Volume 24 | Number 8002 | 2 RiyalsMonday 2 September 2019 | 3 Muharram 1441 www.thepeninsula.qa

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BUSINESS | 01 SPORT | 12

'Busy' Qatar get set for Afghanistan clash

Qatar can emerge as most

preferred seat of arbitration

Amir receives invitation to attend Kuala Lumpur Summit

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a written message from the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohamad, inviting H H the Amir to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit, which will be held in Malaysia from December 18-21. The message was delivered by Foreign Minister of Malaysia, Saifuddin bin Abdullah, when H H the Amir met him at the Amiri Diwan yesterday morning.

Qatar Visa Center to open in Manila this month: OfficialSIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

To simplify employment visa procedures and protect workers’ rights, a new Qatar Visa Center (QVC) will be opened in Manila, Philippines, this month, said senior official of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.

“We are gearing up to open a new Qatar Visa Center in Phil-ippines this month in Manila. After that the second phase of the initiative will start and new offices will be opened in Ethiopia, Morocco, Tunisia and Kenya,” said Mohamed Ali Al Meer, Representative of the Min-istry of Administrative Devel-opment, Labour and Social Affairs at the QVC.

Biometric data processing, medical examinations and signing employment contract are the key services that are provided

by Qatar Visa Centers abroad.“The procedures do not

exceed 24 to 48 hours, which saved the effort and time for management and workers. As well as it safeguards the rights of employers because in the past the worker came to Qatar and then medical tests were conducted and in case of failure in medical tests, employer used to bear significant financial losses.

“But now we have overcome this issue by conducting medical tests in respective countries of workers,” he added while speaking to a local TV channel.

A number of visa centers have been opened in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka which enable government, semi-government institutions, private companies from Qatar and recruitment agencies from those countries to complete work visa procedures through a single window ensuring a

simplified and quick process.Al Meer said that the Min-

istry has classified the recruitment agencies which are eligible to avail services from QVCs abroad.

“The agencies must follow the laws which include absence of complaints against them, timely payment of wages, data updating and quick response to the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs in case of any complaints from workers.

He said that the recruitment agencies which do not comply with these requirements are not allowed to benefit from the services of QVCs.

Regarding awareness drives for migrant workers on their rights, he pointed out that several awareness campaigns had been carried out for the workers abroad. “We also visit and inspect recruitment agencies,” he added.

HIA’s ‘Summer in Qatar’ engaged over 7 million passengersTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Hamad International Airport’s (HIA) ‘Summer in Qatar’ programme, which ran from July to August, engaged more than seven million passengers in the award-winning terminal.

During the summer peak season, HIA focused its efforts on making travel as dynamic, inter-active and entertaining as possible having partnered with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), Qatar Airways (QR), and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) to deliver the biggest ‘Summer in Qatar’ programme yet.

‘Summer in Qatar’ at HIA fea-tured a heritage zone, which engaged passengers from all over the world through more than 260 hours of cul-tural and traditional performances. The performances included a ‘Tra-ditional Costume Op’ which allowed

travellers to try on traditional Qatari costumes, with these cherished memories captured on Polaroid photos given to the passengers. The heritage zone also included Qatari traditional dance performances (Fraisa) and a calligraphy artist who wrote passengers’ names in tradi-tional Arabic calligraphy and gifted them to the passengers.

Other handicraft activities under the heritage zone included a Henna body art activation and a netmaker. Travellers also enjoyed Qatari hospitality by visiting the Gahwa (Arabic coffee) and dates section.

Another popular activation area during the festival was the kids’ zone which provided kids with a variety of games such as a giant Lego experience and a painting wall where they were able to play while waiting for their flights. �P3Roaming performers during HIA's ‘Summer in Qatar’ programme.

Visa on arrival for Qatari citizens in IranQNA DOHA

The authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran have decided to grant holders of Qatari pass-ports tourist visas upon arrival at Iranian airports, an official source at the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Consular Affairs said.

The source added that Qatari nationals can obtain a single or multiple-entry visa by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Doha, to avoid occa-sional delays at the arrival airport in case of crowding of passengers at the visa office at the airport.

Drive launchedto crack down on unlicensed nurseries

SANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs yesterday launched three-month-long campaign to curb the practice of unlicensed nurseries and check the viola-tions of licensed nurseries in the country with the help of coun-trywide awareness programmes and inspections drives.

The campaign which started yesterday will continue until December 1, 2019. Addressing the press conference on the launch of the countrywide campaign, Najat Daham Al Abdullah, Director of Family Affairs Department at the Ministry said that the campaign ‘Ayalak Amanah’ (Your Children Entrusted to Your Care )aims at curbing the practice of unlicensed nurseries, educating the targeted people about the impact of erring nurseries on their children and cre-ating awareness among them about the law for regulating nurseries.

She said that unlicensed nurseries are prime target of the campaign followed by the indi-viduals especially parents.

Speaking about the role of the Ministry about regulating nurseries, Al Abdullah said: “The Ministry is the only authority to issue licenses for building nurs-eries and monitoring them. The law for regulating nurseries stip-ulates double punishment — hefty fine and jail sentence — for establishing and running nurs-eries without proper licenses.”

Regarding the monitoring of nurseries, she said that inspection campaigns are regularly launched on monthly basis to ensure that the nurseries are complying with legal require-ments and rules, and staff are qualified to care the children.

“We have female inspectors armed with judicial power con-ducting inspection campaigns and we have chosen the female because all the nursery workers are women.” �P4

‘Ayalak Amanah’ aims at curbing the practice of unlicensed nurseries, educating the targeted people about the impact of erring nurseries on their children and creating awareness among them about the law for regulating nurseries.

Hezbollah, Israel exchange fire at Lebanon borderAFP KIRYAT SHMONA

Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire along the Lebanese border yesterday after a week of rising tensions, sparking fears of an escalation and prompting UN calls for restraint.

There were no casualties reported and the violence sub-sided in the early evening.

Israel said it responded with around 100 artillery shells after Hezbollah fired two or three anti-tank missiles at a battalion headquarters and military ambulance, hitting both.

After the exchange of fire began, Lebanon’s Prime Min-ister Saad Hariri contacted senior US and French officials to urge their countries and the international community to intervene.

France’s foreign ministry later said it was engaged in “multiple contacts” aimed at averting an escalation.

The head of the UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon called for “maximum restraint”.

Amir holds telephone talk with Jordan KingQNA DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held yesterday a telephone conversation with King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

During the call, they reviewed the strong brotherly

relations between the two countries and ways of boosting them for the benefit of the two countries and brotherly peoples, in addition to discussing a number of topics of common interest.

The King invited H H the Amir to visit Jordan, and His Highness welcomed the invitation.

02 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019HOME

Amir sends

congratulations to

King of Malaysia

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al

Thani and Deputy Amir

H H Sheikh Abdullah bin

Hamad Al Thani sent

yesterday cables of con-

gratulations to Sultan

Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al

Mustafa Billah Shah, King of

Malaysia, on the occasion of

his country’s Independence

Day. QNA

OFFICIAL NEWS

Amir congratulates

Uzbekistan President

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani

sent cables of congratu-

lations to the President of

Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirzi-

yoyev, on the occasion of

the anniversary of coun-

try’s Independence Day. The

Prime Minister and Interior

Minister, H E Sheikh Abdul-

lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa

Al Thani, also sent mes-

sage to the Prime Minister of

Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov.

Amir sends cable to

Kyrgyzstan President

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani

sent yesterday cables of

congratulations to the Presi-

dent of the Kyrgyz Republic,

Sooronbay Jeenbekov, on the

anniversary of his country’s

Independence Day. The Prime

Minister and Interior Minis-

ter, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin

Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani,

also sent message to the

Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz

Republic, Mukhammedkalyi

Abylgaziev. QNA

Amir greets

President of the

Slovak Republic

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani

sent yesterday cables of

congratulations to the Pres-

ident of the Slovak Republic,

Zuzana Caputova, on the

anniversary of her coun-

try’s Constitution Day. The

Prime Minister and Interior

Minister, H E Sheikh Abdul-

lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa

Al Thani, also sent message

to the Prime Minister of the

Slovak Republic, Peter Pel-

legrini. QNA

Amir greets President

of Trinidad and Tobago

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani

sent yesterday cables of

congratulations to the Presi-

dent of Trinidad and Tobago,

Paula-Mae Weekes, on the

anniversary of her coun-

try’s Independence Day. The

Prime Minister and Interior

Minister, H E Sheikh Abdul-

lah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al

Thani, also sent message to

Prime Minister of Trinidad and

Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley. QNA

Qatar condemns

shooting in Texas

DOHA: Qatar expressed its

strong condemnation and

denunciation of the shooting

incidents in the cities of Mid-

land and Odessa, in the state

of Texas, USA. The Ministry

of Foreign Affairs reiterated

Qatar’s firm position on reject-

ing violence, terrorism and

criminal acts, whatever the

motives and reasons. The

statement expressed Qatar’s

condolences to the families of

the victims, government and

people of the US and wished

the wounded a speedy recov-

ery. QNA

FM meets Malaysian counterpart

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met yesterday with the Foreign Minister of Malaysia, Saifuddin bin Abdullah, who is on an official visit to Qatar. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral cooperation relations, in addition to topics of common interest.

Regional conference on cultural diversitystarts today; global experts to attendTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The regional conference on Cultural Diversity, under the theme ‘Culture: Bridges of Dialogue and Understanding’, will kick off today at Qatar National Museum under the patronage of H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports.

The two-day conference is organised by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Asian Cooperation Dia-logue (ACD) and will be held with the par-ticipation of senior officials and repre-sentatives of ACD countries.

H E the Minister of Culture and Sports and the Secretary-General of ACD, Bundit Limschoon, will address the opening session at Darwish Al Far Theater.

The first session of the event will witness discussion on cultural diversity and its impact on Asian societies and will be moderated by Dr. Majid Al Ansari and Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, former min-ister of foreign affairs of Malaysia, will speaks about the diversity of peoples and

cultural diversity in a country. While Khosro Sahibzadeh, Ambas-

sador of Tajikistan, will discuss the impacts of cultural diversity; and Fatima Al Rumaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, will speak about cultural Diversity in Asia.

The second session on experiences of Asian countries in cultural diversity will be chaired by Dr. Majid Al Ansari, and Seiichi Otsuka, Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, will underline his country’s expe-rience. It will be followed by a presen-tation by Aisha Al Attiyah, Head of Cul-tural Years at Qatar Museums, on the experience of the State of Qatar and Aisha Al Darmaki, Chairman of the Cultural Club

of the Sultanate of Oman, will highlight experience of the Sultanate of Oman.

On the second day, Dr. Jassim Sultan will moderate the first session on “Com-munication and Rapprochement among the Cultures of Asian Countries: Principles and Tools”.

Professor Abdul Nasser Al Yafei will speak on cultural diversity, human rights and promoting community cohesion and Dr. Maha Mishari Al Sajari Director of the Center for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, will speak on culture as an eco-nomic resource that stimulates creativity and innovation.

While Dr. Karim Mohamed Darwish, Head of the of Arabic Language Tech-nology team at Qatar Computing Research Institute, will speak at the same session on the role of technology in promoting cultural dialogue and enhancing understanding between people.

Dr. Yeh Liang Ying, Associate Pro-fessor at the University of Foreign Studies in Beijing, will present “Dialogue between Chinese and Arab civilizations”: its foundation, achievements and

prospective. The second session of day two will be on “Communication and Rapprochement among Asian Cultures: Changes and Impacts”.

Maha Al Mansouri, CEO of Mada Center will be the first presenter on “impact of changes driven by infor-mation technology on cultural diversity”. It will be followed by Dr. Mohammed Al Mukhtar Al Khalil, Director of Al Jazeera Center for Studies, on ‘media awareness and increasing the ability of media users to evaluate contents critically’.

Turan Kaslakci, Director General of TRT Arabic TV in Turkey, will underline “Cultural Diplomacy in Societies; from Formal to Informal”, Abdullatif KC, the head of the Indian community in Qatar, will conclude the session with discussion on “diversity of communication means between traditional and technology for cultural dialogue”.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports put much emphasis on the importance of the conference, which comes to strengthen the role of the State of Qatar as a reliable partner at the international level at the time it is chairing ACD.

FROM LEFT: Aisha Al Attiyah, Head of Cultural Years at Qatar Museums; Aisha Al Darmaki, Chairman of the Cultural Club of the Sultanate of Oman; Khosro Sahibzadeh, Ambassador of Tajikistan; Seiichi Otsuka, Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, and Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, former minister of foreign affairs of Malaysia.

The Minister of Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali and the Secretary-General of ACD, Bundit Limschoon, will address the opening session at Darwish Al Far Theater.

Justice Ministry qualifies Qatari legal trainersQNA DOHA

The Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Ministry of Justice yesterday resumed the legal and judicial training programme for 2019 after the summer vacation.

About 73 trainees will benefit from the training pro-gramme divided into four groups, two for men and two for women. The second phase of the training programme will see the organisation of a number of spe-cialised courses in order to achieve the general and detailed goals and objectives of each course for which the guide has been drafted, in particular to provide members of legal courses with the necessary legal skills, in terms of legal writing skills, legal analysis, legal con-versation, and legal work.

The centre started its training programme by organ-ising a specialised course for a number of researchers and legal specialists aimed at preparing legal trainers and developing their skills in the field of prac-tical training in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 in building and qualifying human resources.

Participants will be briefed on several axes, including famil-iarizing themselves with the basic concepts and objectives of training and preparing partici-pants in the course to become trained to a degree that qualifies them to undertake training work in various legal disciplines.

During the course, partici-pants will be provided with the knowledge and skills that enable them to prepare, implement and evaluate the training program.

They will also be provided with the necessary knowledge to design programs and prepare the training package, including training needs, develop training program objectives, choose training methods and methods, and evaluate the effectiveness of training programs.

To achieve these goals, the curriculum of the course is designed to include several axes including theories of training and learning, training methods, skills of the trainer, programme design and stages of preparation and construction of the training bag. The programme will also include practical applications dealing with the art of using b o d y l a n g u a g e a n d communication.

Wrong sitting posture and heavy school bags injurious to healthFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

The number of young patients visiting Orthopedic Clinics at the Hamad General Hospital (HGH) for back, neck and shoulder pain has increased recently.

Most of them have developed complications due to wrong use of backpacks, fol-lowing wrong sitting posture and less physical activity, said Dr. Omar Alnori (pictured) of Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at HGH.

“More young patients are coming to our clinics com-plaining of back, neck and shoulder pain. Some even develop more complicated spine problems at young age. Such pain is common among older people but now we see even at young as 20 or less,” he said.

According to Dr. Alnori some patients are present with functional scoliosis and have mechanical back pain. Func-tional scoliosis is when the spine appears to be curved, but the apparent curvature is actually the result of an irregularity else-where in the body.

“To reduce back, neck, shoulder pain and related com-plications at the early age, children should be encouraged to do more sport activities and follow correct practices while using backpacks and sit on right position,” he added.

A safe backpack weight should be within 10 or 15 percent of the child’s weight.

“If the child is about 40kg weight, the bag should not weigh more than 4kg to 5kg with books,” said Dr Alnori.

An appropriate backpack should be light weight with mul-tiple compartments. It should be packed with essential books

and with heavier ones towards the trunk. Length of the backpack should be two inches from the shoulder to the waist-line of a child.

“Straps should be wide and padded and worn on both shoulders of the child to balance weight or it will cause lower back pain. Straps of the backpack should be tightened as well as waist and chest straps will give extra support for the child,” said Dr. Alnori.

He also highlighted that parents and teachers can play a major role in encouraging children follow correct practices and do physical activities.

“Parents should encourage their children to be physically active. We see young patients with joint pains and it is because they are not active. Also teachers can play a role in cor-recting children if they sit in a wrong posture,” said Dr Alnori.

In a correct sitting posture arms should be resting parallel to the floor, legs should be in the same position and feet should still be flat. Back should be against the chair, and shoulders should be back (but not lifted or hunched).

Permanent Representative in Geneva reaffirms Qatar’s commitment to support UN OfficeQNA GENEVA

The Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva, H E Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, affirmed the commitment of the State of Qatar to continue to support the UN Office, especially in efforts and plans to renovate and rehabilitate the UN building in accordance with the strategic heritage saving plan of the Geneva-based office.

This came during the visit of H E Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri to

new Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, Tatiana Val-ovaya. During the meeting, they reviewed the cooperation rela-tions between the State of Qatar and the UN Office and ways of enhancing them, in addition to topics of common interest.

The Permanent Represent-ative of Qatar to the United Nations congratulated Valovaya for her new position, stressing that her extensive experience will enable her to manage the European headquarters of the UN in the best way, wishing her success in her duties.

03MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME

QA Privilege Club announces partnership with ECGCTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Airways’ award-winning Frequent Flyer programme, Privilege Club, has partnered with Education City Golf Club (ECGC), offering its valued members the opportunity to gain Qmiles through golf packages and day passes for lessons.

This will incentivise both existing golfers in Qatar and encourage those members keen to take up the sport to join and gain Qmiles. Privilege Club members also gain a bonus of 10,000 Qmiles through the referral programme for both member and referred members to enjoy golfing together at ECGC.

The partnership includes corporate packages who will obtain 40,000 Qmiles upon joining. Privilege Club members and companies will get to enjoy an opportunity to form a new

recreational activity in the sports sector, with a new experience at the state-of-the art golf course while earning Qmiles.

Q a t a r A i r w a y s ,

Vice-President CRM and Loyalty, Jake Miller, said: “We are very excited to reward our Privilege Club members, by accumulating Qmiles through our partnership

with the new Education City Golf Club. I’ve loved golf since I was 12 years old and I am awestruck by these stunning courses and practice facilities right here in Doha. As golfers, both experi-enced and new, discover Edu-cation City, these facilities will undoubtedly earn a world-class reputation, worthy of a stopover in its own right. Privilege Club is proud to partner our miles with sport to encourage our cus-tomers to get out and enjoy all that Doha has to offer.”

Education City Golf Club, General Manager, Michael Braidwood, said: “Education City Golf Club is pleased to partner with Privilege Club to encourage locals and residents to expe-rience our golf course at Edu-cation City. We are dedicated to providing our customers with an enhanced golfing experience and the partnership with Privilege Club members is of added value to our customer base. Privilege

Club members can choose from signing up the ECGC experience for packages or one day pass for lessons.” Privilege Club launched in 2000 as a form of appreci-ation to Qatar Airways’ loyal pas-sengers, offering them the opportunity to earn Qmiles when travelling on Qatar Airways, one-world® airlines, or any of the airlines’ partners.

ECGC is a landmark project for Qatar and the world of golf, offering a revolutionary and holistic approach to growing the game. It comprises a range of short game formats, a learning and practice facility housed in the Centre of Excellence housed along with a TrackMan range, an 18-hole championship golf course, a 6-hole championship course with 7 teeing ground options per hole for quick and multi-generational golf and a flood lit 9-hole par-3 course all designed by two-time major winner Jose Maria Olazabal.

The officials of Qatar Airways and Education City Golf Club at the club.

Al Muraikhi receives ambassadors of Mexico, Costa Rica and Guinea

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, received yesterday a copy of the credentials of the Ambassador of Mexico to Qatar, Graciela Gomez Garcia; Ambassador of Costa Rica to Qatar, Alvaro Mariano Segura Avila; and Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea to Qatar. H E the Minister wished the ambassadors success in their posts, reiterating that they will receive support to promote bilateral ties between the State of Qatar and their countries to closer cooperation on all fronts. Several officials at the Foreign Ministry attended the ceremony to hand over the copy of the credentials.

IdeaCamp begins first workshopwith 200 innovative ideasTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The third edition of the Digital Incubation Center’s (DIC) IdeaCamp workshop was held on Saturday at Hilton Hotel Doha with the shortlisted top 200 innovative ideas, out of several hundreds of applications received, participating.

IdeaCamp is a unique and innovative programme held under the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC)’s DIC. During a course of five weeks, the camp offers candi-dates’ workshops, trainings and mentorship programmes by 20 global experts to incubate the best pitches. The first workshop witnessed entrepreneurs gener-ating business ideas with their mentors. The final ideas will be pitched during the Qatar IT Con-ference and Exhibition (QITCOM 2019) from 29th October – 1st November 2019.

During QITCOM 2019, a panel of 10 judges along with audience votes will select the 20 most innovative business models, software solutions, and prototypes. Successful ideas will join the DIC “Startup Track,”

which will begin later this year to take their ideas to the next level.

As part of the Entrepre-neurship Zone at QITCOM 2019, IdeaCamp features entrepre-neurs, developers, and designers, enabling them to harness emerging technologies. Partici-pants will create innovative products or services with a focus on Advanced Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to find contem-porary digital solutions; simul-taneously, contribute to the advancement of Qatar’s digital economy.

Duha Ali Al Buhendi, DIC Manager, said, “Following the success of the previous editions, we are excited to welcome this year’s most innovative startup ideas from different sectors. Ide-aCamp is a unique programme that involves intense competi-tions and training sessions to identify the most exceptional startup pitches.”

IdeaCamp coincides with QITCOM’s mission to showcase innovative technologies by cre-ating a platform for technology providers, policymakers, industry experts, and thought

leaders. In the second edition of IdeaCamp 25 new startups were incubated. The program mentors’ startups through the exchange of information and knowledge to assist them in cre-ating theoretical and practical pitches to be showcased at the final stage. It is an excellent chance for entrepreneurs to connect with potential busi-nesses. IdeaCamp finalists will also be provided with technical and operating support as well as free workspace to transform their digital ideas into reality.

Under the theme “Safe, Smart Cities”, QITCOM 2019 will feature over 90 speakers, 300 technology exhibitors, 100 startups and 300 innovators and entrepreneur. The event will be a one-stop-shop for participants to showcase disruptive smart technologies and exchange next-generation knowledge.

Entrepreneurship Zone is an integral part of QITCOM 2019 and is divided into five primary activities; Startup Hub, CodeCamp, Make the Deal, Ide-aCamp and Innovation Theatre, that work together in developing the most innovative and dis-ruptive technologies.

Participants during the third edition of DIC’s IdeaCamp workshop at Hilton Hotel Doha on Saturday.

HIA’s ‘Summer in Qatar’ engaged over 7 million passengers

FROM PAGE 1

The kids’ zone also dis-tributed Eid greeting cards during the Eid holidays. Fea-turing some edutainment fea-tures, the kids’ zone held a nutrition activation which gave away healthy snacks to kids. Back to school activities were yet another offering that helped engage kids and prepare them for the spirits of the upcoming school season.

In addition to the heritage and kids’ zones, HIA held 98 hours of diverse roaming per-formances. Passengers of all ages laughed, danced and took selfies with the parading actors. These acts comprised unique and colourful shows with dis-tinctive costumes and living statue acts that amused the crowd and received a large amount of interactions.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, COO at HIA, stated: “We are extremely proud of the efforts and success witnessed during our Summer in Qatar programme. Our collaboration with Qatar National Tourism Council, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, and the lively entertainment that resulted from our collaboration, truly highlights our shared com-mitment to promoting Qatar as a destination of choice and, making its hospitable culture shine.”

Al Meer added: “For many, airports are associated with stress and pressure to be on time, check in, and board the flight. However, HIA continu-ously strives for efficient and hassle-free travel, particularly through our Smart Airport program. Therefore, we’re able to process passengers smoothly and enable an entertaining airport experience like no other. Thousands of passengers enjoyed and engaged in our activities, participating enthu-siastically and documenting their experiences on social media. We will continue to put HIA on the map as an airport with passenger experience like none other, while shining a light on Qatar as the preferred tourism destination with world-class experiences.”

HIA passengers with longer transfer times were also treated to an array of digital activations. HIA devised the ‘Complete Your Story’ Instagram activity where passengers were given a chal-lenge to find the different ‘Summer in Qatar’ activities taking place around the ter-minal and share their expe-rience on their Instagram stories. Participating passengers were randomly selected to have their stories reposted to HIA’s Instagram account and were also awarded vouchers to redeem at various food, bev-erage and retail outlets at the airport.

