BUSINESS | 15 SPORT | 21-28

Big guns ready for fire at Russia 2018 World Cup

QBA holds board meeting, reviews

activities

Volume 23 | Number 7555 | 2 RiyalsTuesday 12 June 2018 | 27 Ramadan I 1439 www.thepeninsula.qa

RAMADAN TIMINGTodays Iftar: 6:27 pm

Tomorrow’s Imsak: 03:04 am

Qatar takes UAE to ICJ for rights violationsTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Government of the State of Qatar took the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Inter-national Court of Justice — the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and also known as the World Court — in relation to continuing human rights viola-tions arising from the UAE’s discrimination against Qatar and Qatari citizens.

One year ago, on June 5, 2017, the UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt, imposed an unlawful land, sea and air siege against Qatar as part of a campaign of political and economic coercion, QNA reported.

As set forth in detail in Qatar’s Application to the Inter-national Court, the UAE led these actions, which have had a dev-astating effect on the human rights of Qataris and residents of Qatar, even though they are in violation of the UAE’s obligations under the International Con-vention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). UAEs actions have been decried by numerous inde-pendent human rights

organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty Interna-tional, and Reporters Without Borders.

Qatar and the UAE have con-sented to the ICJs jurisdiction under Article 22 of the CERD to decide disputes involving the Convention. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt have not so consented. The CERD is a multi-lateral convention that commits its members to the prohibition and elimination of racial discrim-ination, including discrimination on the basis of nationality. It is one of the United Nations core human rights instruments. Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt are all parties to the CERD. During the illegal blockade, the UAE enacted a series of measures that discrim-inate against Qataris.

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Amiri Diwan announces Eid holidaysQNA

DOHA: On the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, the Amiri Diwan announces the Eid holidays. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e announcement, Eid holidays for Ministries, other government entities and public institutions start tomorrow (June 13) and end on Thursday, June 21, 2018. Employees are to resume their work on Sunday, June 24, 2018.

Amir awards Al Wajba Medal to outgoing Pakistan envoy

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met at Al Bahr Palace yesterday with the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Qatar, Shahzad Ahmad, to greet H H the Amir after the end of his term in office. H H the Amir awarded him with Al Wajba Medal in recognition of his role in contributing to enhancing bilateral relations, wishing him success in his future missions, and Qatar’s relations with the two countries further progress and development. The Ambassador expressed thanks and appreciation to H H the Amir and the State’s officials for the cooperation. →SEE ALSO PAGE 2

During the illegal blockade, the UAE enacted a series of measures that discriminate against Qataris.

World Cup fever grips Qatar fansSACHIN KUMAR

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The football World Cup fever has gripped Qatar as one

of the biggest sporting events in the world is set to kick off from Friday in Russia. Hotels, hyper-markets, telecom companies and other organisations have

launched various offers and initiatives to double excitement of the soccer lovers.

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INDEPENDENCE DAYPHILIPPINES

JUNE 12, 2018

Included with today’s edition is a

special supplement

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Amir awards Argentine envoy

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met at Al Bahr Palace yesterday evening with the Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to Qatar, Rossana Cecilia Surballe, to greet His Highness after the end of her term in office. H H the Amir awarded the Ambassador with Al Wajba Medal in recognition of her role in contributing to enhancing bilateral relations, wishing the Ambassador success in future missions, and Qatar’s relations with the country further progress and development. The Ambassador expressed thanks and appreciation to H H the Amir and the State’s officials for the cooperation the Ambassador received that contributed to the success of her work in Qatar.

Ministry calls for sighting Shawwal Crescent on ThursdayQNA

DOHA: The Crescent Sighting Committee at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has called upon all Muslims living in the State of Qatar to sight the crescent of Shawwal on Thursday evening, Ramadan 29, 1439 AH, corre-sponding to June 14, 2018.

The Committee said whoever wit-nesses the crescent should head to the headquarters of the Ministry of awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Dafna (Towers) area to report his testimony.

The Committee will meet immediately after the Maghrib (sunset) prayer.

QNA

DOHA: A delegation from the Qatar Football Association (QFA), headed by the President of the QFA, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, will participate in the congress of the FIFA, which will kick off in Russia today.

The delegation left yes-terday to take part in the 68th FIFA congress, which precedes the opening of the 2018 World Cup. The delegation includes the

QFA Vice-President, Saud Al Mohannadi, and the QFA Sec-retary-General, Mansour Al Ansari. The QFA President will also attend the World Cup opening match which brings together the Russian and Saudi teams. The world is closely fol-lowing up the FIFA congress due to the importance of its agenda, which includes a number of important topics that are of interest to the State of Qatar as well. The most important of which is the discussion of the

proposal of the South American Football Federation (CON-MEBOL) to increase the number of teams to 48 in 2022 Qatar World Cup.

In the presence of HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the countries of the CONMEBOL called during the General Assembly meeting in Buenos Aires on April 12 for accelerating the transition from 32 teams to 48 starting from the 2022 World Cup.

QFA delegation to participate in FIFA Congress in Russia today

DOHA: Qatar has strongly condemned the attack that took place near the entrance of the Ministry of Rural Development in Kabul, killing and injuring several people.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar’s firm stance on rejecting violence and ter-rorism, regardless of motives and reasons. The statement expressed the condolences of the State of Qatar to the fam-ilies of the victims and the people and government of Afghanistan, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.

Qatar condemns Kabul attack

Over 2 million patients benefit from customer service at HMCTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Customer Service Center of the Center for Patient Experience and Staff Engagement (CPESE) at HMC has provided assistance to more than 2 million patients since its establishment in June 2016.

To date, the programme has helped more than 2.2 million patients, respond to more than 900,000 calls on how to access HMC facilities, arrange more than 500,000 patient care appoint-ments and answer more than 200,000 general inquiries, QNA reported. CPESE with more than

275 staff members in various facilities at Hamad Medical Cor-poration, is the driving force of patient outreach and is improving their experience during the period of receiving treatment at the institution’s hospitals.

During the past year, some 150 employees from (CPESE) customer service programme distributed to 12 hospitals and dozens of facilities have received over 1.7 million outpatient referrals and over 325,000 inpa-tients, as well as providing guidance and support during their treatment at Hamad Medical Corporation.

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Ashghal begins East Industrial Street Extension Upgrade ProjectTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has embarked upon the implementation of the East Industrial Street Extension Upgrade Project, located between East 33 Street Inter-change on Industrial Area Road and Aba Al Saleel Interchange on G-Ring Road over a distance of 2.5kg.

Ashghal has noted that the new project is planned to be completed by first quarter (Q1), 2020 at a cost of QR730,000,000, said a release.

The construction will incorporate the revamping of the mainline road, expanding the carriageway from two lanes in each direction into three lanes besides converting three roundabouts into three at grade intersections along with two cycling and pedestrian underpasses

The upgrade will increase road capacity up to 6,000 vehicles per hour, likely short-ening travel time at a rate of approximately 50 percent. The road is so significant that it is an access point for key expressways around which receive daily thousands of cars along with the trucks leading to the indus-trial Area from Hamad Port via Hamad Port Road and from Doha via Industrial Area Road and G-Ring Road. It will also create better access for traffic movement from Al Furo-usiya Street and Salwa Road towards Hamad Port and Mesaieed Road.

To facilitate the construction of the East Industrial Street Extension project, the Public Works Authority will close the lanes coming from Aba Al Saleel Interchange on G-Ring Road towards East 33 Street Interchange as per Wednesday 13 June, 2018 till 1 September 2019.

During the detour, designed in coordi-nation with the General Directorate of Traffic, traffic will be diverted east to the nearby Al Hefain Interchange on G-Ring Road in place of Aba Al Saleel Interchange.

Travelers, heading from Hamad Port Road or G-Ring Road for East Industrial Area or local roads located between Street 37 and

Street 52, can use al Hefain Interchange, continue straight on Umm Al Seneem Street to Umm Al Saneem Interchange, aka Karwa Interchange, before turning left into Industrial Area Road till East 33 Street Inter-change, turn left into East Indus-trial Street Extension towards East Industrial Area, as illus-trated on the attached map.

Travelers, heading from Hamad Port Road or G-Ring Road for West Industrial Area or Salwa Road, can use al Hefain Interchange, continue straight on Umm Al Seneem Street to Umm Al Saneem Interchange, aka Karwa Interchange, before turning left into Industrial Area

Road till East 33 Street Interchange, turn right into East Industrial Street towards West Industrial Area and Salwa Road, as shown on the attached map.

Travellers, heading from Hamad Port Road or G-Ring Road for Asian City and Qatar Racing Club, can also use al Hefain Inter-change, continue straight on Umm Al Seneem Street then take left the signal lights prior to Karwa Interchange to access Street 1110. Travelers, heading from East Industrial Street for Asian City and Qatar Racing Club, can also use Industrial Area Road, continue straight to Karwa Interchange then take right into Umm Al Seneem Interchange.

A graphic image of the East Industrial Street Extension Upgrade Project upon completion.

Underpass at Al Wakrah roundabout to be ready by Q1 next year: Al Mesfir SIDI MOHAMED

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The construction work of an underpass at Al Wakrah roundabout (Abdul Ghani Roundabout) will be completed by the first quarter of next year.

“The street, starting from Abdul Ghani roundabout to Ooredoo round-about, will be developed to include three intersections and all roundabouts in that stretch will be replaced by traffic signals from Abdul Ghani Roundabout to Ooredoo roundabout,” said Eng Captain Mohamed Mesfir (pictured)) of the Traffic Safety and Engineering Department.

Captain Al Mesfir was speaking at a symposium organised by the General Direc-torate of Traffic at Al Wakra as part of Ramadan awareness campaign. The event was attended by a number of traffic officers and Mansour bin Ahmed bin Yousef Al Khater, council member of Al Wakra and a number of Al Wakra citizens.The sym-posium focused on Al Wakrah traffic problems and construction projects.

Mesfir also added that the country is pre-paring to host the world cup in 2022. The con-struction of bridges and underpasses take more time and that is why some road projects are expected to include underpasses and bridges but it will covered in the next phase.

“For example the Sports Roundabout in Al Saad, built with investment of QR40 to QR50m, was first planned to be a underpass but it was converted to traffic

signals because of the current requirements. Colonel Mohammed Radhi Al Hajri, Director of Media and Traffic Awareness Department said the aim of the meeting in Al Wakra is to sit with citizen and listen to their problems they are facing with General Direc-

torate of Traffic and to note their sugges-tions. Al Hajri, replying question about cruelty in imposing violations by police patrols, said “Any resident has the right to object on some fines and violations in case he consider it as unjustified. The Grievance Committee at the Department receives these complains and can cancel some violations depending on condition of the cases.”

Major Jaber Mohamed Rashid Odaiba, Assistant Director of Media and Traffic Awareness Department, said that there will be smart police vehicles soon which will be equipped with cameras can take pictures and video. “Such smart vehicles will solve behaviour of some motorists who run behind police cars to avoid traffic con-gestion. These vehicles have rear camera to catch such violations.” Mansour bin Ahmed bin Yousef Al Khater, Council Member of Al Wakrah, said that they are satisfied with the services provided by Traffic Department, Municipality and Ashghal and the level of sat-isfaction is about 75 percent. “We have made a recommendation to the Central Municipal Council (CMC) to increase Al Wukair General Street to be a two- lane instead of one, and to include also traffic lights.”

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani met yesterday with the Ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar, Shahzad Ahmad, on the occasion of ending his tenure. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, also met with the Ambassador.

PM greets outgoing Pakistani envoy Qatar takes UAE to ICJ for rights violationsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

These measures included collectively expelling all Qataris from the UAE, prohib-iting Qataris from entering into or passing through the UAE, ordering UAE nationals to leave Qatar, closing UAE airspace and seaports to Qatar, interfering with property owned by Qataris in the UAE and discriminating against Qatari students in the UAE. UAE also criminalized any speech deemed to be in “support” of Qatar, shut down Al Jazeeras local offices, and blocked transmission of Qatari stations and websites.

UAE officials also actively participated in a full-scale media campaign against Qatar and Qataris, directly inciting hate speech. The UAE’s attacks on free expression have been described in a December 2017 Report issued by the Office of the United Nations High Com-missioner for Human Rights (“OHCHR”) as part of a “wide-spread defamation and hatred campaign against Qatar.” H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul-rahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that “the unlawful measures imposed by UAE have torn apart families, with parents being separated from children and husbands from wives.

Draft law on competitiveness of national products discussed THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Advisory Council discussed a draft law on supporting the competi-tiveness of national products and combating harmful practices in interna-tional trade in a weekly regular session yesterday.

The draft law defines harmful prac-tices in international trade, and the aimed national products for support which are the total of what produced in the country for similar products or which accounts for a large proportion Gross National Product (GNP) in the anti-dumping and support investigations QNA reported.

Under the provisions of the draft law, a committee called the “committee for the support of competitiveness of national products and combating harmful prac-tices in international trade” shall be estab-lished in the MEC. The committee shall be formed by a decision of the Prime Minister and shall include members with expertise in the area of conventions and represent-atives of the concerned ministries and authorities.

The Advisory Council decided to refer the draft law to the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee to study it and report thereon to the Council.

Speaker of the Advisory Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, briefed the Council on his participation in the Development of Parliamentarism International Forum, which was held in Moscow from June 4 to 5 in a regular weekly session yesterday.

They discussed several important issues for the development of parlia-mentary work, foremost the role of par-liamentarians in enhancing international security, exchanging expertise and bene-fiting from technology and information technology in the field of parliamentary work. The Speaker hailed the under-standing showed by the participants of the

Forum towards the State of Qatar’s position on the unjust siege and its adherence to dialogue as a way to solve problems between States, and their desire to end the siege as soon as possible as it is contrary to international law, human rights prin-ciples and good-neighborly relations between States.

The Advisory Council welcomed the outcome of the Development of Parlia-mentarism International Forum and con-sidered it an important addition to the development of the parliamentary work and the role of parliaments in promoting world peace and respect for human rights, freedom and dignity.

The Council discussed the report of the Cultural Affairs and Information Com-mittee on a draft law on the protection of Arabic Language, and decided to refer its recommendation thereon to the Cabinet.

The Council discussed a draft law amending some provisions of Law No. (1) of 2016 on the organization of sports clubs. The Council decided to refer the draft law to the Cultural Affairs and Information Committee to study it and report thereon to the Council.

Concluding, the Advisory Council dis-cussed the report of the Services and Public Utilities Committee on the discussions which took place between the Council members and each of President of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) and the President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) in the 23rd session held on April 23, 2018 on the work progress in the infrastructure projects being implemented in the country and the achievements done, as well as the plans and programs for the coming period and the obstacles that may hinder the work and ways of addressing them.

The Advisory Council approved the Committee’s report and decided to refer its recommendations thereon to the Cabinet.

World Cup fever grips Qatar fansCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The 2018 FIFA World Cup tour-nament, due to be played in Russia from June 14 to July 15, will run each day between 1pm to 12 midnight in Qatar.

Hotels have set up sports lounges where world cup matches will be live screened in giants screens. To spice up the viewing experience of the fans spe-cially curated menus will be made available. Activities like special prizes for guessing the winning team during match will add to the enjoyment.

Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Con-vention Hotel, Intercontinental Doha Hotel, Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel, Mondrian Doha, Movenpick Hotel, Oryx Rotana, Radisson Blu Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel are among the hotels that have made special arrangements for special screening of matches.

Ooredoo has announced offer to

watch beIN’s live and exclusive coverage of the FIFA World Cup from June 14– July 15. By just upgrading to its 30 Mbps or above Fibre Home Entertainment Plans customers can enjoy access to beIN’s World Cup matches at no extra cost. Fans will also have the opportunity to watch the world cup action at fan zones set up at different places that will screen live matches while offering vis-itors family-friendly entertainment, deli-cious food and numerous football-related activities.

Hamad International Airport, in association with Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and will open today a fan zone at the airport.

SC with the Ministry of Culture and Sports and Qatar Tourism Authority have joining forces to launch a 2018 FIFA World Cup fan zone at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena.

Set to open from Thursday until 15

July, the Qatar Fan Zone will be one of the key highlights of the fifth Qatar Summer Festival and will give people a taste of the atmosphere they can expect when Qatar hosts the next edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

To celebrate the upcoming World Cup with fans and passengers, the airline launched a social media campaign last month titled ‘FIFA Fan Match’. Partici-pants were asked to describe themselves using five emojis for a chance to win tickets to watch the semi-finals in St. Petersburg. The highly engaging cam-paign was a great success, with five lucky winners from around the world looking forward to attending the World Cup semi-final match in Russia.

Many Hypermarkets have launched special offers on TVs offering various offers. Carrefour is offering beIN HD receiver with subscription to world cup matches.

QAF signs deal with Canada’s Viking AirDOHA: Qatar Armed Forces signed an agreement yesterday with Canadian Viking Air to purchase Twin Otter DHC 6-400 aircraft for skydiving operations. Commander of the Amiri Air Force Major General (Pilot) Mubarak Mohammed Al Kamit Al Khayarin and Viking’s Regional Sales Director for Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific Peter Walker signed the agreement at Doha Air Base. Vice-chairman of skydiving committee Flight

Lt. Abdullah Al Hadfah said that the Twin Otter is one of the best skydiving aircraft from Canada’s Viking Air.

