BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Saudi female runner breaks barriers INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2, 3, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 REGION 4 BUSINESS 1-7, 12-16 GIS posts fi rst-half net in Rio 18,313.77 10,650.86 39.66 ARAB WORLD 4, 5 CLASSIFIED 8-12 -90.74 -29.64 -0.40 INTERNATIONAL 6 – 17 SPORTS 1 – 12 profi t of QR161mn -0.49% -0.28% -1.00% marathon Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10169 August 3, 2016 Shawwal 29, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Fun at Entertainment City

In brief New job

WORLD | Climate contracts Global heat touched record highs in 2015 Global heat, greenhouse gases and sea levels all climbed to record highs last year, making 2015 the worst in modern times across system is a range of key environmental indicators, international scientists said yesterday. A dire picture of the Earth’s health is painted in the State of the Climate report, a peer- reviewed 300-page tome that comes out once a year and is compiled by ‘fi nalised’ 450 scientists from around the world. El Nino, which just ended in July, was The daily said the ministry will current two-year ban on expatriates one of the strongest the Earth has test the new system of electronic who want to come back to the country seen “since at least 1950”, said the contracts in collaboration with the on a new work visa will no longer be ap- report, led by the National Oceanic departments concerned to ensure plicable. and Atmospheric Administration its ability to meet the requirements A foreign worker who has got a new (NOAA) National Centers for contract to work in Qatar can come back Environmental Information. he drafting of the executive regu- even the next day, provided he has met A maze for children at the Entertainment City. Located at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, Entertainment City lations of the new law pertaining the other requirements like visa, a top TURKEY | Charge hosts several indoor fun activities as part of the annual Qatar Summer Festival (QSF). “Real life” games of some popular mobile Tto the entry, exit and residency offi cial of the Ministry of Interior had applications such as Angry Birds have been attracting many children since day one of the festival. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar Page 20 of expatriates in Qatar has been com- clarifi ed. Erdogan accuses West pleted, according to local Arabic daily Al Brigadier Mohamed Ahmed al-Atiq, of backing plotters Sharq. assistant-director general of the Depart- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan A report in the paper said the Minis- ment of Border, Passport and Expatriates yesterday accused Western nations try of Administrative Development, La- Aff airs, had pointed out that the two- of supporting terrorism and backing bour and Social Aff airs has nishedfi all year ban on return of an expatriate work- coup plotters in Turkey, in scathing the necessary procedures regarding the er was directly linked to the sponsorship remarks made at a foreign investors’ Qatar expresses concern new system of employment contracts, (kafala) system. Since the new law abol- meeting in Ankara. “Those who we which will come in an electronic form. ishes kafala, a person who had previously thought were our friends take the side Workers who are newly recruited worked in Qatar would not have to seek of putschists and terrorists,” Erdogan from outside the country will have to the approval of his former sponsor if he is said and alleged the coup was sign these before taking up jobs in Qatar. recruited by a new employer. orchestrated from abroad. Page 11 on situation in Aleppo The executive regulations will inter- According to Article 26 of the new pret how to practically implement the law, if a foreign worker is fi red as a pu- PHILIPPINES | Crackdown QNA A spokesman for the Syria Civil De- stipulations of the new law. These will nitive measure and he did not appeal his Doha fence said 33 people, mostly women be accompanied by an awareness cam- dismissal or his plea was rejected by a Mayor surrenders and children, were aff ected by the gas, paign through the social and local media court, he shall not be permitted to come in anti-drug push which they suspect was chlorine, in to instruct people on their rights and back to Qatar before the passage of four A Philippine town mayor yesterday atar has voiced its concern re- Saraqeb, in rebel-held Idlib province. duties in accordance with the new law. years. surrendered to police over alleged garding the deterioration of the The group, which describes itself The daily said the ministry will test Also, an expatriate worker repatriated drug traff icking after President Qhumanitarian situation in the as a neutral band of search and rescue the new system of electronic contracts upon a court verdict cannot come back Rodrigo Duterte warned he could get Syrian city of Aleppo. volunteers, posted a video on YouTube - during an experimental phase - in col- unless he got the approval of the Minis- killed if he resisted arrest. The son of In a statement issued yesterday, the apparently showing a number of men laboration with the departments con- ter of Interior. Mayor Rolando Espinosa, however, Foreign Ministry said “the siege and A still image taken yesterday from a struggling to breathe and being given cerned to ensure its ability to meet the According to the stipulations of the remained at large, according to the taking of innocent lives is unac- video posted on social media shows oxygen masks by people in civil de- requirements. new law, the work contract will be the presidential spokesman Ernesto ceptable to human morals, princi- a man on a bed breathing through a fence uniforms. On October 27, 2015, HH the Emir prime document that will determine the Abella. Page 16 ples and international law”, stressing mask in Saraqeb, Idlib province, Syria. “Medium-sized barrels fell con- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is- employee-employer relationship. “the condemnation and disapproval taining toxic gases. The Syrian Civil sued Law Number 21 of 2015 which It will be the basis for litigation, rights

For Advertising please contact: 50640827 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 www.facebook.com/Dineoutgulftimes of what the Syrian regime is doing ing of the Syrian people in terms of the Defence was not able to determine the abolishes the stipulations of Law and liabilities between the employer and against hundreds of thousands of ci- siege, destruction and displacement, type of the gas,” said the spokesman. Number 4 of 2009 regarding Regula- the worker. The contract, which both vilians, particularly women and chil- were major causes for feeding terror- The SNC said of the reported use of tion of the Expatriates Entry, Departure, must sign has to be approved by the au- dren”. ism and extremism, which threatened poison gas in Saraqeb: “After shell- Residence and Sponsorship. thorities concerned in the country. The The Foreign Ministry called on the security and stability in the region ing, besieging and killing civilians and When Law No 21 of 2015 comes into duration mentioned in the contract shall international society to shoulder its and the world. It stressed that the perpetrating war crimes on them, the force towards the end of this year, the be binding on both parties. responsibilities in order to protect the eradication of terrorism would only be Assad regime has resorted once again, Syrian people and ensure the delivery achieved by eliminating its causes. and in breach of UN resolutions 2118 of humanitarian aid to Aleppo and all Meanwhile, a Syrian rescue service and 2235, to using chemical substances besieged cities. operating in rebel-held territory has and toxic gases. The statement reiterated the impor- said a helicopter had dropped contain- “The daily reality confi rms that all Qatar handball team arrives in Rio tance of reaching a political solution ers of toxic gas overnight on a town the international agreements and pre- for the confl ict in Syria in line with Ge- close to where a Russian military heli- vious Security Council decisions, be QNA ympic Games which take place from neva I and Security Council Resolution copter had been shot down hours ear- they about chemical weapons or oth- Rio de Janeiro August 5 to 21. 2254 to end the worsening humanitar- lier, adds the Reuters news agency. erwise, are meaningless for the Assad This is the fi rst participation of the ian tragedy of the Syrian people. The opposition Syrian National regime.” Qatari national handball team in the The statement noted that the crimes Coalition (SNC) accused President The Civil Defence spokesman said it he Qatari national handball team Olympic Games after they won the TODAY’S EDITION INCLUDES GUIDE of the Syrian regime, its violation of Bashar al-Assad of being behind the was the second time Saraqeb had been has arrived in Rio de Janeiro to Asian qualifi ers which was held in Doha “DINE OUT” THE WEEKLY 4-PAGE the basic human rights and the suff er- attack. hit by toxic gas. Page 5 Tparticipate in the Rio 2016 Ol- last year. Commercial Bank to introduce fi nger-vein technology for ATMs

ommercial Bank, Qatar’s fi rst technology, Commercial Bank CEO technology, and more importantly to private bank, has announced that Joseph Abraham said: “Biometric se- protect the customer’s identity.” Cit has obtained the Qatar Cen- curity features are an important tool to George Flouros, NCR IMEA vice presi- tral Bank’s approval to introduce new combat fi nancial fraud and identity theft. dent for Financial Industry, said: “NCR fi nger-vein pattern recognition tech- Enhancing the client experience without empowers customers and enterprises to nology to its ATMs, allowing customers compromising customer security is a pri- do business on their own terms backed by to withdraw cash without the need for a ority at Commercial Bank. Introducing our innovations that make banking easier bank card or PIN. fi nger-vein scanning technology to the and more convenient. It indeed gives us Commercial Bank is the fi rst bank in local market and region is not only inno- immense pleasure to partner with Com- Qatar and the Middle East to obtain ap- vative but also provides an eff ective way mercial Bank in their digital transfor- proval to deploy fi nger-vein pattern rec- for customers to access their accounts se- mation journey of bringing true omni- ognition technology. Implementation of curely without the need for a card or PIN.” channel solutions over the next few years, this technology means customers will Ali Sharif, CEO of 01 Systems, said: and the introduction of the fi rst-ever be able to use this new security feature Qatar Central Bank and Commercial Bank executives among others during a demonstration of the new finger-vein pattern “We are delighted to announce our fi nger-vein authentication technology to to access their account at Commercial recognition technology. strategic co-operation with Commer- the region reiterates our commitment.” Bank ATMs with fi nger-vein scanners cial Bank and look forward to working Satoshi Amagai, CEO of Morfi ria, said: installed, and the technology will also be requires the customer to be present in two-way authentication key. The tech- technology presented by Commercial with such a professional team. To- “We are thrilled to work with the mar- extended to corporate and VIP custom- person each and every time. The tech- nology is highly accurate and rejection Bank. The demonstration showcased gether, we can enable the successful ket experts 01 Systems to introduce the ers to access their Internet banking ac- nology is secure and eliminates fraud as rates for users are among the lowest for cutting-edge features that will eliminate deployment of advanced security sys- fi nger-vein technology in Commercial counts using a fi nger-vein scanner. Reg- the pattern of blood vessels in fi ngers are biometric technology, making fi nger- the possibility of forgery and heighten tems for Commercial Bank custom- Bank. This fi nger vein authentication istration to use the fi nger-vein scanning unique to each individual and fi nger vein vein authentication a reliable and se- security measures of daily ATM cus- ers. Finger-vein technology is already module, co-developed by Morfi ria us- technology is free. patterns cannot be reproduced or forged. cure high-tech solution. tomer transactions. Commercial Bank widely used in international markets ing fi nger vein patterns for authentica- The technology maps the internal vein For fi nger-vein scanning to access Abdulhadi Ahen, the acting director of is set to immediately begin with the im- and provides customers with easy and tion, tackles forgery and identity theft. It system within a fi nger, and will only ac- Internet banking accounts, communi- banking, payment & settlement systems plementation of the high-tech security secure access to thousands of ATM ma- is designed to minimise the calculations cept a living fi nger unlike fi ngerprint cation is encrypted between the scan- at Qatar Central Bank, attended the fi rst solution in the local market. chines. This is an exciting opportunity required for authentication for a faster scanning, meaning that authentication ner device and the host’s PC using a demonstration of the new fi nger-vein Commenting on the launch of this to set new standards for authentication and more secure banking process.” Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 QATAR

Special care urged for elderly and outdoor workers during summer

geriatric and emergency of Elderly Geriatrics, HMC. ing complications to already ex- cautioned to remain indoors, in alcohol and caff einated drinks, yellow urine, which also suggest work outdoors, to take precau- medicine expert at Ha- Dr al-Hamad advised that isting medical conditions. Some a cool and well-ventilated en- including tea, coff ee and soft dehydration. tions and safeguard themselves Amad Medical Corpora- elderly people may have di- medications also increase the vironment, between 10am and drinks, which can contribute to If the elderly person is expe- against heat related illnesses. tion (HMC) has cautioned that minished sensations, especially risk of heat-related illness, such 4pm daily when the temperature dehydration. Those with kidney riencing any of these symptoms, “To avoid heat-related ill- elderly people are at a higher risk those who have dementia or as diuretics, which encourage is at its peak. problems should consult their Dr al-Hamad said it is impor- nesses, outdoor workers should of developing heat-related ill- diabetes, and may not even be fl uid loss. doctors regarding recommended tant to help them promptly cool increase their water and fl uid nesses and need special care and aware they are thirsty or too hot. “As a precaution, elderly peo- “We urge the public to fl uid intake. down. She suggests using a wet consumption. They should be attention during the hot summer She explained that even other- ple should review their medi- check frequently on elderly Symptoms of heat exhaustion washcloth or fan, and getting the drinking before they get thirsty. months. wise healthy people can strug- cations with their doctor to family members, friends or can develop both rapidly and individual into a cool shower. If They should avoid drinking caf- “We urge the public to check gle with hot weather because of determine whether their pre- neighbours to make sure slowly. Symptoms can progress medical treatment is required, feinated beverages as this will frequently on elderly family the physical changes that people scribed medications put them they are safe” over a period of days, so it is im- take the person to their primary help prevent dehydration,” Dr members, friends or neighbours undergo as they age. at increased risk of heat-related portant to pay close attention to healthcare doctor, or the near- al-Saad said. to make sure they are safe, espe- People of advanced age, espe- illness. Their doctor can help Furthermore, they are en- the well-being of elderly loved est emergency room, for further Heat exhaustion can lead cially those who are living alone cially those aged 65 and above, safeguard their health during the couraged to stay hydrated and ones. Signs of heat exhaustion evaluation. to heatstroke, which is a life- or have chronic medical condi- can rapidly develop serious and intense summer season,” Dr al- should opt for lighter meals to include hot and dry skin, dizzi- HMC’s chief consultant of threatening condition. It is vi- tions, mental illness, or diffi culty life-threatening conditions such Hamad explained. avoid increasing their body tem- ness, headache, rapid heartbeat, emergency medicine, Dr Warda tal to seek urgent professional caring for themselves”, said Dr as heat exhaustion or stroke. The elderly are also advised perature. It is also recommended chest pain, breathing problems, al-Saad, further cautioned all medical assistance if someone Hanadi al-Hamad, acting chair They are also at risk for develop- to avoid strenuous activity and that the elderly avoid consuming rash, cramps, and brown or dark residents, particularly those who is experiencing signs of heat ill-

In brief Al Gannas takes part in Morocco festival Population in Emir receives phone call from July lowest so Morocco king

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received a far this year phone call from King Mohamed VI of Morocco. They reviewed bilateral relations between atar’s population at the 2,423,175 being registered in Qatar and Morocco and means end of last month fell January. The population usu- of promoting and enhancing Qby around 6% as com- ally dips in these months as them, and discussed the latest Qatari Society of Al Gannas has taken part at a traditional festival held in Morocco from July 26- 30. The society had a special pavilion at pared to June but increased many people spend their holi- developments in the region. the festival that included a traditional Arabic tent with an original Qatari lounge. Arabic coff ee was served to the visitors, who were by 9.73% from July 2015, ac- days abroad. introduced to diff erent aspects of the Qatari folk culture. Besides, the Al Gannas delegation organised a number of contests for the cording to data released by In May this year, the coun- Real estate entertainment of the visitors. They were also given an opportunity to practice their archery skills. In Qatar the society organises the the Ministry of Develop- try’s population had reached transaction Falcons and Hunting Festival. ment Planning and Statistics an all-time high of 2,587,564, (MDPS). MDPS statistics showed. The total value of trading in real The country recorded a Of the total population estate sales contracts registered population of 2,326,465 in recorded at the end of last with the Real Estate Registration July, which means there were month, 1,837,797 were males Department at the Ministry 150,648 fewer people than in (79%) and 488,668 females of Justice from July 24 to 28 June, when the population was (21%). reached QR428.8mn. 2,477,113. Meanwhile, the MDPS According to the weekly bulletin Crime rate dropped in At the same time, there were announced that it had issued by the department, the list 206,336 more people in Qa- launched a revamped a of properties that were traded tar at the end of last month as website. “We are pleased to by sale includes open plots of compared to July 2015, when share news of the launch of land, houses and multi-purpose the country’s population was the ministry’s new website, buildings, which are located Qatar last year: MoI 2,120,129. updated in line with the in the municipalities of Doha, The July population is the policy of development and Umm Salal, Al Khor, Al Dhakira, lowest recorded so far this modernisation,” it said in a Al Rayyan, Al Daayen, Al Wakrah ouse burglaries in Qa- cal Arabic daily Arrayah, Briga- – by 68% , forgery - by 48.3%, are locked properly when they year, with the previous low of tweet yesterday. and Al Shamal. tar dropped by 68.1% dier al-Nuaimi said the number stealing from vehicles - by 10.3% are away. They should also try Hin 2015 compared to the of such crimes was “very limited” and vehicle thefts – by 1%. to give the impression that there previous year, according to sta- in the country and the GDCI has a While statistics show that the is somebody in the house even tistics available with the Minis- practical strategy in place to arrest crime situation is under control, when the occupants are away. try of Interior (MoI). those involved, whether they are Brigadier al-Nuaimi has high- Besides, people should not leave Lexus, Toyota models recalled Besides, thefts at commercial working individually or through lighted the necessity of continu- their vehicles running and unat- outlets dropped by 39.2% while organised gangs. ing to develop eff orts to monitor tended - even for a short period - general theft cases fell by 20.4% The directorate works in col- the situation and people should to get something from a grocery or he Ministry of Economy vehicles in Qatar. customers to ensure that the in the said period, it is learnt. laboration with other depart- also do their bit to protect their for some other purpose. and Commerce (MEC) In a statement, the ministry necessary repairs are carried out. Brigadier Khalifa Abdulla al- ments and entities concerned to possessions and avoid being neg- Valuables such as jewellery or Thas announced the recall has said the recall campaign The ministry has urged con- Nuaimi, director-general of the prevent such crimes from tak- ligent. big sums of money should not be of 2010, 2011 and 2014 Lexus comes within the framework sumers to report violations to General Directorate of Criminal ing place by enhancing public He said the victims often play kept in an unattended house or ve- CT200h models and the 2010 of its ongoing eff orts to protect its Consumer Protection and Investigation (GDCI) at the MoI, awareness. a key role as crimes sometimes hicle. Brigadier al-Nuaimi advised Toyota Zelas TC model due to consumers and ensure that car Anti-Commercial Fraud De- stressed that burglaries at resi- The crime rate had dropped for take place due to their negli- people to come up with a plan to a possible leak in the charcoal dealers follow up on vehicle de- partment through the call cen- dences were not common in Qa- several other types of off ences in gence and failure to take the nec- secure their houses while they are canister. fects and repairs. tre (16001), e-mail (info@mec. tar and the culprits were mostly the above-mentioned period. essary precautions to secure and travelling. Alternatively, they could The recall is being carried The MEC will co-ordinate gov.qa), Twitter (@MEC_Qa- apprehended. These included embezzlement, lock their properties and valu- contact the nearest police station out in collaboration with Ab- with the dealer to follow up on tar), Instagram (MEC_Qatar) Speaking to the police magazine that fell by 80.8%, robbery - by ables. Accordingly, people have to inform about their absence if dullah Abdulghani & Bros Co, the maintenance and repair and the MEC mobile app for Al Shurta Ma’ak and quoted by lo- 75%, murder - by 45.5%, arson to make sure that their homes valuables are kept in the house. dealer of Toyota and Lexus works and communicate with Android and iOS (MEC_Qatar). Jail, deportation for robbery, NBK Automobiles in special off er using forged passports for commercial vehicle owners Doha Criminal Court has he did not play a key role in the theft. avoid being tracked down. sentenced four Asian men According to the details of the Once the theft came to light, asser Bin Khaled (NBK) Ato jail and subsequent case, the defendants hatched a the police were able to detect Automobiles, the exclu- deportation for robbery and us- plan to carry out a burglary at them shortly as they had booked Nsive dealers of Mercedes- ing forged passports to enter the a jewellery shop in Doha’s gold a room in a hotel in the neigh- Benz in Qatar, has announced country. market area. To do so, they broke bourhood and rented a vehicle that it is off ering commercial ve- Local Arabic daily Arrayah open the door of an adjacent for their operation. hicle owners the opportunity to reported that the four persons store and then made a breach in Tools used in the crime were replace their Actros clutch kits came to Qatar using counterfeit- a wall separating the two shops, seized from the accused after and service the air-conditioning ed European passports in order the daily said. their arrest. systems on heavy-duty models to easily obtain entry visas. They then entered the store One of the defendants had en- at “special low rates”. The court sentenced three of they had targeted and decamped tered the country earlier as well The double clutch replace- them to 13 years in jail each while with jewellery and luxury and was able to fl ee after com- ment kit is priced at QR6,199, the other defendant was awarded watches worth QR8.45mn. They mitting a similar robbery, the including labour and parts, and an eight-year prison term because also took the CCTV recorder to daily added. the single clutch replacement kit starts at just QR4,199. Custom- ers can now also receive servic- Nominations ing on their air-conditioning systems with prices ranging for Katara Arabic from QR180 to QR5,150, accord- Hot day, humid night Novel Award open ing to a press statement from NBK Automobiles. The deals come as part of NBK forecast for today The Culture Village Foundation Automobiles after-sales service Katara has announced the campaign and are available for a opening of nominations for the limited time only. hot day and a humid night Turayna and Karanah, and 46C third round of Katara Arabic “These latest off erings are also are expected in the coun- in the Doha airport area, Al Khor Novel Award 2017. Dr Khalid in keeping with NBK Automo- Atry today, the Met depart- and other places. bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, General biles’ commitment to providing ment has said. On Monday, the maximum Manager of Katara, said that customers with the best avail- After remaining relatively low temperature in the country was Katara has launched this award able pricing options across their for a while, the mercury level had 46C. as an annual event since 2014. range of premium replacement soared over the past two days Today, the mercury level is Katara also provides this event parts and their dedication to de- The deals come as part of NBK Automobiles after-sales service campaign across Qatar, including Doha. expected to reach a high of 43C with all the necessary support livering the lowest prices possi- While it will continue to be in Dukhan and 42C in Doha, Al and resources aiming at ble on servicing,” the statement is essential for keeping drivers cle owners. These latest special be installed or serviced by a spe- hot today, the temperature Khor and Abu Samra. promoting creativity in modern noted. and passengers cool and com- off erings are indicative of that cially trained and certifi ed team is expected to fall marginally The detailed forecast for in- Arabic literature, in particular the The Mercedes-Benz Actros fortable on those hot and humid mandate,” said Khalid Sha‘aban, of after-sales service profes- from the levels reached yes- shore areas today says it will be novel. The last date for accepting clutch kits come fully equipped days. To help keep the AC unit in general manager, NBK Automo- sionals who “provide extraor- terday, going by the weather hot during the day with slight entries would be December 31, with disc, plate and release bear- top condition, NBK Automobiles biles. dinary care and expertise to all trends. dust and some clouds. It will also 2016. Meanwhile, a new category ing. Replacing these parts after off ers an assortment of services, The Commercial Vehicles Mercedes-Benz vehicles”, the Yesterday, the maximum tem- be relatively humid by night. was added to this year’s contest years in service is vital to ensur- including checkup and refi ll, and Centre is operational from 7am statement adds. perature recorded in Qatar was Off shore areas, meanwhile, for the novels for young adults ing a vehicle’s continued safety, replacement of the compressor, until 5pm, Saturday to Thurs- “At Nasser Bin Khaled Auto- 48C in Al Rayyan and Batna, are likely to see hazy to misty (12-20 years old). The website for reliability and performance. condenser and the evaporator. day. The company’s Parts Sales mobiles, customer satisfaction followed by 47C in the Qatar conditions along with some the contest is www.kataranovels. Additionally, a well-func- The Actros clutches and the Counter is open between 8am is our top priority and we value University area, Sheehaniyah, clouds. com tioning air conditioning system air-conditioning systems will and 6pm, Saturday to Thursday. each and every one of our vehi- Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 3 QATAR

HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani poses with the leaders and representatives of other Islamic countries for a group photo session at the opening ceremony of the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum in Jakarta yesterday. Minister calls on Islamic countries to increase trade

