QIIG sees 4% growth Stage set in shareholders’ for Qatar profits to Total QR75.728m in 2020 Open

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MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 17 RAJAB - 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8548 www.thepeninsula.qa 2 RIYALS

Amir to patronise Amir holds telephone talk with Saudi Crown Prince Education QNA — DOHA and the Saudi Crown Prince dis- Excellence Day cussed the latest regional and Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin international developments, QNA — DOHA Hamad Al Thani held yesterday and underlined their keenness via telephone a conversation to promote joint Arab and Gulf Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin with HRH Crown Prince, Deputy action. Hamad Al Thani will patronise Prime Minister and Minister of Also, the Amir affirmed the today the 14th Education Defence of the Kingdom of State of Qatar’s firm support for Excellence Day Award Saudi Arabia, Prince the government and people of ceremony, which will be held Mohammed bin Salman bin the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Sheraton Doha Hotel. Abdulaziz Al Saud, during which and everything that would The award honours out- His Highness was reassured enhance the security, stability standing Qatari individuals in about his health, wishing him and sovereignty of the Kingdom various fields to promote a good health and wellness and of Saudi Arabia, considering its culture of creativity and excel- the brotherly Saudi people stability as an integral part of lence among the Qatari continuous progress and pros- the stability of the State of Qatar society, push students to more perity. and the Gulf Cooperation excellence and outstanding During the call, the Amir Council system. educational attainment, and promote integration between individual and institutional efforts to improve scholarly outputs and bring them to ‘Doha Capital of Culture’ activities begin next week global standards. The Organising Committee QNA — DOHA the fact that Doha is considered world, and constitutes an World 2021 seek to promote the enrich the Islamic civilization; of Education Excellence Award a venue for dialogue, cultures opportunity to highlight the eternal Islamic values, espe- inspire the new generations in in the first week of January Under the patronage of Amir and openness to civilizations. State’s cultural diversity and cially those based on science the Islamic world to enrich the 2021 announced 71 winners of H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Doha’s hosting of this historic monuments, and the and human dignity; promote the global cultural scene through a 14th Education Excellence Al Thani, activities of ‘Doha Islamic event promotes the human values of Qatar’s culture Islamic cultural heritage in an productive and effective role; Award 2021. The winners will Capital of Culture in the Islamic bonds of friendship and respect and its ancient history. interconnected world; focus on cultural diversity as an be honoured at the concluding World 2021’ will kick off on between Qatar and other coun- The activities of Doha encourage creativity and inno- added value for Islamic coun- ceremony of the award March 8. tries, in particular the Islamic Capital of Culture in the Islamic vation as civilized values that tries and the Islamic culture in scheduled to be held today. The year-long activities will general; and introduce the cul- The number of winners for be held under the supervision of tural experience of the State of 14th edition reached 71 out of the Ministry of Culture and Qatar and its efforts in pro- 374 contestants in all nine cat- Sports, in cooperation with the moting the Islamic culture. egories. The categories Islamic World Educational, Sci- General coordinator of the included excellent student entific, and Cultural Organi- Doha has been selected to be the Capital of Culture in celebration, Hamad Al Athba, (primary, preparatory and sec- zation (ICESCO); Qatar National the Islamic World for the year 2021 given its ancient said that choosing Doha to a ondary school separately), Commission for Education, history and landmarks that reflect the Islamic character, capital of the Islamic culture excellent student of university, Culture and Science; and the and based on the fact that Doha is considered a venue was the result of meeting the excellent teacher and excellent strategic partners in the State, for dialogue, cultures and openness to civilizations. conditions that make it a scientific research, master namely the Ministry of Edu- shining Islamic beacon in the degree holder, PhD degree cation and Higher Education; the The event will highlight Qatar's cultural diversity and his- sky of the Arab and Islamic holder, and excellent school. Ministry of Endowments and world. The State of Qatar is Islamic Affairs; Qatar Foun- toric monuments, as well as the human values of its interested in the Islamic her- culture. dation for Education, Science It will promote the eternal Islamic itage in particular, and archae- Qatari travellers and Community Development; ological heritage and history in Qatar Museums; and the Cultural values, especially those based on general, through the restoration advised to follow Village Foundation - Katara. science and human dignity and of a number of archaeological ICESCO selected Doha to be promote the Islamic cultural her- areas in the country and paying Saudi customs the Capital of Culture in the itage in an interconnected world. attention to them, in addition Islamic World for the year 2021 to its constant endeavour to find procedures given its ancient history and historic and Islamic artifacts legacy, the civilizational com- that highlight the Islamic mon- QNA — DOHA ponents and landmarks in the uments in the past centuries, as State of Qatar that reflect the is the case in the Museum of The Consular Affairs Islamic character, and based on Islamic Art. `P5 Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on all Qatari citizens travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ties with Qatar have reached Samkna eyes expansion to abide by the customs decla- ration procedures announced on the Saudi Customs website new heights: Ukraine Deputy FM to meet rising demand for all travellers coming to and departing from the Kingdom, FAZEENA SALEEM range of bilateral cooperation,” SANAULLAH ATAULLAH bass because it is a stronger whether citizens, residents or THE PENINSULA EXCLUSIVE he said. THE PENINSULA species and grows faster in visitors, in addition to being “Discussions with the warm water, has delicious prepared to pay customs The strong relations between partners are always beneficial Samkna — the aquaculture taste, and is rich in Omega 3. duties and value-added tax Qatar and Ukraine have consultations between the and valuable. We agreed to project using floating cages He said phase I of the that may be imposed on the reached new heights with foreign ministries of Qatar and support the existing positive technology in open water — has project (16 cages and the pack- valuable items in their several recent developments in Ukraine. During the discus- dynamics of the development successfully started production, aging line) has been completed. possession, in order to avoid bilateral cooperation, said sions, Qatari side was headed of political dialogue between meeting around 20 percent Farming started in May 2020, legal accountability against Ukrainian Deputy Foreign by Secretary-General of the Ukraine and Qatar, in particular local demand. while harvest started in them. Minister and Chief Digital Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E on substantial work on the The project set up by Al November 2020. The details can be found organisation of bilateral high- Qamra Holding under Food Phase 1 provides a capacity on Saudi Customs website: level visits in the near future,” Security Programme of the to produce 2,000 MT (stage https://www.customs.gov.sa/ Senik said. Ministry of Municipality and one) per annum of sea bass fish ar/declare Kiev and Doha are working on Senik emphasised that dis- Environment (MME), is located for the local market con- more than 10 draft bilateral cussions between Qatar and 53km northeast of Ruwais in sumption,” said Al Qamra. agreements for cooperation in Ukraine have also highlighted the country's north. “Phase 1 of the project consists energy, agriculture, sports, the importance of holding in “Receiving overwhelming of surveying, analysing, healthcare and tourism fields. 2021 the Second Session of the response from local market due designing and installing an off- Joint Intergovernmental Com- to high quality and freshness of shore farm of 16 cages, each 90 Dmytro Senik mission on Economic, Com- the product, the company has metres in circumference. The Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister mercial and Technical Cooper- planned to expand the cages have fish growing nets of FUEL PRICE and Chief Digital Transformation ation, practical steps for further project,”General Manager of 15-metre deep, and predator Officer development of the Ukrainian- Samkna, Mohamad Al Qamra, nets of 17-metre deep.” Qatar Petroleum announced the Qatari cooperation in trade and told The Peninsula. He said the cages are fuel prices for the investment as well as cultural He said that from har- serviced by a feed barge with month of March 2021. and humanitarian spheres. vesting to packaging and feed storage capacity of 320 Ukraine has also reiterated supply chain enabled Samkna tonnes, fully automated feeding Transformation Officer H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al its appreciation to Qatar for products to reach from farm to system and staff QR1.65 Dmytro Senik. Hammadi. The Ukrainian del- providing Ukraine with the the shelves in local market accommodation. Price of super grade In an exclusive interview egation was headed by Senik. humanitarian medical within 8 hours, maintaining “The Fish Farm has an off- petrol for a litre with The Peninsula, Senik said “Maintaining a sustainable assistance aimed at combating high level of freshness. shore station comprising a both the countries have a dynamics of political consulta- the spread of COVID-19 last Al Qamra said the project jack-up barge that is used for QR1.60 common desire to deepen tions is very important, since it year. in an area of 900,000 sqm staff welfare, storage and Price of premium grade bilateral relations in several provides a convenient platform, Trade and economic coop- comprising 16 floating cages is regular maintenance purposes. petrol for a litre areas including energy, agri- which allows us to exchange eration between Qatar and currently supplying Qatari sea Net washing station have also culture, sports, healthcare, and views on the relevant issues of Ukraine has been significantly bass (commonly known as bar- been installed at the project. tourism. Senik was in Doha on the regional and global agenda, intensified over the recent ramundi or Asian sea bass) to Preparation is underway to set QR1.60 two-day visit during which he to discuss in detail the ways for years. In 2020, bilateral trade local market in large quantities. up a berthing jetty at Ruwais Price of diesel for a litre. attended a round of political further intensification of the full reached record $139.6m. `P3 “We started farming with sea Port,” Al Qamra said. `P5 02 HOME MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021

Qatar: Equal access Education Minister meets Cuban Ambassador OFFICIAL NEWS Qatar strongly to vaccines only condemns missile attack on Riyadh way to limit and Doha: The State of Qatar condemned in the strongest terms the missile attack that targeted Riyadh, the cap- end coronavirus ital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and considered it a dangerous act QNA — GENEVA against civilians, which contradicts The State of Qatar affirms all international norms and laws. The State of Qatar has reaf- that equal access to In a statement issued yesterday, the firmed its keenness, since the vaccines is an ethical test Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiter- beginning of the spread of the ated the State of Qatar’s firm stance COVID-19, to provide all and the only way to limit on rejecting violence, criminal and medical care services without and end this pandemic, subversive acts, regardless of the any discrimination, putting said the Permanent motives and reasons. -QNA human rights at the center of Representative of Qatar to the measures it has taken. the United Nations Office in Out of its awareness of the MoPH reports fact that confronting this pan- Geneva, H E Ambassador demic is a collective responsi- Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri. 467 new cases, bility, the State of Qatar affirmed that equal access to vaccines is Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Al Hammadi, met 402 recoveries an ethical test and the only way council to an elected one in yesterday with Ambassador of Cuba to Qatar, H E Oscar Leon Gonzalez. They discussed aspects of — DOHA to limit and end this pandemic. accordance with the per- cooperation in the fields of general and higher education and scientific research, and ways to support THE PENINSULA This came in the State of manent constitution of Qatar. and enhance them. Qatar’s statement delivered by On the situation in Libya The Ministry of Public Health Permanent Representative of and Yemen, he renewed Qatar’s (MoPH) yesterday announced the State of Qatar to the United call for all parties to shoulder the registration of 467 new Nations Office in Geneva H E their responsibilities, build on Qatar, Ukraine hold political consultations confirmed COVID-19. Among Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al the agreements reached and them 39 were travellers Mansouri during the public move forward with the political returning from abroad. Also debate on the updated process and national reconcil- 402 people have recovered statement of the High Commis- iation to preserve the country’s from the virus, bringing the total sioner for Human Rights, at the unity and rebuild institutions, number of recovered cases in Human Rights Council. in a way that contributes to Qatar to 153,621. The Ministry He thanked the High Com- ensuring security, stability and also reported death of a missioner for Human Rights for development. 90-year-old person taking the her statement, expressing his In Syria, Ambassador Al total death toll in Qatar due to agreement on the importance of Mansouri renewed Qatar’s call COVID-19 to 258. promoting public participation to the international community as a means to ensure the devel- to end the state of division and Five arrested for opment of effective policies. make real efforts to reach a In this regard, Ambassador political solution that meets the violating home Al Mansouri said that the State aspirations of the Syrian people of Qatar intends to hold the first and leads to a political tran- quarantine rules elections for the Shura Council sition in accordance with the A round of political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the State of Qatar and Ukraine next October, with the aim of Geneva Declaration and Reso- QNA — DOHA was held in Doha yesterday. The Qatari side was headed by Secretary-General of the Ministry of enhancing popular partici- lution No. 2254, as well as pation in the legislative process ensuring justice and account- Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, while the Ukrainian side was headed by the The designated authorities by transferring the Shura ability for perpetrators of vio- Deputy Foreign Minister and Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Dmytro Senik. During the round of arrested yesterday five Council from an appointed lations and crimes. political consultations, the two sides reviewed the bilateral cooperation relations. persons who violated the requirements of the home quarantine. The violators, who are cur- No risk in taking vaccine even if infected by virus: Official rently being referred to the designate prosecution, are: THE PENINSULA — DOHA Muna Al Maslamani, has said that posted by the HMC, Dr.Al “You can get infected after infection, meaning that the vac- Suhaim Ali Hamad Saeed there is no risk in taking the Maslamani also emphasized the taking the vaccination, espe- cination will not prevent Odaiba, Mubarak Abdullah Medical Director of the Commu- COVID-19 vaccine even if the need to follow COVID-19 pre- cially after taking the first dose, infection, but in the event that Mefleh Muaid Al Qahtani, nicable Disease Center at Hamad person is infected by the virus. ventive measures even after because the body develops suf- the person infected, its Khalid Ahmed Khalifa Al bin Medical Corporation (HMC), Dr. In an awareness video getting the vaccine. ficient level of antibodies only symptoms will be mild com- Zaid Al Mannai, Nasser Hamad two weeks after the second pared to the person who did not Mohammed Al Faham Al Ajami dose of the COVID-19 vaccine,” receive the vaccination. and Khalid Humaidi Salem Al said Dr. Al Maslamani. Also vaccines work to Fehaida Al Marri. “The vaccine will be 50 reduce the percentage of people percent effective after the first who are hospitalised after Qatar University dose and approximately 95 infection, according to Dr. Al percent effective two weeks Maslamani. Library to after receiving the second “Do not forget that the dose,” she added. effectiveness is not 100% organise Virtual Dr. Al Maslamani high- therefore everyone should take Book Fair lighted that the vaccines protect the necessary precautions,” she against disease and not added. QNA — DOHA

The Qatar University Library, in cooperation with the Lusail Publishing and Distribution House, is organizing the Virtual Book Fair 2021 during the period from March 28, 2021 to April 1,2021, with the participation of more than 300 publishing houses from inside and outside Qatar. The fair comes in the desire of the University Library and the Lusail Pub- Officials during the campaign to remove abandoned vehicles in lishing and Distribution House Doha Municipality. to support education and spread culture among members of society by all available Doha Municipality launches means, and an emphasis on the importance of knowledge, month-long campaign to science, and the necessity Work to publish them despite the remove abandoned vehicles challenges represented by the Corona pandemic. THE PENINSULA — DOHA He said that so far about The exhibition is a vivid 2,000 abandoned vehicles example of the technological The Committee for Removing were removed this year. “Over and digital development that Abandoned Vehicles yesterday 250 abandoned vehicles have the world has reached, which launched a month-long been marked in Doha which facilitates access to infor- campaign to remove aban- are being removed in coordi- mation and resources innova- doned vehicles across Doha nation with the authorities con- tively. The exhibition will be Municipality. cerned,” said Al Shahwani. open around the clock and Head of the General Control He said that the campaign features a two-dimensional Department at Doha Munici- began from Doha Al Jadida area and three-dimensional design pality, Hamad Sultan Al and gradually will go to other to display and sell books that Shahwani, said that the cam- areas of Doha Municipality. suit all age groups and paign has been launched to “This campaign will cover 16 interests. Lusail Publishing remove the abandoned vehicles areas in Doha Municipality,” and Distribution House will from Doha Municipality fol- said Al Shahwani. deliver the books to buyers. lowing the schedule of the He said large number of This modern display tech- committee for 2021. people were educated about nology enables visitors to view Al Shahwani, who is also a the campaign which received book summaries by visiting member of the Committee for overwhelming response from the publishing houses Removing Abandoned Vehicles, the motorists as many of them available on the virtual said that the campaigns were removed their abandoned platform, which number 300 launched in the municipalities vehicles themselves within publishing houses from inside of Al Shamal, Al Khor and Al given grace period. and outside Qatar. Zakhira and Al Sheehaniya Al Shahwani called people Virtual exhibition visitors where large number of aban- to cooperate with the Com- will be able to search for and doned vehicles were removed. mittee for Removing Aban- select books according to cate- “Now it reached to Doha doned Vehicles by getting rid gories, names of publishing Municipality where it will run of abandoned vehicles to houses, desired languages, and for a complete one month until avoid legal accountability fol- other sorting and selection the removal of all abandoned lowing the provisions of the processes. The exhibition will vehicles marked by municipal Law No. 18 of 2017 of General also witness the display of more inspectors,” said Al Shahwani. Hygiene. than 20,000 free digital books. MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 HOME 03 Dar Al Sharq, Lulu Hypermarkets to enhance mutual cooperation

