GULF TIMES

pu
bl
Q since
is A R 8
AT 19
he
d
in
MONDAY

7
Vol. XXXXIII No. 12722

July 31, 2023

Muharram 13, 1445 AH
www.gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

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

the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah
bin Hamad al-Thani sent cables of
congratulations to King Mohamed
VI of Morocco on the occasion of
Throne Day. (QNA)
Qatar win GCC U-16
Basketball Championship
Qatar clinched the GCC U-16
Basketball Championship in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia, after winning all their
matches. Qatar beat Saudi Arabia
89-73 yesterday to lift the title and
also book their place in the Asian
Under-16 Championship. Saudi won
silver while Bahrain took home
bronze. Qatar Basketball Federation
(QBF) President Mohamed Saad
al-Mughisib, QBF Secretary-General
Saadoun al-Kuwari and president
of the Saudi Basketball Federation
Dr Ghassan Tashkandi crowned the
winners. Sport Page 1
T
he local organising committee
of The World Aquatics Cham-
pionships - Doha 2024 has un-
veiled the Official Logo and Brand of
the championships, scheduled to take
place from February 2-18, 2024.
This announcement came after the
flag handover ceremony held on the
final night of competition at the World
Aquatics Championships - Fukuoka
2023 in Japan.
The official delegation of the Doha
2024 local organising committee, led
by HE Jassim bin Rashid al-Buainain,
Vice-Chairman of the Doha 2024
Local Organising Committee and
Secretary-General of the Qatar Ol-
ympic Committee, received the World
Aquatics flag, symbolising the passing
of the torch to Doha as the upcoming
host city for this prestigious sporting
event.
The World Aquatics Champion-
ships - Doha 2024 will include around
2,600 athletes from 190 nations com-
peting at three main venues: the As-
pire Dome, Hamad Aquatic Centre,
and the Old Doha Port, according to
the organising committee.
On this occasion, HE al-Buainain
said: “We have succeeded in attracting
the World Aquatics flagship and most
anticipated event. This is reflected in
the foundation that Qatar possesses,
including its world-class infrastruc-
ture, facilities, and the know-how that
empowers Qatar to provide a sport-
ing experience of the highest calibre.
This achievement is made possible by
the unwavering support of HE Sheikh
Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President
of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and
Chairman of the Doha 2024 Local Or-
ganising Committee.”
The World Aquatics Championships
- Doha 2024 brand projects colours that
are both uplifting and meaningful. The
primary colour, blue, comes from the
World Aquatics official emblem. The
State of Qatar is surrounded by the gulf,
which is represented by the turquoise
and light green hues, while vivid orange
The 2024 World Aquatics Championships flag was handed over to HE the represents the sunset. The energy and
Vice-Chairman of the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 Organising movement related to sports are symbol-
Committee and Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee Jassim bin Rashid ised by the medium purple-red colour.
al-Buainain at a momentous handover ceremony in Fukuoka, Japan, yesterday. To Page 12

UAE to set up bodies to

curb money laundering
The UAE announced plans
yesterday to establish judicial
Education City’s new tram Denmark, Sweden to prevent
burning of Holy Qur’an
line connects campuses
bodies to prosecute money
laundering and financial crime
following increased monitoring
by a global watchdog dedicated AFP “We have also started to analyse
to battling illicit cash flows. The the legal situation already... in order

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-

approved a “proposal to establish
federal prosecution entities
specialised in economic crimes
and money laundering”. It comes
more than a year after the Paris-
based Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) added the UAE to a “grey
list” of nations subject to greater
oversight because of concerns over
illicit finance.
Qatar condemns
explosion in Pakistan
Qatar has expressed its strong
condemnation of the explosion
that took place in Bajaur District,
northwest Pakistan, resulting in
deaths and injuries. In a statement
yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs reiterated Qatar’s firm
position on rejecting violence and
terrorism, regardless of the motives
and reasons. (QNA)
Green Line – connecting the
North and South Campuses of Educa-
tion City.
Stops on the North Campus include
Education City Community Housing,
Qatar Foundation (QF) research cen-
tres, the Premier Inn Doha Education
City Hotel, Qatar Science & Technol-
ogy Park, Qatar National Convention
Centre, and Sidra Medicine, with the
South Campus housing universities
and schools at Education City. The new
line, which opened to the public on July
29, also connects Education City Com-
munity Housing to both campuses.
“The Education City Tram sup-
ports Ministry of Transport (MoT)’s
efforts and plans for delivering an
integrated, sustainable public transit
network in Qatar, which covers all ur-
ban areas and forms a coherent trans-
portation unit that connects public
buses, Doha Metro, and Lusail Tram,
given that Education City is already
connected to that system with bus
Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalid al-Thani
and metro stations,” said Sheikh Mo-
hamed bin Khalid al-Thani, technical
office director, MoT.
“Expanding the Education City
Tram’s scope of service also contrib-
utes to backing the MoT’s strategy for
a full switch to a transportation system
powered by clean, eco-friendly electric
energy, aiming to serve the country’s
sustainable development requirements
and implement Qatar’s National Envi-
ronment and Climate Change Strategy,
thereby making us one more step closer
to achieving the Qatar National Vision
2030.”
Nasser al-Hajri, executive director
of Capital Projects at QF, said: “The
launch of the Green Line further signi-
fies QF’s commitment to a sustainable
campus.” To Page 4
T
he Danish government said
yesterday it would explore le-
gal means of stopping protests
involving the burning of holy texts
in certain circumstances, citing se-
curity concerns following backlash
over such incidents that saw the
Holy Qur’an desecrated in Denmark
and Sweden.
Noting that such protests played
into the hands of extremists, the
government wants to “explore” in-
tervening in situations where “other
countries, cultures, and religions are
being insulted, and where this could
have significant negative conse-
quences for Denmark, not least with
regard to security,” it said in a state-
ment from the foreign ministry.
In a separate statement, Swedish
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said
he had been in close contact with his
Danish counterpart Mette Frederik-
sen, and that a similar process was
already underway in Sweden.
rity of Swedes in Sweden and around
the world,” Kristersson said in a post
to Instagram.
The Danish statement said: “This
must of course be done within the
framework of the constitutionally
protected freedom of expression and
in a manner that does not change the
fact that freedom of expression in
Denmark has very broad scope,” it
added, stressing it is one of the coun-
try’s most important values.
Several recent protests involv-
ing desecrations of the Muslim holy
book have raised diplomatic tensions
throughout the Middle East and the
two Nordic countries.
The Danish government noted
that the protests have “reached a
level where Denmark, in many parts
of the world across continents, is
being viewed as a country that fa-
cilitates insult and denigration of the
cultures, religions, and traditions of
other countries.”

Suicide blast kills 40

at Pakistan party rally
At least 40 people were killed and
dozens more wounded yesterday
by a suicide bombing at a political
Record set in Qatar for longest LED slackline walk
gathering of a leading Islamic party

in northwest Pakistan, officials said.
Page 11
Palestinian rivals
form unity committee
Rival Palestinian political leaders
meeting in Egypt decided
yesterday to form a committee on
intra-Palestinian reconciliation.
President Mahmoud Abbas and
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met
for rare face-to-face talks in the
coastal city of El Alamein along
with representatives of most
Palestinian political factions.
Sudan fighters evict
Khartoum residents
Sudan’s paramilitaries have
ordered civilians to vacate homes
in the capital’s south, several
residents said yesterday, as
fighting between the forces of
rival generals raged in the western
Darfur region. Page 6
G
lobally renowned Red Bull
athlete Jaan Roose has com-
pleted the world’s longest
LED-lit, single-building slackline
to cross one of Qatar’s newest and
most iconic architectural land-
marks.
The Estonian national and three-
time Slackline World Champion
defied the odds by achieving the
walk, titled “Sparkline,” at the first
attempt, walking the distance be-
tween the scimitar-shaped, Iconic
Towers that are owned by Katara
Hospitality and that are home to
Raffles and Fairmont Doha in Lusail
City.
Covering a distance of more than
150 metres, the Sparkline walk is
not only the longest on a single
building but also Roose’s highest
urban walk to date at an elevation of
more than 185 metres on a line just
2.5cm wide.
Speaking on the new world
record set, Roose said: “When I first
saw the Iconic Towers, I knew this
was a building that I had to walk.
Anything worth achieving comes
with its fair share of challenges,
and I’m proud to complete this one.
Per metre walked, this line was my
toughest ever.
“As an athlete, I’m always look-
ing to push myself further and defy
the odds. In this case, the heat and
wind conditions added a different
element that I needed to react to
and manage spontaneously while I
was on the slackline.
“The warm LED lights and their
extra weight also changed how the
line interacted with me and my
bodyweight. It’s like skateboard-
ing on a big heavy tree trunk rather
than a light board. The Iconic Tow-
ers are an incredible place to be
completing this feat and mark a
very special visit for my first time in
Qatar,” Roose added.
The Raffles Doha and Fairmont
Doha are two luxury hotels that face
each other in beautifully impos-
ing structures shaped like scimitar against the backdrop of the Arabian suite-only Raffles Doha showcases
swords. The towers are some of the Sea. a spell-binding entrance, a per-
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
expanding list of architectural mar- chandelier, the Fairmont Doha is delights by world-renowned chef, “Sparkline,” at the first attempt, walking the distance
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

strides in global rankings

Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani sent a similar cable of congratulations to
Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau. (QNA)

Q
atar University (QU)
continues to garner in-
ternational recognition
in several prestigious global
rankings.
Most recently, QU climbed up
the QS World Rankings 2024,
placing 173 and entering the top
200, up from 208 the previous
year, a significant milestone that
showcases QU’s consistent im-
worldwide. In a statement on
this occasion, QU President Dr
Omar al-Ansari said: “We have
made significant progress in the
QS World Universities Rankings,
ranked 173rd for this year, de-
spite changes in ranking meth-
odology. This is a great reflection
of the success we have achieved
and really illustrates QU’s vast
contributions and dedication to
tion (THE) Asia Rankings 2023,
moving up 18 places from 2022
and proudly entering the top 30
universities in Asia, as well as
placing 24th worldwide and first
in the Mena region on the Young
Universities ranking by the same
ranking agency. The achieve-
ment confirms the universi-
ty’s continental improvement
alongside regional, worldwide,
of QU’s research, judged by an
analysis of many tens of mil-
lions of citations to 15mn re-
search papers worldwide, has
Ooredoo and Doha Bank
been improving strongly. This
is accompanied by a strong rise
in the productivity and global
collaborate in labour ministry’s
reputation of QU’s research, too.
QU is a true national flagship in-
stitution and a credit to Qatar as
summer internship programme
a centre of excellence for the na-

provement in all areas.
The QS World Rankings intro-
duced three new indicators this
year: Sustainability, employ-
ment options and international
research network.
QU programmes also make a
mark on the QS World University
Rankings by Subject 2023. Most
notably, the University places
first in the Arab region in the
subjects of Sports Science and
Theology, Divinity and Religion.
Law and Legal Studies; Environ-
mental Sciences; Accounting
and Finance; and Social Sciences
and Management place third.
This is in addition to various
QU subjects that appeared in
the top 10 in the Arab World and
some in the top 50 and top 200
excellence. Internationally, QU
has been making great strides
and achievements in all fields,
expanding its international im-
pact, including research aspects
and partnerships, and remain-
ing committed to our mission
of addressing relevant local, re-
gional challenges and advancing
knowledge.
“In addition to this, many of
QU’s specialisations show their
leadership in their area, proving
to be a testament to the world-
class education offered by QU,
and a motivation for both future
students and faculty alike.”
This achievement follows the
announcement by Times Higher
Education that QU placed 28th
in the Times Higher Educa-
and across ranking agencies and
Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs
Officer at Times Higher Edu-
cation, congratulated QU for
“joining the top 25 of the world’s
leading ‘young’ universities —
those 50 years old or younger.”
He added that Qatar Univer-
sity has made remarkably strong
and steady progress up the pres-
tigious THE World University
Rankings in recent years, joining
the ranks of the global research
elite with just decades of devel-
opment since its foundation in
1977, compared to competitors
with many centuries of history
behind them.
“The rise up the rankings has
primarily been driven by re-
search excellence. The quality
tion, and I expect its strengthen-
ing position on the world stage
will help it attract more talent,
and more success,” he added.
Recently, QU boasted an am-
bitious research roadmap field-
ing national development prior-
ities, and a number of significant
research successes with global
significance. QU also encom-
passes a large portfolio of inter-
nationally accredited colleges
and programmes that attest to
a high level of excellence and
quality. The University main-
tains a close relationship with
the public and private sectors
that has led to a number of MoUs
and collaborative agreements,
which greatly benefit the insti-
tution. (QNA)
T
he 2023 summer intern-
ship programme, tar-
geting Qatari students,
continues to operate under
the auspices of the Ministry of
Labour and numerous private-
sector corporations.
The initiative forms part
of the broader national pro-
gramme for job localisation in
the private sector and will run
throughout the summer break.
Within the communications
and information technology
sector, seven students took part
in the summer internship pro-
gramme overseen by Ooredoo.
Meanwhile, Doha Bank super-
vised five students participating
from the financial and insurance
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)

Qatar attends ANNHRI conference in Cairo

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

Fishing gear sales soar

Cairo, yesterday.
The conference brings to-
gether 330 people representing
65 international and regional the universality and unity of
organisations and national in- the human rights process, in
stitutions, government repre- addition to opening prospects

despite summer lull

By Peter Alagos enough for a basic set-up,
Business Reporter which includes a decent fishing
rod, a 30mm fishing line, swiv-
els, hooks, and a sinker.
sentatives, NGO representa-
tives and activists from the
relevant stakeholders of part-
ners, experts and consultants.
Entitled ‘National Human
Rights Institutions Established
in Accordance with the Paris
Principles, Roles and Challeng-
es, Visions and Aspirations’, the
conference comes on the side-
lines of the Doha-based AN-
for co-operation and overcom-
ing obstacles and challenges.
Al-Jamali added that the
conference seeks to strengthen
co-operation with the Glo-
bal Alliance of National Hu-
man Rights Institutions, the
Sub-Committee on Accredita- Council for Human Rights of
tion, the Office of the UN High Egypt, ambassador Moushira
Commissioner for Human Khattab said the conference
Rights, and other international comes at a very important time,

