Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    19 Dec 2017

Ooredoo has today announced the launch of one of the first ‘5G Speed Experiences’ available anywhere in the world, in various areas of Doha, for a select number of VIP customers.

Ooredoo’s ‘5G Speed Experience’, which was launched in time for Qatar National Day, is available in select locations, and will offer an extremely high speed and low latency network with initial speeds of up to (and in some cases exceeding) 1Gbps.

This is the first time in the world that “5G Speeds” have been made available to consumer customers on a live network and using commercial smartphones.

Talking about the breakthrough, Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “We are proud to announce this major milestone near a day of celebration for our great country. This is a first-in-the-world landmark for Qatar, and demonstrates that the Ooredoo Supernet is one of the world’s leading networks. We will continue to work hard to provide Qatar with a world-class infrastructural backbone, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Access to Ooredoo’s ‘5G Speed Experience’ requires a special smartphone that has been calibrated to work with the Ooredoo pre-standardised 5G network and Supernet upgrades applied in the selected locations.

This is the latest in a long line of technological milestones for Ooredoo, as the company continues to work to be one of the first operators in the world to offer incredible 5G speeds for all its customers.

On Qatar National Day in 2016, Ooredoo completed trials for 5G speed and latency, achieving incredible speeds of up to 36 GB per second in their cutting-edge engineering hub - which made it at that time the fastest mobile data service in the world.

In May 2017, Ooredoo announced that 10 of its base stations had been equipped with 5G-ready technology, and the company plans to start offering the next-generation speeds to all consumers in 2018, when 5G-ready devices are released.

In November, Ooredoo successfully completed testing of 5G Commercial services in partnership with Qatar Airways, and later in the month successfully reached speeds in excess of 1Gbps using commercial devices.

Ooredoo is Qatar’s leading communications company and continues to enhance Qatar’s mobile, Wi-Fi, and nationwide Ooredoo Fibre networks on the Ooredoo Supernet.

Ramallah, Palestine                                                                                                                                                                        17 Dec 2017                                                                                                                                                                                      (Anadolu News)

Saudi authorities on Sunday released Palestinian billionaire Sabih al-Masri, the chairman of Jordan’s largest lender Arab Bank, according to two family sources.

Al-Masri was detained in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for questioning after a business trip to the kingdom, but the sources said he was set free on Sunday.

It remains unclear whether he had left for Amman or was still in Riyadh.

Al-Masri, 80, holds the Saudi and Jordanian nationalities.

He chairs several companies and institutions, most notably the Arab Bank Group.

His detention came one month after Saudi authorities rounded up several princes and businessmen in a major anti-corruption campaign in the oil-rich kingdom.

Quetta                                                                                                                                                                                                17 Dec 2017                                                                                                                                                                                        (Daily 'Dawn')

At least nine people were killed and 30 injured in a suicide attack on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church situated on Zarghoon Road, Questta on Sunday afternoon.

All casualties, which included women and children, were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta.

Speaking on Sunday evening, Hospital Spokesman Waseem Baig said the death toll had risen to nine.

In a Tweet by Provincial Interior Minister of Baluchistan, Province of Pakistan, Sarfraz Bugtisaid' By the grace of Almighty, 02 suicide Bombers stopped on entrance of Church in Quetta. LEAs took 16 mins to complete the op. CCPO and DC Quetta along with IG Police Balochistan lead the operation from forefront.

At least two suicide attackers had struck the Bethel Memorial Church while Sunday service was ongoing. There were 400 worshipers inside the church when the assault started, Balochistan's Inspector General of Police (IG) Moazzam Ansari and Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed to DawnNews.

Police assigned to the church's security reacted in a timely manner and averted a much larger tragedy, IG Ansari claimed. Eyewitnesses and provincial lawmaker Aniqa Irfan, who had reached the church soon after the attack, corroborated the claim.

An eyewitness who was present inside the church at the time of the attack said the attackers had scuffled with the building's guard when their attempt to enter the main hall undetected failed.

When they shot the guard dead, police officials posted around the church noticed something was amiss and opened fire on the attackers.

One of the attackers was reported to have then detonated his suicide vest at the church's main door after receiving bullet injuries. Another was shot dead near the church's entrance by security forces, the police chief said.

The injuries caused to worshipers were mainly the result of wooden splinters from the door and glass blown out of the church's windows due to the explosion, IG Ansari maintained.

Provincial and security officials repeatedly stressed that if the attackers had managed to breach the church's doors, the death toll could have been much higher. They lauded the quick response of security forces posted to the church, which they said had prevented the attackers from causing maximum damage.

