Volume 24 | Number 8087 | 2 RiyalsTuesday 26 November 2019 | 29 Rabia I 1441 www.thepeninsula.qa

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BUSINESS | 03 SPORT | 12

Qatar seek winning start as depleted Iraq hope for a ‘surprise’

Qatar, Turkey to fully utilise partnership potential

QNA/DOHA

Taking strong bilateral ties to new strategic heights, Qatar and Turkey yesterday signed seven agreements and memorandums of understanding.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, co-chaired yesterday the 5th session of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee, that took place at the Amiri Diwan.

The meeting dealt with the strong strategic ties in all fields particularly political, trade partnerships, economic, and investment ties. That is in addition to energy affairs, manufacturing, industry, education, media, healthcare, tourism, and projects related to the hosting of 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The two sides also discussed their counter-terrorism efforts and exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments,

particularly in Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.

According to the Joint Commu-nique of the 5th session of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Com-mittee, both sides stressed the importance of the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), espe-cially in light of the challenges sur-rounding the region, and stressed the need to adhere to the principles of mutual respect and full sover-eignty of States and non-inter-ference in their internal affairs and good-neighbourliness, while clari-fying that constructive dialogue is the only way to end the current Gulf

crisis.The two sides reaffirmed their

common commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the Middle East and neigh-bouring regions, as well as finding peaceful resolution to disputes, without resorting to the threat of force or sanctions.

The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining maritime safety in the Gulf region. They stressed the importance of avoiding any rhetoric or action that would increase tensions in the region, and urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from escalation. �P3

Amir and President Erdogan co-chair 5th session of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. �P2

Amir to meet Mahmoud Abbas tomorrowQNA/DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will meet at the Amiri Diwan tomorrow with the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, who will arrive in Doha today for a working visit. H H the Amir and the Palestinian President will discuss relations between the two brotherly countries and the latest developments in the Palestinian arena.

QP: LNG production to increase 64% to 126 mtpa by 2027MOHAMMAD SHOEB THE PENINSULA

Qatar Petroleum announced yesterday that it will raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity to 126 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2027, representing an increase of 64 percent from the current 77mtpa.

The announcement was made by H E Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, at a press conference, during which he also announced that new studies have revealed that the North Field’s productive layers extend well into Qatari land in Ras Laffan, paving the way for a new LNG production project in the north of Qatar.

H E Al Kaabi said: “During the past two years, Qatar Petroleum worked diligently to determine the degree to which the North Field extends towards the south west, as well as the possibility of production from Qatar’s northern coastal onshore areas.”

“I am pleased to announce that our appraisal efforts have borne fruit, and that we have confirmation that the productive layers of the North Field extend well into Qatari land in Ras

Laffan. Studies and well tests have also confirmed the ability to produce large quantities of gas from this new sector of the North Field,” Al Kaabi added.

It is worth mentioning that the latest North Field appraisal well (NF-12) was drilled onshore in the Ras Laffan Industrial City, about 12km from shore and underwent extensive testing over the past few months.

H E Al Kaabi also announced that the confirmed gas reserves of the North Field exceed 1,760 trillion cubic feet, in addition to more than 70 billion barrels of condensates, and massive quan-tities of LPG, ethane, and helium.

H E Al Kaabi said: “These are very important findings, which will have a great positive impact on Qatar’s gas industry, and which will move it forward into bigger and wider horizons. These results will also enable us to immediately commence the necessary engineering work for two additional LNG mega trains with a combined annual capacity of 16 million tonnes per annum. This will raise Qatar’s LNG production from currently 77 million tonnes to 126 million tonnes per annum by 2027, rep-resenting an increase of about 64 percent. �P4

Qatar among fastest growing global economiesSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Qatar is progressing towards a sustained economic growth through long term diversification. The country is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and its economy is expected to grow at a faster rate next year, said Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) yesterday.

“Qatar’s economy is forecast to grow 2.8 percent this year and close to three percent in 2020. We are one of the fastest growing econ-omies in the world and notably the second most competitive economy in the Middle East,” said Al Jaida,

delivering keynote speech at The Qatar Trade Summit which began at the Hotel Intercontinental, Doha the City, yesterday.

He said the nation is wit-nessing sustainable economic growth, thanks to several proactive measures taken by the government in the past.

“As Qatar National Vision 2030 places great emphasis on economic diversification and development of private sector, Qatar has taken major strides in the recent years that are shaping the nation’s reputation as a big destination and a gateway of choice to the larger Mena region,” he said. “In 2019, Qatar was ranked first in the Arab region

and seventh globally in terms of investment security,” he added.

The resilience of Qatar’s economy is has been vindicated by many global agencies. He said that, last January, global rating agencies S&P (Standard & Poor’s) and Moody’s reaffirmed outlook on Qatar’s economy noting that Qatar has succeeded in miti-gating the financial impact of geopolitical challenges.

“There is currently a multi-billion dollar infrastructure development underway. This major infrastructure devel-opment comprises of big ticket transport projects coupled with rapid expansion of tourism, edu-cation and real estate,” he added.

Qatar has become an important destination for global investors, which is evident from rising foreign investment.

“Foreign investments, including foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment, in Qatar amounted to QR722.6bn by the end of the first quarter of this year, recording a month-on-month increase of 1.1 percent, or QR7.9bn, compared to previous quarter,” said Yousuf Al Jaida.

QFC is targeting to attract more than 1,000 companies and create more than 10,000 jobs in the financial and non-financial sectors in the country by 2022. �P4

Amir to open 24th Arabian Gulf Cup todayQNA/THE PENINSULA DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will open the 24th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup, which will begin at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium today.

Asian champions Qatar is all set to take on Iraq in the opening match of the eight-nation tour-nament. The match will kick off at 7.30pm.

Three-time champions Qatar, have enjoyed a good form in recent months and will go all out for full points in their first Group A match.

“First game in a group of four is always important and we are fully focused on it,” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez told a press con-ference yesterday. “Iraq have a strong team and it is going to be a tough match,” said Sanchez.

The other Group A teams – the UAE and Yemen – will also square off in second match of the day at Al Duhail Stadium.

The Group B includes 10-time champions Kuwait, defending champions Oman, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and UAE teams received official welcome upon their arrival in Doha, yesterday.

The Qatari-Turkish partnership is progressing towards its goals successfully...I was delighted to meet with brother President Erdogan in Doha, where we discussed vital bilateral, regional and global issues. We agreed to make full use of the potential of this partnership to serve the interests of the people of the two countries and the people of the region as a whole.

Amending currency-swap agreement signed between Qatar Central Bank and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.An agreement between the government of the State of Qatar and the government of the Republic of Turkey on cooperation in the manufacturing and technology fields.A memorandum of understanding between Qatar Financial Center and the financial office of the presidency in Turkey.A memorandum of understanding between Qatar Investment Promotion Agency and the investment office at the presidency of the Republic of Turkey.A memorandum of understanding in the field of urban planning between the Government of the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkey.A declaration of intent between Qatar General Organisation for Standards and Metrology (QS) and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE).A memorandum of understanding in the field of standards between the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE).

Qatar, Turkey sign 7 agreements and memorandums of understanding

Qatar-Kazakhstan ties strong, make great

strides: Ambassador Shokybayev

02 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019HOME

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, witnessing the signing of the joint final statement, and a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding at the Amiri Diwan, yesterday. (BELOW LEFT) H H the Amir receiving the delegation accompanying the President at the Amiri Diwan. H H the Amir also hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his accompanying delegation at the Amiri Diwan.

Amir, Turkish President review strategic ties

03TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 HOME

Erdogan visits Turkish Military Detachment

The President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, yesterday visited the Turkish Military Detachment in Doha as part of his visit to Qatar. During the visit, they reviewed the readiness of the Turkish Forces and the joint cooperation between them and the Qatari Forces. The Turkish President was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah. Earlier, H E Al Attiyah; Qatar’s Ambassador to Turkey, Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi, and Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Qatar, Fikret Ozer, received the President and his accompanying delegation upon arrival at Doha International Airport, yesterday.

Qatar, Turkey to fully utilise partnership potential

FROM PAGE 1

Earlier, H H the Amir and President Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing strategic cooperation between the two countries in various fields. During the bilateral meeting, they exchanged views on all regional and international developments of common concern. H H the Amir also hosted a Luncheon banquet in honour of President of the Republic of Turkey and his accompanying delegation at the Amiri Diwan.

According to the Joint Com-munique, the two sides also agreed to hold the sixth session of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Stra-tegic Committee meetings in the Republic of Turkey in 2020 at a date to be determined through diplomatic channels.

The President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his deep appreciation to H H the Amir for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation during their stay in their second country, the State of Qatar.

It added that the fifth session was held in a friendly environment that reflected the distinguished partnership and commitment of both sides to the continuation of long-term joint strategic cooperation in all fields.

The two sides also stressed on their commitment to enhancing the legal framework of their bilateral ties. They also expressed their satisfaction with the increase in bilateral trade volume in a way that reflects the strength of political ties. They also stressed their commitment to ratifying a trade and

e c o n o m i c p a r t n e r s h i p agreement that was signed in the previous session.

The committee also wel-comed the Qatari companies’ increasing interest in investing in Turkey, and reviewed the commitment made by the State of Qatar to invest $15bn in Turkey, which was announced by H H the Amir during the visit to Turkey in August of 2018. The two sides pledged to continue their coordination in the financial field.

The committee also expressed its satisfaction with enhancing cooperation in projects related to hosting the World Cup finals in 2022. The Qatari side welcomed the par-ticipation of Turkish companies in infrastructure projects related to the World Cup and to the Qatar National Vision 2030. The two sides agreed to raise the level of their participation in each other’s infrastructure projects.The committee stressed on the importance of the role

played by trade chambers in enhancing investment oppor-tunities, and welcomed the organization of the Qatari-Turkish Business Forum that was held in Ankara on October 31 of 2019 with the participation of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and Vice President Fuat Oktay.

The committee welcomed cooperation in the tourism field, including health tourism. In that regard, the Qatari side sug-gested that Turkish delegations pay field visits to health facil-ities in the State of Qatar to get to know the healthcare sector better and offer suggestions that could benefit both sides in dif-ferent fields.

The two sides also expressed their willingness to enhance cooperation in defense industries over the long-term. The two sides also called for enhancing their ties by estab-lishing a twinning agreement between their respective cities.

HH the Amir @TamimBinHamad and President @RTErdogan held the 5th session of the Turkish-Qatari High Strategic Committee. #Qatar #Turkey strong strategic relation continues to flourish.

The two sides also stressed on their commitment to enhancing the legal framework of their bilateral ties. They also expressed their satisfaction with the increase in bilateral trade volume in a way that reflects the strength of political ties. They also stressed their commitment to ratifying a trade and economic partnership agreement that was signed in the previous session.

Awqaf Minister attends closing sessionof Sheikh Jassim Quranic competitionQNA DOHA

The Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, H E Dr. Gaith bin Mubarak Al Kuwari, visited yesterday the 26th session of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Holy Quran Contest for males, organised by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, in its final phase.

H E the Minister witnessed some of the competitions of the final stage for 2019, which was hosted by the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd Al Wahhab Mosque, in the presence of the Chairman of the organising

committee of the competition and a number of senior officials in the Ministry.

The final stage of the com-petition determines the order of the winners in each category from first place to fifth, where the winner of first place of the Holy Quran memorization, rec-itation and improved reading for the citizens, as well as the categories of memorization for c i t i z e n s a n d s p e c i a l

memorization for residents will get QR100,000.

While second place of the same categories is entitled to get QR85,000, third place will get QR70,000, fourth will get QR60,000 and fifth gets QR50,000.

The organising committee will also give prizes to the com-petitors who have passed the second stage and did not qualify for the third stage of the competition in memorising the Holy Quran in full, in addition to the rewards of good votes for all participants. The contest for female will be held today at Holy Quran Learning Center for Girls in Al Waab.

The contest for female will be held today at Holy Quran Learning Center for Girls in Al Waab.

04 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019HOME

Shura Council discusses draft law on diplomatic and consular corps QNA DOHA

The Shura Council held its regular weekly meeting yesterday under the Chair-manship of its Speaker, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud.

At the outset of the meeting, the Council discussed its draft budget for fiscal year 2020. The Council then discussed a draft law on the diplomatic and con-sular corps.

The draft law includes 93 articles and determines the order of the functions of the corps’ members and the conditions of appointment. It also includes a number of articles on diplomatic missions, their competence and matters relating to their admin-istration, the performance appraisal system of the diplo-matic and consular corps, pro-motion, transfer, assignment, leave and the duties of both corps’ members. After

discussion, the Council decided to refer the draft law to the Internal and External Affairs Committee to study it and submit a report thereon to the Council.

The Shura Council also dis-cussed a draft law regulating medical treatment abroad. The draft law will facilitate the pro-cedures for the treatment of Qatari patients abroad and provide them with the best services.

Under the provisions of the draft law, the State shall assume the medical treatment of the

citizens abroad and shall bear the expenses of treatment and other costs in accordance with the provisions of this law.

The medical treatment of cit-izens abroad shall be decided by a decision from the relevant committee in cases if the appro-priate treatment is not available in the country, in accordance with the provisions of this law and its executive regulations.

The State shall also bear the expenses of medical treatment of students and employees on scholarships abroad and members of their families who are legally dependent on them.

The State shall also bear the expenses of medical treatment of students studying abroad on their own expenses, on condition that they provide enrollment verification.

After discussion, the Council decided to refer the draft law to the Public Services and Utilities Committee to study it and submit a report thereon to the Council.

The Speaker of Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, chairing the regular weekly meeting, yesterday.

Qatar takes part in emergency meeting of Arab FMs in Cairo QNA CAIRO

The emergency meeting of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers, chaired by Iraq, began yesterday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo to discuss ways to confront the illegal US decision on Israeli settlements, at the request of the State of Palestine and supported by a number of Arab countries.

Qatar participated in the meeting with a delegation headed by Permanent Repre-sentative to the Arab League, Ambassador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi.

The meeting aims at reaching a collective and coor-dinated Arab position to con-front the recent American step and exert more political and diplomatic pressure on the international arena to defend the Palestinian right by affirming Palestinian rights at the international level.

The meeting will also discuss an Arab plan of action to support the Palestinian cause, at all levels politically, media and legal to address the US position and reverse its repercussions in the world.

Amir greets Presidency Chairman of Bosnia and HerzegovinaDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al

Thani sent yesterday cables

of congratulations to the

Chairman of the Presidency

of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Zeljko Komsic, on the occa-

sion of his country’s National

Day. The Prime Minister and

Interior Minister, H E Sheikh

Abdullah bin Nasser bin

Khalifa Al Thani, also sent a

cable of congratulations to

the Chairman of the Coun-

cil of Ministers of Bosnia

and Herzegovina, Dr. Denis

Zvizdic. QNA

OFFICIAL NEWS

FM sends message to Moldovan counterpart CHISINAU: The Minis-

ter of Foreign Affairs and

European Integration of

Moldova, Aureliu Chokoi,

received a written message

from the Deputy Prime Min-

ister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed

bin Abdulrahman Al Thani,

related to bilateral relations.

The message was deliv-

ered by the Acting Charge

d’Affaires at the Embassy of

Qatar to Moldova, Hamad

bin Rashid Al Athba, dur-

ing his meeting with the

Moldovan Minister of For-

eign Affairs and European

Integration. QNA

Qatar strongly condemns Iraq attackDOHA: Qatar expressed

its strong condemnation

and denunciation of the

attack that targeted Iraqi

army forces in Diyala prov-

ince, which resulted in five

deaths, including three sol-

diers, and four civilians

wounded. The Ministry

of Foreign Affairs reiter-

ated Qatar’s firm position

on rejecting violence and

terrorism, whatever the

motives and reasons. The

statement expressed the

condolences of Qatar to

the families of the victims,

and to the Government and

people of Iraq, wishing the

wounded speedy recov-

ery. QNA

The Shura Council also discussed a draft law regulating medical treatment abroad. The draft law will facilitate the procedures for the treatment of Qatari patients abroad and provide them with the best services.

Pakistan President meets Amiri Guard CommanderQNA ISLAMABAD

The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, met with the Amiri Guard Commander, Major General Hazza bin Khalil Al Shahwani, during his visit to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

The Amiri Guard Com-mander met with the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army General, Zubair Mahmood Hayat. During the meetings, they reviewed aspects of cooperation in the military field and ways of enhancing them. Qatar’s Ambas-sador to Pakistan, Saqr bin Mubarak Al Mansouri, Military Attache at the Embassy of Qatar in Pakistan, Brigadier Staff (Pilot) Salem Hamad Al Sharqi, and several senior Amiri Guard officers attended the meetings.

Qatar among fastest growing global economies

FROM PAGE 1Guillaume Halleux, Chief

Officer Cargo, Qatar Airways, spoke about how air freight is shaping Qatar’s economy. Giving an overview of opera-tions of cargo operations, he said that Qatar Airways Cargo played an important role in ensuring uninterrupted supply of goods after illegal blockade was imposed on Qatar in June 2017.

Lim Meng Hui, CEO, Qatar Free Zones Authority, talked about how the free zones in Qatar are positioned to enhance trade through connectivity between air and sea ports. Kunal Bhatt, Vice-President Cargo Corporate Services, Qatar Airways; Amadou Diallo, CEO,

DHL Global Forwarding, Middle East & Africa and other regional leaders also shared their views during the panel discussion.

QP: LNG production to increase 64% to 126mtpa by 2027

FROM PAGE 1“It will also raise Qatar’s

overall hydrocarbon production to about 6.7 million barrels oil equivalent per day.”

The Minister took the oppor-tunity to express, on behalf of

everyone at Qatar Petroleum, the greatest of gratitude to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for his leadership and his guidance, and for his strong and unlimited support to Qatar’s energy sector.

Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida speaking at the opening session of the Qatar Trade Summit at the InterContinental Hotel Doha The City, yesterday. PIC: ABDUL

BASIT/THE PENINSULA

Finalists of Study UK Alumni Awards in Qatar announced THE PENINSULA/DOHA

The British Council has announced the nine finalists for the Study UK Alumni Awards 2019-20 in Qatar. For the second time in Qatar, the awards are hosted at a national level to celebrate the achieve-ments of alumni in Qatar across three award categories: Profes-sional Achievement, Entrepre-neurial, and Social Impact.

The finalists were selected for their outstanding achieve-ments as business profes-sionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their important contribution to strengthening collaborative ties between the UK and Qatar

Three award winners will be announced on December 7, 2019 during the annual Qatar-UK Alumni Networking Event, part of Qatar British Festival 2019. The ceremony will be hosted at Marsa Malaz Kem-pinski and sponsored by HSBC Bank Qatar and AFG College with the University of Aberdeen.

The finalists of the Profes-sional Achievement Award, which recognises alumni who

have distinguished themselves through exemplary leadership in their professional field, are: Dr Alla El-Awaisi – graduate of University of Strathclyde and Robert Gordon University; Dr Dena Ahmed Al Thani – graduate of Queen Mary, Uni-versity of London; Dr Samar Aboulsoud – graduate of Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd).

The finalists of the Entre-preneurial Award, which high-lights alumni who have played a leading role in innovation, are: Khalifa Al Haroon – graduate of Anglia Ruskin Uni-versity; Nawar Almutlaq – graduate of Royal College of Art; Vijay Sivasankaran – graduate of London Business School.