Al Hadfah said the purchase came under the directives of Deputy Prime Min-ister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, with the aim of supporting the sky-diving team of the Joint Special Forces. The acquisition of these aircraft is an addition to the modern systems of Amiri Forces.

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QIC Group teaches staff how to stay fit THE PENINSULA

DOHA: In celebration of Global Wellness Day, QIC Group, the leading insurance group in the MENA region, hosted a global wellness programme for its employees.

The programme comprised a short presentation on wellness, which provoked thought amongst the attendees about the various wellness practices.

The initiatives discussed during the workshop addressed the various elements of wellness which cater to the needs of today’s generation. Most people think only about a few aspects that come under the banner of

wellness such as diet and fitness but the scope of wellness is far wider.

To feel really well, people need to understand how certain changes in their daily lives can affect them and their wellness. This would encourage them to

make conscious efforts to manage their day to day lives in a better manner.

Speaking about this activity, Ali Al Fadala (pictured), Senior Deputy Group President & CEO of QIC Group, stated, “As a leading insurance Group in the MENA region, we consider this initiative as part of our Cor-porate Social Responsibility (CSR). We want to encourage our staff towards healthy living by integrating health and wellness initiatives through similar workshops. We also believe that workplace wellness programmes can play a pivotal role in increasing their efficiency.”

The staff of QIC Group during the global wellness programme.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds lines up summer offersTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Malabar Gold & Diamonds has announced its summer offers — ‘win up to 2kg of Gold & up to 100% cash back among others.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one among the BIG 5 jewellery retailers globally with a strong retail network of over 215 retail outlets spread across nine countries has unveiled the details of the campaign to cel-ebrate the onset of summers.

This campaign is being run at all Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ outlets located in Qatar until July 14, 2018.

This summer season, Malabar Gold & Diamonds will give their customers an exclusive chance to win up to 2 kilos of gold with purchase of gold and diamond jewellery. With every purchase of gold & diamond jewellery worth QR500, customers get a chance to enter raffle draws to win 250 gram of gold each in 4 raffle

draws. Adding to the above, cus-

tomers also get a Scratch & Win Coupon with every Diamond Jewellery purchase for guar-anteed cash back and get a chance to win up to 100% cash back.

The customers also get a fabulous chance update their jewellery with zero deduction offer on 22K (GCC) gold jew-ellery exchange as well. Also Malabar Gold & Diamonds gives their customers the advantage of converting their jewellery purchase into ‘Easy Payment Plans’ in association with various banks through which they can enjoy flexible payment options for up to 6 instalments without paying any interest.

Almuftah Group holds ‘Suhoor Gathering’ for its managersIbrahim Almuftah, Managing Director of Almuftah Group; and Khaled Almuftah, Finance Director of Almuftah Group; with other staff and officials during the ‘Suhoor Gathering’ organised for the company’s managers at Shebestan Palace in Al Sadd.

David Miliband to address WISH’s Qatar convention

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF), has announced David Miliband (pictured) as a keynote speaker at its forth-coming global gathering at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha on November 13-14.

David Miliband is the Pres-ident and CEO of the Interna-tional Rescue Committee (IRC), a New York-based organi-sation that since its formation in 1933 has provided

emergency aid and long-term assistance to refugees and people displaced by war, per-secution, or natural disaster. The IRC currently operates in more than 40 countries.

Immediately before joining the IRC in 2013, Miliband was a member of the British par-liament, taking on the role of Foreign Minister from 2007 to 2010.

He will bring to WISH 2018 extensive experience both as a government representative and as the head of a major international non-govern-mental organisation. His speech is expected to focus on the health impact of conflicts around the world. Looking forward to his visit to Doha in November, Miliband, said: “This summit comes at a critical time, when millions of people around the world - in particular women and girls - are dying from preventable diseases in countries affected by conflict and natural dis-asters.” “The International Rescue Committee is delivering healthcare in some of the hardest to reach and most dan-gerous places and I look forward to sharing our expe-rience, but to also learn from other leading innovators at the

summit,” he added. WISH Executive Chair, Pro-

fessor the Lord Darzi of Denham, said: “We are delighted to welcome David Miliband to WISH 2018 as one of our keynote speakers.”

“His experience on the international stage as a senior government minister and lat-terly as the head of an organ-isation that is intimately involved in finding solutions to health challenges faced by people in conflict settings around the world makes him uniquely qualified to speak with nuance and authority about an issue that deserves the attention of our WISH com-munity,” he added.

David Miliband is the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, a New York-based organisation that since its formation in 1933 has provided emergency aid and long-term assistance to refugees and people displaced by war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Ooredoo tv Ramadan offer extendedTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Ooredoo announced yesterday that Ooredoo tv customers can continue to enjoy the latest entertainment during Eid at no extra cost, as the Ooredoo tv Ramadan Package offer has been extended.

Ooredoo tv customers can enjoy access to the special Ramadan package, consisting of 55 premium channels, free of charge until June 23, 2018.

The offer has been extended to ensure families can continue to enjoy the latest Arabic and Islamic content, as well as block-buster entertainment during Eid. For more details on Ooredoo’s Eid offers visit www.Ooredoo.qa, download the Ooredoo App which is available for iOS and Android users now, or follow the #EidWithOoredoo on Oore-doo’s social media.

Al Rayyan Municipality tops in building permit issuanceTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Al Rayyan Municipality has topped the country in terms of the number of building permits issued in May.

According to the monthly statistics, 148 permits were issued by Al Rayyan Munici-pality, constituting a 25 percent share in total permits issued in the country.

The Ministry of Devel-opment Planning and Statistics yesterday released the monthly statistics of building permits issued by all municipalities.

Al Wakrah Municipality came second with the issuance of 143 permits, having a share of 24 percent, followed by Doha Municipality with 122 permits with a share of 20 percent while Al Da’ayen Municipality saw issuance of 76 permits with 13 percent. This data is of

significant importance as it is considered an indicator for the performance of the construction sector which in turn occupies a significant position in the national economy.

In terms of type of permits issued, data indicated that the new building permits (resi-dential and non-residential) constitutes 52 percent (313 permits) of the total building permits issued in May, while the percentage of additions permits constituted 45 percent (268 permits), and finally fencing permits with 3 percent (16 permits).

Villas’ top the list of new res-idential buildings permits data, accounting for 54 percent (136 permits) , followed by dwellings of housing loans permits by 38 percent (96 permits) and other residential buildings by 6 percent (14 permits).

Commercial buildings topped in non-residential buildings permits with 62 percent (39 permits), followed by industrial buildings eg. work-shops and factories with 19 percent (12 permits), then gov-ernmental buildings and mosques with 10 percent (6 permits) each.

Comparing number of permits issued in May 2018 with those issued in the previous month we noted a general decrease of 10percent.

This decrease was noted in the municipalities of Rayyan by 22 percent, Umm Slal (20 percent), Al Da’ayen (19 percent), Al Khor (9 percent). On the other hand, there was an increase in permits issued by the municipalities of Al Shamal by 22 percent , Al Shee-haniya (9 percent), Doha (1 percent).

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CRA’s tips to telecom consumer to avoid roaming bill shocksTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: As the annual holiday season approaches, the Communi-cations Regulatory Authority (CRA) has issued tips to Qatari telecom consumers to avoid roaming bill shocks.

The two service providers in Qatar have a diverse range of roaming packages and services to cater to a range of consumer requirements. CRA advises telecom consumers to make sure they understand the service they want to use before they subscribe to it, to verify if whether their service pro-vider offers a roaming package in the destination country and to read the terms and conditions related to the specific service they want to use and clearly understand the cost of it. CRA also advises consumers to understand the activation process before they travel and if in doubt to contact their service provider to clarify and to activate the package before they reach their destination, because they may need to use roaming data to activate the package and could be charged ‘out of package’ for that if it’s not acti-vated in advance.

Ooredoo’s pre-paid customers can activate Ooredoo passport, by sending “OP” as SMS to 121, or via Ooredoo mobile app. Ooredoo’s post-paid customers can activate Ooredoo passport, by sending “OP” for weekly or “OPM” for monthly as SMS to 114, or via Ooredoo mobile app.

Vodafone’s Qatar pre-paid and post-paid customers can activate Vodafone passport, by dialing *110*110#, or via Vodafone mobile app. Often bill shock is a result of using a non-partner network carrier in the destination country. Service providers have mechanisms in place to automatically connect consumers to their preferred network partner (If available). Con-sumers should verify with their service providers whether to keep network selection manual or automatic.

Consumers, who have high-data usage, should continually monitor their balance to avoid incurring high roaming costs outside of their package. Service providers are obliged to provide consumers with notifications before the package ends or is consumed completely. Consumers should take advantage of such alerts and manage their roaming costs responsibility.

Ooredoo’s pre-paid customers can check their balance for Ooredoo passport, by sending “BAL OP” as SMS to 121, or via Ooredoo mobile app. Ooredoo’s post-paid customers can check their balance for Ooredoo passport, by sending “BAL OP” for weekly and “BAL OPM” for monthly as SMS to 114, or check via Ooredoo mobile app. Vodafone’s Qatar pre-paid and post-paid customers can check their balance for Vodafone passport, by dialling *129# or via Vodafone mobile app.

14,000 benefit from QC aid in Pakistan

THE PENINSULA

DOHA: More than 14,000 people benefited from Qatar Charity’s (QC) relief project implemented at a cost of QR500,000 in the Sindh province of Pakistan, following successive droughts and devastating floods.

The project included the distribution of more than 2,000 food parcels, health kits and winter supplies to the poor and needy, especially children and women in the Sindh province.

Around 670 baskets, including basic food items, were distributed to needy families to benefit 4,690 people, 7 persons per family as well as 670 hygiene kits were provided, which ben-efited 4,690 people.

Also 670 packages of winter supplies were distributed to improve resilience to climate change, which benefited 4,690 people. Each package includes a plastic mat, 4 cotton brushes, 5 pillows, 2 kids’ blankets, 3 quilts, 3 men’s shawls, 3 women’s shawls, 2 kids’ jackets, 4 cotton towels.

Ameen Isa, director of QC office in Pakistan said “Given the level of poverty in the region, there is an urgent need for more food support and basic services in the province, and many people still need the same support, which was provided to others as part of this project, pointing out that the child mortality rate is very high due to lack of basic foodstuffs.

He also stressed that there is an urgent need

to implement an integrated project serving several areas such as health, water, sanitation and food to meet the basic needs of the com-munity in the region.

Qatar Charity has been able to provide quick aid immediately after the disaster occurred and has implemented humanitarian projects in col-laboration with key UN organisations such as Unicef, WFP and FAO.

A man signs a paper to get Qatar Charity’s aid at the Sindh province in Pakistan.

HIA to have added services for passengers with special needsTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Hamad International Airport (HIA) has entered into a partnership with ‘Shafallah Center’, one of Qatar Foun-dation for Social Work’s (QFSW) affiliated centres, to provide additional services to passengers with special needs, with a focus on passengers with autism.

Both parties formalised their partnership yesterday, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA, and Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foun-dation Social for Work & Acting Chief Executive Officer at Sha-fallah Center.

As part of the MoU, HIA will soon add a special handling lounge in the terminal for pas-sengers with special needs, including autistic passengers. Shafallah Center will be over-seeing the setup of the lounge to ensure the comfort and con-

venience of said passengers. The lounge will feature

certain aspects of a sensory room, which is a specially designed space used for the therapy for children with limited communication skills, including electronic carpets, which allow children to play games and activities.

Shafallah Center will also

provide specialised training for ground handling staff at HIA on how to provide special care and assistance to passengers with special needs including those with autism.

Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation for Social Work and Acting Chief Executive Officer at Shafallah Center, said: “The signing of this important MoU marks HIA & Shafalah Center’s keenness on providing the best services and experience to the community we serve. With joint effort and working with the best international practices, we are providing HIA passengers with a very unique and dedicated lounge to persons with intel-lectual disabilities and autism”.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport said: “At HIA, we are continu-ously looking for ways to improve the travel experience for our passengers with special needs. It is a priority for us that all our customers have the same

level of satisfaction when it comes to experiencing HIA’s services and facilities. We are grateful and happy to have the expertise of the specialists at Shafallah to guide us through

our process of making HIA a special needs friendly airport.”

HIA offers barrier free access and dedicated facilities to make travelling more com-fortable for passengers who

require special assistance. HIA’s network of elevators, escalators, ramps, walkways and passenger train offer simple access to Pas-sengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM).

Eng. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at HIA; and Amal Abdullatif Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation for Social Work & Acting Chief Executive Officer at Shafallah Center, with other officials during the signing of the MoU.

As part of the MoU, HIA will soon add a special handling lounge in the terminal for passengers with special needs, including autistic passengers. Shafallah Center will be overseeing the setup of the lounge to ensure the comfort and convenience of said passengers.

Milipol Qatar 2018 to showcase latest innovations in homeland securityTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Under the patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the 12th edition of Milipol Qatar 2018, attracts strong partici-pation from big local companies special ised in Homeland Security and Civil Defence.

The event set to take place from October 29 to 31 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) and feature local and international exhib-itors and several country pavilions — including Italy, France, Germany, UK and North America .

It presents a unique opportunity for interna-tional homeland security solutions providers to demonstrate their latest innovations to protect internal and international borders.

“The 12th edition of Milipol Qatar 2018 will be the most engaging event in the exhibition’s history and it presents a myriad of opportunities for our security partners from around the world to dem-onstrate their products and services designed to enhance internal security and safety while net-working with global industry experts and emerging players,” said Brigadier Nasser bin Fahad Al Thani (pictured), President of Milipol Qatar Committee.

A number of Qatari companies have already confirmed their participation including Barzan Holding, Abdullah Abdulghani& Bros. Co. Toyota, Saleh AlhamadAlmana Co. Nissan –, Ooredoo, Mannai Corporation, Huawei, Cisco, Dell, Al-Salam Technology, Eshhar Holding, Vega for security and military equipment, Somod Resilience Center, Qatar Security Systems Company, Flora Security Systems, Teleco.Moreover, each ofthe Ministry of Interior and Lekhwiya Internal Security Force, will be present with a 1,045 sqm exhibition booth, manned by skilled administration teams.

Homeland security and public safety is an ever-growing industry with worldwide spending set to reach $96bn by the end of this year, according to Gartner, the world’s leading research and advisory company.

“Milipol Qatar 2018 will further emphasise Qatar’s position as a crucial destination for top-level exhibitions and conferences in the future and we are very much looking forward to an intriguing agenda-shaping exhibition in October”, President of the Committee added.

The world-renowned Milipol Qatar show shines light on the latest and extensive range of defence, security, detection and prevention solutions to protect populations. This year’s edition will, for the first time, include live demonstrations, where exhibitors, visitors and buyers can witness new products and innovations in action.

Milipol Qatar 2018, the leading event dedicated to Homeland Security in the Middle East, incorpo-rates the Civil Defence Exhibition & Conference to become a Global Security & Safety Event, that will bring together key global civil defence players, for a range of focused conference sessions and agenda-setting panel discussions on the latest and emerging civil defence trends and best practices.

The project included the distribution of more than 2,000 food parcels, health kits and winter supplies to the poor and needy, especially children and women in the Sindh province.

08 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

US warns UAE aid must flow through Yemen portAFP

WASHINGTON: The United States warned yesterday that aid must flow through the Yemeni port of Hodeida amid reports that Emirati forces plan to seize it from Houthi rebels.

The statement by US Sec-retary of State Mike Pompeo stopped short of warning the Saudi and UAE-led coalition against besieging the key city.

But he urged them to support United Nations peace efforts. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen has

warned such an attack would be a “catastrophe.” Pompeo said the United States is “closely fol-lowing developments” in Hodeida, home to 600,000 people and the point of entry of 70 percent of Yemen’s imports.

“I have spoken with Emirati leaders and made clear our desire to address their security concerns while preserving the free flow of humanitarian aid and life-saving commercial imports,” he said.

“We expect all parties to honour their commitments to work with the UN Office of the

Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen on this issue, support a political process to resolve this conflict, ensure humanitarian access to the Yemeni people, and map a stable political future for Yemen.” There have been reports that close US ally the United Arab Emirates and local allies, tiring of the Houthi’s ability to tax imports at Hodeida, is planning to capture the port.

Yemeni government forces have advanced to within 9km of Hodeida, the Saudi-led mil-itary coalition said last week.

More than 600

dead in heavy

Yemen fightingAP

SANA’A: Heavy fighting in Yemen between pro-government forces and Shia rebels has killed more than 600 people on both sides in recent days, security officials said yesterday.

Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been advancing along the western coast in recent weeks as they battle the rebels, known as Houthis. The fighting has esca-lated as government forces close in on the Red Sea port of Hodeida, a vital lifeline through which most of Yemen’s food and med-icine enters.

The United Nations warned on Friday that a military attack or siege on Hodeida would affect hundreds of thousands of civilians. Some 600,000 people live in and around the city.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said yesterday that there has been a recent lull in the fighting and that Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy for Yemen, “is shuttling between Sana’a and also the UAE and Saudi Arabia to hope that there will be a way to avoid the mil-itary confrontation in Hodeidah.” International aid group Doctors Without Borders said Monday the Saudi-led coalition attacked a cholera treatment center in the northern province of Hajja.

