COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Picks up Pace Dignitaries, Prominent Personalities Call on the Target Group to Take the Vaccine

Monday December 28, 2020 Jumada Al-Awwal 13, 1442 Vol.14 no. 5140 qR 2

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World 6 Business 7 Sports 11 EU begins vaccinations Indian rupee Qatar hold off fighting to end Covid-19 set to end 2020 Argentina for second ‘nightmare’ on a bullish note successive win

Qatar takes part in preparatory meeting for GCC summit COVID-19 vaccination drive picks up pace Dignitaries, prominent personalities call on the target group to take the vaccine

Minister of State HE Sheikh Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani (left) and Minister of State HE Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Attiyah are seen taking Qatar participated in the 146th preparatory ministerial council meeting for the 41st session of the the COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday. Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) via videoconfer- ence on Sunday. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi represented Tribune News Network to His Highness the Amir of dulrahman bin Hamad Al At- vaccine for the population Qatar in the meeting. (QNA) Doha State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim tiyah also received the COV- completely free of charge. bin Hamad Al Thani for mak- ID-19 vaccine and expressed He thanked all the health The coronavirus (COV- ing Qatar one of the first coun- his sincere thanks and appre- sector cadres, including doc- ID-19) vaccination campaign tries in the world to provide ciation to HH the Amir and tors, nurses, and administra- has gathered pace in Qatar, the COVID-19 vaccine to the those in charge of the health tors who responded to the with the designated primary public. He also praised the sector, headed by Dr Hanan pandemic to protect society Action against healthcare centres witnessing efforts made by Qatar to con- Mohamed Al Kuwari. from this epidemic. He called 138 for not QVC set to resume a huge turnout of citizens and front the pandemic — from “This campaign represents on all members of the com- residents of the target group in the beginning of the outbreak an important positive action munity targeted for vaccina- wearing masks the first phase. to the provision of safe vac- at this stage, and it confirms tion to obtain it without delay Dhaka operations Dignitaries, prominent cination for all citizens and the keenness, interest and ra- to protect themselves, their QNA personalities are coming for- residents. tional leadership of the state families and all members of Doha ward to take the COVID-19 He also thanked the Min- for the health of the citizen society. from December 30 shots to encourage more peo- istry of Public Health, Min- and resident, as well as the in- Qatar started its big- The designated authorities ple to take the vaccine. ister of Health HE Dr Hanan terest in the field of healthcare gest vaccination programme on Sunday referred 138 peo- Tribune News Network On Sunday, Minister of Mohamed Al Kuwari, and all as it is one of the most promi- against the virus on Decem- ple to the Public Prosecution Doha State HE Sheikh Hamad bin medical, nursing and support nent services provided by the ber 23 and is currently immu- for not wear- Suhaim Al Thani joined a staff who are in the frontline state according to the highest nising people in the priority ing masks in The Qatar Visa Centre (QVC) group of eminent personali- in the battle against the virus. international standards,” he group — healthcare workers, places where in the Bangladeshi capital ties and frontline healthcare He called on all groups tar- said. the elderly and people with they are of Dhaka will resume opera- workers to take the first dose geted for vaccination to take Al Attiyah said Qatar is chronic diseases. mandatory. tions from December 30, the of the COVID-19 vaccine. the vaccine, wishing safety for one of the first countries in the The first phase of the vac- The measure Ministry of Interior (MoI) an- Sheikh Hamad extended all members of society. world to provide a safe, effec- cination campaign will run is in line with nounced on Sunday. his gratitude and appreciation Minister of State HE Ab- tive and approved COVID-19 until January 31. the Cabinet decision, decree “It is currently possible law no 17 of 1990 on infec- to book appointments (at the tious diseases, and the pre- Dhaka centre) through dedi- cautionary measures in force cated QVC website,” the MoI in the country to contain the said in a tweet, 5 arrested for spread of COVID-19. The Qatar has recently re- authorities have called on sumed visa centre operations flouting home the public to adhere to the in India, Nepal, Pakistan and lamabad, Pakistan, resumed precautionary measures in the Philippines. operations on December 14. quarantine place to ensure their safety While the QVC in Kath- The QVC in Manila, the and the safety of others. mandu, Nepal, reopened on Philippines, reopened on De- conditions December 10, the one in Is- cember 15. QNA Doha

The competent authorities on Sunday arrested five people for violating the home quarantine HIA dismisses reports about pledge they undertook as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). airport closure as false rumours The arrests were made in implementation of the precautionary measures approved by the health authorities represented by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and its supporting bodies to ensure Indian minister invites Qatari public safety and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The arrested persons be- businessmen to invest in India ing referred to the competent Tribune News Network (QC) and Qatari Business- recover from the crisis situ- prosecution are Khalid Mo- Doha men Association (QBA) in ation. He called upon Qatari hammed Abdullah Al Aswad, Sheraton Hotel on Sunday. businessmen and investors to Mohammed Ahmed Jassim Al Indian External Affairs Min- The meeting was attended invest in India which offers a Obaidan Fakhroo, Mohammed ister Dr S Jaishankar has by Qatar Chamber Chairman variety of opportunities in vari- Abdulhamid Mohammed Said praised the close relation be- Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al ous economic sectors. Nasrallah, Mohammed Abdul- tween India and Qatar, terming Thani and Qatari Business- For his part, Sheikh Tribune News Network said in a tweet on Sunday. lah Taha Abdulsalam Mo- them as ‘historic and robust’. men Association Chairman Khalifa praised the strong and Doha It said the policies and procedures for hammed, and Faisal Ahmed India has a keen interest in HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim close relations which linked entry into Qatar continue to be carefully man- Baharde. developing cooperation ties Al Thani. Qatar and India at all levels, The Hamad International Airport (HIA) has aged by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) The authorities concerned with Qatar in economic and During the meeting, the especially in the economic dismissed reports about the airport being and it is constantly updated on the MoPH have called on citizens and commercial areas, as well as Indian minister reviewed the and trade fields, pointing out temporarily closed as false rumours. website. residents who are subject to attracting more Qatari invest- efforts made by India to con- that India is an important “HIAQatar denies the false rumours “We advise the public to refer to the accu- quarantine to fully adhere to ments to India, he said. tain the spread of COVID-19, trade partner for Qatar, while circulating about the airport being temporarily rate information from official sources only, and the requirements set by the This came as the Indian noting that the Indian econ- Qatar is the largest supplier of closed. We confirm that we will continue to to disregard rumours coming from unidentified Ministry of Public Health to en- FM held a meeting with of- omy resorted its activity last liquefied natural gas (LNG) to operate as normal for all travellers,” the HIA sources,” the HIA added. sure their safety and the safety ficials from Qatar Chamber September and has started to India. page 7 of others. 02 Monday, December 28, 2020

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Qatar Charity, Qatar Airways provide Ooredoo transforms winter aid for 5,000 people in Jordan its self-service App Tribune News Network ter aid, which includes food, for all customers Doha warm clothes, blankets, heat- ers, fuels and shelter kits, in Tribune News Network day, while delivering greetings Qatar Charity (QC), in cooper- addition to winter bags for or- Doha depending on whether the ation with Qatar Airways (QA), phans. customer accesses the App by has started distributing basic QA Senior Vice-President Ooredoo Qatar, the leading day or night. winter aid to low-income fami- for Marketing and Corporate national provider of digital in- Sabah Rabiah Al Kuwari, lies and Syrian refugees across Communications Salam Al novation, has announced that PR director at Ooredoo, said: Jordan as part of its ‘Warmth Shawa said, “Corporate Social the main screen of its Ooredoo “It is a great pleasure to advise and Peace’ winter campaign. Responsibility is among the App has been rebuilt to pro- Ooredoo users of these new in- Nearly 5,000 people, in- main pillars that firmly support vide better customer experi- novations and improvements. cluding orphans, widows and our vision and operations as we ence. In line with the move to a people with special needs, spare no effort in supporting Key changes include easier more ‘lightweight’ economy are expected to benefit from people in need through all pos- navigation through the App, driven by digital communica- the aid, which comes in time sible ways. We are honoured allowing customers to get to tions, I would encourage old to meet their essential winter to lend a helping hand to those the page they want quickly and and new customers to use the needs, especially in the light of going through difficulties, es- efficiently. App and experience its value the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 5,000 people, including orphans, widows and people with special needs, are expected to benefit pecially during this pandemic, By innovating to create and advantages over our phys- The winter aid included from the aid, which comes in time to meet their essential winter needs. and to help keep them warm an enhanced front-end user, ical stores.” 450 food parcels, each con- during these tough winter Ooredoo will make it easier Revitalising the App is de- taining basic foodstuff suf- cially in light of the pandemic, Qatar Airways for its generous aiming to ease the stress of days. We thank Qatar Charity for customers to view their re- signed to benefit all current ficient for one family for a which is badly affecting vul- support to the ‘Warmth and the sorrowful and contribute for standing with global socie- maining data and minutes. customers, including prepaid, month, in addition to a do- nerable Jordanian households Peace’ campaign which aims to to saving the lives of children, ties and for its tremendous ef- Other than online pay- postpaid, Mobile Broadband mestic heater for each family. and Syrian refugee families alleviate the burden on needy women and the elderly in the forts to uplift the lives of the ment, online purchase of and Ooredoo ONE. It will also The assistance was delivered economically. When cold families, noting that the aid most affected countries. underprivileged.” SIM and migration of Hala to allow for quick and easy com- in the form of coupons in co- waves intensify, these families this year coincides with the He added that the ‘Warmth The campaign focuses on Shahry, a new section high- parisons between different operation with local partners. desperately need food, shelter continuing COVID-19. and Peace’ campaign aims the countries going through lights eligible free content for data/call plans, allowing users QC aims to meet the win- and heating supplies. He underlined that QC is to reach nearly one million crises and exceptional circum- each customer on the basis of to organise changes in the ser- ter needs of underprivileged Ahmed Al Rumaihi, direc- keen to implement such cam- people in 19 countries across stances, as well as on those their plan. vices they purchase in pursuit families and keep them warm, tor of the Emergency and Re- paigns every year with the Africa, Asia and Europe, seek- facing a harsh winter with This section of the App will of the best value deals. well-fed and protected, espe- lief Department at QC, thanked support of people in Qatar, ing to provide them with win- temperatures below zero. direct customers to the free “By increasing its user- content and benefits that they friendly quality, Ooredoo can activate, such as Netflix or has revamped its key con- beIN sports coverage, among sumer app in such a way as many other services. to release time and effort In a practical and attrac- to customers so that they QRCS, QCPA sign knowledge-sharing agreement tive change of appearance, the can further enjoy the op- App background will include a portunities inherent in the QNA achieve knowledge integra- and non-governmental insti- day/night mode, which chang- 5G digital world,” Kuwari Doha tion between the two sides by tutions as well as the private es depending on the time of added. exchanging information and sector in a way that serves the Qatar Red Crescent Society experiences, benefiting from common interests of the QRCS (QRCS) has signed an agree- join programmes, courses and and its partners, which is re- ment with the Qatar Asso- events, as well as the library flected in the performance of ciation of Certified PublicA c- and scientific references avail- employees and the institution countants (QCPA) to exchange able at QCPA. as a whole, and contributes to experience and enhance coop- Eng Maliki said the agree- achieving the goals of the Qa- eration in scientific and tech- ment is considered a signifi- tar National Vision 2030. nical fields on issues related to cant milestone to support ac- For his part, Dr Sayed ex- accounting and auditing. tivities and projects that will pressed commitment to this The agreement was signed likely provide the two sides joint cooperation with the by Chief Executive Director with important accumula- QRCS, as it is a significant Qa- of QRCS Engineer Ibrahim tions of skills, experiences counting and international ment represents an exten- tari voluntary humanitarian Abdullah Al Maliki and Chair- and knowledge through which auditing standards and code sion of the strategic approach association, hoping to reach man of QCPA Dr Hashem Al both QRCS and QCPA will be of ethics and professional con- followed by the QRCS by compatibility and comple- Sayed. able to gain familiarity with duct. strengthening partnerships mentarity between the two The agreement aims to many aspects, such as ac- He added that this agree- with various governmental sides. Enjoy year-end exciting Philippine ambassador takes part in moment at Mercure Hotel MME initiative to plant million trees Tribune News Network Tribune News Network Doha Doha

Mercure Hotel has set the stage to enable The Ministry of Municipal- Qatar residents celebrate the exciting time ity and Environment (MME), of the end of the year with friends and loved represented by the Public ones by preparing a mix of live cooking BBQ Parks Department, in coop- stations at La Villa Restaurant (12th floor) on eration with the Philippine December 31 from 7pm to 11:30pm with spec- Embassy in Qatar, organised tacular view of the Msheireb in the backdrop a diverse tree-planting event of the city lights. as part of the One Million Tree According to the hotel, early bird stayca- Planting Initiative. tion available for residents on request. Mer- The event was attended cure Hotel follows safe and social distancing by Ambassador of the Repub- in its outlets certified with #ALLSAFE Label lic of the Philippines to Qatar of Accor and Qatar Clean Programme, the ho- HE Alan Timbayan, Head of tel said in a statement. the Parks Department at Al Guests can indulge in the joy of the festivi- Daayen Municipality Fahad ties by ordering traditional delicacies, includ- Mohammed Al Kaabi and a ing Yule log, rich plum cake, Santa face cup number of employees of the cake, panettone and pies, as well as roasted Philippine Embassy and of- beef with assorted vegetables and jacket po- ficials of the Public Parks De- tatoes. partment. The participants planted a number of tree seedlings that suit the climatic conditions of Qatar’s environment. MoCI recalls Honda CBR1000 The Public Parks De- partment at the Ministry of Tribune News Network bolt might break and affect nance and repair works and Municipality and Environ- Doha shifting operation. will communicate with cus- ment invites all entities, in- The recall campaign comes tomers to ensure that they car- stitutions and community The Ministry of Commerce within the framework of the ried out the necessary repairs. members to contribute to and Industry (MoCI), in co- ministry’s continuous efforts The ministry urges all cus- the initiative to plant one operation with DOMASCO to protect consumers and en- tomers to report any violation million trees, because trees - Doha Marketing Services, sure that dealers follow up on to its Consumer Protection are of special importance in dealer of Honda in Qatar, has vehicle defects and repairs. and Anti-Commercial Fraud preserving the ecosystem announced the recall of Honda The ministry said that it Department, which processes and due to their positive re- CBR1000 model of 2020 be- will coordinate with the dealer complaints, inquiries and sug- percussions on human health cause the shifting pedal pivot to follow up on the mainte- gestions. and quality of life. Nation Monday, December 28, 2020 03 HBKU’s College of Science uses AI to study football success Tribune News Network matches for the Qatar nation- Dr Alam said, “We believe world impact.” Doha al team players. the proposed machine learn- Ahmed Khellil Abbassi, With less than two years to ing model can support the executive director of Compe- Researchers at the Col- go until Qatar hosts the first players, coaching staff and titions and Football Develop- lege of Science and Engi- ever FIFA World Cup tourna- team management in Qatar to ment at Qatar Stars League, neering (CSE) at Hamad Bin ment in the Middle East, the focus on specific performance said: “In Qatar, we believe in Khalifa University (HBKU) researchers are optimistic metrics that can enhance the adaptive changes in the im- have developed an innovative that the study could boost the team’s performance.” provement of our sports and artificial intelligence-basednational team’s overall per- Dr Mounir Hamdi, CSE football. Such data-driven (AI-based) model to analyse formance. founding dean, said: “We are AI-based research will allow and improve players’ perfor- Matches held in the coun- delighted to see our Qatari us to learn from the past and mance in professional foot- try’s top league, the Qatar Dr Tanvir Alam Dr Mounir Hamdi Jassim AlMulla graduate students advanc- to create a better plan for the ball leagues. Stars League (QSL), between ing their research aspirations future, aligning Qatar as a PhD student Jassim Mo- 2012 and 2019 were analysed winning games. regression-based model was Several sophisticated and using the opportunities to global pioneer in innovation hammed AlMulla, a Qatari using AI-based models. The The researchers formu- considered the best perform- mathematical models (based work side by side with our tal- and football technology.” national with a passion for study analysed players’ per- lated the study as a classifi- ing model with more than 80 on AI) were then developed ented faculty members. The Jassim AlMulla said, “This football, worked with his su- formances in a total of 864 cation framework under ma- percent accuracy. to analyse the players’ per- study not only highlights the study is one step towards pervisor Dr Tanvir Alam, an QSL matches. chine learning (ML), which The proposed methodolo- formance in QSL matches potential of this rapidly evolv- using advanced machine assistant professor in CSE’s For each match, the col- is a major branch of AI, to gy can be used by the football and the study revealed some ing field, but also the role of learning technologies that Information and Computing lective performance of the distinguish the winning team management team to identify key winning strategies for the our programmes at CSE to help build an understand- Technology Division, to de- players in key playing posi- from the losing team in a players’ performance metrics teams. meet the growing need for ing of local athletes’ perfor- velop an AI-based model to tions (defender, midfield, match. Different ML models that could be considered as The research work has professionals with the funda- mance as they participate in analyse and recommend key forward) was analysed to un- were considered for the clas- contributing factors to deter- been published in the IEEE mental knowledge to apply national and international performance metrics to win derstand their effectiveness in sification task and the logistic mine match results. Access Journal. these technologies for real- competitions.” Commercial Bank receives Social Envoy lauds Bangladeshi cricket team Responsibility on their performance in QND tourney Tribune News Network Award in Kuwait Doha Tribune News Network flect a patriotic and national- Ambassador of Bangladesh Doha istic feel and convey the mes- to Qatar HE Md. Jashim Ud- sage of ‘staying at home is a din has congratulated the ex- Commercial Bank’s crea- national duty’ with an upbeat patriate Bangladeshi cricket tive agency ‘DotSpace’ has re- yet serious rhythm. team in Qatar for being run- ceived the Social Responsibil- Commenting on the award, ners-up in the Qatar National ity Award at the Arab Media Hussein Al Abdulla, EGM Day (QND) Cricket Tourna- Forum’s 8th Kuwait Creativity and chief marketing officer at ment. Award for the awareness cam- Commercial Bank, said: “We Qatar Cricket Association paign launched by the bank extend our warmest congratu- organised a cricket tourna- during the COVID-19 pan- lations to our creative partment with expatriates from demic. ner DotSpace on winning the Bangladesh, India, Pakistan The award ceremony was very well deserved award. We and Sri Lanka to mark the Qa- held under the patronage pride ourselves in collaborat- tar National Day. of Secretary-General of the ing with a creative agency like The expatriate Bangla- League of Arab States Ahmed DotSpace that never ceases to deshi cricket team reached Aboul Gheit and witnessed deliver outstanding, out-of- the final by defeating SriL an- the presence of many creative the-box campaigns.” ka by eight wickets. The ex- personalities in media and DotSpace is an integrated patriate Bangladeshi cricket advertising from across the advertising agency founded team played the final match region. in 2011. It differentiates itself against the Indian expatriate The event was organised by a digital-first mindset and cricket team and became run- Ambassador of Bangladeshi to Qatar HE Md. Jashim Uddin with members of Bangladeshi cricket team in Doha recently. virtually for the first time and modern approach to the mar- ners up. attendees watched the lives- ket’s needs, and lives outside Ambassador Md. Jashim in Asian City. manager Md. Aminul Islam The envoy met the expatri- lated the Bangladeshi players tream via Zoom. the box and develops brilliant Uddin was present at the President of Qatar Cricket and coach Bulbul Ahmed and ate Bangladeshi cricketers and and the organisers for their The annual event comes ideas, content and brand expe- opening ceremony of the tour- Association Yusef Jehem Al other dignitaries were present exchanged greetings. contribution to sports besides to highlight efforts by Kuwaiti riences. nament at the Cricket Stadium Kuwari, Bangladesh team at the opening ceremony. He thanked and congratu- their jobs. and Arab advertising and pro- The Advertising Creativity duction institutions. Award is one of the region’s ‘For you Qatar’ is a produc- most prominent events that tion video Commercial Bank attend to Arab Media. The launched some months ago in event brings together many collaboration with DotSpace ministers, media executives, Milaha gets British Safety Council’s to raise awareness on the im- journalists, academics, au- portance of staying at home to thors, actors, businessmen limit the spread of COVID-19. and social figures from all The video and the song re- around the Arab world. COVID-19 certificate of assurance Tribune News Network The review of COVID-19 policies covered Mi- Doha laha Headquarters and operational sites, upon which the British Safety Council concluded that Following its efforts to ensure the highest ‘Milaha has undertaken a leading best practice for safety levels at workplaces, Milaha, Qatar’s lead- the companywide extensive track, trace and test ing maritime and logistics service provider, has system in place’. been certified by the British Safety Council (BSC) The British Safety Council also found that Mi- for the quality of its COVID-19 corporate policies, laha has in place several well documented plans, procedures and protocols. including the ‘COVID-19 Prevention and Precau- As the global economy and all its business sec- tions Procedure’ which sets out the best practice tors continue to face the impacts of the COVID-19 guidelines at any Milaha site. global pandemic and its severe challenges, Mi- The review also considered that Milaha’s com- laha has developed and performed a detailed set The practices have been rigorously munication and training procedures are well of working practices and measures to protect its assessed by the British Safety Council and con- planned and implemented, including clear, rel- employees, workers, customers, visitors and sup- sidered to be in accordance with the current Qa- evant and legible signage, posters, internal emails, pliers, in a bid to effectively reduce COVID-19 tari government and International best practice intranet, social distancing and need to wear face transmission. guidelines. masks reminders. MES student receives accolade at international math event

