London                                                                                                                                                                                                 15 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                      (QNA)

Al Arabiya News Channel has surrendered with immediate effect its license with the U.K. broadcasting regulator Ofcom, which received a complaint over the channel's involvement in covering the crime of hacking Qatar News Agency (QNA), British law firm Carter-Ruck said.

QNA had hired Carter-Ruck to submit a complaint at Ofcom against Al Arabiya and Sky News Arabia for broadcasting fabricated and false statements attributed to HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani after QNA's website was hacked on May 24, 2017, a crime that the four countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt used to justify the siege that they have been imposing on Qatar since June 5, 2017.

Based on the complaint, Ofcom, which regulates the conduct and output of broadcasters who broadcast in the United Kingdom and elsewhere within the European Union, had announced that it was taking measures to handle such issues.

The surrendering of the license by Al Arabiya, a Dubai-based satellite broadcaster owned by Saudi businessmen, was to avoid an investigation which could have resulted in the imposition of substantial fines and other penalties and even in the revocation of the license due to previous violations.

Al Arabiya had previously been heavily sanctioned by Ofcom in relation to a material broadcast in 2016. On that occasion, Ofcom found Al Arabiya to have breached its regulatory obligations to treat subjects fairly and justly and not to intrude upon privacy in unwarranted circumstances. Among other sanctions, Ofcom imposed a fine of GBP 120,000.

Following the surrender of its license, Al Arabiya is no longer able to broadcast in the U.K. or elsewhere in the European Union. In addition, it has placed itself outside the community of those responsible broadcasters who, by placing themselves within a reputable regulatory regime such as that administered by Ofcom, ensure that they comply with codified industry standards relating to bias and fairness.

The move also confirms that Al Arabiya has been a vehicle for the propaganda of the four siege countries in terms of broadcasting fake news against Qatar.

14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                  (Daily Dawn)

The Taliban said on Wednesday they want to end Afghanistan’s war through dialogue but warned that their willingness to find peace did not mean they were exhausted and that their armed campaign would be sustained no matter how powerful the U.S. opposition.

A more aggressive U.S. strategy in Afghanistan including a surge in air strikes introduced by President Donald Trump in August has pushed the Taliban back from several district centers and two provincial capitals.

But the militants control large parts of the countryside and have responded to the more aggressive U.S. strategy with two attacks in Kabul in the past few weeks, killing nearly 150 people.

The attacks have toughened both the U.S. and Afghan government stand on trying to initiate talks to end nearly 17 years of war that neither side seems capable of winning.

The Taliban offer of dialogue came in a statement addressed to the American people.

“Our preference is to solve the Afghan issue through peaceful dialogue,” the Taliban said.

In their statement, the Taliban did not mention a Jan. 27 raid on a top Kabul hotel, in which more than 30 people were killed, nor a bomb attack on a crowded street a week later that killed more than 100. They claimed both attacks.

The Taliban, fighting to oust foreign forces and defeat the U.S.-backed government, said the United States must end its “occupation” and accept the Taliban right to form a government “consistent with the beliefs of our people”.

The militants only mentioned the Afghan government to deride it on various grounds.

A government spokesman declined to comment on the statement and a spokesman for Afghanistan’s NATO-led military mission was not immediately available for comment.

It was not too late for the American people to realize the Taliban can solve problems with every side “through healthy politics and dialogue”, the militants said, adding the chances for dialogue were “not exhausted”.

Preliminary talks on ending the war that kills thousands of people each year have stalled.

But low-level contacts between the government, international groups including the United Nations and groups close to the Taliban have continued even as the insurgency has escalated.

Progress has been blocked by the deep mistrust between the government and the Taliban, as well as uncertainty about the position of neighbors including Pakistan.

The Taliban said their willingness to play a “constructive role in finding a peaceful solution” should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

“This can never mean that we are exhausted or our will has been sapped,” they said.

They said they had no intention to damage any other country or let anyone use Afghan territory against anyone else.

