SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021 www.thepeninsula.qa18 JUMADA I- 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8490

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Sport | 16

Britain leaps into unknown with split

from EU

QSL: High-flying Al Sadd take on struggling Al Kharaitiyat in Round 7

Business | 13

2 RIYALS

First sunrise of 2021

The 38 applications include 21 requests seeking licenses for operating private kindergartens and schools of British curriculum, 11 applications for American curriculum schools, three requests for Indian schools, two for schools under Qatar national standard and one request for a Turkish school.

Ministry receives 38 applications for new private schools, KGsSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Private Schools Licensing Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has received 38 applications for licenses to operate new private schools and kindergartens for the academic year 2021-22.

“The number of applications reached 38 by 2pm on December 31, 2020, the last day of the reg-istration,” said Director of Private Schools Licensing Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Hamad Al Ghali.

Speaking to a Qatar TV pro-gramme, Al Ghali said that the number of applications increased significantly ahead of the deadline as it was recorded only 17 applications last week.

“The Ministry of Education and Higher Education had started receiving applications for licensing and operating new private schools and kinder-gartens for the academic year 2021-22, from November 1,

2020 until December 31,” said Al Ghali.

The 38 applications include 21 requests seeking licenses for operating private kinder-gartens and schools of British curriculum, 11 applications for American curriculum schools, three requests for Indian cur-riculum schools, two applica-tions for schools under Qatar national standard and one request for a Turkish cur-riculum school. �P2

Qatar informs UNSC of Bahraini military boats’ violation of its regional watersQNA — NEW YORK

The State of Qatar informed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that Bahraini military boats violated its regional waters on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, and called on the UN to take the appro-priate measures to maintain international peace and security and put an end to Bahraini violations.

This came in a message by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations H E Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani's address to Permanent Representative of South Africa and President of the Security Council for this month H E Jerry Matjela, and Secretary-General of the United Nations H E

Antonio Guterres, in which the State of Qatar condemned these dangerous and illegal acts.

The message said that the Bahraini military boats entered Qatar’s regional waters illegally without permission, which rep-resents a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and a threat to its security. The message also said that this violation, coming close to the violation of Qatari air-space on December 9 of 2020, escalates tensions and shows that the Kingdom of Bahrain’s disregard for its commitment under the international law. The message also added that the Kingdom of Bahrain is attempting to create incidents that could destabilise and increase tensions in the region, which represents a threat to regional and international

peace and security. The message referenced the

ruling of the International Court of Justice regarding maritime delimitation and territorial questions between the State of Qatar and Bahrain in 2001, which must be adhered to. The message stressed that the State of Qatar is abiding by the ruling and is exercising its sovereign rights in line with its regional borders’ rights. The State of Qatar also highlighted articles 34 and 35 of the UN charter, renewing its request to take the appropriate measures in line with those two articles in order to put an end to Bahraini violations.

The message concluded by saying that Qatar is committed to remaining a good neighbour, exercising restraint in the face

of provocative acts, expressing its condemnation and rejection of any violation of its sover-eignty, and that it reserves the right to take all the necessary legal measures to defend its borders and airspace in line with international laws and regulations.

NMoQ gift shop, Msheireb Metro station win awards at Prix Versailles 2020RAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) gift shop has added another feather to its cap winning the pres-tigious Prix Versailles 2020 in the Shops and Stores category.

Msheireb Metro Station, on the other hand, was awarded Special Prize Interior in the Passenger Sta-tions category of the Prix.

Qatar was the only country in the Middle East which won awards at the 2020 World Finale of the Prix in which 24 projects from around the world were honoured, all of which had embraced sustainable approach.

Prix Versailles is world

architecture and design award created in 2015 to promote better interaction between cultural and economic domains which acknowl-edges achievements in various forms of architecture.

The Prix has eight categories namely Airports, Campuses, Pas-senger Stations, Sports, Shops & Stores, Shopping Malls, Hotels, and Restaurants.

A total of 94 projects, involving 38 countries and representing less than 1% of the total new projects reviewed in the early stages, were selected to participate in the World Finale for 2020.

“What’s better than to end 2020 with great news! Two projects from

Qatar have won at the World @ PrixVersailles 2020, The National Museum of Qatar Gift Shop @NMo-Qatar (Prix Versailles 2020 - Shops & Stores) and the Msheireb Metro Station @grc_official (Special Prize Interior - Passenger Stations),” Qatar Museums Chairperson H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani tweeted on Thursday.

Designed by Koichi Takada Architects, NMoQ gift shop stands out for its breathtaking design inspired by Dahl Al Misfir (Qatar’s “Cave of Light”) which is a beautiful underground sanctuary formed largely from fibrous gypsum crystals that give off a faint, moon-like, phosphorescent glow. �P3

The gift shop at National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) Msheireb Metro station

Qatar Airways Cargo welcomes three new Boeing 777 freightersTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The world’s leading air cargo carrier took delivery of three brand new Boeing 777 freighters yesterday, bringing its total freighter fleet count to 30 freighters, consisting of two Boeing 747 freighters, 24 Boeing 777 Freighters and four Airbus A330 freighters.

Qatar Airways Cargo will introduce these freighters on its long haul scheduled routes and will also operate them as cargo charters, supporting global trade and the movement of time and temperature sensitive goods.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “With the arrival of these

new freighters, we are injecting much needed capacity in the market helping support global supply chains at a critical time during the pandemic. The added capacity will enable us to support the logistics around the COVID-19 vaccination which is projected to be one of the greatest logistical challenges for the industry.

“The 777F’s fuel-effi-ciency, long range and high capacity will support our airline to be more sustainable and operate additional non-stop flights to further desti-nations around the world, facilitating the movement of time and temperature sen-sitive goods. With our invest-ments in innovation and fleet,

we are able to fulfil our cus-tomers’ logistical require-ments and support the conti-nuity of global trade.”

The Boeing Company Senior Vice-President, Commercial Sales and Marketing, Ihssane Mounir said: “During these chal-lenging times, Qatar Airways Cargo has been transporting humanitarian relief and medical

goods to those in need and we are proud that their growing fleet of 777 freighters is sup-porting such a commendable effort. We deeply appreciate our long-standing partnership with Qatar Airways and their confi-dence in the 777 freighters as the backbone of their expansive global air cargo operations.” �P3

I congratulate everyone on the New Year. May Allah make it a good year and a blessing for our beloved country Qatar and the people of entire world. I pray to the Almighty to help us and all humanity to overcome the COVID-19 epidemic and the challenges that it imposed over the past year. Every year, you be safe and well.

We welcome the year 2021 and we hope that it will be better, God willing, and that the difficulties and challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic will be overcome. I congratulate everyone on the New Year and wish our people and all of humanity good and peace.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: People watch the breaking of the dawn from Al Wakrah beach as the sun rises over the horizon to mark the new year of 2021. PIC: ANVAR SADATH

Bahraini military boats entered Qatar’s regional waters illegally on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, which represents a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and a threat to its security.

FROM PAGE 1

The Director of Private Schools Licensing Department said that at present a total of 337 private kindergartens and schools are operating in the country. He said that private schools and kindergartens enrolled 200,782 students including 40,650 Qatari students.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education issues licenses for private schools and pre-schools according to the provisions of Law No. 23 of 2015, according the website of the Ministry.

The Ministry had also issued detailed bylaws outlining the setup requirements for potential private school operators. Investors can apply for private school licences in November and December of each year through the school registration portal. The Ministry requires all private schools to teach in their curricula Arabic language, Islamic studies and Qatari history.

There are international schools such as the American, British, French, and German schools; community schools serving different nationalities; and Qatari schools such as the Qatar Academia Arabic schools.

Once licensed, the Ministry monitors private schools to ensure they are complying with the academic terms of their license and that their educa-tional plans are met.

OFFICIAL NEWS

02 SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021HOME

W ALRUWAIS : 18o → 22o W ALKHOR : 15o → 24o W DUKHAN : 16o → 22o W WAKRAH : 14o → 24o W MESAIEED : 14o → 24o W ABUSAMRA : 14o → 22o

Misty at first becomes moderate temperature daytime with scattered clouds and a chance of rain, relatively cold by night.

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WEATHER TODAY

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HIGH TIDE 06:47 – 17:33

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Amir greets topofficial of SudanDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan H E Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, on the occasion of his country’s independence day. Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent a cable of congrat-ulations to Prime Minister of the Republic of Sudan H E Abdullah Hamdok, on the occasion of his country’s independence day. -QNA

Qatar resident wins best Arab artist prizeTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Artist Muntaha Jameel Slat, a resident of Qatar, secured first place at the London International Art Forum, and won the International Arab Group Prize and the title of the best Arab artist in the world for the year 2020, in the category of realist art.

