New York                                                                                                                                                                                              31 Jan. 2018                                                                                                                                                                              (QNA)

United Nations Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations has endorsed in its ordinary session, which started on Monday, the consultant status of Qatar's Silatech foundation.

ECOSOC is set to ratify the committee's recommendation in its coordination meeting on Apr. 18.

Silatech, which was granted consultancy status at ECOSOC, is one of the leading institutions in the Arab world. Since its establishment in 2008, it has achieved several accomplishments that reflected on the future of Arab youth who were provided with practical skills and linked to real job opportunities.

Through its strategies and innovative initiatives, the institution has helped in empowering young people to play a role in economic development, while also seeking to be a partner with international organizations in combating terrorism.

In this regard, the Foreign Ministry signed in September a memorandum of understanding on combating terrorism and extremism with Silatech and U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism.

The memorandum aims to put a framework for cooperation between the ministry, Silatech and the the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism to implement and expand joint initiatives to empower youths in regions of common concern, particularly Africa and Asia.

Beijing, 31 Jan. 2018 (Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May here on Thursday, calling on both countries to work for the healthy and steady development of bilateral ties in the new era.

China and Britain on Wednesday signed a dozen of deals on areas including trade, finance, health care and smart city, pledging to further promote the Golden-Era strategic partnership.

The agreement came as British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Beijing and held a China-Britain annual meeting between heads of government with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

Hailing that China-Britain relationship has been at the forefront among the ties between China and Western countries, Li said China attaches great importance to the ties with Britain.

It is both in line with the two countries' interests and conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity that China-Britain relationship continues to develop in a steady way, he said.

Li said China's relations with Britain will not be changed by the changes in Britain-EU relations.

China stands ready to further promote bilateral ties in the principle of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, he said.

Noting that both countries are at a crucial stage of development and enjoyed broad prospect of all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, Li called on China and Britain to take the opportunities and work together to forge ahead the Golden Era partnership at a new historic point.

China and Britain agreed to embrace a "Golden Era" for bilateral relations in October 2015.

Li called on both countries to strengthen cooperation on Belt and Road Initiative and areas including nuclear energy, high-speed train, finance, high-tech trade, third party market, and expand investment in both ways.

China agrees to accelerate the final preparations for the Shanghai-London Stock Connect and to review the timeline for its launch when conditions permit, Li said.

China announced Wednesday it has allowed a British bank to offer lead underwriting services for certain types of Panda bond issuances, as part of its efforts to open up the financial market. Li said the move was conducive to finance cooperation.

Noting that the world economy has shown signs of recovery, Li said all parties need to cherish the momentum to forge ahead trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and economic globalization.

He called on countries to send strong signals of cooperation and win-win so that world markets will have stable expectations.

Echoing Li's remarks, May said she hopes her visit can further lift the Golden Era partnership with China to a new high.

The economies of Britain and China are highly complementary to each other, she said, adding that it is in the interest of both countries and both peoples to maintain the sound momentum of the bilateral trade and investment.

Both Britain and China support globalization and oppose trade protectionism, she said.

Britain is willing to promote the cooperation with China on Belt and Road Initiative, said May, calling on both countries to explore cooperation on innovation, finance, intellectual property protection and artificial intelligence.

Noting her country welcomes more investment from China, May said she appreciates China's efforts in reviewing the timeline for the launch of the Shanghai-London Stock Connect.

This is May's first official visit to China since she took office in 2016.

May, who kicked off her three-day visit to China in the city of Wuhan on Wednesday, is accompanied by leaders of over 50 British business and commercial organizations.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                      30 Jan. 2018

Qanat Qarnevale, a 4 days long festival of art, music, shopping and entertainment is taking off from Wednesday 31st January till Saturday 3rd of February 2018, emulating the Carnival of Venice.

The carnival will open for public from 4pm to 9pm, across various locations around Qanat Quartier at The Pearl Qatar, expecting a large visitors including children and families, residents and visitors alike.

