Volume 22 | Number 7394 | 2 RiyalsTuesday 2 January 2018 | 15 Rabia II I 1439

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BUSINESS | 22 SPORT | 32

Festival ridesThe giant slide is one of the exciting features at this year’s Souq Waqif Spring Festival which runs until April 25. →SEE ALSO PAGE 4 PIC: RAYNALD C RIVERA / THE PENINSULA

Emir sends greetings to President of SudanDOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Republic of Sudan Omar Hassan Al Bashir, on the anniversary of his coun-try’s Independence Day. The Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent a similar cable to Pres-ident Al Bashir, on the anni-versary of his country’s Inde-pendence Day.

Emir greets President of CubaDOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, Raul Castro, on the anniversary of his country’s I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y . The Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani also sent a similar cable of congratulations to Raul Castro.

Qatar rejects Likud’s annexation move of West Bank, Jerusalem DOHA: The State of Qatar has affirmed its total rejection of the decision of Israel’s ruling Likud party to impose Israeli law on settlements in the West Bank and the occupied Jerusalem and their annex-ation to Israel.

→SEE ALSO PAGES 4 & 7

IRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Expanding existing multi-faceted cooperation between Qatar and Turkey, Qatar Post (Q-Post) yesterday launched e-commerce platform – Turkish Souq – in partnership with Turkish Post (PTT).

The new e-commerce platform (turkishsouq.qa) will provide access to up to 5 million Turkish products ranging from clothing, shoes and accessories as well as vehicle parts and eve-rything in-between, all at a flat delivery rate of QR50.

The event was attended by Minister of Transport and Com-munications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Qatar Post Chairman and Managing Director Faleh Al Naemi, Managing Director of Turkish Post (PTT), Kenan Bozgeyik, the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, Fikret Ozer and other dignitaries.

Ahmet Arslan, Turkish Min-ister of Transport, Marine Affairs and Communications also addressed the gathering via FaceTime from Turkey.

Speaking at the event, H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti said that the launch of the platform would revolutionise e-commerce in Qatar. “The depth of Qatari-Turkish bilateral relations and

constructive co-operation in the fields of post, transport, ports, and aviation, whose foundations were laid by Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Turkish Pres-ident Recep Tayyip Erdogan cannot be overemphasised,” the Minister added.

Qatar Post Chairman and Managing Director Faleh al Naemi said that Qatar Post had launched “Connected” service two years ago allowing people to shop in the US and UK.

“Today, we are launching our latest e-commerce service, Turkish Souq. From today, our citizens can take advantage of

all the good work PTT (Turkish Post) has done and purchase quality products from trusted Turkish merchants and Qatar Post will ship them to their doorstep,” Al Naemi said.

He said it was the first phase

of cooperation between two countries’ postal services. “Later on, we will offer reciprocal services allowing Qatari e-com-merce companies to sell their products in Turkey.”

Turkish Souq offers free

home delivery by Qatar Post for all shoppers and items pur-chased can be delivered within two business days anywhere in Qatar.

→CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced yesterday that it received some 37,000 applica-tions from individuals interested to fill hundreds of academic, administrative and special education posts.

The Ministry said it has

received the applications through its website from various Arab nationalities following the announcement made by the Min-istry to fill vacant posts and the opening of the submission of these jobs during the period from 15 to 31 December.

The Ministry said in a statement that its work teams have started sorting the

applications immediately after they start receiving the applica-tions. The interview process is scheduled to take place in Qatar and some of the interviews will be in a number of Arab countries during the months of January and February.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in mid-December, announced about

800 job vacancies for the posts of teachers and administrators from all nationalities for the next academic year 2018-19. The job vacancies are in the public schools. With regard to gender and nationalities, the Ministry said posts are for (males and females), administrative jobs (males only) and special edu-cation posts (male and female)

and the number of candidates targeted is about 900.

The Ministry also said it is going to sort out the applica-tions as per the requirements and the shortlisted applicants will be called for interview. The applicants will be notified about fulfilling the requirements according to first-come-first-serve basis.

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Court of First Instance levied a bus driver who assaulted another motorist in road rage fight with a fine of QR5,000.

The Public Prosecution had referred the driver to a criminal trial for assault and deliberately causing bodily harm to the victim, a car driver, who suffered severe physical damage.

According to the case filed, the motorist was driving on a crowded street, and was leaving a roundabout, when the bus driver on the left side tried to turn and overtake his car. The car driver in his attempt to avoid the bus entered the muddy road.

The bus was carrying many passengers, who also insulted the car driver. When the bus stopped and the car driver approached the bus driver to talk to him, the passengers and bus driver hit the former and drove off.

The car driver noted the bus number and filed a com-plaint with the police who tracked the bus and the driver. The driver admitted his mistake.

Bus driver fined QR5,000 after road rage fight

Ministry of Education receives 37,000 job applications

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Minister of Transport and Communica-tions H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti has said that the volume of e-trade in Qatar at the end of December is QR4bn.

Talking to media after launching Turkish Souq e-commerce platform, the minister said that the volumes of e-trade were on the rise. “Qatar Airways alone handed shipping of 25percent of e-commerce items, 14percent of their cargo was handled by other Qatari companies while the rest was shipped by other foreign companies,” he said.

The minister said that Qatar was keen to develop e-commerce market and increase exchange level reaching QR10bn by 2022. He said that the government was encouraging Qatari companies in this regard.

On Turkish Souq, the Minister said that it was a great step that will give access to Qatar’s pop-ulation to Turkish market. He said the service was cheap as Qatar Post would charge only QR50 for shipping. The minister said that as many as 1,500 companies in Qatar were working in elec-tronic businesses and “our target to take the number to 5000 by 2020.”

SACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Shoppers in Qatar are set to be spoilt with choices as many new malls will open gates over the next three years. Around nine malls are expected to open over the next three years, offering customers a wide range of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences.

“Currently, there are around nine new malls under various stages of construction, out of which four have experienced soft openings, or launched in phases and have expansion plans that are slated to be delivered within a 3-year period,” said a report by KPMG on Qatar’s real estate sector. “This will take the overall organised retail space in excess of 2 million sqm,” it added.

Currently, the overall organised retail

space stands at approximately 1.63 million square metre (sqm).

Opening of new malls indicates the strength of Qatar’s robust economy and shows that the country is moving fast on the growth trajectory, despite the illegal blockade imposed by siege countries since June 5. Northgate Mall, Place Vendome, Doha Mall, Doha Oasis, Katara Plaza, Al Waab Mall are among the malls which will be opened over the next three years while some others announced partially opening this year. “Qatar’s retail market continues to outperform all other asset classes. One of the primary reasons for this robust growth is the high disposable income of a significant section of the population,” noted the report.

→CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Minister of Transport and Communications, H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti (centre), Faleh Al Naemi (fourth right), Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Post, Kenan Bozgeyik (fourth left), CEO of Turkish Post, Fikret Ozer (third right), Ambassador of Turkey, and other officials at the inauguration of Turkish Souq, at Mondrian Doha, yesterday. PIC: KAMMUTTY V P / THE PENINSULA

‘Turkish Souq’ to provide 5m items online

Nine malls expected to open in three years

Qatar Post yesterday launched new e-commerce platform (turkishsouq.qa) that will provide access to up to 5 million Turkish products ranging from clothing, shoes and accessories as well as vehicle parts and everything in-between, all at a flat delivery rate of QR50.

Volume of e-trade touches QR4bn

www.thepeninsula.qa

02 TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018HOME

Al Muraikhi meets Azerbaijan Ambassador

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met yesterday with Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Qatar, Dr Tofiq Abdullayev, on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs thanked the Ambassador of Azerbaijan for his efforts in promoting the bilateral relations and wished him success in his new tasks.

FM gets message from Afghan Minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has received a written message from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Salahuddin Rabbani, pertaining to bilateral relations and means of developing them. The message was received by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi during his meeting with Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Qatar, Faizullah Kakar, yesterday.

QNA

DOHA: Heart Hospital’s Heart Failure Clinic received over 1,700 patients with heart failure during 2017, accounting for close to 9,000 visits to the hospital over the span of a year.

“Since its official opening in 2015, the Heart Failure Clinic has received patients of many different national-ities through referrals from health centers, other departments within HMC hospitals, and from private sector hospitals and clinics. Most of the patients we see at our clinic are over the age of 70. In fact, patients below the age of 60 years make up only 20 to 25 percent of the total number of patients that we treat,” Consultant Cardiologist at Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Heart Hospital and Head of the Heart Failure Clinic, Dr Amr Badr said.

