TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 www.thepeninsula.qa30 RABIA II- 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8472

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2 RIYALS

Sport | 10

Bright

year

ahead for

startups

in Qatar

QFA hands

over fourth

and final part

of Asian Cup

2027 bid file

Business | 01

Amir reiterates support to Palestinian cause

QNA — DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President of the State of Palestine H E Mahmoud Abbas held a meeting during which they discussed the most prominent developments in Palestine.

H E the President briefed H H the Amir on the latest devel-opments related to the Pales-tinian cause and the peace process in the Middle East, expressing thanks and

appreciation to H H the Amir for Qatar’s constant support to the brotherly Palestinian people.

For his part, the H H Amir affirmed Qatar’s firm position regarding the Palestinian cause and its support for the brotherly Palestinian people in estab-lishing their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the decisions of international legit-imacy, the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

During the meeting, held at the Amiri Diwan yesterday, they discussed ways to consolidate

bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields, in addition to discussing a

number of regional and inter-national issues of common concern.

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Palestinian President H E Mahmoud Abbas at the Amiri Diwan, yesterday.

Thursday to be

official National

Day holiday

QNA — DOHA

On the occasion of Qatar National Day, the Amiri Diwan has announced that Thursday (December 17, 2020) will be an official holiday, and that employees are to resume work on Sunday (December 20, 2020).

Pfizer vaccine

expected in Qatar

before month end

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar expects to receive the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine before end of this month, weeks after the UK and the US have approved and started to roll out it.

Advisor to the Minister of Public Health (MoPH) for Sports and Emergency Affairs, Dr. Abdel Wahab Al Musleh has said that while vaccination will be voluntary, elderly, front-line personnel and people with chronic conditions would be the early recipients of the vaccine.

Speaking to Al Kass channel on Sunday evening, Dr. Al Musleh said though the demand for the vaccine is high across the world, Qatar has guaranteed the purchase of vaccine and expects to have enough vaccine for everyone in the coming months. �P4

MME announces plan to build 18 new public parksSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

To enhance the State's efforts to achieve sustainability, biodi-versity and host carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup 2022, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has announced plans to build 18 new public parks, waste segregation

plant, zero landfill and a facility to house pandas among many more.

“Nine major projects have been approved in the 2021 annual budget. The projects include a state-of-the-art facility for housing pandas, 18 new parks, waste segregation plant in Al Khor and developing animal farm complexes (locally

called Al Adhab),” said Director of the newly-carved Project Management and Development Department at MME, Dr. Eng Abdullah Nasser Al Kaabi.

Dr. Al Kaabi was speaking in ‘An Open Meeting With An Official’ programme organised by the MME at the headquarters of the Projects and Devel-opment Department.

“Other major projects which were approved in the new budget include upgrading MME labora-tories with advanced equipment, infrastructure development of lands for recycling facilities in Al Afjah, construction of a new san-itary landfill in Mesaieed in addition to modernising old land-fills, beautification of roadsides and constructing windbreaks

using perennial trees as a buffer to block sandstorms,” said Dr. Al Kaabi. He said that the planned high-tech sanitary landfill projects aim at achieving zero landfill in the country.

Speaking about the project for housing pandas, he said that a state-of-the-art facility will be built for pandas which are expected to come from China. �P4

During our meeting today, I affirmed to President Mahmoud Abbas, the firm position and support to the Palestinian people and their just cause. As well support to achieve peace on the basis of the Arab peace initiative, the two-state solution and international legitimacy decisions. I also emphasized the importance of the unity of the Palestinian people.

02 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020HOME

03TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 HOME

FROM PAGE 1

“Qatar will be first country in Middle East and Arab world in housing pandas. The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) recently floated tender for a project to develop a facility for pandas,” said Dr. Al Kaabi.

He said that China does not provide pandas to other countries unless they make sure that the host country provides a suitable facility and climate meeting all specifications.

“We are supervising a national solid waste man-agement programme 2020-30,” said Dr. Al Kaabi. He said that the programme induces a slew of projects and plans to implement the projects by constructing a complete infrastructure, pro-vision of necessary legis-lation and finance for solid waste management from the source to landfill, transport, segregation and recycling.

“We are working on this

strategy which is expected to complete by first quarter of next year,” he added.

He said that Department is about to launch an online monitoring system for all projects of the Ministry and to follow up the monthly reports about the quality of the projects.

“The Department presents development plan of the projects and manage the investments of the Ministry following the National Devel-opment Strategy 2018-22, Qatar National Vision 2030 and directives of H H the Amir,” said Dr. Al Kaabi.

He said that the Department issued 17 monthly reports including 132 initiatives and 133 indicators for measuring the perform-ances of all sectors of the Ministry.

Director of Public Rela-tions Department at the Min-istry, Abdullah Mohamad Al Falasi said that ‘An Open Meeting With An Official’

programme is part of a series of events to approach to the community through local media introducing projects in a bid to get feedback.

04 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020HOME

OFFICIAL NEWS

Amir congratulates President of GhanaDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim

bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir

H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad

Al Thani, and Prime Minister and

Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Kha-

lid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al

Thani sent yesterday cables of

congratulations to President of

the Republic of Ghana H E Nana

Akufo-Addo on the occasion of

his reelection for a new presiden-

tial term. -QNA

Amir condoles with King of Eswatini

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin

Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir

H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad

Al Thani sent yesterday cables of

condolences to H M King Mswati III

of the Kingdom of Eswatini on the

death of Prime Minister Ambrose

Dlamini. -QNA

Amir meets Ambassador of Cuba

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met yesterday at the Amiri Diwan Office with Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Qatar H E Eumelio Caballero Rodriguez (above) who called on H H the Amir to greet him on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. H H the Amir granted H E the Cuban Ambassador Al Wajbah Decoration in recognition of his role in contributing to enhancing bilateral relations between Qatar and the Republic of Cuba, wishing him success in his future missions and the relations between the two countries further progress and prosperity. For his part, H E the Cuban Ambassador expressed thanks and appreciation to H H the Amir and the State’s officials for the cooperation he received that contributed to the success of his work in the country. H H the Amir also met Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H E Nguyen Dinh Thao, who called on H H the Amir to greet him on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country. H H the Amir wished the Vietnamese Ambassador success in his future missions, and for the relations between the two countries further progress and prosperity.

229 recoveries, 160 new virus cases: MoPH

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced the registration of 160 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. Among them 27 were trav-ellers returning from abroad.

Also, 229 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 138,719. The Ministry also reported one death of a person aged 50, who was receiving the necessary medical care due to COVID-19.

All new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status. The Ministry further said that measures to tackle COVID-19 in Qatar have suc-ceeded in flattening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus.

Dr. Eng. Abdullah Nasser Al Kaabi, Director of Project Management and Development Department at MME PIC: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA

MME announces plan to build 18 new public parks

MoPH updates Green List linked toits travel and return policy to QatarQNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health announced an update to the green list for coronavirus (COVID-19) on its website, according to public health indicators in the State of Qatar and the rest of the world, and in continuation to the imple-mentation of the travel and return policy to the State of Qatar.

The Ministry said that the update will be implemented from next Friday until further notice, noting that this list will be reviewed and updated periodically.

The Ministry also announced the list of

(COVID-19) test centers approved by the Ministry around the world, explaining that obtaining a virus-free cer-tificate from one of these centers will exempt the person from being tested at the airport upon his arrival in Qatar, on condition that, certificate must be obtained with 48 hours before travel.

Travellers returning from low-risk countries must have COVID-19 test upon arrival at the Airport, and sign a Home Quarantine Undertaking to comply with the home quar-antine procedure for a week, noting that their health status on “Ehteraz” application will be yellow.

Pfizer vaccine expected inQatar before month end

FROM PAGE 1

Dr. Al Musleh said that Pfizer vaccine has two doses which have to be administered three weeks apart.

In reply to a question, he said that as in other parts of the world, COVID-19 vaccine will not be compulsory in Qatar, but there are possibilities that certain quarters might compulsorily require to vaccinate for example to travel or to enter stadiums.

To recall, on November 10 the Ministry said that as Pfizer and BioNtech vaccine would get the necessary regulatory approval Qatar would be able to receive an initial quantity of vac-cines by the end of this year or very early in 2021. On December 8, UK rolled out the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine) (DIN 02509210) vaccine to the public, becoming the first country to

immunize people against the virus. The rollout begun after the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the first regulator in the world to grant emergency authorization to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use. On December 11, the US Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authori-zation (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 16 years of age and older.

The emergency use author-ization allows the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the US. Health regulators in several countries including Canada and Sin-gapore have authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the countries.

Qatar welcomes

US decision

on Sudan

QNA — DOHA

The State of Qatar welcomed the United State’s rescinding of Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

In a statement issued yes-terday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looked forward for this important step to open the door wide before Sudan to fulfill the aspirations of its people for a democratic tran-sition, freedom, peace, justice and economic prosperity.

The statement noted that the State of Qatar has called in all forums for the need to rescind Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism to enable it to face challenges. The statement affirmed Qatar’s continued and full support to Sudan in order to preserve its sovereignty, unity, security and stability.

Czech Parliament

welcomes Shura

Council polls

announcement

QNA — PRAGUE

Vice President of the Parliament of the Czech Republic H E Dr. Vojtech Filip welcomed the announcement of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to hold elec-tions for the Shura Council in October next year, considering it an important step towards democracy.

This came during a meeting between the Vice President of the Czech Par-liament and Acting Charge d’Affaires of the Qatari Embassy in the Czech Republic Shafi Nuwaimi Al Hajri. The meeting reviewed the bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual concern.

Ministry of Labour signsagreement with ACTAQNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) signed yesterday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA) to enhance cooperation in the field of training and improving the abilities of employees.

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Yousef bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhroo signed the agreement along with President of the Administrative Control and

Transparency Authority H E Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad.

The memorandum involves cooperation in many fields, including the organisation of a number of training programmes in the fields administrative reg-ulation and transparency. The goal of the programmes is to develop the abilities of state employees. Other fields include participating in workshops, and placing joint goals to advance integrity and transparency. The signing of the MoU also aims to develop human capital and organise training programmes that rely on the best practices in the field.

05TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 HOME

06 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020HOME

Prime Minister meets Ambassadors of Vietnam, Cuba on end of tenurePrime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani met yesterday morning with Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H E Nguyen Dinh Thao (above) and Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba H E Emilio Caballero Rodriguez on the occasion of the end of their tenure in the country. The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior wished the Ambassadors success in their future duties, and further development and progress in the relations between the State of Qatar and both Vietnam and Cuba.

Shura Council approves decree law on private associationsQNA — DOHA

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

At the beginning of the meeting, the Council offered the most sincere congratula-tions and blessings to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and the Qatari people on the occasion of the National Day.

The Shura Council renewed loyalty to H H the Amir, affirming its permanent commitment and keenness on everything that is in the interest of the homeland and its citizen.

It also expressed that with the help of God, and then with the wisdom of H H the Amir, and his sound directives and policy, the country has made major achievements in various fields and overcame diffi-culties and obstacles to reach p r e s t i g i o u s p o s i t i o n s , r e g i o n a l l y a n d internationally.

H E Speaker of the Council stressed that December 18, 1878 will remain a shining sign in our national march, and a source of our pride, and that the values and principles

established by the Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammad bin Thani will continue to motivate this nation’s people to stay on the path of honour and achievement, for the sake of Qatar, preserving its sov-ereignty and its gains.

Then the Council con-tinued its session where it dis-cussed the report of the Public Services and Utilities Com-mittee on Decree Law No. 21 of 2020 regarding private associations and institutions, which comprises 58 articles defining an association as a group that is composed of several natural or legal persons who participate together in carrying out a social, cultural, scientific, edu-cational, or professional

activity, not with the goal of making profit; defining the professional association as an association comprising the owners of one profession reg-ulated by law; and defining a private enterprise as a private establishment set up by one or more natural or legal persons to achieve one or more purposes of charitable or public or private benefit, not with the goal of making profit.

The decree law specifies the conditions for establishing an association, the require-ments of its founding contract, its articles of association, how to register it, its objectives, the period of its license, and aspects related to its man-agement, finances, and control of its business.

After discussion, the Council decided to approve the aforementioned decree law and referring its recom-mendations to the esteemed government.

At the conclusion of the session, the Council reviewed the memorandum of the Cab-inet’s General Secretariat con-taining Recommendation No. 205 issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on employment and decent work for peace and resilience, a copy of the constitution of the ILO, and a copy of the guide to pro-cedures related to the agree-ments and recommendations of the organization, and learnt abut it.

Shura Council attends meeting on climate changeQNA — DOHA

The Shura Council took part in a parliamentary meeting themed “Supporting science-policy interface for a green renaissance in the Mediter-ranean”, organised virtually yesterday by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean

(PAM) in partnership with the UN Environment Program.

Discussions during the meeting focused on how to take the necessary measures by policymakers to adopt a proactive approach towards climate change and environ-mental degradation, and to stimulate national resources

to confront epidemic and eco-nomic crises as they arise, by achieving close cooperation between scientists and decision-makers.

The Shura Council was rep-resented at the meeting by H E Mohammed bin Khalid Al Ghanim Al Maadeed, member of the Council.

State Audit Bureau President inaugurates ARABOSAI e-learning platformQNA — DOHA

President of the State Audit Bureau and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Arab Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ARABOSAI) H E Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani inaugurated the e-learning platform of the organisation, and supervised the opening of the first training meeting through this platform, in the presence of representa-tives of the supreme audit institutions in the Arab coun-tries.

Addressing the training meeting held under the title “Evaluation of Public Policies” via videoconferencing, the Chairman of the Executive Council of ARABOSAI said that the inauguration of the e-learning platform is an

important achievement at the strategic level for the benefit of the organisation’s member bodies.

He explained that the

platform will provide many advantages such as saving time, economising on cost and expanding the range of partic-ipation in the sessions and

meetings held by the organi-zation, which will allow a better response to the needs of member bodies and enhance the organizations position and leadership at the international level, especially during this period while the world is facing the repercussions caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammad bin Saud Al Thani noted the importance of the meetings topic for the Arab supreme audit institutions by supporting their efforts to devote the principles of accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in managing public money within the areas related to the lives of citizens of the Arab countries, highlighting the success of public policies in achieving the

results and desire goals, and formulating corrective recom-mendations and proposals regarding these policies.

He stressed that within the international context, which is witnessing an intense focus by countries around the world on achieving the UN Sus-tainable Development Goals (2030 Agenda), the organi-sation seeks to enhance the efficiency and professionalism of the member agencies through the acquisition of knowledge and experience and the exchange of experi-ences among them within this vital field.

In conclusion, Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani thanked organ-isers of the meetings, and wished success to the participants.

ARABOSAI President H E Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani addressing a meeting of the organisation.

NHRC organises seminar on developing human rights mechanismsQNA — DOHA

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) organised a seminar under the title ‘Developing human rights mechanisms during the coro-navirus pandemic and beyond in various sectors’ with the participation of the Ministries of Public Health and the Interior.

This seminar comes within the framework of the National Human Rights Committee’s celebrations of the Interna-tional Human Rights Day, which is marked this year under the slogan “Better re-building.”

Deputy Chairman of the NHRC Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, in his speech, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the interests of various state institutions in all their sectors, especially those related to direct interaction with the public.

This, he said, made it imperative for those public institutions to activate alter-native ways to continue achieving their goals and mes-sages and to adhere to their responsibilities towards all members of society, and to find the best ways to develop the mechanisms of national human rights institutions in light of the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath in terms of speeding

the response and adminis-trative efficiency in order to upgrading the level of services to the public.

He noted that the work of national institutions is not limited to only receiving com-plaints. It also includes pro-viding recommendations and advice regarding national, regional and international leg-islation, conducting visits and monitors the human rights sit-uation in public and private sector institutions in everything related to human rights in health, education, work and other basic rights, in addition to raising awareness among all sectors of society in the context of their role in protecting human rights and preserving its dignity, mobilising the energies of society on under-standing and practicing its rights and duties, and applying the values of social justice and tolerance and promoting e q u a l i t y a n d non-discrimination.

He stated that the devel-opment of human rights mech-anisms has become an absolute necessity in the post-COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the biggest challenge of national human rights institu-tions since 2015, which is the United Nations recognition of national human rights institu-tions as a main mechanism in the process of implementing

and following up the imple-mentation of sustainable devel-opment goals.

For her part, Medical Director of the Communicable Diseases Center at HMC Dr. Muna Al Maslamani presented a working paper on the necessity to adhere to precau-tionary measures in case of health emergencies in order to promote the right to health.

She said that in this pan-demic, there are two ethical factors that enter the line of human health rights and that no health strategy should neglect them, namely the right to educate society about the risk of contracting the virus and the right to access real information about the devel-opments of the pandemic

She addressed the local experience in the State of Qatar

to confront the virus and the challenges for the health sector in this aspect, and how it was dealt with.

She also dealt with the process of ensuring that quar-antine is subject to human rights standards, pointing out that international human rights law and the International Cov-enant on Civil and Political Rights stated that restrictions imposed on rights must be for reasons related to public health or national emer-gencies, provided that these restrictions are legal, nec-essary and proportionate, and that health isolation is nec-essary to protect society, pro-vided that it is consistent with the law.

As for the category of workers, Dr. Al Maslamani underlined the efforts made by

the state by allocating places for quarantine under the full medical supervision of HMC while providing all their needs of medicine and food. She explained that after their exit from quarantine, the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Ministry of Interior, made sure to prepare the workers’ housing in a way that would ensure that they reside in a healthy environment.

For his part, Assistant Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior Colonel Saad Salem Al Dosari made a presentation under the title ‘The role of law enforcement officials in fol-lowing up preventive measures and respecting human rights’.

Participants of a seminar organised by the National Human Rights Committee.

The decree law specifies

the conditions for

establishing an

association, the

requirements of its

founding contract, its

articles of association,

how to register it, its

objectives, the period of

its license, and aspects

related to its

management, finances,

and control of its

business.

Shura Council

joint panels meet

QNA — DOHA

The joint committee of the Services and Public Utilities Committee and the Internal and External Affairs Committee of the Shura Council held a meeting yesterday under its Rapporteur H E Mohammed bin Mahdi Al Ahbabi. During the meeting, the committee continued to study the general discussion request submitted by a number of the Council’s members about the change of workplace and travel without notification for the expatriate workers and decided to complete its study at the next meeting.

Qatar, Poland hold political consultationsQNA — DOHA

The foreign ministries of the State of Qatar and the Republic of Poland held a round of political consultations via video conference technology yesterday.

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, chaired the Qatari side, while Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. H E Pawel Jablonski. led the Polish side. During the round of political consultations, they reviewed the bilateral cooper-ation relations and issues of common concern.

Temporary closure

on Al Oqda Street

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced that part of Al Oqda Street will be closed in both directions, starting from its intersection with Al Khor Road towards Al Farkiyyah Beach.

This temporary diversion will start from today and will last for seven days. During this period, commuters towards Al Farkiyyah Beach and resi-dential neighbourhoods East of the intersection of Al Khor Road with Al Oqda Street can use Ahmad bin Jassim Street or any of the side roads of Al Khor Road to reach their des-tinations, as shown in the attached map.

07TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 HOME

Players from

Washington Spirit have

been welcomed to Doha

by the US Embassy in

Qatar, Qatar Museums,

and the Embassy of

Qatar in the US for a

week of cultural

experiences and

sporting activities that

reflect the continuing

close ties and history of

partnership between the

two countries.

Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairsmeets Head of Afghan govt negotiating team

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met yesterday with Head of Afghan government negotiating team H E Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai. During the meeting, they reviewed the latest developments in the peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban and ways to ensure their success. Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai extended the Afghan government’s thanks and appreciation to the State of Qatar for its great endeavours during the first round of negotiations.

MoTC organises 8th National Cybersecurity DrillTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

In the presence of Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti and some officials, the Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions yesterday organised the 8th National Cybersecurity Drill (Star 8) in continuation of annual national cyber drills MoTC’s Cybersecurity Sector has been conducting since 2013 with the aim of raising State entities’ preparedness and effi-ciency to address and handle cyberattacks.

Held remotely due to the precautions of the coronavirus COVID-19, this year’s drill carried the theme: “Defending the Nation: Know Yourself.”

The drill covered topics on several fundamental technol-ogies such as the security-wise designing of technologies and the necessary protection mech-anisms by modeling the cyber-threats that institutions encounter and, therefore, stopping them and helping the institutions to better understand

to what extent their defenses are ready to address lurking cyberattacks.

This annual activity comes within the framework of achieving the objectives of the National Cybersecurity Strategy in terms of improving and sharpening the national capacity in cybersecurity by qualifying professional work-force in this domain and boosting cyberattacks response preparedness by detecting, investigating, managing and responding to and recovering from them. This happens through cooperation, instant exchange of information and deploying the appropriate measures.

