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Thursday 3 January 2019 | 27 Rabia II 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa Volume 23 | Number 7760 | 2 Riyals

Amir attends Qatar Amir crowns winners of Founder Camel Festival ExxonMobil Open competitions QNA DOHA QNA Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin DOHA Hamad Al Thani crowned yesterday the winners of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin eight main races of the Founder Hamad Al Thani attended last Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed evening part of the competi- bin Thani Camel Festival for tions of the Qatar ExxonMobil purebred Arabian camels, which Open tennis tournament, took place at Al Shahaniya race- which is being organised by track. Qatar Tennis Federation at H H the Amir awarded the the Khalifa International winners of the final four races of Tennis and Squash Complex. the category for camels aged more H H the Amir watched the than seven years owned by Their match between World Excellencies Sheikhs. Al Shahaniya Number One Novak Djokovic camels won the four races. The and Hungary’s Marton Fucs- camels Wesal, Al Hathra, ovics, which ended with a Munawer, and Marmar all won the 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory for Ser- awards in the four races. bia’s Djokovic to qualify for In the same category for the quarter-finals of the camels owned by tribe members, tournament. H H the Amir awarded Said Mohammed Zayed Al Khayarain owner of the camel “Sahm” the Cabinet nod silver spear, and two silver daggers for Nasser Mohammed for draft law Said Al Aida owner of “Al Udeid” and Salem Nasser Said Al Eida on Media City owner of “Lusail.” The races were attended by QNA Their Excellencies Sheikhs, tribe DOHA members, and lovers of Al Hejen sports. `P3 Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the honouring ceremony. The Cabinet, which met yesterday with Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in the chair, WIZA to provide took the necessary measures Qatar Airways acquires 5% to issue a draft law establishing the Media City, after it trained domestic reviewed the recommendation of the Shura Council throne. of China Southern Airlines Under the draft law, a city workers: Al Hababi called ‘Media City’ will be THE PENINSULA opportunities for us to work established, and shall have a QNA the field of basic technical skills, DOHA Qatar Airways gets together and build a long term moral personality and an inde- DOHA occupational safety and aggregate holding of relationship in ways that would pendent budget. Its borders awareness of the privacy of the Qatar Airways Group (Qatar approximately five bring benefits to customers of and coordinates will be deter- Chief Executive Officer of community in order for them Airways) announced yesterday both airlines. mined by a Cabinet’s decision. Qatari company for labour to be able to meet the needs of that as part of its strategy to percent of the total “The investment is a clear The Media City aims at recruitment (WIZA) Hussein Ali the beneficiaries and in invest in the strongest airlines issued share capital demonstration of Qatar Airways’ managing and developing Al Hababi affirmed that the accordance with the highest around the world and continue of China Southern continued commitment to con- media activity and attracting goal behind setting up the standards. enhancing operations and necting travellers across all international media, tech- company was to provide He pointed out that WIZA network connectivity, on Airlines. corners of the world in a way nology companies, research skilled domestic workers (on will provide services using December 28, it completed an that is meaningful and and training institutions in the temporary basis) to Qatari modern technology to facilitate on-market purchase of certain convenient. fields of media and digital families and the families of the process of request services, A shares and H shares of China airline in one of the world’s "Qatar Airways very much media. `P5 residents according to their as the operation of the Southern Airlines Company fastest growing aviation looks forward to the opportunity need and demand. company will be overseen by Limited (China Southern markets.” to deepen our working rela- He added that the a group of qualified young Airlines), resulting in Qatar Qatar Airways’ Group Chief tionship with this great airline Commerce Ministry company will provide trained Qatari cadres. Airways' aggregate holding of Executive Akbar Al Baker added, and further enhance the travel and temporary domestic The company will support approximately five percent of “China Southern Airlines is one opportunities across the globe.” fixes service fee on workers to meet any shortage the private sector in the country the total issued share capital of of the most prestigious airlines This investment further sup- at fixed, appropriate and legal through its integrated work China Southern Airlines. in the Chinese domestic market ports Qatar Airways’ investment local produces prices. with the recruitment offices and Minister of Finance and and an important market player strategy which already includes Talking to Qatar News related companies. Chairman of Qatar Airways in the world, with massive its 20 percent investment in THE PENINSULA Agency (QNA), the CEO of the Its shares will be offered Group, H E Ali Shareef Al potential for cooperation in the International Airlines Group, its DOHA Qatari company for labour for nationals through public Emadi, said: “Qatar Airways future. 10 percent investment in LATAM recruitment said that the offering in the next few period regards our shareholding in "Given the complementary Airlines Group, its 49 percent The Ministry of Commerce and company will train and qualify in accordance with the com- China Southern Airlines as an strengths and resources of each investment in Air Italy and its Industry announced yesterday domestic workers through pany’s articles of important part of our strategic of China Southern Airlines and 9.99 percent investment in the decision of the Committee various training programs in association. investment in the largest Qatar Airways, there are Cathay Pacific. to set the maximum price and profits ratios in the Ministry No. (7) for the year 2018, on the maximum wage for services imposed on locally produced AZF attracts 10 world-class football teams for training camps food commodities. The decision comes within the framework of the ministry’s commitment to QNA national and continental tour- Belgium’s Club Brugge from Moscow from January 20 to 30, available for visiting athletes, protect consumer rights, control DOHA naments in ideal settings. January 5 to 12 and Kas Eupen and FC Zenit Saint Petersburg who return to Aspire Zone Foun- prices and regulate markets, During this year’s training from January 8 to 13 , Persepolis, from January 15 to 29. dation’s training camps year ensure their functioning and Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) is camp season, AZF has the Iranian football team, from Commenting on camps this after year.” supporting local products. gearing up to host compre- announced that it will host 10 January 9 to 19 , and Paris Saint- year, Ibrahim Hilal, Head of Fed- AZF is globally recognised Decree No. (7) of 2018 stip- hensive football training camps international football teams, all Germain from January 13 to 17. eration and Teams Affairs at AZF, for its ideal training environment ulates in its second article that for a number of world-class of whom are eager to benefit In preparation for the said: “AZF’s unique trio of Aspire for elite athletes, giving them the provisions of the decree shall teams this January. Time and from its world class training, Russian league, Aspire Zone will Academy, Aspetar and Aspire access to training fields of the apply to the fees of services again, these teams return to AZF accommodation and enter- also host a mini championship Logistics offer world-class highest quality, multi-purpose imposed by outlets on local sup- during the northern hemi- tainment facilities. between a number of Russian outdoor and indoor facilities halls for a variety of sports, and pliers of locally produced food sphere’s winter to benefit from Bayern Munich are clubs from January 20 to combined with sports science swimming pools, gyms, and products such as vegetables, Qatar’s perfect outdoor training scheduled to visit from January January 31. Spartak Moscow will and sports medicine expertise. indoor and outdoor tracks fruit, fish, meat, poultry, egg, weather at this time of the year 4 to January 10, Holland’s Eind- be in Doha from January 18 to This convenient structure equipped with the latest tech- dairy products, and baked and prepare for a range of inter- hoven from January 4 to 12, 30, FC Rostov and FC Lokomotiv ensures everything is readily nologies. `P4 products. `P5 02 HOME THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019

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Promotion valid until 11.01.2019 THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 HOME 03 Amir crowns winners of Founder Camel Festival

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with the winners of the event at Al Shahaniya racetrack, yesterday. Vice-chairman of Racing Committee praises Amir’s support to Founder Camel Festival

QNA as for the sport of parents and Al Kuwari congratulated all DOHA grandparents. those who participated in this Al Kuwari said that HH the festival since the first day and Vice-chairman of Camel Amir’s presence in the festival’s throughout its 12 days. He also Racing Organizing Committee competitions encourages all wished success to camel Abdullah Al Kuwari said that those who participated, owners in the upcoming com- Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin including owners and officials petitions, whether during the Hamad Al Thani’s gracing and to redouble efforts for the remaining local races of this crowning of the winners of the success of all the festivals held season or during the festival of eight main races of the Founder in Doha as well as to attain more Arabian Thoroughbred Camel Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed achievements, while attributing Race for the Sword of H H the bin Thani Camel Festival for the development in this sport to Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin purebred Arabian camels, the unlimited support given by Khalifa Al Thani or the festival which took place at Al the wise leadership to the sport of Arabian Thoroughbred Camel Shahaniya racetrack, is a great of parents and grandparents. Race for the Sword of H H the honour to all participants in He congratulated the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad this festival, and is the biggest winners of the final four races Al Thani, or the Arab Camel Hayfa A Al Abdullah, (second right), Director, Innovation; Alar Kolk, (second left) President, EIA; Yosouf support for the festival as well of the category for camels. Challenge Festival. Saleh (third right), Executive Director, Arab Innovation; and Harald Lepisk (right) with students on the Opening of QSTP second edition of Arab Innovation Academy at Qatar Foundation, Education City, yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT/THE PENINSULA Network and coverage obligations 2nd edition of Arab Innovation Academy of Ooredoo, Vodafone approved brings in 160 future ‘techpreneurs’

THE PENINSULA as of the beginning of January This will benefit the sector and FAZEENA SALEEM region. More importantly, we EIA told The Peninsula. DOHA 2019. In addition to that, CRA consumers at the same time, as THE PENINSULA believe that investment in our Participants will be intro- has unified all prior existing the companies are keen to region’s talent pool is the key to duced to advanced methods Minister of Transport and radio spectrum licences and provide competitive, innovative The Arab Innovation Academy achieving long-term economic and tools related to the entre- Communications H E Jassim Saif replaced it with a single doc- and high quality services, and (AIA), the largest entrepre- sustainability and prosperity,” preneurship journey, from Ahmed Al Sulaiti has approved ument “Radio Spectrum that will contribute to the devel- neurship boot-camp of its kind said Yosouf Abdulrahman Saleh, team formation and ideation the amendment of the network License” that includes harmo- opment of the Information and in the region launched its second Executive Director, QSTP to pitching venture capitalists rollout and coverage obligations nized terms and conditions for Communications (ICT) sector in edition yesterday. speaking at the opening cer- and angel investors, tactics that of Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar both companies. In the men- the State of Qatar,” said H E The initiative by Qatar emony held at Multaqa within are accredited by leading licences, for the provision of tioned radio spectrum licenses, Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti. Science & Technology Park the Education City. global universities, and public mobile telecommunica- CRA has initially assigned to “CRA was keen to facilitate (QSTP), a member of Qatar This year, AIA has selected endorsed by QSTP, Google, and tions networks and services. The each company 100 MHz within the introduction of 5G tech- Foundation Research, Devel- more than 160 participants from Amadeus. amendments adopted unified the 3500 - 3800 MHz frequency nology to the State of Qatar, and opment and Innovation (QF RDI) over 900 applicants. They will “Within ten days partici- obligations for both companies band for the commercial to assign the necessary fre- and the European Innovation gain learning experience from 25 pants will learn through exper- related to the Second Gener- deployment of 5G networks. quencies to telecommunications Academy (EIA) has brought speakers and 37 mentors and iments to understand how can ation (2G), Third Generation (3G) Under the radio spectrum companies in Qatar. Qatar will together more than 160 future investors. More than 80 students we actually focus on a big and Fourth Generation (4G) licences, the two companies will be one of the first countries in “techpreneurs” from Qatar, participating in AIA are from problem which have not been networks, that is in accordance be committed to rollout the 5G the world to launch 5G com- MENA region, India and Russia. Qatar and others are from coun- solved by companies and gov- with the amendments of the networks before the end of 2020 mercial services, which Within 10 days AIA will tries, including Morocco, Tunisia, ernments yet. Participants Annexure (G), of the network in all densely populated areas, undoubtedly will contribute to introduce participants to an accel- Algeria, Sudan, Palestine, coming with initial ideas will rollout and coverage obligations all primary roads and highways the achievement of Qatar erated mode of experiential Lebanon, Turkey, Oman and learn to see things differently of both companies licenses as well as all venues associated National Vision 2030 goals by learning under the guidance of Yemen. The first edition of AIA and how to build on their ideas,” related to public mobile tele- with FIFFA 2022 World Cup ensuring the sustainable devel- leading Silicon Valley mentors. It accepted more than 100 partic- said Kolk. The first day of the communications networks and including stadiums and fan opment of the ICT sector. On will include how to develop and ipants from 11 countries. AIA saw alumni from the pre- services. zones. behalf of the CRA, I would like launch new tech ventures in a real “We have seen a lot of vious edition share their val- Also, the Communications “Unifying the obligations of to thank all stakeholders and marketplace with genuine cus- interest from the region. I think uable experiences with the 2019 Regulatory Authority (CRA) has telecommunications companies telecommunications companies tomer feedback. regionally startups now sym- cohort in a moderated panel dis- issued decisions to grant the for the 2G, 3G and 4G networks for their cooperation and efforts “We aim to develop an inno- bolize sort of new hopes, cussion. Alumni also presented radio spectrum licences to both is a very important step towards to contribute to the devel- vative mindset among our tal- because technology is so acces- their initiatives on virtual companies for the deployment the development of a sus- opment of the sector,” said ented youth to nurture an sible and people realize that farming and a new approach to of the Fifth Generation (5G) tainable and fair competition in Mohammed Ali Al Mannai, Pres- unprecedented and competitive they can build their own sell tickets for football matches commercial networks in Qatar the telecom market in Qatar. ident of CRA. environment in the MENA dreams,” Alar Kolk, President, without faults. MoI: Companies keeping workers’ passport is punishable offence

SIDI MOHAMED title ‘First Safety and Security About the visas services pro- can only done by the main office,” THE PENINSULA Awareness Seminar for Com- vided by Unified Services he added. He also urged the munity Leaders and Represent- Department, he said it is only attendees to use Metrash 2 and to The Ministry of Interior has reit- atives’ was aimed to educate family visas (visit visas), and its benefit from many services being erated that holding passport of communities on the services on conditions are no-objection form provided through it. workers by companies is Unified Services Department. letter from the employer, proof Representatives of commu- punishable act according to Labor A large number of expa- of the relationship, work contract nities raised a number of ques- Law. The officials of Ministry of triates representing India, Sri while for visit visas for the family tions. To a question about visas Interior have advised workers to Lanka, Philippines, Pakistani and bank statement was not required for friends, the officers replied file their complains in this regard other countries attended the but salary of the applicant should that such visas were not allowed to the Ministry of Administrative seminar and raised the problems FROM LEFT:First Lt Nasser Saad Al Kaabi, Lt Saeed Khater Al not be less than QR5,500. but intending people could apply Development, Labor and Social and questions that their commu- Kuwari and Lt Mohamed Saeed Al Kaabi, during the First Safety For his part, First Lieutenant for tourist visas. Another Affairs and not to the police. nities are facing. and Security Awareness Seminar for Community Leaders and Nasser Saad Al Kaabi, Director of question was about the people The issue was raised yes- The seminar was attended by Representatives 2019 held at the Club Auditorium at Civil Defence Mesaieed Services Center said that who lost their ID while they are terday by representatives of First Lieutenant Nasser Saad Al Headquarters yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA the centers offer the service like outside Qatar. In this case, the some communities during a Kaabi, Director of Mesaieed the change in profession, name or officers replied, the person will seminar held by the Ministry of Services Center and Lieutenant accomplished through the various services to ensure that date of birth but at the same time have to register a report for lost Interior at the Officers’ Club Saeed Khater Al Kuwari from the centers and the various services they are easily accessible to all it is unacceptable that people ID in his home country and will Auditorium at the Headquarters Unified Services Department, the department provides. “The citizens and residents,” said coming every other day seeking send the said report to Qatar for of Civil Defence. who explained the transaction unified services department is Lieutenant Saeed Khater Al these changes as security pro- issuance of new ID paying the The seminar held under the procedures that are continuously developing its Kuwari. tocols do not allow it. “Some cases fine fee of QR500. 04 HOME THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 Seminar on stimulating private sector to build labour accommodation THE PENINSULA partnership. It also aimed to lis- various areas with suitable prices DOHA tening to views of private sector (2qr for sqm), providing long-term in this regard.Sheikh Faleh bin investment contracts as well as Qatar Chamber (QC) has organised Nasser Al Thani, Assistant Under- providing integrated infra- a seminar on stimulating private secretary for Public Services structure.They also include pro- sector to participate in projects of Affairs at Ministry of Municipality viding accommodations for female labourers’ accomodations. The and Environment was present. labourers, he noted. event was organised in cooper- Commenting on the seminar, He said that 7 permanent sites ation of Ministry of Administrative Rashid Al Athba said that the for labourers in Al Shammal, Al Development, Labour and Social Chamber is keenly interested to Khor, Um Slal, Wukair, Al Rakb and Affairs and Ministry of Municipality remove all obstacles that might Um Ghawilina will accommodate and Environment in the presense hinder the development of private more than 240,000 labourers. of officials from Public Works sector and its real contribution in There are four temporary sites in Authority (Ashghal) and Qatar the economic development.QC Al Shamal, Al Khor, Um Slal and Al General Electricity and Water organizes this meeting to help Siliya that will accommodate Corporation (Kahramaa). businessmen know all procedures 7,5000 labourers as well as 10 The seminar moderated by QC and decisions related to labourers’ temporary zone not developed on Second Vice Chairman, Rashid bin accomodations, he noted. an area of 300,000 sqm. Hamad Al Athba and attended by Eng Tareq Al Tamimi, head of Director of inspection The Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, meeting with QC First Vice Chairman Mohamed labourer accommodation strategy department at Ministry of Admin- German Bundestag member and spokesperson of the Social Democratic Party of Germany’s bin Ahmed bin Twar along with a and projects committee at Ministry istrative Development, Labour and parliamentary group, Nils Schmid. number of board members. of Municipality and Environment Social Affairs Fahd Salem Al The seminar focused on reviewed government incentives Ghanim said that Qatar labour helping private sector companies and support for the private sector laws make mandatory all institu- Speaker of the Shura Council meets with and businesspersons know in this sector. tions to provide all occupational projects of laborer’s accommoda- These incentives he said, safety and health and suitable member of the German parliament tions in line with the public-private include providing lands with accommodations for workers.