The finalists of the Social Impact Award, which acknowl-edges alumni who have made an exceptional contribution to creating positive social change, are: Dr Rania Sawalhi – graduate of the University of Warwick; Reema Al-Merekhi – graduate of Newcastle Uni-versity and Cardiff University; Dr Sharifa Noaman Al-Emadi – graduate of Manchester Met-ropolitan University.

Speaker arrives in DjiboutiQNA/DJIBOUTI

The Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, arrived, yesterday, in Djibouti City, heading the State of Qatar’s delegation participating in the 42nd Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of the African Parliamentary Union (APU), slated for 26-29 November.

His Excellency and his accompanying delegation were welcomed upon arrival at Djibouti International Airport by the Speaker of the House of Repre-sentatives of the Republic of

Djibouti, Mohammed Ali Hamad, Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Qatar in the Republic of Dji-bouti, Faisal bin Rashid Al Nuaimi.

The conference will discuss several topics on the agenda, including cooperation between the APU and other regional and international parliamentary unions. The participation of H E Speaker in the conference comes to enhance parliamentary dialogue and cooperation rela-tions between the Shura Council and the African Parliamentary Union as well as other African parliaments participating in the conference.

05TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 HOME

Shura Council Committees elect rapporteurs for 48th ordinary sessionQNA DOHA

The Shura Council’s Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee held its first meeting yesterday, as part of the council’s 48th ordinary session.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Committee re-elected H E Nasser bin Rashid Saria Al Kaabi as its rapporteur for this session.

The Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the Shura Council held a meeting today, and the Committee re-elected Ali bin Abdullatif Al Misnad Al Mohannadi, as its rapporteur for

this session, the committee also discussed Decree-Law No. 24 of 2019 regulating and managing the strategic stock of food and consumer goods, and decided to complete its study at its next meeting.

Moreover, the Public Services and Utilities Committee of the Shura Council held its first meeting, and at the beginning of the meeting, the Committee re-elected Mohammed Mahdi Al Ahbabi, as its rapporteur for this session, the committee then studied a draft law regulating medical treatment abroad and decided to complete its study at its next meeting.

The Internal and External Affairs Committee of the Shura Council held its first meeting, and at the beginning of the meeting, the Committee re-elected Abdullah bin Fahad bin Qurab Al Marri, as its rapporteur for this session, the Committee then studied a draft law on the diplomatic and consular corps , and decided to complete its study at its next meeting.

The Cultural Affairs and Information Committee of the Shura Council held its first meeting, the Committee elected Khalid Bin Muhamed Al Kubaisi, as its rapporteur for this session.

Secretary-General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs meets Foreign Minister of Norway QNA/OSLO

Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Norway, Ine Marie Soreide, met yesterday with Secretary- General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, who is currently visiting Norway. The meeting discussed the bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them, in addition to issues of mutual concern.

Meanwhile, the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Norway signed yesterday a mem-orandum of understanding to establish political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs in the two countries.

The first round of political consultations between the two ministries were held today in Oslo. The Qatari side was chaired by Sec-retary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E Dr. Ahmad bin Hassan Al Hamadi, while the Norwegian side was led by State Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Audun Halvorsen. During the round of political consultations, they reviewed bilateral cooperation relations between the two friendly countries and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition to a number of issues of common concern.

Qatar, Morocco discuss enhancing legal cooperation

Attorney-General of Qatar, H E Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri, met yesterday with Chief Public Prosecutor in the Kingdom of Morocco and the King’s Attorney-General Mohamed Abdel Nabawi. During the meeting, they exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest and ways of enhancing cooperation in the legal and judicial fields.

Residents’ cooperation in census praisedSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) has praised the cooperation by residents in the ongoing census. The first phase of the census that began in mid-November is proceeding smoothly, said a senior official of PSA.

Saoud Al Shammari, Assistant Director of the Department of Cen-suses, Surveys and Statistical Methods at PSA, said that the coop-eration by citizens and the residents reflects the society’s awareness about the importance of this process.

The process is simple and the meeting between the census worker and the family takes no longer than three minutes. The visits take place in the afternoon from 3:30pm to 7:30pm.

Al Shammari noted that there are 14 different governmental bodies that are cooperating with the authority to complete the project. He added that advanced technology is being used in the process of collecting and

verifying data, and only a few coun-tries around the world are using such modern systems.

He said that these systems allow the census worker to send the obtained data immediately to the database, with no other party able to view it, including the census

worker himself. He also said that the workers have received intensive training to use these advanced systems.

During the first phase of Qatar

2020 census, the data of buildings, facilities, and residential units will be collected. It will also include data on the number of families and the size of the family.

The phase one gives people the option to receive a census worker or to fill information online. Phase one also helps the census worker com-plete the data they already have available from the administrative records.

Al Shammari said that these data are important indicators for policy-makers. Data on housing and facil-ities, for example, reflect the pros-perity of a society. Other data col-lected during the census also make a contribution to enhancing the status of a country internationally, in areas such as the Global Compet-itiveness Report and other similar reports.

The Assistant Director of the Department of Census called on cit-izens and residents to cooperate more in the remaining days of phase one, and in the second phase which begins in March.

Saoud Al Shammari, Assistant Director of the Department of Censuses, Surveys and Statistical Methods, at PSA PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

There are 14 different governmental bodies that are cooperating with the Planning and Statistics Authority to complete the census. The advanced technology being used for collecting and verifying data allows the census workers to send the obtained data immediately to the database, with no other party able to view it, including the census workers themselves. Workers have received intensive training to use these advanced systems.

Traffic Dept engages Imams to raise road safety awareness through sermons SIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Interior repre-sented by the General Direc-torate of Traffic said that speeding and using mobile phone while driving are the two main reasons behind traffic acci-dents.

Director-General of the General Directorate of Traffic, Major General Mohammed Saad Al Kharji, said — during a meeting with Imams held yes-terday at the Department head-quarters as part of the efforts to save lives and public property — that the two violations are common among all drivers and not limited only to young people, or adults, who are expected to be role models for others.

He called on compounding efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of those two violations. Al Kharji pointed out that despite increase in the number of vehicles and population, the directorate was successful in bringing down accidents and their resulting deaths in the last few years.

“It is important for religious speeches to focus on the harmful impact of speeding and using the phone while driving,” he said, noting that

this could have a positive impact on young people in particular.

Colonel Mohamed Radi Al-Hajri, Director of Traffic Awareness Department, explained that this meeting comes from the conviction of the General Directorate of Traffic of the importance of religious dis-course in the modification of traffic behaviours, and in imple-mentation of the letter of intent, signed by the General Direc-torate of Traffic three years ago with the Department of Mosques at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

He recommended Imams to allocate time weekly or monthly

to urge people against violation of traffic laws. The Imams sent a message to young people that they should abide by traffic rules and preserve their lives and the lives of others.

Regarding the issue of driving safety during winter season, First Lt. Abdul Wahid Ghareeb Al Enzi, Awareness Officer at the General Direc-torate of Traffic, said that speed is one of the most important causes of traffic accidents during rainy weather in addition to not leaving a distance between vehicles.

Motorists, specially drivers of trucks and transport vehicles, should take more care while driving in such weather condi-tions which require everyone to be vigilant and to drive with responsibility, while following traffic safety rules, Al Enzi said at the Ministry of Interior Website.

Capt. Fahad Bu Hindi, Traffic Officer, said that the patrols play a major role on all roads during rain or in water-gathering places to guide motorists, calling on motorists to stop their vehicles in cases of absence of visibility, adding that traffic patrols prevent trucks from driving completely in such cases.

Director-General of the General Directorate of Traffic, Major General Mohammed Saad Al Kharji

Online application open for Amiri Medical ScholarshipsQNA DOHA

The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), together with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), has announced the opening of online appli-cation for medical scholarships in the academic year 2020-2021.

Under the Amiri Medical Scholarship Program, 10

scholarships will be granted to Palestinian physicians from Gaza and the West Bank.

After 4-5 years of resi-dency training in Qatar, the graduates will receive the Arab Board of Health Specializa-tions (ABHS) certification from HMC.

The available medical spe-cialisations are divided as follows, for doctors from West Bank its internal medicine (major: infectious diseases),

internal medicine (major: neph-rology), internal medicine (major: MICU), internal medicine (major: rheumatology), and car-diothoracic surgery.

For Gaza doctors its ortho-pedics (major: spinal surgery), anesthetics & intensive care (major: regional anesthesia), internal medicine (major: geri-atrics), obstetrics & gynaecology (major: maternal medicine), and general surgery (major: hepato-biliary surgery).

06 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019HOME

HIA opens ‘Shafallah Center Lounge’ for passengers with special needsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Hamad International Airport (HIA) has opened the ‘Shafallah Center Lounge’, a special handling lounge, in partnership with the “Shafallah Center”, one of Qatar Foundation for Social Work’s (QFSW) affiliated centres. The inauguration was attended by Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation for Social Work and Laalei Abu Alfain, Acting Exec-utive Director of the Shafallah Center as well as Saeed Yousef Al Sulaiti, Vice President Security and Abdulaziz Al Mass, Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications at Hamad International Airport. The newly opened lounge is located on concourse C at the airport terminal and is catered for departing and transferring passengers with special needs, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This initiative is a part of the MoU between HIA and Shafallah

Center to provide additional services to passengers with special needs and ensure their comfort and convenience while travelling. The initiative also focuses on passengers within the autism spectrum who face unique challenges while trav-elling and navigating through an airport environment. The special handling lounge is equipped with assistive technology, an inno-vative technology that provides calming and relaxing sensations for those with ASD.

The lounge features educa-tional, rehabilitative and recre-ational interactive devices and equipment that aim to promote, integrate and empower people with special needs in the

community while providing them with assistive technologies and solutions that give them a seamless and stress-free expe-rience when travelling through HIA.

The deployment of the sensory room aids in the development of sensory skills by integrating audio-visual and sensory effects such as sound, image and touch to help people with special needs meet their needs for communication and self-adjustment.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport stated: “Our goal is to provide all our passengers with the same level of satisfaction when it comes to experiencing HIA’s

services and facilities. By wid-ening access for our passengers by tailored assistance for those with special needs and training our staff to cater to them better, we fulfil our commitment to making HIA the airport-of-choice for all passengers.”

Airport staff will be available for on-ground support and have received specialized training from experienced Shafallah Center staff on how to provide special care and assistance to passengers with special needs

including those with ASD. Those who want to access this facility can approach the airport staff who will facilitate the same.

Acting Executive Director of the Shafallah Center, Laalei Abu Alfain said: “The centre takes pride in this joint achievement as it oversaw the process of equipping the lounge with the latest tech-nology, ensuring that passengers with disabilities will have seamless and comfortable travel experience. The lounge will provide pas-sengers with special needs with

several features including a sensory room for the children with autism spectrum disorder and electronic carpets to provide children with many games and activities to help them spend their time at the airport in a useful way.”

Shafallah Center has previ-ously provided a specialized program to train ground han-dling staff at HIA on how to provide special care and assistance to passengers with special needs, including those with Autism.

Officials of HIA and Shafallah Center, during the event.

The lounge features educational, rehabilitative and recreational interactive devices and equipment that aim to promote, integrate and empower people with special needs in the community while providing them with assistive technologies and solutions that give them a seamless and stress-free experience when travelling through HIA.

QACC gets world’s firstFood Safety ManagementSystem certificationTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (QACC) has become the first organisation in the world to achieve ISO22000:2018 certi-fication from Bureau Veritas with UKAS accreditation, confirming QACC’s Food Safety Management System meets the highest standards.

QACC was already conforming to the previous version of the standard ISO 22000:2005 and has been working dil-igently with Bureau Veritas for the past 11 months to ensure compliance with the new standard.

QACC Senior Vice President, Michael Winner, said: “At QACC we have an unrelenting commitment to excellence in everything we do, ensuring the cus-tomers we supply receive the freshest, highest quality meals. We prepare every meal as if we were preparing it for a

member of our family. “As a part of the Qatar Airways Group we are used to setting the standard for the industry. This includes establishing benchmarks for the highest standards in food safety.”

Launched in August 2002, QACC is the sole company exclusively providing catering for Qatar Airways, international airlines, Hamad International Airport (HIA) premium lounges, Amiri and VIP flights of HIA. Spanning an extraordinary 69,000 square meters, QACC is one of the world’s largest self-contained catering facilities.

Led by an award-winning catering team, QACC delivers premium in-flight and lounge catering services seamlessly to passengers travelling around the world. Today, QACC currently prepares an average of 175,000 meals and 60 international cuisines per day in its state-of-the-art kitchen and bakery from HIA.

QACC officials receiving the ISO certification.

Pari Gallery hosts launch of LengLing’s fragrance THE PENINSULA DOHA

Pari Gallery, renowned luxury perfume, cosmetics and skincare retailer, has hosted the launch ceremony of LengLing, German perfume house’s, latest fragrance collection in the presence of Christian LengLing, Co-founder of LengLing, along with Hakam Al Qawasmi, General Manager, Pari Gallery.

The celebratory event was attended by a host of fragrance connoisseurs and enthusiasts, as well as the esteemed members of the local press.

Established in 2015, LengLing is a perfume house that is based in Germany, and was founded by Ursula and Christian LengLing who channel their cherished memories through olfactory vehicles.

Together both of them develop ideas, and have been successful in inventing a concept that differs from the traditional olfactory pyramid, which allowed them

to produce fragrances that last longer and are more durable. The perfume house produces 9 fragrances that evoke

mystery and passion, as well as three hair fragrances that double as hair care products.

Officials during the launch ceremony

Farah Parks offers world-class entertainment experience THE PENINSULA DOHA

Farah Parks is a premier family entertainment desti-nation which provides a world-class entertainment experience for family members of all ages through a consistent delivery of superior guest relations, an enticing atmosphere, and fun, educational and socially interactive attraction elements.

Farah Parks focuses on

bringing an unforgettable experience to the entire family every time they conduct a visit. Farah Parks is indeed a family friendly park with large degree of community value to offer.

Our concept is new, unique, advanced, tech-nology based, educational, rewarding and fun. We con-tinuously interact with our guests from all ages by engaging them with endless free magician, clown & experiments shows.

Farah Parks focuses on bringing an unforgettable experience to the entire family every time they conduct a visit.

Ashghal to facilitate smooth access to 24th Arabian Gulf Cup stadiumsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is working round the clock to facilitate public access to the stadiums of 24th Arabian Gulf Cup - Qatar 2019, scheduled to kick off today.

Ashghal has escalated its performance level to the fullest executing all the tasks required to ensure safety of road users and spectators and to improve smooth traffic flow on road network around the three main venues of the tournament - Khalifa International Stadium, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium (Al Duhail) and Al Janoub Stadium.

Ashghal is coordinating with all related entities for executing required work and is also mon-itoring the road and drainage network to ensure full success of the tournament.

Ashghal’s Roads Operation and Maintenance (ROM) team is working around the clock to facilitate the traffic management

on the roads surrounding Khalifa International Stadium, and the main entrances and exits by installing over 100 directional signs to guide the public to the parking lots based on their cat-egories. In addition, Ashghal is using the dynamic signs to inform road users about the roads status and the event updates.

Ashghal worked in coordi-nation with the Supreme Com-mittee for Delivery and Legacy on a number of maps to be pub-lished on social media to guide road-users and spectators to the designated parking lots for each stadium, with the help of direc-tional signs for public coming from different destinations, as Salwa Road, Muaither, South or Al Huwar.

Through the Roads Man-agement Centre, Ashghal con-tinues to monitor the road network round the clock to ensure that the roads sur-rounding the stadium are free of obstacles and to ensure

smooth traffic flow.To ensure the safety of

pedestrians, a green fencing has been installed on Al Waab Street, to encourage pedestrians to use the pedestrian tunnel of Sports

city metro station and cross the main road safely.

A study was carried out on road closures, traffic diversions and alternative road plans to facilitate the movement of

individuals and vehicles during the tournament. All the nec-essary operational and emer-gency response plans have been completed and four teams are ready and equipped with the

necessary machineries. In addition, emergency test sce-narios and rapid intervention plan have been carried out.

Since August 2019, ROM department started to survey, study and test all available road assets around the stadium such as asphalt condition, directional signs, safety barriers, drainage assets, street lighting, pedestrian crossing, tunnels, and traffic signals. All the road projects being implemented around the stadium were inspected, surveyed and refurbished to ensure their read-iness to use during the event.

This is in full coordination with the General Directorate of Traffic, the Qatar Football Asso-ciation and the Supreme Com-mittee for Delivery and Legacy.

In addition, a series of routine explorations and tests were carried out at various loca-tions round the clock during the days before the event to monitor the work developments required to ensure the success of the tournament.

Directional signage production.

07TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 HOME

Al Bairaq program starts symposium on research & innovationTHE PENINSULA DOHA

A large number of students from different local secondary schools took part in the Symposium on Research and Innovation organized by Qatar University’s (QU) Al Bairaq programme.

The symposium, which sees students form teams to present their projects in front of a panel of experts and judges, is part of Al Bairaq’s “I am a Researcher” track, one of the most promising of four tracks by the program and now on its 17th cycle.

The cycle started in Sep-tember 2019 and continued to November 2019, under the supervision of Al Bairaq’s team and a group of prominent pro-fessors in QU’s advanced labo-ratories. The students competed in teams, with each team focusing on a separate scientific research. The work conducted as part of this symposium also

helped students practice educa-tional practices in scientific research, hone their problem solving and presentation skills as well as developed other aca-demic and scientific skills.

President of Al Bairaq Program and Head of Commu-nication and Outreach at QU, Dr. Noora Jabor Al Thani chose the team names under the theme ‘Qatar stadiums for 2022 FIFA World Cup.’ She com-mented on the symposium saying, “Following the con-clusion of this cycle, I see the fruitful outcomes and the success of the participating stu-dents who contribute to spreading a culture of creativity and excellence, achieving pros-perity and driving development for the State of Qatar.”

One of the teams, called ‘Lusail Stadium’ representing Qatar School of Banking worked on a research that focused on the manufacturing of a new

polymer filter to separate carbon dioxide from other air gases entitled “Manufacturing and Testing of the Efficiency of a Filter to Absorb Carbon Dioxide from the Air.” Another

ambitious group called ‘Al Rayyan Stadium’ from Doha Independent Secondary School for Boys conducted a research called “Fabrication of a Coat of Nanocomposite Compounds to

Protect Against Metal Cor-rosion,” expecting to benefit Qatar’s economy.

The ‘Al Wakrah Stadium’ team from Al Arqam Academy for Girls worked to create a

research that aims to preserve amounts of water used in agri-culture and minimize the wastes called “Fabrication of Hydrogel Sensors for use in Agricultural Applications.”

Another group from the same academy called ‘Khalifa Stadium’ worked on “The Manufacture of an Envelope of Nanocomposite Materials to Separate Oil from Water,” targeting an important environmental issue which ensures the protection of the marine environment in Qatar from the mixing of factory oils with water.

The ‘Education City Stadium’ team from Al Maha Academy also participated with a research entitled “A New Application of Pyrovskite,” which is currently used in solar cells with the objective of using Pyrovskite in a different application to improve memory capacity and increase storage efficiency and speed.

Students during the symposium on research and innovation organised by Qatar University’s Al Bairaq program.

QIC Insured collaborates with Careem to provide discount on all Careem servicesTHE PENINSULA DOHA

QIC Insured, the personal insurance division of Qatar Insurance Company, the leading insurer in the MENA has collab-orated with Careem to provide 30 percent discount on all Careem services.