Tribune News Network was part of the MathΣphi from 58 schools in various Grade VII were awarded the Doha international online math countries, including eight first and second consolation event conducted recently for students from MES Indian prizes in the ‘Jingle It Loud’ Aaesha Fathima Basheer, a students in the age group of School, participated in the and Poster Making events, re- Grade IV student of MES In- 8-16 years by City Montessori MathΣphi, where maths spectively. dian School, bagged the silver School RDSO Campus in Luc- meets physics. Principal of MES Indian medal in ‘harangue’ (decla- know, India. Vanshika Kapur of Grade School Hameeda Kadar con- mation) competition, which A total of 216 students IV and Haizam Nishab of gratulated the winners. 04 Monday, December 28, 2020

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

Obama Centre: Four Years, Five Months And Counting. The Silver Lining Time To Break Ground ewind to July 2016, when word leaked the lawsuit in the summer of 2019, declaring, Of 2020 that Barack and Michelle Obama had “There should be no delay in construction.” Rchosen Jackson Park on Chicago’s South In August, the 7th Circuit for the US Court of Side as the venue for the Obama Presidential Appeals effectively affirmed Blakey’s ruling. It gets an asterisk for COVID-19 pandemic, but the year about to end Center. Much of Chicago buzzed with excitement and satisfaction. The site, nestled in a THE GENTRIFICATION FACTOR also saw great scientific progress and achievement corner of the park near the Museum of Sci- Residents of Woodlawn near the site ence and Industry, stoked visions of “Muse- wanted assurances that any gentrification re- Tyler Cowen um Campus South.” sulting from the center wouldn’t price them Bloomberg Opinion Still president at the time, Obama prom- out of their homes and rental units. After ised more than an homage to his legacy in months of negotiations between Mayor Lori or obvious reasons, 2020 will choosing Chicago over other possible sites, Lightfoot’s administration and South Side not go down as a good year. At the including New York City. He talked of cre- housing advocates, the City Council passed same time, it has brought more ating an engine for youth engagement and an affordable housing ordinance in Septem- scientific progress than any year South Side revitalization. ber that will help Woodlawn tenants collabo- in recent memory — and these ad- What’s happened since then? A lot. Con- rate to purchase multiunit buildings in the Fvances will last long after COVID-19 as a troversy over a private entity, the center, neighborhood and set aside money for resi- major threat is gone. occupying public park space. Concerns of dents to fix up their homes. Two of the most obvious and tangible gentrification. Demands from the surround- One of the center’s last hurdles recently signs of progress are the mRNA vaccines ing community for inclusion. A pandemic- got cleared. Before the Obama center is built, now being distributed across America related slowdown in fundraising toward the the federal government had to sign off on it. and around the world. These vaccines $500 million project. That’s because Jack- appear to have very high levels of effica- Nationally, Donald son Park, designed cy and safety, and they can be produced Trump’s improbable by famed landscape more quickly than more conventional ascent to the White architects Frederick vaccines. They are the main reason to House and a global Law Olmsted and have a relatively optimistic outlook for health crisis that Calvert Vaux, is on 2021. The mRNA technology also may continues to grip the National Register have broader potential, for instance by the city, nation and of Historic Places, helping to mend damaged hearts. world. Then in No- and because the plan Other advances in the biosciences vember, the election involves major road- may prove no less stunning. A very prom- of Obama’s VP, Joe way changes. ising vaccine candidate against malaria, Biden, as president. That federal re- perhaps the greatest killer in human Two of the most obvious and tangible signs of progress are the mRNA vaccines now being That patch of view began in De- history, is in the final stages of testing. distributed across America and around the world.(TNS) land in Jackson Park cember 2017. It was Advances in vaccine technology have earmarked for the supposed to wrap up created the real possibility of a universal have been possible only a short while brought further technological advances, Obama Presidential in 2018, but it wasn’t flu vaccine, and work is proceeding on ago. This likely heralds the arrival of by enabling humans to conquer and re- Center campus? Not a spade of dirt has turned. until Dec. 17 that the most critical step in that that front. New CRISPR techniques ap- many other future breakthroughs from shape their physical environments in federal review concluded. We know federal pear on the verge of vanquishing sickle- computational biology. new and unexpected ways. We can hope THE CENTER’S ROADBLOCKS bureaucracy tends to move with the zip of a cell anemia, and other CRISPR methods Internet access itself will be spread- that general trend will continue. The Obamas and their presidential center tortoise, but three years? have allowed scientists to create a new ing. Starlink, for example, has a plausi- Finally, while not quite meeting the team must feel like they’re Sisyphus, only smartphone-based diagnostic test that ble plan to supply satellite-based inter- definition of a scientific advance, the rise with a boulder the size of Saturn to heave up- A FINISH LINE IN SIGHT would detect viruses and offer diagnoses net connections to the entire world. of remote work is a real breakthrough. hill. After four years and five months, they’re A groundbreaking is now tentatively set within half an hour. It also has been a good year for pro- Many more Zoom meetings will be held, still squinting at the horizon for a glimpse for sometime in 2021. Chicago awaits what It has been a good year for artificial gress in transportation. and many business trips will never re- of the finish line. It’s time for this project to is sure to be a major tourism draw, and the intelligence as well. GPT-3 technology Driverless vehicles appeared to be turn. Many may see this as a mixed break the tape. South Side awaits the benefits that theO bama allows for the creation of remarkably stalled, but Walmart will be using them blessing, but it will improve productivity Roadblocks along the way have come in Foundation has promised the center would human-like writing of great depth and on some truck deliveries in 2021. Boom, significantly.I t will be easier to hire for- bunches, though some of them helped fine- generate — more than $3 billion in economic complexity. It is a major step toward the a startup that is pushing to develop fea- eign workers, easier for tech or finance tune the effort. The obelisk-shaped museum development for surrounding communities creation of automated entities that can sible and affordable supersonic flight, workers to move to Miami, and easier serving as the campus’s focal point has been in the first 10 years. react in very human ways. DeepMind, now has a valuation of over $1 billion, to live in New Jersey and commute into redesigned a few times. At the community’s The fundraising effort is still only about meanwhile, has used computational with prototypes expected next year. Manhattan only once a week. The most behest, the Obama Foundation scratched halfway to the $500 million mark and the techniques to make major advances in SpaceX achieved virtually every launch productive employees will be able to plans for an above-ground parking garage on center, and its campus are expected to take protein folding. This is a breakthrough and rocket goal it had announced for the work from home more easily. Midway Plaisance and decided to build the roughly four years to build out. During a in biology that may lead to the easier dis- year. Toyota and other companies have Without a doubt, it has been a tragic garage underground and within the presiden- Nov. 15 interview on “60 Minutes” to pro- covery of new pharmaceuticals. announced major progress on batter- year. Alongside the sadness and failure, tial center campus footprint. mote his new book, Obama discussed the One general precondition behind ies for electric vehicles, and the related however, there has been quite a bit of pro- A federal lawsuit filed in the summer of center and its mission, which includes en- many of these advances is the decen- products are expected to debut in 2021. gress. That’s something worth keeping in 2018 by an environmental group, Protect gaging the surrounding community with ac- tralized access to enormous computing All this will prove a boon for the envi- mind, even if we can’t quite bring ourselves Our Parks, further slowed movement on the tivities, new gardens and walking trails and power, typically through cloud comput- ronment, as will progress in solar power, to celebrate, as we look back on 2020. project. The suit claimed that the bid for the of course, exhibits that will include Michelle ing. China seems to be progressing with a which in many settings is as cheap as presidential center should be scrapped be- Obama’s famous dresses. photon method for quantum computing, any relevant alternative. China is open- (Tyler Cowen is a Bloomberg cause it was being built by a private entity, But the benefits of the center won’t come a development that is hard to verify but ing a new and promising fusion reactor. Opinion columnist. He is a the Obama Foundation, on public parkland, to fruition while the Obama Presidential could prove to be of great importance. Despite the absence of a coherent US professor of economics at which would violate Chicago Park District Center remains merely a scale model on a Computational biology, in particu- national energy policy, the notion of a George Mason University and code and state law. US District Judge John conference room table. It’s time to get this lar, is booming. The Moderna vaccine mostly green energy future no longer ap- writes for the blog Marginal Robert Blakey did not agree and dismissed project built. mRNA was designed in two days, and pears utopian. Revolution. His books include without access to COVID-19 itself, a re- In previous eras, advances in en- “Big Business: A Love Letter to (Tribune News Service) markable achievement that would not ergy and transportation typically have an American Anti-Hero)

Stop Dismissing All Vaccine Skeptics As Anti-Science Conspiracy Theorists Addressing vaccine skepticism requires multi-pronged efforts at all levels of care — from broad federal messaging to physician-patient interactions

Kira Ganga Kieffer vaccine hesitancy in American cul- speed” aspect of the operation was a private partnership would address Tribune News Service ture suggests there are ways to re- monetary gamble, not a safety one. vaccine concerns more effectively duce anxiety. A lot will depend on The techniques behind the vaccines than the direct payments some are nfection and death rates public officialsopenly addressing now coming to market have been in proposing. caused by COVID-19 are raging, safety concerns rather than just dis- development for at least five years, If we have learned anything Ibut the rollout of the vaccines missing opponents as anti-science not five months. from this pandemic, it is that com- brings new hope that the pandemic conspiracy theorists. Here are some Second, be completely trans- munity-focused public health mes- will end and we will soon be back to steps the Biden administration parent about side effects and why saging is often ineffective in encour- normal. Yet, according to a recent should take in the coming weeks. they may occur. It is important for aging safety precautions. It is easy Pew Research study, 40% of Ameri- First, rename Operation Warp Americans to know that they might to scold vaccine skeptics as anti- cans are wary of receiving a vaccine. Speed. Emphasizing speed rein- feel lousy for a day or two after they science, but my research on these What to do? forces a common concern that the get vaccinated. While children’s vac- groups shows that they have differ- Vaccine skepticism has a long vaccine was a magic trick that could cines often require multiple doses, ent concerns — parents are worried history in the United States. While only have been performed by sleight adults are not used to this model. about one-size-fits-all approaches vaccines have proved to be over- of hand. In fact, scientists have been Let’s make it clear that maximum to children’s immunizations while whelmingly safe, dissenters have al- working on a coronavirus vaccine effectiveness requires a second dose. political liberals and libertarians ways worried about safety. Vaccine for years. The basic science research And, while very unlikely, severe are focused on potential corporate skeptics are often branded as anti- supporting messenger RNA vac- reactions occur. Under guidelines corruption. Black Americans and science, but most are not opposed cines goes back to the mid-2000s, from the Food and Drug Adminis- other people of color are more likely to vaccination across the board. and the article that identified how Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tration, recipients are supposed to to express distrust in medical inno- Some advocate vaccine choice and to elicit the strongest immune re- prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.(TNS) remain in place for 15-30 minutes in vation, in part based on a modern alternative childhood immuniza- sponse to coronaviruses was pub- case they need rapid treatment. history of governmental abuse in tion schedules. Opposition comes lished in 2017. It was only because of The misleading memes populat- siderable financial risks with a vari- Finally, it is important to offer the name of science. from people with diverse political, the longstanding investment made ing skeptics’ social media accounts ety of new vaccines. In preordering citizens reasonable incentives for Understanding and engagement racial, religious and socioeconomic in this research that scientists were focus on corruption, implying that hundreds of millions of doses of the getting vaccinated. Employers could are the way forward. Meaningfully backgrounds. This is why the term able to develop the game-changing Big Government, Big Pharma and COVID-19 vaccines, the US govern- be incentivized to provide workers addressing vaccine skepticism re- “anti-vaxxer” doesn’t describe any mRNA approach that made it pos- Big Investors have selfish financial ment could have lost a lot of money with a paid sick day or two after they quires multipronged efforts at all single group and does more harm sible to roll out the Pfizer and Mod- interests in a “fast-tracked” vaccine. if the clinical trial data proved in- receive the vaccine. Businesses sup- levels of care — from broad federal than good when it is used as a pe- erna vaccines in record time. These ideas are influential and dif- conclusive. As Dr Anthony Fauci, porting employees in this way could messaging to individual physician- jorative, driving a wedge between Vaccine skeptics tend to distrust ficult to debunk. the director of the National Insti- build trust in the vaccines’ safety patient interactions. We need to doctors and patients. the authority structures that sup- It is critical for Americans to tute of Allergy and Infectious Dis- and ease the burden of potential start now if we want to have wide- My research on the history of port science, but not science itself. know that the government took con- eases, recently explained, the “warp recovery time. This type of public- spread vaccine adoption in 2021.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THE OPINION AND ANALYSIS PAGES ARE THE AUTHORS’ OWN. QATAR TRIBUNE BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY. World Monday, December 28, 2020 05

News Oman launches Covid-19 in brief Two buses careen off road in Cameroon, killing nearly 40 people Yaounde: Nearly 40 people were killed in an accident involv- vaccination campaign ing a truck and two buses in the central African country of Cameroon on Sunday. Another 18 people were injured, according to local police chief Poly Ebou. The truck tried to overtake Oman has so far recorded more than 128,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 1,495 deaths a passenger bus but collided with it instead, sending the bus careening into a river below. A few minutes later, another bus AFP - which was trying to avoid the crowd that had formed around Muscat the accident - also slid into the river. (dpa)

Oman started coronavirus vaccinations on Sunday, two 7 soldiers killed by militants in Pakistan days ahead of plans to resume Tourism boost all flights and open borders Islamabad: At least seven soldiers were killed in an attack that temporarily closed amid Oman is hoping to quickly by militants in south-western Pakistan, the military said on concerns over a new strain of start receiving tourists, Sunday. The terrorists attacked a security post in Balochistan’s the disease. especially from its wealthy Harnai district, the military’s media wing, the Inter Services The sultanate -- which has neighbouring countries, to Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement. The attack, which recorded the second highest boost its economy that has took place late on Saturday, targeted the paramilitary Frontier number of Covid-19 deaths in been hit hard by slumping oil Crops (FC), the military said, adding that a search operation for the Gulf after Saudi Arabia -- prices and the pandemic the attackers was under way. (dpa) is the last of the Gulf Coopera- tion Countries (GCC) to begin inoculating people. cially from its wealthy neigh- 4 soldiers killed in Pak helicopter crash Like most of its neighbouring countries, to boost bours it has opted for the Pfiz- its economy that has been hit Islamabad: A military helicopter has crashed in mountainous er-BioNTech vaccine. hard by slumping oil prices northern Pakistan, killing four soldiers including the two pilots, Health Minister Ahmed and the pandemic. the army said. The chopper crashed on Saturday in the Gilgit- Al-Saidi, one of the first citi- A man receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the Omani capital Muscat on The International Mon- Baltistan region “due to technical reasons” while transporting zens to get a jab at a Muscat Sunday. (AFP) etary Fund has estimated the body of a soldier to the military hospital in Skardu, it said clinic, said priority would Oman’s economy to contract in a statement. Pakistan has a chequered military and civil- be given to front line health ing 1,495 deaths -- the highest travel and banned entry and announce whether it will lift by 10 percent this year. ian aviation safety record, with frequent plane and helicopter workers and people who are after Saudi Arabia which has exit via their land and sea the suspension this week, Travellers must present a crashes over the years. (afp) considered to be vulnerable. recorded over 6,000 deaths. borders last week after a new while Kuwait has said it plans negative PCR test done within Oman has so far recorded Along with Saudi Arabia strain of the virus appeared in to re-open on January 1. 72 hours of arrival, the official more than 128,000 cases of and Kuwait, the Gulf sultan- Britain. Oman is hoping to quickly Oman News Agency reported Angry Indian farmers clang utensils as the novel coronavirus, includ- ate suspended commercial Saudi Arabia has yet to start receiving tourists, espe- on Sunday. PM Modi delivers radio address New Delhi: Angry farmers in India clanged plates and utensils and raised slogans in a new protest against contentious farm laws as Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his monthly address on Sunday. The “Thali Bajaao” (Beat Plates in Hindi) pro- Niger stages historic elections despite attacks test during Modi’s radio address was initiated by Yogendra Yadav, leader of political party, Swaraj India, who has been campaigning AFP The West African coun- which coincides with legisla- AFP without revealing who President Mahamadou alongside farmers. The protests were heard from the borders of Niamey try has been chronically tive elections. he voted for. Issoufou, who was elected in national capital New Delhi, where tens of thousands of farmers unstable since gaining in- In Dar-es-Salam, a popu- Issaka Soumana, a 2011 after the country’s last have been camping demanding the repeal of the three agricul- The first voters in the Sa- dependence from France 60 lar district of Niamey, voting 52-year-old truck driver, coup in 2010, is voluntar- tural laws. Similar protests were reported from towns and cities hel state of Niger went to years ago, and is ranked the began about an hour later said he wanted change. ily stepping down after two in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, known as the grain the polls on Sunday for an world’s poorest country ac- than scheduled. “Niger is not moving five-year terms. bowls of India. “When the prime minister gives his Mann ki Baat election that could seal the cording to the UN’s Human “I expect the Nigerien forward. Our country must The frontrunner in the (Talking from the Heart) address, the farmers will say we are tired country’s first-ever peaceful Development Index. president to put security, rise,” he said, brandishing 30-strong field is his desig- of listening to you, when will you listen to our point of view? So handover between elected Around 7.4 million peo- health, progress and democ- his thumb stained with ink nated successor, Mohamed we will bang utensils so that the noise of his address does not presidents, despite a bloody ple are registered to vote for racy first,” Aboubakar Saleh, to show he had cast his bal- Bazoum, 60, a former inte- reach us,” Yadav explained. (dpa) jihadist insurgency. the ballot for presidency, a 37-year-old launderer, told lot. rior and foreign minister. Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon set ablaze after fight with locals