The closing ceremony of the Best Arab Creators Competition was held at the amphitheater of the British Royal Commission for Medicine in the famous Mayfair district in central London.

The artist expressed her happiness with the victory of her realist artwork, titled ‘Min Hena Marra Al Hanin’ (From here over nostalgia), which features one of the old Aleppo’s neighborhoods.

She made her artwork using oil paint, where the earthy colours, the colours of the stones and the old building are the predominant, to evoke through it the nostalgia through the for-mations and vocabulary of the rich

environment that is characteristic of the popular neigh-borhood in the old Aleppo, with the connection with the environment and the privacy of the place and the dream of returning to it.

T h e a r t i s t expressed her p l e a s u r e i n obtaining the title best Arab artist in the world for the year 2020. She noted that the London Interna-tional Fine Art Forum is a unique demonstration of artworks that opens up to artistic expe-riences and the

exchange of cultures, and also brings together a group of the most important contemporary innovative artists from all over the world.

Slat said that the event provided opportunity to get acquainted with dis-tinguished artists whose works influ-enced the Arab and international art scene.

Slat indicated that the London Inter-national Forum for Arts contributes to shedding light on the participating artists by attracting international media.

She said that the participation of a group of artists, experts and interna-tional critics to evaluate artworks made the forum special.

Slat, who is based in Qatar, has par-ticipated in the Qatar Fine Arts Festival which was held with the participation of more than 200 artists from 60 coun-tries including Qatar.

She also took part in many interna-tional group and solo exhibitions in many Arab countries.

Artist Muntaha Jameel Slat posing with her winning artwork.

Brisk sales of local dates at Mahaseel FestivalTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Local dates are a major crowd-puller at the Mahaseel Festival, organised for the fifth consec-utive year by the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara).

The stalls selling wide variety of dates grown in Qatar as well as honey have witnessed steady influx of buyers from dif-ferent nationalities due to the high quality and new varieties of these local products offered by participating local farms and Qatari companies.

One of the local companies taking part in the festival is the National Food Manufacturing Company (NAFCO), which sells some of the finest varieties of local dates which have been cleaned, sorted and packed using the latest machines and devices in its factory in Doha.

Around 12 types of high-quality and luxurious dates such as Mabroum, Safari, Sukari, Khalas, Anabra, Safawi, Ajwa, Sagai, Khoudary, Majdool, Deglet Nour, Bayroom are being sold at NAFCO’s stall. They come in beautiful gift packages

perfect for different occasions and celebrations.

A variety of boxes in various sizes are available to meet the desires and needs of consumers which are of high quality and reasonable price. The luxurious dates include those stuffed with nuts, dried fruits and covered with luxurious chocolate as well as date balls which come in dif-

ferent flavours. The stalls of Qatari farms

Bouthaila, Aden and Mazraati have a strong presence bringing in popular date varieties such as Khalas, Shishis, Khenizi, Zahidi, Safawi, Sagai and Khoudary. These distinct types of dates distinguished by their sweetness and diversity have made Qatari farms famous in

the market.Visitors and buyers from

different spectrums have praised the quality of the date products, their conformity to specifications and standards, the new and innovative methods of preparing and processing them.

Festival visitors also flocked to buy the finest Qatari honey whose prices vary depending on their types and are known for their taste and variety of flavours.

Twenty-eight Qatari farms selling fresh vegetables and honey, in addition to stalls of nine national companies offering sheep, cattle, calves, eggs, poultry, milk, and their derivatives in addition to eight stands of nurseries displaying flowers and ornamental plants, are participating in the festival.

The festival located in the Southern Area of Katara is open from 9am to 9pm until January 2, after which the souq will remain operational during Thursdays, Fridays and Sat-urdays until the end of March.

One of the stalls selling a wide variety of local dates and date products at the fifth Mahaseel Festival.

134 recoveries, 208 new virus cases: MoPHTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health yesterday announced the regis-tration of 208 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Among them 32 were from travellers returning from abroad.

Also, 134 people have recovered from the virus bringing the total number of cases recovered in Qatar to 141,556.

All new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status.

The Ministry further said that measures to tackle COVID-19 in Qatar have suc-ceeded in flattening the curve and limiting the spread of the virus and the number of new daily cases and hospital admis-sions is continuing to decline each week.

Qatar’s proactive and extensive testing of suspected cases has enabled the Ministery to identify a high number of positive cases in the community.

Measures taken to receive next shipment of COVID-19 vaccine soon: MoPHFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has said that measures have been taken to receive the next shipment of COVID-19 vaccine in the country soon.

The Ministry has said that people eligible to receive the vaccination will be contacted directly and has also requested other members of the com-munity to wait until their turn.

“MoPH is working with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure the next shipment of vaccines arrives in Qatar as early as possible in 2021 and everyone who needs to be vac-cinated will be able to do so throughout the year,” the Min-istry has said in its social media accounts. In mid-October, MoPH announced that it had signed an agreement with phar-maceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech to procure COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is approved.

The first shipment of Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Doha fol-lowing an emergency use approval. The COVID-19 vac-cination campaign begun on December 23. In the first phase of Qatar’s COVID-19 vacci-nation campaign vaccines are being prioritised for people most at risk of severe compli-cations from the virus including people aged 70 years of age and above, people with severe chronic conditions and healthcare workers with repeated exposure to COVID-19 virus.

“People who are eligible to receive the vaccination at this stage will be contacted directly by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) to arrange their appointments,” said the Ministry.

“Soon eligible community members will be able to call to book an appointment or to book online,” it added.

In the first phase of the vac-cination campaign the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are being given to the priority population

groups at seven PHCC health centers: Al Wajba, Leabaib, Al Ruwais, Um Slal, Rawdat Al Khail, Al Thumama and Muaither.

“Vaccination will be given to people with pre-arranged appointments,” the Ministry said.

“All other community members who do not meet the criteria for the early phase of the campaign are kindly requested to wait until it is their turn,” the Ministry has requested the people.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Economy and Finance, H E Dr. Youssef Hussein Kamal, received first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, and he has expressed his grat-itude and appreciation for taking initiative to priorities and bring the vaccine to Qatar.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires a second dose to be given 21 days after the first. Earlier speaking at a tele-vision programme, Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital, Dr Yousef Al Maslamani had said that the COVID-19 vaccination cam-paign in Qatar has gone well with no serious side effects reported.

Stressing the importance of taking the COVID-19 vaccine, he stated that it has marked the beginning of the end of the pan-demic in the country.

According to Al Maslamani, the number of people among the targeted category taking the vaccine has increased consid-erably, especially since senior and well-known personnel have already taken the first dose publicly.

H E Dr. Youssef Hussein Kamal receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.

Amir congratulates President of CubaDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to President of the Republic of Cuba H E Miguel Diaz-Canel on the occasion of the Triumph of the Revolution day. Prime Minister and Minister of Inte-rior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent a cable of congratulations to Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba H E Manuel Marrero Cruz on the occasion of the Triumph of the Revolution day. -QNA

Amir greets Haiti PresidentDOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to Pres-ident of the Republic of Haiti H E Jovenel Moise on the occasion of his country’s independence day. Prime Minister and Minis-ter of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent a cable of congratulations to Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti H E Joseph Jouthe, on the occasion of his country’s inde-pendence day. -QNA

“MoPH is working with the pharmaceutical companies to ensure the next shipment of vaccines arrives in Qatar as early as possible in 2021 and everyone who needs to be vaccinated will be able to do so throughout the year,” the Ministry has said in its social media accounts.

Hamad Al Ghali, Director of Private Schools Licensing Department

Ministry receives 38 applications for new private schools, KGs

FROM PAGE 1

The Boeing 777 freighter is an efficient, long-range, and high-capacity freighter, powered by the world’s most powerful commercial jet engine, the General Electric GE-0-110B1. The 777F has a revenue payload capability of more than 102 metric tonnes. It can fly 4,970 nautical miles (9,200 kil-ometers) and carry a full payload of 224,900 lbs (102,010 kgs) at general cargo market densities (more than 10 pounds per cubic foot), making it the world’s longest-range twin-engine freighter.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Qatar Airways Cargo has been helping transport essential supplies, pharmaceuticals, per-ishables and other vital cargo around the world through

belly-hold cargo on passenger flights and freighters. It con-tinued to operate its scheduled freighters while also operating more than 500 freight charters of relief goods, personal pro-tective equipment and medical aid to impacted countries, dem-onstrating its agility and resilience.