Exclusive to customers buying or renewing comprehensive car insurance from QIC Insured, they can now take advantage of a flat 30 percent discount on all Careem services, such as Careem GO, Careem Comfort, Careem Max, Careem Business, Careem First Class and Careem Food delivery (to be launched soon) services. The validity of the discount is until 5 January 2020. For further infor-mation, customers can simply dial 8000742.

Speaking about the latest collaboration, Ahmed Al Jarboey, Senior Vice-President - MENA Retail & Motor at QIC Insured stated: “Our continuous

endeavour is to look at extending partnerships that can add real time benefits for our customers. Our strategic partnership with Careem is a testament to this value proposition for our customers.”

He added: “Observing the increasing proclivity of millen-nials booking rides using various

Apps, we decided to partner with Careem to offer something special to customers that will enrich their experience of being insured with us. This way, we focus on growing customer sat-isfaction by expanding our part-nership and adding value to our core offerings. It also facilitates customer retention.”

QIC Headquarter in West Bay.

Mall of Qatar to broadcast Gulf Cup on its giant LED screens THE PENINSULA/DOHA

Mall of Qatar has invited all football fans to experience the excitement of every Gulf Cup and FIFA Club World Cup matches live on the giant LED screens at the Oasis. Shoppers are invited to watch every goal and see history in the making whilst cheering on their favourite teams from November 26 to December 21.

Fans will be able to get in the spirit by watching every match from Mall of Qatar’s very own fan zones or over a bite to eat with family and friends at one of the numerous restaurants and cafes in the Oasis on the ground floor or the first floor. “We can’t wait to share the excitement and passion of all our mall visitors during the Gulf Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. We have been able to provide the perfect area for fans of every teams to come together and experience the thrill of the game live on the amazing screens at the Oasis, all while looking forward to 2022,” said Khaled Sam Hosn, CEO of Mall of Qatar .

Situated next to the award-winning Al Rayyan Stadium, a venue of 2022 FIFA World Cup, Mall of Qatar is a jewel in Qatar National Vision 2030 with 500 varied retail, dining and café options.

The Mall’s encompassing experience completes with an international edutainment concept, 19-screen Megaplex inclusive of IMAX’s revolutionary laser projection on the region’s largest screen and the 5-star Al Rayyan Hotel Doha operated by Curio, a collection by Hilton.

CRA takes part in meeting of Internet Governance Forum in BerlinTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Communications Regu-latory Authority (CRA) is partic-ipating in the 14th Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2019), organised by the Government of Germany in cooperation with the United Nations at Estrel Congress Center, Berlin from November 25 to 29, under the overarching theme “One World. One Net. One Vision”.

The IGF is a multi-stake-holder discussion platform of the United Nations, which is attended onsite or remotely by multi-stakeholder from govern-ments, civil society, business, academia, international organ-izations and the technical community.

The participants deal with all aspects related to the question of how the Internet as we know it can be maintained and improved.

The Forum addresses current legal, political, social and technical aspects of the Internet. The issues up for discussion include technical standards, human rights matters, the impact of digital technologies on everyday life and working life, and opportunities arising for economic and social development.

The IGF has an advisory function and provides an oppor-tunity for all participants to influence the discussions in the relevant decision-making bodies at national and international level. The forum focuses this year on three major themes;

data governance, digital inclusion and security, safety, stability & resilience.

“The Internet Governance Forum brings various stake-holders groups together to discuss and share good practice to key element of Internet gov-ernance in order to foster sus-tainability, robustness, security, stability and development of Internet. Being on such important multi-diverse stake-holder’s forum and exchanging knowledge with experts further add value on crafting and developing the best practice towards promoting the devel-opment of online society that add value to Qatar journey towards its national vision 2030 where digital knowledge fuel the economy” said Eng. Abdulla Jassmi, Technical Affairs Department Manager, CRA.

On the sidelines of the Forum, more than 50 different stakeholders will display their Internet governance-related work at IGF Village.

Eng. Abdulla Jassmi, Technical Affairs Department Manager, CRA

QC implements projects for orphans in BangladeshTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

Qatar Charity (QC) has imple-mented various productive and income-generating projects in Bangladesh, benefiting 300 families of orphans and under-privileged families.

The implementation of these projects came as part of Qatar Charity’s efforts aimed at trans-forming poor and low-income families into productive ones.

The projects, worth more than one million riyals, included poultry farming, fish farming, cattle breeding, shops, and grain

and vegetable farms, as well as sewing projects.

Through the implementation of these projects, Qatar Charity aims to support orphans and tar-geted poor families, improve their standard of living, and provide them with a permanent source of income preserving their dignity and transforming them from needy ones into productive persons, through financing and implementing income-generating projects, in addition to supporting agricultural, pastoral, and crafts sector.

Qatar Charity attaches

significant importance to such projects, due to the great dependence of the Bangladeshi society on the agricultural sector, with more than 40 percent of the workforce engaged in this sector, said Amin Hafiz Omar, director of Qatar Charity’s office in Bangladesh.

He pointed out that the majority of social welfare centers of Qatar Charity in Bangladesh are located in rural areas because such projects are appropriate to these places to contribute to meeting some needs of people there.

MME hosts Qatar-Singapore Urban Planning ForumSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Qatar-Singapore Urban Planning Forum was held yesterday where urban planing experts from both the countries showcased their achievements in urban planing and sustainable development.

The Forum which was hosted by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment aimed at exchanging expertise and enhancing co-oper-ation between two countries.

The opening ceremony was attended by Assistant Under-sec-retary for Planning at the Ministry of Municipal and Environment (MME), Eng. Fahad Mohammed Al Qahtani; Vice President of Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Singapore, Han Yong; and Ambassador of Singapore to Qatar, Jai S Sohan.

Officials from Urban Planning Department of Qatar and members of a delegation from Sin-gapore also attended the Forum.

Addressing the opening cer-emony, Eng. Fahad Mohammed Al Qahtani said: “The Forum, which is being held in Doha, is one of the most important results of the cooperation agreement signed between the Urban Re-Devel-opment Authority of Singapore and the Urban Planning Sector at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment of Qatar.”

He said that the Forum aims at exchanging experiences and enhance technical and profes-sional participation in the areas of urban planning, sustainable devel-opment and other related fields.

Director of Urban Planning Department at MME, Eng. Abdulla Al Karrani, said: “This forum is the

third of its kind as we celebrate 10 years of cooperation and the signing of the agreement with

Singapore in 2009, where the first forum between the two sides was held in 2010 in Singapore, and

Qatar hosted the second forum in Doha.”

“The agreement between two countries meant to exchange experiences and benefit from experiences in various fields and to send, train and qualify cadres from both sides, and benefit from the latest achievements in the field of urban planning,” said Al Karrani.

He said that during the past two years, five urban planners were dispatched from the urban plan project and the urban planning sector. He also praised the excellence, cooperation and experience gained during that period by both sides

Qatar presented at the forum a lot of its expertise and achieve-ments in various fields including use of GIS and digital tools in urban Planning and preparations for the 2022 World Cup. The forum also highlighted the achievements of the Singaporean side in the field of urban planning.

Assistant Under-secretary for Planning at the Ministry of Municipal and Environment, Eng. Fahad Mohammed Al Qahtani; Vice-President of Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Singapore, Han Yong; and Ambassador of Singapore to Qatar, Jai S Sohan, during the opening ceremony of the forum.

The Forum which was hosted by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment aimed at exchanging expertise and enhancing cooperation between two countries.

The two leaders praised the joint security committee that held its meeting in Ankara on January 30, 2019. The two sides pointed to the letter of intent for organizing major events between Qatar and Turkey, which was signed on October 31, 2019.

08 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019VIEWS

Qatar and Turkey advance strategic partnership in all fields

The 5th session of the Qatar - Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee took place in Doha on November 25 of 2019, and

was presided over by the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with partici-pation from the ministers responsible for facets of cooperation included in the agreement that established the Supreme Strategic Committee and signed on December 19 of 2014.

The fifth session was held in a friendly environment that reflected the distinguished partnership and com-mitment of both sides to the continu-ation of long-term joint strategic coop-eration in all fields. The committee reviewed the results of the previous session that took place in Istanbul on November 26 of 2018. The two sides expressed their satisfaction with the continuing progress in bilateral ties as the 46th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties approaches.

The 5th session saw the signing of the following agreements and memo-randums of understanding with the goal of building on the progress achieved so far through the commit-tee’s mechanisms:

1. Amending currency-swap agreement signed between Qatar Central Bank and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.

2. An agreement between the gov-ernment of the State of Qatar and the government of the Republic of Turkey on cooperation in the manufacturing and the technology fields.

3. A Memorandum of Under-standing between Qatar Financial Center and the financial office of the presidency in Turkey.

4. A memo-randum of understanding between Qatar Investment Pro-motion Agency and the investment office at the presidency of the Republic of Turkey.

5. A Memo-randum of Understanding in the field of

urban planning between the Gov-ernment of the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkey.

6. A declaration of intent between Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QS) and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE).

7. A Memorandum of Under-standing in the field of standards between the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE).

The two sides also stressed on their commitment to enhancing the legal framework of their bilateral ties. They also expressed their satisfaction with the increase in bilateral trade volume in a way that reflects the strength of political ties. They also stressed their commitment to ratifying a trade and economic partnership agreement that was signed in the previous session.

The committee also welcomed the Qatari companies’ increasing interest in investing in Turkey, and reviewed the commitment made by the State of Qatar to invest $15 billion in Turkey, which was announced by the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the visit to Turkey in August of 2018. The committee also expressed its satisfaction with enhancing cooper-ation in projects related to hosting the World Cup finals in 2022. The Qatari side welcomed the participation of Turkish companies in infrastructure projects related to the World Cup and to the Qatar National Vision 2030. The two sides agreed to raise the level of their participation in each other’s infra-structure projects. The committee stressed on the importance of the role played by trade chambers in enhancing investment opportunities, and wel-comed the organization of the Qatari-Turkish Business Forum that was held in Ankara on October 31 of 2019 with

the participation of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Vice President Fuat Oktay.

Qatar-Turkey welcomed the hosting of the 7th session of the joint Qatari-Turkish Committee for eco-nomic, trade, and technical cooper-ation, which will take place during the first half of 2020. The two sides agreed to encourage the regular participation in trade exhibitions that they both organize, in order to promote bilateral trade. The committee welcomed cooperation in the tourism field, including health tourism. In that regard, the Qatari side suggested that Turkish delegations pay field visits to health facilities in the State of Qatar to get to know the healthcare sector better and offer suggestions that could benefit both sides in different fields.

The committee expressed its appre-ciation to the increase in the number of flights between the two countries, and the strong cooperation in the field of civil aviation. In that context, the com-mittee called for holding a bilateral meeting between aviation authorities in either Doha or Ankara to increase bilateral cooperation in that field.

The two sides also recommended the exchange of expertise, information, and visits in the field of developing land transport systems.

The Qatari side for its part sug-gested the enhancement of cooperation in the field of standards and metrology. The private sectors committee called for examining and evaluating investment opportunities in free zones and industrial areas located in the two countries. The both countries also expressed their willingness to enhance cooperation in defense industries over the long-term. The two leaders praised the joint security committee that held its meeting in Ankara on January 30 of 2019. The two sides pointed to the letter of intent for organizing major events between Qatar and Turkey, which was signed on October 31 of 2019. The committee also discussed the impor-tance of enhancing cooperation in the field of food security.

The both sides also called for enhancing their ties by establishing a twinning agreement between their respective cities. They also expressed their satisfaction with the strength of ties in the legal and judicial fields.

The committee also highlighted the strong ties in the field of culture, youth, sports, education, archival, and libraries, with both sides expressing their willingness to carryout joint projects in those fields. The two sides held in-depth talks on international issues, stressing the importance of coordinating their positions and further strengthening the partnership in light of continued regional developments. The two sides reaffirmed their common commitment to maintaining and pro-moting peace, security and stability in the Middle East and neighboring regions, as well as finding peaceful res-olution to disputes, without resorting to the threat of force or sanctions. The Committee stressed the importance of the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council, especially in light of the chal-lenges surrounding the region, and stressed the need to adhere to the prin-ciples of mutual respect and full sover-eignty of States and non-interference in their internal affairs and good-neigh-borliness, while clarifying that con-structive dialogue is the only way to end the current Gulf crisis. The two

sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining maritime safety in the Gulf region. They stressed the importance of avoiding any rhetoric or action that would increase tensions in the region, and urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from escalation.

The two sides stressed the need for a political settlement on the Cyprus issue through constructive dialogue based on existing facts and equality between the two peoples on the island.

Both sides expressed concern over the recent developments in the State of Palestine which have undermined the possibility of a two-state solution. They reaffirmed their commitment to the just Palestinian cause and their strong support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign State of Pal-estine within the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. Both sides strongly condemned Israel’s continued use of excessive and disproportionate force against Palestinian civilians, its successive attempts to undermine the legal status of Jerusalem, its continued expansion of illegal settlements in Pal-estine, as well as the destruction and seizure of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. The two sides reaf-firmed their mutual interest and soli-darity in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and reaffirmed their determination to cooperate to counter the threat posed by terrorist organizations, including ISIS, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the Gulen terrorist organization and other affiliated organizations.

The two sides affirmed their con-tinued commitment to support the political process to end the Syrian crisis in a way that guarantees Syria’s sover-eignty, independence, unity and terri-torial integrity. They expressed their desire to see a stable, peaceful, pros-perous and democratic future for Syria in line with the legitimate aspirations of its people.

The two sides stressed that there can be no military solution to the ongoing Syrian crisis, especially since the conflict can only be resolved through a negotiated political process, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. They called on the international community to support efforts to stabilize the situ-ation and contribute to a lasting and credible political solution to the crisis. With their support to this end to the formation of the Constitutional Com-mittee. The two sides rejected all attempts to find new facts based on the grounds of combating terrorism, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist programs aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as the national security of neighboring countries. In this regard, the Turkish side expressed its gratitude to the State of Qatar for its support to Operation “Peace Spring”.

Both sides expressed their appreci-ation for their cooperation in providing support to Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey. The Turkish side welcomed the assistance provided by the State of Qatar through Qatar Charity Foundation and Qatar Red Crescent Society which helped improve the living conditions of Syrians. The Turkish side expressed its appreciation for Qatar’s commitment to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of displaced Syrians to Syria.

QNA/DOHA

QUOTE OF THE DAY

We’re a mess. The buoyancy of the

world economy has kept us going up to

now, but should that falter, we will be in

deep trouble.

Tony Blair Former British prime minister

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

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

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

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Partners in progress

Qatar and Turkey cemented their strong relations further. This was evident when Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of the Republic of

Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chaired the 5th session of the Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee, at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. The meeting dealt with the strong stra-tegic ties in all fields, particularly political, trade partner-ships, economic, and investment ties. A number of agree-ments and memorandums of understanding were signed.

The Qatari-Turkish relations are old and based on fra-ternity, understanding and mutual respect. The meeting is the 26th between H H the Amir and President Erdogan in 60 months, a record in the history of relations which is diver-sifying at all levels between the two countries. The Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee has held four meetings, alternating between the two countries, during which over 45 agreements have been signed in various fields.

It must be mentioned that the two countries, on several occasions, have shown that their friendship is true, solid and strong, that was reflected by each other during difficult times, in particular, Turkey’s efforts to lift the unjust blockade

imposed on Qatar, as well as Doha’s strong position and support for Ankara during the failed coup attempt in the summer of 2016 as well as during the crisis of the Turkish lira last year, where H H the Amir paid a visit to Turkey and directed to provide a package of economic projects, investments and deposits of approximately QR55bn ($15bn) in support of Turkish economy.

The depth of the friendship between the two countries can be ascertained from the fact that Qatar’s investment in Turkey amounted to $23bn. The Qatari investments focus on various areas, notably the Turkish banking sector, energy sectors, manufacturing, tourism, real

estate and agriculture, to name a few. The number of Turkish companies operating in Qatar with Qatari and Turkish joint capital, has reached 242, while the number of companies with pure Turkish capital is about 26 companies.

Qatar and Turkey continue to enjoy robust trade rela-tions and the combined value of their trade exchange hit $2bn last year, registering a sharp jump of around 54 percent compared to 2017. A commercial and economic partnership agreement signed between the two countries in September 2018 aims to expand such cooperation by promoting trade exchange and easing restrictions on investments, among other areas. Turkish companies are handling projects worth over $11.6bn in Qatar, most of which are geared towards preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Qatar-Turkey relations are accelerating at a fast pace in all fields. The investments and cooperation between the two countries indicate a long-lasting partnership and friendship. Enhancing ties will achieve further growth and prosperity that will serve the industry well in both the countries.

Qatar-Turkey relations are accelerating at a fast pace in all fields. The investments and cooperation between the two countries indicate a long-lasting partnership and friendship.

Joint Communique of the 5th Session of Qatar-Turkey Supreme Strategic Committee

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the Amiri Diwan yesterday.

09TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 GULF / MIDDLE EAST

The Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League, Ambassador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi (left), and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki (centre) attending an emergency meeting at the Arab League headquarters in the Egyptian capital Cairo, yesterday.

Arab League condemns US reversal on settlementsAP&QNA/CAIRO

Arab League foreign ministers have denounced the Trump administration’s announcement that it no longer considers Israeli settlements to be a violation of international law.

In an emergency meeting convened yesterday, a week after the US announcement, Secretary -General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called the decision “unfairly biased and unacceptable.” He says the US has forfeited its role as a neutral arbiter between Israel and the Palestinians.

The State of Qatar took part in the meeting with a delegation headed by Permanent Represent-ative to the Arab League Ambas-sador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi.

The US policy change, which s p a r k e d i n t e r n a t i o n a l

condemnation, was the latest in a series of moves by the White House in which it sided with Israel’s right-wing government against the Palestinians on key issues in the decades-old conflict.

Meanwhile, dozens of Pales-tinian students and residents of the old town of Hebron sustained suffocation yesterday after Israeli soldiers fired teargas canisters at them while on their way to school and at homes in the Israeli-con-trolled section of the southern West Bank city of Hebron,

according to local sources.They said the soldiers fired

teargas canisters at schools, including a kindergarten, and homes located near a military checkpoint, causing dozens of suf-focation cases and panic among the children and their families.

The security sources said that the Israeli occupation forces arrested eight Palestinians from Al Isawiya town northeast of occupied Jerusalem and two youths from Tammun and Al Faraa camp, south of Tubas.

They also arrested a child and

a youth from Al-Azza refugee camp, north of Bethlehem, after raiding and searching their homes, and another youth from Kober village north of the West Bank city of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers

arrested at dawn yesterday, three Palestinians, including a former political prisoner, in Hebron gov-ernorate, after raiding and searching their parents’ homes.

The soldiers also installed

roadblocks on Hebrons northern and southern roads in Jouret Bahlas and Al Fahs areas, in addition to Sair and Halhoul towns, before stopping and searching dozens of cars.

Protesters clash with Hezbollah, Amal supporters in BeirutREUTERS/BEIRUT

Clashes broke out between anti-government demonstrators and supporters of the Shia groups Hezbollah and Amal in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, early yesterday, as tensions escalated when demonstrators blocked a main bridge.

Lebanon has faced five weeks of anti-government pro-tests, fuelled by anger at cor-ruption among the sectarian pol-iticians who have governed Lebanon for decades. Demon-strators want to see the entire ruling class gone from power.

Hezbollah and Amal were both represented in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri, who quit on October 29 after the protests began. The heavily armed Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, had opposed Hariri’s resignation.

