Wednesday December 9, 2020 Rabi al-akhar 24, 1442 Vol.14 no. 5124 qR 2

Fajr: 4:46 am Dhuhr: 11:26 am partly cloudy Asr: 2:25 pm Maghrib: 4:45 pm High : 25°C LOW : 18°C Isha: 6:15 pm

Nation 2 Business 8 Sports 13 China lauds Kuwait Qetaifan Island Al Sailiya shock Duhail for GCC crisis North’s sales exceed as Al Sadd continue mediation efforts QR1 billion winning run

Qatar to reopen visa centres in three countries this month: MoI Amir condoles with Kathmandu centre in Nepal to resume work on Dec 10, followed by Islamabad on Dec 14 & Manila on Dec 15 Amir of Kuwait QNA/TNN process of booking appoint- employment and accelerate Doha Qatar Visa Centres ments electronically began their initiation of work in QNA abroad aim to on Monday. And in the simplified, smooth and ef- Doha The Ministry of Interior facilitate and city of Manila, the Philip- fective procedures. (MoI) has announced that simplify recruitment pines, the work will begin Last month, the ministry His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar Qatar Visa Centres abroad process in general, on December 15 where the said the QVCs in India would Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on will gradually resume work protect the rights of process of booking appoint- reopen on December 3. Tuesday sent a cable of condolences in Nepal, Pakistan and the expatriates, ensure ments electronically began Qatar has seven visa to HH the Amir of the State of Kuwait Philippines. their safety and on Tuesday. centres in India — in the Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah In a statement, the MoI facilitate all Qatar Visa Centres cities of New Delhi, Mum- on the demise of Sheikh Nasser Fahd said that receiving and pro- procedures for abroad aim to facilitate and bai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Sabah Al Nasser Al Sabah. viding services through Qa- their entry into simplify recruitment pro- Hyderabad, Chennai and tar Visa Centres abroad will cedures in general, protect Kochi. be gradually resumed, in the country the rights of expatriates, They will facilitate and implementation of the pro- ensure their safety and fa- simplify the recruitment ject to capture fingerprints the country. mandu’s center in Nepal as last Thursday. cilitate all procedures for and work visa procedures Amir, Indian PM discuss and vital data, conduct The ministry further in- of December 10 where the The Islamabad centre in their entry into the country, for Indian expatriates trav- medical examinations and dicated that the work will process of booking appoint- Pakistan will resume work as well as inspect and docu- elling to Qatar for work be- ways to promote ties sign work contracts outside begin in the city of Kath- ments electronically began on December 14 where the ment the process of their fore their arrival in Qatar. QNA Doha

His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Qatar to join European qualifying Tuesday held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi Qatar Airways to launch flights on bilateral relations and the means to for 2022 FIFA World Cup enhance them in all fields. During the call, he Union of European Football As- they discussed the most prominent issues to Seattle from March 15 Tsociations (UEFA) has invited Qatar’s of mutual interest, regionally and interna- National Team to participate in FIFA World tionally. Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign. The Asian champions will join Group A, alongside UEFA Euro 2016 winners “We are delighted that Qatar will par- Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, ticipate in UEFA qualifying matches Luxembourg, and Azerbaijan. Qatar will for the next FIFA World Cup. Playing play their ‘home’ matches in Europe and matches in Group A against high- Action against 83 for as hosts have already qualified for the quality teams provides our national 2022 tournament. Qatar Football Asso- team with an excellent foundation as not wearing masks ciation (QFA) President Sheikh Hamad we continue our journey of preparation bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani said: ahead of 2022.” (QNA) page 12 The designated authorities on Tuesday referred 83 people to the Public Prosecution for not wearing masks in places where they are manda- tory. They also referred 35 others to the Public Prosecution for violating the rule of maximum Qatar Airways (QA) will launch four weekly flights to Seattle from March 15, 2021, marking the COVID-19 recoveries reach 137,708 number of four people in a vehicle including the seventh new destination started by the airline since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Seattle Qatar on Tuesday reported 117 Qatar to 137,708. driver, except for cases when they are members service will be operated by Qatar Airways’ state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 featuring 36 seats coronavirus (COVID-19) cases — The MoPH said all the new cases of one family. The measure is in line with the in the award-winning Qsuite Business Class and 247 seats in Economy Class. Qatar Airways also 106 from community and 11 from have been introduced to isolation and Cabinet decision, decree law no 17 of 1990 announced a frequent flyer partnership with Alaska Airlines. From Dec 15, 2020, Qatar Airways travellers returning from abroad, the are receiving necessary healthcare on infectious diseases, and the precautionary Privilege Club and Alaska Mileage Plan members will be able to earn frequent flyer miles and Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said according to their health status. measures in force to contain the spread of the from March 31, 2020 members can also redeem frequent flyer miles on both carriers’ full net- in its daily report. “Measures to tackle COVID-19 in coronavirus (COVID-19). The designated authori- works, and elite status perks including lounge access. The two airlines are also working closely Also, 214 people recovered from Qatar have succeeded in flattening ties have called on the public to adhere to the on developing a codeshare agreement and commercial cooperation in line with the US carrier the virus in the past 24 hours, bring- the curve and limiting the spread of precautionary measures in place to ensure their joining oneworld on March 31, 2021. (TNN) page 2 ing the total number of recoveries in the virus,” it said. (TNN) safety and the safety of others. (QNA) Think Pink: QA employees raise over QR145,000 for Qatar Cancer Society

Tribune News Network supporter of QCS, and commit- Doha ted to continue raising awareness of breast cancer worldwide,” Al Qatar Airways staff have raised Baker said. over QR145,000 to support the The QCS chairman said, “We efforts of Qatar Cancer Soci- are extremely grateful to Qatar ety (QCS) to raise awareness of Airways and its employees for breast cancer as well as to provide their support. They have demon- care to people affected by the dis- strated the importance of com- ease. The amount was collected munity engagement, and their through a number of ‘Think Pink’ efforts will not go unseen. Every fund-raising initiatives that took initiative goes a long way to com- place during the airline’s Breast batting breast cancer. This year, Cancer Awareness Month cam- as in previous years, Qatar Air- Grandmother, 90, becomes first paign in October. ways supported QCS to highlight The donation cheque was the importance of cancer preven- person to get COVID-19 vaccine handed over at a ceremony held tion, early detection and patients’ on December 6 at Qatar Airways’ The amount was collected through ‘Think Pink’ fund-raising initiatives that took psychological and financial sup- Nurses cheered on Tuesday as a 90-year-old grandmother in Britain became the first headquarters. Qatar Airways place during the airline’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign in Oct. port. This praise-worthy initiative person in the Western world to receive an approved vaccine against COVID-19. Marga- Group Chief Executive Akbar Al aligns with QCS’ objectives to re- ret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, called the jab she received at a hospital in Cov- Baker and QCS Chairman Sheikh tar Aviation Services (QAS) and fundraising events. duce the burden of cancer and en- entry, central England, “the best early birthday present”. “My advice to anyone offered Dr Khalid bin Jabr Al Thani at- Qatar Duty Free (QDF) to host a “We are very proud to see sure that cancer control remains a the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90 then you can have it too,” said the former tended the ceremony. month-long breast cancer aware- our employees embrace such an priority within our communities. jewellery shop worker who has two children and four grandchildren. “I feel so privileged Earlier in October, Qatar Air- ness programme for thousands initiative to offer their support to We are grateful to Qatar Airways to be the first person vaccinated against OC VID-19.” Regulators in Britain became the ways in partnership with QCS, of its employees worldwide. The QCS. It is a great honour to hand for leading this influential effort.’’ first to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for general use last week.(AFP) page 7 joined forces with Hamad In- activities included webinars, free over this cheque on behalf of our ternational Airport (HIA), Qa- mammogram screenings and staff. Qatar Airways is a dedicated Continued on page 2  02 Wednesday, December 9, 2020

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Quick read TUNISIAN PM MEETS QATAR’S ATTORNEY-GENERAL Shura committee studies private Amir sends condolences to Syrian National Coalition president associations The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on decree Tuesday sent a cable of condolences to President of the Na- tional Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces Dr QNA Nasr Musa Al Hariri on the death of Ambassador of the National Doha Coalition to Qatar HE Nizar Hassan Al Hiraki. (QNA) The Shura Council’s Public Services and Deputy Amir commiserates Utilities Committee, at a meeting on Tues- with Amir of Kuwait day, completed studying Decree Law No. 21 of 2020 regarding private associations The Deputy Amir His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al and institutions. Thani on Tuesday sent a cable of condolences to the Amir of Ku- The meeting was chaired by the com- wait HH Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah on the death mittee rapporteur HE Mohammed bin of Sheikh Nasser Fahd Sabah Al Nasser Al Sabah. (QNA) Mahdi Al Ahbabi. The meeting was attended by Assistant PM sends condolences to Amir of Kuwait Undersecretary for Social Affairs Gha- nem Mubarak Al Kuwari and Director of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Khalid bin the Private Associations and Foundations Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani on Tuesday sent a cable of con- Prime Minister of Tunisia Hichem Mechichi met with Qatar’s Attorney-General and UNODC Special Regional Advocate for the Department Naji Abd Rabbo Al Ajji as rep- dolences to the Amir of Kuwait HH Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Prevention of Corruption HE Dr Ali bin Fetais Al Marri in Tunis on Tuesday. During the meeting, they discussed a number of resentatives from the Ministry of Admin- Jaber Al Sabah on the death of Sheikh Nasser Fahd Sabah Al issues related to combating corruption, joint work in the field of rule of law and other issues of mutual concern. The meeting istrative Development, Labour and Social Nasser Al Sabah. (QNA) was attended by Qatar’s Ambassador to Tunisia HE Saad bin Nasser Al Hamidi. (QNA) Affairs. The committee will submit its re- port on the decree to the Shura Council. China lauds Kuwait for GCC crisis mediation MoPH renews efforts, welcomes reconciliation progress agreements with Ashraf Siddiqui sification. We highly appreci- major concerns, and enjoy ACCME, RCPSC Doha ate these achievements,” he fruitful cooperation in energy, said. trade and cultural exchanges.” Tribune News Network assessments. Ambassador of China to Ambassaor Jian said, He added, “China is also Doha The extension of the agree- Qatar HE Zhou Jian has laud- “China believes that the Gulf willing to carry out post- ment recognises the remark- ed the leadership of Kuwait for states have the wisdom and pandemic economic devel- In its efforts to maintain ex- able collaboration between its efforts on the recent posi- capability to take the current opment, restart China-GCC ceptional healthcare stand- DHP-AS and the two re- tive signals from various quar- progress as an opportunity Free Trade Zone negotiations, ards, the Department of nowned international organi- ters towards ending the block- to meet each other halfway strengthen data security co- Healthcare Professions – Ac- sations. It exhibits DHP-AS’ ade of Qatar by four countries. with sincerity, stay commit- operation, promote ‘Belt and creditation Section (DHP- National Continuing Medical The ambassador said, ted to resolving their disputes Road’ projects and enhance AS) of the Ministry of Public Education/Continuing Profes- “We have noticed recently a through dialogues as soon as people-to-people and cultural Health (MoPH) has agreed sional Development (CME/ statement issued by Kuwait’s possible, so that the people exchanges.” with the Accreditation Council CPD) System’s commitment to Foreign Minister stating that of Gulf can reunite again, the About China-Qatar bilat- for Continuing Medical Edu- improving the quality of CME/ important progress has been flow of commodities restored eral relations, Ambassador cation (ACCME) on renewal CPD in Qatar and emphasises made in resolving the three- and the vitality of the GCC re- Jian said that in the first nine of the Substantial Equivalency DHP-AS’s conformity with in- year-long Gulf crisis. China vived.” months of this year, China’s of the CME/CPD System until ternational standards. welcomes this progress and The diplomat said that exports to Qatar increased by December 2024. International recogni- highly appreciates the media- China firmly opposes using the 10 percent year-on-year, mak- In the same vein, the tion for DHP-AS’ CME/CPD tion efforts of Kuwait.” crisis for political gains, and is ing China the largest trading MoPH and the Royal College System is an assurance for He said, as a reliable friend willing to continue to play a partner of Qatar. of Physicians and Surgeons the people of Qatar that the of Arab states, “the least China Ambassador HE Zhou Jian constructive role in promoting “China and Qatar have of Canada (RCPSC) have re- healthcare practitioners are wants to see is quarrels among peace and stability in the Gulf signed a contract worth $3 newed the Substantive Equiv- constantly required to stay up brothers”. their previous rifts and recon- and challenges. region. billion for the construction alency agreement for five years to date with any advancements “What we wish to see is cile with each other at an early “Qatar has successfully Talking about China’s co- of LNG ships. Q-MAX, the until December 2025. in the field of medicine through unity among Arab countries. date,” the envoy said. safeguarded its national sov- operation with the Gulf states, world’s largest LNG carrier, The agreements followed a the highest quality CME/CPD China always believes that all He said that over the past ereignty, independence and he said, “China is an impor- made its maiden voyage to meticulous review and evalu- activities, providing the best parties could resolve their dif- three years, Qatar has always dignity, and protected the tant strategic partner of the Tianjin in China. Last week, ation of DHP-AS’ standards, and safest patient care. The ferences in an Arab way, with- upheld the principle of dia- sound momentum of social GCC. We have kept close ties we have signed a contract to policies and processes. This Accreditation Section ensures in the framework of the GCC logue and consultation, and stability, economic develop- with the GCC and its member export 2,817 buses for the eco- shows the quality of these that CME/CPD consistently and in accordance with the has been handling the crisis ment as well as people’s nor- states. Our two sides offer each friendly transportation pro- standards and policies, since promotes superior, high- UN Charter and international with calm and wisdom, over- mal life, while continuing the other understanding, support ject of Qatar’s World Cup,” he the agreements are based on standard education for health- relations norms, abandon coming numerous difficulties endeavour in economic diver- on issues of core interests and added. professional and not-for-profit care practitioners in Qatar.

Passengers engaged for Qatar Airways QA to commence flights to Seattle from March 15, 2021 Tribune News Network tion with the newest joiner to the to how the world views the long- breast cancer drive DOHA oneworld family and continuing term strength and resiliency of the to provide our passengers the reli- Puget Sound region. This also sup- Continued from page 1  Qatar Airways (QA) will com- able, safe and award-winning ser- ports the Port’s decision to con- mence four weekly flights to Se- vice that they have come to trust tinue to invest in projects such as During the Breast Cancer Awareness attle from March 15, 2021, mark- from us.” the International Arrivals Facility Month, Qatar Airways also engaged its ing the seventh new destination Alaska Air Group Chairman and North Satellite Modernisation passengers and the wider community in launched by the national carrier and CEO Brad Tilden said, “We’re to provide a better experience for ‘Think Pink’ activities. Passengers were of Qatar since the start of the pan- thrilled to be joining the oneworld travellers from around the world.” offered custom-designed, limited edi- demic, the airline has announced. alliance and to begin this new The launch of flights to Seattle tion amenity kits and pink-themed spe- The Seattle service will be op- partnership with an outstand- in March 2021 will increase Qatar cial menus were served onboard selected erated by Qatar Airways’ Airbus ing airline like Qatar Airways. As Airways’ US network to 59 weekly flights as well at Qatar Airways’ Al Mour- A350-900 featuring 36 seats in the more of us resume international flights to 11 destinations in the jan Business Lounge. award-winning Qsuite Business air travel next year, we are excited US, connecting onwards to hun- Additionally, flight QR9901 took a Class and 247 seats in Economy to offer our guests new nonstop dreds of American cities through special flight path ‘drawing’ a ribbon – the Class. Executive Akbar Al Baker said, 2020, Qatar Airways has remained service on Qatar Airways from strategic partnerships with Alaska symbol of breast cancer awareness – in The airline also announced a “Qatar Airways is committed to committed to exploring every op- Seattle to Doha, in addition to ser- Airlines, American Airlines and the skies above Doha. frequent flyer partnership with enhancing connectivity within portunity to enhance the travel vice to Doha from our hubs in Los JetBlue. Seattle joins existing US The airline recently won two BOC Alaska Airlines. From December the US market and the launch of experience for our millions of pas- Angeles and San Francisco. destinations including Boston Brilliance Awards for ‘Best Social Media 15, 2020, Qatar Airways Privilege flights to Seattle, our second new sengers and (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas- Campaign’ and ‘Brilliance in Employee Club and Alaska Mileage Plan US destination since the onset is proud Fort Worth (DFW), Houston Engagement in HR’ for its 2019 Breast members will be able to earn fre- of the pandemic, epitomises this to secure (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami Cancer Awareness Month campaign, quent flyer miles and from March commitment. We are excited to another (MIA), New York (JFK), Philadel- which shows Qatar Airways’ commitment 31, 2021, members can also re- welcome Washington State’s larg- important phia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO) to promoting breast cancer awareness deem frequent flyer miles on both est city as our seventh new desti- strategic partner- and Washington, D.C. (IAD). across a broad and diverse base includ- carriers’ full networks, and elite nation announced this year and ship in North America. In Alaska ing its employees, passengers as well the status perks including lounge ac- our 11th US gateway, surpassing Airlines, we will have a very strong This partnership opens up tre- Seattle Flight Schedule: Mon- wider community. cess. the number of destinations we partner to connect customers mendous destinations around the day, Tuesday, Wednesday & Fri- Qatar Airways is also a patron part- The two airlines are also work- operated in the US pre-COVID19. from the US West Coast to Doha world and amazing opportunities day ner of the Union for International Cancer ing on developing a codeshare Home to a large tech industry and and beyond via its hubs in Los An- for our guests.” Doha (DOH) to Seattle (SEA) Control (UICC), a non-governmental or- agreement and commercial co- a portal of innovation, Seattle is a geles, San Francisco and Seattle, Port of Seattle Commission QR719 departs: 08:00 arrives: ganisation focused on leading initiatives operation in line with the US car- destination that is internationally complementing our existing stra- President Peter Steinbrueck said, 12:20 that unite and support the cancer commu- rier joining oneworld on March 31, renowned for business and leisure tegic partnerships with American “This commitment by Qatar Air- Seattle (SEA) to Doha (DOH) nity to ensure cancer control continues to 2021. travel. Airlines and JetBlue. We look for- ways, despite the current situation QR720 departs: 17:05 arrives: be a priority in global health. Qatar Airways Group Chief “Despite the challenges of ward to deepening our coopera- with the pandemic, is a testament 17:15+1 Nation Wednesday, December 9, 2020 03 GU-Q professor’s book 23 STEM teachers complete about climate change selected as Financial robotics training at CNA-Q Times Book of Year

