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Brahimi double as Al Rayyan go top QSE fi rms post 9-month net profi t of QR29.46bn published in QATAR since 1978

FRIDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11353 November 1, 2019 Rabia I 4, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief

QATAR | Offi cial PM, Turkish leaders discuss Amir sends messages to Burkina Faso leader His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has sent two written messages to ways to strengthen relations Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore pertaining to relations between the two countries and ways of boosting them. The messages were delivered by Acting Charge d’aff aires Hussein Ibrahim al- Bader during a meeting with Kabore in Ouagadougou.

Kuwait FM invited to Doha meeting Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah has received a message from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani containing an invitation to participate in the ministerial meeting of the HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah Organisation of Islamic Co- bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani meets Turkish Vice-President operation (OIC) Contact Group Fuat Oktay in Ankara yesterday. Qatari and Turkish delegations hold talks. on Somalia to be held in Doha on November 3. Qatar’s ambassador QNA them in diff erent spheres. at the Turkish Interior Ministry. the Prime Minister was accorded an of- est regional and international devel- to Kuwait Bandar bin Mohamed Ankara The two sides also discussed key re- During the meeting, they discussed fi cial reception. opments. al-Attiyah delivered the message gional and international issues. co-operation between the two coun- Later the Qatari delegation attended Later in the day, the Prime Minis- during a meeting with the Kuwaiti Members of the offi cial delegation tries and prospects of developing them a luncheon banquet hosted by Soylu. It ter and Minister of Interior visited the deputy prime minister. E the Prime Minister and Min- accompanying the Prime Minister and in addition to a number of matters of was also attended by senior Turkish of- Turkish Parliament in Ankara, where ister of Interior Sheikh Abdul- senior Turkish offi cials attended the mutual interest. fi cials. he met Speaker Mustafa Sentop and QATAR | Finance Hlah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- talks. Following the meeting, the Prime Also yesterday the Prime Minister several members of the Turkish Par- Thani yesterday held offi cial talks with The Prime Minister and the Turkish Minister and the Turkish Interior Min- and Minister of Interior met Turkish liament. QCB reduces Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay at vice-president earlier held a bilateral ister attended the signing of a Letter of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. During the meeting, they reviewed interest rates the presidential palace in Ankara. meeting, where they discussed topics Intent for co-operation in organising During the meeting, they reviewed the existing relations between the two Qatar Central Bank (QCB) yesterday The talks centred on the strategic of mutual interest. major events between the two govern- the strategic co-operation between countries and the exchange of experi- reduced its deposit rate (QCBDR) by relations between the two countries Sheikh Abdullah also met with Turk- ments. the two countries and ways of en- ences in the legislative and parliamen- 25 bps to 2%, lending rate (QCBLR) and the prospects of further boosting ish Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu Upon arrival at the Interior Ministry, hancing them, in addition to the lat- tary fi elds. Page 2 by 25 bps to 4.25%, and the QCB Repurchase rate (Repo) by 25 bps to 2%. QCB said the rates reduction QMC CEO meets Gambian minister is based on the evolving domestic and international macroeconomic developments. It comes in line with the US Federal Reserve’s decision, Qatar to have fi rst ICT announced on Wednesday, lowering its key rate by a quarter percentage point. The Qatari riyal is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate since 1980. vetting lab in the region

QATAR | Events n a boost to Qatar’s Cyber Se- and Communications Technology sector in Qatar,” said al-Abdulla. Accord signed for curity sector, a Memorandum of products, while enhancing the secu- “In line with Qatar’s National Cy- IUnderstanding (MoU) was signed rity standards in the country. bersecurity Strategy, we will be fo- Smart City Expo yesterday for setting up the Qatar Na- The MoU was signed by Nora cusing on several product categories The first edition of the Smart City tional Laboratory for Technology Vet- Yousef al-Abdulla, director of Criti- for diff erent sectors including oil and Expo Doha (SCE Doha), held on the ting (Common Criteria Vetting Lab), a cal Information Infrastructure Pro- gas, IoT, smart cities and autonomous sidelines of the ongoing Qatar IT fi rst in the GCC and Arab states. tection at the Cyber Security Sector, vehicles. Qitcom 2019 was a launch- Conference & Exhibition (Qitcom The Cybersecurity Aff airs Sector at MoTC, and Frank Beuting, general pad for us to announce the lab’s ar- 2019), ended yesterday with the the Ministry of Transport and Com- manager IT Security, TUViT, at the rival and our vision of creating safer signing of a Memorandum of munications (MoTC) signed the MoU ongoing Qatar IT Conference & Exhi- and smarter cities,” she added. Understanding (MoU) between with TÜViT, a German company and bition (Qitcom 2019). The lab process begins with ven- the Ministry of Transport and subsidiary of TUV Nord, a key player “The MoU refl ects our commit- dors (technology developers) submit- Communications (MoTC) and Fira in setting international standards in ment towards building safer, smarter ting a request to check hardware and de Barcelona, the organisers of the Qatar Media Corporation Chief Executive HE Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani Information Technology. and more resilient digital cities. We software products. The lab conducts Smart City Expo World Congress, yesterday met Gambian Minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure The state-of-the-art technology believe the Technology Vetting Lab an extensive investigation into the to host the event annually for Ebrima Sillah. They discussed media relations between the two countries and means to lab aims to test security products for will be an asset to the country and will products and issues certifi cates as two more years. The agreement develop them. The meeting was attended by Gambia’s ambassador Foday Malang. functionality and vet Information be at the heart of the cybersecurity needed. To Page 15 was signed by Reem al-Mansoori, assistant undersecretary of Digital Society at the MoTC, and Ricard Zapatero, the international business director at Fira de Barcelona. Qatar fans lap up 60% of presale tickets for Club World Cup AMERICA | Politics ootball fans based in Qatar lapped Fans hoping for another chance to double-header match days will be able Impeachment ‘Greatest up a majority of Visa Presale tick- secure their seats will be able to do so to attend both games at the stadium. Witch Hunt’: Trump Fets for the FIFA Club World Cup exclusively via FIFA.com/tickets from From December, fans whose ticket ap- President Donald Trump reacted 2019 to be held in Qatar next month, it 3pm Qatar time on November 14. Visa, plications are successful will be able almost instantly yesterday to a was revealed yesterday. the offi cial payment services partner of to download their tickets within their landmark House of Representatives FIFA’s website said a total of 27,896 FIFA, is the preferred payment method FIFA ticketing account at FIFA.com/ vote green-lighting his tickets were allocated, 60% of which for the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar tickets and print them at home before impeachment investigation, were bought by citizens and residents 2019. the match. calling the probe the “Greatest of Qatar as the presale concluded yes- Matches will be played from Decem- FIFA will also be operating a resale Witch Hunt In American History!” terday. ber 11 to 21 at three venues in Qatar. platform on FIFA.com/tickets, which Trump’s tweet came seconds Fans from the United Kingdom Tickets are aff ordably priced in three will off er ticket holders the opportu- after the lower house of Congress bought 14% of the tickets, while pur- categories, ranging from QR25 for Cat- nity to resell tickets upon interest from voted overwhelmingly, but almost chases from Brazil accounted for 4%. egory 3 tickets to the fi rst three match a third party. entirely along party lines, to set out All the tickets made available for the days up to QR400 for Category 1 tickets Champion continental club teams the rules for the process expected second-round double-header, the for the double-header comprising the from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Ameri- to lead to passing articles of semi-fi nal featuring Liverpool and the third-place play-off and the fi nal. cas and Oceania besides Al Sadd of Qa- impeachment. Page 5 fi nal were snapped up. Fans applying for a single ticket for tar are taking part in the tournament. The FIFA Club World Cup will be held from December 11 to 21 at three venues in Qatar. Gulf Times 2 Friday, November 1, 2019 QATAR

Amir condoles PM holds high level talks in Turkey with Cameroon president His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani have sent cables to President Paul Biya of Cameroon, condoling the victims of landslides caused by heavy rains in western Cameroon, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Separately, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani has also sent a cable of condolences to the Prime Minister of Cameroon Joseph Dion Ngute. FM sends message

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani met the HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani with to Argentine Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu at his residence in Ankara. During the meeting, the Speaker of Turkish Parliament Mustafa Sentop at the Turkish Parliament. They reviewed the counterpart both sides reviewed the strategic relations between Qatar and Turkey and ways of enhancing them, existing relations of co-operation between Qatar and Turkey and the exchange of experiences in the in addition to the latest regional and international developments. legislative and parliamentary fields. Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Argentina Jorge Faurie has received a written message from HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, pertaining to bilateral relations between Qatar and Argentina and means to develop them. The message was handed over by Qatar’s ambassador to Argentina Battal bin Meajeb al-Dosari, during his meeting with the Director of Protocol at the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Marcelo Salvia. FM sends message to San Marino justice minister

The Minister of Foreign and HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani met the Minister of Interior in Turkey Suleyman Soylu at the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara yesterday. During Political Aff airs and Justice of San the meeting, they discussed relations between Qatar and Turkey and prospects of developing them in addition to a number of matters of mutual interest. Following the meeting, HE the Prime Minister and Marino Nicola Renzi has received Minister of Interior and Turkish Interior Minister attended the signing of a Letter of Intent for co-operation in organising major events between the governments of Qatar and Turkey. a written message from HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them. The message was Ministry to start receiving delivered by Qatar’s ambassador Minister stresses importance (Non-resident) to San Marino, Abdulaziz bin Ahmed al-Malki, applications for new school during his meeting with the ambassador of San Marino to Italy Daniela Rotondaro in Rome licences from November 3 of building sustainable projects yesterday. Abbas meets head he Ministry of Education tion and Higher Education or in he Ministry of Public and Higher Education any of its affi liated bodies. Also, Health (MoPH) and its of Qatari panel for Thas announced that it will the applicants shall not be less Tpartners are working to Gaza reconstruction receive applications for licens- than 21 years of age. build sustainable projects that ing and operating new private A copy of the applicant’s ID will contribute to a long-term The President of Palestine schools and kindergartens for card is required for the purpose. healthy life for current and fu- State Mahmoud Abbas met the 2020-2021 academic year, Applications have to be sub- ture generations, based on Qatar HE the Chairman of the from Sunday, November 3, until mitted online on the ministry’s National Vision 2030. Qatari Committee for the December 31. website - http://www.edu.gov. The observation was made by Reconstruction of Gaza, In a notice posted on social qa HE the Minister of Public Health Ambassador Mohamed al-Emadi media, the ministry said it has For more information and Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, in Ramallah yesterday. set the conditions and require- queries, those interested can who opened a symposium titled President Abbas briefed HE ments with regard to the owner, contact the Private School Li- ‘A Healthy City for Children’ ambassador al-Emadi on the premises and academics in ac- censing Department on the yesterday in the presence of HE latest Palestinian situation, cordance with the Private School following phone numbers: the Minister of Education and especially with regard to the Licensing Manual. 44044772, 44045147, 44045128 Higher Education Dr Mohamed holding of elections and the The conditions stipulate that and 44044769. Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi. results of meetings held by the the applicant should not be em- They can also send an e-mail The symposium, organised by HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and HE the Minister of Education and chairman of the Central Election ployed at the Ministry of Educa- to [email protected] the MoPH in collaboration with Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi with other dignitaries and children at the Commission in the West Bank the World Innovation Summit symposium. and Gaza Strip. for Health (WISH), was attended For his part, HE ambassador by local and international ex- ments in the cities of Qatar that National Health Strategy has 18.8% of males and 15.5% of al-Emadi reiterated Qatar’s perts, health sector participants support and promote health. identifi ed ‘Health in All Policies’ females under 20 suff er from commitment to support the and university students. She also highlighted the critical as a national health priority and obesity. Palestinian people and their just Indian school withdraws The seminar showcased key importance of promoting joint developed concrete plans and She also noted that through cause. local, regional and international work with all partners of the objectives to ensure an inter- the National Health Strategy, message on ‘last academic year’ plans, initiatives and experi- MoPH from diff erent sectors to sectoral collaborative approach several important initiatives that Shura Council takes ences for innovation and the achieve this goal. to improving health and equity aim at promoting a healthy and development of an action plan During the ceremony, a short for Qatar’s population. safe environment for children part in Arab oha Modern Indian you that due to unavoidable for a healthy city for children in fi lm, produced especially for the He also reviewed a number and adolescents are being im- parliament session School (DMIS), which reasons, the last academic year Qatar and focused on addressing event by Qatar Foundation, was of achievements with regard plemented. She noted that the Dhad sent a message to of the school will be 2019-20 childhood obesity in the urban screened showing the most im- to combating obesity in Qatar, “healthy cities approach sup- The first plenary meeting of parents on Wednesday saying and hence you are requested to environment. portant sustainable benefi ts of a such as the excise tax on carbon- ports our strategic objectives the fourth session of the Arab that 2019-2020 would be the last ensure places for your kids in In a statement, HE Dr al-Ku- healthy city for children, in which ated drinks and the Eco-Schools which we seek to achieve for parliament’s second legislative academic year for the school, other schools in Qatar for the wari said the symposium covers a number of young stars from Qa- scheme, among others. children and adolescents”. term kicked off in Cairo yesterday. yesterday said it had withdrawn academic year 2020-21. How- two national priorities in the tar Academy schools embodied Sultana Afdhal CEO of WISH, During the seminar, regional Qatar is participating in the the message. ever, we shall update you on National Health Strategy 2018- the vision of a healthy city and the said it is important that people from and international experiences in meetings with a delegation from “Consequent to our SMS dt this matter in the coming days 2022: ‘Health in All Policies’ benefi ts to be achieved for genera- diff erent sectors work together. She the fi eld of healthy cities were the Shura Council. The meetings 30th Oct 2019 and deliberations in case of any development and ‘Healthy Children and Ado- tions to come. added that she was pleased to work reviewed by Erion Veliaj, mayor will discuss foreign and political thereafter, we hereby withdraw otherwise. We are extremely lescents’. She noted that Qatar In the opening speech, Dr Sa- with the MoPH to deliver this event of Tirana in Albania; Professor aff airs, Arab national security, the message and are happy to sorry for the inconvenience is seeking to acquire the World lih Ali al-Marri, Assistant Min- and highlight innovative initiatives Peter Bergsten of Uppsala Uni- developments in the political and inform that the school activi- caused to you and this message Health Organisation Healthy ister for Health Aff airs at the and programmes in this fi eld locally versity in Sweden; Dr Amal al- security situation in some Arab ties will progress as normal,” the is sent to you as advance inti- City Accreditation by 2022, MoPH, said the contribution and globally. Yahya, head of Healthy Cities at countries, and developments in school said in a fresh message mation.” which will provide sustainable of medical care to better health Dr Sadria al-Kohji, priority the Ministry of Health in Kuwait; joint Arab action. They will also yesterday. It was not clear what prompt- and healthier options for the outcomes is about 10-20%. The leader of ‘Healthy Children and and Dr Huda al-Siyabi, director discusses the draft budget of the Parents of DMIS students ed the announcement to close population, especially children. remaining 80-90% is deter- Adolescents’ in the National of Community Initiatives at the Arab Parliament for 2020, and a were left a worried lot after the school at the end of the She stressed that the imple- mined by health-related, socio- Health Strategy, explained that Ministry of Health in Oman. number of draft laws to facilitate the school sent a text message 2019-2020 academic year, as mentation of the Healthy Cities economic and environmental childhood obesity is one of the The symposium included two trade and transport in the world on Wednesday in which it said well as the decision to retract it approach aims to ensure that factors. main challenges facing Qatar, key panel discussions as well as as well as the parliamentary “we are constrained to inform yesterday. there are appropriate environ- Dr al-Marri noted that the with statistics showing that two workshops. visions in the economic field, including a parliamentary vision on the electrical link between the Arab countries and a vision Air India celebrates re-entry into Qatar to activate the common Arab Woqod opens new petrol station market. Fuel prices for atar Fuel (Woqod) yes- of LPG cylinders Shafaf, in addi- terday opened Bul tion to sale of gasoline and diesel November stable QHemmaid petrol sta- products for light vehicles, and tion on Al Majd Road near Ha- diesel for trucks. Qatar Petroleum (QP) announced mad Port, taking the strength Woqod is currently overseeing yesterday the diesel and of its network of various petrol the implementation of 19 new gasoline prices for the month of stations to 93, according to a petrol stations, with most to be November 2019. statement. A view of the Bul Hemmaid operational during 2019. The company set the price for “Woqod aspires to expand Petrol Station opened yesterday “As part of its strategic ex- one litre of diesel at QR1.85 in its petrol station network in the by Woqod. pansion plan, Woqod is aim- November, with no change from country to meet the rising de- ing to achieve a total of 114 fuel last month’s price. mand for petroleum products tion, spread over an area of stations by the end of 2020,” al- The price for one litre of Super and provide customers with ac- 20,000sqm, has three lanes with Muhannadi added. Gasoline 95 is set at QR1.90 in India’s national flag carrier Air India celebrated its re-entry into Qatar after a hiatus of one decade. cess to best-in-class products six dispensers for light vehicles Woqod has also launched a November compared to QR1.85 in To mark the departure of flight AI-972, Doha/Delhi, Air India organised a brief ceremony at Hamad and services at their conven- and two lanes with four dispens- new Mobile Station at Al Tha- the previous month, an increase International Airport (HIA) airside terminal building which was attended by Rajesh Kamble – ience and comfort,” managing ers for Trucks. khira area, adjacent to the exist- of 2.7%, while Premium Gasoline Counsellor (Consular and Community Aff airs) Indian embassy, senior off icials of HIA and Qatar director and CEO Saad Rashid The facility off ers round-the- ing Al Thakhira petrol station. 91 is set at QR1.7 per litre in Aviation Servces, and Mohit Sain, Air India Regional Manager for Gulf & Middle East. al-Muhannadi, said. clock services, and includes a The facility will be available 24 November, without change from Bul Hemmaid Petrol Sta- Sidra convenience store, and sale hours for trucks. October price. – QNA Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 3 QATAR Transport minister inaugurates Tasmu Digital Valley initiative E the Minister of Trans- tunities in the market. The ini- port and Communica- tiative, which is aimed at further QFZA showcases smart Htions Jassim Seif Ahmed enhancing the digital ecosystem al-Sulaiti and HE Ahmed bin in Qatar, will connect entrepre- city solutions at Qitcom Mohamed al-Sayed, Minister of neurs, startups, investors, aca- State and chairman of the Board demics, researchers, students, atar Free Zones Authority of Directors of Qatar Free Zones multinational corporations and (QFZA) is participating Authority (QFZA), on Wednesday institutions with the common Qas a “strategic sponsor” inaugurated the Tasmu Digital goal of innovating new digital so- in the Qatar Information Tech- Valley initiative on the sidelines lutions. nology Conference and Exhibi- of the fi fth edition of the Qatar IT It will also help facilitate ac- tion (Qitcom 2019), at the Qatar Conference and Exhibition (Qit- cess to incubation and accel- National Convention Center in com 2019), which is being held at eration network, startup ex- Doha. This year’s theme is ‘Safe the Qatar National Convention change programmes as well as Smart Cities’ and QFZA’s booth Centre until today. co-working spaces and offi ce is showcasing the smart infra- Participants were shown a set-up. Multinationals will be structure that investors will have video presentation of the ini- aided with business registra- access to while establishing their tiative during the inauguration tion, access to specialised visa businesses and technology in- ceremony anchored by Noor packages, open lab space, tech- dustries. al-Kuwari, Tasmu Digital Valley nology IP advisory and registra- QFZA represented by Abdul- Project manager. Following the tion support, digital investment lah al-Misnad, Deputy CEO, inauguration, HE the Minister catalogue and the Tasmu pro- participated in one of the main of Transport and Communica- curement platform. panel discussions of the Smart tions and the QFZA chairman, Commenting on the initiative, City Expo Doha and presented Abdulla al-Misnad accompanied by several senior Reem al-Mansoori, MoTC’s As- insights on the vast applications state offi cials, toured the exhibi- sistant Undersecretary for the for new technologies in develop- and attracting FDI in ICT sector tion pavilions. Digital Society Development ing free zones, as well as devel- as well as supporting technology The launch of the initiative is Sector, said: “We are proud of Tasmu Digital Valley initiative was launched at QFZA booth in the presence of HE the Minister of Transport oping solutions to address chal- companies interested in setting part of the eff orts of the Minis- this new initiative, which is part and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and HE the Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of lenges of urban cities. up operations in Qatar. try of Transport and Communi- of the MoTC’s strategy towards Directors of QFZA, Ahmed al-Sayed. QFZA is also showcasing its The zones are already fur- cations (MoTC), in conjunction evolving a vibrant digital society eff orts in rolling out a wide range nished with six-way telecom- with the QFZA, to attract more in Qatar. facilitate their entry into the Qa- Opportunities catalogue was smartphone penetration all make of smart infrastructure solutions munications duct banks, wire- multinational digital companies With the Tasmu Digital Valley tar market. Only by attracting the also inaugurated at the Business it a great place for digital and within the free zones. less Internet access and fi bre to set up operations in Qatar and initiative, the digital ecosystem best companies and talent will Centre Zone within the MoTC tech companies to establish op- These include intelligent traf- optic cable readiness in all plots, support local institutions and in Qatar is set for a paradigm shift we succeed in our goal of making pavilion on the occasion. Abdulla erations, and Qatar Free Zones fi c monitoring and street light- providing a strong base for the companies by enhancing their as it will play a major role in fos- Qatar a leading digital hub in the al-Misnad, deputy CEO of QFZA, are specifi cally designed to allow ing, smart waste removal tech- rapid expansion of new tech- capabilities to compete interna- tering co-operation between Qa- region in line with Qatar National added: “Supporting the contin- investors to take full advantage. nologies, addressable advertising nologies. More broadly, QFZA is tionally. tari digital businesses and global Vision 2030.” ued growth and enhancement “We look forward to working panels and more. preparing its logistics off ering Tasmu Digital Valley is an in- tech fi rms; resulting in the trans- Highlights of the launch in- of Qatar’s emerging technology closely with the MoTC to bring On the sidelines of Qitcom, to incorporate high-potential novation cluster where diff er- formation of Qatar into a leading clude the signing of a partnership sector is a key priority of QFZA’s, the Tasmu Digital Valley plat- QFZA signed an MoU with the technologies changing the glo- ent sectors can come together to digital hub in the region. agreement between the MoTC and we are proud to be a part of form to life, welcoming more Ministry of Transport & Com- bal logistics landscape, including help achieve the vision of Smart “The initiative aims to identify and QFZA as well as the unveiling this initiative. digital innovators to explore all munications (MoTC) regarding autonomous warehouses, drones Qatar by linking digital solution and register the top global play- of the Tasmu Digital Valley por- Qatar’s technological infra- Qatar and the Free Zones have to Tasmu Digital Valley Initiative. and smart customs and insur- providers with available oppor- ers in digital development and tal. The Qatar Digital Investment structure and high Internet and off er.” The MoU aims at encouraging ance solutions.