QNA development in Qatari-German Bundestag member ties, especially after the successful expressed to Speaker of the Shura The Speaker of the Shura Council, work visit of Amir H H Sheikh Council his happiness that the H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the State of Qatar was chosen to host Al Mahmoud, met here yesterday Federal Republic of Germany in the upcoming edition assembly with German Bundestag member September of last year and rep- of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and spokesperson of the Social resented a qualitative leap for (IPU), which will take place in Democratic Party of Germany’s partnership between the two Doha in April. parliamentary group Nils Schmid. countries. He also said that he was They discussed bilateral rela- For his part, Schmid praised optimistic it will succeed. The tions and the means to enhance the progress of the State of Qatar meeting was attended by a them in the parliamentary field. in all fields. He also praised number of officials from the H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Qatar’s distinguished role council, and Ambassador of Al Mahmoud expressed his regionally and internationally to the Federal Republic of Panellists in the seminar on stimulating private sector to participate in projects of labourers’ comfort with the great establish peace and stability. Germany Hans-Udo Muzel. accomodations organised by Qatar Chamber. FDI in Qatar rises by 4% in AZF attracts 10 world-class football AAB announces winners of raffle draw teams for training THE PENINSULA Q3 of 2018 to QR709.7bn DOHA

FROM PAGE 1 QNA percent or QR482.1bn, followed Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros. by foreign direct investment in In addition, teams are also Co. (AAB), the exclusive The number of foreign invest- Qatar at QR123.4bn or 17 percent encouraged to return because distributor of Toyota and Lexus ments in Qatar at the end of Q3 and portfolio investments at of the success in domestic and in Qatar has celebrated (third quarter) was QR709.7bn, QR101.7bn or 14 percent of the international tournaments that ‘Customer Appreciation Week’ up 4 percent sequentially total liabilities. Stock of inward follows their Aspire Zone from December 13 to 22, 2018 according to the Ministry of FDI had decreased by QR2.1bn training camps. as part of the Qatar National Planning and Statistics’ Qatar due to net outflows of FDI and Of particular importance to Day celebrations. The event Foreign Investment Survey. other changes during the quarter. football clubs are Aspire Zone’s was organised to celebrate The survey was done in Qatar’s assets with non-res- training pitches. Elite interna- Qatar National Day as well as cooperation with Qatar Central idents decreased by QR2bn from tional teams look for excellence to thank valuable Toyota & Bank. The survey targeted large QR387.3bn at the end of the pre- in the smallest things and Aspire Lexus customers for their enterprises in the private sector vious quarter to QR385.2bn. Zone Foundation’s com- support in making No. 1 brands and some government owned Other foreign investments con- mitment to maintaining the in Qatar. The representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Industry and enterprises which accounted for sisting of long-term loans and highest international standards During the celebration, cus- AAB officials at a Toyota 84 percent of the value of inward trade related short term financial makes its offer truly world- tomers purchasing any new showroom. FDI of non-banks enterprises in instruments accounted for 53 class. Teams return to AZF’s vehicles, Pre owned vehicles, 2016. QCB surveyed all financial percent or QR203.4bn of the total because the quality and con- Spare parts or servicing their institutions under its assets, followed by foreign direct venience of the venues are at vehicle at any of the eight AAB customers as well as senior offi- practices and processes”. At supervision. investment abroad at QR145.7bn least equal — and often better service centers were issued cials from AAB. Coupon AAB, we would like to express Data showed that at the end or 38 percent and portfolio than — even the biggest teams’ raffle coupons to win Toyota number 4529 won Toyota our appreciation to our cus- of Q3 2018, liabilities to non-res- investments (financial securities) home training facilities. From RUSH and Toyota Camry. RUSH and Coupon number tomers for their continuous idents increased by about 4 at QR35.5bn or 9 percent. pitch quality to training The raffle draws winners 8834 won Toyota Camry. trust, support & loyalty in our percent or QR27.4bn from During Q3 2018, there was a equipment, hospitality services were announced at Toyota Murugan Acting CEO said: brands. This Customer Appre- QR682.3bn at the end of previous net withdrawal of foreign direct to medical centres, AZF’s facil- Showroom in the presence of “Our main focus has always ciation Week is one of the ways quarter to QR709.7bn. Foreign investment abroad and other ities rival those of the greatest representative from the Min- been to achieve customer we are reaching out and saying investments accounted for 68 changes of QR0.9bn. sports teams around the world. istry of Economy and Industry, delight in all our internal thank you!” Stellarium skydome a big hit at Souq Waqif HALA ABDALLAH visitors and welcoming the New Year with until the morning especially when the THE PENINSULA festive holiday spirit. However, Attia moon and planets can be seen through claims, ‘stellarium sky-dome’ is a valuable the telescope,” he says. An Egyptian astronomer, Amro Mahmoud addition to the various entertaining activ- He charges a nominal amount of Attia, offering visitors an opportunity to ities which is creative as well as interesting money that does not exceed QR10 to ‘travel to space in less than a second’ and also holds an educational purpose. attend the show inside the dome and take through ‘stellarium software’ that conveys “We noticed many people are inter- pictures. “People who show interest and the solar system live in a dome which has ested in astronomy and sky-watching. In great enthusiasm in what we are pre- so far attracted hundreds of visitors during general, Arabs like to see the moon spe- senting are welcomed for free and some- Souq Waqif Spring Festival. cifically through the telescope or live as it times we distribute gifts related to “More than 200 people of different is being presented now because it is big astronomy,” says Attia. nationalities and age groups visit us per and detailed and it can be seen almost “Visitors from Europe and the coun- day for sky-watching during holidays,” every day,” he added. tries having mostly foggy climates get Attia told The Peninsula adding, “People However, according to Attia, planets astonished with sky-watching and the have the opportunity to see the planets have their own seasons as some appear services we are offering here so this is con- and stars with this innovation and gain a in the winter and others in the summer. sidered a touristic service as it leaves a general knowledge of the solar system.” “The most beautiful planets are Saturn pleasant and lasting imprint on visitors’ Nourine, an Omani living in Qatar, and Jupiter but Mars is the clearest planet memory of Qatar,” he added. described her star-gazing experience as now and Venus can be seen during Rama, a Sudanese visitor said, “This An inside view of stellarium skydome at Souq Waqif. amazing. “The explanation by the sunrise,” he says. Although he does not was the first time I see the planets and the PIC: ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA astronomer was inclusive in both lan- encourage people to look directly at the solar system closely, I felt as if I was in the guages English and Arabic and the 3D sun during the day time since it is harmful space for real.” Nevertheless, Attia technique made it look so realistic and three-dimensional sky watching using Dr. Hani Dalee, a Jordanian astronomer for the eyes and the lenses of the telescope, revealed his future plan for The Peninsula amazing.” stellarium software. and a volunteer helping Attia during high “Many people come particularly to see as he announced, “Our next step is to Attia, who spent two years astonishing Attia said that the software is an inter- season as he is temporarily the presenter the sun through the telescope, but with spread and start performing in different visitors with his powerful telescope acting simulation to see the stars, visit the explaining the movement of planets, moon our latest upgraded system everything in places in Qatar; we hope starting at City located at the venue of events in Souq planets and land on the moon even during and sun around the zodiac signs among the solar system can be seen” he said. Center from this month (January 2019).” Waqif, has upgraded his show this year times when some of them cannot be seen other astronomical phenomena. Attia is available in Souq Waqif from He added that he is planning to as the astronomical presentation is now through the telescope. “We aim to expand As Souq Waqif Spring Festival opens, April until the end of the year. “I come establish similar facilities across Qatar exclusively presented live in a dome with the activity to attract more visitors,” said fun and entertaining activities waiting during the sunset and I stay sometimes before 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 HOME 05 MoPH encourages residents to protect themselves against tobacco

THE PENINSULA The MoPH urges every six seconds due to tobacco to make positive personal deci- being exposed to it. DOHA tobacco users use and in Qatar, lung cancer is sions about their health.” The MoPH urges tobacco to access the one of the five most common Shisha smoking has similar users to access the compre- To minimise the impacts of comprehensive cancers. health risks as cigarette smoking hensive resources available to smoking and other tobacco use, Dr Kholood Al Mutawa as it contains several toxic agents assist in smoking cessation in the Ministry of Public Health resources available (pictured), Manager, Health known to cause lung, throat, Qatar. Hamad Medical Corpora- (MoPH) encourages people to to assist in smoking Promotion and Non-Communi- bladder, and oral cancers. Even tion’s Tobacco Control Center is reconsider their habit of smoking cessation in Qatar. cable Diseases at MoPH said, “The after it has passed through water, a WHO Collaborating service for the New year. campaign is designed to serve as the smoke from a shisha has high designed to assist in cessation There is no safe use of a reminder of the dangers of cig- levels of these toxic agents and is through clinically guided pro- tobacco or exposure to second or years smoking, those who quit, arettes, shisha and other tobacco not filtered. In fact, because of the grams. Tobacco users can book hand smoke. To limit the risks of have substantial gains in life use. We are urging everyone to way a shisha is used, smokers an appointment at any of HMC’s developing smoking related dis- expectancy and health compared protect themselves, their children absorb more of the toxic sub- tobacco cessation services by eases such as heart disease, with those who continue to use and families by staying away stances than cigarette smokers calling 16060. People seeking to cancer, stroke and respiratory tobacco. from tobacco. By providing our do. In addition, Secondhand quit can also access Primary issues, people are strongly urged The fact is that tobacco is a the smokers, but to those around citizens with accurate infor- smoke from shisha can also be a Health Care Corporation’s to quit. Irrespective of their age poison and is harmful not just to them. Worldwide one person dies mation we are empowering them major health risk for nonsmokers services by calling 107. QRCS supports cystoscopy services in Gaza hospitals

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has procured two cysto- scopes for the Alouda Hospital in northern Gaza, under its project to enhance cystoscopy services to urology patients in the blockade. At a total cost of $435,000, the new equipment will be used in cystoscopic urog- raphy and laser lithotripsy. Dr. Akram Nassar, Head of QRCS Mission in Gaza, said: “This project is a significant contri- bution to the urology services in A picture of operation theatre at Alouda Hospital in northern Gaza hospitals. It will help treat Gaza, which was provided with cystoscopy equipment by QRCS. Malabar Gold & Diamonds raffle draw winner the large numbers of urologic patients, who suffer health The raffle draw winner of ‘Win up to 2 kilos of gold & up to 100% cash back’ campaign by Malabar problems due to the high salinity North Gaza Governorate. The Gaza Cystoscopy Services Gold & Diamonds, Laila Al Boaing receiving her prizeof 100gm gold from Yahiya Gafoor, Deputy Branch of drinking water in Gaza”. The high-tech equipment will Enhancement project covers Head, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, in the presence of other team members of Malabar Gold & Diamonds. Also, he said, the project will remove urinary tract stones with three health facilities: the Alouda address the issue of having to no need for surgical intervention, Hospital, Patient’s Friends Society refer the patients for treatment causing no medical complications Clinic, and Hayfa Medical Center. abroad. Regarding the impor- at all. Its purpose is to improve the tance of these supplies, Dr. Ahmed “Now, the Alouda Hospital quality of urology services offered Mehana, Director of the hospital, has a whole package of surgical at hospitals of the Ministry of explained that the new equipment and endoscopic urology services,” Health (MOH) and public Cabinet nod for draft law on Media City will serve 380,000 people of he added. hospitals. FROM PAGE 1 Central Municipal Council and a research between the Government It also aims to achieve eco- draft resolution by the Minister of of the State of Qatar and the Gov- nomic and professional integration Interior to form the election com- ernment of the Republic of Cote with the State’s various projects mittees for the elections of the d’Ivoire. A Memorandum of and provide an interactive envi- Central Municipal Council. Understanding (MoU) for cooper- ronment by licensed companies The Cabinet approved a draft ation in the fields of tourism and working in the City. resolution to establish the Standing tourism activities between the Prime Minister and Interior Committee for Transport and Government of the State of Qatar Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Communication Flexibility. and the Government of the Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani It also approved the estab- Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. chaired the Cabinet regular lishment of a global data center for The Cabinet then reviewed the meeting at its seat at the Amiri Microsoft in Qatar “Azure Cloud following topics and took the Diwan. Following the meeting, H Computing”. Moreover, the appropriate decision: The letter of E Minister of Justice and Acting Cabinet took the necessary H E the Minister of Municipality Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs measures for the ratification of: An and Environment on the outcomes Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi agreement on the Promotion and of the Conference of the Parties to stated that the Cabinet reviewed Protection of Mutual Investments the United Nations Framework topics on its meeting’s agenda. between the Government of the Convention on Climate Change The Cabinet also approved a State of Qatar and the Government (COP 24) held in the Republic of draft resolution by the Minister of of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. An Poland in December 2018. Interior to form committees for agreement on the regulation of the The letter of HE Minister of voters registration for the elections employment of Ivorian workers Commerce and Industry on the of the Central Municipal Council between the Government of the outcomes of the first session of the (CMC), a draft resolution by the State of Qatar and the Government Qatari-Ukrainian Joint Committee Minister of Interior to form appeals of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. for Economic and Commercial and grievances examination com- An agreement on cooperation Cooperation held in Doha in mittees for the elections of the in higher education and scientific November 2018.

