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Vol. XXXXIII No. 12722
www.gulf-times.com gulftimes
g GulfTimes_QATAR gulftimes GulftimesVideos
Amir congratulates
king of Morocco
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim
World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 Logo and Brand unveiled
bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness
T
the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah he local organising committee the foundation that Qatar possesses,
bin Hamad al-Thani sent cables of of The World Aquatics Cham- including its world-class infrastruc-
congratulations to King Mohamed pionships - Doha 2024 has un- ture, facilities, and the know-how that
VI of Morocco on the occasion of veiled the Official Logo and Brand of empowers Qatar to provide a sport-
Throne Day. (QNA) the championships, scheduled to take ing experience of the highest calibre.
place from February 2-18, 2024. This achievement is made possible by
This announcement came after the the unwavering support of HE Sheikh
Qatar win GCC U-16 flag handover ceremony held on the Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President
Basketball Championship final night of competition at the World of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and
Aquatics Championships - Fukuoka Chairman of the Doha 2024 Local Or-
Qatar clinched the GCC U-16 2023 in Japan. ganising Committee.”
Basketball Championship in Jeddah, The official delegation of the Doha The World Aquatics Championships
Saudi Arabia, after winning all their 2024 local organising committee, led - Doha 2024 brand projects colours that
matches. Qatar beat Saudi Arabia by HE Jassim bin Rashid al-Buainain, ships - Doha 2024 will include around are both uplifting and meaningful. The
89-73 yesterday to lift the title and Vice-Chairman of the Doha 2024 2,600 athletes from 190 nations com- primary colour, blue, comes from the
also book their place in the Asian Local Organising Committee and peting at three main venues: the As- World Aquatics official emblem. The
Under-16 Championship. Saudi won Secretary-General of the Qatar Ol- pire Dome, Hamad Aquatic Centre, State of Qatar is surrounded by the gulf,
silver while Bahrain took home ympic Committee, received the World and the Old Doha Port, according to which is represented by the turquoise
bronze. Qatar Basketball Federation Aquatics flag, symbolising the passing the organising committee. and light green hues, while vivid orange
(QBF) President Mohamed Saad of the torch to Doha as the upcoming On this occasion, HE al-Buainain The 2024 World Aquatics Championships flag was handed over to HE the represents the sunset. The energy and
al-Mughisib, QBF Secretary-General host city for this prestigious sporting said: “We have succeeded in attracting Vice-Chairman of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 Organising movement related to sports are symbol-
Saadoun al-Kuwari and president event. the World Aquatics flagship and most Committee and Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee Jassim bin Rashid ised by the medium purple-red colour.
of the Saudi Basketball Federation The World Aquatics Champion- anticipated event. This is reflected in al-Buainain at a momentous handover ceremony in Fukuoka, Japan, yesterday. To Page 12
Dr Ghassan Tashkandi crowned the
winners. Sport Page 1
Q
Copenhagen
official WAM news agency reported atar Foundation’s Education to consider measures to strengthen
that the United Arab Emirates has City Tram has launched its new our national security and the secu-
T
approved a “proposal to establish Green Line – connecting the he Danish government said rity of Swedes in Sweden and around
federal prosecution entities North and South Campuses of Educa- yesterday it would explore le- the world,” Kristersson said in a post
specialised in economic crimes tion City. gal means of stopping protests to Instagram.
and money laundering”. It comes Stops on the North Campus include involving the burning of holy texts The Danish statement said: “This
more than a year after the Paris- Education City Community Housing, in certain circumstances, citing se- must of course be done within the
based Financial Action Task Force Qatar Foundation (QF) research cen- curity concerns following backlash framework of the constitutionally
(FATF) added the UAE to a “grey tres, the Premier Inn Doha Education over such incidents that saw the protected freedom of expression and
list” of nations subject to greater City Hotel, Qatar Science & Technol- Holy Qur’an desecrated in Denmark in a manner that does not change the
oversight because of concerns over ogy Park, Qatar National Convention and Sweden. fact that freedom of expression in
illicit finance. Centre, and Sidra Medicine, with the Noting that such protests played Denmark has very broad scope,” it
South Campus housing universities into the hands of extremists, the added, stressing it is one of the coun-
and schools at Education City. The new government wants to “explore” in- try’s most important values.
Qatar condemns line, which opened to the public on July tervening in situations where “other Several recent protests involv-
explosion in Pakistan 29, also connects Education City Com- countries, cultures, and religions are ing desecrations of the Muslim holy
munity Housing to both campuses. Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalid al-Thani sustainable development requirements being insulted, and where this could book have raised diplomatic tensions
Qatar has expressed its strong “The Education City Tram sup- and implement Qatar’s National Envi- have significant negative conse- throughout the Middle East and the
condemnation of the explosion ports Ministry of Transport (MoT)’s and metro stations,” said Sheikh Mo- ronment and Climate Change Strategy, quences for Denmark, not least with two Nordic countries.
that took place in Bajaur District, efforts and plans for delivering an hamed bin Khalid al-Thani, technical thereby making us one more step closer regard to security,” it said in a state- The Danish government noted
northwest Pakistan, resulting in integrated, sustainable public transit office director, MoT. to achieving the Qatar National Vision ment from the foreign ministry. that the protests have “reached a
deaths and injuries. In a statement network in Qatar, which covers all ur- “Expanding the Education City 2030.” In a separate statement, Swedish level where Denmark, in many parts
yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign ban areas and forms a coherent trans- Tram’s scope of service also contrib- Nasser al-Hajri, executive director Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said of the world across continents, is
Affairs reiterated Qatar’s firm portation unit that connects public utes to backing the MoT’s strategy for of Capital Projects at QF, said: “The he had been in close contact with his being viewed as a country that fa-
position on rejecting violence and buses, Doha Metro, and Lusail Tram, a full switch to a transportation system launch of the Green Line further signi- Danish counterpart Mette Frederik- cilitates insult and denigration of the
terrorism, regardless of the motives given that Education City is already powered by clean, eco-friendly electric fies QF’s commitment to a sustainable sen, and that a similar process was cultures, religions, and traditions of
and reasons. (QNA) connected to that system with bus energy, aiming to serve the country’s campus.” To Page 4 already underway in Sweden. other countries.”
G
in northwest Pakistan, officials said. lobally renowned Red Bull with its fair share of challenges,
Page 11 athlete Jaan Roose has com- and I’m proud to complete this one.
pleted the world’s longest Per metre walked, this line was my
LED-lit, single-building slackline toughest ever.
Palestinian rivals to cross one of Qatar’s newest and “As an athlete, I’m always look-
form unity committee most iconic architectural land- ing to push myself further and defy
marks. the odds. In this case, the heat and
Rival Palestinian political leaders The Estonian national and three- wind conditions added a different
meeting in Egypt decided time Slackline World Champion element that I needed to react to
yesterday to form a committee on defied the odds by achieving the and manage spontaneously while I
intra-Palestinian reconciliation. walk, titled “Sparkline,” at the first was on the slackline.
President Mahmoud Abbas and attempt, walking the distance be- “The warm LED lights and their
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met tween the scimitar-shaped, Iconic extra weight also changed how the
for rare face-to-face talks in the Towers that are owned by Katara line interacted with me and my
coastal city of El Alamein along Hospitality and that are home to bodyweight. It’s like skateboard-
with representatives of most Raffles and Fairmont Doha in Lusail ing on a big heavy tree trunk rather
Palestinian political factions. City. than a light board. The Iconic Tow-
Covering a distance of more than ers are an incredible place to be
150 metres, the Sparkline walk is completing this feat and mark a
Sudan fighters evict not only the longest on a single very special visit for my first time in
Khartoum residents building but also Roose’s highest Qatar,” Roose added.
urban walk to date at an elevation of The Raffles Doha and Fairmont
Sudan’s paramilitaries have more than 185 metres on a line just Doha are two luxury hotels that face
ordered civilians to vacate homes 2.5cm wide. each other in beautifully impos-
in the capital’s south, several Speaking on the new world ing structures shaped like scimitar against the backdrop of the Arabian suite-only Raffles Doha showcases
residents said yesterday, as record set, Roose said: “When I first swords. The towers are some of the Sea. a spell-binding entrance, a per-
fighting between the forces of saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this latest to be added to Lusail City’s Featuring the world’s tallest sonal butler service and fine-dining Jaan Roose defied the odds by achieving the walk, titled
rival generals raged in the western was a building that I had to walk. expanding list of architectural mar- chandelier, the Fairmont Doha is delights by world-renowned chef, “Sparkline,” at the first attempt, walking the distance
Darfur region. Page 6 Anything worth achieving comes vels and create a distinct silhouette a masterclass in design, while the Enrico Crippa. To Page 12 between the scimitar-shaped, Iconic Towers.
2 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
QATAR
Amir congratulates Vanuatu president
Qatar University makes great His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh
Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent cables of congratulations to President of Vanuatu Nikenike Vurobaravu
on the anniversary of his country’s Independence Day. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Q
atar University (QU) worldwide. In a statement on tion (THE) Asia Rankings 2023, of QU’s research, judged by an
continues to garner in-
ternational recognition
in several prestigious global
this occasion, QU President Dr
Omar al-Ansari said: “We have
made significant progress in the
moving up 18 places from 2022
and proudly entering the top 30
universities in Asia, as well as
analysis of many tens of mil-
lions of citations to 15mn re-
search papers worldwide, has
Ooredoo and Doha Bank
rankings.
Most recently, QU climbed up
the QS World Rankings 2024,
QS World Universities Rankings,
ranked 173rd for this year, de-
spite changes in ranking meth-
placing 24th worldwide and first
in the Mena region on the Young
Universities ranking by the same
been improving strongly. This
is accompanied by a strong rise
in the productivity and global
collaborate in labour ministry’s
placing 173 and entering the top
200, up from 208 the previous
year, a significant milestone that
odology. This is a great reflection
of the success we have achieved
and really illustrates QU’s vast
ranking agency. The achieve-
ment confirms the universi-
ty’s continental improvement
reputation of QU’s research, too.
QU is a true national flagship in-
stitution and a credit to Qatar as
summer internship programme
showcases QU’s consistent im- contributions and dedication to alongside regional, worldwide, a centre of excellence for the na-
T
provement in all areas. excellence. Internationally, QU and across ranking agencies and tion, and I expect its strengthen- he 2023 summer intern-
The QS World Rankings intro- has been making great strides Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs ing position on the world stage ship programme, tar-
duced three new indicators this and achievements in all fields, Officer at Times Higher Edu- will help it attract more talent, geting Qatari students,
year: Sustainability, employ- expanding its international im- cation, congratulated QU for and more success,” he added. continues to operate under
ment options and international pact, including research aspects “joining the top 25 of the world’s Recently, QU boasted an am- the auspices of the Ministry of
research network. and partnerships, and remain- leading ‘young’ universities — bitious research roadmap field- Labour and numerous private-
QU programmes also make a ing committed to our mission those 50 years old or younger.” ing national development prior- sector corporations.
mark on the QS World University of addressing relevant local, re- He added that Qatar Univer- ities, and a number of significant The initiative forms part
Rankings by Subject 2023. Most gional challenges and advancing sity has made remarkably strong research successes with global of the broader national pro-
notably, the University places knowledge. and steady progress up the pres- significance. QU also encom- gramme for job localisation in
first in the Arab region in the “In addition to this, many of tigious THE World University passes a large portfolio of inter- the private sector and will run
subjects of Sports Science and QU’s specialisations show their Rankings in recent years, joining nationally accredited colleges throughout the summer break.
Theology, Divinity and Religion. leadership in their area, proving the ranks of the global research and programmes that attest to Within the communications
Law and Legal Studies; Environ- to be a testament to the world- elite with just decades of devel- a high level of excellence and and information technology
mental Sciences; Accounting class education offered by QU, opment since its foundation in quality. The University main- sector, seven students took part
and Finance; and Social Sciences and a motivation for both future 1977, compared to competitors tains a close relationship with in the summer internship pro-
and Management place third. students and faculty alike.” with many centuries of history the public and private sectors gramme overseen by Ooredoo.
This is in addition to various This achievement follows the behind them. that has led to a number of MoUs Meanwhile, Doha Bank super-
QU subjects that appeared in announcement by Times Higher “The rise up the rankings has and collaborative agreements, vised five students participating
the top 10 in the Arab World and Education that QU placed 28th primarily been driven by re- which greatly benefit the insti- from the financial and insurance
some in the top 50 and top 200 in the Times Higher Educa- search excellence. The quality tution. (QNA) sector. The number of students
enrolled in the summer intern-
ship, which will continue until
the end of August, has reached
198 students, who have applied
for internship in a number of dif-
ferent sectors.
