Volume 24 | Number 7848 | 2 RiyalsMonday 1 April 2019 | 25 Rajab 1440 www.thepeninsula.qa

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BUSINESS | 01 SPORT | 12

Ma Long and Wang Manyu bag singles titles in Doha

Ocean LNG to offtake &

market Golden Pass LNG

QR1.95

Price of premium grade petrol for a litre.

Price of diesel for a litre.

Qatar Visa Centers to offer free mobile SIM cardsSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Qatar Visa Centers, which have started operating in a number of major workforce exporting countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bang-ladesh, will provide mobile SIM cards with QR30 balance free of cost to newly inducted workers to keep them connected with their families during their journey and stay in Qatar.

“The mobile number of the provided SIM cards will be added to the documents of work

contracts which are being signed at QVCs,” Muhammed Ali Al Meer, Labour Expert and Adviser at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs told The Peninsula.

He said that since the copies of the contract are in the access of the Ministry of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs and the employers, the mobile number will enable them to call the workers whenever needed.

“The SIM card will have QR30 balance so the new worker can talk to his family, employer

or the Ministry,” said Al Meer. He said that all workers who come through QVCs will benefit from the initiative of free SIM card which will be registered in the name of worker.

“The recruitment procedures available at QVCs are to take bio-metrics of expatriates, register vital data, conduct medical examinations, and sign the employment contract through a more transparent and respon-sible recruitment system,” said Al Meer.

He said that residency permit cards will be made in Qatar when

the workers arrive here. “In the coming phases under new proce-dures other things such as health card and bank card are likely to be issued at QVCs,” said Al Meer.

Qatar opened recently two visa centers in India out of seven slated to be commissioned soon as part of its Qatar Visa Centers abroad program, which was launched last year and targets eight labour-exporting countries

India is the fourth country, where QVCs have been estab-lished following the opening of centers in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which proved to

be a great success in providing services in a more distinct, sim-plified and advanced manner.

QVCs will cover eight coun-tries through the establishment of 20 service centers, in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

The project is being imple-mented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, the Min-istry of Administrative Devel-opment, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Moushtarayat offers QR5.8bn business opportunities to SMEsMOHAMMAD SHOEB THE PENINSULA

The 4th edition of Government Procurement and Contracting Conference & Exhibition (Moush-tarayat 2019), which opened yesterday at DECC, is offering 2,600 business opportunities worth over QR5.8bn to local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), announced a top official of the Qatar Development Bank (QDB).

Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB, in his opening address at the event noted that this year’s ‘Moush-tarayat’ has invited members of the private sector, particularly SMEs, to attend and participate in a wide range of public tenders. The conference focuses on

educating the local SMEs about the procedures involved in existing public tenders extended by big buyers, such as larger private sector companies, semi-govern-mental and governmental bodies. Some 40 of them are showcasing their job opportunities at the expo.

QDB, the state-backed development agency, which has been supporting and promoting the SMEs as part of its ongoing efforts to provide a poised platform to grow for Qatari SMEs to achieve economic diversifi-cation, flagged off the ‘Moush-tarayat 2019’ yesterday.

The three-day event, which is being held under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, was

inaugurated by H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Governor of Qatar Central Bank, who is also the Vice-Chairman of QDB.

The event is being hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, and in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI) and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), and sponsored by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment. �P4

QR1.85

QR1.80

Price of super gradepetrol for a litre.

Petrol prices will increase by up to 25 dirhams from today, according to the new price list issued byQatar Petroleum.

FUEL PRICE

Amir attends opening session of Arab Summit

QNA TUNIS

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the opening session of the 30th Summit of the Council of the Arab League, which was held yesterday at the Conference Palace in Tunis, along with the leaders of Arab countries.

The session was attended by members of the official dele-gation accompanying H H the Amir, and heads of delegations participating in the Summit.

A number of leaders from regional and international organisations and press and media associates also attended the session.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi stressed the need to promote Arab joint action, and achieve Arab reconciliation based on mutual trust, stressing that Arab countries have no choice but to cooperate and enhance confidence and coop-eration between them.

In his speech, the Tunisian President stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause, stressing that achieving this goal requires inten-sifying and coordinating actions in

order to put an end to the decisions and practices aimed to change the basic issues of the Palestinian cause, and to face any violation of the legitimate rights of the Pales-tinian people, especially their right to self-determination, and the his-torical and legal status of the Holy City of Jerusalem.

“The Arab world remains determined to overcome all chal-lenges thrust upon the region,” H H the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah said yesterday, calling for unity and concerted response across the board in the face of such adversity.

Allaying concerns over lagging growth across the region, he told a gathering of Arab leaders and senior officials in the Tunisian capital that keeping the status quo is no longer an option. He high-lighted a decade-long plan to fulfil the ambitions of the Arab people, pinpointing initiatives Kuwait has made in recent years to push that plan closer to fruition.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, H H the Amir of Kuwait said it continues to be the Arab world’s “chief concern,” while the matter has been largely over-looked by the international com-munity, he stressed that the

Palestinian issue, the first issue of the Arabs, deviating from the attention of the international community and top priority though the Arab world security and stability will remain disori-ented and deterioration unless a just settlement of the Palestinian question which leads to the end of the occupation And the estab-lishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that any solution to the Syrian crisis must ensure the territorial integrity of Syria, including the occupied Golan Heights.

In a speech at the opening session of the Summit, Guterres stressed the need to work together to achieve peace, resolve the out-standing problems and respond to the needs of the Syrian people, pointing out at the same time that any solution to the Syrian crisis must include the unity and sover-eignty of the Syrian people.

UN Secretary-General stressed the imperative for a two-state solution, for Israel and Palestine, “living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, and with Jerusalem (Al Quds) as capital of both States”. �P2

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and other officials during the Summit.

Call for achieving Arab reconciliation based on mutual trust

Solution to Syria crisis must ensure territorial integrity including occupied Golan Heights, says Antonio Guterres

Aspire Wonderland Festival concludes todayAn attraction displayed in the Aspire Park as part of the Aspire

Wonderland Festival which will conclude today.

02 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019HOME

Amir attends opening session of Arab Summit

Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the opening session of the 30th Summit of the Council of the Arab League, which was held yesterday at the Conference Palace in Tunis. H H the Amir met with the President of the Republic of Tunisia, Beji Caid Essebsi, and Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed.

FROM PAGE 1“There is no Plan B: without

two states, there is no solution,” he stressed, noting that the ongoing violence in Gaza is a tragic reminder of the fragility of the situation.”

EU foreign policy chief Fed-erica Mogherini reiterated that the European Union was against the US decision to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

“Ignoring UN Security Council Resolutions on the Golan Heights is not a solution and let me be very clear, the EU will continue to not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the ter-ritories occupied over 1967,” Mogherini said at the opening of the Arab League summit in Tunisia.

Mogherini also said a two state solution for Israel and Pal-estine was “the only viable and realistic solution, we have a responsibility to prevent the two

state solution from being irre-versibly dismantled,” she told an Arab League summit in Tunis. Jordanian King Abdullah reaf-firmed that the Palestinian cause has been and will always remain the foremost concern for all Arabs, noting that addressing this cause must be in line with Arab constants.

“The Palestinian cause must remain Arabs core and primary cause,” King Abdullah said, deliv-ering Jordans address at the opening of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the Summit Level in Tunisia.

Jordanian king also referred to the violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jeru-salem, aimed at changing the citys history and identity. “I reaffirm that Jordan, will persist in undertaking its historical role to safeguard these holy sites,” the King said.

The Chairperson of the

African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, lauded the State of Qatar’s role in the field of sup-porting the repatriation of migrants, stressing that migration is draining African human resources and causing serious imbalances for many foreign countries.

In his speech before the 30th session of Arab Summit in Tunis yesterday, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission added that Africa has made great strides towards its unity.

“These strides are reflected in the efforts to reform its system as well as in creating a vast eco-nomic space through the ratifi-cation of the free trade zone on the continent. Africa thus opens broad prospects for large-scale investment in infrastructure, energy, green economy, agri-culture, tourism, cutting-edge technology and youth support programs,” he added.

He expressed hope that the

Arab summit in Tunis will take important decisions to push forward the Arab-African coop-eration in various fields and to

gather around specific and cal-culated programs in its objectives and priorities.

Faki underscored the need

to activate cooperation on Libya and Somalia in order to achieve reconciliation and peace in the two countries.

03MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 HOME

Amir congratulates Slovakia’s President-elect DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,

Deputy Amir H H Sheikh

Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani

and Prime Minister and Inte-

rior Minister H E Sheikh

Abdullah bin Nasser bin Kha-

lifa Al Thani sent yesterday

cables of congratulations

to Zuzana Caputova on the

occasion of winning the

presidential elections in the

Slovak Republic, wishing her

success and to the people of

Slovakia further progress and

prosperity. QNA

OFFICIAL NEWS

Al Hammadi meets Ukraine AmbassadorDOHA: The Secretary-

General of the Ministry

of Foreign Affairs, H E

Dr Ahmad bin Hassan Al

Hammadi, met yester-

day with the Ambassador

of Ukraine to the State of

Qatar, Yevhen Mykytenko,

on the occasion of the end

of his tenure in the coun-

try. Al Hammadi extended

thanks to the Ukrainian

Ambassador for the efforts

he exerted in promoting

the bilateral relations, and

wished him success in his

future duties. QNA

Defence trainings at Ras Matbakh

DOHA: The Directorate of

Moral Guidance of the Min-

istry of Defence announced

that Armed Forces will carry

out a training exercise at

Ras Matbakh from 8am to

6:30pm during the period

from April 1-3. The Direc-

torate called on those who

frequent that area to exer-

cise caution for their own

safety. QNA

Shura Council, APU sign MoUQNA DOHA

The Shura Council signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Parlia-mentary Union (APU) for parlia-mentary cooperation between both sides.

From the Qatari side the MoU was signed by the Shura Council Speaker, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, and for the APU side the MoU was signed by head of APU and President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso, Alassane Bala Sakande.

Under the MoU, they agreed to set up a work programme for

cooperation between both parties to strengthen bonds and exchange experiences and joint initiatives on issues of mutual concern, as well as strengthen the presence and role of both sides in international parlia-mentary forums.

This came during the meeting between the two sides, where they discussed the parliamentary relations and ways of boosting them, as well as the relations between the Shura Council and the National Assembly of Burkina Faso. They also reviewed issues on the agenda of the 140th session of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) which begins its meetings in Doha

on Saturday. The meeting was attended by

the Member of the Shura Council

and chairman of the Qatar-Africa friendship group, Mohammed bin Ali Al Henzab, members of

the group and the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Qatar, Adama Compaore.

The Shura Council Speaker, H E Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, with the head of APU and President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso, Alassane Bala Sakande.

US expert sees Qatar’s role in Taliban-US talks importantSIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

An international expert on Afghanistan affairs has said that dialogue between the Taliban and the US being facilitated by Qatar is likely to succeed as both parties have trust over Qatar.

“An important advantage of Qatar’s role in ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the US is that Qatar does not have any interest in Afghanistan therefore it is easier for the Taliban to trust Qatar,” said Dr Barnett Rubin, Director at the Center on International Cooper-ation at New York University and a leading expert on Afghanistan.

He added: “It is difficult for us to predict the future of the negotiations but we hope that Doha talks to take a new dimension turning into an Afghan dialogue involving all Afghans which will help change

the character of the talks that could be successful.”

In a roundtable discussion organised yesterday by Al

Jazeera Centre for Studies on the future of Afghanistan in light of peace talks between the Taliban and the United States, Rubin said

that Afghanistan could not go back to its totally calm past but if it has a calm future, it would be extremely different.

“Afghanistan’s stability in the past (before war days) was based on country’s isolated status. Now, it is not isolated and will never return to be an isolated country again. If the country wants a peaceful future, the peace should be based on cooperation,” he noted.

Rubin stressed that the Taliban would continue to fight as long as they were connected to Al Qaeda, adding that the problem with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan was the fear of government collapse and the return of armed troops.

Rubin also said that many countries such as China and Iran were interested in restoring sta-bility to Afghanistan.

When asked whether US President Trump was serious about ending the Taliban war

and reaching a certain set-tlement, or it was a step to cover up his administration’s failure in other areas such as North Korea and Iran, Rubin said: “President Trump is serious about reaching a settlement with the Taliban. He is not supporting these talks because he wants peace, he sup-ports these talks because he wants to withdraw his troops as he thinks it is a useless mission.”

Regarding a question about the most important demand from the Taliban side during talks, he said: “The Taliban’s most important demand from US is the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and all other foreign troops.”

The United States of America and the Taliban held a round of peace talks between February 25 and March 12, 2019, in Qatar, in continuation of the last round of peace talks that took place between January 21 and January 26, 2019.

Dr Barnett R Rubin (left), Senior Fellow and Associate Director of CIC, and Dr Ezzeddine Abdelmoula, Manager of Research at Al Jazeera Centre For Studies, during a media roundtable on the future of resolution in Afghanistan held at Al Jazeera Centre for Studies yesterday.

04 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019HOME

Ministry of Education to hold Education ConferenceQNA DOHA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education will organise the Education Conference 2019 under the theme ‘Education Makes a Difference’ as an educational scientific platform to share local, regional and international experiences, ideas and best practices in the field of education.

The Ministry said in a press release that Richard Gerver will be the official speaker at the opening ceremony of the con-ference, while Dr Hitmi Khalifa Alhitmi will be officially speaking at the closing cer-emony of the Education Con-ference at the Qatar National Convention Center.

In his keynote address at the conference, Richard Gerver will talk about how to build an inno-vative educational system that can make a great impact on learners.

He will share with the audience the insights he has gained from his own experience as he leads one of the most innovative schools in the world,

as well as the outstanding ideas gained from world leaders, sci-entists and major companies that won the Nobel Prize.

Grever will raise challenging questions about the future of education and the challenges faced by all to ensure that stu-dents are prepared not only to survive in a world of great change but also to prosper and develop, in addition to pre-paring a working paper for the participants containing a series of key questions on the concept of leadership, as well as addi-tional lectures on quality man-agement in learning.

In his speech at the closing ceremony Dr Hitmi Khalifa Alhitmi will help attendees to acquire the skill of teaching, and provides them with means to help them research and learn about various subjects, including the ability to solve the problems they face in daily life, and will help community fight rumors spread through social media, with the ability to dis-tinguish between reliable and unreliable sources.

Richard Gerver has been described as one of the most

inspirational leaders of his gen-eration. He is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author and world-renowned thinker.

His views and ideas on edu-cation, his goals, the process of change and leadership have given him the opportunity to work in many prestigious organizations and companies in these fields.

He has worked in various schools and government agencies around the world, and has extended his influence to the music sector, advising the industry, as well as sports and Olympic organizations.

Dr Hitmi Khalifa Alhitmi is a researcher and lecturer at Qatar University and the Uni-versity of Edinburgh. He holds a PhD in Business from the Uni-versity of Edinburgh-Scotland and is a graduate of Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

He holds a master’s degree in Marketing Management from Aberdeen University of Scotland, and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) focused in International Business, marketing, Philosophy from Ohio University.