The cargo carrier has also worked closely with govern-ments and NGOs to transport over 250,000 tonnes of medical and aid supplies to impacted regions around the world on both scheduled and charter services. This equates to roughly 2,500 fully loaded Boeing 777 freighters.

In addition, the cargo carrier has also converted six of its Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) aircraft to operate cargo-only flights, introducing an additional 137 cubic metres of cargo volume per flight over the lower deck cargo capacity of 156 cubic metres per flight.

03SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021 HOME

Diabetes epidemic in Jordan expected to substantiallygrow over the next 30 years: WCM-Q studyTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The diabetes epedemic in the Middle East and North Africa region is one of the fastest growing epidemics globally.

According to findings pub-lished in Scientific Reports of the Nature group, Jordan is con-fronted with a large and rising diabetes epidemic over the next 30 years. The number of people living with diabetes is projected to increase, testing the already strained healthcare system.

The study, ‘Characterizing the type 2 diabetes mellitus epi-demic in Jordan up to 2050’, was the product of a research collab-oration between the National

Center for Diabetes, Endo-crinology and Genetics in Jordan; Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) in Qatar. The study investigated and forecasted diabetes burden up to 2050 and estimated the costs of this epidemic.

“Currently 15% of Jordanians are suffering from diabetes which is already twice the global average,” said Professor Kamal Ajlouni, the president of the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics in Jordan, and co-investigator of this study. “By 2050, we fore-casted that more than one in every five adults in Jordan will

be suffering from diabetes. Dia-betes prevalence will reach 21% if no immediate prevention pro-grams are implemented.”

“Jordan is destined to con-front an immense healthcare challenge, but also an escalating health expenditure,” said Dr. Susanne Awad, research asso-ciate at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and first author of the study. “The number of people suffering from diabetes in Jordan is projected to increase to 2 million by 2050, straining an already resource-strained healthcare system. If no large-scale population interventions are implemented, the country will spend one-quarter of its

national health expenditure on diabetes.” The study also con-cluded that most cases of dia-betes are caused by the obesity epidemic in Jordan.

“There are several causes to the diabetes epidemic such as sedentary lifestyle and smoking. However, the combined impact of these was much smaller than that of obesity.” Said Professor Yousef Khader, professor in the department of public health at Jordan University of Science and Technology and co-investigator of this study. “Currently, one-third of Jordanians are obese. It is projected that 41% will be obese by 2050, causing two-thirds of diabetes cases.”

WCM-Q conference highlights role of communication in healthcareTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The impact of effective commu-nication strategies on healthcare outcomes was explored by dele-gates from across the Mena region, Europe and the US at a virtual conference hosted by Weil Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).

The Healthcare Communi-cations in the Middle East con-ference brought together leading regional and international experts to share best practices, examine recent research, and discuss communication policies and standards in the healthcare systems of different countries.

The two-day event featured presentations, discussion ses-sions and four practical work-shops on a wide range of issues, including the role of cultural competence training, current healthcare communications teaching strategies in Arabic-speaking countries, best prac-tices for breaking bad news to patients and relatives, the impact of social media on healthcare communications, and health literacy in the Mena region. The course was co-directed by Dr. Alan Weber, Pro-fessor of English and Dr. Stella Major, Associate Professor of Family Medicine in Clinical Medicine and Director of the Clinical Skills and Simulation Lab. Around 600 participants joined the conference, which also featured patient and student panel discussions about the role of communication in healthcare.

Dr. Major, who was recently elected Qatar Deputy National Representative for the Interna-tional Association for Commu-nication in Healthcare (EACH), said: “Healthcare communi-cation has emerged as an extremely important area of study in the Mena region, driven by the extraordinary pace of modernization of healthcare systems here and the highly diverse, multicultural popula-tions of the region.”

The International Associ-ation for Communication in Healthcare (EACH) and its

US-affiliated organization, the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, are the two largest healthcare communications pro-fessional organizations in world.

Dr. Major also said that she strongly values the key take away messages which the patient panel and the student panel presentations offered. The students drew upon their obser-vations and remarked that health literacy gaps pose a bigger chal-lenge than language barriers between patients and health care providers, affirming the impor-tance of investing mindfully in promoting health literacy for all. The guest patients reflected on their diverse experiences as patients living with chronic disease and provided a reminder to healthcare professionals to never dismiss talking about emo-tions when they address their patients. Furthermore, stressing their belief in the phrase “health as wealth”, the guest patients reiterated the notion that patients and providers must work together to achieve optimal patient-centered care.

The first of the four work-shops focused on breaking bad news and was delivered by Dr. Ambika Anand and Dr. Sheyma Al-Romaihi, both of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), and Dr. Tripiti Sinha of Sidra Medicine. Workshop 2 provided discussion and training in cul-tural competency in healthcare contexts and was delivered by Maha Elnashar, Director of the Center for Cultural Competence in Healthcare, and Huda Abdel-rahim, Senior Specialist in Cul-tural Competence and Medical Interpretation, both of WCM-Q.

Strategies for teaching and learning communication skills in Arabic-speaking countries were explained in the third workshop, which was pre-sented by Dr. Katherine Miles and Dr. Aiman Al Sharei, both of the Hashemite University in Jordan, with Dr. Abdul-Salam S. Sultan of the National Training and Human Devel-opment Center in the Ministry of Health in Iraq, who also gave the keynote speech at the event.

Over 130 Qatari businesswomen participate in Merwad 5LANI ROSE R DIZON THE PENINSULA

The fifth edition of Merwad Exhibition (Merwad 5), which was opened yesterday at the Doha Exhibi t ion and Convention Centre (DECC) with the participation of over 130 Qatari businesswomen, affirms that the Qatari private sector has overcome the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, an official has said.

“Qatar’s economy is strong. Holding this expo at this time affirms that the private sector has bypassed the repercus-sions of COVID-19 pandemic, as Qatar has successfully managed to deal with the crisis through the adoption of pre-cautionary measures that aimed to preserve the health of people and at the same time protect the economy,” said Qatar Chamber’s Board Member and Chairperson of the Qatari Businesswomen Forum Ibthihaj Al Ahmadani.

Al Ahmadani, who inaugu-rated the five-day QC spon-sored event, reiterated the Chamber’s support for busi-nesswomen and entrepreneurs in the country, particularly through sponsoring exhibi-tions organised by Qatari busi-nesswomen to promote their

products in Qatar and outside the country.

“Through this exhibition, we can see the expo’s development across its previous editions in terms of the variety of displayed items which showcase inno-vation and high quality products, as well as the large turnout of visitors and the number of exhibitors. The

participation of designers from five countries despite the crisis is a testimony of the success of the exhibition recorded since its inception,” she added while talking to the media on the side-lines of the event.

Al Ahmadani also high-lighted the role played by the QC’s Qatari Businesswomen Forum in boosting and

supporting Qatari business-women in the country’s eco-nomic activity.

During the event, Al Ahmadani toured the expo’s pavilions and got acquainted with the displayed items and designs which were introduced by designers from five countries.

Held across a 6,000sqm

area, the expo features 140 pavilions of clothes, abaya and women’s accessories.

Tamader Al Marri, Director of Vouge Event Company, the organiser of the event, said the

expo witnessed a large partic-ipation of Qatari business-women and designers from Kuwait, Oman, Turkey, India and China. She thanked the Chamber for sponsoring the expo as well as Al Ahmadani for opening the event. She stressed that Merwad has become a landmark in the exhibition industry and has managed to achieve success in the previous editions.

Al Marri went on to reit-erate the large turnout of busi-nesswomen and designers, and added that exhibitions such as Merwad contribute to the expansion of women’s contri-bution to the national economy.

Ibtihaj Mohamed Al Ahmadani, Board Member Qatar Chamber, cutting the ribbon on the opening of Merwad Exhibition at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, yesterday.PICS: ABDUL BASIT/ THE PENINSULA

A view of Merwad Exhibition being held at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.

A view of the rising sun on the first day of 2021, in Doha. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

First sunrise of 2021

4 arrested for violating home quarantine rulesQNA — DOHA

The designated authorities arrested yesterday four persons who violated the requirements of the home quarantine.