The carnival will include game booths, retail kiosks, arcade games, laser shows, water taxi rides, 3D floor painting, graffiti and caricature arts, an outdoor cinema and stage performances, among others.

“This event is part of a UDC campaign to create a unique and exciting atmosphere that will attract families to The Pearl-Qatar, while introducing visitors to the newly opened shops, restaurants and cafés that populate the Qanat Quartier precinct. This gala event will further strengthen The Pearl-Qatar’s position as one of the country’s  elite  tourist and entertainment attractions,” UDC press announcement said.

Qanat Quartier is a residential area at The Pearl-Qatar, known for its greenery, beach, canals, pedestrian-friendly squares, plazas and Venetian-like experience.

The commercial area at Qanat Quartier offers a “charming, yet lively environment” with boutique shopping and a variety of coffee shops and restaurants to experience.

Washington DC                                                                                                                                                                               30 Jan. 2018

US top officials praised today Qatar's counterterrorism efforts and highlighted the strong relations between the two countries. Both sides also stressed the need to work towards a solution to end the Gulf crisis. Present at the opening of US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue today at the State Department were Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State, Jim Mattis, US Secretary of Defence, Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar Dy. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs,  and Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah, State Minister of Defence and Dy. Prime Minister of Qatar.

Both parties discussed areas of co-operation in fields of Trade and Investment, Security, Counterterrorism, Energy and Aviation.

US Defence Secretary said on the occasion that 'Qatar is a strong partner and a longtime friend of the United States. We value the US-Qatar relationship and hope the talks deepen our strategic ties.' He said that 'The United States believes enhanced trade will contribute positively to both our countries’ economic development, and create jobs for the American people and Qatari citizens while furthering the region’s security and stability.'

In a statement issued by the US Department of State, Tillerson said that with respect to counterterrorism, “following President (Donald) Trump’s challenge to all of our Gulf partners during the Riyadh summit last year, Qatar has made significant progress to improve efforts to combat terrorism”.

“As a result of the memorandum of understanding our countries signed in July (last year), the United States and Qatar have increased information sharing on terrorists and terrorist financiers. We have participated in counterterrorism technical training and taken steps to improve aviation security. We look forward to building on this foundation and implementing next steps,” he observed.

He also announced that the US and Qatari governments will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that creates a framework for the US to provide technical assistance and training to the Qatari government on combatting human trafficking. The MoU also provides for the creation of a bilateral government working group to discuss labour practices in Qatar. “Through our continued co-operation, we hope to partner with Qatar to build institutional capacity to eliminate human trafficking, an area in which Qatar has already made significant strides,” he said.

In discussions between both the officials, among other issues including critical regional security, battle to defeat ISIS, Gulf crisis, Syrian situation, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran’will also be discussed.

Tillerson said on the Gulf crisis “As the Gulf dispute nears the eight-month mark, the United States remains as concerned today as we were at its outset. This dispute has had direct negative consequences economically and militarily for those involved, as well as the United States.”

US Defence Secretary said “A united GCC bolsters our effectiveness on many fronts, particularly on counterterror.”

Mattis, too, stressed that the US enjoys a longstanding defence relationship with Qatar. “A strong and valued military partner, Qatar is a longtime friend in the region. Even in the midst of its own current challenges, Qatar and the United States maintain excellent military-to-military relations, hosting the Al Udeid Air Base, home to our Combined Air Operations Center, the United States Air Force Central Command Forward Headquarters, and US Central Command’s Forward Headquarters, providing critical counterterrorism support to the Defeat ISIS/Defeat Daesh coalition and President Trump’s South Asia strategy,” he said.

“We are grateful to Qatar for their longstanding support of America’s present and continuing commitment to regional security, a commitment that includes information sharing and counterterrorism training. It should be noted that just this last week, the Qatari Air Force completed its first two C-17 flights from the Gulf to Afghanistan and back, providing logistical support to the Nato counterterrorism campaign in Afghanistan,” he continued.