QNA in enhancing co-operation cline in growth rates and the Jakarta between Islamic countries on volatility of oil prices. the one hand and the rest of The Forum is being held the world on the other. under the title “Decentral- E the Minister The Minister said the in- ising, a catalyst for future of Economy and vestment strategy adopted entrepreneurs”. It off ers a HCommerce Sheikh by the State of Qatar helped platform for delegates to Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mo- support many sectors in the discuss challenges, oppor- hamed al-Thani has called country. tunities, and latest issues on the Islamic countries to It has helped the econ- and trends surrounding the work on increasing the vol- omy achieve stable growth global business landscape. ume of trade and creating a rate, that reached 3.7% in It also explores the urgent business environment that 2015, which is higher than role of small and medium will provide a boost to their the one recorded in 2014. enterprises (SMEs) in driv- economies. The strategies also helped HE the Minister of Economy ing economic growth in Addressing the 12th World Qatar improve its rankings and Commerce Sheikh national economies around Islamic Economic Forum in many international re- Ahmed bin Jassim bin the world, away from the (WIEF), which kicked off ports, including the global Mohamed al-Thani previous dominance of big in Indonesia yesterday, HE competitiveness report in addressing the forum. multinationals, to ensure Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin which Qatar was ranked the employment, a resilient do- Mohamed al-Thani, high- top Arab country. can fi nd solutions to the mestic sector and a strong lighted the importance of the The Minister expressed challenges facing the global economy to compete on the event and the role it can play his hope that the conference economy, including the de- global arena. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 REGION/ARAB WORLD Bahrain court Anti-IS air raids denies bail for in ‘US activist Rajab interest’ AFP AFP up on the activist in prison, the Washington Dubai source added. Rajab has had recurring health problems and was briefl y hospi- resident Barack Obama Bahraini court yesterday talised late in June. defended a two-day-old denied bail for human But the court ordered that he PUS air campaign against Arights activist Nabeel Ra- remain in custody throughout the Islamic State group in its jab despite a new request to free the trial and set the next hearing Libyan stronghold of Sirte, say- him on health grounds, a judicial for September 5. ing defeating the militants there source said. The criminal court had also was in the US national interest. The 51-year-old activist, who denied bail for Rajab during the The US military yesterday had been pardoned for health fi rst court hearing on July 12. A fighter of Libyan forces allied with the UN-backed government fires a shell with Soviet made T-55 tank at Islamic State fighters in Sirte launched a new round of air reasons last year, was rearrested Amnesty International has yesterday. strikes on the city in the turbu- in June and is on trial on charges said Rajab could face up to 13 lent North African country, fol- of insulting a state institution years if convicted. lowing similar strikes the day and neighbouring Saudi Arabia The Shia activist has been re- before, a US defence offi cial said. online. peatedly detained for organising The offi cial, who spoke on He attended yesterday’s hear- protests and publishing tweets condition of anonymity, said the ing during which the judge re- deemed insulting to Bahrain’s United States had now conduct- jected his defence team’s re- authorities. ed “about seven strikes” in Sirte. quest to free Rajab because of He previously served two The Pentagon on Monday an- his “health situation,” the source years in jail on charges of taking Libya govt forces nounced it had launched air said. part in unauthorised protests in strikes at the request of the Libyan However, a doctor will check the kingdom. Government of National Accord (GNA). “It is in America’s na- tional security interest in our fi ght against ISIL to make sure (the GNA are) able to fi nish the job,” advance in Sirte Obama told a White House news Suicide blasts kill conference, using an IS acronym. AFP by IS since June 2015, and its IS members and vehicles”, the On Monday, Sarraj visited “We’re working in partner- Tripoli loss would be a major blow to GNA forces said in a statement. pro-government forces in Mis- ship with them to assure that the militants, who have faced a The Pentagon said the raids rata, 190km to the northwest of IS does not get a stronghold in six Yemen soldiers series of setbacks in Syria and were launched in response to a Sirte, his offi ce said. Libya, even as Libya begins what orces loyal to Libya’s unity Iraq. request from Fayez al-Sarraj, More than 300 pro-GNA is going to be a long process to AFP only 50m away, the offi cial said. government said yester- IS has transformed the city the head of the unity govern- fi ghters have been killed and establish a functioning govern- Aden The number of fatalities is Fday they were advancing into a training camp for Libyan ment. over 1,500 wounded since the ment and security system.” likely to rise, the offi cial added. inside the militant stronghold and foreign militants, terrifying It was unclear whether the start of the battle for Sirte, ac- The Tripoli-based GNA The base belongs to troops of Sirte, following the fi rst US residents with public amputa- strikes had helped the GNA cording to medical sources in launched an operation in May wo suicide car bombings loyal to President Abd-Rab- air strikes on Islamic State tions and executions. fi ghters to gain control of Al- Misrata. to retake Sirte, the hometown of struck an army base in bu Mansour Hadi who earlier group positions in the city. The pro-GNA forces said Dollar. Forces supporting Sarraj’s slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi Tsouthern Yemen yester- this year launched an off ensive The IS bastion, located just Tuesday they had gained full IS took advantage of the cha- government entered Sirte on which has been under militant day killing at least six soldiers against Al Qaeda militants. across the Mediterranean from control of Al-Dollar, a central os in Libya after the 2011 ouster June 9, but their advance has control since June 2015. and wounding 12 others, a mili- The off ensive, backed by a Europe, has been shaken by residential district in Sirte, af- of longtime dictator Muammar been slowed by an IS fi ghtback While the Pentagon had car- tary offi cial said. Saudi-led Arab coalition, pushed weeks of fi erce clashes between ter clashes that killed fi ve of Gaddafi to increase its presence using suicide car bombs and ried out two previous air attacks One bomber detonated his the militants out of several cit- militants and fi ghters allied to their members and wounded 17. in the oil-rich country. sniper fi re. on high-value IS targets in Lib- explosives-laden car at the gate ies, including Mukalla, the pro- the Tripoli-based Government The announcement came The militants have claimed The pro-GNA forces are ya, Monday’s action marked the of the base in the city of Habi- vincial capital of Hadramawt, of National Accord (GNA). after US aircraft launched fi ve deadly attacks, including be- mostly made up of militias from fi rst US strikes in Sirte itself, and layn, in Lahj province, while but Al Qaeda fi ghters have since The city, 450km east of air strikes on Monday against headings, and targeted foreign western Libya established dur- the fi rst salvos in an open-ended the second car bomb went off regained some ground. Tripoli, has been controlled “several targets in Sirte, hitting embassies. ing the 2011 revolt. air campaign. Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 5 ARAB WORLD Rescuers say Palestinian designer for rich, famous pops up in W Bank

By Shatha Yaish/AFP toxic gas Ramallah, Palestinian Territories ami Kashou’s designs are worn by Hollywood stars Rand royalty but for the past few days he has been back home in the occupied West Bank dropped on rather than London, Paris or New York. As on most days, Yasser Ara- fat Square in central Ramallah was crowded with pedestrians, taxis with screaming horns and fruit sellers lugging their goods Syrian town on carts. But tucked behind a nonde- Reuters the gas,” said the spokesman. acknowledged loss of life for Rus- script door another world beck- Beirut The Syrian government and its sian forces since they started op- oned: one of burgundy walls and Russian allies were not immedi- erations in Syria. fl oor-length mirrors, as Kashou ately available for comment. The helicopter came down hosted a three-day pop-up Syrian rescue service op- The SNC said in a statement: roughly mid-way between Alep- fashion shop. erating in rebel-held ter- “After shelling, besieging and po and Russia’s main air base at A handful of women of all Aritory said yesterday a killing civilians and perpetrating Khmeimim in the western prov- ages browsed the elegant de- helicopter dropped containers war crimes on them, the Assad ince of Latakia, near the Mediter- signs, occasionally trying on of toxic gas overnight on a town regime has resorted once again, ranean coast. clothes under the watchful close to where a Russian military and in breach of UN resolutions Russian air power began sup- eyes of Kashou, who rushed to helicopter was shot down hours 2118 and 2235, to using chemical porting Assad late last year, an in- dispense fashion advice when earlier. substances and toxic gasses. tervention which tipped the bal- needed. The opposition Syrian National “The daily reality confi rms that ance of the war in Assad’s favour, The US-based fashion de- Coalition (SNC) accused Presi- all the international agreements eroding gains the rebels had made signer has a list of celebrity Palestinian American fashion designer Rami Kashou shows one of his designs. dent Bashar al-Assad of being be- and previous security council de- that year. clients including Hollywood hind the attack. cisions, be they about chemical The Russian defence ministry actress Jessica Alba, reality TV Runway” reality television. including one resembling a smiled: “I hope it isn’t too ex- Assad has denied previous weapons or otherwise, are mean- said the Mi-8 military transport star Kim Kardashian and Queen He reached the fi nals, com- bouquet of fl owers with a pink pensive, so I can buy it.” accusations of using chemical ingless for the Assad regime.” helicopter was shot down after Rania of Jordan. ing second to Christian Siriano, and red collar, which he said was A single Rami Kashou dress weapons. The Civil Defence spokes- delivering humanitarian aid to But Kashou, who is 40 and who designed the dress worn by inspired by a trip to Puerto Rico. can cost several thousand dol- A spokesman for the Syria Civil man said it was the second time Aleppo as it made its way back to was born in Jerusalem, has US First Lady Michelle Obama The garments, including a lars, a sum impossible to im- Defence said 33 people, mostly Saraqeb had been hit by toxic gas. Khmeimim. now made copies for Palestin- as she addressed the Democratic magenta cocktail dress designed agine for the vast majority of women and children, were aff ect- The group was aware of around No group has claimed responsi- ian women of his creations that National Convention last week. for supermodel Heidi Klum, Palestinians, where the unem- ed by the gas, which they suspect nine suspected chlorine gas inci- bility for downing the helicopter. they would otherwise only see Kashou said the show opened feature a range of exquisite fab- ployment rate is around 27% was chlorine, in Saraqeb, in rebel- dents across Idlib province since Government and opposition in magazines. doors for him in America and rics such as chiff on, georgette, and one in fi ve of those in work held Idlib province. the confl ict began, he said. forces have both denied using He left for the United States in elsewhere. lame and silk. makes less than $380 a month. The group, which describes Monitors at the Britain-based chemical weapons during the 1996 and now lives in New York. “I benefi ted a lot. It was a big Suha Hussein, 32, inspected Does the designer who has itself as a neutral band of search Syrian Observatory for Human fi ve-year-old civil war. “I was away for a long time,” advert, especially for me as a herself in the mirror as she tried made it big in America really see and rescue volunteers, posted Rights, which tracks violence Western powers say the gov- the bearded, shaven-headed Palestinian designer,” he said. on a sleek black Moroccan- opportunities in the Palestinian a video on YouTube apparently on all sides in the civil war, said ernment has been responsible for Kashou, dressed in black, said in “And the Arab world became style dress with beads engraved territories? showing a number of men strug- barrel bombs fell on Saraqeb late chlorine and other chemical at- the store. aware of me.” around the neck, based on an “There is an important mar- gling to breathe and being given on Monday, wounding a large tacks. “I usually come to visit my He is now developing his original made for Queen Rania. ket here,” he said. “It is ex- oxygen masks by people in civil number of citizens. The government and Russia family, (but) this is the fi rst time brand in Arab countries. “I feel proud because we have tremely important to study the defence uniforms. Russia’s defence ministry said have accused rebels of using poi- I brought my designs here.” In Ramallah, the Palestinian such a talent and he is still inter- market to know the customers “Medium-sized barrels fell a Russian helicopter was shot son gas. Kashou shot to fame in political capital in the Israeli- ested in returning to his coun- and their needs.” containing toxic gasses. The down near Saraqeb during the day UN investigators established 2008 when he appeared on the occupied West Bank, he showed try,” she said. “And it is wedding season, Syrian Civil Defence was not on Monday, killing all fi ve people that sarin gas was used in Eastern fourth season of the “Project off his unique style of dresses, Turning to the dress, she women here want glamour.” able to determine the type of on board, in the biggest offi cially Ghouta in 2013. Russian air strikes slow rebel assault in Aleppo

AFP Beirut

he Syrian regime’s key ally Rus- sia launched heavy air strikes Tovernight on the outskirts of divided Aleppo city, slowing a “last- chance” assault by rebels seeking to break a government siege. The assault began on Sunday and is in- tended to ease the encirclement of the op- position-held east of Aleppo city, where an estimated 250,000 residents have been under regime siege since July 17. The Britain-based Syrian Observa- tory for Human Rights described it as the largest rebel attack in Aleppo since 2012, when fi ghting reached the city and left it roughly divided between the opposition control in the east and re- gime forces in the west. But government troops backed by Russian warplanes have put up a fi erce defence, the monitor said. “The Russian raids didn’t stop all night on the front lines” there, said Ob- A still image shows Syrian soldiers guiding civilians who, according to Syrian TV, servatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. are evacuating besieged eastern parts of Aleppo on Saturday. “This has slowed the off ensive and allowed regime troops to retake fi ve of Its capture would both cut off gov- Residents said the attack had used the eight positions that rebels had tak- ernment forces and open a new route chlorine gas, but the monitor could not en since Sunday,” he added. into the city for rebels. confi rm this. The strikes came despite an appeal The Observatory said at least 30 ci- The incident took place close to by US Secretary of State John Kerry on vilians had also been killed since Sun- where Russia said on Monday one of its Monday for Russia to “restrain” itself day in opposition bombardment of military helicopter was shot down over and its ally in Damascus from “off en- government-held southwestern dis- Idlib province, killing the fi ve people on sive operations”. tricts of Aleppo. board. Kerry said regime attacks had pre- “This battle is the last chance for Last week Russia announced the vented the warring parties from meet- rebels. If they lose, it will be diffi cult for opening of “humanitarian corridors” to ing for negotiations on Monday, the them to launch a new assault to break allow residents and surrendering fi ght- target date set for the regime and oppo- the siege,” Abdel Rahman said. ers to fl ee the east for government-held sition forces to agree on the framework “For the regime also, it’s a question territory. of a political transition. of life or death. They’ve been preparing The announcement was met with The Aleppo off ensive groups fighters for this battle for months and it’ll be a scepticism by both residents and some from Fateh al-Sham Front, formerly Al tough blow for its troops if they lose.” in the international community, and 35 Qaeda affi liate Al Nusra Front, as well Elsewhere in Aleppo province, the NGOs in a statement yesterday called as the powerful Islamist Ahrar al-Sham Observatory said at least 11 people, in- the initiative “deeply fl awed”. and other factions. cluding fi ve children, were killed in air The groups, including Save the Chil- The Observatory said 50 rebels and strikes believed to have been carried dren and Oxfam, urged implementation allied militants had been killed since out by Russian warplanes on the rebel- of a UN call for a weekly 48-hour hu- the operation began on Sunday, as well held town of Atareb. manitarian pause in the city. as dozens of regime troops. The town has been targeted multiple But Damascus and Moscow say Six people also died and 10 were times in recent weeks. some residents and fi ghters have be- wounded by mortar rounds that hit re- According to the Observatory, 76 gun using the passages and Syrian gime-controlled districts of southwest people have been killed in strikes there state media reported yesterday that Aleppo, it said. since July 16. “dozens of families” had crossed from The offi cial SANA agency said ve fi Residents in east Aleppo have re- the east. people died in the bombardment. ported food shortages and rising prices It reported similar crossings over the The route used by regime forces and since government troops seized the last weekend, although residents and rebels civilians living in government-con- remaining road into opposition-held in east Aleppo dismissed those reports trolled parts of Aleppo runs through districts on July 17. as “lies”. Ramussa, on the southwest outskirts of In the town of Saraqeb, 50km south Syria’s confl ict has killed more than Aleppo. of Aleppo, 24 people suff ered breathing 280,000 people and drawn in world It has become the main target of the diffi culties after a barrel bomb attack, powers on both sides since it erupted in rebel assault. the Observatory said. March 2011. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 AFRICA Gabon ANC faces tough test president in SA local elections warns of AFP that came with the ANC has Johannesburg turned into disgruntlement.” poll unrest The August 3 poll will elect mayors and other local repre- outh Africans vote today in sentatives responsible for the AFP Gabon’s constitutional municipal elections widely hot-button issues of water, san- Libreville court last week rejected ap- Sseen as a referendum on itation and power supply. peals lodged by three oppo- President Jacob Zuma, with the Problems providing such daily nents against his candidacy. stalling economy overshadow- basics trigger regular and some- abon President Ali Bon- The representative of the ing progress made since the end times violent “service delivery” go Ondimba has warned EU election observation mis- of apartheid. protests in South Africa, where Gof possible unrest dur- sion on Thursday called on Zuma’s African National Con- harsh socio-economic divi- ing the August 27 election politicians to “do everything” gress (ANC), which controls the sions remain a grim legacy of the which he said was the “strat- to “avoid any violence or any majority of the 278 municipali- apartheid era. egy” of the opposition chal- form of provocation” with ties, has been weakened by graft Violence has also marred the lenging his eligibility to seek a tensions high ahead of the scandals and growing public election campaign itself, with a second seven-year term. presidential polls. discontent since it led the fi ght spate of politically-linked kill- “It is to be feared, because it As the elections approach, that ended white-minority rule ings mainly in the eastern prov- is the opposition’s strategy for the security forces have had in 1994. ince of KwaZulu-Natal, an ANC many years,” Bongo said in an a greater presence in the The government struggle to stronghold. interview with the weekly Je- capital Libreville, with road provide basic services as such At least 13 people have been une Afrique published Sunday checkpoints at night. electricity to many of the poor killed in attacks often blamed on which asked him if he feared Assessing his seven-year could fuel support for the main internal ANC friction. “abuses and even violence” term, the president regretted opposition Democratic Alliance A record 26.3mn people are after the vote. “not having maintained the (DA) and the radical leftist Eco- registered to vote, but low turn- The opposition “has started pace of reforms”, particularly nomic Freedom Fighters (EFF). out may be a factor more than two to heat things up by announc- to diversify the economy of The ANC has easily won all decades after the euphoric 1994 ing that the election will not be the oil-producing west Afri- post-apartheid elections, but elections that brought the ANC South African deputy president and South African ruling party ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa transparent, that we will steal can country. its rivals hope this week’s vote and Nelson Mandela to offi ce. casts his ballot as a special vote on the eve of South Africa highly contested municipal elections yesterday victory,” the president said. “I was talking one day could shake its previously im- A poor showing by the ANC in Johannesburg. Bongo described as “non- with President Obama on pregnable hold on power. today would pile pressure on sense” the arguments of crit- the diffi culty of reform, the Analysis of the results, ex- Zuma, who could step down be- “There is an element of unpre- lius Malema, is standing in its She added that recent violent ics who have opposed his pitfalls ... He replied: “In pected to be released later today, fore his term ends when the na- dictability (that may) inject an fi rst municipal elections, and protests were not necessarily a re-election on the grounds that situation, the best ad- will focus on the battle for three tional elections are held in three element of accountability in the could emerge as a major player sign of rejection of the current that he was a Nigerian who vice I can give you is to speed key metropolitan municipali- years’ time. political system.” with its populist calls for land government. was adopted in the 1960s by up, step on the gas”, this is ties - the capital Pretoria, the The party’s promise of more In the last municipal vote in redistribution without com- “Communities often use his father, long-ruling former what we will do.” economic hub Johannesburg and jobs has been unfulfi lled thanks 2011, the ANC took Pretoria by pensation and nationalisation the protests as a way of com- president Ali Bongo, and was Bongo was elected for a fi rst the coastal city of Port Elizabeth. to the frail economy. 56%, while the DA garnered 39%. of the mines. municating the ANC,” she therefore ineligible as a for- term in a disputed 2009 vote Polls suggest the DA, which Growth is predicted to fl at- A latest poll by Ipsos showed “The ANC may be in decline, said. eigner under the constitution. following the death of his fa- already holds Cape Town, could line at 0% this year, leaving the the DA ahead in Nelson Mandela but it still stands a chance of The party has roped in an- “If they come to this kind ther Omar Bongo Ondimba, win all three cities, providing it stubbornly high unemployment Bay (Port Elizabeth), Tshwane winning the election overall,” ti-apartheid stalwarts such as of argument - challenging my who had steered Gabon from with a major boost ahead of the rate at about 26 percent, with (Pretoria) and Johannesburg. said Susan Booysen, a political Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, eligibility, my birth and other 1967 and was described by 2019 general election. frustrated young job-seekers The DA, previously seen as the analyst at the University of the former wife of Mandela, to urge nonsense - this proves that critics as a corrupt despot. “We are dealing with a situ- particularly badly aff ected. party for middle-class whites, Witwatersrand, urging caution people to vote for the liberation they recognise that my record This rule saw the country ation of an angry electorate,” “We are now entering an era is running under its fi rst black over predicting the results. movement. is good (...) They fear an hon- tap its new found oil wealth Prince Mashele of the Pretoria- where you cannot predict the leader Mmusi Maimane, who “The ANC realises the diffi cult The DA has also regularly est campaign, programme that led to a per capita income based Centre for Politics and outcome of the elections. This hopes to vastly extend the party’s position it’s in, and has pulled all evoked Mandela’s name in its against programme, and obvi- four times that of most sub- Research said. never used to be the case,” said appeal. the stops to ensure that it retains campaign, much to the ANC’s ously prefer slander,” he said. Saharan African nations. “For many people, the hope Mashele. The EFF, led by fi rebrand Ju- the key metros.” chagrin.

Briton, Child malnutrition Rough ride Kenyans costs Ghana more quizzed than $2bn annually

over $3mn Thomson Reuters Foundation the World Food Programme’s Akar (WFP) Africa offi ce. UN member states agreed drug bust last year to 17 ambitious goals hana economy’s is los- - the Sustainable Develop- ing more than $2bn a ment Goals (SDGs) - to tackle AFP Gyear due to the impact the world’s most troubling Mombasa of child malnutrition, which problems ranging from hunger has driven up healthcare costs, to climate change. strained the education system “The losses to the economy enyan police yesterday and hindered the productivity can be averted through stra- were interrogating a Brit- of the workforce, a study said tegic interventions which en- Kish national and two Ken- yesterday. sure adequate nutrition for yans over a $3mn cocaine haul Malnutrition comes in mothers and young children,” found among a shipment of sug- many forms, such as poor Yanga said in a statement. ar from South America. child growth and development Ghana has made progress The trio were being ques- or vulnerability to infection in improving child nutrition, tioned by a special team of US among those who do not get as stunting rates have almost anti-narcotics agents and their enough food, which is known halved, to 19% from 36% - in Kenyan counterparts after be- as undernutrition. just over a decade, the 2016 ing arrested at the weekend Undernutrition among Global Nutrition Report in connection with the 100kg children costs Ghana $2.6bn showed. (220-pound) consignment, said per year - 6.4% of its gross Yet the COHA study found Kenyan taxi drivers signed up to ride-hailing service Uber eject a passenger from one of the Uber operating taxis during a strike a senior anti-narcotics offi cer. domestic product (GDP) - ac- a third of adults in Ghana suf- after the company slashed prices in the face of growing competition from similar local firms in Kenya’s capital Nairobi yesterday. “They are held within Nairobi cording to a study led by the fered from stunting as chil- and are assisting offi cers in the African Union and backed by dren, and that child mortality investigations. They were arrested UN aid agencies and the Afri- linked to undernutrition has in a sting operation,” said the offi - can Development Bank. reduced Ghana’s workforce cial, who asked not to be named as Stunted growth, which oc- by 7%. the investigation was ongoing. curs when children miss out “In northern Ghana, 30% of The three are linked to a drug on vital nutrients in the womb children under fi ve are stunted Five killed as Nigeria army foils Boko Haram attack smuggling cartel from Brazil and and their fi rst two years of life, or chronically malnourished,” were followed by foreign and lo- is the biggest concern, said said WFP deputy regional di- cal anti-drugs authorities for the Cost of Hunger in Africa rector for West and Central AFP en-year insurgency, the army ment by army spokesman Sani es, Nigerian troops have recap- months, according to the offi cer. (COHA) study, which has been Africa, Margot van der Velden. Lagos said yesterday. Usman. tured a range of territories and The drugs, worth an estimated carried out in 12 other African “This not only aff ects their “Troops of Operation LAFI- During the incident, which driven the insurgents into remote 300mn Kenyan shillings ($3mn), nations. growth but also their edu- YA DOLE accompanied by Ci- took place on Monday, fi ve Is- areas in the Lake Chad region. were discovered on a Venezuela- “The goal of eliminating cational development and ive Islamists were killed as vilian JTF successfully thwart- lamists were killed and a cache of Boko Haram, which seeks fl agged ship in the port city of Mom- stunting is key to achiev- economic potential, and Nigerian troops thwarted ed an attempt by Boko Haram arms and ammunition, including to impose strict Islamic law in basa following an Interpol tipoff , ing zero hunger, Sustainable consequently the future of Fa Boko Haram attack near terrorists on Yauri community two AK-47 rifl es and a machine northern Nigeria, has killed some nine days after leaving Santos, Brazil. Development Goal 2,” said the country,” she added in a the northeastern city of Maid- at the outskirts of Maiduguri gun, were recovered, he said. 20,000 and displaced more than Each container on the vessel Thomas Yanga, director of statement. uguri, the epicentre of the sev- city, Borno State,” said a state- With the help of regional forc- 2.6mn people since 2009. destined for Uganda was loaded with 520 bags of brown sugar, according to police, in which the cocaine was hidden. The port of Mombasa on Afri- ca’s east coast has long been used Activists demand justice after Kenyan hacks off wife’s hands as a transit point for drugs bound for Asia and Europe. The so-called Smack Track - Thomson Reuters Foundation kos County in southern Kenya, machete after a dispute about told the couple that she was fer- have been physically abused by pending since 2002, which crimi- that leads from Afghanistan to the Dakar was on Monday arrested and the fact that she had not fall- tile, while Ngila was impotent. their husbands, data shows. nalised a range of off ences from Makran Coast of Iran and Paki- charged with attempted murder, en pregnant in seven years of The Nairobi-based Fed- Domestic violence is widely verbal abuse and intimidation stan and across the Indian Ocean after attacking his wife, Jackline marriage, local media said. eration of Women Lawyers accepted and victims rarely seek to assault and rape. to East Africa - is an alternative Kenyan man who Mwende, almost two weeks ago, The 34-year-old told (FIDA) said Ngila should be justice due to social pressure and The legislation also ensured to the traditional opium trail via chopped off his wife’s according to the women’s rights Mwende, 27, ‘today is your last investigated and prosecuted. little faith in the judicial system, that victims receive counselling Central Asia and the Balkans. Ahands with a machete organisation Equality Now. day’ before attacking her, said “We are angered by the esca- according to Nairobi’s Gender and other forms of support. In West Africa, Latin American because she had not conceived a “This is a particularly shock- the Daily Nation, which pub- lating cases of violence against Violence Recovery Centre. “While stigma and shame re- cocaine traffi ckers have strength- child must face the full force of ing case for Kenya... even though lished a video of the victim with women in country... and that “We can’t aff ord to let the per- main, women now have confi dence ened their grip since the mid-2000s the law to deter other perpetra- domestic violence is rampant,” a deep gash on her head, and nothing has been done about it,” petrators act with impunity - to report domestic violence, be- where drugs money fuels corruption tors of widespread domestic vi- Naitore Nyamu of Equality Now stumps where her hands once said FIDA Kenya’s chairwoman which has sometimes been the case cause they know it is illegal, and and in the case of tiny Guinea-Bissau olence in Kenya, women’s rights said over phone from Nairobi. were, wrapped in bandages. Josephine Mong’are. in recent years,” Nyamu added. that there is a law that backs them,” - dubbed Africa’s fi rst narco-state - activists said yesterday. Ngila cut off his wife’s hands Mwende said she was sur- Almost half of Kenyan wom- Kenya last year passed a domes- said Joan Nyanyuki of Coalition on may even outstrip national GDP. Stephen Ngila from Macha- and hacked her head with a prised by the attack, as doctors en who have ever been married tic violence law, which had been Violence Against Women. Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 7 AMERICAS Republican Obama says Trump lawmaker ‘unfi t’ to be president says he will AFP and highly personal escalation of Washington presidential rhetoric. back Clinton “There have been Republican presidents with whom I’ve disa- n a blunt and virtually unprec- greed with, but I didn’t have a Reuters 8 election against Clinton, but edented presidential rebuke, doubt that they could function as Washington Hanna was the fi rst to take the IBarack Obama yesterday de- president,” Obama said. extra step of endorsing the Demo- scribed Donald Trump as “unfi t” Turning to his 2012 and 2008 crat. to be president and called on Re- election opponents, Obama said Republican lawmaker in Citing Trump’s attacks on the publicans to disown him. “Mitt Romney and John McCain Congress became the fi rst Khans, Hanna called him “deeply Standing alongside the prime were wrong on certain policy is- Ato break with the party and fl awed in endless ways,” “unre- minister of Singapore, Obama sues, but I never thought that they support Democrat Hillary Clinton pentant” and “self-involved.” cast aside any pretence of domes- couldn’t do the job.” for the White House yesterday “For me, it is not enough to tic unity and described Trump as Obama’s comments came amid amid signs of growing Republican simply denounce his comments: “woefully unprepared” and “unfi t a roiling war of words between unease with volatile presidential He is unfi t to serve our party to serve as president.” Trump and the father of a slain US nominee Donald Trump. and cannot lead this country,” “He keeps proving it,” Obama soldier who rebuked the Republi- The break by Representative Hanna wrote in a letter posted added. can nominee as having “sacrifi ced Richard Hanna of New York fol- on syracuse.com, the website of “This isn’t a situation where nothing.” lowed days of uproar over Trump’s the Post-Standard newspaper in you have an episodic gaff e,” Trump also has come under fi re criticism of the parents of a Mus- New York. Obama said as the 70-year-old for remarks in a television inter- lim US Army offi cer killed in the Trump has had a running feud mogul was embroiled in multiple view in which he appeared not to Iraq war, which has fuelled a fresh with Khizr and Ghazala Khan controversies over his comments be aware of Russia’s 2014 annexa- round of Republican rebukes of since they took the stage at last about Muslims, babies, fi refi ght- tion of Crimea after its takeover the New York businessman. week’s Democratic convention ers and the military. from Ukraine. Illustrating the escalating to cite their son’s sacrifi ce and Obama turned up the heat on Obama said: “The notion that US President Barack Obama welcomes Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with an off icial arrival tension between the candidate criticise Trump’s proposed ban Republican leaders who have he would attack a Gold Star fam- ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington yesterday. and the party, Trump pointedly on Muslims. backed Trump, but continue to ily that made extraordinary sac- thanked the primary opponent Many Republicans have ex- denounce some of his comments. rifi ces on behalf of our country, Trump says Clinton Losing patience of Republican House of Repre- pressed support for the parents, “This is daily and weekly where the fact that he doesn’t appear ‘unfi t’ for government sentatives Speaker Paul Ryan on and some have sharply rebuked they are distancing themselves to have basic knowledge around with crying baby Monday for his “kind words” after Trump, most notably Senate from statements he’s making,” critical issues in Europe, in the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Ryan had issued a statement say- Armed Forces Committee Chair- Obama said. Middle East, in Asia means that Trump shot back at President Barack Obama’s With the outcry over his most recent controversial ing the sacrifi ce of the parents, man John McCain, a military vet- “There has to be a point in he’s woefully unprepared to do criticism of him as unfit for off ice, saying statements against the parents of a fallen Muslim Khizr and Ghazala Khan, should eran and former prisoner of war. which you say: ‘This is not some- this job.” Democratic rival Hillary Clinton has embraced soldier still echoing, Donald Trump took a baby be honoured. Ryan and Republican Senate body I can support for president “There has to come a point in policies that have hurt national security and step yesterday into yet another potential political Wisconsin businessman Paul Majority Leader McConnell have of the United States, even if he which you say ‘enough’,” he said, America’s workers. minefield. Nehlen, who is challenging Ryan off ered support to the Khans, but purports to be a member of my in a comment directed at Repub- “Hillary Clinton has proven herself unfit to serve in The Republican presidential nominee was speaking in next week’s primary in Wis- no Republican leaders have with- party.’” licans. any government off ice,” Trump said in a statement at a campaign event in Ashburn, Virginia, when an consin, had posted material on his drawn their support for Trump as Obama has endorsed Hillary “The alternative is the entire shortly after Obama issued a scathing attack infant in the audience began to cry. campaign website accusing Ryan the party’s presidential pick. Clinton in the 2016 White House party and the Republican party and challenged Republican leaders to withdraw “I love babies,” Trump said.“What a baby. What a of misrepresenting Trump’s pro- Ryan’s offi ce declined to com- race and has repeatedly pilloried eff ectively endorses and vali- support for their “woefully unprepared” nominee. beautiful baby. It is young and beautiful and healthy, posed temporary ban on Muslims ment on Hanna’s announcement. Trump’s populism. dates the positions being articu- and that’s what we want...” entering the country and defend- Hanna is retiring from the But his comments in the East lated by Mr Trump. Obama last week ad- between a Democrat and Not long after the baby began to cry again. ing him in the dispute with the House and is not seeking re- Room of the White House – where As I said in my speech last dressed the Democratic Republican, but a Dem- “Actually, I was only kidding. You can get the baby Khans. election, leaving him more lee- Abraham Lincoln lay in state and week, I don’t think that repre- convention in Philadel- ocrat and a demagogue out of here. I think [the mother] really believed me, Several congressional Republi- way to risk upsetting colleagues Theodore Roosevelt today casts sents the views of a whole lot of phia and painted this who threatens democ- that I love having a baby crying while I’m speaking. cans have said they will not sup- and voters over his break with a painted gaze – are a signifi cant Republicans out there.” election as a choice not racy. Business Page 4 That’s OK. People don’t understand. That’s OK.” port Trump in the Nov Trump. Trudeau overhauls how Canada picks top jurists