SIDI MOHAMED and we will develop this rela- THE PENINSULA Jaber Al Harami, Deputy tionship for the better,” said Al CEO of Dar Al Sharq Harami, adding that Dar Al In a bid to strengthen their Group, welcomed the visit Sharq, with its various media mutual cooperation and long- of Shaijan M O, Regional outlets, newspapers and social standing business relations, platforms, covers the various senior management officials of Director of Lulu activities organised by Lulu. Lulu Hypermarket Qatar and Hypermarkets Qatar, and On the occasion of his visit, Dar Al Sharq had a meeting last cooperation between Lulu Deputy CEO of Dar Al Sharq week at Dar Al Sharq office. Hypermarkets and Dar Al presented an honorary shield During the discussions, Sharq Group. Lulu is to Shaijan in appreciation of Shaijan M O, Regional Director Lulu’s support for its various of Lulu Hypermarkets in Qatar, planning to open five new activities, especially in the commented on the expansion outlets this year bringing context of the upcoming 8th plans and stated that they have the total number of stores Social Responsibility Con- a plan to commission five new to 19. ference, which will be held on outlets this year bringing the total April 6, 2021, and the distri- number of stores to 19. He said bution of the Social Responsi- that this comes under their plan pandemic has negatively bility Award, which is dedicated to reach out to all possible areas affected the public and the this year to honor government across the country. economy as a whole, and we figures, private institutions and Shaijan also welcomed the have been affected by it like all individuals who had a prom- government’s decision to other sectors. “The pro-active inent role in fighting corona- reopen Visa Centres in major measures taken by the gov- Deputy CEO of Dar Al Sharq Group, Jaber Al Harami (left), with the Regional Director of Lulu Hypermarkets virus pandemic during the year countries that export man- ernment to check the pandemic in Qatar, Shaijan M O, at Dar Al Sharq office in Doha.PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA 2020. power at a time when the local and to make the economy The date of the conference market needs workers. resilient are commendable,” he are grateful for the excellent cooperation between the two Director of Lulu Hypermarkets was set during a meeting held Speaking to The Peninsula added. cooperation and long-standing sides would continue. Qatar, which comes within the by the Social Responsibility during his visit to Dar Al Sharq Regarding Lulu’s efforts to business association extended He also commended the Dar framework of cooperation Committee of Dar Al Sharq, Group, he said: “Currently we fight coronavirus, the Regional by Dar Al Sharq, and aspire to Al Sharq Group’s ongoing efforts between Lulu Hypermarkets which includes a number of have 14 stores, and five more Director stated: “We have have more support in the regarding awareness of social and Dar Al Sharq Group, to prominent personalities in the will be opened this year, and by implemented all the COVID-19 journey ahead.” responsibility, adding that Lulu review aspects of the existing field, as the Social Responsi- the year 2022 we will have 22 protocols and precautionary Shaijan praised the media is ready to provide support in cooperation between them and bility Committee set specific cri- stores in total.” measures recommended by the role and strong presence of Dar this aspect. the available possibilities for teria for selecting people and In response to a question Ministry of Public Health.” Al Sharq Group in the country, For his part, Jaber Al their further development. institutions that worked during about the impact of the pan- Commenting on his visit to and its coverage of various Harami, Deputy CEO of Dar Al “We hope that the cooper- pandemic to honour them demic on Lulu Hypermarkets Dar Al Sharq Group, Shaijan activities organised by Lulu Sharq Group, welcomed the ation and partnership with Lulu during a ceremony hosted by Qatar, he said that the said: “We at Lulu Hypermarkets Hypermarkets, hoping that the visit of Shaijan MO, Regional Hypermarkets will continue Katara. Fire Station and Ties with Qatar have reached new heights: Ukraine Deputy FM FROM PAGE 1 VCUarts Qatar At present, Qatar and Ukraine spectacular performance! It is hard Ukraine’s major exports to Qatar During the visit to Qatar, Dmytro are working on more than 10 drafts work,” he added. include ferrous metals, cereals, fats Senik also held a number of of bilateral documents on cooper- With reference to the facilities begin women-led and oils, and residues from food ation in various fields including and new football stadiums, Senik industries. On other hand, it mostly important meetings related to energy, agriculture, youth and said, “During my visit, I had a lecture series imports plastics, polymeric materials trade and investment with sports, legal, healthcare, tourism chance to witness it. A huge number and products of inorganic chemistry, Qatari companies. He also met and other fields. of implemented infrastructure THE PENINSULA — DOHA organic chemical compounds and Chief Executive Officer of the “Some of them have already facilities, the opening of new state- textile materials from Qatar. Qatar Investment Authority, been agreed and are ready for of-the-art football stadiums. Won- The Fire Station: Artist in Residence and the During the visit to Qatar, signing, others still under consid- derful atmosphere of upcoming Painting and Printmaking Department at VCUarts Dmytro Senik also held a number Mansour Al Mahmoud, and eration, but I am sure will be holiday is felt everywhere here. Qatar have kicked off a virtual lecture series titled of important meetings related to discussed prospects for the finalised shortly. I believe that “We look forward to the FIFA ‘Decolonizing Art Narratives: Arab Women Artists trade and investment with Qatari expansion of investment majority of above mentioned doc- World Cup in Qatar with great Today’ in which 14 women artists are coming companies. He also met Chief Exec- cooperation. uments will be ready for the signing expectations as it will be first ever together to explore gender, politics, colonialism, utive Officer of the Qatar during the upcoming top-level such event in the Middle East. I culture and identity. Investment Authority, Mansour Al visit.” hope Ukraine national team will The year-long academic lecture series fea- Mahmoud, and discussed prospects and Ukraine is highly interested in The Ukrainian Deputy FM said qualify and our football fans will tures a dynamic group of Arab female artists and for the expansion of investment attracting Qatari investments. over the recent years, Ukrainian receive a chance to become a part practitioners across various disciplines and locales cooperation. “We assist to facilitate the community in Qatar has signifi- of this big event,” he added. in the Middle East who will revisit and consider “We held meetings with the process either through diplomatic cantly increased, saying there were Senik also commended Qatar’s how best to reshape existing narratives. management of QTerminals, channels or using the platforms of around 1,500 Ukrainian nationals mediation efforts for establishing Khalifa Al Obaidly, Director, Fire Station, said: Nebras Power and the Qatar chambers of commerce and other living in Qatar. peace in Afghanistan and its recent “The Fire Station is honoured to partner with Investment Authority. I was also relevant institutions,” he said. In recent years there has also initiative to end stalemate between VCUarts Qatar to present this pertinent lecture delighted to have a chance to visit According to Senik, over the been a significant increase in the the US and Iran over nuclear deal. series. The series provides a platform for some of Hamad Port and get acquainted years, Qatar and Ukraine have number of Ukrainian tourists visiting “Ukraine commends the medi- the region’s most inspirational female artists to with its state-of-the-art infra- enhanced bilateral relations by Qatar. “I believe that such dynamics ation efforts of Qatar, in particular collectively discuss what it means to be an artist structure and technical maintaining intensive dynamics of exemplify that this particular field is those towards finding a solution to in the context of modern societal norms and capabilities. political dialogue on the top level, very promising. Tourism is one of the a conflict in Afghanistan that has challenges.” “During the meetings with the constant annual growth of bilateral domains that pose an interest in been lasting for decades,” he said. The series started on February 17 with a Qatari companies, we discussed the trade volume, the introduction of terms of further expansion of our “We praise the efforts applied session with artist Bahia Shehab followed by development of bilateral direct flights between Doha and bilateral cooperation and people-to- by the leadership of Qatar in order Lamia Joreige on February 24. Other participating investment cooperation, in par- Kiev, launching of visa-free regime, people ties,” he said. to bring peace to Afghanistan artists include Nadia Ayari on March 17, Sama ticular the issue of attracting Qatari expansion of the legal framework, “We invite our Qatari friends to resulting in signing in February Alshaibi onMarch 24, Ala Younis on March 31, Alia investments into the implemen- establishment of the Joint Intergov- visit Ukraine when situation with 2020 of a Doha agreement between Ali on April 5, Iman Issa on August 25, Youmna tation of promising projects in ernmental Commission on eco- COVID-19 allows getting familiar the US and Taliban as well as Chlala on September 8, Monira Al Qadiri on Sep- Ukraine, prospects for bilateral nomic, commercial and technical with its beautiful nature, rich launching in Doha the intra-Afghan tember 22, Nadia Kaabi-Linke on October 6, Ghada cooperation in the energy sector. cooperation and finally beginning history and unique culture,” he negotiations. Khunji on October 13, Abeer Al-Kuwari on Both sides praised the signing of of the practical implementation of added. “Gulf region is of strategic November 3, Noor Abuissa on November 10 and agreement for the concession of the the investment cooperation. In reply to a question related to global importance. Therefore, Diana Al-Hadid on November 17. Ukrainian port of Olvia (Mykolaiv) “All these achievements have FIFA World Cup 2022 to be held in Ukraine is interested in maintaining Female faculty members at VCUarts Qatar, Fire by the Qatari company QTerminals been made possible largely through Qatar, Senik said, “It will be an security and stability in the region. Station staff and other artists and curators will mod- that took place in 2020,” he added. the tireless work with our Qatari exciting world cup. We are fol- All the mediation efforts striving to erate the English-led lecture series. For more infor- Senik said many Ukrainian partners and friends, especially lowing how carefully Qatar is tire- prevent conflict and to preserve mation and to register, visit: https://www.firestation. companies are interested in estab- over the last five or six years,” said lessly working to organise this tour- peace and stability in the region are org.qa/en/events and https://qatar.vcu.edu/papr lishing links with Qatari partners Senik. nament and to transform it into a of vital importance,” said Senik.

609 people referred to Total wins 2 QNRF Grants, sponsors students to promote research Public Prosecution for THE PENINSULA — DOHA man-made structures, and spe- and TAMUQ in coordination violating virus curbs cifically oil platforms are seen as with the Total Research and Two of Total’s research projects a disturbance to the marine envi- Technology Center Feluy (TRTF are being awarded funding in ronment, we found out in our - Belgium), who will provide QNA — DOHA Cycle 13 of National Priorities recent researches that these plat- additional technical guidance Research Program (NPRP), a forms constitute actually a and experimental support. The designated authorities flagship program of Qatar hotspot and a refuge for marine Two students from Texas referred yesterday 609 people National Research Fund (QNRF). biodiversity and boost biological A&M University at Qatar have to the Public Prosecution for The NPRP bases its decision on productivity.” been sponsored by Total starting violating the preventive and projects with exceptional ideas, “As these structures are January 2021, as a part of Total’s precautionary measures approaches, and models that may phased out and need to be effort to further research in sus- enforced by the country to solve key issues of national, decommissioned, we see here an tainable natural gas conversion contain the spread of the coro- regional or global interest. opportunity to turn these ‘threats’ to chemical products. The eight navirus. The two winning proposals, into opportunity by reefing them month program will see graduate Among them, 545 people namely ‘Assessing the contri- and taking advantage of their asso- students Nagat Elrefaei and were referred to the Public bution of oil platforms and the ciated biodiversity, productivity Muhammad Jamil innovating Prosecution for not wearing impact of decommissioning sce- and crucial role as a stepping stone new processes to sustainably masks in places where they narios to marine biodiversity, for marine connectivity. This is an convert natural gas to chemical are mandatory, while 42 productivity and connectivity innovative approach, thinking products. They will now work were found violating the (PlatDeCom) and ‘Reactor Inno- Two students from Texas A&M University at Qatar have been outside the box, to further under the guidance of Texas A&M maximum number of four vation for a Low Carbon Process sponsored by Total starting from January 2021, as a part of Total’s advance practices of ecosystem at Qatar faculty expert, Dr. people allowed in a vehicle to Upgrade Methane to Chem- effort to further research in sustainable natural gas conversion restoration and marine life con- Ma’moun Al-Rawashdeh. including the driver, except icals and Hydrogen’ have been to chemical products. servation in Qatar, the region and Philippe Legrand, Managing when they are members of awarded a maximum grant of worldwide.” Director Refining & Chemicals one family, 11 people did not $700,000 each, and have a congratulate the research teams Qatar University, will assess the Total’s second project, in – Qatar added “Our rela- abide by the safe distance, duration of 4 years per project. from Total, Qatar University, and contribution of oil platforms collaboration with Texas A&M tionship with TAMUQ is built on and 11 people were also These grants are a clear Texas A&M University at Qatar and the impact of their decom- University at Qatar (TAMUQ) strong bridges to achieve referred to the Public Pros- indication of the trust placed on for this great achievement. It is a missioning on marine biodi- will focus on innovating reactor business sustainability and ecution for not installing Total for engaging in research recognition of our commitment, versity, productivity and con- technologies to develop a sus- innovation. This sponsorship Ehteraz app on their mobile that can positively impact the dedication and efforts in nectivity. It will include inter- tainable process for the syn- initiative supports the education phones. citizens and residents of Qatar. addressing priority topics of national researchers from USA, thesis of high-value platform and research potential of local The measure are in line As of January 2021, the total national interest in Qatar and a Denmark and Australia. chemicals and hydrogen from educational institutions, and with the Cabinet decision, number of Total’s active NPRP part of our ongoing commitment Associate Professor in Marine methane, with the purpose of strives on our shared ambition Decree Law No. 17 of 1990 on research projects are 9. to support a knowledge-based Sciences in QU, and a member of achieving low to near zero CO2 to develop sustainable solutions infectious diseases, and the Total Qatar’s VP Innovation economy in Qatar.” The first the PlatDeCom research team, emission from the source, and for our industry and the envi- precautionary measures in & Change Management, Yousef project, PlatDeCom, conducted Dr. Radhouan Ben-Hamadou maximizing energy-efficiency. ronment in line with Qatar’s force in the country to contain Al Jaber, said: “I would like to in partnership with commented saying, “Offshore This project was built by TRC-Q national aspirations.” the spread of COVID-19. 04 HOME MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 Qatar University marks Qatar National Environment Day

THE PENINSULA — DOHA is one of the four pillars of Qatar Environment Day and the national vision 2030, and Qatar “Environmental article” Qatar University’s (QU) marks World Environment Day competition. Department of Biological and on February 26 every year. These two competitions are Environmental Sciences (DBES) DBES marks this event annually open to bachelor’s and post- recently marked Qatar National to raise awareness about the graduate students at the College Environment Day 2021 under importance of our environment of Arts and Science at Qatar the theme ‘Environmental- among Qatar’s youth.” University. friendly solutions: Green tech- “This event is also a part of These two topics allow stu- nology.’ Qatar’s long-term commitment dents to present their writing The celebration, which to promoting environmental skills on environmental topics included a series of events and conservation and sustainability and design efficiency. activities, was attended by Pres- for the benefit of society.” The idea of the two prece- ident of Qatar University Dr. Dr. Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh dents of Qatar National Envi- Hassan Rashid Al Derham, stu- stressed the importance of this ronment Day in Qatar 2021 dents, and faculty members. day. revolves around the vision and Other officials in attendance This year world envi- mission of the Department of included QU’s Vice-President ronment day was celebrated in Biological and Environmental for Student Affairs, Dr. Iman collaboration with Naas Agri- to promote environmentally Mostafawi, Prof. Ibrahim cultural Consulting & Green friendly solutions: green AlKaabi, Acting Dean of College House Co in Qatar, Environment technology. of Arts and Sciences QU, Dr. and Sustainability Section, the The department will also Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh, Asso- Facilities and General services continue cooperating with the ciate Professor and Acting Head department at QU, and the Ministry of Municipality and at Department of Biological and Public Parks Department at the Environment to plan several President of Qatar University, Dr. Hassan Rashid Al Derham, with other officials at the event. Environmental QU and Dr. Ministry of Municipality and joint activities and campaigns Mohammad Al Ghouti, Asso- Environment. related to Qatar’s Million Tree ciate professor and program This year, the organising Planting Initiative. success of this initiative. reducing dust air pollution, heavy metals. This is in addition coordinator at DBES. committee decided to hold two The department will also The campaign to plant 1 reducing carbon emissions, and to the positive psychological In his opening speech, Dr. student competitions, including urge postgraduate students to million trees in the country reducing soil contamination impact that trees have on Al-Derham said, “Environment the logon of Qatar National write research proposals for the means increasing biodiversity, with hydrocarbons and toxic human health and life. ExxonMobil Qatar announces Ooredoo to be Silver Sponsor retirement of Dr. Mohamad Al Sulaiti for 2021 Qatar Total Open