The director general of civil defence said late in the afternoon that the two attackers — who officials believe to have been between 16 and 20 years of age — had strapped 15 kilogrammes of explosives to their bodies. One successfully detonated his explosive vest, while the other was defused.

The Bethel Memorial Church has been the target of a terrorist attack in the past. Security had been beefed up for the church after the last attack, which occurred a few years ago. The church is located in the city's high-security zone.

Jerusalem                                                                                                                                                                                          15 Dec 2017                                                                                                                                                                                    (Anadolu News)

Hundreds of Muslim worshipers demonstrated inside Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Masjid compound following Friday prayers to protest the recent U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“For the second Friday in a row, hundreds of Palestinians protested [U.S. President Donald] Trump’s decision,” Firas al-dibs, a spokesman for Jerusalem’s Islamic Waqf authority, told Anadolu Agency.

“Demonstrators marched from the Al-Aqsa Masjid to the Bab al-Amoud [also known as the Damascus Gate], shouting slogans against the U.S. move and reiterating Jerusalem’s Arab and Muslim identity,” he said.

At least four Palestinians have been martyred and hundreds more injured in clashes with Israeli forces -- and at least one alleged airstrike -- since Trump announced the decision last Wednesday.

The dramatic shift in U.S. policy has drawn a storm of condemnation and protest across the Arab and Muslim world.

An extraordinary Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul and final declaration of East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital came in response to Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.

In April, Russia recognized West Jerusalem as Israel's capital, voicing hope that the city's eastern half might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.

Notably, in his announcement last week, Trump stressed that the “specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem” should be decided in final-status talks between the two sides.

Islamabad                                                                                                                                                                                            15 Dec. 2017

Pakistan Apex Court today disqualified Jehangir Tareen from parliament seat.  The bench found Tareen to be dishonest, saying that the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) should have taken action against him for insider trading.

Jehangir Tareen holds Secretary General position in Imran Khan political party 'Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf'

Three members bench announced today it's decision on the petition of Haneef Abbasi, a member Pakistani parliament (PMLN), disqualification based on alleged violations of the lncome Tax Ordinance 1979 and Representation of Peoples Act 1974.

Petition had raised objections on Tareen's  off-shore and inland properties not disclosed in his election forms as per the requirement of Income Tax Law. Among undisclosed properties include 18, 500 acres of land, which his lawyer had argued was leased not owned.

Tareen's offshore company, 'Shiny View Limited' since 2011 established under British Virgin Islands laws.

A residential property in Berkshire, UK, under use of his four children.

 

Islamabad                                                                                                                                                                                         15 Dec 2017

Three members of Pakistan Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice rejected the petition against cricketer turned politician and head of his political party 'Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf' on foreign funding charges against him.

The court rejected petition for Khan's disqualification filed by sitting government's member parliament and a former Minister, Hanif Abbasi, who seeks the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen on charges they did not fully disclose their assets in nomination papers.

Chief Justice told that the verdict be heard with patience.

He also apologised for delay in announcement of the decision as it was supposed to announce almost one hour and 35 minutes before, 0200 PM (Pakistan Time).

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that Khan was not liable to declare Niazi Services Ltd in his 2013 nomination papers as he was not a shareholder, Bani Gala property is Khan's; he bought the land for his family, said the Chief Justice.

The Supreme Court has sent the foreign funding case to the Election Commission of Pakistan to consider,  It is the responsibility of the ECP to look at the foreign funding case in detail Justice Nisar said.

Three-judge bench is comprised of Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Faisal Arab.

Petitioner Hanif Abbasi, Maryam Aurungzeb, Minister of Information, Talal Chaudhry, State Minister of Interior were also present in the court.

Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen were not present in court as they are in Karachi.

The petition, filed by Hanif Abbasi in Nov. 2016, accuses two PTI leaders for not declaring their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan as per the lncome Tax Ordinance 1979 and Representation of Peoples Act 1974.

On 3rd May 2017, a three-member bench of the Supreme court started hearing the petition.

During the length of the case, the lawyers from both sides had presented their arguments for over 100 hours in over 50 court hearings, verdict was reserved on November 14.

Petitioner Hanif Abbasi had sought the disqualification under charges of false declaration before the ECP, non-disclosure of assets in offshore companies, and for being a foreign-funded party.

The petitoner argued that by failing to disclose the existence of Off-shore company allegedly owned by Imran Khan 'Niazi Services Limited' before Election Commission of Pakistan, PTI Chairman Khan stands in violation of the Income Tax Ordinance of 1979.

