QATAR | Page 2 SPORT | Page 8 Huge interest for Thomas ‘Made in ‘secures’ Qatar’ Oman Tour de edition France title

published in QATAR since 1978

SUNDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 10894 July 29, 2018 Dhul-Qa’da 16, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

US government okays aid as California battles blaze In brief AFP In declaring an emergency in Cali- Redding, United States fornia, President Donald Trump or- dered federal assistance to “supple- ment state, tribal and local response he US federal government ap- efforts due to the emergency condi- proved aid yesterday for Cali- tions resulting from a wildfire be- QATAR | Reaction Tfornia as thousands of fi re- ginning on July 23,” the White House Attacks in Afghanistan fi ghters battled to contain a series of said. deadly raging wildfi res that have killed The Federal Emergency Manage- and Kenya condemned six people and destroyed hundreds of ment Agency “is authorised to identify, Qatar has strongly condemned buildings. mobilise and provide at its discretion, the attack that took place in the More than 17 people have been listed equipment and resources necessary to capital of Afghanistan’s southern missing. alleviate the impacts of the emergen- Zabul province, which left six The largest of the fi res menacing the cy,” it said. policemen dead. Qatar has also state has nearly doubled in size, while The Carr Fire in northern California condemned the attack in the Lamo another pushed thousands of people to – which began on July 23 – has con- province of Kenya, which killed fl ee and a third forced the partial clo- sumed 80,906 acres , up from 48,312 two policemen and injured two sure of the popular Yosemite National on Friday, according to Cal Fire, the others. In two separate statements Park. state’s Department of Forestry and Fire yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Two young children and their Protection. Aff airs reiterated Qatar’s firm stance 70-year-old grandmother Melody “Winds, high temperatures and rejecting violence and terrorism, Bledsoe died in the Carr Fire, their dry vegetation still have the poten- regardless of motives and reasons. family confi rmed to US media. The tial to fuel fire growth. Fire spread The statements expressed Qatar’s blaze also killed two fi re workers, Cal has been active in all directions and condolences to the victims’ families A Redding firefighter uses a hose to douse hot spots while battling the Carr Fire as it burns along highway 299 near Fire said, while another - the Ferguson has made significant runs,” Cal Fire as well as the governments and Whiskeytown, California. Fire - killed another fi refi ghter. said. Page 9 people of Afghanistan and Kenya.

QATAR | Health QRCS medical mission to Bangladesh successful Qatar Red Crescent Society’s (QRCS) ‘MyHealth’ portal medical convoy to Bangladesh has Qatar’s trade surplus returned to Doha after a successful mission, with a total of 120 cases examined and 25 operations becomes popular performed for poor Rohingya and local patients. Lasting for six days at the Teknaf Public Hospital in Cox’s bout 40,000 people have reg- tion, irrespective of where the doctor up 44.5% in June 2018 Bazar, the medical intervention istered to access their medical was consulted – HMC or PHCC. The involved general, paediatric, and Arecords and other health infor- portal also allows patients to view a atar’s trade surplus increased crude oil mineral raw materials” ex- June 2018 at about QR4.7bn, repre- urological surgeries. Also, QRCS mation using the innovative MyHealth summary of their visits, upcoming ap- by QR5.5bn or 44.5% to reach ports rose to about QR5.1bn or 107.7%. senting 17.6% of the total value of Qa- provided all the needed surgical patient portal, since it was offi cially pointments, medications, and post- QQR18bn year-on-year (y-o-y) The value of “oil and oils obtained tari exports, followed by South Korea supplies and medical equipment. launched earlier this year. appointment instructions. in June 2018, and a 21.0% growth or from non-ferrous mineral raw materi- (QR3.8bn or 14.2%) and Singapore Page 2 With MyHealth, patients can access Dr Abdul Wahab al-Musleh, deputy QR3.1bn month-on-month (m-o-m), als” exports rose to about QR2.6bn or (QR3.2bn or 11.8%). their electronic personal health record chief medical offi cer, Clinical Infor- according to offi cial fi gures. 160.6%. In June 2018, the “cars designed to QATAR | Telecoms online and through a mobile app. The mation Systems at HMC, said since The preliminary report on foreign In terms of exports by main destina- transport people” group topped the portal, accessible through www.my- the launch patients have been signing trade statistics for June 2018, issued tion countries, Japan was top country list of goods imports, which amounted CRA: Audit not ‘aimed at health.qa, is providing patients at up for MyHealth using the online reg- monthly by the Ministry of Develop- of destination for Qatar’s exports in to about QR0.3bn, an 11.7% decrease identifying best network’ Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) istration function. ment Planning and Statistics, noted compared to June 2017. The Communications Regulatory and Primary Health Care Corpora- “One of the key benefi ts of My- that the total value of Qatari exports, This was followed by the “telephone Authority (CRA) yesterday said tion (PHCC) with access to their key Health is that patients can access their including exports of local origin and S&P affi rms Qatar ratings electrical appliances (telephone or its audit of mobile networks was health records, including test results, medical records in one place, which re-exports, last month amounted to telegram)” group, including “net- not aimed at identifying the best information about upcoming appoint- enables them to track and check test QR26.9bn, up 46.3% y-o-y, and 8.3% Global credit rating agency Standard work carriers and their parts,” which network or doing a comparison ments, and prescribed medications. results, for example, and to discuss higher m-o-m. & Poor’s (S&P) has aff irmed its ‘AA- amounted to QR0.3bn or 46.2%, and between the service providers. The portal was inaugurated by HE these results with their physicians,” The value of commodity imports /A-1+’ long- and short-term foreign and “aircraft and aircraft parts” at QR0.2bn The CRA recently published the Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Kha- Dr al-Musleh said. “We have found in June 2018 stood QR8.9bn or 50.1% local currency sovereign ratings on or a 6.6% decrease. findings of an extensive audit lifa al-Thani, the Prime Minister and that giving patients the ability to ac- higher compared to June 2017, and Qatar. S&P said the ratings aff irmation In terms of imports by main coun- of mobile networks, conducted Minister of Interior, in March and was cess their records when they want and decreased by 10.5% compared to May reflects its expectation that the tries of origin, the US was the top from May to December 2017 to initiated as part of an ongoing eff ort to where they want, has an empowering 2018. authorities will continue to actively country of origin for Qatar’s imports benchmark the coverage of 2G, empower patients to take an active role eff ect. It educates patients and allows Compared to June 2017, the value manage the boycott while preserving in June 2018 at about QR2.3bn or 3G and 4G networks in Qatar and in their healthcare decision-making. them to use this information in con- of exports of “other oil and hydrocar- Qatar’s core rating strengths, 26.0% of the total value of goods im- the quality of service (QoS) levels Integrated with the Clinical In- versations with their healthcare pro- bon gases” (LNG, condensates, pro- including its strong public sector ports, followed by China with almost offered by Ooredoo and Vodafone formation System (CIS), MyHealth viders when visiting HMC or PHCC,” pane, butane, etc) increased to about balance sheet. Business Page 1 QR1.2bn or 13.6%, and India with Qatar. Page 3 provides a single record of informa- he said. QR15.6bn (31.0%). The value of “oil and QR0.5bn or 5.8%. ‘Imran Khan to take oath as Pakistan PM before Aug 14’

Reuters/DPA minister before the Independence Day Islamabad (August 14),” Haq said. Haq told a news conference that the party would also form a government in akistan’s likely new prime minis- the most populous province, Punjab. ter Imran Khan opened coalition On Thursday, Khan declared victory Ptalks with at least one smaller and promised wide ranging reforms in party and independent politicians yes- a televised speech. An unprecedented terday, a spokesman said, after the an- delay in the announcement of offi cial nouncement of full results of the elec- results for Wednesday’s polls was at- tions held on Wednesday. tributed to the malfunction of soft- Final results released show that ware. the party of former cricket star Imran Final results showed the Pakistan Khan overwhelmingly won the elec- Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) of tions. jailed former prime minister Nawaz Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Imran Khan: seeks coalition partners Sharif picking up 64 seats. The Pa- (PTI) secured 116 seats in the national kistan People’s Party (PPP) of former assembly and 16.86mn votes, accord- spokesman Iftikhar Durrani said. president Asif Ali Zardari won 43 seats. ing to the Election Commission of Pa- “I hope that [President Mamnoon Almost all political parties except kistan. Hussain] will summon the National Khan’s have rejected the results and That means PTI fell short of the 137 Assembly session at the earliest so that have called for the option of having needed to take an outright majority in we could formally start the process of fresh elections. the 272-member National Assembly forming our government,” PTI leader “We are pretty much there in the Na- and must fi nd coalition partners. Naeemul Haq said after the results tional Assembly ... talks are going on “We have completed our homework were announced. with MQM as well,” said Faisal Javed and will form the government,” PTI “Khan will take the oath as prime Khan, a senior PTI spokesman. Page 17 Gulf Times 2 Sunday, July 29, 2018 QATAR

Large turnout of QRCS medical mission to participants for Bangladesh ‘a success’ ‘Made in Qatar’ atar Red Crescent Soci- Oman edition ety (QRCS) has said its Qmedical convoy to Bang- ladesh has returned to Doha after atar Chamber, which is a successful mission, with a total organising the latest edi- of 120 cases examined and 25 op- Qtion of ‘Made in Qatar’, erations performed for poor Ro- has recorded a large turnout of hingya and local patients. interested participants for the Lasting six days at Teknaf Pub- exhibition. lic Hospital, Cox’s Bazar city, the The event is slated from No- medical intervention involved vember 5 to 9 at the Oman Con- general, paediatric and urological vention and Exhibition Centre in surgeries. Also, QRCS provided Muscat. all the necessary surgical supplies QC director-general Saleh bin and medical equipment. Hamad al-Sharqi said the ‘Made On the last day of the mission, in Qatar’ 2018 Oman edition will the medical team visited QRCS be held in co-operation with the operations in the Tanjimar Gho- Ministry of Energy & Industry na Rohingya refugee camp. They and Qatar Development Bank. Qatar Chamber director-general also met the secretary-general “Preparations are on track,” Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi. of Bangladesh Red Crescent So- said al-Sharqi, who noted that ciety, Feroz Salah-Uddin, who the chamber has started receiv- the success of the exhibition,” gave an honorary shield to the ing sponsorships from Qatari al-Sharqi said. head of mission, Dr Abdullah R companies and institutions. The The chamber’s director-gen- al-Naimi, consultant of urology The QRCS team was honoured for the initiative. fi rms, he continued, has request- eral also called on local compa- and QRCS board member. ed for bookings at the event. nies and factories to participate “It was a very successful mis- deployed to stable countries such “Formerly, medical convoys The level of surgical interven- to facilitate our medical mis- The exhibition is expected to in this year’s ‘Made in Qatar’ sion, thanks to the concerted as Jordan, Sudan, the Philippines were not deployed regularly due tion depends on the capacity of sion,” Dr al-Naimi said. “I invite gather around 200 companies. exhibition, which, according to eff orts of the team, which com- and Turkey, to ensure the safety to fi nancial restrictions,” he con- the host hospitals, he said, add- everyone in Qatar to support Al-Sharqi said each partici- al-Sharqi, is an opportunity to prised doctors from Hamad Med- and security of the doctors. tinued. “This year, however, a ing that some countries have this noble endeavour, which has pating company will be provided launch Qatari products in the ical Corporation and Sidra Medi- “Many doctors are willing to whole plan was set to determine advanced hospitals that can ac- made a big diff erence in the lives with a 12sqm exhibition space Omani market. cine and nurses from QRCS,” said take part in this charitable activ- where and when each medical commodate critical operations of benefi ciaries everywhere. at the event, which will cover a The event is also an oppor- Dr al-Naimi. “There is a technical ity, under the umbrella of an inter- convoy will be implemented. such as cardiac catheterisation. “We have many doctors on 10,000sqm area. tunity for Qatari businessper- diff erence between emergency nationally recognised humanitar- This requires strong co-ordina- “We would like to thank the list to participate in the pro- “The chamber will also ensure sons to discuss and forge new medical services, which are as- ian organisation like QRCS. This tion and a lot of money to ensure Ahmed bin Mohamed a-De- gramme. The Ministry of Public the transportation and shipping partnerships with their Omani sociated with confl ict zones such makes it easy for them to secure sustainability. Selection of the haimi, ambassador of Qatar in Health is a key partner, contrib- costs of the participating com- counterparts and other major as Syria, Iraq and Bangladesh, approvals for their employers to host countries is based on deep Bangladesh, and the staff of the uting doctors, medical consuma- panies to attract as many partic- investors and buyers in Oman, and medical convoys, which are travel with the medical convoys.” scrutiny by relief experts.” embassy of Qatar for their eff orts bles and medicines.” ipants as possible, and to ensure al-Sharqi added.

Doha resident dies of heart attack on reaching Mumbai

n Indian expatriate who the fl ight in the early hours on ala’s Palakkad district, Suresh travelled to Mumbai re- Wednesday from Doha, said the had moved to Mumbai several Acently died after suff ering friend. years ago and settled down at a cardiac arrest during his jour- He was buried in Kalyan on Teesgaon in the Kalyan area. ney. Thursday. He leaves behind his wife and Though he was taken to a hos- Suresh, who had been work- two children, aged 14 and 10 pital directly from the airport, ing in Doha for more than five years. his life could not be saved, said years, had left the country at Some of his friends from one of his friends. the beginning of the year and Mumbai said Suresh was in Identifi ed as R Suresh (pic- joined his new employer only the forefront of charitable ac- tured), the 52-year-old victim, a few months ago, inquiries tivities of the Kalyan chapter of who was working for a Doha- found. Samanvyam, a local voluntary based company, had boarded A native of Mannarkad in Ker- forum. The General Authority of Customs off icials with some of the honoured inspectors. Hashish, chewing Gang targeting bank customers arrested tobacco seized

he General Authority of Customs (GAC) nnounced that it’s inspectors have T seized large quantities of narcotics, in- acluding 24.7kilos of hashish, 6.2tonnes of illegal chewing tobacco and 3.5kilos of marijua- na. The GAC said in a statement yesterday, that the contraband items were seized in several shipments at Hamad Port, Hamad International Airport and private airports customs. During a ceremony to honour of the outstanding inspectors, GAC Chair- man Ahmad bin Abdullah l-Jamal praised the eff orts made by GAC nspectors to ensure the safety and security The Ministry of Interior (MoI) yesterday announced the arrest of a gang of four African nationals, including a woman, who specialised in a of the people of Qatar. He stressed that the robbing clients of banks and exchange houses. In a statement yesterday, the MoI said the Criminal Investigation Department iCustoms provides all means of support and arrested the gang members who used to rob bank and exchange house customers after following them. The stolen money was “seized continuous training to its staff to make them aware and sealed”, the statement noted, adding that the arrested persons had been referred to the competent authorities to complete legal of the methods adopted by smugglers. proceedings against them. The contraband items that were seized. Summer camps promote active, healthy lifestyle

By Joey Aguilar AZF’s recently launched of activities (from 8am to 5pm) Staff Reporter ‘Splash and Dash’ programme for both adults and children, is also gaining popularity, giv- including experimental art, ing sports enthusiasts in Qatar movie treats, baking, swimming n array of summer camps an opportunity to use Aspire and football, among others. in Doha is off ering chil- Dome’s swimming pool and Fees range between QR600 and Adren a variety of sports indoor athletics track from QR2,300. and games aimed at promoting 7pm to 9pm on Mondays and At Minipolis Qatar, children an active and healthy lifestyle, it Wednesdays until the end of take part in a variety of fun is learnt. August. learning activities such as aero- Such initiatives encourage This new programme forms bics, baking, watching cinema young residents to exercise and part of AZF’s latest example of and many more at a summer stay fi t in a safe and suitable en- indoor fi tness initiatives, off er- camp. vironment. ing state-of-the-art facilities The ‘edutainment’ initiative Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) for year-round and community- gives participants the oppor- is hosting its fi rst-ever summer focused sports activities. tunity to discover ‘the world of camp for children aged between Like AZF, Doha College is Mad Science’ while sharing their six and 14 years. hosting multi-sports camps and time with others. Held from 9am In a recent press statement, clinics until August 23 from 8am to 5pm, the programme will con- AZF said participants can take to 1pm on its Al Waab campus, clude on August 31. part in a variety of sports activi- organised by Evolution Sports BK Sports has also organ- ties, such as taekwondo, swim- Qatar. ised a summer camp at English ming, football, aerobics and Pegged at QR750 per week, Modern School Doha, off ering gymnastics, and a number of en- these camps off er soccer, dodge- a wide variety of activities such tertaining games and challenges. ball, dance, basketball, arts and as swimming, football, gymnas- The summer camp, which crafts, tennis and martial arts, tics, roller skating, etc. started on July 8 and runs until among others. Similar summer camps and August 15, runs for four days a Similar sports activities con- indoor activities such as arts and week from Sunday to Wednes- tinue to attract many young crafts, music, and science ex- day, between 8am and 2pm. The children and family members periments for children are tak- sessions take place across the at Qatar Foundation’s summer ing place in various locations in Aspire Dome, Ladies Sports Hall camp in Education City. Doha such as Wisdom Education and Aspire Park Cinema. The camp, which started on Centre, Music & Arts Atelier, Registration fee is QR1,700, June 25 and concludes on Au- Compass School (Madinat Kha- according to the AZF website. gust 30, features a wide range lifa). An activity at the Aspire Zone Foundation summer camp. Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 3 QATAR Audit not ‘aimed Chief of Staff receives Iraqi General at identifying best mobile network’ he Communications thority said in a statement The CRA stressed that monitoring vehicles, which Regulatory Author- yesterday. the “audit was not con- are centrally monitored and Tity (CRA) yesterday “The CRA notes what ducted to identify the best controlled from CRA’s Na- said its audit of mobile has been published recently network or do a comparison tional Monitoring Centre. networks was not aimed at by the service providers on between the service provid- The CRA has said it will identifying the best net- diff erent media channels ers”. It also noted that the continue to monitor the work or doing a compari- and platforms. In light of audit’s fi ndings should not network performance of son between the service this, the CRA affi rms that be used for any purpose that both service providers on a providers. the main and only objec- does not serve the required regular basis in the coming The CRA recently pub- tive of the audit is to ensure value of the report, such as years, and is currently in lished the fi ndings of an that the QoS levels provided promoting the best service the process of developing a extensive audit of mobile by the service providers in provider or taking parts of robust QoS framework that networks, conducted from Qatar is consistent with the the report in a way that it will ensure that the services May to December 2017 to standards and conditions of may abuse another serv- provided to consumers in benchmark the coverage the licences granted to them ice provider or to be used Qatar are among the best in HE the Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces Major General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem has received of 2G, 3G and 4G networks and with the applicable for promotional purposes the world. Lieutenant General Othman Ali al-Ghanmi, Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army, and his accompanying delegation. The in Qatar and the quality of regulatory framework,” the that may be misleading or The framework will in- visit is part of ongoing co-operation between the two friendly countries, aimed at enhancing bilateral relations and service (QoS) levels off ered statement noted. inaccurate. clude certain KPIs to ensure discussing ways of further co-operation. by Ooredoo and Vodafone The audit benchmarked To complete the audit, the provision of high-qual- Qatar. some of the key perform- the authority used state- ity and reliable telecom- The audit was conduct- ance indicators (KPIs) of the of-the-art measurement munications services to the ed in accordance with the services, such as voice calls, tools with the latest post- people of Qatar and that CRA’s regulatory powers short message service and processing software, de- the service providers are mentioned in Amiri De- data service off ered by the vices and smartphones in compliance with the cree No 42 of 2014, the au- service providers. installed on dedicated regulatory framework. QNB becomes offi cial partner of IAAF World Athletic Series Ooredoo users can now change NB has announced a with the IAAF is a “con- ment will also see QNB now extends to 31 countries four-year partner- fi rmation of its keenness implement a school en- across three continents, Qship agreement with to support sports activi- gagement programme in providing a “comprehen- Fibre Home plans via app the International Associa- ties as one of the most Qatar, which aims to in- sive range of advanced tion of Athletics Federations important aspects of its spire young Qataris to lead products and services”, the (IAAF), which will see the corporate social respon- a healthy lifestyle and fo- statement adds. oredoo has an- bank involved in all IAAF sibility, and comes as cus on athletics as one of The total number of em- nounced that Fibre World Athletic Series events, part of its role in achiev- the most important sports ployees is around 29,000, OHome subscribers including the IAAF World ing Qatar National Vision locally and globally. operating through more can now have full control Athletics Championships 2030”, the bank said in a QNB Group’s presence than 1,100 locations, with over their services via the 2019 in Doha. statement. through its subsidiaries an ATM network of more Ooredoo App. QNB’s partnership The four-year agree- and associate companies than 4,400 machines. With the new updates, anyone with a Fibre Home plan will be able to view what plan they are on, up- grade or downgrade their plan easily and opt-in for eligible TV content, such as the beIN Full Package and STARZ PLAY, Ooredoo said in a statement. Since the launch of Oore- doo’s new Fibre Home plans, “more customers than ever are enjoying faster Internet ers did not know the Fi- subscriptions as they need. 6,500 hours of content at no speeds and the company’s bre speed that they are Ooredoo’s new Fibre extra cost. award-winning Ooredoo tv currently on or the con- Home plans were designed Ooredoo Fibre Home service, which comes inclu- tent that they are eligi- to cater to the increasing customers choosing the sive”, the statement notes. ble to opt-in for. Thanks bandwidth speed and enter- 30Mbps or above plan can The new Ooredoo App to this update, everyone tainment needs of Ooredoo also enjoy an inclusive beIN update ensures that all cus- will be able to clearly see customers. Since the service Full Package subscription, tomers have a clear under- their services, upgrade or launch in November 2017, which covers live and exclu- standing of the plan they are downgrade seamlessly and over 70,000 households sive sports channels as well on, the speeds they should take full advantage of the have switched to the new as kids, lifestyle and fac- be experiencing and the eli- benefi ts the new Ooredoo Fibre Home options, ac- tual programmes, the latest gible benefi ts they can get Fibre Home Entertainment cording to Ooredoo. movies, music and more. from their subscription. plans off er.” To cater to the growing Existing customers on Manar Khalifa al-Mu- All Ooredoo Fibre cus- demand of seamless home Home Broadband can up- raikhi, director of PR and tomers will be able to uti- entertainment, all new grade to the new Fibre Home Corporate Communica- lise the Ooredoo App as Ooredoo Fibre Home plans plans by visiting an Oore- tions at Ooredoo Qatar, a one-stop-shop, view- will include the STARZ doo shop or downloading said: “We noticed that in ing and paying their PLAY on-demand serv- the latest version of the many cases our custom- bill, and changing their ice, which off ers more than Ooredoo App. Call for expanding functions of dispute settlement committees

