29  Sept. 2020

Qatar National Library’s Heritage Library has created a special program of online events for October, showcasing its unique contribution to Qatar’s cultural landscape. 

On 6 October, patrons can sign up for the webinar “Watermarks as a Tool to Date Manuscripts” with Fattouma bin Yahia, Head of Manuscripts and Rare Books Department at the National Library of Algeria.

The lecture, held in cooperation with the National Library of Algeria and in the Library’s role as the IFLA PAC Preservation and Conservation Center for Arab Countries and the Middle East, will highlight the National Library of Algeria's experience in studying manuscript watermarks, including how they are made, their purpose and their importance in dating manuscripts. The webinar will introduce the tools and techniques used to search for and examine watermarks.

Other topics of the lecture include how watermarks help editors identify the manuscript's master version, when other manuscript versions should be included or excluded, and the paper and digital resources used in searching for watermarks. The webinar will also demonstrate how to differentiate between papers of Islamic manuscripts and European manuscripts that are watermark-free.

On 14 October, Ikhlas Ahmed, Tours and Exhibitions Officer at the Heritage Library, offers insight into the treasures of the Heritage Library's collection that reflect the uniqueness of Arab culture, the meeting of East and West, and the history of Qatar and its relationship with Arab peoples and the larger world. The online tour will highlight various Arabic and English printed books, manuscripts and important documents, as well as photos from different periods and various geographical maps left by travelers and explorers.

On 18 October, patrons can enroll in the fifth session of the series of lectures and talks providing readings of rare historical works from the Heritage Library's manuscript collection. The series is a great opportunity to explore the rich collection and its masterworks, along with the Heritage Library's digital and virtual services.

This session of the series will discuss and comment on the notable manuscript Risala Fi Tabaqat Al-Mujtahideen [Treatise on the Classes of Pioneering Islamic Jurists and Scholars], by leading Ottoman scholar Ahmed Şemseddin Kemalpaşazade, known in the Arabic world as Ahmad ibn Souleiman Ibn Kamal Pacha (died 940 AH/1534 CE). The talk will be delivered by guest lecturer Mohammed Yaser Shahin, Researcher at the Center of Islamic Research in Turkey.

On 28 October, the Library hosts Dr. Ahmed Shawki Binebine, Director of the Royal Library, Morocco, and Professor of Libraries and Manuscript Studies at Mohammed V University in Rabat in a special lecture.

Several studies have shown that a large percentage of university students in the Arab world never set foot in libraries during the years of their study, instead contenting themselves with courses and notes. When these students pursued postgraduate studies, they found it difficult to put libraries and research methods to optimal use, despite the enormous importance of libraries to university study.

Dr. Binebine will begin the lecture with a discussion of the fundamentals of scientific research established by Islamic civilization and the history of scholarship and education. He will then highlight the roles played by private and public libraries in scholarly and cultural life, and focus on the role of libraries and information resources in the formation of the creative researcher, particularly in Islamic studies and humanities, history, and heritage texts and manuscripts.

 

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29 Sept. 2020 (AlJazeera-Bloomberg)

JP Morgan Chase & Co. admitted wrongdoing and agreed to pay more than $920 million to resolve U.S. authorities’ claims of market manipulation involving two of the bank’s trading desks, the largest sanction ever tied to the illegal practice known as spoofing.

Over eight years, 15 traders at the biggest U.S. bank caused losses of more than $300 million to other participants in precious metals and Treasury markets, according to court filings on Tuesday. JP Morgan admitted responsibility for the traders’ actions. The Justice Department filed two counts of wire fraud against the bank’s parent company but agreed to defer prosecution related to the charges, under a three-year deal that requires the bank to report its remediation and compliance efforts to the government.

The New York-based lender will pay the biggest monetary penalty ever imposed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, including a $436.4 million fine, $311.7 million in restitution and more than $172 million in disgorgement, according to a CFTC statement. The CFTC said its order will recognize and offset restitution and disgorgement payments made to the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission.

Allegations of spoofing on the bank’s precious metals desk emerged more than a year ago, in charges against several traders on the desk. But the settlement announced Tuesday also includes new allegations about spoofing by traders on the bank’s Treasuries desk.

