BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Qatar-Italy Qatar trade up thrash India 16%, says in Olympic Chamber handball offi cial qualifi er published in QATAR since 1978 SUNDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11341 October 20, 2019 Safar 21, 1441 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals In brief FM, Erdogan review bilateral ties, Syria PM’s Brexit QATAR | Weather Ashghal prepares for tackling rainwater Public Works Authority (Ashghal) plans again president Dr Saad bin Ahmad al-Muhannadi has instructed contractors and off icials concerned to take all important precautions and measures in order to ensure that highways, main roads and tunnels are free of rainwater thrown into accumulation, making the safety of road users the top priority. He made the observations at an informative workshop, titled ‘Rainy Season 2019-2020’, organised by Ashghal and attended by several off icials and disarray senior engineers from the authority as well as a large number of drainage Reuters Johnson sends unsigned framework contractors. Page 4 London letter for Brexit delay ARAB WORLD | Economy British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defi ant Prime Minister Boris sent an unsigned letter to the Thousands protest in Johnson said he would not ne- Lebanon for third day European Union late yesterday asking A gotiate a further delay to Brit- for a Brexit delay and sent another Tens of thousands of Lebanese ain’s departure from the European message in which he said he did people took to the streets yesterday Union after losing a vote in parliament not want an extension, the Sunday for a third day of protests against yesterday that means he is obliged to Times reported. Johnson sent three tax increases and alleged off icial request a postponement. documents: a photocopy of draft text corruption despite several arrests The move by parliament, on a day laid out in a law which compelled by security forces. They streamed Johnson had pitched as a day of reck- him to ask for the delay; a cover into the streets around the country’s oning for Brexit, increases the chances note written by a civil servant saying parliament in Beirut, as well as that the divorce will be delayed and Johnson had been forced to send the elsewhere across the country, despite thus increases the opportunity for op- letter; and a further message that said calls for calm from politicians and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh ponents of Brexit to frustrate the Unit- he did not want any extension. dozens of arrests on Friday. The Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the Huber Palace in Istanbul yesterday. ed Kingdom’s departure. number of protesters grew steadily Parliament voted 322 to 306 in favour throughout the day, with major QNA ister of Foreign Aff airs conveyed the During the meeting, they reviewed of a 26-word amendment that turned That opens up a path to a new Brexit demonstrations in second city Tripoli, Istanbul greetings of His Highness the Amir bilateral relations and a number of is- Johnson’s Brexit fi nale on its head by drama over a delay that could pull in in the north, and other locations. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to sues of mutual interest. leaving the prime minister exposed to a lawyers, courts, the European Union Page 13 the Turkish president and wishes of After the meeting, HE Sheikh Mo- humiliating obligation to ask the EU for and the divided British parliament. resident Recep Tayyip Erdogan further progress and prosperity to the hamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani a delay until the end of January 2020. Saturday’s amendment, put forward by ARAB WORLD | Confl ict of the sisterly Republic of Tur- brotherly Turkish people. tweeted: “Delighted to be in #Istan- “I will not negotiate a delay with the former Conservative cabinet minister Ol- Pkey met yesterday with HE the For his part, the Turkish president bul and meet President @RTErdog- EU and neither does the law compel me iver Letwin, defl ated Johnson’s big Brexit Turkey denies blocking Deputy Prime Minister and Minister entrusted HE the Deputy Prime Min- an to convey the greetings of HH @ to do so,” Johnson told parliament. day just as hundreds of thousands gath- retreat of Kurdish forces of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed ister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs TamimBinHamad and his wishes for While Johnson did not explicitly ered to march on parliament demanding Turkey yesterday denied Kurdish bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the Hu- with conveying his greetings to His prosperity, and to discuss the latest de- refuse to send a letter to the EU re- another referendum on EU membership. forces’ claim that Ankara is blocking ber Palace in Istanbul. Highness the Amir and best wishes velopments in #Syria