Volume 24 | Number 7956 | 2 RiyalsThursday 18 July 2019 | 15 Dhul-Qa'da 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa

BUSINESS | 13 SPORT | 19

FIFA to help 'significantly improve’ African football

QIIB net profit rises by 5.5% to

QR510.6m

Prime Minister meets Kenyan official

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani met yesterday with the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Kenya, Dr Fred Matiang’i, and his accompanying delegation, on the occasion of their visit to the country. They reviewed bilateral relations and means of strengthening them, especially in the security fields, in addition to discussing a number of issues of mutual interest.

Qatar launches Investment Promotion Agency QNA DOHA

The Investment Promotion Agency LLC was launched yesterday in Doha. The agency aims to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country, in line with objectives set out in the Qatar National Vision 2030.

As part of its mandate to attract more FDI into Qatar, the Investment Promotion Agency LLC, will aim to be a single and complete source for investment solutions in the State of Qatar by attracting FDI in all of the coun-try’s priority sectors.

The entity will also pursue targeted, sector-specific investment promotion agendas and coordinate investment pro-motion and marketing activities with key stakeholders, as well as develop policy advisory.

The Advisory Board held their first meeting recently where they discussed the Agency’s strategy, roadmap and budget, as well as the key target

sectors and incentives plan.Minister of Commerce and

Industry and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Investment Promotion Agency, H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, said that “Qatar is already an attractive hub for foreign direct investment. Launching the Investment Promotion Agency will add to Qatar’s efforts to further boost FDI into the country, and the agency will achieve this through a number of initiatives such as working with stakeholders to support international businesses wishing to set up operations in Qatar”.

“We are committed to stim-ulating Qatar’s economic devel-opment through attracting foreign direct investment through a number of avenues. The Investment Promotion Agency will enhance these efforts by encouraging more international investors to set up in Qatar, leading Qatar into a new period of economic growth,” H E the Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Advisory Board added.

The Advisory Board is com-prised, in addition to its chair, of Minister of State and Chairman of the Qatar Free Zones Authority, H E Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed; Repre-sentative of H E Prime Minister’s Office, H E Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani; Acting Undersecretary for Trade Affairs, Saleh Majid Al Khulaifi; CEO of Qatar Financial Center (QFC), Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida; and Executive Director of Qatar Science and Technology Park, Yosouf Abdulrahman Al Salehi. �P13

Qatar strongly condemns murder of Turkish diplomatQNA/DOHA

The State of Qatar strongly condemned yesterday the death of a Turkish Consulate personnel in Iraq’s Erbil in an armed attack on a restaurant in the city.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed in a statement

the importance of opening an investigation into the attack, and presenting the perpetrators to justice in order to ensure they are held accountable.

The statement also renewed the State of Qatar’s firm rejection of vio-lence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons.

It also expressed the condo-lences of the State of Qatar to the families of the victims, the gov-ernment, and people of Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed yesterday that one Turkish Consulate personnel was martyred in an attack at a restaurant in Erbil city. �P2

‘Summer in Qatar’at HIA to entertainmillions of travellersSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Millions of passengers passing through Hamad International Airport (HIA) this summer season will get an opportunity to experience and learn about Qatar’s rich hospitality and culture, through an array of summer activities which will be organised by HIA, in collabo-ration with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, under ‘Summer in Qatar’ programme.

HIA is set to host a range of exciting activities and enter-tainment for passengers trav-elling through the airport. The activities promote the country’s ‘Summer in Qatar’ offerings, including cultural excursions to world-class entertainment, posi-tioning Qatar as a year-round global tourist destination.

More than seven million pas-sengers are forecast to travel through Qatar’s hub during the summer peak period (July and August 2019). The second quarter of 2019 has been the busiest Q2 period for the airport yet, which is a testament to its growth.

Commenting on the festiv-ities at the airport, Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, said: “We are pleased to collaborate with QNTC, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free to offer our pas-sengers a diverse selection of summer activities across the airport. HIA is the gateway to the State of Qatar and it is important that we give passengers a chance to experience Qatar’s expanding entertainment and culture.”

The airport yesterday organised cultural and fun-filled activities at the terminal, making the journey of passengers a memorable experience.

Al Meer added: “The plethora of ‘Summer in Qatar’ activities at HIA are strategically located across the terminal to ensure all travellers get to enjoy and par-ticipate in the activities offered at the airport. Passengers who stop over for more than five hours have the opportunity to visit Qatar and experience more of its ‘Summer in Qatar’ festiv-ities through our stop over pro-gramme. Most importantly, we hope it gives everyone transiting through HIA a taste of Qatar’s unparalleled hospitality and authentic experiences.”

A wide range of activities is located in the Heritage Zone in Concourse B for passengers to experience and learn more about the Qatari culture and hospitality. In a traditional tent setting, activ-ities will include calligraphy writing and henna tattoos. Pas-sengers will also have the chance to see cultural handicraftsmen at work like prayer bead pro-ducers, basket weavers, and pearl jewellery makers. To add to the experience, magnificent live performances will also take place such as the Horse Dances, a traditional dance performed in a horse-shaped box decorated with coloured cloth, beads and gold jewellery as well as Funoon Bahria, Jalsat Tarab and Oud playing.

The ‘Summer in Qatar’ activities located in Concourse C will include a dedicated ‘Kids Zone’ to cater to families and provide them with enter-tainment whilst traveling through the airport. �P3

Sudan rivals sign deal to share powerAFP KHARTOUM

Sudan’s protesters and ruling generals yesterday inked a deal that aims to install a civilian administration, a key demand of demonstrators since pres-ident Omar Al Bashir was deposed in a coup three months ago.

The move loosens a deadlock that has gripped the country, following nationwide mass protests that began against Bashir in December but then continued after a military council ousted him on April 11.

The unrest has also left scores dead, with more than 100 killed in a June 3 crackdown on a protest sit-in according to doctors close to demonstrators.

The deputy chief of the mil-itary council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — who ini-tialled the deal on behalf of the generals on Wednesday — said the agreement was a “historic moment” for Sudan.

It has “opened a new and promising era of partnership between the armed forces, RSF (Rapid Support Forces) and leaders of the glorious Sudanese revolution,” Dagalo said in Khartoum after he had put pen to paper.

Ibrahim Al Amin, a key protest leader, confirmed “today, we completed the political declaration.” Intense talks took place through the night over details of the political declaration at a luxury hotel on the bank of the Nile river, an AFP correspondent reported.

As the generals stepped out of the hall after signing the deal, a small crowd — including women — chanted “civilian rule, civilian rule.” �P6

The Investment Promotion Agency will aim to be a single and complete source for investment solutions in the State of Qatar by attracting FDI in all of the country’s priority sectors.

02 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019HOME

HIGH TIDE 04:19 – 17:53 LOW TIDE 01:22 –11:29

Hot daytime with slight dust to blowing

dust at places at times.

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum35oC 43oC

FAJRSHOROOK

03. 27 AM

04. 54 AM

11. 40 AM

03.05 PM

06. 28 PM

07. 58 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS

QNA / DOHA

The Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, reviewed the activ-ities and events of the technical, scien-tific, cultural and sporting programmes offered by summer centres for school students.

This came during the Minister’s visit yesterday to the Barzan Youth Center in Umm Salal Ali, where he met with the centre’s officials and students who briefed him on the progress of summer centres and the extent to which students benefit

from the programmes offered to them.Activities in summer centres, which

are organised by the Ministries of Edu-cation, Higher Education, and Culture and

Sports, began on July 14 in 14 centres, split evenly for both boys and girls, as well as two centres for students with special needs, namely the Al Gharafa Club Center for boys and the Al Resala Independent Secondary School for Girls, in cooper-ation with the Mada Assistive Technology Centre of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The activities of summer centres are attended by Qataris, residents of public schools, and Qataris in private schools from ages 6-18, with the aim being to invest the students’ leisure time for their own benefit.

Education Minister reviews activities & events at summer centres for students

The Minister of Education and Higher Education, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, reviews the activities at Barzan Youth Center in Umm Salal Ali.

About 3% of emergency cases seen at HGH are due to fainting FAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Around three percent of all cases seen at the Emer-gency Department are due to fainting and in many cases the symptom is not a reason for concern, a consultant at Hamad General Hospital (HGH) has said.

“However, sometimes it can indicate a serious medical issue and doctors should treat every case of fainting as a medical emergency until they diagnose the cause,” said Dr. Amal El Hawari, Con-sultant, Internal Medicine Clinic at the HGH.

“Fainting is very common, it affects 40 percent of the general population and six in 1,000 people are likely to get one fainting episode in a year. A full recovery usually takes a few minutes. If there’s no underlying medical condition causing one to faint, a patient may not need any treatment,” she said speaking to media persons yesterday.

Fainting happens when a person loses con-sciousness for a short period of time because the brain is not getting enough oxygen. A fainting spell generally lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. Some people become aware that noises are fading away, or they describe the sensation as ‘blacking out.’

“But in those with a history of heart problems particularly an irregular heart rhythm, persons above the age of 40, individuals with no previous history of fainting or those who faint while exer-cising may have a more serious underlying medical condition. In those cases, a health care provider should assess it as soon as possible,” said Dr El Hawari.

She also underlined the importance of differ-entiating between fainting and seizure which can cause changes in your behavior, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness.

Possible triggers of fainting can be a number of factors, including emotional trauma, severe pain, a sudden drop or increase in blood pressure, low or high blood sugar, dehydration, standing in one position for too long, standing up too quickly and many more.

“Once someone faints, get the patient com-fortably lying flat. You can elevate the legs to help blood flow return to the brain. Treatment after that depends on the cause of fainting. If this is the first time this person has ever fainted or if you don’t know call the Ambulance Service,” said Dr El Hawari.

“More important than immediate treatment is to treat the cause of the fainting. Often, the only way to identify the cause is to look at the patient

‘s chronic medical problems, if any, and recent activities or illnesses. When someone gets fainted they get to the Emergency Department and is referred to the Internal Medicine Clinic if the person needs more medical interventions and investigation to find the exact cause. Depending on the diagnosis, we treat or send the patient to the HGH for more specialist care,” she added.

The Internal Medicine Clinic, a unique clinic located in Building 310 in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, is part of HGH and provides follow-up care to patients with chronic medical conditions.

Dr. Amal El Hawari, Consultant, Internal Medicine Clinic, at the Hamad General Hospital. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

Qatar closelyfollowing newsabout seized arsenal of weapons in ItalyQNA DOHA

The State of Qatar affirmed that it has been following media reports about the seized arsenal of weapons in the friendly Italian Republic very closely and with concern. The weapons were found with what has been described in the media as an “extreme right party”.

The reports have also men-tioned that a French Matra air-air missile that was owned at one point by the Qatari Armed Forces was amongst the captured weapons.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yes-terday that the authorities in Qatar have immediately started an investigation alongside the respective Italian authorities and the authorities of another friendly nation, that requested not to be named at this time, to which the Matra missile was sold 25 years ago.

The early stages of the investigation and the tracked serial numbers illustrate the facts that the captured Matra Super530 missile was sold by Qatar in the year 1994 in a deal that included 40 Matra Super 530 missiles to a friendly nation that wishes not to be named at this point of the investigation, the statement said.

The State of Qatar is working very closely now with the pertinent parties in the Republic of Italy and the country to which the missile was sold to unveil the facts, and it is very concerned as to how a missile sold 25 years ago ended up in the hands of a third non-state party, the Min-istry stressed in the statement.

“Fainting is very common, it affects 40 percent of the general population and six in 1,000 people are likely to get one fainting episode in a year. A full recovery usually takes a few minutes. If there’s no underlying medical condition causing one to faint, a patient may not need any treatment,” said Dr. Amal El Hawari, Consultant, Internal Medicine Clinic, at the HGH.

Qatar strongly condemns murder of Turkish diplomatFROM PAGE 1

According to the res-taurant owner, the attacker - in plainclothes and car-rying two guns - targeted the Turkish diplomats dining in

a restaurant in Erbil.Turkey’s Foreign Min-

istry called on Iraqi author-ities to “swiftly” find the per-petrators. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin vowed on Twitter: “the

necessary response will be given to those who com-mitted this treacherous attack”.

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack targeting a Turkish diplomat

in Erbil, adding that the Iraqi government is working in coordination with Turkish authorities to find the perpetrators.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The activities of summer centres are attended by Qataris, residents of public schools, and Qataris in private schools from ages 6-18, with the aim being to invest the students’ leisure time for their own benefit.

03THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 HOME

Qatari Amiri Air Force official meets Italian counterpart

The Deputy Commander of the Qatari Amiri Air Force, Brigadier General (Pilot) Hazza Nasser Al Shahwani, currently visiting Rome, has met with Deputy Commander of the Italian Air Force, General Giuretti, at the Air Force Headquarters. During the meeting, they reviewed military relations and ways of strengthening and developing them.

Deputy PM sends messages to ministers of Jordan, Morocco, Italy and Liberia

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, sent yesterday a written message to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ayman Al Safadi, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways of supporting and developing them. The message was delivered by Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of the State of Qatar to Jordan, Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Sada, during his meeting with Ayman Al Safadi in Amman. CENTRE: H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also sent a written message to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Morocco, Nasser Bourita, pertaining to bilateral ties and means to enhance them. The message was delivered by Acting Charge d’Affaires, Khaled Mohammed bin Al Zaben Al Dosari, during a meeting with the Minister in Rabat. RIGHT: H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a written message to Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, pertaining to the bilateral relations and ways to promote them. The message was handed over by Ambassador of Qatar to Italy, Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Malki Al Jehni, during his meeting with Secretary-General of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elisabetta Belloni. BELOW RIGHT: H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a written message to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways of promoting them. The message was handed over by Acting Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of Qatar in Liberia, Fahad Rashid Al Muraikhi, during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Henry Fahnbulleh.

Diverse artworks on show at ‘50X50’ expoRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

A triptych by Qatar-born Palestinian artist Hayyan Monawar and a monochrome series by interna-tionally acclaimed Iraqi-British artist Ala Bashir are some of the compelling pieces on show at the sixth edition of the highly successful 50X50 exhibition which opened on Tuesday at Al Markhiya Gallery at Katara Art Centre.

In his mixed media on canvas work titled “Le Portrait” Monawar allows his subject speak to the beholder through his powerful depiction of an image of a steely-eyed man’s withered face.

Monawar received acclaim for his “Wall” exhi-bition late last year in which he delved into the topic of human suffering based on his exploration of physical, psychological and moral barriers to a per-son’s ambition which he based on his research on the separation wall in Palestine.

Bashir, who had been known as the late Saddam Hussein’s personal physician, displays three mixed media paintings titled “Day and Night.” In January this year, Bashir showcased in the same gallery around 100 of his sketches spanning over 50 years of his artistic journey, some of which he created during Iraq’s turbulent times.

Like in its previous editions, 50X50 exhibition reflects the vibrant art scene in the country as evi-denced by the diversity of artworks produced by 14 Doha-based Arab artists.

From Sumam Azzam’s realist “Karak Cheers” painting series to Kholoud Al Ali’s vivid paintings “Isolation,” “Deeps” and “Emergence” to the enig-matic “This Too Shall Pass” series by Amany Mostafa, the wide ranging works showcased appeal to every contemporary art collector’s taste.

Other featured artists include Abdulaziz Yousef,

Ahmad Al Hamar, Aisha Al Sulaiti, Fatma Al Remaihi, Hazim Al Hussain, Khalifa Al Obaidly, Mohamed Junaid, Mubarak Al Thani, and Wessam Radwan.

The artists were given the freedom to choose the subject to tackle and the medium to use in cre-ating the pieces on show. Only one thing is common to all the artworks: they are 50cm by 50cm in size, which the gallery says is ideal for the artists to work on and affordable for art collectors to acquire.

The show’s launch was attended by prominent artists in Qatar, and Doha’s art connoisseurs and enthusiasts. The exhibition will remain open to the public at Katara Building 5 until September 6.

Palestinian artist Hayyan Monawar (right) speaking to visitors about his work on display at the opening of the sixth edition of “50X50” exhibition at Al Markhiya Gallery at Katara Art Centre. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

‘Summer in Qatar’ at HIA to entertain millions of travellersFROM PAGE 1

A variety of activities will be offered for children of all ages such as kids’ yoga, kite and paper plane making, as well as a giant painting wall for kids to showcase their creativity. Trav-ellers will also be able to enjoy up to 60 percent off their pur-chases when shopping from an extensive range of favourite brands and products available at Qatar Duty Free.

Rashed Al Qurese, Chief Mar-keting Officer, Qatar National Tourism Council, stated: “HIA is the first port of call for the majority of visitors, and is some-times their sole experience of Qatar. As such, it is an important partner in enhancing the visitor experience, and we are pleased to work together to promote

Qatar as a destination this summer and beyond. Home to a world class airline and award winning airport, there is much to experience in Qatar, and through this partnership we hope that more travellers will venture out and partake in all that Qatar has to offer.

Through partnerships with multi-party stakeholders, QNTC works to further develop and enhance the tourism sector in Qatar.” This initiative marks HIA’s commitment and contri-bution towards Qatar’s National Vision 2030 by promoting Qatar as a destination of choice and, encouraging tourism as a mean to celebrate Qatar’s heritage and culture to build bridges of under-standing in an increasingly con-nected world.

A vibrant moment during the cultural and fun-filled activities organised by Hamad International Airport under the Summer in Qatar programme, yesterday. PIC: ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA

770 tonnes of local agricultural products sold in June through two programmes QNA /DOHA

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment said yesterday that a total of approximately 770 tonnes of local agricultural products sold in June.

The selling was done through two main programmes, “Out-standing Product” and “Qatar

Farms”. The former programme sold 199 tonnes, while the latter sold 570.5 tonnes. The Ministry said the two programmes focused on improving the mar-keting of local produce by driving up demand and improving the income generated by the Qatari farmer.

The Ministry also said that

the programmes helped boost investment in the agricultural sector by providing a variety of produce in hypermarkets throughout the year.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment along with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry oversees programmes to market local produce.

04 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019HOME

Temporary closure on Gharrafat Al Rayyan Tunnel from tomorrow THE PENINSULA DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced a temporary closure on Gharrafat Al Rayyan Tunnel, starting from tomorrow ( Friday) until July 26, 2019 to enable the works of the final layer of asphalt on Khalifa

Avenue. During this traffic change which is in coordination with the General Directorate of Traffic, road users coming from Gharrafat Al Rayyan area and heading towards Doha will have to use the signalized Gharrafat Al Rayyan interchange instead of the closed tunnel, As shown on the attached map.

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi, at the 50th session of the Arab Information Ministers Council meeting in Cairo.

QRCS signs MoUs with African counterpartsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

A high-profile delegation from Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has visited Sierra Leone and Liberia to discuss mutual relations and enhance QRCS’s humanitarian diplomatic roles in Africa.

QRCS’s delegation comprised Ali bin Hassan Al Hammadi, Sec-retary-General, and Dr. Fawzi Oussedik, Head of International Relations.

Over a week, the delegation met with top government offi-cials in the two countries, visited the communities affected by mudslides, and held talks with top officials of their fellow National Societies.

Among the meetings held by the delegation were with the presidents, secretaries-general, senior managements, staffs, and

volunteers of Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and

Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS).

Most importantly, two mem-oranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed by QRCS and its host National Societies, as a framework of cooperation and stronger relations.

Under the agreements, the parties shall work together on the issues of common interest, principally the launch of water and sanitation, health and hygiene, food security and nutrition, and livelihood projects.

Other aspects of cooperation will involve improvement of community resilience in the face of natural disasters and climate change, disaster preparedness and response, provision of ambulance and emergency care, and other activities related to the mandates of QRCS. It was agreed to create joint committees to work towards the relevant goals in the respective capacities of each party.

An official of Qatar Red Crescent Society signing an agreement during a visit to Sierra Leone and Liberia to discuss mutual relations and enhance QRCS’s humanitarian diplomatic roles in Africa.

Apple AirPods with wireless charging case available at OoredooTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Ooredoo announced yesterday the second-generation AirPods with wireless charging case, recently released by Apple, are now available at its shops in Qatar.

The exciting AirPods include a host of new features and benefits including more talktime, voice-activated Siri

access, ultra-clear sound, auto-matic pause and charging on the go.

The AirPods offer multiple charges, more than 24 hours of listening time or up to 18 hours of talk time, up to 5 hours lis-tening time or 3 hours of talk time on a single charge and up to 3 hours of listening time or up to 2 hours of talk time with a quick charge of just 15 minutes.

Customers can set up the AirPods with a simple one-tap and enjoy voice-activated Siri access, rich, high-quality sound

and automatic switch-on with constant connection and auto-matic pause when the AirPods sense removal from the ear.

The AirPods are fully com-patible with iPhone, Apple Watch, MacBook and iMac.

Speaking of the new arrival, Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi – Director PR and Corporate Communications at Ooredoo – said: “It’s always exciting for us to offer our customers the very latest technology and newest products and we’re delighted to have the latest generation of Apple AirPods on the shelves in

our Ooredoo shops. We know our customers appreciate being able access such state-of-the art products as soon as they’re available in the market, and we’re sure they’ll be incredibly popular.”

The AirPods with wireless charging case are now available at all Ooredoo shops around town for just QR829. AirPods are also available with a non-wireless case for QR679.

QF, Qatar Museums host event on public art THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Foundation (QF) and Qatar Museums (QM) recently hosted an event titled ‘The Power of Public Art’ at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC), which was a collab-oration between QM’s Culture Pass initiative and QF’s Art Trail programme.

Featuring a comprehensive talk moderated by Fahad Ahmed Al Obaidly, Culture Pass, QM, and facilitated by Layla I Bacha, art spe-cialist, QF, and Abdulrahman Al Ishaq, Head of Public Art, QM, the event gave attendees the oppor-tunity to learn about the history of public art, and the value of art installations within the community. As part of the event, attendees also visited Louise Bourgeois’ Spider Sculpture ‘Maman’, and a piece of recently-loaned Berlin Wall.