Speakers highlight importance of education at Najah Qatari FestivalQNA DOHA

The third edition of the “Najah Qatari” festival hosted on Saturday evening the Statesmen Forum at the Doha Convention and Exhibition Center to discuss their experiences and success stories in order to boost the nation and inspire and to set an example for the younger gener-ation.

Speakers underlined the importance of education and raising the ceiling of ambitions, overcoming difficulties and not to stand for the pitfalls in order to shape the future and achieve the desired goals.

In this regard, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, CEO of Aamal Company, during the forum moderated by Mohammed Al Ansari, praised the value of community soli-darity of the people of Qatar, recalling that after coming out of World War II, life was very difficult and hard.

“However, because of soli-darity, determination, Qatar is now better than before and has the best hospitals and schools in the world and that would not have been possible without toil and diligence.”

Sheikh Faisal called on the youth to seize opportunities, pointing out that the prospects are open to them by the State’s encouragement, wondering that the vast majority of young people today were turning to the government sector. He noted that the biggest opportunities are in the private sector, and that the opportunities today are favorable to them, adding that anyone who sees himself in the private sector has to break into,

make a name for himself in the future and serve his country.

Dr. Yusuf Obaidan Fakhro spoke about education in Qatar, both in the past and now, noting the harmonious and loving society prevails between the ruler and the ruled, adding that the determination of the people of Qatar and their solidarity and were able to overcome the problems and difficulties they faced. The forum held this evening, the last meeting of the “Businessmen Forum” where it hosted a number of businessmen and officials of the investment sector in the country, which was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Aamal and Vice Chairman of Al Faisal Holding Company, who talked about his own experience in trade and business.

It also hosted Yousef Al-Jaidah, Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Financial Center (QFC), and Khamis Al Mohannadi, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Min-isterial Group for the Promotion of the Private Sector.

Saud Al Attiyah, owner of a factory, also talked about his experience, stressing that the needs in the industrial market in Qatar saying that there are many opportunities for citizens to enter the business field.

Ahmed Ali Al Hammadi, Director, Active Investments Department, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), gave infor-mation on the State’s foreign investment policy, which was established through the estab-lishment of a sovereign fund in 2005, to avoid financial crises by investing in several interna-tional projects.

04 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019HOME

Attorney-General meets Gambia’s FM

The Attorney-General, H E Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al Marri, met yesterday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Gambia, Mamadou Tangara. During the meeting, they exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest and ways of closer cooperation between the two friendly countries.

Qatar attends preparatory meetings of Economic and Social CouncilQNA CAIRO

The State of Qatar participated yesterday in the meeting of the Social Committee of the Economic and Social Council at the General Secretariat of the Arab League.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Qatar to the Arab League, Ambassador Hassan bin Ahmed Al Mutawa, will represent the State of Qatar in the preparatory meeting for the ministerial session of the Economic and Social Council (104), scheduled for Thursday under the chairmanship of Pal-estine that will succeed the Sul-tanate of Oman.

The Social Committee will discuss several items, including

the social file of the Council of the Arab League at the next Arab Summit in its 31st session, which will be held in March. It will also follow up the imple-mentation of the decisions of the 103rd session of the Eco-nomic and Social Council and the activity of the General Sec-retariat between the 103rd and 104th sessions of the Council in the social and economic aspects.

Additionally, the meeting will discuss a report on the follow-up to the implemen-tation of the resolutions of the Arab Development, Economic and Social Summit at its fourth session held in Beirut last January. It will also review the statute of the Arab Council for Population and Development,

and a project for the protection of women in the informal sector “tea and food vendors” at the request of Sudan.

The Committee will review an initiative to empower unem-ployed youth in the light of social protection and interna-tional-Arab cooperation in the social and developmental fields. It will also deal with the reports and decisions of ministerial councils and committees.

Furthermore, the Com-mittee will review article on the draft Arab strategy for the eco-nomic and social empowerment of women in rural areas at the request of Tunisia, and another on the establishment of the Arab center for economic empowerment studies at the request of Palestine.

45 violations recorded during crackdown on illegal street vendors in Al SheehaniyaTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Al Sheehaniya Municipality in coordination with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday launched a joint inspection campaign against illegal vendors and those violating the provisions of public hygiene law in Al Sheehaniya.

A total of 45 violations were recorded against illegal vendors under the campaign. The viola-tions of street vendors in these areas varied by violations of the law of public cleanliness and encroachment on state property. In addition to the violation of the trading of foodstuffs in unhealthy conditions in accordance with Law No. 8 of 1990 on the regu-lation of food handling.

The campaign was launched in cooperation with the inspectors of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the security agencies of the Ministry of Interior and the Internal Security Force ‘Lekhwiya’.

Jaber Hassan Al Jaber, Director of Al Sheehaniya Munic-ipality; Abdulaziz Al Sayed, Director of Municipal Monitoring Department; Mubarak Ali Al Hajri, Head of Health Control Section; and Abdullah Sultan Al Nuaimi, Head of General Control Section at the Municipality, were present during the inspection campaign.

This joint campaign aims to eliminate the phenomenon of

illegal street vendors causing violations of health rules and hygiene and damage to the environment.

This comes within the framework of the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Munic-ipality and Environment to reduce this phenomenon, in accordance with Law No. (18) of 2017 on public hygiene, other than the health and environ-mental damage it causes on the ground.

Jaber Hassan Al Jaber said that the campaign aimed at developing a mechanism of action and a joint plan to control

violations of street vendors and public cleanliness and encroachment on state property.

He pointed out that these campaigns will be carried out regulatory until the elimination of this phenomenon, which has negative effects on the envi-ronment and health.

The violation of street vendors falls within the juris-diction of the Ministry of Com-merce and Industry in accordance with Law No. (5) of 2015 on the regulating similar industrial and public commercial shops and street vendors. While the Ministry of Municipality and

Environment is responsible for public cleanliness violations in accordance with Law No. (18) of 2017 on public cleanliness, and violations of infringement on state property in accordance with Law No. (10) of 1987.

The officials of Al Sheehaniya Municipality during an inspection in Al Sheehaniya as part of the campaign to crack down on illegal vendors.

Hot air balloon from Qatar soars highin Europe carnivalANISHA BIJUKUMAR THE PENINSULA

Grabbing attention among varying sizes and shapes of hot air balloons in parks of Europe was ‘Asfary’ of Qatar’s aviation veteran, Captain Hassan Al Mousawi.

Qatar’s first hot air balloon was, recently, part of the 20 col-ourful balloons flying high over the London skyline that were participating in the Oswestry Balloon Carnival.

“After a successful first season and temperature rise in Qatar, Asfary balloon moved to participate in several events in Europe. We were thrilled to fly Asfary balloon in the Sagrantino Challenge Cup 2019 edition in Italy in the first week of August and then now in England,” said Mousawi. The travel and tourism company also plan to participate in one more festival in a couple of weeks before returning home to Qatar in October.

The Oswestry festival, a charity event to help Nightingale House hospice, saw partici-pation from international teams, including Belgium and Canada. “As the only balloon flying in Qatar it was a delight to have

them fly at our event. Built here in Oswestry, it returned home for the Carnival,” said the organ-isers on their social media page.

“We are pleased to have introduced Qatar’s first hot air balloon which allowed both res-idents and visitors to enjoy a unique perspective of this great land while experiencing a unique thrill, joy and adrenalin,” said Mousawi, thanking Qatar National Tourism Council, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar Armed Forces and Qatar Air Sports Committee for playing an instrumental role in bringing his dream to life.

The mayor and mayoress of Oswestry with Qatar’s aviation veteran Captain Hassan Al Mousawi.

The hot air balloon, Asfary.

Ooredoo launches ‘Back To School’ promotionTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Ooredoo yesterday announced an exciting ‘Back To School’ promotion whereby customers shopping with Nojoom partner outlet Ansar Gallery can win thousands of Nojoom points.

Customers who shop for QR50 or more from Supermarket and Department Store products

at participating outlets of Nojoom partner Ansar Gallery will get a ticket to enter the raffle draw, with 200 lucky winners walking away with an amazing 10,000 Nojoom points each.

One raffle entry will be given for every QR50 spent, and all entries will go into a grand draw to be held on September 30 at Ansar Gallery, Barwa, where the 200 winners will be picked. They

will then be able to spend their 10,000 Nojoom points with one of the many premium leisure, lifestyle and retail partners on the Nojoom network.

Participating Ansar Gallery outlets are Barwa, City Centre, Al Rawdha, Al Mansoura, Al Khor and Al Rayyan, as well as New World and A&H Fashion. Manar Khalifa Al Muraikhi, Director PR and Corporate Communications

at Ooredoo, said: “Back To School is a busy time for many of our customers and this exciting new promotion is a great way for us to give something back to them. We wish everyone happy shopping and the best of luck in the draw!”

The promotion is valid from August 29 until September 28 and terms and conditions can be found at ooredoo.qa.

This joint campaign aims to eliminate the phenomenon of illegal street vendors causing violations of health rules and hygiene and damage to the environment.

Drive launched to crack down on unlicensed nurseriesFROM PAGE 1

“All nursery staff should be women for better care and pro-tection of children,” said Najat Al Abdullah. She added that the law suggests punishment in accordance with the seriousness of offence. “Incomplete paper work is also included among vio-lations. In such cases, the nurs-eries will be given three to four days to produce the required documents,” said Al Abdullah.

However, she said, in case of minor violations related to the health of children, the erring nurseries will be given warnings twice and afterwards a fine of QR10,00 will be imposed. The amount of fine is detected from the security money of erring nurseries. “In case of serious violations, which could harm

children and affect their safety and security, we will shutdown erring nurseries for three months until they remove the violation by rectifying the situ-ation,” said Al Abdullah.

Speaking about the penalties for those who violate the pro-visions of Law No. 1 of 2014 for regulating nurseries after obtaining the license, Ali Saeed Mallhia, Senior Legal Researcher at the Ministry, said that there are two types of penalties; administrative and criminal.

“The first type of penalties are designed to deal with administrative violations, which are due to a violation of one of the conditions that must be met by the applicant for the license, the establishment of nurseries, the management of them,

transfer or change of their spec-ifications before obtaining the license,” said Mallhia.

He said that the second type of penalties was put in place to deal with violations of a criminal nature, which are regulated by article No. 20 of the law. It includes violation related to the purpose of the license and con-ducting an activity other than running a nursery. Such viola-tions will carry a penalty of imprisonment and a fine of QR100,000 or one of them by the competent court.

The conference was attended by Abdulaziz Rashid Al Kubaisi, Director of Public Relations and Communications, and Ibrahim Ali Al Khaja, Social Programs Coordinator at the Ministry.

FROM LEFT: Ibrahim Ali Al Khaja, Social Programme Coordinator; Najat Daham Al Abdullah, Director, Family Affairs Department; Abdulaziz Rashed Al Kubaisi, Director Public Relations and Communications Department, and Ali Saad Mallhia, Researcher of Legal and Administrative Affairs Department, during a press conference to launch a media campaign on unlicensed nurseries at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

05MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME

Qatari Diar to develop US Embassy staff residential units in DushanbeQNA DUSHANBE

Qatari Diar signed a preliminary agreement to develop the resi-dence of US Embassy staff in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, covering 42 residential units.

Under the agreement, Qatari Diar Company is to prepare plans and engineering designs for resi-dential units provided that the development and construction agreement will be concluded later on a lease to own basis, where the US embassy will lease these units for five years and then transfer ownership to them.

From the Qatari side, the signing ceremony was attended by Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Tajikistan Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Abdullah and Qatari Diar’s Chief Project Delivery Officer for Asia and Africa Dr. Abdulla Yaqoub Al Sayed. From the US side, the ceremony

was attended by US Ambassador to the Republic of Tajikistan John Mark Pommersheim and several members of the US government involved in the project.

The CEO of Qatari Diar, Eng. Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, said the signing of the agreement is an extension of the success of the Dushanbe project in the Tajik capital. He expressed gratitude for the US to select Qatar Diar and Diar Dushanbe to develop the embassy staff residence, which confirms the comparative advantage of the project and the status of the company as a US

accredited partner and constitutes a qualitative addition to the project, which Qatari Diar com-pleted its development and oper-ation of the first phase in 2015.

For his part, US Ambassador said he is delighted to start the first steps of the project. He also said he was excited to work with Qatari Diar, which will provide the embassy staff with international standards and high quality sought by the staff during their stay in the first building of the project and their satisfaction with the services provided.

Several US government rep-resentatives also expressed their desire to work with Qatari Diar as a strategic partner in other countries.

Diar Dushanbe is a unique development in Central Asia, sit-uated just 5 kilometers from the Tajikistan International Airport.

Overlooking the tranquil waters of Lake Javonon, Diar Dushanbe comprises of all the essential elements of residential luxury and modernity. Diar Dushanbe is the first mixed-use development built in Tajikistan comprising of 5 residential

buildings, 3 office buildings and retail, 65 keys boutique hotel, 80 serviced apartments.

Architecturally, the design of Diar Dushanbe provides a luxu-rious traditional feel combined with the highest specification in contemporary living. Also, its advanced technological solutions are environment-friendly and promote energy conservation, safety and security systems, including earthquake resistance technology. The development won a five-star accolade at the Asia Pacific Property Awards for being selected as the top mixed-use d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t .

The prestigious board once again recognized the project in 2014 and presented Diar Dushanbe with the “Highly-Commended Best Archi-tecture” award. Qatari Diar Real Estate Company was established in 2005 by the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar.

The company’s flagship project, Lusail City, was launched in December 2005 and quickly went on to gain tremendous praise for its innovative approach to real estate. The progressive self-con-tained city is the largest single development to be undertaken in the State of Qatar and although it

is currently under construction, Lusail already signifies Qatar’s progress on a grand scale, reflecting the vision and quality that have become synonymous with Qatari Diar. As of January 2018, Qatari Diar has a shared capital of $8 billion, with 60 investment projects under development or held in 24 countries around the world, com-bining a value of over $35bn.

Today, Qatari Diar has estab-lished itself as one of the worlds most trusted and respected real estate companies because of its commitment to quality, local com-munity, partnership, and sustainability.

Qatari Diar and US Embassy officials during the signing ceremony.

A graphic image of the residential units.

Under the agreement, Qatari Diar Company is to prepare plans and engineering designs for residential units for US Embassy staff provided that the development and construction agreement will be concluded later on a lease to own basis, where the US embassy will lease these units for five years and then transfer ownership to them.

WISE encourages local community to register for flagship summit in DohaTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) – an initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF) – is inviting the local community to register for its flagship summit taking place in Doha from November 19 to 21.

This year, WISE aims to address pressing issues affected by rapid transformations in tech-nology and the environment through the theme: ‘UnLearn, Relearn: What it means to be Human.’ It aims to drive discus-sions and debates on topics such as integrating well-being into school, understanding our how brains learn, what global citi-zenship is and why it’s important for sustainable development, and leveraging new technology for better learning outcomes.

Stavros Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, said, “In the age of expo-nential technologies, such as Arti-ficial Intelligence, we need to return to understanding what makes us uniquely human. This

will be the key to building a good education that caters to the whole person and fosters lifelong learning.”

Delegates will join 2,000 edu-cators, students, decision-makers, and influential experts from the public and private sectors, from over 100 countries. They will participate in engaging plenaries, dialogues, debates, and tailored networking sessions to reimagine, and build the future of education. Guest speakers will include Fred Swaniker of the African Lead-ership Group; Beth Yu of the Jack Ma Foundation; and Jason Silva, host of National Geographic’s Brain Games.

WISE will also debut its nine research reports anticipating future trends in education. They will be covering topics such as inclusive language policies, inter-nationalization strategies in higher education, learning ecosystems, athletes’ access to education, and using Artificial Intelligence for learning.

Past keynote speakers at the

WISE Summit include then-US First Lady Michelle Obama; former UK Prime Minister the Rt Hon Gordon Brown; former Aus-tralian Prime Minister Julia Gillard; and His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The summit will be preceded by Doha Learning Days, a week-long celebration of education, being held from November 14 to19, in partnership with Exxon-Mobil Qatar. This experiential learning festival will convene the local community in an exciting exploration of education through a range of innovative and mean-ingful activities co-curated with local partners. Taking place at Education City’s Ceremonial Court, Doha Learning Days invites the local community to celebrate education and participate in learning labs, enjoy wellness and sporting activities, attend inter-active talks, grab coffee with QF alumni, and much more.

Interested participants could register via : www.wise-qatar.org/apply/

Texas A&M at Qatar welcomes new studentsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The students and grad-uates of Texas A&M University are called “Aggies” and that tradition continues at Texas A&M’s branch campus in Doha. Aggie Life 101 is a series of seminars, workshops and activities designed to teach students about Texas A&M and its unique traditions, as well as what it takes to succeed at a world-renowned engi-neering institution.

The orientation also showcased the opportu-nities Texas A&M at Qatar offers to students to help them become engineering leaders — from social clubs and activities to transformative educational experi-ences, such as international service-learning trips, study abroad and undergraduate research. During this time, students registered for classes, attended academic advising sessions, toured the Texas A&M Engineering Building, met with faculty and engaged with student leaders.

Dr Hazem Nounou, assistant dean for academic and student services, welcomed the new students, including the freshmen of the Class of 2023. “I con-gratulate all of our new students for joining Texas A&M University at Qatar, one of the most prestigious engineering universities in the world,” Nounou said. “I wish our new students nothing but success as they

strive to become part of the rising generation of engi-neering leaders who will drive the State of Qatar to achieve its goals.”

During the week, students were split into groups led by current students who served as ambassadors of Texas A&M at Qatar and to answer any questions the new students might have about college life. The groups also allowed new students the opportunity to get to know one another as they begin this new experience together.

The orientation leaders introduced the Aggie Core Values and the Aggie Code of Honor, two driving principles that set apart an Aggie education. At the end of these sessions, orientation leaders quizzed the new students on their knowledge of Texas A&M’s traditions, including the university’s official greeting (“Howdy!), its mascot (an American collie named Reveille) or its colors (maroon and white).

The students of Texas A&M at Qatar pose for a group photo.

Over 25,236 tonnes of waste removed in Umm SalalTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment, represented by the Municipality of Umm Salal, in cooperation with the General Cleanliness Department rendered a number of services in the field of cleaning and removal of random wastes of all

kinds in public places within the administrative boundaries of the Municipality of Umm Salal during the second quarter (Q2) of this year.

During that period, a total of 25,236 tonnes of random wastes were removed across Umm Salal Municipality.

The areas were cleared and all types of wastes were

removed.The household waste, mixed

and random waste, damaged tires and dead animals, amounted as 12613 tonnes household waste, and 8,206 tonnes of mixed waste. A total of 3,680 tire wastes and 480 random throwing residues and 257 dead animals were also removed.

06 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019HOME

The Hamilton International School begins academic yearTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Hamilton International School (Hamilton), a brand-new school located in Mesaimeer, Doha, welcomed yesterday the very first classes of primary students to kick off the new academic year 2019/2020.

Students were received by the highest calibre of teachers in Doha, who showed them around the school, and conducted ori-entation and introductory ses-sions. The school’s management team was on a mission to ensure that each child finds their class and settle in smoothly.

New students got a chance to enjoy Hamilton’s state of the art facilities, featuring the largest school theatre in Doha, indoor sports centre, full-sized bas-ketball court, two swimming pools, tennis courts, dance studios, fitness centre and a

seating area for large sporting events. For cooler months of the year, the students will be able to use the outdoor sports area, which includes a professional standard football pitch and an athletics track.

Terry Senior, Principal of Hamilton said: “This is the day we have been preparing for. We are so happy to see all these fan-tastic students kicking off their new academic year with us. It is going to be an exciting year, as we embark on this journey together towards nurturing a

generation that has passion for learning, realises its limitless potential, and appreciates diversity.”

Hamilton, part of Interna-tional Schools Partnership (ISP), a UK-based owner and operator of 40 schools globally, offers the International Early Years (IEYC) and International Primary Cur-riculum (IPC), which is taught in over 2,000 schools across 98 countries. Students at Hamilton will eventually graduate with either an IB Diploma or a High School Diploma accredited by NEASC, a US accreditation organisation.

During the first year of oper-ation, Hamilton will cater to stu-dents ages 3 to 10 years, and will then continue to grow and expand to become a pre-KG through Grade 12 school.

Hamilton school campus was inaugurated few weeks earlier with a huge Community Fair,

followed by a school theatre launch in collaboration with Gotta Sing! from West End London.

Hamilton is taking registra-tions for students from Pre-Kin-dergarten to Grade 5 (Year 6) for

its first academic year beginning August 2019.

To enrol your children at Hamilton International School please visit: hamiltoninterna-tionalschool.qa, or send email at

admissions@this.qa, or contact +974 3329 6569. You may also visit the Admissions Enquiry Centre at The Radisson Blu Hotel, New Wing, Third Floor, C Ring Road.

The Hamilton International School welcomes students as it begins new academic year.

Qatari librarians share QNL’s achievements at world library congress in AthensTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Librarians and senior staff from Qatar National Library (QNL) shared their expertise and expe-riences with their international peers at the 85th World Library and Information Congress from August 24 to 30, in Athens, Greece.

The librarians, from several different disciplines, discussed best practices and the latest innovations in information services in a series of workshops, meetings and panel sessions with their counterparts from more than 110 countries.

The conference was spon-sored by the International Fed-eration of Library Associations and Institutions.

The theme of this year’s con-gress, “Dialogue for Change,” prompted discussions about re-interpreting the role of libraries as promoters of change and how libraries are responding to the constantly changing needs of their audiences.

This context was particularly appropriate following the Library’s success since its official opening in April 2018 — in that time, the Library has welcomed

more than 738,000 visitors and had more than 21,000 registered attendees for its popular program of events.

Hind Al Khulaifi, Manager of the Children’s and Young Adults’ Library, and Virgilio Medina, Information Services Librarian, offered their perspective in a presentation, “Qatar National Library as a Hub for Community Engagement for Young Learners: What Have We Achieved so Far as a New Public Library?”

“I was proud to share with

fellow librarians how the com-munity in Qatar has embraced the Library as a public space to engage in learning. We are espe-cially proud of cultivating our younger readers, and the con-gress was an opportunity to exchange valuable ideas on how to continue doing so,” said Al Khulaifi.

Ahmed Al Malki, Information Services Librarian at the Library, showcased his poster presen-tation, “Transforming Qatar National Library Young Learners

into Lifelong Learners Through Collaborative Efforts and Partnerships.”

Eiman Al Shamari, Infor-mation Services Librarian, shared insights about the cultural diversity at the Library and its important role in promoting excellence and innovation.

Al Shamari said, “Through networking and the exchange of ideas and new developments in the field, I was not only able to grow as a librarian, but I was also able to help my colleagues and contribute to the profession by sharing my own experiences in Qatar. I’m really looking forward to putting what I’ve learned into practice.”

Dr Sohair Wastawy, Exec-utive Director of the Library, who also attended the congress, said: “Our team at the Library is eager to continue developing professionally, and especially to learn new ideas and skills that we can share with our visitors and our colleagues.”

“This was an excellent opportunity for our young librarians to experience dif-ferent aspects of librarianship and learn from the experiences of practitioners from across the world.”

An official addressing the workshop at QNL.

Students were received by the highest calibre of teachers in Doha, who showed them around the school, and conducted orientation and introductory sessions.

Style Set Free – Hyundai Motor’s vision for future mobilityTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Once a simple means of transport to allow people to get from one place to another, the concept of the car is rapidly changing as the boundaries between our lives and automobiles intertwine. Under the banner Style Set Free, Hyundai Motor illustrates its innovative vision of how cars of the future will become individ-ualised living spaces. Skyline Automotive WLL is the official distribution partner of the Hyundai Motor Company in the

State of Qatar.People already personalise

their living spaces with a mul-titude of gadgets and different forms of technology. This is something everyone does according to their own tastes and sensibilities.

Soon, the same will be done with cars as well. Style Set Free is about creating a ‘perfect space’ inside one’s car, and asks what it takes to create such a space.

With Style Set Free, Hyundai considers how future vehicles will offer customers more

freedom to design their cars in a way similar to how people design their homes, and shape their automobiles the way they do their lifestyles. The company envisions that interiors will be customisable with organic materials.

“In the future, self-driving technology in electrified vehicles will eliminate the need for drivers. This won’t be a luxury, it will be an absolute necessity,” said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Mar-keting Officer at Hyundai Motor Company.