‘Qatar focusing on leveraging Vodafone Qatar holds digital safety activities

odafone Qatar has or- focus on raising awareness, and its huge technology potential’ ganised its dynamic providing education and tech- VAmanTECH digital nical support through school safety activities at the Digital workshops, an online source ommunications Regu- work, which will guide them to Youth Festival (Tumuha Tec), of information and a safety latory Authority (CRA) the best practices needed by the as part of its commitment to ‘checklist’ with tips for par- Cpresident Mohamed Ali state. Al-Mannai revealed a new raise online safety awareness in ents with children of all ages, in al-Mannai said Qatar has one of strategy to be launched by the the country. addition to a digital parenting the best IT infrastructures in the CRA for the years 2020 to 2024, The event, which took place guide available online. world as well as the latest tech- focusing on all sectors and in- on the sidelines of Qatar IT “As Vodafone Qatar leads in nologies used in the sector, such cluding the tasks of the author- Conference and Exhibition delivering innovative services as the 5G network with 99% op- ity, namely communications, in- 2019 (Qitcom), saw a series of and technologies that make our tical fi bre penetration. formation technology, post and augmented reality and virtual homes and cities more con- In remarks to journalists on digital media. reality activities, actively in- nected and smarter, ensuring the sidelines of the Qatar IT The strategy will be presented volving youngsters in perform- safer connectivity also under- Conference and Exhibition (Qit- to the Council of Ministers before ing online tasks in an exciting pins our long-term commit- com 2019), currently in session the end of this year, QNA adds. and engaging way. ment to the digital space. in Doha, the CRA president said He explained that the strategy The playful approach of the “We believe that it is there- Qatar now focuses more on how will cover the four areas within programme activities highlight Children learn and enjoy at Vodafone AmanTECH during the recently fore critical that we empower to leverage this huge potential in CRA president Mohamed Ali the competence of the CRA, and how youth can be safe online by concluded Qitcom 2019. our children with the knowl- the IT infrastructure to stimu- al-Mannai focus primarily on information protecting their personal infor- edge and skills needed to navi- late innovation, including Smart technology in terms of achiev- mation, identifying a fake mes- programme was launched in parents and improve the online gate today’s ever-expanding City services that are also part of work for the Smart Cities for ing more growth in this sector sage or avatar, and preventing May 2014 and stands for “safe safety of children aged fi ve to digital world safely and to take the IT infrastructure, the offi cial both government agencies and to contribute to the national in- or responding to cyber bully- tech world”, working to pro- 17. full advantage of its many ben- QNA reported on Wednesday. the private sector. Active players come, noting that the commu- ing. Vodafone’s AmanTECH mote digital literacy amongst The programme continues to efi ts,” its spokesman said. He added that the work now in the Smart City system work nications sector has reached a focuses on developing a frame- under the umbrella of this frame- steady stage of growth. Letter of Intent signed for Drone Detection System UN offi cial praises Qatar’s On the sidelines of the ongoing tems that the CRA will use for mon- munication or even posing severe Qatar IT Conference and Exhibition itoring spectrum during the major threat to public safety, especially role in fi ghting corruption (Qitcom 2019), the Communica- events hosted in Qatar such as the during high-profile events. Moseco tions Regulatory Authority (CRA) 2022 FIFA World Cup, according will partner with the test and meas- president Mohamed Ali al-Mannai to a statement. “CRA will avail the urement giants Rohde & Schwarz, QNA lic Prosecution headquarters in the yesterday witnessed the signing services of Moseco to augment its Germany to deliver the system to Doha presence of the Director of the Insti- of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the National Monitoring Center with a CRA by next year. “The system is tute of Criminal Studies at the Public Drone Detection System with the key feature to monitor and detect capable to provide early warning to Prosecution Dr Saad Hanif al-Dosari Modern Scientific Electronic Com- drones. The system will enable the detecting drones, providing geolo- ead of the United Nations and a number of members of the pany (Moseco) representing Rohde CRA for protecting the frequency cation of the ones that are located Offi ce on Drugs and Crime Public Prosecution. & Schwarz, Germany. spectrum from interference and at around 5km distance from the H(UNODC) for GCC Dr Hatem Dr Hatim gave an overview of the The signing of this LOI is in line unauthorised radio emissions event location. “The Drone Detec- Ali said that Qatar leads the fi ght UNODC praising the hard work of HE with CRA’s aim to have a sophis- arising from the operation of radio- tion System is one of the systems against corruption and supports ju- the Attorney-General Dr Ali bin Fe- ticated system to monitor the controlled drones. that support the digital transforma- dicial integrity. tais al-Marri in the fi ght against cor- frequency spectrum of the drones, “Drones have proved threatening tion programs of smart and safe This came during a lecture deliv- ruption and crime, as well as his work which constitute one of the sys- and capable to disrupt radio com- cities,” al-Mannai added. ered by the UN offi cial at the Pub- at the United Nations. Dignitaries at UNODC meeting.

Recall of Toyota Elderly, students to benefi t from QCDC-Mada services Previa model The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in co-operation with tudents with functional limita- yond the education phase so that they QCDC digital platforms, most notably Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros tions will now be able to get better can develop their skills as well as raise QCDC’s website. The agreement will Co, has announced a recall of Saccess to education through new community awareness about the role of also enable the provision of training on Toyota Previa model of 2019, services in information and commu- digital access in empowering and inte- best practices in the job-access project due to a possible defect in the nication technology (ICT) provided by grating people with disabilities into the as well as comprehensive vocational back-door damper. The recall Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Career De- society, a press statement notes. and career education and development campaign comes within the velopment Center (QCDC) and Mada “The signing of this agreement falls guidance for people with disabilities. framework of the ministry’s Centre. in line with QCDC’s objectives to instil Accreditation of 10 counselling spe- continuous eff orts to protect Through their partnership, QCDC a career culture among members of the cialists who provide career guidance for consumers. and Mada Centre will work together to Qatari community through awareness people with functional limitations will develop career education and develop- building programmes and platforms, be also tasked under this agreement. Hyundai truck ment services by promoting counsel- the implementation of eff ective ca- The signing ceremony took place on model recalled ling and capacity-building in the career reer policies, and by co-operating with Wednesday at Mada Centre’s booth guidance fi eld. the authorities concerned in Qatar in at the Qatar Information Technol- The Ministry of Commerce and The aim of this collaboration is to order to develop the educational sys- ogy Conference and Exhibition (Qitcom Industry, in co-operation with promote digital inclusiveness and build tem through career guidance tools and 2019), which is currently taking place at National Car Company, has a digital community for people with professional technological services,” the Qatar National Convention Centre. announced a recall of Hyundai functional limitations, including those said Abdulla al-Mansoori, director of The event was attended by Abdulla EX8 Trucks, models from 2015 with disabilities and the elderly. It will QCDC. al-Mansoori and Maha al-Mansouri, to 2019, due to a possible seek to empower and help students with Under this agreement, digital accred- CEO of Mada Centre, along with offi - defect in the A/C heater control disabilities in identifying their goals be- itation will be granted to a number of cials from both parties. QCDC and Mada off icials mark the partnership. switch. Gulf Times 4 Friday, November 1, 2019 QATAR

Minister meets visiting dignitaries Qatar, Somalia ink network agreement

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti yesterday met Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Ahmed al-Sulaiti yesterday met Angelo Tofalo, undersecretary Industry Hakob Arshakyan on the sidelines of the ongoing Qatar at the Italian Ministry of Defence, on the sidelines of the ongoing IT Conference & Exhibition (Qitcom 2019). They discussed ways to Qatar IT Conference & Exhibition (Qitcom 2019). They discussed strengthen co-operation in the ICT sector along with other co-operation between Qatar and Italy in the area of cyber security, issues of mutual concern. The meeting was attended by Armenian along with a number of other issues of mutual concern. The ambassador to Qatar Gegham Gharibjanyan. meeting was attended by Italian ambassador, Pasquale Salzano. On the sidelines of the ongoing Qatar IT Conference & Exhibition (Qitcom 2019), HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti witnessed the signing of a preliminary agreement between Qatar and Somalia. The agreement for the ‘Mutual Inclusion of Each Other’s Territories in the Service Areas of their Satellite Network’ was signed by Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority president Mohamed Ali al-Mannai and Somalia’s Minister of Post, Telecom and Technology Abdi Ashur Hassan. Afterwards, both ministers discussed how to strengthen co-operation in postal and ICT services, along with addressing a number of other issues of mutual concern. The meeting was attended by Somali New NIAP updates to ambassador to Qatar, Abdul Razak Farah. boost cybersecurity Qatar takes part in Muscat conference he Ministry of Transport formation systems and networks ensuring compliance through and Communications and gives an insight into the gov- certifi cation. We ensure that our T(MoTC) has announced ernment’s strategy for protecting policy documents are updated key updates to the National In- cyberspace in Qatar. regularly and are current.” formation Assurance Policy The NIAP will apply to all in- Some of the other initiatives (NIAP). dustries and can be implemented taken by Qatar’s Cybersecurity The new version, which will by any organisation. Sector include frequent interac- be launched soon, contains three It is based on the concept of tion with stakeholders and the critical updates including: Na- Information Asset classifi cation Information Risk Expert Com- tional Information Assurance and is inspired by the Three-level mittee (IRECs) and conducting Standard (NIAS), Cloud Security IT Baseline Security System ISKE STAR-6, the annual National Standard and Industrial Control developed by Estonia, which in Cyber Drill. Systems Security Standard. turn has been adopted from the Starting in 2013, cyber drills The announcement was made IT Baseline Protection Manual have been conducted to simulate yesterday on the sidelines of the developed by BSI, Germany. cyberattacks to determine com- Qatar IT Conference and Ex- Engineer al-Hashmi ... ensuring Engineer Khalid al-Hashmi, panies’ level of preparedness and hibition (Qitcom 2019), which security with innovation assistant undersecretary for Cy- response to breaches and other concludes today at the Qatar Na- ber Security Sector, MoTC, said: IT security risks. tional Convention Centre. tral document, catering to the “Since the launch of the fi rst ver- There are two primary exercis- To secure from global tech- whole spectrum of ICT users and sion of the NIAP in 2009, we have es conducted: A process exercise nology threats, Q-CERT (Qatar providers including small, me- been regularly updating the poli- and a technical exercise to help Computer Emergency Response dium and large enterprises, and cy to ensure market relevance. organisations test, verify and Team), driving the cybersecurity government & non-government Our primary objective is to im- improve processes, technologies sector, has been continually de- entities. prove the cyber security posture and skills. The State of Qatar has participated in the 21st meeting of ministers responsible for veloping and updating the NIAP It acts as an umbrella frame- of Qatar and help organisations At least 95 institutions par- environment aff airs in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) in Muscat, Oman, with a delegation with a specifi c focus on indus- work for defi ning and guiding ac- mature their cyber security proc- ticipated in the STAR-6 exercises led by HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Engineer Abdullah bin Abdulaziz tries of hospitality, education, tions related to the security of the esses. We drive this through a conducted in 2018. bin Turki al-Subaie. The meeting discussed a number of environmental issues related to the energy and aviation among oth- information infrastructure. holistic programme that includes The 7th edition of the National promotion and development of joint environmental action in light of the global challenges ers, that are known to be more The policy will provide an developing robust and pragmatic Cyber Drill (STAR-7) is scheduled facing the environment and climate and developments in the areas and prospects for vulnerable to technology threats. overview of what it takes to ef- policies and standards, capac- for next month and envisions a sustainable development. The meeting also dealt with the environmental strategies of the GCC The NIAP will serve as a cen- fectively protect information, in- ity and capability building and higher rate of participation. countries, the development of environmental monitoring systems, and the Gulf environmental data portal. It also discussed issues related to the development of joint environmental work of the GCC countries, as well as co-operation with various international organisations to promote environmental protection programmes. — QNA Shopping in Turkey now ‘a click away’ with Qatar Post Chief of Staff hosts Italian minister

The website was unveiled at Qitcom 2019.

he Qatar Postal Services Company (Qatar Post) has Tannounced the re-launch of its e-commerce website, www. turkishsouq.com, giving the cus- tomer in Qatar the privilege to buy distinguished Turkish prod- ucts online. HE the Chief of Staff of Qatari Armed Forces Lieutenant General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen The website was unveiled dur- al-Ghanim, met the Italian Minister of Defence Angelo Tofalo, who is currently visiting Qatar. ing the Qatar Information Tech- During the meeting, they reviewed military relations between the two countries and ways of nology Conference & Exhibition enhancing them. Several senior off icers of the armed forces attended the meeting. — Qitcom 2019 — being held at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Qatar Post off icials at the Qitcom 2019. The virtual marketplace fea- tures over 300,000 products a unique opportunity for entre- customers to easily access a wide products in international markets. ranging from household items to preneurs and small enterprises in range of Turkish products.” “Turkishsouq.com is based on popular Turkish Delights, nuts, Qatar to showcase their products Faleh al-Naemi, chairman the idea of giving customers a pleas- Visitors throng MME pavilion bespoke jewellery and offi ce sup- on the Turkish market, as well as and managing director of Qatar ant shopping experience as well as of plies. through other channels provided Post, added: “As a postal service searching for products they want to he pavilion of the Ministry of Municipal- der the MME are on display at the exhibition, ac- With the demand for Turkish by the Qatar Post e-store,” the company, we are dedicated to buy,” the statement adds. ity and Environment (MME) at the ongo- cording to a statement. products continuing to increase statement explains. delivering online purchases from In addition to a dedicated 24- Ting Qatar Information Technology Con- The stall by the ISD highlights MME’s digital in Qatar, turkishsouq.com aims HE the Minister of Transport around the world to our custom- hour customer service, the shop- ference and Exhibition (Qitcom 2019) continued transformation project and the technical pro- to off er high-quality products and Communications Jassim ers at their doorsteps. We are ping process does not require to draw crowds yesterday. grammes and applications used by the public in from Turkey that are available for Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said: “The pleased to off er our customers in the customer to open an account Various projects and services by the Informa- Qatar to avail various services. order round the clock, Qatar Post launch of the new e-commerce Qatar a new online shopping ex- to be able to purchase from the tion Systems Department (ISD) and the Center The stall also features services available with has said in a statement. platform comes in line with the perience, through turkishsouq. Turkish Souq. for Geographic Information Systems(CGIS) un- MME’s app and website. To celebrate the launch of the strengthening of trade relations com, with easy and unlimited Currently, purchase orders are “inventory-packed website”, between Qatar and Turkey and access to a wide range of Turkish only available to residents of Qa- Qatar Post is off ering customers their co-operation in the areas products.” tar and purchases are delivered free shipping on all orders above of postal services, transport and The launch of turkishsouq.com exclusively to addresses in Qatar. QR250. others. The channel will also comes at a time when trade be- Qatar Post said it will be ex- “Through the new e-com- support eff orts to improve the tween Qatar and Turkey is grow- panding turkishsouq.com to merce venture, Qatar Post, the quality of postal services and ing, giving Qatari producers new more countries around the world owner of turkishsouq.com, off ers e-commerce in Qatar, allowing opportunities to showcase their in the near future. Cryptography Standard launched

The Ministry of Transport and and according to the Qatar Na- are still considered safe at the time and cryptographic protocols. Communications (MoTC) has tional Cryptographic Policy. of applying the standard. The main goal of this Standard launched the Qatar National The Standard aims, along with This Standard is intended for is providing these organisations Cryptographic Standard, which other goals, to provide recom- all organisations in Qatar and with suff icient information to allow sets lawful and technical basis mendations for the safe use of others that are responsible for them to take decisions about the for using cryptography in the cryptography across all entities providing and using crypto- cryptographic methods that will country. and proposes algorithms and graphic services to meet identi- meet their specific needs to pro- MoTC has already made major parameters suitable for defined fied security requirements and tect the confidentiality and integ- progress in the development of periods. also covers cryptographic meth- rity of data that is transmitted and/ the Standard and upgrading it con- Therefore, this Standard defines ods; symmetric and asymmetric or stored in a system or network, tinually in line with latest universal the specifications of existing cryptographic schemes, Hash as well as to obtain assurance of techniques, criteria and practices cryptographic mechanisms, which functions, signature algorithms its authenticity. MME off icials explain about the projects and services at Qitcom. Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 5 AMERICAS Impeachment bid clears

