Day: May 20, 2023

Caretaker Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Bassam Mawlawi, assured that “the Lebanese authorities are taking proactive steps to prevent the smuggling of Captagon from Syria to Lebanon.” In an interview with “Al-Hadath” TV Channel, he spoke about Lebanon’s anti-drug plan, saying: “In light of Syria’s pledge to combat Captagon, we are carrying out preemptive operations to prevent the establishment of factories in Lebanon, and the security services are making an intelligence effort to prevent the expansion of the drug industry in Lebanon.” He added: “We are fighting smuggling of drugs on all border facilities, and we will not allow Lebanon to be a corridor for smuggling drugs to brotherly countries.” Mawlawi continued to stress that “there is no political cover for drug smugglers, and the security forces are carrying out their duty to prevent the entry of drugs into our country.” He added that “the airport security service coordinates with the ministry on a daily basis, and politics does not interfere,” revealing that he personally supervises the work of airport security.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has organized a workshop for the Central Municipal Council (CMC) elections monitoring team, in the context of qualifying the team, which comprises a number of members and employees of the committee, to carry out the required tasks in the electoral committees in accordance with national and international standards.

HE Deputy Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, the head of NHRC’s Visits and Monitoring Committee, presented a paper on the importance of monitoring elections to ensure integrity and transparency. He emphasized the right of any male or female citizen registered in the electoral register to participate in free and fair elections, as one of the basic human rights that should be enjoyed without discrimination.

Dr. Al Kuwari stressed the need for NHRC’s members and employees who work as election observers to enjoy independence, impartiality and objectivity, and to have the necessary lingual skills and experience to manage election affairs. They should be present at the polls from the beginning of the electoral process along with officials, candidates and voters.

HE Deputy Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee also touched on setting a plan for election monitoring, including developing a strategic plan for recruitment, monitoring and publishing; defining mission objectives; and defining expected results from monitoring, in addition to international standards for election monitoring, which include global guidelines to promote real elections.

He explained that the goal of election monitoring is achieving a number of basic elements, which are ensuring an independent, impartial and objective evaluation of the electoral process; encouraging acceptance of election results; participating in building confidence in the electoral process; ensuring elections safety and monitoring the protection of all human rights during the election period.

During the workshop, Al Kuwari gave an explanation of the geographical targeting to provide the monitoring team with basic information and help them locate the places where large numbers of voters are located, stressing the importance of developing monitoring forms to enable the election monitoring team to systematically collect data about the election process and analyze the election procedures.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Qatar Stars League (QSL) confirmed that the results of the investigation conducted regarding the match between Al Markhiya and Al Sailiya in the 21st round of the Qatari Football League (QNB Stars League) concluded that there is no evidence indicating the existence of a suspicion or proving a violation of any of the provisions of Disciplinary Regulations of the Qatar Football Association.

QSL issued a press statement saying: The Qatar Stars League (QSL) would like to communicate the results of the joint work that took place with the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), in view of the suspicions raised about possible manipulation of the result of match No.123 played in the 21st round of 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League between Al Markhiya and Al Sailiya on May 3, 2023, when the Centre was assigned to conduct an independent and comprehensive investigation.

Therefore, after completion of the investigation, which included a careful review of the match events and interviews with relevant club companies, referees, Match Commissioner, media representatives, players and coaches, the ICSS confirmed that there was no evidence indicating the existence of a suspicion or proving a violation of any of the provisions of Disciplinary Regulations of the Qatar Football Association, especially with regard to match fixing and that the allegations raised about the aforementioned match are unfounded.

The QSL takes this opportunity to extend its thanks and appreciation to the ICSS for all its efforts and permanent co-operation, and would like to confirm its keenness to work to ensure the integrity of its competitions.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Doha Film Institute announced that a total of 29 films from 18 countries have been selected for the 2023 Spring Grants cycle of the Middle East region’s longest-serving film development initiative that has supported over 750 diverse projects from 75 countries to date.

On the sidelines of Cannes Film Festival, Doha Film Institute underlined its commitment to nurturing emerging voices in cinema from across the world Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute Fatima Hassan Al Rumaihi, said: “We are on a mission to discover and promote original and independent voices in cinema, and have had the great privilege of supporting the most powerful and important voices from the region and beyond through our Grants programme. Our Spring Grants 2023 reinforces our continued commitment to filmmakers globally who have once again impressed us with the diversity and depth of the original themes they are exploring in their stories. This current cycle of projects was chosen from hundreds of compelling submissions, and we are proud to bring these soulful stories to global audiences.” Awarded in two cycles Spring and Fall, the Institute Grants programme has evolved as one of the flagship film funding initiatives focused on strengthening a vibrant creative ecosystem and supporting emerging voices from all over the world to help them realise their cinematic aspirations. The Grants support projects including feature and short narratives, documentaries and experimentals as well as TV series.

Source: Qatar News Agency

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) expressed strong condemnation and denunciation of the irregular armed forces’ storming and vandalizing of the Qatari embassy’s building in Khartoum and to all forms of violence and vandalism, especially those targeting premises of diplomatic missions and affiliate buildings.

GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi reiterated the call to parties of the conflict to act quickly for stopping military operations, exercise maximum restraint, abstain from escalation, respect international agreements and diplomatic norms that guarantee sanctity and safety of diplomatic missions’ premises and their employees as well as to spare civilians effects of the conflict.

He called on all parties to the conflict for serious engagement in the Jeddah talks, to reach a comprehensive political declaration that achieves security, stability and prosperity for Sudan and its people.

Source: Qatar News Agency