14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                  Daily 'Dawn'

Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Minister of Pakistan has said that any unilateral action by the United States in Pakistan will not only bring the bilateral relations to an irreparable stage but also be counterproductive.

During an interview to CNN on Tuesday, he said, "Any unilateral action in Pakistan will be a red line for Pakistan. Pakistanis are dignified people. We want to have a friendship which is based on mutual respect but any effort to try to bully Pakistan or force Pakistan will be counterproductive."

The minister highlighted that Pakistan has directly been a victim of terrorism and the country has rendered a lot of sacrifices in the fight against it. "There is no country in the world that has made as many sacrifices and as much contribution towards fighting terrorism [as Pakistan] in the last years."

Pakistan has lost about 60,000 people and suffered a $25 billion loss to its economy, he added.

Talking about the US aid to Pakistan, Iqbal said, "We are committed to fighting terrorism. There is very nominal aid which is coming from the USAID or the United States to Pakistan. Pakistan is not fighting this war for the US aid, we are fighting this war for our people and the future of our people."

He made it clear that "trade and not aid" is the priority of the country when it comes to the bilateral relations with the US. "We need trade, not aid," he remarked, adding that Islamabad wants to see the US as a development partner and not as a donor country.

The Trump administration has asked Congress to approve $336 million of civil and military aid to Pakistan for the next fiscal year, arguing that the proposed military assistance will help defeat Al Qaeda and the militant Islamic State group, Dawn reported on Tuesday.

The total request is $10 million less than the previous year and links the defence assistance to Islamabad’s action against alleged terror safe havens on its soil.

Pak-Afghan-US relations

Talking about Pak-Afghan relations, he said that the two countries are bound by geography. It will be in the interest of both the US and Pakistan to work together because "we [Pakistan] are the first country that faces the cost of instability [in Afghanistan] and we are the first country that gets the dividend of peace in Afghanistan".

"By finger-pointing, we only make the disruptors of peace win," he added.

Further talking about the status of the US war against terrorism in Afghanistan, the minister said that many people in the US are making Pakistan a scapegoat out of frustration because the desired results in Afghanistan have not been achieved.

The minister suggested a comprehensive approach to have peace in South Asia and also asked the US to address the concerns of all stakeholders in the region. "To have the final outcome in Afghanistan, to have peace and stability, we need to follow a comprehensive approach. We need to have a military option as well as a political option. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan's legitimate security concerns and interests must be incorporated in the approach that we follow in the region," he said.

Talking about the erratic relations between the two countries and mutual interests, he said he saw the geopolitics of the region as a centre point. He added that no global power can afford to overlook the fault lines that exist in the region. "In past, the US and Pakistan have tried to file for a divorce on a number of occasions but that has not turned out to be an option because of the cost associated with it," he said.

"Afghanistan is critical to both the US and Pakistan. The geography of Afghanistan and Pakistan bound them and therefore, we need to have a collaborative strategy instead of one which is based on finger-pointing," the minister said.

When asked about India's role in this scenario, Iqbal said that the US needs to see South Asia or Afghanistan from its own independent perspective, not through the prism of India. "Pakistan and the US have a long history of partnership and relationship, [whereas] a third country can spoil the scenario in the region."

Florida, USA                                                                                                                                                                                        14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                      (Washington Post)

Police have taken the person suspected of opening fire at a South Florida high school into custody, Broward Sheriff’s Office said.

The shooting was reported shortly before students were let out of class Wednesday afternoon. Police had fanned out across the school searching for the shooter as students and teachers remained barricaded in classrooms.

There were multiple people killed in the shooting, Robert W. Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County schools, told reporters at the scene.

Runcie said officials did not receive any threats he was aware of made before the shooting.

At least 20 people may have been injured, but that number may be as high as 50 people, according to Dan Booker, a fire chief from a nearby city. Some of those injured are students who were shot, Booker said.

“It’s still an active scene,” he said.

Booker said he is seeking aid from the Coast Guard and other agencies because many victims will need to be transported by helicopter.