Trump: revealed that the its fi rst test in Congress military dog, a Belgian Malinois, is named ‘Conan’. Reuters doing by Trump could crowd out peatedly denied wrongdoing. Democrats have said that they Washington other issues like the economy Republicans have largely are following House rules on in- and immigration as voters turn stuck by him, blasting the eff ort vestigations. their minds to the November as a partisan exercise that has They have promised to hold deeply-divided US House 2020 presidential election. given them little input. public hearings on the case Trump of Representatives took That might damage Trump “The country next year will against Trump. A a major step yesterday in but some of his supporters say be deciding who our president Lawmakers leading the in- the eff ort to impeach President the impeachment drive could is going to be. It should not be quiry heard closed-door testi- says ‘hero’ Donald Trump, when lawmak- actually boost his re-election Nancy Pelosi and a small group mony from Tim Morrison, the ers approved rules for the next chances by showing him at log- of people that she selects that top Russia specialist on Trump’s stage, including public hearings, gerheads with Washington- get to determine who is going National Security Council. dog to get in the Democratic-led inquiry based political foes. to be our president,” said Kevin Morrison resigned from his into Trump’s attempt to have Republicans accused Demo- McCarthy, the top House Re- position on Wednesday, a senior Ukraine investigate a domestic crats of using impeachment to publican. administration offi cial said. a White political rival. overturn the results of his 2016 Just two Democrats – Collin Members of the three com- In the fi rst formal test of victory. Peterson of Minnesota and Jeff mittees conducting the inves- support for the impeachment “The Greatest Witch Hunt Van Drew of New Jersey – voted tigation expect Morrison to House investigation, the Democratic- In American History!” Trump against the measure. fi ll in more of the details about controlled House voted almost wrote on Twitter after the vote. Both represent districts where Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. entirely along party lines – 232 The investigation focuses Trump won in the 2016 election. Morrison listened in on the welcome to 196 – to move the probe for- on a July 25 telephone call in Other Democrats from July 25 phone call and said the ward in Congress. which Trump asked his Ukrain- Trump-leaning districts, such call “could have been better”, The vote demonstrated unity ian counterpart, Volodymr Ze- as Jared Golden of Maine, voted according to acting US ambas- AFP among Democrats who accuse lenskiy, to investigate Trump’s yes. sador to Ukraine Bill Taylor. Washington Trump of abusing his offi ce and Democratic political rival Joe Bi- If the House eventually votes Committee members have jeopardising national security den, a former US vice-president, to impeach Trump, that would asked a far more prominent for personal political gain. and his son Hunter, who had set up a trial in the Republican- player, former national security he “hero” dog injured in But they did not pick up a sin- served as a director for Ukrain- controlled Senate. adviser John Bolton, to appear the US commando raid gle Republican vote. ian energy company Burisma. Trump would not be removed next week. Tthat culminated in the “It’s a sad day. No one comes Biden is a leading candidate from offi ce unless votes to con- Pelosi: It’s a sad day. No one comes to Congress to impeach a Others have testifi ed that death of Islamic State (IS) leader to Congress to impeach a presi- in the Democratic presidential vict him by a two-thirds margin, president. Bolton was alarmed by a White Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is get- dent,” House Speaker Nancy nomination race to face Trump something that looks unlikely as House eff ort to pressure Zelen- ting a White House homecom- Pelosi said before the vote. in the November 2020 election. congressional Republicans have Jerrold Nadler declined say when The United States Constitu- skiy. ing next week, President Donald Televised public hearings fea- He and his son have denied been reluctant to move against public hearings would start but tion gives the House broad au- Bolton’s lawyer has said he Trump said yesterday. turing US offi cials testifying in any wrongdoing. the president. they are expected to begin in the thority to set the ground rules was not willing to testify unless Trump revealed that the mili- Congress about alleged wrong- The US president has also re- House Judiciary chairman next few weeks. for an impeachment inquiry, and a subpoena is issued. tary dog, a Belgian Malinois, is named “Conan” – heretofore a closely guarded-secret because the information could be used to identify the special forces unit that carried out the raid in Syria Goats over the weekend. Winds fan Trump posted a photomon- tage on Twitter showing him help save bestowing a medal of honour on the dog with the legend: “AMERICAN HERO.” Reagan Los Angeles “Very cute recreation, but the ‘live’ version of Conan will be leaving the Middle East for the library White House sometime next week!” he tweeted. wildfi res It was unclear what else lies in Reuters store for Conan, but it has been Simi Valley, California noted that Trump is the fi rst US Reuters ordered to evacuate, along president in more than a hun- Simi Valley, California with an unknown number of dred years who does not own a herd of 500 goats helped horses in an area that is known dog. save California’s Ron- for its ranches. Conan was injured chasing Aald Reagan library from a ore wildfi res ignited County schools remained Baghdadi into a dead end tunnel wildfi re on Wednesday, after the near Los Angeles closed yesterday. in his Syrian hideout, where the voracious animals earlier this Myesterday, destroy- Offi cials at the Getty Centre cornered IS leader detonated a year ate fl ammable scrub sur- ing homes and forcing evacu- and the Reagan Library were suicide vest, killing himself and rounding the hilltop complex. ations, as the region faced a confi dent both complexes two children, according to the The hired goats munched second day of gusting desert would be unscathed, thanks US account. through brush to create a fi re winds that have fanned fl ames to various fi re-prevention sys- The chairman of the Joint break that helped to slow the and displaced thousands of tems. Chiefs of Staff , General Mark blaze and let fi refi ghters douse Firefighters drop water on the area near to the Reagan Library during the Easy Fire in Simi Valley, people. These include, in the case of Milley, said earlier this week fl ames on Wednesday before California. The fast-moving Hillside the Reagan Library, an annual that the hero dog was expected they reached exhibits like an Air Fire grew to 200 acres (80 hec- visit by a herd of goats that eats to make a full recovery and was Force One jet and a piece of the of wildfi res by fi re-prevention The site houses papers and noxious weeds and other inva- tares) and was starting to con- away the surrounding fl amma- already back with his handlers. Berlin Wall, a library spokes- work. memorabilia from Reagan’s sive species that fuel wildfi res, sume homes near scrub-cov- ble scrub (see accompanying The photomontage that woman said. Los Angeles’ J Paul Getty Mu- 1981-1989 administrations, and said company owner Scott Mor- ered slopes in San Bernardino, report). Trump retweeted was produced “We were told by one of the seum on Tuesday said its scrub the Cold War leader is buried ris, 43. east of Los Angeles, according On Wednesday, helicopters by the conservative publication fi refi ghters that they believe that clearance eff orts slowed a blaze there alongside his wife Nancy. By 6pm the Easy Fire had to the San Bernardino County doused the area around the li- Daily Wire. fi re break made their job easier,” on its perimeter. Given the high risk of wildfi res burned over 1,650 acres, forced Fire Department. brary with water. It used a White House pic- said Melissa Giller. “The brush Driven by gale-force winds, in the area, the Reagan founda- around 30,000 people to evacu- At least six homes were de- No injuries have been re- ture of the president draping the only went so far, it didn’t reach the so-called Easy Fire sur- tion hired the goats from local ate their homes, and destroyed stroyed or damaged and about ported in the fi res, although at Medal of Honour, the nation’s the library, because the goats ate rounded the Reagan library on company 805 Goats in May to some structures, according to 1,300 people had been ordered least a dozen homes in Los An- highest military medal, around it all.” Wednesday morning, com- clear around 13 acres (fi ve hec- fi re authorities. to evacuate. geles have burned down. the neck of James McCloughan, The complex near Simi Val- ing less than 50’ from a hangar tares) of scrub. “All the fl ames are gone, all we A helicopter and a small The Santa Ana winds arrive a former army medic distin- ley is the second big southern housing the Boeing 707 aircraft With names including Vincent see are charred hillsides,” said plane dropped water and re- in the autumn, sending hot, guished for saving lives under California institution in as many used by the former Republican Van Goat and Selena Goatmez, Giller. “We feel the worst is over tardant on the fl ames, accord- dry air down from the moun- fi re during the Vietnam War. days to be protected from a rash president. the mainly Boer goats like to eat and the Reagan library is safe.” ing to Chris Prater, a fi re de- tains out to the Southern Cali- partment spokesman. fornia coast. A smaller brush fi re was also Gusts of 65mph (105kph) reported in Jurupa Valley. were recorded in mountain- “The winds have probably ous areas around Los Angeles, been the biggest factor pro- and more powerful winds were ‘Values’ test for immigrants seeking residency in Quebec moting this fi re spread,” he forecast. said. Tens of thousands of peo- The region’s Santa Ana ple in the region were without Reuters province’s two establishment immigrants understand, Legault and laws, among other topics. The Fédération des cham- winds have been so extraor- power after a precautionary Ottawa parties. told reporters on Wednesday. An individual must score at bres de commerce du Québec dinarily dry, powerful and shutdown by the Pacifi c Gas & CAQ ran on a platform includ- “I think it’s important in Que- least 75% to pass the test that (FCCQ), the major business lob- prolonged that the National Electric Co (PG&E). ing cutting immigration to the bec because we are a nation, we covers “democratic values and by in the province, said in August Weather Service (NWS) cre- Investigators say the Getty uebec will require im- predominantly French-speaking are a distinct society, we have our the Québec values expressed by the province would need about ated a new alert level, issuing fi re was likely caused by a bro- migrants seeking per- province. values, we have our charter,” he (Quebec’s) Charter of Human 60,000 immigrants annually to an “extreme red fl ag warning” ken tree branch that was blown Qmanent residency in the Quebec is allowed some lee- said. Rights and Freedoms”, the gov- meet current labour shortages. through evening yesterday in into power lines during high Canadian province to pass a way by the federal government to The ban is being challenged in ernment’s offi cial publication The lobby said it was dis- Los Angeles and Ventura coun- winds on Monday morning. “values” test to ensure that they set its own immigration levels, to court by civil rights groups, and said. appointed in the immigration ties. In northern California, fi re- understand its new secularism protect its distinct identity with- Canadian Prime Minister Justin The test would only apply to measures announced. Two other major fi res have fi ghters have been fi ghting the law, the provincial government in the country. Trudeau said during the recent economic immigrants and their “We were clear and loquacious charred the region since the 76,000-acre (30,760-hectare) said on Wednesday. Legault’s government has federal election campaign that families, not refugees. about the needs of businesses start of the week. Kincade Fire in Sonoma Coun- The test is being implemented come under fi re internation- he would consider a federal chal- Legault’s government also in the face of labour shortages,” The Getty Fire broke out ty’s wine country for more by Premier François Legault’s ally for implementing a ban on lenge to it. raised the immigration target Stéphane Forget, president and near the Getty Centre art mu- than a week. Coalition d’avenir Quebec (CAQ) public employees in positions of Quebec Premier Legault de- in 2020 to between 43,000 and chief executive of the FCCQ, said seum in Los Angeles on Mon- That blaze has destroyed government. authority wearing religious sym- scribed the test as similar to one 44,500, from 40,000 in 2019. in a news release in French on day morning, burning chapar- at least 189 homes and other CAQ, a nationalist centre- bols such as Muslim hijabs and that already exists at the federal Quebec is Canada’s largest Wednesday, adding that one of ral up and down the mountain structures but was listed as right party, won a majority gov- Jewish kippahs to work. level, where individuals applying province by area and the second the solutions to the labour short- slopes around a major highway. 30% contained on Wednesday. ernment in 2018’s provincial It is that law the test is intend- for Canadian citizenship must biggest by population, behind age was an increase in immigra- Offi cials ordered the evacu- PG&E acknowledged last election, soundly defeating the ed to make sure that potential pass a test on Canada’s history Ontario. tion levels. ation of more than 10,000 week that the Kincade Fire homes in some of the city’s started near a damaged trans- richest neighbourhoods, al- mission tower at about the though they began allow- time a live high-voltage line on ing some people to return on that tower malfunctioned. Twitter bans political ads, Facebook boss defends them Wednesday as about 40% of The company fi led for bank- the 745-acre (300-hectare) fi re ruptcy in January, citing $30bn was brought under control. in potential liability from a Reuters ecutive has said, a move that won statement. “We believe political growing pressure to stop carrying containing false or misleading The Easy Fire ignited early series of deadly fi res sparked New York praise from Democrats and scorn message reach should be earned, ads that spread false information claims, saying that Facebook on Wednesday, sending fl ames by its equipment in 2017 and from Donald Trump’s presiden- not bought.” that could steer elections. did not want to stifl e political racing up to the walls of the 2018. tial campaign. Analysts do not expect the ban, Facebook chief executive Mark speech. Ronald Reagan Presidential As many as 190,000 people witter Incorporated will “We’ve made the decision to which takes eff ect on November Zuckerberg opened his earn- The company confi rmed to Library atop a mountain in were displaced at the height ban political advertis- stop all political advertising on 22, to signifi cantly reduce Twit- ings conference call on Wednes- Reuters on Monday that some Ventura County’s Simi Valley of the Kincade Fire, but some Ting on its platform next Twitter globally,” said Twitter ter’s business. day by defending the company’s employees had criticised its pol- northwest of Los Angeles. evacuation orders have since month, the company’s chief ex- chief executive Jack Dorsey in a Social media companies face policy to run ads from politicians icy in an internal letter. Some 30,000 residents were been lifted. Gulf Times 6 Friday, November 1, 2019 ASIA

Indonesia threatens to report countries for refusing to take back waste

Reuters The comments come after a re- environment ministry, told a news Indonesia’s customs offi ce, said Indonesian offi cials of being “in- Indonesia is the second-biggest Zealand, the United Kingdom, Jakarta port by green groups Nexus3 and conference. “If there’s illegal traf- such shipments would be closely volved in the game of illegal global contributor of plastic pollut- Canada, and Japan, customs chief Basel Action Network (BAN) said fi c, the origin country must ac- monitored. Nexus3 and BAN said waste traffi cking”, which offi cials ants in the ocean after China, a Pambudi said. that waste Indonesia sent back to cept the trash back,” she said. they found evidence that out of vehemently denied. Indonesia has 2015 study in the journal Science Earlier this month, Indonesia ndonesia’s environment min- the United States had ended up Ratnawati also warned Indone- 58 containers due to be returned tightened customs inspections showed. made two Singaporeans suspects istry said yesterday it would mostly in other Asian emerging sian importers that if they are or- to the United States, only 12 had amid an increase in shipments Over 2,000 containers of plas- for importing 87 containers of Ireport countries to the Ba- economies. dered to send containers of trash made their way back, while 38 from Western countries after tic and paper waste had been plastic scrap without correct per- sel Convention, an international “If the origin country refuses back to where they came from, had gone instead in India. The rest China banned imports last year. stopped at Indonesian sea ports mits. Some were found to be con- treaty on waste reduction, if they to accept, we will report this to they could be criminally charged were found in South Korea, Thai- The Southeast Asian country for thorough inspections, 584 taminated with hazardous items refused to accept waste ship- the Basel Convention,” Rosa Viv- if those containers are redirected land, Vietnam, Mexico, the Neth- already struggles to deal with its of which had been ordered to be such as printed circuit boards, ments sent back to them by its ien Ratnawati, director general of elsewhere. erlands and Canada. own waste, which often goes into shipped back to countries such as used remote controls and used authorities. waste management at Indonesia’s Heru Pambudi, the head of The green groups also accused landfi lls or is dumped in rivers. the United States, Australia, New batteries. Deadly new earthquake strikes south Philippines

AFP Manila

powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines yesterday, crushing a man under Afalling debris and sparking searches of seri- ously damaged buildings that had already been rat- tled by two previous deadly tremors. The 6.5-magnitude quake hit the island of Mind- Workers inspect a damaged condominium complex after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Davao City yesterday. anao, the US Geological Survey said, causing locals to run to safety in the same area where a strong tremor killed eight people on Tuesday. The powerful shaking caused serious damage to a condominium building in the major southern city of Davao, which was about 45km from the epicentre. At least eight people were hurt at the building, and res- cuers had launched a search to determine if residents might be trapped inside, police told AFP. A collapsed structure in another town crushed and killed a local offi cial who was inside to help with an improvised medical treatment centre set up after the previous quakes. A hotel partially collapsed in another area, but a disaster offi cial told AFP the building had already A damaged hotel building after an earthquake in been evacuated. Locals have been left terrifi ed by Kidapawan City, Cotabato. a string of powerful quakes, and hundreds of af- tershocks since the fi rst powerful tremor struck on ing killed four others, while a collapsed wall crushed a October 16. “Everyone rushed outside,” said Reuel man, authorities said. At least 50 people were hurt by Limbungan, mayor of the Tulunan town, which was falling debris, including some seven pupils and teach- once again near the epicentre. “It was as strong as the ers hurt escaping their collapsed elementary school. previous one.” Hundreds of families on Mindanao is- The area was still suff ering the eff ects of a 6.4-mag- land, which makes up the southern third of the Phil- nitude quake that hit less than two weeks ago, killing ippines, have been living in shelters because they are at least fi ve people and damaging dozens of buildings. afraid to go home. Residents fl ed homes across the Mindanao region USGS initially said the quake had a magnitude of and a mall caught fi re in the city of General Santos 6.8, and added there was no threat of a tsunami. The shortly after the quake struck on October 16. Hun- Philippines suff ers regular tremors as part of the Pa- dreds of people were still displaced two weeks after cifi c “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that quake when the new one struck earlier this week, that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and forcing hundreds more from their homes. across the Pacifi c basin. In the 6.6-magnitude quake One of the deadliest quakes to hit the Philippines on Tuesday, a teenage boy was crushed by a falling recently was in April, when 16 people were killed as wall as he tried to escape his school in Magsaysay, the a building near the capital Manila collapsed and the town spokesman told AFP. Though other students secondary Clark airport was shut down due to dam- were injured in a “stampede” to escape the building, age to the passenger terminal. High-rise structures in they survived. the capital swayed after the April quake, leaving some Rock and landslides unleashed by the violent shak- with large cracks in their walls. Rescue workers assist residents evacuating from a condominium building in Davao City.

Mekong levels at lowest on record

The once-mighty Mekong river has been reduced to a thin, grubby neck of water in stretches of northern Thailand – record lows Malaysia-Singapore rail link Bangladesh upholds blamed on drought and a recently completed dam far upstream. The $4.47bn Thai-owned Xayaburi hydro-electric power plant went into operation this week in Laos after years of warnings death sentence of over the potential impact on fish flow, sediment and water levels back on at lower cost: Mahathir on a river which feeds tens of millions. Along parts of Thailand’s northeastern border at Loei, the kilometre-wide (3,300-ft) river wartime leader has shrivelled to a few dozen metres, with boulders and bedrock Reuters nal proposal, a reduction of 36%, projects agreed under the previ- encasing muddy pools of water. From above, the encroaching Johor Bahru Mahathir said. “We will build this ous administration. A further banks of Laos and Thailand are now a thread of water apart, railway, the agreement has been delay was agreed last month. The AFP restricting fishing grounds to a slim channel. Fishermen blame made. Southeast Asian neighbours last Dhaka a combination of this year’s weak monsoon and the Xayaburi railway line linking Malay- Half will be built by Singapore, year scrapped a high-speed rail dam, around 300km to the north. “I don’t want any more dam sia’s southern state of Jo- the other half will be built by us,” project linking Singapore to the construction,” said fisherman Sup Aunkaew, who tossed a meagre Ahor with Singapore will go Mahathir told reporters at the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, angladesh’s highest court yesterday upheld a death sen- catch into his boat, adding that the fish spawning habits have been ahead after the projected cost was Malaysia-Singapore border. “The which analysts estimated would tence against a top Islamist leader for war crimes in a move “confused” by the unseasonally low water levels. “But we can’t cut by a third, Malaysia’s Prime details will be discussed with Sin- cost around $17bn. Bthat lawyers said meant he would almost certainly be ex- really oppose their plans if they want to do it.” Minister Mahathir Mohamad said gapore.” Tensions often run high be- ecuted in the coming months. ATM Azharul Islam, a stalwart of yesterday, ending months of un- Singapore’s transport ministry tween Malaysia and Singapore, fundamentalist opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami, was sentenced certainty over the delayed project. said it welcomed Malaysia’s deci- and Mahathir took a swipe at the to death in 2014 for rape, murder and genocide during the coun- The Rapid Transit System sion. “Both sides are now discuss- city-state for not agreeing to a try’s 1971 independence war. Thailand’s biggest burger Link, which will bridge one of the ing the changes to the project, new road bridge between the two He would become the sixth leader to be hanged for their role world’s busiest border crossings, which Malaysia is proposing countries that he believes is the in the war, which saw Bangladesh break away from Pakistan after can carry up to 10,000 passengers in order to reduce the project solution to congestion. a nine-month confl ict. The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice an hour each way – more than 30 cost ... the discussions will take An estimated 300,000 people Syed Mahmud Hossain rejected an appeal by the 67-year-old in a times the capacity of the existing some time,” the ministry said in travel along the main highway majority verdict, defence lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain told train service. a statement. The train project between Johor and Singapore reporters. The project will cost 3.16bn was originally suspended in May every day, the primary crossing “We will fi le a review petition against the verdict,” he said, add- ringgit ($757mn), down from as Malaysia, saddled with more between two countries, which ing Islam was an 18-year-old student during the war and did not 4.93bn ringgit under the origi- than $200bn in debt, reassessed separated from each other in 1965. have a leading role helping the Pakistani military. But it is rare in Bangladeshi judicial history for a verdict to be overturned on re- view. All previous death sentences arising out of the 1971 war cas- Nepalese PM admitted to hospital es have been upheld. A prosecutor told AFP that Islam could be hanged within months if the review backs the verdict. Islam was assistant sec- Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma that he underwent dialysis for removed excess antibodies, retary general of Jamaat, the nation’s largest Islamist party, which Oli has been admitted to a private his kidney. The Nepalese leader which can reject a transplanted sided with Pakistan during the confl ict. He is the last of its promi- hospital in Kathmandu, which was admitted to the intensive kidney, according to doctors. nent leaders to face war crimes accusations. yesterday raised concerns about care unit of the hospital, where Oli, chairman of the ruling Nepal In recent years, the controversial International Crimes Tri- A woman holds up what the Chris Steaks & Burgers the ailing leader’s health. Oli, 66, he underwent dialysis for renal Communist Party, underwent a bunal, set up by the government in 2010, has sentenced dozens restaurant says is Thailand’s biggest burger weighing more was rushed to Grande Hospital on disease, according to Kantipur, kidney transplant 12 years ago in of people to death including fi ve Jamaat leaders on war crimes than 6kg, before a contest held to eat it at a restaurant in Wednesday, with his spokesmen Nepal’s national newspaper. India. Since then, he has frequently charges. A former minister of the main opposition Bangladesh Bangkok. saying it was a “routine checkup,” In August, Oli travelled twice travelled to India, Thailand Nationalist Party was also sentenced to death by the tribunal and but local media have reported to Singapore, where doctors Singapore for treatments. later hanged. Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 7 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Beijing ends key conclave with promise to protect Hong Kong

AFP the fi rst since February 2018. This mainland, including free speech, with the Constitution and the well-being of Taiwan compatri- over a year, with tariff s now im- sial or deemed to be divisive — for Beijing plenum came as Chinese Presi- and is governed by the Basic Law, Basic Law, and the long-term ots, and unite the large numbers pacting hundreds of billions of example some members might dent Xi Jinping battles a number its mini-constitution. But the prosperity and stability of Hong of Taiwan compatriots to jointly dollars in two-way trade. have challenged Xi Jinping’s of challenges, including months city has been rocked by months Kong and Macao should be safe- oppose “Taiwan independence” Yesterday’s communique handling of Sino-US relations — hina’s Communist Party of pro-democracy protests in of unrest from protesters who say guarded,” it read. and ”promote reunifi cation” the — which largely reaffirmed these things are simply not men- elite concluded a key Hong Kong, a slowing economy, those rights are being rolled back Promoting the “peaceful re- communique read. existing policy — fell short of tioned,” Lam said. Cmeeting in Beijing yester- and a lingering trade war with by an increasingly authoritarian unifi cation of the motherland” The plenum also said the par- observers’ expectations for sig- Many of the country’s most day with a promise to protect the the United States. In the commu- Beijing. was a key theme of the plenum, ty and the people “must more nificant announcements, Willy signifi cant policies have been “stability” of Hong Kong, which nique published yesterday, the In response, yesterday’s com- particularly with regards to the tightly unite around the Party Lam, a professor at the Chinese announced after plenum meet- has been rocked by months of government admitted that China munique said the plenum pro- self-ruled island of Taiwan, Central Committee with Com- University of Hong Kong, told ings, with the last one in Febru- unrest. was “facing a complicated situ- posed “upholding and improv- which Beijing sees as part of its rade Xi Jinping as the core”. De- AFP. Lam said this could be a ary 2018 focused on a reform plan The Fourth Plenum of the ation of signifi cantly increased ing” the system of “one country, territory, awaiting reunifi ca- spite its mention of increased sign of increased division at the for state institutions, giving even Party’s Central Committee is a risks and challenges domestically two systems”, without giving tion. “We must fi rmly advance “risks and challenges” abroad, meeting, as “according to tradi- more power to the party. The one closed-door meeting of high- and abroad”. more specifi c details. the process of peaceful reuni- the communique was notably tion, they only put down things before that approved the scrap- ranking offi cials where the Semi-autonomous Hong Kong “The Hong Kong Special Ad- fi cation of the motherland.... silent on the ongoing US-China (in the communique) that they ping of presidential term limits, country’s future direction is dis- — which was returned to China in ministrative Region ... must be deepen cross-strait integrated trade confl ict. Beijing and Wash- could agree on”. allowing Xi to stay in offi ce for cussed, and this week’s meet was 1997 — has rights unseen in the governed in strict accordance development, safeguard the ington have exchanged blows for “Anything which is controver- life. Clashes as Hong Kong protesters wear masks

