WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020 www.thepeninsula.qa8 JUMADA I - 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8480

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I launched during my visit today to Hamad Port the initial operation of Container Terminal 2, which is equipped with the latest environmentally-friendly technology and 5G. I have also seen the progress of construction works on warehouses for food security. These two projects will make a quantum leap in the port’s capacity and storage. As well I inaugurated the port’s health center.

PM launches initial operation of Hamad Port Container Terminal 2, health centerQNA & THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani yesterday made a visit to Hamad Port, during which His Excellency inaugurated the initial operation of Hamad Port’s Container Terminal 2 (CT2), that will contribute to increasing the port's capacity to 3 million TEUs.

The CT2 is equipped with the latest environment-friendly technology to meet the needs and requirements of shipping line operators.

The Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior also inaugurated the Hamad Port Health Center and inspected its facilities with all the medical equipment needed to serve the port’s employees and visitors.

Qatar Airways offers passengers a full year of flexibility in 2021THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways has announced that it will offer passengers unlimited date changes and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued before April 30, 2021 for travel completed by December 31, 2021.

The airline’s latest enhancement to its industry-leading flexible booking policy has been designed to continue providing customers with peace of mind that they can change their plans with ease. The airline is also making the option to exchange tickets for a travel

voucher with 10% additional value a permanent feature for all customers booking travel via qatarairways.com. The process for redeeming a travel voucher is quick and easy – passengers apply online and receive the voucher within 48 hours.

Qatar Airways Group Chief

Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “Throughout 2020, we have provided customers the ability to modify travel without pen-alties as a result of the disruption to global travel caused by COVID-19. As we look forward to the possibilities of travelling again next year, Qatar Airways

will continue to be by our pas-sengers’ side, offering continued flexibility throughout 2021 as the airline they can rely on.”

The national carrier of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 100 destinations increasing to 126 by March 2021. �P2

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani during his visit to Hamad Port, yesterday.

During the visit, the Prime Minister received a presen-tation from officials of Mwani Qatar about the port's strategy, expansions and foreign investments.

The Prime Minister also inspected a number of port’s facilities, where he toured the port and inspected the progress

of the under-construction warehouses of Strategic Food Security Facilities, and was also briefed on the progress of work in Hamad Port Control Tower.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by a number of Their Excellencies Ministers and senior officials from Mwani Qatar. �P2

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Wife of Amir offers condolences to wife of late Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad

KUWAIT: H H Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, wife of H H the Amir, offered con-dolences to Sheikha Hissa Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, wife of the late Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, in Kuwait city yes-terday. H H Sheikha Jawaher also offered condolences to the ruling family, praying to Allah the Almighty to have mercy on his soul and to rest it in peace in paradise, and to inspire his family with patience and solace. — QNA

PM receives phone call from French counterpart

DOHA: Prime Minister and Min-ister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani received yesterday a phone call from Prime Minister of the French Republic H E Jean Castex, dur-ing which they reviewed bilateral cooperation and ways to enhance and develop them, especially in the fields of economy, investment and energy. During the call, they also discussed cooperation between the two friendly countries regard-ing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the 2024 Olympic Games in France as well as the exchange of experiences in this regard, in addition to discussing the most prominent regional and interna-tional developments of common concern. — QNA

COVID-19 vaccine safe: MoPH officialFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

As the COVID-19 vaccination campaign begins today in Qatar, a senior official at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has re-assured that the vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech is safe and has passed all regulatory approvals.

Head of vaccination at MoPH, Dr. Soha Al Bayat has said that the vaccine has been proven to be safe. “It has been proven to be safe and the side effects are normal, nothing critical or dangerous. The vaccine has been approved by the US Food and Drug Admin-istration and many ministries of health around the world,” she said in a video message posted on social media by MoPH.

“The UK has already started the vaccination, and so far no serious side effects were noted. Take the vaccine to protect yourself and the loved ones,” said Dr. Al Bayat.

She emphasised that the COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech has passed all pro-tocols and regulatory approvals.

“Many are wondering if the vaccine is safe since it was developed so fast. The answer is that it is safe. There was no bypassing of any of the usual steps taken in developing a vaccine, no bypassing of the safety tests.

“The reason that this vaccine was developed in such a short time is one the foun-dation for the vaccine and the platform pre existed. They did not have to start from zero. Usually when a vaccine is

developed they do steps one after the other. This time they did all steps in parallel to save time. The most important thing is that usually financing the manufacture of vaccine takes a long time. But the world came together this time, all partici-pated in funding for manufac-turing of the vaccine,” said Dr. Al Bayat.

The MoPH approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in Qatar and the first batch of vaccine arrived in the country on Monday.

In the first phase of vacci-nation from December 23 to January 31, preference will be given to people over 70 years of age, adults in chronic care and home care facilities, healthcare personnel most at risk of infection and people over 16 years of age with severe chronic diseases.

Patients who have been selected will be contacted by phone/SMS to advise them of their selection for the vaccine and invited to attend an appointment at one of the seven designated health centres.

Al Muraikhi meets Ambassador of HungaryMinister of State for Foreign Affairs H E Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi met yesterday with Hungary’s Ambassador to Qatar H E Fodor Barnabas. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral cooperation, relations and issues of common concern.

PM launches initial operation of Hamad Port Container Terminal 2

FROM PAGE 1

On this occasion, Minister of Transport and Communi-cations H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti said: “His Excellency Prime Minister’s inaugurating the initial operation of CT2 is a new achievement to be added to Hamad Port’s record of achievements, thus boosting its huge potential, modern facilities and advanced systems for increasing Qatar’s trade with the world, in addition to improving the country’s competitiveness by transforming it into a regional trade hub with sustainable development for the coming generations.”

The Minister added: “Works of developing CT2, the Strategic Food Security Facil-ities and all other establish-ments, which come as part of developing Hamad Port’s CT2, continue in full gear with no delay or slowdown despite the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected several economies around the w o r l d d i r e c t l y a n d indirectly.”

During developing CT2, he said, the Qatar National Vision 2030 has been implemented, which aims at supporting the national manufacturing and deploying latest technologies that are based on environ-mental sustainability and clean energy, noting that all materials and equipment used

in the works of infrastructure, preparations and establish-ments at CT2 were made in Qatar with universal specifi-cations, as well as the struc-tures of the electric trailers used in transporting con-tainers within the terminal, thus supporting the electric vehicles strategy and legisla-tions that aim to back the country’s agenda for a greener future.

CT2 development project consists of 4 phases. Full oper-ation of Phases 1 & 2 will start before the end of 2022. Phases 3 & 4 will be developed later to raise the port’s operational capacity according to local market’s needs. The area of Phases 1 & 2 of Hamad Port’s CT2 is 380,000 sq.m. Its quay is 624m long.

Q T e r m i n a l s , w h i c h manages and operates Phase 1 of Hamad Port, has so far completed 3 million man-hours without LTI during the development works of CT2. QTerminals is set to offer the shipping sector all the modern equipment that uses latest and global ecofriendly technol-ogies to execute their business fast and smoothly.

Phase 1 of CT2 has been equipped with 3 STS quay cranes with advanced tech-nology, including semi-auto-mation and remote-control operations. STS cranes are known for being so fast and

highly efficient in handling containers and capable of handling latest types of vessels. Each crane can handle four 20’ containers or two 40’ containers at the same time. Four more cranes will be added during 2021, taking the total number of cranes to 7.

Hamad Port Medical Center is located at the Admin-istration Area of Hamad Port. It is built and equipped with all necessary medical equipment to serve the port’s employees, visitors, and for

the fitness checkup of sailors and ship crews, when appli-cable. It is complying with the National Healthcare Facilities Licensing and Accreditation Program. It is built on a GSAS 3 Star Rating. The medical center is considered one of the dispensable facilities of the integrated system – such an integration that stipulates all main and necessary services must be available at the port.

Hamad Port Project Steering Committee is super-vising the construction and

development of ‘Strategic Food Security Facilities’, for storing, processing, refining, and preparing three main food commodities (Sugar, Rice, and Edible Oils), which are being established over an area of approximately 53 hectares (about 530,000 square meters). The Strategic Food Security Facilities are being developed at an estimated budget of QR1.6bn. These food products will be available for use in the local, regional, and global markets.

Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani being briefed about the port operations during his visit to Hamad Port yesterday.

QA offers passengers a full year of flexibility in 2021FROM PAGE 1

With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled con-nectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to change their travel dates or destination if they need to. Qatar Airways also remains committed to hon-ouring passenger refunds,

paying out over $1.65 billion since March 2020.

When travelling with Qatar Airways in 2021, passengers can expect the highest levels of safety throughout their journey. The airline’s onboard safety measures include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew

and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers. Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business seat provides, including sliding privacy parti-tions and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator.

The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine has been proven to be safe and the side effects are normal, nothing critical or dangerous. The vaccine has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and many ministries of health around the world.

Dr. Soha Al BayatHead of vaccination, MoPH

Authorities arrest five for violating home quarantineQNA — DOHA

The designated authorities arrested yesterday five people who violated the requirements of the home quarantine, they committed to following, which they are legally accountable for, in accordance with the procedures of the health authorities in the country.

The violators currently being referred to the designate prosecution are: Siddiq Yanashenty Pur Akkal, Mahmoud Abdel Hamid Abdel Salam Abdel

Ghani, Adel Ahmed Othman Mohisi, Mohammed Abdel Salam Mohammed Al Saadi Al Yafei and Hazam Butti Mohammed Al Aziman Al Qahtani.

The designated authorities called on peopl under home quarantine to fully commit to MoPH condition, to ensure their safety and the safety of others. They added that anyone who violates the quarantine will be subject to article no. 253 of law no. 11 of 2004, provisions of law no. 17 of 1990 on communicable diseases, and law no. 17 of 2002 on protecting society.

03WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020 HOME

MoI Undersecretary delivers lecture on Lekhwiya Force strategy at staff college

QNA — DOHA

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and Commander of the Lekhwiya Force H E Major General Abdulaziz bin Faisal Al Thani delivered a lecture on ‘Lekhwiya Force strategy and its national security position’ at the Joaan bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College.

The College hosted the lecture as part of the National Defense Course No. 1.

After the lecture, a dis-cussion on the most important points related to national security took place in the presence of the participants, including senior employees of the various ministries and state institutions and security agencies.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and Commander of the Lekhwiya Force H E Major General Abdulaziz bin Faisal Al Thani delivering a lecture at the Joaan bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College.

Education Ministry, Embassy of Georgia sign cooperation agreementTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Ambassador of Georgia to the State of Qatar H E Nikoloz Revazishvili and Undersec-retary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar H E Dr. Ibrahim Al Nuaimi yesterday signed an Agreement for Cooperation in the Field of General Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the State of Qatar.

The agreement envisages the experience sharing and development of cooperation in the fields of general and higher education, scientific research and technology between the two countries, said a statement

of the Embassy.In the field of general edu-

cation, the agreement priori-tises cooperation between the Georgian and Qatari schools in the following fields: curriculum standards, teacher’s profes-sional development, national and international assessment of student’s performance, exchange of information about new technologies and modern teaching standards, organising joint workshops, exchanging visits of students delegations and school sport teams, and o r g a n i s i n g s c h o o l exhibitions.

In higher education, scien-tific research and technology field, the agreement foresees cooperation in the following areas: exchange of information on academic programmes in

both countries; exchange of visits by delegations of higher education management offi-cials, faculty members and researchers; exchanging of information, expertise, research and studies in the fields of using modern technology; organising joint conferences and exchanging of post-graduate students; and carrying out joint research.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar, H E Dr. Ibrahim Al Nuaimi, and Ambassador of Georgia to the State of Qatar, H E Nikoloz Revazishvili, exchanging documents after signing of the agreement.

FM meets Russian Deputy PM, high-ranking officialsQNA — MOSCOW

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met yesterday with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Government H E Yury Borisov, during His Excellency’s visit to Russia.

The meeting dealt with reviewing bilateral relations and the means to enhance cooperation in different fields, particularly in the economy and investment fields to increase bilateral trade volume. The two sides also reviewed issues of joint interest.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Finance H E Ali Shareef Al Emadi.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

also met yesterday with Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Feder-ation H E Leonid Slutsky.

They reviewed bilateral cooperation, relations, and issues of common concern.

Qatar's top envoy also met with Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian

Federation H E Nikolai Patrushev. They reviewed bilateral cooperation, relations, and issues of common concern.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also met separately with Adviser to the Russian Pres-ident, Deputy Chairman of the Organizing Committee - Exec-utive Secretary of the St. Petersburg International Eco-nomic Forum H E Anton Kob-yakov; CEO of Rosneft Igor Sechin; and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VTB Bank Andrey Kostin. The meetings took place during his current visit to Russia.

During the meetings, they reviewed bilateral relations and issues of common concern. The meetings were attended by Minister of Finance H E Ali Shareef Al Emadi.

PHCC to directly invite those eligible for vaccination THE PENINSULA — DOHA

With Qatar’s COVID-19 vacci-nation campaign beginning today, Executive Director of Operations at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Dr. Samya Al Abdulla, has confirmed that patients who are eligible to receive the vaccination will be contacted directly to arrange their appointments.

“The initial shipment of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines arrived in Qatar on Monday (December 21) and provides enough vaccines for those at risk. The Ministry of Public Health’s strategy will enable everyone in Qatar to be

vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2021, but for now we must prioritise people at risk of severe complications and death from the virus,” said Dr. Al Abdulla.

“Initially, vaccines will be prioritised for three key pop-ulation groups: people over 70 years of age, people with mul-tiple chronic conditions, and key healthcare workers with repeated exposure to COVID-19.

Citizens and residents within these priority groups will be contacted by text mes-sages and telephone calls from a PHCC health professional to arrange their vaccination appointment,” added Dr. Al

Abdulla. In the first phase of the vaccination campaign, the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines

will be given to the priority population groups at seven PHCC health centres: Al Wajba, Leabaib, Al Ruwais, Um Slal, Rawdat Al Khail, Al Thumama and Muaither.

Dr. Al Abdulla explained that each of these health centres will have vaccination teams dedicated solely to administering the COVID-19 vaccine and that every effort has been made to ensure patients have a smooth and efficient experience when vis-iting the health centres.

She added that the health centres and nursing teams are experienced in providing vac-cinations as this is a regular part of their work.

Administering and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is very similar to the seasonal influenza vaccine, which is provided at all PHCC health centres each year.

“It is important to note that the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine requires a second shot to be given 21 days after the first. Our appointment team will book patients in for their second vac-cination visit and it is essential that people keep to this date and attend their appointment as planned, as any delay can impact the vaccine’s ability to offer protection. Full immunity develops around one week after the second dose of the vaccine,” added Dr. Al Abdulla.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Government, H E Yury Borisov, in Moscow.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs also met Russia’s Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, as well as Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

The Ministry of Public Health strategy will enable everyone in Qatar to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2021, but for now we must prioritise people at risk of severe complications and death from the virus.

Dr. Samya Al AbdullaExecutive Director, PHCC

Austrian parliamentarian hails Amir’s announcement of Shura Council electionsQNA — VIENNA

Member of the ruling People’s Party and Vice President of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Austrian Parliament H E Dr. Reinhold Lopatka has hailed Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin H a m a d A l T h a n i ’ s announcement to hold the Shura Council elections in October 2021.

He described the decision as a qualitative leap to consol-idate the democratic process in the State of Qatar.

He affirmed his country’s readiness to provide all possible forms of support to the State of Qatar for the success of these elections, which would enhance the legislative process with wider participation of citizens, pointing out that this comes as a continuation of the renais-sance process the country is witnessing at all levels.

Dr. Reinhold Lopatka also emphasised that the Shura Council elections are of great importance in Qatar, given its role in monitoring the imple-mentation of laws, decisions and regulations related to the government’s powers and com-petencies and will support the role of the legislative authority, especially in light of the expansion of the powers of the elected council so that it has

greater legislative and oversight powers that enhance trans-parency and benefit the people.

This came during Dr. Reinhold Lopatka’s meeting with Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Austria and the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations and International Organizations in Vienna H E Sultan bin Salmeen Al Mansouri.

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Austria, H E Sultan bin Salmeen Al Mansouri, with Vice-President of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Austrian Parliament, H E Dr. Reinhold Lopatka.