E
ven though fewer people
in Qatar are fishing dur-
ing the summer months,
beginners and serious hobby-
ists who are looking to improve
their gear are driving sales of
fishing accessories, according
to residents who frequent dif-
ferent angling spots across the
country.
The hot and humid weather
has not deterred anglers in
the country, whether profes-
sional or novice, from setting
up their gear in preparation for
the upcoming months when
the weather would be more
favourable for fishing, Joseph
“Jeff ” Cerezo told Gulf Times
yesterday.
Cerezo, along with Adrian
Bounty from the sea.
“Migs” Alfaras, have been
fishing regularly in various lo-
cations in Qatar for the past
several years. The adventures
“Starting out does not have NHRI’s 20th General Assembly. bodies, as well as with govern- as it coincides with the 75th
to be expensive. A basic set-up, The Secretary-General of ment agencies, in addition to anniversary of the Universal
including fresh shrimp for bait, ANNHRI Sultan bin Hassan co-ordination and co-oper- Declaration of Human Rights,
is enough for one to enjoy fish- al-Jamali said the conference ation with trade unions, fed- and the 30th anniversary of the
ing on the shores of Qatar,” said would discuss the challenges erations and national, regional Paris Principles regulating the
Alfaras, who noted that he still and needs as well as the ex- and international NGOs. work of national human rights
goes fishing with his fellow an- change of lessons and best He highlighted ANNHRI’s institutions. Khattab hailed the
glers in the summer just to get a practices, which will contrib- programmes that seek to raise NHRC’s great role in hosting
break from the daily grind. ute to directing and develop- the level of co-operation with ANNHRI’s General Secretariat,
Alfaras said: “I started fish- ing ANNHRI’s programmes, in the ANNHRI’s stakeholders highlighting ANNHRI’s efforts
ing in the Philippines when I line with the aspirations of the and expand its target group to to contribute to the exchange of
was in Grade 3. Qatar has such member institutions, and their accommodate more govern- expertise and capacity building
beautiful fishing spots and dif- expected role nationally and ment and NGO members. with ANNHRI’s member insti-
ferent varieties of fish; and each internationally by promoting Chairperson of the National tutions. (QNA)
trip to these locations is always
a relaxing experience, which is
why fishing has become a very
delightful hobby for many peo-
ple living here. I also document
and share my experiences on
my YouTube channel ‘MIGS
Qatar observes ‘World Day
fishing expedition VLOGS’.”
Cerezo noted that because
the hot weather is challeng-
Against Trafficking in Persons’
ing some anglers go to deeper

of these self-declared veteran
fishers are documented in the
Facebook group ‘Anglers of
Qatar’, which was created by
Alfaras.
According to Cerezo, the cost
of setting-up fishing gear var-
ies. But for beginners “QR500”
would be enough for a full
set-up. However, some pro-
fessional anglers would even
spend “QR5,000” or as much
as “QR8,000 to QR9,000” de-
pending on the set-up and the
brand of their gear, he said.
“An angler’s set-up depends
on the type and size of fish he
or she wants to catch. There
are different kinds of fishing
rods, as well. Reels also have
different categories as with the
fishing lines and lures,” Cerezo
explained.
On the other hand, Alfaras
has a more conservative and
budget-friendly shopping list
for would-be anglers. He said
Adrian “Migs” Alfaras scouts for fishing accessories. “QR150 to QR200” would be
waters to catch fish. “Some-
times, those who are fortunate
enough to haul in a good catch
may even sell the fish to por-
ters waiting along the shore-
line. The price of fish would be
around 10% cheaper than those
being sold in stores,” Cerezo
pointed out.
He said the Corniche and the
Mina District are popular fish-
ing spots within the Doha area.
But some anglers also frequent
the beaches in Dukhan, Wakra,
or Mesaieed and the best time
for casting is between 6am
and 7pm in these locations, he
added.
“Further in the sea, we
sometimes catch kingfish,
hamour, queenfish, sheri, giant
trevally, cobia, and tuna. I usu-
ally catch sea breams, but there
was a time I was able to catch a
queenfish weighing some 6kg,”
said Cerezo, who also main-
tains a YouTube channel ‘Dad
with Spice’.
Q
atar yesterday celebrated the ‘World Day
Against Trafficking in Persons.’
Qatar is making continuous and grow-
ing efforts to combat human trafficking crimes,
based on its commitment to the provisions of
Islamic Shariah, which prohibits all forms of hu-
miliation of human dignity, and asserts respect
for human beings as well as the preservation of
their rights.
The Ministry of Labour works on combating
the phenomenon of human trafficking in compli-
ance with international law, as it has supported
the UN action plan and effective response to
combat human trafficking, by establishing the
national legal and institutional framework, and
supporting all national and international efforts
in this field.
Qatar has paid great attention to combating
human trafficking crimes through an integrated
system, represented by the establishment of the
National Committee to Combat Human Traf-
ficking (NCCHT), based on the Cabinet’s Reso-
lution No 15 of 2017, as this committee plays the
role of the national co-ordinator for monitoring,
preventing and combating human trafficking
through co-ordination with all the relevant au-
thorities in this regard.
In this context, the committee continues its
efforts in training and building capabilities of
national cadres and law enforcement officials
in order to enhance their capabilities to iden-
tify these crimes and the cases that amount
to human trafficking crimes, and to join the
conventions and protocols dealing with these
crimes.
Qatar is also keen to make the necessary ef-
forts to implement these mechanisms and
initiatives to contribute to promoting societal
awareness of the organisational, legal and pro-
cedural aspects, in a way that preserves human
dignity and protect their rights.
While Qatar is among the countries that an-
nually receive large numbers of expatriate la-
bour forces — within the framework of efforts
to achieve it National Vision 2030, one of the
first priorities of the Ministry of Labour is to
combat all forms of human trafficking and
forced labour. The ministry relies on a spe-
cific strategy to combat slavery in all its forms,
based on prevention, prosecution, and protec-
tion of victims, as well as guarantee of human
rights, through several measures, the most im-
portant of which is ensuring that labourers ar-
rive in Qatar without debts, which gives them
greater freedom, and eliminates some types of
forced labour and human trafficking. (QNA)

Qatar Charity has implemented many projects to support Bosnian people.
Qatar Charity official highlights
key contributions in Bosnia
T
he general supervisor of
Qatar Charity’s Office in
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Hassan Mohamed al-Naemi, has
highlighted the key milestones
of the organisation in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Qatar Charity has worked since
the outbreak of the war in the
country in 1992. However, it
established an office in 1994 in
Sarajevo, followed by the open-
ing of branches in various Bos-
nian cities such as Tuzla, Zenica
and Bugojno. “Qatar Charity
has implemented many projects
that helped ease the burden on
the Bosnian people, who were
suffering under the siege and
the consequences of the war,
which led to the destruction of
infrastructure and the displace-
ment of hundreds of thousands
of people and left tens of thou-
sands of wounded, in addition to
children left without families or
shelter,” said al-Naemi.
According to al-Naemi, Qatar
Charity contributed significant-
ly during the war in Bosnia and
Herzegovina by providing relief
support. “After the war ended,
it actively participated in the
reconstruction of the country,
the resettlement of internally
displaced persons, and offering
necessary assistance to those re-
turning to their villages. Today,
Qatar Charity continues to im-
plement and support develop-
ment projects that are currently
required,’ he noted.
The most distinguishing fea-
ture of Qatar Charity is that it
serves the interests of those in
need with complete transpar-
ency, in co-ordination with
government entities. It relies
entirely on field surveys, moni-
toring, the follow-up, and su-
pervision of its projects.
“The office in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, along with several
field offices, participated in Qatar
Charity’s self-assessment. This
helped the organisation receive a
‘Validation Letter’ from the Core
Humanitarian Standard( CHS)
Alliance, which confirms that Qa-
tar Charity has shown its official
commitment to learning to apply
the core humanitarian standard
for quality and accountability,” he
explained.
The office of Qatar Char-
ity in Bosnia and Herzegovina
seeks to provide quality services
to beneficiaries by conducting
field assessments of needs and
implementing projects to the
highest international standards.
The office maintains continuous
monitoring of projects and ac-
tivities with professional docu-
mentation to safeguard the dig-
nity of the beneficiaries. In the
past, the office has implemented
some qualitative projects in
partnership with international
organisations such as UNHCR,
IOM, and DRC. He pointed out
that Qatar Charity has completed
numerous qualitative projects in
Bosnia, most notably the ‘Orphan
Care and Rehabilitation Centre’
implemented through gener-
ous donation from His Highness
the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha-
mad al-Thani. Also, among the
qualitative projects is the “Female
Student Housing Project,” which
allows female students belonging
to impoverished families to study
at universities and providing of
scholarships.
The number of projects imple-
mented by Qatar Charity in the
country reached approximately
1,233 projects during the period
between 2018 and 2022. Around
15,153 sponsored orphans,
poor families and people with
special needs benefited from
these projects.
Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 3
QATAR
QRCS launches ‘Little
Hearts’ medical convoy
to offer vital care in Iraq
Q
atar Red Crescent So-
ciety (QRCS) has de-
ployed a volunteering
medical delegation to Iraqi
Kurdistan, to implement a new
medical convoy under the “Lit-
tle Hearts” programme.
The five-day project involves
performing cardiac catheteri-
sation procedures for 70 chil-
dren with congenital heart
defects at the Specialised Car-
diology Hospital in Erbil, in
co-operation with the Iraqi Red
Crescent Society (IRCS), at a
total cost of QR512,872.
The delegation comprised
Dr Hisham al-Salous, Cardiac
Catheterisation Consultant at
Sidra Medicine; Dr Bahaa al-
Din Jumaa, Consultant of Pae- director of Relief and Interna- ian refugees, and local families ing with the expert delegation
diatric Critical Care at Hamad tional Development Division from the host community. from Qatar.
Medical Corporation (HMC); at QRCS, travelled to Iraq to All necessary medical QRCS has a long history im-
and Alaa al-Din Mohamed, launch some new humanitarian equipment and supplies were plementing health projects in
Senior Cardiac Catheterisation projects there. He held a meet- provided for free, to help al- Iraq since 2013. Examples in-
Technician at Sidra Medicine. ing with Meshaal Abdullah al- leviate the financial burden on clude medical convoys of cardi-
Upon their arrival at Erbil Hajri, Acting Consul General of poor families who cannot af- ac catheterisation for children,
Airport, they were received by Qatar in Erbil. ford treatment. support for health facilities, and
Ahmed Kahwaji, representative With a view to supporting Another objective of the Covid-19 control. Currently,
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
bil, and Bahaa al-Nogomy, act- doctors will perform cardiac of local medical professionals, treat eye diseases and perform
ing head of QRCS’ office in Iraq. catheterisations to treat chil- by providing them with train- eye surgeries. All these opera-
Dr Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, dren of displaced Iraqis, Syr- ing and expertise while work- tions cost $1,567,675 in total.
A volunteering medical delegation travelled to Iraq to perform
cardiac catheterisation procedures for 70 children with
congenital heart defects.
4 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023

QATAR

Ashghal project in Umm

Slal Ali, Umm Ebairiya
Village 78% complete Participants at one of the preparatory workshops.

MoPH launches medication safety programme

T
he Public Works Author-

ity (Ashghal) has completed a
large part of the Roads and In-
frastructure Development Project in
Umm Slal Ali and Umm Ebairiya Vil-
lage (Package 1).
The project, according to an official
statement from Ashghal, is aimed at
improving and establishing road net-
works and developing road services
infrastructure in the area.
About 78% of the total project work
has been completed.
The project works are at Umm Slal
Ali area in Umm Ebairiya, specifically
in the area South of Umm Al Amad and
North of Bu Fasilah, bordered to the
South by Umm Slal Ali Road.
Engineer Abdullah Ali al-Nuaimi,
the acting head of Northern Areas
Section at the Roads Projects Depart-
ment at Ashghal, said that the project
is being implemented as part of a de-
velopment plan for the Northern areas
of the country, as it meets the urban
growth in the region and covers Umm
Slal Ali area and Umm Ebairiya village.
This allows citizens to build their
homes.
Al-Nuaimi explained that the
project connects the area with the in-
ternal and main roads network, and
includes development and improve-
ment works on Umm Slal Ali Road
and Al Wudayhiya Street, which are
two main streets in the area that serve
many commercial establishments.
Engineer Abdullah Ali al-Nuaimi
“The first package of the Roads and
Infrastructure Development Project in
Umm Slal Ali and Umm Ebairiya Vil-
lage will serve, upon completion of all
its works, a total of 273 plots,” he said.
The geographical scope of the
project was divided into three phases
prior to the commencement of works,
to be implemented in succession, to
reduce the inconvenience caused by
the construction work and to speed up
the completion of works in each phase.
The development works in the
project include the provision of an
integrated roads network, with a total
length of 9km, with the provision of
traffic safety elements such as light-
ing systems, including the installation
of 237 street lighting poles, directional
signs and road signs, in addition to
providing 1,335 designated parking
spaces for cars.
It will also provide pedestrian paths
with a length of 15.4km and land-
scaping and green spaces will be im-
plemented on an area covering about
25,425sq m.
The infrastructure development
works include the construction of
10.6km of sewage network lines, 10km
of surface water and rainwater drain-
age network lines, and 7km of treated
water network lines for irrigation.
The completion percentage of the
project has reached about 78%, with
micro-tunnelling works and laying
rainwater, treated water and waste-
water network lines currently being
completed.
Ninety per cent of the total sew-
age network works and about 66% of
the total works of the treated water
network used for irrigation have been
completed.
About 80% of the total rainwater
drainage network works have also been
completed, and the rainwater network
lines have been completed.
T
he Ministry of Public Health
(MoPH) is working on devel-
oping and implementing a na-
tional medication safety programme,
in co-operation with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Office in Qatar
and the Regional Office for the Eastern
Mediterranean, with the participation
of stakeholders from the health and
academic sectors, in addition to the
pharmaceutical manufacturing sector
as well as patient representatives.
A national plan for a medication
safety programme is one of the key
projects within the second National
Health Strategy (2018-2022) and the
third National Health Strategy, and is
also aimed at identifying priorities and
gaps with regard to medication safety
systems and practices in line with the
“Medication Without Harm” chal-
lenge launched by the WHO in 2017.
These are essentially change-driven
programmes aimed at introducing
improvements and reducing risks in
health systems.
It is worth mentioning that Qa-
tar has pledged to participate in the
implementation of the challenge by
signing the pledge document with the
WHO.
The “Medication Without Harm”
challenge aims to reduce harms caused
by unsafe practices and errors in the
use of medication, by focusing on
improving medication safety, and
strengthening the systems necessary
to reduce the incidence of errors in the
field and the resulting harms that can
be avoided by 50% over the next five
years.
The National Medication Safety
Programme is based on four pillars:
patients and the public, healthcare
workers, dealing with medicines as
products, and systems and practices.
The programme aims to develop in-
terventions and improvements at eve-
ry stage of the medication use process,
including prescribing, dispensing, ad-
ministering, and monitoring to ensure
that the medication safety principles
are applied at the heart of its business
in all public and private healthcare fa-
cilities.
The first phase of the programme
was implemented from April to June
this year, with a situation analysis on
medication safety in Qatar.
Meetings were held with repre-
sentatives of MoPH departments,
such as Healthcare Quality, Pharmacy
and Drug Control, Healthcare Profes-
sions, Healthcare Facilities, E-health,
Financing and Health Insurance, and
Strategic Planning, Performance and
Innovation.
During this first phase, two work-
shops were organised with 140 health-
care practitioners in attendance to
discuss the current situation in the
country, to promote medication safety,
adopt a list of priorities, to identify
gaps and challenges, as well as to pro-
pose strategies and related essential
interventions.
Quality improvement tools and
methodologies were used to collect
information across the healthcare sys-
tem.
A multidisciplinary team compris-
ing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and
quality staff were invited to the work-
shops, as they play different roles in
achieving medication safety.
Patient representatives were also
invited and actively participated in the
workshops, as the MoPH believes in
the importance of involving patients
and their family members in the treat-
ment plans set for them to achieve a
patient-centred healthcare.
In that context, the Department of
Healthcare Quality at the Ministry
carried out field visits to health and
academic institutions in the coun-
try along with a delegation from the
WHO.
The next steps in the National Medi-
cation Safety Programme are to devel-
op a national medication safety policy
and action plan according to the pro-
posed priorities and interventions and
in line with the proposed objectives
of the National Development Strategy
2023-2030, the National Health Strat-
egy (2023-2030), and the global action
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