“Cyber drills aim to determine the cybersecurity sit-uation of organizations across the country and gauge their preparedness and maturity for protecting their electronic assets and their resilience to cyberthreats, as well as addressing any electronic security weaknesses,” said Acting Assistant Undersecretary

of Cyber Security Affairs, MoTC, Othman Salem Al Hamoud.

“This year’s edition of the drill is the highest in terms of number of participants in the history of cyber drills which now enter their eight year. The number of participating entities is more than 100 represented by over 1000 specialists. These entities relate to critical infra-structure sectors. The rise is nearly 27% compared to the number of entities that took part in last year’s drill,” he added.

STAR 8 featured diverse scenarios and exercise models, tailored and engineered by a team of experts from MoTC’s Cybersecurity Sector to fit the requirements of the partici-pating sectors. Several important topics were covered such as business continuity during the coronavirus pan-demic with a special focus on the human element and its main role throughout this crisis.

“STAR 8 drill comes in con-tinuation of a series of national cyber defenses that began in

2018 with STAR 6 themed “Securing Major Events” and STAR 7 themed “Know Your Adversaries,” said Eng. Noora Yousef Al-Abdulla, Director of Critical Infrastructure Pro-tection Department, Cyberse-curity Sector, MOTC.

This year’s drill is unique with two key features: the intensive focus on institutions assessing their own systems and defense capabilities based on concepts, exercises and tech-niques deployed in previous versions and the full integration

between the exercises and the technologies - an integration that was only partial in last year’s drill, she noted.

The second feature is con-ducting a national cyber drill that size fully remotely, which is a valuable addition that could make it easier for the State and the critical entities in the future to handle any potential crises that could hamper the assembly in one place to manage cyber crises.

STAR 8 was conducted via a special national cyber drill

platform accessible exclu-sively for participating entities with a direct, instant con-nection with the participating teams to answer any questions and resolve any technical glitches.

In a related context on the sidelines of the event, HE the Minister honored the winners at the national level of the “Threat Hunters 2020 Compe-tition” MOTC last August organized in cooperation with the ITU-Arab Regional Cyber-security Center (ARCC).

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti and other officials during the 8th National Cybersecurity Drill.

American soccer stars visit QF ahead of 2021 Qatar-US Year of Culture launch

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

A top American women’s football team passed on tips and inspiration to school students and young female soccer stars during a visit to Qatar Foun-dation, ahead of the launch of the 2021 US-Qatar Year of Culture.

Players from Washington Spirit have been welcomed to Doha by the US Embassy in Qatar, Qatar Museums, and the Embassy of Qatar in the US for a week of cultural experiences and sporting activities that reflect the continuing close ties and history of partnership between the two countries.

The 2021 US-Qatar Year of Culture is the latest edition of a Qatar Museums cultural exchange program that pro-motes mutual understanding between Qatar and other coun-tries, builds and strengthens friendship bonds, and invites people to explore cultural sim-ilarities and differences.

QF played host to Wash-ington Spirit as its players got their first taste of Doha, with their time at Education City including meeting and coaching students from Qatar Academy Doha – one of the schools under QF’s Pre-University Edu-cation – and the QF girls’ football team, which includes

players in both mainstream and ability-friendly programs, at Oxygen Park.

Washington Spirit goal-keeper Aubrey Bledsoe said, “It’s incredibly important to build bridges between countries – we all have so much to learn from each other, and I think you see how Qatar Foundation really values this, with its dif-ferent universities and every-thing being so close together. It’s created an environment where building these bridges can take place.”

And midfielder Dorian Bailey – whose advice to the students and young female footballers she met at QF was “shoot for the stars and do what you love” – said: “Programs like the Years of Culture are important in the way they are able to just blend different cul-tures and allow people to learn from each other, and that blending of cultures is reit-erated at Qatar Foundation.”

Accompanied by President

The Washington Spirit women’s football team during their visit to QF headquarters.

QRCS, QFFD deliver relief aid toFilipinos hit by Typhoon VamcoTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Pursuant to the directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is conducting an emergency response to Typhoon Vamco in the Philippines.

With funding from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), QRCS provided relief aid for thousands of affected families and deployed a relief delegation to take part in the intervention.

As the Qatar Emiri Air Force aircraft arrived in the Manila Inter-national Airport, the QFFD-funded cargo was discharged and cleared by QRCS’s representation mission in the Philippines, together with the delegation deployed from Doha earlier this month. Both the staff of the Embassy of Qatar in Manila and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) were there to facilitate the clearance of shipment.

It contained food and

nonfood items, shelter kits, Kit-5 water and sanitation units, power generators, and rescue inflatable boats.

According to the action plan, the delegation met Elizabeth S. Zavalla, Secretary-General of PRC, to thank her for facilitating their work in the Philippines. During the meeting, she appreciated QRCS’s immediate intervention in response to Typhoon Vamco.

Then, the delegation visited PRC’s Operations Center to have an overview of its response mechanism and the systems used in dealing with the storm. They explored the possibility of upgrading cooperation between PRC’s Operations Center and QRCS’s Disaster Information Management Center in Doha.

Under QRCS’s relief aid dis-tribution scheme, the distri-bution of nonfood items is going on in the province of Rizal, having so far reached out to 623

families (or 3,115 persons) with 405 tarpaulins (2,025 benefici-aries). PRC distributed blankets, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, jer-rycans, straw mats, and kitchenware.

In the worst-affected province of Cagayan, 140 fam-ilies (700 persons) received relief items that included blankets, mosquito nets, jer-rycans, and plastic containers. Another 358 families (1,790 persons) received food items including rice, pasta, coffee, and canned fish and beef.

One power generator and one inflatable boat were delivered to PRC’s Cagayan chapter, to be used in rescue and quick response operations, under the QFFD-funded intervention of QRCS. As discussed with PRC, the list of recipients includes 5,500 families in five hardest-hit provinces: Cagayan, Rizal, Isabela, Marikina, and Camarines Sur.

of Community Development, QF, Machaille Hassan Al-Naimi and embassy officials, the players and team owner Steve Baldwin were given an overview of Education City from the viewing balcony at the 2015 building (QF Head-quarters), where they also learned about QF’s 25-year journey of providing opportu-nities for people to realize their potential through its investment

in education, research and innovation, and community development.

The players also toured the Qatar National Library, QF’s equine and equestrian center Al Shaqab, one of the world-class sporting facilities at Education City, to find out it is ensuring the proud legacy of the Arabian horse breed l ives on for future generations.

“Meeting the Washington Spirit players, and learning how commitment and posi-tivity can lead to success and fulfilment in life, has been a real thrill for young members of our QF community and reflects the connection of cul-tures that is at the heart of Qatar Museums’ Years of Culture program,” said Amy Johnson, Director of Com-munity Engagement, QF.

08 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

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

EDITORIAL

KEEPING up with the changing time to give a new attractive look to currency notes depicting Qatar’s cultural heritage and development as well as to add most sophisticated security and technical features in them, Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is set to launch fifth issue of Qatari banknotes on Qatar National Day.

The new issue which contains seven categories of banknotes 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, and 500 Riyals, have an aesthetic painting from Qatar’s environment and heritage and also reflect Qatar’s sovereignty in decision-making, as well as reflect economy, health and sports.

Each category has specific security and tech-nical characteristics according to their respective value, starting from 38 specifications up to 64. The QCB has not only taken all necessary measures with regard to security marks and high-tech specifica-tions it also included, for the first time, the flag of the State of Qatar and the date of issuance of the banknote.

QCB also issuing the 200 Riyals, which is a whole new cash category aiming to bridge the gap between the 100 Riyals and 500 Riyals banknote. The designs as well as security characteristics of banknotes as publicised in media are being liked by the people who have welcomed the move.

Executive Director of the Public Debt, Banking Affairs and Issuance at QCB Mohamed Jassim Al Kuwari said that noted that the first stage of the new issuance includes pumping QR8bn into banks, increasing it to QR16bn before the end of December, to reach QR20bn by the end of January 2021, pointing out that it is the same amount offered in the fourth issue.

Al Kuwari said that what distinguishes these ban-knotes is the beauty of calligraphy as the State of Qatar is the second in the world after Britain in this regard, and it is also the first in the Middle East in terms of the holographic security threads in the category of QR 500 notes. He highlighted the stages of launching the new issue of the Qatari banknotes, starting with their distribution to banks in preparation for making them available in ATMs.

He pointed out that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was not overlooked, as one of the categories of the new issue included stadiums for the tour-nament, and that the QCB has a huge project for the 2022 World Cup related to the issuance of commem-orative coins, where designs and models are now being done.

Keeping pace with time

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Quote of the day

As we see positive developments regarding

vaccination we believe that teachers and

education support personnel must be

considered a priority group.

Audrey Azoulay, Unesco Director-General

QNA

Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum (QP) H E Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi affirmed that the National Day unites Qataris and all those who love Qatar in expressing loyalty to the beloved homeland, and in renewing allegiance to the wise leadership of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who is leading the country to more pride and development built on the foundations laid by the late founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani towards more glory, greatness and dignity.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Minister of State for Energy Affairs said that the National Day is an occasion of glory and pride in the State of Qatar, which rein-forces our belonging to this beloved country, our con-nection to this great land, and our loyalty to the wise lead-ership, and a day that reminds us of our long history and in which we live a bright present and aspires to a bright future for us and for the generations to come.

Al Kaabi added such feelings are reflected every day in the manifestations of solidarity, unity and cohesion that unite all spectrums of the Qatari society and its members in the face of all the challenges facing them, whether during the unjust blockade or in the face of the global pandemic, or others.

He noted that just as the founder united the people of the country and strengthened their cohesion and harmony, the wise leadership deepened our connection to our great land and created a generation

with strong sense of belonging to this nation, a generation that will do every-thing possible to protect our present and work tirelessly to build our future.

On QP’s achievements this year, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs said that during the past three years, QP has strengthened its strategy and institutional values designed to support the path of this pioneering institution on the road to achieving its vision to become one of the best national oil and gas companies in the world by strengthening the position of the State of Qatar on the global energy map and expanding its international presence in the field of exploration.

Regarding QP’s growing global presence in explo-ration, he said QP received the “New Venturer of the Year Award” as part of the Wood Mackenzie Exploration Awards 2020, in recognition of its outstanding and growing international explo-ration presence around the globe. QP is the first National Oil Company to win such award after it was won by Total in 2019 and ExxonMobil

in 2018, he said, noting that the company signed a number of long-term agreements to buy and sell LNG with a number of brotherly and friendly countries.

He pointed out that QP signed agreements with three Korean companies to reserve LNG ship construction capacity in South Korea to meet ongoing expansion projects in the LNG pro-duction. By signing these agreements, QP secured approximately 60% of the global LNG shipbuilding capacity through 2027 to cater for its future LNG carrier fleet requirements.

In last November, QP announced the establishment and the start of operations of QP Trading LLC (QP Trading), as its dedicated LNG trading arm. Wholly owned by QP and based in Doha, QP Trading is mandated to build a globally diversified portfolio of third party and equity LNG. In addition, QP Trading will manage the price risk exposure of its portfolio through physical and deriva-tives trading.

On QP’s efforts to address the Coronavirus pandemic, Al Kaabi affirmed that QP has

worked on the immediate response to manage the out-break of the virus and limit its effects on QP and the rest of the energy sector. A crisis management team and a number of work groups and project teams have been formed to lead response efforts and implement key measures to protect employees while minimizing risks to the continuity of operations. QP also followed proactive tracking procedures with deliberate steps to raise or reduce the escalation as required.

All corners of the country are witness to the great eco-nomic, urban, cultural and social growth that earned it a high international recognition.

The Minister of State for Energy Affairs, stressed that just as His Highness’s direc-tives served to overcome crises, his daily follow-up to the various aspects of life in the country and his wise lead-ership to government helped to ensure the continuation of all that guarantees the ele-ments of pride, dignity and well-being and the factors of success, development and progress.

QNA

The Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Postal Services Company Faleh Mohammed Al Nuaimi (pictured) affirmed that the National Day occasion embodies the highest meanings of interdependence, unity and brotherhood on a land that embraces all those residing on it.

The Chairman and Man-aging Director of Qatar Postal Services Company Faleh Mohammed Al Nuaimi con-gratulated the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and the people of Qatar on the occasion of the National, adding that ND is a source from where we draw the values of patriotism, sac-rifice, attachment to homeland and working for its elevation.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the occasion, Al Nuaimi said that the most prominent lessons highlighted on this occasion are strengthening loyalty to the homeland and rallying the people around the wise lead-ership, which puts the interests of the people and their well-being at the top of priorities.

Al Nuaimi said that the values of loyalty, interde-pendence, unity and pride in the national identity of the State of Qatar have been entrenched in the hearts of its people, adding that this con-nection was clearly evident during the current corona-virus (Covid-19) crisis, as all state institutions cooperated together for the sake of eve-ryone’s well being.

Regarding the efforts made by Qatar Post in this regard, Al Nuaimi referred to the steps that have been taken

since the beginning of the outbreak to meet the needs of customers at a time when postal services have been dis-rupted in various countries of the world, pointing out that Qatar Post succeeded in ensuring that its business is running and its services are provided to the public safety.

He added that they pro-vided international shipping services through the Con-nected service. They also delivered residence permits, passports, driver’s licenses, daily needs from shopping centers and letters and docu-ments issued by e-gov-ernment services to all their customers. He also high-lighted the home delivery services of medicine, which contributed to reducing con-gestion in hospital and health centers and spared patients the trouble of going and col-lecting them.

On the most prominent achievements made by the Company this year and in light of its plans from the Second National Devel-opment Strategy 2018-2022, Al Nuaimi indicated that Qatar Post made many accomplishment, the most important was obtaining international accreditation certificates ISO9001: 2015, the ISO14001: 2015

environmental management system, and the OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management system, in addition to an information security management system ISO27001: 2013. The Company also won many awards, including the Best Postal Services Company’ award in sustainable devel-opment and environmental conservation at the Parcel+Post Expo 2019, the Green Corporate award at Qatar Sustainability Awards 2020, as well as the Interna-tional Standard Certificate (S42) and OSCAR certifi-cation- Universal Postal Union (UPU).

In order to develop the Company’s business a number of steps were taken including the development of e-commerce services, espe-cially the Connected service, the launch of the new version of the Turkish market website and the increase in the offered products. They also finished developing a network of branches, which covered all parts of the country,in addition to devel-oping a new technological interface to facilitate online shopping.

In view of these achieve-ments, Al Nuaimi pointed to the connection between the achievements and the prin-ciples of the Second National Development Strategy (2018-2022), especially with regard to developing the per-formance of institutions and diversifying their functions to achieve the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and improving the level of e-gov-ernment services. This was done by working with gov-ernment agencies as the official delivery arm of

government services to enable citizens and residents to access e-government services at any time and from anywhere.

With regard to corona-virus pandemic, and the most prominent efforts made to confront the pandemic within the framework of the coun-try’s strategy to contain it, Al Nuaimi said that since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Company has been able to keep up with this emergency and carry out its duty towards the Qatari com-munity with the logistical and technical capabilities that it developed over the years. It was able to harness its capa-bilities to serve vital sectors in the country, which can be seen in a number of examples, including launching medicine delivery services with Hamad Medical Corporation and the Primary Health Care Corpo-ration in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, and making more than one million deliveries during the current crisis.

Furthermore, the Company launched medical reports delivery services, home care supplies for the elderly and medical food to clinical patients, in addition to increasing the operational capabilities of delivery cars, drivers and technological devices to meet the increasing demand for providing delivery services in response to efforts to combat the out-break of the virus.

Al Nuaimi referred to the statistics indicating that postal services, e-commerce and delivery witnessed a record increase during the pandemic, stressing that available digital channels were greatly utilized.

National Day reflects unity and cohesion

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+974 6698 6188

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National Day embodies interdependence, unity and brotherhood

Established in 1996

During the past three years, QP has

strengthened its strategy and institutional

values designed to support the path of this

pioneering institution on the road to achieving

its vision to become one of the best national oil

and gas companies in the world by

strengthening the position of the State of Qatar

on the global energy map.

H E Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum

09TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 HOME

First pediatric kidney transplant from deceased donorTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Fifteen year old ‘N’ was on dialysis for four years, before she matched with a donor in Qatar. She became Sidra Medicine’s first recipient of an organ from a deceased donor, ending years of agony and the stress of living with chronic kidney failure.

N received a kidney from a deceased 26 year old, whose family gave permission to donate his organs, in one of the first donation and trans-plant procedures performed in Qatar since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Done in coordination with the Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation (QCOT), the organization works closely with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Sidra Medicine. The new deceased donor programme for children is considered a medical emer-gency, with donor suitability decided on an immediate basis. If the recipient is a pediatric kidney patient, QCOT works with HMC to harvest the organ from the deceased donor and

preserving it, before arranging for its safe and urgent transfer to Sidra Medicine.

The Division Chief of Nephrology from Sidra Medicine, Dr. Abubakr Imam said, “Since opening our hospital in November 2018, we have performed three pediatric kidney transplant oper-ations at Sidra Medicine. However, those cases involved the child receiving the organ from a living parent. N’s trans-plantation surgery is a first for Sidra Medicine, where a young person received an organ from a deceased donor, who is not related to them.

“This process of deceased organ donation will change the face of organ transplantations and offer hope for many children and young people suf-fering from chronic organ failure. I would like to thank the team at HMC and QOTC for their excellent coordi-nation and support. Our combined efforts will positively impact the lives of other children in need of donor kidneys.”

N’s mother said, “My daughter has a long history with autoimmune disease and kidney failure. She was registered with the Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation and we were performing dialysis, first at HMC and then at Sidra Medicine, for almost four years before we received a call from QCOT that changed our lives. While undergoing a transplant is not an easy journey, the support and care from the excellent team at Sidra Medicine, made the whole process smooth and reas-suring. We knew we were in safe hands, and this has been validated by the patient and family approach to care they have shown us.”

Once the kidney was harvested from the deceased donor at HMC, Sidra Medicine quickly mobilised its spe-cialist pediatric nephrology, urology transplant surgeons and coordinators, clinical pharmacists, operating room and anaesthesia team, pediatric ICU to

receive the organ and immediately rushed N into surgery.

N’s transplantation surgery, which took three hours, was performed at Sidra Medicine by Division Chief of Urology, Dr. Pippi Salle and Dr. Bruno Leslie.

Patient N with the medical team at Sidra Medicine.

QU-Health, QCS organise 10th annual MEACR meetingTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

QU-Health, in collaboration with Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) and the Middle Eastern Association for Cancer Research (MEACR), organised the 10th annual meeting of the Middle Eastern association for cancer research, under the title “Cancer science from bench to clinic,” virtually.

The conference was attended by Professor Egon Toft, Vice President for Medical and Health Sciences, and a large number of cancer scientists, researchers, physicians, and all those interested in cancer research, including graduate students and public health prac-titioners in Qatar and abroad.

The conference aims to exchange experiences and the latest findings of experts in this field, spread knowledge, and e n c o u r a g e s c i e n t i f i c

cooperation between various universities and scientific insti-tutions in the Middle East. The conference attracted the most prominent doctors, researchers, and academics, to provide a rich programme of educational sessions and lectures centred on cancer research and modern treatment methods.

“It is impossible not to feel humbled when addressing any cancer research community, a group of inspired and inspiring individuals who devote their lives to finding solutions for one of the world’s most devastating diseases.

“I am doubly humbled to address members of this meeting because I know your task is twice as difficult, given the challenges facing research in a region that is already strug-gling with economic, political, security, educational, and other challenges. Yet I am proud that

we at QU Health were again able to make this small contri-bution towards encouraging you to share your ideas and accelerate progress against cancer in the region and beyond,” Prof. Toft said.

Founder, MEACR, and pro-fessor, College of Medicine Dr. Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa, said, “As our determination to foster cancer research in the region aligns perfectly with the objec-tives of Qatar University, Qatar cancer society and Qatar’s national health strategy, we see in this collaboration a perfect partnership that helps nurture such a scientific endeavour in the region.

“We hope to continue to build on this mutual interest and create ever-evolving syn-ergies that will serve both cancer research and cancer patient care in the region and beyond.”

Participants at QU-Health and Qatar Cancer Society's 10th annual meeting, which was held virtually.

UCL Qatar celebrates its last of graduatesTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

UCL Qatar, a Partner University of Qatar Foundation, hosted its final graduation ceremony, graduating 108 students in doctoral programmes and master degrees in Library and Information Studies and Museum and Gallery Practice on Sunday.

The virtual ceremony was held alongside the university’s closing event. This event cel-ebrated UCL Qatar’s achieve-ments over the last 10 years in the country, marking the com-pletion of its agreement with Q a t a r Foundation.

The las t cohort of grad-uates joined the online ceremony from 12 countries across Europe, Asia and the Gulf. Twenty-nine dif-ferent national-ities were repre-sented, of which eight were Qatari nationals and 70% were women. Over 80% of graduates have already secured employment in leading local and global organ-isations, including Qatar National Library, Qatar Museums and the National Museum of Australia.

During the online event, senior leaders of UCL and Qatar Foundation reflected on a decade of outstanding aca-demic excellence and the pos-itive impact this has had for Qatar.

