Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani met yesterday with British Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Ajay Sharma. They reviewed bilateral relations and ways of developing and strengthening them, in addition to developments in the region.

PM meets British Ambassador

Federer and Djokovic march on as Pliskova crashes out

EU-Japan free trade

deal signed

BUSINESS | 11 SPORT | 17

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Qatar Airways is to press on with plans to build a stake of up to 4.75% in American Airlines in the near future, despite the opposition of the US company's management, Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said.

Emir and Guinea President discuss Gulf crisis over phoneEMIR H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held tele-phone a conversation with President of the Republic of Guinea, Alpha Conde, the cur-rent president of the African Union (AU). The conversation reviewed the latest develop-ments of the current Gulf crisis.

President Conde expressed his support for the mediation efforts of the Emir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah to resolve the crisis through constructive dia-logue among all parties based on diplomatic efforts. The Pres-ident briefed the Emir on the outputs of the African summit and the declaration, in which AU member states agreed to back the Kuwaiti mediation efforts as a solution for the cur-rent crisis.

The Emir thanked the Guinean President for his efforts and his stance, expressing his appreciation for the AU declaration that supports diplomatic efforts.

London

QNA

Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani affirmed that the siege imposed on Qatar is an

act of aggression and an insult to any independent and sover-eign country.

In an interview with CNN net-work, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that if we are looking at the demands presented to the State of Qatar, there are accusa-tions that Qatar is supporting terrorism and demands related to shutting free speech, shutting media outlets and expelling oppo-nents as well as other demands which are against the international law, such as withdrawing the Qatari nationality from certain individuals and return them to their countries of origin.

The Foreign MInister stressed that Qatar wouldn't comply with any demands that it considers a

violation of international law and would not comply with any action limited to Qatar alone. Any solu-tion must include everyone, not Qatar alone.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that they are accusing Qatar of hav-ing special relations with Iran, while they did not take any action against Iran itself. There-fore, the measures that were

taken against Qatar is an act of aggression and is relating to other reasons, not Iran.

"Shutting down Al Jazeera is out of the question. Any demand that affect the sovereignty of the State of Qatar will not be dis-cussed," the Foreign Minister said.

He affirmed that no money from Qatar is going out of the country to finance terrorism, stressing that "if there is any

Qatari who are involved in financing any terrorist organi-sation, he will be held accountable."

On a previous statement by the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that the concept of terrorism may differ in the State of Qatar from some other coun-tries, the Minister stressed that Qatar remains committed to this position saying that the govern-ment recognises a group as terrorist if it is designated by the UN Security Council or if there is proof it has committed violence.

Regarding the presence of Hamas movement's leaders in Qatar and in light of classifying the movement by some countries such as Israel and the United States on the list of terrorism, the

Foreign Minister said that "Hamas representation in Qatar is a polit-ical office. It is not a military presentation."

The Foreign Minister explained that the current polit-ical leadership of the movement is in Gaza and some of its leaders in the State of Qatar who came to participate in negotiations of the national reconciliation in which Qatar plays the role of mediator. These negotiations are supported by the international community and in coordination with the US, he said stressing that that State of Qatar does not sup-port Hamas, but it supports the people of Gaza.

→ Continued on page 3→ See also page 9

Ankara

Anatolia

Turkey will not close its mil-itary base in Qatar, President Recep Tayyip

Erdogan said. The closure of the base would happen under one condition, Erdogan told the France 24 television network. "Unless Qatar wants it, we will not do it," Erdogan said. A defence agreement in 2014 between Ankara and Doha required Tur-key to establish a base in Qatar, at the request of the Qatari government.

Erdogan said the same terms were presented to Saudi Arabia for Turkey to build a base in the kingdom but Riy-adh wanted time to think it

through. The Turkish base in Qatar was built but Saudi Ara-bia now wants to get rid of it.

"If Qatar has such a request of us, of course we will no longer remain in a place where we are not wanted," Erdogan said. "Why do they not ask the same thing for CENTCOM? Because the Americans have also a base there, the French have a base there,” Erdogan said of the Amer-ican command responsible for the Middle East, north Africa and central Asia. “We remain loyal to our agreement with Qatar.”

Turkey does not want the situation to widen into a regional crisis and has asked Saudi Arabia, not to allow it to develop into an even bigger crisis.

FM: Siege on Qatar an act of aggression

The Peninsula

Qatar Airways yesterday con-firmed it has been approved by the US Department of Home-

land Security to permit passengers to carry personal electronic items on board US-bound flights, departing from Hamad International Airport.

The airline gained the exemption after US officials inspected the secu-rity measures in full operation at the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport (HIA), an airport recently awarded five stars by Skytrax, the first airport in the Middle East to be bestowed with this recognition.

With the lifting of the electronics restrictions, passengers departing from HIA to all Qatar Airways’ US des-tinations will be able to carry their personal electronic devices on board, and have uninterrupted use of them for business and leisure purposes throughout their flight.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Exec-utive Akbar Al Baker said: “We are pleased to announce that the electron-ics ban has been lifted from Qatar Airways flights departing to all desti-nations in the US Safety and security are always our highest priority. They are expressed throughout all of our corporate values, and must never be compromised.

“The security measures in place in Doha allow us to continue to provide our renowned world-class service for all our passengers travelling to the US. We look forward to providing our pas-sengers an even greater choice of US destinations soon, with the addition of San Francisco to our expanding network, on board the most modern of aircraft includ-ing the Airbus A350 and our Qsuite retro-fitted Boeing 777 aircraft.”

Qatar Airways recently announced its intention to make an initial invest-ment of up to 4.75 percent in its oneworld partner American Airlines,

crediting the airline’s fundamentals, while intending to build a passive position within the company. Qatar Airways has long considered Ameri-can Airlines to be a good oneworld Alliance partner, and looks forward to continuing this relationship.

Qatar Airways has developed a reputation for enhanced cooperation with industry and US regulators over the past 20 years, consistently being at the forefront of implementing new measures to enhance the safety and security of its passengers.

Electronic devices ban on Qatar Airways flights lifted

QNA

General manager of Qatar National Cement Company,

Mohammad Ali Al Sulaity, said the siege has not affected the company's production, confirming the company is self-sufficient in cement production and is able to secure the local market's needs. In an inter-view with Al Sharq, Al Sulaity said all the raw material necessary for the

production are available in the country, and all the simple materials, such as gypsum and iron oxide, are imported from Sultanate of Oman according to previ-ously signed agreements.

Regarding paper bags, they are imported from Kuwait, hence the produc-tion is not affected by the siege as these few mate-rials that are required from abroad are unavail-able in siege countries and the company does not

import any materials from them, Al Sulaity added.

Al Sulaity said the company has a surplus in production and is able to meet the country's needs of cement and sand, add-ing that the company will run furnace number five in September at a capac-ity of 5,000 tonnes per day, which will increase its daily production of clinker to 19,000 tonnes per day and cement to 21,000 tonnes.

"Shutting down Al Jazeera is out of the question. Any demand that affect the sovereignty of the State of Qatar will not be discussed," the Foreign MInister said.

Turkish base stays as long as Qatar wants: Erdogan

Qatari cement covers market need

Crisis could last for months: USWASHINGTON: The United States is warning that the Per-sian Gulf crisis between Qatar and its neighbours is at an impasse and may not be quickly resolved.

State Department spokes-woman Heather Nauert says the US believes the crisis could potentially drag on for weeks or even months. She says it could "possibly even intensify."

Nauert isn't specifying what type of escalation the US fears. But she says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson remains in close contact with the countries involved. The US is praising Kuwait for trying to mediate a resolution.

Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during an interview with CNN.

c a

02 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017HOME

QNA

Qatar Aeronautical College (QAC) signed here yesterday an agreement with the International Diamond Company to pur-chase a fleet of Diamond modern aircraft comprising 10

aircraft of D40 single engine and 4 aircraft of D42 twin engine.The agreement also includes the purchase of two flying simu-

lators, one covering training on single engine D40, and the other covering training on twin engine, with noting that these aircraft have proved their efficiency and endurance to air turbulence in Qatari environment and hot air.

The purchase of this modern fleet and adding them to Qatar Aeronautical College aircraft fleet will work towards enhancing training efficiency and readiness and smooth running of Pilot Train-ing Division and will lead to increase in number of graduates in this promising division in the near future.

The agreement comes in line with QAC's efforts to upgrade its programmes, training courses and academic syllabuses and link-ing them to practical training for all departments for this advanced industry in the world.

QAC to purchase fleet of modern aircraft

Minister of State for Defence Affairs, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, met United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman. The meeting reviewed the cooperation between Qatar and the UN and ways to strengthen and develop them. It also discussed the latest regional and international developments as well as the Gulf crisis.

Dr Al Attiyah meets UN official

Respect aviation and maritime rules: MinisterQNA

Minister of Transport and Communica-tions H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti stressed the need

for all countries to respect the international conventions govern-ing civil aviation and air and maritime navigation.

Following the Qatar Aeronau-tical College graduation ceremony yesterday, the Minister said the violations of the safety and secu-rity of air and maritime navigation by the siege countries contradict all binding conventions, in addi-tion to the serious repercussions they cause. The Minister called on the siege countries to respect the international conventions, con-firming that Qatar fulfilled all legal

and safety procedures of its inter-national commitments and legal agreements, specifically regard-ing air safety. Qatar also fulfilled all sea relief requests for all pass-ing ships regardless of the vessel's flag in line with international and humanitarian law, the Minister added.

Al Sulaiti added that the tech-nical dossier that Qatar submitted to international organisations was accepted, which proves its enti-tlement and commitment to all treaties. The meetings and

discussions held regarding the dossier at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organ-ization are proof of the siege countries' violations, the Minister said.

The Minister praised the important role and efforts of the international organisations, stress-ing the need for decisions on Qatar's technical dossier regard-ing the right to air and maritime passage as Qatar, he said, is on the right side of the dispute.

QNA

Qatar Aeronautical College (QAC) yesterday cele-brated the graduation of

105 students from its Class of 2016-2017.

The graduating students were divided into several disci-plines: Air Traffic Control, Meteorology, Airport Operations Management, Security Manage-ment, Passports, Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance and Pilot Training.

This years graduates include 52 Qatari students of whom 12 are female students.

In a speech delivered on the occasion, Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jas-sim bin Saif Al Sulaiti praised Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's full support for QAC's practical course, which paved the way for it to achieve excellence. The Minis-ter also highlighted the

continuous follow-up and supervision by Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khal-ifa Al Thani to follow up the scientific students' progress.

Qatar has made great efforts in the development of aviation and air navigation services edu-cation programmes and become a major supporter of aviation sector by providing competent and responsible cadres, Al Sulaiti said, noting that this stems from of Qatar's role and commitments towards the world. Over the past five years, Qatar has been a tributary vein for nearly 1,000 graduating stu-dents and 2,000 graduates of short-term courses, who are today working in their home sis-terly and friendly countries, the Minister said.

In this context, Al Sulaiti reviewed the great efforts being exerted by QAC in order to meet the fierce competition

witnessed by the international aviation industry and the changing needs of its benefici-aries as well as to raise the level of academic specialisations through agreements, memoran-dums of understanding and appropriations from foreign international universities along with the modernisation and development of its programmes, curricula and training courses.

For his part, Chairman of QAC, H E Sheikh Jabor bin Hamad Al Thani, said in his speech that the graduation cer-emony is a culmination of great efforts and a long journey for the students, which was crowned with success. He reviewed some of QAC's achievements during the aca-demic year 2016-2017 after the implementation of its strategic plan aimed at raising the level of its specialities. In just a year and a few months, QAC's stra-tegic plan, has made important

achievements and bore fruits and good results through rais-ing the level of study and developing its curricula, pro-grams and training courses, he said.

QAC is currently working on upgrading its fleet of aircraft and simulators, while it has obtained the approval from the General Civil Aviation Author-ity on the private aviation training manual for private pilot licence (PPL).

The academic year 2016-2017 was a celebration of promising achievements and academic and training activi-ties for all departments, making QAC a destination and an advanced educational and training hub, Sheikh Jabor stressed. The ceremony also witnessed the graduation of 20 employees of the Ministry of the Interior who received the Diploma of Security Adminis-tration and Passports.

Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti signs on a poster of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the Graduation Ceremony for Qatar Aeronautical College which took place at QNCC, yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula

The Minister said the violations of the safety and security of air and maritime navigation by the siege countries contradict all binding conventions.

Qatar Aeronautical College marks graduation of Class 2016-2017Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti and Chairman of QAC, H E Sheikh Jabor bin Hamad Al Thani during the Graduation Ceremony of Class of 2016-2017 of Qatar Aeronautical College, which took place at QNCC yesterday. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, met United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman. Feltman expressed the UN concern over the continuation of the Gulf crisis. He also stressed UN support of the Kuwaiti mediation to solve the crisis.

Al Muraikhi meets UN official

03FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 HOME / MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

Maram Allaghi The Peninsula

While the whole country is immersed in a n e w - y e t -pleasant wave

of patriotism and the iconic “Tamim Al Majd” sketch has become a symbol of unity and loyalty in Qatar, an artist at Souq Waqif is also busy creating new portrait paintings of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to express his loyalty with Qatar and its people.

Artist Bilal AlDori showcases his artwork proudly at the Sha-nashel Art Gallery located at the heart of Souq Waqif. Before com-ing to Qatar, AlDori was creating pieces of art in Sweden.

“In the media, both main-stream and social, the images and paintings of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani have brought a sense of belonging and loyalty among people. Repost-ing and sharing pictures and sketches of the Emir show peo-ple’s love with their leader. In this way, people express that “yes we stand behind our Emir” and our country,” said AlDori who was busy creating a new portrait of the Emir.

Not only has the iconic “Tamim Al Majd” image become a sensation for the people of Qatar but other paintings like the ones AlDori create with his skilled fingers are also selling at an unusual pace nowadays.

AlDori says that he has worked in Iraq in 1980s as

Saddam Hussein’s personal art-ist. He thinks that the pictures of the Emir were helping create a unity in Qatar during the current crisis situation.

“The pictures of the Emir have helped unite Qatari citizens. Their bond with their leader and with one another is now stronger than ever. Even the residents in

Qatar from all around the world feel like it is a heaven for the oppressed and a home for eve-ryone,” AlDori observed.

He said that since the start of the blockade, Qataris and non Qataris both used to come to his shop to buy portrait paintings of the Emir. “In my opinion, fine art plays an important role in edu-cating people and raising their awareness on important issues and events. One painting can express an issue visually and clearly.”

For example, he says, that by

decorating your vehicles and homes with the images of the Emir you display your support for him.

“It shows others that I stand with Qatar; with its people, and its Emir.”

Personally, he said, that he had been living in Qatar for 23 years and “I feel like this is my home and these are my people”. He thinks that the Qataris are dif-ferent from other Gulf nationals, in the sense that they are more polite and hospitable towards other nationalities.

“As an artist, I feel that it is my moral duty to draw the paint-ings of the Emir and Qatar's life to express Qatari culture through my paintings.”

“This is to express to the world that being expats and immigrants, we exist here not to just find a means of living but to share and integrate our cultures with Qatar,” said AlDori adding: “This country is known to be a fertile ground for civilisation, and it is being targeted now with this blockade due its immense successes.”

Depiction of loyalty through paintings getting stronger

Citizens and residents signing on a billboard with an image of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani installed at Al Hilal, yesterday. Pic: Sajad Sahir / The Peninsula

Artist Bilal AlDori showcases a painting of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Shanashel Art Gallery.

Civilians trapped as forces battle IS in Mosul, RaqqaMosul

AFP

Iraqi forces yesterday battled the last remaining Islamic State group fighters in Mosul's

Old City, where the UN said up to 20,000 civilians are trapped and in "extreme danger".

In neighbouring Syria, US-backed forces are facing fierce resistance from IS as they wage a parallel offensive to recapture the city of Raqqa from the militants.

The fighting in both cities is taking place in densely populated residential neighbourhoods, pos-ing a major threat to civilians as diehard militants put up a des-perate last stand.

"Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of (Mosul's) Old City, there could be as many as 15,000 civilians, pos-sibly even as high as 20,000," UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq

Lise Grande said. "They're in extreme danger from bombard-ment, from artillery crossfire. The (IS) fighters that are still there are still directly targeting civilians if they try and leave," she said.

More than eight months after the start of the operation to retake Mosul from IS, the mili-tants have gone from fully controlling the city to holding a small pocket on the west bank of the River Tigris that flows through it.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi congratulated the Iraqi people and the security forces on the "achievement of this major victory in Mosul," but the battle is not over yet.

Iraqi forces are now between "80 to 100 metres" from the Tigris River, which marks the eastern boundary of IS-held ter-ritory in the Old City, said Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani Al Assadi, a senior commander

in the elite Counter-Terrorism Service.

"But that doesn't mean, for example, that we will reach the river today or tomorrow, because our movement is very slow," Assadi said, attributing that pace to efforts to protect civilians.

The battle for Mosul has pushed 915,000 to flee their homes, nearly 700,000 of whom are still displaced.

"We exceeded our worst case scenario more than a month ago. In our very worst-case scenario, we thought that 750,000 people would flee," Grande said.

The damage caused by the fighting in west Mosul — and the cost of addressing it — is huge.

There are "44 residential neighbourhoods in western Mosul. Six are nearly completely destroyed... Twenty-two neigh-bourhoods are moderately damaged and 16 are lightly dam-aged," Grande said.

US-Qatari relations very strong: FM

→ Continued from page 1On Qatar's supporting of the

Muslim Brotherhood group, which is classified by Egypt as a terrorist group, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Egypt classifies them as a terrorist group, but for us in Qatar we do not, adding that Qatar does not support the Muslim Brotherhood group and they do not exist in the country. The Muslim Brother-hood is a political group that are working in countries such as Bahrain which is one of the siege countries, he , adding that this is a double standard that one of the demands is to classify the Mus-lim Brotherhood as a terrorist group at a time when the Bah-raini parliament includes members of this group.

Regarding Al Nusra Front in which Qatar helped to release a US journalist held in custody, he said dealing with Al Nusra Front or other does not mean our sup-port for its ideas and regarding this issue, we only played a medi-ator role in facilitating dialogue with them and we have no direct communication with them.

On the role of US President Donald Trump and his adminis-tration in this crisis, the Minister said that the US-Qatari relations are very strong and the Ameri-can administration plays a major role in solving the crisis as it tries to resolve this conflict and there are many steps taken by the American side to urge the siege

countries to present their demands so that there is a role for the United States in media-tion to resolve the crisis.

US President Trump held via telephone a conversation with the Emir during which he stressed the need to resolve the crisis and called for non-escala-tion, the Minister said, adding that this is the US position for us.

On the real reasons behind this crisis, the Minister said that we believe that the independ-ence and policy of Qatar may be behind this crisis. Qatar's policy has always been independent and despite our visions' differ-ences with the other parties, this has never affected the collective security of the Gulf states, he said. "We have never sought to target the security of any Gulf country because such a matter would have its consequences on Qatar," he added.

The progress achieved by Qatar might have been one of the motives of the crisis because the big countries may be bothered that a small country will influ-ence its role, the Minister said, however, Qatar did not do so, but was only an active player at the international level through the use of international mechanisms in a clear, public and transpar-ent manner as an attempt to unite peoples in order to achieve peace in the world and our pur-suit is to solve problems through diplomacy means.