tics (GWC), have announced a partnership
to expand opportunities for student in-
ternships and further workforce develop-
ment in Qatar.
This alliance will allow both Qatari and
non-Qatari students from CUC Ulster to
gain valuable, practical experience with
GWC through internships.
It will provide hands-on understanding
of the logistics industry’s functioning and
expose students to real-world scenarios,
complementing their classroom learning.
In addition, the partnership will bring
forth a fantastic opportunity for GWC
employees to advance their education
with limited scholarships offered by CUC
Ulster, spanning a range of UK-certified
programmes .
CUC Ulster University executive dean
the Qatar Skills Training Centre (QSTC),
a long-established leader in corporate
training, and also a subsidiary of Artan
Consulting and Education Services.
The QSTC will offer a wide variety of
training and development services, further
reinforcing the partnership’s commitment
to employee growth and development.
“We think the GWC Internship pro-
CUC Ulster University and GWC officials at the agreement-signing ceremony. gramme will have a big impact on the stu-
dents of CUC Ulster University, providing
Dr Faris Gorashi said: “GWC’s vision is from the beginning with our students to students with real-life exposure to the
perfectly aligned with CUC Ulster Univer- gain exposure in the job market and learn workplace and specifically, world-class
sity’s vision.” the soft skills necessary to become lead- logistics,” said GWC human resources di-
“We are a forward-thinking university ers.” rector Hamad M Abuqaba al-Marri. “The
and we believe that the hard and soft skills “The co-operation between CUC Ulster essence of our partnership with CUC un-
that the students acquire through their in- University and GWC will have a tremen- derscores GWC’s unwavering commit-
ternships are equivalent to the knowledge dous effect, not only the development of ment to nurturing young talent and driv-
that they gain,” he said. “We are starting the students themselves, but on the work ing Qatar’s economic diversification.”
A
new batch of 26 licensed
Qatari real estate bro-
kers – both individuals
and from brokerage compa-
nies – has taken the legal oath
before the Real Estate Brokers’
Affairs Committee at the Min-
istry of Justice.
This comes within the con-
text of the Ministry of Justice’s
activation of Law No 22 of 2017 attention to the development
regulating real estate brokerage of the legal profession in line
work, within the framework of with the objectives of the Qatar
the executive procedures for National Vision 2030, due to its
the provisions of the law, and direct impact on the national
pushing real estate brokerage development process, which
work towards an organised le- the real estate sector repre-
gal environment prepared to sents one of its main pillars.
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
From Page 1
“As a beacon of innovation,
we prioritise the well-being of
our Education City community,
reducing carbon emissions, and
fostering a greener future,” al-
Hajri said. “This investment in
eco-friendly mobility not only
enhances the quality of life for
students and staff, but also ex-
emplifies our dedication to
building a thriving, environmen-
tally responsible community for
generations to come.”
Hamad al-Kuwari, the ex-
ecutive director for City Opera-
tions at the QF, said: “Today, we
embark on a new journey as we
inaugurate the Green Line, con-
necting Sidra Medicine, Qatar
National Convention Centre,
Qatar Science & Technology
Park, and our residential areas to
the South Campus of Education
City.”
“The addition of the new line
sees knowledge, innovation, and
community intertwine, sup-
ports ideas to flourish and col-
laborations to thrive, and is a
further stride toward a sustain-
able transportation ecosystem,”
he said. “Together, we are creat-
ing a landscape where learning,
discovery, and transportation
harmoniously coexist, helping to
shape a brighter, greener future.”
Marwan Dhuhair, a PhD stu-
dent at QF member Hamad Bin
Khalifa University’s College of
Science and Engineering, who
lives in Education City student
housing, says that he prefers us-
ing the tram to any other form of
transportation around Education
City.
“I use the tram every day to
get around Education City and
to connect to the metro,” he said.
“There is a stop right outside my
housing, and the trams are very
regular.”
He also believes it is more en-
vironmentally friendly than us-
ing a car.
“Even my friends who have
cars use the trams because
they’re so accessible and a much
greener option,” he pointed out.
“I will definitely use the new
Green Line as I visit Sidra Medi-
cine and Qatar Computing Re-
search Institute, which are both
on this new line, regularly, and it
will make it much easier for me to
get to them.”
The tram, which has just
reached the milestone of serving
1mn passengers, first launched
with the Blue Line on December
25, 2019, which begins at Mathaf
and follows the Academic Loop.
The Yellow Line launched on
October 12, 2020, runs from Al
Shaqab to the Education City
Stadium, and passes through Ox-
ygen Park, Minaretein, and the
Ceremonial Court, among other
stops, during its journey.
significant expansion in the
real estate sector, together with
the necessitated reformatting
and organisation of the real es-
tate system to achieve the goals
of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Saeed Abdullah al-Suwaidi,
assistant undersecretary for
Real Estate Registration and
Authentication Affairs and
chairperson of the Real Estate
Brokers’ Affairs Committee,
welcomed the new batch, and
stressed the ministry’s keen-
ness to advance the real estate
brokerage profession.
He added that HE the Minis-
ter of Justice Masoud bin Mo-
hamed al-Ameri pays special
try, and not to publish violating
or misleading advertisements
given the consequent legal ac-
countability of the violating
advertiser.
He called on the public to
communicate with the Min-
istry of Justice to obtain the
proper legal opinion and deal
with the licensed brokers to
ensure the safety of the pub-
lic’s transactions and preserve
the rights of the various par-
ties, warning against dealing
with unlicensed brokers after
the expiration of the reconcili-
ation deadline and starting to
activate the real estate broker-
age law. – QNA

Temporary closure on Al Dababiya Street

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.

