Volume 24 | Number 7998 | 2 RiyalsThursday 29 August 2019 | 28 Dhul-Hijja 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa

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Sanchez given additional task of coaching Qatar U-23 team

QFC reports increase in

new business in H1 m

QFZA approves investments of over QR1bn THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA), an authority that develops free zones in Qatar and sets the strategic direction as well as formulates and governs policies for businesses operating in the free zones, announced that it has approved investment applications from major inter-national and local companies.

The value of the approved investments totalled more than QR1bn, in the first six months alone, of accepting investment applications.

QFZA has directed the funds towards significant economic, industrial, and technological projects in the free zones, having briefed the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment on the progress report of QFZA and the projects it works on.

QFZA also revealed that it has approved a range of part-nerships between private sector and global companies across dif-ferent fields.

H E Ahmad bin Mohamed Al Sayed, Minister of State and Chairman of the Qatar Free Zones Authority, said: “Prior to the official launch of the free zones, QFZA was able to attract and approve investment appli-cations and register a group of major international companies in various fields, reflecting the confidence investors have in Qatar.”

H E Al Sayed stressed that the investments in the free zones will directly contribute to posi-tioning Qatar as an attractive investment destination for investors from around the world, and a platform to attract

international companies that want to maintain a base in Qatar and build partnerships with national companies in the private sector and with other international companies.

His Excellency added that the move comes in line with QFZA’s commitment to sup-porting the national economy in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

“We encourage the private sector to leverage the facilities our free zones provide to attract their international partners and create value for the national economy through joint ventures.”

QFZA also announced that it is in the process of finalising the infrastructure of its free zones, which will be ready for inauguration soon.

Investors from Qatar and abroad can apply to invest and register in the free zones through QFZA.

The President of the Republic of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, met yesterday with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is on an official visit to Singapore. H E the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed the greetings of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the President and wishes of more progress and prosperity to the Singaporean people. The President of Singapore entrusted His Excellency to convey her greetings to H H the Amir, wishing him good health and happiness and the people of Qatar continued development and prosperity. They reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them, in addition to issues of common concern.

Singapore President receives Foreign Minister

Amir chairs third meeting of SCEAIQNA DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment (SCEAI), chaired yesterday morning the Council’s third meeting in 2019 at the Amiri Diwan.

Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Chairman of the Council, attended the meeting along with Prime Minister and Interior Min-ister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Executive Member of the Council, and Their Excellencies the members of the Council.

The Council discussed topics on the meeting agenda and took the appropriate measures regarding them. The Council reviewed the work process of the second National Devel-opment Strategy 2018-2022.

The Council also reviewed the latest developments with regard to the Free Zone Authority, particularly the approval of investment appli-cations from major international and local companies worth more than QR1bn targeting key economic, industrial and tech-nological projects in the free zones in the country, in addition to the adoption of privileged partnerships between the private sector and international companies from various fields.

Cabinet approves draft law to regulate voluntary workQNA DOHA

The Cabinet which met yesterday with Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani in the chair approved a draft law on regulating voluntary work.

The draft law includes pro-visions related to the conditions and permit for the practice of voluntary work and the rights and duties of the volunteer and the beneficiary.

Following the meeting, Min-ister of Justice and Acting

Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs H E Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi stated that the Cabinet reviewed topics on its meeting’s agenda.

The Cabinet also approved a draft decision to amend some provisions of resolution No. 43 of 2017 establishing the Standing Committee for Farms and Farmers’ Affairs.

It also approved a draft decision of the Minister of Finance on the rules of proving the origin of imported goods.

The preparation of this draft decision replaces the ministerial decision No. 21 of 2011 on the

rules of proving the origin of imported goods, which leads to the simplification of import pro-cedures and reduce costs.

The Cabinet also approved a draft decision of the Minister of Municipality and Environment on the types and duration of advertising and insurance licenses, as well as the fees and conditions to be met in each type.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment has prepared this draft decision to implement some of the provisions of Law No. 1 of 2012 on the regulation and control of placing ads. �P3

19th edition of Doha Forumto begin on December 14THE PENINSULA DOHA

The Doha Forum 2019 has announced its strategic partners as it prepares for its 19th edition, set to reconvene on December 14 and 15 at the Sheraton Hotel, Doha.

Under the patronage of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Doha Forum 2019 has acquired strategic partner-ships in anticipation of its 19th edition, ‘Re-imagining Gov-ernance in a Multipolar World’.

This year, the Doha Forum has announced a new strategic partner for 2019, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, widely known as Chatham House, alongside renewing prior strategic partnerships with the International Crisis Group, the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Munich Security Council, as it strengthens the network for its 19th edition.

Welcoming many of the world’s top decision makers and policy leaders, the Doha Forum exclusively partners with top policy institutions who lead research and debate on global issues, while setting the agenda for discussion for the Doha Forum 2019, themed ‘Re-imag-ining Governance in a Multipolar World’.

H E Lulwah Al Khater, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar and Executive Director of Doha Forum, said: “The Doha Forum is the region’s largest open platform for global discussion with carefully curated topics that are meant to reflect global con-cerns, bringing them to the fore-front of discussion; and this cannot be achieved without the valuable insight of our partners. Since its inception 19 years ago, the Doha Forum has welcomed many policy leaders to Doha and contributed to many issues of global concern through alliance,

consensus and dialogue. I am delighted that this year we will again work with such esteemed partners who will all contribute to the success of the 19th edition.”

The theme for the Doha Forum 2019 has been specially designed in light of recent developments this year on topics such as migration, refugees, climate change, changing world leaderships and the rise of new global powers; and partner-ships have been acquired to support and encourage discussion on these topics.

Last year’s attendees included top world leaders, policymakers, business leaders and advocates including Lenin Moreno, President of Ecuador; Hassan Ali Khaire, Prime Minister of Somalia; Teodor Viorel Meleșcanu, Min-ister of Foreign Affairs Romania; Tarō Kōno, Minister of Foreign Affairs Japan; Kamissa Camara, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mali; Dr. Mohamad Maliki bin Osman; Senior Minister of State Sin-gapore. �P3

New Crescent will be born on Friday: QCHTHE PENINSULA DOHA

According to accurate astro-nomical calculations by Qatar Calendar House (QCH), the new crescent of the Hijric month ‘Al Moharram 1441 H’ will be born tomorrow (Friday, Dhul-Hijja 29, 1440 H) at 1:38pm Doha local time.

Dr. Beshir Marzouk, Astronomer expert at QCH, said that the time set of the new crescent on Qatar sky will be at 6:18pm while the sunset time on Qatar sky will be at 5:55pm Doha local time. The new crescent of Al-Moharram will be set on Qatar sky after sunset time by 18 minutes.

Dr. Marzouk added that the new crescent will be semi-impos-sible to view with astronomical telescopes over Qatar sky and all eastern Arabic regional countries sky on this night (Friday) but it will be possible with difficult situation to observe new crescent over western part of Arab and Islamic countries sky with astronomical telescopes and from pure places.

QFZA revealed that it has approved a range of partnerships between private sector and global companies across different fields, adding that it is in the process of finalising the infrastructure of its free zones, which will be ready for inauguration soon. Investors from Qatar and abroad can apply.

6,176 youth register for‘Doha Oasis for Innovation’THE PENINSULA DOHA

The Ministry of Culture and Sports has announced an event ‘Doha Oasis for Innovation’ from September 14 to 20, 2019, for which 6,176 youth repre-senting 57 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states and 30 non-OIC member states have been regis-tered as participants.

The event is part of ‘Doha - The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’, which is being held in cooperation between the Min-istry of Culture and Sports and the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), under the super-vision and organisation of Qatar Center for Cultural and Heritage Events.

‘Doha Oasis for Innovation’ is being organised in cooper-ation with the Qatar Scientific Club and in collaboration with the Youth Cooperation Forum, the OIC’s youth arm which aims at stimulating innovation and creativity among youth.

Dr. Hareb Al Jabri, Executive Director of Qatar Scientific Club, said that ‘Doha Oasis for Inno-vation’ event focuses on inven-tions, creativity and attracting talented youth from Islamic world as part of a week-long programme aimed at stimulating young people with creativity and innovation, supporting and valuing talents of Islamic youth, in addition to enhancing digital manufacturing skills.

He added that ‘Doha Oasis for Innovation’ is divided into two parts: The first is an indi-vidual competition in which each participant will present their invented materials within two days and there will be a jury working according to interna-tional standards.

The standards of the jury will be those adopted for the most important exhibitions in the world like Geneva Inventions Exhibition.

Dr. Al Jabri said that indi-vidual competition is open to everyone between the age of 18 to 30 years. �P4

Thursday 29 August 2019

Being properly organized and prepared for tests and exams can make all the dif-ference to school per-formance. Effective studying starts with the right attitude

— a positive outlook can shift studying from a punishment to an opportunity to learn. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when learning how to effec-tively study. Studying methods should be tailored to each student. Everyone has dif-ferent abilities, so it is important to determine what works for you and what doesn’t. For some students, studying and staying motivated comes easily — others may have to work a little bit harder.

Finding the best way to study is an ongoing process. It isn’t something that can be left to the night before the test. You should be constantly improving your study skills to better understand what works (and what doesn’t). Mastering effective study habits not only makes it easier to l b ill l h l b

distractions when the teacher is speaking. Practice active listening by concentrating on what’s being said and taking notes in your own words. This will help make sure you hear (and understand) what is being

h i l

COMPLETE: Writing clear and complete notes in class will help you process the information you are learning. These notes will also become study notes that can be reviewed before a test. Talk to friends or h h if h i d l

to be accomplished. Think about the types of questions that will be on the test and the topics that will be covered so you know what you should focus on. Set spe-cific goals for each study session, like how

i ill b h d f

help if you need it before your test. Taking the initiative to ask for help goes a long way with teachers!

DESIGNATE A STUDY AREA: The best study spot is one that is quiet and well-lit. Make sure there is a clear work-space to study and write on. Everyone’s needs are different, so it is important you find a spot that works for you. For every 30 minutes you study, take a short 10-15 minute break to recharge. Short study ses-sions are more effective and help you make the most of your study time.

SIMPLIFY STUDY NOTES: Make studying less overwhelming by con-densing notes from class. Underline or highlight key words. Create visual aids like charts, story webs, mind maps, or outlines to organize and simplify information and help you remember better.

STUDY WITH A GROUP: Working with classmates encourages an interactive environment to keep you engaged. This gives you a chance to test your knowledge

i h h d h l b h h ’

12 secrets for success

How to study effectively:

Included withtoday’s edition is a

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Qatar committed to sustainable development goalsQNA VIENNA

The State of Qatar has affirmed its commitment to the implementation of the Doha Declaration recommendations as a means of achieving the agenda of the sustainable development goals.

The Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the State of Qatar to Austria, Abdullah Nasser Al Hajri (pictured), said in a statement on the occasion of the opening of the Global Program for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration at the United Nations Head-quarters in Vienna, that the partnership

between the State of Qatar and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is based on the implementation of Doha Declaration through the launch of the Global Program for the Implementation of the Doha Decla-ration, which was extended until the end of 2020.

This programme has always helped and will help to implement projects in several countries in the world in a number of areas, especially in the fight against corruption and the rehabilitation of prisoners and their reintegration into society, as well as the pre-vention of crime among young people by supporting sports.

FM meets Singapore Ministers, official

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met separately with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Heng Swee Keat (right); Coordinating Senior Minister for National Security, Teo Chee Hean; and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore’s Wealth Fund (Temasek), Ho Ching, during His Excellency’s official visit to Singapore, yesterday. During the meetings, they reviewed cooperation between both countries and means to boost and develop them. In addition, they reviewed topics of common interest.

‘Najah Qatari Festival’ highlights successes achieved by various sectorsQNA DOHA

A number of officials in the country reviewed the highlights and successes achieved by various sectors as well as their personal experiences during the first meeting of the “Najah Qatari Festival” which started this evening, at the Doha Exhi-bition and Convention Center.

The event was attended by the Minister of State and Chairman of the Free Zones Authority, H E Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed; President of Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), Eng. Issa bin Hilal Al Kuwari; President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), Dr. Engineer Saad bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Media City, Mohammed Bader Al Sada; and Chief Exec-utive Officer (CEO) of Aspire Foundation, Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi.

Each participant gave a glimpse of his biography, the most important stages he went through, the scientific and aca-demic formations and the training courses that they received during their careers and how this reflected on the success of the institutions to which they belong, stressing in their conversations to youth the need to exert effort, patience, perseverance and a spirit of challenge and armament love of the country as the most important ingredients of success in various projects.

H E Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed highlighted the future role of the Authority in economic development and attracting foreign investments in cooper-ation with the private sector and Qatari entrepreneurs to enter into partnerships with global economic institutions and com-panies in the free zones that would be established, where the Authority had received numerous requests for joint ven-tures in the private and gov-ernment free zones, as well as entrepreneurs.

Eng. Issa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, President of Qatar General Elec-tricity and Water Corporation, stressed that the success of the Corporation in providing its services is due to the continuous development and follow-up of all that is new in the world in this area with flexibility in dealing with future plans.

He said that the second chal-lenge related to the extension of electricity and water networks to various development projects witnessed by the state, the Cor-poration has succeeded in this direction as well, and

highlighted that the Kahramaa had contracted with an interna-tional company to upgrade the level of services provided to sub-scribers and part of it is related to the application of prepaid meters system as well as remote reading.