He said that Style Set Free aims to provide a unique in-car experience that no other auto-makers have offered so far, but one that customers have been looking for.

Style Set Free is based on future automotive developments, like autonomous driving. It allows users to fully customise and upgrade their driving envi-ronment to create their own life space inside their vehicle through upgradeable products and services.

In the future, Hyundai intends to bui ld a

self-customising marketplace similar to an app store. Here, customers will have the freedom to select software and hardware for their vehicles to upgrade them according to their needs. With Style Set Free, the company demonstrates its customer-centric approach to future mobility.

Hyundai will leverage data generated from smart vehicles to launch an open ecosystem that enables a host of ICT subsystems to create a structural flow of public data transmission between vehicles and the

environment in which vehicles operate.

This will facilitate the wide-spread adoption of connected cars, further cementing Hyundai’s role as a leader in the future mobility field.

Hyundai will showcase the next steps of its Style Set Free concept, which anticipates the revolution of the mobility expe-rience through full customi-sation, with interactive displays at the 2019 Frankfurt Interna-tional Motor Show (IAA). The 2019 IAA will take place from September 10 to 22.

GU-Q announcesfive new minorsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Beginning this fall semester, Georgetown University in Qatar’s (GU-Q) students of inter-national affairs can now choose from among five new minors: economics, government, history, philosophy, and theology.

Along with Arabic, the new programmes bring the total number of minors offered at GU-Q to six, and are part of the Washington, DC campus’ initi-ative that offers students of the School of Foreign Service minors through Georgetown’s College of Arts & Science.

“We specifically chose minors that would complement the majors we offer at GU-Q and that would capitalise on the tre-mendous talent of our faculty and build on courses already offered in support of the core curriculum.” said Brendan Hill, Senior Associate Dean for Students.

The expanded offerings allow students to tailor their education, as well as academic experience, to their interests. “Now motivated students have the added option of expanding their degree credentials by applying some of their coursework towards the single discipline of a minor degree that is distinctive from their main degree or the Certificates we have traditionally offered,”

explained Hill. Before the launch of the

minors, GU-Q students who wanted to complement their major field of study with coursework that deepens their understanding of a particular topic or region, had the option of pursuing one of three certif-icate programs in American Studies, Arab and Regional Studies, or Media and Politics, the latter of which is offered in conjunction with Northwestern University in Qatar.

However, minors work dif-ferently from the multi-disci-plinary certificate programs, which denote a level of mastery in a given academic discipline.

Students can choose to pursue both a certificate and a minor, or two minors, or two certificates. With the addition of minors, students will now have the ability to structure a truly unique degree reflecting their academic interests and exploring disciplines in more depth.

GU-Q prepares students for a variety of careers by pro-viding a four year liberal arts education grounded in the fun-damentals of international rela-tions reflected in GU-Q’s unique core curriculum and honed by the selection of one of four majors International Eco-nomics, International Politics, Culture & Politics and Interna-tional History.

GU-Q prepares students for a variety of careers by providing a four-year liberal arts education grounded in the fundamentals of international relations reflected in unique core curriculum.

Rodizio to celebrate Latin American Festival 2019THE PENINSULA DOHA

Rodizio Brazilian Churrascaria, one of the well-loved restaurants in Doha serving their famous churrasco, will be celebrating a special Latin American Festival from September 6 to 14.

Diners during these dates can get the chance to enter in a raffle draw. Customers can expe-rience the festivity while enjoying good food and get the chance to win QR5,000 worth of vouchers that can be used for Crowne Plaza Doha — The Business Park, Holiday Inn Doha

— the Business Park and their numerous food outlets.

Their weekend launch night will be held on September 6 and 7 which coincides with Brazil’s National Day.

The special event is expected to be graced by media partners, food bloggers, social media influ-encers and other special guests.

Bruno Hivon, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Doha- The Business Park said, “The Latin American Festival is a cel-ebration of the mouth-watering churrasco that Rodizio is known for, also featuring other His-panic heritage cuisine that will

surely delight everybody’s palate.

This culinary extravaganza is an opportunity to gather the

Latin American community in Qatar and also for other nation-alities to experience this extraor-dinary cuisine.”

A view of Rodizio Brazilian Churrascaria.

07MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME

Cadillac revamps its best-selling XT5 for 2020 THE PENINSULA DOHA

Cadillac’s global best-selling XT5 is revamped for 2020, with a new turbocharged engine, enhanced technologies and revised design cues that coalesce in distinctive trims that offer customers greater choice in matching this luxury crossover to their personality.

With over 40 updates the 2020 Cadillac XT5 raises the bar, delivering an exhilarating driving experience paired with the sense of solidity and functionality of an SUV.

The XT5 joins the all-new XT6 three-row crossover and the recently launched, segment-topping XT4, along with the iconic Escalade, to give Cadillac one of the industry’s freshest lineups of luxury crossovers and SUVs.

“ C a d i l l a c ’ s g l o b a l momentum continues to accel-erate with new and compelling products such as the revamped 2020 XT5,” said Steve Carlisle, Cadillac’s President. “Along with additional new crossovers and sedans, including the XT6 and CT5, the brand is redefining itself for a new generation of cus-tomers for whom luxury and technology are inextricably linked.”

The 2020 XT5 will follow the brand’s new global “Y” trim strategy, better meeting customer

demand and sharpening its position in the Cadillac showroom.

The XT5 range starts with the well-equipped Luxury model, with Premium Luxury and Sport models offering distinctive takes on Cadillac design and driving dynamics.

An emphasis on bright trim and contemporary décor defines the Premium Luxury model, while a darker, more aggressive appearance underscores the XT5 Sport. The XT5 features a new, bolder grille design, offered in two textures that reflect the new personas. A Platinum package, delivering the pinnacle of tech-nology and most sophisticated interior in the lineup, is offered with each trim level.

Enhanced driving dynamics provide two distinctive expres-sions of the Cadillac driving experience. The Luxury and Premium Luxury models are tailored for confidence-inspiring control that keeps you connected to the road while providing a retreat from road disturbances.

Sport model is tuned for a more performance-oriented experience, with quick steering and more aggressive chassis tuning that provides better body control without sacrificing ride isolation.

The vehicle’s exterior now features standard LED head-lamps with IntelliBeam on all

models. Additionally, the lower front and rear fascias have been updated, while a new 18-inch wheel design is standard on Luxury and Premium Luxury and a new 20-inch wheel design is available. XT5 Sport features new 20-inch wheels standard.

Infotainment and driver assistance technologies take center stage for model year 2020. The technology woven into the XT5’s interior is enhanced to elevate its func-tionality and intuitiveness, for a more seamless user experience.

The 2020 XT5 now has over 20 available safety and driver

assistance technologies. The latest Cadillac user experience interface1 has enhanced con-nectivity and personalisation.

Next-generation rotary controller with new jog func-tionality complements conven-tional buttons, and touchscreen redundancy to offer more ways for users to interface with the system.

Other features include one-touch phone pairing, with new near field communication tech-nology, and next-generation 15-watt wireless charging and revised USB ports, including the latest USB-C type, which offer fast charging and enhanced usability.

The all-new 2020 Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury

HBKU’s TII announces professional workshops for translators, interpreters

THE PENINSULA DOHA

In line with its mission to provide the local community with a high-quality education in translation, interpretation, and foreign languages, the Translation and Training Center at the Trans-lation and Interpreting Institute (TII), part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), is offering several workshops for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The workshops, which are open to the public, will be delivered by qualified and expe-rienced instructors, and are aimed at participants seeking to acquire skills in the field, as well as professional translators and

interpreters looking to improve their skills.

Participants will receive hands-on training to work in accordance with international standards in various industries such as business and finance, medicine, media and audiovisual translation, interpretation, revision and computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools.

Nada Al Mahmeed, director of Translation and Training Center at TII, said, “TII’s Trans-lation and Training Center is pleased to offer a number of training workshops this year, which focus on different areas including basics of professional

translation to the art of dubbing, translating news and translating specialised medical documents, and more.

We have designed our pro-grammes to engage our learners and provide advancement training to industry profes-sionals. We welcome interested candidates and encourage them to enrol for the workshops to build their skill sets and gain expertise in the evolving fields o f t r a n s l a t i o n a n d interpreting.”

The workshops by the Trans-lation and Training Center are offered to advance TII’s aim of prom ot ing co mmun ity

development and building capacity in Qatar and the region through continuing education and professional development opportunities in translation and interpreting.

Participants will be intro-duced to theoretical and prac-tical approaches that will focus on building their skills with various practice sessions and exercises.

Upon completion, partici-pants will be well-versed in the ability to assess and manage the risks and identify the chal-lenges that surface during the translation process; make effective use of technological tools and machine translation platforms as assisting tools; and become more proficient in spe-cific terminology used within d i f f e r e n t s p e c i a l i s e d industries.

With the exception of ‘Business Arabic Writing’ and ‘Accessible Hospitality and Events’, all workshops will be conducted in English and Arabic. Due to limited seats, interested candidates are encouraged to register at the earliest.

Details about the registration process, and fees and discount policy can be found on the website.

The workshops will be held at Penrose House (LAS Building), from 4pm to 7pm, Sunday to Wednesday.

The workshops will be held at Penrose House (LAS Building), from 4pm to 7pm, Sunday to Wednesday.

QRCS assists Gaza’s health care sectorTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is implementing a mega project at a cost of $1m to enhance the health sector in Gaza, by providing medical expertise and training. The multifaceted project involves hiring consultants in pulmon-ology, internal medicine, cardi-othoracic surgery, neonatology, and urology.

Other capacity-building components of the programme include MA in Mental Health at the Al-Quds University (Abu Dis campus) and Diploma in Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG).

“I felt over the moon when I completed my study in the State of Qatar in the speciality of internal medicine, allergy, and endoscopy. After seven years abroad, I returned to my homeland to help the patients,” said Dr. Saber Al Sarfandi, Con-sultant of Internal and Respi-ratory Medicine at Nasser Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip.

Dr. Al Sarfandi is a graduate of the Emiri Postgraduate Spe-cialist Medical Studies Program

for Palestinian Physicians in Qatar, which has been super-vised by QRCS since 2003.

“Since my return, I have worked to improve the services provided for the patients with respiratory diseases, particularly in the southern, overpopulated governorates of Gaza. Capital-ising on my practical experience in Qatar, I have performed over 150 endoscopies. I also con-tributed to building the capacity of local medical workers in relation to bronchoscopy,” he added.

In addition, he diagnosed 75 patients with lung cancer and referred them to the Department of Oncology at the European Gaza Hospital. From the beginning of 2019, he has examined more than 1,200 cases at the Nasser Medical Complex’s outpatient clinics, as well as undertaken follow-up at the inpatient departments.

He added, “In the coming period, there are plans to develop the complex’s upper endoscopy department. QRCS will procure interventional radi-ology and pulmonary function testing (PFT) systems, to be used in examining pulmonary embolism and other chronic diseases.”

A senior citizen receiving treatment under QRCS health project in Gaza.

Participants will receive hands-on training to work in accordance with international standards in various industries such as business and finance, medicine, media and audiovisual translation, as well as computer-assisted translation tools.

VCUarts Qatar launches fall art, design and craft classesTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) in Education City has launched the 2019 edition of its fall art, design and craft classes. As summer wraps up, many in Qatar are looking to expand their knowledge, become more creative and participate in something different, fun and interesting that they may have always wanted to try.

VCUarts Qatar offers an exciting and educational range of cre-ative pursuits that includes classes in pottery, sketching, fashion design, calligraphy, contemporary architecture, novel writing and applied technology including animation, robotics and virtual reality. A full list of classes can be found on the VCUarts Qatar website.

VCUarts Qatar is committed to opening its doors to the com-munity through these innovative classes to ensure that residents of Qatar have access to a broad spectrum of arts education. These courses enable the acquisition of new skills that can be applied at work, school and home, or simply introduce participants to the joy that comes from creating. The classes are open to all ages and abil-ities and will begin from mid-October.

Interested parties can review class offerings and fees as well as register online at any time or visit VCUarts Qatar for in-person regis-tration from Sunday to Thursday, 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 3:45pm.

Media, communication experts join NU-Q faculty THE PENINSULA DOHA

A new director of NU-Q’s Liberal Arts Program along with seven additional faculty – specialising in fields that include digital media, cinematography, film-making, and communication – are joining Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) this year.

The newly-appointed professors bring a combination of experience and schol-arship from some of the top media oper-ations and educational institutions around the world, including Northwestern’s School of Communication, New York Film Academy, Al Jazeera Network, Harvard University, and Sejong University in South Korea, among others. Together, they add a new level of knowledge and mastery on contemporary media and communication, both in theory and in practice. “These new members of our faculty bring distinguished expertise and experience that enhances our capacity for instruction and research

in media and communication,” said Everette E. Dennis, Dean and CEO. “Stu-dents – along with the whole community – benefit from this expertise in digital media design, filmmaking and cinematog-raphy, as well as entrepreneurship and transmedia.”

Students enrolled in the

Communication programme will be offered a larger variety of cinematography and directing classes due to new pro-fessors in those fields.

The new faculty join a cadre of media, communication, and liberal arts profes-sionals to teach the nearly 400 under-graduate students enrolled at NU-Q.

New NU-Q faculty members (from LEFT) Eddy Borges-Ray, S Venus Jin, Spencer Striker, Kathleen Hewett-Smith, Larissa Buchholz, and Marcela Pizarro.

For Boris Johnson and his supporters, the delay to Brexit has been long enough, and this is how the June 2016 referendum result should be honored: Departure is more important than the terms governing it.

JAPAN NEWS-YOMIURI

08 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019VIEWS

Why Boris Johnson is eager to suspend Parliament

The controversy in British pol-itics about the prorogation of Parliament is unprecedented and significant. The row is dif-

ferent from the usual and often con-fected accusations about improper use of political power: The issue at stake is a fundamental one, and it may mean the United Kingdom is moving toward a constitutional crisis.

The background to this is, of course, the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. That exit, which has already been twice postponed, is set for Oct. 31. The departure is the default position. It is what will happen by automatic oper-ation of law unless something stops it.

The intention had been for this departure to be accompanied by a comprehensive withdrawal agreement providing for a range of practical issues, from residency rights for affected citizens to the applicable law for ongoing transactions. In November, British and European negotiators finalized a draft agreement, the so-called “deal.”

The deal, however, has proved unacceptable to Parliament, and it has been rejected three times, including two of the heaviest government defeats in British history. The main,

but not the only, sticking point is the “backstop” arrange-ments affecting the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. This backstop would mean that if the United Kingdom and the European Union fail to agree on a new trading

relationship after departure, then there would be continuity in cross-border commercial activity.

The implication of the backstop, however, is that the United Kingdom may stay within the European Union’s single market and customs union longer after departure, which makes leaving the European Union. pointless in substance. Brexiteers who oppose the backstop do have a point: It would be a Brexit in name only. This and other concerns have meant that many members of Parliament are adamant that the deal cannot be endorsed. Failure to get a deal through led to the last prime minister, Theresa May,

being forced from office.European leaders, on the other

hand, are adamant that this backstop insurance is necessary. They, too, have a point: The United Kingdom has shown throughout the exit negotia-tions a lack of seriousness and good faith and so the European Union, on behalf of the Irish government, is insisting that the foreseeable conse-quence of there being no new trading agreement in time is set out in a legally meaningful way.

That contradiction cannot easily be resolved. There have been efforts to show how “alternative arrangements” could address the Irish border issue, but few are convinced, and there is no concrete detail. It is unlikely that a res-olution can be found before the Brexit deadline or, indeed, at any time. The problem may not actually have a solution.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stated that, regardless of there not being a deal in place, the United Kingdom should leave the European Union on Oct. 31. For him and his sup-porters, the delay to Brexit has been long enough, and this is how the June 2016 referendum result should be honored: Departure is more important than the terms governing it.

Johnson and his government do not, however, control a working majority of Parliament on that question. And just as Parliament is against the deal Johnson’s predecessor negotiated, it is also against a “no deal” departure. The magnitude of the pre-dicament that no deal would cause is overwhelming: For example, supply lines for items from medicines to auto-mobiles will be disrupted if not destroyed, and millions of people would have uncertain legal positions.

And it is in this context that the sig-nificance of Johnson’s use of the pro-rogation device can be seen. Proroga-tions usually are not controversial: They mean one parliamentary session will end and another begin.

But this prorogation means Par-liament cannot function: It is closed down as a means of scrutinizing the executive and cannot pass legislation. This is different from a mere recess

where Parliament happens not to sit. Here, Parliament will be prorogued for five weeks in the crucial but short period before the Brexit date.

The only reason for this is so that it will be far more difficult for Par-liament to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Other than by revoking the decision to leave or agreeing to the deal, the only way a departure can be avoided now is by the United Kingdom and the European Union agreeing to a further extension.

And in view of Johnson’s determi-nation that the United Kingdom must leave the European Union regardless of a deal, this extension can only come through Parliament acting to remove the prime minister or enacting new legislation, both of which would be difficult before Oct. 31 even without the prorogation.

This is why the prorogation is being seen, rightly, as a direct assault by the executive on the rightful powers of the legislature. And this is not the view of liberal opponents but of many senior Conservative politicians them-selves. Lord George Young, the only surviving minister from the Margaret Thatcher era, has resigned on this basis. Former prime minister Sir John Major, who succeeded Thatcher, is even going to court to litigate against this constitutional imposition.

Fundamental attacks by one part of the state against another are rare in modern democracies or at least they should be. Constitutional law should be dull, not this exciting. A happy political system does not have many constitutional cases. But the pro-Brexit government of Johnson is desperate, and they have adopted this as a means to force through their policy against a majority in parliament.

The ploy may not work: There are just enough days for a determined Parliament to ensure there is not the disaster of a no-deal Brexit, but there is no guarantee they will succeed. What will linger either way is the deep sense of wrongness, of the gov-ernment attempting to unfairly game the constitution so as to prevent legit-imate checks and balances. This will not end well, whatever happens.

DAVID ALLEN GREEN THE WASHINGTON POST

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The UN is on the side of the

Congolese people in the fight against

extremism that is threatening not only

Congo but Africa and the world.

Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General

Conference should help boost support for growth of huge market in Africa

Japan must make efforts to deepen cooperation and build a mutually beneficial relationship with rapidly growing Africa. The public and

private sectors need to work together to tackle this strategically.

The seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which brings together the leaders of Japan and Africa every three years, was held in Yokohama. It adopted the Yokohama Declaration, which centers on expanding both Japanese companies’ business in Africa and private investment in the region.

With a population of 1.3 billion, Africa is blessed with natural gas and mineral resources. In recent years, many countries in the region have achieved remarkable growth by taking advantage of the internet and other technological innova-tions. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed, “We will do whatever it takes to assist the advancement of Japanese companies into Africa.” It seems reasonable that Japan’s diplomatic focus regarding Africa has shifted from official aid to the promotion of investment and trade by the private

sector. There is no denying that Japan is lagging. Japan’s direct investment stock in Africa stands at $7.8 billion (about 830 billion yen), placing it outside the top 10 list. This is because Japanese entities have kept their distance due to political uncer-tainty and other factors.

As part of TICAD, a business dialogue session was held, in which people in the Japanese and African business commu-nities, among others, participated. Those on the African side repeatedly expressed the hope that Japanese companies would proactively move into Africa.

Expectations are high for Japanese companies’ high technological capabil-ities and generous services.

The government set up a public-private business council in June to collect information on African companies and link them with Japanese companies. It will also consider expanding trade insurance to cover incurred losses.

It is essential to work with the gov-ernments of partner countries to develop legal regulations and financial systems for investment. It is also crucial to nurture young people in Africa who can play a leading role. The government plans to accept 3,000 people from the

continent at graduate schools and com-panies over the next six years. It hopes that these people will serve as a bridge between Japan and Africa in the future.

China, which is pursuing its Belt and Road Initiative to create a huge economic zone, is also increasing its presence in Africa. There are 3,700 Chinese com-panies doing business in Africa - four times the number of Japanese companies operating there. There are glaring examples of countries that receive assistance from China falling into excess debt. Abe has announced a plan to send experts to developing countries to help them manage their debt.

What must not be forgotten is that Japan should provide detailed assistance that is suited to each country’s stage of development. Many of the poor in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.90 a day.

Many countries are suffering from food shortages due to unstable gov-ernance. Japan is urged to cooperate with international and nongovernmental organizations to continuously support efforts such as enhancing water man-agement, improving sanitation and pre-venting infectious diseases.

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

Prompt humanitarian response

Keeping the tradition alive, Qatar is the first country which has come forward to help flood victims in Sudan by sending timely assistance to people in

distress.The flash floods in Sudan were caused by heavy rainfall

last week and have had the worst effect on regions along the Nile river. The death toll from major flooding in dif-ferent parts of Sudan had reached 62, according to reports appeared on August 26.

The flooding which affected hundreds of villages not only caused causalities but also injured many people as well as displaced thousands others. Most of the damage by flooding was noted in poor neighbourhoods, where basic amenities such as electricity and clean water were badly hit.

Upon the directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s first plane carrying 60 tonnes of relief aid to flood-affected people arrived in Khartoum on Saturday.

This urgent response came in line with the essential role played by the State of Qatar in helping and providing

assistance to the needy in all regions and countries of the world.

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Sudan, Abdulrahman bin Ali Al Kubaisi, considered this assistance a sincere expression of the interaction of the State of Qatar’s lead-ership, government and people with what happened to brotherly Sudan due to the floods and rains. The Ambas-sador noted that the State of Qatar is keen to respond promptly to all urgent human-itarian needs all over the world based on its vital role in this regard.

Earlier on August 29, Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD)

had announced the provision of emergency relief assistance to flood victims in Sudan worth $5m.

Meanwhile, the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) also initiated Phase 1 of its large-scale humanitarian response to the flash floods in Sudan.

Under the QRCS plan, a QR365,000 project is esti-mated to benefit up to 15,000 victims. It involves a series of shelter, relief, and food aid interventions, to meet the urgent needs that were identified by the field assessment done by QRCS’s relief workers in the White Nile state, one of the country’s worst-hit states.

Qatar Charity has also launched an urgent campaign to help flood victims in Sudan. Last week, Qatar Charity marched an aid convoy to those affected by floods in Sudan’s White Nile state. The convoy benefited 20,000 people and the aid amounted to QR1m.

Governor of the White Nile, Major General Haidar Al Turaifi praised the level of relations between the Qatari and Sudanese peoples. He pointed out that Qatar Charity convoy is the first to reach the state, adding it reflects the spirit of cooperation, integration, and brotherhood between the two countries.

Upon the directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s first plane carrying 60 tonnes of relief aid to flood-affected people arrived in Khartoum on Saturday.

Demonstrators holding up placards at a protest against the move to suspend Parliament in the final weeks before Brexit outside Downing Street in London.

Although the country’s constitution specifically protects the right to privacy, the state has turned this on its head to assert privacy for itself and its officials while denying it to the citizens. Today, it is the people who are accountable to the government, not the other way around.

09MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 OPINION

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Climate change: How it led to anunequal world

Kenya’s census and govt mass surveillance agenda

AMIT KAPOOR IANS

PATRICK GATHARA AL JAZEERA

When a 16-year-old girl who has avowed air travel has to cross the Atlantic in a solar-

powered race boat to speak at a con-ference on climate change while the Amazon rainforests are still burning in evidence to everything she has argued at the highest public forums,

it is evident that the adults in the room are not doing enough. The “war on nature must end”, Greta Thunberg appealed as she reached the shores of America. But just over the last few years, Bolsonaro in Brazil has allowed deforestation to take place unchecked under his watch while the Trump administration has been handing out leases of public land and waters for oil and gas drilling that are estimated to produce more carbon emissions than the entire European Union does in a year.

In the face of the world’s biggest crisis, a few world leaders seem to be moving in the opposite direction in denial. The myopic economic interests of countries have clearly taken precedence over the global environmental concerns regarding climate change. Nevertheless, the impact of the climate crisis has not been more evident than today through the unpredictable weather conditions and changing trends in climate, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, as well as ocean acidification. Warming temperatures triggered by greenhouse gas emissions have increased the frequency and intensity of floods, droughts and storms across countries and regions. However, the

consequent environmental degra-dation does not have a uniform impact on countries with varying levels of economic development.