AFP what critics decried as a spectives to the decision- Under the new regime, Ottawa partisan and unaccountable making process, whether the nominee will be vetted selection system described informed by gender, ethnic- by a parliamentary com- by Trudeau himself as “a ity, personal history or the mittee. rime Minister Justin secretive backroom proc- myriad other things that Trudeau’s advisory panel, Trudeau announced ess.” make us who we are,” he meanwhile, includes an ab- Pyesterday sweep- “The nine men and wom- said. original leader, and lawyers ing changes to the way Su- en who sit on the Supreme Under the previous Tory with expertise in gay and preme Court justices are Court bench must be jurists administration, the selec- other minority rights. chosen, vowing diversity of the highest calibre, they tion of top judges became Campbell, the panel’s while scrapping a tradition must be functionally bilin- mired in controversy after chair, was Canada’s fi rst of regional representation gual and they must also rep- the government’s pick was female prime minister in on Canada’s top bench. resent the diversity of our rejected in 2013. 1993. Also for the fi rst time great country,” Trudeau said In an unprecedented The nominee will replace ever, interested lawyers and in a Globe And Mail op-ed. move, the Supreme Court retiring Justice Thomas judges can apply on their Citing Chief Justice Bev- ruled that the appointee Cromwell, who hails from own behalf to be justices. erley McLachlin, he added: lacked the legal qualifi ca- Nova Scotia province, in An independent panel “If we are to fully meet the tions. September. led by former prime minis- challenges of judging in a After leaks revealed simi- Under the old system, ter Kim Campbell will sort diverse society, we must lar shortcomings of other the new justice would be through applications and work toward a bench that candidates put forward by picked from the same area, provide a shortlist of three better mirrors the people it Stephen Harper’s govern- but that won’t necessarily to fi ve candidates to the judges.” ment, the Tories ended par- be the case now, according prime minister. “A diverse bench brings liament’s involvement in to the prime minister’s of- The changes aim to end diff erent and valuable per- the selection process. fice. NYC police chief Bratton to retire

Reuters ments “literally inestimable Bratton, who started his his “zero tolerance” polic- New York and extraordinary,” de Blasio career as an offi cer in Boston ing strategy with helping to credited Bratton with push- in 1970, has also overseen contribute to the city’s dras- ing the city’s crime levels to the police departments in tic reductions in crime since ew York City Police historic lows and working to Boston and Los Angeles. the 1990s, while critics have Commissioner Wil- repair relations between the He is known as a strong assailed the tactics as heavy- Nliam Bratton will re- department and the com- supporter of the “broken handed. tire in September, Mayor Bill munities it protects. windows” theory, which In his fi rst turn as po- de Blasio announced yester- Regarded as a celebrity in holds that preventing minor lice commissioner, Bratton day, capping a four-decade the world of law enforce- infractions such as vandal- introduced the CompStat career that saw him become ment, Bratton, 68, was cred- ism and public drinking can system of real-time crime the most well known fi gure ited with sharply cutting help lower the number of tracking, which has since in US policing. crime in New York City dur- more serious crimes. been adopted by other police Bratton will step down af- ing his fi rst spell as commis- In New York, Bratton ap- departments. ter two years at the helm of sioner in the 1990s. plied the theory by cracking Bratton had previously the nation’s largest city po- He gained the moniker down on petty crimes while said he would not serve past lice force, the second time he “supercop” before leaving working under then-Mayor the end of de Blasio’s current has served in that position. the department to work in Rudy Giuliani. four-year term, which ends Calling his accomplish- the private sector. Supporters have credited next year.

Woman accidentally shoots self while Snapchatting

A woman in the US state of the .40 caliber semi-automatic The incident occurred on for Disease Control and Florida tried to Snapchat a handgun, trying to make a Sunday in Deltona, Florida. Prevention, 586 people were video of herself holding a gun Snapchat video, when it went Police were still looking for killed last year in accidents but instead accidentally shot off , the Volusia county sheriff ’s the gun, which the woman’s involving firearms. her cellphone, injuring her off ice said. aunt tossed out of her car The right to bear arms is right hand, authorities said. The bullet destroyed her window as she drove Powell protected under the second Regina Powell, 22, said she cellphone and injured her to the hospital. amendment of the US was “foolishly playing” with thumb and index finger. According to the Centers Constitution. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 ASEAN

Vietnam paternity twist in Cambodia’s ‘Red shirts’ charged ‘jungle woman’ tale

AFP lost daughter,” he told AFP by Phnom Penh telephone. “He recognises her by a spot on her lip, ear con- ditions and a scar on her left as Thai vote looms Vietnamese man has wrist.” claimed that he is the The Vietnamese man has AFP Areal father of a woman since made two visits, the lat- Bangkok whose plight gripped Cambo- est on Saturday, and has agreed dia after she apparently spent to pay the woman’s adoptive 18 years living in the jungle, her family $1,500 for taking care ineteen leaders of Thai- adoptive family said on Mon- of her. land’s pro-democracy day. Khamphy said his fam- N“Red Shirt” movement The paternity claim, which ily were inclined to believe were charged yesterday with the woman’s adoptive family the man is her father and were breaching a ban on political gath- now believe is genuine, adds awaiting approval from the erings, as the junta clamps down a new twist to a saga which Cambodian authorities to give before a referendum next week- began in 2007 when a naked her back. end. and fi lthy woman was discov- “If she was not his daughter, Thais will decide on Sunday ered trying to steal food from a he would not want her back whether to accept a new mili- farmer. because she is mentally ill. He tary-drafted constitution in the The woman – soon dubbed said he feels pity for her, that fi rst vote since the generals top- Prayut: I do not worry about a “jungle woman” by Cambodi- is why he wants her back,” he pled the elected government in ‘no’ vote or the outcome. ans – was found hunched over said. 2014. like a monkey, scavenging on In a letter given to her Cam- The military says that its char- leader of the Democrat Party and the ground for pieces of dried bodian adopted family and ter – the country’s twentieth – a staunch Shinawatra opponent, rice. seen by AFP on Monday, Peo will curb political corruption and also said he is against the charter. She was taken in by a Cam- said his daughter was called bring much-needed stability af- Predicting the turnout or the bodian family who identifi ed Tak. ter a decade of turmoil. outcome of the vote is diffi cult. her as Rochom P’ngieng, a “Recently some young vil- But critics say the document Thai polling data is notori- girl who went missing in 1989 lagers suddenly found her in- is a shameless attempt to extend ously unreliable and exit polls are while herding water buff alo in formation and pictures online. the army’s grip on power. banned on the day. Ratanakiri province, around They showed me and I discov- The grassroots Red Shirt Analysts believe a low turnout 600km northeast of Phnom ered she is now in Cambodia, movement is loyal to the ousted Leaders of Thailand’s pro-democracy ‘Red Shirt’ movement arrive at the Crime Suppression Division in would make a “yes” vote more Penh and home to some of the raised by Cambodians,” Peo government of Yingluck Shina- Bangkok to report to police. likely. country’s wildest jungle. said. watra and her brother Thak- Yesterday Thai junta chief Now a 70-year-old Vi- Chhay Thi, provincial co- sin and is fi ercely critical of the to open a referendum monitoring Last month police even premier – both of which could Prayut Chan-O-Cha dismissed etnamese man, named Peo, ordinator for local rights group junta. centre which was swiftly closed charged two eight-year-old girls help the military elite keep its al- suggestions the vote could turn claims the woman is in fact his ADHOC, told AFP that he was Yesterday 19 Red Shirt leaders down by authorities. for ripping down voter lists. lies in power. out to be a plebiscite on his rule. daughter who went missing in monitoring the transfer proc- were charged at a Bangkok police The group were released pend- The girls explained that they The controversial charter “The outcome of referendum 2006 and has a history of men- ess for any signs of human station with breaching a ban on ing trial, he said, adding they face were attracted by the pink colour has even created rare common is not an index to measure any- tal health issues. traffi cking, but added he was political gatherings of more than up to a year in prison if convicted. of the lists, but the police charged ground between rival political thing,” he told reporters. Rochom Khamphy, a mem- inclined to believe Peo. fi ve people. The junta has passed a special them anyway, saying that they camps. “I do not worry about a no vote ber of the adoptive family, said “Their faces are similar. “They are all charged on one law banning campaigning either had a duty to do so. And yesterday ousted premier or the outcome,” he said, adding that Peo recognised her after If she is not his daughter, he charge of violating the order,” for or against the charter – al- Critics say that the new char- Yingluck reiterated on social me- that if voters chose to reject the seeing recent photos on Face- would not take her back be- Winyat Chatmoontree, a lawyer though generally only those who ter will straitjacket democracy dia her support for a no vote (see charter his administration would book. cause she is mentally-ill,” he for the movement, told AFP. push for a “no” vote have found with clauses calling for a fully- accompanying report). simply write a new draft, further “He claimed she is his long- said. The charges follow an attempt themselves arrested. appointed senate and unelected Last week Abhisit Vejjajiva, delaying a return to democracy. Jakarta rejects Turkey government’s Yingluck rejects charter, days before referendum request to close Gulen-linked schools Indonesia has rejected a request by Turkey to close nine schools that the Turkish government said were linked to dissident cleric Reuters she echoed their criticism of it as a failed rice subsidy programme per house of parliament. Fethullah Gulen, the foreign ministry said yesterday. Bangkok undemocratic. and banned from politics for fi ve A former member of parlia- The Turkish embassy in Jakarta last week released the names “Having followed the process years. ment for Yingluck’s party and 10 of nine schools in Indonesia that it said had ties to Gulen, who is and content of the draft all along, The military has said the pro- other people were charged yes- accused by President Recep Tayip Erdogan of involvement in last ormer Thai prime minister I see that it isn’t in line with de- posed constitution will pave the terday with sedition and criminal month’s coup attempt. Yingluck Shinawatra said mocracy,” Yingluck said on her way for a general election in 2017, association after being accused “As far as we are concerned, the schools’ ties to the Turkish side Fyesterday that she rejected Facebook page. and will ensure clean, stable pol- of trying to spread misinforma- ended in 2015,” foreign ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said. a draft constitution sponsored “Therefore I reject this draft,” itics in a country rocked by years tion about the constitution. “All schools in Indonesia are subject to Indonesian rules,” he said, by the generals who toppled her she said, adding that she would of turmoil as former telecommu- Nineteen supporters of the adding that there was no evidence that the institutions had violated government two years ago, and vote “no” on Sunday. nications tycoon Thaksin and his Shinawatras were also charged Indonesian laws. would vote against it in an Au- Yingluck, sister of populist followers challenged the military yesterday for violating a ban on The Turkish embassy said it had already raised concerns about Yingluck: Having followed the gust 7 referendum. former premier Thaksin Shina- and royalist establishment. gatherings after attempting to the activities of what it called “Fethullah Terrorist Organisation” in process and content of the draft Yingluck’s party has already watra, who was also ousted in a Critics say it is aimed at con- establish referendum monitoring Indonesia some time ago. all along, I see that it isn’t in line rejected the draft charter, as has coup, was impeached last year by straining elected governments centres that they said were aimed with democracy. the leader of its main rival, and a junta-appointed assembly over largely through an appointed up- at preventing vote fraud. „ See also page 11 Anwar challenges Malaysia’s Indonesia wages war on drugs new anti-terror legislation

DPA but slashes funding for rehab Kuala Lumpur

By Kanupriya Kapoor, Reuters Thailand has also for years been alaysia’s jailed opposition leader Purbalingga, Indonesia tough on drugs but its soaring prison Anwar Ibrahim has asked the court population has recently prompted a Mto declare as unconstitutional a re-think and the downgrading of new anti-terrorism law that human rights izki Mulyadi sits half-sub- meth from a Category 1 drug to re- advocates fear will be used by the govern- merged in a steaming herbal duce numbers in jail. ment to quell political dissent. Rbath, hands folded in his lap Critics say Widodo’s stand on The plea to stop the implementation of Anwar: serving a five-year jail term. and head down. drugs criminalises victims and the new law, which creates the National Se- Mulyadi hopes the concoction makes the path to recovery that curity Council (NSC), was fi led by Anwar’s ter Malaysia’s Federal Court affi rmed his he is bathing in – and the Islamic much harder. wife, Wan Azizah Ismail, before the High conviction for sodomising a former aide in teacher who makes it – will help him “They want to build more prisons Court Registry in Kuala Lumpur. 2014. overcome a six-year addiction to the but they should be building more The NSC took eff ect on Monday and is Amnesty International and other human drug of choice for many in Indone- rehab centres and making more headed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Ra- rights groups called for the law’s immedi- sia: crystal methamphetamine, or treatment options available,” said zak, who has faced persistent calls to resign ate repeal, but the government defended “meth”. Andreas Harsono of Human Rights over accusations of corruption. the law as necessary to address the threat of The traditional rehabilitation Watch in Jakarta. The council can declare “security zones” terrorism. centre in Purbalingga village on Java The centre in Purbalingga is one where arrests and seizures can be carried “With the rise of groups like the Islamic island says that it has treated hun- of 160 such facilities across Indone- out without warrants. State, such co-ordination and a fast re- dreds of addicts like Mulyadi, 26, sia that use traditional methods. The council can place an area under a se- sponse from multiple agencies is a must,” with herbal teas and baths, prayer Recovering drug addict Rizki Mulyadi waits while a herbal bath is being There are 18 government rehab curity zone indefi nitely until it deems that Malaysian armed forces chief General and counselling. prepared at a traditional rehabilitation centre in Purbalingga. centres and almost 400 private ones the threat has subsided. Zulkifeli Mohamad Zin told reporters. President Joko Widodo says drugs and public clinics using more con- “Anwar as the true leader of the opposi- Last month, eight people were wounded pose a bigger danger than Islam- country of 250mn people. also draws on the police budget. ventional means. tion has come and shown the way forward in a grenade blast in a bar on the outskirts of ist militancy and he has ordered an Of those, more than 1mn are ad- A spokesman for Widodo, asked Ahmad Ischsan Maulana, head of and the way we have to fi ght back to get our Kuala Lumpur. intensifi cation of a drugs war that dicted to meth, the UN Offi ce on about the cut to rehabilitation the Purbalingga centre, said his cli- rights for our country,” Wan Azizah told re- Police said the attack was carried out by has included the execution of drug Drugs and Crime said in a 2013 re- spending, said many areas were see- ents must stop all drugs when they porters after fi ling the court petition. local supporters of the Islamic State terror- traffi ckers, the latest last week when port. ing tighter budgets, and it did not arrive. Anwar is serving a fi ve-year jail term af- ist group. three Nigerians and an Indonesian But less than 1% of dependent us- mean the president did not value re- “I get them to quit immediately faced a fi ring squad. ers got treatment in 2014 compared habilitation. and replace their intake with herbs,” But while raids, arrests and pun- with a global average of 16%, it said. “The president is concerned he said. ishments pick up, state funding for Indonesian law mandates reha- about how to prevent the spread in “That relieves withdrawal symp- rehabilitation, that weans people bilitation for people caught with drug use and rehab programmes are toms without side eff ects,” said off drugs and cuts demand, is dwin- small quantities of drugs. part of that,” said the spokesman, Maulana, known as “the boiling dling. But many end up in crowded jails. Johan Budi. “We need to be hard on teacher” because of the hot baths. That leaves thousands of people “Many of those who are in prison smugglers and traffi ckers, and that His small complex of dormitories like Mulyadi with few aff ordable op- should not be sentenced to prison explains why the president is taking houses about 30 people. tions in a country that within years at all, they should be sent to rehab,” a hard approach, but that doesn’t “What’s important is our faith in has gone from being a drug transit Parawansa said. mean the war on drugs is at the ex- Allah who is the only one that can point to one of Southeast Asia’s big- Parawansa’s ministry aims to re- pense of rehabilitation. heal us. No doctor can heal us of gest markets for narcotics. habilitate 15,000 drug users this “Both law enforcement and reha- drug addiction.” “We need support in terms of year on a budget of 87bn rupiah bilitation are happening at the same He says that none of this clients budget to be able to rehabilitate all ($6.6mn). time.” has come back but he does not mon- drug users in need,” Social Aff airs Next year, it will only get funds to Indonesia is not the only country itor people after they leave. Minister Khofi fah Indra Parawansa help 9,000, she said. to take a hard line. Mulyadi said he was determined told Reuters. “Our budget alone is While rehabilitation funding has President Rodrigo Duterte of the to stop drugs. not enough for that, it is experienc- been cut, the president has tripled Philippines has also declared a drug “I’ve come here to rebuild my re- ing a decline.” the budget of the national coun- war and about 300 suspected deal- lationship with my family,” he said, The government estimates that ter-narcotics agency, known as the ers were shot dead in July, most in showing off a tattoo on his chest of there are 6mn drug users in the BNN, to 2.1bn rupiah ($160,000). It vigilante killings, police say. his fi ve-year old son. Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 9 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Airport chaos after typhoon hits HK

AFP a trail of fallen trees and torn- cancelled Monday as Nida ap- Security guards prevented pas- Hong Kong down scaff olding. proached, leaving stranded pas- sengers without fl ights from reach- The storm triggered a Ty- sengers to sleep on the fl oor in ing check-in desks Tuesday, redi- phoon 8 signal - the third- the departure hall. recting them to another part of the ordes of angry passen- strongest category - which was Hong Kong’s fl agship carrier airport to seek help from staff . gers stranded after Ty- downgraded yesterday as winds Cathay Pacifi c and its subsidiary Some complained that airline Hphoon Nida pummelled eased and the typhoon passed Dragonair cancelled all of their staff had not given them food Hong Kong crowded the airport onto mainland China. fl ights in and out of Hong Kong vouchers or emergency accom- Passengers queuing up as they wait to find out the status of their flights after Typhoon Nida caused chaos yesterday, desperately seeking But as the city’s deserted for 16 hours, from 10pm Monday modation despite lengthy waits. at the international airport in Hong Kong yesterday. fl ights as the city emerges from streets began to come to life until 2pm yesterday. “The airline was giving incon- lockdown while the storm swept as buses and train services re- But the backlog due to the sistent information. There was After sweeping past Hong warning system - after the down- alert level, yesterday. Work was across southern China. sumed, Hong Kong’s Chek Lap peak summer period is such that no announcement whatsoever Kong, Nida made landfall early pours totalled more than 80mm, cancelled, scenic spots closed Hundreds of fl ights were can- Kok airport was inundated with Cathay has urged passengers about accommodation, food or the yesterday in the southern Chi- China’s meteorological bureau said. and city bus services stopped, celled, schools and shops shut stranded passengers. booked on fl ights between Tues- weather situation. It’s chaotic,” one nese city of Shenzhen, with The city’s port and the Shen- the Guangzhou Daily said. and the stock market closed for An airport authority spokes- day night and today to postpone passenger told local channel TVB. winds still blowing at up to zhen Bay Bridge connecting the A few people were still taking the day as the storm brought man said only 500 fl ights would or cancel “non-essential travel”. Another passenger from the 151kms per hour. mainland to Hong Kong were selfi es on the oceanside board- violent winds and torrential run between 6am and midnight “Services remain strained...it Philippines said he had not been It was the strongest typhoon temporarily closed, CCTV said, walk, prompting the provincial showers. local time yesterday (2200 GMT has been a signifi cant challenge provided with food or accom- to hit the Pearl River delta in 30 with around 140 fl ights cancelled meteorological bureau to post Gusts of 151kms (93 miles) per on Monday to 1600 GMT). On as many fl ights are already oper- modation, despite being at the years, the China News Service at its airport. on social media: “Warning once hour whipped the city and rain a normal day, the airport would ating at capacity,” the airline said airport since 7pm Monday. His cited experts as saying. In neighbouring Zhuhai, rain- again that the wind is strong and lashed down during the night, handle 1,100 fl ights. in a statement, apologising to its fl ight has been rescheduled for Shenzhen issued a red alert over storm warnings were upgraded the waves high by the seaside – leaving three people injured and More than 150 fl ights were customers. 10pm yesterday. rain - the highest in a four-tiered to orange, the second-highest don’t go out to the beach to play!”