A session during the event, titled ‘The Power of Public Art’, organised by Qatar Foundation and Qatar Museums at Qatar National Convention Center. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT / THE PENINSULA

Qatar elected as member in the Executive Office of Arab Information Ministers CouncilQNA CAIRO

The State of Qatar was elected as a member in the Executive Office of the Arab Information Ministers Council for two years, at the conclusion of the 50th session of the Arab Information Ministers Council on Wednesday.

Iraq was elected as President of the Executive Office.

In press remarks at the con-clusion of the meeting, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector at the Arab League, Ambassador Badr Eddin Alali, said that the Council adopted several resolutions on the items

listed on the agenda, adding that some of these items are durable and others are new, including resolutions related to the Pales-tinian issue and Jerusalem, sus-tainable development, coun-tering terrorist threats, and the role that the media must play in support of Arab issues.

The Council also adopted the Charter of Media Honor and the

inclusion of media education in the curriculum, he added.

The 50th session of the Arab Information Ministers Council kicked off in Cairo yesterday. The delegation of the State of Qatar was led by Qatar’s Per-manent Representative to the Arab League Ambassador, Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi.

The 50th session of the Arab Information Ministers Council began in Cairo yesterday. The delegation of the State of Qatar was led by Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al Sahlawi.

QF partner university helps shape future cultural workforceTHE PENINSULA DOHA

UCL Qatar has announced that its MA in Museums and Gallery Practice has become one of the first two programmes interna-tionally to receive the Char-tered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) accreditation, as the institute expands into the heritage sector.

The master’s degree, one of the two unique programmes offered at UCL Qatar, was rec-ognised for its ability to prepare students as they embark in their professional practices with solid founda-tions in the cultural heritage f ield. The designation acknowledges that the pro-gramme prepares students to meet the demands of the museums and gallery pro-fession internationally.

Dr Alexandra Bounia, Senior Lecturer and Pro-gramme Coordinator said, “The MA in Museum and Gallery Practice has been carefully designed to enable students to address the emerging needs of the cultural heritage sector in different parts of the world. UCL Qatar graduates have

proven themselves to be cata-lysts in developing the heritage management profession in the country, already making an impact across some of the country’s most iconic cultural institutions.”

Conducted by independent assessors, the accreditation is particularly significant for what made UCL Qatar’s pro-gramme stand out. UCL Qatar was particularly commended for the university’s practice of highlighting differing view-points and ways of looking at objects, services and problems, as well as the use of local examples of research, objects and service providers that were placed within an international context.

Sam Evans, Director of UCL Qatar said: “I have always been proud of our students and what they have accomplished within the framework of their pro-grammes. The international accreditation helps make our graduates highly competitive internationally and comes as a result of the tremendous work our staff and faculty have done for the development of the programme to the benefit of the cultural heritage sector in Qatar. It is truly an honour.”

05THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 HOME

Direct Qatar Airways flights to Gaborone, Botswana, from Oct 27

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Airways will launch its new service to Gaborone, Botswana, from October 27, 2019. The capital and largest city of Botswana will be the airline’s first destination in the African country.

The three-times weekly flights will be operated by an Airbus A350-900 aircraft, fea-turing 36 seats in Business Class and 247 seats in Economy Class.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are excited to be launching three-weekly flights to Gaborone, another highly sought after destination in Africa. Qatar Airways is committed to growing our presence in Africa and adding to the 22 destinations in 15 countries we already offer. Our new service to the enchanting city of Gaborone will enable us to provide a seamless journey to and from Botswana, for passengers connecting from

our extensive network of more than 160 destinations worldwide.”

Gaborone is the capital and the largest city in Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bounded by Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The nation’s vast nature and wildlife have made it a renowned destination for adven-turous tourists from across the globe. Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of more than 250 aircraft via its hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA) to more than 160 destina-tions worldwide. The airline has recently launched an array of exciting new destinations, namely Rabat, Morocco; Izmir, Turkey; Malta; Davao, Philip-pines; Lisbon, Portugal; and Mogadishu, Somalia. The airline will add Langkawi, Malaysia to its extensive route network in October 2019.

The raffle draw winner of Sparkling Summer campaign ‘Win up to 100 gram of Gold & up to 100% Cash Back’ by Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Khurram Kaleem, receiving the prize of 100gm gold from Raju T Johny, Deputy Branch Head, Malabar Gold & Diamonds in the presence of other officials from Malabar Gold & Diamonds. The jewellery retailer recently announced names of the winners of its summer campaign.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds raffle draw winner receives 100 gram gold

General Authority of Customs honours 21 inspectors for distinguished workTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The General Authority of Customs recognised yesterday 21 of its inspectors from different author-ities for their distinguished work.

The Chairman of the General Authority of Customs, Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal, honoured the inspectors and praised their con-tribution to maintaining security in the country by preventing the entrance of banned substances that harm people and society. He said that these achievements were a result of state support that

provides the best equipment and training to inspectors.

One of the biggest achieve-ments was in Hamad Port, where authorities seized over 10 tonnes of Paan and 460 kg of an illegal form of tobacco. In Hamad Inter-national Airport, authorities seized more than 31 tonnes of hash, and 1.171 Kg of heroin, among other illegal substances.

The authority stressed its commitment to developing the skills of its workers and inspectors, as part of developing a comprehensive system that pro-tects the state and society.

Qatar Airways will operate Airbus A350-900 aircraft three times a week to the new destination.

The Chairman of the General Authority of Customs, Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal, honoured the inspectors and praised their contribution.

06 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Turkish diplomat among two martyred in Erbil

AFP ERBIL, IRAQ

The Turkish vice-consul to Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region was among at least two people martyred yesterday in the regional capital Erbil, prompting pledges of “retaliation” from Ankara.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but Turkey is already waging a fierce offensive against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq.

Yesterday afternoon, at least one gunman fired on Turkish consulate workers in a res-taurant in Ainkawa, a northern Erbil neighbourhood that hosts numerous restaurants and the Turkish consulate.

“A shooting in front of a res-taurant in Erbil left a Turkish consulate employee and a civilian dead, and wounded a

third person,” said the Kurdish internal security forces, known as the Asayish.

The diplomat was identified by a local police source as the Turkish vice-consul. The source said the attacker fled the scene.

A spokesman for the Iraqi foreign ministry confirmed the incident and condemned the attack.

Turkey’s foreign ministry said an “employee” at its Erbil consulate was martyred in a shooting outside the consulate.

“We are continuing our efforts with the Iraqi government and local authorities to find the perpetrators of this attack as quickly as possible,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His spokesman Ibrahim Kalin vowed “the necessary response will be given to those who committed this treacherous attack”.

The Kurdistan Democratic

Party (KDP), which now leads the regional government, enjoys good political and trade relations with Turkey.

But one sticking point is the PKK, which operates rear bases

across Iraq’s mountainous north.The PKK is classified as a

“terrorist” group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union because of the three-decade insurgency it has waged

against the Turkish state. Turkey has been conducting

a ground offensive and bombing campaign since May in the mountainous northern region to root out PKK pockets.

Earlier this month, the PKK announced that one of those raids killed senior PKK leader Diyar Gharib Mohammed along with two other fighters.

A spokesman for the PKK’s armed branch denied the group was involved in yesterday’s shooting. According to Turkish state media, the attacker was dressed in plain clothes and carried two guns when he stormed the restaurant in Ainkawa, a bustling northern district of Erbil. Witnesses in the city said checkpoints had been quickly set up inside and around the neighbourhood.

The US embassy slammed the attack as “heinous” and offered its condolences to the Turkish mission, calling for “the defence and safety of foreign diplomats and diplomatic mis-sions in Iraq.”

Several rocket attacks have targeted diplomatic missions in Iraq in recent months, including near the US and UK embassies in Baghdad’s “Green Zone”.

The US in May ordered all non-essential personnel of its Baghdad embassy and Erbil con-sulate to leave the country.

And in June, protesters gathered outside the Bahraini embassy in Baghdad.

Security guards are seen after a Turkish consulate employee was martyred in armed attack on a restaurant in Erbil, Iraq, yesterday.

US travel curbs on Iranian diplomats ‘inhuman’: Zarif

Six soldiers dead in Syria explosionAFP BEIRUT

A blast killed six soldiers in southern Syria yesterday in a rare such deadly attack in the defeated cradle of the eight-year uprising, a war monitor said.

“The explosive device was aimed at a convoy transporting members of the Fourth Division” in the southern province of Daraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Fifteen others were also wounded in the attack near Yadud village, some seven kilo-metres outside the provincial capital of Daraa city, the Britain-based monitor said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, but loyalists in the province face explosions and gunfire on a near daily basis, although they are usually not deadly, it said.

“Previous rebel fighters who call themselves the Popular Resistance usually carry out these types of attacks against the regime,” Observatory chief Rami

Abdel Rahman said. State news agency Sana said “terrorists tar-geted a military vehicle on the Yaduda road”, reporting an undefined number of “dead and wounded”.

Russia-backed government forces last summer retook the province, following a deadly bombardment campaign and surrender deals that saw part of the population board buses to an opposition holdout region in the northwest.

Government institutions

have since returned, but army forces have not deployed in all of the province.

And local anger has grown after hundreds were detained despite the so-called “reconcil-iation deals”, and many others forcibly conscripted into Pres-ident Bashar Al Assad’s army.

In March, dozens of people took part in a hasty protest against a statue of the late father of the president being reinstated eight years after protesters demolished it.

Hamas praises Russian efforts on Palestine issueANATOLIA/MOSCOW

A senior member of the Palestine resistance movement Hamas yesterday praised Russian efforts in bringing a settlement between Palestine and Israel. Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzouk said at a news conference in Moscow that Russia was restoring the balance of power in the region. Abu Marzouk, however, condemned the policy of some Arab states, saying that they were acting against Palestinian interests.

“Russia creates a counterbalance to the US in the region, thus restore the balance. Also, Russia has good relations with the majority of the Palestinian opposition groups and can contribute to the inter-Palestinian reunification. Russia has an influence in Israel and this is important as well,” he said. Abu Marzouk, who held discussions with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, raised the issue of blockade of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli forces. During the talks, he said Russia reaffirmed position regarding the solution of the Palestinian-Israeli problem.

Referring to Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, Abu Marzouk said any aggression must be widely protested. “One has a bomb, another is unarmed. We must raise our voices against the strong, who use their force against the weak,” he said.

A motorbike burns after an airstrike in Idlib, Syria, yesterday.

Graft probe adjourns after complaint by Zuma’s lawyersREUTERS/JOHANNESBURG

A South African judge adjourned until Friday morning a public inquiry into state corruption, after lawyers for former President Jacob Zuma said he was being questioned unfairly.

The inquiry is looking into allegations that Zuma, ousted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in Feb-ruary 2018, allowed cronies to plunder state resources and influence senior appointments during his nine years in power.

Zuma’s lawyers have argued that the inquiry’s lawyers should not cross-examine the former president because they say evidence given by other witnesses does not directly implicate Zuma in corruption and fraud.

Zuma, 77, has long denied any wrongdoing.

Deputy Head of Sudanese Transitional Military Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (right), and opposition alliance coalition’s leader, Ahmad Al Rabiah, shaking hands after signing a political accord as part of a power-sharing deal, in Khartoum yesterday.

Power-sharing deal signed in SudanAP CAIRO

Sudan’s pro-democracy movement and the ruling military council signed a document early yesterday that outlines a power-sharing deal, but the two sides are still at work on a more contentious constitutional agreement that would specify the division of powers.

The signing ceremony held in the capital, Khartoum, after marathon overnight talks, marks an important step in the transition to civilian rule following the military overthrow of long-ruling autocrat Omar Hassan Al Bashir amid mass protests in April. But the military appears to have the upper hand, following weeks of negotiations and a deadly crackdown last month in which security forces violently dispersed the protesters’ main sit-in.

The document signed yesterday would establish a joint civilian-military sovereign council that would rule Sudan for a little over three years while elections are organised. A military leader will head the 11-member council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for the next 18. It marks a significant concession by the protesters, who had demanded an immediate transition to civilian rule. The pro-democracy movement would appoint a Cabinet, and the two sides would agree on a legislative body within three months of the start of the transition.

But negotiators have yet to agree on a division of powers between the sovereign council, the Cabinet and the legislative body, which would be enshrined in the constitu-tional document. That document, which they hope to adopt in talks scheduled for Friday, would also set the terms of military leaders’ potential immunity from prosecution.

“This is the big hurdle. Sudan’s future

after Al Bashir will be defined by this con-stitutional declaration,” said Rasha Awad, editor of the online Sudanese newspaper Alt-aghyeer. The military has said the sovereign council should be able to veto appointments to the Cabinet and Cabinet decisions, some-thing the protesters fear would deprive it of any real power. The protesters have also said that members of the council should be stripped of immunity if they are implicated in last month’s crackdown.

The Communist Party said it and some other factions rejected the deal signed Wednesday because it did include the imme-diate handover of power to civilians and did not provide for an international investigation of the violence. Protest organisers say security forces killed at least 128 people

during last month’s crackdown. Authorities put the death toll at 61, including three members of the security forces. The two sides have agreed on a Sudanese investigation into the violence, but have yet to outline its scope.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Khartoum to celebrate the deal yesterday. “The Sudanese people are happy today. I hope that the FDFC would continue to bring back rights of our martyred brothers who died in the pro-tests,” said Sadia Idris, a Khartoum resident. Some had misgivings about the deal, however, and many criticised it for not immediately handing power over to civilians. “We consider it still incomplete because it doesn’t include the rights of martyrs and Sudanese people who died in the sit-in,” said Mohamed Omar, another Khartoum resident.

REUTERS UNITED NATIONS

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said yesterday that tight US travel restrictions on Iranian diplomats and their families living in New York are “basically inhuman.”

The diplomats are subject to the same rules imposed by the United States on Zarif, who arrived on Sunday amid heightened tensions between the two countries.

They may only travel between the United Nations, the Iranian UN mission, the Iranian UN ambassador’s residence and John F Kennedy airport. There is also a carve-out for the six blocks surrounding Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City in the borough of Queens, though it was not immediately clear why.

“It is certainly not a friendly action. It puts the members of the mission and their families under basically inhuman con-ditions. But for me it’s fine because I don’t have any work anywhere other than the three buildings,” Zarif told reporters at the United Nations.

Before the new rules, Iranian diplomats— like envoys of North Korea, Syria and Cuba — were already confined to a radius of 40km from Columbus Circle in Midtown Manhattan. According to the UN Blue Book, which lists diplomats of each mission to the world body, there are 13 Iranian diplomats in New York.

The United Nations said on Monday it had told the United States it was concerned by the new tight travel restrictions. A

US State Department official said the United States had acted “in a manner that is fully consistent” with its obligations under a 1947 agreement with the United Nations.

Longtime US-Iran strains have worsened since US Pres-ident Donald Trump last year quit a 2015 international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Trump has imposed more sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran has cut some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

“The United States is engaged in economic war against Iran,” Zarif told reporters, shortly before he addressed a UN meeting on global goals to tackle issues including conflict, hunger, equality and climate change by 2030. “It targets ordinary civilians, it amounts to terrorism.”

When asked what steps need to be taken to de-escalate ten-sions between Washington and Tehran, Zarif said: “That has to stop. Once it stops, then other things can follow.”

Zarif said that he has had “no contact with anybody in the American government” while in New York. He also questioned efforts by France, Britain and Germany — parties to the 2015 nuclear pact — to try to salvage the deal. “Unfortunately they’re not prepared to pay anything. They’re not prepared to invest for their security and at the end of the day they’re allowing the United States to set the agenda,” Zarif said.

“I don’t know whether that’s in the interests of the Euro-peans,” he added.

At least one gunman fired on Turkish consulate workers in a restaurant in Ainkawa, a northern Erbil neighbourhood, that hosts numerous restaurants and the Turkish consulate. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but Turkey is already waging a fierce offensive against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq.

07THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 ASIA

Truth, justice have prevailed,says PM ModiIANS NEW DELHI

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday welcomed the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) verdict to put on hold the death sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav in an alleged espionage case, saying “truth and justice” have prevailed.

“We welcome today’s verdict in the ICJ. Truth and justice have prevailed. Congrat-ulations to the ICJ for a verdict based on extensive study of facts. I am sure Kulbhushan Jadhav will get justice. Our gov-ernment will always work for the safety and welfare of every Indian,” Modi tweeted.

India said it expects Pakistan to implement the ICJ direction to allow consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav and said that it will work vig-orously for his early release and return to India.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also appreciated the top UN court’s direction to Pakistan to review and reconsider Jad-hav’s death sentence.

“The landmark judgement validates India’s position in this matter,” Kumar said.

Rebel MLAs can’t be forced to attend session, SC rulesIANS NEW DELHI

On the eve of trust vote in Karnataka Assembly, the Supreme Court yesterday ruled that 15 Congress MLAs, who have tendered their resignations, cannot be compelled to partic-ipate in the proceedings of the House.

The top court also said the Speaker is free to decide on the

resignation of the MLAs as per the Constitution.

According to the order, MLAs are free to skip the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly slated for today. “We also make it clear that until further orders the 15 Members of the Assembly, ought not to be compelled to partic-ipate in the proceedings of the ongoing session of the House and an option should be given to them that they can take part in

the said proceedings or to opt to remain out of the same,” said the bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, in its order.

The court was hearing peti-tions filed by 15 rebel MLAs, seeking directions to the Assembly Speaker to accept their resignations.

“The Speaker should decide freely, as the court will not come in the way of this process....,” said the court, citing the trust-vote.

It said that the order of the Speaker on the resignation issue, as and when passed, be placed before the court.

“The imperative necessity, at this stage, is to maintain the con-stitutional balance and the con-flicting and competing rights that have been canvassed before us. Such an interim exercise has become prudent in view of certain time frame exercise(s) that is in the offing in the

Karnataka Legislative Assembly, particularly, the no-trust motion against the present government, which we are told is due for being taken up on July 18 2019,” the court said.

The court also said the Speaker should be allowed to decide on the request for resig-nations by the 15 Members of the House within such time frame as the speaker may consider appropriate.

UA to resume India flightsfrom September 6REUTERS BENGALURU

United Airlines Holdings Inc said yesterday it would restart daily nonstop service between New York/Newark, New Delhi and Mumbai from September 6, after Pakistan lifted airspace restrictions a day earlier.

The company will also start

a new daily service between San Francisco and New Delhi beginning December 5, a spokesman said.

Pakistan reopened its air-space to international civil avi-ation on Tuesday after months of restrictions imposed because of clashes with India, which forced long detours that cost airlines millions of dollars.

Kashmiri ‘Anganwadi’, a government-sponsored child and mother care programme, workers participate in an anti-government protest, demanding better pay and job security, in Srinagar, India, yesterday.

Mumbai: Search called off in building collapse, at least 14 deadAFP MUMBAI

Rescuers yesterday called off the search for survivors after a building collapsed during heavy monsoon rains in Mumbai, killing 14 people.

Heavy monsoon rains on Tuesday trapped more than 40 people after the building crumbled in southern Mumbai’s congested Dongri area, with rescuers and volunteers strug-gling to conduct their search among the narrow lanes.

Disaster management spokesman Tanaji Kamble said 14 people, including four women and three children, lost their lives in the collapse.

National Disaster Response Force said a woman was pulled alive from the rubble earlier yesterday, although her young children died. The tragedy is the second collapse to hit Mumbai in two weeks and the third in Maharashtra state.

10 dead, many hurt in UP land dispute clashesIANS SONBHADRA, UTTAR PRADESH

Ten persons were killed and over 24 injured in clashes over a land dispute in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district, officials said.

The incident took place yes-terday afternoon in Murtiya

village in Ghorawal when a dispute arose over a land between the Gujjar and Gond communities.

The dispute soon took a violent turn and both the groups opened fire and attacked each other with sickles.

The bloody war continued

for more than an hour, leaving 10 persons dead including three women and seven men while over 24 were injured. Six are in critical condition.

The dispute was over a piece of land that was being tilled by one group and the other group objected to it.

Protest for better pay

In win for India, ICJ orders stay on Jadhav’s executionIANS THE HAGUE

In a huge victory for India and reprieve for Kulbhushan Jadhav, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) yesterday ordered Pakistan not to execute him and directed “effective review and reconsid-eration” of his conviction and the sentence awarded to him by a military court.

The world court directed Pakistan to grant consular access to Jadhav “without further delay”, while holding that it had “breached” the Vienna Con-vention in this regard by denying him this right.

Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was allegedly kidnapped by Pakistani agencies on March 3, 2016, from Iran where he was in connection with his business.

Pakistan had labelled him as a spy, claiming that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan. It notified India about it through a press release on March 25, 2016, 22 days after he was picked up.

Jadhav, who hails from Powai in Mumbai and is 49 years old now, was subjected to an opaque military trial, which

sentenced him to death on April 10, 2017, even as Pakistan gov-ernment kept rejecting India’s repeated pleas for consular access.

The court, in its ruling by 15-1, ordered “a continued stay of execution” on Jadhav, saying it “constitutes an indispensable condition for the effective review and reconsideration of the con-viction and sentence” of the accused.

It said it “finds that the appropriate reparation in this case consists in the obligation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to provide, by the means of its own choosing, effective review and reconsideration of the con-viction and sentence of Mr. Kul-bhushan Sudhir Jadhav, so as to ensure that full weight is given to the effect of the violation of the rights set forth” in the Vienna

Convention on consular access.Earlier on May 18 this year,

the world court had ordered a stay on Jadhav’s execution till the final verdict was delivered in the case. In its verdict yesterday, the ICJ said Pakistan shall take all measures to provide for effective review and reconsideration, including, if necessary, by e n a c t i n g a p p r o p r i a t e legislation.