The group, known by its French acronym MSF, has tem-porarily frozen its activities in the area, “until we guarantee the safety of our staff and patients,” said João Martins, MSF’s head of mission in Yemen tweeted.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war pitting the coalition against the Iran-backed Houthis since March 2015. The coalition aims to restore the government of self-exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

The three-year stalemated war has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million. It has damaged Yemen’s infrastructure, crippled its health system and pushed the Arab world’s poorest country to the brink of famine.

The UN considers Yemen to be the world’s worst humani-tarian crisis, with more than 22.2 million people in need of assistance. Malnutrition, cholera and other diseases have killed or sickened thousands of civilians over the years.

Yemenis buy sweets and nuts at a market in Sana’a as Muslims prepare to celebrate Eid Al Fitr.

Heavy fighting in Yemen between pro-government forces and Shia rebels has killed more than 600 people on both sides in recent days.

Libyan forces’ battle for Derna in final stagesREUTERS

BENGHAZI: Forces loyal to Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar said their campaign against an armed coalition of local fighters and militants in the eastern city of Derna has reached its final stages after several days of heavy fighting.

Brigades from Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) launched a ground offensive to take Derna last month after encircling the city — the last in eastern Libya to elude their control — for around two years.

The fighting risks under-mining UN-led efforts to reunify Libya and hold elec-tions after years of turmoil that have provided a safe haven to militants and people smugglers, and crippled Libya’s oil-dependent economy.

Haftar is the dominant figure in eastern Libya, where he is aligned with a gov-ernment and parliament that reject the internationally rec-ognised government in the capital, Tripoli, in the northwest.

CAR asks UN to approve China arm deliveriesAFP

UNITED NATIONS: The Central African Republic has asked the UN Security Council to approve deliveries of Chinese-made armoured vehicles, machine guns, tear gas grenades and other weaponry for its struggling army and police.

Defence Minister Marie Noelle Koyara requested an exemption to an arms embargo, arguing that national forces are “confronted with the strength and escalating vio-lence of armed groups whose illegal activities pose a threat to civil order.” The council imposed an arms embargo on the Central African Republic in 2013 when the country descended into bloodshed but its sanctions committee last year gave the green light for Russia to supply weapons to the national forces.

Council members have until Thursday 3pm to raise objections to the request for the Chinese shipments, according to a letter from the sanction committee’s vice-chair.

Comoros leader jailed for demonstrationsAFP

MORONI: A prominent oppo-sition leader in Comoros was jailed for six months yesterday for his part in protests against President Azali Assoumani which have rocked the country, the judge said.

Demonstrations erupted in several towns on the vol-canic Indian Ocean nation off Africa’s east coast against a proposed end to the system that sees power rotate every five years between the archi-pelago’s three main islands. The changes would also allow Azali to run for two fresh five year-terms.

Ahmed el-Barwane, the secretary-general of the Juwa opposition party, was arrested on June 1 as he left a mosque in the capital Moroni following violent clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters.

Baghdad ballot box fire stokes tensionsREUTERS

BAGHDAD: Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr urged Iraqis yesterday to unite rather than squabble over a possible rerun of the election his bloc won last month, a message apparently tailored to defuse political tension after a ballot box storage depot caught fire.

Certain parties are trying to drag Iraq into civil war, Sadr said, adding that he would not participate in one.

Parliament has mandated a manual recount of the election in which a number of parties alleged

fraud. A storage site holding half of Baghdad’s ballot boxes went up in flames on Sunday in what Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi denounced as a “plot to harm the nation and its democracy”.

Iraqi authorities said the ballot boxes were saved but the fire has added to fears of violence.

“What Moqtada said about (Iraq) being close to some sort of armed conflict is concerning. The situation is tense and it seems to be on the brink of conflict,” said Renad Mansour, research fellow at Chatham House in London.

Sadr, who once led violent cam-paigns against the US occupation that ended in 2011, has emerged as a nationalist opponent of powerful Shia Muslim parties allied with neighbouring Iran. “Stop fighting for seats, posts, gains, influence, power, and rulership,” he wrote in an article published by his office.

“Is it not time to stand as one for building and reconstruction, instead of burning ballot boxes or repeating elections just for one seat or two?” Sadr has in the past mobilised tens of thousands of followers to protest government policies he opposed.

Municipality workers start to clean up the site of burnt place after Sunday’s fire ripped through Iraq’s biggest ballot warehouse where votes for the eastern Baghdad district were stored, in Baghdad, yesterday.

UN: 6.2 million Syrians displaced since 2011QNA

GENEVA: The United Nations (UN) said that the total number of persons displaced within Syria reached has 6.2 million, while about 5.6 million Syrian refugees are living in neighbouring countries since the start of the conflict in 2011.

The UN Regional Humanitarian Coor-dinator for the Syria Crisis, Panes Moumtzis, said in a press conference here that 920,000 people were displaced within Syria between January and April, the highest number of any four-month span

since the war began. The latest figures raise the number of people displaced within Syria to 6.2 million, while about 5.6 million Syrian refugees are living in neighbouring coun-tries, according to United Nations figures.

The UN Regional Humanitarian Coor-dinator for the Syria Crisis said that recently displaced people were forced to leave their homes because of the escalation of fighting in the eastern Ghouta, which since 2012 formed the stronghold of the opposition factions near Damascus before the regime regained control in April, as well as in Idlib province in the northwest.

People inspect the damaged of buildings yesterday following reported air strikes by pro-government forces in Binnish in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

Turkey launches anti-terror drive in Qandil, SinjarANATOLIA

ISTANBUL: Turkey has launched anti-terror operations in both Qandil and Sinjar regions in northern Iraq, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday.

Addressing locals in central Nigde province, Erdogan said: “We’ve started anti-terror oper-ations in Qandil and Sinjar. We’ve destroyed 14 important targets with our 20 aircraft.” “They [the warplanes] shot and returned but it has not finished

yet. It will continue,” he added.Referring to Qandil region,

he said: “Our target is to drain the biggest swamp,” adding that Qandil would no longer be a threat and a source of terrorism for Turkey and Turkish nation.

In recent days Turkish offi-cials had suggested that the Mt. Qandil region in northern Iraq near the Iranian border — where the terrorist group has its head-quarters — may be the target of a future operation.

Airstrikes on PKK targets in

northern Iraq, where the terror group has its main base in the Mt. Qandil region, near the Iranian border, have been carried out regularly since July 2015, when the terrorist PKK resumed its armed campaign.

The PKK is listed as a ter-rorist organization by Turkey as well as the US and EU. In its terror campaign against Turkey, which has lasted for more than three decades, over 40,000 people have been killed, including women and children.

Stating that the terrorists would pay for the martyred people, Erdogan said Turkey has so far neutralized over 4,500 ter-rorists during Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s Afrin region.

“We will drain the terror swamp in Qandil just like we cleansed Afrin, Jarabulus, al-Bab and Azaz from flock of killers,” said Erdogan regarding the Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield operations.

Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in August 2016 and

ended in March 2017, was aimed at eliminating the terrorist threat along the Turkish border with the use of the Free Syrian Army, backed by Turkish artillery and air cover.

On January 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from north-western Syria’s Afrin region.

On March 18, Day 58 of the operation, Turkish troops and Free Syrian Army members lib-erated the town of Afrin.

Sand art sculpture

09TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018 ASIA

UK assures cooperation on Mallya, Nirav Modi’s extradition: Rijiju IANS

NEW DELHI: Britain yesterday assured India to fully cooperate in the extradition process of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi and liquor barron Vijay Mallya who are accused in separate multi-crore bank loan defraud cases, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said.

Meanwhile, government sources said that British Minister for Counter Terrorism Baroness Williams also confirmed to Indian authorities that Nirav Modi, the billionaire jeweller at the heart of a more than Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, is reportedly residing in her country - an admission coming in the wake of reports about him seeking political asylum there.

At a counter terrorism dia-logue held here, Williams guar-anteed Rijiju of Britain’s support in the process to extradite Nirav Modi and Mallya to India.

“I had a very useful meeting with UK Minister, Baroness

Williams. We discussed about India-UK joint efforts to deal with terrorism and extremism. We also agreed to cooperate in the matters of extradition and sharing of information,” Rijiju said after the meeting.

“We have put across the gov-ernment of India’s demands that anybody who is wanted by Indian agencies or an Indian court, we seek the cooperation from the UK authorities (on extradition). “The (UK) minister has assured to give full cooper-ation whether it is Vijay Mallya

case or Nirav Modi or anybody,” he said.

Nirav Modi left India with his family a month before the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a criminal case against him on January 31 after PNB, India’s second-largest, state-run bank, lodged a case alleging him and his uncle Mehul Choksi to defraud it by raising credit from overseas branches of other banks using illegal guarantees issued by rogue PNB staff at a Mumbai

branch over several years.India is already seeking the

extradition of Mallya, a liquor and aviation tycoon, over unpaid loans to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the businessman and co-owner of the Formula One Force India team moved to Britain in March last year. Mallya, who has been staying there for over a year now, has been accused of defaulting on loans worth thousands of crores.

Rijiju further said there is a

good understanding between the Indian and British governments and that the two leaders reit-erated they would cooperate with each other and address each other’s concerns over other issues.

Besides extradition of Nirav Modi and Mallya, Rijiju discussed issues related to anti-India movement being carried out by pro-Khalistan Sikh Federation with the British minister.

“...there are certain elements who are misusing the UK ter-ritory to propagate or also conduct activities which is anti-India.

“So, I have requested the minister that using the UK’s ter-ritory for anti-India agenda must be curtailed. We are not against the freedom of speech. UK is a liberal country, so are we. We are also a democratic country and we cannot curb the freedom of speech. But the freedom of speech cannot be misused to abuse the country’s image. So, we are very clear that UK should not be a country

where anti-India activities can be conducted without any kind of restriction or check,” Rijiju said.

The discussions between the two delegations covered variety of important issues ranging from cooperation in matters of migration, tackling extremism, extradition and sharing of criminal records.

During the meeting, Rijiju also called for implementation of the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force to check money laundering and ter-rorist financing.

While underlining the need for cooperation in fighting interna-tional terrorism, he said terrorism cannot be viewed with a prismatic view and urged Williams to check anti-India activities on its soil. She assured cooperation of the highest level on this issue, a Home Min-istry statement said.

Allaying concerns over prison conditions in India, Rijiju said there are absolute safe-guards against human rights vio-lations in Indian prisons.

Nirav Modi (left) and Vijay Mallya

“The (UK) minister has assured to give full cooperation whether it is Vijay Mallya case or Nirav Modi or anybody” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said.

Artist Sudarshan Pattnaik, finishing a sand sculpture depicting US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Puri beach near Bhubaneswar, yesterday.

23 held for Assam lynchingIANS

GUWAHATI: A total of 23 people have been arrested for the lynching of two youth in Assam’s Karbi Anglong on Friday, while 26 more have been arrested under a crackdown launched against misuse of social media, police said yesterday.

A rumour about presence of some child snatchers was spread through social media by a section of people in and around Dokmoka in Karbi Anglong in past few days and the mob that lynched to death Nilotpal Das and Abhijit Nath on Friday mistook the duo to be child snatchers.

“While police have arrested 26 people since last night for posting hate mes-sages on social media over the lynching of two youths in Karbi Anglong district by vil-lagers, a total of 23 people have been caught for their involvement in lynching the two,” said Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Agarwala.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has decided to to introduce a programme ‘Sanskar’ in all the devel-opment blocks and gaon pan-chayats very soon in view of incidents triggered by sheer ignorance and superstitions in the state in the last few months.

The programme will be replicated throughout the state on mission mode so that it can create a deterrent against superstitions and all its manifestations.

Govt to delay launching more flights to small townsREUTERS

NEW DELHI: The slow pace of fitting out regional airports risks delaying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious plan to launch more flights connecting smaller towns and cities and get millions more people using air travel.

The programme, flagged off by Modi last year, aims to boost economic growth by refur-bishing idled colonial-era air-strips or building newer airports, and incentivising airlines to offer

discounted fares to connect them with bigger cities.

But work on building new airports in small towns and upgrading existing facilities has failed to keep pace, two gov-ernment officials said, and could knock off course the govern-ment’s lofty goal of bringing 100 million more passengers to the skies in the next five years.

Under Modi’s “regional con-nectivity scheme”, the gov-ernment planned to open 31 new airports by the end of 2017, but only 16 are operational so far.

Some states have said they do not have enough funds to pur-chase basic equipment such as mandatory fire tenders, one of the officials said.

In other cases it was taking longer than planned to build air traffic control towers or set up terminal buildings equipped with baggage scanners and security systems, said the official.

The federal government has now stepped in, and will procure much of the equipment itself and lease it to state governments to get the 15 remaining airports

operational by end-June.“It is a trade-off. We either

keep adding more flights or cal-ibrate the existing ones with the capacity we have,” the official said. The delays highlight the hurdles Modi faces as he seeks re-election in 2019.

Passenger traffic in India has grown at about 20 percent annually in recent years, making the world’s fastest-growing avi-ation market lucrative for large and small planemakers.

When launching the scheme in early 2017, the

government said it wanted to make flying affordable for the common man wearing simple flip-flops by reviving more than 400 unused and under-utilised airstrips in the country’s vast hinterlands.

The civil aviation ministry has given approvals, in two phases, to nearly a dozen airlines, including start-ups like Air Deccan and Air Odisha as well as established carriers like IndiGo, Jet Airways and SpiceJet, to start flights on more than 450 routes covering 56 new airports.

Kareem, Binoy and Jose file Rajya Sabha nominationIANS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two ruling Left coalition candi-dates and one from the Congress-led opposition yesterday filed nomination papers to the three Rajya Sabha seats that fall vacant in the state from July 1.

Those who are retiring include former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, Joy Abraham of Kerala Congress (Mani) and C.P. Narayanan of the CPI-M. With none of the retiring members getting renomination, veteran CPI-M leader and former state minister Elamaram Kareem and his then cabinet colleague (2006-11) and senior CPI leader Binoy Viswam filed their nomination before the Kerala Assembly Secretary.

Present on the occasion were Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues and CPI state Secretary Kanam Rajendran.

In the afternoon, Jose K.

Mani, the Kottayam Lok Sabha member and son of veteran leg-islator K M Mani, filed his papers in the company of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala and other UDF leaders. Surprisingly, K.M. Mani was absent when his son filed the nomination papers.

With no other candidate in the fray, there will be no voting and on June 14 the three candi-dates will be declared elected.

Hitting out at the Congress-led UDF, State CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that if the Congress had the guts, they should see that a by-election to the Kottayam Lok Sabha seat takes place.

“The electorate in Kottayam elected Jose K. Mani for five years and with almost 11 months left, he has run away and in the process close to Rs7 crore of development work that should have come through his MP fund into the Kottayam constituency has been wasted,” he said.

Vajpayee admitted to AIIMSIANS

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) yesterday for “exami-nation and management” trig-gering VIP visits including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

“Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been admitted to AIIMS today for examination and management. He is stable. A team of doctors under the supervision of Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS are conducting tests,” AIIMS said in its statement.

Guleria, who is a pulmon-ologist, has been a personal physician to Vajpayee for many years. The BJP in a statement said: “As per the advice of doctors, Vajpayeeji has been admitted in AIIMS today for routine check-ups and investigations.”

Rahul Gandhi was the first to visit the hospital to check on Vajpayee’s health. Health Min-ister J.P. Nadda also rushed to the hospital followed by Amit Shah. Around 7.30 p.m., Modi visited the hospital.

Vajpayee, 93, who was Prime Minister briefly in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004, had retreated from active pol-itics over the last decade due to failing health.

Kejriwal, Cabinet colleagues stage sit-in at Lt. Governor officeIANS

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his cabinet colleagues, visited Lt. Governor Anil Baijal yesterday and decided to stay in his office until their demands were accepted. The Raj Niwas called it a “protest without reason”.

Kejriwal wanted Baijal to issue a direction to IAS officers to end their “strike” and also sought action against the officers, who have struck work for “four months”. He was also demanding approval to the pro-posal for doorstep delivery of ration.

“LG refuses to take action. LG is under constitutional duty

to act. Left with no option, we have politely told the LG that we will not leave till he acts on all points. We have come out of his chamber and sitting in his waiting room,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Calling it an “unprecedented move”, the LG’s office said the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, along with two ministers, “remained defiant and continued to pressurise that the officers must be immediately summoned to Raj Niwas and the so-called ‘agitation’ of officers be called off, and sought that immediate approval to proposal for doorstep delivery of rations be given”.

The LG said he had already spoken to officers in this regard

and the “insistence to summon them is not desirable”.

“Since the Chief Minister and Ministers refused to listen to this suggestion and as the LG had pre-scheduled appoint-ments at his residence, he had no option but to leave the office,” a statement from the Raj Niwas said, terming the protest as a “dharna without reason”.

The Chief Minister had sought a meeting with the LG. He went to the Raj Niwas with Cabinet Ministers Satyendar Jain, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia.

“In the meeting, the LG was threatened by Kejriwal, who demanded that the officers should be immediately sum-moned at Raj Niwas and

directions should be given to end the so-called ‘strike’.