The arrest of the violators came in implementation of the precautionary measures in force in the country, approved by health authorities repre-sented in the Ministry of Public Health, to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

The violators, who are cur-rently being referred to the designate prosecution are Saeed Fetaih Salem Refdah Al Ahbabi, Salem Mohammed Salem Al Sayeghi, Salem Mohammed Rashid Al Bahaih Al Marri and Salem Rashid Ali Al Sunaid Al Marri.

Al Ahmadani also highlighted the role played by the QC’s Qatari Businesswomen Forum in boosting and supporting Qatari businesswomen in the country’s economic activity.

Qatar Airways takes delivery of three 777Fs simultaneously.

QA Cargo welcomes three new Boeing 777 freighters NMoQ gift shop, Msheireb Metro station win awards at Prix Versailles 2020

FROM PAGE 1

Since its opening in 2019, the gift shop comprising a main gift shop and a children’s gift shop has already won a string of international awards in various categories including retail and interior design in countries such as the US, the UK and Australia.

Msheireb Metro Station is the largest among the 37 metro stations whose design inspired by Caravanserais is a

contemporary reinterpretation of vaulted spaces incorporating traditional Qatari architecture and ornamentation.

It features an extravagant entrance shelter as a landmark way finding for locals and tourists alike.

A strong visual connection between entrance and con-course enables a smooth pas-senger experience and clear direction throughout the station.

2021 celebrations in Baghdad

04 SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021MIDDLE EAST

Military ready to respond to pressure, Iran warns US AP — TEHRAN

The top commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said yesterday that his country was fully prepared to respond to any US military pressure as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high in the waning days of Pres-ident Donald Trump’s admin-istration.

Gen. Hossein Salami spoke at a ceremony at Tehran Uni-versity commemorating the upcoming one-year anniversary of the US drone strike in Baghdad that killed Revolu-tionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who headed the expeditionary Quds force, on January 3, 2020.

At the time, Iran retaliated by launching a ballistic missile strike on a military base in Iraq that caused brain concussion injuries to about 100 US troops. Washington and Tehran came dangerously close to war as the crisis escalated.

“Today, we have no problem, concern or appre-hension toward encountering any powers. We will give our final words to our enemies on the battlefield,” Salami said, without mentioning the US directly. Several top Iranian officials, along with Syrian, Pal-estinian and Lebanese allies and members of Soleimani’s family, were in attendance.

Soleimani’s replacement, Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, said at the ceremony that Iran was not afraid of confronting “powers,” again without naming the US He also warned that “freedom seekers” within the US could retaliate for the attack

that killed Soleimani, telling America that “inside your own home, there might be those who want to respond to the crime that you committed.”

The head of Iran’s judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, said all those who had a role in Soleimani’s killing will not be able to “escape law and justice,” even if they were a US president.

Also, Iran’s Foreign Ministry tweeted that Iran will not rest until perpetrators of Soleimani’s killing are brought to justice.

“By committing a craven act of terror against Gen Soleimani, the US violated int’l law & the UN Charter in a blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” said a post

on the ministry’s Twitter account. “The US’ lawlessness in full show. #Iran won’t rest until bringing those responsible to justice.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said yesterday that Washington would bear responsibility for the consequences of any

possible “adventure” in the region. His comments came during a call with his Kuwaiti counterpart, according to the ministry’s website.

Already, America has con-ducted B-52 bomber flyovers and sent a nuclear submarine into the Gulf over what Trump administration officials describe

as the possibility of an Iranian attack on the anniversary of Soleimani’s killing.

Strategic calculations on both sides have been compli-cated by the political transition in Washington to President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, which may seek new paths in dealing with Iran.

Iraqi students gather to mark the first anniversary of the killing of senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis in a US attack, at the Wadi Al Salam cemetery, in Najaf, Iraq, yesterday.

Iraq explosives experts working to defuse mine on oil tankerAP — BAGHDAD

Iraqi explosives experts were working to defuse a large mine discovered on an oil tanker in the Arabian Gulf and evacuate its crew, authorities said yesterday.

The statement came a day after two private security firms said sailors feared they had found a limpet mine on the MT Pola, a Liberian-flagged tanker in the waters off the Iraqi port of Basra. A limpet mine is a type of naval mine that attaches to the side of a ship, usually by a diver-member of special forces. It later explodes, and can sig-

nificantly damage a vessel.The Iraqi statement said the

mine had been attached to a tanker rented from Iraq’s Oil Marketing Company SOMO that was refueling another vessel. Iraq’s naval forces were making “a great effort to accomplish the mission” safely, said Iraq’s Security Media Cell, which is affiliated with the country’s security forces.

It was the first official Iraqi confirmation that a mine was discovered on an Iraqi tanker transferring fuel in the Persian Gulf to another vessel. It did not identify either vessels or provide more details.

The discovery came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Already, America has con-ducted B-52 bomber flyovers and sent a nuclear submarine into the Gulf over what Trump officials describe as the possi-bility of an Iranian attack on the one-year anniversary of the US drones strike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian general and a top Iraqi militia leader.

Iraq is marking the anni-versary with a series of events this week.

On Thursday, the United

Kingdom Marine Trade Oper-ations, an organisation under Britain’s royal navy, said on its website that an “unknown object” had been attached to a ship’s hull in the vicinity of Iraq’s Khor Al Zubair Port, without providing further information.

The Pola serves as floating fuel oil storage of Iraq’s State Organization of Marketing of Oil, said Sudharsan Sarathy, a senior oil analyst at the data-analysis firm Refinitiv. Smaller vessels carry the fuel oil to the ship, which then conducts ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf to clients.

Sarathy said the Pola was

conducting a ship-to-ship transfer with the MT Nordic Freedom, a Bermuda-flagged tanker.

Yesterday’s statement said an explosives-handling team from Iraq’s Interior Ministry was airlifted to the scene after a “foreign body” was observed attached to one of the ships in the waiting area in Iraq’s inter-national waters, 28 nautical miles from Iraqi oil ports.

Despite high waves, the vessel receiving the fuel was evacuated while the Iraqi team was still working on neutral-izing the mine and evacuating the refueling ship, it said.

IS claims Syria bus ambush that killed 37 soldiersAFP — BEIRUT

The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility on Thursday for an attack that killed nearly 40 soldiers in Syria the day before when mili-tants ambushed a bus in eastern Syria.

War monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday IS had attacked regime soldiers as they travelled home for holidays in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, killing 37. It said eight officers were among those killed while 12 other soldiers were wounded in the attack.

A statement by IS’s propa-ganda arm Amaq said its fighters had “ambushed a bus transporting apostate Nusayri army elements,” using a

derogatory term for the Alawite sect to which President Bashar Al Assad belongs to.

The vehicle was targeted “with heavy weapons” and “multiple explosive devices, which led to destroying the bus and killing nearly 40 elements and wounding others”, added the statement, according to SITE Intelligence, which mon-itors militant activities worldwide.

“It was one of the deadliest attacks since the fall of the IS (self-proclaimed) caliphate” last year, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border “caliphate” in 2014, before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its ter-ritorial defeat.

New Year celebratory gunfire kills one in LebanonAP — BEIRUT

Celebratory gunfire to ring in the New Year killed a Syrian woman living as a refugee in eastern Lebanon and struck an airplane parked at Beirut’s airport in two separate inci-dents, Lebanon’s official news agency said yesterday.

The Syrian woman died early yesterday after a bullet struck her in the head in a refugee camp in Baalbek, according to the National News Agency.

The Middle East Airlines plane on the tarmac at Beirut’s airport was hit as people in the vicinity of the southern Beirut neighborhood fired in the air in celebration.

The plane later took off as scheduled after engi-neers made sure it was safe to fly.

Shooting from guns and rifles into the air in cele-bration is common in some parts of Lebanon at events such as weddings, funerals, when political leaders give speeches — and even when a student passes high school exams.

In September, Lebanon’s leading soccer player Mohammed Atwi died, nearly a month after he was struck in the head by a stray bullet fired by mourners during a funeral for one of the victims of this summer’s massive Beirut port explosion. Atwi was 33.

Iraqi riot police officers taking their positions at Tahrir Square before the New Year celebrations in Baghdad, Iraq on Thursday night.

Hope for war amputees in Libya after long waitAFP — MISRATA, LIBYA

For Radwan Jibril, wounded in a bastion of Libya’s 2011 revolution, losing his leg became “inevitable” and he had a prosthetic replacement, but thousands of other amputees are still waiting.

