BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar commercial Motorcycling: banks’ assets jump MotoGP season to QR1.68tn in Dec to start with 2020: QCB double-header in Qatar

published in QATAR since 1978

SATURDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11802 January 23, 2021 Jumada II 10, 1442 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir to patronise PM meets Omani interior minister Police College graduation today US House to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will patronise the graduation ceremony of the third batch of candidate deliver Trump students of the Ministry of Interior’s Police College this morning. First competitive race impeachment in Sealine today Qatar Endurance Committee will organise today the first competitive race for the current season in the charge on Mon Marathon Village of Sealine. The 100km race is divided into three stages 40-35-25. The third qualifying race for z the 80km category will be divided Senate set for conducting ‘full trial’ into three phases 40, 20, and 20. The qualifying race was held yesterday in Reuters cited an insurrection by his supporters which nearly 40 riders participated. Washington who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani met yesterday with “This impeachment began with an Biden: we need to act the visiting Omani Minister of Interior Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al-Busaidi and his accompanying delegation. During unprecedentedly fast and minimal the meeting, they reviewed the strong fraternal relations between the two countries and means of supporting and he Democratic-controlled US process over in the House,” McCon- ‘decisively and boldly’ developing them, especially in the security fields. The latest regional and international developments were also House of Representatives will nell said yesterday. “The sequel cannot President Joe Biden said yesterday discussed. Later, the Prime Minister hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of the Omani delegation. Page 2 Tdeliver an impeachment charge be an insuffi cient Senate process that the US economic crisis was against former President Donald denies former President Trump his due deepening and that the government Trump to the Senate on Monday, re- process or damages the Senate or the needs to take major action now jecting Republican Senate Minority presidency itself.” to help struggling Americans. The Leader Mitch McConnell’s request for Senate rules call for an impeachment government needs to act “decisively a delay. trial to begin at 1pm on the day after and boldly” to help Americans Senate Majority Leader Chuck articles of impeachment are delivered who are seeing their paycheques QF launches ‘Students Schumer, who displaced McConnell as to the upper legislative chamber of reduced and are “barely hanging the chamber’s leader after Democrats Congress, except for Sundays. on,” Biden said at the White House won two Georgia runoff elections this But Senator Richard Durbin, the No. as he introduced his coronavirus month, announced the move on the 2 Senate Democrat, told MSNBC that economic relief plan. Page 7 Senate fl oor yesterday. lawmakers would “sit down and map of Change’ campaign Schumer did not say when Trump’s this out as best we can, use every avail- Pfi zer off ers 40mn Covid second impeachment trial would be- able minute.” shots to poorer countries gin. The moves come as Schumer and By Joseph Varghese But he emphasised the need to move McConnell are struggling to assert Pfizer announced yesterday that it will Staff Reporter quickly on confi rmation of President control in a 50-50 chamber where provide up to 40mn of its Covid-19 Joe Biden’s Cabinet and other key ad- Democrats hold a razor-thin majority vaccine doses to poorer countries on ministration offi cials. thanks to Vice President Kamala Har- a non-profit basis, through the Covax new campaign by Qatar Foun- “The House will deliver the article of ris’ tie-breaking vote. facility. Covax — the globally-pooled dation (QF) aims to reimag- impeachment to the Senate. The Sen- “I can’t imagine that both McCon- coronavirus vaccine procurement and A ine education and provide ate will conduct a trial of the impeach- nell and Schumer don’t want to have a equitable distribution eff ort, aimed at endless possibilities for learners, ment of Donald Trump. It will be a full little more structure here, and particu- ensuring that lower-income countries researchers and innovators among trial. It will be a fair trial,” Schumer larly Schumer, leave a little more time get hold of doses too — is hoping to ship others by helping them become said. to move forward with the early Biden its first deliveries in February. Covax is change-makers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi con- decisions before we get locked into the co-led by the World Health Organisation ‘Students of Change’ campaign fi rmed the plan in a statement. trial,” Republican Senator Roy Blunt and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. will continue for several months, fo- those who are passionate about mak- short videos have been sending out White House spokeswoman Jen told reporters. cusing on helping learners become ing a change to get involved in the the message over its social media plat- Psaki told reporters that the Senate McConnell has insisted that Demo- Johnson: UK virus architects of change and envisage an whole process as it highlights, “In our forms for over a week to stir the young should be able to move forward with crats provide a guarantee that they strain more deadly ecosystem of huge opportunities by rapidly evolving world, change is the minds to ponder over and think diff er- both the trial and Biden’s agenda, be- will not end the legislative fi libuster, constantly designing new avenues. only constant. It’s in our hands to be a ently for a change, it envisages. It in- ginning with his call for $1.9tn of fresh which gives the minority Republicans The coronavirus strain that has swept The campaign primarily focuses part of it and help shape it.” vites everyone to be part of the change; Covid-19 assistance for Americans and the power to block legislation being Britain and beyond in recent months on three distinct groups: Youth of “The need to challenge human- be that a student pursuing a degree, a the US economy. pushed by the new Biden administra- could be more deadly as well as more Change, Innovators of Change, and ity’s ways of doing things has been researcher in a laboratory, an aspiring “What cannot be delayed through tion. transmissible, Prime Minister Boris Partners of Change. several years in the making, and now innovator, an artist, a community ac- this process is his proposal to get relief Schumer rejected McConnell’s de- Johnson said yesterday. Page 7 In the fast emerging global sce- that change has become inevitable. tivist, or just a member of society who to the American people at this time of mand yesterday, calling it an “unac- nario, especially in the aftermath of a The question is: what will your role wants to play their part. crisis,” Psaki told reporters. ceptable proposal.” severe pandemic that has ravaged the be in this change? Will you be a foot- “Our educational off erings are Schumer’s remarks came the morn- McConnell refused to concede, say- CCOMMUNITYOMMUNITY humans so immensely and a disrup- note in history or will you play a role built to disrupt traditional ways of ing after McConnell asked the House ing that maintaining the fi libuster’s tor of so many conventional practices in shaping it? Whatever you are, and learning, and provide customised to delay sending the charges until next 60-vote threshold for advancing most in many areas including education, whatever you do, you can be a student and innovative learning opportuni- Thursday, and called on Schumer to legislation was a linchpin for the pow- See Pages the new campaign is likely to strike a of change and shape our world for the ties that empower the youth to think postpone the trial until mid-February er-sharing agreement cobbled togeth- chord with many. better,” inspires the campaign. beyond the obvious,” runs the cam- to give Trump more time to prepare a er in 2001, the last time the Senate was 4,5 & 6 The campaign also encourages all QF, through several visuals and paign. To Page 2 defence against the charge that he in- split 50-50. Windy, dusty conditions prevail World leaders urged to learn from pandemic in adapting to climate change

By Megan Rowling crises by investing in a sustainable and than with warming of 2C this century, Barcelona resilient recovery. meaning 10mn fewer people would be But he urged them to consider how exposed to risk in coastal areas. a green recovery and growing national But even with a 1.5C temperature he Covid-19 pandemic has pledges to become carbon-neutral by rise — which the IPCC has said could shown the world what it is mid-century are compatible with a happen as soon as 2030 — many low- Tlike to go through a dangerous still-rising trend for climate-heating lying small island nations would not be emergency of the kind that could oc- emissions. able to adapt, he said. cur if climate change accelerates — and “The next few years will be very The world has already warmed by off ers lessons on how to respond, the challenging,” Lee added, warning about 1.2C and is currently on track to head of the UN climate science panel worsening extreme weather and rising heat up by at least 3C, the United Na- said yesterday. seas could test the limits of adaptation. tions said this month. Hoesung Lee, chair of the Intergov- The South Korean economist said Yesterday, more than 3,000 scien- ernmental Panel on Climate Change it would be easier for humans to cope tists called for a bigger global push to (IPCC), said the health crisis was “a with climate pressures if global warm- protect people and nature from the foretaste of what climate change could ing were kept to 1.5C above pre-indus- eff ects of a heating planet, even as re- do to our society, to nature and to our trial times, the lowest goal in the 2015 searchers estimated funding to adapt lives”. Paris Agreement, rather than the pact’s to climate change has dropped due to “Both climate change and Covid-19 upper limit of 2C. the Covid-19 pandemic. have shown us the risks of an unthink- “Every half degree of warming mat- The scientists, from about 120 ing and rapacious approach to nature ters, every year matters, every choice countries, included fi ve Nobel laure- and its resources,” he told an event at matters,” he told the event by video ates who spoke alongside Lee at the Windy and dusty conditions prevailed across Qatar yesterday. The lowest minimum and maximum temperatures which scientists stressed the impor- link. event to launch the statement, ahead of recorded at Abu Samra were 10C and 17C. Today’s forecast is 10C and 19C, also at Abu Samra. Off shore, strong winds tance of adapting to a warming planet. For example, he noted that at 1.5C, a global adaptation summit organised with high seas at first and thundery rain at north are expected. Picture shows a dusty and windy scene just before Lee said leaders should address both sea level would rise 10cm (4 inches) less by the Netherlands next week. sunset from Doha Corniche yesterday. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam. Page 12 Gulf Times 2 Saturday, January 23, 2021 QATAR Qatar, Belarus Omani minister arrives in Doha set to take ties to higher level, says diplomat

By Shafeeq Alingal Staff Reporter

atar and Belarus are set to take the diplomatic Qand business ties to Omani Minister of Interior Hamoud bin Faisal al-Busaidi and his accompanying delegation higher levels by strengthening were greeted upon arrival at Doha International Airport by HE the Prime Minister and Minister co-operation in key areas, Be- of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani and Oman’s ambassador to Qatar, larus embassy charge d’affaires Najeeb bin Yahya al-Balushi. Denis Kovalev told Gulf Times. The exclusive interview marked the 25th anniversary of the es- tablishment of diplomatic rela- tions between Qatar and Bela- rus on January 16. The two countries hold posi- Qatar takes part in food tive political relations and co-operation in various areas including tourism, business, culture, arts and international Denis Kovalev The Marriott Hotel constructed by Qatar in Minsk. and agriculture forum security, he said. “Our views on the most important global topics are rather common. Our QNA Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin of trade in securing various countries support each other in Doha Turki al-Subaie. products to ensure food security international organisations. We The forum is organised by the and nutrition in times of crisis, established good co-operation Federal Ministry of Food and and the extent of the countries’ between the interior minis- atar participated in the Agriculture in Germany, with commitment to providing food tries and many Qatari officers Global Forum for Food the participation of the Secre- in light of the persistence of trained in Belarus,” Kovalev ex- Qand Agriculture, which tary-General of the United Na- various crises and epidemics at plained. was held via video conference tions, the Director-General of the regional and international The previous years have technology, under the title ‘How the World Food Organisation levels. marked the regular visits of to Feed the World in Times of (FAO), the European Commis- It will also promote and de- high-level delegations from Pandemics and Climate Change’. sion for Agriculture and agri- velop innovations and agricul- the Belarus Ministry of Interior Qatar was represented in the culture ministers from 80 coun- tural digital technology in order and the Ministry of Defence forum by HE the Minister of tries. to achieve the sustainable devel- for Milipol and Dimdex exhibi- Municipality and Environment The forum discussed the role opment goals. tions in Qatar. In 2012, Belarus and Qatar exchanged the Days of Culture in Doha and Minsk. Three meetings have been held as part of the Joint Inter Gov- ernmental Co-operation with Ibn Al Rayb Cultural Street a fourth planned in Minsk. Belarus opened its embassy in Doha in 2014 while the Qatar hosts meetings with writers embassy started functioning in Qatar aid shipment in Belarus. Minsk in 2019. At present, the embassies are headed by charge eral of the Committee of winter have given better opportunities is one of the best hotels in Bela- QNA today. The event will host au- Qatar University. She is also a d’affaires. “We hope that in fu- sports of Qatar Adel al-Mutlaq for businessmen and tourists to rus capital. We believe that this Doha thors Lina al-Ali and Mohamed member of the Board of Direc- ture the ambassadors will be visited Minsk during the 12th visit Belarus and Qatar helping will pave the way for new Qatari Hammam Fekri to talk about tors of the Qatar Society of Fine appointed,” he said. Christmas International Ama- them know more about the cul- investments in Belarus and our their writing experiences and Arts. Mohamed Hammam Fekri Kovalev noted that the rela- teur Ice Hockey Tournament. ture and traditions of the two government is ready to support he Cultural Village Foun- their sources of inspiration in the is an author and heritage and tions between the two coun- In July 2019, the delegation countries,” the diplomat said. Qatari investors,” he said add- dation (Katara), in co- two meetings that will be mod- rare books adviser at the Qatar tries developed dynamically of Qatar Olympic Committee The Belarus embassy charge ing that trade and investment Toperation with the Qatar erated by Hamad al-Tamimi and Foundation for Education, Sci- over the years and were always visited Belarus to take part in d’affaires Denis Kovalev ex- will be priority topics for dis- Publishers and Distributors Fo- Mohamed al-Rabie. ence and Community Develop- based on mutual trust and the second European Games. pects a boost in bilateral trade. cussion during the fourth Bela- rum, will organise an event with- With an experience of 20 years ment, and the former director friendship. In 2001, 2011 and In October 2019, the delega- Belarus exports milk whey, rus-Qatar Inter Governmental in the framework of the Ibn Al in education, Lina obtained a of the Arab and Islamic Heritage 2016 Belarus president visited tion of the National Olympic dry milk, ready-made seafood Committee meeting that will Rayb Cultural Street programme Bachelor’s in Art Education from Library. Qatar. In 2009, the then Amir Committee of Belarus took part products, luggage scanning be attended by ministerial del- His Highness Sheikh Hamad in the meeting of General As- equipment, potash fertilisers, egations. bin Khalifa al-Thani visited Be- sembly of the Association of wood products for construc- The envoy also expects that One person larus. Former prime minister National Olympic Committees tion and other items while Qa- the number of Belarus expatri- HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser in Doha. Kovalev said cultural tar exports ethylene polymers ates in Qatar will go up. “Most arrested for bin Khalifa al-Thani visited Be- ties between the two countries for several millions of dollars of the less than 1,000 Belaru- violating home larus five times. These are in are well established. In March annually. sian expatriates work in Qatar addition to several meetings, 2012, Days of Belarusian Cul- Belarus also produces ag- Airways and the hospitality quarantine rules attended by the official delega- ture were held in Qatar while ricultural tractors, trucks for sector while some of them are tions and visits hosted by the Days of Culture of Qatar were cargo, dump trucks, a wide engineers. We assess that in The designated authorities two countries. organised in Belarus. The Qa- range of agricultural products, future this number will grow, arrested on Thursday one While it comes to sports and tari delegation was headed by construction materials and especially with the new Qatari person who violated the home culture, the two countries have the then Minister of Culture, chemical products. “We are labour legislation which gives quarantine requirements, been exchanging visits for sev- Arts and Heritage HE Dr Ha- also the leader in our region in more protection for expatriate which expose violators to legal eral years. In May 2014, the of- mad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari. the IT industry. All these give employees.” accountability in accordance ficial delegation of Qatar, led Qatari nationals can visit good opportunities for more While thanking Qatar for its with the procedures of the by the then secretary general Belarus without visa for 30 active development of Belarus- help, Kovalev said Belarus re- health authorities in the of Qatar Olympic Committee days after an official decree Qatari trade,” he said. ceived medical cargo in sup- country. HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrah- was issued in 2011 while Qa- At present Qatari invest- port to fight Covid-19. “Our The arrest came in man al-Thani visited Minsk to tar announced visa free entry ments in Belarus is about country highly appreciates this implementation of the participate in the events of the for Belarusian citizens in 2017. $200mn. “In 2015, Qatar step and considers this as a true precautionary measures in World Hockey Championship. “These are very important opened Marriott Hotel and a confirmation of friendship and force, approved by the Ministry In 2016, the then secretary gen- steps in bilateral relations that sports complex in Minsk. This solidarity,” he added. of Public Health, to curb the spread of the Covid-19. The violator, who is currently being referred to the prosecution, is Mohamed Aref Majed al- Ramalli al-Shammari. MoPH reports 144,619 The authorities called on citizens and residents under home quarantine to fully total Covid recoveries Monitoring children’s online activities and helping them to choose commit to the health ministry’s the suitable video games for their age are important for their condition, for their safety and safety online, the Ministry of Interior tweeted. the safety of others. QNA tening the curve and limiting Doha the spread of the virus and the number of new daily cases and hospital admissions is continu- he Ministry of Public ing to decline each week. Health (MoPH) reported Qatar’s proactive and exten- QF launches ‘Students of Change’ drive Tyesterday 263 new con- sive testing of suspected cases fi rmed cases of coronavirus has enabled the authorities (Covid-19), of which 228 were to identify a high number of From Page 1 cused on environmental sus- facilitate the transfer of ideas from community and 35 from positive cases in the commu- tainability and social engage- and jointly realise them.” Final- travellers returning from abroad nity. Qatar has one of the low- The project also aims to make ment,” it says. The programme ly, the campaign offers oppor- who are subject to quarantine. est Covid-19 death rates in the people innovators of change. also invites everyone to come tunities for young learners to The MoPH also recorded 141 world. “We are triggering transforma- together and become partners join QF’s schools and universi- recoveries from the virus during Anyone suff ering from Cov- tive change by curating big of change. “When we come ties; helps researchers and in- the past 24 hours, bringing the id-19 symptoms should either ideas and turning them into together to bring change, our novators to test, become part of total number of cases recovered contact 16000 helpline or go breakthroughs. reach and impact can be ampli- its research, development, and in Qatar to 144,619. All new cases directly to one of the designated This happens through our fied. innovation ecosystem or those have been introduced to isola- health centres to undergo the platforms in research and in- “The spirit of collaboration is who want to be part of a com- tion and are receiving necessary necessary checks. novation, such as in artifi- at the core of our organisation, munity that is striving to make healthcare. The MoPH has urged people to cial intelligence and precision and we are always partnering a positive impact in the world Measures to tackle Covid-19 visit its website for regular up- medicine, as well as through with organisations and institu- around, to explore the commu- in Qatar have succeeded in fl at- dates and new information. our community initiatives fo- tions from around the world to nity development programmes. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2021 3 REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA/ASIA

