eid mubarak amir exchanges eid greetings with leaders · 04/06/2019  · decision-making body, in...

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Volume 24 | Number 7912 | 2 Riyals Tuesday 4 June 2019 | 1 Shawwal 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa Eid Mubarak Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leaders QNA DOHA Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has exchanged cables of greetings on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr with Their Highnesses and Excellencies leaders of the Arab and Muslim countries. H H the Amir also received cables of congratu- lations on this occasion from a number of leaders of friendly countries. H H the Amir has exchanged greetings with the Amir of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and President of the Republic of Tunisia Beji Caid Essebsi. His Highness also exchanged Eid greetings with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pres- ident of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, and Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah. H H the Amir received a phone call yesterday evening from Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, in which he expressed his congratulations to H H the Amir and the Qatari people on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. The two sides also reviewed the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries and ways of developing and strengthening them, and discussed a number of regional and international issues of common concern. H H the Amir has received a cable of greetings on the occasion of the blessed Eid Al Fitr from Speaker of the Shura Council H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud. H E Al Mahmoud expressed in his name and on behalf of the Shura Council members heartfelt greetings and blessings on the advent of Eid, renewing the pledge of allegiance and loyalty to His Highness reaffirming determination to serve the nation and the loyal citizens. He asked the Almighty Allah for the best of health and happiness to H H the Amir and further progress, welfare and prosperity to the loyal people of Qatar under the wise leadership of H H the Amir. H H the Amir sent a reply cable to H E the Shura Council Speaker in which His Highness thanked His Excellency the Speaker of the Council and the council members for the greetings and good wishes on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, asking the Almighty Allah for the happy return of such an occasion to all of them. H H the Amir wished His Excellency the Shura Council Speaker and the Council members the best of health, happiness and more welfare, and dear homeland further progress, and prosperity. The Amiri Diwan announced yes- terday that H H the Amir will receive well-wishers on the occasion of the blessed Eid Al Fitr at Al Wajba Palace on the first day of the Eid, according to the following order. Immediately after the Eid prayer until 6.15am, H H the Amir will receive Their Excellencies Sheikhs, Ministers, the Speaker of the Shura Council, Ministries’ Undersec- retaries, members of the Advisory Council and citizens. From 6.15am to 6.30am, H H the Amir will receive Their Excellencies heads of diplomatic missions. From 6.30 am to 6.45, H H the Amir will receive the officers of Armed Forces and Ministry of Interior as well as directors of departments and national institutions. H H the Amir will also receive immedi- ately after the Asr prayer to 4.15pm Their Excellencies sheikhs and citizens. QNA DOHA The Moon Sighting Committee of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has announced that today, Tuesday, June 4, 2019, is the first day of the blessed Eid Al Fitr. This came in a statement released by the committee headed by its Chairman Sheikh Dr Thaqil Al Shammari, following a meeting yesterday at the headquarters of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. The Committee held its meeting last evening, Ramadan 29, 1440 AH, cor- responding to June 03, 2019, to sight the crescent of Shawwal month, and prove the testimony of who sees it. The Committee said the moon sighting was confirmed last night and that todayis the first day of the blessed Eid Al Fitr. The Committee extended greetings on the occasion of advent of the blessed Eid Al Fitr to the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and the honorable gov- ernment, the people of Qatar and all Muslims. “We ask Almighty Allah to return this occasion to eve- ryone with good and blessing”. Qatar calls for open dialogue to solve Sudan issue QNA DOHA The State of Qatar is following with concern the recent devel- opments in the brotherly Republic of Sudan and expresses its regret at the decision made by the security forces to forcibly disperse peaceful and unarmed Sudanese protesters. This could lead to serious ramifications that could negatively impact the path of peaceful transformation and the Sudanese national fabric. In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the State of Qatar appeals to the Transitional Military Council to stop the practices of its security forces against the unarmed demonstrators. The State of Qatar further calls for the voice of wisdom to be engaged urgently in an open, sincere and inclusive dialogue including all segments of the Sudanese society, especially the youth who were hailed and praised by the Military Council for their peacefulness upon assuming its rule. P7 Qatar to host Club World Cup 2019 & 2020 editions THE PENINSULA PARIS/DOHA World governing body FIFA yesterday gave the hosting rights of the annually-staged Club World Cup to Qatar for the next two years. Hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar will now look forward to hosting UEFA champions Liv- erpool and six other continental champions for the two-week football festival later this year in December. According to details posted on FIFA’s website yesterday, Qatar will also host the 2020 edition of the hugely popular tournament held for the first time in 2000. The decision was finalised after the members of the FIFA Council convened in Paris yesterday. "It is a great test event," Qatar World Cup organizing committee chairman Hassan Al- Thawadi said. "So we will defi- nitely try to utilize as much as possible, all the different facets of hosting a World Cup." “Following the approval of a revamped Club World Cup with 24 teams... the FIFA council decided to award Qatar the right to host the next two editions of the tournament in its existing format in 2019 and 2020,” FIFA said in a statement yesterday. “The upcoming editions of the seven-team competition will serve as valuable test events in the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022, even more so since their timing – usually around early December – corresponds with that of the next FIFA World Cup, allowing for testing under similar climatic conditions,” the post on www.fifa.com said. In March this year, the FIFA Council approved the estab- lishment of a new landmark club competition: A revamped, 24-team FIFA Club World Cup, the pilot edition of which will be held in June and July 2021. The decision was taken during the ninth meeting of FIFA’s strategic and decision-making body, in Miami. There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the proposal, FIFA said two months ago. “The revamped FIFA Club World Cup will be played during the international match calendar slot that corresponded to the FIFA Confederations Cup. In the 2021 pilot edition, the 24 teams will be split into eight groups of three teams each, with the group winners to qualify for the quarter- finals in a knockout format,” FIFA noted on its website. “Further details, such as the proposed match schedule and the slot allocation for representatives of each confederation − will be discussed further and decided at a later stage,” it added in March. Yesterday FIFA said: “In regard to the pilot edition of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2021, the FIFA administration will analyse and proactively approach potential hosts before making a recommendation at the next FIFA Council meeting, in Shanghai, China PR, on 23 and 24 October.” With Qatar confirmed hosts of this year’s edition of the Club World Cup, the football-loving country can now prepare to receive thousands of Liverpool fans for the tournament. Fans of other continental champions are also expected to reach in thou- sands for the two-week tour- nament for which the dates and venues will be announced by the Local Organizing Committee after the summer break. P3 Summer Entertainment City opens today RAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA As the country ushers in Eid Al Fitr today, the Summer Entertainment City (SEC), one of the major features of Summer in Qatar (SiQ), opens its doors with a broad array of offerings including an all-new 6,000sqm Virtual reality (VR) and Gaming zone catered to gamers from various age groups. The expansive 29,000sqm Doha Exhi- bition and Convention Center (DECC) space is ready to provide joy and entertainment to visitors with wide-ranging games and shows as well as shopping and food options with the VR and Gaming section featuring some of the world’s most advanced VR simulators, gaming stations and themed gaming areas as a main feature. Speaking to local media on the eve of SEC’s opening, QSports Founder and Board Member Adil Ahmed, organising SEC for the third consecutive year in collaboration with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), underlined that the warm response from vis- itors last year prompted them to create a bigger VR and Gaming zone for various ages. “The VR and Gaming section is the major attraction this year. We had a small gaming section last time but due to a lot of positive feedback we expanded it from 800sqm to 6,000sqm to include themed games meant to attract kids, teenagers and adults as well,” said Ahmed. While video games are usually for the younger age group, SEC’s VR and Gaming section has among its features retro-gaming area sure to evoke nostalgia among older video games lovers. “This time we have made sure that we cater to a wider age range in terms of games. We created the retro-gaming area for people 35 years old and above as well who can actually connect with games like Pac-Man, Atari and Sega,” he stressed. This year’s SEC hosts the world’ biggest Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which is a first in Qatar, in addition to Atari Sega and Nin- tendo among others. Ahmed added that there are plans to host e-gaming competitions as well as broadcast cricket matches for the ongoing 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. The main areas of the SEC 2019 also include amusement rides, skills games with prizes, bespoke trampoline park, a kids driving school setup, giant blocks park for kids to play and build with large lego-type blocks, a 1,000sqm ocean ball soft play area, Qatar’s first InflataPark spread over 1,200sqm, the world’s largest bounce castle, a 1,200sqm skate park, synthetic ice skating, Spider Climbing tower and over 45 food options and 100 retail outlets.P2 A mini-golf course at the Summer Entertainment City which at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA First day of Eid Al Fitr today to all our readers

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Page 1: Eid Mubarak Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leaders · 04/06/2019  · decision-making body, in Miami. There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the proposal, FIFA said

Volume 24 | Number 7912 | 2 RiyalsTuesday 4 June 2019 | 1 Shawwal 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa

Eid Mubarak

�����������

Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leadersQNA DOHA

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has exchanged cables of greetings on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr with Their Highnesses and Excellencies leaders of the Arab and Muslim countries. H H the Amir also received cables of congratu-lations on this occasion from a number of leaders of friendly countries.

H H the Amir has exchanged greetings with the Amir of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and President of the Republic of Tunisia Beji Caid Essebsi.

His Highness also exchanged Eid greetings with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pres-ident of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, and Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah.

H H the Amir received a phone call yesterday evening from Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi, in which he expressed his congratulations

to H H the Amir and the Qatari people on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. The two sides also reviewed the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries and ways of developing and strengthening them, and discussed a number of regional and international issues of common concern. H H the Amir has received a cable of greetings on the occasion of the blessed Eid Al Fitr from Speaker of the Shura Council H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud.

H E Al Mahmoud expressed in his name and on behalf of the Shura Council members heartfelt greetings and blessings on the advent of Eid, renewing the pledge of allegiance and loyalty to His Highness reaffirming determination to serve the nation and the loyal citizens.

He asked the Almighty Allah for the best of health and happiness to H H the Amir and further progress, welfare and prosperity to the loyal people of Qatar under the wise leadership of H H the Amir.

H H the Amir sent a reply cable to H E the Shura Council Speaker in which His Highness thanked His Excellency the Speaker of the Council and the council members for the greetings and good

wishes on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, asking the Almighty Allah for the happy return of such an occasion to all of them.

H H the Amir wished His Excellency the Shura Council Speaker and the Council members the best of health, happiness and more welfare, and dear homeland further progress, and prosperity.

The Amiri Diwan announced yes-terday that H H the Amir will receive well-wishers on the occasion of the blessed Eid Al Fitr at Al Wajba Palace on the first day of the Eid, according to the following order.

Immediately after the Eid prayer until 6.15am, H H the Amir will receive Their Excellencies Sheikhs, Ministers, the Speaker of the Shura Council, Ministries’ Undersec-retaries, members of the Advisory Council and citizens. From 6.15am to 6.30am, H H the Amir will receive Their Excellencies heads of diplomatic missions.

From 6.30 am to 6.45, H H the Amir will receive the officers of Armed Forces and Ministry of Interior as well as directors of departments and national institutions. H H the Amir will also receive immedi-ately after the Asr prayer to 4.15pm Their Excellencies sheikhs and citizens.

QNA DOHA

The Moon Sighting Committee of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has announced that today, Tuesday, June 4, 2019, is the first day of the blessed Eid Al Fitr. This came in a statement released by the committee headed by its Chairman Sheikh Dr Thaqil Al Shammari, following a meeting yesterday at the headquarters of Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.

The Committee held its meeting last evening, Ramadan 29, 1440 AH, cor-responding to June 03, 2019, to sight the crescent of Shawwal month, and prove the testimony of who sees it.

The Committee said the moon sighting was confirmed last night and that todayis the first day of the blessed Eid Al Fitr.

The Committee extended greetings on the occasion of advent of the blessed Eid Al Fitr to the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Deputy Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, and the honorable gov-ernment, the people of Qatar and all Muslims.

“We ask Almighty Allah to return this occasion to eve-ryone with good and blessing”.

Qatar calls for open dialogue to solve Sudan issueQNA DOHA

The State of Qatar is following with concern the recent devel-opments in the brotherly Republic of Sudan and expresses its regret at the decision made by the security forces to forcibly disperse peaceful and unarmed Sudanese protesters. This could lead to serious ramifications that could negatively impact the path of peaceful transformation and the Sudanese national fabric.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the State of Qatar appeals to the Transitional Military Council to stop the practices of its security forces against the unarmed demonstrators. The State of Qatar further calls for the voice of wisdom to be engaged urgently in an open, sincere and inclusive dialogue including all segments of the Sudanese society, especially the youth who were hailed and praised by the Military Council for their peacefulness upon assuming its rule. �P7

Qatar to host Club World Cup 2019 & 2020 editionsTHE PENINSULA PARIS/DOHA

World governing body FIFA yesterday gave the hosting rights of the annually-staged Club World Cup to Qatar for the next two years.

Hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar will now look forward to hosting UEFA champions Liv-erpool and six other continental champions for the two-week football festival later this year in December.

According to details posted on FIFA’s website yesterday, Qatar will also host the 2020 edition of the hugely popular tournament held for the first time in 2000.

The decision was finalised after the members of the FIFA Council convened in Paris yesterday.

"It is a great test event," Qatar World Cup organizing committee chairman Hassan Al-Thawadi said. "So we will defi-nitely try to utilize as much as possible, all the different facets of hosting a World Cup."

“Following the approval of a revamped Club World Cup with 24 teams... the FIFA council decided to award Qatar the right to host the next two editions of the tournament in its existing format in 2019 and 2020,” FIFA said in a statement yesterday.