Army soldiers and riot police formed a barrier separating the protesters from the supporters of the Shia groups on a main road

known as the Ring Bridge as rocks were thrown by both sides,

television footage broadcast by Lebanese media showed.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, three local

television stations reported. Supporters of Hezbollah and

Amal waved the groups’ flags. Earlier, they had chanted: “Shia, Shia” and slogans in support of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. On the other side, dem-onstrators chanted: “Revolution, revolution”.

Lebanese broadcaster Al Jadeed reported that fighting apparently broke out when Hez-bollah and Amal supporters blamed other demonstrators for making offensive comments about Nasrallah. The ground was strewn with rocks. A motorcycle was set on fire.

The Lebanese civil defense said on its Twitter account that it was administering first aid to five people suffering from “various injuries.”

It was the worst tension in Beirut since a mob loyal to Hez-bollah and Amal attacked and destroyed the main protest camp in central Beirut last month. The protests have been overwhelm-ingly peaceful.

Lebanese anti-government protesters burning tyres to block the road leading to the southern entrance of the northern port city of Tripoli, yesterday.

AFP/TEHRAN

Iran yesterday rejected a US court order for Tehran to pay $180m in damages to a Washington Post reporter for jailing him on espionage charges.

Jason Rezaian spent 544 days in an Iranian prison before he was released in January 2016 in exchange for seven Iranians held in the United States. On Friday, a US district court judge ordered damages be paid to Rezaian and his family in compensation for pain and suffering as well as economic losses.

The Iranian foreign ministry’s spokesman described the journalist’s decision to seek damages as “strange”.

“Mr Jason Rezaian... was a security convict and the Islamic Republic of Iran commuted his (sentence of maximum punishment) to impris-onment,” said spokesman Abbas Mousavi.

“He was pardoned and despite having an

open case... he was released,” Mousavi told a news conference in Tehran.

“For him to go there and lodge a complaint and for American courts to lavishly determine such figures” was a course of action that Iran “rejects”, said Mousavi.

“This was a favour that the Islamic Republic of Iran did for him,” he said, adding that he could have been kept behind bars and punished more severely. Mousavi said Iran could itself take similar legal action against the United States, without elaborating.

Relations between arch-foes Tehran and Washington plunged to a new low in May last year when the US withdrew from an interna-tional accord that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.

Rezaian and three other Americans were released on January 16, 2016, the day the nuclear agreement entered into force.

Kuwait and China hold first round of political consultationsAGENCIES/BEIJING

First round of political consul-tations kicked off yesterday between delegations from the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry, headed by Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Ali Al Saeed with the Chinese government, said Kuwait’s Ambassador to China, Sameeh Hayat. In a statement to Kuna and Kuwait TV, Ambassador Hayat pointed out that these consultations come within the framework of the implemen-tation of agreements on bilateral cooperation between the two foreign ministries, especially the ones inked during the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al Sabah to China in July of last year.

Iran stages pro-govt rally; top commander warns US and IsraelREUTERS/DUBAI

Thousands of supporters of Iran’s clerical establishment rallied in Tehran yesterday, accusing the United States and Israel of insti-gating the most violent anti-government protests for a over a decade in the Islamic Republic.

Thousands of young and working-class Iranians took to the streets on November 15 after fuel price hikes of at least 50% were announced, voicing outrage at a further squeeze on living costs compounding hardships imposed by renewed US sanctions.

Violence erupted with at least 100 banks and dozens of buildings torched, the worst dis-turbances since unrest over alleged election fraud was crushed in 2009, with dozens killed by security forces.

Hossein Salami, the top com-mander of Iran’s elite Revolu-tionary Guards, warned the United States, Israel and their allies not to push Tehran into devastating retaliation over what it sees as their support for protesters.

“We have shown restraint...We have shown patience towards the hostile moves of America, the Zionist regime (Israel) and allies against Iran...But we will destroy them if they cross our red lines,” Salami told pro-government demonstrators in Tehran’s Revolution Square, state television reported.

State TV carried live footage of crowds chanting “Death to

America,” and “Death to Israel”. It and Iranian officials had pro-moted the state-sponsored rally since Sunday in response to Western statements of solidarity with fuel price protesters.

“I recommend they (foreign countries) look at the marches today, to see who the real people in Iran are and what they are saying,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.

The Islamic Republic has maintained that “thugs” linked to exiles and the United States, Israel and their allies of stirring up the street unrest, during which Amnesty International said around 115 protesters were killed.

State authorities warned “rioters” of severe punishment if unrest continued. They said late last week that disturbances had ceased, although unverified videos posted on social media after restrictions on internet access were partially lifted suggested sporadic protests were continuing in parts of the country.

Washington has sided with Iran’s protesters, while France and Germany have expressed deep concern over reports of many deaths during the protests. Rights group Amnesty Interna-tional said last week that security forces had fired into crowds of protesters from rooftops and, in one case, from a helicopter.

Iran has rejected Amnesty’s death toll figures as “specu-lative”, saying several people, including members of the security forces, had been killed and over 1,000 people arrested.

Iranian pro-government demonstrators gather in the capital Tehran’s central Enghelab Square yesterday to condemn rioting that the Islamic Republic blames on its foreign foes.

Iran rejects US court order to pay $180m over reporter’s jailing

Iraq reopens border crossing with IranANATOLIA/BAGHDAD

Iraq yesterday reopened Al Shib border crossing with Iran after a 9-day closure, the Iraqi Border Ports Commission said. The commission said the terminal was open to travellers from Iraq to Iran.

The border crossing was closed on Novenber 16 upon a request from Tehran due to protests against fuel price hikes in Iran. While protests have declined in Iran in recent days, Iraq still sees anti-government demonstrations, that broke out last month against deep-seated corruption and poor living conditions.

Iran dissident shot dead in IstanbulAFP/ISTANBUL

An Iranian man who ran an opposition social media site was gunned down earlier this month in Istanbul, local media reported yesterday.

Massoud Molavi, said to be in his mid-30s, was murdered on the street while walking with a friend in the Sisli district of Istanbul on November 14, according to the DHA news agency. Bullet casings were found at the scene. CCTV footage, released by another agency, IHA, appeared to show the moment of the killing.

Molavi helped run a channel on Telegram called “Black Box”, which published corruption allegations against members of the government, judiciary and intelligence services, and claimed to have contacts within the Revolutionary Guards.

Dozens of Palestinian students and residents of the old town of Hebron sustained suffocation yesterday after Israeli soldiers fired teargas canisters at them while on their way to school and at homes in the Israeli-controlled section of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

10 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019HOME

29 dead in plane crash

11TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Smoke billows from burning tyres during a demonstration in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq’s southern province of Dhi Qar, yesterday.

Cameroon oppnto boycott legislative polls

AFP/YAOUNDÉ

Cameroon’s main opposition figure, Maurice Kamto, yesterday said his party would boycott the country’s legislative and municipal elections on February 9.

Kamto said the Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) would not take part in the vote. “The MRC,” he added, “calls on Cameroonians not to go out and vote and to stay at home on February 9, 2020, to avoid giving credibility to elec-tions which will not restore peace in our country.”

Kamto, 65, was arrested in late January after months of peaceful protests over the dis-puted results of an October 2018 presidential election.

Mayor’s office, UN buildingsset on fire in DR CongoREUTERS/ GOMA, D R CONGO

Two people were killed in clashes with police in Demo-cratic Republic of Congo yesterday after protesters set fire to the mayor’s office and several United Nations buildings in Beni in anger at a new round of violence by suspected rebels.

Rebels believed to belong to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed eight people in an overnight raid, police said, stoking residents’ fury at the per-ceived inaction of both the gov-ernment and the UN peace-keeping mission in the country.

The police said protesters torched the mayor’s office in response to the massacre. A tweet by the police force showed flames shooting from the window and thick black smoke billowing above.

The protesters then marched to the offices of the UN peace-keeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO), said Teddy Kataliko, a civil society leader in Beni. “Several offices at the MONUSCO headquarters were

set on fire and looted,” Kataliko said. “Residents are demanding the withdrawal of MONUSCO from Beni because of the inaction of UN forces.”

Two people were killed by gunfire in the protests, Beni police commander Safari Kazingufu said, without pro-viding further details.

A MONUSCO spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment. The mission said in a series of tweets on Monday that it had not been invited by Congo’s military to participate in an offensive against the ADF launched late last month.

ADF fighters have killed

more than 70 civilians in mas-sacres since those operations began, according to Kivu Security Tracker, a research group. Congolese authorities have blamed the ADF for dozens of massacres since 2014 that have killed thousands of civilians, although independent experts say other armed groups and some Congolese soldiers have also participated in certain attacks.

The violence by the ADF and a patchwork of militias and criminal bands near Congo’s borders with Uganda and Rwanda has hampered efforts to eradicate a more than year-long Ebola outbreak, which is the second deadliest of all time.

The ADF has been operating near the Ugandan border for more than two decades. It is one of dozens of rebel groups active in the mineral-rich areas where civil wars resulted in millions of deaths around the turn of the century. Several ADF attacks have been claimed by Islamic State (IS), but the extent of their relationship remains unclear.

Residents gather to look at the wreckage of a small aircraft that crashed in a densely populated area in Goma on the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 29 people were killed when the plane crashed after takeoff.

Haftar forces say US drone shot down by mistakeAP/CAIRO

Libyan forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar shot down a US military drone over the capital Tripoli by mistake last week, officials said yesterday.

The US military said it lost the drone on Thursday while it was assessing the security situ-ation and monitoring extremist activity. US Africa Command declined to elaborate yesterday, saying only that the incident was under investigation.

The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar, launched an offensive to capture Tripoli in April after seizing much of eastern Libya from Islamists and other rivals in recent years. The country was plunged into chaos when a Nato-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The country is now split between a government in the east allied with Haftar and one

in Tripoli, in the West, that is supported by the United Nations.

The LNA is backed by Egypt and UAE, while the Tripoli-allied militias receive aid from Turkey and allies. The fighting has stalled in recent weeks, with both sides dug in and shelling one another along Tripoli’s southern reaches. They have also carried out airstrikes and drone attacks.

A senior official in the LNA’s general command said they mistook the US drone for a Turkish-made drone used by the Tripoli-allied militias. The LNA also downed an Italian drone southeast of Tripoli in recent days.

The official said the LNA apologised for shooting down the American drone and has “agreed with the Americans to coordinate their operations over Tripoli and its surrounding areas to avoid similar incidents in the future.”

The LNA fighters did not share photographs of the US

drone online as they usually do when they shoot down drones, including the Italian one last week, another official said.

The officials spoke on con-dition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

On Saturday, the LNA imposed a “no-fly zone” over Tripoli, saying that all flights over the capital city and nearby towns are “prohibited without prior coordination.”

The Tripoli fighting forced the US military to pull out a small contingent of American troops who were in Libya in recent years, helping local forces combat the Islamic State (IS) group and Al Qaeda militants, as well as protecting diplomatic facilities.

In September, the US mil-itary said it carried out several airstrikes against IS, killing more than 40 militants in the first American strikes in the North African country in over a year.

Death toll rises to 65 in Kenya floodingAP/NAIROBI

Heavy rains in Kenya unleashed a deluge that killed five people overnight in the Rift Valley, raising the death toll from weekend flooding to 65, officials said yesterday.

The five were returning home after attending a wedding in Tanzania when their car was washed away, said Daudi Loronyokwe, a police chief in Kajiado Central community.

The victims included three children, he said.

Governor John Lonyang’apuo said between 80,000 and 120,000 people have been affected in West Pokot

county, the worst hit by the floods and mudslides. The governor said at least 52 people were confirmed dead there.

“I have lost three children,” said one resident, William Lokapel. He described how his wife managed to struggle to safety, clutching another child, after the mudslide covered their home while they slept.

The torrential rain is uncommon for this time of year. Parts of the country could continue to face destructive flooding this week, the Kenya Red Cross said. The aid group

“No one can sleep in their homes for now because we don’t know when

the next land slide will occur,” resident Peter Lokor said. “So many people have been affected, actually all those who live in this area, and everybody is afraid of going back home.”

The Kenya Red Cross cited what it called a record-breaking temperature rise in the Indian Ocean in recent weeks that also has caused flooding in South Sudan and Somalia.

Now Djibouti is affected. The Horn of Africa nation’s capital reportedly saw more than three times its annual rainfall between Thursday and Sunday alone, the United Nations humani-tarian office said. More heavy rains are forecast.

Sweden probes Iraq minister for ‘crimes against humanity’AFP/STOCKHOLM

Swedish prosecutors said yesterday they were investi-gating an Iraqi government minister for “crimes against humanity”, as media reports suggested it related to the shooting dead of hundreds of protesters.

Swedish media identified the subject of their inquiry as Defence Minister Najah Al Shammari, but the statement from the Swedish Prosecution Authority did not name anyone.

The prosecutors’ body said in a statement that it had received complaints about “an Iraqi minister suspected of crimes against humanity”. The investigation was “in a very early stage”, it added.

Several Swedish media outlets, including the country’s main dailies, identified him as Al Shammari, reporting that he was also a Swedish citizen, though he goes by a different name in Sweden.

An unnamed Swedish-Iraqi lawyer told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper that he had reported Al Shammari to police in October for his role in the shooting of hundreds of pro-testers during weeks of unrest.

Since October 1, Iraq’s capital and majority-Shiite south have been swept by mass rallies protesting corruption, a lack of jobs and poor services. Those demonstrations have escalated into calls for a complete overhaul of the ruling elite.

An estimated 350 protesters have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes with the security forces, according to a tally compiled by AFP. The authorities in Iraq no longer update their figures.

The defence minister is also under investigation for benefits fraud for claiming housing and child benefits from Sweden despite living in Iraq, according to online news site Nyheter Idag and Swedish newspaper Expressen.

People standing on debris blocking a highway after River Muruny burst its bank following heavy rains in Parua village, about 85km northeast of Kitale, in West Pokot county, western Kenya, yesterday.

Hundreds of Sudanese women march against violenceAFP KHARTOUM

Hundreds of Sudanese women yesterday marched in Khartoum to mark International Day for Eliminating Violence against Women, in the first such rally held in the northeast African country in decades.

Chanting “Freedom, peace, justice,” the catchcry of the protest movement that led to autocrat Omar Hassan Al Bashir’s ouster in April, the dem-onstrators took to the streets in the Burri district, a site of regular anti-Bashir protests earlier this year.

Many women, dressed in orange, carried banners that read: “Women’s revolution con-tinues” and “We are the revo-

lution, we are the change.” Many also carried banners

such as “Stop rape of Darfuri Women,” as they called for justice for female victims of the war in the western Sudan region.

“There is an atmosphere of freedom now,” said 21-year-old university student Fatima, as others behind her whistled, clapped and ululated, a corre-spondent reported.

“There is less violence now, but we still need to change the laws that are against us.”

Bashir seized power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989 and since then the role of women had been severely restricted in Sudan. During his 30-year-old rule, authorities implemented a strict moral

code that activists said pri-marily targeted women.

Thousands of women were flogged and handed hefty fines under a controversial public order law for “indecent dressing” or consuming alcohol, which is banned in the country.

During the protests that rocked Bashir’s regime, women were at the forefront, demanding his ouster and an end to violence against them.

The army deposed him on April 11, and his overthrow has triggered hope that laws encour-aging violence against women be scrapped.

“I came to demand an end to violence against women,” said, Adila Farouk as she marched in the capital’s streets.

Yemen now fighting dengue fever epidemicAFP/UNITED NATIONS

Yemen is now grappling with an epidemic of dengue fever, adding to its woes of war and cholera, the Red Cross said.

While UN officials recently said the intensity of the war has eased, Yemen still faces a very dire humanitarian situation, said Robert Mardini, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s delegation at the UN.

“We have been recently extremely worried and con-cerned by reports of dengue out-break, in addition to cholera,” Mardini said. More than 3,500 people have reportedly come down with dengue fever and in the city of Hodeida 50 are thought to have died from late October to early November.

Two people were killed by gunfire after protesters in the town of Beni set fire to the mayor’s office and several UN buildings in anger at a new round of violence by suspected rebels.

12 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019ASIA

SC verdict on Maharashtra govt today

IANS/NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court yesterday gave a breather to the BJP-Ajit Pawar government in Mahar-ashtra as it reserved its order on Governor B S Koshyari’s decision to invite the BJP to form a government in the state for today.

The top court said the order on Maharashtra will be pro-nounced today at 10:30am. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the central gov-ernment, told the court that he has “brought letters of support of the BJP, NCP MLAs on which the Governor’s decision rested”.

Mehta said: “Documents show that NCP leader Ajit Pawar submitted a letter of support of 54 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs to the Governor with their signatures.” “According to letter of support of Ajit Pawar on November 22, Devendra Fad-navis staked claim to form gov-ernment, which also includes letters of support of 11 inde-pendents and other MLAs.”

The BJP has 105 MLAs in the 288-member House while the NCP had won 54 seats. The BJP claimed that it has the support of 11 independents and others thus taking its number to 170. Mehta also raised preliminary objections to a judicial review of Governor Koshyari’s decision on appointment of Fadnavis as Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as his deputy in a surprise early morning move on Saturday.

Mehta said that “after this, the Governor sent information to the President. Citing this information, he requested for the revocation of President’s Rule in the state.” Senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi appearing for the BJP submitted that the Governor had gone with the party with the support of 170 MLAs. Rohtagi said that the others have never claimed that the MLAs’ signatures were forged.

Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi also appearing for Congress and NCP said what has been done is a “fraud on democracy”. “How can the

Governor rely on signatures of MLAs without covering letter?” Singhvi asked.

Singhvi further said that 148 plus seven independent MLAs gave support in the affidavit. Insisting that the signatures of the NCP MLAs were perjury, Singhvi said, “We want to have floor test today after 155 people are saying we support.” Mehta intervened to Singhvi’s submissions, and said, “Twelve signatures were missing when a letter was sub-mitted to the Governor to withdraw Ajit Pawar’s authority.”

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the central government, told the Court that he has “brought letters of support of the BJP and NCP MLAs on which the Governor’s decision rested. Documents show that NCP leader Ajit Pawar submitted a letter of support of 54 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs to the Governor with their signatures”.

Congress party President Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders during a protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s move to form the government in Maharashtra, at the Parliament House in New Delhi, yesterday.

Ajit Pawar off the hook in 9 irrigation scam casesIANS MUMBAI

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) yesterday closed inves-tigations in some of the cases pertaining to the infamous “irri-gation scam” in the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corpo-ration (VIDC) when it was headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, officials said here.

The ACB has shut the inves-tigations into at least nine cases in which Ajit Pawar was allegedly involved, though it is not clear if he was directly named, on the first day of the new government taking office yesterday, 48 hours after it was sworn in early on Saturday.

However, Director-General of Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau Parambir Singh said yesterday that “none of these cases closed today pertaining to DCM (Deputy Chief Minister) Ajit Pawar”.

After a furore in political circles this evening, the ACB issued a statement saying it is probing 2,654 tenders in 45 projects under the VIDC — then headed by Ajit Pawar — as per two public interest litigations filed in the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) in 2012.

Doctors remove giant 7.4kg kidney from manAFP NEW DELHI

Indian surgeons have cut a kidney weighing the same a bowling ball out of a man with a life-threat-ening genetic condition, a surgeon said yesterday.

The 7.4kg kidney is one of the biggest ever removed in an operation.

“It was a huge lump that was occupying half of his abdomen. We knew it was a big kidney but never thought it would be this heavy,” said Sachin Kathuria, a member of the surgical team.

The 56-year-old patient, suffering from autosomal dom-inant polycystic kidney disease, underwent the two-hour oper-

ation at the Sir Ganga Ram Hos-pital in Delhi last month.