ome Qatari legal experts and “Expansion of the dispute procedures are simple and less time- businessmen have said the func- settlement committees consuming. Stions of dispute settlement com- would yield positive Al-Khalaf also stressed that such mittees should be expanded to cover results in cases of bounced committees could, in particular, be in- more issues in order to ease the load on cheques, a large number strumental in resolving minor cases of local courts. of which are pending in bounced cheques, trade disputes and The experts said while such com- courts” small debts. He also suggested that mittees currently deal with family, experts from Qatar Chamber could be labour and rental disputes, their juris- Al-Marri said such an idea should involved in this. diction should be enhanced to cover be considered carefully from all the Lawyer Mubarak al-Sulaiti said simple disputes pertaining to issues relevant angles and the panels should dispute settlement committees such as small debts and also some cas- be headed by an experienced and well- should have the power to enforce es of bounced cheques, according to a informed judge. He further suggested their decisions as otherwise it would report in local Arabic daily Arrayah. that litigators could be assisted to rep- be a waste of time and eff ort if their This will help speed up the litigation resent themselves before these com- decisions are subject to the will of process and resolve disputes in a short mittees without the need for lawyers, litigators. period, they argue. though lawyers could be engaged if the He noted that time is the most de- Lawyer Abdulhadi al-Marri said need arises. cisive factor when it comes to seeking expansion of the dispute settlement Businessman Ahmad al-Khalaf said the help of dispute settlement com- committees would yield positive re- while such committees have become a mittees. These panels could resolve sults in cases of bounced cheques, a necessity to settle minor disputes, the disputes within a “record time com- large number of which are pending in parties involved in a dispute should pared to the normal course of litiga- courts. He noted that there are many - in the fi rst place - agree on seeking tion” as they specialise in certain type cases of dud cheques in which the redress through this channel. He said of cases. He also felt that courts are monetary sum involved is less than this method has already worked well busy handling a number of minor is- QR10,000. These cases can be settled in some countries and helped ease the sues, which could be resolved oth- through simple procedures rather than load on courts, as one of the advan- erwise through dispute settlement resorting to courts, he adds. tages of having such panels is that the committees. Gulf Times 4 Sunday, July 29, 2018 QATAR Porsche presents the new Macan orsche has unveiled the user interface on the the new version of its infotainment system can Pcompact SUV, Macan. be customised using pre- The Macan has been a defi ned tiles. The air vents “great success since its have also been re-designed launch in 2014, and has now and are now positioned been enhanced in terms of below the central screen. design, comfort, connec- Each Macan is equipped Doha Bank CEO Dr R Seetharaman during the awarding of the ceremonial cheque to the tivity and driving dynam- with a Connect Plus mod- bank’s latest winner of the Al Dana Young Saver scheme. ics, resulting in the model ule, making every vehicle remaining as the sporty fully networked as stand- fl agship in its segment”, ac- ard. Using the new Off road cording to a statement re- Precision App, it is also leased in Doha by Porsche possible to record and ana- Centre Doha - Al Boraq lyse off -road driving expe- Doha Bank names Automobiles Co. riences in the model. Staying true to the Por- Thanks to its optimised sche design DNA, the new chassis, the new Macan is Macan features a three- The new Porssche Macaan. able to consolidate its ex- dimensional LED tail light ceptional status as a sports fi fth Al Dana Young strip and LED headlights as features modules with a car in the compact SUV seg- standard. The “most strik- three-dimensional design, ment. Fine-tuning of the ing innovations” inside the can be further optimised chassis delivers enhanced vehicle include the 11-inch if desired with the Por- neutrality while maintain- touchscreen of the new Por- sche Dynamic Light Sys- ing stability and improving Saver winner sche Communication Man- tem Plus that adaptively comfort. Although unusual agement (PCM), redesigned controls light distribution. for the SUV segment, the oha Bank has an- to Doha Bank for provid- chance to walk away with a and repositioned air vents The front end of the Macan Macan still features mixed nounced the fi fth ing me with this incredible mega prize of QR2mn. and the GT sports steering has also been meticulously tyres with diff erent widths Dwinner of its Al opportunity. Saving can be “Since its launch, Al wheel familiar from the 911. reworked, with it now ap- on the front and rear axles. Dana Young Saver scheme both fun and rewarding, no Dana has created more The PCM also enables pearing wider, while the As with Porsche sports cars, during a ceremony held at matter what your age,” said than three thousand win- access to new digital func- comprehensive overhaul this arrangement enables the Doha Festival City Mall. A S N al-Thani. ners. It gives us great joy tions, such as intelligent at the rear builds on the the driver to take full advan- The announcement of The Al Dana Young Sav- to see the younger genera- voice control. The vehicle’s sleek design of the previ- tage of the intelligent, all- the winner, A S N al-Tha- ers account, which re- tion embracing the savings range of comfort equipment ous model. The three-part, wheel drive Porsche Trac- ni, was live-streamed on quires a minimum deposit concept and increasing has also been expanded three-dimensional LED A view of the interior. tion Management when it Doha Bank’s social media of QR5,000 to open, aims the value of their money,” to include an ioniser and light strip at the rear repre- comes to driving dynamics. platforms, and held in the to promote the concept of said Doha Bank CEO Dr R windscreen heating, the sents another typical Por- part of the optional Sports tomisable than ever before”. Newly developed tyres with presence of VIP guests and saving from a young age. Seetharaman. statement notes. sche design feature. The Chrono Package. Porsche Through the new Porsche improved performance char- members of Doha Bank’s The account gives young “Together with parents, The new Macan now has four-point design of the has extended the list of Communication Manage- acteristics enable even better senior management team. savers the opportunity to it is our pleasure and duty an “even sportier and mod- brake lights also refl ects the comfort options to include ment, the Macan off ers total lateral dynamics for enhanced The fi fth winner, whose grow their savings and cre- to promote this practice ern appearance”, thanks to brand’s identity. a heated windscreen and an connectivity and numerous driving pleasure, while the name was selected among ate a more fi nancially se- from a very young age, a number of changes to the The new Macan’s link to ioniser to improve the air digital functions. Above new 20- and 21-inch wheels 72 other winners, se- cure future. which helps to build a exterior. Numerous de- the 911 is further emphasised quality in the interior. the typical Porsche rising also off er greater scope to cured a scholarship worth In addition to the chance brighter future for the next tails refl ect the DNA of the in the interior of the model New exterior colours centre console, a full-HD customise the design. QR5,000. to win a scholarship worth generation,” he added. iconic 911 and the 918 Spy- with the optional GT sports such as Miami Blue, Mamba touchscreen enlarged from Porsche has delivered “I am so grateful for this QR5,000 every month, For further informa- der sports cars, including steering wheel. The mode Green Metallic, Dolomite seven to 11 inches has been more than 350,000 units of wonderful prize. I would each Al Dana Young Saver tion on the Al Dana Sav- headlights featuring LED switch plus Sport Response Silver Metallic and Crayon incorporated seamlessly the Macan since 2014, the like to thank my parents is automatically entered ing Scheme, one can send technology as standard. Button integrated into the combined with new interior into the newly designed in- statement notes, stressing for always supporting me into the Al Dana draw, an SMS to 92610 with the The Macan’s high-qual- steering wheel is also show- packages ensure that the strument panel. Similar to that the model is a “genuine and teaching me how to which features dedicated keyword “DANA” or visit ity lighting system, which cased in the compact SUV as Macan “is now more cus- the Panamera and Cayenne, success story”. save every month, and also cash prizes, including the dohabank.qa.

Run Away Man Collection from Fendi Timepieces unveiled

lue Salon has announced case inspired by the F is Fendi the matching letter F and the crown Fendi, the Italian luxury house the launch of the Run Away logo and featuring an intersec- at 3 o’clock. The curved off -centred with roots dating back to 1925, BMan Collection from Fendi tion of ring shapes and sharp dial of the timepiece is enhanced began its foray into the world of Timepieces. lines. The design of the watch with indexes as hour markers, a grey luxury timepieces in 1988. Since Blending streamlined shapes and case is enhanced by the har- minute track and angle cut baton then, Fendi Timepieces has un- graphics, the Run Away Man Col- monious blend of polished and hands. veiled some of the most iconic lection “reimagines the aesthetics satin-brushed fi nishes, “striking Teamed with a precious calfskin wrist designs for women and of the F is Fendi logo featuring a dar- a powerful contrast and giving leather strap and complemented by men combining Italian taste and From the Run Away Man Collection. ing case design and an unexpected character to the timepiece”, the a Swiss-made quartz movement, Swiss craftsmanship, and focus- interplay of textures”, according to statement notes. the Run Away Man timepiece is a ing on the opulence of materials a statement. The Run Away Man Collection “sophisticated accessory with a and colours. The Run Away Man Collection presents total stainless steel or two- masculine yet urban design”, the All Fendi timepieces are is distinguished by a geometric tone stainless steel 41mm case with statement adds. manufactured in Switzerland. Samsung begins programme for B2B resellers

amsung Gulf Elec- to prove their specialty tronics has an- knowledge”, the statement Snounced the launch notes. of the Samsung Mobile “The pace of mobil- Valued Partner (MVP) pro- ity in Qatar is among the gramme for mobile B2B highest in the world, and resellers in Qatar. competition across the The enhanced pro- industry has intensifi ed. gramme “is designed to We believe that our mo- build shared momentum, bile business partners empower Samsung’s have the potential to be- mobile business partners come market leaders, with innovative technol- and pledge to uphold our ogy and solutions, and commitment to them. help them create greater The launch of our MVP sales opportunities”, programme aims to fur- according to a statement. ther strengthen this rela- Samsung MVP pro- tionship,” said Mohamed gramme partners are Gharaibeh, regional di- eligible to receive nu- rector - Information merous benefi ts “to help and Mobility Enterprise them boost their business Business Group. prowess”. These include The Samsung MVP fi nancial incentives such programme also provides as target bonuses, market privileged access to Sam- development funds, pro- sung Mobile B2B Academy motions, access to online that off ers both online and and offl ine training to en- offl ine training modules, hance sales and technical with advanced knowledge skills, as well as market- of Samsung mobile prod- ing support including ucts to enhance partners Samsung partner logo, skills to better meet clients’ marketing collaterals and needs. events. For Samsung MBA reg- The programme is de- istration and more infor- signed to “enhance busi- mation about becoming ness partners’ performance a Samsung MVP, one can and provide a competi- visit http://mobileb- tive edge by enabling them 2bacademy.com Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 5 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Tehran bazaar

Iranians walk inside Tehran’s ancient Grand Bazaar yesterday. Jailed Palestinian teen to be released today

AFP bargain giving her an eight-month sen- conference at her home after her re- Ramallah tence including time already spent in lease. custody. When the video was originally pub- The same court hearing freed Nour lished, many Israelis saw it as a symbol Palestinian teenager jailed by Tamimi immediately, when she accept- of the restraint displayed by their army. Israel for slapping and kicking ed a plea deal. As Ahed and Nour pummel the sol- AIsraeli soldiers in the occupied Ahed comes from a family of promi- diers the two cousins simultaneously West Bank is to go free today after eight nent activists and has been involved in fi lm the scene on their phones, appar- months behind bars. a series of previous incidents, with pic- ently seeking to provoke them. Ahed Tamimi was arrested on De- tures of her confronting soldiers widely The soldiers do not react, however, cember 19, days after she was recorded published. backing away instead. on video with her cousin Nour Tamimi But the December video went vi- Yet after the girls - and Ahed’s moth- in the yard of their home in Nabi Saleh, ral and turned her into a symbol of the er, who also recorded the incident - near Ramallah, telling two soldiers to Israeli-Palestinian confl ict. were arrested and then hit with a list of leave, then shoving, kicking and slap- For Palestinians she is a hero, jailed charges, there was criticism even with- ping them. for standing up to soldiers occupying in Israel that military prosecutors were She was aged 16 at the time and her land and intruding upon her family overreacting. turned 17 in prison. home. Critics compared her eight-month She was refused bail throughout her This week an Italian artist daubed a sentence to that of Elor Azaria, an Israeli detention and subsequent trial in an Is- 14ft image of her face and curly reddish soldier who served nine months in jail raeli military court on charges including hair on the Israeli separation wall in the for shooting dead a Palestinian attacker. assault, stone-throwing, incitement to occupied West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Ab- violence and making threats. Today she is expected to step back bas met with her family and hailed her On March 21 the court agreed a plea into the spotlight at a scheduled press courage. Gulf Times 6 Sunday, July 29, 2018 ARAB WORLD Life returns to Sinai city despite anti-militant war

AFP president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, hundreds El-Arish, Egypt of policemen and soldiers have been killed in attacks in the Sinai by militants and other extremist groups. ith fruit and vegetables aplenty in “With the improvement in the security the markets, public transport back situation, life is starting to go back to more Won the roads and universities reo- or less normal,” a senior army offi cial told pened, life is returning to El-Arish in North journalists. Sinai state where Egypt’s army is at war with Other military commanders said curbs on militants. freedom of movement were being relaxed, During an army-organised visit for for- such as leaving El-Arish between Thursday eign media, the city’s streets showed tell- and Saturday, the weekend in Egypt, without tale signs of fighting in the “Sinai 2018” written authorisation. operation launched by the military on Feb- Fuel rationing will continue, however, ruary 9. “to limit the movements of the takfi ris”, Roadblocks stood at several locations. said North Sinai governor Abdel Fattah al- According to official figures, more Harhur, using the offi cial term for extrem- than 200 militants and over 30 soldiers ists. have been killed since the start of the The governor said the easing of security campaign. measures would run in parallel with a gov- President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the ernment programme to improve health, operation, launched almost three months housing and education services as well as the after more than 300 people died in a devas- industry sector. tating attack on a Sinai mosque some 40km At an El-Arish market, 25-year-old veg- from El-Arish. etable salesman Bassem said he welcomed The carnage, the deadliest in Egypt’s his- the changes although goods were still being Police off icers sit in a court as suspects are seen behind a fence in Cairo yesterday. tory, has gone unclaimed but authorities delayed because of checkpoints. point to the Islamic State group as the main Mohamed Ali, a 22-year-old student, said suspect. he was delighted to be able to enjoy beach life Military operations restricted many as- again. pects of everyday life for the 225,000 resi- “At the start of the (army’s) operation, dents of the Mediterranean city, in particular it was difficult to leave the house and their freedom of movement. access to many areas, such as the beach But a measure of normalcy has returned. which is our only escape, was forbidden,” “We restarted classes on June 21,” student he said. Egypt seeks 75 death Alaa Abdul Ati said with an enthusiastic El-Arish sports centre with its Olympics- smile. size pool reopened last month. Abir, a colleague, chimed in that shared “It’ll take time for life to fully go back to taxi services were back in El-Arish and normal in El-Arish but I’m optimistic. We’re gone were the long queues for food prod- staying in this city because we love it,” said ucts. the head of the centre’s sports activity, Sally Since the army toppled Egypt’s Islamist al-Husseini. sentences over sit-in

Agencies longing to an illegal organisation or In 2014 the Mufti rejected a death ures are needed to ensure the stabil- Cairo planning to carry out an attack. sentence proposed for the leader ity needed to revive Egypt’s battered The dispersal of the sit-in at Ra- of the outlawed Brotherhood, Mo- economy after the turmoil unleashed baa Adawiya square in August 2013 hamed Badie, who is part of the by the 2011 uprising that toppled n Egyptian court said yester- came weeks after Sisi, as military same case. longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. day it would transfer the cas- chief, ousted Islamist president Badie has since been sentenced to “We (Egyptians) need to get out of Aes of 75 people convicted of Mohamed Mursi after protests life in prison. the rut we are in. I want to do that for security-related off ences, including against Brotherhood rule. Amnesty International said yester- you,” Sisi said at a youth conference senior Muslim Brotherhood fi gures, Rights groups have criticised the day the trial was unfair, and that the at Cairo University yesterday as he to Egypt’s top religious authority to trial of so many people in the same accused had been denied the right to promoted his new defence minister, decide whether they should be sen- case, saying they include journalists present an adequate defence. Mohamed Zaki, to the rank of general. tenced to death. and many peaceful protesters. “Egyptian authorities have never Sisi said he was “saddened” by They are among more than 700 Egyptian law requires any capi- questioned or prosecuted any of the a recent but limited social media people accused or convicted of il- tal sentence to be referred to Grand security force personnel who took campaign calling for his departure. legal protest or murder over a 2013 Mufti Shawqi Allam, Egypt’s high- part in the massacre,” it said in a “When I come to get you out of sit-in that ended in the deaths of est Islamic legal offi cial, for an statement. impoverishment and make you a hundreds of Brotherhood support- opinion before executions can take Amnesty says more than 800 worthy nation, you set up the hash- ers and dozens of police when secu- place. protesters were killed. tag #depart Sissi. Should I feel up- rity forces broke it up violently. The 75 cases referred to the Mufti The government has said many set or not?” he said. Those convicted face potential include those of senior Brotherhood protesters were armed, and that 43 “In this case, I feel upset.” sentences ranging up to life in pris- leaders Essam al-Erian and Mo- police were killed. The hashtag went viral in June, on and execution. hamed Beltagi and prominent Is- The fi nal sentencing in the case is days after al-Sisi was sworn in for Since President Abdel Fattah al- lamist preachers Safwat Higazi and expected on September 8, after the his second presidential term. Sisi took power in 2014, authorities Wagdi Ghoneim, judicial sources Mufti has given his ruling, judicial He was re-elected with 97% of have justifi ed a crackdown on dis- said. sources said. votes in March polls that pitted him sent and freedoms as being directed Forty-four of the accused are in Many death sentences issued un- against a self-declared Sisi loyalist. at terrorists and saboteurs trying to prison awaiting their sentence, and der Sisi have not yet been carried Sissi won his fi rst term in 2014, a undermine the state. 31 have been tried in absentia. out, but local rights groups say the year after he led the ouster of Mursi. Death sentences have been hand- The Mufti’s decision is not legally number of executions has risen in According to the constitution, ed down to hundreds of his political binding, but is rarely ignored by the recent years. Sisi’s current four-year term is his opponents on charges such as be- courts. Sisi’s supporters say harsh meas- last under the two-term limit.

Iraq sacks fi ve election offi cials for corruption

Agencies Commerce Salman Ali and Baghdad his brother Issam. “The decision to sack the offi cials was approved by raqi Prime Minister the prime minister after they Haider al-Abadi sacked committed violations, ma- Ifi ve local election offi - nipulation and fi nancial cor- cials yesterday on charges ruption,” said Hamza. of corruption during the The announcement comes May 12 parliamentary elec- the day after Iraq’s top Shia tion, a spokesman for the cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Independent High Elections al-Sistani appealed for gov- Commission (IHEC) said. ernment action to fi ght cor- The move comes as Iraq ruption amid further protests conducts a manual recount sweeping the southern prov- of the ballots – a move likely inces – Iraq’s Shia heartland to speed up the ratifi cation of – over the lack of proper gov- the fi nal result and the forma- ernment services and jobs. tion of a new government. Vote-rigging allega- Abadi had appointed a tions centred on the city of special committee to in- Kirkuk, although there have vestigate claims of vote- been reports of irregularities rigging in several regions, in multiple provinces. and yesterday he approved Opposition politicians its recommendation to dis- have claimed that the tabu- miss local election chiefs in lation system in electronic Kirkuk, Anbar and Salahud- voting machines that were din, Judge Laith Jabr Hamza used for the fi rst time during said in a statement. the election were not secure Those in charge of over- enough from tampering. seas election offi ces in Tur- In response to the claims, key and Jordan were also the outgoing parliament in dismissed. June ordered a nationwide According to a report, manual recount of the votes. some of the alleged fraud The law also called for involved “vote buying” on IHEC’s leadership to be re- behalf of the Minister of placed by a panel of judges. Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 7 AFRICA