“The upcoming editions of the seven-team competition will

serve as valuable test events in the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022, even more so since their timing – usually around early December – corresponds with that of the next FIFA World Cup, allowing for testing under similar climatic conditions,” the post on www.fifa.com said.

In March this year, the FIFA Council approved the estab-lishment of a new landmark club competition: A revamped, 24-team FIFA Club World Cup, the pilot edition of which will be held in June and July 2021. The decision was taken during the ninth meeting of FIFA’s strategic and decision-making body, in Miami.

There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the

proposal, FIFA said two months ago.

“The revamped FIFA Club World Cup will be played during the international match calendar slot that corresponded to the FIFA Confederations Cup. In the 2021 pilot edition, the 24 teams will be split into eight groups of three teams each, with the group winners to qualify for the quarter-finals in a knockout format,” FIFA noted on its website.

“Further details, such as the proposed match schedule and the slot allocation for representatives of each confederation − will be discussed further and decided at a later stage,” it added in March.

Yesterday FIFA said: “In regard to the pilot edition of the

expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2021, the FIFA administration will analyse and proactively approach potential hosts before making a recommendation at the next FIFA Council meeting, in Shanghai, China PR, on 23 and 24 October.”

With Qatar confirmed hosts of this year’s edition of the Club World Cup, the football-loving country can now prepare to receive thousands of Liverpool fans for the tournament. Fans of other continental champions are also expected to reach in thou-sands for the two-week tour-nament for which the dates and venues will be announced by the Local Organizing Committee after the summer break. �P3

Summer Entertainment City opens todayRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

As the country ushers in Eid Al Fitr today, the Summer Entertainment City (SEC), one of the major features of Summer in Qatar (SiQ), opens its doors with a broad array of offerings including an all-new 6,000sqm Virtual reality (VR) and Gaming zone catered to gamers from various age groups.

The expansive 29,000sqm Doha Exhi-bition and Convention Center (DECC) space is ready to provide joy and entertainment to visitors with wide-ranging games and shows as well as shopping and food options with the VR and Gaming section featuring some of the world’s most advanced VR simulators, gaming stations and themed gaming areas as a main feature.

Speaking to local media on the eve of SEC’s opening, QSports Founder and Board Member Adil Ahmed, organising SEC for the third consecutive year in collaboration with Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), underlined that the warm response from vis-itors last year prompted them to create a bigger VR and Gaming zone for various ages.

“The VR and Gaming section is the major attraction this year. We had a small gaming section last time but due to a lot of positive feedback we expanded it from 800sqm to 6,000sqm to include themed games meant to attract kids, teenagers and adults as well,” said Ahmed.

While video games are usually for the younger age group, SEC’s VR and Gaming

section has among its features retro-gaming area sure to evoke nostalgia among older video games lovers.

“This time we have made sure that we cater to a wider age range in terms of games. We created the retro-gaming area for people 35 years old and above as well who can actually connect with games like Pac-Man, Atari and Sega,” he stressed.

This year’s SEC hosts the world’ biggest Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which is a first in Qatar, in addition to Atari Sega and Nin-tendo among others.

Ahmed added that there are plans to host

e-gaming competitions as well as broadcast cricket matches for the ongoing 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

The main areas of the SEC 2019 also include amusement rides, skills games with prizes, bespoke trampoline park, a kids driving school setup, giant blocks park for kids to play and build with large lego-type blocks, a 1,000sqm ocean ball soft play area, Qatar’s first InflataPark spread over 1,200sqm, the world’s largest bounce castle, a 1,200sqm skate park, synthetic ice skating, Spider Climbing tower and over 45 food options and 100 retail outlets.�P2

A mini-golf course at the Summer Entertainment City which at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

First day of Eid Al Fitr today

to all our readers

Page 2: Eid Mubarak Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leaders · 04/06/2019  · decision-making body, in Miami. There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the proposal, FIFA said

02 TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019HOME

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani sent a message to Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic Enzo Moavero Milanesi, pertaining to bilateral relations and ways of supporting and developing them. The message was delivered by the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Italian Republic, Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Malki, during his meeting with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic, Vincenzo Celeste.

Finance Minister sends message to Italian counterpartMoI to hold infotainment

celebrations for various communities during EidTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Ministry of Interior is all set to organise Eid Al Fitr Infotainment Celebration for Communities from 5 pm to 10 pm on the first day of Eid at Asian Town, Asian Accom-modation City (Labour City) and Barwa Baraha in Indus-trial Area, and on first and second days of Eid at Barwa Workers Recreation Complex in Al Khor. The Celebrations in Barwa properties are organised in collaboration with Barwa Group.

The Eid celebrations will include musical and tradi-tional thematic shows and cultural performances by community orchestra teams and school students, magic shows and safety and security related awareness programs by different departments of the Ministry of Interior such as Traffic, Al Fazaa Police, Civil Defense, Community Policing Department, Search and Follow up Department, D r u g s E n f o r c e m e n t Department and Human Rights Department. Special prizes will be gifted for the audience throughout the programs.

Popular Asian orchestra teams will perform musical

events in multiple languages including Hindi, Urdu, Sin-halese, Nepali, Malayalam, Tamil and Bangladeshi in Asian Town (cricket stadium parking area), Labour City (football ground) and Barwa Baraha (football ground).

Students from Asian schools in Qatar will partic-ipate in the fiesta with various cultural shows. The participating schools include MES Indian School, Bhavans Public School, Ideal Indian School, Olive International School and Shantiniketan School.

A variety of events from magic show and songs in Hindi, Bangladeshi, Nepalese and Bhojpuri and thematic shows will be staged to entertain the people on Eid day along with educative awareness programs.

Sports competitions, orchestra troupes and artists will perform in Al Khor Barwa Workers Recreation Complex located in Al Khor industrial area on first and

second days of Eid as well.These activities con-

ducted with the aim of pro-viding a safer environment for the members of the expat communities residing in Qatar including the employees and workers of the companies are organized to enhance and strengthen cooperation and communi-cation between the Ministry of Interior and expatriates in Qatar.

The Ministry of Interior invites all members of expa-triate communities to attend the events and urges the managements of the com-panies to make necessary arrangements for sending maximum numbers of the workers to different pro-grams arranged in various locations in order to get ben-efits of the awareness pro-grams on various subjects related with safety and security. The entry to all venues is free, except the Labor city where the entry is restricted for the city resi-dents only.

The Ministry has been organising cultural events and awareness programs for the expatriate communities on various national occa-sions such as Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and Qatar National Day since many years.

The Eid celebrations will include musical and traditional thematic shows and cultural performances.

Adil Ahmed, Project Director, Entertainment City, with other officials during the media tour of Summer Entertainment City at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, yesterday. A section of the VR and Gaming zone at the Summer Entertainment City. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

Summer Entertainment City opens today

FROM PAGE 1Visitors can choose from

cuisines offered by around 47 outlets, 70 percent of which are local, located in a food court with a seating capacity of around 600.

Visitors can also watch live performances by artistes pre-sented in cooperation with dif-ferent embassies such as

Georgia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Africa.

“For the first three days, we have the world renowned Georgian National Ballet who will be performing a total of 15 shows in three days. We have a lot of ethnic shows supported by embassies in addition to regular shows like the roaming parades,” said Ahmed.

Ticket prices range from QR15 QR entry to the SEC, or vis-itors can purchase Gold Pass for QR165, Gaming Pass for QR165, Season Pass for QR999 or Season Gaming Pass for QR1,250. Gold Pass entitles the holder to 40 ride tickets plus 5 VR/Gaming tickets while Gaming Pass includes 40 VR and Gaming tickets used in gaming

section only. Season Pass pro-vides unlimited entries to venue for the duration of the event and each visit entitles visitor to a Gold Pass. Gaming Season Pass, on the other hand, unlimited entries to the venue for the duration of the event and each visit entitles visitor to a Gaming Pass.

For the first time, visitors to

SEC 2019 purchasing the daily Gold Pass, Gaming Pass or Season Pass can enter a raffle draw for a chance to win a brand new KIA Telluride.

The Summer Entertainment City is open from today until July 31 from 12.30pm to 10pm (Sat-urday to Wednesday) and from 1pm to 11pm (Thursday and Friday).

Eid festival at Souq Waqif & Al Wakra to begin tomorrowQNA DOHA

Eid Al Fitr festival will start on the second day of Eid Al Fitr and will last for five days at Souq Waqif and Al Wakra from 4 pm to 10 pm.

Speaking to QNA, Manager of Souq Waqif Mohammed Al Salem said that the organization of this celebration every year is to bring happiness and joy to everyone in these blessed days, especially as Souq Waqif is one of the most popular tourist destina-tions in Qatar and tourists who wish to enjoy the holiday in Doha. He pointed out that the events of Eid Al Fitr will be held inside a large air-conditioned tent in Al Ahmad square, which includes games, programs and a variety of plays for children.

Al Salem pointed out that the organi-zation of events inside the tent is due to the weather conditions in this part of the year, adding that the festival is also accompanied by activities and workshops for children by Souq Waqif Center for Arts throughout the Eid. Souq Manager Khalid Saif Al Suwaidi told QNA that Souq will host the Eid Al Fitr festival for the second year following the success of the first edition last year. He added the festival will be held in a large tent in the market containing more than 40 individual skills and games on the waterfront, as well as artistic performances, acrobatics and more, every day from 4 pm to 10 pm.

He added the events will be accom-panied by fireworks for five days starting at 8:30pm. He said the organisation of this event came due to the high demand for it because of the beautiful scenes it creates on the waterfront of Souq Al Wakra.

LEFT: Residents busy with last minute preparations at a hypermarket yesterday. Shopping malls and hypermarkets witnessed huge crowds last night after it was announced that Eid will be celebrated today. RIGHT: Ladies applying henna on children’s hands on the eve of Eid Al Fitr in Doha yesterday. PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

Last minute preparations on the eve of Eid Al Fitr in Doha

FAJRSHOROOK

03. 15 AM

04. 43 AM

11. 32 AM

02. 56 PM

06. 23 PM

07. 53 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum31oC 39oC

HIGH TIDE 03:45–17:50 LOW TIDE 0:23 – 11:31

Misty to foggy at places at first becomes

hot daytime with slight dust and some

clouds at times.

Page 3: Eid Mubarak Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leaders · 04/06/2019  · decision-making body, in Miami. There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the proposal, FIFA said

03TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019 HOME

FM sends message to San Marino Foreign Minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has sent a message to the Minister of Foreign and Political Affairs and Justice of the Republic of San Marino, Nicola Renzi. The message was delivered by the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Italian Republic, Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Malki, during his meeting yesterday with the Ambassador of the Republic of San Marino to the Italian Republic, Daniela Rotondaro, at the headquarters of the Embassy of the Republic of San Marino in Rome.

OFFICIAL NEWS QA is first to achieve new standard for prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Airways has become the world’s first airline to achieve a new industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife traf-ficking in aviation.

The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) Assessment was developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), as part of IEnvA - IATA’s environmental management and evaluation system for airlines - with support from The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and USAID’s Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership. Com-pliance with the IWT IEnvA Standards and Recommended Practices (ESARPs) enables airline signatories to the United for Wildlife Buckingham Palace Dec-laration to demonstrate that they have implemented the relevant Commitments within the Decla-ration. In May 2019, Qatar Airways was independently assessed and was deemed to have met the requirements of the IWT

Assessment.Qatar Airways Group Chief

Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud and honoured to be the first airline recognised by our industry for delivering on the commitments we made at Buck-ingham Palace in March 2016. We remain dedicated to this cause, and will continue to work with our stakeholders to raise awareness and improve detection of illegal activity.”

IATA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Alexandre de Juniac, said: “The trade in illegal wildlife could rob future genera-tions of some of our most precious and iconic species. Sadly, traf-fickers take advantage of the air transport networks we have built, and we all share a responsibility to play our part in eradicating this

appalling trade. Qatar Airways is leading the way with its anti-traf-ficking initiatives, using IATA standards and recommended practices, and they are to be con-gratulated on their well-deserved recognition from the Royal Foundation.”

Illegal trade in wildlife is worth an estimated $23bn per year, and threatens the survival of some of the world’s most endan-gered species. Animals and animal products are transported around

the globe for trade, taking advantage of commercial transport services, including avi-ation, which is unknowingly misused by traffickers.

Al Baker was presented with the certificate by Alexandre de Juniac, during IATA’s Annual General Meeting in Seoul.

As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Decla-ration in March 2016 and a founding member of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce,

Qatar Airways has a zero tolerance policy towards the illegal trade of endangered wildlife. The airline has implemented multiple initia-tives to help prevent illegal wildlife transportation activity through its network, such as training employees on how to detect and report suspicious activity and raising passenger awareness of the importance of the issue.

Chair of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, Lord Hague of Richmond, said: “Congratula-tions to Qatar Airways on being the first to achieve this important new certificate, which represents the high standard to which airlines are now being held and is only awarded to those truly taking the necessary measures to combat the illegal wildlife trade.”