The deal faults the bank for nearly eight years of manipulating prices of Treasury contracts, as well as trading in notes and bonds in the secondary market, that caused $106 million in losses. The government said five now-former JPMorgan traders executed thousands of deceptive trades. None of those traders have been charged publicly.

The accord also ends the criminal investigation of the bank that led to a half dozen employees being charged for allegedly rigging the price of gold and silver futures from 2008 to 2016. Two have entered guilty pleas, and three traders and a former JPMorgan salesman are awaiting trial. In all, according to the settlement deal, 10 JPMorgan traders caused losses of $206 million to other parties in the market.

“For nearly a decade, a significant number of JPMorgan traders and sales personnel openly disregarded U.S. laws that serve to protect against illegal activity in the marketplace,” said Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office.

JPMorgan, in a statement, said it doesn’t expect any disruption of service to clients as a result of the resolutions.

27 Sept 2020 (South Asia Monitor/Daily Dawn)

Pakistan on Saturday rejected India’s demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, saying there’s no place for a fascist state in a sensitive decision-making body.

Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for a more prominent role in the UN Security Council, asking: “Till when do we have to wait? Till when will India be kept away from the UN’s decision-making process?”

Last week, the Indian government announced that it was according “highest priority” to getting a permanent seat on the UNSC.

“It’s a pipe dream,” said Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, while responding to the demand. “The world does not want a fascist state as a permanent member of the Security Council.”

Daily Dawn, Pakistan reported The Pakistani envoy said that Islamabad too wanted UN reforms but not by adding another state to the existing list of five permanent UNSC members.

“We want expansion of the non-permanent members in the Security Council, from the present 10 to 20-21 to ensure equitable representation of the UN’s 193 member states,” he said.

There are at least 30 UN members that support expansion only in the non-permanent category.

China, one of the five permanent members with veto power, also backs this proposal. The other permanent members include the US, Britain, Russia and France.

Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, however, want to be added to the permanent category. On Wednesday, Brazil and South Africa urged the UN to expedite the reforms.

Ambassador Akram, however, said that Pakistan backs increasing non-permanent members because it would allow all large, medium and smaller states— especially from Africa, Asia and Latin America — to have a say in the United Nations decision-making process. All these states were underrepresented and complain of having no say in key international issues.

“This will also enhance the balance between the existing five permanent members and non-permanent members,” Mr Akram said.

He said Pakistan opposed the Indian proposal because additional permanent seats would reduce opportunities for the representation of the wider UN membership. “This will also create new centers of privilege compounding the difficulties of securing expeditious and equitable decisions in the Security Council,” he added.

But the Indian prime minister appeared desperate to join the elite club, which will also allow it thwart any international move to resolve the Kashmir dispute. “Till when do we have to wait?” he asked the UN General Assembly. “Reform is needed at the United Nations and India is waiting for that reform to happen.”

He reminded the UN that it needed to adapt and change to stay relevant in current times.

The Security Council is the UN’s highest-decision making forum and the only one that can make legally-binding decisions, such as the one demanding a plebiscite in Kashmir. India, however, refuses to implement this legally-binding decision.

India, which has previously served seven terms as a non-permanent, was re-elected for a two-year term in June along with Ireland, Mexico and Norway.

In February, US President Donald Trump said he was committed to working with India to strengthen and reform the UN but made no specific reference to New Delhi’s demand for a permanent seat.

On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan used his address to the UNGA to highlight the atrocities India had committed in occupied Kashmir. He urged the world leaders to persuade India to reverse its Aug. 5, 2019 decision to illegally annex the occupied territories. He also drew their attention to the plight of Indian Muslims and other minorities.

Mr Modi ignored most of these issues while highlighting India's priorities. Instead, he pushed for strengthening global action against terrorism.

“India will not hesitate in raising its voice against the enemies of humanity, human race and human values — these include terrorism, smuggling of illegal weapons, drugs and money-laundering,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2020

 

 

New York USA), 26 Sept. 2020

Secretary-General and Acting Chairman of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri called for rethinking governance and how to build more participatory and inclusive societies.