The President of Ashghal articulated about the most important scientific and prac-tical stations in his career, stressing the importance of self-development and attention to courses that develop various skills for the success of any leader.

Al Mohannadi pointed out that the most important pillars of Qatar National Vision in this sector are the construction of high-quality projects and excellent management.

The CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation tackled the Foun-dation’s continuous progress and achievements through taking care of the youth and the younger generation, discovering young talent, refining their talents and transforming them into outstanding athletes who achieve great achievements for them and Qatar.

He announced that Aspire will witness during the coming period the launch of the sports business district to include the headquarters of various com-panies operating in the field of sports.

The CEO of the Media City talked about his experience in the media field in several insti-tutions. He also touched on the establishment of the Media City and its importance to Qatar. He discussed how to achieve Qatar National Vision through the Media City that supports the knowledge economy.

Najah Qatari festival, which is sponsored by many gov-ernment institutions, aims to showcase the most successful Qatari experiences of influ-ential and distinguished people.

The five-day festival will include 13 forums that will cover various fields, including defence, economy, culture, arts, sports, and others. The third edition of the festival will be accompanied by an exhi-bition of the most prominent and successful Qatari projects. A graphic image of the Marsa Marine Services Cluster at Umm Alhoul Free Zone.

International praise for SJC efforts in promoting judicial integrity valuesQNA VIENNA

The participants in the third consultative meeting of the Global Judicial Integrity Network praised yesterday the efforts of the State of Qatar, represented in the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC), in promoting judicial integrity regionally and interna-tionally.

Qatar’s delegation to the meeting was headed by Chairman of the Supreme Judi-ciary Council and President of the Court of Cassation H E Dr. Hassan bin Lahdan Al Hassan Al Mohannadi. Speakers at the opening session said that the SJC continues to make great contri-butions in promoting the role of the network.

They added that the council was keen on encouraging all national entities related to the law to participate, so that all parties involved can hold joint workshop and share expertise.

The participants also stressed the importance of Academia in that regard. They also mentioned the recommen-dations made at the conclusion of the 13th United Nations Con-gress on Crime Prevention and

Criminal that was held in Doha, which focused on supporting the rule of law and fighting all forms of crime on a local and interna-tional level.

The network itself is one of the biggest successes of the Doha Declaration, giving a bright image for international cooper-ation between the United Nations and the legislative power. Previously, the United Nations cooperation was focused

primarily on being with the exec-utive branches. The Chairman of the SJC expressed his appre-ciation of the role academia now plays in the activities of the network, particularly Qatar Uni-versity and Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He expressed hope that there will be academic courses that focus specifically on judicial integrity.

H E Dr. Hassan bin Lahdan also informed the participants that Qatar agrees in principle on opening a UN office in Doha that serves the Middle-East region that is focused on studies and training for judicial integrity, after Japan presides over the criminal justice case from Qatar in 2020. The council proposed establishing the office back in August 2018.

Cabinet approves draft law regulating voluntary work

FROM PAGE 1

Moreover, the Cabinet approved two draft decisions of the Minister of Municipality and Environment on the con-ditions and controls for the acquisition, import and export of dangerous animals and organisms, and on the necessary precautions and measures to ensure that dan-g e r o u s a n i m a l s a n d organisms do not escape or leak.

The Ministry of Munici-pality and Environment pre-pared the two draft decisions to implement some of the provisions of Law No. 10 of 2019 regulating the acqui-sition of dangerous animals and organisms.

The Cabinet also gave approval for accession to Montreal Protocol of 2014 on offences and certain other acts committed on board air-craft, which amended Tokyo Convention of 1963.

T h e C a b i n e t t h e n approved a draft agreement on canceling visa require-ments for holders of diplo-matic, official and private passports between the Gov-ernment of the State of Qatar and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The Cabinet also gave approval for hosting the Arab civil aviation summit on the next generation of profes-sionals working in the field of civil aviation in Doha, for three days during February 2020, and the hosting of UNESCO Global Meeting on Education in Doha, 2021.

19th Doha Forum to begin on December 14

FROM PAGE 1UN Secretary General,

António Gutteres; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nadia Murad; President of the United Nations General Assembly, Maria Garcés; President and CEO International Crisis Group, Robert Malley; Chairman of Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger; President and CEO of RAND Corporation, Michael Rich; CEO of Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, and CEO of Accor Hotels, Sébastien Bazin, also attended the Forum.

This year Doha Forum hopes to engage even more participants from a wider audience as it builds upon its core values of diversity, diplomacy, and dialogue.

The Chairman of the SJC expressed his appreciation of the role academia now plays in the activities of the network, particularly Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He expressed hope that there will be academic courses that focus specifically on judicial integrity.

The five-day festival will include 13 forums that will cover various fields, including defence, economy, culture, arts, sports, and others.

Umm Alhoul Free Zone takes shape

04 THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019HOME

Chief of Staff of Qatari Armed Forces meets Deputy Chief of Staff of Iraqi Army for Training

The Chief of Staff of the Qatari Armed Forces, H E Lieutenant-General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen Al Ghanem, met, yesterday, with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army for Training, Lieutenant-General Salahuddin Mustafa Kamal, who is visiting the country. During the meeting, they reviewed military relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen and develop them.

Ooredoo opens Express Shop at Ezdan MallTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar’s leading telecommuni-cations operator yesterday confirmed it has extended its retail network with the opening of a new Ooredoo Express Shop at Ezdan Mall, Al Wakrah on the first floor.

Customers will now have yet another way of getting in touch with Ooredoo to have their service requirements met. The new Express shop will offer all the services cus-tomers can expect, including signing up for new plans, recharging, subscribing to home services, accessing Ooredoo tv and much more.

Opening hours for the new Express shop will be from 9:30am to 10pm, Saturday through to Thursday, and from 9:30am to 11:30am, then 1:30pm to 10pm on Fridays.

Speaking of the new opening, Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director PR and Corporate Communications, at Ooredoo, said: “Our Express stores provide a conveniently local outlet for customers to visit us, while still allowing them to access all the products and services they expect from our regular retail shops. We’re delighted to add Ezdan Mall to our Ooredoo Express network and look forward to meeting customers there very soon.”

Malaysia is important, growing market for QA, says Al Baker THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, met with the Prime Minister of Malaysia and other senior government officials following the opening of the UNWTO World Tourism Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

Al Baker took the oppor-tunity to discuss several issues of mutual interest, including developments in the global avi-ation industry and Qatar Airways’ upcoming launch of flights to Langkawi, during sep-arate meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, and Minister of Transport for Malaysia, Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

Al Baker said: “It was a pleasure and an honour to meet with the Prime Minister. Malaysia is an important, and growing, market for Qatar Airways as shown by our new route to Langkawi, which will operate from October 15. We were able to discuss a wide range of mutually beneficial issues and I look forward to a continuing dialogue with him and his government.”

Earlier yesterday, Al Baker, who attended the World Tourism Conference in his role as Secretary General of the QNTC, discussed the launch of

Qatar Airways flights to Langkawi, during a press con-ference at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Malaysian capital city.

The press conference was attended by Qatari Ambassador to Malaysia, Fahad Mohammed Kafoud; Chief Minister of the State of Kedah, Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, and Chief Executive Officer of Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), Dr. Hezri Bin Adnan.

The new service to Langkawi, starting October 15,

is part of the airline’s strong expansion plans in Southeast Asia and marks Qatar Airways’ third destination in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Qatar Airways will initially start with a four-times weekly service to Langkawi via Penang, increasing to a five-times weekly service from October 27 on its state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class, with spacious cabins and specially-designed interiors.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker (right) meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

Qatar attends meeting in CairoQNA/CAIRO

The General Secretariat of the Arab League hosted yesterday a meeting of the standing committee for financial and administrative affairs in its 96th ordinary session, attended by senior officials from foreign ministries in Arab Countries.

Qatar participated in the meeting with a delegation led by Director of Department of the Financial and Administrative Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Saad Muhammad

Al Tamimi. Al Tamimi said the meeting discussed items on its agenda, including the general budget of the Arab League and other budgets of its organs. It will also discuss the General Secretariat’s work, as well as items relating to the pension system, retirement and renewal of heads of missions of the Arab League abroad. It is scheduled to submit the recommendations for approval to the meeting of the Council of Arab Foreign Min-isters in its next session scheduled for September 10.

Workshop on security command within qualifying plans to secure 2022 World Cup beginsQNA DOHA

A workshop on ‘security command in accordance with human rights principles’ began yesterday with the participation of a number of officers from the Ministry of the Interior and the Lakhwiya Force.

The workshop is organised by the Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy as part of the qualifying plans for national cadres to secure the 2022 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted by the State of Qatar.

The two-day workshop, delivered by Frederick Cox, Security Training Adviser at the Training and Qualifying Unit of the Security Committee, focuses

on a number of topics related to human rights and the requirements of FIFA in this context, the concept of security command under national and international charters and leg-islation and protocols of human rights, the legal frameworks that effectively protect these rights, and the extent to which they affect the work of the police.

Captain Majid Al Qahtani, who oversees the workshop, said that this workshop comes within the framework of prep-arations for the 2022 World Cup, explaining that the Training and Qualifying Unit of the Security Committee seeks through a variety of workshops to raise the level of performance of officers involved in securing the World Cup and take them

to top levels in terms of per-formance, management and handling of all events, with a commitment to the implemen-tation of human rights texts and provisions in general and the recommendations of FIFA in particular.

He noted that the workshop, which is part of the Continuous Development Program (CPD), addresses, in addition to human rights areas, safety and security aspects, risk assessment and security coverage before, during and after the event, along tac-tical options that the police can use to achieve security and safety and the implementation of their plans, principles of d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g a n d assessment of potential risks and others topics.

1,780 abandoned vehicles removed

THE PENINSULA / DOHA

Over 1,700 vehicles have been removed by the Joint Committee for Removing Abandoned Vehicles from Industrial Area and other places.

The committee in its weekly meeting held recently said that from Eid Al Adha period until now, it has removed 1,780 vehicles from dif-ferent areas. The weekly meeting of the com-mittee was chaired by Brigadier Ali Salman Al Hassan Al Mohannadi. During the meeting, Al Mohannadi asked people to follow Hygiene Law No. 18 of 2017. He also directed the members of the committee to continue work of lifting abandoned vehicles which distort public view and adversely affect health and environment. Since the beginning of this year, over 5,200 abandoned vehicles have been removed by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.

The officials of the Joint Committee for Removing Abandoned Vehicles discussing an action plan for the removal of abandoned vehicles.

6,176 youth registered for‘Doha Oasis for Innovation’

FROM PAGE 1Dr. Hareb Al Jabri (pictured),

Executive Director of Qatar Sci-entific Club, said that those wishing to participate from the Islamic world must register through the website of ‘Doha - The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’, but they must provide a patent or equivalent for partici-pation. As well as the innovation should be able to obtain achieve-ments at the local or international level in the field of science and innovation.

Furthermore, he added, that the areas of competition include 22 disciplines covering all areas of science and technology.

The second part of the event, he sad, is the group competition or teams’ contest, where partic-ipants will be made five teams and each group/team will com-posed of ten participants and each team will enter a 48-hour competition to create an inno-vation from the scratch.

The Qatar Science Club will provide all necessary facilities and tools/equipment for each team to help innovators implement their collective inno-vations. Dr. Al Jabri pointed out that five areas of specialisations had been selected for the group competit ions including

mechanics, electronics, pro-gramming, manufacturing and robotics. He explained that the main objective of the group com-petition is to emphasise cooper-ation and exchange of experi-ences among the youth.

Al Jabri said that gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the winners of the individual competitions while the

winners of the group competition will be honoured during the closing ceremony of the events of ‘Doha The Capital of Islamic Youth 2019’.

Fatima Al Mohannadi, Man-aging Director of the Qatar Sci-entific Club, said that the club is participating in the event ‘Doha Oasis for Innovation’ and will provide all the facilities and

equipment and was ready to receive 50 innovators and cre-ative youth from various Islamic countries.

“We will take this oppor-tunity to integrate Qatari youth with young people of different nationalities and give them the opportunity to share knowledge.”

Abdulrahman Saleh Khamis, Technical Director of the Qatar Scientific Club, expressed his happiness that the club will partner with other competent authorities in organizing this important event. He explained that the Qatar Scientific Club will present two important programs during ‘Doha Oasis for Inno-vation’. “The first programme includes an exhibition of youth innovations in the Islamic world, which is an opportunity to shed light on the creations and inno-vations of young people in the Islamic world, and represents an opportunity also for young people to showcase their innovations and designs,” he added.

The innovator, Saleh Safran, expressed his happiness to par-ticipate in the exhibition saying that his participation in the contest will be a great oppor-tunity to introduce Islamic youth to the innovations of Qatari youth.

05THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019 HOME

QCDC opens registration for next edition of CATCTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), a member of Qatar Foundation, has opened registration for the next edition of its Career Advisor Training Course (CATC), which aims to equip participants with the skills and tools to provide career guidance to young people.

Launched by QCDC in 2015, CATC is the first customised training programme for careers advisers in Qatar and the Gulf. It is offered in collaboration with Kuder Inc, a world leader in career planning services.

The course will be delivered in both Arabic and English during separate sessions at Edu-cation City. The Arabic edition will run from September 8 to 12, from 8am to 2pm, while the English edition will run from November 10-14, from 8am to 2pm.