“The court notes that the obligation to provide effective review and reconsideration can

be carried out in various ways. The choice of means is left to Pakistan,” it added.

Upholding Jadhav’s rights, the court said “any potential prejudice and the implications for the evidence and the right of defence of the accused should receive close scrutiny during the review and reconsideration.” The ICJ order said, “The court con-siders that the violation of the rights set forth in Article 36, par-agraph 1, of the Vienna Con-vention, and its implications for

the principles of a fair trial, should be fully examined and properly addressed during the review and reconsideration process.” The court said it has found that Pakistan deprived India of the “right to commu-nicate with and have access” to Jadhav to “visit him in detention and to arrange for his legal rep-resentation, and thereby breached the obligations incumbent upon it under the Vienna Convention on consular relations”.

Judges are seen at the International Court of Justice before the issue of a verdict in the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, in The Hague, Netherlands, yesterday.

The world court also directed Islamabad to grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, and ordered ‘effective review’ of his case.

Ten inhabited and under-construction buildings, contain-ing dozens of apartments, are marked for destruction, after falling foul of a 2011 Israeli military order prohibiting construction within a 100-300-metre buffer zone of the separation wall.

KAREN TUMULTY THE WASHINGTON POST

08 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019VIEWS

Can Israel’s courts deliver justice for Palestinians?

The demolition of Palestinian-owned buildings by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is a

routine occurrence.But in Sur Baher, a neighbourhood

southeast of Jerusalem, an unprece-dented mass demolition is looming - with the approval of Israel’s top court.

Ten inhabited and under-con-struction buildings, containing dozens of apartments, are marked for destruction, after falling foul of a 2011 Israeli military order prohibiting construction within a 100-300-metre buffer zone of the sepa-ration wall.

While most of Sur Baher lies within Israel’s unilaterally—annexed East Jeru-salem municipal boundary, part of the community’s land lies in the West Bank — land that has nevertheless ended up on the “Israeli” side of the interna-tionally-condemned wall that has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice.

Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court gave the green light for the demolition in Sur Baher — even though the buildings in question were built on land desig-nated under the civilian control of the Palestinian Authority (PA), from whom construction permits were duly obtained. Israeli authorities have set a

deadline for today. The Supreme Court’s decision sits awkwardly with its international reputation as a defender of human rights. Indeed, the court has long been an anathema for some on the Israeli right, who have com-plained of an alleged liberal bias and judicial interference with legislation.

But Hagai El-Ad, executive director of human-rights NGO B’Tselem,

told that in order “to form a meaningful view regarding the Supreme Court, one needs to examine its record.

“And that record speaks volumes, demonstrating unequivocally how the court routinely rejects petitions filed by

Palestinians - while providing a stamp of legal approval to systematic human-rights violations, including forcible transfer, collective punishment, blanket impunity to Israeli security forces and torture”, he added.

Sawsan Zaher, deputy director of Haifa-based legal rights centre Adalah, agreed. “If you are looking at the Supreme Court vis-a-vis the occupied Palestinian territory, in the vast majority of cases the court has dismissed peti-tions challenging violations of interna-tional humanitarian law, regardless of whether the justices were conservative or more ‘liberal’”, she told.

According to Zaher, the court’s approach to petitions brought by Pales-tinian citizens differs. “Some are accepted — typically those related to classic dis-crimination cases, such as regarding budget allocations”, Zaher said. But Zaher added that the court uses “all kinds of excuses and interpretations to justify dis-missal” when it comes to “cases that are at the core of the national conflict between the state and Palestinian citizens as a minority” and Israel’s “existence as a ‘Jewish state’”, including in issues related to “land and demography”.

But it is the court’s intervention - or lack of it — in Israel’s discriminatory planning system and associated demo-lition of Palestinian homes which has perhaps been most under the spotlight of late, including in high-profile cases of pending forced displacement like in the example of Khan al-Ahmar village.

In April, the justices denied a petition on the demolition of Palestinian homes built without a permit, clarifying that they would not discuss the planning regime in which such demolitions occurred - only whether or not the structures had been built “legally”.

B’Tselem, in a report this year on the Supreme Court’s “responsibility” for the “dispossession of Palestinians”, stated that to the best of its knowledge, “there has not been a single case in which the justices granted a petition Palestinians filed against the demolition of their home”.

For Dalia Qumsieh, a senior legal adviser at Palestinian rights NGO

Al-Haq, the Sur Baher case “demon-strates a pattern of the [Supreme] Court refraining from deviating from the plans of the government, and even granting all its demands,

“In general, the court does not question the legality of the policies or measures themselves,” she told. “Rather, it engages in technical, legal details per-taining to the implementation of such policies. “The maximum success that you can achieve by litigation in the Israeli system as a Palestinian cannot exceed minor protections, nowadays even more difficult to attain,” she added.

Others said that even those “minor protections” are under threat. “The composition of the Supreme Court has changed”, Zaher said, pointing to the 2017 judicial appointments made by the-then Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked.

“Today, the conservative critique of the court has changed; instead of accu-sations of a ‘liberal’ approach to Arab minority petitions, the right is critiquing the court’s ability to even discuss the constitutionality of legislation”, Zaher added, describing the court’s trajectory as not good.

According to Qumsieh, while the court “was never a true venue where justice can be delivered for Pales-tinians”, recent years have seen “grave developments pertaining to the work of the court”, and in particular, a “strength-ening partnership” between it and the Israeli government. “This partnership has evolved from pressuring Palestinian petitioners to accept the Israeli army’s plans, to actually dictating to the gov-ernment what it needs to do to legalise illegal policies,” she added.

For some, such as B’Tselem’s El-Ad, the reality of the court’s jurisprudence means “the question is: to what realistic end does one litigate before it?”

For lawyers and human-rights groups — Palestinian and Israeli — the merit of engaging with the Supreme Court remains an open question.

“The court has never sincerely chal-lenged any of the core policies that keep the occupation standing”, Qumsieh said, “to the extent where it became one pillar of the occupation itself”.

BEN WHITE AL JAZEERA

QUOTE OF THE DAYHungarian authorities should move families

with children who are awaiting a ruling on

their asylum applications from being detained in border transit zones to

being placed in open reception centres.

Felipe Gonzalez Morales UN Special Rapporteur

on Migrant Rights

Latino voters aren’t limited to one issue

As the nation’s oldest Latino civil rights organization gathered for its annual con-

vention, anxiety over immi-gration issues could hardly have been higher.

The horror of babies con-fined in squalid, overcrowded detention centers along the southern border continued. President Donald Trump had gone to the brink of ordering that a citizenship question be added to the 2020 Census, before backing down. And undocumented families across the country were bracing for Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, in which thousands could be rounded up and deported.

On Friday, League of United Latin American Cit-izens (LULAC) members added another event to their con-vention agenda: A march to the local office of Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, who had declined their request to meet while they were in town.

The protesters delivered dolls in cages to Johnson, the

chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Com-mittee, whose panel has over-sight responsibility for the agencies that are carrying out the border detention program.

But when four Democratic presidential contenders appeared at a LULAC forum the night before, the majority of questions they were asked had nothing to do with any of this. The topics were culled from submissions by 3,300 LULAC members and reflected the full spectrum of the con-cerns that shape their daily lives.

Former housing and urban development secretary Julián Castro was quizzed about the high cost of college tuition. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Mas-sachusetts promised that if she were elected, mental illness would get the same coverage as other medical problems. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was challenged to explain how he would persuade a broad swath of the electorate to support his proposal to eliminate private health insurance. And Beto O’Rourke was asked to explain how he would reinvigorate the middle class.

None of this was a surprise to O’Rourke, who is a former congressman from El Paso, a city that is nearly 80 percent Hispanic. “Immigration is obviously not the only issue, nor should it be the defining issue,” he said after the session. “I’ve learned that every single issue is important to the Latino community.”

More unexpected was an undercurrent of unease here that the Democratic Party, in its revulsion over Trump’s harsh policies and obnoxious rhetoric, is positioning itself too far to the left on immigration.

While the Democrats hold an enormous electoral advantage with Hispanic voters, their turnout has tradi-tionally lagged that of other ethnic groups. But last Novem-ber’s midterms saw a 50 percent increase in Latino par-ticipation compared with the midterm elections four years earlier.

Despite expectations that Latinos will be a crucial con-stituency in 2020, LULAC President Domingo Garcia told me that he thinks Democratic candidates made a mistake at a recent presidential debate.

All 10 candidates who were onstage for the second night of debate raised their hands to show they would support pro-viding government health cov-erage to people who are in the country illegally. Most of the others who are running have also said they would support that idea. Given the fact that many US citizens — a dispro-portionate number of them Hispanic — still lack coverage, “that was not a good general-election position to begin with, and it does not win them many votes in the Latino com-munity,” Garcia said.

It also represents a sharp shift from a decade ago. When President Barack Obama pledged during a 2009 speech to Congress that his health program would not cover undocumented immigrants, a Republican congressman from South Carolina shouted: “You lie!” Now, Garcia said, he worries that both parties are “pandering to their extremes.”

Nor is he the only Latino leader concerned that Demo-crats could be creating political problems for them-selves as they move into new territory on immigration.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI

osman@pen.com.qa

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Reliable energy provider

Qatar has further strengthened and deepened rela-tions with Japan in the field of energy after Qatargas, in an historic milestone, successfully delivered the 3,000th liquefied natural gas cargo

to Japan since the first ever Qatari shipment was delivered to Kawagoe LNG Receiving Terminal on January, 10 1997.

Minister of State for Energy Affairs, and President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, and Chairman of Qatargas Board of Directors, H E Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, said: “We are delighted to celebrate the 3,000th LNG delivery to Japan. This significant milestone comes over two decades fol-lowing the first delivery to our foundation customer in Japan. Qatar, as the largest LNG producer in the world, is committed to delivering LNG safely and reliably to our customers across the globe. Qatargas’ commitment to serving Japan’s energy needs has never been stronger. We are focused on boosting future cooperation with Japan, and building even stronger relations with our Japanese customers and friends.”

Qatargas Chief Executive Officer, Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani said: “This delivery demonstrates Qatargas’ com-

mitment to continue providing Japan, and all of our cus-tomers around the globe, with a safe and reliable source of clean energy.”

Qatargas is a unique global energy operator in terms of size, service and reliability. Operating 14 LNG trains with a total annual production capacity of 77 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), and with work under way to increase annual production to 110 MTPA, the company is the largest LNG producer in the world.

During a visit to Japan in October last year, H E Al Kaabi highlighted Qatar’s com-

mitment to its Japanese partners in ensuring a reliable and safe supply of their energy needs, particularly LNG. H E Al Kaabi said: “Our special relationship with Japan runs deep in every aspect of our business and our coop-eration. We are pleased and honoured to hear that the satisfaction of our Japanese partners has always been driven by our reliability and our commitment.”

H E Al Kaabi stressed the importance that Qatar attaches to its reputation as a safe, trustworthy, and reliable energy provider. “For more than two decades, we have lived up to our expectation and reputation as a reliable and trustworthy provider. We have met all our commitments and obligations, and delivered every single shipment to every single client around the globe – safely and on time.”

Qatargas has term contracts to supply LNG with many of the key Japanese buyers including JERA, Tohoku Electric, Kansai Electric, Chugoku Electric, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Toho Gas and Shizuoka Gas. Apart from these term con-tracts, Qatargas also delivers a significant amount of Japan’s spot LNG requirements.

Since the first production in 1996, Qatargas has suc-cessfully delivered cargos to 31 countries and is committed to meeting the world’s demand for safe, reliable and clean energy.

Qatar, as the largest LNG producer in the world, is committed to delivering LNG safely and reliably to our customers across the globe, said H E Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi.

09THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 ASIA

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed arrested in Pakistan

Senate starts process for no-trust voteINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The process of a no-trust motion, which may lead to removal of Pakistan Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani from his post, commenced with the Senate Secretariat circulating a notice about the motion among the members of the house.

Sanjrani, who will not be able to chair the coming session, approved circulation of the notice a week after the no-trust motion and a requisition for summoning the session were submitted by the opposition.

Sources said that the session would be convened next week, with the no-trust motions against Sanjrani and Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwala on the agenda. Senators from the opposition had submitted the no-trust motion against San-jrani to the Senate Secretariat on July 9.The ruling coalition hit back with a similar motion against the deputy chairman on July 12. The opposition has nom-inated National Party chief Mir Hasil Bizenjo as its joint can-didate for the post of chairman.

The situation is interesting as the opposition with a clear majority is confident that it would remove Sanjrani.

On the other hand, the ruling PTI is expressing optimism about defeating the motion against Sanjrani with the help of its coalition partners and independents and some members of the opposition unhappy with the move.

The first clause of Rule 12 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate says not less than one-fourth of the total membership of the house may give to the sec-retary a notice of a motion seeking permission to move a resolution for removal from office of the chairman or the deputy chairman and the sec-retary shall forthwith circulate the notice among the members.

According to clause 2, after the notice has been received, the Senate will not be adjourned to a date later than seven clear days excluding closed holidays.

People look at flood waters in Kurigram district, in the northern part of Bangladesh. Millions of people have been affected due to floods and at least 180 died across South Asia.

Sri Lanka orders arrest of top police officerAFP COLOMBO

Sri Lanka’s chief prosecutor yesterday ordered the arrest of a top officer at the police watchdog over his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar gun-running racket.

Saman Dissanayake, the secretary and third in command of the National Police Com-mission, was ordered to appear in court by Friday over the transfer of state weapons to a private company.

At the time of the offence he was a top official in the Defence Ministry under Sri Lanka’s then-president Mahinda Rajapakse.

Dissanayake had exhausted his attempts at securing antici-patory bail and could now be

arrested, state attorney Nishara Jayaratne said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear if Dissanayake was in the country, with social media spec-ulation that he may have trav-elled abroad last week.

In a separate case, Rajapakse’s younger brother also faces allegations of gun-running.

Gotabhaya Rajapakse is accused of defrauding the gov-ernment of millions of dollars while he was the top defence bureaucrat by transferring the navy’s responsibilities for pro-viding armed protection to international shipping to a private firm.

He is also facing several other criminal charges but is currently on bail.

Myanmar says military ‘dignity’ harmed by US ban on army chiefAFP YANGON

A US travel ban on Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing over his role in orchestrating a bloody crackdown against Rohingya Muslims harms the dignity of the military, a spokesman said yesterday, adding critics failed to properly understand the crisis.

The sanctions against the army chief and three other top military brass was the strongest censure from a western power since the army launched its offensive against the Rohingya in August 2017 following attacks on police posts.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the

senior military figures were responsible for human rights violations including extrajudicial killings during the “ethnic cleansing” of the stateless minority when more than 740,000 were driven into Bang-ladesh. But military spokesman and Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun said the campaign was in self-defence, and they had carried out their own investiga-tions. “Our actions should be respected,” he said, adding that the sanctions “harmed the dignity of the military”.

He said the US misunder-stood the history of the fighting in Rakhine state where the Rohingya crackdown occurred.

“The military carried out our

duty to protect the lives of ethnic minorities and to protect the region.” Myanmar does not rec-ognise the Rohingya as one of its many official ethnicities, insisting they are interlopers from Bangladesh. The US, Canada and the European Union have passed sanctions against members of the powerful mil-itary before, but stopped short of reaching the very top of lead-ership. But rights groups and UN investigators have called for stronger action against Min Aung Hlaing — including international prosecution for genocide.

Pompeo said the US remains concerned the Burmese gov-ernment had taken no action against rights violators.

20 Afghan commandos dead in Taliban ambush: OfficialsAFP HERAT, AFGHANISTAN

At least 20 Afghan commandos were killed in a Taliban ambush in western Afghanistan, officials said yesterday, marking yet another loss for the elite troops amid a push to end the war.

Provincial governor Abdul Ghafoor Malikzai said the special forces soldiers were ambushed on Monday after flying into Abkamari district in Badghis province, a known Taliban hot spot.

“The commando forces descended... without coordi-nation with other security forces,” Malikzai said.

“They were surrounded by Taliban fighters and fought for

hours. Unfortunately, 21 of them were killed. Some were cap-tured,” he added.

The Afghan Defence Ministry had no immediate comment.

Abdul Aziz Bek, the head of the Badghis provincial council, put the toll at 29 killed, saying some of the Afghan soldiers had been slain after they’d been captured.

“Some 40 commando sol-diers were brought in by four helicopters from neighbouring Ghor province for an operation, but they got ambushed as soon as they descended. Only 11 of them were rescued later,” Bek told said.

The Taliban claimed respon-sibility, saying over 30 soldiers had been killed.

Man arrested over judge video scandalINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency yesterday arrested suspect Mian Tariq who allegedly made an incrimi-nating private video of contro-versial Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik.

According to FIA sources, Tariq was caught by the author-ity’s cybercrime wing who also said the video was traced from Tariq’s house and forensics of the controversial video had already been carried out.

The suspect was trying to flee to Dubai but the FIA caught him, sources said.

On July 12, judge Arshad Malik was relieved from his duties by the federal gov-ernment for his alleged involvement in the contro-versial video scandal that appeared to show him con-fessing that he had sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a criminal case under pressure from state quarters.

The video clip, released by the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N, purportedly shows the judge allegedly admitting to a lack of evidence against the former prime minister, who was sentenced to seven years in prison by the same judge in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills ref-erence in December.

Party Vice-President Maryam Nawaz alleged that the video showed the judge saying he was “blackmailed” and coerced into sending her father to prison despite there being no proof of corruption against him.

Malik alleges he was offered bribe by Nawaz Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz.

AP MULTAN, PAKISTAN

Pakistani authorities yesterday arrested a US-wanted terror suspect implicated in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, officials said, just days ahead of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s trip to Washington.

Hafiz Saeed was taken into custody in Punjab province while travelling from the eastern city of Lahore to the city of Gujranwala, according to coun-terterrorism official Mohammad Shafiq.

Saeed founded the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which was blamed for the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. His charity organisations, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foun-dation, are alleged fronts for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The United States has offered a $10m reward for Saeed’s arrest and Washington recently stepped up pressure on Islamabad to crack down on terror groups.

In response, Pakistan regis-tered over a dozen cases against Saeed and several of his asso-ciates, accusing them of funding militant groups through

charities, which led to his arrest yesterday. “After a ten year search, the so-called “mas-termind” of the Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan,” President Donald Trump tweeted yesterday. “Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to find him!” Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for Washington over the weekend on his first official visit to the United States as premier.

After his arrest, Saeed was taken before a judge and was ordered held in jail until the next hearing on Tuesday, Shafiq said. Saeed was en route to Gujranwala to post bail in the terror financing case but was detained before he could do so.

Saeed’s spokesman Nadim Awan denounced the arrest and said he had dissociated himself from Lashker-e-Taiba in 2001 and has had no links with the organisation since then. Lashker-e-Taiba was banned in 2002.

Awan said they would chal-lenge Saeed’s arrest before a higher court.

Until the terror financing case, Saeed had for months lived freely in Pakistan, often addressing anti-India rallies.

Saeed’s two charities were banned in February last year, and the government froze their assets in compliance with a UN request.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court last September allowed them to resume operations only to be banned again earlier this year under a government action plan

against terrorism and extremism.Previously, Saeed had been

detained several times, along with some of his close aides, but had not been charged or put on trial.

He was taken into custody in January last year and kept under house arrest for 11 months until a court order ended his detention

in November. He was also detained in 2001 and 2008, when he was kept confined to a government-run house and at his home.

In recent months, the gov-ernment also took over schools, mosques, seminaries and all properties linked to Saeed’s charities and froze their assets.

A file photo shows Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed (left) arriving at a mosque, in Lahore.

ICJ rejects India’s plea for annulment of alleged spy’s sentenceANATOLIA KARACHI

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) yesterday ruled that alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row, be treated under the Vienna convention asking Pakistan to provide him consular access, and continue to stay his execution.

In its 15-1 verdict delivered by the ICJ bench led by President Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, the court, however, rejected India’s demands for acquittal, release and repatriation of Jadhav apart from annulment of military court

conviction.Only one member of the

bench — Justice Tassaduq Hussein Jilani from Pakistan — differed with his 14 fellow judges.

“To India’s submission that the Court declare that the sen-tence handed down by Pakistan’s military court is violative of international law and the provi-sions of the Vienna Convention, the Court recalls that its juris-diction has its basis in Article I of the Optional Protocol. This juris-diction is limited to the interpre-tation or application of the Vienna Convention and does not extend to India’s claims based on

any other rules of international law”, the court ruling said.

“Thus, the court finds that these submissions made by India cannot be upheld,” it added.

The court, however, ordered that Jadhav’s execution be stayed until Islamabad “effectively reviews and reconsiders the con-viction/sentence in light of Paki-stan’s breach of Article 36 (1) [of Vienna Convention]” i.e. denial

of consular access and notification.

“The court considers it imperative to re-emphasize that the review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav must be effective”, the judgment read.

Pakistan declared the ICJ’s Jadhav verdict its “victory”.

“Commander Jadhav shall remain in Pakistan. He shall be

treated in accordance with the laws of Pakistan. This is a victory for Pakistan,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a Twitter message.

“Pakistan, as a responsible member of the international community, upheld its com-mitment from the very beginning of the case by appearing before the honourable court for the pro-visional measures hearing despite a very short notice,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a statement.

“Pakistan will now proceed as per law”, he said without

going into further details. “It is reiterated that Indian

Naval Commander Kulb-hushan Jadhav entered Pakistan without a visa on authentic Indian passport with a fake alias Hussain Mubarak Patel,” the statement said, adding, “Commander Kulb-hushan Jadhav is responsible for acts of sabotage, espionage and multiple terrorist inci-dents in which scores of innocent Pakistani citizens were killed resulting into umpteen women being widowed and numerous children becoming orphans.”