The internship programme,
one of the human capac- workforce. It also aims to de- nance and insurance, services
ity development programmes termine their orientations and and transportation, communi-
launched by the Manpower make the best use of free time cations and IT, real estate and
Employment Department at during the summer vacation in contracting, as well as energy
the Ministry of Labour in co- a way that benefits them, and and industry.
operation with the private instil values of responsibility The programme gives stu-
sector, aims to provide partici- and commitment. dents the ability to assess the
pating university and school The summer internship pro- compatibility of their skills
students with experience and gramme presents students with and capabilities with these
develop their skills to the ex- a unique chance to gain insight industries, aiding them in ef-
tent that qualifies them to enter into the professions of about fectively planning their future
the labour market, in addition 31 distinct sectors and fields, academic and professional
to investing in the future Qatari including notable ones like fi- trajectories. (QNA)
Q
atar’s National Hu-
man Rights Committee
(NHRC) has partici-
Joseph “Jeff” Cerezo and Adrian “Migs” Alfaras join other members of the Facebook group ‘Anglers of Qatar’ before casting along the Doha pated in the 20th conference of
Corniche. Right: Showing off the day’s catch. the Arab Network for National
Human Rights Institutions
(ANNHRI), which kicked off in
E
ven though fewer people “Starting out does not have NHRI’s 20th General Assembly. bodies, as well as with govern- as it coincides with the 75th
in Qatar are fishing dur- to be expensive. A basic set-up, The Secretary-General of ment agencies, in addition to anniversary of the Universal
ing the summer months, including fresh shrimp for bait, ANNHRI Sultan bin Hassan co-ordination and co-oper- Declaration of Human Rights,
beginners and serious hobby- is enough for one to enjoy fish- al-Jamali said the conference ation with trade unions, fed- and the 30th anniversary of the
ists who are looking to improve ing on the shores of Qatar,” said would discuss the challenges erations and national, regional Paris Principles regulating the
their gear are driving sales of Alfaras, who noted that he still and needs as well as the ex- and international NGOs. work of national human rights
fishing accessories, according goes fishing with his fellow an- change of lessons and best He highlighted ANNHRI’s institutions. Khattab hailed the
to residents who frequent dif- glers in the summer just to get a practices, which will contrib- programmes that seek to raise NHRC’s great role in hosting
ferent angling spots across the break from the daily grind. ute to directing and develop- the level of co-operation with ANNHRI’s General Secretariat,
country. Alfaras said: “I started fish- ing ANNHRI’s programmes, in the ANNHRI’s stakeholders highlighting ANNHRI’s efforts
The hot and humid weather ing in the Philippines when I line with the aspirations of the and expand its target group to to contribute to the exchange of
has not deterred anglers in was in Grade 3. Qatar has such member institutions, and their accommodate more govern- expertise and capacity building
the country, whether profes- beautiful fishing spots and dif- expected role nationally and ment and NGO members. with ANNHRI’s member insti-
sional or novice, from setting ferent varieties of fish; and each internationally by promoting Chairperson of the National tutions. (QNA)
up their gear in preparation for trip to these locations is always
the upcoming months when a relaxing experience, which is
the weather would be more why fishing has become a very
favourable for fishing, Joseph delightful hobby for many peo-
“Jeff ” Cerezo told Gulf Times
yesterday.
Cerezo, along with Adrian
ple living here. I also document
and share my experiences on
my YouTube channel ‘MIGS
Qatar observes ‘World Day
Bounty from the sea.
“Migs” Alfaras, have been
fishing regularly in various lo-
cations in Qatar for the past
fishing expedition VLOGS’.”
Cerezo noted that because
the hot weather is challeng-
Against Trafficking in Persons’
several years. The adventures ing some anglers go to deeper
Q
of these self-declared veteran waters to catch fish. “Some- atar yesterday celebrated the ‘World Day efforts in training and building capabilities of
fishers are documented in the times, those who are fortunate Against Trafficking in Persons.’ national cadres and law enforcement officials
Facebook group ‘Anglers of enough to haul in a good catch Qatar is making continuous and grow- in order to enhance their capabilities to iden-
Qatar’, which was created by may even sell the fish to por- ing efforts to combat human trafficking crimes, tify these crimes and the cases that amount
Alfaras. ters waiting along the shore- based on its commitment to the provisions of to human trafficking crimes, and to join the
According to Cerezo, the cost line. The price of fish would be Islamic Shariah, which prohibits all forms of hu- conventions and protocols dealing with these
of setting-up fishing gear var- around 10% cheaper than those miliation of human dignity, and asserts respect crimes.
ies. But for beginners “QR500” being sold in stores,” Cerezo for human beings as well as the preservation of Qatar is also keen to make the necessary ef-
would be enough for a full pointed out. their rights. forts to implement these mechanisms and
set-up. However, some pro- He said the Corniche and the The Ministry of Labour works on combating initiatives to contribute to promoting societal
fessional anglers would even Mina District are popular fish- the phenomenon of human trafficking in compli- awareness of the organisational, legal and pro-
spend “QR5,000” or as much ing spots within the Doha area. ance with international law, as it has supported cedural aspects, in a way that preserves human
as “QR8,000 to QR9,000” de- But some anglers also frequent the UN action plan and effective response to dignity and protect their rights.
pending on the set-up and the the beaches in Dukhan, Wakra, combat human trafficking, by establishing the While Qatar is among the countries that an-
brand of their gear, he said. or Mesaieed and the best time national legal and institutional framework, and nually receive large numbers of expatriate la-
“An angler’s set-up depends for casting is between 6am supporting all national and international efforts bour forces — within the framework of efforts
on the type and size of fish he and 7pm in these locations, he in this field. to achieve it National Vision 2030, one of the
or she wants to catch. There added. Qatar has paid great attention to combating first priorities of the Ministry of Labour is to
are different kinds of fishing “Further in the sea, we human trafficking crimes through an integrated combat all forms of human trafficking and
rods, as well. Reels also have sometimes catch kingfish, system, represented by the establishment of the forced labour. The ministry relies on a spe-
different categories as with the hamour, queenfish, sheri, giant National Committee to Combat Human Traf- cific strategy to combat slavery in all its forms,
fishing lines and lures,” Cerezo trevally, cobia, and tuna. I usu- ficking (NCCHT), based on the Cabinet’s Reso- based on prevention, prosecution, and protec-
explained. ally catch sea breams, but there lution No 15 of 2017, as this committee plays the tion of victims, as well as guarantee of human
On the other hand, Alfaras was a time I was able to catch a role of the national co-ordinator for monitoring, rights, through several measures, the most im-
has a more conservative and queenfish weighing some 6kg,” preventing and combating human trafficking portant of which is ensuring that labourers ar-
budget-friendly shopping list said Cerezo, who also main- through co-ordination with all the relevant au- rive in Qatar without debts, which gives them
for would-be anglers. He said tains a YouTube channel ‘Dad thorities in this regard. greater freedom, and eliminates some types of
Adrian “Migs” Alfaras scouts for fishing accessories. “QR150 to QR200” would be with Spice’. In this context, the committee continues its forced labour and human trafficking. (QNA)
Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 3
QATAR
T
he general supervisor of the resettlement of internally implementing projects to the Crescent Society (IRCS), at a
Qatar Charity’s Office in displaced persons, and offering highest international standards. total cost of QR512,872.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, necessary assistance to those re- The office maintains continuous The delegation comprised
Hassan Mohamed al-Naemi, has turning to their villages. Today, monitoring of projects and ac- Dr Hisham al-Salous, Cardiac
highlighted the key milestones Qatar Charity continues to im- tivities with professional docu- Catheterisation Consultant at
of the organisation in Bosnia and plement and support develop- mentation to safeguard the dig- Sidra Medicine; Dr Bahaa al-
Herzegovina. ment projects that are currently nity of the beneficiaries. In the Din Jumaa, Consultant of Pae- director of Relief and Interna- ian refugees, and local families ing with the expert delegation
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, required,’ he noted. past, the office has implemented diatric Critical Care at Hamad tional Development Division from the host community. from Qatar.
Qatar Charity has worked since The most distinguishing fea- some qualitative projects in Medical Corporation (HMC); at QRCS, travelled to Iraq to All necessary medical QRCS has a long history im-
the outbreak of the war in the ture of Qatar Charity is that it partnership with international and Alaa al-Din Mohamed, launch some new humanitarian equipment and supplies were plementing health projects in
country in 1992. However, it serves the interests of those in organisations such as UNHCR, Senior Cardiac Catheterisation projects there. He held a meet- provided for free, to help al- Iraq since 2013. Examples in-
established an office in 1994 in need with complete transpar- IOM, and DRC. He pointed out Technician at Sidra Medicine. ing with Meshaal Abdullah al- leviate the financial burden on clude medical convoys of cardi-
Sarajevo, followed by the open- ency, in co-ordination with that Qatar Charity has completed Upon their arrival at Erbil Hajri, Acting Consul General of poor families who cannot af- ac catheterisation for children,
ing of branches in various Bos- government entities. It relies numerous qualitative projects in Airport, they were received by Qatar in Erbil. ford treatment. support for health facilities, and
nian cities such as Tuzla, Zenica entirely on field surveys, moni- Bosnia, most notably the ‘Orphan Ahmed Kahwaji, representative With a view to supporting Another objective of the Covid-19 control. Currently,
and Bugojno. “Qatar Charity toring, the follow-up, and su- Care and Rehabilitation Centre’ of the Consulate of Qatar in Er- the health sector in Iraq, the project is to build the capacity there is a project in progress to
has implemented many projects pervision of its projects. implemented through gener- bil, and Bahaa al-Nogomy, act- doctors will perform cardiac of local medical professionals, treat eye diseases and perform
that helped ease the burden on “The office in Bosnia and ous donation from His Highness ing head of QRCS’ office in Iraq. catheterisations to treat chil- by providing them with train- eye surgeries. All these opera-
the Bosnian people, who were Herzegovina, along with several the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- Dr Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, dren of displaced Iraqis, Syr- ing and expertise while work- tions cost $1,567,675 in total.
suffering under the siege and field offices, participated in Qatar mad al-Thani. Also, among the
the consequences of the war, Charity’s self-assessment. This qualitative projects is the “Female
which led to the destruction of helped the organisation receive a Student Housing Project,” which
infrastructure and the displace- ‘Validation Letter’ from the Core allows female students belonging
ment of hundreds of thousands Humanitarian Standard( CHS) to impoverished families to study
of people and left tens of thou- Alliance, which confirms that Qa- at universities and providing of
sands of wounded, in addition to tar Charity has shown its official scholarships.
children left without families or commitment to learning to apply The number of projects imple-
shelter,” said al-Naemi. the core humanitarian standard mented by Qatar Charity in the
According to al-Naemi, Qatar for quality and accountability,” he country reached approximately
Charity contributed significant- explained. 1,233 projects during the period
ly during the war in Bosnia and The office of Qatar Char- between 2018 and 2022. Around
Herzegovina by providing relief ity in Bosnia and Herzegovina 15,153 sponsored orphans,
support. “After the war ended, seeks to provide quality services poor families and people with A volunteering medical delegation travelled to Iraq to perform
it actively participated in the to beneficiaries by conducting special needs benefited from cardiac catheterisation procedures for 70 children with
reconstruction of the country, field assessments of needs and these projects. congenital heart defects.
4 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
QATAR
T
ity (Ashghal) has completed a he Ministry of Public Health strengthening the systems necessary adopt a list of priorities, to identify
large part of the Roads and In- (MoPH) is working on devel- to reduce the incidence of errors in the gaps and challenges, as well as to pro-
frastructure Development Project in oping and implementing a na- field and the resulting harms that can pose strategies and related essential
Umm Slal Ali and Umm Ebairiya Vil- tional medication safety programme, be avoided by 50% over the next five interventions.
lage (Package 1). in co-operation with the World Health years. Quality improvement tools and
The project, according to an official Organisation (WHO) Office in Qatar The National Medication Safety methodologies were used to collect
statement from Ashghal, is aimed at and the Regional Office for the Eastern Programme is based on four pillars: information across the healthcare sys-
improving and establishing road net- Mediterranean, with the participation patients and the public, healthcare tem.
works and developing road services of stakeholders from the health and workers, dealing with medicines as A multidisciplinary team compris-
infrastructure in the area. academic sectors, in addition to the products, and systems and practices. ing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and
About 78% of the total project work Engineer Abdullah Ali al-Nuaimi pharmaceutical manufacturing sector The programme aims to develop in- quality staff were invited to the work-
has been completed. as well as patient representatives. terventions and improvements at eve- shops, as they play different roles in
The project works are at Umm Slal “The first package of the Roads and scaping and green spaces will be im- A national plan for a medication ry stage of the medication use process, achieving medication safety.
Ali area in Umm Ebairiya, specifically Infrastructure Development Project in plemented on an area covering about safety programme is one of the key including prescribing, dispensing, ad- Patient representatives were also
in the area South of Umm Al Amad and Umm Slal Ali and Umm Ebairiya Vil- 25,425sq m. projects within the second National ministering, and monitoring to ensure invited and actively participated in the
North of Bu Fasilah, bordered to the lage will serve, upon completion of all The infrastructure development Health Strategy (2018-2022) and the that the medication safety principles workshops, as the MoPH believes in
South by Umm Slal Ali Road. its works, a total of 273 plots,” he said. works include the construction of third National Health Strategy, and is are applied at the heart of its business the importance of involving patients
Engineer Abdullah Ali al-Nuaimi, The geographical scope of the 10.6km of sewage network lines, 10km also aimed at identifying priorities and in all public and private healthcare fa- and their family members in the treat-
the acting head of Northern Areas project was divided into three phases of surface water and rainwater drain- gaps with regard to medication safety cilities. ment plans set for them to achieve a
Section at the Roads Projects Depart- prior to the commencement of works, age network lines, and 7km of treated systems and practices in line with the The first phase of the programme patient-centred healthcare.
ment at Ashghal, said that the project to be implemented in succession, to water network lines for irrigation. “Medication Without Harm” chal- was implemented from April to June In that context, the Department of
is being implemented as part of a de- reduce the inconvenience caused by The completion percentage of the lenge launched by the WHO in 2017. this year, with a situation analysis on Healthcare Quality at the Ministry
velopment plan for the Northern areas the construction work and to speed up project has reached about 78%, with These are essentially change-driven medication safety in Qatar. carried out field visits to health and
of the country, as it meets the urban the completion of works in each phase. micro-tunnelling works and laying programmes aimed at introducing Meetings were held with repre- academic institutions in the coun-
growth in the region and covers Umm The development works in the rainwater, treated water and waste- improvements and reducing risks in sentatives of MoPH departments, try along with a delegation from the
Slal Ali area and Umm Ebairiya village. project include the provision of an water network lines currently being health systems. such as Healthcare Quality, Pharmacy WHO.