A recently published study by researchers from the Stanford Uni-versity has found that between 1961 and 2010, the poor countries with lowest carbon emissions suffered bigger losses as compared to wealthy countries with highest emissions. The study emphasized that most poor countries of the world are poorer, and the rich countries are richer due to the impact of global warming. The ratio between incomes of the richest 10 per cent and the poorest 10 per cent of the global population has been estimated to be 25 per cent more than it would have been during that time period otherwise.

A similar impact has been observed within countries where people who are least responsible for the climate crisis are the most vul-nerable to the risks associated with it. The local communities living in rural parts of developing countries (that are already at a disadvantage) are directly affected due to the conse-quent impact on agricultural pro-duction, water availability, industry and human health.

As a result of rising inequality among and within countries, India’s GDP is estimated to be 31 per cent lower than it would have been without climate change. By contrast, the GDP of Canada and EU are 32 per cent and 9.5 per cent higher respectively.

These findings further the ongoing debate on the division of responsibility for causing climate change and its mitigation. Histori-cally, developed countries have had a major contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions which makes it imper-ative for them to lead the fight against climate change and its adverse effects. The fact that their development which caused climate change muted the growth prospects of the next wave of developing coun-tries puts additional onus on the developed economies to make efforts to address the crisis.

Given that all countries continue with their efforts to promote an eco-system of sustainable production and consumption, the developed coun-tries should not only take responsi-bility for their own actions, but also compensate for their negative contri-bution of the past.

In 2015, the Global Climate Fund was created with the objective to support the efforts of developing countries to tackle climate change through investments in the form of grants, loans, equity and guarantees. In addition to financial assistance, transfer of green and clean technol-ogies to the low-income countries could further stimulate their tran-sition to become green economies. Thus, a comprehensive action plan should be advanced to encourage adoption of sustainable alternatives by providing fiscal incentives, regu-latory support for resource-incentive sectors and building of climate-resilient infrastructure in developing countries.

Stringent laws regarding green subsidies and carbon taxes levied on traded goods and services could ini-tiate the establishment of carbon-free markets. Green innovation through investment in research and technology could also play a key role to find global solutions to the global issue of climate change.

Therefore, global value chains based on cooperation and coordi-nation have the capacity to enhance productivity through innovation-driven production processes. Inter-national forums and bilateral trade agreements should also focus on enabling the transfer of environmen-tally-sound technologies for renewable sources of energy, water conservation and waste management from developed to developing countries.

Lastly, since leaders like Trump and Bolsonaro cannot be expected to alter their stance on climate change, currently it is only the people who need to do their part by changing dietary habits, for instance, until the developed world can lead by example.

Over the past weekend, Kenya embarked on its decennial count of how many people call the

country home. Over the loud objec-tions of some, especially fans of the English Premier League, bars and businesses were shut as teams of enu-merators fanned out across the country to conduct the population census. However, these were not the only voices of concern raised about the exercise.

Censuses have a history of contro-versy in Kenya. The last two counts, for example, asked people about their ethnic affiliations, which is hugely contentious in a country where pol-itics has been historically conducted along “tribal” lines.

The numbers associated with particular ethnic groups are deemed to determine the outcomes of elec-tions - which are themselves pre-sumed to be little more than ethnic censuses. In fact, so controversial is the issue that the findings on the question in 1999 were never released and a decade later, there were con-cerns that even asking the question

could reignite political violence. This time, much of the controversy has focused, not on the question of eth-nicity, but on the privacy and ano-nymity of the data that Kenyans are required to provide.

On the eve of the exercise, the government announced that people have to give out their national identity card number and their passport number. According to a press statement read by the government spokesman, Cyrus Oguna, this is “to establish the number of those who have actually acquired these documents”.

This explanation is highly suspect given that it is the state itself that issues these documents and could easily check its own databases. More importantly, finding out how many people have been issued passports does not require that enumerators write down passport numbers.

The law governing the exercise, the Statistics Act, passed 13 years ago, puts severe restrictions on the infor-mation that enumerators can disclose and to whom. In essence, they are not allowed to share any information that

could be used to identify individuals with anyone not directly involved in the census. And since the statement read by Oguna stated that “during the time of analysis, personal identity shall be removed from the data so as to achieve anonymity”, the question remains why the data is being col-lected in the first place.

It should also be kept in mind that the census follows closely on the heels of yet another controversial attempt to hoover up citizens’ data. In April, the government introduced a new system for registering residents and their property.

Despite concerns about privacy raised by citizens, many of whom pointed out the lack of a data pro-tection law, as well as a court order declaring that registration with the scheme was not compulsory, the state nonetheless attempted to force Kenyans to take up the Huduma (Service) Number, threatening to ille-gally withhold services from those who didn’t. State officials even threatened arrest and deportation.

Further, the government has demonstrated a serious interest in indiscriminate mass surveillance. In 2013, under the guise of preventing terrorist attacks, it sought to encourage Kenyans to spy on one another on its behalf using a Nyumba Kumi (ten houses) model which encourages locals to interact, share information about each other and provide information to the local administration and security organs. The system was borrowed from neighbouring Tanzania where it has been historically used as a means of political control and to strengthen one-party rule.

More recently, as President Uhuru Kenyatta boasted in his annual address to parliament, the state has installed nearly 2,000 CCTV cameras in the capital Nairobi and in the coastal city of Mombasa “offering real time 24-hour security monitoring” of citizens.

Not content with this, under a draft national CCTV policy, his administration is also seeking to make it mandatory for cameras to be installed in all public spaces including hotels, hospitals, clubs and supermarkets, places of worship and apartment blocks, and for owners of

The local communities living in rural parts of developing countries are directly affected due to the consequent impact on agricultural production, water availability, industry and human health.

these premises to “provide rea-sonable access, connection, linkage and integration … to security agencies”.

Thus, the collection of personal identification data during the census fits squarely within this pattern of government surveil-lance. And it is important to note that this is a one-way street. There is little talk, for example, of cameras being placed in gov-ernment offices and police stations to allow citizens to monitor what public officials are up to.

Though there are cameras in parliament and footage is streamed online, they can be turned off at the parliament speaker’s discretion. The media too can be barred from certain sessions if the lawmakers are unhappy with the coverage they get.

Routine declarations of wealth by public officials, which are meant to help combat corruption, are also kept secret as are the “lifestyle audits” of public officials that President Kenyatta ordered last year.

Although the country’s consti-tution specifically protects the right to privacy, the state has turned this on its head to assert privacy for itself and its officials while denying it to the citizens. Today, it is the people who are accountable to the government, not the other way around.

And thus even an exercise as mundane as counting the number of people living within the borders of the country has become fraught with risk and is conducted using threats of prosecution and impris-onment if one fails to comply. It is a reminder to Kenyans that the state still views the people primarily as subjects rather than citizens.

Kenyan census worker Janet Ngusilo records details of an Ogiek family participating in the census in Mau Forest in Kenya.

10 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019GULF / MIDDLE EAST

AGENCIES/KUWAIT CITY

Kuwait Amir H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah is scheduled to depart to the United states today. The Amir is heading to the US on a private visit, then he will proceed to Washington for an official visit where he will hold official talks with President Donald Trump on September 12, Thursday.

15 Kuwaiti naval officers graduate from Polish academyAGENCIES/KUWAIT CITY

The Polish Naval Academy has held a ceremony for graduation of 15 Kuwaiti officers who were part of academic studies at the academy.

The Kuwaiti embassy in Poland said that the ceremony, which included performance of the Kuwait National Anthem, also witnessed graduation of 10 officers from Qatar and 35 others from Poland.

Eighty-one Kuwaiti officers continue to receive academic studies at the academy in Poland. The ceremony was attended by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Poland, Khaled Al Fadhli and high ranking Polish officers.

Amir of Kuwait begins US visit today

AFP/BEIRUT

Lebanon’s prime minister yesterday urged the United States and France to “intervene” after the Hezbollah movement traded cross-border fire with Israel. Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic advisor to ask for intervention by their coun-tries “and the international community in facing the develop-ments on the southern border,” Hariri’s office said in a statement.

Hezbollah earlier said it had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle across the border, prompting retaliatory fire from the Israeli army.

Hariri urges US, France to intervene after escalation with Israel

Hezbollah, Israel exchange fire at Lebanon borderAP JERUSALEM

The Israeli military yesterday said that Lebanese militants fired a barrage of anti-tank missiles at army base, scoring a number of direct hits on Israeli targets. Israel responded with heavy artillery fire toward stargets in southern Lebanon.

Israel said it was returning

fire after anti-tank missiles were launched at its territory from Lebanon, raising fears of a serious escalation with Hez-bollah after a week of rising ten-sions. The bitter enemies, which fought a monthlong war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate, have appeared to be on a collision course in recent weeks amid a series of covert and overt Israeli military strikes and Hezbollah

vows of revenge.Israel considers Iran to be its

greatest enemy, and Iran-backed Hezbollah to be its most imme-diate military threat. Hezbollah has an experienced army that has been fighting alongside the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria’s civil war, and it is believed to possess an arsenal of some 130,000 missiles and rockets.

Throughout the Syrian war, Israel has acknowledged car-rying out scores of airstrikes in Syria aimed at preventing alleged Iranian arms transfers to Hez-bollah. But in recent weeks, Israel is believed to have struck Iranian or Hezbollah targets in Iraq and Lebanon as well.

Hezbollah has vowed to avenge the deaths of a pair of operatives it says were killed in an Israeli strike in Syria last week. Hezbollah is also out to avenge an alleged Israeli drone strike in Beirut that Israeli media have said destroyed a sophisti-cated piece of equipment needed to manufacture precision-guided missiles. In response, Israel has bolstered its forces along the northern border with Lebanon. Hezbollah has denied it is pur-suing a domestic missile-pro-duction programme. “The Islamic Resistance carried out the secretary-general’s promise to retaliate for the two aggres-sions,” Hezbollah’s Al-Manar

TV said yesterday, referring to the Israeli airstrike in Syria and drone strike in Beirut. In a speech yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of fomenting the violence.

“A new empire has arisen, the goal of which is to defeat us. They dispatch proxies,” he said.

Yesterday’s fighting, the Israeli military statement reported a “number of hits” by anti-tank missiles fired at an

army base and military vehicles near the Lebanese border in northern Israel. It said it was responding with fire towards “the sources of fire and targets in southern Lebanon.”

There was no word on cas-ualties. In Lebanon, the Israeli shelling was concentrated on areas close to the border near the villages of Maroun el-Ras and Yaroun, triggering some fires.

Hezbollah said the unit that carried out the attack on Israel

was named after two operatives who were killed in the Israeli air-strike on Syria on Aug. 24. It said one of its units had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle and wounded the people inside.

Earlier yesterday, the Leb-anese army had claimed an Israeli drone violated the coun-try’s airspace and dropped flam-mable material on fields, trig-gering a fire that was extin-guished shortly afterward by residents.

Smoke rises from shells fired from Israel in Maroun Al Ras village, in southern Lebanon, yesterday.

Coalition bombs Yemen prison, over 100 deadREUTERS/DUBAI

Air strikes by a Saudi-led military coalition in southwest Yemen hit a prison complex, killing scores of people, Yemen’s Houthi movement and a Red Cross official said yesterday.

The Sunni coalition, which has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthis for over four years in Yemen, said it destroyed a site storing drones and mis-siles in Dhamar.

Franz Rauchenstein, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Yemen, said after visiting the prison complex and hospitals yesterday that a “safe pre-sumption is that over 100 had been killed”.

The Houthi health ministry earlier said at least 60 bodies were pulled from the rubble at the detention centre, which offi-cials said housed 170 prisoners. “There are three buildings hit and the building where the detainees were located, most of them or the majority has been killed,” Rauchenstein told Reuters by telephone.

“The prisoners in that facility

were prisoners that we had visited in relation to the conflict.”

He said the Yemeni Red Crescent Society was still trying to retrieve bodies and that around 50 injured people had been taken to hospital. Res-idents said there had been six air strikes. “The explosions were strong and shook the city,” a res-ident said. “Afterwards ambu-lance sirens could be heard until dawn.”

The coalition, which has come under criticism by inter-national rights groups for air strikes that have killed civilians, said it had taken measures to protect civilians in Dhamar and the assault complied with inter-national law.

Searches are on for victims under the rubble of a destroyed building that was used as a detention centre by Yemen’s Houthi rebels which was hit by an air strike by the Saudi-led coalition, in Dhamar, south of capital Sana’a, yesterday.

The Western-backed alliance intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the Houthis after they ousted the internationally recognised government from power in the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.

The movement, which holds most major population centres in the Arabian Peninsula nation, has stepped up cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent months. The Saudi-led alliance has

responded with strikes on Houthi targets. “The crime of the aggressors against prisoners is additional proof that they are ready to violate all Yemenis, even those loyal to them,” the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV quoted the group’s leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi as saying.

The head of the Houthis’ national committee for prisoner affairs, Abdul Qader Al Mortada, said many of those held were due to be released in a local deal to

exchange prisoners of war. The United Nations is trying

to ease tension in Yemen to prepare for political negotiations to end the war that has killed tens of thousands and pushed the long-impoverished country to the brink of famine.

The conflict is widely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis, who deny being puppets of Tehran, say they are fighting a corrupt system.

US strikes in Syria’s Idlib put ceasefire at risk: RussiaREUTERS MOSCOW

Russia’s military said the United States had mounted air strikes in Syria’s Idlib without forewarning Moscow or Ankara, endangering a ceasefire there, Russian news agencies reported yesterday.

The strikes without a heads-up in the “de-escalation zone” breached pre-vious agreements and caused several casualties, TASS news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying.

It said Russian and Syrian war-planes had fully suspended raids against insurgents in Idlib province in northwest Syria, after declaring a ceasefire that started on Saturday morning.

On Saturday, the US Central Command, part of the Department of Defense, said U.S. forces struck an al-Qaeda facility in Idlib in an attack aimed at the organisation’s leadership. U.S. air strikes have at times hit targets

linked to al-Qaeda in northwest Syria in recent years.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air strikes had pounded bases belonging to jihadists near the town of Maarat Misrin on Saturday. The UK-based monitor said more than 40 militants, including some commanders, were killed.

Interfax news agency cited Rus-sia’s military as saying the strikes had hit between Maarat Misrin and Kefraya village. While artillery hit parts of Idlib in the past 24 hours, there was a lull in air strikes that had been pounding the region in recent weeks, the Observ-atory, a rebel official and rescue workers have said.

It was the second such ceasefire declared in the past month in Idlib, which is in Syria’s northwest corner - the only big chunk of the country still in rebel hands. A truce in early August collapsed three days in, after which the Russian-backed army pressed its offensive and gained ground.

Netanyahu renews pledge to annex settlementsAFP JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday renewed his pledge to annex all Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank as he sought to shore up right-wing support ahead of a September 17 election.

Netanyahu and his Likud party have been working to maximise turnout and wrest votes from other right-wing parties close to the influential settlement movement.

“With the help of God we will apply Jewish sovereignty to all communities, as part of the (biblical) Land of Israel, and as part of the state of Israel,” he told an audience at the West Bank settlement of Elkana. He made the same promise ahead of the last election in April, but the

results left him unable to form a viable governing coa-lition and he opted for a fresh poll for September 17.

Israel occupied the West Bank in the Six-Day War of 1967. Israeli settlements are viewed as illegal under inter-national law and as major obstacles to peace since they lie on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state. Annexation on a large-scale could prove to be the death knell for their statehood ambitions.

Saeb Erekat, secretary- general of the Palestine Lib-eration Organisation, called on the international com-munity to take action after Netanyahu’s comments.

“Those who claim concern after every Israeli set-tlement announcement should face reality: Israel’s PM is announcing further annex-ation of occupied territory,” he

wrote on Twitter. “Enough impunity: There’s an interna-tional responsibility to impose sanctions on Israel after decades of systematic crimes.”

The settlers are a major plank of support for Netan-yahu’s government, viewed as the most right-wing in Israel’s history.

More than 400,000 Israelis live in West Bank set-tlements, while a further 200,000 live in settlements in occupied east Jerusalem over which Israel has already unilaterally imposed full sovereignty.

Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts have been at a stand-still since 2014, when a drive for a deal by Barack Obama’s administration collapsed.

President Donald Trump’s administration has swung White House policy firmly in favour of Israel, and US ambassador to Israel

David Friedman said in June that Israel had the right to annex at least part of the West Bank.

With the election nearing, Netanyahu has again turned to populism to energise supporters.

At the weekend, he drew outrage from journalists and free press advocates when he took a fresh swipe at the Israeli media, which he reg-ularly seeks to portray as being part of a leftist cam-paign against him and his family.

He is facing potential corruption charges in the months ahead on allegations of fraud, bribery and breach of trust.

Netanyahu, the longest-serving premier in Israeli history, denies all accusa-tions and has labelled them bids by his enemies to force him from office.

Israel fired 40 rockets into S LebanonAFP/BEIRUT

The Lebanese army said Israel fired 40 rockets into southern Lebanon yesterday after the Hezbollah movement claimed it destroyed an Israeli military vehicle across the border. “The Israeli occupation forces targeted areas outside Maroun Al Ras, Aitaroun and Yaroun with more than 40 cluster and incendiary rockets,” the army said in a statement.

The Houthi health ministry said at least 60 bodies were pulled from the rubble at the detention centre, which officials said housed 170 prisoners.

11MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 AFRICA

Tripoli shuts airport after strike by Haftar forcesAFP TRIPOLI

Rocket fire by forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar against the Libyan capital’s sole functioning airport wounded four civilians overnight, the UN-recognised government said.

The strikes coincided with the arrival of a Libyan plane inbound from Saudi Arabia, which was carrying Haj pil-grims on their way back from Makkah.

Three pilgrims, including a woman, were among four civilians wounded, said Wedad Abu Niran, a spokesman for the UN-recognised Government of National Accord’s health ministry.

Airport director Lotfi al-Tabib said Mitiga’s runway was damaged and a Libyan Airlines plane was hit by shrapnel, putting it out of service. Flights have been suspended “until further notice”, Tabib added.

The Tripoli-based GNA con-trols the former military airbase east of the city, which has been used by civilian traffic since Tripoli international airport suf-fered severe damage during

fighting in 2014. In a statement, the GNA

blamed what it called a “terrorist attack” on forces of Haftar and urged the international com-munity to assume “its responsi-bilities concerning the protection of civilians”.

Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive on April 4 to conquer Tripoli. The two sides have since been embroiled in a stalemate on the capital’s southern outskirts and Haftar’s forces have allegedly repeatedly targeted Mitiga, accusing the GNA of using it for “military ends”.

A similar strike on Mitiga killed a guard and wounded several security agents on August 15. Last week, the airport closed temporarily due to a rocket strike that hit as two planes were

arriving, though no causalities were reported.

Haftar’s forces say they are targeting “Turkish drones” that they claim take off from the airport to conduct strikes on their troops in the south of Tripoli.

The UN mission in Libya said it is concerned by the “growing frequency” of these attacks, which have come close to hitting civilian aircraft.

Since April, fighting between GNA and Haftar forces has killed at least 1,093 people and wounded 5,752, while some 120,000 others have been dis-placed, according to the World Health Organization.

Libya has been mired in chaos since a Nato-backed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Sudan’s transition to civilian rule faces further delayAFP KHARTOUM

Sudan’s hard-won transition to civilian rule fell further behind schedule yesterday, days after the new prime minister delayed the formation of the first government since veteran leader Omar Al Bashir was ousted.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, a seasoned UN economist who faces the daunting task of rescuing his country’s moribund economy, was supposed to unveil a cabinet on Wednesday under a post-Bashir roadmap.

But he is still considering the candidates, causing a knock-on delay to the first meeting between the gov-ernment and the joint civilian-mil-itary ruling body overseeing the

transition which was supposed to have been held yesterday.

Hamdok, who took the oath on August 21, only received the nom-inees list from the Forces for Freedom and Change umbrella protest group on Tuesday and has been mulling the candidates since then. “The FFC was late in submitting the list of nominees to the PM which has ultimately delayed the unveiling of cabinet,” protest leader Amjed Farid said.

Ibrahim Al Amin, another protest leader, said the delay “is entirely the responsibility of the FFC” as there were “differences” within the group over the candidates.

On Sunday, the FFC said it held “deep and constructive discussions” with Hamdok the day before about the candidates of the transitional cabinet. The premier has not publicly

commented on the delay. Sudan swore in a “sovereign

council”, a joint civilian-military ruling body, to guide the country through a three-year transitional period nearly two weeks ago.

It is the result of a power-sharing deal formally signed on August 17 between the FFC and the military generals who seized power after ousting Bashir in April. The deal stip-ulates a legislative body should be formed within 90 days of its signing.

The legislature should include no more than 300 members, with 201 seats allotted to the FFC.

Under the deal, the cabinet should be largely selected by the premier. Only the interior and defence ministers will be chosen by the military members of Sudan’s ruling body.

Amin said the delay in announcing the cabinet would “cer-tainly have a negative impact” by slowing down the transition. It is not the first hurdle thrown up in Sudan’s path out of decades of authoritarianism.

The line-up of Sudan’s 11-member sovereign council was held up for two days over differences within the opposition camp, before it was finally revealed on August 21.

Hamdok, who built a career in continental and international organ-isations, most recently as deputy exec-utive secretary of the UN’s Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, last week confirmed receiving a list of 49 candidates for 14 ministries.

A source close to the premier said that “consultations are still under way for the final list”.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) is greeted by the Mwawi Kapupa, the head of the traditional chiefs of Beni territory, upon his arrival at an Ebola treatment centre in Mangina, North Kivu province of Congo, yesterday.

UN chief visits Congo region hit by Ebola; pledges support

An interior of Mitiga airport terminal is seen empty, after an air strike on April 8, 2019.

AP BENI, CONGO

The United Nations secretary general visited Congo’s eastern city of Beni yesterday, pledging solidarity as the region faces an Ebola outbreak that has killed nearly 2,000 people in a year and ongoing insecurity that has resi-dents skeptical of outside help.

“I could not go to the DRC (Congo) without coming to meet the brave inhabitants of this beautiful territory,” U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said. “There are major concerns about health. There is measles, malaria, cholera and now the terrible drama of Ebola. We are fully on the side of the Congolese people to try to meet all these challenges.”

Guterres also pledged the UN peacekeeping forces’ support with the armed forces of Congo in the fight against extremism “that is threatening not only Congo but Africa and the world.”

He is on a three-day trip to Congo. He stopped in Goma earlier and on Monday will meet with Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi. “It is important for

the people of Beni to know that we have heard their cries of dis-tress. The United Nations as a whole is committed to sup-porting the Congolese author-ities, local communities and civil society actors in the fight against insecurity,” he said while in Beni, adding that he will discuss these issues when he visits Kinshasa on Monday.

Guterres’ trip comes as Ebola cases are about the topple 3,000 along with nearly 2,000 deaths in eastern Congo since the out-break was declared a year ago. Health authorities have faced major challenges trying to stem the spread of the disease amid insecurity and mistrust from communities.

Traumatized by Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces rebels since October 2014, residents of Beni say they do not trust the U.N. peacekeepers, who they say have done little to protect them from rebel attacks. The region is home to numerous rebel groups vying for control of the mineral-rich land.

“Imagine rebels attacking in the evening but we try to call

MONUSCO but they arrive in the morning with cameras,” said Nzanu Nzoli a former resident of the town of Eringeti who traveled to Beni to flee the attacks. “The visit of Antonio Guterres will not change the current state of our situation in Beni because before him we had already received the promises of the Congolese government and the U.N.... But it will soon be five years without action.... Nothing will change.”

Others in the area said a visit from the head of the U.N. could boost military operations.

“I believe that with his visit... Antonio Guterres will learn about the current situation of the rebels, and the evolution of Ebola. Often he receives reports but he will feel the situation, so I hope for a favorable outcome,” said Kambale Mundoleko, an Ebola survivor near Beni in Mangina who lost her entire family.

Upon his arrival in Mangina, Guterres visited an Ebola treatment center and also wit-nessed the unloading of four Ebola patients.