Abdulla Al Mansoori, Director, QCDC, said: “Partici-pants in this edition of the CATC will represent the eighth and ninth batches of graduates, and will join more than 110

participants who have already acquired the knowledge and skills that this programme exclu-sively offers; skills that cannot be acquired elsewhere in Qatar or the region.”

The course will bring together career advisers, aca-demic counsellors, HR per-sonnel, mentors, and professors, as well as parents. Participants will acquire skills that will equip them to serve as potential career advisers, and will gain insight into their own career devel-opment and those of the young

people they advise.A number of different topics

will be covered throughout the programme, including ‘Helping Skills’, ‘Career Development and Choice Theory’, ‘Assessment and Career Planning’, ‘The Role of Information in Career Planning’, ‘Ethical Guidelines’, ‘Working with Groups’, ‘Using Tech-nology’, ‘Employability Skills’,

and ‘Program Planning and Implementation’.

Applicants will also learn how to guide and follow up with students or clients using a career planning system, and will also gain knowledge of technology-based applications that benefit career development.

Participants will be given the opportunity to use the new

Career Advising System (CAS), a career planning system developed by QCDC designed to assist students in planning their academic future. QCDC rolled out CAS across public secondary schools in Qatar during the second semester of the 2017-2018 academic year, within the framework of an MoU between QCDC and the Ministry of Edu-

cation and Higher Education.As part of the new CAS, par-

ticipants will be able to employ diverse and innovative psycho-metric and personality assessment tools to explore their personal skills and potential career tracks.

Lecturers include Khalifa Al Yafei, a certified career coun-sellor with extensive experience in the field of higher education, who was recently appointed both Director of Academic Affairs and Lecturer at North-umbria University in Qatar.

The course will be mod-erated by Anita Abraham, a Pro-fessional Development Specialist of Science at the National Center for Educational Development, College of Education, Qatar Uni-versity. Anita Abraham, who has more than 25 years of expe-rience in the field of education, will be joined by Susanna Mas-carenhas, a professional devel-opment specialist at the National Center for Educational Devel-opment, College of Education, Qatar University, who has seen first-hand the role of education in the growth of Qatar over the past 28 years.

The officials of QCDC during a discussion on the next edition of its Career Advisor Training Course.

The course will be delivered in both Arabic and English during separate sessions at Education City. The Arabic edition will run from September 8 to 12, from 8am to 2pm, while the English edition will run from November 10 to 14, from 8am to 2pm.

QScience publishes research on BMI increase, prevailing obesity among Qatari adolescentsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

A significant increase in BMI trends among Qatari adolescents from 2003 to 2009, which is 18.8% among boys and a 12.1% in obesity among girls over the five-year period, has been highlighted on an article published on HBKU Press’ academic platform, QScience.com.

In the article, the increasing trend in the body mass index of Qatari ado-lescents 2003–2009, the focus is on adolescents, an understudied popu-lation, as opposed to adults. It presents a specific type of data (BMI) that can be interpreted and utilised by a range of audiences — both insti-tutional and academic.

The article exemplifies the type of relevant research, with specific local interest, that HBKU Press is committed to publishing through QScience.com. The scope of the study involved recording the BMIs of 705 Qatari adolescents, boys and girls, aged 12–17 years in the year 2008/2009 and comparing it with that of previous BMI data published in 2003/2004. Conclusions were made by comparing the BMI of each specific age group from the two time periods.

The final data revealed significant BMI increases among both the boys and girls who participated in the study within each age group. Using the BMI data, researchers calculated the percent increase in obesity among the adolescents, noting an 18.8% increase in obesity among

Qatari boys and a 12.1% increase in obesity among the Qatari girls over the five-year period.

QScience.com is home to numerous conference proceedings, conference papers, research articles, eBooks, and literature reviews that provide critical research available for free to the public through its Open Access policy, making it both easy to access and easily cited.

“This research is unique in a way that it does not only study a critical health subject related to body mass index, but it also utilizes actual data at the national level for two different periods of time,” said Dr Rima J. Isaifan, the Head of Academic and Journals Publishing at HBKU Press. “The importance of sharing the trend obtained by each category is of great importance to researchers who would link the current observations with the historical data obtained in the subject,” she added.

The article, which is available free to download from QScience’s Open Access journal, QScience Connect, also calls for the implemen-tation of routine BMI monitoring for Qatari adolescents aged 12–17.

The study on BMI was conducted by researchers at Sidra Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, and the Shafallah Medical Genetics Center in Qatar.

“The topic is important to the State of Qatar because there seems to be an increasing trend of obesity among children and adolescents, and there are a lack of numbers to

monitor this,” said Dr. Kari Fosse, one of the primary authors of the article. “Obesity can bring a lot of adverse health issues, like diabetes and heart disease, and it is therefore important to put this subject on the national agenda to help prevent these issues.”

The study concluded that there was an overall substantial increase in the average BMI among all age groups in both genders as well as an increased prevalence of obesity among Qatari adolescents. The results also revealed that obesity in Qatari adolescents becomes more prominent with increasing age. Researchers urge that these results be given significant attention.

“Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges worldwide,” said

Dr. Naser Elkum (PhD), Director/Principal Investigator of Research at Sidra Medicine and the corre-sponding author of the QScience article. “It has been shown that the progression of obesity from childhood to adulthood is associated with the development of type 2 dia-betes and cardiovascular diseases. This public health crisis requires a serious investigation to identify the key factors contributing to the high prevalence of childhood and ado-lescent obesity in Qatar.”

Although a number of factors could have contributed to this health issue in Qatar, the researchers reason that rapid urbanization, economic growth, and the increase in popu-lation during the early 2000s are directly linked to the rising BMI trend.

Ashghal to open Tilted Interchange tunnel to traffic THE PENINSULA DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced the opening of the Tilted Inter-change tunnel to traffic coming from Al Gharrafa towards Al Rayyan as part of Khalifa Avenue road project starting on Sunday evening, in coordi-nation with General Directorate of Traffic.

Ashghal will implement a temporary traffic diversion for a month, traffic coming from Al Luqta Street and main Al Gharrafa Street through the Tilted Intersection signals will not be able to go towards Huwar Street, however traffic must continue towards Ghar-rafat Al Rayyan Interchange and follow the signs to reach their destinations.

Ashghal has said that road users heading towards local roads and Dukhan should use the existing Al Gharrafa Street in place of the new tunnel.

Texas A&M at Qatar hosts QAST students in STEM HubTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Incoming students from the Qatar Academy for Science & Technology (QAST) spent part of their first week of school working at Texas A&M University at Qatar in its STEM Hub, which is funded by the Qatar National Research Fund

(QNRF). Eleven 10th grade students learned the history and engineering of lighter-than-air craft as they designed and flew their own remote-controlled indoor airships. Dr. Mohamed Gharib, a STEM coordinator at Texas A&M at Qatar and expert in aviation engineering, spear-headed the group in engineering design and model construction.

Qatari Authors’ Forum & Qalam Hebr Company for Creative Writing sign cooperation agreementQNA DOHA

The Qatar Authors’ Forum, affil-iated to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, signed yesterday a cooperation agreement at the Ministry’s headquarters with Qalam Hebr Company for Creative Writing to enhance the relationship between authors and cultural and literary institu-tions. The agreement was signed by the Director of the Qatar Authors’ Forum, Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi, and Founder and CEO of Qalam Hebr for Creative Writing, Buthaina Al Janahi.

Al Hammadi stressed that the Qatar Authors’ Forum is working to increase the societal cultural participation through partnerships with the concerned authorities in particular, in addition to those that are indi-rectly associated with it, in order to create distinct national cul-tural talents by providing con-ducive atmosphere for that.

She added that culture enriches the cultural scene

through ways that suit different groups, and seeks to promote creativity and nurture national talent, adding that culture is a complete framework for pre-serving identity, promoting cit-izenship and communication.

Al Janahi expressed her hap-piness at signing a memorandum

of understanding, which is con-cerned with activating creative writing platforms and contrib-uting to the development of the cultural and creative movement and thanked the ministry for giving Qalam Hebr the oppor-tunity to cooperate to achieve a common cultural goal. The incoming students of QAST at the STEM Hub.

The Director of the Qatar Authors’ Forum, Maryam Yassin Al Hammadi, and Founder and CEO of Qalam Hebr for Creative Writing, Buthaina Al Janahi, during the agreement signing.

06 THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

US blacklists twosuppliers of Iranmissile programmeAFP WASHINGTON

The US Treasury placed two Iranian business groups on its sanctions blacklist yesterday, saying both were important suppliers of Tehran’s missile programme and facilitators of its alleged proliferation activities.

The Treasury, working with the Federal Bureau of Investi-gation, said the “Dehghan Network” of Hamed Dehghan and Hadi Dehghan, had pro-cured and supplied “military-grade electronic components” to an Iranian engineering company that works with the military and the Islamic Revo-lutionary Guard Corps.

The Dehghans work through their company Ebtekar Sanat Ilya, and a Hong Kong front company Green Industries (Hong Kong) Limited, the Treasury said.

A second group dubbed the “Shariat Network,” controlled by Seyed Hossein Shariat and focused on his Asre Sanat Eshragh Company, was also blacklisted for supplying alu-minum alloy products to Iranian entities already sanctioned for

their missile proliferation and nuclear weapons programs.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York next month as Tokyo continues to seek a leading role in attempts to defuse rising tension in the Middle East.

Japan’s foreign ministry said the meeting was arranged during Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit to Tokyo, and would take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Japan has long been a major importer of Iranian oil and was one of eight countries given a waiver by Washington on buying directly from Tehran.

Yemen govt forces retake Aden from southern separatistsAFP ADEN

Yemen government forces reclaimed the interim capital Aden and its presidential palace yesterday, a minister said, pushing back separatists who seized the city and other parts of the south earlier this month.

The separatists’ losses came nearly three weeks after the pro-independence Southern Transi-tional Council (STC) took control of Aden, the government’s base since Houthi rebels took over the northern capital Sana’a in 2014.

Forces loyal to the interna-tionally recognised government of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi were able “to secure the presidential palace in Aden and the surrounding areas,” Information Minister Moammer al-Eryani tweeted.

“The national army and security services have full control over the province’s dis-tricts.” The clashes between the

STC and government forces — who for years have fought alongside each other against the Iran-aligned Huthis — have raised concerns that the famine-threatened country could break apart entirely.

The separatists’ seizure of Aden was seen as a major gain allowing the Security Belt, a par-amilitary force loyal to the STC, to press on to take other stra-tegic areas. However, the Yemeni government drafted in reinforcements from the north and mounted a pushback that appears to have met little resistance.

A correspondent in the east of the city witnessed shelling by advancing government forces who came fresh from their success in taking back control of Abyan province to the east. A pro-government source said that fighting had erupted in the streets of Aden as loyalist troops fanned out there.

Abyan was the second

southern province to be retaken by government forces in southern Yemen in days fol-lowing clashes with the Security Belt.

Earlier in the week, gov-ernment forces also regained control of Shabwa province after beating back an attack by STC forces.

The Yemeni interior ministry issued a statement urging the separatists to “lay down their arms” and surrender.

The new fighting comes despite repeated calls for a ceasefire by a Saudi-led coa-lition, which intervened in the war in 2015 in support of the government after the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of Yemen -- the Arab world’s poorest nation.

Since then, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, in what the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humani-tarian crisis.

Alert in Gaza after 3 police officers dead in suicide bombingsAFP GAZA CITY

Gaza’s rulers Hamas said yesterday two overnight suicide bombings killed three Pales-tinian police officers in the strip, placing the Palestinian enclave in a state of alert.

Interior ministry spokesman Iyad Al Bozm said in an evening statement that they had iden-tified the two bombers who blew themselves up at two police checkpoints in Gaza City.

He did not name them but said security forces “continue to

investigate who is behind them”.Witnesses said that both

bombings were carried out by assailants on motorbikes.

A source familiar with the investigation said a Salafist movement in Gaza that sympa-thises with the Islamic State jihadist group was suspected.

The interior ministry said two of the police officers were 32 and the third was 45. Hamas’s military wing hailed them as members. New police check-points were set up in Gaza City as authorities investigated the attacks. Hamas leader Ismail

Haniya sought to calm fears of unrest in the enclave of two million people.

“We assure our people that whatever these explosions are, they will be brought under control as with every previous event, and will not be able to undermine the stability and steadfastness of our people,” he said in a statement.

Hundreds gathered for funerals for the three police officers. Suicide bombings are rare in the Gaza Strip. In August 2017, a suicide bomber killed a Hamas guard in southern Gaza

on the border with Egypt. Hamas has run the Gaza

Strip since 2007 but has been regularly criticised by more radical Salafist groups in the impoverished, Israeli-blockaded coastal territory.

The Israeli military said it had not carried out any air raids at the time of the latest bombings.

The bombings come at a sen-sitive time.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008 and tensions have again risen in recent weeks ahead of Israel’s

September 17 elections. Israel’s military on Tuesday

bombed a Hamas military post after militants in the strip fired a mortar round across the border, the latest in a string of such incidents this month.

On Monday, Israel launched air strikes against Hamas in response to rocket fire, while it also halved fuel deliveries to the enclave.

The punitive reduction in the flow of fuel to the strip’s main power station means a cut in Gaza’s already rationed elec-tricity supply.

Lebanese army fires at two Israeli dronesREUTERS/BEIRUT

The Lebanese army said it opened fire at two of three Israeli drones that breached Lebanese airspace last evening in the south of the country near the Israeli border, and all three returned to Israeli airspace.