Japan warns China over ‘territorial aggression’

AFP has denounced as a fraud. Tokyo Chinese state media in Beijing quoted Defence Minister Chang Wanquan hina risks trigger- as urging preparations for ing unintended a “people’s war at sea” to Cconfl ict with Asian counter off shore security rivals through its aggres- threats and safeguard sov- sive stance in maritime dis- ereignty. putes, Japan said yesterday Chang “called for recog- in a security assessment, nition of the seriousness of as a Beijing minister urged the national security situ- preparations for a “people’s ation, especially the threat war at sea”. from the sea”, Xinhua news China’s sweeping claims agency said. over the South China Sea, The military, police and where it has built a series of ar- people should prepare to tifi cial islands capable of sup- mobilise to defend national porting military operations de- sovereignty and territorial spite overlapping claims from integrity, he was quoted as other nations, have stoked in- saying during a tour of the ternational alarm. coastal province of Zhejiang. The region’s superpower The agency did not elab- “continues to act in an asser- orate on the source of the tive manner” and its actions threats. “include dangerous acts that The United States has could cause unintended con- said it will continue naval sequences”, Tokyo said in a patrols close to reefs and defence white paper. outcrops claimed by China Beijing is under pressure to assert the principle of to respect a UN-backed tri- freedom of navigation, a bunal’s fi nding last month move which has angered that there is no legal basis for Beijing. its ambitions over the South In its white paper Japan China Sea where the Philip- also expressed concern over pines, Vietnam, Malaysia increased activity in the and others also have claims. East China Sea, where the The white paper said two countries have com- China was “poised to ful- peting claims to small un- fi l its unilateral demands inhabited islets called the without compromise”, in- Senkakus in Japan and the cluding eff orts “to turn Diaoyus in China. these coercive changes to “Recently, China has the status quo into a fait ac- been intensifying activities compli”. near the Senkaku Islands, And it again called on Bei- such as its military aircraft jing to abide by the ruling of fl ying southward closer to the tribunal, which China the islands,” it said.

Australia Pokemon Go site removed

AFP “When a rare Pokemon was Sydney caught, there would be a cheer and cars would honk as the traffi c was becoming horrifi c. small Sydney sub- I spoke to somebody a couple urban park that at- of days ago who was coming in Atracted thousands of from Penrith (45kms/28 miles Pokemon Go players, caus- away) to play.” ing the grassy spot to turn to The council encouraged mud, has disappeared from residents to complain direct- the popular mobile game af- ly to the game’s developer, ter complaints of chaos. US-based software company The backlash in the Syd- Niantic, to ask for the park ney suburb of Rhodes is the to be deleted from the game latest battle between avid after they complained of players of the augmented- “complete chaos” and rub- reality game, which has bish being dumped. been a huge hit since it was “All 3 pokestops removed. rolled out last month, and Not a single soul left in the authorities unhappy with park. NOT ONE,” wrote a the crowds it can attract. Facebook user late Monday, “Weekends, particularly while another added: “For at night, there were up to a the people still convinced 1,000-1,500 people in the that Rhodes is still the hot park,” City of Canada Bay spot.... Let it go, mourn the Council’s deputy mayor loss.... It’s dead! GONE!” Helen McCaff rey said. The game - which has the “The grass is no longer tagline “catch ‘em all” - allows there and residents after players to chase virtual car- three-and-a-half weeks were toon character monsters with just over it,” she said of Peg their mobile phones, with the Paterson Park, which has a Peg Paterson Park particularly playground and is surrounded popular due to the regular ap- by tall apartment buildings. pearance of rare Pokemon. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 BRITAIN/IRELAND

Gay sex scandal UK diplomat to oversee hits Irish seminary

AFP EU terrorism response Dublin Reuters The Commission, the execu- tion on security matters such as tice and home aff airs measures. Brussels tive branch of the European Un- the sharing of airline passenger “It would be odd to give such he head of Ireland’s big- ion, said that King’s Security details, welcomed the announce- an important portfolio to some- gest Catholic diocese Union portfolio would include ment. one who has no incentive to Tsaid yesterday that he had ritain’s nominee for the setting up a European response “Security is a vital issue for all further the European interest in moved trainee priests from the European Commission will to terrorism, organised crime and Member States and co-operation general or, more specifi cally, to country’s leading seminary over Bbe put in charge of craft- cybercrime. across the EU can help to better enhance the EU’s security ca- allegations of homosexual ac- ing a response to terrorism and In his appointment letter, protect us all from the range of pabilities,” Guy Verhofstadt, a tivity among students and staff , promoting intelligence-sharing, Juncker said he would like King threats we face,” a spokeswoman former Belgian prime minister, including the use of the Grindr Commission President Jean- to improve information and in- for Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement. dating app. Claude Juncker said, a tough role telligence sharing, “including said in a statement. King has served in Brussels Archbishop of Dublin Di- amid a spate of attacks in western through initiatives to upgrade Juncker interviewed King on before, notably as chief-of-staff armuid Martin said the “poison- Europe. Europol’s European Counter- July 11, and the British diplomat to two previous British commis- ous” atmosphere caused by the Former prime minister Dav- Terrorism Centre into a stronger is expected to appear in front of sioners, Peter Mandelson and claims at St Patrick’s College, id Cameron nominated Julian structure and through the de- the European Parliament in early Catherine Ashton, in 2008-09. Maynooth – also known as the King, currently ambassador to velopment of effi cient and inter- autumn to seek its endorsement. He has also been ambassador This file photo taken on June 21 shows British ambassador to National Seminary for Ireland – France, as Britain’s representa- operable information exchange The leader of the Liberals to Ireland, the EU state with pos- France Julian King (right) holding, along with French deputies had led him to transfer students tive to replace Jonathan Hill, who systems”. group, the chamber’s fourth- sibly the most to lose from Brexit. and government members, a moment of silence for slain British to the Irish College in Rome. resigned after Britons voted on London, which has in the past largest, was sceptical, pointing to He took up his post in Paris fi ve Labour party MP Joe Cox during the questions to the An anonymous letter emerged June 23 to leave the bloc. pushed for greater EU co-opera- London’s opt-out from EU jus- months ago. government session at the French National Assembly in Paris. in May, alleging homosexual ac- tivity among some students and teachers. Authorities issued a statement promising to “thoroughly deal” with such behaviour. Insurance claims deadline now June ’19 Court blocks decision to “A culture of anonymous let- ters is poisonous and until that is cleared up I would be happier Reuters accompanied by a £42mn consumer hundred million pounds, and perhaps accept Calais migrants to send my students elsewhere,” London campaign to raise awareness of the as high as one billion pounds, for each the archbishop told RTE, Ire- cut-off date paid for by a levy on banks of the large UK banks, with Lloyds be- land’s national broadcaster. based on number of complaints. ing the worst aff ected.” AFP The tribunal agreed that the applica- The archbishop said the use onsumers who believe they The actual deadline would come The PPI policies, designed to pro- London tion should be processed in Britain, and of Grindr would be inappropri- have been mis-sold loan insur- into force two years later, by the end of tect borrowers in the event of sickness that the four should be allowed to live in ate for seminarians “not just Cance have until the end of June June 2019, the FCA said in a statement. or unemployment, were found to have the country in the meantime. because they are training to be 2019 to make a claim, Britain’s markets The FCA had indicated in Novem- often been sold to people who would he British government has won In January, the four arrived in Brit- celibate priests but because an watchdog proposed yesterday, a year ber the deadline would be sometime in have been ineligible to claim. its legal appeal against a decision ain to a welcome from about 100 pro- app like that is something that later than expected and potentially 2018 and analysts said the longer peri- Regulators have had rules for PPI Tto let four Syrian refugees living refugee demonstrators holding yellow would be fostering promiscuous adding to the cost for banks. od may mean more payouts for banks. claims in place since 2010 and normal- in France’s “Jungle” camp come to Brit- balloons and banners reading “refugees sexuality which is certainly not Banks have paid £24bn ($32bn) in “For example, in its 2015 full year ly a deadline of three years is set, but ain, but they will not be deported. welcome”. in any way the mature vision of compensation to customers over the results, Lloyds set aside additional surveys showed many people unaware A British immigration tribunal in They were reunited with their fami- sexuality that one would expect past fi ve years for mis-selling payment provisions to cover claims until mid- they had bought the product. January ordered the interior ministry lies and two have since been granted priests to understand”. protection insurance (PPI). 2018, so it is possible that an extra “Putting a deadline on PPI com- to allow the four to enter Britain while refugee status, with the other two cases Thanks to GPS technology, The Financial Conduct Authority year’s worth of provisioning may now plaints will bring the issue to an orderly their asylum claims were considered. pending. users of the Grindr app, gener- (FCA) said the rule for setting a dead- be required,” said Shore Capital ana- conclusion in a way that protects both However, three Court of Appeal The government is not seeking to ally gay men seeking sex, are able line for all PPI claims would come into lyst Gary Greenwood. “We would not consumers and market integrity,” FCA judges upheld yesterday a challenge by deport the four but is concerned that to locate and view photos and force by the end of 2017, and would be be surprised to see top-ups of a few chief executive Andrew Bailey said. the interior ministry, saying they were the tribunal’s decision set a legal prec- brief profi les of other users in “not entirely persuaded” by the justifi - edent. their immediate vicinity and ar- cations used by the tribunal. Campaigners had hoped that the rul- range to meet them. The three teenagers and a 26-year old ing would jolt the government into ac- The archbishop said that he with mental health problems had been tion, opening the way to relocate more had tried to communicate with living in the sprawling Calais camp for unaccompanied minors from the “Jun- the author or authors of the over two months. gle” camp in Calais to Britain. anonymous online letters and Under European Union rules, refu- “It (yesterday’s ruling) means that blogs, off ering to appoint a con- gees should apply for asylum in the charities like ours will have to continue fi dential expert to help verify the fi rst country they reach, but children identifying children one by one, tak- claims. and vulnerable adults can transfer their ing them through a lengthy bureau- However, his initiative has claims to another country if they have cratic process as they have to wait to be been met only by more anony- relatives legally living there. reunited with their loved ones,” George mous letters. Lawyers argued conditions in the Gabriel, a campaigner with charity It is believed whistleblowers camp were “intolerable” and that bu- Citizens UK, told the Press Association. are reluctant to come forward reaucratic delays in France meant that “We fear this means many will take the because others have been ex- the Syrians’ applications to live with situation into their own hands, choos- pelled for making such allega- relatives in Britain were not being proc- ing between people traffi ckers on the tions. essed. one hand and train tracks on the other.” “The authorities at Maynooth feel we have to fi nd ways in which people will come forward ‘Freegan’ couple to serve rubbish at wedding with solid, hard evidence which can be used to follow up allega- A British couple committed to tackling the massive amount of food wasted daily will tions,” Archbishop Martin said. be serving their wedding guests a meal with a diff erence this weekend – everything Hugh Connolly, the President has been thrown out by local food stores. of St Patrick’s College, told RTE Environmentally-friendly couple Nicola Hedges and Christopher McKenna are that he was aware of the allega- making a bold statement when getting married in Northampton in central England tions and was “very worried” on August 6. about the alleged use of Grindr The bride and groom will feed their 80 guests with a meal for “freegans” – defined in particular. in the Oxford Dictionaries as people seeking to help the environment by reducing But “natural justice” demand- waste, especially by retrieving and using discarded food and other goods. ed the production of strong evi- Elsie’s Caf, the local restaurant catering for the wedding, said that only recycled food dence before any action could be would be served on the happy day. taken, he added. Australian family in Scotland in limbo as visa deadline passes

Reuters Britain’s June vote to leave the Euro- history and has been seeking work as a Edinburgh pean Union. curator, was off ered what appeared to “(The Brains) simply don’t know be visa-compliant work at a Highlands if there will be a knock on the door at distillery earlier this year. n Australian family facing de- some point and they will be removed,” But the off er was withdrawn in late portation from the Scottish Ian Blackford, the lawmaker for Ding- July, giving the family little time to AHighlands after a change in visa wall where the Brains live, told Reuters. search for an alternative before the rules is now in limbo, waiting to hear “If that is the route they (Britain’s August 1 deadline. from the British government whether interior ministry) want to go down, The Brains have moved house four they will be given more time to meet well, we just don’t know, we’re in their times in as many months and have visa requirements. hands,” he said, adding that he had yet been supported by the generosity of Gregg and Kathryn Brain, who to receive a reply to two letters sent to mostly local benefactors because their moved to Scotland in 2011 with their British Immigration Minister Robert latest visa extension did not include son Lachlan, are hoping for a job off er Goodwill’s offi ce in the last 24 hours. permission to work. or a new extension to their visa after A spokesman for the interior min- “The response has been over- the last one expired at midnight on istry said that any family that failed to whelming,” said Gregg Brain. “One day Monday. comply with the regulations was ex- Lachlan came home from school and in Their case has attracted much sym- pected to leave the country voluntarily. his bag was a blank envelope with £10 pathy in Scotland, where Kathryn “We have given (the Brains) three ($13) in it. It makes me cry just think- Brain was previously given permission extensions on an exceptional basis ing about it.” to study and then work as part of a now over a number of months to allow them He describes his family as an exam- defunct British government-backed to try to secure a job that would allow ple of successful immigration, quali- scheme to shore up the Highlands’ them to meet the immigration rules, fi ed and integrated in a community ageing and shrinking population. but this cannot be open-ended,” the where young families are needed to “This is simply about honouring spokesman said. bolster the economy. the deal signed up to,” Gregg Brain, a The Brains have settled in Dingwall, He joked that the intense interest in health and safety expert, told Reuters. where Lachlan, aged seven, has learnt the case might serve as experience for “We signed up for a deal and built a life the ancient Scottish language Gaelic. a future in public relations in the legal here, only to have the ground pulled The case attracted the attention of sector. out from under our feet.” Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Stur- “If there’s an immigration law fi rm Visa rules were changed in 2012 with geon, whose devolved government has that wants to take me on as the face an eye to addressing voter concerns on no say on immigration but who made a to represent their clients, I’d be more immigration in the United Kingdom as personal appeal on the family’s behalf than happy, but at the moment you’ll a whole. in May. have to get past (immigration minister) Immigration was at the centre of Kathryn Brain, who studied Scottish Robert Goodwill.” Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 11 EUROPE

40,000 refugees were Erdogan accuses West wards of state, says of backing coup plotters Germany AFP not allowing him to address via Erdogan also rounded on the Istanbul video conference a weekend rally European Union, saying that the in Cologne in his support. bloc had “not yet lived up to its DPA “Bravo! The courts in Germa- promises” in an agreement on Wiesbaden, Germany resident Recep Tayyip Er- ny work very fast!” Erdogan said reducing the fl ow of migrants to dogan has launched his with heavy irony. Europe. Pmost bitter attack yet on He accused Germany of al- Police searched the Gulhane he number of unaccom- Turkey’s Western allies over the lowing leaders from the out- Military Medical Academy panied refugee minors July 15 attempted putsch, ac- lawed Kurdistan Workers Party (GATA) hospital in the capital Tentrusted to German state cusing them of supporting both (PKK) to address previous events and detained some 50 staff in- care soared to 42,300 in 2015, “terror” and the coup plotters via video conference. cluding military doctors, the rising by more than 260% in who tried to unseat him. The Turkish president, who state-run Anadolu news agency comparison to the year before, Erdogan, who blames the had previously alluded to foreign reported, quoting police sourc- the Federal Statistics Offi ce an- plot on the US-based preacher states’ involvement, gave his es. nounced yesterday. Fethullah Gulen, also described strongest indication yet that ex- A Turkish offi cial, speaking This year’s numbers were an the coup as a “scenario written ternal powers could have played on condition of anonymity, con- 11-year high for the offi ce, which from outside” in an allusion to a role. fi rmed detention warrants had has been keeping record of child foreign involvement. “This coup was not just an been issued for 98 staff . refugees since 1995. Turkey meanwhile issued ar- event planned from the inside. The offi cial said that staff To date, only 53% of the chil- rest warrants for about 100 staff , The actors inside acted out a there were suspected of helping dren who arrived in 2015 had including doctors, at Ankara’s scenario for a coup written from fast-track Gulen supporters into applied for asylum, the offi ce main military hospital, and even the outside,” Erdogan said. the military by giving them fa- said, citing the federal migration fi red football referees in a new Turning directly on Wash- vourable medical reports. agency. phase of the crackdown after the ington over its hosting of Gulen, Similar claims have also been Bottlenecks among authori- failed coup that has seen some he asked: “How can it be, when made about military schools ties were to blame for the hold- 18,000 detained and caused in- we are strategic partners ... you where offi cials say exams were up. ternational consternation. keep on hiding and sheltering rigged. The reported number of unac- “Unfortunately, the West is him?” Almost half of Turkey’s gen- companied arrivals corresponds supporting terror and standing Already strained ties between erals were fi red in the wake of with the number of those be- by the coup plotters,” said Er- Nato allies Turkey and the Unit- the coup. coming wards of the state, ac- dogan in a typically combative ed States have been aggravated This was fi rst time a medical cording to the statistics offi ce. speech at his presidential pal- by the failed putsch, with some establishment has been targeted BumF, the government as- ace, denouncing “those who we government ministers even al- in a clampdown under a three- sociation responsible for un- imagined to be friends”. leging Washington could have month state of emergency which accompanied minor refugees, Erdogan lashed out at Ger- had a hand in the plot, which US has also hit journalists and aca- A picture taken yesterday shows a picture of Gulen set up on a dummy at the Kizilay Square, in front of a says the numbers are in actual- many’s judicial authorities for offi cials fi rmly reject. demics. Turkish national flag, in Ankara during a protest against the failed military coup. ity much lower because many Turkey’s football authorities of them are registered multiple meanwhile fi red 94 offi cials – “Let Italy’s judges deal with Turkey moves to relocate provincial capitals times. including referees and assist- the mafi a, not my son,” Erdogan In addition, the number of ant referees – in the wake of the said in an interview with Ital- Turkey’s parliament will vote to move the capitals of two mainly Kurdish unaccompanied minors has sig- coup, the football federation ian news channel Rai News24, provinces, according to draft legislation submitted yesterday, in an ap- nifi cantly decreased since No- said. warning that the issue could af- parent eff ort to tighten strategic control over the southeastern region. vember. Police also detained at least fect relations with Rome. Sections of the two new capitals were demolished in fighting earlier this According to a government 36 people over a sex tape scandal Turkey has also launched a year between Turkish troops and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party response to a parliamentary in- that felled the leader of the main sweeping overhaul of state in- (PKK), but these cities are considered more easily defendable than the formation request last month, opposition party in 2010, with stitutions, sacking tens of thou- more remote old capitals. the number of unaccompanied prosecutors linking the aff air to sands of civil servants and shak- Thousands of people have been killed in fighting since a ceasefire with minors applying for asylum in Gulen. ing up the military. the militants collapsed a year ago. Germany has leaped, with ap- Gulen has lived in self-im- Prime Minister Binali Yildirim The opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which has Kurdish plications up six-fold in the fi rst posed exile in the United States said that his government had roots, won all seven parliamentary seats in the area in last November’s half of the year compared to the since 1999 and has denied any started “virus and traitor cleans- general election. same period in 2015. involvement in the putsch. ing” to weed out Gulenists from “This suppresses identities and is an act of revenge,” HDP lawmaker Of the 14,429 minors who ap- Turkish authorities stepped state institutions. Selma Irmak tweeted. plied for asylum in Germany last up pressure on the United States The Hurriyet daily said that The law would move the administrative capital of Hakkari province from year, to extradite Gulen, sending a the overhaul would also hit the the mountain town of Hakkari, near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, to the 71.3% are aged 16 or 17, while new package of documents to powerful intelligence service larger town of Yuksekova on a nearby plain. 28.7% are under the age of 16. the American authorities, Jus- which would be split into sepa- It would also change Hakkari’s name to Colemerik, a corruption of its Many of them suff er from tice Minister Bekir Bozdag re- rate units for foreign and do- older Kurdish name Colemerg. post-traumatic stress disorder. vealed. mestic intelligence, in line with The province would renamed Yuksekova, after its new capital, according In total, youth welfare offi ces “He needs to be arrested ur- Britain’s system where foreign to a copy of the bill drawn up by the ruling AK Party. took 77,600 children and young gently as we have intelligence intelligence is handled by MI6 Just to the west, Sirnak province would shift its capital from the moun- adults in their care in 2015, which that he might fl ee to a third and domestic intelligence by tain town of Sirnak to the plains city of Cizre near the Syrian border. was 62% more than in 2014. country,” Bozdag added. MI5. The province’s name would change from Sirnak to Cizre and Sirnak town Besides unaccompanied mi- Erdogan also snapped at the Meanwhile, Customs and be renamed Nuh. gration, other reasons children Italian authorities over an inves- Commerce Minister Bulent The PKK launched its insurgency in Hakkari province in 1984 and more became wards of the state in- tigation into his eldest son Bilal, Tufenkci said the overall cost of than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have died in the fighting since then. cluded problems at school or Erdogan: This coup was not just an event planned from the inside. who was studying in Bologna, the coup on the Turkish econ- It first wanted an independent homeland for Turkey’s estimated 15mn drug addiction. The actors inside acted out a scenario for a coup written from the on suspicion of involvement in omy could amount to $100bn Kurds but has scaled that back to more political rights for the region. outside. money laundering. (€89bn). Savchenko plans hunger strike

Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who was the most Thousands attend famous prisoner of the Ukraine conflict until she was released by Russian authorities in May, declared yesterday that she was going on yet another hunger slain priest’s funeral strike. Savchenko – who went on hunger strike several times during her AFP In a show of inter-faith soli- attacker ploughed a 19-tonne two years in Russian custody Rouen, France darity, Muslims and Jews were truck into a massive crowd after being captured by rebel among the mourners. celebrating Bastille Day in the forces in eastern Ukraine – said “It was a duty,” Hassan Riviera city of Nice, killing 84 that she wanted to push her rance paid its last re- Houays, a Muslim maths teach- people and wounding more than government to seek the release spects yesterday to Fa- er from Saint-Etienne, told 300 others. of other Ukrainian prisoners. Fther Jacques Hamel, the AFP. “We are here so that we Hamel is to be buried in a cer- “I’ve attempted many methods 85-year-old priest murdered by can get along together.” emony attended only by close of fighting for these guys as the Islamic militants last week, at Reconciliation was an over- family members, at a location world fought for me. an emotional funeral held under arching theme of the mass, that has not been revealed. “Now I am fighting for them as tight security at Rouen cathe- which recalled Jesus urging his The frail octogenarian be- I fought for myself,” Savchenko dral in northern France. followers to “love your enemies came the latest victim of ter- told a press conference in Kiev, “As brutal and unfair and and pray for those who perse- ror in France when the two according to state news agency horrible as Jacques’ death was, cute you”. militants stormed his church Ukrinform. we have to look deep into our Hamel’s sister Roselyne told in the small Normandy town of Savchenko, 35, is now a lawmaker Mourners gather in the rain near a giant screen outside the cathedral in Rouen, during a funeral service in hearts to fi nd the light,” said the congregation: “Let us learn 30,000 people. in Ukraine’s parliament. memory of slain French parish priest Father Jacques Hamel. Rouen Archbishop Dominique to live together. The world has Abdel Malik Petitjean and Lebrun. so much need for hope.” Adel Kermiche had pledged al- Some 2,000 mourners packed Archbishop Lebrun said that legiance to the Islamic State the soaring Gothic sanctuary, the Christian, Muslim and Jew- group and both were shot dead with hundreds more watch- ish communities have “decided by police after a tense hostage ing the ceremony, which began to come together to say ‘never drama in which a worshipper Srebrenica police commander freed early minutes after a heavy rainstorm, again’”. was left seriously wounded. on a giant screen outside. Along with churches across Three other hostages escaped A section of pews in the 11th- France, the Rouen cathedral had unharmed. AFP police unit sent to take part in the sacre in which some 8,000 Mus- in his ruling, also highlighting his century cathedral was fi lled by on Sunday opened its doors to The attack stunned France’s The Hague Srebrenica genocide, was found lim men and boys were killed, role in the murder and persecu- residents of Saint-Etienne-du- Muslims wishing to show their religious communities, spark- guilty and sentenced in June 2010 their bodies dumped in mass tion of 1,000 Muslims in the Bos- Rouvray, the nearby industrial solidarity after the grisly at- ing fears of tensions in a country to war crimes and crimes against graves. nian town of Kravica. town where the two jihadists, tack, with the visitors paying a with a population of some 5mn UN war crimes court has humanity. Two of his co-accused, Vuja- But Meron gave credit to both 19, slit Hamel’s throat as moving tribute to Hamel while Muslims, Europe’s largest. granted the early release He was later transferred to a din Popovic and Ljubisa Beara, Borovcanin for publicly admit- he celebrated mass in an attack denouncing radical Islam. The series of Islamic mili- Aof a former Bosnian Serb prison in Denmark. were jailed for life for taking part ting “that he did not do enough” that shocked the country as well French Interior Minister Ber- tant attacks in France has raised police commander convicted and Together with the time he in Europe’s worst massacre since to stop the murders as well as as the Catholic Church. nard Cazeneuve, whose port- tough questions about security jailed for his role in the 1995 Sre- spent behind bars after his ar- World War II. recognising the gravity of his A red stole, symbolising folio also includes inter-faith failures, but also about the for- brenica massacre. rest in April 2005 and during his Their sentences were upheld crimes. Christ’s martyrdom, was draped relations, led the political del- eign funding of many mosques. Despite “the gravity of the trial, he has become eligible for on appeal in January 2015. He had been a model prisoner over a giant cross beside the al- egation to the mass. Cazeneuve said on Monday crimes” for which Ljubomir release after serving two-thirds But judge Theodor Meron in his jail in Denmark, and had tar, with the Rouen diocese ex- As on Sunday, security was that authorities have shut down Borovcanin was sentenced to 17 of his term. granted Borovcanin’s “request also chosen, unlike most of his plaining that “Father Hamel’s tight for Hamel’s funeral, with around 20 mosques and prayer years in prison, the presiding Borovcanin, 56, was among for early release eff ective August co-accused, not to appeal his death was similar to that of around 20 riot police vans sta- halls considered to be preaching judge of the Yugoslav war crimes seven high-ranking Bosnian mil- 1, 2016 or as soon as practicable conviction, all marks in his fa- Christ, unjustly convicted and tioned around the cathedral and radical Islam since December. court based in The Hague agreed itary and police offi cials tried by thereafter”. vour, Meron said. put to death”. police closely checking mourn- “There is no place ... in that he could be freed. the International Criminal Tri- The crimes for which he had He had also co-operated with Another red stole was set ers’ bags and backpacks. France for those who call for and Borovcanin, the deputy com- bunal for the Former Yugoslavia been convicted were of “high the ICTY and had served two- atop a white priest’s vestment The church attack came less incite hatred in prayer halls or in mander of a special Bosnian Serb (ICTY) for their roles in the mas- gravity”, the judge said yesterday thirds of his sentence. lying over Hamel’s coffi n. than two weeks after another mosques,” the minister said. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 INDIA Jundal, six others get life terms