ICC rules South Africa had 'duty to arrest' BashirTHE Hague: War crimes judges ruled yesterday that South Africa flouted its duties to the Inter-national Criminal Court (ICC) in 2015 by failing to arrest vis-iting Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, wanted on genocide charges. The widely expected judgement slapped Pretoria for hindering the work of the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal. But judges also had harsh words for the UN Security Council for years of inaction in the Bashir case.

"The chamber concludes that by not arresting Omar Al Bashir while he was on its ter-ritory... South Africa failed to comply with the court's request for the arrest and surrender" of the Sudanese leader, said presiding judge Cuno Tar-fusser. Despite two international arrest warrants issued in 2009 and 2010, Bashir remains in office as con-flict rages in Darfur.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is welcomed by Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi during an official ceremony at Carthage Palace in Tunis, Tunisia, yesterday.

Abbas in Tunisia

Al Attiyah talks to MattisMINISTER of State for Defence Affairs H E Dr Khalid bin Moham-med Al Attiyah yesterday held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of Defence James Mattis. The call reviewed military ties between the two friendly countries, while the Mattis was briefed on the latest regional developments. Dr Al Attiyah expressed Qatar's appreciation for the US supportive stance for regional stability, stressing the depth of cooperation between the two friendly coun-tries in terms of combating and rejecting terrorism and violent extremism. Dr Al Attiyah discussed the Gulf crisis with the mattis and reiterated Qatar's backing for the efforts of Emir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah to reach a resolution for the crisis through constructive dialogue.

CAIRO: Qatar is selected to become a member of the exec-utive bureau of the council of Arab Water Ministers for a two-year period (2018-2019).

The decision came at the conclusion of the ninth ses-sion of the council, which was held at the headquarters of the Arab League general sec-retariat. The new formation of the bureau comprises the Arab League Council Summit Troika, namely: Mauritania, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in addition to Comoros, Kuwait and the elected countries of Sudan, Iraq and Qatar. Qatar participated in the session with a delegation led by Saif bin Muqaddam Al Buainain, the permanent representative to the Arab League.

Qatar elected to Arab Water Ministers' body

04 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017ISLAM

Sheikh Salman Al Oadah

Abu Ayyub Al Ansari relates that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) says: "Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then fol-

lows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he had fasted the year through." (Sahih Muslim 1163)

The month of Shawwal is singled out for the observance of extra fasts, since this month follows immediately after Ramadan. The six days of voluntary fast-ing are to the obligatory fast of Ramadan what the Sunnah prayers are to the obligatory prayers.

It is related from Thawban that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The fast of Ramadan is like observing ten months of fasting. Fasting six days of Shawwal is like observing two months of fasting. This together is like fasting throughout the year." (Sahih Ibn Khu-zaymah 2115) and Sunan Al Nasa'i Al Kubra 2860) - and authenticated by Al Albani)

Al Nawawi observes (Sharh Sahih Muslim 8/56):

Scholars have explained that it is like observing a year of fasting because the reward of one's good deeds are multi-plied tenfold. Therefore fasting the month of Ramadan is like fasting for ten months and fasting six days in the month of Shawwal is like fasting for two months.

1. Fasting six days in Shawwal after observing the Ramadan fast gives the person the reward of fasting through-out the year.

2. The fasts of Sha`ban and Shaw-wal are like the Sunnah prayers that accompany the five obligatory prayers. Like the Sunnah prayers, these extra fasts cover up for the deficiencies in our performance of our obligatory worship. On the Day of Judgment, our voluntary acts of worship will compensate for the shortcomings in how we carried out our duties. Most of us have deficiencies in our observance of our Ramadan fasts and we need something to cover up for those deficiencies.

(Note: The deficiencies being dis-cussed here are not missing days of fasting. Rather, they are the deficiencies in our conduct that detract from the value of our worship.)

3. Our return to the habit of fasting right after Ramadan is a sign that our Ramadan fasts were accepted. When Allah accepts our worship, He blesses

us to engage in further acts of piety. The saying goes: The reward of virtue is fur-ther virtue. Therefore, following one good deed with others like it is a sign that the first deed had been accepted by Allah. By contrast, if a person's good deed is followed by a sinful one, it is an indication that the first good deed might not have been accepted.

4. Those who observe the fast of Ramadan are given their recompense of the day of`Id al-Fitr, the day when the fast is rewarded. Getting into the habit of fasting again soon thereafter is a means of giving thanks to Allah for the blessings that we have received. There is no blessing greater than forgiveness for one's sins, and we know that fast of Ramadan is recompensed with forgive-ness of one's previous sins.

Indeed, Allah has commanded us to give thanks for the blessings of the Ram-adan fast and to do so by making mention of Him and through other means of giving thanks. Allah says: "(He wants you) to complete the number of days, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you may give thanks." (Surah Al Baqarah: 185)

Fasting these days in Shawwal is one way for us to express our thanks for Allah blessing us in our observance of the Ramadan fast.

It is known that some of the Pious Predecessors would try to get up at night to pray the Tahajjud prayer. When Allah blessed them to wake up and do so, they

would fast the next day in thanks to Allah for blessing them to observe that prayer.

Once Wuhayb bin Al Ward was asked about the blessings of various acts of devotion and he replied: "Do not ask about the blessings that can be earned by performing these acts of worship. Rather, ask how you can show your thanks to Allah if He blesses you to per-form them, for he is the one who assists us in doing so."

Every blessing that Allah gives us is something that we have to be thankful about. Moreover, when Allah blesses us to show thanks, this is a further bless-ing from Allah that deserves further thanks from us. If we show further thanks, this in turn is another blessing deserving our gratitude. There is no end to this and we can never be thankful enough. When we recognize that our thanks is never enough, this is the high-est expression of gratitude we can give.

The Legal Ruling Al Shafi`i, Ahmad b. Hanbal, and

Ishaq al-Rahawayh hold that is prefer-able and recommended to fast six days in the month of Shawwal. This opinion has also been related from Ibn `Abbas, Ka`b al-Ahbar, Tawus, al-Sha`bi, May-mun bin Mahran, and Ibn al-Mubarak.

They base their opinion upon the hadith that we have discussed above.

Others have regarded fasting six days in the month of Shawwal to be

something disliked. This view has been related from Malik and Abu Hanifah. They argue that it is feared from the gen-eral public that they might misconstrue fasting these six days to be something obligatory. They also see it as emulat-ing the People of the Scripture to exceed the number of fasting days in the pre-scribed month of fasting.

However, these objections are spu-rious in the face of the clear statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that encourage this fast. If we were to aban-don a Sunnah act on the grounds that we are exceeding what is obligatory, then we would have to abandon all recommended fasts, including the fast of `Ashura' and the fast of the middle of the month. It has been related that Malik used to person-ally fast six days in Shawwal. Also, later Hanafi scholars decided that there is no objection to fasting these days.

The Maliki jurist Ibn Abd Al Bar explains (Al Istidhkar (3/380):

Malik did not know of the hadith related by Abu Ayyub Al Ansari, even though it is a hadith from the people of Madinah. No one possesses all the knowledge held by others. Malik explained and clarified what he disliked about it - He was afraid that it would be added to the obligatory fast of Ramadan by the general public. Malik was extremely cautious when it came to mat-ters of religion.

As for fasting six days in the month of Shawwal to seek extra blessings - as

Thawban depicts it - this is something that Malik had no objection against - and Allah knows best - since fasting is a person's protective shield and its virtues are well-known. When we give up our food and drink for Allah's sake, it is a vir-tuous and good deed. Allah says: "and engage in good works that perchance you will be successful." (Surah Al Haj: 77) Malik was well aware of all this.

How We Should FastThere are various opinions about

this question: Some scholars hold the view that it is preferable to fast the six days in consecutive order, starting from the second day of Shawwal. This is the view of Al Shafi`i and Ibn Al Mubarak.

Others are of the opinion that it is preferable to fast the six days intermit-tently, spreading them out throughout the month of Shawwal. This is the posi-tion of Ahmad bin Hanbal and Waki`.

Then there are those who hold the view that the days should all be post-poned until later in the month and not close to the day of Eid, which is a time of celebration and feasting. They prefer fasting the three days in the middle of the month (ayyam Al bid) along with the three days right before or after. This is the opinion of Ma'mar and Abd Al Raz-zaq. There is considerable flexibility in all of this. We can choose to follow any of these approaches that we wish. And Allah knows best.

Source: IslamToday

Virtues of fasting six days in Shawwal

Moderation and balance are the most distinguished characters of Islam, the true religion. When we say

moderation and balance we mean that one side is tantamount to the opposite side, no side takes over the other, delete the other, oppress the other, or misjudge the other. There is no extremism, immoderation, exaggeration, delinquency, high-handed-ness, underestimation, transgression, or depreciation; yet, each side takes its right by righteous measures. Moderation in Islam is based on the following verse:

Thus We have made you true Muslims - real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways) -, a Wasat (just) (and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger be a witness over you. (Al Baqarah, verse 143)

Moderation is the slogan of the Islamic Umma (nation):

It is out of profound wisdom that Allah has chosen moderation and balance to be the slogan of this Umma that is the last of nations, and to this message (Islam) that is the seal of messages, as Allah sent His last messenger to all people as a mercy to all world’s nations, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) considered the above verse as the base of this moderation.

The different senses of the word “moderation”:

1. Justice:Justice lies between two conflicting

parties without bias to any party or side, and justice is giving every right claimer his right without delinquency or inequity, the Interpreters said in the Ayah:

The best among them said: “Did I not tell you: why do you not say: Insha’ Allah (If Allah will). (Al Qalam, verse 28)

2. Righteousness of the method and farness from deviation:

Sirat Al Mustakeem according to one interpreter is the straight path, and the wasat line between two points is the straight and shortest line between them and the rest of lines are arched, and a Muslim asks his Lord to guide him to the Sirat Al Mustakeem every day more than seventeen times, and that occurs when he reads the Quran's first Chapter Al Fatiha.

3. Moderation means virtue:The most precious pearl of the neck-

lace is the one in the Wasat (middle). The leader stands always in the Wasat (mid-dle) and his followers surround him, and in abstract sense, Wasat is better than extremism. One Arab’s proverb says: “Wasat is the best in matters”, and one of the wise men said: “virtue is Wasat between two vices”.

Wasat here means the best of nations, and as it is said in Quraish (the tribe where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came from. In Islam there are three sides; intellectual, psycho-logical, and behavioral, and when one

of these sides take over more than it should be, this will affect the other sides and lead to extremism, but when the three sides go along evenly and naturally, only then, excellence is achieved. Hence, we look forward to excellence not to extremism.

4. Being safe and away from danger:Usually, danger and corruption hit the

edges but not the middle which is pro-tected and guarded by what surrounds it. Hence, Twassut (middle of things) means security and stability, whereas extremism means deviation, corruption, and exag-geration. Wasatayah (being moderate ) represents power, because the center of everything is the strongest point, take the sun as an example, it is gives the its most heat and light in the middle of the day and when it is in the middle of the sky, and a human being is in his best shape when he is in his middle age (in his youth) between feebleness of childhood and old age.

5. The unity point:Whereas edges are many, we have

only one center that all the edges come together to. All extreme ideas find their common denominator at the moder-ate idea. Hence, Tawassut and I’tidal (moderation) is the center of intellec-tual unity.

Hence, extreme ideas bring affliction to the unity of the nation, unlike the mod-erate schools of thoughts that reconcile with Quran and Sunnah.

The definition of moderation in Islam

Fasting six days in Shawwal after observing the Ramadan fast gives the person the reward of fasting throughout the year.

05FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 ASIA

Court warns against use of fake certificatesNew Delhi

IANS

The Supreme Court yes-terday said that people securing gov-ernment jobs or seats in educational institu-

tion in the reserved category on the basis of fake caste certifi-cates would lose them.

A bench of Chief Justice Jag-dish Singh Khehar, Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice N V Ramana said that using fake caste certificate for getting gov-ernment job or admission in educational institution in the reserved category can't survive just on the length of time that has gone by.

Speaking for the bench, Jus-tice Chandrachud said: "Usurpation of constitutional benefits by persons who are not entitled to them must be answered by the court in the only way permissible for an institution which has to uphold the rule of law."

"Unless the courts were to do so, it would leave open a path of incentives for claims based on fraud to survive legal gam-bits and the creativity of the disingenuous."

The court said that the "withdrawal of benefits secured on the basis of a caste claim which has been found to be false

and is invalidated is a necessary consequence which flows from the invalidation of the caste claim and no issue of retrospec-tivity would arise."

"The fault-lines of our sys-tem, be it in education, health or law, are that its lethargy and indolence furnish incentives for the few who choose to break the rules to gain an unfair advan-tage," the judgment said.

"In such a situation, the court as a vital institution of democratic governance must be firm in sending out a principled message that there is no incen-tive other than for behaviour compliant with rules and devi-ance will meet severe reprimand of the law."

Citing the intense competi-tion for admission to medical education for a bright future, the court said: "There is intense competition for a limited number of under-graduate, post-graduate and super-spe-ciality seats. This can furnish no justification for recourse to unfair means including adopt-ing a false claim to belong to the reserved category."

Referring to the argument that that the withdrawal of edu-cational qualification or an admission taken on the basis of fake certificate would result in "loss of productive societal resources", the court said that situation "cannot possibly out-weigh or nullify the legislative mandate ... of the state legislation".

The apex court judgment reversed the verdict of the Nag-pur bench of Bombay High Court which had held that if a person is in service for a long time and later it surfaces that he had got it on the basis of bogus caste cer-tificate, then he can be allowed to continue in the service, said Maharashtra government coun-sel Nishant Katnewswarkar.

The top court judgment came on a batch of petitions including one by Maharashtra government and the Food Cor-poration of India's Chairman and Managing Director.

Indian state CM to meet President over 'illegal' nominationNew Delhi

IANS

The controversy over nom-ination of three MLAs in Puducherry snowballed

yesterday with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy scheduled to meet President Pranab Mukher-jee over the "illegal" action, as state Lt Governor Kiran Bedi strongly defended her move.

Naryanasamy, who is in Delhi, said the nomination of three MLAs "by the central gov-ernment" was not in accordance

with the provisions of the Union Territories Act, 1963, and the rules of business.

"There is a provision to nominate three people but it has to be done by the state govern-ment and not by the central government directly," Naraya-nasamy said.

"We will be submitting a memorandum to the President on this issue, saying that the nomination itself is illegal. The central government cannot usurp the powers of the state. There are also criminal records

against two of those nomi-nated," he added.

Narayanasamy said he will also meet Congress Vice-Pres-ident Rahul Gandhi tomorrow.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said in New Delhi that Bedi has been at loggerheads with V Narayanasamy and the elected Congress government from the beginning.

He said the appointment of three MLAs -- V Saminathan, President of Puducherry BJP unit, party Treasurer K G

Shankar and educationist S Selva Ganapathy -- has been done without consulting the Chief Minister.

Even in Parliament the President nominates members on the basis of the recommen-dation by central government, he said.

Bedi took to Twitter to jus-tify her action and cited provisions of the Government of Union Territories Act in this regard.

"Here is the Law under which 3 MLAs were nominated

by GOI (Government of India) and I as an LG (Lt Governor) administered the Oath," Bedi said in a tweet.

One of the provisions cited by her said that three members can take oath before the LG or a person appointed by him/her for the purpose.

"Since when is application of Law a 'murder of democracy'?

"See the law. Central gov-ernment has the power to Nominate and LG has the power of oath giving..!," Bedi added.

Police arrest fake coin kingpinNew Delhi

IANS

THE kingpin of a gang involved in minting of counterfeit coins has been arrested, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said Upkar Luthra, 50, was arrested from a hotel in Kondli on Tuesday on a tip-off. Coun-terfeit coins of Rs5 with face value of Rs8,500 were seized from his possession.

Luthra, who hails from Punjab and has a reward of Rs 1,00,000 on his head, has confessed to his crime during interrogation, police said.

Yadav said Luthra was wanted in several criminal cases, including murder.

He was earlier arrested in 1999 for counterfeiting coins and after his release started a unit for minting counterfeit coins in Delhi's Anand Vihar, police said.

Wreckage of MiG-23 foundItanagar

IANS

THE IAF yesterday saw another accident - of a MiG-23 UB trainer that crashed in Rajas-than, even as the wreckage and bodies of three person-nel from an IAF chopper that crashed in Arunachal Pradesh were recovered.

The two pilots in the MiG-23 trainer ejected safely as the aircraft crashed near Balesar village in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district around 11.30am, offi-cial sources said.

The Advanced Light Hel-icopter which crashed in Arunachal Pradesh was a part of flood relief operations.

A defence statement said the Arunachal Pradesh Police team spotted the wreckage on Wednesday evening during the search by a joint rescue team of Army, the National Disaster Response Force, police and the Indian Air Force.

A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice N V Ramana said that using fake caste certificate for getting government job or admission in educational institution in the reserved category can't survive just on the length of time that has gone by.

Fraud

India & Israel launch innovation bridgeTel Aviv

IANS

Indian Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi, along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin

Netanyahu, yesterday launched an India-Israel Innovation Bridge designed to link start-up companies and innovators of the two countries.

The bridge is aimed at ben-efitting Israeli companies and India in areas like agricultural technology, water technology and digital healthcare.

While India has 157.35 mil-lion hectares of agricultural land, there are over 500 Israeli agricultural technology companies.

Similarly, while India is the largest user of ground water, Israel is the largest investor in water technology.

There will be over 600 mil-lion people seeking affordable healthcare by 2018.

Israel, with over 385 com-panies in the digital health sector, can provide a solution.

On Wednesday, the two

countries upgraded their bilateral relationship to strategic partner-ship and signed two agreements on water management and one on agriculture among others.

Modi arrived in Israel on Tuesday in the first ever Indian Prime Ministerial visit to Israel.

Yesterday, Modi and Netan-yahu paid homage at the Haifa Indian Cemetery that contains the graves of 44 Indian soldiers who died during World War I and then viewed a demonstra-tion of a mobile sea water desalination plant at Dor beach.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, yesterday.

Rains in Delhi likely till TuesdayNew Delhi

IANS

Delhi residents will have to wait at least till Tues-day before they usher in

the monsoon, weather experts said yesterday. The national capital and the surrounding region have received a drizzle in isolated patches.

Even though the south-west monsoon technically arrived in Delhi on July 2, the city is yet to

see the rains in full swing. The past three days have been dry.

According to the India Mete-orological Department (IMD), only 0.1mm rainfall was recorded at Safdarjung and 5.6mm at Palam yesterday.

Other areas too recorded low precipitation.

"Till July 10, the national capital will not see rains. There will only be traces or very little of rain at some isolated places," said Mahesh Palawat, Director

of private weather forecaster Skymet.

The weather analysts predict that the monsoon will kick in from July 11 onwards and the fol-lowing two days will see rains.

Yesterday, humidity in Delhi oscillated between 77 and 66 per cent, while the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 35.89 degrees Cel-sius, a notch above the season's average, and 27.l4 degrees Cel-sius respectively.

IIT-Guwahati develops 'Bug Bounty' schemeKolkata

IANS

The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, is offering a bounty for eth-

ical hackers to enhance its cybersecurity through a pro-gramme called 'Bug Bounty'.

In the programme, white hat hackers use their skills to test and expose cyber vulnera-bilities of protected systems and networks of the institute, before black hat hackers (malicious hackers) can exploit them.