Two hotels to quarantine arrivals from UK, S Africa, Denmark and Netherlands

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Two hotels have been dedi-cated in Doha for all passengers arriving from the UK, South Africa, Netherlands and Denmark to quarantine, yesterday.

The Intercontinental Doha Resort and Mercure Grand Doha have been designated as ‘UK, Denmark, Netherlands and South Africa Exclusive Quarantine Hotel’, said Dis-cover Qatar, the portal through which hotel quar-antine packages are booked.

“Arrivals into Doha on flights from the UK, Denmark, Netherlands and South Africa must have a reservation for a UK, DK, NL or ZA Exclusive Quarantine Hotel,” Discover Qatar said on its website.

“You will not be permitted to board the aircraft without a UK, Denmark, Netherlands and South Africa Exclusive Quarantine Hotel Voucher if your booking was made on or after December 23, 2020.

“Pre-approved QID res-ident permit holders are able to apply to travel to Qatar. You will need to obtain approval to enter Qatar by applying through the Qatar Porta. All new bookings will be required to book a UK, South Africa, Netherlands or Denmark Quarantine hotel for your mandatory quarantine stay in Qatar,” it added.

According to Discover Qatar, passengers will not be permitted to board the aircraft without a UK, South Africa, Netherlands or Denmark Exclusive Quarantine Hotel Voucher if your booking was made on or after 23 December 2020.

It also said that passengers who are not on a flight from the UK, South Africa, Nether-lands or Denmark should not book either of the hotels for the mandatory quarantine stay in Qatar.

“You will not be permitted to check in (at the hotel) unless your boarding pass states your journey com-menced in the UK, South Africa, Netherlands or Denmark, and you will not be entitled to a refund,” it added.

Many countries have restrictions such as quar-antine in place for travellers from the UK, South Africa, Netherlands or Denmark, because of the rapid spread of a new variant of COVID-19.

MoPH: 202 morerecover from virusTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announced the regis-tration of 149 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday. Among them 27 were trav-ellers returning from abroad.

Also 202 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 140,129.

The agreement envisages experience sharing and cooperation in the fields of general and higher education, scientific research and technology between Qatar and Georgia.

Austrian lawmaker says the decision to hold Shura Council elections is a qualitative leap to consolidate the democratic process in the State of Qatar.

04 WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020HOME

Amiri Guard Commander meets Chairman ofJoint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan

Amiri Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Hazza bin Khalil Al Shahwani met yesterday morning with Chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee H E Gen. Nadeem Raza. During the meeting, they reviewed aspects of cooperation between the two sides and ways to enhance and develop them. The meeting was attended by the Pakistani Ambassador to the State, the Pakistani Military Attache, the Qatari Military Attache to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and a number of senior Amiri Guard officers.

Al-Ahli Hospital installs AEDsTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Al-Ahli Hospital has recently installed Automated Defibrillators (AED) in key public areas of the facility. Arguably, Al-Ahli hospital is the first private hospital in the country to install an AED within a healthcare facility.

By installing AEDs, Al-Ahli Hos-pital aims to bring the public's attention to the importance of coming forward for the resuscitation of people who collapse, without fear or hesitation.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Director of Projects at Al-Ahli Hos-pital, and Executive Vice President of Al-Ahli Hospital, Jamal Hammad, said, "We encourage such initiatives that greatly contribute to saving lives of people who suffer from cardiac arrest. It is important to have installed AEDs available at common places, so the public can learn how to use them. This will contribute to raising awareness in the community of symptoms of cardiac arrest, and the importance of saving lives."

AEDs are portable, life-saving devices designed to treat people expe-riencing sudden cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating suddenly and

unexpectedly.The combination of CPR and early

defibrillation by AED effectively save lives, especially when used in the first few minutes following collapse from sudden cardiac arrest.

Chairman of Ahli Heart Center and hospital Resuscitation committee Dr. Abdurrazzak Gehani has said that by installing AEDs, Al Ahli Hospital aims to contribute to the worldwide efforts to raise awareness and success of Resuscitation of Cardiac Arrests eve-rywhere. It is also to spread and emphasize the importance of early resuscitation and ease any anxiety from the use of AED, among the hos-pital staff and visitors alike.

"If you see that someone has

collapsed and is unconscious, call for emergency help, and start Chest com-pression. If an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available in the vicinity, get it and turn it on. Once turned on, it will start to give you step-by-step voice instructions.

"Most AED's have small symbolic pictures to help you. Al-Ahli hospital haS also placed large clea r instructions with sketches on t h e w a l l w h e r e t h e A E D i s m o u n t e d , " s a i d D r . Gehani. Sudden cardiac death is one of the most dramatic events in medicine and the life of people and their fam-ilies, and it is common worldwide, including in Qatar. Dr. Gehani added.

"The major cause of sudden cardiac death is the presence of underlying heart disease. While many people may know they have a heart problem, there are many occasions when people do not know," said Dr. Gehani.

"If you cannot give breaths to the victim, do not worry. Chest com-pression is far more important. And certainly, in the time of COVID-19, do not even attempt to check breathing or give breaths. It is advisable to cover the victim's face, even if they are wearing a mask. Most importantly, that you are wearing a mask yourself," he added.

Automated Defibrillators installed at public areas of the Al-Ahli Hospital.

College of Law at HBKU holds webinar on Qatar's democracy and constitutionTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

To coincide with the cele-bration of Qatar National Day, the College of Law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) recently presented an online colloquium Reflections on Democracy and the Consti-tution of Qatar.

Framing the first public dis-cussion of this subject was the recent announcement by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, that the country will hold the first elections for its Shura Council (Advisory Council) in 2021, in accordance with the Permanent Consti-tution. The Shura Council is Qatar’s legislative body, also responsible for determining the general budget and providing a check on executive powers. The election of 30 of its 45 members is considered an important step toward the wider participation of the coun-try’s citizenship in its legislative process.

Dean of the College of Law, HBKU, Susan L. Karamanian opened the highly anticipated forum, which was moderated by Lecturer, College of Law, HBKU, Aisha Al Naama. The distinguished panel of speakers featured one of the leading scholars of constitutional law in Qatar, professor of law, Qatar

University College of Law, and judge, Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre, Dr. Hassan Al-Sayed. Of addi-tional significance was the presentation by Director of the Legal Affairs Department at the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier Salem Saqr Al Muraikhi. A member of the newly estab-lished Supreme Committee to prepare for the Shura Council elections, General Al Muraikhi provided unique insight into the proposed Shura Council election process.

Sharing their scholarly knowledge during the event were Assistant professor, College of Law, HBKU, Dr. Barry Solaiman and William Stamps Farish Professor in Law and professor of Government and Director of Constitutional

Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, who has published over 20 books on the study of constitutionalism, Dr. Richard Albert.

Speaking after the webinar, Dean Karamanian said: “We thank each of our speakers for sharing their learned insights during this colloquium, timed to celebrate Qatar National Day. Our intent was to encourage an open discourse and bridge the gap between the public and the important institutional devel-opments taking shape in Qatar. The College of Law at HBKU is highly engaged in a variety of legal issues affecting Qatar. We hope our work helps the country, and on this occasion, in particular, enable Qatar to better navigate its upcoming political journey.”

Experts sharing their scholarly knowledge during the event.

Qatar Embassy delivers humanitarianaid to flood-affected people in MexicoQNA – MEXICO CITY

The Embassy of the State of Qatar to the United Mexican States has delivered a shipment of humanitarian aid provided by the State of Qatar to the resi-dents of the areas affected by the recent floods in the south of the United Mexican States.

The delivery of the aid was attended by the Director-General of European Affairs at the Mexican Foreign Ministry H E Bernardo Aguilar, repre-senting Mexico’s Foreign Min-ister and Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Mexico H E Mohammed bin Jassim Al Kuwari.

Bernardo Aguilar thanked the valuable aid provided by the State of Qatar to Mexico, espe-cially in these difficult and exceptional circumstances. For his part, Ambassador Al Kuwari

affirmed the State of Qatar’s support for the government and

people of the United Mexican States.

Ambassador of Qatar to Mexico Mohammed bin Jassim Al Kuwari with Director-General of European Affairs at the Mexican Foreign Ministry Bernardo Aguilar.

