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BUSINESS | 02 SPORT | 07

F1: Bottas wins in Baku to regain lead

First tea factory carrying Lipton & Red Label brands

opens in Qatar

Included withtoday’s edition is a

special supplement

Ramadan working hours announcedQNA/DOHA

The Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi issued a circular yesterday defining the working hours during the holy month of Ramadan for minis-tries, government agencies and public bodies and institutions.

On the occasion of the advent of the holy month of Ramadan 1440H, the circular said, the official working hours for civil employees will be five hours a day from 9am to 2pm.

2022 venue Al Wakrah Stadium to host Amir Cup final on May 16FAWAD HUSSAIN THE PENINSULA

Qatar will take another significant step on the road to World Cup 2022 with the inauguration of Al Wakrah Stadium next month, when the newly-built venue hosts the Amir Cup 2019 final.

The Qatar Football

Association (QFA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) at a joint press conference yesterday a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e 40,000-capacity venue will host the final of the prestigious tournament on May 16.

The inauguration ceremony will be held before the final,

which will start at 10:30pm. “We are honoured that one

of Qatar’s World Cup venues will host this year’s Amir Cup final,” Khalid Mubarak Al Kuwari, the QFA’s Director of Marketing & Communications told a press conference at Al Bidda Tower yesterday.

Also present on the

occasion, Thani Al Zarraa, the SC’s Al Wakrah Stadium Project Manager said: “Al Wakrah Sta-dium’s innovative and futuristic design means it is set to be one of the iconic venues during the first FIFA World Cup in the Arab world. We hope thousands of football fans across the country will join us for this landmark

occasion as we celebrate the progress we have made to-date and look forward to 2022 with renewed excitement.”

Al Wakrah Stadium will be the second of eight World Cup 2022 venues to be inaugurated after the Khalifa International Stadium, which was unveiled with the Amir Cup 2017 final. �Sport 08

Amir meets with President of Italian Senate‘Doha–The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’ activities launchedSIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

Under the patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday inaugurated “Doha–The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019” activities under the motto ‘Youth is power of the nation’.

The event aims at strengthening the bonds of friendship and respect that the State of Qatar enjoys with many countries in the world, especially Islamic countries. The inauguration took place at Kempinski Hotel, and organised by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and in collaboration with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), and supervision of Qatar Center for Cultural and Heritage Events.

The opening ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, senior offi-cials from Islamic countries, as well as Ambassadors accredited to the State of Qatar and representatives of ICYF and youth delegates from Islamic countries.

Doha was chosen for this prestigious position in October last year in Istanbul after the activities of Al Quds as the capital of Islamic youth for the year 2018. President of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) Taha Ayhan, expressed his pleasure to participate in the opening ceremony of ‘Doha – The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’, under the theme ‘Youth is power of the nation’, noting Qatari youth occupy great position in sustainable development programs and plans in their homeland.

“It is important for societies to give and share opportunities with youth to show their energies and express them-selves in the development process in various Islamic countries,” he said. �P2

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani during the launch of ‘Doha-The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’ at Marsa Malaz Kempenski at The Pearl-Qatar, yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN/THE PENINSULA

Labour Ministry guide to protect workers from heat stressQNA DOHA

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Yousuf bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro has said that the Ministry in cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the participation of the designated state authorities prepared a guide on protection from heat stress.

He noted that the guide has a number of tips and requirements that any place must have in order to protect workers from the dangers of heat, and to ensure that they can carry out their work at the

required productivity level in all fields whether industrial, construction, and agri-cultural. The Minister highlighted the State of Qatar’s commitment to occupa-tional safety and health, evident in the comprehensive policies and strategies it introduced to reduce accidents, injuries and work-related diseases.

This came during the speech of the Minister at the opening of the Occupa-tional Safety and Health Conference, organised by the Ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and the International Labor Organization to cel-ebrate the occupational safety and health month. �P2

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met at Amiri Diwan with President of the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabetta Casellati, and her accompanying delegation. The President of the Italian Senate expressed her congratulations to the Amir on the successful meetings of the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union hosted by Doha and praised its positive results and important decisions. She renewed her country’s position on the importance of resolving the GCC crisis through dialogue and diplomatic means and called for the lifting of the blockade on the State of Qatar. �P2

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani inaugurated the activities under the motto ‘Youth is power of the nation’.

CERD sets special session on Friday for Qatar’s appeal against siege countriesQNA GENEVA

The Committee on the Elimi-nation of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) decided to hold a special session on Friday, May 3, 2019 to hear the State of Qatar’ appeal concerning the inter-State complaints against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which imposed discriminatory measures in June 2017 that harmed its citizens.

The relevant Committee, composed of 18 international experts from around the world, will determine the competence

of the Committee to receive and consider whether or not a national complaint is to be con-sidered, and also to consider all the conditions set forth in the Convention in order to refer the complaint to the Conciliation Commission. The Agent of the State of Qatar to the International Court of Justice and Dean of the Law College at Qatar University Dr. Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi will submit the legal pleading in Geneva as a repre-sentative of Qatar.

The country’s complaint is the first against another state to be considered by the Committee since the adoption of the

Convention in 1962. Palestine is the second country to file a similar complaint against Israel under the UN anti-racism treaty before the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. On March 8, 2018, Qatar submitted an inter-State complaint against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates before the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimi-nation (CERD) in Geneva in accordance with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

On July 22, 1976, Qatar

acceded to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimi-nation. The Convention intends to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination on the grounds of color, race, religion or national origin.

Qatar initiated this action as a result of the discriminatory measures imposed on it in June 2017 by the blockading countries, which harmed and affected Qataris. Qatar has decided to start the aforementioned measures to protect the rights of its citizens since Saudi Arabia and the UAE have enacted and implemented, on June 5, 2017, a series of discriminatory

measures which contravene with the provisions of the UN Con-vention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination based on national origin mentioned in article 1 thereof.

In compliance with articles 11 through 13 of the Convention, the Committee is entrusted with the task of referring complaints for formal conciliation in order to reach an amicable settlement, after ascertaining its competence and the applicability of the pro-visions of the Convention.

It is noteworthy that the International Court of Justice issued on July 23, 2018 a provi-sional verdict granting Qatar's

request for provisional measures against the United Arab Emirates. The Courts order requires the UAE to allow Qatar-UAE mixed families, who were separated due to UAE procedures taken on 5 June 2017, to reunite and Qatari students should be given the opportunity to complete their studies in the UAE or to retain records of their studies to be able to continue their education elsewhere.

The Courts order stated that Qataris, affected by the measures taken by the United Arab Emirates on June 5, 2017, are allowed to access judicial services in the UAE.

MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019

FAZEENA SALEEM

THE PENINSULA

When Education City was first con-ceived, Qatar Foundation’s (QF) vision was to provide world-

class education to the people of Qatar. QF began its mission with the

founding of a single school named Qatar Academy. Today, a city of knowledge has grown around that one school and QF continues to expand its offerings to foster a culture of lifelong learning.

For almost 25 years, this mission has achieved beyond that goal and the result

Khalifa Al Kubaisi, Manager, Media Rela-tions at QF.

“At QF, everything starts with edu-cation. It is how we began. We believe education is a lifelong journey, and that innovation in education is vital to cul-tivating ideas. By providing an envi-ronment that enables the delivery of quality education, we encourage people to develop and become active citizens, where their desire to seek out knowledge is nurtured,” he told The Peninsula during an exclusive interview.

From preschool through to doctoral studies, QF offers learning opportunities for students of all ages and abilities. “We lay the foundations for lifelong learning, and empower future generations to

learning school, Qatar Academy for Science & Technology, a program for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects and Academic Bridge Program, a program that transi-tions high students to university.

QF, the home grown Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and the partner universities, provide access to high-quality, research-focused edu-cation that caters to the needs of Qatar, promoting a culture of national excellence.

“We have always recognized that our model of education must constantly innovate and evolve, to meet the needs of our youth and reflect an ever-changing world ” said Al Kubaisi

QF’s mission have been education, science and research, and community development. But within those pillars, QF has always recognized the need to adapt and evolve in line with the way the world changes.

“Education City is QF’s flagship development, housing eight interna-tional partner universities and our homegrown higher education institution HBKU. At QF, we recognize that the only guarantee of prosperity for any country is the ability of its people to develop, adapt, and innovate. Our particular emphasis on science, research, and innovation enables students to become researchers and entrepreneurs in areas of priority for our country ” said Al

Qatar Foundation: A world-class academic hub

QNA DOHA

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the graduation ceremony of the third batch of students of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies at St. Regis Hotel.

At the beginning of the cer-emony, verses from the Holy Quran were recited. Then a doc-umentary film about the grad-uates and their memories at the Institute and their future dreams in the service of the homeland and society was screened.

Then, the Prime Minister and Interior Minister delivered a speech on the occasion, stressing that education, higher education and scientific research constitute one of the most important pillars of modernisation in the developed countries and it is the cornerstone of policy-making, planning and management of comprehensive development, maximising the investment of available resources, ensuring the welfare of States and strength-ening their status at the regional and global levels, if wise policies are available, and it’s also is one of the most important channels of cultural openness and inter-action among cultures and peoples.

He said that the economy of the future is the knowledge economy, and the society of the future, is the society in which science and ethics become the creative forces of creativity to achieve cultural renaissance, and the survival of societies and their development and strength lies in their scientific and intellectual ability and to improve the behaviour of individuals, and develop their abilities to under-stand and absorb different sides of life and at all levels in order to be able to succeed in their careers and to contribute to public life. The great transformation from the traditional economy to the knowledge economy represents a major revolution in this field, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister, in this

context, referred to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s note on the importance of education, when H H the Amir said: “The right of the citizen is education, training and qualifi-cation for work and his duty is to do his work in the best way, espe-cially as the education sector focuses on building competent citizen in order to lead the devel-opment and renaissance in the country), so the State spare no effort to provide an environment suitable for learning and crea-tivity, and work hard to create a real partnership between citizen and the State.”

He underscored the impor-tance of the education and higher education role in distinguishing development from mere eco-nomic growth. “Modern history teaches us that economic growth without human development is fleeting with the disappearance of resources and has no real added value if it does not rise in society and State institutions in order to be able to build human beings. The productive human being, is the permanent wealth of the homelands,” the Prime

Minister added.The Prime Minister pointed

out that the most important chal-lenges imposed by the current century on the mission of scien-tific institutions, is to prepare individuals who are able to acquire, deal with and produce knowledge, adding that the knowledge society requires dif-ferent scientific institutions that give increasing attention to the role of scientific research, devel-opment of knowledge, and keep abreast of the development at the global level, in the specialties needed by societies to achieve their sustainable development in various fields.

The Prime Minister praised the important and appreciated role played by the academic insti-tutions in the State of Qatar in expanding to include larger numbers of students and in devel-oping and modernising the com-ponents of the educational, research and training process in order to always keep abreast of new developments in different disciplines in line with the best global standards.

He praised the national

research institutions including the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, in particular, their interest in the revival of social and human sci-ences, management sciences at the post-graduate level and sci-entific research. He also hailed the opportunity offered by the Institute for Qatari students to interact positively with their col-leagues from different countries and to give Arab and non-Arab researchers and students the opportunity to devote their time to research and study here in Qatar and to contribute to the development of the Arab world in general.

The Prime Minister congrat-ulated the students on their success, which came only with great efforts and perseverance made to gain knowledge, con-gratulating them on successfully passing the requirements of the Master’s degree.

Addressing the Qatari grad-uates, the Prime Minister said that ‘Qatar expects you to further refine your talents so that you can achieve the desired performance

of your tasks in your business’, wishing them success in their responsibilities to serve Qatar, in light of the rapid developments in the region and the changes in the economic, security and political situation that have reper-cussions on the region and on the homeland.

The Prime Minister wished the graduates from Arab and non-Arab countries who had the opportunity to study at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies to succeed and to contribute to building their countries and the Arab world in general, expressing thanks and appreciation to the directors of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies for all the distinguished efforts that were made to ensure the success of the postgraduate program as well as the teachers of the institute, who enriched the scientific program at the centre with their valuable lectures. A number of Their Excellences sheiks, ministers, academics, faculty members, administrators, graduates, and guests attended the ceremony.

02 MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019HOME

Amir condoles with President of South Africa

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,

Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al

Thani and Prime Minister

and Interior Minister H E

Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser

bin Khalifa Al Thani sent

yesterday cables to Pres-

ident Cyril Ramaphosa

of the Republic of South

Africa, to express condo-

lences on the victims of

floods that hit the south

and east of the coun-

try, wishing the injured a

speedy recovery. QNA

OFFICIAL NEWS

Amir holds telephone conversation with Bulgarian PMDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

held a telephone con-

versation with the Prime

Minister of the Republic

of Bulgaria, Boyko Bori-

sov. During the phone call ,

they reviewed the friendly

relations and cooperation

between the two countries

and means of enhanc-

ing them, in addition to a

number of issues of com-

mon interest. QNA

Prime Minister meets President of Italian Senate

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani met yesterday morning with the President of the Senate of the Republic of Italy, Maria Elisabetta Casellati, and her accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations and the prospects for enhancing and developing them, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common concern. The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud.

Education most important pillar of modernisation: PM

Amir meets with President of Italian SenateQNA DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met at Amiri Diwan with the President of the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabetta Casellati, and her accompanying delegation, who called on H H the Amir to greet him on the occasion

of their visit to the country. The President of the Italian

Senate expressed her congratula-tions to the Amir on the successful meetings of the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parlia-mentary Union hosted by Doha and praised its positive results and important decisions.

They reviewed bilateral ties of

friendship and cooperation, in addition to discussing a number of regional and international issues of joint interest, especially the current GCC crisis and its implications for the security of the region.

In this regard, the President of the Senate renewed her country’s position on the importance of

resolving the crisis through dia-logue and diplomatic means. She also called for the lifting the blockade on the State of Qatar and the consequent violations of human rights.

On the other hand, Maria Elis-abetta Casellati praised the measures taken by Qatar in the field of workers rights, which have

been characterised as a role model. For his part, H H the Amir expressed his thanks to the Italian Senate President and Italy’s position in support of resolving the Gulf crisis through dialogue.

The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Shura Council, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud.

Guide to protect workers from heat stress

FROM PAGE 1Dozens of companies and

government entities participated in the latter event throughout April. Addressing the event, Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani, said that Qatar works in a proactive and effective way to avoid injuries and deaths in the workplace, pointing out that the death rate of workers in the country is 1.6 per 100,000 workers, less than half the pro-portion in the US.

He said occupational health is one of the areas of public health strategy (2017-2022), which aims to reduce the number of injuries and deaths in the workplace to less than one worker per 100,000 people, in cooperation with the concerned authorities in the state.

He said the health system in the State of Qatar is currently ranked fifth in the list of the best health systems in the world, and ranking the first in the Middle East, according to Legatum Institute 2019, which is measuring and classification of health status in 149 countries.

Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin

Mohammed Al Thani, said that Qatar Chamber has cooperated with the official authorities in the State to develop legislation and laws that have contributed to improving the standards of living and safety of workers.

Dr Sheikh Khalifa praised the efforts exerted by those who work on all the establishments oper-ating in the State, their keenness to adhere to the rights of workers in the various State projects and to ensure a decent standard of living for them at all times. The Director of International Standards Department at ILO said the role of the Ministry of Admin-istrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and its constant cooperation with the Organi-zation and the relevant author-ities locally and internationally to promote occupational safety and health. The Vice-President of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (BWI) said that Qatar has made significant progress in improving working conditions, especially in the World Cup projects and in housing, providing training courses, conducting inspection campaigns to achieve safety of workers and finding mechanisms to help improve their safety.

Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani at the graduation ceremony of the third batch of students of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies at St. Regis Hotel, yesterday.

PM inaugurates ‘Doha – The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’ activities

FROM PAGE 1

Ayhan pointed out that the annual celebration of Muslim youth gives the youth an impression that they always remain the basis of every development process and remain potential that societies rely upon to achieve their desired growth.

“The launch of ‘Doha - The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’ activities represent a unique event in which the youth of Qatar express their role in enhancing the gains of the State and their responsibility to continue to progress,” said Hussein bin Rashid Al Kubaisi, Director of the Department of Youth Affairs.

About the theme, he men-tioned that it demonstrates the role played by young people in the renaissance of Islamic societies, and the Ministry of Culture and Sports employs all its capabilities and experi-ences to organise the activities in the best way.