"This will help improve security within IIT Guwahati's network and its websites," K. Mohan Sai Krishna, a fourth year B-Tech Computer Science and Engineering student and the brain behind the initiative, said.

IIT-Guwahati's Facebook page says this is a first of its kind initiative in the country (in terms of educational institutes).

Launched on June 30, the programme is an experimental programme focusing on improving the security within IIT Guwahati's network.

The initial bounty is an appreciation of the bug-hunter in the 'Hall of Fame' page.

The introductory phase is meant for the institute's stu-dents and faculty but it will be

rolled-out for the ethical hack-ers across the world to participate. Of the clutch of rules and restrictions of the project, one forbids hackers from "publicly disclosing any vulnerabilities before they have been completely resolved".

"Soon after the programme was released we got seven reports in two days, three of which are high priority ones and four of them are low pri-ority ones," said Krishna, whose core interest lies in information security and has earlier helped companies like Microsoft to secure their websites.

"I noticed some flaws in IIT-Guwahati website and informed the concerned people. One more thing which fuelled this idea was most of the times when some Indian government websites were hacked by some Pakistani hackers or someone else you could hear many hack-ers saying 'I reported about this vulnerability long ago, nobody patched it'."

"The idea is that with the success of this programme in IIT-Guwahati, other IITs and government bodies might also start something similar and in the end it should contribute in making Indian cyberspace more secure," he said.

Vendors prepare to move their makeshift shelters from the banks of the Ganga river as the water level of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers rise due to heavy rainfall, in Allahabad, yesterday.

06 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017ASIA

Cambodia deports 74 Chinese fraud suspectsPhnom Penh Reuters

Cambodia sent home yes-terday 74 Chinese nationals wanted in China

on suspicion of extorting money from people there over the inter-net and by telephone, Cambodian police said.

A team of Chinese police arrived in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh on a China South-ern Airline flight to pick up the suspects who had been detained in Cambodia.

"They established places to commit crime by extorting money from people over the phone," Uk Heisela, the head of the Cambodian police investiga-tion, said.

"They used Cambodia as the location to extort money from people in China."

The 74 suspects had been

arrested in Phnom Penh and Kampot province, he said, add-ing that it was the first such expulsion this year.

Reporters did not get access to the 74 Chinese citizens before they were put on the plane and flown home and it was not clear if any of them had lawyers.

The deportation is the lat-est by Cambodia at Beijing's behest. Cambodia is one of Chi-na's closest allies in the Southeast Asia.

In 2009, Cambodia sent home 20 ethnic Uighurs, from China's troubled far western region of Xinjiang, despite objec-tions from the United Nations refugee agency and rights groups, which said they feared for the safety of the Uighurs if sent back.

Last year, Cambodia deported 13 Taiwanese

nationals wanted on fraud charges to mainland China despite vehement opposition from Taipei which has accused

Beijing of "abducting" its citizens from countries that do not rec-ognise the island's government - such as Cambodia.

Uk Heisela said more than 500 fraud suspects had been deported to China over recent years.

Manila

Reuters

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (pic-tured) said yesterday he did not initiate dia-logue with militants

occupying a southern town because he would never talk to criminals and terrorists.

Reuters reported exclusively on Wednesday that Duterte was preparing to make a deal with the IS-inspired militants in the days after they occupied the town of Marawi, but he aborted the plan without explanation.

"No, I did not," Duterte said when asked during a media briefing if he had indeed, as Reu-ters reported, pushed for talks with the Maute group of militants battling government troops for control of Marawi.

"I have never talked to ter-rorists and I will never talk to criminals and terrorists, but I will

talk to revolutionaries who are imbued with principle," Duterte said.

The battle for control of Marawi has been the biggest cri-sis of Duterte's year-old presidency.

His government has consist-ently ruled out negotiating with "terrorists" so any behind-the-scenes efforts by either side to get talks going are likely to be scrutinised.

Defence Minister Delfin Lorenzana, responding to the report, said earlier the influen-tial mother of two brothers, who with their Maute group of mili-tants seized Marawi on May 23, had approached the government for talks.

But Duterte had rejected the offer from the woman, Farhana Maute, as government forces had suffered too many casualties by the time the offer came, Loren-zana said.

More than six weeks after the

militants launched their assault in the town on the southern island of Mindanao, they are still resisting daily attacks by govern-ment forces using aircraft and artillery.

More than 400 people have been killed, including 351 mili-tants, 85 members of the security forces, and 39 civilians.

About 260,000 residents

have been displaced.The fighting in the largely

Muslim town in the predomi-nantly Christian Philippines has alarmed neighbours, fearful that IS group is bent on gaining a foothold in the region as it loses ground in the Middle East.

Duterte said members of other separatist groups, some of which are involved in peace talks with the government, may "have started initiatives" to hold talks with the militants in Marawi but it was "impossible" that any attempt was made by him.

"Many of my soldiers and policemen have been killed. If there has to be peace it would really be peace. Don't play with me. Let us finish this once and for all," Duterte said.

A prominent Muslim leader said earlier that Duterte had been preparing to make a deal with the militants in the days after they began their assault but dropped the plan without explanation.

Agakhan Sharief, an inter-mediary involved in the process, said he was approached by a senior Duterte aide to use his connections with the Maute group's leaders to start back-channel talks.

Lorenzana said he did not know about any back-channel efforts. "Talking does not mean negotiating,".

Lorenzana reiterated that the government did not negotiate with terrorists.

"Either they surrender, or we go to war," he said.

Two other sources in Marawi familiar with the matter con-firmed the president had worked behind the scenes to hold talks with the Maute brothers, Omar-khayam and Abdullah.

However, the process was halted when Duterte, in a May 31 speech, declared he "will not talk to terrorists".

Duterte's spokesman, Ernesto Abella, referring to any

effort by the president on talks, said he had "no verified reports that there were efforts to initiate such actions".

"Let me be clear that the position of the palace and the president is not to negotiate with terrorists, including these local terrorist groups," Abella said yesterday.

No dialogue plans with militants: Duterte

Malaysia arrests 2,000 illegal migrant workersKuala Lumpur

Reuters

MORE than 2,000 illegal migrant workers in Malaysia are facing deportation amid one of the largest crackdowns in recent years, with cam-paigners concerned this has forced immigrants into hid-ing and increased the risk of human trafficking.

Malaysia government relies heavily on migrant workers from countries including Indonesia, Bang-ladesh and Nepal for jobs shunned by the locals such as those on plantations and in construction.

It has some two million registered migrant workers but also an equal number of undocumented ones.

A senior immigration offi-cial said 2,309 undocumented workers have been arrested during mass raids across the country since last July 1 in places like factories and restaurants.

"(They) will be investi-gated within 14 days and prosecuted before deporta-tions take place," Saravana Kumar, the Immigration Department's enforcement, investigation and prosecution chief, said yesterday.

The official added that the majority of those arrested are from Bangladesh and Indo-nesia, and entered the country with tourist visas and without proper work permits.

Balochistan confirms first polio case Islamabad

Anatolia

A health official in Pakistan confirmed yesterday the first case of polio virus in south-western Balochistan province and the country’s third in the current year.

"Previously, one case was reported each in northeast-ern Punjab province and northern Gilgit-Baltistan," Health Ministry spokesman Saeed Ahmed Shah said yesterday.

In the recent case, the crippling virus paralyzed an 18-month-old boy in Chaman town of Killa Abdullah district near Afghan border.

The child -- identified as Ahmed Shah -- had only received two to three doses of polio vaccine as his mother and grandmother refused to get the child vac-cinated any further, Ahmed said yesterday while calling it the main reason behind the case.

The health official said Killa Abdullah, Pashin and Quetta districts are among the most sensitive areas of the country, where polio virus is still active.

Pakistan has already announced to launch a three-day anti-polio campaign starting from July 10 to save millions of children in the country from the life-long crippling virus.

Kabul

Reuters

The American military in Afghanistan says it will delay announcing troop

casualties until after next of kin have been notified, potentially leaving casualties unreported for days.

The change in policy was instituted by General John Nicholson, the senior US com-mander in Kabul, over fears that families could be left guessing for days after casual-ties were announced but not identified and before families could be notified, said military spokesman Captain Bill Salvin.

"It's a balance we're trying to strike between trying to pro-vide all the support we can to

families, while also informing the public," he said.

Previously, the US military command in Kabul issued a ini-tial announcement only stating that a soldier had been killed, often including a general loca-tion within Afghanistan, but not identifying him. Once the sol-dier's family or next of kin had been notified, the Pentagon would release more details, including names and home units.

The change in policy was revealed this week when US Army Private First Class Hansen Kirkpatrick was killed in Hel-mand province but officials did not announce that a soldier had been killed until Wednesday, when his death and identity was released.

EU & Japan call for expanding N Korea sanctionsBrussels

AFP

The EU and Japan yester-day called for further sanctions against North

Korea after Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in defiance of repeated UN resolutions.

US President Donald Trump urged the international commu-nity to ensure North Korea faced

the "consequences" of its action while warning he was consid-ering a "severe" response.

EU President Donald Tusk said after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Brussels on a landmark free trade accord that both sides shared basic values about how a rules-based global order should work.

Against this backdrop, they "agreed to call on the

international community to strengthen measures aimed at further restricting the transfer of relevant items and technol-ogies as well as funding for North Korea's nuclear and bal-listic missile programmes."

"In this regard, we appeal for the early adoption of a new and comprehensive UN Secu-rity Council resolution," Tusk told a press conference with Abe and European Commission

head Jean-Claude Juncker.In an accompanying joint

statement, the three said they shared "the view that North Korea, a top priority on the international agenda, increas-ingly poses a new level of threat to international peace and security."

"North Korea must refrain from any further provocations that further increase regional and international tensions."

I have never talked to terrorists and I will never talk to criminals and terrorists, but I will talk to revolutionaries who are imbued with principle: Duterte

Marawi siege

Agakhan Sharief, an intermediary involved in the process, said he was approached by a senior Duterte aide to use his connections with the Maute group's leaders to start back-channel talks.

Chinese police officers escort a group of citizens suspected of telecom fraud after they were deported from Cambodia, at Changsha Huanghua International Airport, in Hunan province, yesterday.

US army to delay casualty reports in Afghanistan

Rescuers prepare to search for trapped residents insid a destroyed building after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Kananga, Leyte province, in the central Philippines, yesterday.

6.5 magnitude quake hits Philippines

07FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 EUROPE

A horse interacts with a stud master during a programme called 'Piber meets Vienna 2017' at the famous Spanish Horse Riding School at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria, yesterday.

Studious interaction

Tallinn

AFP

EU interior ministers yester-day pledged to back an urgent European Commis-

sion plan to help crisis-hit Italy, which has been overwhelmed by a wave of migrants arriving by sea from North Africa.

Ministers from across the bloc gathered in the Estonian

capital Tallinn after Italy, which has accepted around 85,000 of the 100,000 people who have arrived this year, appealed des-perately for help.

At the close of the talks, min-isters issued a rare written statement, saying: "The situation in the Central Mediterranean and the resulting pressure on Italy is of great concern to all member states." The move was hailed by

Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti. "There has been a rec-ognition of the question raised by Italy," he said of the talks that were chaired by Estonia, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Most of those landing in Italy are sub-Saharan Africans who have crossed the Mediterranean from Libya, a journey that has so far claimed more than 2,200

lives this year, UN figures show.In recent weeks, Italy has

stepped up calls for help, plead-ing with its European partners to make a "concrete contribu-tion" by opening their ports to rescue ships to share the burden. At the end of June, Italy threat-ened to stop vessels from other countries disembarking rescued migrants at its ports.

A n d t h e i n f l u x

has exacerbated tensions with neighbouring Austria, which this week threatened to send troops to its border with Italy to stop migrants entering. Central to yesterday's talks was a European Commission plan which ear-marks ¤35m ($40m) in aid for Rome as well as proposals for working with Libya and other countries to stem the flow of migrants at source.

Madrid

AFP

A deadly bacteria that infected thousands of olive trees in Italy has

been detected for the first time in mainland Spain, the world's top producer of olive oil, a regional government official said yesterday.

The Xylella fastidiosa pathogen, which dries out trees leaving their leaves looking scorched, was found in June in almond trees near the town of Guadalest in the eastern region of Valencia, Elena Cebrian, head of the regional government's agri-culture department, said.

Paris

Reuters

The French parliament yesterday voted to extend the state of

emergency until November 1, a measure first imposed after Islamist suicide bomb-ers and gunmen killed 130 people in coordinated attacks on Paris in late 2015.

Lawmakers across the political divide supported the extension except those from Jean-Luc Melenchon’s hard-left France Unbowed party and the Communist party, which both deem the emer-gency rule dangerous for civil liberties.

“Freedom and security are not mutually exclusive,” Interior Minister Gerard Col-lomb told parliament. “When you strengthen security, you don’t take away civil liberties, you preserve them, and sometimes you enhance them.”

London

AFP

Britain's opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday blasted the ruling Con-

servatives for a "lost decade", promising that a Labour Party government would offer free further education to boost the economy.

"Britain has been living through a lost decade. A decade

of lost growth. A decade of stag-nant living standards," Corbyn said during a speech at the Brit-ish Chamber of Commerce in central London.

"Britain can't afford another lost decade," he added.

The Labour leader described his party as a "government in waiting" following strong gains in a general election last month in which Prime Minister Theresa May lost her parliamentary

majority. Corbyn, who has promised to scrap tuition fees for university students, also laid out plans for a National Educa-tion Service inspired by the country's National Health Serv-ice (NHS). "Our National Education Service will be the key institution of fairness and prosperity in the 21st century, just as the NHS transformed people's prospects in the 20th century," he said.

Hamburg

Reuters

US President Donald Trump arrived for a G20 summit in Hamburg yesterday risking isolation on

climate policy and the wrath of anti-capitalist protesters threat-ening to disrupt the meeting of the world’s leading economic powers.

Trump, who paused to wave as he descended the steps of Air Force One with his wife Melania, faces a testy confrontation with leaders of the other big G20

economies after deciding last month to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate deal.

Trade policy is another area of contention at the summit, which protesters have vowed to disrupt. “Welcome to Hell” was their greeting for Trump and other world leaders arriving in Hamburg for the two-day meet-ing which formally starts on today. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosting the meet-ing, said she was committed to an open international trading system, despite fears of US pro-tectionism under the Trump administration.

“We’re united in our will to strengthen multilateral relations at the G20 summit ... We need an

open society, especially open trade flows,” Merkel, who is run-ning for a fourth term in a September election, said in Ber-lin. There were options for finding a solution on climate, she said on her arrival in Hamburg, adding that as the summit’s host she would work to find avenues for compromise.

She and Trump met yester-day evening before the leaders begin the full summit today to discuss a raft of issues ranging from climate and trade to migra-tion, support for Africa, and fighting terrorism.

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan is among other lead-ers Merkel will meet. Trump, who earlier in Poland called

again on Nato partners to spend more on defence and said he would confront the threat from North Korea, is also due to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit.

Their meeting, scheduled for today, will be closely watched at a time when mutual ties remain strained by US alle-gations of Russian election hacking, Syria, Ukraine and a US row over Trump associates’ links to Moscow. Ahead of the meeting, Putin threw his weight behind the Paris accord. “We see the Paris Agreement as a secure basis for long-term cli-mate regulation founded on

international law and we want to make a comprehensive con-tribution to its implementation,” he told German business daily Handelsblatt.

Thousands of protesters from around Europe, who say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace, poured into Hamburg to join the main demonstration, dubbed “Welcome to Hell” by the alliance of anti-capitalist groups who organised it.

Police expected around 100,000 protesters in the port city, some 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence. Up to 20,000 police officers will be on hand for the main

demonstration. As protesters prepared to start their march, hundreds of riot police in full gear lined the main street oppo-site the Blohm + Voss shipyard where luxury yachts, like Roman Abramovich’s ‘Eclipse’, were built.

Shopkeepers on the street, fearing possible damage to their property, either shut up for the day or bolstered up their win-dows with wooden planks.

A fire overnight at a luxury Porsche car dealership in the north of the city that damaged eight vehicles could be a fore-taste of what was to come. Police said they were investigating whether it was an arson attack linked to the summit.

Trump risks isolation over climate at G20Summit starts today

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was committed to an open international trading system, despite fears of US protectionism under the Trump administration.

Trade policy is another area of contention at the summit, which protesters have vowed to disrupt. “Welcome to Hell” was their greeting for Trump and other world leaders arriving in Hamburg for the two-day meeting which formally starts today.

Protesters listen to live music and speeches during the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) and US President Donald Trump on the eve of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

France extends emergency rule until November 1

Spain hit by deadly bacteria threatening trees

Oppn leader blasts UK govt Brussels

AFP

The EU's top Brexit nego-tiator Michel Barnier warned Britain yesterday

there were no grounds for walking away without a deal, a scenario that would only harm the UK's interests.

"No deal would make a lose-lose situation even worse ... in my mind, there is no rea-sonable justification for a no-deal," Barnier said, refer-ring to recent suggestions by British ministers that London could go its own way if the talks fail. "A fair deal is far better than no deal," he told an EU panel on Brexit, repeating the phrase twice in English.

Britain and the EU began the formal Brexit talks last month based on Barnier's time-table of dealing first with the rights of more than three mil-lion EU citizens in Britain, and more than one million Britons living in Europe.

Then follows the thorny issues of Britain's estimated 100-billion-euro ($112 billion) exit bill and future of the bor-der between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which remains in the EU.

Only once "sufficient" progress has been made on these issues, will the European

Union consider London's demand for talks on its future relationship with Brussels, including all important trade arrangements. EU would make no compromises on this agenda, insisting repeatedly that Brit-ain could not expect to cherry-pick its ties with the bloc as many British politicians say it should.

"There can be no sector-by-sector participation in the Single Market. You cannot be half in and half out," he said.

Barnier said the EU has been very clear on these issues but "I am not sure they have been fully understood across the Channel." "The decision to leave the EU has consequences and we have to explain... these consequences," he said, citing the example of British firms exporting to the EU facing increased customs checks which could take days rather than hours, as is the case now.

Theresa May's spokesman said that it "wasn't new that some on the EU side have strong feelings" about Brexit, but that both parties would benefit from a trade deal. "We're just at the beginning of the negotiations, but I would say that the most frictionless possible trade between the UK and the EU is clearly in the interests of both sides," he said.

EU ministers pledge steps to tackle migrant flood

'No deal' not an option for Brexit: EU's Barnier

08 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017VIEWS

E S T A B L I S H E D I N 1 9 9 6

QUOTE OF THE DAY

We must reinforce the foundation among Japan, the US and Europe that share common principles and values by further strengthening Japan-NATO relations.

Shinzo AbeJapanese Prime Minister

The march from fake news to no news is as straight and unbroken as the runway from Washington, DC to Riyadh.

Tyranny knows no truth ... just unbridled power and a drive to extin-

guish it whether by mob appeal or the slam of a prison gate. Today, we are witness to a unity of drive and purpose, in both West and East, where full-scale attacks on debate and dissent have become very much the norm ... with news out-lets shuttered, journalists jailed and thinkers shamed.