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said: “Commander Jadhav shall remain in Pakistan. He shall be treated in accordance with the laws of Pakistan. This is a victory for Pakistan.”

Bangladesh floods

10 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019ASIA / EUROPE

A group of elderly people march to the government headquarters in Hong Kong, yesterday, in the latest protest against a controversial extradition bill.

Relatives of passengers who perished aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine five years ago, listen to a speech during a commemoration ceremony at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, yesterday.

Hong Kong elders march in support of young demonstratorsAP HONG KONG

Thousands of Hong Kong senior citizens, including a popular actress, marched yesterday in a show of support for youths at the forefront of monthlong protests against a contentious extradition bill in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

The seniors also slammed the police for their handling of a protest Sunday in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district. That protest was mostly peaceful but ended in mayhem when violent scuffles in a shopping mall saw dozens injured, including a policeman who had a finger bitten off, and over 40 people detained.

Veteran actress and singer Deanie Ip, who joined yester-day’s demonstration, said police shouldn’t use heavy-handed tactics against young protesters who “have no guns” and were peacefully expressing their frus-trations. “They are young people and they are doing the right thing. Why are they being mis-

treated?” she said.Ip and several others held a

banner reading “Support youth to protect Hong Kong” as they marched through a financial dis-trict. Wearing white tops and black pants, marchers held placards that read “Never give up” and “Stay together.”

Dozens of seniors carried a 6-meter-long (20-foot-long) black banner that read “Reject tyrannical rule.” Some elders in wheelchairs also joined the march. Organizers said about 8,000 people participated in the demonstration.

Hong Kong has been jolted for over a month by a series of large-scale and occasional violent protests amid widespread anger over a proposed extradition law that would send suspects to mainland China to face trials. The bill is seen as a threat to Hong Kong’s freedoms that were guar-anteed for 50 years when China took back control of the former British colony in 1997.

Even though Hong Kong’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam,

suspended the bill and declared the legislation “dead,” it failed to placate the protesters, who have demanded Lam’s resig-nation. Tens of thousands have continued to take to the streets, with the protests expanding into a bigger movement against China’s growing intrusion into the territory. The senior citizens Wednesday repeated demands for the legislation to be formally withdrawn, for the release of dozens of people detained and for an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality against protesters.

More protests have been planned, which could cause further instability in the global financial hub. Phil Chan, a senior fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm, said violent clashes between protesters and police could intensify unless the government starts to engage meaningfully with the people in meeting some of their demands, including the move toward uni-versal suffrage.

Migrant found dead as nearly 300 rescued in MediterraneanAFP MADRID

Nearly 300 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were rescued at sea overnight between Spain and Morocco, while a woman was found dead on one of the four boats, Spain’s maritime rescue service said yesterday.

The service saved 220 people, including 57 women and four minors, in the Alboran Sea, the stretch of the western Mediterranean between the two countries, a spokeswoman said.

The woman’s body was found aboard one of the boats, she added. The cause of her death is unknown, she said.

Moroccan authorities meanwhile rescued another 57 migrants from another boat in the Alboran Sea, the spokes-woman said, without detailing their ages or gender.

Around 11,000 migrants have arrived in Spain by sea so far this year, and 203 have died attempting the crossing from North Africa, according to the latest figures from the Interna-tional Organization for Migration, issued yesterday.

Over the same period in the Mediterranean as a whole, 682 have died or are missing attempting the crossing, while 31,600 migrants have made it to Europe, according to the IOM.

Spain’s interior ministry says the number of migrant arrivals to the country has fallen by 30 percent so far this year compared with the same period in 2018.

Duterte says he won’t be tried by international courtREUTERS MANILA

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared he will never be tried by an international court for mass killings in his war on drugs, and vowed no let up in a crackdown that he said he was winning and would see through “to the very end”.

In a television interview with a celebrity pastor, the fire-brand leader said the Phil-ippine justice system was working fine, so it would be “stupid” to imagine he would let an international court put him on trial.

“I will only face, be tried or face a trial, in a Philippine court. Presided by a Filipino judge. Prosecuted by a Fil-ipino...” he said. “I am a Fil-ipino. We have our courts here... You have to bring me some-where else? I would not like that. I have my country. It’s working. I know it’s working. Justice is working here.”

His opponents argue oth-erwise and say police are killing with impunity, and that with an approval rating of about 80 percent, a super-majority in Congress and presidential appointees heading courts, com-missions and investigative bodies, there is little chance of Duterte being impeached or prosecuted at home.

Duterte, 74, has previously said he was so committed to his war on drugs that he was pre-pared to be tried for crimes against humanity at the Inter-national Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, or rot in jail there.

However, within weeks of an ICC prosecutor announcing in February 2018 that a prelim-inary examination was being conducted into the killings, Duterte ordered police not to cooperate, and then unilaterally

cancelled the Philippines’ ICC membership. The ICC exami-nation continues, despite his withdrawal.

His latest show of defiance comes days after the UN Human Rights Council approved a res-olution to hold an investigation into the killings, responding to a call from 11 UN experts con-cerned about a “staggering” amount of deaths.

The Philippine government has rejected the resolution as meddling by biased Western states, and denies activists’ alle-gations that police are executing thousands of drug users and peddlers.

Duterte said he was making gains in his anti-narcotics cam-paign, with less drugs on the streets. He said suspects should choose to “drop the drugs or drop dead”, but suggested that was merely an expression, not an instruction to kill. “Whether they like it or not, I will continue what I started to the very end,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Sal-vador Panelo told reporters on Monday that Duterte was “seri-ously considering” cutting dip-lomatic ties with Iceland, which spearheaded a resolution that asked the UN’s top human rights body to look into the thousands of deaths of suspects under his anti-drug crackdown.

Calls for justice on fifth anniversary of MH17 crashAFP THE HAGUE

Families of the victims of flight MH17 yesterday marked five years since the crash, with calls for justice for those killed when the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over war-torn eastern Ukraine.

The remembrance services in the Netherlands and Kuala Lumpur came less than a month after international investi-gators charged three Russians and a Ukrainian with the murder of the 298 people who died.

Mourners gathering at the Dutch national monument to the disaster were surrounded by 298 trees — one was planted for each victim — and sunflowers grown from seeds from the Ukrainian fields where the wreckage fell. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the “grief is felt all over the world today” as he addressed relatives at the memorial in Vijfhuizen, next to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport where the ill-fated Boeing 777 to Malaysia took off on July 17, 2014.

“Justice for the dead remains our common goal,” Rutte said in a speech. “Fortunately, last month we were able to take a new and important step forward. We’re not there yet, but step by step we’re getting closer to the truth.”

The service also featured music, singing and a recital by young people. The flags of the victims’ countries hung at

half-mast. One hundred and ninety-six of the victims were Dutch and 36 were Australian. In Kuala Lumpur, there was a minute’s silence at the Australian embassy with some Malaysian relatives of those on board. A Dutch-led team of interna-tional investigators says the plane was

shot down by a BUK anti-aircraft missile over part of eastern Ukraine that was held by pro-Russian rebels. They say the missile originated from the Russian mil-itary’s 53rd anti-aircraft missile brigade based in the city of Kursk and was trans-ported there before the tragedy.

The Netherlands and Australia have said that they hold Russia responsible for the shooting down of MH17.

Investigators on June 19 charged four people—Russians Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinskiy and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko -- with murder. All are linked to the separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Russia has denied all involvement and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the probe showed “no proof” of Moscow’s guilt. “We do not consider this investi-gation objective. Russia offered its par-ticipation and to work together since the start to find who was responsible for this horrible tragedy,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Wednesday.

In Kiev, Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal said that “justice will be done. Russia knows it.”

Australian PM Scott Morrison said: “Australia has not forgotten that terrible day, we stand firm for the justice that the victims and their families deserve,” he added. Top EU diplomat Federica Mogh-erini urged Moscow to help with the ongoing investigation.

“The EU calls on Russia to accept its responsibility and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation,” she said in a statement. “The EU expresses its full con-fidence in the independence and profes-sionalism of the legal procedures that lie ahead.”

Thailand replaces junta with army alliesAP BANGKOK

Thailand’s new Cabinet was sworn in Tuesday, creating a nominally elected government after five years of military rule but keeping power in the hands of the same allies of the army.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the swearing-in of the Cabinet, whose 36 members pledged their loyalty to the constitutional monarch. The Cabinet’s inauguration dis-solved the junta that had gov-erned while giving itself almost unlimited powers without over-sight. “Every task has obstacles. Every mission faces problems,” the king told the Cabinet members. “It is normal to take on work and solve problems so that the country can be run smoothly according to circumstances.” The Cabinet then held its first meeting at Government House.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army commander seized power in a 2014 coup ousting an elected government, returns as prime minister. This time he was elected by a parliamentary vote after a March general election that was held under a new con-stitution and laws enacted by Prayuth’s junta aimed at disad-vantaging established political parties in favor of the military and its conservative allies.

The measures were seen as being directly particularly at the Pheu Thai party. The party and its predecessors have won every national election for two decades and have been ousted in two military coups. The party founder is telecoms tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, whose populist policies and enormous political support threatened the influence of Thailand’s tradi-tional power holders, including the military. After seizing power in 2014, Prayuth declared a war on money politics and so-called “influential persons,” including political power brokers with shady connections.

Vietnam, China embroiled in South China Sea standoffREUTERS/HANOI

Vietnamese and Chinese ships have been embroiled in a weeks-long standoff near an offshore oil block in disputed waters of the South China Sea, which fall within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, two Wash-ington-based think-tanks said yesterday.

China’s U-shaped “nine-dash line” marks a vast expanse

of the South China Sea that it claims, including large swathes of Vietnam’s continental shelf where it has awarded oil concessions.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8, a ship operated by the China Geological Survey, on Monday completed a 12-day survey of waters near the disputed Spratly Islands, according to separate reports by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and

the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). One of the oil blocks it surveyed is licensed by Vietnam to Spanish energy firm Repsol, which was forced last year and in 2017 to cease oper-ations in Vietnamese waters because of pressure from China.

As the Haiyang Dizhi 8 con-ducted its survey, nine Viet-namese vessels closely followed it. The Chinese ship was escorted by three China Coast Guard

vessels, according to data from Winward Maritime, compiled by C4ADS. In a separate incident days earlier, the China Coast Guard ship Haijing 35111 manoeuvred in what CSIS described as a “threatening manner” towards Vietnamese vessels servicing a Japanese-owned oil rig, the Hakuryu-5, leased by Russian state oil firm Rosneft in Vietnam’s Block 06.1, 370km southeast of Vietnam.

That block is within the area outlined by China’s “nine-dash line”. A series of dashes on Chinese maps, the line is not continuous, making China’s claims often ambiguous.

“On July 2 the vessels were leaving the Hakuryu-5 when the 35111 manoeuvred between them at high speed, passing within 100 metres of each ship and less than half a nautical mile from the rig,” CSIS said in its report.

The latest show of defiance by the Philippine President comes days after the UN Human Rights Council approved a resolution to hold an investigation into the mass killings in his war on drugs.

11THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 EUROPE

Merkel’s protegee named defence chief

No-deal Brexit looms as race for new PM wraps upAFP LONDON

The battle to be Britain’s next prime minister enters its final straight with both candidates hardening their positions on Brexit, putting the future government on a collision course with Brussels.

Former London Mayor Boris Johnson, the favourite to replace Theresa May, and foreign sec-retary Jeremy Hunt, are now both referring to Britain’s departure with no overall deal in place as a realistic prospect.

The business community and many lawmakers fear dire eco-nomic consequences from a no-deal Brexit which would lead

to immediate trade tariffs for certain sectors including the automotive industry.

Johnson and Hunt are taking part in a final question-and-answer session before the result of the vote by Conservative Party members is announced on July 23 and the new prime minister is installed on July 24.

Britain has twice delayed its scheduled departure from the European Union after 46 years of membership and May’s failure to get parliament to vote for her deal with Brussels ultimately forced her to resign.

The two candidates have vowed to scrap a “backstop” pro-vision in the draft deal that was insisted on by Brussels to keep

the Irish border open.Their latest attacks on the

measure during a debate on Monday prompting a plunge in the value of the British pound.

The backstop has proved a key stumbling block in the Brexit process.

The measure would keep open the post-Brexit border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member the Republic of Ireland whatever the outcome of negotiations over the future relationship between London and Brussels.

Johnson announced early in his campaign that he would not sign up to it and would pursue a no-deal Brexit if required, leading his opponent to even-

tually follow suit.“The backstop, as it is, is

dead. We’ve got to find a new way,” Hunt said at the pair’s final head-to-head debate Monday, ahead of the announcement of the winner of the Tory party leadership battle Tuesday.

However, European leaders have been adamant the backstop must remain a part of any divorce deal, raising the prospect of gridlock in negotiations with the next leader — and of a no-deal Brexit.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who will become European Commission president in November, said the draft withdrawal agreement pro-vided “certainty”.

Russian court prolongs detention of 24 Ukrainian sailors amid prisoner swap talks

Ukrainian sailors sit inside a defendants’ cage prior to a hearing at Lefortovo Court in Moscow, yesterday.

AP BERLIN

The new leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party took over Germany’s defence ministry yesterday in a risky but poten-tially rewarding move, reversing her previous insistence that she wouldn’t join the Cabinet.

Annegret Kramp-Karren-bauer succeeded Ursula von der Leyen, who was elected on Tuesday as the new head of the European Commission.

Kramp-Karrenbauer nar-rowly won the leadership of Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union in December.

She has concentrated so far on trying to renew the party, among other things seeking to heal divisions with conservatives who were irked by Merkel’s wel-coming approach to migrants in 2015 and other moves.

However, she has seen her poll ratings drop sharply fol-lowing several gaffes, and has struggled to raise her profile given that she lacks a seat in par-liament and also wasn’t in the Cabinet. Kramp-Karrenbauer had insisted in recent days that she would continue to concen-trate on the party, but has now changed tack abruptly.

Merkel says she won’t seek a fifth term as chancellor. It isn’t yet clear who will run as the CDU’s candidate for chancellor in Ger-many’s next election, which is due in 2021 but could come earlier if her fractious coalition with the struggling center-left Social Dem-ocrats collapses.

The Defence Ministry offers Kramp-Karrenbauer, 56, who has served as governor of Saarland state but not in the federal government, a chance to gain foreign and security policy experience.

But it also is notoriously dif-ficult to run, with concerns including the poor state of the German military’s equipment and managing a transition from con-scription to a professional force.

While von der Leyen’s unex-pected elevation to the European Union’s top job after 5½ years as defense minister suggests that the post can be a springboard to promotion, it has left most recent

occupants as diminished figures in domestic politics.

An ambitious younger con-servative who also ran in last year’s CDU leadership election, Health Minister Jens Spahn, had been considered favourite to

become defense minister. Kramp-Karrenbauer’s move to take the job avoids giving a potential rival more exposure.

Kramp-Karrenbauer didn’t address the reasons for her choice in brief remarks to

reporters at the defence ministry, and took no questions.

She said she was taking on the job “with great respect, whole-heartedly and full of con-viction,” and is “very much looking forward to this task.”

FROM LEFT: Vice-President of the Bundesrat (upper house of parliament) Michael Mueller; newly-appointed German Defence Minister and leader of the CDU party Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer with her appointment documents; outgoing defence minister Ursula von der Leyen with her dismissal documents and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a handover ceremony at Bellevue Castle in Berlin, yesterday.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said she was taking on the job “with great respect, whole-heartedly and full of conviction”.

Russia denies visas for teachers at Anglo-American SchoolBLOOMBERG MOSCOW

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has denied visas for 30 new teachers at a Moscow school run by the US, British and Canadian embassies, in the latest sign of continuing diplomatic tensions with the West.

The ministry informed the US Embassy that it will not process visas for the teachers at the Anglo-American School of Moscow in a move that may force the school to disenroll new and returning students, according to a statement from US Ambassador Jon Huntsman yesterday.

The Russian Foreign Min-istry accused the US of misrep-resenting the situation, saying it denied only teachers who had applied for visas as embassy employees with diplomatic passports.

“The Russian government

has made the unfortunate decision not to issue visas to the incoming teachers who are expected to arrive next month to start the school year,” Huntsman said. “Children should not be used as pawns in diplomatic disputes.”

The Foreign Ministry called the US statement “a blatant lie,” saying that Moscow had sought to normalize the legal and visa status of the school and its staff. “Despite the fact that the school is a commercial entity, teachers come to Moscow with the same passports as Ambassador Huntsman,” the ministry said.

The Anglo-American School in the past has found itself in the cross-hairs of political spats between Washington and Moscow, with its St Petersburg campus forced to close after a round of diplomatic expulsions last year in the wake of the poi-soning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK.

Germany introduces mandatory measles vaccination for kids

AP BERLIN

The German government is proposing a measure to make m e a s l e s v a c c i n a t i o n s mandatory for children and employees of kindergartens and schools.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet approved the plan yes-terday, noting the number of measles infections has risen sig-nificantly in recent years. Law-makers in parliament, where Merkel’s governing coalition holds a majority, are expected to approve the law.

In the phased-in pro-gramme beginning in March, parents of school-aged children, starting at kinder-garten, will have to provide proof of vaccination.

Non-compliance means children will be refused admit-tance to kindergarten and their parents possibly fined. Parents of older students will be fined up to $2,803.

AFP MOSCOW

A Russian court yesterday prolonged the detention of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured last year near Crimea, in the midst of sensitive prisoner-swap talks between the two ex-Soviet neighbours.

Moscow’s Lefortovsky dis-trict court ruled that the sailors must stay in detention for an extra three months until October 24.

After the hearings, the sailors were escorted out of the courtroom by masked security officers as relatives and sup-porters applauded. Some wiped away tears.

Relatives sported yellow bracelets bearing the names of the sailors, who face up to six

years in prison on charges of ille-gally crossing Russian borders.

In the cramped courtroom, the sailors, who have described themselves as “prisoners of war”, were held in a metal-barred cage reserved for defendants.

Olena Zerkal, Ukrainian deputy foreign minister, con-demned the extension of the sailors’ detention, saying it only complicated “diplomats’ com-plicated work” amid the current negotiations.

The Ukrainians have been imprisoned since their three vessels were seized off Crimea last November, the most dan-gerous direct clash between Russia and Ukraine in years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s new leader Volodymyr Zelensky discussed a possible prisoner swap during

their first phone call last week.In Kiev on Tuesday, Vadym

Prystaiko, a senior presidential official, said that Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange a certain number of prisoners over the next month.

Lawyer Nikolai Polozov, who heads the defence team, and Ukraine’s rights ombudsman Lyudmyla Denysova, who attended the hearing, said Russia and Ukraine were negotiating a possible prisoner exchange.

They declined to discuss any details.

On Tuesday, Denysova and her Russian counterpart Tatyana Moskalkova exchanged lists of prisoners.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said yesterday that the prisoner swap was “on the agenda.”

Italian creator of Montalbano novel dead at 93AFP ROME

Italian author Andrea Camilleri (pictured), who earned worldwide acclaim for his series of 30-odd whodunnits starring inspector Salvo Montalbano in Sicilian city of Vigata, died yesterday aged 93, a Rome hospital said.

Born in Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Camilleri saw his works turned into a TV series in 1999 that was picked up in Britain, the US and Australia.

Camilleri said he owed a “huge debt” to Belgian writer Georges Simenon’s detective Jules Maigret, but Montalbano takes his name from Catalan novelist Manuel Vazquez Mon-talban, creator of gastronome detective Pepe Carvalho.

Also a theatre and television director and scriptwriter, Camilleri published his first Montalbano novel “The Shape of Water” in 1994.

“I love him and I hate him. I owe him practically every-thing, he opened the door for the other books,” Camilleri said. “But he’s invasive, pretentious, unpleasant and when I encounter a problem, I can see him turning up telling me ‘I’d do it like this’.”

Manchesterbomber’s kinheld in UKREUTERS LONDON

British police said they had arrested the brother of a suicide bomber following his extra-dition to London from Libya, on suspicion of helping him plan the deadly 2017 arena attack in the northern city of Manchester.

Hashem Abedi, 22, was detained after he landed at a London airport yesterday and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court.

Salman Abedi blew himself up at the end of a show by US singer Ariana Grande at Man-chester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring more than 500.

Police said Hashem Abedi had been charged with murder, attempted murder and con-spiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.

Italy, FBI crack down on mafia clanREUTERS PALERMO

Italian and US police have launched a coordinated crackdown on a Sicilian Mafia family that was seeking to rebuild its power base after years of exile in the United States, Italian investigators said yesterday.

More than 200 police, including officers from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), arrested 18 people in Sicily as part of their investigation into the Inzerillo clan in the island’s capital Palermo and the allied

New York-based Gambino family.

A 19th suspect is being sought in the United States.

Sicily’s organised crime group, known as ‘Cosa Nostra’ (Our Thing), has been in a state of flux since 2017, when its boss of bosses Salvatore “Toto” Riina died in prison, where he had spent almost a quarter of a century.

Riina launched a ferocious mafia war on the Mediterranean island in the 1980s, chasing the Inzerillo family out of their stronghold in the Palermo suburb of Passo di Rigano and

into self-imposed US exile.The family has since looked

to reclaim its old business, police said, helped by influential allies in New York.

“The investigation “has reg-istered the strong bond estab-lished between Cosa Nostra Palermo and US organised crime,” particularly the Gambino clan, a police statement said.

The Gambinos are one of the five historic Italian-American Mafia families in New York. Past charges against family opera-tives have included murder, loan sharking and illegal drug distribution.

12 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019AMERICAS

‘El Chapo’ sentenced to life in prisonANATOLIA WASHINGTON

Notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was sentenced by a federal judge yesterday to life in prison.

The sentence caps a narco saga for Guzman, 62, who was convicted in February of charges that carried a mandatory life sentence.

US District Judge Brian Cogan added an additional 30 years on top of life, and ordered the former Sinaloa Cartel chief to pay $12.6bn in forfeiture to the US government.