IANS part of a larger post-2002 Gujarat com- Mumbai munal riots conspiracy to eliminate then- chief minister Narendra Modi and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia. Special Maharashtra Control of “It was a conspiracy after the 2002 Organised Crime Act (MCO- riots to eliminate Narendra Modi and ACA) Court yesterday sentenced Pravin Togadia,” the judge observed in his Lashkar-e-Taiba operative and 26/11 verdict last week. Mumbai terror attack plotter Sayed Za- There were a total of 22 accused who biuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal and six were charged with procuring a huge others to life imprisonment till death in amount of explosives, arms and ammuni- the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case. tion, and allegedly planned to target vari- Two others have been sentenced to life ous political leaders for their role in the imprisonment of 14 years and three oth- Gujarat riots. ers were awarded eight years jail term. The trial, which resumed in 2013 after All those convicted were fi ned the arrest of Abu Jundal, had concluded Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi receives floral tributes during a roadshow in Varanasi yesterday. Rs20,000 each. in March this year before the Maharashtra The Special MCOCA Judge, S L Anekar, Control of Organised Crime Act Special who had found the 12 accused guilty on Court here. July 28, announced the punishment in a The trial of two other accused — an packed courtroom. absconder Shaikh Abdul Naim, and an Awarding the sentences, Special Judge approver-turned hostile witness Meh- Sonia falls ill, aborts road show Anekar observed that the court had taken mud Sayyed — shall be conducted sepa- into account the gravity of the off ences, rately. the lack of remorse and the potential ef- The Special Court also accepted the IANS who attended on her, said she was at a statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Newly-appointed UP Congress fect of the case on the common man. prosecution’s contention that the arms, Varanasi feeling dehydrated and running high As she went around the city, a large chief Raj Babbar told reporters upon The seven sentenced to undergo life im- ammunition and explosives were pro- blood pressure (88-172) as well as fe- posse of motorcycle riders accompa- Gandhi’s arrival that the people of prisonment till death are Abu Jundal, Mo- cured from Pakistan and all the accused ver. nied her. the state would back the party in the hamed Amir Shakil Ahmed, Bilal Ahmed had a common intent of waging ‘jihad’ ongress President Sonia Gan- She was administered Electral and The entire city has been plastered assembly polls in 2017. Abdul Razaq, Sayyed Akif S Jafruddin, (holy war). Following a tip, the Mahar- dhi suddenly took ill yester- told to rest. with Congress fl ags and banners. “The people of UP have always Afroz Khan Shahid Pathan, Faisal Ataur- ashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) teams Cday during a road show in the “It is because of the crowds Senior state and central leaders shown miracles. In 2004 they gave us Rehman Shaikh and M Aslam Kashmiri. chased a pair of speeding cars on the parliamentary constituency of Prime thronging her, humidity and exer- were with Gandhi from the time she many MPs, in 2007 they gave a man- Two other convicts — M Muzafar Mo- Chandwad-Manmad highway near Au- Minister Narendra Modi. tion,” said a Congress source. began the campaign. date to the BSP, in 2012 to the SP and hamed Tanveer and medico M Sharif rangabad on May 8, 2006. As she became sick at Lahurabeer, Gandhi called off the remaining leg She waved back to the support- in 2014 to (Narendra) Modi. Shabbir Ahmed — have been sentenced to They apprehended three suspects from she was taken to a lodge where doc- of her road show and was set to fl y ers and, at times, greeted them with “I am sure that in 2017 the miracle serve 14 years in jail. the one car — Mohamed Aamir Shakil tors attended on her and advised her back to Delhi, the source said. folded hands from inside her bullet- is going to be in our favour” he said, Three other convicts have been slapped Ahmed, Juber Sayed Anwar and Ab- rest. She also could not visit the Kashi proof vehicle. adding that Sonia Gandhi had come with eight-year sentences: Afzal K Nabi dulazeem Abduljameel Shaikh — while She later fl ew back to New Delhi. Vishwanath temple. Security personnel had a tough to Varanasi to seek the blessings of Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed M Isaf Shaikh, the other, allegedly driven by Abu Jundal, Ghanshyam Srivastava, a doctor Earlier, Gandhi paid fl oral tributes time keeping the crowds at bay. Baba Vishwanath of Kashi. Javed A Abdul Majid. gave them the slip. Of the convicts, Faisal Ataur-Rehmah In all, a total of 16 AK-47 army assault Shaikh had earlier been sentenced to rifl es, 3,200 live cartridges, 43 kg of RDX death in the July 11, 2006 Mumbai serial and 50 hand grenades were seized from blasts in suburban trains. Khultabad, Yeola and Malegaon areas on From the total 22 accused, eight were two separate occasions by the ATS. acquitted on various grounds including After escaping the police team, Jundal Help sought for rescued baby rhinos lack of evidence: Mohamed Juber Sayyed dumped the vehicle with another associ- Anwar, Abdul Azim Abdul Jalil, Riyaz ate in Malegaon in Nashik district and fl ed Ahmed M to Bangladesh and then to Pakistan on a AFP the world’s largest population of the “We will release them only after deer and other animals have been Ramzan, Khatib Imran Akil Ahmed, forged passport. Guwahati one-horned animals. two years,” he added of the eight. found drowned in Kaziranga, a 430sq Vikar Ahmed Nisar Shaikh, Abdul Samad A native of Beed in Maharashtra, Jundal Rathin Barman, deputy director of “We appeal to the public to do- km protected area of forest in the Shamsher Khan, Mohammed Akil Ismail was later arrested after his deportation the Wildlife Trust of India, said they nate money for the upkeep of the state of Assam. Momin and Firoz Tajuddin Deshmukh. from Saudi Arabia in June 2012. ndian wildlife offi cers yesterday were now struggling to feed and care rescued babies. They drink six packs “It is sad that we lost about 17 rhi- However, the stringent charges under He then revealed to the ATS another appealed for help in caring for for the rhinos, aged from one to eight of milk a day which costs 1,500 ru- nos in the fl oods this time, which is MCOCA were dropped against all the ac- hideout from where they recovered 13kg Ieight rare baby rhinos feared or- months. pees ($23) and this will continue for something unprecedented,” Assam cused and they have been punished under RDX, 1,200 cartridges, 50 hand grenades phaned by recent deadly fl oods in the “Some of them are injured and are a minimum of one year,” he said. It forest minister Pramilla Rani Brahma various sections of the Indian Penal Code, and 22 magazine rounds. remote northeast. being treated by our staff in the res- was unclear whether the calves were told AFP yesterday. Unlawful Activities Prevention) Act, Ex- The prosecution examined 100 wit- Rescue teams in boats have pulled cue centre. We are right now hand- left orphaned by the fl oods or were Barman said he feared more rhinos plosives Act and Arms Act. nesses while the defence examined 16 the stranded rhinos from fl oodwa- raising them, providing them for- separated from their mothers as the would need assistance once waters Special Judge Anekar has also upheld during the long trial that totally lasted ters which have hit India’s famed mula milk and essential vitamins,” beasts tried to fl ee to higher ground. receded in the park, which has been the prosecution’s plea that the case was nearly 10 years. Kaziranga National Park, home to Barman told AFP. Seventeen adult rhinos along with stripped of vegetation by the fl oods. Elaborate plan to celebrate I-Day

IANS India through various modes and plat- Dandi. Each minister will visit at least local artisans to display their products. New Delhi forms and incorporating the voices and two places,” he said. The minister said Naidu said the participation of sport sentiments of the people. the campaign is also aimed at develop- icons and celebrities in India was being Briefi ng the media here, Naidu said ing the feeling of “nation fi rst”. solicited to capture the popular senti- he government has planned an Union ministers will visit the birthplac- “The visiting ministers will highlight ment of the country. elaborate fortnight-long pro- es of the national icons and places of various initiatives of the Narendra Modi A week-long ‘Tiranga Yatra’ to evoke Tgramme to commemorate the historical importance related to India’s government in the last two years. Inde- feelings of nationalism and patriotism country’s 70th Independence Day, In- independence movement, such as Jal- pendence means from ‘swaraj’ (self-rule) will also be undertaken from the Inde- formation and Broadcasting Minister M lianwala Bagh (Punjab), Chauri Chaura to ‘suraaj’ (good governance),” Naidu said. pendence Day on August 15, he said. Venkaiah Naidu said yesterday. (Uttar Pradesh), Cellular Jail (Andaman Giving details of various activities Members of parliament and state leg- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will islands), Sabarmati Ashram and Dandi that aim to capture the festive spirit on islatures have been asked to participate launch the programme ‘70 Saal Azadi — (both in Gujarat). the occasion, Naidu said all important in the Yatra carrying the Tricolour and Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani’ (70 years of Inde- “It is the 75th year of ‘Quit India’ monuments in the country will be illu- visit their constituencies. pendence — Let’s recall the sacrifi ces) on movement. All ministers will visit minated in tricolour, the use of ‘khadi’ Naidu said that the social media will August 9, that will continue till August 23. places associated with our freedom (handspun cotton cloth) will be pro- be used extensively to promote the spir- A worker stitches national flags at a workshop ahead of India’s Independence Naidu said the 15-day event will struggle, such as the Jallianwala Bagh, moted in a big way, and Independence it of participation and position interac- Day celebrations in Agartala. showcase the plurality and diversity of Cellular Jail, Sabarmati Ashram and Day fairs and exhibitions held to enable tive campaigns.

Mamata team moots name change for state

ed up with having barely got a chance to speak to speak last, or not in meetings with Prime Min- Fat all, at meetings ister Narendra Modi because of Indian regional leaders, West Bengal came at the end the chief minister of West of a list of India’s 29 states Bengal wants to ditch the arranged alphabetically. state’s fi rst name so that An earlier initiative to she can get her say. rename the state Paschim Mamata Banerjee’s cab- Banga — or West Bengal in inet yesterday approved a the vernacular — would have resolution to call the state, moved it only about a quar- actually located in eastern ter of the way up the list. But India, “Bengal” in English it was never approved by the — one of India’s offi cial government in New Delhi. languages. Independence and par- State lawmakers would tition in 1947 then led to also get to choose between the division of the prov- the Bengali names “Bang- ince of Bengal into pre- la” or “Bongo”, said state dominantly Hindu West minister Partha Chatterjee. Bengal and mostly Muslim The feisty Banerjee, 61, East Bengal, which is now had complained that she part of Bangladesh. Gulf Times Tuesday, August 3, 2016 13 INDIA Government positive on getting GST bill through IANS riod of two years or more for rev- “If there isn’t any obstacle, the New Delhi enue losses. GST Bill will be approved tomor- M J Akbar with Saudi ambassador Dr Saud bin Mohamed al-Sati in a photo posted on Twitter. The additional levy was also row,” he told reporters outside among the main objections of the Parliament House, but did he much delayed bill to the opposition Congress party, not elaborate what the “obsta- amend the constitution whose support is necessary for cles” could be. Tand introduce a Goods and the bill’s passage since the Na- Communist Party of India- Services Tax is scheduled to be tional Democratic Alliance gov- Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram India sends minister to Jeddah moved today by Finance Minister ernment lacks a clear majority in Yechury, meanwhile, said the bill Arun Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament. that is coming today was just to with the government hoping it Also Clause 19 dealing with make a provision for introduc- will sail through after the addi- compensation to states for a pe- ing GST and they will wait for the tional levy of 1% proposed earlier riod of fi ve years or more towards GST bill, while Janata Dal-United to bring back laid-off workers was scrapped. the losses they may suff er due leader Sharad Yadav came out in The bill, technically called the to a shift to the new regime, has support of the bill. Constitution (One Hundred and been made more specifi c. The GST bill was introduced By Ashraf Padanna Saudi government to resolve all in two camps in Dammam, fi ve Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Twenty-Second Amendment) It now says parliament by law in the Lok Sabha on December Thiruvananthapuram outstanding issues, including workers of Shifa Sanaya in one Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has Bill, 2014, will make provision for “shall” compensate states, as 19, 2014, and was passed by the that of our Indian labourers.” camp and 13 workers of Taiya said there are only around 300 introduction of Goods and Serv- opposed to the word “may” that Lok Sabha fi ve months later on Reports said Singh would ar- Contracting in another camp in workers from the southern state ices Tax in the Constitution. was used earlier. May 6. K Singh, one of India’s rive in Jeddah today for a three- Riyadh. among the stranded lot. The government appeared Clause 12, which deals with It was then referred to a Select junior foreign ministers, day visit. They are provided with nec- “We are in constant touch confi dent yesterday of getting dispute resolution between and Committee of the Rajya Sabha V arrives in Saudi Arabia “Necessary assistance con- essary assistance with the sup- with them and we will provide the bill through the upper house, among the Centre and states, which submitted its report on today to discuss the evacuation tinues to be provided to our port of the Indian community in all assistance for their return,” where it is in minority, saying it and again was a bone of conten- July 22. of thousands of laid-off Indian distressed citizens with the the kingdom, estimated at 3mn. he told reporters in Thiruvanan- was positive that all parties will tion since the original bill left These amendments will need workers in the kingdom. heartening support of Indian Making a statement in Rajya thapuram. support the bill. this to the GST Council has been to get the nod of the Lok Sabha Reports said India was pre- community in Saudi Arabia,” Sabha, India’s upper house of The authorities have also “There is a consensus among reinforced, with the amendment again, following which at least paring for its largest “peacetime he said in a series of tweets. parliament, on Monday, Foreign advised the workers to lodge all parties regarding the impor- calling for a standing mechanism 50% of the states need to ratify evacuation”. Thankful that Saudi authorities Minister Sushma Swaraj had petitions with the Saudi la- tance and requirement for the to adjudicate disputes. the bill for it to become a law. M J Akbar, India’s minister have assured Indian embassy in said that the government took bour ministry seeking pend- GST bill. The bill is coming after However, another Congress This again could be a long- of state for external aff airs in Riyadh exit visas of our Indian full responsibility to feed them. ing salary dues and other ben- much deliberation and we are demand, to specify the GST rate drawn process, since the states charge of the Gulf region, after workers will be processed (and) “If they get another job, that efits. positive about the outcome. We in the statute, has not been ac- will have their own sets of issues a meeting with Saudi ambassa- wage claims will be registered.” is fi ne, but if they want to return The Non-resident Keralites are confi dent all parties will come cepted. and queries. dor Saud bin Mohamed al-Sati, New Delhi says some 7,700 home, then I assure you we will Aff airs (Norka) Department is together to get the bill passed,” Last week, West Bengal Fi- The new regime, termed as the said the Saudis had assured to workers are in distress after bring them home,” she told the collecting the list of Malaya- said Parliamentary Aff airs Min- nance Minister Amit Mitra most radical tax reform since In- resolve all outstanding issues their employers have failed to house of elders. lis who wanted to return with ister H N Ananth Kumar. chaired a GST panel meet in dependence, seeks to subsume all including that of the stranded pay them since November. They “Many workers who have been the help of community groups A slew of amendments have which all states agreed to keep central indirect taxes like excise workers. are sheltered in 20 camps. laid-off were employed with as some of them wished to stay been proposed in the exist- the GST rate out of the bill. duty, countervailing duty and “Had fruitful discussions Of them, 6,225 belonged to companies that have themselves back until they get their wages ing bill, with a key one deleting Congress MP Abhishek Manu service tax, as also the state lev- (with al-Sati) on all bilateral is- Saudi Oger, and they are housed folded up, and therefore the req- cleared. Clause 18 that intended to com- Singhvi said yesterday the party ies like VAT, entry tax and luxury sues,” Akbar tweeted after the in 16 camps, nine in Riyadh, six uisite no-objection certifi cates In the case of those whose job pensate the manufacturing states would be in favour of passing the tax, to create a single, pan-India meeting. “Glad to receive sup- in Jeddah and one in Dammam, needed for emergency exit visas permits expired, there is no op- with 1% additional duty for a pe- bill if there are no “obstacles”. market. port and assurances from the and 1,457 workers of Saad Group are proving hard to procure.” tion but to return.

Talgo completes third Delhi-Mumbai trial Malayalam movies need ‘promotion, marketing’ IANS Delhi and Mumbai by around four speeds on curves and increasing Mumbai hours — from the existing 16 to 12 to 140kmph and 150kmph with IANS “When we go outside, the fi rst hours — though exact schedules each trial. Thiruvananthapuram question that is being asked is, are not yet fi nalised. After further trials and clear- ‘When is Adoor’s next fi lm coming he Spanish-made Talgo As the gleaming white train ances for various parameters like out?” added Kamal. high-speed train yesterday with pink double stripes and its safety, speed, stability and brake ight promotion and marketing He said that he is happy that the Treached Mumbai from New logo passed by certain stations en systems from the Commissioner is the need of the hour as far as new Kerala government is keen to Delhi on its third and fi nal trial route on the Mumbai suburban of Railway Safety, the train is ex- Rthe Malayalam fi lm industry is see a change in this trend. run but over three hours late ow- sector, many commuters waved pected to be commissioned by concerned, believes fi lmmaker Kamal, “Gone are the days of the Film So- ing to heavy rains. at it, screamed in joy and clicked Western Railway around March who is the new chairman of the Kerala cieties and also the concept of Tour- The train, which left New Delhi away pictures. 2017. State Chalachitra Academy. ing Talkies, which took fi lms to the at 7.55pm on Monday evening, The Indian Railways termed the Presently, the fastest trains on The Academy was formed with villages. We are planning schemes completed the 1,384km trial run trial run a “great success”, saying this sector are the Rajdhani Ex- the objective of framing programmes to include the Kudumbhasree (the despite delays on account of it recorded 50 minutes gain from press and August Kranti Rajdhani and policies for the overall promo- Women’s Collective that has spread heavy rains which fl ooded tracks the scheduled run up to Ratlam. Express which take around 16 tion of Malayalam fi lms. across the state) to see if we can in the Gujarat-Maharashtra bor- It said around 10km of rail hours to complete the journey. “There is a huge pool of talented fi lm promote our fi lms besides classics der area. tracks between Vapi-Bhilad- The Talgo, often referred to as personalities in our state, but if we look through them, by screening such It reached Mumbai Central Mumbai route washed out due a ‘semi-bullet train’, comprises back, we have not been able to produce fi lms with subtitles,” added Kamal. Terminus at 11.40am against the to heavy rainfall, aff ecting train nine deluxe coaches, including new ones in the make and mould of “When we go abroad, we see that expected time of 8.31am. services. two executive class, four chair veterans like Adoor Gopalakrishnan. there are agents and marketing groups Media representatives take pictures of train coaches The Talgo, with nine light- Further trials of this train are cars, a cafeteria, a power car and The main reason is we have not been which vigorously promote fi lms, but from Spanish manufacturer Talgo after their arrival at weight coaches, is expected to cut expected to be undertaken on a tail-end for the guard, staff and able to promote and market our fi lms,” when it comes to Malayalam fi lms, Mumbai Central train terminal. down travel time between New August 5, 8 and 14 with higher equipment. Kamal told reporters yesterday. nothing of that sort is there. American writer bags award for feature on Kerala

By Ashraf Padanna “…..Kerala, a laid-back tropical has toured all continents except Ant- God’s Own Country, then, I decide, quality-of-life indicator, Kerala is off Thiruvananthapuram paradise where you can paddle hidden arctica. God must thrive on chaos and likes to the charts. And in a state where there backwaters, trek the rugged Western Her experiences have appeared in have fun.” are 2,200 people per square mile, my Ghats, look for tigers, indulge in Ay- top publications such as National Geo- She was both amazed and impressed Western notions of rugged individual- tephanie Pearson, the US jour- urvedic treatments and chill out on graphic, Lonely Planet, Discovery and by Kerala, ‘roughly the size of Mary- ism and wide-open spaces may need a nalist who won one of the na- unspoilt beaches. Just leave your manic some books. land and Delaware combined, having a little adjusting.” Stional tourism awards, was hon- Western self behind,” she wrote. She also gives a vivid account of the population of 35mn — about the same “Small villages line the canals and oured for her account on Kerala — a While in Kerala, she was struck by traditional Onam meal, sadya, which number of people in the entire country are surrounded by a chlorophyll heaven snapshot on the southern state’s rol- how integrated the dense population she savoured, as having “26 vegetarian of Canada. Despite the masses, Kerala of rice paddies, banana leaves, and gar- licking palm-fringed beaches, gor- is with its surrounding wilderness, servings like ash gourd, masala curry, is intensely beautiful.” dens of spinach, long beans, and curry. geous topography, serene spirituality which is one of the key themes of the sambar, papadams, mango pickles, and The article delves into the entire fac- Lavender houses, indigo pet peacocks, and hospitality. story. She was also struck by how Ker- pressed rice fl akes with jaggery, which ets of Kerala’s life – its picturesque and women in brightly coloured saris, and She won the award for the “Best For- ala’s diverse spirituality touches every were served on a banana leaf and eaten rich in biodiversity Western Ghats, one men in plaid dhotis pop out of the foli- eign Journalist for India’ category at aspect of the culture. by hand”. of India’s seven Unesco Natural World age in brilliant relief. This is the land of the awards announced last week. Particularly fascinating is her ac- Another interesting account in the Heritage sites, the picturesque back- Arundhati Roy, who spent part of her Her piece, The Green Heaven, ap- count of the secular Onam festival, write-up is the Aranmula Boat Race, a waters, medicinal herbs, Ayurvedic childhood in the village of Aymanam, peared in January 2015 issue of the which commemorates the return of the 700-year-old, a nearly one-mile con- hospitals, spices, fl owers, hill stations. where she set her haunting novel The Outside magazine was based on her ex- legendary king Mahabali, ‘who is said test that starts at the Aranmula Temple “As the epicentre of the world’s God of Small Things.” periences during a three-week Onam to have given every Keralan—whether on the River Pamba. spice trade, Kerala has also endured as “…. the vibe is local and chill, and sojourn. It will now be anthologized in Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Bud- “The race, in which 120-foot-long a largely independent, multicultural guests like Paul McCartney come to The Best American Travel Writing, to be dhist, Jew, Jain, or other—equal rights palliyodams, or snake boats, from 48 society for centuries. It’s a mind-bog- tuck into thatch-roofed bungalows published by Random House in October. and total prosperity.’ villages go head-to-head in front of gling amalgam of cultures and beliefs,” for yoga and Ayurvedic treatments. “She travelled more than 1,000km “Over the centuries, Mahabali has thousands of spectators, has the pomp she notes. Western-style sports like surfing and by car, train, kettuvallam (houseboat), morphed into an Indian version of and circumstance of the Olympics and “Kerala also has aff ordable universal stand-up paddle boarding are just foot and kayak reporting a story about Santa Claus, and you’ll fi nd him eve- seems a fi tting end to the celebration. health care, the lowest infant mortal- starting to take root farther south, the wonderfully diverse wildlife, cul- rywhere—on billboards hawking new The race is mayhem…..If this raucous ity rate in India, and an average life ex- near the cliff-edged beaches of Var- ture and spirituality of Kerala,” a tour- cars and in the fl esh twirling parasols festival is an accurate representation pectancy of 73, seven years higher than kala and the more developed Ko- ism department statement said. in parades,” wrote the journalist, who of life in the state famously known as the national average. In almost every valam.” Stephanie Pearson Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

65 held in Maduro recall clears hurdle, Brazil gang crackdown

Reuters but many obstacles remain Brasilia

AFP olice restored order in a Caracas northern state of Brazil Pon Monday after three nights of violence unleashed by a enezuela’s opposition got a green criminal gang that set off bombs, light Monday to proceed with ef- torched dozens of buses and Vforts to remove President Nico- fi red shots at government build- las Maduro in a referendum, but the ings, authorities said. crumpling oil giant still appeared far The wave of violence in from holding a vote. Rio Grande do Norte, around The National Electoral Council (CNE) 2,500km north of Rio de Ja- said the opposition had collected nearly neiro, was triggered by a plan to double the requirement of 200,000 move some of the gang’s leaders valid signatures on a petition demand- serving time in the state’s main ing the leftist leader face a recall refer- penitentiary to other jails, and in endum. response to the blocking of their But it did not set a date for the next cellphone communications, of- stage in the lengthy process, in which fi cials said. the opposition must collect 4mn signa- Brazil’s President Michel Te- tures in just three days. mer, seeking to quell the violence And, in a boost to the Maduro camp’s just days before the Olympic claims of rampant fraud, the council’s Games open in Rio, authorised chief, Tibisay Lucena, said the authori- the dispatch of 1,000 soldiers ties had detected more than 1,000 ap- and 200 marines to the state on parently fraudulent signatures. Sunday. The opposition blames Maduro for an No Olympic events are taking economic implosion that has seen se- place in Rio Grande do Norte. vere food shortages, hyperinfl ation, vi- “We are winning this war,” olence and looting erupt in Venezuela, a the state’s security chief, Army once-booming country that is home to General Ronaldo Lundgren, told the world’s largest oil reserves. Reuters by telephone. The opposition is racing to force a “The number of incidents is referendum by January 10, the cutoff dropping,” he said of the vio- date to trigger new elections — four lence in the capital Natal and years into the president’s six-year term. about 20 other towns across the After that date, a successful recall state. vote would simply transfer power to His offi ce said 65 people sus- Maduro’s hand-picked vice-president. pected of committing acts of A recent poll found 64% of Venezue- violence and vandalism had been lans would vote to remove Maduro. arrested since Friday. US Secretary of State John Kerry Among them was an alleged urged Venezuela not to stall. founder of the gang, Joao Maria “The Venezuelan constitution guar- dos Santos, 32, aka John the Ma- antees Venezuelans the right to have Opposition supporters shout slogans during a protest due to the lack of medicines and to demand a referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. The gician, who used a false pass in their voices heard through the referen- placards read, “Everyone with the recall”. December to escape from the dum process. And we call on Venezue- penitentiary where he was serv- la’s authorities to allow this process to Maduro has declared a state of emer- stymied by the Supreme Court, which it request the process go ahead — which They have fi led more than 8,000 le- ing a 20-year sentence for or- go forward in a timely and a fair man- gency and given his military sweeping says is also in Maduro’s pocket. they must do within two days. gal challenges against the recall petition gansed crime, drug traffi cking ner,” he said in Washington. powers over food production and dis- The high court declared the opposi- The electoral council will have 15 days and called on the electoral authorities to and illegal weapons possession. The opposition accuses the electoral tribution. tion legislative majority in contempt to respond, then 15 working days to set ban MUD for alleged fraud. Dos Santos was arrested on authority of being in bed with Maduro. Venezuela has sunk into crisis as glo- Monday for ignoring its rulings by the dates and locations for the second In a sign of potential squabbles to Sunday with 302,000 reais They are hoping pressure from Ven- bal prices for its main export, oil, have swearing in three lawmakers who were petition drive. come, the electoral council said more ($92,600) in cash, 20 kilos of ezuelans desperate over the collapsing collapsed. suspended over alleged electoral fraud. After the second petition is complete, than 1,000 fi ngerprint scans did not crack cocaine, two handguns, economy will force the government’s Its economy is facing its third year of The opposition accuses the court the council will have another 15 business correspond with the signatory’s iden- jewellery, watches and 68 cell- hand. deep recession this year. of using baseless fraud accusations to days to count and validate the signatures. tity, more than 400 were repeats and phones, a police statement said. But the fragmented opposition has Its infl ation rate is the highest in the quash the powerful two-thirds majority Then it is supposed to set a date for a nearly 200 people tried to register more It said 26 buses had been de- struggled to rally mass protests. world, forecast to top 700 % this year. it won in legislative elections in Decem- referendum within three months. than once. stroyed by fi re, four buildings Many Venezuelans are too busy The economic tailspin is threatening ber. To win, Maduro’s opponents would “The electoral authority will ask the had been shot at and four bombs standing in line for scarce food and ba- 17 years of socialist rule under Maduro Time appears to be on Maduro’s side. need more votes than he won the presi- state prosecutor’s offi ce to investigate exploded across the state. sic goods. and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez. The opposition coalition pushing dency with in 2013 — around 7.5mn. the potential usurpation of identity No injuries were reported. Fears of violence or a government The opposition won legislative elec- the referendum, the Democratic Unity His allies have an arsenal of possible committed by some citizens,” Lucena Some schools were closed af- crack-down also loom. tions in December, only to fi nd its power Roundtable (MUD), can now formally delaying strategies. said. ter a school bus was set on fi re.

