www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS | 14 SPORT | 26 Daimler speeds on Van Dijk wins to record profits stage 2 as Worrack and sales in 2015 grabs golden jersey FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2016 • 26 Rabia II 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6697 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Emir sends Basic education condolences for 1 million to Saudi King Syrian children QNA DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday sent a cable of condolences to Custo- Child (EAC) steps in to offer alter- dian of the Two Holy Mosques King native education programmes in Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of H H Sheikha Moza flexible learning sites. We also support Saudi Arabia following the death highlights EAA plans remedial, bridging and accelerated of the wife of Prince Mamdouh bin programmes to compensate for lost Abdulaziz Al Saud and mother of for refugee kids time,” said Sheikha Moza. Prince Muqrin bin Mamdouh bin in Syria and other The education event brought Abdulaziz Al Saud, praying to together governments, donors, NGOs Almighty Allah to have mercy on countries and other partners determined to her and give her family solace and ensure that all Syrian refugee children fortitude. have access to quality education by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser taking part in a panel of an education event on the sidelines of the ‘Supporting The Peninsula the end of the 2016-17 academic year. An estimated three million Syr- Syria and the Region’ conference in London. She also met Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Emir greets ian children have had their schooling discussed education of Syrian refugee children. Pic: AR Al-Baker cut short by the ongoing crisis. Sri Lanka DOHA/LONDON: H H Sheikha Moza The education event was co- bint Nasser, Founder and Chairper- chaired by Norwegian Foreign President son, Education Above All Foundation, Minister Borge Brende and UK Sec- Over $11bn pledged for Syria said yesterday that EAA plans to pro- retary of State for International vide primary education to over one Development Justine Greening. DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Tamim million Syrian refugee children by Fellow panellists alongside bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable next year. Sheikha Moza included Elias Bou AFP & Reuters $5bn to be spent by 2020. that is something that should tear at of congratulations to Sri Lankan Sheikha Moza spoke as she took Saab, Lebanese Minister of Educa- As world leaders gathered for the conscience of all civilised peo- President Maithripala Sirisena on part in a ‘No Lost Generation’ edu- tion; Imad Fakhoury, Jordan Minister the forum to tackle the world’s worst ple and we all have a responsibility the occasion of his country’s Inde- cation event on the sidelines of the of Planning & International Cooper- humanitarian crisis, Turkey reported to respond to it,” US Secretary of State pendence Day. ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ con- ation; Malala Yousufzai, The Malala LONDON: British Prime Minister David a new exodus of tens of thousands John Kerry said. ference in London. Foreign Minister Fund; Tony Lake, Executive Direc- Cameron announced yesterday that a fleeing air strikes. Underlining the He said he had spoken to his Rus- H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrah- tor, Unicef; Sarah Brown, Executive Syria donors’ conference in London desperate situation on the ground in sian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and QSE to remain man Al Thani also attended the event. Chair, Global Business Coalition for had raised over $11bn for humani- Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet “have agreed that we are engaged in “We have already enrolled half Education, and NGO, civil society and tarian aid over the next four years. Davutoglu said tens of thousands of a discussion about how to implement shut on National a million children in Syria, Jordan business representatives. “Today’s achievements are not a Syrians were on the move towards his the ceasefire specifically and some and Lebanon into quality primary EAC, a global programme of EAA solution to the crisis — we still need to country to escape aerial bombard- immediate, possible confidence- Sport Day education. By 2017, we hope to have and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, see a political transition,” he told the ments on the city of Aleppo. “About building steps to deliver humanitarian more than doubled the number to have launched a three-year partner- conference. “But with today’s com- 70,000 people in the camps in north assistance”. 