A normal kidney weighs about 120 to 150 grammes and is 12 centimetres long.

Kathuria said the kidney cut out from the man was nearly 45 centimetres long.

The Guinness Book of Records says the largest kidney removed from a human was 4.25kg in an operation in Dubai in 2017. Doctors at the New Delhi hospital said however they had found medical accounts of a kidney weighing nine kilos being cut from a patient.

Kathuria said the man was now in good condition and on dialysis awaiting a kidney transplant.

Natural coral water filter Yuai Ecology Corporation President, Yasumasa Saito (left), and CEO and founder of ‘IIRMA’ Group of Companies, Pravakar Shah, introduce and demonstrate the use of a natural coral water filter at Kudasan near Gandhinagar, some 20km from Ahmedabad, yesterday.

India, Afghanistan exchange treaty on extraditionIANS/NEW DELHI

India and Afghanistan exchanged the instruments of ratification of their bilateral extradition treaty. “The instrument of ratification of Extradition Treaty between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of India, approved and ratified by the relevant authorities of the two governments,” a statement read. The documents were exchanged by Afghan Foreign Minister, Idrees Zaman, and Indian Ambassador to Kabul, Vinay Kumar.

Key conspirator in Vyapam case gets 10 years in jailIANS BHOPAL

A special CBI court yesterday sentenced the key conspirator to 10 years in jail and 30 others to seven years in prison each for rigging the recruitment exami-nation for police constables held through the infamous Vyapam, which is embroiled in a Rs 3,000

crore scam in Madhya Pradesh.The conviction was

announced on November 21 and the quantum of sentence was reserved for yesterday. Those convicted include 12 examinees, 12 fake candidates or solvers (who took the exam in place of original candidates) and seven middlemen. This is for the first time that such a large number of

people have been sentenced to such long terms in the Vyapam scam. The court of Special Judge S B Sahu had ordered the arrest of all the accused.

Out of 150 cases related to the Vyapam scam, this judgment relates to the 14th case and this is the first time the court has con-victed all the accused. The Special Task Force (STF) had

registered a case under Sections 420, 419 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused. The sentences are based on the statements of 90 wit-nesses and 450 documents of evidence. Following the com-plaint of irregularities, 31 accused were arrested in Bhopal and Datia centres. The case was handed over from the STF to the

CBI on the orders of the Supreme Court. In this case, along with six candidates from Datia and six from Bhopal, 12 other people who were taking the exam in their place were arrested. These led to the arrest of the mid-dlemen. Most of the accused are from Bhind, Morena, Datia, Gwalior, Bhopal and Uttar Pradesh.

BJP making quiet move in Madhya PradeshIANS BHOPAL

While Maharashtra has caught everyone’s attention with plots of a bollywood potboiler, the BJP is making a quiet move in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress has a thin majority.

According to sources, the BJP has established contacts with Congress general secretary and former Union minister Jyotira-ditya Scindia, who recently

removed the Congress tag from his Twitter handle, creating quite a buzz about his next move, though he later gave a not-too convincing rebuttal. According to reports, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has been assigned the task to woo the dis-gruntled legislators, who are apparently unhappy with the functioning of Kamal Nath-led Congress government.

Political commentators know that Scindia is not happy

with the functioning of the party in Madhya Pradesh. He has expressed unhappiness on more than one occasion since the rise of Kamal Nath to Chief Minister’s chair, a post Scindia always wanted. Scindia-supported MLAs, including Imarati Devi, Pradyumn Singh Tomar and others have let it be known that they would like Scindia to be made Madhya Pradesh Congress President. The Congress has 115 MLAs in the 230-member

Assembly in the state, while BJP is close behind with 109 seats. The Bahujan Samaj Party with 2, Samajwadi Party with 1 and 4 independents have extended their support to the Kamal Nath government, leanding it a thin majority.

BJP sources have said that the state leadership has held several rounds of meetings with disgruntled Congress MLAs and is trying to make them jump the ship.

Bengal bypolls see 75% turnoutIANS/KOLKATA

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate was badly roughed up and pushed into a bush, as bypolls to three West Bengal Assembly constituencies yesterday saw a turnout of over 75 percent amid sporadic alle-gations of electoral malpractices.

Election Commission (EC) sources said that save some spo-radic incidents, the situation was peaceful overall in Kaliaganj, Kharagpur Sadar and Karimpur

Assembly constituencies. “The average voting percentage was 75.48 percent. The turnout was 77.17 percent in Kaliaganj, 67.62 in Kharagpur Sadar and 81.23 in Karimpur,” the EC said. Over 7.34 lakh voters were eligible to vote in 801 polling stations to choose their representatives from among 18 candidates, including three women.

In Karimpur, the Trinamool Congress and the BJP were engaged in a no holds barred fight.

IANS/NEW DELHI

Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Karti Chidambaram yesterday visited Tihar jail to meet former f i n a n c e m i n i s t e r P Chidambaram who is currently lodged there in the INX Media c o r r u p t i o n c a s e . P Chidambaram is in Tihar Jail as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing a money laun-dering case.

Tharoor, Karti visit Chidambaram

LS adjourned for a day NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha yesterday was adjourned thrice over pandemonium created by the Congress over formation of a BJP-led government in Maharashtra. Soon after the House reassembled at 2pm, BJP Member of Parliament Meenakshi Lekhi, who was on the chair, continued the proceedings and papers were laid on the table.

Meanwhile, Congress members again trooped near the Speaker’s podium raising slogans against the government and displaying placards. Amid the din, Lekhi continued the House proceedings and the concerned minister laid papers listed for the business during the day. As Congress MPs continued their protest, Lekhi adjourned the House till 2pm today.

IANS MUMBAI

In an unprecedented action in Indian politics, the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress combine yesterday organised a public parade of their 162 supporting MLAs in a

bid to disprove the claims of 170 legislators made by the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Ajit Pawar.

The dramatic parade, at a hotel here, came barely 12 hours before the scheduled hearing in the Supreme Court today morning on the parties’ challenge

to the new government sworn-in early Saturday morning with Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Min-ister and Ajit Pawar as his deputy, creating a political upheaval in the state.

Besides the enthusiastic 162 MLAs of the three ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ partners, top leaders of

all three parties like Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Praful Patel, Jayant Patil, Nawab Malik, Jitendra Awhad (all Nationalist Congress Party), Uddhav Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray, Eknath Shinde, and Sanjay Raut (all Shiv Sena), Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb

Thorat and Mallikarjuna Kharge (Congress) and others were present. Abu Asim Azmi of the Samajwadi Party was also at the parade held at the banquet hall of the five star Grand Hyatt hotel in the western suburbs near the airport. Several leaders addressed the gathering against

a backdrop of large hoardings proclaiming “We Are 162” in dif-ferent corners of the hall.

The leaders assured the gathered legislators that the three parties are in a full majority and they would soon give a stable alliance government in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress display strength of 162 MLAs

13TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 ASIA

Imran launches Clean, Green Pakistan Index to fight pollutionINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Prime Minister Imran Khan has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to make Pakistan clean and green with the support of the people.

He was addressing a ceremony in connection with the launch of the Clean, Green Pakistan Index in Islamabad yesterday.

The index aims at improving overall green and clean outlook of the Pakistani cities by kicking off competition amongst them on various indicators.

Imran said every segment of the society including the adminis-tration, the elected representatives and the youth should become part of the clean and green initiative to fight environmental degradation and protect the future of this country.

He said it was due to the par-ticipation of the people that his party’s government planted one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over a period of five years.

“Now we will make the entire country green with particular focus on the cities where specific areas will be identified for plantation,” he said, adding that his gov-ernment will gradually increase

funds for this campaign.Imran said that an efficient

local bodies system is also being introduced in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

“This system envisages empowerment of the people at the grassroots level. Elected representatives at the village level will also be made part of the regional level competitions on environmental indicators,” he added. Describing pollution as the silent killer, the prime minister regretted that Lahore has become the second or third most polluted cities in the world as no effort was made in the past to protect its environment. He said the last 10 years saw the city lose 70 percent of its green cover.

Imran said Pakistan is blessed with immense resources including 12 climatic zones, fertile land and natural

resources. He said we need to value these resources in order to help the country stand on its own feet. He said given the immense beauty of the country, it will be made a tourism destination.

Addressing the ceremony, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Amin Aslam said the government is com-mitted to making Pakistan a clean and green country.

He said in the first phase of this drive, healthy cleanliness competition will be conducted in 19 cities. He said students from schools and universities are being engaged in the drive. He urged general public to make the drive a success.

The adviser said the youth should register and participate in this drive and the government will recognise and reward those who actively participate.

He said electric vehicles will be introduced to reduce envi-ronmental pollution in the country.

The adviser said the gov-ernment is planning to prevent the water wastage as thousands of gallons of clean water are being wasted in the sea due to lack of policies in utilising water resources.

Members of a religious group protest over the incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand, in Multan, Pakistan, yesterday.

Pakistan to raise sacrilege issue at OICINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Firdous Awan has said Pakistan is moving a reso-lution against the incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in Norway, at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.

Talking to media in Islamabad yesterday, the special assistant said she will represent

Pakistan in the meeting and will sensitise the Muslim body to for-mulate an effective strategy to prevent such incidents in the future.

She said narrative linked with Islamophobia is a threat to world peace.

In a statement carried by Radio Pakistan, Awan said all Islamic countries will have to devise a joint course of action to eradicate Islamophobia.

The special assistant to PM

said we have to present true and bright face of Islam in the whole world. She said Pakistan as founding member of OIC has always played a vibrant and active role.

She said Pakistan will also engage the OIC about the ongoing situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Awan said she will convey a special message by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the meeting.

Afghanistan must do more to prevent violence against women: UNAFP KABUL

Afghan authorities must do more to counter violence against women across the country, the United Nations said yesterday as it marked the international day for the elimination of violence against women and girls.

The theme of this year’s observance is ending sexual vio-lence, a massive problem in Afghanistan where many women are still routinely mistreated and attacked because of their gender.

“Ongoing impunity and the pervasive normalisation of

sexual and gender-based vio-lence must end,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, who heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghan-istan (UNAMA).

In a statement, UNAMA credited the Afghan government and prosecutors for increased efforts to hold the perpetrators of sexual assault to account.

“Doing so sends the signal that such behaviour is criminal and unacceptable,” the statement read.

But Aleta Miller, country rep-resentative of UN-Women in Afghanistan, stressed that more work needs to be done and said

the government should review a law aimed at reducing violence against women.

“We call on the government to redouble its efforts to fully implement the law and end impunity for violent crimes against women and girls,” Miller said.

According to new research released over the weekend by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), the rate of violence against women increased in recent months.

The commission recorded 2,762 incidents during the period

of March-October, a rise of 8.2 percent over the same time frame a year earlier.

Most assaults (37.7 percent) took the form of verbal or psy-chological violence, while physical abuse accounted for 26 percent of all cases.

The AIHRC tallied only 123 cases of sexual violence, likely just a tiny fraction of actual inci-dents, as many women are afraid to come forward.

Heather Barr, the acting co-director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, said under-reporting of violence against women is an issue in

almost every country.But in Afghanistan, such

under-reporting is “extreme” due to a combination of factors “including the poor response by the justice system, lack of female police officers, lack of access to shelter for women and girls who need to flee abuse... (and the) lack of other forms of protection for victims of violence,” Barr told AFP.

While women have made significant gains since the days of the Taliban, they still are subject to deeply held sexist beliefs that persist across Afghanistan.

Symbolic hunger strikeActivists stage a day-long symbolic hunger strike at the Shaheed Minar monument premises to demand justice for the victims of harassment, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday.

Netherlands’ Queen Maxima arrives in PakistanINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Netherlands’ Queen Maxima arrived in Pakistan yesterday for a three-day visit as the UN Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.

The queen was received at the Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi by senior officials of the foreign ministry and repre-sentatives of the Embassy of Netherlands.

During the visit, the queen will meet President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, besides holding talks with a range of stakeholders from public and private sectors.

Queen Maxima will also

attend the launch of the Micro Payment Gateway, an initiative of the State Bank of Pakistan.

The gateway reduces the cost of small payments and boosts digital transactions to benefit people and promote financial inclusion. The queen has been the UN Secretary Gen-eral’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Devel-opment since 2009.

She is engaged worldwide in promoting access of indi-viduals and enterprises to financial services at a rea-sonable cost with the aim of improving economic and social development opportunities.

Queen Maxima had also visited Pakistan in February 2016.

Top detective flees Sri Lanka after ‘death threats’AFP COLOMBO

A Sri Lankan detective investi-gating high-profile cases has fled the country after receiving death threats soon after the change of government, police and media reports said yesterday.

Inspector Nishantha Silva has sought asylum in Swit-zerland, according to media reports.

He left the island on Sunday without informing his Criminal Investigations Department superiors, a police statement said.

“There are various allega-tions that this officer had been biased during his investigations in the past four and a half years,” the police statement said without giving details.

The Daily Mirror news-paper said Silva left after receiving death threats after Gotabaya Rajapaksa won a presidential election on November 16.

His investigations included high profile killings and cor-ruption involving adminis-tration members under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, brother of the new president, who ruled for a decade until 2015. Mahinda Rajapaksa has returned to power as prime minister after leading his younger brother’s successful election campaign.

Police said there was no pending disciplinary action against Silva.

Pakistan: 30% of new cars to go electric by 2030INTERNEWS / ISLAMABAD

Adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Climate Change, Amin Aslam has said the government is committed to switching 30 percent of all new vehicles to electric by 2030.

In an interview published here yesterday, he said the transition would be kicked off with one hundred thousand vehicles and five hundred thousand motorcycles and rick-shaws in the next four years.

Demand from inside PTI rising to replace Punjab CMINTERNEWS LAHORE

Talk of replacing the Punjab’s chief executive is becoming louder even within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party due to the rising concern over Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s ‘failure’ in handling the affairs of the most important province.

Though none of the party leaders would publicly comment against the Punjab set-up, they would admit in background interviews that their gov-ernment is failing in running the province.

“Yes, we’re dissatisfied with the so far performance of Buzdar and a majority within

the PTI wants him to be replaced with a better and active political figure but the question is: How?” a senior leader of the ruling party said.

“Since there are a number of pressure groups with¬in the party itself and ambitions of the allies (the PML-Q) are no more hidden, there seems no way out to bring the desired change,” he said.

Requesting anonymity, the PTI leader said there were various groups of party leaders like former secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen, Punjab governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, former provincial min-ister Abdul Aleem Khan and Punjab Information Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal.

In this situation, he said it was very difficult to bring all the groups on one page and build

consensus on a single name for the coveted post.

Similarly, the PML-Q clearly stated on several occasions that it would reconsider its support to the PTI government in Punjab if the incumbent chief minister was replaced.

A source in the PTI’s core committee, which met in Islamabad and discussed administrative failures in Punjab, said the issue had been raised in top party circles a couple of times.

But, he added, such meetings and discussions were chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan just to have a feeling of the under-currents in the party cadre but not for taking decisions.

“The decisions are taken

solely by Imran Khan whether these are discussed in the core committee or central executive committee or not,” he explained.

Sources said PM Imran met CM Buzdar after the core com-mittee meeting in Islamabad. While no official word on the meeting was released to the media, some TV channels reported that the PM expressed his annoyance over his ‘poor governance in Punjab’ and asked him to deliver even if he had to change any bureaucrat.

A provincial leader, however, claimed that this time some min-isters would be shown the door while portfolios of the powerful ones would be changed if not removed altogether from the cabinet.

Usman Buzdar, Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province

The Prime Minister urged all segments of society to join the campaign against environmental degradation and to protect the country’s future.

14 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019ASIA

Pro-democracy camp wins Hong Kong polls in landslideAP HONG KONG

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy opposition won a stunning land-slide victory in weekend local elections in a clear rebuke to city leader Carrie Lam over her handling of violent protests that have divided the semi-auton-omous Chinese territory.

Wu Chi-wai, leader of the city’s biggest pro-democracy party, said yesterday that the bloc swept nearly 90% of 452 district council seats, which will help it take unprecedented control of 17 out of 18 district

councils. The results were based on official tallies announced by election officials.

The result of Sunday’s elec-tions could force the central gov-ernment in Beijing to rethink how to handle the unrest, which is now in its sixth month. The dis-trict councils have little power, but the vote became a refer-endum on public support for the protests.

“It’s nothing short of a revo-lution,” said Willy Lam, a political expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “It’s a sound repu-diation of the Carrie Lam admin-istration and shows the silent

majority are behind the demands of the protesters.” The pro-democracy camp hailed its astounding gains as a victory for the people and said Carrie Lam and Beijing must now seriously heed protesters’ demands, which include free elections for the city’s leader and legislature as well as an investigation into alleged police brutality.

“We are only vehicles used to reflect the people’s concerns,” said Wu.

The election outcome will add new pressure on Carrie Lam. Some pro-establishment candi-dates have already pointed fingers at her for their loss, while the pro-democracy camp said she should quit.

Lam pledged in a statement yesterday to reflect on the outcome that indicated “people’s dissatisfaction with the current situation and the deep-seated problems in society.”

“I would say directly to Carrie Lam, do not squander this opportunity. Don’t waste this chance... the window has been

opened for you,” said British pol-itician David Alton, who is among the independent election monitors.

A record 71% of Hong Kong’s 4.1 million registered voters cast ballots in the city’s only fully democratic elections, well exceeding the 47% turnout in the same poll four years ago.

The largest pro-estab-lishment political party suffered the biggest setback, with only 21 of its 182 candidates winning. Its chairwoman, Starry Lee, said the government must review its response to the crisis and do more to heal the divisions in society.

Many pro-Beijing political

heavyweights were trounced, including lawmaker Junius Ho, who is reviled by protesters for supporting a bloody mob attack on demonstrators in July. Ho was stabbed with a knife during cam-paigning this month.

The winners included many youth activists and a candidate who replaced activist Joshua Wong, the only person barred from running in the election. Protest rally organiser Jimmy Sham, who was beaten by hammer-wielding assailants last month, also triumphed, as did a pro-democracy lawmaker who had part of his ear bitten off by an assailant.

Celebrations broke out

outside polling stations overnight when results were announced. At lunchtime yesterday, dozens of supporters held a victory rally in a business district.

“This is historic. As our city plummets from being semi-autonomous to semi-authori-tarian, we react by showing what’s democracy in action,” Wong tweeted.

More than 5,000 people have been arrested in the unrest that has contributed to Hong Kong’s first recession in a decade.

Supporters from both sides of the divide hope the election will pave a peaceful way out after months of pitched battles between protesters and police.

Winning pro-democracy candidates gather outside the campus of the Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, yesterday.

AFP TOKYO

Hong Kong is a part of China “no matter what happens”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday, with the crisis-hit city’s pro-democracy looking set for a crushing victory in community-level elections at the weekend.

The results of Sunday’s elections in the semi-auton-omous city have sent the Beijing-backed government a clear message of public support

for the demands of a protest movement that has gripped the territory for months.

“It’s not the final result yet. Let’s wait for the final result, OK? However, it is clear that no matter what happens, Hong Kong is a part of China and a special administrative region of China,” Wang told reporters after he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. “Any attempt to mess up Hong Kong, or even damage its prosperity and stability, will not succeed.”

HK part of China ‘no matterwhat happens’: FM Wang Yi

ASEAN-Republic of Korea SummitSouth Korean President Moon jae-in (fifth left, foreground) and summit leaders pose for a group photo during the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit Welcoming Dinner in Busan, yesterday.