Malians to elect president Zimbabwe rivals promise amid spiralling violence

By Tim Cocks, Reuters “Everywhere I’ve been I see a de- Bamako sire for change. Malians want nothing more to do with this regime,” Cisse victory in pitch for votes told his supporters at his party head- n the fi ve years since Malians last quarters. All candidates have prom- chose a president, they have suf- ised to reverse Mali’s decline and help Reuters Ifered violence from Islamist mili- end pervasive poverty. Harare tants, Tuareg separatists, drug traf- Mali is 14th from the bottom on the fi ckers, ethnic vigilantes and Malian UN Human Development Index, de- security forces. spite being Africa’s third biggest gold imbabwe’s President Emmerson Yet when it comes to elections, exporter and a major cotton grower. Mnangagwa and his rival Nel- power has tended to be contested A billboard in the exhaust fume- Zson Chamisa yesterday held fi nal peacefully in the West African repub- choked capital Bamako depicts Keita election rallies and both vowed to re- lic, and diplomatic pressure is aimed in fl owing white robes and a skull cap, build an economy shattered by Robert at keeping to keep it that way when its urging Malians to “consolidate the Mugabe’s long rule. citizens go to the polls today to decide peace.” Yet since he has been in power, Tomorrow’s vote is the fi rst since whether to give President Ibrahim violence has worsened. Mugabe was forced to step down in Boubacar Keita a second term or hand Civil society website Malilink re- November after a de facto coup and, as the top job to one of his rivals. corded 932 attacks in the fi rst half such, is a major national test. “Mali has demonstrated the capac- of 2018, almost double that for all of Mnangagwa is favourite although ity over the years to deliver credible 2017 and triple 2015. the latest opinion poll said the race was and peaceful elections,” Mohamed In the north, where French troops too close to call. Ibn Chambas, United Nations Special stepped in to halt a Tuareg rebellion The run-up to the presidential Representative to West Africa and the and extremist takeover before the last and parliamentary election has been Sahel region, told Reuters at his offi ce poll, extremists have killed more than peaceful compared to previous polls in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. 160 UN peacekeepers. but there are reports of intimidation “My plea is that candidates again Timbuktu, once a Sahara desert and coercion in rural constituencies, show high responsibility,” he added. tourist spot, is unstable, hit by Is- and state media is biased towards the “We cannot aff ord a political crisis in lamist militants as well as tensions ruling ZANU-PF party. Mali on top of the security crisis the between Arab and Tuareg traders and A run-off will be held in September country is already facing.” black Malians from the south. if neither candidate wins outright. Tens About 8mn people are registered to Violence has also spread to central of thousands of MDC supporters in the vote, with polls opening at 8am and Mali, where militants have attacked party’s red colours converged in down- closing at 6pm. the pan-regional G5 Sahel force. town Harare in a carnival atmosphere, Keita, 73, known as IBK, runs for Killings have begun to take on an dancing to music denouncing ZANU-PF. re-election amid a mounting death ethnic tone, as the Islamists exploit “Today we are celebrating. Change is toll from militant attacks, ethnic kill- tensions over access to land and wa- inevitable, victory is certain. If we miss ings and armed forces abuses that ter. Human Rights groups have un- our chance on Monday we are doomed have become a defi ning feature of earthed evidence that Malian troops for life,” Chamisa told supporters and his presidency, despite thousands of were implicated in mass graves in urged them to stay at polling stations French troops deployed since 2013 to central Mali. The Defence Ministry to prevent vote fraud. contain the violence. pledged to investigate. A few miles away, ZANU-PF sup- He faces two dozen candidates of Keita has played down the coun- porters met at the national stadium in which only one, Soumaila Cisse, 68, try’s security woes. green, yellow and red party regalia as is seen as having a strong chance of “There are pockets of violence, the party tries to win in the capital for ousting him. residues of terrorism that even (French the fi rst time since 2000. Both men are from the Saharan na- forces)...haven’t managed to vanquish Little separates the two men’s policies Supporters of Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance leader and opposition presidential candidate cheer during tion’s political elite, and IBK beat Cis- from Malian soil,” he said after a tour of but Mnangagwa is 75 and represents the the party’s closing campaign rally at Freedom Square, in Harare. se in a run-off at the 2013 poll. Mali’s diaspora, one of about 150 costly war generation that has ruled since in- Both held fi nal rallies attracting foreign trips that have been criticised dependence in 1980, while Chamisa, ern observers, monitoring for the fi rst babwe is “open for business” mantra. Mnangagwa has outspent Chamisa thousands of people on Friday night. by opponents since he took offi ce. “Are a 40-year-old lawyer, embodies the time since 2002, declare it fair. “This coming Monday we will win on the campaign trail, buying all-ter- “There is still a lot to do. That’s why you going to blame all that on IBK?” hopes of many young people. Mnangagwa held senior positions the election. We are voting for the fu- rain double cab vehicles for more than I am soliciting the Malian people to Whoever is to blame, the violence The election could confi rm the in Mugabe’s governments as head of ture. We are voting for generations 300 ZANU-PF parliamentary candi- give us another term, not because I’m could deter many from voting in a country’s rehabilitation after years as a internal security and vice president to come. Together we will unlock the dates. He has occupied most billboards thirsty for power,” Keita said at a rally nation with consistently the lowest pariah under Mugabe and help unlock but since coming to power has cast potential for our beloved homeland,” in major towns and dominated the air- on a leafy square on the banks of the turnout in West Africa — about 40% foreign investment, especially if West- himself as a reformer with his Zim- Mnangagwa told his party supporters. waves with adverts. Niger river. on average. Gulf Times 8 Sunday, July 29, 2018 AMERICA Reuniting deported parents with children in spotlight

Reuters San Diego

judge on Friday urged the US government to focus on Afi nding deported immigrant parents so it could reunite them with their children who remain in the United States following sepa- ration by offi cials at the US-Mex- ico border in recent months. The government had declared it had met a court-ordered deadline to reunite families separated dur- ing the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance policy” aimed at discouraging illegal immigration. US Judge Dana Sabraw said at a court hearing in San Diego the government deserved credit for the 1,820 children released from custody to a parent or sponsor. However, he urged offi cials to focus on the 711 children who re- main separated after the govern- ment deemed their parents ineli- gible because they were deported, the government was unable to fi nd them in the United States or the parent failed a background check. “The focus has to be on the par- ents removed without their chil- dren and the up to 52 parents re- leased to the interior without their children,” Sabraw said at Friday’s hearing. Sabraw seemed most concerned during Friday’s hearing with alle- gations that 120 parents who the government said had waived their right to reunifi cation might have misunderstood what they were signing, or felt coerced. The government has said it has given every detained parent notice of their legal rights, and contact information for an attorney. The parents were “eff ectively being tortured” by the knowledge they accidentally signed forms waiving the right to their child, Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said after the hearing. The ACLU, which brought the lawsuit that led to Sabraw’s re- unifi cation order, asked Sabraw to An eight-year-old girl from Honduras holds a Homeland Security bag as her family is released from detention with other undocumented immigrants halt deportations of parents who at a bus depot in McAllen, Texas. waived their reunifi cation rights and to give parents a week after time to consider their rights, and monitor would review potential Advocates said they were strug- without their child and the group being reunited with their children granting the ACLU request was violations of the 1997 Flores set- gling to fi nd immigrant families to was trying to determine the fate of before being deported. unwarranted. Sabraw took the re- tlement, which set standards for confi rm they had been matched 200 parents. Parents needed time to consider quest under advisement. the facilities. with their children. Non-profi t groups were provid- legal options, such as leaving the Separately, a US federal judge on Rights groups on Friday criti- “The deadline is not the fi nish ing cash and transportation to help child in the United States to pursue Friday ordered the appointment of cised the government’s eff orts to line,” said Efrén Olivares of the families get on their feet, Olivares asylum on their own, the ACLU an independent monitor to report reunify immigrant children and Texas Civil Rights Project. “The said. said. on conditions in federal detention parents as confused and chaotic. work is only beginning and it will “The government has literally The parents have largely fl ed centres housing immigrant chil- The government acknowledged take many months.” left these people to fend for them- violence in Guatemala, Honduras dren. that it lacked the technical capa- He said his group represented selves,” Olivares said on a call with and El Salvador, according to im- At a Los Angeles court hearing, bility to quickly provide informa- 382 families, and only 110 were reporters. “It confi rms that when migration advocates. US District Judge Dolly Gee said tion about children separated from reunited with their children. the government started separating The government has said the there appeared to be persistent their parents, according to a court The others were deported with- families earlier this summer they parents already have adequate problems at the centres and the fi ling on Thursday. out their child or in detention didn’t have a plan to reunite them.” Identical Michigan twins run for US offi ce — for rival parties

By Rachel Woolf and The twins say they agree on “I celebrate her as a woman, and Nova Safo, AFP broad ideas: they both want to live all of the accomplishments that Kentwood, Michigan a life of service and to reduce po- she has made,” Tyson says of her litical discord. sister. The rest, they say, can be nego- “And no amount of winning or wins Monica Sparks and tiated. losing, or politics, will stop the Jessica Ann Tyson are iden- “We need to start fi nding com- love that I have for her.” Ttical in almost every way. mon ground, period, if we’re go- Even their disagreements over The African American sisters run- ing to get ahead as a society,” says President Donald Trump have not ning for local offi ce in the US state Sparks. endangered their bond — though of Michigan forged an unbreakable Sparks and Tyson say they have his leadership is the subject of bond during a childhood tarred by been close all of their lives, rely- spirited debate. abuse. They wear the same white ing on each other as children when Sparks cites the controversial dress and even fi nish each other’s they couldn’t rely on adults. reality television star-turned- sentences. Born in 1972 to a heroin-ad- leader as the cause of the country’s But their choice of jewellery — dicted mother in the state capital political tumult — and a key reason a blue fl ower pin for Sparks, a red Lansing, they were sent to a ter- why she is seeking offi ce. one for Tyson — gives away the one rible foster home at the age of fi ve. “I just don’t like what’s happen- key thing separating the 46-year- Sparks says they were abused ing in our country right now. And I old women: their political stripes. “emotionally, physically, sexually,” can’t stand by. I’ve got to do some- Sparks is a Democrat. and Tyson remembers her sister thing,” she says. Tyson is a Republican. rummaging through trash cans Tyson is a Trump supporter. They say they are proof positive looking for food. “I totally believe in our presi- that political diff erences can be “We went through a lot of abuse dent,” she says, though she adds overcome, even in an increasingly together,” Tyson says. “And to- that she understands the concerns polarised America. gether we got through.” of those, including Sparks, who “It just baffl es our mind why The girls eventually were adopt- oppose him. people hate each other,” Tyson ed by loving parents, who instilled The sisters say their respect for tells AFP in a joint interview with in them a sense of civic duty. diff erent viewpoints, and ability to her sister. “Mothers aren’t talk- As adults, they have volunteered listen to others, is something other ing to sons. Fathers are disowning for various causes, served on their Americans need to embrace in the daughters.” school board and other local agen- current political climate. “We are not going to let this cies, while running small busi- “People are hurt. People are bit- come between our family,” says Jessica Ann Tyson (left) and Monica Sparks pose in Kentwood, Michigan. nesses. ter, because they are feeling disen- Sparks. Now, they hope to serve in a for- franchised,” says Sparks. Sparks and Tyson live in neigh- Each is campaigning for a seat The primary election is on Au- mal political capacity. “You start by getting in the same bouring electoral districts in the on the governing board that over- gust 7. Their bond was tested when Ty- room...and come prepared with state — part of the country’s tradi- sees Kent County, which is home Sparks faces several Democratic son endorsed the Republican run- open ears, an open mind and open tionally Democratic Rust Belt that, to 640,000 people and is the rivals, while Tyson is running un- ning in Sparks’s district, instead of heart,” she says. against all odds, helped Donald state’s second most populous area, opposed for the Republican nomi- her own sister, but both say family “Then we will be able to fi nd so- Trump win the presidency. after Detroit. nation. and sisterhood come fi rst. lutions.” Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 9 AMERICAS

Passengers briefed Deadly north California wildfi re on life jackets grows by two-thirds overnight before deadly

Reuters duck boat sinking Redding, California

AFP ine people were reportedly Washington missing as a monster wild- Nfi re in Northern California grew by two-thirds overnight after he captain of an amphibious US tour boat that sank killing two fi refi ghters, destroying during a sudden storm, killing 17 people, briefed pas- hundreds of buildings and sending Tsengers on lifejackets when the water was still calm, thousands of frantic residents rac- investigators say. The National Transportation Safety Board ing from their homes. (NTSB) is probing the July 19 incident involving a “duck” Some 3,400 fi refi ghters on the boat, which went down on Table Rock Lake near Branson ground and 17 helicopters battled city, Missouri. It said it had completed a preliminary review the 80,900-acre (32,740-hectare) of a digital video recorder system recovered from the vessel, Carr Fire, which was just 5% con- which carried 29 passengers and two crew. tained early yesterday as it ripped A survivor, Tia Coleman, who lost nine family members in the through Redding, a city of 90,000 disaster, had said the captain told his charges, when the boat was people, in California’s scenic already in the water, that they “won’t need” life jackets. “When Shasta-Trinity area. it was time to grab them, it was too late and I believe that a lot of More than 38,000 residents in people could have been spared,” she told Fox59 TV. Redding and elsewhere in Shasta According to the NTSB, which on Friday released a chro- County fl ed their homes as the nology derived from the recording, at about 6.50pm, the cap- fi re began to gain speed and in- tain began a safety briefi ng, before the boat entered the water. tensity on Thursday, destroying “The briefi ng included the location of emergency exits as well 500 homes and businesses and as the location of the life jackets. The captain then demon- leaving Keswick, a town of 450, in strated the use of a life jacket and pointed out the location of smouldering ruins, the California the life rings,” NTSB said. “The water appeared calm,” when Department of Forestry and Fire the boat entered the water at about 6.55pm, it continued. Protection said. That was about 25 minutes after a weather warning had Another 5,000 buildings are been issued. The NTSB said that at roughly 7pm whitecaps threatened, Cal Fire said. rapidly appeared on the water and winds increased, prompt- There are currently 89 large ing the boat driver — its second crew member — to lower wildfi res blazing across 14 US clear plastic side curtains. That crew member died during the states, mostly in the West, accord- sinking, the sheriff ’s offi ce has said. The captain survived. ing to the National Interagency According to the NTSB’s summary, a bilge alarm sounded Fire Center. at 7.04pm, stopped, and then sounded again at 7.07pm. So far this year, wildfi res have Flames engulf trees near a road during the Carr fire in Redding on Friday. In the fi nal minutes of the recording, “water occasionally scorched almost 4.3mn acres splashes inside the vehicle’s passenger compartment,” the across the United States, above the I, Scout?” he asked his white-and- “The winds, high temperatures dren, were missing, a CBS news jumped across the Sacramento NTSB said. 3.7mn acre average for the same brown-spotted dog. “At least I and dry vegetation still have the affi liate in Sacramento reported, River and swept into the west- It cautioned that “no conclusions regarding the cause of period over the last decade. have you, Scout.” potential to fuel fi re growth,” Cal citing local police. ern side of Redding, about 240km the accident should be made from this preliminary informa- Some 1,100 people crowded into Franceschine said he assumes Fire said in a morning advisory. The woman’s husband, Ed Bled- north of Sacramento. tion,” as investigators continue their work. an evacuation centre at Shasta the fi re destroyed all his posses- “Fire spread has been active in all soe, told the station that he left Governor Jerry Brown requested College, outside Redding, on Sat- sions, including the urn containing directions.” them home to run an errand on emergency federal assistance to urday. the ashes of his son, who died four A bulldozer operator and a Thursday night. prevent an “imminent catastrophe” One of them, 57-year-old David years ago. “That’s what bothers me member of the Redding Fire De- “He called and said ‘Grandpa as Shasta County tried to fi nd sup- Franceschine, said he had been the most,” Franceschine said. partment were killed in the blaze. you need to come, the fi re is com- plies and water for evacuated resi- on a camping trip when the fi re The fi re, which started on Mon- Mercy Medical Center hos- ing at our house now,’” Bledsoe dents and care for horses and cattle 5 die in Texas shooting erupted. day afternoon, has been fed by hot, pital has treated nine people for said of a phone call he had with his rescued from ranches and farms. He rushed back to his home to dry weather and high winds. burns, including three fi refi ghters, great-great grandson while he was Other major wildfi res were rag- try to retrieve possessions but by Temperatures were forecast to spokesman Mike Mangas said yes- gone. “I can’t see how I can go on ing about 177 km east of Los An- Reuters the time he arrived, authorities reach 42.8 Celsius yesterday, with terday. without them.” geles and near Yosemite National Austin had closed the road. winds of up to 13kph, according to Nine people, including a woman The fl ames erupted into a fi re- Park, which closed due to the “I couldn’t get anything, could the National Weather Service. and her two great-great grandchil- storm on Thursday when they blaze. ive people were shot dead, including the suspected gun- man, in a Friday night attack at a Texas nursing home and Fthe home of one of the people slain, city offi cials said. Police in Robstown, Texas, outside Corpus Christi, re- sponded to reports of an active shooter at a nursing home Nicaragua sacks doctors for about 7pm, where they found two men and a woman dead, said Herman Rodriguez, city secretary, in a video interview with the Caller Times of Corpus Christi. treating wounded protesters Offi cers later found two more bodies at a home connected to one of the people slain at the nursing home, Rodriguez said. “We do feel the crimes are related,” Rodriguez said. AFP cause they were deemed to support the Rodriguez did not say whether the shooter took his own Managua protesters by treating them. “They said life. No further details were available. we were people showing solidarity and support for the people’s fi ght,” he said. ore than a dozen doctors, Pastora said at least nine medical nurses and technical staff in a specialists were among those fi red. Mpublic hospital in Nicaragua “I was in surgery when they came have been sacked because they treated from human resources to tell me I could wounded anti-government protest- no longer stay because I was fi red,” said ers and were seen backing their cause, one of the dismissed medics, cancer A Federal police officer stands on guard at the area where at least five people were killed in medical sources said Friday. surgeon Aaron Delgado. Puerto Juarez, Cancun, Quintana Roo State, Mexico. Those fi red “without any legal jus- A dismissed paediatrician, Edgar Zu- tifi cation” worked at the Oscar Danilo niga, called the axings “arbitrary.” Rosales Hospital in the northwestern They were fi red “for thinking diff er- city of Leon, surgery and endoscopy ently, for saying Nicaragua needs de- department chief Javier Pastora told mocracy, freedom, that the repression 5 killed in Cancun gun battle AFP. and killings must stop and there has to The hospital is run by the health be dialogue,” he said. ministry. The staff and residents in Leon held a AFP lice agent,” the statement said, adding that the The allegation bolstered reports that protest in front of the hospital demand- Mexico City four others killed apparently worked at the site. those perceived to back protest claims ing the sackings be reversed. A police commander was among the wound- calling for the ouster of President Dan- Leon used to be a bastion of support ed, and there were no reports of tourists at the iel Ortega were being persecuted by his for the Sandinista movement Ortega t least fi ve people were killed and three site of the shooting, the statement said. government and sympathisers. leads, but as the unrest took hold, there others wounded in a late Friday shoot- Millions of foreign tourists, especially from Nicaragua has seen more than three too paramilitaries and anti-riot police Aout between police and criminals near the United States and Europe, visit Cancun and months of unrest as those protests were have stormed the city several times to the resort town of Cancun, a magnet for tour- other nearby resorts such as Playa del Carmen brutally countered by police and armed crush protests. ists on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, local offi cials and Tulum each year. pro-government paramilitaries. Rights groups say more than 2,000 said. Since early 2017 however there has been More than 300 people have been people have been hurt across the coun- Around 9pm, unidentifi ed gunmen opened an increased turf war between drug gangs in killed and thousands have fl ed to neigh- try since the clashes erupted mid-April. fi re after breaking into an enclosure next to a Quintana Roo. bouring Costa Rica for safety, according Many of them sought medical atten- restaurant in Puerto Juarez, located some 16km In the fi rst half of 2018, 279 people were to rights groups. tion for their wounds from volunteers north of the Cancun tourist area, the Quintana murdered in the southern Mexican state in Pastora, who has worked in Nicara- outside the state health system, which Roo state prosecutor’s offi ce said in a prelimi- drug-related violence, according to Semaforo gua’s public health system for 33 years, was said to have received orders to turn nary report. Delictivo, an NGO that follows drug-related said the staff members were fi red be- them away. “Of the fi ve killed, one was a ministerial po- crime. Gulf Times 10 Sunday, July 29, 2018 ASIA Japan braces for powerful typhoon

AFP ed that one man was missing 36,400 residents as a precau- More than 410 domestic Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture, near tionary measure, offi cials said. fl ights have been cancelled so far Tokyo, after several vehicles, TV footage showed workers because of Typhoon Jongdari, including an ambulance, be- and residents hurriedly piling while ferry services connecting powerful typhoon buf- came stuck on a wave-battered up sandbags to build temporary Tokyo with nearby islands were feted Japan’s eastern ocean road. barriers against potential fl oods. also cancelled due to high waves, Acoast yesterday evening, Typhoon Jongdari is expect- “Although it has not rained news reports said. prompting local authorities to ed to barrel towards the west- here, we are urging people to The fl ooding in the Chugoku issue early evacuation orders, ern Chugoku region Sunday, evacuate before it gets dark,” region was Japan’s worst weath- with western areas recently dev- where record rainfall earlier this Masaharu Kataoka, a city er-related disaster in decades, astated by fl oods and landslides month unleashed fl ooding and offi cial, said. and many residents of aff ected in the storm’s crosshairs. landslides, killing around 220 More evacuation orders and areas are still living in shelters or Typhoon Jongdari, pack- people and leaving more than advisories were issued in west- damaged homes. ing winds of up to 180km (110 4,000 survivors still living in ern Japan, including Kure in Hi- “We are fully ready 24 hours miles) an hour, is forecast to temporary shelters. roshima prefecture, where some a day to evacuate residents,” make landfall on the country’s The weather agency warned 6,380 residents were urged to Tadahiko Mizushima, an of- main island yesterday night or of heavy rain, landslides, strong evacuate, news reports said. fi cial of Okayama prefecture in early today, according to Japan’s winds and high waves, and In Japan, evacuation orders Chugoku, said. Meteorological Agency. urged people to consider early are not mandatory and people “We are paying special atten- TV footage showed high evacuation. often remain at home, and are tion to the areas where restora- waves smashing onto rocks and “We want people especially later trapped by rapidly rising tion of river banks is underway seawalls on the eastern coastline in the downpour-hit regions to water or sudden landslides. as it would be the fi rst heavy rain and planes struggling to land pay close attention to evacua- “It’s going to deal a double since the disaster.” amid strong winds. tion advisories,” meteorological punch,” a resident in Okayama Offi cials are particularly cau- By 9pm (1200 GMT) the agency offi cial Minako Sakurai told public broadcaster NHK, tious after the deadly downpours storm’s centre was located some told reporters. referring to the recent killer because many people did not 60km out to sea southeast of The western city of Shobara downpours and the incom- heed evacuation orders and be- Omaezaki City. in Hiroshima prefecture issued ing typhoon. “We are seriously came trapped. Some critics said Passersby using umbrellas struggle against a heavy rain and wind as Typhoon Jongdari approaches Kyodo news agency report- an evacuation order to some worried,” he said. the orders were issued too late. Japan’s mainland in Tokyo yesterday. Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 11 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

8 of family Thick mud delays Laos rescue killed by landslides

DPA with hundreds still missing Bangkok

AFP Meenaporn reduced that to six, family of eight people Attapeu without explanation. were killed by landslides The remoteness of the disas- Ain northern Thailand ter zone and slow trickle of of- yesterday, offi cials said. escuers battled thick ten contradictory information Among the eight people were mud and fl ood waters has sparked fears the death toll two girls aged three and 10, said Racross a swathe of re- could rise sharply. a disaster offi cial in Nan prov- mote southern Laos to fi nd A stretch of land dozens of ince – 680km north of Bangkok survivors of a dam burst that kilometres long and wide was – where the incident happened. submerged entire villages, as submerged when the Xe-Nam- Local offi cials have ordered 33 an offi cial suggested more than noy dam collapsed after heavy other households living in the 1,100 people may still be unac- rains. area to evacuate their homes. counted for. Slowly retreating fl oodwa- Landslides caused by heavy The exact number of dead ters have cut off access to vil- downpours have damaged hous- and missing from Monday’s lages and covered much of the es and roads in mountainous dam collapse remains a mystery area with thick, sticky mud. areas in the region. because of the complexity of “This is one of the worst Like the rest of Southeast the rescue operation in an inac- (disasters) I’ve ever seen. Es- Asia, Thailand is in the middle of cessible area and the secretive pecially because we’re not a monsoon season, which typically refl exes of Laos’s Communist very strong country in terms of lasts from May to November. authorities in the face of an un- rescue operations,” a volunteer Monsoon rains in Myanmar precedented crisis. rescue worker said, request- have displaced more than 16,000 “The search is very compli- ing anonymity as he was not people, the Myanmar Times has cated, many areas cannot be authorised to speak to media. reported. accessed by cars or boats. Also Days into the treacherous A landslide caused by heavy we have limited modern equip- search for survivors, questions rains killed 27 people in northern ment to bring to the fi eld,” dep- are being raised about the qual- Kachin state, a local lawmaker uty secretary of Attapeu prov- ity of the construction of the said. ince committee Meenaporn $1.2bn dam, a joint venture be- Chaichompoo told reporters tween South Korean, Laotian Friday. and Thai fi rms. A girl (centre in blue) is transported on the back of a vehicle after being evacuated from a flooded area by rescue workers in a village in She also said hundreds still Operators said it burst after Sanamxai, Attapeu province, yesterday. have not been located, fi ve days heavy rains in a country regu- after the dam burst. larly battered by monsoons. volved in the project, SK Engi- dam-building scheme as it bids ters crucial for fi shing and farm- “Most of the dams are built Nepal gets “We can’t fi nd 1,126 people,” But Laos Minister of En- neering & Construction, said it to become a major power ex- ing have been diverted, destroy- by foreign companies and Laos she said, adding that 131 have ergy and Mines Khammany was investigating the cause of porter, billing itself the “bat- ing livelihoods in one of Asia’s authorities don’t have expert been confi rmed missing by Inthirath said poor design the dam break and would donate tery of Asia” with more than 50 poorest countries. knowledge and management to fi rst tranche relatives. contributed to the accident, $10mn in relief aid. projects set to go online by 2020. The accident has prompted check for weaknesses or prob- Initially offi cials said 27 peo- according to state media. The accident has kicked up Villagers have complained of fears over the safety of other lems, that’s our worry,” villager ple were confi rmed dead, but One of the Korean fi rms in- criticism of Laos’ ambitious being displaced, while river wa- dams in the country. Si Wonghajak said. of India aid