AFP Beirut

A Syrian refugee camp in northern Lebanon was set on fire on Saturday night following a fight between members of the camp and a local Lebanese family, state media reported. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, confirmed a large fire had broken out in a camp in the Miniyeh region and said some injured had been taken to hospital, but did not provide an exact number. “The fire has spread to all the tent- ed shelters” -- made of plastic sheet- ing and wood -- UNHCR spokesman Khaled Kabbara told AFP. The camp housed around 75 families, he said. Syrian refugees salvage belongings from the wreckage of their shelters at a camp The National News Agency re- set on fire overnight in the northern Lebanese town of Bhanine, on Sunday. (AFP) ported that the fire followed an “al- tercation” between a member of a ian workers demanded a wage which one million registered as refugees Lebanese family and “Syrian work- their employers refused to pay. with the United Nations. ers”. However, the same source said Authorities have called on refu- Other youths from the Lebanese later that initial inquiries found the gees to return to Syria even though family then “set fire to some of the dispute could have been sparked by rights groups warn that the war-torn refugees’ tents”, the NNA added. the harassment of a Syrian woman. country is not yet safe. The Lebanese Civil Defence “Some families have fled the In November, around 270 Syr- worked to control the blaze while the area out of fear because there were ian refugee families fled the north- army and police were deployed to re- also sounds of explosions caused by ern Lebanese town of Bsharre after store calm, according to the report. household gas canisters blowing up,” a Syrian national was accused of A security source told AFP shots Kabbara said. shooting dead a Lebanese resident, were heard, saying the fight in the Lebanon says it hosts some 1.5 sparking widespread tension and Bhanine area was sparked when Syr- million Syrians, including around hostility. At least ten killed in avalanches amid heavy snow north of Tehran dpa Tehran

At least ten people have been killed in a series of avalanches amid heavy snow in the mountains north of Iran’s capital Tehran. The Iranian Red Crescent confirmed on Sunday that the bodies of ten climbers had been found in the heights of the Elburz Mountains north of Tehran in the past four days. It cannot be ruled out that there are more bodies under the snow. The Red Crescent will continue its rescue work on Rescue team transport the bodies of mountaineers who Sunday, the Isna news agency reported. died after a blizzard and avalanches hit the mountains According to media reports, on Thursday, the begin- north of Tehran, on Sunday. (afp) ning of the weekend in Iran, Iranian climbers were sur- prised by a heavy snowstorm, which is unusual for this nearly 100 climbers. A total of 80 of them were saved, time of the year. ten were killed and the search for ten more continues, The storm caused two avalanches which buried the reports said. 06 Monday, December 28, 2020 World Biden warns of ‘devastating consequences’ of Trump block on virus relief AFP “This abdication of re- moratorium on evictions ex- checks to taxpayers to $2,000. making up to $99,000. ers will return to Washington Washington sponsibility has devastating pires, putting millions at risk “I simply want to get our “Delay means more small after Christmas to override the consequences. Today, about of being forced from their great people $2000, rather businesses won’t survive this action. US President-elect Joe Biden 10 million Americans will homes over the holidays.” than the measly $600 that is dark winter because they lack And while Congress also warned on Saturday of “devas- lose unemployment insurance In a video late on Tuesday, This abdication of now in the bill,” Trump reiter- access to the lifeline they need, would almost certainly over- tating consequences” if Presi- benefits,” Biden said in a state- Trump, who is due to leave responsibility has ated on Saturday on Twitter. and Americans face further ride a presidential veto of dent Donald Trump continues ment. office in less than a month, devastating consequences. The move puts the Repub- delays in getting the direct the funding package, Trump to delay signing a Covid-19 The stimulus measure is called the $900 million bill Today, about 10 million lican president at odds with payments they deserve as could pull off a “pocket veto,” economic relief bill passed by wrapped up with a $1.4 trillion “a disgrace” -- despite it being his party’s Senate majority quickly as possible to help deal by simply refusing to sign the Congress. funding bill, without which the passed Monday with a large bi- Americans will lose leader Mitch McConnell and with the economic devastation bill until the current Congres- Biden spoke out as mil- government will be forced to partisan majority after months unemployment insurance House minority leader Kevin caused by Covid-19,” Biden sional term ends and the new lions of Americans saw their shut down at midnight Mon- of negotiation. benefits McCarthy, who have ruled out added. session is installed January 3. jobless benefits expire after day. The legislation was de- any larger stimulus measures. It is almost unprecedented Covid-19 cases have spiked Trump threw a long-awaited “In just a few days, gov- signed to throw a lifeline to US President-elect Joe Biden Republicans on Thursday for a president to veto a bill and the US death toll stands at pandemic aid package into ernment funding will expire, businesses and people strug- blocked a Democratic effort that received such overwhelm- more than 330,000. Econom- doubt -- demanding lawmak- putting vital services and pay- gling to keep their heads above to increase the payments that ing bipartisan support. ic recovery has faltered despite ers more than triple the $600 checks for military personnel water. House, Trump said he would would go to all taxpayers earn- But his veto on Wednes- the roll-out of vaccinations of- direct payments to US taxpay- at risk,” Biden added. But in a pre-recorded refuse to accept the bill with- ing up to $75,000 a year, with day of a defence funding bill, fering hope for an end to the ers. “In less than a week, a statement made in the White out changes increasing the smaller amounts for those the NDAA, ensures lawmak- outbreak in 2021. GLIMMER OF HOPE COVID-19 outbreak may worsen EU begins vaccinations to after holidays in end Covid-19 ‘nightmare’ US, warns Fauci AFP facilities -- Americans have Washington finally seen a glimmer of The pandemic has killed 1.76 million people worldwide and caused at least 80 million confirmed cases hope. Top US government scien- Still, initial vaccine ship- AFP that a new strain of the vi- tist Anthony Fauci warned ments fell short of promises Paris rus emerged that has already on Sunday the worst of the by the federal government. reached several other European pandemic may be yet to Michigan Governor EU countries on Sunday em- countries as well as Japan and come, driving the country to Gretchen Whitmer was barked on a vaccination cam- Canada. a “critical point” as holiday among those publicly criti- paign to defeat the “nightmare” The new strain, which ex- travel spreads the corona- cal of the process, but on of Covid-19, with the first to be perts fear is more contagious, virus. Sunday she pointed to signs immunised expressing emo- prompted more than 50 coun- “I share the concern of of improvement. tion after their jab and leaders tries to impose travel restric- President-elect (Joe) Biden “It’s moving in the right hailing a milestone in the fight tions on the UK. that as we get into the next direction,” she told CNN, against the pandemic. Echoing concerns from of- few weeks, it might actually after Trump administration The vaccine is a glimmer of ficials across the continent, get worse,” the infectious officials apologized for vac- hope for a continent yearning Health Minister Olivier Veran disease specialist told CNN. cine delivery shortfalls. for a return to normal from a said France has not ruled out Biden cautioned on pandemic that has killed 1.76 imposing a third nationwide Wednesday that the nation’s million people worldwide since lockdown if coronavirus cases “darkest days are ahead of emerging in China late last year continue to rise after the holi- us -- not behind us.” and caused at least 80 million day season. Fauci, who has been en- confirmed cases, according to He said it would become couraging everyone eligible an AFP tally. clear in the next months if the to be vaccinated, revealed But polls have shown many vaccine did not just stop people he felt fine after receiving a Europeans are unwilling to take falling sick but also from pass- first shot and experienced the vaccine, which could im- ing the virus on. “nothing serious at all.” pede its effectiveness in beat- “This would allow us to Surgeon General Je- ing the virus, while it will take leave this nightmare quicker,” rome Adams added on ABC months for large chunks of the he said. that, like Fauci, he’s “very population to be immunised. Vaccines other than the concerned” about a post- “It is with deep pride and a Pfizer-BioNTech jab are also holiday surge. Anthony Fauci (AFP) deep sense of responsibility that in the pipeline, and the United US holiday travel this I got the vaccine today. A small States, where over a million year was down substantially “We are making great gesture but a fundamental ges- people have already been vac- on the festive season but re- progress, but we need the ture for all of us,” said Claudia Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis talks with healthcare workers before receiving a dose of the cinated, last week began jabs mained significant. federal government to do Alivernini, 29, an Italian nurse Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Attikon University Hospital in Athens, on Sunday. (AFP) with the vaccine developed by Air travel averaged more their part,” she said. who was the first in her country US biotech firm Moderna. than one million passengers About two million to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech and Slovakia political leaders at tweeted President Emmanuel Meanwhile the University a day for six consecutive Americans have been vacci- jab Sunday morning. the front of the queue. Concern Macron. of Oxford and drug manufac- days last week, according to nated so far, well below the In Greece, the first in line In a sign of impatience, Swedish Prime Minister turer AstraZeneca have applied the Transportation Security 20 million the Trump ad- was nurse Efstathia Kampis- some EU countries began vac- There is concern that Stefan Lofven described the to the UK authorities for per- Agency. ministration has promised siouli who flashed a V-sign cinating on Saturday, a day wariness among Europe- vaccine as a “ray of light in mission to roll out their Cov- Following last month’s by year-end. while being vaccinated and before the official start, with a ans over the vaccine could the darkness”. One of the first id-19 vaccine. Thanksgiving holiday, US But Fauci played down later told Ert TV it was “a great 101-year-old woman in a care impede its effectiveness, Swedes to get the vaccine, Stig There is concern that wari- coronavirus cases surged the shortfall as a normal honour for me but also for those home becoming the first person with a poll published in Larsson, 89, said he “did not ness among Europeans over the sharply in December, with hiccup in a massively ambi- working on the front line.” in Germany to be inoculated the Journal du Dimanche hesitate” about being inocu- vaccine could impede its effec- more than 200,000 new tious project. European Commission and Hungary and Slovakia also saying 56 percent of French lated. tiveness, with a poll published cases and at times more “Whenever you roll out chief Ursula von der Leyen handing out their first shots. people do not plan to take China, Russia, Canada, the in the Journal du Dimanche than 3,000 deaths daily. a large program ... like this, hailed the campaign start as a Araceli Rosario Hidalgo the jab United States, Switzerland, saying 56 percent of French With intensive care units in the beginning it always “touching moment of unity and Sanchez, a 96-year-old liv- Serbia, Singapore and Saudi people do not plan to take the in many hospitals near ca- starts slow and then starts a European success story”, adding in a care home in central Arabia have also begun their jab. pacity, Fauci reiterated that to gain momentum,” he told ing the process will “help to get Spain became the first person the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint- vaccination campaigns. China, accused of cover- the country might be facing CNN. our normal lives back gradu- in the country to be vaccinated Denis, a low-income area hard Britain, which last week ing up the initial outbreak, has a “surge upon a surge.” He said he was “pretty ally.” on Sunday, in an event broad- hit by Covid-19, with a 78-year- finalised a deal on leaving the largely curbed the domestic But with new vaccines confident” that by April Countries are however cast by national television. She old woman named Mauricette EU, began its vaccination cam- spread of the virus. Its Commu- now moving across the all higher-priority people showing different strategies, said smilingly she felt “nothing” the first to receive the jab to ap- paign amid much fanfare on nist leadership issued a state- country -- going first to would have been able to get with Italy focusing on health from the shot. plause from staff. December 8, three weeks ahead ment hailing the “extremely front-line health workers vaccinated, clearing the way workers, France the elderly and France began its campaign “We have a new weapon of the bloc. extraordinary glory” of its han- and those in long-term care for the general population. in the Czech Republic, Greece in care homes for the elderly in against the virus -- the vaccine,” But it was also in Britain dling of the crisis.

10 dead in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria

Investigators search home in Nashville bomb probe Kano, Nigeria: The jihadist group Boko Haram killed at least 10 people including four security personnel in raids on three villages in northeast Nigeria, local and security sources told AFP on Sunday. Some US media outlets reported that the Cochran said the scene was Fighters in six trucks attacked the villages of Shafa, Azare and bomber may have been killed in the blast “like a giant jigsaw puzzle cre- Tashan Alade in Borno state on Saturday and set fire to homes and ated by a bomb that throws public buildings while firing sporadically at residents. pieces of evidence across mul- “They killed 10 people and burt homes, shops and churches, Afp authorities have not officially tiple city blocks.” said Sani Mohammed, head of an anti-jihadist militia. The assail- Washington confirmed anything. The investigation included ants went from village to village. In Azare, they “burnt a police Friday’s explosion in his- about 250 FBI agents, ana- station and killed two policemen, a member of the civil defence and Authorities searched a toric downtown Nashville, the lysts and other staff, said the a vigilante,” another militiaman Bulus James said. house in the Nashville area United States’ country music agency’s Doug Korneski. The attack forced residents to flee into the bush amid shooting on Saturday as they probed capital, damaged about 40 “We have over 500 investi- from the militants. “We recovered five dead bodies with gunshots the large blast that ripped buildings and injured at least gative leads and we’re follow- on them from the bush along with six women with gunshot injuries,” through the downtown of the three people, with the streets ing up on every one of those,” James said. “They were all hit while trying to escape,” he added. southern US city on Christ- largely abandoned at that hour. Korneski told reporters. In Tashan Alade, residents fled into the hills overlooking the village mas morning, injuring several Authorities were examin- “So there are a number of before the assailants arrived, resident Luka Musa said. “When people and damaging dozens ing tissue found at the blast Nashville Police Chief John Drake speaks during a news conference in individuals that we’re looking they came they went on a burning spree, burning three churches, of buildings. site that they believe could be Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday. (afp) at. So at this point, we’re not three houses and a drug store,” Musa said. (afp) The operation in Antioch human remains. prepared to identify any single came as US media reports Police say the blast was an motorhome outside the resi- Tennessean newspaper out- individual.” said a 63-year-old “person “intentional act” but the mo- dence that was being searched side the home being searched. He added, however, that Turkey hit by 5.5 magnitude quake: USGS of interest” had been identi- tive remained unclear, and Saturday by authorities, and At a separate press confer- “at this point we don’t have fied in connection with the FBI behavioral analysts were that it appeared to be similar ence, authorities declined to any indication that we are Istanbul: A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on explosion, which came from involved in the investigation. to the one that exploded in provide details or discuss the looking for another subject.” Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, with initial reports indicat- a parked motorhome that “The damage is shocking Nashville. reports of a person identified. The governor toured the ing no immediate casualties. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said blared a warning minutes be- and it is a miracle that no resi- No one has been arrested, They said they were sifting site on Saturday and said he there were no reports of material damage or casualties so far. The fore it blew up. dents were killed,” Tennes- but “information developed through more than 500 leads had asked President Donald USGS said the quake was registered in the Sivrice district in Elazig Some US media outlets see Governor Bill Lee said on during the course of the inves- and tips and that sweeps of Trump to declare a state of province at 0637 GMT and struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. The reported on Saturday even- Twitter on Saturday. tigation led us to this address,” the area found no further ex- emergency, a technical move Turkish government’s disaster agency AFAD reported a lower mag- ing that the bomber may have Media reports said neigh- an FBI spokesman said in an plosive devices. that triggers federal assistance nitude of 5.3 for the quake. Turkey is situated in one of the world’s been killed in the blast, but bors had previously spotted a interview with the Nashville Federal prosecutor Don in repairing damage. most active earthquake zones. (afp) AstraZeneca vaccine has ‘winning formula’, says CEO page 10

Monday, December 28, 2020

30,199.87 10,564.33 46973.54 1,882.60 +70.04 pts +26.17 pts +529.36 pts Gold +0.24 % Swiss call post-Brexit deal ‘good Dow QE sensex news’ for whole world page 9 Price percentage Price percentage 25.95 Brent 51.29 +0.18 % WTI 48.30 +0.37 % Silver +0.09 %