THE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatargas employees and contractors partic-ipated in a month-long blood donation drive, organised by the Company’s Medical Department in cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), at the Qatargas Doha Head Office, Ras Laffan Headquarters and Al Khor Community. Qatargas has been organising blood donation drives for the past 18 years, in cooperation with HMC. This year, approximately 380 Qatargas employees and contractors registered for the campaign, and a total of 273 units of blood was collected.

As part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, Qatargas organises blood donation campaigns engaging the employees in a wide range of health awareness programmes and sup-porting the local health organisations.

Blood donation helps save the lives of thousands of patients every year including those affected with cancer, haemorrhagic disorders, thrombocytopenia, and blood dis-eases. Blood donation is also an essential

part of caring for both children and adults who are undergoing surgery, including organ transplantation, and of those requiring surgery as part of their treatment for dis-eases like cancer.

In addition to helping the blood bank increase its supply of blood and blood com-ponents, Qatargas believes that such cam-paigns also help promote a culture of vol-untary blood donation in the society.

One of the employees donating blood.

Qatargas staff & contractors take part in blood donation drive

QU and TAMUQ teams win UREP competitionFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Teams from Qatar University (QU) and Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) have been announced as the winners of the 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) Competition.

Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foun-dation (QF) and Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre held the Competition at Qatar National Convention Centre, yesterday.

UREP, one of QNRF’s main programs, aims to develop research infrastructure in Qatar by establishing the basis of scien-tific research at undergraduate level, and its UREP Competition is held annually to recognise out-standing projects from the program. This year, 58 projects were selected after a competitive and rigorous screening process. Of these, 17 projects were short-listed and 14 passed the final review stage to compete in the competition. “Over the years, undergraduate students have built on their UREP experience to pursue further education and develop their research to actively contribute towards the

development of Qatar,” said Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Executive Director, QNRF.

“We take special pride in the fact that more than 235 scientific publications have been generated in the past UREP cycles which include 20 book chapters, 105 journal papers, 38 online papers, and 73 conference papers,” he added.

Hussain Al Hijji, Vice-Pres-ident, Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre, said, “We believe R&D is a fundamental part of Shell’s past and future success. Therefore, we continue to invest in people, projects, and facilities and in the same spirit, Qatar Shell is co-funding this important com-petition. “The UREP program not only seeds the brilliant ideas from students and supports their devel-opment, but also acknowledges the mentoring professors and peers who constitute an important part of the participants’ academic

journey.” First place in oral pres-entation was awarded to QU for the project, ‘Extracorporeal Mem-brane Oxygenation Simulator for Patient Management Training at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

In the poster presentations category, TAMUQ won first place with, ‘An Investigation of the Factors Affecting Barite Sagging Related to Drilling Fluid Prop-erties.’ “The research area is not part of our curriculum. It gave us the opportunity to improve our skills and added to our scope of knowledge on how to do conduct a research,” Alireza Roustazadeh, a member of the TAMUQ team that won the poster presentation, told The Peninsula.

The final competition included six oral presentations and eight poster presentations which were evaluated by an expert panel of judges.

“Many research work done under the UREP have been already published in international journals. Today the presentations were very competitive. It is a good sign of progress in developing human capital in the country,” said Dr Aisha Al Obaidly, Director of capacity Building at QNRF and member of the judging panel at 11th UREP.

Hussain Al Hijji (left), Vice-President, Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre; and Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie (right), Executive Director, Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), with winners of 11th Annual Undergraduate Research Experience Program Competition’s poster presentation winners, Dr Mahmood Amani (centre), Research Mentor; Muhammad Farooq Zia (second left) and Alireza Roustazadeh, during the awarding ceremony held at the QNCC in Doha, yesterday. PIC: SALIM MATRAMKOT / THE PENINSULA

Lulu outlets mark Earth HourLulu Hypermarkets observed Earth Hour on Saturday from 8.30pm to 9.30pm by switching off all external lights in all their branches across Qatar.

UREP, one of QNRF’s main programs, aims to develop research infrastructure in Qatar by establishing the basis of scientific research at undergraduate level.

Moushtarayat offers QR5.8bn business opportunities to SMEs

FROM PAGE 1It will conclude on April 2 at Doha Exhibition

& Convention Center (DECC). Commenting on the launch ceremony, the QDB CEO, said: “We are pleased to launch the Moushtarayat 2019 will usher in a wave of new opportunities for the government-private sector cooperation. The exhibition is an important platform for SMEs to communicate with government agencies and to identify tenders and contracts, thus opening the horizons of cooper-ation with government agencies and winning their tenders.”

He added: “I would like to express our grat-itude towards our partners Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI), Public Works Authority (Ashghal), and Ministry of

Municipality and Environment who have supported this endeavor since inception and making this a huge success. We assure the SMEs of Qatar that QDB will keep on bringing newer paradigms of growth to channelize their success and build a sus-tainable future, and realizing the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

This year’s Moushtarayat conference and exhi-bition is the latest in a series of integrated pro-grammes and initiatives offered by QDB to develop SMEs.

To promote the private sector, QDB locally extends wide-ranging financial and non-financial support to entrepreneurs across a myriad of indus-tries so that SMEs may achieve higher scales of competitiveness in Qatar.

H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Thani, Deputy Governor of Qatar Central Bank, who is also the Vice-Chairman of Qatar Development Bank (QDB), cutting the ribbon to mark the official opening of the 4th edition of Government Procurement and Contracting Conference & Exhibition (Moushtarayat 2019), at DECC, yesterday. Also seen are Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker; CEO of QDB, Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa; dignitaries and senior government officials.

05MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 HOME

MoTC projects key to achieving National Road Safety Strategy goalsQNA DOHA

The National Road Safety Strategy Follow-up Committee held a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) part of its meetings with repre-sentatives of concerned minis-tries and entities on the matter.

Undersecretary of the Min-istry of Education and Higher Education and the Head of the Committee Dr Ibrahim Al Nuaimi said the projects of the Ministry

of Transport and Communica-tions is very important to achieving the goals of the National Road Safety Strategy. Al Nuaimi said the committee’s

role is to support the ministry to achieve its priorities and address the challenges that may affect the progress of these projects.

The Assistant Undersecretary of Land Transport Affairs at MoTC Rashid Taleb Al Nabet highlighted the importance of the meeting as it is on the core com-petencies that the ministry is working to achieve and seeks to preserve the safety of lives and properties, under the National Road Safety Strategy.

He praised the role of the committee in supporting the ministry’s plans and projects related to traffic safety.

The team then reviewed the 29 plans of the ministry, dis-tributed across various

departments and timelines. These include the compre-hensive plan for pedestrian crossings in the State of Qatar which includes a guide to the pedestrian crossings designs, the

initial design of the crossings and the study of pedestrian flows in central Doha. In addition to the initial design to link Lusail with a highway to facilitate access and to connect it to a multi road

network, keeping up with the pace of the city’s development, as well as many important projects that aim to develop traffic according to the highest international standards.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Head of the Follow-Up Committee , Dr Ibrahim Al Nuaimi, with other officials at the meeting.

The National Road Safety Strategy Follow-up Committee reviewed 29 plans of the ministry, distributed across various departments and timelines. These include the comprehensive plan for pedestrian crossings Qatar which includes a guide to the pedestrian crossings designs, the initial design of the crossings and the study of pedestrian flows in central Doha.

The Pearl-Qatar observes Earth HourTHE PENINSULA DOHA

United Development Company (UDC), master developer of The Pearl-Qatar and Gewan islands, took part in the Earth Hour initi-ative on Saturday by switching off unnecessary lights from 8.30pm till 9.30pm.

The switch off covered Porto Arabia boardwalk, Qanat Quartier and Medina Centrale retail areas and UDC Tower.

Participating in Earth Hour comes within UDC’s com-mitment to its social responsi-bility towards the local envi-ronment, evident by its efforts in integrating sustainable

practices into business decisions and by adopting conscious methods in the management and recycling of waste on the Island.

UDC also adopts policies to ensure the optimal use of energy in all its projects, and organises events that aim to highlight envi-ronmental and social initiatives and concerns.

UDC Tower before and after switching off the lights to mark the Earth Hour.

QDF opens Al Jazeera Perfumes boutique at HIATHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Duty Free (QDF) announced yesterday the launch of the first-ever airport branch of the award-winning Qatari brand, Al Jazeera Perfumes, at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The new airport outlet brings travel shoppers a premium selection of perfumes blending traditional Middle Eastern aromas with distinctive Parisian scents.

Located in Concourse C adjacent to the iconic Lamp Bear, the boutique combines elements of Al Jazeera Perfumes’ Middle Eastern inspiration with a sleek contemporary twist.

The royal gold-themed airport shop brings the brand’s high-street concept to the heart of HIA and will showcase a selection of best-selling fra-grances, including Magic and Malachite. In addition, the store offers a special fragrance col-lection of the finest quality from Montale Paris, the French ambassadors of oud.

Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President, Bruce Bowman, said: “It has been a privilege to work with the prestigious Qatari fra-grance brand Al Jazeera Per-fumes, as we bring this elegant fragrance brand to our home and hub, Hamad International Airport. We are proud to support and feature local brands amongst

the wide array of luxury stores available at HIA. We constantly strive to enhance our offering and delight customers with an experience worth travelling for, and are confident that Al Jazeera Perfumes will be an instant success with all our passengers.”

Al Jazeera Perfumes General Manager, Ahmed Essa Al Hashemi, said: “We are very proud to partner with Qatar Duty Free to launch our very first Al Jazeera Per-fumes airport exclusive shop at Hamad Inter-national Airport.

As an award-winning brand, we specialise in providing our customers with the most exclusive collection of perfume

oils in the Middle East. This airport exclusive will provide an excellent opportunity for us to increase our presence in part-nership with an award-winning retailer at HIA.”

Al Jazeera Perfumes breezed into the world of fragrances and perfumes in 1998, and achieved immediate success in Doha.

The brand continued to expand its footprint by opening a number of branches in Oman and Kuwait, as well as an exclusive store at the heart of Champs-Elysees in Paris, France. In 2017, Al Jazeera Per-fumes was named ‘Brand of the Year’ at the World Branding Awards at Kensington Palace in London. The Al Jazeera Perfumes outlet at HIA.

Aspire Embassies Futsal Tournament begins on ThursdayTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) readies to put its curtains up on the third edition of the Aspire Embassies Futsal Tournament that is jointly organised with Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The tournament is scheduled to be held between April 4 and 27 on Thursdays and Saturdays of every week at the Ladies Sports Hall.

2019’s edition, the tournament will feature 16 diplomatic teams of embassies in the State of Qatar, representing countries like: Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Djiboti, Eretria, Oman, France, India, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Mali, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Syria and a team representing Qatar that will include members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The tournament, which arose from the mini

Aspire Ramadan Festival edition in 2015, is an opportunity for diplomats and representatives of the embassies to escape their typical work setting and experience an electrifying environment that combines fun and entertainment.

Director of Events and Venues at AZF, Abdullah Aman Al-Khater, said: “The previous editions of the tournament have received great recognition from participants who attended with high spirits in a prevailed competitive ambiance. After the tre-mendous success of the previous editions, 2019’s edition comes in with 16 embassies and diplomatic representatives with confirmed participation. The exquisiteness of the tournament provides a way for diplomats to communicate with one another away from their usual formality.”

Each team will consist of 9 players, comprising of diplomats and representatives from each embassy.

HBKU research institute advances dementia studyTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a Qatar Foundation (QF) member is leading the region in accelerating research in dementia.

QBRI is working with Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), and Hamad Medical Corpo-ration (HMC), in a study to identify dementia among Qatar’s population.

This partnership will enhance the country’s national strategy against dementia and accelerate research into the disease.

Someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds. According to the World Health Organization, this means there are 9.9 million new cases of dementia worldwide each year.

This neurodegenerative

disorder usually affects people over the age of 65 and causes indescribable mental, physical, and financial stress on patients and their families, as well as the economies of their countries.

The need to accelerate research aimed at finding a cure for dementia has become as big a priority as battling diseases such as cancer or diabetes.

Dr Omar El Agnaf, Executive Director, QBRI, emphasized the need to increase public awareness and research dedi-cated to finding breakthroughs for dementia. “We adopt a holistic approach to research into

dementia, because the link between neurological disorders in the elderly and other medical conditions is well documented,”

he said. “For instance, patients with type 2 diabetes are three-to-four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or Parkin-

son’s disease.”“In addition, it has been

reported that 50 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes will

develop dementia. This means we cannot tackle one disease without tackling the other. Our study in collaboration with HMC & WCM-Q, will help us to better understand the clinical back-ground, family history, and envi-ronmental and lifestyle factors related to dementia and type 2 diabetes. “As we have approached this study in a sys-tematic manner, and are investing a considerable amount of resources and manpower, we’re confident that it will lead to important results,” he said.

Since its establishment in 2012, QBRI has evolved into an internationally recognized research facility. Its dedicated Neurological Disorders Research Center is unique to the region and explores brain-related dis-orders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and epilepsy, through national and international collaborations.

Researchers at QBRI’s Neurological Disorders Research Center.

The need to accelerate research aimed at finding a cure for dementia has become as big a priority as battling diseases such as cancer or diabetes.

FBQ Museum announces launch of Qatar–India Cultural ExhibitionsTHE PENINSULA DOHA

FBQ Museum has announced the launch of its Qatar–India Cultural Exhibitions in line with the Qatar India 2019 Year of Culture, in partnership with the Indian Embassy.

A Qatar Museums initiative, the Year of Culture is a year-long programme developed to deepen understanding between nations through mutual exchanges of arts, culture, heritage and sport.

Under the context of cultural exchange, FBQ Museum brings together the treasures of the museum-owned collection in order to promote mutual under-standing, recognition and appre-ciation between Qatar and India.

Composed of five main topics – Community, Trade, Arts, Food and Incense – the exhibition takes one on a journey exploring the rich and diverse Indian cul-tures, the long historic links between Qatar and India and cultural similarities between Qatar and India.

Aspects of language, religion,

calligraphy, fashion and design, spices and trade are placed in an astonishing and reviving context, thus raising awareness of close links that one might have for-gotten in the passage of time.

Complementing the rather historic exhibition at the FBQ Museum’s main hall, an exhi-bition by Indian miniature artists Ajay and Vinita Sharma will be opened simultaneously at FBQ Museum’s new contemporary art space The White Majlis. The exhi-bition will establish their

achievement as artists trained by masters and depict their journeys to becoming experimental con-temporary artists in their own right. After an exclusive VIP preview on Thursday, the exhi-bitions will be officially open to the public on Friday and on display until the end of July 2019 during museum opening hours.

Exhibition curator Prof. Mohammedmoin Sadeq will offer a lecture about the exhibition at the museum’s main hall on April 13 at 3pm, followed by a guided tour.

FBQ Museum has announced the launch of its Qatar–India Cultural Exhibitions in line with the Qatar India 2019 Year of Culture, in partnership with the Indian Embassy.

10th edition of QIFF a huge successTHE PENINSULA DOHA

The 11-day 10th anniversary edition of Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) concluded on Saturday, after offering thousands of foodies and families newer flavours, live entertainment and outdoor at Qatar Foundation’s Oxygen Park.