IANS Voting opens in Kathmandu Thais celebrate king’s B-day ndia has extended Rs2.1bn aid to Nepal as reimbursement of Ithe fi rst tranche of housing DPA Australia by-polls support to 42,086 India-sup- Bangkok ported benefi ciaries in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts. AFP considered Labour strong- As part of India’s commitment hailand celebrated King Sydney holds while another looks towards Nepal’s post-earth- Maha Vajiralongkorn’s likely to remain with the quake reconstruction, the two T66th birthday yesterday ustralia’s political lead- independent Centre Alliance. countries had signed a memo- with Buddhist rites. ers made last-gasp The others – Longman in randum of understanding (MoU) Prime Minister Prayut Chan- Abids to sway voters Queensland state and Brad- for $100mn grant to support re- O-cha led some 3,500 govern- yesterday as polls opened in don in Tasmania state – are construction of 50,000 private ment offi cials and members of fi ve by-elections that could too close to call, although an houses in the Himalayan nation’s the public in giving alms to 670 see the conservative govern- opinion poll in yesterday’s Nuwakot and Gorkha districts. Buddhist monks from across ment boost its wafer-thin The Australian newspa- Indian ambassador to Nepal, Bangkok at an open fi eld close to parliamentary majority. per suggested Labour could Manjeev Singh Puri, handed over the Grand Palace early in the day. The seats are being contest- cling on. the amount to Nepal’s fi nance Throughout Thailand, peo- ed following a string of forced Should Turnbull’s Liberal secretary Rajan Khanal. ple fl ocked to temples to pray resignations in the opposition coalition win a seat, it would In September 2016, both and give alms to monks in yel- Labour party after the High be the fi rst time a government countries had agreed to utilise low shirts, the colour signifying Court reaffi rmed an obscure has clinched one from the op- an additional amount of $50mn loyalty to the monarchy. provision in the 1901 consti- position at a by-election in 98 from the $750mn line of credit Alms-giving is a typical tution that bars dual citizens years. towards payment of third tranche practice in Thailand where the from elected offi ce. Turnbull has framed the of housing grant to 50,000 hos- majority of the population are Picking up just one of polls as a referendum on ing benefi ciaries supported by Buddhist. them will double Prime Min- the government’s “jobs and the government of India. It signifi es an auspicious be- ister Malcolm Turnbull’s growth” agenda while La- As per those previous com- ginning of the year for those Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, centre, raises a candle in front of a portrait of the new King parliamentary majority to two. bour is campaigning on better mitments, India on Friday pro- celebrating their birthdays. A of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn during celebrations for his 66th birthday near the Grand Palace in The outcome is also be- health funding. vided the fi rst tranche to the public holiday, yesterday also Bangkok yesterday. ing seen as a barometer on “All of our candidates are Nepal government. marks the Buddhist Lent. Turnbull’s re-election pros- standing for stronger eco- India, during the international The only son of late king since ascending the throne. coronation ceremony for Va- early next year as promised. pects and whether opposition nomic growth, lower taxes, conference on Nepal’s recon- Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died In mid-June, he was granted jiralongkorn and the timing The ruling military regime Labour leader Bill Shorten more jobs, higher wages, struction had pledged $1bn aid in October 2016 after seven full ownership of the Crown remains unknown. has postponed the elections should potentially be replaced guaranteed funding for essen- and soft loan. India announced decades on the throne, King Property Bureau, which holds Prayut said in June that at least four times since com- ahead of national polls due by tial services that comes from the largest amount in aid $1bn Maha Vajiralongkorn has made combined assets of up to $30bn, much-awaited elections will ing into power in a May 2014 May next year. a stronger economy,” Turn- for Nepal’s post-earthquake re- several moves to assert politi- making him the richest mon- be held after the coronation, coup, citing the need to ensure Half a million people are bull said during a fi nal pitch in construction. One fourth of the cal infl uence and consolidate arch in the world. leading to uncertainty if the smooth royal succession and eligible to vote. Braddon. “Labour is a threat to amount has been extended as power within the palace There has not yet been a elections can be held complete national reforms. Two of the fi ve seats are all of that.” grant assistance. Philippine president forms Cambodia votes amid call for boycott

Reuters discourage any street protests. task force for federalism blitz Phnom Penh Police yesterday arrested four farmers and accused them of planting a grenade at a polling By Ralph Villanueva Another survey by Pulse Asia bark on this massive informa- t the Toul Kork Primary station in the country’s northern Manila Times bared that majority of Filipinos tion drive,” he added. School in the Cambodian Preah Vihear province, provin- oppose the move to shift to During his third State of the Acapital Phnom Penh vol- cial police chief Ying Samnang federalism. Nation Address, Duterte ex- unteers swept classrooms and said in police report. The device hilippine President Rod- The poll conducted from pressed confi dence that Filipinos laid out wooden desks yesterday, did not explode. rigo Duterte has created June 15 to 21 showed that 62% will support the government’s transforming rooms into poll- Dim Sovannarom, a spokes- Pa task force mandated to of Filipinos do not want char- move to shift the current form of ing booths ahead a general elec- man for the National Election go on a “massive information ter change, which would eff ect government to federalism. tion Prime Minister Hun Sen is Committee, who inspected the drive” on the shift to federal- federalism. “I am confi dent the Filipino expected to easily win. Toul Kork Primary School in ism, according to Malacañang. It also showed that 69% of people will stand behind us as we “I believe voters will come out Boeung Kak 1 commune, said the On Thursday, former chief Filipinos know little or noth- introduce this new fundamental to vote,” Yos Vanthan, head of commission expects more than justice Reynato Puno, chair- ing about the proposed shift to law that will not only strengthen the school’s election committee, Election workers carry voting materials into a classroom to set up a 60% of registered voters to cast man of the government’s Con- federalism. our democratic institutions but said. polling booth at a school in Phnom Penh yesterday. their ballot. sultative Committee (Con- “We have identifi ed the also create an environment for Hun Sen’s critics have called Nearly 70% cast their ballot Com) tasked to craft the draft budget for dissemination for every Filipino regardless of his for an election boycott, saying narrowly lost the last election in Sen, who has ruled for 33 years, during the last general election the federal charter, said the the work of the Consultative status, religion or ideology we that without any real opposition 2013, was dissolved by the Su- with no signifi cant opponent. in 2013. president would be forming an Committee and that we have will have an equal opportunity to to the government, the poll will preme Court last year and many Some Western countries and “We expect more than 60% in the inter-governmental group for initially agreed on a strategy. grow and create a future,” he said. be a shame. of its lawmakers banned from the United Nations have ques- whole country,” Dim Sovannarom the purpose. We will bring down the dis- The committee is also com- Voting is not mandatory, but politics for fi ve years. tioned the credibility of the elec- told reporters, before unveiling grey In a news briefi ng in Zam- semination level to the baran- posed of Susan Ubalde-Ordinar- authorities have warned that an- Hun Sen, a former Khmer tion because of the lack of any metal polling boxes donated by the boanga Sibugay, Palace gay [village], we will focus on io, Arthur Aguilar, Eddie Alih, Fr. yone who boycotts the vote will Rouge commander who even- signifi cant opposition. Rights Japanese government. spokesman Harry Roque con- training the trainers and we Ranhilio Aquino, Antonio Arel- be seen as a “traitor”. tually defected from Pol Pot’s groups have criticised restric- But some Cambodians see no fi rmed this, saying the task will utilise mass media for this lano, Ali Pangalian Balindong, Nineteen political parties are murderous regime, has been tions placed on independent point in voting and a low-voter force has already met with him dissemination,” Roque said. Virgilio Bautista, Ferdinand Bo- running against Hun Sen’s rul- in power for more than 30 media and civil society. turnout could undermine the and executive secretary Salva- “The survey so far confi rmed cobo, Reuben Canoy, Roan Libar- ing Cambodian People’s Party years and is the world’s longest Offi cials say they don’t ex- CPP’s claims to legitimacy. dor Medialdea. that there’s a need for dis- ios, Jose Martin Loon, Antonio (CPP) but none are strongly crit- serving prime minister. pect any violence on elec- “Why should I vote? It makes Roque cited a recent Social semination insofar as it shows Nachura, Randolph Parcasio, Bi- ical of the prime minister or the Many CNRP leaders have fl ed tion day, but last week au- no diff erence,” said an airport Weather Stations (SWS) sur- that an overwhelming major- envenido Reyes, Rex Robles, Ro- government. abroad and are living in self-im- thorities put on a show of taxi driver from the southwest- vey that showed only one out ity don’t know anything about dolfo Robles, Victor de la Serna, His main challenge the op- posed exile and its leader, Kem power, with police displaying ern province of Takeo. He de- of four Filipinos is aware of a federalism, we have accepted Edmund Tayao, Julio Teehankee position Cambodia National Sokha, was jailed in September anti-riot gear and assault rifl es clined to be named for fear of federal system of government. the challenge and we will em- and Laurence Wacnang. Rescue Party (CNRP), which on treason charges, leaving Hun in the capital in a move meant to repercussions. Gulf Times 12 Sunday, July 29, 2018 BRITAIN Europe weather woes lead to UK

transport delays The situation at Stansted Airport. Passengers warned of showed long queues at the air- journeys unless they were abso- expected because of storms in said thunderstorms had aff ected four-hour waits to cross port in Essex, with some passen- lutely necessary. Europe. fl ights across the UK. Channel as flights are gers opting to sleep on baggage Families heading for summer Gatwick tweeted: “Adverse “Nats is working closely with cancelled at Stansted carousels overnight because of holidays on the continent by fer- weather across Europe is aff ect- the airports and airlines to ensure delays as long as nine hours. ry were also told to expect long ing fl ights in and outbound from safety and to continue providing By Patrick Greenfield A Stansted airport spokesman queues on the roads into the port Gatwick Airport, this may re- the most effi cient operation pos- Guardian News & Media said the queues were the result of of Dover and a minimum two- sult in delays and cancellations. sible during this adverse weather passengers who had stayed over- hour wait to get through border Please contact your airline for period,” the service said. night in the airport trying to re- checks. specifi c fl ight information before “Dealing with bad weather is olidaymakers are expe- book cancelled fl ights. P&O ferries advised passen- you travel to the airport.” one of the most diffi cult things riencing long delays on “There are no cancellations gers to bring plenty of drinks, Luton airport tweeted similar for air traffi c controllers to man- Hfl ights, ferries and Eu- but there are delays because of snacks and entertainment for information: “Due to thunder- age. rotunnel trains as operators deal the knock-on eff ect and some their wait. storm activity across Europe this “Its unpredictable nature with the aftermath of extreme restrictions because of storm ac- The Met Offi ce has issued a se- morning, air traffi c control re- means aircraft are not able to fl y weather conditions in the United tivity in Europe,” the spokesman ries of yellow warnings for rain, strictions are in place and some their usual routes, which results Kingdom and thunderstorms in said. “The advice is, if you are thunderstorms and wind yester- fl ights may be subject to delay or in unusual fl ight patterns. Europe. due to travel today, check with day and today (Sunday), and said cancellation. Please check with “Thunderstorms are particu- Ryanair cancelled 14 fl ights your airline about your individual that delays to public transport, your airline for the latest infor- larly disruptive as they eff ec- from Stansted yesterday due to fl ight.” diffi cult driving conditions on mation.” tively block large swathes of air- the knock-on eff ects of air traffi c Passengers heading to France fl ooded roads were expected. A Heathrow spokeswoman space because aircraft cannot fl y control restrictions from storms on the cross-Channel rail op- The knock-on eff ect of thun- said the airport was experiencing through them. on Friday and staff shortages erator Eurotunnel have been told derstorms across London and some minor delays. “Passengers are advised to caused by ongoing industrial ac- they could have to wait up to four eastern England on Friday con- Nats, the UK air traffi c con- contact their airline for the lat- tion in France. hours at its Folkestone terminal. tinued to disrupt air travel, and trol service, which was due to est information on individual Photos posted on social media It told travellers not to make further fl ight cancellations were handle 8,841 fl ights in 24 hours, fl ights.” Weather warnings in place after storms break heatwave Lightning flashes over Souter lighthouse in South Shields on Friday.

Warnings issued for east and parts of England, days after issu- The Met Offi ce issued an am- The forecaster said that heavy been issued for Northern Ireland, Heathrow on July 1, 2015 is the ter near Clacton pier, in Essex, on southeast of England, but ing a warning for high tempera- ber alert valid from 2pm to 9pm rainfalls were possible, with as with thunder possible. current record for the month of Thursday night. forecasters say record July tures and advising people to stay for the east Midlands and east much as 30mm of rainfall in one There are also yellow warn- July, while the all-time record Tony Wafer, the Royal National temperature could yet be out of the sun. of England on Friday, warning hour and 60mm in three hours ings in place for rain and wind for temperature in the UK is 38.5°C Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)’s broken After temperatures reached that the fl ooding of homes and predicted. Wales, London and the southeast at Faversham, Kent on August 10, community safety manager, said: 35.1° Celsius (95.2° Fahrenheit) businesses was “likely and could Hail and strong, gusty winds and west of England for most of 2003. “If you are heading to the coast By Jessica McKay in Wisley in Surrey on Thursday happen quickly”, with fast-fl ow- were also anticipated. today (Sunday). A man’s body was recovered this weekend, please fi nd out Guardian News & Media – the highest temperature re- ing or deep fl oodwater causing A lesser, yellow “be aware” However, Will Lang, the chief from the Jubilee river in Slough where your nearest lifeguarded corded in the UK since 2015 – the danger to life. warning for thunderstorms was meteorologist at the Met Offi ce, on Friday, while the body of a beach is and ask the lifeguards for weather took a turn on Friday, Residents in aff ected areas put in place from 2pm on Friday said that temperature records 17-year-old boy who disappeared advice on conditions, especially he UK heatwave came to an with several areas of the country were warned that they could ex- until 2pm yesterday, covering could still be broken. after getting into diffi culty in a if you are going in the water.” abrupt end on Friday night hit by torrential downpours and pect power cuts, transport de- London and the east of England. “If conditions all come togeth- quarry lake in Bishops Itching- Elsewhere, the heat caused Tas forecasters warned thunder and lightning. lays or cancellations and diffi cult Another yellow warning for er, there’s a 50% chance that we ton, near Leamington Spa, was chaos on the rails, as cross- that heavy thunderstorms could However, despite the rain, driving conditions. storms was issued for just after will break the July record temper- also recovered by police. channel operator Eurotunnel cause fl ash fl oods. forecasters say there is still a There was also a risk of com- 8pm on Friday to yesterday af- ature and a 20% chance of a new A 13-year-old boy was report- cancelled some services due to The Met Offi ce issued an am- chance there could be a new July munities being cut off if roads ternoon. all-time UK record high,” he said. ed missing after another boy was the “extreme temperatures” (see ber alert for thunderstorms for record temperature. fl ooded, the Met Offi ce said. Yellow warnings for rain have A temperature of 36.7°C at rescued by a lifeboat crew in wa- lead report).

Levy social media to stem UK may get unique Galileo deal after Brexit

Police and armed forces would be treated like any other Barnier has said he wants a bloc can bid for PRS contracts. ‘fake news’ tide, say MPs could be guaranteed non-EU country. partnership with the UK over It wants to ensure that secu- uninterrupted access to However, in a blow to the gov- the “most sensitive signal”, but rity clearance for contractors is satellite signal ernment, the EU has not budged it now emerges the commission managed by authorities inside AFP in its insistence that UK-based could go a step further. the bloc, subject to EU over- London By Jennifer Rankin fi rms should be excluded from At a closed-door meeting last sight. Guardian News & Media building modules for the secure month, the commission fl oated EU offi cials like to remind UK signal. the idea of involving British of- counterparts that the British ritain should levy social Conceived as the EU’s answer fi cials in decision-making over government signed up to this media fi rms to fund eff orts ritish police and armed to the US global positioning sys- any restrictions on the PRS. rule. Bat stemming a “fake news” forces could be guaran- tem (GPS) and Russia’s global “To me this is not heresy, this The UK was once sceptical crisis threatening the fabric of Bteed uninterrupted access navigation and satellite system is the logical consequences of a about Galileo, which used to be democracy, a leaked report by to the encrypted signal of the (Glonass), the €9.7bn (£8.6bn) close partnership on security,” referred to in British offi cial cir- lawmakers has said. European Union’s Galileo sat- Galileo project now has 26 sat- said one source. cles using the uncomplimentary It recommends using the cash ellite system, it has emerged, as ellites orbiting the globe, pro- Another offi cial said the UK term “the common agricultural to fi nance school classes on “dig- Brussels negotiators consider viding free global positioning to could be off ered a guarantee not policy in space”. ital literacy”, teach public aware- a unique deal for the UK on the smartphone companies, app de- to be “cut off in any circum- Having spent £1.2bn on Gali- ness around the issue and better project after Brexit. velopers and search and rescue stances”, albeit stressing none leo, the UK wants to ensure ac- fund data watchdog the Infor- The EU’s chief Brexit nego- services anywhere in the world. of the ideas had been agreed cess on the same terms after mation Commissioners Offi ce. tiator, Michel Barnier, is mulling At the heart of the Brexit clash among EU member states. Brexit to prevent British-based The proposal is one of many an off er on the satellite project is Galileo’s public regulated However, any suggestion of space companies moving opera- made in the House of Commons that would put the UK on bet- service (PRS), the encrypted UK special status may compli- tions to the continent. committee paper as it rounds on ter terms than other third-party signal that cannot be jammed by cate talks with other non-EU The government has said tech giants including Facebook, countries over use of the en- hostile powers. nations that have requested ac- that UK-based fi rms must have Twitter and Google. crypted service, according to The PRS can be used by gov- cess to the PRS signal. the right to “compete fairly for Such fi rms act “irresponsibly” diplomatic sources. ernments during national emer- The EU opened talks with PRS-related contracts” and has over data collection, “infl uenc- The plans, which are still on gencies, such as terrorist at- Norway and the US in 2016, but threatened to walk away from ing what we see” in an unregu- the drawing board, suggest a tacks, and allows the military to progress has been slow. Galileo and build its own satel- lated social media landscape akin bit more fl exibility than Barni- plan operations and guide mis- The EU remains adamant that lite system unless this demand to the “wild west”, the report er’s public position that the UK siles. only companies based in the is met. claims. “We are facing nothing less than a crisis in our democracy – based on the systematic ma- nipulation of data to support the relentless targeting of citizens, MP slams Labour members after losing vote without their consent, by cam- paigns of disinformation and messages of hate,” said Digital, rank Field has criticised sion to support Theresa May’s years as an MP he had “always four rebels, saying: “There is no Culture, Media and Sport Com- local Labour party mem- plans in defeating an amend- voted to free our country from room for Labour MPs who side mittee chairman Damian Collins. Fbers after he became the ment calling for a post-Brexit the tightening stranglehold of with the reactionary Tory es- “Throughout our inquiry these latest party MP to lose a confi - customs union had been on the EU” on behalf of working- tablishment.” companies have tried to frustrate A Facebook billboard advert at Earls Court underground station in dence vote for siding with the behalf of “millions of Labour class Labour voters and that it The vote against him was scrutiny and obfuscated in their London. government in key Brexit votes. voters, mainly in parts of the was important to do so now. sparked by a letter from the Bid- answers.” On Friday, the Eurosceptic’s country that have long been ne- Field said: “For most, if not ston and St James branch secre- The paper outlines recom- their operations and they must dum campaign, who refused to constituency passed a vote of glected by the elites, who gave all, of those votes I did so along- tary, Brian Parsons. mendations for audits of social be made responsible, and liable, appear before the committee to no confi dence against him, after politicians a clear instruction to side Jeremy Corbyn and John Parsons attacked the “actions media security mechanisms and for the way in which harmful and address concerns over their on- a similar motion against fellow take the country out of the EU”. McDonnell. It would have been a and total disregard” of Field in for the introduction of a new misleading content is shared on line eff orts in the run-up to the Brexiter Kate Hoey in her Vaux- Field is one of four Labour betrayal of the principles I have supporting the Conservatives, category of tech company that their sites,” said Collins. 2016 vote He branded the report hall seat in London. MPs, including John Mann, held for my entire political life, which he said could potentially bridges the gap between plat- It also renewed calls for Face- itself “fake news” which “know- The Brexiter Labour MP has Graham Stringer, and Hoey, had I voted against the legisla- damage support for Labour in form and publisher. book founder Mark Zuckerberg ingly/incompetently makes false hit back, accusing local mem- who backed the prime minister’s tion two weeks ago.” any upcoming election. The committee hopes to force to appear before the committee claims” about pro-Brexit organi- bers of trying to misrepresent Brexit agenda. Both Labour and the Tories He said: “For whatever rea- social media fi rms into assum- to answer “questions to which sations. his votes in support of the gov- Their critics argue that had committed themselves to hon- son, Mr Field is refusing to assist ing liability for harmful or illegal Facebook has not responded ad- A government spokeswoman ernment’s Brexit policies to try the Tories lost the vote it could ouring the leave vote during the his parliamentary colleagues in content on their sites – which equately”, after he neglected to said: “The government takes to get rid of him. have forced May to call a general 2017 election, he said, meaning removing one of the cruellest they profi t from but abdicate re- appear following the Cambridge disinformation very seriously, as The vote does not carry any election. “such legislation would have and most savage Tory admin- sponsibility for by claiming they Analytica data scandal. with all types of online manipu- offi cial force, but constituency Field’s constituency in Birk- been introduced by whichever istrations this country has pro- are only a “platform” according The report was leaked online lation and Internet harms.” Labour party members could enhead, Wirral, voted in favour party was in power”. duced, including the Thatcher to the fi ndings. by Dominic Cummings, a chief “We note the Committee’s seek a so-called trigger ballot of leave in the 2016 EU referen- Laura Parker, national co- government.” – By Patrick “The light of transparency offi cial in the Vote Leave move- report and will consider its fi nal that could deselect Field. dum. ordinator of Momentum, had Greenfi eld/Guardian News & must be allowed to shine on ment during the Brexit referen- recommendations.” Instead, Field said his deci- He said that during his 39 called for the deselection of all Media Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 13 EUROPE