“In response, it was reit-erated by the LG that there is no strike by the employees of GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi),” the statement read.

Baijal said that during his continued interactions with the officers, “it has been informed that the atmosphere of mistrust and fear continues and no sincere attempts to resolve the differences have been made so far”.

The LG also advised Kejriwal to build the confidence of the employees at all levels and to work out ways of addressing their genuine concerns, according to the statement.

Just one year after the 1967 war, there were six Israeli settlements built in the Syrian Golan Heights. By 1973, Israel had established 17 settlements in the West Bank and seven in the Gaza Strip. By 1977, some 11,000 Israelis had been living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula.

10 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018VIEWS

How Israel occupied the whole of Palestine in 1967

More than 50 years ago, the state of Israel shocked the world when it seized the remaining Palestinian terri-

tories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, in a matter of six days.

In a war with Egypt, Jordan and Syria, known as the 1967 War, or the June War, Israel delivered what came to be known as the “Naksa”, meaning setback or defeat, to the armies of the neighbouring Arab countries, and to the Palestinians who lost all what remained of their homeland.

The Naksa was a continuation of a prior central event that paved the way for the 1967 war. Nineteen years earlier, in 1948, the state of Israel came into being in a violent process that entailed the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

Zionist forces, in their mission to create a “Jewish state”, expelled some 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland and destroyed their villages in the process. Shortly after Israel declared statehood, units of the neigh-bouring Arab country armies came in to fight for the Palestinian nation.

The 1948 war ended with Israeli forces controlling approximately 78 percent of historical Palestine. The remaining 22 percent fell under the administration of Egypt and Jordan.

In 1967, Israel absorbed the whole of historical Palestine, as well as addi-tional territory from Egypt and Syria. By the end of the war, Israel had expelled another 300,000 Palestinians from their homes, including 130,000 who were displaced in 1948, and gained ter-ritory that was three and a half times its size.

The narrative of the war is highly polarised, as is common for many events in the Arab-Israeli conflict. There exists, however, a series of events that undeniably led to the outbreak of the war.

Firstly, there were frequent clashes on the Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Jor-danian armistice lines after the 1948

war. Thousands of Palestinian ref-ugees tried to cross the border searching for rela-tives, attempting to return to their homes and to recover their lost possessions. Between 1949 to 1956, it is estimated that Israeli forces shot dead between 2,000 to 5,000 people who tried to cross.

In 1953, Israel committed the most notorious reprisal massacre in the West Bank against the village

of Qibya, where 45 houses were blown up and at least 69 Palestinians were killed.

A few years later, the Suez Crisis took place in 1956. Israel, along with France and Britain, invaded Eygpt with the hope of toppling then President Gamal Abdel Nasser after he nation-alised the Suez Canal Company. The company was a joint British-French enterprise which controlled and operated the strategic waterway.

The three countries were forced to withdraw, and for a decade afterwards, a United Nations peacekeeping force was installed along the Egyptian-Israeli border. The mid-1950s and 1960s saw the rise of the Fedayeen movement - Palestinian armed resistance groups who attempted to mount attacks against Israel.

A year before the war, Israel raided the West Bank village of As Samu’ in the largest military operation since the 1956 Suez Crisis, after the Palestinian Fatah group killed several Israeli sol-diers. As a result, Israeli forces rounded up the town’s villagers and blew up about dozens of homes. About 18 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the attack. Tensions between Syria and Israel was also brewing over disagreements on the use of the Jordan River water and Israeli cultivation along the border, which played a major role in leading up to the war.

On May 13, 1967, the Soviet Union falsely warned Egypt that Israel was assembling its troops to invade Syria. Under an Egyptian-Syrian defence treaty signed in 1955, the two countries were obliged to protect one another in the case of an attack on either.

The Israeli attack on Egypt’s air-bases in the Sinai and the Suez reportedly disabled at least 90 percent of the Egyptian air force and dictated the course of the war. Israeli ground forces proceeded to invade the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula on the same day.

Israel also attacked the Syrian air-fields on the evening of June 5. The next day, fighting ensued between Jordan and Israel for control of Jordanian-held East Jerusalem.

The major West Bank cities of Nablus, Bethlehem, Hebron and Jericho, fell to the Israeli army a day later. Israel also shelled the Abdullah and Hussein bridges over the Jordan River that linked the West Bank to Jordan.

After taking the Old City, Israeli forces demolished the entire 770-year-old Moroccan Quarter neighbourhood, to widen access to what the Jewish people call the Western Wall, (known to Muslims as the Al Buraq Wall.) The site holds religious significance to both Jews and Muslims.

Approximately 100 Palestinian families living in the quarter were ordered to evacuate their homes and the neighbourhood was bombed and completely demolished. The space was used by Israel to build the “Western Wall Plaza”, an area that granted Jews direct access to the Wall.

Throughout the war and under the orders of Yitzhak Rabin — who later became Israel’s prime minister — Israeli forces ethnically cleansed and destroyed several Palestinian villages, expelling some 10,000 Palestinians. Among the most infamous wiped out villages were Imwas, Beit Nuba and Yalu.

In the Palestinian West Bank cities of Qalqilya and Tulkarem, the Israeli army systematically destroyed Pales-tinian homes. About 12,000 Pales-tinians were forced out of Qalqilya alone, as a means of “punishment”, Dayan reportedly wrote in his memoirs.

Israel’s offensive on the Syrian Golan Heights started on June 9, and by the next day, the Golan had been cap-tured, putting Israel at a shocking dis-tance from the Syrian capital, Damascus. Egypt and Israel signed a ceasefire on June 9, while Syria and Israel signed on June 11, effectively ending the war with a UN-brokered truce. The overwhelming majority of the newly displaced Palestinians sought refuge in Jordan. Many crossed into Jordan through the river, and did so on foot with very few belongings.

Just one year after the 1967 war, there were six Israeli settlements built in the Syrian Golan Heights. By 1973, Israel had established 17 settlements in the West Bank and seven in the Gaza Strip. By 1977, some 11,000 Israelis had been living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula.

“The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza reminded the world of the colonial aspects of Israel,” Munir Nuseibah, a professor at the Faculty of Law at Al Quds University, told Al Jazeera.

The writer is an online journalist and producer for Al Jazeera English.

ZENA AL TAHHAN

AL JAZEERA

QUOTE OF THE DAYA meeting of Group

of Seven leaders in Canada had

been “difficult” and countries had to

avoid taking unilateral action in order to protect the global

trading system.

Theresa May British Prime Minister

Shells still land in our areas: Ramadan in war-torn Taiz

Hisham Mohamed Saleh promised to treat his children to sweets and

candies after Iftar - the meal Muslims eat after a long day of fasting during Ramadan - but with skyrocketing poverty and inflation rates, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to spoil them much further.

For more than three years, Houthi rebels have besieged Yemen’s second-largest city of Taiz, putting more than 200,000 civilians like as the Saleh family in harm’s way.

Most of the city has been thrust into poverty, with fre-quent reports of food and water shortages and hospitals struggling to function without

access to medical supplies. “Despite the siege and the tough situation, Ramadan is always a happy moment,” Saleh, a father of three, told Al Jazeera. “We enjoy the month and so do our children, despite the shells landing on our streets.”

Throughout the Muslim world, the holy month has been celebrated as a joyful and spiritual occasion, with special meals and tasty treats prepared at sunset.

But with more than 75 percent of all Yemenis — or about 22 million people — in need of aid, and seven million facing famine, Saleh hopes this year’s Ramadan will usher in a temporary truce and spare

thousands from death.Typically, Yemenis

shopped for food and gifts during the late hours of the Ramadan day, but a shortage of currency and a depreciation in the exchange rate has left many with little purchasing power.

About 1.2 million civil servants have not received their salaries for the past 14 months — in an effort by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis to force the group into submission.

“The war and the siege have pushed up the prices of basic goods, and people still haven’t received their sal-aries,” one resident told Al Jazeera.

More than 10,000

people have been killed and at least 40,000 wounded, mostly from Saudi-led air raids.

In retaliation, the Houthis have launched dozens of missiles. Saudi authorities say over the past three years 90 ballistic mis-siles have been fired by the rebels.

With many struggling to get their hands on basic necessities, shoppers drawn to markets during previous Ramadans have disap-peared “Prices are rising, and that’s a huge burden for us,” a shop owner told Al Jazeera.

“I used to buy goods for a cheap price now that’s impossible.”

Qatar’s economy is on a strong footing, more competitive and will be a model of development for all in the region.

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

Winning confidence

Qatar’s economy is on the upswing, thanks to booming LNG demand to Asia, increasing confi-dence of investors and international rating agencies on the country. With the ongoing siege completing a year, foreign investors are making a beeline by

entering different sectors of the economy after the State announced a package of laws, including real estate acqui-sition, permanent visa and residence, and opening up of the economy to boost foreign investment.

The presence of major foreign companies in Qatar indicates the strength of the Qatari economy, which is an indicator of investor confidence in the ability of Qatar to face the siege, revealed a study by Qatar University on “Foreign Investment Openness in the State of Qatar and Its Interaction in Development of Qatari Economy”. Yet another proof, the study noted, was that the country’s credit rating is in the highest range for global rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s, Fitch, Moody’s and Capital Intelligence.

At present, most of the foreign investment is concen-trated in the energy sector. Opening up the local economy

to foreign investment would accelerate the growth of the private sector and expand its productive base. The move will strengthen and diversify the production base and create import alternatives to the economy, the study noted.

According to QNB’s latest economic commentary on Qatar’s economy, the latest monthly trade statistics show that the goods trade surplus surged higher in April. In level terms, the surplus topped QR14.7bn. In percentage terms, the surplus was up a

stunning 49 percent year-on-year as against April 2017. It noted that April’s exports were up more than QR5bn, an increase of more than 27 percent compared with a year ago.

Higher crude oil prices as well as booming LNG demand to Asia helped in boosting exports. Exports to Japan were strong in April; up nearly QR2bn versus last April. Japan’s export share accordingly jumped to 20 percent; up from 17 percent in March and 15 percent a year ago. Growth in LNG demand has more recently been dominated by China, whose imports soared by an extraor-dinary 49 percent in 2017.

Moreover, in February, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde had said that the steady growth in Qatar’s non-oil economy is a reflection of the country’s good diversification policy. Qatar’s growth in the non-oil sector has been pretty much on a par with the non-oil growth in the oil importing coun-tries, the IMF chief said.

Also, in April, Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, Tao Zhang, had praised the economic policies of Qatar and its success in overcoming economic crises affecting the global economy.

To sum up, the Qatari economy is on a strong footing, more competitive and will be a model of development for all in the region.

A positive factor in favor of this summit is that there is clearly a strong desire from Trump to achieve success in the Korean nuclear file to outweigh his predecessors of American presidents. On the other hand, the North Korean leader aspires to impose its legitimacy and prestige at this summit, and to earn international recognition and respect for him and his country through a summit in which he is treated on an equal footing with the world’s most powerful head of state.

11TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018 OPINION

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Ignore the UN’s rantingabout poverty

Trump, Kim historic summit in Singapore

RAMESH PONNURU

BLOOMBERG

A new report from the United Nations Human Rights Council excoriates the United States, and the Trump administration

especially, for neglecting “extreme poverty and human rights.”

Philip Alston, the UN’s “special rap-porteur” on this subject, indicts our tax, welfare, criminal-justice and health-

care policies. The Los Angeles Times calls it a “damning report,” and so in a way it is. What it shows is that the UN is wasting money, much of it provided by the US, on thoughtless political propaganda.

Alston’s report asserts that the tax cut of December 2017 “overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy,” without so much as a footnote to back him up. The truth is more complicated.

The tax cut reduced federal tax burdens in rough proportion to how much each income group pays in federal taxes. People who make more than a million dollars a year will see their federal taxes drop by a slightly smaller percentage than other people will. On the other hand, they will do much better than most people if you measure the effect of the tax cut on their after-tax incomes. That’s what happens when you cut highly progressive federal taxes proportionally.

Which way is the right way to look at it depends on your premises about what taxes are supposed to do. The UN-commissioned report pretends there’s an undisputed fact of the matter and, worse, wrongly implies that federal taxes are not progressive at all. (Alston says that “many of the wealthiest cit-izens do not pay taxes at the rates that others do” in another footnote-less assertion.)

The report’s treatment of health care is even worse. Last year the Con-gressional Budget Office found that one of the Republican bills to change Obamacare would reduce the number of people with health insurance by 22

million. Much of that projected decline resulted from the bill’s abolition of the fines for people who go without insurance.

Many conservatives argued that the CBO was overestimating the effect of those fines — and in November, the CBO explained that it is in the process of lowering its estimate. Alston summa-rizes the issue by saying that Repub-licans “seek to add over 20 million poor and middle class persons to the ranks of those without health insurance.”

It’s a triple distortion. The report uses too high a number, ignores the role of vol-untary choice, and acts as though Repub-licans intend a result when in reality they do not even believe it will happen.

Discussing poverty, Alston again takes a standard left-wing line while ignoring counterarguments. He notes, correctly, that the trillions of dollars the government has spent fighting poverty have been extremely helpful in holding poverty rates down.

But he assumes this point suffices to refute the idea that features of our welfare programs are counterpro-ductive, and to justify placing sneer quotes about people who think those programs should be more efficient, tar-geted and evidence-based - sorry, “effi-cient,” “targeted” and “evidence-based.”

The report presents the bipartisan welfare reform of the 1990s as a humanitarian disaster that sharply increased the number of people living in extreme, $2-a-day poverty. But this trend seems to disappear when you account for non-cash benefits such as food stamps, as Scott Winship, then a researcher for the Manhattan Institute,

argued in a study published in 2016. He concluded that child poverty has fallen to an all-time low since welfare reform was enacted (although he is careful not to give all the credit for that decline to the reform).

And poverty has almost certainly fallen further since Trump took office, because of the good economy — a point that Alston’s analysis for the UN somehow never gets around to men-tioning. Reuters can be forgiven for reading the UN report that way: “Amer-ica’s poor becoming more destitute under Trump: UN expert” was the headline it ran.

The report ends with a rousing call for Americans to get over their obdurate refusal to pay higher taxes. “There is a real need for the realization to sink in among the majority of the American population that taxes are not only in their interest, but also perfectly recon-cilable with a growth agenda.” Case closed, I guess.

The US is doing much better than the UN suggests. The incarceration rate, for example, keeps falling, unnoticed by our rapporteur. None of this progress is a reason for complacency, of course. There are many changes we could make to fight poverty. Two policies that many conservatives and liberals would embrace are loosening requirements for occupational licenses and easing zoning restrictions on housing. The UN ignores both issues.

We could use a thoughtful analysis of how to build on what has worked in American anti-poverty policy and how to reform what hasn’t. But we’ll have to look elsewhere than the UN Human Rights Council for that.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un will meet today in a historic summit

due to the tensions regarding North Korea’s nuclear program.

The unprecedented event will be held in Singapore’s Sentosa Island, secured by personal guards of both leaders and elite police tactical unit of the Singapore police force.

Through the summit, the US hopes to finally reach an agreement on irre-versibly disarming North Korea of all nuclear weapons and establish peace regime on the divided Korean peninsula, including easing economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea and establishing new relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

The US president is accompanied by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, US Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and US National Security Advisor John Bolton. The North Korean leader will be accom-panied by North Korean Foreign Min-ister Ri Yong Ho and the leader’s

younger brother Kim Yo-jong. Trump said Saturday he was

embarking on a “mission of peace,” as he departed the Group of Seven meeting in Canada to fly to the summit site in Singapore. Saying he has a clear objective in mind to convince Kim to abandon his nuclear program in exchange for unspecified protections from the US, Trump acknowledged that the direction of the high-stakes meeting is unpredictable, adding it will always be spur of the moment.

Preparations for the summit, included a meeting between the two Koreas, two visits by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the North Korean capital Pyongyang. In addition a senior North Korean official Kim Jong-chul paid a visit to Washington in which he conveyed a personal message described as reconciling from Kim to Trump.

A positive factor in favor of this summit is that there is clearly a strong desire from Trump to achieve success in the Korean nuclear file to outweigh his predecessors of American presi-dents. On the other hand, the North Korean leader aspires to impose its legitimacy and prestige at this summit, and to earn international rec-

ognition and respect for him and his country through a summit in which he is treated on an equal footing with the world’s most pow-erful head of state. In addition to legitimizing and recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state and lift inter-national sanctions.

South Korea strongly supports the efforts to make the Singapore summit a success, and has played an active role in its preparation. China also supports the summit, which will not only reduce the risks of instability and war on the Korean Peninsula, but also, if it eventually leads to peace

and security, will accelerate the with-drawal of US troops from South Korea.

On Thursday, at the White House the US President pledged to achieve great success at the summit, but it is not clear what is the success for Trump or Kim, and no one knows what will happen after the two presi-dents leave the hall where the summit will be held.

Observers agree that one meeting will not be enough to accomplish the required agreements, overcome the difficulties and obstacles and put the details of the next stage may require more than a meeting and more than a summit, but success requires coming out something tangible and positive from this historic meeting, otherwise, the alternative could mean disaster, and at the end of the summit, the two presidents may sign a document out-lining the commitments and steps to be taken by the parties simultaneously and progressively regarding the security guarantees the United States will provide to North Korea and the steps of normalization, in return for the complete, irreversible and veri-fiable denuclearization of North Korea.

