INDEX QATAR 2-5,12 COMMENT 10 BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 8 ARAB WORLD 6 BUSINESS 1-12 Qatar banks’ INTERNATIONAL 6-9,11 SPORTS 1-8 Messi tells assets grow in DOW JONES QE NYMEX Barcelona he double digit in wants to leave 28,248.44 9,909.12 43.35 but faces legal July on robust -60.02 +81.75 +0.73 +0.21% +0.19% +1.71% battle over credit offt ake Latest Figures clause published in QATAR since 1978 WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11652 August 26, 2020 Muharram 7, 1442 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Amir sends cable of congratulations to Uruguay leader Qatar to stand His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Minister by Lebanese of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani yesterday sent cables of congratulations to President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou on the anniversary of his people: FM country’s Independence Day. – QNA MoPH reports 114,318 OLebanese president thanks His Highness the Amir for total Covid-19 recoveries supporting his country and lauds Qatar’s prompt dispatch The Ministry of Public Health of aid following Beirut blast (MoPH) announced yesterday 232 new confirmed cases of O‘We are about to complete a study of rebuilding public coronavirus (Covid-19). It said 219 schools in partnership with Unicef, and rehabilitating of these are community cases and 13 travellers returning from abroad. some damaged hospitals in Lebanon’: FM The MoPH also recorded 219 HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani during his meeting recoveries from the virus during atar is committed to stand by progress, development and pros- with Lebanese President Michel Aoun yesterday. the past 24 hours, bringing the total the brotherly Lebanese people perity. number of cases recovered in Qatar Qin the reconstruction phase In remarks after the meeting, HE to 114,318. It said in a statement following the Beirut port explosion Sheikh Mohamed said Lebanon is go- that all new cases have been kept earlier this month, support eff orts to ing through a critical time and that his in isolation and are receiving overcome the humanitarian catastro- visit is to convey the condolences of necessary healthcare. Page 2 phe and continue to provide support Qatar to the Lebanese people, and to in the light of its economic crisis and wish a speedy recovery for those in- Turkey ‘fully rejects’ the aggravated Covid-19 pandemic, jured in the Beirut port explosion. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and He added: “His Highness the US’ Hamas criticism Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mo- Amir’s directives are clear to study the Turkey “fully rejects” a statement hamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has projects aff ected by this explosion, and by the US State Department stressed. we are about to complete a study of re- objecting to a recent meeting He made the observation during building public schools in partnership between President Tayyip Erdogan a meeting with Lebanese President with Unicef, and rehabilitating some and two leaders of Hamas in Michel Aoun in Beirut yesterday. damaged hospitals in Lebanon.” Istanbul, the Turkish Foreign On his part, Aoun thanked His He confi rmed the existence of a Ministry said yesterday. Turkey’s Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin ‘pre-plan’ by Qatar to help the Leba- foreign ministry said: “Declaring Hamad al-Thani for his stance in sup- nese people overcome the economic the legitimate representative of port of Lebanon at all times. He also crisis before the explosion, adding that Hamas, who came to power after appreciated the prompt response of Qatar has views that will be discussed winning democratic elections in Qatar under the directives of His High- with the Lebanese government. Gaza and is an important reality of ness the Amir to provide immediate aid Further, he said “there is no doubt the region, as a terrorist will not be to Lebanon after the Beirut port explo- that there is a need for political and of any contribution to eff orts for sion, the offi cial Qatar News Agency social stability in Lebanon in order peace and stability in the region.” (QNA) reported. to support this reform process, hop- At the beginning of the meeting, HE ing that all political and social forces No ‘Finger Lickin’ for Sheikh Mohamed conveyed the greet- in Lebanon place the interest of the now, KFC to customers ings of His Highness the Amir to the Lebanese people at the centre of these Lebanese president and for the peo- reforms and ensure that these reforms Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) ple further progress and prosperity. stem from the needs of the Lebanese is temporarily suspending its He also conveyed the condolences of people not from any external pres- long-time advertisement slogan His Highness the Amir to the Leba- sures”. “it’s finger lickin’ good”, calling nese president for the victims