Although certification to the IWT Assessment may not prevent traffickers from attempting to exploit an airline’s network, it con-firms that an airline has proce-dures, staff training and the reporting protocols that makes the smuggling of illegal wildlife products more challenging. Examples of Qatar Airways’ proactive approach to the pre-vention of illegal wildlife trade include working with the USAID’s ROUTES Partnership in devel-oping Qatar Airways’ training material, and sharing intelligence and best practice within the industry; working with gov-ernment stakeholders responsible for security and customs at Hamad International Airport and selected destinations to develop shared procedures for wildlife crime reporting and follow-up and raising passenger awareness through electronic posters at Hamad International Airport, wildlife features in Qatar Airways’ inflight magazine and inflight entertainment system, and wildlife-themed posts on the air-lines’ social media channels.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, being presented with the certificate by IATA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Alexandre de Juniac, during IATA’s Annual General Meeting in Seoul.

The airline has implemented multiple initiatives to help prevent illegal wildlife transportation activity through its network, such as training employees on how to detect and report suspicious activity and raising passenger awareness of the importance of the issue.

As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016 and a founding member of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce, Qatar Airways has a zero tolerance policy towards the illegal trade of endangered wildlife.

Deputy Amir exchanges

Eid Al Fitr greetings

DOHA: Deputy Amir H H

Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al

Thani has exchanged cables

of greetings with Their Excel-

lences Vice Presidents and

Crown Princes of the Arab and

Islamic countries, on advent of

the blessed Eid Al Fitr. QNA

PM greets PMs of Arab

and Islamic countries

DOHA: Prime Minister and Inte-

rior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah

bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani

has exchanged cables of greet-

ings with Their Excellences

Prime Ministers of the Arab and

Islamic countries, on the advent

of the blessed Eid Al Fitr. QNA

Amir congratulates

President-elect

of Latvia

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

and Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani

sent cables of congratulations

to President Egils Levits on

his victory in the presidential

elections of the Republic of

Latvia. QNA

Qatar condemns Afghan

govt bus bombing

DOHA: The State of Qatar

has strongly condemned the

explosion which targeted a

government bus in the Afghan

capital Kabul, causing deaths

and injuries. In a statement

today, the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs reiterated Qatar’s firm

stance rejecting violence and

terrorism, regardless of motives

and reasons. The statement

expressed the condolences of

Qatar to the victims’ families,

the government and the peo-

ple of Afghanistan, wishing the

injured a speedy recovery. QNA

Qatar to host Club World Cup 2019 & 2020 editions

FROM PAGE 1Last month, the Supreme

Committee for Deliver & Legacy (SC) unveiled the brand new Al Janoub Stadium, it’s second 2022 World Cup venue when the Amir Cup final played between Al Duhail and Al Sadd.

Two years ago, Qatar inau-gurated the iconic Khalifa Inter-national Stadium five years ahead of schedule. Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor is almost ready for inauguration. These stadiums are expected to be used for matches in this year’s Club World Cup.

Past champions of the tour-nament include Real Madrid, Barcelona, Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Internacional, Milan, Manchester United, Internazi-onale and Bayern Munich. Qatar’s Al Sadd - who won the AFC Champions League title in 2011 - featured in the Club World Cup held in Japan that year.

Brazil, Japan, Spain, the UAE and Morocco have hosted the event previously. When Real Madrid beat Al Ain of the UAE in last year’s final, it was their third title on the trot for the Spanish giants and fourth overall, the most number by any club in the world.

QNTC to organise Bollywood music festivalTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC) has announced to celebrate Summer in Qatar & India-Qatar Year of Culture, with Bollywood music extravaganza.

Tickets for the Bollywood Music Festival, organised by Qatar National Tourism Council

(QNTC) have gone on sale. The event promises to bring rhythm to this

year’s Summer in Qatar as residents and visitors enjoy all the colour of a Bollywood offering at Lusail Arena on June 21.

The Music Festival is part of QNTC’s ongoing efforts to create diverse entertainment options for the whole family, making Qatar a preferred tourism destination for families.

Page 4: Eid Mubarak Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leaders · 04/06/2019  · decision-making body, in Miami. There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the proposal, FIFA said

Clouds over Doha skylineScattered cloud hovering over Doha skyline, yesterday. Qatar Meteorology Department has forecast hot weather during the daytime with some high clouds during Eid holidays. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

04 TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019HOME

HMC dietitian stresses healthy food habitsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Moderate eating and a little extra planning are the keys to a safe and healthy Eid Al Fitr, especially for indi-viduals with chronic medical conditions, said Raed Alalaween, Senior Clinical Dietician at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

He said foods high in sugar, fat, and salt are easy to overconsume and can wreak havoc on the body’s digestive system, leading to vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and stomach pain, as well as unintentional weight gain. Alalaween said cases of food poisoning also tend to spike during the summer months, underscoring the need to be careful about storing, preparing and serving foods.

“Many of the foods traditionally eaten during Eid feasts are high in fat, salt, and sugar. It is a time of year when families eat a range of delicious foods that are not normally consumed throughout the year and this can lead to overindulgence. It is therefore important to focus on being healthy and practice discipline and self-control when eating,” said Alalaween.

He said that while weight gain,

indigestion, heartburn, and abdominal bloating are the usual discomforts asso-ciated with overeating in a person in good general health, overindulging can have serious consequences for those with existing health problems.

“Overeating during Eid feasts is unfortunately very common. It can be challenging to say no to a gracious host; however, consuming large quantities of food and drink can have serious conse-quences for individuals who have chronic conditions such as high choles-terol, high blood pressure, cardiovas-cular disease, or diabetes,” said Alalaween.

For those who are following a

special diet, Alalaween recommends bringing your own food when invited to a gathering. He says most hosts will appreciate an additional dish at their celebration.

He also notes that many traditional dishes can be prepared in a healthier way, with lower fat and calories, but with the same delicious flavor.

“Simple alterations to popular recipes can make a big difference in terms of the amount of fat and calories

without negatively impacting the flavor,” said Alalaween.

He says that while Eid is an occasion to celebrate and enjoy a variety of dishes, moderation should always be the goal. He recommends limiting con-sumption of soda, sugary beverages, and highly processed carbohydrates such as chocolate, cakes, jams, and biscuits. He says this recommendation is particu-larly important for individuals with a chronic medical condition.

“Diet plays an important role in staying healthy, especially for people with diabetes. Blood sugar levels are more stable when a regular meal schedule is maintained. Five to six small meals and two to three snacks a day, rather than three large meals, can help to keep portion size and sugar levels in check.

High-carbohydrate foods, such as grains, cereals, pasta, rice, and foods high in natural sugar like dates are not forbidden, but they should be eaten in moderation.

Regular exercise is also important for individuals with diabetes as it helps keep glucose levels under control,” said Alalaween.

He said eating in moderation is also essential for individuals with a heart

condition. He notes that large meals can adversely affect the heart as eating and digesting large quantities of food increases the heart rate and blood pressure, creating an extra burden on the heart.

He recommends individuals with a history of heart disease eat small por-tions during meals and limit fatty, salty, and sugary foods such as salted nuts, cheese, and smoked meats. He also rec-ommends reducing the consumption of tea, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages.

For individuals with peptic ulcers, Alalaween said careful planning is required. He says while no single food causes ulcers, spicy food, citrus fruits, and foods high in fat, might make symptoms worse in some people. He recommends being mindful of food choices, eating several small meals a day, taking medication as directed, and maintaining a well-balanced diet.

As part of re-adjusting to a normal eating pattern, Alalaween recommends consuming smaller portions and eating more frequently.

He also recommends starting the day with a good breakfast and says it is important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Raed Alalaween, Senior Clinical Dieticianat HMC

Alalaween said cases of food poisoning also tend to spike during the summer months, underscoring the need to be careful about storing, preparing and serving foods.

MoPH organises workshop on cultural diversity in health careTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) organised a training workshop on cultural diversity in health care, as part of a series of workshops on the health care programme to be held by the Department of Health Practitioners on a regular basis for all health practitioners.

The workshop, which was

attended by about 140 health practitioners, aimed to give them the opportunity, espe-cial ly private sector employees, to attend medical education and professional development activities at a high quality level, which will in turn reflect positively on their level of competence and contribute to the dissemi-nation of a health care culture, based on best known practices and scientific

evidence.These workshops will also

help meet the professional development requirements required of health practi-tioners to renew their licenses t o p r a c t i c e m e d i c a l professions.

The Department of Health Practitioners in the Ministry of Public Health works to hold subsequent sessions of the health care program periodi-cally, once a month. Audience listen to speakers during the workshop on cultural diversity in health care.

Al Meera celebrates Ramadan with a series of employee and community initiativesTHE PENINSULA DOHA

In the spirit of the Holy Month, Al Meera Consumer Goods Company QSC (Al Meera) launched a host of initiatives and events bringing together both employees and local community members to spread and share the joy of Ramadan.

In partnership with the Qatar Cancer Society, Al Meera shared the Ramadan expe-rience with drivers and com-muters, distributing Iftar boxes

across traffic signals in Qatar’s central locations and areas to facilitate commuters observing fast. Similarly, Al Meera employees also engaged in dis-tributing iftar boxes through its selected branches and main intersections.

In celebration of their col-lective efforts and spirit of togetherness in driving the group’s success and growth over the past year, Al Meera managers and employees across branches gathered for annual Iftar and Suhoor

celebrations. Al Meera’s employee

Suhoor, an annual occasion, recognised their contributions to the group’s continuous social responsibility and goodwill ini-tiatives at the service of the Qatari community.

In a special recognition of its most dedicated talent, the Suhoor honoured Abraham Alexander, the group’s oldest employee to retire this year, with a special badge for his 38-year tenure, and numerous contributions to the group.

Al Meera employees during annual Suhoor event.

New Superdry store opens at Landmark Shopping MallTHE PENINSULA DOHA

New Superdry store opened at Landmark Shopping Mall on May 29.

“We are very excited to know that Superdry is expanding and is continuously growing. We look forward with great antici-pation to cater the needs of the Mall’s customers being the largest Superdry store in Qatar. We’ve upgraded the furniture as well with an aim to present a refreshing vibe in customer’s

shopping experience,” said Hasit Kakkad, Retail Manager, BTC Fashion.

“Come into the store, fuel your senses this Spring/Summer and let Superdry take you on a journey where limits are lim-itless, energy levels are sky high and every day is filled with endless possibilities. Colourful, vibrant and infectious, Super-dry’s SS19 collection turns up the heat to a whole new level encouraging you to get out and make the most of every single second this summer.”

THE PENINSULA DOHA

beIN, the home of sports and entertainment in the MENA region, continues to add to its ever-growing library of exclusive entertainment content with three new shows set to debut during Eid festivities on beIN’s drama channels.

Tawa’am Rohi, a talk show hosted by Lebanese presenter Neshan will air on the first day of Eid, at 22:00 Makkah time (GMT+3) on beIN Drama HD1. The talk show highlights the per-sonal life of several public figures in the Arab world with discussions on relationships, careers and much more.

Ma’a Aw Dhed, another talk show hosted by famous Jor-danian presenter Ola Al Fares, will debut on the second day of Eid, on beIN Drama HD1 at 22:00 Makkah time (GMT+3). Ola Al Fares will welcome several public figures in the Arab world

to discuss social and other related topics.

Famous Syrian actor and presenter Ayman Zeidan will quiz contestant’s general knowledge with Ana Al Awal, a show that promises to entertain and test viewer’s knowledge through challenging and inform-ative questions. Ana Al Awal will be exclusive on beIN Drama HD1

on the third day of Eid, at 22:00 Makkah time (GMT+3).

Subscribers to beIN’s packages can enjoy nonstop shows and series during Eid with the best content available in the Arab world. To subscribe to one of beIN’s packages and enjoy unlimited sports and enter-tainment content, visit www.bein.net/en/subscribe/

beIN to host three new shows during Eid festivities

Subscribers to beIN’s packages can enjoy nonstop shows and series during Eid with the best content available in the Arab world.

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05TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019 HOME

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06 TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019MIDDLE EAST

Syrian troops take village in last rebel strongholdAGENCIES BEIRUT

Syrian troops captured yesterday a village in the last rebel stronghold in the northwest province of Idlib, while a government airstrike killed at least three people, opposition activists and state media said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the government forces had reached the village of Qassa-biyeh under the cover of Russian and Syrian airstrikes. The pro-government Syrian Central Mil-itary Media also confirmed that village’s capture.

The Observatory said the battle left 25 militants and 12 pro-government fighters dead.

The latest fighting began a month ago, when Syrian troops advanced into the enclave from the south and unleashed a wave of intense bombing. The violence has displaced tens of thousands of people. The area is home to 3 million people, and is already

overcrowded with refugees from the war.

Idlib province is the last area standing in President Bashar Assad’s way as he seeks a final victory against the armed oppo-sition after eight years of civil war. Opposition activists reported airstrikes and shelling of other towns and villages in Idlib yesterday.

The Observatory said four people were killed and others wounded in an airstrike on a market in the town of Maaret Al Numan. The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defence, also known as White Helmets said the strike killed three and wounded 20.

Yesterday’s violence came

as the New York-based Human Rights Watch said the Russian-Syrian joint military operation “has used internationally banned and other indiscriminate weapons in unlawful attacks on civilians in northwest Syria in recent weeks.”

It said the alliance has used banned cluster munitions and incendiary weapons in the attacks along with large air-dropped explosive weapons with wide-area effects, including “barrel bombs” in populated civilian areas.

“The Syrian-Russian military alliance is using a cocktail of internationally banned and indiscriminate weapons on a

trapped civilian population,” said Lama Fakih, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.

Russia yesterday blocked a UN Security Council statement criticising Syria’s military cam-paign in the Idlib region that Western powers fear will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russia said that the proposed statement was “unbalanced” because it did not mention the towns of Hajin or Baguz, where

civilians have suffered during US-backed fighting against the Islamic State group.