In recent years there has been an increase in the incidence of patients seeking medical attention for heart failure, Dr Badr added.

“The Heart Failure Clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, including an electrocardiograph, radiography, and ultrasound equipment, as well as cardiac assessment and re-evalu-ation devices.

“Apart from providing state-of-the-art services and quality equipment, we counsel patients on how to take their medication and educate them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle,” Dr Bader noted.

He added that in recent years,

Heart Hospital and specifically the Heart Failure Clinic, has introduced a number of new services and pro-grams to improve the quality of care provided to patients. Heart failure in its early stages can often be managed with medication and a healthy lifestyle.

However, as the disease progresses, the heart becomes weaker, and treatment becomes more complex.

One program introduced by the Heart Failure Clinic that is providing care to patients with congestive heart failure is the short stay service.

This service provides targeted care for patients who require brief hospitalisation but do not need to stay in hospital overnight.

Congestive heart failure is a chronic heart disease that affects the heart muscle.

It hinders the heart’s ability to pump sufficient amount of blood to meet the body’s needs.

Common signs and symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and tiredness, and feet and leg swelling.

Coronary heart disease, which is the result of coronary artery disease, is a common form of heart failure.

It can lead to a heart attack or stroke, especially if the patient has diabetes and is a smoker,” Dr Bader said. Dr Badr stressed the importance of early diagnosis of heart disease as a s trategy to prevent complications.

“We encourage our patients to be their own health advocate and to make lifestyle choices that will

protect their health. “Eating well, drinking plenty of

water, exercising regularly, and getting a sufficient amount of sleep are all important elements of main-taining good health.

“Small actions like limiting one’s consumption of salt, walking to strengthen the heart muscle, not smoking, and trying to limit exposure to stress and anxiety can all go a long way towards protecting one’s health,” Dr Badr said.

Chairman of Cardiology at Heart Hospital, Dr Nidal Ahmad Asaad added that patients should speak with their physician if they suspect they have a heart condition.

Dr Asaad added that anyone experiencing signs of a heart attack should seek immediate medical attention.

“Patients who experience heart failure may require treatment for cardiac arrhythmias (irregular or abnormal heart rhythm). Today we have many heart-assistive tech-nology tools at our disposal. Each year, we provide implantable cardiac devices to between 150 and 180 patients,” said Dr Asaad.

Dr Asaad added that Heart Hos-pital is committed to continuing to improve and provide new services and treatment options to patients with heart disease.

“We have introduced a system of remotely monitoring patient implants while they are in their home.

“This allows us to detect any defect in their device and take imme-diate action,” Dr. Asaad said.

PM greets Sudan PresidentQNA

DOHA: Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani sent yesterday a cable of congrat-ulations to the President of the Republic of Sudan Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, on the anniversary of his coun-try’s Independence Day.

Greetings to Cuban President DOHA: Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani sent yesterday a cable of congrat-ulations to President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba Raul Castro, on the anniversary of his country’s Independence Day.

HMC’s Heart Failure Clinic receives 1,700 patients in 2017

Advisory Council reviews draft laws on judiciaryTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Advisory Council yesterday reviewed a number of draft laws related to the judiciary after studies prepared by the legal committee of the council.

Following the discussion of the drafts laws and reports pre-sented by the concerned com-mittee the Council decided to submit its recommendations on all these draft laws to the government.

At the outset of the regular weekly meeting held under the Chairmanship of its Speaker H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, the Council reviewed the report prepared by its Legal and Legislative Affairs Com-mittee on the following laws related to the judiciary.

The report was prepared upon a task requested by the Council to the committee in order to conduct further studies on the draft laws.

The draft laws include amendment of certain provisions of the judiciary law promulgated by Law No. 10 of 2003. A draft

law amending some provisions of the civil and commercial pleadings law promulgated by Law No. 13 of 1990.

A draft law amending certain provisions of Law No. 12 of 2005 regarding cases and procedures of appeal to Court of Cassation in non-criminal articles. A draft law amending certain provisions of Law No. 19 of 2008 to determine blood money for manslaughter.

Draft law amending some provisions of Law No. 10 of 2002 regarding the Public Prosecution. Draft law amending certain pro-visions of the criminal procedure law promulgated by Law No. 23 of 2004. Draft Law on Concili-ation and reconciliation centers in civil and commercial disputes.

The Speaker initiated the members’ deliberations on those draft laws, explaining that it came as an implementation to the directives of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani which were mentioned at the opening of the 46th ordinary session of the Advisory Council.

The directives stress the impor-tance of work on developing the justice systems, ensuring the independence of the judiciary, to not prolong litigation, which recognises the importance of justice, ensures the development of the judicial system and strengthens its ability to cope with the rapid developments wit-nessed by our society in all fields, as well as taking the necessary measures to provide all possibil-ities to do so.

He said while deliberating on the draft laws, the Council lis-tened to the explanations of Min-ister of Justice and reviewed the recommendations of the Supreme Judiciary Council.

Al Mahmoud said the draft laws reflect a great development in the path of the judicial system in the country and added to building its our independent judiciary and justice to facilitate litigation. He added that it comes as part of the legislative and legal development in the country to cope with the economic, social and urban boom, which is all based on the religious justice inheri ted from older generations.

Al Mahmoud explained that justice, integrity, the realisation of the right and the support of the oppressed are meanings, values, and teachings deeply rooted in the Qatari society and will remain the base of the State since its establishment by its Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani.

The members of the Council had a wide discussion on the

proposed draft laws, where they revealed their views and con-firmed the importance of devel-oping the judiciary work and in reconciling the laws, especially those with direct relation with the lives of citizens and their jobs.

They also stressed on making litigation easier, faster and more efficient as slow justice is a kind of injustice, as the Emir said in his speech addressing the Council.

The draft laws added numerous articles to the devel-opment of the judiciary, speeding up cases and, in addition, estab-lishing conciliation and recon-ciliation centers in civil and com-mercial disputes with the aim of settling disputes through concil-iation in an optional and free manner.

In addition to the draft laws related to the work of the judi-ciary, the Council also reviewed the report of the Legal and Leg-islative Affairs Committee on a draft law on the national system for the accounting and control of nuclear materials, which included committee’s work to

inventory and control nuclear materials whether used or pro-duced in all activities.

Regarding the danger of these materials on humans and the environment, some of the provisions of the draft law pro-vided for deterrent penalties against those who contravene its provisions and to coordinate them with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In light of that, the Council decided to submit its recommen-dations on all these draft laws to the esteemed government.

At the end of the meeting, the Advisory Council received a report on the participation of its delegation in the Nato PA Joint Seminar of the Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group (GSM) and the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Defense and Security Cooperation (DSCTC), held in Rome, Italy.

The Council also reviewed another report on its delegation’s participation in the 22nd session of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union Executive Committee in Morocco.

The Speaker initiated the members’ deliberations on those draft laws, explaining that it came as an implementation to the directives of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani which were mentioned at the opening of the 46th ordinary session of the Advisory Council.

MEC shuts building materials company for one monthTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce yesterday announced the one-month closure of a building materials company, located in the Industrial Area, for displaying and selling counterfeit sanitary ware.

The inspection campaign falls within the framework of the Ministry’s efforts to monitor markets and commercial activ-ities in order to crack down on violations, price manipulation, and counterfeit and substandard products.

The company was fined and closed for a one-month period in line with the Article (7) of Law Number (8) of 2008. Article 7 compels suppliers to clearly display on the product’s package the type and nature of the item as well as other rel-evant data in line with the law’s imple-menting regulations. The law also pro-hibits the display of fraudulent

descriptions, advertisements, and mis-leading statements.

The Ministry said in a statement that the administrative closure declaration shall be published at the expense of the company that committed the violation in accordance with Article (18) of Law No. (8) on Consumer Pro-tection. The law stipulates that the closure decision shall be published on the Ministry’s website and in two daily newspapers at the expense of the violating company.

The Ministry stressed that it will not tolerate any violations of Consumer Pro-tection Law and its regulation. The Min-istry said it will refer those who violate laws and ministerial decrees to competent authorities, who will, in turn, take appro-priate action against perpetrators in order to protect consumer rights.

The Ministry urged consumers to report violations or submit complains and suggestions to its consumer protection and anti-commercial fraud department.

A Ministry official affixing the closure notice.

03TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018 HOME

SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani, Assistant Under-Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs at the Ministry of Municipalities and Environment, has revealed two major agricultural projects to continue the production of vege-tables round-the-year that will increase the self-sufficiency of Qatar.