To mark the special edition, this year QIFF hosted 37 international and local celebrity chefs to enthrall audiences with their culinary brilliance. This is the largest number of chefs hosted in any one edition.

In addition to live cooking demos and cooking competitions, people sampled mouth-watering F&B offerings at 157 booths, 12 food trucks, and various booths at the Torba Farmers Market within QF’s Education City. Alongside the main festival, QIFF offered month-long side activities including exclusive Chef’s Table sessions and cooking mas-terclasses with international chefs, nutrition workshops for schoolchildren, and exclusive QIFF Menu listing dis-counted meals at over 90 popular

eateries across the country. Mashal Shahbik from Qatar National

Tourism Council (QNTC) commented, “QIFF has established itself as an annual tradition where visitors consistently experience the best of our country’s food and beverage offerings, scenic locations and wonderful spring weather. We are proud of its legacy of 10 years and look forward to seeing it grow further, curating new experiences every year for residents and visitors.”

“QIFF has also become a platform for local businesses to introduce new, innovative offerings to a diverse audience. It has been a delight to see our local chefs demonstrating their talent side by side with the world’s top cooks.”

QF collaborated with QIFF this year as its Strategic Partner, hosting the 10th edition in Oxygen Park.

The partnership extended beyond the festival’s venue with Qatar National Library hosting QIFF’s healthy nutrition workshops for schoolchildren and the Chef’s Garden restaurant in Education City hosting Masterclasses of four inter-national chefs. Torba Farmers Market

also extended its weekend timings to operate throughout the duration of the festival.

Khalifa Essa Al Kubaisi, Media Rela-tions Manager, QF said, “Qatar Foun-dation is proud to have hosted the 10th edition of the Qatar International Food Festival at Education City’s Oxygen Park, and we congratulate the organisers and participants for their efforts in ensuring the success of this event. “Over the past 11 days, the festival has brought together thousands of visitors from all over Qatar, and beyond, in one place for a wonderful community event, presenting them with an array of cuisines from around the world amid Qatar Foundation’s unique environment.”

Qatar Airways was the Official Airline Partner of QIFF’s 10th Edition, flying in over 20 international chefs to participate in the festival this year as well as offering special discounted fares to selected destinations.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice-President for Marketing and Corporate Commu-nications, Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways takes great pride in Qatar

uniting its diverse community together. The national airline carrier brought in the largest number of chefs from across the globe to the 10th edition of QIFF to showcase an array of new cuisines, while enjoying fun filled activities and live entertainment. It has been a great experience and we look forward to the next one in 2020.”

QIFF’s partner from last year beIN

also joined this year’s edition, holding daily cooking competitions and bringing in international star chefs from Discov-ery’s Food Network and Fatafeat channel.

Vodafone Qatar, the official telecom-munications partner of QIFF 2019 pro-vided free high-speed internet facility to QIFF visitors and organisers through its world-class GigaNet network.

A view of QIFF at Oxygen Park.

10/20/30 promotion begins at Safari THE PENINSULA DOHA

Safari, a well-known retail chain in Qatar, is back with exciting 10/20/30 promotion starting today. The customers can avail of wide variety of food products and consumer durables just for 10/20/30 Qatari riyals.

Compared to other retail chains, Safari always offers fast moving consumer durables and other products considering the individual customer budget and needs. Though the rates are much lower, Safari never com-promise on the quality of products.

Products offered in this promotion includes fruits, veg-etables, fish, meat, bakery items, hot live food and other food items, cosmetics, household durables, read-ymade garments, footwear, electronics, and computer accessories.

Taking into consideration, children who prepare for coming academic year, Safari has included a wide variety of school, office stationery, school

bags, etc. The highlights include 1,200gm Sadia chicken for QR10, 750gm Nutella for QR20 and German made 1 litre “Rot-punkat” flask for QR30 etc.

Safari bakery and hot food section comprise a wide variety of western, South Indian, North Indian, Arabic and Chinese food items. It incorporates combo offers like 400gm of ghee rice with dal curry and half chicken fry cost only QR10.

Apart from this, hot food section has delicious kappa, fish curry, beef roast, burger at nominal prices.

The promotion includes salads, cheese items, fresh jam, butter block, mixed pickles, green salads, juice, milk products, snacks, etc.

The household section offers a variety of products including cosmetics from prominent manufacturers. The promotional items in elec-tronics section are emergency lights, trimmers, torch, calcu-lator and headset.

Apart from promotion, Safari is organising evening music programme by well-known artists from Qatar on April 2, 3 and 4.

This programme will be conducted at Safari Mall food court from 6.30pm onwards. The entry is absolutely free for customers.

Further, the final and 5th draw of the ongoing 10kg gold mega promotion will be held during this promotional period.

Birla Public School celebrates Kindergarten Graduation DayTHE PENINSULA DOHA

Kindergarten at Birla Public School celebrated a milestone for the kindergarteners as they graduated off to yet a new beginning of their academic journey.

The little graduates with excitement in their voices, happiness in their hearts looked gra-cious in their blue gowns and caps. The cer-emony which was conducted for three con-secutive days was graced by Chairman Lukose

K Chako, Vice-Chairman Gope Shahani, Director Maria Thomas, member academic sub-committee; Principal A P Sharma; Senior Vice-Principal Shirly Rappai, and other academic heads.

The children thanked their mentors for their guidance, care, love, support and above all for the knowledge they had gathered during the two years they were kindergarteners.

They shared their fond memories, the time spent with friends, all about what they had learned with their teachers. The students with school officials during the Kindergarten Graduation Day Ceremony.

06 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019HOME

07MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 HOME

Facebook already publishes transparency reports on how effectively we’re removing harmful content. I believe every major internet service should do this quarterly, because it’s just as important as financial reporting.

08 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019VIEWS

The Internet needs new rules. Let’s start in these four areas.

Technology is a major part of our lives, and companies such as Facebook have immense responsibilities. Every day, we

make decisions about what speech is harmful, what constitutes political advertising, and how to prevent sophisticated cyberattacks. These are important for keeping our community safe. But if we were starting from scratch, we wouldn’t ask companies to make these judgments alone.

I believe we need a more active role for governments and regulators. By updating the rules for the internet, we can preserve what’s best about it - the freedom for people to express themselves and for entrepreneurs to build new things - while also pro-tecting society from broader harms.

From what I’ve learned, I believe we need new regulation in four areas: harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.

First, harmful content. Facebook gives everyone a way to use their voice, and that creates real benefits - from sharing experiences to growing movements. As part of this, we have a responsibility to keep people safe on our services. That means deciding what counts as terrorist propaganda, hate speech and more. We continually

review our pol-icies with experts, but at our scale we’ll always make mistakes and decisions that people dis-agree with.

Lawmakers often tell me we have too much power over speech, and frankly I agree. I’ve come to believe that we shouldn’t make so many important decisions about speech on our own. So we’re creating an independent

body so people can appeal our deci-sions. We’re also working with gov-ernments, including French officials, on ensuring the effectiveness of content review systems.

Internet companies should be accountable for enforcing standards on harmful content. It’s impossible to remove all harmful content from the internet, but when people use dozens of different sharing services - all with their own policies and processes - we need a more standardized approach.

One idea is for third-party bodies to set standards governing the distri-bution of harmful content and to measure companies against those standards. Regulation could set base-lines for what’s prohibited and require companies to build systems for keeping harmful content to a bare minimum.

Facebook already publishes trans-parency reports on how effectively we’re removing harmful content. I believe every major internet service should do this quarterly, because it’s just as important as financial reporting. Once we understand the prevalence of harmful content, we can see which companies are improving and where we should set the baselines.

Second, legislation is important for protecting elections. Facebook has already made significant changes around political ads: Advertisers in many countries must verify their iden-tities before purchasing political ads. We built a searchable archive that shows who pays for ads, what other ads they ran and what audiences saw the ads. However, deciding whether an ad is political isn’t always straight-forward. Our systems would be more effective if regulation created common standards for verifying political actors.

Online political advertising laws primarily focus on candidates and elections, rather than divisive political issues where we’ve seen more attempted interference. Some laws only apply during elections, although information campaigns are nonstop. And there are also important questions about how political campaigns use data and targeting. We believe legis-lation should be updated to reflect the reality of the threats and set standards for the whole industry.

Third, effective privacy and data protection needs a globally harmo-nized framework. People around the world have called for comprehensive privacy regulation in line with the European Union’s General Data Pro-tection Regulation, and I agree. I believe it would be good for the internet if more countries adopted regulation such as GDPR as a common framework.

New privacy regulation in the United States and around the world should build on the protections GDPR provides. It should protect your right

to choose how your information is used - while enabling companies to use information for safety purposes and to provide services. It shouldn’t require data to be stored locally, which would make it more vulnerable to unwarranted access. And it should establish a way to hold companies such as Facebook accountable by imposing sanctions when we make mistakes.

I also believe a common global framework - rather than regulation that varies significantly by country and state - will ensure that the internet does not get fractured, entrepreneurs can build products that serve eve-ryone, and everyone gets the same protections.

As lawmakers adopt new privacy regulations, I hope they can help answer some of the questions GDPR leaves open. We need clear rules on when information can be used to serve the public interest and how it should apply to new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Finally, regulation should guar-antee the principle of data portability. If you share data with one service, you should be able to move it to another. This gives people choice and enables developers to innovate and compete.

This is important for the internet - and for creating services people want. It’s why we built our development platform. True data portability should look more like the way people use our platform to sign into an app than the existing ways you can download an archive of your information. But this requires clear rules about who’s responsible for protecting information when it moves between services.

This also needs common standards, which is why we support a standard data transfer format and the open source Data Transfer Project.

I believe Facebook has a responsi-bility to help address these issues, and I’m looking forward to discussing them with lawmakers around the world. We’ve built advanced systems for finding harmful content, stopping election interference and making ads more transparent. But people shouldn’t have to rely on individual companies addressing these issues by themselves. We should have a broader debate about what we want as a society and how regulation can help.

MARK ZUCKERBERG

QUOTE OF THE DAYYou can enter a

political contest with your own opinion,

without succumbing to populism, and win

confidence without aggressive vocabulary and insidious personal attacks. Slovakia wants

this kind of change.

Zuzana Caputova Slovakia’s President-elect

The Saudi torture machine

Saudi Arabia may be conceding, slightly, to the growing interna-tional outrage over human rights crimes committed by

security forces linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On Thursday, three of more than a dozen women arrested in the past year were freed. A Saudi human rights group says it is believed that eight other women on trial with them in Riyadh could also be released in the coming days. If so, that would be a step toward ending the enormous suffering inflicted on these peaceful activists. But it falls far short of the accountability necessary to ensure that the runaway abuses by the crown prince and his thugs will cease.

Aziza Al Yousef and Eman al-Nafjan were among a number of women’s rights advocates who were arrested last May. They were provi-sionally released with religious scholar Rokaya Al Mohareb, though their trial continues. Among those still being held

are some of the most renowned Saudi women, including Loujain al-Hath-louland Hatoon Al Fassi. Two others, Samar Badawi and Nassima al-Sadah, were not included in the Riyadh trial and remain imprisoned without charge.

After the women were arrested, most were held incommunicado for months in secret prisons and, according to testimony they delivered in court, brutally tortured. Ms. Hathloul’s family has said she and others were subjected to beatings, electric shocks, water-boarding and sexual harassment. One of the women reportedly was so trau-matized that she attempted suicide. Meanwhile, government media and senior officials, including Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir, slandered them as “traitors” who had accepted money from foreign governments to commit espionage.

When the closed trial of the women finally began this month, the charges turned out to be far weaker. According to human rights groups and other sources, Hathloul is accused of such

offenses as communicating with human rights groups, journalists and Western diplomats about women’s rights issues and applying for a young professionals program at the United Nations. That retreat from the libels of the crown prince and Jubeir probably reflects a recognition that the perse-cution of the women, which has been denounced by the United Nations, numerous Western governments and a US Senate resolution, is unsustainable.

Simple justice demands that all of the women be released and the charges against them dropped. But that would not address the larger insti-tutional problem, which is the crown prince’s command of special security forces that have committed multiple crimes, including the murder and dis-memberment of journalist and Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. The reported architect of the Khashoggi operation, Saud Al Qahtani, is also alleged to have overseen the torture of Hathloul, whom he reportedly threatened with rape and murder.

When the Arab leaders meet at the summit, which is supposed to settle differences, it turns into battle field as usual and instead of addressing serious issues, they make the summit an arena for repeated and hollow speeches, in which none of the challenges and problems facing the region could be raised.

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFIeditorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMEDm.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

ESTABLISHED IN 1996

EDITORIAL

Another usual summit

Whenever an Arab summit is announced, the Arab people look at this meeting as an event where leaders may take a decision to solve at least one

of the problems staring at the region for generations.The Arab region suffers from several challenges, many

of which have been plaguing the people for years such as rising unemployment, lack of economic growth, spreading terrorism, extremism and political conflicts.

So when wars or crisis end or calm down, another wars and crises loom over, such as the wars in Iraq, Somalia, Darfur and elsewhere occupied the region tension for decades. These lead to more destructive wars which cause serious humanitarian crises never seen before in the region.

The ongoing conflicts, serious divisions and unrest - from the long-running wars in Syria, Yemen and Libya’s instability, and the mass anti-government protests in Algeria and Sudan to a major diplomatic dispute in the Gulf may not be the last in the region.

When the Arab leaders meet at the summit, which is supposed to settle differences, it turns into battle field as

usual and instead of addressing serious issues, they make the summit an arena for repeated and hollow speeches, in which none of the chal-lenges and problems facing the region could be raised.

Thus, the summit becomes a routine act that does not meet the demands of the Arab people and does not contribute to solving any of its economic or social problems and its outcome causes further frus-tration among people.

The 30th Arab League summit in Tunisia came yes-terday in this context and its outcomes failed to meet the expectations of Arab people.

All that happened at the summit is a confirmation of what was already known such as emphasis on the Palestinian rights which are facing real threat this time because of the unilateral measures taken by the current United States (US) administration.

Arab leaders meeting in Tunis have issued a renewed call for the establishment of a Palestinian state and condemned a move by the US to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.

Most of the leaders who spoke at the summit stressed on the need to promote Arab unity, and achieve Arab rec-onciliation based on mutual trust. Arab countries have no choice but to cooperate and enhance confidence and cooperation between them, but there is nothing new for the public in this regard. Speeches without political will to settle differences and work together will remain a distant dream and this summit was not exception because it has been preceeded by many failed summits which could not live up to the aspirations of the Arab citizens and their hopes for a bright future for the region.

THE WASHINGTON POST

Naming and shaming is what we must do not just to mass murderers like Brenton Tarrant, Anders Breivik, Robert Gregory Bowers, Dylann Roof or Timothy McVeigh, who actually pulled triggers, but also to those who have consistently sown the seeds of white supremacy and produced the very vocabulary of hate that enabled and agitated the infested minds of these Islamophobes, anti-Semites and anti-black racists.

09MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 OPINION

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One year on, tough times loom for Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed

When it comes to Islamophobia, we need to name names

CHRIS STEIN AFP

HAMID DABASHI AL JAZEERA

In his first speech as Ethiopian prime minister last April, Abiy Ahmed called for an end to the repressive, exclusionary gov-

ernance that had plunged the country into turmoil.