Whether it is the most recent royal family in Washington, the perpetual caste in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the wannabe one in Cairo, diversity of thought, identity and purpose is under siege in ways not seen since Galileo dared to suggest that a central tenet of Christian cos-mology — that the Earth lies at the centre of the universe — was factually untrue. Charged with heresy, Galileo was forced to recount and abjure. Today, in many places, the channel of peeling truth from cosmetic reality has moved well beyond the mere papal process of 16th-century Europe to the full-on embrace of singularity of thought, be it coerced by force, banishment or closure. Nowhere is this more painfully evident than it is, today, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) where a coalition of states, along with an assist from the North African state of Egypt, have challenged Qatar’s independence by a subterfuge checklist that, in reality, boils down to their fear of Al Jazeera and what it represents in a region ruled by censorship.

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia has no autonomous media, nor

does it endure political parties, unions or human rights groups. The government treats online journalists, writing for state-approved news outlets, the same as it does print and broadcast journalists ... subjecting them to exacting regula-tion and content-based intimidation.

The internet, alone, is the sole means, within Saudi Arabia, by which a relatively robust exchange of information, from within and with-out the state, can circulate. However, its closely monitored “citizen-journalists” are subject to strict filtering mechanisms that scrutinise and, often, block their internet content. Indeed, authorities regularly monitor websites, blogs and chat rooms, as well as the content of e-mail and mobile-phone text messages.

For those whose print and internet commu-nications, or blogs, cross the rigid and narrow divide of government criticism, they run the risk of swift state reprisal ... often arrest and detain-ment, without specific charges, for critical or controversial remarks. Others have been accused of blasphemy, inciting chaos and defaming the king and state which can bring punishments that can run into years of impris-onment and, at times, include flogging.

Several cases speak volumes about a Saudi state that seeks to silence dialogue with ruthless punishment meted out against those who dare to dissent. For example, Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012 on a charge of “insulting Islam through electronic channels”. Subsequently he was prosecuted for apostasy and criticising the regime on his blog … which included material critical of “senior religious figures” and which suggested that Riyadh’s Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University had become “a den for terrorists”.

For pure speech, and nothing else, Badawi was convicted on several charges in 2013, and sentenced to seven years in prison and 600 lashes. In 2014 his sentence was increased to 10 years in prison, 1,000 lashes, and a fine. The first 50 lashes were administered on January 9, 2015 with the remainder postponed more than a

The danger of a single media voiceStanley L Cohen Al Jazeera

dozen times since.After his arrest, Amnesty International

designated Badawi a prisoner of con-science, “detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expres-sion”. Human Rights Watch has noted: “The charges against him, based solely to Badawi’s involvement in setting up a web-site for peaceful discussion about religion and religious figures, violate his right to freedom of expression”.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is ranked 168th out of 180 countries in Reporters without Borders (RSF) 2017 World Press Freedom Index.

BahrainBahrain, an island kingdom located off

of the eastern coastline of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf, is no more respectful of speech and press freedoms. It was listed 164th in the most recent RSF world rank-ings. It sees independent and vigorous journalism as an ever-present danger to its ability to control the state’s domestic nar-rative and to maintain political power.

Infamous for jailing large numbers of journalists— in particular photographers and cameramen — Bahrain has a history of targeting political dissidents as well. Their crimes are typically little more than the will to challenge blanket restrictions upon assembly and prohibited speech.

Journalists and dissidents convicted of charges that include unlawful demonstra-tions and supporting “terrorism” typically receive long sentences. Often mistreated in detention, many have been imprisoned for life. Others have been sentenced to death. Not long ago, a raid by Bahrain security forces left five people dead and hundreds detained. Recently, a court sen-tenced two young anti-regime protesters to death; two others were imprisoned for life and eight received sentences of three to 10 years. Nine of the pro-democracy activists saw their nationality revoked.

Just this past month, Al Wasat, the island’s sole independent newspaper, was closed in yet another government effort to control the free flow of information among its population of a little more than one mil-lion. Describing it as a temporary suspension “until further notice”, the government accused this highly respected newspaper of “dissemination of information that affects national unity and the kingdom’s relation-ship with other countries”.

EgyptWhen it comes to state repression of

media freedom, Egypt stands alone. As we say in the law, it’s sui generis... one of a kind. Since the revolution of 2011, and the subsequent military coup of 2013, more than a dozen journalists have been killed. None have been the subject of proper and thorough investigation. No one has been held accountable. Countless others have been injured, many tortured, by security officials after having been swept up for lit-tle more than covering demonstrations.

Although precise figures are difficult to obtain, it has been estimated by various human rights groups, including the Com-mittee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), that, today, hundreds of journalists, bloggers and social media activists are entombed in maximum-security prisons throughout Egypt. Many will spend years in detention — uncharged and untried. Others face long jail terms, including life sentences, in polit-ical witch hunts targeting those seen as enemies of the state ... often subjected to mass trials, by the hundreds, denied even a modicum of due process. In 2015 alone, some 600 people were sentenced to death in show trials.

Under a terrorism law adopted in August 2015, journalists are obliged to report only the official version of “terror-ist” attacks. Failure to do so renders the offender subject to punishments ranging from a loss of government licence to fines and imprisonment. In the summer of 2015, three privately owned newspapers were prevented from printing articles that were critical of the Egyptian president.

Earlier this year, the government banned circulation of an edition of an Egyptian weekly newspaper with an image, on its cover, of famed ex-football player Mohamed Aboutrika and his mother. Designated a “terrorist” for his support of the presidential bid of the Mus-lim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi in 2012, today, Aboutrika lives in Qatar where he works as a sports analyst.

Recently, Egyptian authorities sus-pended two issues of a privately owned

newspaper after it pub-lished a front-page editorial blaming the interior ministry for the Palm Sunday church bombings.

To understand the full nature and extent of Egypt’s current effort to control what is reported, and how, one need only consider who has been targeted, and for what, since the military coup that brought Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to power.

In 2016, the head of Egypt’s Journalists’ Union and two board members stood trial in Cairo, charged largely with spreading “false news”. In what was described as an “effort to muzzle the media”, after a seven-month trial the three were convicted of harbouring two journalists who wrote for a website crit-ical of the government and sentenced to two years in prison and fined $650.

Other prominent journalists have been swept up in what has been described as little more than a govern-ment effort to create a “state of fear”. According to CPJ, photojournalist Mah-moud Abou-Zeid, known as “Shawkan”, has been imprisoned since 2013, along with 700 others, for covering the dis-persal of a pro-Muslim Brotherhood sit-in. Recipient of a CPJ International Press Freedom Award in 2016, “Shawkan” remains imprisoned and untried despite deteriorating health.

Others on the CPJ list of detained Egyptian journalists include Mahmoud Abdel Naby, a correspondent for Rassd News Network (RNN), who has been imprisoned since 2013. Also arrested, in 2013, were RNN executive director Abdul-lah al-Fakharany, co-founder Samhy Mostafa and Amgad TV presenter Mohamed al-Adly. According to CPJ, the trio was charged with “spreading chaos” during the government dispersal of the sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adaweya.

Egypt is ranked 161 out of 180 coun-tries in RSF’s 2017 World Press Freedom Index.

Make no mistake about it, the demand that Al Jazeera close its door, as so much the price of regional ‘peace’, is nothing short of a desperate autocratic drive to strip the human spirit of its thirst for knowledge and its innate right to grow.

E S T A B L I S H E D I N 1 9 9 6

CHAIRMANSHEIKH THANI BIN ABDULLAH AL THANI

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

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

msalim@pen.com.qa

The world has become so blind to the ongoing refugee crisis that leaders only pay attention to this issue only when refugees lose lives in some tragic event. Countries, especially developed

one, are now busy with finding ways to prop up growth. But a moment should be taken to evaluate what has been done so far to solve the refugee crisis and whether it is enough.

A glance at the various reports and news confirm that enough is not being done.

In the last three and a half years the number of those departing from northern African shores towards Italy has increased significantly, with more than 170,000 arrivals recorded by the Italian Ministry of the Interior in 2014, 153,800 in 2015, and 181,400 in 2016, according Amnesty International.

As of 27 June 2017, over 73,380 people had reached Italy by sea, 14 percent more than in the same period in 2016. The end of year figures will likely match, if not exceed, 2016, says the rights group.

The central Mediterranean crossing has been taken by refugees and migrants hoping to reach Europe for over two decades. Those risking their lives trying to reach Europe through the central Mediterranean include refugees fleeing persecution, conflicts and wars, as well as migrants wanting to escape poverty and find a better life.

Instead of curing the diseases, policy makers are treating the symptoms. Measures implemented by EU

leaders to strengthen search and rescue capacity in the central Mediterranean in April 2015 dramatically decreased deaths at sea.

But this priority, which saw several countries pro-vide more rescue boats closer to Libyan territorial waters, was short-lived. Instead, EU governments have shifted their focus to disrupting smugglers and preventing departures of boats from Libya: a failing strategy that has led to ever more dangerous crossings and a threefold increase in

the death-rate from 0.89 percent in the second half of 2015 to 2.7 percent in 2017.

Experts believe refugee crisis is unlikely to improve in coming days. “If the second half of this year continues as the first and urgent action is not taken, 2017 looks set to become the deadliest year for the deadliest migration route in the world,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty’s Europe Director in a report.

Leaders must end their focus on the short term objective of reducing irregular crossings through exter-nalization policies. Instead, a bold plan is needed to support human rights protection in countries of origin and transit and to make safe routes available to both refugees and would-be migrants. Such measures would provide a safer and more orderly alternative to danger-ous irregular crossings and in so doing, steer refugees and migrants away from criminal networks who leech off their misery.

Countries turning back on the refugees must remem-ber that refugee crisis a collective failure for humanity and multi-country humanitarian efforts are needed to end this crisis.

Turning blind to refugees

Countries turning back on the refugees must remember that refugee crisis a collective failure for humanity and multi-country humanitarian efforts are needed to end this crisis.

ED ITOR IAL

09FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 OPINION

Any threat to region is threat to Qatar: FM

Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has underlined that Qatar has never under-mined the collective security of the region, as we believe that any threat to the region is

a threat to Qatar, he said.Qatar continues to call for dialogue, despite the

violations of international laws and regulations, despite the separation of 12 thousand families, despite the siege that is a clear aggression and an insult to all international treaties, bodies and jurisdiction, the For-eign Minister noted.

The Minister said that officials from the blockad-ing countries were not merely criticising Qatars policies - something we have always welcomed but they were calling for a regime change in Qatar, a coup, and inciting hate and violence said in a speech he delivered at the British Royal Institute of Interna-tional Affairs, Chatham House.

Im sure most of you are following the latest devel-opments, and know that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have imposed a political, economic and social blockade against our country, the Minister said. Some of the audience here who fol-low Arabic media outlets would have noticed the double narrative that the blockading countries have been using; one for Western audiences, and one for their own people, he noted.

HE the Foreign Minister added that the one for their own people comes as they failed to justify their unjust measures against a neighboring country in the holy month of Ramadan. As you know sympathy with Qatar is now criminalised in some of these countries; an indicator of how unpopular this escalation has been in the countries that caused it, he noted.

The Minister said : What distinguishes Qatar in the region is the fact that development is at the core of both its domestic and foreign policy.

Today, Qatar has a distinct economic situation and the highest level of transparency and most importantly, the highest level of security and stability in the Middle East and North Africa region. Qatar ranks first in the world in most efficient government, according to the world economic forum. Regionally, Qatar ranks first in countering administrative corrup-tion and the adoption of judicial procedures to protect the rule of law. In regards to human potential, Qatar also ranks first, H E Sheikh Mohammed said.

He added that this development emanates from the principles of good governance, as Qatar ranks first in the world in terms of confidence in political decision making and second in the level of efficiency of the legislative system.

Qatari women have been partners in this devel-opment, with their participation in the labor force and access to education reaching unprecedented heights. Qatar today is home to the highest proportion of employed women in the GCC and women outnumber men in university education, the Minister said.

The Foreign Minister further said that this devel-opment was witnessed also through freedom of worship in Qatar, with donations from Father Emir H H the Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani towards the construction of the largest church in the GCC. For more than 20 years, Qatar has advanced inter-faith dialogue, as Doha has been a platform for dialogue for religious leaders and political factions alike.

Qatar has continued to encourage various politi-cal viewpoints to engage in constructive discussion in Doha, providing a platform otherwise absent in the region, he added.

The Minister noted that media broadcasters hosted by Qatar have completely transformed the Arab world, with the Al Jazeera network giving air time, without prejudice, to social and cultural topics, as well as political movements whether leftist, liberal or Islamist which were otherwise stifled across the region.

“The need for a free, non-partisan media which addressed the concerns of Arab citizens was badly felt, and Qatar’s willingness to host an institution such as Al Jazeera undoubtedly endeared the country to the wider Arab public,” the Minister said adding Qatar’s media policies were warmly received by the Arab publics as well as in the United States and in Europe.

”In contrast, they created resentment among the forces which had previously been able to control the flow of information throughout the Middle East. This resentment intensified following the popular revolu-tions known as the “Arab Spring” of 2011. Arab regimes, surprised by the scale of popular protest, chose to avoid accountability by blaming the media.

”For the first time in the MENA region, Qatar hosted televised debates known as BBC’s “Doha Debates” where no government, official body or broadcaster has any control over what is said at the sessions or who is invited, he said, pointing out that this created a forum for dialogue that challenged the status quo, again, something unprecedented in the region.

”Today, Qatar has one of the most highly edu-cated population in the region, the highest per capita GDP in the world; a thriving, diversified economy; some of the finest educational institutions in the Mid-dle East, if not the world — and, of course, a World Cup to look forward to in 2022. ”Above all, and unlike many states in the ME, Qatar was not built on oppres-sion, fear, and censorship. And through it all, we have continued to chart our own course, and take an inde-pendent view on global and regional events.”

On the regional stage, Qatar has mediated in nearly 10 regional and international portfolios in less than 8 years (2008 - 2016), exerting strenuous diplo-matic and political efforts at the regional and international levels in mediating between factions, entities and countries, with the request of the con-cerned parties, and without interfering in the internal affairs of others, with a view to achieve convergence of views and find sustainable solutions for conflicts and differences, the Foreign Minister said.

His Excellency also touched on some recent events, saying: “Beginning in April, Qatar was sub-jected to a carefully orchestrated and unprecedented smear campaign designed to misrepresent our poli-cies and our positions on key issues affecting our region.

”The climax of that campaign came on May 24, when the website of our official news agency was hacked, and fake quotes, attributed to Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, were posted on line. Some fake quotes with my name on them were also sent out on our twitter feed.

”Once we sorted out the technical details, we sent urgent messages to all of the news organisations in the region, alerting them to the false statements that had been posted on our website. Almost all of them immediately issued corrections and alerted their readers and viewers that the fabricated “statements” were actually “fake news”, lies. Except, that is, for the news outlets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and Bahrain and Egypt, which continued to report the fake news as fact. It is worthy to note that Qatar news outlets were censored in these blockading countries two hours before the fabricated news was published.

”Furthermore, officials from the blockading coun-tries were not merely criticising Qatar’s policies — something we have always welcomed — but they were calling for a regime change in Qatar, a coup, and inciting hate and violence. ”Though the hacking inci-dent was quickly exposed, Saudi Arabia and the UAE used it as the pretext for launching an unprovoked, unwarranted and unjustified blockade of Qatar on June 5.

”For almost three weeks, after June 5th, we have been asking for specific demands as our neighbors decided to put the cart before the horse. And only under international and especially American pressure did they, on June 23rd, present us with a list of 13 “demands” that they said we had to meet by July 3rd.

”It was immediately apparent to us that they did not represent “reasonable and actionable” grievances against Qatar, as the US Secretary of State had hoped, and they were not “measured and realistic “as the UK’s Foreign Secretary said they should be. Instead, Qatar was asked to (1) curtail free expression, (2) hand over individuals at risk of torture and arbitration, (3) reduce its defense capabilities, (4) go against interna-tional law, (5) outsource its foreign policy to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi and (6) literally sign an open cheque to the blockading countries to pay unlimited amounts of money, described as compensation.”

The Minister pointed out that the ultimatum did not only demand the shutting down of Aljazeera, but also other news outlets based here in the UK that represent free press for the peo-ple of the Middle East, adding “Reading between the lines, the blockading countries were demanding that we must surren-der our sovereignty as the price for ending the siege - something they knew Qatar would never do.”

For the record, these demands and accusations were never channeled to us previ-ously; in fact for the first time a summit of all GCC foreign, defense and interior ministers was held in Riyadh on the 27th of April 2017. A ministerial meeting and a summit followed in May. There were no grievances or requests discussed, His Excel-lency added.

”Had they actually been interested in addressing the

issues, they would have used the mechanisms speci-fied in the GCC Charter, specifically the arbitration mechanism outlined in the 2014 Riyadh Agreement which they claim Qatar violated,” he said, adding that the neighboring countries violated the Riyadh Agree-ment that states that member governments must take their grievances to the GCC executive body first, before taking action against any GCC member.

”Most of the demands were only of interest to our Arab neighbors, but the allegation that Qatar supports terrorism was clearly designed to generate anti-Qatar sentiment in the West.

“As the blockading countries know, Qatar has passed stringent laws and regulations to ban the financing of terrorism by private individuals and by so-called “charities.” We work with the intelligence and security services of the UK, the US and all of the countries in our region to bring terrorists and their supporters to justice. ”Alongside its security and sur-veillance, and its coordination and the sharing of information with its allies in the war on terror. The State of Qatar is also committed to ending the social and political factors conducive to terrorism.”

Qatar also works against the ideologies which entrap young men and women into terrorism, as well as the tyranny and state violence which induce terror-ism. While investing 12 percent of its government spending on education, Qatar has allocated 25% of its foreign aid towards education in belief that education is the cornerstone of stability and the most effective preventive measure for extremism. This is why Qatar has invested in educating 7 million children in 42 countries, he said.

”We know that terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and Daesh have put our government — just like the gov-ernments of all of the Gulf nations — on their list of enemies. More importantly, the challenges of transna-tional terrorism is not unique to Qatar, but it is a regional and global threat that requires a collective effort and political commitment from all.”

“Qatar opposes violent extremism, that is a global threat to all humanity. However, what other countries fail to grasp is that labeling political opponents as ter-rorists merely to silence them regardless of how we may feel about their agendas is both unjustified and fails to solve any problems. ”We are very much con-cerned about how politicised the label terrorism might come out of this crisis, should Western governments not take a clear position towards this manipulation of concepts and terminology. As I indicated in my intro-duction, this manipulation has already and will continue to obscure the real sources of violent extrem-ism, as some of our neighbors label political dissidents as terrorists.

”We feel that demonizing people who are present-ing legitimate grievances peacefully — and oppressing movements advocating for peaceful change — only drives well-meaning people into the arms of the extremists. And we feel that keeping independent news and information from the eyes and ears of the people only demonstrates fear and weakness.”

The Foreign Minister said, “These issues are at the heart of our disagreements with our neighbors - and they are serious issues. But here is the crux of the mat-ter: We have seen how young people - left without hope for a better future - turn to violence in the name of jihad, and we have watched as the world blames “Islam” for this tragedy. This must stop.”

H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani referred to when H H the Emir said that “the problem isn’t Islam, it’s hopelessness and the causes of that hopelessness, too often, are governments that fail to meet the needs of their people.”