This allows citizens to build their integrated roads network, with a total completed. It is worth mentioning that Qa- and Drug Control, Healthcare Profes- The next steps in the National Medi-
homes. length of 9km, with the provision of Ninety per cent of the total sew- tar has pledged to participate in the sions, Healthcare Facilities, E-health, cation Safety Programme are to devel-
Al-Nuaimi explained that the traffic safety elements such as light- age network works and about 66% of implementation of the challenge by Financing and Health Insurance, and op a national medication safety policy
project connects the area with the in- ing systems, including the installation the total works of the treated water signing the pledge document with the Strategic Planning, Performance and and action plan according to the pro-
ternal and main roads network, and of 237 street lighting poles, directional network used for irrigation have been WHO. Innovation. posed priorities and interventions and
includes development and improve- signs and road signs, in addition to completed. The “Medication Without Harm” During this first phase, two work- in line with the proposed objectives
ment works on Umm Slal Ali Road providing 1,335 designated parking About 80% of the total rainwater challenge aims to reduce harms caused shops were organised with 140 health- of the National Development Strategy
and Al Wudayhiya Street, which are spaces for cars. drainage network works have also been by unsafe practices and errors in the care practitioners in attendance to 2023-2030, the National Health Strat-
two main streets in the area that serve It will also provide pedestrian paths completed, and the rainwater network use of medication, by focusing on discuss the current situation in the egy (2023-2030), and the global action
many commercial establishments. with a length of 15.4km and land- lines have been completed. improving medication safety, and country, to promote medication safety, Plan on Patient Safety.
CUC Ulster University, GWC partner up for student internship New batch of Qatari real
estate brokers licensed
C
ity University College, in partner- sector as a whole,” Dr Gorashi added.
ship with Ulster University (CUC Another significant facet of this agree-
Ulster University) and GWC Logis- ment involves the introduction of GWC to
A
tics (GWC), have announced a partnership the Qatar Skills Training Centre (QSTC), new batch of 26 licensed
to expand opportunities for student in- a long-established leader in corporate Qatari real estate bro-
ternships and further workforce develop- training, and also a subsidiary of Artan kers – both individuals
ment in Qatar. Consulting and Education Services. and from brokerage compa-
This alliance will allow both Qatari and The QSTC will offer a wide variety of nies – has taken the legal oath
non-Qatari students from CUC Ulster to training and development services, further before the Real Estate Brokers’
gain valuable, practical experience with reinforcing the partnership’s commitment Affairs Committee at the Min-
GWC through internships. to employee growth and development. istry of Justice.
It will provide hands-on understanding “We think the GWC Internship pro- This comes within the con-
of the logistics industry’s functioning and CUC Ulster University and GWC officials at the agreement-signing ceremony. gramme will have a big impact on the stu- text of the Ministry of Justice’s
expose students to real-world scenarios, dents of CUC Ulster University, providing activation of Law No 22 of 2017 attention to the development
complementing their classroom learning. Dr Faris Gorashi said: “GWC’s vision is from the beginning with our students to students with real-life exposure to the regulating real estate brokerage of the legal profession in line
In addition, the partnership will bring perfectly aligned with CUC Ulster Univer- gain exposure in the job market and learn workplace and specifically, world-class work, within the framework of with the objectives of the Qatar
forth a fantastic opportunity for GWC sity’s vision.” the soft skills necessary to become lead- logistics,” said GWC human resources di- the executive procedures for National Vision 2030, due to its
employees to advance their education “We are a forward-thinking university ers.” rector Hamad M Abuqaba al-Marri. “The the provisions of the law, and direct impact on the national
with limited scholarships offered by CUC and we believe that the hard and soft skills “The co-operation between CUC Ulster essence of our partnership with CUC un- pushing real estate brokerage development process, which
Ulster, spanning a range of UK-certified that the students acquire through their in- University and GWC will have a tremen- derscores GWC’s unwavering commit- work towards an organised le- the real estate sector repre-
programmes . ternships are equivalent to the knowledge dous effect, not only the development of ment to nurturing young talent and driv- gal environment prepared to sents one of its main pillars.
CUC Ulster University executive dean that they gain,” he said. “We are starting the students themselves, but on the work ing Qatar’s economic diversification.” keep pace with the economic Al-Suwaidi stressed the
and urban renaissance that the need for the licensed brokers to
country is witnessing and the abide by the laws in the coun-
Education City’s new tram line connects campuses significant expansion in the
real estate sector, together with
the necessitated reformatting
try, and not to publish violating
or misleading advertisements
given the consequent legal ac-
From Page 1 ecutive director for City Opera- able transportation ecosystem,” get around Education City and on this new line, regularly, and it and organisation of the real es- countability of the violating
tions at the QF, said: “Today, we he said. “Together, we are creat- to connect to the metro,” he said. will make it much easier for me to tate system to achieve the goals advertiser.
“As a beacon of innovation, embark on a new journey as we ing a landscape where learning, “There is a stop right outside my get to them.” of Qatar National Vision 2030. He called on the public to
we prioritise the well-being of inaugurate the Green Line, con- discovery, and transportation housing, and the trams are very The tram, which has just Saeed Abdullah al-Suwaidi, communicate with the Min-
our Education City community, necting Sidra Medicine, Qatar harmoniously coexist, helping to regular.” reached the milestone of serving assistant undersecretary for istry of Justice to obtain the
reducing carbon emissions, and National Convention Centre, shape a brighter, greener future.” He also believes it is more en- 1mn passengers, first launched Real Estate Registration and proper legal opinion and deal
fostering a greener future,” al- Qatar Science & Technology Marwan Dhuhair, a PhD stu- vironmentally friendly than us- with the Blue Line on December Authentication Affairs and with the licensed brokers to
Hajri said. “This investment in Park, and our residential areas to dent at QF member Hamad Bin ing a car. 25, 2019, which begins at Mathaf chairperson of the Real Estate ensure the safety of the pub-
eco-friendly mobility not only the South Campus of Education Khalifa University’s College of “Even my friends who have and follows the Academic Loop. Brokers’ Affairs Committee, lic’s transactions and preserve
enhances the quality of life for City.” Science and Engineering, who cars use the trams because The Yellow Line launched on welcomed the new batch, and the rights of the various par-
students and staff, but also ex- “The addition of the new line lives in Education City student they’re so accessible and a much October 12, 2020, runs from Al stressed the ministry’s keen- ties, warning against dealing
emplifies our dedication to sees knowledge, innovation, and housing, says that he prefers us- greener option,” he pointed out. Shaqab to the Education City ness to advance the real estate with unlicensed brokers after
building a thriving, environmen- community intertwine, sup- ing the tram to any other form of “I will definitely use the new Stadium, and passes through Ox- brokerage profession. the expiration of the reconcili-
tally responsible community for ports ideas to flourish and col- transportation around Education Green Line as I visit Sidra Medi- ygen Park, Minaretein, and the He added that HE the Minis- ation deadline and starting to
generations to come.” laborations to thrive, and is a City. cine and Qatar Computing Re- Ceremonial Court, among other ter of Justice Masoud bin Mo- activate the real estate broker-
Hamad al-Kuwari, the ex- further stride toward a sustain- “I use the tram every day to search Institute, which are both stops, during its journey. hamed al-Ameri pays special age law. – QNA
The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced a temporary closure on Al Dababiya Street in one direction from
Al Duhail Street to Al Khafji Street, daily from 10pm-6am from Tuesday (August 1) to August 15. The closure that will
be implemented in co-ordination with the General Directorate of Traffic has been announced in order to complete
infrastructure works. During the closure, road users wishing to turn towards Al Dababiya Street will have to continue
straight on Al Duhail Street, turn right towards Jasim bin Hamad Street, and then right towards Al Khafji Street before
turning right towards Al Dababiya Street to reach their destinations.
Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 5
QATAR
General Supervisor of Qatar Charity’s office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eng. Hasan Al-Naemi:
ARAB WORLD/AFRICA
W
AFP
Khartoum has killed at least 3,900 peo- Nasser Hussein said. questing anonymity as they hile soaring tempera-
ple, according to a conservative The RSF has been accused of were not authorised to speak to tures across the Mid-
estimate, and displaced some rampant looting and of forci- the media. dle East are causing
S
udan’s paramilitaries have 3.5mn. bly evicting people from their Days of “bombs repeatedly discomfort for many, Gaza elec-
ordered civilians to vacate Much of the fighting has oc- homes since the war began on falling in our homes” have sent trical appliance repairman Mus-
homes in the capital’s curred in densely populated April 15. Along with Khartoum, civilians fleeing from Nyala, tafa Abdou is enjoying a boom in
south, several residents said neighbourhoods of Khartoum, some of the worst violence has according to Issa Adam, who business amid surging demand
yesterday, as fighting between pushing 1.7mn residents to been in the conflict-scarred spoke to AFP from a displace- for electric fans.
the forces of rival generals raged flee and forcing the millions region of Darfur, where al- ment camp. Many are “now “I have been in the business
in the western Darfur region. who remain to shelter from the legations of war crimes have out in the open during the rainy for 40 years, it has never been
“Members of the Rapid Sup- crossfire in their homes, ration- sparked a new investigation reason”, he said. Mohamed so hot,” said the 70-year-old,
port Forces (RSF) told me I had ing water and electricity. by the International Criminal Khater had also fled Nyala with sitting in the middle of piles of
24 hours to leave the area,” Hundreds of residents were Court. Again yesterday, clashes his children after bombs killed broken fans and other electric
Khartoum resident Fawzy Rad- being evicted from southern in the town of Nyala — the capi- his neighbours. appliances inside his small shop
wan said. Khartoum’s Jabra neighbour- tal of South Darfur state and From a nearby camp, he told in Gaza Beach refugee camp.
He had been guarding his hood, according to residents Sudan’s second-biggest city AFP that “no organisation has Temperatures have risen
family’s home since fighting yesterday. — sent bombs falling on civil- reached us, and we’re scared above 38 degrees Celsius (104
began in the city more than Jabra and the nearby area of ian neighbourhoods, witnesses of the fighting reaching us.” Fahrenheit) in Gaza and frequent A Palestinian, Mustafa Abdou, repairs a fan in his shop amid a
three months ago between the Sahafa are home to the army said. Over 2.6mn people have been power cuts have pushed more heatwave at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
RSF and the regular army. artillery corps as well as an RSF In the Central Darfur state displaced within Sudan since and more people to adapt their
The war between army chief base used by Daglo. capital Zalingei, the army the war began, and more than fans to work by battery. There who mainly serves people living strip of land between Egypt and
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his “They told us this is a mili- “killed 16 rebels and captured 800,000 others have fled across is constant demand for mainte- in the camp but some customers Israel.
former deputy, RSF command- tary zone now and they don’t 14, including an officer”, a mili- borders. nance work as well. from elsewhere as well. According to local officials,
“I used to repair a few fans but Despite being surrounded by the area needs around 500 meg-
as the heatwave soars the de- fans, he was sweating as he spoke awatts of power per day in sum-
mand on fans increased and I am because his own fan couldn’t mer. It receives 120 megawatts
Senegalese repairing more, I am doing more work due to a power cut. from Israel while the enclave’s
opposition figure repairs because the heatwave More than 2.3mn people live lone power plant supplies an-
Sonko goes is unprecedented,” said Abdou, in the Gaza Strip, the narrow other 60 megawatts.
on hunger strike
Firebrand Senegalese opposition
politician Ousmane Sonko, who At least six die after
is in custody after being arrested
this week, began a hunger strike
yesterday, he said on social
Kenya says ready to clashes in Lebanon
refugee camp
media, AFP reported from Dakar.
Senegal’s public prosecutor on
Saturday announced seven new
lead multinational At least six people were killed
in two days of clashes in a Pales-
tinian refugee camp in Lebanon,
charges, including fomenting in-
surrection, against the politician.
“In the face of so much hate,
force in Haiti security sources said, Reuters
reported from Beirut.
A Fatah commander was killed
lies, oppression, persecution, I yesterday in an ambush that
have decided to resist”, Sonko AFP “An Assessment Mission also injured several of his aides
wrote in the post. “I am going on Nairobi by a Task Team of the Kenya in the crowded, impoverished
hunger strike... I invite all political Police is scheduled within the Ain el-Hilweh camp near the
detainees to do the same.” He is next few weeks. This assess- southern coastal city of Sidon.
K
scheduled to be interrogated by Nigerien security forces launch tear gas to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside enya is ready to lead a ment will inform and guide Four of the aides later died of
a judge today. the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger, yesterday. multinational force in the mandate and operational their injuries, a security source
Sonko’s arrest on Friday and Haiti and will deploy requirements of the Mission.” said, adding that sporadic
the new charges announced
on Saturday are unrelated to a
West Africa threatens force on Niger 1,000 police officers to the
strife-torn Caribbean nation
US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken spoke by phone last
clashes in the camp intensified
later. Clashes began the previ-
night to Kenyan President Wil-
moral corruption case against
the politician that sparked deadly coup leaders, French embassy attacked once its offer is accepted, the
foreign minister said. liam Ruto, according to State
ous day with a failed assassina-
tion attempt on a leader of a
protests last month, the prosecu- Gangs control around 80% Department spokesperson group sympathetic to hardliners
tor said. On June 1, his sentencing of the Haitian capital, and Matthew Miller. in which one person was killed.
in absentia to two years in prison Reuters mit in Nigeria to discuss the fect borders with Niger would violent crimes such as kidnap- Kenya is seen as a democrat- That was followed by gunfire
sparked clashes that left at least Niamey/Abuja coup last week, leaders of be closed, commercial flights pings for ransom, armed rob- ic anchor in East Africa, and and attacks by armed fighters
16 dead. The two-year sentence the Economic Community of banned, financial transac- bery and carjackings are com- has participated in peacekeep- on the headquarters of Fatah.
makes him ineligible to contest West African States called for tions halted, national assets mon. ing operations in its immediate Fighting subsided but did
W
next year’s presidential election. est African nations constitutional order to be re- frozen and aid ended. UN Secretary-General An- region including in the Demo- not completely stop after a
The firebrand politician, a vocal imposed sanctions stored, warning of reprisals if Military officials involved tonio Guterres and Haitian cratic Republic of Congo and ceasefire was reached at a
critic of President Macky Sall, and threatened not. in the coup would be banned Prime Minister Ariel Henry Somalia. meeting between rival factions
has faced a string of legal woes, force yesterday if Niger’s “Such measures may in- from travelling and have their have for nearly a year sought No other details about the that included representatives
which he claims are aimed at coup leaders fail to reinstate clude the use of force,” their assets frozen, it added. international intervention to Haiti deployment were im- of Hezbollah group and its ally
keeping him out of politics. ousted President Mohamed communique said, adding Similar sanctions were help support the police, but no mediately available. Haiti, the Amal movement that hold sway
The new charges are over com- Bazoum within a week, while that defence officials would imposed by Ecowas on Mali, country had stepped forward. Western Hemisphere’s poorest in southern Lebanon.