Lebanese president refutes Iran calls on Biden to ‘unconditionally’ lift US sanctions govt formation obstruction AFP it unilaterally in 2018 and reim- cies of the Trump administra- ernment has signalled a readiness istration can still salvage the nu- nomic relief it expected under Tehran posed harsh sanctions as part of a tion,” or Biden “can choose a bet- to engage with Biden, who took clear agreement, but only if it can the JCPOA. Biden, along with Lebanese President Michel policy of “maximum pressure” on ter path by ending Trump’s failed offi ce on January 20 and who has muster the genuine political will Paris and Berlin, have expressed Aoun refuted allegations that Iran. Known as the Joint Compre- policy of ‘maximum pressure’ and expressed willingness to return to in Washington to demonstrate a desire to negotiate more broadly he obstructed government ran yesterday called on the hensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), returning to the deal his pred- diplomacy with Tehran. that the United States is ready to with Iran, notably on its missile formation in his country. new US administration to the deal was agreed between Iran, ecessor abandoned,” he added. Biden’s pick for secretary of be a real partner in collective ef- programme and regional infl u- Lebanon’s National News I“unconditionally” lift sanc- the United States, China, Russia, “But if Washington instead insists state, Anthony Blinken, said at forts,” Zarif wrote. ence. In his op-ed, Zarif indicated Agency reported a statement tions imposed by Donald Trump Britain, France and Germany. on extracting concessions, then a Senate confi rmation hearing “The administration should Iran was not open to further ne- by the Information Off ice of on the Islamic republic to salvage It off ered sanctions relief in ex- this opportunity will be lost.” Tuesday that Trump’s policies begin by unconditionally remov- gotiations, made clear in the title the Lebanese Presidency as the 2015 nuclear deal, warning change for curbs on Tehran’s nu- The sanctions targeted Iran’s had made Iran “more dangerous”. ing, with full eff ect, all sanctions of the op-ed: “Iran wants the nu- saying: “Lately, there has been against any concessions. Just two clear ambitions and guarantees it vital oil sales and international Blinken confi rmed Biden’s desire imposed, reimposed, or relabelled clear deal it made. Don’t ask Te- a proliferation of analyses and days after US President Joe Biden would not seek an atomic bomb. banking ties, plunging its econo- for Washington to return to the since Trump took offi ce,” he add- hran to meet new demands.” articles dealing with the position took offi ce, Iranian Foreign Min- Iran has maintained it has only my into a deep recession. nuclear agreement, but said that ed. “Iranians are running out of pa- of President Aoun, regarding the ister Mohamed Javad Zarif pub- pursued a civilian nuclear energy Since 2019, Iran has suspended was conditional on Tehran’s re- “In turn, Iran would reverse all tience,” Zarif wrote, as evidenced issue of forming the government, lished an op-ed in the US foreign programme. “The new adminis- its compliance with most of the turn to strict compliance with its the remedial measures it has tak- by legislation the country’s par- with the intention of distorting policy magazine Foreign Aff airs on tration in Washington has a fun- limits set by the deal in response commitments. en in the wake of Trump’s with- liament passed in December re- and suggesting that President Tehran’s view towards saving the damental choice to make,” Zarif, to Washington’s abandonment of But Tehran has insisted that drawal from the nuclear deal.” quiring Tehran “to boost uranium Aoun is the one who is putting deal. who is considered one of the ar- sanctions relief and what Tehran Washington must fi rst lift all Iran has maintained it would enrichment and limit UN (Inter- obstacles in the formation The agreement has been largely chitects of the 2015 nuclear deal, deemed as Europe’s inaction to sanctions and return to its own return to full compliance with national Atomic Energy Agency) process in the face of the PM- in tatters since former president wrote in the op-ed. provide it with the JCPOA’s eco- JCPOA obligations. the deal if sanctions were lifted inspections if sanctions are not designate Saad Hariri.” Donald Trump withdrew from “It can embrace the failed poli- nomic benefi ts. The Iranian gov- “The incoming Biden admin- and it could benefi t from the eco- removed by February”. Refuting all these rumours and positions of some who are involved in the formation process, the Information Off ice of the Presidency confirms that the president did not ask for the DRC president “blocking third” in the upcoming government formation, the statement said. As for choosing ministers, naming them and hails Covid-19 Libyan sides begin distributing ministerial portfolios, this matter is not the exclusive right of the prime minister, based on the Constitution, which ‘products’ as WHO indicates that the president has the constitutional right to approve the cabinet formation talks in Morocco completely before signing, it sounds caution added. The statement pointed AFP Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The The meeting in the Moroccan – such as the electoral commis- out that the Lebanese president Bouznika, Morocco UN-recognised Government of coastal town of Bouznika, south sion, the central bank and the is still waiting for the prime AFP product are sketchy – and the National Accord (GNA) is based of the capital Rabat, brings to- anti-corruption commission. minister in charge to come Kinshasa UN’s World Health Organisation in the capital, while a House of gether 13 representatives from Libyan envoys at UN-backed with a governmental proposal (WHO) has sounded caution, epresentatives of rival Representatives, which does not the Tobruk-based House of talks in Egypt agreed Wednesday which takes into account the as it has done in other claims of Libyan camps yesterday recognise the Tripoli administra- Representatives, and 13 from the to hold a constitutional referen- standards of fair representation he president of the Demo- Covid fi xes. Its regional offi ce for Rbegan talks in Morocco, tion, is based in the east. A fragile Tripoli-based High Council of dum before elections planned for in accordance with the cratic Republic of Con- Africa, based in Brazzaville in the an AFP reporter said, as part of ceasefi re between the two sides, State, which advises the GNA. December 24. At separate talks in provisions of the constitution, Tgo, Felix Tshisekedi, has neighbouring Republic of Congo, ongoing eff orts to bring an end agreed in Geneva last October, The GNA has said the talks would Geneva earlier this week, Libyan while circumstances are very hailed locally-made “products” told AFP in an e-mail that it had to nearly a decade of confl ict. has largely held, despite threats centre on appointments to the representatives voted to pass a pressuring on more than one for tackling coronavirus, trig- “yet to be formally approached Libya has been riven by civil war by eastern military strongman country’s key institutions – al- mechanism to choose an interim level to form a government. — gering words of caution from the by the inventor of the product or since the Nato-backed uprising Khalifa Haftar to resume fi ght- ready the focus of previous talks executive to govern until the De- QNA WHO about any unsupported by the Congolese authorities.” that ousted long-time dictator ing. in Morocco in recent months cember polls. claims for Covid treatment. It said it had informed an ex- “Having a vaccine is essential. pert panel on traditional medi- ‘UN will continue But we are also in favour of a cur- cine and Covid, which the WHO ative treatment,” Tshisekedi said set up last year with the Africa All set for National Congress supporting Iraq’s on January 11. Centres for Disease Control and fight against “I believe we have two prod- Prevention (Africa CDC). “Clini- ucts which are promising, at cal tests are essential for provid- terrorism’ least in the fi rst results they ing scientifi c evidence about the have shown. They are Congolese safety, eff ectiveness and qual- The United Nations will products. We are going to pro- ity of all medications, whether continue to support Iraq and mote them.” One of the products, tradition- or modern-based,” its people in the quest for a called Manacovid, went on sale the WHO warned. Last week, a stable and peaceful future, in pharmacies in Kinshasa last product called Articovid, based said Special Representative of month, an AFP journalist saw. on a plant called artemisia which the United Nations Secretary- Bottles of the over-the-counter is widely used to treat malaria, General for Iraq Jeanine Hennis- concoction were on sale for $110 was shown to the DRC press by Plasschaert. (90 euros) each – a fortune in a its inventor, Jerome Munyangi, In a statement on the twin country where two-thirds of the who described himself as a “doc- explosions in Baghdad population live on less than $2 tor and researcher.” on Thursday, the Special per day. The man who describes He said he would apply to the Representative of the United himself as its inventor, Etienne- ministry of health for “marketing Nations Secretary-General for Flaubert Batangu Mpesa, who authorisation or certifi cation.” Iraq said: “I am deeply shocked works at the Luozi Pharmaceu- In March, the president of and outraged by the calculated tical Research Centre in Kon- Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, brutality and wickedness of go-Central province, described stoked controversy by promoting the double suicide attacks Manacovid as a “medication an artemisia-based brew called at Tayaran Square – bombs manufactured with local medici- Covid-Organics that he touted as deliberately detonated to cause nal plants.” a cure. The WHO issued its fi rst wanton killing and injuring The authorities have given the sounding of caution about any of civilians. On behalf of the product a fi ve-year authorisation claim that lacked scientifi c proof whole UN family in Iraq, I for public sale, according to an to show whether it was safe and wish to express our heartfelt offi cial document seen by AFP. eff ective. condolences to those who have In a letter to the inventor, dated Despite this, Madagascar has lost their loved ones in these January 7, DRC Health Minister sent samples of the drink to other attacks. I also wish a rapid Eteni Longondo hailed the out- countries in Africa and is pro- recovery to those who have come of what he called “clinical moting syrup and capsule ver- been injured.” She added that tests” carried out in a hospi- sions of the formula. The DRC Iraqis have suffered immensely tal, and promised his ministry has recorded 21,597 cases of coro- from terrorism in the past “will support you as the process navirus, of which 647 have been A man rides a scooter past a poster for the upcoming 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on a street in and have sacrificed much to moves ahead.” fatalities, according to the latest Hanoi yesterday. The 13th National Congress of the CPV begins on January 25. liberate their land from its But further details about the fi gures, published on Friday. scourge. — QNA

Shark may have seized Australian Nepali protesters Families of Indonesia jet crash snorkeller: police A man who went missing while joined by three snorkelling off the Australian victims hold memorial at sea coast may have been taken by a shark, authorities said yesterday, after a search operation found former PMs AFP tor, said he was “devastated” pieces of diving equipment. Jakarta by the accident which claimed The man went missing late on 12 crew lives. “We also feel sad Thursday while snorkelling near Reuters move that has plunged the young and lost,” he said. So far, 47 of Port MacDonnell, on the country’s Kathmandu republic already battling the elatives of 62 people the 62 victims have been iden- south coast, sparking an air and pandemic into political turmoil. killed when an Indo- tified through fingerprints and sea search, police said. “We will all continue our pro- Rnesian passenger jet DNA matches to living family. The search was later scaled back hree former Nepali prime tests to pressure Oli to realise his slammed into the sea scattered But Bety Saprianti, 33, who lost when rescuers pulled a damaged ministers joined thou- mistake and correct it,” former flowers at the crash site yes- five relatives, is waiting for her wetsuit and flippers from the Tsands of demonstrators prime minister Madhav Kumar terday, as investigators look for aunt to be officially identified. water. yesterday to protest against Nepal told the anti-government clues to why the plane dropped “We did not attend the cer- The man’s identity was not Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s rally in the heart of Kathmandu. from the sky minutes after emony today. None of our fam- disclosed, other than that he was abrupt move to dissolve parlia- Former premiers Prachanda, takeoff. ily joined — it was too painful,” 32 and from nearby Victoria state. ment and call snap elections. who led a decade long Maoist in- The memorial came as the she said. Local media reported he had Judges in the Supreme Court surgency that ended in 2006 and search for human remains and “Our only hope now is (the been holidaying with family at the are hearing arguments on more still goes by his nom de guerre, wreckage ended two weeks last) of our relatives is identi- popular surfing and diving spot than a dozen petitions challeng- and Jhal Nath Khanal, were also after the Sriwijaya Air Boe- fied soon.” and they called the authorities ing Oli’s plan to seek elections at the rally. All three former pre- ing 737-500 plunged roughly The 26-year-old plane when he failed to return. “We about two years before his gov- miers are from Oli’s party but 10,000ft (3,000m) in less than crashed just four minutes after haven’t recovered any remains ernment’s tenure ends. oppose the dissolution. A senior a minute before crashing into setting off from Jakarta, bound but there are a few remaining Oli, 68, has said internal police offi cial said an estimated waters off Jakarta. for Pontianak city on Bor- areas of interest that we want squabbling and a lack of co- 25,000 people had gathered to However, the hunt continues Flight attendants of Sriwijaya Air react as they visit the site of the neo island, a 90-minute flight to explore, but the search will operation from members of his protest near Oli’s offi ce yesterday for a still-missing cockpit voice crash of Sriwijaya Air flight SJ 182 to pay their tribute, on the deck of away. Authorities said the crew be scaled down,” the Australian party had paralysed decision- and more marches were planned recorder, as investigators pore Indonesia’s Naval ship KRI Semarang at the sea off the Jakarta coast, did not declare an emergency Broadcasting Corp quoted South making, forcing his December across the Himalayan nation, over details from a retrieved Indonesia, yesterday. or report technical problems Australia Police Limestone Coast 2020 move to seek an early vote. which lies between India and flight data recorder — so- with the aircraft before its dive, operations manager Campbell In recent weeks Oli has been at- China. called black boxes that could be apparent malfunction played. ter,” said Heri Purnomo, whose and that it was probably intact Hill as saying. tending rallies organised by his Legal experts said the hearing critical to the probe. Mainte- Yesterday, dozens of relatives older sibling Agus Minardi and when it hit the water – citing a A shark had been reported seen supporters in support of his de- on Oli’s decision was expected to nance logs pointed to an issue tossed red petals from the deck her husband were on the flight. relatively small area where the in the area the previous day, Hill cision that mirror regular dem- go on until February as more than with the plane’s autothrottle, of a navy ship, some overcome “I burst into tears... It was a wreckage was scattered. added, according to the ABC. onstrations against it. On Friday, 300 lawyers had registered their which controls engine power, with emotion. “When I cast the very sad moment.” The crash probe is likely to The incident would be Australia’s the protesters demanded that he names to participate in the pro- authorities said, but it was not flowers I could see my sister’s Jefferson Irwin Jauwena, take months, but a preliminary first recorded shark attack of withdraw his “unconstitutional” ceedings. clear what role — if any — the face on the surface of the wa- the airline’s president direc- report is expected next month. 2021. Gulf Times 4 Saturday, January 23, 2021 COMMUNITY Spotlight on ‘complex’ eff ects of pandemic on education z International Day of Education will be observed tomorrow with the theme, ‘Recover and Revitalise Education for the Covid-19 Generation’