Tribune News Network Dr Salem Al Naemi, CNA- Tribune News Network Doha Q’s acting president, said: “The Doha close collaboration aims to de- As many as 23 Science, Tech- velop teachers’ competencies A major new book on climate nology, Engineering and Math- by providing them with the change written by Dr. Anatol ematics (STEM) teachers from needed skills and knowledge in Lieven, Professor of Govern- public schools across Qatar fields of robotics to facilitate the ment at QF partner George- were honoured at a certificate- educational process in class- town University in Qatar (GU- distribution ceremony at the rooms, ensuring this knowl- Q), was chosen as the Financial College of the North Atlantic - edge is delivered to school stu- Times Book of the Year in the Qatar (CNA-Q) recently. dents. Environment category. The ceremony recognised “CNA-Q is one of the lead- In his book, Dr. Lieven Dr. Anatol Lieven the teachers who completed ing institutions in the area of draws on history to argue that 30 hours of intensive training robotics and awareness-raising only the drastic measures public transport networks, in the use of robotics program- in this important field, as it is adopted by nation states and technological innovation, eco- ming in classroom setting. The important for students in the publicly adopted by appealing nomic growth, new jobs and training programme comprised areas of science, technology, to patriotism have the power to social solidarity. 10 three-hour training sessions engineering and mathematics.” bring about the change needed “While international coop- delivered at CNA-Q. The teacher training pro- to prevent environmental dis- eration is desirable and more The training was provided gramme began in 2011 and asters. Given that some damage of it would be beneficial, the in partnership with the Min- since then CAN-Q has hosted to climate change is now inevi- fact remains that in the end, it istry of Education and Higher nearly 800 training sessions. table, he argues, states need to has been states and it can only Education. The free training for Over 1,000 teachers have at- be strong and to promote social be states that can declare lock- teachers that CNA-Q has pro- tended at least one of these ses- solidarity in order to meet this downs, require health checks, or vided for many years, ensures sions and nearly 400 teachers challenge. Dr. Lieven is there- impose travel restrictions. Fur- that the education system in have completed the full train- fore strongly committed to the thermore, no international body Qatar is both current and capa- ing programme. The Robotics idea of “Green New Deals.” can roll out an effective vaccina- ble of developing competence training and its resultant de- Financial Times columnist tion plan. That will also have to in this area, which will support livery in schools is vital in de- Pilita Clark remarked that Dr. be carried out by the state.” STEM teachers with their certificates after completing 30 hours of intensive training in the use of robotics the future needs of our progres- veloping students’ interest in Lieven’s appeal to nationalism Dr. Lieven also draws at- in classroom settings at the North Atlantic-Qatar College. sive and innovative society. STEM subjects. was an “unlikely solution,” but tention to the particular threat one that offered hope. “This climate change poses to Qatar international relations writer and the region due to rising makes a provocative but re- water levels and temperatures, freshing case for blaming blink- noting that “Qatar Foundation’s ered ‘residual elites’ so obsessed investments in research and in Ashghal to close a lane with past conflicts they cannot supporting alternative energy see the great climate challenge projects, in particular solar” is a ahead.” good start to combatting those on Ali Bin Abdulla Street Dr. Lieven’s argument that threats. effective climate change policies Dr. Lieven is currently Tribune News Network map. must be driven by nation-states working on updates to the book Doha The closure, to be implemented in co- has gained momentum dur- for the upcoming paperback ordination with the General Directorate ing the ongoing public health edition coming out in 2021 to The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) of Traffic, aims to enable expansion and crisis, where better health and take into account the impact of has announced a partial closure on one upgrading work at Ali Bin Abdulla Street economic outcomes have been a Biden presidency in the U.S., lane of Ali Bin Abdulla Street, in both di- within the Doha Central Development achieved in countries where and to expand on the future of rections for a distance of 250 metres be- and Beautification Project – Package 3. governments have taken a clean and renewable energy. tween Al Koot Fort Intersection and Ali Ashghal said it will install road signs strong approach early in the “Climate Change and the Bin Abdulla Intersection, for six months advising motorists of the closure, and pandemic. Climate change, Nation State: The Realist Case” beginning on December 13, Sunday. requested all road users to abide by the he argues, would also require is published by Penguin in the The other lane will remain open to speed limit and follow the road signs to major investment in the con- U.K. and Oxford University traffic in both directions, as shown in the ensure their safety. struction of alternative energy, Press in the U.S. 04 Wednesday, December 9, 2020 Nation NU-Q students produce multimedia projects on colonialism impact on education systems Tribune News Network on what they know and how their podcast on the impor- why women were discriminated cultures, the disappearance of Doha they know it, and then analyti- tance of freedom in the class- against and the role Western native languages and adapta- cally think about an issue that room. In the interview, Wilson colonialism played in promot- tions to Western influences, es- Students at Northwestern affects their lives. encouraged the students to take ing the oppression of women. pecially the preference for Eu- Qatar (NU-Q) produced more “The class – Ways of Know- ownership of their writing and The film – Colonialism rocentric beauty standards. than 30 multimedia projects, ing – encourages students to to be free with the choices they and the learning experience The students Noura Ab- including podcasts, videos, po- think critically about a given make. for women: Past and present dulaziz Al Thani, Shaikha Al ems, articles and a webinar, that topic, which, this year, is educa- “Students should be able – connects the dots between Thani, Azma Hasina Mulundi- address how education systems tion in the contemporary world,” to take risks in what they’re today’s educational systems ka and Makeda Shimelis Ara- are shaped by the political con- explained Professor Sami Her- learning. They should be able and the systems used by Euro- rso noted the significance of text where they operate, par- mez, who is co-teaching the to learn in ways that are not pean colonisers in Africa as a language in a culture, and how ticularly in countries that expe- course. just about rote memorisation mechanism to “create obedient “when one language overpow- rienced colonisation. “The students theoretically and then regurgitating that in- and civilised members of soci- ers another, this consequently The projects, which are ex- and practically examine how formation back,” said Wilson. ety,” by providing men with an results in one culture replac- hibited on a class website, pro- knowledge is produced, who “What is lacking in the banking education designed “to produce ing or altering its predecessor, vide insight on how systems has the authority to produce sorb information and learning lenges of being part of an edu- system is the willingness to ask semi-skilled labour for the colo- bringing about numerous ele- shaped by colonialism continue knowledge and the colonial is the memorisation of facts. cational system where critical questions and to make space for nial economy,” while, education ments such as beauty stand- to operate globally, including context of much knowledge Using film that integrates and objective thinking is non- doubt, uncertainty and curios- for women was seen as a waste ards.” the use of Western curriculums, production.” audio and visual components, existent. ity, and those three things are of money and something that Professor Torsten Menge, a lack of diversity among teach- One of the educational con- students Princess Collado Providing another perspec- fundamental to learning.” would “undermine the femi- who is co-teaching the course, ers and discrimination in the cepts that students explored and Mohammed Al Khulaifi tive on the same theory, stu- Muhammad Shahan Ejaz, nine attributes of a woman.” pointed out that students ex- classroom based on gender and this year is the ‘banking con- said that their class project ex- dents Aesha Hussein, Asmae William Gitta Lugoloobi, Nou- Language, and specifically plored how the legacies of co- race. cept of education’, a term used pressed their ‘desire to break Nakib, Linda Feng and Ragh- ra A.S. AlShantti and Beatrice the English language as the lonialism, including racism, The exhibition is part of a by the Brazilian educator and free from the system where we dan Alhennawi interviewed Zemelyte analysed the impact global lingua franca, was the global inequalities and the liberal arts course that intro- philosopher Paolo Freire to are held to absorb knowledge Northwestern Qatar’s Kelly of a colonial education system subject of another podcast pro- dominance of Western under- duces students to interdiscipli- describe educational systems without resistance’. The film Wilson, administrator of the on women through a video ject that looked at the effect of standings of knowledge contin- nary learning where they reflect where students passively ab- focuses on the issues and chal- school’s Writing Center, for where they examined how and colonialism on the erosion of ue to shape education. QU-CENG, Engineering Offices Accrediting & Classifying Committee sign cooperation deal

Tribune News Network ensuring knowledge transfer supports the educational pro- Doha and progressive development cess and students.” of existing projects. Eng Al Marzouqi said, Qatar University’s College Commenting on the MoU, “This MoU supports the es- of Engineering (QU-CENG) Dr Naji said, “This partnership tablishment of new relations has signed a memorandum expands cooperation with the towards fruitful coopera- QU-CPH students of understanding (MoU) with committee related to coop- tion between the committee Engineers and Engineering Of- eration in the field of training and QU-CENG in the field of fices Accrediting & Classifying and management of Engineers academic and research excel- win award at IPSF Committee to establish collab- Classification exam in Qatar, lence, as well as in the fields oration in the field of research, as well as expanding partner- of exchange of experiences consultancy and knowledge ships with specialised faculty and scientific research. Hope EMRO competition transfer. The MoU was signed members, holding events and that this MoU will be a base by CENG Dean Dr Khalid Ka- launching various initiatives for further cooperation and Tribune News Network future workplace. Furthermore, mal Naji and the committee’s that serve all parties. “This integration with the College Doha a case-based approach competi- Chair Eng Khaled Juma Al MoU contributes to activat- of Engineering at Qatar Uni- tion in specific involves students Marzooqi in the presence of Dr Khalid Kamal Naji and Eng Khaled Juma Al Marzooqi at the ing community partnership versity, in addition to develop- Three students from Qatar in conversations of specific sce- officials from both sides. agreement-signing ceremony. and facilitating the transfer ing the skills of students who University College of Pharma- narios that resemble real life ex- It aims to establish collab- of knowledge and technology, are the main element for the cy (QU-CPH) recently partici- amples.” oration between QU and the the exchange of information with consultancy and work- and deepening the relation- success of long-term develop- pated in a case-based learning Dhabya said: “It was a nice committee in the academic, and consultancy. shops covering different areas. ship with the committee to- ment plans in support of the competition organised by the experience and a great pleasure research and student training Under the MoU, CENG CENG faculty will also support wards more cooperation and achievement of Qatar National International Pharmaceuti- to work in collaboration with and support field, as well as will provide the committee the committee’s projects by joint interaction in a way that Vision 2030.” cal Student Federation (IPSF) different students from multi- Eastern Mediterranean Re- ple nationalities and different gional Office (EMRO) (CBL). cultures. We had a great oppor- The participants were di- tunity to work as one team to vided into four groups and each provide the best evidence-based CMU-Q students take two top spots at Al Fikra 2020 group consisted of four mem- health care for our diabetic pa- bers from different regions of tients.” the EMRO. A case of diabetes Guest speaker Sara Thiab Tribune News Network community. experience is very valuable for was divided among the groups said, “Alone you can go fast but Doha “I don’t want to start just a emerging entrepreneurs.” and a period of one week was together we can go far!’ Seeing small business, I would like to White is both an advisor given to resolve the case. pharmacy students from all Students from Carnegie revolutionise the recycling in- and mentor for Maadid, who The competition included: over the Middle East working Mellon University in Qatar dustry in Qatar and change the credits his professor for setting Professional Year 4 Dhabya Al together to learn with and from (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation way we take care of our environ- him on this career track. Khater, Professional Year 4 Es- each other was just amazing. It partner university, secured the ment,” he said. He said, “Professor White raa Hamdy and Professional was a great honour to be invit- first place in two of the three Al Fikra was founded by has been supporting me in my Year 3 Ruba Sulaiman. On ed as a guest speaker by IPSF- categories at this year’s Al CMU-Q’s George White in 2013, entrepreneurial journey and I the day of the event, QU CPH EMRO for the World’s Diabetes Fikra competition. and is now a part of QDB’s slate would like to thank him for that. PharmD student Sara Thiab Day, it was an opportunity to The winners for the national of educational programmes for He has been a great and sup- was the guest speaker, and then discuss different patient cases business competition, which is entrepreneurs. White, who is a portive advisor.” all groups had the opportunity with passionate future pharma- hosted by Qatar Development distinguished professor of en- The Al Fikra competition to discuss and present their cists.” Bank (QDB), were recognised for football. Mashrouie Category for his con- trepreneurship at CMU-Q, re- spans four months and includes case management plan. Qatari Esraa Hamdy said “I would during the virtual Qatar Entre- Qassabi believes his CMU- cept of a metal recycling plant. mains active with the organisa- workshops in both conceptual- student Dhabya Al-Khater was consider my experience as a preneurship Conference 2020. Q courses prepared him well for Maadid, who is a business ad- tion of Al Fikra and encourages ising and developing business on the winning team. mini Interprofessional Edu- Mohammed Al Qassabi the competition. ministration senior, has devel- his students to participate. ideas. QU-CPH Dean Dr Mo- cation session rather than a won in the Startup Category “Most of my courses this oped a keen interest in metal- “There is enormous edu- CMU-Q is an educational hammad Diab said: “Student competition. Having the op- for an invention to automati- semester were about entre- lurgy and believes his idea can cational value to competitions partner for the Al Fikra compe- competitions in general create portunity to interact, exchange cally detect when football play- preneurship and I applied that help keep waste metal out of the like Al Fikra,” White said. “The tition. a strong environment for stu- knowledge and build connec- ers are offside. An information knowledge throughout the landfills. competition was originally de- This year, Ihab Younis, as- dents to enhance their skills and tions outside the comfort zone systems junior, Qassabi’s idea competition. I believe it made a Maadid, who will graduate signed to educate the partici- sociate teaching professor of competencies that will make of QU-CPH was definitely ex- brings together his deep inter- big difference,” he said. in May 2021, is looking forward pants through workshops and biological sciences, served on them successful people in their traordinary and refreshing. “ est in technology and a passion Ali Al Maadid won in the to a career that transforms his mentoring, and this practical the judging panel.

MoCI recalls 2020 Vodafone Qatar organises blood donation drive Ford Mustang model Tribune News Network and equipment. The Ministry of Commerce Doha A fully equipped HMC mo- and Industry, in cooperation bile blood donation unit along with Almana Motors Company, In response to Hamad Medical with a team of outstanding med- dealer of Ford vehicles in Qatar, Corporation’s (HMC) calls for ical professionals assessed each has announced the recall of the blood donations, Vodafone Qa- individual’s eligibility for blood 2020 Ford Mustang model due tar conducted a blood donation donation, making the process of to the weak brake pedal bracket, drive at its headquarters at the blood donation for the donors a which may be fractured if used Qatar Science and Technology gratifying experience. under high pressure, especially Park (QSTP). “This year especially, I’d like while driving on tracks. The re- The event was open to the to thank each person who do- call campaign is part of the on- company’s employees and all nated their blood at the Voda- going efforts of the ministry to staff members of several organi- fone Blood Donation Drive. protect consumers and ensure sations operating out of QSTP. Blood donors do an amazing that car dealers follow up on ve- They showed their support for thing when they give blood. hicle defects and repairs. the drive, which has been main- Without blood donors, many The ministry said that it will tained using strict safety and in- patients simply would not be coordinate with the dealer to fection control measures. alive today. Empowering em- monitor the maintenance and In order to ensure that every ployees to do good for the com- Vodafone employees undergo blood donation in their premises at repair work and will communi- blood donation is safe during munity is one of our core beliefs Qatar Science and Technology Park recently. cate with customers to ensure the pandemic, the blood nonor at Vodafone and hope that this that they have made the neces- centre has stepped up precau- drive has raised awareness for HMC is always in need of blood surgery, kidney dialysis and sary repairs. tionary measures to include how important blood donation supplies, particularly from rare anaemia. Plasma is used to treat The ministry urged all cus- compulsory pre-screening be- is,” said Mr. Khames Al-Naimi, blood groups, and donations burn victims and trauma pa- tomers to report any violations fore entering the blood dona- Chief Human Resources Officer are urgently needed to meet de- tients and platelets are used to to its Consumer Protection and tion sites and regular cleaning Vodafone Qatar. mand. When you donate blood, treat leukaemia and other forms Anti-Commercial Fraud De- and disinfection of all surfaces The Blood Donor Unit at the red blood cells are used for of cancer. partment. World Wednesday, December 9, 2020 05

News Iran upholds death sentence for opposition figure in brief AFP most serious offences under 28, 2017 and January 3, 2018. Tehran Iranian law -- and sentenced At least 25 people were Iran prosecutes close Rouhani ally China’s COVID-19 to death in June. killed during the unrest. vaccine Sinovac Iran’s judiciary on Tuesday “The supreme court han- Telegram shut down Ama- Tehran: Iranian prosecutors have pressed criminal charges 97% effective said it had upheld a death sen- dled the case more than a dnews after Iran demanded it against a deputy of President Hassan Rouhani, the judiciary said tence for Ruhollah Zam, a for- month ago,” Iran’s judiciary remove the account for incit- on Tuesday, making him the second Rouhani ally to face pros- Jakarta: Early data from a mer opposition figure who had spokesman Gholamhossein ing an “armed uprising”. ecution in recent weeks. late-stage trial in Indonesia lived in exile in France and Esmaili told reporters Tues- According to Zam’s in- Vice President Isa Kalantari, who is Iran’s environment chief, indicates that a Covid-19 was implicated in anti-govern- day. dictment published in Febru- is involved in an ongoing case involving the condition of a lagoon vaccine developed by ment protests. It “upheld the ruling is- ary, he was accused of having in north of the country as well as “remarks that circulated China’s Sinovac Biotech The Islamic Revolutionary sued by the Revolutionary “committed offences against recently on social media,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein has 97 percent efficacy, Guard Corps announced the Court,” he added, speaking at the country’s internal and Esmaili told reporters. He did not elaborate. Kalantari has faced the Indonesian company arrest of Zam in October last a videoconference. external security” and “es- strong criticism from conservative media in recent days over set to produce the shot year, calling him a “counter- Zam, who reportedly lived File photo of Ruhollah Zam in pionage for the French intelli- comments he made in a year-old interview that they deemed in- said on Tuesday. Based revolutionary” who was “di- in Paris, ran a channel on the Tehran. (AFP) gence service”, alongside “cor- sulting to the founder of the Islamic republic, Ruhollah Khomeini. on “preliminary data, one rected by France’s intelligence Telegram messaging applica- ruption on earth”. “He has presented his explanations. We must wait and see month into [the trial], we service”. tion Amadnews. tive role in anti-government He was also accused of what the court decides, as he has only been recently sum- can say that its efficacy He was charged with “cor- At the time, he was accused protests sparked by economic having insulted the “sanctity moned,” Esmaili said. (afp) is up to 97 percent,” Iwan ruption on earth” -- one of the by authorities of playing an ac- hardship between December of Islam”. Setiawan, spokesperson for Indonesia’s state-owned vaccine maker, Bio Farma, told a press conference. He cautioned, however, that an Humanitarian immune response produced by the vaccine does not nec- Everest ‘grows’ as China, situation essarily translate to protec- tion from Covid-19. (dpa) ‘critical’ in Tigray: UN China’s to build Nepal agree new height $300 mn tyre factory in Lanka AFP Geneva Colombo: Sri Lanka an- The agreed height of 8,848.86 mts (29,031 feet) – unveiled in Kathmandu – was 86 cms (2.8 feet) higher nounced on Tuesday the than the measurement previously recognised by Nepal, and more than 4 mts above China’s official figure The humanitarian situation first large-scale Chinese in Ethiopia’s Tigray region investment in manufacturing is “increasingly critical”, the in the country, a $300-mil- AFP erest with over 40 kilograms UN refugee agency said on lion tyre factory near a Kathmandu (90 pounds) of equipment, in- Tuesday, warning that access strategic deep-sea port. The cluding a Global Satellite Navi- to deliver aid was desperately factory will be adjacent to The highest point on Earth got gation System (GNSS) receiver. needed. the Hambantota port, which a bit higher on Tuesday as Chi- They spent roughly two Ethiopian Prime Minister was leased to a Chinese na and Nepal finally agreed on freezing hours collecting data Abiy Ahmed ordered troops company in 2017 after a precise elevation for Mount as dozens of climbers stood on into Tigray on November 4 fol- Sri Lanka failed to service Everest after years of debate. top of the mountain. lowing alleged attacks by Tig- the $1.4-billion debt from The agreed height of “Climbing Everest alone is ray People’s Liberation Front Beijing used to build it. Sri 8,848.86 metres (29,031 feet) a challenging task, but we also forces on federal military Lanka’s cabinet approved -- unveiled at a news confer- had to measure it,” Khim Lal camps in the northern region. the setting up of the tyre ence in Kathmandu -- was 86 Gautam, a Survey Department Abiy, the winner of last plant under legislation that centimetres (2.8 feet) higher official who lost a toe to frostbite year’s Nobel Peace Prize, de- allows generous tax con- than the measurement previ- in the expedition, told AFP. clared victory in Tigray on No- cessions, Media Minister ously recognised by Nepal, and Nepal was due to release vember 28, but said on Mon- Keheliya Rambukwella told more than four metres above the results earlier this year but day that efforts were ongoing reporters in Colombo. (afp) China’s official figure. then China became involved to restore order, amid contin- This discrepancy was due after a visit to Nepal in October ued fighting and lawlessness to China measuring the rock 2019 by President Xi Jinping. that is hampering relief efforts. ‘Metals’ caused base on the summit and not -- This year a Chinese survey “The humanitarian situa- mystery illness in as with the new reading -- the A team member of Nepal’s Survey Department conducts a gravity survey during Mount Everest height expedition had a more quiet tion is increasingly critical and southern India covering of snow and ice on the measurements recently. (afp) working space on the summit it is vital that humanitarians peak. as they were the only climbers are able to urgently assist peo- New Delhi: Excess amounts Everest straddles the bor- bitious mountaineers but also Beijing agreed that their meas- on a mountain shut because of ple,” UN refugee agency (UN- of lead and nickel in food der of Nepal and China. inspiring names for adventure urements referred to different the coronavirus pandemic. HCR) spokesman Babar Ba- or drinking water may have Employing trigonometry clothing lines, restaurants and Key facts things -- one to the height of Dang Yamin, an expert at loch told reporters in Geneva. caused a mysterious illness hundreds of miles away on the even a vodka brand. ● Everest’s rock and the other to the National Bureau of Survey- “Sadly, so far, the badly- in southern India which left Indian plains, British colonial In 1999 the US National About 300 Nepali experts the height of its snowcap. ing and Mapping, told Chinese needed access is not there. over 500 people suffering geographers first determined Geographic Society concluded and surveyors were Nepal decided to conduct state broadcaster CCTV that the “It’s very hard to establish from fits and nausea, of- Everest’s height in 1856 at the world’s highest point was involved in the exercise -- a survey -- initially alone and final result was an average value what is happening inside the ficials said onT uesday. The 8,840 meters (29,002 feet) 8,850 meters (29,035 feet), some on foot and others in later joined by China -- after between the measurements by Tigray region at this point.” preliminary findings by medi- above sea level. but Nepal never officially rec- helicopters -- to reach data suggestions that tectonic plate Nepal and China, in accordance Some 96,000 Eritrean cal experts suggested that After Edmund Hillary and ognised this -- although it is collection stations movements including a major with scientific rules. refugees, many of whom have these metals could have Tenzing Norgay Sherpa fa- widely quoted. earthquake in 2015 may have “Various countries have fled neighbouring Eritrea’s au- been responsible for the ill- mously first reached the sum- China meanwhile conduct- ● Nepal was due to release affected the height. completed the measurement thoritarian government, were ness that saw many people mit of Everest on May 29, 1953, ed several surveys of its own, the results earlier this year About 300 Nepali experts of the height... several times,” living in four camps in Tigray. falling unconscious in the an Indian survey readjusted and in 2005 came up with a but then China became and surveyors were involved said Padma Kumari Aryal, Ne- UNHCR has had no hu- town of Eluru on Saturday, a the altitude to 8,848 meters measurement of 8,844.43 me- involved after a visit to in the exercise -- some on foot pal’s land minister. manitarian access to the statement from the Andhra (29,028 feet). tres (29,015 feet). Nepal in October 2019 by and others in helicopters -- to “The results have been camps since the start of the Pradesh chief minister’s That measurement was This provoked a row with President Xi Jinping reach data collection stations. different on different occa- unrest and it is thought that office said. M“ ore tests are widely accepted, with the num- Nepal, which was only resolved Last spring, Nepali survey- sions, so today we end these stocks delivered beforehand being conducted by [the] ber appealing not only to am- in 2010 when Kathmandu and ors reached the summit of Ev- speculations.” would now have run out. Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and other insti- tutes and the results are expected soon,” the release said. Of the 505 people affected, 370 had recovered India farmers block roads in and the others were under treatment at hospitals, said Himanshu Shukla, a local national action against new laws administration official in Eluru. (afp) AFP New Delhi