ments he has made, rallies he has supporters of the junta at- meet immediately to that ef- Burkina Faso and Guinea fol- “Kenya has accepted to nation, has seen compound- Shops had earlier closed their
held, and other episodes since tacked the French embassy fect. lowing coups in those coun- positively consider leading a ing humanitarian, political doors and some people fled the
2021, including an incident at his in Niamey. Chad’s President Maha- tries in the past three years. Multi-National Force to Haiti,” and security crises, with gangs camp, the largest refugee camp
home on Friday that led to his The 15-nation Ecowas mat Idriss Deby, who came Although the financial Kenya’s Foreign Minister Al- controlling most of Port- in Lebanon, as tensions be-
arrest. In addition to calling for bloc’s response to the Sahel to power in 2021 after a coup sanctions led to defaults on fred Mutua said in a statement au-Prince. Guterres said this tween the rival groups mounted
insurrection, the charges include region’s seventh coup of re- in his country, met his Nige- debt — in Mali in particular — late Saturday. month that violence had con- yesterday, a witness said. The
undermining state security, acts cent years came as crowds rian counterpart Bola Tinubu such measures have tended to “Kenya’s commitment is to tinued “to escalate and spread”, Lebanese army said a mortar
aimed at jeopardising public in Niger’s capital Niamey on the sidelines of the sum- hurt civilians more than the deploy a contingent of 1,000 citing murders, kidnappings, fell inside a military headquar-
security and creating serious po- burned French flags and mit and volunteered to speak military leaders who seized police officers to help train and rape of women and girls, loot- ters with one soldier wounded.
litical unrest, criminal association stoned the former colonial to the military leaders in Ni- power in some of the world’s assist Haitian police restore ing, and the displacement of The UN agency responsible
with a terrorist body and theft. power’s mission, drawing tear ger, two presidential aides poorest countries, political normalcy in the country and thousands of people. for the welfare of Palestinian
His lawyers have argued that his gas from police. told Reuters, asking not to be analysts say. protect strategic installations.” Guterres, relaying a re- refugees that provides basic
arrest on these new allegations Images showed fires at the identified. Timelines to restore civil- Its “proposed deployment” quest from Henry, began services to nearly 50,000
cancels out the moral corruption embassy walls and people be- Ecowas and the eight- ian rule have been agreed in all still required a mandate from calling in October for an in- people living in Ain el-Hilweh
conviction, because he had been ing loaded into ambulances member West African Eco- three countries, but there has the UN Security Council and ternational, non-UN deploy- said it was suspending all
sentenced in absentia. with bloodied legs. nomic and Monetary Union been little progress imple- approval from domestic au- ment to help support police in operations in the camp.
At an emergency sum- said that with immediate ef- menting them. thorities, he said. the troubled nation.
A
t 72, Syrian farmer Izza- The ministry did not have a
din Zuhaira has survived final figure yet of how far the
war, displacement and a damage had spread, but Qatna
devastating earthquake in Feb- said the region’s pine forests
ruary. were badly hit.
But the forest fires razing his “Pine is like coal for these
home province of Latakia this fires,” he said.
week, turning his beloved or- Syria has been severely im-
chards to ash, were the worst he pacted climate change in recent
had seen. years, including rising tempera-
“I’ve never seen any weather tures and erratic rainfall which
like this. The soil and the trees have led to forest fires and poor
were so impacted by the heat harvests.
that they lit up quickly,” Zuhaira Dust storms, desertification
said. and land loss had been threat-
The retired civil servant had ening farmers’ livelihoods for
been living off the harvests of years, said Suhair Zakkout, the
around 700 olive, pomegranate Izzadin Zuhaira, a 72-year-old Syrian farmer, walks near a burnt area following wildfires in the northern Suhair Zakkout, the spokesperson for the International Committee of spokesperson for the Interna-
and walnut trees, but all of these countryside of Latakia, Syria. the Red Cross in Syria, attends an interview with Reuters in Damascus. tional Committee of the Red
were destroyed by the spreading Cross in Syria.
fire. Latakia hard. “After the quake, month, supercharged by strong agriculture minister Mohamed Other challenges for the fire- with Western sanctions, a cur- “Syrians were already espe-
His modest one-storey farm- the fires came and finished it off. winds and searing temperatures. Hassaan Qatna said. fighters included poor telecoms rency squeeze linked to neigh- cially vulnerable because of the
house, which had already been It left us with nothing,” Zuhaira Firefighters had struggled to “There were multiple places, coverage in the north, and the bouring Lebanon’s economic impacts of more than 12 years
damaged by years of war, was told Reuters. put them out in Homs and Hama far away. The speed of the wind procurement of fireproof suits crisis and the government’s loss of conflict, which makes it even
further cracked by the Febru- Like other countries around in mid-July, and the fires in La- was a factor in the excessive or spare parts for extinguishing of its northeastern oil-produc- harder for them to deal with the
ary earthquake, which left more the Mediterranean, Syria has takia raged for five days before spread of the fires,” Qatna told equipment, he said. ing territories have triggered a impacts of climate change,” Zak-
than 5,000 dead in Syria and hit been hit hard by wildfires this rescuers could control it, Syria’s Reuters during a tour of the area. Syria’s 12-year conflict, along financial meltdown. On Satur- kout told Reuters.
Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 7
WORLD
Harris embraces new attack role, draws Republican fire
By Jarrett Renshaw istration capped insulin prices, Some Republicans are already
Reuters increased removal of lead pipes suggesting Harris could run the
and secured broadband for un- country if Biden wins in 2024.
der-served communities. “We are running against
V
ice-President Kama- “Let’s start registering folks Kamala Harris. Make no bones
la Harris has shown a now to vote,” she said. “Remind about it ... [it’s] Kamala Har-
punchy side during a tour your friends and your neighbours ris that’s going to end up being
of nearly a dozen US states in to do that.” president of the United States if
recent weeks, attacking Florida The White House is also hop- Joe Biden wins this election,” Re-
Governor Ron DeSantis for back- ing to improve Harris’s public publican candidate Nikki Haley
ing “revisionist history” about image and historically low ap- told Fox News in June. Trump gestures during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania.
slavery, telling Iowa healthcare proval ratings. Harris, who was more popular
workers to rebel against the A recent NBC News poll than Biden with women, young
state’s new restrictive abortion showed 49% of registered voters voters and even some Republi-
laws, and rallying Latinos in Chi-
cago to fight “extremist” Repub-
licans.
hold a negative view of Harris,
compared to 32% with a positive
view, a net-negative rating of 17
cans when he picked her as his
vice-presidential running mate,
has seen her ratings sag in of-
Judge dumps Trump’s
On Saturday, Harris, the first
woman and first woman of col-
our to serve as vice-president,
Harris speaks at the Public Mass Meeting during the 114th NAACP
National Convention in Boston.
that is the lowest for a vice-pres-
ident in the history of its poll.
While it’s too early to say
fice under a firehose of criticism
from conservative media outlets
and a portfolio that included the
lawsuit against CNN
opened the National Association are part of an expanded role for what you are doing,” Reverend Al whether her polls are improving, intractable US issue of immigra-
for the Advancement of Coloured US President Joe Biden’s much- Sharpton, a veteran civil rights Harris’s remarks are drawing new tion. Reuters/AFP five instances in which CNN
People (NAACP)’s annual con- scrutinised governing partner activist and head of the National Republican fire, and highlighting Some Democrats say she New York either published stories or
ference in Boston, a key political ahead of the election, senior Action Network, told Reuters. divisions in the opposition. hasn’t stepping up forcefully aired comments referring to
event for black Americans that Democrats say. Biden credits black voters for DeSantis on Friday accused enough, or taken burdens off the Trump’s assertions about the
A
will help define the issues Demo- She’ll engage in many more his 2020 victory, with exit polls US Senator Tim Scott, the most president’s shoulders. federal judge has 2020 election as his “big lie”.
crats focus on in the 2024 elec- campaign-style events in months showing he carried 87% of the high-profile black candidate in Since the Supreme Court thrown out Donald The phrase is also associated
tion. to come, designed to reacquaint vote. the 2024 Republican presidential overturned Roe v. Wade last year Trump’s $475mn defa- with the Nazi regime’s use of
“We are in a moment where Harris with supporters, burnish However, recent polls and race, of accepting Harris’s “lie” though, Harris has become in- mation lawsuit against CNN, propaganda.
there is a full-on attempt to at- her image with independents turnout in the 2022 midterms about Florida’s new slavery cur- creasingly vocal. in which the former president The wording, the lawsuit
tack hard-fought and hard-won and reach out to Democrats’ who reveal erosion in enthusiasm riculum requirements. “She does better on sub- claimed the network’s descrip- said, constituted “a deliberate
rights and freedoms and lib- haven’t been hearing the Biden among the bloc that needs to be His campaign accused anoth- ject matters and audiences she tion of his election fraud as the effort by CNN to propagate to
erty,” Harris, a lifetime member administration’s message. shored up before next November. er black Republican who criti- is comfortable with. Given the “big lie” associated him with its audience an association be-
of the civil rights organisation, It’s a move that couldn’t hap- Harris also made a surprise cised the changes, which include portfolio she was handed early Adolf Hitler. tween the plaintiff and one of
told several thousand people in- pen too soon, some influential visit to a congressional black teaching that slavery had pos- on – and the challenges it rep- In a ruling late on Friday the most repugnant figures in
side the city’s convention cen- Democrats say. caucus event at Roxbury Com- sible benefits to the enslaved, of resented – it’s simple campaign night, US Judge Raag Singhal, modern history”.
tre. “And what I know about the “We have constantly said to munity College, where she re- being a Harris supporter. management to get her out front who was nominated by Trump However, the mere use of the
leaders here is that the members the White House that they need minded the crowd of the role Voters wary of the president’s of friendly audiences where she in 2019, said that CNN’s words phrase “big lie” is not enough
of the NAACP are up to the chal- to send her out more because we black voters played in capturing advanced age of 80 are expected can get some of her mojo back,” were opinion, not fact, and to give rise to a true connota-
lenge to fight.” need the base – that is black vot- the White House for Biden. to take a much harder look at the said an adviser at the Democratic therefore could not be the sub- tion, Singhal wrote.
The high-profile appearances ers and others – to understand She said as a result the admin- vice-president. National Committee. ject of a defamation claim. “No reasonable viewer could
“There is no question that (or should) plausibly make that
the statements made by CNN reference,” he said.
meet the publication require- Since launching his first
A
n evacuation order for that we have lost another wild- “CNN’s statements, while re- to insist falsely that he won
the Canadian town of fire fighter. My heart goes out pugnant, were not, as a matter the 2020 presidential election
Osoyoos and its sur- to the family, friends and col- of law, defamatory. The case against Democrat Joe Biden, is
rounding district in the prov- leagues of this frontline hero,” will, therefore, be dismissed.” to go on trial in Florida in May
ince of British Columbia had Premier David Eby said in a In a statement, a Trump on charges of mishandling top
been issued late on Saturday statement. spokesperson said: “We agree secret government documents.
night due to an out-of-control He did not identify the con- with the highly respected Trump is also facing dozens
wildfire that has crossed the tract firefighter, but authorities judge’s findings that CNN’s of felony charges in a case in-
border from the US state of said the victim was at the Don- statements about President volving hush money payments
Washington. nie Creek wildfire, near Fort St Trump are repugnant. CNN to an adult entertainment star
The wildfire, called Eagle John, in the northeast of the will be held responsible for in New York and is bracing for
Bluff, is approximately 4km province. their wrongful mistreatment indictment in state and federal
(2.49 miles) from Osoyoos and Two other firefighters have of President Trump and his investigations into his efforts
is currently estimated to be 885 perished in separate opera- supporters.” to overturn the 2020 election.
hectares (2,200 acres) in size tions this month, and a fourth The statement did not say Trump is the front-runner
on the Canadian side of the person, a helicopter pilot, whether Trump would appeal for the 2024 Republican presi-
border, according to the British died July 19 when his aircraft the decision. dential nomination, despite
Columbia Wildfire Service. crashed in Alberta, in western A long exposure image shows the Eagle Bluffs Wildfire, which crossed the border from the US state of The lawsuit, which was filed facing both state and federal
It was estimated to be Canada, while taking part in Washington, and prompted evacuation orders yesterday in Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada. in October 2022, highlighted indictments.
around 2,000 hectares in size relief operations.
on the US side by the BC Wild- Canadian wildfires have
fire Service.
Osoyoos has an area popula-
burned 30mn acres (12mn
hectares) this year, scorching Trudeau sets sights on fourth election fight with Cabinet refresh
tion of about 6,700, according an area larger than the size of
to an Osoyoos economic devel- Cuba or South Korea. By Steve Scherer elections, two senior government sources
opment website. “This wildfire season has Reuters said.