“The long road that led Chapo Guzman from the moun-tains of Sinaloa to the courthouse behind us today was paved by death, drugs and destruction. But it ended today with justice,” Assistant Attorney General Brian

Benczkowski said. “Mr Guzman thought for more than 25 years that he was untouchable, that there was no problem affecting the Sinaloa Cartel that he couldn’t bribe, intimidate, torture or kill his way out of.”

Guzman had escaped custody twice in Mexico before he was extradited to the US to stand trial in January 2017. He once con-trolled an expansive drug empire, dealing at times viciously with cartel rivals to maintain his car-tel’s dominance.

In what is likely to be his last public appearance, Guzman, who never spoke during his long trial, reportedly complained that he was denied a fair trial.

Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzman’s attorney, called his sentence “inevitable,” dismissing what he called an “inquisition” and a “show trial.”

“How it ended is exactly perfect for that description,” he said. “At the end of the day all that mattered was the govern-ment’s evidence, no matter how flawed it may have been.”

The Mexican state of Sinaloa has long been a hub of con-traband in Mexico, as well as a home for marijuana and poppy cultivation. Nearly all of the drug trafficking organizations in Mexico have their origins in the region.

The Sinaloa Cartel, believed to be one the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organ-isations in the world, is an alliance of Mexico’s top drug bosses who operate in concert to protect themselves, relying on connections at the highest levels of government and corrupting portions of Mexican law enforcement and military.

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman waving to his wife Emma Coronel Aispuro (right) in this court sketch during a sentencing hearing for Guzman, in New York City, yesterday.

Documents on Trump lawyer’s hush-money case set for releaseREUTERS NEW YORK

A federal judge yesterday ordered the release of docu-ments relating to hush-money payments by Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen (pictured) to two women who said they had encounters years ago with the US president, declaring the matter of “national importance.”

US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan ordered that the documents, used by

federal prosecutors to obtain a search warrant for Cohen’s home and office last year, must be unsealed by 11am today.

Cohen, 52, pleaded guilty in 2018 to directing payments of $130,000 to actress Stormy Daniels and $150,000 to model Karen McDougal to avert a scandal shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denied having encounters with the women.

Cohen, Trump’s self-described “fixer,” in May began serving a three-year prison

sentence for violating campaign finance law with the

hush payments, making false statements to a bank, evading taxes and lying to US Congress.

“The campaign finance vio-lations discussed in the materials are a matter of national impor-tance,” Pauley wrote. “Now that the government’s investigation into those violations has con-cluded, it is time that every American has an opportunity to scrutinise the materials.”

Prosecutors recently revealed that their investigation of the payments is over, Pauley said, meaning that the material

can now be made public with minimal redactions.

The office of the US Attorney in Manhattan, which prosecuted Cohen, declined to comment. A lawyer for Cohen could not immediately be reached.

Pauley ordered many of the search warrant materials about Cohen’s personal business dealings unsealed earlier this year, but allowed documents on to the hush-money payments to remain secret because they were related to an ongoing investigation.

US House condemns ‘racist’ Trump tweetsANATOLIA WASHINGTON

The US House of Representatives voted late Tuesday to condemn racist remarks by President Donald Trump on Twitter about freshmen lawmakers, with four Republicans breaking ranks with him by backing the resolution.

The 240-187 vote saw Republican lawmakers Susan Brooks, Brian Fitzpatrick, Will Hurd -- the sole black Repub-lican in the House caucus -- and Fred Upton join with former Republican-turned-Independent congressman Justin Amash and a uniform Democratic caucus in support of the resolution.

“If we’re going to bring civility back to the centre of our politics, we must speak out against inflammatory rhetoric from anyone in any party anytime it happens,” Upton wrote on Twitter after he bucked the president’s call to stand against the measure. “America embraces diversity, and that must continue.”

Most Republicans, however, lined up squarely behind the president, accusing their

Democratic colleagues of har-assing Trump.

The resolution “strongly condemns President Donald Trump’s racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Amer-icans and people of colour by saying that our fellow Americans who are immigrants, and those who may look to the President like immigrants, should ‘go back’ to other countries.”

Trump kicked off the fire-storm on Sunday when he told a group of progressive Demo-cratic congresswomen on Twitter to “go back” to the “totally broken and crime infested” countries they come from.

He initially declined to indicate whom he was referring to but on Tuesday quoted a

former congressman who referred to them as “the squad,” a colloquialism that refers to freshmen congresswomen Alex-andria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.

Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Pressley were all born in the US and Omar is a naturalised US citizen born in Somalia. All are Americans of color who were duly elected to serve in the federal legislature.

Trump has insisted that neither he nor his tweets are racist, exclaiming on the micro-blogging website that he does not “have a Racist bone” in his body.

Trump has accused the female lawmakers of hating America, but he has not sup-ported the allegation other than suggesting they “have been spewing some of the most vile, hateful, and disgusting things ever said by a politician in the House or Senate”.

Tlaib notably used a harsh expletive to refer to Trump while addressing supporters, but that is not akin to hating the US.

The 240-187 vote saw Republican lawmakers Susan Brooks, Brian Fitzpatrick, Will Hurd and Fred Upton in support of the resolution.

New York braces for hottest day of the yearBLOOMBERG NEW YORK

Brace yourself for the hottest day of the year. It could reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) on July 20 as the US East Coast slides into the weekend. When you add in the humidity, it could feel like 110.

The East Coast isn’t alone, according to the National Weather Service. A “dangerous and widespread” summer heat wave is expected for two-thirds of the US, with a high pressure dome holding the heat in place. And don’t expect relief at night, when temps are likely to only slip into the upper 70s and 80s.

The heat will stress Midwest crops and boost energy demand as air conditioning kicks into overdrive. Anyone working out-doors should stay hydrated and seek shade when possible, the elderly and sick need to be checked on and pets and children shouldn’t be left unattended in cars, the weather service warns.

“Excessive heat warnings cover a pretty considerable number of states today,” said Alex Lamers, a forecaster with

the US Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Mar-yland. “Then we are expecting the heat wave to ramp up on the East Coast in the next couple of days.”

Chicago could peak at 98 degrees Fahrenheit tomorrow, with New York’s Central Park reaching that on Saturday. Washington will reach 100 this weekend. Warnings and heat advisories stretch from the East Coast through the Midwest.

For agriculture, the floods of the spring that delayed planting have meant plants have shal-lower roots and this is exacer-bating the impact of the heat.

Normally, it would take four or five days of temperatures in the 90s to stress crops, according to Don Keeney, senior agricul-tural meteorologist at Maxar. “When the root systems are as shallow as they are this year it only takes a day or two,” he said.

By July 25 to 29, the heat will begin to ease as cooler air drops out of Canada across the Great Lakes, with temperatures ranging 1 to 2 degrees warmer than normal across the Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and South.

ANATOLIA ANKARA

The police has shut down a factory in the southern Santa Catarina state of Brazil that produced fake luxury cars.

Selling fake Ferraris and Lamborghinis via the social media at very low prices com-pared to the original value, the faker father and son were

arrested on industrial property charges, according to reports.

Police said they were offering the cars for $45,000 to $60,000, many folds cheaper than the value of a genuine.

Officials distributed photos from the small factory showing bodies of cars emblazoned with the logo of Italian brands.

Police confiscated eight vehicles during the raid.

Police shut down fake luxury vehicle factory in Brazil

MS-13 members charged in string of US killingsAFP/LOS ANGELES

Several members of the noto-rious MS-13 gang have been charged in Los Angeles for their role in multiple grisly murders, including the machete killing of a rival gang member who was dismembered and had his heart cut out.

According to a 12-count indictment against 22 members of the gang unsealed, most of those charged took part in seven killings carried out with machetes, knives and baseball bats over the last two years.

Most of the bodies were dumped in the Angeles National Forest, northeast of Los Angeles.

The sweeping indictment focuses on a particularly violent sub-group of the gang known as the Fulton clique, which operates in the Los Angeles area and has recently been recruiting young immigrants from Central America.

Authorities said as part of their initiation, potential recruits had to kill an MS-13 rival or someone perceived as a threat in order to join the gang.

Pentagon okays more troops to Mexico borderREUTERS WASHINGTON

The Pentagon said yesterday it had approved a request to send an additional 1,000 Texas National Guard and 1,100 active duty troops to the border with

Mexico, the latest deployment in support of President Donald Trump’s controversial immi-gration crackdown.

Major Chris Mitchell, a Pen-tagon spokesman, said that acting Defense Secretary Richard Spencer had approved the

additional troops on Tuesday night, and they would be assisting with tasks like logistical support and aerial surveillance.

There are currently about 4,500 active duty and National Guard troops on the border with Mexico.

A group of migrants waiting to request an appointment with US migration authorities outside El Chaparral port of entry, in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, yesterday.

Prosecutors seek stricter sentence for rally attackersAP CHARLOTTESVILLE

Federal prosecutors said a “hate crime motivation” should result in stricter sentences for three members of a white supremacist group who pleaded guilty to attacking counterpro-testers at a rally in Virginia for far-right extremists.

In a court filing on Monday, Justice Department prosecutors recommend prison sentences ranging from 30 months to 46 months for Rise Above Movement members Benjamin Daley, Michael Miselis and Thomas Gillen. Defense attorneys are seeking more lenient sen-tences from US District Judge Norman Moon tomorrow.

Prosecutors said members of the California-based group engaged in other racist and anti-Semitic activity before the August 2017 rally in Charlottes-ville, Virginia, such as gathering on a beach to burn books like “The Diary of Anne Frank” and disrupting a workshop on “white privilege” sponsored by the Committee for Racial Justice.

BUSINESSPAGE | 14 PAGE | 15

Ahlibank reports net profit of

QR359.3m for H1 2019

France defiant in digital tax showdown with US at G7

13THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019

QIIB net profit rises by 5.5% to QR510.6mTHE PENINSULA DOHA

QIIB recorded a net profit of QR510.6m for the first half of 2019 (H1, 19), an increase of 5.5 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. The bank’s total assets jumped 13.9 percent to QR54.2bn. Total income rose by 10.3 percent to QR1.04bn.

QIIB announced the results fol-lowing a meeting of the Bank’s Board of Directors. Commenting on the financial results, Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman and Managing Director of QIIB said the bank’s net profit for the first half reflects its compliance with the market requirements and its alignment with the Qatari economy, which is witnessing resurgence in all fields.

The Qatari economy is achieving remarkable results thanks to the support, care and vision of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, he said.

Sheikh Dr. Khalid said: “The Qatari economy enjoys strength and stability, possesses growth factors and sees promising opportunities, which helped place us in a strong position. We, at QIIB, have benefited clearly from these factors and achieved many of them, which led to consid-erable growth rates under various budget items. Once again this confirms QIIB’s strong and estab-lished position in the country’s banking sector and in the overall economy.”

He said the bank’s recent steps have yielded positive results, both in terms of struc-turing many sectors, enhancing the competitive environment vis-a-vis market challenges and responding to expansion require-ments, locally and externally.

The results of the bank came in line with our expectations, although the ambitions are still greater. The operational structure and the positive factors in the market are encouraging for further openness and financing locally, with the Qatari economy moving

to a new stage of self-sufficiency and reliance on national expertise and capabilities while maintaining strong ties with the world.

Sheikh Dr. Khalid said QIIB has continued its policy of focusing on the local market, in order to contribute to the revital-ization of the national economy and finance various projects that complement the development efforts and achieve the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Any foreign investment decision taken by the bank will not affect this trend. “We are focused on the local market, although we are satisfied with our partnerships abroad. Over the years, we have succeeded in building multi-dimensional part-nerships in various countries. QIIB is very well set on the growth trajectory based on the strength of the Qatari economy,” Sheikh

Dr. Khalid added. He said the $500m sukuk issued by the Bank earlier, was listed on the London Stock Exchange, and attracted investors from across the world with the issue getting oversub-scribed seven times.“We are very happy about our reputation and the confidence investors place on us and we will strive to enhance it,” the Chairman said.

On the Bank’s first half results, QIIB Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdulbasit Ahmad Al Shaibei said the bank’s total rev-enues amounted to QR1.14bn compared to QR1.03bn for the same period of 2018, with a growth rate of 10.3 percent.

The bank’s total deposits rose to QR33.3bn with a growth rate of 7 percent. Earnings per share reached QR0.34 and capital adequacy (Basel III) stood at 14.98 percent, which reflects QIIB’s financial strength, he said.

Dr. Al Shaibei expressed sat-isfaction at QIIB’s financial indi-cators in the first half of this year. This demonstrated that the bank has achieved the set goals in the context of a comprehensive plan aimed at achieving the strategy set by the Board of Directors. The strategy focuses on enhancing profitability and deepening part-nerships and engagement in local projects, be it infrastructure or others.

“Thus we are able to con-tinue contributing to the strengthening of the national economy and responding to competition in the local banking sector”, he said.

The bank continued its work in order to enhance the opera-tional structure and ensure its compliance with the best inter-national banking standards. QIIB has systematically invested in the development of the techno-logical infrastructure, enhanced the concepts of sustainability in our work and projects, and focused greatly on creativity, innovation and performance, which resulted in outstanding performance so far, the CEO noted.

QIIB has achieved excellent results in implementing our local expansion plans. The opening of branches in major malls across the country has helped widen our customer base and enhance customer satisfaction.

Dr. Al Shaibei pointed out that “the results achieved by QIIB have been mentioned in reports produced by leading interna-tional credit rating agencies. These agencies have provided QIIB a stable outlook, which is mainly due to the strength of the Qatari economy, the soundness of the banking sector and the Bank’s performance and its solid financial indicators. �P14

Dr. Abdulbasit Ahamd Al Shaibei, Chief Executive Officer, QIIB

Online presence for businesses a must, not an option: ExpertLANI ROSE R DIZON THE PENINSULA

Businesses in Qatar need to establish a strong online presence and failing to do so may cost them significant losses in business opportunities, an expert in digital marketing has said.

Talking to The Peninsula recently on the sidelines of a session organised by the Digital Transformation of Small & Medium Business Enterprises (DTSME) where he was the speaker, New Waves Qatar Founder and CEO, Ahmed M Hassan, said investing in digital marketing is a wise strategy and should be part of every com-pany’s operational plan.

It may be noted that the Min-istry of Transport and Commu-nications (MoTC) has launched the DTSME last year to help SMEs in advancing their businesses by using technology, as well as in order to support the country’s digital transformation. More than 5,000 SMEs are expected to benefit from the programme by the end of this year.

Hassan added: “We need to develop the awareness among entrepreneurs here that it is a must to have a strong web presence, and it’s not a choice. If they do it late, they may have to spend more on traditional mar-keting, lag behind competitors and suffer from losing their market share. The smart way to use digital marketing is to use the platform to reach the right cus-tomers with the right message”.

Speaking about industries in Qatar which already have a

growing online presence, Hassan said food businesses such as res-taurants are starting to develop their own web presence. Others join more popular online brands such as Talabat to reach more customers. Clothing and acces-sories businesses are also estab-lishing their online stores, espe-cially amidst growing competition from the international market.

In the medical field, digital marketing is definitely growing compared to three years ago. However, construction and real estate businesses need to further develop their online presence. Many companies in these indus-tries still don’t have digital mar-keting strategies and spend huge amounts of money on advertise-ments just to announce their activitie.

“Digitalising SMEs will also boost Qatar’s digital economy. Once they go online, businesses will have more market share. All of us use technology daily in dif-ferent ways. And it’s now easier for every business to reach their target customers through Google and other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, WatssApp, and You Tube among others. Com-pared to traditional marketing, digital marketing is cost-effective,” he added.

Hassan started his web design and digital marketing agency in Doha in 2016, and credits the success of his business to the com-pany’s strong online presence. To date, New Waves has over 170 clients including government organisations and big companies in Qatar. He said: “Right now, we’re also getting international queries from the US, Switzerland, and other Arab countries as well just because of our strong online presence. Previously, we also did a digital marketing campaign for a Qatari company which manu-factures medical devices for dia-betic patients. Today, the company has developed many business con-nections, not only in Qatar, but from other countries as well, such as Korea. What if they didn’t have a web presence? They might have lost a lot of opportunities”.

IPA will help augment Qatar’s FDI inflow

H E Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Minister of State, and Chairman, QFZA

The bank’s total deposits rose to QR33.3bn with a growth rate of 7 percent. Earnings per share reached QR0.34 and capital adequacy (Basel III) stood at 14.98 percent, which reflects QIIB’s financial strength.

MOHAMMAD SHOEB THE PENINSULA

Qatar, which is already on the spotlight of global investors, has formed a high-level committee to attract more investments from different parts of the world.

As per the official statement, the Advisory Board of the newly-launched Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) will be chaired by H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Industry and will include H E Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed, Minister of State and Chairman of the Qatar Free Zones Authority; H E Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani, represent-ative of H E Prime Minister’s Office; Saleh Majid Al Khulaifi, Acting Undersecretary for Trade

Affairs; Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Financial Centre; and Yosouf Abdulrahman Al Salehi, Executive Director, Qatar Science and Technology Park.

Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani has also been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Investment Promotion Agency.

The announcement of the high-level panel comes at a time when companies from around the globe, including those from Qatar’s traditional trading partners like China, are showing great interest and working aggressively to tap the growing investment opportunities in the country, especially the one arising from the upcoming free zone areas.

Enquiries with industry experts suggest that Qatar has a lot of competitive advantage

over others in terms of attracting businesses and investors, such

as cheap energy and feedstock, business-friendly legislations

and economic reforms, state-of-the art infrastructure like roads, airports and seaports, and stra-tegic geographical location among others, which have enabled Qatar as one of the most suitable places to expand oper-ations and establish new businesses.

“There is a very strong trend among companies from Qatar’s traditional markets such as China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and other Southeast Asian economies, who are very keen to invest in Qatar’s logistics sector and downstream indus-tries such as chemicals, petro-chemicals and other sectors,” Wilson Chan, a Doha-based prominent trade and investment consultant told The Peninsula, yesterday. �P14

Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Thani bin Abdullah AlThani, Chairman and Managing Director, QIIB

H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Industry

New Waves Qatar Founder and CEO, Ahmed M Hassan

FROM PAGE 13Chan, who extensively

travels around the world and has a huge wealth of experience in the industry, added: “In addition to Southeast Asian markets, companies from Germany, the UK and other European markets are also showing strong and consistent interests to invest in some of the promising sectors of the fast growing Qatari economy.”

He also noted that apart from logistics and downstream industries, there are other com-panies and investors who are exploring opportunities in emerging sectors, which he dubbed as ‘new industries’ such as Internet of Things (IoT), Fintech, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other IT and digital industries.

The Investment Promotion Agency will work to further attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in line with objectives set out in the Qatar National Vision 2030.

As part of its mandate to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) into Qatar, the Agency will aim to be a single and complete source for

investment solutions in Qatar by attracting FDI in all of the coun-try’s priority sectors. The entity will also pursue targeted, sector-specific investment promotion agendas and coordinate investment promotion and mar-keting activities with key stake-holders, as well as develop policy advisory.

The Advisory Board held their first meeting recently where they discussed the Agency’s strategy, roadmap and budget, as well as the key target sectors and incentives plan.

According to latest reports, foreign investments, including foreign direct investment (FDI) and portfolio investment, in Qatar amounted to QR722.6bn by the end of the first quarter of this year, recording a month-on-month increase of 1.1 percent, or QR7.9bn, compared to QR714.7bn reported for previous quarter (Q4 2018).

When compared on yearly basis, the level of investments in Qatar increased by QR44.9bn, or 6.6 percent, in Q1 2019 com-pared to QR677.7bn reported for the corresponding quarter last year (Q1 2018).

14 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019BUSINESS

10,613.53 +12.55 PTS0.12%

QSE FTSE100 DOW CRUDE

7,533.06 −44.14 PTS0.58%

27,277.08 −58.55 PTS0.21% Dow & Brent before going to press

$57.51 -0.11

MARKETWATCH

QIIB net profit rises by 5.5% to QR510.6m

FROM PAGE 13QIIB recently received a

prestigious international and regional recognition for the ‘Best Islamic Bank in the State of Qatar in 2018’ at the Annual IFN Awards organised by Red Money.

QIIB won the ‘Best Islamic Bank in the State of Qatar’ for the year in the field of banking products and financing solutions during the awards ceremony of Excellence and Achievement Banking this year, organized by the International Union of Arab Bankers, he said.

In the field of human resources, Dr. Al-Shaibei noted

that QIIB paid great attention to its staff, focusing on providing adequate training in line with the best internationally bench-marked standards and placement to competent staffers.

“We are continuously working to attract local talent, to enhance productivity and obtain the best possible results. Among our top priorities is Qatarization. Recruiting talented Qataris and assigning them to suitable and responsible posi-tions within the bank is a high priority for us. We will also con-tinue to support the Qatari com-munity in all ways we can,” he said.

Woqod posts QR548m net profit in first halfTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Fuel Company (Woqod) has recorded a net profit of QR548m (excluding minority rights) for the first half of 2019, an increase of QR45m or 9 percent compared to QR503m reported for the same period in 2018.

The achieved increase in profit levels is attributable to the increase in sales as well as the efforts exerted towards enhancing the capability and efficiency of the Group activities and business operations and to the reduction of General and Administrative expenses.

Earning Per Share for the period, amounted to QR0.55 per share compared to QR0.51 per share for the same period of the year 2018, also showing a 8 percent increase.

In respect of projects, the number of Woqod operated fuel stations amounted to 85 stations compared to 58 stations for the same period of the year 2018. Additionally Woqod has signed new contracts to build 29 petrol station during the second half of 2019, taking the number of stations

to 114 stations by the end of 2019 which will result into doubling the number of operating stations.

The construction of new petrol stations contributed to the increase of Woqod share of petroleum products retail distri-bution market to 80 percent at the end of the first half of 2019, compared to 62 percent for the corresponding period of 2018.