“As Secretary Tillerson stated, a united Gulf Co-operation Council bolsters our effectiveness on many fronts, particularly on countering terrorism,” Mattis added. “It is thus critical that the GCC recovers its cohesion as the proud Gulf nations return to mutual support through a peaceful resolution that provides for enhanced regional stability and prosperity.

“I look forward to a lasting Qatar-US security relationship, a relationship that will continue to bolster our efforts against common security threats and violent extremism.”

Tillerson said the two countries were to sign a number of documents outlining co-operation in the important bilateral and regional areas mentioned, including three at the opening session.

The first was a memorandum of understanding that establishes the convention for this US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue on an annual basis going forward, “so that we can continue to build on the close partnership between our two countries”.

The second document is a joint declaration outlining US co-operation with Qatar on matters of shared regional and security interests, while the third is a memorandum of understanding that creates a framework for the co-operation between the US and Qatar to combat human trafficking.

He also noted that the US welcomed the understanding they reached on civil aviation.

Washington                                                                                                                                                                                          30 Jan. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                        (MOFA)

On the sidelines of strategic dialogue between the State of Qatar and the United States which too off today in Washington DC, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister  of Qatar met separately with Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Chris Murphy.

During the meetings, they discussed bilateral relations, ways of boosting and developing them as well as a number of regional and international issues of common concern.

Istanbul                                                                                                                                                                                                30 Jan. 2018

The TRNC stand once again received the first prize at the East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism exhibition (EMITT), which is renowned as one of the top travel events in the world.

Tourism professionals from more than 100 countries came together at this year’s EMITT exhibition.

The North Cyprus stand, which was designed using an eco-house concept, attracted great interest from visitors from Australia, Canada, China, the USA, Latin America, Central Asia, Asia Pacific, and India.

Representatives from the Tourism Promotion and Marketing Department, the Cyprus Turkish Tourism and Travel Agents’ Union (KITSAB), the North Cyprus Hoteliers Association (KITOB), the Cyprus Turkish Tourist Guides Association (KITREB), the Northern Cyprus Restaurant Association (RES-BIR), and the Health Tourism Council attended the fair.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                  30 Jan. 2018

Lulu Group has organized the ‘Ultimate India’ Festival from 29^th January to 04^th February.  The festival was inaugurated by P. Kumaran, Ambassador of India to the State of Qatar, at Lulu Hypermarket, Al Gharafa, in the presence of Sheikh Hassan bin Khaled Al Thani, Dr. R. Seetharaman, Group CEO of Doha Bank, Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Group and a host of dignitaries from Ministry, Banks, retail/FMCG sectors including officials/staff from the Lulu chain and a large gathering of shoppers and well-wishers from different communities.

The week-long festival is dedicated to the Indian culinary and food tradition and will showcase the whole new range of Indian food and cuisines, fresh vegetables and fruits, and exciting offers and promotions in Indian grocery products, sarees and many more product ranges.  The festival will also highlight the diverse culture and the spirit that was handed down by generations through centuries, symbolizing one India.  The inaugural ceremony has also featured a few traditional art-forms such as Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Bharatanatyam etc., with a view to enrich the theme.

As part of the above festival, a promotion on Indian Silk and Ethnic Wear was opened by Ritu Kumaran, wife of the Indian Ambassador yesterday.  A wide assortment of pure natural and synthetic silk from India including saris, readymade garments and dress material went on display and sale at discounted rates at all Lulu outlets across Qatar.  Indian Silk is one of the major categories of India’s exports worldwide. Fair Exports India Pvt. Ltd. - an Export distribution Centre of Lulu Group - has been the winner of the ‘Best Exporter Award’ for Indian Silk Saris and Garments by the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council since 1996 including current year.

Lulu Group has been conducting this festival on the theme ‘Incredible India’ in all its regions since many years.  India as a nation is famous for its rich cultural and culinary heritages and with vast landscape it encompasses many states, religions and languages.  The culture of India refers collectively to thousands of distinct and unique cultures of all religions and communities present. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food and customs differ from place to place within the country.

The Indian culture often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures that spans across South East Asian states and has been influenced by the history of many centuries. Many elements of India's diverse cultures, such as indian religions, Indian philosophy and Indian cuisine have a profound impact across the world.