Observers do not rule out details on the idea of sending US diplomats to Pyongyang and North Korean officials to Washington, which will be practical steps to strengthen communication channels between the two countries, observers also expect North Korea to agree to take practical measures as soon as possible to confirm its com-mitment to its nuclear disarmament, including opening its facilities to international inspectors, formalizing the freezing of its nuclear testing and dismantling its facilities.

But the biggest challenge facing Singapore summit is that the two sides have different views on the Summit’s goals and timetables that are the real key to achieving a historic agreement at this meeting, and the Trump administration demands that North Korea take concrete steps to

The report uses too high a number, ignores the role of voluntary choice, and acts as though Republicans intend a result when in reality they do not even believe it will happen.

disarm nuclear weapons before any sanctions or other concessions are relaxed, but North Korea appears to be determined on a phased approach and Kim said the issue of nuclear disarmament will be resolved on a stage by stage basis.

The US Secretary of State said a few days before the summit that his country’s goal is very clear, is to achieve a fundamentally different strategic relationship between Washington and Pyongyang, and added that nuclear disarmament is the ultimate goal, and in contrast, Washington is ready to do things that provide North Korea security, and warmer political relations.

It is unclear whether Pyongyang is prepared to give up its nuclear weapons program in accordance with the schedules, dates and plans Washington demands, as North Korea has refused to abandon its arsenal uni-laterally and has defended its nuclear and missile programs, saying they were deterred against what they saw as an American aggression and danger, with the United States deploying 28,500 troops in South Korea.

The Trump-Kim summit comes months after wave of mutual threats amounting to nuclear bombardment.

Intensive preparations and dip-lomatic efforts ahead of the summit do not constitute any guarantee for its success, and the risk of failure remains untenable if the two leaders can not reach concrete points of agreement, and agree on what is possible and what is required, oth-erwise, the doors will be open to all possibilities and worst scenarios which will affect not only the two countries, but the entire world.

QNA

A crowd reacts as US President Donald Trump’s motorcade arrives at the Istana in Singapore.

12 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018ASIA

Pakistan proposes agenda for

regional development & peaceINTERNEWS

QINGDAO: Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain (pictured) unveiled at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organi-sation (SCO) a five-point roadmap to achieve devel-opment and durable peace in the region through enhanced connectivity, shared prosperity, trade and people-to-people contacts.

Speaking at the plenary session of the summit held at the Qingdao International Con-ference Centre, Hussain said building trust was pivotal to achieving lasting peace and sta-bility in the region, besides helping generate economic activity and enhancing trade.

He said that development projects should not be viewed though a myopic geopolitical angle. The countries in the region should wholeheartedly support all development and connectivity initiatives, including the Belt and Road Ini-tiative and its flagship project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The SCO countries, he said, should strive to alleviate poverty, support weaker econ-omies of the region and combat terrorism and extremism, by fol-lowing the “Shanghai spirit of shared development and pros-perity”. The SCO Development Bank and Fund could contribute

to this endeavour. President Hussain told the summit the SCO Business Council would help promote business-to-business contacts in various sectors. The bloc led by China and Russia should explore the possibility of introducing a visa regime for businessmen.

He said that improvement in the law and order situation in Pakistan over the past few years had provided a secure envi-ronment for investment and business.

Contrary to global trends, he said, Pakistan’s economy had achieved great successes, resulting in recording this year of the country’s highest GDP growth rate in a decade.

Pakistan had been ranked as the top country in the region and the fifth in the world as a destination for private investment for infrastructure development.

President Mamnoon told the summit that peace and stability in Afghanistan was a shared concern of the SCO member states. “We believe this is only possible through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. The reactivation of the SCO’s Contact Group of Afghan-istan is a welcome step,” he said.

He said Pakistan had wel-comed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s announcement of ceasefire and his unconditional offer for peace talks to the Taliban.

“I am pleased to inform you that Pakistan has embarked on a bilateral Action Plan for Peace, Security and Stability with Afghanistan. We hope that these efforts will bear fruit and con-tribute to peace in Afghanistan,” President Hussain said.

He said the SCO occupied a unique place among interna-tional organisations established for regional security and prosperity.

Within a short period it had become a platform for exem-plary inter-state and people-to-people cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, regional security, connectivity and sus-tainable development, the pres-ident said.

He said Pakistan had been successful in meeting the Mem-orandum of Obligations to SCO in a timely manner.

Pakistan’s strategic location, access to the Indian Ocean and huge consumer market had further enhanced these opportunities.

“Our success has been bol-stered by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. With par-ticipation in the Central Asian regional connectivity projects like Tapi and Casa 1000 the upward trajectory in our growth rate will continue,” he said.

The president said the gov-ernment was developing nine industrial zones in different areas of Pakistan to enhance industrial productivity and provide economic stability.

He said in the past few years democratic institutions had been strengthened in Pakistan.

CSTO Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs meetFROM LEFT: Belarusian Foreign Minister Andrei Dapkiunas, Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsaganyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Foreign Minister of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Aslov on the sidelines of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs meeting held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, yesterday.

New UN envoy to pay first visit to MyanmarAFP

UNITED NATIONS: The new UN envoy for Myanmar, C h r i s t i n e S c h r a n e r Burgener, will pay her first visit to the country beginning today, holding talks on human rights and the Rohingya refugee crisis, the UN said.

The former Swiss ambassador to Germany who was appointed in April will meet with Myanmar authorities, “ethnic armed organizations”, civil society and religious leaders, a UN statement said Monday.

Following her visit to Myanmar, Schraner Bur-gener will travel to Bang-ladesh where 700,000 Muslim Rohingya are shel-tering in camps after being driven from their homes by an army campaign. Myanmar has said the mil-itary operation launched in August in northern Rakhine state is aimed at rooting out extremists.

The United Nations last week signed a deal with Myanmar to allow access for its agencies to carry out assessments in Rakhine state, which has been largely closed to outsiders since the crisis began.

The Security Council sent a letter to Myanmar in late May asking the gov-ernment to cooperate with UN experts to investigate allegations of atrocities against the Rohingya.

Myanmar has refused to allow a fact-finding mission set up by the UN Human Rights Council to enter the country, and has barred UN rights expert Yanghee Lee.

12 dead, 31 wounded in Kabul attackAFP

KABUL: At least 12 people were killed and 31 wounded when a suicide attacker blew himself up among government ministry employees in Kabul who had left work early for Ramadan and were waiting to take a bus home, officials said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the latest attack in the Afghan capital, which comes a day before the government’s ceasefire with the Taliban is expected to start.

The blast occurred at the main gate of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.

Employees were gathered at the entrance of the com-pound waiting for a bus to take them home when the suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowd, said rural ministry spokesman Faridoon Azhand, who was inside the building at the time.

“I was in my office when I

heard a big blast,” another employee told AFP. “Most of my colleagues were leaving for the day to go home. I am worried about my colleagues. We are told to stay inside for now.”

Police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai confirmed the attacker had targeted the employees as they waited for the bus at around 1:00 pm.

IS claimed the attack via their Amaq propaganda agency.

The attack was just one of several around Afghanistan yesterday. Elsewhere, militants raided a government building in the eastern city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, prompting terrified employees to jump out of the windows, officials said.

At least 10 people were wounded, city health department director Najibullah Kamawal told AFP.

In another incident, an explosion inside a house in Kabul killed one person and wounded three others, Stan-ikzai said.

INTERNEWS

BEIJING: Pakistan and Russia have agreed to work together to further enhance economic ties and increase the trade volume.

This agreement was reached during a meeting between President Mamnoon Hussain and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Qingdao Summit today.

The Leaders discussed matters of mutual interest including bilateral, contem-porary regional and global issues.Trade, energy, security, culture, education and people-to-people contact were iden-tified as avenues for enhanced future cooperation.

The leaders agreed that the bilateral trade between the two nations has tremendous potential.

Pakistan & Russia vow to enhance bilateral ties

Pakistan has no comprehensive laws for disabled people: ReportINTERNEWS

ISLAMABAD: Though Pakistan has international obligations to ensure facilities for people with disabilities, there are no compre-hensive laws for the welfare of people living with disabilities.

Definitions of people with disabilities are invariably used and data on the matter is incon-sistent, says a report by the Potohar Mental Health Associ-ation (PMHA) titled Bringing Dis-ability in the Constitutional Net which was launched Saturday night.

The report says people living with disabilities are being denied their right to political participa-tions and very few people with disabilities have joined political

parties as workers and even fewer hold offices with parties. Similarly, there are hardly any examples of people with disabil-ities contesting the elections.

The report stresses on the need for passing a compre-hensive law for the wellbeing of people living with disabilities so they can fully participate in all spheres of life and to ensure their rights.

It has long been alleged that voter turnout for disabled people is low and that their involvement in political processes is hardly noticed.

The report says they are also questions about the need of undergoing the entire process of voting, from registration to casting votes.

The report says that to date, there are no comprehensive laws covering people with disabilities and are mostly subjected to a 1981 ordinance, which deals mostly with employment. There is therefore no law to address broader issues.

It says that even if policies are inferred for accessible infra-structure, it is questionable if a violation of these polices can be penalised, in the absence of law.

One of the outcomes of the absence of a holistic law is the inconsistency in the usage of terms used to identify people with disabilities.

Public data about persons living with disabilities is scarce and inconsistent. As per the 1998 census, 2.38 percent to 2.5

percent of the population have disabilities. If that percentage persisted, 4.7 million of the coun-try’s 200 million population should be disabled.

However, as per the census of 2017, this percentage is reported to have declined, standing at 1.6 percent so that 3.2 million people have disabilities. The report raises questions about these statistics though.

The process of registering someone as a person living with disability is a long one, the report says.

The individual is required to come to the city’s public hospital, present relevant documents proving residence and disability, appear before an assessment board, get a disability certificate

and furnish that to get a special identity card on the basis of which their vote will be regis-tered. This sequential process runs the risk of excluding dis-abled persons, the report says.

The report suggests that the participation of persons with dis-abilities in different spheres of life will significantly increase if a holistic law dealing with their welfare is introduces.

Speaking at the launch, PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar said proper steps should be taken to bring disabled people into the mainstream.

He said residents of tribal areas and transgender persons were brought in the mainstream by parties and parliament taking proper pol i t ica l and

constitutional steps. He also stressed on the need for a com-prehensive law in this regard and that the existing law only deals with employment. He said political will is a decisive factor and that the PPP will include dis-abled people in its manifesto and called on other parties to do so as well.

PMHA President Zulqurnain Asghar said the absence of law means the absence of any binding documents to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are upheld and for holding vio-lators to account.

He also wondered how the 2017 census showed a decline in the number of disabled people when the population of the country has increased.

Shahbaz Sharif to run for three Karachi, two Punjab NA seatsINTERNEWS

KARACHI/LAHORE: For the first time in past few decades, Pakistan’s largest city Karachi is set to see the leadership of at least three major political parties contesting from its various constituencies as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also decided to field its president Shahbaz Sharif from here after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has opted for it.

Sharif, who assumed the party’s highest post after the

disqualification of his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, would contest for three National Assembly seats from Karachi, NA-248, NA-249 and NA-250, PML-N leaders confirmed after the party’s parliamentary board meeting in Lahore yesterday.

“The PML-N parliamentary board members are of the opinion that the party head should contest from Karachi as well, because law and order has been restored to the city due to PML-N government’s policies,” said PML-N leader Mohammad Mehdi.

Just a couple of days ago, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had announced that the party chairman, Imran Khan, would contest the upcoming elections from Karachi’s NA-243 constit-uency also, while Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will contest from the PPP’s stronghold, Lyari, for NA-246 seat.

Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Farooq Sattar and Pak Sarzameen Party chief Mustafa Kamal will contest from the NA-247 constituency

comprising areas of Defence, Clifton, Saddar, Arambagh and Karachi cantonment.

Khawaja Tariq Nazeer, PML-N’s information secretary, said Rana Mashhood would file nomination papers of his party president in the constituencies falling in Karachi’s West district.

PML-N leaders, however, said Sharif might withdraw from NA-250 in support of Awami National Party (ANP) chief Shahi Syed in case of seat adjustment.

A PML-N insider said Sharif would contest from NA-249.

“Shahbaz may file nomination papers from three constituencies of Karachi but he would contest from NA-249.”

“Since the PML-N stands a good chance from this constit-uency Shahbaz Sharif will take his chances from NA-249,” he added.

Besides Karachi, Sharif is likely to run for two NA seats - one each from Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan. “The decision whether or not Shahbaz should also contest on a provincial assembly seat in Punjab has not been taken by the board.

The meeting, long sought by Pyongyang, will be the first ever between a serving US President and a North Korean leader, and will focus on the nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles the North has spent decades developing.

13TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018 ASIA / EUROPE

US offers ‘unique’ guarantees on eve of historic summitAFP

SINGAPORE: The US has offered North Korea “unique” security guarantees to persuade it to give up its nuclear arsenal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday, on the eve of a historic summit here.

The White House said prepar-atory negotiations had “moved more quickly than expected” and Donald Trump would leave today evening after his talks with Kim Jong Un, ruling out the possibility the unprecedented tete-a-tete would run to two days.

The meeting, long sought by Pyongyang, will be the first ever between a serving US President and a North Korean leader, and will focus on the nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles the North has spent decades developing.

Just hours ahead of the crunch talks, Kim left his luxury hotel for a night-time stroll around some of Singapore’s main sights, even posing for selfies

with his guide, the city-state’s foreign minister.

Setting out the US position before the summit, Pompeo stressed that the Trump admin-istration would only accept com-plete denuclearisation of the North. But in return, Washington would offer “different and unique” guarantees “to provide them sufficient certainty that they can be comfortable that denuclearisation is not some-thing that ends badly for them”.

He refused to go into details. But the North has long sought an end to the US military presence in the South, where Washington has around 28,000 troops sta-tioned to protect it from its neighbour. Pyongyang has demanded the end of what it calls a “hostile policy” towards it, but in public has only pledged to pursue the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula — a euphemism open to wide differ-ences of interpretation.

Washington is eager to see if

the North’s pledges were “sincere”, Pompeo said, adding: “The United States has been fooled before.” Verification would be key, he went on, saying many deals had been signed before only to find “the North Koreans did not promise what they said”.

The North, which has been subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council and others, has made promises of change in the past, such as at the lengthy Six Party

Talks process, only for the agree-ments to collapse later.

Trump and Kim will first meet one-on-one in a closed session, before a larger meeting with key advisers, the White House said. The wider session will include National Security Advisor John Bolton, who nearly derailed the summit with hawkish comments about dis-arming North Korea.

Pompeo also signalled there would be more discussions to come, adding that today’s meeting “will set the framework for the hard work that will follow. We will see how far we get.”

In Seoul, President Moon Jae-in had a 40-minute phone call with Trump, after telling key aides that it could take “one year, two years or even longer to com-pletely resolve the issues con-cerned”. Today’s summit is an extraordinary turnaround from last year, when Trump threatened the North with “fire and fury” and Kim dubbed him

a “mentally deranged US dotard”, sending fears of conflict soaring.

The summit has also raised hopes of progress towards a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, the last festering legacy of the Cold War, after hos-tilities only stopped with an armistice.But critics have warned it risks becoming more of a media circus than an occasion for substantial progress.

The US leader has whip-sawed on expectations for the meeting, signalling that it could be the beginning of a “process” of several meetings, only to call it a “one-time shot” for peace as he embarked for Singapore and saying he would know “within the first minute” whether an agreement would be possible.

“I just think it’s going to work out very nicely,” said Trump at a working lunch with the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong. The previous US stance, said Bruce Klingner of the Heritage Foundation, was that “we don’t

deploy a president to negotiate a treaty, we deploy a president to sign a treaty where we know where every piece of punctuation is on that piece of paper”.

The North’s official KCNA news agency called the summit “historic”, saying it would take place in a “changed era” and “under the great attention and expectation of the whole world”.

Kim would exchange “wide-ranging and profound views” on issues including “building a per-manent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean peninsula” and “realising the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”, it added.

It formally referred to Trump by his full name in the report, including his middle initial — the first time it has done so. Kim’s sister and close aide Kim Yo Jong is also in Singapore, and is believed to have travelled sepa-rately on the ageing Soviet-made Ilyushin-62 that is the leader’s personal aircraft.

US President Donald Trump meets with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) ahead of a bilateral meeting at Istana, Singapore, yesterday. RIGHT: Singapore’s Finance Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and Singapore’s Education Minister Ong Ye Kung pose for a photo in Singapore in this photo obtained from social media.

Members of Akbayan activist group display placards during a rally to protest what they say is harassment of Filipino fishermen at the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, in Makati, Metro Manila, in Philippines yesterday.

Philippines demands China stop taking fishermen’s catchAFP

MANILA: The Philippines yesterday demanded that China stop confiscating the catch of Filipino fishermen in the disputed South China Sea, calling the practice “unacceptable”.

The remarks by President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman were a rare public rebuke from Manila, which has taken a non-confrontational approach with Beijing over the resource-rich waterway. China controls several reefs in the sea including Scar-borough Shoal, which Beijing seized from Manila in 2012 and is just 230km from the main Phil-ippine island of Luzon.

