Doha, 28 Jan. 2020 (QNA)
"Made in Bangladesh" exhibition opened at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre on Tuesday. The three-day exhibition is organized by Qatar-Bangladesh Forum, in cooperation with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Doha.
Nearly 100 companies are taking part in the exhibition, covering 18 main sectors in Bangladesh in the fields of information technology, energy, cement, telecommunications, food, beverages, fisheries and others.
The opening ceremonies were attended by Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater, Undersecretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, Salman F Rahman, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al-Thani, Chairman, Qatari Businessmen Association , a number of businessmen from both sides and representatives of exhibiting companies.
A number of side events are organized on the sidelines of the exhibition over three days, including B2B meetings, seminars and business discussions between leaderships of industry from both sides.
Doha, 28 Jan. 2020 (QNA)
Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued on Tuesday Amiri Order reshuffling the Cabinet. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani is appointed as the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of State of Qatar.
Sheikh Khalid has served as Chief of the Amiri Diwan since 2014, was appointed by Amiri Order No. 5 of 2014.
He was born in 1968 in Doha, where he received his pre-university education. He got his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the US in 1993.
Sheikh Khalid has also served in Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited and worked there until 2002. Later, he worked in Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 until 2006. In March 2006, he joined the Amiri Diwan, Office of the Heir Apparent. He was appointed as Director, Office of the Secretary of Heir Apparent on July 11, 2006, and as Director of Office of Heir Apparent on January 7, 2007.
Sheikh Khalid became the Director of Office of the Amir of Qatar, when Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani assumed power in June 2013.
Newly appointed Prime Minister and the Cabinet members took oath this morning at the Diwan e Amiri, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad AlThani, Deputy Amir of State of Qatar also attended the Oath Ceremony.
Cabinet Members
Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ali bin Shareef Al Emadi as Minister of Finance.
Dr. Gaith bin Mubarak Al Kuwari as Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs.
Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali as Minister of Culture and Sports.
Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi as Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs.
Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulwahed Al Hammadi as Minister of Education and Higher Education.
Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti as Minister of Transport and Communications.
Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari as Minister of Public Health.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie as Minister of Municipality and Environment.
Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari as Minister of Commerce and Industry.
Yousef bin Mohammed Al Othman Fakhro as Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.
Saad bin Sharida Al Kaabi as Minister of State for Energy Affairs and member of the Cabinet.
Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani issued Tuesday Decree Ni. 1 of 2020 appointing Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Mohammed Al-Thani as Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior, in addition to his duties as Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya).
The Order shall be effective starting from its date of issue and shall be published in the official gazette.
Doha, 26 Jan. 2020 (QNA)
Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received on Sunday a written message from Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of Republic of Philippines.
The message pertained to bilateral relations and the means to advance them in different fields.
Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs received the message during a meeting with Abdullah D. Mama-O, Advisor to the President of Philippines.
Seoul, 24 Jan. 2020 (Yonhap)
Moon Jae-in, President of South Korea said on Friday lack of progress in de-nuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States was the most regrettable thing for him last year, along with a slower-than-expected improvement in the living conditions of South Koreans.
He especially mentioned the no-deal Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-un during a phone interview with an SBS radio program.
"If there had been some headway in the North Korea-U.S. dialogue, (we) could have advanced peace on the Korean Peninsula and South-North cooperation," he said.
He also cited separated families living on the other side of the border of the two Koreas, as he was speaking on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, called Seol in Korean. It's one of the biggest annual celebrations for Koreans.
Moon recalled his mother who died in late October last year at the age of 92. Moon's mother fled North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War in the historic Heungman evacuation operation. But all of her family members failed to leave the communist nation,
Moon said his mother met with her youngest sister during a 2004 inter-Korean family reunion event held at Mount Kumgang. Moon and his son took her to the venue. "I think that was the best thing I've done for her throughout her lifetime," Moon said.
But he said he failed to keep his promise to visit the mother's hometown, which is now in North Korea, together with her.