Belgium, Germany and Kuwait had put forward the pro-posed text following two emer-gency meetings of the council on the worsening violence in the militant-held region.

Russia last month blocked a separate statement also warning of a humanitarian catastrophe from an all-out assault on Idlib region, home to three million

people. Council statements require unanimous support by all 15 members.

Syria and its Russian ally have stepped up air strikes and shelling in Idlib since late April, forcing over 270,000 people to flee their homes.

Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said Moscow objected to “everything” in the proposed statement and accused the drafters of attempting to stage a public relations stunt.

Members of the Syrian Civil Defence (known as the White Helmets) carry a wounded man on a stretcher following a reported air strike on the town of Maaret Al Numan in the militant-held Idlib province yesterday.

Iraq sentences all 11 French IS suspects to deathAFP BAGHDAD

A Iraqi court yesterday sentenced to death two more French nationals for joining the Islamic State group, leaving all 11 Frenchmen transferred from Syria facing the gallows and potentially opening the door for other cases.

Bilel Kabaoui, 32, and Mourad Delhomme, 41, join nine other French citizens and a Tunisian national already on death row after trials over the past week. They have 30 days to appeal the sentences.

The group was handed over to Iraqi authorities early this year by a US-backed force in Syria which expelled IS from its last bastion.

On the stand in Baghdad, Delhomme said he was “known within IS as the one who never pledged allegiance or worked” for the ultra-extremist group.

For an hour, the man who went by Abu Ayman explained to the judge in great detail how he entered Syria to save the wife of a friend taken captive by rebels after her husband died fighting in the ranks of IS.

Although he denied it at trial,

Delhomme told investigators he joined the Tariq Ibn Ziyad brigade, an IS unit described by US officials as “a European foreign terrorist fighter cell”.

The group was charged with carrying out attacks in Iraq and Syria and planning others in Paris and Brussels. Iraq has con-victed more than 500 foreign men and women of joining IS since the start of 2018.

Its courts have condemned many to life in prison and others to death, although no foreign IS members have yet been exe-cuted. Kabaoui, for his part, pleaded the error of youth.

“Five years ago I was super stupid. I was convinced that I could leave Syria when I wanted to,” he told the judge.

He claimed he asked his family in France to contact French intelligence to find a way for him to return with his wife and three children — it was on that advice that he surrendered to US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria in late 2017.

France has long insisted its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial before local courts, while stressing its opposit ion to capital punishment.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the government forces had reached the village of Qassabiyeh under the cover of Russian and Syrian airstrikes. The pro-government Syrian Central Military Media also confirmed that village’s capture.

Hundreds of IS relatives leave camp in SyriaAP BEIRUT

Scores of women and children related to fighters of the Islamic State group carried their belongings and boarded buses and trucks yesterday, leaving an overcrowded camp in the coun-try’s northeast to return to their homes.

A total of 800 Syrian women and children left Al Hol camp in Hasakeh province yesterday afternoon, according to Syrian Kurdish official Badran Ciya Kurd and witnesses. The departure is the largest since the

IS group’s territorial defeat in Syria in March, when the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured Baghouz, the last village controlled by the mil-itants near the Iraqi border.

The SDF-controlled Al Hol camp in Hasakeh, which was ini-tially built to house up to 10,000 displaced people, is now home to over 73,000. Ninety-two percent of them are women and children and 15 percent, or at least 11,000, are foreign nationals, according to the United Nations.

Reducing the population of Al Hol will help ease the burden

on aid groups that have been overwhelmed with the flow of people in the past months.

At the height of their power, IS controlled nearly a third of Syria and large parts of Iraq, an area where millions of people had lived and the group imposed its self-declared caliphate.

At a conference in early May in northern Syria, tribal leaders called for the release of those being detained in the camps who have no blood on their hands. Tribal leaders have promised to hand over any person of those who left in the camp if they carry out any IS-related activities. The

conference coincided with ten-sions that had been on the rise in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour between the local Arab population and the Kurdish-led SDF. Early yesterday, the women and children gathered while waiting for Kurdish officials and tribal leaders to come later in the day to witness their departure.

The women, draped in black and their faces covered, sat on the ground watching their children. Others walked around as their bags were being loaded into trucks.

One woman said that she had been in the camp for nearly 100

days. She added that so far “we don’t know anything about what happened to our men.” She was apparently referring to IS sus-pects being held by SDF fighters.

They later headed to their homes in the northern city of Raqqa, once the de facto capital of IS, and the nearby town of Tabqa. The Kurdish ANHA news agency said the 800 women and children consisted of 217 fam-ilies. The departure from the camp came a day after Kurdish authorities handed over to a Nor-wegian envoy five children of IS members who were killed in Syria.

Toll from Syria car bombing rises to 21ANATOLIA AZAZ, SYRIA

The death from yesterday’s car bombing in northwestern Syria has risen to 21, the White Helmets civil-defence agency said yesterday. At least 45 people were also injured during the explosion, the White Helmets added. The incident took place at a market in the opposition-held city of Azaz, near the Turkish border.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for attack. Since 2016, Turkey’s Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in northern Syria have liberated the region from the YPG/PKK and IS terrorists, including Al-Bab, Afrin, and Azaz, making it possible for Syrians who fled the violence there to return home. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed or displaced in the conflict, mainly by regime airstrikes targeting opposition-held areas.

Netanyahu rejects lawmaker’s call to rule Israel by Jewish lawAGENCIES JERUSALEM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday rejected calls from a senior lawmaker that Israel should be ruled by Jewish law, just like in biblical times.

“The state of Israel will not

be a halakha state,” Netanyahu wrote in Hebrew on Twitter, referring to Jewish religious law.

His comments came after Bezalel Smotrich, who is cam-paigning to be Israel’s next justice minister, said in an interview that Israel should be “run according to the Torah”.

“That’s the way it should be

— it’s a Jewish state,” said Smo-trich, a co-leader of the far-right Union of Right Wing Parties.

Netanyahu, however, failed to form a coalition government and moved to dissolve par-liament, with new elections now set for September 17.

On Sunday, he dismissed education minister Naftali

Bennett and justice minister Ayelet Shaked from their posts.

After narrowly failing to oust Netanyahu in April elections, the long-time Israeli leader’s oppo-nents now have a rare chance for a “do-over” in a snap vote in September. The 69-year-old Netanyahu’s apparent victory against long odds seemed to seal

his aura of invincibility in the eyes of many Israelis, with some resigning themselves to living under many more years of his rule. But various political mach-inations in Israel’s unwieldy par-liamentary system have created an unprecedented repeat election and another chance for Netanyahu’s rivals to finally

topple him after a decade in power. Netanyahu, who has been prematurely eulogised countless times, still has many things playing in his favour. In April, tens of thousands of favourable votes were lost when they were cast for smaller allied parties that did not win enough support to enter parliament.

United States aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) (not pictured) and a US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, deployed to the region, conduct joint exercises in Arabian Sea.

Iran calls US sanctions ‘economic war’REUTERS GENEVA

Iran called US sanctions “economic war” yesterday, and said there could be no talks with the United States until sanctions are lifted, a day after Washington suggested it could hold talks without pre-conditions if Iran changed its behaviour.

“#EconomicTerror ism against Iran targets innocent civilians. Like this little boy, whose heartbroken mother can’t

get him prosthetic legs as he grows. They’re sanctioned,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted yesterday, with a video clip of a woman saying the prosthetic leg her son needs is sanctioned.

“This is @realDonaldTrump’s ‘economic war’. And war and talks — with or without precon-ditions — don’t go together,” Zarif added in the tweet. US Sec-retary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the United States was prepared to engage with

Iran without pre-conditions about its nuclear programme but needs to see the country behaving like “a normal nation” first. Tensions between the two foes have escalated in the past month, a year after the United States pulled out of a deal between Iran and global powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear pro-gramme in return for lifting sanctions. Washington reim-posed sanctions last year and tightened them sharply at the start of last month.

Lebanese President meets European official

QNA BEIRUT

Lebanese President Michel Aoun met yesterday with Christina Lassen, Head of the EU Delegation in Lebanon.

The meeting discussed the current political developments locally, regionally and interna-tionally, in addition to the general situation in Lebanon and the relations between Lebanon and the EU in the political and economic fields, in addition to the cooperation in financing a number of devel-opment projects in the country.

Aoun noted that the meeting also dealt with the issue of the displaced Syrians in Lebanon, where the Leb-anese President reiterated the position of Beirut to facilitate the process of return to their country.

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07TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019 AFRICA

30 dead as Sudan military break up sit-in

AFP KHARTOUM

Sudan’s military rulers forcefully broke up a weeks-long sit-in outside Khartoum’s army head-quarters yesterday leaving at least 30 dead and dozens wounded, protesters said, as gunfire rang out and black smoke shrouded the city.

Heavily armed members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces were deployed in large numbers along the capital’s main roads.

Manning pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns, they guarded the entrances to the bridges that cross the Nile and moved in convoys around the city ahead of evening prayers.

The United States and Britain called for an end to the crackdown on protesters, who want the generals behind the removal of veteran president Omar Al Bashir to hand over to civilian rule. “According to initial estimates, we lost 13 martyrs to the bullets” of the military council, the Alliance of Freedom and Change umbrella protest group said, adding that

“hundreds” were wounded. An eight-year-old child was among those killed, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, which is close to the demonstrators.

It reported a “large number of critical casualties” and called for “urgent support” from the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humani-tarian organisations to help the wounded.

Beyond the heavy presence of security forces, the streets of the capital were largely empty yesterday afternoon, with spo-radic cars circulating and a few people walking, because public transport had shut down, a cor-respondent said. Many streets remained blocked off by

demonstrators who had erected barricades made from stones, tree trunks and burning tyres, although the protesters had departed. Many shops, phar-macies and businesses were shuttered around the city.

The military council denied its forces violently dispersed the sit-in in front of army head-quarters, as demonstrators took to the streets in towns elsewhere in the country.

But protest leaders said the main protest site in Khartoum had been cleared.

“The Rapid Support Forces and the army and police and militia battalions dispersed the peaceful sit-in,” the Alliance for Freedom and Change said in a statement. Outside the army

headquarters “there is no one, but the pure bodies of our martyrs that it has not been pos-sible to evacuate from the site”.

The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which spear-headed nationwide protests that started in December, said yes-terday’s crackdown amounted to a “bloody massacre”.

It called on Sudanese to take part in “total civil disobedience” to topple the military council.

The doctors’ committee said forces had opened fire inside the city’s East Nile Hospital and had chased “peaceful protesters”.

It said another hospital near the site of the sit-in had been surrounded and that volunteers were prevented from reaching

it. Rallies against Bashir’s author-itarian, three-decade rule led to his removal in April, but pro-testers had remained outside the army headquarters calling on the generals to cede power to a tran-sitional authority.

Near the demonstration site, a witness living in the Burri neighbourhood said he could “hear the sound of gunfire and I see a plume of smoke rising from the area of the sit-in.”

Another resident of the area, in east Khartoum, said he had seen forces in “police uniform” trying to expel the demon-strators. The military council “did not disperse the sit-in by force,” its spokesman said. “The tents are there, and the youth are

moving freely,” Shamseddine Kabbashi told Sky News Arabia. Britain’s ambassador to Khartoum, Irfan Siddiq, said he had heard “heavy gunfire” from his residence.

That country’s foreign min-ister condemned “the attack on protesters by Sudanese security forces” and called it “an outra-geous step”.

“The Military Council bears full responsibility for this action and the international community will hold it to account,” Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote on Twitter. The US embassy in Khartoum said “security forces’ attacks against protesters and other civilians is wrong and must stop.”

Sudanese forces are deployed around Khartoum’s army headquarters, yesterday, as they try to disperse the sit-in.

UN condemns excessive force against protestersAFP / UNITED NATIONS

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday condemned the use of excessive force by Sudan’s security forces against protesters and called for an independent investigation into deaths from the violence. Guterres said in a statement that he was “alarmed” by reports that security forces had opened fire inside a hospital in Khartoum. “What is clear to us is that there was use of excessive force by the security forces on civilians. People have died. People have been injured,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Guterres urged Sudanese authorities to facilitate an inde-pendent investigation of the deaths and ensure that those respon-sible are held accountable. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a separate statement that she “utterly” deplored the “apparent use of excessive force in the protest camps” and called on security forces to “immediately halt such attacks.” The military council denied its forces violently dispersed the sit-in in front of army headquarters.

The United States and Britain called for an end to the crackdown on protesters, who want the generals behind the removal of veteran president Omar Al Bashir to hand over to civilian rule.

South Africa opens way for apartheid-era prosecutionsAP JOHANNESBURG

A former South African police officer will face trial over the 1971 killing of an anti-apartheid activist after a court ruling that could lead to the prosecution of similar crimes.

The high court in Johan-nesburg yesterday dismissed 80-year-old Joao Rodrigues’ application for a permanent stay of prosecution. An inquiry had been reopened into the death of

Ahmed Timol, who police said jumped to his death from a Johannesburg police station where opponents of white minority rule were often held.

Timol’s family argued he was tortured and killed. A court in 2017 agreed, saying evidence suggested that Timol was pushed out the window, and paving the way for Rodrigues to face trial. Rodrigues has said the activist dove out of the window before he could stop him.

A National Prosecuting

Authority spokeswoman, Phindi Louw, said yesterday’s ruling affirms that people who com-mitted crimes during the apartheid era cannot dodge prosecution on the basis of how long ago the crimes took place.

