January 2024 - Asian Telegraph Qatar

QatarEnergy and Excelerate Energy (Excelerate) signed a long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement( SPA) for the supply of LNG from Qatar to Bangladesh.

Imran Khan, former and ousted Prime Minister of Pakistan, former Chairman and founder of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a political party in Pakistan, is awarded 10 years of jail term today by the Special Court, set up under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain prepared the questionnaire after the cross-examination of all the 25 prosecution witnesses was completed.

Senior Vice Chairman of PTI, and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi (Served as Foreign Minister) also entered the final stage on Monday, as the court prepared a questionnaire for the accused to record their statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Presiding over the special court, set up under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain prepared the questionnaire after the cross-examination of all the 25 prosecution witnesses was completed.

During the proceedings inside the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, 11 more witnesses were cross-examined today. trial. He added that the court should dismiss the plea of the accused and the cross-examination of the witnesses should be started.

Former Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan has a number of severe cases including adultery; mis-appropriation of large donations received in the name of cancer hospital named after his late mother; and large donations received illegally for PTI and kept in undeclared bank accounts; mega corruptions and mis-use of official powers by the former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.

Novak Djokovic is going to give his all this year, and he may make some surprising decisions, though nobody knows what they will be.

Pro-Palestinians continued Saturday to demand a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip as they set up camp across from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s home in the state of Virginia.

Protestors carrying Palestinian flags, chanted against Blinken while unfurling banners that said: '30,000+ Killed By USA and Israel', 'Blinken Supports Israel’s Terror', 'Bloody Blinken', 'Occupy Bliken’s House Let Gaza Live' and 'Full Ceasefire in Gaza Now'.

'We are camping in front of the house of the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken because he is complicit in supporting and enabling war crimes and genocide against Palestinian people done by the State of Israel', activist Hazami Barmada told Anadolu.

Barmada said protesters have been camping since early Friday. She said protesters "firmly" believe that the US is not only "complicit" but is "responsible" for supporting Israel in "war crimes and genocide and crimes against humanity", and violating human rights law.

'We will be camping through this entire weekend and into next week to let him know that we are not okay with American taxpayer money being used to commit crimes to kill 13,000 innocent children, to kill over 30,000 innocent civilians, to make children orphaned, amputees, to terrorize people, to make over 90% of Gaza population homeless.

'We are going to continue to put pressure every time he drives in and out, his family drives in and out. We've seen his wife and children drive in and out. They are not only reminded of what they're doing, but they're also reminded that we are going to continue to keep up the pressure, demand the cease-fire and demand an end to the US support of Israel's war crimes', she added.

A Jewish American protester said demonstrators have to put 'a lot of pressure' on Blinken and every politician since they have not been calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

'They've not been calling for an end to US aid to Israel for military aid. They've not been calling for an end of the cease on Gaza or an end of the occupation.

'So, you know, the very least they can call for is a cease-fire and to stop the genocidal practices going on by the Israeli military against Palestinians right now', Jeremy Levinger told Anadolu.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel on Friday to "take all measures within its power" to prevent further bloodshed in Gaza in line with Genocide Convention obligations. The court also demanded the immediate release of all hostages.

South Africa brought the genocide case against Israel to the ICJ in late December and asked it to grant emergency measures to end the bloodshed in Gaza, where more than 26,250 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7.

The court ordered Israel to take "immediate and effective" measures to enable the provision of urgently needed services and humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip but fell short of ordering a cease-fire.

2-day 5th Philippine Wealth & Wellness Conference Qatar organised by Philippine Property & Investment Show Qatar concluded recently with high notes at the Abesq Doha Hotel & Residence. The event was hosted by Association of Filipino Real Estate Executives in Qatar (AFREEQ).

Philippine Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Enrique Tayag was the Keynote speaker who dazzled around 600 members of the Filipino community members

Dr Enrique Tayag is known for his campaign to have healthy life attitude through his dances also created fun and life through his famous performance.

Present on the occasion were Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Lillibeth V. Pono; Ms. Marcia Sadicon, Philippine Chapter Chairperson of the Ladies of all Nations International (LOANI); outgoing Chairman and founder Afreeq, Dr Joseph Timothy Rivera; Afreeq Incoming Chairperson, Ms. Bhem Asperilla; Qatari businessman Hassan AlHakeem; Philippines community leaders; heads and representatives of community forums; and guests.