1.1 million. ship to provide access to education for mitments... our message to the people Aleppo are moving towards Turkey.” Conference co-hosts Britain and DOHA: Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) “Refugee children across the 710,000 children affected by conflict of Syria and the region is clear — we Turkey is already hosting more Norway promised an extra $1.76bn has announced that Tuesday will region have diverse needs and con- and forced displacement in Africa, will stand with you and support you than 2.5 million refugees and Jor- and $1.17bn, respectively by 2020, be an official holiday to celebrate ditions that cannot always be met Asia and the Middle East. for as long as it takes.” dan and Lebanon are also bearing the while Germany, also co-host, will National Sport Day, pursuant to with a one-size-fits-all solution in The EAC-funded programme will At the end of “Supporting Syria & brunt of the refugee exodus. give $2.57bn by 2018. The US contri- Emiri Decree No. 80 of 2011, said the formal education setting. continue to support education of chil- the Region London 2016’ forum, Cam- “With people reduced to eating bution this fiscal year will be $890m. a statement posted on QSE web- “When formal education systems dren and help enrol a further 450,000 eron told a news conference that donors grass and leaves and killing stray site. Trading at QSE will resume cannot absorb students, Educate A in schools over the next three years. had pledged $6bn for this year and animals to survive on a daily basis, → See also page 4 on Wednesday. Tunisia lifts Clashes in West Bank town Top Al Qaeda commander nationwide night curfew dies in Yemen drone strike Reuters Abyan capital Zinjibar and planted AFP the group’s black flag on govern- ment buildings. They also set up checkpoints on ADEN: A suspected US drone strike main roads and the highway lead- TUNIS: Tunisia said yesterday it overnight killed a top Islamist mili- ing to the port city of Aden, Yemen’s is lifting a nationwide night cur- tant commander in southern Yemen temporary capital some 40km away. few imposed last month after the who had run Al Qaeda’s combat oper- Another strike yesterday killed worst social unrest witnessed in the ations and had a $5m US bounty on six Al Qaeda militants in a car near country since its 2011 revolution. his head, residents said. Al Rawda city in Shabwa province, “In light of the improvement in In nine months of civil war and a residents said. the security situation, it was decided Gulf military intervention in Yemen, AQAP has taken advantage of that from Thursday... the curfew the US has kept up a drone campaign the war pitting forces loyal to Saudi- on all Tunisian territory will be there against Al Qaeda and increas- backed President Abdrabbu Mansour lifted,” the interior ministry said ingly, Islamic State militants, who Hadi and Houthi militiamen based in a statement. have continued to carry out attacks. in Sana’a to grab territory and oper- The curfew was imposed after Impoverished Yemen has suffered ate more openly. protests that started in the central fierce fighting and humanitarian cri- But the group has faced ideo- town of Kasserine, where an unem- sis since March, when a Saudi-led logical competition from IS, which ployed man was electrocuted during Palestinian youth clash with Israeli security forces in Qabatiya, a town near Jenin in the north of the Gulf Arab coalition began near-daily has siphoned off recruits as it has a January 16 demonstration over Israeli-occupied West Bank, yesterday. → See also page 4 air strikes to rout the Iran-backed launched spectacular attacks the lack of economic prospects in Houthis and restore the central against Shia mosques and govern- the region. The unrest, the worst government. ment targets. since the uprising five years ago Jalal Baleedi was killed by a drone Suspected US drone strikes, which that ousted dictator Zine El Abidine strike as he was travelling in a car normally use Hellfire missiles, have Ben Ali, spread to several towns and with two others in coastal Abyan killed some of AQAP’s top leaders, Tunis where shops were burned and Online tourist visas soon: Official province. including its chief Nasser Al Wuhay- looted in one suburb on January 21. According to reports and analysts, shi last June. The authorities announced the Baleedi may have recently defected Separately, pro-Hadi forces curfew the following day, and pro- The Peninsula Jaber Al Maliki, Head, Travel Permits Section, Airport from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Penin- backed by heavy Gulf Arab air strikes tests ebbed after continuing for a Passports Department, as saying. “The steps reflect the sula (AQAP) to become the chief of advanced in the mountains surround- while in Kasserine and the nearby ministry’s keenness to digitalise services to assist people IS’s Yemen branch. ing Sana’a, capturing several villages town of Sidi Bouzid, the cradle of to complete their transactions easily.” ‘Return visas’ for The US State Department said and attacking a Houthi-held mili- the 2011 revolution. Last Novem- DOHA: Tourist visas will soon be made available online, people under personal sponsorship can be applied online Baleedi was involved in planning tary base.