General Supervisor of Qatar Charity’s office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eng. Hasan Al-Naemi:
Humanitarian work persists, whether through us
or others, and we are nothing but a connecting link
Q
atar Charity is keen to
work closely with disaster-
affected and needy
communities to effectively assess
their needs and provide impactful
development interventions and
humanitarian responses and meet
their needs in a timely manner.
Qatar Charity now, through field
offices and in cooperation with
local and international partners,
operates in approximately 80
countries across Africa, Asia, and
Europe.
The General Supervisor of Qatar
Charity’s office in Bosnia and
Herzegovina Eng. Hasan Al-Naemi,
is one of the distinguished Qatari
humanitarian workers. In an
interview, he discusses the role
of field offices of Qatar Charity
in enhancing its humanitarian
and developmental efforts. He
highlights the key milestones of
Qatar Charity’s work in Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the challenges
faced by humanitarian workers
in the field, in addition to talking
about other points.
Below is the interview:
What are the most prominent
milestones of Qatar Charity in Bosnia
and Herzegovina over 30 years?
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar
Charity has worked since the outbreak
of the war in the country in 1992
through the organizations. However, it
established an office in 1994 in the city
of Sarajevo, followed by the opening of
branches in various Bosnian cities such
as Tuzla, Zenica, and Bugojno.
Qatar Charity has implemented
many projects that helped ease the
burden on the Bosnian people, who
were suffering under the siege and the
consequences of the war, which led to
the destruction of infrastructure and the
displacement of hundreds of thousands
of people and left tens of thousands of
wounded, in addition to children left
without families or shelter.”
· Qatar Charity contributed
significantly during the war in Bosnia
and Herzegovina by providing relief
support. After the war ended, it actively
participated in the reconstruction of the
country, the resettlement of internally
displaced persons (IDPs), and offering
An effective role
of Qatar Charity
in resettling
IDPs and
reconstruction
efforts
necessary assistance to those returning
to their villages. Today, Qatar Charity
continues to implement and support
development projects that are currently
required.
The most distinguishing feature
of Qatar Charity is that it serves the
interests of those in need with complete
transparency, in coordination with
government entities. It relies entirely on
field surveys, monitoring, the follow-up,
and supervision of its projects.
30 years of
Qatar Charity in
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
The office in Bosnia
Herzegovina, along with several field
offices, participated in Qatar Charity’s
self-assessment. This helped the
organization receive a ‘Validation
Letter’ from the CHS Alliance, which
confirms that Qatar Charity has shown
its official commitment to learning to
apply the Core Humanitarian Standard
(CHS) for quality and accountability.”
What is the role of the field office
in enhancing Qatar Charity’s
humanitarian and development
efforts?
The office of Qatar Charity in Bosnia
and Herzegovina seeks to provide
quality services to beneficiaries by
conducting field assessments of
needs and implementing projects to
the highest international standards.
The office maintains continuous
monitoring of projects and activities
with professional documentation
to safeguard the dignity of the
beneficiaries. The office also contributes
to building good relationships with
government bodies and local and
international organizations. In the
past, the office has implemented some
qualitative projects in partnership with
international organizations such as
UNHCR, IOM, and DRC.”
What are the most prominent projects
that Qatar Charity has completed in
Bosnia and Herzegovina so far?
Qatar Charity has completed
numerous qualitative projects in Bosnia,
most notably the ‘Orphan Care and
Rehabilitation Center. This project
was implemented through generous
donations from His Highness Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,
the Amir of Qatar. The center is located in
a strategic location in the capital, Sarajevo,
and aims to provide free educational and
and recreational services to the sponsored
orphans, totaling approximately 2,500
orphans.
Also, among the qualitative projects
is the “Female Student Housing Project,”
which allows female students belonging
to impoverished families to study at
universities, providing scholarships for
them to specialize in various academic
disciplines. The project covers the
living expenses of 110 female students,
in addition to offering purposeful
educational programs that benefit the
students throughout the year.
The number of projects implemented
by Qatar Charity in the country reached
approximately 1,233 projects during the
period between 2018 and 2022. Around
15,153 sponsored orphans, poor families,
and people with special needs benefited
from these projects.
What are your plans for work
development?
During the upcoming phase, we
seek to contribute to supporting six
main areas, which include sponsorship
(Qatar Charity sponsors more than 3,500
persons) and sustainable development
through the implementation of income-
generating projects, in addition to public
benefit, education, reconstruction,
health, and seasonal projects.
On a professional level, what is
the importance of fieldwork for
humanitarian workers?
Certainly, working in the field and
having direct interaction with workers
and beneficiaries of Qatar Charity’s
projects serves as a true driving force
and motivation to take advantage
of all available financial and human
opportunities and capabilities. This, in
turn, helps in making necessary, timely,
and appropriate decisions and simplifies
many administrative procedures that
can sometimes become real obstacles in
project implementation and providing
essential services to those in need.
What are the difficulties and
challenges that often arise in the field
of humanitarian work?
Some of the challenges we face
and strive to overcome include tax
increases and inflation, which affect
the preparation of any work plan or
program. Additionally, there are changes
in laws related to humanitarian work at
the local and international levels, and
risks related to the safety and security of
the staff. It is difficult to obtain funding
for certain projects. We also face the
duplication in the implementation of
some projects with other organizations.
There is also a mismatch between the size
and number of projects and the human
resources. Moreover, we have to deal
with misleading media campaigns that
Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 5
QATAR
seek to tarnish the image of charitable
and humanitarian work.
Are there specifications that
humanitarian workers should have?
At the forefront of these specifications
is the need to have a humanitarian spirit to
work without any bias or discrimination
between those in need based on race,
religion, or sect, in addition to have a
sense of belonging to the organization
and commitment to transparency,
integrity, and credibility.
Can you tell us about some of the
situations that you encountered in
your field work?
There are many situations that
affect those who provide support and
assistance to the needy and bring joy and
pleasure to widows and orphans and
there are things that seem insignificant to
some, but to others, they mean a lot.
Qatar Charity
serves the
interests
of those in
need with full
transparency
Can you give advice to youth who want
to volunteer and work in the field?
Humanitarian work is not like
any other job; rather, it is a divine gift
bestowed by Allah upon those whom
He chooses. Those working in this field
bring joy and happiness to the hearts of
orphans, widows, and the needy. They
relieve someone’s distress or eases the
burden on someone. It is essential to
exhibit patience and ethical responsibility
towards those in need, preserving their
dignity and seeking reward from Allah.
Humanitarian work is meant to persist,
whether through us or others, and we are
nothing but a link between the benevolent
and those in need.
In conclusion, I extend my heartfelt
gratitude to the generous people and
the government of Qatar for extending
a helping hand to Bosnian brothers and
sisters to enable them to overcome their
hardships and pave their way towards a
better tomorrow.
6 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
ARAB WORLD/AFRICA
Sudan fighters evict
Khartoum residents,
clashes in Darfur
AFP
Khartoum
S
udan’s paramilitaries have
ordered civilians to vacate
homes in the capital’s
south, several residents said
yesterday, as fighting between
the forces of rival generals raged
in the western Darfur region.
“Members of the Rapid Sup-
port Forces (RSF) told me I had
24 hours to leave the area,”
Khartoum resident Fawzy Rad-
wan said.
He had been guarding his
family’s home since fighting
began in the city more than
three months ago between the
RSF and the regular army.
The war between army chief
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his
former deputy, RSF command-
Senegalese
opposition figure
Sonko goes
on hunger strike
Firebrand Senegalese opposition
politician Ousmane Sonko, who
is in custody after being arrested
this week, began a hunger strike
yesterday, he said on social
media, AFP reported from Dakar.
Senegal’s public prosecutor on
Saturday announced seven new
charges, including fomenting in-
surrection, against the politician.
“In the face of so much hate,
lies, oppression, persecution, I
have decided to resist”, Sonko
wrote in the post. “I am going on
hunger strike... I invite all political
detainees to do the same.” He is
scheduled to be interrogated by
a judge today.
Sonko’s arrest on Friday and
the new charges announced
on Saturday are unrelated to a
moral corruption case against
the politician that sparked deadly
protests last month, the prosecu-
tor said. On June 1, his sentencing
in absentia to two years in prison
sparked clashes that left at least
16 dead. The two-year sentence
makes him ineligible to contest
next year’s presidential election.
The firebrand politician, a vocal
critic of President Macky Sall,
has faced a string of legal woes,
which he claims are aimed at
keeping him out of politics.
The new charges are over com-
ments he has made, rallies he has
held, and other episodes since
2021, including an incident at his
home on Friday that led to his
arrest. In addition to calling for
insurrection, the charges include
undermining state security, acts
aimed at jeopardising public
security and creating serious po-
litical unrest, criminal association
with a terrorist body and theft.
His lawyers have argued that his
arrest on these new allegations
cancels out the moral corruption
conviction, because he had been
sentenced in absentia.
After quake, Syria’s northern coast ravaged by wildfires
Reuters
Mashquita, Syria
A
t 72, Syrian farmer Izza-
din Zuhaira has survived
war, displacement and a
devastating earthquake in Feb-
ruary.
But the forest fires razing his
home province of Latakia this
week, turning his beloved or-
chards to ash, were the worst he
had seen.
“I’ve never seen any weather
like this. The soil and the trees
were so impacted by the heat
that they lit up quickly,” Zuhaira
said.
The retired civil servant had
been living off the harvests of
around 700 olive, pomegranate
and walnut trees, but all of these
were destroyed by the spreading
fire.
His modest one-storey farm-
house, which had already been
damaged by years of war, was
further cracked by the Febru-
ary earthquake, which left more
than 5,000 dead in Syria and hit
er Mohamed Hamdan Daglo,
has killed at least 3,900 peo-
ple, according to a conservative
estimate, and displaced some
3.5mn.
Much of the fighting has oc-
curred in densely populated
neighbourhoods of Khartoum,
pushing 1.7mn residents to
flee and forcing the millions
who remain to shelter from the
crossfire in their homes, ration-
ing water and electricity.
Hundreds of residents were
being evicted from southern
Khartoum’s Jabra neighbour-
hood, according to residents
yesterday.
Jabra and the nearby area of
Sahafa are home to the army
artillery corps as well as an RSF
base used by Daglo.
“They told us this is a mili-
tary zone now and they don’t
Nigerien security forces launch tear gas to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside
the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger, yesterday.
West Africa threatens force on Niger
coup leaders, French embassy attacked
Reuters
Niamey/Abuja
W
est African nations
imposed sanctions
and threatened
force yesterday if Niger’s
coup leaders fail to reinstate
ousted President Mohamed
Bazoum within a week, while
supporters of the junta at-
tacked the French embassy
in Niamey.
The 15-nation Ecowas
bloc’s response to the Sahel
region’s seventh coup of re-
cent years came as crowds
in Niger’s capital Niamey
burned French flags and
stoned the former colonial
power’s mission, drawing tear
gas from police.
Images showed fires at the
embassy walls and people be-
ing loaded into ambulances
with bloodied legs.
At an emergency sum-
Izzadin Zuhaira, a 72-year-old Syrian farmer, walks near a burnt area following wildfires in the northern
countryside of Latakia, Syria.
Latakia hard. “After the quake,
the fires came and finished it off.
It left us with nothing,” Zuhaira
told Reuters.
Like other countries around
the Mediterranean, Syria has
been hit hard by wildfires this
want civilians around,” resident
Nasser Hussein said.
The RSF has been accused of
rampant looting and of forci-
bly evicting people from their
homes since the war began on
April 15. Along with Khartoum,
some of the worst violence has
been in the conflict-scarred
region of Darfur, where al-
legations of war crimes have
sparked a new investigation
by the International Criminal
Court. Again yesterday, clashes
in the town of Nyala — the capi-
tal of South Darfur state and
Sudan’s second-biggest city
— sent bombs falling on civil-
ian neighbourhoods, witnesses
said.
In the Central Darfur state
capital Zalingei, the army
“killed 16 rebels and captured
14, including an officer”, a mili-
mit in Nigeria to discuss the
coup last week, leaders of
the Economic Community of
West African States called for
constitutional order to be re-
stored, warning of reprisals if
not.
“Such measures may in-
clude the use of force,” their
communique said, adding
that defence officials would
meet immediately to that ef-
fect.
Chad’s President Maha-
mat Idriss Deby, who came
to power in 2021 after a coup
in his country, met his Nige-
rian counterpart Bola Tinubu
on the sidelines of the sum-
mit and volunteered to speak
to the military leaders in Ni-
ger, two presidential aides
told Reuters, asking not to be
identified.
Ecowas and the eight-
member West African Eco-
nomic and Monetary Union
said that with immediate ef-
month, supercharged by strong
winds and searing temperatures.
Firefighters had struggled to
put them out in Homs and Hama
in mid-July, and the fires in La-
takia raged for five days before
rescuers could control it, Syria’s
tary source said yesterday, re-
questing anonymity as they
were not authorised to speak to
the media.
Days of “bombs repeatedly
falling in our homes” have sent
civilians fleeing from Nyala,
according to Issa Adam, who
spoke to AFP from a displace-
ment camp. Many are “now
out in the open during the rainy
reason”, he said. Mohamed
Khater had also fled Nyala with
his children after bombs killed
his neighbours.
From a nearby camp, he told
AFP that “no organisation has
reached us, and we’re scared
of the fighting reaching us.”
Over 2.6mn people have been
displaced within Sudan since
the war began, and more than
800,000 others have fled across
borders.
fect borders with Niger would
be closed, commercial flights
banned, financial transac-
tions halted, national assets
frozen and aid ended.
Military officials involved
in the coup would be banned
from travelling and have their
assets frozen, it added.
Similar sanctions were
imposed by Ecowas on Mali,
Burkina Faso and Guinea fol-
lowing coups in those coun-
tries in the past three years.
Although the financial
sanctions led to defaults on
debt — in Mali in particular —
such measures have tended to
hurt civilians more than the
military leaders who seized
power in some of the world’s
poorest countries, political
analysts say.
Timelines to restore civil-
ian rule have been agreed in all
three countries, but there has
been little progress imple-
menting them.
agriculture minister Mohamed
Hassaan Qatna said.
“There were multiple places,
far away. The speed of the wind
was a factor in the excessive
spread of the fires,” Qatna told
Reuters during a tour of the area.
Business booms for
Gaza repairman as
heatwave fans demand
Reuters
Gaza
W
hile soaring tempera-
tures across the Mid-
dle East are causing
discomfort for many, Gaza elec-
trical appliance repairman Mus-
tafa Abdou is enjoying a boom in
business amid surging demand
for electric fans.
“I have been in the business
for 40 years, it has never been
so hot,” said the 70-year-old,
sitting in the middle of piles of
broken fans and other electric
appliances inside his small shop
in Gaza Beach refugee camp.
Temperatures have risen
above 38 degrees Celsius (104
Fahrenheit) in Gaza and frequent
power cuts have pushed more
and more people to adapt their
fans to work by battery. There
is constant demand for mainte-
nance work as well.
“I used to repair a few fans but
as the heatwave soars the de-
mand on fans increased and I am
repairing more, I am doing more
repairs because the heatwave
is unprecedented,” said Abdou,
Kenya says ready to
lead multinational
force in Haiti
AFP
Nairobi
K
enya is ready to lead a
multinational force in
Haiti and will deploy
1,000 police officers to the
strife-torn Caribbean nation
once its offer is accepted, the
foreign minister said.
Gangs control around 80%
of the Haitian capital, and
violent crimes such as kidnap-
pings for ransom, armed rob-
bery and carjackings are com-
mon.
UN Secretary-General An-
tonio Guterres and Haitian
Prime Minister Ariel Henry
have for nearly a year sought
international intervention to
help support the police, but no
country had stepped forward.
“Kenya has accepted to
positively consider leading a
Multi-National Force to Haiti,”
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Al-
fred Mutua said in a statement
late Saturday.
“Kenya’s commitment is to
deploy a contingent of 1,000
police officers to help train and
assist Haitian police restore
normalcy in the country and
protect strategic installations.”
Its “proposed deployment”
still required a mandate from
the UN Security Council and
approval from domestic au-
thorities, he said.
Suhair Zakkout, the spokesperson for the International Committee of
the Red Cross in Syria, attends an interview with Reuters in Damascus.
Other challenges for the fire-
fighters included poor telecoms
coverage in the north, and the
procurement of fireproof suits
or spare parts for extinguishing
equipment, he said.
Syria’s 12-year conflict, along
A Palestinian, Mustafa Abdou, repairs a fan in his shop amid a
heatwave at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.
who mainly serves people living
in the camp but some customers
from elsewhere as well.
Despite being surrounded by
fans, he was sweating as he spoke
because his own fan couldn’t
work due to a power cut.
More than 2.3mn people live
in the Gaza Strip, the narrow
“An Assessment Mission
by a Task Team of the Kenya
Police is scheduled within the
next few weeks. This assess-
ment will inform and guide
the mandate and operational
requirements of the Mission.”
US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken spoke by phone last
night to Kenyan President Wil-
liam Ruto, according to State
Department spokesperson
Matthew Miller.
Kenya is seen as a democrat-
ic anchor in East Africa, and
has participated in peacekeep-
ing operations in its immediate
region including in the Demo-
cratic Republic of Congo and
Somalia.
No other details about the
Haiti deployment were im-
mediately available. Haiti, the
Western Hemisphere’s poorest
nation, has seen compound-
ing humanitarian, political
and security crises, with gangs
controlling most of Port-
au-Prince. Guterres said this
month that violence had con-
tinued “to escalate and spread”,
citing murders, kidnappings,
rape of women and girls, loot-
ing, and the displacement of
thousands of people.
Guterres, relaying a re-
quest from Henry, began
calling in October for an in-
ternational, non-UN deploy-
ment to help support police in
the troubled nation.
with Western sanctions, a cur-
rency squeeze linked to neigh-
bouring Lebanon’s economic
crisis and the government’s loss
of its northeastern oil-produc-
ing territories have triggered a
financial meltdown. On Satur-
strip of land between Egypt and
Israel.
According to local officials,
the area needs around 500 meg-
awatts of power per day in sum-
mer. It receives 120 megawatts
from Israel while the enclave’s
lone power plant supplies an-
other 60 megawatts.
At least six die after
clashes in Lebanon
refugee camp
At least six people were killed
in two days of clashes in a Pales-
tinian refugee camp in Lebanon,
security sources said, Reuters
reported from Beirut.
A Fatah commander was killed
yesterday in an ambush that
also injured several of his aides
in the crowded, impoverished
Ain el-Hilweh camp near the
southern coastal city of Sidon.
Four of the aides later died of
their injuries, a security source
said, adding that sporadic
clashes in the camp intensified
later. Clashes began the previ-
ous day with a failed assassina-
tion attempt on a leader of a
group sympathetic to hardliners
in which one person was killed.
That was followed by gunfire
and attacks by armed fighters
on the headquarters of Fatah.
Fighting subsided but did
not completely stop after a
ceasefire was reached at a
meeting between rival factions
that included representatives
of Hezbollah group and its ally
Amal movement that hold sway
in southern Lebanon.
Shops had earlier closed their
doors and some people fled the
camp, the largest refugee camp
in Lebanon, as tensions be-
tween the rival groups mounted
yesterday, a witness said. The
Lebanese army said a mortar
fell inside a military headquar-
ters with one soldier wounded.
The UN agency responsible
for the welfare of Palestinian
refugees that provides basic
services to nearly 50,000
people living in Ain el-Hilweh
said it was suspending all
operations in the camp.
day, firefighters could be seen
pumping water from a fire truck
to extinguish flames on a wood-
ed slope in Latakia.
The ministry did not have a
final figure yet of how far the
damage had spread, but Qatna
said the region’s pine forests
were badly hit.
“Pine is like coal for these
fires,” he said.
Syria has been severely im-
pacted climate change in recent
years, including rising tempera-
tures and erratic rainfall which
have led to forest fires and poor
harvests.
Dust storms, desertification
and land loss had been threat-
ening farmers’ livelihoods for
years, said Suhair Zakkout, the
spokesperson for the Interna-
tional Committee of the Red
Cross in Syria.
“Syrians were already espe-
cially vulnerable because of the
impacts of more than 12 years
of conflict, which makes it even
harder for them to deal with the
impacts of climate change,” Zak-
kout told Reuters.
 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 7

Harris embraces new attack role, draws Republican fire
By Jarrett Renshaw istration capped insulin prices,
Reuters increased removal of lead pipes
and secured broadband for un-
der-served communities.
WORLD
Some Republicans are already
suggesting Harris could run the
country if Biden wins in 2024.
“We are running against

V
ice-President Kama-
la Harris has shown a
punchy side during a tour
of nearly a dozen US states in
recent weeks, attacking Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis for back-
ing “revisionist history” about
slavery, telling Iowa healthcare
workers to rebel against the
state’s new restrictive abortion
laws, and rallying Latinos in Chi-
cago to fight “extremist” Repub-
licans.
On Saturday, Harris, the first
woman and first woman of col-
our to serve as vice-president,
opened the National Association
for the Advancement of Coloured
People (NAACP)’s annual con-
ference in Boston, a key political
event for black Americans that
Harris speaks at the Public Mass Meeting during the 114th NAACP
National Convention in Boston.
are part of an expanded role for
US President Joe Biden’s much-
scrutinised governing partner
ahead of the election, senior
Democrats say.
what you are doing,” Reverend Al
Sharpton, a veteran civil rights
activist and head of the National
Action Network, told Reuters.
Biden credits black voters for
“Let’s start registering folks
now to vote,” she said. “Remind
your friends and your neighbours
to do that.”
The White House is also hop-
ing to improve Harris’s public
image and historically low ap-
proval ratings.
A recent NBC News poll
showed 49% of registered voters
hold a negative view of Harris,
compared to 32% with a positive
view, a net-negative rating of 17
that is the lowest for a vice-pres-
ident in the history of its poll.
While it’s too early to say
whether her polls are improving,
Harris’s remarks are drawing new
Republican fire, and highlighting
divisions in the opposition.
DeSantis on Friday accused
Kamala Harris. Make no bones
about it ... [it’s] Kamala Har-
ris that’s going to end up being
president of the United States if
Joe Biden wins this election,” Re-
publican candidate Nikki Haley
told Fox News in June. Trump gestures during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Harris, who was more popular
than Biden with women, young
voters and even some Republi-
cans when he picked her as his
vice-presidential running mate,
has seen her ratings sag in of-
Judge dumps Trump’s
fice under a firehose of criticism
from conservative media outlets
and a portfolio that included the
lawsuit against CNN
intractable US issue of immigra-
tion. Reuters/AFP five instances in which CNN
Some Democrats say she New York either published stories or
hasn’t stepping up forcefully aired comments referring to
enough, or taken burdens off the Trump’s assertions about the