Video from the scene showed police surrounding the building and students being quickly marched away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., a city northwest of Fort Lauderdale. News cameras also captured people being wheeled out on stretchers, though their conditions were not immediately clear.

A tweet from the school’s parent district, Broward County Public Schools, said, “We are receiving word of multiple injuries.”

Police from nearby Coral Springs, who were also responding to the incident, urged students and teachers to remain barricaded inside the school. Law enforcement officials said they were clearing students building by building.

The school, which opened in the early 1990s, had more than 3,000 students in the 2015-2016 school year, according to federal data.

Gov. Rick Scott (R) said he had been briefed by the Broward County sheriff, whose agency was leading the response, as well as by the county’s school superintendent. President Trump was notified of the shooting, Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said.

“The president has been made aware of the school shooting in Florida. We are monitoring the situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected,” Walters said.

Lahore                                                                                                                                                                                                14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                    (AlJazeera News)

Pakistan has banned two charities linked to Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 160 people.

Saeed, founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been designated a "terrorist" by the United Nations and had a $ 10m bounty placed on him by the US in 2012.

Rana Sanaullah, law minister for Punjab province, said on Wednesday that Pakistan's interior ministry had issued a notification against the Saeed-founded Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) charity, as well as its associated organisation, the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).

"We've received the interior ministry directions, and according to that, Hafiz Saeed and his charities, like JuD and FIF, have been banned to operate in Pakistan," Sanaullah told Reuters news agency.

"As per the instructions, we have already started taking over all the facilities, offices, schools, dispensaries and seminaries which belong to the JuD and FIF."

Rawalpindi commissioner Nadeem Aslam told Reuters that officials had "taken over all the JuD and FIF assets" and that the "takeover was complete".

The move by Pakistani authorities came days before a key meeting by the Financial Action Task Force, a global money-laundering watchdog, that will consider a US-sponsored motion to place Pakistan on a list of countries failing to prevent "terrorism" financing, Reuters reported.

Pakistan's Geo News reported that President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday amended the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 "to proscribe entities banned by the United Nations (Security Council) Act 1948".

In 2002, Pakistan banned the LeT as a "terrorist" organisation, and, since 2008, authorities say they have been abiding by UN sanctions that subject JuD to an assets freeze, arms embargo and international travel ban.

Under house arrest since January 2017, Saeed was released in November after a court in Pakistan rejected a government application to extend his detention under anti-terrorism laws, saying there was no evidence to support the application.

He denies any involvement in the Mumbai attacks or connection to LeT, which has been blamed for a series of deadly attacks against Indian security forces and civilians, mostly in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Saeed says he now heads JuD, which has been designated by the UN and US as a front for LeT.

In August, the LeT launched a political party, the Milli Muslim League (MML), and took part in a by-election in the eastern city of Lahore.

Election banners for MML's candidate, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, prominently featured images of Saeed.

However, two months later, the Election Commission of Pakistan rejected its registration due to its links with JuD and FIF.

Mumbay                                                                                                                                                                                                14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                  (NDTV)

Punjab National Bank, India's second-largest government bank, reported today that $1.8 billion or over Rs. 11,000 crore of taxpayers' money had been illegally transferred abroad to select customers from a single branch in Mumbai.

The revelation will affect the banking industry with the Finance Ministry asking all banks to investigate their books for similar cases and report to it by the end of the week. Not long after the news surfaced this morning, sources in the CBI were quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying that the agency had received two complaints against celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi, alleging fraud worth Rs. 10,000 crore.

Punjab National Bank said in a regulatory filing to the stock exchange that it had detected "fraudulent and unauthorised" transactions amounting to around Rs.11,360 crore at a branch in Mumbai. The illegal transactions benefited "a few select account holders with their apparent connivance" and based on these, "other banks appear to have advanced money to these customers abroad".

The CBI received the bank's complaints against Nirav Modi late last night, sources told the Press Trust of India.

Major jewellers Gitanjali, Ginni, and Nakshatra have also come under the scanner of various investigating agencies, said PTI, quoting an unnamed bank official.

