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TUESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11113 March 5, 2019 Jumada II 28, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Qatar, Russia to strengthen ties O Doha, Moscow agree on solving regional issues

QNA process, and joint eff orts to end the division the opposition of some countries such as Saudi Doha between Palestinians, stressing the importance Arabia against this deal, he said such deals are of ending this division and seeking reconcilia- a sovereign decision of Qatar and neither Saudi tion among all the Palestinian parties. Arabia nor any other country is concerned with atar and Russia affi rmed yesterday their On the latest developments in the Gulf cri- such an issue. intention to strengthen relations in sis, the minister said there are no new moves The minister said discussions are ongoing Qvarious fi elds and to enhance co-oper- except those exerted by the Amir of the sisterly with Russia for acquiring diff erent military ation, especially in economic and trade fi elds. State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al- equipment and there is no agreement currently Doha and Moscow stressed their concord on Jaber al-Sabah, as part of the eff orts to hold a for the defence system (S400) , noting that several regional and global issues, particularly dialogue, along with the eff orts of the United there is a technical committee which is study- with regard to the need for dialogue to resolve States seeking to end the crisis. ing the options available that can benefi t both any existing crisis through political and diplo- He stressed there were no developments to parties from any agreement reached, and that matic endeavours. prove that there has been a change in the ap- the Qatari technical team examines the needs HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister proach and behaviour of the blockading coun- of military equipment from Russia, on the basis of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Ab- tries “as the speech and the methodology fol- of an agreement between both parties in this dulrahman al-Thani said at a joint press con- lowed are still the same since the beginning of regard. ference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei the crisis”. Concerning the talks between Taliban and Lavrov that he held constructive discussions Qatar reiterates the position it has declared the United States in Doha, Sheikh Mohamed with the Russian minister on all regional and from the beginning and is ready for dialogue if said “we have to be optimistic about these talks international issues, and that there was a com- the blockading countries are ready to enter into because of our desire to achieve peace in Af- mon vision for resolving crises through peace- a positive, rational and constructive dialogue, ghanistan”, stressing that “peace will not come ful means and dialogue. the minister said. by force, but by dialogue and understanding”. He said the talks with the Russian side dealt He pointed out that the talks with the Rus- The Russian foreign minister said he dis- with the exchange of views on the develop- sian minister dealt with the Gulf crisis and its cussed with Qatar’s Minister of Foreign Af- ments for a political solution with regard to the repercussions on regional security, and “how fairs the situation in Syria and Libya, where Syrian crisis, where it was stressed that Qatar these repercussions have begun to aff ect other both sides stressed the need to calm the situa- supported a political solution agreed upon by issues of concern to us and the Middle East”. tion according to international resolutions and the Syrian people, being the only solution to In response to a question on Qatar’s reserva- laws. end the crisis. tions about Syria’s return to the Arab League, “We also discussed the Palestinian issue and HE Sheikh Mohamed said the discussions the minister said the reasons behind the sus- the peace process, where we agreed on the need also touched on Libya and the necessity of pension of Syria’s membership in the Arab to resolve it as per international consensus, as establishing security in that country. There League still existed, and there was nothing new well as our discussion of the Gulf crisis and the should be one government and one army, he to change this decision, and “we are commit- need for calm, taking the Russian initiative on said, pointing out that the Qatari and Russian ted to a political solution in Syria accepted by common security in the region.” His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met at his Amiri Diwan Off ice yesterday with sides agreed to support the Skhirat agreement the Syrian people so that Syria’s seat will be for The Russian minister hailed the depth of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his accompanying delegation. At the outset of the meeting, and Qatar’s support to the Government of Na- a political leadership representing the Syrian relations between Qatar and his country, Lavrov conveyed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s greetings and his best wishes for the Qatari people tional Accord resulting from this agreement. people”. stressing the importance of the relationship of further progress and prosperity. The Amir conveyed his greetings to President Putin and wished The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of As for what has been discussed about Qatar’s between the Qatar Investment Authority and him health and well-being and for the Russian people continued development. During the meeting, Foreign Aff airs said the two sides exchanged eff orts to conclude a deal with Russia to buy the Russian Fund for Investment in the oil and they reviewed bilateral relations and the areas of their development, besides regional and international views on the Palestinian issue and the peace the Russian missile defence system (S400) and gas sector. To Page 2 developments, especially developments in Syria, Libya and Somalia in addition to the Gulf crisis. 2019-2020 classes to begin on Aug 25 Amir arrives in Vienna on visit to Austria HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul is Highness the Amir Sheikh opmental programmes, its aspirations, Qatar is also an important eco- Wahed Ali al-Hammadi has approved Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani ar- and its benefi ts in various fi elds, the nomic partner to Austria where the the annual calendar of schools for the Hrived in Vienna yesterday for a offi cial Qatar News Agency said. volume of trade between the two academic year 2019-2020. Accordingly two-day offi cial visit to Austria. His Highness the Amir is expected countries amounted to $250mn in staff will start work on August 20, The Amir and the accompanying to hold talks with Austrian President 2015. 2019, while classes will begin on the delegation were welcomed upon ar- Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancel- Qatar was one of the fi rst Gulf coun- 25th. The mid-year break begins on rival at Vienna International Airport lor Sebastian Kurz. During the talks, tries that initiated the opening of an December 22, 2019, and lasts until by Austrian Minister for Foreign Aff airs they will discuss the bilateral relations embassy in Vienna in 1975, and in the January 2, 2020, while the second- Karin Kneissl and members of Qatar’s and ways to boost and develop them in same year a medical offi ce was opened semester break will be from April 5-9. embassy in Vienna. various fi elds. They will also discuss a to meet the needs of many Qatari na- The end-of-year break for school staff The Amir’s visit comes as part of number of topics of common interest. tionals who travel to Austria for treat- starts on July 5 and ends on August 20, the wise leadership’s strategy and the The Austria-Qatar relations are ment. The two countries have ex- 2020. For the academic year 2020- keenness to keep strong and robust strong, deep and continuously grow- changed visits by senior offi cials who 2021, the school staff will start work on communication, co-operation and co- ing. They cover many fi elds, led by po- contributed to the promotion and revi- August 23, 2020 and students will start His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is being welcomed by ordination with states. This serves Qa- litical, economic, sports, culture, and talisation of bilateral relations. (QNA) classes on the 25th. Austrian Minister for Foreign Aff airs Karin Kneissl on arrival in Vienna yesterday. tar’s economic goals and plans, devel- tourism. Page 9

Sheikha Moza calls for creating Qatar, EU sign landmark air 5mn jobs for youth by 2022 transport agreement

QNA QNA Geneva Brussels

er Highness Sheikha Moza atar and the European Union bint Nasser, Chairperson of initialled a comprehensive air HSilatech and UN Sustainable Qtransport agreement at the Eu- Development Goals Advocate, an- ropean Commission headquarters in nounced yesterday Silatech’s com- Brussels yesterday. mitment to create 3mn employment The fi rst of its kind ever between the opportunities for youth globally and EU and a Gulf Co-operation Council proposed to raise the bar to 5mn by (GCC) member state, the agreement 2022. allows for open airspace between Qatar She urged the global community to and all the EU member states with un- rally behind and empower youth as the limited access to their respective ter- key to achieving peace and stability ritories, in addition to daily shipment worldwide. Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser participating in a panel where she fl ights between the two sides. During the high-level event, “Em- discussed some of the challenges Silatech programmes face, including regional The agreement was initialled by HE powering Youth, Transforming Socie- instability and economic exclusion. Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ties,” hosted by Silatech at the Inter- Chairman Abdulla bin Nasser Turki al- HE al-Subaey and Carlos Acosta signing the agreement as HE al-Sulaiti, HE al-Baker national Conference Centre Geneva, developing regions with increasingly bally. “Without meaningful work, our Subaey and Head of Unit, International and al-Khulaifi look on. Sheikha Moza reaffi rmed Silatech’s young populations. young men and women have no hope for Transport Aff airs, Directorate-General commitment to tackling rising youth At 30%, youth unemployment in the the future, leaving them more vulner- for Mobility and Transport, Carlos Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed Qatar’s ambassador to Belgium Abdul- unemployment through economic and Arab region is currently one of the high- able to radicalisation, violence, and po- Acosta. al-Sulaiti, HE Qatar Airways Group rahman bin Mohamed al-Khulaifi at- social empowerment, particularly in est in the world, compared to 13% glo- litical extremism,” she said. To Page 24 HE the Minister of Transport and Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker and tended the signing. To Page 4 Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 QATAR

Amir meets Libya High Council chairman HBKU to showcase its programmes at Turkey education fair

amad Bin Khalifa Uni- experts through a series of one- versity (HBKU) will on-one sessions, interviews, Hshowcase full breadth of seminars, presentations, and its programmes during the an- workshops, to assist prospective nual International Education students to make informed de- Fair in Turkey, to be held in the cisions about the next phase of cities of Ankara, Istanbul and Iz- their academic journey. mir from March 9 to 15. HBKU will have booths set up HBKU will set up booths on March 9 and 10 at the Istan- throughout the event, where bul Fair (European Side), Hilton prospective students will be able Istanbul Bosporus; on March 11 to meet with representatives at the Istanbul Fair (Asian Side), from HBKU Student Aff airs, Of- Dedeman Bostanci Hotel Con- fi ce of Enrolment, and faculty vention Centre; on March 13 at His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met the Chairman of the High Council of members, and avail important the Ankara Fair, JW Marriott Libya, Khaled Ammar al-Mishri, and his accompanying delegation at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. information about the Univer- Hotel Ankara; and on March 15 at During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations and ways to support and promote them, sity’s programmes, campus life, HBKU will set up booths throughout at the fair in Turkey, where the Izmir Fair, Hilton Izmir. in addition to developments in Libya. The chairman of the High Council of State of Libya briefed the and potential research opportu- prospective students can meet representatives from HBKU Student On the sidelines of the event, Amir on the latest developments, thanking him for the Qatar’s support for the Libyan government nities. Aff airs, Off ice of Enrolment, and faculty members. a delegation from HBKU com- and people. The Amir aff irmed Qatar’s firm stance in supporting the unity and stability of Libya. Maryam al-Mannai, vice- prising representatives from the president for student affairs Fair, HBKU will seek to lev- novators will benefit from our colleges, admissions staff , and at HBKU, said, “HBKU is an erage historical and current multidisciplinary offerings relevant organisers will deliver academic institution that relations with Turkey, while and use their degrees to make information sessions about the exposes its students to di- introducing prospective stu- an impact in their local com- University’s programmes and verse perspectives through dents to our programmes, and munities and beyond.” activities. Several additional Amir receives message from Azeri leader its extensive programmes. By inviting them to pursue their The annual event showcases visits and tours are planned at participating in the upcom- studies in Qatar. It is our hope a host of international educa- leading universities in Ankara, ing International Education that the next generation of in- tion institutions and academic Istanbul and Izmir.

OFFICIAL Advisory Council reviews Cabinet’s recommendation on judicial seizure

QNA tariat of the Cabinet to take the report by its delegation partici- Qatar takes part Doha necessary measures to prepare a pating in the fi rst plenary ses- study on the recommendation of sion of the third session of the in Arab interior the Advisory Council to include second legislative term of the ministers’ meeting he Advisory Council held the penalty imposed on violators Arab parliament, held recently its regular weekly meet- in light of the views of the Public at the headquarters of the Arab Ting yesterday under the Prosecution. League in Cairo. Qatar participated in the joint chairmanship of HE the Coun- The Advisory Council ex- The Council was briefed on meeting of the Arab Interior and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received a written message yesterday from cil’s Deputy Speaker Mohamed pressed thanks and appreciation the report of its delegation par- Justice Ministers Council held Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, pertaining to bilateral relations and means of further enhancing bin Abdullah al-Sulaiti. to the government for its keen- ticipating in the Mediterranean yesterday in Tunisia. them. HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi received the message, At the outset of the meeting, ness and response to its recom- Dialogue Conference 2019, held Qatar’s delegation to the meeting during his meeting yesterday with the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Qatar Rashad Ismayilov. the Council reviewed the memo- mendation in this regard and the recently in Rome, Italy. was headed by HE the Minister randum of the General Secretari- measures it has taken. Meanwhile, the Internal and of Justice and Acting Minister at of the Cabinet on the Advisory During the meeting, the External Aff airs Committee of of Cabinet Aff airs Dr Issa Saad Council’s recommendation on Council discussed a draft law the Advisory Council held a al-Jafali al-Nuaimi. The joint Status of Judicial Seizure. The to repeal Law No 6 of 2016 on meeting yesterday, chaired by its ministerial meeting discussed the memorandum of the General combating the smuggling of pe- Rapporteur Abdulla bin Fahad activation of the Arab security Defence minister meets Lavrov Secretariat of the Cabinet ap- troleum products and the illicit bin Ghorab al-Marri. and judicial conventions and proved the recommendation of transaction in them. At the meeting, the Commit- strategies and decisions related the Advisoyy Council to rehabili- After discussion, the Council tee endorsed the recommenda- to combating terrorism issued by tate and train candidates to ob- approved the mentioned draft tions on the request for a gen- the joint Arab labour institutions. tain the status of judicial seizure. law and decided to convey its eral discussion on the increase of Several agreements were The memorandum also in- recommendations to the gov- traffi c accidents in Qatar and de- also signed, such as the Arab cluded the administration of ernment. cided to convey its recommen- Convention for the regulation of legislation in the General Secre- The Council also reviewed a dations to the Advisory Council. transplantation of human organs and tissue, the Arab Convention on Prevention and Combating Human Cloning, and the Arab Speaker holds meetings in Amman protocol against traff icking in persons, especially women and children, the supplementary protocol to the Arab convention against transnational organised crime, the Arab protocol for the prevention and control of maritime piracy and armed robbery, and the Supplementary Protocol to the Arab convention against transnational organised crime.

Qatar participates in Arab League delegates’ meet

Qatar participated yesterday in HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud held separate the 151st session of the Council meetings yesterday with the Speaker of the Advisory Council of Oman Sheikh Khalid bin Hilal of the Arab League at the level HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Maawali, Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon Nabih Berri, and Speaker of the Council of of permanent delegates under al-Attiyah met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. During the meeting, they reviewed relations Representatives of Iraq Mohamed al-Halbousi, on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Arab the chairmanship of Somalia between Qatar and Russia and means of enhancing them. The meeting was attended by Qatar’s Parliamentary Union, held in Amman under the slogan “Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Palestine”. as a successor to Sudan, at the ambassador in Moscow Fahad bin Mohamed al-Attiyah as well as a number of senior off icers of the Discussions during the meetings dealt with parliamentary relations and ways of strengthening headquarters of the General Qatar Armed Forces. them. Secretariat of the Arab League in Cairo. Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League ambassador Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Sahlawi chaired Qatar’s delegation to the meeting. The session will discuss Qatar and Russia resolve to strengthen bilateral relations the draft agenda, which includes the report of the Secretary- General on the activities of the From Page 1 minister said an agreement was and President Mahmoud Abbas Secretariat and the procedures signed between the two sides agreed in principle to the pro- for the implementation of Council He highlighted the keenness of about a year and a half ago, posal and (it) is now before them,” resolutions between 150-151 the Russian private sector to in- stressing the parties’ adherence noting that Russia believes there sessions as well as the draft vest in this fi eld, and given Qatar’s to this agreement, and “in the will be no progress in the peace agenda of the Council of the Arab readiness to host the World Cup event of the State of Qatar ap- process without dialogue. League at the 30th summit in 2022, the role of Russian expertise plying for a defence system, the On the situation in Afghani- Tunisia in March. in organising such massive sport matter will be studied in accord- stan, Lavrov said Russia is fol- It also discusses issues related events and their willingness to ance with this agreement”. lowing the situation there and to the Palestinian issue and the participate in these events. On the formation of a new is making an eff ort to launch a Arab-Israeli conflict. Answering a question on the working committee to fi nd a so- process of political reconcilia- This item includes a number of expected visit of Russian Presi- lution to the Syrian crisis, Lav- tion in the country. With regard topics, including follow-up to the dent Vladimir Putin to Qatar, rov pointed out that there are a to the Venezuelan crisis, the political developments of the Lavrov said Putin has respond- number of mechanisms such as Russian minister stressed the Palestinian issue, the Arab-Israeli ed to the invitation within the the International Support Group HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani support of his country to the conflict, and activating the Arab framework of a Gulf tour, noting for Syria and the United Nations at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Doha yesterday. Venezuelan people, calling on peace initiative, in addition to the that the timing of the visit will be Humanitarian Aid Group, add- the United States to stop the pol- Israeli violations in the occupied determined later. ing that many international ef- On the visit of Israeli Prime peace process. “President Putin He also referred to Russia’s icy of threat and commitment to Jerusalem, Arab water security, On co-operation between forts are being made in this re- Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised the Russian position invitation to the parties to a dia- the sovereignty and stability of Israel’s theft of water in the the two sides in the technical gard, and that there is no need to Moscow, Lavrov said that the to overcome the obstacles to a logue hosted by Moscow with- states in accordance with the occupied Arab territories, and the and military fi elds, the Russian for a new mechanism. visit discussed the Middle East settlement,” he said. out conditions, and “Netanyahu Charter of the United Nations. occupied Syrian Golan. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 3 QATAR Providing education for migrants is a moral obligation, says minister

QNA ditions aff ecting their access to Doha good education and added that these challenges make it diffi - cult to classify these migrants in roviding education for mi- terms of number, age and school grants and refugees, who stages they were in before mi- Pare deprived of it, is a mor- grating from their country. al obligation of those responsible It is also diffi cult to classify and a duty of all individuals and the curriculum they will study. communities, HE the Minister HE al-Hammadi stated that of Education and Higher Educa- the global education monitor- tion Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed ing report 2019 addresses the Ali al-Hammadi, Chairman of mechanism of providing qual- Qatar National Commission for ity education, including teach- Education, Culture and Science ers and school environment, in has said. addition to enhancing diversity This came during the event to and developing skills among im- the mark the launch of the glo- migrant and refugee students bal education monitoring report with multiple classes, languages, 2019, organised by the Education and cultures. Ministry yesterday on migration, The minister also stressed that displacement, and education. Qatar has taken the lead in this HE al-Hammadi said that the fi eld, in view of its conviction wise leadership of His High- and awareness of its humanitar- ness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin ian duty and to help countries Hamad al-Thani fi rmly believes achieve the development goals that education is a human right as part of the global partnership and a necessity for achieving for the achievement of the goals HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi with other dignitaries at the event. sustainable development. He of the Sustainable Development said this has enabled education Plan. to gain support at all levels in He noted that Qatar had since Qatar. long time supported and pro- The minister noted the vided education to millions of progress made by Qatar on children, migrant students, and meeting the fourth goal of sus- refugees throughout the world. tainable development. The minister noted the launch He said, for early childhood of several initiatives in this area, education, the enrolment rate including QUEST to educate and for kindergartens increased by train 400,000 Syrian refugees 18.2%, healthy growth and edu- inside Syria and in Jordan, Leba- cation for children under fi ve non, Iraq, and Turkey for three rose to 92.9%, adult literacy rate years at a cost of over $100mn. reached 98.5%. He added that ‘Educate A The minister said that all Child’ initiative launched by schools have also completed the Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint facilities, technical needs, and Nasser since 2012, has achieved laboratories required to create a education for the most margin- 100% serious learning environ- alised groups in the world and ment, as well as the preparation has provided education to 10mn and rehabilitation of teachers children in the world, as well as before service and achieved full ‘Al Fakhoora’ initiative to ensure equality between genders in all that young people have a good stages of public education. education in Gaza and West HE al-Hammadi said the glo- Bank. bal education monitoring report Furthermore, the minister includes increasing numbers of stated that Qatar has provided A panel discussion was held on the global education monitoring report 2019, with the participation of a number of off icials, experts, and stakeholders from Qatar and beyond. migrants and displaced people millions of dollars to enable in the world, which is increasing UNRWA to support education tives was the pledge made by the and Communications Technol- toninis spoke about the report terms of the commitment to en- standing and planning for their day by day, with the number of projects in Palestine, and Rota Amir, to provide quality edu- ogy (ICT) in education to ensure and made a presentation in this sure quality, equitable and inclu- needs, including the history of migrants reaching about 763mn initiative has also contributed to cation to 1mn girls around the that all immigrant and refugee regard, addressing migration sive education and to promote a migration and displacement in worldwide. providing basic and qualitative world by 2021, during his par- groups have access to quality and displacement issues from life-long opportunity for all. education, and the numbers of He said that the confl icts and education for primary and sec- ticipation in the round table held education and are able to move the perspective of teachers and The report contains several immigrant and refugee teachers wars in recent years have led to ondary school students in Asia last September on the sidelines from formal to lifelong educa- education administrators who recommendations, including the to address diversity. the displacement of nearly 40mn and the Middle East to ensure a of the 73rd United Nations Gen- tion through educational soft- face the reality of diversity in protection of the right to educa- During the event, a panel people, in addition to 19mn due better future for children in poor eral Assembly meetings in New ware and means of electronic classrooms, school courtyards tion of migrants and displaced discussion was held on the re- to natural disasters. and aff ected countries by con- York. communication. and local communities, labour persons, the need to integrate port with the participation of a The minister said these num- fl ict and disaster. He said that there’s a need of a Meanwhile, Director of the markets and societies. them into the national education number of offi cials, experts, and bers are facing serious challenges HE al-Hammadi added that comprehensive approach to en- Global Education Monitoring Antoninis said that education system, the importance of har- stakeholders from Qatar and be- and diffi cult environmental con- the most recent of these initia- hancing the role of Information (GEM) Report 2019, Manos An- systems in the world are united in nessing their capacities, under- yond. Turkish minister praises education ties with Qatar

QNA Doha

E the Minister of Na- tional Education of Tur- Hkey, Ziya Selcuk, hailed the brotherly relations between his country and Qatar, describ- ing them as excellent and adding that they are witnessing contin- Qatar’s education ministry off icials taking part in the panel discussion in Kuwait. uous progress and development in various fi elds. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) at the end of a two-day visit to Qatar, the min- Education ministry takes part ister said that Qatar and Turkey have the common will to pro- mote bilateral relations in all matters and issues of interest. in Kuwait panel discussion He described his visit to Qatar as fruitful. During the visit he discussed with HE the Minister QNA experience in building the cur- enhance the inquiry, verifi ca- of Education and Higher Educa- Kuwait riculum of this system and the tion, logical thinking, collabo- tion Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed mechanism of its implementa- rative skills of students and to Ali al-Hammadi, a number of tion in schools, how to manage teach them to work as a team. topics that will enhance educa- ssistant Undersecretary the school, lessons learned from As well as the development tional, and research co-opera- for Educational Aff airs at the experience, diffi culties and of the program in an integrated tion between Doha and Ankara Athe Ministry of Education ways to address it, as well as the manner enhances the under- in the fi elds of public and higher and Higher Education, Fawzia training mechanism for teachers standing of educational cur- education, including education al-Khater presented the Qa- and the school administration of ricula in relation to these fi elds, for people with special needs. tari experience in following the the STEM curriculum. which achieves the quality of He added that his presence in STEM system in schools, during She also touched on about the education required and provides Qatar also provided him with the a panel discussion in Kuwait’s methodology of the system as the labour market with qualifi ed opportunity to visit a number of Gulf University for Science and an educational input that was workers in the fi eld of advanced educational and cultural insti- Technology (GUST), attended by developed to prepare students technology. tutions in the country, such as HE the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi yesterday a number of education and sci- of general education for univer- She added that STEM is a schools, universities, museums, met the Minister of National Education of Turkey, Ziya Selcuk, and his accompanying delegation who are entifi c research offi cials. sity and postgraduate studies in multidisciplinary approach in and centres for the education of currently visiting Qatar. During the meeting, they discussed the important topics of common interest STEM is a curriculum based the fi elds of science, technology, which students learn and apply people with special needs. and co-operation aspects in the field of higher education and scientific research, as well as the means of on the idea of educating students engineering and mathematics, the concepts of science, tech- He stressed that they all have developing them. in four specifi c disciplines, sci- and joining a university speciali- nology, engineering, and math- valuable potentials and advan- ence, technology, engineering, sation linked to these four sci- ematics by their very nature and tages in terms of content, meth- co-operation between Qatar and tise in light of the similarities Arabic language teachers from and mathematics, in an interdis- ences. cross-reference the defi nition of odology, and design. Turkey in the education sec- between the two education sys- Turkey will visit Doha for train- ciplinary and applied approach. Al-Khater said that STEM’s each discipline or fi eld related to The minister pointed out that tor, especially with regard to the tems. ing and gaining more knowledge Al-Khater discussed Qatar’s teaching methodology aims to this science. the next phase will witness more exchange of experts and exper- He added that a number of in this fi eld. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 QATAR

Qatar, EU sign air agreement HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, HE Qatar Airways From Page 1 HE al-Subaey noted the Group Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker and Qatar’s ambassador to Belgium Abdulrahman bin HE the Minister of Trans- signifi cant role the agreement Mohamed al-Khulaifi at the signing of Qatar-EU air agreement. port said: “This agreement, would play in opening up fu- which refl ects the EU’s trust ture horizons for broader co- in Qatar’s potentials, will al- operation between Qatar and low for the liberalisation of the EU member states, as well the fundamental mobility as boosting their bilateral re- rights between Qatar and EU lations. markets — one of the oldest With this agreement in and largest in the world in the place, he said, Qatar could realm of air transport.” upgrade its mobility rights “This will contribute to and increase its cooperation increasing the mobility, tour- with the EU member states in ism and trade exchange be- all aviation aspects. tween Doha and EU capital He said the agreement was cities, widening the partner- a historic event, particularly ship with EU countries and under the unjust blockade on developing our national car- Qatar and confi rmed that the rier’s network, thus support- country is continuing to meet ing economic growth across ever more ambitious tar- all sectors,” the minister gets in the aviation industry, added. which is one of the country’s “This agreement,” HE al- most active economic sec- Sulaiti noted, “is a comple- tors. tion to the pivotal role the “This event comes in the State of Qatar has been play- context of the signifi cant ing in developing the global development Qatar’s air air transport industry and transport industry has been also boosts Qatar’s ranking as witnessing. It also fi ts in our one of the leading countries plan for exploring more new in the region in air transport.” opportunities to enable our He added: “The agree- national carrier to reach as ment also recognises the key many destinations as it can role our civil aviation bodies around the world. In addi- play and their compliance tion, it enables Qatar Airways with global standards as well to boost its operational proc- as the role of Qatar Airways, esses; something which helps which is widely recognised as widen Qatar-EU co-oper- one of the best carriers in the ation and secure a common world and the best in terms of ground for airlines from both effi ciency and quality, while parties to explore and fi nd consistently reporting the new gateways for broader highest growth rates region- co-operation and co-ordi- ally and universally.” nation.” HE al-Baker said: “This The agreement provides a historic landmark agreement new level of competition for will off er a host of opportuni- carriers in Europe and Qatar. ties for airlines in Europe and Both parties are expected Qatar to collaborate and co- to take bold steps through operate together, ensuring agreeing upon the terms and fair access to markets, com- conditions relating to fair peting for market share based competition, the environ- on products and services that ment, consumer protection, the customer wants and is social aspects and transpar- willing to purchase.” ency.

Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 QATAR

WCM-Q Grand Rounds look at challenges of healthcare for older patients

The latest developments and ageing population by creating consider.” Dr Mahmoud noted challenges involved in providing age-friendly environments, both that these changes are not healthcare to older patients were within health institutions and in linear; some older patients explained at the Weill Cornell the wider community. She said, remain highly active while some Medicine-Qatar’s (WCM-Q) “I am glad to see healthy ageing are partially or totally dependent Grand Rounds. is a priority in Qatar National on others. Dr Mai Mahmoud, assistant Development Strategy 2018- Dr Mahmoud explained the risk professor of medicine at WCM-Q, 2022.” posed to older patients by falls, identified health issues and Explaining the health challenges which are the leading cause of common challenges relating faced by older patients, Dr non-fatal injuries in patients to older adults and explained Mahmoud said, “With age, the aged over 65. Complications how healthcare providers can organs of the body lose their following falls, such as fractures use evidence-based practices to physiological reserve of cells, and problems arising from create eff ective care plans. Dr Mai Mahmoud which function somewhat like surgeries, are also a common Dr Mahmoud, who also holds spare parts that allow each cause of death among older the positions of Consultant in 2020, there will be more older organ to maintain its function patients. Older patients Internal Medicine and Geriatrics adults than children aged under during an event like an illness. most at risk of falls are those at Hamad Medical Corporation, five years globally, while in the Also, there are more medical with dementia, poor vision, said that the global population is US, it is predicted that adults conditions like diabetes, osteoarthritis, general frailty, ageing. According to the World over 65 will account for more hypertension, and arthritis, sarcopenia, cardiovascular Health Organisation, between than 50% of healthcare visits. that require medications, so disease, central nervous system 2015 and 2050 the proportion of Dr Mahmoud explained that we often have the additional diseases and complications from the world’s population aged over societies and healthcare systems issue of polypharmacy and the diabetes mellitus and certain 60 will rise from 12% to 22%. By should prepare for rise in the side-eff ects of medications to prescription drugs, she said.

HEC Paris in Qatar hosts visiting dignitary Marie Quigley speaking at CNA-Q. CNA-Q hosts lecture by renowned speaker

ollege of the North At- ment by supporting leaders from and hear her words of inspi- lantic-Qatar’s (CNA-Q) all walks of life to understand ration on the aspects of lead- Clecture theatre was the and break through their limiting ing through adversity and with site of an inspired talk for both patterns of thoughts and behav- bravery. We appreciate the part- students and staff as part of the iour, and move towards creating nership we have had with Qapco college’s commitment to lead- new powerful ways of being and for a number of years that makes ership development for women, doing. these learning experiences pos- and for the college community Born in the UK, Marie has sible.” as a whole. worked overseas since 1993. She College of the North Atlantic- The initiative is supported by has been based in Qatar for the Qatar is Qatar’s National Tech- Qatar Petrochemical Company past seven years. She is the fi rst nical College, off ering more than (Qapco). Marie Quigley present- and only facilitator in the Middle 30 programmes and graduating ed the lecture, titled ‘Dare to East to be certifi ed in Dr Brene thousands of students since its Lead’, a research-based presen- Brown’s research-based Daring inception. tation on the factors that infl u- Way, Rising Strong, and Dare to This year marks the 17th year ence courage in leadership. Lead programmes. that CNA-Q has been providing HEC Paris, in collaboration with the French embassy and the HEC Paris alumni in Qatar, hosted Dr Justin Vaisse, director of Policy Marie is an executive coach, According to AlJazzi Fetais, experiential technical education Planning at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Aff airs, during his visit to Qatar. French ambassador to Qatar Franck Gellet a trainer, facilitator, writer and associate vice-president of to Qatar to support the State’s was present at the event. During the session, Dr Vaisse interacted exclusively with HEC Paris alumni on a significant topic, ‘Better speaker. She inspires human po- Student Aff airs, “CNA-Q was strategic vision to educate, de- Global Governance’. tential and awareness develop- pleased to host Marie Quigley velop and retain young Qataris. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 7 QATAR PHCC begins Mada Centre holds bowel cancer graduation ceremony campaign ith a view to ed that they can carry out the articipants of Mada – As- strengthen its out- Fecal Immunochemical Test sistive Technology Cen- Wreach towards bowel (FIT) test with ease in the pri- Ptre’s capacity building cancer awareness and to cel- vacy of their own home and programme for ‘Super Users’ ebrate international bowel they can collect their comple- in assistive technology (AT) cancer awareness month, Pri- mentary kit from one of the and Information and Com- mary Health Care Corpora- PHCC screening suites at Al munications Technology (ICT) tion (PHCC) has announced Wakrah, Leabaib and Rawdat Accessibility fi nished the the launch of Bowel Cancer Al Khail Health Centres. course yesterday, bringing the campaign, ‘I Got Screened & Dr Shaikha Abu Shaikha, number of graduates in various Encourage You Too’. manager of Screening Pro- sectors to 74. PHCC, through its highly grammes at PHCC, said, “Mada Centre is building successful Screen for Life “Screen for Life is a pro- the capabilities of our strate- programme, aims to en- gramme by PHCC aiming to gic partners through the Super hance its reach to the peo- educate and raise awareness Users intensive training pro- ple of Qatar on the impor- on the importance of early gramme on the basics and use tance of early screening for detection of breast and bowel of AT in support of persons bowel cancer. cancer in Qatar. Buoyed by the with disabilities (PWDs) and As part of the Interna- tremendous response we have the elderly,” Mada CEO Maha Graduates of the capacity building programme for ‘Super Users’ in assistive technology and ICT Access after receiving their certificates yesterday. tional Bowel Cancer Aware- gained over the years, we are al-Mansouri said. ness month, PHCC is leading confi dent that our campaign Mada built capabilities for AT tre’s commitment to its strategy through training and the es- for us and for children who are Dr Abdulla al-Kaabi said. a Bowel Cancer Campaign to this year, ‘I Got Screened & professionals from stakeholders of partnering with stakeholders tablishment of an AT station to eager to communicate with their Al-Mansouri, Dr al-Kaabi, raise awareness on the pre- Encourage You Too’ is going to through the launch of the Su- and implementing the agreement support PWDs. families. We are waiting for the and Dr Emad Deeb, direc- vention of bowel cancer and be all the more impactful and per Users programme aimed at signed with Sidra Medicine. “I salute Mada Centre and its impact of what our specialists tor of the Learning Centre at advise the public about the will help Qatar become one of helping PWDs. Such collaboration aims to team for their dedication to sup- have learned in this programme Qatar Foundation recognised benefi ts of early detection as the healthier nations across According to Mada, its eff orts build the capacity of Sidra Medi- port children with disabilities. on children in Sidra,” Sidra the graduates and presented it can lead up to 90% survival the globe.” in this fi eld are part of the Cen- cine staff in AT and ICT Access This partnership is important Medicine’s chief medical offi cer certifi cates of the programme. rate. The campaign aims to “Over the coming months increase the screening fi g- this campaign will keep re- ures and encourage people to minding people to go for take action. regular screening at one of According to Qatar Can- the three screening suites and cer Registry, bowel cancer is ensure that they lead a healthy Tamuq professor to receive award for design the second most commonly life. Additionally, to achieve a diagnosed cancer in Qatar rather exemplary growth, our r Eyad Masad, pictured, tion engineering, either in re- Professor in Design and Con- programmes in the United States and a leading cause of death centres are working across the professor at Texas A&M search, planning, design or con- struction Integration II at Texas and in Qatar, and has published among men and women in year to off er Qatari citizens DUniversity at Qatar and struction. Masad was selected for A&M’s main campus. He is also more than 350 technical papers the state. To mark the glo- screening appointments as per Texas A&M University, will receive the honour for his “defi nite and the executive director for global and reports. Masad is a fellow bal Bowel Cancer Awareness their convenience,” she added. the 2019 James Laurie Prize from transformative contributions to initiatives of the Texas A&M En- of ASCE and has served as as- month, the ‘Screen for Life’ Patients can get the bowel the Transportation and Develop- the advancement of transporta- gineering Experiment Station, an sociate editor of two major en- campaign will include a se- screening done at any of the ment Institute of the American tion engineering through your engineering research and service gineering journals. Through the ries of reminder messages three screening suites at Al Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). continuing innovative research agency of the State of Texas. years, he has received several annual ASCE International urging both men and women, Wakrah, Leabaib and Rawdat The award was established by on asphalt concrete micro-me- Masad’s research focuses on prestigious academic and pro- Conference on Transportation specifi cally in the target age Al Khail Health Centres by ASCE in 1912 in honour of the fi rst chanical modelling.” microstructure characterisa- fessional awards in recognition and Development in Alexandria bracket of 50-74, and in- taking a prior appointment to president of the society. The prize Masad is a professor in the tion, constitutive modelling, of his professional, academic, (USA) in June. ASCE represents spire them to take a proactive avoid any hassle. To book an is awarded each year to an ASCE Mechanical Engineering Pro- and micromechanics of pave- research and administrative more than 150,000 members of approach to their health. appointment for screening, member who has contributed to gramme at Texas A&M at Qa- ment materials and systems. He contributions. the civil engineering profession Through this initiative, call the dedicated call centre the advancement of transporta- tar and also holds the Zachry has active research groups and He will be recognised at the in 177 countries. people are constantly remind- on 8001112.

The UCL Qatar team at India Gate in New Delhi. UCL Qatar students attend conference to get insights on libraries

CL Qatar students braries and Library Science. study trips such as this help share knowledge with their have participated in Students also witnessed our students broaden their peers around the world. Uthe sixth Interna- the processes behind archiv- horizons.” Islam Elshahidi, a UCL tional Conference of Asian ing historically signifi cant The international visit Qatar Library and Infor- Special Libraries on Librar- records and materials during programmes at UCL Qa- mation Studies MA Pro- ies and Librarianship in a visit to the Nehru Memo- tar are a central part of the gramme student, com- Digital Plus Era, held in the rial Museum and Library. university’s commitment mented, “Thanks to UCL Indian capital New Delhi, as The trip was led by Armin to use its international net- Qatar for giving us this op- part of the latest interna- Straube, teaching fellow of works to develop Qatar’s portunity to gain in-depth tional study trip organised the Library and Information future workforce. knowledge of our pro- by the university. Studies MA at UCL Qatar, With the country quickly gramme and become more The conference, which who explained, “Through establishing itself as a re- open to what the world has took place at Ambedkar this visit, our students gional leader in libraries to off er.” University, Delhi, exposed could observe how theory and librarianship, study While in India, the stu- students on UCL Qatar’s learned at UCL Qatar can trips are designed to equip dents also had the chance to Library and Information be implemented on a larger students with practical explore the country, visit- Studies MA programme to scale. The libraries and mu- skills that can be applied in ing iconic sites such as the the latest technologies and seums in Qatar house valu- the workplace and provide Taj Mahal and the India developments in Digital Li- able heritage material and them with opportunities to Gate. Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 QATAR 30,000 benefi t from QCS awareness activities

atar Cancer Society (QCS) conducted about Q216 health education ac- tivities in 2018 with the number of benefi ciaries from these ac- tivities reaching 30,000. The activities included aware- ness workshops, training pro- grammes and regional and inter- national conferences. QCS aims to be the communi- ty partnership platform to make Qatar a leader in cancer preven- tion and its burden control. The activities targeted school and university students, em- ployees of the government and private sectors, individuals liv- ing with cancer and their fami- lies, healthcare providers and people with special needs. Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani, chairman of QCS, said: “Cancer awareness, pre- vention methods and early de- tection are the most important strategic objectives that QCS has sought since its establish- ment in 1997. “The society has worked over A breast cancer awareness programme by QCS. the past 20 years to expand the base of the benefi ciaries of its “We are working with our search in the field of cancer.” ferences and events in Qatar and activities and services and has partners to educate the com- Sheikh Khalid also expressed abroad. access to all segments and com- munity, and support, empow- the keenness of QCS to keep QCS is a member of the Union munity groups, especially in its er and advocate individuals pace with international experi- for International Cancer Control mission to seek to prevent can- living with cancer and to en- ences and expertise to develop and founding member of the In- cer and control its burden in gage in the professional de- its programmes and future plans ternational Cancer Prevention Qatar. velopment and scientific re- through participation in all con- Consortium. A training session held by QCS. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 9 AMIR VISITS AUSTRIA Qatari-Austrian relations witness sustainable growth he visit of His Highness Minister of Business and Trade, the Amir Sheikh Tamim visited the Austrian capital in Tbin Hamad al-Thani to November 2009 with an eco- Austria comes as part of the nomic delegation, giving the bi- wise leadership’s strategy and lateral relations a new impetus. the keenness to keep strong and The visit of His Highness the robust communication, co-op- Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin eration and co-ordination with Khalifa al-Thani to Vienna in other states. This serves Qatar’s 2010 inaugurated a new chap- economic goals and plans, de- ter in the history of relations velopmental programmes, its between the two countries and aspirations, and its benefi ts in established broad prospects for various fi elds. bilateral co-operation and the His Highness the Amir is ex- development of economic and pected to hold talks with Austri- trade relations between the two an President Alexander Van der countries. Bellen and Chancellor Sebastian Following this visit, Austria Kurz. During the talks, they will decided to open an embassy in touch on the bilateral relations Doha and on the sidelines of the between the two countries and inauguration in December 2011, ways to boost and develop them the Austrian president visited in various fi elds. They will also Doha and stressed on the im- discuss a number of topics of portance of promoting the eco- common interest. nomic and trade relations be- The relations between Austria tween both countries, as well as and Qatar are strong, deep, pro- encouraging joint investments gressing and continuously grow- between the businessmen of ing. It covers many fi elds such as both states. political, economic, sports, cul- He also affi rmed upgrading ture, and tourism. Qatar is also the level of diplomatic rela- Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen an important economic partner tions to lay the foundations of of Austria where the volume of a new strategy for co-opera- trade exchange between the two tion between the two coun- countries amounted to $250mn tries in the economic, trade and in 2015 and Austrian small- and investment. medium-sized companies be- In September 2018, HE the gan to fi nd their way to Qatar, Deputy Prime Minister and whereas Qatari investments Minister of Foreign Aff airs to Austria continue to grow, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul- especially in real estate. rahman al-Thani visited Austria The bilateral relations be- and met with Austrian Minister tween Qatar and Austria began for Europe, Integration and For- in the 1970s, and Qatar was one eign Aff airs Karin Kneissl, where of the fi rst Gulf countries that they discussed the bilateral rela- initiated the opening of an em- tions and ways to boost and de- bassy in Vienna in 1975, and in velop them as well as a number the same year a medical offi ce of topics of common interest. was opened to meet the needs of In November of 2015, another His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani many Qatari nationals who trav- round of political talks was held el to Austria for treatment. between the ministries of for- nar where Austrian ambassador tion to many Austrian compa- ity, international security, and The two countries exchanged eign aff airs of Qatar and Austria to Qatar Willy Kempel was in- nies participating in the projects peace. The two countries also visits by senior offi cials who during which they discussed the vited. The ambassador affi rmed preparing for the World Cup play roles that seek active media- contributed to the promotion bilateral relations between the the existence of future projects Qatar 2022. tion to settle disputes and resolve and revitalisation of bilateral re- two countries in various fi elds and important economic issues He also highlighted the inte- issues in many of the world’s ar- lations, including the visit of the and means of supporting them to be discussed between the two gration of many Austrians into eas of confl ict. Both countries Austrian president in February and developing them. countries. Qatari society, some of which are also meeting points for many 2009 to Doha, accompanied by a With regards to the economy, He pointed out that there work in sports and Aspire Sports international events and confer- high-level economic delegation. there is a joint Qatari-Austrian Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz are many Austrian companies Academy, including those work- ences such as interfaith dialogue. The same goes for the Qatari desire to strengthen ties and to that are active in carrying out a ing in aviation and airport In Vienna, there is a United Na- side, HE Dr Khalid bin Moham- allow for greater trade and wider In 2003, a Qatari-Austrian eco- In December 2016, the Diplo- number of important projects security. tions headquarters which a host- med al-Attiyah, who was then opportunities to attract Aus- nomic forum was held in Vienna, matic Institute of the Ministry which are being held in Qatar, Qatar and Austria play eff ec- ing site for a large number of Minister of State for Interna- trian investment to serve the under the supervision of the So- of Foreign Aff airs organised a including the rail project and tive, distinct and co-ordinated international organisations and tional Co-operation and Acting mutual interests of both parties. ciety for Austro-Arab relations. Qatari-Austrian relations semi- hospital management, in addi- roles in the service of human- bodies. (QNA) Of castles, culture and Handshakes to strengthen ties The Sound of Music

ustria is a country of Austria is a federal republic castles, palaces and build- nearly 9mn people in with a parliamentary repre- ings, among other architectural ACentral Europe. It is bor- sentative democracy compris- works. Vienna had long been an dered by the Czech Republic and ing nine federated states. The important centre of musical in- Germany to the north, Hungary capital and largest city, with a novation. Composers of the 18th and Slovakia to the east, Slov- population exceeding 1.8mn, is and 19th centuries were drawn enia and Italy to the south, and Vienna. to the city by the patronage of Switzerland and Liechtenstein The country has developed the nobility, and made Vienna to the west. a high standard of living and the European one of the capi- The territory of Austria cov- in 2018 was ranked 20th in the tals of classical music. Wolfgang ers 83,879sq km and the terrain world for its Human Develop- Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van is highly mountainous, lying ment Index. Austria has been a Beethoven, and Johann Strauss, within the Alps; only 32% of the member of the United Nations Jr, among others, were associ- country is below 500m, and its since 1955, joined the European ated with the city. Eminent resi- highest point is 3,798m. Union in 1995, and is a founder dents also included The majority of the popula- of the OECD. Austria also signed Sigmund Freud. tion speaks local Bavarian dia- the Schengen Agreement in 1995 The country is also home to lects as their native language, and adopted the euro currency Salzburg, where the evergreen and German in its standard form in 1999. classic The Sound of Music was HE the Deputy Prime Minister and is the country’s offi cial language. Austria is famous for its shot. Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al- Thani met with Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Aff airs Karin Kneissl during his visit to Austria in September last year. HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs stressed, in a joint press conference with the Austrian minister, that Qatar aspired to develop bilateral relations, espe- cially in the fields of development, research, technology and education. The Austrian minister aff irmed the convergence of views on a number of issues that had been put forward. HE Sheikh Mohamed also met with President of the Austrian National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka (left).

A view of Vienna. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 QATAR

Minister holds talks with Jordan counterpart Qatar-British defence ties reviewed

HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Aff airs Yousuf bin Mohamed al-Othman Fakhro met HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant General (Pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem met here yesterday with HE the Minister of Social Development in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Basma Ishaqat and her yesterday with HE the British Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) Sir Nicholas Carter. During the meeting, they accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed joint co-operation between the two sides and ways to reviewed the joint relations between the two friendly countries and means of enhancing and developing them. support and develop it. The meeting was attended by a number of senior armed forces off icers.

Minister meets Cuban envoy Outgoing Sri Lankan DI signs agreement with HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin envoy meets officials Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali Jordanian ministry met yesterday with Cuban ambassador to Qatar Eumelio Caballero QNA chology and Social Work (SPSW) Rodriguez. During the Doha at the Institute, within the cen- meeting, they discussed tres and institutions of the min- aspects of co-operation istry in Jordan. between the two countries oha Institute for Gradu- In addition it also included in culture and sports and ate Studies (DI) signed a holding seminars, workshops, means of enhancing and Dmemorandum of under- conferences and research of developing them. standing (MoU) with the Minis- common interest. try of Social Development at the The MoU also provides sci- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, entific and professional con- covering several items to ensure sultations and training for co-operation between them and employees of the centres and Meeting with Uzbek minister refl ected on the improvement of institutions of the Ministry of projects and work in the agreed Social Development in Jordan, HE the Minister of State for research areas and related scien- in areas in which the institute Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin tifi c activities. specialises and offers them Saad al-Muraikhi met The MoU was signed by Acting within its various colleges and yesterday with the HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr DI Provost, Dr Yasir Suleiman centres. The signing ceremony visiting Uzbekistan Minister Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi met yesterday with the Malley and from the Jordanian was held at the DI headquar- of Foreign Aff airs Abdulaziz outgoing Sri Lanka ambassador to Qatar Don Prince Solomon side by the Minister of Social De- ters, with the participation of Kamilov. During the meeting, Anura Liyanage. Al-Hammadi thanked the ambassador for his velopment Basma Ishaqat. a number of deans and pro- they discussed bilateral efforts in promoting bilateral relations, wishing him success The MoU included several ar- gramme heads, representa- relations and ways of in his future duties. HE the Minister of State for Foreign eas of co-operation, including tives of the Jordanian Ministry supporting and developing Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi also met with the Sri the exchange of experiences and of Social Development and the them, in addition to issues of Lankan ambassador. experts in the fi elds of psychol- Charge d’Affaires of the embas- common concern. Al-Hammadi also met with Germany’s ambassador to ogy and social work, fi eld train- sy of the Hashemite Kingdom Qatar Hans-Udo Muzel. During the meeting, bilateral relations ing and summer training for of Jordan in Doha and a number between and ways to boost them were discussed. students of the School of Psy- of officials.