They first entered Lebanese airspace at 19:35 and returned to Israel after shots were fired, the army statement said. A second drone returned to Israel without being fired at. The army fired at a third one which also returned back to Israel, it said.

Rouhani calls for unity to overcome US economic warREUTERS DUBAI

President Hassan Rouhani called on Iranians yesterday to unite to overcome an “economic war” waged by the United States, while his government said it would use diplomacy to try to solve the standoff even though it distrusted President Donald Trump.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have heightened since Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and reim-posed sanctions on Iran.

“We need to unite to fight against and to win this eco-nomic war that America has launched against Iran,” Rouhani said in a televised speech.

I r a n ’ s g o v e r n m e n t spokesman Ali Rabie said yes-terday: “Taking into account Donald Trump’s personal traits, we don’t trust him; however, Iran has never abandoned diplomacy but we are deter-mined to pursue it as an equal (of the United States),” state TV reported.

Iran describes the US sanctions as “economic warfare” and Rouhani said on Tuesday there would be no talks with the United States until all sanctions imposed on Tehran were lifted.

Since ditching the deal last year, Trump has pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” to try to force Iran into broader talks to restrict its ballistic missile program and end its support for proxy forces around the Middle East.

Iran, which has slowly been breaching the nuclear deal in retaliation for US sanctions, has threatened further violations in early September unless it receives sanctions relief.

Fighters of the Security Belt Force, dominated by members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) which seeks independence for south Yemen, patrol a street in an area near the Aden International Airport, yesterday.

US to give Tunisia $335m in financial aid over 5 yearsREUTERS/TUNIS

The United States has agreed to give Tunisia financial aid worth $335m over five years to support its democratic transition, the Tunisian Development and Inter-national Cooperation Ministry said. The aid will be financed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Aid will fund projects that encourage private initiative, create new employment oppor-tunities for young people, and improve governance towards supporting democratic tran-sition”, the ministry said in statement. Tunisia was the spark of the Arab Spring revolts that toppled a number of authoritarian regimes around North Africa and the Middle East. Only in Tunisia, however, did a peaceful tran-sition to democracy follow, but the country remains mired in an economic crisis that has bred dis-content especially among young people.

Turkey to seek for alternatives in case not getting F-35 jets

ANATOLIA/ANKARA

Turkey needs warplane. If it does not get F-35 fighter jets, the country will seek for alterna-tives, but it does not prefer that, Turkey’s foreign minister said. The purchase of F-35 fighter jets is an urgent need for Turkey and it had to buy the S-400 missile defense system from Russia, Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a joint news conference with his Estonian coun-terpart Urmas Reinsalu in the capital Tallinn. Nowadays, the US is stirring up trouble. But Turkey is still part of this 9-partner F-35 program, Cavusoglu added. Turkey produces some parts of the F-35 fighter jets and also is a partner of the F-35 program.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left), holding a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (right), in Yokohama, Japan, yesterday.

Five migrants die, 65 others rescued off Libyan coastANATOLIA/TRIPOLI

The bodies of at least five migrants were recovered and 65 other migrants were rescued off Libya’s northwestern coast, the country’s navy said. The Libyan Coast Guard received information that a migrant boat nine miles off the coast of Khoms city needed urgent help, the Libyan Navy of the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) said in a statement. The boat was carrying migrants from Sudan, Egypt and Morocco. A search is underway for more possible survivors or bodies.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York next month as Tokyo continues to seek a leading role in attempts to defuse rising tension in the Middle East.

People in Omdourman carry banners bearing a photograph of Ahmed Al Kheir, a young Sudanese who died in custody after his arrest in January on allegations of organising anti-Bashir protests, yesterday.

Sudan starts trial linked to teacher’s deathAFP OMDOURMAN, SUDAN

Sudan began the trial yesterday of 41 security agents accused of involvement in the death of a teacher held in custody, a lawyer said. Ahmed Al Kheir, 36, died in prison after his arrest in January by members of the feared National Intel-ligence and Security Services (NISS), used by now-ousted veteran leader Omar Al Bashir to crush dissent.

Kheir was detained in his village of Khashm el-Girba, in the eastern province of Kassala, on allegations of organising anti-Bashir protests.

Days after his arrest, Kheir’s family was told to collect his body from a local mortuary. His death fuelled protests against Bashir who was toppled in April after months of mass rallies against his iron-fisted rule.

“Trial proceedings for the 41 NISS agents started,” said lawyer Adel Abdelghani, adding that the case involves officers and other ranks.

“They are accused of subjecting the deceased Ahmed Al Kheir to torture which led to his death,” he said.

The next trial will be held on Sep-tember 3, according to a correspondent who attended the session.

Under Bashir, the NISS oversaw repeated crackdowns on government

opponents and the media, and launched a severe crackdown on the countrywide protests that erupted in December.

In July, the agency was renamed the General Intelligence Services.

Sudan has since embarked on a transition to civilian rule following a deal signed this month between protest leaders and the generals who seized power after Bashir’s ouster.

On August 21, the country swore in a joint civilian-military ruling body and a prime minister as part of the roadmap to guide the country through a three-year transitional period.

Bashir himself is now jailed at the maximum-security Kober prison in Khartoum, where thousands of political prisoners were held during his 30-years in power.

Swelling rivers

07THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019 ASIA

Supreme Court to examine change in Kashmir’s statusAP/NEW DELHI

India’s top court yesterday took up legal challenges to the government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and asked it to explain its stance to the court.

The Supreme Court ordered the federal government to file its replies to 14 petitions and inform the court about media restrictions imposed in Kashmir. It said five judges will start a regular hearing on the matter in October.

India’s government, led by t h e H i n d u - n a t i o n a l i s t Bharatiya Janata Party, imposed a security lockdown and communications blackout in Muslim-majority Kashmir to avoid a violent reaction to the August 5 decision to down-grade the region’s autonomy. The restrictions have been eased slowly, with some busi-nesses reopening, some landline phone service restored and some grade schools holding classes again, though

student and teacher attendance has been sparse.

Yesterday, the court allowed an opposition leader to visit Kashmir to meet a party colleague who he said was under detention, but told him not use the visit for political purposes. The court’s directive was in response to a petition filed by Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of the Com-munist Party of India (Marxist), who wanted his party’s detained leader in the region to be pro-duced before a court.

Indian authorities have

Onion prices rise on supply crunch

Delhi Judge who refused bail to Chidambaram gets top job

Centre readies list of J&K leaders to be released

BJP, Congress spar after Pakistan cites Rahul in letter on J&KIANS/NEW DELHI

The ruling BJP and the Congress were yesterday engaged in war of words after Pakistan by quoting former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in a petition on the issue of Kashmir moved at the United Nations.

Upping the ante against Gandhi, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar demanded an apology from him, as well as the party for “insulting the country”.

Describing Gandhi’s comment crit-icising the revocation of Article 370 as “shameful”, the minister said: “He is now being forced to retract and change his statement. This is being done after the nation erupted in fury.”

Javadekar said the shift in the Con-gress’ position is not because of its change of mindset but due to political compulsions. He also called the oppo-sition delegation to Kashmir led by Gandhi as “irresponsible”.

Javadekar’s attack came while Pakistan, in its latest bid to raise the issue of India’s abrogation of the Con-stitution’s Article 370 at the UN, quoted Gandhi’s comments to justify its stand.

Pakistan’s plea to the UN said: “These, and other, acts of violence have even been acknowledged by main-stream politicians such as the Leader of the Congress Party, Mr Rahul Gandhi who has noted ‘people dying’ in Jammu & Kashmir, in light of events going very wrong there.”

Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani also criticised the senior Congress leader for putting India in an “awkward” position internationally. Responding to the BJP’s charge, the Congress hit back saying that the “misinformation min-ister” (Javadekar) has “lost his political balance”. Speaking to reporters here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “It is tragic that Java-dekar is twisting a statement made by Rahul Gandhi which reflected that Con-gress and all other parties are united.”

IANS/NEW DELHI

The government is in the process of preparing a list of Jammu and Kashmir politicians to be released as they are under “preventive detention” in the erst-while state since abrogation of Article 370, said sources.

The move will be implemented in a phased manner and around 200 politi-cians as well as activists are likely to be released in the first phase in September, said a source. “The names are under

consideration and a decision will be taken soon,” the source said requesting anonymity. The Ministry of Home Affairs has engaged its officials under close coordination with Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Additional Secretary (J&k Division) Gyanesh Kumar.

The process started after a Central team comprising intelligence officials, including Intelligence Bureau Chief Arvind Kumar, returned from the state last week after meeting former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba

Mufti in the state.Both Abdullah and Mehbooba are

under detention since Centre’s August 5 announcement of scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to the erstwhile state.

Sources said the team comprising senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) offi-cials have sent a report to the Home Min-istry after their meeting with Jammu and Kashmir leaders in the Valley.

The Central team had camped in

Srinagar for two days and returned on August 23. As the special team largely focused on discussion over easing the leaders back into the Valley, the Ministry is planning how many leaders should be released in the first phase and whom to be released first, said the source.

While Omar Abdullah is in Hari Niwas Palace, Mehbooba Mufti has been put up in Chashme Shahi. It is learnt that the leaders after their release from pre-ventive detention might not be allowed to organize any public rally.

IANS/NEW DELHI

Onion prices have soared again. Due to supply crunch in the last one month, prices have doubled across agricul-tural markets. In Delhi’s Azadpur agri-cultural market, good quality onion is selling at Rs 30-40 a kg and in retail, Rs 50-60 a kg.

Yesterday, 57 trucks of onion (about 1,200 tonnes) arrived at the Azadpur agriculture market. On Tuesday, only 37 trucks had arrived. According to traders at the mandi, anything less than 70 trucks will create onion demand-supply gap and increase the price. Onion prices doubled in August due to poor supply, said President of the Asso-ciation of Onion Merchants Rajendra Sharma.

Following floods in major supplying states, like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, the arrival of onion had shrunk, causing price rise, said a trader at Azadpur Mandi. At the benchmark Lasalgaon mandi of Nasik (Maharashtra), Asia’s largest onion wholesale market, prices have shot up 80 per cent to trade at Rs 27-28 per kg. A Nasik wholesale trader said, stocks had declined in other parts of the country as well and it would take two months for new produce to arrive due to late sowing of kharif onion. All these factors were contrib-uting to the price rise, he added.

As the prices increased, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Fed-eration (NAFED) released onion from the buffer stock to help contain the price. Sharma said different vari-eties of onion were selling at different prices in the Azadpur Mandi. Prices might keep fluctuating in mandis for some time as big stockists were not releasing their stock in the hope of getting better prices later, he added. However, the government has removed the 10 per cent subsidy on export of fresh onion.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) yesterday approved a sugar export subsidy for the 2019-20 sugar season which would cost the government exchequer Rs 62.68bn.

Speaking to reporters here after the cabinet meeting, Union Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, said that the CCEA has approved an export subsidy of Rs10,448 per metric tonne (MT) and the subsidy would be directly credited

to the farmer’s account on behalf of the mills against cane price dues. Any subsequent balance would be credited to the mill’s account.

The subsidy is in compliance with the World Trade Organization (WTO) norms, the government clarified.

In the wake of surplus sugar pro-duction during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 sugar seasons, the ensuing sugar season of 2019-20 is expected to commence with an opening stock of 142 lakh MT.

IANS/NEW DELHI

Justice Sunil Gaur, the Delhi High Court judge, who rejected former Union Minister P Chidambaram’s bail plea two days before his retirement, has been appointed Chairperson of the Appellate Tribunal for Prevention of Money Laun-dering Act. The tribunal comprises a Chairman and four members. It has its headquarters in New Delhi.

Gaur had turned down the antici-patory bail of former Finance Minister in the INX Media case, paving the way for his arrest by the CBI.

While rejecting the petition on August 23 for interim protection, the High Court judge had said that the facts of the case prima facie reveal that Chidambaram was the kingpin and the key conspirator.

He had termed the case as classic one of money laundering, and said granting bail would send a wrong message to the society. In the high-profile INX Media case, Chidambaram is accused of facili-tating foreign direct investment clearance in the company and is currently being investigated by the CBI and the ED.

Justice Gaur had also heard the other high profile case involving another top

Congress leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s nephew Ratul Puri. Puri is accused in a bank fraud case. Gaur had rejected Puri’s bail plea as well.

Kashmiri people walk past burning tyres during a protest after the scrapping of the special constitutional status for Kashmir by the Indian government, in Srinagar, yesterday.

turned back opposition leaders at the airport and not allowed them to visit Srinagar, the main city in Jammu and Kashmir, and other parts of the region since they launched a clampdown there on August 5.

The revoked special status has touched off anger in the region, where local police and administrators now work under federal control and where residents fear their

culture and demographic identity is under threat.

At the court’s preliminary hearing yesterday, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogi and two other judges rejected the government’s opposition to a notice — a written response from the gov-ernment setting out its stand on the issue — because it might be cited by Pakistan at the United Nations. Attorney-General K K Venugopal said he and another

law officer were present in court and there was no need for the notice. “We know what to do, we have passed the order, we are not going to change,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted the judges as saying.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan plans to address the UN General Assembly on September 27 to highlight what he calls “Indian atrocities” in its portion of Kashmir.