Philippine troops rescue abducted British man, wifeAP MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Philippine troops yesterday rescued a British man and his Filipino wife who were abducted by gunmen at a southern beach resort last month and taken to the jungle hideouts of local mili-tants allied with the Islamic State group.

Regional military com-mander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said troops caught up with the Abu Sayyaf militant captors of Allan Hyrons and his wife, Wilma, in the mountainous hin-terlands off Parang town in Sulu province and rescued the couple

safely after a brief gun battle.“There was a running gun

battle. They left the two behind because they could not drag them anymore. They scampered in different directions but our troops are in pursuit,” Sobejana said.

The Hyrons were not hurt in the 10-minute fire fight, the mil-itary said, adding that no ransom was paid to the Abu Sayyaf militants.

Gunmen abducted the couple last month as some vil-lagers watched in shock from their beach resort in southern Zamboanga del Norte province, sparking a massive search.

Australia probes China plot to plant spy in ParliamentAP PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday that allegations of a Chinese plot to plant an agent into Australia’s Parliament are “deeply disturbing and troubling.”

The Nine Network on Sunday aired explosive accusations that suspected Chinese operatives had offered Melbourne luxury car dealer Bo “Nick” Zhao 1 million Australian dollars ($679,000) to run as a candidate for a parliamentary seat in

Melbourne. The 32-year-old was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in March after reportedly approaching ASIO, Australia’s counterespionage agency. Police have been unable to determine how he died.

“The government has never been more determined to keep Australians free and safe from foreign interference,” Morrison told reporters. “I would caution anyone leaping to any conclu-sions about these matters.” ASIO director-general of security Mike Burgess said late on Sunday that the allegations are serious.

“Hostile foreign intelligence activity continues to pose a real threat to our nation and its security,” he said. “ASIO will continue to confront and counter foreign interference and espi-onage in Australia.” Parlia-mentary intelligence committee chief Rep. Andrew Hastie called for an investigation into Zhao’s death.

“This isn’t just cash in a bag, given for favours. This is a state-sponsored attempt to infiltrate our Parliament using an Aus-tralian citizen and basically run them as an agent of foreign

influence in our democratic system,” he told the Nine Network.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said yesterday that some Australian politicians, institu-tions and media outlets have “reached a state of hysteria and extreme nervousness.” “No matter how bizarre the plot is and how their tricks are refur-bished, lies are always lies,” Geng said at a regular briefing. “We have never been and are not interested in interfering in others’ affairs.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (centre) inspecting the Changrin Islet defence detachment on the western front.

North Korea conducts artilleryfiring as Kim visits Changrin Islet AP PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his troops to practice firing artillery near a disputed sea boundary with rival South Korea, Pyongyang’s state media reported yesterday, drawing a quick rebuke from Seoul.

The coastal artillery company’s actions during Kim’s visit to the west coast’s Changrin Islet “fully showed their gun firing skills” and “delighted the supreme leader,” according to the North’s Korean Central News Agency. It didn’t say when the visit took place, and it wasn’t clear what specific weapons were fired.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry said it was Kim’s first known trip to a front line military unit since at least April last year, around the

start of his diplomatic engagement with the US. The islet where the recent drills took place is just north of the de facto inter-Korean maritime boundary, the scene of several bloody naval skirmishes between the rivals.

In 2010, North Korea launched an artillery strike on a South Korean island just south of the boundary, killing four people. Earlier that year, North Korea is accused of torpedoing a South Korean warship oper-ating near the boundary, killing 46 sailors.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry expressed regret over the latest drills, saying they violated deals settled between the Koreas last year that looked to lower mil-itary animosities along the border.

Spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said North Korea must stop any acts that will increase mil-itary tensions and abide by the past agreements.

UK to take back containers of plastic scrap from MalaysiaREUTERS KUALA LUMPUR

Britain will take back 42 containers filled with plastic waste that had been illegally shipped to Malaysia, authorities said yesterday.

Malaysia last year became the world’s main destination for plastic waste after China’s ban on scrap imports disrupted the flow of more than 7 million tonnes of trash annually.

Hundreds of containers of plastic waste have been held at ports across Malaysia, having arrived without the required permits. The 42 containers that the UK will take back had arrived at Penang Port between March 2018 and March 2019, Malaysia’s environment min-istry and the British High Com-mission said in a joint statement.

“The containers...were deemed illegal as they failed to comply with the necessary import papers,” they said in the statement.

Malaysia had vowed earlier this year to send plastic waste back to the source country and get them to pay for the trans-portation costs. Dozens of recy-cling factories have cropped up in Malaysia since the Chinese ban on scrap imports.

Son of former Thai PM cleared in loan scandalAP BANGKOK

A court in Thailand yesterday acquitted the son of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra of money laundering in a case involving $328m in loans extended by a state-run bank to a real estate developer when his father held power.

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases ruled that Panthongtae Shinawatra was not guilty in the case involving loans extended in 2003 and 2004 by Krungthai Bank to the Krisdamahanakorn company and its subsidiaries.

Panthongtae had said a 10 million baht ($331,000) check he received from the son of the real estate company owner was meant for an unrelated business venture, and had been returned when he scuttled the proposed investment.

Thaksin, ousted from power by a 2006 military coup, was acquitted in the case this year. He fled into exile in 2008 to escape serving a prison term for a conflict of interest conviction and has since been the target of other legal proceedings.

The court said there was insufficient evidence to prove that Panthongthae knew the source of the possibly tainted money.

The bloc swept nearly 90% of 452 district council seats, which will help it take unprecedented control of 17 out of 18 district councils.

15TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 EUROPE

EU members give nod to forming Commission without UKAFP BRUSSELS

EU members yesterday gave the go-ahead for the formation of a 27-strong European Commission without a representative from Britain, which plans to leave the bloc.

Meeting in Brussels, min-isters from the remaining 27 cap-itals endorsed commission pres-ident-elect Ursula von der Leyen’s line up for the EU’s exec-utive arm.

“This paves the way for the vote of consent in the European Parliament on the entire

Commission as a body,” the European Council of member states announced.

Von der Leyen’s commission will now be presented to the European parliament in Stras-bourg on Wednesday, and remains on course to take office on December 1.

In theory the commission should have a member from each member state, and Britain is not due to leave until the latest long-delayed Brexit date of January 31.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government argues it cannot choose a nominee before

the British election on December 12, as normal business is suspended.

Some in Brussels warn, therefore, that directives from the new commission could face legal challenges if opponents argue that the body was not properly constituted.

UK driver admits two charges after bodies found in truckAFP LONDON

A British driver accused of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a refrig-eration truck yesterday pleaded guilty to conspiring to assist illegal immigration.

Maurice Robinson, 25, appeared via video link at Lon-don’s Central Criminal Court from the high-security Belmarsh prison, southeast London, and pleaded guilty to two of the 43 charges levelled against him.

The bodies of eight women and 31 men were found in a refrigeration trailer on an indus-trial estate east of London in the early hours of October 23.

The trailer had earlier arrived on a cargo ferry from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

Robinson, from Northern Ireland, faces 39 charges of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.

Wearing a blue sweatshirt and speaking to confirm his

name, age and nationality, Rob-inson pleaded guilty to con-spiring with others “to commit an offence of assisting unlawful immigration”. He also admitted to the acquisition of cash that came from criminal conduct.

Judge Andrew Eadis ordered that Robinson’s alleged co-con-spirators could not be named.

The truck driver did not enter pleas on the other charges, and is due to appear before the same court again on December 13. Another lorry driver from Northern Ireland was also ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on the same date after a separate court hearing.

Christopher Kennedy, 23, is accused of conspiring to arrange

or facilitate the travel of other people with a view to exploitation.

Kennedy was not asked to enter pleas during the hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates Court and spoke only to give his name, age, address and to state his nationality as British.

Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among the bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals who were discovered in the trailer. Emergency services were called to an industrial estate in Grays, Essex shortly after the lorry arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.

Many of the victims were from a poor region in central Vietnam, where the main source of income is from fishing, farming or factory work.

Many families took on thou-sands of dollars of debt to send their children to Britain, in the hope they would land good jobs and send money back to pay off the loans.

The incident has laid bare the dangers of illegal migration in Britain.

Britain’s Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn (centre) tries his hand at bricklaying during an election campaign event in Sutton-in-Ashfield, northern England, yesterday.

Conservatives’ lead over Labour narrow to 7 points REUTERS LONDON

British Prime Minister Boris John-son’s Conservative Party saw its lead over the opposition Labour Party narrow during the last week, an opinion poll by ICM for Reuters showed yesterday, ahead of a December 12 election.

Support for the Conservatives

fell one point to 41%, while the Labour Party was up two points on 34%. The pro-European Union Liberal Democrats were unchanged on 13% while the Brexit Party was down one point on 4%.

ICM surveyed 2,004 people online between November 22 and 25. It said that for five parties that are not contesting all seats, including the Liberal Democrats

and the Brexit Party, it had only given respondents the chance to support those which are standing in their constituencies.

ICM also asked voters whether they would allow a new referendum on Scottish inde-pendence within the next five years — 40% said they would, 42% said they would not and 18% did not know.

Britain in a dangerous mess: Former PM BlairREUTERS LONDON

Former prime minister Tony Blair said yesterday that Britain was in a dangerous mess and that neither his own Labour Party nor Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conserv-atives deserved to win a December 12 election.

Britain is holding an election three years ahead of schedule because parliament was deadlocked over Brexit, unable to agree on how or even whether to leave the European Union.

“We’re a mess,” Blair said at a Reuters Newsmaker event. “The buoyancy of the world economy has kept us going up to now, but should that falter, we will be in deep trouble.” Blair, Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said both major parties were peddling fantasies, adding that if the opinion polls were accurate, Johnson’s party looked likely to win a majority.

Blair, the only Labour leader to win three elections, said his party was now controlled by its “Marxist-Leninist wing” and that its leader Jeremy Corbyn was promising a

revolution. “The problem with revolutions is never how they begin but how they end,” said Blair. “The problem with revolutions is that they always end badly.”

“The truth is: the public aren’t convinced

either main party deserves to win this election outright.” The December 12 vote presents a stark choice between a socialist-run state under Labour, which is offering a second referendum on leaving the EU, and the free-market Conservatives, who want to “get Brexit done” by the end of January.

Blair, an opponent of Brexit, argued for a second referendum on the decision to leave, saying it would need to be followed by another general election.

Johnson has pledged to take Britain out of the EU by Jan. 31 if he wins a parliamentary majority and then to negotiate a compre-hensive deal with the bloc covering trade and future relations during a transition period due to end next December.

Blair cast doubt on that timetable and said there was still a risk that Britain could exit the EU in a year’s time without having struck a deal with its biggest trading partner.

“No-deal Brexit is not off the table,” Blair said.

Blair said he did not know whether Labour, which has tacked sharply to the left under Corbyn, would ever return to the centre ground of British politics.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks at an event on “The challenging state of British politics” in London, yesterday.

German farmers protestGerman farmers protest with their tractors against the government’s environmental policies including plans to phase out glyphosate pesticides in Dortmund, western Germany yesterday. Farmers from all over the country are on their way to Berlin where they will stage further protest today.

France pledges millions to stop domestic violenceAP PARIS

Under unprecedented public pressure, France’s government pledged yesterday to seize firearms from abusive spouses and better train police as part of a broad national plan to reduce the number of women killed by their partners.

France has among the highest domestic violence rates in Europe, which President Emmanuel Macron has described as “France’s shame.” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe unveiled several dozen measures yesterday to tackle the problem, including electronic bracelets for abusers and 1,000 new places in shelters for bat-tered women.

The announcement marked the end of a two-month gov-ernment project to correct what Philippe called “dysfunctions” in France’s response to domestic violence.

“The first success of this effort is to break this chain of

silence,” Philippe said.At least 138 women have

been killed by current or former partners this year in France, according to activists who track the deaths. Many had reported abuse to police.

The government will allocate ¤360m ($396m) next year toward implementing the new measures, which Philippe said he hopes will serve as “an electroshock in our society.”

Violence against women remains prevalent across the globe, and yesterday’s announcement was timed to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Vio-lence Against Women. A non-governmental organisation in Germany lit up buildings across the country in orange to mark the occasion, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged to reopen unsolved sexual assault cases. Macron, meanwhile, spoke with domestic violence victims in the Paris suburb of Créteil yesterday afternoon.

Romania tries to rescue sheep on capsized vesselREUTERS BUCHAREST

Port authorities tried to right a capsized ship yesterday to rescue thousands of sheep trapped below deck in the Black Sea off Romania.

The Palau-registered Queen Hind flipped onto its side shortly after leaving Romania’s Midia port on Sunday. Its crew, most of them Syrians, were rescued.

“There are hopes to rescue many sheep, as they are trapped under the deck in air pockets,” an officer from Roma-nia’s naval authority said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“But operations to lighten the ship and refloat it are very difficult and may last several days,” the officer added.

Drone footage released on the BBC showed the bodies of dozens of drowned animals floating next to the vessel.

Just 50 of the ship’s esti-mated load of 14,000 animals have been rescued so far, the naval official said. Several tug-boats and other vessels were involved in the operation, they added.

Agriculture minister Nechita-Adrian Oros said his department, the transport min-istry and the national food and animal safety watchdog had launched an investigation into why the ship capsized.

Spain seizes submarine with cocaineAFP MADRID

Police in Spain have seized a submarine carrying cocaine off the coast of the northwest Galicia region which had arrived from South America, officials said yesterday.

Two Ecuadorian men were arrested as part of the operation on Sunday in the seaside town of Cangas near the border with Portugal, a spokesman for the central government’s repre-sentative in Galicia said.

“A diver managed to enter the submarine yesterday and removed a bundle of cocaine from inside,” he said.

Police were yesterday trying to refloat the vessel and they will not be able to determine the total amount of drugs on board until they have done so, he added.

But a source close to the investigation said the sub-marine was “likely” trans-porting “several tonnes (of cocaine) but this is just an estimate”.

Spanish media said the vessel was carrying over three tonnes (6,600 pounds) of cocaine from Colombia.

The submarine, about 20 metres (65 feet) long, came from South America, another source close to the investigation said without specifying which country the vessel departed from.

“It is not the first time but we don’t see this every day” in Europe, the source added.

Drug traffickers, especially from Colombia, have been caught using submarines to transport cocaine into Mexico, and from there into the United States. Galicia, one of Spain’s poorest regions, is a top entry point for cocaine into Europe. A maze of coves, caves and inlets dot its rugged coastline, making it a smuggler’s paradise.

Spain accounted for the second-highest proportion of cocaine seizures in EU last year.

Greeks abroad given the voteAFP/ATHENS

Greek lawmakers yesterday amended the country’s consti-tution to allow voters living abroad to participate in future elections from their place of residence, and introduced the option of legislation by popular demand.

A majority of 212 out of 300 MPs approved the change for foreign-based voters, one of several amendments that con-cluded a broader constitutional revision initiated in 2016.

Until now, registered voters living abroad had to return to Greece to cast ballots. Tens of thousands of Greeks left the country during the decade-long economic crisis. Parliamen-tarians also agreed to amend safeguards shielding ministers from prosecution.

The truck driver faces 39 charges of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.

16 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019EUROPE

‘Priceless’ jewels stolen in Dresden museum heistAFP BERLIN

Robbers made off with three priceless diamond sets from a state museum in Dresden, police and museum directors confirmed yesterday, in what German media have described as the biggest art heist since World War II.

The thieves broke into the Green Vault at Dresden’s Royal Palace — home to around 4,000 precious objects made of ivory, gold, silver and jewels — after a power cut deac-tivated the alarm at dawn yesterday.

The stolen items included three “priceless” sets of diamonds, the director of Dresden’s state art collections Marion Ack-ermann told reporters at a press conference.

Ackermann confirmed the sets included brilliant-cut diamonds which belonged to an 18th-century collection of jewellery assembled by the museum’s founder.

“We are talking here about items of ines-timable art historical and cultural-historical value,” she said but declined to give an exact estimate of the financial damages.

“We cannot put an exact value on them because they are priceless.”

Dirk Syndram, another director at the museum, said the sets amounted to “a kind of world heritage”, totalling about 100 jew-ellery items.

Bild daily said the heist was “probably the biggest art theft since World War Two”.

At dawn on Monday, a fire had broken out at an electrical panel nearby, deactivating the museum’s alarm as well as street lighting,

police said, adding the investigations were ongoing to determine if there was a link to the robbery.

Despite the power cut, a surveillance camera kept working and filmed two men breaking in.

The thieves had smashed a window and cut through a fence before “approaching in a targeted manner a showcase, which they destroyed”, head of Dresden police Volker Lange said.

Ackermann said she was “shocked by the brutality of the break-in.”

Founded by Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony in 1723, the Green Vault is one of 12 museums which make up the famous Dresden State Art Collections.

One of the oldest museums in Europe, the Green Vault holds treasures including a 63.8-centimetre figure of a Moor studded with emeralds and a 547.71-carat sapphire gifted by Tsar Peter I of Russia.

A forensic expert searching the area within a police cordon in front of the Royal Palace that houses the historic Green Vault (Gruenes Gewoelbe) in Dresden, eastern Germany, yesterday.

EU police take down IS online propaganda

AP THE HAGUE

A concerted crackdown on the IS militant group’s online prop-aganda machine has dealt a serious blow to the group’s official news agency and communications channels, European law enforcement offi-cials said yesterday.

A four-day operation took down thousands of items, including accounts and infor-mation linked to the Amaq agency, which spreads IS prop-aganda and news, the officials said.

“If they want to come back on the same level they were before, it will take a huge effort,” said Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

“We will see how they recuperate.”

The operation was coordi-nated by the law enforcement and judicial cooperation agencies of the European Union — Europol and Eurojust — and involved police and prosecutors from Spain and Belgium.

Experts at Europol identified more than 26,000 items of IS propaganda and referred them

to nine online service providers including Google and Telegram to have them taken offline.

A man suspected of spreading IS propaganda was arrested in Spain.

Telegram’s encrypted com-munications app has often been used by extremists.

Europol praised Telegram, saying the company has worked hard to “root out the abusers of the platform by both bolstering its technical capacity in coun-tering malicious content and establishing close partnerships with international organisations such as Europol.”

Underscoring the impor-tance of the online action, Belgian prosecutor Patrick Willocx said that IS group’s propaganda “can be directly linked to the radicalisation of European citizens or foreign ter-rorist fighters.”

The action that began on November 21 appeared to have an immediate effect.

JihadScope, which monitors jihadi activity across the internet, reported on November 22 that IS-linked media outlet “Quraysh” was reporting the deletion of thousands of pro-IS accounts on Telegram and the extremist group’s media activists were telling supporters “to create multiple accounts, some for continued engagement & some to back up archives of terror content, videos etc.”

One of the group’s media arms, the Naser News Agency, which often carries the group’s statements, last posted on November 21.

Berlin denies reports of Merkel-Macron clash over NatoAFP BERLIN

Berlin yesterday denied reports that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron clashed over dinner after the French leader described the Nato defence alliance as suffering from “brain death”.

The two European leaders

met on November 10, a day after Germany marked the 30th anni-versary of the fall of the Berlin wall.

Their dinner came just days after Macron stunned Nato with his remarks, and prompting Merkel to slap down what she called “sweeping judgements” that were unnecessary.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that the pair

clashed over dinner, with Merkel telling Macron she understood his “desire for disruptive politics but that she was “tired of picking up the pieces” after him.

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert would not confirm the exchange, saying it was “confidential”.