Pakistan police Railway tracks and highways probe Christian were blocked across India as farm- journalist’s murder ers launched a national day of action on Tuesday against reforms deregu- Islamabad: Police in lating the agriculture sector, upping north-western Pakistan were the stakes after 10 days blockading investigating on Tuesday the capital. whether the murder of a Tens of thousands of farmers journalist from the minority have set up barricades on roads into Christian community was New Delhi since November 26, vow- prompted either by the re- ing not to move until the laws are porter’s faith or profession. repealed in one of the biggest chal- Persecution is a problem, lenges to the Hindu nationalist gov- both for journalists and for ernment since it was re-elected in a people from minority faiths. landslide in 2019. Activists protest in support of a nationwide general strike called by Indian They face intimidation and “We are worried, extremely wor- farmers to protest against the recent agricultural reforms in Amritsar on sometimes death in a coun- ried. Our children will starve, what Tuesday. (AFP) try with an overwhelmingly could be a bigger worry than this?,” Muslim population and peri- farmer Ved Singh told AFP ahead of Communist Party of India told AFP lice vehicle as he sought to join the odic periods of military rule the strike, echoing fears of his peers in eastern West Bengal state. strike. that have seen severe curbs that large corporations would lower The blockade and strike have Five rounds of talks have failed on the media. Qais Javed, prices and destroy their livelihoods. taken on a political dimension with to narrow differences between a broadcast journalist in “There would be nothing to eat... the national ruling Bharatiya Janata farmers and ministers. his late 30s, was shot late How will we earn money? This is the Party accusing opposition parties of The laws will allow farmers on Monday by gunmen who biggest worry for us.” opportunism by rejecting measures to sell their produce on the open approached his home in the Authorities put on extra police they had called for when in power. market -- including to supermarket city of Dera Ismail Khan on in Delhi and boosted security in the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Ke- chains -- instead of through state- motorbikes, police official rest of the country in a bid to head jriwal’s Common Man Party said he run organisations that guarantee a Azmatullah Khan said. off any trouble. had been placed “under house ar- minimum price. Javed had worked as camer- The farmers were supported rest” since Monday by Delhi Police, Farmers say the industry will be aman for leading Pakistani in their call for action on Tuesday which is controlled by the national taken over by major firms that will broadcaster Geo television by railway workers, truck drivers, government, after he visited the force prices down. until recently, before launch- teachers and other unions. farmers’ blockade site. Police denied “The government is misleading ing his own web television In many eastern and western the claim. the farmers to benefit a few com- channel, a growing trend states, protesters blocked railway Footage posted on Twitter panies, whether Indian or foreign,” among journalists in the tracks, roads and halted trains. showed an opposition Congress Sonipat Agricultural Market Trad- country, Khan said. (dpa) “We want to support the farm- leader in western Gujarat state rid- ers Association president Pawan ers’ cause,” a senior leader from the ing a scooter being chased by a po- Goyal told AFP. 06 Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Established September 3, 2006 hamad bin suhaim al thani chairman Opinion adel ali bin ali managing director dr hassan mohammed al ansari editor-in-chief

Rising Gun Sales Put More Lives At Risk Biden Rebuild Must

f there’s one thing that President Donald Public health studies have shown this Trump has grasped about US politics these over and over again. Having a gun in your Include Race Ipast four years, it’s the advantage of scar- home makes you less safe. Men who own ing people beyond rationality. Rarely dur- handguns, for example, are eight times more ing the presidential campaign, nor even in likely to die of a gun suicide than those who his post-election, denial-of-outcome tour, do not, according to a California study pub- US president-elect seems to genuinely see racism and racial inequality does Trump miss an opportunity to warn lished in June in The New England Journal of his loyalists about violence in “Democrat- Medicine. In the same study, women hand- as the moral and economic threat it is run cities” and how he supports the Second gun owners were 35 times more likely to be Amendment, but Democrats do not. killed than women who do not own guns. The Adam Briones He mentioned it as recently as Saturday logic here is inescapable: Suicide is often an Tribune News Service during an appearance on behalf of GOP Sen- impulsive act. The presence of a firearm, es- ate candidates in Valdosta, Georgia, warning pecially a handgun, makes the option much hen President-elect Joe Biden that if Democrats won control of the cham- more readily available. Suicide is by far the takes office on January 20, he ber, they would “confiscate privately owned leading cause of firearm deaths, outpacing will have a unique opportunity firearms” and “totally cut up your Second homicide by a nearly two-to-one margin. to rebuild our battered econo- Amendment rights.” Accidental shootings are less common (rep- my and create the long-lasting Such an over-the-top message would be resenting around 1% of firearm deaths each changeW that eluded his predecessors: laughable, except it’s proven highly effec- year), but they still represented 458 deaths in closing the wealth gap that has left Black tive in motivating to his side NRA members, 2018 including dozens of children. and brown Americans, and women of all anti-immigrant groups and the racists who Mental health practitioners have fre- races, behind. falsely believe the civil rights movement to quently expressed concerns that the COV- While what the Biden-Harris admin- be a criminal enterprise. ID-19 pandemic may have increased suicide istration can accomplish legislatively This is particularly true as right-wing risk. The despair and isolation, the economic will largely be decided by the Senate media provide a downturn, an uptick runoff elections in Georgia on January timely assist with in consumption of al- 5, the new administration should begin far more attention cohol and drugs, and thinking about how the economy can be given to incidents the difficulty getting brought back after the pandemic in ways of violence asso- routine medical care, that help right historical wrongs. ciated with Black these factors have obvi- Biden has already made one excellent Lives Matter pro- ously raised the stakes. decision by nominating former Federal tests than with Remarkably, the US Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as treasury white suprema- has so far not seen any secretary. Yellen, throughout her career, cists, even as a documented suicide has been committed to making the econ- study shows 93% increase, but guarding omy work for all Americans. In 2014, she of BLM protests against one seems more said in a speech that “inequality has risen are peaceful while than prudent under the to the point that it seems to me worth- white supremacists circumstances. Even while for the US to seriously consider tak- have been behind President Trump has ing the risk of making our economy more most terrorist attacks on US soil this year, a remarked on the enhanced danger of suicide rewarding for more of the people.” More fact acknowledged even by Trump’s Depart- during COVID-19, albeit to argue against recently, she specifically called for closing ment of Homeland Security. And a recent pandemic-related lockdowns, not to recom- the US wealth gap. for those already marginalized in our to the 2008 mortgage meltdown, actually analysis of FBI firearm background checks mend a cautious approach to gun purchases Following Biden’s mandate to “Build current economy. harmed Black and brown communities. has demonstrated one of the consequences which might actually prove effective. Back Better,” Yellen should target the The Biden-Harris administration The Federal Reserve can ensure that of such fear-mongering — a major uptick in Meanwhile, don’t blame Joe Biden wealth gaps for people of color and wom- can also help close the racial wealth the Community Reinvestment Act explic- public demand for firearms. for raising public interest in gun buying, en. She and her senior staff can start by gap by using the tools the vast major- itly addresses racial inequality. Maryland, unfortunately, finds itself in blame how Republicans have fueled an ir- improving the next iteration of the Pay- ity of white Americans have used to It is also time for the Fed’s dual man- the thick of this trend with a whopping 76% rational fear of Biden’s gun policies. The check Protection Program. Only about build wealth: home ownership and date to evolve. Today, the Fed is tasked to increase in FBI firearm background checks in president-elect’s positions on guns are not 12% of Black and Latinx businesses who small business. Today, for every dollar promote full employment as well as con- the first 11 months of 2020 compared to the much different from where polls show most applied earlier this year for aid through a of wealth held by a white family, Latinx tain inflation. This should be updated to entirety of 2019, a handy precursor of sales. Americans are — he’s against high-capacity $650 billion programme created to sup- families have only about four cents and include eliminating the racial and gender That is much higher than the still-impressive magazines and assault rifles and for univer- port small businesses say they received Black families just two cents. wealth gaps. 49% nationwide increase in background sal background checks. To suggest this is the relief they requested. President-elect Biden has released Our president-elect seems to genu- checks, and higher than the increase in all but gun-grabbing is the equivalent of protesting It has also been encouraging to see plans to increase down-payment as- inely see racism and racial inequality six other states (most of them more politically speed limits as an unconstitutional violation President-elect Biden propose sweeping sistance for first-time homebuyers, in- as the moral and economic threat it is. conservative). What’s worrisome here is not of freedom of movement. Meanwhile, cities yet pragmatic measures to stabilize and centivize production of 1.5 million new As we rebuild our economy and national that the gun industry has profited from scar- like Baltimore will continue to be flooded grow our economy, with a particular fo- affordable housing units, leverage more sense of trust, he must continue to face ing people or that Trump once again found a with guns purchased elsewhere, stolen (or cus on communities of color. than $150 billion for small businesses that threat head-on. way to tap white insecurity and racial resent- simply resold through poorly-regulated pri- Biden has already committed to ex- structurally excluded for generations ment, but that now a lot more households will vate sales) and then used to commit crimes. tending unemployment insurance as well and ease the burden of student debt. He (Adam Briones is economic be stocked with firearms. And that has some Perhaps what Americans need most right as a new package of support for small should pursue these goals aggressively. equity director of The Greenlining serious consequences, perhaps the most now is simply to learn the facts and recog- businesses. Biden has also committed to strength- Institute. This column was produced troubling of which is it means more acciden- nize the danger posed by having a gun in This is important for communities ening the Federal Reserve’s focus on ra- for the Progressive Media Project, tal and suicide-related shootings. their home. of color, particularly women of color, cial inequality. For too long, monetary which is run by The Progressive since unemployment rates and busi- policy either neglected the needs of com- magazine, and distributed by (Tribune News Service) ness failures are significantly higher munities of color or, as during the run-up Tribune News Service)

Helping Students To Navigate Their Way Through Uncertain Times Qatar Career Development Center, a member of Qatar Foundation, helps empower youth to take the first step in a long journey that will foster their personal and professional development and cultivate employability skills

Effrosyni Parampota – and the changes they would like to see. micro-certification, young adults can strategy for getting there, test the mar- Doha We also ran a set of workshops for grad- Effrosyni continue building their knowledge and ket, and network with people in the field uate students at Hamad Bin Khalifa Uni- Parampota skills for much less. they are interested in, learning the ins oung people today are dealing with versity’s College of Islamic Studies, aim- When we graduate from university and outs of the work. a number of major challenges, espe- ing to strengthen the importance and and look for employment, having a de- While most universities offer career Ycially following the outbreak of COV- provision of career guidance services. gree is only the starting point. Lifelong services to their students, in May 2020 ID-19. The International Labor Organi- The findings from the session were learning and continuous upskilling will QCDC launched its Virtual Career Ad- zation (ILO) released a global survey in alarming, revealing that the key themes support our capacity to adapt and sur- vising Sessions, enabling students im- August 2020, reporting that “the impact derived from the research projects we’ve vive far into the future. To find employ- pacted by the pandemic to receive advice of the pandemic on youth is systematic, been conducting since 2015 are still very ment in an over-competitive market, from experts on how to better plan their deep and disproportionate. Young peo- real. These include a lack of nationwide adopting smart steps to increase resume future and discuss career paths and di- ple are concerned about the future and career guidance provision; limited ca- potential is essential, and so is the pow- rections. their place within it.” reer awareness and guidance culture; er of active networking. The sessions are currently offered in Qatar proved resilient long before the poor awareness of, and access to, career Most people associate life transi- English, with Arabic sessions commenc- pandemic emerged, due to its response services among graduate students; and tions as a time of confusion, loss, in- ing at the end of the year, complemented to the unjustified blockade posed by our the absence of a 15-year labor market security and uncertainty. Reflecting on by a mentoring program for profession- neighbors. However, young adults now- growth projection for educators and em- past experiences, future dreams, and als interested in strengthening their ca- adays are more uncertain about their ca- ployers; as well as increasing and diver- current values or strengths is an es- reer guidance experience. reers and employment prospects. sifying female employment. sential and valuable step. Once we are The sessions will empower youth to Qatar Career Development Center Both national and international armed with more self-knowledge, the take the first step in a long journey that (QCDC) – a member of Qatar Founda- students agreed that career guidance plan-and-implementation method urg- will foster their personal and profes- tion – is committed to university stu- services are critical today, as they con- es us into action. sional development and cultivate em- dents’ employability – a key theme in template their future steps and consider And this is when qualified career ad- ployability skills in university students. our research activities that are part of the emerging labor market situation. should invest in themselves. visors and counselors become important our Career Guidance Stakeholders Plat- Building important skills and adopting a According to Harvard Business – those who are equipped to assist in- (Effrosyni Dimitrios Parampota form Focus Groups – and through work- lifelong learning approach add immense Review (HBR), graduate studies can dividuals in planning their career paths holds the position of Senior shops and initiatives delivered in collab- value. heighten the potential for salary in- and provide advice and guidance servic- Officer Career Programs oration with academic institutions and However, many students in Qatar creases and accelerate career prospects es, as well as to promote clients’ inde- & Services at Qatar Career non-governmental organizations. consider continuing their education while allowing people to following their pendency and self-management of their Development Center, a member of In our Career Café, we recently dis- simply to postpone dealing with em- passions, although such an investment skills gradually. Qatar Foundation, that supports cussed the effects of the pandemic with ployment challenges. But is a Master’s might lead to more debt and could end With career guidance support, cli- Qatari capacity building in a panel of students and alumni, their ex- degree or PhD the remedy? Like any big up being a waste of time. ents will learn about their interests and alignment with the QNV 2030 pectations and views of career services decision in life, it requires a fair amount With a plethora of resources avail- skills, match them with professions and and the aims of a knowledge- – especially during and post-COVID-19 of reflection on the reasons a person able online and the opportunities for industries, select a career, and develop a based economy)

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THE OPINION AND ANALYSIS PAGES ARE THE AUTHORS’ OWN. QATAR TRIBUNE BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY. World Wednesday, December 9, 2020 07 J&J readies 500 mn drug Britain starts virus jabs as doses for poor countries

AFP Europe cases top 20 million Geneva

US pharmaceutical giant The US FDA on Tuesday said data from trials of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine revealed ‘no specific safety concerns’ Johnson & Johnson said on Tuesday it plans to provide AFP able safety profile, with no 500 million doses of its vaccine London specific safety concerns iden- for poor countries once results tified that would preclude is- of clinical trials are announced Britain became the first suance of an EUA (emergency by the end of January. Western country to start a use authorisation)”, it said. It plans to sell the vaccine mass coronavirus vaccine The FDA is also expected at cost price and will provide campaign on Tuesday with a to give the green light to the the doses to Gavi, the Vaccine 90-year-old receiving the ini- Moderna vaccine. Alliance, the group’s scientific tial jab, as the number of cases Canadian Prime Minister director Paul Stoffels told a in Europe hit 20 million. Justin Trudeau said Pfizer and virtual round table in Geneva. Kicking off Britain’s “V- BioNTech will deliver their The vaccine is currently Day”, Margaret Keenan said first doses to his nation within undergoing final-stage clini- she felt “privileged” to be given weeks. cal trials involving 60,000 the injection, the first of mil- In India, two pharmaceu- participants at more than 200 lions expected to be adminis- tical firms -- including Serum locations in the US and other tered in the hard-hit country Institute, the world’s biggest countries. Results are expected over the coming months. manufacturer of vaccines -- on in late January. The Pfizer-BioNTech jab is Monday sought fast-track ap- one of several vaccines bring- proval for coronavirus shots. ing hope for an end to the India is the second-worst Unlike some rival vaccines pandemic that has killed more hit nation having already re- that require storage at than 1.5 million people world- corded more than 140,000 extremely low temperatures, wide and ravaged economies. deaths. J&J’s can be kept at “My advice to anyone of- And in Brazil’s Sao Paulo fered the vaccine is to take it,” state -- Latin America’s coro- 2 degrees Centigrade said Keenan, wearing a mask navirus epicentre -- authori- and a penguin T-shirt. “If I can ties will launch a campaign have it at 90 then you can have from January providing the J&J’s Stoffels said the it too.” Chinese-developed vaccine firm’s Phase III trials -- which The UK’s second jab re- CoronaVac to healthcare had to be interrupted briefly portedly went to a man named workers, older people and oth- when one subject fell ill -- are William Shakespeare. The er vulnerable groups first. now “in full swing”, adding: over-80s, care home workers, Even as hopes rise for vac- “We target for results the and at-risk health and social cines and a resulting economic month of January for efficacy care staff will be at the front of Lorna Lucas, 81, reacts as she receives the first of two Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine jabs at Guy’s Hospital, in central London on Tuesday. (AFP) recovery, governments are be- and safety.” the line. ing forced to tighten restric- AstraZeneca, a leading ri- Almost 40 percent of the inoculation campaign with a fornia are now under stay-at- California ordered most ity of Californians are now in tions to contain surges in in- val in the world scramble for new cases detected over the medicine made in China. home orders. offices to close and banned this new stay-at-home order fections. a coronavirus vaccine, has also last seven days worldwide have The United States is ex- And the World Health Or- gatherings among different protocol,” said state Governor German Chancellor An- pledged to sell its candidate been in Europe, the region top- pected to grant emergency ganization has warned that households. Gavin Newsom, who earlier gela Merkel urged regions at cost -- around 2.50 euros ping 20 million cases on Tues- authorisation for the Pfizer- successful vaccines on their Bars and services such as warned that the state hospi- with high coronavirus rates ($2.80) per dose -- while Pfizer day. But the rate of infection BioNTech vaccine later this own will not immediately end hair salons were shut and res- tal system risked being over- to tighten curbs, while Den- of the United States has target- appears to be stabilising. week, announcing on Tuesday the crisis. taurants were allowed to serve whelmed. mark said it will close middle ed a top price of around $40. Russia, one of Europe’s that no concerns had been America’s floundering ef- takeaway only. Non-essential The US Food and Drug and high schools, bars, cafes J&J had said in September hardest-hit countries in terms found in trial data. forts to quell the pandemic travel was also temporarily Administration on Tuesday and restaurants in half of the that it hoped to win emergency of cases, began vaccinating Despite the vaccination have been widely criticised -- restricted statewide as Cali- said data from trials of Pfizer- country. authorisation to market its high-risk workers with its own news, curbs continue to be re- the nation is the world’s worst- fornia experienced record new BioNTech drug revealed “no But Austrians got a boost vaccine early next year. jab on Saturday, and Beijing imposed -- roughly 30 million hit with more than 283,000 Covid-19 cases. specific safety concerns”. when the government lifted its Unlike some rival vac- has also begun an emergency people in the US state of Cali- deaths. “The overwhelming major- The data “suggest a favour- measures earlier this week. cines that require storage at extremely low temperatures, J&J’s can be kept at 2.0 de- grees Centigrade (35.6 Fahr- enheit). NZ releases Oxford/Astra first to publish final-stage vaccine trial results Speaking at the same conference, organised by the Christchurch AFP journal, confirmed that the nisations, using a rival vaccine position in six months time”. about their analysis -- which International Federation of Paris vaccine works in an average of developed by Pfizer-BioNTech “This really can’t be a looks at data from a total of Pharmaceutical Manufactur- mosques 70 percent of cases. after approving it for general competition between develop- 23,000 people in separate ers and Associations (IFPMA), Oxford University and As- It comes during a flurry use last week. ers, this has to be in competi- trials with differing protocols the head of Swiss lab Roche, attack report traZeneca became the first of positive developments that Andrew Pollard, the tion against the virus,” he told -- after releasing an overview Severin Schwan, said the at- Covid-19 vaccine makers to have raised hopes the roll-out director of the Oxford Vaccine a press briefing. of the results. cost model for vaccines could AFP publish final-stage clinical tri- of vaccines can help begin to Group, said publication in the The study showed the These centred on the stymie innovation in the fu- Wellington al results in a scientific journal restrain a pandemic that has Lancet showed developers vaccine had an efficacy of 62 smaller group who were given ture. Tuesday, clearing a key hurdle killed more than 1.5 million were “transparently sharing percent for those given two an initial half dose because of “It’s a good model during New Zealand security servic- in the global race to produce people and stricken societies the data”. full doses, and of 90 percent a mistake. a crisis, but I don’t think it can es did not focus enough on the safe and effective drugs for the worldwide. He said a range of vac- in those given a half then a Tuesday’s study confirmed be a standard for sustainable threat from right-wing terror new coronavirus. Britain on Tuesday be- cines would be needed to full dose. that this group of 1,367 partic- innovation in the long run,” in the run-up to last year’s The study, published in came the first country in the bring the pandemic to heel, AstraZeneca and Oxford ipants did not include adults said Schwan, the IFPMA vice Christchurch mosques attack, the respected Lancet medical Western world to start immu- “otherwise we’ll still be in this faced questions last month over the age of 55 years. president. but could only have prevented the murders “by chance”, an inquiry reported Tuesday. The royal commission -- the most powerful judi- cial probe available under Biden picks General Austin as first Black Pentagon chief New Zealand law -- called for sweeping changes to counter- AFP of defense Michele Flournoy, view that only a civilian should from leading platoons to run- country. terrorism operations in re- Washington amid pressure on Biden to serve as defense secretary. ning logistics groups and over- In 2010, he was made com- sponse to the white suprema- nominate more minorities for The waiver has happened seeing recruiting, to senior manding general of US forces cist attack in which 51 Muslim President-elect Joe positions in his cabinet. twice -- most recently for Gen- Pentagon jobs. in Iraq, and two years later worshippers died. Biden has chosen Lloyd Austin, CNN, Politico and The New eral Jim Mattis in 2017, Presi- In March 2003, he was the became the commander of the The 800-page report said who led US troops into Bagh- York Times cited unnamed dent Donald Trump’s first de- assistant division commander Central Command, in charge of spy agencies had placed an dad in 2003 and rose to head sources familiar with the deci- fense secretary. of the 3rd Infantry Division all Pentagon operations in the “inappropriate” focus on Is- the US Central Command, as sion, after Biden said earlier But members of the Senate when it marched from Kuwait Middle East and Afghanistan. lamist extremism before the the first African-American sec- Monday that he had made his File photo of Army General Lloyd agreed begrudgingly, and sev- into Baghdad in the US inva- That put him in charge of attack and did not sufficiently retary of defense, US media re- choice and would announce it Austin III, commander of the US eral said at the time that they sion of Iraq. the fight against the Islam- explore the right-wing terror ported Monday. on Friday. Central Command. (AFP) wouldn’t want to do it again. From late 2003 to 2005, he ic State as it captured large threat. A veteran of conflicts in Austin would require Sen- Austin spent four decades was in Afghanistan command- swathes of Iraq and Syria. But it stopped short of Iraq and Afghanistan, the re- ate confirmation to take up the military officers to wait seven in the army, graduating from ing the Combined Joint Task During that period, he re- saying authorities could have tired four-star army general, post. He would also require a years after retirement before West Point Military Academy Force 180, the principle US-led portedly earned the trust of prevented the massacre, find- 67, beat out the favorite for the special waiver from the Senate serving as the Pentagon chief. and following a career with a operation seeking to stabilize Biden, who was vice president ing that the “fragmentary” job, former under-secretary due to federal law that requires The rule is rooted in the wide range of assignments, the security situation in the at the time. information available about lone-wolf shooter Brenton Tarrant prior to the killings was not enough to mark him as a threat. Deforestation wiped out 8% of Amazon in 18 years: Study “There was no plausible way he could have been de- tected except by chance,” said AFP of the rainforest have been by logging, farming, ranching, summit this weekend aimed at the report on the March 2019 Sao Paulo lost, according to the updated mining and infrastructure pro- breathing new life into the 2015 attack, in which Tarrant tar- Amazon atlas produced by the jects on formerly pristine forest Paris climate accord, whose geted men, women and chil- Deforestation in the Am- organization, a consortium of land. goals on slowing the warming dren who had gathered for azon destroyed an area bigger groups from across the region. “The statistics presented of the planet are currently set Friday prayers in the South than Spain from 2000 to 2018, It is RAISG’s first such atlas by RAISG are an alarm bell to be missed. Island city. wiping out eight percent of the since 2012. on the increasing pressures Forests such as the Amazon New Zealand Prime Min- world’s largest rainforest, ac- “The Amazon is far more and threats facing the region,” play a vital role in controlling ister Jacinda Ardern wel- cording to a study released on threatened than it was eight said researcher Julia Jacomini climate change because they comed the review and vowed Tuesday. years ago,” RAISG said in a of the Socioenvironmental In- absorb carbon from the atmos- to look at all 44 recommenda- The Amazon plays a vital statement. stitute (ISA), a Brazilian envi- phere. tions. role in curbing climate change, The consortium found that A aerial file photo of burnt areas of the Amazon rainforest, near Boca ronmental group that is part of However, when their trees She said another major but destruction of the rainfor- after making gains against de- do Acre, Brazil. (AFP) RAISG. die or burn, they release carbon criticism in the report -- lax est has only accelerated in re- forestation early in the century, The atlas “shows the im- back into the environment. firearms law enforcement cent years, found the study by the Amazon region has again to a low of 17,674 square kilo- 2018,” the study found. portance of building an alliance The Amazon stretches that allowed Tarrant to amass the Amazon Geo-Referenced slipped into a worrying cycle of meters in 2010, the report said. “In 2018 alone, 31,269 of Amazon countries, which is across eight South American an arsenal of military-style Socio-Environmental Informa- destruction. But the destruction has square kilometers of forest non-existent at the moment, to countries -- Brazil, Colombia, semi-automatic weapons -- tion Network (RAISG). Deforestation hit a high of since surged to startling levels. were destroyed across the Am- fight those growing pressures Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ven- had already been addressed Since the turn of the mil- 49,240 square kilometers of “Deforestation has accel- azon region, the worst annual and threats,” she told AFP. ezuela, Suriname and Guyana by her government. lennium, 513,016 square kilo- forest loss in 2003 -- a record erated since 2012. The annual deforestation since 2003.” The report comes as world -- and the territory of French meters (198,077 square miles) for this century -- then eased area lost tripled from 2015 to The destruction is fuelled leaders prepare for a virtual Guiana. Lizards, snakes block construction on Tesla’s plant pg 11

