Hong Kong                                                                                                                                                                                        06 November 2017                                                                                                                                                                        (Media Reports)

Qatar Airways Q.C.S.C. (“Qatar Airways”) has announced this morning local Qatar time of signing an agreement  to purchase shares of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited  (Cathay Pacific) of 378,188,000 shares, being (approx) 9.61 per cent of the total issued share capital.

Completion of the transaction is expected to take place later today in Hong Kong.

Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive,  said, 'Qatar Airways is very pleased to complete its financial investment in Cathay Pacific. Cathay Pacific is a fellow oneworld member and is one of the strongest airlines in the world, respected throughout the industry and with massive potential for the future.'

Qatar Airways has it's investments of 20% in International Airlines Group, 10% investment in LATAM Airlines Group and 49% investment in Meridiana.”

Hong Kong's Kingboard Chemical on Monday announced that it agreed to sell its entire 9.6 percent stake in Cathay Pacific to Qatar Airways for HK$5.16 billion ($661 million)

'Kingboard', an investment holding company, said it would recognize a gain of HK$800 million on the sale.

Cathay shares have risen by 29.4 percent since the start of January despite the airline in August posting its worst first-half loss in 20 years.

The Hong Kong airline has a highly concentrated share register with Swire Pacific owning 45 percent and Air China holding 30 percent.

The Qatari carrier in August dropped plans to build a stake of up to 4.75 percent in American Airlines Group.

05 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                                          (AlJazeera News)

Saudi Arabia dismissed a number of senior ministers, detained nearly a dozen princes and created a new anti-corruption committee as part a series of royal decrees, state media reported on Saturday.

The senior ministers who were sacked include Prince Meteb bin Abdullah, the head of the National Guard, and Adel Fakeih, the economy minister.

Abdullah al-Sultan, commander of the Saudi navy, was replaced by Fahad al-Ghafli.

No official explanation was given for the dismissals.

Meanwhile, the official Saudi news agency SPA reported that a new anti-corruption committee had been created by royal decree. Saudi-owned al-Arabiya added that at least 11 princes, four current ministers and several former ministers had been detained in an anti-corruption investigation.

According to al-Arabiya, the new committee, which is headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is looking into the 2000 floods that devastated parts of Jeddah, as well as the government's response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS virus outbreak.

The reports come just months after Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud replaced his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef with his son Mohammed bin Salman as the Kingdom's crown prince.

Mohammed bin Salman has been responsible for pushing through a number of changes both at home and abroad since he became first in line to the Saudi crown.

Ian Black of the London School of Economics said the move fit a "pattern of accelerated change" since Mohammed bin Salman became heir.

"We've seen since June this year, very far-reaching changes," he said, adding: "That was when Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, was appointed crown prince.

"Since Mohammed bin Salman became the crown prince in June, we've seen a lot of upheaval. We've seen the announcement of this very ambitious Saudi plan to transform the country the Saudi economy, Vision 2030."

The dismissal of Meteb bin Abdullah as National Guard minister came shortly after a missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport.

However, Black said the two were probably not related as the sacking came bundled with changes to other ministerial portfolios.

In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has announced an end to its long-standing ban on allowing women to drive, and Mohammed bin Salman has also promised to return the country to a "moderate" form of Islam.

Since 2015 Saudi Arabia has been at war against  Houthi rebels, who control much of northern  Yemen on the kingdom's southern border.

Saudi Arabia                                                                                                                                                                                      04 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                                (AlJazeera News)

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a loud explosion in Riyadh, saying they fired a long-range ballistic missile that traveled more than 800 kms over the border with Saudi Arabia.

A spokesman for the rebels told Al Jazeera they launched a Burkan 2-H missile -  a Scud-type missile with a range of more than 800km - towards Riyadh late on Saturday.

"The capital cities of countries that continually shell us, targeting innocent civilians, will not be spared from our missiles," the spokesman said.

