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Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

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Children walk along the coastal highway with other displaced Palestinians fleeing from the area in the vicinity of Gaza City's al-Shifa hospital, upon arrival at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Monday. AFP
Region

Over 13,000 children killed in Gaza in Israel offensive: UNICEF

The UN children's agency said on Sunday over 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza in Israel's offensive, adding many kids were suffering from severe malnutrition and did not "even have the energy to cry."UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell did not provide a source for the child fatality figure during an interview with CBS News.When asked if Russell was referring to the agency's own estimate or was basing the figure on reporting from authorities in Hamas-governed Gaza, a UNICEF spokesperson pointed to a press statement by the UN children's agency that attributed the figure to Gaza's health ministry."Thousands more have been injured or we can't even determine where they are. They may be stuck under rubble ... We haven't seen that rate of death among children in almost any other conflict in the world," Russell told CBS News' "Face the Nation" program."I've been in wards of children who are suffering from severe anemia malnutrition, the whole ward is absolutely quiet. Because the children, the babies ... don't even have the energy to cry."Russell said there were "very great bureaucratic challenges" moving trucks into Gaza for aid and assistance.A March 14 infographic from OCHA, the UN humanitarian office, cites the Gaza government media office as saying that over 13,000 children and at least 9,000 women have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. UN agencies have relied on Gaza authorities for casualty information during the war.International criticism has mounted on Israel due to the death toll of the war, the starvation crisis in Gaza, and allegations of blocking aid deliveries into the enclave.A UN expert said earlier this month that Israel was destroying Gaza's food system as part of a broader "starvation campaign." Israel rejected the accusation.Israel's military assault on Gaza has displaced nearly its entire 2.3 million-person population, caused a starvation crisis, flattened most of the enclave, and killed over 31,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry. It has also led to accusations of genocide being probed in the World Court.One in three children under age 2 in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished and famine is looming, the main UN agency operating in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday.


Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday. (AFP)
Opinion

In US, dumbing down of political parties

Among her final acts as chair of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel requested that her colleagues endorse the two people handpicked by Donald Trump to replace her. Following loud cheering, she announced that she would not even bother to ask if there were any “nays.” It was a telling moment: procedures meant to ensure a democratic process within the party were entirely replaced by acclamation.Trump is hardly the only far-right populist leader to have subjugated a political party to his will. The hijacking of a party’s machinery is a common pattern among populists and would-be autocrats, and history shows that it can have truly dire consequences for a democratic political system. After all, turning your party into an autocracy is a logical first step toward turning your country into one.True, appeals for democracy and pluralism within political parties can sound like idealism. Endless, exhausting, pedantic debates usually result in a “victory” for the most eloquent party hack – or perhaps for the person with no childcare responsibilities the next morning. Moreover, internal democracy – like primary elections in the United States – may be structurally favourable to ideological purists who prefer extreme candidates, or it may elevate people who treat politics like a hobby and prioritise the process over the results.But internal debates do often yield better policy ideas. At a minimum, the winners will have a stronger sense of the opposing arguments and the evidence for them. They also will be more likely to respect the legitimacy of the losers in any given intraparty debate. Since fellow partisans are supposed to share the same basic political principles, their differences usually come down to how those principles are interpreted and how policies based on them should be implemented. When the losers feel that they have gotten a fair hearing, they will be less likely to quit the party.By respecting legitimate opposition within their own party, politicians demonstrate their commitment to the basic rules of the democratic game. When internal contests are close, the winners will continue to face off against other party heavyweights, who in turn may provide a check against them if they stray too far from the party’s core commitments – not least the commitment to democracy itself. Such heavyweights have credibility with party members and must be taken seriously.But Trump has transformed the Republican Party into something like a personality cult. Those criticising him have been cast out and vilified (and often personally threatened with violence). Rather than treating Nikki Haley as a worthy adversary in what political theorist Nancy Rosenblum calls a democratic “regulated rivalry,” Trump denied her any standing in the party.“She’s essentially a Democrat,” he said. “I think she should probably switch parties.” Never mind that Trump himself appointed Haley as the US ambassador to the United Nations during his term as president.Equally telling, the Republican Party no longer even bothers to offer anything like a proper campaign programme.Before the 2020 election, it simply reissued its 2016 programme and pledged total fealty to Trump. A party with a real programme can bear an election loss and simply redouble its efforts to bring voters over to its side the next time. It would have a much longer time horizon, rather than adopting the short-term perspective of an individual – a change that makes every loss seem existential.Some politicians deal with this challenge by installing relatives as successors, thus turning a party into a quasi-dynasty or a political family business. That is what the Gandhi family did to the Indian National Congress, to the detriment of the party and Indian democracy alike. In France, Marine Le Pen leads the far-right party founded by her father; and Trump, of course, has just enthroned his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair of the RNC, making the party also something like a family business.Cult leaders can command their followers in ways that even the most charismatic politician cannot. A proper party would have found a way to stop Trump and his fanatical fans before the insurrection of January 6, 2021. And even after that, Republicans could have shown courage and some commitment to their own professed principles by impeaching Trump in February 2021. Instead, they have spoken out only behind closed doors or after leaving politics. As a result, the party is now dominated by a leader with deeply authoritarian instincts, who is patently unfit for office. In America’s two-party system, one of the parties is turning against democracy itself.It is not just Trump, though. At one point while he was in office, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro had no political party at all, and thus no check on his power from somewhat like-minded politicians. Other far-right populists do have parties, but they run them in a highly autocratic fashion. Examples range from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jarosław Kaczynski, who had such a grip on Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party when it was in power that he scarcely bothered to take a government post to rule the country.Strengthening party regulations might help. In The Netherlands, the party of far-right populist Geert Wilders has only two members: Wilders and a foundation with one member, who just so happens to be Wilders. Such one-man rule (literally) would not be legal in neighbouring Germany, where the country’s Basic Law affirms that parties’ “internal organisation must conform to democratic principles.”Yes, there is a limit to internal party democracy: it can tip into factionalism, which can turn off voters; and it can provoke unproductive or esoteric debates that make parties seem overly sectarian. But the Republican Party’s transformation into an authoritarian tool shows why such risks are worth taking. — Project SyndicateJan-Werner Mueller, Professor of Politics at Princeton University, is the author, most recently, of Democracy Rules.