“We have two big projects on state level that will contribute in increasing the agricultural pro-duction remarkably and con-tinue throughout the year,” said Al Thani while speaking at a Rayan TV talk show. “We want to ensure production through out the year,” said Al Thani.

He said that with entering in third month of this season, the agricultural production increased about 60 percent from 21 percent last year.

He said that during agricul-tural season production of some vegetables used to reach very close to self-sufficiency like cucumbers and tomatoes that achieved about 100 per-cent and upto 60 percent self-sufficiency respectively during the season.

“There are 9,00 productive farms with the agricultural area measuring 11,000 hectors,” said Al Thani.

He said that now local prod-ucts are available in the market. The market is stable and the prices of vegetables have started falling. Good quality vegetables from local farms are available in the market.

“With the implementation of new projects and turning more farms into productive, we will be able to meet a big portion of the need of local market,” said Al Thani adding that if local pro-duction would achieve 60 to 70

percent self sufficiency that will be great achievement.

Regarding the market share of local poultry production, Al Thani said local production of fresh chicken increased 99 per-cent of total consumption of the country from 50 percent before blockade. “During first quarter (Q1) of 2018 we will achieve more than 100 percent self-suf-ficiency in the production of fresh chicken,” said Al Thani.

He said that Qatar also achieved about 30 percent self-sufficiency in egg production and plans are afoot to increase the production about 55 percent soon.

Regarding dairy products, Assistant Under-Secretary said that the production of milk is increasing on daily basis.

“Local milk production started meeting 72 percent of total consumption of Qatar from merely 17 percent before blockade. In less than six months, Qatar will achieve self-suffi-ciency in milk production over 100 percent,” said Al Thani.

Regarding livestock, he said that animal production increased 20 percent totalling 1.4 million animals including sheep, goat, cow and camels.

“Plans are afoot to increase the strategic reserve of Qatar’s livestock to six months,” said Al Thani.

Farm projects to ensure year-round supplies

TOP AND BELOW: Locally produced vegetables are displayed in a market.

Now local products are available in the market. The market is stable and the prices of vegetables have started falling. Good quality vegetables from local farms are available in the market.

Nine malls expected to open in three yearsContinued from page 1

Over the years, retail malls in Qatar have per-formed well, with high occu-pancy, increasing rental levels with subsequent demand from new tenants.

The report added that North Gate Mall, a mixed-use development, with a Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of 92,000 sqm retail space, has started handing over spaces for fit-out and is expected to have a soft opening in the first quarter of 2018. United Development Company (UDC) launched ’04’ Mall in La Plage, South District in The Pearl, and is expected to add 40,000 sqm of GLA once completed by the end of 2018.

The second quarter of 2017 witnessed the launch of Doha Festival City, which increased the overall supply of organised retail space in Qatar to more than one mil-lion sqm of leasable space, distributed across 19 shop-ping malls.

Expected to be fully oper-ational by the year end, Doha Festival City spans over approximately 250,000 sqm of GLA is the country’s largest shopping destination, noted the report.

The second quarter also noticed the soft opening of Al Hazm Mall.

Al Hazm Mall will add 36,000sqm of leasable area that will primarily feature luxury brands along with food and beverage outlets and is expected to have a grand opening towards the end of the year.

Citizens, residents see a promising 2018AMNA PERVAIZ RAO THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The citizens and expa-triates have lauded the achieve-ments of the State of Qatar accomplished in year 2017 and the promise of productive 2018.

Citizens believe that 2017 has made Qatar self-sufficient and productive. The unjust siege imposed by the neighbouring countries has been defeated by the citizens of Qatar and expa-triates belonging to different sectors also claim that blockade has made Qatar a stronger country.

Fahad Al Saiari, a citizen told The Peninsula: “This New Year is not like any other New Year, it’s unusual for the state of Qatar due to the blockade imposed by our neighbouring countries. Qatar has become more inde-pendent and self- sufficient. Qatar has given the right sup-port to everyone living in Qatar no matter if they were nationals or expatriates.”

“We pray that we must achieve the goals we have aimed for in 2018. Qatar has always been keen to be up-to-date in technology sector; we aim to bring more high technology sys-tems to our country. The year 2018 will be more successful by the grace of Allah.”

Talking to different citizens belonging to various sectors revealed that the morale of Qatari nation is high and they think that Qatar has become a stronger country after over-coming the crisis.

“I strongly believe that 2018 will be a year filled with oppor-tunities for people living in Qatar. 2017 was the toughest, yet the productive year for the State

of Qatar. The increase in oil prices will result in launching new projects this year. Private sectors will be given chances to work more this year, which include medical, construction, retail and all other sectors,” said Jassim Al Mansoor, a Qatari citizen.

“2018 will be promising and optimistic year. 2017 has made everyone living in Qatar united; all expatriates or locals. We stood up together with our leader, Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and we promise to do this all our lives,” he added.

Muhammad Al Yami, a Qatari businessman, expressed his affection towards the country expecting more from Qatar by saying: “2018 is the year of ‘change’, people living in Qatar will feel more proud by the up-coming unexpected and outstanding projects.

“The blockade imposed on us has made us very strong nation. We have set up our own factories and started manufacturing goods like dairy products, agricultural products and many more. Relationships with countries like Pakistan, Iran, Turkey especially Kuwait and Oman

will become stronger in coming days.”

Al Yami added: “I am proud of Qatar and the people living in Qatar. The way Qatar man-aged the crisis has been remark-able. We were able to deal with every sector within no time. As part of Qatar National Vision 2030, we have successfully managed projects we had envi-sioned earlier.”

Expats also praised the end-less efforts made by the people living in Qatar in year 2017 and expect to live a better year ahead.

Muhammed Akhtar, an expat living in Qatar for more than 19 years said: “Qatar has made us feel proud, the way people in Qatar dealt with crisis they faced in 2017 made Qatar more powerful. We aim high in 2018 in order to witness more successful events taking place in Qatar.”

“We all managed to com-plete the projects already set to done in 2017. We being expats in Qatar have also become one nation standing tall with our Emir. 2018 will be a fruitful and colorful year for our beloved country Qatar and its innovative and energetic people.”

“I strongly believe that 2018 will be a year filled with opportunities for people living in Qatar. 2017 was the toughest, yet the productive year for the State of Qatar. The increase in oil prices will result in launching new projects this year. Private sectors will be given chances to work more this year, which include medical, construction, retail and all other sectors,” said Jassim Al Mansoor, a Qatari citizen.

04 TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018HOME

Kahramaa SMS service to inform utility usage rateTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Qatar General Elec-tricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) will launch this month an SMS service to inform subscribers in the residential sector about their monthly consumption of electricity and water and the amount of the bill.

Kahramaa said in a state-ment issued on Sunday that the service comes within the initia-tive ‘be a partner in rationalisa-tion’, to notify the subscribers about their actual monthly con-sumption rate.

The aim of the SMS service is to raise awareness about the con-sumption of water and electricity

and the importance of conserving resources which is part of the National Program for Conserva-tion and Energy Efficiency “Tar-sheed” “rationalisation”.

This is to alert consumers when they exceed the level of the optimal rate of rationalisation, in order to achieve the goal of the programme to reduce the consumption of electricity and water per capita to the optimum consumption rate and help the subscribers and encourage them to become a partner in the Tar-sheed initiative.

Kahramaa launched the ini-tiative of be Partner of Tarsheed in the summer of 2016 by sending text messages to edu-cate consumers about the

consumption pattern and encourage them to reduce waste of resources and avoid the increase of the bill.

In the campaign, which received a positive response from the public, Kahramaa sends a monthly message to the con-sumers about the consumption

rate in addition to alerting them not exceed the ideal rate. This is to help subscribers control the monthly consumption of elec-tricity and water to the optimum consumption rate.

Kahramaa invited sub-scribers to register with the corporation and update their

data through its website (km.qa) and the smartphone appli-cation to benefit from the SMS service.

In accordance with a detailed study of the National Program for rationalisation and energy efficiency, “rationalisation” of the actual consumption patterns of all segments of the residential sector has been determined by the average rate of moderate consumption for each category.

The company said it has registered 25,000 warnings and violations against the offenders of the provisions of the law of rationalisation No. 20/2015 since its enforcement two years ago.

The corporation has also taken legal proceedings against those who have proved that they wasted electricity or water and refused to reconcile and pay the fines imposed.

Offenders have a chance to reconcile and pay 50 percent of the fine.