THE PENINSULA — DOHA building ExxonMobil Research THE PENINSULA DOHA lifestyle as part Qatar’s team, and protecting our corporate ExxonMobil Qatar announced Qatar’s unique natural envi- Qatar’s leading telecommuni- social responsi- yesterday that Dr. Mohamad Al ronment. I am thankful for Dr. cations operator, Ooredoo has bility strategy, Sulaiti is retiring from his Al Sulaiti’s service to Exxon- announced it is to reprise its and delighted position as Research Director Mobil and wish him and his role as Silver Sponsor of the that yet again of ExxonMobil Research Qatar family all the best following his Qatar Total Open at this year’s we can be a (EMRQ). retirement.” event. part of shining Dr. Al Sulaiti assumed this “It has been an honour and The prestigious women’s the spotlight on position in February 2016, privilege to lead ExxonMobil tennis tournament is set to be Qatar as the where he has been overseeing Research Qatar over the years held from March 1-6 2021 at for the singles trophy, while 16 ideal venue for major sporting four research programs in areas from a successful research team Khalifa International Tennis & teams will compete for top spot events. of mutual interest for the State to a renowned and trusted Squash Complex in Doha. in the doubles event. After the challenges of the of Qatar and ExxonMobil: envi- research center. I am proud of An impressive six of the Sabah Rabiah Al-Kuwari, pandemic lockdowns, it’s great ronmental management, LNG all we have accomplished Women’s Tennis Association’s Director PR at Ooredoo, said: to be seeing live sporting events technology, water reuse, and Dr. Al Sulaiti assumed this together with our partners in top 10 players will compete, led “We’re delighted to be spon- starting up again and we look modern geology. position in February Qatar in support of the energy by world number one Ashleigh soring the Qatar Total Open for forward to enjoying some Dr. Al Sulaiti, former HSE 2016, where he has been industry and in protecting the Barty of Australia. A total of 32 another year, as we’re com- awesome tennis from some of Manager at Qatar General Elec- environment. ExxonMobil players are expected to appear mitted to supporting events that the best female players in the tricity and Water Corporation, overseeing four research Research Qatar’s future pros- on the courts in the challenge promote a healthy, active world. joined ExxonMobil Research programs in areas of pects are vast, and I wish my Qatar in September 2010, mutual interest for the team continued success with where he was appointed Water State of Qatar and their work – I’m proud of each Hani Akkari completes 1 year as General Reuse Engineering Lead. In this ExxonMobil: and every one of them,” said Dr. role, he was responsible for environmental Al Sulaiti. leading the Water Reuse Dr. Jayanth Balasubra- Manager of Alwadi Hotel MGallery Research Project in Qatar, management, LNG manian, EMRQ’s LNG Tech- which is aimed at introducing technology, water reuse, nology Research Lead, will take engineered wetland technology and modern geology. over from Dr. Al Sulaiti as THE PENINSULA — DOHA on first year of his tenure. to treat industrial wastewater Acting Research Director. Akkari leads Alwadi Hotel in Qatar. In 1997 Dr. Al Sulaiti Balasubramanian joined EMRQ General Manager of Alwadi with more than 15 years’ of obtained a PhD in Civil Engi- environmental management in 2019 and has over 14 years Hotel MGallery, Hani Akkari experience at some of the neering from Colorado State have supported our long- of experience with ExxonMobil, (pictured), celebrated his first world’s most recognised luxury University. standing partnerships in the in technical and organisational year as General Manager properties in Europe and Dominic Genetti, President community, helping to expand leadership roles, across a range leading one of Qatar’s most Middle East. With more than a and General Manager for Exx- our global footprint in a safe of functions. luxurious and innovative decade of experience with onMobil Qatar, said, “Dr. Al and reliable manner through He has a PhD in Chemical boutique luxury hotels.“It has Accor, the operating company Sulaiti’s contributions to Exx- leading technology. Engineering from Carnegie been a great honour to lead the of Alwadi Hotel MGallery, and onMobil Research Qatar over "We have all benefited from Mellon University and a Bach- talented team at Alwadi Hotel a wealth of experience in five the years have been instru- his track record of strategic elors in Technology in Chemical MGallery and deliver the most star and luxury hotel man- mental, significant and mean- thinking and focus on exe- Engineering from the Indian personalised and memorable agement, Akkari has been the ingful. His extensive knowledge cution, and value his leadership Institute of Technology experience for each and every driving force behind the hotel in Qatar on TripAdvisor in 2020 of water engineering and and insights in shaping and – Madras. one of our guests,” Akkari said earning its coveted third place out of 175 hotels in Qatar. With his leadership, the hotel also won a host of acco- lades including, Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards 2020; TripAdvisor’s 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards and Corporate Travel Awards’ 2020 Luxury Boutique Hotel of the Year. “The past year was a chal- lenging one for the hospitality sector and the fact that Alwadi Hotel MGallery was able to cement its leading position in the competitive Doha market and win prestigious awards highlights the success of our strategy to adapt and build resilience,” said Akkari. “We managed to increase our business performance compared to the year 2019 – building on our popularity as a destination for staycations and weekend stays - and we can proudly say that we had no major redundancies and hired new team members during the pandemic and I am very proud of this,” he added. Akkari said the hotel’s strategic location in Msheireb Downtown Doha and con- nected with Souq Waqif also made it a popular destination for dining. Akkari also worked hand- in-hand with Qatari author- ities and his team to ensure the hotel provided a COVID-19 safe environment for guests and staff. Looking forward, Akkari said he was focused on continuing to create ‘Memo- rable Moments’ for his valued guests. MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 HOME 05 HMC honours QRC for supporting ‘Doha Capital of Culture’ activities begin next week treatment of needy patients FROM PAGE 1 He added that Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World THE PENINSULA - DOHA 2021 comes in conjunction with the continuous preparations to host 2022 Qatar World Cup and the construction boom country Hamad Medical Corporation’s has witnessed in a short period in various fields, especially in the (HMC) Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney infrastructure, providing a model in building the society and the Center and the Gastroenter- state. ology Department held a special Secretary-General of Qatar National Commission for Education, ceremony honouring Qatar Red Culture and Science Dr. Hamda Hassan Al Sulaiti said that hosting Crescent (QRC) in recognition the activities of Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021 of the support it had provided comes within the efforts exerted by the State of Qatar to spread the during the period of 2016-2020 Islamic and humanitarian culture, noting that the decision to launch to treat kidney patients with Islamic cultural capitals was issued in Doha twenty years ago when hepatitis C virus who were it was adopted by the Third Islamic Conference of Culture Min- unable to afford their treatment. isters, which was held in Doha in 2001 and provided for the nom- Director of the Treatment ination of three cultural capitals in the Islamic world every year, Program for Kidney Patients representing the three Arab, Asian and African regions. with Hepatitis C Virus, Dr. For his part, Director of the Culture and Arts Department at Fadwa Al Ali explained that the the Ministry of Culture and Sports Faisal Al Suwaidi said that Qatar’s program was launched in 2016 hosting of Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021 con- in collaboration with the Gas- tributes to realizing the Ministry’s strategy for 2018-2022 which troenterology Department at seeks to provide for developing cultural environment for the HMC and QRC to support resi- energies of the Qatari society in all its components. dents who are unable to afford He noted that cooperation between all parties within the state, treatment costs. All 45 patients including the strategic partners and participating bodies, resulted in the program have recovered in preparing more than 70 diverse events during the current year from hepatitis C virus. Officials from Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar Red Crescent during the honouring ceremony. as part of the activities. The patients have been The celebration of Doha Capital of Culture in the Islamic World receiving dialysis at various 2021 represents the Arab region, and it coincides with the same dialysis units across HMC, controlling hepatitis in Qatar. more severe complications for strategic partnership and based celebration in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, which repre- including Fahad Bin Jassim Qatar Red Crescent is partici- kidney and renal failure on the objectives of the National sents the Asian region, and Banjul, the capital of the Gambia, that Kidney Center, Urgent Care pating in the sponsorship of the patients. Health Strategy under Qatar represents the African region. Center, Al Shamal Dialysis program as part of its role to Executive Director of Vol- National Vision 2023. Center, Al Shahaniya Dialysis support the government’s unteering and Local Devel- “Our cooperation with HMC Center, Al Wakra Dialysis humanitarian and social policy opment Division at QRC, Muna is not limited to covering MoCI recalls Jeep Grand Cherokee, Center, and Al Khor Dialysis inside and outside Qatar. Al Sulaiti thanked HMC for treatment costs for those who Center. The project has received organizing the recognition are unable to afford their Dodge Durango 2011-2013 models Dr. Saad Al Kaabi, Head of recognition from several inter- ceremony. treatment, but it also extends to Gastroenterology Department national organizations. She said: “We at QRC are a number of other projects THE PENINSULA - DOHA at HMC, said that this collabo- Hepatitis affects millions very proud to be part of the aimed at offering social and ration comes as part of the of people around the world. The integrated health system that psychological support to The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) in cooperation national campaign to eliminate condition can be self-limiting contributed to this great patients, such as launching with United Cars Almana, dealer of Jeep and Dodge in Qatar, hepatitis C virus in Qatar. or can progress to fibrosis achievement as we share a online libraries, visiting patients announced the recall of Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango The health authorities in the (scarring), cirrhosis, or liver common goal of eradicating the to offer emotional support, pro- models of 2011-13 due to a possible defect in the fuel pump relay country, represented by the cancer. hepatitis C virus from Qatar.” viding sports equipment, and which may cause the engine to stop running. Ministry of Public Health Hepatitis viruses are the Al Sulaiti commended the organizing other events regu- The recall campaign comes within the framework of the Min- (MOPH) and HMC, adopted a most common cause of hepa- fruitful cooperation between larly in collaboration with istry’s continuous efforts to protect consumers and ensure that national project aimed at titis and the disease can develop QRC and HMC as part of their HMC,” added Al Sulaiti. car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs. QF’s Quranic Botanic Garden organises desert wild plant restoration event THE PENINSULA - DOHA (Kahramaa) at the event. From local community to support its ‘Challenges Facing the Flora and its end, QBG brought together commitment to preserving the Ecosystems of the Arabian The Quranic Botanic Garden members of the Qatar Boy nation’s environment, plants Peninsula.” (QBG), the first garden in the Scouts and Guides Association and fungal natural resources. Director, world to exhibit all plant species and the Friends of the Envi- Director, QBG, Fatima Al- Department of Protection and mentioned in the Holy Quran, ronment Center. Khulaifi said: “Qatar Envi- Wildlife, Ministry of Munici- Hadith, and Sunnah, celebrated The restoration event saw ronment Day is a special pality and Environment, Talib Qatar Environment Day, held the participation of entity rep- occasion for us, in which we are Khalid Al-Shahwani said: “Pro- annually on February 26, with resentatives and volunteers keen to cooperate with our tecting and preserving the local a wild plant restoration event from across Qatar, who helped partners from various state plants and the rehabilitation of at Rawdat Al Faras in Al restore 300 desert trees in institutions and contribute to endangered wild plants in the Nasraniya. Rawdat Al Faras, one of the Qatar’s efforts to protect the country are top priorities for the The activity was held in most important restoration environment and its natural Ministry. To this end, our partnership with the Environ- areas related to Qatar Envi- balance. Additionally, we are department cooperates with mental Protection Reserves & ronment Day. working with diverse parties to various stakeholders in the Wildlife Department at the Min- In addition to planting wild rehabilitate endemic plants and country to ensure the imple- istry of Municipality and Envi- plants and spotting animals plant wild trees in their desert mentation of these preserva- ronment, which allocated inhabiting Rawdat Al Faras, habitats to reduce carbon emis- tions’ plans. Rawdat Al Faras to be rehabil- participants undertook a rig- sions and limit desertification “This event is one of the itated by QBG with the close orous litter cleaning campaign in Qatar. On this occasion, we cooperative aspects between cooperation of the Qatari of the area. would like to thank everyone the Ministry of Municipality and National Committee for Edu- Environmental researchers that cooperated with us to con- Environment represented by cation, Culture and Science that present at the event provided tribute to the rehabilitation of the Department of Protection in turn coordinated the partic- detailed explanations of the Rawdat Al Faras. and Wildlife and Qatar Foun- ipation of Youth Affairs types of wild plants, insects, and The wild plant restoration event organised by Quranic Botanic “QBG is aware of the envi- dation represented by QBG. It Department at the Ministry of reptiles inhabiting the area, and Garden in Al Nasraniya. ronmental challenges related is a multi-aspect cooperation Culture and Sports, and the their important role in pre- to wild plants in Qatar, and we aimed at ensuring preservation Department of Conservation serving the ecosystem. All activ- The event was held in line QBG’s goal of restoring wild are doing our best to protect of wildlife, local vegetation con- and Energy Efficiency ‘Tar- ities were held with strict with the United Nations’ SDGs, plants in their natural habitats, and preserve them. That is why, servation and the resettlement sheed’ at Qatar General Elec- adherence to social distancing the environmental pillar of combating desertification and last August, we organized an of endangered species in their tricity & Water Corporation regulations. Qatar National Vision 2030, and cooperating with the interactive webinar entitled native habitats.” Ooredoo Money opened up Samkna eyes expansion to meet rising demand to Aamali mobile users FROM PAGE 1 He said phase two — THE PENINSULA - DOHA expansion of the project — is expected to be completed in Ooredoo Qatar, the nation’s two years. “This phase includes leading telecommunications Subject to linking building a hatchery, nursery, company, has announced a their mobile service blast freezing, filleting and sea major service enhancement to food processing line (value- its Aamali plans, allowing to a QID, Ooredoo added products) to the process Aamali Mobile postpaid business customers factory,” he added. customers to activate Ooredoo Al Qamra said the second Money. will now have the phase of the project is aimed at Ooredoo Money allows cus- option of Ooredoo increasing the size and pro- tomers to create a mobile duction capacity of the fish farm Mohammed Al Qamra, General Wallet service capable of Money activation. from 16 to 32 cages, and Manager of Samkna. making local and international building and commissioning of money transfers, online, per- a hatchery and nursery with a the Qatari sea bass, the red sonal and salary payments and customer satisfaction, organically capacity of 10 million finger- snapper and the yellow fin sea- One of the Samkna farm cages. deposits and withdrawals. This increasing our Aamali and lings per annum. bream and sobaity seabream successful consumer service Ooredoo Money customer bases “The expansion plan also species in (Phase Two) from the has now been extended to users alike. Beginning with an intuitive includes one well boat , landing Samkna fish farm. packaging was built in the mining sites near the fish farm. of Aamali business lines. process for activation, it’s clear craft, crew boats and two cat- Al Qamra said that Samkna for Ruwais region near the project Clean electricity for the Subject to linking their that Aamali is all about making amarans for the daily opera- Trading and Import, the owning site on an area of 10,000 square processing plant is provided by mobile service to a QID, business life more convenient, tions of the offshore cages and and operating company of Samkna metres,” said Al Qamra. Kahramaa,” said Al Qamra. Ooredoo business customers freeing customers to concentrate harvesting,” said Al Qamra. fish farm, was established in 2015 He said a low temperature He said there are no indig- will now have the option of on driving enterprise forward.” He said it is also planned to by Al Qamra Holding, in a move to of 0-4 degrees centigrade is enous people who will be Ooredoo Money activation, Throughout 2020 Ooredoo expand the existing processing support the objectives of Qatar maintained all the time from the affected by the project. “There alongside other related services. Money won a variety of awards, plant and installation of a fil- National Vision 2030. moment of harvesting, is no sensitive biodiversity or Not only will Aamali customers award nominations and other leting line and IQF Freezer at “In its first stage, it is transport of fish to the factory, cultural heritage site on this be able to activate and enjoy accolades. the onshore factory. expected that Samkna will con- and the packing process until project. The fish cages are Ooredoo Money, but they can Business customers can “The state-of-the art fish tribute to raising the self-suffi- the fish reaches the consumer located 53km offshore where use their own number to access leverage the Ooredoo farm has been completed for full ciency rate of fish in the country to ensure the best quality and there is no critical habitat, corals mobile money – no additional Advantage, making Ooredoo monitoring system under water by up to 20 percent by pro- product freshness. affected by the farm mooring SIM is required to start using this ‘Best for Business’, thanks to its and includes 52 anchors, 1,250- viding 2,000 tons of fresh fish “The project has been systems,” said Al Qamra. convenient new service. breadth and depth of talent, metre chains, 6,920-metre annually,” said Al Qamra. established in an environmen- He said the sea water depth Sabah Rabiah Al-Kuwari, best fixed and mobile networks, ropes, 27 buoys and four navi- “In order to ensure the high tally responsible manner. It is of the fish farm is 39.5m. “The Director PR at Ooredoo, said: broadest portfolio of ICT gational buoys,” said Al Qamra. quality of fish and short delivery of low-risk based on the fol- strong current speed at this “This initiative demonstrates a services and solutions, and He said the seafood lovers time to consumers, a specialised lowing facts. There are no coal depth prevents accumulation continuing commitment to trusted partner for 60 years. will relish current product of factory for sorting and power plants nor large dams or under the cages. 06 MIDDLE EAST MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 UN warns of mass famine in Yemen ahead of donor conference AP — CAIRO tarian needs in all sectors. back drastically on aid to Yemenis who have fled The agency warned about The stark warning comes a Yemen last year. Houthi offensives since the possible displacement of A UN humanitarian agency day before a pledging con- Yemen’s war started in The conflict in Yemen start of the war, according to another 380,000 people if yesterday warned that more ference co-hosted by Sweden 2014 when the Houthi rebels has killed some 130,000 UN figures. fighting reached the actual city than 16 million people in and Switzerland. seized the capital, Sanaa, and people and spawned the The rebels have renewed of Marib, capital of the Yemen would go hungry this The UN Secretary-General much of the country’s north. world’s worst their attacks on the oil-rich province, where camps for dis- year, with already some half a Antonio Guterres will appeal The Saudi-led, US-backed humanitarian disaster. province, a holdout against placed people are already million people in the war-torn for $3.85bn in relief aid for coalition intervened months them, but have faced stiff crowded. country living in famine-like Yemen this year. later to dislodge the rebels and resistance and heavy airstrikes In the port city of Hodeida, conditions. The response to the UN restore the internationally rec- from the Saudi-led coalition. meanwhile, an overnight The UN Office for the appeal is unlikely to meet ognised government. Hundreds, mostly Houthis, explosion hit a residential area Coordination of Humanitarian expectations, given that the The conflict has killed some humanitarian crisis in a region have died in the fighting. in Al Hawal district, killing at Affairs, or OCHA, said the risk coronavirus pandemic and its 130,000 people and spawned that hosts the largest displaced OCHA said the fighting in least five civilians and of large-scale famine in the devastating consequences hit the world’s worst humanitarian population in the country, Marib has displaced more than wounding three others, the UN Arab world’s poorest country economies around the globe. disaster. according to local 8,000 civilian people, partic- mission in the strategic city “has never been more acute,” Wealthy Gulf donors such as Today’s pledging con- authorities. ularly from the district of said Sunday. adding that the years-long Saudi Arabia and the United ference comes as the Houthis The province, the location Sirwah, which hosts around The mission, known as conflict, economic decline, Arab Emirates, which con- renewed their offensive on the of the ancient Great Marib 30,000 displaced people in at UNMHA, did not say what and institutional collapse tributed generously to UN central province of Marib, Dam, has served as a sort of least 14 camps. Sirwah has seen caused the explosion or which created enormous humani- appeals in 2018 and 2019, cut stoking fears of a new haven for around 1 million the heaviest fighting, it said. party was behind it. Saudi Arabia says it intercepts Sultan of Oman receives written missile attack over capital message from

AP/REUTERS — DUBAI be explosions in the air over Riyadh. Amir of Kuwait Social media users also posted videos, QNA — MUSCAT Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it inter- with some showing residents shrieking cepted a missile attack over its capital as they watched the fiery blast pierce Sultan of Oman H M Haitham and bomb-laden drones targeting a the night sky, which appeared to be the bin Tariq Al Said received a southern province, the latest in a series kingdom’s Patriot missile batteries inter- written message yesterday of airborne assaults it has blamed on cepting the ballistic missile. from the Amir of Kuwait H H Yemen’s rebel Houthis. Col. Turki Al Maliki, the spokesman Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al The Saudi-led military coalition for the Saudi-led coalition, said the Jaber Al Sabah, pertaining to fighting in Yemen’s yearslong war Houthis were trying in “a systematic and bilateral relations and means announced the Houthis had launched a deliberate way to target civilians.” of enhancing joint cooperation ballistic missile toward Riyadh and three Six drones aimed at targeting fields between the two coun- booby-trapped drones toward the "civilians and civilian objects" were tries and the countries of the province of Jizan, with a fourth toward launched towards Jazan and Khamis region. another southwestern city and other Mushait, the coalition said in a statement H H Omani Deputy Prime drones being monitored. No casualties carried on Saudi state media. Minister for the Council of or damage were initially reported. There The US Embassy in Riyadh issued a Ministers Fahad bin Mahmoud A man inspects his house damaged by an intercepted missile in the aftermath of was no immediate comment from the warning to Americans, calling on them Al Said, received the message what Saudi-led coalition said was a thwarted missile attack, in Riyadh, yesterday. Houthis. to “stay alert in case of additional future during his meeting yesterday The attack comes amid sharply rising attacks.” with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister tensions in the Middle East, a day after Flight-tracking websites showed the state-run Saudi Press Agency The Saudi-led coalition intervened Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al a mysterious explosion struck an Israeli- a number of flights scheduled to land reported. As Yemen’s war grinds on, in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis Mohammed Al Sabah. owned ship in the Gulf of Oman. That at Riyadh’s international airport Houthi missile and drone attacks on the ousted the internationally recognised The Omani News Agency blast renewed concerns about ship diverted or delayed in the hour after kingdom have grown commonplace, government from power in the capital, stated that during the meeting, security in the strategic waterways that the attack. only rarely causing damage. Earlier this Sanaa. they reviewed relations saw a spate of attacks on oil tankers in A civil defence spokesman, month the Houthis struck an empty pas- The movement, which controls between the two countries, in 2019. Mohammed Al Hammadi, later said scat- senger plane at Saudi Arabia’s south- northern Yemen, has recently stepped addition to a number of the The state-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV tered debris resulted in material damage western Abha airport with a bomb-laden up cross-border attacks on Saudi current issues related to sup- broadcast footage of what appeared to to one house, though no one was hurt, drone, causing it to catch fire. Arabia. porting the GCC, as well as the latest developments on the international and regional arena 4.4 magnitude Turkish vaccine teams target isolated villages and issues of joint interest. quake hits AP — ANKARA, TURKEY come here,” said Dr Rustem received at least the first dose. province-by-province basis Virus cases in northwestern Iran Hasbek, head of Sivas Health Health care workers, older before allowing restaurants, Travelling across roads Services. “The geography is people and people with serious cafes and other shuttered busi- Oman at 141,496 QNA — TEHRAN covered with ice and snow, tough, the climate is tough, as medical conditions were nesses to reopen. Weekend vaccination teams have been you can see.” among the first to receive the and evening curfews could also QNA — MUSCAT An earthquake measuring 4.4 going to Turkey’s isolated Turkey rolled out the jab. be relaxed. on the Richter scale struck mountain villages as the Chinese Sinovac vaccine on “I can’t go to the hospital. I Still, infections have spiked The Omani Ministry of Health yesterday the outskirts of government seeks to inoculate Jan. 14 and has so far given out have a heart condition and I get in recent days, with Turkey announced yesterday that the Sarab, in East Azerbaijan 60% of the country’s people 8.2 million doses. The vaccine motion sickness in cars,” said recording more than 9,000 total of reported cases of coro- province, northwestern Iran. against coronavirus over the is given in two doses 28 days Gumuslu resident Zeynep Yigit, daily cases, the highest level navirus (COVID-19) in the The Seismological Center next three months. apart. 70. “The doctors came and since mid-January. Sultanate had reached 141,496. of the Geophysical Institution After much effort, medical Ankara has also ordered vaccinated us.” Overall, the country has The total number of deaths of the University of Tehran workers arrived Friday to vac- 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer- President Recep Tayyip seen more than 2.6 million due to COVID-19 reached stated in a report that the epi- cinate older villagers in BioNTech vaccine. Erdogan was expected to cases since March last year and 1,570, while the recoveries centre of the earthquake Gumuslu, a small settlement of Health Minister Fahrettin announce the easing of coro- nearly 28,500 confirmed reached 132,459, bringing the struck the outskirts of Sarab 350 in the central province of Koca said that Turkey aims to navirus restrictions later COVID-19-related deaths. recoveries rate to 94%, the in East Azerbaijan at a depth Sivas that lies 140 miles (230 vaccinate 52.5 million people yesterday. Experts say all confirmed Ministry said in a statement of 7km. kilometres) from the provincial by the end of May. To date, He previously said the gov- numbers worldwide are carried by Oman News No reports have been capital. around 10% of Turkey’s 83 ernment would evaluate the undercounts due to missed Agency. received so far about the losses “It’s a difficult challenge to million population has situation on a cases and limited testing. Patients who have been and damages. isolated in hospitals due to infections in the past 24 hours reached 19, bringing the total to 197, while patients in the Two Jordan ministers dismissed intensive care units reached for violating COVID-19 rules 67 cases, the Ministry added. REUTERS — AMMAN Police have arrested dozens of Iran hits 60,000 people for breaking stay-at-home Jordan’s interior and justice ministers orders in recent weeks and shut hun- COVID-19 deaths were fired yesterday for attending a dreds of shops and businesses in one dinner party at a restaurant that of the toughest crackdowns in a year AP — TEHRAN violated the coronavirus restrictions of lockdowns and restrictions. that their own ministries are supposed The government has also deployed Iran has surpassed 60,000 to enforce. more military personnel at hundreds known coronavirus-related Prime Minister Bisher Al Kha- of checkpoints to enforce last Thurs- deaths, the latest grim mile- sawneh accepted the resignation of day’s decision to bring forward a curfew stone for the hardest-hit Interior Minister Samir Mobeideen and from midnight to 10pm. country in the Middle East. Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni, days Officials say the latest wave of The Health Ministry after the announcement of new rules infections has been driven by people reported 93 new deaths from intended to stem a month-old surge of flouting restrictions on movement. COVID-19 yesterday and more infections driven by a more contagious Under the new rules, anyone not than 8,000 new infections, variant of the virus. wearing a face mask in public can be pushing the total infection Their appearance in a public ban- fined up to 100 dinars ($140), a punitive count over 1.63 million. queting room, disregarding social dis- sum in a relatively poor country where After more than a year of tancing rules, added to widespread the pandemic has pushed unem- the pandemic, deaths from outrage at the hefty fines slapped on ployment to record levels. COVID-19 recently have ordinary people while officials go The kingdom, with a population of declined in Iran as movement unpunished for attending functions around 10 million, has recorded restrictions in the capital have with far more than the 20 guests 380,268 coronavirus infections and set in, including inter-city allowed. 4,627 deaths. travel bans, mask mandates and school closures. The government yesterday Russian helicopter crash-lands in Syria banned incoming travellers from a list of 32 countries, AP — BEIRUT including Britain and other states in Africa and Latin A Russian military helicopter made an emergency landing for technical reasons America, due to fears of new in northeast Syria yesterday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said. Syria’s state media virus variants. said there were casualties among the crew. Iran’s vaccine drive Syria’s state news agency SANA said the incident happened near the village recently has gotten underway, of Tel Tamr in northeastern Hassakeh province. One crew member was killed with Russia’s Sputnik V and others were wounded, the report said, without further details. vaccine administered to health The Russian Defenxe Ministry said a Russian Mi-35 helicopter made an emer- workers this month. An addi- gency landing for technical reasons while patrolling Hassakeh province. tional 250,000 doses by the “According to the crew’s report, there was no firing impact on the helicopter,” Chinese state-backed pharma- the ministry said. “The crew of the Mi-35 helicopter was promptly delivered to the ceutical Sinopharm arrived in airfield by the search and rescue service. There was no threat to the fliers’ lives. Iran over the weekend. MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA 07 Families wait as Nigerian forces search for 300 abducted girls