will help define the issues Demo-
crats focus on in the 2024 elec-
tion.
“We are in a moment where
there is a full-on attempt to at-
tack hard-fought and hard-won
rights and freedoms and lib-
erty,” Harris, a lifetime member
of the civil rights organisation,
told several thousand people in-
side the city’s convention cen-
tre. “And what I know about the
leaders here is that the members
of the NAACP are up to the chal-
lenge to fight.”
The high-profile appearances
She’ll engage in many more
campaign-style events in months
to come, designed to reacquaint
Harris with supporters, burnish
her image with independents
and reach out to Democrats’ who
haven’t been hearing the Biden
administration’s message.
It’s a move that couldn’t hap-
pen too soon, some influential
Democrats say.
“We have constantly said to
the White House that they need
to send her out more because we
need the base – that is black vot-
ers and others – to understand
his 2020 victory, with exit polls
showing he carried 87% of the
vote.
However, recent polls and
turnout in the 2022 midterms
reveal erosion in enthusiasm
among the bloc that needs to be
shored up before next November.
Harris also made a surprise
visit to a congressional black
caucus event at Roxbury Com-
munity College, where she re-
minded the crowd of the role
black voters played in capturing
the White House for Biden.
She said as a result the admin-
US Senator Tim Scott, the most
high-profile black candidate in
the 2024 Republican presidential
race, of accepting Harris’s “lie”
about Florida’s new slavery cur-
riculum requirements.
His campaign accused anoth-
er black Republican who criti-
cised the changes, which include
teaching that slavery had pos-
sible benefits to the enslaved, of
being a Harris supporter.
Voters wary of the president’s
advanced age of 80 are expected
to take a much harder look at the
vice-president.
president’s shoulders.
Since the Supreme Court
overturned Roe v. Wade last year
though, Harris has become in-
creasingly vocal.
“She does better on sub-
ject matters and audiences she
is comfortable with. Given the
portfolio she was handed early
on – and the challenges it rep-
resented – it’s simple campaign
management to get her out front
of friendly audiences where she
can get some of her mojo back,”
said an adviser at the Democratic
National Committee.
A
federal judge has
thrown out Donald
Trump’s $475mn defa-
mation lawsuit against CNN,
in which the former president
claimed the network’s descrip-
tion of his election fraud as the
“big lie” associated him with
Adolf Hitler.
In a ruling late on Friday
night, US Judge Raag Singhal,
who was nominated by Trump
in 2019, said that CNN’s words
were opinion, not fact, and
therefore could not be the sub-
ject of a defamation claim.
“There is no question that
the statements made by CNN
meet the publication require-
2020 election as his “big lie”.
The phrase is also associated
with the Nazi regime’s use of
propaganda.
The wording, the lawsuit
said, constituted “a deliberate
effort by CNN to propagate to
its audience an association be-
tween the plaintiff and one of
the most repugnant figures in
modern history”.
However, the mere use of the
phrase “big lie” is not enough
to give rise to a true connota-
tion, Singhal wrote.
“No reasonable viewer could
(or should) plausibly make that
reference,” he said.
Since launching his first

Canadian town under threat as

ment for defamation under
Florida law,” he said in his
ruling. “The next question is
whether the statements were
false statements of fact. This
presidential campaign in 2015,
Trump has often attacked me-
dia outlets whose coverage he
dislikes, with CNN a favourite
target.

wildfire crosses over from US

is where Trump’s defamation
claims fail.”
“The complained of state-
ments are opinion, not fac-
tually false statements, and
therefore are not actionable,”
Reuters/AFP It marked the third death of wrote Singhal, who sits in fed-
Montreal a firefighter during this devas- eral court in Fort Lauderdale,
tating wildfire season. Florida, near Trump’s home
“I am devastated to learn at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump had a caustic rela-
tionship with CNN and other
major news outlets like the
New York Times during his
White House term, branding
them “fake news” and repeat-
edly raging against them on
social media.
The twice-impeached
Trump, who has continued

A
n evacuation order for
the Canadian town of
Osoyoos and its sur-
rounding district in the prov-
ince of British Columbia had
been issued late on Saturday
night due to an out-of-control
wildfire that has crossed the
border from the US state of
Washington.
The wildfire, called Eagle
Bluff, is approximately 4km
(2.49 miles) from Osoyoos and
is currently estimated to be 885
hectares (2,200 acres) in size
on the Canadian side of the
border, according to the British
Columbia Wildfire Service.
It was estimated to be
around 2,000 hectares in size
on the US side by the BC Wild-
fire Service.
Osoyoos has an area popula-
tion of about 6,700, according
to an Osoyoos economic devel-
opment website.
“There are Initial Attack
crew personnel, several sin-
that we have lost another wild-
fire fighter. My heart goes out
to the family, friends and col-
leagues of this frontline hero,”
Premier David Eby said in a
statement.
He did not identify the con-
tract firefighter, but authorities
said the victim was at the Don-
nie Creek wildfire, near Fort St
John, in the northeast of the
province.
Two other firefighters have
perished in separate opera-
tions this month, and a fourth
person, a helicopter pilot,
died July 19 when his aircraft
crashed in Alberta, in western
Canada, while taking part in
relief operations.
Canadian wildfires have
burned 30mn acres (12mn
hectares) this year, scorching
an area larger than the size of
Cuba or South Korea.
“This wildfire season has
been profoundly awful,” Eby
said, who hailed firefighters as
“CNN’s statements, while re- to insist falsely that he won
pugnant, were not, as a matter the 2020 presidential election
of law, defamatory. The case against Democrat Joe Biden, is
will, therefore, be dismissed.” to go on trial in Florida in May
In a statement, a Trump on charges of mishandling top
spokesperson said: “We agree secret government documents.
with the highly respected Trump is also facing dozens
judge’s findings that CNN’s of felony charges in a case in-
statements about President volving hush money payments
Trump are repugnant. CNN to an adult entertainment star
will be held responsible for in New York and is bracing for
their wrongful mistreatment indictment in state and federal
of President Trump and his investigations into his efforts
supporters.” to overturn the 2020 election.
The statement did not say Trump is the front-runner
whether Trump would appeal for the 2024 Republican presi-
the decision. dential nomination, despite
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
Washington, and prompted evacuation orders yesterday in Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada. in October 2022, highlighted indictments.
Trudeau sets sights on fourth election fight with Cabinet refresh
By Steve Scherer elections, two senior government sources
Reuters said.
People close to Trudeau said he is show-
ing no signs of stepping down and letting

gle resources, two helicopters,
structure protection person-
nel and heavy equipment re-
sponding to the incident,” BC
Wildfire Service said yesterday.
The evacuation order covers
the area north of the Canada-
United States border to the in-
tersection of Highway 97 and
Highway 3, as well as west and
north along Highway 3.
British Columbia’s premier
announced on Saturday that a
firefighter has died battling one
of the massive blazes devastat-
ing Canada’s forests this year.
Barbie sitting pretty
heroes making “extraordinary
sacrifices ... to keep us safe”.
British Columbia currently
has 368 active fires.
In total, more than 990 fires
are ravaging Canada, 613 of
which are considered out of
control.
Canada’s geographic loca-
tion means that it is warm-
ing faster than the rest of the
planet, and in recent years it
has been confronted with ex-
treme weather events that have
grown more frequent and in-
tense by climate change.
C
anadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau made massive changes
to his cabinet last week in a move
political analysts say is more theatre than
substance, but the Liberal leader’s close
advisers say it shows his determination to
seek a fourth election victory.
With a string of recent polls showing the
left-leaning Liberals trailing their right-
of-centre Conservative rivals after almost
eight years in power, Trudeau changed or
shifted three-quarters of his cabinet.
A cost-of-living crisis, a sharp rise
in interest rates, and a chronic housing
shortage have given the opposition Con-
servative leader Pierre Poilievre ammu-
nition to attack Trudeau, accusing him
of feeding price increases with profligate
government spending, calling it “Justin-
flation”.
Poilievre’s blows are leaving a mark.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Finance Minister Freeland.
new, even though it’s not”, he said.
Trudeau described the shake-up as a
way to build up his core economic team in
nalling that it’s business as usual,” said
Robert Asselin, senior vice-president of
policy at the Business Council of Canada.
someone else take over after winning a
majority in 2015, and minorities in 2019
and 2021.
Trudeau isn’t making a “beeline for the
exit”, one of the sources said. “He’s in it to
win it.”
The new cabinet is “ready to go out on
the campaign trail”, the second source
said. Neither source was authorised to
speak on the record.
By the time the next election is due in
2025, Trudeau will have been in power for
10 years, and Canadians could be in the
mood for a change.
No Canadian prime minister since Wil-
frid Laurier in 1908 has won four consecu-
tive elections.
Even in the 2021 race, Liberal lawmakers
who campaigned door-to-door said that
they had spoken with many voters who
had grown weary with Trudeau.

atop ‘hill of cash’ in An Abacus Data survey published on

Wednesday showing a 38% to 28% lead
response to cost-of-living challenges that
Canadians have grappled with for more
He said the shuffle was “a bit of theatre”.
Trudeau’s minority government has a
However, the central bank has said that
the headline inflation will return to its 2%