Al Masirah, a TV network run by the Houthi rebels, also claimed responsibility for the attack on their social media account.

Videos on social media showed smoke rising from an area near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.

The official Saudi news agency SPA quoted Colonel Turki al-Maliki as saying that at exactly 8:07pm local time(1707 GMT), a ballistic missile was fired from Yemeni territory towards the kingdom.

Maliki said Saudi forces used a surface-to-air Patriot missile to destroy the missile which shattered into fragments in an uninhabited area east of the airport.

He added that there were no reported casualties.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports.

In an interview to Al Jazeera earlier this month, Mohammed Abdul Salam, a spokesman for the Houthi rebels, threatened to to escalate operations on the Yemen-Saudi border and target deep inside the kingdom.

"The Saudis started the war. Our response will continue and increase, whether it's targeting deep inside Saudi Arabia, targeting military positions where Saudi jets fly from or military bases inside Yemeni territory," Abdul Salam said.

"Abu Dhabi and others that target Yemen, are as far as we're concerned - a fair military target. Any country that targets Yemen will be struck by our missiles."

The war in Yemen, the region's poorest country, started in 2014 after Houthi rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa and began pushing south towards the country's third-biggest city, Aden.

Concerned by the rise of the Houthi rebels, believed to be backed by regional rival Iran, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Sunni Arab states launched an intervention in 2015 in the form of a massive air campaign aimed at reinstalling President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government.

Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed and at least 40,000 wounded, mostly from Saudi-led air strikes.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                      04 Nov 2017

Doha will host the first major conference on Safety and Security organized by Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy in collaboration with INTERPOL on 7-8 November 2017 at St. Regis Hotel.

It was announced today at a press conference addressed by Major Ali Muhammad Al Ali, Deputy Executive Director of Security at SCDL, Falah Dousari, Senior Manager of Project Stadia of INTERPOL and Major Mubarak Salim Al Bouainain, Asst. Director of Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Interior.

Major Ali Al Ali stressed the importance of this conference, which comes within the framework of the preparations of the State of Qatar for the World Cup 2022, and strengthening the international partnership in the field of security and safety for major sporting events.  The conference will facilitate the member states of INTERPOL to access directly a global network of safety and security experts in the field of sport, and to use this experience to enrich their security preparations when hosting major sporting events.

He added that all 192 member-states of INTERPOL have been invited to the event in addition to other international organizations, guests and entities that have key roles in the field of major events' safety and security. As many as 350 delegates have already registered to participate in the conference.

He pointed out that the conference will highlight the efforts of the Security of the SCDL in the preparation of the World Cup 2022 in terms of projects that have been implemented to prepare Qatari cadres. It was achieved through developing and modernizing the law enforcement systems and strategic partnerships with all countries of the world and international organizations such as International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the Qatar-funded Project STADIA.

The 2-day conference includes 9 seminars that will discuss topics including

1) Current Security Threat Environment and Implications for Major Events,                                                                      2) Models of Risk Based Policing and Security for Major Events,                                                                                        3) Overview of transport, training and stadium construction preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar,    4) Responding to Evolving Threat Environment,                                                                                                                     5) Mitigating Security Threats During Major Events,                                                                                                            6) Event Critical Infrastructure Resilience,                                                                                                                                  7) Decision Making in Response to Critical Incidents and Threats and                                                                                 8) Technology in Support of Major Event Policing and Security.

The final session will be open for recommendations and discussions, he added.

The Conference is aimed to facilitate the exchange of key knowledge and expertise in the field of security and safety of renowned experts in the field and the presentation of success and achievements of the 10-year agreement between the State of Qatar and INTERPOL on the STADIA project, Major Ali said.

An exhibition will be held on the sidelines of the conference to showcase the most prominent projects in Qatar in preparation for the World Cup 2022 and the latest security-technologies and introduce technological solutions to any security problems related to the organization of major events. He underscored that the Qatari cadres have been well trained and qualified through their participation in securing international championships as they have been working in the security service of 90 sports every year.