Fiesta time In Colombia, peace means Brazil anti-corruption probe sustainable development turns to major builder

By Monica Lazeetta as a result of the peace process, Reuters arrested but confi rmed the move was Bogota Colombia’s GDP would dou- Brasilia part of Operation Carwash. ble every nine years, which is Local media have reported that those twice the current pace. arrested were Queiroz Galvao executives fter more than 50 years, It is also expected that the razil’s federal police said yesterday who were caught on video trying to derail the Colombian govern- current $6,800 per capita in- they had arrested two people and a congressional inquiry into corruption Ament led by President come could reach $12,000 in Braided properties over alleged cor- at Petrobras years earlier. Juan Manuel Santos put an end just a decade; foreign direct ruption at building fi rm Queiroz Galvao, Queiroz Galvao press offi ce could not to the armed confl ict through investment (FDI) is expected widening a sweeping investigation fo- be immediately reached for comment. negotiations and the sign- to climb to nearly $36bn in cused on state-run oil company Petroleo Federal prosecutors said the investiga- ing of a defi nite and bilateral the coming years, compared Brasileiro SA. tion aims to fi nd additional evidence that ceasefi re with the Farc guerilla to $12bn dollars in 2015, which “Operation Carwash” was launched Galvao Queiroz participated in a cartel group in Havana on June 23, places Colombia within the two years ago to tackle price fi xing, brib- that paid bribes to win over contracts 2016. top 20 in the world in terms of ery and political kickbacks at Petrobras. with Petrobras. Many attempts were made FDI fl ows. It has led to dozens of convictions for In a statement, the prosecutors said during the last decades; how- It is well known that Co- bribery and money-laundering, and sev- they already have evidence that Queiroz ever only the government of lombia is one of the most bio- eral top politicians are being investigated. Galvao paid nearly 10mn reais ($3.07mn) President Santos has suc- diverse countries on earth. Police were carrying out a third arrest in bribes to Petrobras executives to gain A man dances during the festivities honouring the capital’s patron saint Santo ceeded in the goal of stopping That is why one additional warrant, said a police spokesman who an upper hand in the public auction of Domingo de Guzman in Managua, Nicaragua. the armed confl ict — all this in dividend of peace is that Co- declined to name the people who were projects. a negotiating process that was lombia will save $2.3bn every fi rmly supported by the inter- year to be used to overcome the national community, includ- environmental degradation ing international organisations caused by the armed confl ict. such as the United Nations. Thanks to peace, Colombia President Santos put in mo- will not pay any more for re- tion this peace process in 2012, covering deforested areas as- Bundchen ‘mugging’ sparks controversy which after multiple challeng- sociated with the armed con- es and more than 50 rounds fl ict, medical services due to of complex negotiations has mercury-related illness de- AFP Brazilian newspapers, how- mittee told AFP in a statement licemen before returning close Married to NFL star quarter- reached agreements with the rived from illegal mining, as Rio de Janeiro ever, quoted witnesses saying only that “there is no robbery,” to Gisele and being protected by back Tom Brady, she remains ac- Farc on six matters: agrarian well as cleaning of waste oil that they were sure that the scene declining to explain further. her,” the report said. tive in fashion and is one of Bra- reform, political participation, and recovery of ecosystems af- showed an attempted street rob- However, in a new twist late O Dia newspaper, which often zil’s biggest celebrities. the drug problem and illegal fected by terrorist attacks on scene in the Rio Olympic bery — a surprising choice in an Monday, a well connected col- reports on violent crime in Rio, Rio de Janeiro is hosting South crops, transitional justice and pipelines. opening ceremony that Olympic host city plagued by real umnist for Globo newspaper, Lau- commented that the scene stood America’s fi rst Olympic Games. reparation for victims, fi nal The new peaceful environ- Aspectators at a rehearsal life crime. ro Jardim, reported that the con- out in the “beautiful and perfect” Security is a major issue, with ceasefi re, and implementa- ment will deeply improve the thought depicted an attempted According to Folha de Sao troversial scene was being axed. dress rehearsal. thousands of troops patrolling tion, verifi cation and demo- quality of life of the Colom- mugging of supermodel Gisele Paulo daily, the Brazilian model According to Jardim, direc- “In the middle of her walk, the streets, as well as heavily re- cratic approval of agreements. bian people, as well as gener- Bundchen sparked a bizarre po- struts out to Girl from Ipanema, tors had meant to have the scene Gisele is attacked by a kid! That’s inforced police. To sanction the outcome ate unimaginable business op- lemic in Brazil on Monday. a classic hit song celebrating a show a street vendor running up right: assaulted! Suddenly two According to offi cial statistics, of the negotiations President portunities for investors, both Details are top secret ahead of beautiful, young woman of Rio, to Bundchen to sell her a bikini. police seize the kid and, like in a murders in Rio de Janeiro state Santos ordered a plebiscite national and foreign. this Friday’s ceremony. and is “assaulted by an actor.” “On paper, it was perfect. At the fi lm with a happy ending, Gisele rose 17% to 2,470 in the fi rst half for the people of Colombia The war is over. However, leaks following a “The fi nal message from the rehearsal yesterday, however, it embraces the assailant and eve- of this year. to decide and express sup- The dream of seeing the last dress rehearsal at Rio’s Maracana scene, however, will be peace,” didn’t work,” the columnist wrote. ryone celebrates. “This seems Street robberies rocketed, up port or disaccord to the peace day of the confl ict has came stadium late Sunday includ- the report said. “It gave the impression to those like a strange homage to Rio. 34% to 58,999 incidents. agreements reached to end the true. ed multiple reports of a skit in One of the show’s master- watching that it was about an as- “And it is!” O Dia concluded. Depictions of police confront- armed confl ict. A new Colombia is germi- which a mugger attempts to rob minds, City of God movie direc- sault. And from this it turned into The newspaper quoted an un- ing criminals would likely raise After being approved by nating in the land of peace. the Brazilian supermodel before tor Fernando Meirelles, angrily a polemic on social media.” named cast member in the cer- eyebrows. the Constitutional Court, the The social and economic police intervene and she forgives denied the report. Among others reporting the emony as saying that the scene Rio state offi cers killed at least agreements will come into ef- miracle from long-lasting and her assailant. “Folha de SP says Gisele is as- supposed assault scene was the spoils the whole show. 645 people last year and over fect in the coming weeks. stable peace has already be- Ceremony organisers lashed saulted during the opening cer- news site olimpiadas.uol.com. “We have complained,” the 8,000 over the last decade, Hu- In Colombia peace means gun. out at the reports, saying they emony at the Olympics. Where br, which reported that the model participant said. “I hope it does man Rights Watch said in a study sustainable development. (Monica Lazeetta is Colom- were inaccurate and violated re- does Folha get this dumb idea is “approached by an actor in a not go ahead.” last month. Huge economic benefi ts will bia’s ambassador in India. The quests to keep the content of the from? They messed up badly,” he scene resembling an assault.” Bundchen retired from the They are also accused of fre- derive. views expressed are those of extravaganza under wraps until tweeted. “The boy (mugger) approaches runway in 2015 as the world’s quently tampering with evidence Experts have calculated that the Colombian government.) the last moment. The Olympic organising com- the artist and is chased by po- highest paid model. to cover up killings by offi cers. Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 15 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

ECONOMY ‘Pakistan does not need IMF support anymore’

Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed that the country does not need support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) anymore. “Pakistan will soon stop looking towards IMF for assistance. The last session with IMF is underway right now,” Dar said in an interview to Dawn online on Monday. “We will not go to IMF for assist- ance”, Dar added. The Finance Minister said that by 2050, Paki- stan will become the 18th biggest economic nation across the world, Dawn online reported.

COMMUNICATION Minister creates WhatsApp group

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu shakes hands with Adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on for Pak cabinet National Security and Foreign Aff airs, Sartaj Aziz after their joint news conference in Islamabad yesterday. A man closes the main gate of PakTurk International Schools and Colleges in Islamabad yesterday. Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Sindh province Murad Ali Shah has cre- ated a group on instant messag- ing service WhatsApp for Cabinet members aimed at keeping him informed about their activities. Using the latest technology for good governance, Shah on Monday created the WhatsApp group titled ‘Cabinet’ and included Turkey presses Pakistan ministers, advisers and special assistants in it, Dawn online reported. The Chief Minister himself is the group administrator. He asked all the cabinet members to keep him informed about their activities and issues on the group. on Gulen-linked schools Off icial sources told Dawn online that cabinet members had started Reuters ation with the cleric. people have been detained, sus- risk and threat for the security well managed and provided good educational establishments in sharing pictures of their visits and Islamabad The request by Turkey is part pended from work or placed and stability of every country education. about 160 countries. meetings, and details of other of an international campaign under investigation, with the that they have presence.” “We will try to fi nd an alterna- The PakTurk organisation, activities in the group. by President Tayyip Erdogan government vowing to purge the tive arrangement for the schools which has been operating in Pa- akistan promised Turkey’s against the interests of Fethullah army, police and judiciary of ele- “I am sure the necessary to continue whereas their other kistan for 21 years and has more VIGILANCE visiting foreign minister Gulen and his religious move- ments it says support Gulen. measures will be taken. activities have to be managed or than two dozen campuses, de- Islamabad to Pyesterday it would inves- ment. In Islamabad, Turkish Foreign We have to be very careful curbed,” he said. nied being part of Gulen’s net- tigate a network of schools An- Erdogan and the Turkish au- Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said with such organisations Turkey and Pakistan have tra- work. get over 1,900 kara wants shut for alleged links thorities blame the cleric and his Gulen’s “terrorist group” should and their causing risk and ditionally had close ties, which “We are deeply concerned by to the US-based Muslim cleric it followers for orchestrating last be stamped out. threat for the security and have warmed further under the allegations trying to connect the security cameras blames for last month’s coup at- month’s failed military coup, “It is not secret that this or- stability of every country leadership of Erdogan and Pa- PakTurk International Schools tempt. in which more than 230 people ganisation has institutions or that they have presence” kistani Prime Minister Nawaz and Colleges in Pakistan with A total of 1,945 cameras are to However, foreign policy chief were killed. their presence in Pakistan and in Sharif. Mr Fethullah Gulen,” it said in a be installed under the Safe City Sartaj Aziz stopped short of Gulen, who lives in self-im- many other countries,” he said. Aziz congratulated Turkey for Turkey has applied pressure to statement. Project for Islamabad, which agreeing to close PakTurk In- posed exile in Pennsylvania, “I am sure the necessary its “victory for democracy and other countries that are home to The schools had “no affi liation would be completed at a total cost ternational Schools and Col- denies any involvement in the measures will be taken. We have liberty” and said Pakistan would Gulen-backed institutions. or connection” with any politi- of $124.9mn. According to informa- leges, which educates 10,000 failed coup. to be very careful with such or- look into the schools but hoped Gulen’s Islamist “Hizmet” cal or religious organisations, it tion placed before the National students and denies any affili- Since then, thousands of ganisations and their causing to keep them open as they were movement runs some 2,000 said. Assembly, the Ministry of Interior said that a total of 1,945 cam- eras were planned to be installed under the project out of which 1,805 cameras had already been installed. The Safe City Project was negotiated and signed in 2009 at Pakistan completes construction Row over Pakistani a total cost of $124.9mn. TRAGEDY teenager killed by 12 killed in as of Torkham border gate complex Indian border troops bus, truck collide

IANS At least 12 persons were killed and Islamabad Agencies “When our troops returned over 30 others injured yesterday Islamabad/New Delhi the fire, one intruder was in a passenger bus and truck colli- killed and the rest escaped,” sion in Pakistan’s Sindh province. akistan yesterday an- he said. The accident took place when the nounced the completion row between Indian and Pakistan offi cials rejected speeding bus travelling towards Pof a disputed gate complex Pakistani offi cials over the allegations, saying there Karachi from Dera Ismail Khan along its border with Afghani- Athe death of a teenage had been no intrusions in the rammed onto the stationary truck, stan that had led to heightened Pakistani boy on the coun- region. Dawn online reported. diplomatic tension with Kabul tries’ shared border rumbled Pakistan and India have an The bus was carrying around 50 and a prolonged stand-off be- yesterday, as both sides gave agreement to return each oth- passengers and authorities said tween the border forces of the contrasting accounts of how ers’ citizens safely if they cross the toll is likely to increase. two neighbours. he died. the border inadvertently. The victims included women and Construction of the ‘Bab- India returned the 17-year- Meanwhile, a caravan of re- children, while some of the injured e-Pakistan’ gate complex near old’s body on Monday to the lief material mobilised by the were reported to be in critical Torkham, which began on June Pakistan Rangers, a paramili- JuD in Pakistan for distribu- condition. 12 this year, has been completed, tary force that patrols the bor- tion in the Kashmir Valley was media reports said. der, after 24 hours of tense ne- halted yesterday near the Line CRIME Construction of the gate gotiations, Pakistani security of Control (LoC), triggering complex had been resisted by offi cial Farman Bashir said. protests, offi cials said. Woman killed Afghanistan and led to escala- The teenager was shot by the The caravan of dozens of by Taliban tion of tension between the two Indian Border Security Force trucks and ambulances left neighbours – with both sides (BSF) in Kasur town near the Muzzafarabad in Pakistani Azada, a 19-year-old women trading fi re, leading to casualties eastern Pakistani city of La- Kashmir early yesterday for accused of running away from on the border. hore on Sunday, Pakistani po- Srinagar and was stopped by home and having a baby outside Pakistan says it has built the lice offi cial Shafqat Ali said. police in Chakothi village near of marriage by a Taliban court, gate with the aim to check the to According to his parents, the the LoC. was shot dead in Afghanistan’s and fro movement of people. Children sit in the back of a truck as they prepare to return to Afghanistan, at a UN refugee repatriation boy crossed over to the Indian The vehicles are loaded with northern Sar-e Pul Province on One of the gates will be used centre in Peshawar, Pakistan, yesterday. side while chasing one of his essential supplies like rice, Monday, off icials said yesterday. to enter into Pakistan, while the buff aloes that had been grazing oil, fresh and dry vegetables, According to off icials, Azada was other will allow people to leave in the other’s territory. on Afghan nationals who cross demarcations between the two near the border, Ali said. clarifi ed butter, baby food and shot first by her brother - who the country. Afghanistan, struggling to the border illegally. countries. BSF offi cials in New Delhi medicines. handed her over to the Taliban Earlier, thousands of vehicles contain a stubborn insurgency The 2,250-km border is also With the creation of Pakistan, said however that the boy was There were also ambulances court in her home district of used to pass through the cross- led by Taliban militants, blames known as the Durand Line be- the border has become a point killed in a shoot-out when a with doctors and para-medics. Kohistanat - then the Taliban. ing freely every week and it was Pakistan for harbouring fi ghters cause it was demarcated by Sir of contention between the two group of fi ve people tried to The relief materials and am- “She ran away from her hus- also a vital trade link between the and allied networks on its terri- Mortimer Durand during the sides. cross over onto the Indian side. bulances were put together by band’s home a few months ago two countries. tory. British rule in India. Afghanistan has demanded A BSF offi cial said there were Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation because she was mistreated by Both sides accuse each other Pakistan denies it. Afghanistan’s successive Pa- a re-negotiation of the border, fi ve intruders who opened fi re at (FIF), charity wing of the pro- her in-laws,” said Nasima Arzoo, of harbouring extremist groups Pakistan has blamed a number shtun-dominated governments something that is rejected by Pa- the guards after they were spot- scribed Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) the head of Women’s Affairs in that have launched terror attacks of terror attacks in the country have long disputed the border kistan. ted at the border. group. Sar-e Pul. FIA presents proposals to deal with cybercrime

Internews tensive training of offi cials of all There is also a need for setting vestigation offi cers of FIA’s Na- resilient hardware and software education campaigns for cyber tremendously. Islamabad departments of law enforcement up a special tribunal to exclu- tional Response Centre (NRC) be products should be developed,” security (through media, semi- The FIA offi cial said that sub- agencies to deal with the new sively hear the cases related to conducted by foreign experts. the FIA said. nars and workshops). scriber logs were not currently challenge. cybercrime. “International linkage for The agency pointed out that The NRC was established in being provided by cellular com- “The FIA has proposed to the Otherwise, mere introducing information sharing regarding since the general public and 2007 at only fi ve FIA stations panies, which meant that if a s the Pakistan’s Sen- interior ministry that there is an a new cyber law may not fully cyber security should be estab- government institutions took Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi crime was committed by using ate (the upper house) urgent need for capacity build- help achieve the purpose,” an lished and signing of interna- cybercrime security casually (Islamabad), Peshawar and 3G/4G subscriber, the IP Arecently passed a law ing of law enforcement agencies FIA offi cial said yesterday. tional covenants and agreements which often resulted in hacking Quetta with ‘limited’ resources, (Internet protocol) address of against cybercrime, the Fed- and acquiring of modern equip- The agency has also suggested for international co-operation in of accounts, misuse of IPs and space, manpower and logistic mobile number was not easily eral Investigation agency (FIA) ment by the departments con- that investigating offi cers, judg- combating cybercrime should be breaking into software systems support. accessible. has proposed establishment of cerned to deal with cybercrime es and prosecutors be taught lo- made. through backdoor and other se- After the launch of 3G/4G The FIA called for developing a special tribunal, purchase of off ences after enactment of the cal and international cyber laws In addition to this, procure- rious off ences, there was a need technology in Pakistan, the a mechanism for monitoring In- (IT-related) equipment and ex- new cyber law. and training of cybercrime in- ment strategies for secure and for launching awareness and use of Internet has increased ternet traffi c. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 PHILIPPINES UN urged Seeing double to condemn Duterte’s war on drugs

AFP minister who also headed the But the president has dis- Manila nation’s human rights body. missed human rights concerns De Lima said police were while police have insisted that summarily killing even inno- they only acted in self-defence. ver 300 anti-narcotics cent people, using the anti-drug In June, even UN Secretary- and human rights groups campaign as an excuse. General Ban Ki-moon con- Ofrom around the world Since assuming the presi- demned Duterte’s apparent sup- yesterday called for the United dency on June 30, Duterte has port of extra-judicial killings. Nations to condemn Philippine promised to protect police and Police fi gures showed that as President Rodrigo Duterte’s war soldiers from sanctions for kill- of yesterday, 402 drug suspects on drugs that has already killed ing criminals and even urged or- had been killed a month into Du- hundreds of people. dinary citizens and communist terte’s presidency. The appeal, directed to the rebels to join in the bloodshed. The fi gure does not include Philippine National Police chief Ronald de la Rosa introduces “PO1 Bato,” the off icial mascot of the PNP. The mascot entertained International Narcotics Control While his campaign has been those slain by suspected vigilantes. policemen and other PNP personnel when he danced after the flag raising ceremony in Camp Crame on Monday. Board (INCB) and the United Na- widely popular in the impover- The country’s top broadcaster, tions Offi ce on Drugs and Crime ished Philippines, more groups ABS-CBN, reported that 603 (UNODC), came as an infl uential have begun criticising Duterte, people had been killed since Du- Philippine senator called for an with De Lima calling for a con- terte was elected, with 211 mur- Prank calls investigation into the killings of gressional probe into the killings. dered by unidentifi ed gunmen. suspected drug pushers that Du- swamp launch terte has endorsed. of 911 hotline Senator Leila de Lima and the Mayor surrenders, son still at large Guard Marcos votes, foreign organisations cited re- The country’s first nationwide ports of police killing hundreds A Philippine town mayor in the Philippines, highlighting government hotline 8888 for of people since Duterte won May yesterday surrendered to police the brutality of the recent citizens’ complaints and hotline elections largely on a platform to over alleged drug traff icking campaign. 911 for emergencies kicked off wage a bloody war on drugs. after President Rodrigo Duterte But Duterte has criticised the SC orders Comelec on Monday, but many of those “Instead of ensuring the pro- warned he could get killed if he photo for being melodramatic, who called were pranksters. tection and rights of people who resisted arrest. and questioned whether the The Philippine National Police use drugs President Duterte has The son of Mayor Rolando picture was posed. Manila Times be used as basis to determine (PNP) hotlines manned by 45 called for them to be killed,” said Espinosa, however, remained at Between January 1 and June 15, Manila the number of votes that the call centre agents opened at the statement from groups such large, according to presidential 68 suspects were killed in anti- candidates for vice-president 12:01am. as the Australian Drug Founda- spokesman Ernesto Abella. drugs operations, according to received.” For the first seven hours, 2,475 tion and Canadian Drug Policy Espinosa turned himself in to the Philippine national police. he Supreme Court (SC) Marcos, who lost to Robredo calls were received. Coalition. police after Duterte demanded The Human Rights Watch yesterday ordered the by 263,473 votes, accused her But, only 75 of these were “Instead of ensuring the rights he and his son surrender within organisation has urged TCommission on Elec- of “massive electoral fraud, legitimate calls, while 1,119 were of people suspected of commit- 24 hours on Monday. the International Narcotics tions (Comelec) to secure and anomalies and irregularities” dropped calls and 304 were ting drug-related crimes the Espinosa’s staff were arrested Control Board and the UN protect the sanctity of the bal- such as pre-shading of bal- prank calls. president has called for them to earlier during a buy-bust to remind Duterte that “the lots and all election parapher- lots, pre-loaded Secure Digital PNP chief Ronald “Bato” dela be executed on the spot.” operation where off icers seized surge in killings of suspected nalia in relation to an election cards, misreading of ballots, Rosa said policemen will serve The statement called on the 1.9mn pesos ($42,000) worth drug dealers and users is not protest fi led by former senator malfunctioning VCMs and as the first batch of responders INCB and the UNODC to con- of methamphetamine, locally acceptable Ferdinand Marcos Jr against an “abnormally high” unac- to 911 calls. demn the killings and “demand called shabu. ‘crime control,’” said Phelim Vice-President Maria Elena counted votes/undervotes for “I am also appealing to our an end to the atrocities.” De Duterte’s anti-drug campaign Kine, its deputy Asia director, in “Leni” Robredo. the position of vice-president, people to refrain from making Lima, in a speech before Senate, has already resulted in the a statement. The order came after the Ferdinand Marcos Jr , among others. prank calls or test calls to our 911 also lashed out at the killings. killing of 465 suspects between “President Duterte should camp of Marcos pleaded with the former senator, son The former senator, son hotline because this will clog up “We cannot wage the war June 30, when the 71-year- understand that passive or the SC, sitting as the Presiden- of late former president of late former president Fer- the lines and prevent the people against drugs with blood. We old president took off ice, and active government complicity tial Electoral Tribunal (PET), Ferdinand Marcos, lodged dinand Marcos, lodged his with real emergencies to reach will only be trading drug addic- August 1, according to the with those killings would to issue a precautionary order his 1,000-page petition 1,000-page petition against us,” he said. tion with another more malevo- Philippine Daily Inquirer. contradict his pledge to respect to preserve the integrity and against Robredo, who was Robredo, who was accused of “We are currently tracking the lent kind of addiction. This is the One photo of a woman cradling human rights and uphold the safety of all the ballots, ballot accused of conspiracy conspiracy in the biggest elec- prank callers and we will make compulsion for more killing,” her dead partner has gone viral rule of law,” he added. boxes, voters’ receipts, election in the biggest election tion fraud in the history of the sure that you will be unmasked,” said the senator, a former justice returns (ERs), computerised fraud in the history of the Philippines. a PNP statement quoted dela voters’ list, audit logs, trans- Philippines Marcos pointed out that ac- Rosa as saying. mission results, log fi les and curacy of the poll results and other documents and para- position of Vice President of the reported irregularities should Warning to phernalia used in the May 2016 Republic of the Philippines,” the be probed and should be done elections. PET said. through immediate conduct of firms hiring President to pursue talks with rebels During en banc delibera- Also, it ordered preserva- Judicial Revision/Recount of contract staff tions of the PET, it ruled to is- tion of the “automated election the ballots and the examina- sue summons and granted the equipment and records such tion, system audit and verifi - President Rodrigo Duterte has Manila Times Duterte had wanted the CPP, not sit well with Jose Maria Si- prayer of Marcos in connection as Vote Counting Machines cation of the voter’s receipts, warned companies to stop con- Manila its political arm the National son, founder of the CPP, who ac- with Rule 36 of the 2010 Rules (VCMs), Consolidation and election returns and related- tractualisation or face closure. Democratic Front (NDF) and cused Duterte of being a “bully” of the PET. Canvass System [CCS] units, election documents. Duterte threatened to cancel armed wing the New People’s and said the CPP was supposed The Comelec is specifi cally Secure Digital cards (main and He said he fi led the election the permits of companies that espite being called a Army (NPA) to reciprocate his to declare its own ceasefi re at mandated to do its duty in pre- back up) and the other data protest to unveil the allegedly insist on hiring contractual “bully” by communist unilateral ceasefire, after the 8pm on Saturday. serving the election documents storage devices in all of the massive electoral fraud and it is employees. Drebels for withdrawing July 27 ambush by communist Speaking to reporters, Duterte from the May 2016 vice presi- ninety two thousand fi ve hun- his obligation to million of vot- “My message to them is very his ceasefi re declaration, Presi- guerillas in Davao del Norte expressed his dismay at the CPP. dential race. dred nine (92,509) clustered ers who voted for him. simple: Do not wait for us to in- dent Rodrigo Duterte has said he that killed a government mili- “I was the one who declared “…Preserve and safeguard precincts used in the May 2016 To show his proof of Robredo spect. I will be unforgiving. You will still pursue peace talks with tiaman and wounded four oth- the ceasefi re, we suff ered casu- the integrity of the ballot boxes elections, eff ective immediate- and the Liberal Party’s elec- will not only lose your money, the Communist Party of the ers. alties, and the government is the and their contents, including ly and continuing until further toral fraud, Marcos attached you will lose your pants,” the Philippines (CPP). The President demanded that bad guy?” the president said. the ballots, voter’s receipts and orders from the tribunal.” to his petition about 20,000 President warned. “We are hoping that we can the CPP also declared a truce “I declared a truce so the election returns; the lists of vot- Marcos, represented by pages of affi davits, certifi cates “This was my promise to the peo- just talk. but the rebels failed to meet the soldiers went down from the ers, particularly the Election Day election lawyer George Er- of canvass and other support- ple and I will do it. Stop that prac- “Maybe we did not under- 5pm fi nal deadline he imposed mountains, and then they were Computer Voter’s List, and vot- win Garcia, fi led his election ing documents that he said will tice, pay your employees right, stand each other,” Duterte said in on Saturday. ambushed,” he added. ers registration records and the protest last June 29, stating give crystal -clear manifesta- stop contractualisation. It will a speech during an oath-taking The government and the Still, Duterte said he remains book of voters; [and] the audit that Robredo’s proclamation tion of manipulation done by not do good to our country,” he ceremony of new offi cials in Ma- communist rebels are slated to friends with the communist logs, transmission logs and all as vice-president is “null and the LP, the administration of added. The president specifically lacañang on Monday, two days resume peace talks on August 20 rebels because just like them, he logs fi led, and all other docu- void because the [certifi cates of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, called on employers of security after lifting his unilateral cease- in Oslo, Norway. is also against those who oppress ments or paraphernalia used in canvass] generated by the CCS Smartmatic Corporation and guards, who he said sometimes fi re with communist rebels. The lifting of the ceasefi re did the people. the May 2016 elections for the are not authentic, and may not the Comelec. work for 24 hours straight. ‘Legitimate 8’ minority pushes for voting rights