Commerce Ministry fixes service fee on local produces

FROM PAGE 1 to the provisions of this resolution, National Products when it Article 3 of the resolution nor shall he refuse to deal or set launched a national product initi- states that the maximum fees for restrictions and obstacles with the ative over a year and a half ago, in services imposed by outlets on local supplier. cooperation with major malls. The local suppliers shall be no more The decision introduces a initiative played a major role in than 10 percent of the actual sales number of obligations on outlets. supporting entrepreneurs and value of domestically produced Among others, Article 7 specifies local companies to launch and food products. Article 4 states that that the percentage of locally pro- market their products, and have the outlets must obtain the prior duced products displayed by the opportunity to easily reach approval of the committee when outlets shall not constitute less consumers. These efforts con- the fees for the services mentioned than 50 percent of the goods on tributed to the growth and devel- in Article 3 of the resolution are shelves of the same class. In opment of their companies increased. Article 5 states that the addition, no fees shall be charged through the valuable experience maximum payment period for on the entry and registration gained. receivables between domestic services for companies supplying The percentage of Qatari food outlets and suppliers shall not locally produced food commod- production significantly increased exceed fifteen days from the date ities. Priority shall be given to local during the first year of the of delivery of the monthly produce displayed, which should blockade, enabling Qatar to statement of account to the outlets, clearly bear the label “national achieve a large percentage of self- and shall cancel any contrary product”.Article 8 stipulates that sufficiency in milk and chilled agreement. relevant authorities shall execute poultry, which saw production Article 6 of the resolution and apply this decision, each lines, increase significantly. At the states that the sales outlet may not within its competency, as of same time, the Ministry is com- pressure the parties dealing with January 1, 2019, and the decision mitted to continuing all efforts to it, by any means to gain services. will be published in the Official develop the activity of local com- In order to obtain service fees or Gazette. panies while achieving a healthy payment periods or impose dis- The Ministry was the first to balance between those companies criminatory conditions contrary use the phrase Together to Support and all other outlets. 06 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019

13 parties to Dozens dead as run in Turkey local polls rebels clash in ANATOLIA ANKARA

A total of 13 political parties northern Syria will compete in Turkey’s forthcoming local elections AP Al Qaeda-linked scheduled for March 31, the BEIRUT militants press their country’s election authority offensive against announced yesterday. Two days of fighting in rebel- Turkey-backed The Supreme Election held parts of northern Syria Council said 13 parties could killed dozens of people as Al rebels. meet the necessary criteria to Qaeda-linked militants press run on the ballot. their offensive against Turkey- concerns that Turkey might Turkish local polls are backed rebels, a war monitor make a deal with Russia at the held every five years to elect and activists said yesterday. expense of the extremists, said mayors of 30 metropolitan The new wave of fighting Rami Abdurrahman who heads municipalities and 51 pro- comes after President Donald the Britain-based Syrian vincial municipalities. Turkish Armed Forces’ armoured military vehicles and howitzers are being dispatched to support the Trump’s abrupt announcement Observatory for Human Rights. Ruling Justice and Devel- units at the Syrian border in Gaziantep province, in Hatay, Turkey, yesterday. in mid-December that he was “They are trying to say we opment (AK) Party and oppo- withdrawing 2,000 US troops are present and no one should sition Nationalist Movement from Syria and Turkish threats ignore us,” he said of the Al days of fighting in the provinces in full control of the strategic week. It added that a local court Party (MHP) are expected to to carry out a military operation Qaeda-linked fighters. of Aleppo and Idlib have killed 31 town of Daret Azzeh and have released an official with the Nour support each other’s candi- against Kurdish fighters. The Al Qaeda-linked Levant people, including five civilians. also captured the villages of Al Din Al Zinki after questioning dates in some districts and With their offensive, the Al Liberation Committee and the Also killed were 14 Al Qaeda- Kafrantin, Fadra, Houta and him leading to tensions in the provinces, while the main Qaeda-linked fighters are Turkey-backed Nour el-Din el- linked fighters and 12 Turkey- Mkalbis. area. opposition Republican Peo- trying to cut off Turkey-backed Zinki group blamed each other backed gunmen. The Levant Liberation Com- Abdurrahman said Al Qaeda- ple’s Party (CHP) and the fighters in the northern enclave for triggering the fighting, the The government-controlled mittee said Nour Al Din Al Zinki linked HTS took the killing as a Good (IYI) Party are expected of Afrin from those in the north- worst in nearly three months. Syrian Central Military Media said militants shot dead five people, pretext to launch its attack. to make same arrangement. western province of Idlib, amid The Observatory said two Al Qaeda-linked fighters are now including four of its fighters, last The AK Party has already announced its 74 candidates, while the CHP has announced 36 candidates, the MHP 34 candidates, and the IYI Party Plans to silence call to prayer in Jerusalem 312 Palestinians 15 candidates. The AK Party has nomi- QNA nated Mehmet Ozhaseki, its OCCUPIED JERUSALEM martyred in 2018 deputy chairman and a Honduras mulls opening embassy in Jerusalem former environment and Moshe Lion, the extremist mayor of ANATOLIA urbanization minister, for Jerusalem, plans to silence the adhan REUTERS/BRASILIA RAMALLAH mayor of capital Ankara in (call to prayer) in the occupied Jeru- the upcoming election. salem, in an implementation of an Honduras will hold talks with Israel, joined by the United States, aimed Israeli army forces martyred 312 Palestinians in the Former Economy Min- Israeli bill to silence the Muslim call at opening an embassy in Jerusalem, the countries said yesterday, as the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip last year, according ister Nihat Zeybekci has been to prayer. small Central American nation looks to follow US President Donald to a Palestinian NGO yesterday. nominated by the AK Party Hebrew media sources revealed Trump’s much-criticized move. A total of 53 children and three women were among for mayor of Izmir, while the plan to silence the adhan, which US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, Israeli Prime Minister Ben- those killed by the Israeli army in 2018, the Palestine Binali Yildirim, current par- was decided by Lion, who is close jamin Netanyahu and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez Liberation Organization (PLO)’s Abdullah Hourani Center liament speaker and former to the Yisrael Beytenu Party head held a meeting in the Brazilian capital on the sidelines of the inaugu- for Studies and Documentation said in a statement. prime minister, will run for Avigdor Liberman. ration of right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The three agreed According to the NGO, 262 Palestinians were mar- mayor of Istanbul. Tens of millions of shekels will to hold meetings in the capitals of each country “to advance the decision tyred in the Gaza Strip and 50 others in Israel-occupied The CHP, meanwhile, has be spent to implement the bill. process to open embassies in both Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem,” as well West Bank. “The number of Palestinian martyrs has nominated Ekrem Imamoglu The Israeli mayor’s decision as “strengthen political relations and coordinate development cooper- increased by 200 percent in 2018, compared to a year for mayor of Istanbul and comes less than two months after ation in Honduras,” the countries said in a joint statement. earlier,” the Center said, adding that 31,000 Palestinians Mansur Yavas for Ankara his election and less than a year after were injured in the Gaza Strip and 500 others in the West mayor. The official election an Israeli government committee Bank by Israeli army fire. process kicked off on recommended giving police powers silence the minarets of Jerusalem consequences of this racist bill and Since March 2018, Palestinians have been staging Tuesday, with campaigning to storm mosques and grab loud- mosques, considering them a serious its impact on increasing tension and rallies across the buffer zone between Gaza and Israel to begin on March 21. speakers in case of raising the sound and new crime against the holy sites congestion in the Occupied city. to demand the right to return to their homes and villages of adhan or using loudspeakers at in the occupied Jerusalem. The bill, which was approved in historical Palestine, from which they were driven in Over 400,000 unauthorized times, the sources The Commission stressed that by the Knesset in preliminary 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel. added. the adhan is one of the distinctive reading in March 2017, prohibits They also demand an end to Israel’s 12-year blockade Ethiopians For its part, the Islamic-Christian features of the city, and violating it the mosques from using loud- of the Gaza Strip, which has gutted the coastal enclave’s Commission in Support of Jerusalem is a violation of every holy thing in speakers for adhan between 11pm economy and deprived its roughly two million inhab- return home and Holy Sites denounced efforts to the city, warning of the and 7am. itants of many basic commodities. ANATOLIA ADDIS ABABA

Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians driven away from Somalia orders top UN envoy to leave their villages due to ethnic conflicts have returned home, AFP cannot operate in the country,” movement in 2017, was detained including with stipend salary The UN had reviewed a country’s disaster MOGADISHU the foreign ministry said in a by the government accused of payments, logistics, uniforms recent video recording of the management authority said. statement late on Tuesday. There seeking to “undermine stability”, and training. police commissioner in South More than 400,000 inter- Somalia’s government has was no immediate reaction from and flown to the capital Haysom wrote to the Somali West State, in which the com- nally displaced people from ordered the UN top envoy to the the UN mission in Somalia. Mogadishu. government on December 30, mander warned of shooting in the Somali and Oromia states troubled country to leave, Somalia’s security forces Robow’s run for office requesting details of the legal the bottom anyone who pro- are now back in their lands accusing him of “deliberately used force to put down three exposed the tensions between basis of the arrest of Robow, as tested without permission, in Moyale, Borena, Gujji, and interfering with the country’s days of demonstrations in the Somalia’s federal states, which well as calling for investigations Haysom said. Bale as well as in the East and sovereignty.” southwestern town of Baidoa on want greater autonomy from a into the deaths in the protests Haysom’s letter also West Hararghe zones in The order comes days after December 13-15, with at least 15 national administration keen to following his detention. attached an annexed note from Oromia, state-run Ethiopian the official, Nicholas Haysom, people killed and 300 people safeguard its central powers. The envoy’s letter said UN the European Union, Britain and News Agency quoted raised concerns at the action of arrested, according to the UN. The UN mission in Somalia support to security fores must Germany in which they Mekonnen Lenjessa, the head Somalia’s UN-backed security Protesters were angry at the is tasked with supporting peace comply with the strict rules of its announced the suspension of of the Oromia Disaster Risk services in recent violence that arrest of Muktar Robow, a efforts and the strengthening of human rights police, and urged their aid to South West State. and Management Com- left several people dead. former Islamist leader who was government institutions in the the government to ensure The trio called for a meeting mission, as saying. “The Special Representative vying for the post of regional Horn of Africa nation, which was “appropriate action is taken to with security officials to discuss, Lenjessa said peace and of the UN Secretary-General for presidency of South West State. left ruined by decades of civil hold any perpetrators, including among other issues, “how to stability in the troubled areas Somalia, Nicholas Haysom, is no Robow, who defected from war. As part of that, the UN sup- commanding officers, improve police conduct and across the border between longer welcome in Somalia and the jihadist Al-Shabaab ports police officers and soldiers, accountable.” respect for human rights.” the Somali and Oromia states have been restored. US delegation due Congolese flee to Uganda in Turkey today to after vote, raising Ebola fears discuss FETO AP ANATOLIA KAMPALA ANKARA A Red Cross official says hundreds of refugees have crossed into A US delegation will pay a visit to Uganda from Congo in the aftermath of that country’s presidential Turkey today to discuss develop- election, heightening concerns about the possible cross-border ments in US probe into Fetullah spread of Ebola. Terrorist Organization (FETO), the Irene Nakasiita, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross in Uganda, group behind the 2016 coup attempt. said Wednesday that the influx started the day after Sunday’s vote The delegation including FBI offi- and since then dozens have been arriving at a time. cials will hold talks with officials from She said some Congolese trying to cross the border were forced foreign, justice and interior minis- back after resisting the efforts of Ugandan health officials screening tries in the capital Ankara. Turkish people for Ebola. In the midst of shaky truce authorities are expected to be Congo’s government cited Ebola in the country’s northeast for Fishing boats moored to a dock in the embattled Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeida, yesterday. informed about the U.S.-based probe a contentious decision to bar an estimated 1 million voters from into the terror group during the talks, the Dec. 30 election. Nearly 600 Ebola cases have been reported, which will last for two days. with more than 350 confirmed deaths since August. THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 ASIA 07 Protests as 2 women enter shrine defying ban

AFP Police fired tear gas, “This is a good beginning for THIRUVANANTHAPURAM stun grenades and women in the new year,” said water cannon as activist Trupti Desai. Protests and violence erupted in In rare comments regarding southern India yesterday after protests and clashes the Sabarimala temple on two women defied traditionalists between rival groups Tuesday, Modi — running for a to enter one of Hinduism’s erupted across the second term in elections later holiest temples for the first time this year — appeared to support since a landmark court ruling. southern state of the ban, saying the matter was Police fired tear gas, stun Kerala. related to tradition. “There are grenades and water cannon as some temples which have their protests and clashes between own traditions, where men can’t rival groups erupted across the confirmed. go. And men don’t go,” Modi told southern state of Kerala, local Video images showed the Indian media. media reported, with several 42-year-old women, Kanaka The restriction on women at officers injured. Durga and Bindu, wearing black Sabarimala, situated on top of a The Supreme Court in Sep- tunics with their heads bowed as 3,000-foot hill in a tiger reserve tember overturned a decades- they rushed in. “We did not enter that takes hours to climb, reflects old ban on women of menstru- the shrine by climbing the 18 holy a belief — not exclusive to Hin- ating age — deemed as those steps but went through the staff duism — that menstruating between 10 and 50 — setting foot gate,” one of the women later women are impure. Tradition- inside the gold-plated Sabar- told reporters. alists argue also that the temple imala temple. As soon as news of breach deity was celibate. In recent weeks Hindu tra- spread, the temple head priest Repeated efforts by women ditionalists — backed by Prime ordered the shrine closed for a to enter the temple since Sep- Minister Narendra Modi’s purification ritual. It reopened tember have been angrily Protesters shout slogans as they take part in a rally called by various organisations after two women Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — after around an hour. rebuffed by Hindu devotees with entered the Sabarimala shrine in Kochi, yesterday. have prevented attempts by Later clashes were reported police having to step in to escort women to access the hilltop site, between scores of people them away to safety. with some hardliners turning chanting slogans in front of the Journalists were also called for by the Sabarimala activists celebrated. The Supreme Court is to start violent. state Assembly in state capital assaulted in Thiruvanan- temple hierarchy. “Watching the visuals of hearing a legal challenge to its But in a surprise pre-dawn Thiruvananthapuram. Some thapuram and in the city of Public bus services were sus- them making their way into the ruling on January 22. operation yesterday that was reportedly set fire to tyres. Kollam while clashes were pended after protesters blocked shrine makes me cry in joy — Women are still barred from heralded by activists but that The standoff petered out reported elsewhere. their path and pelted vehicles how long it has taken for us to a handful of Hindu temples in enraged conservative devotees, around five hours later after Police with batons charged with stones. claim space, to write our way India. The entry of women at police enabled two women to police intervened. Five female at demonstrators who were Modi’s government did not into history,” wrote feminist Sabarimala was taboo for gen- penetrate the temple and then protesters who tried to barge into trying to enforce a shutdown of immediately react to news of the author Meena Kandasamy on erations and formalised by the leave again undetected, officials the Assembly were arrested. shops and businesses in the area women entering the temple, but Twitter. Kerala High Court in 1991. Rahul steps up attack on Modi, Families of Govt rejects JPC trapped miners probe on Rafale says JPC needed on Rafale deal lose hope IANS contract was snatched from HAL. Pandemonium broke out IANS IANS matter. It is an investigation into NEW DELHI A JPC is needed,” he said. when Gandhi took out his mobile KHLIEHRIAT/SHILLONG NEW DELHI whether it was a clean or an Gandhi was seeking to phone and wanted to play the unclean deal. The Supreme Indian National Congress Pres- dismiss Modi’s statement in a tel- recorded conversation of a Goa The families of the trapped The government rejected in the Court has said that ‘we have sat- ident Rahul Gandhi stepped up evision interview on Tuesday in minister amidst stiff opposition miners inside a flooded coal Lok Sabha the opposition isfied our conscience’ about his attack on Prime Minister which he said the allegations in from the ruling benches, pit for 21 days now in demand for a Joint Parlia- pricing, HAL, offset. What will Narendra Modi over the Rafale the Rafale deal were not directed including Finance Minister Arun Meghalaya said they are mentary Committee (JPC) probe JPC do in an investigation?” deal, saying the entire country at him personally but was against Jaitley who alleged that after giving up on them being alive into the Rafale fighter jet deal Jaitley said and referred to the was “pointing fingers” at him and the government. “He (Modi) was concocting French President even as rescuers struggle to with France, saying there was JPC that went into the kickbacks demanded that a Joint Parlia- looking tired, nervous (in the Emmanuel Macron on the issue dewater the pit. no corruption, and accused the in the Bofors deal. mentary Committee (JPC) must interview). He said no one has of price, Gandhi was now trying “We have lost all hope to Congress, “which has a legacy “The committee headed by probe the deal to bring out the pointed fingers at me but the to play a conversation which he see him alive again. I just wish of scams” like Bofors and Augus- (late) Shankaranand gave a truth. whole country is pointing fingers knew was false. they retrieve the bodies of my taWestland, of inventing allega- report saying that they were not In a speech that was marked at him,” Gandhi said. As shouting continued, sons so that we can solemnly tions against a “clean” kickbacks but winding up by shouting from ruling party Gandhi said a news report Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked perform their last rites and government. charges. The JPC whitewashed benches, Gandhi sought to play had said that in Defence Minis- Gandhi to authenticate the pur- pray for them,” said Krishna Intervening in the discussion the fraud of corruption,” he said a purported recording of a con- try’s file notings, it had been ported conversation and sternly Limbu, the brother-in-law on the controversial deal with amid thumping of desks by party versation of a Goa Minister on the stated that “PM Modi shouldn’t told him not to play any Assh Bahadur Limbu, who is the French aircraft manufac- members. issue that triggered heated interfere in Rafale deal’s negoti- recording. “You know it is false,” among those trapped in the turer Dassault, it said there was “And the JPC is now being exchanges between Congress ation”. “Modi must also answer Jaitley told Gandhi. “Because he mine. no need for a JPC since the demanded by those with a and BJP members in the Lok on this,” he said. knows it is false... he lies Assh, 21, a native of Supreme Court had already legacy of corruption, wanting to Sabha. Gandhi accused Modi of repeatedly.” The Minister also Assam’s Karbi Anglong dis- given its verdict on the process, invent allegations of corruption Initiating a debate on the bypassing procedures to award referred to Gandhi’s statement trict, is one of at least 15 pricing, offset clause and HAL as we have given a clean gov- controversial deal for acquiring an offset contract to a private on Macron and said it too was miners trapped inside the issue after satisfying its ernment.” Taking a dig at the fighter jets from France, he entity after agreeing to a three- false and fabricated. flooded illegal coalmine at conscience. Congress, he said: “The con- attacked Modi on the “process, time hike in the price per aircraft Meanwhile, Former Finance Ksan village in East Jaintia A parliamentary committee science of the Supreme Court pricing and patronage” and said and reducing the number of Minister Yashwant Sinha, jour- Hills district since can come to a consensus when was satisfied but the election “there are many holes in the planes to be bought. nalist-turned-politician Arun December 13. it comes to policy matters but needs of the Congress were not.” Rafale story”. Referring to the Supreme Shourie and activist lawyer “It is only God’s wish, if he could become partisan when it The Congress, which has been “I thought ‘daal me kuch kala Court verdict which rejected Prashant Bhushan filed a review still wishes them to be alive. comes to investigation, Finance demanding constitution of a JPC hai but puri daal hi kali hai’ (I pleas seeking a probe into the petition in the Supreme Court It is 21 days now and the Minister Arun Jaitley said, and staging protests in the thought there was some wrong- Rafale deal and said the apex seeking recall of its verdict water level in the pit is not explaining why the government house, on Monday suddenly doing but nothing is right). We court had said a probe was not giving a clean chit to the gov- receding despite Odisha fire was ruling out a JPC probe. offered to face a debate on the demand JPC (Joint Parliamentary in its jurisdiction and had not said ernment’s acquisition of 36 services personnel pumping “Rafale issue is not a policy issue on which Jaitley had Committee). It will bring out the that there should not be a JPC or Rafale fighter jets in a ready-to- out the water since yesterday or administrative or governance thrown a challenge to the party. truth. Modiji bypased processes, a parliamentary probe. fly condition. (Monday),” he said. India plans to launch 32 space missions in 2019