Nirav Modi, 48, is already being investigated by the CBI in connection with fraud worth Rs. 280 crore. The diamond merchant was raided by income tax officials on January 31; his offices in Delhi, Surat and Jaipur were searched.

CBI sources say Nirav Modi, his wife, brother and others worked with bank officials to illegally obtain Letters of Undertaking, which were cashed overseas from different banks, both private and public sector.

The CBI was told that eight Letters of Understanding were issued to the billionaire jeweller, without being entered in the books, directly for Hong Kong-based banks.

The alleged fraud was facilitated by senior bank officials since 2011, CBI sources said. The bank has suspended 10 employees but has not revealed names.

The alleged swindle was revealed when Nirav Modi's companies sought a fresh loan last month, the bank said. The officials who had helped them earlier had retired. When the bank insisted on guarantees to issue Letters of Understanding, the Modi companies allegedly said they had used the facility before. That's when the bank started investigating.

Nirav Modi is the founder of $2.3 billion Firestar Diamond and counts among his clients and brand ambassadors several world renowned celebrities. He has boutiques across three continents - in London, New York, Las Vegas, Hawai, Singapore, Beijing and Macau. In India, Mr Modi has his stores in Mumbai and Delhi.

Last year, the state-owned Bank of Baroda was cheated of Rs. 6,000 crore, or almost a billion dollars, by two businessmen.

 

Washington DC                                                                                                                                                                                    14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                    (US DOD/Khaama News)

US Department of Defence on Monday 12th February 2018 released details of the president’s fiscal year 2019 defense budget. It calls for $686.1 billion in spending and will reverse years of military erosion, defense officials announced in a press conference.

The budget also calls for a 2.6 percent raise for service members. There is no raise in the budget for civilian employees.

The base budget is set for $617 billion and the overseas contingency operations fund is set for $69 billion.

'The budget is a strategy-driven document that stresses the nation’s primary goals: to defend the homeland, make the military more lethal, and to strengthen old alliances and build new ones',  David Norquist, US Defense Department Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer said.

“We recognize that, if unaddressed, the eroding U.S. military advantage versus China and Russia could undermine our ability to deter aggression and coercion in key strategic regions,” the comptroller said.

Overall, the budget calls for an increase of 25,900 military personnel by the end of fiscal year 2019. End strength for the department would be set at 1,338,000 active-duty personnel and 817,700 reserve component personnel.

The Army will receive $143,314,452, the Navy will get $179,065,809, the Air Force will receive $169,767,948 and DoD agencies will receive $104,925,839.

Improving military readiness is crucial and the operations and maintenance funds will receive a major boost. Departmentwide operations and maintenance will receive $15.3 billion more than in fiscal 2018.

Procurement gets the biggest increase with a $24 billion plus-up to $131.1 billion and with research and development funds increasing by $18 billion to $90.6 billion. The research and development funds will examine new technologies including hypersonic technology, cyber-integrated defense, making space assets more resilient, directed energy weapons and artificial intelligence.

Military personnel funds will receive $12.2 billion more and are pegged at $148.2 billion.

The budget follows strategy on the ground as well. Some of the key enhancements with regard to Asia involve “continued investment in air and space superiority; procurement of additional weapons systems, including the Virginia payload module for Navy submarines; procurement of additional P-8As, … and work to increase naval presence appropriately as this strategy is implemented in the Pacific, to include infrastructure investments,” said Army Lt. Gen. Anthony Ierardi, the director of force structure, resources and assessment at the Joint Staff.

“In Europe, we continue robust increases in our investments to enhance Army pre-positioning stocks and responsiveness, including the enhancement of a second armored brigade combat team's worth of equipment in an Army pre-positioned set; replenishment of wartime stocks, including preferred and advanced munitions and increased lethality of each; and expansion and enhancement of air bases to support our operations, as appropriate,” the general said.