Dutch public advocate Greeks slam govt over in ‘lawless jungle’ wildfi re responsibility warning PM’s words mean little to screens on Friday to chair a Socialist Pasok. fire-stricken Greeks standing cabinet meeting after an offi cial On Tuesday morning the on ashes three days of mourning ended. death toll was 49 people. In one night alone, 900 Aides said that he had been Rescuers had found the bodies off ences were counted Reuters busy co-ordinating the disaster of 26 people hugging each other Athens response. in a fi eld. AFP He said he took “full political Survivors said it all happened The Hague responsibility” for the disaster. in less than two hours. reek Prime Minister But for those who survived the After announcing three days Alexis Tsipras faced inferno, the words meant little. of mourning that day, Tsipras ourist hotspot Amster- Gmounting criticism “Words are nice ... but I want was invisible until Friday. dam turns into a “lawless yesterday after wildfi res that him to tell me and the people He is not known to have vis- Tjungle” after dark with killed at least 88 people plunged who perished, our friends ... ited any of the survivors in hos- the police powerless to intervene Greece into grief just as it was whose fault it is, if not his. I’ve pital. against crime and violence, the healing from years of painful reached my limits.” “He was in his offi ce, chairing city’s ombudsman warned in an bailouts. The wildfi re in Mati laid bare meeting after meeting, with the interview yesterday. Survivors and political op- decades of ills of the Greek state citizen protection minister, the “The city centre becomes ponents accused Tsipras and – unlicensed building dotting interior minister, the mayors; an urban jungle at night,” Am- his government of insensitivity the Greek landscape, tolerated he was busy co-ordinating the sterdam’s offi cial ombudsman for not apologising for Greece’s by the state as governments turn operation,” one government of- Arre Zuurmond told Dutch daily deadliest blaze in memory and a blind eye to non-compliance fi cial said. Trouw, warning of illegal car and for failing to prevent the tragedy. and eventually legalise built The civil protection minister, bike races zooming through the He cut short a visit to Bosnia homes to win votes. Nikos Toskas, said that he could streets, open drugs sales and on Monday night, rushing home On Monday night, fi ve hours not see any big mistakes made general mayhem. hours after the killer blaze broke after the fi re had started, state but added that there were indi- “Criminal money fl ourishes, out near Athens. TV showed Tsipras rushing from cations of arson, something the Members of a rescue team look inside a well following a wildfire in the village of Mati, near Athens. there is no authority and the However, falling off the radar the airport to an operations cen- then-ruling conservative New police can no longer handle the for three days after that has in- tre in Athens, asking ministers Democracy party also said in ment should prioritise the plight Defence Minister Panos Kam- will damage his popularity fur- situation,” he warned. furiated some people. in a live broadcast what hap- 2007, when fi res killed dozens of of those aff ected. “There is no menos, visited Mati to face the ther remains to be seen and will Some 18mn tourists fl ock to “How does he plan to redeem pened and how many personnel people in southern Greece. point in talking about his ab- anger of survivors. be decided by his actions, ana- Amsterdam every year – more this political responsibility? had been deployed to put out the Despite announcing a long list sence or his presence; there is “You left us at God’s mercy!” lysts said. than the entire population of the What does political responsibil- fl ames. of relief measures, Tsipras was defi nitely political responsibil- a tearful woman shouted at However, it is not uncommon Netherlands. ity mean?” a 79-year-old man He did not ask nor was he told accused by the opposition of ity.” Kammenos, who also got into for politicians in Greece to stay Over the past year, the city has standing in front of his burnt anything about fatalities in Mati, fi guratively burying his head in Tsipras has been trailing New a heated debate with a survivor out of the public eye after a dis- sought to take steps to push back home told Skai TV. the small seaside town where the sand. Democracy, the main political on whether help was sent in a aster. against unruly visitors institut- Venting anger, survivors and dozens were trapped by advanc- He rejected the accusations opposition, in opinion polls. timely manner. “It is standard practice that in ing fi nes and penalties for break- political opponents want to see ing fl ames and died. during the cabinet meeting. Its leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis Tsipras has promised closure, dead-end situations, the object ing public disturbance laws. government offi cials resign over At least not on camera. The prime minister is more visited the fi re-stricken areas saying that the government will of ... hatred vanishes,” said po- However, enticed by cheap the failure to prevent the disaster “Which begs the question: focused on the “communica- this week. look into what went wrong and litical analyst Dimitris Mavros, travel, groups mostly of young amid questions on why an evac- Didn’t they know by then what tions aspect” of the crisis than TV images showed a woman fi x past failings to avoid a repeat adding that no politician could men – mainly from elsewhere uation did not take place. had happened?” said Pavlos “what really matters”, Christides sobbing in his arms. tragedy. take the risk of appearing help- in the Netherlands or Britain – Tsipras appeared on TV Christides, spokesman for the said, arguing that the govern- Tsipras’ coalition partner, Whether the Mati disaster less, standing above the ashes. frequently roam the inner city’s canal-lined streets at weekends, on pub crawls or to celebrate stag Forecast rain and parties drawn by easy access to drugs and the notorious Red storms could hinder Light district. firefighting eff orts Zuurmond paints a pain- Sweden’s fi res spark biodiversity ful picture of the city centre’s Firefighters continued to battle forest nightlife after previously set- fires across Sweden yesterday as a ting up three cameras in the busy forecast of cooler temperatures and Leidseplein square ringed by rain brought the prospect of relief bars and clubs. criticism of local forest industry after a long-running heatwave and “One night we counted 900 dry weather. off ences, mainly between the The forecast came with a caveat, as hours of 2am and 4am. The at- By Gaël Branchereau, AFP aware of this and on the path to the winds expected to arrive with rain mosphere is grim, and there is an Stockholm a “cultural revolution”. this weekend could fan the blazes. air of lawlessness,” the ombuds- “Protected and ancient for- The Swedish weather service also man said. ests, bird populations, all the forecast thunder showers and “Scooters race through the he ferocity of wildfi res indicators are going in the right possible lightning strikes – something pedestrian areas. There is a lot in Sweden has sparked direction,” he said. that could prevent helicopters from of shouting. Drugs are being Tcriticism against the Lina Burnelius, who is re- being deployed, emergency services bought. powerful forest industry, which sponsible for forest issues at spokesman Johan Szymanski in “There is stealing. People pee is being accused of having Greenpeace’s Sweden branch, the central county of Dalarna told and even poop on the streets,” rolled out a “red carpet” for disputes this claim and said reporters. Zuurmond said. “There is vio- blazes and sacrifi cing the na- that the forest landscape is seg- Lightning strikes were blamed for lence but no action. You can tion’s biodiversity for the sake mented. causing several of the main fires that even pee on the van of a mobile of profi t. “In order for species to sur- have burned for over two weeks (police) unit and the driver won’t Forests, sacred in ancient vive, they have to live together in central Sweden, a few hundred say anything.” Norse mythology, still cover with other species, and if we kilometres north of the capital in the Zuurmond, who has taken the 70% of Sweden’s territory. only have trees of the same counties of Gavleborg, Jamtland, and unusual step of moving into the They play an important part kind and age, nothing can exist Dalarna. heart of the city for two weeks in its modern economy by sup- around it,” she told AFP. this summer to observe fi rst- plying the raw material to make Neither can the reindeer in hand the problem, also high- Sweden the world’s third larg- Lapland where Sami herders Library off ers use lighted 2,000 illegal taxis roam- est exporter of paper, cellulose are fi ghting against the con- of laundry machine ing the streets at nights for fares and wood products while em- This picture taken on Thursday shows the aftermath of a wildfire in Alvdalen, central Sweden. torta pine. and a fl ourishing black market ploying 100,000 people. An invasive species, the A Swedish municipality has off ered with racketeers dealing in wads The central province of Ljus- massive fi res,” writer Sven drought and scorching tem- However, environmental fast-growing pine trees are residents suff ering from a long- of cash. dal is one of the worst hit areas Olov Karlsson noted in a local peratures as high as 35° Celsius protection associations are smothering vegetation on the running drought to do their laundry In the Red Light district “the by the fi res. newspaper column. “Maybe it (95° Fahrenheit). sceptical and argue for the pro- reindeer’s grazing grounds, at the central library. streets are so packed in the eve- It is 95% covered by forests wasn’t so wise to get rid of leaf According to Johan Sjos- tection of woodlands. including lichen, the animal’s “The off er is aimed for people who nings that there is a very unsafe and as in many northern re- trees and create a monoculture trom, a fi re technology expert They claim that the share of main source of food. are not connected to the municipal public situation in the event of a gions, the forestry industry is of pine which can spread fi re at at the RISE Research Institute protected forest areas is as low “The old forests that are still water supply,” said Tomas Klug, chief fi re or a heart attack as emergen- vital for the local economy. 80m per minute.” of Sweden, said wildfi res are as 4% while the industry says standing is partly thanks to of staff at Svenljunga municipality in cy services cannot get through”, The possessors of the “green Nearly all forests in Sweden “very rare today because we ex- it’s as high as 25%. us, but it is increasingly diffi - southwestern Sweden. Zuurmond warned. gold” are of high status and are less than a century old. tinguish them”. Non-governmental organi- cult,” said Margret Fjellstrom, A number of the 11,000 residents The ombudsman pointed to powerful: Sweden’s King Carl Described as “production “We didn’t do that before be- sations warn that there are owner of hundreds of reindeer rely on their own wells to cover their measures to clean up the New XVI Gustaf himself is a pros- forests”, they are 83% conifers cause we didn’t have the same considerable challenges to en- in Dikanas, a mountainous vil- water needs. York underground 20 years ago, perous forest owner. whose tall height deprives oth- resources,” he told the Swedish suring biodiversity for plants lage located 800km (500 miles) Due to the drought, the water table by focusing on one station at a Controversy spread as fast as er species of sunlight. daily Dagens Nyheter. and animals amid the fi ght north of the capital Stockholm. has dropped and some people can no time. the wildfi res when industry op- For Rolf Edstrom, spokesman Magnus Kindbom, direc- against global warming. “We are fi ghting against longer draw enough water from their Such a plan could be put into erators were criticised for their for Norrskog, a forest own- tor of forests at the infl uential One in 10 species in the money,” she said. wells to run their washing machines, action in Amsterdam, moving role in the crisis. ers association with more than Federation of Swedish Farm- country’s forests is on the red For Magnus Kindbom of the Klug told DPA. through one area at a time, per- “Flat landscapes stretch- 12,000 members, “it doesn’t ers, said “the entire forestry in- list of the Swedish Species In- Federation of Swedish Farm- The library has a washing machine haps starting with the central ing long distances with closely matter whether the forest is dustry is generally working on formation Centre. ers, “the forest owners have the and dryer used by cleaners so it Leidseplein, Zuurmond sug- situated pine forests are a red new or old, the fi re spreads no increasing the amount of leaf Norrskog spokesman Ed- right to manage their property made sense to off er the service there, gested. carpet for blazing storms and matter what”, after weeks of forests”. strom said the forest industry is as they wish”. he added. Free bus travel across Estonia a fi rst in Europe

AFP up rural regions, how to stop the exo- a more eco-friendly way, for exam- citizen satisfaction survey. Tallinn dus from the countryside to cities,” ple, by using public transport,” Sim- However, critics raised concerns said Simson, explaining that the pro- son told AFP, insisting this could help that, among other things, free buses gramme was born out of discussions limit the number of passenger cars. could negatively impact passenger stonia has become the fi rst Eu- between the central government and Harly Kirspuu, a 30-year-old fi lm traffi c on the Elron state-owned rail- ropean country to off er free bus counties. festival organiser told AFP that the way network. Etravel across nearly all of its ter- “Free bus transport at the coun- buses he uses to travel all over Estonia The train operator itself insists it ritory, in a move aimed at limiting ru- ty-level is meant primarily to create for work “haven’t become worse” in isn’t worried, boasting instead that ral fl ight and fossil fuel consumption. mobility options for people in rural terms of service since becoming free passenger numbers have risen by 8% “There are cities and regions in regions, to guarantee them access to earlier this month. so far this year. Europe where public transportation everyday services,” she said, adding Free bus rides have been available “The main question is whether is free but so far there hasn’t been a that the programme is also designed to in Estonia’s capital Tallinn since 2013 the county bus network will support state-wide free public transportation help Estonia meet EU greenhouse gas and Mayor Taavi Aas insists the pro- trains or compete with them, and solution of this kind,” Kadri Simson, emission targets. gramme is a success despite steady this applies both to free and paid bus the minister of economics and infra- To that end, Estonia’s parliament growth in the number of cars in the lines,” Ronnie Kongo, Elron’s director structure, told AFP on Thursday. resolved last year to limit the country’s city. of sales and development, told AFP. Eleven out of the small Baltic state’s fossil fuels consumption so that use in Half of Tallinn public transport us- “In the longer term, railway traffi c 15 counties began to off er the free re- 2030 would remain at 2012 levels. ers say that they began using the serv- can, above all, grow and develop in the This photo taken on January 9, 2013, shows a green special card being presented in gional bus transport this month. “This means that we need to fi nd ice more often since it became free, regions where the number of passen- front of a reading device in a bus in Tallinn. “We were looking at how to liven ways to encourage people to travel in according to the city’s 2017 annual gers grows too.” Gulf Times 14 Sunday, July 29, 2018 EUROPE

Orban rails Thousands rally against against Western Russian pension reform Europe DPA/AFP old Galina Nikiforova in Saint AFP Moscow Petersburg. Baile Tusnad, Romania Police said that around 6,500 demonstrators gathered at the ens of thousands of pro- Moscow protest, while organis- ungary’s right-wing na- testers took to the streets ers claimed there were tens of tionalist Prime Minis- Tof Russia’s major cit- thousands. Hter Viktor Orban railed ies yesterday to demonstrate Reporters put the turnout against what he called “un- against a planned rise in the state much lower at around 10,000. democratic” Western European pension age that has riled large Around 1,200 people protest- states in a speech yesterday, swathes of the population. ed in the Siberian city of Nov- sketching out his vision for the Trade unions, the Communist osibirsk, Tass state news agency continent’s future. Party and left-wing groups mo- reported, citing city hall. “There is liberalism in the bilised their supporters in doz- In Russia’s second largest West, there is no democracy,” ens of cities, including Moscow, city of Saint Petersburg, around Orban said, speaking to a gath- Saint Petersburg and Vladivos- 1,000 people took part in a Com- ering of ethnic Hungarians in tok. munist rally, with some waving neighbouring Romania. Some demonstrators called red fl ags and holding portraits of He claimed that in Western for Prime Minister Dmitry Stalin. European countries, “restric- Medvedev to step down over the The law has been signed off tions on freedom of expression controversial reforms, which by Russian parliament in its fi rst and censorship have become would see men retire at 65 rather reading, but amendments are common place”. than 60, and women at 63 rather still possible. Orban also sharpened his crit- than 55 by 2034. Las week Putin said that he icisms of Brussels institutions, The average life expectancy disliked the idea of raising the branding the European Com- for a Russian man is 67, and 77 pension age but that doing noth- mission a “symbol of failure”. for a woman. ing was not an option, insisting “The European Commission “It’s not a reform, but a crime “we will have to take some cru- is going, we are coming,” he said. against the nation,” Communist cial decisions”. In the latest of a series of dis- Party head Gennady Zyuganov The speaker of the lower putes with Hungary over its mi- said at a march in central Mos- house of parliament, represent- gration policy and rule of law, cow. ing Putin’s United Russia ruling last week the Commission re- Demonstrators in Moscow party, said on Friday that such ferred Hungary to the European chanted “Pension-off Putin!” protests were pointless. Court of Justice (ECJ) over con- and carried banners with slo- “You can’t resolve these ques- troversial laws penalising aid to gans including “We want to live tions at demonstrations,” Vy- migrants. on our pensions and not die at Activists of the country’s left-wing movements and Communist party supporters rally in Moscow against the government’s proposed acheslav Volodin told the Com- The Commission has also re- work.” pension reform. munist faction in parliament. ferred Hungary to the ECJ for As of January 2018, around Opposition leader Alexei Na- failing to resolve complaints 32% of Russia’s population are compliant Communist Party “Many believed Putin when you buy something to wear once average die in their early 60s, valny has called on his support- made in December 2015 that it pensioners, roughly 46mn peo- vote against it. he said there would be no pen- every six months. It’s not enough Zyuganov said, and “they will ers to attend an authorised rally held asylum-seekers for too long ple. Putin, who did not mention sion reform. It turns out that for anything else,” Nadezhda, a all get their pension in their cof- against the pension reforms in in transit centres and did not The average pension is $235 the issue ahead of his re-elec- was demagoguery. I’m very dis- 59-year-old pensioner, said at fi ns”. Moscow this afternoon, organ- treat them properly. per month. tion in March and had previously appointed in him,” protester Iri- the Moscow protest. In addition, many Russians ised by the little-known Liber- Orban also used the speech The rare show of public op- vowed not to raise the pension na Ivanova, 49, told AFP in Saint Those who oppose the reform say that employers are reluctant tarian Party. to outline his own defi nition of position to a reform backed by age, has seen trust in his presi- Petersburg. argue that many Russians, par- to hire older people. “We all understand perfectly: “Christian democracy”. President Vladimir Putin’s rul- dency fall to 64% this month, “You can live from your pen- ticularly men, will not live to en- “How will we live? I don’t the only real aim of this ‘reform’ “If you like, it’s illiberal,” ing party has seen 2.9mn sign a down from 80% in May, accord- sion if you only spend money on joy their pensions. know. They don’t hire anyone is to rob the public,” he wrote on Orban said, emphasising that protest petition and the often ing to VTsIOM state pollster. food and somewhere to live, and Currently, Russian men on over 50 years old,” said 59-year- his blog. it was “anti-immigrant, anti- multicultural and stands for the Christian family model”. He said he would make immi- gration a key theme in next year’s Army games European Parliament elections. Bulgarian Socialists “Europe’s leaders are inade- quate, they are unable to defend Europe from immigration,” he march against graft, went on. In contrast to the criticisms of Western Europe and of im- demand early polls migration, Orban struck a more emollient tone when referring to other states on the EU’s borders Reuters Corruption has reduced criticised by Brussels. Sofia foreign investment and has He slammed the EU’s policy prompted some EU countries of sanctions against Russia and to oppose Sofi a’s entry into the called the bloc’s policy towards ens of thousands of sup- Schengen zone of passport- Moscow “primitive”. porters of Bulgaria’s op- free travel and to the eurozone. Referring to Turkey’s Presi- Tposition Socialist Party Roads below Buzludzha in dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan, (BSP) rallied yesterday to pro- the Stara Planina mountains, An instructor teaches a boy to shoot a Kalashnikov whose government has been test poverty and corruption where the foundations of the automatic rifle during the International Army criticised, Orban said: “You can and demand an early election. Socialist movement in Bulgaria Games 2018. criticise Erdogan’s system but The next election is due in were laid in 1891, turned into stability in Turkey is good.” 2021 and a snap vote is unlikely, a sea of red for a rally that or- Right: A T-72 tank operated by a crew from “Today, the whole safety of according to analysts. ganisers said attracted 74,000 Kazakhstan in action yesterday during the Tank the Carpathian Basin and Europe However, a survey by inde- people. Biathlon competition at the International Army lies on the stability of Turkey, Is- pendent pollster Alpha Re- BSP leader Korneliya Ninova Games 2018, in Alabino, outside Moscow. rael and Egypt, who can stop the search showed support for the vowed that her party would (migrant) infl ux,” he said. ruling GERB party has slipped make improve living standards since an election in March 2017, if it returns to power. giving opposition parties hope. More than 40% of Bulgar- The Socialists accused Prime ians remains at risk of poverty Minister Boyko Borissov’s and social exclusion, Eurostat government of indiff erence to data showed. Catalan ex-leader vows to pursue independence bid deepening poverty and failing Bulgaria still has the low- to put corrupt offi cials behind est average pension in the EU bars since taking offi ce last at €190 ($221.46) a month and AFP local offi cials to work in parallel May. around a quarter of Bulgarian Brussels with the Catalan government. “It is time not only to say pensioners receive the mini- “My political activity will be ‘resignation’ but to work for mum pension of €106. based in Belgium, of course with early elections,” said Sergei “It is impossible to live with atalonia’s deposed presi- the aim of pursuing the mandate Stanishev, president of the 200 levs (about $120),” said dent Carles Puigdemont by the people” for an independ- Party of European Socialists Ninova. Chas vowed to “defend the ent Catalonia, Puigdemont said and a former Socialist leader. The party, heir to the once- just cause of the Catalan people” in Berlin when he announced his “I am convinced that BSP mighty Communist Party, also as he returned to Belgium. return earlier this week. will win this election,” he told said the government has failed Four months after he was de- Sacked as Catalan president supporters, who waved red and to stop Bulgaria’s demographic tained in Germany at Madrid’s after a failed secession bid on national fl ags. collapse. request, Puigdemont was able to October 27 last year, Puigdemont The annual rally took place Bulgaria’s population has travel to Belgium after a Spanish and several members of his ex- at the Mount of Buzludzha shrunk by more than one-fi fth court dropped a European arrest ecutive fl ed to Brussels several in central Bulgaria near the since the end of the commu- warrant for him. days later. round, concrete, memorial nism in 1989 to just below 7mn “This is not the end of my jour- He was then arrested in Ger- house for the country’s com- and the number of babies born ney. I will travel to the last corner many at the end of March on his munist party. has reached its lowest level of our continent to defend the return from a trip to Finland. Bulgaria was ranked the Eu- since 1945. just cause of the Catalan people,” Puigdemont was freed on bail ropean Union’s most corrupt It had the EU’s highest mor- he said at the offi ces of Catalo- and a German court ruled that country in Transparency In- tality rate in 2016, according nia’s delegation in Brussels. he could be extradited only on ternational’s 2017 index and to Eurostat data and the third He was joined at the news possible corruption charges and Brussels criticises it for failing highest death rate in the world conference by his designated not for “rebellion” as sought by to combat organised crime and in 2017, according to US Cen- successor Quim Torra, who still Madrid. convict corrupt high-level of- tral Intelligence Agency (CIA) considers him the “legitimate Following that decision, fi cials. data. president” of Catalonia. Spain’s Supreme Court judge Puigdemont was later greeted Pablo Llarena, in charge of the by around 300 supporters when case against separatist leaders, Madrid taxis join strike against Uber he travelled south of the Belgian dropped the international arrest capital to the town of Water- warrant. Taxi drivers in Madrid went on strike yesterday in solidarity with loo, known for another battle – From Belgium, Puigdemont Barcelona cabbies protesting against “unfair competition” from French emperor Napoleon’s de- will be able to travel where he Puigdemont (centre), with by current Catalonia president Torra (left), poses for a picture with a supporter, Uber and Cabify. feat by a mix of European forces likes, except to Spain where he is outside the ‘Casa de la Republica’ during a ceremony in Waterloo, south of Brussels. The federation of Madrid taxis claimed that all 15,000 drivers in the in 1815. still wanted on rebellion charges, capital had joined the movement and that it would spread to other The 55-year-old former re- which carries up to 25 years in limit after which the rebellion “In Brussels, we will continue by Spain’s courts and marred by cities. gional leader intends to set up a prison, and for misuse of public charge would no longer be valid. ... to develop activities linked to police violence. “All taxis have spontaneously and progressively stopped work, “Republican council” at his Wa- funds. Although power is now offi - that which the people of Catalo- Five other leading members paralysing services in the capital, at the airport, around bus and terloo base to continue to fi ght In theory, he could remain in cially in Torra’s hands, Puigde- nia approved on October 1,” Puig- of the pro-independence move- railway stations”, federation secretary Santiago Simon Vicente told for Catalan independence, as self-exile for 20 years, which in mont continues to exert strong demont said in Germany, in ref- ment are in Belgium, Switzerland AFP. well as an assembly composed of Spain’s legal system is the time infl uence in the region. erence to the referendum banned and Scotland. Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 15 INDIA Desalination plant brings ‘tasty tea’ to Lakshadweep