N America theatres
Warner Bros’ blockbuster Barbie earned an estimated
$93mn in North American theatres this weekend as it
continued “rolling down a hill of cash”, industry watcher
Exhibitor Relations reported yesterday.
Taken together with Universal’s dark biopic Oppenheimer,
which took in a mighty $46.2mn in its own second weekend
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
and Oppenheimer arrived, movie-going exploded, and
within one week, July caught up to its pre-pandemic
average,” said analyst David A Gross of Franchise
Entertainment Research.
Last weekend, Barbie scored the biggest opening weekend
of the year, at $80.5mn, showing eyebrow-raising appeal for
a movie based on a small plastic doll living in a perfect pink
world.
With Margot Robbie as “Barbie” and Ryan Gosling as
boyfriend “Ken”, the Greta Gerwig film has now generated
$351.4mn in North American ticket sales, along with $423mn
abroad, likely setting it on track to be the next billion-dollar
flick.
Meanwhile, Oppenheimer, the story of the creation
of America’s atomic bomb, has now earned $174.1mn
domestically and $226mn abroad. – AFP
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
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
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.
“There’s huge fatigue with this gov- pact of the changes. go at any time. “Any advantage the Conservatives have on
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
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
the shuffle, “they’re trying to make it look minister and the prime minister – are sig- leader since 1908 to win four consecutive election.”
Six dead after small plane crashes in Calgary Twitter, now known as X, reinstates Kanye account
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
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
The RCMP said an aircraft with five passengers and a pilot left Springbank Airport near Street Journal reported on Saturday.
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
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
local time (0330 GMT on Saturday). weeks earlier.
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”.
Air Force (RCAF) squadron based in Winnipeg. X’s press office did not immediately respond to a query about West’s account.
The squadron found the crash site, and with help from Alberta Parks Mountain Rescue, By late evening, West had yet to post anything new.
searched for survivors. West, who now goes professionally as Ye, assured the platform that he would not use his
However, all six people in the plane had died, Singleton said. account to share anti-Semitic content or use harmful language, the Journal said.
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
“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.
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
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
Australia grounds Taipan choppers after crash
AFP
Sydney
A
ustralia’s military will
ground its fleet of MRH-
90 Taipan helicopters after
a crash during multinational mili-
tary exercises that left four crew
members missing, the army chief
said yesterday.
The helicopter crashed into
Bhutan’s jobs
woes drive
an exodus
to Australia
Reuters
Sydney/Kathmandu
T
he reopening of Australia’s
borders to international
students after the pan-
demic has triggered an exodus
from Bhutan, as young people seek
opportunities abroad amid grow-
ing economic unhappiness in the
landlocked Himalayan kingdom.
Student migration to Australia
from Bhutan has soared, with over
12,000 long-term arrivals mov-
ing there in the 11 months to May
alone, representing about 1.5%
of the tiny South Asian country’s
population, which has a youth
unemployment rate in the double
digits.
Most of the recent arrivals have
settled in Perth, Western Aus-
tralia, where they have enrolled in
courses such as childcare, hospi-
tality and accounting.
Tashi Kipchu, a 25-year-old ed-
ucation consultant, is one of many
who came to Australia last year in
search of better opportunities.
“Right after Covid, everything
died. People don’t see an opportu-
nity out there,” said Kipchu, who
studied marketing at the Univer-
sity of Western Australia.
Aside from a small humanitar-
ian intake, migration from Bhutan
to Australia had been negligible
until 2017 when student arrivals
started to pick up. That accelerat-
ed after the reopening of borders
in Australia in 2022, with official
data showing student visa ap-
plications from Bhutan jumping
fivefold in the fiscal year ended
June.
The influx of students in that
short period has made Australia
home to one of the largest com-
munities of Bhutanese expatriates
outside of South Asia.
While they represent just a
small part of Australia’s 600,000
international student population,
the surge comes as the A$40bn
($27bn) education sector tries to
make up for business lost from a
dearth of foreign students during
the pandemic. Students from key
market China, in particular, are
Death toll in Thailand
warehouse blast rises
AFP
Bangkok
T
he death toll from a pow-
erful explosion that lev-
elled an unlicensed fire-
works warehouse in southern
Thailand rose to at least 10 yes-
terday, the local governor said,
as police sought the owner on
charges of negligence.
The blast Saturday afternoon
in the town of Sungai Kolok was
believed to have been caused by
welding during construction
work on the building.
More than 100 people were in-
jured in the blast, which left only
twisted metal beams still stand-
ing as rescue workers picked over
the debris, with local media re-
porting hundreds of homes were
also seriously damaged.
“We have identified 10 people
and found parts of two bodies
which we cannot identify yet,”
Narathiwat provincial governor
waters near the Whitsunday Is-
lands off Australia’s subtropical
northeast late on Friday, sparking
a search by the militaries of three
nations, but hopes of finding the
missing crew were fading.
Lieutenant general Simon Stu-
art, the chief of the Australian
army, said yesterday that Australia
would ground its fleet of about 45
Taipan helicopters.
“We are not flying the MRH-90
returning at a slower pace than
hoped.
“Australian universities are keen
to diversify – they got the mes-
sage from the previous and this
government that they shouldn’t
rely too much on just China, India
and Nepal,” said Phil Honeywood,
chief executive officer at Interna-
tional Education Association of
Australia.
“They need to go forth and
find new education agents in new
countries.”
Sonam Tobgay, who became
Bhutan’s inaugural ambassador
to Australia in 2021, said Austral-
ia’s appeal includes its relatively
cheaper tuition fees and favour-
able visa regime that allows stu-
dents’ dependents to come and
work for unlimited hours.
Six of the current 10 cabinet
ministers of Bhutan have qualifi-
cations from an Australian univer-
sity or institute.
Bhutan is famous for its Gross
National Happiness index, an eco-
nomic gauge that takes into ac-
count factors ignored by the con-
ventional gross domestic product
measures, such as recreation,
emotional well-being and the en-
vironment.
However, its mostly closed
economy, which is largely de-
pendent on hydropower and tour-
ism, has more recently been hurt
by high energy prices, leading to a
sharp fall in its foreign reserves.
Moreover, the government’s
reforms of the public sector, de-
signed to streamline and modern-
ise the civil service, the country’s
biggest employer, have also con-
tributed to a mass exodus of work-
ing professionals.
Wedged between India and
China, Bhutan reopened its bor-
ders in September, but higher
tourist taxes have meant the re-
covery in the critical industry has
not lived up to expectations. Youth
unemployment hit 28% last year.
Amid bleak job prospects
at home, many young people
flocked to Australia, which has
loosened visa restrictions to help
ease its tightest labour market in
50 years.
Sanan Pongaksorn told a press
conference yesterday.
“We are sending to forensics to
do DNA tests but primary reports
said they were different (peo-
ple),” he added.
Sanan had previously said the
blast was believed to have been
caused by a “technical error”
during welding.
Police yesterday said they were
still investigating the cause, add-
ing they believed the facility was
not licensed to store fireworks.
Provincial commander po-
lice major general Chalermporn
Khamkhiew said firecrackers had
been delivered shortly before the
explosion.
“We are investigating if those
firecrackers were transported le-
gally or illegally,” he said.
“As of now, we do not see any
licence for possession of fire-
crackers or firecracker sales,” he
said. “We assume the factory has
no licence.”
The blast detonated roughly
today and won’t until we think it is
safe to do so,” Stuart told reporters
in Sydney.
Even before the incident, Can-
berra had announced it would re-
place its ageing Taipan helicopters
with US-made Black Hawks.
Australian officials have com-
plained about having to repeat-
edly ground the European-made
Taipans, citing difficulties with
maintenance and getting spare
People wear raincoats in a tourist area during heavy rain in Beijing, China, yesterday.
Thousands evacuated as
China hit by torrential rain
AFP
Beijing
T
ens of thousands of peo-
ple were evacuated from
high-risk areas of Bei-
jing and another northern city
as much of China was lashed by
torrential rain yesterday.
Deadly storm Doksuri has
been sweeping northwards
over China since Friday, when
it careened into southern Fu-
jian province after battering the
Philippines as a typhoon.
The Chinese capital and sur-
rounding region were drenched
over the weekend, with officials
warning of potentially hazard-
ous conditions including floods,
swelling rivers, mudslides and
1,000kgs of gunpowder, he said,
leaving two holes roughly two
metres deep and 20 feet wide.
“We have issued a summons
to the owner of the factory with
the charge of negligence, which
caused the accident,” said colo-
nel Suthawet Thareethai, police
chief in Muno district. “We are
waiting for him to come.”
Officials said a command cen-
tre had been established not far
from the scene, and authorities
had already received 365 com-
plaints from those who had been
injured or had their homes and
property damaged.
Damage to government offices
and private schools was also re-
ported, they added.
Police said that of the 115 peo-
ple injured in the blast, 106 had
been discharged. The condition
of those remaining in hospital
was not known.
A fire sparked by the explosion
was brought under control late
Saturday.
parts. Stuart said the current aim
was to keep the Taipans in serv-
ice until 2024 but “what happens
between now and then, from what
we learn from this incident, is yet
to be determined”.
Australia’s Taipan fleet was
grounded for a month after one
of the helicopters suffered engine
failure during a nighttime train-
ing exercise in March, forcing the
crew to ditch into the ocean. No
landslides. More than 27,000
people in high-risk areas of Bei-
jing have been evacuated, and
another 20,000 were relocated
from parts of neighbouring
province Hebei’s capital Shi-
jiazhuang, state media said.
Hundreds of millions of peo-
ple in northern China, includ-
ing in Beijing, remain under a
red alert – the highest level – for
heavy rain through at least today
afternoon.
The alert covers Beijing’s
22mn people and Tianjin’s
14mn, as well as parts of Hebei,
Shanxi, Shandong and Henan
provinces.
It is the first time since 2011
that such a heavy rainfall warn-
ing has been issued, according to
local media.
Fight against plastic
Environmental activists hold a demonstration calling
on the people to reject single-use plastic in Jakarta,
Indonesia, yesterday.
one was seriously hurt.
The aircraft that crashed on
Friday night was taking part in the
Talisman Sabre exercise, which
brings together 30,000 military
personnel from Australia, the US
and several other nations.
Specialist divers have joined
the hundreds-strong search for
the missing pilot and three other
crew, officials said.
Debris from the crash was re-
Chinese authorities have been
cautious about heavy down-
pours since severe flooding in
2021 killed more than 300 peo-
ple in central China, mainly in
the city of Zhengzhou.
In Beijing, residents were
yesterday urged not to go out-
side unless necessary, advice
that appeared widely heeded
with the usually buzzing streets
empty of many cars or pedes-
trians.
Companies were also told not
to force their employees to come
to work unless necessary.
Many popular sites in the
capital were temporarily closed,
including the Forbidden City, li-
braries and museums.
The sprawling National Cen-
tre for the Performing Arts, lo-
covered on Saturday, with Chan-
nel 9 television footage showing a
section of the fuselage being lifted
from the water.
Stuart identified the four miss-
ing crew and said they were all
from the 6th Aviation Regiment,
based in Sydney.
“You have to feel for their fami-
lies and their mates,” he said.
New South Wales Premier
Christopher Minns told Sky News
cated near Tiananmen Square,
cancelled opera and musical
performances scheduled for
yesterday.
City officials ordered all
school buildings to shut, as
some students and teachers
were using the facilities for
training or extracurricular ac-
tivities like sports during the
summer break.
The Ministry of Water Re-
sources yesterday raised its
flood warning after some rivers
swelled beyond alert levels.
In one mountainous village
on the outskirts of Beijing, a lo-
cal river was transformed into a
gushing torrent, but no casual-
ties were reported as 62 house-
holds in the surrounding area
were evacuated the previous
Eight trapped in gold
mine feared dead
AFP
Banyumas, Indonesia
E
ight people trapped in an
illegal gold mine on the
Indonesian island of Java
are feared dead, a local rescue of-
ficial said yesterday, as search ef-
forts entered a fifth day with little
progress.
Unlicensed mines – many with
disregard for basic safety meas-
ures – are common across the
mineral-rich Southeast Asian
archipelago and accidents are
frequent.
The workers were digging in-
side a hole with a depth of 200
feet in Pancurendang village in
central Java on Tuesday evening
when water suddenly flooded the
illegal mine.
Rescuers had deployed wa-
ter pumps around the clock and
worked to dam a nearby river in a
frantic bid to get the water out of
the mining shaft but it remained
flooded yesterday.
“This is already the fifth day.
We expect the bad news that the
one of the missing crew was the
son of a distinguished senior po-
lice officer.
Australian Prime Minister An-
thony Albanese described the
crash as a stark reminder “that
there are no safe or easy days for
those who serve in our country’s
name”.
He also thanked military per-
sonnel from other countries for
taking part in the search.
day, according to the local news-
paper. Doksuri was initially cat-
egorised as a super typhoon as
it tore across the Pacific Ocean
earlier this week, but it lost some
intensity as it neared the Philip-
pines, where it killed more than
a dozen people.
It still brought colossal
waves and howling winds of up
to 175kms per hour to China’s
southeast on Friday, causing
significant damage.
More than 880,000 people in
Fujian province were affected by
the storm, state media said yes-
terday.
The storm is hitting China af-
ter a summer of record tempera-
tures, with scientists saying the
extreme weather is exacerbated
by climate change.
victims have died,” local search
and rescue agency head Adah
Sudarsa told reporters yesterday.
Sudarsa said the rescue effort
would continue until tomorrow
in the hope of retrieving the min-
ers’ bodies, which are yet to be
found.
Authorities had planned to de-
ploy divers to find the miners but
local rescue official Priyo Pray-
udha Utama said “it was not pos-
sible” because the mine shaft was
too narrow.
Most of the trapped miners had
moved from West Java to mine in
the region, police said.
On Friday police charged four
people with allegedly operating
the mine without a permit.
The suspects, including one
who remains at large, face up to
five years in prison and 100bn ru-
piah ($6.6mn) in fines.
In 2021, six people were killed
on Sulawesi island after an illegal
gold mine collapsed.
At least 16 people were killed
two years earlier when another il-
legal gold mine on the island col-
lapsed and buried the workers.
 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 9

WORLD

Wildlife lovers India launches seven foreign satellites

The Indian Space Research dimensional reconstructions of equatorial Orbit (NEO) at an deforestation, and support satellite for atmospheric

urged to join
Organisation (ISRO) yesterday
launched a vehicle (PSLV-C56)
carrying seven satellites from
the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre in Sriharikota, southern
objects.
Developed under a partnership
between DSTA, representing
the government of Singapore,
and ST Engineering, the DS-SAR
altitude of 535km.
It carries a SAR payload
developed by Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI), enabling all-
weather day and night coverage
security and defence operations.
Commercial customers can
utilise the satellite for purposes
such as oil and gas exploration,
agriculture monitoring, and
coupling and dynamics
exploration; SCOOB-II, a
nanosatellite flying a technology
demonstrator payload; NuLIoN
by NuSpace, an advanced

UK’s annual
India. The launch took place at
6.30am.
The primary payload of the
PSLV-C56 mission is the DS-SAR
satellite will cater to the imagery and capable of imaging at infrastructure assessment. nanosatellite enabling seamless
needs of various Singapore 1m-resolution at full polarimetry. Alongside the DS-SAR, six co- IoT connectivity in both urban
government agencies and This high-resolution capability passenger satellites have also & remote locations; Galassia-2,
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.

AFP have become the world’s biggest

Abbotskerswell, United Kingdom such survey.
Over 64,000 “citizen scien- Monsoon clouds over Taj Mahal
tists” participated last year, sub-

W
ildlife enthusiasts
across Britain are be-
ing encouraged to log
sightings of butterflies and some
moths, as the world’s largest an-
nual survey of the increasingly
endangered pollinating insects
returns.
The UK-wide “Big Butterfly
Count” - which this year runs
from July 14 to August 6 - helps
conservationists assess the
health of the country’s natural
environment, amid mounting
evidence it is increasingly im-
perilled.
Volunteers download a chart
helping them to identify differ-
ent butterfly species and then
record their sightings in gar-
dens, parks and elsewhere using
a smartphone app and other on-
line tools.
It comes as experts warn the
often brightly coloured winged
insects are in rapid decline in
Britain as they fail to cope with
unprecedented environmental
change.
“It’s a pretty worrying pic-
ture,” Richard Fox, head of sci-
ence at the Butterfly Conser-
vation charity, which runs the
nationwide citizen-led survey,
said at Orley Common, a vast
park in Devon, southwest Eng-
land.
“The major causes of the de-
cline are what we humans have
done to the landscape in the UK
over the past 50, 60, 70 years,”
he added from the site, which
is seeing fewer butterflies de-
spite offering an ideal habitat for
them.
mitting 96,257 counts of butter-
flies and day-flying moths from
across Britain.
Butterfly Conservation and
the UK Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology have developed an
iRecord Butterflies app to help
identify and geo-locate different
butterfly species sightings.
It has logged nearly 1mn sub-
missions since launching in 2014.
Butterflies help identify the
health of an ecosystem because
they react quickly to environ-
mental changes and are seen as
an early warning system for other
wildlife losses, conservationists
note.
“One of the great things about
butterflies and of this fantastic
data that we have about butter-
flies is that they act as indicators
about all the other groups,” Fox
explained.
“So we know a bit about how
our bees are doing, we know a lit-
tle about how bugs, and beetles,
and flies, and wasps, and other
important insects are doing.”
Amy Walkden, Butterfly Con-
servation’s branch secretary in
Devon, is one of many enthusi-
asts monitoring the insects year-
round with the help of her eight-
year-old daughter, Robin.
“Having a yearly record of
what is around and what is not
around I think is really good sci-
entific data to indicate changes
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
destruction,” she said. waterlogging in several cities.
Her daughter Robin appears
equally aware of their value.
“If we don’t have any but-
terflies and all the buzzy things,

Tomato price shock hits Indian

A report published this year
that Fox co-authored, based on
23mn items of data, revealed that
four in every five UK butterfly
species have decreased since the
then the things that eat butter-
flies won’t have any food,” she
noted.
“The food chain is basically
what we eat and if there is none

restaurants, puree sales boom

1970s.
Half of the country’s 58 spe-
cies are listed as threatened, ac-
cording to a conservation “red
list”.
The UK, one of the world’s
most nature-depleted countries,
has lost almost half of its biodi-
versity over recent decades, ac-
cording to a 2021 UK parliament
of them we’ll starve and we
won’t really be able to survive,
will we?”
Fox hopes that the latest an-
nual count will help prompt pol-
icy makers to take more action,
although he concedes the scale Reuters from their menu items, citing saying customers who earlier Google Trends data shows the - contributed to the fall of more
of the task is “enormous”. New Delhi quality issues, but higher food bought an average of 1kg fresh to- number of online searches for than one state government in the
The UK government has said it prices are having a broader impact matoes per order were buying half terms “tomato puree” and “to- past.
wants to reverse biodiversity loss across the industry, while pushing of that. mato puree 1kg price” in recent Food sellers - big and small -

report.
Agriculture, and its use of fer-
tilisers and pesticides, alongside
changes to landscapes includ-
ing the removal of hedge rows
to maximise space for growing
crops, is partly blamed.
Counting butterflies, which
are among the most monitored
insects globally, has helped track
the grim trend.
Volunteers have been contrib-
uting to the effort since the 1970s
but recording is more popu-
lar than ever, in part thanks to
evolving technology.
The Big Butterfly Count
launched in 2010 and claims to
and climate change, partly by
planting tens of millions of trees
in the next three years.
Fox called the plan “fantas-
tic” but said other areas such as
low intensity agri-environment
schemes are also needed, “so
that the public money paid to
farmers will benefit the envi-
ronment and support biodiver-
sity”.
“There’s a lot more we can
do there to make sure that the
margins around fields are being
managed in a way to turn around
the fortunes of our more com-
mon and widespread butterflies,”
he added.
M
any Indian restaurants
are cutting back on to-
matoes in their popular
dishes and consumer companies
are ramping up production of
cheaper purees that are flying off
the shelves, after prices surged
more than 500%.
Used widely in Indian cooking,
prices of tomatoes have hit record
highs in recent weeks as monsoon
rains disrupted supplies at a time
when seasonal production is typi-
cally low, forcing the government
to organise mobile vans for subsi-
dised sales.
Many McDonald’s and Subway
outlets have dropped tomatoes
headline inflation numbers above
the central bank’s medium-term
target.
Consumers, already struggling
with rising living costs, are des-
perate for cheaper options.
Milk and vegetable retailer
Mother Dairy has seen a 300%
jump in tomato puree sales in
the last 15 days in New Delhi, a
spokesperson said. Indian con-
sumer giant Dabur said it has
ramped up production of puree to
meet growing demand.
Puree sales at Tata’s online
shopping website BigBasket
surged 175% in early July, with
senior executive Seshu Kumar
Amazon said demand for to-
mato puree on its platform rose
five times over the past month,
while ketchup sales rose 30%.
Packs of puree typically contain
around 40% tomato paste and the
rest water, and cost Rs130/kg.
Tomato prices in New Delhi were
Rs199/kg, from around Rs30 in
April. Puree prices have so far not
changed.
“With the prices going over
Rs100 ($1.22), I tried to experi-
ment with tomato ketchup for
Indian gravies ... Not everyone in
the family liked it,” said 34-year-
old Pravieen Sridhar, who runs a
laundry business in Chennai.
weeks in India have been highest
in the last five years.
Crop damage and transporta-
tion woes due to rain have also led
to a rise in prices of other vegeta-
bles. Surging food prices acceler-
ated India’s annual retail inflation
rate in June to 4.81%, snapping four
months of easing and fuelling bets
that the central bank will keep in-
terest rates high into mid-2024.
Vegetables are a politically-
sensitive commodity in India,
where average per-capita in-
come was estimated to be around
$200 per month in 2022-23. Price
spikes in onions - another key in-
gredient used in Indian cooking
are battling high tomato prices.
In a New Delhi business dis-
trict, Birju, who sells a cheap
bread-and-pea street food which
typically comes with tomatoes,
said he now uses the expensive
item only as a garnish, and only
when people push for it.
“Customers understand I am
not using it because I haven’t in-
creased prices,” he said, gesturing
to a single piece of tomato on his
cart. Pradeep Shetty of the Ho-
tel and Restaurant Association of
Western India said many outlets
have stopped using fresh toma-
toes in salads and are switching to
more purees.