Director of UCL Qatar, Dr. Sam Evans said, “As we bring to a close UCL Qatar’s opera-tions, your achievements and those of our 331 former stu-dents will continue to have huge impact in Qatar and in whichever place your life and career take you. My colleagues and I hope that you will treasure the experience with UCL Qatar and Qatar Foun-dation, and the privilege that comes with the opportunity to work in a multicultural envi-ronment and on transnational projects. A global outlook

made even wider and more significant by the challenges of this year.”

UCL Alumni and senior UCL Qatar faculty members also joined the event to con-gratulate graduates and reflect on their own time at Qatar Foundation’s Education City.

UCL Qatar was established in 2010 as a partnership between University College London and Qatar Foundation

to develop and operate a centre for the study of cultural heritage and knowledge man-agement. Its mission was to “create the best environment for advanced research and learning excellence in the cul-tural heritage sector, to support Qatar’s National Vision 2030 ”.

Over the past decade, its programmes have educated and developed a diverse, international student body.

Over 300 masters and doctoral students have grad-uated from UCL Qatar since

the launch of its postgraduate and doctoral academic pro-grammes in Conservation, Museums and Gallery Practice, Archaeology of the Arab and Islamic World, Academic Research and Methods, and Library and Information Studies. Many of the univer-sity’s alumni have gone on to take senior roles in the cul-tural sectors in Qatar and the wider region.

UCL Qatar hosted its final graduation ceremony at an virtual event yesterday.

Ooredoo awarded Microsoft Gold Partnership statusTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Ooredoo has confirmed it has been awarded Microsoft Gold Partnership status.

The coveted status, awarded to a small number of organisa-tions providing Microsoft products and services, confirms Ooredoo’s commitment to main-taining the highest standards and means the telecommunications leader will enjoy a deeper working relationship with the technology giant as a result.

To achieve Gold status, partners must demonstrate the

highest technical excellence levels with Microsoft Azure tech-nologies and a firm commitment to meet developing customer needs, including those for a col-laborative, secure, and pro-ductive working environment.

Microsoft Gold certification enables partners to access the latest Microsoft technology products and services and ongoing training and ena-blement. With Ooredoo’s Cloud Services portfolio, Ooredoo’s business customers can decide to utilise Azure Stack to host part of the application data

in-country, with another part either in the same Azure Stack or in Microsoft’s global Cloud, i.e., Hybrid Cloud solution. Cus-tomers can also access the Azure Marketplace of certified, open-source, community apps, developer services, and data.

Chief Business Officer Ooredoo, Sheikh Nasser Al Thani, said: “We’re delighted and proud to have been awarded the prestigious Microsoft Gold Partner status. This reflects our commitment to achieving com-plete customer satisfaction through consistent, reliable

delivery of our products and services in partnership with major global entities such as Microsoft. Our customers can rest assured we meet, or exceed, the stringent standards expected by Microsoft, and can rely on us to meet their demands and expectations with the backing of Microsoft.”

Country Manager at Microsoft Qatar Lana Khalaf said: “It gives us great pleasure to announce Ooredoo, one of the leading telecommunications companies in the region, have attained the Microsoft Gold

partner competency worldwide by demonstrating the highest levels of technical excellence with Microsoft cloud technol-ogies and platform. We are

extremely excited to take Microsoft and Ooredoo part-nership forward to empower our customers to achieve more through the power of Cloud.”

Mall of Qatar celebrates 4th anniversary, announces Grand Prize winnersTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Mall of Qatar, Qatar’s favourite destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment, celebrated its fourth anniversary marking four years of great achieve-ments.

Since its launch in December 2016, Mall of Qatar has accomplished colossal success, cementing its position as one of the preferred destina-tions in Qatar and the region.

“Four years ago, on

December 10, 2016, the journey of Mall of Qatar began and con-tinued during all circumstances and challenges. We have achieved an astonishing success that positioned Mall of Qatar as one of the preferred destina-tions in the country for indi-viduals and families,” Said Emile Sarkis, General Manager, Mall of Qatar

Expressing his gratitude to the partners and tenants, Sarkis added, “Our close collaboration and common vision with

partners were the main factors for accomplishing such success. We would like to reiterate that our customers are our main pri-ority, and we will continue to enhance their shopping expe-rience to exceed their expectations.”

Marking this great occasion, Mall of Qatar organised a social media contest on December 10, giving its social media followers born on the same day a chance to win valuable Mall of Qatar gift cards to enjoy an amazing

shopping journey at the Nation’s Mall.

A raffle draw for the first Grand Prize was held on the Oasis stage as part of the “Pick & Choose” festival to mark the occasion, where Dr. Abu Baker Ibrahim Al Aeib won a luxury BMW 840i, and Marlon Rilles Quines won a BMW X2 for the weekly raffle. Also, ten winners claimed Mall of Qatar Gift cards from QR1,000 to QR5,000. Out of 20 cars allocated for “Pick and Choose” festival, 11 cars

were won while nine cars are still waiting for lucky winners. The next weekly draw will take place on December 17, and the second Grand Prize draw will take place on Qatar National Day on December 18.

“On this special occasion, we are delighted to have the draw of a luxury BMW 8 series as the first Grand Prize to be added to the valuable weekly prizes. The second draw for the Grand Prize will be held on December 18 on Qatar

National Day,” Sarkis noted. Since its launch in 2016,

Mall of Qatar has continuously enhanced the shopping expe-rience in Qatar to outstanding levels cementing the Mall’s position as the Nation’s Mall and the preferred destination in Qatar and the region. It encom-passes more than 500 world-class retail, lifestyle, dining, entertainment, and leisure experiences in one genuinely great destination with sophis-tication and elegance.

Patient N received a kidney from a

deceased 26-year-old, whose

family gave permission to donate

his organs, in one of the first

donation and transplant

procedures performed in Qatar

since the start of the COVID-19

pandemic.

Ooredoo and Microsoft officials during a ceremony.

Qatar opened its embassy

in Afghanistan in 2019,

becoming the third Arab

country to have an

effective diplomatic

presence in Afghanistan.

10 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 NATIONAL DAY

Qatar contributing to international efforts to rebuild Afghanistan: EnvoyQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the State of Qatar H E Abdul Hakim Dalili stated that the diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and the State of Qatar were established in 1972, noting that the Afghan Embassy was opened in Doha in 2003, while the Embassy of the State of Qatar opened in 2019, making it the third Arab country to have an effective diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.

He added that the relations between the two countries wit-nessed a remarkable devel-opment, as the State of Qatar participated in the international efforts to rebuild Afghanistan.

He said, in a statement to Qatar News Agency, that the State of Qatar celebrates the National Day on December 18 every year, which is the date when the Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani took over the reins of power in Qatar in 1878.

He considered this day the starting point of consolidating the pillars of modern state, adding that Qataris united around the Founder Sheikh

Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani after they found in him the piety, courage, wisdom and sophistication necessary for leadership, in addition to loyalty to his people and keenness to preserve the unity of the State of Qatar and its interests in the most difficult times the region witnessed.

He pointed out that this year witnessed the coronavirus pandemic, but the State of Qatar has been able from the first moment to track new cases, isolate the infected according to the standards set by the international health organizations, and take rapid steps to treat patients, adding

that Qatar has taken strict measures to reduce the out-break, and in record time, all medical and health supplies were prepared thanks to the developed health sector, strong infrastructure, and the nec-essary proactive measures to confront the pandemic.

He affirmed that the State of Qatar was not satisfied with only fulfilling its responsibility in this regard, as it played its pioneering role through responding to the humanitarian calls to help the rest of the countries afflicted by the pan-demic by providing aid to dozens of countries. On this occasion, the Ambassador of Afghanistan congratulated Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and the government and people of Qatar.

Ambassador of Afghanistan, Abdul Hakim Dalili

Qatar achieving astonishing results in all fields: Georgian AmbassadorQNA – DOHA

Ambassador of Georgia to the State of Qatar H E Nikoloz Revazishvili has said that throughout its history and espe-cially during the last decades, the State of Qatar has achieved astonishing results in terms of its overall economic, political and societal development.

The Ambassador affirmed that these achievements are attributed to the wise lead-ership of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whose support towards progress and development remains robust and unwa-vering, as well as to the Qatari government and people.

Thanks to those efforts and achievements, Qatar today plays an important role not only in the Gulf, but also in the wider region and internationally, he said.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency on the occasion of the National Day, the Ambas-sador said that since the estab-lishment of diplomatic rela-tions, Georgia and Qatar maintain very positive dynamics of bilateral ties, as bilateral relations and

cooperation has been steadily developed in the fields of economy, culture, trade, security cooperation, edu-cation, tourism etc.

The geographical proximity of the two countries naturally contributes to the development and deepening of many aspects of their relationship, he added.

Historically close ties between Georgia and the Arab world, cultural kinship and friendship between peoples - are favourable preconditions for further deepening of mutually beneficial relations, he said, pointing out that during the last years, several high level visits took place from both

sides, and that more than ten Agreements and MoUs were signed in different areas and more are under consideration or ready to be signed in the nearest future.

He noted that Georgia has become one of the favourite tourist destinations for Qataris, and after the COVID-19 pan-demic, it will maintain this status, adding that the pan-demic and the current restric-tions forced the two countries to re-schedule many events, visits on highest levels and dif-ferent bilateral projects, but as soon as conditions allow, dynamic interactions between Georgia and the State of Qatar will continue with even more intensity. The Ambassador expressed confidence that with the determination and efforts of the governments of both states mutually beneficial coop-eration will further enhance and develop. Ambassador of Georgia congratulated, on behalf of the Georgian Gov-ernment and Georgian people, H H the Amir and the Gov-ernment and people of Qatar on the occasion of the National Day, wishing Qatar lasting peace and prosperity.

Ambassador of Georgia to Qatar, Nikoloz Revazishvili

Qatar promoting dialogue, multilateralism: Portugal EnvoyQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of Portugal to the State of Qatar H E Antonio Alves de Carvalho has said that Qatar and Portugal enjoy close ties and relations, and the two countries are engaged in rein-forcing political and economic bilateral cooperation.

He added, in a statement to Qatar News Agency on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, that Portugal and Qatar established diplomatic relations in 1982 and opened their respective embassies in 2011 and 2012, and since then, the two countries have been building gradually a solid juridical bilateral framework in the fields of economy,

investments, trade, taxes, as well as in energy, tourism, sports, science, education and culture.

The Ambassador noted the positive transformations taking place in the country and all the economic and social achieve-ments, especially the recent reform of the labour law, in addition to the achievements in the fields of environment, tech-nology, science, education and sports.

He also highlighted Qatar’s organisation of the Football World Cup 2022, and its intention to become a world sports hub.

He said Qatar is today a country open to the world, defending basic international

principles and being a defender of dialogue and multilateralism, assuming a relevant role as a mediator, as a way to solve international conflicts.

Regarding the coronavirus

pandemic, the Ambassador said, “I salute the measures taken by the State of Qatar to face the coronavirus crisis and the results achieved. Fur-thermore, I would like to com-pliment and recognize the exemplar way the Qatari society faced the challenges that resulted from the pandemic that is affecting the whole world.”

Antonio Alves de Carvalho stressed that the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union in the first semester 2021 will bring new paths to bilateral relations in priority areas for both countries, such as economic recovery, post-pandemic, green recovery, digital economy and social welfare.

Ambassador of Portugal to Qatar, Antonio Alves de Carvalho

Uruguay Ambassador: Qatar playing effective role at regional, global level

QNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Republic of Uruguay to the State of Qatar H E Dr. Jorge Antonio Sere Sturzenegger (pictured) described the relationship between Qatar and Uruguay, which has spanned for 33 years, as excellent and dynamic.

He referred to the signed bilateral agreements, which further strengthen those rela-tions, between the two coun-tries, the most recent of which was the signing of an air services agreement in February.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency on the occasion of National Day, the Ambas-sador noted the exchange of visits between officials from both sides, stressing that the future of relations between the two countries is very prom-ising, evidenced by the great understanding and support between the two governments at the international level, which will double the efforts aimed at

achieving a better future for the peoples of the two countries.

He extended his congratu-lations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Government and the people of the State of Qatar on the occasion of Qatar National Day (QND).

The State of Qatar cele-brates QND in commemoration of the founder of the State, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, he said, while extending appreciation on his behalf and on behalf of the people and government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay on this occasion that embodies identity and belonging to this country. He praised what Qatar has achieved since its inde-pendence, in the development of its people and institutions at various levels, as well as Qatar’s effective role at the regional and international levels in resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue and diplo-matic negotiations.

He referred to the regional position of the State of Qatar by hosting regional and inter-national conferences at all levels under the wise lead-ership of H H the Amir, who led the country in an exemplary manner in various situations, making him a beloved leader who is respected by his people, with a deep vision for the future. He added that this is evident in the efforts made to prepare to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Qatar building a better world for next generations: Mexico AmbassadorQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the United Mexican States to the State of Qatar H E Graciela Gomez stressed that Mexico and Qatar have close political bonds and share a commitment for fighting inequality and corruption, promoting education and protecting the environment, and as such they often defend similar positions in the United Nations and other international fora.

She stated, in a statement on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, that on June 30th 2020 Mexico and Qatar celebrated the 45th Anniversary of the Estab-lishment of Diplomatic Relations, adding that the cordial relations

were further strengthened with the opening of their respective Embassies in Doha and Mexico City in 2014, in addition to signing a number of agreements covering important aspects such as strengthening commercial and industrial relations and cooper-ation in the field of energy, air services and technical cooper-ation and other fields, as these agreements form the basis of interaction between the two countries.

She highlighted the country’s celebration of the National Day, stressing that this occasion illus-trate the pride felt by everyone living in the State of Qatar.

She noted the transfor-mation and development

experienced by Qatar, pointing out that Qatar is leaving a mark in the international arena and has become a global leader in various aspects, not only in

terms of its vision and devel-opment but also in its com-mitment to build a better world for the next generations.

“I sincerely express my appreciation for the achieve-ments of this brotherly country, and commend its determination to contribute to the development and wellbeing of other nations by means of international coop-eration,” she added.

Regarding the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on all countries around the world, the Ambassador said that the health and economic impact will be felt for some time, praising at the same time the extraordinary way in which Qatari authorities have managed the situation and

this is also the feeling of the members of the Mexican com-munity here.

“Despite the complexity of the situation, the authorities informed with transparency about the evolution of the virus, put in place efficient ways to contain the propagation, imple-mented a sound control of the borders without closing the transit through the airport, put together a generous economic support package to protect employment and invested in a sophisticated tracing system that allowed for the gradual reo-pening of economic activity and in our transit to the new nor-mality,” she said.

She emphasised that Qatar’s

successful managements of the pandemic is reflected in the effects of the pandemic and also in one of the lowest mortality rates worldwide She added “in the international arena, Qatar has pledged generously to support efforts to develop a vaccine that can be available in a fair and equitable manner to all countries and has also coop-erated with numerous countries to support their efforts to contain the pandemic.” “In this regard, I am pleased to express my appre-ciation to the government of Qatar for its donation of medical supplies and sanitary equipment to Mexico, in order to support our fight against COVID-19,” she stated.

Ambassador of Mexico to Qatar, Graciela Gomez

Vietnam keen to enhance ties with Qatar: EnvoyQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the State of Qatar H E Nguyen Dinh Thao hailed the significant devel-opment in relations between his country and the State of Qatar in various fields, with a sincere desire to enhance cooperation between the two countries at all levels.

In a statement on the occasion of the National Day, the Vietnamese Ambassador said that in the past years, though Qatar has faced many difficulties under the blockade, Vietnam-Qatar relations have continued to develop in various fields. In 2018, Vietnam and Qatar celebrated the 25th anni-versary of the diplomatic

relations between the two countries with so many signif-icant activities, he added.

The Ambassador pointed out that the year 2019 wit-nessed the visits of many Viet-namese officials to Doha,

whether to attend international conferences or as part of mutual visits. On the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, the Ambassador extended wholehearted con-gratulations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Gov-ernment and the Qatari people.

Vietnam and Qatar have maintained fruitful cooperation, especially in the field of com-merce, he said, adding that a lot of Vietnamese products are on sales in Qatar market.

He also hailed the role played by the relevant bodies during the COVID-19 outbreak to organize the flight to repat-riate hundreds of Vietnamese citizens to their country.

T h e V i e t n a m e s e

Ambassador noted Qatar’s rapid development and increasingly important role in the region and the world as well, adding that the fact that Qatar is going to host World Cup in 2022, one of the greatest sport events of the planet for the first time to be held in the region, can tell us all about Qatar’s role and prestige on the regional and international arena.

He said Qatar is making every effort to prepare for the 2022 World Cup with so many giant projects completed, adding the event will be a great success and it will further enhance Qatar’s image in the world. At the international level, Qatar has actively shared responsibility and cooperation with other countries to face the global crises, he said.

Ambassador of Vietnam to Qatar, Nguyen Dinh Thao

QNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the State of Qatar H E Nurmakhmad Kholov said that the State of Qatar in recent years has achieved the goals of economic and social devel-opment that will build a society capable of overcoming all diffi-culties and challenges, indi-cating that Qatar plays a very significant role at the interna-tional and regional levels in terms of settling regional disputes by peaceful means.

In a statement on the Occasion of Qatar’s National Day, the Ambassador said that the friendly relations between the Russian Federation and the State of Qatar are evolving at a high level, as the Russian-Qatari cooperation is wit-nessing a dynamic, successful and multidimensional devel-opment, pointing out that the State of Qatar is the largest investor in the Russian economy among the GCC countries.

He said a working mech-anism has been reached between the two countries within the framework of the joint financial and economic platform, explaining that the Russian economy has attracted

Qatari investments worth $2.5bn, and other projects are being considered in sectors such as infrastructure, agri-culture, medicine, real estate and oil and gas.

The Russian Ambassador emphasised the mutual interest of both sides in various fields

such as energy, investment, construction, industry, agri-culture, tourism, culture, sports, innovation, education, youth and exchange of experiences in preparation for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

He noted the importance of the agreements signed between Russia and Qatar, in particular the visa waiver agreement, which entered into force on February 23, 2020, as Qatari citizens can enter Russia without a visa.

He hailed the emergency and precautionary measures taken by the leadership of the State of Qatar with highest level of professionalism to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pan-demic. He said Qatar and Russia are among the countries that took the initiative to assist the countries that witness very dif-ficult situation in their efforts to avoid the pandemic, and since the beginning of the spread of the COVID-19, Qatar has pro-vided medical aid to about 78 countries around the world. On the occasion of the National Day, Ambassador Nurmakhamad Kholov extended his congratu-lations to the State of Qatar’s leadership, government and people, wishing it further prosperity.

11NATIONAL DAYTUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020

Ambassador: Qatar-Russia ties witnessing multidimensional growth

Pakistan envoy: Qatar has emerged as a centre of global peace initiatives QNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the State of Qatar H E Syed Ahsan Raza Shah stressed that Qatar has emerged as an important and respected centre of conflict resolution and peace initiatives, and its presence and contri-bution to cooperation and dialogue at the multilateral level is reflective of its commitment to shared values and common goals of nations of the world.

The Ambassador added, in a statement on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, that the country has emerged as a major sporting venue and is all set to host FIFA world cup 2022 in a befitting manner, pointing out that the country has seen unri-valled infrastructure devel-opment comparable to the top urban metropolis in the world.

Qatar is a nation that takes great pride in its glorious history, cultural heritage and traditions, but at the same time has achieved tremendous progress and prosperity in keeping with the requirements of the contemporary era.

He said Pakistan and Qatar have historically enjoyed extremely cordial relations based on a common faith and

traditions, deep-rooted cultural affinities, geographic proximity, and convergence of interests, pointing out that these fraternal bonds have been carried forward and strengthened under the guidance of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who has always shown great support for Pakistan.

He explained that the bilateral relations have been greatly strengthened in recent times, and frequent leadership level contact and exchange of high level visits have increased over the past two years. He added that Pakistan’s Prime Minister H E Imran Khan visited Qatar twice in 2019 and again in February this year, while Pakistan hosted Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in June last year.

He also pointed out to how Pakistanis have proudly con-tributed in the progress and development of Qatar and in making it a remarkable success story of our era, saying: “Our workforce has made significant contribution in key institutions of Qatar. The hospitality offered to Pakistanis in Qatar is a reflection of the affection that binds our two countries.”

On behalf of the Pakistani community and on his own behalf, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the State of Qatar Syed Ahsan Raza Shah extended his con-gratulations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the Government and people of Qatar on the occasion of National Day.

Qatar, Peru working on several agreements to deepen ties: AmbassadorQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Republic of Peru to the State of Qatar H E Jose Benzaquen Perea affirmed that Qatar and Peru have strong and long-standing relationship that is witnessing positive developments.

The two countries, the Ambassador said, are working very hard to prepare several agreements to be signed in the future. In a statement on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, Ambassador of the Republic of Peru said that there are plenty of investment oppor-tunities in Peru in the field of energy, agriculture, mining, tourism and others.