Reuters memory of the brackish tea she beaches, lagoons and coral reefs, killakam, who grew up on the salination plant and cartons of curious islanders to the site, ning, producing 100,000 litres Lakshadweep Islands hurriedly swallowed down until the islanders have for decades island and is an employee of the bottled water. where Jalihal’s team had to im- of potable water a day. a decade ago. battled a shortage of clean water public works department that They found themselves in the provise designs to ensure con- Pipelines were laid along the “We fi rst noticed the diff er- – a challenge facing many island runs the desalination plant. midst of a fragile ecosystem, struction did not harm the eco- streets, with a community tap ach morning, Kamaru- ence when we saw the golden inhabitants globally. Diff erent options were tried, with clear instructions from the system. set up every 25m. nisa Poovummada sips her colour of the tea as we strained Over the years, the sea’s clear from open wells to rainwater island administration to “not “It was a struggle to get things And in 2005, the water supply Ecup of tea while watch- it into our cups,” Poovummada blue waters seeped into the is- harvesting, he said – but they destroy” anything. going,” the scientist said. “There started. ing waves from the Arabian Sea recalled. lands’ limited groundwater re- were either ineff ective or too ex- They were also warned about was no infrastructure and we “It was almost like a revolu- crash around a water treatment “And then we tasted the tea serves, making every sip saline. pensive. the tea, and soon found even a couldn’t bring in heavy machin- tion,” housewife Rahiyanath Be- plant opposite her house on Ka- and it was magical.” Limited land availability also “Good drinking water was a sip made them queasy. ery. Everything had to be done gum told the Thomson Reuters varatti island, off India’s south- The “tasty” tea is celebrated resulted in groundwater sources prized commodity,” he added. “The salinity in the water was manually.” Foundation as she watched her west coast. daily by residents of Kavaratti, being too close to sewage sumps, When Purnima Jalihal and her unbearable, and the people knew The team built fl oating struc- children play on the beach. She links the taste of her per- the capital of India’s smallest causing contamination and team from the Chennai-based it was not good for their health. tures and towed them into the “Tea is a part of our life. We fectly brewed cup to the desali- Union Territory Lakshadweep, making water unsafe for drink- National Institute of Ocean But they had no choice,” Jalihal sea, including an underwater drink it without milk and so the nation plant that has brought an archipelago of 36 islands, of ing, cooking or even bathing. Technology (NIOT) fi rst arrived said. pipeline. colour and taste are important. If potable water to the doorsteps of which only 10 are inhabited. “The water system was a on Kavaratti in 2004, they were The project – and the fact it In less than a year, the water the tea is good, it means the wa- islanders, and almost erased the Surrounded by pristine mess,” said Hidyathulla Chek- armed with blueprints for a de- was headed by a woman – drew treatment plant was up and run- ter is good,” she said.

32 killed as bus plunges Key role for into gorge in Maharashtra Congress in Agencies Raigad, Maharashtra

t least 32 people were killed when a bus on a picnic trip plunged Ainto a deep ravine near Poladpur, opposition around 175km from Mumbai, yesterday morning, offi cials said. However, one person escaped with minor injuries. The victims were all staff members of the Dapoli Agriculture University. Prakash Sawant-Desai, the only sur- unity: Omar vivor, climbed to safety and alerted the police around 10.30am. IANS be made in other states as well. booth,” Chidambaram said. According to Raigad police offi cer Kolkata Speaking on Kashmir, he re- The senior Congress leader P D Patil, the bus was on way to Ma- iterated his party’s demand that was in Bengaluru to launch the habaleshwar, a favourite tourist spot, for the assembly be dissolved and party’s “Shakti” app to strength- a weekend picnic when the tragedy oc- ormer Jammu and Kash- eff orts made to improve the en the party cadres in Karnataka curred. mir chief minister Omar overall situation in the state. by connecting them across each By noon 12 bodies had been retrieved FAbdullah yesterday said The state is currently under booth, village, town and district. with the help of locals, he said. opposition eff orts for unity will Governor’s rule after chief min- Of the 28 Lok Sabha constituen- Sawant-Desai told reporters that near not succeed unless the Congress ister and People’s Democratic cies in the southern state, the Con- Poladpur, the bus reportedly lost control is able to take the fi ght to the Party leader Mehbooba Mufti gress had won nine seats, the BJP 17 after skidding on wet mud that had col- Bharatiya Janata Party. resigned following the BJP quit- and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) lected on the treacherous stretch. Abdullah, who was speaking ting her government and walk- two in the 2014 general election. “I managed to climb up and called up to reporters on the sidelines of a ing out of the alliance. The mobile phone-based the university authorities and the po- seminar, also referred to eff orts According to Abdullah, the project aims to build a direct link lice,” said Sawant-Desai, who is an as- by former Congress president situation should be like what it between the party’s booth-level sistant director. Sonia Gandhi to bring various was there in 2014, when the as- workers and its senior leader- He said that he had to climb over opposition parties together. sembly election was conducted ship. A party worker can enrol 500ft, as there was no mobile phone He said the proposed Federal in November-December. himself/herself on the platform range in the valley below in the Ambenali Front will take a “greater shape” “Discussion for conducting by registering through their vot- Ghat section. before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. the elections can be started after er card number. “On reaching the road at the top, I Abdullah’s comments came improvement in the situation. A few months ago, party came into the mobile range and called a day after he met West Bengal Under the prevailing situation, president Rahul Gandhi had in- up the police and university offi cials,” he Chief Minister and Trinamool there is no scope for discussion teracted with Congress workers said. Congress chief Mamata Baner- on the elections,” he said. in Rajasthan through the appli- The university promptly informed the jee, who has been the chief pro- Asked whether the India-Pa- cation, which has already been police. ponent of a Federal Front com- kistan relationship will improve unveiled in Telangana, Chhat- The Raigad police along with National prising regional parties. with a new government coming to tisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Disaster Response Force teams from “We were discussing how best power in the neighbouring coun- Shakti will enable the booth- Pune and groups of trekkers were in- the regional parties can come try, he said one can comment only level workers of the party to in- volved in a massive operation to retrieve together to take on BJP in the after a government is formed. teract with the local leadership on the bodies from the ravine fi ghting heavy forthcoming general elections. “Let Imran Khan form the various issues, Chidambaram said. rains, with clouds descending on the Obviously, no eff ort towards op- government. He has never been Though the party lost in the thickly forested valley and hills. position unity will really succeed in power before,” Abdullah said. May 12 Karnataka assembly The bus left at 6.30am for a weekend unless the Congress is also able “There is a need to see what election, Chidambaram claimed trip to Maharashtra’s most popular twin to take the fi ght to the BJP the kind of relationship Islamabad that Congress had a higher vote hill resort of Mahabaleshwar-Panchga- way we hope,” said the National wants with India and what is percentage than the BJP. ni. Conference leader after address- their approach regarding terror- “The Congress had 2% ad- Hundreds of shocked family members ing “Think Federal Conclave”. ism in Jammu and Kashmir and vantage in the vote share in the of the victims and university offi cials “It (forming a Federal Front) the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack,” election, as we got 38% of the have rushed to the scene of the accident. is an ongoing process and as we Abdullah said. votes, while the BJP got 36%,” The police have blocked the Poladpur- get closer to general elections of In Bengaluru, meanwhile, sen- Chidambaram said. Mahabaleshwar road as a precautionary 2019, I am sure it will take greater ior Congress leader and former In the election for the measure. shape,” he said. “You have seen a fi nance minister P Chidambaram 224-member assembly, the BJP Deep below in the ravine, the remains number of eff orts made particu- urged his party cadres in Karna- emerged as the single largest of the bus lie as a crumpled heap of met- larly by Sonia Gandhi to bring taka to strengthen their presence party winning 104 seats, Con- al, with bodies of the passengers strewn opposition parties together.” in every poll booth. gress 79 and the JD-S 37 seats, around or stuck on trees and bushes. Abdullah referred to the pres- “It is a booth-wise elec- including one seat of its alliance India has the highest number of traffi c ence of opposition leaders at the tion ahead, which is why the partner Bahujan Samaj Party fatalities worldwide, with an average of swearing-in of Karnataka Chief party needs our people in every (BSP), and two other seats – one around 135,000 people dying per year on A crane is seen at a mountain road during a rescue operation after a bus fell into a valley near Minister H D Kumaraswamy and booth. We must have enough each won by an independent and the country’s roads. Mahabaleshwar yesterday. said more such attempts would people with feet on every a regional outfi t.

Congress alleges govt complicity Karunanidhi taken to hospital, in Choksi row

The Congress Party blood pressure ‘now normal’ yesterday alleged complicity on part of government IANS and a huge contingent of police was render medical assistance to Karu- and investigative agencies Chennai deployed for security. nanidhi. after fugitive diamond Speaking to reporters, DMK Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Gover- jeweller Mehul Choksi leader A Raja urged the party cadres nor Banwarilal Purohit visited the secured the citizenship of ravida Munnetra Kazhagam to remain calm. hospital to inquire about Karunani- Antigua and. “The tragic president M Karunanidhi “Karunanidhi’s blood pressure is dhi’s health. part is that the government Dwas taken to hospital early now normal and there is nothing to Karunanidhi on Friday entered has been lax bordering yesterday after his blood pressure worry”. the 50th year as the party chief. on complicity in ensuring dropped, offi cials said. Earlier a team of doctors went to He took over as the party presi- that thousands of crores The 94-year-old former Tamil Karunanidhi’s home and reviewed dent on July 27, 1969, after he be- of money duped by the Nadu chief minister was admitted his condition. They then decided to came the chief minister on Febru- Indian fugitive are brought into ICU of Kauvery Hospital at shift him to the hospital. ary 10, that year following the death back within the ambit of 1.30am. On Friday DMK leader and Karu- of DMK founder C N Annadurai. law,” Congress spokesman “His blood pressure has been nanidhi’s son M K Stalin said there Karunanidhi had the party in his Randeep Singh Surjewala stabilised since with medical “is good improvement in the health strong grip despite presiding over said. His reaction came after management. He continues to be condition of Kalaignar” as the in- two major splits and being out of Antigua and Barbuda Prime monitored and treated by a panel of fection had come down. power continuously between 1977 Minister Gaston Browne on expert doctors,” the hospital’s ex- On Thursday, in a statement the and 1998. It had been a long journey Friday said India has not ecutive director Aravindan Selvaraj hospital said the DMK patriarch for Karunanidhi who was born into approached his country said. was under treatment for fever. a poor Isai Vellalar family on June 3, on Choksi. “We ask Prime The fi ve-time former chief min- “He is being monitored and 1924 in Thirukuvalai in Thanjavur Minister Modi and BJP’s ister has been suff ering from uri- treated round the clock by a team of district. departmental organisations nary tract infection and age-related medical and nursing professionals, Originally named Dakshina- like CBI and ED as to how ailments and was earlier under who are providing hospital-level murthy by his parents Muthuvel Mehul Choksi was permitted treatment at home. care at his home,” Selvaraj said. and Anjugam, he later changed it to to travel to Hong Kong, UAE, A large number of DMK cadres Chief Minister K Palaniswami Karunanidhi as it is a pure Tamil DMK party supporters gather in front of the hospital where party president M Karunanidhi is Belgium, the UK, the USA have gathered outside the hospital said the government was ready to name without any Brahminical tinge. being treated from a urinary tract infection, in Chennai yesterday. and Antigua,” he said. Gulf Times 16 Sunday, July 29, 2018 INDIA

CRIME HEALTH PROTEST CONTROVERSY PROMISE Man hacks to death woman, Hospital launches free Doctors on strike Taxpayers will pay Rs1tn for BJP to rebuild statue of 2 kids, is killed by villagers ambulances service against medical panel bill Rafale deal, says Rahul Left leader: Tripura CM

A mentally challenged man yesterday A New Delhi hospital is launching a fleet of 12 Over 20,000 private doctors from across Congress president Rahul Gandhi yesterday The Bharatiya Janata Party will reconstruct hacked three persons to death in ambulances which will be stationed at certain Karnataka went on strike yesterday morning claimed that the due to the Rafale fighter the razed statue of Tripura’s communist leader Jharkhand’s Gumla district, after which places in the National Capital Region (NCR) to carry supporting the 12-hour nationwide protest by jet deal, Indian taxpayers will have to pay Baidyanath Majumder, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar angry villagers lynched him, police said. emergency patients to the nearest hospital free of Indian Medical Association (IMA) against the the “prime minister’s friend’s joint venture Deb said yesterday. Majumder’s life-sized statue According to police, Chhotu Munda hacked cost. “The WHO’s ‘Golden Hour’ theory followed National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill. “At Rs1 lakh crore (Rs1tn) over five decades to was knocked down in Kailashahar late Wednesday. Bandhain Munda, her three-year-old son and world over says if a patient of road mishap or a least 20,000 private doctors from across 25,000 maintain the aircraft. “Over the next 50 years, Freedom fighter-turned-politician, Majumder a year-old daughter to death in the morning. heart patient is rushed to the hospital within an hospitals and clinics in the state have abstained Indian taxpayers will pay Mr 56’s (Modi) was a founding member of the communist The villagers tried to catch him but Chhotu hour, his chances of survival goes up by 70-80%,” from their duties in protest against the NMC bill,” friend’s JV, (Rs) 100,000 crore to maintain base in Tripura in early 1940s. He was deputy attacked them, too, and injured two villagers. Manipal Hospitals Dwarka chairman Sudarshan IMA off icial B Veeranna said. Emergency services 36 #RafaleScam jets, India is buying,” Gandhi chief minister of the state from 1993 to 1998. “I The angry villagers thrashed him and Chhotu Ballal said. Ballal said Manipal Ambulance of the hospitals and clinics, however, remained tweeted. “Raksha Mantri (defence minister) have asked our party leaders in Kailashahar to died on the spot. The incident took place Response Service (MARS) will be launched today. open, while the out-patient departments were will address a press conference to deny this, as rebuild the statue from the party fund. The state in Kondekera village under Palkot police The ambulances are equipped with ICU services shut from 6am to 6pm. The NMC Bill, introduced usual. But the truth is in the presentation I’m government will support the initiative. This is not station area of Gumla district. The police and trained drivers who can perform ‘basic life in the Lok Sabha on December 29, 2017 by attaching,” he said, tagging along a Reliance the culture of BJP to tear down the statue of a have sent the bodies for a postmortem. supporting techniques’ on the patients. Health Minister J P Nadda. Infrastructure Investors Presentation. man like Baidyanath Majumder,” Deb said. Vijayan must face trial in Lavalin case, CBI tells court