IANS mission in 2021-22, Gaganyaan, aiming to re-instate its BENGALURU will also be pursued this year, microwave remote sensing capa- Sivan said in a first-of-its-kind bility through the Radar Imaging India is planning to launch 32 New Year message from the Satellite (RISAT) series and hopes space missions in 2019, a top space agency top executive to its to attain geo-imaging capability space official said here. staff. “Gaganyaan activities will through Geo Imaging Satellite “The year 2019 promises to go in full steam to accomplish the (GISAT) series. be challenging to the Indian various development and qual- “The country will meet the Space Research Organisation ification milestones,” the high throughput bandwidth (ISRO) community with 32 Chairman said. requirement of Digital India and planned missions,” its chairman Prime Minister Narendra also in-flight connectivity with K. Sivan said in a message to his Modi’s announcement of the launch of GSAT-20,” Sivan employees on New Year. Gaganyaan on August 15 last year said. The missions include the has allowed the space agency to The space agency will second lunar mission Chan- fulfill its dream of undertaking a enhance remote sensing data for drayaan-2 to land on the moon human spaceflight programme, crop production estimation to with lander and rover. Sivan said. cover 10 additional crops and The Rs8bn lunar mission will The pad abort test held on provide inputs for water and Republic Day parade rehearsal the 25th from the second launch July 5, 2018 to test the escape energy security. “It is planned to pad of the space port at Sriha- system of the crew module has improve the payload capability Indian Navy personnel march during the rehearsal for the upcoming Republic Day parade in New rikota in Andhra Pradesh, about given ISRO confidence to pursue of Geosynchronous Satellite Delhi yesterday. India will celebrate its 70th Republic Day on January 26. 90km northeast of Chennai. the human space mission, he Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and its India’s maiden human space added. The space agency is also variants,” he added. 08 VIEWS THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 Why smart people may be more ESTABLISHED IN 1996 likely to fall for fake news CHAIRMAN SHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR FAYE FLAM MOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED BLOOMBERG [email protected] ne might suspect scientists DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR of belaboring the obvious MOHAMMED OSMAN ALI with the recent study called [email protected] ‘Belief in Fake News Is Asso- Ociated With Delusionality, Dogmatism, Religious Fundamentalism and Reduced Analytical Thinking.’ The conclusion that some people are more gullible than others is the under- standing in popular culture - but in the EDITORIAL scientific world it’s pitted against another widely-believed paradigm, shaped by several counterintuitive studies that indicate we’re all equally Proud march into New Year biased, irrational and likely to fall for propaganda, sales pitches and general eople across the world have been welcoming the nonsense. New Year with a variety of celebrations. Everybody Experts have told us that con- Phopes that the year 2019 brings more peace, pros- sistent irrationality is a universal perity and happiness to a world, especially the Middle human trait. A columnist in the Wash- East region, troubled by wars, sectarianism, hunger and ington Post last week reminded us of They question the idea that $1.10. How much does the ball cost?’ calamities. Jonathan Haidt’s “a cogent and per- smarter people are, if anything, more Low scores are correlated with reli- The New Year begins with great ambitions and hopes suasive account’ of how bad humans likely to believe false things, because gious dogmatism, superstition and for more strength and continuation of development and are at evidence-based reasoning. The their mental agility helps them ration- belief in conspiracy theories as well as a comprehensive renaissance for Qatar. The country article also cites the classic ‘Thinking, alize. It’s a school of thought that a type of fake aphorism that Pen- marched into 2019 holding its head high and its flag flut- Fast and Slow’ to argue that we’re became popular partly because it is a nycook called “pseudoprofound.” tering aloft as it was coming out of a full year and a half ruled more by tribes, affiliations and bit loopy, and partly because views Understanding who believes fake of unjust blockade imposed with the intention of destroying instincts than by evidence. But isn’t it that lump us all together have a ring of news and why touches on the very the country by its neighbours, the so-called Arab quartet. possible this applies to some people political correctness. foundations of American democracy. Nobody should have any doubt that the past year will more than The roots of it trace back, in part, The view that we’re all equally clueless remain a testament to the Qatari steadfastness in the face others? Is it to Yale researcher Dan Kahan, who plays into the post-truth rabbit hole of the consequences of the siege. reasonable to has done some widely respected dug by the Trump campaign and The blockade did not deter Qatar from achieving believe that experiments showing that peoples’ administration. Why bother trying to records in the fields of development, construction and They question the we are all views on technical subjects such as think anything through? great jumps in the field of education etc in line with Qatar idea that smarter equally bad climate change and nuclear power Well, maybe because the truth is National Vision 2030. at reasoning? depended almost entirely on political out there. In the book ‘Network Propa- Under the wise leadership and guidance of Amir H H people are, if Luckily some affiliation. ganda,’ a group of Harvard researchers Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al anything, more likely scientists I wrote about Kahan’s work here, analyse thousands of social media Thani and the government, to believe false seem to think citing a study that “showed that the posts to demonstrate the influence of Qatar begins a new era of things, because their that they are better people are at math and rea- false and misleading information in prosperity, achievements, capable of soning, the more likely they are to American politics. They also dispel the welfare, diversification of mental agility helps evidence- align their views with ideology, even if myth that partisans on the left and investment and business, a them rationalize. It’s based rea- those views included creationism or right are equally influenced by false- Qatar’s qualitative jump in the a school of thought soning, and other unscientific stances.” hoods. The data, they say, show the diplomacy has knowledge economy and self that became popular they have Pennycook said he agrees with problem is concentrated on the right. sufficiency in food products. investigated Kahan on this to an extent; it’s not This is not to say that people who resulted in great partly because it is a achievements in Last year, Qatar was suc- the questions. incompatible with his findings, but it are good at picking out fake news and cessful in establishing strategic bit loopy, and partly Canadian applies only in special cases, such as score well on the Cognitive Reflection every continent, partnerships with Turkey, the because views that psychologist climate change, where the subject Test are smarter than other people in expanding United States, the United lump us all together Gordon Pen- matter is technical and complex. On other ways. As Michael Shermer Kingdom, France, Germany nycook, an television, complete charlatans who argued long ago in his classic “Why partnerships have a ring of with emerging and Italy and there will defi- author on the know the right buzzwords can sound People Believe Weird Things,” very nitely be more such diplomatic political correctness. delusionality as erudite to the lay public as the creative people - even famous scien- economies in breakthroughs in this year too. paper and a world’s true experts would. tists - can be subject to delusions and Latin America, Qatar’s diplomacy has leader in the But Pennycook and his colleagues occasionally believe in astrology or Europe, Africa resulted in great achievements camp promoting the idea that some questioned whether this counterintu- conspiracy theories. in every continent, expanding are more gullible than others, con- itive finding applied more generally. Pennycook agreed this is not just a and Asia. H H the partnerships with emerging cedes that it is a little weird that one To put it to the test, they showed sub- cognitive issue but could encompass Amir’s visit to economies in Latin America, can get published demonstrating that jects a mix of fake and real news elements of personality and mental several countries Europe, Africa and Asia. H H “smarter people are better at not stories and asked them to rate their health. Just as Shermer showed there last year has the Amir’s visit to several believing stupid things.” That’s essen- plausibility. They found some people creative delusional people, there also countries last year has had a tially the conclusion in a newer paper were bad at this and some were good, are those smart but narcissistic types - had a great great impact on Qatar’s inter- not yet officially pub- and that the best predictor of news the people who insist all climate scien- impact on Qatar’s national standing. The country lished, ‘Rethinking the Link Between discernment was something called the tists are idiots, for example. international has always held the Arab Cognitive Sophistication and Identity- Cognitive Reflection Test. Some are still thinking that ball standing. region and Islam its first and Protective Bias in Political Belief For- The test uses questions such as costs 10 cents(2) and are gloating at foremost interests and it was mation,’ which he co-wrote with Ben this: ‘A bat costs a dollar more than a how stupid other people must be not evident from its support to the Tappan and David Rand. ball. The bat and ball together cost to get this immediately. Palestinian cause and efforts to bring back a peaceful life to the areas reeling under conflicts. The country has made copious success in its economic diversification and foreign invest in sectors such as energy, The US must help Yemen save its history tourism, hospitality, sports, international conventions and meetings. State of Qatar will continue its steady stride in the field DEBORAH LEHR & across generations, along with a famed There is good reason to believe that of education and preparing the Qatari people for the AHMED AWAD BIN MUBARAK tradition of silver design. Much of this the United States is a destination for future, investing more in the human element according THE WASHINGTON POST rich history survived for millennia, as pillaged Yemeni artifacts, because it to its great vision, in order to create a generation capable Yemen is home to four UNESCO World remains the largest art market in the of carrying on the torch of development, prosperity and mong the many tragedies Heritage Sites and national museums world. Research by the Antiquities Coa- management with confidence. taking place in the nearly that house priceless artifacts. While lition demonstrates that, over the past four-year conflict in Yemen - media coverage has closely followed decade, the United States has imported including the thousands of the fighting around some of these his- more than $8 million worth of declared livesA lost, the impoverishment to near- toric places and collections, it has art and antiquities from Yemen. There starvation of its people and the ruin of sadly ignored that this history is being is reason to suspect that the total is QUOTE OF THE DAY its fragile economy — is the plunder of stripped for sale to foreign buyers. much higher. While it is impossible to the country’s valuable and precious Yemen has warned the United know the true scale of the illicit trade, it Although Britain is ancient cultural heritage by organized Nations and the world of this illicit trade, is distressingly familiar, as plunderers neither a superpower criminals and violent extremists. This presenting evidence that al-Qaida in the across the region have seen museums nor in possession of an all-too-familiar story underscores an Arabian Peninsula militants and Houthi and ancient sites as opportunities to empire, the country still urgent need for the US Treasury rebels are taking a page from the Islamic raise easy money. Department to use its existing sanc- State playbook by arming their cause Despite Washington’s growing has the military might, tions regime to close the US art market with the plunder and sale of Yemen’s awareness of the terrorist financing economic muscle and to Yemeni blood antiquities. ancient treasures. Three major threat from cultural racketeering, US diplomatic connections Historically, Yemen was a meeting museums - the Taiz National Museum, markets remain wide open to conflict to play a major role in ground for some of the earliest con- the Aden National Museum and the antiquities from Yemen. In other coun- world affairs. tacts and trade between East and West National Museum of Zinjibar — have tries, the State Department has used and a crossroads of the ancient been pillaged and largely cleared of their available diplomatic tools to negotiate incense and spice routes. As home to collections. International experts have bilateral agreements to close US Jeremy Hunt the legendary Queen of Sheba, stories corroborated these reports, including markets to illegally imported antiq- British Foreign Secretary about the treasures to be found in archaeologists on the ground, the Inter- uities. Congress has also taken legis- Yemen’s markets and the inde- national Council of Museums and the lative action to sanction efforts to pendence of its people were passed UN Panel of Experts on Yemen. import illicit pieces from Iraq and Syria. THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 OPINION 09 How capitalism is killing us

itchhiking through Vene- well as assess “soaring death rates Of course, it’s not just bodies and zuela some years ago, a and family and community communities that the US brand of friend and I availed our- destruction wrought by prescription capitalism is destroying at home and selves of the novel oppor- and other drug addiction”. Capi- abroad; it’s also the planet itself. tunityH to receive free medical care at talism, it seems, is a deadly business Overconsumption, unbridled con- health clinics established by late indeed. tamination, and resource exploi- In the US, enthusiastic President Hugo Chavez, a much-vil- To be sure, rampant drug use and tation have put us on a fast track to a bipartisan support for war BELEN FERNANDEZ ified enemy of the international capi- abuse is hardly surprising in a society “point of no return”, as climate scien- AL JAZEERA - a pillar of the imperialist talist order. in which money and profit have so tists have warned. enterprise - translates into I had never experienced the superseded human life in importance Back in 1989, US economist Paul danger of free healthcare in my own that people often literally cannot Sweezy described capitalism’s view not only mass death for homeland - that glorious vanguard of afford to live. of the natural environment “not as people on the receiving capitalism known as the United Some, however, choose alternate something to be cherished and end of bombs and drone States - which was too busy waging methods of escape from the brutality enjoyed but as a means to the para- attacks, but also large- wars and otherwise facilitating of reality - as is hinted at by a 2018 mount ends of profit-making and still obscene corporate profit accumu- study from the US Centres for more capital accumulation”. scale environmental lation to be bothered with basic Disease Control and Prevention His summary of the major ele- poisoning. As Newsweek human rights. At one Venezuelan (CDC) that indicates skyrocketing ments of the environmental crisis observed in 2014, the US clinic, a female doctor from Cuba suicide levels across the country. already under way three decades ago appropriately remarked that, like the Recent reports that loneliness is - from the greenhouse effect brought Defence Department is one US military, Cuban medics also in fact life-threatening meanwhile on by massive fossil-fuel combustion of the top polluters on the operated in global conflict zones - suggest that the neoliberal disman- to the pernicious fallout of “pred- planet. but to save lives. tling of interpersonal bonds and atory agricultural methods” to the A December 2017 statement from increasing isolation of the individual “mounting pollution of the oceans Recent reports that the United Nations Special Rapporteur may also be inconducive to survival. once thought to be an infinite repos- on extreme poverty and human rights Alienation is compounded by the itory of all kinds of wastes” - raises know it - Dawson stresses that the loneliness is in fact notes that, while the US manages to commodification of every aspect of the question of whether the point of “ideological opening” for such life-threatening spend “more [money] on national existence and the enshrinement of no return may be already long gone. leaders was facilitated interna- meanwhile suggest defence than China, Saudi Arabia, consumerist materialism as a way of After all, now that the oceans and tionally by “centrist and even that the neoliberal Russia, United Kingdom, India, life, not to mention ubiquitous tech- other essential earthly accessories leftist governments… that France, and Japan combined”, US nological distraction and the con- have effectively become plastic, it remained wedded to fossil capi- dismantling of infant mortality rates were, as of 2013, version of human populations into will be rather difficult to convert talism over the last couple of interpersonal bonds “the highest in the developed world”. cell phone-glued automatons. them back into non-plastic form - decades”. and increasing The Special Rapporteur provides Add to the toxic mix an all-pow- particularly when the global capi- It bears emphasising, too, that, isolation of the a barrage of other details from his erful pharmaceutical industry - for talist elite have wholeheartedly in the US, enthusiastic bipartisan own visit to the US, during which he which a nation of depressed and oth- embraced the system’s self- support for war - a pillar of the individual may also was able to observe the country’s erwise afflicted individuals is an destructive logic and apparently imperialist enterprise - translates be inconducive to “bid to become the most unequal obvious financial boon - and the don’t mind leaving their progeny to into not only mass death for people survival. society in the world” - with some 40 future appears bleaker than ever. deal with the impending apocalypse. on the receiving end of bombs and million people living in poverty - as ‘Point of no return’ This is even truer since the drone attacks, but also large-scale current leader of the so-called “free environmental poisoning. As world” is the man who previously Newsweek observed in 2014, the denounced climate change as a US Defence Department is one of Chinese hoax. the top polluters on the planet. In a December post on the Verso Now, as capitalism continues Books website, Ashley Dawson - to kill us, the only real solution - author of Extreme Cities: The Peril however improbable - is to kill and Promise of Urban Life in the Age capitalism. of Climate Change - reviews some of Donald Trump’s contributions to the Earth’s devastation by “hyper-capi- talism”, such as “efforts to crimi- nalise environmental protest”. Though Trump’s 2017 withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement D-RING ROAD may have caused the most ruckus, POST BOX: 3488 Dawson notes, “extractivist policies DOHA - QATAR adopted during the second year of his [email protected] reign of environmental terror included rolling back vehicle fuel economy standards, dismantling EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OFFICE rules limiting methane pollution, and TEL: 4455 7741 / 767 jettisoning safety rules governing off- FAX: +974 4455 7758 shore drilling operations”, among other feats. MANAGING EDITOR And while Trump’s assault on the TEL: 4462 7505 environment is mirrored by ultra- right counterparts across the globe - DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR like Brazil’s new president Jair Bol- TEL: 4455 7769 File photo of a demonstrator from the Occupy Wall Street campaign seen with a dollar taped over his mouth as he sonaro, who has pledged to put an stands near the financial district of New York. end to the Amazon rainforest as we LOCAL NEWS SECTION TEL: 4455 7743