China claims almost the entire sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, despite competing partial claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philip-pines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque yesterday confirmed a report that Chinese Coast Guard personnel seized the catch of Fil-ipino fishermen in the shoal in May in violation of an agreement between the two nations allowing Filipinos to fish there.

“We are demanding that the Chinese take steps to stop the coast guard from doing these acts,” Roque told reporters.

“That is unacceptable. That is why we informed the Chinese we will not allow fish to be taken from our countrymen.” The Chinese foreign ministry said it was investigating the reports and authorities will “seriously” deal with them if they are confirmed.

“Out of friendship, China has made proper arrangements for Filipino fishermen,” ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

Berlin talks aim to revive stalled Ukraine peace processAFP

BERLIN: Top diplomats from Ukraine and Russia met their German and French counter-parts in Berlin yesterday seeking to revive long-stalled efforts to end the smouldering civil war in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukraine conflict, half-for-gotten by the West amid other crises and its own divisions, has claimed over 10,000 lives and still sees daily clashes between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces.

After over a year on the back burner as France, Germany and Russia have been caught up in their own elections, all three have now turned their focus back on Ukraine which goes to

the polls next year. At the start of the talks — the first between the quartet in 16 months — German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said they were hoping to reach “a ceasefire that deserves its name”.

Key aims include the with-drawal of heavy weapons along the frontline, the launch of de-mining operations, and generally “breathing new life” into the 2015 Minsk agreement that sought to end the fighting.

Maas said another new topic would be the eventual deployment of a UN peace-keeping mission in eastern Ukraine, but acknowl-edged that ideas on the issue “are far apart”. While Moscow favours blue-helmet troops only along the

frontline, Kiev would want them to also police the Ukraine-Russian border to prevent soldiers and weapons from crossing.

The UN Security Council last week condemned “continuous violations of the ceasefire” and “the tragic humanitarian situ-ation” on the frontline. “I have no illusions — the new start will be difficult,” Maas told Bild daily.

On Friday, his French coun-terpart Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that, given the daily death toll, “the credibility of the current peace process is at stake”. The Berlin meeting is an attempt to restore dialogue between the two sides, even as they blame each other for the ongoing conflict.

In a rare phone call on

Saturday to prepare for the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Petro Poroshenko discussed an “exchange of people being held” by both sides. But given the deepening distrust between the West and Russia, hopes of a dip-lomatic breakthrough are low.

After a popular Ukrainian uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed president in Kiev in 2014, Russia moved to annex the Crimea peninsula, backing insur-gents in the former Soviet state. Brussels responded to the terri-torial grab with a series of asset freezes and travel bans as well as stinging economic sanctions, with Moscow retaliating in kind.

Since then, the US and

European powers have accused Moscow of using hackers and propaganda to sow discord, meddle in elections and back eurosceptics and rightwing pop-ulists, as well as ramping up mil-itary posturing to threaten eastern European states.

And in 2015, Russia entered into Syria’s brutal civil war, defying the West by unleashing a bombing campaign in support of Bashar al-Assad.

Relations hit a new low in March when many western states expelled Russian dip-lomats over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Britain.

HK jails top independence leader for six yearsAFP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s leading independence activist was jailed for six years yesterday for his involvement in some of the city’s worst protest violence for decades.

Edward Leung was con-victed in May of rioting during the 2016 running battles with police, when demonstrators hurled bricks torn up from pavements and set rubbish alight in the commercial dis-trict of Mong Kok.

Handing down his jail term, Judge Anthea Pang said Leung actively participated in the riots and described his actions as “wanton and vicious”. The 27-year-old was already in custody after pleading guilty in January to a separate charge of assaulting a police officer during the clashes. He was sentenced to one year in jail on that count, with the two terms to be served concurrently.

The 2016 protest began as a seemingly innocuous rally to protect illegal hawkers from health inspectors but it quickly morphed into an outpouring of anger against authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing.

At the forefront of the clashes were young “localists”promoting a split from mainland China. At the time, Leung was the head of localist group Hong Kong Indigenous and a rising star on the political scene as the fledgling inde-pendence movement gathered momentum, infuriating Beijing.

Two other protesters were sentenced alongside Leung to seven years and three-and-a- half-years in prison.

The migrants, including pregnant women and scores of children, were saved by the French charity SOS Mediterranee on Saturday. They were taken on board its ship Aquarius, which is now between Malta and Sicily.

14 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018EUROPE

Spain offers to take in stranded migrant shipAFP

ROME: Spain offered yesterday to take in a ship stranded in the Mediterranean with 629 migrants aboard after Italy and Malta refused to let the vessel dock in their ports.

The migrants, including pregnant women and scores of children, were saved by the French charity SOS Mediterranee on Saturday. They were taken on board its ship Aquarius, which is now between Malta and Sicily.

Malta and the new populist government in Italy each refused to take the migrants in, accusing one another of failing to meet their obligations. The row has triggered international concern about the migrants’ plight.

The refusal to accept the Aquarius in Italy was the first major anti-migrant move since far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini took office this month.

Salvini tweeted “VICTORY” after the two days of confron-tation with Malta over the migrants ended with Spain’s offer of help. The new Spanish administration headed by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed to allow the Aquarius to dock in its eastern port of Valencia, his office said.

“It is our obligation to help to avoid a humanitarian catas-trophe and to offer a safe port to these people,” his office said.

SOS Mediterranee Director- General Sophie Beau said Spain’s offer “is encouraging and shows that some states are sensitive to

the humanitarian emergency.” She warned that the ship will have to travel some 1,300km to reach the Spanish coast which could take at least four days and that by today “there will be no more food (on board) apart from energy biscuits”.

Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in a tweet that “Malta is going to send fresh supplies to the ship”. Malta and Italy thanked Spain for stepping up, but maintained their dispute over who was responsible.

Muscat tweeted his thanks to Sanchez “for agreeing to accept the Aquarius after Italy violated international law and caused an impasse.” He added: “It will be necessary to sit down and discuss how to prevent this kind of thing from happening in the future. This is a European issue.”

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said his country had “asked for a gesture of sol-idarity from Europe and this gesture has been made”.

Conte is set to head to Paris

A handout picture taken in the search and rescue zone in the Mediterranean Sea on June 9 and released yesterday by SOS Mediterranee NGO shows migrants being rescued before boarding the French NGO’s ship Aquarius.

for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday ahead of the European summit on June 28-29, with a particular focus on migration, Macron’s office said yesterday.

But Beau said that under maritime law the ship should be allowed to dock in one of the nearest countries, Italy or Malta.

The UN had called on Malta and Italy to immediately allow the boat to dock, describing the situation as “an urgent human-itarian imperative”. The EU and the bloc’s biggest member state Germany made similar pleas.

“The priority of both the Italian and Maltese authorities should be ensuring these people receive the care they need,” European Commiss ion spokesman Margaritis Schinas said , calling for a “swift reso-lution”. Salvini refused to back

down. “Saving lives is a duty, turning Italy into a huge refugee camp is not. Italy is done bending over backwards and obeying, this time THERE IS SOMEONE WHO SAYS NO,” he wrote on Twitter followed by the hashtag #closethedoors.

MSF Sea (Doctors Without Borders) said the medical situ-ation of those on the Aquarius was “stable for now but unnec-essary delay to disembarkation in safe port puts vulnerable patients at risk”. “Particularly seven pregnant woman, 15 with serious chemical burns and several critical drowning hypo-thermia patients,” MSF Sea said.

Conte said on Sunday that Rome had sent two patrol ships with doctors on board “ready to intervene and ensure the health of anyone on board the Aquarius who might have the need”.

The migrants were rescued in six separate night-time oper-ations in the central Mediter-ranean on Saturday. The French organisation said those brought on board included 123 unaccom-panied minors, 11 small children and the seven pregnant women.

Under EU rules, migrants must apply for asylum in the European country where they first arrive. That has put pressure on Italy and Greece, the entry points for hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia since 2015.

Some in Italy have offered to take in migrants. The mayor of Taranto, Rinaldo Melucci said the southern port city was “ready to embrace every life in danger”. “Our land has always been one of refuge, I don’t know how you can send away 629 human lives.”

Immigration policy sparks discord in Merkel coalitionAFP

BERLIN: Discord on immi-gration policy within German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government forced her interior minister to postpone yesterday the presentation of a new “masterplan” on the touchy issue.

Horst Seehofer, the con-servative former premier of Bavaria state, has long been harshly critical of Merkel’s liberal migration policy that has allowed over one million asylum seekers into the country since 2015.

Seehofer, interior and homeland minister since March, had been due to present a tough new “migration masterplan” today, but cancelled the press conference amid what the Bild daily newspaper labelled “a huge fight” within the Merkel government.

The interior ministry in a short statement said the pres-entation today had been post-poned because “several points still need to be agreed”, adding that no new date has been set.

Merkel has particularly objected to Seehofer’s plan to turn back at Germany’s borders any migrant seeking asylum who has already been registered and fingerprinted in another EU country.

Speaking in a TV interview late on Sunday, Merkel argued that this would breach European law and said that “we remain in intensive discussions about the masterplan”.

Lawmakers of Seehofer’s CSU labelled this objection as “absurd”. Bavaria was on the frontline during the mid-2015 peak of the refugee influx that saw tens of thousands of migrants a day enter Germany across the Austrian border.

Seehofer was the driving force behind a coalition agreement to seek to limit the number of new asylum seekers coming to the biggest EU country to 200,000 per year.

UK to offer Stephen Hawking fellowshipsAFP

LONDON: Exceptional students in mathematics and physics can compete for research fellow-ships in honour of the late British physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in March, the government announced yesterday.

Up to 10 fellowships will be awarded each year for the next five years to candidates com-pleting doctoral studies in maths, physics and computer sciences,

according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The 50 recipients will receive financial support allowing them to continue their work in any British institution for up to three years, it said.

The creation of the “Stephen Hawking Fellowships” follow discussions with his family, said Science Minister Sam Gyimah.

“I can think of no more fitting tribute to this great man

than to support the next gener-ation to push the boundaries of knowledge of the laws that govern our universe,” he added.

Hawking’s children Robert, Lucy and Tim Hawking, said they were “thrilled” by the move and that their father “knew the value that fellowships could provide to advancing research”.

“As a scientist who made extraordinary discoveries throughout his career but par-ticularly in his early years, he

was very interested in the devel-opment of new talent and devoted much of his career to his teaching roles,” they said.

“We are thrilled that these fel-lowships will be named after him and see this as a great tribute to his life in science.” British physicist Hawking died at his Cambridge home on March 14 at the age of 76. His ashes will be interred at West-minster Abbey between the graves of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin on Friday.

Penka the cow spared death over crossing EU borderAFP

SOFIA: Bulgarian authorities announced yesterday that Penka, the cow who risked death by straying over the EU border, will not be put down after all.

“Laboratory analyses of the cow that spent 15 days in Serbia and crossed the border back (into Bulgaria) are neg-ative for all the tested dis-eases,” Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency announced Monday.

“She will not be killed and will return to her herd by the end of the week,” agency spokeswoman Ekaterina Stoilova confirmed.

Penka’s plight went viral on social media and made headlines around the world after her owner Ivan Har-alampiev, from the western village of Kopilovtsi, launched an appeal 10 days ago to save her. The animal had wan-dered away from her herd near the western Bulgarian village of Mazarachevo on May 12 and spent more than two weeks in Serbia before local farmers identified her from her earmarks.

Penka then fell foul of strict EU rules on the import of live animals from third countries, which require extensive paperwork giving the animal a clean bill of health before it can enter the bloc.

Haralampiev lacked the necessary documents to authorise her return and was only allowed to take her back if he agreed to put her down within days. But instead he launched an appeal on tele-vision to save her, sparking a worldwide outpouring of sympathy.

By yesterday more than 30,750 people — including former Beatle Paul McCartney — had signed an online petition to save Penka addressed to EU institutions. Penka’s fans shared her story with the hashtag #SavePenka and even wrote a poem describing her odyssey.

10 injured at Frankfurt airportThe blackened and heavily damaged cockpit area of a Star Alliance passenger aircraft is pictured at the airport in Frankfurt, western Germany, yesterday. Ten people were slightly injured when a fire broke out on a vehicle towing a Lufthansa plane at Frankfurt airport.

Italian court finds man guilty of kidnapping British modelAFP

ROME: An Italian court yesterday found a Polish man guilty of kidnapping young British model Chloe Ayling in an elaborate plot which gained worldwide attention.

The court in Milan sentenced UK resident Lucasz Herba to 16 years and nine months in prison for abducting Ayling and holding her against her will in July 2017.

“I am very happy with the outcome, I want to thank the Court and all those who believed in what I said, from the staff to the police investigators up to the prosecutor. Now I want to be with my family,” said Ayling speaking after the verdict, according to Italian agency AGI.

Ayling — who was 20 years old at the time — claimed to have been drugged and kidnapped after being lured to Milan on the

false promise of attending a fashion shoot. She was taken to a remote mountain village where she was kept for almost a week before Herba drove her back to Milan and released her near the British consulate.

She claims she was told she had been kidnapped by an organised gang and would be auctioned off online as a sex slave. Herba’s defence said that the model had organised the kid-

napping with the Pole as a pub-licity stunt to boost her profes-sional career.

During the hearing the accused said he had elaborated the scheme with the young mother because he was in love with her.

“It was evident that she needed help, because she was without money, I had become her friend and I was in love with her,” Herba said “I did everything to help her, all the international

scandal that resulted from it was only used to make her famous.”

Ayling’s lawyer Francesco Pesce said the young model was considering taking legal action to claim damages from those who had “thrown mud” and tried to discredit her — referring to media speculation in certain British tabloids which questioned the model’s version of events during the investigation.

Harry and Meghan to head Down Under later this yearAFP

LONDON: Prince Harry and his new wife Meghan will visit Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand later this year for their first overseas tour as a married couple, Kensington Palace announced yesterday.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were married at Windsor Castle last month, have timed their trip to coincide with the Invictus Games in Sydney in October.

Harry, the second son of heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, set up the global sports championship for wounded personnel after a decade in the army. All four countries on the tour are members of the Com-monwealth, the 53-nation grouping for which Harry is a y o u t h a m b a s s a d o r .

Harry is following in his parents’ footsteps, after Charles and his then wife Diana visited Australia and New Zealand in their first tour as a married couple.

Charles was in Australia earlier this year to open the Commonwealth Games, his 16th tour of the country. Harry’s older brother Prince William and his wife Kate also drew huge crowds during a 2014 visit to Australia and New Zealand with their baby Prince George.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake an official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand in the autumn.” “The Duke and Duchess will visit the Commonwealth countries of Fiji and Tonga at the request of the Foreign and Common-wealth Office.

BUSINESSTuesday 12 June 2018

PAGE | 17PAGE | 16

Germany sees no quick solution to trade

row with US

French farmers block refineries over palm oil imports

Qatar moving to promote economic diversification: OBGTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Private-sector growth and new government initiatives to support long-term economic diversification and sustainability will be the focus of the global research, publishing and consul-tancy firm Oxford Business Group’s (OBG) upcoming economic report on the country, ‘The Report: Qatar 2019’.

New developments in Qatar’s economy, including measures to support non-hydrocarbon growth and priority industries including agri-culture, manufacturing and defence, will be explored in OBG’s economic analysis. ‘The Report: Qatar 2019’ will provide in-depth coverage of the country’s diversification efforts and strategies to boost investment in high-growth sectors and increase the role played by the private sector in the national economy.

Alongside comprehensive analysis of key sectors including the strong project pipeline in infrastructure, con-struction and energy, the publication will also highlight areas with robust growth potential and opportunities for increased private-sector involvement. This coverage will highlight measures to help the country meet its long-term economic objectives outlined in Qatar National Vision 2030 and the recently-launched Second National Development Strategy (2018-22). Opportunities for

public-private partnerships (PPPs)in sectors including health and education, as well as initiatives to support private-sector growth, particularly from SMEs, by organisations including the Qatar Development Bank and Qatar Business Incubation Centre, will also be covered in the research.

OBG has recently signed a memo-randum of understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Chamber for its forthcoming publication,

‘The Report: Qatar 2019’. This part-nership will facilitate exchange of infor-mation between the representatives of Oxford Business Group and Qatar Chamber in areas such as business envi-ronment, commerce, industry, and Qatar’s international business collabo-rations. As part of the MoU all members of Qatar Chamber will also benefit from complimentary access to Oxford Business Group’s digital library with reports on over 35 countries.

“Oxford Business Group is delighted to partner with Qatar Chamber- one of the oldest chambers of commerce in the GCC countries, operating for 55 years,” said Izabela Kruk, Country Director of Oxford Business Group. “Qatar Chamber is the key organisation representing the private sector and is very active both locally and internationally. We are looking forward to working with Qatar Chamber as we prepare The Report: Qatar 2019.”

Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi (right), Director-General of Qatar Chamber, and Izabela Kruk, Country Director of Oxford Business Group, signing the MoU.

QBA holds board meeting, reviews activitiesTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Board members of the Qatari Businessmen Associ-ation (QBA) have met for the 31st board meeting at QBA office. During the meeting, the members reviewed QBA activ-ities during the last year which coincided with the year of the siege on Qatar and also discussed QBA upcoming events.