It was a promise on which he is seen to have delivered dramatically, earning him both international acclaim and domestic popularity so great that his keenest supporters say he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

“Before Abiy came, our fear was that Ethiopia would descend into civil war,” said Hassen Hussein, a top official in the Oromo Democratic Front, one of the many banned groups welcomed back from exile.

Yet the new prime minister’s first year in office has also been marked by a surge in ethnic violence that has forced 1.8 million people out of their homes.

While Abiy has remade the public face of the ruling omnipotent Ethi-opian People’s Revolutionary Demo-cratic Front (EPRDF), diplomats and politicians say politics remains very

much as usual at the local level.“Many people, especially at the

grassroots level, are asking, where is the change?” said Merera Gudina, a top opposition politician. “Both the depth and pace of change... people are really doubting.”

As Abiy enters his second year in office, he faces a new challenge: keeping his promise to make 2020 elections free and fair despite rising political violence.

Abiy, who was sworn into power on April 2, 2018, took office following the resignation of his predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn, after more than two years of anti-government protests and growing discord within the EPRDF.

A former science minister, Abiy comes from the Oromo people, Ethio-pia’s largest ethnic group. He rose up through the military and intelligence services, reaching the rank of lieu-tenant colonel.

The 42-year-old won over Ethio-pians with his rapid, dramatic reforms, often delivered with a per-sonal touch.

He met publicly with newly-freed political prisoners and held repeated meetings with old foe Eritrean Pres-ident Isaias Afwerki to negotiate a July 2018 agreement re-establishing rela-tions following a bloody 1998-2000 border war.

“For the first time in the country’s history, he is negotiating with the opposition,” said Merera, who was jailed under Hailemariam, then released on the eve of his resignation.

But Merera worries whether the four parties that make up the EPRDF -- and especially the old guard from the Tigrayan minority that dominated

the coalition until Abiy’s rise -- really support him.

“We are not sure the degree to which the EPRDF is committed,” he said. At the local level, politics has changed little.

“The ruling party is the ruling party; the cadres are the same, the service delivery is the same,” Merera said. Those who have met the prime minister worry over his tendency to show off his accomplishments while revealing little about his plans to tackle the country’s challenges.

Abiy made headlines last October by appointing a cabinet in which half the ministers were women. But critics say he has taken power into his own hands and sidelined government ministries.

“It’s a one-man show... it’s not a functional government,” one foreign diplomat told AFP, adding that among embassies, “a few eyebrows are now rising.”

Shortly after Abiy took office, a long-running dispute over land in southern Ethiopia’s West Guji and Gedeo zones erupted into ethnic fighting that forced nearly a million people from their homes.

Such violence continued through Abiy’s first year.

Last September at least 58 people, mostly from minority ethnic groups, were killed on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa, while aid groups said in December that ethnic violence in western Ethiopia had displaced 250,000 people.

Analysts have blamed rising vio-lence on a slackening of the tight control the EPRDF once maintained on regional security forces and administration.

“You will never hear me mention his name,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the

New Zealand parliament soon after a mass murderer went on a rampage slaughtering 50 Muslims in two mosques in Christchurch.

“He is a terrorist, he is a criminal, he is an extremist,” she went on, “but he will, when I speak, be nameless, and to others I implore you: Speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He may have sought notoriety but we in New Zealand will give him nothing - not even his name.”

This may perhaps appear smart, an apt punitive twist, to deny the racist mass murderer the notoriety he craved. But if like me you have a Muslim name, you may pause and wonder.

For decades now our names have been made icons of terror and sus-picion at United States and European airports and borders. The addition of a few names like Brenton or Anders or Bill or Donald or Benjamin or Daniel on the terrorist list would be more than just poetic justice here.

Not naming Adolf Hitler will not bring back six million Jews slaughtered in Europe. Not naming Leopold II of Belgium will not undo the genocide he committed in Congo, in which between five and 10 million people died.

When Jews, Africans, Native Amer-icans, Asians, Latinx, and now Muslims are slaughtered, we need to know and spell out the names of their mass mur-derers. It is good for the posterity. It might teach humility to white coloni-alists in North America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and of course, Israel. The plague of racist white supremacy has already wreaked havoc around the

globe. In a piece for the Financial Times titled The power in depriving someone of their name, Sam Leith, a literary editor and author, argues that: “Ms. Ardern’s determination not to give the killer his name - now followed, apparently, by other outlets including the BBC - is a smartly intelligible response to the question of how one should respond, rhetorically, to a terror attack.”

That is indeed a lovely little literary thesis. But I wonder; where were these literary speculations when names like Mohammad, Ahmad, Osama, Ayman and Abu Bakr were turned into syn-onyms of terror and barbarity in every European language?

Now that a head of state of a “Western country”, as their colonial geography would have it, finally called a spade a spade and this mass mur-derer a terrorist, not naming his name denies the racialised origins of his crime. He is an Australian terrorist, a white terrorist, a Christian terrorist. Not naming him is like saying “This is not New Zealand” when referring to the mass slaughter of scores of Muslims. This might be all fine and dandy for the white ruling elite in denial in New Zealand, but certainly not for those who are on the receiving end of their institutionalised racism.

Naming and shaming is what we must do not just to mass murderers like Brenton Tarrant, Anders Breivik, Robert Gregory Bowers, Dylann Roof or Timothy McVeigh, who actually pulled triggers, but also to those who have consistently sown the seeds of white supremacy and produced the very vocabulary of hate that enabled and agitated the infested minds of these Islamophobes, anti-Semites and anti-black racists.

In an excellent piece for Foreign policy, Sasha Polakow-Suransky and Sarah Wildman demonstrate how the inspiration for the mass murder in New Zealand came from France, particu-larly from the work of a certain far-right ideologue named Renaud Camus.

The world needs to know that this Camus and his ilk spread hatred of Muslims in France, and an Australian racist picks it up and goes to New Zealand to kill Muslims. We are not in a position to take this Camus character to any court of law. But we are in a position to scandalise him.

I am sure every European country has a Camus of its own, churning racist writings to the delight of millions of Europeans. In the US we also have our share of racist Islamophobes. The world must also know their ignoble names and their terrorising ideologies.

Brenton Tarrant is a dumb Islamo-phobe. Bill Maher, a chief Islamophobe, on the other hand, is so smart in his Islamophobia that he has actually made a lucrative career out of it. He has a well-paid job at HBO spreading his racist, Islamophobic drivel.

Every bleeding-heart liberal is now rushing to condemn the massacre of Muslims in Christchurch New Zealand. But come next Friday evening, they will all sit in front of their flat screen TVs and laugh out loud at Bill Maher’s “jokes” demonising Muslims as collec-tively violent terrorists.

You may think President Donald Trump or his evangelical crusaders like Steve Bannon or Mike Pompeo or that homophobic brute, Mike Pence are the notorious Islamophobes we must mark and investigate. But they are not. They are universally detested by liberal Americans. But talk show host Bill Maher is not.

He is actually loved by liberal Americans. They crawl over each other to be at his recording studio to laugh and clap and cheer at his “jokes”. Bill Maher is far more dan-gerous than Trump, Pence or Bannon - he is a liberal institution who has been around long before Trump and Trumpism and will outlast him and his calamities. His visceral hatred of Islam and Muslims is something to behold.

Or this: “It speaks volumes about why liberal western culture is not just different. It’s better. President Obama keeps insisting that ISIS [ISIL] is not Islamic. Well, maybe they don’t practice the Muslim faith in the same way he does.”

What is the difference between the mass murderer who went on a rampage in Christchurch, New Zealand and the man who said this: “But if vast numbers of Muslims across the world believe - and they do - that humans deserve to die for

merely holding a different idea or

“Before Abiy came, our fear was that Ethiopia would descend into civil war,” said Hassen Hussein, a top official in the Oromo Democratic Front, one of the many banned groups welcomed back from exile.

drawing a cartoon or writing a book or eloping with the wrong person, not only does the Muslim world have something in common with ISIS. It has too much in common with ISIS.”

Ignorance is a deadly weaponSuch pure, undiluted, visceral

ignorance and nauseating racism is globally broadcast by HBO, for mass murderers to watch, listen, and learn before proceeding to write their “manifestos” and then murder Muslims. Bill Maher has weaponised their hatred with words and thoughts and ideas and jokes.

Bill Maher claims: “The kooks and the terrorists in the Christian and the Jewish world are truly just a little fringe. And in the Muslim world they draw from a vast pool of support, which is not in any other religion. So don’t try and feed me that line.”

Muslims, all 1.5 billion of them - men, women, and children - living on planet earth have no other business but to get up in the morning and start hating “the West” - this is Bill Maher’s mantra, day in day out, broadcast by the powerful network HBO.

How different are Bill Maher’s racist screeds from what a mass murderer wrote in his “manifesto”: “An attack in New Zealand would bring to attention the truth of the assault on our civilization, that no where [sic] in the world was safe, the invaders were in all of our lands, even in the remotest areas of the world and that there was no where [sic] left to go that was safe and free from mass immigration.”

The sweetheart of US and European liberals who even passes as a “leftist” believes: “I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in three hundred years?”

Demonstrators taking part in a protest against Islamophobia following the attacks at Christchurch in New Zealand on March 24, at the Times Square in New York.

10 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Al Shabaab says it executed four accused spies in SomaliaAP/NAIROBI

Somalia’s Al Shabaab extremist group says it has executed four men accused of spying for the British, Djibouti and Somali intelligence agencies. Al Shabaab announced the killings on its Andalus radio station yesterday, saying they were carried out by a firing squad in a public square in Kamsuma, a town in the Lower Jubba region.

The group’s spokesman said its recent spate of attacks on hotels in the capital, Mogadishu, have been part of its drive against Somali intelligence agents and other government officials who he said were staying at the hotels. “We don’t attack every hotel in Mogadishu, but those specific ones (hotels) attacked by fighters have got spe-cific features meriting them for attacks,” said Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage, on the rebels’ radio station. “A standard public hotel that civilians stay in is not protected by blast walls and soldiers. These apostates have got no distinct offices, and most of those men were killed at hotels they use as their offices,” he said, apparently referring to Somali government officials.

Nigerian journalist arrested by armed men: Witnesses and NGOAFP/WARRI, NIGERIA

Armed men thought to be state agents arrested a Nigerian jour-nalist, previously detained for more than two years, at a meeting with colleagues yesterday, witnesses and watchdog groups said.

“Two DSS (State Security Service) vehicles... stormed the office” of the Bayelsa Federated Newspaper Publishers’ Association in Yenagoa in Nigeria’s southern Bayelsa state around lunchtime, as Jones Abiri was in a meeting with six colleagues, the association’s secretary general Eric Eweke said. They “threatened that if tries to run, they would shoot at him,” said Eweke. Another witness, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said: “The men jumped out of the vehicles in a gestapo fashion while he (Abiri) was chatting with his friends and shouted at him that he was under arrest. “While he was demanding to know his offence, he was forcefully pushed into a waiting vehicle at gunpoint.”

Global aid helps Mozambique fight cholera in BeiraREUTERS AP

As Mozambique battles to control a fast-spreading cholera outbreak in the cyclone-hit central city of Beira, interna-tional assistance is arriving.

The number of cholera cases jumped to 271 over the weekend although no deaths from the disease had been reported.

More than 500 people have died in Mozambique from Cyclone Idai, which slammed into Beira more than two weeks ago, according to government officials. Another 259 people died in Zimbabwe and 56 in Malawi, bring the three-nation

total to more than 815. Author-ities warn the tolls are prelim-inary as flood waters recede and reveal more bodies.

The Chinese government has sent doctors to fight the cholera outbreak in Beira and on Sunday Chinese aid workers sprayed anti-cholera disinfectant in parts of the port city of 500,000.

The World Health Organi-zation has said some 900,000 cholera vaccine doses are expected to arrive on Monday, with a vaccination campaign to start later this week.

“You know we came from China and our government cares very much about the situation in Beira here in Mozambique. And

China has a good relationship with Africa, so the China gov-ernment sent medical doctors to come and give some treatment,” said Wang Shenguin, spokesman for the Chinese doctors.

The US military joined the international humanitarian aid efforts to Mozambique by air-lifting food and relief supplies from South Africa.

The first round-the-clock flights to deliver supplies from the UN World Food Program started on Saturday and con-tinued Sunday from King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa, said Robert Mearkle, US embassy spokesman.

Bahrain MPs condemn planned appearance of Israeli speakersAFP/DUBAI

Several Israeli speakers are to appear at a business conference in Bahrain this week, a move condemned by MPs in the tiny Gulf state. At least three Israeli speakers, including the Israel Innovation Authority’s deputy chief Anya Eldan, are scheduled to speak at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Manama, according to the forum’s website.

Members of parliament said yesterday they were against hosting Israeli speakers in Bahrain, which — like most Arab states — does not recognise the Jewish state. “Parliament stresses its support for the just cause of the brotherly Palestinian people, and it will remain a priority for the Bahraini and Arab people,” it said in a statement published on its official Facebook page.

“The end of the Israeli occupation and the withdrawal from all Arab land is an absolute necessity for the stability and security of the region and for a fair and comprehensive peace.”

Officially, Israel only has diplomatic relations with two Arab states, neighbouring Egypt and Jordan. The Jewish state has long faced resistance to its efforts to improve ties with Arab nations because of its 50-year occupation of Arab territories. It has, however, recently seen increased behind-the-scenes cooperation with some Arab countries, particularly in tackling their shared enemy, Iran.

Bahrain’s foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid Al Khalifa, last year backed Israel’s right to “defend itself” after its military said it struck dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria. In 2018, Bahrain hosted a Unesco conference attended by an Israeli delegation.

Israel reopens Gaza crossingREUTERS/GAZA

Israel reopened its commercial crossing with the Gaza Strip yesterday, a day after a smaller-than-expected Palestinian protest along the volatile frontier.

In another sign of the con-frontation easing — as Egyptian mediators pushed on for a full ceasefire — Palestinians said Israel would on Monday almost double the breadth of Medi-terrean waters where they are permitted to fish.

Gaza medical officials said four Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during demonstra-tions on Saturday marking the first anniversary of the “Great March of Return” protests.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan casts his vote at a polling station during local elections in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday.

Turkey: Ruling party leads local votes but may lose AnkaraAP ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party is leading in yester-day’s municipal elections that he has depicted as a fight for Turkey’s survival, but may lose control of the capital Ankara in the vote that is seen as a test of his support amid a sharp economic downturn.

Erdogan’s Islamic-based AK party gained 46 percent of the votes in the elections with more than half of more than 194,000 ballot boxes counted, according to state broadcaster TRT. The main, secular-oriented opposition party has 30.5 percent.

However, the opposition is leading in the capital Ankara, with 49.5 percent of the votes, according to TRT, in a setback for Erdogan whose ruling party and its prede-cessor have held the mayoral seat for 25 years.

Erdogan’s party appeared to be still holding Istanbul, the country’s commercial hub, although the opposition’s candidate narrowed the gap.

Erdogan named former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to run against opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu in the Istanbul mayor’s race.