Tesla executives hold market entry

Sunak backs plans for new Barbiemania talks with India investment agency

UK oil and gas exploration

AFP amid a cost-of-living crisis. The
London main opposition Labour party,
well ahead in the polls, said ear-
lier this year it will not issue any
Two senior Tesla executives
discussed the company’s
plans to enter India with
officials from the country’s
investment promotion arm
to net zero,” he argued. The com- in New Delhi, two people
ments follow the Conservatives with direct knowledge of the
defying dismal national polling matter said, the latest in a
to retain former prime minister series of high-level talks.
they added.
Tesla and Invest India did
not immediately respond to
requests for comment.
Most Tesla meetings with
Indian officials have been
kept under wraps. Reuters
reported this week that Tesla
representatives will also

U
K Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak has backed plans
for new fossil fuel drill-
ing off Britain’s coast, saying in a
newspaper interview yesterday
he would be “pragmatic and pro-
portionate” about reaching net
zero.
His government is expected
to approve the development of
Rosebank, near Scotland’s Shet-
land Isles - believed to be the UK’s
largest undeveloped oil and gas
field - as well as other sites in the
nearby North Sea imminently.
The prospect has infuriated
environmental campaigners, who
argue that stopping all new fos-
sil fuel exploitation is essential if
Britain is to decarbonise by mid-
century.
They accuse the British leader
of lacking conviction on cli-
mate policies and playing poli-
tics with the issue, as he eyes a
general election due next year
new North Sea drilling licences if
it regains power after more than a
decade in opposition.
“I think it makes absolutely no
sense, as the Labour Party is sug-
gesting, to ban North Sea oil and
gas,” Sunak told the Sunday Tel-
egraph.
“That is just going to weaken
our energy security and strength-
en the hands of dictators like
(Russian) President (Vladimir)
Putin,” he said, arguing it jeop-
ardised 200,000 jobs and threat-
ened £80bn ($103bn) worth of tax
revenue.
Sunak, who became leader last
October, said his approach was
“to support the UK’s energy in-
dustry” and appeared to suggest
that not exploiting new UK oil and
gas reserves risked “the lights go-
ing out” in Britain.
“Everybody sensible recog-
nises that we will need those fos-
sil fuels as part of the transition
Boris Johnson’s vacated north-
west London seat in a July 20 par-
liamentary by-election.
The narrow victory came amid
voter unease at Labour mayor
Sadiq Khan expanding a scheme
taxing the use of the most pollut-
ing vehicles, and appears to have
emboldened Tory net zero oppo-
nents.
In the Telegraph interview, Su-
nak insisted he was on the side of
motorists and said he had ordered
a review of so-called low traf-
fic neighbourhoods, contentious
local authority-led tools to limit
vehicle use in designated areas by
blocking roads.
His government has riled cli-
mate campaigners since the sur-
prise by-election win by sug-
gesting some UK environmental
targets could be eased, while of-
fering lukewarm support for the
country’s ambitious net-zero
agenda.
The US carmaker has
expressed an interest in
building a factory in India that
would produce a low-cost
electric vehicle (EV) priced at
$24,000, around 25% cheaper
than Tesla’s current entry
model, for both the Indian
market and export.
The US-based executives
- senior public policy and
business development
executive Rohan Patel, and
a vice president for supply
chain, Roshan Thomas - are
currently in New Delhi and
met officials from the Invest
India agency, the two sources
said, declining to be identified
as the discussions were
private.
Invest India CEO Nivruti Rai,
Iwona Wylezinska and Siena Maria Wylezinska, dressed a former Intel executive, held
all in pink, stand outside a theatre in London, Britain, talks with the Tesla executives
ahead of watching the Barbie movie. during a meeting on Thursday,
meet Commerce Minister
Piyush Goyal, with discussions
expected to centre on setting
up an EV supply chain and
land allotment for a factory.
Many Indian states are keen to
woo Tesla to set up its plant in
their region, but the carmaker
is currently focussed on
discussing its proposal with
the federal government in
New Delhi, said one of the
sources.
In the past, Tesla has been
linked to various regions in
India, including Maharashtra
and Karnataka.
The discussions represent
a sharp reversal for the
company after efforts last
year to reduce import taxes
on EVs shipped to India
were scuppered by calls
from government officials to
commit to making cars locally.
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

P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar

editor@gulf-times.com
44350478 (News),
44466404 (Sport),
44466636 (Home delivery)
44350474
facebook.com/gulftimes
twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar

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.

The irresistible rise of ‘the Rest’

For a glimpse of most pre-industrial work, look at roofers, who
today are still exhausted and worn out by toiling in the elements in
uncomfortable, distorting physical positions. They are preserving in
the 21st century what was once a general experience. Early 20th century
automobile workers bent over their tools, lifted heavy objects, and

and how the twain shall meet

applied huge amounts of energy. Their early 21st century counterparts
look at monitors and track the robots who have taken over the heavy
physical tasks. As the sweat economy has disappeared, working people
have become weaker, but also healthier. Those who want to retain some
physical strength now go to the gym.
The information-technology revolution represented another step in
this human development. As machines have taken over more cognitive
tasks, computers now monitor the robots doing the physical work. With By Andrew Sheng and Xiao Geng To be sure, when it comes to GDP, the products and services. Drawing on his a leading role in reshaping the global
the elimination of mental work (like the complex arithmetic that shop Hong Kong West has often punched well above its experiences living in Chinese cities rules of the game – formulated by the
assistants used to perform), the same old pattern has continued: many demographic weight. In 1950, the West and studying Chinese companies, West – for the 21st century.

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
advr@gulf-times.com the global rules
Display of the game –
44466621 44418811 formulated by
Classified
44466609 44418811
the West – for the
Subscription 21st century
circulation@gulf-times.com

© 2023 Gulf Times. All rights reserved

 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023 11

WORLD

44 dead, over 100 injured in Peshawar suicide blast

AFP one who had lost their limbs. The air and the military. The party’s leader, charge Kabul denies. Pakistan was
Peshawar was filled with the smell of human cleric Fazlur Rehman started politi- once plagued by almost daily bomb-
flesh,” he told AFP by phone. cal life as a firebrand hardliner but has ings, but a major military clearance
Riaz Anwar, the health minister for softened his public image over the operation in the former tribal areas

A
t least 44 people were killed
and hundred more wounded
yesterday by a suicide bomb-
ing at a political gathering of a leading
Islamic party in northwest Pakistan,
officials said.
The blast targeted the Jamiat Ule-
ma-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party — a gov-
ernment coalition partner led by an
influential firebrand cleric — as hun-
dreds of supporters gathered under a
canopy in the town of Khar, near the
Afghan border.
“The tent had collapsed on one side,
trapping people who were desperately
attempting to escape,” said Abdullah
Khan, who tried to help the victims.
“There was utter confusion, with
human flesh, limbs, and body parts
scattered throughout the area, along-
side lifeless bodies.”
Sabeeh Ullah, a 24-year-old party
supporter who had his arm fractured
by the blast, said the scale of injuries
was horrifying.
“I found myself lying next to some-
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said
local hospitals reported 44 dead and
123 wounded, including 17 patients in
serious condition.
“It was a suicide attack, with the
bomber detonating himself in close
proximity to the stage,” he told AFP.
Provincial governor Haji Ghulam Ali
confirmed the toll.
Images from the blast site circu-
lating on social media showed bodies
strewn around the scene, and volun-
teers helping blood-soaked victims to
ambulances.
Pakistan’s national assembly is
due to dissolve in the next few weeks
ahead of elections expected in October
or November, and political parties are
already preparing to campaign.
The blast coincides with a visit by a
senior delegation of Chinese officials,
including Vice-Premier He Lifeng,
who arrived in the capital later last
evening.
No group has claimed responsibil-
ity for the attack, but the local chap-
years in a bid to forge alliances with
secular parties on the left and right of
the spectrum.
With the ability to mobilise tens of
thousands of madrassa students, his
party never musters enough support
for power on its own, but is usually a
key player in any coalition.
Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in
militant attacks since the Afghan Tali-
ban surged back to power in neigh-
bouring Afghanistan in 2021.
Pakistan’s home-grown Taliban
group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), has largely directed its cam-
paign against security officials, in-
cluding police officers.
People transport a man, who was injured after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber In January, a suicide bomber linked
Pakhtunkhwa, at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar yesterday. (Reuters) to Pakistan’s Taliban blew himself up
in a mosque inside a police compound
ter of the Islamic State (IS) group has a huge network of mosques and ma- in the northwestern city of Peshawar,
recently carried out attacks against drassas in the north and west of the killing more than 80 officers.
JUI-F. country. The militant assaults have been
Last year, IS said it was behind vio- The jihadist group accuses JUI-F of focused in regions abutting Afghani-
lent attacks against religious scholars hypocrisy for being an Islamic group stan, and Islamabad alleges some
affiliated with the party, which has while supporting hostile governments are being planned on Afghan soil — a
starting in 2014 largely restored order.
The seven remote districts that
border Afghanistan, of which Bajaur
is one, were later brought under the
control of Pakistani authorities after
the passage of legislation in 2018.
Analysts say militants in the former
tribal areas have become emboldened
since the return of the Afghan Taliban.
One security analyst suggested yes-
terday’s attack was more likely linked
to the election rather than having a
sectarian motive.
“This is part of terrorism violence
that seems to be ramping up in Pa-
kistan ahead of elections to create a
sense of instability that could even-
tually lead to a delay in the elections,”
said Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director of
the Center for Research and Security
Studies.
Afghan government spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the
attack in a statement, adding Kabul
“shares its deepest condolences with
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

interview published yesterday.
Italy signed up to the BRI under a
previous government, becoming
the only major Western country to
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah (third right) have taken such a step. Crosetto
receiving visiting Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng upon his is part of an administration that is
arrival in Islamabad. (AFP) considering how to break free of
the agreement.
China, Pakistan to mark mega The BRI scheme envisions
rebuilding the old Silk Road
infrastructure anniversary to connect China with Asia,
Europe and beyond with large
infrastructure spending. Critics
Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng arrived in the Pakistan capital see it as a tool for China to spread
yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of an enormous economic its geopolitical and economic
plan that is the cornerstone of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. influence.
Since its initiation in 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor “The decision to join the (new)
(CPEC) has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive Silk Road was an improvised and
transport, energy and infrastructure projects. atrocious act” that multiplied
But the undertaking has also been hit by Pakistan struggling to China’s exports to Italy but did not
keep up its financial obligations, as well as attacks on Chinese have the same effect on Italian
targets by militants. exports to China, Crosetto told the
“After a decade since its inception, CPEC has shown mixed results,” Corriere della Sera newspaper.
said Azeem Khalid, assistant professor of international relations at “The issue today is: how to walk
COMSATS University Islamabad. back (from the BRI) without
“The primary goal of connecting China with the Arabian Sea is damaging relations (with Beijing).
still relatively low in achievement for China. On the other hand, Because it is true that China is a
Pakistan has made notable progress in achieving short-term competitor, but it is also a partner,”
objectives.” the defence minister added.
In recent years Beijing has been one of Islamabad’s most reliable After a White House meeting
foreign partners, readily providing financial assistance to bail out with US President Joe Biden
its often struggling neighbour. on Thursday, Italian Prime
Earlier this week, Beijing granted Pakistan a two-year rollover Minister Giorgia Meloni said her
on a $2.4bn loan, giving the debt-saddled nation much-needed government was still deliberating
breathing space as it tackles a balance-of-payments crisis. on the BRI and announced a trip to
An IMF report last year said China and its commercial banks held Beijing in the near future.
about 30% of Pakistan’s total external debt. “We’ll take a decision before
The two countries share a 596km frontier near the Siachen Glacier December,” Meloni told US
in the Karakoram Mountains, one of the world’s tallest ranges. broadcaster Fox News in an
Pakistan politicians frequently trot out the phrase “stronger than interview aired yesterday, adding
the Himalayas, deeper than the ocean, and sweeter than honey” to that the issue required discussions
portray the depth and closeness of the relationship with China. with the Chinese government and
But ties have been strained by numerous hurdles in recent years, within the Italian parliament.
including stalled or scaled-back CPEC projects. Meloni reiterated her view that it is
The economic corridor presents an attractive gateway for China to a “paradox” that while Italy is part
access the Indian Ocean, but the safety and security of its workers of the BRI, it is not the G7 country
has been a longstanding concern. with the biggest trade with China,
Yesterday at least 44 people were killed and dozens more and said that shows it is possible
wounded by a suicide bombing at a political gathering of a leading to have good relations with Beijing
Islamic party in northwest Pakistan. without the Belt and Road.
R
ussia said yesterday it
had downed Ukrainian
drones targeting Moscow
and the Crimea peninsula in
attacks that damaged two office
towers in the capital and briefly
shut an international airport.
One drone targeting Moscow
was shot down on the city’s
outskirts and two others were
“suppressed by electronic war-
fare” and smashed into an of-
fice complex early yesterday,
the Russian defence ministry
said, adding that there were no
injuries.
Moscow and its environs,
lying about 500km from the
Ukrainian border, had rarely
been targeted during the con-
flict in Ukraine until several A view shows the damaged facade of an office building in the Moscow City following a reported
drone attacks this year. Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow, yesterday. (Reuters)
Following the attacks,
Ukrainian President Volo- Telegram: “On the morning of buildings, AFP photos showed, get, crashed into the Black Sea,”
dymyr Zelensky warned that July 30, the Kyiv regime’s at- with mangled steel beams vis- the ministry said, adding that
“war” was coming to Russia. tempted terrorist attack with ible and documents strewn on there were no victims.
“Gradually, the war is re- unmanned aerial vehicles on the ground below. Crimea has been targeted
turning to the territory of Rus- objects in the city of Moscow Police officers had cordoned by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s
sia — to its symbolic centres was thwarted. off the area. Ukraine offensive but has come
and military bases, and this is “One Ukrainian UAV was de- The TASS state news agency under more intense, increased
an inevitable, natural and ab- stroyed in the air by air defence reported the capital’s Vnukovo attacks in recent weeks.
solutely fair process,” Zelensky systems over the territory of airport was “closed for depar- Kyiv has repeatedly said it
said on a visit to the western the Odintsovo district of Mos- tures and arrivals, flights are plans to take Crimea back.
city of Ivano-Frankivsk. cow region. redirected to other airports” The attacks on Moscow come
Russia has been targetted “Two more drones were but operations appeared to several weeks into a Ukrain-
with a series of recent drone suppressed by electronic war- have returned to normal inside ian counter-offensive to claw
assaults — including on the fare and, having lost control, an hour. back territory captured by Rus-
Kremlin and Russian towns crashed on the territory of Earlier this month, a volley of sia since large-scale hostilities
near the border with Ukraine Moscow-City’s non-residen- drone attacks briefly disrupted erupted in February 2022.
— that Moscow has blamed on tial building complex.” air traffic at the same airport. On Friday, Russia said it had
Kyiv. Moscow-City is a commer- The defence ministry also intercepted two missiles over
Russia’s defence ministry cial development in the west of said yesterday that 25 Ukrain- its southern Rostov region bor-
denounced an “attempted ter- the capital. ian drones were destroyed by dering Ukraine, with at least 16
rorist attack” which Foreign Mayor Sergei Sobyanin air defence fire in an overnight people wounded by debris fall-
Minister Sergei Lavrov said posted on Telegram that the attack on Crimea, a peninsula ing on the city of Taganrog.
would have been “impossi- “facades of two city office tow- Moscow annexed in 2014. Shortly after, it said it had
ble without the help afforded ers were slightly damaged” but “Another nine Ukrain- downed a second S-200 mis-
the Kyiv regime by the United added there were no victims. ian drones were suppressed by sile near the city of Azov, with
States and its Nato allies.” Several windows had been means of electronic warfare debris falling in an unpopu-
The defence ministry said on blown out on the corner of the and, without reaching the tar- lated area.