 

14 Dec 2017                                                                                                                                                                                    (AlJazeera News)

Weapons supplied by the United States and Saudi Arabia to opposition fighters often fell into the hands of ISIL significantly enhancing the "quantity and quality" of the group's armaments, a new report alleges.

The number of weapons goes "far beyond those that would have been available through battle capture alone", according to the study by arms-monitoring group Conflict Armament Research (CAR) published on Thursday.

The Weapons of the Islamic State report was based on a three-year field investigation in Iraq and Syria into the group's arms and their origins.

It analysed more than 40,000 items found on the battlefield including weapons, ammunition, and materials used to make improvised explosive devices. Some wereacquired by ISIL through shifting alliances within the Syrian opposition.

The research said most weapons were looted from the Iraqi and Syrian armies, however, some were originally supplied by other nations involved in the conflict to Syrian opposition groups fighting against President Bashar Al-Assad.

"Iraq and Syria have seen IS forces use large numbers of weapons, supplied by states such as Saudi Arabia and the United States, against the various international anti-IS coalitions that the two states support," said CAR.

Syria: Who controls what ?

"Evidence collected by CAR indicates that the United States has repeatedly diverted EU-manufactured weapons and ammunition to opposition forces in the Syrian conflict. IS forces rapidly gained custody of significant quantities of this materiel," it said.

About 90 percent of weapons and ammunition used by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant originated in China, Russia, and Eastern Europe, with Russian-made weapons outnumbering those of any other country.

"These findings support widespread assumptions that the group initially captured much of its military material from Iraqi and Syrian government forces," said the report.

The monitoring group said Western-produced arms and ammunition represented the remaining 10 percent.

This information is "a stark reminder of the contradictions inherent in supplying weapons into armed conflicts in which multiple competing and overlapping non-state armed groups operate", said CAR.

The organisation reported last year that ISIL had been producing military-grade weapons in Iraq, and had standardised production across its self-styled caliphate.

On Saturday, Iraq declared an end to its war against ISIL having recaptured Rawa, one of the last remaining ISIL-held towns.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to start withdrawing from Syria in a visit to a Russian base in the country on Monday.

The Syrian civil war has raged for more than six years. Hopes of finding a diplomatic resolution to the conflict suffered another blow on Thursday after the failure of the latest round of UN-sponsored talks.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    12 Dec 2017                                                                                                                                                                                (AlJazeera News)

India's two-sentence response to the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last week elicited mixed reactions after New Delhi for decades strongly backed the Palestinian cause.

The static statement to a dynamic situation was described by some as muted, others as pragmatic, and still others alleging it imbibes the anti-Muslim right-wing consensus of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"India's position on Palestine is independent and consistent. It is shaped by our views and interests, and not determined by any third country," Raveesh Kumar, spokesman of India's Ministry of External Affairs, said last Thursday.

But critics say this was deliberately vague and India should have posited a more vigorous reaction, considering the serious and retrograde effect of US President Donald Trump's Jerusalem announcement.

"A more robust response would be to state India's position upfront. In any case, it would call for a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state," Manoj Joshi, senior analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, told Al Jazeera.

In previous decades - with the centrist Congress Party in power - solidarity with Palestine was an integral part of India's foreign policy.

Nivedita Menon, a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the government's lone comment has clearly reversed India's stance on Palestine.

"It is not surprising that India will now not say anything against Israel as there is a very close bond being built between the two. The current Indian government's closeness to Israel is also owing to the very clear Islamophobia of both the regimes. That's very obvious. It's a coming together of Islamophobic regimes," Menon told Al Jazeera.

"India has always expressed solidarity with Palestine. India has always opposed Israel's occupation of Palestine. There has been a long history of that. The democratic people of India still support Palestine, but the Indian state has clearly marked a shift," she added.

The ruling BJP has fought most national and local elections on a Hindu nationalist agenda, with many party members accused of making anti-Muslim statements to polarise Hindu voters.

BJP legislator Subramaniam Swamy has also called on India to shift its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem like Trump pledged to do.

Palestinian cause

India-Israel ties have flourished since a ground-breaking trip by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July this year. Modi's predecessors had kept Israel at arm's length with New Delhi being a vocal supporter of the Palestinians.

Modi, however, has spoken of his personal affinity for Israel and his visit to the country before he became prime minister. He pointedly missed visiting Ramallah this year, the seat of the Palestine Authority and a customary stop for visiting leaders trying to maintain a balance in political ties.