He also hailed the precau-tionary measures the State has taken to protect the health and safety of its community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ambassador noted that

Qatar has been considered the perfect role model with atypical global crises by supporting many other suffering nations worldwide to combat the spread of this pandemic.

Peru’s Ambassador expressed his joy to share the Qatari people in celebrating this glorious day of establishing the State of Qatar under the wise leadership.

Ambassador: Qatar-Iraq ties based on historical foundations, common aspirations QNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the State of Qatar H E Omar Al Barzanji has expressed his appreciation for the deep relations between his country and the State of Qatar, stressing that these relations are based on historical foundations, social roots and common aspirations for the well-being and progress of the two people. In a statement to Qatar News Agency on the occasion of Qatar’s National Day, he extended his congratulations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and the government and people of the State of Qatar on this national occasion, wishing more progress and prosperity for the State of Qatar.

He pointed out that the National Day of the State of Qatar is an occasion in which

the Republic of Iraq reaffirms the strong relationship between the government and the people in both countries, adding that it is also an occasion to celebrate the achievements Qatar made in all fields.

He stressed that national celebrations are among the best occasions to express pride, sol-idarity and awareness, noting that Iraq values the excellent level of relations that bind the two country, and is always looking forward to elevating this relationship to higher levels in the future.

He said Iraq-Qatar ties are historically solid, close and deep, stemming from the customs and traditions that unite the two brotherly people, adding that the relations are moving towards broader horizons and cooperation based on the common interest that benefits the two brotherly countries. The Ambassador also praised the way the State of

Qatar dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that Qatar succeeded to a great extent and

helped alleviate this pandemic and its repercussions.

He pointed out that this was clear in the speech of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during the opening of the 49th session of the Shura Council, which included a vision, that closely resembled the vision of the Iraqi government, that focuses on working to achieve economic diversity in the country while preserving the development of oil sectors and encouraging investment, in addition to taking large and rapid measures to limit this pan-demic and emphasizing precau-tionary measures, and not sac-rificing the health of people or the country’s economy.

The Ambassador stressed that National Day celebration reflects the desire to revive history for the youth and future generation and benefit from that by linking the past with the present and gaining experience in shaping the future.

Strengthening ties with Qatar a priority in Tajikistan foreign policy: AmbassadorQNA — DOHA

Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the State of Qatar H E Khosro Sahibzadeh said his country regards Qatar as an advanced and developed country in the Middle East and at the global level, adding that strengthening and developing cooperation with it is one of the priorities of the Tajikistan foreign policy.

In a statement to Qatar News Agency on the occasion of Qatar National Day, he said that the distinguished political relations between the two sides are witnessing a steady growth thanks to the joint positions and the regular meetings of the senior leaders in the two coun-tries, stressing that the base of mutual trust and political will on which the two brotherly countries build their relations is a pivotal factor for the devel-opment of cooperation in various fields.

He explained that economic and commercial cooperation between his country and the State of Qatar does not reach the level of their political rela-tionship despite the existence

of huge opportunities and capa-bilities, expressing his hope that the coming period will witness more work to exploit the available opportunities so as to activate these relations for the benefit of the two friendly peoples.

He expressed his admi-ration for the successes of the State of Qatar in the process of achieving the goals adopted by its National Vision 2030, and the comprehensive and large reforms that are being imple-mented in all sectors that reflect the State’s efforts to achieve sustainable development and to promote its position and role

regionally and internationally. He pointed out to the prom-inent role of the private sector, including businessmen and investors, in achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision, noting that hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup is an unprec-edented opportunity for all countries in the region to develop trade and investment relations and strengthen cul-tural ties with Qatar.

Regarding COVID 19 crisis, the Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan in Doha expressed his confidence that the people of Qatar will overcome this crisis with determination and ability, stressing that over-coming this pandemic will only be through solidarity and close cooperation between all coun-tries of the world.

The Ambassador extended his congratulations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Government and people of Qatar on the occasion of Qatar National Day, wishing Qatar more progress and pros-perity in the different fields par-ticularly economy, investment, industry, transport, tourism, science and technology.

Acting Charge d’Affaires hails Qatar’s continuous support for LibyaQNA — DOHA

Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Libyan Embassy in Doha Salem Mohamed Kareem has stressed the outstanding and strong Qatar-Libya relations, saying that both sides are constantly working to develop these relations, and that offi-cials from the two countries exchange frequent visits with the aim of boosting future relations.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the occasion of Qatar National D a y , S a l e m K a r e e m extended congratulations to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Gov-ernment and the people of Qatar on the occasion of the Qatar National Day, wishing Qatar and i ts people progress, prosperity and continued growth and devel-opment despite the unjust blockade imposed on it by some of its neighbours, and maintaining its remarkable regional and international roles.

The Act ing Charge d’Affaires at the Libyan embassy voiced appreciation

to the State of Qatar’s support for his country, saying that Qatar was among the first countries that sup-ported the Libyan revolution; provided aid to the Libyan people during its revolution against the former regime; supported the internationally recognised Government of National Accord; condemned the attack on the capital, Tripoli; demanded an end to the fighting and a return to political dialogue between the various Libyan parties; and welcomed the new ceasefire agreement and the return to negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations.

On the other hand, he praised the rapid and effective measures taken by the State of Qatar to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, both locally to preserve the health of its citizens and res-idents, and internationally through health aids and field hospitals that it donated to some countries to help alle-viate their suffering from the effects of the pandemic.

Ambassador of Peru, Jose Benzaquen Perea

Ambassador of Tajikistan, Khosro Sahibzadeh

Among the GCC countries, the

State of Qatar is the largest

investor in the Russian economy

with investments worth $2.5bn.

More projects in infrastructure,

oil and gas, and other sectors

are under consideration.

Nurmakhmad Kholov, Ambassador of Russia

Our workforce has made

significant contribution in key

institutions of Qatar. The

hospitality offered to Pakistanis

in Qatar is a reflection of the

affection that binds our two

countries.

Syed Ahsan Raza Shah,

Ambassador of Pakistan

On Qatar National Day, the

Republic of Iraq reaffirms the

strong relationship between the

government and the people in

both countries.

Omar Al Barzanji,

Ambassador of Iraq

Qatar was among the first

countries that supported the

Libyan revolution; provided aid

to the Libyan people during its

revolution against the former

regime; supported the

internationally recognised

Government of National Accord.

Salem Mohamed Kareem,

Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Libyan Embassy in Doha

COVID-19 advice for students

12 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020GULF / MIDDLE EAST

The new government has

10 new faces. These

include Mohammed Al

Fares who was named

minister of oil and Khalifa

Hamada who was

appointed as finance

minister, according to the

official Kuwait News

Agency (KUNA).

Kuwait Amir names new oil and finance ministersQNA & AFP — KUWAIT CITY

Amir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah signed a decree yesterday approving the new cabinet line-up, headed by the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah.

The cabinet includes new oil and finance ministers, state media reported.The new min-isters took the constitutional oath before the Amir.

The new government, whose formation was due after parliamentary elections earlier this month, has 10 new faces.

These include Mohammed Al Fares who was named min-ister of oil and Khalifa Hamada who was appointed as finance minister, according to the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

Fares is a board member in national oil conglomerate Kuwait Petroleum Corp, while Hamada served as finance min-istry undersecretary for over a decade.

The 15-member cabinet is the first to serve under the new Amir H H Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who took office in September following the death of H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

Besides Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, who was re-appointed as Prime Minister by the Amir earlier this month and tasked with forming the new government, the cabinet includes four members of the Al Sabah family — which has ruled Kuwait for two and half centuries.

Sheikh Thamer Ali Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah was appointed interior minister, while Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al Ali Al Sabah was named deputy prime minister and minister of defence. Sheikh Basel Al Sabah retained his post as health min-ister, and Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al Mohammad Al Sabah as foreign minister.

The Amir emphasised that this stage is burdened with challenges and entitlements that require exceptional effort,

sincere and diligent work, and real and serious cooperation with members of the National Assembly that promote prac-tices in word and deed to achieve the desired national goals.

The Amir also stressed the importance of commitment to solidarity with regard to among them, the embodiment of coop-eration and coordination, addressing the core issues of concern to the homeland and the citizens, and working to consolidate the rule of law and institutions.

It is the second government in less than a year after the pre-vious cabinet stepped down in November 2019. The new line-up includes a woman, one less than the previous cabinet, with Rana Al Fares retaining her post as minister of public works.

“It appears to be a relatively technocratic government,” analyst Ayed Al Manaa said.

Kuwait has a fully elected parliament that enjoys wide legislative powers and can vote ministers out of office.

Earlier this month, candi-dates belonging to or leaning towards the opposition won nearly half of the parliament’s 50 seats in legislation elections, with the sole women lawmaker losing her seat.

Kuwaitis have expressed in recent years their desire for change and reform in their country, where 70 percent of the 4.8 million population are foreigners.

Rouhani: Israel behind killing of scientistAP — TEHRAN

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani yesterday claimed that Israel was behind the killing of a scientist who founded the Islamic Republic’s military nuclear programme in the 2000s in an effort to start a war in the last days of President Trump’s administration.

Rouhani’s comments in a news conference marked the first time he has directly accused the Jewish state of car-rying out the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh late last month.

Israel, long suspected of killing Iranian nuclear scientists over the last decade, has repeatedly declined to comment on the attack.

“Waging instability and war in the final days of the Trump administration was the main aim of the Zionist regime in the assassination,” Rouhani said.

Rouhani vowed to avenge the killing but said his country will not allow Israel to decide the “time or venue” of any retal-iatory action. He said Iran will not allow instability in the region. Fakhrizadeh headed Iran’s so-called AMAD pro-gramme, which Israel and the West have alleged was a

military operation looking at the feasibility of building a nuclear weapon. The Interna-tional Atomic Energy Agency says that “structured pro-gramme” ended in 2003. US intelligence agencies concurred with that assessment in a 2007 report.

After the killing of Fakhri-zadeh, a top Iranian security official, Ali Shamkhani, accused Israel of using “electronic devices” to remotely kill the sci-entist. Israel insists Iran still

maintains the ambition of developing nuclear weapons, pointing to Tehran’s ballistic missile program and research into other technologies. Iran long has maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Rouhani also referred yes-terday to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, from which President Donald Trump removed the US in 2018. “We believe the situ-ation will be changed under the

new US administration,” he said. President-elect Joe Biden has said the US could poten-tially return to the nuclear deal.

In November, Elliott Abrams, the US special repre-sentative for Iran, insisted that a pressure campaign of sanctions targeting Iran would continue into the Biden administration.

“The missile programme and regional issues have no link to the nuclear deal,” said Rouhani. “These are not matters of discussion, at all.”

Rouhani also said the reaction of the European Union to Saturday’s execution of Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam, whose work helped inspire nationwide economic protests in 2017, was an “intervention” into Iran’s domestic affairs. Iran on Sunday summoned the German and French envoys to Tehran after the European Union con-demned the execution by hanging of Zam.

Rouhani said the case was handled according to the Iranian law. “A court has reviewed the case and issued the verdict. We do act in the framework of our regulations.” However, he said he believes the case would not harm Iran’s relations with Europe.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani addressing a press conference in Tehran, yesterday.

Turkey detains 11 suspected of spying for Iran

AFP — ISTANBUL

Turkey has detained 11 people suspected of spying and abducting an Iranian political dissident on behalf of Tehran, the Turkish police said.

Agents from Turkey’s MIT intelligence service arrested the Turkish nationals fol-lowing the disappearance in Istanbul of Iranian political dissident Habib Chaab, the police said.

The exiled Iranian oppo-sition figure lived in Sweden and visited Turkey in October.

Iran’s state media officially reported his arrest in November but provided no details about how he ended up in Iranian custody.

Tehran accuses Chaab of involvement in an Arab sepa-ratist group known as the ASMLA.

The Turkish police said the suspects grabbed Chaab in Istanbul and smuggled him to the Iranian border region of Van before giving him up to Iranian officials.

The 11 Turkish suspects are accused of crimes including kidnapping, spying and assas-sinations allegedly carried out for a major Iranian drug trafficker.

The announcement comes on the heels of a public spat between the two regional powers linked to Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan in its victorious war with Armenia over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

A medical team member wearing a protective suit providing medical advice related to the coronavirus disease to students at a school in Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday.

Beirut blast probe: PM declines to be questionedREUTERS — BEIRUT

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, has declined to be questioned by the judge who charged him and three former ministers with negligence over the Beirut port blast, an official source said yesterday.

Judge Fadi Sawan’s charges have met pushback from influ-ential parties including Shia Hezbollah and Sunni leader Saad Al Hariri, underlining the political problems facing the investigation.

Lebanese are still waiting

for answers more than four months since one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts on record.

A huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate detonated in August after being stored unsafely for years, killing 200 people, injuring thousands and devastating entire districts.

Some politicians have sug-gested Sawan was selective in deciding who to charge, and that he overstepped his powers by charging government min-isters. Others, including the head of the Beirut Bar Associ-ation, have said the move showed courage.

Diab says his conscience is clear over the blast. His cabinet, which took office in January, quit after the disaster but con-tinues to serve in a caretaker role.

Sawan had requested an appointment from Diab’s office but was told he would not agree to be questioned, the official source at the prime minister’s office said. Sawan could not immediately be reached for comment.

The caretaker interior min-ister, Mohammed Fahmi, said he would not enforce any arrest warrants for Diab or the other

officials if they refused to be questioned.

“I would not order the security agencies to implement such a legal decision, and let them pursue me if they wish,” the Lebanese newspaper al-Joumhouria quoted him as saying.

After meeting with Diab on Friday, Hariri pledged not to let anyone “violate the post of prime minister” — a seat reserved for a Sunni Muslim in the sectarian power-sharing system.

The three former ministers charged by Sawan are members

of parties allied to Hezbollah, which said the charges smacked of “political targeting”.

Two are members of Par-liament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Shia Amal party, which also accused the judge yesterday o f b r e a c h i n g t h e constitution.

Lebanon’s senior Christian cleric, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al Rai, said on Sunday he hoped reactions to Sawan’s move would not obstruct the probe or cause “a national division on a sectarian basis for which we do not find any justification”.

Small Gaza sewing business finds new market in selling masksAP — GAZA CITY

In the blockaded Gaza Strip, the Christmas season is giving a boost to a small women’s business that produces pandemic face masks deco-rated with holiday symbols.

The masks, decorated with images of reindeer and Christmas trees, have found markets as far away as Europe. They also have provided a small lift to a Palestinian enclave run by the Islamist Hamas group and where the vast majority of residents are Muslim.

“We exported the first 200 masks two weeks ago to France, last week about 300 to Germany and from 300 to 400 masks will be sent to Britain in the coming days,” said Suhad Saidam, owner of the workshop.

It’s a rare success story in impoverished Gaza, where unemployment has reached around 50%, and exports are severely restricted by Israel.

Saidam, who has been sewing for 16 years, says she sends the masks to Palestinian

companies in the West Bank that export the goods. To be allowed out from Gaza through Israel and to the West Bank, the embroideries must be made of cloths and fabrics only. Decorated electronics, like watches, are forbidden, she said. Israel, with Egypt’s help, imposed the blockade on Gaza in 2007.

Saidam, 43, opened the workshop in 2017 with support from Care International humanitarian agency under a programme for breast cancer survivors like herself.

Saidam outsources the work to about 40 women, most of them suffering from cancer, to do the work at home “for a good income.” The Christmas-themed masks are sold for 15 to 20 shekels ($4 to $6). In Gaza, a typical daily wage is about 30 shekels ($9).

Wafa Tarifi, a resident of the West Bank city of Ram-allah, learned of the masks from a Facebook page and was pleased when she saw them at a bazaar in Ramallah. “I

bought some of them for my children’s Christian teachers and they liked it so much,” she said. As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out throughout the

world, there might not be great demand for masks next year, but Saidam says she will con-tinue to introduce traditional stitching for other occasions

and events. “We thought beyond the concept that hand-stitching is exclusive to the tra-ditional Palestinian gowns,” she said.

Palestinian Suhad Saidam works with others on masks in Gaza City. Saidam, a 43-year-old woman residing in west of Gaza City, sews colourful face masks. She makes these masks with the help of 40 other women, mainly cancer patients or survivors.

UN rights chief

‘appalled’ by execution

of Iran dissident

AFP — GENEVA

The UN rights chief voiced outrage yesterday at Iran’s execution at the weekend of opposition figure Ruhollah Zam, and urged Tehran to halt its “alarming and increasing” use of the death penalty.

“I am appalled at the execution in Iran on 12 December of Ruhollah Zam,” Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. “His death sentence and execution by hanging are emblematic of a pattern of forced confessions extracted under torture and broadcast on state media being used as a basis to convict people.”

Zam was hanged on Saturday after Iran’s supreme court upheld his death sentence passed in June over his role in protests during the winter of 2017-18, among other charges.

The dissident, who ran a Telegram channel widely followed in the pro-tests, had lived in Paris for several years after being given refugee status and residency in France. But activists say he was held after travelling to Iraq from Paris in October 2019 in circum-stances that remain unclear.

Desert tourism

13TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 AFRICA

US lifts Sudan’s terror-sponsor listing after 27 yearsBLOOMBERG — KHARTOUM

The US rescinded Sudan’s almost three-decade desig-nation as a state sponsor of terror, paving the way for the North African country to rejoin the global community and boost its ravaged economy.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced the move in a statement, congratulating “the members of the civilian-led transitional government for their courage in advancing the aspirations of the citizens they serve.”

The step was expected after President Donald Trump announced in October that Sudan had agreed to make a long-sought payment of some

$335m to US terror victims and their families. Discussions also brought in Sudan’s fledgling relations with Israel, a country Khartoum had never previ-ously recognized and with which it agreed a peace deal

just days later.Sudanese Prime Minister

Abdalla Hamdok on Twitter hailed the country’s freedom from “the international and global blockade forced upon us by the acts of the ousted

regime.” He shared a video out-lining some of the potential eco-nomic benefits.

It’s another step toward overturning the legacy of dic-tator Omar Hassan Al Bashir, who made the country an inter-national pariah for much of his 30-year rule and was ousted by the army amid mass protests in April 2019.

The US named Sudan a terror sponsor in 1993, citing its links with international militant organisations, and four years later enacted sweeping sanc-tions that lasted until 2017.

The compensation agreed was for US citizens affected by bombings of two of the coun-try’s East African embassies in 1998 by Al Qaeda operatives

that Bashir’s regime was accused of supporting.

The current Sudanese gov-ernment, a civilian-military coalition ruling until democratic elections, hasn’t said how the cash-strapped country can afford the payment. It’s still seeking sovereign immunity to protect it from legal action in the US.

Hamdok’s administration had mounted a concerted cam-paign for the listing to be dropped, saying it was crucial to rebuilding an economy bat-tered by mismanagement, cor-ruption and the loss of most of its oil reserves on South Sudan’s secession in 2011.

The US’s lifting of most sanctions didn’t spur an

improvement in Sudan’s eco-nomic plight, which sparked the protests that eventually unseated Bashir, with the terror listing leaving international banks and other companies still wary of entry.

Sudan is $1.3bn in arrears to the IMF and external debt will reach $57.5bn this year, sums that the government is also trying to settle.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his insti-tution “looks forward to working with bipartisan members of Congress, and with Sudan to help clear its arrears at the international financial institutions and to advance Sudan’s efforts to secure debt relief in 2021.”

Ouattara sworn in asPresident for a thirdterm in Ivory CoastAFP — ABIDJAN

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara took the oath of office for a controversial third term yesterday, urging the opposition to help “defuse tensions” ahead of general elections early next year.

The solemn ceremony was attended by 13 African counter-parts as well as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy— but boycotted by the opposition, as was the election that returned Ouattara to power.

“I ask all political parties to seize this new opportunity... to defuse tensions through dia-logue,” the 78-year-old pres-ident said.

He had said earlier that he asked his prime minister,

Hamed Bakayoko, to “resume discussions” with the opposition, which continues to contest the legitimacy of the October 31 election.

Ouattara and his supporters had argued that a 2016 revision of the constitution reset his term counter to zero.

When Ouattara won with more than 94 percent of the vote, the opposition cried foul and announced a “transitional government”.

Several opposition leaders were arrested, with legal pro-ceedings over “sedition” launched against them.

Pre- and post-election vio-lence has claimed at least 85 lives since August, according to an official toll. For many Ivo-rians, painful memories were

Nigerian state

says 337 students

missing after

gunmen attack

BLOOMBERG — LAGOS

At least 337 students are still missing after gunmen in Nigeria attacked a boys’ boarding school in the northern state of Katsina, an official said.

So far, 446 students are accounted for and reunited with their parents following the Friday attack, Abdu Labaran, a spokesman for Katsina Governor Aminu Masari, said by phone. A total of 258 parents were contacted and they confirmed that their children hadn’t returned home, he said.