The meeting was headed by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, QBA Chairman and in the presence of QBA First Deputy Hussein Al Fardan and QBA Second Deputy Dr. Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, and QBA Members Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Sherida Saad Jubran Al-Kaabi and Saud Al Mana representing Omar Al Mana.

The year 2017 witnessed intensive activities for the QBA, the most important of which was the organisation and partici-pation in Qatar - UK Business and Investment Forum held in the United Kingdom, in which more than 500 businessmen and government officials headed by the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin

Nasser Al Thani, participated. Also QBA’s visit to major European capitals (Paris, Berlin and London), during which the Association was able to explore various investment opportunities in specialized economic fields, especially sectors that concern

food security, health and phar-maceutical industries, and promote Qatar as an investment destination after the decisions taken by the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the most important of which is the free zones and the new privileges

for foreign investors.The Board also discussed the

participation of QBA in the Eco-nomic Promotional Tour organized by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Qatar in the US. The tour included meetings with senior

government officials and repre-sentatives of the private sector, and started with Miami, where the Qatari Businessmen Associ-ation organized three sectoral Roundtables with their counter-parts covering the fields of “Real Estate Investment, Hospitality and Tourism, Health and Medical Equipment”, while in Wash-ington DC QBA organized 2 sec-toral roundtables, one with “law firms” and the other discussed “Investment and Financial Services,” also a multi-sectoral roundtable was organized in South Carolina.

This is in addition to the meetings with major official bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, in which our members high-lighted the strengths and growth of the Qatari economy within Qatar ’s Vision 2030

and the facilities granted by the government to foreign investors, especially with the opening of the largest port in the Middle East.

At the local level, QBA con-tinued to receive dozens of trade delegations to strengthen bilateral ties and contribute to the provision of the needs of the state. QBA also held dozens of meetings with internationally recognized eco-nomic institutions.

The QBA Chairman stated that thanks to Allah and the wisdom of the leadership of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar has been able to mitigate the repercus-sions of the unjust siege on it and has also been able to strengthen its industrial and economic position which has led to attracting many investors to work in Qatar despite the blockade.

Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani (third left), QBA Chairman; QBA First Deputy Hussein Al Fardan (second left), and Second Deputy, Dr. Sheikh Khalid bin Thani Al Thani (second right), with other members after the 31st board meeting of the association.

QTerminals to display achievements at TOC EuropeDOHA: QTerminals, the operator of the first phase of Hamad Port, will be participating as an exhibitor at TOC Europe, a leading inter-national business and networking event for stakeholders of the container supply chain, which will take place in Rotterdam, The Neth-erlands between June 12 and 14, 2018.

Ahead of the event, QTerminals CEO Neville Bissett, said: “Our participation in TOC Europe complements our attendance at TOC Asia earlier this year, which aims at introducing the world to the remarkable work that is cur-rently being done at Hamad Port. The port, which has seen exponential growth during a few months of operations, is further cementing Qatar’s position as a regional maritime hub.”

He added: “We look forward to meeting our current and prospective partners and peers, and to discussing the many lucrative opportu-nities that Qatar and Hamad Port present, as well as the challenges facing our industry.”

QTerminals will be exhibiting at Booth 52 in TOC Europe, and its executives will provide information on the current state of opera-tions at Hamad Port, the ongoing development of port operations, and the technologies being used.

Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Director-General of Qatar Chamber, welcomed the partnership with OBG and the access the partnership will provide to the Group’s wealth of data, analysis and economic cov-erage. “We look forward to working with Oxford Business Group to enhance the analysis of private-sector growth in Qatar in their upcoming Report, whilst also benefiting from credible and detailed information on

global markets from a leading pro-vider of actionable business intelli-gence and analysis,” he said.

‘The Report: Qatar 2019’ will be a vital guide covering the many facets of the country and its economy. It will contain a detailed, sector-by-sector guide alongside contributions from leading repre-sentatives from both the public and private sectors. The report will be available in print and online.

The year 2017 witnessed intensive activities for the QBA, the most important of which was the organisation and participation in Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum held in the United Kingdom, in which more than 500 businessmen and government officials headed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, participated.

Volkswagen Golf GTE on display at Cebit

16 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018BUSINESS

A model of the hybrid vehicle Volkswagen Golf GTE is on display at the Volkswagen stand at the Cebit technology fair in Hanover, Germany, yesterday. The Digital Business fair Cebit runs until June 15.

Malaysian Premier floats new national car projectAFP

TOKYO: Malaysia’s newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad yesterday floated the possibility of a national car project, despite the problems of a similar endeavour started during his previous term decades ago.

“We need to go back to the idea of a national car,” he told a Tokyo press conference on his first foreign trip since his shock election last month. “Our ambition is to start another national car, perhaps with some help from our partners in Southeast Asia... we want to access the world market,” he said earlier, at a forum in Tokyo.

The national car has a troubled history in Malaysia, which from 1983 produced the Proton as part of then-premier Mahathir’s ambitious national industrialisation plan.

The brand had a reputation for unimaginative models and

shoddy quality and saw its pop-ularity wane over the years in the face of stiff competition from foreign models.

It 2017 its parent company, Malaysian conglomerate DRB-HICOM sold a 49.9 percent stake to Chinese auto giant Geely, which is seeking to turn Proton around. Mahathir appeared to brush aside that history on Monday, saying Malaysia would “seek support and expertise from other countries” in looking once again to produce its own cars.

He said Malaysia had “most of the skills and technologies in regard to the design and pro-duction of a new car” thanks to two decades of cooperation with Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors.

“However there are certain parts of a car which are extremely expensive to develop. We will want to source some of those expensive parts from other countries, including of course

from Japan.” The Malaysian government

cut its links with Proton in 2012, when the country’s sovereign wealth fund sold its stake to DRB-HICOM, but the company has continued to struggle. The prospect of Malaysia taking another tilt at launching a new national car was met with scep-ticism by analysts and the public.

“Given the current global industry landscape... it’s not a good idea,” Yeah Kim Leng, a professor of economics at Malaysia’s Sunway University Business School, told AFP.

“It’s a highly globalised market now, and unless you have a deep market (access), the technology and product capa-bility, it would be difficult to compete.”

Twitter user Emir Izat said Proton’s shortcomings should “be a lesson” for Mahathir, adding: “Hopefully this national car project gets scrapped.”

In this file photo taken on June 8, 2005, Mahathir Mohamad gives a thumbs-up sign during the launch of the Proton Savvy, the national carmaker’s new model in Kuala Lumpur.

Germany sees no quick solution to trade row with US, open to talksREUTERS

BERLIN: Germany sees no immediate solution to the trade dispute between the United States and other major econ-omies but remains open to talks “among friends”, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier (pictured), said yesterday, seeking to head off a full-blown global trade war.

US President Donald Trump backed out of a joint commu-nique agreed by Group of Seven leaders in Canada at the weekend that mentioned the need for “free, fair and mutually beneficial trade” and the impor-t a n c e o f f i g h t i n g protectionism.

Trump, who has imposed import tariffs on metals, is furious about the United States’ large trade deficit with key allies. “Fair trade is now to be called fool trade if it is not reciprocal,” he tweeted on Monday.

As Europe’s biggest exporter to the United States and with more than one million German jobs at stake, Germany is des-perate to avoid an EU trade war with the United States.

“I believe a win-win situ-ation is still possible,” Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, one of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s closest lieutenants, told broad-caster Deutschlandfunk.

“At the moment, however, it

seems that no solution is in sight, at least not in the short term... We have not made any progress in the last few days, but rather, as we saw with the rejection of the summit declaration, we have gone backwards.” Merkel said on Sunday the EU would implement counter-measures against U.S. tariffs and described Trump’s rejection of the G7 communique as “sobering and a bit depressing”.

Investors are fearful of a tit-for-tat trade war, though markets were relatively calm on Monday after an early wobble.

“The American withdrawal from the G7 communique has increased the risk of a real trade war,” ING, a bank, wrote in a research note.

In 2017 German exports to the United States reached 112 billion euros ($132.04 billion), more than twice the next biggest EU country, Britain, Eurostat sta-tistics office data shows.

Particularly concerning for Germany, a major car exporter

to the United States, is Trump’s weekend tweet that Washington is looking at tariffs on automo-biles. Altmaier said Europe must act “in a united manner”, defend open markets, and stick to its convictions. Fractures in the European position would play into Trump’s hands, he added.

“We are ready to talk about trade imbalances. But we think it has to be done among friends and partners and not in mutual confrontation,” Altmaier said.

“The American economy is dependent in many areas on the import of European goods. As tariffs increase, so does the cost of production in the United States.” The European Com-mission, which coordinates trade policy for the 28-member EU, aims to target 2.8 billion euros worth of U.S. imports, including bourbon and jeans, with addi-tional 25 percent duties, from early July.

It already has broad backing from EU member states, but still needs to consult with them in the next couple of weeks.

European Commission Pres-ident Jean-Claude Juncker, while questioning whether the United States was truly an ally, said the bloc did not want to stop talking with Washington. “We do not want to cut off discussions and further talks will of course need to address the automobile sector,” he said.

Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Qatar launchedTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The Embassy of Sweden in Qatar announced yesterday the official launch of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Qatar (SCCQ). The launch coincided with an internal Swedish & Business Community celebration of the National Day of Sweden on June 6, 2018.

The Chamber was formally established the day before on June 5, at its first General Assembly. It was at an historic majlies, in the bilateral relations between Qatar and Sweden, on June 5, hosted by Abdulla Albinali, Chairman of QTIC and the rep-resentative of the Swedish steel company SSAB, that the first General Assembly was held and the Swedish Chamber of Com-merce in Qatar was born.

The Swedish Chamber will now build upon the steadily

growing business and investment ties between Qatar and Sweden. The Chamber represents the commitment to a long-term investment in Qatar’s future development with Sweden as a strong and valued partner.

The SCCQ Board of Directors representing a very good selection of the strong Swedish companies active in Qatar. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce has chosen seven individuals, who will serve as the Board of

Directors for the Swedish Chamber, which include Gus Abboud, Manging Director, ABB Qatar; Mattias Nordfeldt, Com-mercial Officer, Embassy of Sweden in Doha; Shadi Sayed, Country Director Qatar, Ericsson; Daniel Nordberg, General Manger, Gulf Agency Company/GAC; Johan Ahlberg, Country Director Qatar, SAAB; Abdulla Albinali, Chairman, QTIC, Rep-resenting SSAB; and Faisal Sharif, Managing Director, Domasco, Representing Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks and Buses.

Ambassador of Sweden Ewa

Polano, said: “In 2015 the new government in Sweden presented for the first time an Export Strategy. The government also announced thereby that 26 coun-tries in the world shall be given extra focus and attention from the government in order to nurture trade and investment relations with these countries during the period 2015-2020. I was very glad to see that our newly opened embassy in Doha had led my government to include Qatar in these 26 countries.”

She said: “Further on, the

Export Strategy requested all Swedish Ambassadors around the world to establish in each country a Team Sweden . It was an honor to launch in Doha in February 2016 “TTeam Sweden in Qatar”.

Team Sweden shall in each country include active Sweden promotion organizations.

“In Qatar we included Business Sweden: Swedish Trade & Invest Council and the Alumni Sweden network in Qatar (grad-uates from Swedish universities active in key positions in Qatar) together with the Embassy,” added Ambassador Polano.

“I have been glad to chair our Team Sweden here in Doha, but we missed one important com-ponent: a Swedish Chamber of Commerce – and now we have launched it. Thereby, Team Sweden In Qatar is complete.”

Polano said that the Swedish Chamber of Commerce will of course include as many members as possible from the Swedish Business Community. However, now the important process also starts to approach strong, key business partners in Qatar, who would also like to become members or associates.

The members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce at the first General Assembly held in Doha, recently.

The Chamber represents the commitment to a long-term investment in Qatar’s future development with Sweden as a strong and valued partner.

Jaguar Land Rover to move Discovery production to SlovakiaAP

LONDON: Jaguar Land Rover is shifting all production of its Discovery model to Slovakia amid falling diesel sales, vehicle taxes and uncertainty about Brit-ain’s departure from the European Union.

The company says the

decision, which is likely to affect hundreds of jobs, “is a tough one but forms part of our long-term manufacturing strategy as we transform our business globally.”

Discovery production in Bir-mingham will move to Slovakia early next year.

Jaguar also said it will invest

millions in Solihull in the west Midlands, where the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models will be built.

Profits have been under pressure, with pre-tax profit slumping to £364m ($487m) in the three months to March 31, from 676 million pounds in the same period last year.

17TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018 BUSINESS

French farmers block refineries over palm oil importsAFP

PARIS: Dozens of French farmers blocked access to 13 refineries across the country yesterday to protest plans to import palm oil for use in biofuels, a move they denounce as unfair competition which jeopardises their livelihood.

Energy giant Total wants to import up to 300,000 tons a year of palm oil, which environmental advocates say has caused massive deforestation chiefly in southeast Asia.

French rapeseed and sun-flower growers, who say they will lose out due to Total’s imports, accuse foreign palm oil producers of failing to respect the regulatory requirements European producers must follow.

Farmers parked tractors in front of refinery gates while dumping piles of haystacks, dirt, manure and potatoes.

“France imports several products that don’t respect the rules applied to French farmers. It concerns South American meat and Spanish wine as well as palm oil,” said Damien Greffon, who leads the FRSEA farmers’ union in the Paris region.

The protests are a sign of growing anger in France’s

farming communities which have so far not mobilised in large numbers against the government of President Emmanuel Macron since his election.

Public sector workers and railway staff have held regular demonstrations and strikes against the pro-business reforms introduced by the new centrist

government since May 2017. The farmers’ protests began

late on Sunday and have been called for three days because “dialogue has broken down” with the government, Greffon said.

Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert said that the government would not back down, adding that he would meet soon with unions as well as

biofuel producers to discuss sup-plies and pricing.

“I want Total and biofuel producers to reach an agreement on a base price and a contract that will benefit rapeseed producers,” Travert told RTL radio.

He also said there was no risk of a shortage of gasoline from the refinery blockades,

though farmers have warned they are prepared for a long strike. “We’re not against imports... but for consumers, we want the government to be con-sistent and apply the same rules to imports, otherwise French agriculture will disappear,” said Samuel Vandaele of the Young Farmers’ union outside a Total refinery southeast of Paris.

Total’s chief executive Patrick Pouyanne has pledged to buy 50,000 tons of French rapeseed, also known as canola oil, as part of the 650,000 tons of oil which will be used each year at the La Mede refinery outside the southern city of Mar-seille. The farmers also have the support of environmental activists, and are hoping to rally support among consumers worried about unfair compe-tition stemming from free-trade accords, including the CETA deal between the EU and Canada as well as ongoing talks with the EU and South American Mercosur nations.

“In South America the average cattle ranch has 24,000 cows, while in France we have on average just 80 — and yet we’re always being told to be more environmentally friendly,” said Christiane Lambert, pres-ident of the FNSEA farmers’ union, France’s biggest.

Besides a ban on palm oil imports, she wants the gov-ernment to outlaw agriculture imports produced using ferti-lisers, herbicides and other products prohibited in the EU as part of an agriculture law that will be debated in the Senate starting June 26.

French National Federation of Agricultural Holders’ Unions (FNSEA) and Young Farmers (Jeunes Agriculteurs, JA) union members block the access of French oil giant Total’s La Mede refinery in Chateauneuf-les-Martigues, southern France, during a demonstration against the authorisation given by the government to import agricultural products such as palm oil, that do not comply with the French and European imposed standards.

Besides a ban on palm oil imports, President of the FNSEA farmers’ union, Christiane Lambert (pictured), wants the government to outlaw agriculture imports produced using fertilisers, herbicides and other products prohibited in the EU as part of an agriculture law that will be debated in the Senate starting June 26.

Audi CEO named a suspect in emission case; home raidedBLOOMBERG

FRANKFURT: The head of Volkswagen AG’s Audi brand was named a suspect in the diesel-rigging scandal, making him the highest-ranking active official in a probe that’s now focusing on upper management nearly three years after

the carmaker admitted to cheating. The homes of Rupert Stadler

(pictured), and another Audi board member were raided yesterday, Munich prosecutors said in an emailed statement. Both are being investigated for fraud and falsifying public documents relating to sales of diesel cars in Europe.