For his part, Dr Issa Al Hur, Head of Youth Development and Empowerment Section at the Ministry of Culture and Sports said that Qatar has been chosen to be the capital of Islamic Youth due to what the country has achieved regarding youth empow-erment by supporting their innovations and creations and providing them with spaces to work better.

Executive Director Qatar Scientific Club, Dr Hareb Al Jabri, said: “Qatar Scientific Club will participate in the event by ‘Doha Space for Innovation’ activity through organising a competition involving 56 innovators from Islamic countries, and this competition will be an exhi-bition of their innovations.

In the ceremony, the key of ‘Doha - The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’ was handed over to Qatar. The activities of ‘Doha – The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’ include an array of activities, programs and festivals which will take place in Doha with the participation of youth del-egations from various Islamic countries to allow youth to discuss many current issues.

QBRI raises autism awarenessTHE PENINSULA / DOHA

Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), conducted a series of community outreach activities and events to mark World Autism Awareness Month observed throughout the

month of April and raise autism awareness among the wider community.

In a bid to promote a better understanding of the disorder among the public, QBRI held an array of awareness events in col-laboration with partners, including Renad Academy, Qatar

Academy Al Khor (QAK) and Qatar National Library (QNL).

Dr Omar El-Agnaf, executive director of QBRI, said, “QBRI’s col-laboration with autism-related centers in Qatar enabled us to raise greater awareness and dispel false beliefs surrounding the disorder.”

03MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019 HOME

Qatar, Somalia discuss ways to boost ties

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met yesterday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Ahmed Isse Awad, who is currently visiting the country. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and means of developing them, in addition to discussing a number of issues of joint interest.

FM receives message from Omani counterpart

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani received yesterday a written message from the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, pertaining to bilateral relations between both countries and means to boost and develop them. The message was handed over by the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the State of Qatar, Najib bin Yahya Al Balushi, during his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Aspetar to host International Conference on Medicine and Science in AthleticsQNA DOHA

Aspetar, one of the world’s leading sports medicine hospitals for the treatment of many of the most common athletic injuries, will host an International Conference on Medicine and Science in Athletics taking place at the Aspire Acad-emy’s Football Performance Centre from May 3 to 5.

Aspetar is uniquely positioned to offer a nuanced perspective into the science behind the treatment of some of the most common injuries. For example, it currently

hosts large clinical data on acute hamstrings injuries and has estab-lished a strong research infra-structure around the topics which has led to breakthrough treatments for athletes suffering from these injuries. Local and international experts will also share some of the latest insights and research available from Aspetar and other leading regional and international bodies culminating in group dis-cussions to address topics such as optimising health and performance in athletics, heat acclimation and cooling, athletes experiences of injuries, performance nutrition and

common illnesses in athletics.Another key focus area will be

Sports and Performance Nutrition, a service offered by Aspetar, which enables access to the latest infor-mation on practical sports nutrition and helps athletes get more from their training and competition performance.

Leading up to the Doha Diamond League 2019, the con-ference will also touch on prepa-rations that athletes need to undertake when competing in the heat and the importance of accli-matisation in similar environments to improve performance.

Sheikh Thani attends Turkmen Racing Horse Festival

Assigned by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, H E Sheikh Thani bin Hamad Al Thani attended the Turkmen Racing Horse Festival in Turkmenistan capital Ashgabat with the participation of a number of Their Excellencies the Ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, senior officials, businesspersons and media. The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, welcomed H E Sheikh Thani bin Hamad Al Thani who conveyed the greetings of H H the Amir to the President, who in return conveyed his greetings to H H the Amir.


Sidra to mark World Maternal Mental Health DayTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Sidra Medicine is hosting a series of events and workshops in support of World Maternal Mental Health Day, which falls on May 1.

For the second year, Sidra Medicine is partnering with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) to highlight the services available in Qatar for women experiencing perinatal mental health disorders. Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) refers to the emo-tional and psychological wellbeing of mothers during the period of conception to 12 months after a baby is born.

Dr Zainab Imam (pictured), Psychiatrist, Sidra Medicine said, “Pregnancy and having a baby can be associated with a range of emotions, including stress, anxiety and sadness, especially if a woman is having pregnancy complications, other life stresses or a history of previous mental health difficulties. Our focus this

year is to raise awareness about the resources that are available at Sidra Medicine and other centers for women and families in the country.

We want women to know that help is at hand and that we continue to actively build net-works with our partners from HMC and Primary Health Care

Corporation (PHCC) and the private sector, so that women in Qatar will get the right treatment at the right time.”

“Our interactive workshop sessions at the Qatar National Library this year will also feature patient advocates who will talk about their personal perinatal mental health journey and how a family centered approach to care and treatment helped them overcome their challenges,” added Dr Imam.

Maternal Mental Health Day Psychiatry Grand Round for Healthcare Professionals will be held on May 1, at the hospital audi-torium, Level 2 (Main Hospital). It is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Category 1) as defined by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners – Accreditation Department. It is approved for a maximum of 1 CPD point.

An interactive workshop ses-sions for women and families will be held on May 2, at the Qatar National Library.

Sheikha Hind attends Education Forum on Heritage and IdentityTHE PENINSULA DOHA

H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF), yesterday attended the opening ceremony of the Education Forum on Heritage and Identity at Katara Cultural Village.

The forum, which will con-clude today, has been organised by The Education Development Institute (EDI), part of QF’s Pre-University Education (PUE), in cooperation with the Qatar National Committee for Edu-cation, Culture and Science under the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organi-zation (UNESCO), and the Min-istry of Culture and Sports.

The opening remarks of the

forum were delivered by H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of State, on the importance of heritage and identity, followed by an intro-ductory speech on national

identity by Dr Jassim Sultan, Director of Wijdan Cultural Center.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Buthaina Ali Al Nuaimi, President, PUE, QF, Abeer Al Khalifa, Executive Director, Academic Affairs, PUE, QF; Shk. Noof Al Thani, Exec-utive Director of Strategic Ini-tiatives and Partnerships, PUE, QF and Mehdi Benchaabane, Director, EDI, PUE, QF.

The students of QF schools also performed a traditional operetta entitled My Heritage is My Identity, which was organized by Sara Al Hajri, Head of Qatar History and Heritage at EDI, and composed and directed by Faisal Al Tamimi.

The two-day forum features a number of activities that center around the National Program

subjects, as well as a series of sessions and discussions led by

heritage experts. Topics include ‘The Role of Heritage in

Promoting Identity’ and ‘Pre-serving Heritage’.

H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, at the opening ceremony of the Education Forum on Heritage and Identity at Katara Cultural Village.

The two-day forum features a number of activities that center around the National Program subjects, as well as a series of sessions and discussions led by heritage experts. Topics include ‘The Role of Heritage in Promoting Identity’ and ‘Preserving Heritage’.

Ashghal announces tender of four road contractsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

As part of its keenness to provide a suitable environment for the growth of Qatari companies and in line with the objectives of the ‘Qualification of Small-Scale Contractors’ initiative launched in January of 2018, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) announced on April 23, 2019 the tender of four contracts for road improvement projects at a total value of about QR100m.

Tendering these new four contracts is part of the second phase of the ‘Qualification of Small-Scale Contractors’ Initi-ative, launched by Ashghal in the beginning of 2018. This initiative aims to provide the opportunity for Qatari investors in the con-struction sector to implement small projects that qualify them to be a part of the country’s stra-tegic projects in the future, and to contribute to the local economy.

The first contract, initiated by Ashghal, includes Road Improvement Works in Al Shamal Area, Phase 4A,covering several areas within the boundaries of Al

Shamal, Al Khor, & Al Thakhira municipalities.

The second contract is the road improvement project in several areas of Greater Doha - Phase 6B, which includes several areas within Doha and Al Rayyan Municipalities.The third contract includes the Road Improvement Works in the south of Greater Doha- Zone 90 to 95 – Phase 6B, covering several areas within Al

Wakrah Municipality. The fourth contract includes

the Road Improvement Works in Al Rayyan Area– Phase 6B. It covers several areas within Al Rayyan Municipality. The new projects are scheduled to com-mence in Q4, 2019, and will be implemented within a period of 540 days. The projects’ scope includes grading works, road pavement, construction of

pedestrian lanes, and works to enhance traffic safety such as installation of directional and traffic signs as well as road markings.

Ashghal will close the tender for these projects on May 19, 2019 and it urges the Qatari contractors wishing to participate to quickly register through Ashghal’s website. Ashghal launched the ‘Qualification of Small-Scale Con-tractors’ initiative in January 2018. It also announced the signing of four contracts within the first phase of the initiative in December 2018.

The Small-Scale Contractors initiative aims to develop and support the local Qatari com-panies and encourage them to participate in roads projects, even if they have no previous expe-rience in this field. The initiative provides the opportunity for these companies to develop and qualify their companies to compete in the domestic market and in the global market in the future. The initi-ative also aims to provide support to new contractors through training and by introducing them to best practices in project implementation.

Ooredoo announces Gold Sponsorship of Mubadara Awards CeremonyTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Ooredoo was the Gold Sponsor for the awards ceremony of the Mubadara Young Entrepreneurs competition, held yesterday at the Student Centre Ballroom, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Education City.

The Mubadara Young Entrepreneurs initiative is an annual programme intended to give youth the opportunity to prepare for working life through the experience of running their own companies, supported by volunteers from the world of business in Qatar. It is open to both school and university students, with university students competing for Best Company Of The Year and school students also competing for Best Marketing Campaign, Most Innovative Product and Best Social Impact.

Qatar to host 16th Asian Cooperation Dialogue ministerial meetingQNA DOHA

The State of Qatar will host tomorrow the 16th ministerial meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). The meeting will be three days long.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul-rahman Al Thani expressed the pride of the State of Qatar at chairing the 2019 dialogue, during the ministerial meeting of member countries on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

His Excellency said on Twitter that the country’s priority during its presidency will be to reach an Asian consensus, enhance coop-eration, develop mechanisms for joint work, and strengthen eco-nomic and commerce ties. His Excellency added that they are certain that enhancing under-standing and economic inte-gration in all fields will help

advance joint work to higher levels.

The Asian Cooperation Dia-logue was established in 2001 and has 34 member countries. Its first meeting was held in Thailand in 2002 with the participation of 18 Asian founding countries.

In 2006, Qatar hosted the fifth meeting. The Doha Declaration included a number of decisions, such as the establishment of an Energy Forum for energy coop-eration under the framework of the ACD, the need for Asia to make productive use of its core savings, including financial returns from the energy trade to benefit of the region, and the need for the successful implementation of the e-University project as a tool for building human capacity, closing the digital divide and increasing access to higher education.

The core elements of the ACD 2030 vision are promoting ACDs core principles and values, and spirit of Pan-Asian partnership.

Students have spent the past academic semester establishing and operating their own companies; assigning roles, carrying out market analyses, selling stocks, producing goods, running marketing campaigns, selling their product and ultimately liquidating the company and distributing profits.

Each student company was evaluated according to set criteria, with merit given not only for business success as the initiative is also intended to balance the business achievements of each team with members’ individual personal development and performance. Winning teams are not only those that run a successful company, but also those that understand how and why their company performed as it did, and that demon-strated team spirit while encouraging self-growth and development.

Judging was held on April 27, and the initiative cul-minated in the Awards Ceremony, with Ooredoo pre-senting gifts to winner teams in both the school and university categories.

Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director PR and Cor-porate Communications at Ooredoo, said: “One of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals is quality education, and at Ooredoo a key element of our corporate social responsibility is supporting edu-cation in the communities in which we operate. This initiative not only educates our youth, but prepares them for the world of work, which benefits the entire community and the economy. We are delighted to be working with Injaz Qatar and look forward to seeing some impressive talent and results.”

State Audit Bureau President inaugurates 6th National Internal Audit ConferenceQNA DOHA

President of the State Audit Bureau H E Sheikh Bandar bin Mohamed bin Saud Al Thani, inaugurated the 6th National Internal Audit Conference 2019 under the theme “Taking the lead”, organized by the Institute of Internal Auditors Qatar (IIA). The two-day conference aims to enhance the knowledge and expe-rience of all auditors and contribute to the devel-opment of the auditing profession in Qatar.

The conference sessions and workshops on its first day addressed many core issues such as the basics of auditing information systems and

conducting calibration tests to enable auditors to develop an integrated framework for quality, as well as discussing security threats to cyberspace and effectively audit information technology.

The conference also discussed the challenges faced by internal auditors in the banking sector and the additional risks due to encrypted cur-rencies, in addition to the global threats and their impact on the insurance industry, in addition to the importance of risk management in institutions and the effective way to plan and implement IPPF audits of professional practices. The conference also addressed Qatar National Vision 2030, and the leading role of auditing in achieving this vision.


HRH Princess Dina Mired visits Leabaib Screening Suite of PHCC

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Primary Health Care Corporation received HRH Princess Dina Mired, President-Elect of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), at the recently expanded Leabaib Screening Suite. The visit was organised in collaboration with Qatar Cancer Society (QCS). As part of National Screening Tour Visit, HRH Princess Dina Mired was escorted by Dr Shaikha Abu Shaikha, Manager of Screening Programmes at PHCC, Dr Muna Al Saadi, Leabaib Health Centre Manager, and a team of the Programme and PHCC. The tour started by a presen-tation by the Screen for Life programme about the major achievements of the programme

since its launch. After that Princess Dina toured Leabaib Health Centre Screening Suite, followed by the Mobile Screening Unit Tour.

HRH Princess Dina also met with Dr Mariam Abdulmalik, Managing Director at PHCC where she presented her role as President of UICC and invited PHCC to become a member of the union. Princess Dina also invited PHCC to participate in Oman World Cancer Leaders’ Summit and Congress in October 2020.

“It has been a great honour for all of us at PHCC to welcome HRH Princess Dina Mired who has long been associated with this noble cause of eradicating the instances of cancer and has to her credit several accolades and credentials in spreading

awareness on cancer screening. She paid a visit to our expanded Leabaib Screening Centre and was pleased to see the kind of sophisticated services we are offering to create awareness among the people of Qatar on the importance of cancer screening. We also discussed the possibil-ities of collaboration with UICC on enhancing our horizons and

making it a global moment to realize a far greater impact.”

On her part, HRH Princess Dina Mired, said, “I am very impressed by the work of Primary Health Corporation. Given that our EMRO region is set to witness the highest increase in cancer incidence by 2025 of all WHO EMRO regions, this makes the work of PHCC all

the more important to reduce the cancer burden.

The success of the National Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Programs are of par-amount importance. Also I want to thank Qatar Cancer Society for their UICC membership, Collab-oration and arranging the visit to PHCC.”

HRH Princess Dina Mired is

the first Arab president of the world’s largest cancer-fighting body (UICC). She is also a mother to a cancer survivor and a global anti-cancer advocate. Before taking on the current role as the President-Elect of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), she was the Director General of King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF).

HRH Princess Dina Mired during her visit to PHCC’s Leabaib Screening Suite.

Qatar Charity to organise 45 Iftar venues during RamadanTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Charity has launched the ‘Ramadan, The Gift of Giving’ campaign to implement major and seasonal projects in 30 coun-tries, including Qatar. These projects worth QR71.8m are expected to benefit 3.4 million people across the globe.

Compared to the last year 1439 AH, the allocations for the projects of the campaign have doubled this year, and the number of beneficiaries increased by approximately 75 percent, said Qatar Charity in a release.

Qatar Charity has allocated QR17.2m for Ramadan pro-grammes in Qatar and nearly 700,000 people are expected to benefit from them throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

Some 45 Iftar tables will be spread across Qatar, benefiting more than 350,000 people at the cost of QR10m, while the ‘Mobile Iftar for Workers’ is expected to benefit 39,000 labourers at the cost of QR700,000. The Ramadan Supply project will provide essential foodstuffs for the month of Ramadan to families with

limited income, through the dis-tribution of coupons by Qatar Charity. This project is expected to benefit 10,000 people at the cost of nearly QR1.5mn.

Mobile Iftar will involve the distribution of snacks to drivers who are not able to reach their homes to break their fasting. This project is expected to benefit 15,000 people.

A project ‘Baraha’ will support Iftar tables and activities of many communities residing in Qatar during the holy month of Ramadan to enhance interaction and cohesion among their members. Under From Home to Home project, Qatari families will prepare and serve Iftar meals to low-income families on a daily basis. Some 6,000 people are expected to benefit from the project throughout the holy month.