Gulf Times
Opinion

Cartoon Corner

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Opinion

How wide are Latin America’s health inequalities?

Health is much more than a personal matter; it is essential to a society’s well-being and productivity. But achieving equitable health outcomes for all remains a challenge. This is especially true in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a region beset by extreme and persistent inequalities.To be sure, when it comes to its biggest health concerns, LAC is far from an outlier. Whereas three decades ago the region dealt primarily with maternal, neonatal, and communicable diseases, it is now confronting – like much of the rest of the world – a rising tide of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular conditions, cancers, diabetes, and mental-health disorders. But this shift presents unique challenges in a region where the disease burden is disproportionately borne by the most disadvantaged.The region’s large health disparities are particularly pronounced in childhood. Infant mortality, for example, is nearly four times higher in LAC than in OECD countries. Our study found that, in Bolivia, Guatemala, Haiti, and Peru, mortality is roughly three times higher for infants whose parents completed at most a primary education compared to those whose parents completed secondary school. Moreover, in Colombia and Paraguay, infant mortality is more than five times higher for households in the lowest wealth quintile compared to those in the highest.Stunting rates are also high in LAC, affecting around 13% of children, mainly from the least educated and poorest households. The incidence of stunting is around double in children of less educated parents throughout almost the entire region, with very few exceptions. And that gap tends to widen significantly when comparing those in the highest and lowest wealth quintiles. Malnourishment is consistently higher in, but not exclusive to, the rural areas of most LAC countries.Underprivileged young people in LAC experience an alarming array of health disadvantages, because nearly half of the region’s children and adolescents live in poverty. Moreover, the scarring effects of an unhealthy start in life and the intergenerational impact of poor health suggest that these disadvantages will threaten the well-being of future generations.Even more worryingly, levels of infant mortality and stunting remain high among the poorest and least educated in LAC despite continual improvements in child-health indicators. Many countries in the region have improved access to, and the quality of, critical public services such as sanitation; expanded health coverage (thereby making it easier to access maternal- and child-health services); and begun providing social assistance through conditional cash transfers.Moreover, a new dimension to health inequality among children in LAC is emerging: 8% of this population is overweight. Being overweight is still not as prevalent as undernourishment, however, and is more common in children from wealthier and more educated households and those living in urban areas. Although the disparities are not as pronounced as in other health indicators, policymakers must continue monitoring this phenomenon closely.LAC is also wrestling with inequalities related to reproductive health. The most glaring example is the region’s high rate of teenage pregnancy, which persists even though most adolescents are knowledgeable about modern contraceptives. In almost all LAC countries, at least half of women between 25 and 49 years old in the lowest wealth quintile had their first child as teenagers – more than double the proportion of those in the highest quintile. Teenage pregnancy likely exacerbates the region’s large gender gaps in education, labour-force participation, and earnings. More importantly, it plays a crucial role in the intergenerational transmission of inequalities, as the daughters of teen mothers are more likely to become teen mothers themselves.Unfortunately, limited data on adult health indicators in the LAC population makes it difficult to assess the evolution of inequalities at this life stage. But there are identifiable socioeconomic gradients in the incidence of NCDs. Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes tend to be more prevalent among the least educated and the poorest, with urban areas experiencing a higher burden of these conditions. But the urban-rural divide does not uniformly apply across all NCDs, revealing a nuanced picture of health disparities within the region. Psychopathology, an increasingly significant component of LAC’s disease burden, also exhibits clear gender and socioeconomic disparities, with depression rates notably higher among women and the less educated. This points to the need for targeted mental-health interventions.Despite the epidemiological transition underway, socioeconomic health disparities are more pronounced during early childhood and adolescence than in adulthood.This complex pattern of health inequalities across LAC suggests that a multifaceted approach is needed to address them.