QIB programme at Qatar University Safari unveils three new promos Safari has introduced three new promotions - the Health & Beauty highlights ways to manage money promotion, Saree, Churidar & Abaya Festival, and Malabar Food Festival. “Safari, the well-known retail chain atar Islamic Bank (QIB), in Qatar, has always stood by in collaboration with customers through showcasing a QInjaz Qatar, delivered wide variety of products at very the ‘How Money Works?’ pro- low prices,” Safari Group said in a facewash, etc of international surka, chattippathiri, kallumekkaya gramme at Qatar University statement. brands such as Dove, Nivea, nirachathu, unnakaya rahath biriya- (QU) over the course of four The saree collection includes L’Oréal, Pond’s and others. ni, Arakkal Poth Biriyani, vallumar- days with the participation of varieties such as Banarasi, Kan- In the sports division, home gym, athe aattin charu, kozhi urumathu, more than 100 students from chipuram, raw silk, printed saree, treadmills and dumbbell sets will kizhiyilakkiya chemmeen kootam, diff erent faculties. cotton, tussar silk, synthetic, Geor- be available at discounted prices, vazhuthananga kizhikkootan, aval The programme was deliv- gette work, etc. In the churidar while the electronics division will milk, Safari’s own kulukki sarbat, ered by QIB volunteers with the division, the options include cotton have products such as massager, bathakka vellam, uppilitta manga, participation of two QIB senior churidar material, cotton silk mate- glucose monitor, blood pressure uppilitta pineapple, thaen muttayi managers as guest speakers. rial, Pakistani material and chiff on monitor, hair straightener, etc and puli muttayi are showcased The fi rst guest speaker was churidar material. Turki jilbab, from international brands such as under one umbrella. QIB’s Personal Banking Group Syrian jalabiya, Butterfly abaya, Beurer, Citizen, Philips and Braun. The Malabar Food Festival has general manager, D Anand, who etc have also been showcased in The Malabar Food Festival is the been organised both at Safari Mall during his introductory note the festival at discounted prices, latest bonanza off ering from Safari, -Abu Hamour and Safari Hyper- emphasised the importance of the statement noted. The festival with the bakery & hot food section market - Salwa Road. There is also knowing how to manage money is designed in such a way that coming up with innovative ideas to the promotion in which customers and the fact that there is a lack customers can enjoy maximum satisfy customers’ needs and tastes. can win 10kg gold, available at all of offi cial courses at all levels of discounts for all items, Safari More than 100 traditional Malabar Safari outlets. The fourth lucky education on the subject. Group has said. Also they will get a dishes are available to stimulate draw will take place at Safari Mall He stressed that “the ear- purchase coupon worth QR75 on the taste buds of customers. Safari - Abu Hamour on March 11. Cus- lier in your life you develop the buying goods for QR150. has recreated the traditional Malap- tomers will get coupons for every right fi nancial habits the more D Anand talking to students in the first session of the programme. The Health & Beauty promo- puram, Kozhikode and Thalasseri purchase worth QR50, enabling successful you will be in your tion will feature a wide variety of dishes under the supervision of them to participate in the draw. life as an individual, as an em- and their eff orts for spreading products that will “help maintain eminent chefs without losing the The first prize winner will be award- ployee and as a parent”. Shar- fi nancial literacy. the health and beauty of our essence of Malabar, the statement ed 1kg gold, second prize winner ing his personal experiences, Amgad concluded by giving valuable customers” by off ering points out. Delicacies such as 500gm gold, third prize winner Anand encouraged students to an overview of the changes that quality products at low prices, the muringaka mutton soup, puyapla 300gm gold and fourth prize win- start earning their own money are taking place in the banking statement adds. In the cosmetics mutton soup, kunji pathal, ithathas ner 200gm gold. A total of 10kg as soon as possible, through sector, such as the digitalisation division, the items on off er include kozhikari, mean vatti pollichathu, gold is being given through five internships and part-time oc- of products and services, which soap, shampoo, liquid handwash, irachippathiri, mutta mala, mutta draws. cupation, and not to rely solely improve the overall customers on their parents to fund all their experience and make banking needs. services accessible to a larger The next step is to start sav- population of people. Chef Nobu showcases culinary magic at QIFF event ing and be very responsible to- After the successful comple- wards getting credit. tion of the fi ve-hour course, World-renowned Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur As one accommodates more students were asked to provide Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa demonstrated his master skills wealth and experience, he or their feedback about the pro- to the participants of the Chef’s Table interactive cooking she should seek advice from gramme. The comments high- Amgad Kamel talking about his experience in the financial industry. and tasting session held on March 3, in partnership with the specialised banking profes- lighted the role of QIB and Injaz Four Seasons Doha as part of this year’s Qatar International sional on more sophisticated in the successful delivery of the “To help young people suc- develop innovative, effi cient Food Festival (QIFF) events. The star chef shared techniques banking products. programme and its unique ap- ceed in today’s economy, they and better products and solu- and tips related to the art of sushi making and, also, signed Anand concluded his speech proach in teaching them mon- need to be prepared to enter tions.” copies of his books for his fans. Select 5-star restaurants by highlighting also the impor- etary value. college and the workforce with The ‘How Money works?’ across Doha are off ering diners a unique opportunity to join tance to be always humble and Since the beginning of the an understanding of how to programme is a fi ve-hour train- internationally-acclaimed chefs for an interactive cooking direct part of his/her saving current academic school year, manage money,” said Mashaal ing with interactive and en- and tasting experience through QIFF Chef’s Table. More towards charitable activities to the programme has been deliv- Abdulaziz al-Derham, assist- gaging sessions, tailored spe- sessions are available with world acclaimed chefs, including support people in need. ered to more than 300 students ant general manager, head of cifi cally to educate secondary US chef Richard Sandoval at Toro Toro Restaurant, Marsa Similarly, the second guest across several schools and uni- Corporate Communications & school, university freshmen’s Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl Doha; Francesco Scala and Shane speaker, Amgad Kamel, QIB’s versities in Qatar. Quality Assurance, QIB.“We students aged between 15 and Macneill at Novikov Doha, at Katara; Chef Eric Lanlard at Astor assistant general manager — The programme is planned believe that a higher level of 19 years on managing their fi - Grill, The St Regis Doha, and Jason Atherton at Pearl Social Transformation Management to reach 1,250 students over fi nancial literacy enriches an nances. Restaurant, Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl Doha. There are Division, shared his personal the next three years as part of individual’s life and drives a The programme explores 12-20 seats available per table and the per person cost ranges experiences with the students. an exclusive collaboration be- healthy economic growth. ways to earn money and man- from QR500 to QR1,000; bookings can be made through the He explained the role of the tween QIB and Injaz Qatar, ac- Young individuals with sound age it prudently by budgeting, restaurant’s/hotels’ reservation platforms. fi nancial industry in the society cording to a press statement. fi nancial knowledge, help us saving and investing. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD Saudi laws stifle dissent, women activists: UN rights experts

Reuters Friday. A panel event entitled any means. These are noto- rights defenders,” he said. into account legal and other said Zaynab al-Khawaja of the fleeing the kingdom, voiced Geneva “Saudi Arabia — Time for Ac- riously slippery terms,” she These concerned not just necessary aspects to deal with Gulf Centre for Human Rights. concern for at least 18 women countability” was held yester- said. “These laws are used to women involved in the right to terror suspects, he said. Issuing her group’s report she said had been charged. day on the sidelines of the UN directly attack and limit the drive movement, “but also all At yesterday’s panel, Saudi on alleged torture in Saudi “It is important to remem- audi Arabia is using its Human Rights Council. rights of prominent human kinds of women”, Forst said, and other campaigners called Arabia, she said: “We high- ber that while so many women counter-terrorism laws The Saudi counter-ter- rights defenders, religious adding: “All arrests involved on the kingdom to release de- light some of the torture for example now can drive, Sto silence activists, in- rorism law and other regula- figures, writers, journalists, incommunicado detention at fenders whom they said were methods that are being used in women who campaigned for cluding women, in violation of tions are “unacceptably wide academics, civil activists and undisclosed locations.” unjustly held, naming rights Saudi Arabia — electrocution, driving are still in prison. international law guarantee- and unacceptably vague”, said all of these groups have been Abdulaziz MO Alwasil, lawyer Walid abu al-Kahir, flogging, sometimes whip- While so women can finally ing freedom of speech, United Fionnuala Ni Aolain, UN spe- targeted by this law,” Ni Aolain Saudi ambassador to the UN poet Ashraf Fayadh and wom- ping, on the thighs for exam- vote, or women can finally Nations human rights experts cial rapporteur on protecting said. Michel Forst, UN special in Geneva, told the Human en including Loujain al-Hath- ple, sexual assault where some go to the cinemas, a lot of the said yesterday. human rights while counter- rapporteur on the situation of Rights Council last Friday: loul and Israa al-Ghomgham. women human rights defend- activists who called for those The kingdom’s public pros- ing terrorism. human rights defenders, said “The kingdom heeds in its “Some are leaders of fa- ers have been stripped, have reforms are still in prison,” she ecutor has begun preparing “It includes people who are he has been in touch with the measures all international and mous campaigns like the been groped, have been pho- told Reuters. the trials of detainees, iden- engaged in promoting or in- Riyadh government for the national standards related to right to drive and abolishing tographed naked, some while “I’m concerned that those tified by watchdog groups as citing sit-ins, protests, meet- past year since its “crack- human rights.” male guardianship. These at- handcuffed, and others while women, if there is no inter- women’s rights activists, after ings or group statements. down”. Its counter-terrorism tacks are designed to mute blindfolded.” national pressure, will end up completing its investigations, Anyone who harms the unity “Worrisome for me is the measures are based not only their voices and dismantle the Omaima al-Najjar, a Saudi spending the rest of their lives state news agency SPA said on or stability of the kingdom by targeting of women human on security measures, but take movements in the country,” blogger living in exile since in prison, if not executed.” SDF evacuates ‘human shields’ in bid to crush IS remnant

AFP/Reuters IS territorial control in the region and deal a death Baghouz blow to the “caliphate” proclaimed in 2014, which once covered huge swathes of Syria and Iraq. At its peak more than four years ago, the proto- urdish-led forces supported by air strikes state created by IS was the size of the United King- from an international coalition evacuated dom and administered millions of people. Kcivilians held as “human shields” yesterday It minted its own currency, levied taxes, and de- after smashing their way into the militants’ last signed its own school curricula. Palestinians run during clashes with Israeli forces near the settlement of Beit El, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, yesterday. scrap of territory in eastern Syria. The “caliphate” eff ectively collapsed in 2017 The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its allies when IS lost most of its major cities in both coun- from the US-led coalition unleashed a deluge of fi re tries. on the village of Baghouz at the weekend to break The loss of Baghouz, which the SDF says is only the defences of Islamic State group fi ghters in the days away, would carry mostly symbolic value. fi nal sliver of their “caliphate”. But the Kurdish-led The latest military operation has nonetheless Security forces shoot dead force said their off ensive had been slowed down sparked a major humanitarian emergency, with yesterday due to remaining civilians inside the thousands of people emerging from the ruins of the pocket, and an SDF spokeswoman said hundreds “caliphate” and washing up in Kurdish-run camps. had been evacuated out of the crumbling bastion in After months under heavy bombardment and the past 48 hours. sometimes with very little to eat, families emerging two Palestinian fi ghters “More than 800 people exited Baghouz from from Baghouz are often in poor physical and psy- yesterday until today — IS family members and chological health. fi ghters who surrendered,” she said. The foreigners among them are not wanted in AFP dawn attack was subsequently Kafr Nama’s mayor said that had arrested 11 alleged opera- Through binoculars from an SDF position out- their countries of origin, and locals are fi lling camps Ramallah released from hospital. troops were leaving the village tives of the Palestinian move- side the militant holdout, an AFP correspondent that the Kurdish administration in the region says it Prime Minister Benjamin on foot after a raid to arrest ment Hamas in the Ramallah saw men kneeling on the ground before boarding needs more international help to run. Netanyahu praised soldiers for a Palestinian suspect there area overnight. trucks, as well as women clad in black and children. The International Committee of the Red Cross sraeli security forces said having swiftly “eliminated” the when the incident occurred. It added that “an initial in- The push on IS’ last pocket of territory had re- yesterday said tens of thousands of Syrians at the they shot and killed two attackers and vowed to fast- Mahmoud Habbash, the quiry suggests that earlier in sumed Friday after days of mass evacuations, but camps needed immediate aid, with several sleeping IPalestinians who carried track the demolitions of their Palestinian supreme judge and the evening, the fighters in SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said yesterday the rough in the cold. out a car-ramming attack yes- homes. adviser to president Mahmud the car-ramming attack also operation was being hampered by the presence of “The nights are biting. More than two dozen terday in the occupied West Israel regularly razes the Abbas, later questioned the hurled firebombs at a cross- more civilians in the besieged enclave. children are reported to have died due to the cold Bank that injured a soldier and homes of Palestinians ac- Israeli version of events. ing”. “Additional firebombs “We’re slowing down the off ensive in Baghouz in recent weeks,” said Philip Spoerri, head of the a policeman. cused of carrying out attacks “It is inconceivable that were later found in the vehicle due to a small number of civilians held as human ICRC’s delegation in Syria. A senior Palestinian offi cial against Israelis. Rights groups three young men carry out an that had been used in the ter- shields,” he said. “People are bundled in clothes, as they have no claimed the initial incident was criticise the practice as collec- operation to run over the oc- ror attack,” the army state- Three air strikes hit the village of Baghouz earlier indoors to go to. Some don’t even have tents yet and likely an accident, with the car tive punishment since family cupation soldiers in a car. One ment said. in the day, causing a huge cloud of smoke to billow remain exposed to rain, wind and bitter tempera- colliding into an Israeli military members suffer from the ac- driver would be enough,” he Hamas, which runs the up into the sky. tures,” he said. vehicle as it rounded a bend. tions of relatives. said in a statement carried by Gaza Strip and has fought Despite being hugely outnumbered, militants Meanwhile, scores of Islamic State fi ghters sur- The army said security forces Israeli rights group official news agency Wafa. three wars with Israel, praised making a desperate last stand in the riverside ham- rendered to US-backed forces yesterday, a war fi red at three fi ghters, “neutral- B’Tselem also says “it is car- The evidence, he added, the car-ramming but stopped let — most of them foreigners according to the SDF monitor said, after a ferocious assault to overrun ising two of them and lightly ried out without trial and suggested it was “a normal short of claiming responsibil- — are putting up stiff resistance. their last shred of territory in eastern Syria. injuring a third”, while police without any requirement to traffic accident between the ity. A statement hailing the They are using snipers, a network of tunnels, and Islamic State faces defeat in Baghouz, the only spokesman Micky Rosenfeld present evidence.” Palestinian car and an oc- attack said the Palestinian suicide bombers to fi ght back. remaining patch of land it still holds in the area said two of the Palestinians The Palestinian health min- cupation vehicle,” calling the people “will continue their On Sunday, eight suicide attackers blew them- straddling Iraq and Syria where it declared a were killed. istry named the two men killed subsequent shooting a “delib- struggle against the occupier selves up before reaching SDF positions and three caliphate in 2014, although it still has control in a Rosenfeld said that the po- as Amir Mahmoud Darraj and erate killing.” until they achieve complete car bombs were detonated at a distance, the Kurd- few remote areas. liceman injured in the pre- Yussef Anqawi, both 20. Israel’s army said its troops freedom and free their land”. ish-led forces said. Early yesterday, the Syrian Democratic Forces SDF offi cers perched on rooftops have been re- (SDF) said they had slowed their assault on Islamic ceiving information on IS positions from elite State because more civilians were trapped in the POLICY units, and passing them on to the coalition to call area, though it vowed to capture it soon. US mission merger in air strikes. A convoy of trucks was visible heading into faces criticism IS has lost several of its positions in such strikes Baghouz in the morning, and the Britain-based Medical helicopter crash in since Friday in Baghouz, a village nestled in a palm- Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 150 mil- The US consulate and embassy lined bend of the Euphrates River. itants left the enclave, along with about 250 other in Jerusalem merged into a single Seven SDF members and 18 militants have been people. diplomatic mission yesterday, in a killed in the fi ghting since the fi nal push started, There was no immediate confi rmation of the move slammed by Palestinians. southwest Iran kills fi ve the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says. surrenders from the SDF or any indication as to The Trump administration’s De- The capture of Baghouz would mark the end of how many militants remained holed up inside. cember 2017 decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem AFP pregnant mother who needed The crew was dispatched outraged the Palestinians and Tehran emergency care...a helicopter to a mountainous village 30 upended decades of US policy, was dispatched which un- kilometres from Shahr-e US and Russia military intentionally kept non-committal fortunately had an accident,” Kord city in Chaharmahal- since control of Jerusalem was so n emergency medical said Pir Hossein Koolivand, Bakhtiari province, emer- chiefs discuss Syria hotly contested. The Jerusalem helicopter crashed in a who heads Iran’s emergency gency services spokesman The chiefs of the US and Russian militaries embassy off icially opened in May. Asouthwestern Iranian services. Mojtaba Khaledi told semi- met in Austria yesterday to discuss the situ- In October the US announced the village yesterday en route to “Three crew members and official news agency ILNA. ation in Syria, where a residual US military merger plan, which Palestinians see treat a pregnant mother, kill- two fi rst aid workers were State news agency IRNA force will remain following the territorial as the final nail in the coff in. The ing all fi ve people on board, martyred”, he added. said the helicopter collided defeat of the Islamic State group. consulate was Washington’s main state TV reported. Koolivand did not elabo- with a transmission tower, General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of diplomatic mission to the Palestin- “Following the request to rate on the cause of the while state TV said it had the Joint Chiefs of Staff , met with General ians and the move was criticised save the life of a 26-year old crash. crashed into the mountains Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian by them as a sign the US was no General Staff , in Vienna, Dunford’s spokes- longer working for a two-state man Colonel Pat Ryder said. “The two solution. While the merger does not military leaders discussed the deconflic- alter the services provided by the tion of coalition and Russian operations in consulate, Palestinians say they will Syria, and exchanged views on the state of resist using it. They see the location Life term for fugitives in terror attack US-Russia military relations and the current of the US embassy in Jerusalem as a international security situation in Europe and politically loaded message, since they other key topics,” Ryder said in a statement. want East Jerusalem as the capital of DPA He added that nine other defendants, who Since Russia’s entry into the Syria conflict in a future Palestinian state. Tunis had been arrested, were sentenced to prison 2015, Moscow and Washington have “decon- Palestinian off icials have said they will terms ranging between three years and life. flicted” their respective operations against now use the US embassy in Jordan According to the TAP news agency, the de- IS, warning each other of planned air opera- so they can avoid dealing with the Tunisian court yesterday sentenced 11 fendants had smuggled weapons or provided tions to avoid contact. “Both leaders recog- one in Jerusalem. The Palestine fugitives to life in prison over their in- fi nancing for the militants. The sentences can nise the importance of maintaining regular Liberation Organisation (PLO) said Avolvement in a 2016 terror attack on se- still be appealed, the spokesman said. communication to avoid miscalculation and the decision shows “the audacity of curity posts near the Libyan border. In March 2016, Islamic State militants car- to promote transparency and deconfliction the US administration in undermin- The 11 defendants were sentenced in absen- ried out a surprise attack in the town of Ben in areas where our militaries are operating in ing the international decisions it has tia, judiciary spokesman Sufi an al-Sulaiti said. Guerdan, targeting security and military head- close proximity,” Ryder said. contributed to writing.” They were still on the run. quarters. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 AFRICA

CAUSE UNKNOWN INVESTIGATION DIPLOMACY CENSORED POWER-LESS 4 Americans, pilot killed in Outcry as singer shows Rwanda has partially lifted Zambia pro-opposition TV South Africa experts panel Kenya helicopter crash assault live on Instagram trade blockade: Uganda news channel suspended to lead Eskom reform

Four Americans and their Kenyan pilot were Police in South Africa were investigating yesterday Rwanda has started to allow trucks carrying goods Zambia’s broadcasting regulator yesterday South Africa has appointed 11 industry experts to killed when their helicopter crashed just after pop-star Babes Wodumo apparently from Uganda to enter at one of the main crossing ordered a one-month suspension of a investigate failures at power company Eskom’s after take-off from a remote island in Lake broadcast live images of her being assaulted by points on their shared border, the Ugandan TV channel that has been critical of the ageing coal-fired stations and other breakdowns Turkana in northwestern Kenya, off icials said a man, who was suspected to be her lover. “The government said yesterday, a sign that renewed government, just days after the governing that have caused the worst electricity shortages yesterday. The aircraft came down in Central national commissioner has ordered police to hostilities have started to ease. Rwanda last week party accused the station of bias and in a decade, the government said yesterday. Island National Park at around 8pm on Sunday, trace the whereabouts of Ms Wodumo so that a abruptly begun blocking cargo trucks from Uganda unprofessionalism. Established seven years Problems at Eskom include a 420bn rand debt pile Kenya’s National Police Service said on its statement can be obtained from her and a case from entering its territory as well as stopping ago by a former cameraman at the state-owned and massive corruption scandals. “The technical Twitter feed, killing all on board. The cause is opened if indeed it’s her being assaulted in the its nationals from crossing over to Uganda. Zambia National Broadcasting Corp, Prime review team includes academic, engineering yet to be determined. The Kenya Civil Aviation video,” the police said in a statement. Police called Uganda summoned Rwanda’s ambassador to TV has openly condemned the government and power systems professionals and is required Authority (KCAA) said two helicopters took off on her partner, musician Mandla “Mampintsha” Kampala on Friday to protest against the border of President Edgar Lungu. The Independent to conduct a rapid but intensive review of the from the island on Sunday night heading for Maphumulo, to hand himself in to off icers to assist closure. Ofwono Opondo, Uganda’s government Broadcasting Authority (IBA) “resolved to operations, maintenance and the technical Lobolo Camp on the mainland. Rescuers found with their inquiries. Wodumo has declined requests spokesman, said yesterday that the flow of cargo suspend (the) licence with immediate eff ect environment at Eskom power stations within the wreckage yesterday morning, according to for interviews but her team tweeted “we would like traff ic had been eased at Mirama Hills, one of the for 30 days,” IBA board secretary Josephine four weeks of commencing their work,” Minister Gilbert Kibe, director general of the KCAA. to thank everyone for the messages (of) support”. three main border crossings between the countries. Mapoma told a news conference in Lusaka. of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan said.

Missing currency Militia groups quit C Africa peace deal AFP planned to remain part of the peace proc- the authorities “to look again” at the list. Bangui ess, but charged the authorities with “bad The armed groups had also demanded that faith, amateurism and incompetence.” prime minister be chosen from their ranks. The peace agreement was forged after But the job was handed to Firmin Ngrebada, ess than a month after it was signed, the negotiations in the Sudanese capital of Touadera’s former cabinet director. “By play- Central African Republic’s peace agree- Khartoum before being signed in Bangui on ing at ‘Let’s take the same people and start Lment was under strain yesterday after February 6. The deal brings together Presi- over’, the president of the republic...has sti- two militia groups abandoned the deal and a dent Faustin-Archange Touadera and the fl ed all hope at birth,” the FPRC said. third said it was quitting a new government leaders of the 14 armed groups who control The deal was prepared in 2017 by the Former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Liberia Charles Sirleaf, the son of Liberia’s former designed to be the keystone of the accord. most of the CAR. African Union and has the support of Ban- president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is escorted outside the City Court of Monrovia yesterday after he The Democratic Front of the Central Afri- It is the eighth attempt to bring peace gui’s partners, notably former colonial appeared in court and was charged with economic sabotage following a probe into missing banknotes. can People (FPDC), one of 14 armed groups to the CAR, one of the world’s poorest power France, along with a 12,000-strong Two other senior figures at the Liberian Central Bank were also charged following a probe into missing that inked the so-called Khartoum Agree- and most unstable countries, since mainly UN stabilisation mission, MINUSCA. banknotes. Two of them were detained just hours after independent US investigators dismissed ment, announced it was walking away in Muslim rebels ousted president Francois But militia groups, often claiming to de- rumours that a haul of newly-printed cash that should have been put in the national reserves had gone protest at a newly formed government. Bozize, a Christian, in 2013. fend an ethnicity or religious group, still missing. The FPDC “is resolved purely and sim- France, the former colonial ruler, inter- hold sway over four-fi fths of the country. ply to withdraw from the peace process,” it vened militarily under a UN mandate as Fighting, typically for control of natu- said in a statement sent to AFP. The group, fears grew of a Rwandan-style genocide. ral resources, has left thousands dead and whose stronghold is in the northwest, pro- The Seleka were forced from power and forced a quarter of the population of 4.5mn tested that the new government formed on in February 2016, Touadera, a former prime from their homes. Sunday was “far from being inclusive”. minister, was elected president. Other provisions in the agreement in- Another large militia, the Patriotic Under peace accord’s provisions, Touad- clude the launch of a “Truth, Justice, Repa- Defeated Nigerian candidate’s Movement for Central Africa (MPC), citing era agreed to form an “inclusive” govern- ration and Reconciliation Commission” the same reason, said it considered the ac- ment. But in the team unveiled on Sunday, within 90 days and the start of joint patrols cord was “void.” the ministers in sensitive key posts all kept by militia members and the security forces. Just hours after the ministerial list was un- their jobs, while six of the 14 armed groups The agreement does not spell out any am- relative and lawyer arrested veiled on Sunday, the Popular Front for the obtained no post at all. One of those left nesty for militia leaders — something that Renaissance of the Central African Republic out, the Movement of Central African Free- had been a stumbling block in past agree- (FPRC), said it was leaving the government. dom Fighters for Justice (MLCJ), a small ments. However, the president may exercise AFP a spokesperson for Abubakar’s (PDP) has accused the ruling All The FPRC did not specify whether it group in the north of the country, warned a “discretionary right to issue pardons”. Abuja campaign. Progressives Congress (APC) of “It is part of an orchestrated vote-rigging and “widespread campaign to intimidate Atiku manipulation” in the elections. igerian anti-corruption Abubakar,” Adekoya charged. Nigeria’s electoral body delayed investigators have arrest- The agency said he was being the vote by a week, just hours be- Ned a relative of the run- investigated but did not confi rm fore polls were to open on Febru- Museum to return royal hair seized 150 years ago ner-up in Nigeria’s presidential his detention or give details about ary 16. elections as well as the candidate’s any charges. The Independent National lawyer, sources said yesterday. In a statement posted on his Electoral Commission blamed the By Aaron Maasho, Reuters its collection, considered to be human re- country’s most revered and beloved lead- Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi, a Twitter page, Abubakar said his delay on logistical challenges, yet Addis Ababa mains, after a request from Ethiopia’s min- ers, a display of jubilant euphoria is to be son-in-law to Atiku Abubakar son-in-law and lawyer were both parties criticised the deci- ister of culture and tourism in April last expected when it is returned to its rightful who was defeated in the Febru- “paying the price for supporting sion, warning of attempts to rig year, the museum said in a statement. home in Ethiopia,” it said. ary 23 polls, “is being investigated me.” the vote. museum in Britain has agreed to re- “The objects are considered signifi cant Emperor Tewodros II claimed a bloodline over an alleged case of money “I urge those now persecuting The rescheduled election saw turn a ruler’s locks of hair cut from to the Museum’s collection for their histor- dating back to the biblical King Solomon laundering,” an offi cial at the them to remember that a gov- Buhari win comfortably, gaining Ahis corpse by a British soldier more ical connection to a major and unique cam- and the Queen of Sheba. Economic and Financial Crimes ernment’s mandate is to pursue 15.2mn votes (56%) to Abubakar’s than 150 years ago, Ethiopia said yesterday. paign fought by the British Army in 1868 His demise came after a British force Commission (EFCC) said, speak- peace and justice for all, and not 11.2mn (41%). Emperor Tewodros II took his own life and were collected in good faith,” it said. stormed his mountaintop fortress to free ing under condition of anonymity. just those who support them,” he Observers said the vote out- after his defeat by British troops at the Bat- “The National Army Museum remains in European diplomats, missionaries and ad- “The sum involved is 150mn added. come was credible although it was tle of Magdala in northern Ethiopia in 1868. discussions with the embassy of Ethiopia venturers he had jailed. euros ($169mn),” he claimed. The arrests come on the heels of marred by violence, including 53 His son, Prince Alemayehu, was subse- in London on arrangements for formally The return of his hair follows a string of Abdullahi, who was also direc- a tense election that saw President deaths, according to the Situation quently taken to Britain, where he died in returning the items.” requests by Ethiopia for the repatriation tor of fi nance for Abubakar’s pres- Muhammadu Buhari re-elected Room, an umbrella group of more 1879 aged 18. The Ethiopian Embassy in Britain “wel- of human remains and hundreds of illumi- idential campaign, was arrested at for a second term. than 70 civil society groups that The locks, cut as a souvenir by an army comes and commends the unanimous de- nated manuscripts, gold crowns and other his home in the capital Abuja on Abubakar refused to concede monitored polling. artist, have been part of The National Army cision by the Trustees of the National Army artefacts it says were stolen in 1868. Saturday, the source said. defeat after the result was an- There were also widespread re- Museum’s collection in London since 1959, Museum to return locks of hair belonging The Horn of Africa country has also been Meanwhile, Abubakar’s lawyer, nounced last Wednesday, de- ports of intimidation of voters and donated by the family of an artist who to Ethiopia’s Emperor Tewodros II,” it said campaigning for the return of Prince Ale- Uyi Osagie, was arrested on Feb- nouncing the vote as a “sham election offi cials. painted the emperor on his deathbed, the a statement. mayehu’s bones. ruary 18 by the EFCC, who raided election” and vowing to challenge Voters will be called out again museum said. “For Ethiopians everywhere, as the locks The young royal was buried in the crypt his home in Lagos and found sums it in court. on Saturday, for governorship and It had agreed to repatriate the items from of hair represent the remains of one of the of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. of cash, said Boladele Adekoya, His Peoples Democratic Party state assembly elections. Unknown attackers threaten to worsen Ebola outbreak in Congo