Qatar Charity will implement the projects of its Ramadan cam-paign, at an estimated cost of QR54.5m, benefiting 2.6 million people in nearly 30 countries out of Qatar. A total of QR27.3m has been allocated for three main projects, which are Fasting Person Projects, Eid Clothing, Zakat Al

Fitr. Some 1,654,000 people are expected to benefit from these projects, while 27.2 million Qatar riyals were allocated for the dis-tribution of food aid in areas suf-fering from disasters and crises. The number of beneficiaries is expected to reach 946,000 persons.

Qatar Charity will implement the Iftar project, which includes Iftar tables and Ramadan food baskets, in 25 countries. The Iftar tables worth nearly QR17.2m are expected to benefit over 1.2 million people in 18 countries around the world. The project Ramadan Baskets contain essential foodstuffs for the month of Ramadan, and are distributed to poor families. Some 115,00 people in many countries of Asia and Africa are expected to benefit from these baskets at a cost of QR4.1m.

The project ‘Zakat al-Fitr’ will be implemented at a cost of QR5.4m, benefiting 347,500 persons in 24 countries.

This project will provide clothes to orphans sponsored by Qatar Charity on Eid al-Fitr, ben-efiting 3,000 orphans in 26 coun-tries at the cost of QR547,000.

Labour Minister inaugurates Qatari Family Day

QNA DOHA

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Yousef bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro inaugurated yesterday the Qatari Family Day at Al Khor

Sports Club with the partici-pation of a large number of relevant institutions, bodies and centres operating in the country.

The three-day event includes an exhibition of home projects and many interactive social activities that cater to the Arab family.

The aim of the Qatari Family Day is to increase the social awareness of all members of the family, to familiarise them with their social rights and duties, to enhance the role of the family in carrying out its basic duties and to support productive families.

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, H E Yousef bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro, inaugurating the Qatari Family Day at Al Khor Sports Club.

Oryx International School Campus in Mesaimeer officially openedSACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

Qatar Airways and Orbital Education officially opened the Oryx International School’s iconic new, purpose-built Mesaimeer campus yesterday.

Minister of Transport and Communications, H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti; Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker; Chairman of Orbital Edu-cation, Kevin McNeany, and other officials attended the official opening event.

H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, said: “I am proud to see our national carrier of the State of Qatar provide such a world-class facility, further reinforcing our country’s commitment to excellence.

This school will help educate a new generation of leaders, many of whom I know will make valuable contributions to the future of Qatar.”

The new Mesaimeer campus, which first opened its doors to Oryx International School stu-dents in September 2018, includes cutting-edge science and technology laboratories, inspiring performing arts facil-ities, a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, five-star sporting facilities and an ultra-modern auditorium.

Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are

delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the many wonderful facilities and resources on offer to students at the new, state-of-the-art Oryx International School Mesaimeer campus.”

“Our vision was to create a premium education facility ded-icated to providing an excep-tional curriculum and world-class facilities for the families of the airline’s employees, in a nur-turing community-based envi-ronment. This school is a statement to the world that Qatar Airways values its staff, and values their children. We are pleased to see how the school has continued to grow from

strength to strength and look forward to learning of the many fantastic achievements of its stu-dents.” he added.

The school, which was ini-tially located near the airline’s headquarters, has operated in partnership with Orbital Edu-cation since 2016 and offers a modified version of the National Curriculum of England for the children of Qatar Airways’ employees, from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 10.

Orbital Education Chairman, Kevin McNeany, said: “It is inspiring to partner with Qatar Airways, who are renowned for their global reputation for excel-lence. We have seized this opportunity with enthusiasm and have appointed a team of qual-ified and experienced educators, all of whom are proficient in teaching the English National Curriculum,” said Kevin McNeany.

“The facilities which Qatar Airways has provided perfectly compliment the five-star educa-tional experience that our children receive. Families of Qatar Airways can be assured that Orbital Education will take the utmost care of their children and help them to thrive and succeed as global citizens of the 21st century.” he added.

International School Exec-utive Principal, Derek Laidlaw,

said: “I am delighted to have been afforded this unique oppor-tunity by Orbital Education and Qatar Airways, to lead the devel-opment of the new Oryx Inter-national School.

Our children come from 90 different countries, reflecting the global reputation of Qatar Airways, and have settled

extremely well into their new surroundings.”

Oryx International School Parent Teacher Student Asso-ciation Chair, Harjeet Kaur, said: “What children and parents love most about Oryx International School is its unique sense of ‘family’, both through its connection to Qatar

Airways and the wider school community.

Qatar Airways has clearly strived to provide a school that befits its status as one of the best airlines in the world, as well as its commitment to placing its staff and their families at the heart of the Qatar Airways community.”

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker cutting a ceremonial ribbon to mark the official opening of the Oryx International School’s (OIS) new campus. The Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Affairs at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Fawzia Abdulaziz Al Khater; Executive Principal of OIS, Derek Laidlaw; and Chairman of Orbital Education, Kevin McNeany, were also present at the event held at the OIS in Doha yesterday. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT / THE PENINSULA

The new Mesaimeer campus, which first opened its doors to Oryx International School students in September 2018, includes cutting-edge science and technology laboratories, inspiring performing arts facilities, a 25-metre indoor swimming pool, five-star sporting facilities and an ultramodern auditorium.

HRH Princess Dina Mired, who is the first Arab president of the world’s largest cancer-fighting body, has invited PHCC to become a UICC member, and also invited PHCC to participate in Oman World Cancer Leaders’ Summit and Congress in October 2020.


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QSTP hosts event to mark safety and health at workTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation, organised an event to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2019, aimed at raising awareness, educating, and involving employees in improving health and safety in the workplace.

The corporate-wide event at QSTP, which featured several the-matic stations, was attended by QSTP employees, incubatees, and tenants of QSTP Free Zone.

Qatar Foundation presented sessions on nutrition and a pro-gramme for home and road safety, while QSTP tenants hosted three thematic stations: ‘Protecting

People and the Environment’ by ExxonMobil; ‘Virtual Reality for Earthquake and Fire Fighting Sim-ulations’ by Vodafone Qatar; and a driving simulator product and virtual reality game, organised by Engineering Solutions.

QSTP also presented a full programme of wellness talks and

activities, as well as fitness con-sultations, for all participants. The event highlighted QSTP’s efforts in fostering a supportive envi-ronment for all its community members.

Yosouf Abdelrahman Saleh, Executive Director, QSTP, said, “At QSTP, we recognise the impor-tance of building an institu-tionally-ingrained culture of health and safety that begins at the leadership level.

“This event is part of QSTP’s commitment to the welfare of all our employees, incubatees, and member companies, and we hope that the event will encourage our community to adopt these values and utilise these best practices across the various industries and businesses they operate in.” The participants at the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2019.

‘EDGE’ Fashion Show receives great acclaimTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The 20th Edition of “EDGE” Fashion Show was held at the Ooredoo Stage at the Mall of Qatar in front of 200 specially invited guests and many onlookers

Designs by fashion design students from Virginia Common-wealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) and students from the University’s Richmond campus were warmly received at the “EDGE” Fashion Show, which was presented by VCUarts Qatar, Qatar Foundation and Mall of Qatar on April 27.

“EDGE”, the University’s 20th annual fashion show, featured collections from sophomore, junior, and senior students from VCUarts Qatar, as well as three senior students from the Univer-sity’s Richmond campus. The designs ranged from “luxe-leisure,” jumpsuits featuring

prints developed in collaboration with the Department of Graphic Design, to dresses embellished with messages that challenge the meaning of evening wear.

The show was designed to

support the vision of a uniquely developing fashion design industry in Qatar and to highlight the potential of the University’s graduates in becoming leaders of that movement.

“We hope that this year’s show presents an unexpected and innovative approach to fashion design from a group of energised students who are ready to define the fashion

market in Qatar and the region,” said Kimberly Guthrie, the Interim Chair of VCUarts Qatar’s Fashion Design program.

“We were delighted to welcome Virginia Common-wealth University School of the Arts in Qatar for their 20th annual fashion show. The talent and creativity showcased by the young designers was incredible and it was an honor to be able to celebrate the success of the stu-dents,” said Stuart Elder, CEO, Mall of Qatar.

VCUarts Qatar alumna Maryam Al Darwish, who grad-uated with a BFA in Fashion Design from VCUarts Qatar in 2015, was the guest designer at the show.

The fashion event was spon-sored by the Mall of Qatar, Salam International, HEYA, and part-nered with Tajmeel Qatar Inter-national Beauty Academy, Trinity Talent Qatar, and MARTIANS.

A number of awards were

given on the night. The Salam International Award went to Ayesha Rafiq for her collection titled, “Apocalypse Now.”

The award for Most Out-standing Sophomore (Academic) went to Safa Al Hadithi; the award for Most Outstanding Sophomore Collection went to E J Pag-dangana; the award for Most Out-standing Junior (Academic) went to Roudha A Al Mazroei; the award for Most Outstanding Junior Collection went to Jude Zahran; the award for Most Out-standing Senior (Academic) went to Heidi Rashad; and the award for Most Outstanding Senior Col-lection went to Heidi Rashad

The awards for Senior Col-lection Richmond went to Lama Ali, Yuchen Chen, and Jessica Holt. Three VCUarts Qatar stu-dents will have their collections shown at the home campus annual fashion show titled, “Shimmer” on May 8 in Richmond, Virginia.

Fashion design students from VCUarts Qatar and other creative artists at the “EDGE” Fashion Show held at the Ooredoo Stage at the Mall of Qatar.

Sealine Beach bags ‘Luxury Beachfront Resort of The Year – Qatar’ awardTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar’s first leisure destination, an oasis of tranquillity, Sealine Beach, a Murwab luxury property, announced that it has recently added another feather in its cap by receiving ‘Luxury Beachfront Resort of The Year – Qatar’ at the Luxury Travel Guide Awards 2019.

Offering a perfect concoction of culture and heritage, Sealine Beach, a Murwab Resort, has been a poised location for guests who look for contemporary, yet tradi-tional charm and this coveted win corroborates its stronger posi-tioning in the hospitality industry of Qatar.

Commenting on winning the

prestigious award, Nawaf Al Obaidly, General Manager, said: “The Luxury Travel Guide Awards champion the very best in their respective fields. For us, it’s an absolute honour to have received such a prestigious award. These awards reflect our undeterred commitment to offer our guests not just a pleasant stay at our resort but unforgettable memories they cherish for a lifetime.”

“With the commitment to provide our guests an experience of a lifetime, we will keep on upgrading and expanding our resort as per changing hospitality matrix. For all of us at Sealine, our guests’ comfort and safety is our priority and the guests can be assured that all their requirements

will be met once they have chosen to stay or experience our culinary delight or any of our recreational services,” said Al Obaidly.

The Luxury Travel Awards recognise and celebrate excel-lence across all sectors of the affluent travel and tourism industry.

Shortlisted nominations go through a rigorous selection process including prestigious jury selection to receive the crowning glory, ensuring that only the most deserving individuals and organ-isations walk away with the pres-tigious accolades.

The LTG Africa & Middle East Awards highlight the best accom-modation providers throughout their region. The winners this year have been selected based on their unique interior design, innovation, rooms and facilities, location, employee satisfaction and most importantly their service excellence.

In addition to enjoying the luxury resort’s panoramic views of the sea and pure natural sur-roundings, Sealine Beach, offers leisure enthusiasts a chance to engage in a plethora of recrea-tional activities that include a number of exclusive beach-sport adventures for the first time, as well as the opportunity to expe-rience an expansive collection of culinary specialities at its five-star beachside dining venues.

Located in the southern part of Qatar, a mere 30-minute drive from Doha’s city centre, Sealine Beach, A Murwab Resort’s unique location is complimented by a diverse array of world-class entertainment facilities on the backdrop of scenic views of the Arabian Desert’s pristine beaches, building up to the resort’s status as Qatar’s premier leisure desti-nation for travellers and local vacationers alike.

Sealine Beach, a Murwab luxury property, is selected as ‘Luxury Beachfront Resort of The Year – Qatar’ at the Luxury Travel Guide Awards 2019.

ISL Qatar marks 10th anniversaryTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The International School of London (ISL) Qatar celebrates 10 years of excellence this year and to mark this occasion held a Gala Dinner on April 25. The event was attended by ambassadors, offi-cials from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, teachers, staff, parents, students and other special guests including Ivonne Abdel Baki, the Ambas-sador of the Republic of Ecuador to the State of Qatar.

ISL Qatar was founded in 2008 as part of the ‘Outstanding Schools Initiative’ started by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

Building on the academic strength and over 40 years’ expe-rience of the ISL Group in London, ISL Qatar has set new standards of academic excellence and is a leading IB World School in Doha.

The evening gala highlighted achievements and students’ work. Highlights included musical performances, visual art pieces, documentaries and alumni interviews during the incredible evening.

Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, attended the event and expressed his pride in ISL Qatar, and its accomplishments

in the past 10 years.Amin Makarem, Managing

Director of the ISL Group, said: “It is clear that our school today has a proven track record of delivering excellence in interna-tional education and is fulfilling our mission of promoting inter-national mindedness and multi-cultural understanding within our school communities and beyond.”

ISL Qatar has an outstanding reputation for high academic standards, prestigious Interna-tional Baccalaureate (IB) pro-grammes and an impressive record of admission to the best universities worldwide. The student body of 1,000 are aged from 3 to 18.

David Monk, Head of the School, giving a speech during the anniversary celebrations. PIC: ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA

The corporate-wide event at QSTP, which featured several thematic stations, was attended by QSTP employees, incubatees, and tenants of QSTP Free Zone.

The Ministry is carrying out a comprehensive plan during the summer aimed at ensuring compliance with the implementation of preventive measures and protection against heat stress.

08 MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019VIEWS

Qatar placed comprehensive plans to limit work-related injuries

The Qatari labour law includes provisions stipulating the necessity of complying with the requirements of occupa-

tional safety and health within the workplace and workers’ housing. The law also gave plenty of powers to inspectors to ensure those regulations are met said Minister of Adminis-trative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Yousuf bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro high-lighting the State of Qatar’s com-mitment to occupational safety and health, evident in the comprehensive policies and strategies it introduced to reduce accidents, injuries and work-related diseases.

Speaking at the opening of the Occupational Safety and Health Con-ference, organised by the ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to cele-brate the occupational safety and health month, the Minister said his ministry is carrying out a compre-hensive plan during the summer aimed at ensuring compliance with the implementation of preventive measures and protection against heat stress. Dozens of companies gov-ernment entities participated in the latter event throughout April.

H E said the inspection duties were adopted due to the value this government service provides to the process of ensuring the set regula-tions are being met effectively, and to ensure that the necessary protective measures are taken in order to prevent in occupational-related sickness or death.

He revealed that the Ministry is carrying out a com-prehensive plan during the summer which includes measures aimed at raising awareness, visits to work sites and houses, in addition to receiving complaints, and finding violations and taking

the necessary legal measures against them.

His Excellency added that the ministry, in cooperation with the ILO and the participation of the desig-nated state authorities prepared a guide on protection from heat stress. He noted that the guide has a number of tips and requirements that any place must have in order to protect workers from the dangers of heat, and to ensure that they can carry out their work at the required productivity level in all fields whether industrial, construction, and agricultural.

The Minister said that celebrating World Day for Safety and Health at Work aims to shed light on ways to maintain safety and health at work, highlighting the State of Qatar’s com-mitment to celebrating the day along with the international community due to its belief in the importance of carrying out work safely.

H E the Minister said that the launch of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work during April saw the organization of a series of activ-ities and events organized by the ministry and supported by the Inter-national Labour Organization. The events included holding workshops that explained the work of inspectors and the regulatory process under-taken to ensure the implementation of the Qatari labour law.

His Excellency expressed his appreciation to the role played by local and international organizations in ensuring the promotion of occupa-tional safety and health.

In the same context, the director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani, stressed in his speech that the State of Qatar works in a proactive and effective way to avoid injuries and

deaths in the workplace, pointing out that the death rate of workers in the country is 1.6 per 100,000 workers, less than half the proportion in the United States of America.