But he added that “in what the chancellor recalls of this evening, there were neither com-

plaints nor anger nor dispute”.Besides discussions about the

end of the Cold War 30 years ago, talks were “about the often different political approaches of Germany and France in dealing with problems or challenges, and about the fact that we are always seeking and finding solutions”.

In his interview with the Economist, Macron had decried a lack of coordination between

Europe and the US and lamented recent unilateral action in Syria by Turkey, a key member of the 70-year-old military alliance.

“You have no coordination whatsoever of strategic decision-making between the United States and its Nato allies. None,” he said.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has spoken out against Macron’s view of the bloc.

Denmark, Poland mark 100 years of diplomatic tiesAP WARSAW

Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary marked 100 years of Denmark’s diplomatic ties with Poland with a one-day visit to Warsaw yesterday that involved meeting Poland president and World War II veterans.

Frederik and Mary were greeted with military honours by Polish President Andrzej Duda in front of the Presidential Palace.

The Danish royals attended a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and meet war veterans.

They also attended a con-ference at Warsaw University on the history of the countries’ ties.

They were also due at the nearby Polish Academy of Sci-ences to dedicate a memorial plaque to Danish 19th-century sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.

The talks in coal-reliant Poland were to include climate protection and a joint gas pipeline project, Baltic Pipe, to bring Norwegian gas to Denmark and Poland.

Danish Crown Prince Frederik (third left) and his wife, Princess Mary attending a wreath laying ceremony during a visit at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the occasion of the centenary of Denmark’s diplomatic relations with Poland, in Warsaw, yesterday.

Malta govt grants pardon to suspected middleman in journalist’s murder: Sources

REUTERS VALLETTA

A man suspected of being the middleman in the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been granted a presidential pardon, police sources said yesterday.

The move indicated that investigators believe the man, named as Melvin Theuma, has given them solid evidence they can use in court to try to convict the person who ordered the killing.

Caruana Galizia, one of Malta’s best-known investi-gative journalists, was blown up as she left her home on October 16, 2017. The murder shocked Europe and raised questions about rule of law on the Medi-terranean island.

Three men are awaiting trial for setting off the bomb.

Theuma was arrested on November 14 in a separate anti-money laundering case but offered to provide information on the 2017 murder of in exchange for a pardon. Local media reported that he has audio recordings and text mes-sages to back his claims.

The police have not

confirmed the reports or said what information he has handed over.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said last week he would recommend a pardon if Theuma’s evidence was corrob-orated and could stand up in court. A day after news of Theuma’s arrest was leaked, police detained Yorgen Fenech, a prominent businessman regarded as a person of interest in the case.

Police sources said on Sat-urday that Fenech too had requested a pardon in return for information about the case.

A pardon is granted by the president on the advice of the government. A president cannot refuse to issue a pardon once it has been recommended by the government.

Theuma, 41, is a taxi driver who regularly worked at an apartment complex owned by Fenech. Previous court appear-ances have shown that he was also involved in many illicit activ-ities, including running a secret, multi-million euro lottery and as a loan shark, offering loans at extremely high interest rates.

Neither Theuma nor Fenech have made any public com-ments since their arrests.

Experts at Europol identified more than 26,000 items of IS propaganda and referred them to nine online service providers to have them taken offline.

Interpol launches appeal to find femicide suspectsAFP/LYON

Global police cooperation organ-isation Interpol launched an international appeal to find eight men suspected of murdering or committing violence against women.

Interpol said in the appeal, which coincided with the Inter-national Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, that it was calling for the public’s help in finding the suspects.

It said the appeal is a “stark

reminder of how women and girls universally experience vio-lence and abuse across the world.”

In 2017, some 87,000 women and girls were murdered worldwide, according to a 2018 report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Of the eight, six are wanted for murder, one for grievous bodily injury resulting in death and one for sexual violence.

Two of the men are wanted by Russia and the others by

Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Brazil, Cyprus and the US.

“Violence against women and girls is one of the most wide-spread and persistent human rights violations,” said Interpol Secretary General Juergen Stock. “Interpol’s appeal is a reminder that bringing fugitives to justice is a fundamental part of interna-tional law enforcement cooperation”>

The organisation said all eight are the targets of Interpol Red Notices.

Estonia ousts third far-right minister: PMREUTERS TALLINN

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said yesterday he had sacked Rural Affairs Minister Mart Jarvik, a member of the ruling coalition’s far-right EKRE party, saying he could no longer trust him.

Jarvik was the third min-ister from EKRE to be dismissed in the past six months.

EKRE had previously threatened to leave the coa-lition if Jarvik was fired, but Ratas said all three coalition parties had agreed to continue in government.

“All coalition partners want to continue in this difficult sit-uation,” Ratas said.

A special commission set up by Ratas said last week it found a number of misdoings at the ministry. Jarvik had also over-stepped his responsiblities by trying to give directions to the Veterinary and Food Board, it said.

“I cannot say that he had regained my trust in him,” Ratas said. “I told him it would be best if he would leave on his own request. He declined to do that.”

EKRE has a programme that includes strict immigration policies.

Two people dead as storms lash GreeceREUTERS/ATHENS

Two people drowned when their moored sailing boat sank as torrential rain and thunder-storms lashed Greece, coast-guard officials said yesterday.

The storms hit western Greece over the weekend causing widespread flooding and disruption to transport.

“The boat of the two missing persons sank from the strong winds at the pier of Antirio town,” a coastguard official said. Two bodies were later recovered.

Parts of the road network to the Peloponnese peninsula were cut off due to extensive flooding, police officials said.

In Kineta, a beach town west of Athens, extensive damage was recorded to the road network from rockfalls from surrounding hills and tonnes of mud. The region suf-fered a major forest fire in 2018.

17TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 AMERICAS

Top Navy official ousted over SEAL controversyAP WASHINGTON

Defense Secretary Mark Esper fired the Navy’s top official for allegedly proposing a deal with the White House behind Esper’s back to resolve the matter of a Navy SEAL whose case has been championed by President Donald Trump.

At Esper’s request, Navy Sec-retary Richard Spencer (pictured) submitted his resignation on Sunday, said chief spokesman for the Pentagon, Jonathan Hoffman.

In a series of tweets, Trump said he had been unhappy with the Navy’s handling of the Gal-lagher case. “Likewise, large cost overruns from past administra-tion’s contracting procedures were not addressed to my satis-faction,” Trump added without specifics.

“Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Sec-retary of Defense Mark Esper,” Trump tweeted.

Esper said he had recom-mended to the White House that Trump nominate as Spencer’s successor the current US ambas-sador to Norway, Kenneth Braithwaite, a retired Navy rear admiral.

In a subsequent tweet, Trump said he would nominate Braithwaite, whom he called “a man of great achievement and success.”

The firing was a dramatic turn in a fast-changing and polit-ically charged controversy involving Navy Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher. On

Wednesday the Navy had notified Gallagher that he would face a Navy SEAL review board to determine if he should be allowed to remain in the elite force.

Gallagher was acquitted of a murder charge in the stabbing death of an IS militant captive, but a military jury convicted him of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017. He was demoted from chief petty officer to a 1st class petty officer. Trump this month restored Gallagher’s rank.

In a statement issued by Hoffman, Esper said he had lost “trust and confidence” in Spencer after learning that the Navy secretary had “privately” proposed to the White House that Gallagher be allowed to retire in his current rank and without losing his status as a SEAL. Esper said that in previous conversations with Spencer about the Gallagher matter, Spencer had not told Esper of his proposal to the White House.

Esper faulted Spencer for a “lack of candor” on the matter.

A spokesperson for Spencer, Navy Cmdr. Sarah Higgins, said Spencer had no immediate comment.

In yet another twist, Esper also directed on Sunday that Gal-lagher be allowed to retire at the end of this month, and that the Navy review board that was scheduled to hear his case starting December 2 be can-celled, Hoffman said.

At Esper’s direction, Gal-lagher will be allowed to retire as a SEAL at his current rank, Hoffman said.

Hoffman said Esper’s position had been that the Navy’s disciplinary process should be allowed to “play itself out objec-tively and deliberately.”

“However, at this point, given the events of the last few days,” Esper decided that Gal-lagher should be allowed to retain his SEAL status, Hoffman said. He said Esper had con-cluded that Gallagher could not, under the circumstances, receive a fair shake from the Navy.

In the written statement, Esper said of Spencer: “I am deeply troubled by this conduct shown by a senior DOD official. Unfortunately, as a result I have determined that Secretary Spencer no longer has my con-fidence to continue in his position. I wish Richard well.”

Mark Esper said he learned that Richard Spencer had “privately” proposed to the White House that Gallagher be allowed to retire in his current rank and without losing his status as a SEAL.

Harris to propose doubling mental health treatment bedsAP SACRAMENTO

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris wants to double the number of mental health treatment beds available across the country and increase access to virtual mental health counseling.

Harris will roll out her mental health platform today at a South Carolina event. Much of Harris’ plan includes elements she’s teased on the campaign trail, where she frequently says

Americans need to put just as much attention on health from the “neck up” as from the neck down.

“Instead of letting people silently suffer from depression, from drug addiction, from sui-cidal thoughts, we need to bring this out of the shadow and discuss it and put resources into it, get rid of the stigma,” the senator from California told a crowd in Iowa this month.

Harris’ plan, released by the campaign, lists South Carolina, Iowa and Nevada, all early voting

states, as priority states for increasing mental health treatment beds. It also lists Michigan, a key swing state.

South Carolina, where Harris will roll out the plan, is one of the worst states for access to mental health care, according to rankings by the nonprofit organ-ization Mental Health America.

On the trail, Harris, who launched her 2020 campaign in January, has stated the need to put serious resources into mental health treatment. But her plan does not include price tags or

details on what it would cost to double the number of treatment beds or cover her other pro-posals. It does propose a $100m fund for Native American com-munities to address mental health.

Beyond doubling treatment beds, Harris proposes doubling research dollars for the depart-ments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to focus on post-trau-matic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other drivers of mental illness. She would direct federal agencies focused on

mental health to collect better data on people facing mental illness and reclassify certain dis-orders, such as schizophrenia, to improve access to treatment.

Harris also has proposed a loan forgiveness program for mental health workers who go to areas facing provider shortages.

She introduced similar leg-islation last year as well as a bill to increase telemedicine.

The plan goes hand in hand with Harris’ proposed expansion of Medicare.

Guards charged over Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide get trial dateREUTERS NEW YORK

Two correctional officers accused of covering up their failure to check on financier Jeffrey Epstein before he hanged himself will face an April 20 trial date.

US District Judge Analisa Torres scheduled the trial for Tova Noel and Michael Thomas at a hearing in Manhattan federal court yesterday. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Epstein’s suicide on August 10, at age 66, came a little over a month after the well-connected money manager was arrested and charged with trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005. He had pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors say that Noel and Thomas, the only correctional officers on duty in Epstein’s unit the night before he was found dead, failed to carry out checks on

Epstein and falsely recorded that they had.Epstein had been taken off suicide

watch shortly before his death. Thomas’s lawyer, Montel Figgins,

said at yesterday’s hearing that he would seek more information about the US Department of Justice’s ongoing internal investigation into the circumstances sur-rounding Epstein’s death, saying that problems throughout the prison system could be important to the case.

After the hearing, he told reporters his client was a scapegoat.

“There’s only two people charged, but for this to happen, the whole system had to fail,” he said.

Jason Foy, a lawyer for Noel, declined to speak to reporters outside the courtroom.

Noel, 31, was charged with five counts of falsifying records, while Thomas, 41, was charged with three counts. Both were charged with conspiracy.

Metropolitan Correctional Center guard Michael Thomas (centre) surrounded by supporters leaves Federal Court, in New York City, yesterday

Bread and Butter named as Trump’s pardon turkeys ANATOLIA WASHINGTON

The White House formally rolled out the two turkeys who will vie to become the National Thanksgiving Turkey.

US President Donald Trump will issue clemency to Bread and Butter, two turkeys from North Carolina who are currently staying at the luxurious Willard Intercontinental Hotel near the White House ahead of the formal pardon ceremony tomorrow.

The White House posted pictures of the pair at the hotel shortly before their names were made public at a ceremony at the Willard.

National Turkey Federation Chairman Kerry Doughty said the president and first lady were presented with 15 pairs of names to choose from, and Trump and his wife, Melania, selected Bread and Butter.

The public is now able to vote in a poll available on the White House’s website and official Twitter account to select which bird will be granted the ceremonial amnesty and become the National Thanks-giving Turkey. Traditionally both birds are spared from becoming dinner, though only one can lay claim to the title.

The pardoning of a turkey dates back to President Abraham Lincoln when he jok-ingly bestowed an unofficial pardon to a turkey. But Pres-ident George H.W. Bush made the pardon official in 1989.

Convicted ex-Trump aide to run for CongressAFP WASHINGTON

A former adviser to President Donald Trump who admitted lying to federal investigators about his contacts with Russians announced yesterday that he is running for a US Congress seat in California.

“I’m running for the 25th congressional district,” George Papadopoulos said. “I’m here to promote the America-first agenda, and to enact legislation that has real-life consequences for the American people.”

The seat, in the suburbs of Los Angeles, was vacated this month by Democrat Katie Hill,

who resigned amid lurid reve-lations about her private life and the publication of photos without her consent.

A special election will be held in May.

Papadopoulos, 32, was a member of Trump’s foreign policy advisory panel when he ran for president in 2016.

He was catapulted from obscurity when he pleaded guilty in October 2017 to lying to the FBI about contacts with a pro-fessor who promised to connect him to senior Russian officials.

Papadopoulos pursued a back channel that led him to contact with individuals who

claimed Moscow had “dirt” on Trump’s Democratic election opponent Hillary Clinton.

He cooperated with investi-gators led by Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor who con-ducted a two-year probe into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Papadopoulos spent 12 days in jail after his guilty plea, and subsequently wrote a book about what he describes as “the plot to bring down President Trump.”

Trump, currently facing likely impeachment, down-played his connection to Papa-dopoulos during the case against his former aide.

Supreme Court rejects call for new trial in ‘Serial’ podcast caseAP/WASHINGTON

The Supreme Court rejected a Maryland man’s bid for a new trial based on information uncovered by the hit podcast “Serial.”

The justices did not comment in leaving in place a 4-3 ruling by Maryland’s highest court that denied a new trial to Adnan Syed,

who was convicted of strangling a high school classmate.

Syed is serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2000 of killing 17-year-old Hae Min Lee and burying her body in a Baltimore park. Prosecutors said during his trial that Syed killed her after she broke off their relationship.

Syed’s lawyers had argued that his trial lawyer’s failure to investigate an alibi witness vio-lated his right to competent legal representation.

“We are deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court but by no means is this the end of Adnan Syed,” defence attorney C. Justin Brown said. “There are other

legal options and we are exploring each and every one of them.”

Millions of people learned about Syed when the hit podcast “Serial” dedicated its entire first season to the case in 2014. The show shattered podcast-streaming and downloading records, shining a spotlight that led to renewed

court proceedings.Two Maryland courts found

that Syed deserved a new trial. His lawyer during his first trial, Cristina Gutierrez, failed to contact a woman who said she saw Syed at a library at the time prosecutors say he strangled his ex-girlfriend in 1999. Gutierrez has since died.

But in 2018, the Maryland Court of Appeals denied Syed a new trial, even though it agreed his trial lawyer’s work was lacking.

The state high court said there was little chance the outcome would have been dif-ferent had Gutierrez done what she should have.

DiplomacyUS President Donald Trump with Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov upon his arrival at the White House in Washington, DC, yesterday.

18 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019AMERICAS

Duque opens national dialogue after protestsAFP BOGOTA

Under-fire Colombian President Ivan Duque, the target of days of unprecedented anti-government protests, opened a national dialogue aimed at assuaging popular anger, even as activists called for a major new protest.

Demonstrations continued in the capital Bogota, and in Medellin and Cali. While those protests were smaller than pre-vious days, a major trade union called for a massive march today.

Duque, a conservative who is deeply unpopular just 18 months after his election, “ini-tiated the social dialogue” with mayors and other officials on Sunday afternoon, the presi-dency said in a statement.

Duque outlined “the progress and the challenges facing his government” and listened to the views of mayors on health, edu-cation, infrastructural and peace issues in their cities, the statement said.

“We are assessing the situ-ation and the urgent needs of the municipalities and cities, and the plans they have,” Duque tweeted, without referring to the demands of protesters.

The president appointed a senior official in his adminis-tration, Diego Molano, as national coordinator of the con-sultations, which will run for several months.

The initial talks at the Casa Narino presidential palace involved 24 incoming mayors

elected in municipal polls last month, including those of Bogota, Cali and Medellin, the cities at the center of the protests.

The president had proposed the talks on Friday in response to nationwide protests a day earlier that descended into vio-lence, leaving three dead.

Molano said Colombians would be given until March 15 next year to present proposals around five main themes of concern to the demonstrators: the fight against corruption, bol-stering public education, equi-table economic growth, man-agement of the 2016 peace deal and the environment.

Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez questioned the focus of the dia-logue after the meeting, however, and challenged Duque to speak to protesters.

The dialogue was “not about explaining government policies in more depth and communicate them better,” she said.

“No, the dialogue has to be to humbly recogniae mistakes, make changes and make

concessions, otherwise it will not be a dialogue that leads to any-thing concrete but to more frustrations.”

Demonstrations continued in Bogota, Medellin and Cali, though much smaller than in previous days.

The demands of protesters include a crackdown on drug trafficking and violence, more flexible labor market conditions, and improved retirement benefits.

As the talks began in Bogota, the Central Union of Workers (CUT) called for further demon-strations throughout the country, to coincide with the international day of non-violence against women.

Duque said that he would meet with the ministers of finance, labor and trade, along with representatives of business owners and workers, while dia-logue with “different social sectors” would take place during the week.

“The head of state is seeking to establish a close relationship that allows the national gov-ernment to work as a team with mayors and elected governors, as well as their administrations,” Sunday’s presidency statement said.

The 43-year-old conserv-ative has been criticised for his economic, social and security policies.

His administration also has to deal with hosting 1.4 million refugees fleeing neighboring V e n e z u e l a ’ s e c o n o m i c

meltdown, and the complex fallout of a 2016 peace deal with FARC rebels.

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in Bogota and other cities on Thursday as part of a nationwide general strike.

There were arrests and clashes as trade unions, students, opposition parties and the South American country’s indigenous organizations vented their anger.

Three people have died and nearly 300 were wounded in the unrest.

There were further demon-strations on Friday and Saturday, and hundreds of people defied a curfew in the capital — the first imposed since 1977 — to con-verge in front of Duque’s home, singing the national anthem and banging pots and pans for an hour.

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque speaks during a meeting with mayors and governors elected for the new term of office, in Bogota, yesterday.

Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez questioned the focus of the dialogue, saying, “The dialogue was “not about explaining government policies in more depth and communicate them better”.

Colombia expels 59 Venezuelan citizens for taking part in protestsAFP BOGOTA

Colombia said that it is expelling 59 Venezuelans for taking part in street protests, as another big march was planned despite the launch of a national dialogue to address corruption, economic inequality and other woes.

The Venezuelans have been classified as a threat to public order and national security, the government’s migration agency said.

Christian Kruger, the director of Colombia Migration, said the country had welcomed the 59 Venezuelans now due for expulsion as it did so many people from their beleaguered country.

“But we will not tolerate a group of misfits coming to threaten the safety of our streets,” Kruger said in a statement.

He said the actions of these Venezuelans triggers “outbreaks of xenophobia” that hurts the reputation of good hardworking Venezuelans.