BUSINESS NEWS SECTION TEL: 4462 7535 BLOOMBERG doing almost nothing to prepare for it. left in the dark. Small businesses SPORT NEWS SECTION To pretend to get serious now, with a report being ignored entirely. Fully 94 TEL: 4455 7745 ith Brexit negotiations mere three months to go, is simply percent of firms in one survey com- paralyzed, and fewer delusional. EU negotiators know full plained about a lack of information. ONLINE SECTION than 100 days till the well that Britain could never accept Even where more robust planning TEL: 4462 7501 clock runs out, it’s worth the consequences of no deal - and has started, the results are no more [email protected] Wremembering that the U.K. gov- these expensive preparations won’t encouraging. Take border controls. In a no-deal scenario, the UK would need induce them into new concessions. PUBLIC RELATIONS to process some 260 million customs It bears repeating that a no-deal TEL: 4455 7613 exit would be a disaster. Overnight, declarations a year, compared to about [email protected] customs and regulatory barriers 55 million currently. A recent audit would rise. Licenses and approvals found that 11 out of 12 critical IT ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT No one is ready for issued in Britain would no longer systems intended to handle this added TEL: 4455 7837 / 780 apply across the border. Supply chains deluge won’t be ready in time, nor FAX: 4455 7870 would freeze up. Food distribution could the needed infrastructure or staff [email protected] a no-deal Brexit could break down. Growth would be in place. As a result, the government crater, the pound could plummet, would likely forgo regulatory and CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT prices might soar and unemployment safety checks on many goods coming TEL: 4455 7857 could double. That’s to say nothing of from the EU, a situation it concedes is [email protected] non-economic consequences: U.K. “less than optimal.” ernment - despite its assurances - police could lose access to tools for A better approach to all of this SUBSCRIPTION & remains entirely unready for a tracking terrorists, British planes and would be honesty. The time for DISTRIBUTION no-deal exit from the European pilots could be grounded, hospitals bluffing is up. No government could TEL: 4455 7809 / 839 Union. Pretending otherwise helps no could run out of medicines, and willingly accept a calamity on the FAX: 44557819 one. garbage could pile up - not to mention scale of a no-deal Brexit, and May [email protected] It bears repeating In recent weeks, the government dead bodies. should simply say so. If Parliament has started making some frantic prep- Dire as these looming calamities rejects her Brexit deal in January - as that a no-deal exit arations. It has directed 2 billion are, the government has offered in all likelihood it will - she should would be a disaster. pounds to no-deal provisions, hired hardly any real details about how it push immediately to delay the Article All thoughts and views Overnight, customs some 10,000 staffers, and redeployed intends to mitigate them. Its plans to 50 process and stop the countdown. expressed in these columns hundreds of civil servants to help deal with drug and food shortages That would allow time for either new and regulatory shorthanded departments. Rather have mostly been hashed out in elections or, far better, a second refer- are those of the writers, barriers would alarmingly, it’s also putting about secret. What ideas it has aired publicly endum that would let the public not of the newspaper. rise. Licenses and 3,500 troops on standby. - chartering ships on a mass scale to finally break this deadlock. approvals issued All this amounts to an expensive deliver critical supplies, for instance - To continue with Potemkin All correspondence bluff. From the beginning, the gov- have been unnervingly unrealistic. no-deal preparations will only com- in Britain would no ernment has tried to use the prospect It has also done next to nothing to pound the damage. Vast sums are regarding Views and longer apply across of a chaotic exit as negotiating lev- help businesses. It started publishing being spent to sustain an illusion that Opinion pages should be the border. Supply erage - “No deal is better than a bad formal guidance on a no-deal exit isn’t fooling anyone. Meanwhile, no send to editor-in-chief chains would freeze deal,” as Prime Minister Theresa May only in August, thereby giving com- progress is being made on more real- office or mailed to the has said. It was never terribly con- panies a mere seven months to istic options - and the clock ticks and up. vincing, not least because the U.K. was prepare. Executives say they’re being ticks. [email protected] 10 ASIA THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 New panel set up to revise Islamabad’s master plan

INTERNEWS The commission 1960 CDA Ordinance, the master ISLAMABAD will revise the city’s plan, the 1992 Islamabad Capital master plan for Territory (ICT) Zoning Regula- The Ministry of Interior of tions, the 2005 Islamabad Pakistan has notified a the next 20 years Building Regulations and other 12-member commission to carry and recommend regulations made under the CDA out the first-ever revision of the possible Ordinance. Islamabad’s master plan. regularisation of According to its terms of ref- According to a notification erence (ToR), the commission dated December 28, the com- constructions. “shall keep in view the increased mission will be headed by the private sector participation on chairman of the Capital Devel- chief of the Planning Com- health and education sectors to opment Authority (CDA) Com- mission, Islamabad’s chief met- make recommendations”. mittee, who will act as a con- ropolitan officer, the CDA’s It will also make proposals venor of the commission until master plan director, and a for short-term, medium-term such time that an individual renowned architect and a town and long-term development, A Bangladeshi auxiliary force member walks past a poster with the images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, from the private sector is planner to be nominated by the and can amend its ToRs with founding father of Bangladesh, and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Kamalapur railway appointed chairman. Pakistan Council of Architects approval from the federal gov- Other members include and Town Planners. ernment. The commission is to station in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, days after the country’s 11th national general election. Pakistan Institute for Environ- The notification also carried conclude its work within six mental Development Action the name of Dr Ghulam Abbas months. Research Islamabad Executive Anjum, the former dean of Doxiadis Associates, the firm Bangladesh arrests journalist Syed Ayub Qutub,United Nations faculty of architecture and that developed the capital’s Settlement Programme Habitat planning at the University of master plan in 1960, had rec- Programme Manager Jawed Ali Engineering and Technology, ommended revising the plan Khan, former CDA member who died a few days ago. When every 20 years. The failure of over election reporting planning and design Asad the cabinet decided on the com- successive governments to do Mehboob Kayani, the incumbent mission members, Dr Anjum so has resulted in unauthorised AFP “providing false information in activists were arrested during the member planning, the director was still alive. construction at massive scale, DHAKA an effort to make the election campaign while voters reported general of the Pakistan Environ- The commission will revise as well as poor planning. look questionable”. intimidation at polling stations mental Protection Agency, the the city’s master plan for the Today thousands of unau- A Bangladeshi journalist was If convicted Mollah could on election day which was over- director general of the next 20 years and recommend thorised houses have been built arrested and another was on the face up to 14 years in jail under shadowed by the deaths of at Rawalpindi Development the possible regularisation of in zones III and IV, where con- run yesterday for publishing a draconian anti-press law that least 17 people in clashes Authority, the physical planning construction that violates the struction was prohibited. “false information” about voting was toughed by Hasina last year. between rival supporters. irregularities in an election won The police chief said another On Tuesday, the European by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, journalist was wanted for ques- Union urged authorities in Bang- police said. tioning after a local government ladesh to probe violence and Hedayet Hossain Mollah, administrator filed a case against obstacles to voting that the EU China agrees to lend Pakistan $2bn who works for the Dhaka the two under the controversial said had “tainted” the election. Tribune newspaper, was law. The United States also detained late Tuesday under a Hasina, 71, is accused of expressed concern about INTERNEWS commitment to help us avoid a quoted sources as saying that controversial digital security law creeping authoritarianism, “credible reports of harassment, ISLAMABAD crisis. If the rupee falls sharply Pakistan is expected to receive which rights groups say gives including muzzling the media intimidation and violence”. and we need to prevent its slide, a $6 billion economic package authorities broad powers to stifle and jailing prominent journalists A State Department China has agreed to lend at least we can turn to China,” a senior from China during Prime Min- dissent. such as Shahidul Alam, an award statement urged the country’s $2bn to Pakistan for helping it government official in Islamabad ister Imran Khan’s visit. Mollah was arrested in the winning photographer, who Election Commission to “work boost its dwindling foreign was quoted as saying by FT. A loan of $1.5 billion and a southern Khulna region after he spent four months in prison constructively with all sides to exchange and tanking currency, According to Jang reporter, grant of $1.5 billion are expected reported that in one constituency recently. address claims of the Financial Times reported. the loan will be commercial and to be offered, along with an 22,419 more ballots than the Hasina won 98 percent of irregularities”. The report, quoting two Pakistan will have to pay 8 additional package of $3 billion number of registered voters were seats in Sunday’s election which Opposition parties won only senior Pakistan government percent interest on it. China has for CPEC. Imran Khan had cast, local police chief Mahbubur opposition politicians claim was six seats and have demanded a officials, said the loan is aimed decided in principle that an eco- visited the country on November Rahman said. rigged by the ruling Awami new election under a neutral at helping with a weakening nomic package will be given to 2. Pakistan is also in talks with “The actual votes cast were League to deliver her a record caretaker government. fiscal position and high debts. Pakistan. Discussions are going the International Monetary Fund only 80 percent of the total fourth term as Bangladesh’s Hasina has denied allega- “China’s promise to Pakistan on in this regard. (IMF) for a financial bailout votes,” Rahman said, adding that leader. tions of vote-rigging and rejected is an indication of their In November, Geo News package. Mollah was accused of Thousands of opposition calls for an election re-run. Myanmar says police attacked as fighting displaces thousands

REUTERS driven from their homes since excluded from the pause, stoking in the state of the same name. said the group did clash with to comment. YANGON early December when clashes doubts about the military’s will- The state-run Global New government security forces in The UN Office for the Coor- broke out with the Arakan Army, ingness to bring an end to all the Light of Myanmar newspaper Saytaung on Tuesday. Hundreds dination of Humanitarian Affairs Myanmar police have clashed one of several groups fighting country’s conflicts. said one policeman was critically of border guard police had been said on Monday that 1,500 with insurgents in the troubled Myanmar’s army that want more Rakhine was where the mil- injured when border guard deployed in areas far from the people were newly displaced by western state of Rakhine, state- autonomy for ethnic minorities. itary launched a campaign in police were attacked by about border with Bangladesh as part fighting last week in Rakhine, in run media said yesterday, as The Myanmar military last 2017 that has driven more than 30 men carrying “small and of a broader military offensive addition to about 1,000 people intensified fighting continued month announced a four-month 730,000 Rohingya Muslims into heavy arms” on Tuesday near against the group, Khine Thu Kha displaced since clashes broke out between the security forces and halt in fighting in the north and bordering Bangladesh. Recent Saytaung, a village in the said yesterday. “Today the on December 8. an armed group representing the northeast of the country in order fighting has involved the Arakan Buthidaung area. fighting started at 8 am,” in Authorities, along with local Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group. to kick-start stalled peace talks Army, which claims to represent Khine Thu Kha, a spokesman another location, he said. and foreign aid groups, were The United Nations said with the armed groups. the Rakhine, the Buddhist ethnic for the Arakan Army, denied that Major General Tun Tun Nyi, providing aid to the displaced, about 2,500 people had been Rakhine, in the west, was group who make up the majority the group attacked the police, but a military spokesman, declined the UN agency said in an update.

4 dead in coal British teacher who mine blast in southwest arrived in Pakistan with Pakistan the Raj dies aged 101 ANATOLIA KARACHI AFP Aitchison College —known as the ISLAMABAD Eton of Pakistan — in Lahore. At least four miners were Profiled repeatedly in the killed yesterday in a coal mine A former British officer who British press, which documented blast in southwest Pakistan, arrived in Pakistan with the Raj among other things his daily local media reported. and stayed to become one of its breakfast of porridge, a poached The incident — the latest most famous educators, with egg and two cups of Lipton’s tea, in a series of similar accidents students including Prime he finally retired in northwestern — occurred in the Chamalang Minister Imran Khan, has died in Chitral in 2012 at the age of 94. area of Loralai district located Lahore aged 101, officials said. “Born on October 21, 1917 some 96 miles from Quetta, Major Geoffrey Douglas and affectionately known to all the capital of mineral-rich Langlands was posted to the as ‘The Major’, we acknowledge Balochistan province, local Indian army during World War the life of a soldier, teacher, gen- broadcaster Geo News II. After independence in 1947 he tleman, story-teller, mountaineer reported, quoting the pro- volunteered to stay on a while and humanitarian whose life was vincial chief mines inspector. longer to help train the new Paki- devoted in service to others and One miner was also stani military. But his brief especially his adopted country injured in the blast, which posting turned into more than Pakistan,” the college said. was believed to have been seven decades, during which he Khan tweeted an old class triggered by gas leakage. left the army to become one of photo from Aitchison when he All of the deceased and the most revered teachers. was 12 years old. injured belonged to the same He was briefly kidnapped in “Saddened to learn of the family. Pakistan has a long Riding a cart the tribal areas, spent decades passing of my teacher. Apart history of coal mine acci- building a school in the moun- from being our teacher, he dents, mainly because of poor tainous northwest, and for years instilled the love for trekking and A man rides his cart loaded with sugar canes, along a road on the outskirts of Peshawar, yesterday. infrastructure and a lack of taught future Pakistani presi- our northern areas in me,” he safety standards. dents and prime ministers at the wrote. THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 ASIA 11 Taiwan reunification with China ‘inevitable’: Xi

AFP Xi’s comments compatriots”. BEIJING provoked a swift Taiwan considers itself a sov- ereign state, with its own currency, Taiwan’s unification with the rebuke from Taipei, political and judicial systems, but mainland is “inevitable”, President where President Tsai has never declared formal inde- Xi Jinping said yesterday, warning Ing-wen said Taiwan’s pendence from the mainland. against any efforts to promote the people would never Relations have been strained island’s independence and saying since the 2016 election of Pres- China would not renounce the willingly give up the ident Tsai, who has refused to option of using military force to kind of democratic acknowledge Beijing’s stance that bring it into the fold. freedoms unseen on the island is part of “one China”. Xi’s comments provoked a the mainland. “Democratic values are cherished swift rebuke from Taipei, where by the Taiwanese people, it’s their President Tsai Ing-wen said Tai- way of life,” Tsai told reporters in China’s President Xi Jinping (centre) applauds during an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary wan’s people would never will- a press conference arranged in of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, yesterday. ingly give up the kind of demo- 1979, in which Beijing called for response to Xi’s speech. cratic freedoms unseen on the unification and an end to military She also accused Beijing of suspicion,” it said. Though Xi’s In 2018, the US sent multiple professor at Hong Kong Baptist mainland. confrontation. provocations that strained peo- speech takes a strong stance ships through the Taiwan Strait University, who studies Chinese China still sees democratic “We make no promise to give ple’s “emotional connection” to the against Taiwanese separatists —which China considers its ter- foreign policy. Taiwan as part of its territory to up the use of military force and mainland such as “buying off” Tai- and pushes for reunification, it ritory but the US and others see To accommodate differences be reunified, despite the two sides reserve the option of taking all wan’s few diplomatic allies and is aimed mostly at domestic as international waters open to in Taiwan’s political system and being ruled separately since the necessary means” against Tai- increased military drills near the audiences, analysts say. all — infuriating Beijing. Wash- civil society, China has proposed end of a civil war in 1949. wanese separatist activities and island. Taiwan’s foreign ministry “It’s rather empty and doesn’t ington remains Taipei’s most adopting the “one country, two “China must and will be “outside forces” that interfere with released a terser response. have any new points except that powerful unofficial ally and its systems” policy, which was united... which is an inevitable reunification, he said. “If the Chinese government cross-strait unification would not main arms supplier despite implemented in Hong Kong after requirement for the great rejuve- In his speech, Xi described cannot treat its own people affect the interests of other coun- switching diplomatic recognition the British handed the city back nation of the Chinese people in the unification under a “one country, kindly, cannot guarantee human tries,” said Fan Shih-ping, political to Beijing in 1979. to China in 1997. new era,” Xi said in a speech com- two systems” approach that would rights and will not let its own analyst at National Taiwan Normal Xi’s speech is likely to be But some say the erosion of memorating the 40th anniversary “safeguard the interests and well- people vote... then Taiwanese University, adding that Xi’s words “very poorly received,” by the civil liberties in Hong Kong sets of a message sent to Taiwan in being of Taiwanese will look at China’s intent with may also be intended for the US. US, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a a negative precedent for Taiwan.