H E pointed out that occupational health is one of the areas of public health strategy (2017-2022), which aims to reduce the number of injuries and deaths in the workplace to less than one factor per 100,000 people, in cooperation with the con-cerned authorities in the state to improve working conditions and the safety of everyone, he added that the health system in the State of Qatar is currently ranked fifth in the list of the best health systems in the world, and ranking the first in the Middle East, according to Legatum Institute 2019 , which is measuring and classi-fication of health status in 149 countries.

For his part , H E the Chairman of Qatar Chamber, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, said in his speech that the growth and economic expansion witnessed by the State of Qatar since the past two decades, necessitated the use of large numbers of employment.

H E pointed out that Qatar Chamber is keen to encourage employers and private sector com-panies to provide the necessary training and qualification for workers, raise awareness and culture and abide by the occupational safety and health requirements of the worker and the employer, in order to achieve the increase and productive efficiency, and reduce the burden of accidents and occupational diseases, and benefit the public interest.

Chairman of Qatar Chamber also pointed out that the Qatar Chamber has cooperated with the official authorities in the State to develop legislation and laws that have con-tributed to improving the standards of living and safety of workers and encouraged the private sector to raise the level of occupational safety and health requirements, ensuring the improvement of living and working conditions, and applying the highest standards in relation to workers’ rights.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani praised the efforts exerted by those who work on all the establishments operating in the State, their keenness to adhere to the rights of workers in the various State projects and to ensure a decent standard of living for them at all times, wishing them to continue to carry out their responsibilities to promote the advancement of occupa-tional safety and health, and to maintain the safety and health of the worker as an essential part of the true wealth of the nation.

Director of International Standards Department at the Inter-national Labour Organization stressed that deaths, injuries and ill-nesses resulting from work can be reduced by the development of effective prevention strategies and programs.

The director commended the role of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and its constant cooperation with the Organization and the rel-evant authorities locally and interna-tionally to promote occupational safety and health, noting in this regard the organization of the month

of occupational safety and health, which reached more than 15,000 workers in the state and it also formed a joint working group to develop the best solutions to occupa-tional health and safety challenges at the national level and its role in the development of a national occupa-tional safety and health policy.

The director also said that the ministry’s announcement of the pub-lication of the manual on the pre-vention of thermal stress, which reflects the constant work on the application of laws and legislations in the state, aims to protect workers from the dangers of high tempera-tures and to ensure the safety and security while they’re working.

The director also highlighted the technical cooperation between the ILO and the Ministry of Adminis-trative Development, Labour and social Affairs of Qatar to strengthen the labour inspection system and the development of training programs for inspectors in cooperation with the Ministry’s Public Administration Institute, noting that this will be reflected on workers and society as a whole.

Vice President of the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (BWI) praised in his speech, the efforts of the Ministry of Adminis-trative Development, Labour and Social Affairs of the State of Qatar to improve the working environment and the safety and health of workers, and its cooperation with many local organizations and institutions regional and international policies, plans, strategies and action, and looked forward to the continuation of events and activities between the Ministry and the Federation to ensure the provision of safe and secure workplaces and cooperation between the two sides to share experiences and successes in the areas of security and safety.

BWI Vice President noted that the State of Qatar has made significant progress in improving working con-ditions, especially in the World Cup projects and in housing, providing training courses, conducting inspection campaigns to achieve safety of workers and finding mecha-nisms to help improve their safety, reviewing the efforts of the Feder-ation, which comprises 330 federa-tions and organizations in 128 coun-tries around the world, in organizing awareness campaigns about occupa-tional safety and increasing the focus of the world on this aspect, especially since the construction sector is the most dangerous for workers due to their work in difficult climatic condi-tions, with heavy equipment and haz-ardous materials.

BWI Vice President discussed in the second session, the managing risks associated with thermal stress, the health risks of outdoor work during the summer in Qatar and the decisions taken by the State to reduce workers’ exposure to direct sunlight and measures taken by the State to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures.

The 3rd session will focus on workplace wellbeing, experiences and lessons learned, where partici-pants will discuss workers’ lifestyle issues including anti-smoking, proper diet, exercise and mental well-being, and programs that promote the welfare of workers in the workplace.

QNA DOHA

QUOTE OF THE DAYThis week will be very

important. We will have the results of

negotiations between the Labour Party and

the Theresa May’s government. Are these

talks going to yield something?

Michel Barnier European Union’s Brexit Negotiator

Despite facing the ongoing unjust blockade, the QSE led the gainers among all the GCC stock markets, registering the highest 21 percent rise in 2018. The emergence of QSE as the best markets in the region shows the resilience of the Qatari economy and its solid macroeconomic fundamentals.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

[email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

[email protected]

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI

[email protected]

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Qatar’s vibrant stock market

Qatar’s stock market is set to witness increased activity in coming months as Initial Public offering of Baladna is expected soon. Qatar Stock Exchange

(QSE) has received approval from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry regarding IPO of Baladna, Rashid bin Ali Al Mansoori, CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange said recently.

Baladna IPO will be the first listing at QSE in 2019. The last IPO was Qatar Aluminium Manufacturing Company (QAMCO) in November last year. Qamco IPO was oversub-scribed by 2.5 times. It became the 46th listed entity on the QSE and more listings are expected in 2019.

Despite facing the ongoing unjust blockade, the QSE led the gainers among all the GCC stock markets, regis-tering the highest 21 percent rise in 2018. The emergence of QSE as the best markets in the region shows the resil-ience of the Qatari economy and its solid macroeconomic fundamentals.

Qatar has taken several measures to make its capital market robust. Effective from October 2019, Qatar is set to introduce a mandatory rules-based framework for

investor relations (IR), which includes three key measures to ensure that listed companies focus more on their IR func-tions. The roll-out of this initi-ative is being led by the QSE.

The framework stipulates that all companies must: appoint a dedicated and suitably qualified Investor Rela-tions Officer (IRO); create an IR section on their company web-sites, made available in both Arabic and English; and provide periodic updates through quar-terly investor presentations and investor calls hosted by a C-level executive.

Various reports published from in the past few years have confirmed the strength of Qatari capital market.

Recently, Qatar was ranked first in the Arab world and seventh globally out of 128 countries at the Global Finance Safety index for 2019.

The index ranked Qatar in terms of investment safety in this advanced rank according to many factors such as war,

peace, personal security and the risks of natural disasters.

The index measures safety in various fields to be col-lected and analysed according to standard scores that give the overall ranking of countries, providing a comprehensive view of the economic security of each country.

The strength of Qatari capital market is a result of proactive steps taken by concerned authorities in Qatar. Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) recently approved a set of minimum requirements for investor relation practices that will become part of QSE’s Rulebook, which will further increase investors’ trust on Qatar’s stock market. These measures will ensure that Qatar remains an attractive market for global investors.

The far-right party has identified women’s rights activism as a threat and claimed that the “gender ideology” it supposedly promotes goes against Spain’s heteronormative, Christian, and white family values.

09MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019 OPINION

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Squeezing Iran

Spain is in danger of falling into the hands of the far-right

THE WASHINGTON POST

SANTIAGO ZABALA AL JAZEERA

The United States has a clear interest in punishing and deterring Iranian aggression across the Middle East,

much of which is aimed at Israel and other US allies. The Trump adminis-tration also wants to force Tehran to accept far more stringent controls on its nuclear activity than those negotiated by the Obama adminis-tration. Economic sanctions offer a nonmilitary means to those ends, and past experience shows they can work, up to a point. The danger is that they will provoke actions by Iran, such as the resumption of large-scale uranium enrichment or attacks on Americans, that would demand a US military response - and perhaps escalate into another of the Middle East wars President Donald Trump has vowed to avoid.

Trump tested that balance last year when he reimposed oil sanc-tions on Iran, while exempting some

of its largest customers. The result, according to the administration, was to shave $10 billion off the Islamic Republic’s prior $50 billion in oil revenues, which in turn led to funding cuts for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Despite threats, Tehran did not respond to the losses by crossing US red lines.

Perhaps encouraged by this pas-sivity, the administration is doubling down, seeking to eliminate Iran’s remaining oil exports by threatening buyers, including China, India, Turkey, South Korea and Japan, with sanctions if they do not comply. China, which buys half the remaining oil, may defy US pressure. But if the initiative succeeds, the already-struggling Iranian economy would be devastated. Trump is essentially betting that the regime will again swallow the punishment rather than test his resolve.

It’s possible that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will choose that course; the strong opposition of European governments and US Democrats to Trump’s policy may encourage the regime to wait out the next 18 months in the hope he will not be reelected. But if Iran responds aggressively, Trump could be forced to choose between tolerating offenses that the Obama

administration’s 2015 nuclear deal stopped or sliding toward a war that few Americans wish for.

One reason confrontation is pos-sible is that the administration has left Tehran with scant options. Sec-retary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday reiterated the administra-tion’s nominal openness to negotia-tions, but he has set out a list of a dozen conditions the regime would have to meet, representing a com-plete reversal of its current foreign policy. Those steps, ranging from a stop to the development of nuclear-capable missiles to an end to hos-tility toward Israel, are desirable but unrealistic in the absence of a broader settlement with Iran’s regional rivals, including Saudi Arabia.

Maybe the administration’s real objective is to force the regime’s col-lapse. Pompeo said his demands “are similar to what we hear from the Iranian people themselves,” adding “we will not appease their oppressors.” That, too, could be a welcome outcome, were US sanc-tions capable of delivering it. History doesn’t offer much encouragement, however, which raises the question of whether Trump has carefully con-sidered the difficult corners into which his policy may lead. We’re guessing he has not.

On April 28, 36 million Spanish voters will have the opportunity to decide whether Spain joins Italy,

Hungary, and Austria by electing a far-right government or continues to be, together with Portugal, the European socialist exception. Although Pedro Sanchez, prime minister and leader of the Socialist Party (PSOE), is leading in the polls, if he does win, he will have to enter into a coalition with other parties to form a government.

While the leftist Podemos (“We Can”, running as Unidas Podemos) and the National Basque Party will probably join such a coalition, it’s unlikely that the two main pro-independence Catalan parties - the Catalan Republican Left and Catalan European Democratic Party - would support the PSOE this time.

Although Sanchez had taken a more conciliatory approach to the Catalan question in order to secure the political support of Catalan

parties for his minority government, he ultimately rejected demands to negotiate on Catalan self-determi-nation and the imprisonment and trial of several Catalan leaders who led the unauthorised referendum and unilateral declaration of inde-pendence in 2017.

It was the refusal of the two pro-independence Catalan parties to back the proposed national budget that forced the Spanish prime minister to call for snap elec-tions in February.

Yet, the situation is quite fluid and the outcome of the election remains uncertain. The latest polls show that approximately 28 percent of voters are still undecided, while the rest of the vote is fragmented between various parties to the left and right of the political spectrum.

Unlike France and Germany, where liberal centrist parties and coalitions run the country, in Spain, the centre has almost disappeared, creating uncertainty and confusion among voters.

After the emergence in 2016 of left-wing Podemos and its right-wing counterpart, Ciudadanos (“Cit-izens Party”), the Spanish electoral map ceased to be defined by the dominance of the centre-left PSOE and the centre-right Popular Party (PP). Then in 2018, the unexpected success of Vox, a racist, homo-phobic, and anti-immigration party, in the Andalusian regional elections shook Spanish politics and caused the right and the left to further radi-calise their rhetoric and move further away from the centre.

While this radicalisation has been welcomed by most left and right-wing voters, tired of their parties’ bipartisan positions, it has worried the moderate section of the electorate, which likely constitutes the majority of the undecided 28 percent.

Vox will certainly play a major role in the outcome of the April 28 election. After its electoral success in Andalusia, the far-right party became part of the governing

coalition - along with the PP and Ciudadanos - in a region that had been under socialist rule for more than three decades. There are fears now that these three parties have a chance of winning the national election as well. The polls currently show that around 12.5 percent of the vote will go to Vox, 17.8 percent to PP and 19 percent to Ciudadanos. In total, this accounts for fewer seats (156) than what the PSOE and Podemos are currently estimated to get (162).

However, the absence of support from smaller regional parties could preclude the for-mation of a leftist government, in which case the mandate might be passed onto the right. This would ultimately bring Vox’s toxic nation-alistic politics into government.

Founded in 2013 by Santiago Abascal, a former protege of ex-PP leader Jose Maria Aznar, Vox gained momentum in the past few years, as economic uncertainty, high unem-ployment rates and high levels of immigration have worried many Spanish citizens and added to nationalistic fervour fuelled by the Catalan crisis and the controversial exhumation of fascist dictator Fran-cisco Franco’s remains.

Vox has captured this increasing anxiety by resorting to ultranationalist rhetoric. Its func-tionaries have claimed that the cul-tural, linguistic and religious identity of Spain is under threat by “Muslim immigration”. As Javier Ortega Smith, Abascal’s number two official, has said, “Our common enemy, the enemy of Europe, the enemy of progress, the enemy of democracy, the enemy of family, the enemy of life, the enemy of the future is called the Islamist invasion.”

It should not come as a surprise that Vox wants to repeal Article 510.1 of the Criminal Code, which sets out prison sentences for those found guilty of publicly inciting hate, close regional public-tele-vision channels, and build an

“insurmountable wall” in the Spanish exclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa.

Vox has also lashed out at the growing feminist movement in Spain. In recent years, Spanish women have protested against shocking levels of domestic vio-lence and continuous under-payment of female labour (women’s hourly earnings are still 14.9 percent lower than men’s). The far-right party has identified women’s rights activism as a threat and claimed that the “gender ideology” it sup-posedly promotes goes against Spain’s heteronormative, Christian, and white family values.

Regardless of the outcome of the April 28 vote, this electoral season has given Abascal the unique opportunity to show that only his party puts “los espanoles primero”, that is, “Spaniards first”. He has por-trayed the PP and Ciudadanos as “moderate, soft, and cowards” and Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Podemos, as “enemies of Spain”.

The decision of Spain’s election committee to exclude Vox from the two televised debates at the beginning of the week has backfired and will likely give the party a boost at the polls.

Even if Sanchez and Iglesias are able to attract some of the 28 percent undecided voters and manage to keep yet another

If Iran responds aggressively, Trump could be forced to choose between tolerating offenses that the Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear deal stopped or sliding toward a war that few Americans wish for.

European country from falling into the hands of a right-wing coalition, what is abundantly clear is that the far right, which mourns past dicta-torships and yearns for authori-tarian powers, is here to stay in Spanish electoral politics.

Santiago Abascal, the Spanish far-right party VOX leader and candidate for prime minister, waves outside a polling station.

10 MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Smoke billows from a vehicle that was targeted during clashes between Houthis and pro-government militias at an old market in Yemen’s third city of Taiz, yesterday.

5 kids among 12 dead in Yemen attacksAFP DUBAI

Twelve Yemeni civilians, including five children, were killed in two attacks in the past two days, pro-government and rebel forces said yesterday, trading accusations over the targeting of non-combatants.

A mother and her four children were killed yesterday in a Houthi rebel attack in gov-ernment-controlled Jebel Habashi, about 35km west of Yemen’s third city of Taez, a pro-government official said. The official from Taez, controlled by pro-government forces but

surrounded by the rebels, said the Houthis launched a Katyusha rocket towards Jabal Habashi “completely destroying” the family’s home.

In Daleh, east of Taez, the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels accused the Saudi-led coalition backing the government of tar-geting two vehicles with air strikes Saturday in the Aoud area — killing seven civilians, including a child.

Aoud was seized by the rebels earlier this month and fighting between the two sides is ongoing, according to a gov-ernment source.

The city of Taez has also

witnessed heavy clashes between pro-government militias this month.

Two children were killed in that fighting on Thursday, according to local officials and medical sources. Their deaths came shortly after Doctors Without Borders said five people had been killed in the clashes since they erupted on April 19.

Nearly 10,000 people— most of them civilians — have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded since March 2015, when the Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemen war. Rights groups estimate the toll could be much higher.

Leaving N-Treaty one of many options: Iran REUTERS DUBAI

Iran said yesterday it could quit a treaty against the spread of nuclear weapons after the United States tightens sanctions, while an Iranian general said the US Navy was interacting as before with an elite military unit blacklisted by Washington.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration withdrew last year from a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and began ratcheting up sanctions.

Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions.

“The Islamic Republic’s choices are numerous, and the country’s authorities are consid-ering them... and leaving NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is one of them,” state broadcaster IRIB’s website quoted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying. Iran has threatened in the past to leave the NPT, as US President Donald Trump moved to scrap the 2015 deal with world powers — the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France.