QSE begins last week of year on positive note, up 26 points

Satyendra Pathak Doha

Qatari stocks opened the last week of trading for the year on a positive note as the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) general index gained 26.17 points, or 0.25 percent, to close at 10,564.33 points on Sunday. The volume of shares traded, however, decreased to 103.946 million on Sunday from 115.629 million in the previous session on Thursday. The value of shares also decreased to QR214.224 million from QR263.447 million on India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with prominent Qatari businessmen and other dignitaries in Doha on Sunday. Thursday. Qatari Investors Group, which gained 3.486 percent, was the top performing stocks for the day. Ooredoo, which gained 2.79 percent, Inma Jaishankar calls on Qatari Holding (1.85 percent), Man- nai (1.52 percent) and Qatar Electricity and Water Compa- ny (1.05 percent) were among the top five gainers for the day. investors to invest in India Indices of six sectors out of seven closed in the positive ter- Tribune News Network is his first as the external af- ritory, while one sector closed Doha fairs minister- began his trip in the red. with the India-Qatar Busi- The All Share Telecoms In- India’s External Affairs ness Roundtable. dex, which gained 2.1 percent, Minister S Jaishankar on “Appreciate the com- was the best performing sector Sunday called upon Qatari mitment for strengthening index for the day. businessmen and investors our business partnerships. The QSE Total Return In- to invest in India that offers Briefed them about new op- dex increased by 0.25 percent a variety of opportunities in portunities flowing from ‘At- to 20,309.58 points and QSE various economic sectors. manirbhar Bharat’. Thanks Al Rayan Islamic Index gained Speaking during his meet- to Sheikh Khalifa and Sheikh 0.19 percent to reach 4,311.78 ing with officials from Qatar Faisal, the Chairpersons of points. The QSE All Share In- Chamber (QC) and Qatari QCCI (Qatar Chamber of dex was up 0.15 percent to Businessmen Association Commerce and Industry) and 3,232.59 points. (QBA), Jaishankar termed QBA (Qatari Businessmen Qatari individual investors the close relationship be- Association),” the minister and foreign institutional inves- tween India and Qatar as ‘his- said in a tweet. tors remained bullish through- toric and robust’. He stressed “Understanding the his- out the day as they bought his country’s interest in de- torical connections between more than what they sold dur- veloping cooperation ties India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a meeting with Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani and Qatari India and Qatar. Gujarat lit- ing the day. While Qatari indi- with Qatar in economic and Businessmen Association Chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani in Doha on Sunday. erally was an important door vidual investors accounted for commercial areas, as well as for commerce and contacts,” 49.44 percent of total buy, the attracting more Qatari invest- the private sectors of the two of COVID-19. Highlighting their businesses in Qatar, es- panies and they have Indian he said in another tweet. foreign institutional investors ments to India. countries. They also discussed India’s support after the siege pecially as Qatar offers an ad- managers in their companies. In New Delhi on Satur- accounted for 13.77 percent of The meeting was attended investment opportunities was imposed on Qatar over vanced infrastructure, appro- Sheikh Faisal said, “Qa- day, the Ministry of Exter- total buy for the day. by QC Chairman Sheikh Khal- available in both countries. three ago, he said India was priate economic legal , and an tari businessmen have firm nal Affairs (MEA) said that The GCC individual in- ifa bin Jassim Al Thani and During the meeting, the among the first countries to attractive business environ- desire to strengthen cooper- Jaishankar will hold talks vestors also remained bullish QBA Chairman Sheikh Faisal Indian minister reviewed the launch direct marine route ment,” Sheikh Khalifa said. ation relations with their In- with his counterpart on throughout the day and ac- bin Qassim Al Thani. efforts made by India to con- with Hamad Port in the very Sheikh Khalifa expressed dian counterparts. I am quite bilateral issues as well as re- counted for 2.56 percent of the QC Second Vice-Chair- tain the spread of COVID-19. beginning of the siege. hope that the meeting would hopeful that mutual business gional and international is- total buy. man Rashid bin Hamad Al Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Khalifa said the bi- help in fostering cooperation visits between the two coun- sues of mutual interest dur- Despite selling pressure Athba and QBA First Vice Sheikh Khalifa praised the lateral trade between the two ties and exploring new areas tries will resume soon after ing his visit. from Qatari institutional in- Chairman Hussain Al Fardan strong and close relations be- countries reached $10.5 bil- of cooperation and partner- the COVID-19 ends.” “Both sides remain com- vestors, market capitalisation were also present at the meet- tween Qatar and India at all lion last year, while it stood ship between business sec- He said that many Qatari mitted to intensify bilateral of the bourse increased al- ing. The meeting was also at- levels, especially in the eco- at $6.3 billion at the end of tors of both countries. firms are present in interna- cooperation in various fields most QR380 million to reach tended by a number of QC nomic and trade fields. He the third quarter of this year Sheikh Faisal, who also tional markets and this offers including energy and invest- QR608.39 million on Sunday. board members, Qatari and pointed out that India is an despite the current circum- spoke on the occasion, lauded a good opportunity for them ments. India and Qatar have Meanwhile, in a bourse Indian businessmen. Ambas- important trade partner for stances of COVID-19. the strong relationship be- to build a successful partner- also worked together to face filing on Sunday, the Qatar sador of India to Qatar HE Qatar as the country is the “Qatar Chamber supports tween both countries in eco- ship with Indian counterparts the COVID-19 pandemic and National Bank said that it will Deepak Mittal was also pre- largest supplier of liquefied partnerships between both nomic and commercial fields. whether in India, Qatar or in coordinated smooth opera- discloses its financial state- sent during the meeting. natural gas (LNG) to India. sides. There exists a large He noted that most Qatari other countries. tion of flights under an air ment for the period ending The meeting reviewed co- He noted that Qatar has scope of opportunities for In- businessmen have business Jaishankar, who is in Qa- bubble arrangement,” the December 31, 2020 on Janu- operation relations between managed to curb the spread dian businessmen to expand partnerships with Indian com- tar for a two-day visit -which MEA added. ary 12, 2021. Indian rupee set to end 2020 on a bullish note

Besides, lesser interven- Gupta as saying. resistance at 73.90 and sup- Foreign fund inflows, Brexit trade tion from the Reserve Bank “Expect some more rupee port at 73.45 for this week.” is expected after it was called appreciation in last week of According to Emkay deal to boost Indian rupee further out by the US Treasury De- the year as successful Brexit Global Financial Services’ partment to curtail its mar- deal would aid in the risk-on Head of Research- Currency Agencies ued to rise, indicating, an ket activities. sentiment.” Rahul Gupta, Brexit deal Mumbai active central bank which These factors along with Lately, FIIs inflows have along with the rollout of an has kept rupee in a check, to a continued supply of foreign powered a rally in equities effective coronavirus vaccine Consistent foreign fund make exports competitive. funds will lead to an appre- and gave an appreciation will continue to support the inflows along with a Brexit The Reserve Bank of In- ciation move in rupee. push to the rupee. risk sentiments. trade deal will lead further dia (RBI) is known to enter Indian rupee closed flat The FIIs have so far this “An effective coronavirus appreciation in Indian rupee the markets via intermedi- for the week close of 73.54 month invested over $6 bil- vaccine will continue to sup- as the currency ends 2020 on aries to either sell or buy US a dollar. lion in the equities and $594 port the risk sentiments and a high note. dollars to keep the rupee in a “Rupee appreciation is in million in the debt segment. keep USD-INR bears active,” However, rupee has been stable orbit. line with continued foreign “Incessant foreign fund Gupta said. a laggard in 2020, as the India’s foreign exchange equity flows though the pace inflows are helping rupee “A break of 74.50 will currency did not appreciate reserves rose by $2.563 bil- has slowed down,” IANS, bulls,” HDFC Securities’ open doors for 75.25 and much despite record inflows. lion during the week ended an Indian news agency, has Deputy Head of Retail Re- then 76.30. While a break of On the other hand, In- December 18 to $581.131 quoted Edelweiss Securities search Devarsh Vakil said. 72.75 will push the spot price Rupee appreciation is in line with continued foreign equity flows dia’s forex reserves contin- billion. Forex and Rates Head Sajal “Spot USD-INR is having to 71.50-72.00 zone.” though the pace has slowed down. 08 Monday, December 28, 2020 Economy & Business Australian lobster sector claws back trade after China ban

AFP needed lifeline to Camarda Fremantle, Australia and his fellow vendors. Before the Covid-19 Even in the scorching Aus- pandemic, prices topped tralian summer sun, long US$80 a kilogram (US$36 queues of customers snake a pound) in Western Aus- around Fremantle harbour tralia and usually averaged -- a soothing sight for belea- around US$53 per kilo. guered local fishermen try- On one muggy pre- ing to replace lost business Christmas weekday, sweat- with China. drenched customers bought Australia’s rock lobster the world-renowned west- exports are worth half a bil- ern rock lobster direct on lion US dollars a year -- and the quay for US$34 a kilo- in normal times, 94 percent gram -- a 36 percent mark- of them go to China. down. But all that changed a few weeks ago, when Beijing imposed a near-total import ban on lobster, part of a broader politically charged “shadow trade war”. Sorting of cocoa beans according to their size and appearance is done in the workshops of Makaya Chocolat in Petionville, Haiti. (Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP) “It has affected us dras- tically,” third-generation Souring ties fishermanFedele Camarda Relations between told AFP. “Our income has Canberra and Beijing have been reduced considerably.” been in free-fall for most of Relations between Can- this year, with China hitting From bean to bar, Haiti’s cocoa berra and Beijing have been out at a list of issues includ- in free-fall for most of this ing Australia’s call for an year, with China hitting out inquiry into the origins of at a list of issues including Covid-19 and a ban on Australia’s call for an in- wants international recognition quiry into the origins of Cov- Huawei’s participation in the id-19 and a ban on Huawei’s nation’s 5G network. The participation in the nation’s row has seen more than a Haiti is part of the ‘bean to bar’ movement of chocolate makers who transform the cocoa bean into the chocolate bar 5G network. dozen Australian sectors hit The row has seen more with import levies AFP than a dozen Australian sec- Port-au-Prince tors hit with import levies, with the barley and wine “That’s just enough to Although small in the face industries particularly badly break even,” Camarda said. of South America’s giants, hit. Exporters stand to lose “But we have been selling Haiti is slowly developing its as much as US$2-4 billion out almost every day. We are cocoa industry, earning bet- worth of sales. taking pre-orders as people ter incomes for thousands of So far, the broader Aus- want it for Christmas.” farmers and refuting the ste- tralian economy has weath- Ensuring they were set reotype that culinary art is the ered the storm. The econ- up to manage orders and preserve of wealthy countries. omy returned to growth in make the product available Haiti’s annual production the last quarter, exiting a to the public had been “a of 5,000 tonnes of cocoa pales Covid-induced recession. crash course,” he admitted. in comparison to the 70,000 But individual business- Such is the demand tonnes produced per year by es have been forced to find across Australia that some neighboring Dominican Re- new customers and markets supermarkets have had to public, but the sector’s devel- Sorting of cocoa beans is done in the workshops of Makaya Chocolat. overnight to avoid red ink, place limits on the number opment is recent in the island job cuts or bankruptcy. of lobsters customers can nation. Some barley farmers buy. Feccano, a federation of have planted other grains or Nick Van Niekerk, a cocoa cooperatives in north- re-routed shipments to the resident of nearby Mosman ern Haiti, became the first Middle East, and winemak- Park, was one of those brav- group to organize exchanges ers have focused on selling ing the heat to stand in line in 2001 by prioritizing farm- more in Japan. for 30 minutes. ers’ profits. But the lobster industry “I came down to sup- “Before, there was the sys- is looking closer to home. port the local fishermen and tematic destruction of cocoa In a bid to help the rav- show that we as a communi- trees because the market price aged sector, local authorities ty care,” he said. “It’s impor- wasn’t interesting for farm- recently changed legislation tant to be able to get lobsters ers who preferred very short- to allow commercial rock directly from the boats and cycle crops,” said Guito Gilot, lobster fishers to sell large know what you’re actually Feccano’s commercial direc- quantities from the back of getting. tor. Preparation of a chocolate ganache with local rum by chocolate Ralph Leroy, chocolate maker, entrepreneur and chocolate sculptor, their boats during Decem- “Lobsters are usually The cooperative now maker Ralph Leroy. poses with one of his emblematic creations. ber and January. really expensive, so to get works with more than 4,000 So far the Australian them at an affordable price farmers in northern Haiti. “The producers we work cocoa is delicate, but the Hai- returned home to Haiti as a everything here and I am very, public has responded enthu- I think is great for the local By fermenting its mem- with farm less than a hectare, tian style has made its mark haute-couture stylist. very proud,” said Duasmine siastically, offering a much- community.” bers’ beans before export, often divided into several abroad. His shift to cocoa began Paul, 22, head of Makaya’s Feccano has been able to tar- plots whereas, in Latin Amer- “Today there are bars sold when he made clothes out of laboratory. get the market for fine and ica, a small producer already in the United States that are chocolate for a culinary trade Echoes of car horns reach aromatic cocoa. owns four or five hectares,” called Acul-du-Nord,” Etlich- show. The training he then the ears of Makaya employees “Feccano’s customers pay explained Aline Etlicher, who er said proudly. underwent for a year in Italy carefully sorting cocoa beans, for quality: they don’t have the developed the industry at “With our customers, we fueled his passion as much as a side effect of the chaotic New York Stock Exchange as a PISA. are part of the ‘bean to bar’ his pride. traffic that paralyzesH aitian reference,” said Gilot. “We buy fresh cocoa, the movement of chocolate mak- “The first week, I think I capital Port-au-Prince at the Smelling potential, Haiti’s same day as the harvest so ers who transform the cocoa was insulted when the profes- end of the year. private sector finally began the farmer no longer has the bean into the chocolate bar,” sor said, ‘Chocolate is made From his workshop, where investing in the cocoa indus- problems of drying and stor- she said, adding that by cut- for Europe. You there, plant he also concocts chocolate- try, which until then had been ing that they would have if ting out the middleman, Hai- your cocoa, we buy the cocoa based cocktails, Leroy sees as supported solely by non-gov- they sold it to an intermedi- tian producers’ revenues have and do the work,’” he recalled. sweet revenge the great mar- ernmental organizations and ary,” said the French agrono- doubled. Today, Leroy runs the keting of his bars. humanitarian efforts. mist. And on the other end of chocolate company he found- “The greatest pleasure is By setting up its fermen- In recent months, this the chain, bean processing re- ed in 2016, Makaya, and the when, before traveling, Hai- tation setter in 2014 in Acul- just-in-time bean collection mains local. edible sculptures that come tians come here to buy a lot to du-Nord, 15 kilometers (nine from all sites has been more For master chocolatier out of his workshop are a huge offer abroad. It’s become their miles) from Haiti’s second challenging because many Ralph Leroy, making a rum sensation at parties. His com- pride. And also when Euro- city Cap-Haitien, the com- roads were regularly blocked ganache -- Haitian, just like pany now has about 20 em- peans come and buy all the Fisherman Joe Paratore displaying his catch of western rock lob- pany Produit des iles (PISA) due to socio-political unrest. all the products he uses -- was ployees who share his passion. stock... I tell myself that I am sters in Fremantle in Western Australia. (TREVOR COLLENS/AFP) entered the market. But the Maintaining organic and not an obvious choice. “Even in cooking schools, doing a good job,” he says with logistical challenges are many. fair trade certifications for the After years in Montreal, he we don’t learn this. I learned a burst of laughter.

Chinese regulators order Ant to rectify businesses Tesla to launch Model 3 in India in Agencies The statement said that platform Taobao, has since Ant Group lacked a sound expanded to offer insurance June, bookings to begin next month Chinese regulators have or- governance mechanism, de- and investment products to its dered Ant Group, the world’s fied regulatory compliance hundreds of millions of users Agencies of the first quarter of 2021- ing that the company lost largest financial technology requirements and engaged in in mainland China. Jack Ma, 22. $1.1 billion in the first half company, to rectify its busi- regulatory arbitrage. It also the founder of both Alibaba Years after Tesla first de- The first car to be available of 2019. The increase is so nesses and comply with regu- said that the company used and Ant Group, is one of Chi- cided to launch the electric in India will be the Model 3 stunning that even CEO Elon latory requirements amid its market position to exclude na’s richest and most promi- vehicle brand in India, the Sedan, as already announced Musk has said the shares are increased scrutiny of anti-mo- rivals and hurt the rights and nent entrepreneurs. company might finally bring by Musk. It is expected that overpriced. nopoly practices in the coun- interests of consumers. Regulators ordered Ant its first car to India as early the car would be sold in the Global sales hit a record try’s internet sector. The meeting came after Group to establish a financial as next year. A new report Rs 55-60 lakh price range and of almost 140,000 in the The People’s Bank of Chi- Chinese regulators last month holding company and hold even suggests that the book- bookings will resume in India third quarter, debt has been na, the country’s central bank, halted Ant’s $37 billion stock sufficient capital. They also ings will commence as early from next month. reduced with proceeds from summoned Ant executives on debut in Shanghai and Hong Jack Ma said that Ant Group should as next month. Tesla was on a fly in 2020 stock offerings, and Musk’s Saturday and ordered them to Kong over regulatory chang- return to its payments origins, A report by ET Auto that tested the resilience of company is building two formulate a rectification plan es, and comes just days after tors could limit Ant Group’s enhance transparency around claims that the EV manufac- most companies during a huge factories to make new and an implementation time- China announced an anti-mo- expansion and throw its lucra- transactions and prohibit un- turer will be launching Model pandemic year. Tesla’s rise vehicles and satisfy demand. table of its business, includ- nopoly investigation of e-com- tive finance businesses into fair competition, while im- 3 in India and the book- to become the world’s most Intensely loyal followers have ing its credit, insurance and merce giant Alibaba Group, disarray. proving corporate governance ings for the same will begin valuable automaker and rank invested billions and Musk wealth management services, which owns a 33 per cent stake Ant Group, which started and ensuring that it complies from next month. The report among the top 10 biggest US has become the world’s third- the regulators said in a state- in Ant Group. out as a payments services with regulatory requirements claims that the company will companies is a surprising richest man, according to ment Sunday. The orders from regula- for Alibaba’s e-commerce for its businesses. start deliveries from the end accomplishment consider- Forbes. Economy & Business Monday, December 28, 2020 09 Trucker, fisherman, scientist... the Swiss call post-Brexit deal voices of Brexit AFP of fishermen want to leave,” ‘good news’ for whole world London says 26-year-old Sam Crow from Scarborough in the Britain left the EU on north of England. Experts believe Swiss govt is now coming under strong pressure to negotiate a better agreement with Brussels January 31, 2020, but ties “I still do feel like we between the bloc and its for- are left in the dark a lot for mer member remained un- what we do. The fish that changed during a so-called we land and the scallops transition period while both and the shrimps, all that sides tried to work out a new is the freshest food on this trading relationship. planet and we’re not praised With that standstill pe- enough for what we do,” he riod coming to an end on says. December 31, the realities of Crow, who principally Brexit will arguably become catches crab in the North tangible for both Britons Sea for export to Europe and their counterparts on and China, says he has been mainland Europe for the heartened to see UK politi- first time. cians fighting for the fish- AFP has spoken to some ing sector in negotiations. people whose lives will be As talks came down to the directly affected by Britain’s wire, European access to departure from the EU, the UK waters was a key stick- single market and the cus- ing point. toms union. “I’ve heard that they’ve been fighting for our quotas Dimitar Velinov, lorry driver: and obviously I am grateful A truck driver with many for that,” he says. years of experience under his belt, Bulgarian Dimitar Tara Spires-Jones, academic Velinov, 74, says he is ex- Neuroscientist Tara pecting long queues at the Spires-Jones, from the Uni- UK border from January 1. versity of Edinburgh, is con- “To me, Brexit means cerned about international logistical chaos, which will collaboration between labo- hinder our work,” he ex- ratories, which she says was plains in the garage of his “very easy” with member- employer Eurospeed, based ship of the European Union. in the outskirts of Sofia “The changes of regula- In this picture taken on December 25, 2020 flags of the European Union can be seen fluttering outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. which employs more than tion, if it diverges from the (François WALSCHAERTS/AFP) 300 drivers. EU, will be more difficult to “I transport goods share things like brain tis- AFP Switzerland. cord” to pull together various able Britain to have a “Special across the European Union sues and living cells,” says Geneva “It is good news for the bilateral agreements touching relationship” with the EU, us- and for me it is important to the academic who is also the whole world that an agreement on access to the single mar- ing a term traditionally used to be able to do my job without director of the British De- Switzerland’s incoming has been reached. For Switzer- It is good news for the ket and fine-tuning applicable describe the close relationship problems, without having mentia Research Institute. president Guy Parmelin said land too,” he told the Sonntags whole world that an Swiss and EU laws. with the US. to wait at borders for one or “From day one, we will Sunday the post-Brexit trade Zeitung newspaper. agreement has been Since 2008, the EU has in- The trade agreement now two days,” Velinov says. have more difficulties with agreement between Britain and London and the EU struck sisted Switzerland must sign a makes it possible to leave the Crossing the Channel ordering things, such as the European Union was “good a trade deal on Thursday after reached. For Switzerland framework agreement before difficult and “ugly” Brexit pro- was already difficult as for equipment,” she cautions. news for the whole world”. 10 months of intense nego- too. concluding any new bilateral cess behind and to embark on years migrants have tried to The researcher explains Switzerland, which is not tiations allowed them to soften Switzerland’s incoming deals with the bloc. a new, more hopeful era, Gove stow away illegally in lorries the end of the Brexit tran- an EU member but has a rela- the economic shock of Brexit. Parmelin had to go into wrote in a guest comment piece heading to Britain. sition period will pose a tionship that guarantees mar- When Britain leaves the EU president Guy Parmelin quarantine before Christmas in The Times published on Sat- But Brexit will make it “big problem” for British ket access, is also in its own single market at the New Year, after visiting London to sign an urday. even more so, the driver research funding, which is tricky negotiations with the it will not now face tariffs on Swiss government is now com- agreement which secures re- Nevertheless, a number of says, complaining that he heavily subsidised by the bloc which is eager to create an cross-Channel commerce. ing under strong pressure to ciprocal, facilitated market ac- things would change from Jan- gets no sleep at all while EU. overarching agreement for the Parmelin did not comment negotiate a better agreement cess for service providers from uary onwards and companies waiting to embark from “In our university, patchwork of deals. on what the deal might mean with Brussels, the SZ reported. Switzerland and Britain from would have to adjust to them, the French port of Calais to something between 20 and In the first comments by the for Switzerland’s own frame- After turning down EU January. he said. avoid heavy fines for those 30 percent of our research Swiss government on the post- work agreement negotiations membership in 1992, the Swiss Parmelin takes over as On Thursday, which was found carrying stowaways. funding is coming from Eu- Brexit deal, economy minister with the EU. voted in 2000 for a range of bi- president from Simonetta Christmas Eve, London and rope,” she says, noting there Parmelin -- who takes over the “We are now waiting for the lateral accords with the bloc. Sommaruga on Friday. Brussels announced a break- Sam Crow, fisherman: “We were no plans to replace annually rotating presidency text and will analyse the whole Brussels has made no se- British Cabinet Minister through in talks on a joint trade want to leave, 90 percent this funding at the moment. on Friday -- said the agreement situation,” he said. cret of its growing impatience Michael Gove has said that the pact for the time after the post- was also welcome news for Experts believe that the to pin down a “framework ac- post-Brexit trade deal will en- Brexit transition period ends. Oyster shells given new life as reefs off Texas coast AFP Houston