The foreign minister added that he knows that this message “will not be well received in some of our neighboring capitals,” noting that “there are serious problems in the Gulf region and in the ME, and silenc-ing Qatar will not solve them.” ”The answer to our disagreements is not blockades and ultimatums. It is dialogue and reason. ”All that I have described here this afternoon begs the central question: why did the blockading countries take these extraordinary, unpro-voked and hostile actions against Qatar? Put another way, why is Qatar’s independence such a threat to them?” H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said. He went on to answer, saying that he thinks “it’s because we have different views on politics

Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani speaks during a Chatham House think tank in London.

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and governance in the ME, and about the best path forward for our collective future.”

”This is why the Qatari govern-ment unlike many of our neighbors never felt threatened by the Arab Spring movement. It’s why we have confidently opened our doors to political groups who are advocating for change whether we agree with them or not. And it is why Al Jazeera, an independent news network, helps inform Arabs and the wider world alike about the social, political and economic developments in our region,” he added.

The Minister added that reiter-ated that “Al Jazeera did and continues to look critically at all Arab countries including Qatar, hosting opposing and alternative views daily,” stressing that it’s “something that does not exist any-where else in the region.”

”Our neighbors see change those advocating for it, and those report-ing on it as a threat and they are quick to label anyone who opposes their governments as a ‘terrorist.’ As the 48-hour extension is coming to an end, Qatar continues to call for dialogue, despite the violations of international laws and regulations, despite the separation of 12,000 families, despite the siege that is a clear aggression and an insult to all international treaties, bodies and jurisdiction. Qatar stands ready to engage in a negotiations process with a clear framework and set of principles that guarantee that our sovereignty is not infringed upon,” H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul-rahman Al Thani said as he concluded his speech.

QNA

What distinguishes Qatar in the region is not its wealth nor its natural resources, nor is it in its high rise buildings. It is the fact that development is at the core of both its domestic and foreign policy. Today, Qatar has a distinct economic situation and the highest level of transparency and most importantly, the highest level of security and stability in the Middle East and North Africa region. Qatar ranks first in the world in most efficient government, according to the world economic forum. Regionally, Qatar ranks first in countering administrative corruption.

10 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017AMERICAS

People visit the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum in Washington yesterday.

Historic visit

Warsaw

Reuters

US President Donald Trump vowed yes-terday to confront North Korea “very strongly” following

its latest missile test and urged nations to show Pyongyang that there would be consequences for its weapons programme.

North Korea on Tuesday test-launched an interconti-nental ballistic missile that some experts believe has the range to reach the US states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the US Pacific Northwest. North Korea said it could carry a large nuclear warhead.

Speaking at a news confer-ence with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said Korea was “a threat, and we will con-front it very strongly”.

He said the United States was

considering “severe things” for North Korea, but that he would not draw a “red line” of the kind that his Democratic predeces-sor, Barack Obama, had drawn

but not enforced on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

“... they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done.”

The issue presents Trump, who took office in January, with perhaps his biggest foreign pol-icy challenge. It has put pressure on his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Trump had pressed without suc-cess to rein in Pyongyang.

The United States said on Wednesday that it was ready to use force if necessary to stop North Korea’s nuclear missile programme. But China yester-day called for restraint and made clear it did not want to be tar-geted by US sanctions.

Meeting in Germany ahead of a G20 summit, Xi said South Korean President Moon Jae-in that “China upholds the denu-clearisation of the peninsula,

maintaining its peace and sta-bility, resolving the issue via dialogue and consultation, and that all sides strictly abide by rel-evant resolutions of the UN Security Council”, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

And Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said that, while China would implement relevant UN resolutions, “The US should not use their domestic laws as excuses to levy sanctions against Chinese financial institutions”.

His frustration that Beijing has not done more to clamp down on North Korea prompted him to tweet on Wednesday: “Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!”

Trump did not mention China specifically in his remarks in Poland, but his message that

other countries needed to do more was clearly meant for Bei-jing. “President Duda and I call on all nations to confront this global threat and publicly dem-onstrate to North Korea that there are consequences for their very, very bad behavior,” he said.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the United States would pro-pose new UN sanctions in coming days, and that if Russia and China did not support the move, then “we will go our own path”.

Some diplomats say Beijing has not been fully enforcing existing international sanctions on its neighbor and has resisted tougher measures, such as an oil embargo, bans on the North Korean airline and guest work-ers, and measures against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with the North.

Caracas

Reuters

At least 123 members of Venezuela’s armed forces have been detained since

anti-government unrest began in April on charges ranging from treason and rebellion to theft and desertion, according to military documents.

The list of detainees, which includes officers as well as serv-icemen from the lower ranks of the army, navy, air force and National Guard, provided the clearest picture to date of dissat-isfaction and dissent within V e n e z u e l a ’ s r o u g h l y 150,000-strong military.

The records, detailing pris-oners held in three Venezuelan jails, showed that since April nearly 30 members of the mili-tary have been detained for deserting or abandoning their post and almost 40 for rebellion, treason, or insubordination.

Most of the remaining mili-tary prisoners were charged with theft. Millions of Venezuelans are suffering from food shortages

and soaring inflation caused by a severe economic crisis. Even within the armed forces, salaries start at the minimum wage, equivalent to around $12.50 a month at the black market exchange rate, and privately some members admit to being poorly paid and underfed.

Since the opposition started its protests more than three months ago, a handful of secu-rity officials have gone public with their discontent. Last week, rogue policeman and action movie star Oscar Perez com-mandeered a helicopter and attacked government buildings, claiming that a faction within the armed forces was opposed to Maduro’s government.

The military documents seen by Reuters, which covered detentions until mid-June, appeared to support opposition leaders’ assertions that anger and dissent among soldiers over economic hardship is more widespread.

“This shows low morale and discontent and, of course, eco-nomic necessity,” one former

army general said of the deten-tions, asking not to be named for fear of reprisals. Venezuela’s military and Information

Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Venezue-lans view the armed forces as the key power broker in their

country. Opposition leaders have repeatedly exhorted military leaders to break with socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump pledges to act on N Korea threatNuclear threat

Trump said Korea was “a threat, and we will confront it very strongly”. He also said the United States was considering “severe things” for North Korea, but that he would not draw a “red line” of the kind that his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, had drawn but not enforced on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

123 Venezuelan soldiers jailed amid unrest

Washington

AFP

The top US government ethics watchdog, who clashed with President

Donald Trump's administra-tion, announced yesterday he is resigning his post, effective from July 19.

Walter Shaub, who was appointed in 2013 to a five-year term as director of the Office of Government Ethics, told Trump of his decision in a resignation letter.

Shaub will join the non-profit Campaign Legal Center (CLC) as its senior director of ethics. "In working with the current administration, it has become clear to me that we need improvements to the existing ethics program," Shaub said.

"I look forward to work-ing toward that aim at Campaign Legal Center, as well as working on ethics reforms at all levels of gov-ernment." While he did not offer direct criticism in his letter to Trump, he did tell him that it had been a privi-lege to work with colleagues who protect the principle of placing "loyalty to the Con-stitution, the laws, and ethical principles above private gain."

Washington Reuters

Senior US and Chinese officials will meet to dis-cuss bilateral economic

issues this month after threats by US President Donald Trump to use trade to pres-sure Beijing to do more to rein in North Korea’s weapons programs, a US official with knowledge of the decision said.

The meeting of the US-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue will take place in Washington on July 19, and will be the first cov-ering economic and trade issues in a new format for US-China dialogue agreed after a summit between Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in April.

Ottawa

Reuters

Critics attacked Prime Min-ister Justin Trudeau for his planned move to pay

millions to a Canadian citizen held at Guantanamo Bay for a decade but insiders and experts said Ottawa had little choice but to settle for an expensive compromise.

Reuters reported on Tues-day that Trudeau’s Liberal government would pay Omar Khadr around C$10m and offer a formal apology to compen-sate him for abuses he suffered as an inmate at the US military prison in Cuba.

Defenders of the deal noted the Supreme Court had ruled three times in favour of Khadr. In 2010, it said Canada breached his rights by sending intelligence agents to interro-gate him and sharing the results with the United States.

“The Supreme Court rulings were very clear. This is about respecting fundamental human rights in Canada,” said one per-son with knowledge of the case, who asked to remain anony-mous given the sensitivity of the matter.

The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star, two of Canada’s most influential newspapers, on Wednesday ran editorials wel-coming the settlement.

Khadr, 30, was captured in Afghanistan in 2002 at age 15 after a firefight with US soldiers. He pleaded guilty to killing a US Army medic and became Guan-tanamo’s youngest prisoner.

The opposition Conserva-tive Party, which was in power for most of the decade that Khadr spent in Guantanamo, said it was wrong to pay some-one who had admitted a serious crime.

“It’s a tragic case on all lev-els but we can’t excuse the behaviour of Khadr and to cer-tainly almost reward it in this way is, I think, a travesty,” leg-islator Erin O’Toole told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The political impact for Trudeau looks to be limited. The next election is not until October 2019 and the Liberals still enjoy a healthy lead in voter surveys.

“First of all, a lot of this is inside baseball. Secondly, it’s pretty clear Omar Khadr has been a victim,” Nanos Research pollster Nik Nanos said.

US government ethics director steps down

US-China talks on July 19

Acapulco

AFP

Brawling inmates at a Mex-ican prison beheaded and mutilated their rivals yes-

terday, leaving five dead and one wounded, officials said.

The pre-dawn brawl erupted in the maximum-secu-rity wing at the CERESO federal prison in Acapulco, a resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast

that has been hit by grisly vio-lence between warring drug cartels in recent years. The vic-tims were stabbed and beaten to death, said Roberto Alvarez, security spokesman for the state of Guerrero.

"Order has now been restored," he said in a statement. Guards said four of the victims had their throats slit, according to an internal state police report. It also said gunshots had been

fired in the maximum-security wing, apparently by prisoners.

Mexico's chronically over-crowded prisons are frequently hit by riots and jailbreaks.

In June, seven people were killed, including three police, when officers stormed the Ciu-dad Victoria prison in the northern state of Tamaulipas to regain control from prisoners who had been stockpiling guns inside.

5 dead in Mexico prison brawl

Canadian government brushes off criticism over compromise deal

Venezuelan opposition activists demonstrate against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, yesterday.

Havana

AFP

Cuba's congress accused the European parlia-ment yesterday of

"interference" in its affairs for voicing human rights con-cerns while approving a key EU-Cuba cooperation pact.

The EU parliament Wednesday approved its first-ever such deal with Cuba -- widely seen as a European riposte to US President Don-ald Trump's hardline stance against Havana. But EU dep-uties also passed a separate resolution demanding Cuba respect international human rights norms and free politi-cal prisoners. The legislature in the one-party communist state issued a declaration yes-terday branding that move "interference in (Cuban) internal affairs." It called the EU parliament's resolution "unnecessary, inappropriate and markedly colonialist in content."

Cuban congress slams EU 'interference'

BUSINESSBUSINESS21,353.02

-125.15 0.58%

DOW PAGE | 12PAGE | 12

US trade deficit narrows as exports hit two-year high

Gold price dips after US payroll

dataDow & Brent before going to press

Friday 7 July 2017

8,922.72 -6.76 PTS

0.08%

QE

$45.50 $45.50 +0.37+0.37

BRENT

7,337.28 -30.32 PTS

0.41%

FTSE100

RasGas makes 500th LNG cargo delivery to EdisonThe Peninsula

RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) celebrated the 500th liquefied natural

gas (LNG) cargo delivery to its long term customer, Edison, under the Long Term Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) signed between Ras Laffan Liq-uefied Natural Gas Company (II) and Edison in November 2003, for deliveries of 4.6 million tonnes (or 6.4 billion standard cubic metres) of LNG per year.

RasGas’ LNG tanker, Al Areesh, delivered the cargo on July 1, 2017 at the Adriatic LNG Terminal located in the north-ern Adriatic Sea, about 15 kilometres off the Veneto coast-line in Italy.

“We are very proud to have

delivered the 500th LNG SPA cargo to our long-term partner and customer, Edison. This is a milestone delivery that under-lines RasGas’ continued commitment to the safe and reliable supply of LNG to all of its customers worldwide,” said Hamad Mubarak Al Muhannadi, Chief Executive Officer, RasGas.

“The 500th LNG SPA cargo is further evidence of the excel-lent relationship and long term partnership between RasGas and Edison, which started more than fourteen years ago with the signing of the Long Term LNG Sales and Purchase Agree-ment and the construction of the offshore LNG receiving ter-minal,” said Marc Benayoun, Edison’s Chief Executive Officer.

EU-Japan free trade deal signedBrussels

Reuters

Japan and the European Union agreed yesterday to a free trade pact, creating the world’s biggest open economic area and signal-

ling resistance to what they see as US President Donald Trump’s protectionist turn.

Signed in Brussels on the eve of meetings with Trump at a summit in Hamburg, the “polit-ical agreement” between two economies accounting for a third of global GDP is heavy with sym-bolism. It leaves some areas of negotiation still to finish, though officials insist the key snags have been overcome.

“Ahead of the G20 summit tomorrow, I believe Japan and the EU are demonstrating our strong political will to fly the flag for free trade against a shift toward protectionism,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a joint news conference with EU institutional chiefs Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker.

“It is a strong message to the world.”In the works for four years, it has been pushed over the line towards a final treaty signature in the coming months by the election of Trump and his moves to ditch a Pacific trade

pact that included Japan and leave talks with the EU in limbo.

“Although some are saying that the time of isolationism and disintegration is coming again, we are demonstrating that this is not the case,” European Coun-cil President Tusk said.

“There is no protection in protectionism,” added Juncker, the president of the executive European Commission, who played down any suggestion there would be further negoti-ating problems and said he hoped the treaty could go into effect early in 2019.

Fears of cheaper import competition for European car-makers and Japanese dairy producers were among the

thorniest issues, but officials said the two sides were driven by a shared alarm at Trump’s appar-ent shift away from multilateral open trading systems towards an aggressive “America First” policy.

Tariffs on much of their bilateral trade—which Abe noted accounts for some 40 percent of total world commerce—will be phased out over some years and other economic areas, such as Japan’s public tender system, will be opened up.

Both sides, which are also forging a parallel cooperation agreement on broader political issues such as security, crisis aid

and climate change, forecast that the deal will boost economic growth and employment in Japan and in Europe.

One detail to be ironed out is how complaints from business over how authorities apply the treaty will be dealt with. That is a touchy subject in Europe due to concerns that trade pacts give too much power to big multina-tionals. European parliaments nearly blocked a deal with Can-ada last year over such issues.

Most EU food exports to Japan will see tariffs removed over time, although in some sen-sitive sectors will still be limited by quota.

RasGas’ Al Areesh vessel at the Adriatic LNG Terminal.

European Council President, Donald Tusk (right), Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe (centre) and European Commission, President Jean-Claude Juncker, talk after an EU-Japan summit at the European Council yesterday, in Brussels.

Economic pact

Tariffs on much of the EU- Japan bilateral trade which accounts for some 40% of total world commerce will be phased out over some years.

The treaty could go into effect early in 2019.

France to end sales of petrol

& diesel vehicles by 2040Paris

AFP

France will end sales of pet-rol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of an ambi-

tious plan to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord, new Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot (pictured) announced yesterday.

“We are announcing an end to the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040,” Hulot said, call-ing it a “veritable revolution”.

Hulot acknowledged that reaching the goal would be “tough”, particularly for auto-makers, but said that French carmakers Peugeot-Citroen and Renault were well equipped to make the switch.

France is the biggest manu-facturer of electric cars sold in Europe, with the Renault Zoe far outselling other models in 2016.

On Wednesday, Volvo said it planned to phase out produc-tion of petrol-only cars from 2019, with all new models to be either electric or hybrids.

The Chinese-owned group

is the first major manufacturer to electrify all of its models.

Hulot cited Volvo as an example in making his surprise announcement, part of his plan to make France “carbon neu-tral” by 2050.

Hulot, a veteran environ-mental campaigner, was among several political newcomers to whom President Emmanuel Macron gave top jobs in his government.

Several countries have said they want to dramatically reduce the amount of pollut-ing petrol and diesel cars on their roads but few have made

firm commitments.W e l c o m i n g H u l o t ’ s

announcement World Wildlife France chief Pascal Canfin said: “We have every interest in being among the leaders."

"The sooner we invest, the sooner we will have the right technology and the better we will be positioned on the indus-trial and job fronts.”

Motorists still continue to opt overwhelmingly for petrol and diesel models, usually sub-stantially cheaper.

In 2016, hybrid and electric cars accounted for only 3.6 per-cent of new cars registered in Western Europe, according to the European Automobile Man-ufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

The greatest spurt in sales was for non-rechargeble hybrids, which rose 27.3 percent compared to 2015.

Electric car registrations jumped by seven percent last year while plug-in hybrids grew by only 3.9 percent.

Hulot said that weaning France off conventional cars was a matter of “public health”.

QSE index dropped 107.72 points last week

Oil rises after signs of US demand

London

Reuters

Oil rose yesterday, recov-ering some ground after a surprisingly upbeat

picture of US demand halted the previous day’s slide, although the prospect of over-supply in 2018 prompted yet more analysts to cut their price forecasts.

Brent crude futures were up 76 cents on the day at $48.55 a barrel by 1307 GMT. The price fell as much as 4.6 percent on Wednesday, before closing down 3.7 percent, its biggest one-day drop in a month.

US West Texas Intermedi-ate crude futures were up 79 cents at $45.92 a barrel.

Data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Wednesday showed US crude inventories fell more sharply than expected, down 5.8 mil-lion barrels in the week to June

30, against forecasts for a draw of 2.3 million barrels.

The oil price is heading for a 1.3 percent rise this week, but has tumbled from one-month highs just below $50 following evidence of rising exports and increased production. Weekly inventory figures from the US Energy Information Adminis-tration (EIA) could confirm the hefty drop in crude stocks, thereby giving the oil price scope to rally further.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch cut its average Brent forecasts to $50 this year and $52 per barrel in 2018, from $54 and $56 before. Bernstein Research reduced its average Brent forecasts for 2017 and 2018 to $50 per barrel each, from $60 and $70 previously.

Saxo Bank said oil prices could rise towards $55 in com-ing months, but it expected lower prices towards the end of the year and into 2018.

QATAR Stock Exchange (QSE) index declined 6.76 points or 0.08 percent to close at 8,922.72 points yesterday. On the weekly basis, the index lost 107.72 points or 1.19 percent.

Market capitalisation fell by 1.92 percent to reach QR479bn as compared to QR 489bn at the end of previous week. . Trading value during this week decreased by 10.02 percent to reach QR 1.3bn compared to QR 1.5bn a week ago.

T r a d i n g v o l u m e decreased by 3.85 percent to reach 53.6 million shares, as against 55.7 million shares, while the number of transac-tions rose by 3.15 percent, to reach 18,396 transactions as compared to 17,835 transactions.

The volume of shares traded yesterday decreased to 8.08million from 8.41mil-lion on Wednesday and the value of shares decreased QR186m from QR210m on Wednesday.

12 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017BUSINESS

US trade deficit narrows as exports hit two-year highWashington

Reuters

The US trade deficit fell in May as exports increased to their highest level in just over two years, but

trade could still weigh on eco-nomic growth in the second quarter.

The Commerce Department said yesterday that the trade gap decreased 2.3 percent to $46.5bn. April’s trade deficit was unre-vised at $47.6bn.

Economists polled by Reu-ters had forecast the trade gap falling to $46.2bn in May.