By Mudassir Raja of the long-term eff ects on education will require attention and focus more the ‘funding gap’ has widened further Staff Reporter as a whole? Darlene Sullivan is head than ever before. Strong support sys- due to crisis in the economic sector. of school at Blyth Academy, Canadian tems will be required for students as What is more, cheating has become school in Qatar. education systems eventually return quite prevalent as students are well ducation has been adversely She said: “Covid-19 has certainly to normal. The impacts of signifi cantly aware of the absence of strict monitor- impacted by the spread of Cov- impacted education as we knew it in increased screen time, lack of physi- ing and physical classroom supervi- Eid-19. Schools across the globe multiple ways. Initially, educators cal activity, isolation from friends and sion, leading them to be less passion- have been temporarily closed, leav- were required to switch to fulltime peer groups, required distancing, and ate about studies and work, resulting ing teachers, administrators and most online teaching and learning with sitting for longer periods of time when in copied work from classmates, half- importantly, parents looking for ways very short notice and little training. attending class (under the current re- completed assignments, or in many to administer remote learning to keep They are to be commended for how strictions), without the regular contact cases, no assignments turned in at all.” students engaged in education while they adapted and embraced the many and engagement in school activities Discussing the eff ects further, she adhering to community safety proto- challenges so quickly. The technology are aff ecting students.” said: “Chronic absenteeism, lack of cols. required for online learning proved be- Nargis Raza Otho, principal of Pa- discipline and reduced learning time Today, there are millions of ad- ing more challenging for younger stu- kistan International School Qatar, are other consequences with far- ditional students, who are not in dents, and teachers relied on parents said: “The ongoing pandemic crisis reaching eff ects. However, if assign- school because they are confi ned to to support the daily distance learning has created a large gap in the academic ments are given due weightage in the their homes in an eff ort to control the requirements for their children. This sector, as far as student engagement fi nal assessment plan and students spread of Covid-19. Though situation was a challenge for many parents who and teacher-pupil interaction are are graded for discipline, attendance is improving in some countries, there were also working from home. Older Darlene Sullivan Nargis Raza Otho concerned. Education, as we know, and punctuality, these problems can are still extraordinary number of stu- students, on the other hand, adapted has been transformed completely; the be countered to a great extent. Provi- dents either out of schools or learning much more quickly.” Regarding the innovative teaching cial for teachers to know their stu- concept of remote learning has always sion of necessary resources to deserv- through blended education. As the blended learning model style, the head of school said: “We have dents’ abilities and academic levels in been there, but never did it become ing students can also have remedial International Day of Education is progressed through various stages, learned that innovation in curriculum order to provide individual and collec- the norm. However, it has resulted in eff ects.” observed by the United Nations every schools were permitted to open their delivery has a valuable place in educa- tive programming to meet their needs intensive working hours for teachers The principal also highlighted lit- year on January 24, to highlight the doors again, albeit under signifi cant tion. Teachers and students have been and fi ll the gaps. Eff ective and sound (spending hours in preparing video tle positive eff ects of the pandemic on signifi cance of education and its need restrictions. surprised by the new and exciting pos- teaching practices will be key in ac- lessons and planning online sessions) education. for every individual. The theme for the “Solid plans, technology infrastruc- sibilities that technology integration complishing this.” and a modifi ed concept of ‘classroom’ “Even though online teaching has day in 2021 proclaimed by the Unesco ture, signifi cant training, and ongoing has to off er.” About the increased use of dig- environment.” increased the pressure on teach- is ‘Recover and Revitalise Education targeted professional development for For her, the long-term eff ects of the ital technology in education, she said: The principal further said: “Online ers due to lack of training, there is for the Covid-19 Generation.’ teachers have been paramount in the pandemic on education in schools are “Diff erentiated instructional and as- learning has increased what we call another perspective to it: this new As the pandemic has aff ected the successful delivery of curriculum to complex. sessment practices will enable learn- ‘Digital Divide’. Not all students have mode of learning has encouraged learning process and methods all students both at home and on campus. “Many students are already show- ers to learn and progress at their own access to latest digital technology and creativity and innovation in teachers around the world, the educators and Teachers have discovered innovative ing gaps in their learning related to a levels and rates so as to scaff old the Internet, an aspect which has extended and students alike besides promoting learners have been trying to adapt to and creative ways to use various plat- distance learning approach. Without required learning outcomes. Technol- the chasm of educational inequal- in them essential life skills such as the new norm and digital platforms forms to teach the prescribed curricu- the daily in-class support, guidance, ogy has proven to be a valuable tool for ity, increasing the number of out-of- adaptability and resilience towards to continue the teaching and learning lum. Preserving academic integrity has monitoring and eff ective formative learning and continuing to incorporate school students, especially those who crisis and sudden change. If these process. On this occasion, Gulf Times also been challenging, not to mention assessment practices to truly track eff ective techniques going forward will belong to poor families and are unable skills are integrated into the educa- spoke to some educators about how developing eff ective and authentic authentic and independent student be critical. As well, social skills, emo- to bear the added cost of online learn- tion system worldwide, the whole much Covid-19 has changed teach- ways to assess and evaluate students’ progress, students may lack some of tional stability, mental health and in- ing. The condition is particularly dras- concept of modern education will be ing and learning and what are some progress.” the essential learnings. It will be cru- creased overall physical health issues tic in underdeveloped countries where revolutionised.”

Campaign recognises work of BPS student wins Toyota Dream Car Painting Contest healthcare heroes amid Covid-19 andana Bijukumar, ‘Letters for Good’ is young talent of Birla a campaign initiated NPublic School (BPS), by Riya Mahajan, recently won the fi rst prize in a young student the Toyota Dream Car Painting in Qatar, to say Contest Qatar Region (Category thanks to healthcare 3). workers during the Toyota offi cials – K S Ravi Covid-19 pandemic. Kumar, manager Fleet Sales, Riya calls them and Kannan P R, assistant man- healthcare heroes and ager marketing, presented the invites people of all award to Nandana. backgrounds and age The contest invites children to share handwritten from all corners of the globe letters, to recognise to share ideas about the future the contributions of mobility by drawing their made by them. dream cars. The Qatar contest Gulf Times publishes was held from November 20 to one selected letter December 15, 2020. each week while the Since 2004, the Toyota rest of the letters will Dream Car Art Contest has been be sent by Riya to conducted as part of Toyota’s HMC for circulation social contribution initiatives. among the healthcare workers. There is no limit to the number, creativity, Birla Public School (BPS) or personal feel to Gavel Club champion the letters, which BPS student tops Afreen Macksood of should be scanned Grade-VII recently the and e-mailed to bagged the first prize in lettersforgood2020@ in global speech the International Speech gmail.com. Picture Group Contest organised shows a letter written group contest by Global Youth Gavel by Macy Moorhead. Clubs Group (Beyond Borders), Global Zone-1 Group-E.

DPS-MIS students excel in inspirational speech competition

PS-Modern Indian pated in the competition. After Dharsini Nakulan (VIII-A) was School (DPS-MIS) stu- the preliminary round, six stu- presented with the consolation Ddents recently won ac- dents qualifi ed for the fi nals. prize. The winners received their colades in Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Varnikha Alagappan (III-H) and trophies and certifi cates at an Memorial Inspirational Speech Sejavarthana Anbalagan (X-D) award ceremony conducted re- Competition-2020, organised by bagged the second prize in the cently by QTS. Qatar Tamizhar Sangam (QTS) sub-junior category and senior The competition was con- under the aegis of Indian Cul- category respectively. ducted online and livestreamed tural Centre. on Facebook. The students were The Tamil speech competition Certifi cates were given trained by the teachers of Tamil conducted in three categories: by QTS to all students Department headed by Elavar- sub-junior category (Classes who participated and all kuzhali. III-V), junior category (Classes the participating schools Certifi cates were given by VI-VIII) and senior category received mementos QTS to all the students who (Classes IX-XII) was open for the participated in the competition students of all Indian schools in In the junior category, Aruna and all the participating schools Qatar. Magathi Sankara Narayanan received mementos as a mark of A total of 13 students partici- (VI-B) won the third prize and recognition. Prize winners pose with off icials for a group photo. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2021 5 COMMUNITY QU-YSC and Qatar Scouts Association launch scientifi c camp atar University’s Young set to build their personalities, ment of positive competition personality of the youth and Scientist Center (QU- develop their scientifi c skills also helps to enhance the spirit preparing them for life experi- QYSC) recently launched and support their background of of teamwork and critical think- ences, and we believe that in- ‘Scouts Scientifi c Camp’ in co- scout principles and ethics. ing skills and supports the goals fluential figures should have operation with the Qatar Scouts As many as 24 students from of the scout. leadership skills and also sci- Association. eight diff erent preparatory The modern educational entific skills and that was the The camp provided an inno- schools for boys attended the methods used at the centre con- reason behind our co-opera- vative environment for young camp. The activities contin- tributed to the release of creative tion with YSC. We are proud participants. ued for three consecutive days, ideas, to be applied and tested of the unique experience our It was based on merging the by following all precautionary outside the laboratories in which students gained and the ideas scientifi c and research aspects, measures and social distancing the participants adapt, to suc- that had emerged in the camp, through the activities off ered by among students. cessfully overcome the challeng- as it is the outcome of our dis- the centre, and the educational The activities varied between es. The camp developed many tinguished co-operation and is scout aspects presented by Qatar scientifi c, cultural and scout ac- important scout skills to guaran- the start for more innovations.” Students at the ‘Scouts Scientific Camp.’ Scout. tivities, which included camp- tee the success of students and Aisha al-Kuwari, subject The idea of the camp origi- ing challenges and interactive prepare them to become future evaluation consultant at the is just a beginning for several learning with entertainment. ture, pioneers in all scientific, nated and was implemented scientifi c ways to solve these leaders, such as self-reliance, Scout Association and the su- partnerships in the future with Our goal is to build a new gen- cultural and political fields.” Dr because of the collaboration challenges depending on the use co-operation, discipline, leader- pervisor of the Camp, added: YSC to obtain best outcome eration capable of decision- Nora also valued the efforts of between the two parties to pre- of problem-solving skills and ship and other skills. “The Scientific Scout Camp of Qatar’s youth. Dr Noora al- making and capable to make the sponsors, Ras Laffan Pro- pare a complete scientifi c scout with engineering design process Jassim al-Hardan, Commis- was considered a platform for Thani, director of YSC, said: developments in Qatar. We are gramme for Social Communi- programme that can improve the steps which included identifying sioner General of the Qatar the students to present their “We always strive to encourage pleased to co-operate with the cation, and the partners who leadership skills and the innova- problems, planning, construc- Scouts Association, said: “The creativity and fully develop students to love science by cre- Scouts Association to prepare are Unesco Doha Office and Qa- tive capabilities of the partici- tion, testing and evaluation. Scout has an important and their scientific potentials and ating an interactive educational the young students to be role tar National Committee for Ed- pants. In addition, the camp was The creation of an environ- positive role in preparing the intellectual abilities. This camp environment that combines models and leaders for the fu- ucation, Culture and Science.

MPPAQ fetes new offi ce-bearers of apex bodies

ndian Cultural Centre (ICC) president P N Baburajan, IIndian Community Benevo- lent Forum (ICBF) president Ziad Osman and Indian Sports Centre (ISC) president Dr Mo- han Thomas were recently fe- licitated by Moodadi Pancha- yat Pravasi Association Qatar (MPPAQ). Management committee members Sabit Shaheer, Sheji Valiyakath, and Radio Malay- alam FM 98.6 marketing man- ager Nauphal also participated in the event. MPPAQ president Raman Nair chaired the event. Acting general secretary Shanahas Edodi welcomed the that the new position gives him Dr Mohan Thomas said ISC make the upcoming FIFA World gathering. Ashraf K P (Well- an impetus to serve the Indian was preparing a number of new Cup a good experience for the care), Shaji Peeves, V P Basheer, expat community. Ziad Osman projects including sports com- Indian expatriates. M T Hamid and O A Karim also said that he would sincerely uti- petitions to bring the Indian MPPAQ treasurer Ahmed spoke. Baburajan unveiled the lise his capacity to resolve issues community to the mainstream Moodadi expressed the vote of new logo of MPPAQ and said faced by the Indian community. of Qatar sports and would try to thanks. Blyth Academy student’s artwork gets recognition at Katara expo NPCC conducts blood donation drive epali People Co-ordination Com- isual Art Center Katara in certifi cate of participation with woman, who has lost trace of mittee (NPCC) Qatar, a community collaboration with Qatar a gift at the opening ceremony vitality and liveliness. Although Norganisation, recently held a blood VRed Crescent recently of the exhibition. Minahil’s art- she is obscured from colour, her donation drive at Hamad Medical Corpora- announced the results of the work was appreciated immense- eyes speak of faith that the world tion Blood Donor Centre on the occasion of art competition exhibition ‘The ly by number of visitors at the will bounce back and come out B P Koirala’s 45th Memorial Day. Crescent Draws Hope’, during opening. of the pandemic even stronger. NPCC members set an example by donat- the Covid-19 crisis. Minahil said: “My Red Cres- The background illustrates vir- ing blood and took a good initiative in inviting Minahil Khurram, 15-year-old cent artwork is inspired by tues of sanguine content, acting many of their friends and colleagues to join Canadian Pakistani, is a talented coronavirus and the struggle as a separation between the eyes the drive. The drive witnessed a good regis- art enthusiast. faced by individuals during the of the woman who is hoping for tration of 88 volunteers and 68 were success- She participated in the exhi- pandemic. During the isolation better and a world where there is ful in donating blood after their checkups. bition with her distinguished period, people were desolate security and defence from coro- Talking about the blood donation, Bimal original hand-drawn multime- and had no access to the out- navirus. Subedi, adviser of NPCC Qatar, said: “A dia art and got selected for the side world. It was a time when “I am very thankful to my par- single drop of blood is an invaluable thing group exhibit among senior art- humanity experienced the loss ents and my teachers who always that can save one life. A small donation of ists. Minahil is an Art 10 student of their livelihood, hilarity, and supported me and encouraged one person can help lots of people and can of Blyth Academy, a Canadian loved ones. This essence is de- me to get recognised in the Qatar save the life of many people.” was at the spot in order to encourage and NPCC also provided appreciation letters to school in Qatar. She received the picted in the dull image of a art scene.” Mohamed Aziz, NPCC general secretary, thank the community for the noble cause. all the blood donors. — Usha Wagle Gautam BSI Doha holds programme to welcome new committee