Mutaz Barshim has prioritised training in the build-up to his Olympic defence later this year, not competing since winning his third Asian Games title last October.
Sports

Barshim and Kerr to face off in Suzhou Diamond League

Two of the world’s finest high jumpers are set to do battle at the second Diamond League meeting of the season in Suzhou next month. Three-time Diamond League champion Mutaz Barshim of Qatar will face off against newly crowned World Indoor Champion Hamish Kerr, in what promises to be a battle of the highest quality.New Zealander Kerr is the world leader for 2024 having cleared 2.36m to take his maiden global title in Glasgow and will have high hopes of backing it up against perhaps the greatest of his generation in Barshim.Reigning Olympic champion Barshim, meanwhile, has prioritised training in the build-up to his Olympic defence later this year, not competing since winning his third Asian Games title in October 2023 and skipping the championships where Kerr beat a high-class field.For Barshim it will be one of the key indicators of his form as he aims to become the first to ever win two men’s Olympic high jump titles. No man in history has won more world outdoor titles than the three Barshim won in succession between 2017 and 2022, as well as a bronze in the most recent championships in Budapest.“I’m happy to be back in China to start my new season. Last year I finished my season in China at the Asian games and it was fantastic atmosphere and support. I have never been in Suzhou but looking forward to visit and compete there, and looking forward for a great competition,” said the Qatari.While Barshim has three Diamond League titles and 23 individual wins in athletics’ premier one-day series, Kerr only picked up his first Diamond League win last season in Stockholm.Yet the Oceania record holder is quickly amassing an impressive title collection of his own. In 2022 the 27-year-old backed up World indoor bronze with Commonwealth Games gold that summer and World Indoor gold in March.“I’m looking forward to making my first ever trip to China a successful one. After jumping 2.36 at World Indoors, I know I am in great shape leading into the meeting. I can’t wait to compete against some of the other best jumpers in the world, in front of what will be an amazing crowd,” said Kerr.