When adjusted for inflation, the trade deficit narrowed to $62.8bn from $63.8bn in April.

Real goods exports surged to an all-time high in May,

propelled by record high petro-leum exports.

Still, the real trade deficit averaged $63.3bn in April and

May, above the first quarter’s average of $62.2bn.

That suggests trade will be a drag on gross domestic product in the second quarter after con-tributing 0.23 percentage point to the economy’s 1.4 percent annualized growth pace in the first three months of the year.

The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting GDP rising at a 3.0 percent rate in the second quarter.

In May, exports of goods and services rose 0.4 percent to $192.0bn, the highest level since April 2015, lifted by a surge in exports of consumer goods such as cell phones and other house-hold goods.

There were also increases in exports of motor vehicles and parts.

Food exports, however, fell

by $0.7bn amid a $0.6bn drop in soybean shipments. Exports to China increased 3.6 percent.

The value of goods shipped to Mexico and Canada rose 5.4 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively.

Exports to Germany gained 7.4 percent.

Imports of goods and serv-ices dipped 0.1 percent to $238.5bn in May.

Cell phone and other house-hold goods imports fell $0.9bn, accounting for the bulk of the $1.5bn decrease in consumer goods imports.

There were also declines in imports of motor vehicles and parts. However, imports of cap-ital goods increase $1.3bn.

The country imported 265 million barrels of oil in May, the most since August 2012.

Imports of goods from China increased 11.6 percent. The polit-ically sensitive US-China trade deficit increased 14.4 percent to

$31.6bn in May. The trade gap with Mexico

surged 15.8 percent to $7.3bn, the highest since October 2007.

Gold price dips after US payroll data

Shipping containers are seen at the Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark, New Jersey, US.

London

Reuters

Gold steadied yesterday off the previous day’s two-month low after weaker

than expected private sector payrolls data fed into a more cautious view on the pace of US interest rate hikes this year.

The metal remained hemmed into a narrow range, however, ahead of a key US non-farm payrolls data on Fri-day. Investors are wary of betting that the Fed will hold off on tightening monetary policy after hiking interest rates ear-lier this year.

Spot gold was at $1,225.60 an ounce, little changed from $1,226.45 an ounce on Wednes-day, but off an earlier low of $1,222.06. Spot prices hit

$1,217.14 an ounce on Wednes-day, their weakest since May 10.

The dollar fell against the euro and yen yesterday after data showed the US private sec-tor created fewer jobs than expected in June, raising con-cerns that the labor market is losing some momentum.

Ten-year Treasury yields pared gains after the data, but they remain at highly elevated levels.

“You have higher real yields in the United States, but a lower dollar, and these two are bat-tling each other,” ABN Amro analyst Georgette Boele said.

US gold futures for August delivery were up $3.50 an ounce at $1,225.20

Gold came under heavy pressure since European and Canadian policymakers

indicated last week that they were considering a turn towards monetary tightening, boosting bond yields.

The metal tends to suffer when interest rates rise, increas-ing the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s June meeting released on Wednesday, at which poli-cymakers voted to raise interest rates, showed that several offi-cials wanted to announce a start to the process of reducing the Fed’s large portfolio of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities by the end of August, though others wanted to wait until later in the year.

The Fed is worried about soft inflation readings and that will stay their hand on lifting rates for now.

South Africa farmers seek assurance on gas drilling Johannesburg

Bloomberg

Farmers in South Africa say they need more assur-ances that shale-gas

drilling is safe for their indus-try as exploration licenses for companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc are expected in months.

After emerging from the worst drought on record, farm-ers still aren’t clear about where explorers will get the water they need to inject chemicals as part of a drilling technique known as fracking, Johannes Moller, the president of growers’ body Agri SA, said. There’s also uncertainty about how land will be rehabilitated after drilling and how land owners will be compensated, he said.

The development of gas in the semi-desert Karoo region,

which is estimated by regula-tors to hold as much as 201 trillion cubic feet of the resource, has been slowed by legislative delays. Momentum has increased following the introduction of a programme to diversify South Africa’s fuel mix by using natural gas, and Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has said he favors the exploitation of shale resources.

“We can’t support the gov-ernment’s view on progressing shale gas” until there are answers, Moller said. South Africa’s Academy of Science in November also recommended further research before mov-ing ahead with exploration.

Representatives of Shell, the Department of Minerals and the Department of the Environment didn’t immedi-ately return emails seeking comment.

Nakilat assumes management of Al SheehaniyaNAKILAT assumed full ship management and oper-ations of Q-Flex LNG carrier Al Sheehaniya from STASCo (Shell Trading and Shipping Company Ltd.) with effect from July 6, 2017 as part of the planned and phased tran-sition announced on October 19, last year.

With a cargo carrying capacity of 210,200 cubic meters, Al Sheehaniya is wholly-owned by Nakilat and chartered by Qatargas. The vessel built in South Korea by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering was delivered in February 2009 and has been in service ever since. Al Sheehaniya is the ninth wholly-owned LNG vessel that will come under the management of Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd. (NSQL).

Delayed reforms may slow IMF aid in UkraineKiev

Reuters

Ukraine’s central bank said yesterday that the gov-ernment’s delays in

passing reforms mean Ukraine will probably receive $3bn in aid from the International Monetary Fund this year instead of the $4.5bn originally envisaged.

The government is trying to push contested legislation through parliament, including raising the pension age and lift-ing a ban on land sales, as part of a $17.5bn bailout agreed with the IMF in 2015.

One tranche of IMF aid will likely be postponed until 2018, acting Central Bank Governor Yakiv Smoliy said. Due to the fact that the consideration of important draft laws, which

were key when the IMF Board of Directors decided to allocate the next tranches, are delayed ... we expect that one tranche will be transferred to the next year he said.

Smoliy spoke as the central bank kept its main interest rate on hold at 12.5 percent, after two consecutive months of cuts, say-ing the step was necessary to keep its inflation targets on track amid a worsening economic outlook.

The bank cut its economic growth forecast for 2017 to 1.6 percent from 1.9 percent and said inflation had accelerated to 15 percent year-on-year in June, higher than predicted.

The central bank also said uncertainty hangs more gener-ally over Ukraine’s ability to implement the IMF programme

and that it new economic fore-casts hinged on cooperation with the Fund staying on track.

The inefficient implementa-tion of reforms can lead to a deterioration in the prospects for economic growth, which will have negative consequences for inflation and exchange rate expectations and will increase inflationary pressures the cen-tral bank said in a statement.

Uncertainty remains regard-ing the implementation of macroeconomic policies and structural reforms necessary to maintain macro financial sta-bility, increase the economy’s potential and continue the pro-gram with the IMF it said.

The central bank lowered its forecasts for forex reserves at the end of 2017 to $20bn from $21.1bn.

ECB weighs further small step towards stimulus exitFrankfurt

Reuters

European Central Bank gov-ernors mulled sending a stronger signal of confi-

dence in the euro zone economy last month as a hint at a possi-ble roll-back of its easy money policies, but decided against it for now, accounts released yes-terday showed.

Financial markets are cur-rently on high alert as to any possible signals about when the ECB might begin “tapering” or rolling back a range of unprec-edented emergency measures designed to prop up the single

currency area’s crisis-battered economy. And ECB watchers minutely monitor the slightest changes in language in all of the central bank’s communications. At a policy meeting in the Esto-nian capital of Tallinn last month, the ECB’s governing council voted to remove a ref-erence to a so-called “easing bias” from the bank’s regular communications, minutes of the meeting revealed. An “easing bias” is a signal to the markets that the ECB could lower inter-est rates from already historic lows if needed. Governors also considered dropping a similar message that it could further

ramp up its bond-buying scheme known as quantitative easing, if needed.

Under the programme, the ECB currently buys €60bn of bonds every month. But in this case, they decided to retain the reference, at least for now, the minutes revealed.

“The assessment of the prospects for a sustained adjustment argued for patience, as the inflation outlook remained vulnerable to a pre-mature tightening of the monetary policy stance,” the minutes stated.

“As the economic expansion proceeded and if

confidence in the inflation out-look improved further, the case for retaining this bias could be reviewed,” the minutes continued.

Low interest rates and mass bond-buying are designed to pump cash through the finan-cial system into the real economy, driving growth and encouraging inflation towards the bank’s target of just below 2.0 percent.

They were introduced when the ECB feared that the single currency area might slip into deflation, a threat which the bank now sees as mostly dispelled.

Nevertheless, inflation in the 19-nation eurozone remains stubbornly low even as economic growth has crept up, encouraging the central bank to stick to its stimulus measures.

At the June meeting, ECB president Mario Draghi (pic-tured) downgraded the bank’s inflation forecasts for the com-ing years.

Meanwhile, ECB gover-nors are cautious about tapering, or unwinding, the bank’s easy-money policies too quickly.Financial market reac-tions to higher interest rates or the ECB quitting bond markets

could undermine the recovery just as it begins to gather pace.

Exports hit high

Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting GDP rising at a 3.0 % rate in the second quarter.

Exports of goods and services rose 0.4% to $192.0bn, the highest level since 2015, lifted by a surge in exports of consumer goods such as cell phones and other household goods.

A robot waitress delivers food at a pizza restaurant in Multan. Pakistan's first robot waitresses are serving up smiles for customers at an upscale pizza restaurant in the ancient city. Rabia, Annie and Jennie greet customers and bring them their pies at Pizza.com, where owner Osama Jafari, who built the prototypes, says the response has been a surge of new business.

Robot waitress

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15FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 BREAK TIME

Yesterday’s answer

SHOWING ATVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

BABY

BLU

ES

ALL IN THE MIND

AGES, ATTOSECOND, CALENDAR, CENTURY, CLOCK, DATE, DAYS, DECADE, EONS, EPHEMERA, ERAS, ETERNITY, FEMTOSECOND, FOREVER, FORTNIGHT, FUTURE, HOUR, HOURGLASS, INFINITY, INSTANT, LEAP YEAR, MICROSECOND, MILLENNIUM, MILLISECOND, MINUTE, MOMENT, MONTH, NANOSECOND, OLYMPIAD, PAST, PERIOD, PICOSECOND,PRESENT, SECOND, SUNDIAL, TIME, WATCH, WEEK, YEAR, YORE.

08:00 News

08:30 AJ Selects

09:00 Al Jazeera World

10:30 Inside Story

11:00 News

11:30 The Stream

12:00 News

12:30 101 East

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:00 News

14:30 Inside Story

15:00 Prison Lives: Inside

And Out

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 The Stream

18:00 newsgrid

19:00 News

19:30 Soapbox Mexico

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:00 News

22:30 UpFront

23:00 Orphans of the

Sahara

09:25 The Island With

Bear Grylls

10:10 The Wheel: Survival

Games

10:55 Racing Extinction

12:25 How Do They Do

It?

12:47 Fast N' Loud

13:32 How It's Made:

Dream Cars

13:55 How It's Made:

Dream Cars

14:17 Fast N' Loud:

Demolition

Theatre

15:02 Yukon Men

21:00 Fast N' Loud

21:50 How It's Made:

Dream Cars

22:40 Fast N' Loud:

Demolition

Theatre

23:30 Sonic Sea

00:45 Racing Extinction

02:12 How It's Made:

Dream Cars

09:10 Wildest

Indochina

10:05 Tanked

11:00 Dr. Dee: Alaska

Vet

11:55 Animal Cops

Philadelphia

12:50 After The Attack

13:45 Catching

Monsters

14:40 Wildest

Indochina

15:35 Tanked

16:30 Catching

Monsters

17:25 Wildest India

18:20 Wildest Africa

19:15 Tanked

20:10 Dr. Dee: Alaska

Vet

21:05 Wildest India

22:00 Mosquito

23:05 Wildest

Indochina

23:55 Catching

Monsters

13:10 Girl Meets World

14:00 Austin & Ally

15:15 Whisker Haven

Tales...

15:20 Bizaardvark

15:45 Elena Of Avalor

16:10 Liv And Maddie

16:35 Invisible Sister

18:25 Alex & Co.

18:50 Best Friends

Whenever

19:15 Tangled Before

Ever After Sneak

Peek

19:20 Liv And Maddie

19:45 Mako Mermaids

20:40 Bizaardvark

21:05 Miraculous Tales

Of Ladybug...

21:30 Stuck In The

Middle

22:00 Bunk'd

23:10 Miraculous Tales

Of Ladybug...

23:35 Lolirock

00:00 Hank Zipzer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku is a number-

placing puzzle based on a 9×9 grid. The object is to

place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each 3×3 box

contains the same number only once.

CROSSWORD

CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

Yesterday's answer

MALL

LANDMARK

ROYAL PLAZA

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO — Pearl

ROXY

Tisbah Ala Khair (2D/Arabic) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 12:20, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:40, 6:00, 8:00, 8:20, 10:00, 11:00pm, 12:00midnight & 01:40am Spider Man: Homecoming (3D/Adventure) 12:00noon, 2:45, 5:30, 7:00, 8:15, 9:40 11:00pm & 12:20am The House (2D/Comedy) 11:30am, 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pm Despicable Me 3 (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:00am, 12:00noon, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 & 6:00pm Transformers: The Last Knight (2D/Action) 8:00 & 11:00pm Overdrive (2D/Action) 10:30am, 2:45, 7:00 & 11:15pm Antar Ibn Shaddad (2D/Arabic) 12:30, 4:45 & 9:00pmPirates of The Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:40, 3:20, 6:00, 8:40 & 11:20pm Inconceivable (2D/Thriller) 10:30am, 3:00, 7:30pm & 12:00midnight How To Be A Latin Lover (2D/Comedy) 12:40, 5:10 & 9:40pmSpider Man: Home Coming (3D IMAX/Action) 10:40am, 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:20pm & 12:00midnight

Despicable Me 3 (2D/Animation) 1:30 & 4:30pmMom (2D/Comedy) 1:30pm & 12:00midnight Spiderman: Homecoming (2D/Adventure) 3:00, 7:30, 10:00pm & 12:15am Ninnu Kori (2D/Telugu) 2:00pm The House (2D/Comedy) 4:00 & 8:00pm How To Be A Latin Lover (2D/Comedy) 5:30pm Inconceivable (2D/Thriller) 5:30 & 10:00pm Tisbah Ala Khair (2D/Arabic) 6:00 & 9:30pm Guest In London (2D/Comedy) 7:30pm Role Models (2D/Malayalam) 11:30pm

Spiderman: Homecoming (2D/Adventure) 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30pm Role Models (2D/Malayalam) 1:30 & 9:30pm Guest In London (2D/Comedy) 1:30pm & 12:00midnight How To Be A Latin Lover (2D/Comedy) 4:00pm Despicable Me 3 (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 4:00pmTisbah Ala Khair (2D/Arabic) 6:00 & 9:30pm The House (2D/Comedy) 6:00 & 8:00pm Inconceivable (2D/Thriller) 7:00 & 11:30pm

Spiderman: Homecoming (2D/Adventure) 2:00, 4:30, 9:00 & 11:30pm Despicable Me 3 (2D/Animation) 1:30, 4:00 & 5:30pmNinnu Kori (2D/Telugu)1:30pm Mom (2D/Comedy) 3:00 & 12:00midnight Inconceivable (2D/Thriller) 5:30pm & 12:00midnight The House (2D/Comedy) 7:00 & 8:30pm Tisbah Ala Khair (2D/Arabic) 7:00 & 10:00pm How To Be A Latin Lover (2D/Comedy) 7:30pm Role Models(2D/Malayalam) 9:30pm

Role Models (2D/Malayalam) 12:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30,

10:30pm, 12:30 & 1:30am

Ninnu Kori (Telugu) 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30pm & 12:30am

Guest In London (Hindi) 12:30, 5:45 & 10:45pm Mom (Hindi) 3:00, 8:15pm & 1:30am

Despicable Me (Animation) 12:00noon, 2:30, 4:30 & 6:30pm Tisbah Ala Khair (2D/Arabic) 12:00noon, 2:10 & 4:20pm

Spiderman: Homecoming (2D/Adventure) 12:00noon 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 & 11:00pm Mom (2D/Comedy) 12:00noon & 2:50pm How To Be A Latin Lover (2D/Comedy) 8:30 & 11:00pm Vekham Vedra (Tamil) 6:30, 9:30 & 12:30 Role Models 5:40, 8:30 & 11:20pm

Yesterday's answer

SPORT16 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017

Players float message of peaceThe Peninsula

In a telling message for world peace, football players of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyztan

posed behind a banner urging regional leaders keep politics out of sport.

The two teams were pho-tographed with the special banner before their match at the International Football Tournament for U-23 teams.

The rare gesture from two visiting teams was witnessed at one of the football pitches at Aspire Academy where the event is being held.

The banner read "KEEP POLITICS AWAY FROM FOOTBALL".

The sporting gesture came as the Gulf crisis lingers on the region.

The tournament has been organised by Qatar Football

Federation (QFA) so So Anabi prepares for this month's Asian Cup qualifiers.

World body FIFA has explicitly banned political interference from football.

A number of top football names like Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, the De Boer brothers and Spanish goal-keeper Iker Casillas have urged the protesting countries to end their siege against Qatar.

The blockade against Qatar has lasted more than a month.

Earlier on Wednesday, Barcelona stars Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergio

Busquets, paid a visit to Aspire Academy which was jointly organised by the Academy and Mall of Qatar.

The Spanish stars were the first to see the progress of the new Football Performance and Science extension at Aspire Academy while a video of Alba signing autograph on the pic-ture of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, was posted on Twitter as well.

The Peni nsula

Qatar, after a key 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Asia powerhouse Korea Republic last

month, have jumped nine spots in lat-est rankings.

Coached by Jorge Fossati, Qatar beat Korea 3-2 at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium to climb up the FIFA compu-ter. Also known as Al Anabi, Qatar are ranked 79 in the world while they are ninth top side in Asia.

Fossati resigned from his post but saw his team make a massive leap in the FIFA rankings.

Qatar were ranked 88 when the FIFA rankings were last released by the world body.

Iran are the top side in Asia though the Persian side is ranked 23 in the world.

Other Asian teams Australia (45), Japan (46), Korea Republic (51), Saudi Arabia (61), Uzbekistan (65), the

United Arab Emirates (75) and China (77) are above Qatar.

Syria, ranked 94th in the world, are below Qatar in Asian pecking order.

Qatar Football Association (QFA) three days ago announced that Felix Sanchez will take over as the interim coach of the national side that will play Syria and China in their last two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches at the end of August and early September.

Meanwhile, Germany leapfrogged Brazil and Argentina to move back atop the FIFA rankings thanks to the team winning the Confederations Cup last week.

The world champions beat Chile 1-0 in the Russia-based tournament a year out from the 2018 World Cup to ensure a first return to the top of the rankings in more than two years.

Brazil fall to second and Argentina third, just ahead of European champi-ons Portugal.

Qatar jump nine spots in latest FIFA rankings 1. Germany (+2 places)2. Brazil (-1)3. Argentina (-1)4. Portugal (+4)5. Switzerland (+4)6. Poland (+4)7. Chile (-3)8. Colombia (-3)9. France (-3)10. Belgium (-3)

Top Asian countries on FIFA computer

(world ranking before

country's name)

23. Iran (+7)45. Australia (+3)46. Japan (-1)51. Korea Republic (-8)61. Saudi Arabia (-8)65. Uzbekistan (-3)75. United Arab Emirates (0)77. China RP (+5)79. Qatar (+9)82. Syria (-5)

LATEST FIFA RANKINGS

Qatar players training under the watchful eyes of coach Jorge Fossati in this file photo.