Manila Times members pursuant to the Rules ity,” he said in a news conference. Reforms, Transportation, Public pushing for voting rights in the Karlo Nograles was appointed drigo Duterte’s presidential bid Manila of the House and accepted tradi- “We, the ‘Legitimate 8,’ will Order and Safety and Games and committees on National Defense chairman of the House Commit- from Day 1. tion. provide the check and balance Amusements. and Security, Public Order and tee on Appropriations. Zamora served as the Execu- The eight lawmakers voted for here in Congress,” Erice said. Safety, Veterans Aff airs and Wel- NUP’s Palawan Rep Franz Al- tive Secretary of former Presi- he so-called Legitimate Baguilat in the Speakership race Among the top fi ve commit- “We, the ‘Legitimate 8,’ fare, Good Government and Pub- varez was named chairman of dent Joseph Estrada and sup- 8 – the lawmakers who who garnered more votes than tees preferred by Baguilat in- will provide the check and lic Accountability and Higher and the House Committee Legisla- ported the presidential bid of Tdubbed themselves such Quezon Rep clude those on Agrarian Reform, balance here in Congress” Technical Education. tive Franchises, PDP-Laban’s Sen Grace Poe in the May 2016 after being excluded from the Danilo Suarez, 8 to 7. National Cultural Communities, Lagman wrote the letter on Marinduque Rep Lord Allan elections, while Velasco is the House minority bloc – is still In his letter, Lagman attached Natural Resources, Appropria- Villarin said he prefers the behalf of Baguilat who is on of- Velasco as House Committee son of Supreme Court Associate insistent on its minority stat- the minimum committee pref- tions and Human Rights, while committees on Agriculture fi cial leave to attend the Asean on Energy chairman and PDP- Justice Presbitero Velasco. ure and is seeking membership, erences of the “Legitimate 8” Lagman wants to be a member of and Food, Local Government, Parliamentarians’ Human Rights Laban’s Leyte Rep Lucy Torres- Gomez was a former member meaning voting rights, in various members whom Lagman said the committees on Appropria- Natural Resources, Labour and Conference in Timor Leste. Gomez as chairman of the House of the Liberal Party, a former committees. are not only members of the mi- tion, Ways and Means, Justice, Employment and Health, while House Majority Leader Ro- Tourism committee. television show host and wife Albay Rep Edcel Lagman, in a nority but also members of the Labor and Employment and Billones said he goes or the com- dolfo Fariñas earlier named a NUP’s Antipolo City and of actor and Ormoc City Mayor letter to Speaker Pantaleon Al- House of Representatives who Agrarian Reform. mittees on Public Works and handful of administration law- former police general Rep Romeo Richard Gomez, who also cam- varez, said he, Teddy Baguilat Jr are entitled to committee mem- Daza said he is inclined to Highways, Agriculture, Games makers as chairmen of powerful Acop was earlier named head of paigned for Manuel Roxas 2nd, of Ifugao, Raul Daza of Northern berships. be part of the committees on and Amusements, Tourism and committees. the House Committee on Public the LP standard-bearer in the Samar, Edgar Erice of Caloocan “We are not just members of Accounts, Agrarian Reform, Social Services. PDP-Laban’s San Juan City Order, while Nacionalista Party’s May polls. City (Metro Manila), Tomasito the minority. We are members Agriculture and Food, Appro- Marcoleta, a lawyer, said he (Metro Manila) Rep Ronaldo (NP) Batangas Rep Eileen Ermi- Buhain is the daughter of Villarin of Akbayan party-list, of the House of Representatives priations and Agriculture and wants to be a member of the com- Zamora was named the head ta-Buhain was appointed chair- former Arroyo administration Rodante Marcoleta of 1-Sagip and so we are entitled to com- Fisheries Resources. mittees on Justice, Transporta- of the House contingent to the man of the House Committee on Executive Secretary Eduardo party-list, Emmanuel Billones mittee memberships. They can’t Erice said wants voting rights tion, Energy, Public Information Commission on Appointments, Accounts. Ermita, who also campaigned of Capiz and Gary Alejano of deprive us of that. We are the in the committees on Appro- and Constitutional Amendments, while National Union Party’s Only NUP’s Nograles has sup- for Roxas during the 2016 elec- Magdalo party-list are minority committed and informed minor- priations, Suff rage and Electoral while former soldier Alejano is (NUP) Davao City Rep ported then-Davao City Rep Ro- tions. Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL BB offi cials to Dhaka off ers reward for visit Manila to top missing Islamists seek recovery

AFP Dhaka of heist money angladesh police off ered a reward yesterday for Reuters Philippines and from RCBC Btwo top Islamists accused Dhaka/Manila over the next four days, said of spearheading the rise of ex- the sources. tremism in the country, which BB spokesman Subhankar is reeling from a mass killing at a ffi cials from the Saha declined to say if the Dhaka cafe. Bangladesh central bank had plans to sue RCBC, Police announced a 2mn taka Obank are visiting Ma- but added it was trying to re- ($25,000) reward for informa- nila this week to pressure the cover the money with the help tion leading to the arrest of Ca- authorities in the Philippines of the Philippines’ central nadian citizen Tamim Chow- to fi nd ways to return the bank. dhury, who disappeared after $63mn that is still missing RCBC has previously allegedly masterminding the out of the funds stolen from blamed its own employees cafe attack. its account at the Federal for the ease with which the Chowdhury is accused Reserve Bank of New York money left the bank, includ- of heading a faction of the earlier this year, two people ing the manager of the branch Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangla- close to Bangladesh Bank in question. But the Dhaka desh (JMB) homegrown mili- (BB) said. source said the Bangladesh tant group, blamed for scores Unknown cyber criminals Bank believes the failures ex- of murders of members of tried to steal nearly $1bn from tend beyond individual of- religious minorities. the Bangladesh Bank account fi cers and that RCBC allowed Police are also searching for A K M Shahidul Hoque, second right, speaking during a press conference in Dhaka yesterday. between February 4 and Feb- itself to be used as a conduit sacked army major Syed Mo- ruary 5, and succeeded in for the illegal transfer of stolen hammad Ziaul Haq and off ering ity Bangladesh after a recent ment, saying “these are homeg- been responsible for killing at Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami. transferring $81mn to four money. a similar reward. He is accused increase in gruesome attacks. rown extremists. They are mainly least 80 people over the last three The schools were operating accounts at Rizal Commercial Bangladesh Bank claims of heading a second Islamist Five gunmen stormed an up- JMB members” who sympathised years, including foreigners. “without any permission” from Banking Corp (RCBC) in Ma- the documents show that group, Ansar Al Islam, suspect- scale cafe in the capital on July with the IS jihadist group. Hoque defended police authorities, ministry spokes- nila. Only about $18mn has RCBC should be account- ed of killing a series of secular 1. They killed 20 mainly foreign Hoque said 30-year-old progress in tracking down those man Mohammad Saifullah said been recovered. able for the losses. The docu- bloggers and activists. hostages and two police offi cers Tamim planned the attack on the behind the mayhem, saying of- in a statement, as the govern- The Bangladeshi offi cials ments, which have been re- “We are trying to arrest them. in Bangladesh’s deadliest single cafe after returning from living in fi cers “have arrested 172 peo- ment tries to halt suspected are alleging that the money viewed by Reuters, include We believe if they are brought militant attack of recent years. Canada in 2013. ple for their involvement in the radicalisation of students. was allowed to disappear emails between RCBC man- to justice.... we can eliminate The Islamic State group has Releasing details of the second incidents”. Last month authorities into the casino industry in agers at the time of the heist extremism from the country,” claimed responsibility for the wanted Islamist, a senior police The rewards were posted as banned Naik’s Peace TV, which the Philippines, where in- in February as well as memos national police chief A K M cafe siege, releasing images of offi cer said that Haq was sacked the education ministry ordered broadcasts his speeches and oth- vestigators say it was laun- and emails to various RCBC Shahidul Hoque told reporters. the carnage and a photo of the at- from the army in 2011 for his role the closure of several schools re- er Islamic programmes, follow- dered, because of systemic offi cials during a subsequent Authorities are under great tackers posing with its black fl ag. in a failed military coup. portedly linked to radical Indian ing media reports that two of the failures at RCBC, the two internal investigation. pressure to crack down on ex- Hoque reiterated that police Authorities say the two home- preacher Zakir Naik as well as cafe attackers were followers of sources said. Some offi cials at RCBC’s tremism in Muslim-major- have no evidence of IS involve- grown extremist groups have members of Bangladesh’s largest the controversial preacher. Bangladesh Bank is rely- headquarters, also in Ma- ing on internal RCBC docu- nila, had questioned the ments to buttress its asser- transfers after about tion that the Filipino bank’s $22.7mn of the money was Jupiter Street branch in Ma- withdrawn from one of the nila ignored suspicions raised accounts in cash at 3.16pm by some RCBC offi cials when that day only to be then de- Lanka withdraws the money was fi rst remitted posited to another account to the accounts on February 5, that was opened at around and then delayed acting on re- 3pm that day at the same quests from RCBC’s head of- branch, according to the fi ce to freeze the funds on Feb- notice sent to Reyes. land off er to China ruary 9, said one of the sources The documents show that in Dhaka. when the bank reopened on RCBC did not respond to February 9 after the Chinese AFP The former president relied But Senaratne said the gov- requests for comment, but its New Year holiday, RCBC’s Colombo heavily on Chinese invest- ernment had decided to go then president Lorenzo Tan settlements department re- ment to rebuild the country’s ahead with the project under told a Senate hearing in March ceived messages as early as infrastructure after the end new terms. that the incident was “some 9.15am from Bangladesh ri Lanka said yesterday it of the island’s decades-long Colombo would set up an off - judgment error from the Bank, alerting it about the was withdrawing permis- ethnic war in May 2009, shore banking centre to compete people on the ground”. fraud. It sent four emails, be- Ssion for a Chinese com- a move which some say with Dubai and Singapore, he “I think what happened tween 10.59am and 11.30am, pany to buy the freehold to 20 alienated India. said. here is we had the IT con- to its Jupiter Street branch, hectares of land being reclaimed The Chinese-funded port The reclamation represents trols, the human controls. asking it to recall or freeze under a $1.4bn port project after was also controversial among the biggest-ever single foreign But unfortunately, it failed the remaining funds, the India objected. environmentalists. investment in Sri Lanka. It will in the end, in the execu- documents show. The rea- Instead it will grant the state- Senaratne said the developers add 269 hectares (672 acres) of tion,” said Tan, who sub- sons for the delay in sending owned construction company a had agreed to drop a proposed real estate in the congested capi- sequently resigned. “Yes, those emails could not be 99-year lease on the land next Formula One track and increase tal, which has a population of we are sorry this happened, ascertained. to the port in Colombo, under a public park space, and environ- over 650,000. but you know, it is human The branch processed with- new agreement. mental safeguards would be put Once completed, the Chi- error, human judgment or drawals, totalling $58.15mn, “India had a big concern in place. nese will have 108 hectares (266 intentional.” between 10.24 am and 11.35 about giving freehold land to The project is being funded by acres) on a 99-year lease for The Bangladeshi delega- am, the documents show. China near the Colombo har- China Communications Con- commercial development. Ear- tion consists of Debaprosad According to former Sena- bour,” government spokesman struction Company and was lier, 20 hectares of that was to be Debnath and Abdul Rab from tor Sergio Osmena, who led Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. launched by Chinese President on a freehold basis. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena speaking during the Sri BB’s fi nancial intelligence a Philippines’ Senate probe “We have amended the agree- Xi Jinping in September 2014 Under the agreement, the Sri Lanka Economic Forum in Colombo yesterday. The Ceylon Chamber unit, BB lawyer Ajmalul Hos- into the events, only $15.2mn ment. There will be no freehold during a visit to Colombo. Lankan government will get 62 of Commerce has arranged the two-day event to focus on the island’s sain, and Bangladesh’s am- of this was withdrawn land but it will be on a 99-year Beijing has been accused of hectares (153 acres) and the rest economy, which is recovering from a balance of payments crisis. bassador to the Philippines, before 11.19am. lease.” seeking to develop facilities will be public parks and access John Gomes. They plan to “RCBC did not perform its The government had put the around the Indian Ocean in a roads. is under investigation over alle- the terms negotiated by the pre- meet with offi cials from role properly,” Bangladesh project on hold pending a review “string of pearls” strategy to China, the largest single lend- gations of corruption during his vious government were unfa- the anti-money laundering Bank’s Saha said. “RCBC is of all the big-ticket agreements counter the rise of rival India er to Sri Lanka, secured con- decade in power. vourable. But it has still decided council in Manila, the Phil- similarly liable as those par- signed under the previous admin- and secure its own economic tracts to build roads, railways The administration of Presi- to go ahead with many of the ippines’ department of jus- ties who took money in their istration of Mahinda Rajapakse. interests. and ports under Rajapakse, who dent Maithripala Sirisena says Chinese-funded projects. tice, the central bank of the accounts.”

Madhesis sign pact with govt-in-waiting Nepal’s fi rebrand Maoist

IANS is an alliance of Madhes-based becomes PM second time Kathmandu parties and the Janajatis of the Nepali Terai region. The Madhesi Morcha and the AFP a row over the integration of displayed greater willingness to ing thousands of youngsters, in- epal’s agitating Sanghiya Gathabandan are set to back Kathmandu former Maoist fi ghters. compromise in recent years, join- cluding children, into his Maoist Loktantantrik Madhesi Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal “Last time, I was inexperi- ing hands with more conservative army. NMorcha (SLMM) yesterday Dahal aka Prachanda in the prime enced in the ways of competitive forces, including a royalist party, The insurgency brought the Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ signed a three-point agreement with ministerial election slated to take epal’s new Prime Minis- democracy. We still had a war to secure political power. Nepali state to its knees as the speaking during a news conference the Nepali Congress (NC) and the place today. The alliance decided ter Pushpa Kamal Dahal mindset from the insurgency He leveraged the third-largest Maoists secured control of large in Kathmandu. Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist- to support Dahal’s candidacy af- Nis a former Maoist revo- years,” he told the Hindustan party’s role as kingmaker to se- swathes of countryside, even- Centre) which together propose to ter the three-point agreement lutionary whose fi rst term in of- Times daily in a recent interview. cure a comeback as prime minis- tually translating their support tion’s new constitution adopted form a new government in the Hima- but will not join the government. fi ce ended after just nine months “Now, after 10 years in open ter, backing the Nepali Congress into a massive electoral victory last September. layan nation, offi cials said. The agreement is described as when he tried to sack the head of politics, I have learnt the rules of to form the next government. in 2008. Prachanda will also have to According to the agreement, the a political commitment on be- the army. competitive democracy.” Prachanda was born a Brah- But many former guerril- mend ties with powerful neigh- new government will implement the half of the NC and the Maoists. The 61-year-old - better The Maoists are only the third min - the highest Hindu caste las have quit the party in recent bour India, which has repeatedly preconditions set by the Federal alli- The NC, Maoists and the Alli- known by his nom-de-guerre largest party in parliament, with - but his family was poor and years, accusing Prachanda and urged Kathmandu to resolve the ance, including declaring as martyrs ance had formed a nine-member Prachanda (“the fi erce one”) - 80 out of 575 seats, having lost he spent his childhood herding other leaders of abandoning rev- impasse over the constitution. all those killed during the Madhesi task force to come up with a spent years hiding in Nepal’s ground in the last election. goats and buff alo. olutionary ideals and betraying India made its disapproval Morcha-sponsored agitation, pro- common agreement. jungles, directing a guerrilla war Many blamed Prachanda, say- The extreme poverty he wit- their sacrifi ces. of the charter clear, and Kath- viding relief to those aff ected and “We recognise and respect against the state that ended with ing he had alienated supporters nessed fi rsthand in rural Nepal In May he joined with hard- mandu accused New Delhi of compensation to the injured. the agitations that helped Ne- a 2006 peace deal. with his extravagant lifestyle, spurred an interest in far-left ide- line Maoist splinter groups to backing protesters who block- The second point of the agree- pal brace towards the Republic He became prime minister including a sprawling bungalow ologies and he joined a commu- form a new political party and aded the border between the two ment stipulates that the govern- and also recognise the demands after turning his rebel move- in the heart of Kathmandu and a nist party in 1980 at the age of 25. strengthen his hand, withdraw- neighbours and cut off supplies ment seek political consensus and aspirations of Tharu, Mad- ment into a political party and reported fondness for expensive He worked as a teacher, but ing his party’s support from the in protest. based on the Madhesi Morcha’s hesis and Janajatis/Adhivasis. winning elections in 2008, and imported whisky. gradually grew convinced that coalition government shortly Prachanda’s fi rst tenure as 11-point memorandum of de- We have to fi nd a way out that oversaw the abolition of a centu- “His agenda was very com- an armed insurgency was the afterwards. prime minister ended because mands and 26-point charter will enable all sections of Nepali ries-old feudal monarchy - one bative... He alienated and an- only way to bring radical change Although his base appears of a clumsy bid to transform the of demands of the Sanghiya society to own up the new con- of the key aims of the revolution. tagonised very important insti- to one of the world’s poorest to be stronger, analysts say he Nepali state and he will now need Gathabandan (Federal alliance) stitution as common property,” But he resigned just nine tutions,” said Aditya Adhikari, countries. will now face the tougher task to rely on his diplomatic skills and move a constitution amend- said the statement jointly signed months later after the president author and expert on the Maoist Inspired by China’s Cultural of reaching out to the opposi- at home and overseas to make a ment proposal in parliament. by the NC, Maoist and Madhesi blocked his government’s eff orts movement. Revolution, he launched the tion, including smaller parties success of his second term, said The Sanghiya Gathabandan leaders. to sack the head of the army in Experts say Prachanda has ‘People’s War’ in 1996, recruit- angered by the Himalayan na- author Adhikari. Gulf Times 18 Wenesday, August 3, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Production Editor: C P Ravindran How ICT will drive