This came during the speech made by Al Marri in the virtual high-level panel discussion on the sidelines of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, hosted by the Republic of Uruguay, on future challenges of participation, human rights, and governance.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore, Founder and Executive Director of Action for Justice and Human Rights in Liberia Satta Sheriff, Member of UN Human Rights Committee and Professor of Human Rights Law at the University of Pretoria Christoph Heinz, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Gambia Dawda Jallow participated in the panel along with the sponsors from Argentina, Costa Rica, Korea and Ukraine, while the panel discussion was moderated by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris.

Al Marri said that the world is going through unprecedented times that have put the world in front of challenges to adapt and rethink the way used to deal with life itself, noting that human rights contribute constructively during the difficult times the world is going through.

Human rights embody values that guide the way forward, including the importance of safety, dignity, decent living, fairness, freedom, equality, respect, well-being, and responsibility, he added.

He noted the necessity to implement many comprehensive and participatory processes at all levels, within the framework of the central elements to move forward in our path, as well as a safe and conducive environment for those who have a role in promoting and defending human rights. He added that participation in public affairs is a human right and a vital matter for leaving no one behind.

Al Marri stressed that the sustainable development goals can only be achieved in the presence of a safe and conducive environment for participation in policy planning, implementation, and evaluation, pointing to the critical role of national human rights institutions in supporting countries to build bridges of more comprehensive and effective participation in their societies.

Secretary-General and Acting Chairman of GANHRI said that national institutions are an essential source for preserving democracy and civic space, such as independence, participation, inclusion, pluralism, and security.

He stressed the importance of ensuring that human rights are at the core of the new culture of governance shaped by the current changes. Al Marri noted that the UN General Assembly recently called on all countries to establish and strengthen national human rights institutions as a means to accelerate and ensure progress within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He explained that a comprehensive dialogue with governments about public policies, a safe environment for human rights defenders and independent media, as well as the availability of the necessary resources to ensure the existence and continuity of civil society organizations, are essential requirements for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

He affirmed that the GANHRI fully supports the mandate of the UN Secretary-General and the work of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as a coalition of national institutions at the global level.

He explained that GANHRI is looking forward to working with everyone in support of equitable well-being that builds more equitable, participatory societies.

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri thanked the participants in the panel and its sponsors for their support for the GANHRI in its mission of establishing and strengthening independent national human rights institutions around the world and encouraging member states to protect national human rights institutions.

The high-level panel discussion discussed the participation process as a fundamental human right and an effective tool for multilateralism and the governance of member states in facing serious global challenges, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the climate and development crisis.

24  Sept 2020 (Daily India Express)

Records investigated show that Indian banks mentioned in the SARs include: state-owned Punjab National Bank (290 transactions); State Bank of India (102); Bank of Baroda (93); Union Bank of India (99) and Canara Bank (190), among others.

AT least 44 Indian banks have been flagged in connection with transactions by Indian entities and individuals in a set of Suspicious Activity Reports filed by US banks with the watchdog agency, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an investigation by The Indian Express shows.

As per one set of records where addresses linked to parties are in India, Indian banks figure in SARs linked to over 2,000 transactions valued at over $1billion between 2011 and 2017. Significantly, there are thousands of transactions linked to Indian entities and businessmen where the Indian senders or beneficiaries have addresses in foreign jurisdictions.

Records investigated show that Indian banks mentioned in the SARs include: state-owned Punjab National Bank (290 transactions); State Bank of India (102); Bank of Baroda (93); Union Bank of India (99) and Canara Bank (190), among others.

Among private banks who figure in the SARs are HDFC Bank (253 transactions); ICICI Bank (57); Kotak Mahindra Bank (268); Axis Bank (41) and IndusInd Bank (117) among others.

The foreign banks that have filed these SARs include Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (DBTCA), BNY Mellon, Citibank, Standard Chartered and JP Morgan Chase among others.

Indian banks figure in the SARs primarily because they are “correspondent banks” to the foreign banks which have filed these SARs and figure in the network through which these transactions have been effected.

