) by missing out-of-competition tests.

that anti-doping offi- cials had not followed procedumissed them after going Christmas shopping

a time when he had said hat home.

CAS also said it had rappeal relating to

metres champioNaser. CAS sai

governing bAthletics (W

an appealdecision Disciplinato clear trunner

mittingdoping

lationmisscomp

Jockey Alberto Sanna guiding Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Noor Al Hawa to Al Safliya

Cup victory.

Noor Al Hawa wins Al Safliya Cup

Al Safliya Cup's winning team posing for a photograph after Noor Al Hawa won the feature race of the 13th Race Meeting at QREC's Al Rayyan Park, yesterday.

Lewis Hamilton

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Nabil El Zahr struck a last-gasp equalizer as Al Ahli held Al Rayyan 1-1 in their Round-7 clash of the QNB Stars League (QSL) at the Al Ahli Stadium yesterday.

The former champions Al Rayyan had taken the lead in the 77th minute through Franck Kom before Al Ahli fought back through El Zhar's injury-time penalty (90+5).

Al Ahli and Al Rayyan now have 16 and 11 points under their names respectively.

The match - dubbed as the marquee clash of the week pitted together the high-flying Al Ahli and last season's runner-up Al Rayyan.

Al Ahli, who are enjoying a mem-orable season so far, were looking for their sixth win in seven matches. Apart from the Round-5 hick-up where they lost to strong Al Sadd 1-7, Al Ahli had won all their games before yesterday's blockbuster clash.

Both teams attacked from the word go, but a goal eluded the opening session.

In the first half, Gabriel Mercado sent his shot wide, Abdulaziz Hatem was thwarted by Al Ahli goalkeeper Ivanildo Rodriguez and Kom headed wide of the target for Al Rayyan, who continued to miss the services of their ace player Yacine Brahimi through illness.

For Al Ahli, Abdulrasheed Ibrahim, Mohammed Diame and Shane Lowry were off-target.

Both teams sustained the momentum in the second half.

Al Ahli’s Ali Qaderi had a goal dis-allowed for offside in the 66th minute when he was on hand to send in a rebound off the left upright after Nabil shot first.

Much to Al Ahli’s dismay, an unmarked Kom took Al Rayyan ahead by taking advantage off an assist by Yohan Boli.

When it looked like Al Rayyan would seal an important victory came the breakthrough deep into stoppage time. Al Ahli’s substitute Nasser

Khalfan was fouled by Mohammed Alaaeldin and referee Abdulla Ali Athba pointed to the spot, a decision confirmed by the Video Assistant Referee. And Nabil converted from the spot.

Earlier, Al Wakrah defeated Al Sailiya 3-1 at the Al Ahli Stadium to jump to fifth spot in the QSL standings. Mohamed Benyettou (49), Omar Ali (52) and Cristian Ceballos (75) scored for Al Wakrah, while Abdulqadir Ilyas (90+1) scored Al Sailiya's lone goal.

The victory lifted Al Wakrah's points tally to 10 while Al Sailiya remained on eight . Both teams had dropped points in Week 6, Al Sailiya drawing goalless with Al Khor and Al Wakrah losing 0-1 to Qatar SC, so they played an open game.

Ceballos started it all with a long-range shot in the 13th minute. Omar was off-target in the 27th minute fol-lowing a quick move and Benyettou headed over in the 44th minute. Al Wakrah’s Riadh Nasser too came

close towards the end of first half.At the other end, Al Sailiya

attackers Abdulqadir Ilyas, Tiago Bezerra and Mohanad Ali (Mimi) struggled to make inroads as they missed the speed and pace of Ahmed Hammoudan. However, the teams took the breather goalless.

The second half saw a flurry of attacks by Al Wakrah and they were rewarded with two quick goals.

Ceballos found the target with an angular shot and Omar deflected in a shot by Benyettou. Al Wakrah were totally in control now and Ceballos added his second and the team’s third with an opportunistic goal.

Ilyas reduced the margin for Al Sailiya in the first minute of stoppage time, but it was too little, too late.

Later, at the Qatar SC Stadium, the hosts blanked Al Arabi 3-0.

New recruit Youcef Belaili netted a brace (38 and 87) and Alejandro Jimena (90+5) added a third as Qatar SC took their points tally to nine, while Al Arabi stood on five points.

SportFRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020

Time to put on a show: England's MorganIt’s the first time in a long time we’ve had a full-strength team available for selection. It’s very exciting. We will narrow it down (the squad for South Africa series) to 12 or 13 when we get to the ground today.

Sport | 15Eoin MorganEngland captain

TItn1

EEEEEEEEEE

AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Melbourne Victory vs Beijing, Ulsan Hyundai vs Perth Glory, Shanghai Shenhua vs Tokyo, Chiangrai United vs Seoul

ROUND 7YESTERDAY'S RESULTSAl Sailiya 1-3 Al Wakrah

Al Ahli 1-1 Al RayyanQatar SC 3-0 Al ArabiTODAY'S FIXTURESAl Gharafa VS Al Khor

Al Gharafa Stadium 5:30pmAl Sadd VS Umm Salal

Al Gharafa Stadium 7:45pmAl Duhail VS Al KharaitiyatAl Duhail Stadium 7:45pm

ACL: Kobe’s Iniesta sets his sights on deep run in Doha

REUTERS – DOHA

Andres Iniesta has set his sights on steering Asian Champions League debutants Vissel Kobe to the latter stages of the competition as the Spanish World Cup winner looks to finish a disappointing year on a high for the Japanese club.