Netanyahu looks to boost security tie-up with EthiopiaAFP/JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday called for strengthened security cooperation with Ethiopia, during a meeting in Jerusalem with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed. “We believe that we can offer some experience, some shared experience that we have garnered because of our unfor-tunate need to defend ourselves,” Netanyahu told Ahmed, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

He hailed the prime minister of the Horn of Africa country as “one of the most important and influential leaders in Africa”.

In the 1960s, some African nations dis-tanced themselves from Israel due to the Jewish state’s wars with its Arab neighbours and its links with the apartheid regime in South Africa. Netanyahu has been looking to forge warmer ties with African nations, partly to garner support at international institutions where Israel is often criticised for its occu-pation of Palestinian territories.

In 2016, he made the first visit of an Israeli head of government to Ethiopia, seat of the African Union. Daniel Benaim, a former advisor to US president Barack Obama, said Israel is seeking “to deny Iran a foothold on the African side of the Red Sea from which it could transship weapons into Gaza and beyond”.

For its part, “Ethiopia sees a potential security partner and source of investment and innovation”, he added. The second most pop-ulous country on the continent, with some 100 million inhabitants, Ethiopia boasts the most dynamic economy in East Africa while still being one of the poorest countries in the world. There are over 140,000 Israeli citizens with Ethiopian origins, more than 50,000 of them born in Israel.

These nationals “bring the culture of Ethiopia, the pride of Ethiopia to Israel, just as they maintain the culture of the Jewish people and the pride of the Jewish people in Ethiopia,” Netanyahu said.

The rocket fire by forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar coincided with the arrival of a Libyan plane inbound from Saudi Arabia, which was carrying Haj pilgrims on their way back from Makkah. Three pilgrims, including a woman, were among four civilians wounded.

ANATOLIA/MOGADISHU

At least six militants belonging to insurgent group Al Shabaab have been killed and nine others reportedly wounded, after Somali National Army (SNA) launched a military operations, in Southern province of Lower Jubba yesterday.

An SNA radio broadcast claimed that the operations took place near the town of Jamame, Lower Jubba north of the port city of Kismayo, the administrative capital of Jubaland province. During the operation several vil-lages were liberated from the al-Shabaab, according to SNA radio. “Somali National Army killed six al-Shabaab militants and injured nine others, near Jamame town. The troops also captured several villages in North of Kismayo town”, the SNA radio said.

Last month, Somali Special Forces, backed by the African Union forces in Somalia (AMISOM) liberated the strategic agricultural town of Awdhegle in Lower Shabelle region.

Somalia arrests regional ministerSix Shabaab militants killed, villages liberated AFP

MOGADISHU

A minister from Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubaland state has been arrested in Mogadishu, Somalia police said yesterday, in a case under-scoring tensions with federal government.

Jubaland State Security Minister Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur was arrested for “serious crimes” arriving in Mogadishu from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, police said without giving details of the charges.

But in a 2017 United Nations report, the minister is accused of ties to torture and human rights abuses between

2014 and2015. “Yesterday, Somalia police forces arrested Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur, who has been accused of series crimes,” Somalia police deputy chief Zakia Hussen tweeted, saying the minister was under investigation.

Jubaland’s administration called the arrest “illegal” and a “kidnapping”.

The minister’s arrest comes at a time of rising ten-sions between the Somalia federal government and the government in Jubaland and their respective foreign backers.

Jubaland’s parliament last month re-elected Ahmed Madobe as its president, though the central Somalia authorities

have refused to recognise the election results.

Jubaland authorities had accused the federal gov-ernment of trying to expand their power by ousting the incumbent president, Madobe, and installing a loyalist in his place. Tensions over the poll threatened to spill over, with Kenya backing its ally Madobe while Ethiopia was siding with Mogadishu in trying to remove him, analysts said.

In a statement, the Jubaland administration said Sunday its security committee had met in emergency session to discuss the arrest which it deemed unlawful while adding its concern for Abdinur’s wellbeing.

12 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019ASIA

Ayodhya case: Muslimparties to now contestNirmohi Akhara claimIANS NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court will today begin hearing the arguments of the Muslim parties in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya dispute.

The top court completed hearing the arguments of all the Hindu parties, including the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman, in the case, in 16 days. It initiated daily hearings in the case on August 6.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board, will today begin point-by-point rebuttal of the arguments made by the lawyers of the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman in the case.

Dhavan had initially informed the apex court that he would take 20 days to wrap up his arguments, which means the daily hearings will technically be over before the end of Sep-tember. This will give the apex court more than a month to pass a judgment on the politically-vexed issue. CJI Ranjan Gogoi, who heads the SC bench hearing the case, is set to retire on November 17.

In their arguments, the Muslim parties are likely to contest the Nirmohi Akhara’s claim on the disputed site. This could be a crucial phase in the Ayodhya title dispute hearing, especially after the Nirmohi Akhara told the Supreme Court that it is not opposing the lawsuit

filed by Ram Lalla Virajman.The turnaround by the

Nirmohi Akhara came after it was told by the Supreme Court that its right as ‘shebait’ (devotee) over the property can only stand if the lawsuit of ‘Ram Lalla Virajman’ is allowed.

According to a source in the Akhara, the Muslim parties will contest its presence on the dis-puted site for last 150 years and also argue to establish that the idols were never inside the inner courtyard, rather they were “placed there”.

The Akhara’s counsel had told the apex court that no namaz had been offered at the disputed site since 1934, but the Muslim parties are likely to tell the court that the last namaz was offered there on December 16, 1949.

“They would probably claim that they continued to offer namaz twice every Friday at the disputed site and that they used

to visit it under police protection, but there is no document to establish this claim,” said the source in the Hindu body.

The Muslim side had in 1961 filed a suit seeking a decree to refer to the structure as a “mosque”.

The Muslim parties refused to comment on their strategy to contest the Akhara claims. But it is learnt that they will improvise their arguments in the backdrop of the Allahabad High Court vedict.

They were having a full-fledged meeting yetserday to discuss various aspects of the case. “Monday is very crucial for us, as we get to begin our argu-ments in the Ayodhya title dispute,” said a source on con-dition of anonymity.

During the hearing over the past 16 days, senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, who represents one of the Hindu parties, pleaded his case contextualising Hindu faith with references to historical texts and scientific evidence pub-lished in reports by the Archae-ological Survey of India (ASI).

Vaidyanathan claimed the Babri mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple as per the ASI report. The Muslim parties are expected to a produce solid arguments to contest this claim.

The counsels of Ram Lalla Virajman too made robust argu-ments establishing the essence of Hindu faith and reverence of the birthplace of Ram in Hindu culture and traditions.

Australian Mayor and state Member of Parliament for Blacktown, Stephen Bali, holds flowers during a meeting at a hotel in Amritsar, yesterday.

Australian MP in Amritsar

Kalyan Singh may face charges in Babri Masjid demolition caseIANS NEW DELHI

Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh, who is going to complete his five-year tenure on September 3, will face criminal charges in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case before a Uttar Pradesh court.

On April 19, 2017, the Supreme Court had revived criminal charges against various leaders in the case but granted immunity to Kalyan Singh as he was the Governor of Rajasthan.

However, the top court had said the charges would be framed against the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister when he will com-

plete his tenure as the Governor.“Kalyan Singh, being the Gov-

ernor of Rajasthan, is entitled to immunity under Article 361 of the Constitution as long as he remains Governor of Rajasthan. The court of Sessions will frame charges and move against him as soon as he ceases to be Governor,” the Apex Court had said in 2017.

Kalyan Singh took charge as Rajasthan Governor on Sep-tember 4, 2014.

The Apex Court had in 2017 revived the conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders L K Advani, M M Joshi, Uma Bharti and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

On April 19, 2017, it had ordered the trial court to conduct day-to-day hearings and conclude the trial in the case within two years.

On July 19 this year, the top court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to find ways to extend tenure of special judge hearing the case.

The Special Judge hearing the case was scheduled to retire on September 30 this year.

A frenzied Hindu mob razed the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. When this happened, Advani, Joshi and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were present at the spot.

UN refugee chief urges India to ensure no one left stateless

AP BERLIN

The top UN refugee official has urged India to ensure that no one is left stateless by the exclusion of nearly two million people from a citizenship list in Assam.

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, voiced his concern in a statement issued yesterday in Geneva. He said that “any process that could leave large numbers of people without a nationality would be an enormous blow to global efforts to eradicate statelessness.” He urged India to ensure no one ends up stateless, “including by ensuring adequate access to information, legal aid, and legal recourse in accordance with the highest standards of due process.”

India slams ‘incorrect’ foreign media reports on NRCIANS NEW DELHI

Slamming the commentaries in foreign media about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as “incorrect”, India yesterday said that NRC is a “statutory, trans-parent, legal process” mandated by the Supreme Court and a “non-discriminatory process, which leaves no room for bias and injustice.”

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the NRC appli-cation form does not ask for the religion of the applicant and it is

“not an executive-driven process”.“The process is being moni-

tored by the Supreme Court directly and the government is acting in accordance with the directives issued by the court,” the statement by MEA spokes-person Raveesh Kumar said.

Giving the background, the statement said that the NRC stems from the Assam Accord of 1985 “with the promise to take care of the interests of the cit-izens of Assam.”

“NRC aims to give effect to the Assam Accord signed in 1985 between the Government of

India, state government of Assam, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gan Sangram Parishad (AAGSP),” the statement said, adding: “The apex court mandated the government to deliver on the commitment in 2013, which led to the process of updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam in 2015.”

“NRC is a fair process based on scientific methods. Inclusion in the NRC is a unique process, as it is based on ‘application’ rather than ‘house to house enumer-ation.’ It means that any person in Assam could have sought to be

included in the list on the basis of having documentation to prove lineage from an entitled person, ie a person who was a resident of Assam as on March 24, 1971.”

It described the NRC process as a “non-discriminatory process, which leaves no room for bias and injustice.” “As can be seen from the application form for data entry in NRC, there was no column in the application asking for the religion of the applicant,” the statement said, dismissing claims by the foreign media, especially Pakistani and western media, trying to drum

up a campaign that the NRC process is targeted at Muslims.

It said that “anyone excluded from the list at this stage has a right to file an appeal within 120 days of receiving a notification of exclusion to the designated Tri-bunal. All appeals and excluded cases will be examined by this Tri-bunal ie a judicial process. This judicial process will commence only after the appellate period is over. Thereafter, anyone still aggrieved by any decision of being excluded will have the right to approach the high court of Assam and then the Supreme Court.”

A Kashmiri man walks on a bridge during restrictions after scrapping of the special constitutional status for Jammu and Kashmir, in Srinagar, yesterday.

Curbs remain in Kashmir

President appoints five new governorsIANS NEW DELHI

In a reshuffle yesterday, Pres-ident Ram Nath Kovind announced the appointment of five new Governors in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana.

Prominent Muslim face and former Congress leader Arif Mohammed Khan has been appointed the new Kerala Gov-ernor, replacing P Sathasivam.

Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan has been appointed as the Governor of Telangana, replacing ESL Narasimhan.

Narasimhan served as the Governor of both the Telegu

states even after Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated until mid-July this year when the state got a new Governor, Odisha BJP leader Biswa Bhushan Harichandan.

Kalraj Mishra, who was the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, has now been appointed as Gov-ernor of Rajasthan, where he replaces incumbent Kalyan Singh.

The senior BJP leader was earlier given the charge of the Himachal Pradesh Governor replacing Acharya Devvrat.

Bandaru Dattatreya replaces Mishra in Himachal Pradesh.

Besides, BJP leaders from Uttarakhand Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been appointed the new Governor of Maharashtra, replacing Vidyasagar Rao.

Chandrayaan-2gets closer to the MoonIANS/CHENNAI

The Indian space agency last evening successfully completed the fifth and final lunar bound orbit change for the Chan-drayaan-2 spacecraft.

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the spacecraft’s manoeuvre began at 6.21pm using its onboard pro-pulsion system for 52 seconds.

The orbit achieved is 119km x 127km. All spacecraft param-eters are normal. The next crucial operation is the sepa-ration of Vikram, the lander, from the spacecraft scheduled on September 2 at 12.45pm -1.45pm.

After Vikram’s separation, there will be two de-orbital operations on September 3 and 4 so that it could soft land on the Moon’s south pole on Sep-tember 7 at 1.30am- 2.30am.

Manmohan blames govt policies for economic slowdownIANS NEW DELHI

Days after the Finance Ministry reported contraction in the GDP growth, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday slammed the Narendra Modi government blaming its policies for the economic slowdown in

the country.“India has the potential to

grow at a much faster rate, but the all-round mismanagement by the Modi government has resulted in this slowdown,” said Singh, who is also an eminent economist.

Calling the slowdown a “man-made crisis”, Singh, in a

detailed statement, primarily blamed the Modi government’s decision of demonetisation and a “hastily implemented GST” for the current state of economy.

Even last year, on second year of demonitisation, Singh had hit out at the government for the ‘wounds’ of currency ban move. “It is often said that time

is a great healer. But unfortu-nately, in the case of demoneti-sation, the scars and wounds of demonetisation are only getting more visible with time,” he had said in a statement.

Even then, he had called the m o v e a n “ e c o n o m i c misadventures”.

The Congress yesterday

shared Singh’s statement on its official Twitter handle indicating that it was the party’s position as well.

The Congress leader said more than 3.5 lakh jobs had been lost in the automobile sector alone and he claimed similar large-scale job losses in the informal sector.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board, will today begin point-by-point rebuttal of the arguments made by the lawyers of the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman in the case.

13MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 ASIA

Imran, US Senator call attention to ‘unacceptable actions’ in J&KINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Prime Minister Imran Khan and US Senator Bernie Sanders yesterday raised the plight of Kashmiris, who have been living under a lockdown for four weeks in Indian-administered Kashmir, while separately addressing the 56th Convention of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).

Speaking at the event, Sanders, a Democratic presi-dential hopeful for the US Elec-tions 2020, termed India’s move

to annex Kashmir as “unacceptable”.

“I am also deeply concerned about the situation in Kashmir where the Indian government has revoked Kashmiri autonomy, cracked down on dissent and instituted a communications blackout. The crackdown in the name of security is also denying the Kashmiri people access to medical care. Even many respected doctors in India have acknowledged that the Indian government-imposed restric-tions on travel are threatening

the life-saving care that patients need,” Sanders said.

“The communications blockade must be lifted imme-diately, and the United States government must speak out boldly in support of international humanitarian law and in support of a UN-backed peaceful reso-lution that respects the will of the Kashmiri people,” the senator stated.

In his address to the con-vention in Houston via video link, Prime Minister Imran Khan said terrorism has nothing to do with religion and that Islam is a religion of peace.

He said Islam teaches to live with peace and the act of one person cannot be attributed to the whole community.

“Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. Why are Muslims always considered as suspects? Muslim places of worship were also attacked in Europe,” he said.

“Before 9/11, the Tamil Tigers

were involved in suicide bomb attacks. Terrorism is not related to any religion. After 9/11, India named the Kashmiris’s fight for independence as terrorism. To express the right of freedom does not mean that someone’s reli-gious rights should be curtailed,” he asserted.

Speaking about the pre-vailing situation in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Prime Minister said the people of the valley have been under siege for the last 28 days.

“India has suppressed Muslims in occupied Kashmir in

the name of terrorism,” Imran said. “Kashmir is a disputed ter-ritory and its future is to be decided by a plebiscite of its people,” Imran said.

“The Modi government wants to change the demography of Kashmir. They have detained Kashmiri leadership. The world should see what is happening in occupied Kashmir. Thousands of people have been arrested in Kashmir.”

He continued, “India might resort to attacking Pakistan to try and divert the world’s attention from its human rights abuses in

Kashmir. We will give a befitting response to India if it launched any aggression against us.”

The Prime Minister said Pakistan would continue to strive for peace around the world.

The Prime Minister further cautioned that the conflict between two nuclear-armed countries would not be limited and could have dangerous consequences.

“I have spoken to the heads of Muslim states. I hope the inter-national community will play its role when it comes to the issue in Kashmir,” PM Imran added.

OIC calls for immediate end to curfew in KashmirINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called for immediate lifting of curfew, restoration of communication and respect for fundamental rights of people in Indian-administered Kashmir.

In a statement published in media yesterday, the OIC has reaffirmed the internationally recognized status of Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The organisation recog-nised the centrality of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India and the need for seeking its durable and just solution according to the UN Security Council resolutions.

The OIC General Secretariat stressed the need for resumption of dialogue process between Pakistan and India, which is a prerequisite for development, peace and sta-bility in South Asia.

Taliban attack second Afghan city as peace deal nearsAP KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban attacked a second Afghan city in as many days yesterday, killing several civilians and security forces, offi-cials said, even as Washington’s peace envoy said the US and the Taliban are “at the threshold of an agreement” to end America’s longest war.

The attack on the capital of Baghlan province came hours after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said he warned the Taliban during talks in Qatar that “vio-lence like this must stop.”

But he appeared determined to move forward on a deal that plans the withdrawal of some 14,000 remaining US troops in exchange for Taliban guarantees that Afghanistan will not be used as a launch pad for global attacks.

Khalilzad was visiting Kabul yesterday to brief the Afghan government on a deal that is not yet final. Both he and the Taliban

confirmed the latest round of talks had ended. “We are on the verge of ending the invasion and reaching a peaceful solution for Afghanistan,” said a Taliban spokesman, with technical issues still under discussion.

The attacks are seen as strengthening the negotiating position of the Taliban, who control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan and are at their strongest since their 2001 defeat by a US-led invasion.

Some critics warn that the Taliban are merely waiting out the US and that another US goal in the talks, a cease-fire, likely will not happen as foreign troops leave.

Provincial council member Mabobullah Ghafari said he had seen the bodies of at least six members of the security forces and that the situation was wors-ening by the hour. Gunfire could be heard late into the afternoon in parts of the city, home to more than 220,000 people. Some were trying to flee.

“I’m afraid the city will col-lapse if we don’t get reinforce-ments soon,” he said, adding that the Taliban had occupied some checkpoints with no resistance from security forces.

Taliban fighters had taken shelter in some homes, Ghafari said.

The assault on Puli Khumri, about 230km north of Kabul, came a day after the Taliban attacked Kunduz, one of Afghan-istan’s largest cities, in the

province to the north and killed at least 25 people and wounded 85. The interior ministry yes-terday said the Taliban had been cleared from Kunduz.

The Afghan interior ministry said four civilians and two members of the security forces were killed in the attack yes-terday, with 20 civilians and two security forces wounded. It said three Taliban fighters were dead.

Elsewhere yesterday, at least eight civilians were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in northern Balkh province, said Munir Ahmad Farhad, spokesman for the governor. Another vehicle struck a roadside bomb in western Farah province, killing six civilians, said Mohibullah Mohib, spokesman for the provincial police chief.

About 20,000 US and NATO troops are still in the country. The remaining US troops train and support Afghan forces but also come to their aid with air-strikes and counterterror operations.

Afghan security forces take positions during a battle with the Taliban in Kunduz province, yesterday.

Fourth Rohingyarefugee shot dead over Bangladeshmurder falloutAFP DHAKA

A fourth Rohingya refugee was shot dead, Bangladesh police said yesterday, amid growing fallout over the murder of a ruling party official that sparked a violent backlash from locals.

There has been an outbreak of violence in recent weeks at refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh, where nearly one million Rohingya live after fleeing crackdowns in Myanmar.

At least five Rohingya men have died in clashes in the set-tlements — allegedly over gang violence — while an Awami League official was shot in the head in late August at Jadimura camp in the border town of Teknaf.

Police blamed Omar Faruk’s death on Rohingya hitmen, and have shot dead three refugees over the past week in connection with the incident.

The latest to die was 36-year-old Nur Mohammad, who officers allege was a Rohingya gang leader who arrived in Bangladesh in 1992 and was operating in the hills around the refugee camps.

Local off icials say Mohammad was a drug traf-ficking kingpin involved in using refugees to smuggle yaba, a popular methamphetamine pill, from across the Myanmar border.

“He was arrested over Faruk’s murder on Saturday. We took him to find out his weapons in a hill when his accomplices fired on police (yesterday),” police spokesman Ikbal Hossain said.

“We fired back and later found Mohammad’s bullet-riddled body.” Rights groups have previously accused Bang-ladesh police of extrajudicial killings. Hundreds of enraged

locals living near Jadimura camp stormed the settlement after Faruk’s murder, looting and van-dalising scores of Rohingya shops and houses.

Police said they have stepped up security in the camp, but the European Commission said some refugees have fled Jadimura and were taking shelter at other sites following the violence.

Humanitarian work by aid agencies has also been disrupted, affecting some 100,000 people, the commission said.

Rohingya leader Mohammad Noor said there was a “tense” atmosphere in the camps and refugees were “living in panic”.

A file picture shows the Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh’s Ukhia district.

Myanmar holding court martialafter Rohingya atrocities probeAFP YANGON

Myanmar said its military was conducting a rare court martial following a probe into alleged mass graves in crisis-hit Rakhine state, two years after a bloody crackdown drove some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh.

In February 2018, an Asso-ciated Press report alleged at least five mass graves of Rohingya in Rakhine’s Gu Dar Pyin village — a claim denied by the government, which said the bodies were those of “terrorists”.

But the military’s official website said on Saturday that an investigation had found “weakness in following instruc-tions” in Gu Dar Pyin, and that a court martial would “proceed in accordance with the proce-dures of Military Justice.” Mil-itary spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed the probe yesterday, and said the report of mass graves “is just an allegation”.

But “detailed information cannot be released yet”, he said.

The report described grisly violence at the hands of soldiers and Buddhist vigilantes, who allegedly attacked villagers with guns, knives, rocket launchers and grenades before dumping bodies into pits and dousing

them with acid.Estimates from survivors in

Bangladesh put the death toll in the hundreds, the report said.

Security forces claimed they were under attack by some 500 villagers, and that they had acted “in self-defence”, according to state-run media last year.

UN investigators want Myanmar generals prosecuted for genocide for overseeing the brutal crackdown in Rakhine state.

The army staunchly denies the allegation, calling the 2017 operation a proportionate response to deadly militant attacks on police posts.

Rights groups say the mil-itary has done little to hold anyone accountable for atrocities.

It previously admitted that members of the security forces had helped kill 10 Rohingya in a different Rakhine village in September 2017.

Four officers and three sol-diers were sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour, but a prison official said in May that they were “no longer in detention”.

Conflict-scarred Rakhine state is virtually sealed off to media, and has in recent months been the site of fierce battles between the military and rebels.

Sri Lanka bans protests against Bohra event AFP/COLOMBO

A Sri Lankan court yesterday banned two ultra-nationalist Buddhist organisations from demonstrating against the gath-ering of a Shia sect.

Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said Colombo Mag-istrate’s court issued restraining orders against the two groups led by Buddhist monks who planned to disrupt a gathering in Colombo of Dawoodi Bohra, a Shia sect.

An estimated 25,000 adherents from around the world have been meeting in Colombo since Saturday for a 10-day religious event culmi-nating with Ashura. Gunasekera said police had information that two nationalist groups were planning to disrupt the event in the capital, where police and troops have stepped up security.

Supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami political party protest against Indian government’s decision to strip the Indian-administered Kashmir of its special autonomy, in Karachi yesterday.

Prime Minister Imran Khan says Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and its future is to be decided by its own people through a plebiscite.

Two Bangladesh policemen hurt in IS attackAP DHAKA, BANGLADESH

Two Bangladeshi policemen in the capital were injured in a crude bomb attack that has been claimed by the Islamic State group.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief Asaduzzaman Mia said the attack happened on late Sat-urday night when a car carrying a Cabinet minister was passing through Dhaka’s busy Dhan-mondi area. A policeman from his security team and a traffic officer were both injured in the explosion.

Local Government and Rural Development Minister Tazul Islam escaped unhurt.

The Islamic State group said in a statement posted late Sat-urday on an IS-affiliate website that two traffic police officers were severely wounded when a “security detachment from the soldiers of the Caliphate” detonated an explosive device in a Dhaka street targeting the two officers.

The policemen were being treated in a hospital and their injuries were not life threatening.

The IS has claimed similar attacks on police in the past.