According to the law, the fines imposed are QR15,000 for water and QR10,000 for electricity.

Tarsheed programme target for the next five years is to reduce per capita consumption of electricity to seven percent and a total of 25 percent over 10 years and 15 percent for water consumption and by 35 percent over 10 years by 2022.

The aim of the SMS service is to alert consumers when they exceed the level of the optimal rate of rationalisation, in order to achieve the goal of the programme to reduce the consumption of electricity and water per capita to the optimum consumption rate and help the subscribers and encourage them to become a partner in the Tarsheed initiative.

RAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

DOHA: A huge number of people opted to spend the first day of the year enjoying the various offerings at the Souq Waqif Spring Festival yesterday, including some fresh and exciting features brought by local entertainment provision company QSports.

Said to be the biggest and longest entertainment extrava-ganza in the country, the festival, which saw its official launch on Sunday, runs for four months and features over 60 attractions and activities including 36 amusement rides and games spread on two separate locations in the Souq.

While Zone A, which is located at Al Ahmed Square, encompasses a theme park with 25 amusement rides for all ages, Zone B which is at the Western Square contains an inflatable park with unique and interesting features that many visitors,

mostly families, enjoyed yesterday.

The Western Square was bursting with excitement as chil-dren took the wheel at the Kids Driving School which teaches them how to drive, provides a feel of driving in a neighbour-hood and more importantly how to drive safely.

It was an amazing adventure for others who tried zip-lining or descending the Giant Slide or getting active in the largest out-door trampoline park in Qatar. Inflatable bumper cars, trackless train and gigantic inflatables including pirate ship and bouncy castles as well as the biggest-of-its-kind ocean ball pool are among the other features at the venue.

The theme park at Al Ahmed Square includes a host of amuse-ment rides including Octopus Ride, Disco Tagada, Romantic Coffee Cup, Mini Roller Coaster Ride, Happy Swing, Music Express Ride, Moon Embracing Ride, Helicopter Tanks War,

Luxury Flying Chair, Self Control Bees, Kite Flying Ride, Dragon Roller Coaster, Energy Storm, Run Horse, Water Land Chariots, Crazy Wave, Frog Jump, Bumper Cars, Speed Car, Heli Racer, Crazy Car, Mini Pendulum Ride, Samba Balloon Ride and Luxury Carousel, in addition to carnival skill games.

Rides and games are priced from QR10 to QR35. A Gold Pass worth QR150 is also available providing a visitor chance to try all rides for the day.

Hundreds of visitors were entertained by a variety of acts staged by a motley of artistes including dancers, stiltwalkers and clowns. They also took the oppor-tunity to have their photos taken with a number of mascots roaming around the festival venue .

More than 30 food trucks and carts offer a variety of culinary delights to satisfy visitors’ pal-ates including burgers, crepes, waffles, corn on a cob, pancakes, potato rolls and French fries as well as beverages including juice

slash, smoothies, karak and coffee, among others which many festival visitors sampled.

Running until April 25, the festival promises to be the coun-try’s largest outdoor entertain-ment event this year which also highlights over 40 live entertain-ment shows and street perform-ances, as well as special

performances on National Sport Day.

As one of the major offerings of the upcoming Shop Qatar 2018, the festival will also wit-ness a number of other offerings such as shopping and hotel pro-motions, among others.

Souq Waqif Spring Festival is presented by the Organizing

Committee of the Private Engi-neering Office in collaboration with QSports and strategic con-sultant Russell Lloyds and is sponsored by QNB.

It is open Sundays to Wednesdays from 3pm to 10pm, Thursdays from 3pm to 11pm, Fridays from 2pm to 11pm and Saturdays from 12pm to 9pm.

Huge number of people enjoy Spring Festival

Qatar rejects Likud party’s decision to annex West Bank and Jerusalem settlementsQNA

DOHA: The State of Qatar has affirmed its total rejection of the decision of Israel’s ruling Likud party to impose Israeli law on settlements in the West Bank and the occupied Jerusalem and their annexation to Israel.

In a statement yesterday, the Foreign Ministry said that the decision constituted a serious vio-lation of the rights of the Pales-tinian people.

It added that the execution of the decision would undermine international efforts to implement the two-state solut ion

in accordance with established international terms of reference and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Ministry’s called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and to compel Israel to respect the res-olutions of international legitimacy.

The statement reiterated Qatar’s firm and permanent posi-tion in supporting the Palestinian cause and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people to ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 bor-ders with East Jerusalem as its capital. THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Starz Play, the fastest growing on-demand video streaming service in the Mena region, and Ooredoo, announced yesterday a new collaboration to provide a vast catalogue of premium Hindi content for viewers to enjoy on their Ooredoo tv.

The new Bollywood content will further supple-ment Starz Play’s existing 10,000 hours of the best Hollywood movies, documentaries, children’s enter-tainment, same-day-as-the-US series, and Arabic content in full HD and 4K.

Existing and new customers can now access the new Hindi content by simply pressing the ‘Home’ button on their Ooredoo tv remote control, then selecting ‘Clubs’ and the ‘Yupp Flix’ icon on the main screen.

All new Ooredoo Fibre Home Entertainment cus-tomers can enjoy free access to the Starz Play service, and Ooredoo tv customers not on the new Fibre plans can subscribe to Starz Play for as little as QR50 per month.

Speaking about the new content, Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director of PR and Corporate Commu-nications, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “We invest heavily to ensure a range of international content is avail-able for all our customers, and we’re delighted that Starz Play has enabled our viewers to enjoy Hindi content on demand. Ooredoo tv is becoming the big-gest and best choice for entertainment in Qatar, and we look forward to announcing further updates in 2018”

Starz Play has confirmed that the service will also be offering content in other Indian regional languages such as Tamil and Malayalam in the near future which will also be available to Ooredoo tv customers.

Ooredoo tv is available now via Ooredoo Shops, Starlink, TechnoBlue and Jumbo outlets. The service has no upfront charges, no equipment costs and no ongoing contracts. Furthermore, existing Mozaic TV customers who migrate to Ooredoo tv will be awarded a 30-day free subscription to Starz Play.

One of the rides at the Spring Festival in Souq Waqif.

Bollywood content now available on Ooredoo tv with Starz Play

05TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018 HOME

Safari Hypermarket announces lucky draw winnersSafari Hypermarket Group announced the 6th and final lucky draw winners of Win 20 Toyota Camry Car Promotion for the last five cars. The draw was held at Safari Mall, Abu Hamour, yesterday in the presence of Ministry official and Safari management and staff. The winners are: Romeo Mesa Doeillo Jr, (Coupon No: 1211709); M D Abul Koyer Ayub Miah, (3633244); Anas V C, (1125228); Aida Mousa Madini, (2908745), and Seraj Miah, (4397898).

TII offers language courses for children and adultsTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Continuing its initiative to engage the community with different languages and cultures, the Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII), part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa Univer-sity (HBKU), will be offering a range of popular community language classes at its facilities in Education City.

Designed to target both children and adults, TII’s Language Center courses are delivered by experienced instructors, who actively support language learning for stu-dents with diverse cultural backgrounds, irrespective of their current proficiency level. After a round of initial placement tests, all registered students will be allotted an appropriate language command level.Inmaculada Villasuso, Coordinator, Spanish Language, TII, “At the TII Lan-guage Center, we work to offer the best quality of Spanish courses in Qatar. Led by a team of qualified and experienced native Spanish teachers, our program pre-pares students to communicate in Spanish from day one in a friendly environment. Furthermore, during each of the cultural activities and events that we regularly organise – including film screenings and workshops – students get a chance to engage with the Spanish-speaking com-munity in Qatar, helping them to boost their confidence when in conversation with native speakers and allowing them to immerse themselves more fully in the new culture.”

TII applies the same level of curric-ular quality, class environment, and stu-dent engagement efforts across all other language programs as well.

Adults may register for Arabic, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chi-nese, Portuguese, and Spanish language courses. Each course utilizes a blended learning approach, building on classic

textbook learning with audiovisual and multimedia resources as well as struc-tured classroom discussions. To be held during the University’s Spring semester, all seven language courses at TII are presently open for enrollment until Jan-uary 10. The program of classes, begin-ning January 16, is conveniently timed to accommodate those interested in learning or developing their chosen language.

For children between the ages of 5 and 12, the list of languages at TII’s Lan-guage Center this coming semester

includes Arabic, French, German, Man-darin Chinese, and Spanish. During two-hour classes every Saturday, children will gain an opportunity to practice the language of their choice through well-structured lessons that integrate diverse activities, such as art and crafts, drama, games, and music. Registration is open until January 15 and classes are sched-uled to begin on January 20.