The Supreme Court ordered the federal government to file its replies to 14 petitions and inform the court about media restrictions imposed in Kashmir. It said five judges will start a regular hearing on the matter in October.

A boatman walks on a flooded road near Sangam, the confluence of Saraswati, Yamuna, and Ganga rivers, as water levels rise in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, yesterday.

IANS/NEW DELHI

The Enforcement Directorate yesterday told the Supreme Court that specific information had been received from foreign banks which include inputs on former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s properties abroad. These included house numbers and companies which owned them.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sub-mitted before a bench headed by Justice R Banumathi: “As a result, we have issued Letters Rogatory in the matter... well crafted and layering of money laun-dering was adopted by the accused in this case.” The apex court has extended the pro-tection from arrest of Chidambaram by ED for another day in the INX Media case.

Specific inputs on PC’s foreign assets: ED

Netanyahu might consider this a good moment to escalate with Iran; he may also believe that Trump will not object, even if the result is damage to U.S. interests in Iraq and a greater risk of a full-scale war. Unfortunately, on the latter point, he’s probably right.

Another recent study showed that we’ve already radically changed the populations of living things - destroying 83% of all wild animals and half of wild plants. Currently, researchers estimate, 96% of mammals today are humans or livestock, and only 4% are wild animals.

08 THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019VIEWS

Israel’s ominous escalation

A French attempt to jump-start talks between the United States and Iran got plenty of attention over the weekend at

the Group of Seven summit, but it might have been less serious than it

seemed. Though President Donald Trump agreed with French Pres-ident Emmanuel Macron that a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could happen within weeks, Iran’s foreign min-ister dis-missed the prospect on

Tuesday as “unimaginable.” Mean-while, the hype over a possible diplo-matic breakthrough obscured a much more ominous development: another escalation in Iran-related tensions across the Middle East, this time driven by Israel.

Since July, Israel has quietly expanded its air campaign against Iranian assets and allied militias from Syria to Iraq, with potentially far-reaching consequences for US forces in the region. US officials have said a July 19 airstrike on a weapons depot north of Baghdad was carried out by Israel, which has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years but had not targeted Iraq since 1981. Three other recent attacks on arms store-houses controlled by Iranian-linked militias are also believed to have been Israeli operations.

On Sunday, a drone attack on a Shiite militia convoy in western Iraq reportedly killed a senior commander and up to eight others. The previous night, an Israeli air raid in Syria killed two operatives of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which also blamed Israel for a drone that crashed near its media center south of Beirut. The gov-ernment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed credit only for the Syria operation, saying it had preempted an Iranian-directed drone attack on multiple military and civilian targets inside Israel.

Israel clearly has a right to defend itself from Iranian attacks, and there should be no objection to its action in Syria, a lawless country where Tehran and its allies operate with impunity. But the expansion of what has been a mostly measured and covert Israeli campaign to Iraq comes with consid-erable risks - including for the United

States. Some 5,000 US troops are still based in the country - and could be targets for Iranian reprisals; at the same time, the Iraqi government, which remains allied with Wash-ington, is highly vulnerable to pressure from the Shiite militia groups, which among other things control a large bloc in parliament. That faction reacted to the attack on the militia convoy Sunday by blaming both Israel and the United States and calling for US forces to leave the country.

The Pentagon’s response was notable: A statement strongly denied any involvement in the convoy or arms depot attacks and went on to condemn “any potential actions by external actors inciting violence in Iraq.”

That would certainly appear to include air raids by Israel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, was working to prevent an escalation between Lebanon and Israel; according to Lebanese reports, he offered the government assurances that Israel did not intend to rupture a de facto cease-fire with Hezbollah.

Netanyahu faces a tough election next month, and he has been a staunch opponent of any US- Iranian rap-prochement. He might consider this a good moment to escalate with Iran; he may also believe that Trump will not object, even if the result is damage to US interests in Iraq and a greater risk of a full-scale war. Unfortunately, on the latter point, he’s probably right.

THE WASHINGTON POST

FAYE FLAM BLOOMBERG

QUOTE OF THE DAYGermany and in

particular France are buying our sovereignty.

It seems that $20 million is our price.

Brazil doesn’t have a price of 20 million or

20 trillion — it’s the same thing for us..

Jair Bolsonaro Brazilian President

The earth will remember humans for the mess we left behind

Some scientists are trying to name our current geologic epoch after us -

calling it the Anthropocene. That’s no brag, because most of the changes we’re making to our planet are embarrassing.

We’ve caused huge shifts in the plants and animals shar-ing the planet with us, driven many species to extinction, left a layer of radioactive fallout from exploding nuclear bombs, accidentally changed the com-position of our atmosphere, and left a layer of plastic that will in all likelihood still be around in a million years.

Long after time and ero-sion have turned all our feats of art and engineering to dust, our mess will remain. Naming this era after ourselves is more of a confession. That acknowl-edgement is a first step toward strategies for minimizing our damaging influence.

A fascinating feature in Nature this month describes the search for what scientists call a golden spike - a marker somewhere on the planet dis-playing a clear, sharp signature of significant change that would mark the dawn of the Anthropocene. What makes the process interesting isn’t what they settle on as a starting point, but what it’s revealing

about the way humans have become an earth-changing force, and how long human-wrought changes will persist. With that understanding could come strategies for minimiz-ing our damaging influence.

These scientists are com-ing to favor atomic bomb blasts of the 1950s, which are leaving a long-lasting layer of isotopes in lake beds and deposits of ice. People have also consid-ered the advent of widespread chicken farming, which leaves behind the bones of almost 60 billion birds each year.

There is a subjectivity to this process, said planetary sci-entist David Grinspoon, whose book “Earth in Human Hands” makes a case for the Anthro-pocene. A person exploring Earth 50 million years from now may not find any obvi-ous signs that we were here, he said, but if they were trained archaeologists and did some digging, they would see that something extraordinary happened.

Naysayers argue that we don’t warrant our own geo-logic era because we are too short-lived a species. We’ve only been around 200,000 years, and for most of this time we did nothing to cause lasting change. It wasn’t until 50,000 years ago that people started to spread around the globe, leaving in our wake a wave of extinctions of the animals we liked to eat. And it was only in the last century - insignif-icant in geologic time - that we’ve really started adding new materials, such as plastics, to the geologic strata. Geologic time is long, and our existence short, at least so far.

But we can already know that our influence on the planet will last into geologic time. The nuclear remnants of our bomb blasts will last for hundreds of thousands of years, and so will traces of those mountains of plastic we’ve been throw-ing away, some of which is already forming a new kind of stone, dubbed plastiglom-erate. Scientists estimate that human-generated changes in the chemistry and tempera-ture of our oceans will persist for thousands of years after we learn how to stop burn-ing fossil fuel.

In Greenland’s ice cap, lay-ers dating back to the Roman era show contamination with industrial lead. Leaded gaso-line from the 20th century will leave an even bigger layer that also includes cadmium, arsenic and chemical changes that took place when the ozone layer sprung a hole.

Even more profound will be the change in the fos-sil record of life. The United Nations recently estimated that, globally, human activ-ity is likely to cause a million species to go extinct. We don’t really know how many spe-cies exist now; biologists have cataloged about two million but estimate a total of around 10 million.

Another recent study showed that we’ve already rad-ically changed the populations of living things - destroying 83% of all wild animals and half of wild plants. Currently, researchers estimate, 96% of mammals today are humans or livestock, and only 4% are wild animals.

To make the Anthropocene

official, a committee called the Anthropocene Working Group will need to agree on a golden spike and create a proposal, which would even-tually come up for approval from the International Union of Geological Sciences. But even without official sanction, the idea is catching on in the pop-ular imagination.

Back in the 20th cen-tury, when I wrote about the predictions that greenhouse gases were warming the globe, people accused me of being arrogant for even thinking human beings could affect this vast planet. But the earth is not, as long believed, too vast to be changed by humans, and with a population of 7 billion and climbing, we are not too small to leave an indelible mark.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI

osman@pen.com.qa

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Thriving economy

Qatar’s economy is buoyant and prospering. The country has emerged stronger despite the siege because of its policy of economic openness which

in turn has attracted more foreign investors into the country. The Qatar Financial Centre, one of the world’s leading and fastest-growing onshore business and financial centres, has experienced a rapid rise in the number of firms joining its platform. It has seen a marked increase in international firms looking to establish their operations in Qatar, which is a testament to the stability and attractiveness of Qatar’s thriving economy.

The QFC plays an active role in developing Qatar’s economy by attracting foreign investors to its business platform. Nearly 90 new companies have joined the platform during the first half of this year, which repre-sents a 21 percent increase in the number of new firms registered under the QFC, as compared to the first half last year. The newly registered companies hail from a diverse range of sectors. In addition to Qatari firms, a great deal of new companies joining the platform have come from Europe, the US, Asia and the MENA region.

Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida, Chief Executive Officer at QFC Authority, said: “The QFC con-tinues to mark new milestones in terms of firms joining our platform. We are pleased that such a significant number of global businesses have chosen the QFC to establish them-selves in Qatar and are taking advantage of the wide range of incentives and frameworks offered by the QFC.”

Raed Al Emadi, Chief Com-mercial Officer, QFC Authority, said: “We are proud that the QFC has crossed the threshold of 700 licensed firms, all of

whom have benefited from our world-class services and streamlined registration process.”

Over the next year, Qatar’s growth is expected to rise to 2.6 percent from 1.6 percent in 2018. According to the 2018 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, Qatar ranked first regionally in the Global Entre-preneurship Index. The World Bank’s 2018 Gulf Economic Monitor ranked Qatar as first for year-on-year GDP growth in the GCC, making the country a prime business-friendly and investment destination for companies inter-ested in setting up in the region.

Also, Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) announced that it has approved investment applications from major international and local companies totalling more than QR1bn in the first six months alone. QFZA was established 2018 to oversee and regulate world-class free zones in Qatar and to secure fixed investments within the zones. It offers outstanding opportunities and benefits for busi-nesses seeking to establish operations and expand regionally and globally, providing quality infrastructure, a skilled workforce, 100 percent foreign ownership, access to investment funds, tax exemptions and partnership opportunities with Qatari entities.

As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, Qatar offers an array of business opportunities in diverse sectors. The cuntry’s economy is on the upswing and growing at a fastest rate than ever.

As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, Qatar offers an array of business opportunities in diverse sectors.

Israeli forces block roads as they take measures after an explosive device detonated near the Dolev settlement in the west of the West Bank city of Ramallah.

09THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019 ASIA

Anthems, sirens to blare across Pakistan for ‘Kashmir Hour’INTERNEWS RAWALPINDI

Pakistan military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor yesterday said that in line with t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’ s announcement to observe ‘Kashmir Hour’ on August 30, the national anthems of Pakistan and Kashmir will be played at noon on the day across the country.

Sirens will also be blared for ‘Kashmir Hour’, said Ghafoor while speaking at a conference held to discuss ceremonies for Defence and Martyrs Day 2019, which would be observed on September 6.

Civil and military leaders from across Pakistan partici-pated in the conference, according to a press release by the Army’s media wing.

While addressing the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced that an event will be held every week to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people, starting with Friday (August 30) between 12pm and 12:30pm.

“They (India) have played their trump card, they don’t have any card to play now. Now whatever needs to be done will be done by us and the world,” he had said, as he took the nation into confidence on the government ’s s t rategy regarding Indian-administered Kashmir.

Ghafoor yesterday appealed to the youth, particularly stu-dents, to take part in the initi-ative, adding that national heroes, people from the enter-tainment industry, and media representatives would be among those showing solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

Speaking about Defence Day, he said Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa will meet the families of the martyrs

and ghazis (victorious), while ceremonies will be held across the country.

He said the slogan “Kashmir banay ga Pakistan (Kashmir will be made a part of Pakistan)” will be featured in the day’s events. The main event at the army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi will not take place in the evening this year; instead, it will take place in the daytime.

Shortly after the statement by ISPR, cricketer Shahid Afridi confirmed his participation in ‘Kashmir Hour’ and called on people to take part.

“Let’s respond to PM call for Kashmir Hour as a nation. I will be at Mazar-e-Quaid (mau-soleum of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah) in Karachi] at 12pm on Friday. Join me to express solidarity with our Kashmiri brethren,” said Afridi on Twitter. “On 6 Sep, I will visit home of a Shaheed. I will soon be visiting LOC.”

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, said that Pakistan will give a “strong message to the world by expressing solidarity with oppressed people of occupied Kashmir on Friday”, Radio Pakistan reported.

She said that people will come out at noon and stand for three minutes to express soli-darity with Kashmiris.

Prime Minister Imran will address the UN General Assembly on September 27 to highlight Indian atrocities in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Schoolchildren take part in a demonstration to protest against India’s decision to strip the disputed Kashmir region of its special autonomy, in Lahore, Pakistan, yesterday.

Modi undermined spirit of bilateralism: FM INTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday blamed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for undermining the spirit of bilateralism, as he condemned India’s actions in Kashmir.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Qureshi said under the bilateral Simla Agreement between the two countries, both Pakistan and India were bound to bilaterally resolve the Kashmir dispute between their two countries.

“Modi should tell the world whether his measures on August 5 were bilateral or unilateral. It is

him who has undermined the spirit of bilateralism,” the foreign minister said.

He said that New Delhi’s uni-lateral action in Indian-adminis-tered Kashmir were in breach of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and interna-tional laws.