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyztan players pose with a special banner before their match at the International Football Tournament for U-23 teams at the Aspire Academy.

TOUR DE FRANCE

S TAGE 6 RESULTS

(TOP 15)

1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 5:05:34"

2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) ST

3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto)

4. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha)

5. Nacer Bouhanni (France / Cofidis)

6. Dylan Groenewegen (Netherlands / LottoNL)

7. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb)

8. Daniel McLay (Britain / Fortuneo)

9. Ruediger Selig (Germany / BORA)

10. John Degenkolb (Germany / Trek)

11. Dion Smith (New Zealand / Wanty)

12. Adrien Petit (France / Direct Energie)

13. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data)

14. Marco Haller (Austria / Katusha)

15. Rick Zabel (Germany / Katusha) CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 6

(TOP 10)

1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 23:44:33"

2. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) +12"

3. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) +14"

4. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) +25"

5. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) +39"

6. Simon Yates (Britain / Orica) +43"

7. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R) +47"

8. Alberto Contador (Spain / Trek) +52"

9. Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) +54"

10. Rafal Majka (Poland / BORA) +1:01"

Tour de France: Tearful Kittel wins sixth stage Troyes, France

AFP

Marcel Kittel won his second stage of this year's Tour de France yesterday, sprinting to victory in the sixth stage before again breaking down in tears.

The burly German, who now has 11 Tour stage wins in total, had also won the second stage on Sunday, before the tears started to flow that time as well.

Frenchman Arnaud Demare was second with Andre Greipel of Germany third on the 216km sixth stage as reigning champion Chris Froome retained his race lead.

But unlike the previous two stages that ended in bunch sprints, this time there was no crash.

As the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected an appeal by world champion Peter Sagan against his disqualification for elbowing Mark Cavendish into the metal safety railings, and out of the Tour, on Tuesday, this

dash to the line thankfully passed off without incident.

And Kittel, as he had done on Sunday, proved too strong for his rivals, reaching a maximum speed of 71.17kph at one stage, according to official Tour data, as he surged from well down the

field to breeze past all challeng-ers and win.

"I took the right wheel and then attacked with 250 metres to go," explained Kittel.

"I knew in finale if I had good legs, in the final kilometre I would be able to find a gap, and

I found it with 250 metres left."That show of force suggested

Kittel, 29, is back to form he showed in 2013 and 2014 when he won four Tour stages in each year.

His victory took him level on stage wins with compatriot

Greipel and only one behind the German record of 12 taken by Erik Zabel, who won six consec-utive green jerseys from 1996-2001 -- itself a record.

After Wednesday's fireworks on the climb to La Planche des Belles Filles, the overall race favourites had a quiet day in the saddle, with Geraint Thomas remaining second at 12sec from his British compatriot and Sky team leader Froome, with stage five winner Fabio Aru third at 14sec.

In fact the biggest drama they had was earlier in the day when a parasol blew across the road right in front of the pelo-ton, causing several riders to take evasive action, although fortunately they were not going full throttle at that point.

Demare, winner of Tues-day's fourth stage, may have been beaten into second but he had the consolation of taking enough points to hold onto the sprinters' green points jersey, although Kittel closed his lead to 27 points.

Germany's Marcel Kittel celebrates as he crosses the

finish line ahead of Germany's Andre Greipel (left) and

Norway's Alexander Kristoff (right) at the end of the sixth

stage of the 104th Tour de France between Vesoul and

Troyes yesterday.

In a touching gesture, visiting Uzbekistan and Kyrgyztan teams pose behind a banner urging regional leaders to keep politics out of sport.

17FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 SPORT

Federer and Djokovic march on as Pliskova crashes out London

Reuters

Roger Federer turned on the style on Cen-tre Court after a rocky start to beat Serbian Dusan

Lajovic 7-6(0), 6-3, 6-2 in the Wimbledon second round yes-terday while Novak Djokovic also booked his place in the next round.

The Swiss, trying to win an eighth title, dropped his open-ing service game and had to battle hard in the first set before outclassing his opponent 7-0 in the tie-break.

With dark clouds looming overhead Federer looked in a hurry to get the job done and broke early in the second set to assume complete control.

The third set was one-way traffic and Federer sealed vic-tory with his ninth ace of the match to set up a third-round clash against German serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev.

Djokovic raced into the third round yesterday, but has yet to be given a real workout.

The three-time champion was in relentless form as he trounced Wimbledon debutant Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in little more than 90 minutes. It was Djokovic's first full match at the tournament after his first-round opponent retired hurt with the Serb leading 6-3, 2-0.

Djokovic was unstoppable against Pavlasek on a swelter-ing Court One. He pinned his Czech opponent behind the baseline with unerring ground-strokes off both wings, moving him from side to side in the 30 Celsius heat and forcing error after error.

Pavlasek was playing his childhood hero and the 22-year-old, ranked 136, appeared overawed by the occasion. He rarely tested the 12-time grand slam champion.

Djokovic will next play Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who beat Argentina's Juan Martín del Potro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Frenchman Gael Monfils halted the British charge with a comfortable straight-sets victory over home hope Kyle Edmund to reach the third round..

On a stifling Centre Court the 15th seed was pushed hard in the first set before 50th-ranked Edmund wilted in the heat and Monfils moved through 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-4.

Monfils will face French-man Adrian Mannarino next as he bids to make the fourth round for the first time.

Meanwhile, in the wom-en's draw, one of the

Wimbledon pre-tournament favourites Karolina Pliskova was dumped out in round two yesterday, with Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova beat-ing her 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Centre Court.

Czech third seed Pliskova came into the tournament on the back of a grasscourt title in Eastbourne but had never reached the third round at the All England Club.

She also had a shot at becoming the world number one if her rivals had made early exits.

But the 25-year-old looked lacklustre at times and lacked accuracy against expe-r i e n c e d c a m p a i g n e r Rybarikova, whose never- say-die attitude was summed up by a net-side masterclass in the final game of the match that had the crowd gasping.

Del Potro's clash halted after woman taken ill

Mattek-Sands suffers horrific knee injury

Tomic and Medvedev handed fines

London

AFP

Juan Martin del Potro's Wimble-don second round clash with Ernests Gulbis was held up by

25 minutes after a spectator was taken ill in the stands yesterday.

With searing temperatures hit-ting 30 degrees on Court Three, a woman appeared to suffer the effects of prolonged exposure to the sun midway through the sec-ond set.

Spectators held umbrellas over the woman while ambulance staff came to treat her before a stretcher eventually arrived.

Former US Open champion Del Potro passed a water bottle into the crowd to be given to the woman while he and Gulbis waited for play to resume.

Argentine 29th seed Del Potro, a former Wimbledon semi-final-ist, had lost the first set 6-4 against Gulbis and was trailing 3-2 in the second before the delay.

London

AFP

America's Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffered a horror knee injury at Wimbledon

yesterday which left her scream-ing and crying in pain in the middle of the court.

The 32-year-old collapsed to the ground after damaging her right knee as she approached the net in the first game of the decid-ing set against Romania's Sorana Cirstea on Court 17.

"Please help me, please, please," screamed the 32-year-old in scenes so distressing that tele-vision cameras panned away from the stricken player.

Mattek-Sands's husband Jus-tin tried to console his wife as medics arrived, while Cirstea was distraught and in tears.

After lying prone on the ground for around 20 minutes, Mattek-Sands was eventually stretchered away.

London

Reuters

Australian Bernard Tomic has been fined $15,000 after post-match comments saying he

had been "bored" during his first round exit from Wimbledon and had faked injury.

The International Tennis Fed-eration also handed Russian Daniil Medvedev three fines, totalling $14,500, after he threw coins at an umpire following his defeat on Wednesday.

Tomic's comments about being bored at Wimbledon received a bar-rage of criticism.

Medvedev's fines focused on his second round loss on Wednesday to Ruben Bemelmans.

After shaking hands with his conqueror, Medvedev grabbed his wallet and pulled out some coins before hurling them toward the foot of the umpire's chair.

"In the heat of the moment, I did a bad thing. I apologise for this," the 21-year-old Russian told later.

Konta can become number one: Davenport London

Reuters

Former Wimbledon cham-pion Lindsay Davenport (pictured) believes Brit-

ain's Johanna Konta can go on to become the world's number one player, saying it was "hard not to see success" for the sev-enth-ranked player.

Davenport, herself a former world number one, who won three grand slam titles including Wimbledon in 1999, said Konta proved in her three-set Centre Court vic-tory on Wednesday against Donna Vekic that she had the steel needed to get to the top.

"I think yesterday's match was a great example of that. I always look at players and look at their weaknesses and if those are improved upon.

"To see her on Wednesday just being a mental rock out there under some really diffi-cult circumstances was in a way inspiring," Davenport said, adding that in the past Konta had buckled under pressure.

"We have seen other play-ers just crumble under the pressure of their own country and she stood up, she never panicked, she never blinked,

she never had that look I've seen before of looking over with almost scared eyes, that was gone.

"You get a sense that is something she has worked incredibly hard on, the disci-pline to be focused on each point in the routine she has talked about and it proved itself in one of her biggest moments here," she said.

Davenport said that she had noticed

Konta's relentless focus when watch-ing her practise.

"Watch the discipline she brings, watch the intensity she brings," she said. "It is hard to see success won't come for her, it is impossible to know."

Davenport said it would be inter-esting to see Konta at every level in all the majors to judge whether she was able to maintain the aura of Wednesday "because it was awfully impressive".

The American said she sensed in Konta the same level of dedication that her com-patriot and defending men's champion Andy Murray showed.

"I get the sense with her, like you do with Andy Murray, that everything she can do to get bet-ter, she is doing. That could be mentally, physically, recovery, on the court."

ocus when watch-

cipline she brings, y she brings," she see success won't

mpossible to know."d it would be inter-a at every level in all whether she was able

a of Wednesday "becauseressive".said she sensed in Konta

dedication that her com-ng men's champion

wed.with her,Andyhing et-at y,

ry, Johanna Konta

WIMBLEDON RESULTS

MEN'S SINGLES (2ND

ROUND)

��Roger Federer (SUI x3) beat Dusan

Lajovic (Serbia) 7-6(0), 6-3, 6-2

��Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x13) bt Mar-

cos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1

�� Dudi Sela (ISR) bt John Isner (USA

x23) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

��Mischa Zverev (GER x27) bt Mikhail

Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-1, 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 6-4

��Dominic Thiem (AUT x8) bt Gilles

Simon (FRA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

��David Ferrer (ESP) bt Steve Dar-

cis (BEL) 3-0 - retired

�� Gael Monfils (FRA x15) bt Kyle

Edmund (GBR) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-4

��Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Yuichi

Sugita (JPN) 6-1, 5-7, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2

��Ernests Gulbis (LAT) bt Juan Martín

Del Potro (ARG x29) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

��Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Adam

Pavlásek (CZE) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1

WOMEN'S SINGLES (2ND

ROUND)

��Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Bethanie

Mattek-Sands (USA) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4)

- retired

�� Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x14) bt

Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-2, 6-4

��Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x9) bt

Christina McHale (USA) 5-7, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3

��Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Varvara

Lepchenko (USA) 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-2

��Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x7) bt

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-0, 7-5

��Magdaléna Rybáriková (SVK) bt

Karolína Plísková (CZE x3) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2

��Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) bt Viktor-

ija Golubic (SUI) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3

��Petra Martic (CRO) bt Denisa Aller-

tová (CZE) 6-1, 6-4

��Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Arina Rodi-

onova (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)

��Alison Riske (USA) bt Kristina Mlad-

enovic (FRA x12) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

��Coco Vandeweghe (USA x24) bt

Tatjana Malek (GER) 6-4, 6-2

Djokovic brushes aside comparison to Tiger Woods London

Reuters

Novak Djokovic said yesterday that he was puzzled by John

McEnroe's comments com-paring the reasons for his slump in form to personal problems of the sort experi-enced by golfer Tiger Woods.

The Serbian player, a former world number one, said he did not know what McEnroe was basing his remarks on but added that he respected the former champion's opinion.

McEnroe said this week that Djokovic "had some off-court issues with the family", adding: "That's going to throw you. If you're dis-tracted you're not the same player."

The three-time Wimble-don champion likened the problems of Djokovic -- who has surrendered two grand slam titles this year and slipped to fourth in the world -- to those of Woods, whose marriage collapsed after he admitted to adultery.

"The person that comes to mind immediately with Novak is golfer Tiger Woods," McEnroe, 58, told the BBC. "He had the issues with his wife, he seemed to go completely off the rails and has never been even close to the same player."

Djokovic, whose wife Jelena is pregnant with their second child, was asked by journalists about the Amer-ican's comments after his Wimbledon second-round victory against Adam Pav-lasek yesterday.

"I really don't take it in a negative way anyhow. It's fine. He has his right to say the things he wants to say. I don't necessarily need to agree with that. But it's his right," the 30-year-old told a news conference. "I don't know where was the basis, and he was just maybe mak-ing a comparison. I'm not really sure."

"He's very well known for his, you know, kind of bold comments and not really caring too much about being politically correct but saying whatever is on his mind," Djokovic added.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic dives in an attempt to return to Czech Republic's Adam Pavlasek during their men's singles second round match on the fourth day of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships yesterday. The three-time champion trounced Wimbledon debutant Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round.

Switzerland's Roger Federer returns

against Serbia's Dusan Lajovic during their

men's singles second round match of the

2017 Wimbledon Championships

yesterday. Federer won 7-6, 6-3, 6-2.

18 FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017SPORT

Russian athletics federation urges dopers to return Olympic medalsMoscow

Reuters

Russia's athletics federation yesterday urged athletes who were disqualified

from the Beijing and London Olympics for doping to return their medals to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"The adherence to

international rules of fair play and the return of Olympic emblems is one of the conditions for the rehabilitation of Russian athlet-ics on the international stage," the federation said in a statement on its website.

Russia's athletics federation was suspended in 2015 after a bombshell report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

revealed evidence of state-sponsored doping in the sport.

Russia's track and field stars, with the exception of one ath-lete based in the United States, missed out on last summer's Rio Olympics and the majority of them are set to miss the World Championships in London.

The federation, which has publicly called on athletes to

return their medals at least twice in the past, said their fail-ure to do so could compromise its efforts to regain membership in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The federation added that four athletes had returned their awards so far. One of them is sprinter Anton Kokorin, who won bronze as part of the Russian

men's 4x400 metre relay team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The whole relay team was disquali-fied after the retesting of samples from one of its members, Denis Alekseyev, showed traces of the banned steroid turinabol.

The federation had said in February that 23 medals, includ-ing 11 earned in relay events, had to be returned after the

retesting of samples from Bei-jing and London.

In recent months the IAAF has cleared a total of 24 Russian athletes, including 2015 world champion hurdler Sergey Shubenkov, to compete as neu-trals after they demonstrated they are training in an environ-ment that meets its anti-doping requirements.

Root shines on captaincy debut as England take control at Lord's London

Reuters

New England captain Joe Root rode his luck to make a bat-tling unbeaten 184 and lift the hosts to

a commanding 357 for five on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's yesterday.

Root, dropped twice, and Ben Stokes (56) shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 114 to dig England out of a deep hole after they had stumbled to 82 for four at lunch having won the toss in excellent batting conditions.

The skipper reached his 12th Test century by sweeping spin-ner Keshav Maharaj for three, raising his bat to all corners of a sun-kissed home of cricket as a packed crowd rose to applaud him.

Root emulated the feat of the last three England test captains, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss, in scoring

a hundred in his first game in charge but his day had not started well.

South Africa fast bowler Ver-non Philander dismissed openers Alastair Cook (three) and Keaton Jennings (eight), forcing Root to stride out to the middle with his team reeling at 17 for two.

The 26-year-old struggled to find his usual fluency against a disciplined South Africa pace attack and, on 16, he was dropped at gully off Kagiso Rabada shortly after offering a much more difficult chance to fine leg.

Gary Ballance made a

scratchy 20 before he was trapped lbw by Morne Morkel and Jonny Bairstow fell lbw to Philander for 10.

Root and Stokes batted watchfully in the afternoon ses-sion, accumulating runs with careful placement.

Stokes did advance down the wicket to lift Maharaj over long-on for six but the firebrand all-rounder also enjoyed a stroke of luck when he was bowled by a Morkel no-ball.

Root reached 50 off 89 balls and slowly began to find his usual sweet timing as the South African bowlers tired in the warm conditions.

Stokes got to his half-cen-tury shortly before tea but he fell soon after the interval, nicking a bouncer from Rabada through to De Kock.

After passing his century, Root lit up the ground with crisp punches through mid-wicket and square drives but he had another reprieve on 149 when he was stumped off a no-ball from Maharaj.

He struck 26 fours and one six, sharing an unbroken part-nership of 167 with Moeen Ali, who finished on 61 not out, as runs flowed in the evening sun-shine with England on top at the start of the four-Test series.

Afghanistan set for 'huge honour' of Lord's debut Kabul

AFP

Afghanistan is ready for the "huge hon-our" of making

their landmark Lord's debut, officials said ahead of next week's match, after a fairytale rise catapulted them into the elite club of Test nations last month.

The young side will be taking on the Maryle-bone Cricket Club (MCC), led by former New Zea-land skipper Brendon McCullum, in what offi-cials hope will be an "historic" 50-overs match at the so-called "home of cricket" on July 11.

"Our national team will be playing with the MCC team, full of world cricket greats, and it will be a huge honour and experience for the team, as we will be playing for the first time there," Farid Hotak, senior media relations officer at the Afghanistan Cricket Board, said in a state-ment yesterday.

The Afghan side includes Indian Premier League (IPL) stars Mohammad Nabi and teenage leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who took 17 wickets in his debut this year. Nabi was previously on the MCC Young Crick-eters scheme.

Other players include captain Asghar Stanikzai, Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Nasir Jamal, Samiullah Shenwari, Afsar Zazai, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran and Farid Malik.

Both Afghanistan and Ireland were confirmed as full members at an Inter-national Cricket Council (ICC) meeting during its annual conference in Lon-don late June and will be eligible to play five-day Test cricket, widely regarded as the sport's supreme format.

Walking onto the pitch at Lord's will cap a dizzying rise for cricket-mad Afghanistan.

Many Afghans' first contact with the game only took place during the 1980s and 1990s, in Pakistani refugee camps sheltering millions who fled the Soviet invasion. But it has become hugely popular in the country since the Taliban were toppled in a US-led inva-sion in 2001.

Recent successes, particularly in last year's ICC World Twenty20, have further raised the country's profile.

England captain Joe Root celebrates after reaching his century during the first day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, yesterday.

Dickwella, Gunathilaka hand SL big win Hambantota

AFP

Openers Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathi-laka hit sublime centuries

to help Sri Lanka humble Zimba-bwe by eight wickets in the third one-day international in Ham-bantota yesterday.

Chasing 311 for victory, the hosts rode on a 229-run opening stand between Dickwella (102) and Gunathilaka (116) to canter home in 47.2 overs and earn a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The left-handed batting duo got their maiden ODI hundreds to overshadow Zimbabwe opener Hamilton Masakadza's sparkling 111 in the visitors' 310-8 after being put into bat first.