An orthopaedic centre is finally scheduled to open in March to provide prostheses to amputees in the North African country riven by conflict for the past decade.

Jibril, like so many others, was hit by shrapnel in his western hometown of Misrata, which endured a devastating siege during the revolt that brought down longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

“Despite several medical stays abroad, amputation was inevitable because the injury had been so badly treated. It was all a big shock,” he said.

“I was fitted with a pros-thesis in Italy but it took a long time to get used to it,” said the 38-year-old Libyan, who sports a light beard.

With the support of family, he has opened a fishmonger’s where he serves customers as best as he can with “this foreign

body”, he said, shuffling from stall to stall with one leg stiff. Now, he feels “like a new man again”.

His prosthesis, however, is starting to wear out, and “with hundreds, if not thousands, waiting their turn, it won’t be easy” to have it serviced, he said. Mohamad Al Nouri, 28, had a hand amputated because of an injury while fighting in 2019 in the ranks of the

Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNA) against an abortive assault on the capital by forces of eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar.

He was fitted with an arti-ficial hand but is waiting to go to Germany for a permanent prosthesis. “I don’t think I can go back to the cafe where I worked... I still need a lot of time to regain my confidence,” said the young man.

A national centre for pros-theses, being established in the port city of Misrata, already has a patient waiting list of more than 3,000 amputees, said its director Al Sadeq Al Haddad.

“In five years, we hope to be able to provide prostheses to all amputees in Libya,” said Haddad. “This will help them get their lives back, together with psychological and physical support,” he said.

With Libya’s health sector left in tatters by multiple con-flicts since the revolution, war-wounded Libyans are often sent abroad for treatment, at the expense of the state.

The centre, to be housed in a brand new building, will save the government a “significant sum” of money, said its director.

“A team of Hungarian spe-cialists are to train technicians and run a rehabilitation service for a year,” Haddad said.

In the face of “growing demand for help from amputees”, a partnership has been formed with Misrata Uni-versity’s physical rehabilitation department that was set up with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the GNA. Since 2016, about 1,000 patients with prostheses have been treated at the uni-versity by Libyan technicians trained abroad. Badreddine Moftah said he chose to become an ortho-prosthetist “after having met so many amputees since 2011”.

He had a one-year internship in Germany and returned home to practise the profession.

Staff work at the National Center for Artificial Limbs, in Libya’s port city of Misrata.

Iran has told IAEA it plans to enrich uranium to 20%: Russian envoyREUTERS — VIENNA

Iran has told the UN nuclear watchdog it intends to enrich uranium to up to 20% purity, a level it achieved before its 2015 deal with major powers and higher than the 4.5% it has recently been enriching up to, Russia’s ambassador to the agency said.

“#IAEA DG reported to the (IAEA) Board of Governors... about intention of #Tehran to start enrichment op to 20%,” Russian Ambassador to the Inter-national Atomic Energy Agency Mikhail Ulyanov said on Twitter yesterday, referring to IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi.

A Vienna-based diplomat confirmed there had been an IAEA report to member states saying that, but declined to elaborate. The IAEA was not immediately available for comment. Iran’s 2015 deal with major powers on curbing its nuclear activities says it can only enrich up to 3.67%, far short of the 90% that is weapons-grade.

Gen. Hossein Salami, the top commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said that his country was fully prepared to respond to any US military pressure as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Turkey starts four-day curfew to curb COVID-19

Sit-in protest

05SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's report said 123 people in all were killed and at least 500 injured amid one of the country’s worst outbreaks of ethnic violence in years, a “widespread and systematic attack” against civilians that points to crimes against humanity. Some victims were beheaded, tortured or dragged in the streets by attackers.

An aerial view of Taksim Square and Istiklal Street during a four-day curfew amid the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday. Turkey’s COVID-19 death toll rose by 212 in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed yesterday, as the curfew began to curb the pandemic that has killed a total of 21,093 in the country.

Ethiopia troops killed scoresin June-July unrest: ReportAP — NAIROBI

Ethiopian security forces killed more than 75 people and injured nearly 200 during deadly ethnic unrest in June and July following the killing of a popular singer, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said yesterday.

The commission’s report said 123 people in all were killed and at least 500 injured amid one of the country’s worst outbreaks of ethnic violence in years, a “widespread and sys-tematic attack” against civilians that points to crimes against humanity. Some victims were beheaded, tortured or dragged in the streets by attackers.

Ethnic violence is a major challenge for Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has urged national unity among more than 80 ethnic groups in Africa’s second most populous country.

The unrest in June and July followed the killing of singer Hachalu Hundessa, who had been a prominent voice in the anti-government protests that led to Abiy taking office in 2018 and announcing sweeping political reforms. Those reforms, however, opened the way for long-held ethnic and other grievances to flare.

The commission found that amid the street protests fol-lowing Hachalu’s death, “civilians were attacked inside their homes by individual and grouped perpetrators and were beaten and killed in streets in a gruesome and cruel manner

with sticks, knives, axes, sharp iron bars, stones and electric cables.”

More than 6,000 people were displaced and at least 900 properties looted, burned or vandalised, the report said. The attacks often targeted ethnic Amhara or Orthodox Christians. “While it is understandable that security forces had the chal-lenging task of restoring order in the face of such widespread violence, the proportionality of the force employed in some contexts is highly questionable,” the report said.

As an example, in several communities, “the commission found that there were people killed with bullet wounds to the head, shots to the chest area or the back. People not partici-pating in the protests —pas-sersby, bystanders observing

from their doorsteps, young people, elderly people trying to mediate, people with mental ill-nesses, and even police officers— also lost their lives.”

In other cases, the com-mission found that “local author-ities and security did not respond to victims’ repeated calls for help, being told instead ‘that higher ups gave no order to intervene’... Survivors and witnesses also recount how sometimes police stood watching as the attacks took place.”

Some watchdogs have warned of a return to repressive measures in Ethiopia as author-ities grapple with hate speech and ethnic violence.

The unrest was not related to the conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region that began in early November, but it was another sign of the ten-sions straining the country of some 110 million people at the heart of the Horn of Africa.

A spokeswoman for Abiy’s office did not immediately comment on the report, and the commission did not say what the government’s response had been. Interviews with gov-ernment officials and security figures were part of the com-mission’s investigation, which also involved visiting some 40 communities.

The commission said it found no indication of “ongoing efforts to investigate the use of force by security officers during the unrest and to hold to account those who caused u n n e c e s s a r y h u m a n suffering.”

Sudan says army restores full control of border with EthiopiaAFP — KHARTOUM

Sudan’s foreign minister said on Thursday that the army has restored control over all lands along the border that had been taken over by Ethiopian farmers.

“The armed forces have now fully recovered all Sudanese territory,” minister Omar Qamareddine told a Khartoum press conference.

“The borders have already been demarcated, all that’s remaining in our talks... is increasing the border signs,” Qamareddine said.

Tensions have flared between the two countries over the Al Fashqa region of the

border, where Ethiopian farmers have been cultivating fertile land which is claimed by Sudan.

The region has seen spo-radic clashes over the years but new fighting erupted in November when the federal government sent troops into the neighbouring Tigray region of Ethiopia against the regional authorities.

Some 50,000 Ethiopian ref-ugees poured across the border to escape the fighting.

Earlier this month, Khartoum accused Ethiopian “forces and militias” of ambushing Sudanese troops along the border, leaving some

four dead and more than 20 wounded. Addis Ababa down-played the reported ambush, saying it did not threaten the relationship between the two countries.

Sudan has since deployed troops to the border region, and held demarcation talks with its eastern neighbour.

Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Dina Mufti blamed “outside forces” for the tensions with Sudan.

He said in a Wednesday briefing that these forces hold “no care for both Ethiopian and Sudanese people, but want the region to be in chaos and want to benefit from that chaos.”

French PM in talks with Chad’s Deby over fight against militantsAFP — AMDJARASS, CHAD

French Prime Minister Jean Castex, arriving in Chad on Thursday to spend New Year’s Eve with French troops, said he met Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno for talks on “stepping up” the fight against militants.

“We had a very fruitful, very deep exchange,” Castex told reporters, after meeting Deby at Amdjarass, near Chad’s eastern border with Sudan.

“We talked about ways of stepping up (bilateral) cooper-ation, with a common goal, which is fighting terrorism, be it in the Sahel or in the Lake Chad area,” he told reporters.

Chad is one of the so-called G5 Sahel countries that are fighting a bloody militant cam-paign on the southern rim of the Sahara.