azme Sadaf International habuddin, in his inaugural ad- books on the occasion. The fi rst (BSI), a Urdu literary or- dress, spoke about how BSI has a book was a collection of short Bganisation, recently held presence in at least 15 countries stories titled, Gohar-e-Qulzum its fi rst face-to-face programme where its members are working by Doha-based teacher and fi c- of 2021 to welcome the newly selfl essly to promote the Urdu tion writer Farida Nisar Ansari. constituted working committee language and literature. The second book was a poetry of its Doha chapter in the serene He said BSI has always used collection of senior poet Haroon surroundings of the Sarab desert its network to help the society Akseer from Malegaon, India. camp near Sealine beach. as was evident from the massive The programme was followed relief work it carried out in India by a mushaira by known poets z The event included during the lockdown. He wel- of Doha including Farida An- comed the new team. sari, Raquim Azmi, Tahir Jameel, a Urdu mushaira BSI outgoing president Imran Waquar Ahmad (BSI vice presi- Social activist and BSI chair- Asad welcomed the new presi- dent), Wasiul Haq Wasi (general man Shahabuddin Ahmad in- dent Dr Nadeem Zafar Jilani by secretary), Dr Nadeem Zafar Ji- augurated the programme. Phi- putting a customary shawl over lani, Danish, Maqsood Anwar lanthropist and patron of BSI Dr his shoulders. Maqsood and Ahmed Mush- Hassan Abdul Kareem Choughle Imran was presented with taque. Dr Nadeem conducted the presided over the function. Prof a bouquet for his elevation to mushaira. Syed Jawaid Zaidi, another pa- the central committee of BSI Dr Jawaid Zaidi emphasised tron of BSI, was the chief guest. as a general secretary interna- that parents should teach their Known Urdu poet Ahmed Ash- tional aff airs. Dr Nadeem then children Urdu and off ered all faque, who is also programme introduced members of his new possible co-operation to BSI. In director for BSI and business- working and advisory commit- his presidential address, Hassan man Mohamed Shakeb Ahsan tee. They all received a memento lined a proposal of activities that shortage of storybooks with pic- programme every two months is a plan to hold a meet of friends Abdul Kareem Choughle praised were guests of honour. and certifi cate on behalf of BSI he would like to conduct from tures and cartoons in Urdu and a that will comprise both prose of Urdu working across the GCC the work being done by BSI to The programme started with from the chief guest. the platform in the year ahead. dedicated team will work on this. and poetry in diff erent Urdu lit- countries. Dr Nadeem also said promote the Urdu language and recitation of Holy Qur’an by Dr Nadeem in his acceptance He emphasised the importance He also announced starting of erature genres and promote new that he would like to organise the literature at the international lev- Saifur Rahman followed by a speech thanked the BSI central of introducing Urdu to the Eng- an online weekly Urdu learning writers.” He mentioned that in Urdu debate and baitbazi (po- el and wished the new team well. prayer (dua) for maghfi rat of committee and the chairman for lish medium students by work- class for children under the BSI addition to the annual award etry recitation) competitions in The programme ended with a BSI chief patron Sabih Bukhari, nominating him for the presi- ing on literature in Urdu that Doha chapter. ceremony of BSI, which is usu- schools of Doha. vote of thanks followed who passed away recently. Sha- dent of Doha chapter and out- attracts them. He said there is a He said: “We would hold a ally held in Doha, this year, there There was also a release of two by dinner. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, January 23, 2021 COMMUNITY LEISURE/HOROSCOPE

Wordsearch Super Cryptic Clues Adam

Pooch Cafe

ARNOLD CARLYLE WHISTLER JOWETT MILL FRITH RUSKIN SYMONDS NEWMAN BOOTH DICKENS WILDE LANDSEER MORRIS FROUDE SHAW BROWNING TENNYSON NIGHTINGALE Across Down LEWES DISRAELI GLADSTONE 7 Treatment providing cure - 1 Team regrouping for end of STANLEY MURRAY ROSSETTI cut up an eccentric (11) game (4) 2 Canoe disinterred (6) Codeword 8 Change of blue soil (6) 3 Old uncle injured in battle Garfield 9 Movement in a satellite — it Every letter of the alphabet is used at least once. (8) Squares with the same number in have the same letter turns (6) 4 Fraud with some worthless in. Work out which number represents which letter. 10 Severely criticised, as the cameras (4) roof may be (6) 5 Too much activity upset sleuth (6) 12 Iris may be behind it (6) 6 Is a lemon sweet? (8) 13 Dine in The Athenaeum (3) 11 Stop the holiday being 14 Opera for automobile cancelled (5,3) workers? (6) 12 Latin and the rest (2,6) 16 China article held by girl (6) 15 Fully developed blend of 18 Determine to find a bed (6) tea and rum (6) 17 Some nasty ranting despot 20 Revolver for an artist? (6) (6) 22 Tree in farm-house where 19 The woman from the guns may be used (6,5) United Nations (4) Bound And Gagged 21 Employ sound sheep (4) Puzzles courtesy: Puzzlechoice.com courtesy: Puzzles

Solution Sudoku

Answers Codeword Wordsearch

Sudoku is a puzzle based on a ٩x٩ grid. The grid is also divided into nine (٣x٣) boxes. You are given a selection of values and to complete the puzzle, you must fill the grid so that every column, every .anone is repeated

Colouring Horoscope

ARIES TAURUS GEMINI March 21 — April 19 April 20 — May 20 May 21 — June 20

Prosperity isn’t just around the corner — it’s here, Aries. Your You’ve never looked better, Taurus. As a result, people are You’ve always been interested in the arts, and now you want finances are looking better than ever. Don’t rely on this money, drawn to you and you have an unusually large circle of to explore that interest on a deeper level. A visit to a museum however. The whole point of a windfall is that it’s unexpected, and friends. This is fun but time consuming, as everyone seems isn’t likely to do the trick, Gemini. Instead, why not enroll in a thus can be used for luxuries or indulgences that you wouldn’t to want a piece of you. Try to keep your feet on the ground. class or sign up for a lecture series? A few artists, in particular, normally allow yourself. If you begin to spend a windfall before it Don’t let your vision become clouded by all the flattery you capture your interest. Make it a point to concentrate on them arrives, it’s no longer a windfall but just another paycheck. receive. first. CANCER LEO VIRGO June 21 — July 22 July 23 — August 22 August 23 — September 22

Errands seem to rule the day. You spend most of it in the car, The planetary configuration makes you likely to reap the benefits Keep your mind on the present, Virgo. As much as you’d like to be running hither and yon. Don’t be surprised if you run into an old of all your hard work, Leo. The little windfall you receive is nice, to somewhere else, your daydreaming is getting out of hand. If you’re friend you haven’t seen in a while. The casual pleasantries you be sure, but don’t think of all of it as fun money. Put a good amount sincere in your desire to explore other lands, begin some research. exchange could develop into something more. Perhaps you will aside in a savings or investment account. You can use the rest to For now it’s better to focus on any problems that make you want to discover a common interest and decide to build a business based on kick up your heels a bit. Why not invite a friend to dinner at the run away. Open a dialogue with anyone with whom you’ve had a it. Keep your eyes (and mind) wide open. nicest restaurant in town? misunderstanding. You will find this brings immeasurable relief. LIBRA SCORPIO SAGITTARIUS September 23 — October 22 October 23 — November 21 November 22 — December 21

Today you may discover that you have a previously untapped There’s someone you’ve wanted to meet for a long time, Scorpio, Your poise and gracious nature serve you well now, Sagittarius. The talent for the occult sciences, Libra. This might involve astrology, and today you might have the opportunity to introduce yourself. best thing you can do today is spend time around other people. Go numerology, alchemy, or using oracles. A class or workshop could This could be a potential partner, a teacher you’ve wanted to study to a party or other social gathering tonight. The evening is bound be involved. You tend to be intuitive by nature, and studying these with, or someone interesting you might like for a friend. Sparks are to be a resounding success as you radiate warmth and energy and fields may off er an opportunity to train that ability to a higher level apt to fly between you. Don’t hesitate, for this encounter could aff ect people respond in kind. Allow everyone the pleasure of basking in of accuracy. Find an expert in one of those areas. the rest of your life in some profound way. your glow. CAPRICORN AQUARIUS PISCES December 22 — January 19 January 20 — February 18 February 19 — March 20

Creativity and romance are a good combination, Capricorn, and Is a bit of redecorating in order? This is a perfect time to spruce You have the creative ability to make a real go of your music today both are in top form. Why not get out the good stationery up your home. Rather than rush into a project that you might or writing. Why not put it to better use? Are you afraid to take and craft a love note that will set that special someone’s heart later regret, Aquarius, it’s better to spend the day with colour the risk? Today you may be inspired to rise above your fear aflutter? Cater to your romantic nature, ideally with a partner at and fabric swatches. Once you’re happy with a scheme, then as you read a book or hear a piece of music that moves you your side. Even if you’re alone, a bubble bath will do wonders for you can pick up a paintbrush. Think hard before making a to want to create one of your own. It’s never too late to get your soul. decision. started, Pisces. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2021 7 AMERICAS/BRITAIN

LAW AND ORDER OUTRAGE JUSTICE CRACKDOWN FALLOUT Gun incident involving US troops forced to UK jails men linked to London police raid Rio scraps 2021 carnival lawmaker prompts inquiry sleep in parking garage Vietnamese truck deaths wedding with 400 guests over coronavirus woes

US Capitol Police were yesterday investigating A decision to turn a chilly underground parking Four men were yesterday given long jail sen- British police yesterday said they had raided a Rio de Janeiro will not host its famous carnival an incident in which a Republican lawmaker was garage into an overnight billet for National Guard tences for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese wedding with 400 guests in a London school, this year due to a deadly revival of the coronavi- found carrying a concealed gun while trying to troops in Washington to protect President Joe Biden’s men, women and children who suffocated to as the government began a crackdown on illicit rus epidemic in Brazil, the city’s mayor Eduardo enter the floor of the House of Representatives, inauguration has stirred an uproar. A number of the death in a stifling, airtight shipping container parties flouting national lockdown laws. Under Paes has announced. Rio’s samba schools, which a Capitol official said. Republican representative 25,000 troops standing guard around the US Capitol in October 2019 as they were being smuggled current lockdown rules in England, weddings can organise the celebratory parades, had hoped Andy Harris, a staunch gun-rights advocate, set in recent days had been allowed to take breaks into Britain. The discovery of so many dead only take place in “exceptional circumstances” to hold the signature event in July after it was off a magnetometer going through security on and naps in between long shifts on the floors of the people – two as young as 15 – in the back of with up to six people present. Off icers found hun- postponed from its usual slot in February or his way to the House floor late on Thursday and building housing the US Congress. But on Thursday the truck on an industrial estate to the east of dreds of people at the school, whose windows March. But this depended on a national vaccina- was found to be carrying a firearm, according to afternoon, someone decided instead to force them London shocked Britain and Vietnam. Judge had been covered up, with detective chief super- tion campaign being well and truly under way. a congressional press pool report. The Maryland out to a nearby parking garage. Photos that spread Nigel Sweeney said the victims had suffered an intendent Marcus Barnett calling it “a completely In reality, Brazil’s inoculation drive only started Republican then tried to hand the gun off to quickly over the Internet showed guardsmen and “excruciating slow death” as he jailed seven men unacceptable breach of the law”. The organiser Monday with an initial 6mn doses available for Republican Representative John Katko, who women stretched out under fluorescent lights in involved in the people smuggling gang for a could face a £10,000 ($13,600) fine, police said. the country’s 212mn inhabitants. The carnival refused, saying he did not have a licence, the parking slots, with few toilets, outlets for charging total of 92 years at London’s Old Bailey criminal While many of the guests fled the scene, five were draws millions of visitors, and their tourist dollars, report said. phones, or other facilities available. court. fined £200. to the beachside city each year.

Senate confirms Austin as defence secretary New UK Covid variant may be 30% more deadly: Johnson

Guardian News and Media conference heard that there was London good evidence of vaccines con- tinuing to work against the vari- ant. new variant of Covid-19 The new variant was fi rst that emerged in south- spotted in Kent on September Aeast England late last year 20 and linked to the sharp rise and spread around the world in cases in the south and east of may be more deadly than the England during the November coronavirus in circulation in the lockdown. fi rst wave of the epidemic, Boris Dr David Strain, a senior clini- Johnson has said. cal lecturer at the University Scientists on the government’s of Exeter Medical School, said New and Emerging Respiratory the possibility that the new UK Virus Threats Advisory Group variant was not only more conta- (Nervtag) have concluded that gious but also more deadly than the new variant, named B117, previous variants was worrying. may increase the death rate by “The key fact here is that all of 30-40%. The variant is also the good work that’s been done believed to be 30%-70% more with (the drug) dexamethasone Incoming US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (right) speaks with former acting US secretary of defence David Norquist after Austin arrived at the Pentagon in transmissible. and is being done with better Washington, DC yesterday. The senate voted 93-2 to confirm Austin as the first African American to lead the Pentagon. There had been hopes it would treatments strategies has re- become less deadly as it evolved, duced the mortality in the UK by as has been seen with some other about a third. (If the new mor- viruses. One expert warned that tality fi gure is correct that) has the increased lethality of the now been lost and we are back to variant, confi rmed by the prime square one, we are back to where minister at the No 10 press brief- we were the fi rst time around,” he ing yesterday, could take the UK said. “back to square one”. Gabriel Scally, visiting pro- Biden pushes to get food, Four teams of researchers at fessor of public health at the Imperial College London, the University of Bristol, said the London School of Hygiene and latest information emphasised Tropical Medicine, Public Health the need to increase eff orts to England and Exeter University prevent the emergence of new assessed the variant’s lethality variants both through reducing by comparing death rates among coronavirus cases and prevent- cash to crisis-hit Americans those who tested positive for the ing new variants from entering new variant with those who were the country. “We can’t go on AFP ing Trump impeachment trial. top campaign agenda items, in- Only 16.5mn vaccines have gress to hurry up and approve infected with older variants. having these variants coming at Washington “The American people can’t cluding the political hot potato been administered to Americans his cabinet nominations. “When we look at those who us like this, so we do need to do aff ord to wait,” Brian Deese, di- of immigration reform. and Biden is calling for 100mn A fi rst key security fi gure was tested positive, there’s evidence something stop them,” he said. rector of the White House’s Na- Here, Biden extended protec- shots in 100 days. confi rmed on Wednesday, direc- of an increased risk for those Prof Andrew Hayward, direc- resident Joe Biden, in just tional Economic Council, told tions from deportation for so- With unemployment jumping tor of national intelligence Avril who have the new variant, com- tor of the UCL Institute of Epi- his third day on the job, reporters. called “Dreamers” — children by another 1.3mn applications Haines. The senate’s confi rma- pared with those who had the old demiology and Health Care, who Pyesterday ordered help for “So many are hanging by a of illegal immigrants who have last week, Biden argues that re- tion of Austin yesterday makes virus,” Sir Patrick Vallance, the has attended Sage meetings, said hungry Americans in a rush to thread. They need help and we grown up in the country. covery from the initially cata- him the fi rst African American government’s chief science ad- the fi nding showed how impor- pull the country from its multi- are committed to doing every- But the off ensive is over- strophic plunge in the US econ- to lead the Pentagon. viser, said. tant it was to ensure the current pronged pandemic crisis. thing we can to provide that help whelmingly targeted on a Cov- omy after the pandemic fi rst hit The commerce department He said the increase in risk was lockdown restrictions were as The latest orders boosting as quickly as possible.” id-19 pandemic that the new last year is faltering. reported in mid-December that unclear, but that for 60-year-old eff ective as possible while vac- food aid and speeding up stim- The new administration has president described on Thurs- “Much, much more is need- 13.7 % of adults live in house- men the death rate appeared to cines were rolled out. ulus payments were modest brought a calmer style after the day as a wartime-level catas- ed,” Deese said. holds where they sometimes or rise from 10 in 1,000 cases to 13 “The groups who are at high- in scale but reinforced Biden’s stormy Donald Trump era, but trophe, with the current toll of Biden’s fl agship policy is a often do not have enough to eat. to 14 per 1,000 cases.“There is a est risk of infection now are message that he wants to act de- Biden’s cascade of executive or- more than 400,000 dead likely $1.9tn economic rescue package Hunger is becoming a threat lot of uncertainty around these those who cannot aff ord to work cisively against coronavirus and ders since Wednesday is making to hit half a million next month. that he outlined last week. in particular to millions of poor- numbers and we need more work from home. There needs to be the related economic fallout. plenty of noise of its own. As well as ordering masks to But Congress, having already er children who relied on meals to get a precise handle on it, but more done to enable more peo- It’s a task he is trying to ac- Day one saw the 78-year-old be worn on trains, planes and passed two huge economic relief served by their schools — now it is a concern,” Vallance added. ple to stay at home without los- complish while simultaneously Democrat sign 17 actions, day in airports, Biden said people bills, is reluctant. shut due to Covid-19. “There is no preferential age, ing out fi nancially and to expand getting his government con- two he signed 10, and later yes- coming to the US will be re- The president’s Democratic Biden’s orders yesterday boost it can aff ect anybody at any age, regular testing to those who need fi rmed — with defence secretary terday he was expected to reach quired to quarantine on arrival. Party has only a small majority an existing payout, giving a fam- similarly to the original variant, to continue to work, combined nominee Lloyd Austin winning for the box of ceremonial pens to He is simultaneously trying to in the House and a razor thin ad- ily with three children an extra the original virus.” with measures to support self- Senate approval yesterday — and put his signature on two more. reenergise and expand a falter- vantage in the senate. $100 or so every two months to The prime minister’s press isolation if positive,” he said. bracing for turmoil from a loom- The slew of orders has covered ing vaccination programme. Biden is also relying on Con- supplement grocery shopping.