Speaking at the press conference Falah Dousari, Sr. Manager of STADIA said that the conference will provide a platform for discussion and exchange of information for police representatives involved in the organization of mega events and will leave the proceedings of the conference a legacy that will benefit the member countries, law enforcement agencies and the private sector as well.

He pointed out that the STADIA project is the result of cooperation and partnership between the State of Qatar and the INTERPOL for a period of ten years, from 2012 – 2022. It aims to provide an international knowledge base for best practices in hosting and securing major sporting events.

He added that the conference will also witness the launching of a Knowledge Management Project, presented by Interpol in cooperation with the State of Qatar that will help bring about great advance in the work mechanism and cooperation of law enforcement agencies in Qatar and in the region. The Knowledge Management System will be the first online platform for sharing police and security information on major events and creating a virtual network for sharing information and experiences on security challenges and optimal solutions.

The Stadia project has the clear goal of establishing a "Center of Excellence" that assists law enforcement agencies around the world. Through this project, extensive interaction at the expert level over the past five years has contributed to the development of a knowledge management system for INTERPOL membership. The STADIA project has created a network of specialists around the world to shape future efforts to secure major events. It is a typical example of INTERPOL's increasingly recognized role in combating international crime, he said.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    04 Nov. 2017

Renowned show-biz Star from Philippines, energetic and smiling 41 years old Isabel Granada passed away in Doha Hamad General Hospital at 0600 PM today on Saturday evening of 4th of November 2017.

She was brought in emergency to hospital having multiple strokes last week where she remained in ICU of State of the Art hospital but could not recover.

Isabel Granada was on a visit to Doha accompanied with her entrepreneur husband and a childhood friend on invitation of Doha based Filipino community forum to attend Philippines Trade & Tourism conference held in Hotel Shangrila Doha on 20th October 2017.

Isabel mother Guapa Castro-Granada and Isabel's son Hubert Aguas, had arrived in Doha on 25th October after learning actress health condition.

Arnel Cowley, husband of the deceased issued a statement 'It is with great sadness that my wife Isabel Granada has peacefully passed here in Doha Qatar. She has been a fantastic wife, mother and daughter. She always did her best in everything she did, whether it be in front of a camera or sports. I would also like to take this time to thank the Filipino community in Doha for giving their full support throughout this difficult time for myself and the family.
Baby..wherever you might be..just always remember that I LOVE YOU. and I miss you very much.' (unquote)

May her soul rest in peace

Abu Dhabi                                                                                                                                                                                            04 Nov 2017                                                                                                                                                                                  (AlJazeera News)

New York University's journalism department has voted to end its relationship with its campus in the United Arab Emirates following allegations two professors were denied visas because of their religious affiliation.

NYU's Arthur L Carter Journalism Institute said it would discontinue its relationship with NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) amid claims journalism professor Mohamad Bazzi, a Lebanese-born Shia, and Arang Keshavarzian, an Iranian-born politics professor, were denied visas because of their "Shia origins".

In a letter to NYU President Andrew Hamilton, 17 academic staff said if the professors were denied visas due to their religious beliefs, it would pose a "significant threat to academic freedom on that campus".

"Since a member of our faculty has been prohibited from teaching at NYU Abu Dhabi, the Carter Journalism Institute is not prepared to continue its relationship with NYUAD," the department said.

"Our faculty, a number of whose members have made the trip to NYUAD or taught courses there, voted unanimously at its last meeting to suspend the Institute's participation in the academic program in Abu Dhabi until these issues are satisfactorily resolved".

In a New York Times op-ed in September, Bazzi detailed his experiences at NYUAD, saying he experienced discrimination while teaching there during month-long courses in January 2012 and 2013.

He suggested his application was rejected due to his religious sect, something professors are required to state on forms issued by NYU and the UAE.

"It is usually easy for American citizens to get a work visa for the UAE. Why was I denied?," he wrote.