Among the new equipment coming into the military are 77 new F-35 Lightning II’s to the Air Force and Navy, 60 new AH-64 Apache helicopters, 15 new KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft, 10 new P-8 Poseidon aircraft, 10 new ships added to the fleet and a myriad of space and cyber capabilities.

The military will buy 5,113 new joint light tactical vehicles, refurbish and modernize 135 M-1 Abrams tanks, 30 amphibious combat vehicles and 197 armored multi-purpose vehicles.

The budget begins the process of modernizing the nuclear triad with $2.3 billion dedicated to the Air Force’s B-21 bomber, $3.7 billion to the Columbia-class submarine and $300 million to the ground-based strategic deterrent.

 

Today on Wednesday, Afghan News Agency 'Khaama News' reported referring US military officials as saying that around $5.2 billion have been requested for the Afghan national defense and security forces in the defense budget for the US army for the fiscal year 2019.

Director, Army Budget, Maj. Gen. Paul A. Chamberlain, said the request includes approximately $5.2 billion for the Afghan Security Forces fund and $1.4 billion for the counter-ISIS train and equip requirement.

Gen. Chamberlain told reporters that “The $3.2 billion of MILPERS portion of this OCO request primarily supports mobilized reserve component soldiers and maintains the current end strength levels in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

This comes as efforts are underway by the Afghan government and its international allies to boost the capabilities of the Afghan national defense and security forces.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Lance Bunch, Director of the future operations, had earlier said the Afghan Air Force is one of the more lethal organizations of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and that efforts are underway to triple the size of the Afghan Air Force by 2023.

According to Gen. Bunch, the first four UH-60 Black Hawks were delivered to the Afghan Air Force, and the first six pilots have already graduated from training.

“We expect to have eight full crews at the beginning of the fighting season in 2018.  And those Black Hawk helicopters are just the first of up to 159 that we’re going to provide them,” he said.

Islamabad                                                                                                                                                                                            14 Feb. 2018                                                                                                                                                                                         (The Nation)

Military Chiefs from Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries, along with US and NATO commanders, met Tuesday in Kabul to discuss cooperation to fight terrorism and narcotics trading.

Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said the conference intended to find ways to jointly deal with both security challenges.

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa made it clear to the stakeholders that the path to regional peace and stability only passes through Afghanistan.

The army chief restated Pakistan’s position while speaking at the Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) conference held at Kabul.

According to a statement issued here by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS said that regions were developed as a whole, not as individual countries.

Gen Bajwa said Pakistan had eliminated all terrorist sanctuaries from its soil; however, residual signatures of terrorists, who take advantage of the presence of 2.7 million Afghan refugees and absence of effective border security coordination, were also being traced and targeted through ongoing operation Radd-ul Fasaad.

He assured the participants that Pakistani territory would not be allowed to be used against any other country and Pakistan expected the same in reciprocity.

He said that collaborative approach and persistence was the answer to all challenges, for which Pakistan was ready to play its part.

The conference agreed to continue cooperation for peace and stability in the region.

US CENTCOM Chief, Gen. Joseph Votel and Gen. John Nicholson, who commands the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and Army Chiefs of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also attended the conference.

Tuesday’s meeting came amid escalating terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, some claimed by loyalists of Islamic State. It also comes as Afghan poppy production has hit record levels. US officials estimate income from the illegal narcotics made from poppies funds 65 percent of Taliban-led insurgent activities.

Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Waziri said his government hopes a joint regional security strategy through conferences like the one Kabul hosted Tuesday would also help counter IS terrorists and address complaints by Iran and Russia that terrorism in Afghanistan threatens their sovereignty and regional security interests.

“Regional countries, including Iran and Russia repeatedly raise alarms that Daesh could spill over their borders and discussions [in Kabul] are exploring ways to fight terrorism and counter narcotics through a common strategy or platform,” Waziri noted.

Captain Tom Gresback, spokesman for NATO-led forces, said in a statement the event “afforded leaders the opportunity to meet in person and identify opportunities to protect and promote common interests, specifically pertaining to securing a lasting peace for Afghanistan and stability for the region.”