The prosecuting authority now should pursue perpetrators of other apartheid-era crimes, said the Southern Africa Liti-gation Center, which made sub-missions in the Timol case.

“I’m hopeful that this case will pave the way for other such

crimes to be prosecuted,” SALC’s Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh said.

Timol’s nephew, Imtiaz Cajee, said his family was for-tunate to have Timol’s inquest reopened. He also urged the NPA to prosecute similar cases in which families of victims had not found justice. Timol was one of 73 political detainees who died in police custody in South Africa between 1963 and 1990. A small plaque inside the lobby of the Johannesburg building where Timol died lists their names.

White minority rule ended in the country with all-race elections in 1994. Nearly 300 apartheid-era cases had been referred to the NPA for prosecution by the Truth and Reconciliation Com-mission, which was chaired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and investigated apartheid-era atrocities and granted amnesty to some accused perpetrators. Other apartheid-era police officers implicated in Timol’s death have died over the years.

Uganda says Rwanda blocking pilgrims from commemoration AFP KAMPALA

Rwandan troops blocked about 200 of their citizens from crossing into Uganda to attend a Christian pilgrimage, a Ugandan government official said yesterday, amid a spat between the neighbours.

The Rwandans were seeking to attend the annual Martyrs Day commemoration in Uganda but were turned back, the official said.

“More than 200 Rwandans who were coming to attend Martyrs Day were stopped by the military from crossing to Uganda and sent back,” Janinah Busingye, an official at Katuna, the border town with Rwanda, said yesterday.

“This is how bad the situ-ation has become between Uganda and Rwanda. People’s right to worship is now being interferred with.” She said pil-grims from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi had been using the same crossing to enter Uganda via Rwanda, and had not encoun-tered any problems.

One 66-year-old pilgrim, speaking on condition of ano-nymity, said she travelled in a large group to the border but was denied entry.

“We were told that we cannot cross into Uganda for the sake of our security,” she said.

Martyrs Day on June 3

commemorates the execution of 45 converts to Christianity in the 1880s.

Their death was ordered by the then king of Buganda, which is now part of Uganda.

They included 22 of his pages, who had converted to Catholicism and were burned alive on June 3 1886. They were beatified by the Holy See in 1920 and canonised in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.

Several hundred Rwandans typically travel to Uganda for the event, tourism figures show.

But Rwanda closed its border with Uganda in February, freezing a key regional trade route, as hostilities between President Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni boiled over.

Tensions between the two veteran leaders, once close allies, have been rising for months as the two countries trade accusations of political interference and spying.

In late May, Ugandan police accused Rwandan soldiers of entering the country and killing two men but Rwanda said the incident happened on its soil.

Rwanda’s State Minister for East African affairs, Olivier Ndu-hungirehe, said he was not aware of the specific case involving pilgrims but said: “What I know is that our travel advisery notice is still in force for all Rwandan citizens trav-elling to Uganda”.

Zambia starts electricity rationing for industryREUTERS LUSAKA

Zambia has started rationing electricity to non-mining busi-nesses, a move expected to hurt industrial production and commercial services, business groups said.

The country began rationing power on Saturday to address a daily electricity deficit of 273 Megawatts (MW), said Henry Kapata, spokesman for state power utility Zesco.

“If generation is maintained at the current level, Kariba dam will drain to minimum

operating level by November,” Kapata said, referring to Zam-bia’s largest hydropwer plant.

“All customers shall be sub-jected to this for four hours daily but mining companies have their own agreements, which we signed with them.” Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer and copper exports acccount for 70% of its total export earnings and 12.2% of its gross domestic product.

Mining industry sources said electricity rationing had not affected the sector but was likely to if the situation worsened. The Zambia Chamber

of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI), an industry body, said the electrity rationing would push up production costs as firms switch to other forms of energy.

Firms that cannot afford to switch to alternative sources of electricity like diesel power may be forced to cut output and lay off workers, said ZACCI Pres-ident Michael Nyirenda.

“We already have other serious issues like the depreci-ation of the kwacha and planned introduction of sales tax next month, so the power rationing will just make it

worse,” Nyirenda said. A new non-refundable sales tax replacing value-added tax (VAT) was meant to have been intro-duced on April 1, but has been postponed until July to allow more consultation.

Zambia Association of Man-ufacturers (ZAM) President Roseta Chabala said her organ-isation would ask Zesco to reduce the power rationing for manufacturers. “We have some concrete proposals on how the load shedding time can be reduced,” Chabala said, referring to the electricity rationing.

Fighters loyal to the Libyan internationally-recognised Government of National Accord break their fast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in the suburb of Al Swani, 25 kilometres south of Tripoli.

Iftar at warfront

Boko Haram attacks military bases in NigeriaAFP KANO, NIGERIA

Boko Haram militants have carried out multiple attacks on military bases in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, over-running three of them and stealing weapons, security sources said yesterday.

Fighters believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the IS-linked faction of Boko Haram, stormed four bases from Friday through yesterday in the latest spate of attacks targeting the army, sources from the military and militia said. In the latest incident, yesterday, the insur-gents made a failed attempt to seize a base in the town of Dikwa following a predawn attack. “The terrorists attacked troops in Dikwa around 4am but the attack was repelled without casualty on our side,” a military officer, who did not want to be identified, said.

The fighters came in 13 trucks fitted with heavy machine guns, said a second officer, who gave a similar account.

Dikwa which lies 90km from the state capital Maid-uguri, is home to more than 70,000 displaced people who live in several camps where they rely on food and human-itarian assistance from aid agencies.

Page 8: Eid Mubarak Amir exchanges Eid greetings with leaders · 04/06/2019  · decision-making body, in Miami. There were 25 votes in favour of and seven against the proposal, FIFA said

The Saudis’ phone hacking is enabled by a privately owned Israeli company called the NSO Group Ltd. Its cyberweapon suite, Pegasus, has come under deserved scrutiny in the last year because governments have misused the weapon to hack the phones of journalists and human-rights activists.

RAJENDRA SHENDE IANS

08 TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019VIEWS

The dark side of Israel’s cold peace with Saudi Arabia

When Israeli and Saudi officials publicly acknowledged their quiet thawing of rela-

tions in 2015, the U.S. and other Western allies were encouraged. Yes, the Middle East was unraveling else-where, but two longtime foes were making common cause against Iran.

This cold peace has its benefits. But in the last year, a darker side has come into focus.

Consider a Palestinian blogger and journalist named Iyad Al-Baghdadi, now living in exile in Norway. Last month he disclosed that Norwegian authorities informed him that he was a target of Saudi Arabia, which used a powerful Israeli-made cyberweapon to hack his phone. Al-Baghdadi worries that his life could be in danger from Saudi operatives.

I was in Oslo last week, and Al-Baghdadi told me something curious: When he was told he was a target of the Saudis, he felt a sense of relief. From his own research on how the Saudis hack their critics at home and

abroad, he knew that he was a target. “What I didn’t know,” he said, “was whether the good guys understood this.” Now he knows they do.

And while there are certainly concerns for his personal safety - espe-cially after a Saudi hit team mur-dered Wash-ington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in

Istanbul last fall - Al-Baghdadi told me Saudi phone hacking need not end in murder for it to be a sinister.

“An invasion of privacy is also trau-matic,” he said. “They are trying to defame you or get a sexual scandal or a financial scandal to blackmail you. Sometimes it’s just tracking your location to beat you up.”

The Saudis’ phone hacking is enabled by a privately owned Israeli company called the NSO Group Ltd. Its cyberweapon suite, Pegasus, has come under deserved scrutiny in the last year because governments have misused the weapon to hack the phones of journalists and human-rights activists. Last year, two groups of victims sued the company in Israel and Cyprus for providing phone sur-veillance to the Mexican and Emirati governments, which then used it against political targets.

Pegasus and similar hacking pro-grams are now able to break into a phone without requiring the user to even click a link. In some cases, a bogus WhatsApp call is enough to infect the phone and make it a pow-erful tracking device. That makes it particularly suited to monitor Arab dissidents like Al-Baghdadi, who rely on the encrypted messaging service to make contact with networks of activists across the Middle East.

The NSO Group has said in public statements that its products should only be used for crime prevention and coun-terterrorism. That’s a fine sentiment, but with clients like Saudi Arabia, it’s also naïve. Saudi Arabia can afford spyware that is almost impossible to detect, said Danny O’Brien, the director of strategy at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “If you sell a piece of equipment like this to a place like Saudi Arabia,” he told me, “it’s going to be

used to target journalists, human rights activists and lawyers.”

And that brings things back to Al-Baghdadi. Perhaps a more enlightened man than Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman would recognize that Al-Baghdadi is not someone who should be subjected to the kind of sophisticated cyber-weapons developed to counter espi-onage and terrorism. Since the dawn of the Arab Spring, Al-Baghdadi has been an equal-opportunity critic of Islamist totalitarian movements and the autocracies aligned against them. “They call me a Zionist agent or a Muslim Brotherhood sympathizer depending on what I am writing about,” he told me.

This also raises a question for the Israelis. The NSO Group needs a license to do business with Saudi Arabia. Providing the Saudis with Israeli cyberweapons is a foolish short-term bet, especially when the Saudis use them to target Arab lib-erals under the guise of fighting ter-rorism. It makes the Israelis partly responsible for the excesses of their new friend.

Israel’s sale of cyberweapons to Saudi Arabia undermines Middle Eastern security in a more intangible sense as well. The best way to fend off Islamist revolution is to build durable, open societies over time. This was the vision of former President George W. Bush and Israeli politician and former Soviet dissident Natan Sharanksy. It is also the vision of Iyad Al-Baghdadi. The Jewish state should use its power to protect him and others like him, instead of giving the Saudis the means to silence their voice.

ELI LAKE BLOOMBERG

QUOTE OF THE DAY

If I get in we’ll come out, Deal or no deal, on October 31. Now

is the time to believe in ourselves and what

we can do.

Boris Johnson Former British Foreign

Secretary

Will Modi spur global inaction into action?

The climate of change is dawning upon the global platform. The mega mandate with which Prime Minister

Narendra Modi of India would begin his second term May 30, 2019, has potential to disrupt the decades-long global inertia to act on climate change, which has been recognised as the defining challenge of our times. However, defining actions have not been put in place yet to address it. That is poised for change.

The hype created by people like former US President Barack Obama and outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and curtain calls in the corridors of United Nations climate meetings resulted in only theatrical applause. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has just crossed 415 ppm - a high never seen before in human history. That deserves no applause. A hot, flat and crowded world is waiting for transformation to happen. Modi’s re-election has offered the best hope for changing the climate of inaction.

Modi stands out amidst the mis-erable and frustrating political scenario dotted with the inaction of the world leaders on climate change. Many leaders harbour overly nationalistic motives, provoke inward looking trade barriers and, at the same time, upend the established climate science.

Deficit of political will has often been cited as the key reason for not

taking decisive action against climate change fearing voters’ backlash. However, Modi’s re-election is poised to act as a catalyst for global change. Modi’s track record is strong testimony to the potential transformation that could emerge, along the lines of India’s Independence movement.

It is now well recognised that pledges by world leaders made under the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 are inadequate to keep the temperature rise of 2 degrees C below pre-industrial levels. Climate change is running faster than us. Ambitious targets as dictated by science in the reports of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) state that the world has to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels much more rapidly, phasing it out com-pletely by 2050 to keep the temper-ature rise below 1.5 degrees C.

Modi, with his passion for making it happen, has the potential to convene like-minded world leaders to act to achieve the ambitious target of 1.5 degrees C.

Modi has been dubbed as ‘divider-in-chief’ by sections of Western media. Yes, indeed, he divides action from inaction. Years ago, when he was Chief Minister of one of India’s 29 states, he stated, referring to former US Vice Pres-ident Al Gore’s famous narrative of climate change, ‘Inconvenient Truth’, that the “real test of the leadership is not only welcoming the ‘Inconvenient Truth’ but in devising, formulating and imple-menting a strategy that results in what I call decisive and timely convenient action to deal with this very truth”.

Within a year of his first term as Prime Minister, Modi raised the target of solar energy capacity in India to 175 GW (equivalent to avoiding installation of 350 MW coal fired plants) by 2022. Within the two years of his first term, he established, along with former French President Francois Hollande, an inter-governmental organisation called International Solar Alliance (ISA) to use nature’s power to address climate change. One hundred and twenty one countries are now part of the ISA, most of which are located partly or com-pletely in the region between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, which receives maximum solar energy on the earth.

Before the UN coined the term ‘Agenda 2030 : Leaving no one behind’(in 2015), Modi had coined the equivalent but more stronger phrase ‘ Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (With all, development for all) which many leaders, from other countries, including John Kerry, former US Secretary of State, started reciting.

The 2018 Champion of Earth award was given by the UN jointly to PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, while presenting award to Modi, said, “Prime Minister Modi understands the enormous benefits of climate action. Many other leaders also understand. The difference is that Prime Minister Modi not only under-stands, but that he acts with enormous energy to make this change. And this leadership is today more necessary than ever.”

The decision announced by the world governing body on Monday actually means that UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool will be one of the teams set to feature in the Club World Cup in Qatar this December.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

[email protected]

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

[email protected]

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI

[email protected]

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

FIFA’s CWC comes to Qatar

FIFA’s decision in Paris on Monday to appoint Qatar as hosts of the Club World Cup has thrilled the football fans in the country and the region. The

two events - that draw huge fans from around the world every year - are set to be held in December this year and at the same time in 2020. The seven-team tour-nament - that is set to grow into a 24-side event from 2021 - will be held among the continental champions in what is usually the perfect time of the year weather-wise. December brings warm sunshine for most part of the month and Qatar’s World Cup stadiums, including the iconic Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium, are likely to be used for the hugely popular football festival.