Mexico seeks US probe into Canada ‘deporting thousands case against ex-minister Mexico yesterday said the US confidence. The ongoing fallout Drug Enforcement Administra- risks further souring ties just as even as pandemic rages’ tion should carry out an internal Biden takes over from Donald investigation into the conduct Trump, with whom the Mexican of its case against a former president had struck an unlikely Reuters as removed in 2020 — 875 more “As much as a human rights defence minister, in a new test friendship. Teneo, a political Toronto than the previous year and the concern it’s a common sense of bilateral ties with US President risk consultancy, said Lopez highest number since at least concern,” said Bill Frelick, di- Joe Biden’s government. Obrador’s recent moves seemed 2015, according to Canada Bor- rector of Human Rights Watch’s President Andres Manuel Lopez “deliberately provocative” to the anada deported thou- der Services Agency (CBSA) data. Refugee Rights Programme. Obrador said the investigation new US administration. sands of people even as The government says this was Countries’ deportation prac- should look into who within His “contrarian attitude is largely CCovid-19 raged last year, necessary and done safely. tices have varied over the course the DEA “fabricated” the case due to his drive to acquire lever- data seen by Reuters showed, The CBSA says the high number of the pandemic. Several, includ- against former minister Salvador age ahead of what he antici- and lawyers say deportations last year is because it includes ing the UK, suspended deporta- Cienfuegos, days after Mexico’s pates will be a more complex are ramping up, putting people people who decided to leave on tions before resuming them. attorney general decided to period in bilateral relations,” needlessly at risk in the midst of their own, termed “administra- Others, like Ireland, have kept drop charges. “I am not going Teneo’s Nicholas Watson said in a global health emergency. tive removals.” In 2019 there were suspensions in place. to go to any international body, a note. Under Trump, in return Like many other countries, 1,657 administrative removals, The CBSA said it has been pri- but I respectfully believe that for a hardline stance on immi- Canada is struggling to stop a compared with 8,215 last year. oritising deportations for rea- agency should do an internal gration, Lopez Obrador received second wave from spiralling out Even subtracting those num- sons of “serious admissibility,” investigation and clarify what little high-level US pressure over of control, and its political lead- bers, that leaves thousands of including criminality. happened, who made the file, his push for more state control ers are begging residents to stay people deported as the pandemic The vast majority of peo- who gave the order to apply it,” in the energy sector. While ten- home to prevent the spread. raged and governments cau- ple deported in 2020 were for said Lopez Obrador, referring to sions over Cienfuegos have sim- Lawyers and human rights ad- tioned against travel of any kind reasons of “non-compliance.” the DEA, during a regular news mered in the first days of Biden’s vocates are decrying Canada’s for safety reasons. Even taking into account ad- conference. The US arrest and administration, Lopez Obrador November decision to resume Even as Canada continues to ministrative removals, more subsequent release of Cienfue- also praised him for quick action deportations. deport non-citizens during a than 1,000 people were deport- gos put severe strain on bilateral on immigration reform. Mexico Until now, the extent of the health crisis, US President Joe ed during the suspension, the security co-operation. Mexico has kept up its co-operation on country’s pandemic deporta- Biden paused deportations for data shows. retaliated with restrictions on immigration issues, including tions was not known, but recent 100 days within hours of being Public health experts have DEA intelligence gathering. putting pressure on Central interviews with immigration sworn in on Wednesday. warned that travel of any kind Lopez Obrador also angered American governments to lawyers and scrutiny of govern- Canada offi cially imposed a can spread Covid-19 from one Washington by publishing a break up the most recent large ment numbers has shed light on moratorium on deportations in place to another, a risk that grows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves a news conference at large dossier from the case US-bound caravan in Guatemala the situation. March that it lifted at the end of with the advent of more highly Rideau Cottage, as eff orts continue to help slow the spread of that the US had provided in earlier this week. Canada counted 12,122 people November. transmissible Covid variants. the coronavirus disease, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Gulf Times 8 Saturday, January 23, 2021 EUROPE German Covid death toll rises

Signs are seen as ambulances carrying patients with the coronavirus disease are queued yesterday above 50,000 outside the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon. AFP/Reuters vious day, bringing the total bloc’s drugs regulator to move Italy reported 472 corona- gious coronavirus variant known Offi cials under fi re for jumping vaccine queue Berlin number of infections in the pan- quickly in approving AstraZene- virus-related deaths yesterday, as cluster B.1.1.7, fi rst identifi ed demic to more than 2.1mn. ca’s coronavirus vaccine. against 521 the day before, the in Britain, despite seeing regular A steady drip-feed of public off icials admitting to having been vaccinated Wieler said he saw a “slightly The European Medicines health ministry said, while the infections fall. ahead of priority groups has sparked uproar on social media in Spain at a ermany has recorded positive trend” in the numbers Agency said last week it would daily tally of new infections fell Denmark implemented hard time when several regions are tightening restrictions in an eff ort to curb a more than 50,000 deaths after several days in the last review the vaccine developed by to 13,633 from 14,078. lockdown measures in Decem- spike in infections. Gfrom the coronavirus month with new infections above AstraZeneca and Britain’s Oxford Italy has now registered 84,674 ber following a rapid rise in new Several local mayors admitted to getting vaccinated before their turn, since the start of the pandemic, 20,000. University this month under an Covid-19 deaths since its out- infections and the discovery of a while the regional health chief of the exclave of Ceuta was heavily criti- as public health offi cials ex- However he urged the govern- accelerated timeline. break came to light last Febru- new and more contagious vari- cised both for getting vaccinated early and for saying he had done this pressed cautious optimism about ment to maintain the current The prime ministers of Esto- ary, the second-highest toll in ant, which authorities now ex- under pressure from his staff . a slowing infection rate. restrictions until Germany sees nia, Latvia and Lithuania said Europe and the sixth-highest in pect to be the dominant one by “I didn’t want to. I don’t even get the flu vaccine. I don’t like vaccinations,” The coronavirus causes the a “massive” drop in cases and they supported calls already the world. mid-February. said Javier Guerrero of the opposition conservative People’s Party. Covid-19 respiratory disease. deaths. made by by Austria, the Czech The country has also reported A total of 464 people have been One Twitter user hoped it would at least encourage citizens to get a shot. The Robert Koch Institute At the same press confer- Republic, Greece and Denmark 2.44mn cases to date. infected with the new variant “The reluctant citizen will see that if politicians sign up first, breaking all (RKI) disease control centre said ence, Health Minister Jens Spahn for the vaccine to be approved. Portugal’s daily death toll since mid-November. the rules, it must be something very good,” @Juanmalucky wrote. that 859 people died from the vi- called the fi gures “encouraging” “Precision of procedures mat- from the coronavirus reached a Denmark’s total confi rmed Some called for the resignation of those who could not wait their turn. rus in the past 24 hours, bringing but warned they were “still too ters. But so does speed. The de- record high of 234 on Thursday, infections stand at 193,038, and “The scoundrels who have vaccinated themselves by jumping the queue the total number of fatalities to high”. lays cost lives,” the three Baltic up from 221 reported a day be- 1,941 people have died. using their privileged position as public off icials (more and more are ap- 50,642. He noted that several countries state leaders each wrote on their fore, bringing the total to 9,920 Also yesterday, Denmark halt- pearing every day) must of course all resign,” tweeted the spokesman for “That is a distressing, incom- that had eased their lockdowns Twitter feeds, calling for Astra- fatalities since the start of the ed all incoming fl ights from the the far-left Unidas Podemos party, Pablo Echenique. prehensible number to me,” RKI at the fi rst sign of improvement Zeneca and other authorities to pandemic, health authority DGS United Arab Emirates due to po- Defence Minister Margarita Robles asked General Miguel Angel Villaroya, chief Lothar Wieler said. “quickly saw a new fl are-up”. deploy swiftly once approval was said. tentially unreliable coronavirus chief of the Defence Staff , for explanations after El Mundo newspaper and Nevertheless, he saw hopeful The RKI fi gures are based on secured. The country of 10mn people, tests in Dubai. Europa Press Agency reported he and other senior military off icers had signs in the latest, lower fi gures people who died directly as a re- Lithuania said last week it where hospitals are struggling Sweden, which has spurned already been vaccinated. on new infections that a partial sult of the illness caused by the would receive enough vaccines to to cope with a surge in infections a lockdown throughout the pan- Villaroya has not publicly confirmed whether he has been vaccinated. lockdown introduced in Novem- virus and those who contracted inoculate 70% of its population that forced authorities to intro- demic, registered 4,214 new He could not be reached for comment yesterday. ber and tightened in December Covid-19 but whose exact cause by early July, a level that would duce tougher lockdown meas- coronavirus cases yesterday, Nationwide infection rates have soared since late December, with 42,885 was starting to have the desired of death could not be confi rmed. achieve herd immunity and con- ures, also reported 13,987 new Health Agency statistics showed. new cases added to the tally yesterday. eff ect. Estonia, Latvia and Lithua- trol the spread of the infection. infections over the last 24 hours. The country of 10mn inhabit- The 14-day incidence of the virus climbed to a record 829 cases per The RKI said it had registered nia have joined other European The schedule hinges on secur- Denmark is registering a rise ants registered 84 new deaths, 100,000 people, while 400 deaths were reported. 17,862 new cases since the pre- Union members in calling for the ing enough shots. in infections with a more conta- taking the total to 11,005. The health ministry has allowed regional authorities set their own rules within national guidelines, creating a confusing patchwork of diff erent measures to halt the spread of the virus. Madrid brought forward its night curfew to 10pm and limited group meetings to four people, while the island of Ibiza closed its borders to non-essential traff ic. Russia cracks down In sparsely-populated Extremadura, which has Spain’s highest incidence of nearly 1,450 cases per 100,000 people, troops began converting a conference centre into a makeshift field hospital. on Navalny allies In Madrid, some 50 medical staff protested outside the La Paz hospital against being pulled from their regular jobs to staff a hospital built for coronavirus patients. ahead of protests Unions say this is a costly drain on resources from the rest of the health service. “It’s totally unnecessary ... we have old hospitals that could have been re- Russia says TikTok deletes 10 days while key Navalny ally furbished,” said Marco Portillo a nurse and union organiser at the protest. some posts promoting illegal Lyubov Sobol was fi ned 250,000 protest rubles (around $3,300). A number of Navalny associ- AFP/Reuters ates were detained in the prov- Italy investigates TikTok ‘blackout Moscow inces and also received short jail terms. challenge’ death of 10-year-old Despite the increasing pres- ussian authorities have sure, Navalny’s aides urged Rus- Italian prosecutors have opened a probe into the death of a 10-year-old cracked down on sup- sians to take to the streets and girl who allegedly took part in a “blackout challenge” on the video- Rporters of opposition pol- promised fi nancial help to pro- sharing network TikTok. itician Alexei Navalny, handing testers handed fi nes today. The girl died in a Palermo hospital after being discovered on down short jail terms to allies as In Moscow, demonstrators are Wednesday by her five-year-old sister in her family bathroom with her police vowed to suppress pro- being urged to gather in the city cellphone, which was seized by police. tests this weekend. centre and then march towards TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, said yesterday Navalny’s supporters are the Kremlin. A woman watches an investigation film by Navalny. A probe by Navalny into President Putin’s alleged that it had not managed to identify any content on its site that could planning to hold demonstra- Citing the pandemic, Moscow ‘palace’ has become the Kremlin critic’s most-watched YouTube report, as authorities moved to block have encouraged the girl to participate in any such challenge, but tions today in dozens of cities Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the his calls online for protests. was helping the authorities in the probe over possible “incitement to after he was detained on his re- opposition’s calls for demon- suicide”. turn to Russia following a near- strations were “unacceptable” dren who, according to my “When young people start opulent Black Sea property al- “The safety of the TikTok community is our absolute priority, for this fatal poisoning with a nerve and cautioned that police would lawyer, ‘wreaked havoc on Tik- getting interested in politics, legedly owned by Putin. motive we do not allow any content that encourages, promotes or agent. “ensure necessary order”. Tok’,” Navalny said in a message they are always more radical and The two-hour video report glorifies behaviour that could be dangerous,” a TikTok spokesman said. The rallies are expected to In a Instagram post yester- relayed by his lawyer that was don’t value the status quo as had been viewed more than Medical experts have warned about the danger of the challenge being be a major test of the opposi- day, the 44-year-old opposition posted to Instagram yesterday. much as older groups,” he said. 53mn times since its release on taken up by some young people, who refer to it as “scarfing” or “the tion’s ability to mobilise after politician’s wife Yulia Navalnaya Students across Russia have Margarita Simonyan, editor- Tuesday, becoming the Kremlin choking game” in which restricted oxygen to the brain results in a high. police said unsanctioned pub- wrote that she would join the posted videos of themselves in-chief of Kremlin-backed critic’s most-watched YouTube The girls’ parents told La Repubblica newspaper that another daughter lic events will be “immediately protests in Moscow. taking down portraits of Putin broadcaster RT, accused TikTok investigation. explained that her sister “was playing the blackout game”. suppressed”. “For myself, for him, for our hanging on the walls of class- pitting Russian children against Yesterday Putin’s spokesman Italy’s data protection agency filed a lawsuit against TikTok in In an Instagram post yester- children, for the values and ide- rooms and swapping them for each other. Dmitry Peskov once again de- December, alleging a “lack of attention to the protection of minors” and day, Navalny thanked his sup- als that we share,” she wrote, ex- pictures of a grinning Navalny. The communications watch- nied that the mansion belonged criticising the ease with which very young children could sign up to the porters and said in jest that he plaining her decision to join the Other users have off ered jokey dog has cautioned social media to Putin, calling Navalny’s probe video app. did not plan to harm himself demonstrations. practical advice on how to avoid platforms against encouraging “lies”. while in detention. Many Russians took to social arrest at the protests, such as by minors to participate in the ral- “Putin has nothing to do with “I don’t plan on hanging my- media – including video sharing adopting an American accent to lies or risk fi nes of up to 4mn ru- this,” Peskov said, adding that Media denounce Greek government self from the prison bars,” he app TikTok and even dating app pretend to be a foreign tourist. bles ($53,000). the mansion might belong to a quipped. “My psychological and Tinder – to voice support and “When everything gets bad, Roskomnadzor said yesterday businessman. plan to create university police force emotional state is completely urge a large turnout today. say ‘I’m gonna call my lawyer!” that the media platforms had A number of public fi gures stable.” A hashtag demanding free- TikTok user neurolera, whose begun removing the content in – including those who usu- Journalists in Greece added their opposition yesterday to a bill to Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira dom for Navalny was trending video has more than 200,000 question. ally steer clear of politics – have better police the country’s violence-prone universities, saying that a Yarmysh, 31, was sentenced to on TikTok as Russians posted views, said in a North American Navalny last week returned to spoken out in Navalny’s sup- clause would limit reporting on protests and undermine freedom of nine days in jail for violating thousands of videos. drawl. Russia from Germany, where he port. information. laws on public gatherings in a “This is of course something Political analyst Abbas had been recovering from a poi- Monetochka, a 22-year-old Students in Athens and other cities have been protesting against the hearing that lasted less than fi ve shocking,” said political analyst Gallyamov, a former Krem- soning with the Novichok nerve pop star, called for Navalny to be plan introduced this month by the ministries of education and police to minutes, her lawyer Veronika Tatiana Stanovaya, adding that lin speechwriter, told Reuters agent in an attack he blamed on released in a post on Instagram. create a dedicated 1,000-strong force to patrol campuses. Polyakova told AFP. the TikTok “creative frenzy” that he expected a substantial Putin. “This is not about politics but Under the proposal, police would “determine the exact places for Another activist, Georgy Al- should be closely watched. number of TikTok users to take After his arrest his team re- about civil society and justice,” journalists” covering protests, which the media say will prevent them burov, said he was jailed for “Respect to the schoolchil- to the streets. leased an investigation into an she said. from moving freely among marchers. In a letter to the citizens’ protection minister, Michalis Chrisochoidis, unions representing the Greek media and foreign correspondents opposed the plan to regulate gatherings. Chrisochoidis backpedalled following the protests, telling Skai radio that the measure would only be applied when journalists request it in Italy’s main ruling parties talk up snap elections case of serious incidents.