But Sreeram Chaulia, dean at the Jindal School of International Affairs, said India's evolving ties with Israel are based on pragmatism.

"I don't think the fact that we are increasing our strategic cooperation with Israel should in any way come at the expense of the Palestinians. Our cooperation is based on pragmatic mutual benefit," Chaulia told Al Jazeera.

"We are independent, not influenced by outsiders. Similarly on this issue, we have an embassy of Palestine in Delhi. India is a major contributor to the Palestinian Authority and its institutions … If India was a major political player in the Middle East, we would have been forced to take a stand, but we are not."

India and Israel have deep military ties. In 2017, India signed two arms deals, spending $2.6bn on Israeli missile defence systems.

Economist Prabhat Patnaik said the decolonisation of Palestine is a precondition for world peace and in India's interest.

"Since an overwhelming number of countries in the world support Palestine's decolonisation, by distancing itself from this goal, India is also distancing itself from these countries," he told Al Jazeera.

However, the "Hindu right, which currently rules the country", wants to get closer to the US-Israel axis because of its "ideological affinity ... of a shared anti-Muslim attitude", Patnaik said.

India's silence

India's stated position on East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital has remained a part of official statements.

On Monday, the foreign ministers of Russia, China, and India said in a joint statement in New Delhi that they continue to back an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through various UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative among initiatives.

But India's relative silence after Trump's radical decision on Jerusalem could well mark a point of departure in the country's moral support for the Palestinian cause.

Professor Menon said India's solidarity with the Palestinians will for now have to be borne by ordinary citizens.

"It will have to be non-state, people-to-people contacts for India-Palestine solidarity now. I don't see how any ethical stance can condone Israel's occupation of Palestine. There is no ethical argument that can justify the occupation," Menon said.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                   14 Dec 2017

A boom in LNG trade will continue till 2040 and onward, said by Dr.  Syed Mohammad Hussein Adeli, out-going Director General of Gas Exporting countries. He was addressing on the occasion of release of 2017 Report on Energy Outlook and monthly address to diplomats, energy experts and members of the media.

He said that expansion in LNG sector continue to be seen in the coming years including 30% increase in Qatar’s LNG production, as well as in other GECF member states like Russia, Iran, UAE,  in addition to US and Australia.  He observed that Egypt is also seen unexpectedly to join early as producing country.

The developments in Qatar and Iran will increase the region’s share of LNG exports to more than 30% by 2025, he said.

Dr. Adeli, among  world's top energy experts is former Minister of Iran and a former Irani ambassador said that a significant development in pipeline infrastructure is taking place in CIS region, that will drive exports to China and Europe.

He told that world possesses around 465 TCM, out which 180 TCM is identified as proven conventional reserves. GECF Chief said that GECF member states share in gas exports is about 65 %.

He said that GECF countries have the largest share of gas reserves and production capacity in the world.  Natural gas demand and supply will remain strong in the long term, however, disequilibrium may occur for short periods.

GECF Chief said that demand for energy is rising and will position natural gas as the fastest growing fossil fuel.

2017 Outlook reports that unconventional gas resources would play a greater role in coming future.  The share of the GECF countries will drop from 59% in 2016 to 47% by 2020, then is expected to rise to 52% by 2025 and 50% by 2040. The 'Outlook' expects that unconventional gas in total gas production will rise from 16% (appx.) today, to over  30% in 2040.

Dr Adeli said that Solar and Coal energy will play a significant role in future, however, petrol and LNG will maintain it's position.

On a question by asiantelegraphqatar.com, Dr. Adeli said that usage of LNG Gas is environment friendly and it is recommended to use LNG instead of other means to help in reducing CO2. In regards to US President Trump back out from Paris Agreement in December 2015, he said that although Mr Trump is Head of State, however, he believes that since all States in US enjoys their own liberty, majority of states will abide by Paris agreement because of it's serious nature for the safety of the humanity.

 

08 Dec 2017                                                                                                                                                                                    Ramallah, (Palestine)                                                                                                                                                                        By Ahmad Jamil Azem                                                                                                                                                                (Anadolu News)

U.S. President Donald Trump, through his announcement last Wednesday, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The road to this decision can be better understood by mapping the team that works with Trump on Middle Eastern issues, and by understanding the president’s financial and electoral network.

On the other hand, the consequences of the decision should be traced through two dimensions; its meaning for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the American vision for the world order.