By Inna Lazareva, Reuters Survivor antibody clears path for vaccine, says scientists seeking a breakthrough a political conspiracy to control prompted Medecins Sans Fron- Yaounde or exclude the local population tieres (MSF) to suspend medical An antibody taken from an Ebola after an outbreak there — which needed,” he told AFP in Paris. rial, the antibody is able to find from the electoral process, he activities. survivor has been found to target started in August — killed more The team behind the study, pub- an eff ective target that is shared said. “It will defi nitively aff ect the id workers at the epicentre all three human strains of the virus than 500 people. lished in the journal Nature Struc- among the variety of diff erent Some people accuse the gov- prognosis of people surviving of the worst Ebola epi- and could eventually lead to an all- Now scientists for the first time tural & Molecular Biology, analysed Ebola viruses,” she told AFP. ernment or the international Ebola,” Yao said. Ademic in the history of the purpose vaccine against the killer believe they have identified an an antibody known to be eff ective Because several animals carry community of “bringing us Ebo- “The fear is that if we can- Democratic Republic of Congo disease, scientists said yesterday. antibody from a survivor of the against two strains of Ebola. variants of the virus that can be la”, Marcoux said. not work in the coming days and say they are facing a spike in at- Ebola, which can be lethal in west Africa epidemic that can be They were able to identify the transmitted to humans, Ebola In some neighbourhoods, lo- weeks, we will have a major surge tacks and threats, slowing their 90% of cases if untreated, killed used to target all three forms of precise part of the virus that the epidemics are hard to predict. cals ignore potentially life-sav- of cases in Butembo. I cannot work and potentially triggering a more than 11,000 people in Ebola in humans. antibody targeted and noticed Chandran said that finding an ing precautions, Marcoux added. exclude re-infection in places surge of new cases. 2014-15 in West Africa in what was Kartik Chandran, professor of that it used “decoy material” to antibody eff ective in fighting all “They refuse treatment, they where the outbreak has been While two Medecins Sans the worst-ever outbreak of the Microbiology and Immunology also get under the skin of the third human forms of the disease could refuse follow ups, they refuse brought under control. This is Frontieres (MSF) facilities treat- haemorrhagic disease. at New York’s Albert Einstein Col- known human Ebola virus. pave the way for universal vaccines vaccinations and they refuse as- really our fear.” ing Ebola patients in North Kivu The epidemic caused interna- lege of Medicine, said he and his “The molecular structure re- and even treatments for Ebola. sistance for the (safe) burials.” Blaming the attacks on inse- province were attacked last week, tional panic. colleagues had identified Ebola’s vealed that the antibody reached “By providing insights into how “The teams and staff are very curity and violent gangs “would aid workers said they are only the A vaccine was developed that ‘Achilles heel’. into a cryptic, recessed pocket a therapeutically valuable broadly scared,” WHO’s Yao said. “When be too easy,” said Marcoux in a latest in a series of incidents. off ers some protection against “Given the unpredictable nature (of the virus),” said Erica Ollmann neutralising antibody works, our team enters (certain areas), statement released last Thursday. One of the facilities has since one strain of the virus. of Ebola outbreaks, vaccines and Saphire, from Scripps Research our findings support eff orts to they are suddenly surrounded “Building community accept- reopened. Tens of thousands of people drugs that can be used to prevent and the La Jolla Institute for Im- improve our readiness in combat- by hostile people who are even ance and securing trust has not “We had at least 10 cars that have received the vaccine in east- and treat infections caused by munology, California. ing Ebola outbreaks once they do armed.” being given the same weight as were broken into in Katwa,” said ern Democratic Republic of Congo multiple ebola viruses are urgently “By reaching under decoy mate- strike,” he said. “We saw bullet marks on the treatment, and we are continuing Michel Yao, incident manager wall,” Yao added, referring to to see the consequences — suspi- for the World Health Organisa- an attack on an Ebola treatment cion abounds and case numbers tion referring to an attack last Thomson Reuters Foundation by providing vaccinations to treat It is unclear who exactly is and target response workers,” he centre in Butembo last Wednes- rise,” he added. month in an area in the eastern telephone from the Congolese Ebola and others. behind the attacks, said Jean- said. “To a certain extent, Ebola day. “The only way around it is to trading hub of Butembo, a city town of Butembo. The current Ebola epidemic, Philippe Marcoux, country di- has been politicised during the The centre was set on fi re while establish dialogue, which takes with strong links to neighbouring He cited the diffi cult condi- fi rst declared in August, is be- rector for the Mercy Corps char- run up to (December’s presiden- an extended gun battle between time, resources, and with the Uganda. tions faced by aid staff work- lieved to have killed at least 561 ity in Congo. tial) elections.” the attackers and security forces right people that (communities) “There are increasing attacks ing on disinfection, safe burials, people, so far, and infected over “It’s a minority of groups but Some communities believe ensued, health offi cials said. can trust — that would be a good on diff erent teams,” Yao told the support of health facilities, those 300 more. sometimes they react violently the Ebola response to be part of The torching of the two centres place to start.” Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 13 AMERICAS

Teen who defi ed his parents to get House panel casts wide net vaccinated heads to US Congress

AFP in Trump obstruction probe Chicago US high school student who Reuters mining whether Trump obstructed jus- had himself vaccinated de- Washington tice by ousting perceived enemies at the Aspite his parents’ objections Justice Department, such as former FBI is set to testify today before the Director James Comey, and abused his US Congress about a surge in out- powerful US congressional panel presidential power by possibly off ering breaks of preventable diseases. yesterday demanded documents pardons or tampering with witnesses. Ethan Lindenberger says he grew Afrom a who’s who of President Comey was leading an investigation up in an “anti-vax household,” but Donald Trump’s turbulent world, tar- into Russian activities in the 2016 US decided to go against his parents’ geting 81 people, government agencies presidential election and possible col- wishes to get vaccinated once he and other groups as part of an investi- lusion with Trump’s campaign when turned 18 and was able to legally gation into possible obstruction of jus- the president fi red him in May 2017. make the decision for himself. tice or abuse of power. The investigation was subsequently The teen’s decision generated Family members, current and former taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mu- international headlines at a time business employees, Republican cam- eller, who is expected to end his investiga- when health experts are warning paign staff ers and former White House tion and report his fi ndings to Attorney of a global surge in measles cases — aides, as well as the FBI, White House General William Barr in coming weeks. preventable by vaccine — brought and WikiLeaks were listed as recipi- The Judiciary Committee also is on by confl ict, complacency and ents of documents requests by the looking at whether Trump has used the the anti-vaccine movement. Democratic-controlled House Judiciary White House for personal enrichment Lindenberger, who lives in Committee. in violation of the Constitution’s emol- Norwalk, Ohio, announced over The House of Representatives panel uments clause. the weekend that he was invited also named the president’s sons, Donald The White House has received the to testify at a hearing today in Trump Jr and Eric Trump, White House committee’s letter and will respond the US Senate over preventable aide and Trump son-in-law Jared at the appropriate time, White House disease outbreaks. Kushner, Trump Organization Chief spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. He is scheduled to address the Financial Offi cer Allen Weisselberg, Justice Department spokeswoman Senate Committee on Health, former US Attorney General Jeff Ses- Kerri Kupec said the department is File photo of Net neutrality advocates rallying in front of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington. Education, Labor and Pensions, sions and former White House counsel evaluating the request. along with several health experts. Don McGahn. Republicans in Congress accuse Democrats in push to reinstate repealed ‘Net neutrality’ rules There have been 159 measles “We have seen the damage done to Democrats of pursuing an impeach- cases so far this year in 10 US our democratic institutions in the two ment agenda against Trump as part of Democrats in the US Congress plan to ers like Comcast Corp, AT&T Inc and the Internet but said they must disclose states, according to the Centers years that the Congress refused to con- a political strategy to reclaim the White unveil legislation tomorrow to reinstate Verizon Communications Inc, but was changes in users’ Internet access. for Disease Control (CDC). duct responsible oversight,” said US House in the 2020 election. “net neutrality” rules that were repealed opposed by Internet companies like A spokeswoman for FCC chairman There were 372 cases in all of Representative Jerrold Nadler, Judiciary Democrats say talk of impeachment by the Trump administration in December Facebook Inc, Amazon.com Inc and Ajit Pai did not immediately comment 2018. Committee chairman. “Congress must is premature. 2017, House of Representatives Speaker Alphabet Inc. yesterday. Parents in 17 states are allowed provide a check on abuses of power.” They say the fi rst step is to initi- Nancy Pelosi said. The Senate, which is controlled by Re- A group of 22 state attorneys general to opt out of vaccinations for The Republican president faces in- ate proper investigations, which were Pelosi told lawmakers in a letter that publicans, voted in May 2018 to reinstate and the District of Columbia asked the their children because of their vestigations from several congressional missing in the fi rst two years of Trump’s House Democrats, who won control of the net neutrality rules, but the House appeals court to reinstate the Obama-era personal beliefs. Medical and re- committees, as well as the 22-month- presidency, when his fellow Republi- the chamber in the November 2018 elec- did not take up the issue before Congress Internet rules and to block the FCC’s eff ort ligious reasons also can be cited long federal special counsel probe into cans controlled the House of Repre- tions, would work with their colleagues adjourned last year. to pre-empt states from imposing their own to forego vaccinations. Russian interference in the 2016 presi- sentatives. in the US Senate to pass the “Save The A US federal appeals court last month rules guaranteeing an open Internet. Disinformation spread on so- dential election and whether the Trump Nadler said Mueller and the US At- Internet Act.” held lengthy oral arguments in a legal Major providers say they have not cial media has helped fuel an anti- campaign worked with Moscow to sway torney’s Offi ce in Manhattan are aware The text of the proposed legislation challenge to the FCC’s decision to repeal made any changes in how Americans ac- vaccine movement in the United the outcome. of the committee’s action. has not been released. the net neutrality rules. cess the Internet since the repeal. States, with many so-called “an- At the White House, Trump was The US Attorney’s Offi ce in the The Federal Communications Commis- In its 2017 decision, the Republican-led In October, California agreed not to ti-vaxxers” believing medically asked if he would co-operate with Na- Southern District of New York led the sion repealed the rules that bar providers FCC voted 3-2 along party lines to reverse enforce its own state net neutrality law baseless claims that the innocula- dler’s probe. investigation into hush money pay- from blocking or slowing Internet content the net neutrality rules. until the appeals court’s decision on the tions can cause autism and other “I co-operate all the time with every- ments that Trump’s former attorney or off ering paid “fast lanes.” The agency gave providers sweep- 2017 repeal, and any potential review by negative health eff ects. body,” he said before adding: “You know Michael Cohen said he helped facilitate The repeal was a win for provid- ing power to recast how users access the Supreme Court. Experts insist vaccines are the beautiful thing? No collusion. It’s to keep stories about Trump’s alleged safe and necessary to protect the all a hoax. You get to learn about that as sexual aff airs under wraps. larger community from highly you grow older. It’s a political hoax.” In congressional testimony last week, Some of those the committee is seek- others who worked on Trump’s 2016 Trump maintains that his campaign infectious diseases like measles. A committee lawyer told reporters Cohen said the offi ce was still investi- ing documents from are among the doz- campaign or in the White House, such did not collude with Russia and has re- “My mom didn’t believe that the immediate aim is to amass a large gating other possible illegal acts involv- ens charged by Mueller. as Hope Hicks, Steve Bannon, Reince peatedly attacked the investigation on vaccines were benefi cial to the trove of evidence to guide the investiga- ing Trump. They include former Trump national Priebus and Sean Spicer; Rhona Graff , Twitter. health and safety of society, and tion and help decide which witnesses to “We will act quickly to gather this in- security adviser Michael Flynn, former a long-time executive assistant at the Democrats say Cohen’s testimony believes that they cause autism, approach. formation, assess the evidence, and fol- campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Trump Organization; and David Pecker, before the House Oversight Committee brain damage and other compli- The panel is prepared to use its sub- low the facts where they lead with full former Trump adviser Roger Stone and chief executive of American Media Inc, last week directly implicated Trump in cations,” Lindenberger said in a poena power if needed, the lawyer said. transparency with the American peo- Cohen. which publishes the supermarket tab- various crimes including campaign fi - YouTube video posted over the Among the committee’s aims is deter- ple,” Nadler said. Also on the committee’s list are loid the National Enquirer. nance violations. weekend.

Trudeau ‘very concerned’ China suspects Canadian of spying Former Colorado governor announces White House bid rime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday voiced strong concern after Chinese state media reported Pthat a former Canadian diplomat detained in the By Chris Lefkow, AFP A former geologist and self-de- Colorado passed tough gun con- people together on the other side “As a skinny kid with Coke country was suspected of spying and stealing state secrets. Washington scribed “nerd,” Hickenlooper went trol legislation following the 2012 and actually get stuff done.” bottle glasses and a funny “We are obviously very concerned with the position into politics after earning a fortune shooting and the state also moved Others who have announced last name, I’ve stood up to that China has taken,” Trudeau told reporters, referring opening up a string of brewpubs in to legalize marijuana while Hick- bids to become the Democratic my fair share of bullies” to the case of Michael Kovrig, who was detained in De- ormer Colorado governor Denver, Colorado’s largest city, and enlooper was in offi ce. nominee are US senators Bernie cember following the arrest in Canada of Huawei execu- John Hickenlooper yesterday other towns. A former chair of the National Sanders, 77, Kamala Harris, 54, the wings, including former tive Meng Wanzhou. Fannounced his bid for the A political moderate, Hicken- Governors Association, Hicken- Elizabeth Warren, 69, Cory Booker, vice president Joe Biden, 76, Trudeau reiterated that Canada considers China to have Democratic presidential nomina- looper took aim at Trump in his looper is well known in Demo- 49, Amy Klobuchar, 58, and Kirst- former Texas congressman Beto arbitrarily detained both the former diplomat and his com- tion, the second governor and 14th campaign launch video. cratic leadership circles, but not to en Gillibrand, 52. Also running O’Rourke, 46, and Ohio Senator patriot Michael Spavor — a businessman suspected by candidate to join the fi eld seek- “As a skinny kid with Coke bot- the larger public outside his home are Washington state governor Sherrod Brown, 66. China of being a key source of intelligence for Kovrig. “The ing to take on Republican Donald tle glasses and a funny last name, state. Jay Inslee, 68, Rep Tulsi Gabbard, Four former US governors have safety and security of Canadians is always fi rst order for Trump in 2020. I’ve stood up to my fair share of Speaking yesterday on ABC’s 37, of Hawaii, former Maryland become president since 1976. this government, and that’s why we’ve been engaging and In a video announcing his can- bullies,” he said. Good Morning America, Hicken- congressman John Delaney, 55, Democrat Jimmy Carter, a standing up for the two Canadians who’ve been arbitrarily didacy, the 67-year-old Hicken- Hickenlooper served as mayor looper said the United States is Obama-era housing secretary Ju- former governor of Georgia, was detained by China from the very beginning,” Trudeau said. looper said he’s seeking the White of Denver from 2003 to 2011 and as suff ering from a “crisis of division.” lian Castro, 44, of Texas, and South elected to the White House in 1976 Kovrig and Spavor were detained in what observers House “because we’re facing a governor of Colorado from 2011 to “I think it’s probably the worst Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Butti- and was followed by former Cali- see as retaliation just days after Canada arrested Meng, crisis that threatens everything we January 2019. period of division that we’ve had gieg, 37. Two non-politicians are fornia governor Ronald Reagan, a the chief fi nancial offi cer of Chinese telecom giant Hua- stand for.” He oversaw Colorado’s econom- in this country since the Civil War,” also in the race — Andrew Yang, 44, Republican, in 1980. wei, at the request of the United States. “I’ve proven again and again ic boom during his tenure as gov- he said. a technology executive, and Mari- Former Arkansas governor Bill Chinese authorities had previously said the two Ca- I can bring people together to ernor, which was also marked by “Ultimately I’m running for anne Williamson, a 66-year-old Clinton, a Democrat, won the 1992 nadian men were under investigation on suspicion of produce the progressive change devastating wildfi res, fl oods and a president because I believe that not self-help author. presidential election and was suc- endangering national security. Spying charges could ex- Washington has failed to deliver,” mass shooting at a movie theatre only can I beat Donald Trump but And several other poten- ceeded by former Texas governor pose them to tough prison sentences. he said. that left 12 people dead. that I am the person that can bring tial candidates are waiting in George W Bush, a Republican. Alabama surveys wreckage as tornadoes kill 23

Reuters their sides and ripped open, their Two of the injured were in treatment to the Great State Beauregard, Alabama contents strewn on the ground, critical condition and at least 20 of Alabama and the wonder- live television images showed. people were missing, Lee County ful people who have been so Pieces of homes hung from Coroner Bill Harris told CNN. devastated by the Tornadoes,” labama residents and res- trees that were not fl attened by Jenifer Vernon, a 40-year-old Trump said. cue workers yesterday dug the storm. grocery store attendant, sur- Temperatures yesterday in Athrough the remnants of More than 50 people were re- veyed the wreckage of her fl at- the state fell to 2 Celsius, leav- homes destroyed by a spate of ported injured and the death tened home, spread in piles on ing those without heat struggling tornadoes that killed at least 23 toll is expected to rise, authori- either side of her Beauregard with the cold. people, including two children, ties said, which could make the street. The death toll was more than the deadliest US twisters in al- storms deadlier than the tornado “That’s half my home,” said double the 10 people killed by most six years. that tore through Moore, Okla- Vernon before pointing to the de- tornadoes in the United States The tornadoes ripped through homa, in 2013, killing 24 people. bris: “That’s the other half.” for all of 2018, according to gov- Lee County on Sunday with “It looks almost as if some- She was in the nearby town of ernment data. winds of at least 240kph, at the one took a giant knife and just Opelika with her husband and Julie Morrison, a 61-year-old midpoint of the six-step En- scraped the ground. There are 14-year-old daughter when the produce manager who has lived hanced Fujita scale, which me- slabs where homes formerly tornadoes hit. in Beauregard for 19 years, said teorologists use to measure tor- stood, debris everywhere, trees Looking over splintered piec- she survived the storm by hiding nado strength. are snapped,” Lee County Sher- es of wood and the remains of in a bathtub with her husband. At least two and as many as fi ve iff Jay Jones told a morning news kitchen appliances, Vernon said All that remained yesterday tornadoes hit an area of eastern conference. “I’ve not seen this she had lost another home to fi re of her home was its concrete Alabama near the Georgia bor- level of destruction ever in my last year, adding, “We’ll bounce foundation, piled under heaps of der in the space of a few hours experience in Lee County.” back from this.” wood and broken furniture, with on Sunday afternoon, with some At least two children died, in- US President Donald Trump the tattered remainders of a trail- of the worst damage in the tiny cluding one as young as 6, Jones said on Twitter yesterday that er wrapped around a tree. community of Beauregard, ac- said. the Federal Emergency Manage- “It’s just devastating to see cording to the National Weather Family members identifi ed one ment Agency would be helping. this,” Morrison said. “I just thank People clear fallen trees and debris on a road following a tornado in Beauregard, Alabama, in this still Service. as a 10-year-old girl and another “FEMA has been told di- God that me and my husband image obtained from social media video. Mobile homes were tossed on as a 6-year-old boy. rectly by me to give the A Plus survived.” Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA New Zealand says IS recruit to remain citizen, could face charges

Reuters number of countries, from Aus- if he returned to New Zealand. the group. “Mr Taylor only holds render stateless anyone who did guard for the group for fi ve years know if I can go back to New Zea- Wellington tralia and Britain to the United Taylor’s joining the group was New Zealand citizenship and the not have dual citizenship. and had been detained in its pris- land, but at the end of the day it’s States, forced to grapple with illegal and could have legal rami- government has an obligation Offi cials had told Taylor he ons a number of times, such as really something I have to live legal and security challenges in fi cations, Ardern said, but added not to make people stateless.” would need to travel to a country after he accidentally leaked loca- with for the rest of my life,” he New Zealand man de- dealing with former members of that her government would pro- Ardern said offi cials had iden- where New Zealand has a diplo- tion details in a tweet in 2015. said. tained in Syria after join- a hardline group that had sworn vide him with a travel document tifi ed that a small number of New matic presence, such as Turkey, He also appeared in an IS pro- In February, Britain said it Aing the Islamic State mili- to destroy the West. to return, if possible. “We have Zealanders had joined IS, but de- to receive an emergency travel motional video that year, calling was revoking the citizenship of tant group will not be stripped of Mark Taylor, who travelled long had plans in place in the clined to give an exact number. document to return, said Ardern, for attacks on ANZAC Day cel- 19-year-old Shamima Begum, citizenship but could face crimi- to Syria in 2014, told Australian event that a New Zealand citizen New Zealand law allows revoca- adding that would be diffi cult as ebrations in Australia and New who had left London with two nal charges if he returns, Prime broadcaster ABC from a prison supporting ISIS in Syria were to tion of citizenship only in limited he is in detention. In an inter- Zealand. Taylor told ABC he had school friends to join up when Minister Jacinda Ardern said. in the Kurdish-run north that he return,” Ardern told reporters, situations, Ardern said, adding view aired yesterday, Taylor told witnessed executions while with she was 15, but now sought to re- New Zealand is the latest of a expected to face time in prison using an alternative name for that the government could not the ABC that he had worked as a the group and was sorry. “I don’t turn with her newborn son.