14 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019ASIA

Protesters block roads near HK airportAP HONG KONG

Anti-government protesters blocked roads near Hong Kong’s airport with burning barricades and damaged a train station yesterday after a night of violent clashes with police.

Train and some bus service to the airport on the outlying island of Chek Lap Kok were sus-pended. Some passengers walked to the airport, one of Asia’s busiest, carrying their luggage.

Hong Kong has been the scene of tense anti-government protests for nearly three months. The demonstrations began in response to a proposed extra-dition law and have expanded to include other grievances and demands for more democracy and the resignation of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory’s leader.

The protesters complain Beijing and the government of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam are eroding the autonomy and civil liberties promised when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

The MTR Corp. suspended train service to the airport yes-terday after several hundred protesters gathered there fol-lowing calls online to disrupt transportation. They blocked buses arriving at the airport but

police in riot helmets kept them out of the terminal.

The government said some protesters threw objects at police. It also said iron poles, bricks and rocks were thrown onto tracks of the airport train.

At least 26 flights from Hong Kong and 17 to the city had been cancelled as of 7:55pm, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported, citing information from the airport.

After protesters began to stream away from the airport in the late afternoon, some attacked a train station in the adjacent Tung Chung area. They used metal bars to smash lights and broke open a fire hose valve, sending water gushing across the floor.

Protesters set up barricades on two adjacent streets and set fire to some of them. Firefighters arrived a few minutes later to douse the blaze.

Protesters left the area after busloads of riot police in green fatigues with black helmets and riot shields flooded into the train station.

The Post reported that drivers of taxis and private cars on the toll road from the airport

were picking up protesters to help them avoid arrest.

Passengers arr iv ing downtown on a ferry from Lantau Island, where Tung Chung is located, were being searched by police and asked for identity cards, the newspaper said.

The protests followed a night of violent clashes between pro-testers and police.

On Saturday, protesters threw gasoline bombs at gov-ernment headquarters. Police

stormed a subway car and hit passengers with clubs and pepper spray.

A total of 63 people were arrested at the Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei and Prince Edward subway stations, police announced. The youngest was a 13-year-old boy accused of pos-sessing two gasoline bombs.

Demonstrators outside the British Consulate yesterday also called on London to grant citi-zenship to people born before the former colony was returned

to China. About 200 people waved British flags and chanted “Equal rights now!” and “Stand with Hong Kong!” A saxophonist in dark glasses played “God Save the Queen,” the British national anthem.

Many wanted Britain to grant citizenship to people born in Hong Kong before 1997. Instead of citizenship, London gave Hong Kong people “British National Overseas” passports that can be used for travel but not to settle in the United Kingdom.

Pro-democracy protesters occupy a road leading to Hong Kong International Airport, yesterday.

All nine aboard dead as light plane crashes in PhilippinesAP MANILA

All nine people on-board a small medical evacuation plane were killed yesterday when the aircraft crashed into a resort area south of the Philippine capital and exploded in flames, officials said.

The light plane crashed into a resort compound in Pansol village in Laguna province near the foothills of Mount Makiling. Police and rescuers retrieved nine bodies from the wreckage, police said. Two people on the ground were injured and brought to a hospital.

Eric Apolonio, a spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the light plane was on a medical evac-uation flight from southern Dipolog city in Zamboanga del Norte province and disap-peared from radar for unknown reasons as it flew over Laguna, about 60km south of the capital. The plane was supposed to land in Manila.

The nine on board the plane included two pilots, two nurses, a doctor, a patient, the patient’s wife and two other people, police said.

Videos posted online by witnesses showed flames and black smoke billowing from the private resort compound in Pansol, a district popular for its hot springs and swimming pools. Firefighters and an ambulance can be seen near the scene of the crash as local offi-cials asked villagers to step back to a safe distance.

The crash happened during the monsoon season, when fewer people visit Pansol’s resorts compared to the hot summer months that ended in June.

N Korea denies amassing $2bn through cyberattacksREUTERS SEOUL

North Korea has denied allega-tions that it had obtained $2bn through cyberattacks on banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, and accused the United States for spreading rumours.

A United Nations report last month said North Korea had used “widespread and increasingly sophisticated” cyberattacks to steal from banks and cryptocur-rency exchanges, amassing $2bn which it used to fund weapons of

mass destruction programmes.“The United States and other

hostile forces are now spreading ill-hearted rumors,” North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency reported, citing a statement from the spokesperson for the National Coordination Committee of the DPRK for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism.

“Such a fabrication by the hostile forces is nothing but a sort of a nasty game aimed at tar-nishing the image of our Republic and finding justification for

sanctions and pressure campaign against the DPRK,” the statement said.

Washington has made scant progress towards its goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme, despite three meetings between US Pres-ident Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s vice-foreign minister said on Saturday that hopes for talks with Washington were fading, and criticised Mike Pompeo’s recent comments about “North Korea’s rogue behaviour”.

Pyongyang has been blamed in recent years for a series of online attacks, mostly on financial networks, in the United States, South Korea and over a dozen other countries, as experts say such cyber activities generate hard currency for the regime.

The crux of the allegations against North Korea is its con-nection to a hacking group called Lazarus that is linked to $81m cyber heist at the Bangladesh central bank in 2016 and a 2014 attack on Sony’s Hollywood studio.

Australians rally against Tamil family deportationAFP SYDNEY

Hundreds of Australians joined rallies yesterday urging the government not to deport a Tamil family of four — including two Australian-born toddlers — whose case has become a new flashpoint over immigration policy.

The family — who are fighting to remain in Australia because they fear persecution in Sri Lanka — were moved to the Christmas Island detention facility overnight on Saturday after a judge blocked a gov-ernment attempt to deport them.

With an injunction on further government action due to expire Wednesday, Australians

gathered in cities and towns across the country to oppose their deportation, many of them chanting “let them stay”.

In Melbourne, where the family spent almost 18 months in detention, up to a thousand people turned out, while in central Sydney police estimated the crowd size at approximately 600 people.

The family has received broad public support, led by their neighbours in a small rural Queensland town, including unexpected backing from some right-wing commentators and politicians.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said he had raised the case directly with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, urging him to

“listen to what the community are saying and saying so strongly”. The conservative gov-ernment’s hardline immigration

policies include turning away refugees arriving by boat and de facto offshore detention, both measures condemned by the UN.

Protesters hold placards during a rally in support of a Tamil refugee family, in Melbourne, yesterday.

Many arrested after violent Papua riotsAFP JAKARTA

Dozens have been arrested over rioting in the capital of Indone-sia’s Papua region, police said yesterday, following nearly two weeks of mass protests in the easternmost territory of the Southeast Asian archipelago.

The announcement came as Indonesia said it would deploy some 2,500 more police and troops to Papua, adding to about 1,200 personnel it had already sent after unrest sparked by anger over racism and calls for independence.

On Thursday, more than a thousand demonstrators hurled stones and set fire to shops and an assembly building in the pro-vincial capital Jayapura.

That came a day after a deadly clash in another part of the island region, which shares a border with independent Papua New Guinea.

Police said Sunday they had rounded up several dozen people who had taken part in the riots and charged 28 of them over looting and carrying weapons.

“They’re now in jail pending further investigation,” said Papua police spokesman Ahmad Kamal.

Two students were also arrested in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta at the weekend for alleged crimes against state security, including owning clothing with the image of Papua’s banned flag.

This week, violence flared in

remote Deiyai, where a clash between protesters and Indo-nesian security forces left at least one soldier and two demon-strators dead, according to officials.

There have been uncon-firmed reports that security forces gunned down six protesters.

The unrest across Papua appears to have been triggered by the mid-August arrest of dozens of Papuan students in Java, who were also racially abused.

Jakarta took control of the former Dutch colony in the 1960s after an independence ref-erendum. The region has been the scene of a low-level insur-gency against Indonesia’s rule for decades.

Another femalejockey diesin AustraliaAP DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

A female jockey died on Saturday during a race at a track in Darwin, the second rider to die on consecutive days in Australia.

Melanie Tyndall, 32, had been riding at the Fannie Bay track in Darwin when her horse fell during the third race. She died later in hospital.

Thoroughbred Racing NT and the Darwin Turf Club con-firmed Tyndall’s death: “Mela-nie’s mount Restless appeared to clip the heels of another runner, she became unbalanced and was dislodged near the 300-meter mark.”

On Friday, 22-year-old female apprentice jockey Mikaela Claridge was killed after falling from her horse during track work at Cran-bourne near Melbourne.

CFC to complete relocationoutside Seoul by 2021QNA SEOUL

South Korea and the United States are pushing to complete the relocation of their Combined Forces Command (CFC) head-quarters out of Seoul by 2021, defence ministry officials said yesterday.

The envisioned relocation is expected to be followed by South Korea retaking wartime operational control (OPCON) over its forces from the US as the allies are eying 2022, or there-abouts, as a target date for the OPCON transfer.

In June, Seoul and Wash-ington agreed to relocate the CFC headquarters from Seoul’s Yongsan Garrison to Camp

Humphreys, a sprawling US mil-itary complex in Pyeongtaek, 70km south of Seoul.

The two sides tentatively set the target time frame for the relocation as 2021, with the plan to be finally approved by their defence chiefs during their planned talks later this year in Seoul.

As part of preparations to host the CFC, the US plans to set up the so-called Operation Center at Camp Humphreys by the end of next year, they added. The centre will serve as a brain of the CFC and will be connected to the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii and the US military base in Japan’s Okinawa through the “C4I” military communica-tions systems.

Ghosn’s lawyersays Tokyo prosecutor lacksimpartialityAFP PARIS

The French lawyer of former auto titan Carlos Ghosn, currently under house arrest in Tokyo, has attacked Japanese prosecutors for an alleged lack of impartiality and questioned how his client can receive a fair trial.

“It is time to condemn the human rights violations of which the Tokyo prosecutor is guilty,” Francois Zimeray, wrote in France’s Journal du Dimanche, adding that there had been “serious breaches of the duty of impartiality such as staggering collusion with Nissan and the political authorities”.

“Everything seems to be permissable for the Japanese prosecutor for whom the game is as much not to lose face as to sabotage the French influence on Nissan by protecting its current management with whom he has reached a secret deal,” Zimeray charged.

Trainee pilotmakes landing after teacherfalls illAP/CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA

A trainee pilot in Australia who was having his first lesson behind the controls of an aircraft had to make an emergency landing after his instructor fell uncon-scious.

Max Sylvester called air traffic control in Western Aus-tralia state on Saturday after his instructor collapsed during the flight. “He’s leaning over my shoulder, I’m trying to keep him up but he keeps falling down,” Sylvester told the controller from the plane. “Do you know how to operate the airplane?” the con-troller asked.

“This is my first lesson,” Syl-vester replied.

The controller then guided Sylvester through the landing.

Sylvester landed the plane safely at Jandakot Airport. The instructor was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition.

At least 26 flights from Hong Kong and 17 to the city had been cancelled by 8pm local time.

15MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 EUROPE

Merkel allies weather far-right surge in German regional pollsREUTERS BERLIN

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and her Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners held off a surge in far right support in two state elec-tions in eastern Germany yesterday, averting an imme-diate crisis for the ruling alliance.

Merkel’s Christian Demo-crats (CDU) remained the largest party in Saxony but saw their vote share drop by 7.4 points from the last election in 2014 to 32%, with the far-right Alter-native for Germany (AfD) coming second, preliminary results showed.

The AfD harnessed voter anger over refugees and the planned closure of coal mines in the formerly communist eastern states, casting itself as the heir of the demonstrators who brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall three decades ago.

In Brandenburg, which sur-rounds Berlin, the left-leaning SPD clung on to first place in a state they have run since German reunification in 1990, winning 27.2% of the vote — ahead of the AfD on 22.8%, preliminary results showed.

The ruling parties’ setbacks

were not as major as feared and the results alleviate some pressure on the national coalition led by Merkel, who has loomed large on the European stage since 2005, and could reassure a European Union unnerved by Brexit.

“The results are a reminder of how little CDU and SPD would stand to gain from new elections right now. That might help sta-bilise Merkel’s position, at least for now,” said Carsten Nickel, managing director at Teneo, a consultancy.

Much depends on the SPD, which rules with the radical Left

party in Brandenburg. The party sank into turmoil after its worst performance in European elec-tions in May, is polling close to record lows and is still searching for a leader.

Many SPD rank-and-file members want to quit a ruling national alliance that has sup-ported Merkel for 10 of her 14 years in power and rebuild in opposition. Thorsten Schaefer-Guembel, one of the SPD’s care-taker leaders, said the coalition was working constructively.

“There is no question there are differences on substance... but it is clear that this coalition will carry on,” he told ZDF tele-vision, adding the parties were focusing on issues such as an ambitious climate protection package.

CDU and SPD leaders were relieved at holding off the AfD.

“We have done it. This is a message that goes out from Saxony. The friendly Saxony has won,” Michael Kretschmer, CDU state premier of Saxony, told supporters to loud applause.

“This is a really good day for our state.” Some members of the CDU, currently in coalition with the SPD in Saxony, have flirted with the idea of cooperating with the AfD, but Kretschmer, and the

federal party, have ruled this out.The next few months will be

crucial if the already rocky national coalition is to survive until a federal election due in 2021, with the eastern votes, including a third in Thuringia in October, and the direction of policy both critical.

The parties are due to review the coalition, weakened by rows over migrant policy, tax and pen-sions, by the year’s end.

“Now we need to deliver in the autumn,” said Ralph

Brinkhaus, leader of the CDU’s group in the national parliament.

Voters went to the polls in Brandenburg and Saxony against the backdrop of a growing risk of recession in Germany — a threat that is raising tensions between the CDU and SPD as they argue over whether to shift to a more expansive fiscal policy.

Social Democrats, who control the finance ministry, want to abandon the govern-ment’s so-called “black zero”

balanced budget policy and raise investment but Merkel’s conserv-atives say it is an “indispensable principle” for them.

A coalition collapse could trigger a snap election or result in a minority government. National polls put the conserv-atives first ahead of the Greens, with the SPD trailing neck and neck with the AfD.

Heavy losses in state votes last year led Merkel to quit as CDU leader and announce this would be her last term as chancellor.

People protest against Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party before the first exit polls for the Brandenburg state election in Werder, Germany, yesterday.

Conte to unveil coalition Cabinet by WednesdayAFP ROME

Italy’s premier-designate Giuseppe Conte said yesterday he intended to present his new coalition Cabinet by Wednesday at the latest, as he races to resolve the political crisis in the eurozone’s third largest economy.

“At the start of next week — not Monday, but Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest — we need to be able to finish” nego-tiations between the anti-estab-lishment Five Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party, he said.

At that point Conte will present his cabinet line-up and government programme to Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella.

Conte and his new ministers would then be expected to be sworn in on Thursday, before facing a parliament vote on Friday.

After public spats between the parties — who until recently were sworn enemies — there was now a “good working atmosphere”, Conte told the Fatto Quotidiano daily via video link.

The Five Star Movement (M5S) and Democratic Party (PD) have agreed to form a new coa-lition to stave off new elections after hardline Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right League, pulled the plug on the gov-ernment earlier this month.

There have been persistent reports that M5S head Luigi Di Miao has threatened to renege on the deal should he not be

given the deputy prime minister job — but Conte said yesterday he was concentrated on policies rather than posts.

Di Maio was given a rare public ticking off Saturday by the Movement’s founder, comic Beppe Grillo, who said he was “exhausted” by the talk of who-gets-what and the M5S’s insistence that its 20-point plan be respected by the PD.

He lamented “this ago-nising... this lack of humour, of fun, of exhilaration”, urging the parties in a video on his blog to “sit down at a table and be elated because (you) belong to this extraordinary moment of change”.

Conte said he “shared” Grillo’s feelings, while PD leader Nicola Zingaretti agreed, saying “let’s change everything, and

respect one another”. As far as the cabinet posts go, Conte said he would invite the M5S and PD to give him suggestions — rather than make demands — “so I can choose the best team”.

He insisted the coalition would have a “single shared pro-gramme” where it would be dif-ficult to distinguish which measures were championed by which party — a bipolarity which plagued the outgoing League-M5S coalition.

Conte also denied he was the Movement’s man, insisting he was neutral.

“I am not a member of the Five Star Movement, I do not participate in meetings of the leadership group, I have never met the parliamentary groups, to call me M5S seems inappro-priate to me,” he said.

French police officers and soldiers stand near the scene of a knife attack in Villeurbanne on the outskirts of Lyon, south-eastern France, on Saturday.

Former Spanish skier Fernandez Ochoa missingREUTERS MADRID

Spanish Olympic medallist Blanca Fernandez Ochoa has been reported missing for over a week, the national police said.

A statement from Spain’s police force on Saturday said former alpine skier Fernandez Ochoa, 56, was last seen on August 23 in the district of Aravaca in Madrid.

Fernandez Ochoa com-peted in four Winter Olympic games between 1980 and 1992 and became the first Spanish woman to win a medal at the Winter Games when she earned bronze in the slalom in Albertville, France in 1992.

Lyon knife attack not being probed as act of terrorism AFP LYON

An Afghan asylum seeker who killed a man and stabbed several others in the French city of Lyon sparked a row about immigration yesterday as new details emerged about his rampage.

Investigators said the killer appeared to have psychological problems and had smoked large quantities of cannabis before stabbing a 19-year-old to death and injuring eight others on Sat-urday afternoon at a bus station in the Villeurbanne suburb.

He was found in public records with two identities and three different dates of birth, making him either 33, 31 or 27

years’ old, prosecutor Nicolas Jacquet told a press conference in Lyon yesterday.

He said that the case was being treated as a criminal, rather than terrorist, incident.

Jacquet paid tribute to three bus drivers and other members of the public who had succeeded in cornering the man and per-suading him to drop his knife and a meat skewer before the police arrived on the scene.

Prosecutor Jacquet said the knifeman had been first regis-tered in France in 2009 as a minor, but he then travelled to Germany, Norway, Britain and Italy before returning to France in 2016 where he was granted temporary residency rights.

UK lawmakers plan legislation to stop no-deal BrexitREUTERS LONDON

British lawmakers opposed to no-deal Brexit will attempt to pass a law this week to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowing Britain to crash out of the European Union on October 31, the opposition Labour Party’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said.

Senior minister Michael Gove, however, refused to guarantee the government would abide by any such legislation.

Johnson has pledged to deliver Brexit with or without a deal, but opposition lawmakers

— and several from his own Con-servatives — want to push through legislation to rule out no-deal before parliament is sus-pended in just over a week’s time.

Starmer said the plan, which will be published on Tuesday, had one “very simple” aim: to stop Johnson taking Britain out of the European Union without a deal.

“Obviously, if we are at the 31st of October, that will require an extension,” Starmer told the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday.

“But I think this should be a very short, simple exercise designed to ensure we don’t crash out without a deal.” Gove, one of Johnson’s key ministers who is

coordinating no-deal contingency plans, said he believed a majority of lawmakers would back the prime minister and defeat the attempt.

“We know the prime minister is making progress with our European friends and allies in attempting to secure a deal, and I don’t believe that people will want to erect a roadblock in his way,” he said.

Asked whether the gov-ernment would abide by any leg-islation passed to prevent no-deal Brexit on October 31, Gove said: “Let’s see what the legislation is that (Starmer) puts forward.” Starmer later said it was

“breathtaking” for ministers not to confirm the government would comply with legislation passed lawfully. “No government is above the law,” he said on Twitter. David Gauke, a former British justice secretary and a Johnson critic, said he would meet the prime minister today to hear his plan to deliver a Brexit deal he could support.

But Gauke said he was pre-pared to disobey Conservative discipline and be expelled by the party if he was not persuaded.

“Sometimes there is a point where you have to judge between your own personal interests and the national interest, and the

national interest has to come first,” he told Sky News. “But I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Johnson told the Sunday Times that those backing the opposition to no-deal risked there being no Brexit at all.

“Are you going to side with those who want to scrub the dem-ocratic verdict of the people — and plunge this country into chaos?” he said.

“Or are you going to side with those of us who want to get on, deliver on the mandate of the people and focus with absolute, laser-like precision on the domestic agenda? That’s the choice.”

Italy’s Salvini issues new migrant banREUTERS ABOARD THE ALAN KURDI

Italy’s outgoing interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has banned another migrant-rescue ship from docking in the country, using the issue of immigration to pile pressure on his main two political rivals as they seek to form a new government.

Salvini, who leads the League party, issued a decree banning the Alan Kurdi ship, operated by the German Sea-Eye NGO, with 13 migrants abroad, from entering Italian waters, the second time in a week that he has acted to prevent rescue ships bringing migrants ashore.

Italy’s coalition government between Salvini’s right-wing League and 5-Star Movement broke down last month, when in a sudden move Salvini declared it dead and called for elections.

Another ship, the Mare Jonio is stuck in sight of the Italian southern island of Lampedusa with 34 migrants left on board out of around 100 that were rescued on Wednesday off Libya.

Strike by KLM ground staff to disrupt flights BLOOMBERG AMSTERDAM

A strike by KLM ground staff today is set to disrupt flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest travel hubs.

The airline said the two-hour strike starting at 8am is “very likely” to cause disruption for carriers that are part of its SkyTeam alliance, including Air France, Transavia and Delta Air Lines Inc. It advised travellers to monitor its website closely for more information.

KLM’s 15,000 ground staff are seeking a 4% pay rise, more fixed contracts and more favourable shift patterns, said Dutch trade union FNV. The union has been negotiating with management for months over a new collective labour agreement. The company has offered a 2% pay rise, which the union says is not enough.

Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) remained the largest party in Saxony with 32% of vote share, while the Chancellor’s coalition partner SPD remained on top in Brandenburg. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came second in both states, preliminary results showed.

16 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019EUROPE

Poland calls for redressduring WWII anniversary

REUTERS WARSAW

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Vice-President Mike Pence joined local leaders yesterday to commemorate 80 years since the start of World War II in Poland, where the conflict is still a live political issue.

Few places saw death and destruction on the scale of poland. It lost about a fifth of its population, including the vast majority of its 3 million Jewish citizens.

After the war, its shattered capital of Warsaw had to rise again from ruins and poland remained under Soviet domi-nation until 1989.

Ceremonies began at 4:30am (0230 GMT) in the small town of Wielun, site of one of the first bombings of the war on Sep-tember 1, 1939, with speeches by Polish President Andrzej Duda and his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Parallel events, attended by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and European

Commission deputy chief Frans Timmermans, were held in the coastal city of Gdansk, site of one of the first battles of the war.

Morawiecki spoke of the huge material, spiritual, eco-nomic and financial losses Poland suffered in the war.

“We need to talk about those losses, we need to remember, we need to demand truth and demand compensation,” Moraw-

iecki said.For Poland’s ruling Law and

Justice (PiS) party, the memory of the war is a major plank of its “historical politics”, aiming to counteract what it calls the West’s lack of appreciation for Polish suffering and bravery under Nazi occupation.

PiS politicians have also repeatedly called for war repa-rations from Germany, one of

Poland’s biggest trade partners and a fellow member of the European Union and Nato. Berlin says all financial claims linked to World War II have been settled.

Critics said the party’s ambition is to fan nationalism among voters at a time when populists around the world are tapping into historical revi-sionism. PiS says the country’s standing on the global stage and national security are at stake.

Articles paid for by a foun-dation funded by state com-panies, showing Poland’s expe-rience in the war, appeared in major newspapers across Europe and the United States over the weekend.

The Polish National Foun-dation also paid for supplements

in some papers consisting of a copy of their front pages from September 2, 1939, that high-lighted the German army’s attack on Poland.

Wartime remembrance has become a campaign theme ahead of a national election due on October 13, with PiS accusing the opposition of failing to protect Poland’s image.

“Often, we are faced with substantial ignorance when it comes to historical policy ... or simply ill will,” Jaroslaw Sellin, deputy culture minister, said.

Merkel and Pence, who arrived yesterday after President Donald Trump abruptly can-celled a planned trip due to a hurricane, called it an honour to participate in events later in the day in Warsaw.

“We look forward to cele-brating the extraordinary char-acter and courage and resilience and dedication to freedom of the Polish people and it will be my great honour to be able to speak to them,” Pence said.