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

30,176.26 10,529.46 45608.51 1,874.70 +106.47 pts -74.08 pts +181.54 pts Gold +0.47 % Second US judge blocks Trump’s Dow QE sensex executive order to ban TikTok page 10 Price percentage Price percentage 24.73 Brent 48.88 +0.18 % WTI 45.64 -0.26 % Silver -0.26 % QNB launches Apple Pay online acceptance in Qatar Tribune News Network Doha

QNB Group, the largest fi- nancial institution in the Middle East and Africa, has launched Apple Pay online payment acceptance in Qa- tar, providing an easy, secure and private way to pay. Adding Apple Pay as a payment option will allow merchants to provide their customers with a seamless shopping experience and in- crease their online sales. Image of Qetaifan Island North being developed and owned by Katara Hospitality. Users will have the abil- ity to use Apple Pay to make The QNB headquarters in Doha. secure payments on websites and online stores that sup- tion of advanced payment ance for our merchants and port Apple Pay. technologies, QNB is com- offer them yet another easy, Qetaifan Island North’s The milestone comes mitted to meet the needs of secure and private way to within the Group’s endeav- modern commerce by ensur- accept payments. Apple Pay our to provide faster payment ing smooth and secure online provides a fast checkout ex- means than accepting tradi- transactions. perience as part of our in- sales exceed QR1 bn tional credit and debit cards QNB Group Retail Gen- creasing efforts to provide and other payment methods. eral Manager Heba Al Tami- our customers the best range Tribune News Network bringing about new, innova- In a growing e-commerce mi said, “We are delighted of digital and mobile banking Doha tive real estate products with market with increasing adop- to launch Apple Pay accept- services.” investment returns that ben- Qetaifan Projects, owned by efit the owner and increase the Katara Hospitality, on Tues- value of the project as a whole. day, announced the award- Based on our study of the local ing of Qetaifan Island North’s market, we saw that investing Phase 2 Villa plots at a ceremo- in a residential villa overlook- Lord Mayor of London in ny where investors bid to own ing a 5-star operated beach is a plot. currently not available, and According to a remark we decided to provide a luxu- Qatar to boost trade ties made on the occasion, sales re- rious and unique lifestyle for lated to Qetaifan Island North villa owners in addition to Tribune News Network Commenting on his visit, finance and technology, and of exceed QR1 billion within 12 the luxury that fits the gen- Doha Russell said, “I’m pleased to course, with Qatar’s hosting of months. eral framework of living in Qe- be visiting Qatar this week, the FIFA World Cup just two The ceremony was attend- taifan Island North as the first The Lord Mayor of the City of my first overseas visit since years away, the UK’s financial ed by Katara Hospitality Chair- competition and inspire the North’s villa plots under the entertainment touristic island London William Russell, who the start of the pandemic. To- services sector is on hand to man Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim state’s sectors in all fields. current circumstances an ex- in Qatar.” is an ambassador for the UK’s gether, we have a great oppor- work to help deliver a success- bin Jabor Al Thani and Katara He said, “We believe in the ample to be emulated.” Sheikh Nasser said that financial and professional ser- tunity to be leaders in building ful and the sustainable event,” Hospitality Deputy Chairman future of Qetaifan Island North The bidding activities wit- Qetaifan Projects is proud to vices industry, has started a a more resilient, more digital- he said. Qetaifan Projects Managing and are working hard and sin- nessed an encouraging turn- launch a new residential prod- visit to Qatar to strengthen ised and greener global econ- Commenting on the visit, Director Sheikh Nasser bin cerely to make the island a pio- out of investors and owners uct, which is ‘Duplex’ units in trade links between the City omy, especially ahead of COP British Ambassador to Qatar Abdul Rahman Al Thani. neering touristic destination.” to own property in Qetaifan limited quantities within the of London and Qatar. This will 26 in Glasgow next year. I was Jon Wilks said, “The trade In a statement made on “Qetaifan Island North Island North, and they ex- South Mid-rise towers on the be the Lord Mayor’s first inter- especially delighted that the and investment relationship the occasion, Sheikh Nawaf serves the plans to host 2022 pressed their contentment marina. These distinct units national visit since the start of Qatar National Bank issued a between Qatar and the UK affirmed that the demand for FIFA World Cup, as it provides with this ambitious national are characterised by unprec- the pandemic and his second $600 million Green Bond on has continued to grow in the investment in Qetaifan Island modern facilities capable of ac- project, which is considered edented privacy, whether in to Qatar in 2020. the London Stock Exchange past year despite coronavirus. North reflects the position the commodating a large number the first entertainment tour- terms of design or implemen- The Lord Mayor is ex- this September, and look for- That is because both countries company has reached in the of hotels, retail outlets, restau- istic destination in Qatar, due tation, as each unit has a swim- pected to meet with Minister ward to following up on this are committed to building a local real estate development rants, and unique recreational to the unique facilities that ming pool, parking lot and its of Finance HE Ali Shareef Al initiative in Qatar.” strong partnership for the fu- market, indicating that the facilities such as the waterpark the island has to offer. own garden, in addition to a Emadi, Qatar Investment Au- “This is a crucial moment for ture. I am delighted that The project represents a starting and the vast green spaces. Qe- The new real estate prod- private entrance for each resi- thority CEO Mansoor Ebra- us all to boost global trade and Lord Mayor William Russell point for Qetaifan Projects to- taifan Island North represents uct, which was launched for dent to his unit, a spa, and sep- him Al Mahmoud, Qatar Cen- economic growth as we build has chosen a return visit to wards developing more pro- a commitment to investing in the first time in Qatar, has arate rooms for workers. tral Bank Governor Sheikh back better after the pandemic. Qatar as his first official visit jects and serving various state the development of the tour- witnessed a remarkable de- The units come with an Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani Qatar is an important invest- since lockdown. Building back sectors. ism industry and strengthen- mand by investors. Sheikh average area of 450 square and other high-level Qatari ment partner for the City of Lon- better after coronavirus holds He added that investors as- ing the hospitality sector in Nasser said, “The real estate meters, and this product will dignitaries. don and the wider UK. We have exciting opportunities for pire to benefit from the returns Qatar,” he said. development process is not be launched for the first time Russell, the 692nd incum- long-standing partnerships with both countries. UK financial of Qetaifan Island North pro- Sheikh Nasser said, “We limited to construction only. in Qatar at the end of the first bent of a role that dates back Qatar’s financial institutions services, including the City ject through the safe environ- went through a difficult year, But it is a process that begins quarter of next year. His Excel- to centuries, is the leader of and the City of London also of London, are enthusiastic ment achieved by the state to like everyone else, but we suc- first with a study of the mar- lency indicated that the auc- London’s ‘Square Mile,’ or fi- stands ready to support Qatar as to develop new partnerships encourage and attract foreign ceeded in defying the difficul- ket and its needs and based on tion activities were carried out nancial district, and has over it develops its own financial ser- with Qatar in green finance, investments and create new ties. We consider our achieve- supply and demand, the real within the legally recognized thirty years of experience in vices sector,” Russell said. health, technology and the opportunities, noting that this ment of this volume of sales estate product is determined, controls in addition to the ap- City, including holding senior “There are substantial op- sports economy, among other will positively affect the lo- and the demand that we have and here, innovation plays a plication of terms and condi- positions in the national and portunities for closer collabo- sectors. We are all looking for- cal market and will encourage witnessed on Qetaifan Island major and important role in tions. international banking sector. ration in areas such as green ward to a brighter 2021.”

QLM cements position as market leader in Qatar: Mannai

Tribune News Network changing landscape.” strived to maximise its customer company build a loyal and di- Doha Mannai said, “QLM has earned and member satisfaction level. verse customer base. the reputation of being the preferred To achieve this, the company QLM continued to widen its QLM Life and Medical Insurance life and medical insurer for many has followed a two-pronged strat- provider network by including Company (QLM), which was es- government entities and some of egy like investing in an IT platform healthcare institutions located tablished in 2011 as the first stan- the largest corporations and finan- to digitise member engagement outside Qatar. Today QLM’s pro- dalone life and medical insurance cial institutions in Qatar.” and expanding its provider net- vider network has expanded and company in Qatar, has stead- Investors can subscribe to work. is considered to be the largest in ily grown to become the market the QLM IPO online by logging QLM is among the pioneer- Qatar and the wider GCC, with leader, Salem Khalaf Al Mannai, into the online banking web- ing insurers in the MENA region over 75,000 healthcare centers Group CEO of Qatar Insurance sites or mobile applications of to digitally transform its busi- spanning 103 countries, across six Group and the authorised repre- the receiving banks namely Qa- ness model. The company has an continents. sentation of QLM’s founders, has tar National Bank, Commercial industry-leading IT platform that QLM differentiates itself from said. Bank, al Khaliji, Ahli Bank and comprehensively addresses the its peers by delivering bespoke The company has a dominant Doha Bank. company’s operational require- and innovative medical insurance market share in Qatar for the This facility is available to in- ments. A key element of QLM’s solutions with unmatched cus- Group Medical and Group Life vestors who already have their engagement with its members is tomer service. lines of businesses and is also a bank account with any of the its mobile app. Bringing in innovative tech- leading insurer in the GCC region. above receiving banks. If for any QLM’s mobile app enables nologies, QLM has established Highlighting QLM’s journey reason, the investors are unable to members to easily find a doctor itself as a pioneer in the medical right through its inception, Man- make online subscriptions, they from the listed network of provid- insurance sector in Qatar. With a nai said, “To offer maximum flex- can contact the call centers of Salem Khalaf Al Mannai, Group CEO of Qatar Insurance Group. ers, book appointments, set re- highly experienced in-house team ibility to our members, we will their respective receiving bank for minders for medication, and file of experts and a wide network of continue to embrace digitisation, guidance. For Qatari individuals who are ing banks, they can contact the and track medical claims. medical service providers, QLM is evaluate options and adjust our Paper-based subscriptions are interested in subscribing the IPO call center of one of the receiving It’s the highly sophisticated well-positioned to deliver world- operating models to bring in en- available at certain branches of al but do not have bank accounts banks for assistance. digital approach and unrivalled class healthcare services to its hanced efficiency in a constantly Khaliji and Ahli Bank. with any of the above receiv- Since its inception, QLM has customer service has helped the multicultural client base. Economy & Business Wednesday, December 9, 2020 09

UK, EU strike Goldman post-Brexit Sachs moves trade deal to buy 100% with N Ireland of China JV