QRCS, Ajial Qatar conclude 4th forumTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and Ajial Qatar concluded the 4th Ajial Forum yesterday. The forum was attended by 20 students at the Sharq Village and Spa, under the theme of “Doing Good to

Others”.The closing ceremony was

attended by Muna Fadel Al-Sulaiti, Executive Director of Volunteering and Local Devel-opment at QRCS, Mooza Mohamed Al-Kuwari, Head of Community Development at QRCS, Huda Abdul-Latif

Hamdan, Projects Expert at QRCS and the event’s manager, Faisal Al-Qahtani, Director-General of Ajial Qatar, and Hassan Yousef Al-Mulla, busi-nessman and contributor to QRCS’s Coronavirus control efforts.

In her remarks, Al-Sulaiti said, “We have implanted 20 flowers. I hope they will blossom very soon to serve their community and humanity. I am happy to be part of making this happen. It is not our first time, and will hopefully not be the last time, to work with Ajial Qatar. The students welcomed QRCS warmly, given its good reputation as a humanitarian, voluntary, and social organization.”

“This forum has the potential to be a prominent event in the GCC region and all over the world. The various programmes it involves, the forum instills in the young gen-eration human ideals, crisis management skills, and a sense of responsibility and helping others,” she added.

Al-Kuwari praised the efforts by Ajial Qatar and other partners in the event, including the Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) General Directorate of Civil Defence and General Direc-torate of Traffic, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment’s (MME) Publ ic Parks Department, and the Sharq Village and Spa (host).

“This initiative showcased many skills and competencies among youngsters. It also intro-duced child-related ideas in terms of life, leadership, and educational matters. We hope that this event will be an oppor-tunity to expand cooperation between QRCS and Ajial Qatar,” said Al-Kuwari. Hamdan described this initiative as “very fruitful, as it largely influenced our children who are the leaders of the future.”

05WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020 HOME

QU-YSC becomes a member of IFIATHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar University Center for Young Scientists (QU-YSC) has become a member of the Inter-national Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA). The organ-isation was established in 1968 in the United Kingdom and includes more than 175 members from 100 countries and territories such as Denmark, Finland, Germany, Britain, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea, and other countries.

The International Feder-

ation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) is the global platform for invention, innovation. This non-profit organization aims to spread a culture of invention and innovation, support for inventors, transfer of tech-nology, and cooperation with relevant organizations.

Since its initiation, the Fed-eration has been working to educate the public about the importance of inventors and protecting their rights. Besides,

the Federation holds interna-tional invention exhibitions, sci-entific seminars, and workshops in cooperation with other inter-national organisations to provide an opportunity for its members to display their inno-vations, benefit from its wealth of knowledge, and exchange views regarding promoting and entrepreneurship. Moreover, promoting the most recent achievements of its members allows for the expansion of rela-tionships and the knowledge base required to explore the

possibility of commercialization with various entities.

This membership will enable YSC to participate effec-tively and exchange knowledge and experiences in conferences, exhibitions, and events that bring together universities, institutions, and prestigious organisations worldwide, such as Creativity and Innovation Week, Intellectual Property Day, and the International Inventors Day. In addition to

increasing international out-reach, recognition, and inter-action with IFIA’s vast network. Moreover, it provides an oppor-tunity to participate in inno-vation and policymaking processes.

The membership will also enable researchers and students of the center to share ideas, innovative discoveries, and their success stories with the world. It will provide advisory services on intellectual property pro-tection and inventors’ assistance programmes, and contribute to the marketing of inventions and their publication in the journals of the scientific organisation. They will also be eligible to apply for inventors’ funding opportunities in various fields, including energy, environment, and health, to contribute to developing a better world.

The Director of the Young Scientists Center at Qatar Uni-versity, Dr. Noora Al-Thani, has been keen on obtaining the center’s membership in the IFIA for the vast benefits to the youth and the Qatari society. Also, to achieve the vision of Qatar 2030, whose responsibility rests with all individuals and institu-tions, especially those interested in youth education.

“We are pleased with our acceptance to join the feder-ation after we went through several stages of applying for membership and that this mem-bership will provide us with several fields of development, advancement, and formation of relations with international bodies,” Dr. Noora said.

A student member of the QU-YSC.

Lulu Hypermarket hosts second edition of ‘Let’s Eatalian’IRFAN BUKHARI THE PENINSULA

Lulu Hypermarket Qatar – coun-try’s leading retailer – yesterday launched the second edition of ‘Let’s Eatalian - Authentically Italian Products Promotion in Qatar 2020-2021’ in collabo-ration with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Trade Promotion Section of the Italian Embassy in Qatar.

The event was inaugurated at Lulu Hypermarket, Al Messila branch by the Ambassador of Italy to Qatar H E Alessandro Prunas in the presence of the Italian Trade Commissioner to Qatar Giosafat Rigano, Director of Lulu Hypermarkets Dr. Mohamed Althaf, Officials from ITA, Italian Embassy, Lulu Hyper-market and dignitaries from various Italian companies oper-ating in Qatar.

Talking to media persons at the inauguration ceremony, Italian Ambassador Alessandro Prunas said that the inauguration was a follow-up of partnership the Embassy had started with Lulu Hypermarket two or three years ago. “This partnership is

like a bridge between Qatar and Italy. Through Lulu Hypermarket, a number of Italian products are able to reach Qatar’s local markets.”

He praised Italian products’ high quality and reasonable prices. “Italian foods are well-known for their quality but some-times perceived a bit expensive because of their quality. Lulu Hypermarket’s agreement with Italy’s farmers association has caused a cut in a number of costs and now these products are being delivered directly to Qatari

market through Lulu Hyper-market.” He said that it was good for both consumers and pro-ducers, expressing his gratitude to Lulu Hypermarket for pro-moting Italian products in Qatar.

Italian Trade Commissioner to Qatar Giosafat Rigano said that in the first ten months of 2020, F&B exports of Italy to Qatar had witnessed a 3.5 percent rise touching ¤33m. He said that ITA promotional investment in Qatar was yielding huge results. He also thanked Lulu Hypermarket for the cooperation.

At the event, Director of Lulu Hypermarkets Dr. Mohamed Althaf said that they had received “tremendous response” from consumers regarding Italian products.

“With the help of ITA, the Italian Embassy, as well as our partners in Italy, we have almost tripled our volumes now, but the best results will come very soon,” he said, adding: “What we have achieved so far is the fact that Italian products are not only popular (in Qatar) but also affordable.”

Althaf said that Italian food products are known for their quality, safety food standards etc. “Lulu Hypermarket has made

them affordable at the same time.” He said that the number of Italian products was growing along with their sales in Qatar. “Some products which are being imported by Lulu Hypermarket were not available in the region before.”

Terming Lulu’s partnership with ITA and Italian producers as “fantastic”, Althaf said that in next couple of months Lulu’s export facility in Milan would be fully operational giving tre-mendous boost to export of Italian food products to Qatar. He further said that Lulu Hyper-market was importing container load of products from Italy having wide range from organic food to gluten free and many other food items.

The ‘Let’s Eatalian’ festival, in its totality, will run approximately for a year starting from October 2020 till September 2021 in four quarterly editions strictly in line with the blueprint set by the ITA and the Italian Embassy. The pro-motional campaign has show-cased a wide range of Italian products at very attractive prices

at all Lulu Hypermarkets, and customers will have the oppor-tunity to discover the rich food of Italy through tasting and sam-pling. Customers could buy freshly made pizzas, pastas, lasagna, tiramisu and many other popular Italian delicacies.

There are many kinds of products involved in the promo-tional campaign that celebrates the Italian excellence in food sector viz., canned vegetables, pasta, rice, cheese and dairy products, biscuits, coffee, olive oil, fresh fruit and vegetables, chocolate, sauces, spices, condi-ments and many more.

The pre-defined second phase of the promotional cam-paign, which will run until December 26, is dedicated to the Italian culinary and food tradition and largely focused on boosting the sales of authentic Italian food products in Qatar. Rather than a festival of Italian food, it is more of a celebration of the rich her-itage of advances made by Italy in various realms. It is also the manifestation of the great vision that ITA and the Italian Embassy

already conceptualised. Lulu Hypermarket has been

conducting Italian Festival since last 16 years in succession. Lulu Hypermarket has long-standing business relations with many Italian companies and has been importing Italian products since year 2004 in Qatar.