S Korean forced Australia for cancelling labourers seek Japanese asset IS recruiter citizenship seizure AFP despite Fiji challenge SEOUL

REUTERS that Mr Prakash is sitting in a Lawyers for South Korean SYDNEY Turkish jail at the moment... victims of Tokyo’s wartime Prakash is not coming any- forced labour have sought the Australia’s government is where near our part of the seizure of a Japanese steel- confident it has grounds to strip world any time soon.” Prakash maker’s assets, they said an alleged Islamic State has been in Turkey on trial for yesterday. recruiter of citizenship, a charges relating to being a The two neighbours are minister said yesterday, as member of the IS militant group both democracies, market questions arose over whether since being caught there in economies and US allies, but doing so could be illegal and October 2016. their relationship is heavily leave the man stateless. Australia believes Prakash coloured by historical and The case highlights the is a dual national because his territorial issues, largely problems many governments father was Fijian. However, stemming from Tokyo’s face as they consider what Fiji’s director of immigration, brutal 1910-45 colonial rule action to take against people Nemani Vuniwaqa, said in a over the Korean peninsula. Japan’s Emperor Akihito delivers his final New Year’s address beside Empress Michiko during New who have travelled abroad, Facebook message that Prakash According to official Seoul Year’s greetings to well-wishers at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo yesterday. often to the Middle East, to join was not Fijian, which could data, around 780,000 militant groups. complicate the Australian gov- Koreans were conscripted Under Australian law, a ernment’s bid to strip him of his into forced labour by Japan Tears as Japan emperor gives last person can only be stripped of citizenship. during the 35-year occu- their citizenship if they are dual Prakash can challenge the pation, not including the citizens, thereby preventing Australian government’s women forced into sexual people from being made decision, Dutton said, and he slavery for Japanese troops. New Year speech to record crowd stateless. could be entitled to retain his After a 21-year legal Home Affairs Minister Peter citizenship if he does not hold battle, four South Korean AFP to the throne in 1989. year together with you under the Dutton said Melbourne-born dual-citizenship status. plaintiffs — only one of whom TOKYO The emperor appeared seven clear sky,” he told the crowd, Neil Prakash, who is imprisoned The government wrongly is still alive — won a ruling times at the balcony — up from many waving Japanese flags and in Turkey, was a dual citizen as reported in 2016, based on US from the country’s Supreme Japan’s Emperor Akihito five originally scheduled — as he shouting “Banzai”, meaning “long he also has Fijian citizenship,. intelligence, that Prakash had Court in October that Nippon delivered his final New Year’s “strongly” wanted more people live”. Prakash ceased to be an been killed in an air strike in Steel & Sumitomo Metal address yesterday before his to attend after seeing the vast “I hope this year will be a Australian “by virtue of his Mosul. The government said he (NSSM) should pay each of abdication later this year, telling number of well-wishers still good year for as many people as actions in fighting for IS from had appeared in IS videos and them 100m won ($89,000). a record turnout of well-wishers gathered outside the palace in possible,” the soft-spoken May 2016”, and he had been magazines and had actively that he was praying for peace. the afternoon, a palace Akihito said in a dark suit, notified of the decision in recruited Australian men, The Imperial Palace provi- spokesman said. flanked by Empress Michiko and December, Dutton said. women and children, and One dead, 10 sionally said some 154,800 He will become the first Jap- other family members. “The advice to the gov- encouraged acts of terrorism people had flocked to the royal anese monarch to abdicate in Some in the morning crowd ernment based on all the He is also wanted in Australia missing after residence for a final chance to around two centuries when he yelled “Thank you very much” intricate detail and fact of this over terrorism-related activ- see the 85-year-old royal deliver steps down from the throne on as the emperor waved, while particular matter is that Mr ities including a suspected plot cargo ship his traditional annual greeting. April 30, ending his three-decade others sang the national anthem. Prakash is, by operation of law, to behead a police officer, It was the largest number of reign. One woman in the front row a citizen of Fiji,” Dutton told though an Australian push for sinks off China visitors to the palace for his New “Happy New Year. I’m sin- shed tears as she looked up at reporters in Brisbane. his extradition was rejected by Year speech since he ascended cerely glad to celebrate the new the balcony. “The other point to make is Turkey in July. AFP BEIJING

At least one person died and 10 others were missing after Death toll from Philippine landslides, floods climbs to 85 a freighter sank off China’s eastern coast yesterday, the official Xinhua news agency REUTERS pressure system before leaving reported. MANILA the Philippines on Sunday, The cargo ship had 15 brought heavy rain that triggered people on board when it sank The death toll from landslides landslides and flooding in the at around 4:30 am (2030 GMT and devastating floods in the Bicol and eastern Visayas Tuesday), 90 nautical miles central Philippines triggered by regions. (167km) east of Taizhou City a tropical depression climbed to Officials put three provinces in Zhejiang province, Xinhua 85, officials said yesterday, and under a “state of calamity” to said, citing local maritime 20 people were missing as give them access to emergency authorities. rescuers slowly reached cut-off funds. The 80-metre long communities. Bicol, with a population of freighter departed the Tai- The casualties, including 5.8 million, was the hardest hit, wanese port of Kaohsiung young children, were mostly with 68 killed in intense rains with 14 crew members from killed when their homes col- and landslides. Myanmar and one Taiwanese lapsed in landslides after days of Damage to agriculture in national. Four people have heavy rain in several provinces Bicol, which produces rice and been rescued so far, Xinhua in the central Philippines, said corn, was estimated at 342 said. Ricardo Jalad, executive director million pesos ($6.5 million). Taiwan’s national rescue of the national disaster agency. Rescuers, including the centre said in a statement that A flooded area in Bato, Camarines Sur, in the Philippines. “If we don’t recover the police and military, used heavy- the authorities had dis- missing or we recover them lifting equipment to clear roads patched coastguard vessels dead, that is 105 deaths, which leading to landslide sites and occasional light rains. We hope agency in Bicol, told Reuters. infrastructure taking a toll on and aircraft to help with we hope not,” Jalad said. entered flooded communities floods will subside,” Ronna About 20 tropical cyclones human lives and weighing down search and recovery opera- The tropical depression, using rubber boats. Monzon, a member of the oper- hit the Philippines every year, one of the fastest growing econ- tions for the Palau-registered which weakened into a low “The sun is already out, with ations personnel at the disaster with destroyed crops and omies in Asia. ship. 12 EUROPE THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019

UK minister Rail accident on casts doubt on sea migrants’ Danish bridge asylum claims AFP LONDON leaves six dead Britain’s interior minister yesterday questioned if asylum seekers increasingly REUTERS using small boats to cross the COPENHAGEN Channel from France were genuinely fleeing persecution Six people were killed in a rail A spokesman said, — drawing immediate crit- accident on a bridge linking icism from asylum advocates. Denmark’s two main islands A preliminary During a visit to the south- yesterday when a train hit debris investigation by the eastern English port town of from an oncoming freight train, Danish Accident Dover, where unauthorised officials said. Investigation Board arrivals have spiked in recent Police said 16 people sus- months, Home Secretary Sajid tained injuries but were not in showed a trailer had Javid questioned why people critical condition. blown off a freight had not already claimed The train was heading wagon onto the Men working at the accident site next to a passenger train standing on the rails, in Nyberg, Denmark, asylum in continental Europe. towards the capital with 131 pas- “A question has to be yesterday. sengers when it hit what could oncoming tracks. asked: if you are a genuine have been tarpaulin or some- asylum seeker, why have you thing else from the freight train a witness who had been on for Carlsberg between its Fred- holidays have had their lives Minister Stefan Löfven said in a not sought asylum in the first on the tracks, said Banedanmark, board the train with his daughter ericia brewery and Copenhagen, shattered,” Danish Prime Min- tweet. safe country that you arrived which maintains and controls told broadcaster TV2. had been involved in the ister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said The bridge was closed for in?” he said. “Because France rail network traffic. The accident happened accident. in a tweet. trains while car traffic in both is not a country where anyone A preliminary investigation shortly before 7:35am (0635 A severe storm made it dif- An emergency centre was directions had opened again. would argue it is not safe in by the Danish Accident Investi- GMT), police said in a statement, ficult for emergency services to established in the town of Train traffic was expected by anyway whatsoever, and if gation Board showed a trailer adding that police and emer- reach the train which had Nyborg at the western end of the Banedanmark to resume you are genuine then why not had blown off a freight wagon gency workers were at the scene. stopped on the Great Belt fixed bridge. Fatal accidents are rare immediately. seek asylum in your first safe onto the oncoming tracks, a TV footage showed the link between Zealand and Funen, on the country’s highly The 18km long bridge across country?” spokesman said. halted freight train carrying Denmark’s two major islands. developed rail network. the Great Belt carries around Since October Britain has Police said it was too early packaging for Carlsberg. “This morning’s tragic “Terrible train accident on 21,000 train passengers every day seen a surge in small boat to say what caused the accident A Carlsberg spokesman said accident on the Great Belt Bridge the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark and more than 27,000 vehicles arrivals carrying asylum but the train was damaged by a freight train operated by DB with many killed and wounded as a result of the storm Alfrida. crosses the bridge each day. seekers predominantly from goods on the tracks. Cargo, the logistics arm of the has shaken us all. Ordinary Our thoughts are with the injured The bridge is part of infra- Iran and also Syria, with “There was a very, very loud German railway company Danes on their way to work or and with the families and rela- structure that links Denmark and scores of people detained bang and then the train stopped,” Deutsche Bahn, carrying goods on the way home from Christmas tives of the dead,” Swedish Prime Sweden to Germany. over the holiday period.

Three migrants awarded Greek Foreign Secretary confident May will seal Brexit deal citizenship after AP the first stop on his three-day and the Republic of Ireland, closest possible diplomatic rela- wildfire rescues SINGAPORE visit to Asia. which is part of the EU. tionship with our European Last month, May postponed “The EU has agreed that the friends and neighbours, because AP British Foreign Secretary Jeremy a parliamentary vote on a Brexit backstop is temporary and that’s I think that is the biggest fear of ATHENS Hunt (pictured) said yesterday agreement with the European a word they have agreed,” Hunt the remainers,” he added. he is confident Prime Minister Union that has been widely crit- said. “What we are saying very “We need to find a way of Three migrant fishermen Theresa May will obtain the icized by loyalists and political simply is ‘we’re not asking for any- making sure that the Brexit that have been awarded Greek concessions needed to convince opponents alike. thing new, but we are asking you 48 percent are afraid of isn’t the citizenship after rescuing enough lawmakers to back an Her attempt to get assur- to define what temporary means Brexit that we end up with and I scores of people forced into unpopular Brexit deal. ances from the EU to sweeten the so that we can have confidence am confident we can succeed.” the sea by a major wildfire Leaving the European Union deal has been rebuffed by the that we’re not going to be trapped Hunt said Britain will seek to outside Athens that left 100 without a deal on March 29 bloc. in the customs union forever.’” strengthen its ties with Southeast people dead last summer. would cause “destruction that Barring further changes, the Even with a tight timeline, Asia post-Brexit. Greek President Prokopis could last some time,” Hunt said. parliamentary vote will be held Hunt said a second referendum He said this includes nego- Pavlopoulos hosted the cer- “I think that she will find a during the week of January 14 — cerning the Irish border. would be a “devastating blow to tiating a trade deal with the emony yesterday for Gani way to get this deal through Par- just 10 weeks before Britain is A so-called backstop could democracy.” 10-nation Association of Xheka from Albania and liament and I know that is what set to leave the EU. keep the UK in a customs union To unite pro- and anti-Brexit Southeast Asian Nations and Emad El Khaimi and the British people would want,” In an interview with the BBC with the EU if the two sides can’t camps, “we have to make sure possibly joining the Compre- Mahmoud Ibrahim Musa, he added. yesterday, Hunt said ongoing agree on another way to prevent that there is a friendly separation hensive and Progressive Trans- both from Egypt. They pulled Hunt was replying to ques- talks are focused on the word a hard border between Northern where we have the closest pos- Pacific Partnership, a Pacific fire survivors from the sea tions at a lecture in Singapore, “temporary” for terms con- Ireland, which is part of the UK, sible trade relationship, the trade pact. and took them to a nearby port after the out-of-control wildfire reached the shoreline and gutted hundreds of homes. Italy health czar resigns People were trapped inside their homes or along narrow roads as they tried to over ‘anti-science’ govt flee the village of Mati. Many raced to the sea, and some AFP then in opposition, led a charge drowned. ROME against the law, saying it Pavlopoulos said the cer- amounted to a gift to pharma- emony was also aimed at The president of Italy’s national ceutical companies, while the “sending a message to health research organisation League played on discredited Europe” to counter populist yesterday said he had been claims that vaccinations can anti-immigrant sentiment driven to resign due the “anti- cause autism. The parties came ahead of the European Par- scientific” policies of the coun- power last year by forming a liament elections in May. try’s populist government coalition government. including efforts to undermine In the interview, Ricciardi confidence in vital vaccinations. listed a wide array of areas in Strong winter Professor Walter Ricciardi which he accused government of the National Health Institute policy-makers of ignoring the (ISS) said an aversion to evi- facts. storm hits Finland Police vehicles are seen near a house being searched in connection with a stabbing at Victoria dence-based policy among the “Saying repeatedly that Station in Manchester, Britain, yesterday. BLOOMBERG coalition of Italy’s far-right migrants carry diseases is HELSINKI League and anti-establishment groundless and... forces (the Five Star Movement (M5S) put institute) to self-censure in A winter storm ripping Manchester stabbing suspect public health at risk. order not to contradict the through the Nordic region has “Representatives of the political line,” he said. brought record winds and cut government have endorsed Ricciardi said the govern- power to tens of thousands of detained under mental health act unscientific or frankly anti-sci- ment’s insistence that waste- homes in Finland. entific positions on many to-energy plants were obsolete Gusts of 93 miles per hour AP Greater Manchester Police Manchester for evidence. issues,” he said in an interview was “nonsensical”, and a law and average wind speed of LONDON said in a statement that the He is accused of stabbing with Corriere della Sera daily. that eases restrictions on the 32.5 metres per second were 25-year-old man arrested at the three people, including a British “It’s clear that when the use of contaminated soils in measured on the Baltic Sea, Police said the sole suspect in scene was assessed by medical Transport police sergeant, at the deputy prime minister says that farming was “a decision taken according to the Finnish the stabbing of three people in staff before the decision was train station on Monday night. he, as a father, believes there without evaluating the impact Meteorological Institute. the English city of Manchester reached. He was arrested on sus- are too many obligatory, useless on health”. That’s the highest ever on New Year’s Eve has been The suspect has not been picion of attempted murder, but and dangerous vaccines, that’s “And yet these are issues recorded in Finland. As many detained under Britain’s Mental identified and police have not with the latest development, it’s not just unscientific, it’s anti- that are decisive for public as 94,000 homes are without Health Act. explained a possible motive for possible he may be found to be scientific,” he said in reference health. All this reminds me of power. The attack, which police are the attack. too impaired mentally to be held to League head Matteo Salvini. Donald Trump’s recommen- Record-high waves treating as a terrorist incident, Officials said verifying that criminally responsible for the In 2017, Italy’s centre-left dation to the US National Health caused cancellations of some took place at Manchester’s Vic- the suspect acted alone without stabbings. government made it compulsory Institute to no longer use the passenger ferry services toria Station. The train station is a support network is a key Two of the victims - a man for children in pre-school edu- term ‘evidence-based’. between Finland and Sweden, next to the Manchester Arena, objective of the investigation, and a woman — are still hospi- cation to be vaccinated against “It’s an approach taken by and there were disruptions on the site of a May 2017 suicide which is being headed by coun- talised with serious injuries but 10 diseases, including measles, populists, who have great dif- railways as trees fell on bombing that killed 22 people terterrorism police. Police authorities said they are not tetanus and polio. ficulty in interacting with tracks. at a pop concert. searched the suspect’s home in life-threatening. The Five Star Movement, science,” Ricciardi added. THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 EUROPE 13 US urges Russia to release detained citizen