It is also grappling with attacks in the Lake Chad area, in its south, by insurgents from neighbouring Nigeria.

France intervened military in the Sahel in 2013 to help drive militants out of northern Mali. The insurgents later regrouped and advanced into central Mali, an ethnically vol-atile area, before mounting attacks on Niger and Burkina Faso. France’s 5,100-man Oper-ation Barkhane anti-militant mission lost three soldiers in Mali on Monday when their armoured vehicle struck a road mine.

Castex paid tribute to them in a speech at Barkhane’s command headquarters at Camp Kossei, near the Chadian capital N’Djamena, French offi-cials said. He then had a New Year’s Eve dinner with some of the 800 troops at the base.

Yesterday, Castex met French troops stationed in the northern oasis of Faya-Largeau, and in Abeche, in the east. In other remarks on Thursday, Castex referred to a likely summit in N’Djamena of the G5 Sahel and France, the coalition’s main backer, in January or February.

Deby “will go to France shortly” for talks with President Emmanuel Macron “to discuss the range of perspectives” for the meeting, he said, giving no further details.

The N’Djamena summit will mark the first anniversary of a gathering in Pau, southwestern France, that reshaped strategy.

Military commanders have pointed to a number of tactical successes since the campaign shifted its focus to the lawless “tri-border” area where the frontiers of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso converge.

However, France is also looking to the Sahel countries, whose armed forces are typi-cally poorly equipped and trained, to boost their role and thus ease the burden on Barkhane.

Morocco detains rights activist for alleged money launderingAP — RABAT

Moroccan prosecutors have announced the arrest of a prominent academic on suspicion of money laundering.

Historian and human rights activist Maati Monjib joins a growing list of dissident voices detained in recent months. Before he was taken into custody, he had described the allegations as “politically motivated.”

The detention of the 60-year-old Monjib was confirmed in a statement Wednesday by the public prosecutor’s office.

He was picked up on Tuesday at a restaurant in Morocco’s capital, Rabat, according to Abdellatif El Hamamouchi, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. He said on Facebook that he was with Monjib when the historian was detained.

Rabat prosecutors said three months ago that they were inves-tigating Monjib’s alleged involvement in money laundering. He has denied wrongdoing.

Siblings jailed on appeal over Bouteflika-era graftAFP — ALGIERS

An Algeria appeals court on Thursday confirmed hefty jail sentences for three busi-nessmen close to ex-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika for corruption under his rule.

Brothers Reda, Noah-Tarek and Abdelkader-Karim Kouninef received prison sen-tences of 16, 15 and 12 years respectively, the official APS news agency reported.

They had been found guilty earlier this year on charges including exerting undue influence, obtaining unfair advantages and money laun-dering. Their family owns KouGC Group, a firm special-ising in civil engineering, hydraulics and construction.

The company had secured public sector contracts under the rule of Bouteflika, who stepped down in April last year under pressure from nationwide protests against his bid for a fifth term after two decades in power.

Several ministers, gov-ernment officials and busi-nessmen have been convicted of corruption since Bouteflika resigned.

Congo President pardons soldiers jailed over Kabila assassination

REUTERS — KINSHASA

Democratic Republic of Congo’s president has pardoned at least 26 men convicted of plotting the 2001 assassination of then-leader Laurent Kabila, the pres-idency said.

Laurent Kabila was shot and killed by a bodyguard in his palace in January 2001. The bodyguard was himself shot dead immediately after.

Prosecutors said the assas-sination was part of a coup attempt led by Colonel Eddy Kapend, Kabila’s closest per-sonal aide, and a court sen-tenced him and more than two dozen others to death. The men

were jailed and officials say a number of them have since died in prison, but none of the death sentences were carried out.

President Felix Tshisekedi pardoned the men—and a number of other people con-victed in other cases — to show “humanity, pardon, justice and national reconciliation,” state television reported on Thursday night. The report did not go into any specific reasons for the Kabila case.

Kabila’s son Joseph, who succeeded him, repeatedly resisted calls to pardon Kapend and the others. Joseph Kabila stepped down as president in 2019, and was replaced by Tsh-

isekedi, a longtime opponent.Tshisekedi governed for the

first two years of his presidency in coalition with Joseph Kabila’s allies, but is now trying to dis-tance himself from his prede-cessor and remove Kabila loy-alists from the government.

Human rights groups, the Catholic church and others had criticised the assassination trial as unfair. Laurent Kabila’s death further scarred a country with a dark history of political assassinations, including the 1961 killing of its first post-inde-pendence prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, by seces-sionist rebels with support from Belgian officials.

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi (centre), is seen during the inauguration of the flyover in Gombe, Kinshasa, on Thursday.

At least 17 villagers hacked to death in eastern CongoREUTERS — GOMA, DR CONGO

At least 17 people were found hacked to death in a part of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo ravaged by attacks from militants, a local official said yesterday.

Donat Kibwana, the administrator of Beni territory, blamed the deaths near the town of Eringeti on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group which has emerged in recent years as the most lethal of the militias in Congo’s eastern borderlands.

“Yesterday morning, Con-golese army soldiers were on patrol when they found 17 bodies,” Kibwana told Reuters. “The modus operandi allows us to say that the ADF rebels are responsible.”

Sudanese internally displaced people stage a sit in to protest against the end of the mandate of the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping mission (UNAMID), in Kalma camp in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, yesterday. The UN-African Union mission in Darfur ended 13 years of peacekeeping in the vast Sudanese region on Thursday, even as recent violent clashes leave residents fearful of new conflict.

06 SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021ASIA

India drug regulator approves AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccineREUTERS — NEW DELHI

India’s drug regulator yesterday approved a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University for emer-gency use, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The decision clears the vac-cine’s rollout in the world’s second-most populous country which, after the United States, has the highest number of COVID-19 infections.

India wants to start admin-istering the vaccine soon, most likely by Wednesday, said one of the sources, both of whom declined to be named ahead of an official announcement expected later in the day.

A representative of India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), whose experts are meeting for the second time this week, declined to comment.

Britain and Argentina have already authorised the Astra-Zeneca vaccine for urgent public use. The CDSCO is also considering emergency-use authorisation applications for

vaccines made by Pfizer Inc with Germany’s BioNTech, and by India’s Bharat Biotech.

Cheaper and easier to dis-tribute than rival shots, the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine could be a game-changer for global immunisation.

Countries with relatively basic health infrastructure have high hopes for a shot that, unlike Pfizer’s, can be stored and trans-ported under normal refriger-ation, rather than supercooled to -70 degrees Celsius. India has reported more than 10 million

COVID-19 cases, though its rate of infection has come down sig-nificantly from a mid-September peak. The country hopes to inoc-ulate 300 million of its 1.35 billion people in the first six to eight months of 2021.

Britain became the first country this week to authorise the AstraZeneca vaccine, moving ahead of other western countries as it seeks to stem a record surge of infections driven by a highly contagious form of the virus that has also surfaced in India. The Astra-Zeneca shot is being manufac-tured in India by Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest producer of vaccines, which has already stockpiled about 50 million doses.

Though the Indian gov-ernment has not yet signed a purchase agreement with SII, the company says it will focus on the home market first, and then exports - mainly to South Asian countries and Africa.

Questions about the degree of effectiveness of the Astra-Zeneca shot have surrounded it since data published in November showed a divergence

in success rates, which the developers said reflected dif-ferent dosing regimens.

Bri tain ’s medicines

regulator further clouded the picture this week when it said that it had found an 80% success rate when two full

doses were administered, three months apart, higher than the average that the developers themselves had found.

People wearing protective exits a railway station amid the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Mumbai, India.

India urges China to help 39sailors stuck at two portsAP — NEW DELHI

India has asked China to allow two Indian freighters stranded for months near two Chinese ports because of the pandemic to rapidly unload their cargoes or replace their 39 crew members, an official said yesterday.

“There is growing stress on the crew members on account of the long delay,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.

The vessels are among ships from various countries waiting to unload their cargoes at Jintang and Caofeidian ports, Srivastava said.

“We expect that this assistance will be provided in an urgent, practical and time-bound manner, given the grave humanitarian situation that is developing onboard the ships,’’ he said in a statement.

Srivastava said Chinese authorities have conveyed that a crew change is not permitted at the ports because of COVID-19-related restrictions.

Beijing has suggested that

the shipping company may apply for a crew rotation at Tianjin port, he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said local authorities have been maintaining close com-munication with the Indian side and providing necessary facilities and assistance.