Armed assailants arrived in the town of Kankara during the night of December 11 and opened fire before entering the boys’ school, causing students and staff to flee. An unknown number of students were said to have been abducted by the attackers, with 337 unac-counted for.

Katsina is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration is struggling to contain wide-spread insecurity across swathes of northern and central Nigeria. Buhari arrived in his hometown of Daura for a week’s private visit on the same day the school was invaded.

The latest incident adds to previous school attacks in northern Nigeria, including the 2014 attack on a school in the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014 during which 276 schoolgirls were seized. Boko Haram Islamist insurgents claimed the attack and another in 2018 in the northern town of Dapchi in which at least 110 girls were kidnapped.

The latest attack happened in a region in which armed groups with no obvious affili-ation have been active in recent years.

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara waves after the inauguration ceremony in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, yesterday.

stirred of the aftermath of dis-puted elections in 2010.

A political standoff was

followed by a brief civil war in which around 3,000 people died and an estimated 1.3 million

people fled their homes in the former French colony, the world’s top cocoa producer.

Libyan MP dies of COVID-19 in Morocco hospitalAFP — TRIPOLI

Libyan MP Omar Garmil has died in Morocco weeks after being infected with COVID-19, multiple sources said yesterday.

The UN-recognised Gov-ernment of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and the UN mission in Libya offered their condolences without mentioning the cause or place of his death on Sunday.

Garmil had participated in a meeting in Tangiers in late November with 120 other members of Libya’s House of Rep-resentatives, where MPs pledged to “end the divisions” that plague their country.

He was then hospitalised in Tangiers, where he died from COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a Moroccan diplomatic source.

Morocco has reported nearly 400,000 cases of the virus, including 6,624 deaths, while Libya has recorded some 91,000 cases, including 1,314 deaths.

Libya has been riven by vio-lence since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising that toppled and killed veteran dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with two rival adminis-trations vying for control of the oil-rich country.

South Sudan spy agency accused of abusing prisonersAP — NAIROBI

Pouring melted plastic on pris-oners' skin and hanging them upside down for long periods: These are tortures allegedly being perpetrated by South Sudan’s National Security Service, according to an inter-national human rights group.

Electric shocks, gang rapes, abductions and killings are also abuses carried out by the security agency charged Human Rights Watch in a study launched yesterday.

Established in 2011 — shortly after the country gained independence — South Sudan’s National Security Service has been operating beyond its con-stitutional mandate of collecting information, conducting analysis and advising relevant authorities, the report said.

Within months of its

establishment, the agency’s agents began imprisoning jour-nalists and government critics and carrying out physical and telephonic surveillance, according to the report titled “‘What Crime Was I Paying For?’ Abuses by South Sudan’s National Security Service.”

“Today, it has become one of the government’s most important tools of repression,” the report said.

Acting army spokesman Santo Domic Chol dismissed the report, saying its charges are “completely unfounded” and there is no evidence that the National Security Service is committing abuse.

“This is a country that believes in its law and the judi-ciary,” he said yesterday.

After civil war broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, the security agency started a

crackdown on people viewed as antigovernment and targeted human rights defenders, busi-nessmen, journalists and stu-dents, the report said.

The report is based on inter-views with 48 former detainees and 37 others including security officials and family members of people detained. The research was carried out between 2014 and 2020, said Human Rights Watch. The security agency operates without meaningful judicial or legislative oversight and its agents enjoy immunity from prosecution, said the report.

Although governed by the National Security Service Act, Human Rights Watch says the agency effectively operates above the law. Agents hold detainees in sites that are not designated as detention facil-ities under the law, according

to the report.They do not conduct arrests

based on warrants or court orders, but on their own initi-ative, and routinely hold detainees for long periods, even years, without charge or access to lawyers or visitors, it said.

However, other experts said the charges against South Sudan’s security agency are serious.

“The level of impunity by the organised forces is worrying especially at such a critical time of implementation of the (peace deal),” said Phillips Anyang, a human rights lawyer with the group Advocates Without Borders. “Distrust is growing and the population remains in agony,” he said. “Sad still is the silence of the leadership.”

South Sudan is recovering from five years of civil war that killed almost 400,000 people,

according to a study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Deadly vio-lence is continuing in some parts of the country while a coalition government formed this year between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar is behind schedule in implementing reforms.

“The peace agreements envision security reforms as a critical component of the tran-sition. Our findings underscore the importance of a rights-driven, rights-respecting security reform process in which citizens are protected against torture and other ill treatments, unlawful detention, unlawful killings enforced disappear-ances, and violation of their privacy rights,” Carine Kaneza Nantulya, Africa advocacy director for Human Rights Watch told AP.

One dead, many woundedin Tunisia tribal clashesAP — TUNIS

A man was killed and dozens of people wounded, two seri-ously, in tribal clashes on Sunday that broke out over a land dispute in southern Tunisia, according to a hospital in the town of Medenine.

The inhabitants of the governorates of Medenine and Kebil-iwere were fighting over the ownership of an area called Aïn Sekhouna, which is located between the two and boasts a hot spring in the middle of the desert. The governorates are close to the Libyan and Algerian borders.

According to the official TAP news agency, security forces backed by military units used tear gas to disperse those involved, many of whom were armed with sticks and shotguns. The security forces union reported 83 wounded who were trans-ferred to nearby hospitals using ambulances from surrounding areas. TAP reported that four security officers were injured in the clashes and a security vehicle ransacked.

Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi gave instructions to the ministers of the interior and of defense to hold a crisis meeting in the hope of finding a solution to the dispute “by legal means.”

Libyans taking part in a 4x4 tourism trip in a desert area near Al Shuwayrif town, some 400km southwest of the capital. In 2010, 110,000 foreign tourists visited Libya, generating $40m, a figure that has dropped to zero since 2011 due to the political chaos and insecurity following the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime in 2011.

The step was expected after President Donald Trump announced in October that Sudan had agreed to make a long-sought payment of some $335m to US terror victims and their families. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Twitter hailed the country’s freedom from “the international and global blockade forced upon us by the acts of the ousted regime.

War-scarred Tigray region in Ethiopia regains some servicesREUTERS — ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopia sent civil servants in Tigray back to work yesterday and ordered gun owners to disarm as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government sought to restore normality in the northern

region after weeks of war.Some power and telephone

links were also restored in regional capital Mekelle after a virtual communications blackout since federal troops’ November 4 offensive. But there were reports of big fuel and food price hikes, plus

water shortages. Tigray is still off-limits to

journalists without a permit. Abiy has declared victory

over the former local ruling party, the Tigray People’s Lib-eration Front. The powerful TPLF dominated federal gov-ernment for nearly three

decades before a wave of bloody anti-government pro-tests propelled Abiy to office in 2018.

Thousands of people are believed killed and nearly a million fled their homes during air strikes and ground battles in Tigray that exposed bitter

ethnic divisions around the vast nation.

The government seized Mekelle, home to 500,000 people, on November 28, and released a video last week entitled “Normalcy in the eyes of the residents” featuring interviews with Tigrayans.

14 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020ASIA

Anger in Sri Lanka overforced virus cremationsAFP — COLOMBO

Outrage is mounting in Sri Lanka after at least 15 Muslim coronavirus victims, including a baby, were cremated against family wishes and in contra-vention of Islamic funeral rites.

Health authorities in Bud-dhist-majority Sri Lanka insist all victims must be cremated — even if they are Muslims, who traditionally bury their dead facing Makkah.

As local and international protests escalated, neigh-bouring Maldives said it was considering a request to bury Sri Lankan Muslims in the archipelago.

P r e s i d e n t I b r a h i m Mohamed Solih was consulting his officials to “assist Sri Lanka in facilitating Islamic funeral rites in the Maldives for Sri Lankan Muslims succumbing to Covid-19 pandemic,” Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shaheed tweeted.

The 57-member Organi-sation of Islamic Cooperation expressed concern over the cre-mation order and called for Sri Lankan Muslims to be allowed

to bury family members in line with their religious beliefs.

“Against this practice, for-bidden under Islam, the OIC calls for respect to funeral rites in the Islamic faith,” it said in a statement.

The cremation order issued in April came amid alarm raised by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could con-taminate groundwater and spread the virus.

After the families of 19 Muslims refused to claim the bodies of relatives from a

Colombo morgue, last week, the attorney general ordered their remains cremated.

So far at least 15 have been — including a 20-day-old baby named Shaykh and despite the pleas of his parents.

The family said they were bullied into agreeing to a cre-mation, but when they stood their ground the authorities conducted a forced cremation without the participation of any relative.

The image of a sleeping baby Shaykh has become a symbol for what Sri Lanka’s Muslim community as well as moderates consider cruel and inhuman treatment of the Muslim coronavirus victims.

Former Muslim legislator Ali Zahir Moulana questioned the cremation of an infant.

“I am beyond disgusted and heartbroken! How much more cruelty and barbarity must we endure?! #StopForcedCrema-tions,” Moulana said on Twitter while sharing a photo of the infant.

Over the weekend members of the public tied thousands of white ribbons to the gates of the

cemetery housing the crema-torium, which authorities removed yesterday morning.

This added to the dismay online.

“The ghouls of Kanatte (cemetery) have removed over-night the white handkerchiefs tied in memory of the infant who was cremated forcibly against the wishes of the parents,” former foreign

minister Mangala Samaraweera said on Twitter.

The island nation has expe-rienced a surge in COVID-19 cases since October, with the number of infections increasing almost 10-fold to total more than 32,790 cases and 152 deaths.

According to the Sri Lanka Muslim Council, a majority of the country’s coronavirus

victims follow Islam despite them making up just 10 percent of the 21 million population.

Council spokesman Hilmy Ahamed said Muslims feared seeking medical help as they did not want to be cremated if they died.

The World Health Organi-sation also says burials should be permitted if carried out with precautions.

A man ties a white ribbon on a fence at a cemetery as a sign of protest against the government policy of forced cremations of Muslims who die of the coronavirus, in Colombo yesterday.

New Zealand aims to open travel bubble with AustraliaAFP — WELLINGTON

New Zealand hopes to open a travel bubble with Australia by April next year and is working to finalise the necessary anti-coronavirus border measures, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday.

Ardern said New Zealand’s cabinet had agreed “in prin-ciple” to open a trans-Tasman travel bubble in the first quarter of 2021 provided there are no major virus outbreaks in either country.

“It is our intention to name a date for the commencement of quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel in the new year, once remaining details are locked down,” she told reporters.

New Zealand closed its borders in March and since then all international arrivals, including Australians, have been required to undergo two weeks of managed isolation.

The country has been widely praised for its strict han-dling of the coronavirus which has caused just 25 deaths in a population of five million.

Ardern said she would not allow unnecessary risks to be taken to reopen travel with Aus-tralia, which before the pan-demic was New Zealand’s largest source of overseas visitors.

She said a key consider-ation was how to prevent border facilities being swamped if there was a major virus outbreak in Australia that prompted thousands of visiting New Zealanders to rush home.

“It’s not a hypothetical —there have been several (Aus-tralian outbreaks),” she said.

“We’d need to make arrangements to have poten-tially thousands of New Zea-landers brought back to New Zealand in numbers we would not necessarily be able to handle in managed isolation.” Australia has allowed quarantine-free travel for New Zealand arrivals since October, but New Zealand has not reciprocated, main-taining its 14-day quarantine.

Senior TV executive held over alleged ratings fraud in IndiaAP — SRINAGAR

Indian police have arrested the chief executive officer of a media group that owns a polar-ising television news channel on charges of rigging the ratings system, a major component in determining what a channel can charge advertisers.

Police arrested Vikas Khan-chandani, the chief executive of ARG Outlier Media, on Sunday at his home in Mumbai, Republic TV, which is owned by ARG, announced during a broadcast. Republic TV, which broadcasts in English and Hindi, aggressively supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his nationalist policies.

Republic TV denounced the arrest. “I know he will go in and

come out with his head held high,” the news channel’s co-founder, Arnab Goswami, said of Khanchandani on his fire-brand nightly show.

The arrest is part of a police investigation that began in October into some TV channels in the western state of Mahar-ashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, over accusations that they rig the ratings system.

Khanchandani had also been questioned by police earlier.

Experts say the arrests are part of a feud between Republic TV and the local administration in Maharashtra, where the coa-lition of governing parties resisted efforts by Modi’s party to form an alliance in the state.

Last month, police arrested

Goswami at his Mumbai home and charged him with abetting suicide in connection with the 2018 deaths of an interior designer and the designer’s mother.

Multiple senior leaders of Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and min-isters were quick to condemn Goswami’s arrest. The Supreme Court later intervened and granted him bail after a week’s imprisonment.

Goswami has also been charged in two other cases with inciting communal tensions and promoting hatred between reli-gious groups. He has denied all the charges.

India has one of the world’s most vibrant and competitive media environments, with

more than 850 news channels broadcasting in multiple lan-guages. But over the years, the industry has faced a crisis of credibility. Television debates among its commentators have become increasingly strident and shrill.

Many powerful television news anchors, known to support Modi and his right-leaning administration, often indulge in rancorous and chaotic debates in which shouting, screaming and name-calling have become staples.

Republic TV recently ran exhaustive coverage of the Mumbai police and accused them of mishandling an inves-tigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, a popular actor. Stories about the actor’s

death sidelined other critical issues, such as India’s stalling economy, the government’s coronavirus response and growing hostilities with China over a border dispute.

The result was a surge in ratings for some TV channels, including Republic TV.

Republic TV has consist-ently denied the allegations of falsely bolstering its ratings data. However, the alleged ratings fraud has led to some Indian advertisers taking never-before-seen measures.

Automobile giant Bajaj Auto and Parle Products, India’s biggest biscuit maker, recently said they were pulling adver-tising from news channels that endorsed toxicity and hate mongering.

India: Farmers step up pressure with hunger strikeREUTERS — NEW DELHI

Leaders of protesting Indian farmers began a one-day hunger strike yesterday against agricultural reforms they say threaten their livelihoods, stepping up pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to withdraw the legislation.

Farmers have been demon-strating for nearly three weeks against deregulation of the agri-culture sector that will allow them to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets, where growers are assured a minimum price.

“We want them to repeal the laws,” said Gurbax Singh, a protest leader from the northern state of Punjab, which is at the forefront of the oppo-sition, as he and other leaders began a hunger strike at a main protest site.

Small growers fear the changes, part of Modi’s liberal-ising reforms, will mean the end of price support for staples such as wheat and rice and leave them at the mercy of big business. Modi has sought to allay concerns, telling farmers they will gain new rights and opportunities.

The reforms, contained in three laws enacted in

September, loosen rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce.

Six rounds of talks between government officials and farmers’ union leaders have failed to resolve one of the most pressing issues facing Modi’s government. The government has said while the reforms can

be amended it is determined to liberalise the sector. Farmers last week rejected a govern-ment’s proposal to amend the legislation.

Farmers from Punjab and the neighbouring state of Haryana, which border New Delhi, have been at the van-guard of the agitation, and have

set up protest camps in and around the capital.

Farmers would step up pro-tests at district headquarters throughout the country, said Kamal Preet Singh Pannu, a leader of the Sanyukta Kisan Andolan (United Farmers’ Protest), one of 30 groups opposing the reforms.

Leaders of Sikh farmers sit on a hunger strike as farmers continue to protest against the recent agricultural reforms, at the Delhi-Haryana state border in Singhu, yesterday.

Storms help

Australia contain

Unesco heritage

island fire

AFP — BRISBANE

Australian firefighters have managed to control a bush fire that burned more than half of the Unesco world heritage-listed Fraser Island, around two months after a suspected illegal campfire sparked the blaze.

The fire on the world’s largest sand island, off Aus-tralia’s east coast, destroyed large swathes of the isle’s forests before heavy down-pours arrived over the weekend.

“With the help of welcome rainfall and a massive response from crews, the fire is now contained,” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services tweeted on Sunday.

Attention has now turned to the large weather system that brought the much-needed rain — and with it, strong winds and the possibility of flooding to roughly 500km of the east coast.

“Many of the impacts from this weather event will be similar to a category one cyclone event,” Queensland Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan told public broad-caster ABC.

Strong winds and rain are hitting tourist hotspot the Gold Coast, as well as Byron Bay, where the town’s famed beach is at risk of severe erosion.

The storms come just over a week after a heatwave swept through much of the region, sending temperatures soaring to 35 degrees Celsius in some areas. Scientists say climate change is fuelling more extreme weather in Australia -- including droughts, bush-fires and cyclones -- which will only worsen as global temperatures rise.

Singapore approves Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Asia firstREUTERS — SINGAPORE

Singapore became yesterday the first Asian country to approve Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine and said it expects to start receiving shots by the end of the year.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 68, said he would be among the early recipients in the city-state of 5.7 million people, which has one of the lowest fatality rates globally from the coronavirus. The

government said it expects to have secured enough vaccines for everyone by the third quarter of next year.

“My colleagues and I, including the older ones, will be getting ourselves vaccinated early. This is to show you, espe-cially seniors like me, that we believe the vaccines are safe,” Lee said in a national broadcast, adding that the vaccines would be free, voluntary and given first to healthcare workers and the elderly.

Singapore has also signed advanced purchase agreements and made early down-pay-ments on promising vaccine candidates including those being developed by Moderna and Sinovac, setting aside more than S$1bn for shots, authorities said.

The city-state’s top health official, Kenneth Mak, told a news conference that Sin-gapore had secured enough vaccines for all residents. Mak declined to give specifics on the

deals struck with the vaccine makers.

Singapore’s announcement came after the United States launched its vaccine pro-gramme, with cargo planes and trucks carrying coronavirus vaccine shipments fanning out from FedEx and UPS hubs in Tennessee and Kentucky on Sunday en route to US distri-bution points, in an immuni-sation project of unprecedented scope and complexity.

The United States, Canada

and a handful of other countries have approved the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE vaccine, with a mass inoculation programme also underway in Britain.

China and Russia are also deploying locally developed vaccines.

Lee said Singapore would lift some anti-virus curbs from Dec. 28, including allowing groups of eight to congregate in public, up from a limit of five and increase capacity limits for large gatherings.

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation expressed concern over the cremation order and called for Sri Lankan Muslims to be allowed to bury family members in line with their religious beliefs.

15TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 ASIA

COVID-19: Public ire growing in Japan, South KoreaREUTERS — TOKYO/SEOUL

Japan and South Korea grappled with surging coronavirus cases and growing public frustration yesterday, with Japan suspending a contentious travel subsidy programme and South Korea closing some schools and considering its toughest curbs yet.

Japan reported more than 3,000 new cases on Saturday, yet another record as winter set in, with infections worsening in Tokyo, the northern island of Hokkaido and the city of Osaka.

But Japan, with a focus on the economic costs, has steered clear of tough lockdowns. It tackled its first wave of infec-tions in the spring by asking people to refrain from going out and for businesses to close or curtail operating hours.

The government also launched a subsidy programme called “Go To Travel” to encourage domestic tourism and support businesses but critics said encouraging people to travel had helped spread infections.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had ruled out halting the programme, citing economic considerations, but that changed after weekend polls showed his support being eroded over his handling of the pandemic.

The programme would be

suspended nationwide for two weeks from December 28, media reported.

Across the sea in South Korea, President Moon Jae-in also faces sliding ratings as clusters of new infections fuel criticism over what many see as slack containment.

Moon has warned of the possibility more stringent curbs.

“Our back is against the wall,” he said. “This is a crucial moment to devote all our virus control capabilities and admin-istrative power to stopping the coronavirus.”

South Korea reported a new daily record of 1,030 infections on Sunday, a big worry for a

country for months held up as a mitigation success story but still a fraction of the tallies being seen in some European countries and the United States, where vaccines are being rolled out.

Few Asian countries expect to get significant amounts of coronavirus vaccines in coming weeks as they manage distri-bution schedules, allow time to check for any inoculation side effects elsewhere or run their own late-stage trials.

Instead, they are counting on the methods that have largely kept infections in check for months - ahead of the curve testing, stringent travel curbs, strict social distancing and masks.

China, for instance, where the virus emerged almost a year ago, has managed to limit new cases with tough, sweeping action.

It locked down an area of more than 250,000 people after half a dozen cases were con-firmed near the Russian border in the province of Heilongjiang, it was reported yesterday.

Singapore, which has reported only a handful of local cases over the past two months, said it was easing restrictions and would soon allow up to eight people to gather. It also approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine and said it expected its first shots by the end of the month.

New Zealand, which has been particularly successful in tackling the pandemic, said it

had agreed to open a “travel bubble” with Australia in the first quarter of 2021.

South Korea ordered schools to close in its capital, Seoul, and surrounding areas and warned that restrictions may be raised to the highest Phase 3 level, which would essentially mean a lockdown for the first time in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

Last month, the government banned year-end parties and it has ramped up testing to more than 22,000 people a day, com-pared with about 16,000 a day in September.

In Japan, which is hoping to stage the postponed summer Olympics next year, testing has remained relatively low, peaking at about 50,000 in one day recently.