The decision announced by the world governing body on Monday actually means that UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool will be one of the teams set to feature in the Club World Cup in Qatar this December. Last Saturday, Jurgen Klopp’s British giants Liverpool crushed Tottenham Hotspurs 2-0 in Madrid to qualify for this year’s Club World Cup. Qatar will have to brace

up for thousands of Liverpol fans to land in Doha to support their teams.

The competition was first held in 2000 when it was called the FIFA Club World Championship. The tour-nament was not held between 2001 and 2004 due to a combination of factors but since 2005, the compe-tition has been held every year. The event has been successfully hosted by Brazil, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco and has drawn millions of fans to football venues in these countries. Past champions include Real Madrid, Bar-celona, Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Internacional, Milan, Manchester United, Interna-zionale and Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid, with four Club World Cup titles under their belt, won’t be there in Qatar - at least this season

- since Liverpool emerged as the European giants for the sixth time three days ago. Liverpool will be joined by the winners of this year’s AFC Champions League (Asia), CAF Champions League (Africa), CONCACAF Champions League (North America), Copa Libertadores (South America), OFC Champions League (Oceania) and Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Al Sadd.

Clubs from Spain have dominated the tournament winning seven times. Last season, Real Madrid beat UAE’s 4-1 in the final of the 2018 edition to claim their third successive Club World Cup edition. In 2011, Qatar giants Al Sadd won the AFC Champions League title and qualified for the edition held in Japan under coach Jorge Fossati. Come December and Al Sadd will be there again, this time on home soil.

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09TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019 ASIA

Indian military plane missing with 13 on board IANS NEW DELHI/ITANAGAR/GUWAHATI

An Indian Air Force (IAF) An-32 transporter with 13 people on board went missing while flying from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh yesterday but there was no trace of the plane or its wreckage despite many hours of search.

The aircraft with 13 on board (eight aircrew and five pas-sengers) had taken off from Assam’s Jorhat at 12.27pm for Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district bordering China, but it lost contact with ground authorities at around 1pm.

The IAF flew sorties of its C-130 Super Hercules, An-32s and two Mi-17 helicopters along with Indian Army’s Advanced Light Helicopters to locate the missing aircraft.

Several leads from the ground about the possible

location of the crash site were followed but no wreckage was found.

The IAF said in a statement that search operations will con-tinue from air and by ground parties of Indian Army through the night.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was on his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after taking over two days ago, spoke to IAF vice chief, Air Marshal Rakesh Singh Bhadauria and took stock of rescue operations. IAF chief BS Dhanoa was to be in Sweden on a four-day visit.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted: “Praying for safety of all 13 persons who were on board.” The Deputy Commissioner of newly-created Shi Yomi district in Arunachal, Mito Dirchi, said there were some reports of a crash in the jungles of the district.

“We have sent a team for search which includes SP and some villagers. But we have not found any wreckage. We are going to search the areas tomorrow morning again.”

The disappearance of the An-32 yesterday is eerily similar to the incident that took place in the same month 10 years ago in the same location involving the same type of aircraft and same number of personnel.

The aircraft that crashed on June 9, 2009, was also operating in the same area with 13 on board. The wreckage was found days later over the Rinchi Hill above Hyeo village, about 60km

from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Among the 13 personnel on board in the latest incident, six are IAF officers including a wing commander. The terrain and weather conditions in the area makes flying challenging and familiarisation sorties are carried out routinely along with

air maintenance operations for the border troops.

The IAF has around 100 An-32s and the fleet has been undergoing upgradation, adding new avionics and other features.

This is the second major incident after the disappearance

of an An-32 over the Bay of Bengal in 2016 with 29 on board. The mystery behind the accident could never be solved as the massive search over sea was called off after no trace of wreckage was found. The flight was on the way to Port Blair from Chennai.

A file photo shows an Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft carrying security personnel taking off from the technical airport in Jammu.

Centre releases new draft policy to calm anti-Hindi protesters IANS NEW DELHI/CHENNAI

The Central government yesterday released a revised Draft National Education Policy (DNEP) after several states opposed the compulsory teaching of Hindi in schools under the three-language formula.

The government unveiled the revised DNEP after removing the controversial portions that angered states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal.

The original DNEP, under the heading ‘Flexibility in the choice of languages’, read: “In keeping with the principle of flexibility, students who wish to change one of the three languages they are studying may do so in Grade 6, so long as the study of three lan-guages by students in the Hindi-speaking states would continue to include Hindi and English and one of the modern Indian lan-guages from other parts of India, while the study of languages by students in the non-Hindi-speaking states would include

the regional language, Hindi and English.”

This mandatory clause was met with uproar from politicians and citizens most vociferously in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, who called it an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking people, ignoring the country’s diverse linguistic fabric.

The new DNEP has reworded the para as: “In keeping with the principle of flexibility, students who wish to change one or more of the three languages they are

studying may do so in Grade 6 or Grade 7, so long as they are able to still demonstrate profi-ciency in three languages (one language at the literature level) in their modular Board Exami-nations some time during sec-ondary school.” It underlined that for the purpose of national integration, schools in Hindi-speaking areas should also offer and teach Indian languages from other parts of the country.

The DNEP was uploaded on the HRD Ministry’s website on Friday to seek recommendations

from the public as well as the other states. It sparked a major row, with the most strident opposition coming from Tamil Nadu. Even NDA constituent AIADMK, the ruling party, said it wouldn’t discontinue the two-language formula followed by the state which does not mandate teaching Hindi.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah yesterday joined the slugfest, terming the mandatory Hindi teaching a “brutal assault” on non-Hindi speaking states.

India heatwave takes temperatures near record highsAFP CHURU, INDIA

Temperatures in an Indian desert city hit 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) for the second time in three days as a deadly heatwave maintained its grip on the country.

The thermometer hit 50.3 (122.54 Fahrenheit) in Churu in Rajasthan state, sending resi-dents scrambling for shade to escape the searing sun.

On Saturday it reached 50.6 Celsius (123 Fahrenheit), close to the country’s record of 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 Fahr-enheit) recorded in the Rajasthan city of Phalodi in May 2016.

Cities across northern India have been sweltering with tem-peratures above 47 Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit).

A farmer died in Sikar dis-trict of Rajasthan on Sunday after suffering heatstroke, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Other deaths have been reported. The Indian Mete-orological Department said severe heat wave was likely to continue in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states today.

New Delhi and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state would also be affected by extreme weather, it said. Temperatures fell to about 40 degrees Celsius in Delhi yesterday, but residents still complained of heat exhaustion.

The annual monsoon —which normally brings much-needed rain to South Asia — is running a week behind schedule and is only expected to hit India’s southern tip on June 6.

Private forecaster Skymet

has warned there will be less rain than average this year.

The Indian peninsula has seen a drastic change in rainfall patterns over the past decade, marked by frequent droughts, floods and sudden storms.

A boy jumps into the Ganges river to cool off on a hot summer day in Kolkata, yesterday.

Sri Lanka Muslim ministers quit en masse after monk-led protesters demanded resignationAFP COLOMBO

Sri Lanka’s Muslim ministers resigned en masse yesterday over widespread hate attacks against their community in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings that hit the majority Buddhist nation.

The resignation of nine gov-ernment legislators, several of them cabinet ministers, came after a Buddhist monk lawmaker supporting President Maithripala Sirisena demanded the sacking of three top Muslim politicians.

Demonstrations by several thousand people gripped the central pilgrim city of Kandy as monk Athuraliye Ratana insisted governors of two provinces and a cabinet minister be sacked

over their alleged involvement with militants responsible for the bombings. Even as shops and offices were closed in the city 115 kilometres east of Colombo, the two provincial governors stepped down, Sirisena’s office said.

Within hours, the nine leg-islators, belonging to several Muslim and mainstream parties, resigned saying they were giving up their portfolios to ensure free investigations into the Easter attacks.

The nine included Com-merce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, the cabinet minister whose sacking had been demanded by Ratana.

Muslim leaders said their community — which consists of 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s 21

million population — had become victims of violence, hate speech and harassment since extremists were held responsible for the bombings.

Water Supply Minister Rauff Hakeem said Muslims had coop-erated with security forces to arrest suspects, but the com-munity faced collective victimisation.

“We want an end to hate speech, an end to the culture of hate and the culture of impunity for those engaging in hate,” Hakeem told reporters shortly after quitting the cabinet.

He said the Muslims were giving up their portfolios in the hope that the authorities will fully investigate the allegations against members of their com-munity within a month.

Rauff Hakeem, former minister of city planning, water supply and higher education, speaks to media with other Muslim ministers after they resigned from their portfolios, in Colombo, yesterday.

Rescuers spot bodies in search for missing climbers in IndiaAFP PITHORAGARH, INDIA

A helicopter searching for eight climbers missing on India’s second-highest peak spotted five bodies yesterday, officials said.

Nothing has been heard from the four Britons, two Americans, an Australian and an Indian on the 7,826-metre Nanda Devi in the Himalayas since May 26.

But yesterday two Indian Air Force helicopters scoured the area for a third day and took aerial pictures.

“During that search some photos were taken and in those photos four to five bodies can be seen. The reso-lution is quite bad that is why their faces or exact features are not clear,” said local official VK Jogdande.

“But what we can roughly say is that these are body parts of five persons which can be seen. We have ordered a tech-nical evaluation... so that the bodies can be retrieved as quickly as possible,” he said.

The search operation involving the helicopters and dozens of mountain rescuers has been hampered by poor weather and the remoteness of the area.

Authorities were able to reduce the search area to roughly 50 square kilometres yesterday following infor-mation from four British climbers rescued a day earlier from Nanda Devi base camp.

They had been in contact with the larger group until May 26 when heavy snowfall and avalanches struck.

Delhi to offer free public transport for womenAFP NEW DELHI

Almost a million women will enjoy free public transport as part of an attempt to make the Indian capital safer, New Delhi’s government said yesterday.

The city has been notorious for women’s safety since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a female student on a Delhi bus that sparked major protests.

The measure will be rolled out in the next two-to-three months for around 850,000 women.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said it would cost about $115m a year, but would improve security and cut traffic pollution.

The regional government is also looking to install 150,000 CCTV cameras across the capital this year, Kejriwal added.

Delhi, home to nearly 20 million people, is also one of the world’s most polluted cities, according to UN studies.

“Women will be allowed to travel free of cost so that they have safe travel experience,” Kejriwal told a press conference.

Delhi has a rickety public transport system, and the dou-bling of some metro fares in recent months has forced many people onto the streets.

Some commentators accused Kejriwal, head of the small Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), of making the gesture to win votes in state elections expected in January.

Kejriwal’s party won a landslide victory in 2015 state elections when it offered free drinking water, subsidised elec-tricity and healthcare and better education for the poor.

It also promised to improve women’s security after the 2012 Delhi gang rape.

But the AAP failed to make a breakthrough in a national election in April-May.

Eight aircrew and five passengers were on-board the plane flying from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh. Six of the 13 on-board are IAF officers including a wing commander.

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10 TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019ASIA

PPP asks Speaker to order arrested MPs in parliament INTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has said that it will continue to stick to its demand for the issuance of production orders of two arrested MNAs from tribal areas — Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir — by the National Assembly (NA) Speaker.

On the other hand, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the production orders of the two members of the National Assembly (MNA) “can be issued as per law” while raising ques-tions over patriotism of the duo.

In a statement issued by the PPP’s Central Media Office in Islamabad on Sunday, the party’s secretary general Nayyar Bokhari asked NA Speaker Asad Qaiser to fulfil his “responsi-bility” as a custodian of the house and issue the production orders of the two MNAs who had been arrested on the charge of instigating an attack on an army check post in North Waziristan last month.

Bokhari said the PPP believed in the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law. He said the two MNAs were elected representatives of the people and they should be allowed to come to the house to apprise the parliament of their viewpoint on the Waziristan incident. The PPP leader said there would be no compromise on national security, but the two MNAs should be provided an opportunity to clarify their position. Bokhari said the nation

was surprised over the silence of Prime Minister Imran Khan on such an important matter. He said the statements issued by the military on the incident showed that the government had failed in fulfilling its responsibilities.

The PPP leader said those violating the laws should be pun-ished but “setting up of own courts” and political point scoring was inappropriate.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Multan, Foreign Min-ister Qureshi, however, ques-tioned the patriotism of the two MNAs. “If they invite foreign forces to intervene in internal matters of the country, is it patri-otism? They also attacked an army check post. Is it patri-otism?” he asked. Qureshi said he had invited the opposition to participate in the preparation of the budget while keeping in view the country’s resources and expenditures. “Under the circum-stances the government was handed over to us, moving forward is difficult. Our utmost efforts are to put minimum burden on the poor in the coming budget,” he said.

Five govt workers dead in Kabul bus bombingAP KABUL

A bomb attached into a bus carrying Afghan government workers has killed at least five people and wounded 10 others in the capital, Kabul, Afghan offi-cials said yesterday.

W a h i d u l l a h M a y a r , spokesman for the Public Health Ministry, said the numbers could still rise. Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for the Interior Min-istry, said the employees belonged to the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission.