The voting was marred by scat-tered violence that killed at least

four people and injured dozens of others across Turkey. Unofficial final results were expected early in the morning.

Economic prosperity provided Erdogan and his party with pre-vious election victories. But the party faces the risk of losing mayoral seats in the elections taking place in 30 large cities, 51 provincial capitals and hundreds of districts as Turkey grapples with a weakened currency, a double-digit inflation rate and soaring food prices.

The high stakes of the local contests were brought into stark display with the deaths of two members of the Islamic-oriented Felicity Party, a small rival of the president’s Justice and Devel-opment Party. Felicity’s leader, Temel Karamollaoglu, alleged a polling station volunteer and a party observer were shot by a rel-ative of a ruling party candidate.

Speaking to reporters after he voted, Erdogan said he was sad

about the deaths and didn’t want them to become a cause for “a questioning or a judgment between political parties.” Two other people were killed in fighting in the southern city of Gaziantep.

Fights related to local elec-tions in several provinces also produced dozens of injuries, Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported. At least 21 people were injured in south-eastern Diyarbakir province from brawls over the election of neighborhood adminis-trators, Anadolu said.

The exact causes of the fights remained unclear.

Election campaigning was highly polarized, with Erdogan and other officials using hostile rhetoric toward opposition candidates.

Yesterday’s elections were a first test for Erdogan since he won re-election under a new system of government that gave the presidency expanded powers.

Erdogan’s ruling party has renewed an alliance with the country’s nationalist party to increase votes. Opposition parties also coordinated strat-egies and put forward candi-dates under alliances in an effort to maximise the chances

of unseating members of the Justice and Development Party, known in Turkish by the acronym AKP.

Ankara was considered the main battleground of the race and opinion polls suggested the candidate of the opposition alliance, Mansur Yavas, could end the 25-year rule of AKP and its predecessor.

A former government envi-ronment minister, Mehmet Ozhaseki, ran for mayor under the banner of Erdogan and his nationalist allies. The ruling party accused his opponent Yavas of forgery and tax evasion.

Arab leaders call for good ties with IranAGENCIES TUNIS

Arab leaders yesterday invited non-Arab Iran to work with Arab countries on the basis of good neighbourly ties and without interfering in each others’ internal affairs.

“We affirm that cooperative relations between Arab coun-tries and the Islamic Republic of Iran be based on good neigh-bourliness,” they said in a statement at the end of a summit in Tunis.

The Arab League rejected the US recognition of Israeli control over the Golan Heights and other Trump adminis-tration policies seen as unfairly biased toward Israel.

Arab leaders also reit-erated their commitment to resolving the conflict based on the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, in which they would recognise Israel in return for a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights as well as east Jerusalem and the West Bank, lands occupied in the 1967 war.

The Arab League had been expected to consider read-mitting Syria, but there was no reference to the subject in the final statement. In Syria, small protests against Trump’s Golan move were held and state media criticized the Arab summit.

Protesters rally to demand an end to President Bouteflika’s rule, at the Place de la Republique in Paris, yesterday.

Algeria’s Bouteflika announces new govtAFP ALGIERS

Protest-hit Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika yesterday named a new government headed by recently appointed Noureddine Bedoui, a statement from the pres-idency said. State television reported that army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah remained as deputy defence minister after calling for Bouteflika to step down, while deputy prime minister Ramtane Lamamra was not named in the new administration.

The UN Secretary-General saidyesterday he welcomed efforts towards a peaceful and demo-cratic transition in Algeria, where weeks of protests have pushed for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to go. Addressing an Arab League summit in Tunis, Antonio Guterres said any steps should be made in a way “that addresses the con-cerns of the Algerian people in a timely way”.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Algiers for more than a month, saying they have had enough of the allegations of corruption, nepotism and eco-nomic mismanagement that have tarnished Bouteflika’s 20-year rule. On Saturday, Algeria’s army chief of staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, renewed a call for the Constitutional Council to rule whether the ailing 82-year-old Bouteflika is fit to rule, opening up the possibility of a managed exit. But his attempt to break the

political impasse has failed to placate demonstrators, who reject military intervention in civilian matters and want to dis-mantle the entire ruling elite, which includes veterans of the war of independence against France, army officers, the ruling party and business tycoons.

Several close allies, including some members of the ruling FLN and union leaders, have abandoned Bouteflika, who has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.

All private Algerian aircrafts are prohibited from departing from and landing in Algeria, a source close to the civil aviation authority and the private Ennahar television station said. It was not clear why the ban had been imposed. Leading Algerian businessman Ali Haddad, who was part of Bouteflika’s inner circle, was arrested at the Tunisian border early on Sunday, a close associate said.

“Yes, Haddad has been arrested,” his associate told

Reuters on condition of ano-nymity, without elaborating. Several Algerian television sta-tions broadcast news on the detention of Haddad, a media magnate who helped fund Boute-flika’s election campaigns over the years. Bouteflika announced on March 11 he was dropping plans for a fifth term but stopped short of stepping down immediately and said he would wait for a national conference on political change. That only further enraged protesters.

Erdogan’s party appeared to be still holding Istanbul, the country’s commercial hub, although the opposition’s candidate narrowed the gap.

11MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 ASIA

Rahul to contest from Wayanad, AmethiIANS NEW DELHI

In a major decision, the Congress yesterday announced that party President Rahul Gandhi will also contest the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in Kerala, apart from his present constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

“I am announcing one of the happiest news. Rahul Gandhi will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala,” party leader A K Antony said at a party briefing here.

Antony said that there had been continuous request from Congress workers and also from the allies that Gandhi should contest from a seat in the South.

“This demand was made from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There were deliberations here also. After that we requested Rahulji that ignoring the unan-imous demand of southern states is not correct. Finally, he has given his consent,” he said.

He said Wayanad was found the most suitable as it is located at a tri-junction and was an ideal constituency. “It is situated in Kerala and is surrounded by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” Antony said, adding that it will meet the demands of party workers in all the three states.

Gandhi, who has been rep-resenting Amethi, won the seat by a reduced margin in the 2014

Lok Sabha polls by defeating Union Minister Smriti Irani. She is challenging him again in the constituency in the 2019 elec-tions as well. Congress Commu-nications incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala, who also addressed a press conference, repeatedly emphasised on Gan-dhi’s bonds and family ties with Amethi to negate any impression that his contesting from another seat was dilution of his links with the traditional seat of the Nehru-Gandhi family or that the party was perceiving a tough fight.

Surjewala said the Congress President has always stated that he cannot leave Amethi.

“He (Gandhi) has said several times that Amethi is his

‘karmabhoomi’ (place of work) and he is immensely attached to it. The relation is not of an elected representative but of a family member. Amethi is deeply embeded in Rahulji’s heart. It is an unbreakable link which cannot be destroyed by cheap conspiracies of the BJP, “ he said.

Surjewala accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of causing divisions and said that the lives of people in south India was important to the Congress and Gandhi.

Asked about the Left parties being an adversary of Congress in Wayanad, Surjewala said “this is not a fight with left or right”.

“This is a fight to espouse the aspirations of south India including Kerala to fight, to give befitting reply to forces who are attacking the culture, language, way of life, deep connect between north and south India which the BJP and Prime Min-ister have created a deep divide.

Asked which seat will Gandhi retain if he wins both in Amethi and Wayanad, Surjewala said that when the Congress forms a government following the polls, the party President will rep-resent the entire country. Senior leaders Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal were also present at the press conference.

Rahul Gandhi, president of India’s main opposition Congress Party, wears a traditional hat presented to him by party members during a rally in Guwahati, India.

LDF will work to defeat Rahul in Wayanad: KaratIANS NEW DELHI

CPI-M leader Prakash Karat yesterday said that Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will work to defeat Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who will be contesting from the Wayanad parlia-mentary constituency too.

In a video message, the former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) chief said Congress’s decision to field Gandhi from Kerala went against the party’s “stated commitment” to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“In Kerala, it is the LDF, which is the main force that can fight the BJP. And Rahul Gandhi is going to Kerala to fight the LDF, which means we have to take on the United Democratic Front (UDF), of

which he will be a candidate. “The UDF consists of not only Congress but Muslim League and other parties which have dubious reputation. And we shall work to defeat the UDF in all constituencies including Wayanad,” he added. Congress President will contest the Lok Sabha election from Wayanad, apart from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi.

Rahul senses loss, so shifting seat to Kerala: BJPIANS LUCKNOW

Stepping up attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his decision to contest from Amethi and Wayanad in Kerala, Mohsin Raza, the lone Muslim Minister in Yogi Adityanath government yesterday said that he has sensed his defeat from Uttar Pradesh.

“For the first time he has

sensed his defeat in Amethi and that is the reason why he has decided to file nomination papers from Wayanad,” Raza said. He said the Congress has shifted Rahul Gandhi to a safer seat, but not a single seat is safe for him across the country.

Accusing the Congress of cheating the people of the country, Raza said: “They have cheated people so much that

they are not able to save their traditional seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli (seat of UPA chair-person Sonia Gandhi).” The BJP Minister said the people will vote for his party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the devel-opment work he has done across the country.

He also said that the Con-gress has accepted defeat in the elections and thus they were

leaving their traditional seats to contest elsewhere. Narendra Modi yesterday expressed his confidence in winning the general election and said that watchman is not an identity rec-ognised by a uniform, but it is the spirit behind the word. Amid shouting of slogans ‘Main bhi Chowkidar’ at Talkatora Stadium where Modi interacted with people via video conferencing.

IANS HYDERABAD

Campaigning for next month’s elections to all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will gather further momentum with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressing election rallies in the state today.

Modi will address a public meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the L B Stadium in Hyderabad today evening. This will be Modi’s second visit to Telangana in four days. He launched the party’s campaign by addressing a rally in Maha-bubnagar on March 29. The BJP

is making elaborate arrange-ments for the meeting in Hyderabad as it will supplement the party’s campaign for four constituencies. Secunderabad was the only seat that the BJP won in the 2014 elections. This time the party has denied a ticket to outgoing MP and former Union minister Bandaru Dat-tatreya. The party has fielded G Kishan Reddy, a former Pres-ident of the party’s state unit.

Gandhi will launch the Con-gress’ campaign for the April 11 elections in Telangana by addressing the first rally in Zaheerabad today. Gandhi was scheduled to arrive in Hyderabad yesterday night.

Modi, Rahul in Telangana today

Defence Cyber Agency to empower Indian Armed ForcesIANS NEW DELHI

As cyber threats from nation-state bad actors grow exponen-tially, India urgently requires to enhance the cyber capabilities of its armed forces, including the operationalisation of a Defence Cyber Agency, a new report has emphasised.

According to the compre-hensive report titled “Credible Cyber Deterrence in Armed

Forces of India” by the New Delhi-based Vivekananda Inter-national Foundation (VIF), the Indian armed forces must have modern means and capabilities for cyber exploitation, technical intelligence, cyber deception and launching of probing operations. “The report identifies seven pillars for enhancing the cyber capabilities of the Indian armed forces, including operationali-sation of a ‘Defence Cyber Agency’ as a stepping stone to

develop cyber power within the designated time frame,” said Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF.

Aware of cyber power being a critical component of India’s comprehensive deterrence capa-bility, the foundation has set up a task force headed by Lt. Gen. Davinder Kumar (Retired) to suggest a road map for cyber deterrence in the armed forces.

While the Defence Cyber Agency is a long awaited measure, it must provide the

base for an Indian Cyber Command which must be created within the next three years to effectively respond to likely and emerging threats, the task force observed.

The seven pillars are: policy and strategy for development and employment of cyber power; Indian armed forces doctrine for application of cyber power and information operations; organ-isation for cyber deterrence synergy, staffing and adaptation

of cyber force; human resource, training and certification; tech-nology, R&D standards and integrity of data; integration and development of concepts for application of cyber power for effective cyber deterrence and international engagement and legal framework. In addition, depending on the knowledge of vulnerabilities, the Indian armed forces must develop cyber weapons, both for causing dis-ruption and destruction.

First Rohingya woman shot dead in Bangladesh drugs clampdownAFP DHAKA

Bangladesh security forces have shot dead a Rohingya woman in a border town known as a gateway for smuggling meth pills from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said yesterday.

Rights activists said Rumana Akter, 20, was the first Rohingya woman to be killed in a clampdown by Bangladesh authorities against the narcotics trade. She was one of three alleged smugglers killed in two separate incidents in Teknaf, which is close to refugee camps housing about one million Muslim Rohingya who have fled from Myanmar.

Teknaf is a hub for dealing in “yaba” — a methamphet-amine-based stimulant that translates in Thai as “crazy med-icine” — which has become popular in Bangladesh. More than 300 people — including nearly 20 Rohingya — have been killed in the clampdown launched in May last year. Impoverished Rohingya ref-ugees are used by dealers to

transport the drug from Myanmar, officials say. A mil-itary crackdown against the Rohingya in August 2017 sparked an exodus of 740,000 refugees to flee the country and join some 300,000 refugees already in camps in Bangladesh.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said the Rohingya woman was killed during a gunfight between security forces and armed smugglers on the Naf river, which acts as a border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

BGB spokesman Shariful Islam said the woman’s body was found after a 15-minute gunbattle “along with 10,000 pieces of yaba and three sharp knives in her bag”. Akter came from a refugee camp in Teknaf.

Activists questioned the death, saying the woman’s name was not on a list of known drug traders kept by Bangladeshi law agencies. Two alleged drug traders were killed by police in a separate incident in Teknaf. Police said 10,000 pieces of yaba, six guns and 18 rounds of ammunition were found.

People participate in a rally calling for reforms on Myanmar’s 2008 constitution in Naypyidaw yesterday.

Call for constitutional reforms

Maldivian court frees $6.5m in Yameen’s accountAFP MALÉ, MALDIVES

A Maldivian court yesterday ordered the authorities to lift a freeze on former strongman president Abdulla Yameen’s bank accounts holding about $6.5m but said a money laun-dering case against him would proceed.

The High Court overturned the Criminal Court’s earlier decision to freeze the eight accounts over allegations that Yameen had received illicit payments just before he lost his re-election bid in September.

Yameen, who came to power in 2013 and jailed many of his opponents or forced them into exile, was arrested last month on a charge of trying to bribe witnesses in his money laundering trial, but was released from custody on Thursday. The move came ahead of April 6 parliamentary elections contested by his Pro-gressive Party of Maldives.

Since Yameen’s election defeat, all dissidents have returned to the Indian Ocean archipelago and most have had their convictions overturned. During his five-year tenure, Yameen relied heavily on China for political and financial support as he came under inter-national criticism over his dismal human rights record.

Bangladesh arrests building owners over deadly fireREUTERS DHAKA

Two of the owners of a high-rise commercial building that caught fire last week, killing 26 people in a blaze made worse by the lack of appropriate fire exits, have been arrested, Bangladesh police said yesterday.

Authorities say the 22-storey building structure lacked ade-quate safety measures and was extended illegally, raising fresh questions about safety standards in one of the world’s most densely congested cities.

Seventy people were also injured in the blaze, in which at least seven people, including a

Sri Lankan, died after jumping off the building located in an upscale area of the capital, Dhaka.