“Some Chinese ports allow crew changes under the premise of complying with the relevant epidemic prevention regulations, but Jintang port and Caofeidian port are not included in this list. It is up to the freighter to decide whether to adjust its operating arrange-ments,’’ Wang said last week.

The Indian cargo vessel MV Jag Anand of Great Eastern Shipping Co. has been at anchor near Jingtang in Hebei province since June 13 with 23 Indian crew members on board.

Another vessel, MV Anas-tasia, with 16 Indian crew members, has been near Cao-feidian since September 20. Both are waiting to discharge their cargoes before leaving the ports.

Taiwan urges China to pursue talks, not conflictBLOOMBERG — HANOI

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen opened 2021 by reaf-firming her willingness to talk with China, while vowing to stand up to mounting military pressure from Beijing.

Tsai used a brief News Year’s Day address yesterday to criticise the near-daily patrols of Chinese military ships and aircraft that have stretched Taiwan’s more limited military resources. She warned that the actions had “threatened the peace and sta-bility of the Indo-Pacific region,” while calling on Beijing to restore communication channels it cut off after her election in 2016.

“We are willing to jointly promote meaningful dialogue,” Tsai said, so long as Beijing is willing to “defuse antagonism and improve cross-strait rela-tions, in line with the principles

of reciprocity and dignity.” The Taiwanese president has

sought to position her democrat-ically elected government as a bulwark against increasing Chinese influence in the region. Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it, and has sought to raise the pressure on Tsai by luring away diplomatic partners and expanding military patrols around the island.

Taiwan has raised its inter-national profile over the past year through its handling of the coro-navirus pandemic, with only seven confirmed Covid-19 deaths among its population of 23 million.

In 2020, Taiwan was a rare success story, underpinning a booming stock market and one of the strongest performances among developed economies.

“We have shown again and

again that ‘Taiwan can help,’” Tsai said. “As a force for good in the world, we will continue to be an indispensable member of the international community, both now and into the future.” Beijing has so far refused to hold any talks with Tsai unless she accepts that both sides belong to “one China.”

That was the position accepted by Tsai’s predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou, who saw ties flourish with Beijing, including an unprecedented meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokes-woman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, told a briefing on Wednesday in Beijing that rela-tions between the two sides were “complicated and grim” in 2020, citing “separatist forces” in Taipei and changes in the international landscape. But Zhu

struck a more conciliatory tone for the coming year, saying China pledged to “proactively promote peaceful development and integration.”

Tsai is seeking to build on the momentum of last year, when she won a second term and US President Donald Trump’s administration con-tinued to improve ties with Taipei. Taiwan is awaiting signs of whether President-elect Joe Biden will continue that support after he takes office on Jan. 20.

The Taiwanese president defended her decision to lift long-standing curbs on certain US products, a move aimed at facilitating trade talks with Washington that prompted pro-tests at home. The reaction “made me fully experience why the previous government made promises, but was unable to implement them,” Tsai said.

Bangkok to close schools for two weeks REUTERS — BANGKOK

The Thai capital of Bangkok will close all schools for two weeks after the New Year holiday as it tightens measures to control a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the city said yesterday.

Thailand confirmed 279 new corona-virus cases yesterday, with the majority of them linked to a cluster among migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province south of Bangkok, and another cluster linked to illegal gambling dens that started in the eastern province of Rayong.

These new clusters have started to spread into Bangkok, prompting the city’s administrator to tighten measures to curb the spread of the virus.

“We begin to detect new cases linked to students and other service businesses,” said Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, the spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

“Therefore we decided to close more places,” he said. All schools, daycare centres for the young and elderly, preschool and

tutorial centres will be close from January 4 to 17 while other public facilities including amusement parks, playgrounds, public baths and massage parlours will be closed starting from today, he said.

Pongsakorn also said the city is consid-ering restrictions on eating-in at restau-rants but said that more discussions were needed with the government COVID-19

taskforce today. Thailand recorded two new deaths from coronavirus yesterday, taking the total number of infections to 7,163 and the number of deaths to 63 since the out-break started last January.

The majority of the new cases resulted from local transmission of the disease while six were imported from abroad, the gov-ernment COVID-19 taskforce said.

A healthcare worker takes nasal swab sample of a migrant worker for a COVID-19 test at a migrant community, in Samut Sakhon province, in Thailand.

South Korea reports 1,029 new virus cases REUTERS — SEOUL

South Korea reported 1,029 new coronavirus cases yesterday amid subdued New Year’s celebrations.

The tally was up from 967 the day before, and brought total cases to 61,769, with 917 deaths, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

After initial success in sub-duing earlier waves of infec-tions, South Korea has struggled to reduce this latest and largest surge, with daily cases hovering around 1,000 for weeks.

Amid the strictest social distancing restrictions yet, authorities shut down the beaches on the country’s east coast where people tradi-tionally gathered to watch the first sunrise of the New Year.

In Seoul, the Bosingak bell-ringing ceremony was can-celled for the first time since 1953, though it was streamed on the city’s website.

Global K-Pop sensation BTS celebrated New Year’s Eve with an online concert on Thursday along with other K-pop groups from its management agency Big Hit Entertainment and fans from around the world.

Kim thanks people for trust, support ‘in difficult times’AP — SEOUL

North Korean leader Kim JongUn thanked the public for their trust and support “in the difficult times” and wished them happiness and good health in his first New Year’s Day cards sent to his people.

Kim usually gives a tele-vised speech on January 1, but he is widely expected to skip it this year since he will address the country’s first ruling party congress in five years sometime in early January.

“I will work hard to bring earlier the new era in which the ideals and desires of our people will come true,” Kim said in his letter, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

“I offer thanks to the people for having invariably trusted and supported our party even in the difficult times,” he said. “I sincerely wish all the families across the country greater hap-piness and beloved people, good health.” North Korea is one of the world’s most clois-tered countries, and it’s virtually impossible to independently confirm whether all its 25 million people received Kim’s letter.

KCNA said the letter was handwritten by Kim. The last time the North Korean leader sent such a letter to ordinary citizens was on Jan. 1, 1995, by Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry.

Kim, who succeeded his father upon his death in late 2011, is facing the toughest chal-lenges of his nine-year rule due to the pandemic, several natural disasters last summer and per-sistent US-led sanctions amid a diplomatic impasse over his nuclear program.

Kim will likely use the Workers’ Party congress as a venue to muster a stronger unity and lay out new devel-opment goals for the next few years.

North Korea’s pandemic-related border closure with China, its biggest trading partner, is hurting the economy. Bilateral trade volume in the first 11 months of 2020 plunged by about 79% from the same

period in 2019, analyst Song Jaeguk at Seoul’s IBK Economic Research Institute said.

The congress, the first since 2016, is officially the party’s top decision-making body though real day-to-day decisions are made by Kim and his close associates. The rubber stamp body of delegates is expected to endorse Kim’s new initiatives without major debates.

State media didn’t say when exactly the meeting will take place. In 2016, the congress was held for four days.

Ushering in the new year, a large crowd packed Pyongyang’s main square to watch fireworks, a concert and a flag-hoisting ceremony. State TV showed people wearing

masks and heavy coats, waving and standing close together.

North Korea has steadfastly claimed to be coronavirus-free

— an assertion doubted by out-siders. But experts also say any out-break likely wasn’t widespread and so North Korea con-sidered it safe to hold big events like the party congress in Pyongyang.

Also yesterday, North Korea said it has successfully completed “an 80-day battle,” a productivity cam-paign it often

launches to press citizens to work extra hours and report bigger production numbers ahead of major political events.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un pens a letter on the New Year’s day.

The decision clears the vaccine’s rollout in the world’s second-most populous country which, after the United States, has the highest number of COVID-19 infections.India wants to start administering the vaccine soon, most likely by Wednesday.

07SATURDAY 2 JANUARY 2021 ASIA

2021 to be year of ‘growth’ for Pakistan: Imran KhanINTERNEWS — ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday said that the year 2021 will be a year of economic growth for Pakistan, as the government is now prepared to face any challenge that comes it’s way.

Addressing at a ceremony, the PM said that the con-struction industry was already on its way up, as the cement sales in the country witnessed record sales. Whereas, the textile sector is running at full capacity.

“Pakistan is moving in the right direction, in 2021 we will facilitate our industries through incentives and business-friendly policies. The wealth creation will be used to reduce the poverty levels,” he said.