Separately, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff said the IRGC - which ensures security in Gulf waters and the Strait of Hormuz

for Iran - had not observed any change in the US military’s behaviour towards the elite force after the blacklisting.

“US warships are obliged to respond to the IRGC on the passage of the Strait of Hormuz... and until yesterday they have been answering IRGC questions, and we have not seen change in their procedures,” Major General Mohammad Baqeri was quoted as saying on Sunday by the semi-official Fars news agency.

Lieutenant Chloe Morgan, US Naval Forces Central Command spokeswoman, said: “The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway. Threats to close the strait impact the international community and undermine the free flow of com-merce. “The US along with our allies and partners, is committed

to freedom of navigation and remains well positioned and postured to preserve the free flow of commerce, and we are prepared to respond to any acts of aggression,” Morgan said in an emailed statement, without referring to interaction with IRGC forces.

On Wednesday, Zarif called the IRGC blacklisting “absurd”, but suggested Iran did not plan to respond militarily unless the United States changed the rules of engagement guiding how it interacts with Iran’s forces. The U.S. military has not suggested it would alter its behaviour after the blacklisting.

“We don’t intend to close the Strait of Hormuz, unless hostil-ities reach a level where this cannot be avoided,” Fars quoted Baqeri as saying. “If our oil does not pass, the oil of others shall not pass the Strait of Hormuz either.”

President Hassan Rouhani and some senior military com-manders have threatened to disrupt oil shipments from Gulf countries if Washington tries to strangle Tehran’s oil exports.

Carrying one third of the world’s seaborne oil every day, the Strait of Hormuz links Middle East crude producers to markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond.

Iran has also threatened to pull out of the 2015 deal unless European powers enable it to receive economic benefits.

160,000 at risk in Mozambique as more rain forecastAP PEMBA, MOZAMBIQUE

A second disaster unfolded yesterday in northern Mozam-bique in the wake of Cyclone Kenneth as raging flood waters killed one person and began to cut off the region’s main city from the outside world. Some 160,000 people were at risk, with more torrential rain forecast for the days ahead.

“Help us, we are losing eve-rything!” residents in the region’s main city, Pemba, shouted at passing cars as the rushing waters flooded their homes and heavy rain fell. Women and girls with buckets and pots tried to scoop away the torrent, in vain. The water poured into doorways.

Houses began to collapse and a rescue team was mobi-lized, United Nations staffers

said. “We are unfortunately expecting devastating floods,” the UN humanitarian agency said in a tweet.

Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai ripped into central Mozambique and killed more than 600 people with flooding. The new storm’s remnants could dump twice as much rain as Idai, the U.N. World Program has said. As much as 250 millimeters (9 inches), or about a quarter of the average annual rainfall for the region, had been forecast over the next few days. “I have never seen such rains in my life,” said one Pemba resident, 35-year-old Michael Fernando. Up to 100 millimeters (nearly 4 inches) were forecast in the next 24 hours for some parts of the region, Mozambique’s meteor-ological institute said.

This was the first time in

recorded history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season, again raising concerns about climate change. Some Pemba residents tried to pile up tires and sand-filled sacks as bar-ricades. Children took refuge in a bus that appeared to be stuck as vehicles struggled on the streets. One woman stood, seem-ingly stunned, as the rain pounded down. Cars began to slip under the waters.

“We will keep moving until we get somewhere safe,” one man said, as people fled car-rying belongings in plastic bags. Authorities have said at least five people died after Kenneth roared in Thursday evening with the force of a Category 4 hurricane, stunning residents of a region where such a storm had not been recorded in the modern era.

Iraq demands Bahraini apology for insulting clericANATOLIA/BAGHDAD

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has decried the Bahraini foreign minister’s “offence” to prominent Shia cleric Muqtada Al Sadr and demanded an official apology.

On Saturday, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled Al Khalifa responded to a recent

tweet by Al Sadr in which he called on a number of Arab rulers, including Bahrain, to step down from power.

In his tweet, Al Khalifa harshly criticised the Shia cleric, saying that Iraq was subject to the Iranian control. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry, for its part, said the top Bahraini diplomat’s tweet

was “totally unacceptable in dip-lomatic traditions”.

The remarks were deemed “insulting to Iraq and its sover-eignty and independence,” the ministry said in a statement.

Al Sadr leads Sairoon political bloc that holds the majority in the Iraqi parliament.

Residents stand outside a flooded house as rain falls in the aftermath of Cyclone Kenneth in Pemba, Mozambique, yesterday.

Sudan protesters hail breakthrough in talksAFP KHARTOUM

Sudanese protesters yesterday welcomed a breakthrough in talks with army rulers who agreed to form a joint civilian-military council, paving the way for the civilian administration demanded by demonstrators.

Saturday’s agreement would replace the existing 10-member military council that took power after the army ousted veteran leader Omar Hassan Al Bashir on April 11 amid massive pro-tests. “What happened yesterday is a step to have a civilian authority,” said Mohamed Amin, one of thousands of demon-strators who have been camped for weeks outside the army

headquarters. “We are happy about the progress in the talks, but we are still waiting for the composition of the council and the civilian government.”

The joint civilian-military council would be the overall ruling body, the protest leaders say, while a new transitional civilian government was expected to be formed to run the day-to-day affairs of the country, a key demand of protesters.

That civilian government would work towards having the first post-Bashir elections.

“When we have a civilian government, then we can say our country is on the right track,” said Amin. The demonstrators said they would pursue their sit-in until a civilian adminis-

tration is set up. “Last night’s agreement is a

step forward in the stability of our country. But I don’t think we will leave the sit-in until we achieve our demand of a civilian government,” said protester Sawsan Bashir.

Protest leader Ahmed al-Rabia confirmed the decision to form a joint council.

“We are now in consultation about what percentage of the council should be represented by civilians and how much by the military,” said Rabia, who is involved in talks.

On Sunday, protest leaders from the Alliance for Freedom and Change met to discuss the progress of talks with the mil-itary council. Later, the joint

committee bringing together the military and protest leaders was expected to resume talks.

Activists say the new council could be a 15-member body, with eight civilians and seven army generals. The decision to have a joint council came after hours of talks on Saturday, the first by a joint committee repre-senting the current ruling mil-itary leadership and protesters.

Bashir was ousted by the army after months of protests against his three-decade rule.

Thousands of demon-strators, braving volleys of tear gas fired by security forces, reached the sprawling military headquarters on April 6, demanding the army support those opposing Bashir.

Four killed, 20 injured in Tripoli air raidsAFP TRIPOLI

Air raids by the self-styled Libyan National Army against the capital on Saturday night killed four people and wounded 20 others, Libya’s internationally recognised unity government said.

But Amin Al Hachemi, a spokesman for the Government of National Accord’s healthy ministry, on Sunday warned that “the death toll could increase in the coming hours”.

A pro-GNA military source said the victims were civilians.

“Several sites were targeted by air strikes late Saturday night, causing victims among civilians,” the source said.

“Most of the strikes hit areas in the district of Abou Slim... (but) none hit military targets.”

Strongman Khalifa Haftar’s LNA launched an offensive against Tripoli, the seat of the GNA, on April 4.

But after initial gains, Haftar’s forces have encoun-tered stiff resistance on the southern outskirts and his troops have been pushed back in some areas. At least 278 people have

been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the clashes, according to a toll released Wednesday by the World Health Organization.

The GNA accuses Haftar of using foreign planes to carry out air strikes, without naming a country of origin. “This criminal conceals his failures and those of his soldiers at the gates of Tripoli by resorting to foreign aviation to hit unarmed civilians in the city,” spokesman Mohanad Younes said on the GNA’s official Facebook page.

Haftar’s offensive has sharpened fault lines in policy towards Libya among world powers.

On April 18, Russia and the United States opposed a British bid backed by France and Germany at the UN Security Council to demand a ceasefire in the North African country.

The White House revealed the next day that Donald Trump had reached out personally to Haftar in a phone call, during which the US president “recog-nised Field Marshal Haftar’s sig-nificant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources”.

Former Algerianpolice chief to face graft probeAFP/ALGIERS

A former Algerian police chief once considered a pillar of the regime of ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been summoned for questioning about a l legat ions of corruption, state media said yesterday.

Since Bouteflika resigned in early April after weeks of mass protests against his rule, several regime officials and businessmen who were close to him have been sacked or detained over alleged graft.

General Abdelghani Hamel, the former police chief once tipped as Bouteflika’s successor before he was fired by the veteran leader in June 2018, is due to appear in court Monday with one of his sons, state radio said.

They are expected to be questioned as part of a judicial inquiry into “illegal activity, bribery, embezzlement of funds and abuse of power,” according to state television.

Since Bouteflika’s ouster investigators have cracked down on alleged graft, zeroing in on the activities of prominent politicians and businessmen as they try to clear away two decades of cronyism under the former president.

“The Islamic Republic’s choices are numerous, and the country’s authorities are considering them... and leaving NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is one of them,” state broadcaster IRIB’s website quoted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying.

11MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019 ASIA

72 constituencies in 9 Indian states vote todayIANS NEW DELHI

A total of 72 Lok Sabha constit-uencies spread over nine states, mostly in Hindi heartland, will go to polls in the fourth phase of the elections today.

An estimated 12.79 crore electorate will be eligible to exercise their franchise in 13 seats each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, five in Bihar, eight in West Bengal, three in Jharkhand, six in Madhya Pradesh, 17 in Maharashtra and six in Odisha.

Polling will also be held in the second of the three phases in Jammu and Kashmir’s t r o u b l e d A n a n t n a g constituency.

In the fourth phase, the BJP will be defending 45 of the seats it won in the 2014 Lok Sabha battle - 13 in Rajasthan, 12 in Uttar Pradesh, five in Madhya Pradesh, three in Bihar, three in Jharkhand, eight in Maharashtra and one in West Bengal.

In Maharashtra, all the remaining nine were won by the Shiv Sena while in Bihar, the remaining two seats were bagged by BJP’s ally Lok Jan-shakti Party. The Congress got only two - one in Madhya Pradesh and one in West Bengal.

Among other parties, the Biju Janata Dal won all six in Odisha,

the Trinamool Congress six in West Bengal and the Samawadi Party one in Uttar Pradesh.

With the end of the fourth round of polling, over 61 crore of the electorate would have taken part in the democratic exercise, the largest in the world.

The fourth round will also mark an end to staggered voting in Odisha and Maharashtra.

Odisha is also electing its state Assembly. In Madhya Pradesh, the VIP Chhindwara Assembly constituency will go to the polls, with Chief Minister Kamal Nath in the race to become a member of the legislature.

Campaigning for today’s polling ended on Saturday evening amid allegations and counter-allegations bordering on personal affairs, making it one of the most bitterly fought elec-tions in the country.

The BJP and its allies in the

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are determined to secure a second term while a divided opposition is aiming to end his five years in power.

Prominent candidates in the fray in the fourth phase include three Union Ministers: Babul Supriyo (West Bengal), Giriraj Singh (Bihar) and SS Ahluwalia

(also West Bengal). Giriraj Singh, for whom Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar campaigned, is pitted against former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar of the CPI in Begusarai. Kanhaiya Kumar’s candidature has vir-tually overshadowed the RJD contestant in the seat.

Moon Moon Sen of the Tri-namool Congress has taken on

Supriyo, Urmila Matondkar is contesting from Mumbai North and Baijyant Panda of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kend-rapara in Odisha are among the key candidates today.

The next three rounds of the Lok Sabha battle will conclude on May 19 and the vote count across the country will be taken up on May 23.

Electoral staff members dispatch Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) at a distribution centre in Ajmer yesterday ahead of the fourth phase of polling in India’s general election.

BJP picks Parrikar’s aide over son for Panaji bypoll IANS PANAJI

The BJP yesterday nominated late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s aide Sidharth Kuncalienkar as its candidate for the Panaji assembly seat bypolls, ignoring the candidature of his son Utpal Parrikar.

Kuncalienkar’s nomination was approved after much delay by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Central Election Committee yes-terday, according to a statement issued by the committee’s sec-retary, JP Nadda.

Reacting to the decision, Utpal Parrikar said that one should not be disheartened by obstacles, and that he would do anything which his party directs him to do, which includes cam-

paigning for Kuncalienkar.Utpal Parrikar had been con-

sidered a front-runner for con-testing the May 19 bypoll and his name was expected to be announced on Friday, but a public announcement by former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar that he was also entering the contest, resulted in the party opting for Kuncalienkar - who has been elected Panaji MLA twice - instead.

A senior party official said that with the entry of Velingkar into the fray, the contest for the Panaji seat would be a difficult one, something which the party elders did not wish Utpal to face in his debut electoral stint.

Kuncalienkar, a close aide of Parrikar, was first elected MLA

in 2015 soon after Parrikar joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet as Defence Min-ister and resigned from the Panaji seat.

In the 2017 assembly election, Kuncalienkar was against elected MLA from Panaji, but had to resign after Parrikar returned to the state as Chief Minister and had to be elected to the state assembly again.

Kuncalienkar will face Atanasio Monserrate of the Con-gress, Valmiki Naik of the Aam Aadmi Party and Velingkar, who is contesting on a Goa Suraksha Manch ticket.

Utpal Parrikar said: “I was not expecting anything. Whatever party decides I am ready to do. If party says I should

sit at home, I will do. They said you should work for the party, so I campaigned (for Lok Sabha polls).”

He also said that his father had also faced obstacles when he started out his journey in pol-itics. “Obstacles will keep coming. But one should not be disheartened,” he said.

The Congress, however, said that the denial of a ticket to Utpal Parrikar meant that the BJP’s attempts to gain sympathy from Parrikar’s legacy had failed.

“The denail of a ticket to Utpal is a clear indication that the use of late CM Parrikar’s legacy to garner sympathy for the LS and bypolls has had no effect,” party spokesperson Trajano D’Mello said.

Sri Lanka willreturn to normalcy,assures PremierAGENCIES COLOMBO

Sri Lankan forces have killed or arrested most of the radical Islamists linked to the Easter suicide bombings and the country is ready to return to normality, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

But the Prime Minister said the government had planned tougher laws to deal with Islamist extremists and that foreign clerics teaching in Sri Lanka illegally will be expelled.

The Easter Sunday bombings that left 253 dead were carried out by a “small, but a well organised group,” Wickremes-inghe said in a statement.

“Most of them have been arrested. Some have died,” he said. “Now we are able to return to normality.” “We should all now help restore the normal life of the community.” Three churches and three hotels were targeted by suicide bombers in the attacks in which at least 40 foreigners died.

More than 100 people have been detained since the attacks. Authorities have said there are about 140 followers of the Islamic State group in the country.

Wickremesinghe confirmed that a number of would-be suicide bombers had taken their lives when confronted by security forces on Friday night in the east of the country.

Fifteen people died in a clash with security forces when three suicide bombers blew them-selves up at a militant safe house on Friday night.

“Jihad terrorism should be ended immediately. For that we will bring new and tougher laws,” the Prime Minister said.

“There are several foreigners working as teachers in our country without work visas. In consultation with the Muslim religious affairs ministry and the Home Ministry, we will expel them from the country,” he added.

Wickremesinghe did not give a number nor the nationalities of the clerics.

The Prime Minister also thanked the minority Muslim community for tipping off authorities about radical groups.

The government on Saturday used emergency laws to ban the extremist National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), which was accused of carrying out the Easter attacks.

Sri Lankan police yesterday raided the NTJ headquarters as Sunday mass was cancelled due to fears of further attacks.

Armed police in the town of Kattankudy searched the NTJ headquarters and detained one man at the premises. Police did not comment.

On Saturday the government banned the NTJ under new emergency laws. The authorities believe Zahran Hashim, the

founder of NTJ, masterminded and was one of the nine suicide bombers in the attacks. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Police suspect the bombings were carried out by two local groups, including the one estab-lished by Zahran. Around 10,000 soldiers have been deployed around the island as the author-ities hunt for more suspects.

Police sources said on Sunday that Zahran’s father and two brothers had been killed two days earlier in a gun battle with security forces. Police believe that Zahran led the NTJ - or a splinter faction - to mount the attacks in Colombo as well as on a church in Batticaloa in the east. The authorities have named the other group suspected of involvement as Jammiyathul Mil-lathu Ibrahim.