The event was also graced by via video conferencing by Philippine Senate Committee Chairman, Senator Christopher Lawrence; Filipino Bank CEO, Atty. Reo Andarino; and Philippine House Committee on Housing & Urban Development Member, Congressman Samuel Versoza.

AFREEQ Chairman Dr. Joseph Timothy Rivera also read the inspirational message of Philippine Senator Manuel Lapid.

In his keynote speech, Deputy Health Minister of Philippines, Dr. Tayag as echoed by Ambassador Pono focusing on the importance of health towards wellness & wealth generation.

Ms. Sadicon gave a lecture on post-pandemic financial literacy for Filipino Expats.

Numerous speakers from leading Health & Financial institutions delivered various lectures during the day.

Mudasar Nzar, Director, Aura Technologies spoke about the importance of business automation, Abby Oano Dolley, Head of Learning & Quality of the Abesq Hotel delivered a lecture on mental wellness, while Dr. Bigesh Nair, Head Cardiologist at American Hospital underscored the importance of preventive healthcare.

Earlier, Ambassador Pono inducted newly elected 2024 officers of AFREEQ led by it’s new Chairperson Ms. Bhem Asperilla.

Ms Bhem Asperilla acknowledging long years of dedicated services by AFREEQ founder and outgoing Chairman, Dr Joseph Rivera presented citation.

Dr. Mohamed Hazim, Managing Director, Mediland presented the latest technology on mobile life-saving equipment; John Penaflor, Sr. BDM Manager.

Megaworld International presented the innovations on Integrated Townships; Edgar Boyano, AFP, CCE & Ms., Ms. Marilou Tabisora, CPA, CMA, CICA, RFP, President & Vice President respectively of the Overseas Filipino Investors & Entrepreneurs Movement (OFIE-M) enlightened the delegates on international stocks & bonds.

Aris Jay S. Riparip ACSI, RFP founding Vice President of the Philippine Sales & Marketing Professionals (PSMP), Qatar Chapter gave a comprehensive outlook on the vital need of insurance.

Kelley Malicse, Director of Me Time Wellness inspired the audience on the importance of women’s fitness.

Marcus Medina, Assistant VP Brittany International as represented in Qatar by Erada Real Estate revealed the latest trends in sustainable wellness communities.

Michael Javier, CEO of C-Wallet explained the fundamentals of affordable fintech while Dr. Res Laderas of Elegance Smile Dental Clinic spoke about the importance of proper oral hygiene.

Various talks were also shared by the event’s exhibition & bazaar participants led by Metlife (Agent Kabayan), Al Fardan Exchange AL Yaqout Fashion, Aria Beauty, Care N Cure Pharmacy, Alpha Omega Travel, East Optics, Philippine Airlines, Pinoy Impact Creators and Creative Media & Events.

Food exhibitors included gastronomic indulgences from the event sponsor Uno Cafe as well as culinary experts from Adaar Restaurant, Filipino Hot Pack, Los Churros Ole, Mabuhay Restaurant & Maharlika Park Restaurant.

All conference participants were serenaded by the Sacred Heart Choir and the Hiyaw Cultural Ensemble of the Philippine School Doha.

Prominent musician maestro Dexter Tumang accompanied the performances of vocalists – Unica De Vera, Jasmine Salvo & Maniza Elle.

A dance number of Caday Siblings from the Philippine International School, Qatar energized the crowd.

The afternoon session was powered by a Zumba dance craze by members of the Filipino Fitness & Health Qatar that levelled up with a shared dance performance by Dr. Tayag himself . Honor Guards for the Qatar & Philippine Colors were provided by the Philippine School Doha CAT cadet Officers.

Other pocket events during the 2-day conference included free medical & dental consultations by the American Hospital Clinics, free eye check-ups by East Optics, overseas absentee voters registration by the Philippine Embassy, Migrant Workers Office (MWO) helpdesks on OWWA concerns as well as SSS (social security) & Pag-Ibig Fund (State housing) and an international job fair & migration seminars by Worldwide Connections.

Philippine airlines raffled a free round-trip air ticket to a lucky attendee and Megaworld International gave away free staycation vouchers to deserving conference guests while Care N Cure distributed more than 500 hampers containing beauty products by the famous aesthetic surgeon of the Philippines Dr. Vickey Belo.