Marquez Lopez was confirmed as Qatar coach until 2026 after he led Al Annabi to second successive Asian Cup title last month.
Sports

Lopez names Qatar squad for Kuwait double header

Head coach Marquez Lopez announced the 25-man Qatar squad that will face Kuwait twice this month in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 joint qualifiers.It’s Lopez’s first squad after being confirmed as coach until 2026. The Spaniard had led Qatar to second successive Asian Cup title at home last month.Al Shamal defender Mahdi al-Muajba and Al Ahli defender Mohamed Ayyash are the new faces in the squad, while Khoukhi Boualem has been left out.The squad will also miss the services of Hassan al-Haydos, who retired on Saturday after appearing in a record 183 matches for Qatar.The first match against Kuwait is on March 21 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, with Qatar travelling to Kuwait for reverse fixture, which is scheduled to be held on March 26.Qatar have taken an early grip on Group A with wins over India (3-0) and Afghanistan (8-1). Kuwait and India are tied on three points while Afghanistan lost both their matches and need to get on the winning trail if they are to remain in the race.Having successfully defended their AFC Asian Cup title, Qatar will be confident of navigating through their remaining matches.The nine group winners and the respective runners-up will advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and at the same time seal their places at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. The other 18 teams from Round 2 will proceed directly to the third and final round of AFC Asian Cup qualifying.SquadGoalkeeper: Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Saud al-Khater (Al Wakrah)Defenders: Al Mahdi Ali and Lucas Mendez (Al Wakrah), Tariq Salman (Al Sadd), Hommam al-Amin (Al Gharafa), Bassam al-Rawi (Al Rayyan), Sultan al-Breik (Al Duhail), Mohamed Ayyash (Al Ahli).Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi, Jassim Jaber, Abdullah al-Maarafi (Al Arabi), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan), Mohamed Waad and Mustafa Meshaal (Al Sadd), Mahdi al-Muajba (Al Shamal), Abdullah Abdulsalam al-Ahraq (Qatar SC).Forwards: Ahmed al-Janhi and Ahmed Alaa (Al Gharafa), Akram Afif and Youssef Abdul Razzaq (Al Sadd), Almoez Ali (Al Duhail), Ahmed al-Rawi (Al Rayyan) Ismail Mohamed (Al Duhail).U-23 squad for friendlies Qatar under-23 head coach Ilidio Vale on Monday also named 28-player squad for four upcoming friendly games ahead of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, which is starting next month.The squad will meet Uzbekistan twice on March 23 and 26 before taking on their China counterparts on March 31. They will also play against Malaysia on April 7, wrapping up their preparations for the U-23 Asian Cup to be played in Qatar from April 15 to May 3.Hosts Qatar are in Group A of the 16-team continental event along with Australia, Jordan and Indonesia.U-23 SquadAli Nader, Amir Hassan, Youssef Abdullah (goalkeepers), Abdullah al-Ali, Abdullah al-Yazidi, Abdulaziz Mohamed, Abdulla Youssef, Ahmed al-Saeed, Ahmed Riyadh, Ayaub al-Ouwi, Eissa Al Nagar, Faisal Mohamed, Fares Saeed, Hassan al-Ghareeb, Hashemi al-Hussain, Jassem al-Sharshani, Khaled Ali, Latif Majer, Mostafa al-Sayed, Mohamed Jouda, Mohamed Khaled, Mohamed Mannai, Mubarak Shannan, Naif al-Hadrami, Nabil Erfan, Saif Al Din Hassan, Tameem Mansour, Youssef Ali.


Nottingham Forest had admitted breaching the profitability and sustainability rules. (AFP)
Sports

Nottingham Forest docked four points for breaching rules

Nottingham Forest were docked four points for breaching Premier League financial rules on Monday, dumping them in the relegation zone. The Premier League said in a statement that Forest had admitted breaching the profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) threshold of £61mn ($77.5mn) by £34.5mn.However, Forest said they were “extremely disappointed” by the ruling and “dismayed by the tone” of the Premier League’s argument. “We believe that the high levels of cooperation the club has shown during this process, and which are confirmed and recorded in the commission’s decision, were not reciprocated by the Premier League,” Forest said in a statement.The two-time European champions are the second top-flight team to be penalised for PSR breaches this season after Everton were hit with a 10-point penalty in November, which was reduced to six on appeal. Everton are still waiting to discover if they will be hit with another points penalty relating to a second charge.Forest’s punishment means they drop into the bottom three, one point behind Luton and four adrift of Everton. Premier League clubs are usually allowed maximum losses of £105mn over a three-year assessment period but this is reduced by £22mn per season for any seasons within the period spent in the Championship.Forest were promoted to the Premier League in May 2022, meaning two seasons of their three-year assessment period were as a Championship club. They had been absent from the English top-flight for the previous 23 years.But the decision to sign a remarkable 29 players last season, with a reported spend of more than £150mn, has backfired. Forest’s defence centred around the fact they sold Brennan Johnson to Tottenham for a reported £47.5mn just over two months after the end of the accounting period in June 2023.The club argued they achieved a higher fee for the Welsh international by not selling before June 30. However, an independent commission found that Forest had to be punished to “maintain the integrity” of the league.The commission said that Forest had ignored a warning from its finance director ahead of the 2023 January transfer window about breaching PSR and pressed ahead with adding more players to their squad rather than stripping back.“When a club invests as Forest did to compete in the Premier League, it still needs to comply with the PSR threshold for losses,” the commission noted in its written reasons for the decision. “Such risk-taking and ‘sailing close to the wind’ needs a proportionate sanction to maintain the integrity of the Premier League.”Forest could still appeal the punishment and the Premier League is at risk of an embarrassing situation whereby relegation is decided in the courts after the end of the season. The English top-flight has previously said the process should “conclude no later than and if possible some time before 24 May”, which is five days after the final weekend of the season.