A boy lights candles during a vigil in memory of the victims in Colombo, yesterday, a week after a series of bomb blasts targeted churches and hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.

IS claims responsibilityfor attacks in KalmunaiAFP COLOMBO

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for three men who blew themselves up in clashes with Sri Lankan police, the militant group said in a statement.

The men set off explosives after an hour-long gun battle with police on Saturday, inside what was believed to be a mil-itant hideout near the eastern town of Kalmunai, in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks.

In a statement posted on Saturday by the IS propaganda unit the Amaq News Agency, IS

said the three men were part of the Islamic State group and detonated their bombs after the fight with police.

The statement said the men “clashed with them (Sri Lankan police) with auto-matic weapons, and after exhausting their ammunition, detonated on them their explosive belts.” Fifteen people died in the clashes, police said, including three women and six children.

Security forces armed with emergency powers have stepped up search operations for extremists since the bombings.

Militants involved in Srinagar attack arrested: PoliceIANS SRINAGAR

All three militants involved in the attack on a police post in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Friday have been arrested, police said yesterday.

Srinagar’s Senior Superin-tendent of Police Haseeb Mughal told a media conference that all three militants who attacked Chanapora police post were arrested within 30 hours of the incident.

“ W e i m m e d i a t e l y strengthened our intelligence grid and based on the intelli-gence gathered, we have suc-ceeded in arresting all the three militants involved in the unsuc-cessful weapon-snatching attempt at Chanapora police post,” he said.

Narrating the sequence of events, Mughal said that the three militants, identified as Junaid, Mushtaq and Lateef, came to the police post on a motorcycle on Friday evening, but parked the vehicle some distance away.

“Junaid went into the police post on the pretext of finding out the status of his passport verification. He came back and told his accomplices that the constable on guard duty did not seem to have any back up.

“After this, Mushtaq entered the police post and fired with his pistol at the constable who was injured but retaliated. The weapon snatching attempt did not succeed because the service rifle of the injured constable was tied to his belt through a chain. “Other policemen inside the post also fired forcing the militants to flee.” The SSP said the weapon-snatching attempt had been masterminded by Waseem, an active militant in Pulwama district.

He said a Chinese pistol, two magazines and six live rounds of ammunition were recovered from the arrested persons in addition to the motorcycle they used.

Based on the disclosures made by the arrested militants, further arrests are likely in this incident, he said.

3 Rohingya men sentenced to 10 years in jail AFP DHAKA

A Bangladesh court yesterday sentenced three Rohingya extremists of a now defunct militant group to 10 years in jail for possessing bomb-making materials, a prosecutor said.

The trio were arrested in 2014 in Dhaka with materials to be used for making impro-vised explosive devices (IEDs), said Salahuddin Howlader, a Dhaka prosecutor.

They were found guilty and sentenced immediately under the country’s explosives laws, the prosecutor said, adding one of them was sentenced in absentia as he was on the run.

“They were involved with several international militant outfits including the RSO,” he said, referring to the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation, a small militant group that was active in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in the 1980s and 1990s.

After the end of the fourth round of polling, over 61 crore of the electorate would have taken part in the democratic exercise, the largest in the world.

NIA raids three places in Kerala, one detainedIANS THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) yesterday raided three places in Kerala in connection with an Islamic State module, with police in the state saying that one suspect had been detained.

The NIA said it was inves-tigating an Islamic State module. A senior NIA official in New Delhi said: “The agency carried out raids at the resi-dential premises of three sus-pects - two places in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad.”

The official said the raids were carried out after the agency got a tip that the three persons are suspected to have links with some of the accused who had earlier exited India to join the Islamic State.

In Thiruvananthapuram, a Kerala police official told IANS that the NIA had taken one person from Palakkad district, which borders Tamil Nadu, into custody for further questioning.

NIA officials in Kasaragod also served notice to two people, identified only as Abu-backer and Ahamed, to report at the Kochi NIA office today.

12 MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019ASIA

Pakistan, Chinareaffirm strongstrategic tiesINTERNEWS BEIJING

Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing yesterday. The two leaders were accom-panied by ministers and senior-level delegations from their respective governments.

Reaffirming ‘All-weather strategic cooperative part-nership’ between Pakistan and China, the two leaders exchanged views on the entire gamut of bilateral relations in a warm and cordial atmosphere.

They affirmed the resolve to further strengthen their strategic cooperative partnership in all fields including political, security, economic and trade, a n d p e o p l e - t o - p e o p l e exchanges.

Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked President Xi for the warm and gracious welcome accorded to him in China and for China’s steadfast support to Pakistan on all issues. The Prime Minister also reaffirmed Paki-stan’s support to China on all issues of its core interest.

Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated President Xi on the successful convening of the

2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF), which is a practical manifes-tation of his far-reaching vision, and highlighted its significance as an important international platform for connectivity and sharing of experience among the BRI participating countries.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s unflinching commitment to China-Pakistan Economic Cor-ridor (CPEC), the Premier high-lighted CPEC’s next phase and its extension into new areas of agriculture, industrial devel-opment, and socio-economic uplift with livelihood projects.

President Xi Jinping reit-erated China’s unwavering support to Pakistan’s sover-eignty and territorial integrity and appreciated the govern-ment’s agenda for socio-eco-

nomic development and people-centered progress.

He affirmed that China-Pakistan ties would continue to acquire greater strength and deepen practical cooperation in the time to come.

The two sides also exchanged views on the regional situation, including in Afghan-istan and South Asia.

President Xi further expressed China’s appreciation for Pakistan’s sustained and successful efforts in the fight against terrorism and to create a peaceful neighbourhood.

Both sides expressed satis-faction over the close cooper-ation between the two countries at multilateral fora and resolved to further deepen communi-cation and coordination at all levels.

They also agreed to keep the momentum of high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Pakistan and China also signed the key ‘ML-1’ railways agreement yesterday.

The document was signed by Prime Minister Imran and his Chinese counterpart Li

Keqiang in Beijing.In a statement, Railways

Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed called it a great day in the history of Pakistan Railways.

“Under the project, a double track from Peshawar to Karachi will be laid,” Rashid said, adding that the speed of train on the new track will be 160km per hour.

Imran is leading a dele-gation to Beijing as part of his four-day tour to attend the second Belt and Road Forum on the invitation of the Chinese President.

Parliamentary panel on national security set upINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan Asad Qasir yesterday formed a Parlia-mentary Committee on National Security to monitor the process of transition from military courts to civil courts through the criminal justice system reforms and deal with other important matters.

The parliamentary body, under the chairmanship of Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, was constituted in pursuance of the motion adopted by the National Assembly and the Senate in their sittings held on 21st Feb-ruary and 1st March 2019, respectively.

This committee comprises leaders of parliamentary parties in the National Assembly and the Senate. The committee, according to the composition and terms of reference of the committee, will monitor the process of transition from mil-itary courts to civil courts through criminal justice system reforms. The committee will discuss issues relating to national security of urgent nature. It will periodically review, monitor and oversee implementation of the National Action Plan with a view to ensuring its expeditious imple-mentation. The committee will present periodical reports to both Houses of the parliament.

Besides the Speaker of the National Assembly, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Parlia-mentary Affairs Senator Azam Khan Swati, Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and several other law-makers are also part of the committee.

Opposition likely to boycott briefing on NAPINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The opposition parties in Pakistan may stick to their previous decision of boycotting a briefing on the National Action Plan (NAP) as the government announces its fresh move to hold it on May 2.

Members of the major oppo-sition parties said they had boy-cotted the previous meeting scheduled on March 28 taking a principled position that such a briefing should be given on the floor of the house and that they were unwilling to change their declared stance.

Saying that so far the gov-ernment has not formally con-tacted them on its fresh plan to hold the briefing on May 2, the opposition members said it was unlikely that they would change

their stance.Foreign Minister Shah

Mehmood Qureshi, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, had written letters to the parliamentary leaders last month, inviting them to a briefing session on NAP on March 28.

However, the government had to cancel the meeting at the last moment when the oppo-sition members refused to par-ticipate in it.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, however, after consulting other opposition parties had made it clear through a letter to Qureshi that a briefing was acceptable only if it was given by the Prime Minister himself on the floor of the parliament.

Before Sharif’s letter, Jamiat

Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had already announced that his party would boycott the briefing as his party had previously rejected NAP.

Newly-appointed federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Swati, however, on Thursday informed the Senate that the government would brief the parliamentary leaders on the implementation of NAP on May 2. When contacted, Opposition Leader in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq said the Minister though had announced the new date for the briefing on the floor of the house, no one from the government had so far contacted them on the issue.

Similarly, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar

said that he was not in the loop as the announcement had come from the Senate.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the decision to boycott the briefing had been unanimously taken jointly by all the parties. She said the oppo-sition still wanted the briefing inside the parliament and by the Prime Minister himself.

After the announcement by Swati about the government’s fresh move to hold the briefing, PPP stalwart Mian Raza Rabbani, who had previously rejected the idea of a briefing on NAP as insufficient and an attempt to create an elite group within the parliament, once again opposed the move and observed that a joint sitting of parliament should be convened for a briefing on NAP.

Floods displace thousands in Indonesia, at least 10 deadAFP JAKARTA

At least 10 people are dead and eight are missing after days of heavy rain-triggered floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, authorities said yesterday.

Some 12,000 people have been evacuated while hundreds of buildings, bridges and roads have been damaged by the severe weather which affected nine districts or towns across Bengkulu province, officials said.

The waters have receded in some places but officials warned the full extent of the damage was not yet known and some areas were still cut off.

“The impact of this disaster may increase,” National Disaster Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, adding that several people were also injured in the flooding.

“Landslides and floods could happen again if rainfall is high,” he said.

A “secondary disaster” in the form of skin diseases and acute respiratory infection due to poor hygiene and a lack of clean water was possible, he added.

Aerial images showed swollen rivers that had burst their banks and inundated set-tlements in some parts of the province.

Public kitchens and evacu-ation shelters have been set up to cater to some 13,000 people affected by the flooding, while search and rescue teams try to reach hard-hit areas with rubber boats.

“The distribution of aid has been hampered because road access has been cut off by the floods and landslides,” Nugroho said, adding excavators were being used to clear debris from roads.

8 Afghan policemen dead in Taliban attackANATOLIA KABUL

A Taliban attack on police station yesterday killed eight police offi-cials and left five others wounded in western Ghor province of Afghanistan, according to local officials.

Speaking to the press,

Habibuhlah Radmanish, the Deputy Governor of Ghor province said eight police per-sonnel were killed and five others wounded during an attack on police station in Band-e Bayan district of Ghor. Rad-manish added that Taliban mil-itants captured the police station for a while and a number of

militants were killed following the attack. Five wounded police received a treatment at hospital, according to the head doctor of Ghor Hospital. There was no immediate claim of responsi-bility for the attack from Taliban. Dozens of police and military personnel have died in militant attacks in recent months.

China’s President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, yesterday.

Over 270 officials die from overwork-related illnesses in Indonesia electionsREUTERS JAKARTA

Ten days after Indonesia held the world’s biggest single-day elections, more than 270 election staff have died, mostly of fatigue-related illnesses caused by long hours of work counting millions of ballot papers by hand, an official said yesterday.

The April 17 elections were the first time the country of 260 million people combined the presidential vote with national and regional parliamentary ones, with an aim to cut costs.

Voting was largely peaceful and was estimated to have drawn 80 percent of the total 193 million voters, who each had to punch up to five ballot papers in over 800,000 polling stations. But conducting the eight-hour vote in a country that stretches more than 5,000km from its western to eastern tips proved to be both a Herculean logistical feat and deadly for officials, who had to count ballot papers by hand.

As of Saturday night, 272 election officials had died, mostly from overwork-related illnesses, while 1,878 others had

fallen ill, said Arief Priyo Susanto, spokesman of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The Health Ministry issued a circular letter on April 23 urging health facilities to give utmost care for sick election staff, while the Finance Ministry is working on compensation for families of the deceased, Susanto added. The KPU has come under fire due to the rising death toll.

“The KPU is not prudent in managing the workload of staff,” said Ahmad Muzani, deputy chairman of the campaign of opposition presidential can-didate Prabowo Subianto, reported by news website Kumparan.com.

Both Prabowo and the incumbent President Joko Widodo have declared victory, though quick counts suggested Widodo won the election by around 9-10 percentage points.

The KPU will conclude vote counting and announce winners of the presidential and parlia-mentary elections on May 22.

Prabowo had alleged wide-spread cheating in favour of Widodo. Widodo’s ecurity min-ister said the allegations were baseless.

An aerial view of submerged buildings after heavy rain caused flooding in Bengkulu on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

President Xi Jinping expressed China’s appreciation for Pakistan’s sustained and successful efforts in the fight against terrorism and to create a peaceful neighbourhood.

Paraglider dead after flying into cliff near SydneyAFP SYDNEY

Australian police were yesterday trying to recover the body of a paraglider who crashed into a cliff face south of Sydney and fell to his death.

Police said that on Saturday afternoon they were called out to “a popular paragliding location, following reports a glider had crashed into the side of the cliff.” The man, who has not yet been formally identified, hit the cliff and dropped almost 200 metres (650 feet) down the sheer face. Police said the recovery effort on Saturday was hampered by the difficult terrain and “due to poor light,” and renewed efforts to recover the man’s body were underway.

The incident took place near Bald Hill, a short drive from Sydney.

13MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019 EUROPE

No clear majority in Spain’s election AGENCIES MADRID

Neither the rightist or the leftist political bloc in Spain was holding a clear majority in yesterday’s national election, according to a tally of results from the interior ministry with 80 percent of votes counted.

By party, the Socialists of Spain’s outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez led with 123 seats in the 350-seat parliament while centre-right Ciudadanos would have 57 seats.

There was speculation before the election about a possible coa-lition between them though both parties’ leaders have ruled it out. The preliminary data would give them a potential parliamentary majority. The right-wing main-stream conservative PP party was pegged at 65 seats, far-left Unidas Podemos at 42 and far-right Vox at 24.

Spain voted yesterday in an uncertain snap general election marked by a resurgence of the far-right after more than four decades on the outer margins of politics. By far the novelty of these elections is the emergence of far-right party Vox, which burst onto the scene in December regional polls in southern

Andalusia and looks set to make its first-ever entrance into the national parliament.

“What I ask Spaniards is to send a clear majority that can provide stability,” Sanchez said after he cast his ballot at a cul-tural centre in an affluent Madrid suburb shortly after polling sta-tions opened at 9am. Polling sta-tions will close at 8pm local time. Sanchez, who took power in June after ousting conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy in a no-confidence vote, has warned against Spain replicating what happened in Finland’s elections two weeks ago.

There, the far-right Finns Party came second, closely tailing the leftist Social Demo-crats, after polls initially pre-dicted it would end up in fifth position. In Spain, polls also forecast that Vox, with its ultra-nationalist rhetoric that advo-cates the “defence of the Spanish nation to the end,” will come in fifth place. But analysts believe it could do better, saying there

may be many “hidden” Vox sup-porters who lie when asked by pollsters who they will be voting for. “There is a real, true risk,” Sanchez said this week, warning that a right-wing government supported by Vox could emerge in Spain after the elections, even if opinion polls say this is unlikely. Founded by a former member of the conservative Popular Party (PP), with a strong stance against feminism and illegal immigration, Vox has risen thanks to its hard line against separatists in Catalonia.

The region in northeastern Spain was the scene of a secession attempt in 2017 that sparked the country’s biggest crisis in decades and caused major concern in Europe.

Since then, the crisis has con-tinued to cast a pall over Spanish politics.

Sanchez was forced to call yesterday’s early elections after Catalan pro-independence law-makers in the national par-liament, angered at the trial of

their leaders in Madrid, refused to give him the support he needed for his 2019 budget.

Right-wing parties have for their part lambasted Sanchez, at the head of a minority gov-ernment, for his attempts to negotiate with Catalan separa-tists who still govern the region, accusing him of being a traitor.

With no party expected to get

anywhere near an absolute majority in what will be the third elections in three-and-a-half years, Spain’s fragmented political landscape looks set to continue. He would rather not have to do that, given right-wing parties’ accusations that he cosied up with the “enemies of Spain” during his time in government.

A possible alliance with Ciu-dadanos has not been ruled out, even if the centre-right party’s leader Albert Rivera has made “chasing” the socialists from power a “national urgency.” Rivera said after casting his vote in a town near Barcelona that a high turnout was needed to “usher in a new era” and change the government.