On the terrace of a seafood restaurant in Houston, Texas’s largest city, a few ladies are en- joying a local oyster dish: the breaded mollusks are slath- ered in mayonnaise and served in a sandwich. Sitting in the shade of a palm tree on a warm winter’s day, the diners have no idea that behind the restaurant a woman is busy giving the shells a second life. Thanks to Shannon Batte, they will soon form part of a reef in Galveston Bay, six miles (10 kilometers) away. Out of sight, the Galveston Bay Foun- dation employee loads seven trash cans each weighing 175 pounds (80 kilograms) onto her trailer. The cans are full of not just oyster shells but also water, discarded oyster forks and squeezed lemons. All year round, on Mondays, Wednes- Oyster shells are seen at Red Bluff Road, a wasteland rented from the Port of Houston used as a curing Shannon Batte poses next to the pick up truck used to transport the oysters shells, in front of Tommy’s days and Fridays, she makes site in Pasadena, Texas. (Francois PICARD/AFP) Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Houston, Texas. the rounds of the foundation’s partner restaurants. since then to include some 10 But in September 2008, Once submerged, the the shells on the ground. “Most people like to enjoy restaurants. Hurricane Ike, which killed 113 shells are also perfect shelters Three months later, they their oysters in any month that Displayed on menus or ta- people in the United States, for crabs, shrimp and small will be turned over using a has an ‘r’ in it,” said Batte. “So bles, logos and diagrams show destroyed more than half of Most people like to enjoy their oysters in any month that fish that will feed larger ones small backhoe, and then spend currently, right now, it’s De- guests the fate of the thou- the oysters’ habitat, smother- has an ‘r’ in it. So currently, right now, it’s December, so the and contribute to the diversity at least another three months cember, so the oyster shell col- sands of shells collected: they ing their reefs with sediment. oyster shell collection is a little more. But due to Covid of the environment. in the fresh air. lection is a little more. But due will simply return to the waters To rebuild the ecosystem, This prolonged sun treat- to Covid there’s not quite as where they were formed. New the shells are now dumped there’s not quite as much shell as we’ve normally had in ‘Curing site’ ment in one of three dedicated much shell as we’ve normally oysters will settle and develop each spring on rocks placed at the pas. Developing the oyster sites sterilizes the shells by had in the past.” on these shells. the bottom of the water. Shannon Batte population also offers another killing bacteria and parasites. “Our customers really want Where the current is advantage: each mollusk natu- The first flies arrive with- to know where do our oysters A ‘coastline of life’ stronger, the shells are piled rally filters up to 50 gallons out delay and soon four wild come from and what do you do Galveston Bay is home to a into nets and erected as dams. East and Gulf coasts,” said To date, the foundation (190 liters) of water per day. boars are licking the shells and with those shells,” said Tom seafood-rich ecosystem thanks This becomes a new habi- Haille Leija, who is in charge has used its method to protect But before taking a dip, chomping on lemons. Tollett, owner of Tommy’s to the brackish mixture of fresh tat and by breaking the waves, of habitat restoration at the more than 20 miles of coast- Batte’s shells stop at what “They are less and less Seafood Restaurant & Oyster water from rivers and salt wa- also helps fight soil erosion. foundation. line and restored 50 acres (20 the foundation calls a “curing scared. Sometimes they don’t Bar, quoted by the foundation. ter from the Gulf of Mexico. “This is a method that we “It allows for the establish- hectares) of salt marshes. site” between Houston and the wait until I am gone to feast. It was here that the first oyster In 1845, when Texas be- adapted from a sister organi- ment of a ‘living shoreline’ in It collected 54 tons of coast. I am careful because they can shells were collected almost 10 came a US state, the town of zation in Florida, Tampa Bay contrast to hardened shoreline shells in 2012, 125 in 2019 and Batte, 33, empties her gar- attack. Luckily I have an air years ago, in March 2011. Galveston already had its own Watch. It is used across the protection structures such as 111 in 2020, despite the coro- bage cans in a field, removes horn to scare them off,” she The program has grown oyster bar. nation, particularly on the bulkheads.” navirus pandemic. the oyster forks and spreads said. 10 Monday, December 28, 2020 Economy & Business From lab to jab: How Pfizer and BioNTech won the vaccine race It started with BioNTech’s Operation Lightspeed, in which all resources from cancer therapy research were diverted to finding a COVID-19 vaccine

AFP tion drive for the German capital. Berlin “I came up with a system, think- ing about how many (vaccination) It was over breakfast on the wintry booths we would need and how morning of January 24 that Ozlem much space we would need in order Tureci and her husband Ugur Sahin to prevent bottlenecks,” he said. decided, “we need to fire the starting Each visitor will follow a desig- gun on this”. nated route from registration to the Sahin “had concluded from a actual jab, then on to a consultation publication describing coronavirus with a doctor and finally to a wait- cases in Wuhan... that there was a ing room while final checks are per- high probability that a pandemic formed. could be imminent”, Tureci recount- The patient should be in and ed. out of the doctor’s cubicle in a few The decision by the couple, minutes, Broemme said. Including founders of a small German com- the queueing and waiting time, “we pany called BioNTech, gave birth to imagine that all of this will take an Operation Lightspeed -- in which the hour.” scientists in the company diverted all their resources from cancer ther- 1,100 questions apy research to finding a vaccine to On December 2, BioNTech’s stop Covid-19. vaccine became the first to get the “Since that day... there has not go-ahead for use in the West, when been a day when we took a break Britain gave its approval. from working on this project,” said As other nations from the United Tureci. States to Saudi Arabia to Singapore Four days later, on January 28, followed suit, Germany impatiently Germany confirmed its first case of prodded the EU’s drugs regulator to coronavirus infection -- also the first bring forward its decision from De- known human-to-human transmis- cember 29. sion on European soil. The EMA finally gave its green What was an epidemic hitting light more than a week early, on De- China hardest soon morphed into a cember 21. global health crisis, forcing govern- On the same night, the European ments to close borders, schools and Commission declared that the entire offices and keep their populations at bloc would start the inoculation op- home to halt the spread. eration from Sunday, December 27. As BioNTech and other phar- As vaccine doses began arriving maceutical companies leapt into around Europe Saturday, German action in search of the winning for- Health Minister Jens Spahn called it mula, Germany’s army of “Mittel- a “day of hope” but warned that get- stand” companies and other bigger A woman working in a nursing home receives the Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at the Arena Treptow vaccine center in Berlin, on December 27, 2020, on ting everyone immunised would be a manufacturing and logistics experts the occasion of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine rollout.(Markus Schreiber/AFP) “long-haul” effort. would soon prove crucial. With the first jabs imminent, grounded, the buzz at Frankfurt air- per freezers” which were already shed, a light at the end of a very long, officials raced to put the finishing Genie in a bottle port’s terminals all but vanished to a tapped as early as March to chill dark tunnel. touches on the makeshift inocula- Just a few minutes’ drive away hush in the spring. Breakthrough coronaviruses used in laboratory By then, the logistics sector was tion centres across Germany. from BioNTech’s headquarters in Its freight area however kept ● On November 18, BioNTech research by BioNTech and another raring to go. At the country’s biggest in Ham- the city of Mainz, one such company humming. Tens of thousands of and its partner Pfizer finally German vaccine developer, CureVac. As Fraport’s Conrady put it: burg, doctors will be able to handle quietly ramped up production. boxes of urgently needed surgical But demand further grew as Bi- “We’ve been ready since August.” 7,000 daily jabs. Little known to the rest of the gowns and masks were transiting announced that their Phase III oNTech advanced in the race. Celebrating in their understated BioNTech has also held webinars world, the 130-year-old firm Schott through. study showed around 95 percent “It started really in August, when manner, BioNTech’s founders knew for nurses and doctors who will soon is in fact a major player in the phar- The head of freight infrastruc- efficacy against the virus we received these requests from it was too early to rest on their lau- administer the shot, with 1,100 ques- maceutical industry because of its ture at Fraport, Max Philipp Con- ● logistics companies... they knew rels. tions answered during the sessions. little glass vials designed to hold rady, knew that was just the begin- The news sent stock markets we must fit our cold storage... with “Champagne is not our thing. We Lorries carrying vaccines rolled life-saving vaccines. ning for his division in the pandemic into euphoria and was hailed as freezers in order to distribute the sat down and enjoyed a cup of tea out from Pfizer’s factory in Belgium Three-quarters of the more than battle. a watershed, a light at the end of vaccines around the world,” said and used the time to reflect on what on Wednesday. 100 coronavirus inoculation trials No one knew then which com- a very long, dark tunnel. Binder spokeswoman Anne Lenze. had happened so far and what will BioNTech said it would directly across the world would end up using pany would find a vaccine or when While Binder ensured static come next,” Sahin told AFP. supply its vaccines to 25 distribution Schott products. it would be ready, but Frankfurt refrigeration of up to minus 90 de- Several hundred kilometres sites manned by federal authorities The company alone aims to pro- is already Europe’s largest hub Cold is hot grees, another company Va-Q-Tec away in the German capital, 66-year- in Germany which would then send duce enough vials to hold two bil- for transporting pharmaceutical Fraport was not the only one makes moving boxes with an ultra- old Albrecht Broemme was placing along the allocations to 294 districts. lion doses of a coronavirus vaccine goods. upping investments in solutions to cool function for the actual transpor- a bunch of Lego figurines here and Local authorities will then fur- by the end of 2021, head of commu- And so planning had to begin for keep things cool. tation process. there as he visualised how to trans- ther funnel the jabs down to 450 nications Christina Rettig told AFP. the unprecedented logistical chal- As it became clear that BioN- Using a silica particle technolo- form Berlin’s old airports into cen- vaccination centres. Schott itself had an early scare lenge of transporting millions of Tech’s vaccine would need to be gy, the containers can maintain tem- tres for the unprecedented vaccina- A slew of mobile units will also with the virus at its Mitterteich life-saving vaccine doses worldwide. stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius peratures ranging from one similar tion drive. be deployed to harder to reach dis- plant in Bavaria. Fraport’s vast temperature- (minus 94 Fahrenheit) the expertise to a fridge to polar chills for up to 10 An ex-firefighter and former tricts. The town became one of Ger- controlled hangar handled 120,000 of cold chain management became days “without the need for energy in- head of civil protection agency With an eye on potential sabo- many’s first coronavirus hotspots in tons of vaccines, drugs and other the next hot commodity in town. put”, chief executive Joachim Kuhn THW, Broemme had been called out tage by a growing wave of corona March after a beer festival, and Ret- pharmaceutical products in 2019. Amid the global scramble to told AFP. of retirement to help in the pandem- skeptics and anti-vaxxers, federal tig said several Schott workers from The operator anticipated the de- solve the problem of keeping vac- On November 18, BioNTech and ic battle. police with armed commando units the Czech Republic ended up “not mand for cold storage, and boosted cines at the right temperature as its partner Pfizer finally announced Early on, he was pivotal in de- are escorting the precious cargo on seeing friends and family for weeks” investments in high-tech refrigerat- they get transported across the that their Phase III study showed signing emergency sites in case pa- the move. as borders slammed shut. ed “dollies” that would do the trans- world, it would appear that there is a around 95 percent efficacy against tient numbers were to soar above First up will be the most vul- porting from hangars to planes. It German company for every obscure the virus. hospital capacities. nerable in elderly homes, several of Freight steps up now has 20, so several freighters can application. The news sent stock markets into In the autumn, he was tapped which have been hit by deadly out- With passenger flights mostly be loaded at the same time. Binder in Tuttlingen has its “su- euphoria and was hailed as a water- again to conceptualise the vaccina- breaks of the virus. AstraZeneca vaccine has ‘winning formula’, says CEO AFP out the winning formula and was found to have 90 percent transported and handled at A surge in cases has hit na- London how to get efficacy that, after efficacy. normalKeyword refrigerated condi- tionwide over the past week, two doses, is up there with Soriot said he was “sur- tions of between two and eight falling especially on the south- The Covid-19 vaccine de- everybody else,” the chief ex- prised” by the initial findings. degrees● Cras Celsius mattis pur(36-46us Fahr- east of England and blamed veloped by the British drugs ecutive said, while saying only “We would have preferred enheit)iaculis, for bibe at least eu, gravida six months. on a new strain of the virus group AstraZeneca and the that data would be published a simpler set of results,” he erat.uscreseThat is a far ndum cry frompurus the believed to be more infectious, University of Oxford has at “some point”. added. -70Ceu, gravineeded erat.uscrese for Pfizer/Bi tinci- - which was first identified in achieved a “winning formula” The UK government an- The lack of clarity and oNTech’s offering and could the UK. for efficacy, the company’s nounced on December 23 that transparency over the discrep- allowdunt uselobortis of the sodales. existing re- According to one British chief executive said on Sun- the developers of the Oxford- ancy in the results was widely frigerated● Cras mattis supply pur chainus to cut study the strain is 50 percent day. AstraZeneca vaccine had sub- criticised. Soriot said he had costs.iaculis, bibe eu, gravida to 74 percent more contagious. The vaccine, currently mitted their data to the Medi- not expected the pushback In a vote of confidence for In an effort to contain the being evaluated by Britain’s cines and Healthcare products that followed. itsgravida. homegrown Fusce tinciduntvaccine, the spread of the disease, millions independent medicines regu- Regulatory Agency (MHRA). “We assumed people bulklobortis of Britain’s sodales. requirements across Britain were placed un- lator, provides “100 percent Approval is expected to would be a bit disappointed, are expected to be met by the der tougher lockdown restric- protection” against severe be granted Monday to roll out that’s for sure,” he said. “But jab. tions that came into force on Covid disease requiring hospi- the jab, The Sunday Telegraph we didn’t expect that storm”. The government has or- 26 December. talisation, Pascal Soriot said in newspaper reported. AstraZeneca’s chief executive Pascal Soriot Great hopes have been dered 100 million doses, with Dozens of countries have an interview with the Sunday The Pfizer-BioNTech vac- placed in the AstraZeneca 40 million doses scheduled also imposed travel restric- Times newspaper. cine was the first coronavirus varying outcomes in the As- UK and Brazil was a 62 per- shot, originally based on a to be available by the end of tions on the UK to stop the He added he believes tri- shot to be authorised for use traZeneca shot’s efficacy.T he cent effectiveness for those weakened version of a chim- March. spread of the new strain. als will show his firm has by the UK’s independent med- vaccine intially showed an av- who were vaccinated with two panzee virus, because of its UK officials will hope that Writing in the Mail on achieved a vaccine efficacy icines regulator and has been erage 70 percent effectiveness full doses of the shot. low cost. confidence is rewarded, not Sunday newspaper, Finance equal to Pfizer-BioNTech at 95 given to 600,000 of the coun- but that level jumped to 90 For volunteers who re- AstraZeneca’s vaccine also least because the country has Minister Rishi Sunak ac- percent and Moderna at 94.5 try’s most vulnerable people percent depending on dosage. ceived a half-dose first and enjoys a logistical advantage been one of the countries most knowledged it had been “a percent. since last month. Behind this average figure then a full dose one month over the Pfizer-BioNTech al- affected by the pandemic with tough year for everyone in this “We think we have figured Earlier trials had shown from large-scale trials in the later, however, the vaccine ternative, as it can be stored, more than 70,000 deaths. country”. Captain Rahane’s unbeaten ton at MCG puts India on top MONday, DECEMBEr 28, 2020 page 14 Al Annabi hold off fighting Argentina to register second successive win

CaptionHosts Qatar defeated Argentina 24-22 in an exciting clash of Qatar International four-nation handball preparatory tournament, ahead of the 2021 World Championships, at the Al Duhail Indoor Hall on Sunday. Qatar now play Spain next on Tuesday.