Nuclear watchdog sees signs of US and South Korea ongoing enrichment Moon urges new begin reduced joint work in N Korea North Korea keeps using its military exercise uranium enrichment plant and has pushed ahead with the construction of a reactor, DPA that the “Key Resolve” International Atomic Energy Seoul and “Foal Eagle” exercises Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya US-North talks on would no longer take place. The Amano said yesterday, citing Pentagon said the decision re- information collected by his S and South Korean fl ected a joint “desire to reduce nuclear experts. Amano’s update troops began a reduced tension and support our diplo- to the IAEA’s governing board Ujoint military exercise matic eff orts to achieve complete came after US President Donald replacing the countries’ major denuclearisation of the Korean Trump and North Korean leader springtime war games to aid the Peninsula in a fi nal, fully verifi ed Kim Jong-un failed to sign an denuclearisation push for a diplomatic resolution manner.” agreement on denuclearisation with North Korea, a US Defence US President Donald Trump as they cut short a long- AFP statement. Trump said at a press facility had been in use as recently Department spokesman in Seoul has criticised the exercises, anticipated second summit in Seoul conference after the summit that as the end of February. said yesterday. describing them as “very ex- Hanoi last week. the North Koreans had wanted “However, without access, the oint “Dong Maeng” exercises pensive” and “provocative” to Although IAEA inspectors are sanctions against Pyongyang Agency cannot confi rm the nature will be held until March 12, North Korea, while Pyongyang not allowed into North Korea, outh Korea President Moon “lifted in their entirety”. and purpose of these activities,” JSeoul’s joint Chiefs of Staff has slammed the manoeuvres as they have been using satellite Jae-in yesterday urged the According to a senior US offi - said International Atomic Energy and the South Korea-US Com- being part of plans to invade it. images and available documents SUS and North Korea to cial, Pyongyang in return off ered Agency chief Yukiya Amano in bined Forces Command (CFC) The latest announcement comes to monitor the Yongbyon nuclear quickly resume denuclearisation only to close down “a portion of Vienna. The IAEA uses meth- said in a statement. after Trump left empty-hand- complex, which is suspected talks after their Hanoi summit the Yongbyon complex”, a sprawl- ods including satellite imagery “’Dong Maeng’ which means ed from his highly-anticipated of producing fissile material last week ended without a deal. ing site covering multiple nuclear to monitor North Korea’s nuclear ‘Alliance’ in English, has been summit with North Korean lead- for North Korea’s nuclear Moon, who has adopted a dovish facilities – and the North is be- programme. About 100km north modifi ed from the previously er Kim Jong-un in Vietnam. weapons programme. “At the approach to Pyongyang and bro- lieved to have other uranium en- of Pyongyang, Yongbyon is home held spring exercises Key Resolve South Korean President light-water reactor, the (IAEA) kered the US-North Korea talks richment plants. to the country’s fi rst nuclear reac- and Foal Eagle and will focus on Moon Jae-in said his country saw indications of ongoing process, urged his offi cials to fi nd North Korea rebuff ed the tor, and is the only known source strategic, operational and tacti- should take on the role of me- construction work,” Amano out what exactly had gone awry claims, saying it had only wanted of plutonium for the North’s cal aspects of general military diator between Washington said, adding that his agency at the high-stakes meeting, and President Moon Jae-in some measures eased, and that its weapons programme. operations on the Korean Penin- and Pyongyang. Moon chaired “continued to observe indications predicted a deal would ultimately proposal to close “all the nuclear Yongbyon is not believed to be sula,” the statement said. a meeting of South Korea’s Na- of the ongoing use of the be reached. work hard for the resumption of production facilities” at Yong- the North’s only uranium enrich- “These exercises are crucial in tional Security Council in Seoul reported centrifuge enrichment “We hope that both coun- working-level talks between the byon was its best and fi nal off er. “I ment facility and closing it down sustaining and strengthening the yesterday. facility.” Enriched uranium is tries will continue their dialogue US and the North as it is not fa- ask that we fi nd out the exact gap would not in and of itself signal alliance,” Seoul’s chairman of the He instructed members to of interest to the IAEA because and that their leaders meet again vourable to have a long absence or between the two sides that led to a an end to the country’s atomic Joint Chiefs of Staff General Park analyse the diff erences that pre- the material can be used in quickly to reach an agreement stalemate in talks.” no-deal at the Hanoi summit and programme. However, Moon said Han-ki and CFC Commander vented an agreement in Hanoi warheads. Light-water reactors that was held off this time,” Moon The second meeting between explore ways to narrow down that that if all Yongbyon facilities were General Robert B Abrams said. and fi nd ways to overcome them. can also be used to produce said during a security meeting in US President Donald Trump and gap,” Moon said. The UN atomic “terminated in entirety, it should Seoul’s Defence Minister Moon said at the meeting he weapons material, by taking Seoul. “While I believe the North- the North’s Kim Jong-un broke watchdog said yesterday there be considered the North’s denu- Jeong Kyeong-doo and acting hopes Trump and Kim will come their used nuclear fuel rods and US talks will produce an agree- up in disarray in the Vietnam- were indications that Yongbyon’s clearisation has entered an irre- US Defence Secretary Patrick together again in the near future, extracting the plutonium that ment in the end, I ask offi cials to ese capital, without even a joint reported centrifuge enrichment versible stage”. Shanahan agreed on Saturday his offi ce said. they contain.

Bangladesh security Preparatory meeting personnel on China accuses duty during hijack attempt detained Canadian suspended man of stealing Five security personnel who were on duty during last month’s attempted hijacking state secrets of a passenger plane heading from Dhaka to Dubai have been suspended, Bangladeshi Reuters about any charges. “Michael’s off icials said. Two security Beijing work for Crisis Group has been off icers from the Civil Aviation entirely transparent and in the Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) open,” spokesman Karim Leb- and three guards from the hina yesterday accused hour said. “Vague and unsub- Ansar paramilitary force were detained Canadian stantiated accusations against suspended for negligence of Ccitizen Michael Kovrig him are unwarranted and un- duty, said CAAB spokesman of stealing state secrets which fair.” Rezaul Karim. An air force were passed on to him from While Canada says China has sergeant who was on duty at the another detained Canadian, made no specifi c link between airport has also been withdrawn Michael Spavor, in what is like- the detentions and Meng’s ar- from his role, Karim said, adding ly to increase tension between rest, experts and former dip- that the measures were taken Ottawa and Beijing. lomats say they have no doubt to expedite the investigation Businessman Spavor, who it is using the cases of the two into the attempted hijacking. worked with North Korea, men to pressure Canada. On February 24, a man used a and former diplomat Kovrig Canadian diplomats have “toy gun” to try to hijack the were picked up in December, visited the two men. However, plane carrying 148 people while shortly after Canada arrested sources familiar with the case it was en route to Dubai from Huawei Technologies Co Ltd have said Kovrig has not been Dhaka. The aircraft made an Chief Financial Offi cer Meng allowed access to lawyers or emergency landing at the airport Wanzhou, who faces extradi- family members, unlike Hua- in Bangladesh’s south-eastern tion to the United States. wei’s Meng. Security personnel march outside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People as a preparatory meeting for the National People’s Congress coastal city of Chattogram, where China has repeatedly de- David Mulroney, a former continues inside, a day before the opening of the annual session of China’s parliament, yesterday. security forces surrounded the manded Meng be released, Canadian ambassador to Chi- Boeing 737 flown by the national and reacted angrily last week na, said the detainees would flag carrier, Biman Bangladesh when Ottawa approved extra- come under increased pressure Airlines, and passengers were dition proceedings against her. to talk about people they had Malaysian CEO’s able to disembark. The suspect, The Communist Party’s Cen- met. identified later as Md Palash tral Political and Legal Aff airs “They’ll be told that if they widow, stepsons Ahmed, 25, died after being Commission said Kovrig had confess to something they may Bushfi res rage after Australia’s injured by a commando at Shah often entered China using an be able to expect a degree of le- charged with his Amanat International Airport. ordinary passport and business niency,” he told the Canadian murder visas, “stealing and spying on Broadcasting Corp. “They’ll hottest summer on record sensitive Chinese information also probably be asked to see The widow and teenage stepsons Bangladeshi and intelligence via a contact in if they can put pressure on Ca- of a Malaysian CEO who died hanged for Saudi China”. “Spavor was Kovrig’s nadian offi cials who visit them AFP Aerial footage of the destruc- Victoria’s emergency man- last year were charged with his main contact and provided him to see if they can secure the re- Melbourne tion showed tall trees engulfed agement commissioner Andrew murder yesterday, in a shocking diplomat’s murder with intelligence,” the com- lease of Ms Meng.” by bright red fl ames and the Crisp said the crisis was not over, twist to a case that has captivated mission added, without giving China has said it is fully smouldering, blackened wreck- even as cooler conditions came the country. A Bangladeshi man was hanged details. guaranteeing both men’s law- omes have gone up in age of buildings. At least nine to the aid of exhausted fi refi ght- Nazrin Hassan was the chief in a jail outside Dhaka over the Kovrig — who works for the ful rights. Kovrig also holds fl ames and skies turned structures, including homes, ers yesterday. “We’re not out of executive of Cradle Fund, a murder of a Saudi diplomat in International Crisis Group Hungarian citizenship. Canada Hblood red as nearly 1,000 have so far been damaged in the the woods yet,” he said. Australia Malaysian firm that is an agency 2012, an off icial said yesterday. (ICG) non-governmental or- arrested Meng on Dec. 1 as she fi refi ghters battle dozens of infernos, offi cials said. suff ered its hottest summer on of the finance ministry and Khalaf Al Ali, 45, who worked in ganisation — severely violated was changing planes in Van- out-of-control blazes in south- A local winemaker spoke of record from December through invests in start-ups. the consular section of the Saudi Chinese laws, and China will couver, at the request of the ern Australia in the wake of the his heartache as he watched his February, while forecasts show He died at his home outside Arabian embassy, was shot in the start the next judicial pro- United States. In late Janu- nation’s warmest summer on vineyard destroyed by a raging the southern autumn — which Kuala Lumpur in June last year. It capital’s diplomatic zone in front ceedings in due course, it said. ary the US Justice Department record. fi re on television. “I saw our wine formally started on Friday — will was initially thought he was killed of his rented apartment. He later “China is a country with rule of charged Meng and Huawei A days-long heatwave sent cellar door, restaurant and the continue to be drier and warmer after his mobile phone exploded died in hospital. law and will fi rmly crack down with conspiring to violate US temperatures soaring towards house next to our Airbnb cottage than average. “The heat we saw and started a fire. Police at that time said 30-year- on criminal acts that severely sanctions on Iran. She is free 40C over the weekend, with explode on TV. this summer was unprecedent- But the fire and rescue old Saiful Islam, who was hanged undermine national security.” on bail and denies the charges bushfi res raging across Victoria That’s how we found out,” An- ed,” weather bureau climatolo- department later found traces of on Sunday, led the gang who Canada’s foreign ministry against her. state forcing thousands of peo- drew Clarke, who fl ed his home gist Lynette Bettio said on Friday. petrol at the scene, and his death tried to rob the diplomat. “He did not immediately respond Separately, Huawei plans to ple to fl ee their homes. A light- on Saturday with his family, told “While the fi nal numbers are was reclassified as murder. was executed in accordance to a request for comment. The announce a lawsuit against the ning strike late last week sparked The Age newspaper. “We’ve lost yet to be analysed, we know it His wife, 43-year-old Samirah with a court order,” prison off icial ICG, which focuses on confl ict US government on Thursday southeast Victoria’s most severe everything. We’ve lost our liveli- will be the warmest on record for Muzaff ar, and her two sons from Shahjahan Ahmed told AFP. The resolution and has denied any on grounds related to a defence at Bunyip State Park, which has hood. I planted that winery my- Australia as a whole, and indi- a previous marriage, aged 13 and Supreme Court in August upheld involvement in espionage, said bill, a source with knowledge of burnt more than 6,000 hectares self and put the fi rst vines in back vidual locations will have broken 16, were arrested in the early Islam’s death sentence. it had heard nothing offi cial the matter said. (14,800 acres) so far. in 1979.” summer heat records as well.” hours yesterday. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 15

BRITAIN No link between knife crime and police cuts, says May

Guardian News and Media called for more help to deal with police said they could not “magic out of control. Figures released by They said his death had aff ected student and loved by everyone.” school at this tragic loss.” He re- London the violence, May said it was not offi cers out of thin air” to tackle Channel 4’s Dispatches yesterday the whole community. His school also paid tribute quested privacy for the teenager’s a question of resources. the problem. revealed there had been a 93% rise “Yousef had only phoned home to a “dearly loved young man family and friends. There was “no direct correla- In a thinly veiled plea for more in hospital admissions for knife hours earlier to say that he would and incredibly bright pupil” In London, McNulty said: heresa May has dismissed tion between certain crimes and resources, the deputy assistant attacks on under-16s since 2012. be home for his tea, but the next who was studying four A-levels “Tackling violent crime remains claims that an increase in police numbers”, the former home commissioner, Graham McNulty, Yesterday Yousef’s family de- knock at the door were offi cers and wanted to pursue a career in the Met’s top priority and we Tpolice numbers will help secretary said. “What matters pointed out that police shifts have scribed him as “a loving and car- with the tragic news, it is every medicine. have been working day and night solve knife crime, insisting that is how we ensure that police are had to be extended after a series of ing son and brother” who meant parent’s worst nightmare.” “It is impossible to make sense to make progress. In advance of there is “no direct correlation” responding to these criminal acts knife attacks, including the mur- the world to them. Appealing for anyone with in- of such a senseless act, which has the weekend just past, we had ar- between the two. when they take place, that people der in Romford of Jodie Chesney, “He was a sporty young man, a formation about the attack to taken away a proud family’s son, ranged for more offi cers from our Speaking after a spate of knife are brought to justice.” 17, on Friday. dedicated student and so bright. contact the police, they said: a dear friend and a young man of violent crime taskforce to be on violence, the prime minister yes- May’s remarks will frustrate That attack was followed by the He had everything to look forward “Only recently had we talked such promise,” Dr Martin Boul- duty and we have extended their terday said she would tackle the critics who say cuts to police and murder of Yousef Makki, also 17, in to,” they said. “We are absolutely about his promising life ahead of ton, the high master of Manches- shifts to raise visibility across root causes of the crisis. However, youth services are a key factor in Greater Manchester, and a rash of devastated and cannot believe him and how he was looking for- ter grammar school, said. “There London,” he said in a statement as police offi cers and politicians knife crime. The Metropolitan warnings that knife violence was that our son has gone.” ward to life. He was a promising has been an outpouring of grief at outside New Scotland Yard. Ted Baker chief resigns over ‘forced hugging’ claims

Guardian News and Media it is today. Thank you to every London single colleague, customer, sup- plier, and investor for your com- mitment to the business. We he Ted Baker chief execu- couldn’t have done it without tive, Ray Kelvin, has re- you and I’m so grateful.” Tsigned following allega- He said the past few months tions of inappropriate behaviour had been deeply distressing and towards staff . he would take time to consider Kelvin took a voluntary leave his “next adventure”. of absence from his role in De- Ted Baker said the rest of the cember after allegations of mis- investigation would focus on its conduct were made against him. policies, procedures and han- Since then those claims have dling of complaints. HSF was ex- been investigated by an internal pected to fi nish its investigation independent committee, which later this month or in early April. commissioned the law fi rm Her- Kelvin, who owns nearly 35% bert Smith Freehills (HSF) to look of the fashion chain, will not Prime Minister Theresa May meets local residents during a visit in Salisbury, southern England, yesterday. May visited the city of Salisbury one year since the nerve agent attack into the allegations and the com- receive any salary or benefi ts on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal. pany’s policies, procedures and from Ted Baker following his handling of human resource- resignation on Monday, and his related complaints. 2016, 2017 and 2018 bonus share Kelvin, who has denied all al- awards will lapse. legations of misconduct, agreed Bernstein said: “Ray Kelvin to resign with immediate eff ect founded the business 32 years ago from his positions as the chief and has, together with the fan- executive and a director of Ted tastic team around him, been the Baker, the fi rm said. driving force behind it becoming Premier ‘bribing’ Labour The acting chief executive, the global brand it is today. As Lindsay Page, has agreed to con- founder and chief executive, we tinue in the role, and the board are grateful for his tireless ener- has asked David Bernstein to act as gy and vision. However, in light executive chairman. The latter will of the allegations made against stay in this role until at least No- him, Ray has decided that it is in MPs to back Brexit deal vember 30, 2020, by which time a the best interests of the company new chairman will be appointed. for him to resign so that the busi- DPA tary constituencies returned a cussed the funding plan with vote on the deal next week after town of Redcar in Teesside, said Kelvin, who founded the fash- ness can move forward under London majority for Brexit in the 2016 May, said it meant “new money, promising to seek changes to a that report was “shocking,” ac- ion chain in Glasgow in 1988, new leadership. referendum. which will need a lot more from controversial “backstop” ar- cusing May of US-style “pork has been criticised by former “As a board of directors, we Labour said the initiative existing sources of funds and the rangement to guarantee an open barrel politics.” and current staff for a regime of are committed to ensuring that he opposition Labour “smacks of desperation from a replacement for EU structural Irish border after Brexit. “My view hasn’t changed,” “forced hugs” and alleged har- all employees feel respected party yesterday accused government reduced to bribing funds.” “The reason our towns are Turley tweeted yesterday. assment at its head offi ce. and valued. We are determined TConservative Prime Min- MPs to vote for their damaging May said economic prosper- struggling is because of a “Theresa May is trying to bribe He said in a statement: “Dif- to learn lessons from what has ister Theresa May of attempt- fl agship Brexit legislation.” ity in Britain had been “unfairly decade of cuts, including to the people of Redcar. She can fi cult though this decision is, happened and from what our ing to “bribe” lawmakers into Richard Corbett, a Labour spread” for too long. council funding and a failure forget it.” given that Ted Baker has been employees have told us and to supporting her Brexit deal, after member of the European Parlia- “Communities across the to invest in businesses and Scottish National Party law- my life and soul for over 30 years, ensure that, while the many pos- she promised extra funds for ment, said the planned funding country voted for Brexit as an our communities,” said John maker Stewart McDonald ac- I’ve decided that the right thing itive and unique aspects of Ted’s economically deprived areas of was “far less than what these expression of their desire to see McDonnell, Labour’s shadow cused May of “planning to break to do is to step away from Ted culture are maintained, appro- England. towns will lose due to Brexit.” change — that must be a change chancellor. all spending norms,” while Lib- and allow the business to focus priate changes are made.” May announced a seven-year, A separate Labour Against for the better, with more oppor- “No Brexit bribery; stable in- eral Democrat Brexit spokesman on being the outstanding brand Sharon Baylay is to act as the £1.6bn “stronger towns fund” Brexit group claimed that areas tunity and greater control,” she vestment where it’s most need- Tom Brake tweeted that “anyone it is so it can face 2019 with fresh designated non-executive di- for parts of northern and central likely to benefi t from the initia- said. ed,” McDonnell said. who votes for the PM’s deal on energy and renewed spirit.” rector for engagement with the England, less than four weeks tive could lose some £11bn in EU May has sought support The Times reported last the back of this Tory promise is As a shareholder, he said, he workforce. The former BBC before Britain is scheduled to funding during the seven years. among lawmakers from the big- month that May would attempt a gullible fool.” would support Page and be avail- Worldwide and Microsoft ex- leave the EU on March 29. The group urged Labour law- gest opposition party since she to persuade more than 20 of La- EU and British offi cials said able to off er him and the team ecutive who joined the Ted Baker Most of the initial £1bn will makers not to be “kidded by the suff ered a crushing defeat in a bour’s 245 lawmakers to support May’s attorney general, Geof- advice. “I’m extremely proud of board last summer, was appoint- go to communities in the Eng- latest con.” vote on her Brexit deal in mid- her Brexit deal. frey Cox, and Brexit Secretary what we’ve achieved in build- ed to lead the investigation in lish north and Midlands, where But pro-Brexit Labour law- January. Anna Turley, a Labour law- Stephen Barclay will hold more ing Ted Baker to the global brand December. many Labour-held parliamen- maker John Mann, who has dis- She plans to call a second maker for the north-eastern talks in Brussels today.

Memorial unveiled Student who carried Prodigy frontman heart in backpack dies

Guardian News and Media world with a TAH as treatment Keith Flint dies at 49 for heart cancer, which is incred- London ibly rare. Guardian News and Media concerns for the welfare of a man music into the mainstream in the She was initially rushed to hos- London at an address in Brook Hill, North country. woman who carried her pital in October 2017 after col- End, just after 8.10am yesterday,” Firestarter’s black and white artifi cial heart in a back- lapsing and vomiting blood due he said. video, featuring a headbanging, Apack after her own was re- to sepsis. eith Flint, vocalist with the “We attended and, sadly, gurning Flint, was banned by the moved has died due to transplant Henderson had said: “Sepsis Prodigy, was found dead at a 49-year-old man was pro- BBC after it was screened on Top complications. saved my life in a strange way, be- Khis home in Essex. He was nounced dead at the scene. His of the Pops, with parents com- Rebecca Henderson, 24, from cause it meant they found the tu- 49. next of kin have been informed. plaining that it frightened chil- Bicester, Oxfordshire, had her mour.” Before this, she had com- The Prodigy released a state- The death is not being treated as dren. The track sold over 600,000 entire heart removed and re- plained to her doctor of a racing ment confi rming the news, say- suspicious and a fi le will be pre- copies in the UK. placed with a total artifi cial heart heart, but it had been brushed off ing: “It is with deepest shock pared for the coroner.” Speaking to the Guardian in (TAH) last year, after being diag- as a symptom of anxiety. and sadness that we can confi rm With his punk aesthetic of 2015, Flint lamented the state of nosed with grade 3 heart cancer She had carried her 7kg heart, the death of our brother and best piercings, spiked hair and intense modern pop music. “We were in 2017. which was connected through friend Keith Flint. A true pioneer, stare, Flint became one of the dangerous and exciting! But now She was put on the heart trans- tubes in her torso, in a rucksack. innovator and legend. He will be UK’s most iconic musical fi gures no one’s there who wants to be plant list in January after scans It had a battery life of only two- forever missed. We thank you for in the 1990s. He joined the Prod- dangerous. And that’s why people showed she had been cancer- and-a-half hours, and she often respecting the privacy of all con- igy as a dancer, later becoming a are getting force-fed commercial, free for a year. She died in Hare- had to plug it in to charge when cerned at this time.” frontman alongside rapper Max- generic records that are just safe, fi eld hospital in west London, she was out. Liam Howlett, who formed im. Aside from their 1992 debut, safe, safe.” surrounded by her family and But Henderson had been de- the group in 1990, confi rmed his all of the group’s seven albums Richard Russell, the head of friends. termined not to allow her condi- death was a suicide. “The news is have reached No 1 in the UK, the the XL Recordings label that fi rst She was one of only two people tion to rule her life. The Medieval true, I can’t believe I’m saying this most recent being No Tourists, signed the group, said: “Devas- in the UK with a TAH. Studies student returned to Ox- but our brother Keith took his own released in November 2018. tated keith fl int is gone. not just Her family said: “Becca was a ford in October 2018 with her new life over the weekend,” he wrote Flint performed the vocals on a great performer. he had total beautiful, brilliant, shining light heart and plans to apply for PhDs. on Instagram. “I’m shell shocked, the Prodigy’s best known singles, integrity & an incredible sense of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, delivers a speech to dedicate in our lives. It was a privilege She had previously told the angry, confused and heart broken Firestarter and Breathe, which humour. one of the sweetest peo- the Sousse and Bardo Memorial in Cannon Hill Park, to have her as a daughter and a Guardian: “I hoped to visit 30 ..... r.i.p brother Liam”. both went to No 1 in 1996. The ple I’ve ever worked with. what a Birmingham, central England, yesterday. The memorial friend. We will love her forever.” countries before 30, but now it’s An Essex police spokesman former became their biggest US beautiful energy. what a gentle- pays tribute to the victims of the two terrorist attacks which The Oxford University post- before I’m 50. I’m also hopeful confi rmed that a 49-year-old hit, and the group are often cred- man. privileged to have known took place in Tunisia in 2015. graduate student is believed to that I’ll get back to not only living, man had died. “We were called to ited with helping to break dance him. miss u keith.” have been the only person in the but thriving.” Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 EUROPE

CRACKDOWN REFORM #FRIDAYSFORFUTURE NEW ATTRACTION BUSTED Germany to strip IS fighters EU lawmakers vote to nix School strikes for climate Champs-Elysees to get Chemistry teacher jailed of their citizenship daylight saving changes action planned on March 15 artistic crystal fountains over drug lab in his attic

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and their A proposal to abolish seasonal time change School strikes called to muster more action to Two French artists are set to install six 13m Russia yesterday jailed a former school Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners have across the European Union advanced yesterday tackle climate change are planned in almost rotating fountains made of crystal and bronze chemistry teacher who ran a drugs lab in his agreed a plan to strip some Germans who fight for as a panel of EU lawmakers voted to enact the 500 cities and towns in 57 countries, organisers on the Champs-Elysees, adding a new attraction attic producing large quantities of synthetic the Islamic State militant group of their citizenship, change in 2021. Under a measure approved by said yesterday. The March 15 protests are to the famed French avenue. The fountains by narcotics. The 52-year-old, who has a chemistry an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said yesterday. the European Parliament’s transport committee, inspired by Swedish teen environmental brothers Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec will, to degree and had worked as a secondary school More than 1,000 Germans have left their country for EU member states would scrap the practice of campaigner Greta Thunberg. Thunberg has be inaugurated on March 21, will grace a busy teacher, was sentenced to 11 years in a harsh- war zones in the Middle East since 2013. An Interior adjusting clocks twice a year and decide for staged a weekly protest outside parliament in roundabout known as the Rond-Point des regime penal colony in Siberia for producing Ministry spokeswoman told a news conference that themselves whether they want to convert to Stockholm since August 2018 that has spread Champs-Elysees which lies about halfway up and selling large amounts of synthetic drugs, three criteria must be met to allow the government daylight savings time or standard time year- and inspired pupil demonstrations calling for the boulevard. Paid for with private funds, the TASS state news agency reported. The Russian, to denaturalise Germans who take up arms for the round, lawmakers said. Member states remain at climate action around the world under the translucent fountains will replace older water named by media as Eduard Prokopyev, had also Islamist group. Such individuals must have a second odds over the broader issue, and their approval #FridaysForFuture slogan. “We are striking to features and operate from April to October. trained as a laboratory technician. He set up his citizenship and be adults. They would be stripped of is needed for enactment. Member states must tell our governments to do their homework,” a The project, which includes a renovation of the own production facility in the attic of a country their citizenship should they fight for Islamic State inform the European Commission of their choice petition posted on Facebook read ahead of the underground hydraulic system and will cost a cottage and bought equipment and chemicals after the new rules come into eff ect. ahead of the switch by April 2020. global day of action. total of 6.3mn euros ($7.1mn). online, Irkutsk regional court said in a statement. Vatican to open WWII archives of Pope Pius XII