There are cases, records show, where “suspicious transactions” have been carried out through the international payment gateway of foreign banks. In others, foreign branches of Indian banks such as a State Bank of India account in Canada and an account of Union Bank of India in UK have been used by clients for carrying out part of the transactions in question.

Key to this is the correspondent banking relationship — an arrangement over which there has been growing concern as regulators crack down on secrecy of offshore transactions.

 

Islamabad, 25 Sept. 2020 (Reuters)

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has advised Pakistan to undertake “immediate corrective actions” and suspend the issuance of any new pilot licenses in the wake of a scandal over falsified licenses, according to an official and a document seen by Reuters.

The recommendations from ICAO, a specialized agency of the United Nations that works to ensure safety in international air transport, come days after Pakistan opened a criminal probe into 50 pilots and five civil aviation officials who allegedly helped them falsify credentials to secure pilot licences.

“Pakistan should improve and strengthen its licensing system to ensure that it takes into account all necessary processes and procedures and prevents inconsistencies and malpractices before new licenses are issued and privileges of suspended licenses are re-established,” said ICAO, in a previously unreported letter to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) last week.

A Pakistani aviation ministry official told Reuters that the country has not issued any new licenses since July, in the wake of the scandal.

The Montreal-based agency’s recommendations come ahead of an ICAO audit to assess the country’s aviation safety management systems.

The ICAO audit, originally scheduled for November this year, has been moved to June, effectively giving the PCAA more time to work on reforms, the official said.

A PCAA spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

An ICAO representative declined to comment on specific details, but said in an email that ICAO is “helping Pakistan to recognise concerns, and if they do not take swift action on them we will actively notify other countries about them.”

The pilot scandal has tainted Pakistan’s aviation industry and hurt flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which has been barred from flying into Europe and the United States.

In addition to revoking the licenses of 50 pilots, Pakistan has also suspended another 32 pilots for a year.

Rio de Janeiro, 25 Sept. 2020 (Sky News)

Rio de Janeiro's Carnival has been postponed for the first time in a century as Brazil continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

The president of Rio's League of Samba Schools announced the spread of COVID-19 had made it impossible to safely hold the traditional parades in February, which are a cultural mainstay and, for many, a source of livelihood.

Rio's City Hall has yet to announce decision about street parties that takes place across the city though some have already been cancelled.

Brazil has the world's third-worst coronavirus outbreak after the United States and India, with more than 4.6 million
cases.

The death toll in Latin America's largest country is 139,808, the second highest after the US.

Mr Castanheira said the 2021 carnival parade could only be delayed until January 2022 at most, so as not to interfere with the following year's parade.

Brazil's top 13 samba schools normally parade through the Sambadrome in front of up to 90,000 local residents, tourists and VIPs, with the date changing annually as the festival precedes the Roman Catholic period of Lent.

Ankara, 25 Sept. 2020 (Anadolu News)

Turkey's foreign minister on Friday harshly criticized US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her anti-Turkey remarks.

"@SpeakerPelosi's rise to become Speaker of the House is what is truly worrisome for American democracy, given her blatant ignorance. You will learn to respect the Turkish people's will," Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter.

On Wednesday, during a press conference, US President Donald Trump was asked if there would be a peaceful transition of power if he loses the 2020 elections.

"Well, we'll have to see what happens," Trump said.

On Trump's remarks, Pelosi said: "We do know who he admires. He admires [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he admires Kim Jong Un, he admires [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan in Turkey."

"But I remind him, you are not in North Korea, you are not in Turkey, you are not in Russia, Mr. President - and by the way, you are not in Saudi Arabia. You are in the United States of America, it is a democracy, so why don't you just try for a moment to honor your oath of office, to the Constitution of the United States?" she added.

24 Sept 2020 (AlJazeera News)

The two biggest Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, have agreed to hold the first elections in Palestine in nearly 15 years.

Polls will be scheduled within six months under a deal agreed by Fatah, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniya.

“We have agreed to first hold legislative elections, then presidential elections of the Palestinian Authority, and finally the central council of the Palestine Liberation Organization,” said Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah official, on Thursday.