Tribune News Network led 14-8 at the half-time but being conducted as Qatar and Qatar coach Valero Rivera The ongoing friendly inter- At next month’s IHF IHF World Championships Doha then had to deal with resur- three other teams – Tunisia, continued to rotate his squad national tournament against event, Qatar, drawn in Group held in Doha. gent South American cham- Argentina and Spain – pre- as the Spaniard had said on European champions Spain, C, will open their campaign In another match of the In a thrilling contest, hosts pions Argentina who put in a pare for the World Champion- the tournament eve. And his Argentina and Tunisia will against Angola in what will be day, the Tunisian and Spanish Qatar prevailed over Argen- strong show trying to make a ship in Egypt to be held from bench strength has not disap- serve as vital preparations for a rematch of one of the most national teams drew 30-30. tina 24-22 to register their comeback. However, Qatar January 13-31. pointed him so far. the World Championships. memorable matches from the Argentina will play Spain second successive win in the managed to hold on to the lead Qatar stars Rafael Da Cos- In the last few months, Rivera wanted to have a 2019 World Championships. on Monday and the tourna- Qatar International handball and secure a nervy win. ta Capote and Ahmed Madadi Qatar team has gone through camp in a European country The EURO 2020 runners-up ment will conclude on Tues- tournament at the Al Duhail In the opening match on once again put on a fine show, several training camps besides but the travel restrictions in Croatia and Japan are the oth- day with two matches, where Indoor Hall on Sunday. Friday, Qatar had edged past but it was hosts defence which featuring in a number of friend- place due to the COVID-19 er teams in their group. in the first Tunisia will face The Asian champions Tunisia 33-30. The four-na- withstood the late offence ly matches, including games pandemic meant Qatar had to Asian champions Qatar Argentina, and in the second dominated the first half and tion friendly tournament is from Argentina. against top clubs of Qatar. train at home. were runners-up at the 2015 Qatar will play against Spain. Al Shaqab to host spectacular LGCT and GCL 2021 season-opener in March Tribune News Network Doha

Al Shaqab, a member of Qa- tar Foundation, will once again host the opening competition of the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) and Global Cham- pions League (GCL) team series. The latest edition of the world’s premier five-star showjumping competition will bring together the best riders and horses in their quest for individual and team glory from March 4-6, 2021, under the stunning and iconic architecture of the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab, setting the scene for an electrifying weekend of equestrian sport. There will be 16 events world- The world’s premier five-star showjumping competition will bring together the best riders and hors- wide on the LGCT and GCL cal- es in their quest for individual and team glory from March 4-6, 2021, under the stunning and endar next year, starting with the iconic architecture of the Longines Arena at Al Shaqab, setting the scene for an electrifying week- championship season opener in Doha, and finishing with the Fi- end of equestrian sport. There will be 16 events worldwide on the Longines Global Champions Tour nals in New York, in September, (LGCT) and Global Champions League (GCL) team series calendar next year, starting with the before the ultimate showdown championship season opener in Doha, and finishing with the Finals in New York, in September, at the Global Champions Prague before the ultimate showdown at the Global Champions Prague Playoffs in November. Playoffs in November. The kick-off event in Doha will see the maiden LGCT Grand events such as this, Al Shaqab coveted titles in the world of partners to deliver a welcome Prix of the year, where riders will preserves and perpetuates an im- showjumping.” return to top-level showjump- look to be the first to book their portant aspect of Qatari tradition Jan Tops, President of LGCT ing with robust health and safety Golden Ticket to the Prague Play- and culture. Al Shaqab’s host- and GCL, said: “We are pleased to protocols. I would like to thank offs. The GCL teams will go into ing of such an internationally announce our dates for 2021 and everyone for their continued battle over two rounds, armed renowned championship bears look forward to a new season with support including our sponsors with new strategies to take them testament to Qatar’s position as a confidence and excitement, but and team owners.” to victory in 2021. global sporting destination. also with humility. I know all our In view of the current COV- Khalifa Al Attiya, Execu- “The Longines Arena at Al stakeholders and especially our ID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of tive Director, Al Shaqab, said: Shaqab will provide the perfect loyal fans are looking forward to a Public Health’s precautionary “Since 2013, Al Shaqab has backdrop for the world’s leading fresh start with a new season after measures will be strictly enforced been a proud host of the Lon- equestrian athletes and horses such a difficult year for everyone to ensure the safety and well- gines Global Champions Tour. to kick off what promises to be a due to the global pandemic. being of participants, equestrian The Arab world has a very rich thrilling championship, as they “We are working closely with fans, and all who are involved equestrian heritage and, through compete for one of the most our host cities and organizing with the event. 12 Monday, December 28, 2020 Sports Al Duhail get the better of Al Ahli 5-3 to go second

Tribune News Network Doha

Having found their momentum, defending champions Al Duhail displayed strong Al Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez during a team training session ahead of attacking abilities as they de- their QNB Stars League Week 11 match against Qatar SC on Monday. feated Al Ahli 5-3 in a thrilling Week 11 encounter of the QNB Stars League at the Al Facing Qatar SC Ahli Stadium on Sunday. In other matches of the day, Al Rayyan edged Al Khor 1-0, and Al Arabi downed Al a daunting task for Sailiya by a similar margin. Johan Boli scored in the 47th minute as Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, says Xavi with their fourth victory, raised their points tally to 16. Tribune News Network possible way in every match, Mehrdad Mohammadi Doha but the task is not impossible scored the only goal of the and we hope that we too will match in the 43rd minute as Al Sadd will face their tough- appear well. Our preparations Al Arabi took their tally to 12 est test thus far, according to went off well,” he said. points with their third victory. their coach Xavi Hernandez “The wonderful thing is Al Sailiya remained on 12 when the QNB Stars League that our team has become points after suffering their leaders take on Qatar Sports a well-oiled machine on the fifth loss.I t was the Duhail- Club at the Suheim Bin Ham- field, thanks to everyone’s ef- Ahli clash that kept that fans ad Stadium on Monday. forts. The level of the team enthralled with as many as Al Duhail players celebrate one of their five goals against Al Ahli in the QBN Stars League at the Al Ahli Stadium on Sunday. While Al Sadd hold a com- now prompts us to pursue en- eight goals being scored at fortable seven-point lead at thusiasm, drive and focus, as regular intervals. ute when Almoez scored after the top, Qatar SC too are on we have great ambition in the Eduardo Rodrigues (fifth a series of slick passion. Al a hot streak having won five club to return to the position minte), Ahmed Yasser (eighth Duhai’s Karim Boudiaf, sta- consecutive matches to climb that Qatar SC deserve. We also minute), Paulo Edmilson (12th tioned close to the Al Ahli box, to fifth in the table. have a strategy to provide op- minute), Almoez Ali (56th slipped in a cross to Moham- Qatar SC’s rising fortunes portunities for young players. minute) and Mohammed med who was on the right of is mainly due to their striker “There is no doubt that the Muntari (90th minute) found the pitch. From the flank, Mo- Youcef Belaili. The Algerian recent victories have fueled the net as Al Duhail posted hammed curled in a cross for has scored nine goals so far our ambitions to provide our their seventh win of the season Almoez who clipped the ball and is the leading scorer of the best in the next match, which and moved on to 21 points. into the net on the volley. league. Sadd themselves are on is the most important and our Nasser Saleh Al Khalfan El Zhar added his second a seven-match winning streak, focus is on it now. After the re- (second minute) and Nabil El of the match on a loopy cross but their unbeaten run will be cent contracts, there is a state Zhar (45+4 penalty and 67th from half of the pitch by Mo- put to test by Belaili and co. of satisfaction in the club and minute) scored the goals for hammed Diame. Despite be- Al Ahli, who remained on 19 ing chased by a defender, El points after their fourth defeat. Zhar calmly slotted the ball Fans barely took their seats Fans live the eight-goal encounter between Al Duhail and Al Ahli at the Al Ahli Stadium on Sunday. past the keeper. when Al Ahli opened the scor- Muntari, who replaced Al- ing through Al Khalfan, who through Rodrigues. Khaled edge of the Al Ahli box before a few yards away from the Al moez in the 75th minute, added was completely unmarked. Mohammed found Rodrigues dipping a little away from the Ahli keeper who was rooted on one more from close range for After a couple of short passes with a short pass on the far goalmouth. Yasser followed the the goalline. Al Duhail to complete a 5-3 win. among team-mates, El Zhar right of the pitch. Rodrigues dipping ball and deflected the In injury time of first half, Results chipped in a cross for Al Khal- ran for some 10 yards with ball on the volley with Yazan Al Duhail’s Ali brought down Al Duhail 5 (Dudu 5’, Ahmed fan. The young Al Ahli player the ball and close to the edge Naim out of position. The ball Hazem Shehata inside the Yasser Mohammedi 8’, Edmil- jumped high in the air and eas- of the box, he curled in a fast- went into the net as Al Duhail box. Referee Saoud Ali Al son Junior 12’, Almoez Ali 56’, ily sent the ball into the net with paced flick that took keeper celebrated their second goal in- Athba sought VAR assistance Mohammed Muntari 90’) bt Al defenders Mohammed Moosa Yazan Naim by surprise. side three minutes. and pointed to the spot and Ahli 3 (Nasser Khalfan 2’, Nabil and Ismail Mohammed out of Three minutes later, Rodri- It was 3-1 for Al Duhail El Zhar easily converted the Zhar 45+5’ (P), 67’); Al Rayyan Qatar Sports Club coach Younis Ali speaking to the media on Sunday. position to stop the move. gues assisted with a perfectly- as Edmilson, on a long loopy penalty kick. 1 (Yohan Boli 48’) bt Al Khor 0; Three minutes later, Al taken long-distance free-kick cross from the flank, managed Al Duhail jumped to a Al Arabi 1 (Mehrdad Moham- Duhail found their equaliser that sailed above the wall on the to deflect the ball into the net 4-2 cushion in the 56th min- medi 43’) bt Al Sailiya 0.

PREMIER LEAGUE

“We are facing a team that we aspire to be the best, con- appears at their best level in tinue with the same pace and Liverpool stumble as Allardyce’s the league so far because they overcome any pressure that have won five consecutive may arise,” said Younis. matches with their new player In another match on Mon- Youcef Belaili, who made the day, Al Gharafa will hope to difference and also with the reclaim the second spot, when West Brom snatch draw at Anfield presence of good overseas re- they take on Umm Salal today. cruits such as Elmehdi Barrah- Al Gharafa have the most num- AFP said Robertson. ma, Ali Karimi and (Anthony) ber of victories, after leaders Al Liverpool “We went slack. Every one Okpotu,” said Xavi yesterday. Sadd (nine). They have the sec- of us made a mistake in the The Al Sadd coach said two ond-best goal difference as well Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool second half which can’t hap- in-form teams should produce and have scored the most num- only had themselves to blame pen.” a top quality match. “Qatar SC ber of goals, also after Al Sadd. after West Brom snatched a The Reds suffered another players will have confidence Umm Salal too go into the shock 1-1 draw at Anfieldin injury blow at centre-back as and so are we. I think it is pos- match on a confident note as the latest twist in the Premier Matip pulled up with a mus- sible to expect a match of top they have not lost in their last League title race on Sunday. cle problem and had to be quality because they have a three games. The Orange For- The Baggies remain sec- replaced by 19-year-old Rhys good level and performance tress, who were the basement ond bottom of the table, but Williams. and the same holds true for Al side for some time, are now gave their chances of survival Despite their lowly posi- Sadd,” the Spaniard said. 10th with nine points. a huge boost by becoming the tion in the table, West Brom Xavi praised Qatar SC’ coach Al Gharafa coach Slavisa first side to take points off Liv- have already taken points off Younis Ali. “From my point Jokanovic said: “If we perform erpool at home this season in Manchester City and Chelsea of view, Qatar SC have a good with the same focus and the Sam Allardyce’s second match this season and were extreme- coach in Younis Ali, who does players show the same spirit in charge. ly unfortunate not to take at a big job. He also made a good as in the previous matches, our The English champions least a point away to Manches- effort with Al Markhiya last sea- chances of beating Umm Salal seemed set for a comfortable ter United. son. He is a capable coach and will be great. I admit that we afternoon as Sadio Mane’s fine Ajayi was denied his first was a good player as well and he are facing a team distinguished finish gave them a deserved Premier League goal when has a lot of experience, so get- by good organisation, especial- 12th minute lead. his strike away to City in a 1-1 ting these three points means a ly in defence. They will defi- Liverpool’s dominance of draw earlier this month was lot to us,” he said. nitely rely on counter-attacks possession reached 84 percent credited as a Ruben Dias own Al Sadd will be without and that requires our team to in the first-half as West Brom goal. star striker Akram Afif, who show utmost concentration. struggled just to get out of West Bromwich Albion’s Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi (right) watches as his header comes back off the But he repeated the trick tested positive for coronavirus “We played the past matches their half. post beating Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker to cross the line for their first goal during the and this time got the credit and is likely to out of action for more confidently and more co- However, the visitors grew English Premier League match at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on Sunday. The game ended 1-1.( AFP) with a powerful header in off two weeks. herently, and there began more into the game in the second- the inside of the post that this Meanwhile, Younis Ali was harmony in our ranks, which half and got their reward when table, but a rare slip up at “Every man today showed against Palace and showed his time left Alisson helpless. in a confident mood of Qatar created mutual trust among the Semi Ajayi headed home from home offers the chasing pack the spirit this team needs to sharpness in front of goal is Liverpool have made a SC’s clash against Al Sadd. players. Each of them is ready a corner. in the title race an unexpected get out of this position,” said back with a brilliant touch to habit of winning games late The ex-Qatar international and able to cover the mistakes of “It was our own fault,” said boost. Allardyce. control and finish from Joel in the past two seasons, most said his team was in awe of Al a team-mate during the match- Klopp. “We gave them simple Just four points separate “Goals are precious to us Matip’s pass on 12 minutes. recently when Roberto Fir- Sadd’s quality but would not es. The team has a great desire corners and that’s the only Everton in second from South- and this one has given us a That could and should mino’s injury time header beat be daunted by the challenge. to achieve victories. Even when thing they wanted to have to- ampton in ninth in a tightly point because we defended so have opened the floodgates for Tottenham 2-1 in their last “We have a tough task we were stung by deficit, the night. bunched table. well and we took the opportu- Klopp’s men given their level outing at Anfield. on hand because Al Sadd are players believed in their ability “To be fair West Brom did Allardyce was the last visit- nity when it came.” of control before the break. The Brazilian nearly did league leaders and the best to win and those are the most their job inside 90 minutes. ing manager to win a Premier A series of dangerous it again at the death, but his team in Asia, and includes important steps we took in or- They deserved the point to- League game at Anfield, when Liverpool ‘slack’ crosses from Andy Robert- downward header was bril- many star players - Qataris der to be stronger.” night because we didn’t finish in charge of Crystal Palace The Baggies set out to limit son failed to find the finishing liantly saved by Sam John- and foreigners. This match In the third match of the game. back in April 2017. the sort of damage suffered by touch, while Mane headed just stone. will be difficult also becauseA l the day, Al Wakrah face Al “It is not a game we will The former England man- Crystal Palace in a 7-0 ham- wide from Jordan Hender- Results: Leeds 1 (Bamford Sadd are a technically-stable Kharaitiyat. Al Wakrah are in talk about in 20 years but it is ager is now unbeaten in his mering inflicted by Liverpool son’s delivery. 5-pen) Burnley 0 team and have the ability to ninth with 10 points, while Al a game we have to play and we last four away games against last weekend. “We created a lot of chanc- West Ham 2 (Johnson 60, impose their style excellently Kharaitiyat are in a precarious didn’t play as we could.” Klopp’s men with four differ- Mane ended his longest es in the first half and then Soucek 82) Brighton 2 (Maupay over their competitors. They position as they are the base- Liverpool move three ent clubs and his gameplan drought of nine games without in the second half it was as if 44, Dunk 70) Liverpool 1 (Mane present themselves in the best ment side with six points. points clear at the top of the again worked to perfection. a goal as a Liverpool player we didn’t want to do it again,” 12) West Brom 1 (Ajayi 82). Sports Monday, December 28, 2020 13 Australian QOC Beach Games: Women’s basketball golf legend Norman 3X3 takes centrestage on Day 8 quarantining Tribune News Network are on the card in the handball Doha On Monday, the men’s - Al Nosour will take on Al Fo- at home in beach volleyball and houd in the first match while The women’s beach basket- Al Edaid versus Al Soqour will Covid scare ball 3X3 was the major high- handball events will come next. The last two games lights of Day 8 of the ongoing take centrestage. will be between Al Ruwais and AFP maiden edition of the Qatar Al Khafji, and Al Hazm versus Miami Olympic Committee (QOC) involving Qatar B and Pro Al Nomour B. Beach Games being held at Sport also ended 12-5 with In volleyball, the two Australian golf great the Aspire Park in Doha until Qatar B triumphing. matches will be between Al Greg Norman said Satur- January 3. In the men’s beach football Adaam and Nawakhza, and day he was quarantining at Six exciting matches in- event, Al Ennabi, which wal- Lusail versus Al Nojoum. home after spending Christ- volving eight teams in Group loped Al Wukair 7-0 on Thurs- In the women’s beach mas Day in the hospital with A and B were held in the day, continued their excellent handball event, Al Shaqab Covid-19 symptoms. The event. form at the tournament showed their superiority over 65-year-old Aussie, a former In the first match of the with a 4-1 defeat of Ma- the Lusail team to make the world number one who won day, the Doha team, com- dinat Khalifa to top final which they will now play the 1986 and 1983 British prising some of the national Group A. Al Wukair, against Yasminat Tunisia, Opens, said in an Instagram team players, showed their on the other hand, who also edged Msheireb 2-0 post on Saturday that he still superior class over the Fight- bounced back in the semi-final. had fever, joint and muscle ers, trouncing them 16-0. Up from their first- Next Friday’s encounter aches and headaches “but on next was Doha A versus Pro day loss as promises to be a clash of the a lesser level.” Sport which ended 15-0 in they post a titans as it involves, undoubt- Although he had yet to get favour of the former. 5-2 victory edly, the two best teams at results of his latest Covid-19 While the first two games over Al Et- the tournament. Both finalists test, Norman said he had a were almost no-contest tihad. were unbeaten en route the chest X-Ray and blood test in matches, the third game of In Group final and some of the players the hospital “where 2 mark- the day between Black Mam- B, Al Sha- from both sides have show- ers showed up leading the bas and Hustlers, mean- haniya de- cased impressive skills indicat- Doc to say, assume you are while, was closely-contested feated Al Ra- ing that the future is bright for positive with these symp- with the Black Mambas nar- heeb 3-2 while Qatar’s game. toms and markers. rowly winning by two points Al Doha trounced Al Over 500 male and fe- “They released me to con- (14-12). Jasrah 3-0. male athletes are participat- tinue quarantining at home on Other event results are On Monday, ing in the maiden QOC Beach medication in our guest house Qatar B versus Sport Lab the men’s beach Games, a legacy event of the away from the main house,” (Qatar B won 8-7) and Hus- volleyball and 2019 ANOC World Beach added Norman, who posted a tlers against Fighters, which handball events Games Doha, which is be- picture of himself on the bal- ended 14-7 in Hustlers fa- will take centre- ing held over two weeks until cony of the guest house. vour while the last match stage. Four matches January 2, 2021. On Friday, Norman had posted a photo of himself with medical equipment in the background, an NFL Pittsburgh Steelers mask over his lower face and the Brady’s superb half lifts Tampa Bay into NFL playoffs caption: “This sums it all up. My Christmas Day.” AFP the first time since 2007. we play next. “We’re going to be NFL club in a decade. In his tough to beat,” Brady said. “We “You could feel this was a Norman competed in last Washington “We played pretty good in a pretty tough out.” 300th career NFL game, Brady have to learn to do it more con- playoff practice week,” Arians week’s PNC Championship the first half,” Brady said. “Good Brady, who completed 22 of threw touchdown strikes of 33 sistently.” said. “Even with the holidays, at Orlando with his son Greg Tom Brady threw for 348 yards execution. Guys were making 27 throws, set a first-half career yards to former New England Evans, who had 10 catches they handled their business Jr., finishing in a share of and four touchdowns in the first plays for me all over the field. best and club record in passing teammate Rob Gronkowski, 27 for 181 yards, broke his own well.” ninth. half Saturday to power Tampa It was just a great effort by the yardage and the four touch- yards to Mike Evans, 12 yards team touchdown reception re- The Lions avoided a shutout He tested negative for Bay to a 47-7 win over Detroit whole team.” down passes were his most in a to Antonio Brown and 7 yards cord with 13. when Jamal Agnew returned a Covid-19 prior to the event and lift the Buccaneers into the The Buccaneers led 34-0 at first half since 2014. to Chris Godwin. Leonard “We’ve been scratching punt 74 yards for a touchdown and again as recently as NFL playoffs. half-time in improving to 10-5, Brady’s club-record 36 Fournette added a four-yard and clawing every year,” Evans in the third quarter. Detroit, Tuesday. The 43-year-old quarter- securing a playoff spot while the passing touchdowns this season touchdown run and Brady’s said of the Bucs’ playoff quest. hampered by a right ankle inju- “Until I get 2 consecutive back, who joined the Bucs this Lions sank to 5-10. sent the Bucs to the playoffs, back-up Blaine Gabbert added “We’re happy we finally accom- ry to quarterback Matthew Staf- negative tests I will continue year after 20 campaigns and six “It’s just the beginning,” a feat New England failed to touchdown passes of 25 yards plished it, but that’s just where ford, also had five coaches side- to isolate with my dog Apollo Super Bowl crowns with New said Bucs coach Bruce Arians. manage without him. to Gronkowski and 22 yards to it starts.” lined by Covid-19 and contact keeping me company,” he England, was benched for the “Our goal when this all started The Buccaneers also set Evans in the rout. Arians said he could sense tracing, with receivers coach wrote, thanking fans and second half after guiding Tam- was to get into the dance. Now a team record with 410 total “When we do play the way a great performance coming Robert Prince serving as acting friends for messages of sup- pa Bay into the post-season for it’s to win 11 games and see who first-half yards, the most by any we’re capable of playing, we’re while watching workouts. head coach. port and concern.