The cancellation of Trump’s visit is a disappointment to the PiS government, which is seen as one of Washington’s closest allies in Europe. Polish and US officials have said another visit could be scheduled in the near future.

For PiS, a high-profile visit by Trump would serve as a coun-terargument to critics who say the country is increasingly iso-lated under its rule because of accusations by Western EU members that it is breaching democratic norms.

World leaders and officials attending a commemorative ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Warsaw, Poland, yesterday.

German Presidentasks for forgivenessAFP WIELUN

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier yesterday asked Poland’s forgiveness for history’s bloodiest conflict during a ceremony in the Polish city of Wielun, where the first World War II bombs fell 80 years ago.

“I bow before the victims of the attack on Wielun. I bow before the Polish victims of German tyranny. And I ask your forgiveness,” Steinmeier said in both German and Polish.

Poland suffered some of the worst horrors of World War II: nearly six million Poles died in the conflict that killed more than 50 million people overall.

“It was Germans who com-mitted these crimes against humanity in Poland. Anyone

calling them things of the past, or claiming that the vile rule of terror of the National Socialists in Europe was a mere footnote of German history, is passing judgement on him or herself,” Steinmeier added in the presence of his Polish coun-terpart. “As Germany’s Federal President, let me assure you that we will not forget.”

“We want to, and we will, remember. And we will bear the responsibility that our history imposes upon us.”

Polish President Andrzej Duda for his part denounced Nazi Germany’s attack on Poland, calling it “an act of bar-barity” and “a war crime.”

“I am convinced that this ceremony will go down in the history of Polish-German friendship,” he added, thanking Steinmeier for his presence.

EU court to hear case on jailing MPs over air pollutionAFP FRANKFURT

The European Court of Justice will this week examine whether German judges can impose prison sentences on politicians for failing to enforce inner-city bans on polluting vehicles.

In a case starting tomorrow, the court will advise in a long-standing dispute between envi-ronmental activists and the state government of Bavaria, just one battle in a furious national debate over diesel and driving bans.

The ECJ’s opinion, though not legally binding, could have implications for leading politi-cians in the Bavarian sister-party

of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democrats.

In a legal tug-of-war stretching back to 2012, environ-mental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) is attempting to force the Bavarian gov-ernment to implement measures against air pollution in the state capital Munich.

“We are asking that air pol-lution limits be respected,” DUH chairman Juergen Resch said.

Nitrogen dioxide levels have long exceeded EU limits in the southern German city, and fol-lowing a final decision in 2014, a Munich court demanded a plan of action from the state gov-ernment which included a city

ban for diesel-fuelled vehicles.Yet both activists and the

judiciary have claimed the gov-ernment is flagrantly ignoring the 2014 ruling.

In November last year, the Bavarian higher administrative court referred the case to the ECJ, saying that “high-ranking political figures” had “made it clear, both publicly and to the court, that they would not fulfil their responsibilities.”

The court said that a $4,433 fine had proved “inefficient”, and asked the magistrates in Luxem-bourg to advise on the legality of threatening lawmakers with imprisonment.

“It is quite a spectacular case,”

Philipp Reimer, a professor of public law at the University of Bonn, said. “I don’t know of any precedent in German law.”

Even if the ECJ rules that pol-iticians could be handed prison sentences, it would remain up to the Bavarian courts to decide whether or not to do so.

“If the ECJ says that European law allows for imprisonment, then I can imagine it will be tried,” Reimer said, adding that such a measure would “shift the goalposts in terms of the division of powers”.

Yet DUH chairman Resch insisted that no politicians would be sent to prison, because the threat alone would force them

to implement the measures demanded by the court. “Anyone threatened with prison has the keys to their own handcuffs in their pocket.”

For Bavaria’s governing Christian Social Union, a diesel ban in Munich, the city which is home to BMW, remains out of the question.

“Driving bans are a bad solution,” a spokesperson for the state environment ministry said.

“The air quality in Bavaria is improving, so the measures taken so far are working,” said the ministry, pointing to investment in software updates and cycling and public transport infrastructure.

Migrants standing outside the official refugee camp of Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Greece to increase border patrolsREUTERS ATHENS

Greece is to step up border patrols, move asylum-seekers from its islands to the mainland and speed up deportations in an effort to deal with a resurgence in migrant flows from neigh-bouring Turkey.

The government’s Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence convened on Saturday for an emergency session after the arrival on Thursday of more than a dozen migrant boats carrying around 600 people, the first simultaneous arrival of its kind

in three years.The increase in arrivals has

piled additional pressure on Greece’s overcrowded island camps, all of which are operating at least twice their capacity.

Arrivals have picked up over the summer, and August saw the highest number of monthly landings in three years.

On Saturday, the gov-ernment said it would move asylum-seekers to mainland facilities, increase border sur-veillance together with the EU’s border patrol agency Frontex and Nato, and boost police patrols across Greece to identify

rejected asylum seekers who have remained in the country.

It also plans to cut back a lengthy asylum process, which can take several months to con-clude, by abolishing the second stage of appeals when an appli-cation is rejected, and deporting the applicant either to Turkey or to their country of origin.

“The asylum process in our country was the longest, the most time consuming and, in the end, the most ineffective in Europe,” Greece’s deputy citizen protection minister responsible for migration policy, Giorgos Koumoutsakos, said.

Helicopter crash in Norway leaves six people deadREUTERS OSLO

All six people on board the civilian helicopter that crashed in northern Norway on Saturday afternoon have died, the police said yesterday.

There were five passengers from Norway, all in their early twenties, plus a Swedish pilot. One survivor found at the crash site southwest of Alta has since died in hospital.

The rescue service said the Airbus AS350 helicopter was

operated by Norwegian company Helitrans, which said on its website that it could not comment on the circumstances of the accident.

Norwegian authorities launched an investigation yes-terday into the cause of the crash, which was not immedi-ately clear.

Norway’s Accident Investi-gation Board (AIBN) official told Norwegian daily paper VG that investigators from France and Airbus were expected to arrive to Norway today.

Beslan massacre survivors demand fair probeAFP BESLAN

Relatives of victims killed in the 2004 Beslan siege said they are still waiting for an “objective probe” from Russian authorities, warning that the tragedy could repeat itself.

Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the school mas-sacre in the town of Beslan in the Russian Caucasus. Chechen mil-itants took the school hostage, herding over 1,100 people into a gymnasium, and rigged the building with explosives.

A total of 184 children were among the 334 dead after security forces stormed the

building three days later fol-lowing fruitless negotiations.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 that Russia’s handling of the siege had “serious failings” in prevention and using excessive lethal force. It called on Moscow to take measures to establish the truth and condemn the violations.

“Unfortunately, not a single point from the decision of the European court is being fol-lowed, and this is very sad,” Susanna Dudiyeva, who heads the Mothers of Beslan group, said. “We return again and again to the 1-3 of September 2004, because there are still blanks, there are still questions... we are

worried that not everything has been done, because there is no objective investigation.”

“We are afraid that this can repeat itself,” she said.

“We will once again appeal to the investigative agencies for a new launch of the probe into the Beslan attack,” she said.

A ceremony was held on the anniversary at the school gym-nasium, now converted into a memorial.

The ECHR decision said that Russian authorities had infor-mation about the planned attack but failed not only to prevent it but to boost security or warn the public. It said the security oper-ation lacked leadership.

We need to talk about those losses, we need to remember, we need to demand truth and demand compensation: Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki

Computer glitch in France delayshundreds of flightsAP PARIS

A computer breakdown briefly disrupted all air traffic in France and caused a cascade of delayed flights in multiple countries yesterday, the last day of European summer holidays.

Hundreds of flights were delayed at airports from Britain to Morocco and beyond. Hours after the problem with a French automatic flight plan system was fixed, schedules still lagged elsewhere.

A spokesman for French civil aviation authority DGAC said the cause of the morning breakdown was being investigated.

The problem had “no impact on flight security” and was fixed before midday, allowing traffic to resume, the spokesman said. He wasn’t authorised to be publicly named under authority’s rules.

But DGAC temporarily halted all air traffic under French control, which included planes flying over France. The directive covered planes going in and out of Paris from Charles de Gaulle.

Passengers traveling from neighbouring countries such as Britain were particularly hard-hit as air traffic authorities struggled to re-direct flights through Europe’s crowded air space.

17MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 AMERICAS

Mass shooting in Texas leaves seven deadAP MIDLAND

The death toll in a West Texas shooting rampage increased to seven yesterday as authorities investigated why a man stopped by state troopers for failing to signal a left turn opened fire on them and fled, shooting more than 20 people as he drove before being killed by officers outside a movie theater.

Odessa police spokesman Steve LeSueur said that at least one of the shooting victims remained in life-threatening condition. The gunman has been identified as a white male in his 30s, but police have not released a name or possible motive.

The shooting began on Sat-urday afternoon with an inter-state traffic stop where gunfire was exchanged with police, setting off a chaotic rampage during which the suspect hijacked a mail carrier truck and fired at random as he drove in the area of Odessa and Midland, two cities in the heart of Texas oil country more than 483km west of Dallas.

Police initially reported pos-sible multiple shooters, but Odessa police Chief Michael Gerke later said there was only one male suspect.

The suspect shot “at innocent civilians all over Odessa,” according to a statement from Odessa police, which did not name the man or offer motive.

The terrifying chain of events began when Texas state troopers

tried pulling over a gold car mid-Saturday afternoon on Interstate 20 for failing to signal a left turn, Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said.

Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, the driver “pointed a rifle toward the rear window of his car and fired several shots” toward the patrol car stopping him. The gunshots struck one of two troopers inside the patrol car, Cesinger said, after which the gunman fled and continued shooting. Two other police officers were shot before the suspect was killed.

Gerke said there were at least 21 civilian shooting victims.

Shauna Saxton was one of the terrified drivers who said she encountered the gunman during his rampage, during which mul-tiple witnesses described gunfire near shopping plazas and in busy intersections. Saxton was driving with her husband and grandson in Odessa and had paused at a stop-light when they heard loud pops.

“I looked over my shoulder to the left and the gold car pulled up and the man was there and he had a very large gun and it was pointing at me,” she said.

Saxton said she was trapped because there were two cars in front of her. “I started honking my horn. I started swerving and

we got a little ahead of him and then for whatever reason the cars in front of me kind of parted,” she said sobbing. She said she heard three more shots as she sped away.

Gerke did not go into detail about the chase, but the movie theater where the suspect was killed is more than 16 km from where state troopers originally pulled over the gunman.

The shooting comes just four weeks after a gunman in the Texas border city of El Paso killed 22 people after opening fire at a Walmart.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott this week held two meetings with lawmakers about how to prevent more mass shootings in Texas.

The Saturday shooting brings the number of mass killings in the US so far this year to 25, matching the number in all of 2018, according to The AP/USA-TODAY/Northeastern University

mass murder database. The number of victims for this year

has already reached 142, sur-passing all last year.

A Texas state trooper and other emergency personnel monitor the scene at a local car dealership following a shooting in Odessa, Texas, yesterday.

Two other police officers were shot before the suspect was killed.

Background checks would not have prevented gun violence: TrumpREUTERS/WASHINGTON

As the United States grappled with yet another mass shooting event yesterday, President Donald Trump said that back-ground checks on gun purchasers would not have prevented recent gun violence in the country.

Trump made the remarks to reporters at the White House after returning to Washington from Camp David. The presi-dent said he would be working with Democrats and Republi-cans on gun legislation when Congress returns this month.

“I think Congress has got

a lot of thinking to do frankly. They’ve been doing a lot of work,” Trump said. “I think you’re going to see some inter-esting things coming along.”

Earlier this year, the Dem-ocratic-controlled US House of Representatives passed a bill that calls for background checks on every gun purchase, includ-ing sales at gun shows, which are currently exempted. But the measure has failed to receive a vote in the Senate.

Trump said at the White House that “for the most part, as strong as you make your back-ground checks, they would not have stopped any of it.”

US names envoy to integrate Western BalkansAFP WASHINGTON

The United States named a veteran diplomat, Matthew Palmer, as special represent-ative for the Western Balkans tasked with helping integrate the area with the West.

Palmer “will lead our efforts to strengthen US diplomatic engagement in support of peace, stability and prosperity in the region,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. He will “focus on integration of the Western Balkan countries into Western institutions,” he said.

The United States has his-torically supported the inte-gration of the Western Balkans, which include much of the former Yugoslavia and Albania, into institutions such as the European Union and Nato.

Battleground state Ohio to host October’s Democratic debateBLOOMBERG WASHINGTON

Ohio, the ultimate bellwether state, will host the top Demo-cratic contenders for president at a debate on October 15, the state’s Democratic Party said.

The exact location and the television network to carry the event haven’t been determined. If more than 10 candidates

qualify, the event will be held on two nights, October 15 and 16.

Ohio has the best track record of predicting the presi-dential winner of any state since 1896, including voting for the victor in each election since 1964.

No Republican has ever won the presidency without Ohio. Pres-ident Donald Trump handily beat Democrat Hillary Clinton there in 2016, 51.7 percent to 43.6 percent.

A Quinnipiac University poll released this week had Demo-cratic front-runner Joe Biden beating Trump in Ohio, 50 percent to 42 percent. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachu-setts were also leading Trump in the state, but more narrowly.

“Trump knows he’s in trouble here,” said David Pepper, the Ohio Democratic Party

chairman. “Well, Democrats here and nationally know it too, and we’re thrilled to host the debate so Ohioans can hear from can-didates who will keep their promises and fight for them.”

The criteria for inclusion in the October debate will be the same as September’s.

That debate, on September 12 in Houston, will feature 10 candidates on one night as the

Democratic field is winnowed from about two dozen hopefuls.

But the Ohio debate could see additional candidates, because the deadline for quali-fication will be extended until October 1 and will be the same as for the September event.

That means any candidate who raises $130,000 and reaches 2 percent support in four quali-fying polls will be included.

Mass shootings ‘absolutely’ a security threat, says DHS ChiefBLOOMBERG WASHINGTON

Mass shootings in the US “abso-lutely are a homeland security threat” that are getting increasing attention within the federal government, acting Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kevin McAleenan said.

McAleenan spoke on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, a day after a gunman in Texas killed seven people and wounded at least 21 more after a traffic stop gone wrong.

“They absolutely are a home-land security threat,” McAleenan said of such mass shooters. “In our counterterrorism strategy and approach, domestic terrorism has taken a front line focus for us.”

Since April, he said, the agency has set up a new office to target violence and terror-ism prevention, with an explicit focus and balance on domestic terrorism — including racially motivated violent extremism.

Still, regarding the West Texas shooter, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said that it was hard to identify a motive because the suspect is now dead.

Lawmakers’ response to the Texas shooting fell along pre-dictable lines, with Democrats calling for gun-control measures and Republicans pushing back.

“If we’re not able to speak clearly, if we’re not able to act decisively, then we’ll continue to have this kind of bloodshed in America, and I cannot accept that,” said Beto O’Rourke, a 2020 Democratic presidential candi-date who briefly suspended his campaign after the mass killing in El Paso in early August.

Journalist shot dead in HondurasAFP/TEGUCIGALPA

A journalist was shot dead in northwest Honduras yesterday, the 79th killed since 2001 in the Central American country, according to a human rights group.

Edgar Joel Aguilar, a corre-spondent for HCH TV was shot dead in the city of Copan around 200km northwest of the Teguci-galpa, the Honduras National Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement.

Local media reported that Aguilar had received death threats from unknown sources.

“Each time a journalist is killed is an assault on the right to life and the right to freedom of expression,” Commissioner Roberto Herrera Caceres said.

According to the statement, 91 percent of crimes against journalists and media workers in Honduras remain unpunished.

Bernie Sanders teases proposal to write off $81bn in medical debtBLOOMBERG WASHINGTON

Senator Bernie Sanders is proposing to cancel an esti-mated $81bn in past-due medical debt owed by Amer-icans as he vies for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomi-nation using a platform focused on health care.

The plan is still being formu-lated and details — including how it would be financed — weren’t addressed in an emailed release from the Sanders campaign yesterday.

The full proposal will be announced within a month.

“Your financial life and future should not be destroyed because you or a member of your family gets sick,” the Vermont senator said in a statement.

“I am sick and tired of see-ing over 500,000 Americans declare bankruptcy each year because they cannot pay off the outrageous cost of a medi-cal emergency or a hospital stay.”

Under Sanders’ plan, the federal government would negotiate and pay off past-due medical bills in collections that have been reported to credit agencies.

Sanders proposes to repeal what his campaign termed “the worst elements” of a 2005

bankruptcy reform law, and allow other existing and future medical debt to be discharged.

The plan also would ensure that unpaid medical bills didn’t hurt people’s credit scores.

The 2005 bankruptcy bill “trapped families with medi-cal debt in long-term poverty, mandated that they pay for credit counseling before filing for bank-ruptcy, and increased the need for expensive legal services when filing a case for medical bankruptcy,” the Sanders cam-paign said.

Sanders teased the idea in remarks to reporters while campaigning in Florence, South Carolina, on Friday.

He’ll hold events Sunday and Monday in New Hampshire and Maine.

Runner-up to Hillary Clin-ton for the party’s nomination in 2016, Sanders is running second or third in most national polls for 2020, with 17.1% support, according to the RealClearPol-itics average.

The signature proposal of his campaign is the creation of a Medicare for All system that would provide health insurance to every American, replacing private insurance with a gov-ernment-run system.

Health care premiums, deductibles and co-pays would end, offset by higher taxes.

Venezuelan govt has proof ofanti-Maduro plot in ColombiaAP CARACAS

The Venezuelan government presented evidence of what it called paramilitary training camps in neighboring Colombia to plot violent attacks to undermine President Nicolás Maduro.

Communications Minis-ter Jorge Rodríguez appeared on state television to accuse Colombian President Iván Duque of doing nothing to stop the aggression against Vene-zuela — or even supporting it.

Rodríguez showed satellite images and coordinates that he said prove the existence of three paramilitary camps along the border inside Colombia. They are used to train 200 armed men, he said, at times directly address-ing Duque.

“If you brought this kind of evidence to Venezuela, we would act immediately,” Rodríguez said. “We are sure you won’t do any-thing, because you are complicit with these terrorists.”

The accusation comes amid mounting tensions between the two South American nations as Colombia’s government backs a campaign by Venezuelan oppo-sition leader Juan Guaidó to oust Maduro’s socialist government.

The tensions spiked on Thursday when the former chief negotiator for the Revolution-ary Armed Forces of Colombia

announced in a video that he would take up arms, alleging the Colombian government has failed to uphold a 2016 peace accord and accusing it of standing by as hundreds of social leaders have been slain in rural areas where the rebels long dominated.

Duque, who quickly reached out to Guaidó, has accused Vene-zuela’s government of harboring Colombian guerrillas. For both leaders, the video was further proof that the rebels — desig-nated by the US a terrorist group — are plotting attacks from Ven-ezuelan soil.

“We’re not witnessing the birth of a new guerrilla army, but rather the criminal threats of a band of narco-terrorists who

have the protection and support of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship,” Duque said in a televised address.

Duque did not directly address comments from Maduro’s administration. But speaking on Saturday in Medillin, the Colom-bian leader said he would take his case to the Organization of American States and the United Nations, accusing Maduro of sponsoring and protecting terrorists.

Rodríguez also said Vene-zuelan security forces thwarted a terrorist plot to detonate explo-sions targeting the headquarters of two FAES special police units and the Palace of Justice. All three locations are in densely popu-lated Caracas.

Venezuela’s Communications and Information Minister, Jorge Rodriguez, at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, yesterday.

18 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019AMERICAS

Category 5 Hurricane Dorian hammers BahamasREUTERS TITUSVILLE

Hurricane Dorian crashed into the Bahamas yesterday as the second strongest Atlantic storm on record and inched closer to the United States, with parts of Florida evacuating and Georgia and the Carolinas bracing for wind and flooding.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Dorian made landfall on Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands as a Category 5 storm yesterday with maximum sustained winds of 295kph and gusts of more than354kph. It made a second landfall on Great Abaco Island near Marsh Harbor.

Millions of people from Florida to North Carolina were bracing to see whether

Dorian avoids a US landfall and veers north into the Atlantic Ocean. Even a glancing blow from one of the strongest storms ever to menace Florida could bring torrential rains and dam-aging winds, and “a Florida landfall is still a distinct possi-bility,” the Miami-based NHC warned.

Bahamas residents reported trees snapping and docks being destroyed before the brunt of the storm arrived.

The pummeling was expected to last for hours as the hurricane may slow to just 1 mph, “prolonging its catastrophic effects,” the NHC said.

On Great Guana Cay, just off Great Abaco Island, waves began washing over low-lying parts of the tiny 14km strand of land that is only about a quarter-mile wide by mid-morning, resident Tom Creenan said.

Although some residents left for Nassau and elsewhere days ago, some 200 to 300 are riding out the storm on Great Guana Cay, where power was already out and forecasters are pre-dicting up to 2 feet of rain and

23-foot (7-meter) storm surges.“The other day the prime

minister came out and said eve-rybody in Abaco should leave,” Creenan said by phone. “But there’s no place to go.”

“This is the strongest hur-ricane that’s ever hit in the Bahamas,” Creenan said. “I grew up in Florida, so I’ve been through Andrew.”

Hurricane Andrew slammed into eastern Florida in 1992 as a category 5 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, oblit-erating the town of Homestead.

With winds at 185mph, Dorian ties with Gilbert (1988), Wilma (2005) and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the second strongest Atlantic hurricane on record based on maximum

sustained winds. Allen in 1980 was the most powerful with 190mph winds, the NHC said.

Dorian is the strongest hur-ricane on record to hit the north-western Bahamas.

Florida was taking no chances with Dorian and four Florida counties, including Palm Beach County, issued mandatory evacuations for some residents, including those in mobile homes, on barrier islands and in low-lying areas. Other coastal counties have announced vol-untary evacuations.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday that the storm would likely impact the eastern seaboard from Florida to North Carolina.

“This looks monstrous,” Trump said during a briefing

with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “This looks like it could be larger than all of them.”

FEMA is moving food, water and generators into the south-eastern United States, said acting Administrator Peter Gaynor.

“When it comes to response, we are more than ready to deal with anything that Dorian delivers us this year, or any other storm that may come this season,” he said.

Meanwhile, a new tropical storm has formed southwest of Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane today.

Tropical Storm Juliette is 735 km from Manzanillo, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 75 kph, the NHC said yesterday.

FEMA acting Administrator Peter Gaynor said: When it comes to response, we are more than ready to deal with anything that Dorian delivers us this year, or any other storm that may come this season.

US President Donald Trump receives a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Administration on Hurricane Dorian in Washington, DC, yesterday. RIGHT: Sea conditions seen in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, yesterday.

Fires in Brazil’s Amazon basin keep surgingAFP SAO PAULO

The number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon basin is still on the rise, even though the government has banned burning, officials said.

In the first 48 hours since the ban was issued, satellite data from the National Space Research Institute (INPE) showed 3,859 new outbreaks of fire, of which some 2,000 were concentrated in the Amazon region.

From January to the end of August, 51.9 percent of Brazil’s recorded 88,816 fires were in the rainforest, according to the INPE, a number experts call a dramatic, direct consequence of f a r m e r s ’ w i d e s p r e a d deforestation.

Brazil’s Amazon region is in its dry season, but experts note that 2019 has been wetter than previous years — they also stress that there are no natural fires in the Amazon.

The no-burn decree may have been too little too late, and more of a political than practical

gesture, some analysts say.Deforestation has surged

this year as agencies tasked with monitoring illegal activities were weakened by right-wing Pres-ident Jair Bolsonaro.

Often called the Trump of the Tropics, Bolsonaro has ques-tioned climate change, and argues farmers sometimes need the land for their livelihood.

Since the weekend thou-sands of troops, firefighters, and aircraft have been deployed, and the defense ministry says the fires are under control.

Bolsonaro claimed in a live Facebook broadcast Thursday “this year’s fires are below the average of recent years.”

Deforestation for farming is one of the most serious threats to the rainforest and is a problem present in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

Farmers Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia commonly set fires in the dry season to clear the undergrowth in defor-ested areas.