The Prime Minister said his two major public welfare objectives during the current year are ensuring universal health coverage through Health Card Scheme and launching of an initiative under Ehsaas Programme to make sure that no one goes to bed hungry.

PM said the government has dealt with the Covid-19 challenge in an effective manager. He said Pakistan is among the few countries, which have been appreciated by the WHO for better han-dling the pandemic. He said we followed the policy of saving lives as well as the livelihood of people.

“If Pakistan wants to indus-trialize, then its best ally is China,” said PM Khan during his address. The Prime Minister was of the view that the

economic model of China is best suited for Pakistan’s needs.

“Our government’s entire focus is to convert Pakistan into a welfare state, reduce poverty and income inequality in the country,” said PM Khan.

He said that we want the relocation of Chinese indus-tries in Pakistan, especially in the Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s) set up in the country.

PM Khan said that they want Chinese companies to

conduct exports from these SEZ’s similar to what they have done in Vietnam.

PM Khan highlighted the importance of the agriculture sector, saying that unfortu-nately not enough attention was paid on this sector, therefore Pakistan is seeking China’s help to improve its agricultural output.

During the ceremony, the PM highlighted that the vehicles to be produced under the con-tract between JW and MG will help Pakistan, as it will not only generate employment, but its trickledown effect would boost other industries as well.

Meanwhile, Minister Indus-tries and Production, Hammad Azhar applauded the recent agreement in the auto sector. “Pakistan’s auto sales have increased by 25 percent in 2020 as compared to 2019, whereas the demand is much higher than the production,” said Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Hammad Azhar.

Because of this the existing players are increasing their capacity, said Azhar whereas there was a need for new entrants into the sector to fill the space and a competitive environment is created.

“I am happy to learn that MG is introducing six airbags in their vehicles, and I would like to see other auto players to move from two airbags to six,” he said. Similarly, other auto players are entering Pakistan this year informed Azhar.

“I will be launching a local auto brand tomorrow in Lahore,” he said, adding there was a space that needed to be filled in the auto sector.

Japan Emperor acknowledges virus hardship in video messageAP — TOKYO

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito expressed gratitude to medical professionals and acknowl-edged the hardship caused by the coronavirus in a New Year’s Day message shared by video instead of the usual public speech in front of large crowds at the palace.

The emperor and his wife Empress Masako sat side by side, next to a sculpted bonsai plant in the video.

Naruhito expressed his “deep respect and gratitude” to doctors and nurses treating COVID-19 patients and offered empathy to those who lost loved ones, lost their jobs or were struggling with loneliness.

“Over this past year, we have all faced many problems and hardships over the spread of this unknown coronavirus that for

most of us living in this age have never experienced on such a scale,” he said.

He also said he was worried about the discrimination suffered by those who had been sick or worked in the medical field, a phenomenon widespread in con-formist Japan.

“I look forward with all my heart to be able to meet with all of you again, face to face,” he said, after offering his prayers for world peace.

Japan has had more than 3,000 deaths from COVID-19. Worries are growing about another surge in cases, reaching a daily record of 1,337 new infec-tions for the capital Tokyo on Thursday.

The Imperial Palace in central Tokyo opens to the public each New Year’s Day and crowds on the grounds cheer the imperial family’s appearance.

The Imperial Household Agency said last month a video message will be released instead because of the pandemic. The bigger anticipation in Japan had turned to whether Masako would appear. She has tended to be reclusive, suffering what has been described as a stress-related condition, but has appeared in more public events in recent years.

Masako said “Happy New Year,” at the start of the message and spoke for the last 30 seconds of the nearly seven-minute message. Her beige suit matched the color of Naruhito’s tie.

“I am praying from the bottom of my heart that this year will be as gentle a year as pos-sible for all of you. This winter has been harsh with heavy snow in some areas earlier than usual, and so please everyone do stay healthy,” Masako said.

Japan Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako speak for their New Year video message at their Akasaka Estate residence in Tokyo.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan

Only 20% of Pakistan population to get vaccine jabs in first quarterINTERNEWS — KARACHI

The COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to only 20 per cent of Pakistan’s population after receiving its supply by the end of first quarter in 2021, said Dr Zafar Mirza, former adviser to the prime minister on national health services.

Speaking at a media talk at the Karachi Press Club, Dr Mirza emphasized the need to follow the SOPs strictly saying that vaccination is not alter-native to the individual precau-tions. During the second wave the general public is not fol-lowing the SOPs in the same

manner as they followed during the first wave of COVID-19.

He said the government has to take fool-proof measures that only deserving people get vaccination on priority basis. According to him, the COVID-19 vaccines would not be available at the private sector at the initial phase.

Pakistan is accessing the Global Alliance for Pro-curement of Vaccines. At least eight pharmaceutical com-panies are in the process of manufacturing COVID-19 vac-cines and Pakistan government is talking to some companies

for purchasing it. Until Chinese vaccination is available, this would be available for front-line health workers.

There is a lack of coordi-nation in the government departments and institutions during the second wave, he said adding that there was an unwritten political consensus during the first wave, but it was missing in the second wave as the opposition’s political parties continued holding their rallies despite government’s ban.

He agreed that the gov-ernment political parties also held rallies during Gilgit

Baltistan elections.He was optimistic that the

situation is becoming better and the second wave is also receding. Deaths are reducing and it is hoped that the second wave of the pandemic may decline soon. He cautioned that the UK virus strand, which is said to be more rapid spreading so people should continue observing SOPs.

Dr Mirza is also an adviser to World Health Organisation (WHO) on universal public health in Pakistan.

According to him, the gov-ernment of Pakistan is not pro-viding health services to more

than 30 percent of the popu-lation. He said it is now an established fact that health is a factor of productivity and it was essential to invest in human health.

Currently, he pointed out that health is not part of fun-damental rights in Pakistan’s Constitution. A constitutional amendment is required to incorporate right to health in the Constitution, he added.

Head of Karachi Press Club’s health committee Waqar Bhatti welcomed the guest speaker. Karamat Ali, executive director of PILER was also present on the occasion.

Australia welcomes 2021 with new curbsREUTERS — SYDNEY

Australia welcomed 2021 with subdued celebrations as fresh coronavirus restrictions and border closures at its two most populous states forced families to ditch New Year plans.

Media reported traffic jams at border check-points stretching as long as 40km as people rushed home to avoid border restrictions that kick in from midnight.

New South Wales (NSW), the epicentre of the latest outbreak, reported three new coronavirus cases overnight from more than 32,000 tests. Its largest cluster in Sydney’s Northern Beaches is now at 146 cases.

“The strong message from us is to be on high alert, come forward and get tested with the mildest of symptoms,” NSW

Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney, urging people to wear masks.

Sydney’s famous fireworks went ahead above deserted streets as gatherings were banned, while its harbour sported just 20% of the vessels typically seen on New Year’s Eve.

Neighbouring Victoria state reported no new virus cases since Thursday afternoon, though authorities expect numbers to rise in coming days. The state has a cluster of eight cases, with some believed linked to the Sydney outbreak.

The outbreaks in the two states occurred after weeks without any community transmission.

“The NSW link is still our primary line of investigation for this outbreak,” said Martin Foley,

health minister for Victoria state, which this week limited indoor gatherings to 15 people and reintroduced mandatory masks indoors.

“We expect genomic testing to come through very shortly.” South Australia state said the infections in Sydney had led it to put up a hard border with NSW starting yesterday.

“I think we have to keep reminding ourselves that there is no simple easy way of this all being fixed. It is a global pan-demic and that means that there will be frustrations from time to time,” Prime Minister Scott Mor-rison said, welcoming the low case numbers in the two states.

Australia has reported just over 28,400 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths since the pandemic began.

New South Wales police officers patrol in front of the Harbour Bridge as COVID-19 restrictions are enforced for New Year celebrations around Circular Quay in central Sydney, Australia, yesterday.

Philippines to ban entryof travellers from USREUTERS — MANILA

The Philippines will prohibit the entry of foreign travellers from the United States from tomorrow after the more infectious new variant of the coronavirus was detected in Florida.

The travel ban, lasting until January 15, covers those who have been to the United States within 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said in a statement.

The measure expands the travel restriction that Manila announced on Tuesday, which initially covered passengers from 19 countries and territories and

took effect from midnight of December 29.

US state health officials have detected the new variant of COVID-19, which has swept through the United Kingdom, in Florida, marking the third known US state to identify such a case.’ Spokesman Harry Roque said the Office of the President decided to include the United States in the regulation on the recommen-dation of the health and foreig