Highlights of the second day included the awarding of the winners of the Megavoice competition by Megaworld International with Yochabelle Reynes as grand champion, 1st Runner Up: Cherry Anne Siat & 2nd Runner Up: Kelvin Sarmiento and capped by the election of officers of the Oryx Knights Eagles Club of Qatar under the Fraternal Order of Philippine Eagles wherein the event’s organizing co-Chairman Dr. Joseph Timothy Rivera was unanimously elected as the club’s Charter President.

Also held during the 2-day intensive trade event was the 2^nd Philippine Gala Night hosted & organized by Kulinarya Qatar headed by it’s chairperson Ms. Dahlia Agbanlog, director Annabelle Castro Modin & outgoing program director Dr. Joseph Timothy Rivera .

More than 270 dignitaries from the Filipino business & social community leaders in Qatar attended the fashionable evening.

Adding to the list of dignitaries that night were officials from the Philippine Embassy led by Consul General Cassandra Sawadjaan, Vice Consul Monica Calangian, Cultural Attache Camille Manlapas & MWO Assistance to Nationals Head Ms. Cherry Rhose Cureg.

Also in attendance were UNO Managing Director Dr. Abdulla Al Shaiba & Megaworld International Sponsor Hassan Al Hakeem. Said evening of pomp & circumstance also gave AFREEQ an opportunity to present Community Champion awards to their long-time event partners Ms. Agbanlog of Kulinarya, Dr. Gotangogan of Uno Café & Mr. Ashraff Siddqui of the Asian Telegraph.

Cultural presentations also dominated the night with cultural performances by MVEP, Xtreme Level Danz Crew, QA Divas Yochy-Aida-Irene, BIMAK, Beats & Bytes & Marthylda Flores.

These 2-days event wouldn’t have possible without the spectacular hosting by it’s emcees Timothy Jeremiah Rivera, Nicole Faith Asperilla, RJ Francis, Martina Estrada, Thalia Castro & its production team headed by Jonald Roxas & Leoter Vispo

The organizers also gave a Community Advocate award to the ABESQ Hotel for it’s magnificent venue hosting & fantastic cuisine and was received by the hotel’s event sales manger Ms. Christina Allameddine.

The ruling issued by the ICJ ordered six provisional measures including for Israel to refrain from acts under the Genocide convention, prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to genocide, and take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. Crucially, the Court also ordered Israel to preserve evidence of genocide and to submit a report to the Court, within one month, of all measures taken in line with its order.

“Today’s decision is an authoritative reminder of the crucial role of international law in preventing genocide and protecting all victims of atrocity crimes. It sends a clear message that the world will not stand by in silence as Israel pursues a ruthless military campaign to decimate the population of the Gaza Strip and unleash death, horror and suffering against Palestinians on an unprecedented scale,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

“However, the ICJ decision alone cannot put an end to the atrocities and devastation Gazans are witnessing. Alarming signs of genocide in Gaza, and Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law highlight the urgent need for effective, unified pressure on Israel to stop its onslaught against Palestinians. An immediate ceasefire by all parties remains essential and – although not ordered by the Court – is the most effective condition to implement the provisional measures and end unprecedented civilian suffering.

“The stakes could not be higher – the ICJ’s provisional measures indicate that in the Court’s view the survival of Palestinians in Gaza is at risk. The Israeli government must comply with the ICJ’s ruling immediately. All states – including those who were critical of or opposed South Africa’s submission of the genocide case – have a clear duty to ensure these measures are implemented. World leaders from the USA, UK, Germany and other EU states must signal their respect for the Court’s legally binding decision and do everything in their power to uphold their obligation to prevent genocide. Failure to do so would be a grave blow to the credibility and trust in the international legal order.”

States must also take urgent steps to prevent ongoing international crimes, including by imposing a comprehensive arms embargo against Israel and Palestinian armed groups.

Amnesty International has warned of the risk of genocide in Gaza due to the shockingly high death toll among Palestinians, the widespread destruction caused by Israel’s relentless bombardment and the deliberate denial of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing illegal blockade which are all inflicting horrifying levels of suffering on Gaza’s civilian population. Other warning signs include the increase in racist and dehumanizing rhetoric by some Israeli government officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israel’s history of oppressing and discriminating against Palestinians under its system of apartheid. In the face of a serious risk of genocide, all states are under an obligation under international law to act to prevent the commission of genocide.