Calabasas, California (USA), 26 Jan. 2020 (BBC News)
US basketball legend Kobe Bryant has been killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California. Bryant was travelling in a private helicopter when it burst into flames, according to media reports.
The LA County Sheriff's department said five people died in the helicopter crash on Sunday, with no survivors. Confirming the death, the City of Calabasas confirmed the news with "great sadness". It said "nobody on the ground was hurt".
Eyewitnesses told news site TMZ they heard the helicopter's engine spluttering before it went down. The cause of the crash is being investigated.
Five-time NBA champion Bryant, 41, played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He retired in April 2016. Bryant's achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also two-time NBA scoring champion and a two-time Olympic champion.
He also won an Oscar for best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball, a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015.
Seoul, 21 January 2020 (Associated Press)
A South Korean anti-piracy unit has temporarily expanded its mission to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil route at the center of soaring tensions between Iran and the United States.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced the expansion Tuesday, saying it was meant to help ensure the safe passage of South Korean vessels and nationals through the waterway.
South Korea has conducted anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 and is expanding to the strait that connects the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf. Tensions in waters around the Arabian Peninsula have soared since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and a U.S. airstrike earlier this month killed Iran’s top general.
Iran was accused of sabotaging oil tankers in the Persian Gulf last year, allegations it denied. It seized a British-flagged oil tanker after an Iranian oil tanker was seized by authorities in Gibraltar over suspected sanctions violations. Both ships were released weeks later.
The United States last week warned of threats to commercial vessels in and around the Persian Gulf following the latest tensions.
The South Korean ministry’s statement said the unit will work independently but cooperate with a U.S.-led coalition if necessary. It said two South Korean soldiers will be liaison officers at the International Maritime Security Construct headquarters.
Observers say the decision suggested South Korea considered both its relations with Iran and chief ally United States, which has asked it for a contribution to help guard oil tankers.
The South Korean naval unit refers to a 4,400-ton-class destroyer with 300 troops and a helicopter, according to the navy.
According to the statement, the Strait of Hormuz is a shipping lane for more than 70 percent of South Korean oil imports and South Korean vessels sail through the area about 900 times annually.
It said about 25,000 South Korean nationals live in the Middle East.
Lefkosa, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Anadolu News)
The president of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Tuesday said diplomatic methods should be used extensively in a bid to counter growing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Mustafa Akinci’s remarks came at the International Science Diplomacy Forum held in the capital Lefkosa where he commented on the discovery of natural gas in the region and diplomatic ties with neighbors.
Akinci said the region was at crossroads with regard to the natural gas issue and Greek Cypriots had two alternatives, either maintaining diplomacy of tension or move towards cooperation in the light of the scientific developments.
Referring to the agreement Greek Cypriots, Israel and Greece reached on the EastMed project early January, Akinci said the project was not based on any concrete scientific reality and said diplomatic efforts in the region should be initiated in a bid to resolve dispute.
Many academics from the TRNC and their international counterparts were present at the forum.
Davos, 21 January 2020 (AlJazeera News/Misc.)
The 50th World Economic Forum, has kicked off in the Swiss city of Davos, with an agenda that is focused heavily on climate change, as world leaders struggle to tackle the crisis. The Conference will be held from 21 - 24 January 2020.
The four-day annual gathering of some of the world's top political and business leaders in the Swiss Alps is seeking to meet head-on the dangers to both the environment and the economy from global warming.
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed scepticism about climate change, lauded the US economy in his keynote address on Tuesday morning, hours before his impeachment trial opens at the Senate in Washington, DC.
Trump told business and political leaders in the mountain resort that America's economic turnaround had been "nothing short of spectacular".
He also lashed out at environmental campaigners as Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg watched on.
"We must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse," said Trump, hours after Thunberg told the World Economic Forum that governments had done "basically nothing" to reverse climate change.
Greta Thunberg, who inspired the global climate strike movement, slammed global inaction on climate change at a youth panel in Davos hours before Trump spoke on Tuesday.