NBA Five-time finalist Murray McCollum lifts Trail Blazers to OT win handed Australian Open 2021 wildcard DPA over Rockets, Cavs edge Pistons Berlin AFP the steal from Harden as he maining. But Gilgeous-Alex- Andy Murray is to compete at Los Angeles was driving toward the basket. ander took an inbounds pass the delayed Australian Open in In Detroit, Cleveland and drained a jump shot over February after being handed Portland’s CJ McCollum guard Collin Sexton scored Caleb Martin to seal it for the a wildcard to the Melbourne drained the game-winning 32 points, including a layup Thunder. tournament by organisers on three-pointer with 6.9 seconds to force a second overtime as Sunday. left in overtime as the Trail the Cavaliers beat the Detroit Westbrook triple-double “We welcome Andy back to Blazers edged James Harden Pistons 128-119. A triple-double from Rus- Melbourne with open arms,” and short-handed Houston Andre Drummond added sell Westbrook and 39 points tournament director Craig Ti- Australia in losing in the 2019 128-126 in the Rockets’ be- 23 points against his former for Bradley Beal were not ley was quoted by the BBC and first round. lated NBA season opener on team, Cedi Osman scored 22 enough for the Washington other British media outlets as But he has since recovered Saturday. off the bench and Darius Gar- Wizards, who fell 130-120 to saying. from major hip surgery to play McCollum scored 44 points, land chipped in 21 as the Cava- the Orlando Magic. “His retirement was an on though he is now ranked with a career-high nine three- liers rallied from a nine-point Westbrook joined another emotional moment and seeing 122nd in the world and far pointers, and Damian Lillard deficit with 2:15 left in the first elite club with 15 points, 15 him come back, having under- from the form which saw him added 32 as the Trail Blazers overtime. rebounds and 12 assists, be- gone major surgery and built win three grand slams in ad- withstood a 44-point, 17-assist The Pistons appeared to coming just the fourth player himself back up to get on to dition to reaching five finals in performance by Harden. seize control in the third quar- in NBA history -- after Magic the tour again, will be a high- Melbourne. Center Christian Wood ter, when Jerami Grant scored Johnson, Jerry Lucas and light of AO 2021.” The Australian Open has added 31 points for the Rock- 14 of his 28 points. Blake Oscar Robertson -- to post a The 33-year-old Briton been delayed from its usual ets, who had just nine players Griffin scored 26 points and triple-double in his team’s first Murray feared he had played January slot to February 8 due in uniform – one above the Derrick Rose had 13, but the two games of a season. his last professional match in to the coronavirus pandemic. NBA minimum of eight – after Pistons – with 24 turnovers But his home opener for two players tested positive for leading to 31 Cavaliers points – the Wizards, where he landed Covid-19 and four more were could not hang on for the win. in a trade from Houston, was listed as unavailable due to “It was multiple opportu- another defeat. Terrence Ross “health and safety protocols” nities where we could’ve given led the Magic with 25 points after being declared close con- in, there were multiple oppor- off the bench. Nikola Vucevic tacts of those with the virus. tunities that we could’ve lost scored 22 points and grabbed The Rockets’ scheduled the fight,” Cavaliers coach J.B. 17 rebounds and Markelle season opener against Oklaho- Bickerstaff said. “Every player, Fultz added 21 for Orlando. ma City had been postponed to a man, decided that was not Philadelphia big man Joel when they could not field eight going to happen.” Embiid scored 27 points and players. CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers dribbles around James It was close in Charlotte, grabbed 10 rebounds in the Harden was among those Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets during overtime at Moda Center where Oklahoma City’s Shai 76ers’ 109-89 victory over the unavailable on Wednesday af- in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday. (Getty Images/AFP) Gilgeous-Alexander drained a New York Knicks. ter he was deemed to have vio- game-winning jump shot with Ben Simmons added 15 lated NBA anti-Covid meas- pion played more than 43 calmly sank a three-pointer of 1.4 seconds left in the Thun- points, nine rebounds, six as- ures that ban players from minutes. He connected on 12 his own. der’s 109-107 season-opening sists and a dominant defensive attending indoor gatherings of of 22 shots from the field, in- “I just got to the corner,” win over the Hornets. performance as the Sixers im- more than 15 people. cluding six three-pointers. McCollum said. “I knew (Lil- Oklahoma City led by 13 proved to 2-0 under new head He was fined $50,000, in Harden’s step-back three- lard) was going to be aggres- with less than two minutes to coach Doc Rivers. the latest instalment of the pointer with 15.3 seconds left sive, he drew a crowd. My play and held off a Hornets The victory moved Rivers pre-season drama surrounding in overtime put the Rockets up man turned his back so I just rally to gain the win. into sole possession of 10th Harden, who turned up late to 126-125. relocated to the open area and Miles Bridges scored three place on the NBA’s all-time training camp amid reports he But the Trail Blazers re- knocked down the trey.” 3-pointers in the final 25 sec- wins list, his 945th victory has demanded to be traded. sponded, Lillard driving to- The Rockets had the ball onds as the Hornets battled in his 22nd season as a head The three-time – and ward the basket then kicking again after a timeout, but Rob- back, knotting the score at coach, moving him ahead of reigning – NBA scoring cham- the ball out to McCollum who ert Covington came up with 107-107 with 10.3 seconds re- Bill Fitch. Andy Murray 14 Monday, December 28, 2020 Sports

Super Sunday Captain Rahane stands and Ajinkya’s knock delivers to put India on top inspires India Shares unbeaten 104-run stand with Jadeja  Half-century stands with Vihari, Pant teammates AFP Scoreboard Agencies Rahane’s 104-run stand Melbourne Melbourne with Ravindra Jadeja (40 Australia (1st Inns): 195 not out) has India well- Stand-in skipper Ajinkya India (1st innings; Overnight 36 for one) India opener Shubman placed at 5-277 with a first- M. Agarwal lbw Starc ��0 Rahane rode his luck to hit a S. Gill c Paine b Cummins �� 45 Gill was full of praise for innings lead of 82 as they gritty unbeaten century as In- C. Pujara c Paine c Cummins �� 17 Ajinkya Rahane’s compo- attempt to level the series. dia built an ominous 82-run A. Rahane not out �� 104 sure under pressure after But the skipper’s 12th lead over Australia on day H. Vihari c Smith b Lyon �� 21 the stand-in captain’s styl- Test century wasn’t with- R. Pant c Paine b Starc �� 29 two to take a stranglehold on R. Jadeja not out �� 40 ish century put India in a out its nervous moments as the second Test in Melbourne Extras: (b12, lb6, w1, nb2) �� 21 strong position in the sec- Mitchell Starc and the hosts on Sunday. Total: (For 5 wickets, 91.3 overs) �� 277 ond Test. were left to rue a string of It was a determined and To bat: Ravi Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Rahane finishedunbeat - missed opportunities. Jasprit Bumrah. crucial knock against a world- Fall of wickets: 0-1 (Agarwal), 2-61 (Gill), 3-64 en on 104 at stumps on day Rahane was dropped class attack by the mild- (Pujara), 4-116 (Vihari), 5-173 (Pant). two at the MCG after peel- twice - first by Steve Smith mannered 32-year-old, who Bowling: Starc 18.3-3-61-2, Cummins 22-7-71-2, ing off a dozen boundaries on 73 and then by Travis assumed the captaincy from Hazlewood 21-6-44-0, Lyon 18-2-52-1, Green 12-1- from 200 deliveries. Head moments before 31-0-56-4, Yadav 12-2-39-0, Ashwin 24-7-35-3, Virat Kohli after he returned Jadeja 5.3-1-15-1, Siraj 15-4-40-2. “This knock was all stumps - and nicked an- home for the birth of his first Toss: Australia. about timing and patience,” other ball through a vacant child. Test debutant Gill said. first slip. Batting at four, he faced joyed some good fortune. “Importantly, some- Each of those chances 200 balls for his 104 to steer Australia removed first slip times against a high-quality were off Starc’s bowling. India to 277 for five before during Starc’s first spell in the bowling attack you go into “We should have got rain ended play 15 minutes final session and lived to re- your shell and then you’re him out three, four, maybe early. Ravindra Jadeja was not gret it with Rahane getting an not able to score runs. five times before he got to out 40. edge on 57 that would almost “But the way Rahane 100 but he’s run his luck The hosts took just four certainly have been caught if played, it was such a magnif- there and scored a good wickets during a frustrating the fielder was there. icent knock (to watch) from hundred,” Starc said. day in the field as the match He had a huge let-off on 73 outside. “Those tough peri- Rahane’s brilliant in- began to slip away with India when he was dropped at sec- ods, he saw off those tough nings came a day after he zeroing in on levelling the se- ond slip by Steve Smith and periods, and then with the was widely praised for his ries after losing the first Test again on 104 when the ball loose balls he was mak- captaincy as India bowled by eight wickets in Adelaide. popped out of Travis Head’s ing sure he put all of them out Australia for 195. “Not our best day, but not hands as he landed after tak- away.” (Courtesy: The Canberra Times) our worst,” said Australia’s ing the catch. Mitchell Starc, who has two Jadeja, back in the team wickets but also saw catches after missing the first Test in- put down off his bowling. jured, ably supported Rahane “Jinx (Rahane) batted re- after Vihari fell for 21 attempt- ally well through the day there ing to sweep Nathan Lyon, and they had some pretty good with Smith taking the catch. partnerships. That brought the exuber- “I thought there was some ant Pant to the crease. Pre- really good stuff from us as ferred to Wriddhiman Saha well, we just didn’t capitalise on as wicketkeeper, he scored some of the chances we created a breezy 29 before becom- to finish in a better position. ing Starc’s 250th Test victim, “We’re just going to have to caught by Tim Paine for his back up tomorrow and take five 150th dismissal. wickets as quick as we can.” India were reduced to 64 While Rahane was the for three before lunch after hero, it was a gutsy Indian Cummins caused all sorts of team performance, with three problems. 50-plus wicket partnerships to He signalled his intent help silence their critics after with the first ball of the day, being skittled for their all-time India’s Ajinkya Rahane (left) celebrates scoring his century as teammate Ravi Jadeja applauds on the sec- which zipped past Pujara’s low of 36 last week. ond day of their second Test against Australia at the MCG in Melbourne on Sunday. (AFP) bat. Paine called for a review, Debutant Shubman Gill believing it took a nick, but re- chipped in with an impressive to watch, the way he saw off nings 195, having weathered 11 That brought Rahane to plays showed it was not out. 45 and paid tribute to Rahane. the tough periods and the overs Saturday when they lost the crease and -- first with Cummins finally got the “His knock was all about loose balls he was making sure Mayank Agarwal for a duck to Hanuma Vihari, then Rishabh wicket he deserved when Gill, patience. Sometimes against he put them all away.” Starc. Pant and finally Jadeja – he who added 17 to his overnight such a high-quality bowling In an action-packed morn- built half-century stands to score, got a nick and Paine attack you go into your shell Problems ing, the Australian attack put India in a strong position. took the catch. and then you’re not able to On a steamy day at the consistently hit its line and He brought up his 12th He then removed Pujara, Indian fans jubilate during the second day of the second cricket score runs,” he said. Melbourne Cricket Ground, length with Pat Cummins bag- Test ton in his 67th game, and again enticing an edge with Test match between Australia and India at the MCG in Melbourne “The way Ajinkya played, it India resumed on 36 for one ging Gill then the experienced his second in Melbourne, with Paine holding a brilliant div- on Sunday. (AFP) was such a magnificent knock in reply to Australia’s first in- Cheteshwar Pujara for 17. a four off Cummins, but he en- ing catch. Al Nashaab horseback archery Pakistan suffer early setback championship final today dent of the Qatar Equestrian in reply to New Zealand’s 431 Federation. They also thanked the great efforts made by the head AFP but was clearly in pain. of the organising commit- Mount Maunganui (NZ) New Zealand, having start- tee of the championship, Ali ed the day at 222 for three, Al-Rumaihi, which led to the New Zealand were banking added a further 209 runs before provision of the venue for the on a deteriorating pitch to de- Wagner was the last man out. championship and in provid- fend their Kane Williamson- The innings was headlined ing media support to uncover anchored 431 after reducing by Williamson’s 129, his 23rd this new sport in Qatar. Pakistan to 30 for one on day Test century, with sizeable The next step would be to two of the first Test at Mount contributions from BJ Watling lay down plans to develop and Maunganui on Sunday. (73) and Henry Nicholls (56) expand the horseback archery Abid Ali was not out 19 to go with Ross Taylor’s 70 on sport in the country and to with nightwatchman Moham- the first day. hold more tours, depending mad Abbas yet to score after Williamson described his on the success of the inaugu- Kyle Jamieson removed open- knock as “really satisfying” af- The first Horseback Archery Championship (Al Nashaab Champion- ral championship, the com- er Shan Masood for 10. ter New Zealand were sent into ship) will be held at QEF’s outdoor arena on Monday evening. mittee said. The Bay Oval pitch, Wil- bat on a green wicket and with During the qualification liamson’s home wicket, is re- Afridi and Mohammad Abbas Tribune News Network Al Mudahka informed that skills test, participants had to nowned for supporting the making life difficult with swing Doha the participation for the skills aim at targets from a horse- bowlers on the first and last and seam on the first day. test was very good despite the back in a 90m arena. Partici- day. But Williamson said it Although there was not The Qatar Equestrian and newness of the sport in the pants need to have a passport was already showing signs it the same movement on day Modern Pentathlon Federa- country. for their horses, who must be would favour spin through the two, the drying pitch started tion, in cooperation with the “We had a very good skills vaccinated, and are required middle stages, while New Zea- New Zealand’s paceman Kyle Jamieson (left) celebrates the wicket of to show signs of turn which Horseback Archery Society, qualification test where we to clear a test before the event. land sweated on the availabil- Pakistan’s Shan Masood on the second day of their first cricket Test at brought spin into play with will hold the first Horseback had sixteen horseback arch- Participants have to obtain a ity of short-ball specialist Neil the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday. (AFP) Yasir Shah taking three wick- Archery Championship (Al Na- ers. They were divided into rider’s ID from the technical Wagner. ets, including the prized scalp shaab Championship) at QEF’s two groups of eleven and five. office of the EQ F, organisers “Hopefully the cracks start of Williamson. outdoor arena on Monday. And out of these 13 have quali- stressed. Junior riders must to open and hopefully it starts Scoreboard Nicholls, who had part- The organizing committee fied for the final,” Al Mudahka be in the 12-18 age category, to deteriorate,” Williamson New Zealand (1st innings: Overnight 222-3) (Watling), 10-431 (Wagner). nered Williamson in a 133-run comprising Ali bin Yousef Al had said. while riders intending to take said. T. Latham c Azhar Ali b Afridi 4 Bowling: Afridi 36-7-109-4 (1nb), Abbas 31-14-49-1 stand for the fourth wicket, T. Blundell c Yasir Shah b Afridi 5 (1w), Ashraf 19-8-40-1 (1w), Naseem Shah 25-3-96-1 Rumaihi, assistant Secretary- Notably among these, Mu- part in the senior event should “Spin will come more into K. Williamson c Sohail b Yasir Shah 129 (3w, 5nb), Yasir Shah 37-4-113-3, Shan Masood 2-1- was the first to fall, bizarrely General, Qatar Equestrian hammad Sultan Al Naama, Ali be 18 or above. play. There are bits of rough as R. Taylor c Rizwan b Afridi 70 2-0, Sohail 5-0-17-0. departing the field when he Federation, and Fuad Al Mu- Hamad Al Athba and Rashid Entrants must wear the well so I’ve no doubt spin will H. Nicholls c Masood b Shah 56 Pakistan (1st innings) would have been allowed to dahka, President of Horseback Al Dossary from Lekhwiya helmet and horse riding shoes definitely have a role.” B. Watling c Yasir Shah b Afridi 73 S. Masood c Watling b Jamieson 10 stay had he argued his case. M. Santner c Rizwan b Ashraf 19 Abid Ali not out 19 Archery Society, had earlier stood out with their horseback over traditional wear and the The immediate concern K. Jamieson c Rizwan b Abbas 32 M. Abbas not out 0 He was given out caught overseen the skills test which archery skills. horse must be over five-years- for New Zealand was the avail- T. Southee b Yasir Shah 0 Extras: (nb1) 1 off the gloves, and after con- will see the final twelve horse- The organizing commit- old. A maximum of two players ability of Wagner who was to N. Wagner c Masood b Yasir Shah 19 Total: (For 1 wicket: 20 overs) 30 sulting with Williamson they back archers competing in the tee has allocated in-kind and may participate on one horse. have a scan at the end of the T. Boult not out 8 Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Masood). felt the ball may have also Extras: (lb5, w5, nb6) 16 To bat: Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Mohammad final. The referees’ committee is financial prizes for the win- Horseback archery is consid- day after being hit on the foot Total: (All Out; 155 overs) 431 Rizwan (capt), Faheem Ashraf, Yasir Shah, Shaheen touched the bat so they decid- headed by Adel al-Muhannadi. ners of the championship ered as one of the important by a Shaheen Afridi yorker Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Latham), 2-13 (Blundell), 3-133 Afridi, Naseem Shah. ed not to seek a review when A rehearsel of the cham- and extended thanks and ap- upcoming sports activities in when he batted. (Taylor), 4-266 (Nicholls), 5-281 (Williamson), 6-317 Bowling: Southee 7-2-13-0, Boult 4-2-8-0, Jamieson replays later showed the ball pionship was conducted preciation to Hamad bin Ab- Qatar and has a traditional Wagner managed three (Santner), 7-383 (Jamieson), 8-388 (Southee), 9-421 6-4-5-1, Wagner 3-1-4-0 (1nb). Toss: Pakistan. hit his forearm and did not on Sunday. dulrahman Al Attiyah, Presi- and cultural importance. overs when Pakistan batted brush either glove or bat. Sports Monday, December 28, 2020 15

2020 Year in Review: Generation Amazing GA’s online streaming reached 160,000 worldwide in challenging circumstances

Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), with an IFRC official during the Partnership Sign- Former Australian international Tim Cahill was named as a new global ambassador of the Supreme Com- ing Ceremony for Generation Amazing. mittee for Delivery & Legacy and Qatar 2022.