Back on track: Europe’s night trains in bumpy comeback

By Anne Beade with Amandine Hess sengers in carriages that include bed the Belgian-Dutch startup Europe- ficult, complex and expensive,” Kosok
Vienna compartments. an Sleeper, also complained about a said, adding that the infrastructure
The state-owned company consid- shortage of “proper night train coach- was “overloaded” even at night when
ered abandoning its overnight services es”. freight trains ply the rails.

N
ight trains have made a come-
back in Europe thanks to their
low-carbon footprint, but after
years of neglect, the renaissance has
had a bumpy ride.
Operators admit that the trains are
outdated — with passengers facing
the occasional delays, technical prob-
lems or malfunctioning toilets — while
companies compete in an overloaded
network.
Despite the challenges, national
rail operators are giving night trains
another chance while startups are
jumping on the bandwagon as climate
concerns are making travellers ditch
kerosene-burning planes for cleaner
modes of transportation.
Sitting at the crossroads between
western and eastern Europe, Austria
has been at the heart of this revival
with the backing of the government
even as low-cost airlines threatened
to relegate sleeper trains to the his-
tory books.
Austrian rail operator OeBB, a pio-
neer in the sector, has Europe’s biggest
fleet of night trains, serving 1.5mn pas-
at one point, but it went the opposite
direction and invested in them instead.
“Our night trains are nearly fully
booked,” OeBB spokesman Bernhard
Rieder told AFP as summer travel is in
full swing in Europe.
OeBB runs 20 routes connecting Vi-
enna and other cities throughout Eu-
rope.
“We have a long tradition with night
train service,” Rieder said, pointing out
how the Alpine nation’s mountainous
topography makes having high-speed
connections difficult.
Astrid Reiter, a 27-year-old consult-
ant, booked a night train from Vienna
to Zurich.
“It’s nice because you basically wake
up in a different country,” she said. “If
everything works out well, it’s a very
convenient way to travel.”
She added: “I do hope that other
companies other than the Austrian
railway company develop more night
trains and make it easier to have faster
night trains.”
Rieder admits that the quality of its
service “is not always as high these
Established in 2021, his company
inaugurated a Berlin-Brussels link in
May. “The train is not always up to the
modern standards, but despite that
many people would like to travel by
night train and the enthusiasm is quite
big,” he told AFP.
“There are breakdowns sometimes
or the toilets are not working or elec-
tricity is not working properly, things
like that,” he added, blaming the “lack
of investment for decades”.
Competition from low-cost flights
and a lack of co-ordination between
different European rail operators and
companies are other obstacles.
It is difficult to compete with some
Passengers are seen through the windows inside a sleeping car of the Nightjet flights’ “unreasonably low” prices,
train line Vienna – Venice (-Zurich) of the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) at according to a recent report by NGO
the main station in Vienna, Austria. (AFP) Greenpeace, with the aviation sector
benefitting from subsidies and tax ex-
days as what we want to deliver to our glomerate Siemens to expand its reach emptions.
customers”. and replace part of its ageing fleet. Rail transport, on the other hand, is
“There was no demand and no re- The first trains — with a modern de- “subject to various taxes and fees,” in
quest for night trains for over 25 years” sign, more privacy and more shower particular for using the infrastructure,
causing manufacturing to grind to a facilities — are expected to go into said Philipp Kosok, an analyst at the
halt, he said. In 2018, OeBB ordered service at the end of this year. German think tank Agora.
33 new night trains from German con- Chris Engelsman, co-founder of “Operating night trains is very dif-
There is also no centralised site to
consult timetables and compare prices,
with some in the industry complaining
of a lack of political will.
“There’s not really a European ap-
proach to train travel at the moment,”
Engelsman said.
French startup Midnight Trains co-
founder Adrien Aumont said his com-
pany’s aim was to “reinvent” the night
train “to make it a truly competitive
means of transport against aviation”.
Aumont had the idea to create the
company when his partner “decided
never to get on a plane again”.
His startup is partnering with a
night train maker to relaunch the once
popular Paris-Milan-Venice line in
2025.
“I realised that it was almost impos-
sible to travel in Europe (without fly-
ing). People were asked to get off the
planes, but without necessarily offer-
ing them solutions,” he told AFP.
He slammed a service that “has de-
teriorated” over time, far from the leg-
endary and luxurious Orient Express.
— AFP
12 Gulf Times
Monday, July 31, 2023
QATAR
Purple Dragonfly Awards honour for HBKU Press
H
amad Bin Khalifa University
Press has received three hon-
ours at the 2023 Purple Drag-
onfly Awards, where Rima Ismail’s
book Anger won in the picture books
category.
Suha Abu Shakra’s book I Wish I
Knew and Basma al-Khatib’s Could the
Stars Stay Bright also received honour-
able mentions in the category of best
illustrations.
The Purple Dragonfly Book Awards
was established in 2009 to recognise
and honour writers and illustrators for
their outstanding creativity in chil-
dren’s literature.
Awards are presented to the best-
World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 Logo and Brand unveiled
From Page 1
“We are proud to announce the official brand of the World
Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024,” said Khaleel Ibrahim
al-Jaber, the general director of the Doha 2024 Local Organ-
ising Committee, on this occasion.
“The voices of all five continents can be heard echoing
this call as we look forward to welcoming the elite athletes of
aquatic sports and the fans in Doha, promising an unforget-
table sporting event,” he said.
The World Aquatics Brand showcases five rows to reflect
Katara Summer
Camp keeping
kids engaged
T
he activities of the second week
of Katara – the Culture Village
Summer Camp started yesterday,
witnessing a significant turnout and
interaction from the participating chil-
dren, with the number of participants
amounting to 50 children.
For the second week, participating
organisations in the camp, including the
General Directorate of Civil Defence, Al
Jazeera Media Institute, the Qatar Red
Crescent Society, the Ministry of En-
dowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf),
the Nomas Centre, and the Shooting
Club, will offer various training courses
and awareness lectures, in addition to
A season of fun and exploration
By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
Q
atar Tourism (QT)’s Summer
Calendar continues to provide
residents and visitors with an
array of exciting and family-friendly
events, from traditional festivals to
sports camps and workshops.
The Souq Waqif 8th Local Dates
Arts and crafts at the Summer Camp for children
and young adults at Qatar National Library.
PICTURE: QNL
selling books in 56 separate and diverse
categories, from environment to cook-
ing, and from sports to family issues.
Books winning the Purple Dragonfly
the world’s five continents: six points in the middle of them
stand for the six aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, div-
ing, high diving, artistic swimming, and open water swim-
ming – with the movement of water inspiring the cohesive
fluid shapes in the rows and points are inspired by the move-
ment of water.
World Aquatics president Husain al-Musallam said: “I am
delighted that the World Aquatics World Championships will
be in Doha next year. Qatar has an outstanding reputation as
an exceptional host country for major sports events, and I am
extremely excited to see Doha welcome our aquatics family.”
sports activities such as volleyball and
beach football.
The children will also be taken on
informative tours to Al Thuraya Plan-
etarium, Al Gannas Qatari Society, and
the Katara Traditional Dhow Museum.
The General Directorate of Civil De-
fence presented a training course on fire
safety and accident prevention, which
is one of the essential programmes at
the camp, focusing on educating par-
ticipants about the proper use of fire ex-
tinguishers and safe procedures in case
of any unfortunate fire incidents.
The camp also featured a poetry ses-
sion, where children recited poems in a
Festival, taking place at Al Ahmad
Square until August 5 with 103 farms
participating, showcases the finest lo-
cal varieties of dates such as Al Kha-
las, Al Khenaizi, Al Shishi, Al Barhi,
Al Saqai, Al Razizi, Nabt Saif, and Al
Lulu.
Visitors are also treated to a wide
range of date-based products, includ-
ing the ever-popular date syrup. This
festival not only promotes local pro-
This screenshot shows the hand-building clay workshop at Heenat
Salma Farm, running until August 31.
Book Awards are required to be original,
innovative and creative in their content
and design, and to provide children
with the best reading experience.
unique and beautiful style.
Further, there was also a quiz session
on general knowledge, presented by
Aisha al-Idrisi, where the participants
actively engaged and received symbolic
gifts.
These programmes were highly ap-
preciated by the children, in addition to
the shooting exercises provided by the
Shooting Club.
Meanwhile, Jana al-Meslimani, pro-
ducer at Al Jazeera Media Institute and
one of its ambassadors, conducted a
training workshop on video production,
aiming to introduce the young partici-
pants to the world of video production
duce but also fosters a sense of com-
munity and cultural pride.
For young sports enthusiasts, the
Aspire Summer Camp at Ladies Sports
Hall, which began on July 30 and runs
until August 10, offers a wide range
of fun-filled activities, from basket-
ball to volleyball, futsal to fitness, and
Zumba to recreational games.
The camp also featured educational
courses like arts and crafts and en-
gaging field visits, encouraging both
physical and intellectual growth in a
nurturing environment.
The Qatar Toy Festival, being held at
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.
The Desert Falls Water and Ad-
venture Park, meanwhile, brought a
unique Ladies Only Night experience,
allowing women to unwind, splash,
and have a thrilling time until October
25.
This initiative provided a safe space
for women to enjoy the park’s attrac-
tions and bond with friends and fam-
ily, fostering a sense of empowerment
and camaraderie.
For those with an artistic inclina-
Record set
in Qatar
for world’s
longest LED
slackline
walk
From Page 1
Raffles and Fairmont Doha
managing director Christian
‘Seif’ a multi-sensory exhibition Hirt expressed his excitement
about the event being hosted at
A
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-
the Syrian artist and writer Ismail al-Rifai, through the media of photography, dinary, and this event embodies
video, drawing, and sound. that spirit.”
These artists will transform the gallery into a magical multi-sensory experi- “The project serves to under-
ence, exploring themes of nature, the ocean and other natural elements, invit- line our commitment to show-
ing audiences to immerse themselves in the wonders of flora and fauna and the casing high-calibre talents that
soothing sounds of the sea. defy the impossible,” he said,
Members of the public will have the opportunity to view diverse works of art adding: “As this daring athlete
and to learn about the aesthetics, arts and creativity of plastic artists from Qatar ‘Sparklines’ across our towers,
and the Arab world. we hope it captivates the world
The gallery seeks to promote the plastic art movement in Qatar and in the Arab and inspires others to push their
world, through exhibitions that celebrate the expertise and experiences of Qatari boundaries.”
and resident plastic artists, and allow for interaction between the public and the In a press statement, Katara
creatives. Hospitality’s leadership said:
“We are proud of this activation,
working alongside Qatar Tour-
ism and Red Bull, as it exempli-
fies Katara Hospitality’s com-
mitment to utilising the Iconic
Towers as a powerful asset to
promote tourism and enhance
the destination’s appeal.”
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
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
to create opportunities for ath-
letes to showcase their skills and
reach new heights in their ath-
letic careers.”
The Sparkline walk took place
as part of an action-packed cal-
and enhance their artistic and creative nificant initiative and being a part of it. endar of global events in Qatar.
skills. The camp has been keen to maintain With several key sporting
The workshop stressed the ethi- a variety of sports activities, including events expected to take place in
cal considerations of content creation football and beach volleyball, to keep 2023, including Qatar MotoGP,
for various social media platforms, re- the participants engaged and active AFC Asian Cup, Qatar Formula
specting privacy and avoiding blindly throughout the Katara Summer Camp. 1 Grand Prix, and Geneva Inter-
imitating others’ content. The camp’s activities take place every national Motor Show, visitors
She expressed her delight in interact- Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of each can expect extraordinary sport-
ing with the children and wished them week until August 15, from 10am to ing experiences in Qatar all year
success, thanking Katara for this sig- 7pm. round.
Souq Waqif 8th Local Dates Festival showcases the finest local varieties of
dates. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam
A number of performances showcasing popular cartoon characters enthral the audience at the Qatar Toy Festival.
PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam
tion, the hand-building clay workshop
at Heenat Salma Farm, running until
August 31, takes participants into the
world of pottery and helps them hone
their creative skills.
According to the organisers, this
activity underlines the cultural sig-
nificance and economic importance
of clay production within local com-
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
expert coaching and training, im- QT’s monthly events calendar was both locals and tourists to participate
mersing themselves in the beautiful added to the festivities during the oc- in memorable celebrations during this
game while at the same time develop- casion from last month. auspicious time.