AFP AFP London New York

Britain and the Euro- Goldman Sachs moved pean Union Tuesday an- Tuesday to acquire the remain- nounced a deal to manage ing stake in a China securities post-Brexit Trade with joint venture as it eyes further Northern Ireland, which growth in the world’s second will have the UK’s only biggest economy. land border with the bloc The US investment bank from next year. said it reached agreement with After meeting in Brus- its Chinese partner to acquire sels on Monday, senior another 49 percent of the UK minister Michael Gove 17-year-old association. and European Commis- Full ownership could al- sion vice president Maros low foreign banks to expand Sefcovic said agreement their operations in the multi- had been made “in princi- trillion-dollar Chinese finan- ple” and included border cial sector, and better integrate arrangements. them with their global busi- As a result, London nesses. will cut three controver- Beijing previously limited sial clauses in a bill go- foreign firms to minority sta- ing through parliament tus, but the “phase one” trade that would have denied deal President Donald Trump Brussels a say in future signed early this year opened trading arrangements be- the door to financial firms to tween the province and take control of their opera- EU member Ireland. tions. Irish leaders wel- “We are pleased to an- comed comments from The sun sets behind the Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, in London on Tuesday as talks on a trade deal between the EU and the UK nounce that the firm has com- senior UK minister Mi- enter a critical stage. (Tolga Akmen/AFP) menced the formal process of chael Gove and European acquiring 100 percent of our Commission vice presi- China joint venture, Gold- dent Maros Sefcovic that man Sachs Gao Hua (GSGH),” agreement had been made Goldman executives said in a “in principle” to cover message to employees. border arrangements. Deal or no deal, Britain to pay “The process has been ini- The deal, after talks tiated with regulators and we between the pair in Brus- have signed a definitive agree- sels on Monday, will see ment with our joint venture London cut three contro- partner to acquire all of the versial clauses in a bill high price for leaving the EU outstanding shares in GSGH that would have denied that we do not already own.” Brussels a say in future The step signals the lat- trading arrangements be- In absence of deal, Britain will revert to WTO rules which would see tariffs imposed on a wide range of products est opening of China to Wall tween the province and Street heavyweights, who have EU member Ireland. AFP riod that means the bloc’s rules used to the new rules -- there servative government, estimat- long sought a greater presence That could in turn London still apply until December 31. will be ‘rules of origin’ checks ed no-deal would slash British in China. lighten the fraught at- Many analysts predict for the first time in many gross domestic product by 7.6 JPMorgan Chase was mosphere facing Prime Brexiteers have long ar- Brexit will unleash even more If there were a deal it would years,” predicted Pugh. percent over a 15-year period. granted a majority stake in Minister Boris Johnson gued that leaving the European painful economic damage, de- probably mean no tariffs or “But the period of disrup- The documents, unveiled its China trading venture in when he heads to Brus- Union, with or without a trade livering another hammer blow quotas on goods, and trade tion should be relatively short- in late 2018, also suggested December 2019, followed in sels this week for wider deal, would herald Britain’s just as the COVID-19 fallout in services would probably lived.” that GDP would still be dimin- March by similar shifts at talks to try to clinch an so-called sunlit uplands of eco- begins to ease with the advent remain similar to how it is At the same time, even a ished by 4.9 percent -- even in Goldman and Morgan Stanley. elusive trade pact with nomic prosperity. of vaccines. Brexit trade deal would not the event of a trade deal. The new entity will be the EU. But the outlook remains Just how much harm it will now be as advantageous as being Although a free-trade called Goldman Sachs (China) Irish prime minis- uncertain, as the economy do hinges on the outcome of Capital Economics analyst part of the EU’s single market, agreement would eliminate or Securities Company Limited, ter Micheal Martin wel- struggles to recover from a re- fractious trade talks between Thomas Pugh which ensures a smooth flow of sharply cut customs duties, it according to the letter from comed the breakthrough cession sparked by the corona- Brussels and the government trade across the continent. does not remove all red tape or Chief Executive David Solo- announced by Gove and virus outbreak. of Britain’s pro-Brexit Con- possible deal for key financial The Bank of England has border controls. mon and two other senior ex- Sefcovic, who co-chair a Despite eye-wateringly servative Prime Minister Bo- services. forecast that slumping exports Britain is therefore press- ecutives. committee tasked with costly emergency state inter- ris Johnson, which have gone In the absence of an agree- and supply-chain disruption ing ahead with the construc- The change “represents implementing the UK-EU ventions, including the sub- down to the wire. ment, Britain will revert to arising from no-deal could tion of giant lorry parks in a significant commitment to divorce treaty. sidy of private-sector wages, a World Trade Organization send the UK economy shrink- Kent, southeast England, as and investment in China,” they “Protecting the Good bounce back does not look to ‘Inevitable disruption’ (WTO) rules which would see ing by 1.0 percent in the first it looks to prevent gridlock on wrote. Friday Agreement is vi- be on the cards for months, if Capital Economics analyst tariffs imposed on a wide range quarter of 2021. the roads in and out of London. “This focuses on growing tal,” Martin said, refer- not years. Thomas Pugh says there will of products, from car parts to The highly-respected Lon- Businesses and markets and strengthening our existing ring to the 1998 peace Britain will nevertheless inevitably be disruption but beef. don School of Economics has alike were stunned in 2016 China businesses, expanding deal that ended three embark upon life outside its predicts it might not be long UK companies would face predicted that a no-deal Brexit when British voters chose to our addressable market and decades of violence over main trading partner on Janu- lasting. an overnight spike in their -- with reimposed customs end almost half a century of investing in talent and tech- British rule of Northern ary 1, 2021, leaving the EU sin- “If there were a deal it costs -- which they are expect- duties and border controls -- European integration. nology. These efforts coincide Ireland. gle market and customs union would probably mean no tariffs ed to pass on to consumers in could wreak more economic Fast forward four and a with ongoing reforms under- Ahead of Johnson’s that benefitted “UK plc” for or quotas on goods, and trade the form of higher prices, par- havoc than coronavirus be- half years, and the business way in China’s capital markets, trip, Irish foreign minis- decades. in services would probably re- ticularly for imported fresh cause of the longer-term con- community is still urging the continued robust economic ter Simon Coveney noted The nation officially left the main similar to how it is now,” food products. sequences. government to do everything growth and the expanding the deal had wider impli- EU in January but is currently Pugh said in a research note, “There would be some in- And official UK documents, within its power to avert a cliff- needs of increasingly sophisti- cations. locked in a Brexit transition pe- also sounding optimism over a evitable disruption as firms get dating from the previous Con- edge no-deal departure. cated clients.” 1337 campus: Moroccan geeks flock to ‘paradise for hackers’ AFP mind, the same lifestyle,” she of 11, he dreams of opening Khouribga, Morocco said. his own programming school Karouach quit her first job back home. With its rows of sleek com- as an industrial engineer, and Students at 1337 are se- puters and ultra-modern now at the age of 29, she is en- lected on the basis of per- study methods, Morocco’s joying her freedom. formance in logic and mem- 1337 campus is a dream come ‘Elite’ status “No office hours, no con- ory tests, motivation and true for budding geeks, in a Morocco’s phosphate giant straints, no judgement,” she progress. No formal qualifica- country where IT skills are in OCP decided to set up the said. “In the city, everyone tions are required. high demand. 1337 campus, converting a knows that 1337 people are The Maghreb region, also Conceived as a paradise disused factory in the central different.” including Algeria and Tunisia, for coders, the centre offers mining town of Khouribga in a Karouach’s Moroccan is usually seen as an incubator project-based training on pro- comrade Mohamed Aymane for traditionally trained engi- gramming, innovation and bid to address the country’s Farmi, who calls himself a neers. building IT systems. severe need for tech “mathematician passionate Some 8,000 computer en- Tuition is free and stu- expertise. The name of the about algorithms”, has a simi- gineers graduate every year dents largely create their own centre comes from a system lar story. in Morocco, but that is not curricula. of modified spellings known The 24-year-old joined enough to meet the demands It all happens on a 24-hour as Leet Speak or “1337 1337 after quitting prepara- of the country’s digital transi- campus reminiscent of Silicon 5P34K”, used by hackers and tory classes for the entry exam tion, especially when many are Valley, complete with a can- gamers to show their “elite” for a prestigious “old-fash- attracted by higher salaries in teen, graffiti art on the walls status in online communities. ioned” engineering school. Europe and North America. and games rooms offering A student, mask-clad due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, uses a computer at a lab room at the Now he is dreaming of creat- While the 42 school has swings and table football. “1337” information technology training centre in Morocco’s central city of Khouribga. (FADEL SENNA/AFP) ing an artificial intelligence backtracked on plans to set “It’s too beautiful to be ming school created in 2013 start-up. up a campus in Tunis, Cali- true,” said Ismail El Mekhfi, A self-declared “ethical Before he had even finished OCP decided to set up the 1337 by telecoms billionaire Xavier He says he has no regrets. fornia’s Holberton School has who initially struggled to drag hacker” (“white hat” in geek his course, he was offered a job campus, converting a disused Niel and highly regarded in opened a branch there, also himself away from his screen speak), El Mekhfi taught him- as part of the school’s IT secu- factory in the central mining the tech world. Meeting the demand offering free training. to answer questions. self with resources found in rity team. town of Khouribga in a bid to The idea is to attract “the Among the few foreigners Other private institutes On discovering the insti- dark corners of the internet. “He’s very strong, much address the country’s severe invisible youth, misunder- at the school is 23-year-old offer courses that last several tute, which ran its first courses He dropped out of school stronger than an old man like need for tech expertise. stood geeks who don’t fit into Robert Bright Foca. months, with jobs guaranteed in 2018, he thought it was a before his final exams, much me,” said Youssef Dahbi, the The name of the centre the system and have devel- The Cameroonian spent at the end. trick -- so his reaction was to to his parents’ dismay. school’s technical chief -- who comes from a system of modi- oped rare skills on their own”, two months as a clandestine At 1337, “the idea is to tar- hack the system. “Everything bored me at is in his 30s. fied spellings known as Leet said director Larbi El Hilali. migrant, passing through Ni- get the people with the great- But today, the slightly school,” he said. “Cybersecurity is constant- Speak or “1337 5P34K”, used Fatima Zahra Karouach, ger, Nigeria and Algeria be- est potential,” said a strategic stooping 22-year-old is gush- But after two years in Nor- ly evolving, so skills quickly by hackers and gamers to one of the women who make fore reaching Morocco. adviser at OCP, who asked not ing. way working for a cybersecu- become obsolete.” show their “elite” status in on- up just 10 percent of the stu- He said he arrived “just in to be named. “Everything here is incred- rity firm, he took the entry test line communities. dents, said the school was like time to take the entry exam”. “It’s easier to create new ible, starting with the teach- for 1337 and passed with flying ‘Invisible youth’ The institute works closely “a big family”. Having touched a comput- courses than to reform the en- ing,” he said. colours. Morocco’s phosphate giant with 42, a French program- “We have the same state of er for the first time at the age tire higher education system.” 10 Wednesday, December 9, 2020 Economy & Business Second US judge blocks Trump’s executive order to ban TikTok

AFP ity by seeking to ban the popu- tion was necessary to “protect Judge Wendy Beetlestone or- on its hands over an August 14 New York lar social media app and “acted our national security” and dered the US administration executive order from Trump in an arbitrary and capricious claimed the personal data of not to prevent other compa- to force ByteDance to sell its A second US federal judge has manner by failing to consider TikTok users could be used by nies from providing essential US operations to an Ameri- suspended a Trump adminis- obvious alternatives.” Beijing. services to the platform, such can buyer. The US Treasury tration executive order threat- The White House claims TikTok has repeatedly de- as online hosting. has repeatedly extended the ening to ban TikTok in the TikTok is a national security fended itself against allega- Beetlestone had con- deadline for the Chinese group United States. risk because of potential links tions of data transfers to the sidered that the August 6 to divest, and indicated on Fri- The preliminary injunc- to the Beijing government Chinese government, saying presidential decree should be day it would continue negotia- tion granted late Monday by through its Chinese owner it stores user information on suspended. At the end of Sep- tions to resolve the dispute. judge Carl Nichols in a dis- ByteDance. servers in the United States tember, judge Nichols had also TikTok has 100 million us- trict court in Washington DC President Donald Trump and Singapore. issued a temporary injunction ers in the United States and comes more than a month af- signed an executive order on The latest order follows an stopping the US from banning 700 million worldwide. ter a similar decision in Penn- August 6 giving Americans 45 October 30 ruling by a federal downloads of the app, which Washington is in a tense sylvania. days to stop doing business court in Pennsylvania which he said would cause “irrepa- trade battle with Beijing, and Nichols said TikTok’s law- with ByteDance -- effectively issued a temporary injunction rable harm” to TikTok, but he Trump’s administration has yers had demonstrated that setting a deadline for a sale of blocking Trump’s ban. A US judge has said that TikTok’s lawyers had demonstrated that the refused to rule on its total ban stepped up warnings about the Commerce Department the app to a US company. After a complaint from Commerce Department likely overstepped its authority by seeking to in the United States. China’s growing economic and likely overstepped its author- Trump’s order said the ac- three TikTok content creators, ban the popular social media app. TikTok has a further fight military power. JD.com health Airbnb, DoorDash lead ‘unicorn arm rockets 75% on HK debut parade’ ending the hot IPO year AFP after the company’s parent Hong Kong raised around $4 billion in the city in June. The medical arm of Chinese The listing of the Bei- e-commerce giant JD.com jing-based subsidiary could soared 75 percent on its de- also raise that much if banks but in Hong Kongon Tues- execute an option for addi- day, valuing the company tional stock. at $50 billion, as investors JD’s June sale came bank on the pandemic boom around the same time as in digital health services. another tech firm, NetEase, While the coronavirus raised $2.7 billion and fol- has left national health ser- lowed Beijing-Shanghai vices stretched, demand for High Speed Railway’s $4.3 digital healthcare providers billion listing in January. like JD Health grew on the However, the share back of the virus. market was dealt a blow last The company’s chief ex- month when Ant Group, the ecutive Xin Lijun said it has financial arm of Alibaba, “changed the entire (health) was forced to pull its world- industry” and pushed the record $35 billion listing company to accelerate its under pressure from Chi- listing in Hong Kong, the nese authorities. Airbnb and DoorDash are set to make their stock market debut this week, at a time when startups are tapping into a prime time to raise money in the public market while their biggest initial public offer- But Tuesday’s debut business models look promising and the market is eager for opportunities. ing in the financial hub this performance by JD Health, year. the first big tech offering as big data analytics group ceries has boomed during the cording to New Constructs. The company, China’s since Ant’s IPO was shelved, The startups are Palantir and cloud storage firm 420 IPOs pandemic, with restaurants The research firm said largest online healthcare showed Hong Kong remains poised to take Snowflake earlier this year. offering no or limited dine-in Airbnb “has a plausible path platform and retail pharma- an attractive location for There have been 420 initial ● There have been 420 options and people fearful of to profitability and growth” if cy, raised HK$26.5 billion listings. advantage of a public offerings (IPOs) on US initial public offerings exposure to COVID-19. it can contain costs while ex- ($3.41 billion) in the sale and “It’s a sign of how the market hungry for markets so far this year, some (IPOs) on US markets so San Francisco-based Door- panding its global footprint. with demand for the firm centre of finance is shifting 88 percent more that at this far this year, some 88 Dash, which competes with The vacation rental plat- outpacing supply its share to the East in a big way,” young businesses point a year earlier, according percent more that at this GrubHub and Uber Eats, oper- form, expected to hit the mar- price spiked at HK$123.90 Brian Tycango, analyst at to StockAnalysis.com. point a year earlier, ates a leading online platform ket Thursday, has fared better -- compared with its offer Stansberry Research, wrote AFP Companies have raised connecting people ordering than travel industry peers with price of HK$70.58 -- briefly on Twitter of the market San Francisco some $144.8 billion overall according to StockAnalysis. food with those willing to de- its home-sharing platform of- giving it a valuation of $50 capital added to the Hong going public in US markets com. liver it. fering more appeal during the billion. Kong Exchange. Airbnb and DoorDash make this year, the most by far in ● Companies have raised Some analysts are skeptical pandemic. However, it later eased Chinese tech companies their stock market debut this the past 25 years, according to of the latest round of IPOs at A key question is whether slightly to end up 56 percent are increasingly looking to week as part of a “unicorn pa- Dealogic. some $144.8 billion overall current valuations. these emerging firms repre- at HK$110.00. move into digital healthcare rade” capping a busy year for “You are seeing some of going public in US markets Investment research firm sent the future or are just a Xin described the tel- after months of lockdowns hot startups going public. the strongest tech companies this year, the most by far in New Constructs chief execu- flash in the pan.A strong stock emedicine company’s list- caused by the coronavirus The startups known as of the last five to seven years the past 25 years, tive David Trainer warned in- market could bring out more ing as a “new starting point” pandemic, which emerged in unicorns -- valued in the bil- come public, like Palantir,” according to Dealogic. vestors about the DoorDash IPOs including from the online in healthcare, adding that central China late last year. lions -- are poised to take ad- Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told market debut, branding it “ri- financial groups such as Rob- the firm aims to provide The health arm of vantage of a market hungry for AFP. “It has definitely been a while the iron is hot, because diculous.” inhood and SoFi. “convenient and accessi- JD.com’s rival Alibaba has young businesses promising strong year for IPOs.” there is going to be a market Trainer argued that the Some analysts say the ble” medical services after more than doubled in valu- fast growth, with some taking Appetite is particularly correction,” said analyst Rob DoorDash offering “holds no pandemic has distorted the a challenging year in the ation in Hong Kong while advantage of lifestyle changes strong for “secular growth Enderle of Enderle group. value... beyond bailing out economy and that it’s too soon health sector. personalised health com- due to the pandemic. stories” in sectors such as e- “You want to do an IPO private investors before unsus- to know how these emerging As China’s coronavi- pany Ping An Good Doctor This week’s big initial pub- commerce, cybersecurity, and and get your money before that pecting public investors realize firms will fare. rus outbreak peaked in has surged in value by more lic offerings (IPOs) include cloud computing, Ives noted. happens.” the business is not viable in its “How long will the party early 2020, the subsidiary than 50 percent during the food-delivery service Door- DoorDash could see a valu- current form.” last? No one knows,” said Char- of JD.com offered free on- pandemic. Dash, which has seen a surge Growth opportunities ation of some $35 billion with lie Bilello of Compound Advi- line consultations, attract- Online health services during COVID-19 restrictions, Startups are tapping into a its listing, up from $16 billion Travel rebound? sors in a research note, adding ing tens of thousands of can help plug holes in Chi- to be followed by home-shar- prime time to raise money in in a private funding round in Airbnb, on the other had, that “IPO fever (is) as hot as it’s patients a day and helping na’s health system, where ing platform Airbnb and e- the public market while their June. which has seen its business been since 1999-2000.” stem the wave of people who smaller cities and rural ar- commerce operation Wish. business models look prom- Renaissance Capital said crushed along with the rest of “While there are certainly may have sought to attend a eas are not very well covered Firms going public with ising and the market is eager of the DoorDash IPO that the the travel industry, promises parallels to manias of the past, hospital. by the country’s best medi- lofty valuations, some in the for opportunities, according to “December unicorn IPO pa- to be a better bet once people 2020 has taught us once again The share sale comes cal professionals. tens of billions, have been con- analysts. rade begins.” around the world return to va- that every time is different,” he centrated in technology, such “It is a case of striking Delivery of meals and gro- cationing and adventures, ac- noted. WhatsApp adds virtual shopping Japan approves $700 bn stimulus carts in fresh e-commerce push AFP for new growth, to protect designed to support projects Tokyo people’s livelihoods as well as from renewable energy devel- AFP messaging businesses that maintaining employment and opment to pollution reduction. San Francisco typically sell multiple items Japan’s government on keeping businesses going,” In October, Suga set a at once, like a local restaurant Tuesday approved more than Suga said. 2050 deadline for Japan to be- WhatsApp on Tuesday or clothing store,” WhatsApp $700 billion in fresh stimulus Japan officiallyexited re- come carbon neutral, signifi- added virtual shopping carts said. to fund projects from anti- cession last month after three Suga’s first cantly firming up the country’s people can load with pur- “People can browse a cat- coronavirus measures to green quarters of contraction, and JJapan’s latest package, worth climate change commitments. chases and then use to fire off alog, select multiple products tech, the country’s third such hopes to cement its recov- 73.6 trillion yen ($708 billion), Yasutoshi Nishimura, the orders to businesses as the and send the order as one package this financial year. ery with the latest spending includes loan schemes and minister in charge of fiscal Facebook-owned messaging message to the business.” The COVID-19 pandemic -- which follows two previous actual government spending policy, said the government service pushed deeper into e- The carts feature went live has wrought global economic packages this year each worth of around 40 trillion yen. It is aims to return the economy to commerce. globally at WhatsApp. carnage and countries across around 117 trillion yen. the first stimulus spending pre-pandemic levels within the More than 175 million More than 175 million people Addition of the feature the world have announced The new package includes next financial year. people contact businesses via contact businesses via What- came less than a month after massive cash injections. financial support for medical Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga “It is all the more impor- WhatsApp daily, according sApp daily and the new feature Facebook announced a deal Japan’s latest package, institutions and facilities for has announced since taking tant to put (the economy) on a to the service, and the new is aimed at making it easier to buy Kustomer, a five-year- worth 73.6 trillion yen ($708 the elderly, and subsidies to office in September, and growth path by strengthening feature is aimed at making it for them to use the service for old startup specializing in billion), includes loan schemes continue a controversial do- comes as Japan faces a spike new fields such as green and easier for them to use the ser- holiday shopping. helping businesses interact and actual government spend- mestic travel scheme support- in COVID-19 infections, with digital,” he said. vice for holiday shopping. with customers online. ing of around 40 trillion yen. ing tourism-dependent busi- record numbers of new cases Capital Economics said “WhatsApp is fast becom- ers browse online catalogs Facebook has been stead- It is the first stimulus nesses. reported in recent weeks. Japan’s “latest fiscal arrow ing a store counter to discuss from shops. ily weaving e-commerce into spending Prime Minister While Japan has seen should help ensure a strong re- products and coordinate The addition of a “carts” offerings, particularly its Yoshihide Suga has announced a relatively small coronavi- covery next year”. sales,” the service said in a feature lets people combine WhatsApp and Messenger since taking office inS eptem- rus outbreak overall -- with minister also ordered military It forecast the country’s blog post. multiple items into a single messaging services. ber, and comes as Japan faces 163,929 confirmed cases and nurses to be sent to a city in the economy will rebound by 3.7 “With more and more ordered set via WhatsApp The Kustomer platform a spike in COVID-19 infections, 2,382 deaths -- there has been northern Hokkaido region that percent in 2021 and to get back shopping happening through instead of tending to transac- provides software tools to with record numbers of new a sharp rise in infections, and is facing a severe shortage of to pre-virus levels by the third chats, we want to make buy- tions separately, according to help business representatives cases reported in recent weeks. doctors have warned that hos- medical staff. quarter next year -- “sooner ing and selling even easier.” the service. better tend to customer que- “We drew up (the stimu- pitals could be overwhelmed. The package also features than the US and much sooner WhatsApp already let us- “Carts are great when ries or concerns. lus package) to pave the way On Tuesday the defence a $20 billion green tech fund than the Eurozone.” Economy & Business Wednesday, December 9, 2020 11 Australia to force Google, FB to pay Post-pandemic stimulus for news content aid brings climate risks AFP also watered down. Sydney Frydenberg said the tech giants will now be required to Around $12.8 trillion has been pledged to help companies and households recover from the crisis Facebook and Google could notify media companies only be required to pay news out- when “conscious changes” to lets for their content in “world algorithms would have a “sig- first” legislation set to be in- nificant impact” on search troduced to Australia’s parlia- rankings, with 14 days’ notice ment on Wednesday. rather than the 28 days first In one of the most aggres- suggested. sive moves to check the power Australia initially pro- of the US digital giants, Can- posed a voluntary code of con- berra plans to compel the com- duct, but toughened its stance panies to pay media organisa- after deciding the “unequal tions when their platforms bargaining position” between host their content or face mil- traditional news media busi- lions of dollars in fines. nesses and digital platforms Treasurer Josh Fryden- would prevent fair deals being berg said the new rules, first struck. mooted in July, will be intro- Frydenberg said the two duced to parliament Wednes- sides would still be encour- day and are expected to come aged to reach commercial into effect next year. agreements but if that failed “This is a huge reform. This they would be sent to binding is a world first. And the world arbitration. is watching what happens here The initiative has been in Australia,” he said. closely watched around the The new media law will ap- globe, as news media world- ply to Facebook’s “News Feed” wide have suffered in an in- and Google searches. creasingly digital economy The firms will be required where advertising revenue is to compensate Australian me- overwhelmingly captured by dia outlets, including public big tech firms. broadcasters ABC and SBS, Facebook has warned it who were initially excluded could block users and media from plans. organisations in Australia The government has de- from sharing news stories if cided to exempt other popular the law comes into effect. platforms such as YouTube In a blog post in August, and Instagram from the rules. the company’s managing di- Measures to force trans- rector for Australia and New Polar Bears International shows a polar bear in Svalbard, Norway, in 2018. (BJ KIRSCHHOFFER/POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL/AFP) parency around the closely Zealand said the legislation guarded algorithms that tech “misunderstands the dynam- AFP funding of fossil fuel opera- allocated around $70 billion to in any rational recovery plan,” firms use to rank content were ics of the internet.” Paris tions, and $151 billion in re- fossil fuel activities, the policy UN Secretary General Antonio newable energy. tracker says. Guterres told Chinese univer- Enormous stimulus pack- Other issues that compli- This large-scale stimulus That said, crumbling pub- sity students in July. ages to boost post-pandemic cate matters include regulato- spending will shape the lic transport is also tipped to China has pledged to growth could worsen global ry, fiscal and monetary meas- receive $26 billion in aid. achieve net zero carbon diox- warming with huge invest- ures that can contradict each global economy for decades But of a total $3 trillion in ide emissions by 2060. Real estate deals ments in fossil fuel activities, other. to come. These decisions spending, just one percent is Jaeger said that a five-year an international group of re- In Canada, for example, could trigger unbearable for environmental operations, plan due out in 2021 would searchers has warned. money is to be allocated for climate disasters or create a the WRI says. give a better idea of where Chi- in Qatar in Nov Around $12.8 trillion has electric vehicle charging sta- resilient and safe economy There is nonetheless some na is headed, and also wants been pledged to help compa- tions and also to support oil powered by clean energy. hope, as the world’s second to study India’s next annual nies and households recover companies. biggest emitter of greenhouse budget. cross QR2.3 bn from the worldwide crisis, Germany plans to invest Energy Policy Tracker gases is now mulling a new “There’s still time for gov- with the G20 group of ad- one billion euros ($1.2 billion) plan. ernments to change or ad- QNA of Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al vanced economies accounting in electric vehicles and just as President-elect Joe Biden just,” he said. “We have more Doha Wakrah were the most ac- for about $11 trillion of that much to renovate diesel-burn- national Energy Agency notes has pledged to spend $2 tril- momentum for climate action tive municipalities for real figure. ing lorries. that only four out of 30 carri- lion over four years on low- than we had in years” owing to The volume of real estate estate areas traded during That is roughly three times India has unveiled support ers that are to receive aid must carbon infrastructure, for ex- the US presidential election, transaction in sales contracts the month of November. more than what was promised for coal and methanol projects meet environmental condi- ample. plans for carbon neutrality registered with the real es- Al Wakrah was 31 percent, following the global economic along with funds for electric tions. “What Biden will do de- from Japan and South Korea, tate registration department Al-Rayyan 20 percent, and crisis in 2008. vehicles. The IEA called that “a pends on Congress,” where and a boom in renewable en- at Qatar’s Ministry of Justice Doha 19 percent municipal- “This large-scale stimu- Vivid Economics, an ad- missed opportunity”. the balance of power depends ergy. during the month of Novem- ity. lus spending will shape the visory group, has studied 23 on the result of elections for Michel Fredeau, an en- ber of this year amounted to In terms of transac- global economy for decades economic stimulus plans. Climate dynamics two senators from Georgia in ergy specialist at the Boston QR2.383 billion. tions carried out in the to come,” according to the En- Only five countries or re- The United Nations has January, Jaeger said. Biden Consulting Group (BCG), said The data of the analyti- Pearl and Al Gassar areas, ergy Policy Tracker, a group of gions presented plans that had also voiced concern, notably will also have some direct say continued reliance on fossil cal real estate bulletin issued the total number of sales institutes that compiles data positive effects for the climate in the Production Gap Report over reforms such as new vehi- fuels was “a short-term reac- by the Ministry of Justice and purchases last month on post-Covid public finance in its view -- Britain, the Euro- issued by its environment pro- cle emissions standards. tion to a global event”, and showed that 504 real estate were138 with a total value of for energy. pean Union, France, Germa- gramme UNEP. underscored progress made deals were registered during QR320.75 million. “These decisions could ny, and Spain. “Government responses No place for coal since the Paris Agreement on the month. Data show that real es- trigger unbearable climate One-third of the EU’s un- to the COVID-19 crisis have Meanwhile China, the climate change. The municipalities of tate trading in November disasters or create a resilient precedented 750-billion-euro tended to intensify patterns world’s top emitter of green- “We cannot invest more to Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al continues its steady growth, and safe economy powered by stimulus plan is slated to go to that existed prior to the pan- house gases, approved con- do the same thing,” Fredeau Wakrah topped the most boosted by new laws related clean energy,” the group said. environmental projects. demic,” the report noted. struction of 17 gigawatts of said. active transactions in terms to real estate brokerage and The project’s partners in- “Most countries are not “Jurisdictions that already coal-powered generating sta- Investors have gotten the of financial value. Doha had laws attracting local and for- clude Columbia University seizing opportunities for cli- heavily subsidized the pro- tions in the first half of this message and are bringing transactions in excess of eign capital. in New York, the Stockholm mate friendly recovery,” said duction of fossil fuels have year, more than in 2018 and pressure to deal with the risks, QR1.4 billion, compared to The data also confirm Environment Institute, The Joel Jaeger, a researcher at increased this support, while 2019 combined, according to he said. QR490 million and QR356 the strength and durability International Institute for the World Resources Institute those with stronger commit- the Centre for Research on “Companies are aware of million for Al Rayyan and Al of the foundations of the Qa- Sustainable Development, and (WRI). ments to a transition to clean Energy and Clean Air (CREA). the need to move towards a Wakrah respectively. tari economy and the contin- I4CE (Institute for Climate “More support is going to energy are now using stimulus Based on official US fig- sustainable model. And states In terms of the traded ued growth of the real estate Economics). high-carbon activities than to and recovery packages to ac- ures, that would be the rough will necessarily be influenced, areas index, the indicators sector as one of its main They calculate that G20 low-carbon activities.” celerate this shift.” equivalent of 7,000 utility- because they know that their show that the municipalities components. countries have announced at A prime example is sup- The US administration of scale wind turbines. future economies will depend least $234 billion in public port for airlines, as the Inter- President Donald Trump has “Coal should have no place on it.”