AP — JANGEBE, NIGERIA caused international outrage. Pope Francis decried the Families in Nigeria waited Last week, UN Secretary- kidnapping and prayed for the anxiously for news of their General Antonio girls’ quick release. abducted daughters after more Guterres strongly Last week, UN Secretary- than 300 schoolgirls were condemned the General Antonio Guterres kidnapped by gunmen from a abductions and called strongly condemned the government school in the abductions and called for the country’s north last week, the for the girls’ “immediate girls’ “immediate and uncon- latest in a series of mass school and unconditional ditional release” and safe kidnappings in the West release” and safe return return to their families. African nation. to their families. He called attacks on Worried parents yesterday schools a grave violation of gathered at the school, human rights and the rights of guarded by police. Aliyu Ladan children, UN spokesman Jangebe said his five daughters girls through the town like Stephane Dujarric said. aged between 12 and 16 were animals, he said. Nigeria has seen several at the school when the kid- One resident said the such attacks and kidnappings nappers stormed in. Four were gunmen also attacked a in recent years. A team of security experts tour the JSS Jangebe school, a day after over 300 school girls were abducted taken away but one escaped nearby military camp and On Saturday, 24 students, by bandits, in Zamfara, Nigeria, on Saturday. by hiding in a bathroom with checkpoint, preventing sol- six staff and eight relatives three other girls, he told The diers from responding to the were released after being Associated Press. mass abduction. abducted on February 17 from kidnapping was in April 2014, often abduct students for community policing and “We are not in (a) good Nigerian President the Government Science when 276 girls were abducted money. The government says security in general remains a mood because when you have Muhammadu Buhari said the College Kagara in Niger state. by the rebels of Boko Haram large groups of armed men in mid-to-long-term challenge, five children and you are able government’s priority is to get In December, more than from the secondary school in Zamfara state are known to in the short term authorities to secure (just) one. We only all the hostages returned safe 300 schoolboys from a sec- Chibok in Borno state. More kidnap for money and to press must punish those responsible thank God... But we are not and unharmed. Police and the ondary school in Kankara, in than 100 of those girls are still for the release of their to send a strong message that happy,” said Jangebe. military have begun joint northwestern Nigeria, were missing. members held in jail. there will be zero tolerance “We cannot imagine their operations to rescue the girls, taken and later released. The Boko Haram is opposed to Nigeria’s criminal networks toward such acts,” said Rida situation,” he said of his said Mohammed Shehu, a government has said no western education and its may plot more such abductions Lyammouri, senior fellow at missing daughters. Residents police spokesman in Zamfara ransom was paid for the stu- fighters often target schools. if this round of kidnappings go the Policy Center for the New of a nearby village said the state. dents’ release. Other organised armed unpunished, say analysts. South, a Moroccan based think kidnappers had herded the The girls’ abduction has The most notorious groups, locally called bandits, “While improving tank. 15 Europe-bound US expresses concern over reports of abuse in Ethiopia migrants die at AP — JOHANNESBURG International. worsening humanitarian crisis,” Ethiopian government to cease fate of the Tigray region’s 6 Ethiopia’s central gov- said Blinken in a statement all hostilities in Tigray and to million people as fighting is sea off Libya The US is “gravely concerned ernment and regional officials issued on Saturday. Those allow “unhindered delivery of reportedly as fierce as ever by reported atrocities and the in Tigray both believe that each responsible for abuses in Tigray assistance to those in Tigray.” between Ethiopian and allied AP — CAIRO overall deteriorating situation” other’s governments are illegit- must be held accountable, USAID will deploy a disaster forces and those supporting the in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, imate after the pandemic dis- Blinken added, calling for an assistance team to deliver “life- now-fugitive Tigray leaders At least 15 Africans drowned Secretary of State Antony rupted elections. independent, international saving assistance,” Blinkin said. who once dominated Ethiopia’s when their boat capsized off Blinken said in the toughest “We strongly condemn the investigation into the reports of Emphasising the US concern government. Libya yesterday, a UN spokes- statement yet from the US on killings, forced removals and human rights violations. over the humanitarian crisis in No one knows how many woman said, the second ship- Ethiopia’s ongoing conflict. displacements, sexual assaults, The US urged the immediate the Tigray region, the US thousands of civilians have wreck involving migrants Accounts of atrocities by and other extremely serious withdrawal from Tigray of ambassador to the United been killed since November seeking a better life in Europe Ethiopian forces against resi- human rights violations and troops from the neighboring Nations, Linda Thomas-Green- when the conflict began. in just over a week. dents of the country’s north- abuses by several parties that country of Eritrea and from field, raised the issue in a series Humanitarian officials have Safa Msehli, a spokesman western region of Tigray were multiple organizations have Amhara, the Ethiopian region of bilateral meetings with UN warned that a growing number for the International Organi- detailed in reports by The Asso- reported in Tigray. We are also bordering Tigray. Security Council members. of people might be starving to zation for Migration, said the ciated Press and by Amnesty deeply concerned by the It also called for the Alarm is growing over the death in Tigray. dead were on a rubber boat carrying at least 110 migrants, who embarked from the Libyan coastal town of Zawiya Two killed in skirmish on Friday. The boat started to sink early Sunday and the Libyan at Chad opposition coast guard managed to rescue at least 95 migrants, including six women and two children, candidate’s house she said. Msehli said many of the REUTERS — N’DJAMENA government forces since the survivors suffered from burns incident. from engine fuel, and hypo- At least two people were killed Dillo is a formal rebel thermia, with some taken to after security forces went to leader who fought against Deby hospital. arrest Chad’s opposition in 2006 before joining his gov- “It is an additional tragedy candidate Yaya Dillo at his ernment and becoming a min- that in most cases, there is very home yesterday morning, Dillo ister. More recently, he served little search to recover the and the government said. as Chad’s representative to the bodies. The sight of bodies Dillo, who plans to run Central African Economic and washing ashore later has sadly against President Idriss Deby Monetary Community (CEMAC). become too familiar,” she in a presidential election in He is one of 16 people who added. April, told Reuters he was have announced they will run Yesterday’s shipwreck was attacked at home by members against Deby in April’s election. the latest along the Central of the presidential guard and Deby, who has been in Mediterranean migration that five family members were power since 1990, pushed route. At least 41 migrants killed, including his mother. through a new constitution in were reported dead last week, South Africa receives more vaccine doses The government said in a 2018 that reinstated term limits part of a group of some 120 statement that security forces but could let him stay in power migrants on a dinghy that left The second delivery of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is offloaded at the O R Tambo went to Dillo’s home to arrest until 2033. the North African country on International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. him after he refused to respond Hundreds took to the February 18. to two judicial mandates and streets earlier this month to Libya has become the were met with armed protest his candidacy in the major transit point for African IMF urges Tunisia to cut wage bill, energy subsidies resistance. It did not say what upcoming election. and Arab migrants hoping to the mandates were Deby has faced strikes and reach Europe, after the North REUTERS — TUNIS pandemic, political infighting preserving exchange rate flex- concerning. protests in recent years over African country plunged into and protests since last month ibility. Tunisia’s 2021 budget Two people were killed and economic woes caused by low a bloody civil war following a The International Monetary over social inequality, it is a forecasts borrowing needs $7.2 five wounded in the ensuing oil prices and armed rebellions NATO-backed uprising that Fund has urged Tunisia to cut time of unprecedented eco- billion including about $5 fight, including three in the north, but has drawn on toppled and killed longtime its wage bill and limit energy nomic hardship in the North billion in foreign loans. It puts policemen, it said. his effective control of state ruler Muammar Gaddafi in subsidies to reduce a fiscal Africa country that ran a fiscal debt repayments due this year Internet has been cut in the media and institutions to 2011. deficit, putting more pressure deficit of 11.5% of GDP in 2020. at 16 billion dinars, up from 11 capital N’Djamena since early maintain political dominance. Smugglers often pack des- on the fragile government amid The IMF said in statement billion dinars in 2020. Sunday morning, said a Reuters Chad is a key ally of perate families into ill- a severe financial and political that monetary policy should The IMF said the service witness. Western nations in the fight equipped rubber boats that crisis. focus on inflation by steering salary bill is about 17.6% of GDP, Dillo said his house has against Islamist militants in stall and founder along the With the coronavirus short term interest rates, while among the highest in the world. been surrounded by West and Central Africa. perilous route. Israel approves plan to vaccinate Palestinian labourers against COVID-19

AP/REUTERS — JERUSALEM allies in Africa, Europe and Latin population, securing deals with UN officials and human rights groups have vaccines with diplomatic allies. America. drug makers Pfizer and expressed concerns over the disparity, saying An Israeli TV station said the Israel yesterday announced The Israeli government Moderna to ensure enough sup- countries included Honduras, plans to vaccinate tens of thou- approved the programme for plies for Israel’s 9.3 million Israel is an occupying power that is responsible Guatemala, Chad and sands of Palestinians who work Palestinian workers to people. He expects to have the for the wellbeing of the Palestinians. Mauritania. inside Israel and its West Bank “maintain public health and the vast majority of the adult pop- US Sen. Bernie Sanders said settlements, at a time of vast functioning of the economy,” ulation vaccinated by the end it was “outrageous that disparities in access to vaccines said COGAT, the Israeli defence of March. control the latest coronavirus occupying power that is respon- Netanyahu would use spare between the Israeli and Pales- body responsible for Palestinian But before yesterday’s outbreak in the West Bank. sible for the wellbeing of the vaccines to reward his foreign tinian populations. civilian affairs. announcement, Israel has Some 110,000 West Bank Pal- Palestinians. allies while so many Pales- Israel has launched one of It said the programme is shared just 2,000 vaccines with estinians have permits to work Israel says that under tinians in the occupied terri- the world’s most successful vac- expected to begin in the coming the Palestinian Authority to inside Israel or in the interim peace accords of the tories are still waiting.” cination programs, inoculating days. protect front-line medical settlements. 1990s, it has no such responsi- The plan was later frozen over half of its population in just It said the vaccines would workers in the West Bank. The gap between Israel and bility. Israel has immunised its due to legal questions in Israel. two months. But it has come be administered by Israeli The Israeli programme the Palestinians has illustrated own Arab population, including The West Bank, where 3.1 under international criticism for medical teams at various check- should provide some relief to the global inequity between rich Palestinians who live in Israeli- million Palestinians live, has not sharing its vaccine stockpile points and industrial zones the Palestinians, who have and poor nations in terms of annexed east Jerusalem. reported a total of 118,519 coro- with the Palestinians in the across the West Bank. obtained just a few thousand access to vaccines. UN officials Netanyahu came under crit- navirus cases and 1,406 deaths. occupied West Bank and Gaza Prime Minister Benjamin vaccines on their own and were and human rights groups have icism last week when he Gaza has reported 55,091 Strip, even as it plans to share Netanyahu has moved aggres- forced over the weekend to expressed concerns over the announced that he was sharing cases and 549 deaths within its surplus vaccines with far-flung sively to vaccinate Israel’s impose a new lockdown to disparity, saying Israel is an small quantities of surplus population of 2 million. 08 VIEWS MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021

Established in 1996

CHAIRMAN DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI [email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR MOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED [email protected]

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR MOHAMMED OSMAN ALI [email protected] EDITORIAL Digital health passports Equal access to vaccine A VACCINE campaign has been rolled out on a massive promise to simplify travel scale in Europe, the United States, and other developed countries, while most of the low-income nations are own version of a digital health they can prove they have but without guidance around waiting for similar initiatives or trying to secure vaccine pass used to track visitors and tested negative for the virus. standards,” said Dakota via diplomatic means. ensure they are following The industry hopes more des- Gruener, ID2020’s executive Despite the huge scale of vaccine coverage in rich state-imposed rules for quar- tinations will follow suit. But director. countries, life will not return to normalcy if a vast majority antine and testing. But the the additional requirements The collaborative’s focus of the global population remains out of immunisation state also recently inked a also bring additional burdens is weaving together various process. The immunisation programmes for the bulk partnership with CLEAR, - paperwork and a patchwork efforts that will adhere to a of population in most of the countries will continue until LORI ARATANI allowing visitors to use the of rules that vary by desti- common set of principles laid mid-2022 as experts predict. THE WASHINGTON POST company’s digital platform to nation. Shifting to digital cre- out in a recent white paper. Therefore, concerns over the task of vaccinating book testing appointments dentials could smooth out the The passports must be: “pri- the populations of the poorer need a massive and col- The latest information on and verify results. process. vacy-protecting, user-con- lective global effort. travel requirements, corona- Officials at American said “It boils down to being trolled, interoperable, and The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted virus test results and someday their partnership with VeriFly able to process large quan- widely accepted for interna- COVAX, a global scheme to secure 6 billion doses of perhaps, proof of vaccinations has made it easier to move tities of people in a rea- tional travel.” vaccine for countries, and the first 2 billion doses to be - all available in one handy travelers through the check- sonable amount of time,” said Without agreed-upon given this year, which hardly cover up to 20 percent of place. That’s the appeal of the in process since VeriFly will Jeremy Drury, director of standards, travelers could find each country’s population. Even this is becoming dif- digital health passport. tell customers whether they digital and technology service themselves in a situation ficult to secure in light of delays in production and large In recent months, tech- have met requirements for at Star Alliance, the world’s where documentation that’s volumes of vaccines being booked by the wealthy nations. nology companies, trade their destinations, even largest carrier alliance with deemed acceptable by one For this, the State of Qatar repeatedly stressed the groups and nonprofit founda- before they arrive at the 26-member airlines. “You airline isn’t by another, right of everyone to obtain a fair opportunity to get the tions around the globe have airport. Automating that have to have a process in Gruener said. vaccine to contain and eradicate the virus in a safe and launched versions of a digital process eliminates the need place to allow the journey to The white paper warns effective manner, without any kind of discrimination health passport. It’s a tool for agents to manually be as seamless as it was that lack of agreement “could and away from nationalism and ethnic affiliations. they say could become indis- process each traveler’s before covid. Having a paper- undermine acceptance, Out of its awareness of the fact that confronting this pensable for travelers as paperwork. “It’s about based solution isn’t going to adoption, and ultimately, the pandemic is a collective responsibility, Qatar underlined proof of a negative corona- making the travel experience do that.” utility of digital health the importance of spreading values of equality, cooper- virus test becomes the norm less stressful for our cus- The array of options passes.” ation and transparency in efforts to address the COVID-19 for travel and as airlines and tomers,” said Preston doesn’t have to be a problem Gruener said she remains pandemic crisis by granting equal access to vaccine. countries seek ways to Peterson, director of cus- if the industry can agree on confident an agreement can be It is worth noting that the State of Qatar, since the streamline travel and prevent tomer experience innovation standards that span the forged. “We can get there - spread of COVID-19 pandemic, took exemplary initia- fraud. for American Airlines. various platforms and allow even with multiple systems - tives like providing urgent medical assistance to over But there are growing Even before the pan- users to choose one that as long as solutions adhere to 80 countries around the world and allocating $20m to concerns that the sheer demic, airlines had embraced meets their needs, Drury said. open standards and partic- support Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization number of options and lack of digital platforms for tasks that “You don’t carry six ipate in a common governance (GAVI) and the COVAX mechanism. standards could complicate used to require face-to-face purses, you shouldn’t have to framework,” she said. Qatar sought to limit the effects of the COVID-19 travel as airlines and govern- interaction, but the pandemic carry six digital wallets,” For industry groups, like pandemic since the beginning by providing various kinds ments move to adopt plat- has given many companies Drury said. the Airports Council Interna- of international aid to poor countries, reaffirming its forms that might not play well added incentive. Ease of use is the focus of tional, a member of the Good commitment and keenness, to provide all medical together. American, Alaska In 2018, Dulles Interna- the Good Pass Health Collab- Health Pass Collaborative, services without any discrimination since the beginning and Iberia airlines, for tional Airport officials orative, an initiative launched reaching an agreement is of the spread of COVID-19. example, are partnering with launched a program they in early February. Led by critical. “We’ve got to make During the public debate on the updated statement VeriFly. Emirates and Ethiad hoped would replace paper ID2020, a US-based organi- sure that the system in inter- of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the Airways are using the Inter- boarding passes with facial zation that advocates for operable. Interoperability is Human Rights Council, Qatar’s Permanent Represent- national Air Transport Associ- scans on select international digital IDs and is crafting key. Trustworthiness is key,” ative to the United Nations Office in Geneva Ambas- ation’s TravelPass on selected flights. Last year, Reagan standards for coronavirus said Michael Rossell, senior sador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, reaffirmed Qatar’s firm flights. United Airlines is National Airport began passports, its goal is to build a vice president of international standing to provide medical supports while stressing working with CommonPass, a piloting a Transportation consensus for how the plat- relations and corporate sec- the importance of international efforts related to fair and platform developed by a Security Administration forms will operate, including retary at Airports Council equal access to vaccines by supporting the low-income Swiss nonprofit called the program using facial scans at how they will protect users’ International. “We support all nations to eradicate the virus from our world and restore Commons Project Foun- security checkpoints. privacy. of this because it’s going to be normal life. dation, on certain interna- The travel industry has “Many of these efforts are absolutely essential, because tional flights but also has seized on preflight testing as a moving forward and being otherwise, we’re not going to developed its own version strategy for reopening implemented at different air- be able to give the confidence integrated into its travel app. borders. Hawaii has allowed ports by different airlines, by to governments in order to Hawaii has developed its visitors to skip quarantine if different solution providers, reopen the borders.” D-RING ROAD, POST BOX: 3488, DOHA - QATAR EMAIL: [email protected] Prevent resurgence of infections by easing restrictions in stages EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OFFICE: TEL: 4455 7741 / 767 JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI prefectures has decreased return to normal life while way to prevent infections FAX: +974 4455 7758 significantly compared to closely monitoring the from resurging. It also urged If the lifting of the state of when the emergency was infection situation in each people to refrain from MANAGING EDITOR: TEL: 4462 7505 emergency causes people to declared on Jan. 13. The area. welcome and farewell parties let down their guard, it would burden on medical institu- When the first state of and cherry-blossom viewing DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR: TEL: 4455 7769 all have been for nothing. It is tions has also been reduced to emergency was lifted in May parties. necessary for the government some extent. The decision to last year, economic activities The main cause of the LOCAL NEWS SECTION: TEL: 4455 7743 to continue urging people to lift the declaration in the were gradually resumed, but increase in the number of take thorough measures to areas where infections have this led to the second wave in infected people during the BUSINESS NEWS SECTION: TEL: 4462 7535 prevent infections with the settled down is the summer. This mistake year-end and New Year hol- novel coronavirus. understandable. should never be repeated. idays is believed to be year- SPORT NEWS SECTION: TEL: 4455 7745 Prime Minister Yoshihide The government plans to The spread of the virus end parties. Careful attention Suga has decided to lift the gradually ease the requests for has not been contained. Vac- must be paid when dining out ONLINE SECTION: TEL: 4462 7501 state of emergency declared restaurants to shorten operating cinations have just begun. In as respiratory droplets can email: [email protected] for the coronavirus pandemic hours and close by 8 p.m. in the order to avoid another state of easily spread in such settings. in six prefectures, including areas where the emergency is emergency, it is important for The government is PUBLIC RELATIONS: TEL: 4455 7613 Osaka and Fukuoka prefec- being lifted. The government each and every member of planning to conduct email: [email protected] tures, at the end of February. also plans to loosen restrictions society to stay cautious and polymerase chain reaction Tokyo and three of its neigh- on the number of spectators at diligently make efforts to curb tests in a wide range of places, ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: TEL: 4455 7837 / 780 boring prefectures will con- large-scale events. infections. including busy streets in FAX: 4455 7870, email: [email protected] tinue to be under the state of Many businesses are suf- The government's sub- urban areas and facilities for emergency, with the gov- fering economically due to committee on measures the elderly. The government CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT: TEL: 4455 7857 ernment aiming to lift it on the impact of shortening their against the virus has called for has said it will pay for the cost email: [email protected] March 7 as initially planned. hours and of people refraining people to choose to go out at of the tests and outsource The number of newly from going out. It would be times that are quiet and to them to private testing SUBSCRIPTION & DISTRIBUTION: TEL: 4455 7809 / 839 infected people in the six appropriate to gradually places that aren't busy as a companies. FAX: 44557819, email: [email protected]

www.thepeninsula.qa Quote of the day /PeninsulaQatar

/ThePeninsulaQatar The use of lethal force against peaceful protestors and arbitrary arrests are /Peninsula_Qatar unacceptable.