Italian cuisine is charac-terised by its simplicity, with many dishes having only two to four main ingredients. Italian cooks rely chiefly on the quality of the ingredients rather than on elaborate preparation. Pasta, vegetables, olive oil and fish are a major part of the Italian cuisine. With Italian food trending worldwide, it is a great oppor-tunity to explore a wide range of new products, favourite classics and time-tested popular brands of foods.

With a view to make the Italian food more popular among the local community, Lulu Hypermarket has initiated extensive promotional campaign through instore branding, news-paper and radio ads., social media, booklets and google ads.

The Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, H E Alessandro Prunas, and Director of Lulu Hypermarkets, Dr. Mohamed Althaf, jointly inaugurating ‘Let’s Eatalian’, a festival of Italian foods at the Messila branch of Lulu Hypermarket, in Doha yesterday. PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

Guests and officials during the launch of ‘Let’s Eatalian’, a festival of Italian foods yesterday.

MoI organises awareness seminar on crime preventionTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Capital Security Department in collaboration with the Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Interior has organised a virtual awareness seminar on “Crime Prevention and Joint Respon-sibility in Maintaining Security and Safety and Enhancing Security Sense.”

A number of directors at the Ministry, and representatives of private companies and insti-tutions participated in the seminar.

Colonel Saqr Khamis Al Kubaisi, Assistant

Director of the Capital Security Department, reviewed the efforts of the Ministry of Interior during the coronavirus pandemic. Among these measures wearing masks, social distancing and avoid having more than 4 persons in a vehicle, including the driver except for the members of the same family.

He also talked also about Ehteraz app, in addition to the importance of adhering to the laws and awareness of crime harms and a number of topics related to the penal code, crimes and their punishment according to the law.

Lulu’s partnership with ITA and Italian producers is fantastic. In next couple of months Lulu’s export facility in Milan would be fully operational giving tremendous boost to export of Italian food products to Qatar. Lulu Hypermarket is importing container load of products from Italy having wide range from organic food stuff to gluten free products.

Dr. Mohamed Althaf,Director of Lulu Hypermarkets

Guarding the Central Bank

06 WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020MIDDLE EAST

The Cabinet announced land borders will close and travel to the UK, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Iran and Japan will be stopped immediately.

US regrets Lebanon-Israel stalemate, offers mediationAFP — WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday voiced regret over a stalemate in maritime border talks between Israel and Lebanon and offered Washington’s mediation.

The two nations which remain technically at war opened negotiations in October

after quiet US diplomacy, seeking to clear the way for off-shore oil and gas exploration sought by both.

“Regrettably, despite goodwill on both sides, the parties remain far apart,” said Pompeo, who has one month left in office after President Donald Trump’s electoral defeat.

“The United States remains

ready to mediate constructive discussions and urges both sides to negotiate based on the respective maritime claims both have previously deposited at the United Nations.”

The Trump administration has heralded major progress in its waning days in Israel’s rela-tions with the Arab world.

Since October, four Arab

nations have agreed to rec-ognise the Jewish state.

The latest session of talks between Israel and Lebanon was put off after the Jewish state accused its neighbour of inconsistency.

The two nations have been negotiating based on a map reg-istered with the United Nations in 2011, which shows an 860sq

km patch of sea as being disputed.

But Lebanon considers that map to have been based on wrong estimates and now demands an additional 1,430 sq km of sea farther south, which includes part of Israel’s Karish gas field, according to Lebanese energy expert Laury Haytayan.

An Israeli border guard grabs a Palestinian while preventing him from planting an olive sapling on Palestinian land near an Israeli outpost during a demonstration against the occupation, west of Salfit in the centre of the occupied West Bank, yesterday.

Israeli army reinforces West Bankpresence after death of a settlerAFP — TAL MENASHE, WEST BANK

Israel’s army said yesterday it would reinforce its presence in the occupied West Bank as tensions surge following the death of a Jewish settler there.

Esther Horgan, a 52-year-old mother of six and a French-Israeli dual national, was found dead on Monday near the Tal Menashe settlement in the north of the Palestinian territory. Rel-atives said she had gone out jogging and never returned.

Israeli authorities are inves-tigating the death following indications she was beaten to death. No Israeli official has presented any evidence pointing to a Palestinian involvement in Horgan’s death.

Reacting on Monday, Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “security forces will apprehend the mur-derer as quickly as possible and we will settle accounts with him”.

An official gag order has been issued for the investi-gation, barring police from commenting on any possible suspects. Horgan was buried yesterday in Tal Menashe, with her body escorted to a local cemetary by tearful mourners, a photographer said.

France, the country of Hor-gan’s birth, has condemned her killing as a “heinous crime”.

Those responsible “should be brought to justice,” the French foreign ministry said.

Israel’s army said in a statement yesterday that it had “decided to reinforce the Judea

and Samaria Division in order to enhance the defence of com-munities and routes in the region.”

Judea and Samaria are the biblical names of the area cov-ering the West Bank and used by many Israelis to describe the Palestinian territory.

All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are regarded as illegal by much of the interna-tional community.

But the settler population has nevertheless grown in recent years. There are cur-rently some 450,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, living amid an estimated 2.8 million Palestinians. Tensions between Palestinians and Jewish settlers in the West Bank frequently result in violence.

Turkey reports major gold discoveryAFP — ISTANBUL

Turkey has discovered a major gold deposit holding an esti-mated 3.5 million ounces (99 tonnes) of the precious metal valued at around $6bn, the Anadolu state news agency reported yesterday.

The find in the midwestern town of Sogut was reported by Fahrettin Poyraz, who heads the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives of Turkey and the Gubretas fertiliser pro-duction firm.“We are talking about a value close to six billion dollars,” Poyraz told Anadolu.

“Within two years, we will extract the first gold and bring value to the Turkish economy.”

Gubretas shares soared by nearly 10 percent on the Borsa Istanbul on the news.

Poyraz said his Gubretas fertiliser producer won control of the site from another company in a 2019 court decision and would develop the find on its own.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said in September that Turkey broke a record last year by producing 38 tonnes of gold.

“Our target for the next five years is to reach an annual 100 tonnes of gold pro-duction,” he said at the time.

Iraq orders vaccines, imposes travel bans AFP — BAGHDAD

Iraq’s government ordered new coronavirus restrictions including border closures yesterday, even as it signs a preliminary deal to receive 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

Following its weekly meeting, the cabinet said it was taking new measures “fol-lowing the emergence of a new strain of the coronavirus” that has spread rapidly in the UK and also been detected in other countries.

It announced land borders will close and travel to the UK, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Iran and Japan will be stopped immediately.

Non-Iraqi citizens currently in those countries will not be allowed to travel to Iraq, although Iraqis returning from those destinations will be per-mitted to come home, subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The cabinet also announced all malls and other public gath-ering places would be closed for two weeks starting on December 24.

Iraq has been among the hardest-hit by coronavirus in the Middle East, with more than 580,000 reported cases, although newly discovered cases have dropped dramati-cally in recent weeks.

Late on Monday, health ministry spokesman Seif Al Badr announced Iraq had “for-mally signed a preliminary deal with Pfizer” to bring in 1.5 million vaccine doses in several stages in early 2021.

Each person requires two injections of the vaccine so the order will cover just 750,000

of Iraq’s 40 million people, with troops and the elderly priori-tised for vaccinations.

President Barham Saleh has said Iraq aims to provide the jab for free to its citizens.

Iraq’s cabinet said yes-terday that the finance ministry had set aside $3m as an advance payment to Pfizer-BioNTech and had secured the remaining $12m for the full delivery.

Western officials in Iraq said that Washington had been urging Baghdad to choose Pfizer-BioNTech over other options.

Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), a temperature much lower than standard freezers and which forced the company to develop special containers for transport.

Iraq is one of the hottest countries in the world and has a dilapidated power generation network that results in daily cuts to mains supply.

“The issues of transpor-tation and financial transac-tions are still being worked out,” Badr said, adding that Iraq had the necessary equipment to safely distribute the vaccine.