The Malabar Gold & Diamonds brand new store at Iselin, New Jersey, in the US was inaugurated by John McCormac, Mayor of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in the presence of MP Ahammed, Chairman, Malabar Group; Dr. PA Ibrahim Haji, Co-Chairman, Malabar Group; Mr. Shamlal Ahamed, Managing Director – International Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds; Mr. Abdul Salam KP, Group Executive Director, Malabar Group; Mr. Asher O, Managing Director — India Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds; Mr. Joseph Eapen, President – US Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds; other directors, management team members, media and well-wishers on 31st August. The new showroom is located at 1348 Oak Tree Road, Iselin, New Jersey.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds opens store in New Jersey

Brazil leader to undergo surgery again next weekAFP SAO PAULO

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro will undergo surgery to correct an incisional hernia, his fourth operation since he was stabbed nearly a year ago during his presidential campaign, his office said yesterday.

A statement from the pres-ident’s office said the problem resulted from previous surgeries.

Bolsonaro tweeted a pho-tograph of himself flanked by his doctors in Sao Paulo. “Eve-rything indicates I will ‘enjoy’ some 10 days vacation with them shortly,” he said.

The G1 website said it would be performed September 8. His doctor Antonio Luiz Macedo said the hernia developed because the area had been opened three times.

LatAm activists converge in Chile

REUTERS/SAN JOSE DE MAIPO

Inspired by Swedish teen-climate activist Greta Thunberg, a group of young activists from several Latin American coun-tries have converged in Chile to exchange ideas on how to battle climate change.

In a mountainous area on the outskirts of Santiago, rep-resentatives of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay exchanged ideas for actions to pressure changes in their coun-tries’ policies.

“Our goal here is to enable them so that they have more tools, more possibility of making a stronger movement, a movement with more impact to contain the climate crisis,” Ilan Zugman of the 350.org organisation said.

Mexico President delivers first State of the Nation addressAFP MEXICO CITY

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador brushed off problems including a stagnant economy and spiralling violence to insist yesterday in his first State of the Nation Address that he is delivering the “trans-formation” he promised.

Elected last year in a swell of anti-establishment sentiment, the left-wing populist has radi-cally changed the style of the presidency — ditching the pres-idential mansion, guards and jet — but has struggled to deliver on key promises, including eco-nomic growth and an end to rampant violence fueled by drug

trafficking. In his first annual “Gov-

ernment Report,” the leader known as “AMLO” briefly acknowledged that “the economy is growing little,” and that “we still suffer from inse-curity and violence.”

But he devoted much of his address to rehashing his cam-paign stump speech, heavy on anti-corruption, austerity-cru-sading rhetoric and finger-pointing at the leaders of the past.

“The essence of our approach is to turn honesty and austerity into a way of life and a form of government,” he said.

“Nothing has harmed Mexico worse than the dishonesty of its leaders. That is the main cause

of social and economic ine-quality, of the violence from which we suffer.”

In a sign of the polarising nature of his presidency, some 2,500 protesters marched down Mexico City’s main avenue, Paseo de la Reforma, chanting “Get out, Lopez Obrador!”

But the opposition remains badly fragmented from the July 2018 elections, which Lopez Obrador and his upstart party, Morena, won in a landslide.

Nine months in, the pres-ident remains overwhelmingly popular: recent polls put his approval rating around 65 percent.

Many Mexicans like his folksy style — a break with the

elite ruling class of the past -- and most appear willing to wait for him to deliver concrete results.

The question is how long.Latin America’s second-

largest economy shrank by 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019, and registered zero growth in the second — far from Lopez Obrador’s pledge to deliver two-percent growth this year and an average of four percent across his six-year term.

And the number of people murdered — a closely watched indicator of the violence from the country’s “drug war” — appears on track to set a new record this year, with 20,135 homicides so far.

Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador before delivering his first State of the Nation address at National Palace in Mexico City, yesterday.

IIS students excel in Inter-school essay writing contestThe Principal of Ideal Indian School, Syed Shoukath Ali, and Head of Hindi Department, Aminul Qadir, with the winners of essay writing competition. The students excelled in the Inter-school essay writing competition organised by Birla Public School in connection with Vishwa Hindi Diwas (World Hindi Day ) recently. Adi Arora, a student of Class 6 secured second position in the junior category while Aisha Siddiqa of Class 11 placed third in the senior category.

19MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME

New faculty members enrich HBKU’s academic communityTHE PENINSULA DOHA

In recent years, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has continued to draw exceptional academic staff with global expe-rience who are committed to scholarly excellence and focused on developing solutions to address problems faced by Qatar and the world.

This year once again, several new faculty members from diverse academic backgrounds will be joining different colleges across HBKU.

Dr Andreas Rechkemmer is a professor and program director for the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program, which receives its first cohort after HBKU launched the College of Public Policy (CPP) this fall. He said: “It is a distinct honour and privilege to join HBKU’s new College of Public Policy as a member of its founding faculty. Public policy is an equally fascinating and crucial field of study and inquiry in today’s world of complexity and interdependence in the public space. Public administration and management, agency service delivery, advanced policy formu-lation and implementation, foreign and international service and non-profit management, all

benefit greatly from evidence-based skill development and practice in areas such as policy analysis, design and evaluation, ethics, economics, statistics or comparative and global studies.”

“Our program focuses on interdisciplinary and problem-based approaches and toolsets to effectively address grand chal-lenges such as social, family and health issues, migration, or climate, energy and broader sus-tainability challenges. We look forward to providing excellence in training for qualified graduate students from Qatar and abroad.”

For its part, HBKU College of Law (CL) is rolling out two new programs: the LLM in Interna-tional Law and Foreign Affairs, and LLM in International Eco-nomic and Business Law. Com-menting on the significance of these programs, Dr Damilola S Olawuyi, associate professor and chair of graduate programs at CL, said, “Our new programs have been carefully designed to empower students with ana-lytical and comparative legal skills needed to understand the diverse legal systems – civil, common and Shariah – that govern complex events and transactions, both in the region and globally. At the end of the program, our students will be

ready to become global leaders in various career paths. With world-class faculty of excep-tional depth and diversity, HBKU CL is an extraordinary place to study law.”

“The extensive course offerings will allow students to acquire deep specializations in areas that are of great signifi-cance for Qatar, the region, and the world. Students will also be encouraged to explore their own research ideas related to their topics that can advance the human development goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. I cannot imagine a better group of students to launch the LLM programs,” Olawuyi added.

Similarly, HBKU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) is preparing to welcome

the inaugural batch to its PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences program. Dr Steven Wright, asso-ciate dean and associate pro-fessor at CHSS, explained that the new PhD program received several applications from highly qualified prospective students which made the selection pro-cedure quite difficult.

“With a diverse range of topics that the admitted students are seeking to focus on, we are very optimistic that they will innovate, discover, and offer new perspectives on a wide range of contemporary issues. A signif-icant number of our students are bringing valuable professional experience with them and will be engaging on topics that relate specifically to Qatar’s social, political, cultural, and profes-sional needs, and therefore help

us achieve our goal of achieving relevant research and education, which is guided by, and aligned to, the needs of Qatar,” Dr. Wright said.

Two new programs have been launched by the College of Science and Engineering (CSE): the Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management (MSEM) and Master of Infor-mation Systems in Health Man-agement (MISHM).

Dr Amine Bermak, a pro-fessor at CSE, said, “The MSEM aims to train the next gener-ation of experts in sports man-agement and is in line with the aspirations of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which emphasizes human and eco-nomic development. Sport will certainly help build and sustain an active and healthy society as

it can help Qatar diversify its carbon-based economy and develop it as a regional and global sport hub. Whereas, the MISHM responds to an ever-increasing reliance on IT in healthcare with a fast deployment of computers and information systems in healthcare sector that is pro-jected to exponentially grow soon.”

More than 60 faculty members currently work across six colleges and three research institutes to advance HBKU’s remit of delivering a globally rel-evant educational experience. The university draws on in-house expertise to advance grad-uate-level education, and con-tinue to be recognised as a knowledge hub within Education City, Qatar, and beyond.

Dr Amine BermakDr Andreas Rechkemmer Dr Damilola S Olawuyi Dr Steven Wright

Toastmasters District 116-Qatar bagstop recognition at Denver ConventionTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Toastmasters International District 116-Qatar was recog-nised at the 2019 Convention held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort Denver, the USA as the Number-1 District in the world amongst 116 districts from 141 countries for the year 2018-19.

The District trio Sundaresan Rajeswar, Raghavan Menon and Thayalan K had exclusive honour and recognition to carry Toastmasters International flag at the Parade of Flags in the inaugural ceremony, lead the Hall of fame segment and a monumental recognition at Golden Gavel luncheon event where Qatar was prominently presented amidst 2,100 attendees.

It is a watershed moment in the 22 years’ history of Toast-masters in the State of Qatar. Looking back, Qatar’s demar-cation as a separate district hap-pened for a purpose, as they say, nothing is done before it is time. Toastmasters in Qatar has become for others to use as a comparison, a benchmark, and a touchstone.

The Board also approved full District status from ‘provisional’ in the very first year of district formation.

“The way the change befell on us, it was a test of our char-acter. I am proud of how each member embraced and respected the leadership guidance, and progressed dili-gently towards the goals and for the greater good.

Members, while doing their very best, aspired for and achieved much more. The result, Qatar is not a mere speck in the global Toastmasters map; we are

now a spectacular district that has become the cynosure of all eyes. This recognition at the global stage is a result of col-lective efforts. Even though as Director, I was destined to receive the honour with all humility, it belongs to all of us. I’m sure this is only the beginning. Our best is yet to come,” said Rajeswar.

The convention this year had 12 inspiring speaking sessions with world-class presenters who entertained, and educated audience, as well as top 14 who competed for the most coveted title as The World Champion of Public Speaking.

Seven speakers also earned the Accredited Speaker desig-nation, which recognises profes-sional speakers who combine expert knowledge in a particular subject and mastery of the spoken word.

Aaron Beverly won the Toastmasters’ 2019 World Championship of Public Speaking title with a suspenseful and entertaining speech titled ‘An Unbelievable Story’. Beverly, along with other final con-testants, reached the champi-onship level after several elim-inating rounds that began more than six months ago with 30,000 participants from 143 countries. His winning speech was about acceptance despite difference and told the story of his humorous adventure as the only African-American in attendance at his friend’s wedding in India.

Beverly said: “I picked this topic because I wanted to honour my friend who got married in India and tell the experience of both families embracing me. Second- and third-place winners were Luisa Montalvo from Texas,

with her speech titled ‘First Impressions’ and Kwong Yue Yang from China, with his speech, ‘Less and More’. Speakers delivered five-to seven-minute speeches on wide-ranging topics and were judged on content, organisation, and delivery.

Jia Jiang, who specialises in ‘rejection therapy’, is the 2019 recipient of Toastmasters’ most prestigious award — the Golden Gavel. Presented annually since 1959, the award recognises an individual distinguished in the fields of communication and leadership.

Through his company, Wuju (meaning ‘fearless’ in ancient Chinese), Jiang teaches indi-viduals and organisations that the fear of rejection is almost always more damaging than the experience. He believes that looking at rejection with open-minded curiosity can be an impressive catalyst for success. ‘Fearless organisations and indi-viduals can sell more, think bigger and achieve higher,” said Jiang.

Deepak Menon, a chartered accountant from India, is the new International President of Toastmasters. Menon served as the Chief Coordinator for the Toastmasters’ Youth Leadership programme that helped build communication and leadership skills for approximately 700 underprivileged children in six cities in India.

“Toastmasters has taught me skills that no school, college or university can teach. It has helped me evolve from a being a lone-player to a being a team-player; from being led to being a leader; from the problem to being the solution,” said Menon.

Toastmasters International District 116 members at the 2019 Convention held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort Denver.

Good oral health key to better academicperformance at school, says expertTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Good oral health and regular dental care can improve a child’s overall physical health and also lead to better academic performance at school,” said Dr Mohammed Sultan Al Darwish, Consultant, Public Health Dentistry at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

He said that being in pain and discomfort from oral health problems can make it harder for children to focus on school work and can also cause them to miss classes to receive dental treatment.

Dr Al Darwish also said that parents play an important role in both educating their children about good oral health and also in modelling behaviours that will help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, the two main types of dental disease seen in children.

“Parents play an important role in teaching their children the right way to care for their teeth and also in ensuring they have regular cleaning and check-ups with a dentist,” said Dr. Al Darwish.

“Every meal and snack expose our teeth to friction and the creation of bacteria in the mouth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. If parents teach their children about good oral hygiene while they are young, they will develop healthy habits as adults,” added Dr Al Darwish.

He said parents should help their child get into the habit of using mouthwash and brushing with a fluoride toothpaste three times a day. Also children should be encouraged to rinse their mouth with water after every meal and snack and to use dental floss at least once a day. He also recommends parents replace their child’s toothbrush every three months.

“Oral conditions have an impact on overall health and disease. Our eating patterns and

food choices play an important role in preventing tooth decay and gum disease so parents must encourage their children to eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein such as fish or beans, and dairy. Eating a variety of healthy foods helps ensure children get the nutrients they need to be healthy and to maintain good oral health,” said Dr Al Darwish.

“Limit your child’s con-sumption of saturated fats, salt, sugary snacks, soft drinks and juice, and encourage them to drink plenty of water, preferably water that contains fluoride. Drinking water after eating sugary or acidic drinks helps to rinse out the mouth and dilutes the sugar and acid in these foods and beverages. After drinking sugary or acidic beverages, children should be taught to avoid brushing their teeth right away. Waiting at least one hour will allow time for their teeth to recover and the enamel to re-harden,” added Dr Al Darwish.

Dr Al Darwish says the best way to avoid tooth decay and gum disease is to prevent them from happening in the first place. He says parents should not hesitate to take their child to the dentist if they notice any symptoms of tooth decay or trauma, including bleeding from the gums while brushing, and he said children should visit their dentist regularly for a check-up, ideally every six months.

Dr Mohammed Sultan Al Darwish

Dr Al Darwish said that being in pain and discomfort from oral health problems can make it harder for children to focus on school work and can also cause them to miss classes to receive dental treatment.

20 MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 2019MORNING BREAK

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum32oC 39oC

HIGH TIDE 05:48 – 18:24 LOW TIDE 01:34 – 13:22

Misty at some places by early morning be-

comes relatively hot daytime and some

clouds, humid by night.

FAJRSHOROOK

03. 55 AM

05. 13 AM

11. 35 AM

03.04 PM

05. 57 PM

07. 27 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS

Singapore plans a subterranean futureAFP/SINGAPORE

Space-starved Singapore has expanded outwards by building into the sea and upwards by constructing high-rises but planners are now looking under-ground as they seek new areas for growth. The nation has carefully managed its rapid growth in recent decades to avoid the problems faced by other fast developing Asian metropolises, such as overcrowding and traffic chaos.

But with its population of 5.6 million expected to grow steadily in coming years, authorities are now considering how to better use the space below the streets in a city that is just half the size of Los Angeles. Singapore has already built an underground highway and state-of-the-art air conditioning system, but is now looking to house more facilities beneath the surface in order to optimise land use above it.

“We need to consider options for putting critical infrastructure underground,” Abhineet Kaul, a Singapore-based public sector specialist at consultancy Frost & Sullivan, said. “We have an increasing need for industrial, commercial, residential and green space on land in Singapore.”

According to a draft devel-opment plan released in March, authorities want to put utilities,

transport as well as storage and industrial facilities underground in order to free up land on the surface. There are as yet no plans to put housing underground, however.

Three-dimensional tech-nology will be used to produce subterranean maps, with three pilot areas targeted initially, according to the Urban Redevel-opment Authority, which created the development plan.

Singapore is the latest city to try to make use of subterranean space. Finland’s capital Helsinki has tunnels housing car parks, shopping malls and even swimming pools, while Montreal in Canada has a so-called “Underground City”, a tunnel network connecting key points.

In a report commissioned by Samsung about what the world will look like in 50 years, experts predicted the appearance of

“earthscrapers” — like an inverted skyscraper burrowing downwards for many storeys -- in an attempt to save space in overcrowded cities.

Singapore’s main method of expansion has been land recla-mation from the sea, which has increased the country’s area by over a quarter to 720 sq kilo-metres (280 sq miles), with most growth happening since inde-pendence in 1965. But

reclamation has become more expensive as it moved to deeper waters, while countries that used to sell sand to Singapore have stopped exports due to environ-mental concerns.

Unregulated sand mining erodes beaches and riverbanks, affecting wildlife and removing natural barriers to flooding, and dredging the seabed can damage ecosystems, green groups say.

Moving facilities under-ground has advantages beyond saving space, including reduced use of air conditioning which could save energy in Singapore’s tropical climate.

Still, building underground in Singapore poses challenges -- construction is difficult beneath an already urbanised envi-ronment while new projects will compete for space with existing subterranean facilities.

“Underground construction normally involves the blasting of rocks and if it’s in the downtown area, you will not be able to use blasting,” said Chu Jian, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the Nanyang Technological Uni-versity (NTU). One of the most ambitious underground projects so far in Singapore is a system that pumps chilled water through pipes to cool buildings around the city-state’s popular water-front district of Marina Bay.

A view of the ongoing construction of an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train station in Singapore. Space-starved Singapore has expanded outwards by building into the sea and upwards by constructing high-rises but planners are now looking underground as they seek new areas for growth.

AFP/VENICE

Hollywood star Penelope Cruz (pictured), warned yesterday that technology was driving high anxiety that would one day make “all our brains explode”. The Spanish mother-of-two said she was worried about how chil-dren’s mental health and devel-opment were being affected by the ubiquity of tech.

“I have my personal war with it,” she told reporters at the Venice film festival. “I wish we could have lived in the 1990s for a little longer. For mental health issues that would have helped a lot, because I think things are going at a speed that we are unprepared for,” said the actress. Cruz, 45, who is starring in “Wasp Network”, a thriller about five Cuban undercover agents who became heroes for infil-trating radical exile networks in Florida, said tech was coming to utterly dominate children’s lives, hogging their time and imaginations.

“This might seem like an exaggeration to other people, but I am convinced that we were raised with a different relationships with tech-nology,” she said. “Right now children and teenagers are in contact so much with elec-tronics and it takes the time away from children to learn to play, to have conversations, to be at a table having dinner talking to their family, or to be bored -- which is some-thing important we all should learn as children.”

Cruz, who has an eight-year-old son and six-year-old daughter with fellow Spanish star Javier Bardem, said our lives were being swallowed up by it. Tech’s daily dominance was “not only affecting children, but all of us.... It is something that is creating a lot of general anxiety and I wonder if this continues all of our brains are just going to explode,” said the actress.

Hollywood’s summer ends 2% down despite Disney dominanceAP NEW YORK

Never before has one studio so domi-nated summer at the movies. The Walt Disney Co. accounted for about half of all ticket sales in U.S. and Canada theaters on the season, which came to a close Sunday with the Gerard Butler action thriller “Angel Has Fallen” topping the box office for the second weekend.

Summer ticket sales finished 2% behind last year, according to data firm Comscore, a slight downturn that came despite an unprecedented display by Disney. The studio’s approximate $2.2bn in domestic summer box office is greater than that of all the major studios combined.

Summer, which for Hollywood runs from the first weekend in May to Labor Day, traditionally ends with a whimper as few new releases seek to draw audi-ences over the holiday weekend. That was especially true this weekend as nothing new dented the top 10. Lions-gate’s “Angel Has Fallen” came on top again with an estimated $11.6 million.

The final numbers on Hollywood’s summer didn’t add up to the box-office bonanza that some predicted. Instead, the main storyline on the summer came to be the yawning gap between Disney and the rest of the industry. Disney finalized its $71 billion acquisition of 20th Century Fox in March, but it was the studio’s own offerings that propelled its market dominance.

Five of Disney’s films crossed $1 billion this summer, including the sea-son’s biggest hit, “The Lion King.” It cur-rently ranks seventh all-time globally with $1.56 billion in ticket sales.

“Avengers: Endgame” ($2.796 billion) opened in late April, just before the summer began. “Toy Story 4” and “Aladdin” both easily cleared $1 billion. The only non-Disney film in the sum-mer’s top four was Sony’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and that film was pro-duced by Disney’s Marvel Studios.

Disney has been the market leader for the last four years in Hollywood as its high-priced acquisitions - Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel, and now Fox - have given the studio the intellectual property fire-power for a movie world increasingly focused on franchises.

Only one original film this summer ranked among the top 10, and it came in 10th. Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” will have made an estimated $130.8 million through Monday domestically, plus sizable ticket sales abroad. It, along with “Spider-Man,” helped lead Sony to its best summer since 2006 - but a distant No. 2 to Disney.

Disney’s success has been a welcome dose of reliability for theater owners in need of sure-hits amid wide-spread anxiety over the rise of streaming. And it has prompted fears of cultural monopoly.

“For the industry, I think it’s a point of stress, to put it mildly. Other studios are now strategizing around Disney. That’s what you have to do,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “But lest we think Disney was the only game in town, there were other studios that found opportunities within the calendar.”

Lionsgate was among those that eked out some breathing room. Along with its August successes (“Angel Has Fallen,” ‘’Scary Stories to Tell in the

Dark”), the studio’s “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum” was, with $170.9 million, one of the summer’s biggest successes.

“For me it’s important to dispel that audiences are only going to see Marvel and Pixar and the big tentpole,” said David Spitz, president of domestic dis-tribution for Lionsgate. “Movies like ‘Scary Stories’ and ‘Good Boys’ and ‘Angel Has Fallen’ prove that there is an audience for that. ‘Good Boys’ was very encouraging because prior to that it was: ‘Comedies are dead. They’re just for streaming.’ And that’s not the case.”

Universal’s “Good Boys,” the first R-rated comedy to land No. 1 in more than three years, proved that conven-tional wisdom is sometimes wrong. But other acclaimed comedies that were expected to pop - such as Amazon’s “Late Night,” United Artists’ “Booksmart” and Lionsgate’s “Long Shot” - didn’t.

Counterprogramming often simply didn’t work. And neither did gloomy-looking critically panned movies such as “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Dark Phoenix.” They were among the season’s biggest flops.

Music continued to fuel modest hits, including Paramount’s “Rocketman” and Universal’s “Yesterday.” But by the end of summer, as the lackluster per-formance of Warner Bros.’ Bruce Springsteen-inspired “Blinded by the Light” showed, that trend may be waning, too.

Dergarabedian noted, though, that the summer season isn’t quite what it used to be. Studios now spread their biggest movies around the calendar more freely. Add “Endgame” to the totals and the summer looks a lot better.

Tech making‘our brains explode’, saysPenelope Cruz

French director Costa-Gavras honoured in VeniceREUTERS/VENICE

Greek-born French director Costa-Gavras has been recognised for his “particularly original contribution to innovation in contem-porary cinema” at the Venice Film Festival, where the Oscar winner also presented his new movie about the Greek debt crisis.

The 86-year-old filmmaker, known for “Z” and “Missing”, was presented with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award late on Saturday.

While in Venice, he also presented “Adults in the Room”, which is adapted from the book by former Greek finance minister Yanis Var-oufakis and follows Greece’s bailout nego-tiations in 2015. “There’s a lot of muddled politics in Europe, it has to clear itself up

French director Costa-Gavras and his wife producer Michele Ray-Gavras during the 76th Venice Film Festival in Venice, yesterday.

one day, not in the way it’s been clearing itself up over the past few years,” Costa-Gravas told a news

conference, citing concerns over rising populism. “I hope that all of that will change.”

Google to alert your contacts if you’re on vacation

IANS/NEW DELHI

Google is rolling out a new feature this month for its G Suite users where it will show a notification to your contacts in Gmail and Hangouts chats that you are away on vacation.

Available for only G Suite (Google’s enterprise customers) at the moment and not the ordinary Gmail users, the feature will be fully rolled out globally from September 16, Google said in a statement.

“When you have an Out of office (OOO) entry on your cal-endar, a notice of that OOO status will appear in Gmail and Hangouts Chat when people try to contact you,” said the company.

“In Gmail, we’ll show a banner about the recipient being out of office and when they’ll be back in the email compose window,” Google added. In Hangouts Chat, you’ll also see a small notification in the chat compose window alerting you that the person you’re trying to message is out of office.

These notices will automat-ically start showing up when anyone whose calendar you have access to has an out of office event scheduled.