Ahmad Shah, an eyewitness at the scene of the attack, said: “Five to seven bodies were on the street, a few of them were martyred and others were wounded.” He said some of the victims were “burning inside the bus - no one was able to enter.”

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the attack in a statement sent by the presidential palace.

A wave of attacks has rocked the Afghan capital over the last week. Four bombings on Sunday killed at least two people and wounded 27, and were preceded by deadly suicide bombings on Thursday and Friday.

Yesterday’s attack took place as the Afghan Interior Ministry has announced that Kabul is under tight security ahead of this week’s Eid Al Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Last June, the Taliban accepted a three-day cease-fire over the Eid Al Fitr holiday, a first for the group, but this year the

Taliban have rejected any truce with the Afghan forces.

In another development, the Taliban have abducted four members of the Helmand Peace Convoy, a group of dozens of Afghans trekking across the country on foot calling for an end to the war.

Members of the convoy said Taliban militants came to speak

with them on Sunday night while the group was in southern Helmand province, an area largely under Taliban control. The convoy members said the Taliban took four of them as rep-resentatives for further discus-sions, and they have not been heard from since.

A Taliban spokesman had no information about the event.

Afghan security personnel stand near a damaged bus carrying government employees that was targeted by a bomb blast in Kabul, yesterday.

Authorities seize snakeskin shoes made for ImranINTERNEWS PESHAWAR

Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Wildlife Department went looking for a footwear shop in the city to confiscate snakeskin sandals meant for Prime Minister Imran Khan.

They didn’t have to look far as they had been tipped off that the famous Kaptaan Chappal creator, Nooruddin Shinwari, was making them in his shop called Afghan Chappal House in Namak Mandi, famous for its meaty cuisine.

In his defence, Nooruddin and his son Islam said that the serpentine material had been sent from the United States to the shop to craft two pairs, one for the donor and one for the ‘Kaptaan’ to slip on.

But District Forest Officer Wildlife Aleem Khan, while talking to Dawn, claimed that this was first such case they had stumbled upon and will discuss within their department the verification process for the con-fiscated shoe material.

KP Minister for Envi-ronment Ishtiaq Urmur was quite clear on the consequences and said making sandals from snakeskin was illegal.

“No matter who the sandals were being made for, an illegal act would never be tolerated. If it is proven that the chappals were indeed made of snakeskin then the cobbler will have to face legal consequences,” he said.

Elementary students, living on flooded Artex Compound, ride on makeshift boats to attend the first day of school in Malabon, north of Manila, yesterday. 23 million Philippine students trooped back to their respective schools nationwide.

China urges students to weigh ‘risk’ of studying in USAFP BEIJING

China yesterday warned students and academics on the “risk” of studying in the United States, citing an uptick in visa denials and delays amid a trade war and other tensions with Washington.

The warning comes as nego-tiations to resolve the trade spat have stalled and Washington pushed back against what it says is Beijing’s aggressive militari-sation of the disputed South China Sea.

In recent months US officials and lawmakers have voiced con-cerns that Chinese students and academics could be used for espionage purposes by the Com-munist government.

The Chinese education min-istry in a statement said students applying to US universities should brace themselves for visa troubles and “strengthen risk assessment... and make relevant preparations”.

Chinese students and aca-demics have recently experi-enced visa restrictions, delays in

obtaining them, and visas with shorter duration, according to the ministry.

From January to March, over 1,350 Chinese students had applied for US student visas but 182 were “unable to make the trip as planned” due to visa issues, accounting for 13.5 percent of all applicants, Xu Yongji, deputy head of a department overlooking foreign academic exchanges at the min-istry, told state broadcaster CCTV.

Xu said this was a marked increase from just over three percent of applicants who expe-rienced visa issues in 2018, citing data from the China Scholarship Council.

Visa denials have “damaged the dignity” of Chinese students and cast a “cold spell” over research collaborations and aca-demic exchanges he said.

China is the biggest source of international students on US campuses, with 360,000 of them attending last year — a third of the foreign student body — with many paying full tuition.

Chinese students contributed

$14bn to the US economy in 2017, the official Xinhua news agency estimated last month, citing US official data.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the US had been setting “unnec-essary obstacles” to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

“This has been widely opposed by the education circles in China and the United States, as well as by (Chinese) students studying abroad,” he said.

US complaints about tech-nology and intellectual property theft by China have been a major bone of contention in the trade war between the two countries.

FBI director Christopher Wray said in April that Beijing had used Chinese graduate stu-dents and researchers, among others, in its economic espionage efforts in the United States.

“China has pioneered a societal approach to stealing innovation in any way it can from a wide array of businesses, universities and organisations,” Wray said.

Chinese warships are seen docked at Garden Island naval base in Sydney yesterday.

Chinese warships cause surprise in Sydney HarbourAFP SYDNEY

Australians enjoying a sunny winter morning were shocked by the sight of three Chinese warships steaming into Sydney Harbour yesterday, forcing the prime minister to reassure jittery residents.

Amid heightened concern about Beijing’s growing clout and military muscle-flexing, the appearance of a Chinese flagged task group and around 700 sailors came as a surprise.

It also came as Prime Min-ister Scott Morrison was away on a visit to the Solomon Islands, a key player in the South Pacific that China is hoping to woo away from its recognition of

Taiwan. “It may have been a sur-prise to others, but it certainly wasn’t a surprise to the gov-ernment,” Morrison told reporters in the Solomons capital Honiara. “We have known about that for some time.” Morrison described the port call as a “reciprocal visit, because Australian naval vessels have visited China”.

“They were returning after a counter drug trafficking oper-ation in the Middle East.” The vessels appeared to be the Kunlun Shan, an amphibious landing ship; the Luoma Lake, a replenishment ship; and the Xuchang, a modern frigate that is believed to be fitted with surface-to-air and anti-sub-marine missile systems.

Nearly half of rural Afghans face food insecurity: UNAFP KABUL

Nearly half of all rural Afghans now face some level of food insecurity, a UN agency said yesterday, as a historic drought and deteriorating security grip Afghanistan.

Described by some locals as the worst in a lifetime, Afghan-istan’s drought had a devastating effect on rural populations last year, the UN Office for the Coor-dination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an overview of Afghanistan aid operations in 2018. “With crops failing and

limited water supplies, as well as increased malnutrition and illness, hundreds of thousands of people left their homes to seek help near major cities,” OCHA said. The misery was only com-pounded this spring when rains finally did come, as downpours led to deadly flooding in prov-

inces across the country.OCHA found that the number

of people in need of some form of food assistance in Afghanistan rose from 3.3 million at the start of last year to a projected current level of 13.5 million — or 47 percent of the population — as of February 2019.

Anti-military Thai activist faces assaultAP/BANGKOK

A Thai activist opposed to the military’s role in politics said yesterday that he was assaulted by a group of unknown men, in the latest in a series of such attacks as the country’s parliament prepares to elect a new government.

Sirawith Seritiwat said five or six men attacked him by sur-prise Sunday night after he had been working on a campaign to petition members of the Senate not to vote this week to appoint current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to the post again. Prayuth seized power in 2014 after leading a military coup against an elected gov-ernment. Sirawith, also known as Ja New, was hospitalised overnight but his injuries did not appear to be serious. Two other activists who are also critics of the military were attacked in May. No suspects have been identified in any of the cases. Six other government opponents, associated more with an anti-royalist movement, have disappeared or been killed since December.

MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, leaders of the Pashtun Tahuffuz Movement group, were arrested on the charges of attacking a military check post in North Waziristan last month.

Boating to school in Philippines

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11TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019 EUROPE

Queen greets Trump at Buckingham PalaceREUTERS LONDON

Britain rolled out the royal red carpet for Donald Trump yesterday but the pomp, pageantry and banquet with Queen Elizabeth looked set to be overshadowed by the US Presi-dent’s views on Brexit, the UK’s next leader and a row over China’s Huawei.

Trump and his wife, Melania, were greeted by the 93-year-old monarch at Buckingham Palace at the start of a three-day state visit which sees him feted with the full force of royal ceremony: a formal dinner with the queen, tea with heir Prince Charles, and a tour of Westminster Abbey, coronation church of English monarchs for 1,000 years.

“I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom, and am looking very much forward to my visit,” Trump wrote on Twitter as he landed at London’s Stansted Airport.

But beyond the theatre, the proudly unpredictable 45th US President is rocking the boat with the United States’ closest ally,

whose political establishment has been in chaos for months over Britain’s departure from the European Union.

As he was flying into the British capital, he reignited a feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who had written on Sunday that Britain should not be rolling out the red carpet for the US president — describing him as a “stone cold loser”.

The state visit, promised by Prime Minister Theresa May back in January 2017 when she became the first foreign leader to meet him after he took office,

is cast as a chance to celebrate Britain’s “special relationship” with the United States, boost trade links and reaffirm security cooperation.

At Buckingham Palace, Melania, stood beside Elizabeth and Charles’s wife Camilla, while Charles and Trump inspected the guard. Trump will have lunch with the queen before the mon-arch’s second son Prince Andrew accompanies him to Westminster Abbey where the president will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

The day culminates with a lavish state banquet at Buck-ingham Palace - where men wear white tie coats with tails and women evening gowns.

But away from the pag-eantry, Trump is set to make his trip the most unconventional state visit in recent British history. He has already waded far into Britain’s turbulent domestic politics, where more than a dozen candidates are vying to replace May, who announced last month she was quitting after failing to get her EU divorce deal through parliament. The President, who has regularly

criticised May’s Brexit tactics, said Britain must leave the bloc on the due date of October 31 with or without a deal and praised a more radical Brexit-supporting potential successor as British leader. He also called for arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage, a scourge of May’s ruling Con-servative Party, to conduct talks with the EU.

Brexit is the most significant geopolitical move for the United Kingdom since World War Two

and if it ever happens then London will be more reliant on the United States as ties loosen with the other 27 members of the EU. At a meeting with May, Trump will also warn Britain that security cooperation, a corner-stone of the western intelligence network, could be hurt if London allows China’s Huawei a role in building parts of the 5G network, the next generation of cellular technology. The Trump admin-istration has told allies not to use

its 5G technology and equipment because of fears it would allow China to spy on sensitive com-munications and data. Huawei denies it is, or could be, a vehicle for Chinese intelligence.

While yesterday was domi-nated by pageantry, the second day of Trump’s trip will focus on politics, including a breakfast with business leaders, talks with May in 10 Downing Street, a news conference and a dinner at the US ambassador’s residence.

FROM LEFT: US First Lady Melania Trump; Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II; US President Donald Trump; Prince Charles; and Britain’s Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during a welcome ceremony at Buckingham Palace in central London, yesterday.

Deal or no deal, UK will leave EU on October 31: JohnsonREUTERS LONDON

Boris Johnson, frontrunner to be Britain’s next prime minister, promised yesterday to lead the country out of the European Union on October 31 with or without an exit deal, launching his leadership bid in a campaign video.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to resign on Friday having failed to deliver Brexit on schedule. She leaves behind her a divided nation and parliament with no consensus on the way ahead for the world’s fifth largest economy.

Johnson, a former foreign

minister who resigned in protest at May’s handling of Brexit, is the bookmakers’ favourite to win a

crowded contest and take over the running of the country at its most important strategic

juncture in decades.“If I get in we’ll come out,

deal or no deal, on October the 31st,” he was seen telling a member of the public in a cam-paign video released on Twitter.

The launch coincided with the arrival in Britain of US Pres-ident Donald Trump, who has thrown his weight behind Johnson by saying he would do a “very good job” as British leader.

The race to replace May has so far focused on candidates’ approach to a no-deal exit from the EU — with a clear dividing line between those who would countenance leaving the bloc without a formal transition

agreement, and those who say it would be too economically dangerous.

Leadership rival Jeremy Hunt, one of the staunchest opponents of no deal, said that it should only be used “in extremis” but that he believed he could negotiate a better deal before October 31 — the coun-try’s current exit date.

Johnson is himself a divisive figure.

Having led the 2016 cam-paign to leave the EU he is feted by those who see him as a col-ourful straight-talker, prepared to speak truth to a political estab-lishment that has betrayed swathes of the electorate.

A file photo shows former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson delivering a speech in Rocester, Staffordshire, Britain.

Body recovered after Budapest boat accidentAP BUDAPEST

Divers have recovered a body from near the sunken tour boat carrying South Korean tourists that capsized last week after a collision with a river cruise ship, Hungarian officials said.

The agency leading the salvage operations said that Hungarian divers found a body in the water yesterday morning during an inspection of the wreck and it was brought to the

surface in the afternoon by Korean divers also assisting in the search and recovery efforts.

The identity of the victim wasn’t immediately released.

If confirmed as one of the victims of Wednesday night’s collision on the Danube River, 20 others are still missing. Seven people were rescued after the sinking and seven others were confirmed dead. During yester-day’s search and recovery efforts, relatives of some of the missing South Korean tourists

briefly watched the manoeuvres from the bridge above the scene of the last week’s mishap. The Hableany (Mermaid) capsized and sank after colliding with a much larger river cruise ship, the Viking Sygin, near the Hungarian Parliament building.

During a midday news con-ference, the head of the gov-ernment agency in charge of coordinating search and rescue efforts, said Hungarian and South Koreans were taking part together in the exploratory dives.

A South Korean divers rescue team continued its search in the Danube river, in Budapest, yesterday.

REUTERS THE HAGUE

Russia told a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) yesterday that the court lacks jurisdiction in a case filed by Ukraine against Moscow over its alleged support of pro-Russian separatists in the Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

In a 2017 filing to the ICJ, also known as the World Court, Ukraine asked judges to order Russia to stop alleged funding and equipping of pro-Kremlin forces and halt alleged discrim-ination of the Crimean Tartar ethnic group.