Gulf Times
Qatar

Public Health Department at QU offers dynamic curriculum

The Public Health Department at Qatar University (QU) Health offers a dynamic curriculum at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, a statement said Monday. Public health encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health policy, and health promotion. Its primary goal is to improve health and well-being, reduce the risk of disease and injury, and address health inequities within and between communities or populations. Public health professionals work to identify and assess health assets, strengths, and risks, develop and implement ethical, evidence-based initiatives, and advocate for policies that improve health and well-being outcomes and enhance the quality of life for everyone. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the critical importance of the public health field in protecting the well-being of populations worldwide. Public health professionals have played a central role in the response to the pandemic, working tirelessly to track and contain the spread of the virus, provide essential healthcare services, and educate the public about preventive measures. The pandemic has highlighted the interconnectedness of global health and the need for coordinated efforts to address emerging infectious diseases effectively. Public health interventions such as widespread testing, contact tracing, vaccination campaigns, and public health messaging have been essential in controlling the spread of the virus and alleviating its impact on healthcare systems and economies. The lessons learned from the pandemic emphasise the need for public health professionals to protect and promote the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. To respond to this need in Qatar, the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Sciences at QU Health offers a 4-year Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and a 2-year Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. Both programmes are in the process of being accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The Bachelor programme in Public Health has two concentrations: Health Education and Health Management. The MPH degree also has two concentrations: epidemiology and health promotion. Both programmes offer a dynamic curriculum with students engaging in hands-on projects, case studies, and real-world scenarios to develop practical skills. Faculty members have extensive experience in public health, and students have the opportunity to learn from experts who are actively involved in research, policy development, and community engagement.


A Trabzonspor fan invades the pitch and clashes with Fenerbahce players and security staff after the Super Lig match. (Reuters)
Sports

Fenerbahce consider withdrawing from Super Lig after players attacked

Fenerbahce will consider withdrawing from the Turkish top flight after some of their players were attacked by Trabzonspor fans following their weekend away win, the Super Lig club said on Monday.Trabzonspor supporters stormed the pitch and brawled with security forces and Fenerbahce players after their team lost 3-2 on Sunday in the latest incident in a league that has been marred by controversy this season – including an attack on a referee by a club president and protests against refereeing decisions. Fenerbahce will hold an Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting on April 2, the Board of Directors decided. The agenda points include evaluation of the actions to be taken following the incident “including the withdrawal of our football Team A from the Super Lig”, a club statement read. FIFA President Gianni Infantino condemned the incident, saying violence in the Turkish Super Lig is “unacceptable”.Turkish police detained 12 fans following the incident, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a post on X on Monday. Fenerbahce players left Trabzon by private plane on Sunday night, accompanied by extensive security measures. “The violence witnessed after the Turkish Super Lig match between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce is absolutely unacceptable – on or off the field, it has no place in our sport or society,” Infantino said in a statement. “All players have to be safe and secure to play the game which brings such joy to so many people all over the world. I call on the relevant authorities to ensure that this is respected at all levels and for the perpetrators of the shocking events in Trabzon to be held accountable for their actions.”“We are going through a period that Turkish football is now completely fed by chaos, where tensions are constantly high, and where we cannot use the healing power of football,” Trabzonspor coach Abdullah Avci told reporters on Sunday.“I don’t understand why this place is so tense. Don’t we have the right to celebrate? We need to overcome these things. We need to be tolerant towards each other and have common sense,” Fenerbahce manager Ismail Kartal told reporters.“We are in contact with our representatives and state authorities regarding the incidents that took place during and after the match,” The Turkish Football Federation said in a statement. No one should have any doubt that after the investigations are completed, the necessary penal sanctions will be imposed on those responsible (for the violence) to prevent the repetition of such incidents.”Fenerbahce are second in the standings on 79 points from 30 games, two points behind Galatasaray and 30 clear of third-placed Trabzonspor.