/ThePeninsulaNewspaper Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman

+974 6698 6188 MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 OPINION 09 A war is being waged against academic freedom in United Kingdom mischaracterisations of his Palestinian activists have all government’s ongoing assault example, Warwick University arguments or political views. warned against adopting the on British universities as sites Associate Professor Goldie One familiar falsehood is the IHRA definition, arguing that of critique and contestation. Osuri was dragged through a claim that he said the Labour it conflates anti-Jewish prej- These developments are disciplinary investigation Party under Keir Starmer is a udice with the political debate part of a long process of insti- because of her comments on recipient of “Zionist money”. over Israel and Palestine, and tutionalising the repression of the Israeli lobby’s actions and Words matter and emotive thus poses a threat to free pro-Palestinian activism. It support for Palestinian misquoting is a key tactic speech and academic has stretched across various resistance. MALIA BOUATTIA being used against the pro- freedom. spheres of public life, The University of AL JAZEERA fessor. Miller observed that The lead author of the including politics. Warwick, which has so far Starmer’s leadership cam- definition, Kenneth Stern, Between 2015 and 2019, it refused to adopt the IHRA Over the past few weeks, paign had been “in receipt of himself has raised concerns was reflected in the campaign definition, eventually David Miller, a professor of money from the Zionist about the definition being against Jeremy Corbyn and announced that it will not political sociology at Bristol movement” and specifically used to shut down Pales- his allies in the Labour Party. take any action against Osuri University in the United from Trevor Chinn, a right- tinian activism on university Many who actually support on the grounds of “free Kingdom, has been the wing Labour donor. campuses. Several leading the Palestinian struggle and speech”. subject of a vicious smear Chinn was close both to anti-Semitism experts have did not agree with the accusa- This led to pro-Israel The clearer it campaign, alleging he has the New Labour project and also argued that it fails to tions of anti-Semitism organisations doubling their becomes that made anti-Semitic comments. to Prime Minister Boris provide an accurate defi- directed at the former Labour efforts to pressure the uni- Individuals and groups such Johnson while he was mayor nition of anti-Semitism and leader, chose to remain silent versity to adopt the IHRA def- Miller is part of a as the Board of Deputies of of London. Since 1973, Chinn may even hinder the efforts to avoid the same vitriol. The inition of anti-Semitism, wider movement, British Jews (BoD), the has been chairman and then to eradicate it. result was those who spoke making further obvious the Community Security Trust president of the United Jewish Nevertheless, amid up against Israel’s crimes link between the definition committed to (CST) and the Union of Jewish Israel Appeal, described by unprecedented political were kicked out of the and the criminalisation of protecting free Students (UJS), are queueing the Jewish Leadership Council pressure, many British uni- political arena one by one. pro-Palestinian voices in speech and academic up to tarnish his reputation as “the major fund-raising versities, from Cambridge to In Labour’s case, an British academia. and demand his sacking. organisation for Israel”. Bristol, have moved to adopt unwillingness to treat the If Miller loses his job over freedom, the For over a decade, Miller The attacks against Miller the controversial definition. Israeli lobby’s influence on his comments on Israel and harder it will be for has done research on the are part of a chilling wave of Last October, Education our politics with the scep- Zionism, it would represent a increasing public attacks on intimidation sweeping across Secretary Gavin Williamson ticism it deserves was key victory for those cam- the University of the Palestine solidarity British universities, targeting said the government may take decisive. The only brief paigning to institutionalise the Bristol to victimise movement, as well as the sur- critics of Israel. Years of regulatory action against the moment of resistance came in IHRA definition and crimi- veillance and securitisation of onslaughts by the British gov- remaining higher education January 2017, after revela- nalise Palestinian activism on him and the safer Muslim communities as a ernment and the Israel lobby institutions that refuse to tions by Al Jazeera that the our campuses and across dissenting voices result of the so-called “war on on Palestine solidarity move- adopt the definition, and even Israeli embassy was trying to other institutions. It could also terror”. It is notable that the ments in UK universities have threatened to “suspend their “take down” MPs deemed intimidate other academics will be to articulate accusations of “anti- led us to this point. funding streams” if they do insufficiently pro-Israel. who speak up for Palestinian a different vision of Semitism” levelled at him One of the main develop- not change their stance by the Support for Palestine, crit- rights. the world, across arise from a lecture he gave ments which have accelerated end of the year. icism of Israel and of British If those in British on the Zionist movement’s this campaign has been the More recently, Williamson policy are also now increas- academia who disagree with higher education and involvement in promoting adoption of the International has put forward the idea of ingly regarded as key indi- the campaign being waged society. Islamophobia, a well-known Holocaust Remembrance Alli- creating a “free speech cators of “radicalisation” in against Miller choose to fact among scholars who ance’s (IHRA) definition of champion” for the education government programmes, remain silent out of fear, the study the Palestinian anti-Semitism by public sector, whose task will be to which have also dispropor- same thing will happen in question. institutions. combat no-platforming pol- tionally targeted Muslim com- their universities. The attacks on Miller rely Prominent lawyers, aca- icies – a move which would munities in the UK. It is only through col- on calculated demics, student groups and further strengthen the We know where this can lective resistance, and soli- go. In France, government darity with those who are ministers are cooking up con- being targeted, that we can spiracy theories about protect ourselves, free speech, “Islamo-Leftism” to demonise and academic freedom. Muslims – a policy that has It may only be Miller who been accompanied by raids is being targeted today, but if and harassment targeting a we do not act swiftly and swathe of prominent Muslim decisively, there will be others charities and mosques. In tomorrow and others still the Austria, scholars of Islamo- day after. phobia already face direct Now is the time to speak intimidation by the author- up, to pass motions of soli- ities and even police raids, darity in local student unions after such hysteria has been and university college union whipped up about Muslim branches, to issue statements conspiracies. of support through student In the UK, there have been societies. calls by the neo-conservative The clearer it becomes right for the government to that Miller is part of a wider adopt similar heavy-handed movement, committed to policies. protecting free speech and Meanwhile, the dominant academic freedom, the trend among higher education harder it will be for the Uni- institutions has been to ignore versity of Bristol to victimise the mounting demands to him and the safer dissenting protect academic freedom. voices will be to articulate a Universities have been different vision of the world, unwilling to challenge the across higher education and government. society. Miller is not the only aca- Malia Bouattia is an demic in Britain who has activist and former President faced pressure for speaking of the National Union of A file photo of pro-Palestine protesters outside Downing Street in London, UK. against Zionism. Last year, for Students. Pushing back against anti-vaccine extremism anti-vaccine activists have Angeles is planning such a I don’t underestimate the the pandemic from champi- told the Los Angeles Times zone for Dodger Stadium. backlash from anti-vaccine oning evidence-based that they intend to keep dis- Surely similar laws can be protesters that awaits anyone policies. rupting vaccination efforts. enacted to discourage har- who tries to rein in their poi- Beyond legislation, gov- This campaign to deny assment of those seeking pro- sonous efforts. When measles ernment must better educate potentially lifesaving vaccines tection from a deadly virus. hit Disneyland in 2015 - one people about how vaccines to those seeking them, and to A major weapon of anti- sad result of a sustained, mis- benefit the entire community. RICHARD PAN poison public opinion against vaccine extremists is the ability information campaign against We should fully fund local THE WASHINGTON POST vaccinations, could result in to organize disinformation the measles vaccine - I wrote health departments, protect countless American deaths. campaigns on Facebook and a California law that abol- public health officials, and rely That is akin to domestic other social media. Corporate ished nonmedical exemptions on those officials- not politi- Vaccines don’t stop viruses. terrorism. owners of these platforms can for vaccinations required for cians- to lead in times of Vaccinations do. This Public health officials, moderate and close down school enrollment. We health crisis. There’s no room Public health common public health saying police and fire departments groups that promote disinfor- needed to restore community for partisanship in a pandemic officials, police and means a vaccine does no good must join hands with a mation and endanger lives. immunity to measles, and that that has killed more than a if we can’t get it into people’s common goal of securing vac- Why don’t these companies was the best way to achieve it. half-million Americans. fire departments arms. Insufficient supplies, cination sites for patients. But, treat anti-vaccine activists the Because I sponsored the bill, I The country’s founding must join hands natural disasters and bureau- like the virus itself, anti-vaccine same way? was attacked - and continue motto, “E pluribus unum,” or, cratic mistakes have slowed extremists are crafty at finding A troubling thought is that to be harassed - by these anti- “Out of many, one,” defines with a common efforts, but the overall goal of new ways to threaten people. both the social media com- science extremists. In 2019, our sacred civic duty to love goal of securing vaccinating a large majority of Disruptions are possible any- panies and the extremists one of them physically others as much as ourselves. vaccination sites the US population may ulti- where vaccinations are being have a financial interest in attacked me on the street in As Pope Francis has said of mately be hampered by the administered, at sites large and continuing as before. Coordi- Sacramento, proudly live- the coronavirusvaccines, “It is for patients. But, anti-vaccine movement small - even at pharmacies, just nated attacks on the truth by streaming it to his 4,500 the moral choice because it is like the virus unless steps are taken to limit as anti-maskers have harassed anti-vaccine propagandists Facebook followers. about your life but also the its impact. employees and customers at are the best advertising for Taking concerted steps to lives of others.” Getting vacci- itself, anti-vaccine Otherwise, America may stores. the alternative remedies and counter the coronavirus anti- nated is a patriotic act. So is extremists are witness more scenes like the Laws need to be magical supplements that vaccine movement has speaking up to support public one in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, strengthened to deter such many anti-vaccine leaders already resulted in violent health efforts. Let’s not allow crafty at finding when a mob of anti-vaccine actions. We can still honor the sell to their followers. threats being hurled at me extremism, division or fear to new ways to protesters stormed Dodger First Amendment and make In other words, some anti- and my legislative colleagues slow the efforts to end this Stadium, one of the nation’s sure people have access to vaccine leaders’ financial as recently as Thursday. Last deadly chapter in our nation’s threaten people. largest vaccination centers. vaccinations. Laws have been well-being depends on month, an anti-vaccine history. These extremists succeeded in in place for years creating endangering everyone else’s extremist shouted from the Richard Pan is a pedia- temporarily shutting down buffer zones to distance pro- health and safety. Social Senate gallery, “We didn’t buy trician and California state the site, delaying patients, testers from abortion clinics - media companies should not guns for nothing.” But that senator. He is the honorary many of them elderly, from legislation that has withstood be complicit in this dangerous should not deter anyone co-chair of ReadytoVac- getting their shots. The plenty of court challenges. Los movement. who’s interested in fighting cinate.org. 10 ASIA MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 Myanmar police open fire on protesters, 18 dead

REUTERS — YANGON did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. Myanmar police fired on Police were out in force The dead in Yangon protesters around the country early and opened fire in included a teacher, Tin New yesterday in the bloodiest day different parts of the Yee, who died after police of weeks of demonstrations biggest city of Yangon swooped to disperse a teachers’ against a military coup and at after stun grenades, tear protest with stun grenades, least 18 people were killed, the sending the crowd fleeing, her UN human rights office said. gas and shots in the air daughter and a fellow teacher Police were out in force failed to break up said. early and opened fire in dif- crowds. Soldiers also Police also hurled stun gre- ferent parts of the biggest city reinforced police. nades outside a Yangon medical of Yangon after stun grenades, school, sending doctors and stu- tear gas and shots in the air dents in white lab coats scat- failed to break up crowds. Sol- tering. A group called the diers also reinforced police. her party won in a landslide. Whitecoat Alliance of medics Several wounded people The coup, which brought a said more than 50 medical staff were hauled away by fellow halt to tentative steps towards had been arrested. Protesters take cover as they clash with riot police officers during a protest against the military coup protesters, leaving bloody democracy after nearly 50 Police broke up protests in in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday. smears on pavements, media years of military rule, has other towns, including Lashio images showed. One man died drawn hundreds of thousands in the northeast, Myeik in the after being brought to a hospital onto the streets and the con- deep south and Hpa-An in the forces’ clear escalation in use nationwide crackdown. It was I can,” he told Reuters in New with a bullet in the chest, said a demnation of Western east, residents and media said. of lethal force in multiple towns not clear how many were York. While Western countries doctor who asked not to be countries. Junta leader General Min and cities... is outrageous and detained on Sunday. have condemned the coup and identified. Among the dead were three Aung Hlaing said last week unacceptable,” Phil Robertson, Youth activist Esther Ze some have imposed limited “Police and military forces people in Dawei in the south, authorities were using minimal deputy Asia director of New Naw said people were battling sanctions, the generals have have confronted peaceful dem- politician Kyaw Min Htike told force to deal with the protests. York-based Human Rights the fear they had lived with traditionally shrugged off dip- onstrations, using lethal force Reuters from the town. Nevertheless, at least 21 Watch, said in a statement. under military rule. lomatic pressure. They have and less-than-lethal force that The Myanmar Now media protesters have now died in the The Canadian Embassy said “It’s obvious they’re trying promised to hold a new election — according to credible infor- outlet reported two people had turmoil. The army said a it was “appalled by a trend of to instil fear in us by making us but not set a date. mation received by the UN been killed in a protest in the policeman has been killed. increased violence and use of run and hide,” she said. Suu Kyi’s party and sup- Human Rights Office — has left second city of Mandalay. The crackdown would force against protesters” and “We can’t accept that.” porters said the result of the at least 18 people dead and over Security forces fired again later appear to indicate determi- Indonesia, which has taken the State television announced on November vote must be 30 wounded,” the UN human in the day and one woman was nation by the military to impose lead within the Association of Saturday that Myanmar’s UN respected. rights office said. killed, Mandalay resident Sai its authority in the face of Southeast Asian Nations envoy had been fired for Suu Kyi, 75, who spent Myanmar has been in chaos Tun said. defiance, not just on the streets (Asean) in efforts to resolve the betraying the country, after he nearly 15 years under house since the army seized power “The medical team checked but more broadly in the civil turmoil, said it was deeply urged the United Nations to use arrest, faces charges of illegally and detained elected gov- her and confirmed she didn’t service, municipal adminis- concerned. “any means necessary” to importing six walkie-talkie ernment leader Aung San Suu make it. She was shot in the tration, the judiciary, the edu- State-run MRTV television reverse the coup. radios and of violating a natural Kyi and much of her party lead- head,” Sai Tun said. cation and health sectors and said more than 470 people had The ambassador, Kyaw Moe disaster law by breaching coro- ership on February 1, alleging Police and the spokesman the media. been arrested on Saturday Tun, remained defiant. “I navirus protocols. The next fraud in a November election for the ruling military council “The Myanmar security when police launched the decided to fight back as long as hearing in her case is today. Thai protesters, Thailand begins vaccination with Sinovac shots police clash REUTERS — BANGKOK Charnvirakul, who is also the Chan-ocha, 66, attended the high-risk provinces, which will doses of CoronaVac in March and near army unit health minister, among others at event, although his age falls start injecting front-line health April. A mass campaign to Thailand kicked off its COVID-19 an infectious diseases institute on outside the range of 18 to 59 professionals and volunteers on administer 10 million doses a King controls inoculation campaign yesterday, the outskirts of Bangkok. suitable to receive SinoVac’s Sunday, the health ministry has month is set to begin in June, with with cabinet ministers, health “I hope that the vaccination CoronaVac vaccine, so he did not said. 61 million shots of AstraZeneca officials and medical profes- will result in people being safe get it. AstraZeneca’s vaccine will be vaccines produced by local firm REUTERS — BANGKOK sionals among the first in the from the spread of COVID-19 and Thailand received its first ready for use by the second week Siam Bioscience. With a tally of queue to receive vaccinations. it allows Thailand to return to 200,000 doses of the Sinovac of March, after going through just over 25,000 infections, Thai police used tear gas and The first doses of vaccine, normalcy as soon as possible,” vaccine from China and 117,00 quality control tests, the company Thailand has escaped the kind of water cannon against protesters developed by China’s Sinovac Anutin told reporters imported doses of AstraZeneca’s said in a statement. fallout suffered by some other marching on a military base in Biotech, were given to Deputy afterwards. vaccine this week. CoronaVac Thailand is expected to take countries since the pandemic Bangkok yesterday to call for Prime Minister Anutin Prime Minister Prayuth has been distributed to 13 delivery of a further 1.8 million began last year. King Maha Vajiralongkorn to give up direct command of the army unit housed there. Protesters threw bottles at Philippines receives first police and marched right up to a barricade of shipping con- tainers and barbed wire at the vaccine doses from China entrance to the base of the 1st Infantry Regiment in Bangkok, AP — MANILA darity when crisis strikes. one of several army units that Vaccinations initially of health government of Prime Minister The Philippines received its first workers and top officials led by Prayuth Chan-ocha transferred batch of COVID-19 vaccine the health secretary were to the king’s control in 2019. yesterday, among the last in scheduled to start in six Metro- The Thai youth-led political Southeast Asia to secure the politan Manila hospitals Monday. movement rose up last year to critical doses despite having the Aside from the donated demand Prayuth’s resignation second-highest number of coro- Sinovac vaccine, the government and broke taboos by calling for navirus infections and deaths in has separately ordered 25 million reforms of the monarchy. the hard-hit region. doses from the China-based Protesters also showed A Chinese military transport company. Health Secretary Fran- support for anti-coup demon- aircraft carrying 600,000 doses cisco Duque III said the delivery strations in Myanmar, which of vaccine donated by China of an initial 525,600 doses of has been in chaos since the arrived in an air base in the AstraZeneca’s vaccine that was army seized power and capital. President Rodrigo Duterte initially scheduled for Monday detained elected government and top Cabinet officials expressed would be delayed by a week due leader Aung San Suu Kyi. relief and thanked Beijing for the to supply problems. “Prayuth welcoming a the vaccine from China-based The initial deliveries are a Myanmar official from their Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian walk away from a Chinese Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in a televised small fraction of at least 148 military gov ernment to military aircraft carrying the first batch of Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac at Villamor Air Base, Pasay, ceremony. million doses the government has Thailand earlier this week also “COVID-19 vaccines should been negotiating to secure from in Metro Manila, Philippines, yesterday. show that he is supporting the be treated as a global public good Western and Asian companies to dictator there,” Chukiat and made available to all, rich and vaccinate about 70 million Fili- set back Manila’s economy in one The tough-talking Duterte has war exercises in the Philippines if Sangwong, a Thai protest leader poor alike,” Duterte said, warning pinos for free in a massive cam- of the worst recessions in the said wealthy Western countries Washington could not provide at said, referring to Prayuth. “This that “no one is safe until everyone paign. The bulk of the vaccine region and sparked unem- have cornered massive doses for least 20 million doses of is not ok with the Myanmar is safe.” shipments are expected to arrive ployment and hunger. their citizens, leaving poorer COVID-19 vaccine. people, so they have joined us China’s ambassador to the later this year. Duterte’s administration has nations scrambling for the rest. In “No vaccine, no stay here,” here,” he said. Philippines, Huang Xilian, said The Philippines has reported come under criticism for lagging a sign of desperation, the pres- Duterte said then. Public criticism of the king China has exported vaccines to 27 more than 576,000 infections, behind most other Southeast ident said last December that he The Chinese vaccine delivery is illegal in Thailand, with insults countries despite its own domestic including 12,318 deaths, the Asian countries in securing the would proceed to abrogate a key was delayed due to the absence to the monarchy punishable by needs, adding “no winter lasts second-highest totals in Southeast vaccines, including much smaller security pact with the United of an emergency-use authori- up to 15 years in prison under forever” when China and other Asia after Indonesia. Lockdowns and poorer ones like Cambodia, States that allows large numbers sation from Manila’s Food and the country’s strict lese majeste countries help each other in soli- and quarantine restrictions have Myanmar and Laos. of American troops to conduct Drug Administration. law. India unlikely to see second wave of new infections

ANADOLU — NEW DELHI decline, several states are seeing reading, is what is happening.” John cited several reasons vaccinations would begin March school/college staff so that you an increase in infections, trig- John believes the current why India’s vaccination drive has 1. John underlined that it would can boldly reopen educational India may not see a second wave gering concern. vaccine is likely to be effective not gone as expected. be best to “selectively vaccinate institutions,” he said. “Third all of coronavirus cases although Asked about the mutant against variants, “partly because “Bad design, no public edu- those who were not known to be transport workers, buses, trucks, there may be small increases in strains N440K and E484Q earlier infection with the then- cation, no openness about infected in the past” with the police, sanitary staff as one group. new infections, according to detected in the western state of prevalent virus seems to be pro- adverse reactions, no clarity on disease, adding that vaccinating Fourth, open to all who want, India’s leading virologist T. Jacob Maharashtra, John said variants tective against new mutant choice between two vaccines, another 30% in April-May “will including adolescents.” John. had higher transmission rates variants.” vaccines not yet licensed but be ideal.” He also noted that India could India’s graph peaked on Sep- and spread quickly. “Until proven otherwise, we under restricted emergency use “Since we started quite late, be close to achieving herd tember 16 and since then, the “Mutant variants (strain is too assume that the mutation has not -- hence apprehension among such speed is essential, and pos- immunity. decline has been “steady,” John strong a term) have transmission changed antigenic make up and people,” he said. sible [...] We can do it if the Gov- “There is a concept of ‘herd told Anadolu Agency in an advantage. So, when there was a the current vaccines should be Saying the government must ernment sought cooperation immunity threshold’ which is the interview, adding: “My judgement proportion of uninfected people, effective,” he said. vaccinate at least 30% of the pop- from all quarters and not try to herd immunity level to end the is that we will not have a second say 40%, and the original virus India’s Health Ministry said ulation in February and March to go alone,” he said. epidemic [...] That is about wave as such but here and there would have spread slowly, the there is no relation between the affect infection numbers, he said “My suggestions are first, 60-70%,” he explained. “Since small increases may occur [...] mutant may infect faster and recent surge in cases in Mahar- the vaccination program should prevent severe disease and January 28, India has not crossed Such increases may affect rural spread more rapidly hitting more ashtra and other states where the be given more attention. deaths, for which elderly and 18,000 new infections per day. areas more than urban.” people in a short time,” he said. virus’s variants have been The government had those with comorbidities have to That means we are almost there, After days of consistent “This, according to my detected. announced the second phase of be vaccinated, and second, all if not already there.” MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 ASIA 11 HK charges 47 pro-democracy activists with subversion