While wicketkeeper-batsman Dickwella hit 14 boundaries dur-ing his stay, Gunathilaka smashed 15 fours and a six to flay the Zim-babwe attack at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

"It was a fantastic effort by the boys. After losing the first game, we had our backs against the wall and we came back well," Sri Lanka

skipper Angelo Mathews said."The way Dickwella and

Gunathilaka batted, we could have chased 350 on that wicket," he said of his team that hunted down a 300-plus run target for the first time on home soil.

Off-spinner Malcolm Waller got Dickwella trudging back to

the pavilion and left-arm ortho-dox Sean Williams cleaned up Gunathilaka, who received the man of the match award, in an otherwise disappointing show by the Zimbabwe bowlers.

Upul Tharanga (44) and Kusal Mendis (28) then steered the team home with an unbeaten 75-run

stand as the batting duo survived a dropped catch each as fielding lapses also hurt the visitors.

"The bowlers came back pretty well after the start that they (Zimbabwe) got. Hamilton played brilliantly, credit should go to him as well but the bowlers did well to keep them to 310," said Mathews.

Mathews also praised Tha-ranga, who is unbeaten in the series so far, for being "an abso-lute team man" after he once again dropped down the order to allow Dickwella and Gunath-ilaka open the innings.

Earlier, Masakadza put on a crucial 127-run partnership for the second wicket with Tarisai Musakanda (48) before Sri Lankan bowlers struck back to check Zimbabwe's surge.

Masakadza's 98-ball knock, laced with 15 fours and a six, had Zimbabwe eyeing 350-plus at one point before a middle-order col-lapse pulled them back.

Sean Williams contributed with a gutsy 43 while cameos from wicketkeeper-batsman Peter Moor (24) and Sikandar Raza (25 not out) helped

Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka (left) is congratulated by team-mate Niroshan Dickwella after scoring a century during the third ODI against Zimbabwe in Hambantota, yesterday.

ZIMBABWEH Masakadza c Pradeep b Hasaranga ..... 111

S Mire lbw Pradeep........................................ 13

T Musakanda c Tharanga b Gunaratne .... 48

C Ervine lbw Hasaranga ............................... 16

S Williams b Gunaratne ................................43

M Waller lbw Malinga ................................... 17

S Raza (not out) .............................................25

P Moor c K Mendis b Sandakan ................. 24

G Cremer (run out) ..........................................0

C Mumba (not out) ..........................................2

Extras (LB-2, NB-1, W-8) .............................. 11

Total (for 8 wkts in 50 overs) .......310 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-166, 3-191, 4-206,

5-256, 6-263, 7-293, 8-293.

Bowling: L Malinga 9-0-71-1 (nb-1, w-2); N

Pradeep 6-1-28-1 (w-1); D Chameera 7-0-34-

0; L Sandakan 10-0-73-1 (w-3); W Hasaranga

7-0-44-2 (w-1); A Gunaratne 10-1-53-2; D Gu-

nathilaka 1-0-5 – 0.

SRI LANKAN Dickwella c Williams b Waller .............. 102

D Gunathilaka b Williams .......................... 116

Kusal Mendis (not out) ................................ 28

Upul Tharanga (not out) .............................44

Extras (B-4, LB-2, W-16) ............................ 22

Total (for 2 wkts in 47.2 overs) .... 312 Fall of wickets: 1-229, 2-237.

Bowling: C Mumba 6.2-0-36-0 (w-2); T Ch-

atara 6-0-47-0 (w-3); S Raza 10-0-55-0 (w-1);

G Cremer 7-0-54-0 (w-1); S Williams 8-0-63-1

(w-3); M Waller 8-0-32-1 (w-2); S Mire 2-0-19

– 0.

SCOREBOARD

Zimbabwe cross the 300-run mark.

The action now shifts to the fourth ODI tomorrow at the same venue.

England (I innings):A Cook c de Kock b Philander ....................... 3

K Jennings lbw Philander ..............................8

G Ballance lbw Morkel ................................. 20

J Root (batting) ........................................... 184

J Bairstow lbw Philander .............................10

B Stokes c de Kock b Rabada .....................56

M Ali (batting) ................................................ 61

Extras (LB-2, NB-13) ..................................... 15

Total (for 5 wkts) .......................... 357Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-17, 3-49, 4-76, 5-190.

Bowling: Morkel 16-1-64-1 (6nb); Philander 16-

2-46-3 (5nb); Rabada 23-4-94-1 (1nb); Maharaj

22-1-107-0 (1nb); De Bruyn 5-1-30-0; Bavuma

5-0-14-0.

South Africa: Dean Elgar (capt), Heino Kuhn,

Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, The-

unis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon

Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne

Morkel.

SCOREBOARD

Australia A players call off SA tour Sydney

AFP

The Australian Cricket-ers' Association said yesterday that players

would boycott this month's Australia A tour to South Africa over a pay dispute.

The union said players were not obliged and were unavailable to tour South Africa for the Australia A team without an agreed pay deal or new Memorandum of Understanding, after their existing contracts with Cricket Australia expired on June 30 following months of bitter wrangling.

"It is with great frustra-tion that with no progress towards resolving the current dispute, Australia A players confirm they will not tour South Africa," ACA said in a statement.

"This decision is made in support of more than 200 male and female players who are now unemployed."

The players, selected for the Australia A tour starting on July 12, had been training this week hoping for an end to the impasse before their scheduled departure on Friday.

"By making this call, the Australia A players have sac-rificed their own ambitions for the collective -- an incred-ibly selfless act that shows their strength and overall commitment to the group."

19FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017 SPORT

Rooney linked with return to Everton London

AFP

England and Manches-ter United's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney could be set for a return to Everton, the

club where he made his name, according to the British media.

The 31-year-old who flour-ished at Everton -- bursting onto the scene as a teenager and scor-ing 15 goals in 67 appearances -- has become a peripheral fig-ure at Manchester United since Jose Mourinho took over last year.

Rooney, who also lost his place in the England squad, has stated the only other Premier League side he would consider joining is Everton and with appar-ently interest fading from China either a return to Merseyside or a move to the United States looked to be his best options.

The Daily Mail says Everton

are hopeful of 'thrashing out a deal' while The Guardian noted that with one year remaining on his contract, United may demand a transfer fee but not a sizeable one for the player who joined the club in 2004 for £27m (30.7m euros, $35m).

The paper also said the deal

would also lighten United's annual wage bill by £13m.

Both Rooney and United favour a permanent deal rather than a loan, although Everton may balk at the wages demands, according to the reports. Rooney is not expected to demand a per-manent first team place but is keen to play more often than he did at United where he made just 26 appearances last term.

According to The Times, Rooney's move to Everton is especially attractive to United as it could be part of a deal to bring Belgian international striker Romelu Lukaku in the other direction and steal him from under champions Chelsea's noses.

Lukaku, who was sold by Mourinho when he was at Chel-sea, is thought to have been one of Antonio Conte's top transfer targets in the close season as they expect Spanish international striker Diego Costa to leave.

English legend may leave United: Reports

The Daily Mail says Everton are hopeful of 'thrashing out a deal' while The Guardian noted that with one year remaining on his contract, United may demand a transfer fee but not a sizeable one for the player who joined the club in 2004 for £27m.

Wayne Rooney could be set

for a return to Everton, say

reports.

United agree £75m fee for Everton striker LukakuManchester

Reuters

Manchester United have agreed a £75m ($97m) deal for Everton striker

Romelu Lukaku, a source close to the negotiations said yesterday.

The move, which is not con-nected to any talks of a Wayne Rooney deal in the opposite direction, is expected to be for-mally announced within the next 36 hours.

Lukaku had been United's number one target for next sea-son, the source said.

United will not now be pur-suing any interest in Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata.

"Chelsea's interest in Lukaku allowed United to fly under the radar on this," the source said.

"But he has been the club's number one target."

There had been much spec-ulation that the Belgian international would return to Chelsea, which he joined in 2011.

Last season Lukaku became the first Everton player since Bob Latchford to score 25 goals in two consecutive seasons in all competitions.

The Belgian was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time, and was also included in the six player shortlists for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

Meanwhile, Spanish mid-fielder Roque Mesa signed for English Premier League side Swansea from Las Palmas for a reported £11m (12.5m euros, $14.2m) yesterday. The 28-year-old -- who spent seven years

with Las Palmas and was pivotal in their return to the elite in 2015 -- signed a four-year contract.

Las Palmas retained their place in the top flight last season finishing 14th with Mesa scoring once in 35 appearances.

"The midfielder has penned a four-year contract with the Swans after completing his med-ical this morning (Thursday)," read a statement on the club website.

"He met his new team-mates at Fairwood (training ground) on Wednesday, while he will train for the first time on Monday after returning from Spain."

Mesa's arrival will offset the loss of South Korean interna-tional midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng, who is to miss the beginning of the Premier League season with a knee injury.

This file photo taken on November 27, 2016 shows Everton's Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku chasing the ball during the English Premier League match against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton.

Sevilla skipper Iborra signs for Leicester City London

AFP

Sevilla captain Vicente Iborra became 2016 Premier League champions Leices-

ter City's second signing of the close season after inking a four-year deal yesterday.

The 29-year-old defensive midfielder enjoyed a hugely suc-cessful four-year spell at Sevilla, lifting the Europa League trophy on three occasions.

Leicester know Iborra well as he played against them in both legs of their Champions League tie last season which the English side went on to win.

"Iborra becomes Leicester City's second signing of the sum-mer, following the addition of Harry Maguire from Hull City last month and will link up with his new team-mates ahead of a pre-season training camp in Austria next week," Leicester said in a statement on their website.

Iborra, who began his career with unfashionable Levante before being snapped up by Sevilla in 2013, said he was look-ing forward to the new challenge.

"I'm very happy to be here with Leicester City and I'm look-ing forward to experiencing the Premier League with my new team-mates next season," said Iborra.

"Everything about this club seems good and it's been great to meet my new team-mates"

German star Podolski arrives with promise to boost Japan game Tokyo

AFP

German World Cup win-ner Lukas Podolski yesterday vowed to bol-

ster enthusiasm for Japanese football after arriving to join Vissel Kobe, bucking a trend of big-name players moving to cash-rich China.

"I know the J-League is the strongest in Asia and I am determined to enliven (the league) with my team," Podol-ski told a news conference shortly after he arrived in Kobe, near Osaka, to join the city's J-League club.

The 32-year-old forward, who had played for Turkey's

Galatasaray since 2015, said it is "a big change" for him to play in Asia for the first time.

But the veteran of three World Cups and the scorer of 49 goals for Germany said he did not feel any pressure.

"We have to go hard, train hard and fight on the pitch 90 minutes and try to get three points every game," he said.

Kobe did not give details of the deal, although Podolski is understood to have signed a multi-year contract worth an annual $5.3m.

Podolski's decision to opt for Japan came as a surprise with many big-name football-ers making megabucks moves to China in the twilight of their careers and he had initially

been linked with Beijing Guoan. It also represents something of a coup for the J-League, which used to attract luminaries such as Brazil's Zico and England's Gary Lineker when it began in 1993 but has struggled to attract marquee players in recent years. Hiro-shi Mikitani, the online shopping magnate who owns Vissel, said he hopes Podolski's transfer to the team would prompt more world-class players to come to Japan.

"Today is a new, memora-ble day of departure for the J-League," Mikitani told the news conference.

"I hope, with the transfer of Podolski, more and more world super stars will come to the J-League."

The Poland-born left-footer was named 2006 World Cup young player of the tour-nament ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Podolski, who has been troubled by niggling injuries, announced his international retirement last year after scor-ing 49 goals in 130 appearances for the world champions.

Podolski said he was also looking forward to savouring immediately the prized local delicacy.

"Kobe beef is famous and so I really want to eat it after the news conference," he said with a smile.

German football player Lukas Podolski (right) poses for photographers with Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman of Japanese club Vissel Kobe during a press conference in Kobe, Japan yesterday.

We have to go hard, train hard and fight on the pitch 90 minutes and try to get three points every game, German veteran tells new team

Lions and All Black braced for epic deciderAuckland

Reuters

All of the frozen toes, mud in the eyes and skinned knees suffered

as a child that developed into thousands of collisions and months of rehabilitation from career-threatening injuries comes down to one game for British and Irish Lions cap-tain Sam Warburton.

A series-deciding test match between the Lions and the All Blacks at Eden Park tomorrow that kicks off at 0735 GMT.

"We do appreciate it is the biggest game we have played in," Warburton said yesterday.

"But that's what every sacrifice you have made since you were a young kid and decided to be a rugby player is all about, moments like this.

"All the guys are really excited about it and getting prepared for the big game."

The magnitude of the 'big game' has not been lost on the visitors' unchanged side, who were involved in what coach Warren Gatland described as a "tetchy" training session yesterday with "words exchanged" between players.

The All Blacks, after all, have lost just one series -- in 1971 -- to the British com-bined team since they first started touring New Zealand in 1888.

They last lost successive tests against anyone at home in 1998 and have not been beaten at Eden Park in 23 years.

Coupled with that, the All Blacks get angry after a defeat. Very angry.

"I am definitely expecting a reaction, similar to the one we had in the second test after the first test defeat," Warburton said. "We have got all week to try and get ready for that."The All Blacks con-vincingly beat up the Lions in the collision areas to win the first game 30-15 at Eden Park two weeks ago.

Warburton's side levelled the series with a 24-21 win last week after they wore down the All Blacks, who had been reduced to 14 men in the 25th minute when Sonny Bill Williams was sent off for a dangerous shoulder charge.

The four-week suspen-sion Williams received created a major backline shake-up for the world cham-pions with coach Steve Hansen naming Ngani Lau-mape to start his first test after he came off the bench for his debut last week.

When: July 8, 7:35 p.m. local (0735

GMT)

Where: Eden Park, Auckland (Ca-

pacity 50,000)

OVERALL RECORDPlayed: 40

New Zealand wins: 30

Lions wins: 7

Draws: 3

PREVIOUS MEETINGS IN AUCK-LAND

2017 NZ won 30-15

2005 NZ won 38-19

1993 NZ won 30-13

1983 NZ won 38-6

1977 NZ won 10-9

1971 Match drawn 14-14

1966 NZ won 24-11

1959 Lions won 9-6

1950 NZ won 8-3

1930 NZ won 15-10

1908 NZ won 29-0

LIONS VS ALL BLACKS

A view of sunset from Al Thakira near Al khor, yesterday. Pic: Shajahan V A

Golden departure

FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017

FAJRSHOROOK

03.20 am

04.49 am

ZUHRASR

11.39 am

03.02 pm

MAGHRIBISHA

06.30 pm

08.00 pm

PRAYER TIMINGS

20 HOME

The Peninsula

Located minutes away from Doha’s financial centre, Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, pro-

vides a fascinating fusion of East and West by merging the deep-rooted leg-acy of Qatari traditions with cosmopolitan design and comfort.

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selected to portray the rich vibrant Qatari traditions, which our guests can experience.

Amid the fascinating Oriental scen-ery, we also invite our guests to embark on a scrumptious culinary journey as they discover the local gas-tronomy, carefully prepared with the finest local ingredients and fragrant spices from Doha’s traditional mar-kets and souqs. The eclectic mix of tastes invigorates Sharq Village & Spa’s legacy around its Qatari heritage.

Furthermore, the hotel brings to life local traditions like the warm Ori-ental welcome or the authentic Bakhoor ceremony.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the hotel, proudly dressed in authentic Qatari attires, receive visitors with Al Qahwa, the traditional Arabic coffee made from lightly roasted coffee beans and cardamom. Served with dates and dried fruit, the warm beverage

embodies a traditional act of kindness and hospitality. At sundown, guests are invited back to the lobby to experience an ancient ritual that evokes an ambi-ence of the past, where the scent of burning exotic Oud from a bakhoor and the sound of live traditional music fills the setting.

Visitors and locals are invited to Sharq Village & Spa to experience his-tory today, with the exclusive package offered during Qatar Summer Festi-val, which is inclusive of luxury accommodation, savings in food and beverage, and exceptional offers for children dining.

Sharq Village & Spa offers exclusive packages

The Peninsula

The Cuban Embassy is planning to organise an art exhibition at the Cul-

tural Village Foundation-Katara featuring one of the most prom-inent artists of Cuba in October coinciding with Cuba’s Inde-pendence Day.

Cuban Ambassador Emilio Caballero Rodriguez presented the proposal during a meeting with Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti

yesterday, during which they discussed ways of enhancing joint cultural cooperation between Katara and the Cuban Embassy. The Cuban ambassa-dor lauded the existing cultural relations between the two enti-ties and expressed his appreciation for the cultural activities carried out by Katara throughout the year. He stressed the importance of cul-tural communication in promoting brotherly relations between countries.

QNA

Former Tunisian President Moncef Mar-zouki believes that besieging Qatar is the last weapon at the disposal of

regimes that have been trying for years to limit Qatar's role and prevent it from being a political player.

In an interview with Qatari daily Al Sharq published yesterday, Marzouki said those who wanted to isolate Qatar were exposed and have themselves become isolated.

Marzouki said Qatar is on the right side and the whole world supports it and trusts its ability to withstand the crisis, stressing that the Arab peoples sympathise with Qatar and the vast majority of countries, partic-ularly African ones, are on Qatar's side. He added that the recent African summit rejected Egypt's request to support the stance of the siege countries.

Qatar has backed Tunisia politically and morally, Marzouki said, pointing to the vis-its of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Father Emir H H the Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to Tunisia. "Qatar has supported us economically and reclaimed our smuggled funds to the Tuni-sian treasury. Qatar also played a significant role in backing Tunisia's efforts to restore what the deposed president and his family had stolen."

Marzouki said Qatar never tried to sup-port a certain government or individual in particular, even after the end of the troika phase and his departure from power, add-ing that this stance "silenced" all voices regarding the Qatari role.

The former Tunisian president denied that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist group, stressing that despite his "deep

ideological and political differences" with them, they are a political movement with no ties to terrorism. He also noted that Hamas is a patriotic resistance movement. Marzouki said the battle against Qatar won't be the last, noting that other battles are "on the horizon and no one knows what third or fourth siege will hit any country" where a new Arab political regime rises.

On the future of the Arab world, Mar-zouki said "we should not be too optimistic about the future because the current dam-age across the Arab world is only starting, but we also should not be extremely pessimistic."

He added that alternatives are slowly but steadily crystallising even inside tyrant regimes, stressing that some reasonable voices understand that such "reckless pol-icies" as those deployed against Qatar and Arab spring countries can accelerate the collapse of these regimes

Cuban exhibition in October

'Besieging Qatar is the last weapon of regimes'

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri, before a meeting with officials from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Paris, yesterday.

Al Marri meets French officials

A view of Sharq Village & Spa.

Cuban Ambassador Emilio Caballero Rodriguez speaking with Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti.

Marzouki said Qatar is on the right side and the whole world supports it and trusts its ability to withstand the crisis, stressing that the Arab peoples sympathise with Qatar and the vast majority of countries, particularly African ones, are on Qatar's side. He added that the recent African summit rejected Egypt's request to support the stance of the siege countries.

HIGH TIDE 02:15 – 16:45 LOW TIDE 09:00 – 23:45

Hazy at places at first becomes very

hot daytime and relatively humid at

places by night.

WEATHER TODAY

Minimum Maximum

Courtesy: Qatar Meteorology Department

33oC 46oC