The festival, which runs from 29^th January till 04^th February, is being held simultaneously across all Lulu Hypermarket outlets in Qatar and offers exciting discount on a wide range of imported products from India. The festival was largely focused on the food and cuisine of India and the event has become popular since many years. The general characteristics and common ingredients of Indian food are numerous spices, to create flavor and aroma.

A wide range of Indian food and sweets are on display at very attractive prices at all Lulu Hypermarkets, and special counters were set for tasting and sampling.

Another highlight was the Official launch ceremony of Mahindra vehicles in Qatar, which was held during the inauguration of India Fest and attended by Joydeep Moitra, Head of International Operations and Dinesh Choudhari, General Manager Exports Middle East & CIS from Mahindra Auto Division. To add to the excitement of Indian fest, customers who shop at Lulu will have the opportunity to win a XUV 500 when they shop for QAR.50.

Mohamed Althaf, Director of Lulu Group International said “We have always tried to do similar festivals and events to connect with the large cosmopolitan population residing in this great country.  Our main aim is to bring and showcase large variety of Indian products to the discerning shoppers.  We have always believed that Lulu is not just a place for shopping alone but is a place where we do things to spread happiness.  The shoppers can look forward to a week-long celebration of India at all our hypermarkets full of great offers, products, competitions and cultural shows”.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                       30 Jan. 2018

Staff from the stem cell donor team at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) recently had the opportunity to highlight the success of their internationally recognized stem cell donor service during the Doha International Organ Donor Academy Conference held in Qatar.

The Doha International Organ Donor Academy Conference was organized by the Qatar Organ Donation Program at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). This year’s meeting marked 30 years of safe and successful organ transplantation surgeries at HMC and publicly recognized Qatari organ donors and transplant recipients who chose to have their procedure done in Qatar rather than go abroad.

The stem cell donor team contributed to the First Symposium on Stem Cell Donation Conference for Qatar, which took place towards the end of the Doha International Donor Academy 2017. The Symposium included updates on the National Autologous (launched in 2015) and Allogeneic (launched in 2017) Stem Cell Transplant Programs. The updates were given by Dr. Ruba Taha on behalf of NCCCR’s Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director, Professor Alexander Knuth.

Commenting on the occasion, Professor Knuth said: “We are delighted to have hosted Qatar’s first Stem Cell Donor Symposium in Doha. We are honored to have had the opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of stem cell donation and of our achievements in Qatar and are pleased to have had the opportunity to interact with colleagues and leaders involved in the organ donation program.”

Professor Knuth went on to say that the symposium builds on the success of Qatar’s first allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (allogeneic HSCT), performed late last year. A multi-disciplinary team from the NCCCR performed Qatar’s first allogeneic HSCT on a 34-year-old female patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

The keynote lecture entitled ‘Saving Lives by Stem Cell Donation’ promoted and encouraged stem cell donation. Representatives from Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, the Qatar Organ Donor Program, NCCCR, HMC’s interim Transitional Research Institute (iTRI), the Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, and the Blood Transfusion Service highlighted the important role of stem cell donation and research during a poster presentation.

Last year, the NCCCR’s Stem Cell Donor Team was invited to present their work at the Asia Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation Conference in Tehran, Iran and the World Marrow Donor Association’s annual conference in Minneapolis, in the United States.

Qatar’s Stem Cell Donor Service is a new service that was established at NCCCR to help raise public awareness for stem cell donation and donor recruitment.  The service is focused on increasing the representation of donors with Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)

typing; this type of donor is generally underrepresented in other major international registries (i.e. Qatari, Arab, Asian and African decent). It is hoped the focus on increasing the representation of donors with HLA will provide optimally matched donors for patients in need of a life-saving stem cell transplant.  Ultimately, the service will be recognized as a preferred provider of high-quality, ethically sourced and cost effective tissue allografts in the region and around the world.