The leader of Vox party, Santiago Abascal, casts his ballot during the Spanish General Elections at Pinar del Rey School, in Madrid yesterday.

Ukraine President-elect offers passports to RussiansAFP KIEV

The President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed an offer by Vladimir Putin to provide pass-ports to Ukrainians, and pledged instead to grant citizenship to Russians who “suffer” under the Kremlin’s rule.

The Russian president on Saturday said Moscow was con-sidering plans to make it easier for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship, after it

earlier moved to grant passports in the country’s separatist east.

Kiev has been fighting Moscow-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine since 2014 in a war that has killed 13,000.

Zelensky, a comedian who won Ukraine’s presidential election last week.

“We know perfectly well what a Russian passport pro-vides,” he said, listing “the right to be arrested for a peaceful protest” and “the right not to have free and competitive

elections.” He pledged instead to “give citizenship to representa-tives of all nations that suffer from authoritarian and corrupt regimes.

“But first and foremost to the Russian people who suffer most of all”. He said that one of the dif-ferences between Ukraine and Russia is that “we Ukrainians have freedom of speech, freedom of the media and the Internet in our country.” A political novice, Zelensky has pledged to “reboot” peace talks with the separatists

that also involve Russia and the West.

Putin has not congratulated Zelensky on his election, but said he is ready to talk with a new Ukrainian leadership and wants to “understand” the actor’s position on the conflict.

In his Facebook post, Zel-ensky warned Russia not to talk with Ukraine “in the language of threats or military or economic pressure.” He previously called for more international sanctions against Moscow in response to

Russia providing citizenship to residents of Ukraine’s separatist east.

The EU also condemned Moscow’s passport scheme, calling it a fresh assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and saying Russia sought to “destabilise” Ukraine after its presidential election. Putin’s decree last week allows people living in Ukraine’s unrecognised Donetsk and Lugansk breakaway republics to receive a Russian passport within three months of applying for one.

Police forensics officers, rescuers and divers retrieve a suitcase, which police say contains a female body, during an investigation for possible bodies of victims of a suspected serial killer in Kokkinopezoula Lake, also known as “red lake”, near the village of Mitsero, Cyprus, yesterday.

Cyprus finds another victim of suspected serial killerREUTERS NICOSIA

Police in Cyprus found human remains yesterday in an ongoing investigation into a suspected serial killer thought to have gone on a killing spree that claimed seven victims and went unde-tected for almost three years.

Police say the suspect, a career officer in the Cypriot army, has confessed to killing five adult women and the six- and eight-year-old daughters of two of his victims. He connected with the women on an online dating site.

Three bodies have been found. Yesterday, a female body in a state of decomposition was found in a suitcase retrieved from a highly toxic lake close to an abandoned mine west of the

capital Nicosia, police sources said. Witnesses saw the suspect being taken to the lake by police on Saturday.

Investigations were con-tinuing on site with forensic pathologists present.

Tourists stumbled upon the first victim, discovered by chance in a disused mining shaft, two weeks ago.

A mother and daughter from Romania are thought to have disappeared in September 2016, and the last of his victims, from the Philippines, around August 2018.

The bodies of three women have been discovered in recent days. One has been identified as Marry Rose Tiburcio, 39, reported missing in May 2018.

The bodies of the other two victims are thought to belong to

a woman from the Philippines and a woman from Nepal, who went missing last year. Police have been accused of failing to investigate the disappearances properly when they were reported.

In response, police said a restrictive legal framework hampers the ability of author-ities to check things such as phone records without a specific court order, issued only on the grounds that a criminal offence punishable by more than five years in prison is suspected.

Tiburcio, the first victim dis-covered, was found on April 14. Her six-year-old daughter Sierra is missing. Almost a week later a second victim was found in the same mine shaft, and on April 25 a third at a firing range some 15km away.

4 German skiers die in avalanche in SwitzerlandAP BERLIN

Swiss police say four German skiers have been killed by an avalanche in southern Swit-zerland. Police in the canton (region) of Valais said yesterday the group was buried by the avalanche on Friday near the village of Fieschertal.

Planes and rescue per-sonnel started looking for the group after they were reported missing, but because of severe weather conditions, the bodies were only found and recovered Saturday afternoon. Police said the victims have not yet been formally identified.

SAS cancels 1,200 more flightsas pilot strike enters third dayREUTERS STOCKHOLM

Scandinavian airline SAS cancelled more than 1,200 flights scheduled for today and tomorrow as a pilot strike that has disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers entered its third day yesterday.

SAS pilots went out on strike on Friday as wage talks broke down, grounding around 70 percent of the airline’s flights and impacting about 280,000 passengers including the latest cancellations. “We deeply regret that our customers are affected by the ongoing pilot strike when SAS now cancels flights,” the airline said in a statement.

“The strike will affect an additional 61,000 passengers today when 667 flights are can-celled across Scandinavia. Tomorrow 49,000 passengers and 546 departures will be affected.” The deadlock in the dispute showed no sign of being broken with both SAS, Swedish

and Danish pilots unions and Norway’s employers association NHO saying no renewed con-tacts between the parties had been initiated.

The carrier created after World War 2, which remains part-owned by the Swedish and Danish governments, has said it was prepared to return to nego-tiations but warned that agreeing to pilots’ demands would seriously damage the company. The airline industry’s employer body in Sweden has said pilots sought a 13 percent wage hike despite what it called already high average wages of $9,777 a month, demands it labelled as “extreme”.

The SAS Pilot Group, a union body representing 95 percent of the airline’s pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, has said the dispute concerns more than wages, pointing to demands for more predictable working hours.

Having flirted with bank-ruptcy in 2012, SAS has run a net profit in each of the last four years.

German neo-Nazi party loses bid to air anti-migrant advertAFP BERLIN

A German neo-Nazi party has lost a bid before the country’s highest court to force a national public broadcaster to show one of its campaign adverts.

The Federal Constitutional Court upheld rulings by two lower tribunals that the free-speech rights of the National Party of Germany (NPD) had not been violated.

ZDF public television had opted not to show the NPD com-mercial for next month’s

European elections, which claimed that “migration kills” and called for “protection zones” for Germans.

The broadcaster had decided that the advert amounted to incitement of racial hatred, a crime in Germany. The NPD dis-puted this claim in a Facebook post on Thursday.

ZDF’s assessment had been backed by the superior admin-istrative court in Rhineland-Palatinate state as well as the administrative court in Mainz, where ZDF is based.

The Constitutional Court said

in a statement that it had rejected the NPD’s appeal as there were “no grounds to think that the courts failed to uphold the plaintiff’s freedom of speech”.

Fellow public broadcaster ARD has also refused to show the commercial, which was due to run from April 29 to May 15. It said it was unaware of any legal challenge to the decision by the NPD. The NPD has seats in many town halls in the ex-communist east of the country but has neg-ligible poll ratings at the national level.

UK Labour Party to force climate emergency voteAFP LONDON

Britain’s opposition Labour Party is expected to force a vote this week to declare a national climate change emergency following the 11-day protests that gridlocked parts of central London.

“On Wednesday, the UK Parliament will have the chance to be the first in the world to declare an environment and climate emergency, which we hope will trigger a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the world,” Corbyn said.

He will demand that the country takes action to help avoid more than 1.5 degrees centigrade of warming.

By party, the Socialists of Spain’s outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez led with 123 seats in the 350-seat parliament while centre-right Ciudadanos would have 57 seats.

14 MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019AMERICAS

US shooting renews debate on hate crimes, political responseAFP WASHINGTON

The latest shooting at a US syna-gogue heightened the sense of alarm yesterday of a rise in anti-Semitism, despite President Donald Trump avowal to overcome the “evil” of hatred.

A 60-year-old woman, Lori Kaye, was killed and three people were wounded when a gunman burst into the synagogue in the southern Californian town of Poway on Saturday and opened fire on the final day of Passover. Police identified the shooter as John Earnest, 19, who had posted angry anti-Jewish remarks online just before the shooting.

Coming exactly six months after a white supremacist shot dead 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue, Saturday’s shooting raised new questions about a

nationwide rise in anti-Semitism and in hate crimes generally -- and about the president’s often controversial response to them.

Ahead of the funeral for Kaye, one of her oldest friends said her killing would not have been in vain if it served as a wake-up call.

“She didn’t die a senseless death,” Roneet Lev told CNN.

“She died advertising the problem we have with anti-Semitism and to bring good to this world.” Trump on Saturday offered his sympathies to the victims, saying during a rally in Wisconsin: “Our entire nation mourns the loss of life, prays for the wounded, and stands in sol-idarity with the Jewish com-munity. We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated.” - An ‘atrocious’ act - Other White House officials underlined those

words on Sunday, with National Security Advisor John Bolton telling Fox News that the attack was “atrocious and utterly inex-cusable.” But the shooting came only days after former US vice president Joe Biden, in announcing his plan to seek the presidency in 2020, highlighted Trump’s 2017 remarks about the neo-Nazi march in Charlottes-ville, Virginia that left a counter-protester dead.

Videos showed some torch-bearing neo-Nazi protesters chanting “Jews will not replace us” as they marched in Charlottesville.

But Trump said then that “there were very fine people on both sides” of the protest which was against the removal of a Confederate-era statue.

And after Biden on Thursday brought up those words in announcing his candidacy,

Trump doubled down, saying he had phrased his 2017 remarks “perfectly.” Human rights groups say recent years have seen the biggest rise in anti-Semitic inci-dents in decades.

Some critics say Trump’s often sharp and racially divisive rhetoric has played a part.

The president has a compli-cated history. He has forged an exceptionally close relationship to Israel and its current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. And Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner are Jewish. But critics blame him for stoking racial hatreds and division while making remarks, including criticism of Muslims and Latin migrants, that some white nationalists have taken as comforting or confirming their position.

A day before the latest attack, a California man deliberately

drove into a crowd of people in the town of Sunnyvale, injuring eight. He said he did so because he thought the pedestrians were Muslim, according to police.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles said in a statement that the latest shooting was “a horrific reminder that the flames of hatred still burn strong among some.” “An attack, on any house of worship, from churches in Sri Lanka and France to syn-agogues in Jerusalem or Pitts-burgh to mosques in Christchurch, are an assault on human dignity and our rights as people of faith to pray to God,” it added.

Two Israelis were among the wounded in the latest attack, an official said yesterday. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said an eight-year-old girl and her 31-year-old uncle were origi-nally from Sderot, a town

bordering the Gaza Strip. Both were said to be in good condition.

Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the shooting as “atrocious,” adding in a statement that “the international community must step up the struggle against anti-Semitism.” US Vice President Mike Pence joined in the denunciations, tweeting on Saturday that “anti-Semitism isn’t just wrong — it’s evil.” But he went on to tweak a favorite Trump target, the New York Times, which printed a cartoon in its international edition Thursday showing a blind Trump wearing a Jewish skullcap and being led by a guide dog with Netanyahu’s face.

“We stand with Israel and we condemn anti-Semitism in ALL its forms,” Pence tweeted, “including @nytimes political cartoons.”

Richard Lugar, US foreign policy luminary, dies at 87AFP WASHINGTON

Senator Richard Lugar, a leading US voice on foreign policy for decades and a onetime presi-dential candidate known for his civility and bipartisan ways, has died at a medical centre in Falls Church, Virginia. He was 87.

Lugar died of chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy, according to a statement from the Lugar Center in Washington, a global policy institute which he founded in 2013.

A soft-spoken Republican moderate, Lugar was twice chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and built a reputation as one of Washing-ton’s most influential foreign-policy voices during the record six terms he represented Indiana in the Senate.

That reputation was bur-nished by his willingness to work across party lines, most famously when he joined Dem-ocratic senator Sam Nunn in 1991 to forge what became known as the Nunn-Lugar program to help former Soviet republics dismantle their nuclear arsenals.

“America has lost a true statesman in Dick Lugar,” tweeted Pete Buttigieg, another Indiana native and current

Democratic presidential aspirant. “A great mayor, senator and mentor, he made the world safer, stood up for better foreign policy, and knew how to work across the aisle.” Buttigieg, who at 37 is mayor of the Indiana city of South Bend, is in a way following in the foot-steps of Lugar, who became mayor of state capital Indiana-polis at 35.

Former President Barack Obama awarded Lugar the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 for his “decency (and) his commitment to bipartisan problem-solving.”

Lugar was a leader in pressing South Africa to end apartheid, and earlier in the campaign to oust the authori-tarian Filipino president Fer-dinand Marcos — having to overcome opposition from Pres-ident Ronald Reagan on both issues.

Lugar sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1996, saying he wanted to see whether “serious talk” on the issues could prevail over “sound bites.”

But the bookish Lugar — as a Rhodes scholar he earned an honors degree from Oxford in 1954 — wryly acknowledged that charisma was hardly his strong suit and he ultimately withdrew from the 1996 race.

Guaido cancels rally in Venezuelan cityREUTERS CARACAS

The leader of Venezuela’s oppo-sition-controlled National Assembly, Juan Guaido, cancelled a rally scheduled to be held in the country’s fourth-largest city yesterday and said the “dictatorship” had prevented him from entering.

Guaido has travelled outside the capital, Caracas, more and more in recent weeks to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to step down. In January, he invoked the

constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing Maduro’s 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

While he has previously reported delays in arriving to cities in the country’s interior due to roadblocks by the armed forces and Maduro supporters, Sunday’s cancellation of the event in the western city of B a r q u i s i m e t o w a s unprecedented.

Protests are planned for Wednesday, May 1, including what Guaido has said will be “the

largest march in Venezuela’s history”, part of what he calls the “definitive phase” of his effort to take office in order to call fresh elections.

“Today we had a meeting planned, were going to embrace the streets of Lara that filled from end to end,” Guaido said in a voice recording sent by his press team, referring to Lara state, home to Barquisimeto. He said he would reschedule the event for next weekend, and called on supporters to rally on Wednesday.

Central American migrants climb on a train known as “The Beast”, continuing their journey towards the United States, in Ixtepec, Mexico, yesterday.

Migrant journey

US military spending up for first time in 7 years: SipriAFP STOCKHOLM

US military spending has risen for the first time in seven years, reflecting Trump adminis-tration policy, according to a new report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Worldwide military spending also rose by 2.6 percent to $1.8 trillion overall last year, SIPRI calculated.

It was the second year running the global figure has risen, bringing military spending to its highest level since 1988. “The increase in US spending was driven by the implementation from 2017 of new arms procurement pro-grammes under the Trump administration,” said Aude Fleurant, Director of SIPRI’s Arms and Military Expenditure (AMEX) programme.

The US figure alone of $649 billion was as much as the next eight highest military budgets.

But Chinese as well as US spending helped push the overall spending figures for the year higher, said the report.

China’s spending has risen 83 percent since 2009, bringing it up to second place, ahead of Saudi Arabia, India — which is modernising its armed forces — and France.

A-G balks at closed-door testimony on Mueller report REUTERS WASHINGTON

The US Attorney-General William Barr (pictured) objects to testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in a closed session dedicated to redacted portions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report, a congressional Democratic aide said on Sunday.

Barr is threatening to skip his planned appearance on Thursday, the aide said on con-dition of anonymity.

The committee’s chairman, Democrat Jerrold Nadler, has proposed that Barr’s public tes-timony be followed by a second round of questioning, where sensitive matters would be dis-cussed behind closed doors and include committee staff lawyers, a House Democratic aide told Reuters.

Barr opposes both stipula-tions, according to the aide.

The attorney general is also scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immedi-ately return calls for comment.

The attorney general, a

Trump appointee, released a redacted version on April 18 of Mueller’s report on the 22-month investigation into Russian inter-ference in the 2016 presidential race. The report https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-TRUMP-RUSSIA/010091HX27V/report.pdf detailed a series of actions by Trump to impede the probe, but did not make a conclusion

on whether those actions con-stituted the crime of obstruction. It also concluded that Trump and his campaign had not engaged in criminal conspiracy with Moscow.

Nadler has subpoenaed the Justice Department for the full report.

The House of Representa-tives panel’s Republicans sided with Barr, saying Democrats’ demands were unreasonable. “Democrats have yet to prove their demands anything but abusive and illogical in light of the transparency and good faith the attorney general has shown our committee,” they said in a statement.