AFP Hong Kong Anti-government protesters wearing costumes march in Lan Kwai Fong, ong Kong democracy Central district, Hong Kong. activists donned Hal- Hloween masks lampoon- protests in which participants backed leftist riots that raged for ing the city’s pro-Beijing leaders routinely use masks to hide their nearly a year and killed some 50 yesterday, defying an emergency identities and protect themselves people. Lam’s use of the law was law that bans face coverings and from teargas and pepper spray. controversial because it bypassed sparking renewed clashes with Earlier this month city leader the Legislative Council, the par- police. Carrie Lam invoked colonial-era tially-elected chamber that ap- Online forums used to organise legislation for the fi rst time in proves Hong Kong’s laws. Critics the largely leaderless movement more than fi fty years to outlaw said the move undermined the encouraged supporters to wear face coverings at rallies. city’s reputation for being a de- Halloween-themed masks as po- The move was seen as a wa- pendable business and legal hub lice warned they would force rev- tershed legal moment for the at a time of growing concern over ellers to remove outfi ts and face- city since its 1997 return by Brit- Beijing’s control of the city. The paint if they engaged in protests. ain to China – but the ban has protests were initially sparked by Small fl ashmob rallies broke out done little to stop the protests a now-abandoned plan to allow in multiple locations yesterday or dissuade people from wearing extraditions to the authoritarian evening. masks. Police released a video on mainland. But they snowballed The new protests come as of- Facebook warning protesters not into a wider democracy and po- fi cial fi gures released yesterday to use Halloween as an excuse to lice accountability movement. showed the city has plunged hold rallies, and vowed to arrest Increasingly violent clashes into a technical recession for the people who refused to remove have broken out between hard- fi rst time since the global fi nan- their masks when requested to core protesters throwing petrol cial crisis over a decade ago. At do so. bombs and bricks at police who Victoria Park, around a hundred Earlier yesterday, activists are responding with ever in- protesters gathered for an un- went to court to challenge the creasing amounts of tear gas and sanctioned march to a popular emergency law. “This is a duel rubber bullets. The clashes have nightclub district that had been between the rule of law and to- hammered the city’s once-solid surrounded by riot police. Many talitarianism,” lawmaker Den- reputation for stability and has wore outfi ts poking fun at the nis Kwok told reporters outside further battered an economy that city’s leadership. the High Court at the start of a was already reeling from the US- Yan Lee, an accountant in two-day hearing. The sweeping China trade war. her 50s, wore a mask that com- 1922 emergency law was passed Lam and Beijing have shown bined the face of justice secretary A man holds a protest poster next to policemen in the Lan Kwai Fong area as people celebrate Halloween in Hong Kong yesterday. by then colonial master Britain little appetite to meet protester Theresa Cheng with the Disney to deal with striking workers and demands, or to off er a political villain Malefi cent. “For months of Batman’s nemesis, The Joker. that everyone owns the spirit to and chasing hardcore protesters incidents this summer that have allows the city’s leader to make solution. Instead they have opted she has done nothing for Hong She said she was inspired by fi ght touched me a lot,” she said. who had taken over roads. Activ- fanned hostility towards the “any regulations whatsoever” to wait out a movement that has Kong but defend the authorities,” the recent Hollywood fi lm that Across the harbour in Prince Ed- ists were marking two months force. in a time of emergency or public remained stubbornly resilient she told AFP. Another protester, traces The Joker’s origin story as ward district, the protests had a since police were fi lmed beat- Hong Kong has been upended danger. and appears to maintain signifi - who gave her surname as Loo, he launches a revolution against more familiar and less satirical ing protesters in Prince Edward by nearly fi ve months of huge, It was last used in 1967 by the cant public support despite the had painted her face in the style Gotham City’s elites. “The idea feel, with police fi ring tear gas subway station, one of multiple often violent, pro-democracy British to help suppress Maoist- economic hardship. N Korea launches two suspected Fire destroys Japan’s World missiles after warnings to US Heritage-listed Shuri Castle Reuters for Okinawa, which suff ered 2020 Tokyo Olympic torch re- Tokyo heavy casualties as a site of lay route. Reuters countries – failed to lead to any posted a “real world missile on Wednesday, North Korean heavy fi ghting between US and The city’s fi re department Seoul agreement over North Korea’s alert” and urged personnel to leader Kim had expressed “deep Japanese forces. said that while the castle had nuclear weapons and ballistic seek shelter, before later issu- condolences” and “consolation” fi re tore through World “My heart is full of pain and exterior sprinkler systems, its missile programmes. ing an “all clear”. The afternoon over Moon’s loss, Moon’s offi ce Heritage-listed Shuri a feeling of indescribable loss,” halls were not so equipped as orth Korea fi red two sus- “Make no mistake, if there is launch timing was a departure said yesterday. Relations between ACastle in Japan’s south- said Okinawa governor Denny this was not required under lo- pected missiles into the no change in the current trajec- from this year’s string of tests, the two Koreas have cooled since ern island of Okinawa yester- Tamaki, who cut short a South cal fi re codes. Nsea between the Korean tory of US-North Korea relations which usually took place around a fl urry of personal meetings be- day, reducing the main hall of Korea trip to deal with the fi re. After World War II, it served peninsula and Japan yesterday, there is only one possible out- dawn. On Wednesday, South Ko- tween Moon and Kim last year, the more than 500-year-old “At the same time, I feel as a university campus until the according to military offi cials in come: a long-range missile or nu- rea’s Yonhap news agency cited and denuclearisation negotia- landmark to a charred skeleton. strongly that we must rebuild mid 1970s. Following post-war Japan and South Korea, ending clear weapons test by Pyongyang an unnamed military source as tions between North Korea and The wooden castle, once a Shuri Castle, a symbol of the reconstruction, it re-opened as nearly a month-long lull in test- that will spark a crisis just like in saying that movements of trans- the United States appear stalled. palace and cultural heart of Ryukyu Kingdom, an expres- a national park in 1992 and was ing after denuclearisation talks 2017,” said Harry Kazianis, senior porter erector launchers (TEL), On Sunday, North Korea said the Ryukyu Kingdom which sion of its history and culture.” designated a World Heritage stalled. director of Korean Studies at the used to fi re missiles, had been there had been no progress in fl ourished from the 15th to 19th Television showed local resi- site in 2000. The launches, which Japanese Center for the National Interest detected in North Korea. North Korea-United States re- century, burned for around 12 dents and tourists, some pray- “Deep emotion and sincere authorities identifi ed as likely in Washington. South Korea’s National Secu- lations. North Korea has tested hours until fi refi ghters brought ing and in tears, watching as solidarity with the Japanese ballistic missiles, were the fi rst rity Council held an emergency several new missile designs this it under control in the after- smoke billowed from the re- people,” Unesco Director-Gen- since one day of talks between “Objects that appeared to meeting after the launch yester- year, including a new submarine- noon. mains of the once bright-red eral Audrey Azoulay comment- the United States and North Ko- be ballistic missiles were day, and expressed its concern launched ballistic missile fi red The castle has been damaged castle. The fi re engulfed the ed on Twitter. “This is a loss for rea ended without an agreement launched from North about what it called “short-range from a platform in the sea on Oc- by fi re and rebuilt several times. popular tourist attraction in all humanity.” In addition to the on Oct 5 in Sweden. Korea,” Japan’s defence projectiles”. “Our military is tober 2. It was last destroyed during the middle of its annual mid- main hall, the north and south American offi cials have played ministry said in a statement. maintaining a readiness posture It says the missiles are neces- World War II, and its restora- autumn festival. The castle was halls have been destroyed, NHK down previous missile launch- “They did not land within while tracking and monitoring sary to defend against new war- tion was a symbol of recovery also a scheduled stop on the said. es this year, saying they were our territory.” related developments in prepa- planes and weapons acquired by short-range weapons. North ration for another launch,” the South Korea, including the ad- Korean leader Kim Jong-un has The fi rst of two “unidentifi ed JCS said in a statement after the vanced F-35 stealth fi ghter jet. Australian police seize 400kg of ‘ice’ hidden in sauce bottles set an end-of-the-year deadline projectiles” was fi red yesterday launches. North Korea has also accused for denuclearisation talks with at 4:35pm local time from South The JCS called on North Korea the United States and South Ko- Four men have been arrested arrests on Monday in the carpark information to commit an indict- Washington, however, and in a Phyongan Province, in the cen- to stop the launches because they rea of continuing hostile poli- after Australian police seized of a hotel in Sydney’s central able off ence. statement on Sunday North Ko- tre of North Korea, South Korea’s were “unhelpful” for reducing cies, including military drills. On 400kg of crystal meth, or ice, business district. “This has been a complex investi- rea said it would be a mistake for Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said tensions on the peninsula. Monday, South Korea began its worth an estimated A$300mn Photos released by the police gation and we know the methyl- the United States to ignore that in a series of statements. A sec- Kim Dong-yup, a former navy annual Hoguk military exercises, (US $210mn) concealed in bot- also showed several cartons of amphetamine in this import was deadline. ond projectile was detected at offi cer who teaches at Seoul’s which it says are for self defence. tles of sriracha hot chilli sauce the fiery sauce bottles stacked in headed for a clandestine lab in A US State Department 4:38pm. Kyungnam University, said the North Korean state media, from the United States. the back of a car. the Sydney Metropolitan area for spokesman said: “We are aware The projectiles travelled an launches could be a so-called however, strongly criticised the A search of an air cargo con- Police seized eight boxes from the extraction process to occur,” of reports of a North Korean mis- estimated 370km and reached an “running test fi re” of a recently drill as practice for invading the signment that had arrived at a the vehicle and a search of the State Crime Commander Stuart sile launch. We are continuing to altitude of 90km, the JCS said, developed multiple-rocket sys- North, and said “South Korean Sydney freight depot from the hotel suite found another 26 Smith said. “We will conduct fur- monitor the situation and con- calling them “short range”. tem, with the aim of fi ne-tuning military warmongers are driv- United States on Oct 15 found boxes. ther investigations with our law sulting closely with our allies in “Objects that appeared to be the system for full production. ing the situation into an extreme 768 bottles of sriracha chilli The three Australian men have enforcement partners to identify Japan and South Korea.” ballistic missiles were launched The launches occurred on the one.” sauce, “with presumptive testing been charged with attempt to other people linked to the group.” Analysts said the launches un- from North Korea,” Japan’s de- day that South Korean President Experts have said several of returning a positive indicator for possess a commercial quantity Ice, or crystal methampheta- derscore how tense the situation fence ministry said in a state- Moon Jae-in attended the funeral the new missiles tested this year methylamphetamine (ice),” New and the unlawful importing of a mine, is one of the most potent has become after three meetings ment. “They did not land within of his mother, who died on Tues- by North Korea are designed to South Wales state police said in a border-controlled drug. varieties of amphetamine drug. between Kim and US President our territory.” day. potentially evade missile defence statement yesterday. A fourth man was arrested The name ‘ice’ became popular Donald Trump – unprecedented An American air base at Mi- In a message delivered via the systems deployed in South Korea Police arrested a 36-year old on yesterday morning and was due to its white little ‘crystals’ and top-level contact between the sawa, 1,130km north of Tokyo, border village of Panmunjom late and Japan. Sunday and made two more charged with possessing identity glass-like appearance. Gulf Times 8 Friday, November 1, 2019 BRITAIN

Holyrood casts doubts on timing of Sturgeon’s independence vote

Guardian News and Media the referendum being agreed and She told the SNP’s annual be based on the same question option used in the 2016 EU ref- The committee said calls from in its interim report on the bill, London the vote being held. conference this month that she asked in the 2014 referendum: erendum, and it wants up to 12 the commission and other ex- published yesterday morning, The committee said any ref- wanted the referendum to be “Should Scotland be an inde- weeks to test the wording with perts for at least six months to that it expected the government erendum intended to change the staged in late 2020 and would pendent country?” voters. elapse between the act being to accept the Electoral Commis- Holyrood committee has constitution must require special ask the UK government to grant Derek Mackay, the Scottish The rough timetable sketched passed and the referendum tak- sion’s recommendations during cast fresh doubt over primary legislation at Holyrood, the powers to hold one as soon as government’s fi nance and con- out by the committee begins ing place also had to be taken into the stage-two process. ANicola Sturgeon’s plan to suggesting it could take up to a possible after the election. stitutional aff airs secretary, told with tabling and passing an act of account. It unanimously endorsed the hold a second independence ref- year for an independence vote to She argues that the prospects the committee that this question parliament to stage the referen- The referendum bill is expect- bill’s primary purpose – to estab- erendum based on a simple yes/ be held, taking all these stages of a Boris Johnson-led Tory ad- was simple and understood by dum, then up to three months to ed to be put to its fi rst-stage vote lish a clear framework for all future no question late next year. into account. ministration forcing through a voters and had been used more test the question, 28 days for the at Holyrood next Thursday be- referendums in Scotland – but The fi nance and constitution Sturgeon plans to make an in- hard Brexit makes the case for than 200 times in opinion poll- main yes/no campaigns to regis- fore going back to the fi nance and Bruce Crawford, the committee’s committee said it supported re- dependence referendum the cen- Scotland leaving the UK – and, ing. ter with the Electoral Commis- constitution committee for line- convenor and a veteran SNP MSP, quests from the Electoral Com- trepiece of the Scottish National in time, rejoining the EU – unan- The Electoral Commission sion, 16 days for the commission by-line scrutiny and amend- said it also wanted the government mission for up to 12 weeks to test party’s election campaign, with swerable. has said it needs to evaluate the to register those campaigns and ments under stage two of Holy- to live up to Mackay’s promise to be the proposed question and for at the party enjoying a signifi cant Her government insists a sec- question against other options, at least 10 weeks for the cam- rood’s legislative process. open-minded about calls to revise least six months to pass between lead in the polls in Scotland. ond independence vote should likely to include the leave/remain paign. The committee hinted strongly the bill. Blow for PM as Morgan and Rudd quit ahead of polls

Daily Mail fractious Brexit debates. London In a statement, the mother- of-one said being an MP had been “the greatest privilege of icky Morgan and Am- my life”. ber Rudd led an exodus But she also cited “the clear Nof Tory Remainers from impact on my family and the Parliament that is threatening to other sacrifi ces involved in, and turn into a fl ood. the abuse for, doing the job of a In a shock announcement, modern MP”. Morgan announced that she was Lidington, who is MP for standing down as an MP at the Aylesbury, cited the “heavy cost” election, giving up her Cabinet of politics on family life in a letter post as culture secretary. to The Bucks Herald newspaper. It came just hours after Rudd Morgan’s decision came just announced that she was also hours after Rudd became locked quitting parliament after Down- in a bitter briefi ng war with No 10 ing Street blocked her return to after she was ruthlessly blocked the Tory fold, sparking an angry from returning to the Tory fold. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn holds a placard as he poses with Labour candidates Hannah O’Neil (left) and Charlynne Pullen (right) at a campaign event in Milton Keynes, southern row with No 10. Rudd, who quit as work and pen- England, yesterday. A string of other promi- sions secretary two months ago, nent pro-Remain MPs have announced she would not be announced they are standing contesting the next election. down. They include Theresa But she said she wanted to May’s former deputy Sir David regain the Tory whip for her fi - Lidington and former minis- nal days in Parliament, after re- ters Sir Patrick McLoughlin, Sir building bridges with Johnson, Alan Duncan, Kenneth Clarke, a personal friend. However, that Sir Oliver Letwin, Sir Nicholas hope was brutally rebuff ed by Soames, Claire Perry, Richard Tory chief whip Mark Spencer, Corbyn pledges to Benyon, Seema Kennedy, Alistair who said he didn’t trust her not Burt and Mr Johnson’s brother to abandon the prime minister Jo. again. Veteran MP Keith Simpson, Rudd immediately hit back, who is also stepping down, accusing “No 10 sources” of warned a battle was under way briefi ng against her and revealing for the soul of the Conservative Johnson tried – only last week – Party, which risked alienating to convince her to stand at the oust Conservatives Tory moderates. election. He added: “There are so many Her allies claimed the PM had Reuters he called the vested interests hold- services and nationalise its “rail, following among his supporters, him by a biased media. good One Nation colleagues off ered her the plum West Sussex London ing people back, and he named some mail and water”. is lagging in the opinion polls. By attacking what he called standing down. Boris may get seat being vacated by Sir Nicho- of Britain’s biggest business fi gures, “You know whose side La- His tenure as Labour leader has Conservative cuts, especially back some Brexiteer Tory and las Soames. such as media owner Rupert Mur- bour’s on — a Labour govern- been dogged by charges of anti- to the National Health Service, Labour voters but he is losing the At the end of September, Rudd pposition Labour leader doch and Crispin Odey, a hedge fund ment will be on your side,” Cor- Semitism — something he denies Corbyn took aim at Johnson’s liberal Conservatives – it’s how quit the Cabinet and the party in Jeremy Corbyn took aim manager. byn said. “Together, we can pull — and by criticism from some of his privileged background and the not to get a majority.” protest at Johnson’s Brexit strat- Oat tax dodgers, dodgy With an election agreed earlier down a corrupt system and build own lawmakers for taking the party wealthy donors who fund his Morgan, who has represented egy and his decision to expel 21 landlords, bad bosses and big this week, both Labour and Boris a fairer country that cares for all,” too far to the left and for failing to election campaign, such as Odey. Loughborough since 2010, in- Tory rebels. At the time she ac- polluters yesterday, launching an Johnson’s governing Conserva- he told a crowd who cheered him come up with a clear Brexit strategy. “Labour will put wealth and sisted she was not quitting be- cused him of abandoning at- election campaign with a prom- tives have been quick to start after almost every sentence. But Corbyn’s team hope his power in the hands of the many. cause of political diff erences tempts to leave with a deal, and ise of “real change” in Britain. campaigns for an election which “It’s time for real change,” he campaigning will change the pic- Johnson’s Conservatives, who with the PM. Sources said she called the expulsions an “act of After receiving a more than will be largely shaped by Britain’s said, to chants of “Oh Jeremy ture, much as it did in the 2017 think they’re born to rule, will would join him on the campaign political vandalism”. two-minute standing ovation, long-delayed departure from the Corbyn”, sung to the chords of election, when Labour did better only look after the privileged trail during the election. On Tuesday Johnson restored Corbyn told a crowd packed into European Union. The White Stripes’ 2003 hit than expected despite losing to few,” Corbyn said. It is understood her deci- the whip to 10 of the 21 who a London arts centre that Labour But Labour hope to move the Seven Nation Army that became the Conservatives. “This election is a once in a gen- sion was prompted by ‘fam- voted against him on Brexit – a was ready to oust Prime Minister narrative away from Brexit and a popular refrain in 2015 when he Several argue that he plays eration chance to transform our ily reasons’, although she is also move that appeared to signal he Boris Johnson’s Conservatives at focus on their plans to pump was elected Labour leader. better when the public see him country, take on the vested interests said to have tired at the abuse wanted to draw a line under his an election on December 12. money into Britain’s struggling Corbyn, a 70-year-old social- in action rather than relying on holding people back and ensure that levelled at her during years of brutal purge. It was a message directed at what health, education and police ist who has an almost cult-like what they call poor portrayals of no community is left behind.” Body of missing woman School visit Flu jab delay puts found off Cambodia coast childen at risk Daily Mail Trusts and GP surgeries across London the country have warned patients AFP I wanted (than) to bring her back It is a two-hour boat ride from that they are still waiting for sup- Phnom Penh alive,” he said. The discovery the coast and draws budget trav- plies of the vaccine for young chil- brings a tragic end to a desper- ellers with its cheap accommo- housands of children have dren, although not all areas are ate search involving more than dation, laid-back beach bars and not had their fl u vaccine be- aff ected. The Welsh and Scottish he body of a 21-year-old 100 members of the police, army, idyllic sunsets. Tcause a drug fi rm has failed governments both issued state- British tourist was found navy and Bambridge’s relatives. But it has also undergone de- to supply it. ments saying they were aware of Tfl oating in the sea more Bambridge had befriended velopment in recent years, in All children aged between two shortages of the drug, manufac- than a week after she went miss- other travellers, and the alarm keeping with a construction and and 11 are eligible for a free nasal tured by AstraZeneca. ing from a Cambodian island, was raised after she did not check casino boom in nearby Siha- spray inoculation but GP surgeries Dr Jon Roberts, of Public Health police yesterday. out of her hostel following a par- noukville. and pharmacies across the coun- England South West, said: “The Amelia Bambridge was dis- ty that went into the early hours Cambodia has long been a stop try have been unable to get hold quality assurance test did not have covered in waters near the Thai on the beach. for tourists travelling around of it. a valid result so they have to repeat border, said Chuon Narin, police Police later found her bag and southeast Asia. Release of the Fluenz Tetra those tests. That has resulted in a chief of Preah Sihanouk prov- phone in the area where she was Though generally safe, crimes vaccine was delayed because of a slight delay in those batches being ince. last seen at around 3.30am. involving foreigners have problem with the testing process. released to practices. “We found the body of the Her family members scram- grabbed headlines in the past. Some pregnant women and “Unfortunately people are go- missing British woman,” Narin bled to the island to help with the This month a Cambodian adults with underlying health ing to have to wait a little bit long- said, adding it would be taken to investigation and have also been court charged three men with problems have also had problems er. But we’ve always said as long as nearby Sihanoukville. active on social media asking gang-raping a French tourist in getting a fl u jab this year, due to people are vaccinated by Christ- He did not speculate what travellers for possible clues. the coastal province of Kampot a separate issue. It means many mas and New Year, that’s fi ne. You happened to her after she disap- Divers searched the waters and after off ering her a ride in their are not yet protected against the just need to keep in regular contact peared from a beach party on the others combed the jungle, but for car. potentially serious illness. Health about clinic dates.” island of Koh Rong on October days nothing substantive was found. In 2013, Kampot town was bosses say children with medical Three diff erent types of flu vac- 24, but earlier this week said she The mystery deepened after rocked by the discovery of the conditions are being prioritised cination are available. Children are may have drowned. police held six men for question- mutilated body of a 25-year-old and are confi dent the issue will be off ered a nasal spray while adults Brother Harry Bambridge con- ing but they were found not to be Frenchwoman fl oating in a river. resolved by the end of November. aged 18 to 64 who are either preg- fi rmed in a Facebook post that he involved and released. A Belgian was charged with Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes pictures of fireworks However, there are concerns nant or have long-term health had identifi ed the body. Located in the Gulf of Thai- the alleged rape and murder of with students at Abbots Green Primary Academy in Bury that the delays will put people off conditions are given a quadriva- “It’s my little sister Amelia,” land, Koh Rong is popular with the woman, but released on bail St Edmunds, Britain, yesterday. getting the vaccination once it is lent jab – one that protects against he wrote. “There’s nothing more backpackers. due to a lack of evidence. available. four strains of the virus. Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 9 EUROPE Migrants on Greek isles ‘on edge of catastrophe’ AFP Mijatovic said there are an es- cal will” among “certain” other Athens timated 100,000 refugees and EU states, the commissioner migrants in the country. said. “In a way, we are failing to A burger with a side of fries Despite regular relocations show that Europe is still a place protected in a glass case is on he situation for migrants to the mainland, there are more where human rights are respect- display in the Snotra House, a in camps on Greek islands than 34,000 people in over- ed. It’s not just Greece.” hostel in Thykkvibaer, southern Tis “explosive” and “on the crowded Greek island camps. In her home country of Bos- Iceland. edge of catastrophe”, the Coun- The government has pledged nia, there are some 10,000 asy- cil of Europe’s Commissioner for to move 20,000 of them to lum-seekers in a camp near a Human Rights said yesterday. camps on the mainland before minefi eld, Mijatovic said. Greece has once again become the end of the year. Greece’s new conservative the main point of entry for peo- Mijatovic, who visited camps government, which took over in Iceland’s ple seeking asylum in Europe on the islands of Lesbos and Sa- July, has vowed to tighten asy- and it is struggling to accommo- mos and in Corinth, said she was lum rules, step up naval patrols date them despite the availabil- “appalled” by the unhygienic to deter migrant boats and to decade-old ity of EU funds. conditions in which asylum- send 10,000 people back to Tur- “The situation of migrants, seekers live on the islands. key next year. including asylum-seekers, in the “There is a lack of medical There have been clashes be- but barely Greek Aegean islands has dra- care and sanitation in the vastly tween diff erent migrant groups matically worsened over the past overcrowded camps I have vis- and between migrants and the 12 months,” Dunja Mijatovic told ited. People queue for hours to police. decaying reporters at the end of a fi ve- get food and to go to bathrooms, The Greek parliament is due to day visit. “Urgent measures are when they exist,” she said. adopt a new migration law en- needed to address the desperate “On Samos, families are chip- shrining the policy changes, but burger is a conditions in which thousands ping away rocks to make some Mijatovic says the draft she saw of human beings are living.” space on steep hillsides to set up “raises concerns from a human “What we see in practice is their makeshift shelters, often rights perspective”. hit online telling me that human rights are made by trees they cut them- This picture taken on October 22 shows refugees and migrants waiting to be transferred to camps on Human rights groups have not respected. This is an unac- selves. This no longer has any- the mainland, at the port of Elefsina, near Athens. also criticised the bill, saying ceptable situation,” she said. thing to do with the reception that it introduces stricter rules AFP With parliament scheduled of asylum-seekers. This has be- unable to handle the strain. who now number more than bility as well,” she said. for receiving asylum-seekers, Reykjavik to approve a tougher new mi- come a struggle for survival.” She also called on other EU 4,000. “People are suff ering tremen- delays access to the right to gration law later in the day, the Mijatovic urged Greek au- states to help in more ways than “The solidarity Greece needs dously. It’s not something I can work, narrows the defi nition of government has said it has some thorities to accelerate transfers just fi nancially, by accepting is not there ... I’m talking about continue watching without rais- family, and imposes more bur- decade after McDonald’s 75,000 asylum requests to proc- out of the islands and boost lo- more asylum-seekers, particu- real actions, other European ing my voice ... what I can assess dens on torture victims in being shut down in Iceland, ess. cal hospitals which are currently larly unaccompanied minors countries taking the responsi- is that there is not enough politi- recognised as such. Athousands of online us- ers follow the live slow decay of the last order – a seemingly in- destructible burger with a side of fries protected in a glass case like a precious gem. The American fast food chain German court rejects climate change lawsuit closed its only three branches in Iceland during the subarctic island’s fi nancial crisis in 2009, AFP guaranteed under Germany’s similar”, she stressed. litical accountability”. making it one of the only West- Berlin constitution, the judges found. Merkel’s government last year Last year’s record drought, ern countries without a McDon- Lawmakers and government admitted it would fall short of its unseen in Germany since 1911, ald’s. “have scope to evaluate, judge climate target of slashing green- was “simply frightening”, he On October 31 of that year, Berlin court has thrown and make policy concerning ob- house gas emissions in Germany said. just before the restaurant’s clo- out a case brought by ligations to protect fundamental by 40% by 2020 compared to Up to half of his livestock feed sure, Hjortur Smarason bought Athree farmers against rights that is subject only to lim- 1990 levels. crop was lost, forcing him to buy a menu for the purpose of con- Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ited control by the courts,” they Rather, it expected to achieve 400 bales of hay. servation. government over its failure to said, appearing to agree with the only 32% in reductions com- Last year’s dry spell stretched “I decided to buy a last meal meet climate protection targets, government’s arguments. pared to 1990. from late spring well into winter, for its historical value since Mc- hyped by campaigners as the “Plaintiff s did not demon- With climate shooting up the even halting water traffi c across Donald’s were closing down,” fi rst such legal challenge in Ger- strate that the federal govern- political agenda after two blis- the country, including on the Smarason, who works as a com- many. ment’s measures were com- tering summers and a wave of Rhine river, one of Europe’s bus- munications manager for a com- After the government admit- pletely inappropriate and “Fridays for Future” student iest commercial arteries. pany that specialises in space ted that it would fail to meet inadequate” the court added. strikes, Berlin has since rolled With temperatures also push- tourism, told AFP on Wednes- its own and EU greenhouse gas The farmers, a fruit-grower out a new environmental pro- ing well past 35° Celsius (95° day. reduction goals for 2020, the and two livestock farmers, cited tection package, with Merkel Fahrenheit) in the summer, “I had heard that McDonald’s would-be plaintiff s – farmers cattle stressed by heatwaves and pledging that Germany should farmers across Germany report- never decomposed, so I just backed by environmental group Greenpeace activists display burnt apples during a demonstration in huge crop losses due to extreme be climate neutral by 2050. ed huge crop losses. wanted to see if it was true or Greenpeace – had tried to sue to front of the Moabit administrative court in Berlin. The court heard a weather swings as grounds for But the plan worth at least The Blohm family said half of not.” force corrective action. case brought by three farmers against the Merkel government over action. €100bn ($111bn) by 2030 has its crops were lost because of the Smarason fi rst kept the meal They said the government was its failure to meet climate protection targets. “We feel that our livelihoods been immediately slammed as unusually hot summer last year. in his garage but then lent it to breaking the law and infringing are threatened. We are afraid unambitious by scientists and It led to “burns on trees, on the National Museum of Iceland, on their fundamental rights by would create an obligation for while EU commitments could be that if we don’t do something, environmentalists alike. apples, on leaves”, said Claus after which it was moved to a damaging their crops. the federal government to act” met in other ways like partici- the fruit farm won’t survive,” Another of the plaintiff s, Blohm. “Not only that, the last hotel in the capital Reykjavik for A crowd of around 30 Green- if they heard the case, the Ber- pating in the bloc-wide emis- co-plaintiff Franziska Blohm, Heiner Leutke Schwienhorst, year was decisive in how much a while. peace activists rallied outside lin administrative court said in a sions trading scheme. whose family manages an organ- has run his dairy farm at Vet- fruit the trees could bear this Now the burger is on display the courthouse as the hearing statement. Neither did damage from heat, ic operation near Hamburg, told schau around 100km (62 miles) year. And they were under so like a work of art inside a glass got underway in the morning. The original cabinet decisions droughts and torrential rains to AFP ahead of the hearing. south of Berlin for three decades. much stress that we had a crop case at Snotra House, a hostel However, judges found there to set the climate targets were the farmers’ crops and livestock The aim of the exercise is not He said that it was time to failure of 50%. It just can’t go on in Thykkvibaer in southern Ice- was “no visible legal basis that not legally binding, they said, infringe on their property rights to obtain “damages or anything make the government take “po- like this.” land. “People from around the world ... come here just to visit the burger,” Sigurdur Gylfason, the owner of the establishment, told AFP. No ‘online’ independence for Catalonia: PM The hotel claims that the livestream webpage receives up to 400,000 hits daily. Reuters fewer seats than in a previous ital Policy councillor, described Then Spanish police request- Addressing claims that its Madrid election in April, in part because the law as a “digital coup d’etat” ed coding hosting company burgers appeared immune to right-wing parties received a at a news conference in Barce- GitHub, owned by Microsoft decay, the company said in 2013 boost from voters upset with the lona. Corp, to block an app uploaded that “in the right environment, pain’s Socialist leader unrest in the wealthy northeast- “We have witnessed websites in its system by Democratic Tsu- our burgers, like most other Pedro Sanchez, stepping ern region. closures, application closures, nami. foods, could decompose”, adding Sup eff orts to control sepa- “I’m telling Catalan separa- Internet-traffi c fi ltering and A GitHub spokesperson told that “specifi cally moisture” was ratist groups and parties’ activi- tists. There won’t be independ- now they want to ban a repub- El Pais newspaper that Demo- necessary. ty on the Internet, said yesterday ence either offl ine or online. The lic that they said does not exist. cratic Tsunami’s content had So with suffi cient desicca- that his government would not state of law will be as forcefully Well, it exists and it is unstoppa- been removed. tion, they were “unlikely to grow allow Catalonia to set up a virtu- online than in the real world,” ble,” he said. But the group said its app mould or bacteria or decom- al independent republic online. Sanchez told Onda Cero radio. The move is part of a broader – designed to announce the Prime Minister Sanchez takes a selfie with a supporter during a pose”. Sanchez faces a parliamentary Yesterday the government crackdown by Spanish authori- group’s actions – could still Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) rally in Viladecans on Wednesday. Bjorn Adalbjornsson, who is election on November 10, with adopted a decree to oblige all ties on the online activity of be downloaded through a link a senior lecturer at the Univer- much depending on how voters public administrations in Spain separatists. posted on the Telegram messag- says it has 80,000 followers. Separately, Democratic Tsu- sity of Iceland’s faculty of food react to days of sometimes vio- to host their websites in the Eu- A Spanish judge ordered the ing platform. Puigdemont’s Junts per Cat- nami called on people yesterday science, confi rmed this to AFP lent protests that followed the ropean Union, a move aimed at closure of secretive Catalan pro- Separatist politicians, includ- alunya (JxCat) party has includ- to take to the streets on Novem- yesterday. jailing of nine Catalan separatist putting an end to what he called test group Democratic Tsunami, ing Catalonia’s former regional ed in its electoral programme a ber 9, on the eve of the parlia- He explained that without leaders this month. the separatists’ aim of a “digital which was immediately followed president Carles Puigdemont, plan to create a digital Catalan mentary election, to force the moisture, “food will simply dry Opinion polls show his So- republic”. by the group migrating its web- have set up an online “Council republic before there can be a Spanish state to refl ect on the out”. cialist party leading but with Jordi Puignero, Catalan Dig- site to another address. for the Catalan Republic”, which real one. jailing of the Catalans. Polish zoo takes care of tigers stranded at border