“There are Initial Attack been profoundly awful,” Eby People close to Trudeau said he is show-
crew personnel, several sin- said, who hailed firefighters as ing no signs of stepping down and letting
C
gle resources, two helicopters, heroes making “extraordinary anadian Prime Minister Justin someone else take over after winning a
structure protection person- sacrifices ... to keep us safe”. Trudeau made massive changes majority in 2015, and minorities in 2019
nel and heavy equipment re- British Columbia currently to his cabinet last week in a move and 2021.
sponding to the incident,” BC has 368 active fires. political analysts say is more theatre than Trudeau isn’t making a “beeline for the
Wildfire Service said yesterday. In total, more than 990 fires substance, but the Liberal leader’s close exit”, one of the sources said. “He’s in it to
The evacuation order covers are ravaging Canada, 613 of advisers say it shows his determination to win it.”
the area north of the Canada- which are considered out of seek a fourth election victory. The new cabinet is “ready to go out on
United States border to the in- control. With a string of recent polls showing the the campaign trail”, the second source
tersection of Highway 97 and Canada’s geographic loca- left-leaning Liberals trailing their right- said. Neither source was authorised to
Highway 3, as well as west and tion means that it is warm- of-centre Conservative rivals after almost speak on the record.
north along Highway 3. ing faster than the rest of the eight years in power, Trudeau changed or By the time the next election is due in
British Columbia’s premier planet, and in recent years it shifted three-quarters of his cabinet. 2025, Trudeau will have been in power for
announced on Saturday that a has been confronted with ex- A cost-of-living crisis, a sharp rise 10 years, and Canadians could be in the
firefighter has died battling one treme weather events that have in interest rates, and a chronic housing mood for a change.
of the massive blazes devastat- grown more frequent and in- shortage have given the opposition Con- No Canadian prime minister since Wil-
ing Canada’s forests this year. tense by climate change. servative leader Pierre Poilievre ammu- frid Laurier in 1908 has won four consecu-
nition to attack Trudeau, accusing him Prime Minister Trudeau and Finance Minister Freeland. tive elections.
of feeding price increases with profligate Even in the 2021 race, Liberal lawmakers
government spending, calling it “Justin- new, even though it’s not”, he said. nalling that it’s business as usual,” said who campaigned door-to-door said that
Barbie sitting pretty flation”.
Poilievre’s blows are leaving a mark.
Trudeau described the shake-up as a
way to build up his core economic team in
Robert Asselin, senior vice-president of
policy at the Business Council of Canada.
they had spoken with many voters who
had grown weary with Trudeau.
N America theatres
in public support for the Conservatives, than two years. deal with left-leaning New Democrats, target before the next election is due.
enough to ensure their victory were an However, with the influential Finance who have promised to keep the Liberals in “Cost of living is a household wallet is-
election held now. Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is also power until 2025. sue, and for now it is the ballot issue. But
Warner Bros’ blockbuster Barbie earned an estimated Other polls have shown a more narrow deputy prime minister, keeping her job, However, the deal is not binding and only for now,” said Shachi Kurl, president
$93mn in North American theatres this weekend as it difference between the two parties. some analysts are questioning the real im- Trudeau needs his campaign team ready to of Angus Reid Institute polling company.
continued “rolling down a hill of cash”, industry watcher “There’s huge fatigue with this gov- pact of the changes. go at any time. “Any advantage the Conservatives have on
Exhibitor Relations reported yesterday. ernment,” said Frank Graves, president “I don’t sense any change of direction. Trudeau, 51, is pressing the reset but- this may well evaporate if we see inflation
Taken together with Universal’s dark biopic Oppenheimer, of EKOS Research polling company. With Given that the main players – the finance ton to gear up for a fight to become the first and interest rates ‘normalise’ by the next
which took in a mighty $46.2mn in its own second weekend the shuffle, “they’re trying to make it look minister and the prime minister – are sig- leader since 1908 to win four consecutive election.”
out, the two films provided a much-needed “Barbenheimer”
boost during a middling Hollywood summer.
“July would have been a lukewarm month, but then Barbie Six dead after small plane crashes in Calgary Twitter, now known as X, reinstates Kanye account
and Oppenheimer arrived, movie-going exploded, and
within one week, July caught up to its pre-pandemic Six people have died after a small plane crashed in Kananaskis Country, a mountainous X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, has reinstated rapper and
average,” said analyst David A Gross of Franchise region west of Calgary, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Saturday. designer Kanye West around eight months after his account was suspended, the Wall
Entertainment Research. The RCMP said an aircraft with five passengers and a pilot left Springbank Airport near Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Last weekend, Barbie scored the biggest opening weekend Calgary on Friday night en route to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Last fall, West posted an image that appeared to show a swastika interlaced with a Star of
of the year, at $80.5mn, showing eyebrow-raising appeal for RCMP Staff Sergeant Ryan Singleton said contact was lost with the plane around 9.30pm David, and tycoon Elon Musk suspended the artist from the platform, which he had bought
a movie based on a small plastic doll living in a perfect pink local time (0330 GMT on Saturday). weeks earlier.
world. Shortly after the plane was reported overdue, a search was conducted by a Royal Canadian Musk at the time labelled West’s post as an “incitement to violence”.
With Margot Robbie as “Barbie” and Ryan Gosling as Air Force (RCAF) squadron based in Winnipeg. X’s press office did not immediately respond to a query about West’s account.
boyfriend “Ken”, the Greta Gerwig film has now generated The squadron found the crash site, and with help from Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, By late evening, West had yet to post anything new.
$351.4mn in North American ticket sales, along with $423mn searched for survivors. West, who now goes professionally as Ye, assured the platform that he would not use his
abroad, likely setting it on track to be the next billion-dollar However, all six people in the plane had died, Singleton said. account to share anti-Semitic content or use harmful language, the Journal said.
flick. The RCMP did not release the names of the victims. Anti-Semitic remarks by West last year cost him in lost business deals. Adidas cut ties with
Meanwhile, Oppenheimer, the story of the creation “Recovering the bodies of the pilot and the passengers was very challenging due to the him after a nearly decade-long partnership, abandoning his Yeezy-branded sneakers.
of America’s atomic bomb, has now earned $174.1mn difficult terrain. However, all six bodies have been successfully recovered,” Singleton said, In May, the German company said the end of its highly successful collaboration with West
domestically and $226mn abroad. – AFP adding that the Transport Safety Board of Canada is conducting an investigation into the hit sales by about €400mn ($441mn) in the first quarter of the year.
crash. – Reuters Gap and Balenciaga also cut ties with the rapper and designer. – AFP
8 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
WORLD
A
ustralia’s military will nations, but hopes of finding the berra had announced it would re- we learn from this incident, is yet brings together 30,000 military Stuart identified the four miss- thony Albanese described the
ground its fleet of MRH- missing crew were fading. place its ageing Taipan helicopters to be determined”. personnel from Australia, the US ing crew and said they were all crash as a stark reminder “that
90 Taipan helicopters after Lieutenant general Simon Stu- with US-made Black Hawks. Australia’s Taipan fleet was and several other nations. from the 6th Aviation Regiment, there are no safe or easy days for
a crash during multinational mili- art, the chief of the Australian Australian officials have com- grounded for a month after one Specialist divers have joined based in Sydney. those who serve in our country’s
tary exercises that left four crew army, said yesterday that Australia plained about having to repeat- of the helicopters suffered engine the hundreds-strong search for “You have to feel for their fami- name”.
members missing, the army chief would ground its fleet of about 45 edly ground the European-made failure during a nighttime train- the missing pilot and three other lies and their mates,” he said. He also thanked military per-
said yesterday. Taipan helicopters. Taipans, citing difficulties with ing exercise in March, forcing the crew, officials said. New South Wales Premier sonnel from other countries for
The helicopter crashed into “We are not flying the MRH-90 maintenance and getting spare crew to ditch into the ocean. No Debris from the crash was re- Christopher Minns told Sky News taking part in the search.
Bhutan’s jobs
woes drive
an exodus
to Australia
Reuters returning at a slower pace than
Sydney/Kathmandu hoped.
“Australian universities are keen
to diversify – they got the mes-
T
he reopening of Australia’s sage from the previous and this
borders to international government that they shouldn’t
students after the pan- rely too much on just China, India
demic has triggered an exodus and Nepal,” said Phil Honeywood,
from Bhutan, as young people seek chief executive officer at Interna-
opportunities abroad amid grow- tional Education Association of
ing economic unhappiness in the Australia.
landlocked Himalayan kingdom. “They need to go forth and
Student migration to Australia find new education agents in new
from Bhutan has soared, with over countries.”
12,000 long-term arrivals mov- Sonam Tobgay, who became
ing there in the 11 months to May Bhutan’s inaugural ambassador
alone, representing about 1.5% to Australia in 2021, said Austral-
of the tiny South Asian country’s ia’s appeal includes its relatively
population, which has a youth cheaper tuition fees and favour-
unemployment rate in the double able visa regime that allows stu-
digits. dents’ dependents to come and
Most of the recent arrivals have work for unlimited hours. People wear raincoats in a tourist area during heavy rain in Beijing, China, yesterday.
settled in Perth, Western Aus- Six of the current 10 cabinet
tralia, where they have enrolled in ministers of Bhutan have qualifi-
courses such as childcare, hospi- cations from an Australian univer-
Thousands evacuated as
tality and accounting. sity or institute.
Tashi Kipchu, a 25-year-old ed- Bhutan is famous for its Gross
ucation consultant, is one of many National Happiness index, an eco-
who came to Australia last year in nomic gauge that takes into ac-
search of better opportunities. count factors ignored by the con-
“Right after Covid, everything ventional gross domestic product
T
data showing student visa ap- signed to streamline and modern- ens of thousands of peo- from parts of neighbouring ple in central China, mainly in City officials ordered all earlier this week, but it lost some
plications from Bhutan jumping ise the civil service, the country’s ple were evacuated from province Hebei’s capital Shi- the city of Zhengzhou. school buildings to shut, as intensity as it neared the Philip-
fivefold in the fiscal year ended biggest employer, have also con- high-risk areas of Bei- jiazhuang, state media said. In Beijing, residents were some students and teachers pines, where it killed more than
June. tributed to a mass exodus of work- jing and another northern city Hundreds of millions of peo- yesterday urged not to go out- were using the facilities for a dozen people.
The influx of students in that ing professionals. as much of China was lashed by ple in northern China, includ- side unless necessary, advice training or extracurricular ac- It still brought colossal
short period has made Australia Wedged between India and torrential rain yesterday. ing in Beijing, remain under a that appeared widely heeded tivities like sports during the waves and howling winds of up
home to one of the largest com- China, Bhutan reopened its bor- Deadly storm Doksuri has red alert – the highest level – for with the usually buzzing streets summer break. to 175kms per hour to China’s
munities of Bhutanese expatriates ders in September, but higher been sweeping northwards heavy rain through at least today empty of many cars or pedes- The Ministry of Water Re- southeast on Friday, causing
outside of South Asia. tourist taxes have meant the re- over China since Friday, when afternoon. trians. sources yesterday raised its significant damage.
While they represent just a covery in the critical industry has it careened into southern Fu- The alert covers Beijing’s Companies were also told not flood warning after some rivers More than 880,000 people in
small part of Australia’s 600,000 not lived up to expectations. Youth jian province after battering the 22mn people and Tianjin’s to force their employees to come swelled beyond alert levels. Fujian province were affected by
international student population, unemployment hit 28% last year. Philippines as a typhoon. 14mn, as well as parts of Hebei, to work unless necessary. In one mountainous village the storm, state media said yes-
the surge comes as the A$40bn Amid bleak job prospects The Chinese capital and sur- Shanxi, Shandong and Henan Many popular sites in the on the outskirts of Beijing, a lo- terday.
($27bn) education sector tries to at home, many young people rounding region were drenched provinces. capital were temporarily closed, cal river was transformed into a The storm is hitting China af-
make up for business lost from a flocked to Australia, which has over the weekend, with officials It is the first time since 2011 including the Forbidden City, li- gushing torrent, but no casual- ter a summer of record tempera-
dearth of foreign students during loosened visa restrictions to help warning of potentially hazard- that such a heavy rainfall warn- braries and museums. ties were reported as 62 house- tures, with scientists saying the
the pandemic. Students from key ease its tightest labour market in ous conditions including floods, ing has been issued, according to The sprawling National Cen- holds in the surrounding area extreme weather is exacerbated
market China, in particular, are 50 years. swelling rivers, mudslides and local media. tre for the Performing Arts, lo- were evacuated the previous by climate change.
E
AFP
Bangkok conference yesterday. leaving two holes roughly two ight people trapped in an would continue until tomorrow
“We are sending to forensics to metres deep and 20 feet wide. illegal gold mine on the in the hope of retrieving the min-
do DNA tests but primary reports “We have issued a summons Indonesian island of Java ers’ bodies, which are yet to be
T
he death toll from a pow- said they were different (peo- to the owner of the factory with are feared dead, a local rescue of- found.
erful explosion that lev- ple),” he added. the charge of negligence, which ficial said yesterday, as search ef- Authorities had planned to de-
elled an unlicensed fire- Sanan had previously said the caused the accident,” said colo- forts entered a fifth day with little ploy divers to find the miners but
works warehouse in southern blast was believed to have been nel Suthawet Thareethai, police progress. local rescue official Priyo Pray-
Thailand rose to at least 10 yes- caused by a “technical error” chief in Muno district. “We are Unlicensed mines – many with udha Utama said “it was not pos-
terday, the local governor said, during welding. waiting for him to come.” disregard for basic safety meas- sible” because the mine shaft was
as police sought the owner on Police yesterday said they were Officials said a command cen- ures – are common across the too narrow.
charges of negligence. still investigating the cause, add- tre had been established not far mineral-rich Southeast Asian Most of the trapped miners had
The blast Saturday afternoon ing they believed the facility was from the scene, and authorities archipelago and accidents are moved from West Java to mine in
in the town of Sungai Kolok was not licensed to store fireworks. had already received 365 com- frequent. the region, police said.
believed to have been caused by Provincial commander po- plaints from those who had been The workers were digging in- On Friday police charged four
welding during construction lice major general Chalermporn injured or had their homes and side a hole with a depth of 200 people with allegedly operating
work on the building. Khamkhiew said firecrackers had property damaged. feet in Pancurendang village in the mine without a permit.