REUTERS — HONG KONG police stations across the city pumped their fists and Forty-seven Hong Kong pro- The tightening legal expressed defiance, flanked by democracy campaigners and noose on local activists supporters. activists were charged comes as Chinese “Constant suppression yesterday with conspiracy to officials prepare to would never abate our faith,” commit subversion in the unveil electoral reforms said Jimmy Sham. largest single crackdown on the Of those arrested in January, opposition under a China- that will likely further only eight were not charged imposed national security law. diminish the role and yesterday, including US human Among them was Sam influence of opposition rights lawyer John Clancey and Cheung, a 27-year-old activist forces in public office. veteran activist James To, who and a participant in an unof- remain on bail. ficial primary election last The tightening legal noose summer, who was charged after on local activists comes as reporting to a local police the single count. They will Chinese officials prepare to station. appear in court today morning. unveil electoral reforms that “Hong Kongers have a really The decision to charge will likely further diminish the tough time these days,” he told many activists in a single swoop role and influence of opposition reporters before entering the could potentially strike hard at forces in public office. station. the opposition movement. “This is a very strong signal “I hope everyone won’t give Those charged included vet- from President Xi (Jinping) that up on Hong Kong... (and) fight erans like Leung Kwok-hung, he wants to eradicate the whole on.” Cheung was arrested in a Eddie Chu and Alvin Yeung; pro-democracy camp in Hong dawn raid along with 54 other former law professor Benny Tai Kong,” exiled activist Sunny pro-democracy campaigners and prominent young cam- Cheung, who had himself taken Pro-democracy activist Benny Tai is greeted by media members as he arrives to report to the police on Jan. 6 in the largest national paigners like Lester Shum, part in the primary election, told station over national security law charges, in Hong Kong, yesterday. security operation since the law Joshua Wong and Owen Chow. Reuters by phone. passed last June. The European Union Office “If the international com- They were accused of in Hong Kong called for the munity doesn’t react to the had disbanded. tracted legal appeals. protests in 2019 against per- organising and participating in immediate release of those authoritarianism of the Chinese The Hong Kong police say The sweeping national ceived Chinese suppression of the unofficial primary last July arrested. Communist Party, Xi will win 99 individuals have been security laws punish acts of Hong Kong’s basic liberties and aimed at selecting the strongest “The nature of these charges and liberty and democracy will arrested for suspected viola- subversion, secession, collusion autonomy under the “one candidates for a legislative makes clear that legitimate fall.” tions of the security laws so far. with foreign forces and ter- country, two systems” council election. political pluralism will no A rights advocacy group, Some of these, including rorism with possible life arrangement. This was put in The Hong Kong police said longer be tolerated in Hong “Power for Democracy”, which media mogul and prominent imprisonment. place in 1997 when the city in a statement they had laid a Kong,” it said in a statement. co-organised the primary elec- China critic Jimmy Lai, have China justified the laws to reverted from British to Chinese charge against 47 persons with Some who reported to tions, said in a Facebook post it been denied bail despite pro- restore order following mass rule. Drive-thru service to boost vaccination drive in Indonesia Australia receives AstraZeneca vials; ramps up vaccination drive BLOOMBERG — JAKARTA said in a virtual news briefing. up the vaccine campaign,” delivery-partners and 2,500 Indonesia has made it man- Health Minister Budi Gunadi public sector workers in Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing datory for eligible citizens to Sadikin said at the briefing. tourism in Bali. More drive-thru REUTERS — MELBOURNE doses is expected to reach 1 giant Grab Holdings Inc. is take a shot. Indonesia Allows Private centers will be set up soon in million by the end of March setting up drive-thru vacci- The nation is aggressively Vaccine Program to Quicken various cities, Kramadibrata Australia received 300,000 when CSL Ltd begins to locally nation services across Indo- rolling out a mass-inoculation Rollout The Grab vaccine center said. doses of the AstraZeneca PLC produce 50 million of the Astra- nesia in collaboration with the drive as it struggles to contain in Bali is prepared to dispense As of Saturday, 1.47 million vaccine yesterday, more than Zeneca doses. government to help the nation the largest coronavirus out- 840 shots a day, for a total of people in Indonesia have doubling the amount of all Yesterday, there were no inoculate more than 180 million break in Southeast Asia. It plans 5,000 vaccinations in a week, received their first dose of the vaccines shipped to the country new cases of the coronavirus people against COVID-19. to vaccinate 70 million people the company said in a Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine, so far and allowing the recorded across Australia, the The program, which started by August, roughly a third of the statement. while over 980,000 have taken government to ramp up its 30th such day so far in 2021. yesterday on the resort island total target of 181.5 million for The first centre plans to their second. Around 1.3 million COVID-19 immunisation drive. There have been no related of Bali, is the first to be done in the public campaign. vaccinate 2,500 drivers in the people in the country have been Mass vaccinations for Aus- deaths this year. Southeast Asia, Grab Indonesia “We need to collaborate transportation sector, including infected and more than 35,000 tralia’s 25 million people began Australia has fared better President Ridzki Kramadibrata with the private sector to speed Grab drivers and died from the virus. on Monday after the arrival of a than most advanced economies first batch of more than 142,000 thanks to swift border closures, doses of the Pfizer Inc and high community compliance Gunmen shoot dead BioNTech SE vaccine. with public health measures and “We will now be able to scale aggressive testing and tracing. It cleric, his son and up the vaccination rollout to our has reported fewer than 29,000 student in Islamabad priority groups, including our coronavirus infections and 909 most vulnerable Australians and COVID-19 deaths. AP — ISLAMABAD to our frontline border and A February Ipsos poll con- health workers,” Prime Minister ducted with the World Economic A trio of gunmen shot and Scott Morrison said in a Forum in 15 countries showed killed a religious cleric, his statement. that about three-quarters of Aus- teenage son and a student on Up to 4 million Australians tralians intend to take a the outskirts of Pakistan’s are expected to be inoculated by COVID-19 vaccine. capital Islamabad, police March, with Morrison being On Saturday, about 200 said, amid a rise in militant among a small group receiving people protested the vaccination attacks. the first round of the Pfizer/ drive in front of the office of Police officer Shahzad BioNTech vaccine. Health Minister Greg Hunt. Hunt Khan said the killing took Most people will be vacci- said yesterday that some of the place in the Bhara Kahu nated with the University of people opposing vaccinations neighbourhood when Mufti Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The were spreading “false and clearly Ikramur Rehman was weekly number of administered irresponsible” views. heading toward his car with his 13-year-old son and a seminary student late on Sat- urday night. Kazakhstan: Many He said three assailants fired several shots before fleeing the scene. The cleric, his son and the student held at oppn rallies received multiple gunshot wounds and died at a REUTERS — ALMATY described as political hospital. A new beginning prisoners. No one immediately Police in Kazakhstan detained A reporter saw police detain claimed responsibility for the Vietnamese military new recruits wear face masks amid the spread of the coronavirus disease as dozens of opposition supporters at least 50 people near a park attack and Khan said an they attend a ceremony before leaving for military service, in Hanoi, Vietnam. yesterday who took to the in central Almaty. Dozens of investigation was underway streets of major cities people who rallied in another to ascertain the identity of denouncing what they called location could be seen com- the assailants and the motive political repression in the pletely surrounded by police in behind the killings. Central Asian nation. black balaclavas and riot gear. Ikramur Rehman was Auckland locks down yet again The ruling Nur Otan party “Nazarbayev, go away,” affiliated with the party of has dominated the political chanted some protesters, firebrand cleric Maulana REUTERS — MELBOURNE Zealand are to be tightened to scene in the former Soviet referring to Kazakhstan’s influ- Fazlur Rehman, who heads Level 2, setting limits on public republic for almost three ential ex-President Nursultan an 11-party opposition Exactly a year after New Zealand The seven-day lockdown gatherings. The measures have decades while opposition Nazarbayev, who has retained alliance to topple the recorded its first coronavirus of a population of nearly disrupted several key events set movements, sidelined and with sweeping powers after government. case, the biggest city of Auckland 2 million, announced for Auckland next week. no seats in parliament, mostly resigning almost two years ago Militant violence in woke yesterday to a second late on Saturday by The America’s Cup yacht make themselves heard and helped to ensure the Pakistan is on the rise. Last lockdown this month, as author- Prime Minister Jacinda race was postponed yesterday through public protests. election of a hand-picked week, four vocational school ities try to rein in a cluster of the and the Twenty20 International Supporters of two separate successor. instructors who advocated more contagious UK variant. Ardern, was prompted cricket match has been shifted opposition groups rallied in dif- The authorities have issued for women’s rights were trav- The seven-day lockdown of by the case of a person to Wellington, to be played ferent locations in Kazakhstan’s a pre-emptive warning that elling together when they a population of nearly 2 million, who had been infectious behind closed doors on Friday. biggest city, Almaty, and a few yesterday’s protests would be were gunned down in a announced late on Saturday by for a week but not in A popular Lantern Festival other big cities yesterday to illegal, saying that the organ- Pakistan border region. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, isolation. due to start next weekend has demand political reforms and isers failed to observe required A Twitter death threat was prompted by the case of a also been cancelled. the release of people they legal procedures. against Nobel laureate Malala person who had been infectious Social media users around Yousafzai attracted an ava- for a week but not in isolation. have,” Ardern said, promising the world expressed dismay at lanche of trolls who heaped “It is more than likely there police action over breaches of the lockdown of a large city abuse on the young champion will be additional cases in the the rules on self-isolating. over a single case, with one of girls education. community,” Ardern told a tel- Opposition leader Judith Twitter user writing, “They are A couple of men on a evised news conference, Collins urged tougher penalties insane.” However, New Zea- motorcycle opened fire on a although no new cases were for those who do not follow land’s swift measures during police check-post not far recorded yesterday. advice on isolation. the past year, combined with from the Afghan border The move follows a three- “No one wants to be yo- aggressive contact tracing and killing a young police con- day stay-at-home order in mid- yoing in and out lockdown,” border closure, have been stable. In recent weeks, at February after the UK variant of Collins said in a statement. credited for its success in least a dozen military and the virus that causes COVID-19 The new lockdown, part of restraining the pandemic. paramilitary men have been emerged in New Zealand. About Level 3 curbs, lets people leave With 5 million people, New killed in ambushes, attacks 14 cases are linked to the cluster. home only for essential Zealand has recorded just over and operations against mil- “Despite our best efforts to shopping and work, while 2,000 infections since the start itant hideouts, mostly in the date, recent cases have gone to public venues will stay shut. of the pandemic, and 26 Opposition supporters take part in a protest, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, western border regions. work when they shouldn’t Curbs elsewhere in New deaths. yesterday. 12 EUROPE MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021

Heathrow airport France calls talks after imposes passenger cross-border travel charges to cover pandemic costs curbs by Germany BLOOMBERG — LONDON