The second suspect is Bernd Martens, Audi’s head of pur-chasing, according to a person familiar with the investigation who declined to be identified because prosecutors haven’t dis-closed the name. Martens led a diesel task force at Audi, which was set up to coordinate the

handling of the crisis with the parent company. The news hit as Volkswagen was briefing jour-nalists at its Wolfsburg head-quarters on efforts to bolster internal compliance and integrity programs, underscoring its struggles to get past the scandal. VW has faced a barrage of

investigations and lawsuits since U.S. authorities disclosed in Sep-tember 2015 that the carmaker had rigged engines on 11 million diesel models to cheat on emis-sions tests. The company has ear-marked more than $29.5bn to pay fines, settlements and other costs since the scandal came to light

BREAK TIMEVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTERCROSSWORD NOVO Pearl Qatar

MALL

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

LANDMARK

ROXY

AL KHOR

ASIAN TOWN

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Action) 12:00noon, 12:30, 12:45, 2:45, 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, 5:30, 6:00, 6:15, 8:15, 8:45, 9:00, 11:20, 11:40, 11:45pm & 12:00midnight Kaala (2D/Tamil) 12:00noon, 3:30, 7:00 & 10:30pm Last Rampage: The Escape of Gary Tison 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnight Sid & Aya (2D/Tagalog) 12:15noon, 4:45 & 9:00pm Veere Di Wedding (2D/Hindi) 2:15, 6:45 & 11:00pm Solo: Star Wars Story (2D/Action) 12:00noon, 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 & 11:00pm Avengers: Infinity War (2D/Action) 12:00noon, 5:00 & 10:00pm Armed Response (2D/Action) 3:00 & 8:00pm Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (3D/IMAX /Action) 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm

Kaala (2D/Tamil) 2:30, 8:15 & 11:15pm Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2D/Action) 3:00, 8:00, 9:45 & 11:00pm Sid & Aya: Not A Love Story (2D/Tagalog) 8:00pm Veere Di Wedding (2D/Hindi) 11:30pm

ROYAL PLAZA

Kaala (2D/Tamil) 8:00 & 11:15pm E. Ma. Yau (2D/Malayalam) 8:30pm Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2D/Action) 9:00 & 11:15pm Kaala (2D/Telugu) 11:00pm

Kaala (2D/Tamil) 2:30 & 11:00pm Kaala (2D/Hindi) 8:00pmSid & Aya: Not A Love Story (2D/Tagalog) 8:00pm Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2D/Action) 8:30 & 11:00pm Last Rampage: The Escape of Gary Tison (2D/Drama) 9:45pm E. Ma. Yau (2D/Malayalam) 11:30pm

Kaala (Tamil) 1:00, 7:30, 10:00 & 10:30pmKaala (Telugu) 7:00pmKaala (Hindi) 7:30pmE. Ma. Yau (2D/Malayalam) 8:00, 10:15 & 10:30pm

Kaala (Tamil) 10:45am, 2:00, 8:15 & 11:30pmE. Ma. Yau (2D/Malayalam) 12:30 & 8:45pmKaala (Telugu) 10:30am & 7:45pmKaala (Hindi) 1:30 & 11:00pmJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2D/Action) 3:00 & 11:15pm

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2D/Action) 12:30, 3:10, 5:50, 8:30 & 11:10pm Kaala 12:30, 3:45, 5:00, 7:00, 8:15, 10:15 & 11:30pmKaala (Hindi) 4:15pm Kaala (Telugu) 1:00, 7:30 & 10:45pm Stolen Princess 12:30 & 2:45pm

Set in Chellanam, Kochi, the story of Ee. Ma. Yau revolves around the death of Vavachan Mesthiri in a coastal village. It showcases the events that unfold between two evenings and looks at death from different perspectives.

FLIK Mirqab

Ee. Ma. Yu

Avengers: Infinity War 10:00pmE.Ma.Yu 2:40, 3:20, 8:00 & 10:35pmIncredible Story of The Giant Pear 2:35 & 5:15pm Jurassic World 3D 4:05, 6:40, 9:20pm & 12:00midnight Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 2:30, 5:00, 7:35, 8:55, 10:15 & 11:30pm Kaala 2:55, 4:50, 6:20, 7:40, 9:45 & 11:00pm Masha And The Bear 4:20pm Show Dogs 3:10, 6:05 & 7:00pm Sid & Aya: Not Love Story 2:50, 5:55 & 8:00pm Solo: A Star Wars Story 5:00 & 11:05pm

18 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018HOME

19TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018 AMERICAS

Lena Masri, CAIR’s national litigation director, said: “We welcome the federal court’s swift intervention, which will bring this health crisis to an end and ensure that Muslim inmates are not starved and brutalised for practicing the fundamental principles of their faith.”

Judge orders Washington prison to provide Ramadan mealsAP

SEATTLE: A federal judge has ordered the Washington Department of Corrections to provide nighttime meals to all Muslim inmates who have been fasting during the month of Ramadan, after several said prison officials refused to do so.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations sued the department on Sunday on behalf of four prisoners at the Wash-ington State Reformatory in Monroe, saying the men had lost an average of more than 20 pounds (about 9kg) since Ramadan began in mid-May.

US District Judge Ronald Leighton in Tacoma issued his order just hours after the lawsuit

was filed, echoing a similar ruling from a federal judge in Alaska last month.

“Muslim inmates have been starved and their health is in danger as a result of the Monroe Correctional Complex’s shameful starvation policy,” Lena Masri, CAIR’s national litigation director, said in a news release.

“We welcome the federal court’s swift intervention, which will bring this health crisis to an end and ensure that Muslim inmates are not starved and bru-talised for practicing the funda-mental principles of their faith.”

The lawsuit said the prison’s policy was generally to require inmates to sign up for Ramadan meals by the end of January, with those who failed to do so allowed

to receive the meals at the dis-cretion of prison chaplains. Some

said they tried to get the food, only to find out after Ramadan began that they weren’t on the list to receive nighttime meals.

Jeremy Livingston, who is serving 22 months for hit-and-run and vehicular assault, said he entered the prison in March, after the deadline, and was denied Ramadan meals despite requesting them upon arrival.

“The Washington Department of Corrections takes very seriously the health and welfare of those sentenced to incarceration in the state’s correctional facilities and was immediately responsive to the court order,” Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay said in an email yesterday.

One of the plaintiffs, Naim Lao, who is serving three years

for vehicular homicide, said he was added to the list and began receiving Ramadan meals after eight days — but not before he lost 14 pounds (6.4kg), became ill and had guards threaten to force-feed him.

Some of the inmates said they had been able to hide breakfast trays in their cell, but that the trays had occasionally been discovered and confiscated. They also said some prisoners who were on the Ramadan list had tried to share their own nighttime meals with them, but that food too had sometimes been seized.

Leighton said the prisoners had shown that the department was likely violating their consti-tutional right to be free from

cruel and unusual punishment, as well as federal law concerning inmates’ rights to free exercise of religion.

Last month, the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued Alaska prison officials on behalf of two Muslim inmates, arguing that bagged meals the men received each evening were inadequate or inappro-priately contained a meat, which Muslims do not eat. The meals ranged from about 500 to 1,100 calories, when health guidelines suggest 2,600 to 2,800 calories per day.

US District Judge H. Russel Holland said in a written order that fasting Muslim inmates must be given daily meals containing at least 2,600 calories.

Trump habit of ripping up documents a headache for record-keepers: ReportAFP

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump habitually tears up documents he is finished using, forcing White House record-keepers to gather up the pieces and tape them back together, news site Politico reported.

“It was the craziest thing ever. He ripped papers into tiny pieces,” said Solomon Lartey, a former White House records management employee.

The Presidential Records Act requires that any document the Pres-ident touches — memos, letters, emails — be preserved and sent to the National Archives as part of the historical record.

But Trump’s habit of ripping up documents after he has used them — sometimes just once down the middle, but other times into confetti-like shreds — has created a major headache for the record-keepers in the opening months of his presidency. Lartey said the entire White House records management department was tasked with reassembling the docu-ments with tape.

According to Politico, White House staffers had the torn documents col-lected from the Oval office and the president’s residence and then turned them over to records management to be reassembled “like a jigsaw”.

“You found pieces and taped them back together and then you gave it back to the supervisor,” Lartey said. He said the documents he worked on included newspaper clippings with Trump’s notes on them, invitations, and letters from constituents or lawmakers.

Another former White House records management employee, Reginald Young, said it was the first time in two decades of government service he had been asked to do such a thing. “I’m looking at my director, and saying, ‘Are you guys serious?’ We’re making more than $60,000 a year, we need to be doing far more important things than this. It felt like the lowest form of work you can take on without having to empty the trash cans.”

Both Young, 48, and Lartey, 54, were abruptly fired earlier this year without explanation, they said.

Violence erupts in Nicaragua capitalAFP

MANAGUA: Armed anti-riot police and pro-government paramilitary attacked barricades manned by anti-government protesters in eastern Managua, plunging city neighbour-hoods in violence and chaos in an attempt to stamp out a two-month-old uprising against the government of President Daniel Ortega.

Cracks of gun fire resounded through the streets of the Nicaraguan capital as television footage showed turbulent scenes of armed security forces on foot and in trucks chasing young men away from street barricades.

Activists attempted to push them back by throwing rocks and setting off homemade mortars. Silvio Jose Baez, an auxiliary bishop of Managua, urged residents to stay inside their homes.

“It is very dangerous because of the presence of violent gangs,” he wrote on Twitter. “Don’t risk life in vain.” Since the protests began April 18, 139 people have been killed in clashes with security forces and armed gangs loyal to President Daniel Ortega, according to the Nica-

Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica hold pictures of people killed in the recent protests in their country against President Daniel Ortega, as they demonstrate in San Jose in solidarity with the students arrested.

raguan Center for Human Rights.The fresh street battles come amid

stalled efforts by the country’s Roman Catholic bishops to revive negotiations aimed at calming the political crisis.

Ortega, a leftist who has held the presidency since 2007, has remained silent since last Thursday when he met with the bishops to discuss the prospect of talks.

20 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2018MORNING BREAK

Booming world of play revs up E3 video game extravaganzaAFP

LOS ANGELES: Pulse-pounding new video games and more ways to enjoy them are at the center of the Electronic Entertainment Expo extravaganza officially kicking off here today.

The annual industry E3 gath-ering known for first-looks at keenly anticipated video games was expected to feature sequels to blockbuster franchises such as “Fallout,” “Halo,” “Battlefield,” and “Assassin’s Creed.” E3 promised glimpses at trends such as collaborating in online teams instead of playing solo, and blaz-ingly popular “battle royale” death matches such as those at the heart of “Fortnite” and “Playerunknown’s Battle-grounds.” Behind the scenes, the gathering will explore issues like the use of artificial intelligence in games, and streaming console-quality titles from the cloud to devices other than con-soles. What E3 organisers bill as the “world’s premier gaming trade show” will open the show floor to the public this year. Tickets for the event have already sold out. Visitors will be able to play portions of upcoming games and test new hardware.

“Gamers raise the energy of

E3 to a fever pitch, reinforcing its place as the world’s preem-inent event for video games,” said Michael Gallagher, chief executive of the Entertainment Software Association, which is behind E3.

E3 was long centered on the Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony

consoles, but a rise of play on personal computers and games becoming spectator sports has broadened the focus of the event.

“ESports has also made huge advancements, hitting the main-stream with televised matches on prime-time cable channels and tournament prize-pools that

are putting traditional sports to shame,” E3 organizers said in a release.

MICROSOFT PLAYING HARD The head of Xbox yesterday

said Microsoft is hard at work on a next-generation console along with a cloud service that would

let players stream games to any device. Microsoft is adding five new game studios, one it is cre-ating in Southern California and another four it is buying, Xbox team chief Phil Spencer said.

“We are making one of our greatest single year’s invest-ments in teams by adding five new creative studios,” Spencer said at a media event ahead of the formal start of the Expo.

Microsoft has criticised for lacking hit video games exclu-sively for play on Xbox, while Sony has dominated this console generation with PlayStation 4 models boasting a cornucopia of coveted titles.

The Xbox event was packed with cinematic snippets or play of 52 games. Of those, 18 titles were tailored exclusively for the Xbox console. Spencer said his team is “deep into architecting the next Xbox” in a commitment to console gaming at a time when mobile and personal computer play are soaring.

Microsoft rival Sony is reportedly working on a Play-Station 4 successor.

Sony will show off coming video games, and perhaps insights into the future of its console or cloud services, at a theatrical event here early today.

Microsoft is also working on a “cloud network” to stream console-quality games to internet-linked devices including smartphones and tablets, according to Spencer.

“The world of gaming is on an historic growth path,” Spencer said at the late Sunday Xbox media event. “We commit the full breadth of resources at Microsoft to deliver on the future of play.” Included in the Microsoft arsenal is the use of artificial intelligence to make game worlds and characters more realistic.

WASTELAND ALLIES US video game powerhouse

Bethesda Softworks hosted a media event of its own late Sunday as it built on the momentum of winning fran-chises including “Fallout.” The coming “Fallout 76” will be a prequel to the award-winning series of games, and be set in the post-apocalyptic hills of West Virginia.

Unlike its predecessors, “Fallout 76” will be an open world hosted online and popu-lated by other players instead of computer generated char-acters, Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard said.

LA artist, Eric Skotnes paints a ‘Rage 2’ mural during the Bethesda E3 conference at the Event Deck at LA Live in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi’s new book chronicles a year of Qatar’s victory THE PENINSULA

DOHA: ‘A Year of Determination and Triumph’ is the title of the book authored by Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula,to mark a year of unjust siege imposed against Qatar by Saudi-led quartet.

The book, a compilation of articles and interviews of Dr. Al-Shafi, is actually a treatise showing author’s love with his country, leadership and nation at the one hand and on the other a written record of Qatar’s resolution and steadfastness in the face of challenges posed by the blockade in the last one year.

Through his articles published in The Peninsula, Dr. Al-Shafi has been contin-uously questioning the hidden objec-tives of the blockading countries attached with the imposition of siege against Qatar. Dr. Al-Shafi, through his pen, exposed harms of the blockade of Qatar on the whole Gulf society and through regular appearance on Qatar TV as an analyst he always defended his homeland in the time of crisis as a patriot from the core of his heart.

The bilingual (English and Arabic) book includes his 29 columns appeared in The Peninsula in the last one year as well as excerpts from his talks at Qatar TV prime time talk show Al Haqiqa (The Truth). The exclusive interviews of Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci which Dr. Al-Shafi conducted in Turkey last year are also part of the book.

The book is a candid account of his love and attachment with Qatar and the pain he felt during the last one year by disruption of normal social life in the Gulf due to reckless move by three GCC countries to sever relations with Qatar which eventually led to gross human rights violations and also gave birth to human tragedies.

Through his writings in the last one year he challenged and demolished baseless allegations levelled against Qatar by the Saudi-led quartet and he

always presented arguments based on facts to beat anti-Qatar propaganda launched by the hostile countries.

In the preface of the book, Dr. Noureddine Miladi, Head of Department of Mass Communication, Qatar Uni-versity, writes: “In this book, Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi paints the milestones of this unjust siege since its inception.

He traces its various manifestations, whether economic, social or political. He also delves into the analysis of the ethical decline reached by the media of the blockading countries and shows their professional miscarriage, of which has been a primarily target the demonisation of the state of Qatar and its leadership.”

“Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi has emerged among the country’s distinguished talents who have defended the State of Qatar and its people by being the Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula, a leading national paper which has developed into one of the most important English-lan-guage media platforms in recent years,” Dr. Miladi adds.

Dr. Al-Shafi in one of his columns titled ‘Qatar succeeds and blockade fails’ writes: “With time, the blockade is crumbling and my country is breaking the siege with determination, with support from its people who stood behind their beloved leadership. These consecutive successes are not accidental but the outcome of hard work done over

the years at the global level and the dip-lomatic stances during different inter-national events.”

Condemning online smear cam-paigns against Qatar run by the block-ading countries, he writes at another place: “The truth cannot be undermined despite efforts of falsehood to overrun the realities. Therefore, whatever they have mobilised in their media campaigns to accuse Qatar of supporting terror, their efforts proved futile. Doha has proved the opposite and obtained worldwide support and sympathy. Qatar is small in size, a fact which we do not deny, but thanks to God and the wise leadership, the country is in the ranks of the advanced countries of the world.”

The book — ‘A Year of Determination and Triumph’ — authored by Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi, Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula,was launched yesterday to mark a year of unjust siege.

WISE session highlights effect of education for girls THE PENINSULA

DOHA: The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), an initiative of Qatar Foun-dation (QF), held a session at the recent European Devel-opment Days (EDD), Europe’s leading forum on international co-operation and devel-opment.

EDD has been organised annually by the European

Commission since 2006, attracting more than 8,000 participants from over 140 countries. The participants representing 1,200 organisa-tions from the development community share ideas and experiences to inspire new partnerships and innovate solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

The theme this year was ‘Women and Girls at the

Forefront of Sustainable Development: protect, empower, invest’. The agenda addressed economic and social rights, physical and psycho-logical integrity, and strength-ening girls’ and women’s voice and participation. This issue is important and urgent, as UNDP statistics show that women perform 66 percent of the world’s work, yet earn only 10 percent of the income, with an

average of only 60–75 percent of men’s wages. The WISE session, ‘Empowering Women to be Change-Makers,’ high-lighted the ripple effect of investing in education for girls and equipping them with the necessary skills to lead and change. The session was selected from an international call for contributions, and marks the second time that WISE has participated in EDD.

WISE has previously hosted notable politicians, including Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, and Andrea Vas-siliou, former European Com-missioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, in Doha, Qatar. WISE seeks to continue this ongoing dialogue and collaboration with EU institutions.

FAJRSHOROOK

03. 14 AM

04. 43 AM

11. 34 AM

02. 57 PM

06. 27 PM

07. 57 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS

HIGH TIDE 02:30 – 16:30 LOW TIDE 09:15 – 23:00

Hot daytime with slight dust to blowing dust at places at times.

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum 35oC 45oC