In addition, the Presidential Palace said President Ashraf Ghani met with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s army chiefs and said their visit to Afghanistan will open a new era for cooperation in the military sector between the three countries.

It is not clear if Pakistan’s army chief will meet with Afghan authorities separately or not.

Participating countries – especially Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – recently voiced their concern over the growing number of insurgents in the north of Afghanistan. But NATO said it has targeted Taliban and other insurgents the region – conducting a barrage of air strikes against them in the past two weeks.

Earlier this month, Pakistan and Afghanistan had “good discussions” during Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) talks.

The APAPPS is a joint action plan for cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism and reduction of violence, peace and reconciliation, refugees’ repatriation and joint economic development.

Pakistan had offered a joint investigation into the Kabul’s attacks that Kabul had blamed on the Haqqani Network.

Brussels, Belgium                                                                                                                                                                                NATO HQs                                                                                                                                                                                        14 Feb. 2018

Good morning.

Today and tomorrow, Defence Ministers will meet here in Brussels to prepare for our Summit in July.

We will begin with a meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group. Part of our regular consultations to keep NATO nuclear forces safe, secure and effective.We will also take decisions to modernise NATO’s Command Structure.

I expect we will agree to establish two new Commands. One for the Atlantic. And a support command for military mobility within Europe. As well as a new Cyber Operations Centre.

Later today we will address defence spending and burden-sharing among Allies.

To keep our nations safe, we need more defence spending, investment in key capabilities, and forces for NATO missions and operations. In other words, more cash, capabilities and contributions. Last year, Allies decided to report annually on how they intend to deliver all three. And today, we will review how far we have come. The reports confirm that we have made substantial progress. But we still have a lot of work to do.

Tonight we will meet with High Representative / Vice President Federica Mogherini. As well as our colleagues from Sweden and Finland. Together we will discuss EU’s efforts on defence and NATO-EU cooperation. Done in the right way, these efforts can make a contribution to fairer burden-sharing between Europe and North America.

Tomorrow we will focus on our progress in implementing our deterrence and defence posture. We will also discuss NATO’s role in projecting stability and the fight against terrorism.

NATO contributes to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS with AWACS surveillance flights and training for Iraqi forces. And the Coalition has made major progress.

Liberating nearly all of the territory once held by ISIS in Iraq and Syria. But ISIS will remain a threat even when they no longer hold any territory. So training for the Iraqi forces is key.

In response to a request from the Iraqi government and the Global Coalition, I expect we will agree to begin planning for a NATO training mission in Iraq. This will put our presence on a firmer footing. With established procedures for generating forces and funding. This will help make Iraq safer. And us more secure.

And with that, I’m ready to take your questions.

Q (WSJ): Mr Secretary General, the US announced in its budget plans this week an additional 1.7 billion dollars for European defence, raising the European Deterrence Initiative to 6.5 billion or so. Is this a disincentive to European nations for making investments? How do you ensure this does not ensure that this does not create a free rider problem for European nations?

A: We welcome the plans to further increase US presence in Europe. Both with more money for troops, for exercises, for equipment, for pre-positioned supplies. This is actually an incentive for Europeans to do even more. That’s exactly what we’ve seen. Because since 2014, we have seen that both the US and Europe have stepped up. We have seen increased US presence. At the same time as European Allies have stepped up, both by investing more in defence, increasing their defence budgets in real terms but also stepping up, for instance, with more troops to our Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltic Region and Poland but also to the south-east of the Alliance. So this goes hand-in-hand, the increased US presence, goes hand-in-hand with European Allies doing more for their own defence.

Q (Sky): Mr Secretary General, could I ask your response to reports in the British press today that the UK is not meeting its contribution commitments to NATO? And also could I ask you thoughts on where you think captured members of IS should they be tried? Where should they be tried?