Lax regulations and poor enforcement have often been blamed for large fires in the South Asian nation that have killed hundreds of people in recent years, almost 100 in the

past month alone. Assistant police commissioner Abdul Baten told reporters that S.M.H.I. Faruq and Tasvirul Islam, who is a district leader of the oppo-sition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), were arrested for negligence and violations of a national building code that resulted in casualties.

“Wayanad was found the most suitable as it is located at a tri-junction and was an ideal constituency. It is situated in Kerala and is surrounded by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” party leader A K Antony said, adding that it will meet the demands of party workers in all the three states.

12 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019ASIA

Military-run courtsin Pakistan cease to function INTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

The military-run courts in Pakistan that had been set up under the National Action Plan (NAP) in 2015 to try civilians on terrorism charges ceased to function yesterday as their second two-year constitutional term expired at midnight.

The government, which has already decided in principle to give another extension to the military courts for two more years, is still struggling to seek the cooperation of the oppo-sition parties over the issue as it does not have the required two-thirds majority in any of the two houses of the Parliament to carry out the constitutional amendment for the purpose.

The government had earlier planned a meeting of the par-liamentary leaders and heads of political parties for a briefing on the issue of implementation of the NAP on March 28, but it had to cancel it following the oppo-sition parties’ decision to boycott the event due to the prevailing tense political atmosphere in the country.

There has been no official data available about the cases heard and tried by these military courts.

The National Assembly,

however, was informed in November last year that the mil-itary authorities had to decide 185 terrorism-related cases before expiry of their two-year term in March.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak had informed the Par-liament that since the launch of the military operation Zarb-i-Azb, the Interior Ministry had referred a total of 717 cases of terrorism to the military courts.

Of the total cases, the Min-ister said 478 cases had been decided while 185 cases were pending. He said a total of 284 convicts had been awarded death sentences and 56 of them had already been executed.

Federal Minister for Infor-mation Fawad Chaudhry said the government had already decided to engage the opposition to take it into confidence over the issue as without their support the period of the mil-itary courts could not be extended.

A view of the British-era Empress Market building in Karachi’s Saddar area after the authorities cleared its surroundings of encroachments. The modernisation of Karachi’s old downtown is one of a string of projects aimed at revitalising Pakistan’s largest city and economic powerhouse.

Pakistan envoy to India named Foreign SecretaryINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood has been named as the country’s new Foreign Secretary.

Speaking to media in Multan yesterday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that Mahmood will replace Tehmina Janjua, who is retiring on April 16 after serving in the position for two years.

“Sohail Mahmood has been appointed Foreign Secretary

after consultation with the Prime Minister,” Qureshi said.

Praising Janjua’s work, Qureshi said, that she handled difficult situations in an excellent manner. Janjua was the first woman to become Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary.

With vast diplomatic expe-rience under his belt, Mahmood is currently Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India.

He previously served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey.

Before that, he served as the

ambassador to Thailand and Pakistan’s Permanent Repre-sentative to the United Nations Economic and Social Com-mission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Bangkok for four years till 2013.

Mahmood has also served as Political Coordinator for Paki-stan’s delegation to the UN Security Council before assuming office in Bangkok.

He was Additional Foreign Secretary for America at the headquarters before leaving for Thailand.

Army Chief to brief lawmakers on India tensionsINTERNEWS ISLAMABAD

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa will brief parliamentarians on the recent tensions between India and Pakistan this week.

The briefing will be held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on April 4 and will be attended by the members of standing com-mittees of the National Assembly and the Senate on defence.

A number of leaders from the opposition parties, including former ministers, will attend the briefing.

Chairman of the National Assembly committee Amjad Ali will lead the delegation, said a notification issued by the N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y Secretariat.

PTI govt mulls deferring ‘benami’ laws for few monthsINTERNEWS KARACHI

Pakistan’s Federal Government is considering deferring imple-mentation of the Benami Trans-action (Prohibition) Act 2017 for a few months as the government is working to resolve some infra-structure issues.

Official sources say the implementation of benami laws, that would allow confiscation of properties and assets registered with fictitious individuals, might

be delayed for few months as the government is setting up an Appellate Tribunal and resolving other infrastructure issues.

The National Assembly passed the Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act 2017 in January 2017 and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Rules 2019 earlier this month to enforce the laws.

The law aims to improve documentation of the economy, permitting the authority to seize

property, assets, vehicles or bank accounts registered with ficti-tious individuals.

Tax officials said the FBR compiled a record of around 4.6 million transactions through monitoring of withholding taxes three years back. “Many of the transactions were found Benami ,” an official said.

It was discovered that the transactions were made on the name of fake individuals instead of beneficial owners. Notices were issued to them, the official

added. Though the FBR desig-nated officers for the pro-ceedings of Benami cases, the Federal Government has so far not notified the constitution of a separate Federal Appellate Tri-bunal to resolve such cases.

The government needs to establish Federal Appellate Tri-bunal to hear appeals against the orders of the adjudication authority under Section 28 of Benami Transactions (Prohi-bition) Act 2017. “As soon the government constitutes the

Tribunal the law will effectively be implemented,” a senior official of Inland Revenue said.

The Appellate Tribunal would consist of a judicial member and an accountant member. The judicial member should be qualified as a judge of a high court.

Qualification for the accountant member is to have served, for at least one year, as as Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue Service or Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals) .

Protesters march along a street during a rally in Hong Kong, yesterday.

Madrid embassy raid ‘grave terror attack’: N Korea AFP SEOUL

North Korea yesterday described the February raid on its Embassy in Madrid by a dissident group as a “grave terrorist attack” and urged an investigation into the incident.

A group of armed men burst into Pyongyang’s Spanish Embassy last month and roughed up employees before fleeing with documents and computers.

The incident came just days before a high-stakes nuclear summit in Hanoi between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, which ended abruptly with no agreement.

In its first official comment on the raid, North Korea sug-gested the possible involvement of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and called on Spanish authorities to bring the “terrorists and their wire-pullers to justice”.

“A grave terrorist attack occurred on February 22, where an armed group assaulted the DPRK Embassy in Spain,” a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

“We are following the rumours of all hues now in the air that FBI of the United States and the small fry of anti-DPRK ‘body’ were involved in the terror incident,” it added.

“We expect that the author-ities concerned in Spain... carry out an investigation into the incident to the last in a respon-sible manner.”

Thousands march in Hong Kong overproposed changes to extradition law REUTERS HONG KONG

Thousands of people protested in Hong Kong yesterday against a government plan to change extradition laws, fearing an erosion of personal freedom and the city’s status as an interna-tional business hub.

The Hong Kong government proposal, announced in Feb-ruary, would grant the city’s leader executive power to send fugitives to jurisdictions not covered by existing arrange-ments, including Mainland China and Taiwan.

Protest organisers said 12,000 people took to the streets yesterday, while police esti-mated the crowd at 5,200 at its

peak. “Hong Kong people all have to bear the negative con-sequence of this ordinance. This carries the risk of personal freedom being restricted,” Lam Wing-kee, a bookseller who said in 2016 he was detained by Chinese agents, told the crowd.

The government said last week it will present the amend-ments to legislators on Wednesday. The planned changes have been strongly opposed by some lawmakers, legal and rights groups who fear that it could be exploited by Bei-jing’s Communist Party leaders and hurt Hong Kong’s judicial independence.

“We are gravely concerned that anyone extradited to China will be at risk of torture and

other ill-treatment and other grave human rights violations,” Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor wrote in an open letter to Carrie Lam, the city’s leader, yesterday.

Since Hong Kong reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997, there has been no formal mechanism for the surrender of fugitives to mainland China.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, John Lee, told reporters last week the government had no plans to scrap the bill.

“It is not an easy decision, but it is a cautious, careful, and serious decision,” he said, adding that the Hong Kong government “has the sole right to decide whether or not to process (extradition requests).”

Karachi modernisation drive

The PTI government has decided to extend the military-run courts for another two years and is seeking opposition parties’ support on this.

Vice-President of Afghanistan escapes attackAP KABUL

An Afghan official yesterday said that Afghanistan’s Vice-President, General Abdul Rashid Dostum, had escaped unharmed after Taliban ambushed his convoy which was travelling form northern Balkh to neighbouring Zawzjan province.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, spokesman for the provincial Governor of Balkh, said that a security guard in the convoy was killed and two others were wounded in the attack.

Farhad said Taliban mili-tants attacked the convoy at two points on Saturday afternoon. A statement by Afghanistan’s Army said four Taliban militants were killed and seven were injured during the two assaults.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack against Dostum.

14 farmers dead in alleged Philippine police shootingAFP MANILA

Rights groups yesterday condemned what they called a “massacre” of 14 farmers by police in the central Philippines as authorities defended the incident as a legitimate oper-ation against suspected communist rebels.

Police said the 14 men on Saturday shot at officers with search warrants for illegal firearms, prompting them to return fire. But rights groups insist the men were “farmers asserting their rights to land”, the latest victims caught up in a violent crackdown under Pres-ident Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte’s government has cancelled peace talks with com-munist rebels - who are waging a 50-year-old insurgency that has killed thousands - and has ordered his troops to “destroy” them.

The latest violence occurred in three separate incidents in Negros island, the centre of the nation’s sugar industry and home to some of the country’s wealthiest landowners as well as some of its poorest farm workers.

Authorities said the oper-ation was a response to com-munist rebel attacks in Negros, adding one policeman was wounded.

“They fought back against our operating units. We were forced to fire back. Some of (the 14 men) are farmers but we cannot confirm how many,” provincial police spokesman Edilberto Euraoba said.

Police arrested another 12 men while they recovered various firearms from those killed, Euraoba added.

However rights and peasant groups said the 14 men killed on Saturday were farmers, some elderly, citing witness accounts contradicting the police statement.

“They were defenceless. It’s clear that it was a massacre. They are tagged as members and sympathisers (of communist rebels) but they are farmers asserting their rights to land,” Maria Sol Taule, legal counsel for rights group Karapatan, said.

“President Duterte is attacking his critics including people fighting for their rights. It’s an all-out attack on all they suspect to be enemies, whether farmers or lawyers.”

Rows over land have become increasingly common as Manila faces criticism for its slow-moving programme to redistribute farmland to millions of sharecroppers - tenant farmers who give a part of each crop as rent - who remain mired in poverty.

The Federation of Agricul-tural Workers condemned the latest deaths, saying it high-lighted growing rights violations on Negros island. The nation’s rights body said it would inves-tigate Saturday’s incident, expressing “grave concern” over what it called a rising number of killings in the country.

Taule added that the incident was the latest in a series of attacks on farmers, following the killing of nine farmers by gunmen also in Negros in October.

13MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 EUROPE

Slovakia elects first woman PresidentBLOOMBERG BRATISLAVA

A pro-European Union anti-corruption lawyer won a land-slide victory in Slovakia’s presi-dential election, dealing a blow to nationalist, euroskeptic political forces who have vowed to reshape how the bloc works.

As right-wing leaders from Poland to Italy are mounting an uprising against further inte-gration and inclusive policies before the EU holds parlia-mentary elections in May, the victory of Zuzana Caputova sig-nalled, at least in this small euro-area country, both strong support for the bloc’s liberal, democratic values and anger against estab-lished parties perceived to have lost touch with ordinary people.

The 45-year-old divorced mother of two — and Slovakia’s first woman president-elect —secured 58 percent in Saturday’s vote, according to final results from the Statistics Office.

She eclipsed her opponent Maros Sefcovic, a vice president in the EU Commission and the candidate of the ruling Smer party, who got 42 percent.

A political novice and rel-ative unknown until late last year, Caputova rode a wave of

public anger over the murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancee that triggered the country’s largest anti-gov-ernment protests since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Her victory contrasts with a lurch toward nationalism in neighbouring Poland and Hungary, whose leaders have drawn censure from the EU for undermining the bloc’s demo-cratic values.

‘You can enter a political contest with your own opinion, without succumbing to pop-ulism,’ Caputova told supporters in Bratislava yesterday morning. While Slovakia’s presidency is mostly ceremonial, the post also has the crucial role of handing out government-forming man-dates and appointing judges and

other officials.From migrants to Greece and

Brexit, the world’s largest trading bloc has struggled for more than a decade to contain crises with a decision-making structure that’s accused of being both too invasive into members’ national interests and not powerful enough to fix things.

The populist parties that have capitalised on the turmoil hope to leverage that in the May EU Parliament elections to at least put the brakes on deeper cooperation and perhaps give its members more freedom to pursue policies that veer from the bloc’s rule-of-law norms.

A study by Bloomberg Eco-nomics showed 68 percent of the world’s 20 most influential econ-omies are controlled by either populist rulers or non-demo-cratic regimes, double the number three years ago.

But there’s signs of pushback in some countries from voters who, while dissatisfied with tra-ditional parties, are loathe to abandon the relative prosperity and visa-free work and travel they enjoy under the EU umbrella.

An opinion poll this month showed the European Parlia-ment’s two biggest political alli-

ances trimmed losses.To the south of Slovakia, the

Fidesz party of nationalist standard bearer Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, was suspended from the EU’s largest political family this month. And to the north, Poland’s ruling Law

& Justice party, which like Fidesz has clashed with Brussels over its efforts to give politicians influence over the judiciary, is struggling to maintain its lead over a pro-EU opposition coa-lition in opinion polls.

‘Caputova is everything that

Orban is not,’ said Lukas Kovanda, chief economist at Czech Fund, a Prague-based investment group.

‘The Slovak anti-estab-lishment political forces won’t decide the direction of the country.’

Zuzana Caputova receives flowers after winning the Slovakia presidential election at her party’s headquarters in Bratislava, yesterday.

Theresa May risks ‘total collapse’ of govt in Brexit impasse: ReportREUTERS LONDON

British Prime Minister Theresa May risks the “total collapse” of her government if she fails to get her battered Brexit deal through parliament, the Sunday Times newspaper said, amid growing speculation that she might call an early election.

Underscoring the tough choices facing May to break the Brexit impasse, the newspaper said at least six pro-European Union senior ministers will resign if she opts for a poten-tially damaging no-deal departure from the EU.

But at the same time, rival ministers who support Brexit were threatening to quit if May decides to stay close to the EU with a customs union or if she sought a long delay to Brexit, the Sunday Times said.

May’s Brexit strategy is in tatters after the exit deal she hammered out with other EU leaders was rejected for a third time by the House of Commons on Friday, the day that Britain was supposed to leave the bloc.

Nearly three years after Britons voted by 52-48% to end the country’s EU membership after 46 years, what Brexit will look like or whether it will even happen remains up in the air.

May now has less than two weeks to convince the 27 other EU countries that she can break the deadlock. Otherwise she will have to ask the bloc for a long extension or take Britain out of the EU on April 12 with no deal to soften the economic shock.

May has said she will step down if her Brexit deal gets

through parliament, offering her critics the chance of a different prime minister to lead the next round of negotiations with Brussels about Britain’s future ties to the bloc. But that last-gasp offer has failed to break the impasse, leading to talk of an election.

The Mail on Sunday said May’s advisers were divided over whether she should call an early election if she fails to win support for her Brexit deal from parliament in the coming week.