He said Iraq was still in talks

to receive more vaccines through Covax, a worldwide network created to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Iraq has committed $170m to be among the first countries to receive the vaccine, according to the World Health Organization.

The country has seen a remarkable reduction in COVID-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks even as testing ramps up.

Yesterday, authorities said that out of nearly 39,000 tests, just 1,158 tested positive for COVID-19 and 15 people died over the preceding 24 hours.

The encouraging numbers come even as people across the country are wearing masks less and ignoring social distancing.

But Badr insisted the danger had not passed.

“A vaccine is not a magic solution,” he told state media.

Meanwhile, the Omani Min-istry of Health announced yes-terday that the total of reported cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Sultanate reached 128,143.

The total number of deaths due to COVID-19 reached 1,490, while the recoveries stood at 119,945, bringing the recoveries rate to 93.6%, the QNA quoted the Ministry as saying.

Patients who have been iso-lated in hospitals due to infec-tions in the past 24 hours reached 4, bringing the total to 85 while patients in the intensive care units reached 40, the Ministry added.

Omani Ministry of Health announced on Monday that the total of reported cases of Coro-navirus in the Sultanate reached 127,931.

A man carrying a package walks past Iraqi security forces standing guard outside the Central Bank headquarters along Rashid Street in Baghdad, yesterday. Hundreds of angry Iraqis protested in several cities against a currency devaluation that has slashed their purchasing power amid a pandemic-fuelled economic crisis.

Lebanon passes law criminalising harassmentAFP — BEIRUT

Lebanon’s parliament on Monday passed a landmark bill criminalising sexual harassment and amended a controversial domestic violence law, in a move rights groups criticised as incomplete.

The new law “criminalises sexual harassment, especially in the workplace”, the official National News Agency reported.

As per the law, perpetrators can be sentenced to up to two years in prison and fined up to 20 times the value of the minimum wage, which stands at 675,000 Lebanese pounds

($450), according to Lebanese rights group Legal Agenda.

Maximum penalties are reserved for harassment in the work place, public institutions or educational facilities.

The United Nation’s envoy to Lebanon, Jan Kubis, called the law a “welcome step”.

But Legal Agenda said the legislation fails to protect victims of harassment.

Karim Nammour, a lawyer with the group, said the law only allows for victims to make use of the criminal justice system and not the civil courts, “which means the case will be public”. “This is a major obstacle

for victims and does not give them the incentive to file complaints.”

Another problem, according to Nammour, is that the law places on the victim “the burden of proving the harassment and its consequences”, rather than requiring the perpetrator to prove his or her innocence.

Parliament also expanded the scope of a law penalising domestic violence.

The legislation has been in force since 2014, but rights groups have censured it for defining domestic violence too narrowly and failing to specif-ically criminalise marital rape.

On Monday, parliament broadened the law so that it now “penalises economic and psychological violence”, said Leila Awada, a lawyer with women’s rights group KAFA.

UN Women Lebanon praised the law’s endorsement of “important protection-related measures that strengthen the legal framework to end violence against women” in the country.

But it did not lay down pen-alties for marital rape.

Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, called this a “glaring omission”.

Canada announces aid for Palestinian refugee agencyAFP — MONTREAL

Canada announced yesterday it will provide some $70m in financing to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which has been reeling from US funding cuts.

The aid amounting to C$90m will be distributed over three years and comes after the agency’s chief warned last month it was facing its “worst financial crisis” ever.

The agency known as UNRWA runs schools and provides health services as well as other humanitarian aid to an estimated 5.7 million Palestinians with refugee status.

“This support will help respond to the rising needs of vul-nerable Palestinian refugees in UNRWA’s five areas of operation (the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan),” Canada’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

It added that the aid will allow more than half a million children to receive a quality education and will help finance more than 140 primary health clinics, as well as provide shelter and food to indigent refugees.

“The needs of Palestinian refugees are undeniable, especially during a global pandemic: They face high rates of poverty, food insecurity and unemployment,” said Karina Gould, minister of international development.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government restored aid to the agency in 2016 after it had been cut four years earlier by his conservative predecessor Stephen Harper.

From 2016-2019, Canada spent C$110m to support the agency. It also provided C$1.5m in April to help it respond to the pan-demic. Israel has long pushed for UNRWA’s closure, arguing it helps perpetuate the conflict with the Palestinians.

Employees stack food rations outside an aid distribution center run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at the Al Shati camp for Palestinian refugees in Gaza City.

Searching for books

07WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020 MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

The UN refugee agency released a separate statement yesterday calling for urgent funding to address a “full-scale humanitarian emergency” sparked by the conflict. It said that over the last six weeks more than 52,000 refugees have fled Tigray to a remote area in neighbouring Sudan.

UN requests $156m in aid for refugees from TigrayAFP — GENEVA/KHARTOUM

The United Nations yesterday appealed for $156m to help the tens of thousands of refugees who have fled fighting in Ethi-opia’s Tigray, again requesting full humanitarian access to the conflict-hit northern region.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said her office had received numerous allegations of rights abuses during weeks of fierce fighting that followed Ethiopia’s government launching a military offensive against Tigray’s dissident leaders on November 4.

Those abuses include “artillery strikes on populated areas, the deliberate targeting of civilians, extra-judicial killings and widespread looting,” Bachelet said in a statement.

“These reports point to failure by the parties to the

conflict to protect civilians,” she said, adding that due to a lack of access, the UN was not able to verify reports on the ground.

The UN refugee agency released a separate statement on Tuesday calling for urgent funding to address a “full-scale humanitarian emergency” sparked by the conflict.

It said that over the last six weeks more than 52,000 ref-ugees have fled Tigray to a remote area in neighbouring Sudan.

That number does not include 96,000 Eritrean ref-ugees who were already in Tigray before the fighting started and have been feared to be running low on food.

The $156m requested by the UN along with 30 humanitarian partners would allow aid to continue during the first half of 2021, UN spokesman Andrej Mahecic said.

The funding would help the partners “meet the immense humanitarian needs in eastern Sudan and to ensure full pre-paredness throughout the region,” he told a press con-ference in Geneva.

Only 30 percent—$46m— of the requested funds have

been received so far.Ethiopia’s Prime Minister

Abiy Ahmed, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, declared victory against the regional authorities from the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in late November.

However the TPLF has vowed to fight on and in her statement Bachelet cited reports that clashes have continued.

The UN has repeatedly requested unimpeded human-itarian access across the region, and Bachelet did so again on Tuesday, while saying that two assessment missions were able to enter Tigray the day before.

Bachelet added that the reports of abuses underscored “the need for independent human rights monitors to be given access to Tigray to ade-quately assess the human suf-fering resulting from the con-flict, verify allegations and to

help ensure accountability for violations.”

Meanwhile, Sudan and Ethiopia started talks yesterday in Khartoum to demarcate their border, as Addis Ababa said incidents in a disputed area jeopardised otherwise friendly ties between the neighbours.

Recent violence “did not resemble the cordial relation that exists between our two countries”, said Ethiopian deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Demeke Mekonnen.

“It is endangering the agree-ments we have reached to maintain the status quo,” he said, according to opening remarks distributed by Ethio-pia’s embassy in Khartoum.

The two-day talks in Khartoum come a week after Ethiopian forces reportedly ambushed Sudanese troops along the border, leaving four

dead and more than 20 wounded.

Sudan has since deployed troops to the Al-Fashaqa border region, the site of sporadic clashes. The most contested region there is a 250 sq km area where Ethiopian farmers cul-tivate fertile land on territory claimed by Sudan.

The area borders Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region, where fighting broke out early last month, causing tens of thou-sands of Ethiopians to flee and cross into Sudan.

But Demeke said that since last month, Ethiopia had observed “organised attacks by the Sudanese military forces using heavy machine guns” and armoured convoys along the border. He said the forces had looted Ethiopian farmers’ agri-cultural products, vandalised their camps and hampered their harvesting.

A Tunisian man browses a book at a second-hand book shop, called “Cave of Ali Baba” in the capital Tunis.

IS-affiliated group accused of beheading farmer in TunisiaAP — TUNIS

Tunisian authorities say a group that has pledged alle-giance to the Islamic State (IS)group was behind the weekend beheading of a sheep farmer that has raised national concern.