The launch of the Spring semester public courses comes as the latest in a series of initiatives undertaken by TII to promote a culture of learning and cele-brate languages in the wider community. Recently, TII commemorated UN Arabic Language Day to promote the integral role of the Arabic language in the history of human advancement. Furthermore, the institute is currently in preparation to mark the importance of Mandarin Chi-nese on the forthcoming occasion of the Chinese New Year in February.

To register online, log on to http://tii.qa/language-center and www.tii.qa/kids-courses.

Ahmet Arslan addressing the launching ceremony of Turkish Souq via FaceTime from Turkey. Kenan Bozgeyik, CEO of Turkish Post (PTT) is holding the phone. PIC: KAMMUTTY VP/THE PENINSULA

Turkey keen to enhance ties with Qatar: MinisterIRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Ahmet Arslan, Turkish Minister of Transport, Marine Affairs and Communications has said that Turkey wants to enhance cooperation with Qatar in all fields.

He was addressing the launching ceremony of Turkish Souq, an e-com-merce platform launched by Qatar Post in collaboration with Turkish Post (PTT) via FaceTime from Turkey.

The minister expressed his delight at the successful launch of the plat-form as well as the fraternal relation-ship between the two countries. Arslan said that cooperation between two countries’ postal services was an indi-cator of brotherhood and long-lasting relations between two countries.

“This cooperation will not be lim-ited and will cover all areas and this bilateral cooperation will also help us cooperate with other countries as well.”

He said that he and his counter-part, Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim bin Saif al Sulaiti, were expanding bilateral cooperation in transport and commu-nication sector.

“The relationship between Turkey and Qatar has gone a long way and the two brotherly countries are part-ners in progress. It is my great pleasure to witness the launch of yet another platform for bilateral trade relation-ship between the two countries,” he said.

The minister added that Turkish Souq platform would greatly enhance trade and give access to products at cheaper rates to the consumers in Qatar.

Ahmet Arslan said: “Our cooper-ation with Qatar will not be limited to e-commerce. It will become wide-spread in other fields and will pave the way for the two countries to work together elsewhere.”

MEC recalls Ford modelsTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Ministry of Economy and Commerce, in collaboration with Almana Motors Company, dealer of Ford vehicles in Qatar, has announced the recall of Ford F-150 and Explorer model of 2016 because the seat track pivot link bolt for the front power seat may loosen and/ or fall out.

The ministry said the recall campaign falls within the framework of its ongoing efforts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicles’ defects and repair them. The Ministry said that it will coordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and will com-municate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out.

PHCC opens registration at Muaither Health CenterTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has opened a registration for Health and Wellness Centre in Muaither, which is expected to open during the first quarter of this year.

Residents of Muaither 55, Abu Sidra, Rawdat Abu Al Hiran, Al Mearad and Al Sailiya are eligible to register with the Health and Wellness Centre in Muaither, said PHCC in a statement yesterday.

PHCC called on citizens who wish to transfer their medical files from Abu Nakhla Health Center , Al Rayyan Health Center and Abu Baker Al Siddiq Health Center to the Health and Wellness Centre in Muaither, to visit the primary health care website or go to their health center to complete the transfer procedures.

The new Health and

Wellness Centre in Muaither pro-vides comprehensive health services such as family medicine clinics, including a vaccination clinic , non-communicable dis-eases clinic, maternity clinic, post-natal clinics, the women wellness clinic, well baby clinic, smoking cessation clinic, med-ical commission and travel vac-cination clinic. Also laboratories, pharmacy, radiology unit, dental clinic, nutrition and diet clinic, physiotherapy , and early screening services for breast and bowel cancer are available at the Health and Wellness Centre in Muaither.

Turkish Souq’ to provide 5m items onlineContinued from page 1

Qatar Post’s new ecom-merce platform is dynamic and easy to use for online shopping with wide range of products and diverse items.

Q-Post has partnered up with the Turkish Post to give you access to Turkish vendors directly. It offers an interna-tional shopping and shipping service directly from Turkey to customers’ doorsteps in Qatar.

Q-Post charges a flat shipping rate of QR50 for all orders regardless of the number of items in an order.

A language class in progress.

Designed to target both children and adults, the courses are delivered by experienced instructors, who actively support language learning for people with diverse cultural backgrounds.

06 TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018HOME / MIDDLE EAST

SC extends its programmes to 10 local schools, up from three

Many activities lined up at ExxonMobil Qatar standTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: An action-packed enter-tainment programme awaits visitors at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2018, ExxonMobil Qatar has announced.

As the title sponsor of the tournament, ExxonMobil Qatar is organising a special line-up of creative activities at its stand in the Public Village each year that caters to visitors of all ages.

“The Qatar ExxonMobil Open is our top sporting event of the year, and we’re excited to be bringing it back to Doha with the Qatar Tennis Federation, our valued partner of 26 years. We’ve built a great partnership with the federation, and we’re proud that all the time, energy and effort our combined teams have invested over the years has placed the tournament on major global sports calendars,” said Saleh Al Mana, Vice-President and Gov-ernment Affairs Director for Exx-onMobil Qatar.

“The tennis world waits in anticipation for the Qatar Exx-onMobil Open, and they certainly have a lot to look forward to this year. From the tennis stars taking part, to the tennis action on centre court, and the entertain-ment, this year’s tournament

promises to be a spectacular one.”

“At ExxonMobil, we draw our inspiration from the Qatar National Vision 2030 as we con-tribute to education, health, and developing human potential towards building a sustainable future for Qatar. The Qatar Exx-onMobil Open is an example of how we’re supporting Qatar as it sets global standards for excel-lence in various industries and sectors,” Al Mana added.

At the centre of the numerous activities that will take place at ExxonMobil Qatar’s stand is a racing motorbike simulator that comes in a set of two. The sim-ulator is mounted to a motion platform and has a functioning throttle, hand brake, foot brake, clutch and shift lever, all of which contribute to the ultimate riding experience.

Users of the simulator will experience the thrills and spills of racing a competition motor-bike, simulating accelerations and brakes. Visitors of the stand can try out the motorbikes and even compete against one another to win a daily prize for the shortest lap time.

The “ExxonMobil Minute” is a popular feature of the tourna-ment, and is also part of the 2018 activities. At the end of each

match, the winning player ran-domly serves tennis balls into the audience, and the lucky specta-tors who catch them can then head to the ExxonMobil Qatar stand at the Public Village and claim wonderful prizes.

Those visiting the stand increase their chances of actu-ally seeing tennis stars up close and may even be fortunate enough to get a tennis ball signed by the tennis players who pass

by the stand each day of the tournament.

There is always something fun taking place at the Public Vil-lage, and visitors of all ages can enjoy the live music; magicians; restaurants and cafes; and tra-ditional Souq. With its myriad of things to see and do, the Public Village is an incredible venue that is not to be missed during the tournament.

Tareq Zainal, Tournament’s

General Coordinator said: “It is a great privilege to welcome our fans once again to Doha in the 26th edition of the world-class event, Qatar ExxonMobil Open is a symbol of the strategic and enduring partnership between the Energy Company ExxonMobil and QTF aimed at taking the sport to higher heights and bringing the community of Qatar the finest tennis and entertainment.”

“As we are about to experi-ence another exciting week of top-level tennis, I would like to appreciate everyone, especially the committees that have worked assiduously to ensure a suc-cessful event yet again.” He added.

Marking the 26th anniver-sary of the tournament, this year’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open will run till January 6, bringing some of the world’s top players together to compete for the trophy and a share of the prize money. Confirmed tournament participants include Dominic Thiem, Pablo Busta, Tomas Ber-dych and Richard Gasquet.

Tickets for the six-day event are available to the public online at www.qatartennis.org, as well as at various locations across Doha.

AFP

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax from yesterday, a first for the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-free, cradle-to-grave welfare system.

Saudi Arabia compounded the New Year blow for motorists with an unannounced hike of up to 127 percent in petrol prices with immediate effect from midnight.

They are the latest in a series of measures introduced over the past two years to boost revenues and cut spending as a persistent slump in world prices has led to ballooning budget deficits.

The five percent sales tax applies to most goods and serv-ices and analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21bn in 2018, equiva-lent to 2.0 percent of GDP.

