SUNDAY JANUARY 13, 2019 JUMADA AL-AWWAL 7, 1440 VOL.12 NO. 4513 QR 2 PARTLY CLOUDY Fajr: 4:59 am Dhuhr: 11:43 am HIGH : 23°C Asr: 2:44 pm Maghrib: 5:04 pm LOW : 15°C Isha: 6:34 pm Business 12 Sports 16 Qatar to record 2.7% growth Qatar seek more goals from for 3 years, says NBK report clash against North Korea FM meets Omani counterpart & GCC Secretary-General Ashghal opens deepest, longest dual-lane tunnel in Al Rayyan The tunnel, 1.5 km long and 25 m deep, links Al Waab with Al Luqta SANTHOSH CHANDRAN AL RAYYAN PUBLIC Works Authority (Ash- ghal) has partially opened for traffic the deepest and the long- est dual-lane tunnel connecting Al Waab with Al Luqta in Al Rayyan area. The partially-opened tunnel in Al Rayyan will replace the existing and The tunnel is 1.5 kilometres reduce journey time by up to 65 percent. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani on Saturday met with Oman’s Min- long. It sits 25 metres below ister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, in presence of Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr the ground level, making it the Al Rayyan. the newly-opened section of Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani. They exchanged views on issues of common concern for GCC. (QNA) longest and deepest bi-direc- The tunnel forms part of the road and tunnel will reduce tional tunnel in Qatar. complex three-level interchange travel time between Bu Erayen Two of the four lanes in each known as Al Mokafaha inter- and Lebday Street and Al Luqta direction with a capacity to han- change. At interchange, there and Al Waab by up to 65 per- dle 8,000 vehicles per hour in is signalised junction that fa- cent due to the increased lane each direction were opened on cilitates traffic movements in all capacity and removal of the ex- Saturday. The tunnel forms part directions including Al Waab, isting diversions. It will also re- of the newly upgraded 2.1 km- Bani Hajer and Doha. Beneath duce traffic congestion on 22nd ‘Too much interference stretch between Bu Erayen and this is an underpass which al- February Street. Lebday Street. lows motorists to travel seam- The tunnel will also facili- It will offer easy access from lessly between Doha and Bani tate free traffic flow between Old Rayyan to Qatar Foun- Hajer. The tunnel is beneath the Al Mokafaha interchange dation, Shamal Expressway, the underpass both of which re- and Lebday Interchange. The West Bay, major sports centres, place the old roundabout. new tunnel is also a major link pushed US’ Zinni to quit’ key commercial hubs of Doha The Project Manager Ju- between Bu Erayen and Lebday and three metro stations in mah al Bader confirmed that Street. el, alerting him to the serious Kushner, US Secretary of State were also ramifications of the decisions running file on Gulf row: Sheikh Hamad he takes. Two schoolgirls found guilty of The crisis, he said, is push- ing some countries to spend assaulting teacher in Shahaniya TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK that the secretary of state was a lot of money in Washington DOHA running the file and so was on lobbying to create a posi- Two schoolgirls in Qatar were sentenced on Saturday [Trump’s son-in-law and advi- tive perception there. “That to two weeks in the juvenile reformatory centre for RETIRED US general Anthony sor] Jared Kushner. Also there money should be spent in their assaulting their teacher at a school in Al Shahaniya. Zinni, the Trump administra- were many parties who were own countries, especially since The Criminal Court in Doha handed the sentences. tion’s envoy tasked to resolve interested in the case for one some countries do not have the the Gulf diplomatic crisis, re- reason or other.” HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin level of progress some others According to the prosecution, the girls, both juveniles, signed because too many peo- The Gulf crisis is still con- Jabor al Thani have in the region,” he said. grabbed the teacher’s arm and slapped her in the Trump blasts FBI ple were running his mission, tinuing because those who Regarding the conse- face when she asked them to leave the classroom as probe to find says Qatar’s former prime started it don’t understand their allegations against Qa- quences of the Gulf crisis and punishment for rude behaviour. Besides verbal abuse, if he worked minister HE Sheikh Hamad politics, Sheikh Hamad said. tar.” the siege of Qatar, Sheikh the teacher also suffered bruises. (HISHAM ALJUNDI) bin Jassim bin Jabor al Tha- “The Gulf dispute is at The former PM stressed Hamad said, “Socially and po- for Russia (PG 11 ) ni, who also served as Qatar’s present intended to remain that “the Gulf entity was de- litically, the families have been Minister of Foreign Affairs. without escalation and with- stroyed and restoring confi- separated. [Also], we began to Zinni is a logical person, out solution. The failure of dence will take years”. hear degenerate language in who wants to have [control the mediator to solve the Gulf “The people in the region the Gulf among the users of of his mission] in his hands,” crisis is due to the conflict of were looking forward to one social media, which touched Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim told positions in Washington and Gulf passport and one coin. on symbols, taboos, women SHEIKHA HIND PARTICIPATES IN US DISCUSSION Russia Today in an interview. the intransigence of those who Now you see that there is a his- and men, both alive and dead. He said the “Gulf file” was started it,” he said. torical antagonism and a tribal This is a cause for concern be- being handled by more than “Qatar is fine despite the enmity that some countries cause the wound it has caused one hand in Washington and siege and moved on. Moreo- want to persist.” may not heal even when the this embarrassed Zinni. ver, the countries imposing The Saudi Crown Prince, crisis ends.” “I think Zinni offered the blockade have not come up Sheikh Hamad said, deserves ideas, but… the problem is with any evidence supporting to have advisers at a high lev- See also page 2 Ô Second Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue begins in Doha today The second Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as co-chairmen, will be held in Doha on Sunday. The dialogue, which will see the participation of a large number of Qatari and US government officials, is expected to further deepen the bilateral strategic ties. The meeting will include high-level discussions on a number of political, economic, defence and cultural matters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson HE Lulwah al Khater Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation has said. It will also witness the signing of a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) that will enhance (QF), has participated in the latest ‘Off The Record’ discussion in New York City. The talk, titled ‘A Discussion of Education, Women’s Rights and the Blockade’, was moderated by journalist Magalie co-operation between the two countries, she added. (TNN) Laguerre-Wilkinson from US news programme ‘60 Minutes’. Katara inks deal with Polish group to boost Qatar’s amber industry TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK ager of Katara Cultural Vil- searchers in this field to net- As per the agreement, DOHA lage, and Mariusz Grzegorz work and to promote amber both sides will cooperate in Gliwinski, deputy president art and industry. exchange of materials in edu- IN a major initiative to pro- of the association at the first “The agreement will help The agreement will help cation and research, publi- mote amber industry in Qa- Kahraman exhibition which Katara benefit from the ex- Katara benefit from the cations and information on tar and around the world, concluded on Saturday. perience and expertise of experience and expertise of amber, technical assistance the Cultural Village (Katara) Khalid al Sayed, head of the association and its mem- in amber laboratory issues on Saturday signed an agree- the exhibition and other Ka- ber organisations in various the association and its and exchange of employees, ment with the Poland-based tara officials were also present fields, particularly in techni- member organisations in expertise and research schol- International Amber Associa- at the signing ceremony. cal aspects related to amber various fields. ars and promotion of amber tion (IAA) for mutual coop- International Amber As- industry. The agreement will culture, history and contem- eration in various wings of the sociation is a platform for am- be especially beneficial in es- Khalid al Sayed, Head of the porary design. The parties industry. ber merchants and manufac- tablishing a dedicated centre Kahraman Exhibition will discuss the opportuni- Mariusz Grzegorz Gliwinski, deputy president of the International The Letter of Intent was turers, artists and collectors for Kahraman amber at Ka- ties and challenges presented Amber Association and Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al Sulaiti, general signed by Dr Khalid bin Ibra- of natural amber and historic tara Cultural Village as well as and other related events,” said and would enter into specific manager of Katara sign the Letter of Intent. him al Sulaiti, general man- amber artefacts as well as re- in holding future exhibitions Khalid al Sayed.