Reptilian opposition South African economy Lizards, snakes block construction on Tesla’s Berlin plant rebounds in third quarter AFP of protected species of sand the site. AFP coronavirus cases, with almost Frankfurt lizards and smooth snakes in Tesla’s first site in Pretoria 820,000 confirmed infections the area, or disturbing them Europe still only has provi- out of 2.3 million across the US automaker Tesla was during their winter hiberna- sional construction permits, South Africa’s economy continent. Leaders imposed a forced to suspend forest tion. and has been authorised by bounced back strongly in the strict lockdown on March 27, clearing for a new German “Tesla cannot and must local officials to begin work third quarter from a slump in- aimed at controlling the virus’ plant Tuesday after environ- not place itself above the at its own risk, pending final flicted by the coronavirus pan- spread but which also hobbled mentalists won an injunc- law,” said Heinz Herwig authorisation. demic, official data showed the economy. The government tion over threats to the Mascher, chairman of the Tesla said the land cov- Tuesday. started to gradually loosen habitats of resident lizards Green League in Branden- ered under the latest injunc- Gross domestic product restrictions as new infections and snakes. burg, in a statement. tion must be cleared to allow (GDP) in Africa’s second-larg- slowed during the third quar- The electric vehicle giant Despite the energy- for pipelines and storage, ac- est economy expanded 13.5 ter, allowing economic activity ran into opposition from two saving image of Tesla, run cording to the Tagesspiegel percent quarter-on-quarter in to start picking back up. nature conservation groups by eccentric billionaire Elon newspaper. July-September, “largely as Manufacturing, trade and which launched urgent court Musk, the plant has long Last week, Tesla was a result of the easing of Cov- mining were “the biggest driv- action against the felling been in environmentalists’ allowed to start installing id-19 lockdown restrictions,” ers of growth in the third quar- of 83 hectares (205 acres) Despite the energy-saving image of Tesla, run by Elon Musk, the crosshairs. machines in the gigafactory’s statistics agency StatSA said ter,” the statisticians said, con- of pine trees for its huge German plant has long been in environmentalists’ crosshairs. In February, a court tem- paintshop, with the vast in a statement. The previous tributing 16.2, 14.6 and 11.8 “gigafactory” plant at Gruen- porarily halted deforestation factory planned to churn out three months had brought a percentage points respectively heide, south of Berlin. Oder told AFP it issued an the complaint filed by the work over the alleged impact 500,000 Model 3 sedans 16.6-percent contraction. to GDP growth. The news risks delaying interim injunction Monday Brandenburg state chapter on wildlife and concerns it and Model Y SUVs per year. In annualised terms, the “Despite the rebound, the the company’s hopes to roll “imposing a temporary halt of the Nature and Biodi- might harm the drinking Musk recently an- statistics agency’s preferred economy is still 5.8 percent its first electric cars off the to clearing” to allow for an versity Conservation Union water supply. nounced the company was measure, third-quarter growth smaller than it was at the end assembly line at the site in examination of the case “in (NABU) and Green League Work was also stopped looking to build the world’s reached 66.1 percent, after of 2019,” StatSA added. July 2021. view of the rapid progress of is still pending. earlier this year as authori- largest battery factory at falling back by 51.7 percent in The UN forecasts that it will The administrative the clearing work”. Among the concerns was ties defused seven World Gruenheide alongside the April-June. take around five years for South court in Frankfurt an der A final decision on the destruction of habitats War II bombs discovered at car plant. To this day, South Africa Africa’s economic activity to re- accounts for most African turn to pre-pandemic levels. Australia fight off Blazing Virat Kohli to win final T20I in Sydney WEDNESday, DECEMBER 9, 2020 page 14 Qatar invited to participate in Euro World Cup 2022 qualifying QNA/TNN teams provides our national Doha team with an excellent foun- dation as we continue our The Union of European Foot- journey of preparation ahead ball Associations (UEFA) has of 2022.” invited Qatar to participate His Excellency added: in FIFA World Cup Qatar “Our squad has made major 2022 qualifying campaign, in strides in recent years, includ- a move that reflects Doha’s ing winning the AFC Asian position on the international Cup in 2019, and we are de- sports scene. termined to showcase the The Asian champions progress we’ve made and the will join Group A – alongside talent our country possesses UEFA Euro 2016 winners when we host the first FIFA Portugal, Serbia, Republic of World Cup in the Middle East Ireland, Luxembourg, and and Arab World in 2022.” Azerbaijan. Apart from playing in the Qatar will play their World Cup qualifying match- ‘home’ fixtures onE uropean es in Europe, Qatar will also soil in order to facilitate short- be participating in the Copa er travel times for their group America and CONCACAF opponents. Gold Cup next summer. As the FIFA World Cup Qatar has benn invited to 2022 host nation, Qatar has play the Copa America from already qualified for the tour- June 11-July 10 as part of a nament and therefore their group with co-hosts Colom- results will not count towards bia as well as Brazil, Ecuador, the final standings in EU FA Peru and Venezuela. qualifying. The Qatar team will be in HE President of Qatar the United States for the July Football Association (QFA) 10-Aug. 1 for CONCACAF Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Gold Cup, the championship Ahmed Al-Thani said, “We of North and Central America are delighted that Qatar will and the Caribbean. participate in UEFA qualify- Qatar, who are the reign- ing matches for the next FIFA ing Asian Cup champions World Cup, which our country having won title in 2019 beat- is proud to be hosting. ing Japan is the final, are Asian champions Qatar will be joining Group A – alongside UEFA Euro 2016 winners Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, and Azerbaijan – in the Euro FIFA World Cup “Playing matches in currently 59th in the FIFA 2022 qualifying and playing their ‘home’ fixtures on European soil in order to facilitate shorter travel times for their group opponents. Group A against high-quality world rankings. European giants bullish ahead MME team visits Al Thumama and Al Janoub stadiums to measure air quality of long road to Qatar 2022 QNA Doha

DPA Diario AS concluded of The technical team at the De- Berlin FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 offers 13 berths to the pool which also contains partment of Monitoring and European Nations and the coaches of top nations were Greece and Kosovo: “The fact Environmental Laboratory of The European path to Doha that Kosovo came out as the the Ministry of Municipality and World Cup finals glory in confident mood after the qualifying draw was made. fifth team makes the group and Environment (MME) paid in 2022 was determined by more difficult but in principle a field visit to Al Thumama football’s ruling body FIFA on teams in pot 2, although it’s “Time will tell whether that Spain is superior to all the oth- and Al Janoub stadiums, both Monday and nations such as good that they are nearby and is a help or a hindrance. The er sides in the group.” World Cup 2022 venues. holders France and top-ranked it’ll be a short trip.” Qualifiers risk is thinking that you’re bet- Germany coach Joachim The visit is within the Belgium are feeling confident begin with a triple-header in ter than the rest of the group.” Loew voiced confidence framework of cooperation with about their chances. March while in the hectic year Previous holders Spain and against Romania, Iceland, the Supreme Committee for De- But with only the 10 group affected by the coronavirus, Germany both learned the hard North Macedonia, Armenia livery and Legacy (SC) and aims winners securing qualifica- Italy will also meet Switzerland way about complacency as they and Liechtenstein in Group to enhance air quality monitor- tion to the finals in Qatar, in Rome at the delayed Euro exited their titles defences at J but also sounded a note ing in the areas of the World A lobby inside the state-of-the-art Al Janoub Stadium which is one one even the strongest countries 2020 in summer. the group stage of the finals in of caution. Cup stadiums and ensure the of the sight venues for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. (Pic: SC) will be aware they have little And Italy must also aim to 2014 and 2018. “Iceland have made a highest standards of ambient margin for error - as Italy dis- peak in the Nations League fi- Spain see Sweden as their name for themselves at major air during the World Cup 2022. ity in the country, especially in pected to be completed in all covered when missing out on nals they host in October when big rivals in Group B and coach tournaments in recent years, It comes within the frame- places of sport activities, events stadiums during 2021. Russia 2018. they welcome Spain, Belgium Luis Enrique was not thrilled and there’s always a good work of strengthening cooper- and international tournaments, The visit comes within the “Italy: it’s easy but...” daily and France to Turin and Milan, for a repeat of their Euro 2020 atmosphere wherever they ation between the SC and the particularly the FIFA World efforts made between the Min- newspaper La Gazzetta dello before qualifying concludes in qualifying ties: “We get Sweden play,” he said. MME, especially in the field Cup Qatar 2022. istry and State institutions to Sport headlined with La Nazi- November. again in the group and we are “Romania have a very of measuring air quality in the The Ministry’s team also preserve the environment in onale put in Group C along with Holders France are in not too amused by it but then I young team from what I know, areas around the World Cup visited Al Janoub stadium in general and air quality in par- Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Group D with Ukraine, Fin- suppose Sweden feel the same with players who really stood stadiums. Al Wakra to determine the best ticular. Bulgaria and Lithuania. land, Bosnia, Kazakhstan. way. out at the most recent Euro- A team of researchers and location for installing an air It is part of a series of visits “I believe it’ll be a battle “France are the favourites “We met them in the Eu- pean U-21 championships, experts from the Department quality monitoring station. The to determine the distribution between ourselves and Swit- but we’ll need to do the busi- ropean qualifiers and itwas where they faced Germany in undertook a field tour inside Al Ministry will install the first sta- of a network of monitoring sta- zerland, who could have eas- ness out on the pitch,” said anything but easy but that’s the semi-final.” Kicker maga- Thumama stadium to identify tion for monitoring air quality tions in places chosen according ily been among the top seeds,” coach Didier Deschamps. no excuse, the team has to be zine and other German me- options available to select and at Al Janoub Stadium as part to the best standards as part of the Azzurri coach Roberto “We’re the top seeds so obvi- ready to play a good qualifica- dia agreed it was a “feasible” create a suitable site for install- of the Department’s plan to en- the projects of the Ministry’s Mancini said. ously we’re supposed to be the tion campaign to reach another group to progress from. ing the Ministry’s stations for hance monitoring of air quality strategic plan 2018-2022 to “They were one of the best best team. World Cup finals.” World number one Bel- monitoring ambient air quality in the country and around the monitor air quality. gium were given Czech in cooperation with the SC, with stadiums as well in preparation It is also within the second Republic, Belarus and Estonia the aim of enhancing ambient for the upcoming sports tourna- national strategy for manag- in Group E along with Wales, air quality monitoring and con- ments and the World Cup 2022. ing air quality and ensuring who knocked them out of trol and ensuring the best inter- The installation of air qual- the preservation of ambient air Euro 2016. national standards for air qual- ity monitoring stations is ex- quality in the country. “The match against Wales will be really fun to prepare for from an emotional point of view,” said coach Roberto Martinez. “On the pitch though, that will be two really tough games.” And England will also look to continue their strong form when given Poland, yet again, in qualifying as they did ahead of the 1974, 1990, 1994, 2006 and 2014 World Cups. “There is a great his- tory with that fixture,” said England manager Gareth Southgate. “There was a spell when we seemed to draw them all the time.” Group I also contains The FIFA World Cup trophy displayed on stage during the UEFA preliminary draw for the FIFA World Cup Hungary along with Albania, An inside view of the Al Thumama Stadium which is nearing completion ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in the Hallenstadion in Zurich on Monday. The qualifyers will start on March 24, 2021. (AFP) Andorra and San Marino. 2022. (Pic: SC) Sports Wednesday, December 9, 2020 13 Al Sailiya shock Duhail as Al Sadd continue winning run; Al Arabi hold Al Rayyan 1-1

Tribune News Network Doha

In a stunning reversal Al Saili- ya shocked defending champi- ons Al Duhail 2-1 for their only third win in eight matches of the QNB Stars League at the Al Duhail Stadium on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Al Sadd contin- ued their winning streak with a resounding 4-1 win over Al Wakrah at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. This was the Wolves’ fifth successive win (7th overall) in the league where they have only drawn one game and lost none and are at the top of the table with 22 points. In another thrilling clash of the day, Al Arabi held Al Rayyan 1-1 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. It was, however, the good show of Al Sailiya who rode on goals from Mohanad Ali (20th Al Sailiya players celebrate one of their two goals against Al Duhail in their Week 8 clash of the QNB Al Sadd players rejoice after their third goal against Al Wakrah during their QNB Stars League match at minute) and Serigne Mbodji Stars League at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday. the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday. (38th minute) to edge their fan- cied rivals for their third win. er’s sixth goal of the season. QNB Stars League standings turing teams with perhaps the Al Duhail’s late goal came Al Sailiya jumped to a 2-0 Results largest fan base in Qatar foot- through Eduardo Rodrigues lead with a well-placed header Club MP W L D GF GA GD Pts Al Sailiya 2 (Mohanad Ali 20’, Kara Mbodji 38’) ball, Al Rayyan captain Yacine (Dudu) in stoppage time (90+4) by Mbodji off a corner kick by 1 Al Sadd 8 7 0 1 31 7 24 22 bt Al Duhail 1 (Dudu 90+4’) Brahimi produced a powerful and more of a consolation. Nadir Belhadj. The towering 2 Al Ahli 7 5 1 1 11 9 2 16 Al Arabi 1 (Abdulaziz Rashid Al Ansari 35’) shot from just outside the Al Al Sailiya now have 11 points Senegalese defender jumped 3 Al Gharafa 7 5 2 0 18 11 7 15 drew with Al Rayyan 1 (Abdulaziz Hatem 19’) Arabi box in the eighth minute, which places them on the sixth high over his marker and con- 4 Al Rayyan 8 3 2 3 10 7 3 12 Al Sadd 4 (Hassan Al Haydos 4’, Abdelkarim Hassan but the ball was deflected by spot on the table, while Al Du- nected well for his team’s sec- 5 Al Duhail 8 4 4 0 13 12 1 12 14’, Baghdad Bounedjah 71’, Akram Afif 77’) Aron Gunnarsson who lunged hail remain on 12 points follow- ond goal on the swinging cor- forward and thrust his leg in 6 Al Sailiya 8 3 3 2 11 14 -3 11 bt Al Wakrah 1 (Ousmane Coulibaly 69’) ing their fourth defeat. ner kick taken by Belhadj. the ball’s path. Al Arabi goal- The Red Knights would be In the 66th minute of 7 Al Wakrah 8 3 4 1 10 11 -1 10 Today’s Matches keeper Sataa Al Abbasi quickly rueing the loss of early chance what was a fast-paced match, 8 Qatar SC 7 3 4 0 7 7 0 9 snapped the shot that had lost 9 Al Arabi 8 1 4 3 9 17 -8 6 5.30pm: Umm Salal vs Al Kharaitiyat (at Hamad Bin to go up when Ramin Rezaein, Abdelrahman Mohamed of Khalifa Stadium) its sting by the deflection. stationed close to Al Sailiya Al Duhail nearly pulled off a 10 Al Kharaitiyat 7 2 5 0 6 17 -11 6 Abdulaziz Hatem opened goalmouth, swivelled in the goal, off a neat cross from Mo- 11 Al Khor 7 0 3 4 6 11 -5 4 7.45pm: Al Ahli vs Al Gharafa (at Hamad Bin Khalifa the scoring through a spec- presence of two markers, but hanad, but his deflection from 12 Umm Salal 7 1 5 1 3 12 -9 4 Stadium) tacular shot from outside the had little power on his shot to close range hit the post with Al 7.45pm: Qatar SC vs Al Khor (at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Arabi box. After receiving a score in just the third minute Sailiya keeper well beaten. (71st) and Akram Afif (77th) had it not been for bad luck. Stadium) short pass from the midfield, of the match when Al Duhail A minute later, Al Duhail’s scored for Al Sadd for their Akram Afif almost scored at he outpaced his marker Marc had already won two corners. substitute Mohammed Mun- seventh victory -- an unbeaten the stroke of half-time whistle Cristian Ceballos sent his shot tough for Al Wakrah. Martinez and unleashed a There was another close ac- tari also missed the target in record, the only team to do so as his chip shot hit the cross- wide of the target. Al Sadd could now afford to powerful left-footed drive that tion in the 11th minute when similar fashion, misdirecting thus far in the tournament. bar. This was after Al Haydous Al Wakrah lifted their rest some players and in came went through the palms of the Edmilson Junior, after receiv- his header from close range. Al Wakrah’s only goal chipped the ball over the bar. game in the second half and Musaab Khadir, Ahmed Bader goalkeeper and into the net. ing a short pass off a corner, In the dying seconds of came in the 69th minute in the Akram had a goal ruled out soon Boualem Khoukhi ef- Sayyar, Mohammed Waad and In the 35th minute, striker dribbled past an Al Sailiya de- the match, Eduardo tapped form of an own goal by Akram. for offside in the 41st minute. fected a goalline save off a shot Rodrigo Tabata. The scoreline Sebastian Soria helped Al Ara- fender and then unleashed a the ball into the net from The Wolves were in attack- Al Wakrah’s real chance from Ceballos. However, they remained the same. bi draw parity. Lurking inside powerful shot that beat keeper close range for Al Duhail’s ing mode from the start and came in the 45th minute, but could reduce the margin when the Al Rayyan box with a mark- Amine Lecomte with speed, but consolation goal. they cruised to an early lead, Lucas Mendes’ long-range Akram headed Ceballo’s free- Al Arabi hold Al Rayyan er close by, he back-heeled a missed the crossbar by whisker. with Al Haydous finding the shot crashed against the right kick into his own goal even Abdulaziz Al Ansari’ strike short cross to an unmarked Al Al Sailiya then turned No stopping Al Sadd target with a placing shot off upright and Mohamed Beny- as Ousmane Coulibaly too in the 35th minute saw Al Ara- Ansari who fired a right-footed on the screws with their first Guided by coach Xavi Her- an assist from Abdelkarim. ettou was off-target with the jumped high for the ball. bi hold Al Rayyan to a 1-1 draw. drive into the top of Al Rayyan proper attack in the 20th min- nandez, Al Sadd continued The left-back then turned rebound. But Al Sadd were unre- Abdulaziz Hatem had ear- net, leaving keeper Fahad You- ute as Mohanad pounced on with their winning ways drub- the taker of a goal with a long The Blue Wave had two lenting and added two quick lier scored for Al Rayyan and Al nis rooted to his spot. a loose deflection following a bing Al Wahrah with ease. shot, with Santi Cazorla set- other opportunities. Murad goals. Bounedjah found the Arabi in the 19th minute. It was The second half failed corner kick and slipped in the Hassan Al Haydous (3rd ting him up. Naji’s free-kick was stabbed mark with almost a solo effort draw No.3 for both the sides. to produce another goal and ball past keeper Mohammed minute), Abdelkarim Hassan Al Sadd dominated the ri- out by Al Sadd goalkeeper and then Akram deflected in After a cagey start to the the teams settled for yet an- Al Bakri. It was the Iraqi strik- (14th), Baghdad Bounedjah vals and could have scored more Meshaal Essa barshim and Abdelkarim’s cross to make it week’s signature match fea- other draw.