Reuters and we believe it can be one of quickly get the necessary parlia- Former Bosnian general sentenced to Rome the ways out of this situation,” mentary backing a snap election cabinet undersecretary And- was the only option. prison for crimes by foreign soldiers rea Martella, of the centre-left That would probably be won taly’s main ruling parties Democratic Party (PD), said in by the right-wing opposition A former Bosnian army general was sentenced to 10 years in prison have fl agged snap elections an interview with RAI state tel- led by Matteo Salvini’s League yesterday for failing to stop killings and torture carried out by foreign Ias the only way out of its po- evision yesterday. party, opinion polls suggest. religious extremists who joined his troops during Bosnia’s 1990s war. litical impasse, if Prime Minister PD deputy leader Andrea Or- The crisis was triggered last Sakib Mahmuljin, 68, was deemed responsible for the deaths of more Giuseppe Conte fails to drum up lando delivered a similar mes- week when ex-premier Matteo than 50 ethnic Serb prisoners in the regions of Vozuca and Zavidovici a parliamentary majority after sage on a Thursday evening talk Renzi withdrew his centrist Ita- towards the end of the conflict in 1995, the Sarajevo court ruled. scraping through a confi dence show when asked if elections lia Viva party from the coalition. The victims were killed by members of the “El Mujahid” – a unit of vote. were becoming likely: “Unfor- Analysts say the stance taken mainly foreign fighters from North Africa and the Middle East, though After surviving Tuesday’s tunately they are, we believe by the PD and M5S is partly a also from some Western countries – who fell under Mahmuljin’s Senate vote thanks to absten- Prime Minister Conte that if Conte falls this majority way of pressuring wavering sen- command of the army’s third corps. tions, Conte appealed to centrist will implode.” ators to join the government, as Mahmuljin is one of few top Bosnian Muslim army off icials to be and unaligned upper house law- Few have responded and time Europe’s worst coronavirus epi- The PD’s coalition partner, most parliamentarians want to convicted for the 1992-1995 war that pitted Muslim, Croat and Serb makers outside the coalition to is short, as Conte seeks a solid demics and the deep economic the anti-establishment 5-Star avoid a vote two years ahead of communities against each other, leaving more than 100,000 dead. join his minority government’s majority to push through ur- crisis it has triggered. Movement (M5S), also said yes- schedule in which many would His defence lawyers, who can appeal the verdict, argued during the trial ranks. gent legislation to tackle one of “We don’t fear an election terday that if Conte failed to risk not being re-elected. that he “had no eff ective control over the unit”. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2021 9 INDIA

ELECTION FALLOUT CRIME DECISION DAMAGE Modi, Shah to visit Kerala students studying 25kg gold stolen from West Bengal minister Serum Institute fire poll-bound Assam today in China left in the lurch Muthoot Finance branch Rajib Banerjee resigns loss pegged at Rs10bn

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Around 10,000 students from Kerala, studying Six masked men brandishing pistols yesterday West Bengal Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee yesterday Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray yes- Minister Amit Shah will visit poll-bound Assam today medicine and allied courses in China, are facing barged into a Muthoot Finance branch in Tamil resigned from the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool terday visited the Serum Institute of India (SII) where to attend diff erent government events to campaign an uncertain future as the Chinese government is Nadu’s Hosur and fled with 25kg gold jewellery Congress Cabinet. “I regret to inform you that I a fire at its semi-ready Manjari complex claimed five for the assembly polls, likely to be held in April-May. not allowing them back in the country. Susan Ann valued at about Rs75mn and Rs96,000 in cash, hereby render my resignation from my off ice as Cabi- lives while inflicting an estimated loss of Rs10bn to Off icials and BJP sources said Modi and Shah do Varghese of Thiruvananthapuram and a final year police said. The gang members held up the com- net minister being in-charge of forest department,” the global vaccine giant. Thackeray also met the not have any common programme in the Bharatiya medical student in China, said she “cannot go back pany staff and a couple of customers at gunpoint, Banerjee said in a letter. A copy of the letter has company chairman Cyrus Poonawalla and his son Janata Party ruled state. The prime minister will as the Chinese government is not allowing the and even assaulted some of the staff ers. A police been sent to West Bengal governor. Banerjee was a Adar. “We have ordered a thorough probe... There today launch a mega programme of the Assam Indian students to return and the universities which spokesman said the gang first attacked the secu- legislator from Howrah’s Domjur Assembly constitu- cannot be any conclusions till the full investigations government to distribute land “patta” (land allot- had taken initiative to send us back home are not rity guard and forced him inside the branch while ency, as well as the co-ordinator of Howrah district’s are complete and the report is available. Then we ment permit) to over 100,000 landless indigenous responding”. Students have paid the final year fee of warning the staff not to raise any alert. The gang Trinamool Congress. Earlier, West Bengal transport will know whether it was an accident or sabotage,” people at a function at Jerenga Pothar in eastern Rs325,000 and classes are being conducted online. then looted the jewellery and cash and escaped. and irrigation minister Suvendu Adhikari and minister he said. The chief minister said the Poonawallas Assam’s Sivasagar district. Off icials said Shah would However the National Medical Commission will not Police superintendent of Bandi Gangadar visited of state (MoS) for sports and youth aff airs and former have repeatedly assured that there would be no launch the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme recognise medical courses conducted online and the scene of crime and an investigation into the cricketer Laxmi Ratan Shukla had resigned from the impact on the Covishield vaccine production and for central paramilitary force personnel in Guwahati. this will create major problems for the students. robbery has begun. Mamata-led state cabinet. rollout which will continue unhindered. AI-based police Five killed in Karnataka blast plan to combat harassment of women opposed

Thomson Reuters Foundation and get angry and make a face New Delhi – will that trigger an alert and will they send a policeman?” A more feasible solution plan to monitor women’s would be to increase police expressions with facial patrol numbers, Jain told the A recognition technology Thomson Reuters Foundation, to prevent street harassment in adding that the technology a north Indian city, will lead to is untested, and could lead to intrusive policing and privacy over-policing and the harass- violations, digital rights ex- ment of women who trigger perts warned yesterday. alerts. In Lucknow, about 500kms Uttar Pradesh, where Luc- from the nation’s capital New know is located, had the high- Delhi, police identified some est number of reported crimes 200 harassment hotspots that against women in 2019. women visit often and where Police often turn away most complaints are reported, women who go to register said police commissioner D K complaints or fail to take ac- Thakur. tion, said Roop Rekha Verma, “We will set up five AI-based a women’s rights activist in cameras which will be capable Lucknow. “And they want us of sending an alert to the near- to believe they will take action est police station,” he said, re- watching our facial expres- Security personnel inspect the site where a truck loaded with gelatin sticks exploded in Shimoga district of Karnataka yesterday. Five mine workers were killed in blast. ferring to the artificial intelli- sions,” she said. Local media said the toll could be higher. News18 said that the death toll could be as high as 11. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yedyurappa said three people including the gence-based technology. India launched a slew of legal owner of the quarry had been detained and an investigation was ongoing. “These cameras will become reforms after a fatal 2012 gang active as soon as the expres- rape, including easier mecha- sions of a woman in distress nisms to report sex crimes, change,” he told reporters with- fast-track courts and a tougher out giving further details on rape law with the death penal- which expressions would trig- ty, but conviction rates remain ger an alert. low. Facial recognition technol- While there is a growing ogy is being increasingly de- backlash against facial recogni- ployed in airports, railway sta- tion technology in the US and Farmers snub government tions and cafes across India, in Europe, Indian officials have with plans for nationwide sys- said it is needed to bolster a se- tems to modernise the police verely under-policed country, force and its information gath- and to stop criminals and find ering and criminal identifica- missing children. tion processes. But digital rights activists say But technology analysts and its use is problematic without a off er, to step up protests privacy experts say the ben- data protection law, and that it efits are not clear and could threatens the right to privacy, Reuters 26, the Republic Day national mands while the government government was committed to Congress interim chief Sonia breach people’s privacy or lead which was declared to be a fun- New Delhi holiday when Prime Minister urged them to consider its off er to the reforms. “If (farm leaders) Gandhi said it was abundantly to greater surveillance, with damental right by the Supreme Narendra Modi will join a parade hold discussions to address their agree with our proposal, we can clear that the three farm laws little clarity on how the tech- Court in a landmark ruling in of military forces. concerns after deferring the laws. meet tomorrow,” he said. were prepared in “haste and nology works, how the data is 2017. armers yesterday rejected Although some former gov- “There is a sort of deadlock as Hundreds of thousands of parliament was consciously de- stored, and who can access the “The police are using the an off er by the govern- ernment offi cials have expressed the government repeated the of- farmers have been camping on nied an opportunity to examine data. technology to solve a problem Fment to defer three farm concern that the protests could fer of deferring the laws, which the outskirts of national capital in any meaningful detail the im- “The whole idea that cameras without considering that this reform laws for one-and-half turn violent, the leaders said is not acceptable,” Darshan Pal, for nearly two months, blocking plications and impact”. are going to monitor women’s will simply become a new form years, warning they would step they would remain peaceful and one of the farm leaders told re- some of the roads connecting Sonia said her party’s posi- expressions to see if they are in of surveillance, a new form of up protests as they seek a repeal urged the police to grant per- porters after the meeting. New Delhi with neighbouring tion on the laws has been very distress is absurd,” said Anush- exercising power over women,” of the laws and a guarantee on mission for the convoy to enter The government has said that states. clear from the very beginning. ka Jain, an associate counsel at said Vidushi Marda, a research- minimum crop prices. the capital. The 11th round of the laws introduced in Septem- Supporting the farmers, the “We reject them categorically digital rights non-profit Inter- er at human rights group Arti- Farm leaders said hundreds talks between government of- ber will unshackle farmers from main opposition Congress party because they will destroy the net Freedom Foundation. cle 19. of thousands of farmers from fi cials led by Agricultural min- the obligation of selling pro- yesterday said the government foundations of food security “What is the expression of “AI is not a silver bullet, and neighbouring states includ- ister Narendra Singh Tomar and duce only at regulated wholesale had shown “shocking insensi- that are based on the three pil- someone in distress – is it fear, no amount of ‘fancy’ tech can ing Haryana, Punjab and Uttar 40 farm leaders earlier yesterday markets. But the farmers say tivity and arrogance” towards lars of MSP, public procurement is it anger? I could be talking fix societal problems,” she said. Pradesh would drive tractors was inconclusive. the bills are designed to benefi t farmers and urged it to accept and public distribution system to my mother on the phone through New Delhi on January Farmers stuck to their de- private buyers. Tomar said the their demands. (PDS),” she said. India self-reliant in Anger at Arnab Congress leaders ‘clash’ over election issue