The last Palestinian parliamentary elections were held in 2006 when Hamas won by an unexpected landslide.

Saleh al-Arouri, a top Hamas official, said the deal was reached during meetings held in Turkey.

“This time we reached a real consensus,” he told the AFP news agency from Istanbul. “Divisions have damaged our national cause and we are working to end that.”

Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the Fatah’s Central Committee, stressed the Palestinian leadership’s declared position that neither Jerusalem nor the besieged Gaza Strip should be excluded from the elections.

“Without Jerusalem, there will be no elections,” he added.

Earlier on Thursday, a top member of Fatah called the continuing talks in Turkey with Hamas “positive, fruitful, and productive”.

 

Doha, 21 Sept. 2020

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Qatar Foundation’s global health initiative, has announced a strategic partnership with BMJ, one of the world's most prestigious and most cited general medical journals.

Under the new partnership, WISH have worked with BMJ on three reports that will include peer-reviewed academic papers written by global experts. In addition to being presented at WISH 2020, these papers will be published in the high-impact journal, benefiting from the scale and reach of its international readership of doctors and other health professionals.

More than 50 million users from over 150 countries access BMJ’s websites every year.

Sultana Afdhal, Chief Executive Officer of WISH, said: “One of the goals of our biennial summit is to find optimal ways for evidence-based research to be translated into practical policy-driven solutions that help deliver healthcare in an efficient and cost-effective manner worldwide. It is, therefore, fitting that we work with a trusted knowledge-leader such as The BMJ, as a research and publishing partner, given our mutual commitment to sharing evidence-based knowledge and supporting healthcare leaders in building healthier communities and improving health outcomes."

The BMJ is an international peer-reviewed medical journal, responsible for publishing some of the world’s most influential research affecting public discourse and policy making. The strategic partnership with The BMJ will contribute to one of the major goals of the biennial WISH summit, which is to disseminate evidence-based content to a wide audience of global leaders, policy makers and healthcare practitioners.

Prof. Kamran Abbasi, Executive Editor of The BMJ said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work on these important areas with the support of WISH. Our expert teams have produced exceptional reports with clear recommendations for health professionals and policy makers. The challenge now is to act on these recommendations to counter the impacts on health of toxic stress, climate change and drought. This year’s summit will play an important part in moving those issues from research into policy.”

The reports commissioned for the summit are each chaired by world-leading experts and supported by a team of senior leaders drawn from the academic, research, and policy arenas. The reports cover toxic stress in children, healthy dry cities, and the relationship between climate change and communicable diseases.

A report on toxic stress and PTSD in children provides an opportunity to consider the effects of long-term stress on children’s physical and mental development, and develop strategies to mitigate these ill-effects. The forum is being co-chaired by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Surgeon General of California, and Prof. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Co-Director of the Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children and Founding Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University.

The group convened by The BMJ to consider the relationship between climate change and communicable diseases will highlight global health responses shown to be effective in curbing the impact of climate change on the spread of infectious disease and climate-linked increases in communicable diseases, as well as considering how to fill the gaps in the current body of evidence. The forum is co-chaired by Prof. Rachel Lowe, Associate Professor and Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Prof. Jeremy Hess, Professor in Emergency Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and Global Health, and Adjunct Professor, Atmospheric Sciences, and Director, Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington.

The team behind the report looking at the topic of healthy dry cities is co-chaired by Prof. Howard Frumkin, Prof. Emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health, and Dr. Maitreyi Bordia Das, Practice Manager and Global Lead at the World Bank. The report aims to identify the most effective strategies for optimizing public health policy in tackling urban drought.

In addition to producing the three research reports, BMJ will also be featuring the WISH report authors in their popular podcasts ahead of the summit.

More than 2,000 healthcare experts from 116 countries participated in the 2018 edition of WISH. This year’s virtual event is expected to benefit from a significant increase in international participation. WISH 2020 will extend over five days, and, for the first time, registration is open to all participants free of cost. Among the discussions on global health challenges will be a number of sessions on Covid-19, which has inevitably dominated discourse around global health this year.

To register for virtual WISH 2020, scheduled to take place from 15-19 November, visit www.wish.org.qa