DPA Zgrabczynska said. drated and very stressed. elling for days in wooden cages which they will travel to an ani- Warsaw One tiger was in very poor Seven animals remain in with no holes in them. mal shelter in Spain. condition and suff ering from Poznan, while two others, re- A 10th tiger had died during The police apprehended a muscle atrophy, she said. portedly the strongest males, that trip. 32-year-old citizen of Russia, ine critically-ill tigers Its cage was so small that zoo have been transported to an- Local media reported that the who was responsible for the that were stranded employees had trouble getting other zoo facility in Poland. tigers were to be used in a circus. transport of the animals. Nfor several days at the the animal out of it. The tigers were stopped at The zoo in Poznan, supported He could be charged with an- Polish-Belarusian border were Visibly moved during the the Polish-Belarusian border by numerous private and in- imal mistreatment. being cared for by a zoo in west- conference, the director on Saturday due to a lack of re- stitutional donors, off ered to In line with Poland’s animal ern Poland yesterday. thanked all the zoo employees quired veterinary documents. take temporary custody of the protection law, he could face up All the tigers were saved but it and donors who worked to save They were being transported animals in order to give them a to three years in prison, or up to was still not clear how long the the big cats. in deplorable conditions from chance for survival. fi ve years if the deed is deemed This picture taken on Tuesday shows one of the tigers in a cage on a lorry at animals would require treat- The zoo said animals arrived Italy to Russia, offi cials said. The animals will likely remain to have been conducted with the border crossing between Poland and Belarus, in Koroszczyn, Poland. ment, Poznan zoo director Ewa in dire condition – weak, dehy- Some of them had been trav- in Poland for several days, after exceptional cruelty. Gulf Times 10 Friday, November 1, 2019 INDIA

POLITICS PEOPLE COMMENT CRIME CONTROVERSY BJP attacks Rahul for ‘not Sonia cancels Raipur Have no dealings with the Nuclear plant computer Engineer’s ‘cups of tea’ paying’ tribute to Patel visit due to health issues underworld, says Kundra hit by malware attack charge lies: Anushka

Even as it emerged that Congress leader Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi, who A day after appearing before the enforcement After first denying any malware attack, the Bollywood actress and Indian cricket captain Virat Rahul Gandhi did pay a social media tribute was scheduled to attend the Chhattisgarh directorate, businessman Raj Kundra, husband Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) Kohli’s wife, Anushka Sharma, posted a long tweet to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary that Rajyotsav 2019 in Raipur today, has cancelled of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, said confirmed the presence of malware in its yesterday, reacting to claims by cricket legend appeared on Facebook, the BJP yesterday her visit due to health issue. This was stated by he has “no dealings” with the close aide of system at the Kudankulam nuclear plant, which Farokh Engineer that all that the BCCI selectors attacked Gandhi for allegedly failing to pay Amarjit Bhagat, a minister in the Chhattisgarh underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. In has been traced to North Korea’s Dtrack. In did during the World Cup in England earlier this tribute to Patel, calling it a “crying shame”. government. Sonia was to be chief guest at a detailed statement, Kundra said, “I do not a press statement, NPCIL said “identification year was fetch “cups of tea” for her. “The latest Describing Gandhi’s alleged act of omission the inauguration of the three-day event, to owe any explanations to anyone, however, I of malware in NPCIL system was correct” version of these ill intended lies is that I was as “sad”, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani be opened by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. am disappointed with the way some media but added that the “infected PC” belonged being served tea by selectors at matches during tweeted: “When entire nation is bowing to the The event has been organised at the Science channels have twisted the facts to make to a user “who was connected in the Internet the World Cup! I came to one game during the great Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary, College ground in Raipur to mark the 20th scandalous headlines.” Kundra said that he was connected network used for administrative World Cup and sat in the family box and not the sad but not surprising to see Congress formation day of Chhattisgarh. The state was disappointed at the way his wife’s name was purposes”. It said the infected PC “has been selectors box as reported but when has the truth president Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi not carved out of Madhya Pradesh on November being dragged into this just for TRPs to soar. isolated from the critical internal network” mattered when it’s about convenience!” wrote having even basic courtesy of paying tribute 1, 2000. The Congress returned to power in Kundra was questioned for over nine hours and that the “networks are being monitored”. @AnushkaSharma on Twitter. She also said her to the great stalwart! Such contempt for a the state after 15 years of the Bharatiya Janata under the sections of Prevention of Money It added: “Investigation also confirms that the name should not be used by anyone to criticise national icon is beyond belief!” Party (BJP) rule. Laundering Act, 2002. plant systems are not aff ected”. the selection committee. Sena leader meets Pawar as tussle with BJP continues

IANS he added that his father and Sena Mumbai chief Uddhav Thackeray will take the fi nal call on government for- mation. n a new twist to the political The younger Thackeray was drama being enacted by the interacting with the media after IBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting Governor B S Koshiyari. and the Shiv Sena in Maharash- However, he told media persons tra, Sanjay Raut, Sena MP and that he “discussed farmers is- close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, sues”. Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Nationalist Congress Party said the party met the governor (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar. to “apprise” him of the “situa- The Sena MP claimed that he tion”. met Pawar without sharing any Earlier in the day, the Shiv details of the meeting. Sena elected Eknath Shinde as However, it’s unlikely that their legislature party leader. Newly-appointed lieutenant governor of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu (left), takes oath of off ice from Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir Pawar will throw his hat in this Aditya proposed Shinde’s High Court Gita Mittal, at Raj Bhawan (governor’s house) in Srinagar yesterday. slugfest, till both the warring name for the post and Sunil Pra- parties clear their stands, sourc- bhu’s name for the post of chief es say. whip of the legislature party. The NCP supremo yester- Aditya tweeted: “As an elected day held a series of meetings MLA, it was my privilege to pro- with Congress leaders, includ- pose the name of @mieknath- ing former chief ministers Ashok shinde as the leader of the Shiv Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, Sena Parliamentary Party for and they discussed the ongoing the working legislature. @prab- China objects to Kashmir BJP-Sena power tussle. However, hu_suneel has been elected chief both the parties have not revealed whip of the party for the legisla- their cards except for many sec- ture.” ond-rung leaders advocating a Se- The BJP legislature party met na-headed government supported in Mumbai on Wednesday and by the NCP-Congress. elected former Maharashtra chief bifurcation, govt hits back Though Chavan has been minister Devendra Fadnavis as hinting at supporting a non-BJP leader of its legislature party. Reuters pute with India over the part the area is under China’s actual Uighurs and other Muslims. ernment’s orders went into ef- formation, party leaders in Delhi Soon after, Fadnavis asserted, Srinagar of Kashmir called Ladakh, also control.” It has also scaled-back top fect, dividing up the old state of have maintained that Pawar’s the mandate was for “grand al- slammed India for unilaterally India and China fought a war level offi cial contacts with Ti- Jammu and Kashmir into two counsel and advice will be sought liance” of Sena-BJP and the two changing its status. in 1962 and since then have been betan spiritual leader the Dalai union territories — one Jammu before moving forward. will form the government. ndia engaged in a diplomatic Chinese Foreign Ministry unable to resolve their border Lama, who lives in exile in and Kashmir, and the other the The Congress wants the Sena But Tuesday was marked with war of words with China over spokesman Geng Shuang said dispute. northern India. Buddhist-dominated enclave of to openly walk out from the alli- day-long exchange of rhetoric IKashmir yesterday as it for- Kashmir was a dispute left from India’s foreign ministry Kumar said China was in ille- Ladakh. ance and then seek open support and counter-rhetoric between mally revoked the state’s con- history that should be peacefully spokesman rejected China’s gal occupation of parts of Kash- Both will be directly ruled by from the opposition. the two parties. First, Sena leader stitutional autonomy and split resolved. comments and said Kash- mir including Ladakh and had Delhi, and new lieutenant gov- Hussain Dalwai, Congress Sanjay Raut alleged the BJP was it into two federal territories in a “The Indian government offi - mir was an integral part of the also illegally acquired some ter- ernors were sworn in at a high- Rajya Sabha member, said, “any “stooping low”. Then Chief Min- bid to integrate it fully into India. cially announced the establish- country and that any reorgani- ritories from Pakistan. security governor’s premises decision of supporting the Sena ister Devendra Fadnavis issued a Shops and offi ces were shut in ment of so called Jammu Kash- sation of the state was an inter- The diplomatic rift came yesterday. will depend when the Uddhav statement rejecting Shiv Sena’s Kashmir and the streets largely mir territory and Ladakh Union nal affair. just days after Prime Minister “The unfulfi lled dream of in- Thackeray-led party walks out of claim of 50-50 formula, which deserted in its main city Srina- territory which included some of “We do not expect other Narendra Modi and Chinese tegrating Jammu and Kashmir the alliance.” they have been adamant about. gar as new administrators were China’s territory into its admin- countries, including China, to President Xi Jinping held an in- has been accomplished,” said Congress spokesperson Later on Tuesday evening, sworn into offi ce in the biggest istrative jurisdiction,” Geng said comment on the matters which formal summit in southern India Home Minister Amit Shah, who Sachin Sawant said there was no Shiv Sena had cancelled its restructuring of the 173-year- at a news briefi ng. are internal to India, just as In- vowing to improve political and is leading the political strategy to proposal from the Sena yet. meeting with the BJP leader- old former princely kingdom of “China deplores and fi rmly dia refrains from comment- economic ties. deal with Kashmir. Earlier Shiv Sena leader Aditya ship, including close aide of Amit Jammu and Kashmir. opposed that. India unilaterally ing on internal issues of other Modi has said the special priv- The government is hoping Thackeray said that the delay in Shah, Bhupendra Yadav, to iron Pakistan, which claims the changes its domestic law and countries,” Raveesh Kumar told ileges Kashmir enjoyed for dec- that by opening up property the government formation is not out diff erences. whole of Kashmir, has con- administrative divisions, chal- a news conference. ades, such as property rights and rights in Kashmir to people from good. On being asked about talks In 2014, the BJP formed a gov- demned the move and protesters lenging China’s sovereignty and New Delhi has refrained government jobs only for locals, outside the region it can reignite with the BJP, he said that his ernment without Sena and with took to the streets on its part of interests. from any comment on China’s had hindered its development economic growth, create jobs party hasn’t heard anything from outside support of NCP. There is the territory. “This is awful and void, and policy in remote Xinjiang, and fuelled separatism. and turn the focus away from a the BJP, its ally with which it is a sense of deja vu in Maharashtra Its ally China, which is locked this is not eff ective in any way refusing to join US-led calls Just after midnight on militant uprising in which more embroiled in a tussle. However, politics. in a separate decades-old dis- and will not change the fact that that it stop detaining ethnic Wednesday, the federal gov- than 40,000 people have died. WhatsApp snooping Storm nears 12 northern cities reel under air pollution claims baseless: govt IANS/Reuters very high AQI because of indus- New Delhi trial pollution and waste burn- IANS Signifi cantly, the reply came ted to protecting the fundamen- ing. New Delhi on the day when the WhatsApp tal rights of citizens, including He said adjoining areas of spying row drove both the BJP the right of privacy; and will take orth India is reeling un- these cities were fl anked by in- and the Congress leaders into strict action against any inter- der a wave of severe air dustrial clusters and the trucks s WhatsApp snooping of heated arguments over various mediary responsible for breach Npollution accompanied plying on national highway No human rights activists social media platforms. of privacy.” by smog. At least 12 cities yester- 24 was adding to the toxic levels Aand journalists in India IT Minister Ravi Shankar Pras- Pegasus allegedly exploited day recorded an air quality index of air pollution. The paucity of reached political corridors yes- ad joined the debate, saying the WhatsApp’s video calling sys- (AQI) of 400 and above, falling in public transport is also causing terday, an RTI (right to infor- government is concerned at the tem by installing the spyware via the severe category. high pollution in these cities, he mation) reply revealed that the breach of the privacy of citizens of giving missed calls to snoop on Air pollution levels have be- said. government has fl atly denied India on the messaging platform 1,400 select users globally, in- come uncomfortable in northern Meanwhile, New Delhi au- either purchasing or planning to WhatsApp and has asked the plat- cluding over 20 people in India. India with Ghaziabad the most thorities yesterday handed out purchase the infamous software form to explain the breach. The NSO Group limits sale polluted city yesterday with an free face masks to residents. in question developed by Israeli There was outrage across the of Pegasus to state intelligence air quality index (AQI) of 482, the Authorities have had little cyber intelligence company NSO country after WhatsApp con- agencies and others. The soft- “severe” category. success in curbing the fi res. Group. fi rmed that Indian human rights ware has the ability to collect in- As per AQI data from the On Wednesday, satellites cap- In a reply to an RTI plea fi led on activists and journalists were timate data from a target device. Central Pollution Control Board tured more than 2,400 farm October 23 which asked whether among those targeted by the Is- Pegasus spyware can be in- (CPCB), cities with ‘severe cat- fi res across Punjab, Haryana the government has purchased raeli spyware Pegasus. stalled on devices as “exploit egory pollution’ include Greater and Uttar Pradesh that together or given purchase order for the The home ministry issued a links”. Noida with AQI count of 473, contributed 35% of overall air software called Pegasus from separate statement on the What- Upon clicking on the link, Hapur (477), Kaithal (463), pollution in Delhi, the highest the NSO Group, the ministry of sApp controversy: “Some state- Pegasus secretly enables a jail- Meerut (459), Bulandshahr (453), this season, according to govern- home aff airs replied yesterday: ments have appeared based on break on the device and can read Noida (452), Kanpur (432), Ku- ment-run monitor SAFAR. “It is informed that no such in- reports in the media, regarding text messages, track calls, col- rukshetra (418), and Delhi (410). Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind formation is available with the breach of privacy of Indian citi- lect passwords, trace the phone Local residents standing on sand bags look out as waves Vivek Chattopadhyaya, pro- Kejriwal will restrict the use of undersigned central public in- zens on WhatsApp. These at- location, as well as gather infor- caused by tropical storm Maha lash the coastline in gramme manager, Air Pollution private vehicles on the city’s formation offi cer. An appeal, tempts to malign the government mation from apps including (but Chellanam, some 13kms south of Kochi, Kerala, yesterday. Some Control Unit, Centre for Science roads from next week and au- if any, against this reply can be of India for the reported breach not limited to) iMessage, Gmail, parts of Kerala, coastal Karnataka and southern part of Tamil and Environment (CSE), said thorities have shut down con- made within 30 days,” the minis- are completely misleading. Viber, Facebook, WhatsApp, Tel- Nadu are likely to receive “heavy to very heavy rainfalls” today. the region adjoining Noida and struction activity and coal-based try reply added. “The government is commit- egram and Skype. Ghaziabad has been witnessing power plants. Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 11 LATIN AMERICA