The farmer, Okba Dhehibi, was found dead on Sunday in a mountainous area near the town of Mont Salloum. The military sent reinforcements to search for the attackers, and the prime minister pledged heightened government efforts against terrorism.

Dhehibi and two friends were taking his sheep to graze when multiple assailants attacked them, according to official Tunisian news agency TAP.

Regional court spokesman Riadh Nouioui said on Monday that the Jound Al Khilafa brigade was behind the attack. Tunisian authorities say the group has pledged allegiance to IS and has fighters hiding out in the Mount Salloum region, near the Algerian border. The brigade was accused of killing two other young shepherds in the area in recent years.

Mogadishu hotel rises again after Al Shabaab bombingREUTERS — MOGADISHU

A former minister in Somalia whose hotel was damaged in a bomb attack by the Islamist group Al Shabaab says he is rebuilding and expanding, in an unusual show of business confidence in a country where violence is a daily challenge.

The car bomb in August blew out the windows of the beachfront Elite Hotel in Mogadishu and partially destroyed its perimeter wall . Attackers then stormed the building, setting off grenades and shooting their way through

rooms and staircases.“I have to invest in

reconstruction. To stop reconstruction for fear of what may happen in future means to give up business,” hotel owner and former finance minister Mohamed Abdullahi Nur, 38 said.

Al Shabaab, which is allied with Al Qaeda, has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than ten years. The group wants to establish its own rule.

The militants have fre-quently targeted hotels, res-taurants and cafes in Mogadishu, which are pat-ronised by the political and security elite. Nur said he

had spent hundreds of thou-sands of dollars on recon-structing and repairing the hotel that cost him $2m to build.

Just a month after the attack, well-heeled cus-tomers were back in the five-story hotel, enjoying seafood and cappuccino, and taking in views of the ocean while beachgoers swam and speedboats cruised by. Nur plans to add another 120 deluxe rooms at a cost of $8m.

“I am alive and healthy, I am determined to reinvest and reconstruct even if it might be bombed again,” he said.

Turkey rescues 26 asylum seekers in Aegean SeaQNA — ANKARA

The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 26 asylum seekers who were pushed back by Greek coastal authorities into Turkish territorial waters off the Aegean coast, a security source said.

A coast guard team was dispatched off the coast of Kusadasi in Aydin province on a tip-off that the asylum seekers were stranded on a lifeboat, Anadolu Agency quoted the source as saying.

The asylum seekers, who are all foreign nationals, were taken to the shore, the source added.

Sudan probes ‘first’ senior officer over deadly protest crackdownAFP — KHARTOUM

A senior Sudanese army officer was the first to be questioned by a committee investigating a deadly crackdown last year on pro-democracy protesters, a source linked to the probe said.

“The first hearing of a member of the Transitional Military Council took place on Monday,” an associate of committee head Nabil Adib said, without revealing the name of the ques-tioned officer.

The Transitional Military

Council, now dissolved, was established in April last year after the army deposed longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir following months of mass protests against his rule.

Demonstrators remained encamped outside army head-quarters in the capital Khartoum even after Bashir fell from power, to demand a tran-sition to a civil ian government

On June 3, 2019, gunmen in military fatigues raided the sit-in, shooting and beating protesters.

The Suna state news agency earlier this month quoted the media adviser to army chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan as saying that “all members” of the dissolved TMC would have to “present themselves” to an investigative commission.

Civilians offloading electoral materials from a truck belonged to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), ahead of the upcoming elections in Yongofongo, Central African Republic.

CAR rebels seize fourth-largest cityAFP — BANGUI

Rebels in the Central African Republic (CAR) yesterday seized Bambari, the country’s fourth-largest city, the local mayor, government and UN sources said.

“The town is under the control of armed groups. There has been no violence towards local people,” Bambari Mayor Abel Matchipata said, while a senior government official con-firmed “they are in the town.”

The attack follows the gov-ernment’s accusations at the weekend that former president Francois Bozize was seeking to mount a coup with armed groups ahead of elections next Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Interna-tional Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor called for calm yes-terday ahead of high-stakes elections in the Central African Republic, saying any crimes committed under the tribunal’s jurisdiction would be prosecuted.

Fatou Bensouda’s call comes as UN peacekeepers deployed last week to the troubled central African nation where presidential and legislative polls are scheduled for Sunday.

“I call for calm and restraint from all parties, armed groups, political actors and their sup-porters, and others,” the Gam-bian-born prosecutor said.

“The peaceful course of elections in the Central African Republic is essential to prevent cycles of violence,” Bensouda added, in a statement issued from the ICC’s headquarters in The Hague.

Powerful armed group 3R, Patriotic Movement for Central Africa (MPC) and “anti-Balaka” militias launched an offensive, prompting the deployment of UN mission to the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) troops on Friday.

The militias have accused President Faustin Archange Touadera of seeking to rig the elections and have warned of a

violent response.Bensouda warned that

“anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages or con-tributes, in any other way, to the commission of crimes” under the tribunal’s remit would be liable for prosecution either by Bangui courts or by the ICC.

Bensouda’s office has launched two separate investi-gations into the Central African

Republic. The latest probe came after the country spiralled into sectarian conflict in 2013 fol-lowing the ouster of former leader Francois Bozize.

The violence pitted the Seleka, a rebel coalition drawn largely from the Muslim majority, against the mainly Christian vigilante self-defence groups known as anti-Balaka, which means anti-machete.

In November 2018, former anti-Balaka chief Alfred Yekatom, accused of crimes against humanity, was handed over to the ICC.

He was joined in January 2019 by CAR football chief Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, arrested on an ICC warrant that described him as the “most senior leader” of the anti-Balaka.

Malawi closes borders following coronavirus resurgenceREUTERS — LILONGWE

Malawi will close its borders for 14 days and restrict public gath-erings to 100 people following a new surge in cases of the coro-navirus, the southern African nation’s presidential task force on COVID-19 said yesterday.

After nearly two months without new positive cases, Malawi yesterday recorded 46 new infections, bringing the total number of infections to 6,248, with 187 deaths, according to the health ministry.

Malawi’s borders and airports re-opened in October as pos-itive cases fell, although some experts fear the real figure may be higher as just over 80,000 tests have been conducted.

Malawi has a population of around 19 million. Though small in size — about one-tenth the size of South

Africa — Malawi is among the top 10 in the continent in terms of population density, making it vulnerable to the fast-spreading respiratory disease.

The task force said in a briefing in the administrative capital Lilongwe that only essential services personnel and traffic car-rying essentials like fuel and medicines would be allowed through the borders.

It said Malawians deported from other countries would also be allowed to enter the country. Those returning would be required to go into mandatory isolation facilities at airports, the officials said. Labour minister Ken Kandodo tested positive for COVID-19 this week and had been admitted to hospital, where he reported to be in stable condition.

AFP — KHARTOUM

The judge presiding over the trial of ousted Sudanese pres-ident Omar Al Bashir over the 1989 coup that brought him to power stepped down yesterday citing health issues.

“I decided to cease presiding over the court for health reasons. I suffer from high blood pressure and my doctor advised me not to continue with this task,” judge Essam Mohammed Ibrahim told the court.

The trial, which is broadcast on Sudanese television, was adjourned until January 5. Proceedings opened on July 21 but have been repeatedly delayed. Bashir is being tried with 27 others over the coup in which he emerged as frontman.

Bashir trial judge steps down

The lockdowns in the spring took a considerable toll, of course. But even in June, as non-essential retailers were beginning to reopen their doors and, in some cases, reported upbeat signals about returning foot traffic, the worst was not over for apparel chains.

08 WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

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

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EDITORIAL

QATAR has been at the forefront in the efforts to find lasting solutions to the myriad problems facing the world and mitigating climate change was one of the most prominent aspect of these issues. Although the coun-try’s geographical area is very small, the endeavours it makes to make the world more livable is big. The country has been implementing several plans and actions to ensure its carbon footprint is reduced considerably, providing great support in the efforts to transform the environment to more serene, pure and pollution-free.