By Fanny Carrier, AFP Teutonic Cemetery to Vatican City be searched for girl who went missing in 1983 ope Francis yesterday an- The Vatican said yesterday it is nounced that the Vatican considering a request to search Pwill open the secret ar- for the remains of Emanuela Or- chives of the era of Pius XII in landi, a teenager who went miss- March next year, which could ing 36 years ago, in a cemetery shed light on the Catholic next to St Peter’s Basilica. Church’s actions during World The family of the missing War II. girl has information suggesting Researchers have long sought that she may be buried in the to examine the archives over why Vatican’s Teutonic Cemetery, a Pius XII (1939-1958) did not in- report in Corriere della Sera said. tervene more against the Holo- The paper said a lawyer for caust perpetrated by the Nazis, the Orlandi family, Laura Sgro, an attitude denounced by crit- had written to the Vatican’s ics including Jewish groups as a second-highest off icial, Cardinal form of passive complicity. Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, “I decided that the opening asking for the investigation of a of the Vatican Archives for the specific grave. pontifi cate of Pius XII would “I can confirm that the letter take place on March 2, 2020,” the ... has been received and that its Pontiff said. The date is the 81st requests will now be studied,” anniversary of the election of Vatican spokesman Alessandro A float depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump breaking the INF Treaty participates in the ‘Rosenmontag’ (Rose Monday) parade in Eugenio Pacelli to the papacy. Gisotti told reporters. Dusseldorf yesterday. “The Church is not afraid of The Orlandi case is one of history,” added Francis, recall- the biggest mysteries in recent ing that Pius XII found himself Vatican history, and it has given as head of the Roman Catholic rise to a series of wild conspiracy Church “at one of the saddest theories. Orlandi was the 15-year- and darkest times of the 20th old daughter of a papal usher century”. whose family had Vatican citizen- Francis said he made the deci- ship. She went missing in 1983 sion understanding that serious after attending a flute lesson near historical research will evaluate Rome’s central Piazza Navona. Putin suspends INF “in a fair light, with appropri- Last year there was hope for a ate criticism the moments of breakthrough when bones were exaltation of this Pope and, no found in a Vatican embassy in doubt also moments of serious Rome, until forensic tests ruled diffi culties, tormenting deci- out any connection to Orlandi. sions, and Christian and hu- mane care.” For many historians, Pius XII of Italian Jews by ordering con- arms treaty with US could have condemned more vents to open their doors to take forcefully the massacre of Jews them in. AFP termediate-Range Nuclear Forces agree- missiles in Europe following the collapse insisting that Russia’s 9M729 ground- by the Nazis, but he didn’t do it The perception of passivity Moscow ment concluded between the US and the of the treaty, saying Moscow would con- launched cruise missile systems violate out of diplomatic caution and was in part fostered by a play, The former Soviet Union in 1987. sider it a “serious threat”. the treaty. in order not to put Catholics in Vicar, by German playwright US President Donald Trump said in US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo European leaders have voiced fears over danger in occupied Europe. Rolf Hochhuth in 1963, which resident Vladimir Putin yesterday February that Washington would start a dismissed the threats as “bluster” de- the consequences of the treaty’s demise Francis also said that the was later adapted by Greek di- offi cially suspended Russia’s par- process to withdraw from the deal within signed to divide Washington and its allies. and called on Russia to address concerns wartime Pope’s decisions may rector Costa-Gavras in the 2002 Pticipation in a key Cold War-era six months. Brokered by US president Ronald Reagan before the US formally leaves in August. appear to some as “reticence” fi lm Amen, which conveyed the arms treaty, after the US fi rst moved to Putin responded soon after that Russia and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the Last week, UN Secretary General An- and were instead attempts “to image of Pius XII as a weak Pope. ditch the INF deal. was planning to suspend its involvement. INF treaty ended a superpower buildup of tonio Guterres warned that “key compo- maintain, in times of the deepest While other Popes such as Putin “signed a decree regarding the He said Russia would seek to develop warheads that had frightened Europe. nents of the international arms control darkness and cruelty, the small John Paul II have been canon- suspension of Russia’s participation in medium-range missiles in response to It banned ground-launched missiles architecture are collapsing”. fl ame of humanitarian initiatives ised as saints, the fi rst step in the the agreement between the USSR and the what he said were similar projects in the with a range of 500km to 5,500km. Moscow has also expressed concern of a hidden but active diploma- process, beatifi cation, for Pius US,” the Kremlin said in a statement. US, raising the spectre of a new arms race. The deal addressed Soviet nuclear- that Washington’s decision to withdraw cy”. XII was relaunched in 2009 by The move was taken following “a vio- In his state of the nation address last tipped ballistic missiles targeting West- from the INF could jeopardise the exten- The Vatican was offi cially neu- Pope Benedict XVI, but it has lation of the United States of its obliga- month, Putin threatened to deploy new ern capitals, but put no restrictions on sion of the New START treaty. tral during the war. completely stalled due to the tions under the treaty,” it said. missiles against Western capitals. other major military actors such as China. That agreement, which caps the Other historians point out that controversies surrounding his Moscow and Washington have ac- The longtime Russian leader warned Nato has said that US allies “fully number of nuclear warheads held by Pius XII saved tens of thousands wartime papacy. cused one another of breaching the In- Washington against deploying any new support” its withdrawal from the pact, Washington and Moscow, expires in 2021. Poland defi es green activists, EU with Baltic canal project

By Karol Witenberg, Reuters Critics say it is a costly van- Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. which will be cut off after the Gdansk ity project that could become However an EU offi cial said land is split and remain on what another environment-related last week Poland should refrain will become a Polish-Russian is- fl ashpoint between Warsaw and from building the canal before land, says that the town and its oland is pressing ahead Brussels after increased logging getting the green light from the residents are worried that the with plans to dig a water- in Poland’s Bialowieza Forest led European Commission. canal will scare off tourists as it is Pway across a narrow strip to a ruling by the EU’s top court As with the Bialowieza Forest, unclear what will happen to the of land that separates its main that it was illegal. parts of the Vistula Spit are pro- beaches. eastern coastline from the Baltic Defending the project, which tected under the EU Natura 2000 “The fi rst thing is the destruc- Sea despite concerns among ac- is estimated to cost 900mn zlo- programme. tion of nature which is already tivists and in the European Union tys ($237mn), Poland’s minister Environmentalists say it is dif- happening. Our hearts bleed that it could damage the envi- for maritime aff airs, Marek Gro- fi cult to predict the impact of the when we see the forest being ronment. barczyk, said: “The fi rst and ba- canal construction on various chopped,” Kwiatkowska said in a The Vistula Spit is a heavily sic reason for the construction... species living in the area, includ- video recording made available wooded sandbank 55km long but is a threat from the east.” ing cormorants and Baltic seals. by a group of activists, “Vistula less than 2km wide which en- “This is the border of the EU, “There is no species that will Spit Camp”, referring to some closes a coastal lagoon. Nato, and above all of Poland, benefi t from the project,” said preliminary logging conducted Poland shares both the lagoon and it cannot really be controlled Michal Goc, a biologist from ahead of the large-scale work. and the spit with the neighbouring now because ships can only enter Gdansk University. PiS says the canal will turn Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. the Vistula Lagoon with Russia’s Beaches on the Vistula Spit, Elblag, a small port with a high Currently, the only access to approval,” he said, adding that which has a relatively modest unemployment rate, into one of the lagoon from the Baltic Sea is work would start in the second tourist infrastructure, are most- Poland’s biggest harbours, along a channel at the Russian end of half of 2019. ly wild and empty compared to with Gdansk and Szczecin, as the spit. Russia has deployed advanced most of Poland’s Baltic coast. more vessels will moor there. Poland’s ruling Law and Jus- nuclear-capable Iskander mis- But the handful of households “Elblag citizens support the tice Party (PiS), deeply dis- siles in Kaliningrad, while War- on the Spit live mostly from tour- project. What kind of port is it trustful of Russia, says a canal saw is lobbying hard to have more ism. if it does not have access to the People protest against the digging of a canal on Vistula Spit near Skowronki last month. The banner reads, is needed for both security and Nato troops on its soil, especially Jolanta Kwiatkowska from the sea?,” said Witold Wroblewski, ‘Krynica Morska’ (No to the tunnel). economic reasons. since Moscow’s annexation of mayor’s offi ce in Krynica Morska, mayor of Elblag. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 17 EUROPE

POLITICS WEATHER WOES TOWED BACK POLITICS SACKED Murdered Polish mayor’s Un-seasonal forest fires Damaged Norway frigate Police hit with poo bombs Poroshenko fires ally over deputy wins by landslide sweep northern Spain back at base after collision at ‘yellow vest’ protests army corruption scandal

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, the former deputy of Dozens of wildfires raged across northern A Norwegian naval vessel that collided with an oil French police are facing a new form of weapon Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko murdered Gdansk mayor Pawel Adamowicz, won Spain yesterday, fuelled by strong, dry winds tanker in November has been successfully towed during “yellow vest” protests — bags of fecal matter said yesterday he had fired a close ally and a landslide victory in elections to replace him and warm temperatures, local officials said, back to a naval base, the Norwegian military said thrown bomb-like by demonstrators. On Saturday defence off icial over a corruption scandal. in the northern Polish city, preliminary results unusual in a region that is normally rainy, yesterday. The KNM Helge Ingstad late Sunday “bags filled with faeces were thrown at police and Oleg Gladkovsky, deputy head of the national showed yesterday. The murder of Adamowicz, especially in winter. Some 300 firefighters docked at a quay at its home base, Haakonsvern exploded. Three policemen were soaked through security council, profited from the sale of a liberal critic of the anti-immigrant policies of and soldiers backed by nine water-dropping near Bergen in western Norway. The navy said with it,” Rudy Manna from the Alliance police trade smuggled Russian military parts to state defence Poland’s government, during a charity event aircraft battled 99 forest fire burning across the 134m long frigate was to be emptied of its union in the southern port city of Marseille told AFP. companies at inflated prices, according to a in January provoked a wave of emotion in the the Asturias region, local emergency services remaining fuel, ammunition and other equipment. One policeman also suff ered an elbow injury when report last week by an independent media country and a debate on hate speech. As of 0600 said, while another 18 blazes raged in The navy has also ordered steel plates to be fixed hit by “a poop-filled projectile”, Marseille police outlet. The report accused Poroshenko of GMT, Dulkiewicz had won 82% of the vote on a neighbouring Cantabria. The fires were being to the vessel’s hull in the coming weeks, allowing headquarters said. Police said there had been calls turning a blind eye to protect former business turnout of 48.6% according to Gdansk’s website. fed by strong southerly winds, with gusts of up the frigate to float on its own, said Thomas on social media ahead of Saturday’s demonstrations partner Gladkovsky. “This morning...I signed a “This is a very good turnout in unusual and to 100kph and unusually warm temperatures Wedervang of the Norwegian Defence Material for demonstrators to arm themselves with ‘Caca- decree dismissing Oleg Gladkovsky from the special elections which nobody expected,” Polish for this time of the year, local officials said. No Agency. Eight members of the frigate’s 137-strong tovs’ — after Molotov cocktails but filled with “caca”, post,” Poroshenko said during a campaign visit news agency PAP quoted Dulkiewicz as saying. injuries were reported. crew were slightly injured in the collision. the French term for poo. to the south of the country.

EU executive hits back at Liberal victory sets Estonia Orban ahead of elections

Reuters on path to fi rst woman PM Brussels

By Polina Kalantar, AFP while ruling out EKRE as “not a choice Tallinn for us”. he European Union ex- She said Reform has “strong diff er- ecutive yesterday accused ences” with the Centre party of outgo- THungary’s nationalist stonia was on track yesterday for ing Prime Minister Juri Ratas in three government of distorting the its fi rst woman prime minister af- areas: taxation, citizenship and educa- truth about immigration into the Eter the opposition liberal Reform tion. bloc, marking a further deterio- party won a general election, outpacing Asked if his party would consider be- ration in their troubled relation- the governing centre-left and a surging coming a junior coalition partner, Ratas ship ahead of European Parlia- far-right party drawing on a surge of said “of course”. ment elections in May. support from hurting rural voters. With a combined 60 seats in the 101- The EU has long been critical Reform leader Kaja Kallas, a 41-year- seat parliament, the two could govern of Prime Minister Viktor Or- old lawyer and former MEP, wooed together as they have done in the past. ban’s stance on migrants and his voters in the Baltic state of 1.3mn with Centre and Reform have alternated in record on democratic freedoms. business-friendly promises of cutting government over the nearly three dec- Orban says the EU has imper- taxes and unemployment insurance ades since Estonia broke free from the iled Europe’s Christian civilisa- premiums to aid job creation. crumbling Soviet Union. tion by allowing mass immigra- Bread-and-butter issues like taxa- Both strongly support Estonia’s EU tion. tion and public spending dominated and Nato membership, which they see Orban has recently stepped up Sunday’s election in the ex-Soviet EU as a buff er against Soviet-era master his anti-immigration campaign and Nato state, along with tensions over Russia. with billboards and inserts in Russian-language education for the They have favoured austerity to keep state media that vilify European sizeable Russian minority and the rural- spending in check, giving the country Commission head Jean-Claude urban divide. the eurozone’s lowest debt-to-GDP ra- Juncker and Hungarian-born US Reform garnered 28.8% of the vote, tio. billionaire George Soros, accus- ahead of the governing centre-left Cen- Joblessness hovers at just under 5% ing them of being in cahoots to tre party with 23%, while the far-right while economic growth is expected bring large numbers of Muslim EKRE more than doubled its previous to slow to 2.7% this year from 3.9% in immigrants into Europe. election score with 17.8%, according to 2018. “The Commission has been full results on Estonia’s offi cial election Rather than join up with Centre, Ka- unambiguous about our opinion website. llas could woo two other parties which of the Hungarian government Turnout was just over 63%. currently govern in a coalition with campaign that distorts the truth An ardent europhile, Kallas is the Ratas — the Social Democrats and the and seeks to paint a dark picture daughter of former Estonian prime conservative Isamaa — for a 56-seat Kaja Kallas, leader of the liberal Reform Party, addresses media persons after winning Estonia’s general election in Tallin in of a secret plot to drive more mi- minister Siim Kallas, who also led the majority. a pre-dawn briefing yesterday. gration to Europe, allegedly,” Eu- Reform party before serving as a Euro- While it won just seven seats in the ropean Commission spokesman pean transport commissioner. 2015 election, EKRE is now a close Staunchly eurosceptic EKRE leader a tripwire against possible Russian ad- EKRE want to scrap Russian-language Margaritis Schinas told a news Should she succeed in forging a viable third behind the mainstream parties Mart Helme insisted yesterday that the venturism. teaching. briefi ng. coalition, Kallas will govern in tandem after capturing support on promises of party would call for an “Estxit” refer- The Centre party has long been fa- Under the constitution, Premier Ra- The Hungarian campaign has with President Kersti Kaljulaid, Esto- slashing income and excise taxes and endum “if the EU starts moving in the voured by Estonia’s Russian minority, tas must resign at the fi rst sitting of triggered renewed calls to expel nia’s fi rst woman head of state who took pushing anti-immigration rhetoric. direction of federalising”. which comprises around a quarter of the new parliament, which takes places Orban’s ruling Fidesz party from offi ce in 2016. The party has no obvious coalition The move would fail in the over- the population. within 10 days of the election. the biggest group in the Europe- Vowing to run the “country with prospects. whelmingly pro-EU country. The minority had counted on Cen- President Kaljulaid then has 14 days an Parliament, the centre-right common sense”, Kallas said Reform Experts say its appeal is largely rooted Its suspicion of Moscow translates tre to save the existing education to name a candidate for prime minister. European People’s Party (EPP). would “seek common ground” for pos- in the misgivings of rural Estonians who into strong support for Nato member- system which incorporates Estonian Expected to get the nod, Kallas will The EPP will discuss the issue on sible coalitions with three of the four feel left behind after years of austerity ship and the multinational battalion the and Russian-language schools rooted have two weeks to forge a coalition able March 20. other parties that entered parliament, under Centre and Reform. alliance installed in Estonia in 2017 as in Soviet times, while Reform and to secure a majority in parliament. The EPP’s candidate to head the next European Commission, senior German lawmaker Man- fred Weber, has said he no longer rules out expelling Fidesz. “Viktor Orban has severely More marine heatwaves threaten fi sh and corals — study damaged the EPP with his state- ments and poster campaign,” Weber told the German weekly By Alister Doyle, Reuters cording to the scientists in Britain, killed abalone stocks and a 2012 causes but the report said “there Spiegel in a weekend interview. Oslo Australia, Canada, New Zealand, heat wave off the eastern United is growing confi dence that the ob- “That’s why I expect him to Japan, Spain and the United States. States drove lobster stocks north served intensifi cation is due to hu- apologise and end the action.” “Extreme temperature events towards Canada. man activities”, led by the burning But Orban, speaking to the he frequency of ocean heat- may be one of the most important Many tropical corals have suf- of fossil fuels. German Welt am Sonntag week- waves has surged more than stresses on the oceans in coming fered from harmful “bleachings” in “Multiple regions in the Pacifi c, ly, dismissed seeking the expul- T50% since the early 20th decades,” lead author Dan Smale of recent years. Atlantic and Indian Oceans are par- sion of Fidesz as “useful idiots” century in a threat to fi sh, corals the Marine Biological Association The scientists said marine heat- ticularly vulnerable to marine heat- who played into the hands of the and other marine life stoked by glo- of the United Kingdom told Reu- waves were “emerging as forceful wave intensifi cation,” they wrote. EPP’s left-wing rivals. bal warming, an international study ters. agents of disturbance” that could Joaquim Garrabou, of the Insti- “We can chalk it up to the showed yesterday. “Whether it’s seaweeds or corals, “restructure entire marine ecosys- tute of Marine Sciences in Barce- start of the European Parliament Abrupt local spikes in tempera- fi sh, seabirds or mammals, you can tems”, disrupting livelihoods and lona, Spain, who was not involved campaign,” Zoltan Novak of the tures, far less researched than heat- detect the adverse eff ects of marine food supplies for millions of people. in the study, said the Mediterranean Centre for Fair Political Analysis, waves on land, add to pressures on heatwaves,” he said. Most previous studies about was also at risk because creatures a Hungarian think-tank, said of marine life such as over-fi shing and Marine heatwaves, defi ned as at climate change in the oceans have cannot shift north in an almost Orban’s tactics. “He wants to be plastic pollution, they wrote in the least fi ve days with temperatures focused on a gradual rise in aver- landlocked sea. the antithesis to the mainstream journal Nature Climate Change. far above average, are caused by age temperatures, which hit a new In recent years “massive im- elite.” Around the world’s oceans, the heat from blazing sunshine and by record annual high in 2018, forcing pacts” in the Mediterranean, es- “He wants to embody another number of days of marine heat- shifting warm currents. fi sh to swim towards the poles or pecially on corals, sponges and Europe, one that rejects immi- A diver swims past a Gorgonian (Eunicella labiata) in the waves per year rose 54% in the pe- Among impacts, a 2011 marine into the cooler depths. molluscs in a devastating 2003 gration...federalisation and fur- Mediterranean Sea, near La Ciotat, southeastern France. riod 1987-2016 from 1925-54, ac- heatwave off western Australia Heat waves often have natural heatwave, he told Reuters. ther EU integration.” Italy’s Democratic Party leans left under new leader Nicola Zingaretti

By Charles Onians, AFP tweeted his thanks after most of the European parliament and is created a model based on hatred former PD leader and prime min- Rome the primary votes were counted a supporter of European federal- and is betraying the productive ister Renzi, the two were never in saying it was “now time to turn ism who has criticised austerity north”, his political opponent’s open confl ict. the page”. measures. political heartland. “Those who speak ill of others upporters of Italy’s frac- Around 7,000 polling stations, His Jewish mother and grand- Salvini’s Lega and the M5S do so because they have nothing tured centre-left opposi- including 150 abroad, had been mother escaped the Nazis in have seen Italy’s growth rate to say about themselves,” Zinga- Stion Democratic Party (PD) staff ed by 35,000 volunteers 1943, while his great-grand- drop and defi cit rise as they retti said. on Sunday night elected Nicola throughout the day, with over mother died at Auschwitz. have sought to deploy expen- Zingaretti’s policies will be- Zingaretti as new leader, an ex- 1.5mn turning out. His father was a bank manager sive, populist measures against come clearer after the PD holds communist son of a bank manag- The other candidates were who “never missed a day of work the wishes of Brussels and the its party conference on March 17. er who will now take on the ruling Roberto Giachetti, 57, consid- in 40 years,” he said in an inter- markets. All three candidates had al- populist coalition led by the far- ered the closest to former PD view last year. Zingaretti is considered an in- ready excluded a future alliance right Lega. leader and prime minister Mat- His older brother Luca is fa- tellectual leader, who holds so- with the M5S, which won 220 The PD was left reeling and teo Renzi’s centrist politics, and mous in Italy for playing the title cial media partly responsible for seats in the lower house elections languishing in the polls after the Maurizio Martina, 40, a former role in popular detective series turning people away from help- last year compared to the PD’s anti-establishment Five Star agriculture minister. Inspector Montalbano. ing the collective. 112. Movement (M5S) and the anti- Zingaretti, 53, is currently the Lega leader and Interior Min- “In the Colosseum 2,000 years The far-right Lega party won immigrant Lega won elections president of the Lazio region, ister Matteo Salvini sarcastically ago the people were allowed to 123 seats but has overtaken the and formed a government in June which includes Rome, and is a wished Zingaretti success in his express judgement only with a M5S in opinion polls since then Zingaretti ... party favourite of last year. former Italian Communist party new job, while noting that turn- thumbs up or down,” he said in an thanks largely to Salvini’s tough Zingaretti, who has been member as well as a founding out in PD primaries had been interview last year. “Now on Fa- anti-immigrant line. Milan on Saturday for an anti- of “closure and exclusion” that compared to Britain’s Labour member of the PD in 2007. dropping. cebook it’s the same thing: judge The left is nevertheless fi nd- racism demonstration. The Mi- has become intolerable, elder PD chief Jeremy Corbyn and Sena- Born into a middle-class Ro- Zingaretti told journalists af- but don’t think.” ing its feet again, bringing tens lan demonstration was a reply to statesman Romano Prodi told La tor Bernie Sanders in the US, man family, he was a member of ter his victory that “Salvini has While often disagreeing with of thousands onto the streets of those who have imposed a policy Repubblica newspaper. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 INDIA

COMMENT INVESTIGATION POLITICS ANNOUNCEMENT ANGER Modi a ‘habitual ED questions Kochhar DMK inks electoral pact Centre to review Kerala BJP flays alliance liar’, says Rahul for fourth straight day with three more parties OROP: Sitharaman between CPI-M, Congress

Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘habitual The enforcement directorate yesterday questioned The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday The Kerala unit of the BJP yesterday slammed liar’, Congress president Rahul Gandhi yesterday former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar for the yesterday concluded electoral pacts with three said all arrears of ‘one rank one pension (OROP)’ the CPI-M strategy of lending support to the said the ordnance factory Modi inaugurated in fourth consecutive day in the ongoing probe into more Tamil Nadu parties – the Communist have been cleared, and that the Centre would Congress in states where it is in direct contest Amethi on Sunday had been producing small the alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in Party of India (CPI), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal shortly review the scheme to remove anomalies, with the saff ron party in order to “ensure a arms for a while. “Prime minister, I laid the sanctioning a Rs18.75bn loan by the bank to the Katchi and the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi – for if any. “The OROP is completing three years this secular government at the Centre”. Terming it foundation of Amethi’s ordnance factory in 2010. Videocon Group. Chanda Kochhar’s questioning the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. As per the year. We will review it and remove shortcomings, as an alliance of convenience, state BJP chief P S For the past several years, it has been producing began at ED’s off ice after she deposed before the agreement inked between the DMK and three if any,” an off icial statement quoted Sitharaman Sreedharan Pillai said: “The opportunistic alliance small arms. On Sunday, you went to Amethi investigators around noon. The ED questioned parties, the CPI and the VCK get two seats as saying. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi ignores the separate ideologies of the two sides and being forced by habit, you lied again,” the Chanda Kochhar for the first time on March 1 at her each while the IJI gets one. Speaking to the not only approved the OROP but also released and indicates the lows to which these parties have Congress president tweeted in Hindi. He also south Mumbai residence along with her husband media, VCK leader Thirumavalavan said the the necessary budget of Rs350bn for the scheme. fallen.” The CPI-M said in the state capital yesterday questioned if Modi “ever felt ashamed”. On Deepak Kochhar. The agency also quizzed Nishant two constituencies will be decided later and Onward, a budget of Rs80bn will also be released reiterated that its electoral tactics in the upcoming Sunday, Modi inaugurated the ordnance factory Kanodia, chairman of Matix Group, regarding expressed confidence that the DMK-led alliance every year, she said. Earlier, she said the Centre was Lok Sabha elections will be based on defeating the which will produce AK-203 assault rifles and investments made by his Mauritius-based firm in a will win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats – 39 in Tamil taking all steps for the welfare of armed forces and BJP alliance and ensuring an alternative secular subsequently export them to other countries. company run by Deepak Kochhar. Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat. that the government stood firmly with them. government is formed at the Centre. Andhra CM ‘should be ashamed of sharing data’