Venezuelan migrant crisis continues unabated, stubbornly underfunded

By Ella Joyner, DPA ses have helped propel an esti- of abuse or exploitation they face stayed in the Latin American and strained social services and na- 32-year-old chemist living in don’t understand the political Brussels mated 4.5mn Venezuelans out of abroad. Caribbean region. tional budgets. Brussels. reality in the country, he says, their home country. Just 1.4% of the amount of With more than 1.5mn, neigh- The crisis is also spilling out of He left Venezuela in 2014 for and that it’s almost impossible Another 7mn receive aid with- funding made available to war- bouring Colombia has taken in by the region. France, but — partly due to dis- for Venezuelans to get passports. ver the past few years, in Venezuela due to a lack of basic ravaged Syria has been ear- far the most. Already in the fi rst eight crimination he faced there — lat- Even highly qualifi ed profes- the world has watched goods and services, according to marked for Venezuela, according Solidarity with Venezuelans months of this year, close to er relocated to Belgium, he told sionals face “huge obstacles” OVenezuela’s meltdown. the United Nations. to one senior EU offi cial. in their host countries has re- half a million Venezuelans have DPA in Brussels. getting residency permits, he First the oil-rich nation’s It is the largest refugee crisis in And only a little more than half mained remarkably high despite claimed asylum in the European But the major problem for says.For now, Alejandro has no economy tanked, decimating Latin America, second globally of the $738mn deemed necessary isolated incidences of xenopho- Union plus Norway and Switzer- Venezuelans, according to Ale- plans to return: “Only as a tour- citizens’ savings and inflating only to Syria. for 2019 by the UN has so far ma- bia, according to Eduardo Stein, land, with offi cial fi gures putting jandro, is their vulnerability: “A ist.” the price of goods so high as to And with no sign of a political terialised. Venezuela representative for the them in third place behind na- lot of Venezuelans have very dif- He hopes there will be a clear make normal life nigh on im- solution in sight, the number of A fresh round of international International Organization for tionals from war-torn Syria and fi cult working conditions in Eu- solution to the political confl ict, possible. Soon after, a politi- Venezuelans on the move could pledges made a dent in the fund- Migration (IOM) and the UN ref- Afghanistan. rope and fall victim to employers one that will allow his country to cal showdown broke out, pit- reach 6.5mn next year. ing gap earlier this week, but ugee agency (UNHCR). In addition, close to 1mn Ven- who profi t from the crisis in Ven- return to democracy. ting President Nicolas Maduro However, global attention has there is still a major shortfall. But the patience of host com- ezuelans have a European pass- ezuela and the fact that many of He’d like the EU to play a more against the opposition, led by not translated into the fi nancial Moreover, UN offi cials esti- munities could wear increas- port or parents from Europe, ac- us are sending money back home active role and to have advisers self-proclaimed interim presi- support needed to alleviate strain mate that twice as much aid may ingly thin, he warned at a con- cording to a senior EU offi cial. to our families.” help rebuild the economy. dent Juan Guaido. on host countries, according to be needed in 2020. ference in Brussels last month, One of the Venezuelans who Another issue is obtaining the “My country has many natural Marked by violence and hu- UN and EU offi cials, or to pro- The vast majority of Venezue- adding that international fund- has built themselves a home in necessary paperwork. resources, minerals and oil. But man rights violations, these cri- tect Venezuelans from the risk lans who have so far fl ed have ing can help take pressure off Europe is Daniel Alejandro, a Many bureaucrats in Europe everything is being stolen.” Chile launches fresh talks Indigenous people fl ay to calm deadly unrest Bogota over AFP La Moneda today to try to make the gov- Santiago ernment listen to the need to take funda- mental measures,” said Carlos Maldona- do, leader of the Radical Party. massacre hilean ministers and opposition Pinera has not ruled out constitution- leaders yesterday launched a fresh al reform. The speaker of the Supreme Cbid to end deadly anti-govern- Court Lamberto Cisterna has backed a By Sinikka Tarvainen, DPA arrested several Farc dissidents ment protests that forced the government proposal to set up a parliamentary group Bogota in Cauca since last year, some- to abandon hosting two major economic as a fi rst step towards a new constitution. thing that has also angered local and climate summits. Reforms passed under the dictatorship armed groups, The unrest started with protests loosened state regulation of education, Colombian indigenous he added. against a rise in transport tickets and oth- healthcare and pensions — three key fo- organisation yesterday The detainees were handed er austerity measures and descended into cuses of the current protests. Aaccused the government over to the security forces and burning, looting and clashes between The impact of the unrest on Chile’s of lacking the will to protect in- “are now in prison.” protesters and police. international image had worsened on digenous people from armed Duque said groups responsi- Protesters are angry about low salaries Wednesday when the government said it groups, after the massacre of fi ve ble for the Tacueyo killings “have and pensions, poor public healthcare and was pulling out of hosting the Apec eco- people by suspected guerrillas. wanted to maintain the drug education and a yawning gap between nomic summit in November and the De- “Indigenous organisations are traffi cking business and with rich and poor. cember COP climate gathering. the only movement which has so weapons try to...intimidate in- Pinera has reshuffl ed his government It said it had no choice but to abandon far had the suffi cient strength to digenous communities.” and announced a series of measures aimed the summits for security reasons. rise against the national govern- Colombia is the world’s top at placating protesters. But they have con- Pinera said the move was “painful” but ment” and its mining policies producer of cocaine, a drug pro- tinued demanding that the right-wing was driven by “common sense”. that are harmful to the environ- duced from the coca plant that is billionaire president step down. Pinera said yesterday that Spain had ment, said Rubiel Liz, spokes- grown in south-western Cauca Yesterday, the government hosted po- off ered to host the COP 25 climate sum- man for the indigenous people’s and other regions of the country. litical rivals for fresh talks at La Moneda, mit in Madrid on the original scheduled organisation CRIC in south- The president said a rapid de- the presidential palace. dates of December 2-13. A demonstrator plays the drum as other demonstrators run from a water cannon western Cauca department. ployment force would be sent to The leader of the Socialist Party, Al- Huge crowds had taken to the streets during an anti-government protest in Santiago early on Wednesday evening. More than 30 indigenous peo- the Cauca region to seize con- varo Elizalde, said he would demand the in the latest protests on Wednesday. Nu- ple have been killed in Cauca by trol of the territory, close drug government launch “an ambitious social merous shops and businesses remained ing the alleged commission of so-called expected to open a probe later this week guerrillas and criminal groups traffi cking routes and dismantle agenda”. closed. Twenty people have been con- ‘common’ crimes,” fi ve “by actions of into allegations of police brutality. since last year, Liz told DPA. drug traffi cking gangs. Elizalde and other opposition lead- fi rmed killed in the unrest. agents of the state” and two “under state Amnesty International has expressed The national indigenous peo- But Liz said the army had so far ers expressed support for proposals to Chilean prosecutors had said Wednes- custody,” prosecutors said on Twitter. concern about claims of “sexual torture,” ple’s organisation ONIC puts the not provided effi cient protection reform the country’s 1980 constitution, day they were investigating 23 deaths A mission led by the United Nations High reports of eye injuries and situations in number of killings at more than to indigenous communities. which dates to the dictatorship of Au- overall thought to be linked to the crisis. Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle which police or military action directly 100 in the entire country since “This government has policies gusto Pinochet. “We have come back to Sixteen of the dead were killed “dur- Bachelet — Chile’s former president — is led to a death. President Ivan Duque took offi ce favourable to mining projects,” he in August 2018. said. “Indigenous communities Duque’s announcement that represent a diff erent way of think- 2,500 soldiers will now be sent ing about territory, Mother Earth, to Cauca is not likely to improve life, and this does not suit them.” the situation there, Liz said, be- Colombia has 115 indigenous OAS audits disputed Bolivia vote results; 2 killed in clashes cause the government “wants groups, according to the National the movement to lose strength.” Administrative Department of Duque made the announce- Statistics. About 1.9mn people out AFP “The truth is that human lives have ment in the Cauca town of of the country’s 48-million popu- La Paz been lost, and that is irreparable,” De- Santander de Quilichao on lation identify as indigenous. fence Minister Javier Zabaleta told local Wednesday, saying the state was AFP adds: The indigenous media. “united in its rejection of the ex- group expects to march alongside technical mission from the Organ- As many as 139 people have been in- ecrable events” that occurred in unions, peasants and students ization of American States (OAS) jured since the protests began, state Om- the area on Tuesday. on November 21 during a strike Ayesterday began its audit of the budsman Nadia Cruz said. Armed men travelling in several against the government’s policies. disputed Bolivian presidential election The killings came as the government vehicles opened fi re on a convoy of The ONIC will also seek an “ex- that delivered Evo Morales a fourth term agreed to a binding OAS audit of the dis- vehicles carrying Nasa indigenous traordinary visit” from the Inter but sparked deadly riots. puted election results. people in Tacueyo municipality. American Commission on Human Announcing the news alongside OAS However Mesa — who was defeated by Indigenous leader Cristina Bautista Rights and the UN’s Special Rap- mission chief Arturo Espinoza, Bolivia’s Morales in the vote — rejected the audit. and four members of an unarmed porteur on the Rights of Indigenous foreign minister Diego Pary said the audit Angry opposition protesters have set indigenous guard were killed. Six Peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. was expected “to last two weeks.” up street barricades and gone on strike other people were injured. The organisation wants to high- Morales narrowly claimed the 10-point since the announcement of the results, Liz attributed the killings to light its “situation of humanitar- gap needed to win the October 20 elec- fi ghting Morales supporters with bare dissident members of FARC, a ian, social and economic urgency,” tion outright but only after a sudden and hands and makeshift weapons. guerrilla group that was demo- and called on Duque to “end the unexplained shift in the vote count in his Morales has said the protests are part bilised following a peace deal in bloodletting” stemming from the favor, which has been denounced by the of a “coup d’etat” encouraged by Mesa, 2016. Despite the agreement, indigenous communities rejecting opposition as a “fraud.” who has called for strikes to continue and more than 2,000 of Farc’s mem- drug traffi ckers’ demands to take On Wednesday, the government said at claimed that civic institutions and social bers remain active. part in the illicit trade. least two people died and six others were movements supported his rejection of the The dissidents and drug traf- Those in the area say they plan injured in clashes between supporters A demonstrator holds a paper coff in full of fake currency during a protest in La Paz, offi cial results. fi ckers are trying to stop indig- to remain on their lands despite and opponents of Morales. on Wednesday. The placards on the coff in read: “Supreme Court, Electoral Sold, Rest The opposition leader has rejected ac- enous guards — groups of volun- pressure from armed groups to The controversial October 20 election, in Peace.” cusations of a coup but has challenged teers armed only with sticks who force them into illegal traffi cking. won by Morales but described by his op- the government: “either I go to jail or go are tasked with protecting indig- “This is our house and we are ponent Carlos Mesa as a fraud, has trig- (and) two people killed: Mario Salvatierra, of the latest violence in the eastern town of to the presidency.” enous reserves — from patrolling not going to leave our house,” na- gered almost a week of violent clashes. 55, Marcelo Terrazas, 41,” said the Interior Montero. Earlier local media reports had Demonstrators have also clashed with the area, Liz said. tional coordinator of the indige- “There have been six people injured Minister Carlos Romero, following reports said the men were aged 48 and 60. security forces. Indigenous guardsmen have nous guard Luis Acosta told AFP.

As Cuba seeks hard currency, dollar stores reopen after 15 years

By Marc Frank and were priced well below similar nical assistance, which are all in Cubans bring back from Mexico been deemed legal tender for leny said the stores would benefi t peso and certain products were Nelson Acosta, Reuters off ers at other state stores, when decline. and Panama to sell on the black purchases. the state and consumers alike. priced in dollars,” he said. Havana available for sale in the govern- Shortages of everything from market,” he said. The government claims the “The prices are competitive Cubans who buy from the ment’s local dollar equivalent, fuel to food and medicines have The dollar circulated freely in convertible peso is equal to the with the international market as specialist stores need a dollar- the convertible peso. plagued the country this year. Cuba alongside the peso after the dollar, but imported appliances they have been reduced as much denominated bank card from an ubans flocked to a dozen Cuba’s inefficient state-run Joel Palomino, an education demise of former benefactor the and other goods, when available, as 50% and the state is captur- account opened with tradable shops that opened in economy is going through a professor who rents out a room in Soviet Union in the early 1990s have huge mark-ups as they must ing internationally exchangeable currencies, such as the dollar or CHavana at the start of liquidity crisis due to the im- his home to tourists, said he had sparked a crisis in the Commu- be purchased in tradable curren- money that was circulating in euro. the working week, selling home plosion of ally Venezuela’s been waiting in line at a store in nist-run country. cies while the peso and convert- Cuba but then fl owing abroad to People may obtain those trad- appliances and spare parts for economy and the tightening of the Vedado district since dawn to The dollar was taken out of cir- ible peso have no value abroad. purchase goods at lower prices,” able currencies through off shore cars in dollars, as the cash- the decades-old US trade em- buy an air conditioner. culation in 2004 and replaced by The state has a monopoly on he said. remittances or by other means strapped government struggles bargo under President Donald “Cubans very much need to the convertible peso. foreign trade and retail sales, but Everleny, like many other such as exchanging pesos on the to rake in tradable currency to Trump. purchase these products at a rea- Two currencies, the peso and Cubans travel to places such as economists, said the stores were street, the government said. purchase imports and pay its The country is dependent on sonable price. The government the convertible peso, which is Haiti, Mexico, Panama and Rus- an admission that the convertible The government said a total of debts. fuel, food and other imports it should have done this a long time valued at 24 pesos, circulate in sia, where they collectively spend peso was worth less than a dollar 77 outlets would open across the Washing machines, refrigera- must purchase for tradable inter- ago,” Palmino said. Cuba. hundreds of millions of dollars to and forecast that they marked the country in the coming days, but tors, freezers, air conditioners, national currencies it earns from “The prices are lower than in Possession of the dollar and purchase goods that they then beginning of its end. as this week, just one had opened TVs, electric motorcycles, car exports of goods and services convertible pesos for the same other tradable currencies is le- resell in the Caribbean nation. “We are going back to before outside the capital, in eastern batteries, tires and other goods such as sugar, tourism and tech- products and better than those gal, but they have previously not Local economist Omar Ever- 2004 when there was only the Santiago de Cuba. Gulf Times 12 Friday, November 1, 2019 PAKISTAN More than 70 die in train fi re AFP/Reuters/DPA/Internews ing the incident,” she said. Rescue workers and soldiers The prime minister said that Rahim Yar Khan/Islamabad/Lahore Some of the passengers – many could also be seen, as bodies were the train was the Tezgam, one of whom were pilgrims travel- carried away covered in white of Pakistan’s oldest and most ling to one of Pakistan’s biggest sheets. popular rail services, which runs t least 74 people were religious gatherings – had been Some of the victims were between the southern port city killed and dozens injured cooking breakfast when two of burned beyond recognition, said of Karachi to the garrison city Aafter cooking gas cylinders their gas cylinders exploded, Ali the deputy commissioner of the of Rawalpindi, neighbouring Is- exploded on a train packed with Nawaz, a senior Pakistan Rail- district, Jameel Ahmad. lamabad. pilgrims, in a rural area of central ways offi cial, told AFP. “We’ll have to carry out DNA It had been diverted to facili- Punjab province yesterday, some Many Pakistanis carry food on tests,” Ahmad told Reuters. tate the religious pilgrims travel- dying after leaping from carriag- long train journeys, but gas cyl- “A cylinder exploded and I ling to Lahore. es to escape the inferno, authori- inders are supposedly banned. don’t know how, fi re erupted Passengers were travelling ties said. Railways Minister Sheikh everywhere,” one survivor, Mo- to attend the annual Tablighi Local rescue offi cial Baqir Rasheed Ahmed later told report- hamed Imran, told AFP from a Ijtema, one of Pakistan’s biggest Hussain confi rmed the numbers ers that it had been a “mistake” to hospital in Rahim Yar Khan. religious gatherings, which each and said that the death toll might allow the cylinders on board. “I jumped out of the train to year sees up to 400,000 people go up as some of the wounded “Two stoves blew up when save my life. There was a whole descend on a tented village out- people were in a critical condi- people were cooking breakfast, line of people behind me, they side Lahore for several days to tion. the presence of kerosene with the pushed,” he said. sleep, pray and eat together. Provincial Health Minister Dr passengers in the moving train Mohamed Nadeem Zia, a med- The majority of those killed Yasmin Rashid said that the in- further spread the fi re,” he told ical superintendent at the hos- were pilgrims from southern jured were rushed to hospitals Geo television. pital in Liaquatpur, the nearest Sindh province, Pakistan Rail- This handout picture released by the Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122 shows residents gathering in the nearby city of Bahawalpur Shortly before the fi re broke town, told AFP that some of the ways’ Nawaz said. near burnt-out train carriages after a passenger train caught on fire near Rahim Yar Khan. and elsewhere in the district. out, the conductor had ordered victims were killed by head inju- The Tablighi Ijtema, which be- Victims with burn injuries some passengers to stop cooking ries sustained as they leapt from gan yesterday and concludes on the authorities to allow people Nawaz said two of the carriag- the injured: the next of kin will were being treated at a hospital in but they had ignored him, Ahmed the moving train. Sunday, was founded by religious travelling to the festival to board es were economy coaches, while receive Rs1.5mn and the injured the nearby city of Multan, doctor said. He said at least 44 people had scholars more than fi ve decades trains carrying cooking cylinders. one was business class, and that Rs500,000. Naheed Chaudhry said. However, several survivors been injured. ago and focuses exclusively on “I admit our mistake ... this up to 88 passengers can fi t into Train accidents are common in Television footage showed questioned whether the fi re was Those hurt were being rushed preaching Islam. will not happen in the future,” he each. Pakistan, where the railways have fl ames pouring out of three car- sparked by a cooking accident, to hospitals in the nearby city of It usually sees hundreds of told journalists in televised com- The Pakistan Army, reacting seen decades of decline due to riages as people could be heard telling media that they believed Bahawalpur and elsewhere in Ra- camps and sub-camps set up ments from the nearby city of to the incident, dispatched doc- corruption, mismanagement and crying during the incident, in a the cause was actually a short- him Yar Khan district. on the dusty site outside Lahore Multan. tors and paramedics to the site to lack of investment. rural area of central Punjab prov- circuit in the train’s electrical Offi cials said many of the bod- to accommodate people from “A tragedy that could have assist the civil administration in In July, at least 23 people were ince. system. ies were charred beyond recogni- across Pakistan, giving the gath- been avoided but ever since I can rescue and relief activities. killed in the same district when a Pakistan Railways divisional Dozens of people crowded tion. ering a festival feel. recall while travelling by train no The military’s media wing fur- passenger train coming from the offi cer for the Multan Division, along the tracks staring at the Prime Minister Imran Khan Stalls sell cooked food, raw baggage check or restrictions en- ther said Army Aviation helicop- eastern city of Lahore rammed Nabila Aslam, said that the res- burning carriages, which had said he was “deeply saddened” chicken and meat, vegetables and forced,” Human Rights Minister ters were also dispatched from into a goods train that had cue and relief operation has been been disconnected from the rest by the tragedy. fruit, and even electrical appli- Shireen Mazari tweeted. Multan to evacuate the critically stopped at a crossing. completed. of the train, television images “I have ordered an immediate ances and batteries for mobile Opposition leaders called for injured. Accidents often happen at “There were 207 passengers on showed. inquiry to be completed on an phones at a subsidised rate. the resignation of the railways The railways minister also an- unmanned crossings, which fre- board the three economy coaches Firefi ghters rushed to the scene urgent basis,” he said in a post on Railways Minister Ahmed said minister in the aftermath of the nounced compensation for the quently lack barriers and some- of Tezgam which caught fi re dur- near Rahim Yar Khan district. Twitter. that it had been “tradition” for accident. next of kin of those killed and times signals.