More than 100 people were in- been delivered shortly before the Damage to government offices central Java on Tuesday evening The suspects, including one
jured in the blast, which left only explosion. and private schools was also re- when water suddenly flooded the who remains at large, face up to
twisted metal beams still stand- “We are investigating if those ported, they added. illegal mine. five years in prison and 100bn ru-
ing as rescue workers picked over firecrackers were transported le- Police said that of the 115 peo- Rescuers had deployed wa- piah ($6.6mn) in fines.
the debris, with local media re- gally or illegally,” he said. ple injured in the blast, 106 had ter pumps around the clock and In 2021, six people were killed
porting hundreds of homes were “As of now, we do not see any been discharged. The condition worked to dam a nearby river in a on Sulawesi island after an illegal
also seriously damaged. licence for possession of fire- of those remaining in hospital frantic bid to get the water out of gold mine collapsed.
“We have identified 10 people crackers or firecracker sales,” he was not known. Environmental activists hold a demonstration calling the mining shaft but it remained At least 16 people were killed
and found parts of two bodies said. “We assume the factory has A fire sparked by the explosion on the people to reject single-use plastic in Jakarta, flooded yesterday. two years earlier when another il-
which we cannot identify yet,” no licence.” was brought under control late Indonesia, yesterday. “This is already the fifth day. legal gold mine on the island col-
Narathiwat provincial governor The blast detonated roughly Saturday. We expect the bad news that the lapsed and buried the workers.
Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 9
WORLD
urged to join
Organisation (ISRO) yesterday objects. altitude of 535km. security and defence operations. coupling and dynamics
launched a vehicle (PSLV-C56) Developed under a partnership It carries a SAR payload Commercial customers can exploration; SCOOB-II, a
carrying seven satellites from between DSTA, representing developed by Israel Aerospace utilise the satellite for purposes nanosatellite flying a technology
the Satish Dhawan Space the government of Singapore, Industries (IAI), enabling all- such as oil and gas exploration, demonstrator payload; NuLIoN
Centre in Sriharikota, southern and ST Engineering, the DS-SAR weather day and night coverage agriculture monitoring, and by NuSpace, an advanced
UK’s annual
India. The launch took place at satellite will cater to the imagery and capable of imaging at infrastructure assessment. nanosatellite enabling seamless
6.30am. needs of various Singapore 1m-resolution at full polarimetry. Alongside the DS-SAR, six co- IoT connectivity in both urban
The primary payload of the government agencies and This high-resolution capability passenger satellites have also & remote locations; Galassia-2,
PSLV-C56 mission is the DS-SAR ST Engineering’s commercial will allow the Singapore hitched a ride to space. These a nanosatellite orbiting at low
butterfly count
satellite, a synthetic-aperture customers. government to assess damage include VELOX-AM, a technology earth orbit; and ORB-12 STRIDER,
radar (SAR) that creates two- The DS-SAR satellite, weighing caused by natural disasters, demonstration microsatellite; a satellite developed under
dimensional images or three- 360kg, is being sent into a Near- monitor land use, track ARCADE, an experimental international collaboration.
W
ildlife enthusiasts mitting 96,257 counts of butter-
across Britain are be- flies and day-flying moths from
ing encouraged to log across Britain.
sightings of butterflies and some Butterfly Conservation and
moths, as the world’s largest an- the UK Centre for Ecology and
nual survey of the increasingly Hydrology have developed an
endangered pollinating insects iRecord Butterflies app to help
returns. identify and geo-locate different
The UK-wide “Big Butterfly butterfly species sightings.
Count” - which this year runs It has logged nearly 1mn sub-
from July 14 to August 6 - helps missions since launching in 2014.
conservationists assess the Butterflies help identify the
health of the country’s natural health of an ecosystem because
environment, amid mounting they react quickly to environ-
evidence it is increasingly im- mental changes and are seen as
perilled. an early warning system for other
Volunteers download a chart wildlife losses, conservationists
helping them to identify differ- note.
ent butterfly species and then “One of the great things about
record their sightings in gar- butterflies and of this fantastic
dens, parks and elsewhere using data that we have about butter-
a smartphone app and other on- flies is that they act as indicators
line tools. about all the other groups,” Fox
It comes as experts warn the explained.
often brightly coloured winged “So we know a bit about how
insects are in rapid decline in our bees are doing, we know a lit-
Britain as they fail to cope with tle about how bugs, and beetles,
unprecedented environmental and flies, and wasps, and other
change. important insects are doing.”
“It’s a pretty worrying pic- Amy Walkden, Butterfly Con-
ture,” Richard Fox, head of sci- servation’s branch secretary in
ence at the Butterfly Conser- Devon, is one of many enthusi-
vation charity, which runs the asts monitoring the insects year-
nationwide citizen-led survey, round with the help of her eight-
said at Orley Common, a vast year-old daughter, Robin.
park in Devon, southwest Eng- “Having a yearly record of
land. what is around and what is not
“The major causes of the de- around I think is really good sci-
cline are what we humans have entific data to indicate changes
done to the landscape in the UK such as global warming, habitat Monsoon clouds loom over the skies of Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Many parts of the country have been witnessing incessant rainfall. Rising rainwater has led to severe
over the past 50, 60, 70 years,” destruction,” she said. waterlogging in several cities.
he added from the site, which Her daughter Robin appears
is seeing fewer butterflies de- equally aware of their value.
spite offering an ideal habitat for “If we don’t have any but-
them. terflies and all the buzzy things,
M
report. and climate change, partly by any Indian restaurants headline inflation numbers above Amazon said demand for to- weeks in India have been highest are battling high tomato prices.
Agriculture, and its use of fer- planting tens of millions of trees are cutting back on to- the central bank’s medium-term mato puree on its platform rose in the last five years. In a New Delhi business dis-
tilisers and pesticides, alongside in the next three years. matoes in their popular target. five times over the past month, Crop damage and transporta- trict, Birju, who sells a cheap
changes to landscapes includ- Fox called the plan “fantas- dishes and consumer companies Consumers, already struggling while ketchup sales rose 30%. tion woes due to rain have also led bread-and-pea street food which
ing the removal of hedge rows tic” but said other areas such as are ramping up production of with rising living costs, are des- Packs of puree typically contain to a rise in prices of other vegeta- typically comes with tomatoes,
to maximise space for growing low intensity agri-environment cheaper purees that are flying off perate for cheaper options. around 40% tomato paste and the bles. Surging food prices acceler- said he now uses the expensive
crops, is partly blamed. schemes are also needed, “so the shelves, after prices surged Milk and vegetable retailer rest water, and cost Rs130/kg. ated India’s annual retail inflation item only as a garnish, and only
Counting butterflies, which that the public money paid to more than 500%. Mother Dairy has seen a 300% Tomato prices in New Delhi were rate in June to 4.81%, snapping four when people push for it.
are among the most monitored farmers will benefit the envi- Used widely in Indian cooking, jump in tomato puree sales in Rs199/kg, from around Rs30 in months of easing and fuelling bets “Customers understand I am
insects globally, has helped track ronment and support biodiver- prices of tomatoes have hit record the last 15 days in New Delhi, a April. Puree prices have so far not that the central bank will keep in- not using it because I haven’t in-
the grim trend. sity”. highs in recent weeks as monsoon spokesperson said. Indian con- changed. terest rates high into mid-2024. creased prices,” he said, gesturing
Volunteers have been contrib- “There’s a lot more we can rains disrupted supplies at a time sumer giant Dabur said it has “With the prices going over Vegetables are a politically- to a single piece of tomato on his
uting to the effort since the 1970s do there to make sure that the when seasonal production is typi- ramped up production of puree to Rs100 ($1.22), I tried to experi- sensitive commodity in India, cart. Pradeep Shetty of the Ho-
but recording is more popu- margins around fields are being cally low, forcing the government meet growing demand. ment with tomato ketchup for where average per-capita in- tel and Restaurant Association of
lar than ever, in part thanks to managed in a way to turn around to organise mobile vans for subsi- Puree sales at Tata’s online Indian gravies ... Not everyone in come was estimated to be around Western India said many outlets
evolving technology. the fortunes of our more com- dised sales. shopping website BigBasket the family liked it,” said 34-year- $200 per month in 2022-23. Price have stopped using fresh toma-
The Big Butterfly Count mon and widespread butterflies,” Many McDonald’s and Subway surged 175% in early July, with old Pravieen Sridhar, who runs a spikes in onions - another key in- toes in salads and are switching to
launched in 2010 and claims to he added. outlets have dropped tomatoes senior executive Seshu Kumar laundry business in Chennai. gredient used in Indian cooking more purees.
U
K Prime Minister Rishi new North Sea drilling licences if Boris Johnson’s vacated north- The US carmaker has meet Commerce Minister
Sunak has backed plans it regains power after more than a west London seat in a July 20 par- expressed an interest in Piyush Goyal, with discussions
for new fossil fuel drill- decade in opposition. liamentary by-election. building a factory in India that expected to centre on setting
ing off Britain’s coast, saying in a “I think it makes absolutely no The narrow victory came amid would produce a low-cost up an EV supply chain and
newspaper interview yesterday sense, as the Labour Party is sug- voter unease at Labour mayor electric vehicle (EV) priced at land allotment for a factory.
he would be “pragmatic and pro- gesting, to ban North Sea oil and Sadiq Khan expanding a scheme $24,000, around 25% cheaper Many Indian states are keen to
portionate” about reaching net gas,” Sunak told the Sunday Tel- taxing the use of the most pollut- than Tesla’s current entry woo Tesla to set up its plant in
zero. egraph. ing vehicles, and appears to have model, for both the Indian their region, but the carmaker
His government is expected “That is just going to weaken emboldened Tory net zero oppo- market and export. is currently focussed on
to approve the development of our energy security and strength- nents. The US-based executives discussing its proposal with
Rosebank, near Scotland’s Shet- en the hands of dictators like In the Telegraph interview, Su- - senior public policy and the federal government in
land Isles - believed to be the UK’s (Russian) President (Vladimir) nak insisted he was on the side of business development New Delhi, said one of the
largest undeveloped oil and gas Putin,” he said, arguing it jeop- motorists and said he had ordered executive Rohan Patel, and sources.
field - as well as other sites in the ardised 200,000 jobs and threat- a review of so-called low traf- a vice president for supply In the past, Tesla has been
nearby North Sea imminently. ened £80bn ($103bn) worth of tax fic neighbourhoods, contentious chain, Roshan Thomas - are linked to various regions in
The prospect has infuriated revenue. local authority-led tools to limit currently in New Delhi and India, including Maharashtra
environmental campaigners, who Sunak, who became leader last vehicle use in designated areas by met officials from the Invest and Karnataka.
argue that stopping all new fos- October, said his approach was blocking roads. India agency, the two sources The discussions represent
sil fuel exploitation is essential if “to support the UK’s energy in- His government has riled cli- said, declining to be identified a sharp reversal for the
Britain is to decarbonise by mid- dustry” and appeared to suggest mate campaigners since the sur- as the discussions were company after efforts last
century. that not exploiting new UK oil and prise by-election win by sug- private. year to reduce import taxes
They accuse the British leader gas reserves risked “the lights go- gesting some UK environmental Invest India CEO Nivruti Rai, on EVs shipped to India
of lacking conviction on cli- ing out” in Britain. targets could be eased, while of- Iwona Wylezinska and Siena Maria Wylezinska, dressed a former Intel executive, held were scuppered by calls
mate policies and playing poli- “Everybody sensible recog- fering lukewarm support for the all in pink, stand outside a theatre in London, Britain, talks with the Tesla executives from government officials to
tics with the issue, as he eyes a nises that we will need those fos- country’s ambitious net-zero ahead of watching the Barbie movie. during a meeting on Thursday, commit to making cars locally.
general election due next year sil fuels as part of the transition agenda.
10 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
COMMENT
CHAIRMAN
Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka
Deputy Managing Editor
K T Chacko
GULF TIMES
How AI is virtually
changing everything
The rapid march of artificial intelligence is not only disrupting
conventional notions of work. It is also changing the essence of human
identity. Whereas previous technological developments altered human
behaviour and appearances, AI will fundamentally reshape individuals’
core social and political beliefs, including about the nature and role of
the state.
In the nineteenth-century Industrial Revolution, mechanical power
– mostly fuelled by burning carbon – replaced human and animal power
as a source for energy to be used in the transformation of nature and
the production of industrial and consumer goods. As the revolution
matured in the twentieth century, hard physical labour was left to only a
dwindling group of occupations.
W
people have stopped thinking at work and devoted those energies to (including Japan) accounted for just Peyman describes China’s transition Peyman concludes by urging US
crossword puzzles, sudoku, or Wordle. ill the United States be 22.4% of the world’s population, but to modernity, which is being emulated, President Joe Biden and Chinese
Today’s revolution goes much further, because it affects how collective number three in the 59.9% of global GDP. Meanwhile, Asia to varying extents, elsewhere among President Xi Jinping – the leaders of
activity is conceptualised. This development is perhaps clearest in the new world order? In his (excluding Japan) accounted for just the Rest. For every warning that China the West and the Rest, respectively
military, but it also has implications for political participation and even forthcoming book, former 15.4% of world GDP, despite being home will collapse under the weight of a – to reach a grand bargain, much like
our understanding of legitimate authority. journalist Hugh Peyman argues that to 51.4% of the world’s people. rapidly ageing population, overbearing the one Richard Nixon struck with
The 20th century was marked it will: China’s economy has already The Industrial Revolution, which authoritarianism, a massive debt Mao Zedong in the early 1970s. Such
by the most destructive wars surpassed that of the US by some afforded the West major economic overhang, and slowing growth, there a bargain would support greater co-
Technology has in human history, which in
turn produced a new impulse
measures, and India’s will do the same advantages, together with colonial is an example in Peyman’s book of
China successfully leveraging scale,
operation on the major challenges of
our time – beginning with climate
by mid-century. He also argues that exploitation, help explain this
never stopped to democratise. Since soldiers
and their families needed to be
“the Rest” more broadly will pose a discrepancy. In 1820, the shares were far entrepreneurship, and innovation to
advance its goals and interests.
change – while reducing the likelihood
of devastating conflict.
growing challenge to the West, which more balanced: Asia (excluding Japan)
simply because rewarded for their sacrifices,
both World Wars led to an
in turn continues to underestimate the had accounted for 65.2% of the world’s Unfortunately, Peyman laments, the
US remains “blinded by pre-eminence,”
But a bargain must also be struck
between the state, whose power is
challengers. population and 56.4% of global GDP.
some people extension of the franchise.