Iniesta was on target for Kobe on Wednesday as the J-League side defeated twice champions Guangzhou Evergrande to become the first club to secure their place in the last 16 of the eastern half of the draw in the continental championship.

Vissel have endured a difficult domestic season, with coach Thorsten Fink fired in late September and Kobe still languishing in 11th place in the 18-team J-League despite owner Hiroshi Mikitani lavishing significant funds on his team.

But Iniesta is hoping a change of scenery and the win over Guangzhou in the club’s first game since arriving in Doha at the weekend can kick-start an improvement in Kobe’s fortunes.

“It’s our first win in Qatar, and we have six points now. This is very important for us to go to the next stage, and I think today we showed that we deserved the result. I think it’s very important for us now to keep going like this.”

Fifteen clubs are playing in Doha in a biosecure bubble as the AFC attempts to com-plete the competition with a format which rep-licates that used in September and October for teams from the west of the continent.

Iranian side Persepolis have already qual-ified for the final and the side from Tehran will meet the leading team from the east of the con-tinent in Doha on Dec 19.

“We’ll keep fighting, and we’ll go as far as possible in this tournament,” Iniesta said.

Thousands bid farewell to MaradonaAP – BUENOS AIRES

Tens of thousands of fans eager to honor Diego Maradona lined up to file past the coffin of Argentina’s most iconic soccer star yesterday, some confronting police who tried to maintain order at the coun-try’s presidential mansion.

Some threw bottles and pieces of metal fencing at police near the Casa Rosada in the heart of Buenos Aires. Officers at one point used tear gas to try to control them.

Fans blew kisses as they passed Maradona’s wooden casket in the main lobby of the presidential building, some strike their chests with closed fists and shouting, “Let’s go Diego.”

The casket was covered in an Argentine flag and the No. 10 shirt he famously wore the national team. Dozens of other shirts of different soccer teams tossed in by weeping visitors were scattered on and around the casket.

Maradona died on Wednesday of a heart attack in a house outside Buenos Aires where he recovered from a brain operation on Nov. 3.

Open visitation started at 6:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT) after a few hours of privacy for family and close friends. The first to bid farewell were his daughters and close family members.

His ex-wife Claudia Villafañe came with Maradona’s daughters Dalma and Gianinna. Later came Verónica Ojeda, also his ex-wife, with their son Dieguito

Fernando. Jana, who Maradona recog-nized as his daughter only a few years ago, also attended the funeral.

Then came former teammates of the 1986 World Cup-winning squad including Oscar Ruggeri. Other Argentine footballers, such as Boca Juniors’ Carlos Tévez, showed up, too.

The lines started forming outside the Casa Rosada only hours after

Maradona’s death was confirmed and grew to several blocks. Among those present were the renowned barrabravas fans of Boca Juniors, one of his former clubs.

The first fan to visit was Nahuel de Lima, 30, using crutches to move because of a disability.

“He made Argentina be recognised all over the world, who speaks of

Maradona also speaks of Argentina,” de Lima told The Associated Press.

Lidia and Estela Villalba cried near the exit of the lobby. Both had a Boca Juniors shirt and an Argentinian flag on their shoulders.A huge mural of Maradona’a face was painted on the tiles that cover the Plaza de Mayo, near the Casa Rosada, which was decorated with a giant black ribbon at the entrance.

A man waves a jersey with a picture of Diego Maradona as fans wait to enter the Government House to pay tribute to late football legend in Buenos Aires, yesterday.

Al Sadd's Al Dosari returns ahead of Umm Salal clash

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Former champions Al Sadd will be keen to stay atop when they take on Umm Salal in their seventh QNB Stars League (QSL) encounter today.

The QSL points leaders will receive a huge boost when they welcome back their regular goal-keeper, Qatar international Saad Al Dosari who missed out their pre-vious League matches due to an injury.

Al Dosari was recovering from a head injury he had suffered during the Qatar national team’s friendly against Ghana last month.

“The return of Saad to training after his injury makes me very happy. He completed his recovery process well,” coach Xavi Hernandez said during a pre-match press con-ference ahead of their Round-7 match which will take place at Al Gharafa Stadium.

When I was growing up Diego was

the guide on how to play football.

This painful moments hurts us all,

because Maradona is football, he is

Argentina, he had that rebellious

character which defined him

everywhere he went. He really

looked after me when we were both

at Sevilla and I was very young.

Diego may have gone but his spirit

will remain on every football pitch: ATLETICO MADRID COACH DIEGO SIMEONE

It’s an enormous loss for the world

in general but above all for football.

What he did in the 1986 World Cup

is engraved in my mind. We feel

awful about what happened today,

we are very sad: REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE

Today is an unbelievably sad day.

Our Diego left us. Our hearts - of all

of us who loved him for how he

was, and for what he represented -

have stopped beating for a moment.

Our silence, our tears, our pain is the

only thing we are feeling deep

inside us at this time: FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO

HOW THE WORLD REACTED

El Zahr nets late equaliser as Al Ahli steal a point against Al Rayyan; Al Wakrah and Qatar SC win

Action during the QNB Stars League Round-7 match between Al Ahli and Al Rayyan.