But it marks a major change for two super-rich countries where the mall is king. Dubai has long held an annual shopping fes-tival to draw bargain hunters from around the world to its glitzy

retail palaces. None of the Gulf states levy any personal income tax and none have any plans to do so.

The International Monetary Fund has repeatedly urged Gulf states to diversify their revenues away from oil, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the Saudi budget and 80 percent in the UAE.

Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi asked all companies with earn-ings of $100,000 or more a year to register in the VAT system.

The UAE finance ministry said that VAT returns will be used “for infrastructure development ... (to) upgrade public services ... and boost UAE economy competitiveness.”

The hike in fuel duty in Saudi Arabia was the second in two years. High-grade petrol rose 127 percent from 24 cents a litre ($1.09 a gallon) to 54 ($2.46), while low-grade petrol rose 83 percent from 20 cents a litre (91 cents a gallon) to 36.5 ($1.66). The intro-duction of VAT coupled with the increase in fuel duty is expected to bring an abrupt end to a year of negative inflation in Saudi

Arabia. Riyadh-based Jadwa Investment predicted that infla-tion could reach as much as five percent after the new measures.

Saudis reacted sarcastically on social media to the new sales tax. “They are even taking taxes on car parking. I am afraid they will next tax the air,” wrote Ahmed bin Fatima.

Saudi Arabia, whose economy contracted by 0.5 per-cent last year for the first time since 2009, has introduced a raft of measures to raise revenue and cut spending as it bids to balance its books. Last month, it cut the government subsidy on electricity supply for the second time in two years, leading to a sharp rise in bills. Riyadh posted budget defi-cits totalling $260bn over the past four fiscal years and does not expect to balance its books before 2023. To finance its mounting public debt, the kingdom has withdrawn around $250 billion from its reserves over the past four years, reducing them to $490bn. It has also borrowed around $100bn from the interna-tional and domestic markets.

Saudi, UAE introduce VAT in New Year blowTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: In Qatar, in collaboration with Your Health First, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy is now delivering its programmes in ten local schools, up from three the year before.

SC’s key initiatives – Inclu-sive Generation, Green Genera-tion and Healthy Generation – have directly benefitted more than 1,000 children during 2017. Soon we will expand the pro-gramme to 20 schools, SC says on its website under title “2017 in review: Generation Amazing grows locally and internationally. We have also published six chil-dren’s books in partnership with Maktaba Library. These are helping to further reinforce our core messages and inspire young people about the potential of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

Also on the local front, SC has significantly expanded its coaching structure, after part-nering with Qatar Football Asso-ciation to incorporate 50 new coaches who are currently being trained to deliver football for development sessions to both schoolchildren and workers. “In

addition, we have partnered with Qatar Players Association to appoint ambassadors for our pro-gramme who promote the ben-efits of our training schemes and act as inspirational role models for our beneficiaries.”

During the recent World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha, SC showcased its pro-grammes, both at Qatar National Convention Centre and during Doha Learning Week. “Partici-pating in these events helped to highlight our work to local, regional and international audi-ences, particularly as it included various events attended by FIFA World Cup winner Xavi Hern-andez – our most famous Gener-ation Amazing ambassador.”

Another of SC’s great achieve-ments in 2017 is benefitting its programmes outside Qatar. “We have partnered with Street Foot-ball World, a global NGO that har-nesses the power of football for good causes, to support the delivery of Generation Amazing projects overseas. Since 2010, Generation Amazing has been operating in Jordan, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan and Syria. In all these communities we have built

football pitches and implemented sustainable programmes where football is used to develop human capacity and empower young leaders while teaching our core messages.” Next year promises to be another landmark 12 months in the Generation Amazing story. “We are aiming to reach more than 2,500 workers and 4,500 children in Qatar, while also looking to implement our school programmes in other Gulf coun-tries.” Overseas, in collaboration with Street Football World, SC is also aiming to reach six new com-munities in India and the Philip-pines, where the committee will build two community centres and six football pitches. “Each one of these pitches will become key community hubs and places where our football for develop-ment programmes will be deliv-ered through various partners on the ground. Also next year and Generation Amazing is aiming to launch a new initiative where football will be used to help chil-dren and young people in post-trauma situations, such as refu-gees and other people who have been displaced due to conflict or natural disasters.”

People stand in queue at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2018 counters for the tickets.

There is always something fun taking place at the Public Village, and visitors of all ages can enjoy the live music; magicians; restaurants and cafes; and traditional Souq.

AMMAN: Jordan’s royal palace warned it would take legal measures against anyone spreading what it said were lies about the ruling family, just days after King Abdullah relieved his brothers from top army posts in a major shake-up. The King, a staunch US ally, said that his brothers Prince Ali and Prince Faisal and his cousin Prince Talal — who all had high military ranks — would be retiring from the armed forces. He said the move was part of a reorganisa-tion of the armed forces’ hierarchy and structure.Prince Faisal was head of the Royal Air Force and deputy chief of staff, while Prince Ali had for years been in charge of the royal guards responsible for the king’s protection. Talal Bin Mohammad, a Sand-hurst graduate who was and an officer in the elite special forces, was also sent into retirement. They were all given honorary promotions. A palace state-ment on Sunday said it would pursue legal measures against those who propagated “lies and false claims” in social media and online websites with the goal of driving a wedge between the royal family and ordinary Jordanians.

12 dead in Syria air strikes: MonitorBEIRUT: Air strikes on one of the last villages still held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria killed 12 civilians, including four children, a moni-tor said. The strikes were carried out late Sunday on the village of Susa in Deir Ezzor province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. “Twelve civilians from a same family, including four chil-dren, were killed,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The Britain-based monitoring organi-sation, which has a broad network of sources on the ground, said the strikes were likely conducted by the US-led coalition that launched air raids against IS in Syria and Iraq in 2014.

17 held for FETO links across TurkeyTOKAT: At least 17 suspects, including on-duty sol-diers, former judges and prosecutors, were arrested across Turkey for suspected links with the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s defeated coup, according to a security source. FETO and its US-based leader Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. In central Tokat province, fifteen suspects, includ-ing former judges, prosecutors and lawyers, were arrested as part of a probe into the terrorist organi-zation. The arrests came after the Tokat’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants. In capi-tal Ankara, two on-duty soldiers were detained for their membership in FETO. The counter-terrorism units arrested two army officers following the tes-timony of former Lt. Burak Akin, who had admitted his own FETO membership on December 27, 2017.

NEWS BYTES

07TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018 MIDDLE EAST

New Year fireworksFireworks explode over downtown Beirut, Lebanon, during New Year’s celebrations, early yesterday.

A total of 4,148 civilians, including 754 children and 591 women were killed by torture and attacks carried out by the Assad regime last year, the report said.

AFP

TEHRAN: Ten people were killed overnight in the worst violence yet seen in Iran’s protests, local media reported yesterday, as President Hassan Rowhani played down the unrest and vowed those breaking the law would be dealt with.

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Tehran over four days of demon-strations, said it was “time for a change” and that the Iranian people were “hungry” for freedom.

Sunday night was the dead-liest since the angry demonstra-tions broke out on Thursday and spread across the country in the biggest test for the regime since mass protests in 2009.

Six people were killed in the western town of Tuyserkan after shots were fired, state television reported, while a local lawmaker said two people had been shot dead in the southwestern town of Izeh.

Two others, included a teenage boy, were run down and killed by a fire engine stolen by protesters in the western town of Dorud, the state broadcaster said, bringing the total death toll in the protests to 12.

Rowhani tried to play down the unrest, saying: “This is nothing.”

“Criticism and protest are an opportunity not a threat,” he said in a statement on the presidency website, adding that the Iranian people would “respond to the

rioters and lawbreakers”.“Our nation will deal with this

minority who chant slogans against the law and people’s wishes, and insult the sanctities and values of the revolution.”

Pro-regime rallies were held across several towns and cities, but videos on social media showed seemingly widespread anti-government protests in cities including Kermanshah, Khorram-abad and Shahinshahr.

A school for clergy and gov-ernment buildings were torched in the northwestern town of Takestan and videos showed police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse a small pro-test in Tehran’s Enghelab Square on Sunday evening.

The authorities did not give details on who was responsible for the fatal shootings.

The authorities have

confirmed more than 400 people were arrested since the outbreak of the unrest, of which around 100 have been freed.

Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani joined Rowhani in warning against illegal action.

“Those who have rightful demands must be guided in lawful ways and those who riot and commit sabotage and chaos and set fire to public property... must be confronted decisively,” he told the state broadcaster.

“The country must have dis-cipline,” Larijani added.