Montpellier’s Teji Savanier (left) vies for the ball with Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe during the French Ligue 1 match in Montpellier, southern France, on Sunday. (AFP)
Sports

Mbappe bags hat-trick as PSG rout Montpellier

An unstoppable Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 6-2 win away to Montpellier on Sunday that allowed them to open up a huge 12-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.Vitinha put PSG ahead at the Stade de la Mosson and Mbappe doubled their advantage midway through the first half, only for an Arnaud Nordin header and a Teji Savanier penalty to bring Montpellier back level at the interval. However, a marvellous Mbappe goal restored PSG’s lead shortly after the break and Lee Kang-in made it 4-2 before the France captain completed his hat-trick.Nuno Mendes put the seal on the victory late on, as Luis Enrique’s side ended a run of three successive draws in Ligue 1 and extended an unbeaten domestic record stretching back to September. A 1-1 draw for nearest challengers Brest against Lille means the Parisians are 12 points ahead at the Ligue 1 summit with only eight games left, and a 10th title in 12 seasons is an inevitability.Mbappe completed the whole 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 game for the first time since informing the club in mid-February that he intended to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. His hat-trick, his third of the campaign, took him to 24 goals in Ligue 1 this season, and 38 in all competitions.Mbappe’s second of the evening, PSG’s third, was the pick of the bunch, as he found the net with a superb shot from range which went in off the underside of the crossbar. “Mbappe was exceptional. We need to make the most of having him, as much as we can, and when we can no longer enjoy having him we will have to raise our game,” said Luis Enrique.The downside of their performance came with the way in which they surrendered their 2-0 lead in the first half, conceding the penalty when Tanguy Coulibaly pounced on Danilo Pereira’s short back-pass and was then clattered by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The defeat for Montpellier leaves them just a point above third-bottom Nantes, who are in the relegation play-off place and on Sunday sacked coach Jocelyn Gourvennec.Canadian striker Jonathan David continued his superb form in front of goal by scoring for Lille in their draw away to fellow Champions League contenders Brest. David gave Lille the lead midway through the second half in Brittany with his 22nd goal of the season in all competitions, and his 15th since the turn of the calendar year.The 24-year-old has netted 10 times in his team’s last nine Ligue 1 outings. His total of 15 in Ligue 1 this season is bettered only by Mbappe. However, that goal was not enough to win the game, as Uruguayan striker Martin Satriano poked in a late equaliser for Brest, who remain second.Monaco could have climbed above Brest with a win at home to Lorient, but they were held to a 2-2 draw after Tiemoue Bakayoko headed in a 95th-minute equaliser for the struggling away side in the principality. Monaco remain third, three points above Lille who reclaimed fourth from Nice, 3-1 winners at Lens on Saturday.The top three in Ligue 1 go straight into next season’s Champions League, with fourth entering the competition in the third qualifying round. Rennes boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe with a 2-0 win at home to Marseille, as Martin Terrier put the hosts ahead in the first half and Benjamin Bourigeaud added a late penalty.Both sides are now three points adrift of the final European qualifying spot. Japan star Junya Ito fired in a superb 79th-minute strike to give Reims a 2-1 win over Metz which keeps his club in the European picture. Oumar Diakite had put Reims in front early on but Arthur Atta equalised before the decisive goal from Ito, who was left out of the Japan squad to face North Korea in upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Ito left the Asian Cup last month after Japanese police said he was under investigation over an alleged sexual assault in Osaka last year.The player denies the allegation and is suing his accusers for damages. Reims coach Will Still described the 31-year-old winger as “mentally strong and faithful to himself”.Bottom side Clermont kept their outside survival hopes alive by beating Le Havre 2-1 with a brace from Mohamed Cham.