A: UK meets its commitments to NATO when it comes to defence spending. UK spends actually 2% and more on defence, and the UK has done that for many, many years. So UK is leading by example by spending 2% on defence. We agreed the guideline 2% back in 2014. And this guideline was agreed according to the way we measure defence spending in NATO. It’s a well-established method for measuring defence spending, and also makes it possible to compare defence spending between different countries. And the 2% guidelines was actually established in accordance with the method we have developed in NATO, to measure defence spending. So there’s no doubt UK is meeting the 2% guideline of NATO, and I welcome that.

On the foreign fighters, they are a concern. They are responsible for criminal acts, for violence. And they can still be a threat. Therefore I welcome the efforts of the nations within the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS to decide how to deal with them. It’s not for NATO but for the nations inside the Coalition to make those decisions.

Q (European Pravda Kyiv): My question is about Ukraine. Why Ukraine is still not in official list of aspiration countries?

A: NATO and Ukraine we have a very strong partnership. And NATO provides strong political support, strong practical support to Ukraine. And NATO Allies also provide support on a bilateral basis. And we encourage and we welcome all that. So we’ll continue to strengthen our partnership, we’ll continue to work with Ukraine. And the focus now is on reforms. And I welcome that Ukraine has so clearly stated that their focus now is on reform, and then based on the progress they’re making on reform, then of course the issue of membership will be assessed based on the progress Ukraine is making.

Q (ZDF): Secretary General, what do you say to the critique that NATO is more and more returning to old bloc thinking? And is reviving the weapons race in Europe?

A: NATO is a defensive alliance. What we do is proportionate and measured. And for many, many years after the end of the Cold War, NATO Allies reduced defence spending, reduced their military capabilities. And we tried to establish a partnership with Russia. Then we have seen, especially since 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea, with Russia being responsible for destabilising eastern Ukraine, we’ve seen a pattern where Russia is more assertive and where Russia has been responsible for violating international law. We are responding in a defensive, proportionate way. With some more military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. Germany is part of that, leading one of the battlegroups in Lithuania. But at the same time, we strive for a better relationship with Russia. We don’t want a new Cold War, we don’t want a new arms race. And therefore we have what we call the dual-track approach to Russia: defence and dialogue. We have to be firm, we have to be predictable, but at the same time we will work for a better relationship and for dialogue with Russia.

Q (Rudaw): Secretary General, you know there is fighting in north of Syria and Turkey is a key member in NATO. Will you discuss about that current situation today in your meetings with the Defence Minister of Turkey, maybe with the Defence Minister of USA and other member states? Another question about the training and cooperation with the Iraqi forces - would you focus on Iraqi forces in the south and middle of Iraq or in the Kurdish region also, KRG? Thank you.

A: We will discuss NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism. And NATO is contributing to the fight against terrorism in many different ways. We are present in Afghanistan to fight terrorism, and we are a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. We support the Coalition by our AWACS surveillance planes and also with some training in Iraq. And all NATO Allies participate in different ways in the Coalition. But NATO is not present on the ground in northern Syria. Turkey has some legitimate security concerns. No other NATO Ally has suffered more terrorist attacks, but we expect Turkey to respond in proportionate and measured way. There are contacts between the United States and Turkey, addressing the challenges we see in northern Syria, but as I said NATO is not present on the ground. But Turkey has briefed NATO Allies on their Operation Olive Branch, and I expect Turkey to continue to brief NATO Allies on the operation in northern Syria.

When it comes to training in Iraq, well, we have some training activities there now. But we are starting - I expect Defence Ministers to agree to start planning for a training mission, which will provide a better footing for more training. And enable us to do more training if we so decide. Since this is just now planning, it is a bit too early to say what kind of training. But the request from the Iraqi government is about more training to professionalize the Iraqi forces, the Iraqi government forces. And to help them to build military academies, military education institutions, schools. Training their officers, train the trainers. But what we’ll do in Iraq, we’ll do in full coordination with the government in Baghdad.

Q: A question on Germany. How do you see Germany’s role in the NATO? Particularly concerning the point that there are plans of locating troops in Germany in a not-yet-named branch? And also the fact that Germany is doing financial measures to reach the 2% goal?