Testing in Tokyo, which has the capacity for more than 60,000, is now about 9,000 a day.

“Whether a country or region is doing enough testing should be assessed based on the positivity rate and not on the number of tests,” said Fumie Sakamoto, infection control manager at the St Luke’s Inter-national Hospital in Tokyo.

A medical staff member wearing protective gear takes a swab from a man to test for the COVID-19 at a temporary testing station outside Seoul station in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday.

Afghan officials probe civilian deaths in air strikeAP — KABUL

The Afghan government is investigating reports that an alleged air strike over the weekend killed around a dozen civilians, including children, in southern Kandahar province, officials said yesterday.

According to Fawad Aman, the Afghan defence ministry’s deputy spokesman, the military will soon have its assessment of the allegations of civilian cas-ualties in Arghandab district on Saturday night but declined to provide further details.

Bahir Ahmadi, the pro-vincial governor’s spokesman in Kandahar, said there was a battle in the area at the time and

that a Taliban vehicle full of explosives detonated prema-turely. The investigators now have to find out exactly how the civilian were killed.

“It is not clear whether the civilian casualties were caused by the enemy explosion or during the battle,” said Ahmadi.

On Sunday, the Taliban claimed that government forces in an airstrike killed at least 13 c ivi l ians in Arghandab, prompting a swift denial by the government, which in turn insisted that seven civilians were killed when the Taliban detonated a bomb in the area.

The area of the explosion is remote and difficult to reach,

and Taliban and government accounts of the civilian deaths could not be immediately con-firmed. Former Afghan Pres-ident Hamid Karzai tweeted his condolences for the dead, calling for an immediate end to the fighting.

A US-based institute warned last week that there has been a dramatic increase in air-strikes conducted by Afghan government forces from July to September this year, attacks that have led to a sharp rise in civilian casualties.

The Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, a research center at Brown Uni-versity, said in its report that 70 Afghan civilians have been

killed in the third quarter of this year, compared to 86 killed in the first six months of 2020.

In its report, the institute also said that from 2017 through 2019, civilian deaths due to US and allied forces’ air strikes in Afghanistan dramatically increased. In 2019, air strikes killed 700 civilians — more civilians than in any other year since the beginning of the war in 2001 and 2002.

Violence in Afghanistan has spiked in recent months even as the Taliban and Afghan gov-ernment negotiators were holding talks in Qatar, trying to hammer out a peace deal that could put an end to decades of war.

South Korea bans sendingfloating leaflets into NorthAP — SEOUL

South Korea’s parliament yesterday approved conten-tious legislation criminalising the flying of anti-communist leaflets by balloon toward North Korea, despite fierce crit-icism that the country is sacri-ficing freedom of expression to improve ties with the rival North.

The legislation passed with the support of 187 lawmakers, mostly governing party members who support Pres-ident Moon Jae-in’s policy of engagement with North Korea. Outnumbered opposition law-makers didn’t attend the vote after their attempt at delaying the balloting with nonstop speeches was foiled by gov-erning party lawmakers, who used their three-fifths super-majority to halt the speeches in a separate vote.

It was the first time that South Korea’s parliament has passed a bill formally banning civilians from floating anti-North Korea leaflets by balloon across the tense border. South Korea has previously banned such activities only during sen-sitive times, and has normally allowed activists to exercise their freedom of speech despite repeated protests from North Korea.

Activists and defectors from North Korea have for years used huge helium-filled bal-loons to carry leaflets criticizing North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and human rights record, USB sticks with infor-mation about world news, and US dollars. Observers say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

likely saw the leafleting as a threat to his absolute rule over his 25 million people, who mostly have little access to outside information.

Lawmakers aligned with Moon say the legislation is intended to avoid unnecessarily provoking North Korea, to ensure the safety of people who live near the border, and to secure stable relations with the North.

Opponents accuse Moon of sympathizing excessively with North Korea or yielding to North Korean threats over the leafleting.

“This is a law that will block the flow of South Korea’s great values, the spirit of democracy, freedom and equality, to North Korea,” conservative oppo-sition lawmaker Tae Yongho said during a 10-hour speech. “It’s a law aimed at joining hands with Kim Jong Un and leaving North Korean residents enslaved for good.”

Tae was a senior North Korean diplomat in London before defecting to South Korea in 2016 and was elected to South Korea’s parliament in April.

The bill will take effect three months after being prom-ulgated by the government, which is regarded as a for-mality. A lawyers’ group in Seoul earlier said it would file a constitutional appeal if the bill is passed.

Under the legislation, anyone flying leaflets, auxiliary storage devices or money toward North Korea without government permission can be punished by up to three years in prison or a fine of 30m won ($27,730).

Returning with a day's catchA returning fisherman helms his boat along the coast in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, yesterday.

Pakistan likely to get vaccine inthe next two months: OfficialINTERNEWS — ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Prime Minister’s National Task Force on Science and Technology Chairperson Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman said yesterday that the coronavirus vaccine will be available in Pakistan in the next two months.

Dr Rehman said that third world countries have already paid for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. “It will take time for smaller countries to procure the vaccine,” he said.

He explained that dis-pensing the vaccine will be a lengthy procedure because of Pakistan’s population.

Currently there are several companies around the globe

working on COVID-19 vaccine.Pakistan is in contact with

officials in China for the vaccine, which is in final-stage of clinical trials. The vaccine is being developed by CanSinoBio and the Beijing Institute of Bio-technology China as multiple Western pharmaceutical com-panies issued a string of pos-itive vaccine announcements this month.

Pfizer Asia Pacific spokesman confirmed that the company was in talks with Pakistan’s health ministry for the procurement of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine. It said the pharmaceutical, for now, would do government-based contracts due to heavy demand.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s coro-navirus tally surged to 440,787 as 2,362 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, data issued by the National Command and Oper-ations Centre (NCOC) showed yesterday.

The number of active cases in the country has climbed to 47,236, out of whom 2,456 people are under critical care. The virus claimed 36 lives in the last 24 hours, bringing the total deaths to 8,832. With 1,719 surviving the virus, the recoveries have climbed to 384,719.

With an average 61.8 coro-navirus deaths per day, at least 433 people have died of the virus in the last seven days.

Several flights delayed in

Karachi, Lahore due to fog

INTERNEWS — KARACHI

Several flights were delayed in Karachi and Lahore due to extreme foggy conditions, local media reported yesterday.

As per details, a flight of private airline ER-540 was delayed for five hours which was en route to Quetta at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport. The flight was rescheduled to fly at 1pm. Another flight ER-502 took off at 9am for Lahore after one-hour delay.

Pakistan International Air-lines (PIA) flight PK-302, which was going to depart for Lahore, got delayed for an hour. Another PIA’s flight to Islamabad, PK-300 was delayed for 45 minutes, and a private airline’s

flight SV-707 en route to Jeddah was delayed for 1.5 hours.

In addition, an Airblue flight, 416, was delayed which was scheduled to depart for Dubai. Besides, four flights were can-celed and several were delayed due to thick fog and technical issues at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.

E a r l i e r , L a h o r e -Sheikhupura section of the Motorway was closed to traffic due to extreme fog. Four cars crashed into each other near the Sialkot Motorway toll plaza while seven people were injured in the accident.

The authorities advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and install fog lights in the cars in case they do need to go out.

Weekend polls showed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's support being eroded over his handling of the pandemic, while in South Korea, President Moon Jae-in also faces sliding ratings as clusters of new infections fuel criticism over what many see as slack containment.

Japan space

agency confirms

asteroid dust

inside capsule

AP — TOKYO

Japan’s space agency said yesterday it has confirmed the presence of black soil samples inside a capsule that the spacecraft Hayabusa2 brought back from a distant asteroid last week.

The pan-shaped capsule, 40 centimetres in diametre, was dropped by Hayabusa2 from space onto a spot in a sparsely populated Australian desert on December 6. It arrived in Japan last Tuesday for research that will hopefully provide insights into the origins of the solar system and life on Earth.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said its scientists opened the capsule and found an unspecified amount of sandy black particles.

“It’s obviously from Ryugu,(asterisk) the asteroid, JAXA said in a statement.

JAXA said it will continue an initial examination ahead of fuller studies of the samples later.

The samples were gathered from touchdowns that Hayabusa2 made last year on Ryugu, more than 300 million km from Earth. The landings were more difficult than expected because of the asteroid’s extremely rocky surface. The first landing col-lected samples from Ryugu’s surface and the second from underground. Each was stored separately.

Scientists are hoping the asteroid’s subsurface samples can provide information from billions of years ago unaffected by space radiation and other environmental factors.

Street performers

16 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020EUROPE

People walk along Regent Street, amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in London yesterday.

London set for highest level of virus restrictionsAFP — LONDON

London is to move into the highest level of coronavirus restrictions due to concern about spiralling numbers of infections, the health minister announced yesterday.

The British capital’s move into “Tier 3” from 0001 GMT tomorrow means theatres as well as restaurants and other hospitality venues will have to close, except for takeaway food.

People are not supposed to socialise with anyone not from their household, but they can meet in groups of up to six in public places outside.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said London had seen a “sharp rise” in daily cases and hospital admissions, and there was public health concern about a new strain of the coronavirus.

“This action is absolutely essential, not just to keep people safe but because we have seen early action can prevent more damage and longer-term problems later,” he told parliament.

In some areas, cases are doubling every seven days, he said, warning: “It only takes a few doublings for the NHS (National Health Service) to be overwhelmed.”

Scientists have identified a “new variant” of the virus in the

south of England that may be causing infections to spread faster, Hancock added.

But he said: “There’s cur-rently nothing to suggest it is more likely to cause serious cases and the latest clinical advice is it is highly unlikely to fail to respond to a vaccine.”

Currently London is in “Tier 2”, which means non-essential shops and services can open, but it currently has one of the highest infection rates in the country.

Tier 3 or “very high alert” means that while cafes can only offer takeaway food, shops and hairdressers can stay open, as can schools.

However, several London districts are sending children home from today as a pre-caution, after the government said last week it was concerned at the rising numbers of cases among secondary school-age children.

Testing of 11 to 18-year-old students began in the worst-

affected areas yesterday.The switch to stricter

measures is a fresh blow to businesses already hit by repeated restrictions this year and in the run-up to Christmas, normally their busiest time.

Parts of the counties of Essex, Kent and Hertfordshire, which border London, will also be placed in Tier 3.

On Friday, the “R number” in London indicating how many other people someone with the

virus will infect was between 0.9 and 1.1, according to the government’s website.

More than 201,000 cases have been registered in the capital and more than 7,000 people have died in hospital.

REUTERS — ROME

Italy reported 491 coronavirus-related deaths yesterday against 484 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections declined to 12,030 from 17,938.

There were 103,584 swabs carried out in the past day, down sharply from a previous 152,697, the ministry said.

The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy has seen 65,011 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in

February, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

It has also registered 1.856 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 27,765 on Monday, up by 30 from the day before.

There were 138 new admissions to intensive care units, slowing compared with 152 on Sunday. The number of intensive care patients decreased by 63 to 3,095, reflecting those who died or were discharged after recovery.

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

Deaths of homeless people at new high in England, WalesTHOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION — LONDON

An estimated 778 homeless people died in England and Wales last year, according to official data released yesterday, the highest number since records began.

The toll has risen for five consecutive years and is more than 60% higher than in 2013

when the first comparable data was collated. Nearly one in seven deaths was attributed to suicide, 30% more than in 2018. Charities warned that the number of homeless would rise this winter as the COVID-19 pandemic decimates jobs, and said the latest figures should be a catalyst for change.

Men accounted for nearly

nine in 10 homeless deaths in 2019. Most were sleeping rough or using emergency accommo-dation. “No one should die on the streets or in a temporary bed in a hostel,” said Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, a charity helping the homeless.

“These figures show how incredibly dangerous home-lessness, and especially rough

sleeping can be, even before we had a deadly pandemic to deal with.” The government said it had invested more than $930m to tackle rough sleeping and home-lessness this year as part of efforts to end rough sleeping for good.

“Every death of someone sleeping rough on our streets is one too many,” a housing min-istry spokeswoman said.

The Office for National Sta-tistics (ONS), a government agency, said the 2019 estimates were conservative and the real figure could be higher due to difficulties in counting deaths. Neither the government nor Shelter could immediately comment on the reasons for the increase. Almost two in five deaths were related to drugs,

slightly down from the previous year, the ONS said. The gov-ernment announced that rough sleepers would receive extra support to help them recover from drug and alcohol misuse.

The mean age at death was 45 years for men and 43 for women — more than 30 years lower than for the general population.

Italian returns French Legion award after Al Sissi gets oneAP — ROME

A prominent Italian journalist has returned his Legion of Honor to the French Embassy to protest the awarding of the prize to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al Sissi during his protest-marred visit to Paris last week.

Corrado Augias, a longtime contributor to La Repubblica daily and onetime European Parliamentarian for Italy’s center-left, cited Egypt’s role in the 2016 kidnapping, torture and killing of an Italian doctoral research student in Cairo.

Rome prosecutors last week formally placed four high-ranking members of Egypt’s security forces under investi-gation over the death of Giulio Regeni, whose killing strained relations between Rome and Cairo and galvanized Italy’s human rights community.

Augias said he returned his 2007 prize out of “a sense of

indignation,” given that the award was bestowed on Al Sissi at the same time that Rome prosecutors were detailing the torture that Regeni suffered to a parliamentary committee.

“The two things together were too strong,” he told reporters outside the French Embassy. “I couldn’t refrain from reacting.”

Al Sissi’s state visit sparked protests by human rights activists incensed that French President Emmanuel Macron had rolled out the red carpet while Al Sissi presides over the heaviest crackdown on dissent in Egypt’s modern history. At the time, it wasn’t known that Macron had awarded Al Sissi the highest dis-tinction of the Legion of Honor order of merit, the Grand-Croix, or Grand-Cross.

The award ceremony was held without the press before a December 7 dinner at the Elysee Presidential Palace in

Paris. The event was not listed on Macron’s official agenda, and images of the ceremony only emerged after they were pub-lished by the Egyptian presi-dency. The French presidency said such a ceremony is usually part of the protocol during state visits. The French ambassador to Italy, Christian Masset, said he respected Augias.

“France is on the front lines for human rights and makes no compromises,” he tweeted after Augias returned his prize. “Many cases were discussed during President Al Sissi’s visit to Paris, in the most appropriate and efficient way.”

The Legion of Honor has been given to French war heroes, writers, artists and busi-nessmen. But it has also been given to leaders with ques-tionable human rights records, including Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian Pres-ident Vladimir Putin.

Italy reports 491 virus deaths, 12,030 new cases

Street performers walk at Puerta del Sol as they wait for customers amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Madrid, Spain, yesterday.

London mosque

attacker jailed

for stabbing

prayer leader

AFP — LONDON

A homeless man was jailed for more than seven years yesterday after he attacked a prayer leader at a London mosque with a knife.

Daniel Horton, 30, attacked Raafat Maglad, a 70-year-old muezzin, who makes the call to prayer at London Central Mosque, on the edge of Regent’s Park, in February.

He pleaded guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article at a previous hearing.

At the time, witnesses described how Horton had quietly prayed behind Maglad before stabbing him, leaving him with injuries including a 1.5-centimetre gash to his neck. Maglad returned to his duties 24 hours later but pros-ecutor Benn Maguire told judge Deborah Taylor at Southwark Crown Court the attack had had a lasting effect.

He was “less confident about standing in front of the prayer hall while the congre-gation is standing behind him, as he is scared about being attacked”, the lawyer said.

The prayer leader also suf-fered nerve damage, had expe-rienced trouble sleeping and his voice had been “adversely affected”, he told the court.

In a statement, London’s Metropolitan Police said the prayer leader had been helped out of the mosque by wor-shippers who had rushed to his aid. Investigating officer Detective Constable Daniel Jones called the attack “ brutal” and “unprovoked”, and the sentence “highlights the callousness of this attack on an unsuspecting victim”.

“Horton had the audacity to smile when he was shown images of his victim’s injuries, not showing any remorse for his heinous actions.”

Germany probes cross-border extremist networkAP — BERLIN/ROME

Germany’s top security official pledged yesterday to get to the bottom of an alleged plot intended to arm far-right extremists in the country with weapons, ammunition and explosives procured in neighbouring Austria.

Austrian authorities on the weekend said that recent raids had led to the seizure of 70 automatic and semi-automatic firearms, explosives and more than 100,000 rounds of ammu-nition. Five people have been arrested in Austria, including the prime suspect, identified as a 53-year-old Austrian with known links to organized crime and right-wing extremism, Vienna inves-tigators said. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Berlin had been cooperating with Vienna since October on the case.

He called the discovery of “such a great quantity” of weapons, munitions and explosives “alarming” and pledged a full investi-gation into the case.

“This is particularly true for the right-extremist background of the suspect in Austria,” he said in a written statement.

Two alleged accomplices were also arrested in the German states of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s Interior Ministry said. Austrian authorities have said that a significant quantity of drugs was found in the raids and that investigators believe that narcotics being smuggled from Germany were being used to finance the procurement of the weapons.

The British capital’s move into “Tier 3” from 0001 GMT tomorrow means theatres as well as restaurants and other hospitality venues will have to close, except for takeaway food. People are not supposed to socialise with anyone not from their household, but they can meet in groups of up to six in public places outside.

Teachers must be amongfirst to get jabs: UnescoAFP — PARIS

The United Nations agency for education, Unesco, yesterday called on governments to give teachers priority access to the new COVID-19 vaccines and be treated like “frontline” workers.

The call came as the United States, the country worst hit by the virus, kickstarted the biggest vaccination drive in its history by giving the jab to a nurse in New York.

“As we see positive developments regarding vaccination we believe that teachers and education support personnel must be considered a priority group,” Unesco chief Audrey Azoulay said in a joint video message with the head of the Education Interna-tional (EI) teachers’ organisation, David Edwards.

Azoulay and Edwards said when schools and other edu-cation facilities were closed to prevent the spread of the virus, “teachers and support personnel remained on the frontline”.

As classes moved online they “reinvented the way we teach, we learn,” they said, adding that when schools reopened, teachers returned “courageously” to the classroom.

Stressing that schools are “irreplaceable” Paris-based Unesco and Brussels-based EI called for teachers to be among the first in line to be inoculated.

The US aims to immunise 20 million people by the end of 2020. It launched the programme after issuing emergency approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine which is already in use in Britain.

17TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 EUROPE

ICC prosecutor blasts ‘unacceptable’ US sanctionsAFP — THE HAGUE

The International Criminal Court’s outgoing chief prose-cutor attacked the Trump administration’s “unacceptable” sanctions against her yesterday and urged Washington to reverse its “aggressive” policy.

US President Donald Trump’s administration took the unprecedented step of sanc-tioning Fatou Bensouda (pic-tured) and another senior ICC official in September, over the court’s investigation into the sit-uation in Afghanistan.

In a hard-hitting final speech to the court’s annual meeting in The Hague before her term ends in June,

Gambian-born Bensouda said the US actions set a “dangerous precedent for a rules-based international system”.

“It is my sincere hope that the US reverses its aggressive

policy of antagonism towards the court,” Bensouda said in her speech, which was broadcast remotely due to the coronavirus

pandemic restrictions. “No one wins from such tactics,” she added.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok, opening the conference as his country hosts the ICC, also urged the incoming adminis-tration of President-elect Joe Biden to “revoke the sanctions immediately.”

“You are attacking some-thing that is valuable to us all,” he said.

The United States, which is not a member of the ICC, slapped the measures on the court after earlier visa bans on Bensouda and others failed to head off the court’s war crimes probe into US military per-sonnel in Afghanistan.

The US move however pro-voked strong backing for the ICC, which probes the world’s worst crimes, with 72 nations at the UN pledging “unwavering support” including the tradi-tional US allies such as Aus-tralia, Canada, Britain and France.

Bensouda said she was grateful to “all those who have spoken out on the matter ... and supported the Court and me personally.”

On Friday, Bensouda’s office announced plans to move ahead with full-blown probes into Nigeria and Ukraine.

Bensouda said her office however would have to take “strategic decisions” to

prioritise the workload due to shortages.

“Our resource situation is dire and needs to be rectified,” Bensouda said, adding there was a “clear mismatch between the resources afforded to my office and the ever-growing demands placed upon it.”

“The current trajectory is simply not sustainable,” Ben-souda said.

Bensouda is stepping down after a nine-year stint and her successor is scheduled to be elected next week.

NGO sources however said that final decision was expected to be postponed to around early January, due to an expanded list of candidates.

Russia repeats 91.4% efficacy rate in new COVID-19 vaccine dataREUTERS — MOSCOW

Russian developers published fresh trial results for their Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine yesterday based on new data, and said the shot had again been found to be 91.4 percent effective in providing protection from COVID-19.

More than 200,000 people have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease as part of Russia’s mass inocu-lation programme, which began in September alongside a Moscow-based human trial of the shot.

The new results are based on data from 22,714 participants in the trial, and were published after 78 confirmed coronavirus cases were reported among the group, researchers at the Gamaleya Institute said in a statement yesteday with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is marketing the shot abroad.