"We are all fighting for the environment and climate. If you see it from a bigger perspective, basically nothing has been done. It will require much more than this. This is just the very beginning," she said.
The teenager will also address a session titled "Averting a Climate Apocalypse" later on Tuesday.
Hundreds of activists marched for three days from the Swiss city of Landquart towards Davos, calling on world leaders to do more to tackle climate change.
The forum's own Global Risks report published last week, warned that "climate change is striking harder and more rapidly than many expected" with global temperatures on track to increase by at least 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century.
Doha, 21 jan. 2020
Sidra Medicine will be hosting a conference in partnership with the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) from 15 to 17 February 2020 at the Grand Hyatt Doha. Sidra Medicine and ISPCAN ae working together to create awareness around on the subject. Both are also working on rehabilitation of victims.
ISPCAN Qatar 2020 is themed on 'Child Protection ' The Journey So Far and the Future Ahead, and will focus on approaches to stop violence against children based on scientific knowledge and research.
Around 10 local and international experts in child advocacy and protection will be speaking at the Conferene including Linda Steele, US National Child Advocacy Center, Anthony Macddonald, Director, UNICEF EMRO Region. He specialises in data and challenges at the School of Violence in Middle east.
Among Speakers also include Howard Taylor, Executive Director, Global Partnership to End Violence, Prof. Muthanna Samra, Psychology Department, Kings College, UK, Mary Harvey, CEO, Int'l Center for Sports & Human Rights, Prof. Figen Dagli, Ghazi University, Turkey, Prof. Muhammad Ghaly, Qatar University, Dr. Bernard Gerbaka, a paediatrician, Lebanon.
Prof. Dr. Khalid Al Ansari, Chair Emergency Medicine at Sidra Medicine sais that 'The fight against child abuse is a global issue. We are committed to raising further awareness, working with the community and the government partners so that together, we can advance and develop programs that will serve as permanent solutions to takling this ongoing social problem. We look forward to welcoming a strong lineup of int'l and local experts who have come together under the ISPCAN unbrella to build strong support system for children and families.'
Sidra Medicine launched it's child advocacy prgram in 2018, established to coodinate the care of children suspected of being abused or neglected and provide resources and quality care.
A dedicated Sidra Medicine Child helpline - 40034000 - has been established for general public who can call during working hours or leave a message out of hours, if they know or suspect a child is being abused.
For registration to the ISPCAN Qatar 2020 conference, visit: https://www.ispcan.org/qatar2020/
Doha, 19 January 2020
Qatar has signed an agreement with French energy giant Total and Japan's Marubeni to build a solar power plant capable of producing 800 megawatts, a tenth of country's peak energy demand, according to Sa'ad AlKa'abi, State Minister for Energy. Addressing a press conference just after the signing of agreement this afternoon at the Hotel Sheraton, Doha, AlKa'abi said that that Al Kharsaah plant near the capital Doha will cost 1.7 billion Qatari Riyals ($467m) and is expected to complete by 2022.
He said that the project will be commenced from today. Half of the production will start generating the energy by the first quarter of 2021, Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said.
He said that Siraj Energy, a joint venture owned by Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC), will hold a 60 percent stake in the solar plant. The remaining 40 percent will be owned by both Marubeni and Total. Marubeni will take 51 percent of the minority stake, while Total will have 49 percent.
Patrick Pouyanne, CEO, Total said the solar plant, once complete, will be the largest ever built by the French conglomerate.
Gulf states, heavily dependent on oil and gas, have invested tens of billions of dollars in clean energy projects, mainly in solar and nuclear.
But critics say many such projects are slow to get off the drawing board.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said last week its first nuclear power plant would start operating within months after repeated delays to meet safety and regulatory conditions.
The UAE will have the first operational nuclear reactor in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude oil exporter, has said it plans to build up to 16 nuclear reactors, but the projects have yet to materialise.
American Chamber of Commerce Qatar
Bangladeshi Community
Filipino Community
Indian Community
Nepali Community
Pakistani Community
Sri Lankan Community