and the region & questing the delay – as an earlier law The European Commission said their pullout from a proposed safe At the beginning of the meeting, HE for the Qatari people of more develop- ways of enhancing co-operation and co- passed by his opponents demands – he Britain must now inform it of its next zone along the border under a the Deputy Prime Minister and Min- ment and progress. ordination in topics of mutual interest.” said he would not negotiate. steps as soon as possible. Page 16 US-brokered agreement. “YPG is disseminating false information to sabotage the Turkey-US agreement,” a senior off icial told AFP, referring Trudeau on campaign trail to Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) deemed by Ankara as a terrorist group linked to outlawed Expansion to increase Cuban Kurdish militants in Turkey. “By spreading fake news, YPG terrorists are challenging President (Donald) Trump,” the off icial said. Page 13 Hospital OPD capacity by 30% AMERICAS | Protests uban Hospital, part of Hamad The expansion works include up- Chileans clash with Medical Corporation (HMC), grades to some inpatient rooms, op- police for second day Chas embarked on a 24-month- erating theatres, and imaging equip- Chileans angry over social and long construction programme as part ment, as well as replacement of car economic issues clashed with of a major expansion eff ort at en- park canopies, fi re and safety system security forces for a second hancing the patient experience and improvements, and enhancements to day yesterday despite a state of improving access to specialised medi- the hospital’s security camera systems. emergency declared to quell the cal care for the population living in The works will also see the con- worst violence in years in one of Latin Dukhan and the western districts of struction of a mosque on the hospital America’s most stable countries. Qatar. grounds and a purpose-built chemi- Following a day of stunning violence “Once completed, this expansion cal decontamination unit, a fi rst of its in Santiago that saw buses and work will result in 30% increase in kind in the western region of Qatar and buildings burned and dozens of outpatient clinic capacity, and specifi - is part of eff orts to support World Cup metro stations destroyed by fire, cally new obstetric clinics that will be 2022 readiness. Saturday started peacefully as integrated into the maternity wing and “This is both an exciting and chal- thousands of Chileans banged pots upgrades to our Bone and Joint Unit lenging time and there may be a tem- and pans in protest in the capital and that will include additional consul- porary disruption to some existing other cities. Page 14 tation clinics, outpatient X-ray, and public and patient areas. While we a satellite pharmacy,” said Dr Angel are making every eff ort to minimise EUROPE | Unrest Mario Felipe Garmendia, medical di- disruptions, our community will no- rector, Cuban Hospital. tice some temporary changes, spe- Spanish govt dismisses The expansion works, which began cifi cally to entrances, parking areas, call for Catalan talks earlier this year, are expected to con- and patient drop off zones, and we ask The Spanish government dismissed tinue until late 2020 and will help the Dr Angel Mario Felipe Garmendia patients and the public to bear with calls yesterday from Catalonia’s hospital meet the increased demand inspects ongoing expansion works. us. This construction and renovation pro-independence regional chief for for current and future services. project is extensive and is an essential talks following a wave of violence “The ongoing work is part of HMC’s pital has seen a sharp rise in patient part of helping ensure we can continue sparked by the jailing of separatist overall expansion programme aimed visits in recent years, recording over to meet the healthcare needs of our leaders. Protesters took to the streets at enhancing the experience of our 85,000 outpatient visits and nearly community,” explained Dr Garmendia. of Barcelona for a sixth straight day, patients. These renovations will allow 6,500 inpatients in 2018, compared The Cuban Hospital was offi cial- sitting defiantly in one city centre us to provide faster access to high- to 63,000 outpatient visits and 4,700 ly opened in January 2012 as a joint square in front of a row of police quality specialist services and will see inpatient visits in 2016. He said the ex- project between the governments of vans. “Out, out, out with the Spanish signifi cant enhancements to several pansion work is necessary to meet the Qatar and Cuba. It functions in collab- flag,” they chanted. “The streets will key service areas,” said Dr Garmendia. demands of the rapidly growing com- oration with HMC and has more than Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a rally as always be ours.” Page 17 Dr Garmendia noted that the hos- munity.