Coin and stamp issued to mark Pakistan has the most Guru Nanak birth anniversary breast cancer patients

Internews in Asia, say experts Islamabad

Internews sidered a taboo in our soci- s Pakistan gears up for Quetta ety. But by creating awareness the high profi le inaugura- about the disease, it can be Ation of Kartarpur Sahib controlled,” she said. Gurdwara next month, the gov- edical experts have Rind said: “We have to give ernment has issued a coin and a said that Pakistan has confi dence to the women and stamp to mark the occasion. Mthe highest number of make them able to discuss their The Rs50 commemorative breast cancer patients in Asia. health issues freely with the coin and Rs8 stamp depicting the Speaking at a seminar at doctor. Media can also play a birthplace of Sri Guru Nanak Dev The postage stamp released to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women very signifi cant role in spread- – the founder of the Sikh religion Sri Guru Nanak Dev. University in Quetta, they said ing awareness about the dis- – has been issued simultaneously breast cancer claims lives of ease. Social media can also be to mark his 550th birth anniver- Left: The two sides of the coin. more than 40,000 women in used for this purpose.” sary. Pakistan every year. Sardar Bahadur Khan Wom- The coin will be available for “550th Birthday Celebrations Sri Prime Minister Khan, who laid the foundation stone of Baba open a whole new chapter in the Quoting the data from the en University vice-chancellor Sikh devotees visiting Kartarpur Guru Nanak Dev Ji 1469-2019”, has invited former Indian prime Guru Nanak University in Nan- troubled history of the two na- Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medi- Rukhsana Jabeen said that Sahib Gurdwara after the inau- with a gurdwara carved on it, minister Dr Manmohan Singh kana Sahib in Pakistan’s Punjab tions. cal University, the experts said breast cancer represented a guration of Kartarpur Corridor whereas on the other side it reads and former Indian Punjab Min- province. As well as building bridges approximately 90,000 new signifi cant health problem be- by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Islamic Republic Pakistan and ister and his cricket contempo- The Kartarpur Corridor – as with this initiative, Pakistan is cases are diagnosed in Pakistan cause a large number of people November 9. Rs50 with Pakistan’s symbol – a rary, Navjot Singh Sidhu, to the it is called – has been built in eyeing sizeable religious tourism every year. are aff ected by this disease. One side of the coin reads moon and a star. November 9 ceremony, recently record time and is expected to with the visa-free facility. According to some reports, “Thirty per cent of all can- from 1998 to 2009 there were cers occur in the breast, mak- 10,924 cancer patients in ing it the most commonly di- Quetta, and 10,000 cases from agnosed female cancer,” the 2014 to 2017, and most of them experts said, adding that breast were women suff ering from cancer is among top 20 causes Anti-government protesters descend on Islamabad breast cancer. of death in Pakistan. According to the World They said women of ad- Health Organisation (WHO), vanced age, those of middle AFP/Reuters/Internews man would then oversee Friday ments for the “Azadi March” at the breast cancer represents class family background, those Islamabad prayers with the protesters be- the interior ministry announced 10% of all cancers diagnosed with high body mass index, fore launching a demonstration that the participants of the pro- worldwide. and those with a high ratio of in the capital. test action would be checked for It constituted 22% of all new incomplete pregnancies, are at chools were shuttered and The cleric insists that Prime weapons as well as non-custom cases in 2000, and is the most signifi cantly increased risk of entry points to Islama- Minister Khan needs to be re- paid vehicles. common cancer in females. breast cancer. Sbad sealed off yesterday as moved from offi ce, and a new Informed sources said the de- Speaking at the seminar, They underlined the need to thousands of Islamist protesters “free and fair” election held. cision had been taken after the Adviser to the Chief Minister create awareness about breast aiming to unseat the government “This movement will not stop Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Bushra Rind said that so many cancer in far-fl ung areas of the converged on the Pakistan capi- if we don’t get the desired results warned on Monday against a bid women in the country lost country, especially in Balu- tal. after reaching Islamabad,” Reh- to smuggle non-custom paid ve- their lives because of lack of chistan, where people are al- Police and paramilitary troops man told reporters in Lahore late hicles by some “unscrupulous el- awareness about breast cancer. ready lack access to medical used shipping containers to block yesterday. “We want the prime ements in the garb of the march”. “Breast cancer is still con- facilities. several major traffi c arteries be- minister’s resignation, the entire The meeting, presided over by tween the capital and the neigh- assembly is fake, we want to dis- the interior secretary, was told bouring city of Rawalpindi ahead solve it.” that the mechanism had already PPP suff ers setback as key senator of the march, causing traffi c jams Khan won last year’s election been shared with the JUI-F lead- and frustrating commuters. on a promise to end corruption, ership. from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resigns “The main entry points were help middle-class families and The meeting reviewed the se- closed to ensure the safety of the get the economy on track. curity situation keeping in view The opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has lost its strength citizens and government offi ces,” But the honeymoon has come all possible threats and problems. in the Senate as its leading senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad police spokesperson to an end as the economy runs It was decided that the police Khanzada Khan, has resigned. Zia Bajwa told AFP, saying that into headwinds with the fi scal would serve as the fi rst layer of After the veteran parliamentarian tendered his resignation a few a 17,000-strong force was over- defi cit ballooning to about 7% security while the Rangers would days ago, the Senate Secretariat issued a notification, stating that seeing security in the capital. of gross domestic product and perform their duties as a second Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has accepted Khan’s resignation. The “Azadi (Freedom) March” a balance of payments crisis is tier. The PPP, the second largest party in the 104-member upper house is led by Prime Minister Imran looming. The army will be deployed to after the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), is now left with Khan’s long-time rival Maulana Consumer infl ation increased protect sensitive buildings. 19 senators. Fazlur Rehman, who heads the to 11.37% year-on-year in Sep- Besides representatives of the Since Khan belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is highly unlikely Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), tember from 10.49% in August army, Rangers and law enforce- that the party would win back the seat. one of the country’s largest Is- largely on food price rises, while ment agencies, the meeting was Sources said Khan was unhappy with the PPP leadership for lamist parties. the rupee has fallen more than attended by the Islamabad chief suspecting him of foul play during the recent crucial vote on The march represents the fi rst 50% against the dollar since the commissioner, the Islamabad no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman, which failed major challenge to Khan’s gov- end of 2017. inspector-general of police, and despite the opposition having a clear majority in the upper house. ernment as his administration The government agreed in July senior offi cials of the district ad- battles rising public anger over a to a $6bn bailout from the Inter- ministration. faltering economy and double- national Monetary Fund. Ahead of the “Azadi March”, Pakistan, Cuba agree on visa waiver digit infl ation. Khan rejects his critics’ accu- social media users panned Reh- Rehman and thousands of sup- sations that he is backed by the man and his followers over their Pakistan and Cuba have signed an agreement on the exemption porters departed Jhelum district military, which has a long record A vehicle drives along a road outside the blocked Red Zone in refusal to allow women to partic- from visa requirement for diplomatic and off icial passport holders. – some 126km (78 miles) east of of intervention in politics. Islamabad, ahead of the the arrival of the ‘Azadi March’. ipate, questioning their commit- The secretary of the ministry of interior signed the agreement on the capital Islamabad – earlier in The military also denies any ment to democratic principles. behalf of Pakistan. the day, party spokesman Abdul involvement in civilian politics. tion parties – the Pakistan Peo- unconstitutional action. “Looking at the ‘Azadi March’ The pact would facilitate travel of the off icials of both countries. Jalil Jan told AFP. Election authorities rejected ples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan The government has said it from afar, one thing is clear The agreement was signed at the Foreign Off ice after Foreign A second group was due to opposition complaints of rigging Muslim League – Nawaz (PML- wants negotiations with the op- to me. In the democracy that Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi held wide-ranging talks with the leave from the northwestern city in the 2018 vote. N) of former prime minister Na- position while vowing that no Maulana sahib is (fi ghting) for, Cuban vice-president along with his delegation. of Peshawar en route to the capi- The JUI-F has remained vague waz Sharif – have both said they one would be allowed to paralyse women would have no place,” The minister highlighted the excellent bilateral relations between tal, where the two convoys would about what tactics they plan to would back Rehman’s campaign life in the capital. tweeted Marvi Sirmad. “Ask Pakistan and Cuba, and reiterated Pakistan’s gratitude for the converge late in the evening. use once they reach Islamabad. against Khan, though have also Earlier, a high-level meeting yourselves, dear democrats, do generous support off ered by Cuba after the October 2005 The JUI-F said that Reh- Pakistan’s two main opposi- said they would not support any held to review security arrange- we want THIS?” earthquake. Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 13 THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH History of the Sunnah

uslims were, early on, is obligatory upon every Muslim (male or work with them, but he would encouraged them to ask and learn. Before discussing the Companions’ the Muslim world, at the time, for the aware of the signifi cance and female).” [Ibn Maajah] Also, he give them enough breaks to avoid 11. He used to do his best in ways of learning, practising, preserving purpose of delivering the message and of the Sunnah and its said: “Whosoever pursues a path to overstressing or boring them. everything, and he perfected whatever he and conveying of the Sunnah, it is teaching Islam to those who accepted it Mauthority. They, one seek knowledge therein, Allah will 6. He spoke plainly and clearly and did, thus setting an example for others. worthwhile to shed some light on the thus spreading the Sunnah throughout generation after the other, were keen to thereby make easy for him a path to he talked to people at their level of main points one needs to understand the land. preserve the Sunnah because they saw Paradise. No people gather together in understanding and intellectual ability. The era of the Companions and about the Companions and their It is interesting to note that about that as a part of the preserving of the one of the houses of Allah (mosques), Whenever appropriate, he spoke to their Followers methodology: 750 Companions narrated Hadiths, last revelations man is ever to receive. reciting the Book of Allah and studying people in their own dialect for the The Companions did their utmost 1. The Companions were fully aware seven of whom narrated a high number Their eff orts were unabated, and the it among themselves, without Arabs had diff erent dialects. to convey Islam to the generations of the responsibility they shoulder of Hadiths, and about 20 narrated an remarkable job they did is unparalleled tranquility descending upon them, 7. He used the method of repetition. succeeding them in the best and most after the death of the Prophet, average number, the rest narrated a in the experience of any other religion mercy enveloping them and angels He would repeat whatever he wanted accurate way possible. They sincerely sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. small number. or civilisation. surrounding them, and Allah making to stress for three times to insure that loved it, honestly lived according to it 2. The Companions are all The seven who narrated a large mention of them to those (angels) who all heard him properly and clearly and faithfully preserved it and kept any trustworthy. They never doubted one number of Hadiths are: Abu Hurairah At the time of the Prophet are with Him.” [Muslim] understood what he was saying. impurity or irregularity out of it. another in the matters of this religion who narrated 5,374 Hadiths, ‘Abdullaah One of the main reasons behind this 2. He always had a centre for 8. When questioned, he would give Their role in the preservation of and the narration of Hadith. Ibn ‘Umar narrated 2,630, Anas Ibn is the fact that the Prophet, sallallaahu teaching. Most of the time, it was the more than what is expected as an Islam was one of utmost importance to 3. The Companions have developed Maalik narrated 2,286, ‘Aa’ishah ‘alaihi wa sallam, clearly taught the mosque. answer and use the occasion to further its continuation, but they were highly a methodology for scrutinising Hadiths narrated 2,210, ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas Companions the importance of his 3. He was soft in his dealings and clarify things for all, and teach about prepared for it by the best teacher and narrators, and by doing that have narrated 1,660, Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdullaah Sunnah, its place in Islam and their role always facilitated things and made other things. and trainer, the Prophet, sallallaahu established the rules of ascertaining narrated 1,540, and Abu Sa’eed AI- in saving it, teaching and conveying it them easy for others. He was merciful 9. Whenever the Prophet had to ‘alaihi wa sallam. Thus the studying of narrations for those who came after Khudri narrated 1,100 Hadiths. They to others around them and to those who and humble and made himself readily choose between two ways, he chose this era, especially with respect to the them. understood their role and were aware would come after them. In so doing, he, available. the easier way, which had facility and history and authority of the Sunnah, is 4. The ability of diff erent of the signifi cance of their ability in sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, followed 4. He never pushed people into mercy if there was nothing forbidden necessary to all Students of Knowledge. Companions to understand the narrating the Hadiths and did their an eff ective methodology, which will be anything. Instead, he gradually taught in that, and he kept away from the For detailed reading there are many Sunnah, memorise it and convey best to deliver them diligently and briefl y outlined below: them and led them to change. He diffi cult and harsh ways. books on Hadiths and Sunnah: it varied from one Companion to accurately. Muslims of all times are 1. He emphasised the importance of always motivated them to follow his 10. He attached special attention another. indebted to them. seeking knowledge and teaching it to example and be their best. to teaching the women and provided Methodology of the Companions 5. The Companions left Makkah Article source: http://www.islamweb. others. He said: “Seeking knowledge 5. He would not continuously teach them special times for questions. He in Preserving the Sunnah and Madinah to many places around net/emainpage/ Era of the Companions and their followers

ost scholars group the of the religion and the spreading of its that the verifi cations were not meant main aspects of the teachings, the Companions who had to doubt the truthfulness of any of methodology of the a great deal of knowledge - like those the Companions rather they were MCompanions in preserving recommended by the Prophet - never necessary to establish a standard of the Sunnah into the following seven hesitated to narrate, write or teach care and respect for what the Prophet, categories: prudence in narrating the the Sunnah. There are hundreds of sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said or Hadiths, verifi cation and substantiation narrations that encourage such practice did. They did that for themselves and to of the Hadiths before accepting them, so long as it is done in the right manner. institute a tradition to be fol lowed and critique, discussions and assessment z Opting for verbatim narration. honored by all who come after them. of the narration, travelling for search Guided with instruction in the Hadith, In summary, it is essential to note the and confi rmation of the Hadiths, “May Allah bless the person who hears following about this method: memorisation, practice and writing a statement from me and conveys it as z The purpose was to protect the of the Hadiths. Some scholars refer to he/she heard it,” the Companions did all Sunnah, not to doubt one another. All these aspects as ‘rulings’, ‘methods’ or that was humanly possible to keep their of the Companions are trustworthy ‘ways’ instead of methodology. narration verbatim of what they actually as clearly stated in the Qur’an, and heard from the Prophet. There are many doubting their trustworthiness can 1- Prudence in narrating the reported incidents, which testify to this certainly damage one’s faith. Hadith: fact. Having such natural mastery of the z The purpose, also, was to establish Masjid-e-Nabawi in Madinah. Because of the fact that the Sunnah Arabic – that was common among them a method and set an example to be is a revelation and a sacred Source for - and the fact that they saw and heard followed by the rest of the Muslim Books such as Jaami’ Bayaan Al-‘Ilm in Madinah in order to meet Abu Ad- would not write anything down for this religion, the Companions were the Prophet say, do and explain to them nation. The truth, however, remains by Ibn Abd Al-Barr and Al-Jaami’ Li Dardaa’ in Damascus only to have Abu fear that may be taken as indication of very careful when narrating what his teachings repeatedly, as well as their that Companions used to accept Akhlaaq Ar-Raawi by Al-Khateeb have Ad-Dardaa’ confi rm a narration which defective memory. the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa understanding of the need for verbatim narration conveyed by any one of many authentic narrations from the this Companion had already heard from Obviously, the Companions who had sallam, said or did. This vigilance was transmission of narrations, all combined them. Their request of witnesses or Companions bearing witness to the the Prophet. [Ibn Abd Al-Barr] more passion for preserving the Sunnah illustrated in: to make it easy for them not to cause that the narrator gives an oath that he eff ectiveness of these discussions in The Companion Abu Ayyoob than poetry and literature used this z Avoiding narration unless they had changes as they narrate any Hadith. is saying the truth was to establish the preserving the Sunnah. travelled all the way to Egypt to ask powerful quality to protect and maintain to. ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abi Layla said: methodology, so that people would not Another aspect of the Companions’ ‘Uqbah Ibn ‘Amr about one Hadith. Abu the Sunnah. Imaam Ad-Daarimi narrated “I have met with 120 Companions from 2- Verifi cation of the Hadith take narrating a Hadith lightly. This methodology in preserving the Ayyoob told ‘Uqbah that the two of that the Companion Abu Hurairah, the Ansaar (supporters of the Prophet), before accepting it fact may further be supported when Sunnah was the critical assessment them were the only living Companions radhiallah ‘anhu, said: “I used to divide none of whom would narrate a Hadith This is an important tool that the considering that: and evaluation of what they narrated who have heard that Hadith directly the night into three parts. In the fi rst, I or answer a question of fatwa unless he Companions established to safeguard z Sometimes they required a and taught to one another. Anytime a from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa would perform the optional night Prayer, absolutely had no choice but to do it. the Sunnah against any foreign material witness while at others they had the Companion felt what he heard from sallam, and he wanted to confi rm the in the second I would sleep, and in the One would have to go and ask another interference and accidental or deliberate narrator give oath or reminded him another had a problem, he or she would Hadith from ‘Uqbah . [Ahmad] third I would spend committing Hadith to instead of him, so much so you would mistakes. This was a common practice of how serious it is to lie against the critically analyse it and give his/her my memory.” keep going from one to the other until amongst all of the Companions when Prophet. This variation indicates that opinion about it. A major example of 5-Memorisation of the Hadith Actually, all of the Companions you get back to the fi rst one you asked.” receiving or narrating the Sunnah. the purpose was actually to establish this eff ort by the Companions was Muslims – one generation after the considered this an honor and a blessing, They understood that they were Imaam Ath-Thahabi mentioned awareness of the signifi cance of demonstrated by Badruddeen Az- other – did all that is humanly possible for they were encouraged to do so by conveying the message brought to them this practice, in one of his great narrating the Hadith rather than set Zarkashi who wrote a book in which he to preserve the texts of the Qur’an and the saying of the Prophet: “May Allah by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa books, addressing the issue of Hadith up a requirement of having more than collected more than seventy narrations the Sunnah as accurate as they received make radiant (bestow vigour upon) sallam, and that people see it as such, memorisers. He said that it was one of one narrator as a condition for its in which one Companion, ‘Aa’ishah, the it from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi anyone who heard what I said and thus everyone wanted the other to do the ways used by of the four Caliphs to authenticity. Mother of the Believers was reported wa sallam. Besides the extra eff ort they committed it to his memory until he is that because they may know it better. protect the Hadith. For example, Abu z There are a very large number of as having corrected other Companions’ exacted to develop the Methodology, able to convey it to another. Perhaps the This, however, should not be construed Bakr was asked to rule in the case of a narrations, which indicate that in many narrations based on her assessment of the Companions benefi ted from a person who hears it from him can have to mean they avoided spreading the grandmother who came asking for her cases the Companions had actually the narrations in light of the Qur’an and talent that came naturally to them, one a better understanding of it than him.” message or teaching Islam to others. right in inheritance, he said that he accepted Hadith from one narrator the Hadith. that was truly befi tting to the main [At-Tirmithi] This prudence indicates they were fully knew of no amount due to her neither in without seeking any substantiation or undertaking of that methodology - the On the other hand, the Prophet, aware of their role and its signifi cance. the Book of Allah (i.e., Qur’an) nor the verifi cation. 4. Travelling in search of the verbatim transmission of the Sunnah. sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, also They would rather let others, who may Sunnah of the Prophet. But when Al- Hadith This unique quality of the Companions taught the Companions two aspects be more knowledgeable, do the job, but Mugheerah told that he has witnessed 3. Study, critique, and assessment Another great eff ort they made was that they enjoyed powerful that brought a needed balance to the once they had to do, they did it in the the Prophet give one-sixth of the total of the narrations was traveling in search of the Hadith, memories. It was easy for anyone of use of memorisation in conveying his best way possible. amount of the inheritance, he asked Of the ways the Companions used for after the death of the Prophet, them to commit to heart any number of Hadith, namely the importance of zLimiting or discouraging the him if he had witness to substantiate to preserve the Sunnah, properly sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, the narrations and retain them as such for a writing, and the need of being moderate narration. This attitude was adopted for this claim. And when Muhammad Ibn learning and studying it, was perhaps Companions moved to diff erent very long time. in all matters. This fact complemented the purpose of protecting the Sunnah Maslamah witnessed to the truth of that the most important. They refer to places within the Muslim land, and This quality was not specifi c only their eff orts in establishing a sound and because it minimises the possibility fi gure, Abu Bakr accepted it and gave this using terms like, “Tadaarus” and travelling became an essential method to the Companions but rather was a well-rounded methodology. of mistakes or forgetfulness that may the grandmother exactly that. “Muthaakarah,” both of which indicate of Hadith collection, authentication common feature of the Arab society as The phenomenon of “Memory otherwise cause people to doubt the In the case of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab a studying that involves more than one and preservation. Here are a few a whole. Many scholars - Muslims and Power” continued to be a general Sunnah or mistrust the narrators. This Ath-Thahabi mentioned many incidents person as well as a mutual exchange examples of the Companions’ travel for non-Muslim alike - established the fact character of the Arab society well into trend was strongly encouraged by that testify to the fact that he always of knowledge and ideas. The results of the sole purpose of confi rming certain that the Arabs of that era were masters the third and fourth centuries of Hijrah, Caliphs Abu Bakr, radhiallah ‘anhu, ascertained the narration when it was this “studying and discussing” were narrations: of language, and their society had a the time by which all of the Sunnah was and ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, radhiallah necessary to do so. He narrated that manifold. Jaabir Ibn Abdullaah travelled a profoundly strong oral tradition. The collected into books and records. But ‘anhu, and was accepted and practised Maalik Ibn Aws heard ‘Umar say to Learning the Sunnah correctly, free of whole month to Ancient Syria only to known narrator of poetry, Hammaad, the diminishing of its prevalence in the by the Companions . This attitude is ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn ‘Awf, Talhah Ibn mistakes was one of the goals, and so was verify one Hadith. [Al-Bukhari] for example, was reported to have society with time did not minimise the founded on the famous Hadith narrated Az-Zubayr and Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqaas : “I the fi rm memorisation of it. And since One of the Companions travelled to memorised at least one hundred long role memory played in the preserving by many Companions : “It is suffi cient ask by Allah, Who maintains the Heaven it was physically impossible for a large visit Fudhaalah Ibn ‘Ubayd and told poems for each letter in the Arabic of the Sunnah. “Memory Power,” or - for one to tumble into lying - to and Earth! Did you hear the Prophet say: number of the Companions to have equal him that he came not to visit him but alphabet. That is more than 2,800 Dhabt - profi ciency in narration, as it narrate or repeat everything he/she ‘I am not to be inherited, whatever I leave time access to the Prophet, sallallaahu only to ask him about a narration that pieces of poetry. Powerful memory later came to be known - became an hears.” [Al-Bukhari and others] is to be given in charity’? They said: ‘Yes, ‘alaihi wa sallam, these discussions were they both heard together from Prophet was a source of pride for them and they essential part of the standards used zEncouraging narration from Allah is our witness.’” [Ahmad] the means through which the narrations and he was hoping that Fudhaalah had placed more con fi dence in it than in to judge authenticity. Judging the knowledgeable Companions. To strike After narrating the above known to only a few individuals were the complete wording of that Hadith. writing, they believed that writings narrators memory power is central in a necessary balance between being incidents among others, Imaam passed on to many others, thus expanding [Abu Daawood] could be tampered with. Some even what we know as the science of “Al-Jarh cautious and insuring the transmission Ath-Thahabi repeatedly asserted the circle of narrators. One of the Companions left his home took this pride to extreme levels, they wa Ta’deel.” Companions encouraged to learn writing of the Hadith