Classical political liberalism
Peyman is hardly the first to predict By the middle of this century, making it “slow to see its power ebb.”
In fact, it appears that most Westerners
growing, and market forces, which are
becoming increasingly weak. Sudden,
the rise of countries that are not however, the Rest’s population will be
wanted it to held that people should not be
expected to sacrifice their lives
included in the geopolitical West (a 3.8 times larger than that of the West take for granted that the Rest are such a
diverse lot that they would not be able
unilateral policy changes, such as the
imposition or tightening of sanctions,
group that includes Japan). (including Japan), and its GDP will
for a specific political entity unless they had some say in the matter. The British economist Angus be 1.7 times larger. As Peyman notes, to pose a coherent, sustained challenge are disrupting private companies’
But technology offers a way to short-circuit this process. Around Maddison knew back in 2007 that rising investment in the Rest, not least to countries that have long dominated operations and undermining their
the world, educated urban populations increasingly are not expected to China’s GDP would soon overtake in education, has played an important the world order. profitability.
engage with the brutal side of human affairs. Consider Russia. Russian that of the US (in purchasing-power- role in boosting productivity and But countries like China, India, To uphold economic dynamism
President Vladimir Putin has relied on semi-autonomous mercenary parity terms at constant 1990 US rebalancing global output and income. Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea amid geopolitical tensions, the rules
groups, peripheral populations, and even prisoners to wage his war dollar prices), with India at number These investments will continue have proven that given the chance, governing private-sector trade and
in Ukraine, because he knows that the populations of Moscow and St three. And the OECD estimates that to pay off. The McKinsey Global the Rest are at least as competent as investment – including any national-
Petersburg are physically and – more importantly – psychologically India will overtake the US in GDP by Institute predicted last year that many of their Western counterparts in security “red lines” – must be clarified
unsuited for the task. 2050, and that, by 2060, the combined in the new multipolar world order, manufacturing, exports, infrastructure and respected. The country that
This is not a new problem, of course. Before World War I, military GDP of China, India, and Indonesia “technology may move to the forefront investment, and governance. Indian provides such rules will shape the new
commanders in big European countries wondered how they would field will equal $116.7tn – 49% of GDP – of geopolitical competition.” Given executives are running some of the top global order, even if it does not have the
large armies, given that modern industrial life had made many recruits making it three times larger than the that human capital, together with companies in the West. Meanwhile, largest GDP or population. — Project
physically unsuited for military service. Today, military planners still US economy. governance, is essential to translate many Western countries are failing Syndicate
harbour the same concerns. In 2017, the Pentagon estimated that 71% of This should not be particularly technological progress into productivity to achieve “social harmony, broad
young Americans (aged 17 to 24) were unfit for service, and since then the surprising, not least because non- growth, Asia has an edge: by 2030, the prosperity, and public health at home.” Andrew Sheng is a distinguished
share has risen to 77%. But it has technologies that earlier generations Western countries are home to far more region will be producing more than Even if the West does recognise its fellow at the Asia Global Institute at the
could scarcely have imagined. War is being taken over by unmanned people. As Peyman points out, China and 70% of the STEM (science, technology, weakening position, Peyman notes, University of Hong Kong.
appliances – such as autonomous drones – just as industrial and clerical India each have populations four times engineering, and math) graduates in the adjusting to it will not be easy. With Xiao Geng, Chairman of the Hong
work was in earlier eras. larger than the US, so their combined G20, with China alone accounting for the vast majority of the world’s Kong Institution for International
To understand the political consequences of the automatisation of GDP would be twice that of the US, even 35%, and India for 27%. population living outside the West, the Finance, is a professor and Director
war, just consider how society overall has changed in the modern era. with one-quarter America’s per-capita Moreover, while the Rest may lag Rest will no longer accept “exclusion of the Institute of Policy and Practice
In medieval society, humans were generally divided into three estates: income. As he puts it, “Population in terms of cutting-edge research, from global decision-making.” The at the Shenzhen Finance Institute at
oratores, bellatores, laboratores – those who orated or prayed (the numbers dictate that the West is only they have proved adept at applying Rest are not seeking to exclude the The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
clergy); those who fought (the aristocracy); and the rest, who actually did 10%, the Rest 90%.” Western innovations to consumer West in kind, but they do want to play Shenzhen.
some “work” in the form of manual labour.
It was owing to their fighting capacity that the aristocracy originally
could claim massive political power. But after they stopped fighting and
retired to a foppish court existence, the legitimacy of their rule vanished
in a cloud of perfume. With the mass armies that followed the French
Revolution, war became democratised, and so did politics. But now that
war is being fought through technology, power is moving away from the
people again.
What will come of the remaining social groups? Just as the
Industrial Revolution reduced the need for laboratores, the AI 'The Rest' are
revolution is rendering humans obsolete in the military sphere. Like
the laboratores before them, the bellatores are becoming machines. not seeking to
That leaves the oratores, who are tasked with preserving what is still
distinctively human. exclude the West
Are they, too, vulnerable to creeping redundancy and eventual
existential destruction at the hands of technology? Fearing as much, in kind, but they
some critics and tech leaders are calling for a “pause” on AI development.
But technology has never stopped simply because some people wanted it do want to play
to. — Project Syndicate
a leading role
To Advertise
in reshaping
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Display of the game –
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WORLD
A
t least 44 people were killed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said years in a bid to forge alliances with starting in 2014 largely restored order.
and hundred more wounded local hospitals reported 44 dead and secular parties on the left and right of The seven remote districts that
yesterday by a suicide bomb- 123 wounded, including 17 patients in the spectrum. border Afghanistan, of which Bajaur
ing at a political gathering of a leading serious condition. With the ability to mobilise tens of is one, were later brought under the
Islamic party in northwest Pakistan, “It was a suicide attack, with the thousands of madrassa students, his control of Pakistani authorities after
officials said. bomber detonating himself in close party never musters enough support the passage of legislation in 2018.
The blast targeted the Jamiat Ule- proximity to the stage,” he told AFP. for power on its own, but is usually a Analysts say militants in the former
ma-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party — a gov- Provincial governor Haji Ghulam Ali key player in any coalition. tribal areas have become emboldened
ernment coalition partner led by an confirmed the toll. Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in since the return of the Afghan Taliban.
influential firebrand cleric — as hun- Images from the blast site circu- militant attacks since the Afghan Tali- One security analyst suggested yes-
dreds of supporters gathered under a lating on social media showed bodies ban surged back to power in neigh- terday’s attack was more likely linked
canopy in the town of Khar, near the strewn around the scene, and volun- bouring Afghanistan in 2021. to the election rather than having a
Afghan border. teers helping blood-soaked victims to Pakistan’s home-grown Taliban sectarian motive.
“The tent had collapsed on one side, ambulances. group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan “This is part of terrorism violence
trapping people who were desperately Pakistan’s national assembly is (TTP), has largely directed its cam- that seems to be ramping up in Pa-
attempting to escape,” said Abdullah due to dissolve in the next few weeks paign against security officials, in- kistan ahead of elections to create a
Khan, who tried to help the victims. ahead of elections expected in October cluding police officers. sense of instability that could even-
“There was utter confusion, with or November, and political parties are People transport a man, who was injured after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber In January, a suicide bomber linked tually lead to a delay in the elections,”
human flesh, limbs, and body parts already preparing to campaign. Pakhtunkhwa, at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar yesterday. (Reuters) to Pakistan’s Taliban blew himself up said Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director of
scattered throughout the area, along- The blast coincides with a visit by a in a mosque inside a police compound the Center for Research and Security
side lifeless bodies.” senior delegation of Chinese officials, ter of the Islamic State (IS) group has a huge network of mosques and ma- in the northwestern city of Peshawar, Studies.
Sabeeh Ullah, a 24-year-old party including Vice-Premier He Lifeng, recently carried out attacks against drassas in the north and west of the killing more than 80 officers. Afghan government spokesman
supporter who had his arm fractured who arrived in the capital later last JUI-F. country. The militant assaults have been Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the
by the blast, said the scale of injuries evening. Last year, IS said it was behind vio- The jihadist group accuses JUI-F of focused in regions abutting Afghani- attack in a statement, adding Kabul
was horrifying. No group has claimed responsibil- lent attacks against religious scholars hypocrisy for being an Islamic group stan, and Islamabad alleges some “shares its deepest condolences with
“I found myself lying next to some- ity for the attack, but the local chap- affiliated with the party, which has while supporting hostile governments are being planned on Afghan soil — a the affected families”.
Italy laments
signing up for
BRI but wants to
retain China
Russia thwarts Ukraine drone
partnership
Italy made an “improvised and
atrocious” decision when it joined
attacks on Moscow, Crimea
China’s Belt and Road Initiative AFP
(BRI) four years ago as it did little Moscow
to boost exports, Italian Defence
Minister Guido Crosetto said in an
R
interview published yesterday. ussia said yesterday it
Italy signed up to the BRI under a had downed Ukrainian
previous government, becoming drones targeting Moscow
the only major Western country to and the Crimea peninsula in
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah (third right) have taken such a step. Crosetto attacks that damaged two office
receiving visiting Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng upon his is part of an administration that is towers in the capital and briefly
arrival in Islamabad. (AFP) considering how to break free of shut an international airport.
the agreement. One drone targeting Moscow
China, Pakistan to mark mega The BRI scheme envisions
rebuilding the old Silk Road
was shot down on the city’s
outskirts and two others were
infrastructure anniversary to connect China with Asia,
Europe and beyond with large
“suppressed by electronic war-
fare” and smashed into an of-
infrastructure spending. Critics fice complex early yesterday,
Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng arrived in the Pakistan capital see it as a tool for China to spread the Russian defence ministry
yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of an enormous economic its geopolitical and economic said, adding that there were no
plan that is the cornerstone of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. influence. injuries.
Since its initiation in 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor “The decision to join the (new) Moscow and its environs,
(CPEC) has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive Silk Road was an improvised and lying about 500km from the
transport, energy and infrastructure projects. atrocious act” that multiplied Ukrainian border, had rarely
But the undertaking has also been hit by Pakistan struggling to China’s exports to Italy but did not been targeted during the con-
keep up its financial obligations, as well as attacks on Chinese have the same effect on Italian flict in Ukraine until several A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow City following a reported
targets by militants. exports to China, Crosetto told the drone attacks this year. Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, yesterday. (Reuters)
“After a decade since its inception, CPEC has shown mixed results,” Corriere della Sera newspaper. Following the attacks,
said Azeem Khalid, assistant professor of international relations at “The issue today is: how to walk Ukrainian President Volo- Telegram: “On the morning of buildings, AFP photos showed, get, crashed into the Black Sea,”
COMSATS University Islamabad. back (from the BRI) without dymyr Zelensky warned that July 30, the Kyiv regime’s at- with mangled steel beams vis- the ministry said, adding that
“The primary goal of connecting China with the Arabian Sea is damaging relations (with Beijing). “war” was coming to Russia. tempted terrorist attack with ible and documents strewn on there were no victims.
still relatively low in achievement for China. On the other hand, Because it is true that China is a “Gradually, the war is re- unmanned aerial vehicles on the ground below. Crimea has been targeted
Pakistan has made notable progress in achieving short-term competitor, but it is also a partner,” turning to the territory of Rus- objects in the city of Moscow Police officers had cordoned by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s
objectives.” the defence minister added. sia — to its symbolic centres was thwarted. off the area. Ukraine offensive but has come
In recent years Beijing has been one of Islamabad’s most reliable After a White House meeting and military bases, and this is “One Ukrainian UAV was de- The TASS state news agency under more intense, increased
foreign partners, readily providing financial assistance to bail out with US President Joe Biden an inevitable, natural and ab- stroyed in the air by air defence reported the capital’s Vnukovo attacks in recent weeks.
its often struggling neighbour. on Thursday, Italian Prime solutely fair process,” Zelensky systems over the territory of airport was “closed for depar- Kyiv has repeatedly said it
Earlier this week, Beijing granted Pakistan a two-year rollover Minister Giorgia Meloni said her said on a visit to the western the Odintsovo district of Mos- tures and arrivals, flights are plans to take Crimea back.
on a $2.4bn loan, giving the debt-saddled nation much-needed government was still deliberating city of Ivano-Frankivsk. cow region. redirected to other airports” The attacks on Moscow come
breathing space as it tackles a balance-of-payments crisis. on the BRI and announced a trip to Russia has been targetted “Two more drones were but operations appeared to several weeks into a Ukrain-
An IMF report last year said China and its commercial banks held Beijing in the near future. with a series of recent drone suppressed by electronic war- have returned to normal inside ian counter-offensive to claw
about 30% of Pakistan’s total external debt. “We’ll take a decision before assaults — including on the fare and, having lost control, an hour. back territory captured by Rus-
The two countries share a 596km frontier near the Siachen Glacier December,” Meloni told US Kremlin and Russian towns crashed on the territory of Earlier this month, a volley of sia since large-scale hostilities
in the Karakoram Mountains, one of the world’s tallest ranges. broadcaster Fox News in an near the border with Ukraine Moscow-City’s non-residen- drone attacks briefly disrupted erupted in February 2022.