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar Qatar’s smart ambitions [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), Qatar is passing through a The inevitable increase in customers across the region. covers safe city, smart transportation, 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) growth phase as it moves competition will result in another Moreover, its Seeds for the Future smart energy, smart education and Fax 44350474 sturdy market drive for the ICT sector. programme – which identifi es young other facilities, with the main goal of towards 2022 and the hosting As companies in the commercial talents from around the world and lowering the city’s management cost of the FIFA World Cup fi nals sector invest more and more heavily teaches them the core skills and trends and improving effi ciency using ICT in innovative products and services in the industry – is now on its way to technology. to meet the demands of today’s Qatar. As the worlds’ leading innovative By Zong Yan customers, the ICT market’s paydays This programme is designed to ICT enterprise, Huawei has built Doha will become ever more frequent. harvest Qatar’s next generation of smart city prototype projects in over GULF TIMES The sector recorded revenues of industry leaders, and will set it on 60 cities across 20 countries, set up QR9bn in 2014, a growth rate of 15.4% the path to securing and defi ning its smart city solution partnership with ith year-on-year since 2012. knowledge economy. more than 1,100 professional suppliers Qatar’s Huawei has been building its As far as Huawei’s customers are in subdivision fi elds, and built an ongoing network in Qatar since 2005, and in concerned, as Qatar’s smart maturity open eSDK platform and open lab for Wjourney the last decade has reached many grows, they will demand more and joint innovation and authorisation A new Greek milestones with the help of its more fl exibility and agility at lower qualifi cation, possessed over 800 local towards implementing the fi rst 5G mobile partners – both public and private. costs – and it was this realisation that service/integration partners and over network and its As the nation proceeds through has steered Huawei’s policy in the past 4,300 channel agents, with matured evident surge in ICT this aggressive growth phase, Huawei few years. and multi-tested project operating bailout fi nds IMF spending, Huawei’s vision has never is committed to partnering with However, another core focus procedure, implementation experience been more aligned with the Gulf state. companies in all areas of industry has been on research and future and complete delivery system. Rapid urbanisation, greenfi eld to help drive Qatar’s smart city innovation – an imperative for Huawei’s leading advantage in smart projects, national ambition and a lust ambitions, and support its National sustainable growth in the digital city mainly lies in three aspects: Open in a political bind for building things smart makes Qatar 2030 vision. This is going to include economy. co-operation consciousness with a very busy place right now. a lengthy education process for Huawei has long championed government agencies and application The country is passing through a businesses. the evolution of 5G networks – suppliers; Years of accumulated Ever since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) growth phase as it moves towards 2022 particularly across the Middle East experience in leading the ICT participated in the fi rst Greek bailout six years ago, the and the hosting of the FIFA World Cup ICT spending in where many nations are keen to drive solution fi eld; Profound experience stinging suspicion has been that it is under Europe’s fi nals. economic diversifi cation by improving accumulated over 60 cities globally. Within this, both transport and Qatar’s commercial their services and off erings. Broadband, cloud computing, thumb. construction – with an emphasis on The company’s investment in R&D big data and IoT are the distinguish Now the IMF is again under pressure to come to the stadia – are a priority for Qatar, with sector is due to hit continues to increase – specifi cally features of communication aid of Athens, providing likely fodder for critics. new blueprints being rolled out across when it comes to future-centric technology, driving the digital tables each week. But the commercial $2.8bn by 2019 technologies. By 2018, Huawei hopes to transformation engine in every Europe forged an 86bn euro ($96bn) aid package sector is witnessing increasing have invested $600mn in research of 5G. fi elds, and improving Qatar’s scheme for Greece last year and powerful EU members are investment, too – especially in the The market is going to continue This isn’t new or unusual – the construction, management operation, insisting that the IMF chip in. realm of digital innovation. experiencing big changes with regards company invests an average of more liveability level and humanistic care. A report from Qatar’s Ministry to spending habits, expectations and than 10 % of its total global revenue Huawei knows that to achieve So far, the Fund, which did participate in the two of Transport and Communications, infrastructure – and businesses need into R&D, and maintains 16 R&D these goals, no single company will prior Greek rescue eff orts, is resisting, calling on released recently, suggested that ICT to fi gure out exactly how to adjust to centres and 28 joint innovation centres be able to stand alone. The needs and Greece to commit to reforms and on Brussels to reduce spending in the country’s commercial manage this evolution. worldwide. demands that 100bn connections sector is due to hit $2.8bn by 2019 – Huawei has been spending its This level of investment can be generate will require collaborations Greece’s debt load. almost double its value of $1.9bn in time in Qatar wisely, building lasting key for Qatar as its push into digitally reliant on fi ve particular But for how much longer? 2015. relationships with government enabled services gains weight. characteristics: real-time response, According to a withering internal audit report Credit must be paid to government entities and partners in order to help Moreover, as we move closer to on-demand services, all-online, DIY entities that account for 83% of the drive the digital migration. the FIFA World Cup in 2022, 5th and social – we call this approach published last week, the IMF in 2010 did indeed cave ICT spending in the country. Last year, Huawei signed with a tier Generation networks will be an Open ROADS. to the Europeans by generously bailing out Greece in This goes to show how much one value-added partner to off er the absolute necessity – certainly from a This vision can only be achieved violation of the Fund’s own internal rules and despite reliance Qatari companies will place fi rm’s enterprise products across Qatar. customer perspective. through open co-operation and joint doubts about Greece’s creditworthiness. on ICT providers in the coming years It’s long been a fundamental Fans travelling to games will want to innovation, and Qatar is perfectly – opening up the market for the tech element of Huawei’s commitment to enjoy the benefi ts of smart stadiums, poised to take full advantage of this The controversial decision undermined the Fund’s world. extend the availability of specialised complete with all encompassing Wi-Fi environment. credibility and outraged some developing countries, And the country is ready for it; training and technical knowledge in networks that allow them to better which decried what they saw as preferential in 2015, it ranked 27 of 143 on the order to empower its partners to drive engage with the competition. zZong Yan is general manager for Qatar’s “smart nation construction” treatment. Networked Readiness Index. better fl exibility and effi ciency to its Huawei Qatar. In some ways, the situation is diff erent in 2016. Fears of Greek collapse have ebbed even though a recession has dragged on. The eurozone, which now has its own emergency fund, does not need the IMF’s money so Fears of Greek much as its expertise in collapse have evaluating reforms. But the pressure ebbed even remains. though a Germany has stated in black and white that recession has IMF participation in the dragged on bailout is a condition for its own and it sees little room for discussion. Toward the end of last year, France also said it harboured “no doubt” that the Fund would contribute. “Everybody knows that we were under enormous pressure from the Europeans last summer to have a programme together,” says an IMF offi cial who President Obama: As Obama has been forced over the course of his presidency to find his voice on racial tensions and mass murders, he has made some of the most requested anonymity. “Everybody knows that we were moving speeches of his presidency. under signifi cant pressure again a few months ago.” The IMF can scarcely ignore Europe. Its members together hold the largest voting bloc on the Executive Board, the body which approves bailouts. President Obama’s last hurrah The United States is still the single-largest member. The result is a complex equation for the Fund, which By Elizabeth Drew morning press conference on the FBI’s And now, as he prepares to leave classroom by a disturbed white youth, Washington investigation into Clinton’s handling offi ce, his approval rating stands as a or a group of African Americans has pledged to make a decision before the end of the year. of State Department e-mails on her powerful rebuke to the Republicans, murdered at their Charleston church If it bails Greece out again, some will surely see personal server. who have tried to block him at every by a white neo-Nazi – has clearly been Europe’s hand pulling the strings. arack Obama was just While Clinton had been “extremely turn for the last eight years. genuine. But if it abstains, the Fund may appear to suggest the beginning to enjoy himself. careless” in handling classifi ed Then, a week later, Obama had to And his frustration at his inability He’d been itching to throw material, Comey said, there wasn’t make his 11th trip as president to a US to move the US Congress to pass bailout is doomed to fail. Bhimself into the 2016 enough evidence of criminal intent to city – this time Dallas – to comfort a meaningful gun control measures With its nerves already frayed by Brexit, Europe can presidential race and do what he could indict her. community shaken by gun violence – owing to implacable opposition still hardly aff ord a new, large-scale Greek crisis. to ensure that Donald Trump wouldn’t and the country’s racial divide. from the powerful National Rifl e succeed him as president of the United Obama has had The murder of fi ve policemen there Association and its mostly Republican This latest dilemma could still off er the IMF a means States. occurred during a demonstration – allies – has been as palpable as it is of proclaiming its independence from the member It was evident throughout the to struggle with one of many held across the country understandable. countries. campaign that he backed his former – to protest the recent deaths of two Growing appreciation of secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, but America’s racial black men shot to death by police Obama nowadays may refl ect the At the centre of the drama and after six years of he had to wait to declare his support after they were detained for minor shortcomings of Clinton and Trump recession, Greece has seized on the latest controversy openly until it was certain that Senator divisions almost infractions. – the most disliked presidential to make its views known. Bernie Sanders couldn’t beat her at the since the beginning Police violence against African candidates in US history. But it’s “The IMF has been neither useful nor needed convention. Americans has been commonplace; also true that Obama has conducted His entry into the campaign came but widespread use of smartphones, himself throughout his presidency in Europe,” says Olga Gerovassili, a government at a time when 56% of Americans of his presidency with their ability to record high- with confi dence, dignity and a sure spokeswoman. approve of his performance – the quality video, has suddenly made such wit. He hasn’t embarrassed the highest level in a long time. In 2014, Though it takes days to set up a episodes a frequent feature of the country. Indeed, there hasn’t been a his approval rating dipped to a low of presidential appearance, conspiracy news cycle. tone-deaf moment in his two terms 40%, owing to public discontent with theorists – and Donald Trump, Obama has had to struggle with in offi ce. To Advertise the economy and the Islamic State’s perhaps the “conspiracy theorist in America’s racial divisions, and the As the presidential campaign gains in Iraq and Syria. chief” – had a fi eld day. Obama, they killing of innocent African Americans, approaches the November [email protected] Democrats running for re-election concluded, was part of an elaborate almost since the beginning of his election, the Republicans will of Display that year deliberately avoided joint plot – of which there is no convincing presidency. He’s understood since his course continue to attack Obama. Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 appearances with him; now, they evidence – to let Clinton off the youth that he couldn’t come across But, barring some unforeseen clamour for his attendance at their hook legally, and that the campaign as an “angry black”, even to his white development, it’s possible that he will Classified campaign events. appearance was orchestrated to mother. remain the country’s most popular Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 The fi rst scheduled campaign distract people’s attention from As Obama has been forced over political fi gure until he leaves offi ce. appearance of Obama and Clinton Comey’s harsh comments. the course of his presidency to fi nd And then he will be missed. - Project Subscription together was postponed because Campaigning with Clinton in his voice on racial tensions and Syndicate, [email protected] of the massacre at a nightclub in Charlotte, North Carolina, Obama mass murders, he has made some Orlando. It was rescheduled for July appeared to be a very happy man, of the most moving speeches of his zElizabeth Drew is the author, most 5, the day, it turned out, that James loose and funny. And why not? He’s presidency. His anguish – whether for recently, of Washington Journal: 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Comey, director of the Federal Bureau about to be liberated from the burden predominantly white schoolchildren Reporting Watergate and Richard of Investigation, unexpectedly held a of the presidency. gunned down in their Connecticut Nixon’s Downfall. Gulf Times Wednesday, August 3, 2016 19 COMMENT Making room for nature in our lives

Getting outside and these trends are, in some cases, even concrete causes. This spreading outings, they were physically and breaking the stranglehold rising to the level of an unreasonable indiscriminate aversion to nature in emotionally renewed by their contact phobia. general is something new. with the outside world. They were of electronics requires a A growing number of people, After reviewing the scientific happier. concerted eff ort they say, are suffering from literature in 2010, a group A growing body of evidence “biophobia”, a “prejudice against of psychologists making corroborates the Leopolds’ nature”, or what the Diagnostic recommendations for the DSM-V observation that daily “green By James Campbell and Statistical Manual of Mental determined that 82% of the exercise” can produce rapid Los Angeles Times/TNS Disorders categorises as “natural people diagnosed with natural improvements in mental well-being environment phobia”. Biophobia environment phobia exhibited a and self-esteem; boost problem- research traditionally focused on preoccupation with the “danger solving skills, co-operation, focus he childhood I had specific categories of fears - such or harm” they might experience in and self-discipline; and reduce wandering through the as darkness, heights or animals, nature. aggression. woods and fields near my especially snakes and spiders. The group also noted that kids In our family, my wife and I have Thome unsupervised from Recently, however, researchers suffering from natural environment witnessed the benefi ts of nature morning until dark today seems like whose findings were published phobia also had higher rates of fi rsthand. a lost world. Many children now in the Journal of Environmental general anxiety disorder and We’ve tried to make the spend less than 30 minutes per week Psychology discovered that depression. outdoors central to our daughters’ playing outside. modern-day fears of the natural How did we get to the point lives. It’s not just kids and their world have no such locus. where reasonable fears – say about a It wasn’t always easy. Often, preoccupation with iPads and In children especially, anxiety can mountain lion seen near a running trail especially when they were young, video games, or busy streets and be evoked by the most unexceptional – blow up into generalised phobias they’d grumble about going for a hike. “stranger danger” that is fuelling the circumstances: a fl ock of noisy birds about nature? How did parents who But when we returned home, they had disinclination to get outdoors. or a strong wind. freely wandered outside become so a bounce in their step. It’s a widespread phenomenon. Ashley Inslee, a biologist at Bosque anxious about their kids doing the The combination of fresh air and Grown-ups fare little better. del Apache Refuge in New Mexico, same? the sense of accomplishment had Statistics from the US has observed this fi rsthand.“We’re Surely, we as parents are complicit performed its mood-enhancing Environmental Protection Agency seeing more kids sheltered and afraid,” in our kids’ giving the wonder of the magic. Perhaps more parents suggest that adults, too, spend 93% of she said in an interview with Care2, outdoors the cold shoulder. should take a lesson from the their lives inside buildings or vehicles, a social network for activists.“Even One of the great American Leopolds. living under what nature writer college kids interested in conservation conservationists, Aldo Leopold, knew Though most of us do not have our Richard Louv calls “protective house haven’t been out hunting, fi shing, something about getting his children own riverfront land, we can fi nd a arrest”. hiking.” outside. nearby park or a trail. Getting outside Are we all actually losing our Humans are “biologically prepared” The Leopolds kept a “shack”, a and breaking the stranglehold of connection to the outdoors? through natural selection to be fearful rebuilt chicken coop, on land along the electronics – on ourselves as much as Conservation ecologist Patricia of objects and situations that can Wisconsin River. our kids – requires a concerted eff ort. Zaradic of the Environmental threaten our survival. I recently took a guided tour of And yet it’s worth it to make room Leadership Programme and And those certainly do exist in the Leopold’s simple shack and noted for nature in our lives, especially as conservation biologist Oliver wild. that this was a location for family parents. Pergams of the University of Illinois Two summers ago, when my getaways. It’s one of the things that By spending time in nature with our at Chicago have documented a daughter and I backpacked over distinguished him from the solitary children, we teach them that we value disturbing trend of declining per- Alaska’s Brooks Range and canoed out Henry David Thoreau. two things: being with them and the capita visits to national parks and to the Arctic Ocean, we were scared Leopold and his wife, Estella, natural world. forests, drops in hunting and fishing sometimes. and their fi ve kids fi shed, hunted, licences, and other sliding indicators In 20mn acres of wilderness, far explored, tended a garden, cut zJames Campbell is the author of of nature recreation since the late from anything resembling help, we fi rewood, restored native prairie and Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, 1980s. encountered grizzlies and one bold planted trees – together. and an Unforgettable Journey They see at work a fundamental polar bear, strong rapids, and the kind Leopold and Estella certainly had into the Alaskan Wild and The cultural shift away from nature. of weather that, if one is not prepared, never heard of natural environment Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth Other researchers and can kill. phobia, but they did notice that when and His Family, Alone in Alaska’s environmental psychologists think But those fears had real and their children returned from their Wilderness. Letters Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY The plight crimes against humanity. the country where perpetrated.” confl ict as set out in the Geneva High: 42 C According to the ICC, crimes Robert Jackson, the chief US conventions and is a war crime. But Low : 34 C Hot during the day with slight dust of refugees against humanity are: “Waging prosecutor at the Nuremberg war crime they go on, defying the international and some clouds, relatively humid war without justifi cation. Holding trials of Nazi leaders, said: “The wrongs will and opinion. by night Dear Sir, prisoners without giving them due which we seek to condemn and punish Civil wars are now raging in many consideration, legal representation, or have been so calculated, so malignant, countries in the Middle East. It is an THURSDAY The world must not forget the plight any rights. Crimes against humanity: and so devastating, that civilisation example of how democracy so often High: 41 C of refugees fl eeing Syria. murder, extermination, enslavement, cannot tolerate their being ignored, described as a panacea for the poor Low: 34 C There exists visual evidence of mass deportation and other inhumane because it cannot survive their being in struggling countries, can tear a Sunny graves in the aftermath of the war acts committed against civilian repeated. If we can cultivate in the world country apart if politicians do the against the destitute people of these populations, before or during the war, the idea that aggressive war-making wrong thing. war-torn regions. or persecutions on political, racial or is the way to the prisoners dock rather FRIDAY It is imperative that the religious grounds in execution of or in than the way to honours, we will have Farouk Araie High: 41 C International Criminal Court (ICC) connection with any crime within the accomplished something towards [email protected] Low: 33 C begins to issue warrants of arrest for jurisdiction of the tribunal, whether or making the peace more secure.” Sunny members of the Syrian regime for not in violation of the domestic law of The Syrian government is guilty of genocide against its own people. The international legal defi nition Please send us Fishermen’s forecast of the crime of genocide is found your letters OFFSHORE DOHA in Articles 11 and 111 of the 1948 Wind: SE-NE 03-12/16 KT Convention on the Prevention of Waves: 1-3/4 Feet Genocide. By e-mail INSHORE DOHA [email protected] Wind: NE-SE 08-16 KT It is often and truthfully said that Waves: 1-2 Feet war exposes the worst side of human Fax 44350474 nature. But even when warfare comes Or Post Around the region to an end, man’s inhumanity to man Letters to the Editor Weather Weather continues, humanity’s war on itself Gulf Times today Max/min tomorrow Max/min goes on, never ending. P O Box 2888 Abu Dhabi M Sunny 46/35 M Sunny 48/33 War is an instrument entirely Baghdad Sunny 49/31 Sunny 47/29 Doha, Qatar Dubai ineffi cient toward redressing P Cloudy 44/35 M Sunny 44/31 Kuwait City Sunny 48/31 Sunny 46/31 wrong, and multiplies, instead of All letters, which are subject Manama Sunny 44/32 Sunny 43/33 indemnifying losses. to editing, should have the Muscat M Sunny 37/29 Sunny 33/28 Genocide continues to be an odious Riyadh Sunny 47/32 Cloudy 46/29 scourge on mankind. name of the writer, address Tehran M Sunny 34/23 Sunny 35/23 The indiscriminate bombings of and phone number. The civilian population centres, including writer’s name and address hospitals and schools, amount to a may be withheld by request. Syrian refugees jumping off an overcrowded dinghy. gross violation of the law of armed Live issues In search of an antidote to chaos in the world

By Oliver Burkeman some inner appetite for the excitement Us blog, high-NFD people have an disempowering to millions, don’t be New York it brings, albeit usually with less “external locus of control”, meaning surprised when they opt to stir things destructive consequences than Brexit. that they perceive events as happening up. It’s not just the politicians, either: to them, rather than being authored With the need for drama reaching round the same time that it’s hard to escape the conclusion that by them – a reasonable conclusion epidemic levels among both Around the world Boris Johnson and Nigel we live in an increasingly high-NFD when events seem largely determined politicians and voters, it’s all the Weather Weather Farage detonated a political culture. by politicians miles away, or economic more striking to be reminded that today Max/min tomorrow Max/min bomb under the UK before shocks half a world away. the world’s most powerful leader – Athens M Sunny 37/26 Sunny 35/24 A Beirut Sunny 31/24 Sunny 32/25 immediately running away, I learned “Listening to Trump tell you that for a few more months, at least – is T Storms S T Storms 31/26 that psychologists at the University of When modern he is going to build a wall or to a an example of the exact opposite Bangkok 31/26 Berlin Showers 24/17 S Showers 27/16 Texas had devised a scale to measure life feels dull and Brexit leader telling you there will be tendency. Cairo Sunny 37/24 Sunny 38/24 the personality trait they call “the no more immigration is like buying According to a New York Times Cape Town P Cloudy 16/09 Sunny 18/07 need for drama”, or NFD. (It asks if disempowering to a lottery ticket,” Fintan O’Toole profi le, the man his aides nicknamed Colombo I T Storms 30/26 S T Storms 29/26 you agree with statements such as, wrote recently.“You don’t have to “no-drama Obama” has grown Dhaka S T Storms 33/27 M Cloudy 33/27 Hong Kong T Storms 31/28 T Storms 31/28 “Sometimes it’s fun to get people riled millions, don’t be actually believe that you are going to increasingly fond of the quiet late- Istanbul P Cloudy 31/23 S T Storms 30/23 up” and, “I always speak my mind but win $100mn… It keeps the boredom night hours he spends reading alone in Jakarta M Sunny 32/24 M Sunny 32/24 pay for it later.”) surprised when they at bay by introducing a fantastic the Oval Offi ce, drinking nothing more Karachi P Cloudy 33/27 T Storms 29/27 There’s little doubt that Johnson possibility.” dramatic than water, and snacking – in London S Showers 23/15 P Cloudy 22/13 T Storms S T Storms 33/26 and Farage – like Donald Trump – opt to stir things up A new study from King’s College a bizarrely precise detail – on “seven Manila 32/26 Moscow Showers 24/16 P Cloudy 24/14 are high-NFD individuals, similar London and the University of Limerick lightly salted almonds”. The crazier the New Delhi P Cloudy 33/27 P Cloudy 34/27 in this respect to that friend who If more and more voters seem to be suggests he’s right: participants who world gets, the more the introverted New York Sunny 27/18 Sunny 27/19 advertises his relationship status on choosing disruption or demagogues were made to feel deeply bored, by president seeks calm. Paris S Showers 29/18 Rain 21/14 Facebook as “It’s complicated”, or for the fun of it, maybe that’s because being forced to transcribe various His world has quite enough drama, Sao Paulo P Cloudy 21/14 P Cloudy 24/13 Seoul S Showers 32/23 Sunny 34/24 whose answer to the question, “How causing drama is the last option open tedious facts about concrete-mixing, apparently, without his creating more. Singapore S T Storms 31/26 I T Storms 32/26 are things?” always involves multiple to those who feel powerless. later characterised their politics as More and more, reading the news Sydney Rain 14/11 Showers 15/10 interconnected crises. As the psychology writer Melissa more extreme. headlines, I think I know how he feels. Tokyo Clear 30/24 Cloudy 32/24 Such people sow chaos to fulfi l Dahl explained on the Science of When modern life feels dull and - Guardian News and Media Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 QATAR

Go Karting attracts a lot of young visitors. PICTURES: Joey Aguilar Young visitors find interest in some of the educational games and activities at Entertainment City. Physical games at Entertainment City attract children

By Joey Aguilar here for him to try the virtual re- the entrance to wait for their to 11pm (Sunday to Thursday) Staff Reporter ality games but surprisingly he turn to drive and race with other and from 1pm to midnight on liked to stay at the Giant Games participants. Fridays. zone and infl atable play area,” One of the QSF staff observed Another QSF staff who had any residents who said an Arab father who was with that “children seemed to be so worked in previous festivals visited the newly- his family at the venue. excited to burn a lot of calories” expressed optimism that this Mopened Entertainment He also lauded the eff orts of while inside the City. year’s celebration will attract City yesterday found “real life” Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) “This has been the case since more visitors due to the numer- games and physical activities to in providing a diverse range of the opening two days ago,” she ous entertainment off erings and be more engaging for children entertainment off erings this noted, hoping that such activi- the venue’s accessibility and than games played on gadgets, it year. ties and games will help in pro- proximity (West Bay) to Doha is learnt. Besides the thrill rides, he moting a healthy and active life- residents. Located at the Doha Exhibi- noted that many of the activities style among children in Qatar. QTA has also signifi cantly re- tion and Convention Centre, and games at the month-long Satish, an Indian father who duced ticket prices for the rides Entertainment City hosts sever- festival encouraged visitors to works as an engineer at a con- and games this year at the City to al indoor entertainment activi- walk more at the venue. struction fi rm in Doha, echoed entice more visitors to come. ties as part of the annual Qatar In one of the zones, children this statement saying his two A major tourism event taking Summer Festival (QSF). enjoy running and picking up as young children were so busy place from August 1 to 31, QSF ‘Real life’ games of some pop- many plastic balls as they can roaming and running around the 2016 aims to promote Qatar as ular mobile applications such as while being chased by a ‘character’ place. a top family destination with a Angry Birds have been attracting inside a maze. The City is hosting more than variety of entertainment activi- many children since day one of The Go Karting zone was also 100 games, rides, and entertain- ties and shopping promotion the festival. a big hit with a large number of ment activities, as well as live especially during the off peak “We actually brought our son adults and children queuing at performances on stage from 1pm season. ‘Real life’ games a crowd puller at Entertainment City. Pisa welcomes fi rst Qatar Malls expecting Airways fl ight from Doha surge in footfall

he Italian city of Pisa yes- terday welcomed the fi rst TQatar Airways fl ight to ar- after summer lull rive at its international airport from Doha. The Airbus A330 land- ed at 6:55am and was greeted by a By Peter Alagos expected to be back by Au- when they shop. celebratory water cannon salute as Business Reporter gust,” he said. On Monday, after the Qa- well as a welcome ceremony with A store manager at Hyatt tar Summer Festival opened fl ags and drums from people in Plaza said the Ramadan and at the Doha Exhibition and traditional costumes. alls in the coun- Eid season have brought in Convention Centre, Sud- The VIP delegation on board the try are expecting “a good number of quality hakaran said feedback “was fl ight, which included the airline’s Ma surge in foot- shoppers,” increasing sales quite healthy” from the senior vice president for Europe, fall, driven by events like for many stores. counter at Al Khor Mall that Jonathan Harding, was welcomed the Qatar Summer Festival issues raffl e coupons. by airport representatives Marco and Qatari and expatriates “In contrast to Customers get a raffl e Carrai, president of Tuscany Air- who have started to return last year, we’ve coupon for every purchase ports, and Gina Giani, CEO of from vacation, according to experienced worth QR200 at Al Khor Tuscany Airports as well as Marco sources. a continuous Mall and Hyatt Plaza, in- Filippeschi, Mayor of Pisa. Navaneeth Sudhakaran, increase in cluding other participating Pisa is the fourth city in Italy to general manager at Al Khor the number of malls like City Center Doha, be served by Qatar Airways, which Mall, said the footfall at the shoppers. During Gulf, Landmark, Ezdan, and has been fl ying to Milan since mall in the second quarter of Eid, footfall last Dar Al Salam, as well as The 2002, to Rome since 2003, and to 2016 was up 15%, particu- month was quite Pearl-Qatar. Venice since 2011. The airline al- larly during Eid al-Fitr com- high for the fi rst two “However, we will ob- ready off ers fi ve daily frequencies pared to the same period last days but aft er that it serve how things go for a to Italy: two to Milan and Rome year. actually started to week, considering that the and one to Venice. The new daily “In contrast to last year, decline” people who stayed in Qatar fl ight to Pisa will increase the air- we’ve experienced a con- have received their salaries, line’s weekly fl ights from Doha to tinuous increase in the “However, as holiday- purchases will surge this Italy from 35 to 42. number of shoppers. During makers make their way back week. Maybe after one week In the last year, Qatar Airways Qatar Airways and Tuscany Airports off icials at the welcome ceremony. Eid, footfall last month was to Qatar, we’re expecting we’ll see whether if it’s going has strengthened its existing Ital- quite high for the fi rst two shopping activities at Hy- to be positive or if it will stay ian routes and demonstrated its equally delighted to be giving our network to business and leisure its state-of-the-art hub in Doha, days but after that it actu- att Plaza to start picking up the same,” he added. commitment to the Italian market loyal passengers from around the connections throughout Asia and to more than 150 business and ally started to decline,” Sud- again. We’re also positive Asked about how other by introducing new, wide-body globe the chance to visit the beau- Africa. This is one of the most leisure destinations including hakaran said. that the Qatar Summer Fes- upcoming malls would aircraft generating a 35% increase tiful city of Pisa and the surround- prestigious milestones in the his- Australia, China, India, Indone- “This is the general trend tival will drive more shop- shape the country’s retail in passenger capacity. ing region of Tuscany.” tory of Tuscan Airports, as the sia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, considering that this is also pers to the mall this month,” industry, Sudhakaran said: Akbar al-Baker, chief executive, Marco Carrai, president of Tus- benefi ts for our region will soon Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Sri the season when many peo- he said. “Additional retail space Qatar Airways Group, said: “Pisa cany Airports, said: “Our region be under the eyes of all. This is an Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand ple go out of the country for Sudhakaran noted that would benefi t consumers is an important addition to our continues to open up to the world achievement that Tuscany Air- and Vietnam. vacation and schools are on malls, including other es- because of the diff erent op- route map, strengthening our ties thanks to the agreement with Qa- ports can really be proud of.” The A320 will also provide a break … but this month tablishments that are par- tions that will be off ered to with the people of Italy by off ering tar Airways and the opening of The airline is fl ying the Airbus businesses importing and ex- we’ll see how the situation ticipating in the Qatar them. This could also be the them another opportunity to con- the new service between Pisa and A320 daily to Pisa. The new geta- porting goods to and from Pisa goes back or what sort of Summer Festival, are giving start of a healthy competi- nect with more than 150 business Doha. This new route gives us the way will connect Tuscany to the with 11 tonnes of belly-hold cargo impact the footfall will have customers “added advan- tion between the malls in the and leisure destinations. We are opportunity to enlarge the new Qatar Airways network, through capacity per week. on the malls since people are tage” such as raffl e draws country.”