Qureshi noted that 14 petitions had been filed in the Indian Supreme Court against the Modi government’s decision to revoke the special status of ‘occupied’ Kashmir. “It is a test of the Indian Supreme Court whether it gives the judgement independently or succumbs to Modi’s pressure,” he added. The foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan will be the voice of the Kashmiri

people before the international community during his address at the UN General Assembly next month. “Our prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings and attend other events in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly session,” he added.

Expressing concern at the clampdown in Indian-adminis-tered Kashmir, Qureshi said the besieged residents were facing shortage of essential commodities including food and life-saving medicines.

Qureshi said that the interna-tional community’s opinion on the Kashmir dispute was changing, particularly after India’s actions on August 5 which thrust the dispute into the limelight.

Imran contacts world leaders on KashmirANATOLIA KARACHI

Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, and Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss the current situation in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region, following India’s withdrawal of the region’s longstanding autonomy earlier this month.

Imran briefed them on the current situation in the Jammu and Kashmir highlighting the “illegal” and “unilateral” steps taken by India to change the status and demographic structure of the disputed region, said a statement.

Highlighting the severe hardships faced by Kashmiris in the face of a massive lockdown, Imran apprised Macron on the worsening situ-ation of basic human rights, safety and security of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been under curfew since 05 August, the statement added. Underlining the impor-tance of resolving all out-standing issues through peaceful means, Macron said that France was closely observing the situation.

The French President also appreciated Pakistan’s positive role in bringing peace in neigh-bouring Afghanistan.

King Adbullah II called for de-escalation in the situation and stressed for peaceful reso-lution of the Kashmir dispute through dialogue.

He said that Jordan would consult other countries on the situation in Kashmir, the statement concluded.

A file photo shows US military advisers working with Afghan soldiers at a military base in Maidan Wardak province, Afghanistan.

14 pro-govt militiamen dead in Taliban attack REUTERS KABUL

Taliban militants killed at least 14 members of a pro-government militia in Afghan-istan yesterday, said officials, as Taliban and US officials near a deal aimed at ending the 18-year war.

Government officials said 14 members of the militia were killed and several civilians were wounded during clashes in the western province of Herat.

Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for Herat police, said the 14 were killed after a large number of Taliban fighters stormed security checkpoints in the Chahardara area.

“At least nine others are wounded in the clashes and the Taliban militants were pushed back after Afghan forces rein-forced the area,” said Walizada.

Taliban officials were not immediately available for a comment.

Despite the talks between the Taliban and the United States, a senior Afghan interior ministry official said government forces along with thousands of pro-government militia members were battling the militants across at least 10 of the country’s 34 provinces.

“The Taliban consider pro-government militia forces a big threat because they have strong intelligence networks, often both sides know each other’s fam-ilies,” said a second senior security official in Kabul, requesting anonymity.

This week, Taliban fighters killed nine pro-government militia members, including a dis-trict commander, Baz Mohammad, in the Jawzjan province in the north, officials said.

The commander’s son is a member of the Taliban in the area, said a relative who is also a provincial council member.

Eight Taliban fighters were also killed in the clashes.

The government, with the support of international forces, has over the years set up militias in the countryside to fight the Taliban, with more than 30,000 villagers paid and armed under the programme, according to security officials.

But in 2017, the government decided to disband the militias and stopped making payments to them.

Their numbers dwindled but many maintained their fight against the Taliban and more recently Islamic State.

Judge sacked midway in court hearing case against Pakistan opposition leaderINTERNEWS LAHORE

The judge of a court in Lahore was shockingly sacked midway yesterday during a court hearing of a case against a senior oppo-sition leader accused of drug trafficking.

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) court judge Masood Arshad stopped the hearing of the case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party’s Senior Vice-Pres-ident and lawmaker Rana Sanaullah (pictured) after learning through a WhatsApp message that he had been repat-riated back to the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Following the development, it emerged that a notification from the Federal Ministry of Law

and Justice, dated August 26, had abruptly recalled three account-ability judges; Masood, judge Mushtaq Ilahi, and judge Naeem Arshad.

All the judges were in charge of cases against Sanaullah and his other two colleagues, party President Shehbaz Sharif, who is also leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, and Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif, who is also senior

vice-president of the party.Judge Arshad was the duty

judge currently presiding over the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case against Maryam and her cousin Yousuf Abbas; the Ramzan Sugar Mills case against Shehbaz Sharif; and money laundering cases against Shehbaz’ sons Hamza and Salman. He had been tasked with hearing these cases as the main judge was on summer holidays.

Judge Ilahi was not hearing any high-profile cases. He, however, was on the benches hearing a number of corruption cases. “I have just received a WhatsApp message. The Lahore High Court has repatriated me. I cannot lend my expertise to this case anymore,” judge Masood Arshad said during the hearing yesterday.

Myanmar to join maritime drills despite sanctionsAFP YANGON

Myanmar’s navy will join maritime drills with the US in Southeast Asia next week, a spokesman said yesterday, in a rare show of military cooper-ation despite Washington slapping sanctions on top army brass over the Rohingya crisis.

The inclusion in the drills does not violate US travel bans against Myanmar’s com-mander-in-chief and three senior figures for overseeing a bloody campaign that drove 740,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh two years ago.

But there are growing calls to further isolate the military, expand sanctions and prosecute senior leadership for genocide against the stateless minority.

The drills come at a time of stepped-up US engagement in the region and tensions between China and several Southeast Asian nations over rival claims in the South China Sea.

“We were invited as part of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for the exercise,” said Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the com-mander-in-chief’s office in Myanmar.

He said the exercise, starting in the Gulf of Thailand on September 2, will focus on crime, piracy and security, and the travel bans were separate issues. “The sanctions imposed were personal and this exercise is a coordination between ASEAN and the US,” he said.

The US State Department said in a media advisory that the drills with the 10 nations of the regional bloc provide an opportunity “to work with all members of ASEAN on shared maritime security priorities in the region.”

Parliament votes to oust Maldives judgeAP MALE, MALDIVES

The Maldives’ Parliament has voted to oust a Supreme Court judge for the first time after an investigation found him guilty of accepting bribes and using his position to gain inappro-priate favours.

72 lawmakers in the 87-member House voted yes-terday in favour of a motion to oust Justice Abdulla Didi fol-lowing the investigation by the Judicial Services Commission.

The commission found Didi guilty of nine charges, including accepting money from people suspected of having embezzled public funds, using his influence to secure a government job for his wife, and accepting bribes to issue specific sentences to politicians.

Didi was nominated to the Supreme Court last year.

Special court seeks details ofMusharraf’s bank accountsINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

A special court formed to hear the high-profile murder case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has summoned 12 branch managers of different banks, along with details of former military ruler General (retired) Pervez Musharraf’s bank accounts, to appear before it on October 7.

Judge Muhammad Asghar Khan, while hearing the case, expressed displeasure over the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) failure to share details of transactions in frozen bank accounts of the former president with the court despite the passage of two years.

While issuing notices to the bank managers, the court

directed them to submit details of the amount withdrawn from the bank accounts, which had been frozen on the court’s orders.

The special court judge also directed the bank managers to apprise the court of reasons behind allowing withdrawal from the frozen accounts and a delay of two years in sharing these details with the court.

The special court has been seeking details of the transac-tions for months now.

On February 15 this year, the FIA had submitted details of Musharraf’s properties in Pakistan. Musharraf is also absconding in the high treason case and the murder case of Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his properties have been confis-cated in these cases as well.

Prime Minister Imran will address the UN General Assembly on September 27 to highlight atrocities in Indian-administered Kashmir.

10 THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019ASIA / EUROPE

Three dead in violent protest in IndonesiaREUTERS JAKARTA

Shooting broke out at a protest in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua yesterday, and police said that one soldier and two protesters had been killed.

Since last week, thousands of people in Papua have pro-tested over perceived ethnic dis-crimination, leading to the torching of a market, a jail and government offices. Separatist conflicts have flared in the region for decades.

Shooting broke out yes-terday when hundreds of pro-testers demonstrated in front of the office of the local regent in the town of Deiyai, local author-ities said.

Papuan police spokesman Ahmad Kamal said in a statement that one soldier had been killed and two protesters had died. He said one of the pro-testers was killed by a bullet and the other by an arrow. He did not say how the soldier died. Five people had been wounded, he said.

“Some civilians were killed,

but there is no certainty as to how many victims there are,” Hengky Pigai, the deputy regent for Deiyai, said. He said a number of wounded were taken to the hospital.

Markus Haluk, a leader of the pro-independence separatist group United Liberation Movement for West Papua, claimed that six had people had died and seven people were shot and injured.

An official Twitter account for the Indonesian Armed forces dismissed an earlier report saying that six people had been killed. “It’s a hoax. Protect the unity on Indonesia,” the Tweet said.

In Jakarta, the capital, national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo dismissed reports of protesters being killed as “a provocation”, but said one soldier was killed and three police officers injured in the clash.

“Security forces are trying to establish order in the area,” he said, adding that only infor-mation from the Papua police was trustworthy.

Two dead as Japan orders 870,000 to flee heavy rainsAFP TOKYO

Two people were confirmed dead yesterday as heavy rains pounded southwest Japan, prompting flood and landslide warnings and orders for 870,000 people to seek safety.

More than a million more people were advised to leave their homes after the coun-try’s weather agency raised the alert to its highest level for parts of northern Kyushu.

The emergency warning is issued “if there is a significant likelihood of catastrophes”.

Officials confirmed two deaths, one in western Saga prefecture where a man was found in a car that had been swept away. A second man died in Fukuoka as he tried to escape from a car trapped in rising floodwaters.

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said a third person, in Saga, was in a state of “cardiorespiratory arrest” — a term usually employed by Japanese officials to indicate a person’s death before it is officially confirmed by a doctor.

“There are many reports of damage in different areas due to flooding of rivers, land-slides, and submerged houses, and there is a possibility of serious damage occurring in the coming hours,” Suga added.

Evacuation orders and advisories issued by local authorities are not mandatory, although officials urge residents to heed them.

For those leaving after such warnings, government shelters are available, and some choose to stay with friends and family as well.

The fire and disaster management agency said it had already received multiple reports of flooded houses in Saga and Nagasaki prefectures.

“We are seeing unprecedented levels of heavy rains in cities where we issued special warnings,” a spokesman for the Japan Mete-orological Agency told reporters.

“It is a situation where you should do your best to protect your lives,” weather agency official Yasushi Kajiwara said.

He also urged those living in areas cur-rently under evacuation advisories to act quickly.

The weather agency issued its highest warning for heavy rain early morning, before downgrading it mid-afternoon.

Still, the agency said heavy rain was likely to continue in western Japan, with high risks of landslides and flooding.

The JMA’s emergency warnings affect areas in Saga, Fukuoka and Nagasaki, where the severe weather has also disrupted transport, forcing the suspension of some train services and some road closures.

Television footage showed rivers swollen

by the rain and parked cars sitting in muddy brown water nearly up to the vehicles’ roofs.

Small landslides have already been reported.

At a station in Saga, stranded passengers sat on benches with water around their ankles.

A woman living near an overflowing river said she had been woken by the sound of heavy rain and a warning alarm on her phone indicating a disaster alert.

“This is very rare. Rice fields and other places are flooded. It’s like a sea,” she told NHK.

Japanese authorities regularly urge people to take evacuation orders seriously, particularly after disastrous heavy rains last summer in Japan’s west killed more than 200 people.

Many of the deaths were blamed on the fact that evacuation orders were issued too late and some people failed to follow them.

An aerial view shows submerged houses and facilities at a flooded area in Takeo, Saga prefecture, southern Japan, yesterday.

Malaysia’s Najibback in court over1MDB graft caseAFP KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysia’s ex-prime minister Najib Razak played a pivotal role in plundering the state’s 1MDB fund and channelled hundreds of millions of dollars into his own bank account, a prosecutor said yesterday at the opening of his most significant graft trial.

Claims that Najib and his cronies pilfered massive sums from the fund and spent it on everything from real estate to artwork contributed to the defeat of his long-ruling coa-lition to a reformist alliance.

After losing power last year, the former prime minister was arrested and hit with dozens of charges related to 1MDB. He is expected to face several trials.

The first started in April but yesterday’s is the biggest, with Najib accused of 21 counts of money-laundering and four of abuse of power, centring on alle-gations that he illicitly obtained 2.28 billion ringgit ($540m) from 1MDB.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur that Najib was a key player in the plunder of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a fund established with the ostensible aim of boosting Malaysia’s

economy. “His objective was to enrich himself,” the prosecutor told the packed courtroom, as he outlined a series of complex financial transactions between 2011 and 2014 he said were used to funnel cash to Najib.

Najib put himself in “sole control” of the fund’s important affairs and used his position “to exert influence over the board of 1MDB to carry out certain abnormal transactions with undue haste”.

Gopal said the former premier was the “mirror image” of fugitive financier Jho Low, who has been charged in both Malaysia and the United States.

“Jho Low and the accused acted as one at all material times,” he said. Low held no official positions at 1MDB but was believed to have exerted huge influence over its operations. Najib also “took active steps to evade justice. He interfered with the course of investigation of this case,” Gopal said.

People taking part in a rally by trade unions after a number of crew members in the aviation industry were let go for joining the anti-extradition bill protests, in Hong Kong, yesterday.

HK protesters denounce Cathay for firingsREUTERS HONG KONG

Hundreds of people protested in Hong Kong yesterday to denounce Cathay Pacific Airways for dismissing crew taking part in or supporting anti-government rallies that have swept the city for weeks.