More than 26,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s unrelenting bombardment of Gaza with some 10,000 believed to be still missing under the rubble. At least 1.8 million Palestinians have been internally displaced and are deprived of access to adequate food, water, shelter, sanitation, and medical assistance.

Amnesty International calls on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to immediately suspend all military operations in Gaza. Israel must lift its illegal and inhuman siege and allow the unhindered and unconditional flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians, who are suffering from a deliberately engineered famine. We urge Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to release all remaining civilian hostages.

On 29 December 2023, South Africa brought a case against Israel at the ICJ under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide over allegations of genocide against the Palestinian people in the wake of the attacks on 7 October 2023 by Hamas and other armed groups, in which nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in Israel were killed and some 240 were taken hostage. Hearings on South Africa’s request for provisional measures took place in The Hague on 11 and 12 January 2024.

The 84-page filing by South Africa accuses Israel of acts and omissions “genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It does not pursue individual criminal responsibility, rather the Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States, including those relating to the interpretation, application or fulfilment of the Genocide Convention and the responsibility of a State for genocide.

Article 94 of the UN Charter provides that judgments of the ICJ are binding on the parties to the dispute and that, if they are not implemented, then recourse is to be had to the Security Council, which may make recommendations or decide upon measures to be taken to give effect to the judgment.

Qatar News Agency (QNA) organized a workshop on journalistic distinction, one of QNA's series of workshops aimed at training national media professionals and raising their specialized media and journalistic capabilities.

Held in partnership with the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, the single-day workshop discussed several topics including the definitions of distinction and means to measuring it, as well as recognizing journalistic distinction through real-life experience, in addition to the importance of self-knowledge and awareness of one's skills with regards to sustainable development and journalistic work.

The workshop also looked into a case study on distinction in journalistic work in Turkiye.

QNA holds such training courses and workshops in the QNA Training Hall, established in line with its vision of developing media cadres and offering them specialized training, with the objective of graduating qualified young Qatari media professionals who are capable of keeping pace with the latest developments in the sector.

The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 has engaged with more fans than ever before after just 10 days of competition with impressions on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s digital channels exceeding the 1.5 billion mark – making it the first AFC competition to reach the breakthrough milestone.

Reinforcing the undeniable passion that exists for football on the Continent, the landmark achievement not only shatters but almost doubles the previous record of 836 million impressions set during the entirety of the 2019 edition in the United Arab Emirates.

Datuk Seri Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary said: “Football is ultimately the people’s game and the AFC, through its Vision, shares the firm belief that fans are the heartbeat of the beautiful game.

“We know that we must speak to our fans in a language they understand and on platforms they populate, and we are resolute towards creating more innovative ways to not only strengthen our engagement but grow the fanbase of Asian football with each passing edition of our flagship men’s competition.”

Leading the way in engagement was the AFC Asian Cup Facebook platform, which registered 266 million impressions and 56.6 million video views, representing a staggering rise of 48% from the 2019 edition.

The Continent’s passionate fans also made their voices heard on the AFC Asian Cup Instagram and YouTube channels, with 259 million and 473 million impressions respectively, while X platform received a combined impressions of 95.5 million and Chinese platforms, Weibo and Douyin gathered a total of 281 million.

In recognising the sheer diversity of the Continent, the wide-ranging multi-platforms and localised-language approach has played a pivotal role in the exponential rise in engagement figures. For the first time in AFC Asian Cup history, the AFC’s digital media coverage has been made available in 13 different languages across 11 platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram, X, Tiktok, Snapchat, Telegram, Threads, YouTube, Weibo, Douyin and Toutiao.

Additionally, in line with the latest digital trends, AFC's first-ever app, the AFC LIVE App which is available in English and Arabic, has been downloaded by more than 100,000 users. Through the AFC LIVE app, interactive initiatives which include Football Fantasy and Match Predictor have been launched to further galvanise the Asian football community.

At the same time, the AFC Asian Cup YouTube page achieved a significant milestone of acquiring over 1 million subscribers just four days after the start of the tournament. Similarly, the AFC Asian Cup Instagram page, which offers a geo-gated feature, is also on the verge of reaching the 1 million follower mark. This is a testament to the immense popularity of the AFC Asian Cup and the growing interest in Asian football.