Amman, Jordan                                                                                                                                                                                29  Jan. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                    (QNA)

Qatar Charity opened Qatar Comprehensive Medical Center in Zaatari camp in cooperation with the Arab relief society to help meet the medical needs of Syrian refugees and provide assistance to health centers in the region.

Qatar Comprehensive Medical Center is one of the largest centers in Zaatari camp. It includes various medical clinics, a pharmacy and a laboratory for analysis, with 40 medical and technical staff.

Yousef bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, CEO Qatar Charity said that the opening of the center comes in response to the call of duty towards Syrian refugees suffering from the scourge of war, displacement, and asylum as well as supporting Jordan's efforts in this field.

He referred to the food and health assistance provided by Qatar Charity as well as the provision of winter and cold supplies, the sponsorship of more than 5,000 orphaned refugees and the provision of health, education and social services.

Al Kuwari also noted the cooperation with charitable organizations in Jordan to implement various projects that cost more than five million Jordanian dinars during the past year through a series of programs aimed at Jordanian chaste families in different regions of the kingdom.

Dr. Lail Al Fayez, Secretary General, Jordanian Ministry of Health  praised this medical facility for the benefit of the refugees, pointing out to Jordan's burdens to meet the needs of the Syrian refugees.

Dr. Awni Al Basheer, Chairman, Arab Medical Relief Society in Jordan  said that the center is the result of a partnership with Qatar Charity under the supervision of the Jordanian Ministry of Health, the directorate of refugee affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The center covers an area of 1,000 square meters and constitutes a quality addition in various medical specialties.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    30 Jan 2018                                                                                                                                                                                        (QNA)

The Producer Price Index (PPI) of the Industrial sector for December 2017 is estimated at 62.4 points showing an increase of 2.5% compared to the previous month's November 2017, PPI of December, 2017 showed a rise of 17.0% when compared to the PPI of December 2016.

The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) released the Monthly Producer Price Index (PPI) of the Industrial sector for December 2017 with the base year 2013. Producer price index covers goods relating to "Mining" (weight: 72.7%), "Manufacturing" (weight: 26.8%), and "Electricity & Water" (weight: 0.5%).

The PPI of December, 2017 showed an increase of 3.7% when compared with PPI of November 2017, primarily due to the increase of prices of "Crude petroleum and natural gas" with 3.7%. PPI of December 2017, when compared with its counterpart in the previous year (December 2016), there has been a considerable increase of 15.4%.

An increase of 0.2% has been recorded in December, 2017, when compared with the previous months Manufacturing index during this year. The prices increase are seen in: "Juices" by 11.0%, "Paper and Paper products" by 3.5%, "Cement and Other non-metallic products" by 1.8%, "Refined Petroleum Products" by 1.5%, "Dairy products" by 0.6%," Grain mill and Other products" by 0.4%.

However, the decreasing prices are noticed in "Rubber and Plastics products" by 4.2%, "Basic Chemicals" by 3.3%,"Basic Metals" by 1.2%, "Beverages" by 0.3%, No monthly change noticed in "Other chemical products and fibers".

Comparing with the index of counterpart in the previous year (December 2016), "Manufacturing" PPI of December, 2017 showed a rise of 20.5%. The major groups which explain this price increase are "Refined Petroleum Products" by 26.9%,"Basic Metals" by 20.7%,"Basic Chemicals" by 10.3%, "Other chemical products and fibers" by 5.3%, "Dairy products" by 4.4%,"Rubber and Plastics products" by 2.1%, "Grain mill and Other products" by 1.6%, and "Juices" by 0.7%.

However, prices fall also noticed in "Cement and Other non-metallic products" by 5.7%," Beverages" by 2.3% "Paper and Paper Products" by 1.7%.

The PPI of this group showed a increase of 6.9% compared to November 2017, resulting from a increasing price seen in "Electricity" by 10.8%, and an increasing in "Water" by 1.7%.

When compared the PPI of December, 2017, to the PPI of December, 2016, showed an increase Y-o-Y of 10.8%, affected by a rise in both "Electricity" by 13.2% and "Water" by 7.5%.