Covid vaccines: PM IANS president,” Gehlot said. He also New Delhi questioned the party leaders say- ing : “Do they believe in the party Reuters healthcare workers from his The prime minister reiterated leadership (Sonia Gandhi) or not?” New Delhi Varanasi constituency through the sequence would be followed he Congress Working Gehlot was backed by sen- video conferencing. but no made reference to when Committee (CWC) meet- ior party leader Ambika Soni, “And on the world’s biggest exactly he would take the inocu- Ting yesterday witnessed Punjab Chief Minister Captain rime Minister Narendra need today, we are completely lation. heated exchange of words among Amarinder Singh, Tariq Anwar Modi yesterday said the self-reliant. Not just that, India India has so far reported Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok and former Kerala chief minister Pnation was completely is also helping out many coun- 10.63mn Covid-19 cases – the Gehlot, senior leader Anand Oommen Chandy. self-reliant on coronavirus vac- tries with vaccines,” the prime highest after the US – with Sharma and several other dis- Hitting back at Gehlot, Shar- cine supplies as the world’s minister added. 153,032 deaths. senters over internal elections, ma said that few members of second-most populous country India, known as the pharma- The health ministry says India party sources said. the party keep on disrespecting inoculated more than 1mn people ceutical capital of the world, has inoculated more people on its According to a party source, senior leaders. Former Congress within a week of starting a mas- gifted vaccines to neighbours fi rst day than the US, Britain or Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad and chief Rahul Gandhi had to inter- sive campaign. and partners such as Bangladesh, France. P Chidambaram raised the issue vene to placate both groups. Last Saturday, India began Nepal, Bhutan, Seychelles, Mau- Still, it has been urging more of the elections for the CWC post. However, party leaders at a what the government calls the ritius and the Maldives. frontline people to come forward Following the issue of the press conference later denied any world’s biggest vaccination It began commercial ship- to take the shots as only a handful elections, Gehlot ticked off the such incident. After the CWC programme, using two shots ments to Brazil and Morocco of states have been able to meet dissenters without naming them meet, Congress general secretary made locally: one licensed from yesterday. their daily targets. and said that a few party leaders (organisation) K C Venugopal said Oxford University and Astra- The country’s own vaccina- The health ministry said in a keep on demanding organisation that the party will have an elected Zeneca, and another developed tion drive kicked off with 30mn statement that 1.04mn people elections instead of discussing president by June this year at any at home by Bharat Biotech in healthcare and other front-line had received their fi rst vaccine how to deal with the BJP. cost. “The CWC discussed the partnership with the state-run workers fi rst in the queue, fol- doses as of early yesterday. The source added that the schedule for the Congress presi- Indian Council of Medical Re- lowed by about 270mn people Some doctors have expressed Congress party workers hold placards with pictures of Rajasthan chief minister stated dent’s elections in May-end, pro- search. older than 50 or deemed at high- doubt about the Bharat Biotech Arnab Goswami, one of India’s top TV news anchors, party leaders were wasting time posed by its election authority. “Our preparation has been risk because of pre-existing vaccine, which was given ap- during a protest in Mumbai, yesterday. The Congress discussing irrelevant issues like All CWC members unanimously such that vaccine is fast reach- medical conditions. That puts proval for emergency use with- accused Goswami of risking national security by leaking party elections. felt the internal elections should ing every corner of the country,” 70-year-old Modi in the second out effi cacy data from late-stage information on the Balakot airstrikes. “We should leave the mat- not interfere with the Assembly Modi said while interacting with category. clinical trials. ters and decisions to the party’s polls,” Venugopal said. Gulf Times 10 Saturday, January 23, 2021 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Europe must become a Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko Production Editor global climate power Amjad Khan The urgency of the climate – the world can emit only another 580 we must push – or help – them to take at its disposal. For example, all current P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. That the necessary action. EU eff orts to address the social and crisis demands that the is our carbon budget – forever. Yet at To that end, Europe will need to put economic damage caused by Covid-19 [email protected] European Union turn its the current global emissions rate of its economic and diplomatic weight in neighbouring regions should be 44350478 (News), about 37 gigatonnes per year, we will behind the climate cause, becoming designed and implemented with the world-leading climate have exhausted our budget by 2035. We a global power in climate diplomacy. broader climate agenda in mind. 44466404 (Sport), agenda into foreign policy. therefore need to decarbonise without We must combine our climate eff orts Moreover, other development banks 44466636 (Home delivery) delay. Since the world has already with realpolitik, recognising the should follow the EIB’s example by By deploying the fi nancial, warmed by 1.1C, with temperatures in incontrovertible links between innovation aligning their operations with the 44350474 market, and diplomatic many regions having gone much higher, and sustainable development. Only Paris targets, in order to lock in low- facebook.com/gulftimes the next decade represents our last through innovation can we ensure carbon, climate-resilient development tools at its disposal, chance to tackle the problem. Europe’s future competitiveness and pathways (or, at a minimum, to avoid twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar The European Union has been a tackle the climate challenge both inside undermining the green transition). Europe can lead the rest global leader on this issue for decades, and outside our borders. The UN Climate Change Conference of the world towards a and it has stuck to its ambitions even And only through innovation in Glasgow (COP26) in November will through the Covid-19 crisis. Among and green investment can we boost be a crucial milestone for raising global more sustainable future, other things, the EU has launched economic resilience in Africa and ambitions. Unlike previous COPs, it GULF TIMES as envisioned in the Paris what European Commission Executive beyond. will be less about new multilateral Vice President Frans Timmermans has Europe has the tools to make a rules and more about ensuring that as climate agreement rightly called “the world’s greenest diff erence globally. As one of the many countries as possible – especially stimulus plan.” With the European world’s largest markets and trading the big emitters – strengthen their By Josep Borrell, Werner Hoyer Green Deal, the EU has also increased blocs, the EU has the power to set rules commitments. Next week, EU foreign Trump-induced Brussels its 2030 emissions-reduction target and standards for imported goods ministers will discuss how to set the to 55%, and committed to achieving and services. We already have a wide tone to ensure success in Glasgow, and carbon neutrality by 2050. range of trade agreements and strategic how to develop our climate and energy he world is eagerly watching To support this eff ort, member states partnerships with countries and regions diplomacy to promote the European trauma: how can the rollout of Covid-19 vac- have agreed to transform the European around the world; and, together, the EU Green Deal’s external dimensions. cines and looking forward to a Investment Bank into the EU’s Climate and its member states are the world’s Accelerating climate action and Treturn to normalcy after a year Bank. As outlined in the Climate leading donor of development aid managing the energy transition must of lockdowns. But there will never be a Bank Roadmap 2021-2025, the EIB and humanitarian assistance. Finally, be at the core of EU foreign policy and America recover? vaccine for the other looming threat to Group aims to mobilise €1tn ($1.2tn) with the EIB, the EU has the largest in our work with partners around the humanity: climate change. of investment in climate action and multilateral lender at its disposal. world. In this regard, we welcome the Images of forest fi res in California environmental sustainability between The EIB’s fi repower is sorely needed. decision by US President Joe Biden to On Thursday, America woke up and there was no tweet and devastating fl oods in Bangladesh 2021 and 2030. It is the fi rst multilateral According to the United Nations rejoin the Paris agreement on his fi rst from the president fomenting ignorance and division, are harbingers of what awaits us if we development bank in the world to be Conference on Trade and Development, day in offi ce. What we do today will encouraging people to act outrageously or to disbelieve fail to address the climate emergency. fully Paris-aligned in its operations. to achieve our 2030 climate and set a course for decades to come. We science. He won’t be wondering aloud whether bleach, taken Without drastic action, such To be truly eff ective, however, Europe sustainable development goals requires intend to make 2021 a defi ning year in catastrophes will rage more frequently must complement these internal closing an annual investment gap of which Europe puts its full diplomatic internally, would prevent or cure Covid-19. He won’t make a and ever more destructively. Moreover, eff orts with a proactive foreign policy. about $2.5tn. We cannot rely only on the and fi nancial weight behind the global new enemy of another longtime ally or enact a sudden travel climate change is one of the biggest In a world where the EU accounts for public sector anywhere, but especially fi ght against climate change. As UN ban against predominantly Muslim countries that separates geopolitical challenges we face. As a less than 8% of global emissions, our in less-developed regions. As a public- Secretary-General Antonio Guterres families and strands travellers at airports with visas in hand. confl ict multiplier, it fuels sociopolitical climate eff orts cannot be limited to our fi nance institution and pioneer in green has put it, this is the “defi ning issue of No more mocking his critics or calling factual reports by instability, creates migratory pressures, continent. If we allow growing energy bonds, the EIB has an important role to our time.” – Project Syndicate aggravates global injustices, and demand in Africa and parts of Asia to play both in redirecting private fi nance mainstream media outlets “fake news,” undermining the jeopardises human rights and peace, be met through additional coal- and toward sustainable investment projects O Josep Borrell, a Vice President of public’s faith in reliable sources of information. No more especially in fragile states. gas-fi red power plants fi nanced by globally, and in ensuring (through its the European Commission, is EU High calling some of the brightest minds in the country “dumb” Climate scientists have made clear China or others, our hope of limiting banking and engineering expertise) that Representative for Foreign Aff airs and and some of its greatest entertainers “talentless.” No that to limit the rise in average global global warming will literally go up in all projects make economic sense. Security Policy. more refusals to wear a mask because it sends “the wrong temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial smoke. We must convince our global To have a global impact, the EU must Werner Hoyer is President of the levels – the target of the Paris agreement partners to embrace our ambition, and vigorously deploy all of the instruments European Investment Bank. message.” No more unilateral moves that threaten to wreck the market for individual health insurance policies. No more reneging on promises to help students defrauded by for-profi t colleges. No more declaring bogus national emergencies to defy Congress and divert money to an expensive and pretty much useless border wall. Every change of president brings new Every change of policies and a new president brings agenda. But this change is diff erent. The nation new policies and hasn’t just been under a conservative Republican a new agenda. administration for the But this change last four years; it has been in the grip of a giant and is diff erent insatiable ego. President Trump wasn’t nearly as involved in advancing policy as he was in advancing himself, and no statement or action was seemingly too outlandish for him if it succeeded in drawing the national or even global spotlight. In a way, Trump has infl icted a form of trauma on the nation. Not just on the people victimised by bad Trump policies, such as his failed leadership on Covid-19 or his cruel family separation policy at the border, but on all of us subjected to the relentless, daily onslaught of Trump’s wall of noise. Whether they liked Trump or detested him, Americans have spent the last four years mentally preparing themselves for the “what did he do now?” moment that would arrive pretty much every day. For most voters, that meant steeling themselves for whatever new way he might come up with Boris Johnson must change his act to encourage violent racists or embarrass the nation with a tweet or undermine the nation’s judicial and electoral By Chris Patten Parliament’s dignity by vetoing this – to put it politely – a rather distant – our closest neighbours and largest London idea, a decision for which he was widely relationship with the truth. But as the trade partners – in order to advance our systems or denigrate a racial and ethnic group. criticised. Bercow now deserves some Yale historian Tim Snyder has pointed national interest and show others that With his continual lies, Trump created a world with apologies from those who doubted his out, post-truth politics can easily drift we understand how to cooperate on the seemingly no objective reality. The mistruths came so fast ome of the United Kingdom’s ability to detect a rogue. into something far more dangerous international stage. and with such abandon that most people couldn’t begin to right-wing newspapers – sup- May, a decent and honest woman, and sinister, particularly on the back Above all, the UK needs to show a keep track, which meant they often were amplifi ed on social porters of both Brexit and its was far outdistanced by her successor of social media. Sooner or later, a grasp of the disciplines and manners of principal advocate, Prime Min- and his colleagues in the Trump political Pinocchio can do a great deal partnership, whether we are trying to media and accepted by much of the public. Even just seeing S ister Boris Johnson – have been quick to sycophancy stakes. In January 2017, of damage. augment our soft power or use our hard honesty and respect for truth return to the White House will assure us that US President Joe Biden has Johnson’s senior fellow Brexiteer and Second, Johnson and most of his power carefully and responsibly. The take a period of adjustment. already forgiven the Conservative govern- principal ministerial fi xer, Michael Gove Brexit colleagues do not respect the habit of co-operation is indispensable, How will we reclaim a sense of normalcy, honesty and ment for its obsequious cheerleading for (a former journalist with The Times UK’s vital national institutions. They whether we are addressing trade, common courtesy? Unfortunately, we were trained by a the departed Donald Trump. The new newspaper), conducted an interview have demeaned Parliament, attacked security, or the environment; seeking to Democratic administration, they claim, with then President-elect Trump that the UK’s independent judiciary, constrain brutish behaviour by China master of chutzpah to go without such niceties. Let’s give will want to do business with a UK that is plumbed new depths of oleaginous dismissed senior civil servants for and Russia; or navigating the perils of ourselves time; our expectations won’t change simply now distanced from the European Union toadyism. ministers’ political errors, and pilloried Middle East politics. because we have a sane and decent man in the presidency. and ready to assume a new role as an Gove wallowed in Trump’s Britain’s renowned public broadcaster To convince the Biden administration Trump damaged America and the world, but one of his infl uential global fi xer. endorsement of Brexit. It subsequently – the BBC – for its eff orts to provide at meetings like the planned G7 summit biggest tricks of all: He damaged Americans, conservative Let’s hope those newspapers are came to light that Gove’s then- balanced news coverage. In any liberal in June and November’s COP26 correct. But Biden and his team will employer, Rupert Murdoch, was in the democracy, majoritarianism needs climate-change conference (both of and liberal both, more than we realised. – Tribune News have to overlook quite a lot for the room while the interview took place. to be checked and balanced by the which the UK will chair), we should fi rst Service sake of such transatlantic goodwill. And why not? The owner of Fox News very institutions that Conservative demonstrate that we are not as reckless They will certainly have to turn the as well as The Times was entitled to ministers and the right-wing press have and feckless as Trump in the way we other cheek and forget about the UK keep an eye on his two protégés. rubbished. treat allies. After all, taking cheap shots To Advertise government’s embrace of a policy that But Johnson has more substantive Third, Johnson’s government at your friends damages you more than required special pleading to Trump issues to try to explain away or forget refl ects too many aspects of Trumpian it does them. And they will remember [email protected] rather than a special relationship with as he seeks to build good relations nativism. For “Make America the patronising insults when you next the United States. with Biden. His problem is not just the Great Again,” read “Make England ask for their assistance. Display That dispiriting story began with contrast between what he wrote and Great Again,” or MEGA. Johnson’s Unfortunately, the Johnson 44466621 44418811 an embarrassed-looking Theresa May, said about Trump and his Democratic government bears the stamp of English government still has much to do to Johnson’s predecessor, being told that predecessor, Barack Obama (under whom nationalism like the words embedded show that it can be a trusted partner. Classified the UK’s national interest required her Biden served as vice president). What in a stick of seaside rock (a hard, sugary Above all, it must persuade the US and 44466609 44418811 to get along with the misogynist Trump. really matters is what Johnson stands for candy sold at British coastal resorts). Europe that it does not regard Trump as May was even prevailed upon to invite and the way he behaves, which inevitably We British are outside the EU a fi tting role model for a 21st-century Subscription him to Britain for a sort of semi-state invite comparisons to Trump. now and must make the best of this liberal democracy.– Project Syndicate visit, without a carriage ride through If the US-UK relationship is to be as self-defeating choice. But leaving [email protected] London with the Queen but including a close and productive as all who believe Europe is an impossibility, because we O Chris Patten, the last British speech to both Houses of Parliament. in liberal democracy should want, remain geographically, economically, governor of Hong Kong and a former The then-Speaker of the House Johnson must change three aspects politically, and culturally part of it. We EU commissioner for external aff airs, is © 2021 Gulf Times. All rights reserved of Commons, John Bercow, saved of his approach. First, Johnson has must work with our European friends Chancellor of the University of Oxford. Gulf Times Saturday, January 23, 2021 11 PAKISTAN

Senate chairman backs polls via open ballot UN adopts resolution on protection of holy sites Marigold Festival in Karachi this weekend