Pakistan politicians frequently trot out the phrase “stronger than interview aired yesterday, adding — that Moscow has blamed on tial building complex.” air traffic at the same airport. On Friday, Russia said it had
the Himalayas, deeper than the ocean, and sweeter than honey” to that the issue required discussions Kyiv. Moscow-City is a commer- The defence ministry also intercepted two missiles over
portray the depth and closeness of the relationship with China. with the Chinese government and Russia’s defence ministry cial development in the west of said yesterday that 25 Ukrain- its southern Rostov region bor-
But ties have been strained by numerous hurdles in recent years, within the Italian parliament. denounced an “attempted ter- the capital. ian drones were destroyed by dering Ukraine, with at least 16
including stalled or scaled-back CPEC projects. Meloni reiterated her view that it is rorist attack” which Foreign Mayor Sergei Sobyanin air defence fire in an overnight people wounded by debris fall-
The economic corridor presents an attractive gateway for China to a “paradox” that while Italy is part Minister Sergei Lavrov said posted on Telegram that the attack on Crimea, a peninsula ing on the city of Taganrog.
access the Indian Ocean, but the safety and security of its workers of the BRI, it is not the G7 country would have been “impossi- “facades of two city office tow- Moscow annexed in 2014. Shortly after, it said it had
has been a longstanding concern. with the biggest trade with China, ble without the help afforded ers were slightly damaged” but “Another nine Ukrain- downed a second S-200 mis-
Yesterday at least 44 people were killed and dozens more and said that shows it is possible the Kyiv regime by the United added there were no victims. ian drones were suppressed by sile near the city of Azov, with
wounded by a suicide bombing at a political gathering of a leading to have good relations with Beijing States and its Nato allies.” Several windows had been means of electronic warfare debris falling in an unpopu-
Islamic party in northwest Pakistan. without the Belt and Road. The defence ministry said on blown out on the corner of the and, without reaching the tar- lated area.
N
ight trains have made a come- at one point, but it went the opposite Established in 2021, his company There is also no centralised site to
back in Europe thanks to their direction and invested in them instead. inaugurated a Berlin-Brussels link in consult timetables and compare prices,
low-carbon footprint, but after “Our night trains are nearly fully May. “The train is not always up to the with some in the industry complaining
years of neglect, the renaissance has booked,” OeBB spokesman Bernhard modern standards, but despite that of a lack of political will.
had a bumpy ride. Rieder told AFP as summer travel is in many people would like to travel by “There’s not really a European ap-
Operators admit that the trains are full swing in Europe. night train and the enthusiasm is quite proach to train travel at the moment,”
outdated — with passengers facing OeBB runs 20 routes connecting Vi- big,” he told AFP. Engelsman said.
the occasional delays, technical prob- enna and other cities throughout Eu- “There are breakdowns sometimes French startup Midnight Trains co-
lems or malfunctioning toilets — while rope. or the toilets are not working or elec- founder Adrien Aumont said his com-
companies compete in an overloaded “We have a long tradition with night tricity is not working properly, things pany’s aim was to “reinvent” the night
network. train service,” Rieder said, pointing out like that,” he added, blaming the “lack train “to make it a truly competitive
Despite the challenges, national how the Alpine nation’s mountainous of investment for decades”. means of transport against aviation”.
rail operators are giving night trains topography makes having high-speed Competition from low-cost flights Aumont had the idea to create the
another chance while startups are connections difficult. and a lack of co-ordination between company when his partner “decided
jumping on the bandwagon as climate Astrid Reiter, a 27-year-old consult- different European rail operators and never to get on a plane again”.
concerns are making travellers ditch ant, booked a night train from Vienna companies are other obstacles. His startup is partnering with a
kerosene-burning planes for cleaner to Zurich. It is difficult to compete with some night train maker to relaunch the once
modes of transportation. “It’s nice because you basically wake Passengers are seen through the windows inside a sleeping car of the Nightjet flights’ “unreasonably low” prices, popular Paris-Milan-Venice line in
Sitting at the crossroads between up in a different country,” she said. “If train line Vienna – Venice (-Zurich) of the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) at according to a recent report by NGO 2025.
western and eastern Europe, Austria everything works out well, it’s a very the main station in Vienna, Austria. (AFP) Greenpeace, with the aviation sector “I realised that it was almost impos-
has been at the heart of this revival convenient way to travel.” benefitting from subsidies and tax ex- sible to travel in Europe (without fly-
with the backing of the government She added: “I do hope that other days as what we want to deliver to our glomerate Siemens to expand its reach emptions. ing). People were asked to get off the
even as low-cost airlines threatened companies other than the Austrian customers”. and replace part of its ageing fleet. Rail transport, on the other hand, is planes, but without necessarily offer-
to relegate sleeper trains to the his- railway company develop more night “There was no demand and no re- The first trains — with a modern de- “subject to various taxes and fees,” in ing them solutions,” he told AFP.
tory books. trains and make it easier to have faster quest for night trains for over 25 years” sign, more privacy and more shower particular for using the infrastructure, He slammed a service that “has de-
Austrian rail operator OeBB, a pio- night trains.” causing manufacturing to grind to a facilities — are expected to go into said Philipp Kosok, an analyst at the teriorated” over time, far from the leg-
neer in the sector, has Europe’s biggest Rieder admits that the quality of its halt, he said. In 2018, OeBB ordered service at the end of this year. German think tank Agora. endary and luxurious Orient Express.
fleet of night trains, serving 1.5mn pas- service “is not always as high these 33 new night trains from German con- Chris Engelsman, co-founder of “Operating night trains is very dif- — AFP
12 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
QATAR
Purple Dragonfly Awards honour for HBKU Press Record set
in Qatar
H
amad Bin Khalifa University
Press has received three hon-
ours at the 2023 Purple Drag- for world’s
onfly Awards, where Rima Ismail’s
book Anger won in the picture books longest LED
category.
Suha Abu Shakra’s book I Wish I slackline
Knew and Basma al-Khatib’s Could the
Stars Stay Bright also received honour- walk
able mentions in the category of best
illustrations. From Page 1
The Purple Dragonfly Book Awards
was established in 2009 to recognise Raffles and Fairmont Doha
and honour writers and illustrators for selling books in 56 separate and diverse Book Awards are required to be original, managing director Christian
their outstanding creativity in chil-
dren’s literature.
categories, from environment to cook-
ing, and from sports to family issues.
innovative and creative in their content
and design, and to provide children
‘Seif’ a multi-sensory exhibition Hirt expressed his excitement
about the event being hosted at
A
Awards are presented to the best- Books winning the Purple Dragonfly with the best reading experience. l-Markhiya Gallery is opening a multidisciplinary art exhibition, “Seif”, the Iconic Towers, saying: “Raf-
on August 8 at the Fire Station: Artists’ Residence, showcasing the tal- fles and Fairmont Doha have
ents of Iraqi painter Ismail Azzam, Qatari artist Azzam al-Mannai, and always celebrated the extraor-
World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 Logo and Brand unveiled the Syrian artist and writer Ismail al-Rifai, through the media of photography, dinary, and this event embodies
video, drawing, and sound. that spirit.”
From Page 1 the world’s five continents: six points in the middle of them These artists will transform the gallery into a magical multi-sensory experi- “The project serves to under-
stand for the six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, div- ence, exploring themes of nature, the ocean and other natural elements, invit- line our commitment to show-
“We are proud to announce the official brand of the World ing, high diving, artistic swimming, and open water swim- ing audiences to immerse themselves in the wonders of flora and fauna and the casing high-calibre talents that
Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024,” said Khaleel Ibrahim ming – with the movement of water inspiring the cohesive soothing sounds of the sea. defy the impossible,” he said,
al-Jaber, the general director of the Doha 2024 Local Organ- fluid shapes in the rows and points are inspired by the move- Members of the public will have the opportunity to view diverse works of art adding: “As this daring athlete
ising Committee, on this occasion. ment of water. and to learn about the aesthetics, arts and creativity of plastic artists from Qatar ‘Sparklines’ across our towers,
“The voices of all five continents can be heard echoing World Aquatics president Husain al-Musallam said: “I am and the Arab world. we hope it captivates the world
this call as we look forward to welcoming the elite athletes of delighted that the World Aquatics World Championships will The gallery seeks to promote the plastic art movement in Qatar and in the Arab and inspires others to push their
aquatic sports and the fans in Doha, promising an unforget- be in Doha next year. Qatar has an outstanding reputation as world, through exhibitions that celebrate the expertise and experiences of Qatari boundaries.”
table sporting event,” he said. an exceptional host country for major sports events, and I am and resident plastic artists, and allow for interaction between the public and the In a press statement, Katara
The World Aquatics Brand showcases five rows to reflect extremely excited to see Doha welcome our aquatics family.” creatives. Hospitality’s leadership said:
“We are proud of this activation,
working alongside Qatar Tour-
ism and Red Bull, as it exempli-
Katara Summer
fies Katara Hospitality’s com-
mitment to utilising the Iconic
Towers as a powerful asset to
promote tourism and enhance
the destination’s appeal.”
Camp keeping
Qatar Tourism chief oper-
ating officer Berthold Trenkel
said: “Qatar has built a sporting
legacy for itself and is now a true
hub for international sporting
kids engaged
events.”
“We’re delighted to support
the exhilarating slackline walk
event and champion renowned
athletes,” he said. “By fostering a
culture of athleticism, we strive
T
he activities of the second week sports activities such as volleyball and unique and beautiful style. to create opportunities for ath-
of Katara – the Culture Village beach football. Further, there was also a quiz session letes to showcase their skills and
Summer Camp started yesterday, The children will also be taken on on general knowledge, presented by reach new heights in their ath-
witnessing a significant turnout and informative tours to Al Thuraya Plan- Aisha al-Idrisi, where the participants letic careers.”
interaction from the participating chil- etarium, Al Gannas Qatari Society, and actively engaged and received symbolic The Sparkline walk took place
dren, with the number of participants the Katara Traditional Dhow Museum. gifts. as part of an action-packed cal-
amounting to 50 children. The General Directorate of Civil De- These programmes were highly ap- and enhance their artistic and creative nificant initiative and being a part of it. endar of global events in Qatar.
For the second week, participating fence presented a training course on fire preciated by the children, in addition to skills. The camp has been keen to maintain With several key sporting
organisations in the camp, including the safety and accident prevention, which the shooting exercises provided by the The workshop stressed the ethi- a variety of sports activities, including events expected to take place in
General Directorate of Civil Defence, Al is one of the essential programmes at Shooting Club. cal considerations of content creation football and beach volleyball, to keep 2023, including Qatar MotoGP,
Jazeera Media Institute, the Qatar Red the camp, focusing on educating par- Meanwhile, Jana al-Meslimani, pro- for various social media platforms, re- the participants engaged and active AFC Asian Cup, Qatar Formula
Crescent Society, the Ministry of En- ticipants about the proper use of fire ex- ducer at Al Jazeera Media Institute and specting privacy and avoiding blindly throughout the Katara Summer Camp. 1 Grand Prix, and Geneva Inter-
dowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf), tinguishers and safe procedures in case one of its ambassadors, conducted a imitating others’ content. The camp’s activities take place every national Motor Show, visitors
the Nomas Centre, and the Shooting of any unfortunate fire incidents. training workshop on video production, She expressed her delight in interact- Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of each can expect extraordinary sport-
Club, will offer various training courses The camp also featured a poetry ses- aiming to introduce the young partici- ing with the children and wished them week until August 15, from 10am to ing experiences in Qatar all year
and awareness lectures, in addition to sion, where children recited poems in a pants to the world of video production success, thanking Katara for this sig- 7pm. round.
Q
atar Tourism (QT)’s Summer las, Al Khenaizi, Al Shishi, Al Barhi, Hall, which began on July 30 and runs
Calendar continues to provide Al Saqai, Al Razizi, Nabt Saif, and Al until August 10, offers a wide range
residents and visitors with an Lulu. of fun-filled activities, from basket-
array of exciting and family-friendly Visitors are also treated to a wide ball to volleyball, futsal to fitness, and
events, from traditional festivals to range of date-based products, includ- Zumba to recreational games.
sports camps and workshops. ing the ever-popular date syrup. This The camp also featured educational
The Souq Waqif 8th Local Dates festival not only promotes local pro- courses like arts and crafts and en-
gaging field visits, encouraging both
physical and intellectual growth in a
nurturing environment. Souq Waqif 8th Local Dates Festival showcases the finest local varieties of
The Qatar Toy Festival, being held at dates. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam
the Doha Exhibition and Convention
Centre (DECC) until August 5, is a ha-
ven for families and children.
Focused on promoting interactive
play and reducing reliance on elec-
tronic devices, the festival provides a
platform for children to explore their
creativity and imagination while hav-
ing an absolute blast.
The event’s popularity showcased
the enduring value of traditional toys
and games.
It is learnt that the Summer Camp
for children and young adults at Qatar
National Library (QNL), running until
August 24, is proving to be an enrich-
ing experience.
By combining education with rec-
reation, the camp nurtured young
minds and instilled a love for learning
through various engaging activities
and workshops. A number of performances showcasing popular cartoon characters enthral the audience at the Qatar Toy Festival.
The Desert Falls Water and Ad- PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam
venture Park, meanwhile, brought a
unique Ladies Only Night experience, tion, the hand-building clay workshop
allowing women to unwind, splash, at Heenat Salma Farm, running until
and have a thrilling time until October August 31, takes participants into the
25. world of pottery and helps them hone
This initiative provided a safe space their creative skills.
for women to enjoy the park’s attrac- According to the organisers, this
tions and bond with friends and fam- activity underlines the cultural sig-
ily, fostering a sense of empowerment nificance and economic importance
and camaraderie. of clay production within local com-
For those with an artistic inclina- munities.
Adrenaline junkies were not left
out as the Roller Skating Rink at Doha
Quest, which runs until tomorrow
(August 1), provided an exhilarating
escape.
Skaters of all ages revelled in the
thrill of gliding through the rink,
showcasing their skills and making
unforgettable memories with family
and friends.
Sports enthusiasts had another rea-
son to rejoice with PSG Academy Qa- Local dates on display at the event. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam
tar’s Summer Camp in Doha, taking
place until August 24. ing teamwork and sportsmanship. It showcased a diverse range of
Aspiring footballers benefit from A special Eid al-Adha edition of events across the country, allowing
Arts and crafts at the Summer Camp for children expert coaching and training, im- QT’s monthly events calendar was both locals and tourists to participate
and young adults at Qatar National Library. This screenshot shows the hand-building clay workshop at Heenat mersing themselves in the beautiful added to the festivities during the oc- in memorable celebrations during this
PICTURE: QNL Salma Farm, running until August 31. game while at the same time develop- casion from last month. auspicious time.