The Hong Kong Confeder-ation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) switched the protest venue, orig-inally planned to be outside the airline’s airport headquarters, Cathay City, to the central financial district after police refused permission.

The airport was forced to close two weeks ago after pro-testers thronged the arrivals hall for days, grounding about 1,000 flights and occasionally clashing with police.

Cathay was targeted for sacking 20 pilots and cabin crew and what staff have described as “white terror”, a phrase used to describe anonymous acts that create a climate of fear.

“Revoke termination, stop terrorising CX staff,” proclaimed a black banner in English at the protest site where at least 2,000 gathered peacefully. “Uphold our freedom of speech.” CX is airline

code for Cathay. China’s aviation regulator demanded Cathay suspend staff from flying over its airspace if they were involved in, or supported, the demonstra-tions. At least 20 pilots and cabin crew have since been fired, the HKCTU said.

Cathay’s director for cor-porate affairs, James Tong, said the Civil Aviation Administration of China had issued a directive “with regards to new safety and security measures” with which

the airline was bound to comply.“We fully support the

upholding of the Basic Law and all the rights and freedoms afforded by it. At the same time, we are also required to adhere to all of our regulatory duties, including those prescribed by the authorities in mainland China. The airline must do this; there is no ground for compromise.”

The Basic Law is the mini-constitution under which Hong Kong is ruled.

Jets of the Russian Knights aerobatic team perform at an air show to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, yesterday.

Russia denies role in Berlin murder caseAFP/MOSCOW

The Kremlin yesterday denied any involvement in the assas-sination-style killing in a Berlin park of a Georgian who had fought against Russian forces in Chechnya.

Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, 40, was shot dead on Friday after an assassination attempt four years ago led to him fleeing Georgia. German police have arrested a 49-year-old suspect from Russia’s Chechnya republic. “This case has nothing to do with the Russian state or official agencies,” President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“I categorically deny any link between this killing and Russian officials,” he said, adding that the foreign ministry would be better placed to comment on the arrest of a Russian citizen abroad.

3 dead, over 240rescued after Philippine ferry blazeAP/MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Fishing boats and passing ships rescued 245 people from a ferry that burned overnight in choppy waters in the southern Philippines but at least three people perished, including a child, coast guard officials said yesterday.

Survivors described how they feared being killed by either the fire or waves while waiting for hours to be rescued as bright-orange flames engulfed much of the vessel, off Dapitan city in Zamboanga del Norte province.

The fire apparently started in the engine room, coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo said. Despite the damage, the ferry stayed afloat about 3km off Dapitan city, where it was heading from Santander in central Cebu province.

The victims were a one-year-old girl and two male pas-sengers in their 60s, Balilo said.

Some passengers jumped off the ferry in panic when the fire broke out before midnight Tuesday and were rescued by passing vessels.

Wilfredo Castro, a busi-nessman who was rescued, said he and about 30 mostly male fellow passengers allowed a group of the elderly, women and children to be rescued first by a passenger speed boat but when their turn came, the waves grew more dangerous in the darkness.

“The waves were too strong and rescue boats may not be able to find us if we jumped into the sea,” Castro said. After about five hours of frantic waiting in the ferry’s cargo loading bay, one of the parts of the ferry untouched by the flames, he said he and the others decided to go for it and dove into the sea.

They struggled in the strong waves but reached a waiting rescue boat, he said.

“This is my second life,” the 30-year-old businessman said with relief, although he lost a laptop, a camera, a cellphone, clothes and other belongings.

Balilo said the coast guard did not have any patrol ship in the area, so it alerted nearby vessels to help in the rescue.

Romania youth centre staff held over ‘enslaving’ German teensAFP BUCHAREST

Romanian prosecutors yesterday detained several employees of a youth centre over accusations they exploited German teenagers under a social programme designed to help troubled minors, judicial sources said.

At least four minors have been rescued, while eight sus-pects, including a German couple, are under investigation for allegedly detaining children in “slavery-like conditions”.

The German couple in charge of the programme were brought in for questioning, according to a representative of the youth centre who requested anonymity.

Three Romanian employees were also detained, news agency Mediafax said.

According to the local child protection agency, 20 children were at the centre — a remote

farm in northern Romania —when prosecutors searched it on Tuesday along with seven other houses. Four of the children have been placed with the child protection agency, waiting for their parents or other guardians to pick them up, agency spokesman Adrian Mandru said. He could not say where the other 16 are now.

Prosecutors allege that, under the so-called “Projekt Maramures”, children aged between 12 and 18 were forced to “do exhausting physical labour” and treated in “humili-ating and degrading” ways in the farm and in numerous house-holds in the Maramures county village of Viseu de Sus.

The teens were deprived of food, not allowed to study or take their prescription medi-cines, had no contact with the outside world and were targets of “harsh and brutal methods of so-called re-education”, they said.

The former prime minister was arrested last year and hit with dozens of charges related to 1MDB fraud. He is expected to face several trials.

Performance by Russian Knights

11THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019 EUROPE

French ‘cybercops’ break up massive pirate networkAFP PARIS

French police have neutralised a hacking operation that had taken control of more than 850,000 computers, mainly in Latin America, while also managing to remove the malware from the infected devices.

The agents went into action last spring after the Czech anti-virus firm Avast alerted them to the software worm, called Retadup, that was being

controlled by a server in the Paris region.

The C3N cybercrime unit at the French gendarmerie, which carried out the counterattack with help from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, called it a “world first” in a statement late Tuesday.

“It’s a huge operation” given the number of computers infected, said Gerome Billois, a cybersecurity expert at the French IT services firm Wavestone.

Police first made a copy of

the server orchestrating the attack, which allowed them to then hack into it and surrepti-tiously take control.

They then ordered all the infected computers to uninstall the Retadup malware, which police said was allowing the pirates to create the Monero cryptocurrency.

Retadup is also suspected of being used in several ran-somware attacks and data thefts, the gendarmerie said.

“Don’t click on links if you’re not sure who sent you the email,”

Colonel Jean-Dominique Nollet, head of the C3N unit, told France Inter radio.

“Don’t click on attachments either, and use up-to-date anti-virus programmes, even free ones,” Nollet said. “And try not to do anything stupid on the Internet.”

According to Avast, nearly 85 percent of the infected com-puters did not have antivirus programmes, while others had them but they had been deactivated.

Ukraine frees jailed Russian journalistREUTERS KIEV

A court in Ukraine ordered jailed Russian journalist Kirill Vyshinsky (pictured) to be freed on bail and released from custody, as Moscow and Kiev hold behind-the-scenes talks on a possible prisoner swap.

Vyshinsky, the head of Rus-sia’s state-backed RIA Novosti news agency in Ukraine, was arrested last year and accused of supporting pro-Russian sep-aratists. Vyshinsky faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted of the charges.

The Kremlin said that Moscow welcomed the move to release Vyshinsky but declined to comment on the possibility of a reciprocal gesture by Moscow or plans for a prisoner swap.

Ukraine’s President

Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last month that Kiev could release Vyshinsky if Moscow released Oleg Sentsov, a native of Crimea who opposed the peninsula’s annexation by Moscow and who was jailed in 2015 on terrorism charges.

Ukrainian forces have been

battling pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine since 2014, in a conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives. Sporadic fighting continues despite the ceasefire agreement.

Russia is holding dozens of Ukrainian captives from the con-flict as well as 24 navy sailors who were captured by the Russian Navy off the coast of Crimea last year.

Russia has said the case against Vyshinsky was a trumped up and politically moti-vated attack on Russian media in Ukraine.

A senior Ukrainian official said last month that Ukraine and Russia had agreed a prisoner swap, but gave no exact date for the exchange and said prepar-atory procedures could take several months.

Spanish children get ‘werewolf syndrome’ in medicine mix-upAFP MADRID

At least 17 children developed s o - c a l l e d “ w e r e w o l f syndrome” in a major medicine mix-up in Spain, the health ministry said.

They are suffering from the rare condition known as hypertrichosis that causes abnormal hair growth.

The alert was given in June after parents started noticing their kids — some of them babies —were growing hair all over their body after taking what they thought was ome-prazole, a drug that helps with gastric reflux.

After investigating, author-ities discovered the drugs they took actually contained minoxidil, a medication used for the treatment of hair loss.

Health Minister Maria Luisa Carcedo said they found that the bad batches came from a laboratory that had “put this medication (minoxidil) in a container that was marked omeprazole” and distributed it to pharmacies as such.

It is unclear how the lab-oratory FarmaQuimica Sur, a supplier of active ingredients and pharmaceuticals based in the southern city of Malaga, made the mistake.

A health ministry

spokesman said that 17 children had so far been affected in the northern region of Cantabria, Andalusia in the south and Valencia in the east.

In a statement, the ministry said the condition was expected to reverse after the children stopped taking the drug, which has been with-drawn from the market.

Carcedo said the labo-ratory had been closed as a precaution.

A spokeswoman for Anda-lusia’s health department said that the four affected children in the southern region — three babies and a seven-year-old — were doing well.

Democratic Party leadership members Nicola Zingaretti (centre); Andrea Marcucci; Graziano Delrio; Paolo Gentiloni and Paola De Micheli during a press conference at the Presidential Palace, in Rome, yesterday.

Italy opposition ready for cabinet deal with 5-StarREUTERS ROME

Opposition leader Nicola Zinga-retti told Italy’s president yesterday that his Democratic Party (PD) was ready to try to form a government with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.

Speaking after talks with President Sergio Mattarella, Zin-garetti told reporters his party was also ready to accept the 5-Star candidate for prime min-ister — the current premier Giuseppe Conte.

“We love Italy and we con-sider it worthwhile to try this experience,” said Zingaretti. “In difficult times like these,

shunning our responsibility to have the courage to try this is something we cannot afford.”

The two parties have been inching towards forming an coa-lition despite years of mutual hostility, as they sought to avoid snap elections that could favour the hard-right League party.

Its leader Matteo Salvini col-lapsed the previous coalition alliance with 5-Star earlier this month after prolonged infighting.

The prospect of a new gov-ernment led by Conte, an aca-demic who has no political affil-iation but is considered close to the 5-Star, has buoyed markets, which are betting that Italy will avoid snap elections.

Trump adviser Bolton stresses Ukraine’s ‘territorial integrity’AFP KIEV

White House national security advisor John Bolton yesterday stressed US commitment to Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” during talks with the country’s new president, part of a regional tour in Russia’s traditional field of influence.

The security advisor said that he would travel on to Moldova and then to Belarus, becoming the highest level US representative in years to visit the repressive ex-Soviet nation.

Bolton praised the “pro-ductive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and underlined the “US com-mitment to Ukrainian

sovereignty and territorial integrity” during the talks with top Kiev officials, he told jour-nalists during a briefing.

He also raised the prospect of Zelensky meeting US Pres-ident Donald Trump at an event in Warsaw this weekend to mark 80 years since the Nazi invasion of Poland.

Bolton’s visit came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France would hold peace talks on the conflict in eastern Ukraine next month.

Ukraine has been locked in conflict with Russia-backed sep-aratists since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, a move the international community refuses to recognise.

Swedish activist sails across Atlantic to attend climate meetingAP NEW YORK

A 16-year-old Swedish climate activist who crossed the Atlantic in a zero-emissions sailboat anchored in waters off New York City on Wednesday as she prepared to land at a downtown marina.

Greta Thunberg and her crew were expected to arrive in lower Manhattan in mid-afternoon after a two-week trans-Atlantic crossing from Plymouth, England.

As she approached New York’s harbor before dawn, Thunberg tweeted her excitement, saying “Land!! The lights of Long Island and New York City ahead.”

The teenager refused to fly to avoid a plane’s carbon emis-sions. The sailboat’s onboard electronics are powered by solar panels and underwater turbines.

Thunberg has become a symbol of a growing movement of young climate activists. Action against climate change was a theme of weekly protests she’s led in Sweden that inspired student strikes in about 100 cities worldwide.

Thunberg is in New York to attend a global warming conference.

Next month, she’s planning to speak at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, joining world leaders who will present plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The boat carrying Thunberg, The Malizia II, encountered rough seas that slowed it down for a day.

Outrage as Johnson set to suspend ParliamentREUTERS LONDON

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will suspend Britain’s parliament for more than a month before Brexit, enraging opponents and raising the stakes in the country’s most serious political crisis in decades.

Cheered on by US President Donald Trump, Johnson launched his boldest move yet to take the country out of the European Union by October 31 with or without a divorce deal, by setting a new date for a state opening of parliament.

Known as the Queen’s Speech, the formal event will be held on October 14 and be pre-ceded by a suspension of the House of Commons, meaning parliament will not sit between m i d - S e p t e m b e r a n d mid-October.

The move, which had to be approved by Queen Elizabeth, limits the time opponents have to derail a disorderly Brexit, but also increases the chance that Johnson could face a vote of no-confidence in his government, and possibly an election.

It also risks dragging the 93-year-old, politically neutral queen into the dispute. So incenced were leaders of the

opposition parties by Johnson’s plan that several have written to the monarch asking for a meeting to express their concern.

The queen acts on the advice of her prime minister. Her office declined to comment. Her speech at the opening of parliament is written by the government, out-lining its plans for legislation.

“There will be ample time in parliament for MPs (members of parliament) to debate the EU, to debate Brexit and all the other issues, ample time,” Johnson told reporters.