"When I taught a month-long journalism class at the Abu Dhabi campus, NYU administrators had told me they were worried that I would be denied a security clearance because of my Shia origins, and they twice held back on submitting my application.

"They found a way around it by sending me on a tourist visa and describing me as a 'consultant'.

"If NYU continues to accept Abu Dhabi's largesse, it needs to acknowledge the limitations that the Emirates' security and foreign policies impose on academic freedom.

"At the very least, the university should admit that it has bought into a political system that actively discriminates against members of a religious minority because of an overwhelming fear of Iran and hatred of Shia. This is far from the free movement of people and ideas to which NYU's leaders claim to aspire."

NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Studies also urged its faculty not to teach or participate at the Abu Dhabi campus in a resolution passed earlier this week.

Crackdown on academic freedom

The UAE has increasingly cracked down on academic freedom and other liberties, since protests swepped through the region after 2011's Arab Spring protests.

Earlier this year, Nasser bin Ghaith, a prominent academic, was sentenced to 10 years in prison over a series of tweets critical of governments across the Arab world.

Bin Ghaith was arrested and forcibly disappeared in August 2015 over what Amnesty International said was an unfair trial.

In the summer of 2012, Matt Duffy, a journalism professor at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, was also fired and forced to flee after he criticised media restrictions in the country.

Ottawa                                                                                                                                                                                             , 04 November 2017                                                                                                                                                                              TASS

Moscow will inevitably take tit-for-tat measures in response to any new sanctions of Canada, a spokesman for the Russian diplomatic mission in Ottawa, Kirill Kalinin, told TASS.

"Canada’s decision on extending anti-Russian sanctions under a false pretext of a hypocritical protection of human rights is absolutely senseless and reprehensible," the diplomat said.

By taking these steps, Ottawa "is isolating itself from one of the key global powers" and "pushes Canada’s foreign policy back to the narrow black and white worldview, incompatible with modern geopolitics," he stressed.

Russia has already responded to these Ottawa’s measures, Kalinin added. "At the moment, dozens of Canadians have been banned from entering Russia. This is not our choice, but in case of new sanctions our response will be unchanged and reciprocal in terms of amount and quality," the diplomat said.

On Friday, Canada’s government imposed sanctions on 30 Russian citizens under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, which is also known as the Sergei Magnitsky Act and is a Canadian version of the U.S. Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. Besides, the sanctions were introduced against the citizens of Venezuela and South Sudan. There are a total of 52 persons on the list.

In response to the anti-Russian measures of Canada, Moscow decided to ban entry to Russia for a number of Canadians. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said "the list is long, with dozens of names on it.".

UN                                                                                                                                                                                                          03 Nov. 2017                                                                                                                                                                           3. (TASS)

Russian diplomats have filed about 20 requests to visit the Russian diplomatic estate in New York, closed in 2016, but all of them were rejected by the US side without any explanations, a Russian diplomat said on Thursday.

Russian UN Mission senior legal advisor Maxim Musikhin told the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal Committee) that the US authorities were impeding the Russian diplomatic mission’s work and demanded that the current situation be fixed.

He said the US decision to close the Russian diplomatic compound in Upper Brookville in late December 2016 was "a de-facto seizure" of the facility, owned by the Soviet Union since 1953 and inherited by Russia in 1994.

"This facility is a part of premises of the Russian permanent mission to the UN, and has been used solely for official purposes, including as a place of residence for some of the mission’s employees," Musikhin said.

He said the US government said the facility can be visited if the US Department of State gives its written consent.

"We have requested such a permission for about 20 times, at least to check in what condition our property currently is and to make sure that no incidents have taken place. Every time, the US Department of State turned down our requests, without offering any explanations or giving other possible dates for the visit. In essence, we have de-facto been denied access to our own property," the Russian diplomat said.

He added that under those circumstances, the US side "bears full responsibility for any damage" done to the Russian diplomatic compound.