IANS to Andhra Pradesh police inter- Hyderabad fering in the investigations by raiding Reddy’s house and abus- ing him. he Telangana Rashtra Rao said Naidu and Lokesh Samithi (TRS) work- should not be scared if they had Ting president, K T Rama done no wrong. Rao, yesterday asked Andhra “Naidu and his government Pradesh Chief Minister N Chan- should be ashamed of sharing the drababu Naidu and his son and data of Andhra Pradesh citizens IT Minister Nara Lokesh to face with a private company so that a probe into an alleged data theft TDP can get political benefi t. The case, instead of making baseless people of Andhra Pradesh should claims against the Telangana decide whether the chief minister government. has the moral right to continue in Rao claimed they were caught offi ce,” KTR said. red-handed while providing On TDP allegations, he said Andhra Pradesh citizens’ data Naidu afraid of losing elections to a private company engaged by was using cheap tricks to garner the ruling Telugu Desam Party public sympathy. (TDP). “In his last-ditch eff ort, he Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates one of the various development projects in Jamnagar, Gujarat, yesterday. “Let Naidu and Lokesh ac- is trying to evoke emotions and cept that there has been a data passions among people but he theft. Let them agree to scrutiny. will not succeed,” the TRS leader If there has been a data theft, let said. them face the music,” he told re- Meanwhile, the Telangana porters. High Court in Hyderabad yester- KTR, as the TRS leader is day dismissed a habeas corpus popularly known, hit back after petition, fi led by the CEO of Hy- Lokesh alleged that Telangana derabad-based IT Grids (India) Poll panel ‘favouring’ Chief Minister K Chandrashek- Pvt Ltd, over the alleged data har Rao and Prime Minister theft case after four employees Narendra Modi were trying to of the company informed the help YSR Congress party leader court they had not been arrested Y S Jaganmohan Reddy by steal- by the police. ing information of TDP party A division bench of justice R members. S Chauhan and justice Shamim Modi, claims Congress Lokesh made the allegations Akhtar dismissed the plea after after the Hyderabad police raided Regonda Bhaskar, Phani Kadu- IANS Congress Rajya Sabha member. The 2014 Lok Sabha polls Accompanied by Chief Min- In the evening, he is expected the offi ce of IT Grids, a company luri, Gurudu Chandra Sekhar New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra were announced on March 5. ister Vijay Rupani and Deputy to address a public meeting in which provides IT services to and Vikram Goud Rebbala told Modi is on a two-day visit to The Congress and the other Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Varanasi, his Lok Sabha con- TDP, and booked case against it. the court they were not in po- his home state Gujarat dur- opposition parties had earlier Modi travelled from Vastral to stituency. KTR, who is the son of Chan- lice custody and had only been enior Congress leader ing which he unveiled a host slammed the poll panel for the Nirant Road metro station in Modi’s ministers too have drashekhar Rao, defended the served notices to co-operate in Ahmed Patel yesterday of projects, including the fi rst delayed announcement of the the eastern industrial suburb been on a spree, inaugurating action against the company say- the investigations. Spointed fi ngers at the phase of the Ahmedabad metro 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections. of Ahmedabad after fl agging off new projects for their depart- ing the police registered a case The court had on Sunday di- Election Commission (EC) over service. The premier would not On Sunday in Amethi, the the train. ments. The list includes Trans- on a complaint by whistleblower rected Cyberabad police to pro- the delay in the announcement be able announce welfare meas- Gandhi family bastion in Ut- The prime minister also in- port Minister Nitin Gadkari, who Lokeshwar Reddy, an Andhra duce Bhaskar, Kaduluri, Chan- of dates for the Lok Sabha polls ures once the model code of tar Pradesh, the prime minister teracted with school children on announced 60 projects, Railway Pradesh resident living in Hy- dra Sekhar and Rebbala before and accused the EC of giving a conduct comes into eff ect. had announced programmes to the train. Minister Piyush Goyal and Tel- derabad. it after IT Grids CEO D Ashok long rope to the Narendra Mo- “Using government func- the tune of Rs5.38bn, including On March 8, he will visit ecom Minister Manoj Sinha. He said since the company fi led the plea alleging four of his di-led government. tions as an excuse for politi- an India-Russia joint venture to Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Banaras Sources in the Election Com- was also located in Hyderabad, colleagues had been illegally de- “Is the Election Commis- cal rallies, fl ooding TV/radio build Kalashnikovs. to lay foundation stones for a mission said its offi cials are the police took up the investiga- tained. sion waiting for the Prime and print with political ads... In Gujarat yesterday, Modi Rapid Rail Transit System and busy fl itting from state to state tions into violation of Sections As Monday was a public holi- Minister’s ‘offi cial’ travel pro- It seems that EC is giving the inaugurated various develop- the Kanpur metro. The foun- to review how prepared they 66 and 72 of the Information day, the employees were pro- grammes to conclude before government a long rope to cam- ment projects, including the dation stone for Nagpur Metro were for elections. The offi cials Technology Act. duced before justice Chauhan at announcing dates for the gen- paign till the last moment using fi rst phase of the six-km-long will be laid through video con- were in Jammu and Kashmir The TRS leader took exception his residence. eral elections,” tweeted the public money,” Patel tweeted. Ahmedabad Metro service. ference. yesterday.

Film promo Karnataka MLA quits Plea to Kerala banks as farmer suicides rise

Congress, to join BJP IANS tistics, the fl oods damaged Thiruvananthapuram around 11,000 hectares of ag- ricultural land in Idukki leav- IANS happy with the Congress, will was power hungry and has been ing almost 35,000 farmers in Bengaluru join the BJP at Kalaburagi prior dissenting against the party’s erala Agriculture Min- distress. to the party rally to be addressed leadership. He is an opportun- ister V S Sunil Kumar Asked about the situation, by Modi or in his presence on the ist and we are disappointed with Kyesterday asked banks the state agriculture minis- he Congress, an ally in dais,” said party spokesman G him,” state unit president Dinesh in the state to adopt a more ter said: “The situation today Karnataka’s ruling coali- Madhusudhan. Gundu Rao told the media. humane approach, especially is such that panic spreads the Ttion, received a jolt yes- The Speaker is, however, yet to In the 225-member House, towards farmers. moment someone receives a re- terday when its legislator Umesh accept Jadhav’s resignation, as a including one nominated, the In the aftermath of last covery notice from a bank. But Jadhav resigned from his assem- February 11 letter from the Con- Congress has 80 members, its year’s fl oods, the worst ever to farmers need not panic at all. bly seat and was set to soon join gress Legislature Party leader ruling ally Janata Dal-Secular hit Kerala in a century, banks The state cabinet is hav- the opposition BJP. Siddaramaiah to disqualify him (JD-S) 37, opposition Bharatiya in the state have been using ing a special meeting today Jadhav, a two-time MLA from from the party under the anti- Janata Party 104, one independ- the Securitisation and Recon- to discuss the matter. The Chincholi in the state’s north- defection law is pending with ent, and one each from the Ba- struction of Financial Assets chief minister has also called ern Kalaburagi district, submit- Kumar after the legislator de- hujan Samaj Party and regional and Enforcement of Securi- a meeting of the State Bank- ted his resignation to Assembly fi ed the party’s whip and skipped outfi t Karnataka Pragnyavantha ties Interest Act, 2002, (also ers Committee tomorrow. It Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar the fi rst fi ve days of the 10-day Janatha Party. known as the SARFAESI Act) is high time banks in Kerala without an explanation. budget session in February. A keen contest is likely if to recover loans from farmers. adopt a more humane ap- “Jadhav submitted his resig- “If the Speaker accepts Jad- the BJP decides to fi eld Jadhav As part of this recovery proach,” said Kumar. nation letter to Kumar earlier in hav’s resignation, the Chincholi against outgoing Congress lead- process, notices are being sent In the Cabinet meeting due the day at the latter’s house at assembly bye-election will be er in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun to auction residential or com- on Tuesday, the state govern- Srinivasapura in Kolar district held along with the Lok Sabha Kharge for the Kalaburagi seat mercial properties of those ment is expected to ask the near Bengaluru,” a Congress elections to 28 seats across the as the latter is a dominant Dalit who default. State Banker’s Committee for a leader said. state,” said the offi cial. leader. Close to 15,000 farmers in moratorium on recovery of all Hours later, a BJP leader said The Congress strength in the Regretting Jadhav’s resigna- Idukki district alone have re- agricultural loans taken in the Jadhav would join the party to- Assembly will reduce to 78, ex- tion, state working president ceived recovery notices from fl ood-aff ected districts. morrow at Kalaburagi, where cluding the Speaker, who got Eshwar Khandre, who hails from both commercial and co-op- State Co-operative Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi elected on a Congress ticket Bidar in the northern region, erative banks, with reports of Kadakampally Surendran told would address a massive party from Srinivasapra in Kolar, about said the former had spoilt his this leading to about half-a- the media: “On Monday we rally ahead of the general elec- 100km from here. political future by leaving the Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon poses during a promotional dozen suicides over the past directed all co-operative banks tions, due in April-May. “The Congress has done eve- Congress and waiting to join the event of the Hindi film Luka Chuppi in Mumbai yesterday. two months. in the state not to send any “Jadhav, who has been un- rything it could for Jadhav. He BJP. According to offi cial sta- more recovery notices.” Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 19

LATIN AMERICA White House weighing TPS for Venezuelans

Tribune News Service have a strong hard line on immi- Washington gration in general.” The issue is expected to come up on Thursday when Abrams he White House is con- testifi es on Venezuela before sidering special protected senator Marco Rubio’s foreign Timmigration status to aff airs subcommittee on the Venezuelans, a move that would western hemisphere. prevent undocumented im- The issue has been a top pri- migrants from the beleaguered ority for Rubio, who teamed up South American country from this week with senators Bob being deported. Menendez, D-NJ, Dick Durbin. According to fi ve people fa- D-Ill, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt, and miliar with the discussions, the Cory Booker, D-NJ, to intro- White House has been having duce the Venezuela Temporary high-level discussions about Protected Status Act of 2019, the possibility of granting Tem- a bill that would immediately porary Protected Status, or TPS, grant TPS to eligible Venezue- to Venezuelans in the US, which lans fl eeing the dire conditions would give qualifi ed recipients in their home country. the chance to legally remain in Notably, the Trump adminis- the country and get work per- tration has been fi ghting to end mits. TPS, arguing that the temporary Elliott Abrams, the Trump status is anything but tempo- administration’s special envoy rary. to Venezuela, has been one of Congress created TPS in 1990, the offi cials championing the allowing more than 300,000 cause at the White House. The immigrants from about a dozen idea also has received the sup- countries to remain in the US. port Vice President Mike Pence, The administration sought to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognised as the country’s rightful interim ruler, talks to the media after his arrival at the Simon Bolivar who earlier this week met in Co- let TPS expire for most coun- International airport in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday. lombia with Juan Guaido, the tries, including El Salvador, internationally-recognised in- Haiti, Nicaragua, Sudan, Liberia terim president of Venezuela. and Nepal and soon found the cases tied up in the courts. “If they move through In October, US district judge with it, it shows that the Edward Chen granted a prelimi- administration cares nary injunction, stopping the about the people of administration and department Guaido returns home, calls Venezuela, that there of homeland security from ter- is a real humanitarian minating TPS for immigrants concern for the crisis” from Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salva- dor and Sudan. Venezuelan-American activ- In compliance with that rul- ists, immigrant advocates and ing, Homeland Security an- for march against Maduro South Florida lawmakers have nounced it was extending TPS been lobbying the Trump ad- for immigrants from Haiti and AFP der wraps and he arrived without state institutions and the appar- Venezuelan media outlets re- to topple Maduro, but foreign ministration to protect undocu- three other countries until Jan- Caracas prior notice, meeting ambas- ent loyalty of senior fi gures in the ported that he fl ew from Panama military intervention is seen as mented Venezuelan immigrants. uary 2020. sadors for European countries armed forces. City to Caracas. unlikely and his international But hardline immigration activ- In light of that case, the pos- at the airport, according to wit- “Upon my arrival, whatever Maduro, who has called backers are instead using a mix of ists also have taken notice of the sibility of granting TPS to an- enezuela’s opposition nesses. path the dictator takes, we are Guaido a coup-mongering US sanctions and diplomacy. discussions and have started to other group of immigrants has leader Juan Guaido called “Back in our beloved coun- going to continue,” Guaido said puppet and denies there is a hu- “Any threats or acts against fi ght back – arguing TPS is not raised concerns among some Vfor a new demonstration try! Venezuela, we just passed earlier yesterday in a recorded manitarian crisis in Venezuela, his safe return will be met with the proper way to address the conservative immigration on Saturday to ramp up pressure through immigration and we will voice message posted on his has said his arrest depends on the a strong and signifi cant response crisis. groups who said the situation on President Nicolas Maduro as now head to where our people Twitter account. justice system. from the US and the interna- Supporters say this is what is better addressed through the he spoke to supporters after de- are,” he said on Twitter just after Guaido secretly left Ven- “He can’t just come and go. He tional community,” US National the TPS programme is designed asylum system. fying the threat of arrest to re- arriving. ezuela for Colombia, in viola- will have to face justice, and jus- Security adviser John Bolton said for – to help nationals who Dan Stein, president of the turn home yesterday. His return could become the tion of a Supreme Court order, tice prohibited him from leaving on Twitter on Sunday. can’t safely return to their home Federation for American Im- Guaido arrived at Caracas’ next fl ashpoint in his duel with to co-ordinate eff orts there on the country,” he told ABC News The government has jailed country. migration Reform, said he was airport yesterday after fl outing Maduro as he seeks to keep up February 23 to send humanitar- last week. dozens of opposition leaders and Fernando Cutz, a former sympathetic to the conditions in a court-imposed travel ban by momentum and spur his interna- ian aid into Venezuela to alleviate Protesters in Caracas, many activists for seeking to overthrow senior director at the National Venezuela, but said TPS – which touring Latin American coun- tional backers to further isolate widespread shortages of food and wearing white and carrying Maduro through violent street Security Council in the Trump he described as an “ongoing am- tries to boost support for his the socialist government. medicine. Venezuelan fl ags, said Guaido’s demonstrations in 2014 and administration, said from a nesty programme” - is not the campaign to oust Maduro. His possible arrest could al- But troops blocked convoys of arrest would spark new demon- 2017, including Guaido’s mentor, messaging standpoint it would right way to handle the issue. A crowd of cheering support- low the opposition to highlight aid trucks sent from Colombia strations. “If the regime has even Leopoldo Lopez, who remains assist the administration as it “Until such time that TPS can ers swarmed Guaido and his wife how the Maduro administra- and Brazil, leading to clashes that a little bit of conscience, they under house arrest. lobbies world leaders to show be proven to actually be tempo- as they stepped into Maiquetia tion represses political foes, and killed at least six people along the should not arrest Guaido because Turning away from previous the US has “some of our skin in rary, we no longer support use of international airport’s arrivals prompt the US to impose even Brazilian border, rights groups people truly would not put up hopes of a swift end to Maduro’s the game.” the programme,” Stein said. “It’s hall. harsher sanctions. say. with it,” said Franklin Lopez, a government, Guaido said on “If they move through with just absurd that to suggest the He then climbed onto a car But it could also strip the op- From Colombia, he travelled 60-year-old administrator. Sunday it would be a “long and it, it shows that the administra- situation in Venezuela, which roof and gave a thumbs up to position of a public fi gurehead to Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador The US has warned Maduro diffi cult process.” tion cares about the people of may be resolved in the next people clustered in the road out- who has brought unity after years and Paraguay to shore up Latin of the consequences of arrest- He has off ered future amnes- Venezuela, that there is a real three months or sooner, that side before leaving for Caracas of infi ghting. American support for a transi- ing Guaido and the US Treasury ties to state offi cials and solders humanitarian concern for the there should be a grant for TPS where several thousand support- Guaido calls Maduro a usurper tion government that would pre- imposed new sanctions on Friday who recognise Guaido, though crisis and that the administra- for everybody when apparently ers had gathered to welcome him. and says his presidency is il- cede free and fair elections. targeting Venezuelan military of- the military has largely remained tion is taking it seriously,” Cutz it will go on indefi nitely.” Guaido had vowed to return to legitimate after he secured re- On Sunday, he departed by fi cials. loyal to Maduro despite Colom- said. “It would be a particu- The White House would not lead protests during the Carnival election last year in a vote widely plane from the Ecuadorean After the military blocked the bia’s migration agency reporting larly strong message from this comment on consideration of holiday period. considered a sham. coastal town of Salinas but had aid convoys, Guaido proposed several hundred desertions since administration given that they TPS. He kept details of his trip un- But Maduro retains control of not appeared publicly since. that “all options be kept open” February 23. Guatemala considers Drugs destroyed Brazil economy points to tough 2019: data amnesty for war crimes gradual pace of post-recession Reuters Brasilia recovery,” said Mauricio Oreng, Guardian News and Media hours; pending trials would be Amnesty supporters argue senior Brazil strategist at Ra- Guatemala City cancelled and ongoing investiga- that prosecutors have unfairly bobank in Sao Paulo, adding that tions shelved. targeted security forces over left- razil’s economic growth the data “suggest downside risk Michelle Bachelet, the UN hu- ist guerillas. But 93% of human nearly ground to a stand- to our GDP growth forecast for ar criminals con- man rights commissioner, con- rights abuses were committed by Bstill in the fourth quarter 2019 of 2%.” victed of extrajudicial demned the move as a “drastic US-backed government forces, of last year, data showed, as fall- January indicators suggest the Wkillings, torture and step backwards for the rule of law compared with 3% by guerrilla ing investment and contract- weak end of last year has carried sexual slavery could soon walk and victims’ rights”. groups, according to the postwar ing industry added to concerns into this year, with unemploy- free if Guatemalan lawmakers The vote takes place as the be- Commission for Historical Clari- about this year’s outlook and ment rising for the fi rst time in sanction a blanket amnesty for leaguered President, Jimmy Mo- fi cation. challenges for new President Jair almost a year. Economists at crimes committed during the rales, backed by a powerful net- The felons who would ben- Bolsonaro. Goldman Sachs this week cut 36-year armed confl ict which work of military and economic efi t from the amnesty include Gross domestic product (GDP) their 2019 Brazil GDP forecast to left 200,000 people dead or dis- elites, continues eff orts to oust top-ranking generals from the expanded by 0.1% from the pre- 2.2% from 2.6%. appeared. the UN-backed anti-impunity bloodiest period of the counter- vious quarter, less than the 0.2% Brazil’s GDP grew just 1.1 % Congress will soon vote to group Cicig and sabotage the insurgency war when rural indig- median estimate in a Reuters poll last year and 1% in 2017 after ac- reform the national reconcilia- constitutional court. enous communities and urban of economists. cumulating a more than 6% con- tion law and give absolute impu- The timing is no coincidence, social activists were mercilessly Government statistics agency traction in a brutal 2015-2016 nity for crimes against human- said Jo-Marie Burt, a political persecuted. IBGE also revised growth in the recession. ity including genocide, rape and science professor at George Ma- Among them are Benedicto July-September period down to Investors were little moved by forced disappearance. The law son University and senior fellow Lucas Garcia, the former head 0.5% from a previously reported the weak GDP numbers largely in currently exempts only politi- at the Washington Offi ce on Lat- of the armed forces, and Manuel 0.8%. line with expectations. cal crimes and has been regarded in America (Wola). Callejas y Callejas, the former The data added to signs that, Much now depends on the as a beacon for postwar justice “This push is part of a broader intelligence chief, who are serv- despite investor enthusiasm about government’s eff ort to overhaul since coming into force alongside eff ort by a coalition of military, ing 58 years for crimes against Bolsonaro’s orthodox economic the social security system — part the 1996 peace accords. business and political interests humanity, the 1981 forced disap- agenda, Brazil’s economy is still of a plan to rein in a huge public The new initiative is backed by not just to stop Cicig, but to end pearance of 14-year-old Marco struggling to gain steam two years defi cit and attract more long- former army generals angered by all investigations into organised Antonio Molina Theissen and into a meagre recovery from its term investment to the country. a wave of prosecutions that has crime, human rights violations aggravated sexual assault against worst downturn in decades. Bolsonaro presented a draft resulted in the convictions of at and corruption in order to re- his older sister Emma Guada- The biggest drags on growth pension bill to Congress earlier least 33 military offi cers and mi- assert their total dominance in lupe. in the last quarter of 2018 were this month which, among other litia members since 2008. Guatemalan politics and soci- Gen García is also accused of a 2.5% fall in fi xed investments, measures, calls for raising the One former guerrilla leader ety.” Cicig does not investigate crimes against humanity at the and contractions in industrial minimum retirement age and has also been convicted of hu- historical crimes but has helped Creompaz military base where Military policemen and members of the National Police output and government con- ultimately saving over 1tn reais man rights abuses. weed out corruption from the 550 bodies were exhumed from destroy packages of cocaine, seized during diff erent police sumption. ($300bn) over the next decade. If approved, all the convicts, courts and attorney general’s of- mass graves. This case involv- operations, before its incineration at a military base in Services and agriculture grew The fi nal version, however, and those held on remand await- fi ce, which are also now under ing eight senior offi cers would be Tegucigalpa, Honduras. by only 0.2%, IBGE data showed. will almost certainly be a diluted ing trial would be free within 24 attack. abandoned. “The result reaffi rms a very version of that. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 PAKISTAN World knows Govt pledges again to our penchant for peace: minister

Internews act against militants Islamabad By Drazen Jorgic, Reuters urged Islamabad to take action briefed journalists that a crack- carrying out NAP did not target cident and it is our considered oreign Minister Shah Meh- Islamabad against militant groups carry- down against militant groups anti-India outfi ts. opinion that Pulwama has noth- mood Qureshi said yester- ing out attacks on Indian soil. was imminent. Chaudhry added that Pakistan ing to do with us,” Chaudhry Fday that the entire world Islamabad denies assisting the “The action would soon be would also fulfi l demands set out said. knows Pakistan’s penchant for he Pakistan govern- groups or using them as proxies visible as things progress,” Dawn by a global watchdog, the Finan- The United States, Britain and peace. ment plans to take action in its rivalry with India. cited the source as saying. It did cial Action Task Force (FATF), France proposed last week that The FM statement came after Tagainst militant groups Previous vows by the Pakistan not identify the source or say which put Pakistan on a ter- the UN Security Council black- he presided over a consultation operating on its soil, a minister government to crack down on whether it was from the military rorism watch list in 2018 on the list the head of JeM, Masood session at the Foreign Offi ce yes- said yesterday, amid global pres- anti-India militant groups have or government. urging of the United States and Azhar. A vote is due to be held terday. sure to act after a suicide bomber largely come to nothing, with In September 2017, Reuters European nations. in mid-March with a focus on Former secretaries and envoys killed 40 Indian paramilitary po- militant leaders living freely in reported that Pakistan’s mili- “We have to implement FATF Pakistan’s staunch ally China, also attended the session, where Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood lice in Kashmir last month. Pakistan. tary had decided to deradicalise conditionalities, and likewise, which has blocked previous at- Foreign Secretary Tehmina Jan- Qureshi But Information Minister Fa- Pakistan’s military dictates armed militant groups and try to we have taken strict measures tempts by world powers to sanc- jua was also present. wad Chaudhry denied Indian the South Asian nation’s secu- get them involved in politics. on money laundering to dry tion the JeM chief. In the session, important mat- media’ transmission ‘Jang Nahi accusations that Pakistan was rity plans and foreign policy, in- That strategy was criticised the source of funding for these Pakistan’s foreign minister ters pertaining to Pakistan-India Amn’, said that the Narendra involved in the February 14 at- cluding relations with India. by civil society groups and the groups,” Chaudhry said. last week told CNN that Azhar standoff and diplomatic issues Modi government put Kashmir tack, which led to a sharp rise in Chaudhry said the decision previous civilian government Chaudhry said the govern- was in Pakistan and “really un- were discussed. on the agendas of international hostilities, saying it “had noth- to act was taken at a meeting of after the emergence of a new ment was looking to close “loop- well”. The foreign minister said that forums – a development always ing to do with us”. the National Security Commit- party linked to Hafi z Saeed, the holes” that allowed banned India on Tuesday bombed Pakistan welcomed Organisa- avoided by the previous Indian Nuclear-armed Pakistan and tee before the suicide bombing, alleged mastermind of the 2008 groups to operate. what New Delhi called a JeM tion of Islamic Co-operation’s governments. India both carried out aerial claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad Mumbai attacks that killed 166 “With banned groups it will militant training camp in a for- resolution against Indian forces’ The United States, United bombing missions last week and (JeM), in Kashmir. people. Saeed denied a role in be made sure that they will be est area in northern Pakistan, atrocities in Occupied Kashmir. Kingdom, European Union, Rus- on Wednesday fought a brief “A full-fl edged strategy is now the attack but the new party was banned in practical terms also,” killing “many terrorists”. Is- The attendees congratulated sia, China and Turkey want to dogfi ght in the skies over the in place,” Chaudhry said. “We later banned. he said. “The problem is that lamabad denied such a camp the FM on successful diplomatic de-escalate the border tensions disputed Himalayan region of have diff erent strategies for dif- Chaudhry said Pakistan would they change names and start op- existed and invited journalists manoeuvre in the recent times. It between Pakistan and India, Kashmir, but they stepped back ferent groups, but the main aim use an “economic, political and erating from other names. This to visit the site. was agreed to continue the ses- Qureshi said. from the brink after Islamabad is that we have to enforce the administrative strategy” that needs to be taken care of.” Villagers in the area said there sions on diplomatic issues. Qureshi said that Saudi For- on Friday handed back a cap- writ of the state. We have to de- would adhere to Pakistan’s Na- India accused Pakistan of was no active militant camp but Qureshi summoned a consult- eign Minister will visit Pakistan tured Indian pilot as a peace ges- militarise if there are groups (on tional Action Plan (NAP) for- playing a role in the February 14 pointed to a nearby madrasa and ative meeting today over escalat- after his visit to India, but added ture. our soil).” mulated in 2014, which vowed to JeM attack in the Kashmiri city said it was run by JeM. The mili- ing tensions with India. that there are reports emerging Britain and the United States Pakistan’s English-language stamp out militant groups. of Pulwama. tary prevented Reuters reports A day earlier, the foreign min- that his visit has been postponed welcomed the pilot’s return but Dawn newspaper said a source Analysts say security services “We have looked at the in- from visiting the madrasa. ister while speaking on local for an indefi nite period.