2020 AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (EAST) Knockout stage draw throws up epic clashes

AFC difficult match and we need Doha to give our best. It is fair that both teams have had the same The road to 2020 AFC Cham- amount of rest, so we can both pions League glory is a little show a good game hopefully.” clearer for the four remaining The view is shared by head East zone contenders, who coach Park Kun-ha of Suwon discovered their quarter-final Samsung Bluewings, who opponents in the knockout reached the quarter-finals af- stage draw at Education City ter fighting back from going a Stadium on Tuesday. goal behind to defeat Japan’s Borussia Dortmund’s German forward Youssoufa Moukoko (left) and Ulsan Hyundai FC were Yokohama F. Marinos 3-2 on Zenit St. Petersburg’s Russian defender Danila Prokhin vie for the ball drawn to play Beijing FC in Monday as they set their eyes during the UEFA Champions League match at the Saint Petersburg the first of quarter-finals, while on reaching the last four stage, Stadium (Gazprom Arena) in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday. (AFP) Vissel Kobe will meet Suwon having last done so in 2018. Samsung Bluewings, with both The Korean club have matches to be held at the state- twice been crowned kings of 16-yr-old Moukouko of-the-art Al Janoub Stadium. Asia, having won back-to-back The quarter-final winners ter-finals for the first time. Korea Republic’s Ulsan said Kim. Asian Club Championships in will then do battle in Sunday’s Head coach Bruno Gen- Hyundai have also been in Japan’s Vissel Kobe will 2000-01 and 2001-02. makes CL history AFC Champions League (East) esio believes the team need impressive form in the AFC also be in uncharted territory “We have already played semi-final, also at Al Janoub to look inwards ahead of their Champions League as they as they marked their debut against them in the group Stadium, with the successful quarter-final clash with 2012 have a six-match winning AFC Champions League cam- stage so we both know each as Dortmund win club to advance to the final champions Ulsan Hyundai. streak since touching down in paign by beating China PR’s other’s style and qualities,” against Iran’s Persepolis FC, “I think at this level of Doha, advancing to the quar- Shanghai SIPG to advance to said Park. DPA netted from the penalty spot. who confirmed their place in the competition, we had no ter-finals for the first since the quarter-finals. Unlike previous editions Berlin A red card for Brugge’s Ed- the west zone in October. particular preference as to winning the title in 2012. One aspect that will feel fa- of the competition, the 2020 uard Sobol for a second book- China PR’s Beijing FC, which team we wanted to But head coach Kim Do- miliar to head coach Atsuhiro AFC Champions League quar- Youssoufa Moukoko be- able offence shortly before the having set a club record of a face,” said Genesio. hoon finds himself facing Miura is their quarterfinal op- ter-finals will be played as a came the youngest player in interval didn’t make their job seven-match unbeaten run by “All teams that have pro- another in-form team in ponents. “Any team we get single match. Champions League history as any easier, but Hans Vanaken beating FC Tokyo to end a se- gressed from the group stage Beijing FC. would have been a tough op- The remaining matches Borussia Dortmund beat Zenit gave them hope with a 76th- quence of Round of 16 defeats are really good teams. So, all “Beijing FC are a good ponent at this stage, but we al- will also feature the VAR (Vid- St Petersburg 2-1 to secure top minute equaliser. in 2010, 2013, and 2015, will matches will be 50-50, we just team and we need to prepare ready played Suwon two times eo Assistant Referee) system, spot in Group F on Tuesday, Charles de Ketelaere could now target a semi-final berth need to prepare, focus on our well to face them and do our in the competition,” said Miura. having also been used at the while Lazio drew 2-2 with 10- have put the Belgian side into after sealing a spot in the quar- own team and play our game.” best in the quarter-finals,” “I still think it will be a same stage in the West Zone. man Club Brugge. the last 16 for the first time in Axel Witsel struck for Dort- injury time, but his effort hit the mund after Lukasz Piszczek woodwork. Instead, Lazio go cancelled out Sebastian Drius- through for the first time in Washington Football Team stun undefeated Pittsburgh in NFL shocker si’s opener in Russia. Moukoko 21 years as runners-up be- came on in the second-half at hind Dortmund, while Brugge Washington: Alex Smith threw Washington’s Dustin Hopkins to seal the shocking victory. and win, it was big for our guys. consecutive game to match the the age of 16 years and 18 days, will drop down to the Europa for 296 yards and a touchdown kicked a 45-yard field goal with “It was well earned. Our guys Real proud of them.” New York Giants for the NFC breaking Celestine Babayaro’s League after finishing third. Monday, and the Washington 2:07 to play and – after Jon played pretty doggone good,” Rallying from a 14-point defi- East division lead. record in the process. A further six games take Football Team stunned previous- Bostic intercepted a deflected Washington coach Ron Rivera cit, the team that dropped its The only Super Bowl cham- In rainy Rome, Ruud place later this evening, in- ly unbeaten Pittsburgh 23-17, Ben Roethlisberger pass – said. “This really does rank right nickname this year over Native pion with an unbeaten season Vormer equalised following cluding RB Leipzig v Man- preventing the Steelers from added another 45-yard field up there because of who we American racism issues im- remains the Miami Dolphins in Angel Correa’s early goal in chester United and Barcelona clinching an NFL playoff berth. goal with 17 seconds remaining beat, in Pittsburgh. To come in proved to 5-7, winning its third the 1972 campaign. (AFP) Rome before Ciro Immobile v Juventus. 14 Wednesday, December 9, 2020 Sports Mini and Toyota teams top splendid Bajas field in Hail Tribune News Network Hail (Saudi Arabia) The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation Australia’s captain Aaron Finch (left) greets his India counterpart Fifty-four cars, one truck, (SAMF) announced Virat Kohli at the end of their three-match T20 cricket at the Sydney 27 motorcycles, 25 quads and impressive entries on Cricket Ground (SCG) on Tuesday. (AFP) 35 additional cars running Saturday and competitors in a National category will take part in the two Hail Ba- are now arriving in the jas that will run on December Kingdom from as far as Australia fight 10-12 and 14-16 as the fourth Russia, the European and fifth counting rounds for Union, Eastern Europe the 2020 FIA World Cup for and other countries in off blazing Kohli Cross-Country Bajas running the Middle East for the under the ‘Hail Rally Toyota two events through the 2020’ banner. The Saudi Automobile An Nafud desert. Two to win final T20I and Motorcycle Federation additional FIA entries will (SAMF) announced the im- join the field for the AFP pressive entry on Saturday and second of the Bajas. Sydney Scoreboard competitors are now arriving Australia in the Kingdom from as far Toyota Gazoo and Overdrive Racing have sent six cars to Hail as a final shakedown for the Dakar Rally. Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (seen Virat Kohli blasted 85 but M. Wade lbw b Thakur ������������������������������� 80 afield asR ussia, the European above) is a former winner of the Dakar and clinched victory in the Hail International Rally in 2008 and 2011. it wasn’t enough to prevent A. Finch c Pandya b Sundar ������������������������ 0 Union, Eastern Europe and Australia from fighting off a S. Smith b Sundar ������������������������������������� 22 other countries in the Middle T20 series sweep with a thrill- G. Maxwell b Natarajan ����������������������������� 54 East to tackle the two three- ing 12-run victory in the final M. Henriques not out ���������������������������������� 5 day events over challenging match in Sydney on Tuesday. D. Short run out (Kohli/Rahul) �������������������� 6 desert routes through the An D. Sams not out ������������������������������������������ 4 While Kohli was at the Extras: (lb1, nb1, w10) ���������������������������� 12 Nafud desert. Two additional crease in his imperious 61- Total: (For 5 wickets; 20 overs) �������������186 FIA entries will join the field ball knock, India had hopes of Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Finch), 2-79 (Smith), for the second of the Bajas. pulling off victory, but when 3-169 (Wade), 4-175 (Maxwell), 5-182 Russian driver Vladimir he fell to a sensational diving (Short). Vasilyev (Mini) and Dutchman outfield catch by DanielS ams Did not bat: S. Abbott, M. Swepson, A. Tye, A. Bernhard Ten Brinke (Toyota) 11 balls from the finish India’s Zampa. will be locked in a duel to de- hopes went with him. Bowling: Chahar 4-0-34-0 (1nb), Sundar cide the outcome of the Driv- Before a raucous crowd of 4-0-34-2 (1nb), Natarajan 4-0-33-1 (2nb), ers’ Championship, leaving Chahal 4-0-41-0 (2w 1nb), Thakur 4-0-43-1. over 30,000 – with attend- India the path clear for several of ance limits lifted in new COV- K.L. Rahul c Smith b Maxwell ���������������������� 0 the world’s top drivers to chal- ID-19 protocols by the New S. Dhawan c Sams b Swepson ����������������� 28 lenge for outright victories. South Wales state government V. Kohli c Sams b Tye �������������������������������� 85 Ten Brinke currently holds a Yazeed Al Rajhi is the defending Saudi Desert Rally Championship, Stephane Peterhansel and Andrea Peterhansel at the Rally Du Maroc – Australia set India a compet- S. Samson c Smith b Swepson ����������������� 10 1.5-point lead over his rival. having secured the title with Sharqiya Baja victory last December. in Erfoud, Morocco, in October, 2019. itive 187-run target to chase. S. Iyer lbw b Swepson ��������������������������������� 0 The Germany-based X- But India could not rep- H. Pandya c Finch b Zampa ���������������������� 20 raid team has sent four cars the Hail International Rally in countryman Miroslav Zapletal and Isuzu D-Max. drives the sole Mercedes truck licate their dynamic batting W. Sundar c Tye b Abbott ���������������������������� 7 to the event, which also offers 2008 and 2011. and the SRT Century Buggies of Six teams will compete for in the T5 category, while 35 S. Thakur not out ��������������������������������������� 17 at the Sydney Cricket Ground D. Chahar not out ���������������������������������������� 0 an ideal opportunity for teams He leads the way in a Saudi driver Yasir Seaidan and T3 glory: talented young Bel- Saudi crews and Kuwait’s two nights ago when they Extras: (b1, w6) ������������������������������������������ 7 to make a final shakedown of South African-built Toyota- Frenchman Mathieu Serradori. gian driver Guillaume de Me- Meshari Al Thefiri will tackle sealed the T20 series after Total: (For 7 wickets, 20 overs) �������������174 equipment before the Dakar Hilux and is supported by five Saudi drivers dominate vius leads the way in his South the National Rally that runs losing the preceding one-day Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Rahul), 2-74 (Dhawan), Rally in January. Overdrive Racing Hiluxes in the lower reaches of the entry Racing Can-Am Maverick X3 in conjunction with the FIA international series 2-1 to the 3-97 (Samson), 4-100 (Iyer), 5-144 Defending Dakar cham- the hands of the Dutch duo with 2020 Hail International and faces competition from event. Regular Saudi competi- home side. (Pandya), 6-151 (Kohli), 7-164 (Sundar). pion Carlos Sainz and French of Ten Brinke and Erik van Rally winner Saleh Alabdulali, local drivers Saleh Al-Saif, tors such as Faris Khalaf Al “At one stage when Hardik Did not bat: Y. Chahal, T. Natarajan. legend Stephane Peterhan- Loon, Poland’s Jakub Przy- Ahmed Al Shegawi, Khaled Al Ibrahim Bin Salamah and Ab- Moshna, Sami Al Shammeri, (Pandya) started going we Bowling: Maxwell 3-0-20-1 (1w), Abbott 4-0- sel lead the way in their Mini gonski and local hero Yazeed Feraihi and Essa Al Dossari dullah Al-Shegawi, Russian Ahmed Al Malki and Yayha 49-1 (1w), Sams 2-0-29-0 (1w), Tye 4-0-31-1 thought we could pull it off,” (1w), Swepson 4-0-23-3, Zampa 3-0-21-1. John Cooper Works Buggies. Al Rajhi with Frenchman Ro- keen to impress against such Vasily Gryazin and San Mari- Helawi will be hoping to earn Kohli said. Result: Australia won by 12 runs. They are joined in the X- nan Chabot joining the team a strong international field. no-based female driver Came- success over the two events. “The middle over phase Series: India 2-1; Toss: India. raid line-up by the Russian for the second event. There are also FIA entries for lia Liparoti. Baja Hail 1 will run over during our batting cost us the duo of Denis Krotov and Vik- A five-time former winner the Emirati driver Khaled Al Four Can-Am Maverick 592 competitive kilometres, game. A partnership of 30- nine in Maxwell’s next over in tor Khoroshavtsev in their re- of the Hail International Rally, Jafla and the Kuwaiti duo of X3s and a Yamaha YXZ 1000 while Baja Hail 2 offers 479 odd would’ve made it easier what could have been a major spective Mini All4 Racing and Al Rajhi is the defending Saudi Salem Al Dhafeeri and Mo- are entered in the T4 section. kilometres of competition and for Hardik. turning point. Mini JCW Rally. Desert Rally Championship, hammed Al Thefiri. Poland’s Aron Domzala leads both Bajas are taking place “We are finding ways to Sams took a superb diving Toyota Gazoo and Over- having secured the title with There is strength across the way from Dutchman Kees under the supervision of the come back and give the opposi- catch at the second grab in drive Racing have sent six cars victory at the Sharqiya Baja the FIA T2, T3 and T4 cat- Koolen, Portugal’s Lorenço Hail Regional Development tion a scare and the series win the deep to dismiss Shikhar to Hail as a final shakedown last December. egories as well, with 13 Saudi Rosa, Qatar’s Khalifa Al Atti- Authority in co-operation is a little asterisk for us to fin- Dhawan for 28 off leg-spin- for the Dakar Rally. Main competition to the X- teams aiming for success in yah (brother of Nasser Saleh with the General Authority for ish the 2020 season on a high.” ner Mitchell Swepson in the Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al At- raid and Toyota teams comes the T2 category for series pro- Al Attiyah) and Saudi Arabia’s Tourism and National Herit- Matthew Wade blasted his sixth over. tiyah is a former winner of the from the Czech former WRC duction cross-country vehicles Hamad Nasser. age and the General Authority highest T20 score and an event- Smith made amends for his Dakar and clinched victory in driver Martin Prokop, fellow like the trusty Nissan Patrol Ibrahim Al Mohanna for Sport. ful Glenn Maxwell half-century earlier costly fumble to catch lifted Australia to 186 for five Samson for 10 off Swepson after India had won the toss. and then pulled off an incred- Maxwell had a night out. ible leap over the ropes to pre- He survived two reviews, was vent a six off Kohli next ball. Turkish Airlines extends Ooredoo Ride of caught off a no-ball, had a six Swepson finished his fi- prevented by athletic Sanju nal over with the wicket of Samson fielding over the rope Shreyas Iyer, lbw for a first- and finished with three sixes ball duck to finish with three Champions Insta contest for Qatar residents before he was out for 54 off for 23. He was named man-of- 36 balls. the-match. winners will get their chance to visit the Wade put on 90 with Max- Sams had 20 runs taken Return tickets to Turkey destination of their choice in Turkey as an Ged Stokes, former NZ rugby well for the third wicket before off his second over, two sixes on offer to celebrate event added celebration for finishing the Oore- league international. (Pic: Twitter) he was leg before wicket to by Kohli and another one doo Ride of Champions. Shardul Thakur for 80 -- his from Pandya to rev up India’s urkish Airlines, sponsor and official The chance to win has been extended Ben Stokes’ highest T20 score -- off 53 balls run-rate. Tairline of the 2020 Ooredoo Ride of to all Qatar residents including partici- with seven fours and two sixes. India needed 43 runs off Champions, organised by Qatar Cyclists pants of this year’s event. “It was a great series, and the last three overs to win, but Center, as part of their support and to Contestants may register by visiting father dies after we just happened to be on the leg-spinner Adam Zampa cru- celebrate the 2020 event are giving away @rocdoha on Instagram and follow di- wrong end of the first two,” Aus- cially removed Pandya for 20, round-trip (return) tickets to Turkey. rections as described on the social media cancer battle tralia captain Aaron Finch said. caught by Finch. Prizes are being distributed through account. By Liking, Sharing, and Tagging London: England cricketer “It’s the first time in a T20 Pandya was subsequently lucky draws and contests including Cor- three or more Instagram friends on a Ben Stokes’ father Ged Stokes, series we’ve had two leg-spin- named man of the series for porate Challenge, Social Media, and for special Turkish Airlines post shown on the a New Zealand rugby league ners in the side, and they were his match-winning innings to lucky volunteers – who helped make this @rocdoha account, contestants are able international, has died after a bold with the short boundaries guide India to a series win in year’s event a success. Having connected to gain entry into the lucky draw which battle with brain cancer, it was here, so credit to both of them.” the second T20 on Sunday. Qatar to Turkey since 2006, Turkish Air- takes place on 11th December, 2020. announced on Tuesday. “After the 2nd ODI we lines has been a multi-year partner of the The themes of this year’s giveaway Stokes, who played rugby Swepson shines thought we’d think of this as a Ooredoo Ride of Champions. centered around the Turkish Airlines league in England in the 1980s Maxwell was given the new four-match series and we man- Mehmed Zingal, General Manager, hashtags: #MeetAgain #WidenYour- and returned as a coach, was ball and got KL Rahul’s wicket aged to get three wins, so we’re Turkish Airlines, said, “We would like to The chance to win has been extended to all Qatar Word, and of course, #TurkishAirlines. diagnosed with the disease in with his second delivery in In- happy with that,” Pandya said. congratulate all participants for their ride residents and participants of this year’s event. Contestants have until 10th December January. The Rugby Football dia’s innings, hitting down the Sams took another super and active participation at the Ride of 2020 to enter and no purchase is neces- League said on Twitter: “We throat of Steve Smith at deep diving catch to finish Kohli’s Champions event – 2020.” year, offers a selection of daily flights out sary. More information is available at In- are saddened to learn that Ged mid-wicket. innings and India’s hopes off Turkish Airlines, which carries a of Doha’s Hamad International Airport. stagram.com/rocdoha. The home of the Stokes has passed away. But Smith put down a sim- Andrew Tye in the penulti- 4-star rating on TripAdvisor and has The airline flies to more than 50 des- Ooredoo Ride of Champions is at www. “Ged was a New Zealand ilar catch when Kohli was on mate over. earned Reader’s Choice awards year after tinations within Turkey, and a handful of rocdoha.qa. international who became a fine servant to the British game with his work in rugby league across Cumbria. “The RFL sends its condolences Quick read to the Stokes family. Rest in Peace, Ged.” England cricket Covid suspects cleared Australia Test hopeful Pucovski concussed Pakistan cricketers to leave New Zealand Workington rugby league club to return home from South Africa by helmet blow quarantine in Christchurch said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we learn Cape TOWN: The two members of England’s cricket touring party who Sydney: Australian batsman Will Pucovski suffered “mild concus- Wellington: Pakistan’s cricketers will leave quarantine in that our former player and tested positive for Covid-19 have been cleared to return home with the sion symptoms” after a delivery struck his helmet in a warm-up match Christchurch on Tuesday after testing negative for COVID-19, New coach Ged Stokes has passed rest of the tourists on Thursday, the England and Wales Cricket Board between India A and Australia A in Sydney on Tuesday, casting doubt on Zealand health authorities said. The touring party of more than away. Ged is written into the said on Tuesday. The announcement came a day after a one-day series his chances of Test selection. Facing a delivery from Kartik Tyagi, Pucov- 50 players and officials have been holed up in their hotel for two fabric of Town history and will against South Africa was scrapped without a single game being played. ski attempted to hook the short ball but it instead caught him on the weeks as they undergo mandatory isolation under New Zealand’s be sadly missed.” The decision to call off the tour followed apparent breaches of the bio- helmet, dropping the 22-year-old to his hands and knees. After visibly strict coronavirus protocols. They have been confined to their rooms Whitehaven also said they were secure environment at the hotel in Cape Town where both teams were struggling to get up from the crease, Pucovski left the field unassisted, unable to train for most of that time after 10 virus cases were de- “deeply saddened” by the death staying. England and South Africa did play three T20 matches before retiring for 23. The head knock reduces the chances of a Test debut for tected among the group, with coach Misbah-ul-Haq complaining this of a figure who was “a major the COVID-19 outbreak, without problems. (AFP) the prolific Victorian against India in Adelaide on December 17. (AFP) week about the impact on his players. (AFP) part of Cumbrian rugby league”. (AFP) Wednesday, December 9, 2020 15 Reports by L N Mallick For events and press releases email [email protected] or L N Mallick Pakistan Prism L N Mallick call (974) 4000 2222 L N Mallick