Of the 78 cases, 62 occurred among participants who received a placebo, the researchers said, while in the

trial overall the ratio of those who received the placebo to those vaccinated was 1 to 3.

Twenty of the infected par-ticipants who received a placebo suffered severe symptoms of COVID-19, the statement said. There were no severe cases among the 16 vac-cinated trial participants, the statement said.

Analysis of the new data found Sputnik V, named after the Soviet satellite that triggered the space race, to have a 91.4 percent efficacy rate, the statement said.

The results, described as a “final control point” in the trial, were identical to interim results published on November 24, based on 39 cases among trial participants, that also found the shot to be 91.4 percent effective.

“I believe we will be able to vaccinate most of the popu-lation in Russia in 2021,” Gamaleya Institute director Alexander Gintsburg was quoted as saying.

Over 200,000 people have already been vaccinated, RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev said.

Around 320,000 doses have been distributed so far for the mass inoculation programme, Gintsburg added.

With cases rising, Russian regulators are debating whether to suspend the uptake of new participants in the trial on ethical grounds, or to change its format in some way, Dmitriev said.

Many countries and

regulators face the issue of whether it is ethical to continue administering a placebo to people in a trial when mass inoculation is underway.

The data will be published by the Gamaleya Institute in an international peer-reviewed medical journal, the statement said.

“We will definitely share the results achieved with the

scientific community and will be happy to discuss them with all interested colleagues,” Gamaleya Institute’s Denis Logunov said.

The results will also be used to submit the shot for emer-gency use authorisation in other countries. Trials of Sputnik V are ongoing in Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Vene-zuela and India.

Denmark art school head ousted over royal bust stuntAFP — COPENHAGEN

The head of Denmark’s top art school has been sacked over the drowning of a bust of a former king in a Copenhagen canal, the culture ministry said yesterday.

Artist Katrine Dirckinck-Holmfeld lost her job when she took a replica bust of the 18th-century monarch Frederik V from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where she was employed, and dumped it to draw attention to the country’s colonial past and its involvement

in the slave trade, especially in modern day Ghana.

The action, which she called a “happening,” was initially carried out anonymously. Dirckinck-Holmfeld was removed from her post the day she came forward as the responsible party.

The scandal yesterday claimed the scalp of the Acad-emy’s director Kirsten Lang-kilde, who had sent an internal mail with a link to the video of the bust being dumped without any comment, just saying “Have

a good weekend”.“The culture ministry and

Kirsten Langkilde have not been able to come to an agreement on the challenges facing the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. There is therefore the need for new energy,” Culture Minister Joy Mogensen said.

The event, which took place on November 6, was recorded in a video and the group Anon-ymous Artists claimed respon-sibility before Dirckinck-Hol-mfeld stepped forward.

Anonymous Artists said the action was to show “solidarity with all the artists, students and people all over the world who have had to live with aftermath of Danish colonialism.”

At its peak, Denmark’s col-onies were spread across four continents from the Danish West Indies in the modern-day US Virgin Islands, to the Danish Gold Coast, now a part of Ghana. Its holdings also included Greenland, which remains part of Denmark, and territories in India.

A specialist works during the production of Gam-COVID-Vac, also known as Sputnik-V, vaccine against the COVID-19 at a facility of BIOCAD biotechnology company in St Petersburg, recently.

“You are attacking

something that is valuable

to us all,” Dutch Foreign

Minister Stef Blok said,

urging the incoming

administration of

President-elect Joe Biden

to “revoke the sanctions

immediately.”

WHO backs fund to help youth handle virus woesAFP — GENEVA

The World Health Organization announced yesterday it is teaming up with global youth groups, with some 250 million members , to create programmes to help young people deal with the disrup-tions caused by the pandemic.

The UN health agency said it was working with six global youth organisations to create The “Global Youth Mobilisation for Generation Disrupted”, with a $5m-fund to support local and national youth groups.

“WHO is honoured to join this truly exciting and powerful global movement to mobilise and empower youth worldwide to be the driving force of the recovery to COVID-19,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghe-breyesus said in a statement.

He described the part-nership as “a unique oppor-tunity to learn from hundreds of millions of young people and be guided by their sustainable solutions to help communities build back better from the pandemic.”

The partner organisations — the YMCA, World Organi-zation of the Scout Movement, World Association of Girl

Guides and Girl Scouts, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Soci-eties, and The Duke of Edin-burgh’s International Award — together count some 250 million members.

Yesterday’s statement pointed out that while young people have suffered far less from the direct health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic than their elders, “they are dis-proportionately affected by the long-lasting consequences of the pandemic.”

“Such effects include dis-ruptions to education, eco-nomic uncertainty, loss or lack of employment opportunities, impacts on physical and mental health, and trauma from domestic violence,” the statement pointed out.

More than one billion stu-dents worldwide who have been impacted by school closures.

In addition, “one in six young people worldwide have lost their jobs during the pan-demic,” Tedros pointed out.

The statement also high-lighted that “mental anxiety brought on by COVID-19 has been identified in nearly 90 percent of young people.”

Two convicted of attack on man at UEFA Euro 2016AP — PARIS

Two Russians yesterday were convicted of permanently disabling a British soccer supporter in southern France during the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament.

Spartak Moscow fan Pavel Kosov was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Mikhail Ivkin was given a three-year sentence. They had been on trial in the southern French port city of Marseille accused of “gang violence with weapons, leading to per-manent infirmity.” They had been held in prison in France since March 2018.

The pair attacked Andrew Bache, 55, during the European Football Championships in June 2016. His son Harry rep-resented him in court and faced his father’s alleged assailants. Andrew’s lawyer, Olivier Rosato, said that the attack left his client severely disabled and he can no longer bear to return to Marseille.

“It’s a decision that sat-isfies the family. They wanted Kosov’s sentence to be severe because he was the first to punch Andrew, and from behind, causing him to smash his head on the ground, which was granite, ” Rosato said.

Rosato said that the two have also been banned from returning to France after they have served their sentences.

Witnesses to the incident say they saw Bache being caught by hooligans, and receiving three or four violent blows to the head.

The riots in Marseille’s Old Port district lasted for several days, both before and after a match between England and Russia. Police fired tear gas and water cannons at rival fans who were rioting around the city, a largely unsuccessful attempt to rein in violence.

Shoppers walk in the centre of The Hague, yesterday. The municipality has called on people to stop coming to the city centre because of the crowds as the number of new virus cases continues to rise.

Netherlands set for toughest lockdownREUTERS — AMSTERDAM

The Netherlands will enter its toughest lockdown of the coro-navirus pandemic this week, as Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to announce that schools and shops will be closed for at least a month, Dutch media reported yesterday.

Rutte held emergency meetings about the soaring rate of COVID-19 infections and

took the unusual step of inviting the heads of all political parties in parliament to join the talks.

Broadcasters NOS and RTL cited government sources as saying that all schools and non-essential shops would be closed until January 19, along with daycare centres, gyms, museums, zoos, cinemas, hair-dressers and beauty salons.

Supermarkets, banks and pharmacies would be allowed

to stay open, NOS and RTL said.This would make the

lockdown stricter than the one imposed during the first COVID-19 wave between March and May, when schools were closed but shops could open.

New coronavirus infections in the country of 17 million increased by around 8,500 in the 24 hours through yesterday morning, data released by health authorities showed.

Data: Sweden sees

deadliest November

since Spanish flu

AFP — STOCKHOLM

Sweden’s statistics agency said yesterday that the country suffered the highest number of deaths in November since the Spanish flu a century ago, as it battles a second corona-virus wave.

A total of 8,088 deaths were recorded in Sweden last month, corresponding to an excess mortality of 10 percent compared to the average between 2015 and 2019, according to Statistics Sweden.

“That’s the highest number of deaths recorded during the month of November since 1918, which was the year the Spanish flu broke out,” Tomas Johansson, a population stat-istician with the agency, said in a statement.

However, the number of dead in November 1918 — 16,600 — was double last month’s toll, and the country’s population then was roughly half of what it is today.

The number of dead in November 2020 was also 77.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, lower than 79.2 in November 2010.

Sweden suffered a heavy death toll from the new coro-navirus from March to June —more than 5,000 fatalities in a country of 10.3 million people.

But Sweden, which has famously elected to curb the disease with mostly non-coercive measures, saw a decrease in both cases and fatal-ities between July and mid-October, with around 400 COVID-19 deaths registered.

The spread of the virus has since picked up speed and according to Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare, the number of people receiving hospital care yesterday reached 2,406, near the peak of 2,412 on April 20. However, only 10.5 percent of patients treated were in intensive care, compared to 22 percent in April.

18 TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020AMERICAS

The province of Quebec,

the hardest hit of

Canada’s 10 provinces,

said 89-year-old Gisèle

Lévesque, a resident in a

care home in Quebec City,

had received the shot

about a half hour earlier

than Quidangen — with

no live TV coverage.

Brazil delays Chinese vaccine efficacy report, keeps rollout dateREUTERS — SAO PAULO

Brazil’s Sao Paulo state delayed yesterday the release of efficacy data for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac, tightening the timeframe for regulator approval before a planned roll out on January 25.

Governor Joao Doria said in a radio interview yesterday the data would be released on December 23, eight days later than planned, to allow for a larger sample size and more complete analysis.

Earlier yesterday, João Gabbardo, head of Sao Paulo’s COVID-19 response, said the delay would allow the efficacy analysis to include data from a sample including 151 infected people, making it a definitive rather than a preliminary report.

Doria’s announcement that Sao Paulo will begin public vac-cinations on Jan. 25, with the Chinese vaccine it has sourced independently, has angered the federal government of Pres-ident Jair Bolsonaro, which has yet to set a date for a national immunization campaign.

On Sunday, Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Lewandowski ordered the Health Ministry to clarify within 48 hours when the federal government planned to begin public vaccinations.

Although Brazil has an enviable record for national vaccinations and a public health system well set up for such campaigns, Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied the gravity of the virus and is a vaccine skeptic who has said he will not take a COVID-19 shot.

Doria’s public pressure has also irritated health regulator Anvisa, increasingly run by Bol-sonaro allies.

Last week Sao Paulo’s bio-medical center, the Butantan Institute, began producing the Sinovac vaccine in a fill-and-finish process that will have a capacity of 1 million doses a day.

Despite not having federal approval for the vaccine, the production— at a time when the world is scrambling for shots — has drawn interest from governors across Brazil and countries across Latin America.

Canada turns a corner in pandemicREUTERS — TORONTO/MONTREAL

Canada kicked off its inocu-lation campaign against COVID-19 yesterday by injecting frontline healthcare workers and elderly nursing home residents, becoming just the third nation in the world to administer the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

The first dose broadcast on live TV went to Anita Quidangen. The personal support worker at the Rekai Centre, a non-profit nursing home for the elderly in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, said she was “excited” to have been first in line.

Healthcare workers in masks and white coats applauded after she was injected.

“Today really we turn a corner,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, president and chief executive of the University Health Net-work’s Michener Institute, where the shot was administered.

“She has worked tirelessly to care for some of our most vulnerable, both throughout this pandemic and since her first days as a personal support worker in 1988,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said of Quidagen.

However, the province of Quebec, the hardest hit of Canada’s 10 provinces, said 89-year-old Gisèle Lévesque, a resident in a care home in Quebec City, had received the shot about a half hour earlier than Quidangen — with no live

TV coverage.“It’s really good news for

Canada. It’s really good news for Quebec,” federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said outside of the Maimonides Ger-iatric Center in Montreal, which also began to immunize patients.

Some 150 residents were set to receive shots at Maimonides, and 50,000 people will be vac-cinated in Quebec by Jan. 4, Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dube said.

More than 60% of Canada’s 13,431 pandemic deaths overall have been in residences for the elderly, down from 80% in the first wave.

A second wave of the coro-navirus is ripping across Canada, forcing several prov-inces to clamp down again on businesses and limit social gatherings.

Canada has so far reported 460,743 cases, most of them in Ontario - the most populous

province - and Quebec.Canada’s federal health

authorities on Friday called for provinces to impose more restrictions.

The United States also began inoculations yesterday after the United Kingdom kicked off its national effort last week.

The vaccine developed by German biotech BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc is given in two doses, three weeks apart. Canada is expecting to receive

30,000 doses this week and 249,000 total by the end of the year. “It’s an act of love to get vaccinated,” said resident Rabbi Ronnie Cahana, speaking by Zoom, before receiving the shot. Cahana, who is a quadriplegic, said he was overjoyed to hear the vaccine was coming. “I was dancing up and down the halls, and I can’t even walk.”

His daughter, Kitra Cahana, who recently returned to Mon-treal from her home in the United States so she could be

present if her father fell ill from COVID-19, said she hopes the vaccine ends her family’s con-stant worry for his safety.

“I think it’s hard to imagine the level of fear and worry that surrounds these homes,” she said.Maimonides resident Beverly Spanier said she hoped being inoculated would restore some of the freedoms lost during the pandemic.

“I’d like to see grand-children able to visit grand-parents again,” Spanier said.

Gisele Levesque, one of 229 residents at the CHSLD St-Antoine long term care home, is injected with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Quebec City, Canada, yesterday.

20 migrants

drown after fleeing

Venezuela for Trinidad

AP — CARACAS

The bodies of at least 20 migrants who were traveling by boat from Venezuela to the nearby Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago were found over the weekend, offi-cials said.

Eleven bodies were found on Saturday at sea and other bodies were discovered on Sunday on nearby beaches, according to a statement by Venezuela’s government. Offi-cials did not say how many people in total were on the boat, but Jesús Villaroel, a Catholic priest, said a group of Venezuelans reported that two boats carrying 20 people each left last week and had disappeared.

The owner of the boat that was shipwrecked has been detained, according to Vene-zuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab.

An increasing number of Venezuelan migrants are traveling to Trinidad and Tobago as they flee worsening conditions at home, with human rights organizations estimating that more than 40,000 have entered the country illegally. Last year, roughly 40 migrants disappeared following two shipwrecks.

Mexico presses for prompt delivery of vaccinesREUTERS — MEXICO CITY

Mexico’s government yesterday urged pharmaceu-tical companies to honor obli-gations to deliver COVID-19 vaccines on time, as an official expressed concern that US efforts to corner initial supplies for its population might cause delays.

“We reserved ahead of time, we made agreements, what we want now is for the agreements to be honored,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told a regular news conference. Lopez Obrador acknowledged that companies were experiencing heavy demand for the vac-cines, but said it was important that the accords reached were respected “on time.”

Mexico has signed pur-chase agreements for vaccines with several companies, including from U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc, Britain’s Astra-Zeneca Plc and China’s CanSino Biologics Inc.

Deputy Foreign Minister Martha Delgado told broad-caster Televisa that Mexico will put in an order for vaccine doses from Pfizer, which she believed could arrive in five to eight days. Initial doses would come from its plant in Belgium, she said.

However, Delgado noted that an executive order signed last week by US President Donald Trump to prioritize US citizens in distribution of US-made vaccines might delay delivery of subse-quent vaccine doses arriving from the United States.

The partial solar eclipse is seen through a telescope at the Galileo Galilei planetarium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, yesterday.

Solar eclipse plunges southern Chile, Argentina into darknessAFP — PUCON, CHILE

A solar eclipse that lasted around two minutes plunged southern Chile and Argentina into darkness yesterday.

Heavy rain had threatened to prevent thousands of star gazers in Chile from seeing the eclipse but at the last moment the clouds parted just enough for the phenomenon to be par-tially visible.

“It was beautiful, unique. The truth is that no-one held much hope of seeing it due to the weather and clouds, but it was unique because it cleared up just in time. It was a miracle,” an emotional Matias Tordecilla, 18, said from the town of Pucon on the shores of Lake Villarrica.

“It’s something that you don’t just see with your eyes but also feel with your heart,” added Tordecilla, who traveled 10 hours with his family to see the eclipse.

In Argentine Patagonia, several families and foreigners

had set up camp between the towns of Villa El Chocon and Piedra del Aguila hoping to see the eclipse. While there was no

rain there, strong winds had threatened to impact visibility of the second total eclipse for Chile in the last 18 months.

This one struck at 1pm (1600 GMT) as thousands of tourists and residents gathered, hoping the clouds would

disappear in time. “It made my skin crawl,” said Pucon resident Cinthia Vega.

Despite restrictions on movement imposed by author-ities to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, almost 300,000 tourists had arrived in the Araucania region around 800km south of the capital Santiago.

Dozens of amateur and pro-fessional scientists set up tele-scopes on the slopes of the Vil-larrica volcano — one of the most active in Chile — to observe the phenomenon when the moon passes between the sun and Earth.

The eclipse was due to be visible along a 90-kilometer wide corridor from the Pacific coast in Chile across the Andes mountain range and into Argentina.

In July 2019, some 300,000 people turned out in the Atacama desert in Chile’s north, home to several observatories, to see the previous eclipse.

Brazil cops nabbed after images capture arrest of two men later found deadREUTERS — RIO DE JANEIRO

Two Brazilian police officers have been arrested in Rio de Janeiro after security camera images showed them shooting at two young men on a motorbike, before taking them away in a car. The two men later turned up dead.

Saturday’s incident in the poor Rio suburb of Belford Roxo shines a fresh light on aggressive tactics of Brazilian police, who critics allege often target poor young Black men in deadly raids.

Critics say Brazilian Pres-ident Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain, has empowered police to be more aggressive than ever, offering them his full support to take out criminals in the country’s drug-riddled slums. Bolsonaro has said “criminals should die like cockroaches.” Rio’s military police said in a statement, “As soon as (we) became aware of the facts, all pertinent measures were taken immediately.”

The two officers, it added, “were arrested and taken to the Rio de Janeiro Military Police Prison Unit.” Their weapons were confiscated and they have been questioned.

In the video, which first aired on Brazilian news show

Fantastico on Sunday, a motorcycle carrying two men careens around a corner, past the police. As it passes, one of the officers opens fire on the men, and they both fall off the bike.

The cops move them out of the road, and, according to images from another camera, handcuff them as they stand against a wall. They then put them in the back of their car, while one of the cops drives their motorbike away.

The two men, identified by local media as Edson Arguinez Junior, 20, and Jordan Luiz Natividade, 18, were later found dead, far from the scene of the arrest.

According to Fantastico, the two police officers failed to mention shooting at the motorbike. They said they released the two men shortly after taking them away in their car, after realizing there were no issues with them or their bike.

Edson Arguinez reacts during his son Edson Arguinez Jr’s funeral, after a closed circuit video showed two Brazilian police officers firing at Edson Arguinez Jr and Jordan Luiz Natividade on a motorcycle, whose dead bodies were later found in Belford Roxo near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday.

Brazil risks losing UN vote unless it settles $113m debtBLOOMBERG — BRASILIA

Brazil once again risks losing its vote at the United Nations if it doesn’t pay a portion of what it owes to the global organization, which is facing a growing cash crunch as the COVID-19 crisis puts pressure on budgets worldwide.

Brazil needs to make a minimum payment of $113m out of its total debt of $391m by the end of the month in order to keep its vote at in the General Assembly, UN Assistant Sec-retary-General Chandramouli Ramanathan wrote in a letter to Brazil’s UN mission. The UN is under financial strain due to late payments from several countries, including the US, but no major G-20 economy has found itself at risk of losing its vote so often. Brazil averted a similar scenario last year by paying at the last minute.

19TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020 AMERICAS

The US has the world's highest death

toll of more than 299,000, and the

largest number of reported cases, at

16.2 million.

US begins mass vaccination driveAFP — NEW YORK

The United States kicked off a mass vacci-nation drive yesterday hoping to turn the tide on the world's biggest coronavirus outbreak, as the country's death toll neared a staggering 300,000.

A nurse in New York became the first person in America to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, live on television, six days after Britain launched the West's vaccine campaign against COVID-19.

"It didn't feel any different from taking any other vaccine," said Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, imploring all Americans "to do our part" by getting vaccinated.

"I hope this marks the beginning of the end of the very painful time in our history," she added.

The landmark moment comes at one of the darkest phases of the pandemic, with infections in the United States and many other countries soaring, and health experts still struggling against vaccine scepticism, lockdown fatigue and uneven adherence to safety rules.

The US has the world's highest death toll of more than 299,000, and the largest number of reported cases, at 16.2 million — including more than 1.5 million new infection in just the past week.

"First Vaccine Administered. Congrat-ulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!" President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter, while President-elect Joe Biden tweeted "Stay hopeful — brighter days ahead."

Early vaccinations also took place in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Delivery trucks with special refriger-ation equipment are rolling out across America, as part of a public-private plan to ship millions of doses of the newly approved Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine to vulnerable Americans.

Courier services FedEx and UPS have deployed fleets of trucks and planes to carry their precious cargo — sometimes under armed guard — to all 50 states, where health care workers and nursing-home res-

idents are first in line.An initial 2.9 million doses are set to be

delivered to 636 sites around the country by Wednesday, with officials saying 20 million Americans could receive the two-shot regimen by year end, and 100 million by March.