REUTERS immediately confirm that sentence of between 10 and 20 security at our facilities in following a series of failed BRASILIA Moscow had provided consular years. Auburn Hills, Michigan, and at attempts to hold a new summit. access. David Whelan said that his other company locations around At the end of November, The United States is demanding US Secretary of State Whelan was visiting Moscow brother, who had served in Iraq, the world.” Trump canceled a planned the immediate return of a retired for the wedding of a former has been to Russia many times Daniel Hoffman, a former meeting with Putin on the side- US Marine detained by Russia on Mike Pompeo said the fellow Marine and is innocent of in the past for both work and CIA Moscow station chief, said it lines of a G20 summit in spying charges, and wants an US government hoped the espionage charges against personal trips, and had been was “possible, even likely” that Argentina, citing tensions about explanation of why he was to gain consular him, his family said on Tuesday. serving as a tour guide for some Russian President Vladimir Putin Russian forces opening fire on arrested, US Secretary of State access to Paul Whelan He had been staying with the of the wedding guests. His friends had ordered Whelan’s arrest to Ukrainian navy boats and then Mike Pompeo said yesterday. wedding party at Moscow’s filed a missing persons report in set up an exchange for Maria seizing them. Pompeo, in Brasilia for the within hours. Metropol hotel when he went Moscow after his disappearance, Butina, a Russian citizen who Trump’s relations with Putin inauguration of Brazil’s new missing, his brother, David, said. his brother said. pleaded guilty on December 13 have been under a microscope president, said the US gov- “His innocence is undoubted He declined to comment on to acting as an agent tasked with as a result of US Special Counsel ernment hoped to gain consular immediate return,” Pompeo said. and we trust that his rights will his brother’s work status at the influencing US conservative Robert Mueller’s investigation access to Paul Whelan within In Moscow, RIA news agency be respected,” Whelan’s family time of his arrest and whether groups. into alleged Russian meddling in hours. cited a foreign ministry said in a statement released on his brother lived in Novi, Russia said Butina was the 2016 US presidential election “We’ve made clear to the spokesman as saying Russia has Twitter. Michigan, as address records forced to make a false confession and possible collusion with the Russians our expectation that we allowed consular access to Russia’s FSB state security indicate. about being a Russian agent. Trump campaign. will learn more about the Whelan. Russia’s FSB state service said Whelan had been BorgWarner, a Michigan- Putin told US President Moscow has denied inter- charges, come to understand security service detained Whelan detained on Friday, but it gave based automotive parts supplier, Donald Trump in a letter on vening in the election. Trump has what it is he’s been accused of on Friday and opened a criminal no details of his alleged espi- said Whelan is the “company’s Sunday that Moscow was ready said there was no collusion and and if the detention is not appro- case against him. onage activities. Under Russian director, global security. He is for dialogue on a “wide-ranging characterized Mueller’s probe as priate, we will demand his The State Department did not law, espionage can carry a prison responsible for overseeing agenda,” the Kremlin said a witch hunt. Italian govt to cut lawmaker pay BLOOMBERG to trim compensation for spending, the government has ROME members of parliament this more important priorities. year. Italian lawmakers are “It’s right to cut waste and Italian Deputy Premier Luigi Di reported to be among the best- useless expenses,” Salvini said Maio said there is plenty more paid parliamentarians in the Tuesday, in comments cited by to be done on the populist European Union. Ansa news agency. “But as far agenda, including cutting the President Sergio Mattarella as the League is concerned, pay of the nation’s lawmakers. has sought to rein in Italy’s pop- Italians’ priorities are more con- “We’re only at the end of the ulist leaders: Di Maio and fellow crete issues” including tax and beginning,” Di Maio said in a Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini. pension reforms. New Year’s Day message two In a New Year’s Eve address, the In his remarks on Tuesday, days after Parliament passed a head of state warned that the Di Maio also promised to work budget that includes scaled- country’s debt mountain, at on environmental and foreign back income support for the more than 130 percent of gross affairs issues in 2019, adding poor and measures to lower the domestic product, penalises that it was a pleasure to fight retirement age for some. ordinary citizens. against those “who used public Di Maio, the head of coa- Salvini, head of the rightist money and national laws to lition partner Five Star League party, noted that while take advantage of a series of Movement, promised the he’s in agreement with Di Maio rights to which they weren’t passage of a “wonderful law” on the need to cut unnecessary entitled.”

Russian Emergencies Ministry members work at the site of a partially collapsed apartment block in Magnitogorsk, Russia, yesterday. Car attacker in Germany faces Toll in Russian building collapse rises attempted murder charge AP collapsed, was in serious but nights in which temperatures ANATOLIA Herbert Reul, Interior Min- MOSCOW stable condition in a children’s fell to about minus 20 degrees BERLIN ister of North Rhine-Westphalia hospital in Moscow. He was Celsius. state, said there are no evi- Search and rescue personnel flown about 1,400km to the The Monday pre-dawn dis- German prosecutors have dences to suggest that the have pulled out more bodies capital in a plane dispatched by aster came after an explosion charged a man with attempted suspect is linked far-right from a huge pile of rubble at a the Health Ministry. that officials say was likely murder after he ploughed his car groups. collapsed Russian apartment Health Minister Veronika caused by a gas leak. into crowds, in what appears to He may have committed the building, bringing the known Skvortsova said yesterday that A day of mourning was be two xenophobic attacks. hate crime against foreigners death toll to 21. the boy suffered superficial head declared in the Chelyabinsk According to a joint due to his personal xenophobic The bodies found yesterday wounds but no apparent brain region that includes Magni- statement by Essen prosecutor’s tendencies, Reul added. Cyprus to swear in the city of Magnitogorsk damage. togorsk, and residents laid office and police of Munster In a news conference in included a 3-year-old girl, Authorities said 20 people flowers and place candles at the city, Andreas N, 50, a German Berlin, Martina Fietz, deputy in first dedicated Russian news agencies cited the who lived in the building remain scene. national, was arrested after he government spokeswoman, Emergencies Ministry as saying. unaccounted for, including five Some Muscovites laid com- rammed his vehicle into people said: “There is no place in tourism minister An 11-month-old boy who children. memorative flowers at the celebrating the New Year in Germany for extremism, xen- was pulled alive from the But the prospects of finding entrance of the office for the western Essen and Bottrop ophobia, and intolerance, no BLOOMBERG wreckage on Tuesday, nearly 36 any of them alive in the rubble regional government’s repre- cities. At least 8 people were matter what side it comes NICOSIA hours after the building appeared dim after two frigid sentative in the capital. injured in the attack. from.” Cyprus President Nicos Anas- tasiades will swear in Savvas Perdios (pictured) today as the country’s first-ever dedi- Report claims fraud cated minister for tourism, the popular vacation island’s largest industry. in world’s longest “We’ve demanded the creation of a tourism ministry for decades given its impor- living person record tance for the economy,” said Harris Loizides, president of AFP Zak, a member of the the Cyprus Hotel Association. MOSCOW Moscow Society of Naturalists “The new ministry will have at Moscow State University, to tackle many issues A record held by a Frenchwoman recently published his report including new legislation for as the world’s longest living called “Jeanne Calment: the the classification of hotels and person could be fraudulent and Secret of Longevity” on implementing the country’s involve an identity swap, Russian ResearchGate, a portal con- new tourism strategy.” researchers have claimed in a necting scientists around the Tourism was previously report that has sparked wide- world. part of a wider ministerial spread controversy. While opponents have portfolio that also covered Jeanne Calment died at the slammed the report, some sci- energy, commerce and age of 122 years and 164 days in entists have welcomed it and industry. 1997, setting a record as the stressed the need for closer Travel and tourism world’s most long-lived person checks into longevity records. The container ship MSC ZOE, which lost up to 270 containers in the storm in the North Sea. accounted for 22.3 percent of that is still unsurpassed. But Zak suggests that in 1934 it Cypriot economic output in Russian mathematician Nikolai was not Calment’s daughter 2017, according to the Zak is not convinced by her story. Yvonne who died of pleurisy, Toys and TVs litter Dutch island beaches London-based World Travel In collaboration with ger- as official records say, but and Tourism Council. ontologist Valery Novoselov, he Jeanne Calment herself. Yvonne REUTERS MSC ZOE, one of the world’s The Coast Guard warned Revenue from tourism rose spent months analysing biog- then took on her mother’s AMSTERDAM biggest container ships, in rough ships in the area to beware of 2.3 percent in the first nine raphies of Jeanne Calment as identity in order to avoid paying weather near the German island floating containers. Three con- months of 2018 to $2.6bn. well as her interviews and inheritance tax. Dozens of containers with items of Borkum and floated tainers holding hazardous mate- Perdios will officially be photos, witness testimony and If that is so, the woman who including flat-screen televisions southwest toward Dutch waters. rials have not yet been located, known as Deputy Minister for the public records of the city of died in 1997 was in fact Yvonne, have washed up on Dutch Containers broke open on the Coast Guard said. Tourism, reflecting Cypriot Arles in southern France where and she was aged just 99. islands in the North Sea after a the shores of the Dutch islands Dutch media reported that constitutional constraints on she lived. The Russian researcher ship lost part of its cargo in of Terschelling and Vlieland. local treasure hunters had found the permitted number of min- “Analysing all these mate- points to discrepancies between heavy seas, bringing a windfall Others were floating or stranded an array of items from con- istries. The new deputy min- rials led me to conclude that physical characteristics listed for local treasure hunters. off the coasts of Ameland and tainers whose contents had istry is taking over all respon- Jeanne Calment’s daughter on Calment’s identity card from The Dutch Coast Guard said Schiermonnikoog, part of a spilled, including light bulbs, car sibilities of the Cyprus Yvonne assumed her mother’s the 1930s and her appearance up to 270 containers had fallen chain of islands that guard the parts, Ikea furniture, clothing Tourism Organization that identity,” Zak said. in later years. off the Panamanian-flagged Dutch coast. and toys. will be closed down. 14 AMERICAS THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 US lawmakers set to hear border wall plea

AP The president “wants an agreement that WASHINGTON reopens the government AND keeps Americans safe,” the White House said on Twitter. President Donald Trump said his Homeland Security officials will “make a plea” for the border wall parks and leaving hundreds of on government. with Mexico during a briefing for thousands of federal employees The session will be held in congressional leaders at the without pay. the high-security Situation Room White House today as the partial So far, the administration has at the White House, which is typ- government shutdown over his rejected a proposal from Dem- ically used to handle sensitive demand for wall funding entered ocrats to reopen government information. The location means its 12th day. without money to build a wall the conversation will not be tel- The president made his case along the US-Mexico border. The evised, unlike the volatile anew ahead of the session with president “wants an agreement sitdown during which Demo- Democratic and Republican that reopens the government cratic leaders talked back to leaders about the migrants AND keeps Americans safe,” the Trump last month. arriving at the border in recent White House said on Twitter. Senate Majority Leader Mitch days. He said the border is “like Trump contended the Dem- McConnell and the top incoming A girl is walking toward the gate of the National Zoo, which is closed due to the partial government a sieve” and noted the tear gas ocrats see the shutdown fight as House Republicans — Kevin shutdown, in Washington, DC, yesterday. “flying” overnight to deter them. “an election point” as he cele- McCarthy of California and Steve He called the border “very tough” brated his own first two years in Scalise of Louisiana — planned “We are giving the Repub- money for a border wall — secure the border and puts the at keeping immigrants out. office. He promised “six more to attend, according to aides. The licans the opportunity to take yes unveiling two bills to fund shut- needs of other countries above “If they knew they couldn’t years of great success.” departing House speaker, Paul for an answer,” she wrote in a tered government agencies and the needs of our own come through, they wouldn’t The partial government Ryan, was not expected. letter to colleagues. “Senate put hundreds of thousands of citizens.” even start,” Trump said at a shutdown began on December House Democratic leader Republicans have already sup- federal workers back on the job. Trump spent the weekend meeting joined by Cabinet sec- 22. Funding for the wall has been Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to ported this legislation, and if they They planned to pass them as saying Democrats should return retaries and top advisers, the sticking point in passing become speaker today, and reject it now, they will be fully soon as the new Congress con- to Washington to negotiate, firing including Jared Kushner and funding bills for several gov- Senate Democratic leader Chuck complicit in chaos and venes Thursday. off Twitter taunts. Ivanka Trump. ernment departments. Schumer planned to attend. destruction of the President’s Responding to the Demo- Aides suggested there would The Cabinet meeting was the The briefing with the con- Pelosi said on Tuesday that third shutdown of his term.” cratic plan, White House press not necessarily be a traditional president’s first public gressional leaders is taking place Democrats would take action to The White House invitation secretary Sarah Huckabee wall as Trump has repeatedly appearance of the new year as the day before Democrats are to “end the Trump Shutdown” by came after House Democrats Sanders called it a “non-starter” insisted since his presidential the shutdown dragged into its assume control of the House and passing legislation Thursday to released their plan to reopen the and said it won’t re-open the campaign, but he contradicted second week, shut down some end the Republican monopoly reopen government. government without approving government “because it fails to them. US border agents fire Acting defense chief sees China as top priority tear gas at migrants AFP “Great Power competition” with strength remains our focus,” pace at which the US pulls 2,200 WASHINGTON Russia and China. Shanahan said in a New Year’s or so troops out of Syria, fol- REUTERS a wall along the border with “While we are focused on message on Twitter. lowing Trump’s decision last TIJUANA Mexico. Patrick Shanahan, the acting US ongoing operations, Acting Sec- Little known outside month to exit the war-torn A previous incident in defense secretary, started his retary Shanahan told the team business and Washington circles, country. US border agents launched tear November when US agents first full day at the Pentagon’s to remember China, China, Shanahan takes the world stage According to US officials, gas into Mexico yesterday to fired gas into Mexico to disperse helm yesterday by telling China,” a defense official said. at a time of tumultuous changes Trump is also mulling a 50 deter a group of migrants that migrants triggered a call from colleagues he sees China as a key The US accuses Beijing of an and unpredictable foreign policy percent draw down in Afghan- one official called “a violent Mexico’s government for an priority. ongoing pattern of military and moves under Trump. istan — another momentous mob” from crossing over from investigation. A spokesman for Shanahan, who took the top economic espionage, and has Shanahan did not serve in move that has left lawmakers Tijuana, according to a witness Mexico’s foreign ministry did spot January 1 after Jim Mattis criticized China’s ambitious “Belt the military but has worked and international allies fearing and the US government. not immediately respond to a resigned amid disagreements and Road” trade and infra- since July 2017 as the deputy for what comes next. Clouds of the noxious gas request for a comment. with President Donald Trump, structure initiative as being a defense secretary. Before that, Shanahan announced that could be seen wafting up from Late on Monday, more than told key Defense Department form of economic coercion. he spent more than 30 years at Pentagon comptroller David around the fence at the border, 150 Central American migrants staff to focus on the National “In 2019, the National Boeing. Norquist will perform the duties and one migrant picked up a approached an area of the Defense Strategy, a broad review Defense Strategy remains our Among the most immediate of deputy secretary of defense, canister and threw it back into border in Tijuana in the Playas that highlights a new era of guide. America’s military issues on his plate will be the the official said. US territory. neighborhood near the beach. US officials said the group Migrants said they thought had attacked agents with pro- security measures might be jectiles, but a witness did not relaxed due to the New Year’s Manhunt under way see any migrants throwing holiday. Cuba ruling party leader blasts US rocks at US agents. US Department of after man fires into Tijuana has become a flash- Homeland Security spokes- point in the debate over US woman Katie Waldman called on 60th anniversary of revolution Taco Bell over sauce immigration policy, which has the group “a violent mob” and been intensified by the recent said they had thrown projec- REUTERS President Donald Trump has instead from “ruthless neoliberal AP deaths of two migrant children tiles at agents who responded HAVANA tightened the decades-old US policies”. OKLAHOMA CITY in US custody and a partial US with “the minimum force nec- embargo on the island, after his Trump’s national security government shutdown over essary to defend themselves.” On the 60th anniversary of predecessor, Barack Obama, adviser, John Bolton, said in Police in Oklahoma City said President Donald Trump’s “Congress needs to fully Cuba’s revolution, ruling had sought to normalize November that Washington they are looking for a man demand for $5bn in funding for fund the border wall. ” Communist Party leader Raul relations. would take a tougher line who fired a gun into a Taco Castro blasted the Trump “Once again, the North against Cuba, Venezuela and Bell after he didn’t get the administration for returning to American government is taking Nicaragua, calling them a “troika sauce he wanted. an outdated path of confron- on the path of confrontation of tyranny.” Authorities said the con- tation with the island nation and with Cuba,” Castro said in the Clad in military fatigues and frontation happened after 1 of intervening in Latin America. southeastern city of Santiago de cap, the 87-year old Castro said aam on Monday. No one was Castro and his late, elder Cuba where Fidel Castro pro- that Cuba had proven hurt, but a drive-thru window brother Fidel Castro led the claimed victory six decades ago. throughout six decades of rev- was shot out. No arrest has rebel band that in 1959 over- The speech by Castro, who olution it coud not be intimi- been made. threw a US-backed dictator and stepped down as president in dated by threats. Instead it Employees told police the installed a Communist-run April but remains head of the remained open, he said, to a man was in a vehicle at the country on the doorstep of the Communist Party until 2021, peaceful and respectful drive-thru when he started US, setting the scene for decades was part of a solemn, sunset cer- coexistence. yelling about not getting of Cold War hostility. emony in a cemetery where Cuba’s true battle this year enough hot or taco sauce At the time, their revolution both Fidel Castro and inde- was an economic one, he added, when he ordered. He then inspired leftist movements pendence hero Jose Marti are reiterating comments made at opened fire before going into throughout Latin America, but buried. the national assembly in late the restaurant. the celebrations came as the “Increasingly, high-ranking December by his successor, Pres- Workers told police they region is shifting rightwards. officials of this administration ident Miguel Diaz-Canel, who locked themselves in a Some of Cuba’s closest allies, are ... trying to blame Cuba for announced increased austerity bathroom and that the man Central American migrants run away from tear gas thrown by the Venezuela and Nicaragua, are all the region’s ills,” he said, for the fourth year running in eventually left. They then US border patrol as seen from Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico. mired in political crises, and US adding that they stemmed 2019 in the face of a cash crunch. called 911. Bolsonaro gives farm ministry powers on native lands