n 2020, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) social and human legacy pro- Igramme, Generation Amaz- ing (GA), celebrated its 10th anniversary with several major milestones, including reaching over 160,000 people worldwide with its online programme streamed weekly via Instagram Live. In January, GA teamed up with partner club and Belgian First Division side KAS Eupen to host a football-for-development session for local school children during the team’s winter training camp in Doha. Eupen players trained with participat- ing children at Aspire Academy to instill a greater appreciation for teamwork. This initiative with Eupen marks one of several organised since GA signed a strategic partnership with the GA teamed up with partner club and Belgian First Division side KAS Eupen to host a football-for-develop- With the spread of COVID-19, on-pitch sessions including the school and worker programme sessions came Belgian side in September 2019. ment session for local school children during the team’s winter training camp in Doha. to a halt in March – leading to GA’s decision to take its football for development programming online. In February, the announce- ment of former Australian up a plan to ensure continued monthly discussions involving vulnerable youth in several international Tim Cahill as a outreach to youth. GA was GA was committed to taking its programme online as a way to raise the spirits of its the SC Legacy programmes, countries across the Middle new global ambassador of the committed to taking the pro- followers and to empower the learning journey of youth around the world. In efforts plus representatives from East, Asia, Africa and South SC and Qatar 2022 was cel- gramme online as a way to raise to continue to inspire youth and audiences in Qatar and globally, GA streamed their strategic partners. America. ebrated through an engage- the spirits of its followers and to football for development drills, for example, in the form of GA master-led home Later in October, GA hosted GA is wrapping up the year ment with GA, which took empower the learning journey workouts designed to get those confined at home active and learning about a high-level webinar about the with two prestigious Golden place at Aspire Academy, en- of youth around the world. soft power of sports diplomacy. Bridge Awards for the GA Live gaging GA school programme In efforts to continue to programme-taught skills like teamwork, communication and organisation. Titled ‘Introduction to Sports online campaign aimed at in- children, who were all excited inspire youth and audiences Diplomacy: From Concept to spiring youth to stay active to meet the former English in Qatar and globally, GA SC global ambassadors and GA partner club AS Roma’s number of 26.1 million people Practice’, the virtual event was and healthy at home during Premier League player. streamed football for devel- regional ambassadors which Allison Swaby. engaging with the GA Live ses- organised with JI, in collabora- the ongoing pandemic. With the spread of COV- opment drills, for example, included football legends Xavi Additionally, the sessions sions and hashtag. tion with the UNESCO Office The programme’s online ID-19, on-pitch sessions in- in the form of GA master-led Hernandez and Cafu, and local included a variety of live talks In July 2020, GA teamed for the Gulf States and Yemen, presence has opened new cluding the school and work- home workouts designed to stars Khalid Salman and Ibra- with sport development part- up with with Josoor Insti- to provide a platform for shar- doors for the ways in which er programme sessions came get those confined at home him Khalfan. In line with the ner organisations including tute (JI) and the University ing a global perspective on us- football for development can to a halt in March – leading active and learning about United Nation’s Sustainable the International Federation Campus of Football Busi- ing the power of sport to ad- make a positive impact on to GA’s decision to take its programme-taught skills like Development goals (SDGs), of Red Cross and Red Cres- ness (UCFB) to deliver a se- vance national goals. youth and there are plans to football for development pro- teamwork, communication the programme’s pillar causes, cent Societies (IFRC). Book ries of webinars about the Additionally, this year continue to leverage this op- gramming online. and organisation. gender equality and inclu- readings based on GA learn- role of sport and learning in GA announced a partnership portunity to raise awareness This year brought a chal- Also included in the sion, were also with women ings and in collaboration with supporting youth during the agreement with the IFRC to and to connect with our target lenging set of circumstances streams were an array of week- footballers such as Paris Saint Maktaba were also on the pro- COVID-19 pandemic. This jointly deliver football for de- audience in Qatar and around and it was important to set ly GA Star Chats featuring Germain’s Nadia Nadim and gramme, which saw a total was to be the first in a series of velopment programmes to the world. (SC) South African batsmen take charge against depleted Sri Lankans

AFP day) is massive, knowing and the batsmen took advan- wicket as South Africa scored Centurion the new ball is coming in the tage of some loose bowling, at better than four runs an over morning,” said Elgar. The striking a total of 48 bounda- throughout their innings. South African opening bats- new ball will be due eight ries in 72 overs. man Dean Elgar said the overs into the day. “We are down one bowl- Scoreboard momentum had swung back Sri Lanka went into the er so it is a responsibility to Sri Lanka (1st innings; Overnight 340-6) to the host team after a free- match without leading fast bowl more overs,” said all- D. Karunaratne b Ngidi ...... 22 scoring second day of the bowler Suranga Lakmal be- rounder Shanaka, who had K. Perera c De Kock b Mulder ...... 16 first Test against Sri Lanka at cause of a hamstring strain and to come into the attack in K. Mendis c Ngidi b Nortje ...... 12 SuperSport Park in Centurion suffered a major blow when the sixth over when Rajitha D. Chandimal c Du Plessis b Mulder ...... 85 D. de Silva retired hurt ...... 79 on Sunday. opening bowler Kasun Rajitha broke down. “It is hard but it N. Dickwella lbw b Mulder ...... 49 The left-handed Elgar limped off the field with what is Test cricket.” D. Shanaka not out ...... 66 scored 95 and shared an open- appeared to be a groin injury Shanaka followed up a W. Hasaranga b Sipamla ...... 18 ing stand of 141 with Aiden after bowling one ball in his flamboyant innings of 66 not K. Rajitha c Elgar b Sipamla ...... 12 V. Fernando b Sipamla ...... 0 Markram (68) to set South Af- third over. out by bowling 16.5 overs and L. Kumara c Van der Dussen b Sipamla ...... 0 rica on the way to 317 for four taking the wicket of Elgar when Extras: (b16, lb9, nb6, w6) ...... 37 at the close in reply to Sri Lan- ‘Hard’ with a bowler short he held a sharp return catch. Total: (All Out, 96 overs) ...... 396 Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Karunaratne), 2-54 ka’s first innings total of 396. Sri Lanka were already “We are still in with a (Mendis), 3-54 (Perera), 4-284 (Chandimal), The runs were scored off without batsman Dhananjaya chance,” said Shanaka. “The 5-296 (Dickwella), 6-320 (Hasaranga), 7-387 only 72 overs against a deplet- de Silva who was ruled out of morning plan will be to bowl (Rajitha), 8-387 (Fernando), 9-396 (Kumara) ed Sri Lankan bowling attack. the rest of the series after suf- wicket to wicket and when Bowling: Ngidi 19-3-64-1, Sipamla 16-1-76-4 (3nb), Nortje 22-3-88-1 (2w), Mulder 20-4-69- “It was a rewarding day fering a grade two tear in his the new ball comes hopefully 3 (3nb), Maharaj 19-3-74-0. for all of us today, we re- left thigh which forced him to get wickets.” ally changed the momentum retire hurt after scoring 79 on Elgar and Markram made South Africa (1st innings) throughout the day and poten- Saturday. batting look easy but Sri D. Elgar c and b Shanaka ...... 95 A. Markram c Shanaka b Fernando ...... 68 tially had the momentum back With De Silva also a capa- Lanka briefly fought back H. van der Dussen c Dickwella b Kumara .....15 in our change room after what ble off-spin bowler, the tour- when Rassie van der Dussen F. du Plessis not out ...... 55 was a very tough day for us yes- ists were reduced to a four- and Elgar fell in successive Q. de Kock c sub (Thirimanne) b Hasaranga .18 terday,” said Elgar. man attack, which included overs to make the total 200 T. Bavuma not out ...... 41 Extras: (b8, lb6, nb5, w6) ...... 25 From being well behind the Dasun Shanaka, bowling at a for three, while South African Total: (For 4 wkts, 72 overs) ...... 317 game after the Sri Lankan in- South Africa’s Dean Elgar (left) and his batting partner Aiden Markram (centre) take a drinks break during gentle medium pace, and deb- captain Quinton de Kock fell Fall of wickets: 1-141 (Markram), 2-200 (Van nings, South Africa could look the second day of their first Test against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday. The two utant leg-spinner Wanindu four overs later after making der Dussen), 3-200 (Elgar), 4-220 (De Kock) forward with confidence to the shared an opening partnership of 141 runs. (AFP) Hasaranga. a quick 18. Bowling: Fernando 15-2-59-1 (1w), Rajitha 2.1-0-16-0 (1nb), Shanaka 16.5-2-56-1 (3nb), rest of the match, according to As had been the case with Former captain Faf du Hasaranga 23-3-99-1 (1nb), Kumara 15-0-73- Elgar, who said his team would “It’s going to be hard graft batting once on this wicket, ground’s reputation for uneven the inexperienced South Afri- Plessis (55 not out) and Temba 1 (1w) be looking to secure a first in- but our chat in the change knowing what SuperSport Park bounce later in a match. can bowlers, the Sri Lankans Bavuma (41 not out) put on To bat: W. Mulder, K. Maharaj, A. Nortje, L. nings lead of more than 100. room has been about maybe is like,” he said, referring to the “That first hour (on Mon- struggled to findconsistency an unbeaten 97 for the fifth Sipamla, L. Ngidi. 16 Monday, December 28, 2020 The Last Word Call to improve Russian ministry organises farewell rehabilitation reception for Qatar’s ambassador and integration QNA Moscow of the disabled Russian President’s Spe- QNA Health Organization’s es- cial Envoy for Middle East Doha timates on disability con- and Africa and Deputy firm that 15 percent of the Foreign Minister Mikhail Qatar Society for Reha- world’s population or more Bogdanov held a farewell bilitation of Special Needs than one billion people suf- reception in honour of Am- (QSRSN), in cooperation fer from a disability and that bassador of Qatar to Russia with the Cultural Commit- about 450 million of them HE Fahd bin Mohammed tee of Al Arabi Sports Club, suffer from a mental or Al Attiyah on the occasion organised a panel discussion nervous state. of the end of his tenure. on invisible disabilities and He pointed out that there The reception was at- social and functional reha- are roles in the field of caring tended by Chairman of the bilitation for people with dis- and providing services for State Duma Committee on abilities via visual communi- persons with disabilities in International Affairs Leonid cation technology. most countries of the world, Slutsky, a number of senior The panel, titled ‘Not all which require coordination officials of the Russian For- disabilities are visible’, dealt of efforts to integrate and fa- eign Ministry and Parlia- with three main aspects – ‘An cilitate them for the benefit ment, and a number of Arab Analytical View of Invisible of persons with disabilities diplomats. Disabilities’, ‘Social Rehabili- and their families. During the reception, tation for People with Dis- Another speaker, Dr Bogdanov Mikhail Bogdanov abilities between Reality and Ibrahim Attia, stressed the granted the Qatari ambas- Expectations’ and ‘Function- importance of exploring the sador a medal of apprecia- al Rehabilitation for Persons capabilities, skills and ener- tion for cooperation with the with Disabilities’. gies of persons with disabili- Russian Foreign Ministry. The panel witnessed parties and leading them in the Leonid Slutsky also ticipation, interventions and correct direction, calling on granted Al Attiyah the gold valuable inquiries from the media agencies and media medal for preserving peace public, specialists, those in- professionals to double their and charitable work. terested in the field of dis- efforts to highlight rehabili- ability and parents. tation and support efforts for QSRSN Chairman Sheikh people with disabilities. Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani For her part, Dr Jihan said the QSRSN, through the Madani emphasised the im- panel, aimed to shed light on portance of rehabilitation for disabilities that are not ap- people with disabilities, de- parent or visible, and to cre- veloping their functional and ate a deeper understanding professional capabilities and and awareness of the visible qualifying families and par- and invisible disabilities. ents to build confidence in He called on all cultural their children and encourage and sports institutions to them to train their children continue to spread aware- for self-reliance and deal ness on the issues of persons with them as independent with disabilities and to re- people who can play impor- habilitate them according to tant roles in society. their needs and the types of She called for establish- disabilities they suffer from, ment of job rehabilitation as this is a solidarity respon- centres for persons with disa- sibility for all members of so- bilities according to the types ciety. of their disabilities to qualify During the panel dis- them for the labour market cussions, Dr Tariq Al Es- and enable them to be pro- sawi revealed that the World ductive and independent. Now, watch celestial objects QF and partners bring art and from Qatar National Library! sustainability to public spaces Photography exhibition unveiled at Msheireb Metro Station QNL has become one of the Global Sky Partners of the Las Cumbres Observatory in the US

Tribune News Network we were able to confirm the Doha existence of exoplanet WASP 98b. In addition to this, we Qatar National Library also managed to calculate the (QNL) will give Qatar’s astron- period, density and volume of omers and scientists access the exoplanet itself. to world-leading robotic tel- “We are extremely proud escopes from the Las Cumbres of our work and the effort of Observatory (LCO) in the US. each team member during this Tribune News Network The agreement makes QNL process. We must thank the Doha one of LCO’s Global Sky Part- library for this great learning ners, supported by the Simons experience, which has helped The World Innovation Sum- Foundation, a flagship pro- us advance and develop not mit for Education (WISE) has gramme recently recognised only our scientific investiga- unveiled a photography series by the HundrED Foundation tive skills, but also the under- – Using the Used: A Reflection as one of the 100 most innova- standing of planets beyond Of The Future Of Our City – at tive educational projects in the our own solar system.” the Msheireb Metro Station in world for 2021. makes us a hub in Qatar for as- blast of light from a star being LCO is a non-profit science Doha, giving commuters the Through the programme, tronomy research projects. ripped apart by a supermas- institute based in California unique opportunity to learn The photography series is and how creatives are tackling an unlimited number of stu- “We want people to ask sive black hole. The phenome- with the mission of advanc- about sustainability through the part of WISE’s Doha Learning such issues in their own pro- dents will have access to 50 questions about the universe non, known as a Tidal Disrup- ing science and education. Its lens of youth in Qatar. Days (DLD), a week-long ini- jects,” said Ammar Alqamash, hours of viewing through and to help empower the next tion Event, is the closest such global telescope network was Created through a collabo- tiative that takes place annually co-founder and exhibition cura- LCO’s robotic telescopes. generation of scientists, re- flare recorded to date, at just founded in 2005 by technolo- ration between the World In- and aims to encourage the youth tor, PA.Qatar. Teachers will guide students searchers and philosophers. over 215 million light-years gist Wayne Rosing, with groups novation Summit for Education to become active members of The exhibition also features in special lectures at the li- We also want to use the ex- from Earth. and organisations from across (WISE) – an initiative of Qatar their communities through outputs from a workshop jointly brary as they look at planets, citement that outer space Ahmed Saad, QNL’s Out- the world competing to become Foundation (QF) – Qatar Rail, meaningful activities co-curated conducted by VCUarts Qatar, asteroids and comets using the generates to increase public reach Program coordinator, a Global Sky Partner through Photo Art Qatar (PA.Qatar) in collaboration with relevant WISE and Qatar Academy Al powerful technology. understanding of science and said: “The Science Book Fo- an open round of proposals. and QF partner university Vir- local and global learning ecosys- Wakra (QAW), part of QF’s Pre- This new initiative, as well scientific methods, and to rum seeks to give all students Dr Edward Gomez, edu- ginia Commonwealth Univer- tems stakeholders. University Education. as the popular Astronomy show inquisitive minds that access to high-quality STEM cation director at LCO, said: sity School of the Arts in Qatar This year’s programme fo- The session saw nine fash- Club, is part of QNL’s Science science is a pathway to discov- education. I’m amased by the “With Global Sky Partners, (VCUarts Qatar), the project cused on the Municipality of ion design senior students from Book Forum. This special pro- ery and knowledge. tenacity of the Astronomy we have the opportunity to in- aims to encourage young people Al Wakra, who is a constituent VCUarts Qatar mentor groups gramme encourages the next “We hope the exciting Club participants in the ‘Exo- spire communities that would to explore sustainability using of UNESCO’S Learning City’s of school students from QAW generation to enroll in science link-up with LCO will help us planet Transit’ programme, not normally have the oppor- creative mediums, specifically Network, with the city serving to repurpose material found and engineering studies in to increase science awareness which persevered through this tunity to use our robotic tel- photography, that can translate as the canvas for the photog- in their homes and create new Qatar and the MENA region in communities and stimu- year’s challenges and contin- escope network. into public spaces as forums of raphy workshops led by Photo objects, such as masks and by promoting science books late the scientific curiosity of ued to learn and conduct their “We are very pleased to civic participation. Art Qatar. face-shields, stationary holders, and topics. It is chaired by Dr learners from a young age.” research during an unprec- be working with Qatar Na- Farah Abel, Learning PA.Qatar, which delivered a miniature dark room, note- Essam Heggy, a research sci- The Science Book Forum edented global pandemic.” tional Library to realise this Ecoystems Policy Associate at workshops and activities for books, shoe-box homes for pets entist in earth and planetary recently ran its first Astron- In a joint statement, stu- potential for Qatar, and look WISE, said: “It is important for students between the ages of 15 and toys, indoor green houses sciences and a member of sev- omy Club educational pro- dents Adham Ramy El-Araby, forward to introducing a new us to tap into the collective intel- and 25, brought in experts such and a miniature foosball table. eral space experiments that gramme with LCO telescopes, Yousef Mohammed, Muneeb audience to science through ligence of our community and as Reem Al Sahlawi, Qatari envi- Qatar Rail, as a strategic seek answers to key questions called ‘Exoplanet Transit’. Abdelrahman and Aryan Irfan, robotic telescopes.” invite them to actively partici- ronmental ethics researcher and partner, played an important about Earth and planetary QNL conducted four sessions under the guidance of Dr A Each selected partner has pate in reimagining public space advocate; and Abdulla Alqata- role in supporting the objec- evolution. teaching students how to pre- Smith at Newton British Acad- an exemplary track record in as an opportunity for learning mi, environmental enthusiast tive of leveraging public spaces Commenting on the link- pare the robotic telescope for emy in Qatar, said: “As physics astronomy education and al- and creativity. and founder of Greener and to promote civic engagement up with Global Sky Partners, observation, submit an obser- students, we naturally gravi- lows LCO to reach a diverse “The photography exhibi- Tadweer, leveraging various ef- around art and social topics, es- Hind Al Khulaifi, manager vation to a research lab and tated towards this research range of leading educational tion at Msheireb Metro Sta- forts being done locally around pecially sustainability. of the Children’s and Young analyse the data. Research program presented by the li- projects across the world. tion is an example of how we, the cross-over of art, sustain- The Doha Metro was de- Adults’ Library at QNL, said: papers from the classes will be brary, driven by our curiosity More information about at WISE, are striving to create ability and public space. signed with sustainability at the “This partnership represents posted at regular intervals on about the world around us and the Astronomy Club is avail- young champions of thought- “When developing this forefront of decision making, a huge milestone for our role the library’s website. even the world beyond what able at: https://lco.global/ leadership who can creatively project, we decided it was es- from society to the economy, to in spreading enthusiasm for In October, the same in- we normally view or study. education/partners/qnl-as- engage in social topics in pub- sential to provide students with the environment, and strives to science in the community and struments spotted a rare “During the programme, tronomy-club/ lic forums.” as much knowledge as possible support national objectives.