London’s Heathrow airport over virus spread will charge departing passengers an extra £8.90 REUTERS — PARIS ($12.40) in an effort to claw back costs as the coronavirus France said it was in talks with Germany’s Robert Koch crisis depresses air travel. the German government to try Institute (RKI) for The tariff is permitted by and avoid the cross-border infectious diseases the UK’s aviation regulator travel restrictions announced yesterday classified the under a protocol that allows by Berlin yesterday after the hub to cover costs for util- concern about the spread of Moselle district as an area ities, baggage and check-in COVID-19 in the French region of concern due to the services. Heathrow makes of Moselle. spread of a coronavirus “zero profit” from such activ- Germany’s Robert Koch variant first detected in ities, with the fees covering Institute (RKI) for infectious operating and maintenance diseases yesterday classified South Africa. The decision expenses, it said in a statement the Moselle district as an area prompted Berlin to Sunday. of concern due to the spread of announce that Germany Heathrow has been hit a coronavirus variant first would impose restrictions particularly hard by the pan- detected in South Africa. The demic since it relies on long- decision prompted Berlin to on travel from the Moselle haul markets that have been Rally in Catalonia announce that Germany would region from tomorrow. all-but wiped out. The airport People hold signs and flags during a protest to demand a pro-independence regional government impose restrictions on travel last week posted a 2 billion- in Catalonia, in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday. The signs read “Independence” and “We are 52%”. from the Moselle region from pound loss for 2020 after pas- tomorrow. and had been trying to avoid senger numbers tumbled 73%, Public transport between restrictions on its border with a decline it says has left it Moselle and the German states France. unable to cover the costs of of Rhineland-Palatinate and Beaune said that providing some services. German states want unused AstraZeneca Saarland will be suspended, measures being discussed The new per-passenger and commuters arriving from with the German government levy, or Airport Cost Recovery vaccine be given to younger people Moselle by car will need to to avoid outright border con- Charge, is due to be imposed for produce a negative COVID-19 trols included the possibility the rest of this year and was REUTERS — FRANKFURT Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria including fever and muscle pain test. of requiring people crossing agreed with airlines as the pre- and Saxony told German papers led some front-line workers to Police will not set up sta- the border to show proof they ferred way for Heathrow to Several German states called yesterday that if shots ear- call in sick. The other shots tionary border controls, but will had tested negative for recover its costs, according to yesterday for unused Astra- marked for older Germans stay approved in Europe, developed make random checks, German COVID-19 within the past two the so-called general notice Zeneca coronavirus vaccines unused, the prioritisation by Pfizer and Moderna, have authorities said. or three days rather than in dated Feb. 4 that details the to be given to younger people, scheme should be softened, been linked to similar tem- France’s Europe Minister the last 24 hours, and he said price increases. as worries about side effects allowing younger people to get porary side-effects. Clement Beaune said on France things were moving in the Heathrow, controlled by and efficacy, as well as a it sooner than originally The German government Inter radio that he regretted the right direction. interests including Spanish recommendation it be used planned. urged the public on Friday to German decision. France has resisted builder Ferrovial SA, private- only for under 65s, have meant “We cannot afford the take the AstraZeneca vaccine “We are in discussions with imposing a new national equity firm Alinda Capital low take-up of available doses. vaccine sitting around and not while the head of the Robert the German authorities who lockdown to control more Partners and China Investment The German health ministry being used because some of Koch Institute for Infectious Dis- just classified Moselle as a zone contagious variants, but has Corp., will also charge a £4.44- said this week it had adminis- those entitled reject it”, Baden- eases, Lothar Wieler, said data where (highly contagious) var- begun to toughen restrictions tariff for each item of pas- tered only 15% of the Astra- Wuerttemberg’s Prime Minister from Britain and Israel showed iants are circulating,” Clement locally in places such as senger luggage. Zeneca shots it has available, Winfried Kretschmann told it was “very, very effective”. said. Dunkirk in the north and Nice Meanwhile, Britain’s gov- confirming concerns that Welt am Sonntag. Bavaria’s The recommendation that “That implies the near in the south. ernment says families with Germans were being selective, Markus Soeder made similar the vaccine go only to people closure of the border, that’s what French President children in school will be pro- slowing vaccination efforts. remarks to Bild am Sonntag and under 65 came from Germany’s we want to avoid for the 16,000 Emmanuel Macron has consist- vided with free coronavirus Elderly people are first in Saxony’s Michael Kretschmer expert panel on vaccine use (cross border) workers in ently advocated keeping home test kits as part of plans line to be vaccinated, but to Frankfurter Allgemeine (STIKO). STIKO’s head, Thomas Moselle... We are trying to soften borders open between EU for schools to reopen beginning Germany has recommended Sonntagszeitung. Mertens, said on Friday that it the measures as much as pos- countries during the pandemic, on March 8. Free, twice-weekly that the AstraZeneca vaccine Health authorities in some would update its recommen- sible,” he said. and clashed with Germany last tests will be provided to chil- be given only to people aged 18 European countries—including dation very soon. “Somehow Germany already has year after Berlin precipitously dren’s households regardless of to 64. EU regulators have Germany—are also facing the whole thing went kind of border controls in place with closed the border during the whether anyone has symptoms, declared it safe for all. resistance to the AstraZeneca badly”, he told broadcaster the Czech Republic and Austria first wave. officials said. The prime ministers of vaccine after side-effects ZDF. Sardinia to Protests for jailed rapper open up as turn violent in Barcelona infections fall AP — BARCELONA to serve a nine-month prison sentence. AP — ROME After a brief respite, protests Hasél is doing time for have again turned violent in inciting terrorism - he has While new COVID-19 cases Barcelona as supporters of a praised two now-defunct armed surge in Italy’s north, the Spanish rap artist imprisoned groups responsible for killing island of Sardinia has earned for glorifying domestic terrorist over 1,000 people in Spain — coveted “white zone’’ status, groups and insulting Spain’s and for refusing to pay a fine for allowing for evening dining monarch returned to the streets insulting Spain’s former king. at restaurants and cafes and on Saturday. Protests immediately the reopening after months of Several thousand people erupted in cities across Spain fol- closure of gyms, cinemas and marched peacefully in the city lowing his arrest, but they con- theaters. before small packs spun off and tinued for over a week in Bar- Earlier this year, the smashed the windows of at least celona and other parts of Cata- Italian government added two bank offices and did other lonia. More than 100 people “white zone’’ status to its property damage. Police made were arrested during that stretch. colour-coded system of at least 10 arrests, including of The flare-up of violence on Sat- restrictions on businesses and two people suspected of trying urday came after a few nights of schools, with “red zone” des- to set fire to a police van. tense calm. Spain’s left-wing ignation carrying the strictest Clearing volcanic ashes There were also protests in government has pledged to measures. other towns in Spain’s Cata- eliminate prison terms for A person sweeps volcanic ashes from Mount Etna on a street in Giarre, Italy, yesterday. Mount Etna, Starting today, the region lonia region, where rapper offenses involving freedom of the volcano that towers over eastern Sicily, is Europe's most active volcano and also the continent's of Sardinia, with an incidence Pablo Hasél was arrested on speech, but so far that has done of fewer than 50 cases per largest. Etna's latest eruption has caused neither injuries nor evacuation. Feb. 16 and taken into custody little to quell the unrest. 100,000 residents, will be able to allow the most lib- erties since a second wave of coronavirus infections last fall City of London wants retail expansion despite pandemic slump prompted the government to tighten restrictions BLOOMBERG & AGENCIES — LONDON Demand for cafes, food outlets and Lloyd’s of London insurance market- Securities Group Plc, which owns the nationwide after easing them leisure facilities could increase in the place — if they can find companies to project, said that the value of its London during summer. London’s main financial district expects coming years in the district that is cur- occupy them and people revert back to retail portfolio fell almost 17% in the six The Health Ministry report demand for stores from workers and rently home to 2,000 stores. Developers commuting five days a week. months through September. covering the third week of visitors to increase even as retailers go are planning enough office space for The main shopping centre in the dis- The City Corporation recently February shows nationwide bust because more consumers are more than 85,000 additional workers trict at present is the One New Change granted developers British Land and GIC incidence was 145 cases per shopping online. in the cluster of skyscrapers around the mall opposite St Paul’s Cathedral. Land planning permission to build the 100,000 inhabitants, and The City of London’s local government 38-storey office block at 2 Finsbury several regions had far higher expects investors to add 122,500 sq meters Avenue. This year, 33-storey and incidence. (1.3 million square feet) of retail space in 55-storey skyscraper developments in The Mediterranean island the district over the coming 15 years, Gracechurch Street have been given of Sardinia is a popular according to a proposed development planning permission. vacation destination. Last plan. That’s almost two-thirds the size of Alaistar Moss, chair of the Corpora- summer, crowds at seaside Westfield Stratford, one of Europe’s largest tion’s planning committee, said the discos and clubs there were shopping malls, which is about 10 minutes developments show “that the funda- cited as a factor in the climb by subway from the City. mental strengths of the City remain in an explosion of cases in The spending power of finance and unrivalled”. Italy in the last months of tech workers had led to a boom in the “2 Finsbury Avenue is yet another 2020. number of restaurants and other nightlife bold example of solid commitment to Meanwhile, Italy yes- in the neighbourhood pre-pandemic. Con- the City of London by developers as the terday reported 192 corona- tinuing to reduce the district’s reliance on nation looks toward the steps to unlock virus-related deaths, down financial services would help diversify the national restrictions”. from 280 the day before, the municipal government’s tax income. The latest scheme, which was health ministry said, while the “We have sought advice from our designed by Danish firm 3XN, includes daily tally of new infections retail consultant on whether to update” flexible workspace suitable for a range declined to 17,455 from Sat- the retail space targets due to COVID-19 of occupiers, including incubators, start urday’s 18,916. “and the advice we have received is that ups and medium sized businesses. Some 257,024 tests for our approach to retail remains valid,” a It will also house a “open learning COVID-19 were carried out in spokesperson for the City of London said hub” to provide local communities with the past day, compared with in an email. “We will, on our consult- access to formal learning programmes, 323,047 previously, the min- ant’s advice, keep retail trends and informal networks and talks from A file picture shows a shopping centre in the City of London during COVID-19 restrictions. istry said. targets under review.” institutions. MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 EUROPE 13 Navalny sent to penal camp feared by inmates BLOOMBERG — MOSCOW The jail, where on your every move.” While his case was so high- Russian opposition leader inmates are housed profile that no violence was Alexey Navalny, who survived in barracks and used against him, “from the very a chemical poisoning last year typically do manual first day I came under extreme that he called a Kremlin attempt psychological pressure,” he said. to kill him, has begun serving labour, is classified as The activist’s lawyer, Maria his two-and-a-half-year a “red zone” where Eismont, got access to Kotov sentence at a notorious penal within a day and a half of his camp. the administration arrival at the jail but he’d Navalny, who was removed controls every aspect already agreed to give up his from his Moscow jail cell on right to confidential conversa- Thursday, is being held at a of life. “It’s a tough tions with her, she said. detention facility in the prison penal camp with “If I was the prison service in the Vladimir region, about very strict rules, to and I wanted to make Navalny’s 100km east of the Russian life as hellish as possible, I’d capital, Alexey Melnikov, sec- put it mildly,” said send him precisely to this retary of the civil oversight Eva Merkacheva, a camp,” Eismont added. commission of Moscow, said. The head of the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s member of a civic- Prison Service, Alexander most prominent critic lost an oversight group for Kalashnikov, said there’s “no appeal February 20 over a court threat” to Navalny’s “health or decision to convert a 2014 sus- the prison system. life” in prison, state-run Tass pended sentence into incarcer- reported on Friday. ation for breaking his probation Navalny received the sen- terms. Konstantin Kotov, an oppo- tence for failing to check in with That was the last obstacle sition activist who was freed in the authorities while recovering A general view shows a gate of Penal Colony No 2, where opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was keeping the 44-year-old from December after 1 1/2 years at the in Germany from the near-fatal sentenced this month on parole violations, supposedly serves his jail term, in the town of Pokrov, being sent to a prison outside same prison, said he was sub- nerve agent attack in August. Russia, yesterday. Moscow. jected to constant intimidation. Western governments have The jail, where inmates are This included repeated pun- also blamed the Kremlin for the been classified as a flight risk. That Navalny suffered a symbolic international rights group housed in barracks and typi- ishment for so-called infringe- poisoning, while Russian would prevent him from getting setback recently when Amnesty denied that. cally do manual labour, is clas- ments such as not saluting a authorities deny any role. early release and mean he falls International rescinded his status Navalny’s arrest in mid- sified as a “red zone” where the prison guard or borrowing Citing concerns about his under special supervision. as a “prisoner of conscience,” January when he returned to administration controls every someone’s gloves — with those safety in prison, the European An American, Paul Whelan, saying anti-immigrant state- Russia provoked the biggest aspect of life. “It’s a tough penal that his relatives sent him not Court of Human Rights in mid- who’s been imprisoned for espi- ments he made early in his career anti-Kremlin protests in years camp with very strict rules, to being delivered — as well as iso- February called on Russia to onage, late last year complained qualified as “advocacy of hatred.” and was condemned by the put it mildly,” said Eva lating him from other inmates. release Navalny before his case prison guards were waking him His allies denounced the European Union and the US, Merkacheva, a member of a “Alexey is going to have a was considered. Russian offi- up every two hours during the move, saying Amnesty had which are both considering new civic-oversight group for the very difficult time,” Kotov said. cials rejected that request. night to check on his fallen victim to a campaign by sanctions to punish Putin for his prison system. “The administration keeps tabs The Kremlin critic said he’s whereabouts. pro-Kremlin forces. The imprisonment. Czech govt plans Orban receives Sinopharm vaccine as govt ramps up rollout compulsory REUTERS — BUDAPEST granted approval for emergency flagged a possible tightening we will not let ourselves be million Hungarians who have COVID-19 tests at use by the bloc. of lockdown curbs as the locked up,” said one of the registered for COVID-19 vacci- Hungarian Prime Minister “Vaccinated,” Orban said, daily tally of new infections organisers. nations so far would receive at companies: PM Viktor Orban has been vacci- with photos of him receiving the jumped to its highest this The protest ended quickly least one dose by Easter, in early nated with a coronavirus shot and a doctor showing the year, which is expected to after police started to ask April. REUTERS — PRAGUE vaccine developed by China’s vaccine’s packaging box. place the country’s hospitals people to show their All secondary schools have Sinopharm, Orban announced “I am working again, you under heavy strain in the documents. been closed since November 11, The Czech government will on his official Facebook page can see I am perfectly fine, you next two weeks. The Russian and Chinese as have hotels and restaurants, discuss today whether to on Sunday as the country tries should not be afraid either. The Hundreds of people took to shots are being administered except for takeaway meals. An introduce compulsory to accelerate its vaccination third wave (of the pandemic) is a square in the capital Budapest along with the Pfizer- evening curfew has also been COVID-19 testing at larger programme. here and its going to be stronger on Sunday to protest against the BioNTech vaccine and shots put in place. companies, Prime Minister Hungary on Wednesday than the previous two,” Orban lockdown measures, ignoring developed by US company Hungary, with a population Andrej Babis said as the became the first European said in a video, asking Hun- a ban on public gatherings, with Moderna and Anglo-Swedish of about 10 million, has reported country seeks to curb a resur- Union member to start inocu- garians to register for vacci- most of them not wearing drugmaker AstraZeneca, all of 428,599 cases since the start of gence of the coronavirus. lating people with Sinopharm nation and trust Hungarian masks. which have received the EU the pandemic, with 14,974 The country of 10.7 million shots after rolling out Russia’s experts with regard to the “We have had enough of green light. deaths. As of yesterday, 677,682 has been among the world’s Sputnik V vaccine as well, even Chinese vaccine. politicians’ games. We want to Orban has said that all the people had received at least one worst hit by the pandemic in though neither has been On Friday Orban had take control over our own lives; 2.5 million to 2.6 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. recent weeks in terms of new cases or deaths per capita. The government announced on Friday strict Police question Serbia FA new restrictions limiting peo- ple’s movement over the next chief over fan mafia links three weeks and tightening shop and school closures, but faced criticism from some AP — BELGRADE “shocking” details of the inves- economists and unions for not tigation will be made public next imposing restrictions on The president of Serbia’s week and that children will be companies. Football Association was warned not to watch. Babis said yesterday that yesterday questioned by police Vucic has suggested that his minority government will in connection with recent the fan group members wanted discuss whether to require arrests of several members of to kill him although his companies with at least 250 a soccer fan group accused of 23-year-old son was frequently employees to test their murder, kidnapping and drug photographed with its workers for COVID-19 or face trafficking. members in recent years. a fine of up to 500,000 crowns Serbian media said Slavisa Vucic’s opponents say the ($23,077.63), to be effective Kokeza was quizzed over his arrests appear to have been from March 5. links to leaders of the Partizan made for show because it is Babis did not rule out Belgrade supporters’ group who widely accepted that the further penalties. were arrested earlier this month regime has for years main- Meanwhile, Babis said yes- in what officials say is a major tained close links with soccer terday the country could use crackdown against soccer’s group leaders. Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus links with organised crime. Serbia has a history of tol- vaccine even without approval Kokeza reportedly refused erating hooliganism that often by European Union’s EMA to answer questions and also resulted in violence and out- drugs agency. refused a lie-detector test bursts of nationalism at sta- The country of 10.7 million during the questioning. diums. During the Balkan wars has ranked among the world’s Details from the police in the 1990s, many of them worst-hit countries by the investigation leaked to the joined notorious paramilitary COVID pandemic in the past The Soyuz spacecraft with the Arktika-M satellite for monitoring the climate and environment in the media include alleged killings groups linked to war crimes few weeks, as the situation has Arctic, blasts off from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, yesterday. by group members of their against other national groups been exacerbated by the new rivals, including decapitations in the former Yugoslavia. variants of the virus. and torture in a special With the return of nationalists Prague had inoculated Russia launches satellite to “bunker” at the Partizan to power in Serbia nine years ago, 649,868 people as of Saturday stadium in the Serbian capital. far-right soccer supporters were evening, most of them using Populist Serbian President often seen at pro-government the vaccine from Pfizer/ Aleksandar Vucic, who has often rallies promoting a nationalist BioNTech. monitor climate in Arctic boasted about his youth as a political agenda. In exchange, The country has also used radical supporter of Partizan’s analysts say, the hooligans have vaccines made by Moderna REUTERS — MOSCOW Roscosmos space agency, said The satellite will also be rival Red Star Belgrade, said on been allowed to pursue their and AstraZeneca. in a post on Twitter. able to retransmit distress Saturday that some of the illegal business activities. “We cannot wait for EMA, Russia launched its space Russia plans to send up a signals from ships, aircraft or when Russia has not applied satellite Arktika-M yesterday second satellite in 2023 and, people in remote areas as part (for approval),” Babis said on on a mission to monitor the combined, the two will offer of the international Cospas- CNN Prima News. He said the climate and environment in the round-the-clock, all-weather Sarsat satellite-based search Moldova approves Sputnik V approval by Czech drugs Arctic amid a push by the monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and rescue programme, Ros- authority, SUKL, would Kremlin to expand the coun- and the surface of the Earth, cosmos said. as political row simmers suffice. try’s activities in the region. Roscosmos said. “As more activity takes “SUKL must examine the The Arctic has warmed The Arktika-M will have a place in the Arctic and as it REUTERS — CHISINAU documentation and if they more than twice as fast as the highly elliptical orbit that passes moves into higher latitudes, approve it, the Health Ministry global average over the last high over northern latitudes improving weather and ice Moldova’s medicines agency approved Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has to issue an exemption... three decades and Moscow is allowing it to monitor northern forecasting abilities is crucial,” while President Maia Sandu was accused by her Moscow-friendly and then, whoever is inter- seeking to develop the energy- regions for lengthy periods said Mia Bennett, a geographer predecessor Igor Dodon of blocking Sputnik’s use in the country, ested, can get inoculated,” he rich region, investing in the before it loops back down at the University of Hong Kong. which Sandu’s office denied. said. Northern Sea Route for shipping under Earth. “There is also an element of Moldova’s Medicines and Medical Devices Agency authorised “A vaccine from Russia or across its long northern flank At the right orbit, the sat- data nationalism that is feeding two vaccines registered for emergency use by the World Health China, that’s not the Dukovany as ice melts. ellite will be able to monitor into all this. Countries, espe- Organization — Pfizer/BioNTech, and a shot developed by Anglo- nuclear power plant,” Babis The satellite successfully and take images every 15-30 cially those that see themselves Swedish firm AstraZeneca - as well as Sputnik V. said, referring to security con- reached its intended orbit after minutes of the Arctic, which as space powers, want to be Moldova and neighbouring Ukraine have lagged behind cerns over acceptance of being launched from Kaza- can’t be continuously observed able to rely on their own satel- wealthier European countries in securing coronavirus vaccines. bidders from the two countries khstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome by satellites that orbit above the lites and data to inform their Dodon and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which for the Czech Republic’s by a Soyuz rocket, Dmitry Earth’s equator, Roscosmos activities, whether commercial markets the Sputnik vaccine abroad, said that Moldova had become largest ever industrial project. Rogozin, the head of Russia’s said. or military in nature,” she said. the 38th country, including Russia, to register the shot. 14 AMERICAS MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 Mexico President to ask Biden to share vaccines REUTERS — WASHINGTON/ The agenda for the testy relationship with Biden’s MEXICO CITY summit, to be held predecessor, Donald Trump, though Lopez Obrador, an often Mexican President Andres virtually due to abrasive leftist, forged a Manuel Lopez Obrador is COVID-19 concerns, mutually beneficial partnership expected to ask President Joe with the Republican president Biden to consider sharing part is also expected to as they worked to stem of the US coronavirus vaccine include migration, migration from impoverished supply with its poorer southern Central America. neighbor when the two leaders law enforcement Biden has been undoing hold a virtual summit today, US cooperation what his White House has called and Mexican officials said. “draconian” Trump-era immi- Biden is open to discussing and economic gration policies that closed off the matter as part of a broader development plans for routes to asylum in the United regional effort to cooperate southern Mexico and States, while trying to curb an in the fight against the increasing flow of new undoc- COVID-19 pandemic but will Central America. umented arrivals until the maintain as his “number one system for legal migration is Migrants from Central America and other nationalities, hoping to cross and request asylum in the US, priority” the need to first vac- overhauled. hold banners and shout slogans at their campsite outside El Chaparral border crossing, in Tijuana, cinate as many Americans as loan of the US vaccine supplies, Seeking to turn the page on possible, a White House to be paid back when vaccines Trump, the White House official Mexico, on Saturday. official told Reuters on con- that Mexico has contracts for said Biden was determined to dition of anonymity. are delivered later in the year. move away from the former borders if Canada and Mexico With Pfizer Inc deliveries October ruffled feathers in Lopez Obrador has been Lopez Obrador’s office did president’s “governing by have not similarly addressed the running behind schedule, Mexico, which retaliated with one of the most vocal leaders not immediately respond to a tweet” and re-establish more pandemic. So collaboration with Mexico has scrambled to fill restrictions on US drug in the developing world request for comment. According traditional contacts. Mexico is a top priority.” the gap, landing initial deliv- enforcement operations. pressing the richest countries to Mexican media outlet The official made clear that While Biden has increased eries of Russia’s Sputnik V and Asked whether Mexico had to improve poorer nations’ Proceso, Lopez Obrador raised while Biden is focused on funding for international China’s Sinovac. reduced security cooperation, access to the vaccines. He has the issue with Biden in a January “getting jabs in the arms” of efforts to combat COVID-19, The government has given the White House official said: called the current distribution call shortly after his Americans, the United States he could face political fallout a first shot to just over 1.8 “What we have found is that system “totally unfair.” swearing-in. recognizes the need to forge a if he moves too fast to ship million people, or 1.4 percent our collaboration and commu- “We fully expect that to The agenda for the summit, strategy to assist its neigh- vaccines to other countries of the population. Mexico has nication with Mexican law come up,” the White House to be held virtually due to bours since national borders when the United States is had more than 185,000 enforcement continues.” official said when asked COVID-19 concerns, is also cannot seal it off from the ramping up but still struggling COVID-19 deaths and more Lopez Obrador has also whether Lopez Obrador was expected to include migration, pandemic. to meet domestic needs. than two million coronavirus told the United States not to likely to raise a request for the thorniest bilateral issue, “Once we actually get the Mexico’s inoculation infections. meddle in Mexican energy shared vaccines when the together with law enforcement pandemic under control, the program has been delayed by Another source of US- policy, reflecting a view that leaders hold their first virtual cooperation and economic economic recovery is one where slow shipments, despite agree- Mexican tension was a now- the new US administration meeting since Biden’s January development plans for southern we’re going to have to even- ments with international drug- dropped US drug investigation would seek to defend investor 20 inauguration. Mexico and Central America, tually open our borders,” the US makers meant to purchase into former Mexican defense interests as Mexico moves to A Mexican official said the US official said. official said. doses for the country’s 126 minister Salvador Cienfuegos. change rules in favor of state Lopez Obrador would ask for a Mexico had a “But we cannot open our million people. The US arrest of Cienfuegos in power and oil companies. Biden in no rush to lift Venezuela sanctions El Salvador polls: Bukele REUTERS — WASHINGTON This suggests that for now sanctions,” the official said. “If softer approach after Trump, Biden is prepared to stick with the regime undertakes confi- often citing its support for set to gain more control President Joe Biden’s adminis- the specific sanctions, including dence-building measures that Maduro, rolled back historic tration is in “no rush” to lift US crippling oil-sector penalties, show that they’re ready and Obama-era détente with Havana. ALJAZEERA — SAN SALVADOR high-profile corruption sanctions on Venezuela but imposed by former President willing to engage in real con- Some Biden advisers had scandals, leaving an opening would consider easing them if Donald Trump on the Opec versations with the opposition... suggested earlier that he could Salvadorans were heading to for a populist candidate to win President Nicolas Maduro takes nation, despite the failure to if they’re ready to take serious start by loosening up the flow the polls yesterday to elect the over disgruntled voters with confidence-building steps force Maduro from power. steps, then we will consider the of remittances from Cuban country’s 84-member National promises of change. showing he is ready to nego- But Biden, by contrast, alleviation of sanctions.” Americans and ease restrictions Assembly in a vote that civil In 2019, Bukele became the tiate seriously with the oppo- intends to move away from the The official did not specify on family travel to the Com- society groups fear could desta- first candidate from outside sition, a White House official mostly unilateral approach of what steps Maduro would need munist-ruled island. bilise the democratic order these two parties to win the told Reuters. Trump’s “maximum pressure” to make but said he could not But while acknowledging imposed by a 1992 peace presidency in the post-war Signaling that the new US campaign and enlist more be allowed to use negotiations such changes could have a pos- accord that ended a 12-year period and he has repeatedly president may be unlikely to countries to help seek a diplo- as a “delaying tactic” to consol- itive impact, the official said a civil war. downplayed the importance of loosen the screws on Venezuela matic solution, the official said idate power and divide the Cuba policy shift was not cur- Voters will choose 84 leg- the peace accords. The anytime soon, the official in an interview. opposition, as he has been rently among Biden’s top pri- islators to represent them in the 39-year-old social media savvy emphasized that existing sanc- Biden’s administration has accused of doing in the past. orities, which include the coro- national assembly for the next leader campaigned on an anti- tions have enough special pro- made clear it will continue to Maduro, who calls Guaido navirus pandemic, economic three years, and polls show corruption platform and visions to allow for humani- recognize opposition leader a US puppet, has shown no recovery and rebuilding alli- nearly 70 percent of voters promised to rid the political tarian aid shipments to help Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s signs of giving ground. Having ances abroad. “Frankly, first favour president Nayib Bukele’s system of an old order that pil- Venezuelans cope with eco- interim president. Dozens of retained support of the military things first,” the official said. Nuevas Ideas party. laged public funds. nomic hardships and the countries have backed Guaido’s as well as Russia, China, Cuba There has also been no sign “I’m going to vote for Rather than focus on pro- COVID-19 pandemic. claim following Maduro’s re- and Iran, he has rejected or of any immediate plans to (Nayib’s party) because he has posals of individual candidates, But the official, speaking on election in 2018 in a vote ignored previous demands for rescind Cuba’s designation as a helped us a lot,” said Wendy Bukele has focused on con- condition of anonymity, said Western governments called a such concessions. state sponsor of terrorism, Henriquez, a 46-year-old street vincing voters to turn out for Maduro’s Socialist government sham, though cracks recently The Biden administration though Biden officials have said vendor who had never voted his party so that he will have has been “actively preventing have appeared in Guaido’s also appears to have little sense Trump’s last-minute decision before casting a ballot for enough seats to pass legislation the delivery of humanitarian international support. of urgency for major gestures to return Havana to the US Bukele in the 2019 presidential without opposition from tradi- assistance.” “We’re in no rush to lift toward Cuba despite hopes for a blacklist is under review. elections. tional parties, who he claims She said she is supporting are corrupt. candidates from his party Nuevas Ideas candidates Dominican because she thinks the pres- have promised to bring a new ident is doing a good job, citing approach to security, education Republic plans pandemic aid and a plan to give and unemployment, but many all public school students a are not new faces in Salvadoran fence along computer as the government’s politics, and held public office major accomplishments. as members of another party. border with Haiti While supporters of the Polls show no other party president’s party are energised, — of the two traditional ones REUTERS — SANTO DOMINGO civil society groups have raised and six others — will gain much concerns the elections could more than five percent of the The Dominican Republic will speed up the deterioration of vote. begin constructing a fence the country’s democratic insti- Even though Bukele is not along its 376km border with tutions that they say began up for re-election, which is pro- Haiti later this year to curb when Bukele took office. hibited by the Salvadoran con- unauthorised migration and “We haven’t seen such con- stitution, he has been cam- illicit trade, President Luis sistent authoritarian behaviour paigning for his party in the Abinader said on Saturday. since the end of the peace hopes of winning a majority or “In a period of two years, accords,” said Luis Mario Rod- supermajority of legislators we want to put an end to the riguez, director of Political until his term ends in 2025. serious problems of illegal Studies for the Salvadoran Since the peace accords, no immigration, drug trafficking Foundation for the Social and party has won a simple and the movement of stolen Economic Development majority of 43 seats in the vehicles,” Abinader said in a (FUSADES). assembly without forming a presentation to Congress. Two main political parties coalition with legislators from Construction of the border — right-wing ARENA and left- other smaller parties. fence, whose cost has not been Quebec opens theatres wing FMLN — have dominated Since taking office in June disclosed, will begin in the Salvadoran politics since the 2019, human rights groups in People walk past a closed candy kiosk as Quebec allows the reopening of theatres but no selling second half of 2021, Abinader signing of the peace accords. El Salvador have warned of of food including popcorn, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Kirkland, a suburb of said. But their support has waned Bukele’s increasingly authori- Montreal, Canada. The barrier will include a in recent years after a series of tarian governing style. double-fence in the “most con- flictive” sections, along with motion sensors, facial recognition cameras and infrared systems, he Inuit voices grow louder in fight over Nunavut mine expansion added, speaking on the 177th anniversary of the country’s inde- AL JAZEERA — MONTREAL the Arctic Archipelago, he was The hunters said Baffin- build a 110km railway con- the Canadian federal government pendence from Haiti. not surprised. “They’re not here land’s plan to expand the Mary necting the site to a port at on whether to approve it. According to government As the mayor of Clyde River, a to listen to us at all,” Natanine River site, which has been in Milne Inlet, as well as a second But in the meantime, Inuit estimates, about 500,000 small Inuit hamlet in the said in a phone interview, operation since 2015, could port dock, from which to ship community members say their Haitian immigrants resided in territory of Nunavut in northern referring to Baffinland Iron threaten the animals they rely the material that is mostly concerns have not been ade- the Dominican Republic as of Canada, Jerry Natanine had Mines Corporation, which runs on for survival and that are inti- exported to Europe. quately considered throughout 2018, along with tens of thou- seen local opposition to an iron the site. mately tied to their cultural The expansion is still before the process – and their calls to sands of their children born in ore mining project building for Seven hunters from small practices. the Nunavut Impact Review have their voices heard are the Caribbean country. A large years. Inuit communities in the region The company wants to Board (NIRB), which held envi- growing louder. “We have a part of the Haitian community, So, when a group of Inuit blocked an airstrip and a tote double the mine’s output from ronmental assessment hearings very strong unity at this which makes up about five hunters this month set up a road along which the iron ore six to 12 million tonnes per year in January and February. After moment,” said Natanine. “If percent of the total population, protest blockade at the Mary is transported to a shipping port, as part of what it calls phase two more planned sessions in April, they [the hunters] want to fight does not have residency permits. River mine on Baffin Island, in about 100km away. of development. It also plans to it will give a recommendation to further, they’ve got support.” MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 AMERICAS 15 Biden team readies wider economic package AP — WASHINGTON Biden and his in need of major restoration after years of underfunding, Looking beyond the $1.9 trillion team have begun according to the American COVID relief bill, President Joe discussions on the Society of Civil Engineers. In its Biden and lawmakers are laying possible outlines 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, the groundwork for another top it gave the national infra- legislative priority — a long- of an infrastructure structure an overall grade of D+. sought boost to the nation’s package with Both chambers of Congress roads, bridges and other infra- will use as starting points their structure that could run into members of Congress, unsuccessful efforts to get infra- Republican resistance to a hefty particularly mindful structure bills through the last price tag. session. Biden and his team have that Texas’ recent Democrats passed a $1.5 begun discussions on the pos- struggles after a trillion package in the House sible outlines of an infrastructure last year, but it went nowhere package with members of Con- brutal winter storm with the Trump administration gress, particularly mindful that present an opportunity and the Republican-led Senate. Texas’ recent struggles with for agreement on A Senate panel approved nar- power outages and water rower bipartisan legislation in shortages after a brutal winter sustained spending on 2019 focused on reauthorising storm present an opportunity for infrastructure. federal transportation pro- agreement on sustained grams. It, too, flamed out as the spending on infrastructure. US turned its focus to elections Gina McCarthy, Biden’s mayor who knows potholes. and COVID-19. national climate adviser, said that At a conference with state Biden has talked bigger the deadly winter storm in Texas and local highway officials numbers, and some Democrats US President Joe Biden salutes while he and First Lady Jill Biden board Air Force One as they depart should be a “wake-up call” for Thursday, he referred to the are now urging him to bypass Washington for a trip to Delaware, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Saturday. the need for energy systems and often-promised, never- Republicans in the closely other infrastructure that are more achieved mega-initiative on divided Congress to address a reliable and resilient. roads, bridges and the like from broader range of priorities “He’s been a long fan of White House that he’s ready to extend to a multitrillion-dollar “The infrastructure is not the Trump administration. urged by interest groups. investing in infrastructure — use the budget manoeuvre package that is stocked full with built to withstand these extreme “I know you are among During the presidential cam- long outdated — long overdue, known as reconciliation to pass other ideologically driven, one- weather conditions,” said Liz those who are working and paign, Biden pledged to deploy I should say,” White House a broad economic recovery size-fits-all policies that tie the Sherwood-Randall, a homeland waiting most patiently, or maybe $2 trillion on infrastructure and press secretary Jen Psaki said package with only Democratic hands of our states and our com- security aide to the president. impatiently, for the moment clean energy, but the White Thursday. “But he also wants to votes. That drew stern warnings munities,” she said. “We know that we can’t just when Infrastructure Week will House has not ruled out an even do more on caregiving, help our from Republicans who have Capito will be helping to react to extreme weather no longer be a kind of Ground- higher price tag. McCarthy said manufacturing sector, do more already closed ranks against craft bipartisan legislation on events. We need to plan for hog’s Day promise - but actually Biden’s upcoming plan will spe- to strengthen access to Democrats’ COVID-19 relief bill. the Senate side. them and prepare for them.” A be something that delivers gen- cifically aim at job creation, such affordable health care. West Virginia Sen. Shelley Rep. Peter DeFazio, White House proposal could erational investments,” he said. as with investments to boost So the size — the package — Moore Capito, the top Repub- chairman of the House Trans- come out in March. Much of America’s infra- “workers that have been left the components of it, the order, lican on the Senate Environment portation and Infrastructure “Now is the time to be structure — roads, bridges, behind” by closed coal mines or that has not yet been deter- and Public Works Committee, Committee,said that he foresees aggressive,” said Transportation public drinking and water power plants, as well as com- mined.” Sen. Bernie Sanders, said there’s bipartisan support a comprehensive House package Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a systems, dams, airports, mass munities located near polluting chairman of the Senate Budget for ambitious steps on infra- that will go beyond roads, former South Bend, Indiana, transit systems and more — is refineries and other hazards. Committee, recently told the structure. But that “should not bridges and public transit. Doctor appears Supreme Court could put new limits on voting rights lawsuits in court video AP — WASHINGTON voting access that civil rights said the high court case is about precinct. In 2013, the Supreme Court call while in groups say would dispropor- ballot integrity, not discrimi- The 9th US Circuit Court of ruled 5-4 that the portion of the Eight years after carving the tionately affect Black and His- nation. “This is about protecting Appeals ruled that the ballot- law known as Section 5 could operating room heart out of a landmark voting panic voters. the franchise, not disenfran- collection law and the state no longer be enforced because rights law, the Supreme Court A broad Supreme Court chising anyone,” said Brnovich, policy discriminate against the population formula for is looking at putting new limits ruling would make it harder to who will argue the case minority voters in violation of determining which states were AP — SACRAMENTO on efforts to combat racial fight those efforts in court. tomorrow. the federal Voting Rights Act covered hadn’t been updated discrimination in voting. Arguments are set for Tuesday President Joe Biden nar- and that the law also violates to take account of racial The Medical Board of Cali- The justices are taking up a via telephone, because of the rowly won Arizona last year, the Constitution. progress. fornia said it would investigate case about Arizona restrictions coronavirus pandemic. and since 2018, the state has The Voting Rights Act, first Congress “must identify a plastic surgeon who on ballot collection and another “It would be taking away elected two Democratic enacted in 1965, was extremely those jurisdictions to be singled appeared in a videoconference policy that penalises voters who one of the big tools, in fact, the senators. effective against discrimination out on a basis that makes sense for his traffic violation trial cast ballots in the wrong main tool we have left now, to The justices will be at the ballot box because it in light of current conditions,” while operating. precinct. protect voters against racial dis- reviewing an appeals court forced state and local govern- Chief Justice John Roberts wrote The Sacramento Bee reports The high court’s consider- crimination,” said Myrna Perez, ruling against a 2016 Arizona ments, with a history of dis- for a conservative majority. “It Dr. Scott Green appeared ation comes as Republican offi- director of the Brennan Center law that limits who can return crimination, including Arizona, cannot rely simply on the past.” Thursday for his Sacramento cials in the state and around the for Justice’s voting rights and early ballots for another person to get advance approval from Democrats in Congress will Superior Court trial, held vir- country have proposed more elections programme. and against a separate state the Justice Department or a try again to revive the advance tually because of the corona- than 150 measures, following Arizona Attorney General policy of discarding ballots if a federal court before making any approval provision of the voting virus pandemic, from an oper- last year’s elections, to restrict Mark Brnovich, a Republican, voter goes to the wrong changes to elections. rights law. ating room. He was dressed in surgical scrubs with a patient undergoing the procedure just Cuomo asks state out of view; the beeps of Trump set to be back in spotlight with CPAC speech medical machinery can be A-G and top judge heard in the background. AP — ORLANDO “Hello, Mr. Green? Hi. Are to launch you available for trial?” asked Less than six weeks after harassment probe a courtroom clerk as an officer leaving office, former President summoned to appear in trial Donald Trump was to deliver AP — ALBANY raised her eyebrows. “It kind the closing speech at a conserv- of looks like you’re in an oper- ative conference yesterday as Cuomo asks state attorney ating room right now?” he reasserts himself on the general, top judge to appoint “I am, sir,” Green replied. national stage and makes clear independent lawyer to inves- “Yes, I’m in an operating room he intends to remain a tigate sexual harassment alle- right now. Yes, I’m available dominant force within the gations for trial. Go right ahead.” Republican Party. New York Governor The clerk reminded Green Aides say Trump will use Andrew Cuomo has asked the the proceedings were being the speech at the Conservative state’s attorney general and livestreamed because traffic Political Action Conference to chief appeals court judge to trials are required by law to be blast his successor, President jointly appoint an independent open to the public, and Green Joe Biden, and try to cement his lawyer to investigate claims that said he understood. He status as the party’s undisputed he sexually harassed at least two appeared to continue working leader going forward despite his women who worked for him. with his head down while loss in November. The move came after leg- waiting for Court Commis- “I stand before you today to islative leaders assailed sioner Gary Link to enter the declare that the incredible Cuomo’s plan to appoint a chamber. journey we began together four retired federal judge to When Link appeared and years ago is far from over,” Donald Trump supporter Marcus Hemingway and an unidentified counter-protester exchange words conduct the probe. saw the doctor on the screen, Trump will say, according to outside of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, yesterday. “The Governor’s Office the judge hesitated to proceed excepts of his speech released wants a review of the sexual with the trial out of concern early. “We are gathered this Speakers, including many Republicans lost not only the construction of Trump’s harassment claims made for the welfare of the patient. afternoon to talk about the potential GOP 2024 hopefuls, White House but both chambers southern border wall, his against the Governor to be done “I have another surgeon future — the future of our have argued the party must of Congress in the last foreign policy posture and his in a manner beyond reproach,” right here who’s doing the movement, the future of our embrace the former president elections. handling of the economy as the Beth Garvey, special counsel to surgery with me, so I can stand party, and the future of our and his followers, even after the On Biden, Trump is country continues to grapple the governor, said. “We had here and allow them to do the beloved country.” deadly insurrection at the expected to deliver a sharp with the coronavirus selected former Federal Judge surgery also,” Green said. The event so far at a Hyatt Capitol on January 6. rebuke of what he will frame as pandemic. Barbara Jones, with a stellar The judge said he didn’t hotel in Orlando, Florida, has They stand in opposition to the new administration’s first It is highly unusual for past record for qualifications and think it was appropriate to been a tribute to Trump and others who argue the party month of failures, including American presidents to publicly integrity, but we want to avoid conduct trial under the Trumpism, complete with a must move in a new, less Biden’s approach to immi- criticize their successors so even the perception of a lack of circumstances. golden statue in his likeness. divisive direction after gration and his decision to halt soon after leaving office. independence or inference of politics.” Garvey said the Demo- cratic governor’s adminis- US authorises use of single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine tration has asked Attorney General Letitia James and REUTERS — WASHINGTON for adults aged 18 and older fol- continue washing their hands, percent effective in preventing transmission between people Janet DiFiore, chief judge of lowing Friday’s unanimous wearing masks, and main- hospitalization and death due and added there was no data to the Court of Appeals, “to jointly The US government on Saturday endorsement by the agency’s taining social distancing. to the virus. determine how long the vac- select an independent and authorised Johnson & Johnson’s panel of outside experts. Ship- “There is light at the end of There were very few serious cine’s protection lasted. qualified lawyer in private single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, ments were expected to begin the tunnel, but we cannot let our side effects reported in the trial, J&J’s vaccine is expected to practice without political affil- enabling millions more Amer- yesterday or today. guard down now or assume that which also offered some pre- be used widely around the globe iation to conduct a thorough icans to be vaccinated in the US President Joe Biden victory is inevitable,” he said. liminary evidence that the because it can be shipped and review of the matter and issue coming weeks and setting it up hailed the move but cautioned In J&J’s 44,000-person vaccine reduced asymptomatic stored at normal refrigerator a public report.” for additional approvals around Americans against celebrating global trial, the vaccine was infections. temperatures, making distri- Garvey said the report “will the world. too soon. “Things are still likely found to be 66 percent effective However, more study is bution easier than for the Pfizer be solely controlled by that The US Food and Drug to get worse again as new var- at preventing moderate-to- expected, and the FDA yesterday Inc /BioNTech SE and Moderna independent lawyer personally Administration announced the iants spread,” he said in a severe COVID-19 four weeks dismissed the idea that evidence Inc vaccines, which are shipped selected by the Attorney emergency use authorization statement, urging people to after inoculation, and 100 proved the vaccine prevented frozen. General and Chief Judge.” MONDAY 1 MARCH 2021 16