Doses are being shipped in boxes con-taining dry ice that can keep supplies at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), the frigid temperature needed to preserve the drug.

Trials have shown the vaccine to be 95 percent effective, and Americans are being told it is safe unless they have an allergy to any of the drug's components.

But experts face a battle to convince enough Americas to take the vaccine to make it effective in a country where the anti-vaccine movement is strong.

"My biggest concern is the level of hes-itancy in the country. I really hope we are going to be able to change that," Moncef Slaoui, head of the government's vaccine rollout program Operation Warp Speed, told CBS.

Worldwide, there have been at least 1.6 million deaths since the outbreak emerged in China last December, and 71.6 million cases overall.

Even as US officials welcomed the unprecedented vaccine effort, they cau-tioned people not to grow lax in observing precautions.

"It's going to take months before the vaccine hits critical mass. So, this is the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a long tunnel," said Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York state, where 35,000 people have succumbed to COVID-19.

Nurse Sandra Lindsay is inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine by Dr. Michelle Chester, at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, in the Queens borough of New York, yesterday.

Electors meet to formally choose Biden as next presidentAP — WASHINGTON

Presidential Electors in key battleground states cast the votes yesterday that will affirm Joe Biden as the nation's next president, a formality that took on added importance this year because of President Donald Trump's refusal to concede he lost his race for reelection.

Heightened security was in place in some states as Electors in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wis-consin — the six battleground states that Biden won and Trump contested — gave Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their votes yes-terday in low-key proceedings. Nevada’s Electors met via Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Yesterday was the day set by law for the meeting of the Electoral College. Electors were casting paper ballots in gath-erings that were taking place in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with masks, social

distancing and other virus pre-cautions were the order of the day. The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a January 6 joint session of Con-gress over which Vice President Mike Pence will preside. By midday, votes had been cast for Biden in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona Georgia and Nevada, the major battleground states in this year's election.

When all the votes are in, Biden is expected to have 306 electoral votes to 232 for Trump. It takes 270 to be elected. In the popular vote count, Biden topped Trump by more than 7 million votes nationwide.

There have been concerns about safety for the Electors, virtually unheard of in previous years. In Michigan, lawmakers from both parties reported receiving threats.

Legislative offices there were closed yesterday over threats of violence. The 16 Electors were to meet in the Senate chamber in a ceremony

headed by Democratic Gov-ernor Gretchen Whitmer. Biden won the state by 154,000 votes, or 2.8 percentage points, over Trump.

Amber McCann, spokes-woman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, said the closures were made on recommendations from law enforcement "based on credible

threats of violence.”Georgia state police were

out in force at the state Capitol in Atlanta before Democratic Electors pledged to Biden met. There were no protesters to be seen less than a hour ahead of the meeting.

Even with the Electoral Col-lege's confirmation of Biden’s victory, some Republicans

continued to refuse to acknowledge that reality. Yet their opposition to Biden had no practical effect on the elec-toral process, with the Dem-ocrat to be sworn in on Jan. 20.

Despite Biden’s wins in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsyl-vania and Wisconsin, Repub-licans who would have been Trump Electors met anyway. Pennsylvania Republicans said they cast a "procedural vote” for Trump and Pence in case courts that have repeatedly rejected challenges to Biden’s victory were to somehow still determine that Trump had won.

In North Carolina, Utah and other states across the country where Trump won, his Electors turned out to duly cast their ballots for him. Electors in North Carolina had their tem-peratures checked before being allowed to enter the Capitol to vote. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were among New York's 29 Electors for Biden and Harris.

A small band of Trump supporters march with flags as electors gathered to cast their votes for the US presidential election at the State Capitol complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, yesterday.

Police officers are seen outside a church where a man opened fire, in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, on Sunday.

Gunman shot dead outside New York churchAFP — NEW YORK

A man was shot dead by police after he opened fire near crowds who had gathered to watch carol-singing outside a New York church on Sunday.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said no one was injured during the shooting on the steps of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan.

Three police officers fired a total of 15 shots at the man,

Shea told reporters. “The defendant was struck

at least once in the head and is deceased,” he said.

Police recovered two guns from the scene and a bag found nearby that had a full container of gasoline, rope, wire, and multiple knives.

A journalist who witnessed the incident said she saw the man firing shots from the church steps as a few hundred people started to disperse when

the outdoor choral concert fin-ished shortly before 4:00 pm.

“I heard two or three booms that were really loud,” she said. “I looked up and maybe ten meters away from me on the stairs there was a guy shooting.

“I saw the bursts of gunfire coming out of the gun and I just started to run away. I just ran for my life.” Witness Martha Stolley said the man fired eight to ten shots before a police officer shot him.

Wisconsin SC

tosses Trump

election lawsuitAP — MADISON, WISCONSIN

A narrowly divided Wisconsin Supreme Court yesterday rejected President Donald Trump’s lawsuit attempting to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the battleground state, ending Trump’s legal challenges in state court about an hour before the Electoral College was to meet to cast the state’s 10 votes for Biden.

In the 4-3 ruling, the court’s three liberal justices were joined by conservative swing Justice Brian Hagedorn who said three of Trump’s four claims were filed too late and the other was without merit.

The president sought to have more than 221,000 ballots disqualified in Dane and Milwaukee counties, the state’s two most heavily Dem-ocratic counties. Those were the only counties where Trump sought a recount, even though he lost statewide by just short of 21,000 votes, a margin of about 0.6%. Hagedorn said the Trump campaign was “not entitled to the relief it seeks.” Hagedorn used a sports analogy when ruling against Trump, saying he should not have waited until his election loss was announced to raise his complaints.

Trump wanted to dis-qualify absentee ballots cast early and in-person, saying there wasn’t a proper written request made for the ballots; absentee ballots cast by people who claimed “indefinitely con-fined” status; absentee ballots collected by poll workers at Madison parks; and absentee ballots where clerks filled in missing information on ballot envelopes.

The court ruled that Trump’s challenge to voters who were indefinitely con-fined was without merit and that the other claims came too late. The three dissenting con-servative justices, led by Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, said the court should have decided whether votes should have counted in each of the four categories Trump chal-lenged and also clarified the law for future elections.

“A significant portion of the public does not believe that the November 3, 2020, presi-dential election was fairly con-ducted,” Roggensack wrote.

US govt says agencies hit by massive cyberattackAFP — WASHINGTON

The US government issued an emergency directive to federal agencies in the wake of a major cyberattack, as multiple media outlets reported at least two departments — including the Treasury — had been targeted by hackers.

In a statement on Sunday, the Cybersecurity and Infra-structure Security Agency (CISA) said it had ordered federal agencies to immedi-ately stop using SolarWinds Orion IT products following reports that hackers had used a recent update to gain access to internal communications.

“The compromise of Solar-Winds’ Orion Network Man-agement Products poses unac-ceptable risks to the security of federal networks,” said CISA Acting Director Brandon Wales.

“Tonight’s directive is intended to mitigate potential compromises within federal civilian networks... we urge all our partners-in the public and private sectors-to assess their exposure to this compromise and to secure their networks,” he added. The US government earlier on Sunday admitted its computer networks had been

hit by a cyberattack.“We have been working

closely with our agency partners regarding recently dis-covered activity on government networks,” a spokesperson for the Cybersecurity and Infra-structure Security Agency said.

“CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compro-mises.” IT company SolarWinds over the weekend admitted that hackers had exploited a backdoor in an update of some of its software released between March and June.

“We have been advised this attack was likely conducted by an outside nation state and intended to be a narrow, extremely targeted, and man-ually executed attack, as opposed to a broad, system-wide attack,” the firm said on its website. The hacks are part of a wider campaign that also hit major cybersecurity firm FireEye, which said its own defences had been breached by sophisticated attackers who stole tools used to test cus-tomers’ computer systems.

FireEye said it suspected t h e a t t a c k w a s state-sponsored.

Early voting begins in Georgia Senate runoffsAP — ATLANTA

What could be the main event in Georgia’s two US Senate runoffs — early in-person voting — got underway yesterday, with lines trending shorter than during the first days of early voting for the general election.

More than half of the record 5 million votes in the November 3 general election were cast during its three-week early voting period. Early in-person voting could be even more important in the January 5 runoffs because of the short time frame for voters to request and send back ballots by mail, as the two races decide which party will control the US Senate.

No one expects turnout to be as high as Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff try to oust Republican US Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respec-tively. But Bernard Fraga, an Emory University professor who studies voting, said overall turnout could reach 4 million.

In an overnight tweet just hours before early voting started, President Donald Trump continued his ongoing attack on Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, pushing him to take action or risk harming Perdue and Loeffler’s chances.

In contrast to the first day of early voting in October, when more than 125,000 people cast ballots and some

people lined up for hours, few long lines were reported Monday.

One question is how many mail-in ballots will be cast in the election. By Friday, 1.2 million mail-in ballots had been requested and 200,000 returned. In the general election, Democrat Joe Biden won 65% of the 1.3 million absentee ballots that were returned in Georgia, a record fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Fraga said it’s possible that mail-in ballots, if any-thing, will be even more favourable for Democrats in the runoff because of attacks on the integrity of mail-in voting by Trump and many Georgia Republicans.

That means early in-person voting, which Trump narrowly won in November, could be even more important for Republicans. Both parties may also drive voters toward the early polls with Christmas and New Year’s holidays looming before January 5.

Republican attacks on mail-in voting also worry some Democrats. Meghan Shannon, 36, voted in person for Ossoff and Warnock yes-terday at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta partly driven by fears that absentee ballots will be overly scrutinised.

“I think the absentee ballots are going to be ques-tioned when they count the votes,” the architect said.

20TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2020

W ALRUWAIS : 18o → 23o W ALKHOR : 16o → 24o W DUKHAN : 16o → 24o W WAKRAH : 14o → 24o W MESAIEED : 14o → 24o W ABUSAMRA : 15o → 24o

Misty at places at first becomes

moderate temperature daytime

with scattered clouds, relatively

cold by night.

Minimum Maximum18oC 24oC

WEATHER TODAY

LOW TIDE 12:38 – 23:29

HIGH TIDE 05:08 – 15:18

PRAYER TIMINGSPPPPRAYRRRAAAYARA MMMMIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGMMMMMMMMIIINNNNNNGGGGNNNNGGGIINNNNGNNNNNNNNN

PRAYERTIMINGS

FAJRSUNRISE

04.49 am 06.11 am

DHUHR 11.29 am

ISHA 06.18 pmMAGHRIBASR 02.27 pm

04.48 pm

Ashghal to complete 828km of highways by year end

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed several highways, and local road projects and infrastructure work in many areas. The oper-ation and maintenance of road and drainage networks continue across the country as well.

By the end of 2020, 828 km of highways are expected to be completed, said Ashgal in a report on its achievements issued on the occasion of Qatar National Day.

Ashghal also announced the start of implementing many new projects within the infra-structure development pro-gramme for areas in 2020, as 203 km of roads have been developed and infrastructure for 3,399 existing and new plots of land for citizens completed across the country.

Ashghal also signed 11 new contracts to establish bus stops and warehouses at the cost of QR2bn as part of the public bus infrastructure programme.

Ashghal also completed about 90% of the outfall tun-nel’s construction works within the Mesaimeer pumping station and the offshore outfall project

and 95% of the sewage treatment plant project in Al Thakhira. Ashghal also com-pleted the construction of sub-sewage tunnels within the infrastructure development project for south Doha sewage.

Ashghal made a new achievement by registering two world records in the Guinness World Records for the longest connected bicycle path in addition to the longest piece of asphalt that had been continu-ously paved.

Regarding expressway development projects, Ashghal opened most parts of Mesaimeer Interchange, as it opened the tunnel linking the Doha Expressway and the Industrial Area.

Under Al Wakra’s main development project, the inter-section on the Al Wakrah Tunnel opened partially. Duhail Al Gharafa Bridge and parts of the traffic lights under Al Shamal Bridge were opened on August 15, 2020, under the development of Duhail Intersection.

By the beginning of the aca-demic year 2020-21, Ashghal opened Al Khafous Street, with a length of 3,700 meters, linking Al Furousiya Street in the west

and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor in the east. Ashghal partially opened a new bridge on the Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor in Bu Hamour, with 900 meters.

Ashghal announced the opening of the traffic light at Al Waab Interchange as part of the Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor project’s work. Work is underway to complete the rest of the bridging works on the vital intersection after con-verting it from traffic light to an intersection of three levels.

Ashghal announced the start of the project’s implementation to develop the road network linking with Al Khor Road, with a length of 28 km, and con-verting seven temporary roads into new permanent roads that provide greater capacity and traffic flow in all directions. Ashghal opened the Olympic cycling track on Al Khor Road with a length of 33 km within the National Sports Day activities.

In July 2020, Ashghal announced the start of the implementation of D-Ring Road development works to improve traffic movement at the main intersections on the D-Ring Road to provide free traffic by increasing the number of lanes

on each Fareej Al Ali intersection.

A major achievement of Ashghal is the opening of the first phase of Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor at an estimated rate of 75%, with a length of 13 km from the Umm Lakhba Interchange to the Bouhamour Bridge.

The most prominent achievements of the infra-structure development pro-gramme for the areas are the development of roads leading to Al Rayyan Stadium and the roads surrounding Al Bayt Stadium, completing the con-struction of the main tunnel for the sewage network serving eight northern areas. Opening of two streets and completing the infrastructure works in Rawdat Aba Al Hiran area.

During the year 2020, Ashghal started implementing

several new projects as part of the infrastructure development programme for the regions, including the Roads and Infra-structure Project in the South of Al Mashaf (Package 7) that serves 1,389 plots of lands for citizens.

In July, Ashghal signed nine new contracts for infrastructure projects for citizens’ lands, valued at QR3.6bn, to serve 5,111 housing plots in different areas across the country.

Ashghal, represented by the Roads Projects Department, won several international awards this year. In March 2020, it won the ‘Government Sustainability Initiative’ award presented by the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), a member of Qatar Foundation. In May 2020, it won two inter-national safety awards from the British Safety Council to rec-ognise its outstanding health and safety performance in the roads and infrastructure projects in Doha Industrial Area (Package 3) and Muaither West (Package 3).

In June 2020, Ashghal was crowned the ‘Winner of the Year’ with two International Safety Awards 2020 from the British Safety Council.

A view of the newly-opened Al Waab Intersection. RIGHT: Lusail Expressway.

This year, Ashghal also

achieved Guinness

World Records for the

longest connected

bicycle path and the

longest continuously-

paved asphalt piece.

Justin Bieber, UK

health workers

team up for

charity song

AP — LONDON

Justin Bieber has teamed up with a choir of London medical staff to record a special charity single.

The choir, made up of nurses, doctors and other health care staff working in the British capital’s Lewisham and Greenwich public health service, joined the Canadian pop star for a special version of his song “Holy” in a bid to top the Christmas chart.

Choir members recorded their vocals at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios. Profits from the collaboration will go to National Health Service charities.

The choir gained fame when it vied with Bieber in 2015. Bieber urged his millions of fans on Twitter to support the choir, not him, and it even-tually won the top spot on the singles chart.

'Demon Slayer' nears Japan movie history, boosts economy with resilience messageREUTERS — TOKYO

The tale of a boy fighting human-eating demons which murdered his family, “Demon Slayer” is poised to become Japan’s top-grossing film ever, thanks to a boost in fan numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic and its message of resilience.

Based on a popular manga and TV anime series, the film has spun off an industry of related merchandise and has won over fans with its nod to Japanese traditions people fear are missing today.

“People in high positions act according to that — ‘Noblesse oblige’, samurai and so on. Those at the top become a shield for weaker ones, using their strength to protect them,” said movie commentator Yuichi Maeda.

“That’s absolutely missing

in modern Japan.” “Demon Slayer” is set to overtake the Academy Award-winning “Spirited Away,” Japan’s top-grossing film for nearly two decades.

According to data yesterday, the film — whose full title is “Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mugen no Resshahen” and was released on October 16 — has taken in a total of 30.28 billion yen ($291m), within a whisker of the 30.8 billion yen for “Spirited Away,” by Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki.

It has already opened in a few Asian nations and will head to the US and Canada early next year. The Demon Slayer manga series, running from 2016 to 2020 in a magazine and pub-lished in a series of books, has sold over 100 million copies of the first 22 books. Fans lined up for the 23rd volume when it went on sale earlier this month.

But the impact hasn’t stopped there, said Toshihiro Nagahama, senior economist at the Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute, who estimated an eco-nomic impact of at least 270 billion yen as of December 3.

Of that, some 130 billion yen was in related goods such as toys, with a sword released by Bandai Namco Holdings — which has also produced a “Demon Slayer” series of its long-running Tamagotchi hit — flying off store shelves.

A less obvious winner is Dydo Group Holdings, whose “Demon Slayer” themed canned coffee has proved so popular it revised up its profit forecast this fiscal year to 2.5 billion yen from 500 million yen.

Sony Corp, whose music unit is co-distributor, has also gained a boost.

Although the movie’s opening was pushed back due

to the pandemic, the delay worked to its benefit as parents, stuck at home during Japan’s soft lockdown in spring, heard about the franchise from their children. With time on their hands, they read and binge-watched the series on streaming services.

“This got the whole family interested, it was something they could talk about at home,”

said Yuka Ijima, an assistant professor at Daito Bunka University.

Ijima noted that demons first appeared in Japanese folklore as a symbol of disease, and said the story’s message was resonating with audiences. “Overall, it’s about resilience, about overcoming terrible things and the strength to do that,” she said.

Reddit snaps up TikTok rival DubsmashAFP — LOS ANGELES

Reddit has acquired the Tik Tok-like app Dubsmash, both companies said on Sunday, as big tech moves to carve out territory in the lucrative short-form video-sharing market.

In a statement, Reddit said it had been drawn to Dub-smash — which reports over a billion video views a month — because of its commitment to diversity and promoting under-represented voices.

“Both Reddit and Dub-smash share a deep rooted respect for how communities come together,” Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said.

“Dubsmash elevates under-represented creators, while Reddit fosters a sense of community and belonging across thousands of different topics and passions,” he added.

News of the deal comes as big tech scrambles to acquire space in the massive video-sharing app market following the success of TikTok, which is now under sustained pressure from the US gov-ernment over its Chinese ownership.

Dubsmash, which allows users to lip-sync to popular music or dance along to their favourite songs, has been described by tech press as the “number two” video-sharing app online.

Neither company has dis-closed how much Reddit paid for Dubsmash, though the tech news website The Information earlier this year reported that a similar offer from Facebook had been in the range of hun-dreds of millions of dollars.

Facebook later opted to develop its own TikTok-like platform, known as “Reels”, as did popular video messaging service Snapchat.

Women walk past a poster for the animated movie “Demon Slayer” in front of a movie theatre in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday.

British spy thriller author John le Carre dies aged 89AFP — LONDON

John le Carre, the British writer best known for his Cold War espionage novels “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”, has died aged 89, his agent and family said on Sunday.

The author, a former British intelligence officer whose real name was David Cornwell, wrote 25 novels and one memoir in a career spanning six decades, selling 60 million books worldwide.

His wife of nearly 50 years, Jane, and sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon, said in a statement that he died on Saturday night after a short battle with pneumonia.

“We all grieve deeply his passing,” they said, thanking

staff at the hospital in Cornwall, southwest England, for their care. “We know they share our sadness,” they added.

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” was adapted for television in 1979, with Alec Guinness starring as the enigmatic spy-catcher George Smiley, and became a classic. Gary Oldman reprised the role in the 2011 film, winning an Oscar the fol-lowing year.

“All who follow are in his debt,” Oldman said in a statement. “His characters were drawn deftly and deeply... For me, inhabiting George Smiley remains one of the highpoints of my life.” His friend, the novelist Robert Harris, called le Carre “one of those writers who really was not only a brilliant writer but he also penetrated popular

culture — and that’s a great rarity”.

Harris told Sky News tele-vision “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” was a “masterpiece”.

“It’s an incredibly engrossing tale and very deep, and it transformed the writing of spy fiction. It was a brilliant, psychological portrait of spying and of betrayal and of the decline of British power.” Stephen King, the best-selling US author, called le Carre “a literary giant and a humani-tarian spirit”.

Jonny Geller, le Carre’s lit-erary agent, said: “His like will never be seen again, and his loss will be felt by every book lover, everyone interested in the human condition.” And his-torian Simon Sebag Montefiore said he was heartbroken at the

death of a “titan of English literature”.

Le Carre’s life could have been the stuff of fiction and he once said he owed his career in the shadows and later lit-erary success to an “impulsive adolescent decision” to flee an unhappy home life.

It involved a spell in Bern, Switzerland, learning German, where he took his first steps in British intelligence, doing odd-jobs across the border in Austria. From Switzerland, he returned to Britain to study at Oxford University, then went on to teach at the elite Eton school before joining MI5, the country’s domestic intelligence agency, in the late 1950s.

He later transferred to the overseas spy agency MI6, serving in the West German capital Bonn.