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has backed the presidential reference seeking the The UN has adopted a resolution calling for the protection of religious sites. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s parks and horticulture departments is going opinion of the Supreme Court about holding Senate polls via “open ballot”. The resolution, titled “Promoting a Culture of Peace and Tolerance to Safeguard to hold first Karachi Marigold Festival at Frere Hall from today and tomorrow. In his reply submitted in the apex court, the chairman said that Senate polls are held Religious Sites”, adopted by consensus was co-sponsored by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, A large number of nurseries and other concerned departments are taking part in the through secret ballot as per the Election Act 2017. and other Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) countries, Radio Pakistan festival, said a statement. According to article 226 all elections under the Constitution, other than those of the reported. Karachi Administrator Laeeq Ahmed has asked the people to participate along with Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, shall be by secret ballot, Sanjrani stated in his In a tweet, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram said that he their families in the festival and make it a successful event. written reply. is happy that the resolution was adopted and said that Pakistan will continue to play He said that various companies and organisations are also taking part in marigold The court has always interpreted the Constitution by keeping public interest in view. a leading role in denouncing attacks on religious sites. festival. “The parliament has the prerogative to make amendments in the law, while the Under its terms, the resolution invites the UN secretary-general to convene a global He directed his subordinates to provide every possible facility to the people coming Supreme Court has right to interpret the constitution,” he wrote. conference aimed at advancing the UN Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites, into the festival, and that details and information about the plant would also be given Last week, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had opposed holding senate polls involving governments, political figures, religious leaders, civil society, and the to the participants to increase their interest, with the intention of encouraging them through open ballot. media, among other stakeholders, Arab News reported. to plant them at their homes and gardens. Khan orders immediate start of housing projects Prime minister issues directive to ensure constant, low-priced larly wheat and sugar, the prime mato and chicken had been on a supply of food during Ramadan minister instructed that the downward trend. availability and price reduction The price of vegetable oil will Internews In the initial phase, the Punjab of daily use items are ensured. also decrease within the next Islamabad government will provide land Federal ministers Khusro Ba- few weeks, he added. Bilawal: The democratic way and capital for the project. khtiar, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, The meeting was also ap- to (remove the prime minister) Regarding the Ravi Urban Shibli Faraz, Ali Haider Zaidi, prised of the measures for the is through a no-confidence rime Minister Imran Khan Development Project, Prime Syed Fakhar Imam, Ali Amin release of wheat stocks and the motion. has directed the authori- Minister Khan said that this is Gandapur, Adviser Dr Ishrat impact of the Economic Co-or- Pties to immediately start of immense importance for the Hussain, Special Advisers to dination Committee’s decision work on the housing projects socio-economic development of the Prime Minister Usman Dar on the price of sugar. for the poor and low-income the people of Lahore. and Dr Sania Nishtar, the Utility The meeting participants groups. He said that this will not only Stores Corporation managing were briefed on the prediction Bilawal He was chairing a meeting in create economic activities but director, and senior offi cers at- of wheat production in the com- Islamabad yesterday to review also provide job opportunities to tended the meeting. ing year, and preparation of its progress on a range of projects, the people. Punjab Food Minister Ab- import. calls for including the Ravi Urban De- The meeting was informed dul Aleem Khan, Adviser to the The meeting was was told that velopment, the Central Busi- that matters pertaining to the Punjab Chief Minister Dr Sal- government’s decision on wheat ness District, the relocation of design of Ravi city project have man Shah, and provincial chief import helped stabilise its price. no-trust Walton airport, and a project to reached the fi nal stage. secretaries joined the meeting The meeting emphasised that provide low-cost housing to the It was informed that steps are through video link. the focus on the enhancement of people in Punjab. being taken to hold an investors Prime Minister Khan also or- yield is to reduce prices of wheat motion The prime minister directed conference. Prime Minister Khan: timelines should be set for completion of dered he be kept updated regu- and sugar. that timelines should be set for The meeting was also in- low-cost housing. larly regarding the monitoring Prime Minister Khan also di- completion of low-cost hous- formed about the progress made of the price of edibles and their rected for the formulation of Internews ing. so far for the acquisition of land commercial, retail and residen- cerned to take steps to ensure availability till Ramadan. a comprehensive strategy to Larkana The meeting was informed for the project. tial zoning of the projects is be- uninterrupted supply of food at The fi nance minister, Abdul enhance production in accord- that low-cost houses of 3-5 Regarding the Central Busi- ing done as per the international reduced prices during upcoming Hafeez Shaikh, told the meeting ance with population growth, to marla will initially be in the 25- ness District Project and relo- standards. month of Ramadan. that according to Sensitive Price make the country self-suffi cient akistan Peoples Party 27 districts of Punjab, and later cation of Walton airport, the Prime Minister Khan has also Chairing a meeting to review Indicators over the past seven as well as to reduce the import (PPP) chairman Bilawal be expanded to 87 locations. meeting was informed that the directed the ministries con- prices of commodities, particu- weeks, the prices of onion, to- bill. PBhutto Zardari has called for the opposition parties to mount a no-confi dence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. He explained that this is with Court rejects NAB plea to extend Khawaja Asif’s remand the view that it will be much more eff ective than the ongoing rallies of the Pakistan Demo- Internews ber 30, 2020 from outside PML- that the accountability watch- overseas, adding that the NAB The prosecutor said that both cratic Movement (PDM) opposi- Lahore N leader Ahsan Iqbal’s residence dog has fi nished the inquiry and should provide in writing what it Rana Waheed and Khawaja Sul- tion alliance. in Islamabad, where he had is in possession of all records. wanted to investigate. tan had claimed the money was “Even 10 rallies will not yield come to attend a party meeting. The counsel further informed The NAB prosecutor in turn given to them by Asif. the kind of results as a strategy n accountability court The NAB said that the former the accountability court that informed the accountability To this, Asif said that he can meeting over a cup of tea, which in Lahore has rejected a defence minister was arrested in his client was cleared by the court about the PML-N leader submit in writing that he re- is sure to cause the government ANational Accountabil- a case pertaining to accumulat- Supreme Court for holding an owning a restaurant abroad and ceived the amounts. to break a sweat,” Bilawal said, ity Bureau (NAB) request seek- ing assets beyond known sourc- iqamah in 2018, when Pakistan transactions it deemed suspi- “Rs1.8bn was transferred into while addressing the inaugura- ing a 15-day extension in Paki- es of income. Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader cious. his account, which he said was tion ceremony of the Larkana stan Muslim League – Nawaz The bureau presented Asif be- Usman Dar challenged his can- He said that Rs20mn were for selling a plot. There are also Asif: remanded for 14 days. Industrial Estate. (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif’s fore the accountability court’s didacy for the National Assem- transferred into Asif’s account transactions worth Rs100mn to He said that he will speak to remand, and issued orders for Judge Jawad ul Hassan yesterday bly. by Khawaja Sultan, Rs30mn foreign countries,” said the bu- the anti-graft watchdog’s plea the opposition parties to “strike” 14-day judicial remand instead. and sought a 15-day extension in The counsel contended that by Rana Waheed, and there reau’s prosecutor. for extension in physical re- in the assembly. Asif had been arrested by the his physical remand. Asif has already admitted to was another transaction worth After hearing arguments from mand, and sent Asif on a 14-day “The democratic way to send anti-graft watchdog on Decem- Asif’s counsel argued however being employed by a company Rs20.8mn. both sides, the bench rejected judicial remand instead. this incompetent, illegal, un- qualifi ed prime minister (away) is through a no-confi dence mo- tion,” said the PPP chairman. Speaking of the newly-inau- gurated project, Bilawal said that Relatively spared by the coronavirus PML-N ‘rejects’ the Larkana Industrial Estate will benefi t local industry and create employment opportuni- Broadsheet probe ties. pandemic, Pakistanis drop their guard He lamented the “damage” caused to the economy over the Internews an inquiry committee to inves- last two years, since the Pakistan By Umar Farooq, Reuters Lahore tigate the scandal after a min- Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took the Islamabad isterial committee presented reins of power. its report to the federal cabinet. “The PTI government wishes key member of the Information and Broadcast- to use brute force as a correc- longside the usual snacks Pakistan Democratic ing Minister Senator Shibli tive measure to get the economy arranged on a tray bal- AMovement (PDM) has Faraz confi rmed the develop- running,” he said, adding that Aanced on one hand, Mo- “rejected” a probe panel es- ment, saying that the former the Sindh government “did not min Khan sells face masks to tablished by the Pakistan Te- apex court judge would also employ such tactics to collect passengers at a crowded bus hreek-e-Insaf (PTI) govern- be consulted on the appoint- tax”. stand in Islamabad. ment, which is to be headed by ment of other members of the He also claimed that the pro- Most choose the snacks in- former Supreme Court Justice Broadsheet probe committee. vincial government had in- stead of paying about 6¢ for a Azmat Saeed, to investigate Earlier, Prime Minister Khan creased tax revenue. mask, he says. the Broadsheet scandal. had taken notice of the Broad- The PPP chairman said that “It’s mostly rich people buy- In a statement yesterday, sheet scandal after court docu- the Sindh government deems it ing the masks, the poor people senior Pakistan Muslim League ments revealed that Pakistan’s its duty to take care of the busi- say ‘we don’t have the money – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ah- anti-graft watchdog had made ness community, traders, and anyway and we will do without san Iqbal pointed out that the a deliberate decision to dis- the underprivileged sections of them’,” he told Reuters. former Supreme Court judge regard fi nancial damages that society. Nearby, dozens of passen- was part of the bench in the may be caused to the said com- Bilawal said that a “Labour gers crowd into a minivan, only Panama Papers case which pany, by entering into a set- City” with this in mind had been a handful wearing masks, as disqualifi ed former prime tlement with an unauthorised inaugurated a few days ago in the driver shuts the door and minister Nawaz Sharif. individual and paid around Sukkur. windows to keep out the winter He was later invited to join $1.5mn to the wrong fi rm. The PPP chairman said that cold. the Shaukat Khanum Memo- The arbitration court that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Pakistan has reported 527,146 rial Hospital’s board of gov- heard the case – Broadsheet Shah will also release funds for coronavirus (Covid-19) cases so ernors after his retirement by LLC vs. The Islamic Republic an industrial zone in Larkana. far, and 11,157 deaths, far lower Prime Minister Imran Khan. of Pakistan and the National He said that in contrast, the than what offi cials had feared. Iqbal also pointed out that Accountability Bureau – was people have yet to see the 10mn Now, the authorities worry during the Musharraf regime, chaired by Sir Anthony Evans. jobs and 5mn houses promised that complacency could undo This picture taken last week shows people with and without masks walk along fruit stalls at a market in when the asset recovery agree- The case details the whole by the PTI government, adding that good fortune, as an eco- Karachi. ment was signed with Broad- saga from the NAB’s establish- that “Imran Khan’s approach nomic divide emerges between sheet, Azmat had been part of ment to the signing and, three in dealing with the industries is the public when it comes to who are supposed sit socially-dis- Hamza Shafqaat leads a team SOPs is almost impossible, and the National Accountability years later, rescinding of an there for all to see”. is remaining vigilant. tanced, wearing masks. of police offi cers on a surprise for us it is also a huge challenge.” Bureau (NAB). asset recovery agreement with “The PPP and the chief min- Some 57% of Pakistanis say “We lose a lot of income when inspection of a bustling upscale He said the city has handed According to the Supreme Broadsheet, a breach of con- ister are obstacles in the way of the virus threat is exaggerated, they are apart from each other, marketplace. out some Rs10mn ($62,400) in Court’s website, Azmat was tract, illegal payments from Imran Khan’s anti-people poli- and 42% say it’s a foreign con- because only when the bus is Shopkeepers usher out cus- fi nes and closed 800 businesses the deputy NAB prosecutor- Pakistan to the wrong enti- cies,” Bilawal charged. spiracy, according to a Decem- full can we make a profi t,” Ka- tomers and hastily wear masks. since the pandemic began. general at Islamabad in 2000, ties; and all that led the court He said the party’s people had ber 2020 poll conducted by Gal- bir Ahmed Kiyani, the station’s “Generally the people of the Restrictions like closing for one year, and was appoint- to ascertain that the anti-cor- been “targeted by the NAB (Na- lup Pakistan. manager, told Reuters. “All upper classes or upper middle schools and mosques could re- ed special NAB prosecutor in ruption body was involved in tional Accountability Bureau)”. Restrictions to curb the pan- business has been hurt and es- class, they are somehow imple- turn if the case numbers go back 2001 to prosecute cases before intentional wrongdoing. Bilawal said: “We know what demic, dubbed Standard Op- pecially transport ... more than menting the SOPs,” Shafqaat up. the accountability courts at The NAB and Broadsheet we have to do to get rid of non- erating Procedures (SOPs), are half our passengers are gone.” told Reuters. “But if you see “But there cannot be a com- Attock Fort and Rawalpindi. LLC had signed the agreement democratic forces. The federa- rarely followed. Elsewhere, Islamabad’s Dep- people from the lowest strata, plete lockdown, our country The federal government had in 1999, which was breached tion may have abandoned Sindh, At the bus station, passengers uty Commissioner Muhammad for them implementation of the cannot aff ord it,” Shafqaat said. announced the constitution of by Pakistan in October 2003. but we never will.” Gulf Times 12 Saturday, January 23, 2021 QATAR

Marmi activities Local farm produce yards boasts abundant supplies resuming today

he Ministry of Munici- and called on local farmers to of the season, in preparation for „ QR5 for a box of broccoli undermining the quality. pality and Environment increase their production to the next season. Al-Sulaiti said prices at the Consumer Mohamed Ahmed T(MME)’s yards for sell- support the country’s eff orts in Some of the recently-seen market are closely monitored said that the prices and quality ing local agriculture products achieving self-suffi ciency. prices at the yards were as fol- even though they are considered of products have been great in boasts of abundant supplies The offi cial also said that the lows: “very low”. recent times. from participating farms, with continuation of work at the „ QR10 for a box of cucum- A number of consumers have Mohamed Jebreel, an offi - more than 60 types of fresh veg- yards after the conclusion of the bers expressed satisfaction at the cial at a participating farm, said etables on display for custom- winter season is linked to the „ QR12 for a box of tomatoes quality of services at the yards, production this year has reached ers, local Arabic daily Arrayah continued productivity of farms „ QR6 for a box of capsicum giving them access to fresh pro- a “very high” level on Qatari reported recently. and the quantum of fresh pro- „ QR15 for a box of caulifl ower duce at reasonable rates without farms. Speaking to the daily, Abdul- duce they can supply. „ QR7 for cabbage rahman al-Sulaiti, the general Otherwise, the yards could „ QR10-12 for eggplant supervisor of the yards at the be closed after the conclusion „ QR16 for zucchini, and ministry, said the retail prices of most of these products have dropped considerably from the same period last year, and reached their lowest levels since the start of this season due to ample supplies. The price of vegetables at the yards has been quite a bit lower recently, compare with those The activities of the 12th Qatar International Falconry and available in retail outlets across Hunting Festival (Marmi) at Sabkhat Marmi, Sealine Area, are set the country. to resume today (Saturday) after being halted for two days due Al-Sulaiti stressed that the to the unstable weather condition. The event is set to continue yards can accommodate even until January 30, organised by the Qatari Society of Al Gannas, more products from more farms, Fresh local vegetables at a yard. PICTURES: Ram Chand under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani. A journey to ancient Damascus

A painting (above) through art by al-Bizri portrays an alley, which Katara is also showcasing the works of 21 Qatari and Arab Opened on January 13, it will reflects windows artists in its first solo exhibition titled Twenty One conclude on January 30. and balconies of The artists are Nadya al-Qaw- the old and By Joey Aguilar of the oldest continuously-in- bari, Thamer al-Dossari, Ali al- spacious houses in Staff Reporter habited cities in the world – has a Mulla, Omar al-Shahabi, Fatma One of the Twenty One artists prefers to create an installation. Damascus. rich history and heritage. al-Sharshani, Sumam Ismael Al-Bizri said the coronavi- Azzam, Hassan Manasrah, Nour Syrian artist al-Bizri number of exhibitions at rus (Covid-19) pandemic, which Elhadi, Ameera al-Aji, Ahmad and one of his Katara – the Cultural Vil- prompted many residents to stay Nooh, Eman al-Sulaiti, Huda works at Katara Alage provide an opportu- at home during its onslaught Basahal, Maryam al-Maadhadi, Building 18. nity for art enthusiasts to explore from March 2020, gave him the Hassan al-Salat, Thamer al- PICTURES: Joey unique and compelling pieces by drive to paint and continue his Dossari, Yasser al-Mulla, Hazim Aguilar Qatari and Doha-based artists – passion. al-Hussain, Mubarak al-Malik, in particular the works of Syrian His paintings highlight some Noor al-Shammari, Ahood al- artist Salah Eddin al-Bizri. of the “charming alleys, archi- Dafa, and Amira Radhi. At Katara’s Building 18, Gal- tectural monuments in the an- Katara held a 10-day workshop lery 2, al-Bizri portrays the old cient Levant, windows front leading to the 18-day exhibition, Damascene architecture with 15 alleys and traditional buildings which showcased the artists’ paintings at his fi rst solo exhi- such as Bab Al-Salam and Khan creativity and deep understand- bition titled Damascus, Levant, Pasha”. ing of the subject they chose for which opened on January 17 and He explained that one of his their artworks. will conclude on January 29. paintings depicts an alley which Meanwhile, the closing cere- “The paintings, done in Acryl- refl ects the windows and the mony of the “Qatar Red Crescent A unique depiction of Omar al-Shahabi’s work. ic and oil on canvas, refl ect the balconies of the old and spacious Society (QRCS) Paints of Hope nature of the architectural build- houses, while another artwork During Covid-19” competition, ings and monuments of the old represents “a door in one of the organised by Visual Art Centre, city of Damascus where I was Shamyia alleys”. was also held at Katara recently. raised,” the artist, who is also a Al-Bizri thanked Katara for The competition featured biomedical engineer, told Gulf giving him the chance to show- several works that highlighted Times. case his works. the eff orts of the QRCS in help- “I feel sympathetic to the en- He described the cultural vil- ing diff erent countries amid the vironment where I was raised. lage as “art treasure of Doha” pandemic, and awarded fi ve win- I’m missing my country now be- since it hosts a wide range of art ners out of the dozens of submis- cause of the situation there. and cultural events, exhibitions, sions. “If I’m not there, let my coun- and activities. In hosting these exhibitions try be with me, so I try to show Katara is also showcasing the and events, Katara is continu- my friends that everybody can works of 21 Qatari and Arab art- ously implementing Covid-19 come to see the nature of the old ists in its fi rst solo exhibition ti- precautionary measures to en- The Twenty One exhibition highlights a compelling piece by Thamer city of Damascus,” al-Bizri said. tled Twenty One at Building 19, sure the safety of visitors and al-Dossari. Damascus – described as one halls 1 and 2. staff . Hassan Manasrah’s work on display at the Twenty One exhibition.

Dust, wind, no problem MME team clears wind debris The dusty and windy weather prevailed across the country yesterday, but did not deter people from staying outdoors. Members of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME)’s cleaning teams removing trees PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam felled by strong winds that lashed Qatar, according to an off icial tweet.