PRAYER TIMINGS PRAYERPRAYRRAAAY TIMINGSMING

FAJR 04.40 am SUNRISE 05.57 am DHUHR 11.46 am ASR 03.07 pm MAGHRIB 05.38 pm ISHA 07.08 pm The solitary trees in Umm Bab Surreal pictures of trees from Umm Bab Clay Quarry, which is around 85km west of Doha. PIC: ABDUL BASIT/ THE PENINSULA

7th Katara Prize for Arabic Novel sees participation of 2,321 writers Billie Eilish film WEATHER TODAY DOHA offers intimate QNA - larger number of participants Maghreb reached 603 and the $635,000, as $300,000 prize every year, which proves its GCC countries reached 146. will be distributed equally to look at teen The Cultural Village Foun- significance and strong Al Sulaiti pointed out that five winners in the published dation (Katara) announced presence in the Arab cultural the results for the seventh novel category, while music sensation that the participation in the and creative scene, explaining edition will be announced on $150,000 will be given away seventh edition of the Katara that the number of partici- October 13, coinciding with to five winners in the unpub- REUTERS — LONDON o o Prize for Arabic Novel pating novels in this edition the International Week for lished novel category each 19 C 25 C reached 2,321, recording the reached 655 novels that were Novel from October 13 to 20, receiving $30,000. A new documentary captures Minimum Maximum highest participation number published in 2020. which was approved by the In the unpublished studies Billie Eilish’s meteoric rise to Hazy at first becomes moderate since its launch in 2014, up by He noted that women par- Executive Board of the category, five winners will be fame, in an intimate portrayal temperature daytime with some 4.5 percent from the previous ticipants reached 550, while Unesco in its 210th session in selected to receive $15,000 of the teenager recording music clouds and weak chance of light edition. the men reached 1,771, adding 2020, as requested by Katara each, while five winners will at home, passing her driving test, rain, relatively cold by night. In a related context, the that at the geographical level in 2016, which proves the be chosen in the unpublished going through a relationship W ALRUWAIS : 17o → 23o General Manager of Katara Egypt and Sudan were at the State of Qatar’s high position novels by young writers cat- break-up and meeting her idol W ALKHOR : 10o → 24o and head of the festival forefront of the Arab coun- among the regional and inter- egory to be awarded $10,000 Justin Bieber. W DUKHAN : 13o → 25o organising committee Dr. tries in terms of numbers (877 national organizations related each. One Qatari novelist will “Billie Eilish: The World’s a W WAKRAH : 15o → 24o Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti participants), followed by the to culture and heritage. be selected to be the winner Little Blurry” follows the said that since its launch, the Levant and Iraq (688 partic- Katara Prize for Arabic in this category and receive American singer-songwriter’s W MESAIEED : 15o → 24o prize has been receiving a ipants), while countries of the Novel has a total prize of $60,000. close relationship with her W ABUSAMRA : 13o → 27o family, performing on stage, on the road, meeting fans and col- HIGH TIDE lecting five Grammy Awards, the 05:50– 17:31 music industry’s highest Chadwick Boseman, Netflix up for honours. Filmmaker RJ Cutler LOW TIDE 00:22 – 13:33 first met Eilish, known for her unique sound, when she was 16, honours at virtual Golden Globes describing her as “real and awesome and easy and quirky and funny and somebody I Dubai cat cafe REUTERS — LOS ANGELES The Disney+ TV film of hit Broadway musical trumpet player in drama “Ma thought I’d love to make a movie Rainey’s Black Bottom,” was about”. hopes rescues The Golden Globes was to be “Hamilton” and Amazon Studios’ “Borat released after his death. “It’s the story of this... will find purr-fect handed out under pandemic Subsequent Moviefilm,” a satire on the America “It’s a big room-filling per- remarkable figure... who is conditions yesterday on a night of former President Donald Trump, are seen as formance that is set apart from simultaneously going through a new homes that could see big wins for a lot of the other contenders,” kind of artistic arrival... and... streaming service Netflix, front-runners in the best comedy or musical said Willmore. professional arrival and... REUTERS — DUBAI honours for late actor Chadwick movie category. For television, the Netflix royal Jane Fonda and TV pro- coming of age,” he told Reuters. Boseman, and a smattering of ducer Norman Lear was to get Eilish, now 19, and her pro- A haven for humans craving celebrities in pajamas. series “The Crown,” whose current season lifetime achievement awards, ducing partner brother Finneas furry feline company, a cat cafe Netflix Inc goes into virtual focuses on the late Princess Diana, leads the while a diverse array of stars, are regularly shown making in Dubai also doubles as an celebration of movies and tel- including Riz Ahmed (“Sound music together at home, adoption centre for some of the evision, hosted from New York way with six nods, followed by quirky small- of Metal”), Andra Day (“The rehearsing songs such as the United Arab Emirates’ many and Los Angeles by comedians town comedy “Schitt’s Creek” on Pop TV. United States vs. Billie theme for the upcoming James strays. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, with Holiday”), Viola Davis (“Ma Bond movie “No Time To Die”. The Ailuromania Cat Cafe, a dominant 22 film nominations Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Daniel “It’s very exciting to see how which was the Middle East’s first but still in search of its first best is not everyone’s favourite,” Subsequent Moviefilm,” a satire Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black they work together and collab- cat cafe when it opened in 2015, movie win. said Alison Willmore, film critic on the America of former Pres- Messiah”) and Leslie Odom Jr. orate together,” Cutler said. “It’s hopes the relaxing properties of That could come from at entertainment website ident Donald Trump, are seen (“One Night in Miami”), are up very natural.” The film, released its 25 rescue and shelter cats will period drama “Mank,” about the Vulture.com The biggest com- as front-runners in the best for acting honours. on Apple TV+ on Friday, features help find them their forever screenwriter of “Citizen Kane,” petition comes from Search- comedy or musical movie This year, because of the home footage of Eilish as a child homes. “Anyone who is stressed which leads with six nods, light Pictures’ “Nomadland,” a category. pandemic, they will be waiting and shows her working on her just has to find a cat. All your including for best drama movie, moving documentary-style For television, the Netflix at home for their names to be chart-topping album “When We stress will go away,” said Omnia for actors Gary Oldman and drama about van dwellers in royal series “The Crown,” called, rather than walking the All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Fareed, whose two cat-loving Amanda Seyfried, and for recession-hit America, and whose current season focuses red carpet before wining and Go?”. It ends with her Grammys sisters Allaa and Iman started the director David Fincher. star-laden Netflix 1960s hippie on the late Princess Diana, dining in the Beverly Hilton win last year, when she became cafe after university, taking Yet pundits say a “Mank” courtroom drama “The Trial of leads the way with six nods, hotel. Nicholas Hoult, who is the youngest person to scoop the inspiration from similar estab- victory is far from assured from the Chicago 7.” followed by quirky small-town nominated for playing Russian top four awards in one night. lishments in Korea and London. the small and unpredictable The #MeToo revenge black comedy “Schitt’s Creek” on Pop Emperor Peter III in TV comedy Cutler said his team had The cafe’s original residents Hollywood Foreign Press Asso- comedy “Promising Young TV. “The Great,” said he would be complete editorial control over were strays taken in by the ciation (HFPA) whose members Woman” and the unsettling Boseman, whose death at watching from home in London, the film, which also shows Eilish family over the years. Now Ail- choose the winners. ageing tale “The Father” round 43 of an undisclosed battle where it will be well past battling health issues and uromania hosts cats from a gov- “It has everything going for out the film drama with cancer stunned fans and midnight. learning to deal with fame. ernment-run animal shelter in it in terms of pedigree and nominations. the industry, is considered the “I will probably be sitting in In one scene, she is seen the neighbouring emirate of Ras there is a sense that awards The Disney+ TV film of hit favorite for a posthumous best bed with the top half of my telling an audience: “This is so al Khaimah, hoping to increase shows love stories about the Broadway musical “Hamilton” actor Golden Globe. Boseman’s tuxedo, and pajamas on the weird you guys, I’m nobody. I adoptions. industry. But I feel like ‘Mank’ and Amazon Studios’ “Borat last performance, as a brash bottom,” said Hoult. don’t know why you like me.” Chinese return big-time to movie theatres AP — BEIJING unofficial “blackout” periods, around the Lunar New Year fes- when only domestic productions tival, which began this year on The thrills and chills of the big are allowed to be screened. A February 12. screen are back big-time in the dearth of major Hollywood “Hi, Mom,” a time-traveling world’s largest film market. blockbusters over recent months comedy written and directed by With the coronavirus well appears to have also boosted the and starring Jia Ling, was the top under control in China and market for Chinese films. earner with 4.36 billion yuan, cinemas running at half “People were encouraged to followed by action comedy capacity, moviegoers are stay in Beijing for the Lunar New “Detective Chinatown 3,” with smashing China’s box office Year, and so watching movies 4.13 billion yuan. records, with domestic produc- in the cinema became the top Wang Xiaoyu, 32, who tions far outpacing their Hol- choice of entertainment,” said works in the film industry, was lywood competitors. Chu Donglei, marketing only able to procure a ticket for February marked China’s manager at Poly Cinema’s “Hi, Mom” on Thursday and all-time biggest month for Tiananmen branch in central called the viewing experience movie ticket sales, which have Beijing. “deeply moving.” so far totalled 11.2 billion yuan Mask wearing is mandatory “I know there are some ($1.7bn). China overtook the US and moviegoers must register movies that are released and as the world’s biggest market for with a cellphone app so they can streamed online. But I think the movie ticket sales last year as be traced in the event of an out- experience of watching movies the American box office took a break. Only every other seat is online is not as good as that of massive hit from the closure of allowed to be occupied, making watching in a cinema,” Wang cinemas because of the it even harder to obtain tickets said. pandemic. for the most popular films. A lack of entertainment Chinese theatres were able According to the China options helped pump up ticket Sunrise to reopen by midyear and have Movie Data Information sales during the pandemic, fore- People walk during sunrise in front of Roker Pier Lighthouse, at Roker Beach, in Sunderland, Britain, seen steady audience growth Network, 95% of ticket sales telling a bright future for the yesterday. since then. Local movies have came from the seven top- Chinese film industry, Wang also benefited from periodic grossing films timed for release said.