REUTERS considering placing indigenous affairs to Brazil’s powerful farm sector. took office in Brazil on Tuesday SAO PAULO under the ministry of agriculture, Critics said Bolsonaro’s plan to saying he had freed the country from alleging lands should be opened to open indigenous reservations to com- “socialism and political Brazil’s newly inaugurated president commercial activities that are cur- mercial activity will destroy native correctness.” issued an executive order yesterday rently banned. cultures and languages by integrating His supporters hope he will cut making the ministry of agriculture Bolsonaro has now decided to the tribes into Brazilian society. through red tape to kick-start the responsible for deciding on lands move indigenous affairs agency Environmentalists said that the economy, tackle violent drug gangs claimed by indigenous peoples, in a FUNAI into a new ministry for native peoples are the last custodians and run a graft-free government. victory for agribusiness that will likely family, women and human rights, of the Amazon, the world’s largest Others fear he will unleash Brazil’s new President Jair Bolsonaro (left) and enrage environmentalists. and so the key decision on land rainforest that is vital for climate bloodshed by making guns more Brazil’s new Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina During his presidential campaign, claims will be in the hands of an stability. readily available and roll back social far-right Jair Bolsonaro said he was agriculture ministry with deep ties A former army captain, Bolsonaro victories for minorities. at Planalto Palace in Brasilia. THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019 HOME 15

SPORTS REVIEW

AUGUST-DECEMBER

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani; H H Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Personal Representative of H H the Amir; and other dignitaries during the unveiling ceremony of the design for Lusail Stadium in this December 15, 2018 file photo. 2018 August A season to remember AUGUST 1 2018 Al Rayyan edged Al Duhail in the penalty shoot-out to win the December Sheikh Jassim Cup at Al Sadd 2018 Stadium. The win turned out to for the Qatari athletes be a sweet revenge for the Lions October DECEMBER 11 who lost to the QNB Stars League (QSL) holders Al Duhail in the The three-day FIFA Executive Amir Cup final. The final of the AUGUST 13 NOVEMBER 14 Football Summit opened in Doha one-off match tournament saw with the participation of a the teams shared a goal apiece The second leg of FINA Qatar football team regis- number of international football at the end of regular period of Swimming World Cup 2018 com- tered a memorable 1-0 victory personalities including FIFA Pres- play. The penalty shoot-out menced in Doha, with top stars over World No.8 Switzerland in ident Gianni Infantino. QFA Pres- turned out to be a big challenge featuring in the three-day event 2018 Lugano. It was the first time ident Hamad bin Khalifa bin for the substitutes with Al Rayyan at Hamad Aquatic Center in Doha. Qatar had beaten a European Ahmed Al Thani and Ahmed players standing up to the task. Over 100 swimmers representing November team in their own country. Swit- Ahmed, President of the Con- 20 countries, with almost all the zerland reached the last 16 of federation of African Football AUGUST 12 prominent names in the sport the World Cup in Russia. Star (CAF), joined FIFA Chief on stage. took part in the event. NOVEMBER 2 striker Akram Afif scored the all- important goal for Al Annabi DECEMBER 15 A new Qatar Classic (The Maroons). champion was crowned in Doha with second-seed Ali NOVEMBER 21 Farag of Egypt defeating Ger- many’s World No.5 Simon Qatar marked the start of the 2018 Rosner in straight-games to final four-year countdown to the clinch the PSA World Tour region’s first FIFA World Cup to September Platinum title. be hosted by Qatar from The 26-year-old from Cairo, November 21 to December 18 in Farag delighted a partizan 2022. Hassan Al Thawadi, Sec- SEPTEMBER 27 crowd at the Khalifa Interna- retary-General of the Supreme tional Tennis and Squash Committee for Delivery & Legacy Qatar launched the one-year Complex to register his second (SC), said Qatar is steaming Striker Baghdad Bounedjah countdown to this year’s IAAF PSA World Tour Platinum title ahead with its large-scale prep- fired seven goals, a new QSL World Athletics Championships victory and his maiden trophy arations to host a grand show. record for most goals in a single in Doha, promising high-octane in Qatar. “In four years’ time, 1.5 million Qatar revealed the design for match, to steer Al Sadd to a 10-1 action at the state-of-the-art fans will descend on Qatar from Lusail Stadium, the venue at demolition of Al Arabi in Doha Khalifa International Stadium. NOVEMBER 3 every corner of the globe and which the opening and final derby. Former Iraqi international The September 27-October 6 billions more will tune in on their games of the 2022 FIFA World Yunus Mahmud held the pre- mega event will see world’s best TVs, smartphones and tablets to Cup Qatar will take place, in the vious record of six goals in the athletes battling for honours in a watch 28 days of football,” Al presence of the Amir H H Sheikh 2004/2005 season. venue that will use cooling tech- Thawadi said. “It will be a Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The nology for the entire duration of momentous occasion for the 80,000-capacity venue will be AUGUST 27 the championship. The event will teams participating, the fans the largest stadium during the also witness a ‘night marathon’ on watching, and for the whole tournament, which will kick off Abderrahman Samba set Corniche. Arab world, which is eagerly on November 21, 2022 and be tracks on fire in Jakarta and won anticipating hosting the show- the first to take place in the Arab Asian Games gold in record time. piece event of the most popular world. Favourite Samba rose to the sport in the world for the first The venue’s golden vessel expectations and ran a blistering time ever,” Al Thawadi added. takes its inspiration from an Arab 400m hurdles setting a new The SC Secretary-General architectural sense as much as Games record of 47.66 seconds said a World Cup in Qatar has it does from literal symbolism by erasing the old time of 48.42 2018 the potential to unite the region celebrating the region’s ancient seconds. Qatar won another through the power of sport. tradition of craftsmanship. The medal from the track as Yasser October Record-breaking Nasser design features ‘fanar’ lanterns Mubarak won the 3000m stee- Saleh Al Attiyah confirmed a NOVEMBER 28 and intricately detailed bowls plechase silver behind Iran’s OCTOBER 25 14th FIA Middle East Rally Cham- that have been created for cen- Hossein Keyhani. pionship (MERC) title with a turies in the region. dominant victory in the 25th Located 15km north of AUGUST 28 Kuwait International Rally at central Doha, Lusail Stadium will Kuwait Motor Town. form the centerpiece of the new Qatar clinched the fourth gold The Qatari’s seventh win in ultra-modern Lusail City, the con- medal at the 18th Asian Games Kuwait and his 69th career MERC struction of which is 90% in Jakarta, Indonesia. Cherif You- win secured the record-breaking completed. nousse Samba and Ahmed Tijan 14th regional title by the margin As well as being situated in Janko beat Ade Candra Rach- of 12min 19.2sec. the heart of the city of the mawan and Mohammad Ashfiya Qatar created history by future, the area holds significant of Indonesia in two straight sets becoming the first Gulf country NOVEMBER 8 cultural and historical signifi- to claim an historic gold in beach to host the Artistic Gymnastics cance for the country, as it was volleyball. World Championships (Doha Qatar’s show jumping star Al Sadd’s influential defender once the home of the founder 2018). International Gymnastics Bassem Hassan Mohammed Abdulkarim Hassan was named of modern Qatar, Sheikh Jassim AUGUST 30 Federation (FIG) President produced a flawless routine AFC Asian Player-of-the-Year, bin Mohammed bin Thani Al Morinari Watanabe heaped with Argelith Squid to share beating Kashima Antlers’ Yuma Thani. Qatar won their fifth gold praise on Qatar for realising the honours with Frenchman Julien Suzuki and Kento Misao to the medal in the Asian Games when ‘dream’. The ten-day event fea- Epaillard in the opening event top award. Hassan, one of Qatar DECEMBER 31 the men’s team won the 4x400 tured almost all the top Olym- of the Longines Global Cham- teams’ key players, received the relay race in record time. The team pians who amused fans at Aspire pions Tour final round at Al glittering trophy from AFC Pres- The Qatar ExxonMobil Open comprised of Abdalelah Haroun, Dome. US superstar Simone Biles Shaqab Arena. ident Salman Bin Ibrahim Al got under way in Doha with Abdulrahman Samba, Mohammed left Doha with a maximum six Bassem, who enthralled Khalifa at the Oman Convention leading stars eyeing successful Nour and Mohammed Abas fin- medals — four golds, one silver home fans last year with his and Exhibition Centre. The starts to the new season. World ished the race in 3:00.56 minutes, and one bronze — becoming the spectacular Grand Prix win at 25-year-old also became the No.1 Novak Djokovic will be which is a new Asian record. Qatar first gymnast to win a medal in the same venue, clocked a time second Qatari to be named AFC hoping to collect his third title in won another competition at Asian every event at the World Cham- of 24.85 seconds, a time shared Asian Player of the Year after Doha to become only the Games to take their tally to 6 gold pionships since the late Yelena by Epaillard who was astride Khalfan Ibrahim won the same second player in history to do so medals. Shushunova (URS) in 1987. Safari d Auge. trophy in 2006. after Swiss great Roger Federer. 16 MORNING BREAK THURSDAY 3 JANUARY 2019

PRAYER TIMINGS FAJR 04. 59 AM Shop Qatar Design District to nurture fashion industry SHOROOK 06. 20 AM RAYNALD C RIVERA announcement of 2019 as Qatar India ZUHR 11. 38 AM MAGHRIB 04. 58 PM THE PENINSULA Year of Culture, Alshaikh said the ASR 02. 37 PM ISHA 06. 28 PM cultural year is also in line with Shop The first ever Design District, which Qatar and reflected in the Design Dis- opens on Saturday as a main feature trict as well with five international WEATHER TODAY of the ongoing third Shop Qatar Indian designers participating in the festival, will provide a strong platform District, in addition to a concert by to nurture Qatari talent and the local renowned Bollywood singing sen- fashion industry, Alshaima Alshaikh sation Arjit Singh. of Qatar National Tourism Council “This is great news for the tourism (QNTC) has said. sector because our efforts have been To be held at the Doha Exhibition greatly focused on expanding our and Convention Center (DECC), the visitor source markets from Asia, par- District brings a colourful showcase ticularly India. Last year we opened of pop-up shops, cafes, and more than our first representative office in 20 fashion shows and masterclasses Mumbai aimed to attract more visitors along with live entertainment - all to Qatar,” she added. under one roof extending over two Mirqab Mall, which is taking part weekends from January 5 to 12. for the first time in Shop Qatar, will Fashion enthusiasts will find world- also be joining the Design District with renowned designers from Paris to Fahim Matabdin (centre), Marketing Manager at Al Mana Malls, the company a number of its brands. Mumbai showcasing their latest which operates Mirqab Mall, speaking to media at Mirqab Mall, yesterday. “We are the only mall that’s going Spring/Summer collections and online- BELOW: Mirqab Mall, which is participating for the first time in Shop Qatar. to be featured in the Design District, famous makeup artists offering beauty which is a very nice concept and an masterclasses and workshops, among opportunity not to be missed to further others. promote Mirqab Mall as a world class “We are very excited to be community mall,” said Fahim Mat- launching for the very first time the abdin, Marketing Manager at Al Mana Design District, which kicks off this Malls, the company which operates Saturday and extends over two Mirqab Mall. weekends, offering a platform for local, On Mirqab Mall’s first partici- o o regional, and international fashion pation in Shop Qatar, Matabdin said 21 C 27 C designers and renowned makeup the festival definitely helps in artists,” Alshaikh said while giving increasing footfall in the mall espe- Minimum Maximum latest Shop Qatar updates to reporters cially during the first phase of Shop yesterday at Mirqab Mall. Qatar which was the six-day National Expected strong wind and high sea to the North by late night. “As with our other festivals we Day Trade Festival when most of have always been very keen to provide their retailers offered up to 90

HIGH TIDE 03:54 – 1:48 LOW TIDE 10:45 –21:31 platform for local entrepreneurs and percent discount. Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department talent to showcase their products and “From December 15 to 20, our services, and this year Design District footfall was phenomenal; we had lit- will be offering 75 spaces for these erally double digit growth on footfall entrepreneurs and local businesses to and during that period we noticed a showcase what they have been lot of our customers were shopping working on. We’re very happy that for gifting. From December 15 until VCUQ will have the largest space in now, our footfall has reached over the District,” she stressed. 400,000 customers which is really Through a strong collaboration great specially for a world class com- between Fashion Trust Arabia (FTA), women and the youth in fashion coupled “We are happy big names in munity mall this size,” said which is another first for Shop Qatar, she with a strong purchasing power, in regional and international design will Matabdin. said the District is expected to witness a addition to the presence of the VCUQ. be here in Qatar and for the District to Al Shaikh also noted their strong lot of interaction between the public and There’s always this interest in fashion create this space foe exchange and we partnership with public and private fashion industry professionals. FTA is a exchange whether in exporting our hope to provide that so we can con- entities including with Embrace Doha non-profit organization aimed at raising fashion trends or incorporating inter- tinue to grow year on year and an which is offering authentic shopping the standards of emerging design talent national trends in Qatari design; we con- example of that is we brought FTA on experience in Souq Waqif as part of in the MENA region. sider Design District to be a very board as our partner to help incubate the festival as well as with Vodafone “Qatar is definitely a hub for fashion, important platform for this exchange,” and develop our local talent,” she Qatar, Alfardan Motors, Katara Hos- evident in the strong interest of local stressed Alshaikh. added. With the official pitality and Qatar Airways.