Verifying rumours and videos remained challenging due to travel restrictions and sporadic blocks on mobile internet and popular social media sites including Telegram and Instagram.

The protests began as dem-onstrations against economic conditions in second city Mashhad on Thursday but quickly turned against the Islamic regime as a whole, with thousands marching in towns across Iran to chants of “Death to the dictator”.

Trump, a fierce critic of Tehran, used one of his first tweets of 2018 to again lash out at a favourite target.

“Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama admin-istration,” Trump tweeted, refer-ring to the nuclear pact agreed under his predecessor Barack Obama.

“The great Iranian people have been repressed for many

10 dead in Iran unrest as Rowhani defiant

A group of men pulling a fence in a street in Tehran, yesterday.

years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!”

After initial silence, state media began showing some footage of the demonstrations on Sunday, focusing on young men attacking banks and vehi-cles, an attack on a town hall in Tehran, and images of a man burning the Iranian flag.

Rowhani came to power in 2013 promising to mend the economy and ease social ten-sions, but high living costs and a 12 percent unemployment rate have left many feeling that progress is too slow.

“We have no problem bigger than unemployment. Our economy needs an operation. We must all stand together,”

Rowhani acknowledged yes-terday. The authorities have blamed external forces for fomenting violence, saying the majority of social media reports were emanating from regional rival Saudi Arabia or exile groups based in Europe.

Authorities ruthlessly put down the 2009 protests, which followed a disputed presiden-tial election that gave hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term. At least 36 people were killed in the 2009 unrest, according to an official toll, while the opposition says 72 died.

In the years since, many middle-class Iranians have abandoned hope of securing change from the streets. But low-level strikes and demon-strations have continued, with

groups such as bus drivers, teachers and factory workers regularly protesting against unpaid wages and poor conditions.

Meanwhile, Israel’s intelli-gence minister voiced encour-agement for Iranian anti-gov-ernment protesters but added that Israeli policy was not to get involved in Tehran’s internal affairs. Four days of demonstra-tions in Iran have posed the boldest challenge to its clerical leadership since pro-reform unrest in 2009. At least four people have been killed as some confrontations with police turned violent. “I can only wish success to the Iranian people in the struggle for freedom and democracy,” Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz said in an Army Radio interview.

ANATOLIA

ANKARA: A total of 10,204 civilians were killed mainly by the Bashar Al Assad regime in Syria in 2017, according to a report of the London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released yesterday.

The report said 2,298 children and 1,536 women were among those killed.

A total of 4,148 civilians, including 754 children and 591 women were killed by torture and attacks carried out by the Assad regime last year, it

said. Also, 316 civilians, including 58 children and 54 women were killed by the PKK/PYD terror group in Syria while another 1,421 civilians, including 281 children and 148 women were killed by Daesh terrorists.

Attacks carried out by Russian forces killed 1,436 civilians, including 439 children and 284 women while 1,759 civilians were killed in attacks of the US-led coalition.

In the clashes between military dissidents and anti-regime groups, 211 civilians including 47 children and 30

women were killed. Separately, 913 civilians were killed by unknown sides.

According to the report, 2,019 civil-ians in the suburbs of Damascus, 1,512 civilians in Raqqa, 1,352 in Aleppo, as well as 1,324 others Deir ez-Zour and 1,256 civilians in Idlib were killed. Also, 882 civilians in Daraa, 852 in Hama and 781 in Homs as well as 198 in Hasakah and 28 other civilians in Quneitra prov-ince were killed. The report said 211 civilians in 2017 were killed after regime’s tortures.

Over 10,000 civilians dead in Syria in 2017

AFP

RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday harshly condemned a vote by Israel’s ruling party in support of annexing large parts of the West Bank and criticised the United States for its silence.

Abbas said the non-binding vote by the central committee of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party “could not be taken without the full sup-port of the US administration.”

He said in a statement that the White House “has refused to condemn Israeli colonial settlements as well as the systematic attacks and crimes of the Israeli occupation against the people of Palestine.” “We hope that this vote serves as a reminder for the interna-tional community that the Israeli gov-ernment, with the full support of the US administration, is not interested in a just and lasting peace,” Abbas said.

“Rather its main goal is the con-solidation of an apartheid regime in

all of historic Palestine.” The Likud central committee backed a resolu-tion urging Israel to extend sover-eignty over all settlement areas in the West Bank and called for unlimited settlement construction. Netanyahu, who is a member of the central com-mittee, was not present for the vote. Taking such a measure could effec-tively end hopes for a two-state solu-tion to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as there would be little area left for a Palestinian state.

BLOOMBERG

WASHINGTON: Vice-Pres-ident Mike Pence, who post-poned a Middle East trip a f t e r A r a b l e a d e r s denounced the new US policy on Jerusalem, isn’t scheduled to visit Israel in January, either, according to an Israeli official.

F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y spokesman Emmanuel Nah-shon said the visit isn’t included in the schedule of high-level dignitaries in Jan-uary, without elaborating on the reason for the delay. White House and Pence spokespeople didn’t have immediate comment.

The vice-president had planned to meet with Egyp-tian President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi and Israeli Prime Min-ister Benjamin Netanyahu in December and deliver a speech to the Israeli Knesset, but the visit was put off until this month.

The official reason given was a critical Senate vote on the tax reform bill, but the postponement followed Arab objections to President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Isra-el’s capital.

Abbas slams West Bank annexation vote

Pence again postpones Mideast trip

Pro-regime rallies were held across several towns and cities, but videos on social media showed seemingly widespread anti-government protests in cities including Kermanshah, Khorramabad and Shahinshahr.

Jordan denies dismissal of princes

08 TUESDAY 2 JANUARY 2018AFRICA

Thousands gather on New Year day in DurbanA general view taken yesterday in Durban shows thousands of New Year party revellers and holiday makers gathering on the North Beach during the New Year day. According to local police sources, close to 100,000 people spent the day at the beach. The city situated on the east coast of the African Continent attracts thousands of local and international tourists boosting the local economy at this time of the year.

Sudan to activate deals signed with Turkey recently

QNA

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s Ministry of Industry started implementing the agreements and memoran-dums of understanding it signed with its Turkish counterpart during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Sudan, which laid down the bases of the strategic economic partnership between the two countries in the industrial fields.

Sudanese State Minister at the Ministry of Industry, Abdo Dawood Suleiman, said in a remarks to Qatar News Agency that agreements with Turkey will focus on the organisation and management of the industrial zones, small and medium indus-tries, the exchange of experience, expertise and experts between

the two countries, in addition to making the best use in the fields of science and technology and the introduction of technology from Turkey.

He pointed out that the indus-tries include the fields of textiles, clothing and various leather industries, in addition to food industries, iron and steel, manu-facturing of spare parts for cars and machinery manufacturing.

On the future prospects for cooperation with Turkey, the Sudanese Minister said that his country looks forward to ben-efiting from the Turkish excel-lence in the fields of large capitals and advanced technol-ogy to invest in Sudan and add value to national products and move them to global markets for the benefit of the peoples of the

two countries. Adding that there are several

factories established in the past and is expected to jump to $10bn, and the industrial sector will receive the largest share where there are 12 fields covered by sponsorship and development exchange agreements, which can be increased, pointing out that this year will see the transformation of the agreed plans into joint work programmes.

The Minister also highlighted the plans for the current year, stressing that Sudan will focus

on industry, linking the economic sectors, restarting suspended factories and encouraging the states to put the manufacturing industries within their priorities and provide the necessary support for them to promote their industries.

He pointed out that the year 2018 will also see the training of 100,000 skilled and technical workers to form a large addition to strengthen the institutional capacity and make human resources have a better contribution to the conservation and maintenance of resources

and employment properly, compared to 60,000 workers were trained last year.

Sudanese State Minister at the Ministry of Industry said that the programmes of localisation of technology will give priority to the benefit of value-added, pointing out that the industries related to meat and gum, Arabic and oils, especially peanut crops, sesame and sun flower and cotton seed and feed, will flourish during the coming period in which will continue to implement the five-year industrial programme.

Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Al Bashir arrives to address the nation during the 62nd Anniversary Independence Day at the Palace in Khartoum.

Agreements with Turkey will focus on the organisation and management of the industrial zones, small and medium industries, the exchange of experience, expertise and experts between the two countries, in addition to making the best use in the fields of science and technology and the introduction of technology from Turkey.

Deby promises to hold delayed elections in Chad this yearAFP

N’DJAMENA: The President of Chad, Idriss Deby, said general elections, scheduled for 2015 but much postponed, would be held in 2018.