The latest figures unanimously place the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as the most engaging ever edition in history. In addition to breaking the attendance record for an opening match, the 18th edition is the most extensively covered showpiece with as many as 60 broadcasters showcasing the riveting action in over 160 territories and nations across the globe.

Amir of State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has said that the inauguration of the National Archives of Qatar is a contribution to preserve the State of Qatar's history and document the country's cultural and national identity.

In a post on his official account in 'X' platform, Amir of Qatar said National Archives of Qatar inauguration is an addition to the country's national institutions to preserve the State of Qatar's history and document its cultural and national identity through archiving historic documents, enhancing research and historiography, and raising awareness of their significance

The Amir of State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani inaugurated the National Archives of Qatar on Tuesday, 16th of January 2024. National Archives building is affiliated with the Amiri Diwan, in Msheireb District, Doha.

Present on the occasion were Chairman, Board of Trustees of National Archives of Qatar, Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, ministers and officials.

Qatar Amir toured the facility and was briefed on the National Archives of Qatar's infrastructure.

Amir of Qatar inspected the contents that are dedicated to monitoring the history of the State of Qatar as well as organizing the collection and preserving documents and archives along with ways of supervising them.

Amir of Qatar also listened to a presentation on the details of the facility's different departments and their methods of work.

Chairman, Board of Trustees of National Archives of Qatar Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Attiya said on the occasion that National Archives of Qatar is considered an advanced national center that preserves the history of the State of Qatar, contributes to documenting the national cultural identity, and conserves its heritage and culture.

The National Archives of Qatar, affiliated with the Amiri Diwan, was reorganized according to the Amiri Decision No. (29) of 2023. It aims to enrich intellectual activity, monitor the history of the State of Qatar, and organize and supervise the collection and preservation of documents and archives, in implementation of the provisions of Law No. (7) of 2023 on documents and archives.

It also aims to enable access to information, records and documents and facilitate their use by setting standards and policies that regulate the process of managing public, private, historical and national documents in the country.

The National Archives of Qatar is concerned with identifying all documents of historical value in possession of ministries and other government agencies or individuals as well as other documents and archives located abroad and determining the mechanisms for the Archive to obtain and transfer these documents and archives to it or to obtain copies of them.

Islamic Republic of Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in her weekly briefing today has said that Pakistan this morning carried out surgical attacks against terrorist hideouts in ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’ on Intelligence-based operation that killed a number of terrorists, not Iran as it desired peaceful relations with the neighborly brotherly country and always sought to address the challenges through dialogue.

“Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised,” she reiterated her remarks already issued a short after Pakistan carried out a series of 'highly coordinated' and 'specifically targeted' precision military strikes in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran.

She said that Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was currently in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum and the foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani attending NAM Summit and Third South Summit in Uganda, have cut their visits short 'in view of the ongoing developments'.

She said Pakistan considered the Iranian people as friends and brothers and had no interest in escalating the situation and hoped that 'our adversaries understand this'. Pakistan had always chosen the path of dialogue and would continue to engage with neighbors including Iran to ensure peace prevailed, she remarked.

The spokesperson told the media that over the last several years, Pakistan had consistently shared its serious concerns and shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani-origin terrorists calling themselves Sarmachars on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran.

“However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so-called Sarmachars,” she remarked.

She said the action was also a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats besides being a testimony to the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

“Pakistan will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve the safety and security of its people which is sacrosanct, inviolable and sacred, Pakistan will never allow its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be challenged, under any pretext or circumstances.”

Spokesperson Baloch said as a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan upheld the principles and purposes of the UN Charter including territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states.

“Absolutely not” was the spokesperson’s response when asked whether the Iranian side had given prior intimation before violating Pakistan’s airspace.

She said Pakistan had remained engaged with Iran on multiple subjects like trade and energy citing the Mand-Pishin border market and Polan-Gabd transmission line, but it was 'surprising what happened two days ago'.

IRNA, Official News Agency of Islamic Republic of Iran reported today that Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Pakistan’s chargé d'affaires to protest against the missile attack from the neighboring country to a southeastern Iranian village near Saravan on Thursday.

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