Anjuman Muhibban-e-Urdu Hind Qatar organised an event to launch Asif Shafi’s book ‘Teray Humrah Chalna Hai’. Asif Shafi presents his book ‘Koi Phool Dil Main Khila Nahi’ to Basir Sultan Kazmi at a function in Doha. QATAR-BASED WRITER’S PUNJABI POETRY COLLECTION SECOND EDITION PUBLISHED Asif Shafi, who is a planning engineer by profession, brought out his first book of critical essays at the age of 24. He considers engineering as his profession and poetry as his passion he second edition His personality and poetry’ of Asif Shafi’s Punja- Asif Shafi recites under the supervision of Prof bi poetry collection poetry at an event Sardar Ali Javed. ‘Payar Sazawan’ was in Doha. Earlier, Fauzia Rasheed, a Tpublished recently. student of Government Col- The well-known Qatar- lege University Faisalabad, based writer’s book has been wrote her M.Phil thesis on published by Saad Publica- the poetry of Shafi andA zam tions, Lahore. First published Jamshed, a student of Minhaj in the year 2000, the collec- University, Lahore, wrote his tion includes mainly ghaz- thesis titled ‘A critical and als and nazms. The second research overview of Asif edition has been published Shafi’s poetry.’ Asif Shafi with Amjad Islam Amjad and Aslam Kolsari at a literary with some additions owing to Pakistan’s leading Urdu event in Doha. popular demand of Punjabi newspapers have given wide poetry lovers. coverage to students writing Shafi, who is a plan- their research papers on the ning engineer by profession, The cover of the second edition of life and works of Shafi. brought out his first book of Asif Shafi’s book ‘Payar Sazawan’ In October 2018, Paki- critical essays at the age of stan’s Urdu magazine Zarbaft 24. He considers engineering admission in UET Lahore, I dedicated its 212-page spe- as his profession and poetry joined the literary society and cial edition to the literary as his passion. got the opportunity to meet achievements of Shafi.T he Shafi received his basic literary stalwarts like Ahmed dents including myself. The Khila Nahi’ was published special edition of the maga- education at his ancestral Nadeem Qasmi, Munir Niazi, contents of the books were in 2003. It included appre- zine was published by Faiz town Dharanawala in District Shehzad Ahmed, Khurshid well appreciated in literary ciation by Shehzad Ahmed. Academy, Narowal, Pakistan Bahawalnagar. He passed Rizvi, Khawaja Muhammad circles in Pakistan. After a long gap of 13 years, and encompassed Shafi’s se- his Higher Secondary School Zakariya among many other “My first poetry book ‘Zara my fourth Urdu poetry book lect works and articles writ- Certificate from Government prominent poets. This era in Jo Tum Thahar Jatay’ com- ‘Juda Hona Hee Parta Hai ten by men of letters on Shafi. College, Chistian and then 1994 was the start of my lit- prising ghazals and nazms was published in July 2016. Zarbaft is published simul- joined the prestigious Uni- erary journey,” said Shafi, was published in 1998 just as Its launch ceremony was or- taneously from Lahore and versity of Engineering Tech- about his motivation towards I completed my studies. Late ganised in Qatar by Anjuman Narowal. The title cover of the CD of Asif Shafi’s songs recorded at Buzz nology (UET), Lahore, from literature. Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi wrote Muhibban-e-Urdu. Shafi, who writes ghaz- In Recording Studio, Vile Parlew East, Mumbai, India. where he graduated as a me- About his other books, appreciation flap while de- “My Punjabi language als, has been appreciated by chanical engineer in 1997. Shafi said: “My first book tailed reviews were written by poetry book ‘Payar Sazawan’ legendary literary stalwarts He started his profession- was published in 1997 during prominent poetess Shahida was published in 2000. Fol- like Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, al career with Petrochemical the last year of my studies at Hassan, Saadullah Shah and lowing the request of my Shehzad Ahmed, Khawaja Industries, Faisalabad where the university. This book in- Idrees Babur. publisher, I published a book Muhammad Zikriya, Am- he worked for more than cluded my critical essays on “Three editions of the of my select poetry titled jad Islam Amjad, Dr Saleem eight years. Before moving famous Urdu poet Saadullah book have been published so ‘Kabhi Waqt Milay Tu Aa Jao’ Akhter, Shahida Hassan, to Qatar, he worked in Saudi Shah. The book was acknowl- far. My nazms ‘Kabhi Waqt in 2014. Professor Saleem Saadullah Shah, Idrees Ba- Arabia and Kuwait. edged by the great poet late Milay Tu Aa Jao’ and ‘Sadi- Ahmed Siddiqui published a bar, Prof Ali Ahmed Fatmi “I started participating in Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi. Dr un Say Ajnabi’ won hearts of book in English titled ‘Stran- and Khalid Aleem. poetry competitions while I Zahid Munir Amir and Ja- young readers.” ger for Centuries’ comprising Shafi’s ghazals have been was still in school. Reciting meel Ahmed Adeel contrib- “My second poetry book translation of my selected po- sung by famous Bollywood the verses of ‘Poet of the East’ uted essays for the book. ‘Teray Humrah Chalna Hai’ etry in 2011.” singers like Peenaz Masani, Dr Mohammad Iqbal in the “This book came as a sur- hit the stands in 2000. The Mohammad Ahmed Sha- Vaishali Samant, Pooja Gai- Some of competitions was an excit- prise to literary circles as it flap was written byA mjad kir, a student of Urdu Depart- tonde and RafiqueS heikh. The the books ing experience. In this way, was written by a 24-year-old Islam Amjad while critical ment at Sargodha University, album of his ghazals has been written by I remembered hundreds of poet. During the same period, essay was written by Khalid has paid tributes to Shafiby named after his book ‘Kabhi Asif Shafi verses of Iqbal by heart. The my university mate, Naveed Aleem. The second edition writing his M.Phil research Waq Miley To Aa Jao’ and rhythm and power of expres- Sadiq and I jointly published of this book was published thesis on his literary contri- recorded at Buzz In Record- sion in Iqbal’s poetry always a book titled ‘Pehli Dhoop’ in 2017. My third poetry col- butions. Shakir penned his ing Studio, Vile Parlew East, attracted me. When I got comprising works of UET stu- lection ‘Koi Phool Dil Main thesis entitled ‘Asif Shafi – Mumbai, India.

Pakistan board announces schedule for submission of admission forms for SSC annual exam 2021

akistan’s Federal Board of admission form to the FBISE’s the parts/entire examination as tution duly signed by the Princi- Intermediate and Secondary Office. the case may be within a period of pal. PEducation (FBISE) has an- The facility of re-appearing one year of passing the relevant All the three Pakistani edu- nounced the schedule for submis- in one or two papers of SSC examination. The candidates ap- cational institutions in Qatar – sion of admission forms for the Part-I along with Part- pearing in any subject in- Pakistan International School, Secondary School Certificate (SSC) II papers is provided volving practical exami- Pak Shamaa School and College annual examination 2021. only to passed can- nation shall appear in and Bright Future International The last date for receiving ad- didates of SSC-I the practical examina- School – are affiliated to the mission forms from overseas stu- for which papers of tion as well. However, board. dents has been set as January 7, Part-I will have to the candidates neither The FBISE was established 2021. However, admission forms be indicated in the require nor can appear in 1975 and functions under the with late fee will be accepted un- respective column in practical if they are Ministry of Education and Train- til February 1, 2021. of admission form. appearing in a paper of ing Division. Besides conducting The candidates who failed in The candidate will pay a subject or any one part of SSC and HSSC examinations for SSC special annual examination full fee of both the parts. the examination. overseas Pakistani institutions, 2020 may also submit their ad- The candidates who intend to Private candidates are al- its jurisdiction also includes in- mission forms according to the improve their grade/marks after lowed to appear in the subject stitutions located in Islamabad same schedule. passing SSC Examination can do involving practical subjects to Capital Territory, Federally Ad- Change of subjects/group will so by re-appearing in any num- the condition that he/she pro- ministered Northern Areas, can- not be allowed under any cir- ber of subjects/papers of their vides certificate of having done tonments and garrisons all over Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education’s building in Islamabad. cumstances after submission of choice of Part-I or Part-II or both the practical at an affiliated insti- Pakistan. 16 Wednesday, December 9, 2020 The Last Word

MURAIKHI RECEIVES CREDENTIALS OF NEW AMBASSADORS

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi received separately on Tuesday copies of the credentials of Ambassador of Haiti to Qatar HE Jean-Marie Francois Jr. Guilllaume, Ambassador of Macedonia to Qatar HE Shaban Jashari and Ambassador of Dominican Republic to Qatar HE Giorgis Bhasa Hazem. Muraikhi wished the new ambassadors success in their missions, assuring them of all support to enhance relations between Qatar and their countries in various fields. (QNA) VCUarts Qatar to launch innovative sound design QF’s HBKU, Huawei to collaborate on course in next semester research and ICT skills development The ‘Fabrication of Sound’ elective is open for The three-year agreement will facilitate research collaboration, knowledge sharing and student engagement cross-registration for Education City students Tribune News Network HBKU experts set to visit Hua- that nurtures top-tier students Doha wei and related R&D institutes to excel as future leaders, us- in China once a year to explore ing cutting-edge technologies Hamad Bin Khalifa Universi- joint digitalisation research to solve pressing societal chal- ty (HBKU), a member of Qatar and development opportuni- lenges facing Qatar, the region Foundation (QF), has signed a ties with a special focus on and globally.” memorandum of understand- artificial intelligence and 5G Tao said, “Emerging tech- ing (MoU) with Huawei, the The MoU was signed by HBKU President Dr Ahmad M Hasnah and networks. They will also col- nologies have become crucial leading global provider of in- CEO of Huawei Technologies LLC Fan Tao at the HBKU Headquarters. laborate to conduct courses on for the Information and Com- formation and communica- the newest technologies and munications Technology (ICT) tions technology (ICT) infra- HBKU Headquarters. a summer ‘Seeds for the Fu- arrange annual technology industry as well as the national structure and smart devices, The MoU promotes joint ture’ programme with spaces communication events. economies wholescale digital to strengthen research collabo- cooperation on student engage- reserved for HBKU students. Dr Hasnah said, “This new transformation. However, the ration, knowledge exchange, ment and internship opportu- In particular, the entities will chapter in our ongoing part- ICT industry’s rapid growth is internship and funding. The nities through Huawei Qatar’s work together to promote the nership with Huawei will cre- facing an undeniable challenge: MoU comes as part of a broad- Talent Enabling Programme, Huawei ICT Academy launched ate even more opportunities a shortage of ICT talent. Huawei er ongoing QF collaboration which includes the ‘Seeds for at HBKU. The academy will for academia and industry to advocates for an open, shared, with Huawei. the Future’ programme and the provide quality courses and join hands to support the coun- ICT talent ecosystem that ben- Renowned Paris-based artist and sound designer Tarek Atoui will be a The MoU was signed by ICT Skills Competition, where support services for universi- try’s vital ICT sector. In turn, efits all parties. visiting instructor of the new sound design course. HBKU President Dr Ahmad M graduate students at the Col- ties and colleges in Qatar to es- through knowledge exchange, “It is a great pleasure part- Hasnah and Chief Executive lege of Science and Engineering tablish and optimise ICT disci- research collaboration and oth- nering with HBKU and to work Tribune News Network sound installation. Officer of HuaweiT echnolo- (CSE) at HBKU have excelled at plines and build standard labs. er synergies, HBKU can contin- hand-in-hand with Qatar ICT Doha Explaining the details of gies LLC Fan Tao in the pres- recent editions. The MoU paves the way ue to offer an innovative teach- talents to further develop their the new course, Muscolino said ence of senior officials at the Huawei will be providing for knowledge exchange with ing and research environment skills and knowledge.” Virginia Commonwealth the elective was designed for University School of the Arts in students with varying degrees Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), a Qa- of experience in sound design, tar Foundation (QF) partner irrespective of their university university, will be launching an specialisations. innovative new course – ‘Fab- “While there will be consid- Qatar Foundation schools provide sustainability rication of Sound’ – in January erable support from faculty for 2021, for the Spring semester. students who lack prior knowl- The course, which is open edge or experience in sound lessons to next generation of change-makers for cross-registration for stu- design, the course also caters to dents from other Education students who already possess a Tribune News Network climate and the environment. City universities, will explore basic understanding, and who Doha East represents “economy” the acoustic qualities of various want to explore the technologi- – what is the economy be- materials, allowing learners to cal side of the curriculum more Qatar Academy Sidra stu- hind a sustainable future? We experiment and design their deeply,” he said. dents recently planted 15 want students to be aware of own creative audio-based works Browning added, “The pro- trees, 20 bushes, 150 to- responsible production and using materials both within and gramme will be especially useful mato plants and more than consumption. Children are outside of a studio setting. for students who want to learn 500 seasonal flowersaround taught about fast fashion, for ‘Fabrication of Sound’ will how to build things with their campus to honour Dr Jane instance. How important is it be led by VCUarts Qatar faculty hands, those interested in 3D Goodall’s commitment to to buy that extra jacket or pair members Simone Muscolino, design and sculpture, and those planting five million trees in of jeans? Where are we dispos- director, Art Foundation, and keen to explore interactive tech- 2020 and to help create a lo- ing of our old clothes? Ryan Browning, associate pro- nology that has applications in cal ‘greening’ community. “It helps get children fessor, Art Foundation, along emerging media trends.” “The planet is in danger QAS students recently planted 15 trees, 150 tomato plants and over 500 seasonal flowers on the campus. thinking about the how, why, with VCUarts Qatar’s new In- From a technical perspec- and children understand and where of their daily prac- novative Media Studio (IMS) tive, sound design is the pro- that,” said Preet Dhaliwal, hands-on activities to in- And in an increasingly just arrive at the super- tices. At some point, they also director Joshua Rodenberg. cess of creating audio tracks sustainability instructional crease awareness of their sur- digital and tech-driven world, market, they grew from the begin influencing their fami- In addition, students at- for a variety of platforms such coach at Qatar Academy Sidra roundings not only instils in encouraging students to spend ground, in the soil. The eggs lies and taking the conver- tending this class will benefit as, but not limited to, film, tel- (QAS), part of Qatar Founda- them a sense of responsibility time observing and interacting they eat at breakfast, or even sation forward, which is the from the experience of visiting evision and radio production, tion’s (QF) Pre-University to their planet and society, with their surroundings also the cocoa beans in the choc- beginning of their journey to Paris-based artist Tarek Atoui. video games, theatre and live Education. but also brings with it a host has a profound impact on their olates they enjoy so much, becoming agents of change” Atoui, a world-renowned com- performances. Sound designers “They’re feeling the effects of advantages to their per- development and ability to come from nature.” Dhaliwal said. poser and sound designer, will regularly edit or ‘mix’ previously of pollution and hearing about sonal and communal develop- make inferences and connec- In order to enhance the “The 8-year-olds currently be interacting with the class on composed or recorded audio, climate change – it’s not new ment. According to Dhaliwal, tions. “For example, through connection that children feel in grade two will be 18 in 10 several occasions during the as well as create sounds from anymore. Having them engage “greening” is a great opportu- these activities, we aim to give to the environment and their years. They’re the ones who will semester and will visit Doha scratch, using audio production with the environment and nity for children to leave the children a deeper understand- surroundings, QAS approach- be making the decisions. And towards the end of March 2021 tools such as specialised soft- educating them about it is the classroom, get their hands ing of where their food comes es sustainability through the we know we don’t have much to run a week-long workshop ware and synthesisers. More in- only way to ensure they will be dirty, and channel their en- from,” Dhaliwal said. lens of a compass. North is time, so we need to help them where he will compose the stu- formation on the course is avail- change-makers.” ergy into something both fun “They start to learn that “nature” – referring to sus- understand the bigger picture dents’ work into a performative able at [email protected] Engaging children in and educational. the tomatoes they eat didn’t tainable agriculture, farming, right now,” Dhaliwal added. QNL continues mission to preserve the past in a digital world

Tribune News Network various collections including to preserve Islamic history and institutions. These include Doha 5 million Arabic pages from culture, and technological ad- projects at New York Univer- QNL’s Heritage Collection and vances are making this vision sity (NYU) of more than 8,000 Qatar National Library nearly 2.8 million pages from become reality. Arabic books in NYU library (QNL) is taking a leading role the Arabic Collection of New “The library is committed collections, which will also be in preserving the culture and York University. to the preservation of heritage available on QNL’s online plat- history of Qatar, the Gulf, and Digital conversion of ma- items not only in our region, forms. the Arab and Islamic worlds. terials has advanced rapidly in but across the entire Islamic Preservation has developed To fulfil this important mis- the past few years, with QNL world. We have come a long into a critically important part sion, the library’s facilities are at the forefront of this process way in building a reliable pro- of managing QNL’s most pre- equipped with the resources, in the Middle East and on the cess to digitise content for the cious assets—its collection. technology and infrastructure world stage. The library dig- benefit of spreading richA rabic Digitisation is a key cog in this to provide the highest quality itises information via Opti- QNL is equipped with the resources, technology and infrastructure to provide the highest quality digiti- knowledge, and we are com- process and the library’s digiti- digitisation of heritage items, cal Character Recognition sation of heritage items, preserving them and making them accessible to researchers for generations mitted to working harder to sation technicians are acutely preserving them and making (OCR), the technical practice to come, while also making them freely available to the entire world. fulfil that goal. Having access aware of the importance of them accessible to researchers of extracting text from images. to the latest technology at the their role. for generations to come, while The process itself is becoming the library’s huge digitisation include both human and auto- quality is controlled, perform- library enables us to realise this Hany Abdellatif said: “We also making them freely avail- popular in terms of usage and efforts. mated processes.” ing tasks such as colour curve ambition.” also hope to encourage the crea- able to the entire world. research, as it spans multiple Abdellatif said: “Using The library’s digitisation correction, editing resolution In addition to ongoing ef- tion of digital Arabic content, Digitisation describes a areas of science, including im- OCR images brings the docu- technicians scan a wide vari- settings, image compression forts to digitise the library’s col- while protecting the original process where physical mate- age processing, machine learn- ments to life and allows users ety of heritage items, includ- and noise removal. lections of rare books, manu- materials by reducing frequent rials are converted into digital ing, information retrieval and to discover every bit of infor- ing rare manuscripts, books, Nasser Al Ansari, direc- scripts, maps and photographs, handling during reference use, versions which can be under- artificial intelligence. mation stored within. At the li- maps, newspapers, magazines, tor of IT Operations and In- the library’s Digitisation Center and maintain important Arab stood and stored by computers. Hany Abdellatif, head of brary, we have mastered multi- photos and microfilms.T ech- frastructure at QNL, says the works on digitisation projects and Islamic heritage and his- The library has already digit- Digitisation Services at QNL, ple techniques and algorithms nicians then go through each library’s digitisation processes with other heritage collections torical materials, preserving our ised over 10 million pages from is responsible for overseeing to capture text; these methods individual item to ensure its tie in with its overall mission in Qatar and international history for many years to come.”