“I am happy to announce, on the cusp of the New Year, that legislative elections will be organised in 2018,” Deby said in a televised address, urging all politicians to show responsibility and patriotism in the run-up to the poll.

The country’s parliament was due to be dissolved on June 21, 2015, but the consti-tutional court extended its term.

Deby, who took office in 1990 and won a contested fifth term in April 2016, delayed polls still further last February.

The opposition derided his comments that the country did not have the financial means to hold polls before 2019 and have dubbed the current parliament illegitimate. He declared that “this major electoral event is awaited by Chad’s entire political class” and would be a source of “great political fervour”.

Deby also announced the creation of an “inclusive national forum” in the oil-producing nation to bring together political organisa-tions to examine in detail “different approaches to (political) reform.

“We have to pay close attention to peace and secu-rity, which are primordial conditions for progress,” said Deby, warning the country it must not drop its guard in “the fight against terrorism.”

Chad is an ally of the West in sub-Saharan Africa in tackling radicalism. But a prolonged slump in oil prices has taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy in recent years.

UN urges DR Congo leader to keep promise to step downAFP

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila to abide by an agreement to leave power, after at least eight people died in protests against his rule.

Kabila, in power since 2001, signed a deal with opposition groups a year ago agreeing to step down once his current term ends and new elections are held.

But violence has swelled in the giant, troubled African nation after the date of the new vote was pushed back to

December 2018, prompting fears that Kabila may seek to extend his rule.

“The Secretary-General urges all Congolese political actors to remain fully committed to the 31 December 2016 politi-cal agreement, which remains the only viable path to the holding of elections, the peaceful transfer of power and the con-solidation of stability in the DRC,” Guterres’ office said in a statement.

Eight people were killed on Sunday and dozens arrested as Congolese security forces cracked down on protesters who defied a government ban to demonstrate in Kinshasa and other cities.

Troops fired tear gas into churches and bullets in the air to break up gatherings at Catholic masses, in one case arresting 12 altar boys at a protest in the capital. “The Secretary-General calls on the government and national security forces to exercise restraint and to uphold the rights of the Congolese people to the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly,” the statement said.

The head of La Francophonie, the world organisation of French-speaking nations, on Monday blasted what she called “unspeakable attacks” against worshippers and other civilians. “Participating in a protest is a fundamental right,”

secretary-general Michaelle Jean said in a statement, urging “free, transparent and credible elections in DRC”.

DR Congo, rich with mineral wealth but plagued by violence, has not had a peaceful transition of power since inde-pendence from Belgium in 1960.

Kabila succeeded his assassinated father Laurent Kabila in 2001 and refused to step down at the end of his second and final term in December 2016. Elections had been due to take place by the end of 2017 under a church-mediated deal but were further delayed, and the poll is now sched-uled for December 23, 2018.

Mali president eyes amnesties under ‘national consensus’ lawAFP

BAMAKO: Mali will adopt a law on “national consensus” that may amnesty rebels who took part in a revolt in 2012, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said in a New Year’s speech.

Keita, in a nationwide message, said the law would draw on a so-called charter for peace, unity and national reconciliation, which he received in June as the out-come of a two-year-old peace pact between the government and Tuareg rebels aimed at shoring up Mali’s shaky secu-rity. The “draft law on national consensus... (will) include exemption from prosecution for all those who are implicated in armed rebellion but who do not have blood on their hands,” he said.

It will also include “meas-ures of conciliation”, he said.

These will be implemented after trials that are currently under way are fast-tracked to conclusion, and after compen-sation for victims is speeded up. Ideas include a programme to rehabilitate “all those who lay down their weapons and publicly undertake to renounce violence,” Keita said. But he insisted the package is “neither a reward for impunity nor an avowal of weakness, and even less a denial of right for the victims.”

One dead, 28 hurt in Cameroon suicide attackQNA

YAOUNDE: A female suicide bomber blew herself up in a cafe in Cameroon’s far north region, killing at least one person and wounding 28 others. Witnesses said the woman entered the cafe on Sunday night before detonating her explosive vest in Bia, a village close to the border with Nigeria. The area has seen frequent attacks by the Boko

Haram militants in recent years.Since 2014, when Cam-

eroon began its fight against

Boko Haram, the group has killed at least 2,000 civilians and military personnel and kidnapped a thousand more in the country’s far north, accord-ing to the International Crisis Group.

Since the group emerged eight years ago, it has launched attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, and caused the deaths of at least 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2.6 million.

Toll in Boko Haram attack on villagers increases to 25AFP

KANO: The number of loggers killed in a Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria has risen to 25 following the discovery of more victims, survivors and militias said.

Motorcycle-riding gunmen attacked a logging site where people were loading firewood into vehicles some 20km from the state capital Maiduguri.

Four bodies were initially recovered, but search teams later found 21 more victims in the surrounding area.

“We found 21 more bodies after search teams combed the bushes when many people didn’t make it back to the village after we were attacked,” logger Bunu Gana, who survived the attack, said.

“Fifty-three of us set out to the logging site from Bakin Muna (village) but only 28 made it back after the attack.

“We found four bodies at the site which made us to search for those missing,” said another logger, Haruna Dahiru.

The loggers were displaced by Boko Haram from nearby Mujtari, Zangale, Anzamala and Kumbulla village who turned to logging to feed their families, militia leader Ibrahim Liman said.

He said the victims had been logging at the site for seven months without incident as they

were always escorted by troops to protect them from jihadists.

“Yesterday they went to the logging without security escort and it was evident some inform-ants alerted Boko Haram that the loggers had no security protection,” he said.

The attackers were believed to have come from Boko Har-am’s main enclave in Sambisa forest which is accessible from the logging site, he said.

The militants have increas-ingly targeted loggers in their armed campaign, accusing them of spying and passing informa-tion to the military and the local militia fighting them.

In August Boko Haram fight-ers decapitated three loggers near Aisa-Wulomari village, 40km from Maiduguri while returning to the city.

In April eight loggers were killed and their bodies burnt by the insurgents at Kayamla vil-lage, 10km from Maiduguri while collecting firewood in a bush.

Boko Haram’s eight-year campaign of violence has killed over 20,000 people and dis-placed some 2.6 million from their homes, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the region. Most of the displaced rely on food handouts from aid agencies while others have turned to felling trees in this arid region for firewood which they sell to buy food.

A female suicide bomber blew herself up in a cafe in Cameroon’s far north region, killing at least one person and wounding 28 others.

IANS

NEW DELHI: A thick blanket of fog engulfed the national capital and its suburbs on the New Year Day with visibility dropping to zero, hitting domestic and inter-national operations at the Delhi airport and delaying trains departing from and arriving to Delhi.

With mercury at 5.7 degrees Celsius, dropping a notch below the season’s average on Sunday night, hundreds of passengers braved the morning chill as they remained stranded for hours at the airport and Delhi railway stations.

“Delhi woke up to worst fog of the season. Most of the north-western plains are in its grip. Day temperature will fall signifi-cantly,” Mahesh Palawat, Vice President at Skymet Weather, said, adding the minimum tem-perature of 5.7 degrees was “lowest minimum of the season”.

All the terminals at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Air-port were packed with passen-gers, who drove on fog-covered roads to catch their morning flights. The visibility which was 1,500 metres at 3.30am dropped rapidly to zero at 5.30am.

The flight operations at the airport were halted for about five hours. However, the visi-bility improved as the late morning sun broke through the blinding cloud cover, allowing

some flights to take off around 11am. A visibility of at least 125 metres is needed for a flight to take off. Arrivals at the airport were also baldy hit as only some aircraft were allowed to land.

Flights can land in visibility below 50 metres if pilots are trained in CAT IIIB — which is Category Three.

The Northern Railways said over 50 trains coming to Delhi were running late and 20 were rescheduled. Some 15 were can-celled. The Met Department said the shallow fog would continue throughout the region all through the day. The maximum temperature was likely to hover around 23 degrees Celsius.

Pollution levels in the cap-ital also shot up. The Air Quality Index (AQI) at various places in Delhi fell to the “hazardous” category.

Many took to Twitter to share pictures of their areas cov-ered by the blinding fog as the hashtag #delhifog was among the most trending topics on the microblogging site.

“I wanted to say Hello 2018 by clicking the sunrise, but with this fog I can’t even see my reflection to say hello to myself,” tweeted @virenrawat48, posting a picture of all haze. @pinky-chandran tweeted that it was “interest