Recently, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani par-ticipated in the “Beautification of Qatar and our children plant a tree to plant a million trees” campaign. The Prime Minister joined several citizens in planting trees in support of the campaign to instill environmental values among people of all ages and encourage them to pre-serve the environment. The Prime Minister joined children in planting trees at the 5/6 Park in the Onaiza area, which turned out to be an exceptional inspiration for the young generation and an example of how a coun-try’s Prime Minister can be a role model for its future generation.

Qatar had recognised the perils posed by climate change decades ago and began taking tangible steps to mitigate the impact of pollution on the environment, which if left neglected can ring the death knell of this planet which we inhabit.

The country has enacted several legislations to control air, water and noise pollution from industries, means of transport, machines and even from home appliances such as air conditioners, light bulbs to name a few. As part of creating awareness among the young people, Qatar’s environment campaigns turned to schools, which proved a great success in inculcating values of an environmentally friendly living among school children. The country is encouraging and promoting the use of electric vehicles by installing charging units, signing contracts for mass transport electric vehicles and planning to set a unique example by hosting the first-ever carbon neutral FIFA World Cup 2022.

The world still remembers Doha hosting the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP-18) from November 26 to December 8, 2012, the result of which was instrumental in implementing several actions by nations across the world and brought financial gains for the developing countries, through the amend-ments to the Kyoto Protocol.

The leaders of Qatar ensure that what they speak is put into actual practice and they also actively par-ticipate in the activities to promote the causes they vouch for.

Qatar leads by example

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Quote of the day

There was no evidence that a new, virulent variant of the virus that has isolated neighbouring Britain had reached Ireland, but the safest approach was to assume it had.

Micheal Martin, Prime Minister of Ireland

A file photo of shoppers at a clothing store in Long Beach, New York.

It’s been a tough year for all sorts of businesses. For clothing stores, 2020 has been extraordinarily grim.

The lockdowns in the spring took a considerable toll, of course. But even in June, as non-essential retailers were beginning to reopen their doors and, in some cases, reported upbeat signals about returning foot traffic, the worst was not over for apparel chains. In fact, it was just getting started. July and August brought a raft of failures: Lucky Brand, Brooks Brothers, and Ann Taylor’s parent company filed for bankruptcy; so did New York & Co.’s corporate parent as well as the storied department store Lord & Taylor, which soon resulted in those two chains liquidating. The pain con-tinues: Francesca’s, a women’s clothier with 558 stores, filed for bankruptcy this month.

The 10 largest public US com-panies that are either clothing retailers or department stores will collectively have $38bn of revenue wiped out this year, a hole that amounts to 23% of their collective 2019 sales, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Com-merce Department figures show clothing-store sales through November were down 28.5% from a year earlier, the worst decline of any retailing segment, including restaurants.

Consumers won’t be holed up at home in sweatpants forever. Whenever America is able to stop

social distancing, demand for clothes will improve. Yet the effects of this damaging year will be long-lasting.

Old-school malls and clothing retailers are highly dependent on one another other, and each has felt the other’s pain. The goods offered by apparel stores haven’t been in high demand amid stay-at-home living, which has hurt foot traffic to these centers.

The result is a shopping eco-system that is becoming even more fragile after years of erosion amid the rise in online buying. On a single day in November, two large mall-owning real estate investment trusts - Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust and CBL & Associates Properties Inc. - filed for bankruptcy. They were struggling after tenants such as J C Penney Co. themselves filed for protection from creditors and closed stores. While other mall operators with more upscale centers have some advantages in weathering the pandemic, they still face significant challenges. According to a recent report from S&P Global Intelligence, several other mall REITs have similar, and in some cases even worse, traffic declines than those that fell into bankruptcy. And they, too, have an unfavorable proportion of total tenants in bankruptcy:

Surviving mall-based retail chains might pick up some market share and have a stronger hand in lease negotiations with landlords. That said, it is undesirable to be a tenant in a space that is dotted with empty storefronts, and with more carnage likely on the way. Jay Sole, a UBS retail analyst, wrote in a December research note that poor holiday sales could lead to a wave of store closings and liquidations among apparel and accessories sellers in the first quarter of 2021.

Even for the clothing retailers that make it through the worst of the public-health crisis, I worry some will continue to have problems because of the ways American consumers have retrained themselves during the pandemic. Target Corp., for instance, recorded a 10% increase in comparable sales from a year earlier in its apparel business in the latest quarter. That almost cer-tainly represents the big-box giant taking market share from the likes of Macy’s Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. as customers aim to do one-stop shopping to reduce potential exposure to the coronavirus. I suspect some of the people that started buying clothes at Target - which has a reliably trendy lineup of private brands - are not going to go back to their old haunts.

While the distribution of a vaccine promises to bring back some normalcy, I predict some chains will continue to suffer because many shoppers’ wardrobe needs have changed permanently. Demand for sparkly dresses, leather pants and beach caftans will return as soon as proms, first dates and vacations do. But office attire probably won’t make much of a comeback. Working from home will be a more widespread practice among white-collar office workers, reducing demand for this type of attire. This change will clearly be painful for a chain such as Banana Republic, which had a 30% plunge in comparable sales in the latest quarter.

When you look back on your sartorial choices in 2020, you’ll probably remember it as the Year of Sweatpants. When the retail industry looks back on this time, they’ll see a turning point for the clothing sector, a year when the unfortunate fates of troubled chains and malls were sealed, even if it wasn’t the year they actually fell.

THE WASHINGTON POST

Fear and uncertainty are understandable reactions to the news that a strain of the coronavirus has evolved to become more transmissible than the viruses that have already infected 77 million people worldwide and caused 1.7 million deaths. How could this get any worse? It could, but the new strain should be another wake-up call that we are not helpless in battling the pandemic.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put 16 million people under lockdown in London and England’s east and southeast - and scrapped plans for relaxed rules during hol-idays - in response to a calcu-lation by scientists that the virus is 70% more transmissible and is spreading out of control.

The new strain was initially

detected in September, and it has been expanding rapidly over the past four weeks. Many nations on Monday scrambled to cut transportation links to Britain in hopes of keeping the evolved virus at bay. In theory, a virus showing improved transmissibility could threaten any nation with more infec-tions, suffering and death.

All viruses mutate. Many mutations are meaningless and disappear. But sometimes a small change in the genetic code can give the virus an advantage in the pressure-cooker envi-ronment of natural selection. Although there are many unknowns, scientists looking at genetic sequences of the new strain see an unexpectedly large number of changes - 17 muta-tions all at once - and some of them concern the spike protein, the device by which the virus attaches to the human cell.

There may be a purely biological explanation for the increased transmissibility: Perhaps the spike protein has improved its function, which might lead to fewer viral particles triggering an infection or a higher viral load in each person, causing a more rapid proliferation to others. It is also possible that human behavior helped boost the transmission with super-spreader events and crowds of people without masks.

The good news is that, so far, the new strain does not appear to produce a more severe disease outcome or higher mor-tality. So far it does not seem to threaten the viability of the first vaccines, though that is always a worry with mutating viruses, as the ever-changing influenza demonstrates.

Until the vaccine becomes widely available, there is only one way to stop the new strain

from taking hold and hitting millions more people. That is to redouble all the methods in use to slow the spread. The strict stay-home order for London and environs must be terribly disappointing for Britain, espe-cially during holidays. There is no other way to brake the runaway train. Johnson should have acted sooner.

Suspending transport links to and within the United Kingdom will be costly and dis-ruptive. In the short term it might stop the virus, but if the pandemic has taught anything, it is that the virus is relentless and opportunistic. It crosses an invisible bridge between people when they are in close contact. Our best and only defense right now is to close that bridge with distancing, masks, good hygiene and shut-downs as necessary - while awaiting the vaccine.

Retail wipeouts in 2020warn of permanent pain

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New coronavirus strain should be wake-up call

Established in 1996

SARAH HALZACK BLOOMBERG

09WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020 OPINION

The deal is a lot better than nothing. It will do for now. But Congress really ought to conduct its affairs with some small semblance of competence - and at the earliest opportunity, the Biden administration needs to look afresh at further relief measures.

The British government scrambled Monday to dampen the impact of travel entry bans from more than 40 countries prompted by fear of a new coronavirus mutation believed to have originated in England.

Health officials said they do not believe the mutation is more deadly or vaccine resistant, but evidence that it spreads much more easily has alarmed governments in Europe and around the world.

Scientists advising the British government estimated that the new