With regard to the Group’s operations, the Group achieved 2 percent overall growth in total sales volumes during the period compared to the same period last year, which comprises of Jet A1 sales increase by 7 percent, Bitumen by 2 percent, LPG by 3 percent, Natural Gas & Com-pressed Natural Gas by 58 percent and Heavy Fuel Oil by 62 percent. Diesel sales volumes declined by 8 percent. The growth is attrib-utable to market factors and the efficiency and promptness of the supply chain.

Retail sales volumes of petroleum products has achieved an overall increase of 29 percent, wherein diesel increased by 11 percent, Super Gasoline by 47 percent and Premium Gasoline by 29 percent, while other retail

sales revenue, including Sidra stores, grew by 13 percent.

Saad Rashid Mohammed Al Muhannadi Managing Director & CEO, noted that Woqod has undertaken the necessary measures for splitting the nominal value of shares from QR10 to QR1 per share to comply with the requirements of Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA). This will ensures adequate liquidity of its shares in the Qatar Exchange. He also noted that Woqod is now included in two international indices viz. FTSE and MSCI. He further emphasised that the Group management and Board of Directors will exert their best efforts to maintain and consol-idate the company profitability and its position as a sole down-stream oil & gas distribution company in the State of Qatar, in order to achieve company vision, mission and strategic objectives as a pioneer company in the region, as well as the devel-opment of a strong, modern and robust downstream oil & gas dis-tribution sector of international caliber in furtherance of the State of Qatar overall infra-structure modernization plan.

Commercial Bank announces winners of spend campaignTHE PENINSULA/DOHA

Commercial Bank has announced to once again rewarding its customers with best-in-class exclusive rewards from around the globe. After having launched its “Spend & Win your Dream Holiday” campaign in March 7, two winners have been rewarded with great prizes: Gareth Bowers, Sadara customer, has been announced as winner of this year’s International Spend

Campaign and will enjoy a 4-night luxury hotel stay at Anantara Maldives resort. As for the 3-night stay prize at the luxu-rious Souq El Waqra resort, Hany Sadek Aly, has been announced winner of this year’s campaign for the classic segment.

International Spend Cam-paign was tailored by Com-mercial Bank to encourage its valued customers to benefit from exclusive offers available inter-nationally when using their

Commercial Bank cards. In this context, Roya Khajeh, AGM and Head of Cards and Payments commented: “Providing an excellent customer experience through best-in-class payment solutions that offer real value and priceless moments to cardholders is a key priority for the Bank. We look forward to developing more rewarding products and exciting promotions similar to the Inter-national Spend Campaign in the near future.”

The winners of “Spend & Win your Dream Holiday” campaign posing with officials of Commercial Bank.

Ahlibank reports net profit of QR359.3m for H1 2019THE PENINSULA DOHA

Ahlibank has reported a net profit of QR359.3m for the first six months of this year ended June 31, 2019 (H1 2019), regis-tering an increase of 1.7 percent or QR6m, over the same period last year (H1, 2018).

Commenting on the results, Sheikh Faisal bin AbdulAziz Al Thani, Chairman and Managing Director of Ahlibank said: “We are pleased with our performance in

the first half, particularly the momentum we saw in overall business growth and deposit growth in particular. The Bank is well capitalized and has a strong liquidity position. These results highlight the Bank’s ability to deliver long-term sustainable results for our shareholders”. The Bank continues to enjoy favorable ratings from the top international credit rating agencies.”

The Chairman added: “I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to these

good results. I also extend my thanks to Qatar Central Bank for their leadership, guidance and continuous support.”

Sheikh Faisal bin AbdulAziz Al Thani Chairman and Managing Director

Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC

Yosouf Abdulrahman Al Salehi, Executive Director, QSTP

H E Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al Thani , CEO, Investment Promotion Agency

Saleh Majid Al Khulaifi, Acting Undersecretary for Trade Affairs

IPA will help augment Qatar’s FDI inflow

15THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 BUSINESS

QIB profit grows by 7.5% to QR1.42bn; assets at QR154.6bnTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Islamic Bank’s (QIB) net profit attributable to the Share-holders of the Bank amounted to QR 1.42bn for the six months’ period ended June 30, 2019, representing a growth of 7.5 percent over the same period in 2018.

Total assets of the bank has increased by 1.4 percent com-pared to June 2018 and 0.9 percent compared to December 2018 and stood at QR154.6bn, driven by the continued growth in the financing and investing activities.

QIB’s financing activities have now reached QR107bn having grown by 6.7 percent compared to June 2018 and 4.6 percent compared December 2018. Customer Deposits of the bank now stand at QR107.6bn registering a strong growth of 8.8 percent compared to June 2018 and 6.9 percent compared to December 2018.

Total Income for the six

months’ period ended June 2019 was QR3.73bn registering a 10.9 percent growth compared to QR3.36bn from a year ago. Income from financing and investing activities has registered a strong growth of 13.6 percent to reach QR3.38bn at the end of the six months’ period ended June 2019 compared to QR2.97bn for the same period in 2018, reflecting a healthy growth in the bank’s core operating activities.

Total staff and general admin-istrative expenses of QR544.8m for the six months’ period ended

30 June 2019 with strict cost con-trols supporting higher operating revenues enabled further enhancement of efficiency, bringing down the cost to income ratio to 23.5 percent for the six month period ended June 2019 as compared to 25.6 percent for the same period in 2018.

QIB was able to maintain the ratio of non-performing financing assets to total financing assets at 1.2 percent reflecting the quality of the bank’s financing assets portfolio and its effective risk management framework.

QIB continues to pursue the conservative impairment provi-sioning policy keeping the cov-erage ratio for non-performing financing assets at 100 percent as of June 2019.

Total Shareholders’ Equity of the bank has reached QR15.6bn registering a growth of 8.1 percent compared to June 2018 and a growth of 1.3 percent compared to December 2018. Total Capital adequacy of the bank under Basel III guidelines is 18.5 percent, higher than the minimum regu-latory requirements prescribed by Qatar Central Bank and Basel Committee.

In June 2019, Fitch Ratings affirmed Qatar Islamic Bank at ‘A’. Also in June 2019, Moody’s Investors Service, (“Moody’s”) has affirmed the Long-term deposit ratings of QIB at “A1”. In May 2019, Capital Intelligence Ratings (CI) has affirmed the bank’s Long-term Currency Rating (LTCR) of ‘A+’. In March 2019, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) affirmed the bank’s credit rating at ‘A-’.

QIB has received 18 pres-tigious awards in the first half of 2019 reflecting the results and achievements of the businesses, including Qatar’s Best Bank from Euromoney Awards for Excel-lence 2019.

Total assets of the bank has increased by 1.4 percent compared to June 2018 and 0.9 percent compared to December 2018 and stood at QR154.6bn, driven by the continued growth in the financing and investing activities.

The QIB Headquarters.

France defiant in digital tax showdown with US at G7AFP CHANTILLY, FRANCE

France yesterday said it would push ahead with its law to tax tech giants that has sparked a row with the United States, saying that an international accord was the only way to solve the dispute.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire (pictured) met US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the sidelines of the meeting of finance ministers from the world’s seven most developed economies in Chantilly outside Paris. “We don’t always agree on all issues, but we do agree on many and it’s always important to listen to each other,” Le Maire tweeted non-committedly.

The French parliament earlier this month passed a new law that will tax digital giants on revenue accrued inside the country, even if their European head-quarters are elsewhere, in a move that will affect huge US groups Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

The move has infuriated President Donald Trump and the United States has announced an unprecedented probe against France which could trigger the imposition of tariffs.

In comments to France Inter radio, Le Maire said France would not back down on its plans to impose the three-percent tax on revenue.

He said he would make clear that the French parliament had agreed the tax and this could only be withdrawn if there was an international agreement.

CROSSWORD

Geetha, Suni’s wife, bears the brunt of his negligent lifestyle and often quarrels with him over it. After witnessing a gruesome accident, Suni and his friends find their lives taking some really unexpected turns.

SATHYAM PARANJA VISWASIKKUVO

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 2:15, 6:15 & 11:15pm; Toy Story 4 (2D/Animation) 2:15pm;The Lion King (2D/Drama) 2:30, 4:45, 7:00 & 9:00pm; Spider-Man: Far From Home 4:00 & 7:15pm; Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvu (2D/Malayalam) 5:00pm; The Kid (2D/Drama) 9:30pm; Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 9:15 & 11:30pm; Super 30 (2D/Hindi) 11:30pm

Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 2:00, 8:15 & 11:00 The Lion King (2D/Drama) 2:15, 4:45, 7:00 & 8:45pm; Toy Story 4 (2D/Animation) 2:30 & 4:15pm; Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvu (2D/Malayalam) 4:30pm; Spider-Man: Far From Home 6:00pm; The Sonata (2D/Thriller) 7:00pm Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 9:15 & 11:30pm; Super 30 (2D/Hindi) 11:00pm

The Lion King (2D/Drama) 10:45am, 1:15, 3:45, 6:15, 8:45 & 11:15pm; iSmart Shankar (2D/Telugu) 4:15pm;Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 11:15am, 1:45, 7:00, 9:30pm & 12:00midnight; Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 11:45am, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm; Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvu (2D/Malayalam) 2:15pm

MALL

LANDMARK

AL KHOR

Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 2:30, 5:30, 8:00, 11:00pm & 01:00am; Aadai (2D/Tamil) 12:00noon & 5:30pm; Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 12:00noon, 1:00, 2:15, 3:15, 4:30, 5:30, 6:45, 7:45, 9:00, 10:00, 11:15pm 12:15, 01:30 & 02:30am; iSmart Shankar (2D/Telugu) 12:30pm; Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvu (2D/Malayalam) 3:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm

ASIAN TOWN

FLIK Mirqab Mall

ROXY

Aladdin (2D/Comedy) 10:45am, 3:40 & 8:30pm;Anna (2D/Action) 11:00am, 1:20, 3:05, 5:20, 8:20 & 10;35pm; Annabelle Comes Home (2D) 11:45pm; Crawl (2D/Horror) 11:40, 1:35, 3:30, 5:25, 7:25, 9:20pm & 12:20am; Finding Steve McQueen (2D/Drama) 11:10am, 3:00 & 6:55pm;John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum (2D) 11:15am;Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 9:50, 10:45pm & 12:00am; The Lion King (2D/Drama) 10:25, 11:55am, 12:50, 1:15, 2:20, 3:15, 4:45, 6:107:10, 9:35, 10:30 & 11:00pm; The Extractors 10:55pm;Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 5:40pm; Spider-Man: Far From Home 10:50am, 1:25, 3:20, 4:00, 5:50, 6:35, 8:20 & 9:10pm;Toy Story 4 (2D/Animation) 10:35, 11:20am, 12:35, 1:20, 2:35, 4:35pm; The Kid (2D/Drama) 1:00, 4:55 & 8:45pm

Spider-Man: Far From Home 12:30 & 10:30pm; Crawl (2D/Horror) 1:00, & 3:10pm; Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00 & 10:30pm; Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 1:00, 4:30, 7:40 & 11:00pm; The Extractors 3:00 & 11:00pm; Shubha Rathri (2D/Malayalam) 10:30am, 1:10, 3:10, 6:00, 6:30, 11:40pm & 12:30am;The Lion King (2D/Drama) 1:00, 3:30, 5:00, 6:00, 7:30, 8:00 & 8:30pm; Toy Story 4 (2D/Animation) 5:10pm

The Lion King (2D/Drama) 2:15, 4:30 & 6:45pm; Ardaas Karaan (2D/Punjabi) 2:30pm;Pathinettam Padi (2D/Malayalam) 2:30, 8:45 & 11:15pm;Toy Story 4 (2D/Animation) 5:15pm; Spider-Man: Far From Home 5:00 & 9:15pm; Finding Steve McQueen (2D/Drama) 7:00pm The Kid (2D/Drama) 7:15pm; A.M.I (2D/Horror) 9:15pm; Kadaram Kondon (2D/Tamil) 9:00 & 11:30pm; Super 30 (2D/Hindi) 11:00pm

ROYAL PLAZA

16 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019CLASSIFIEDS

AL ASMAKH LISTINGSCALL CENTER: 4448 5111 / 4041 0757

We also offer our RICS regulated International valuation serviceVALUATIONS & RESEARCH advisory@alasmakhrealestate.com

Email : info@alasmakhrealestate/com Website: www.alasmakhrealestate.com

TOWERSBEVERLY HILLS TOWER (WEST BAY): Fully furnished 1 ����������� ������������� �������������������������� ��������� ������� ����� �� ��������� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (��������*������+������������*����,���� ������������������������������� ��������-�� *�+� ���� ��������-�� ��������� *����� �����������������������..������*������+������.������������������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02����������*��������������+�������������� ���������� ��������� 3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�:::2�;887 ��::<:�;2=>� �:::2�=?;<� �??;;�0>72� �::<7�;0;8����"%�'4)������+�������@�������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE (WEST BAY): �3���+�.���������0����������)�0�%����-������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������� ������������� �����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����������-��*�+�������������-����������� *����� ���� ������ ����� ������ A������ �� �����+����!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ (������+�� ���������� �������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�:::2�;887� �:::0�?=2;� �::<7�;2?0� �::<7�;0;8����"%�'4)������+�������@�������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE (WEST BAY): Fully furnished 1 bedroom ������������������ �������� ������������������������������ ������������ � ��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� �+�����������-�� *�+� ���� ��������-�� ��������� *����� ���� �����������������A�������������+����!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�(������+������������ �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("���44)�567829�:::2�;887� ::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07� �::<:�;2=>����"%�'4)������+�������@�������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE (WEST BAY): �3���+�.���������0����������)�0�%����-������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������� ������������� �����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� �+��� ��������-�� *�+� ������������-�����������*��������������������������A�������������+�� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ (������+�� ������������ ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829�:::2�;887� �:::0�?=2;� ::<7�;2?0����"%�'4)������+�������@�������������������

BEVERLY HILLS TOWER (WEST BAY): � 3���+� .��������� >��������� �� � � ����������� � ��� >� ���������� ������ �����������-�� ����� � � ������� ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� ���������� ����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+������������*� ���,����������������������������������������������-��*�+�������������-�����������*����������������������������..��� ���*�� ����+� ������ .��� ���� �� ������� ��!�"�#$�("�/'�"()� 02� (������+�� ����������� 4��������� �������� ������������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829�:::2;887 � ::<7� ;2?0� � ??;;� 2?>?� :::=� 08>2� ��� "%�'4)������+�������@�������������������

REGENCY PEARL 3 (THE PEARL):�(����.������������������������*��B� ����� ������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� /���� C���+�(��������*������+���������������������D��*�+����3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� 8;02� ??20 � ::<8�<=7>�� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07� �>>07�2>0=����"%�'4)������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 3 (THE PEARL): (����.������������������������*��B� ����� ������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� /���� C���+�(��������*������+���������������������D��*�+����3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� 8;02� ??20 � ::<8�<=7>�� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07� �>>07�2>0=����"%�'4)������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 3 (THE PEARL): (����.���������������������*������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� /���� C���+� (��������*����� �+��� ����� ��� ����� �� ���D�� *�+� ��� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� 8;02� ??20 � ::<8� <=7>�� � ::<7� <070� � ??;;� =>07� � >>07� 2>0=� ��� "%�'4)� �����@������������������ ����+�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 3 (THE PEARL):�(����.���������������������*������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� /���� C���+� (��������*����� �+��� ����� ��� ����� �� ���D�� *�+� ��� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� 8;02� ??20 � ::<8� <=7>�� � ::<7� <070� � ??;;� =>07� � >>07� 2>0=� ��� "%�'4)� �����@������������������ ����+�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 5 (THE PEARL):� (���� .���������=���������*������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� /��� C���+� (��������*����� �+��� ����� ��� ����� �� ���D�� *�+� ��� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�::8;�=802� �::<8�<=7>�� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07� �>>07�2>0=����"%�'4)������+���+@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 5 (THE PEARL): (���� .��������� �������*������� ��� ����� ���� ������ ��� /��� C���+� (��������*����� �+��� ����� ��� ����� �� ���D�� *�+� ��� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�::8;�=802� �::<8�<=7>�� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07� �>>07�2>0=����"%�'4)������+���+@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 1 (THE PEARL): 3���+�.���������(�������+*������������ ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..����������������D��*�+�������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������E��*��������������+��� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)�5678298;02�??20 �::<8�<=7>�� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07����"%�'4)����*���=�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 2 (THE PEARL): 3���+�.���������(�������+*������������ ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..����������������D��*�+�������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������E��*��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�8;02� ??20� � ::<7<070� � ??;;� =>07� � ::<:� ;2=>� ��� "%�'4)����*����������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 1 (THE PEARL):�3���+�.���������(�������+*������������ ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..����������������D��*�+�������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������E��*��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�::<8�<=7>�� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07����"%�'4)����*����������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 2 (THE PEARL): 3���+�.���������(�������+*������������ ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..����������������D��*�+�������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������E��*��������������+��� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)�567829�8;02�??20 �::<7<070� �??;;�=>07� �::<:�;2=>����"%�'4)����*����������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 2 (THE PEARL): 3���+� .���������=�C����������������� ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..����������������D��*�+�������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������E��*��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�8;02� ??20� � ::<7� <070� � ??;;� =>07� � ::<:� ;2=>� ��� "%�'4)����*���=�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 1 (THE PEARL): Fully furnished 1 bedroom ��� ��������� ������ �������� ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � ��������������-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..��� �������� ���D�� *�+� ���� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������E��*��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("� ��44)� 567829� 8;02� ??20 � ::<8� <=7>� � ::<7� <070� � :::2� =?;<� � ::<:� ;2=>� ��� "%�'4)� � ���*���=�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 1 (THE PEARL): Fully furnished 1 bedroom ��� ��������� ������ �������� ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � ��������������-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..��� �������� ���D�� *�+� ���� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������E��*��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("� ��44)� 567829� 8;02� ??20 � ::<8� <=7>� � ::<7� <070� � :::2� =?;<� � :::0� ?=2;� ��� "%�'4)� � ���*���=�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 2 (THE PEARL):� 3���+� .���������=�C����������������� ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..����������������D��*�+�������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������E��*��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�8;02� ??20� � ::<7� <070� � ??;;� =>07� � ::<:� ;2=>� ��� "%�'4)����*���=�������@�����������������

REGENCY PEARL 1 (THE PEARL): Fully furnished 1 bedroom + �.H��������������������������������������������������������� ��������������-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..��� �������� ���D�� *�+� ���� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� �������������+��������������������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�::<8�<=7>� �::<7�<070� �??;;�0>72� �??;;�0>:?����"%�'4)����*���=�������@�������������������

REGENCY PEARL 2 (THE PEARL): 3���+�.���������0������������ ��������� ������ �������� � ������� �� ������� ���� �������� � ��������������-�����!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+�����..��� �������� ���D�� *�+� ���� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� �������������+��������������������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�8;02�??20� �::<7�<070� �??;;�0>72� �??;;�0>:?����"%�'4)����*����������@�������������������

UMM BAB TOWER (WESTBAY): 3���+�.���������0����������0�%����-����������������������������������������������������������������������������!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()� '������ ���������*����� .���+� �I��**��� �+��� �����+�� ��������D�� *�+������� ���������� *������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)�567829�>>072>0=� �:::0�?=2;� �::<7�;2?0����"%�'4)������+�������@�������������������

UMM BAB TOWER (WESTBAY):� 3���+� .��������� >� ��������6� ���-� ����� � � J�����)� >� %����-�� �������� ����� �������������������������������������������������������������!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()� '������ ��������� *����� .���+� �I��**��� �+��������+�� ��������D�� *�+������� �� �������� *������� 3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>072>0= � ??;;�2?>?� � :::=� 08>2� ::<7� <070� ��� "%�'4)� �����+�������@�������������������

COMPOUNDBEVERLY HILLS GARDEN 10 (Al WAAB): (���� .��������� 2��������� ����)� >� ��������� ������ �������� �����+� ������ ��������� ������� ���� �������� � � �*���� ��-��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()�(�������� *����� C�������� ��������-�� *�+� ���� K+����������!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�>>:0�=8=>� �??;;�0>:?� � ::<:� ;2=>� � :::2� =?;<� � ::<7� ;0;8��� "%�'4)� ����������@�������������������

AIN KHALID GATE: 3���+� .��������� 2� �������� ����� ����� 0�%����-������������������������������� ��������������������� �����������-�� ������ �����+� ������0� ������� ����������������� �������� � � ����������� ��-��� ���+��� ��� �� *��������������� *����� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� ��������������� A������� ������� K+��� ������� A������� ���� ����������� ������ �������� ������� ������� ������� �I���� ���������I������*��������������+����*��������+����������������������������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02��������������+��������������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� ::?=� 870?� �::<:� :08=� � � ??;;� 0>:?� � � ::<7� ;2?0� � ��� "%�'4)� ��������������@�������������������

AIN KHALID GATE: 3���+� .��������� 0� �������� ����� ����� 0���������� �������� 5�*��� ��� ������9� � � ����������� ��-�����!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� ������� �������� A��������������K+����������A����������������������������������������������������������I�������������I������*��������������+����*��������+����������������������������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�::?=�870?� �::<:�:08=�� �::<7�;2?0� ����"%�'4)���������������@�������������������

BEVERLY HILLS GARDEN 2 (AL WAAB):� (���� .��������� 2��������� �����)� 0� %����-�� C������� ����� ������� ����������� .���+� ��������������������������� �������� �*���������������� ����� �����+�� ���-�� ����� ����� ��������� ������� ����������������������������������*���������+������!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� �+��� �������� ������ ������� ��������������� ������� ��� ��������-�� *�+� ���� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()�02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>>:0�=8=>� �??;;�0>:?� �::<:�;2=>� �:::2�=?;<� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)�����������@�������������������

BEVERLY HILLS GARDEN 1 (AL WAAB): (���� .��������� 2��������� �����)� 0� %����-�� C������� ����� ������� ����������� .���+� ��������������������������� �������� �*���������������� ����� �����+�� ���-�� ����� ����� ��������� ������� ����������������������������������*���������+������!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� �+��� �������� ������ ������� ��������������� ������� ��� ��������-�� *�+� ���� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()�02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>>:0�=8=>� �??;;�0>:?� �::<:�;2=>� �:::2�=?;<� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)�����������@�������������������

BEVERLY HILLS GARDEN 13 (AL WAAB): (���� .��������� 2��������� �����)� 0� %����-�� C������� ����� ������� �����������.���+���������������������������������������-��������������������� ������� ��� ������� ������ .���+� �I��**��� ��������� ����!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� .���+� �I��**��� �+����������.���������������������.���������������������!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�>>:?�8=:?� �>>2>�>=?<� �::<:�;2=>� �:::2�=?;<� �??;;2?>?� �::<7�;0;8����"%�'4)�����������@�������������������

Q BEL AIR COMPOUND (LAQTAH): (����.���������:�C�����������)� 0� %����-�� �������� ����� ������� ��������� ������������������������������������������������!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(��������*������+��������������������������������*��*����������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>07� 2>0=� �??;;�0>:?� �:::0�?=2;� �::<7�;0;8����"%�'4)�����������@�����������������,�C"4��'���!%�!L&M�54�,#�E9)�(���� .���������:�C�����������)� 0� %����-�� �������� ����� ������� ��������� ������������������������������������������������!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�(�������� *����� �+��� ������� ������� �������� �� �����*��*��������� � 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>07�2>0=� � ??;;� 0>:?� � :::0� ?=2;� � ��� "%�'4)� ����������@�����������������

COMPOUND APARTMENTAIN KHALID COMPOUND (AIN KHALID): Fully furnished 0� �������� �)� 0� �������� ������� �� ������� ��� �� �����������!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� �+��� ������������*�������� �� ���-�� *�+� ���� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>;7� ?2<< � :::0� ?=2;� ��� "%�'4)� ���������@�����������������

AIN KHALID COMPOUND (AIN KHALID): Fully furnished 0� �������� �)� 0� �������� ������� �� ������� ��� �� �����������!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *����� �+��� ������������*�������� �� ���-�� *�+� ���� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>;7� ?2<<� � :::0� ?=2;� ��� "%�'4)� ���������@�����������������

BUILDING APARTMENTREGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 1 (AL SADD): Fully furnished =� �������� �)� %����-�� �������� ����� ������� ����������������������������������������������������� ������������� �����!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� ������ K+��� (��� ������A��������(������������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02��������������+��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>>=;� 0?2?� � � ??;;� =>07� � >>77� 20??� � ??;;2?>?� ��� "%�'4)������������@������������������

MESAIMEER/BARWA CITY: L�.��������� >� ��������� �)�%����-������������������������������������� �������� ��������� ������� ���� ��������� ����������� ��� � ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()�02� E����� �������+�� � ���������� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>>07�20??� ::<:�;2=>����"%�'4)�������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 3 (AL SADD): Fully furnished >N�������� �)� %����-�� ��������� � ��������� ������ ��������������� �� ������� ��� �� �������� � � ����������� � ��� ��!�"�#$��%"&'#'"()�3���+�"I��**���K+������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02��������������+� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("���44)�567829�>>=;�0?2?� �::<:�;2=>� �:::2�=?;<� �??;;�0>72� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE ALSADD 3 (AL SADD): Fully furnished >� �������� �)� %����-�� �������� ����� ������� ��������������� ��������� ������ �������� ������� �� ������� ��� �� ��������� � ����������� � ��� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� E����� �������+������������� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("���44)�567829�>>=;�0?2?� ??;;�0>:?� �:::0�?=2;� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 10 (AL SADD): Fully furnished >� �������� �)� %����-�� �������� ����� ������� ��������������� ��������� ������ �������� ������� ��� ������� ��� ������������� ������������ ��� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("���44)� 567829� >>=;� 0?2?� ??;;� 0>:?� � :::0� ?=2;� � ��� "%�'4)������������@������������������ � �����������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 2 (AL SADD): Fully furnished 0� �������� �)� 0� ��������� �� ������ ��������� ������ ����������������������������������������������������� ���3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>=;� 0?2?� ??;;� 0>:?� �:::0� ?=2;� � ��� "%�'4)� �����������@������������������������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 6 (AL SADD): Fully furnished 0� �������� �)� 0� ��������� �� ������ ��������� ������ ����������������������������������������������������� ���3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>=;� 0?2?� ??;;� 0>:?� �:::0� ?=2;� � ��� "%�'4)� �����������@������������������������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 12 (AL SADD): Fully .��������� =� �������� �)�� ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� ���������� � � (*���� � ��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� 3���+� �I��**����+��� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� �����������3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�>>=;�0?2?� � �??;;�=>07� �::<:�;2=>� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 12 (AL SADD): Fully .��������� =� �������� �)� � ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� ���������� � (*���� � ��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� 3���+� �I��**���

�+��� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� �����������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>=;� 0?2?� �??;;�=>07� �::<:�;2=>� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AL SADD 13 (AL SADD): Fully furnished =����������)� ���������� ������������������������������ ������������ � ��� ��!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �������������3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�>>=;�0?2?� �??;;�0>72� �::<7;0;8� �:::0�?=2;� �??;;2?>?����"%�'4)������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE MUSHEIREB 1 (MUSHEIREB): Fully .��������� =� �������� ��� ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� ���������� � � ����������� � ��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� '������(��������������K+���(�����������������A�������C����������!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� �����������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� ::8;� =802� � ::7>� ?8:<� � >>77� 20??� ��� "%�'4)� ����������������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AIRPORT 1 (DOHA AREA):Fully .��������� =� �������� ��� ��������� ������� �� ������� ����������� � � �*���� ��-��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *������K+�����!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������������+��������������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>:?� 8=:?� �>;>7�:0<8� �??;;�2?>?� �:::=�08>2����"%�'4)�����������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AIRPORT 1 (DOHA AREA): (����.��������� 0� �������� ��� ��������� ������� �� ������� ����������� � � �*���� ��-��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *������K+�����!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02�������������+��������������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>:?� 8=:?� �>;>7�:0<8� �::<7�<070� �??;;�=>07����"%�'4)�����������@������������������

REGENCY RESIDENCE AIRPORT 2 (DOHA AREA): (����.��������� 0� �������� ��� ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� ���������� � � �*���� � ��� ��!�"�#$� �%"&'#'"()� (�������� *�������!�"�#$� ("�/'�"()� 02� ����� �������+� �� ����������� 3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>:?� 8=:?� �>;>7�:0<8� �::<:�;2=>� �>>2>�>=?<����"%�'4)�����������@������������������

BIN DIRHAM 1 (MANSOURA): L�.��������� 0� �������� �)������� ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� �� ��������� ��!�"�#$�("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� � >;>7� :0<8� � >>:?�8=:?� � ??;;� 0>72� � ??;;� 0>:?� ��� "%�'4)� ������������@������������������

BIN DIRHAM 5 (MANSOURA): L�.��������� 0� �������� �)������� ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� �� ��������� ��!�"�#$�("�/'�"()� 02� ������ �������+� �� ����������� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�>;>7�:0<8� �>>:?�8=:?� �:::0�?=2;�����"%�'4)�������������@������������������

STUDIO FLATS (UMM SALAL):� L�.��������� (������ �� ���������������*������������������*������������ �(*����� ���3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�:;;<�;;:0� �::<=�<80<����"%�'4)�*�@�����������������

STUDIO FLATS (UMM SALAL): L�.��������� (������ �� ���������������*������������������*������������ �(*����� ���3!��%!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�:;;<�;;:0� �::<=�<80<����"%�'4)�*�@�����������������

DOHA GARDENS (AL WAAB):�3���+�.���������>����������)�%����� C�������� ������ ��������� ������� �� ������� ��� �������������!�"�#$�("�/'�"()�02��������������+��������������3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829� >>=;� 0?2?� �??;;�0>:?� �::<:�;2=>� �:::2�=?;<����"%�'4)������������@������������������

ONE COMPANY DEALLABOR ACCOMODATION (UMM SALAL): L�.���������4���� ������ 52;;� L����9� ����� (*���� � �� ��� ���������������� �������� ���� .��� ��������� ����N���� 3!�� %!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�:;;<�;;:0� �::<=�<80<����"%�'4)�*�@�����������������

STUDIO & ONE BEDROOM FLATS (UMM SALAL): L�.��������� (������ 5=72� L����9� ��� !��� C������� 5?<� L����9�����!����������������*���������������*������������������(*�����������������.��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("� ��44)� 567829� :;;<� ;;:0� � ::<=� <80<� ��� "%�'4)� *�@�����������������

OFFICE & SHOWROOMAL ASMAKH TOWER (WESTBAY): C����&���!.H���#������ ������������� �)������� .����� �������*���������*���+�� 3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>>;>88><����"%�'4)����+����@������������������

REGENCY BUSINESS CENTER 3 (GRAND HAMAD STREET): ���������� !.H��� (*��� � � ����������� � ��� ������� �� *���+��������� ��� ��������� �������+� ����� ��#/� �� (*�������� H����.��+��+������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>;>7�:0<8� �>>:?�8=:?� �:::2�=?;<����"%�'4)�����������@������������������

OFFICE COMMERCIAL BUILDING: ���������� !.H��� (*���� �C��������K������6�0�3�������==2��������(������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)� 567829�::<7�;0;8� �222<�:===� �2;2=�;80:����"%�'4)���������@�����������������O

SHOPSUmm Salal Brand New Commercial Building: ?�%������K�����������.���&�������������>>;��I��(��*������K������4�����6�%��������� 3!�� %!�"� '&3!�%�#'!&� �4"�("� ��44)� 567829�:;;<�;;:0� �::<=�<80<����"%�'4)�*�@�����������������

Brand-New Shops in Barwa City: ��������������H�����������.��������������3!��%!�"�'&3!�%�#'!&��4"�("���44)�567829�>>2>� >=?<� � >>77� 20??� ��� "%�'4)� ��+@������������������

SPORTTour de France: Stage 12,

between Toulouse and

Bagnères-de-Bigorre

Europa League, first

qualifying round: Tobol vs

Jeunesse Esch

CYCLING FOOTBALL

17THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019

With the ICC World Test Championship, due to get under way in September, the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020 and

the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, I believe it is the right time for the PCB

to appoint a new chief selector.

Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq says as he steps down as Pakistan’s chief selector.

TO

DA

Y’S

AC

TIO

N

Record-breaker Peaty leads British charge in GwangjuAFP LONDON

Virtually untouchable when on song, breaststroke king Adam Peaty spearheads a potent British team when the World Swimming Championships begin on Sunday in Gwangju, South Korea.

The world record holder over 50 and 100 metres, Peaty will be the red-hot favourite to retain his world titles but Brit-ain’s supporting cast also con-tains plenty of quality.

Duncan Scott is a sure-fire medal contender after backing up his gold in the 100m free at last year’s Commonwealth Games by bagging the 200m freestyle title at the 2018 European championships.

European champion Ben Proud should be in the mix in the 50m free, while James Wilby looks to hang on to Peaty’s shirt tails in the 100m breaststroke after silver medals at the Com-monwealth and Europeans.

But Peaty remains the Brit-ain’s biggest draw after leading them to second place in the medals table at the last world championships in Budapest two years ago.

The Brits won four gold medals, a silver and two bronze

to finish behind the United States, albeit by a huge margin.

Peaty has romped to 50m and 100m breaststroke gold at each of the last two world cham-pionships and in between cap-tured a maiden Olympic gold in the 100m in Rio.

But fuelled by his first defeat in the 50m in nearly four years at the Commonwealth Games, the 24-year-old wants to set new heights by taking down his own world records.

“Even if you are the best in the world, you can still be beaten. I think that’s the most valuable lesson,” said Peaty of that shock defeat on Australia’s Gold Coast.

He responded by lowering his own 100m world best record to 57.10 seconds at the European

championships. His 50m record of 25.95 seconds could also go, Peaty believes.

“I definitely think it is humanly possible,” he told the BBC. “I want to put on a show.”

According to reports from his training camp at Loughborough University, world records are routinely being broken when no one is watching.

As the first British male swimmer to win Olympic gold since 1988, Peaty is the poster boy for the sport in his home country.

But he is also aware that his star power means there is a target on his back for others to catch.

“Once you’re at the top you’ve got to keep that spot,”

Peaty told magazine Men’s Health. “I’ve been at the top now for five years. It’s a long time to stay on top without getting beaten.”

In the women’s events, Britain will look to the likes of Siobhan-Marie O’Connor to step up in the individual medleys and Commonwealth champion Alys Thomas in the 200m butterfly.

Peaty, though, will be the man the others looks to provide the spark for the British team in Gwangju.

“I don’t just want to win -- I want to dominate,” he said after his latest world record.

“That’s not an arrogant side, it’s just the competitive side in me.”

Adam Peaty of England competes at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in this April 8, 2018 file photo.

World Swimming Championships

The world record holder over 50 and 100 metres, Peaty will be the red-hot favourite to retain his world titles.

American Dressel ready to compete against world’s best

Caeleb Dressel

REUTERS SEOUL

Two years after making a splash as US swimming’s “next big thing”, Caeleb Dressel heads into the World Cham-pionships in South Korea looking to show his rivals he is the man to beat at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

There is no way the 22-year-old will fly under the radar this time around given the tattooed Florida native tied Michael Phelps’ record by winning seven gold medals at the 2017 worlds in Budapest.

While admitting to being flattered by comparisons to Phelps -- the most decorated athlete in Olympic history with 28 medals, a staggering 23 of them gold -- Dressel says it is not something that crosses his mind.

But the comparisons to the American swimming great could surely heat up in Gwangju if Dressel wins gold in his four individual events -- the 50m and 100 freestyle and butterfly.

Dressel, who won gold in the 4x100m freestyle and 4x100 medley at the 2016

Rio Olympics before his breakout 2017, offered a glimpse into how he trains at an elite level for several different events.

“I like to aim for three objectives per day,” Dressel told the Team USA website.

“I have this habit where I will just go and go and go and try to get as much done as I can, and I’ll just start making stuff up to do, so I try not to limit myself. It lets me go to bed feeling like I’ve gotten a lot accomplished.”

Dressel, who was hurt in a motorcycle accident last year, has already shown his blis-tering speed in 2019, including in the marquee 100m free-style where he has been under 48 seconds three times, going as fast as 47.86.

The 100m butterfly is widely considered Dressel’s event to lose after having clocked a world-leading time this season of 50.36 at the Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions in June.

“He’s the new star of USA Swimming,” Mark Schubert, coach of the Mission Viejo Nadadores swimming club, said in June.

Hosting Open ‘speaks volumes’ for Northern Ireland: McIlroyAFP PORTRUSH, UK

Rory McIlroy (pictured) said yesterday that Northern Ireland hosting the British Open for the first time since 1951 this week “speaks volumes” for how much it has changed since The Troubles.

The 148th edition of golf’s oldest major will be the biggest sporting event held in Northern Ireland, with 237,750 people expected to attend across the week.

“Sport has an unbelievable ability to bring people together. We all know that this country sometimes needs that,” said Northern Irishman McIlroy, who was only eight years old when the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998.

“It’s amazing to think 40 years on it’s such a great

place, no one cares who they are, w h e r e

they’re from, what background they’re from, but you can have a great life and it doesn’t matter what side of the street you come from.

“We’re so far past that. And that’s a wonderful thing.”

McIlroy, a four-time major champion, will draw huge crowds when the tournament gets under way today.

“I think no matter what happens this week, if I win or whoever else wins, having the Open back in this country is a massive thing for golf,” the 30-year-old added.

“And I think as well it will be a massive thing for the country.”

Former US Open champion and Portrush native Graeme McDowell has been one of the driving forces behind the return of the championship to Northern Ireland.

The 39-year-old said he, McIlroy and Darren Clarke used to joke with former R&A chief Peter Dawson about taking the British Open to Portrush, before

the trio won six major titles between them to make that idea no longer a laughing matter.

“The reasons were: Infrastructure, and this and

that and the other,” said McDowell.

“It was the Irish Open in 2012 when we broke the European Tour attendance record. I think The R&A

couldn’t ignore the fact that this could be a

commercial success. The jokes became very serious. It was like, ‘We can do this, we can pull it off’.”

McDowell, who will be playing in the tournament for the first time since 2016, believes it can have a long-lasting effect.

“If we can have a great week this week, have a successful tournament, which seems inev-itable at this point, I think get the Open Championship back here in the near future, I think the spinoffs for golf in Ireland in general is huge.”

The British Open returns to Northern Ireland after a 68-year absence this week at Royal Por-

trush for the 148th staging of Golf’s oldest major.

Here, we take a look at five key holes on the 7,344-yard, par-71 Dunluce Links which could de-

cide who lifts the Claret Jug on Sunday:

No 5: 374 yards, par four -- The fifth is a classic risk-and-reward par four. Many players will

try to reach the green with their tee shots, so expect plenty of birdies. But the green is situated

on a cliff-top, with out of bounds only two yards over the back. “White Rocks” will be a favour-

ite with spectators, thanks to its spectacular views overlooking the Causeway Coast.

No 7: 592 yards, par five -- The longest hole on the course, the seventh could either be

reachable in two shots or play as a traditional three-shotter depending on the wind. One of two

new holes, along with the eighth, it has been added since the Open was last held at Portrush

in 1951. A downhill tee shot will need to avoid a bunker on the left, with a narrow approach to

the green.

No 16: 236 yards, par three -- Named “Calamity Corner”, this par three could spell the end

of many a challenge on Sunday afternoon. Lengthened to a daunting 236 yards, the hole will

be difficult avoid dropping shots at over the week. With all shots missed short and right falling

away, many players will look to find “Bobby Locke’s hollow” to the left of the green. The South

African supposedly decided to aim left during every round of the 1951 Open, and made par

every time. “It’s going to be a good hole, especially if the wind switches, like it’s supposed to,

and it’s going to play into the wind,” said world number two Dustin Johnson.

No 17: 408 yards, par four -- Despite its name of “Purgatory”, the penultimate hole will

provide chasing players with a decent chance of a birdie. The longer hitters will be able to drive

the ball over the hill, with the ball rolling towards the front of the green. “I feel like it’s a quirky

hole, for sure, because it’s not really drivable,” said England’s Justin Rose. “You hit driver over

the top there about 300 yards and it gets down within 20, 30 yards of the green.”

No 18: 474 yards, par four -- An exciting final stretch is finished off by another par four with

a downhill tee shot. Depending on the wind, players may lay up with an iron off the tee. Sur-

rounded by a large grandstand, the 18th green slopes from right to left. “It’s a great hole if you

have four to win. By hitting an iron, even if you pull it left, you’re not reaching the trouble,” said

Rose. “But if you need birdie to force a play-off, for example, you’d probably hit driver.”

FIVE KEY HOLES AT THE BRITISH OPEN

years on it’s such a great place, no one

cares whothey are, w h e r e

The 39-year-oldMcIlroy and Darren Cto joke with former Peter Dawson about British Open to Portru

the trio won six mbetween themthat idea nolaughing matt

“The reasoInfrastructure, an

that and the othMcDowell.

“It was the Irish2012 when we bEuropean Tour arecord. I think

couldn’t ignorthat this co

Aussie rookie Ewan wins bunch sprint in Toulouse

Australia’s Caleb Ewan (left) sprints with Netherlands’ Dylan Groenewegen to win on the finish line of the eleventh stage of Tour de France in Toulouse, yesterday.

REUTERS TOULOUSE

Australia’s Caleb Ewan completed his set of grand tour stage victories when the pocket-sized sprinter pipped Dylan Groenewegen to the line to win the 11th stage of the Tour de France, a 167-km flat ride from Albi yesterday.

The Lotto Soudal rider surged past Groenewegen in a mass sprint to prevail by a few centimetres, with Italian Elia Viviani taking third place.

Riding the Tour for the first time, Ewan timed his effort per-fectly to add to his solitary Vuelta stage win and his three Giro d’Italia victories.

Frenchman Julian Alap-hilippe retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after staying safe in the bunch.

There were no major

changes in the overall standings but twice runner-up Nairo Quintana was involved in a pile-up some 30 kilometres from the finish.

Dutchman Niki Terpstra could not get back on his bike and abandoned the race while former overall leader Giulio Ciccone, who also crashed, was unable to rejoin the pack and dropping out of the top 10 in the general classification.

Breakaway rider Aime De Gendt was reined in by the pack with 4.5km left after attacking from the start with Frenchmen Stephane Rossetto, Anthony Perez and Lilian Calmejane.

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe retains the overall leader’s yellow jersey after staying safe in the bunch.

Stokes plays down redemption talk after heroics

18 THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019SPORT

England’s World Cup hero Roy set to earn Test debutAFP LONDON

England have given Jason Roy his first Test call-up to face Ireland after the Surrey opener played a key role in his country’s historic World Cup triumph, but pace bowler Mark Wood will be sidelined for between four and six weeks.

Roy was a crucial part of England’s first World Cup-winning campaign, with his return after missing three matches with a torn hamstring coinciding with the winning streak that carried them to the title.

South Africa-born Roy scored 443 runs in the World Cup, but England’s selectors were keen to get him red-ball practice ahead of the Ashes series against old rivals Australia, which starts on August 1 at Edgbaston.

However, Durham’s Wood, who has a side strain, and Sussex paceman Jofra Archer, suffering from the same injury, were not selected for the Ireland clash.

Wood is expected to be out of action for four to six weeks following the injury he sustained in Sunday’s final, leaving him certain to

miss the start of the five-Test Ashes.

Roy’s aggressive approach set the tone for England’s World Cup run, which culminated in Sun-day’s thrilling final victory over New Zealand.