IANS of Pallivasai, Sengulam and New Delhi Panniar hydroelectric projects in Idukki district of Kerala, which allegedly caused a loss he Central Bureau of of Rs2.66bn to the exchequer. Investigation has told Vijayan was then the state’s Tthe Supreme Court that power minister. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi The three men who face trial Vijayan, who was discharged too had approached the Su- from all criminal and corrup- preme Court, asking why they tion charges in the SNC Lava- were not treated on par with lin case, “should face trial”. Vijayan and the two co-ac- In an affi davit fi led in the cused discharged in the case. court, the CBI questioned the The CBI said that the high discharge of Vijayan and two court order was “bad in law” others, saying the Kerala High and its fi ndings that Vijayan Court orders in this regard and two others need not face were “not correct”. trial amounts to “clear diff er- The CBI has challenged the entiation” between two sets of high court’s August 23, 2017, accused. order to discharge Vijayan, “Without the knowledge K Mohanachandran, former of Vijayan and two others, A man stands on his boat on the flooded Ganges river, in Allahabad yesterday. The water level of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers is rising due to heavy rainfall. principal secretary in Depart- the consultancy agreements ment of Power, and A Francis, would not have been con- the then joint secretary in the verted into supply contracts department. The high court on fi xed rates on February had given the go-ahead for the 10, 1997, when Vijayan was trial of three others, who are (power) minister and had gone Kerala State Electricity Board to Canada along with Moha- offi cials. nachandran (also discharged Yamuna crosses danger Objecting to the high in the case) as a guest of Lava- court’s decision to discharge lin and during the visit the de- some while others face trial, cision to sign the supply con- the CBI said: “Vijayan should tract was taken by Vijayan,” also face trial for the same set the affi davit added. of off ences”. “The wilful omissions and “The specifi c acts and commissions on the part of mark, evacuation begins omissions of each accused can the public servants provid- only be decided in a properly ed the opportunity to SNC Agencies living on the river bed and low- high alert was declared in the Pradesh - home to some 220mn operation, Acting Deputy Com- conducted trial and the dis- Lavalin for deriving wrongful New Delhi lying areas are being shifted out,” district in the morning. people - were on high alert and missioner Avninder Kumar said. charge of some accused may gains, causing corresponding an offi cial said. He said the army has been put called for all buildings at risk to Kinner Kailash trek is consid- adversely impact the outcome loss to the KSEB,” it added. “Today morning, over on alert along with a team of the be vacated. ered the toughest as it takes at vis-a-vis those tried in court,” A bench of Justices N V Ra- uthorities in Delhi yes- 200,000 cusecs was released National Disaster Management Meanwhile, a woman pilgrim least two days to complete. the CBI affi davit said. mana and Abdul Nazeer had terday began to evacuate into the Yamuna from the bar- Authority. from Pune in Maharashtra was The pilgrimage is yet to start Reacting to the fresh de- earlier stayed the trial and Ahundreds of people living rage - which provides drinking However, there was no report washed away and three oth- offi cially. velopment, Congress leader sought the CBI’s response. in the Yamuna catchment area as water to New Delhi,” an offi cial of any damage to property or a ers were reported missing in a With heavy rainfall continu- Ramesh Chennithala told On November 5, 2013, a CBI a fl ood threat loomed following a said in Chandigarh. loss of life in Yamunanagar dis- flashflood triggered by heavy ing, most roads in Himachal reporters in Thiruvanan- court in the state capital exon- sharp rise in the river’s level, of- He said villagers living along trict. rains in Kinnaur district of Pradesh remained closed to traf- thapuram that it what his erated all the accused, without fi cials said. the river have been alerted on the The heavy rains have killed at Himachal Pradesh yesterday, fi c. party had been saying all along taking up the case for trial. Heavy rains continued to lash release of excess water, adding least 49 people in Uttar Pradesh police said. India’s monsoon season be- had now been proved right. However, a year later, the many parts of north India and water at the Hathnikund barrage state since Thursday, offi cials At least 163 people were res- tween June and September often “Vijayan should now react CBI approached the high court the authorities released more along the Haryana-Uttarakhand said. cued while 35 are still stranded at sees heavy rains that are vital for to this... we have been saying against the CBI court’s ex- water at Haryana’s Hathnikund border had risen to alarming lev- Some of the victims died after diff erent location en route Kin- agriculture but can cause im- all through that he has a role oneration, which ordered the barrage during the day. els owing heavy rains in catch- they were buried by collapsing ner Kailash. mense destruction. in it.” trial against three men while The Yamuna in Delhi was ment states. buildings, while others drowned, Most pilgrims were trapped in The Metereological Depart- The chief minister, however, discharging three others, in- fl owing above the danger mark The Yamuna passes through were electrocuted or killed in the Ganesh park area near Kin- ment has forecast heavy rain in has not responded so far. cluding Vijayan. at 205.06m by 10am, an Irriga- Yamunanagar, Karnal and Pani- traffi c accidents caused by the ner Kailash. the region over the next three The case pertains to an A criminal case was reg- tion and Flood Control Depart- pat districts in Haryana before rain, disaster management offi - The district administration days raising fears of further agreement with Canadian fi rm istered on February 12, 2007, ment offi cial said. entering Delhi. cials said. deployed police, Home Guards damage and fl ooding with sev- SNC Lavalin in 1997 for the and the CBI fi led its charge- “Over 10,000 people have Yamunanagar Deputy Com- With scores of houses dam- and Indo-Tibetan Border Police eral rivers fl owing near their renovation and modernisation sheet on June 12, 2009. been aff ected. People earlier missioner Girish Arora said a aged, authorities in Uttar troopers for search and rescue danger levels. Police arrest suspect Protest against govt policies CAG slams ministry over project delays in girl’s trolling case not reached a stage where the IANS New Delhi benefi ts of power generation, Agencies It was Sheikh who had fi rst who have abused the college girl drinking water and reservoir Kochi taken selfi es with Hamid when would also the consequences. creation can be delivered. he came to know of her strug- It was after Chief Minister eesta Barrage, Indira The fi ve national water gles. Later, however, he posted Pinarayi Vijayan’s Facebook Sagar Poolavaram and projects which are nowhere olice yesterday took into the pictures questioning her post supporting Hamid on Fri- TGosikhand irrigation near completion due to various custody a man alleged to condition, after she was also day that the police registered a projects are among fi ve major reasons including poor con- Phave been the key tor- seen in a few pictures with su- case against the cyber bullies. water projects having strate- tract management and admin- mentor of a 19-year-old Kerala perstar Mohanlal. Yesterday, Vijayan said: “The gic national importance that istrative delays are Indira Sagar student, who was trolled on so- Soon Sheikh’s post went viral thump rule for those on social are way behind the completion Polavaram project in Andhra cial media for selling fi sh after and Hamid was slammed as “a media is to be careful with their mark, despite incurring an ex- Pradesh, Gosikhand irrigation college hours. fake and doing all she did only to statements.” penditure over Rs130bn since project in Maharashtra, Sha- Noorudeen Sheikh is being impress to superstar Mohanlal to “It’s clear that those who 2008, according to the Comp- hipur Kandi dam in Punjab, questioned and a First Infor- land a role with his son Pranav have been hounding this young troller and Auditor General of Saryu Nahar Pariyojna in Uttar mation Report has been regis- Mohanlal in an upcoming fi lm.” girl don’t understand the fi rst India. Pradesh and Teesta Barrage in tered against him, a police of- Hamid said she is very happy thing about women’ empower- Taking note of the cost es- West Bengal. fi cer said. He has been booked that the suspect has been ar- ment,” tweeted Congress MP calation due to delays, the The primary objective of under various sections of the IT rested. Shashi Tharoor. Her neigh- national auditor has observed national projects is to enhance Act, besides provisions attract- “Now I have realised that bours have vouched for the that the original cost esti- agricultural productivity by ing non-bailable off ences. with the support I am getting girl’s courage and hard work. mate of the fi ve projects was creating irrigation potential Hanan Hamid, a fi nal year from the government and my “Kerala sharks stop attacking Rs35.30bn while the current and water availability in cov- graduate student studying in a college, I have now got so many #Hanan. I’m ashamed. Here is cost estimate is Rs861.72bn. ered areas. The CAG noted that college near here attracted at- guardians,” said Hamid. a girl trying to put together a Coming down heavily on the the shortfall in terms of physi- tention after it came to light that Police launched a crackdown on shattered life. You vultures!” Ministry of Water Resources, cal progress in diff erent com- she was eking out a livelihood by cyber following an order from the federal Minister of State for River Development and Ganga ponents of the projects ranged selling fi sh and also doing odd Kerala Women’s Commission. Tourism K J Alphons wrote on Rejuvenation, the CAG in its from eight to 99% in the fi ve jobs as a junior artiste in fi lms. The National Commission for his Facebook wall. latest report observed that projects under implemen- Hamid has said she was sell- Minorities had also sought a re- Meanwhile, Chennithala said the poor implementation of tation along with an overall ing fi sh to take care of an ailing port from the police. The police, a Kuwait-resident had off ered Bank employees stage a demonstration against the central the important projects was cost escalation of 2,341% that mother, who has been separat- keeping track of social media land to Hanan to build a house at government’s bank policies, in Kolkata yesterday. adversely impacting strate- threatened the economic vi- ed from her husband. posts, have said more people Ramapuram in Pala in Kottayam. gic national interests and had ability of the projects. Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 17 PAKISTAN PTI in coalition talks with smaller parties Sharif with his daughter Maryam. Reuters/AFP seats in the general election after Islamabad splitting with its longtime leader, Altaf Hussain. The PTI spokesman said that New govt to decide akistan’s likely new prime Khan is expected to take the oath minister Imran Khan as prime minister around August Popened coalition talks with 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day. about ECL issue of at least one smaller party and in- PTI spokesman Naeem ul-Haq dependent politicians yesterday, told a news conference that the a spokesman said, after the an- party would also form a govern- Nawaz, Maryam nouncement of full results of an ment in the most populous prov- election disputed by rivals. ince, Punjab, and there would Khan’s party did better than “good news” today (Sunday). Internews Bureau (NAB), which is pursu- expected to scoop up 16.86mn The poll has been marred by Islamabad ing corruption cases against votes, trouncing the party of long delays in counting and com- Sharif, had asked the previous jailed former premier Nawaz plaints of rigging by the former PML-N government and the Sharif, which fi nished second ruling Pakistan Muslim League – he caretaker federal cab- present interim government with 12.89mn and said yesterday Nawaz (PML-N) party. inet has left it to the new to place Sharif, Maryam, and that a party member had been According to the latest count, Tgovernment to decide on retired Captain Muhammad killed. the PML-N won 64 seats. putting jailed Pakistan Mus- Safdar on the ECL, but both However, the 116 seats won Some of the smaller religious lim League – Nawaz (PML-N) governments turned down the by Khan’s lawmakers were not parties are threatening street leaders Nawaz Sharif and his requests. enough to give him a majority in protests if the poll is not re-run. daughter Maryam Nawaz on The fi rst request was made the 272-seat National Assembly More than a dozen parties call- the Exit Control List (ECL). on February 11 and the second without coalition partners, and ing themselves the All Parties The cabinet meeting, chaired request, last month. he has ruled out both of the other Conference (APC) promised to by caretaker Prime Minister The Accountability Court two major parties, calling them protest over the results. Nasirul Mulk, also deferred in Islamabad, has sent Sharif, corrupt. However, the group remained some other important matters Maryam, and Safdar to Adiala Offi cials from Khan’s Pakistan divided with some parties pledg- Imran Khan: likely to be sworn in as prime minister around Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14. to the new government to be jail on corruption charges. Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI, Pakistan ing to boycott joining the Na- formed soon. The cabinet did take some Movement for Justice) party said tional Assembly and others call- Retired general and analyst said yesterday that he was “out- to need a coalition with religious A participant of the meeting decisions and approved the that they are in talks with inde- ing for a new vote. Talat Masood said the APC may raged” by the killing of a party parties and independents to form said it did not come under the assigning of the additional pendents and at least one other The PML-N announced succeed in sparking pockets of member in the northern city of a government. mandate of the interim govern- responsibility of “Technical political party to form a coalition its support for the group but unrest but did not see the move- Mansehra and that demanding a Two newly-formed small par- ment to put the Sharifs on the Member” in Pakistan Telecom- government. stopped short of saying it would ment upsetting stability at the recount is a party’s legal right. ties are seen as being open to an ECL. munications Authority (PTA) “We are pretty much there in boycott the new parliament. national level. He did not specify when the alliance with Khan’s PTI. Another issue left for the to Yawar Yaseen, the PTA di- the National Assembly ... talks And the Pakistan Peoples “Opposition parties are divid- party member was killed. The Grand Democratic Al- new government is the ap- rector general, and the charge are going on with MQM as well,” Party (PPP), which was notably ed and they are not genuinely in a “The PML-N is a peaceful na- liance (GDA), a new alliance in pointment of the new Civil of “Compliance and Enforce- said Faisal Javed Khan, a senior absent from the APC, said in a mood to form any major opposi- tional political party and fear & Sindh province, has two seats. Aviation Authority (CAA) chief ment Member” to Chaudhry PTI spokesman. separate announcement that it tion. I don’t think they have this intimidation can’t suppress our The Baluchistan Awami Party executive. Ali Asghar, the PTA direc- The Muttahida Qaumi Move- rejected the results, but vowed to stamina and the support of the rights,” Sharif tweeted. (BAP), another group formed A proposal was also present- tor general (Law), for three ment (MQM) has dominated try to convince the other parties people for going for a big move- Khan has off ered to investigate by a number of seasoned politi- ed before the cabinet regard- months. politics in the port megacity of to participate in the parliamen- ment,” said Masood. any claims of irregularities in the cians from Baluchistan province, ing removal of the incumbent The cabinet approved ap- Karachi for decades, and won six tary process. PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif wake of Wednesday’s poll, which picked up four seats. president of the National Bank pointment of district and ses- Sharif’s PML-N and several oth- Yesterday the Election Com- of Pakistan (NBP), which was sions judge Muhammad Zareef United States criticises Pakistan pre-electoral process ‘fl aws’ er parties allege was skewed in mission of Pakistan (ECP) re- also left for the new govern- Baloch as the Judge of Special favour of the former cricket hero leased the results for 270 seats, ment to handle. Court (court of narcotics sub- The United States has said that it is concerned about The US also expressed “deep reservations over the by Pakistan’s powerful military. with elections in two seats post- A separate proposal was stances), Quetta. “flaws” in Pakistan’s pre-electoral process, but said it is participation of terrorist-aff iliated individuals in the European Union observers poned. placed before the cabinet re- The terms and conditions of nonetheless ready to work with the new government. elections” but praised Pakistani voters “for fully reject- were critical of the political cli- Several were being recounted. garding allowances of staff appointment of the chairman In a statement, the US State Department acknowl- ing these candidates”. mate in the run up to the vote, The coalition arithmetic is of the Election Commission of the 8th Wage Board were also edged Wednesday’s election results, which saw Imran “We condemn the horrific acts of terrorist violence that saying that some parties had slightly complicated by the fact of Pakistan (ECP), which was approved by the cabinet. Khan win the vote. marred this process, including the latest attack outside been disadvantaged. that a further 70 seats, most of similarly deferred by the cabi- The cabinet approved trans- However, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said: “The a polling station in Quetta on election day. In their preliminary fi ndings, them reserved for women and net. fer of a case of FOA SBC/Ka- United States shares concerns about flaws in the pre- “We off er our deepest condolences to the victims and the observers said that the elec- members of non-Muslim mi- Following the expiry of the rachi from the Anti-Terrorism voting electoral process, as expressed by the Human their families, and wish a speedy recovery to those toral process was “not as good” norities, are allocated to parties fi ve-year term of the PML- Court, Karachi-II, to the Anti- Rights Commission of Pakistan.” injured,” said the US off icial. as the 2013 election, and that the on the basis of their performance N government, the caretaker Terrorism Court, Islamabad. Those flaws included “constraints placed on freedoms Nauert added the US would seek opportunities to work campaign week featured a “lack in the contested constituencies. government was formed on The meeting authorised the of expression and association during the campaign pe- with Pakistan’s new government to “advance our goals of equality” that meant it was not Once those seats are added in, June 5 to hold 2018 elections on fi nance division to issue a Let- riod that were at odds with Pakistani authorities’ stated of security, stability and prosperity in South Asia”, but a level playing fi eld for all politi- any coalition will need at least July 25. ter of Guarantee for a local loan goal of a fully fair and transparent election”, she added. did not reference the winners by name. cal parties. 172 seats. The Pakistan Tehreek-e- for two nuclear power projects Nauert said that Washington agreed with the European The US regularly criticises Pakistan for doing too little The United States voiced simi- Khan’s victory represents an Insaf (PTI) party of Imran Khan in Karachi called K-2/K-3. Union’s observation that “positive changes to the legal to tackle the Taliban and accuses the government of lar concerns (see accompanying end to decades of rotating lead- has taken a lead in the polls and Amendments to by-laws 106 framework for elections in Pakistan” were eclipsed by off ering refuge to terrorists, which it says fuels the report). ership between the PML-N and it is likely to form the govern- and 124 of the Chartered Ac- “restrictions on freedom of expression and unequal conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan. – AFP/Reuters/ Khan’s 116 seats puts him short the Bhutto dynasty’s PPP that ment at the Centre. countants Bylaws 1983 were campaign opportunities”. Internews of the 137 required for an assem- was punctuated by periods of The National Accountability also approved by the cabinet. bly majority, meaning he is likely military rule.

Judge cuts vacation Commitment to democracy hailed 3 Hindus Internews tional right to vote, the people forts to enhance the inclusion of win from to hear Sharifs case Islamabad of Pakistan have reaffi rmed their women, persons with disability commitment to a democratic and other marginalised groups, Pakistan,” he said in a state- as well as fi rst-time voters, in the Muslim Internews and July 26 had comprised Sid- N Secretary General An- ment read out by his spokesman electoral process,” the statement Islamabad diqui and Farooq. tonio Guterres has con- Stephane Djuarric yesterday. said. “The secretary general However, as per the roster Ugratulated the people of “The secretary general com- looks forward to the formation of majority between July 7 and August 3, Pakistan, saying that he “looks mends the Election Commission a new government and wishes it judge of the Islamabad the division bench comprised Guterres: The people have forward to the formation of a new of Pakistan for organising the success in providing the people High Court (IHC) has Farooq and Aurangzeb. reaff irmed their commitment to government”. elections, taking initiatives to of Pakistan a stable, democratic, areas Acancelled his summer The senior puisne judge, a democratic Pakistan. “By exercising their constitu- train women and for making ef- and prosperous future.” vacation to return and hear the Justice Siddiqui, has not been appeals fi led by ousted prime included in the division bench Internews minister Nawaz Sharif against despite his availability for the Karachi his conviction in the Avenfi eld coming week. properties reference and trans- According to the IHC’s no- Out of 464 candidates, eight women won seats fer of pending references to an- tifi cation, “the division bench irst time in the history of other court. shall function from Monday to Pakistan after the resto- IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Thursday”. Internews tional and Provincial Assembly. Shams un-Nisa (PPPP) from NA- ers remained 10% less than men. Fration of joint electorate Aurangzeb had heard the ap- Earlier, Siddiqui, while ad- Islamabad Of these 175 women cam- 223 Thatta, Nafi sa Shah (PPPP) According to preliminary sta- system, three Hindu politicians peals while he was a member dressing the district bar asso- paigned as independent candi- from NA-208 Khairpur, Ghulam tistics released by Free and Fair – one for National and two for of the bench, headed by Justice ciation of Rawalpindi on July dates and 289 women on political Bibi Bharwana (PTI) from NA- Elections Network (FAFEN) yes- Provincial Assembly seats – Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, on July 21, said that he had been ex- ccording to the data col- party tickets. 115, Shazia Mari (PPPP) NA-216 terday, the turnout of women were elected from Muslim ma- 17. cluded from the division bench lected by National Com- Pakistan Peoples Party Parlia- Sanghar, Zubaida Jalal (Balu- voters in 241 constituencies out jority areas. On July 6, Accountability on the demand of the Inter- Amission on the Status of mentarians (PPPP, the electoral chistan Awami Party) from NA- of total 272 constituencies re- All three Hindus belong to Pa- Judge Mohammad Bashir con- Services Intelligence (ISI). Women (NCSW) from the Elec- extension of the Pakistan Peo- 271 Baluchistan, and Mehnaz mained 47% of the total regis- kistan Peoples Party (PPP). victed Sharif in the Avenfi eld IHC Chief Justice Moham- tion Commission of Pakistan ples Party) gave the maximum Akbar Aziz (PML-N) from NA-77 tered women voters as compared Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani has reference and sentenced him to mad Anwar Khan Kasi had (ECP)’s website, eight women number of tickets to women (41), Narowal. to 58.3% of men. become the fi rst Hindu elected 10 years in prison. removed Siddiqui from the won National Assembly elec- whereas the Pakistan Tehreek-e- At the provincial level, fi ve The report says that there were on general seat of the National The same judge sentenced division bench that was con- tions on general seats out of the Insaf (PTI) gave 39 tickets, and women contestants from the at least two National Assembly Assembly from NA-222 (Thar- Maryam Nawaz to seven years stituted to hear the appeals total 171 women contestants for the Pakistan Muslim League – PPPP won elections: Faryal constituencies where, accord- parkar). in prison and retired Captain fi led by Sharif and his daughter the lower house. Nawaz (PML-N) gave 36 tickets Talpur from PS-10, Azra Fazal ing to the provisional result, the Malani, according to the re- Mohammad Safdar to one year against their conviction in the The data was based on results to women. Pechuho from PS-37, Saleem Bibi women’s voter turnout was be- sults issued yesterday, polled in jail. Avenfi eld properties reference. that came out at noon yesterday. Among other parties, the Mut- from PS 96, Ashifa Riaz from PS low 10% of the polled votes NA- 106,630 votes against the Grand The IHC bench comprising The Inter-Services Public On general seats for Provincial tahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) 122, and Sonia from PP 123. 10 (Shangla) and NA-48 (North Democratic Alliance (GDA)’s Justices Kayani and Aurangzeb Relations (ISPR), reacting to Assemblies, eight women won gave 35 tickets to women, the Two independent candidates Waziristan Agency). Arbab Zakaullah’s 87,261 votes. heard the appeals against con- Siddiqui’s allegations, had re- the elections out of 296 women Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan – Kishwar Zehra from PS 125 and Under the provisions of the He won from Umerkot dis- viction, and after the initial quested Chief Justice of Paki- candidates, as of afternoon yes- (TLP) gave 23 tickets, the Awami Syeda Maimanat Mohsin (Jugnu new Elections Act, where the trict, which is 58% Muslim. hearing, adjourned proceed- stan Saqib Nisar to inquire into terday. National Party gave 17 tickets, Mohsin) from PP-184 – made it women’s turnout is below 10% Hari Ram Kishori Lal elected ings till the last week of July. the matter. A record number of women the Pak Serzameen Party gave 13 to provincial assemblies. of the polled votes after the con- as member of the Provincial As- According to the IHC’s noti- Nisar referred the matter to contested elections on general tickets, the Allah-o-Akbar Te- One woman contestant from solidation of results, the Elec- sembly (MPA) from Mirpurkhas fi cation of summer vacations, the IHC chief justice. seats this year, thanks to the hreek (AAT) gave 11 tickets, the PML N, Naghma Mushtaq, won tion Commission has the power city’s PS-47, getting 33,400 Aurangzeb was on leave be- The Pakistan Bar Coun- Election Act 2017 which requires National Party (NP) gave eight elections from PP-223. to declare the elections in these votes defeating Muttahida Qau- tween July 20 and Aug 5. cil has asked for the matter to a fi xed 5% quota allotted to wom- tickets, the All Pakistan Muslim NCSW chairperson Khawar constituencies null and void and mi Movement (MQM) candidate He left on July 19, and the be brought before a full court en on general seats by all political League (APML) gave eight tick- Mumtaz said that the Commis- to conduct a re-run one or more Mujeeb Haq, who bagged 24,000 IHC administration notifi ed it of the Supreme Court, while parties contesting elections. ets, and Grand Democratic Alli- sion salutes all women who con- polling stations or the entire votes, in the area where 90% of accordingly. Siddiqui has demanded that a The NCSW website says that ance gave seven tickets to women tested general election whether constituency. the population is Muslim. That meant that there were commission comprising of a 464 women contested for general on national and provincial polls. they won or lost. The NCSW website says that Guano Mal, former PPP MPA only two judges available – judge who had not taken oath seats in the National and Provin- Those who won the elections “They stood against all chal- number of registered women on reserved seat, succeeded from Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui under former ruler General cial Assemblies. on National Assembly Seats in- lenges and perceptions in the voters in the 2018 general elec- Thano Bola Khan, Jamshoro dis- and Justice Aamer Farooq. Pervez Musharraf’s Provincial There is an overlap as there are clude Zartaj Gul (PTI) from NA- way of women joining main- tions increased from 38mn in trict’s PS 81, by defeating Jam- The division bench that Constitutional Order should a number of women candidates 191 Dera Ghazi Khan, Fehmida stream politics,” she said. 2013 to 47mn in 2018, showing an shoro Ethad’s Malak Changaiz heard the cases between July 20 investigate his allegations. who ran for seats in both the Na- Mirza (GDA) from NA-230 Badin, Overall turnout of women vot- increase of almost 9mn. Khan. Gulf Times 18 Sunday, July 29, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES For Russian business, Putin’s summit win over Trump turns sour