of the HE Sheikh Mohamed also held meet- it inappropriate in the current explosion, as well as His Highness the ings with a number of Lebanese digni- HE Sheikh Mohamed during his visit to the Beirut port blast site. Covid-19 pandemic situation . Amir’s wishes for a speedy recovery of taries and offi cials, including Speaker In an era when face masks and the injured, QNA said. of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Ber- of Lebanon (Banque du Liban) Riad Lebanese Red Cross George Kittana. He was accompanied during the tour hand-washing have become the For his part, Aoun entrusted HE ri, Caretaker Prime Minister Dr Has- Salame, Grand Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh HE Sheikh Mohamed also toured the by the Deputy Prime Minister and Min- norm and health off icials are Sheikh Mohamed to convey his san Diab, Minister of Foreign Aff airs Abdul-Latif Derian, Cardinal Patriarch explosion site at the Beirut port, where ister of Defence in the Lebanese care- recommending people to stop greetings to His Highness the Amir, and Emigrants Charbel Wehbe, leader Moran Mor Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, he was briefed on the extent of losses taker government, Zina Aker, and Qa- touching their faces, KFC said the wishing him health and happi- of the Future Movement party Saad Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All at the port and the damage infl icted on tar’s ambassador to Lebanon Mohamed slogan “doesn’t feel quite right.” ness and the people of Qatar more Hariri, governor of the Central Bank the East, and secretary-general of the the surrounding areas. Hassan Jaber al-Jaber. Page 2 UFO turns out to be Internet balloon An unidentified flying object parachuted into dense Congo jungle to the confusion of local ‘Cyber gang’ that duped victims MoU inked to off er authorities, who detained two people for questioning until a subsidiary of Google parent of nearly QR10mn busted company Alphabet confirmed the services to cyclists device was an Internet balloon. Images shared on social media cyber crime gang that de- The director of the Economic and To claim the prize without any delay, showed people inspecting a large frauded its victims of nearly Cyber Crimes Combating Depart- the victim will give the code, making silver-coloured contraption fitted A QR10mn has been busted in ment said they received complaints it easy for the criminals to access his/ with solar panels and wires. an operation named ‘Uncovering the that some bank customers had been her bank account. Mask’, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) victims of cyber fraud and money The assistant director of the de- Kremlin dismisses announced yesterday. stolen from their accounts. partment explained that using such In a press statement, the MoI said The gang used methods like sending methods, the criminals would ac- ‘poison’ claims the Economic and Cyber Crimes a text message to their intended victim cess their victims’ bank accounts and Russia faced mounting international Combating Department at the Gen- saying that person’s bank card had been transfer money abroad, pay bills or calls yesterday for a probe into eral Directorate of Criminal Investi- suspended and s/he had to call a speci- make online purchases. the poisoning of opposition leader gation arrested members of the crim- fi ed phone number, or that he had won The department formed a high- Alexei Navalny even as the Kremlin inal gang for being involved in cyber a large amount of money as a prize. level search-and-investigation team dismissed the findings of his fraud operations and stealing funds Once the victim responded to such and carried out the ‘Uncovering the Yousef al-Emadi and Dr Abdulaziz Jaham al-Kuwari signing the MoU yesterday. German doctors. The 44-year-old from customers of banks. a message, the gang members would Mask’ operation. The team gathered Navalny, who is one of the fiercest They used to transfer these funds ask that person to send them the OTP information, conducted investiga- he Supervisory Committee for directors at Qatar Cyclists Centre; Ab- critics of President Vladimir Putin abroad, pay bills and make online (one-time password) or verifi cation tions and tracked suspicious money Beautifi cation of Roads and dulla al-Hammadi, member of Qatar and has exposed massive off icial purchases after accessing their vic- code s/he had received on his/her transfers. It monitored several persons TPublic Places in Qatar at the Cyclists Centre; and Ali bin Towar al- corruption, is being treated in a tims’ bank data. The total amount of phone (which is used by fi nancial in- from some Asian countries with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) Kuwari, Media Committee in-charge Berlin hospital after falling ill on a such fraudulent transactions reached stitutions as an extra security step for co-operation of the relevant authori- yesterday signed a memorandum of at Qatar Cyclists Centre.