Moscow has repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine and says Kiev’s claim is a round-about way of having the court rule on the legality of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government forces has claimed roughly 13,000 lives.

“The case brought by Ukraine should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction,” Dmitry Lobach,

Russia’s ambassador-at-large who is representing Moscow in the case, told the court. He denied Ukraine’s accusation that Russia was involved in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over rebel-held Ukraine in July 2014 and had thereby violated the UN anti-terrorism convention.

Kiev had failed to show that Moscow had the “intent and knowlegde” required by the con-vention which would trigger jurisdiction of the court, he said.

The airline crashed after being hit by a Russian-made Buk missile, killing 298 passengers and crew.

Lobach said a six-country investigative team led by the Netherlands - which concluded that the launcher carrying the surface-to-air missile had come from a Russian base - gave “no answer why the aircraft was shot down and who was responsible”.

This week’s hearings will focus only on the question of jurisdiction, a decision on which could be rendered late this year or early in 2020.

Russia rebuffs Ukraine’s case over rebel support at Intl Court of Justice

Thousands of reptiles rescued in global police operationAFP THE HAGUE

Police have rescued thousands of live snakes, lizards and geckos and stopped some 20 crocodiles and alligators from becoming high-end fashion products, Europol said yesterday, after a coordinated

global police operation. Called “Operation Blizzard”, police from across the world including the European Union, Australia, South Africa and the United States targeted the illegal reptile trade between mid-April to May 22.

“The operation, coordinated by Europol and Interpol involved

agencies from 22 countries and led to seizures ranging from live animals to high-end fashion products,” Europol said in a statement. Six suspects were arrested in Italy and six were arrested in Spain, Europol said. Globally police seized 4,419 live animals including 2,703 turtles

and tortoises, 1059 snakes, 512 lizards and geckos and 20 croco-diles and alligators.

Authorities also confiscated 152 handbags, wallets, watch-straps, medicines and taxidermies. Operation Blizzard targeted air-craft passengers, commercial cargo, pet shops and people legally

allowed to keep reptiles, Europol said. “Wildlife trafficking has increased significantly in recent years to the point where we now have thousands of reptiles, worth millions of euros being seized every year,” said Pedro Felicio, Europol’s head of Economic and Property Crime.

Trump, who has regularly criticised May’s Brexit tactics, said Britain must leave the bloc on the due date of October 31 with or without a deal and has praised a more radical Brexit-supporting potential successor as British leader.

‘We’re ready to welcome you’ Nato tells North MacedoniaREUTERS/SKOPJE

Nato’s secretary-general commended North Macedonia yesterday for making the reforms necessary to join the transatlantic military alliance next year.

“We are ready to welcome you,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Nato members signed an accord in February allowing the ex-Yugoslav republic to become the 30th member of the US-led group after a deal with Greece ended a long dispute over its name. The ratification process normally takes a year.

“It is important to commend North Macedonia for the reforms you have imple-mented,” Stoltenberg added.

Macedonia plans to raise defence spending to 2% of Gross Domestic Output by 2024 from 1% now.

Three other ex-Yugoslav republics - Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro - have already joined Nato, as have other countries in the Balkan region including Albania, Bulgaria and Romania.

Russia said that by taking in Balkan members, the alliance is undermining security in the region. The European Com-mission formally recommended last week that North Macedonia should start negotiations to join the bloc.

Serb charged with war crimes in KosovoAP/PRISTINA, KOSOVO

Kosovo prosecutors have issued war crimes charges against an ethnic Serb suspected of killing and torturing ethnic Albanians during the 1998-99 war.

A statement yesterday said the suspect, identified only as Z Dj, had been part of a Serb par-amilitary group in Peja, 85km west of the capital Pristina, which had entered Albanians’ homes and forced them to flee, maltreating the victims “physi-cally and psychologically” and killing some of them. It said he was a Belgrade resident but did not say if he was arrested. Kos-ovo’s 2008 declaration of inde-pendence isn’t recognised by Serbia.

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12 TUESDAY 4 JUNE 2019AMERICAS

Pompeo: China can free human rights prisonersREUTERS WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday called on Beijing to mark the 30th anni-versary of the Tiananmen Square uprising this week by releasing all prisoners jailed for fighting human rights abuses in China.

In a statement Pompeo again urged China to make a full public account of those killed or missing in the 1989 student-led pro-democracy protests in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

“Such a step would begin to demonstrate the Communist Party’s willingness to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms,” Pompeo said.

“We call on China to release all those held for seeking to exercise these rights and freedoms, halt the use of arbi-trary detention, and reverse counterproductive policies that conflate terrorism with religious and political expression,” he added.

The Chinese government sent tanks to quell the June 4, 1989 protests, and has never released a death toll. Estimates from human rights groups and witnesses range from several hundred to several thousand.

The Tiananmen crackdown is a taboo subject in China and almost 30 years later it remains a point of contention between China and many Western countries.

State Department spokes-woman Morgan Ortagus upset China when she referred to the Tiananmen demonstrations as a “full-on massacre of peaceful protesters” during a briefing last week. Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe said on Sunday that the crackdown was the “correct” decision, citing the country’s “stability” since then.

Pompeo said China’s human rights record had not improved despite its rise on the interna-tional stage and condemned the treatment of the country’s esti-mated 1.5 million Uighurs and other Muslim groups in Xinjiang region.

“China’s one-party state tol-erates no dissent and abuses human rights whenever it serves its interests,” said Pompeo. “Today, Chinese citizens have been subjected to a new wave of abuses, especially in Xinjiang, where the Communist Party leadership is methodically attempting to strangle Uighur culture and stamp out the Islamic faith.”

In a statement Pompeo again urged China to make a full public account of those killed or missing in the 1989 student-led pro-democracy protests in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard speaks during a news conference along the government

delegation at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC, US.

Mexico draws asylum red line ahead of Trump’s tariffs talksREUTERS WASHINGTON / MEXICO CITY

Mexico yesterday said it would reject a US idea to take in all Central American asylum seekers if it is raised at talks this week with Trump adminis-tration, which has threatened to impose tariffs if Mexico does not crack down on illegal immi-gration.

President Donald Trump last week said he will impose a blanket tariff on Mexican imports from June 10 to try to pressure Mexico to tackle large flows of mostly Central American migrants passing through on the way to the United States.

The threat was a shock last week to global markets, which are already suffering from a

trade war between the United States and China.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the country is committed to continuing to work to keep illegal immigrants from Central America from reaching the US border.

However, he said a more radical proposal favoured by some US officials to designate Mexico a “safe third country,” which would force Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States to instead seek that status in Mexico, is not an option.

“An agreement about a safe third country would not be acceptable for Mexico,” Ebrard told reporters in Washington. “They have not yet proposed it to me. But it would not be acceptable and they know it.” Ebrard will meet US Secretary

of State Mike Pompeo during the talks, which will also involve other senior officials.

The negotiations in Wash-ington will be closely watched by financial markets concerned that import tariffs would ulti-mately hit the US economy by adding to the cost of a wide range of goods in the United States, from Mexican-made cars and auto parts to televisions, beer and food.

US-based Mexican-themed fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc estimated a $15m hit from the proposed tariffs and said it could cover that by raising its burrito prices by around 5 cents. US business groups have opposed the tariff plan and the influential US Chamber of Com-merce is looking at ways to chal-lenge it, including legal options.

44 injured, eight dead in Chicago weekend shootingsAP CHICAGO

Chicago’s police chief yesterday decried a “despicable level of violence” during a weekend in which 52 people in the city were shot, eight of them fatally, and two people were stabbed to death.

Police believe most of the shootings were gang related, Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. The shootings happened from 6pm Friday until midnight Sunday on one of the warmest and sunniest weekends of the year in Chicago. The city often sees an increase in violence in warmer weather.

Johnson said the department increased the number of uniformed officers on the street — targeting areas where police expected gang members to retaliate for pre-vious shootings. He said he believes that effort helped police seize 92 illegal firearms, nearly twice as many as the department seizes in a typical warm-weather weekend.

Canadian inquiry calls deaths of indigenous women ‘genocide’REUTERS OTTAWA

The deaths in Canada of more than a thousand aboriginal women and girls in recent decades was a national genocide, a government inquiry into murdered and missing indig-enous women concluded in a report yesterday.

The 1,200-page report, which resulted from an inquiry launched by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in 2016, blamed the violence on long-standing discrimination against indigenous people and Canada’s failure to protect them.

It also made sweeping rec-ommendations to prevent future violence against indigenous

women. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealed in 2014 that 1,017 aboriginal women had been murdered between 1980 and 2012. The inquiry, which was beset by delays and staff resig-nations, opened painful wounds as it heard testimony from 468 family members of missing or murdered women. “This coloni-alism, this discrimination and

this genocide explains the high rates of violence against indig-enous women, girls, 2SLG-BTQQIA people,” Marion Buller, the chief commissioner of the inquiry, said at a ceremony held to present the report.

“An absolute paradigm shift is required to dismantle coloni-alism in Canadian society. And this paradigm shift must come

from all levels of government and public institutions,” Buller said. The final report, called “Reclaiming Power and Place,” was presented during an often emotional ceremony in Gatineau, Quebec, near the Canadian capital, and was attended by some of the hundreds of family members of those missing or murdered.

Honduras street protests go onAP TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS

Thousands of teachers and doctors in Honduras are continuing street protests despite the president’s cancellation of decrees that they feared would

lead to extensive layoffs. Public sector employees have been marching for weeks, accusing President Juan Orlando Hernández of trying to privatize the health and education systems. Hernández said early yesterday that the laws were

withdrawn “for the peace of Honduras.” He urged those striking to return to work.

Strike leader Suyapa Figueroa is president of the medical college and says pro-testers don’t trust the government.

Demonstrators march against President Juan Orlando Hernandez government’s plans to privatise healthcare and education in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, yesterday.

Democrats launch hearings to keep focus on Mueller reportAP / WASHINGTON

Democrats are trying to keep the public’s focus on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said yesterday that his panel will hold a series of hearings on “the alleged crimes and other mis-conduct” in Mueller’s report, starting with a hearing June 10 on whether President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice. The hearing will feature John Dean, who was White House counsel for Pres-ident Richard Nixon, and former US attorneys. The hearings will serve as a stand-in of sorts for Mueller himself, who made clear in public comments last week that he does not want to appear before Congress and would not elaborate on the contents of his report if he were forced to testify. Democrats have sug-g e s t e d t h e y w i l l

compel Mueller’s appearance if necessary, but it’s unclear when - or if - that will happen. Nego-tiations over Mueller’s testimony are ongoing.

In the meantime, Democrats are searching for ways to keep the spotlight fixed on Mueller’s investigation - a challenge com-pounded by the White House’s refusal to comply with request for documents and testimony related to the report, which has stymied their investigations.

Mueller investigated whether Trump tried to obstruct his probe, but the report reached no conclusion on whether the president acted illegally. Nadler said in a statement that Mueller “has now left Congress to pick up where he left off.” Mueller said as much in his brief com-ments last week. The special counsel reiterated that, bound by Justice Department policy, charging a sitting president with a crime was “not an option.”

US health officials report 41 new cases of measles last weekREUTERS WASHINGTON

The United States recorded 41 new measles cases last week, bringing the year’s total number of cases to 981 in the worst outbreak of the disease since

1992, federal health officials said yesterday.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease rose 4% in the week ended May 31 from the

prior week. The 2019 outbreak, which has spread to 26 states, is the worst since 1992, when 2,126 cases were recorded.

Federal health officials attribute this year’s outbreak to US parents who refuse to vac-cinate their children. These

parents believe that ingredients in the vaccine can cause autism.

The disease has mostly affected children who have not received the vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease. On Thursday, CDC officials said the outbreak had surpassed the

total number of cases per year for the past 25 years, topping the 963 cases that were confirmed in 1994. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning there was no continuous transmission of the disease for a year. Still, cases of

the virus occur and spread via travellers coming from countries where measles is common. CDC officials have warned that the country risks losing its measles elimination status if the ongoing outbreak continues until October 2019.

Remains found in Arkansas identified as Maleah DavisAP HOUSTON

The remains of a child found in Arkansas last week are those of a missing 4-year-old Texas girl, Maleah Davis, a medical examiner said yesterday.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences said it had positively identified the remains found in a garbage bag near a freeway outside the town of Hope, Arkansas, which is located about 30 miles northeast of the Texas-Arkansas border. A Houston community activist, Quanell X, has said that Derion Vence, the man who had been arrested in connection with Maleah’s dis-appearance, told him he had disposed of her body there.

The institute of forensic sci-ences says the cause and manner of her death are not yet determined.

AP ST. LOUIS

The swollen Missouri and Mississippi rivers are closing hundreds of roads and inun-dating homes and businesses.

Locks and dams upstream of St. Louis are shut down as the Mississippi River crests at its second-highest level on record in some areas, straining agriculture levees.

The high water already is causing problems. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that several hotels that were crowded with visitors for the Stanley Cup Final and Car-dinals-Cubs baseball games were left without hot water Sunday after too much water overwhelmed a pump station.

Along the Missouri River, water levels were falling in Jef-ferson City after a crest that flooded railroad tracks and airport property. Statewide, nearly 400 roads are closed.

Nearly 400 Missouri roads closed by flooding