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Quarter Final - Manchester United v Liverpool - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - March 17, 2024 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Sports

Fernandes urges Man United to use Liverpool win as fuel for late surge

Bruno Fernandes has urged Manchester United to use the “spicy” FA Cup quarter-final win against Liverpool as fuel for a late surge in their troubled season. Erik ten Hag’s side came from 2-1 and 3-2 down to beat bitter rivals Liverpool 4-3 after extra-time at raucous Old Trafford on Sunday.Amad Diallo’s last-gasp winner eased the pressure on under-fire boss Ten Hag and kept United in contention to salvage silverware from their rocky campaign.“The game got a little bit spicy, a little more special because it’s an FA Cup game and if you lose, you’re out,” United captain Fernandes said. “We know the rivalry between fans, we know how United fans wanted us to win the game to give us something to celebrate because it’s not been great for us.”United will face Championship club Coventry in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley in April. Before then, Fernandes wants his teammates to take the momentum from the victory over Liverpool and turn it into a sustained winning streak.After Ten Hag began his United reign with defeats against Brighton and Brentford last season, it was a victory against Liverpool in the Premier League that kick-started a largely successful debut campaign for the Dutch coach. United won the League Cup to end a six-year trophy drought, reached the FA Cup final and clinched a third-placed league finish.Portugal midfielder Fernandes hopes Sunday’s result can be the turning point as they look to snatch a place in next season’s Champions League. “We’ve talked about turnarounds but have never done the next step. I think we have to understand the FA Cup is a thing and the Premier League is another one,” he said.“In the league now, we have 10 matches to go and we don’t depend on ourselves but as we saw Tottenham losing points to Fulham, Villa losing points to West Ham. But our main goal is to not lose points to Brentford away (after the international break). We need to put our effort into winning that game.”Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott believes Liverpool’s challenge to win the Premier League and Europa League will benefit from the extra rest afforded by their FA Cup exit. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted it was the first time he had seen his players struggle physically as they played their 46th game of a hectic season.And Reds midfielder Elliott, who scored in the loss at Old Trafford, said: “Now we can focus on other things, it frees up a few weeks for us. “Not as many games any more so the lads can be fresh and we can recover properly and focus on the rest of the season.”The defeat was only Liverpool’s third in domestic competitions this season and Elliott doesn’t expect it to wreck the League Cup winners’ treble bid. “Our confidence is always there, it isn’t going to affect us at all,” he said.

Gulf Times
Qatar

QRCS gives handicraft training for poor women in Bangladesh

Qatar Red Crescent Society’s (QRCS) representation mission in Bangladesh launched a new project aimed at providing handicraft training for women from poor families.The latest initiative, in co-operation with the Turkish Red Crescent and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), also aims to help beneficiaries achieve self-sufficiency, a statement said.The project was inaugurated at Camp-17 in Cox’s Bazar District, southern Bangladesh, in the presence of representatives of camp management authorities, the Turkish Red Crescent, BDRCS, and beneficiaries.Under this project, 1,100 women from refugees and host communities will receive training in several fields such as fishery production, poultry farming, indoor farming, and sewing.Guided by the Global Jobs Pact, QRCS has in place a strategic plan for family training/employment and job creation to help create an engaged and proactive generation that serves itself, the family, and the community at large.The 2024 plan involves 20 diverse livelihood projects at a total cost of more than QR17mn, for the benefit of about 44,000 people in Yemen, Niger, Sudan, Somalia, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.In 2023, QRCS implemented many projects to help improve the standard of living for poor, affected, and disabled people. All QRCS livelihood projects are eligible to Zakat, in accordance with Shariah rules and laws.Donors can support livelihood projects through the website (www.qrcs.qa), donor service (66666364), home donation collection (33998898), or bank transfer as follows: QIB (IBAN: QA51QISB000000000110575190014), QIIB (IBAN: QA66QIIB000000001111126666003), Masraf Al Rayan (IBAN: QA18MAFR000000000011199980003), or QNB (IBAN: QA21QNBA000000000850020196062).