As early as January 2016, Trump answered a question about the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “They want it in Jerusalem,” he said and added, “Well, I am for that 100 percent. We are for that 100 percent.” He was referring to groups, such as the Republican Jewish Coalition, and Evangelical Christians.

Both have a strong voting base and considerable financial weight. Trump’s biggest donor is the casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who donated $25 million to the presidential campaign and paid further $5 million to support his inauguration. It is revealed that Adelson expressed anger when Trump signed, in June 2017, the waiver to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv.

This signing of this waiver has been a routine for American presidents since 1995 when the American Congress passed legislation for the purpose of relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem.

The head of the Palestinian delegation in Washington, Hosam Zomlot, told CNN that the recognition decision came as a surprise. “I felt it was a sudden stab in the back because we were going in the direction of the ultimate deal,” he remarked. This sudden decision of implementing the 1995 legislation can perhaps be explained by the pressure of people like Adelson.

The relationship between Adelson and Trump, however, is not confined to supporting Israel. A few days earlier, Adelson and Trump gained a victory that will save them -- along with a number of other people -- billions of dollars.

Another partner in the tax campaign is another billionaire, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was tasked with following up the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis. According to CNN, Kushner and his wife have been active in recent weeks with regard to the tax plan. Interestingly enough, Kushner began running his family's multibillion-dollar business in 2008 when his father was sent to prison for illegal election campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering.

Originally a Jew from the Ukraine, Adelson financed Trump’s presidential campaign with specific goals in mind, such as changing the tax laws and having Jerusalem recognized as Israel’s capital. Kushner is known as a Zionist Jew making donations for and actively supporting the building of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories. He has personal and family connections with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

There are two other major players in Trump’s team with relatively similar qualifications, two lawyers, specialists in finance and taxation. The first is Jason Greenblatt. He was previously the legal officer in Trump’s financial and investment organization, and now he was appointed by the president as his special representative for international negotiations. He also collaborates with Kushner on the Palestinian-Israeli file. An Orthodox Jew, he himself lived in Israeli settlements, where he studied and volunteered as an armed guard.

Weakening world order

The other interesting member of the team is a hardliner Zionist lawyer, a specialist in bankruptcy cases, who is now the U.S. ambassador to Israel: David Friedman.

The kind of network and team surrounding Trump help explain that Jerusalem was part of a larger agenda, where financial interests, religious issues, elections, and politics got all mixed up. But it is important to note that the decision on Jerusalem is merely overshadowing the new tax policies.

Evaluating Trump’s decision by not considering his disrespect for international law and institutions would be highly incomplete. He promised during his electoral campaign to withdraw from international organizations and agreements that do not serve the immediate interests of the U.S.

He has pulled out of the Paris climate-change accord, demanding renegotiation agreements including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Upon such vision, it became possible for Trump to ignore international resolutions adopted by the United Nations on Jerusalem and to abandon the official U.S. policies and positions that deny Israel the right to implement unilateral policies in the city.

The decision of Trump is another indication how this current administration is committed to weakening the institutional and liberal world order.

Words of advice from a number of aides, such as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Trump’s Arab allies may have played a role in softening the wording of his recognition speech. Tillerson said, “After this announcement, nothing is different, other than the president has now implemented the 1995 law".

However, the actual thinking of the U.S. administration was boldly revealed by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence a few days prior to Trump’s announcement. During a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the UN vote on Resolution 181, which endorsed the establishment of the Israeli state, he resorted to direct religious discourse. He said, “the Jewish State of Israel was born, answering the ancient question first asked by the Prophet Isaiah: ‘Can a country be born in one day, can a nation be born in a moment?’.” Pence added, that “while Israel was built by human hands, it’s impossible not to see the hand of heaven”.

He referred to his planned visit to Palestine, saying “on my visit, it will be my great honor (…), to walk on the hallowed ground of that holy city that King David built more than 3,000 years ago... ... as we speak, President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem”. Such discourse will clearly fuel the escalation of religious fundamentalism around the globe.

The announcement of Trump created a moment of shock in the Middle East. Streets in Palestine and other cities in the region are seeing protests that have not been witnessed in recent years, over one common cause. The response of politicians, especially among Palestinians, is being carefully watched by the younger generation.

The coming few days, weeks and months could prove crucial in shaping the near future for Palestinians, and how the young generation will view the current political leadership and organizations. If no convincing response comes, it is likely that a new wave of political movements will emerge.

[ The writer is Associate Professor at the Political Science Department of Birzeit University, Palestine ]