Asked if he was trying to block MPs from delaying Brit-ain’s EU departure, he replied: “That is completely untrue.”

While suspending parliament ahead of a Queen’s Speech is the historical norm in Britain, the decision to limit parliamentary scrutiny weeks before the coun-try’s most contentious policy decision in decades prompted an immediate outcry.

“Make no mistake, this is a very British coup,” John

McDonnell, the second most powerful man in the opposition Labour Party, said. More than half a million people signed an online petition to object and the pound fell sharply.

Cries of “Shame on You” and “Stop the Coup” could be heard from inside the walls of the par-liamentary estate, as a couple of hundred protesters gathered near the bank of the River Thames to wave EU flags and show their disgust.

In a sign that Johnson’s move had marked a significant esca-lation in the long-running dispute, a group of cross-party lawmakers sought a legal injunction and the speaker of parliament said the nation’s democratic process was at risk.

The Church of England said a chaotic Brexit would hurt the poor and further damage a frac-tured nation.

But Johnson’s gamble was welcomed by Brexiteers, including Trump, an early backer of Britain’s departure from the

EU, who said “Boris is exactly what the UK has been looking for, & will prove to be ‘a great one!’ Love UK.”

A spokeswoman for the European Commission, when asked about the British sus-pension of parliament, said it was a matter for Britain to answer.

On Tuesday, the leaders of Britain’s opposition parties had agreed to seek to use parlia-mentary procedure to force Johnson to ask Brussels for a delay to Brexit beyond October 31. They may now try to bring him down.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would call a no-confidence vote when the time was right.

With Johnson holding a working majority of just one seat in the 650-seat parliament, members of his party who oppose a no-deal Brexit will have to decide where their loyalties lie.

The pro-EU Conservative Party lawmaker Dominic Grieve said he would find it difficult to “keep confidence in the gov-ernment” in the circumstances while Philip Hammond, a former finance minister, said pro-EU

politicians needed to act now.In a sign of the pressure

building across the political system, media reports said Ruth Davidson, who led a resurgence for the Conservatives in Scotland, had decided to quit.

The BBC said her resignation, expected to be announced on Thursday, was not sparked by the suspension but had been coming for several months due to family pressures and disagree-ments with Johnson’s approach. She sits in the Scottish par-liament in Edinburgh and not Westminster.

Anti-Brexit protesters holding a placard outside the Houses of the Parliament in London, yesterday.

The move limits the time opponents have to derail a disorderly Brexit, but also increases the chance that Johnson could face a vote of no-confidence in his government, and possibly an election.

12 THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2019AMERICAS

Trump lashes out at Puerto Rico ahead of storm REUTERS WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump called Puerto Rico “one of the most corrupt places on earth” as the US territory prepared for a hit by Tropical Storm Dorian, which brought back memories on the island of devastation from hurri-canes two years ago.

Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover from back-to-back hurricanes in 2017, which killed about 3,000 people just months after it filed for bankruptcy.

Dorian was bearing down on Puerto Rico from the southeast and was expected to become a hurricane soon as it barrels towards Florida, which it could hit as a major hurricane.

After approving an emer-gency declaration for Puerto Rico late on Tuesday, Trump took a swipe at the US territory in a tweet yesterday morning.

“Puerto Rico is one of the

most corrupt places on earth. Their political system is broken and their politicians are either Incompetent or Corrupt. Con-gress approved Billions of Dollars last time, more than anyplace else has ever gotten. No good!” Trump wrote.

Trump has a history of dis-putes with Puerto Rico’s leaders. He was heavily criticised for a tepid response to the 2017 hur-ricanes that battered Puerto Rico.

This week, Democrats in the US Congress also slammed him for shifting $271m earmarked for disaster aid and cyber security to pay for detention facilities and courts for migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border.

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Dem-ocrat, on Tuesday described the shift as “stealing from appro-priated funds.”

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian was blowing maximum

sustained winds of 110kph about 25 miles southeast of the island of St. Croix yesterday morning.

“Dorian is forecast to be near hurricane strength when it approaches the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,” the NHC said.

Puerto Rican officials warned that the eastern part of the island should brace for par-ticularly heavy rains.

“We are better prepared than when Hurricane Maria attacked our island,” Puerto Rico

Governor Wanda Vazquez said on Tuesday.

Vazquez, who took office this month after political turmoil led to the resignation of her prede-cessor, said preparations for the storm were more than 90% complete.

Infrastructure ranging from electric power lines to telecom-munications and banking net-works were in better shape than they had been in 2017, she added.

Two years ago, Puerto Rico

was recovering from Hurricane Irma when Hurricane Maria struck in September 2017, destroying roads and bridges and leaving much of the Caribbean island without electricity for months.

The US response to Maria became highly politicised as the Trump administration was crit-icised as being slow to recognize the extent of the devastation and in providing disaster relief to Puerto Rico.

US authorities probe deaths at veterans hospitalREUTERS WASHINGTON

US authorities are investigating suspicious deaths at a veterans hospital in West Virginia, the Veterans Affairs department said, and a US senator said the probe may involve up to 11 deaths.

Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said there was a “person of interest” in the investigation of as many as 11 deaths, and that VA officials

assured him this person “is no longer in contact with veterans at the VA facility.”

“These crimes shock the con-science and I’m still appalled they were not only committed but that our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our country, were the victims,” Manchin said.

A hospital spokesman, Wesley Walls, confirmed the allegations “do not involve any current Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center employees,” and

that “safeguards” to ensure patient safety have since been implemented.

The facility contacted the VA inspector general when it learned of the allegations, and notified Manchin’s staff and the staffs of other lawmakers a year ago, Walls said in an email.

USA Today said a federal medical examiner had con-ducted an autopsy on the exhumed body of Felix Kirk McDermott. The 82-year-old man died last year from an

insulin injection into his abdomen - which can be lethal to someone who is not a diabetic, the newspaper said.

McDermott suffered from a number of ailments, including dementia and heart disease, and was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, the paper said, adding his condition had been improving at the time of his death.

His death certificate now lists his cause of death as a homicide, USA Today and other media reported.

Mexico arson attack leaves 26 deadREUTERS COATZACOALCOS

At least 26 people were killed in an arson attack by suspected gang members on a club in the southern Mexican port of Coatzacoalcos late on Tuesday, authorities said, in a fresh blow to the government’s efforts to curb violence.

Calling the attack “hor-rendous,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador yes-terday said at a regular news briefing that the deaths occurred after the suspected gangsters closed the emergency exits of the bar in Coatzacoalcos and set fire to it.

The attorney-general’s office of the state of Veracruz said in a statement that ten women and 16 men died in the “Caballo Blanco” club, while another 11 people who were injured were being treated at nearby hospitals.

Meanwhile, Veracruz state governor Cuitlahuac Garcia suggested in a post on Twitter that the attack was the result of a dispute between local gangs.

Veracruz, a major transit point for drugs making their way north towards the US border, has long been con-vulsed by violent turf wars between organised crime groups.

While saying he did not want to blame previous govern-ments, Lopez Obrador never-theless pointed to past policies for laying the groundwork for the crime.

“This is the rotten fruit of the economic policy that was imposed, the policy of pillage,” the president said.

Workers preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Dorian in Humacao, Puerto Rico yesterday.

Bolsonaro fuels spat with Macron over Amazon firesAFP PORTO VELHO

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro yesterday repeated a demand for French leader Emmanuel Macron to withdraw recent remarks, as he accused France and Germany of “buying” the Latin American country’s sovereignty with Amazon fire aid.

Bolsonaro’s latest comments come amid an escalating diplomatic spat between Brazil and Europe that threatens to torpedo a major trade deal. They also throw into doubt whether Brazil is still willing to accept the G7’s offer of $20m to help combat fires raging in the world’s largest rainforest.

Far-right Bolsonaro said on Tuesday morning he was open to discussing the G7’s offer only if Macron retracted his “insults” against him.

But by evening Bolsonaro appeared to have changed his tune and dropped the demand, with his spokesman telling reporters that Brazil would accept foreign aid on the condition that it controlled the money.

“Only after he withdraws what he said... we can talk again,” Bolsonaro said yesterday after holding talks with Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera on the growing Amazon crisis.

“Germany and in particular France

are buying our sovereignty,” Bolsonaro said.

“It seems that $20m is our price. Brazil doesn’t have a price of 20 million or 20 trillion — it’s the same thing for us.”

Bolsonaro said Brazil would accept bilateral aid to fight the fires, raising doubts over whether the country would take up the G7’s offer.

Macron and Bolsonaro have repeatedly locked horns in the past week, with the French leader accusing Bolsonaro of lying to him about his commitments on climate change and vowing to block the EU-Mercosur trade deal involving Brazil that took decades to negotiate.

On Monday, Macron rebuked the “extraordinarily rude” Bolsonaro after the Brazilian leader personally expressed approval for a Facebook post implying that Brigitte Macron was not as attractive as his own first lady, Michelle Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro has hit back, accusing Macron of treating Brazil like “a colony or no-man’s land.”

Brazil’s Vice President Hamilton Mourao also weighed in publicly for the first time on the growing row.

In an opinion piece published in the conservative Estado de S. Paulo news-paper, Mourao slammed an “international campaign” against Brazil and declared the forest belongs to Brazil.

“Brazil does not lie and nor does its president, its government and its institu-tions,” Mourao said, in an apparent ref-erence to Macron’s accusation against Bolsonaro.

“Leaders of European countries come, individually or together, to take initiatives against free trade, looking to sabotage his-toric agreements like that signed between the European Union and Mercosur.”

Bolsonaro’s remarks come as the latest official figures show 1,044 new fires were started Monday and Tuesday, taking the total this year to 83,329 — the highest since at least 2013 — even as military air-

craft and troops help battle the blazes. More than half of the fires are in the

massive Amazon basin. In the hard-hit northwestern state of

Rondonia, thick smoke has choked the capital Porto Velho as fires blacken swaths of the rainforest.

But the defense ministry insists the fires are under control.

Nearly 2,500 troops and 15 aircraft, including two C-130 Hercules, have been deployed, according to the defense min-istry, which has published satellite data it says show a reduction in the number of fires in the nine states spanning the Amazon.

El Paso gunman says AK-style gun from RomaniaAP EL PASO

The suspected gunman in the El Paso mass shooting earlier this month told police that the AK-style gun he used in the attack came from Romania.

The Texas Tribune reported that 21-year-old Patrick Crusius told police he ordered the weapon online before picking it up at a gun store near his home in suburban Dallas. The Tribune cites a document from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The Department of Public Safety report also says the suspect told police he bought the ammunition from Russia.

Authorities are investi-gating the August 3 shooting at a busy Walmart as domestic terrorism targeting Mexicans.

Border Patrol agent pleads guilty to hitting migrantAP SAN DIEGO

A Border Patrol agent in Cali-fornia has pleaded guilty to hitting a migrant in the face and has agreed to resign.

The San Diego Union-Tribune says Jason McGilvray entered the plea in San Diego federal court to a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under the color of law.

He was sentenced to a year of probation.

McGilvray, who worked in Calexico, said in a plea agreement that in February he detained a migrant who had tried to illegally enter the US by jumping a border fence.McGilvray struck the migrant in the face after he was in custody.

Bitter political divisions threaten US society: MattisAP WASHINGTON

Former Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is warning of bitter political divisions that threaten American society, echoing themes he often cited before he resigned from the Trump admin-istration in protest.

The retired Marine general, who quit in December 2018 amid policy disagreements with Pres-ident Donald Trump, said he is concerned about the state of American politics and the admin-istration’s treatment of allies.

“We all know that we’re

better than our current politics,” Mattis wrote in an essay adapted from his new book and published in The Wall Street Journal.

“Tribalism must not be allowed to destroy our experiment” in democracy.

Mattis said the problem is made worse by this administra-tion’s disregard for the enduring value of allies, which he alluded to in the resignation letter he gave Trump on December 20.

“Nations with allies thrive,” he wrote in the Journal essay, “and those without them wither. Alone, America cannot protect our people and our economy. At this time, we can see storm clouds gathering.”

In an apparent reference to Trump, Mattis added, “A

polemicist’s role is not sufficient for a leader. A leader must display strategic acumen that incorporates respect for those nations that have stood with us when trouble loomed.”

Mattis is breaking months of public silence as he promotes his new book, “Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead,” which is scheduled to be published Sept. 3. Next week, he is to discuss the book in an appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Without citing Trump by name, Mattis suggested that the administration and its strongest

critics are engaged in destructive politics.

“We all know that we’re better than our current politics,” he wrote. “Unlike in the past, where we were unified and drew in allies, currently our own commons seems to be breaking apart.”

Mattis said he worries more about internal divisions in American society than about external threats. “We are dividing into hostile tribes cheering against each other, fueled by emotion and a mutual disdain that jeopardizes our future, instead of rediscovering our

common ground and finding solutions.”

Regarding his reasons for leaving the Trump administration, Mattis offered a slightly more pointed explanation than he out-lined in his resignation letter.

“When my concrete solutions and strategic advice, especially keeping faith with our allies, no longer resonated, it was time to resign, despite the limitless joy I felt serving alongside our troops in defense of our Constitution,” he wrote.

Mattis resigned shortly after Trump announced he was pulling all US troops from Syria.

Nations with allies thrive and those without them wither. Alone, America cannot protect our people and our economy: James Mattis

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro (left) and Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera heading for a meeting at Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, yesterday.