Russia’s political and business leaders were quick to chalk up the recent summit with US President Donald Trump as a victory for Vladimir Putin. Now some fear Putin may have overplayed a winning hand and are bracing for a US sanctions backlash. The rouble fell 1.2 % last Tuesday after two US senators said in a statement they had begun working on new sanctions that would, among other things, take aim at Russian sovereign debt. It later recovered most of its losses. While the sanctions proposed by Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Bob Menendez were seen by most political risk analysts as unlikely in the near term, new curbs N Korea, US at odds contemplated by other US lawmakers targeting the energy and metals sectors are more realistic, they say. “There was hope that dialogue would start after the talks between Putin and Trump. But the reaction inside the United States is blocking any dialogue,” said one billionaire included in January on a US Treasury list of people deemed too close to over path to peace the Kremlin, some of whom were later hit with sanctions. “The threat of wider sanctions has grown,” the Reuters Kim has broadly committed to would not accept a nuclear armed Korean peninsula, he added. businessman told Reuters, declining to be named because of Seoul the “denuclearisation of the Korean North Korea. z OTHER PLAYERS the subject’s sensitivity. peninsula” if the United States and its “As we have stated before, we South Korean leaders in 1953 Russian business people had hoped the Helsinki meeting, allies drop their “hostile” policies and are committed to building a peace opposed the idea of a truce that left the fi rst between the two presidents, would pave the way ashington’s reluctance the North has made clear it sees an mechanism with the goal of replacing the peninsula divided, and were not to declare an end to the offi cial end to the state of war as crucial the Armistice agreement when signatories to the armistice. for a possible thaw in relations and delay, if not stop, the Korean War until after to lowering tensions. North Korea has denuclearised,” the The treaty was signed by the preparation of more sanctions which have followed thick and WNorth Korea abandons Many experts and offi cials in spokesperson said in an e-mailed commander of North Korea’s army, fast since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea. its nuclear arsenal may put it at odds Washington, however, fear signing statement. the American commander of the UN Instead, anger about what some US lawmakers saw as a too- not only with Pyongyang, but also with a peace deal fi rst could erode the zDOUBTS ON BOTH SIDES Command, and the commander of the deferential performance by Trump in Helsinki and his failure allies in South Korea. international pressure they believe led In recent weeks Pyongyang has “Chinese People’s volunteers”. to publicly confront Putin over Moscow’s alleged meddling in The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in Kim to negotiate. renewed calls for a declaration of the While South Korean offi cials an armistice rather than a peace treaty, It could also endanger the decades- end of the war, calling it the “fi rst say they are committed to the full US politics may have made leaving the US-led United Nations long US military alliance with South process for peace” and a key way denuclearisation of North Korea, they “The threat of things worse. forces technically still at war with Korea, and may undermine the the United States can add heft to its have shown more fl exibility in the In a country where state North Korea. justifi cation for the US troops based on guarantees of security. timing of a peace agreement than their wider sanctions media portrays Putin as Friday marked 65th anniversary of the peninsula. “The adoption of the declaration on US allies. a seemingly infallible the truce, which was be commemorated “Broadly speaking, one side wants the termination of war is the fi rst and South Korea’s Unifi cation Minister has grown” leader, even some of his by the United Nations Command in a denuclearisation fi rst, normalisation foremost process in the light of ending Cho Myoung-gyon said it is possible to supporters were fretting ceremony in the fortifi ed demilitarised of relations later, and the other wants the extreme hostility and establishing declare an end to war this year. zone that has divided the two Koreas normalisation of relations fi rst, new relations between the DPRK and “We are in consultations with the that he may have made an error by appearing to demonstrably since the war. then denuclearisation later,” said the US,” North Korean state media said North and the United States in that take Trump’s side. North Korean veterans of the war, Christopher Green, a senior adviser at in a statement last Tuesday. direction,” he told a parliamentary In Helsinki, Putin said for the fi rst time that he had wanted which left more than 1.2mn dead, the International Crisis Group. After Pompeo visited Pyongyang session, adding that a three-way Trump to win the 2016 US presidential election and after the gathered in Pyongyang for a conference. North Korea says it has taken steps to in June for talks, state media quoted a declaration would be part of an initial summit complained about political forces in the United States In their April summit, the leaders of halt its nuclear development, including spokesman for the North’s Ministry of phase of denuclearisation. trying to undermine the meeting’s outcome. North and South Korea agreed to work placing a moratorium on missile and the Foreign Aff airs criticising the US China says it is open to participating this year with the United States and nuclear bomb testing, demolishing delegation for not mentioning the idea in the process. Sergei Markov, a longtime Putin supporter and former China, which also played a major role in its only known nuclear test site, and of a peace regime. Meeting North Korean Foreign lawmaker for the ruling United Russia party, wrote on social the war, to replace the armistice with a dismantling a rocket facility. “It seems quite obvious that even if Minister Ri Yong-ho in Pyongyang media after the summit that the Russian president had peace agreement. American offi cials have praised those North Korea is negotiating sincerely, on Thursday, Chinese Vice Foreign outplayed Trump in Helsinki “by a big margin”, but added: In June, US President Donald Trump moves, but remain sceptical. they aren’t going to be willing to give up Minister Kong Xuanyou said China “...In doing so he created a problem because he exposed his and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo their nuclear capacity in the absence of supported the reconciliation process partner to fi erce criticism in the United States.” signed a statement saying they would told Congress on Wednesday North a peace system that gives them regime between the North and the United Putin should have given Trump the chance to tell US media seek “to establish new US-DPRK Korea was continuing to produce fuel security,” Green said. States, China’s Foreign Ministry said. relations in accordance with the desire for nuclear bombs. Many offi cials in Washington China is willing to work hard with that he had extracted concessions from him in a “giveaway of the peoples of the two countries for A spokesperson for the US State appeared concerned that an early all sides to promote the process of game”, staying focused on the longer-term goal of stabilising peace and prosperity,” using the initials Department said while “peace on the declaration of peace could lead to the establishing a “peace mechanism” for ties between Moscow and Washington, Markov said on his of the North Korea’s offi cial name, the Korean Peninsula is a goal shared by the collapse of the US-South Korea alliance the Korean peninsula, Kong added, Facebook page. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. world,” the international community with calls for US troops to leave the without elaborating. Instead, Putin appeared dominant while Trump was deemed by US critics as overly friendly to Russia and possibly even treasonous when he gave credence to Putin’s denials of meddling in the 2016 election despite US intelligence fi ndings to the contrary. Many Republicans joined Democrats in criticising Trump’s performance. With an eye on US mid-term elections in November, a bipartisan group of senators is pushing the “DETER Act” legislation putting Putin on notice that his country would be hit with more US sanctions if Russia interferes in future polls. It was unclear how quickly that and other proposals could advance with US Congress’ summer recess looming. But the business and fi nancial community in Russia is still worried. “The only outcome of this so far is that people are selling Russia,” said one state banker. “All liquid (Russian) securities are now hostage to geopolitics, which strongly depend on what goes on in the United States.”

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This undated picture released from North Korea’s off icial Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 27, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meeting with © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved participants of the 5th National Conference of War Veterans in front of the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery in Pyongyang. Gulf Times Sunday, July 29, 2018 19 COMMENT America’s grassroots saviours

By Laura Tyson and community members hold lively but groundwork for a bottom-up reform Lenny Mendonca civil discussions. movement across the country. Berkeley All told, the Fallowses’ travels across At the same time, new media models the country inspire optimism. “The are being developed to fi ll the vacuum good parts of American community- left by the erosion of local journalism. oan Didion famously observed consciousness,” they write, “seem, in In Texas and California, the that, “We tell ourselves stories many places, stronger and better than nonprofi t media outlets Texas Tribune in order to live.” Unfortunately, we anticipated.” and CalMatters have become go-to Jif you get your news about the Similarly, Bruce Katz of the sources for state reporting. United States from Facebook, Twitter, Brookings Institution has been Moreover, innovative funding or cable TV networks, the stories you researching local rejuvenation eff orts methods are being developed for local are being told might convince you that for years. media. the country is hopelessly divided. In his recent book, co-authored with Berkeleyside, in Berkeley, California, To be sure, the US is plagued by Jeremy Nowak of Drexel University, recently raised $1mn from its readers rising economic inequality, regional he shows how problem solving has through a direct public off ering. and rural-urban income disparities, been shifting vertically from national Down the coast, in Half Moon job insecurity, declining social to state, county, and municipal Bay, citizens created a public benefi t mobility, and political polarisation. governments, as well as horizontally corporation to save the Half Moon Bay These issues understandably become from the public sector to networks of Review (for which Lenny Mendonca the focus of the national news media. public, private, and civic actors. serves as chairman of the board). And And the fact that US President Katz thinks such cross-sector the national non-profi t organisation Donald Trump usually starts his day collaboration is contributing to a “new Report for America now trains and with a fusillade of divisive tweets localism,” which has been triggered by subsidises young journalists working for doesn’t help matters. the same economic and social/cultural local newspapers around the country. But the deeper problem is that, forces that gave rise to Trump. In a recent Pew Research Centre because the business model for local In addition to fuelling toxic survey, seven in ten Americans print media has been eviscerated by the populism, economic insecurities reported feeling “exhausted by the loss of advertising revenues to digital are also fostering more constructive news.” This isn’t surprising, given the media, stories outside the partisan In Texas the nonprofit media outlet Texas Tribune has become go-to source for state reporting. responses from dissatisfi ed citizens. acrimony dominating national news national narrative have disappeared. Though many people have lost faith coverage. In 1990, newspapers across the and congressional Republicans are But in the absence of robust local and democratic reform, local in the federal government, they still As local news has declined, civic country employed nearly 458,000 failing to address critical issues such journalism, we often don’t hear about communities around the country will trust local institutions. engagement and public trust have people; by March 2016, that number as economic insecurity and climate these activities, other than from the already have developed a blueprint It is still early in what Anne-Marie waned. was less than 200,000. change, state and local governments few reporters and researchers who have for action. Slaughter calls an “American Revival” It is time to reverse these trends The decline is illustrated by the fate are taking action. been willing to traverse the country to All stories of local renewal are or David Brooks, who chairs a new by focusing on the inspiring stories of the San Jose Mercury News, which Across the country, Americans document what is happening. unique, but the Fallowses show that Aspen Institute project on community, of communities that are reinventing used to be one of the country’s largest- – regardless of class or party – are For example, after spending fi ve most follow a similar pattern. calls an “American Renaissance,” yet it themselves and bringing people circulation local dailies. rolling up their sleeves and working to years crisscrossing the US in their A “civic story” centres on “local is already clear that many Americans together for the common good. – Although its home turf, Silicon improve their communities. single-engine propeller plane, James patriots” who have come together to are ready for a fresh national narrative. Project Syndicate Valley, has grown in population, After a long decline, there are signs and Deborah Fallows have published create “public-private partnerships,” For example, the media entrepreneur income, and economic signifi cance, that social capital is being restored. Our Towns, a deep and faithful account while “ignoring national politics.” Greg Behrman has created the zLaura Tyson, a former chair of the the number of journalists working for When Alexis de Tocqueville visited of local eff orts to rebuild the country. Moreover, local research digital-media platform NationSwell US President’s Council of Economic the Mercury News has declined from the US in the 1830s, he observed that, The Fallowses draw compelling universities, community colleges, to go “from merely telling stories Advisers, is a professor at the Haas 400 in the 1990s to around 40 today. both in public and private, Americans parallels between today and the and other educational and social about people doing good things School of Business at the University Local news matters because the day- are able to overcome selfi sh desires, end of the Gilded Age, when local institutions have been stepping up to participating in, and adding to, of California, Berkeley, and a senior to-day world that most Americans thus enabling both a self-conscious experiments to solve community to help communities translate their those eff orts.” Other similar eff orts adviser at the Rock Creek Group. experience is nothing like what and active political society and a challenges began to fl ourish. visions of civic renewal into action. include the cross-partisan coalition rancorous national news coverage vibrant civil society. The lesson from that earlier period And in many of the communities Patriots and Pragmatists and the zLenny Mendonca, Chairman of New makes it out to be. Today is no diff erent – at least at the is that whenever the national mood that the Fallowses cover, there is National Association of Non-Partisan America, is Senior Partner Emeritus at At the same time that Trump state and local level. finally shifts toward economic at least one craft brewery, where Reformers, which are laying the McKinsey & Company. It’s a small world: In Japan, moss wins hearts Three-day forecast 64-year-old Oichi Kiyomura spends TODAY AFP Maximum Temperature : 400c Sakuho, Japan most days digging through wild bushes, across slopes and even up Minimum Temperature : 320c cliff s, looking for moss he can scoop MONDAY aori Shibo bent her head into trays and sell to enthusiasts. Maximum Temperature : 420c down and peered through a It’s a far cry from his former career, Minimum Temperature : 330c magnifying glass in a forest running nightclubs, but Kiyomura, TUESDAY in central Japan, emitting who is based in the mountains of Maximum Temperature : 420c K Minimum Temperature : 320c a delighted gasp. The object of her Nikko north of Tokyo, says his moss business is lucrative. adoration? Moss. Fisherman's forecast “Oh, this baby’s sporophyte is He says he makes at least 30mn yen breaking out! I’ve never seen this ($270,000) a year, hinting that is a modest estimate. WARNING before,” an enchanted Shibo, 41, Inshore : Nil shouted, her head nearly close enough His moss conversion came one day Offshore : Nil to kiss a fallen tree log in the forest in when he was out mushroom picking Yatsugatake. with a friend. WEATHER Inshore : Misty at places at first She was out on a stroll with around “It was something I had never becomes hot daytime 20 other people who are part of a expected, but I found a really beautiful with slight dust at times growing community in Japan obsessed A Japanese tour leader shows diff erent types of moss to tourists during a moss community of moss, clustered in the and humid by night with plants known as bryophytes, viewing tour at Kita-Yatsugatake forest near Sakuho town, Nagano prefecture. shape of small domes. It was my fi rst Offshore : Misty at times with including moss, liverworts and encounter with moss,” he said. some clouds hornworts. because of their pretty shapes and that is taken and compacted, that It was a type known locally as WIND “When you stare at a tiny, tiny colours,” Shibo said. is the essence of Japanese gardens,” “arahashiraga-goke”, popular among Inshore : Northwesterly-North- piece of green, you fi nd a vast world “I am transported by the fact that said Chisao Shigemori, a prominent bonsai farmers for its silk-like fi ne easterly 06-16 KT expanding from there,” explained you can fi nd them anywhere around Japanese garden designer. leaves. Offshrore : Northwesterly-North- easterly 04-14 KT fellow moss enthusiast Masami you but never realise how magnifi cent Speaking to AFP at the carefully “I thought there was no way that Visibility : 4-8 KM / 3 KM Miyazaki. they are.” groomed Japanese garden at Kyoto’s people would ignore something so “It’s like a micro universe,” the In recent years, moss enthusiasts Tofukuji temple, he said moss is beautiful if I started selling it.” Offshore : 2-4 FT 42-year-old said. have multiplied in Japan, with considered the best ground-covering He purchased vast lots of land, including some alongside a shuttered The group was out exploring hikes catering to those eager to spot plant for such traditional settings Around the region just days into Japan’s rainy season, diff erent varieties and shops selling because it helps replicate natural golf course left behind when Japan’s Weather perfect weather for an expedition the plants in terrariums well suited to landscapes in miniature. economic bubble burst, and started Weather tomorrow Max/min to spot some of the many mosses, small Japanese homes. “The landscape of mountains and gathering the micro-plants. today Max/min Sunny 43/28 liverworts, hornworts and lichens The Northern Yatsugatake Moss contrasting densities of green can be He now sells to temples, traditional Baghdad Sunny 42/28 Cloudy 46/33 thickly coating the forest’s trees and Association began organising moss all expressed by moss,” he said. garden designers, bonsai farmers and Kuwait City Sunny 46/33 Sunny 39/33 rocks. viewing hikes in 2011, which attracted At the temple, much of the garden is terrarium hobbyists. Manama Sunny 38/32 Sunny 37/31 The forest, which surrounds around 40 people over the year. covered with juniper haircap, known He has even developed a greening Muscat M Sunny 37/32 Sunny 39/27 Shirakomanoike lake and spreads But this year, 140 people scored as “sugi-goke” or cedar moss in system that allows moss to be grown Tehran Sunny 38/26 across the northern Yatsugatake tickets to the association’s hikes, Japanese. on building roofs in cities to help bring mountain range, is a popular spot for which are held each month until The spiky stems resemble down temperatures. micro-plant enthusiasts. October, with demand outstripping miniature cedar trees and the moss Kiyomura acknowledges some More than 500 varieties can be the number of spots available. is very popular with Japanese garden detractors fi nd moss rather pedestrian observed in the Yatsugatake mountain Moss has been popular with designers. and uninteresting, but he defends his range alone, according Masanobu traditional Japanese gardeners for While moss is a purely aesthetic obsession with the plants. Higuchi, Japan’s leading bryology centuries, and the plants grow well in pleasure for some Japanese, for others “I love moss, even more than expert and the hike’s leader. the country’s humid climate. it is also big business. women,” he joked. “I would live with it “I am infatuated by moss not just “A beautiful natural landscape Nicknamed the ‘Moss King’, even if no one cared about it anymore.”

Live issues Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens S T Storms 31/22 M Sunny 31/22 Healthy kids with sick sibling may hide emotions Beirut M Sunny 29/26 P Cloudy 29/25 Bangkok S T Storm 32/27 T Storms 31/26 Berlin M Sunny 30/19 P Cloudy 33/21 By Lisa Rapaport circumstances, researchers note in e-mail. “This can cause them to be experience. This made them feel like Cairo P Cloudy 36/24 Sunny 36/26 Reuters Health Paediatrics. seen by the adults in their lives as their circumstances helped them Cape Town P Cloudy 14/09 Sunny 17/09 But the current study tells a functioning well and consequently be mature and develop coping skills. Colombo T Storms 28/25 T Storms 28/25 diff erent story, based on the handful overlooked, whilst still experiencing But when parents tried to shield Dhaka T Storm 31/26 T Storm 31/26 ealthy kids with chronically of studies that examined this issue distress.” siblings of sick kids from knowing Hong Kong P Cloudy 29/26 S T Storms 29/26 ill siblings may suppress by asking kids – not their parents – Taken together, the 12 smaller anything about the illness or Istanbul P Cloudy 30/22 M Sunny 31/23 their own needs as they how they felt about living with a sick studies in the current analysis paint contributing to care or support of Jakarta P Cloudy 33/24 M Sunny 33/24 Hadapt to shifting family sibling. a picture of the potential for both the unwell child, the healthy siblings Karachi P Cloudy 31/27 M Cloudy 31/27 dynamics that are focused on caring “The novel fi nding was that in resilience and unmet emotional needs. tended to return parents’ silence London Rain 21/18 M Cloudy 24/14 for the child who is sick, a research order for healthy siblings to get their When siblings of sick kids described by clamming up about their own Manila S T Storm 30/25 S T Storm 30/25 review suggests. emotional needs met, they adapted a cohesive family unit, with everyone emotional turmoil. Moscow P Cloudy 27/16 P Cloudy 25/14 While it’s perfectly logical to their behaviour and identity over time pitching in to help care for the Healthy siblings were also unlikely New Delhi S T Storm 33/26 I T Storms 32/26 assume healthy kids in this situation to fi t with the needs of the family, chronically ill child, they tended to to voice any problems of their own New York P Cloudy 29/21 P Cloudy 28/22 might experience strong emotions, which focused on the unwell sibling,” describe bonding that brought the if they worried about burdening or Paris Cloudy 29/19 M Cloudy 29/18 running the gamut from anger to fear said lead study author Antoinette family closer together. angering their parents. Sao Paulo P Cloudy 29/15 M Cloudy 23/14 to stress, much of the research to date Deavin of Lancaster University in the Some healthy siblings felt that The study didn’t examine fi ndings Seoul Sunny 36/26 M Sunny 37/26 has focused on parents’ perceptions UK. participating in activities – whether from controlled experiments designed Singapore S T Storms 31/26 T Storms 29/25 of how children feel. Parents in these “This meant that the healthy sibling helping with chores, preparing meals to prove whether or how life with a Sydney Sunny 23/08 Sunny 18/07 studies tended to think their healthy often felt they had to suppress their or supervising their sibling and chronically ill sibling might impact Tokyo Cloudy 33/27 Cloudy 33/26 kids were coping well under the emotional needs,” Deavin said by assisting with care – was a positive mental health for their siblings. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, July 29, 2018 QATAR From Russia 2018 with experiences: SC team to make Qatar 2022 most accessible

delegation from the Su- preme Committee for ADelivery & Legacy (SC)’s Accessibility Forum attended the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia to take part in observation and analysis exercises, with a view to returning to Qatar and sharing knowledge and experiences in the lead-up to 2022. Fifteen members of the forum travelled to Moscow to visit key venues, including stadiums and fan parks, and test the transpor- tation systems, sc.qa reported. The Accessibility Forum was launched by the SC in 2016 and is tasked with making the 2022 FIFA World Cup the most acces- sible in history. Hosted by FIFA’s sustainability Fifteen members of the forum travelled to Moscow to visit key venues, including stadiums and fan parks, team, the group began their trip and test the transportation systems. with a visit to Luzhniki Stadi- um, which hosted the 2018 FIFA from previous tournaments, such z What special features does area is more than 50m from the World Cup fi nal. as the one in Russia. Luzhniki Stadium have to stadium entrance. Samantha Sifah, the SC’s head Visiting Moscow during the make it suitable to host fans Within the Luzhniki Stadium of Community Outreach, led the tournament was a golden oppor- with disabilities? precinct, the group met with visit and outlines below why the tunity for forum members. We found that of the stadium’s the stadium’s spectator services trip would support forum objec- z What did you learn from 18 gates, four were dedicated for team and were shown the acces- tives in Qatar. this observation trip? special access ticket holders, sible measures in place at the car z Why did you encourage the This is the fi rst tournament with a total of seven accessible parking areas. They found that Accessibility Forum to travel where accessibility standards platform lifts for people with 6% of the overall spaces are al- to Russia for the World Cup? have been mandated by FIFA. limited mobility, and 254 wheel- located for those with disabili- Mega events play a signifi cant In 2022, the requirements are chair seats. ties, with plenty of stations and role in changing public perception likely to be even greater, with We also observed the use of benches for spectators to rest towards people with disabilities. inclusion and accessibility being accessible golf carts being des- from the parking lot to the sta- We hope that in 2022, everything a primary requirement for each patched from the easily identifi - dium. will be accessible to all in Qatar, competition and non-competi- able blue-signed ‘Accessibility z What are the next steps for including tournament infrastruc- tion venue. Assistance Points’ – to transport the Accessibility Forum after ture such as stadiums, and other As well as within the stadium, people with disabilities to the Russia 2018? facilities across the country. forum members witnessed the stadium entrance. The project began in 2016 by The accessible features in the numerous design, organisational The points also provided peo- a group of people committed stadium and surrounding areas and structural measures in place ple with disabilities with free to ensuring that everybody can will mean that people with dis- to ensure that all fans can reach wheelchairs, staffi ng assistance enjoy Qatar 2022 and a brighter abilities can attend on their own, the stadium without hindrance. and transportation around the future. Members will continue with the same autonomy of any These included ensuring that stadium precinct. to share their expertise with gov- other fan enjoying a match. all routes to the venue are clear z What are other mandatory ernment entities in Qatar to as- In Qatar, we will work tirelessly and free of all obstructions, and requirements by FIFA in terms sist them in the planning phase to to make the World Cup the most that ramps on roadside kerbs of transport around the venue? ensure that accessibility is woven accessible tournament yet, and were in place for those in wheel- The host city has to provide a into the fabric of all development we believe it’s important to learn chairs. shuttle bus service if the parking to come across the country.

Awareness lecture

The General Directorate of Civil Defence has participated in the summer activities organised by Barzan Youth Centre with an awareness lecture and practical training, the Ministry of Interior has tweeted. The Civil Defence’s participation was aimed at spreading a culture of preventive education that ensures safety and security for all.

Abandoned vehicles removed he general control depart- ment of Al Daayen Municipal- Tity, in co-ordination with the mechanical equipment department, recently conducted a campaign to re- move abandoned vehicles and equip- ment from areas within the munici- pality’s jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the Al Gharafa offi ce of Al Rayyan Municipality implemented 42 inspection tours last month and conducted four review visits to renew the licences of shops. It also conducted two reviews for issuing new shop licences, the Minis- try of Municipality and Environment (MME) said in a statement. The offi ce issued fi ve violation re- ports, which were resolved through reconciliation with the off enders. Fines collectively worth QR37,500 were collected from the violators. Also, fi ve temporarily licences were issued to some outlets, the MME said, The abandoned vehicles being carried away. adding that the number of approved shops in June amounted to 142. ferent areas within its jurisdiction in recently conducted a comprehensive In addition, the municipality ex- June. cleanup campaign at Fuwairit beach in ecuted 882 requests and applications In another development, the MME’s co-operation with Al Shamal Munici- for fi ghting rodents and insects in dif- Protection and Wildlife Department pality.