The newspaper said a pos-sible “run-off” vote could take place tomorrow in parliament between May’s deal and whatever alternative emerges as the most popular from voting by lawmakers today.

That meant an election could be called as early as Wednesday, the newspaper said.

An early election would need the support of two thirds of members of parliament, and the Observer newspaper said Conservative lawmakers were reluctant to let May lead them into another election after she lost their majority in 2017.

The Sunday Telegraph said senior members of the Conserv-ative Party did not want May to lead them into a snap election, fearing the party would be “annihilated” at the polls if she faced down parliament over Brexit in the coming months.

An opinion poll gave the opposition Labour Party a lead of five percentage points over the Conservatives. That lead fell to three points if voters were offered the chance to vote for a new group of independent law-makers who have not yet created an official party.

Italian populists clash on family valuesBLOOMBERG ITALY

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte slammed his deputy Matteo Salvini, leader of the League, signalling tensions remain high within the populist coalition.

The latest clash between the Five Star Movement and the League emerged over the weekend after Salvini attended a conservative congress on family values in Verona which was dubbed “medieval” by

Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio, head of Five Star.

At the event Salvini also attacked a Five Star minister for not doing enough to speed up adoption procedures, which drew a harsh response from Conte.

Officials should “study and work every day in their minis-tries before making statements which could be confusing,” according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office yesterday.

Conte’s intervention against

Salvini opens a new front as the 54-year-old premier is usually seen a mediator between Salvini and Di Maio.

Conte has spent much of his time negotiating policy disputes between his two deputy premiers.

They have clashed on issues ranging from immigration to the TAV high-speed rail link between Turin and Lyon.

The latest verbal battle between Di Maio and Salvini comes less than two months before European elections in

which the League is set to emerge as the country’s biggest party, surpassing Five Star, according to the latest polls.

A series of victories for the center-right movement in regional elections have trig-gered speculation that Salvini could seek to force early elec-tions to claim the prime minis-ter’s post.

Salvini has repeatedly denied he would do this, insisting he will stick with Five Star for the whole term of the current Rome-based parliament.

The victory of Zuzana Caputova signalled both strong support for the bloc’s liberal, democratic values and anger against established parties perceived to have lost touch with ordinary people.

Presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky casts his ballot at a polling station during Ukraine’s presidential election in Kiev, yesterday.

Meghan shuns traditional hospitalREUTERS LONDON

Meghan Markle has broken a four-decade tradition by shunning the London hospital where many royal babies, including her husband Britain’s Prince Harry, were born, The Sun newspaper reported.

Meghan and Harry, who married last year, are expecting their first child this spring.

But the former actress has opted not to give birth at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, favoured by British royalty since 1977, the newspaper said, citing

an unidentified source.Princess Diana gave birth to

Harry at St Mary’s in 1984 and Kate, the wife of Harry’s elder brother William, gave birth to all three of her children, George, Charlotte and Louis, there.

Meghan, 37, has opted for a maternity hospital closer to their new home in the ancient town of Windsor, The Sun said under the headline “Meghan snubs Kate & Di hospital.”

“The child will not be born at the Lindo,” the newspaper quoted the source as saying.

“She and Harry have decided that rather than go somewhere

as public as the Lindo, they will allow Meghan to recover some-where more private,” the source was quoted as saying.

Kensington Palace could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.

The child will be seventh in line to the British throne, though the birth is set to grab headlines across the globe.

There has long been fasci-nation with the British royal family, particularly in the United States, and William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are regularly greeted by large crowds and feted like film stars.

Manhunt after series of stabbing attacks in LondonAP LONDON

London police are searching for a man who is believed to have stabbed four people in a series of unprovoked attacks.

The Metropolitan Police Service said two of the victims are in critical condition. Officers are warning there will be increased police activity in the Edmonton area after the four attacks, which occurred over 15 hours on Saturday night and yesterday morning.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Smillie said the victims “appear to have been selected at random” because they were alone and vulnerable.

The attacks come amid an escalation of knife-related crime in Britain. Authorities have announced that some police forces have been given greater powers to stop and search suspects without rea-sonable suspicion in an effort to stop future attacks.

Poroshenko, Zelensky set for runoff voteAFP KIEV

Comedian and political novice Volodymyr Zelensky topped the first round of Ukraine’s presi-dential election yesterday, exit polls showed, leading incumbent Petro Poroshenko into a runoff.

Zelensky’s political expe-rience had been limited to playing the president in a TV show but his long-shot bid won over voters frustrated with endemic corruption and a stalling economy.

The entertainer was pro-jected to garner 30.4 percent of the vote, handily beating Poro-shenko on 17.8 percent, according to combined figures from three pollsters released when voting stations closed.

Former prime minister Yulia

Tymoshenko, who was herself a favourite to win when she launched her campaign at the start of the year, was knocked out with 14.2 percent, the figures showed.

If Zelensky wins the second round next month, as opinion polls suggest, he will take the reins of one of the poorest coun-tries in Europe — a nation of 45 million people fighting Russian-backed separatists in its east.

The 41-year-old has yet to spell out what he would do in power and one of his campaign slogans was: “No promises. No apologies”.

Despite concerns about his vague platform, supporters insist only a brand new face can clean up Ukraine’s murky politics.

Some accuse Zelensky of acting as a front for the interests of oligarch Igor Kolomoysky,

who owns the channel that broadcasts the entertainer’s shows, but he denies any political links.

A record 39 candidates were on the ballot paper — which was more than 80cm long — but none apart from the front-runners reached double figures, according to the exit polls.

The interior ministry said an hour before the close of polls that it had received more than 1,700 reports of voter irregularities.

Turnout by mid-afternoon was at 45%, up five percent on the same time during the pre-vious presidential election, according to the central election commission.

If the results of the exit polls are confirmed, Zelensky and Poroshenko will face off for the presidency on April 21.

14 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019AMERICAS

Trump renews threat to close US borderBLOOMBERG WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump repeated his threat to close the southern border, saying that US. “detention areas are maxed out & we will take no more illegals,” at a time the US has moved to cut aid to Central America on Trump’s order.

In a pair of Twitter messages yesterday, the president con-tinued to demand that Mexico “immediately” stop allowing illegal migration into the US, which his homeland security secretary has said portends a “meltdown” at her agency.

Instead, Mexico must use its own “strong immigration laws” to stop the flow of thousands of people trying to reach the US, Trump said.

Asked on ABC yesterday what it would take for Trump not to follow through on his threat to close the border, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said “something dramatic.” He blamed Democrats for being unwilling to admit there’s a crisis.

“It’s clear the Democrats are not going to help us, so it shouldn’t surprise anybody that we’re turning to what some folks might think extreme measures,’’

Mulvaney said.“Our hands are forced on

that decisions because Demo-crats won’t help us fix the problem.’’ Trump senior coun-selor Kellyanne Conway said on “Fox News Sunday” that Trump’s threat to close the border is “not a threat.”

Conway also echoed a comment tweeted by Trump on Saturday that US immigration laws could be fixed “in less than one hour.”

Trump’s comments came after he returned to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, following six hours at the nearby Trump International Golf Club. The White House didn’t provide a readout on the presi-dent’s activities.

On Friday, Trump told reporters that there’s a “good likelihood” he’d close the border next week. “Closing the border

will be a profit-making oper-ation,” Trump said, adding that he plans to hold a news con-ference soon at a section of the border where the government is building a wall.

“Mexico could stop it,” Trump said. “It’s very easy for them to stop people from coming up, and they choose not to do it.”

Trump also said that he would end foreign aid to Gua-temala, Honduras and El Sal-vador, the so-called “Northern Triangle” which is the origin of most of the migrants attempting to transit through Mexico to seek asylum in the US.

That process is under way, according to the State Department: at the instruction of Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, State is ending foreign assistance programs for the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years to the Northern Triangle. Congress will be engaged as part of the process, a State Department spokes-person said.

Trump has periodically threatened to close the border, where he’s declared a national emergency because of the number of migrants crossing ille-gally. Sealing the border entirely would halt millions of dollars a day in cross-border commerce.

Trade with Mexico totalled $616bn in 2017, according to the office of the US Trade Represent-ative. “It could mean all trade,” with Mexico, Trump said. “We will close it for a long time.”

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, speaking in Spanish, told reporters on Friday that “we are going to help, we want to have a good rela-tionship with the United States government. We are not going to enter in controversy.”

He said that some of Trump’s complaints are related to politics and “the electoral process.” The

country’s foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, was less conciliatory.

“Mexico does not act on the basis of threats,” he said in a tweet written in Spanish. “We’re a great neighbour. Just ask the million and a half Americans who chose our country as home.”

After touring a dike at Flor-ida’s Lake Okeechobee, Trump told reporters that Latin American countries including Mexico, Guatemala, and El Sal-vador have done nothing to help the US halt illegal immigration.

“We’ll keep it closed for a

long time,” Trump said of the border. “I’m not playing games.”

He also criticized Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez, saying the flow of drugs to the US has increased since his election.

Apprehensions of undocu-mented immigrants spiked in February to more than 76,000, an increase of more than 39,000 compared to a year earlier, according to US Customs and Border Protection. More than half were families or unaccom-panied children, the agency reported.

A view of the border crossing into Mexico, in El Paso, Texas, yesterday.

Mexico must use its own “strong immigration laws” to stop the flow of thousands of people trying to reach the US: Trump

March in support of MaduroANATOLIA CARACAS

Venezuelans gathered in Caracas to take part in a rally organised by United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

“Those who call for a foreign military intervention in Vene-zuela will be treated as enemies,” Diosdado Cabello deputy chief

of the Socialist Party told a huge crowd at the O’Leary city center.

“According to the consti-tution there is only one head of state,” he added. “The consti-tution does not say that the United States can take decisions on behalf of Venezuela.”

Cabello also emphasised that they were prepared for any kind of military threat.

Venezuela has been rocked by protests since January 10,

when Maduro was sworn in for a second term following a vote boycotted by the opposition.

Tensions escalated when Guaido, who heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself acting president on January 23, a move supported by the US and many European and Latin American countries.

Turkey, Russia, Iran, Cuba, China and Bolivia threw their weight behind Maduro.

A supporter of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro holding up his portrait, during a pro-government “Anti-Imperialist March” in Caracas, yesterday.

Judge overturns ban on 1964 Brazil coup celebrationsAP RIO DE JANEIRO

A Brazilian federal judge over-ruled a lower court ruling that had banned celebrations called by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to mark the 55th anniversary of the coup that instituted the country’s 1964-1985 military regime.

Judge Ivani Silva da Luz banned celebrations on Friday, saying they were not “com-patible with the process of dem-ocratic reconstruction”.

But yesterday, Judge Maria do Carmo Cardoso overruled da Luz and said there were no “objective reasons” for prohib-iting the celebrations.

Bolsonaro is a former army captain who has sparked con-troversy with racist, and

misogynistic comments and has praised the authoritarian regime that followed the military over-throw of President Joao Goulart on March 31, 1964.

“I do not see any human rights violations nor any viola-tions to the principles of legality,” Cardoso said in her ruling.

“Military units have hosted similar commemorations in the past, causing no negative impact on the community,” she added.

Bolsonaro’s decision was condemned by human rights activists and social groups that have said they will stage protests in several cities.

A 2014 report by the coun-try’s truth commission con-cluded that at least 434 people were killed or disappeared during the military regime.

Two Air Force commanders fired after hazing probeAP ANCHORAGE

Two commanders of squadrons at Air Force bases in Alaska and Washington state have been relieved of their duties after hazing investigations of their units, a TV station reported.

The TV station reported that a statement from the 354th Fighter Wing public affairs office at Eielson Air Force Base said Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 354th FW commander, relieved Lt. Col. Robb Fiechtner, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, and Lt. Col. Joshua Cates, 5th Air Support Operations Squadron, of their command posts.

Fiechtner was at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, and Cates was at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

KTUU reported that the statement said the investi-gation, which started in January, found that a practice known as “rolling up” —involving tackling or restraining an airman, binding their hands or feet using duct tape, and allowing the individual to struggle before being released — was common and encouraged in the squadrons.

Four injured in Nicaragua anti-govt protestAFP MANAGUA

A day after Nicaragua’s government pledged to restore the right to protest, at least four people were hurt and 10 detained during a demonstration calling for the release of pris-oners, the opposition said.

One of the wounded was linked to the government, said Silvia Gutierrez, of the UNAB opposition umbrella group, who provided the toll and the number of detainees.

The clash yesterday came a day after President Daniel Ortega’s government and the opposition reached an agreement to restore protest and press freedom rights while dis-arming paramilitaries, following a year-long political upheaval that left hundreds dead.

The injuries on Saturday

occurred at a commercial centre in downtown Managua, where more than 150 people had gathered ahead of a march.

Hundreds of armed riot police guarding the area forced the protesters to retreat, with

struggles in which three people were detained. Seven other people were held in the capital and the western city of Leon, UNAB said.

“It is outrageous that again today in Nicaragua, police and

violent civilians are attacking, detaining and injuring civilians who are demonstrating peace-fully,” the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Silvio Baez, said on Twitter.

In Managua, a man inside the commercial centre also shot at protesters, wounding three.

Police accused the protesters of disturbing public order.

The private Channel 10 Tel-evision reported that police assaulted two of its journalists who were covering the protest.

“The Ortega regime’s police violated the agreement” signed , said the opposition alliance which participated in talks with the government, whose dele-gation is led by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada.

Those actions endangered the negotiation process “and the search for peaceful solutions,” the opposition group said.

National police officers repress demonstrators during a “National sit-in” protest against President Daniel Ortega’s government in Managua, yesterday.

Ernest Hemingway legacy writes unifying chapter for US, Cuba: LawmakerAFP HAVANA

Ernest Hemingway’s legacy helps to bring Americans and Cubans together, an American congressman said as he opened an archive at the legendary writer’s onetime home in Havana, despite tensions between the two nations.

“Hemingway is once again serving to unite Americans and Cubans,” Massachusetts Con-gressman Jim McGovern (pic-tured) said at the ceremony at the facility, already a museum chronicling the some 20 years the author spent in Cuba.

The inauguration came against the backdrop of a sharp pivot by the administration of US President Donald Trump fol-lowing his predecessor Barack Obama’s policy of normalisation with Havana.

“There is no good and rational reason” why the United States and Cuba cannot have normal relations, said McGovern, a Democrat.

McGovern, who has made numerous trips to the island, in 2002 established the Finca Vigia Foundation with Jenny and Frank Phillips. Jenny Phillips, who died last year, was the granddaughter of Hemingway’s editor and

friend, Maxwell Perkins. Its mission is to work with

Cuban colleagues to restore and preserve “Finca Vigia” (Lookout Farm) — the Havana home of the Nobel literature laureate — as well as its contents and his fishing boat.

The boat had already been renovated and the home restored “to its 1950s splendor,” according to the foundation website.

Now the on-site archival storage facility, whose con-struction began in 2015, has also opened, with McGovern cutting a ribbon and reviewing the archives, which include Hem-ingway’s passport.

The congressman, who favours scrapping the six-decade-old US trade embargo against Cuba, later met with President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

15MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019 HOME

BANGLADESH

A high level official delegation from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is set to visit Bangladesh in next few days to discuss ways of boosting cooperation between Qatar and Bangladesh.”

IRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

Th e B a n g l a d e s h i community celebrated country’s 48th anni-versary of Independence

and National Day in a grand reception hosted by the embassy of Bangladesh at Grand Hyatt Hotel on March 26.

The reception started with the national anthems of Qatar and Bangladesh. Qatari digni-taries along with the Ambassador also cut a cake to mark the celebrations.

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and

Social Affairs, H E Yousef bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro, Secretary General of the Min-istry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi; and a number of high-ranking Qatari officials, members of diplomatic corps, prominent Qatari businessmen, and members of Bangladeshi community in Qatar attended the reception.

Addressing the gathering, Ashud Ahmed, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Qatar said that Bangladesh was still young as a country.

“This year, we celebrate the 48th anniversary of our

independence. By this time, we have accomplished a number of achievements that make us feel proud as a nation. Once named as ‘a bottomless basket’, Bang-ladesh is now acclaimed by the international community as a role model for development in the world,” the Ambassador added.

On bilateral ties, Ahmed said that Bangladesh and Qatar had been enjoying excellent bilateral relations, which were deeply rooted in shared history, culture, values and common faith.

“Our brotherly relations have grown in depth and dimensions over the years. Trade,

investment, and tourism are potential areas the two countries are currently looking at for mutual benefit of the people of two brotherly countries.”

“We are looking forward to holding the single country trade fair ‘Made in Bangladesh’ in Doha later this year in collaboration with Bangladesh Forum Qatar, Qatar Chamber, and Qatar Financial Centre,” the Ambas-sador added.

Later talking to The Peninsula, Ashud Ahmed said that trade fair ‘Made in Bang-ladesh’ would be held in October 2019. “The preparations are underway to hold the fair and we

hope that a large number of Bangladeshi companies will showcase their products and services in the fair,” he added.

He further said that next two years 2020 and 2021 would be very busy in which an array of cultural activities would be organised in Qatar by the embassy.

He said that on the occasion of 100th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Banga-bandhu, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on March 17 next year (2020), the government of Bang-ladesh would hold many mega programs all over the world including in Qatar.

Ahmed said that in 2021, Bangladesh would celebrate golden jubilee (50th anniversary) of its independence.

To another question, the Ambassador said that Qatar and Bangladesh were working on a number of bilateral agreements that would be finalized in near future. “A high level official delegation from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is set to visit Bangladesh in next few days to discuss ways of boosting cooperation between Qatar and Bangladesh,” he added.

The Ambassador at the Independence and National Day reception said that Bang-ladesh was importing LNG from Qatar under the long term LNG agreement signed two years ago. He said that the Investment Seminar organized by Bangladesh Forum Qatar in 2018 was a great success.

The Ambassador said that Bangladesh was now posi-tioned in the comity of nations as the 36th largest economy and a responsible member of the United Nations.

‘Made in Bangladesh’ trade fair in Doha this year

Festival showcases rich culture, tradition & cuisine of BangladeshSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

Under a week-long event ‘Bangladesh Festival Qatar 2019’, a number of

programs were held to showcase the rich culture, tradition, cuisine, and art of Bangladesh at Cultural Village Foundation Katara.

The programs attracted huge crowd of visitors especially Bang-ladeshi expatriates as well as cit-izens of other countries. A big number of families including children participated in the food festival and enjoyed the authentic traditional food of Bangladesh.

The Festival was organized by Bangladesh Forum Qatar (BFQ) in cooperation with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Doha and Katara to celebrate the 48th anniversary of the Independence and National Day of Bangladesh which falls on March 26.

The programs included screening of Bengali movie, chil-dren’s art competition, art workshop, photography compe-tition and exhibition, food festival and art exhibition.

Prominent Bangladeshi artists from around the world were hosted under the Festival. Two prominent artists, Kalidas Kar-makar and Mustafa Arshad Taru, who came from the United States for Bangladesh Festival conducted the art workshops.

Speaking to The Peninsula, Bangladeshi expatriates said that the Bangladesh Festival Qatar 2019 was a unique opportunity to promote the culture and tradition of Bangladesh among citizens and residents in Qatar.

“I attended food festival and cultural program held under the event with my family,” said Mohamad Mujiburrahman, a Bangladeshi expatriate residing in Qatar for five years. He said that this year was very special for Bangladeshi expatriates because of the event which attracted a large number of visitors.

Another Bangladeshi expa-triate, Abdurrashid Ahmad, thanked Bangladesh Forum Qatar and Embassy of Bangladesh and other partners for organising such a great program. “I urge the organizers to hold similar pro-grams to celebrate the culture of Bangladesh on other occasions as well,” said Ahmad.

“Bangladeshi delicacies including authentic snacks, dif-ferent types of biriyani and tehari, pitha and sweets were served at the food stalls at Katara from March 23 to 25 under the food fes-tival,” said Israt Ara Younus, a member of Bangladesh Forum

Qatar who was team leader for the event.

She said that all foods at the festival were prepared and served by the female Bangladeshi resi-dents in Qatar.

On March 19 and 20, screening of Bengali movie ‘Aynabaji’, a dark comedy about an obsessive actor enthralled the audience at Drama Theatre Katara.

A three-day art and photog-raphy exhibition from March 23 to 25 was held at Katara. The most anticipated art exhibition was hosted by Kalidas Karmakar and Mustafa Arshad.

The photography exhibition was themed ‘Through the lens: Cultural heritage of Bangladesh and Qatar’. The photographs which were selected through pho-tography contest were presented at the photography exhibition.

Three art workshops with the theme ‘Nature and Environment’ were also held as part of

week-long Bangladesh Festival 2019 at Katara Art Studio. Art workshop generated huge enthu-siasm among the participants.

Around 50 art enthusiasts from different background and different nationalities took part in the workshops. The workshops were arranged with a different group of people.

Children’s art competition on ‘Heritage of Bangladesh and Qatar’ as part of week-long Bang-ladesh Festival 2019 was also held at MHM Bangladesh School & College.

Around 80 students of dif-ferent ages and from different countries attended the art com-petition. The competition was arranged in three age groups.

Ambassador of People’s Republic of Bangladesh Ashud Ahmed attended the event as chief guest to inspire kids. Ahmed was impressed with the quality of work produced by the children and wished them good luck.

SACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA

From a finance professional to becoming a well known entrepreneur, the professional journey of Israt Ara Younus (pictured), Managing Director of Richmond

Consultants & Services, was not easy. The challenge-loving finance professional came to Qatar in 2008, leaving behind an illustrious career that began as management trainee and saw her joining multinational banks, and some other big names later in Bangladesh.

After coming here, she decided to have a break from hustle and bustle of corporate world and began devoting full time for here family.

“With in a year I realised that sitting at home is more difficult than chal-lenging professional life,” Israt told The Peninsula.

She joined a multinational bank in Qatar and has broken many stere-otypes since then. She became the first female corporate banking relationship manager for the bank. In world of financial services, widely seen as male dominated turf, she closed many deals successfully, proving her capability once again.

Rather than resting in the comfort zone of her ongoing successful job, she opted to take plunge in the challenging world of entrepreneurship.

“With my experience in financial services and strong network, I realised that the time has come to start my entre-preneurial journey and set up my financial and man-agement consultancy firm. After getting required approval, the firm began operations in 2017,” added Israt, who is an active member of Bangladesh Forum Qatar.

Now her firm is well established in Qatar and provides consultancy services to several companies. Being a woman added some extra challenges to her professional life, said Israt, looking back at her career. “Being a woman and an expatriate added few more roadblocks in my career, but I always believed in myself. My advice to other aspiring women entrepreneurs is to have perseverance and com-mitment. These two qualities have helped me a lot in my life and career,” she added.

Despite her busy life, she manages to find time for social activities and get involved in social activities of Bangladesh Forum Qatar.

“I want to take my consultancy firm to a point in future where if anybody thinks of financial and management consultancy, then our firm’s name should come to her or his mind,” said Israt.

Rising against all odds to become entrepreneur

Ashud Ahmed, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Qatar

Participants with their paintings at an art workshop with the theme ‘Nature and Environment’ at Katara Art Studio.

Food stalls as part of Bangladesh festival in Katara

16 MONDAY 1 APRIL 2019MORNING BREAK

FAJRSHOROOK

04. 10 AM05. 27 AM

11. 38 AM03. 07 PM

05. 52 PM07. 22 PM

ZUHRASR

MAGHRIBISHA

PRAYER TIMINGS

WEATHER TODAY

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

Minimum Maximum23oC 33oC

HIGH TIDE 02:36 –14:53 LOW TIDE 10:38 – 20:33

Relatively hot with slight dust to blowing dust

at times and partly cloudy to cloudy later

with chance of light rain at some places.

Art meets technology: VR film ‘X-Ray Fashion’ now in QM Gallery AlRiwaq

THE PENINSULA DOHA

The ‘X-Ray Fashion’, a virtual reality (VR) film, which premiered at the 2018 Venice Film Festival in the VR section, has come to Doha as part of Qatar Museum’s (QM) extensive 2019 programme. The installation will be on show at Qatar Museums Gallery AlRiwaq until April 21.

The film shines the spotlight on the inner workings of the world’s second largest polluter: the fashion industry. It is created by the Danish VR production house MANND and co-produced by the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate programme and the late Paul G Allen’s Vulcan Produc-tions with the support of Alcantara, a certified carbon neutral company.

Directed by Italian-born director and fashion photographer, Francesco Carrozzini (Franca: Chaos and Cre-ation), ‘X-Ray Fashion’ is a cinematic VR experience built around a 49-square metre physical installation that guides the viewer through the different stages of the fast fashion garment production; from cotton farm to sweatshop, and from catwalk to consumer purchase to the afterlife

of the garment. “Our goal at Qatar Museums is to bring unique experi-ences to Qatar and make them acces-sible to all. ‘X-Ray Fashion’ is a pow-erful statement that transports viewers to a new reality, transforming perceptions and educating visitors on important issues the world of fashion. The immersive show is an extraordinary undertaking and I hope many people in Qatar take advantage of this opportunity to see art and technology intertwine in a remarkable manner to make such an impact,” said QM’s Director of Exhi-bitions, Sheikha Reem Al Thani.

The seven scenes of the film con-sists of 360-degree live-action footage that imparts a stunning, photo-realistic atmosphere. The tran-sitions between the scenes consist of a CGI environment that allows the viewer to walk between the different

scenes. This cinematic experience is a pioneering VR piece that tests the implementation of physical and sensory effects through settings that incorporate heat, wind, scent and shifting terrain. By adding multidi-mensional sensorial effects, the film-makers seek to draw the participant into an immersive physical expe-rience that enriches storytelling in a new way.

The story of ‘X-Ray Fashion’ begins at a fashion show where audi-ences mingle with catwalk models wearing stunning clothing as photog-raphers flash their cameras. Audi-ences are ensconced in glamour as the narrator, Carrozzini himself, tells of a survivor of the tragic Rana Plaza disaster who told him that, “In some parts of Asia, the colour of the rivers can predict the palette of the upcoming trends fashion.”

The original concept for the X-Ray Fashion installation was developed by the Danish VR pro-duction house MANND for the Unit-ing4Climate VR/360-Video Pitch Competition established in 2017 by Connect4Climate, the World Bank Group’s global climate communica-tions and partnership programme:

“Virtual Reality is a strong and powerful empathy machine to work with, in conveying a message where audiences can take the story to heart. By creating X-Ray Fashion, we set out on a mission to create awareness on the subject of the supply chain within the fast fashion industry. By creating a sensorial VR installation, we not only show, but also make our audi-ences feel the consequences on their own body”, Maria Herholdt Engermann and Signe Ungermand, founders of MANND.

Sheikha Reem Al Thani (centre), Director of Exhibitions at Qatar Museums; and Maria Herholdt Engermann (right) and Signe Ungermand, co-founders of MANND, during a press preview of the VR film ‘X-Ray Fashion’ at Qatar Museums Gallery AlRiwaq yesterday. PIC: BAHER AMIN / THE PENINSULA

The seven scenes of the film consists of 360-degree live-action footage that imparts a stunning, photo-realistic atmosphere. By adding multidimensional sensorial effects, the filmmakers seek to draw the participant into an immersive physical experience that enriches storytelling in a new way.

IANS / TORONTO

Finding it hard to concentrate? Just looking at some-thing that reminds us of coffee can cause our minds to become more alert and attentive, according to a new study. “Coffee is one of the most popular beverages and a lot is known about its physical effects,” said Sam Maglio, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in Canada. However, much less is known about its psychological meaning — in other words, how even seeing reminders of it can influence how we think, Maglio added.

The study, published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, looks at an effect called priming, through which exposure to even subtle cues can influence our thoughts and behaviour.

“People often encounter coffee-related cues, or think about coffee without actually ingesting it,” Maglio said. The team used a mix of participants from Western and Eastern cultures “to see if there was an association between coffee and arousal such that if we simply exposed people to coffee-related cues, their physio-logical arousal would increase, as it would if they had actually drank coffee,” he noted.

They found that participants exposed to coffee-related cues perceived time as shorter and thought in more concrete, precise terms. “People who experience physiological arousal — again, in this case as the result of priming and not drinking coffee itself — see the world in more specific, detailed terms,” Maglio said. “This has a number of implications for how people process infor-mation and make judgements and decisions.”

However, the study noted that the association between coffee and arousal is not as strong in less coffee-dominated cultures. Maglio said the research may be of interest in better understanding a range of consumer-related behaviours and for marketers in considering retail store locations.

Gazing at coffee reminders can arouse your brain

IANS TOKYO

If you need to visit urinal frequently in the night, get your blood pressure checked as researchers say it may be a sign of hypertension.

“Our study indicates if you need to urinate in the night — called nocturia — you may have elevated blood pressure and/or excess fluid in your body. If you continue to have nocturia, ask

your doctor to check your blood pressure and salt intake,” said study author Satoshi Konno of Tohoku Rosai Hospital in Sendai, Japan. The study examined the link between nocturia and hypertension.The researchers enrolled 3,749 people who had an annual health check in 2017. Blood pressure was measured and information on nocturia was obtained through questionnaire. Nocturia was significantly asso-ciated with hypertension,

showed the findings presented at the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circu-lation Society.

The risk of hypertension rose significantly as the number of nocturia events per night increased. “We found that getting up in the night to urinate was linked to a 40 percent greater chance of having hyper-tension. And the more visits to the toilet, the greater the risk of hypertension,” Konno said.

Many urinal trips in night hints at high BP

Mars still has active deep groundwaterIANS NEW YORK

Deep groundwater could still be active on Mars and be the origin of surface streams in some near-equatorial areas of the “Red Planet”, researchers suggest. The researchers at University of Southern Cali-fornia have determined that groundwater likely exists in a broader geographical area than just the poles of Mars and contended that there is an active system from which groundwater comes to the surface through cracks in the specific craters they analysed.

The team studied the characteristics of Mars’ Recurrent Slope Linea, which are akin to dried, short streams of water that appear on some crater walls on Mars. The team found similarities between the groundwater moving mechanisms in the Sahara and on Mars.