With England meeting Ireland at Lord’s in a Test match next week -- scheduled for four days instead of the standard five -- Roy will be handed the

chance to underline his ability to thrive in the longer form of the sport as well as in limited overs.

It will be the 28-year-old’s first first-class match since last November when he batted at number three for the England Lions against Pakistan A in Abu Dhabi, making 59 off 73 balls.

England chairman of selectors Ed Smith con-firmed Roy would make his debut against Ireland, telling Sky Sports: “We have total confidence he will be able to adapt to red ball cricket.”

On James Anderson’s chances of being involved against Ireland as he returns from a calf tear, Smith

added: “It’s not clear. He’s making good progress and, if he’s fit to play without risk against Ireland, that’s a possibility.”

After Eoin Morgan cap-tained England’s World Cup team, it is Joe Root who resumed his role as Test skipper against Ireland.

Root’s squad includes Somerset bowling all-rounder Lewis Gregory, who earned his first call-up after impressing for Somerset and the England Lions.

The 27-year-old has been in fine form this cam-paign taking 44 wickets at an average of 13.88.

He is currently cap-taining the England Lions

against Australia XI in a tour match at Canterbury.

Warwickshire seamer Olly Stone, who made his England’s one-day inter-national debut last winter in Sri Lanka, earns his second call up to the Test squad.

Stone, 25, has fully recovered from a back injury, which had kept him out for most of this season.

Lancashire wicket-keeper-batsman Jos Buttler and Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes -- man of the match in the World Cup final -- were both rested after their exploits in the 50-over tournament.

Archer, who has yet to make his England debut in Test cricket, will have a period of rest before being considered for selection for the Ashes.

He will have a short break in Barbados before returning to the UK later this month.

After playing a pivotal role in the World Cup triumph, Archer has been awarded an increment con-tract by the ECB for the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, a squad of 16 players will attend a pre-Ashes training camp this weekend at St George’s Park, the Football Associa-tion’s national football centre in Burton.

That group includes World Cup winners Roy, Root, Buttler, Stokes, Wood, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali.

England’s Jason Roy with his medal during the celebrations at the Oval on Monday.

ENGLAND SQUAD FOR IRELAND TEST

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny

Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Joe

Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Olly Stone,

Chris Woakes

Inzamam to step down as Pakistan’s chief selectorREUTERS LAHORE

Inzamam-ul-Haq yesterday announced his decision to step down as Pakistan’s chief selector when his contract expires on July 31.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam, who was appointed to the role in April 2016, oversaw a period which included Pakistan’s victory in the Champions Trophy two years ago.

Inzamam’s final assignment was to select the Pakistan squad for the World Cup, where the Sar-faraz Ahmed-led team finished fifth in the group stage and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

“After more than three years as chair of the Pakistan men’s selection committee, I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract,” the 49-year-old Inzamam said in a statement.

“With the ICC World Test Championship, due to get under way in September, the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, I believe it is the right time for the Pakistan Cricket Board to appoint a new chief selector who can bring new ideas and fresh thinking.”

During Inzamam’s tenure, players such as Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Abbas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi and Usman Shinwari made their international debuts, while Babar Azam established himself as Pakistan’s batting mainstay across all three formats of the game.

“It has been a pleasure to see these players grow and make names for themselves in inter-national cricket,” Inzamam added.

“I will follow their progress with interest because I firmly believe these players have all the ingredients to take the Pakistan cricket team to greater heights.”

Inzamam faced criticism when he selected his nephew - left-handed opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq - in 2017 but the former captain defended his decision.

“Imam was first picked for Pakistan’s under-19 team in 2012 when I was not the chief selector,” he said. “He was again picked as the vice-captain of the Under-19 team which played the World Cup in 2014.”

So he came through the system and nothing else. He should be given respect like we give to any other Pakistan player.”

AFP LONDON

Ben Stokes admitted memories of the off-field incident that

threatened his career triggered his tears after

England’s historic World Cup triumph.

Stokes was found not guilty of affray following a street brawl during a night out in Bristol in 2017.

The all-rounder was banned and fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board after accepting a charge of bringing the game into disrepute.

Stokes was also stripped of the Test vice-captaincy and missed the Ashes tour, but he worked his way back from that chastening incident to enjoy a key role in England’s first ever World Cup title.

After some impressive dis-plays on the road to the final, Stokes cemented his place as an English cricket icon by scoring 84 not out and then starring in the Super Over that sealed Sunday’s thrilling final win over New Zealand at Lord’s.

“I won’t look back and say I redeemed myself or anything like that - I’m an athlete and a cricketer and it’s what we are

paid to do, to win trophies,” Stokes told ITV’s Good Morning Britain yesterday.

“It was coming back from all of that, it was tough. Getting back into cricket obviously massively helped straight after that.

“It was a stressful time for

me, my wife, my family back home. I had amazing people around me, my team-mates, friends, family. They have to take a lot of credit for helping me to get through that.”

Stokes wept tears of joy on the Lord’s pitch immediately after England won the World Cup and he revealed thoughts of his past had come flooding back.

“I got emotional there, at the end, and that was probably a culmination of lots of things, happiness that we won it and subconsciously thinking and remembering back to what I went through,” he said.

Despite the team’s euphoric celebrations fol-lowing England’s World Cup victory, Stokes insisted the team must start preparing for the Ashes Test series against arch rivals Australia in August.

“We’ve achieved half of what we wanted to do, which is winning the World Cup,” Stokes said.

“Everyone who is involved in the Test team as well as the one-day team has sort of had to get their heads around the fact that we have an Ashes series coming up and we still have a serious amount of work to do.”

Sto

Chris Woakes

AFPLON

B

triEng

Cup triSto

of affrbrawl Bristol

ThbanneEnglanBoard of bridisrep

I’m an athlete and a cricketer and it’s what we are paid to do, to win trophies: Ben Stokes

Thunder welcome Paul, bid adieu to WestbrookREUTERS NEW YORK

The Russell Westbrook-Chris Paul trade became official on Tuesday, when the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets spread the news in press releases.

In the deal reported by mul-tiple outlets, Westbrook was sent to the Rockets for Paul and a pair of first-round draft picks.

The Thunder will receive the Rockets’ first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 and the option to swap first-round selections in 2021 and 2025.

“We recently had conversa-tions with Russell about the team, his career, and how he sees the future,” Thunder exec-utive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said in the release.

“Through those conversa-tions we came to the under-standing that looking at some alternative situations would be something that made sense for him. As a result, and due to his

history with the Thunder, we worked together to accom-modate this....

“Russell Westbrook is the most important player in the brief history of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has left an indelible mark on this team, city and state. None of us could have anticipated the player he has become, and we are all deeply proud of what he has con-tributed to the success of the franchise and to our community.”

The move reunites West-brook, 30, with former Thunder

team-mate and reigning NBA scoring champion James Harden. They played together for three seasons from 2009-12, making the play-offs all three years and reaching the NBA Finals in 2012.

Paul, 34, returns to Oklahoma City, where he played his first two NBA seasons (2005-07) when the New Orleans franchise was tempo-rarily relocated after Hurricane Katrina.

An eight-time All-Star and two-time NBA scoring leader, Westbrook averaged a

triple-double for the third straight season in 2018-19 with 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and a league-high 10.7 assists in 73 games.

He has four years and $171.2m remaining on his con-tract, including a $47.1m player option for 2022-23.

The fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Westbrook led the Thunder to the third-best record in the NBA during his 11 seasons in Oklahoma City.

“I have a great deal of respect for Russell and there is no way to adequately describe our appreciation for what he has meant to Oklahomans,” Thunder chairman Clayton I. Bennett said in a prepared statement.

“His legacy here is immense, and he will be honored by the team for all he has done.”

A nine-time All-Star and four-time league assists leader, Paul averaged 15.6 points, 8.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 58 games last season. He has three years and $124.1m

remaining on his contract, including a $44.2m player option in 2021-22.

The NBA active leader in assists (9,181) and steals (2,122) whose career totals rank seventh and ninth all-time, respectively, Paul was the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 season.

“Getting a player of Chris’ caliber gives us another experienced playmaker and leader, while the additional draft picks continue to allow us to further commit to the long-term vision that we are embarking on for t h e

Thunder,” Presti said. “We welcome Chris b a c k t o

Oklahoma City where a s a member of the Hornets h e helped to pave the

way for the Thun-der’s arrival in OKC.”

d h a 3

d -r

nkt1

f ses”I. d

e, e

d r, 2 0 n. m

remaining on his contract, including a $44.2m player option in 2021-22.

The NBA active leader in assists (9,181)and steals (2,122) whose career totals rank seventh andninth all-time, respectively, Paul was the NBA Rookieof the Year in the 2005-06 season.

“Getting a player of Chris’ caliber givesus another experienced playmaker and leader,while the additional draftpicks continue to allow us to further commit to the long-term vision that we are embarking on for t h e

u de , est sa d. Wewelcome Chris b a c k t o

OklahomaCity where a s amemberof theHornets h ehelped to pave the

way for the Thun-der’s arrival in OKC.”

Russell Westbrook

In the deal reported by multiple outlets, Westbrook was sent to the Rockets for Paul and a pair of first-round draft picks.

The move reunites Westbrook, 30, with former

Thunder team-mate and reigning NBA scoring

champion James Harden.

Paul, 34, returns to Oklahoma City, where he played

his first two NBA seasons (2005-07) when the New

Orleans franchise was temporarily relocated after

Hurricane Katrina.

19THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019 SPORT

Senegal eye maiden African titleas Algeria look to regain prestigeREUTERS CAIRO

The Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt was perfectly set up for Mohamed Salah to lead his team to the title on home territory and crown his career but Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez and Senegal’s Sadio Mane have stolen the show.

The two players have been instrumental in leading their sides to tomorrow’s final at the Cairo International Stadium where Senegal will attempt to win their maiden title and Algeria the first since 1990.

It will be the second time they have met in the current tournament with Algeria out-muscling Senegal to win 1-0 in the group stage.

Salah has been voted Africa’s Player of the Year for the past two years but his interest in the tournament ended in round of 16 as the hosts imploded and were knocked out by South Africa.

The 27-year-old almost seemed to be trying too hard, taking on opposing defences single-handedly as his team mates ran out of ideas.

Senegal, beaten in the 2002 final, and Algeria, on the other hand, have been careful to lift the responsibility off the shoulders of their star players.

“I do not like highlighting players. We need to put a little less focus on Mahrez if we want to make this a big tour-nament for us,” said Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi at the start of the finals.

Mahrez has responded with three goals, two of them gems.

He produced a delightful touch in controlling a pass before lashing home a left-foot shot in the 3-0 quarter-final win over Guinea and

scored the winner in the semi-final against Nigeria with a stunning free kick deep into stoppage time.

Mane has netted three goals although he has also missed two penalties, prompting him to abdicate responsibility for spot- kicks, but there has been no denying his importance for Senegal.

Neither player had an especially happy relationship with the tournament before this year.

Mahrez scored one goal and played in all four games as Algeria reached the quarter-finals in 2015 where they lost to eventual cham-pions Ivory Coast.

Two years later, Algeria were knocked out in the group stage without winning a game although Mahrez scored twice in the 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe.

Mane, also taking part for the third time, played two matches in 2015 when his side went out in the first round.

Two years ago in Gabon, he scored two goals but could not prevent a quarter-final elimination by Cameroon, missing the decisive penalty in the shootout.

Although both won major club titles this season -- Mahrez the English Premier League with Manchester City and Mane the Champions League with Liverpool -- they agreed that winning the AFCON for their countries would be something special.

“To be in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations is some-thing unbelievable,” Mahrez said. “I think we have been very good in this tournament. We scored 12 goals and con-ceded two, that is the source of our confidence.”

Mane, meanwhile, said beforehand that he would happily swap his Champions League medal for an AFCON one.

FIFA to help ‘improve’ African footballREUTERS CAIRO

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said yesterday that the unprece-dented move to step in and jointly administer African football with the regional body CAF will ‘signif-icantly improve’ the sport on the continent.

Infantino also brushed aside suggestions that there was wide-spread opposition to the move which followed corruption alle-gations against CAF President Ahmad Ahmad.

FIFA is sending its Senegalese Secretary-General Fatma Samoura on a ninth-month secondment from August to overhaul CAF which has been plagued by chaos.

Infantino attended a CAF executive committee meeting yesterday where members were shown an 11-point plan.

Suggestions in the plan included possible changes to the format of CAF competitions, a review of refereeing and a task force to improve stadium security.

Other points included a review of CAF’s judicial bodies, full transparency of money flows and implementation of good gov-ernance principles.

“What counts is that we decide to cooperate, that the highest FIFA administrator is coming to work with CAF...to improve African football signifi-cantly,” Infantino said.

Ahmad was reported in

March to FIFA’s ethics committee by CAF General Secretary Amr Fahmy, who was then fired.

Further allegations of fraud have recently been made against Ahmad, who was detained and questioned by French authorities in June as part of a corruption investigation.

Ahmad has denied wrongdoing

in several media interviews but has not responded to repeated requests by Reuters for comment on the spe-cific allegations against him.

FIFA has confirmed there is an ethics investigation into Ahmad, although he has not been suspended.

The second leg of the African Champions League final was aban-doned in May in a row over the absence of the technology when it had been scheduled to be used.

When the referee disallowed an effort by Wydad Casablanca, they stormed off in protest that VAR had not been consulted, even though they had been told before the game that the system was not operational.

Their Tunisian opponents Esperance were initially declared

champions but CAF then back-tracked and ordered a replay. Both clubs have since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), asking to be declared champions.

The ongoing Africa Cup of Nations was only awarded to Egypt in January after the original hosts Cameroon were stripped of the right to stage the tournament.

Umm Salal begin Dutch training camp THE PENINSULA DOHA

Umm Salal players left Doha to take part in a pre-season training camp in the Nether-lands. The squad will be in the Netherlands until August 8 with new coach Raul Caneda super-vising the three-week long training camp. The technical and administrative staff of the squad has also decided to play four friendly matches during the pre-season training camp.

Umm Salal will play the first friendly against Sparta Rot-terdam on July 21.

Their second match will be against Dutch side Utrecht on July 25, followed by a third match against a Dutch club on July 30.

Their final practice match will be played on August 6.

mpions but CAF then back-ked and ordered a replay.

h clubs have since appealed he Court of Arbitration forrt (CAS), asking to be declared mpions.The ongoing Africa Cup of ons was only awarded to

pt in January after the original s Cameroon were stripped

he right to stage the nament.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino

FIFA will send its

Secretary-General

Fatma Samoura on a

ninth-month

secondment from

August to overhaul

CAF which has been

plagued by chaos.

2017: Cameroon 2-1 Egypt

2015: Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana (Ivory Coast won

9-8 on penalties)

2013: Nigeria 1-0 Burkina Faso

2012: Zambia 0-0 Ivory Coast (Zambia won

8-7 on penalties)

2010: Egypt 1-0 Ghana

2008: Egypt 1-0 Cameroon

2006: Egypt 0-0 Ivory Coast (Egypt won 4-2

on penalties)

2004: Tunisia 2-1 Morocco

2002: Cameroon 0-0 Senegal (Cameroon won

3-2 on penalties)

2000: Cameroon 2-2 Nigeria (Cameroon won

4-3 on penalties)

1998: Egypt 2-0 South Africa

1996: South Africa 2-0 Tunisia

1994: Nigeria 2-1 Zambia

1992: Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana (Ivory Coast won

11-10 on penalties)

1990: Algeria 1-0 Nigeria

1988: Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria

1986: Egypt 0-0 Cameroon (Egypt won 5-4 P)

1984: Cameroon 3-1 Nigeria

1982: Ghana 1-1 Libya (Ghana won 7-6 P)

1980: Nigeria 3-0 Algeria

1978: Ghana 2-0 Uganda

1976: Morocco won after a final round-robin group

1974: Zaire 2-2 Zambia (Zaire won replay 2-0)

1972: Congo 3-2 Mali

1970: Sudan 3-2 Ghana

1968: Congo DR 1-0 Ghana

1965: Ghana 3-2 Tunisia (aet)

1963: Ghana 3-0 Sudan

1962: Ethiopia 4-2 United Arab Republic (aet)

1959: United Arab Republic

1957: Egypt 4-0 Ethiopia

Al Wakrah officials pose for a photograph with their new players, Algerian striker Mohamed Ben Yattou, Spanish midfielder Isaías Sánchez Cortés, Brazilian Bruno Uvini Bortolança and Spanish attacking midfielder Cristian Ceballos Prieto during a press conference held in Doha, yesterday. Midfielder Jamil Al Ahmadi whose contract was renewed, is also present. Al Wakrah are back in Qatar Stars League after spending two seasons in the second division.

Al Wakrah unveil four new players, retain Al AhmadiNewly appointed Qatar SC coach, Carlos Alós poses for a photograph with club officials during an unveiling ceremony held in Doha, yesterday. Abdullah Hamed Al Mulla, Executive Director of the club, Ali Rashid Al Atiq, Head of Football at Qatar SC, and Hassan Ansari, Sports Director, were also present at the occasion.

Qatar SC appoint Alós as new coach

West Ham sign Haller in record dealAFP LONDON

West Ham smashed their transfer record yesterday signing French striker Sebastien Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Haller agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League club for a reported £45m, in a deal that surpasses the £42m the Hammers paid to sign Felipe Anderson from Lazio last year.

The 25-year-old scored 20 goals in 41 appearances for Bun-desliga club Eintracht last season.

A former France Under-21 international who came through the ranks at Auxerre, Haller will replace Marko Arnautovic at the London Stadium after West Ham sold the Austrian forward to Chinese club Shanghai SIPG recently.

Haller played 75 times for Frankfurt during his two seasons at the club, amassing 32 goals.

He also enjoyed a fruitful spell at FC Utrecht before moving to Frankfurt.

Haller joins Spain midfielder Pablo Fornals and goalkeepers Roberto and David Martin in signing for West Ham since the end of last season.

He will not link up with Manuel Pellegrini’s side until they return from China, where they were paying Manchester City yesterday in the Premier League Asia Trophy.

Sebastien Haller

Rose to miss Asia tourREUTERS LONDON

England full backs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose have been left out of Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season squad for their tour of Asia.

Spanish and British media reported Trippier, 28, is on the verge of a move to Atletico Madrid. Spurs confirmed Rose has been granted time off “to explore prospective opportu-nities with other clubs”, along with Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs will face Serie A champions Juventus in Singapore on July 21 in the International Cham-pions Cup before travelling to Shanghai to play Premier League rivals Manchester United on July 25.

Algeria’s Riyad

Mahrez

Senegal’s Sadio Mane

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS FINALS

PAGE | 17 PAGE | 18Hosting Open

‘speaks volumes’ for Northern

Ireland: McIlroy

England’s World Cup hero Roy set to earn Test debut

20THURSDAY 18 JULY 2019

World Cup and AC qualifying draw:Asian champions Qatar in Group E

THE PENINSULA KUALA LUMPUR

Qatar, host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, were drawn in Group E, according to the joint draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup which was conducted in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

According to the draw which was conducted by the Asian Football Federation (AFC), Qatar were pitted alongside Bangladesh, Oman, India and Afghanistan in their bid to defend the AFC Asian Cup they won in spectacular fashion in the UAE last February.

China PR, the host for the AFC Asian Cup 2023, will have to navigate past Syria, Philip-pines, Maldives and Guam in Group A their bid for a second appearance in the FIFA World Cup Finals.

The draw, conducted by FIFA Director of Competitions Christian Unger and Australian legend Tim Cahill, saw Asia’s top ranked team Islamic Republic of Iran pooled in Group C alongside Iraq, Bahrain, Hong Kong and

Cambodia. Iran will be aiming for a third consecutive appearance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, having narrowly missed on qualifying for the knockout stage in Russia 2018.

Japan, Asia’s best per-formers in the 2018 FIFA World Cup where they were defeated by Belgium in the Round of 16,

were drawn in Group F with Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Myanmar and Mongolia.

Korea Republic, who have appeared in every edition of the FIFA World Cup Finals since 1986, will have Lebanon, DPR Korea, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka in Group H of the Asian Qualifiers.

Saudi Arabia, who defeated Egypt 2-1 to end their 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign on a high, will face Uzbekistan, Palestine, Yemen and Sin-gapore in Group D.

Australia, who became the record fifth Asian team at a World Cup Finals after going through the Inter-Continental

Playoff to earn a berth in Russia 2018, will go up against Jordan, Chinese Taipei, Kuwait and Nepal in Group B.

Group G had a distinct Southeast Asian flavour as ASEAN rivals Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indo-nesia were all drawn together, with the United Arab Emirates completing the cast.

The eight group winners and four best runners-up will advance to the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Finals and the final round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

However, should Qatar win their group, the seven other group winners and five best second-placed sides will advance to the final round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the second round of the joint qualifiers will compete in a sep-arate competition for the remaining 12 slots in the 24-team AFC Asian Cup China 2023.

The qualifying matches start in September.

DRAW: ASIAN QUALIFIERS FOR 2022 WORLD CUP (2ND ROUND) AND 2023 ASIAN CUP

Qatar who will host the

next FIFA World Cup

in three years' time,

are drawn alongside

Bangladesh, Oman, India

and Afghanistan as they

look to defend the AFC

Asian Cup they won in

spectacular fashion in the

UAE last February.

North and South Korea

to face off in politically-

charged World Cup and

Asian Cup qualifiers after

being drawn in the same

group.

Heavyweights Iran, Japan,

South Korea, Australia

and Saudi Arabia - who

played in the 2018 World

Cup in Russia - are drawn

in different groups for

the Asian qualifiers of

the 2022 edition of the

tournament in Qatar.

China, who are seeking

to qualify for the World

Cup for only the second

time, look to have a

promising fixture against

lower-ranked opponents

including Syria and Guam.