arlier in this series we memorised Hadith. The existence of writing of the Sunnah as being forbidden a collection. Obviously, this is cited in religion or nation. It is an undisputable They saw in the Prophet, sallallaahu discussed in some detail the these personal references has been to undertake, rather these Companions support of the claim that no written fact that the Companions used their ‘alaihi wa sallam, a trainer and a writing of the Sunnah in the the subject of numerous treatises by were afraid that this writing might record was made of the Sunnah until writing skills to preserve the Sunnah role model, whatever they absorbed Eera of the Prophet, sallallaahu old and contemporary scholars, both generate confusion with the Qur’an, and that point in time. This is not true, for and convey it to their Followers. for him they immediately put into ‘alaihi wa sallam, and also showed that Muslims and non-Muslims. no report ever indicated that they tried to the authentic records prove that many An extremely important way the practice. Their atmosphere was one the Companions were encouraged by There are, however, two points, which prevent others from writing it. collections-mostly personal were Companions used to preserve the of following the Sunnah at all levels, him to learn writing and that many of are mentioned by those who believe In addition, these Companions were dated back to the era of the Prophet, Sunnah was their eff orts to bring the an environment that was produced them learned and mastered it. Thus, that the Sunnah was not recorded by the against having a personal collection sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and that Sunnah into their practice and shape by a widespread reverence and a not only did the Companions use Companions and they need to be clarifi ed. of the narrations, not against writing of the Companions. their life according to it. They truly constant practice of the Sunnah. their gift of strong memories to start The fi rst is the claim that some of the the Sunnah in general, later some of ‘Umar’s eff orts however were part of understood that the emphasis Islam This environment provided the best a tradition of oral transmission of the well-known Companions were reported them, like Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Ali the attempt to collect the Hadiths on a places on knowledge goes beyond the situation for them to teach and train Sunnah, but also they added to that to have refused to write the Sunnah and while being Caliphs, each ordered the global scale to facilitate its availability mere theoretical understanding and those who followed them the whole the use of their newly learned skill of have ordered others not to write it. Such writing of the Sunnah in occasions for to all. Eventually this objective was intellectual exercise. They realised that religion as they learned it and practiced writing. reports included Abu Bakr, ‘Umar lbn a variety of reasons. achieved and all of the Sunnah was Prophet Muhammad’s teachings are it thus preserving it for all the time to Many Companions had recorded al-Khattaab, ‘Ali, Ibn Abbaas and Ibn The second point is the claim that it put together in the well-known books, not philosophical contemplations but come. We are all indebted to them. these Sunnah for their personal Mas’ood. And while some of these reports was ‘Umar Ibn Abd Al-‘Aziz, who fi rst which represent a tradition of care ways and guidance that are intimately Article source: http://www.islamweb. references and to supplement their are authentic, none of them present the ordered the writing of the Sunnah as and preservation unmatched by any connected to the aff airs of this life. net/emainpage/ Gulf Times 14 Friday, November 1, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko celebrates United Nations Day P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar Al-Mannai pointed out that the [email protected] QNA Doha relationship between the foundation 44350478 (News), and the United Nations is centred on the consultative membership obtained 44466404 (Sport), he Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, by the foundation in 2016, pointing in 44466636 (Home delivery) in partnership with the Qatar this regard to the large international National Commission for Edu- events mandated by the foundation 44350474 Tcation, Culture and Science, to organise a conference on disability facebook.com/gulftimes organised an event to celebrate United and development, which will be held in Nations Day, which falls on October 24 December, with the participation of all twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar each year. United Nations organisations. The ceremony, which was held She noted that an important session yesterday at the Diplomatic Club, was will be held in co-operation with the attended by HE the Secretary-General at Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and Unesco the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr Ahmad on education, the session mimics the GULF TIMES Hassan al-Hammadi, HE United Nations convergence of the Convention on Secretary-General’s Humanitarian the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Envoy Dr Ahmed al-Meraikhi, the with the United Nations sustainable Director of the Unesco Offi ce in Doha HE the Secretary-General at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr Ahmad Hassan development agenda and maximising Anna Paolini, and a number of offi cials al-Hammadi addressing the gathering. access to education, employment, health at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and and other important areas. Facebook should set representatives of civil society and social the Qatar National Committee for of Qatar in support of Unesco, saying Al-Mannai noted that the foundation and charitable institutions. Education, Culture and Science Dr that the country hosts the offi ce of the has played a major role in the design of In a speech on the occasion, HE Dr al- Hamda al-Sulaiti said in her speech organisation, noting that the relationship the national development strategy. clear standards for Hammadi said that this event is a pride during the ceremony, that the purpose between the two parties is based on It is currently responsible for more and a culmination of the achievements of of this celebration is to remind the mutual understanding and respect. than 42 projects and needs the expertise the distinguished partnership between world of the importance and necessity Paolini expressed her pride in working of UN organisations in capacity building. Qatar and the United Nations, as well as of activating and strengthening the role within the United Nations family, stressing Director of the Diplomatic Institute political adverts the completion of the celebration of the of this organisation in order to achieve that the law adopted by the United Nations at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr United Nations Day, which was held in the goals for which it was founded on seeks to achieve peace and security, and Abdulaziz bin Mohamed al-Horr, in New York last week under the auspices the twenty-fourth of October 1945 to plans drawn up by the United Nations his speech during the session noted the Facebook has become a prime outlet for presidential of Qatar and this celebration also achieve security and international peace. organisations seek to address problems in growing sense of the decline of the role campaign messaging, with President Trump and his Democratic expresses pride in the achievement of the Dr al-Sulaiti praised the success the world and spread peace and save lives, of international organisations and their rivals collectively spending more than $1mn every week partnership between the two parties in achieved by the United Nations over the which requires support and assistance inability to interact with international on targeted ads, according to published reports. So it was the history of international relations in years, represented in many achievements from the state. issues, stressing that this feeling has disturbing, to say the least, when Facebook altered its rules particular and in human life in general. in the political, economic, social, She also addressed the challenges that grown with the rise of right-wing recently to exempt politicians and political parties from its ban He praised the distinguished relations humanitarian, environmental, cultural still face the achievement of the goals currents in Europe and America, and that on false advertising. since Qatar joined the United Nations and educational fi elds, adding that this of the United Nations and Unesco, such the discussion between the concerned Not to put too fi ne a point on it, but the change amounted in 1971, pointing in this context to the has contributed to the independence as racial discrimination against women, now revolves around the mechanism formation of the permanent delegation of many countries and the resolution and problems of gender equality. of restructuring organisations for to a standing invitation for politicians to lie on Facebook – of Qatar to the UN in New York in the of political diff erences between other She also praised the great eff orts themselves and restore confi dence in something it doesn’t allow any other advertisers to do. And same year in order to represent the countries, in addition to development made by Qatar in empowering women their ability to restore their eff ectiveness, this isn’t about free speech, or politicians’ ability to bend the country and manage its relations with and technical assistance provided to through legislation and laws besides and their ability to react to crises. truth in the comments posted to their profi le pages and seen the organisation, and then the opening developing countries to help them education, which enabled Qatari women Dr al-Horr also addressed United only by the people who follow them. It’s about paid speech, or of the Qatari missions represented in the to invest their natural resources, and to assume leadership positions, as well Nations Institute for Training and their ability to use the immense power of Facebook’s platform United Nations in various cities of the to develop their national and human as the representation of the State of Research UNITAR, a UN training wing, to show masses of voters deceptive ads tailored to those voters’ world. resources and development projects Qatar in international forums and UN stressing that the existing co-operation preferences and weaknesses. He also valued the strategic and care for human rights in the areas of organisations and other international between the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs To demonstrate the absurdity of the situation, a Democratic partnership between Qatar and the health, education and culture. organisations. represented by the Diplomatic Institute political strategist in San Francisco named Adriel Hampton UN which has worked to achieve its Dr al-Sulaiti called on the United During a panel discussion held on the and UNITAR is a great opportunity for recently ran an ad on Facebook with a wholly made-up claim objectives, including the maintenance Nations to introduce radical reforms sidelines of the ceremony, and directed capacity-building. that conservative Senator Lindsey Graham supported the of international peace and security, in all its institutions and bodies so by HE the Director of the International He also pointed out that the benefi t of supporting international development that its decisions have credibility and Co-operation Department at the international bodies and organisations liberal Green New Deal bill – a stunt intended to rankle some eff orts, promoting and consolidating infl uence away from the domination of Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Ambassador and co-operation with them is at several of Graham’s constituents. After Facebook took the ad down, human rights and providing some states and the organisation shall Tariq Ali al-Ansari, the Chief Executive levels, the needs and expertise required Hampton fi led papers Monday to run for governor of California humanitarian relief, as well as have the greatest and eff ective role in Offi cer of the Qatar Foundation for by the State must be identifi ed, in in 2022, enabling him to run false ads like the one about Graham participating in collective eff orts and ending the scourge of wars, famines and Social Work (QFSW) Amal al-Mannai, order to achieve the maximum benefi t, without interference from Facebook’s fact-checkers. initiatives to address the current and international confl icts and in achieving pointed out the important role played referring to the generous grant made Facebook and its chief emerging challenges facing the world. respect for the sovereignty and territorial by the foundation in society, as one of by Qatar represented by the Ministry executive, Mark Zuckerberg, He stressed Qatar’s commitment to integrity of States. the important development sectors of Foreign Aff airs of UNITAR to train Facebook wants insist that voters deserve the United Nations through its continued She added that from this point of view, linking all sectors of the state, whether diplomatic cadres in marginalised access to the unfi ltered words generous fi nancial contributions to many from January 2020, UN-75 will launch governmental, private or civil. countries. – QNA to wash its of their politicians so they can bodies of the organisation, the opening dialogues at all levels, from classrooms to decide for themselves what to of several United Nations offi ces in Doha, administrative boards, from parliaments hands of any in addition to the active participation of to municipal councils with the aim of ‘Qatar is key partner of UN organisations’ believe. “By limiting political Qatar in the United Nations meetings reaching as many people as possible, to speech,” the company asserted, responsibility and collective eff orts to promote listen to their hopes and fears, to benefi t The UN Secretary-General’s the United Nations World Day. “we would leave people less interfaith dialogue, support the Alliance from their thoughts and experiences. Humanitarian Envoy Dr Ahmed al- The UN envoy stressed that the for how its informed about what their of Civilizations, protect human rights Dr al-Sulaiti pointed out to Qatar’s Meraikhi has underlined that Qatar presence of off ices of organisations elected offi cials are saying in Qatar and abroad, and participate assistance and humanitarian and is an important partner of the United in Qatar helps to promote and megaphone can and leave politicians less in decision-making by fi nancing development assistance to the bodies, Nations organisations, saying that deepen mutual understanding of the accountable for their words.” development, relief and reconstruction. institutions and offi ces of the United this is evidenced by the distinctive delivery of humanitarian assistance, be abused There is an enormous He stressed that Qatar’s support to the Nations in the world to support and relations between Qatar with those especially as these off ices greatly diff erence, however, between United Nations stems from its fi rm belief promote its objectives in its areas organisations, in addition to the help and facilitate the mechanisms of not censoring candidates’ remarks and handing them a bullhorn in the ability of the UN to overcome of work, which contributed to the presence of representative off ices of assistance, and identify the needs and to amplify untruths across the electorate, which is what Facebook international crises through its work to construction of educational institutions the organisations in Qatar. provide them as soon as possible. is doing. By contrast, Twitter announced on Wednesday that achieve international peace and security, and schools in poor countries in Asia and This came in a statement by Dr al- He praised the prominent role of Qatar combating terrorism and achieving the Africa, and this has provided educational Meraikhi to Qatar News Agency (QNA), in the field of providing humanitarian the company would no longer run political ads of any kind. “We goals of sustainable development, and opportunities for millions of children on the sidelines of the ceremony assistance, pointing to the co-ordination believe political message reach should be earned, not bought,” to face common challenges, especially around the world and shared money organised by the Ministry of Foreign between Qatar, represented by the CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted. In plain English, that means candidates the challenges of climate and climate and expertise in combating infectious Aff airs today, in partnership with Qatar Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and the Qatar will still be able to post comments that their followers will see change, which Qatar has supported the diseases in confl ict zones. National Commission for Education, Fund for Development with the United and possibly retweet, but they won’t be able to pay to blast them United Nations plans to address them. The Director of the Unesco Offi ce Culture and Science on the occasion of Nations organisations. – QNA directly to thousands or millions of Twitter users. For her part, Secretary-General of in Doha Anna Paolini praised the role Dorsey also threw some shade toward Facebook, which has taken numerous steps in recent years to crack down on the scourge of fake accounts and fraudulent posts that came to light in the 2016 election. “It’s not credible for us to say: ‘We’re working hard to stop people from gaming our systems to spread misleading info, buuut if someone pays us to target and force people to see their political ad ... well ... they can say whatever they want!’” Dorsey tweeted. Admittedly, the problem is much easier to identify than the solution. The 1st Amendment bars the government from setting rules for online truthfulness, and while private platforms such as Twitter and Facebook can set their own standards for what they’ll allow, it’s a fraught and complicated task for private industry to distinguish lies from edgy opinions. Nor do we want giant tech companies acting as gatekeepers to political speech. Yet Facebook wants to wash its hands of any responsibility for how its megaphone can be abused, saying it’s the public’s job to winnow facts from the chaff of deceptive fiction. That’s a self-serving stance aimed at keeping the campaign ad dollars fl owing while shielding the company from complaints of bias, which Republicans have been browbeating “Big Tech” with for months. If Facebook won’t embrace the elegant solution off ered by Twitter, it should set clear standards for political ads that protect against deliberate deception and provably false claims, and come up with a transparent and nonpartisan way to enforce them. Scores of media companies, including newspapers and cable TV networks, do this routinely. So can Facebook. – Tribune News Serivce

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© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Gulf Times Friday, November 1, 2019 15 QATAR Ooredoo to launch country’s fi rst ‘Qatar Cloud PABX’

oredoo in collaboration Qatar Cloud PABX will be the Ooredoo Qatar Cloud PABX with Cisco’s BroadSoft, ability to move to an opex-based will be hosted on the Cisco Oyesterday announced an model, in which organisation’s BroadSoft Platform, a mar- upcoming service ‘Qatar Cloud pay per use and by transparent ket leader in Hosted PABX and PABX’, which is set to be Qatar’s monthly billing. Unifi ed Communications and fi rst cloud-based calling service Qatar’s organisations can also Collaboration solutions across for business customers. easily scale up their infrastruc- the world. Ooredoo is proud to Hosted in Ooredoo’s Qatar ture as their business grows, partner with Cisco BroadSoft to Data Centre, the Ooredoo Qa- thanks to running on the cloud bring world-class services to or- tar Cloud PABX platform will on Ooredoo’s industry-leading ganisations in Qatar. provide organisations with a Qatar Data Centre. Ali Amer, managing director feature-rich Unifi ed Commu- Ooredoo Qatar Chief Oper- (Service Provider Sales, Middle nications Platform to replace ating Offi cer Yousuf Abdulla East & Africa, Cisco) said, “Us- legacy Private Automatic Branch al-Kubaisi said, “Ooredoo Qa- ing Ooredoo Qatar Cloud PABX, Exchanges (PABX). tar Cloud PABX, will provide Qatar’s organisations can fi nd a Using Ooredoo Qatar Cloud business customers with end- seamless, secure, scalable, and PABX, Qatar’s organisations of to-end unifi ed communications smarter way of working. By run- all sizes and industry verticals and collaboration tools to opti- ning on the cloud, Qatar’s organ- will be able to leverage features mise costs and boost employee isations can move from investing such as short digit dialling, as- productivity. With Qatar’s em- in fi xed-infrastructure hosted signing names to extensions, ployees increasingly on the go, on-premises to an opex-based voicemail, and multiparty con- Ooredoo Qatar Cloud PABX uses unifi ed communications system. ferencing to optimise costs and the power of the cloud for quick, Ooredoo Qatar Cloud PABX also productivity. easy, and secure communication leverages Ooredoo’s secure Qa- Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser al-Thani, Ooredoo Qatar chief business off icer and Rabah Zarzour, Client Executive Strategic Accounts One of the biggest business from offi ce desk phones or mo- tar Data Centre and the global SPCisco Systems with other executives. Ooredoo in collaboration with Cisco’s BroadSoft, yesterday announced an upcoming service ‘Qatar benefi ts in moving to Ooredoo bile devices in any location.” best practices from Cisco.” Cloud PABX’, which is set to be Qatar’s first cloud-based calling service for business customers.

QU moves up to 4th Qatar Olympic Committee position in QS Arab University Rankings

atar University (QU) has QS World University Rankings marks World Walking Day moved up to the fourth for the Arab Region. Qposition in the QS Arab “The highest indicators QU QNA Region University Rankings scored are: international research Doha 2020, it was announced yester- network, papers per faculty, and day. Last year QU was ranked employer reputation which high- sixth. lights QU’s role in implementing he Qatar Olympic Com- The annual QS Arab Region the 2030 vision both on the local mittee (QOC) marked University Rankings highlights and international levels.” Tthe World Walking Day, 130 leading universities in this This achievement consoli- which is organised annually un- part of the world, according to a dates QU’s recent achieve- der the Association For Interna- statement from QU yesterday. ment in the QS World Univer- tional Sport for All (TAFISA), at The methodology for this sity Ranking as the institution the Cultural Village Foundation ranking was developed with the moved from 332 in 2019 to 276 (Katara) yesterday. aim of refl ecting specifi c chal- in the 2020 ranking, eff ectively Around 400 students from 15 lenges and priorities for insti- jumping 56 places, and becom- primary and preparatory schools tutions in the region, drawing ing one of the most improved took part in the event, which was on several indicators including universities. attended by Secretary-General international research network, In 2017, QU released a fi ve- of QOC Jassim Rashid al-Buain- papers per faculty and academic year strategy for the years 2018- ain, in addition to a number of reputation. 2022, mapping out the routes to veteran athletes and celebrities, President Dr Hassan al-Der- achieve continuing performance including Majid al-Khulaifi , ham recalled that since 2015 QU excellence and building on key Talal Mansour, Hussain al-Ru- gained seven places. “Over the areas of education, research, in- maihi, Abdul Aziz Hassan and past fi ve years, the institution stitution and engagement, while Yassin Ismail. moved up four times. In the 2020 taking into consideration the Marking the World Walking Edition, Qatar University per- plans and aspirations of Qatar Day is part of QOC’s Community formed among the top 3% in the National Vision 2030. Programme Plan, which aims to spread the concept of sport for all in addition to highlighting the importance of sports in general and walking in particular. The event started with educa- tional and awareness lectures, at Katara’s drama stage, on healthy Secretary-General of QOC Jassim Rashid al-Buainain and others taking part in the World Walking Day yesterday. nutrition, physical activities and rationalisation of electricity and water consumption. Later, par- ticipants walked for 1km to Ka- tara beach. QOC Secretary-General said that marking the World Walk- ing Day refl ects the Olympic Committee’s goals of spreading MoTC’s engineer Nora Yousef al-Abdulla and TÜViT’s Frank Beuting at the concept of sport for all and the signing ceremony yesterday. making sport a daily habit. He thanked all the participants and sponsors of the events. Director of Sports aff airs in Qatar to have fi rst ICT vetting lab Qatar Olympic Committee Kha- lil al-Jaber voiced the QOC’s keenness on consolidating the From Page 1 fi rst phase of the lab is in its fi nal concept of practising sports in stages and nearing completion. all times and types. The entire process takes We are looking forward to mak- Former member of Qatari around six months to one year ing it operation-ready by the end athletics team Talal Mansour for each product. of Q4-2019.” underlined the importance of Dirk Kretzschmar, managing The security lab has been sports for all age groups. director, TUViT, said: “Qatar’s built to ISO standards and will Former Qatar football player focus on cybersecurity propelled be audited every two years to Abdulaziz Hassan expressed us to work with them on one of ensure it is up to the standards happiness at taking part in the the most integral and exciting of the Common Criteria Rec- event and urged the participants projects in the GCC, consider- ognition Agreement, an inter- to dedicate time for walking eve- ing this will be the fi rst lab we national agreement between 31 ryday. will help setup in the region. The nations.

Police College hosts graduation of thunderbolt commandos The Police College yesterday The graduation ceremony was hosted the graduation of attended by Major General Dr the second batch off icers Abdullah Yousef al-Mal, adviser of thunderbolt commando to the Minister of Interior training course. A total of 111 and deputy chairman of the students who completed the Supreme Council of Police nine-week course received College along with directors their badges. The commando of various MoI departments training course is one of the and parents of the graduates. compulsory specialised courses Captain Abdullah Nasser for the Police College students. al-Shahwani pointed out that The objective is to help them the candidates were trained develop in accordance with the by a group of highly qualified best modern police and military off icers. The trainers were training strategies. The intensive able to take the participants to thunderbolt commando training the highest levels of physical course included theoretical and preparation and military skills, practical sessions. It helped he added. Picture shows the candidates enhance their cadets with Major General Dr self-confidence and capacity Abdullah Yousef al-Mal, adviser of decision-making, facing to the Minister of Interior emergencies and enduring and deputy chairman of the diff iculties. Besides, the course Supreme Council of Police helped them acquire skills College, Brigadier General Dr that increase eff iciency and Mohamed Abdullah al-Marri, professional skills as police Director General of Police and off icers. other MoI off icials. Gulf Times 16 Friday, November 1, 2019 QATAR Qatar Cyclists complete Rwanda expedition

Education and ances and by introducing the Qa- tari culture. innovation goals The team also gave the stu- dents gifts sponsored by Qatar’s build on bedrock Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC). of sporting ties On a visit to the Akilah Insti- tute, the team met with the cen- between Doha tre’s president to discuss various societal issues and the impact of and Kigali education on society. The institution provides an opportunity to women in need to Qatar Cyclists team re- earn their own income and help cently made a 550km bi- them support themselves by ed- Acycle ride in Rwanda, in ucating them and providing dif- support of education and inno- ferent programmes — economic, vation in the country. technological and more. The trip started from Kigali, The Qatar Cyclists team then Rwanda’s capital, with 17 Qatari rode in the mountains and travelled cyclists, covering the northern by lakes and hills to meet locals and parts of Rwanda followed by the share food and culture with them, eastern and southern areas of the and preserved those cherished mo- country while discovering the ments through pictures. most important cultural land- Qatar Cyclists also collaborat- marks and the picturesque nature. Rwandan President Paul Kagame with the Qatar Cyclists team. ed with the Africa Rising Cycling The trip began on October 10 Centre and planned future joint and reached the fi nish line on two teams and foster the spirit Science and Community De- While education was the main events, including sponsoring a October 17. of leadership among professional velopment that aims to provide factor in Rwanda’s journey after number of outstanding Rwandan The initiative achieved several cyclists as well as amateurs. education for all. the civil war, Qatar, too, fl our- cyclists to come to Doha and par- sporting goals, which include The trip included a visit to his- The visit to the schools started ished not only because of its nat- ticipate in local sporting events. strengthening sportsmanship toric and archaeological sites, giv- with a warm welcome from the ural resources, but also through On Wednesday, Rwandan and co-operation between local en that Rwanda is a living example local mayor and speeches. education. President Paul Kagame met the cyclists from the Qatar Cyclists of the advancement of life from In addition, there were pub- Activities in the schools con- Qatar Cyclists in Doha and com- team and members of the Rwan- the verge of death after the brutal lic talks on the importance of tinued and the two countries had mended the noble objectives of dan national team, with the aim civil war that had a devastating education for Qatar and Rwanda exchanges on culture and tradi- their trip. The team presented The cyclists during their trip. of enhancing ties between the impact on its land and people. equally. tions through various perform- Kagame with their jersey. After Rwanda’s return to life, ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’ became one of the most impor- tant destinations for tourism and sports, especially for cyclists, being one of the most important bike-friendly countries. In addition to its geographical diversity, Rwanda is character- ised by the rich environmen- tal and animal life, such as rare mountain gorillas, which the team visited, along with other forests and nature reserves. The team undertook a number journeys and adventures, and a signifi cant aspect of the trip in- volved going to local schools and universities, organised by World Innovation Summit for Educa- tion (WISE), an initiative of Qa- Members of the Qatar Cyclists team. tar Foundation for Education, A significant aspect of the trip involved going to local schools and universities.