Police had earlier reported that during a night of curfew on Friday, 29 Venezuelans were arrested in Bogota and Cali for vio-lating that order.

Dominican man to face charges in 1995 shootingAP BOSTON

A man who authorities say hid in the Dominican Republic for more than two decades is scheduled to be arraigned on charges that he killed a man who kicked him out of a house party in Boston in 1995.

Police said 46-year-old William Sanchez fled to his home country following the shooting of Jorge Medina in the early morning hours of October 8, 1995.

According to authorities Medina was working as a bouncer at the party in the city’s Dorchester neighbourhood and escorted Sanchez out. Prose-cutors say Sanchez returned minutes later and opened fire on Medina and another person.

Sanchez’s arrest was possible thanks to the extradition treaty signed in 2015. The arraignment is scheduled for today.

Supreme Court allows scientist’s defamation claim to proceedREUTERS WASHINGTON

The US Supreme Court allowed a prominent climate scientist to pursue a defamation lawsuit against a conservative magazine and a think-tank that compared him to a convicted molester.

The justices declined to hear appeals filed by National Review magazine and the Competitive Enterprise Institute seeking to overturn a lower court’s ruling that allowed the lawsuit filed by scientist Michael Mann to go forward.

One justice, conservative Samuel Alito, dissented, writing that the case raised questions “that go to the very heart of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”

Mann, a Penn State professor known for his research on climate change, filed suit in a local court in the District of Columbia in 2012 after online posts by the magazine and think-tank that compared him to con-victed child molester Jerry San-dusky, a former assistant football coach at the same university in

State College, Pennsylvania.The lawsuit seeks unspec-

ified monetary damages.Mann over the years has

clashed with groups and indi-viduals who have sought to dis-credit his work. He is best known for what is called a “hockey stick” graph that showed an increase in global temperatures in the 20th century.

Scientific organisations rejected criticism of Mann’s work after investigating the matter. Criticism of Mann by conservative climate change sceptics increased after some of his private emails

were leaked in 2009.The Competitive Enterprise

Institute is a libertarian think-tank that has said it “questions global warming alarmism.” In a 2012 post published on a CEI website, former CEI fellow Rand Simberg compared the investi-gations into Mann with the then-recent national controversy over Sandusky, who was arrested in 2011 and convicted in 2012 of molesting 10 young boys.

“Mann could be said to be the Jerry Sandusky of climate science, except for instead of molesting children, he has

molested and tortured data,” Simberg wrote.

In a later post on National Review’s website, conservative writer Mark Steyn quoted from Simberg’s article and referred to Mann’s research as “fraudulent.”

CEI later removed the San-dusky comparison. The National Review refused to retract its post and instead published a response from its editor Rich Lowry with the headline: “Get Lost.”

Two different judges refused to dismiss Mann’s lawsuit, prompting the defendants to appeal.

Uruguay opposition leads presidential voteREUTERS MONTEVIDEO

Uruguay’s conservative oppo-sition was on track to win a pres-idential election run-off against the ruling liberal party, but a slimmer-than-expected lead meant an official result was not expected for some days.

With 99.4% of polling booths counted, National Party can-didate Luis Lacalle Pou had 48.74% of the vote ahead of Daniel Martinez’s ruling Broad Front party with 47.48%, official

data showed, with around 30,000 votes separating the two rivals.

Broad Front, the ruling party for 15 years, has overseen a period of stability and growth, but has come under pressure recently from a slowing economy due to global trade woes and the effects of drought and flooding on the key farm sector.

The slim gap meant an official result could be delayed until Thursday or Friday as the last votes are counted, electoral

court president José Arocena told reporters.

“We still have to wait to know the final result,” Martinez said lto supporters waving Uru-guayan flags in Montevideo.

Lacalle Pou, speaking later, said that he would also wait to claim victory and that the close result meant the two parties would need to work closely together in the period ahead.

“Formally we will know in a few days,” he told supporters, adding that he believed the result was “irreversible”.

National Party presidential candidate Luis Lacalle Pou and his wife Lorena Ponce de Leon acknowledge his supporters after the second-round presidential elections, in Montevideo, yesterday.

Concern over climate action grows among Republican voters: PollREUTERS NEW YORK

The majority of Americans, including a growing share of moderate Republicans, are dissatisfied with US government efforts to curb global warming, researchers said.

In a survey by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based non-partisan think-tank, two-thirds of Americans said US President Donald Trump’s administration was “doing too little” to reduce the effects of climate change.

Since taking office, Trump has rolled backed Obama-era rules limiting planet-warming emissions from sectors of the economy such as electricity, transport, and oil and gas.

The Trump administration filed paperwork this month to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, while his opponents have championed a “Green New Deal” that seeks to slash US emissions within a decade.

In the Pew survey, the pro-portion of people who said the government was taking too little action to tackle climate change was unchanged from a year ago — but unease among moderate Republicans grew significantly, noted the report.

“Previous analysis showed that concern about climate

change has gone up over the past several years (since 2013) among Democrats but not Republicans,” said Cary Funk, director of science and society research at Pew.

But the new survey, which polled more than 3,600 people last month, found that 65% of moderate or liberal Republicans said the federal government was not doing enough to reduce the effects of global warming, up from 53% in 2018.

A divide was also seen by age, with 52% of 18 to 38-year-old Republicans displeased with government climate action, compared with 41% of those from 38-54, and 31% of those aged 55 or above.

Among Republicans, 46% of women thought the government was doing too little, compared with 34% of men.

Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, said the recent wave of extreme wildfires, hurricanes and flooding hitting the US had likely played a part in shifting Republican opinion. “People are beginning to hear and see that the impacts of climate change are here — now”.

Just under half of respondents agreed human activity contributes a great deal to climate change, and another 30% said human actions have some role.

Ex-Colorado mass shooting detective fabricated overtimeAP/AURORA

The FBI said a detective who led the investigation of a mass shooting at a Colorado movie theatre billed about $40,000 of overtime he did not work while on a federal task force.

KCNC-TV reported former Aurora Police Department Detective Craig Appel will not be criminally charged for the inflated overtime claims.

Appel was the lead detective on the July 2012 shooting case in which James Holmes killed 12 people and wounded numerous others inside a theater.

Officials said Appel transi-tioned to the FBI’s Joint Ter-rorism Task Force in 2014. Three years later, the agency removed him for fabricating 1,161 overtime hours and billing more than $81,000.

19TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019 HOME

CROSSWORD MALL ROYAL PLAZA

9th Katara TraditionalDhow Festival to beginfrom December 3THE PENINSULA DOHA

Preparations are underway for the ninth edition of the Katara Tradi-tional Dhow Festival scheduled from December 3 to 16 with the participation of 11 countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Turkey, India, Greece, Italy, Spain, Iran, and Zanzibar.

The festival features a pro-gramme full of activities, events and exhibitions that highlight mar-itime history and heritage and related traditional arts, in addition to competitions and cultural and recreational activities held in a pleasant atmosphere.

Visitors will see a unique showcase of traditional boats in

Qatar, through a marina on Katara Beach as well as restaurants and cafes, in addition to workshops on traditional vessels manufacturing and marine craftsmen market of Qatar.

Participating countries will also display traditional maritime crafts and tools including ship-building, ropes, sail and dredging machines, besides the old market, where the visitors can find all sailors’ requirements during fishing and diving trips, as well as a fish market, which presents fresh fish of all species existing in Qatar.

The festival will also provide visitors with the opportunity to taste various famous seafood dishes of the participating coun-tries, in addition to the maritime

museums that narrate important periods of maritime history, as well as folk band performances and art workshops for children.

The festival will also include a forum that hosts the crew of Fath Al Khair 4, which was launched last July from the Bosphorus Strait as part of a naval tour in Europe with the aim of promoting the 2022 World Cup event, and

introduce maritime heritage during evenings of the festival. The forum will host ambassadors and governors of coastal cities visited by Fath Al Khair 4.

Maritime competitions will be organised during the festival, that will include rowing, sailing, Al Haddaq, free swimming, Al Brikha, Al Jinan, Shoush and Tafris, in addition to Senyar contest.

A file photo of one of the competitions from last year’s Katara Traditional Dhow Festival.

Bedaya introduces 10-week jewellery design programTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

Bedaya Center for Entrepre-neurship and Career Development (Bedaya Center), the joint initiative by Qatar Development Bank and Silatech, has introduced a new program revolving around Entre-preneurship Talent Development.

Conducted in collaboration with VCUarts Qatar, the program is about jewellery design that com-menced on November 15, 2019 and will run till February 29, 2020.

The 10-week program is being held at the Virginia Commonwealth University – Arts and design Faculty in Qatar. The three-hour course every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, aims at developing entre-preneurial skills for the attendees and teach them how to turn their ideas into existing businesses.

During the program, partici-pants will be introduced to several

themes that will sharpen their talents such as jewellery history interna-tionally and in the Middle East, intro-ducing industry leaders, as well as learning to turn their inspiration into paper through an introduction to free drawing, the importance of multiple drawings and how national culture affects their local designs, the use of Adobe Illustrator.

In addition, participants will have an introduction to silver and gold and the nature of metal sur-faces, the nature of the production chain, the principles of marketing and branding, the use of social media, identify target markets, and the creation of their own brand.

Furthermore, participants will be able to learn how to cut using laser, use triple printing, designing and manufacturing of international jew-ellery, the best ways to start the project through the opening of a spe-cialized store, how to participate in

exhibitions and ways to sell designs instead of manufactured pieces.

From the fifth to the ninth week of the program, participants will be able to experience the production by turning their paper drawings into pieces of art. On the last week, entrepreneurs will learn about the importance of displaying their jew-ellery in stores or online.

Ruqaya Al Sada, Entrepre-neurship Advisor at Bedaya Center said: “At Bedaya Center, we look forward to offering the best pro-grams that will elevate entrepre-neurs’ thinking and motivate them to start their own businesses by equipping them with the best foun-dations and honing their skills and professional abilities to improve their future prospects. This pro-gramme aims to develop entrepre-neurial skills to inspire participants in the field of jewellery design and enable them to translate their ideas

into real projects.”Aysha Al Kooheji, Program

Manager for Community & Con-tinuing Education at VCUarts Qatar said: “The Community and Con-tinuing Education team are glad to collaborate with Bedaya to offer the ‘Entrepreneurship Talent Devel-opment: Jewellery Design’ pro-gramme. We aim to offer an educa-tional platform for emerging entre-preneurs in the creative economy.”

Expressing her excitement about the upcoming programme, Amina K Malik ,Founder and Cre-ative Director of House of AKM and instructor of the Jewellery Design course said: “We look forward to working with Bedaya in collabo-ration with VCUarts Qatar to teach, develop and train aspiring jewellery designers. Qatar has become a design hub for the region, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this wonderful initiative.”

Adithya Varma is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Gireesaaya (in his directorial debut) and produced by Mukesh Mehta under E4 Entertainment.

ADITHYA VARMA

Aayushmanbhava (2D/Kannada) 2:00pmAkashaganga II (2D/Malayalam) 2:00pmFrozen II (2D/Animation) 2:30, 4:30, 6:30 & 7:15pmSanga Thamizhan (2D/Tamil) 4:30 & 11:15pmCharlie’s Angels (2D/Action) 9:00pmJack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 8:30 & 11:15pmAndroid Kunjappan 5.25 (2D/Malayalam) 4:30 & 9:00pm; 21 Bridges (2D/Action) 7:00pmBala (2D/Hindi) 11:30pm

Frozen II (2D/Animation) 10:30am, 12:45, 3:00, 5:15 & 7:30pm; Adithya Varma (2D/Tamil) 10:30am, 4:45 & 11:00pm; Pagalpanti (2D/Hindi) 11:30am & 5:30pm21 Bridges (2D/Action) 9:45pm & 12:00pmJack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 1:45 & 8:00pmSanga Thamizhan (2D/Tamil) 2:30 & 8:30pm; Akashaganga II (2D/Malayalam) 11:30pm

LANDMARK

AL KHOR

Pagalpanti (2D/Hindi) 6:15, 11:15pm

Jack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm

Adithya Varma (2D/Tamil) 6:15pm

Android Kunjappan 5.25 (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pm

Sanga Thamizhan (2D/Tamil) 9:15pm

ASIAN TOWN

ROXY

FLIK Mirqab Mall

21 Bridges (2D/Action) 10:10am, 2:10, 4:10, 6:15, 8:10, 10:20pm & 0:20amAdithya Varma (2D/Tamil) 6:10pmBehind the Trees 11:30pm & 0:35amCharlie’s Angels (2D/Action) 10:25am, 11:40am, 11:55pm & 0:25amFrozen II (2D/Animation) 10;30am, 11:00am, 11:30, 12:40, 1:10, 1:40, 3:20, 3:50, 5:00 , 5:30, 7:40, 9:20, 9:50pmFrozen II (3D/Animation) 2:50 & 7:10pmJack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 3:05 & 9:30pmJoker (2D/Crime) 11:10pmLast Christmas (2D/Comedy) 10:30am, 12:35, 2:40, 4:45, 6:55 & 9:00pmMaleficent: Mistress Of Evil (2D/Adventure) 2:00, 4:25 & 6:50pmTerminator: Dark Fate 11:25pm

10 Minutes Gone (2D/Action) 1:30, 1:45, 10:00 & 10:30pm; 21 Bridges (2D/Action) 11:30, 3:15,6:00, 8:00, 7:45, 3:50, 10:00, 10:30 & 11:45pmAdithya Varma (2D/Tamil) 1:30, 3:30, 8:00 & 10:00pmFrozen II (3D/Animation) 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30, 12:45, 1:30, 3:00, 3:40, 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:15, 7:30, 8:10, 8:15, 9:30pm; Jack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 1:30, 3:20, 7:40 & 11:30pmSanga Thamizhan (2D/Tamil) 10:30am, 12:30, 4:40, 8:40 & 11:00pm; Pagalpanti (2D/Hindi) 10:30am, 12:30, 5:00, 7:00 & 11:30pm

Adithya Varma (2D/Tamil) 2:00 & 11:15pmFrozen II (2D/Animation) 2:15, 4:00, 5:00 & 7:00pm Charlie’s Angels (2D/Action) 9:00pmAndroid Kunjappan 5.25 (2D/Malayalam) 2:00 & 9:00pmSanga Thamizhan (2D/Tamil) 4:30pmLast Christmas (2D/Comedy) 7:15pmJack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 11:30pmPagalpanti (2D/Hindi) 6:00 & 11:00pm21 Bridges (2D/Action) 9:15pm;

Frozen II (2D/Animation) 2:00, 3:45, 4:15, 5:30 & 7:15pm Aayushmanbhava (2D/Kannada) 2:15pm; Kabaddi Kabaddi Kabaddi (2D/Nepali) 2:00, 4:45 & 6:30pm; 21 Bridges (2D/Action) 7:00pm;

Android Kunjappan 5.25 (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pm Adithya Varma (2D/Tamil) 8:45pm; Pagalpanti (2D/Hindi) 9:00 & 11:30pmJack And Daniel (2D/Malayalam) 11:15pmSanga Thamizhan (2D/Tamil) 11:30pm

20 TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2019MORNING BREAK

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum23oC 27oC

HIGH TIDE 04:33 – 15:24 LOW TIDE 11:31 – 23:04

Partly cloudy to cloudy at times and

chance of scattered rain may be thundery

with blowing dust at places at times.

FAJRSHOROOK

04. 38 AM05. 59 AM

11. 21 AM02.23 PM

04. 45 PM06. 15 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS EAA Foundation reaffirms commitment to promoting education access during WISE 2019

THE PENINSULA/DOHA

At the World Innovation Summit on Education (WISE), the Education Above All Foun-dation (EAA), founded by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, reaffirmed its commitment to taking meaningful action to provide out of school children (OOSC) with access to quality primary education.

Deepening its network of innovative collaborations, EAA launched a new mobile classroom prototype, created in collaboration with the late Dame Zaha Hadid.

The classroom prototype was developed in partnership between EAA and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) and due to be produced by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (Supreme Committee) – the organisation tasked with delivering the infrastructure and operations required for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The Supreme Committee has committed to fund a minimum of 100 structures. The classroom features a number of innovative design solutions that will allow it to function as both a learning

space and community hub for those living through the real-ities of current day migration and displacement.

“Our approach was based on the objective of creating spaces that offer customized and transformative solutions focused on education and the support of students’ and com-munities’ social and emotional well-being,” said Charles Walker, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects. The classrooms represent the evolution in Hadid’s work with tented structures. They are con-structed around the following criteria: feasibility, constructa-bility, modularity, flexibility and thermal condition. The design and construction are economically viable, meeting the restraints of their sur-roundings including available resources, material and labour. Each 12 metres by 8 metres module will serve as a classroom for 45 students. The modular system allows for flexibility in the assembling and dismantling processes and is optimized for flat-pack logistic demands. Additionally, the classroom prototype will enhance the thermal

performance of the currently available classrooms by addressing fabric quality, ven-tilation possibilities and lighting conditions.

To propel this project forward, EAA formed a part-nership with the Supreme Committee. “We have always said that our vision for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar would be to ensure a legacy was left long after the last ball has been kicked in 2022,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary- General of the Supreme Com-mittee. “This project with EAA and Zaha Hadid Architects perfectly captures that vision. Much like Qatar’s modular sta-diums, these innovative struc-tures have been designed with a legacy usage in mind and will be used during the tournament for a variety of purposes before being dismantled, repurposed and reconstructed into classrooms that will be donated to countries around the world and help thousands of out of school children,” he added.

The Supreme Committee, in partnership with EAA has chosen the project as a key feature of its post-2022

sustainability legacy to further the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly important as Her Highness is a UN SDG Advocate for Quality Education (SDG4). Qatar made history by winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and becoming the first Middle Eastern country to ever do so. In the years since, the country has used this opportunity to not only work on developing an exceptional experience for sports fans, but also to create a lasting legacy. The converted classroom structures are planned to be deployed post-2022 in Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Palestine, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uganda.

In another effort to reach OOSC, the Director General for Development Co-operation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Giorgio Mar-rapodi, and the Director of UNESCO Iraq Office, Paolo Fontani and EAA Represent-ative Leena Al Derham, agreed on the development of a joint project in Iraq and signed an agreement with both

parties, with the support of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD). Armed conflict has devastated education systems throughout Iraq, destroying infrastructure and internally displacing thousands of children. Currently, EAA and UNESCO operate a project that is implemented by a joint agreement between Education above All and UNESCO in Iraq and with support from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), targeting 150,000 OOSC in the governorates of Babil, Baghdad, Erbil, Ninewa, Salah Al Din and Thi Qar.

Upon completion, the pro-posed project will rehabilitate 10 schools and provide 17,000 children in the governorates of Salah al-Din and Baghdad with school kits and targeted enrolment campaigns. “Inno-vative agreements with partners, focused on systemic change, are a path towards transforming education and making it accessible to every child, we thank the Italian Gov-ernment for the support of the Iraq project and looking forward working together in other countries,” said EAA Rep-resentative Leena Al Derham.

EAA Foundation launched a new mobile classroom prototype during WISE 2019.

Alternative for frog dissections introduced in Florida schoolAP/NEW PORT RICHEY, FLORIDA

No frogs were harmed in the making of a Florida high school’s science class. J.W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey began using synthetic frogs for educational dissections last Wednesday. it’s the first school in the world to use the technology.

The lives of real frogs are being spared at a cost of $150 per synthetic frog. Tampa-based developer SynDaver received funds from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to help create the “SynFrog.”