The Democratic aide said there was precedent for com-mittee staff to question Cabinet-level officials and Senate-con-firmed officials, citing political scandals including the Watergate break-in of the 1970s and the Iran-Contra scandal of 1987.

Barr is threatening to skip his planned appearance on Thursday, the aide said on condition of anonymity. The Attorney-General is also scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

The motorcade carrying US President Donald Trump passes through Sterling, Virginia, US, yesterday.

Trump wants solo talks with N KoreaAP WASHINGTON

The US has little interest in joining other countries in a multi-nation effort to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said yesterday.

The United States is not trying to exclude other nations from nuclear talks with Pyongyang, John Bolton told “Fox News Sunday,” but “I think it’s not what our preference is.” “I think Kim Jong Un, at least up until now, has wanted the

one-on-one contact with the United States, which is what he has gotten,” Bolton said, adding that Trump is open to possibility of a third summit with Kim.

Following their talks in Russia on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin suggested the revival of a multilateral approach to the denuclearization negotiations, which have failed in the past. Putin said Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multinational agreement.

The US, North Korea, China,

South Korea, Russia and Japan began so-called six-party nego-tiations in August 2003. North Korea accepted a deal in Sep-tember 2005 to end its nuclear weapons program in exchange for security, economic and energy benefits. But disagree-ments between Washington and Pyongyang over financial sanc-tions imposed on the North tem-porarily derailed the six-nation talks before North Korea con-ducted its first nuclear test in October 2006.

Bolton said Trump is still looking at the possibility of a third summit with Kim.


ITALY

Spotlight on Italian cultureRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

As a cultural superpower, Italy’s immense cultural and historical contri-bution to the world is

beyond measure. Since time immemorial, Italy has been gifting the world with various facets of its culture in a spec-tacular way.

In Qatar, Italy’s keenness in further bolstering cultural ties has been conspicuously demon-strated through implementation of a robust cultural programme which has effectively promoted cultural understanding among people.

“Here in Doha, the Embassy of Italy is implementing this year an intense cultural programme and we are ready to do more together with Qatari cultural institutions in the fields of arts, music, museums and cultural heritage protection, and to embrace the increased demand of Italian cultural presence in Qatar,” Italian Ambassador Pas-quale Salzano stressed in an earlier event.

Italy in Qatar share many things in common including the importance they attach to pre-serving culture for the coming generations.

“Both our countries are com-mitted to preserve, promote and make their respective cultural heritage as much accessible as possible in order to encourage the inclusive development and dialogue between communities and generations,” said Salzano.

Indeed, Qatar has relished the Italian cultural experience through a rich variety of events in recent months presented by the Italian embassy in collabo-ration with different institutions, from the “Italian Week”

celebrations to the “Italian Design Day” to its active partic-ipation in the Katara Dhow Fes-tival through “Casa Italia” to a number of exhibitions, film screenings and seminars, to mention a few.

It is a fact that art, fashion, music and food are the most iconic elements of Italian culture. At the most recent Italian cultural event held on Saturday at Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel, guests had a sampling of all these.

Focusing on the culturally rich and naturally beautiful island of Sardinia, the creative presentation given by Belti-mentas group utilised various formats to promote Sardinian identity and heritage through traditional clothing.

The show started with a the-atrical performance “The Dress of Memories”, which combines music and dialogue, highlighting the significance and meaning clothes in Sardinia take on in dif-ferent stages of life and occasions.

“The story is about the rela-tionship between a man and his wife during the First World War and the conversations that they have about the fact that he had been conscripted to go to fight in the war. They speak about the dress of the woman and the meaning that they attribute to those clothes as well as all the stories and the memories related to the clothes that they are wearing,” Alice Capitanio, script-writer and director, told local media prior to the performance.

The theatrical piece was fol-lowed by a fashion photography exhibition on ethno-anthropo-logic tradition representing clothing of various Sardinian communities.

“The photo exhibition

displays traditional Sardinian clothes that are worn by modern models, the purpose of which is to show and imagine how tradi-tional Sardinian clothes could be a piece of fashion today and could adapt to modern times,” said Cap-itanio, who is also the artistic director, of the entire show.

At the end of the presentation, the guests were able to try the tra-ditional Sardinian costumes and accessories as well as sample authentic Sardinian food including the famous “pecorino sardo” cheese.

Before coming to Doha, the brand new travelling show has already gone to Paris and Moscow last month.

“We had a very strong and positive response during our

exhibitions in Moscow and Paris because people really appreciated some of the key aspects of the culture of the island of Sardinia,” said Capitanio.

“In Sardinia, people used to wear traditional clothes that sig-nified individual conditions and personal occasions in their lives; for example there were clothes for grieving or clothes for mar-riage and people really appre-ciated that. They also appreciated the fact that nowadays dressing up is used as a vehicle to send a personal message,” she added.

Capitanio said Sardinia is well known in Europe and around the world as a tourist destination for its wonderful nature but its culture is not as well known though Sardinian

culture is a very strong and rooted one because as a people Sardinians have been isolated for much of history.

With Qatar’s big investments on the island, Sardinia has become specially relevant to Qatar which is one of the reasons for bringing the show to Doha, stressed Capitanio.

“Lately, Sardinians had the opportunity to learn a lot about Qatar, thanks to Qatar’s invest-ments many had read about Qatar in the news so they started becoming more curious about Qatari culture,” she said.

She believed that the exhi-bition was a very good and welcome opportunity for cultural exchange and enrichment as both cultures share common

traits such as strong familial culture.

Palma Libotte, Chairperson of the Italian Chamber of Com-merce, was of the same view on the similarity between Sardinian and Qatari traditions when it comes to their long maritime tra-dition and traditional weaving and costumes passed on from one generation to the next.

This was not the first time Sar-dinian costumes had been brought to Qatar. Several years back, Sar-dinian costumes were featured in an the Made in Italy exhibition organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Embassy. The costumes generated much interest among Qataris especially shawls which many Qatari ladies loved, said Libotte.

Guests look at some of the items on display at an exhibition featuring Sardinian costumes at Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel in Souq Waqif on Saturday. PICS: ABDUL BASIT / THE PENINSULA

The Dress of Memories presented as part of the touring exhibition on traditional Sardinian costumes held at Al Mirqab Hotel in Souq Waqif on Saturday. RIGHT: Traditional Sardinian costumes showcased at an exhibition at Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel.

Qatari investments spur tourism growth on Italian island of Sardinia RAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Since Qatar has invested in Sardinia, the famous Italian island destination has witnessed significant growth in tourism, Palma Libotte, Chairperson of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, has said.

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediter-ranean and a very popular holiday destination, thanks to its beautiful beaches and variety of ecosystems.

“The main asset of the island

is hospitality and tourism. In 2017, tourist arrivals crossed 14 million, composed of 50 percent Italians and 50 percent for-eigners,” Libotte pointed out.

In recent years, Qatar invested on the island mostly on Costa Smeralda, a coastal des-tination north of the island famous for jet set.

“The most exclusive location of Sardinia is Costa Smeralda and since Qatar has invested in it there has been a further growth of 5.2 percent for the summer season of 2019. The growth potential is enormous,”

stressed Libotte.She said for some years

now, Qatar had made significant investments on the island that remains the favorite destination of the international jet set.

“There have been invest-ments for more than 100 million euros. Some 120 million euros of investment are planned until 2023,” she said.

Qatar’s three major invest-ments in Sardinia are the pur-chase of facilities in Costa Smeralda, the purchase of the Sardinian airline Meridiana and the financing of the construction

of the Mater Olbia hospital, according to Libotte.

In 2017, Qatar Airways bought 49 percent of Meridiana, which then incorporated Air Italy, taking its name.

The company has been operating since 2018 from Olbia and Milan Malpensa, in addition to many code sharing agree-ments with other companies and Qatar Airways.

“The project for the end of the construction of the Mater Olbia hospital (a project which began years ago and left open) was presented in 2014 by

Sardinia Health and Research Properties, which is part of the Qatar Foundation Endowment. The hospital is an amazing modern facility and it will employ more than 600 people,” said Libotte.

She said that the Italian Chamber of Commerce offers touristic services in Italy to Qatari nationals from planning tailor made trips to facilitating their stay in Italy with the support of dedicated English, Italian and Arabic speaking staff to make the most of their Italian business or leisure experience.

Libotte was speaking to local media on the sidelines of a show presented by Belti-mentas Group on Saturday at Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel in Souq Waqif on Saturday.

The presentation, which was made in a creative format, pro-vides a new outlook towards Sardinian identity heritage linked to clothing and costumes.

It comprised theatre, fashion photography exhibition and guests trying on traditional Sardinian costumes and sam-pling authentic Sardinian food.

In Qatar, Italy’s keenness in further bolstering cultural ties has been conspicuously demonstrated through implementation of a robust cultural programme which has effectively promoted cultural understanding among people.

It is a fact that art, fashion, music and food are the most iconic elements of Italian culture. At the most recent Italian cultural event held on Saturday at Al Mirqab Boutique Hotel, guests had a sampling of all these.

THE PENINSULA DOHA

At a high-profile two-day event in Doha, Qatar University Mass Communication students, their instructors, QU officials, and

students’ family members participated in the presentations of Mass Communi-cation students’ Capstone projects.

The two-day event took place in QU campus at the Main Library Auditorium, and the College of Education Conference Hall on April 21 and April 22, 2019.

The Capstone presentation events started at 8:30am with an opening speech delivered by Dr. Kamal Hamidou, Chair of the Department of Mass Com-munication, College of Arts and Sci-ences, Qatar University; and in the presence of Dr. Abdulnasser Saleh Alyafei, Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences Associate; Muneera Al Subaiey, Assistant Dean for Students’ Affairs College of Arts and Sci-ences ; and Dr. Ibrahim Al Kaabi, Dean of General Studies.

The students’ presentations and the discussion panels continued through the day until 18pm. The Capstone projects presented throughout the two days were 41 projects in the three tracks of Print and Online Journalism, Strategic Com-munication (aka Public Relations) and Broadcast Journalism.

As many as 92 students, combined in groups of 2-4 in each group, pre-sented the project. It was 11 student vol-unteers, headed by Mass Communi-cation lecturer Hamda Al Muhannadi,

made the event a success, The first Capstone day started with

presentations of female broadcast stu-dents who screened 17 documentary

films and programmes. The second day was dedicated to female students’ projects on strategic communication, and print and online Journalism tracks, which were presented in the first half of the day, while male students from the three tracks presented their projects in the later half of the day.

The success of the two-day event proved the extent of the hard work put into organising and implementing this extremely important exhibition of Mass Communication senior students’ works.

Dr. Kamal Hamidou, Head of Mass Communication Department, College

of Arts and Sciences, Qatar UniversityThe Capstone projects of the Mass

Communication Department are an important milestone in our students’ career. They reflect the level of learning outcomes achieved in each class, after more than three years of academic achievements in various courses.

Especially as these projects are eval-uated by representatives from various institutions that are active in the labour market, and who evaluate our students’ work based on the professional require-ments and criteria needed in those labor markets. It is then an assessment for the overall performance of the Department and which enables us to look at the strengths so they can be enforced and the weaknesses so they can be rectified.

Capstone projects are of great sci-entific and moral importance to students and their families. It is the pre-gradu-ation step, which students are always keen to attend with their peers, friends, and relatives so that they can also proudly showcase their knowledge, skills and creative abilities in their respective disciplines: journalism, tel-evision, and public relations.

I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to all the media institutions who helped in sponsoring some of the amazing student Capstone projects, as well as actively participating in the Cap-stone Discussion Panels.

Dr. Fuad Abdulaziz Mohamed, Broadcast Journalism Lecturer, Chair of Capstone Organising Committee, Qatar University

This Semester’s Capstone presenta-tions event was a huge undertaking, but thanks to the efforts of the Capstone supervisors, our volunteers, and our stu-dents, it proved to be a success, once again.

Our new Department’s Head, Dr. Kamal Hamidou, was all the way sup-portive and understanding. The students work proved to be mature, technically sound, and creative and the audience was enthusiastic. The Discussion Panels were professional and straight to the point in their constructive criticism of the works.

All this resulted in one of the best

Capstone presentations that has been organised by our committee. I extend my thanks and salutes to all our talented students, their instructors, and their

families.Dr. Abdulnasser Saleh Alyafei,

Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences Associate

Great efforts have been made for Capstone presentations and there is also considerable attendance of students. Thanks to the distinguished professors who supervised the graduation projects in different media and disciplines. I would like to thank also the adminis-tration of the Media Department for the follow-up and supervision of the

projects which will benefit the future of our students and the outputs of our national university.

As well, I would like to thank our sons and daughters for the incredible scientific efforts. I also extend my appre-ciation to the institutions, in particular the media organizations for their efforts and fruitful cooperation to ensure the success and completion of works and research projects.

Muneera Al Subaiey, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, College of Arts and Science, Qatar University

It is not the first time I attended the graduation projects at the Media Department but this time I have found it different from the previous ones, in terms of great attendance and excel-lence of graduation projects. Thanks to our students and professors for this out-standing outcomes. I would like to extend my thanks also to the new administration of the department for the efforts it has put and time invested in these projects.

Prof. Dr Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk (Ph.D.), Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

The Mass Communication Department at the College of Arts and Sciences has organised an open session to discuss the graduation projects sub-mitted by the students of the department according to the three bachelor mass communication programs: (1) strategic communication, (2) radio and television; (3) print and electronic media.

The department held the session of this semester (spring) on April 21 and 22, and I was privileged to attend some of the outstanding presentations of the students, which highlighted their com-petence in fulfilling the requirements of scientific research related to the iden-tification of the problem of research, its objectives, questions, and then the problem was discussed in the form of questions and answers.

The results of the scientific researches and recommendations were made at the event.

In addition, the open discussion and the comments of the jury committees allowed the students to highlight their skills in oral presentation, visual pres-entation, discussion as well as listening to an opinion and opinion of the other.

The session was a unique academic activity which is needed to be developed as it serve to the education process in depth and helps educate technical skills to the students related to their scientific specializations and requirements of the job market. The College Management values such creative activities because they contribute to the development of stu-dents’ research skills and link their achievements and knowledge to the needs of the job market and Qatari society.


Qatar University Mass Communication students, their instructors, QU officials, and students’ family members during various sessions of the presentation.

Stunning graduation projects of future media persons reflect professionalism, commitment

Efficient follow-ups, guidance & supervision are characteristics of the new administration of Mass Communication Department

Schedule of Spring Term’s Capstone Presentations Days

Sunday (April 21, 2019) Broadcast, All Female –

New Library Auditorium 117

Projects: Fuad - 5, Chaker - 6, Fayez - 6;

Total - 17 projects

Total Time dedicated - 6hrs;

From 9:00am to 17:00pm

Monday (April, 22, 2019) Strategic Communication and Journalism,

All Female – College of Education Hall

Projects: Kirat - 2, Kamal - 2, Majdi - 3, Eiman -

3, Rana - 2; Total - 12 projects.


From 9:00am to 13pm.

Monday (April 22, 2019) All Tracks, All Male - College of Education Hall

Projects: Qalandar - 3, Moez - 3, Leon - 1, Aqsa -

5; Total - 12 projects


From 14pm to 18pm

Muneera Al Subaiey Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, College of Arts and

Science

Dr. Abdulnasser Saleh Alyafei

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of

Arts and Sciences

Prof. Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

The session was a unique academic

activity which is needed to be

developed as it serves to the

education process in depth and helps educate technical

skills to the students related to their scientific

specialisations and requirements of the

job market.”

It is not the first time I attended the graduation projects at the Media Department but this time I have found it different from the previous ones, in terms of great attendance and excellence of graduation projects.”

Great efforts have been made for Capstone presentations and there is also considerable attendance of students. Thanks to the distinguished professors who supervised the graduation projects in different media and disciplines.”

Dr. Fuad Abdulaziz Mohamed

Broadcast Journalism Lecturer, Chair of Capstone Organising

Committee

This Semester’s Capstone presentations

event was a huge undertaking, but thanks

to the efforts of the Capstone supervisors,

our volunteers, and our students, it proved to be a success, once again.”

Dr. Kamal Hamidou Head of Mass Communication

Department, College of Arts and Sciences

The Capstone projects of the Mass Communication

Department are an important milestone

in our students’ career. They reflect the level of learning outcomes

achieved in each class, after more than three

years of academic achievements in various

courses.”

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