A: We welcome that Germany has started to invest more in defence. I’ve been a politician for many, many years. And I understand that most politicians want to spend money on education, on health, on infrastructure instead of defence. And most NATO Allies reduced defence spending after the end of the Cold War because then tensions went down. But if we reduce defence spending when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defence spending when tensions are going up, and they are going up now. We see the violence, we see the turmoil to the south of the Alliance - Iraq/Syria. We also see a more assertive Russia. The purpose of having a strong NATO, of also Germany participating to critical deterrence and defence within NATO, is not to provoke a conflict but it is to prevent a conflict. And therefore we welcome the increased efforts by Germany to strengthen its armed forces and also that Germany contributes to our Enhanced Forward Presence by leading the battlegroup in Lithuania. And also the presence of German troops, for instance Afghanistan, but also in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean where we deal with the challenges we see in that part of the world. So NATO is present in many places, Germany is part of that, and I welcome the German contribution to strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence.

Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    14 Feb. 2018

Qatar Airways announced today that it has acquired the Sheraton Melbourne Hotel, further expanding the growing portfolio of its hospitality division, Dhiafatina Hotels.

The Sheraton Melbourne joins a growing list of distinguished establishments acquired and managed by Dhiafatina Hotels, including the Sheraton Skyline Hotel at London’s Heathrow Airport, The Novotel Edinburgh Park in Edinburgh Scotland, the Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha, and The Airport Hotel located at Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA).

Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways said “The acquisition of the Sheraton Melbourne Hotel complements Qatar Airways’ global strategy for growth, and further strengthens our offering for passengers travelling on board our daily flights to Melbourne. Melbourne is an incredibly important destination on the Qatar Airways network, so much so that last year we began flying our state-of-the-art Airbus A380 aircraft to Melbourne.

“Qatar Airways is committed to going places together with our passengers, and I am delighted to announce the acquisition of the Sheraton Melbourne Hotel as part of the Dhiafatina portfolio, hand-picked to extend the excellent service our passengers receive, both in the air and once they arrive at their destination.”

The elegant five-star Sheraton Melbourne Hotel is located in the Paris end of Melbourne’s Little Collins Street, just minutes away from many well-known restaurants, theaters, and designer boutiques, as well as Melbourne’s Central Business District. It is also within walking distance of the iconic Parliament House and the Melbourne Museum. With its 174 luxurious rooms and suites, it is ideally situated for guests choosing a city break as well as business travellers who are attending one of Melbourne’s many events and exhibitions.

Among it's outlets include the Little Collins Street Restaurant with it's magnificent view of Melbourne, serves Signature Seafood Buffet and High Tea. In addition, it has distinguished East Restaurant on the ground floor and  scrumptious delights of Crux & Co Pâtisserie.

The Spa at the Sheraton Melbourne features five treatment rooms, an indoor heated lap pool and a state-of-the-art fitness center. A dedicated floor offers 670 square meters of meetings and events space and extensive event coordinating and catering facility.

Qatar Airways introduced its flagship Airbus A380 on the Melbourne route in June 2017, increasing the airline’s daily capacity on the Doha-Melbourne route by 44 per cent. The A380 aircraft features a luxurious First Class Cabin with ultra-wide seats which recline into a flat bed, two-passenger table extension dining, as well as designer sleeper suits, flight slippers and amenities. Passengers travelling in Qatar Airways’ award-winning Business Class can also enjoy direct aisle access with the 1-2-1 seat configuration and a suite of entertainment options including onboard Wi-Fi, keeping them fully connected to while up in the air.

In addition, passengers in First and Business Class can relax and socialise at the on-board lounge located on the upper deck of the aircraft.

Earlier this week, Qatar Airways launched direct services to the Australian capital of Canberra, and now proudly connects Canberrans to the airline’s extensive global network of more than 150 destinations. The airline also recently launched services to Chiang Mai, Thailand; St. Petersburg, Russia and Penang, Malaysia, to name just a few. The airline will launch service to Cardiff, United Kingdom and Thessaloniki, Greece in coming months.