Rail service restored Courts Airspace fully in tribal reopened districts

AFP completed by 1pm (0800 GMT). to start Islamabad The closure disrupted ma- jor routes between Europe and South Asia, with mounting frus- working akistan fully reopened its tration from passengers strand- airspace yesterday, au- ed at international airports. Pthorities said, days after It also delayed attempts to soon it closed its skies to all air trav- search for a British and an Ital- el, leaving thousands stranded ian climber who went missing on worldwide as tensions with nu- Nanga Parbat, Pakistan’s “killer Internews clear arch-rival India soared. mountain” and the ninth highest Peshawar The decision to close the air- peak in the world, as rescue teams space came last Wednesday af- were forced to wait for permission ter a rare aerial dogfi ght between to send up a helicopter. he fi rst regular courts in India and Pakistan over the dis- The climbers, Daniele Nardi the erstwhile tribal re- puted territory of Kashmir ig- and Tom Ballard, were last heard Tgion after abolition of nited fears of an all-out confl ict, from on February 24. Fresh res- the colonial British-era Frontier with world powers rushing to cue attempts had to be called Crimes Regulation (FCR) of 1901 urge restraint. off over the weekend due to bad are expected to start working Both sides claimed to have weather amid growing fears for within a week as distribution of shot each other’s warplanes their survival. cases among the judges has been down, and one Indian pilot was Pakistan began reopening its started. captured. He was returned to airspace “gradually” from Fri- “All cases related to the tribal India Friday, crossing the Wagah day, with fl ights allowed in and districts have been collected in border on foot. out of major cities. the District Judiciary Secretar- “All airports across Pakistan But the backlog means major iat of the Peshawar High Court. are operational and airspace re- delays are still expected and au- Stranded Indian passengers travelling with the Samjhauta Express, also called the Friendship Express that runs between New Delhi and Distribution of cases has also opened,” a spokeswoman for the thorities have urged passengers Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan, gather with their luggage at Lahore railway station yesterday, after the rail service was restored been started among the courts Civil Aviation Authority said, to check for more information following days of tension between India and Pakistan. established for the tribal dis- adding the process had been with their airlines. tricts,” an offi cial said. The offi cial said that the 28 ju- dicial offi cers posted to the tribal Plan to preserve districts have taken their charge and would start hearing the cases history of Shah after proper arrangements are Allah Ditta caves Punjab mini-secretariat made in the makeshift courts Senate panel to within a few days. In a bid to preserve and protect the On March 2, Peshawar High crumbling, ancient caves at Shah likely to open in Multan Court (PHC) conducted an ori- Allah Ditta and the ancient relics entation session for the judi- there, the information ministry has Internews partments that would func- cial offi cers posted to the newly discuss succession devised a strategy together with Lahore tion in the mini-secretariat merged districts of Khyber Pa- the archaeological department have been asked to fi nalise khtunkhwa. which involves the creation of a staff for it. This administra- Speaking on the occasion, committee to preserve relics. he south Punjab tive structure would be no- Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth Ministry of Information, mini-secretariat is tifi ed before April 15 to give urged the judges to proceed ac- certifi cate bill Broadcasting, National History and Tmost likely to be set it a legal cover. cording to law without any pres- Literary Heritage additional secretary up in Multan as is the choice As many as 150 posts of sure and prejudice and follow Syed Junaid Akhlaq said that they of Chief Minister Usman these 18 departments have discipline to lead their staff by Internews head or a person having prop- lengthy procedures of courts have designed a comprehensive plan Buzdar and its setup is going already been created as an example and deal decently with Islamabad erty, there is a legal require- and requirements to get for the preservation of the heritage to be fi nalised by April 15, initial step. The secretariat the litigant public. ment for family members to get certifi cates. sites in Islamabad. according to offi cial sources. would function under an PHC Registrar Khawaja Waji- a succession certifi cate from “In 90 per cent cases, He stated that they have collected There have been three additional chief secretary. hud Din said that three pronged he Senate Standing a court of law to divide the families don’t get involved in data relating to the historical options for the mini-secre- Each department would be strategy has been devised as im- Committee on Law and property. any dispute. My father died sites of Shah Allah Ditta and Ban tariat Multan, Bahawalpur represented by a special sec- mediate intervention by ensur- TJustice will discuss today Usually, all family members three years ago but since then Faqaryan. and of late Lodhran. The last retary, having a team of two ing makeshift arrangements for the proposed bill about issu- are called in the court and af- property could not be divided Work on the project is expected choice was stated to be of Ja- additional secretaries, four courts in the adjoining districts. ance of a succession certifi cate ter recording their statements a as my two sisters live in the to start this month after the hangir Khan Tareen. deputy secretaries and four The judges posted to the by the National Database and certifi cate is issued. United States and one is in the necessary funds are released Sources said that it had al- section offi cers. Each team merged districts include seven Registration Authority (Nadra) In most of the cases, the United Kingdom, a brother is from the ministry, Akhlaq said, most been decided now to es- would have supporting staff . district and sessions judges, 14 to ease problems being faced matter takes months as the is- in Lahore and the mother is adding that they have set up tablish the secretariat in Mul- The police department additional district and sessions by the masses in getting inher- sue is advertised in newspa- very old. a three-member committee tan because of its closeness would be represented by an judges and seven senior civil itance after the death of their pers for seeking objections to They all have to be gathered comprising experts on ancient to the provincial metropolis, additional IGP, supervising judges. relatives. the matter from anyone and a at the same time to get the suc- relics who will oversee the project Lahore. Now, the matter left RPOs, DPOs and police un- The temporary place of sit- The matter was referred to number of times hearings are cession certifi cate. The same and properly collect any relics undecided was selection of der them in the South Pun- ting of the judges to run the the committee by the Senate postponed or could not be held thing happened after my un- discovered from the site. the premises in Multan. jab districts. courts for the merged districts chairman with an advice to because of the large number of cle’s death as children were The caves, located in the village They reiterated that the The selected departments include Khyber at Federal Judi- propose legislation to provide cases. in diff erent countries,” he had of the same name in the lap of the New Kutchery located at the include planning and de- cial Complex, Hayatabad, Bajaur a simple mechanism for relief Moreover, in some cases said while briefi ng the commit- Margalla Hills on the outskirts of peripheries of Multan could velopment, health, educa- at Timergara, Lower Dir, Kurram to the masses who face diffi - where some family members tee last year. the capital, boast murals which most likely be selected for tion, irrigation, communi- at Thall in Hangu district, South culties in obtaining succession live abroad, the matter be- However, over the last few date back some 2,500 years. the mini-secretariat. It was cation and works, fi nance, Waziristan at Tank, Orakzai at certifi cates and other related comes very diffi cult to ensure meetings, representatives of These caves are invisible to the constructed over 100-kanal local government, housing, Hangu, Mohmand at Shabqa- matters. presence of those family mem- Nadra opposed the bill and said eye from a distance since they are land in 2015-16. women development, en- dar and Charsadda and North The legislation may also bers in the country at the same that it would put extra burden protected by their natural guardians But soon after shifting ergy and agriculture. Waziristan at Bannu. include the family tree (fam- time. on the organisation and start of ancient trees who cover the there, lawyers and judges Offi cials said the provin- As per the policy statement, ily registration certifi cate) At an earlier meeting, litigations against Nadra. entrance with their long, leafy vines. in Multan had found the cial government was repeat- the PHC registrar said the offi c- prepared by Nadra as succes- Minister for Law Barrister They have suggested that the The exposed façade of these caves new place unsuitable and edly reminding all secretar- ers shall have the place of sitting sion certifi cate and objections, Farogh Naseem had strongly procedure for issuance of suc- is decrepit which signifies that returned to the old court- ies to complete their task of in the adjoining districts till the if any, can also be fi led in the supported the proposed bill cession certifi cates should be they have endured the harshness rooms. The New Kutchery is fi nding offi cers and offi cials time the provincial government court of law subsequently. and said that people had made easier instead of handing of weather for a prolonged period lying vacant at present. willing to work in the mini- provides requisite facilities in the In case of death of a family been suff ering because of over the issue to Nadra. of time. (Internews) Secretaries of the 18 de- secretariat. merged districts. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 21 PHILIPPINES Guard of honour Budget secretary named central bank governor

Reuters nomics from the University Manila of the Philippines, and a doc- torate in economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship hilippine President Ro- and Public Aff airs, Syracuse drigo Duterte yesterday University in New York. Pappointed his budget Diokno assumes the posi- secretary as the governor of tion of central bank chief just the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi- as infl ation has become less of nas. a threat, thanks to easing fuel Budget Secretary Benjamin and food prices. Diokno, 70, will complete the Cooling infl ation, which last six-year term of central bank year hit a near-decade peak of governor Nestor Espenilla, 6.7% in September and Oc- who died on Feb 23 of cancer. tober, should give the central “Yes” Executive Secretary bank room to reverse some of Salvador Medialdea told report- last year’s tightening, econo- ers when asked to confi rm if the mists have said, which bodes president had named Diokno. well for growth. Diokno confi rmed the ap- The Philippines missed its pointment to Reuters. Prior downwardly revised growth to his appointment as budget target of 6.5-6.9% last year. It secretary, a position he also is aiming for a 7-8% growth held under former president this year. Joseph Estrada, Diokno served The central bank kept inter- General Koji Yamazaki (centre), chief of staff of Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force, salute along with Major General Rhoderick Parayno (left) during an inspection of an as senior adviser at the Inter- est rates steady at its last two honour guard at a welcoming ceremony at the Philippine army headquarters in Manila, yesterday. national Tax and Investment meetings and some econo- Center (ITIC), professional mists expect policymakers to lecturer at the University of cut the rate on its overnight the Philippines School of Eco- reverse repurchase facility and nomics and Independent Di- reduce banks’ required re- rector at the Asia United Bank serves this year. among others. To tackle infl ation, the cen- Diokno holds a master’s de- tral bank hiked rates fi ve times gree in public administration last year, totalling 175 basis Top court urged to nullify and master’s degree in eco- points. Bangsamoro law ratifi cation Duterte stresses desire

By William Depasupil tifi able cause. The petitioners which they claimed was taint- to include Cotabato City in the plebiscite must be completed to rename country Manila Times — Amil Sula, Gaspar Asi, and ed with massive irregularities, Bangsamoro Autonomous Re- fi rst as a condition sine qua non Hussien Malig — all residents widespread violence and intimi- gion?” “The question already to the second stage of the plebi- and registered voters of Cota- dation. assumes or presupposes some- scite,” they said. QNA the name of the Philippines petition seeking the nul- bato City, claimed that the rati- The petition claimed that the thing that is not legally in exist- They stressed that what the Manila because the Philippines is lifi cation of the ratifi ca- fi cation of the BOL with respect questions formulated by the ence,” the petitioners said. Comelec did was tantamount to named after King Philip,” he Ation of the Bangsamoro to Cotabato City was “defective Comelec for the January 21 pleb- “The Bangsamoro Autono- a legal “shortcut.” said during the groundbreak- Organic Law (BOL) in Cotabato and illegal.” iscite for the voters of Cotabato mous Region for Muslim Mind- They added that the com- hilippines’ President Ro- ing ceremony of the Isabela City has been fi led before the The petition asked the high City did not comply with the anao as a legal entity was not yet mission also violated the law for drigo Duterte reiterated City gymnasium in Basilan. Supreme Court (SC). court to issue a temporary re- provision of the BOL, particu- legally existent at the time of the holding the plebiscite beyond Phis desire to change the Duterte fl oated the idea of re- Named respondent in the case straining order and/or writ of larly Article XV, Section 1, which plebiscite.” the prescribed period set by the name of the Philippines weeks naming the Philippines dur- was the Commission on Elec- preliminary injunction and/or stated that the establishment of The petitioners contended BOL. after he said the late president ing a speech in Maguindanao tions (Comelec) in its offi cial ca- preliminary mandatory injunc- the Bangsamoro Autonomous that the Comelec should have Cotabato City twice rejected Ferdinand Marcos was right in where he distributed land ti- pacity as the National Plebiscite tion. Region in Muslim Mindanao conducted a two-stage ratifi - its inclusion in the ARMM. wanting to change the coun- tles to Agrarian reform benefi - Board of Canvassers (NPBC) for The petitioners alleged that (BARMM)and the determination cation process, the fi rst to ask The fi rst was during the No- try’s name to “Maharlika.” ciaries. its alleged failure to comply with the Comelec acted without ju- of its territorial jurisdiction shall voters if they approve of the vember 1989 plebiscite, result- But Duterte said he had no The president said the Phil- the requirement of Republic Act risdiction or with grave abuse take eff ect “upon ratifi cation of BOL, and the second to ask vot- ing in the formation of the re- particular name yet in mind. ippines was left with no choice (RA) 11054 and for holding the of discretion when it deprived the Organic Law.” ers if they agree to the inclusion gion, and the second on August “I want to change it in the fu- when it was named after King plebiscite beyond the legally them of the chance to contest It said the poll body had only of their city or province in the 14, 2001 for the expansion of the ture. No particular name yet Philip II after the country was prescribed period without jus- the results of the plebiscite, one question: “Do you agree BARMM. “The fi rst stage of the ARMM. but sure I would like to change discovered by Spain in 1521. Festive dance 1,500 rare turtles seized from luggage

AFP Manila

ome 1,500 live exotic tur- tles — some restrained Swith duct-tape — have been found inside an airline pas- senger’s luggage, Philippines au- thorities said yesterday, as they vowed a crackdown on the lucra- tive wildlife trade. The Philippines is a major source and transit point of wild- life traffi cking, according to a 2018 report by the US State De- partment. The turtles and tortoises were found at Manila airport on Senior high school students take part in the street dancing competition during the 24th Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City. Sunday in the luggage of a Fili- pino passenger, who had arrived from Hong Kong, hidden among clothes and shoes. The person fl ed before au- thorities could confront him, customs offi cials said.”We saw the images from the x-ray (ma- Measles death toll rises to 215 chine),” Manila airport customs chief Carmelita Talusan said. “We never expected it would By Catherine A Modesto period in 2018. Calabarzon with 362 cases and fi ve deaths; sles outbreak in some regions in reach as many as 1,530,” Talusan Manila Times (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Riz- Soccsksargen (South Cotaba- the country. said. al and Quezon) was the region to, Cotabato Province, Sultan Health Secretary Francisco “Our staff were taking care with the most number of cases Kudarat, Sarangani and Gen- Duque 3rd as well as President not to hurt them because duct round 215 people have at 3,234 and 68 deaths, the DoH eral Santos) with 326 cases and Rodrigo Duterte have repeat- tape was used to immobilise the died of measles, as the said. one death; Autonomous Region edly asked parents to have their turtles.” Tortoises are seen in a box after being seized by Philippines Customs Anumber of cases contin- It was followed by Metro in Muslim Mindanao with 305 children protected against Talusan said the matter was in Manila, in this picture obtained from social media yesterday. ued to rise to more than 13,000, Manila (National Capital Re- cases and three deaths; Caraga measles and other curable dis- under investigation and authori- according to data of the Depart- gion) with 3,068 and 57 fatali- with 261 cases and one death; eases through clinically proven ties had identifi ed the passenger, Sunday were likely destined Antiporda added the Philip- ment of Health (DoH.) ties; Central Luzon with 2,010 Davao with 251 cases and three vaccines. who could face charges of vio- to be sold in the Philippines or pines would ask Chinese au- From January 1 to February cases and 30 deaths; Northern deaths; Cordillera Administra- Duque said vaccination re- lating the nation’s illegal wildlife smuggled to other countries us- thorities whether they wanted to 26, the department’s epide- Mindanao with 679 cases and tive Region cases with 166 cases mained the best defence against trading law, which carry a maxi- ing false documents, environ- take back the confi scated turtles miology bureau has recorded four deaths; Western Visayas and zero deaths; Zamboanga measles. mum two years in prison. ment offi cials said. which were being quarantined 13,723 measles cases, 62% of with 671 cases and three deaths; Peninsula with 140 cases and He added that he expected The turtles seized were esti- “It’s for business purposes. and treated in Manila. which had no prior history of Eastern Visayas with 668 cases zero deaths; and Cagayan Valley the measles cases to soar be- mated to be worth 4.5mn pesos Those turtles are expensive. It’s Sunday’s haul was the latest vaccination. and 19 deaths; Central Visayas with 126 cases and one death. cause the outbreaks had not ($87,000), the customs bureau such a lucrative business. There in a series of seizures of smug- From February 25 to Febru- with 508 cases and fi ve deaths; Of those who died, 82% were been contained yet. said. are buyers and collectors who gled wildlife at the capital’s ary 26 alone, the bureau said it Mimaropa (Mindoro Occi- not vaccinated. Government health workers Among the animals found treat them as pets,” environment airport. More than 50 iguanas received and validated 251 cases dental and Mindoro Oriental, Measles aff ected children have been deployed in the fi eld were the Indian Star Tortoise, undersecretary Benny Antiporda were discovered in the luggage of the highly infectious, but Marinduque, Romblon and from less than nine months to to go house-to-house in com- classifi ed as “vulnerable” by the said. of a passenger from Bangkok last vaccine-preventable disease. Palawan) also with 508 cases four years old the most. munities of aff ected regions to International Union for Conser- “We are stepping up our all- month, with some of the ani- This fi gure was higher than and six deaths; Ilocos with 440 It has been almost a month urge parents to have their chil- vation of Nature. out drive against the black mar- mals hidden in water bottles and the 3,065 reported in the same cases and nine deaths; Bicol since the DoH declared a mea- dren vaccinated. The turtles confi scated on ket of endangered species.” socks, Talusan said. Gulf Times 22 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Real left relying on Europe again after Spain fl op show

Santiago Solari’s future is likely to hinge on Real Madrid again winning the Champions League but two defeats by Barcelona in four days have brought old problems back to the surface. After being knocked out of the Copa del Rey and eff ectively deemed irrelevant in the title race, a third loss in as many games could see Madrid’s season wiped out in a week. Ajax deserved more from the 2-1 loss in Amsterdam that, in theory, puts their opponents fi rmly in charge ahead of the second leg today. But three consecutive defeats at the Santiago Bernabeu for the fi rst time in 15 years means Madrid will be feeling the heat. Green transition will Solari too, the coach that was handed a contract until 2021 when appointed only fi ve months ago but who might not last the season should Ajax do the unthinkable and reach the quarter-fi nals. Jose Mourinho’s criticism as a pundit for beIN Sports on the latest Clasico will be seen as opportunistic but the reality not be a free lunch is he is still well-regarded at Real. Unlike other potential successors, he is also available to start immediately. baseline expectation – unrealistic, but some technologies will no longer be the prospect of paying another 2% for Still, Solari will know Madrid have been here before. By Jean Pisani-Ferry Paris understandable – is a business-as- profi table. Maximum production (what the transition to a carbon-free economy. Last season, Zinedine Zidane’s team crashed out earlier in usual scenario in which they continue economists call potential GDP) will For decades, people have been given the Copa del Rey and to Leganes, not Barcelona. They were to consume and travel according to decline. If the price hike is abrupt, a incentives to move from city centres to adrift in La Liga too. he Green New Deal promoted their current habits. They may accept slump will follow, as occurred in 1974, the suburbs, and now they are being told by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, eating a little less meat and using when oil producers suddenly hiked that their lifestyle has no future. But victories in Europe a fast-rising star in the US more efficient cars, provided their prices. A corollary is that wealth drops Fortunately, these eff ects can be Solari will surely over Paris Saint-Germain TCongress, and others among purchasing power does not change. as the value of fuel-ineffi cient houses, softened. The full redistribution of and Juventus blurred her fellow Democrats, may trigger a And they may wish to change jobs, gluttonous cars, and oil companies’ carbon tax proceeds can alleviate the pay the price those failures while welcome reset of the discussion on if the new one is better paid and less shares declines. burden on the most vulnerable. In an beating Liverpool in the climate-change mitigation in the stressful. But there is little evidence The problem does not come from the environment of ultra-low interest if domestic United States and beyond. Though not that most citizens are ready for more. use of a price instrument. It would be rates, debt fi nance is a rational way to fi nal seemed to extinguish really new – European Greens have Understandably, Green New Deal the same in a planned economy: carbon accelerate economic transformation disappointment them almost completely. been pushing for such a “new deal” for supporters tend to pander to these effi ciency would also require old, while spreading the corresponding cost Solari will surely pay a decade – her plan is ambitious and feelings. The Ocasio-Cortez proposal ineffi cient equipment to be discarded across generations. As the astonishing is extended into the price if domestic wide-ranging. is vague enough to evade precise and additional investment so that drop in the cost of solar panels suggests, disappointment is extended It may be too ambitious and wide- criticisms, but what is evident is that it GDP becomes less carbon-intensive. fostering innovation and competition the Champions ranging. But, unlike economists’ does not put a fi nger on anything that With recent estimates putting the will help accelerate the emergence of into the Champions favourite approach to climate change may hurt. The same applies to many required additional investment at clean, effi cient technologies. And the League League, where context – set the right price for carbon and plans that promise a nicer life together some 2% of GDP annually in 2040, earlier action is taken, and the more could be signifi cant - the leave the rest to private decisions – the with more and better jobs. a correspondingly smaller share of predictable the long-term outlook, stage, opponent and manner of defeat - but after four triumphs Green New Deal rightly encompasses The truth is unfortunately quite output will be available for household the easier it will be to adapt, and the in fi ve years, it is hard to imagine anything less than lifting the the many dimensions of what must diff erent. The transition to a carbon- consumption. less adverse the impact on production trophy would be deemed a success. be a fundamental transformation neutral economy is bound to make Furthermore, the distributional and wealth will be. Abrupt changes of our economies and our societies us worse off before it makes us better eff ects of the green transition are devalue existing assets, while a smooth For Solari, that is a high bar set, and a reminder perhaps if the climate challenge is to be met off , and the most vulnerable segments unfortunately adverse. The poor and transition enables the right investments of why Madrid found so few elite coaches eager to follow successfully. of society will be hit especially hard. the suburban middle class spend more at the right time. Zidane last summer. The transition to a carbon- Unless we acknowledge and address of their income on energy than the That said, realism compels us Real had finished 17 points behind Barcelona and neutral economy is bound to be as this reality, support for greening the rich and the urban professionals do, to recognise that nothing can fully then sold their best player. In the years with Cristiano revolutionary as the transition to the economy will remain shallow and it may and often lack the means to buy a new, eliminate the hardship involved in industrial age. Given the comprehensive eventually wane. effi cient heating system or to insulate the transition. To win, Green New Ronaldo, Madrid’s goals scored tally at this stage in the nature of this transition, it cannot The reason brings us back to the their house. And, because working- Deal enthusiasts must be honest league was 71, 62, 85, 64, 73, 75, 71, 67, and 62. This be summarised in one price. It must economists’ favourite instrument: class jobs tend to be more carbon- with citizens about what the coming season it is 43. be a collective endeavour in which prices. One way or another, we must intensive, factory workers and truck transformation will entail, how its costs And against Barcelona, the diff erence was precision in the governments invest and every citizen start paying for something – carbon – drivers will be hurt more than designers will be minimised and equitably shared, fi nal third, where Barca boasted Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez fi nds his or her role. The optimistic, that we have been consuming for free. and bankers. and what role they can play. Rather participatory ethos of the Green New And putting a price on carbon is bound The problem our societies are facing than portraying their scenario as rosy, and Ousmane Dembele while Madrid had an out-of-form Deal should be commended. to reduce overall consumption. is massive. It should not be hidden. The they should show that it is feasible. — Gareth Bale, an inexperienced Vinicius Junior and Karim But let’s be clear: the green The cause is not the tax, the proceeds French government had to backtrack Project Syndicate Benzema, who only scored fi ve league goals last term. transition will not be a free lunch. of which can be redistributed to after the Yellow Vests revolted against Under Julen Lopetegui in October, Madrid went almost There is no doubt that life and work taxpayers, for example, on a per capita a €55 ($63) per ton fuel tax, but a zJean Pisani-Ferry, a professor eight hours without scoring and the reaction to the latest will be far better if we succeed in basis, as an impressive group of US recent estimate of what its needed to at the Hertie School of Governance containing climate change than if economists has proposed. Rather, decarbonise put the rate at €250 per ton (Berlin) and Sciences Po (Paris), holds defeat sounded familiar. we fail, which is the rationale for putting a price on carbon inevitably in 2030. European countries, already the Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa chair at “We failed to fi nish, just like the other day,” said Solari. undertaking the corresponding will result in what economists call agonizing over increasing their defence the European University Institute and “When that happens, you cannot win the game. When you efforts. Yet that is not the question a negative supply shock. Some spending to 2% of GDP, as US President is a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels- lack goals, you struggle,” said Ramos. many citizens are asking. Their equipment will become unusable, and Donald Trump has demanded, now face based think-tank. Solari certainly shoulders some of the blame for Bale’s dip, having consistently relegated him to the bench in recent weeks while off ering only meek support in the face of heavy criticism in the Spanish press. He could also perhaps do with the creativity of Isco, who came on as Madrid sought an equaliser against Barca but is unlikely to feel much loyalty to his coach, having not started a single league game during his tenure. The question is whether Solari can now revive his marquee players and cajole the youngsters, many of whom have been the driving force of his team in recent months. In the Champions League, the pressure is on to deliver.

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© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved File picture of Ocasio-Cortez and other Congressional Democrats at a news conference in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 5, 2019 23 COMMENT Should you buy an electric car?

By Adair Turner with average electricity carbon that a massive increase in the role of New Delhi intensity around the break-even electricity is essential. The recently point of 800 grams, very rapid published Shell “Sky Scenario” EV growth could have an adverse estimates that electricity will account assenger cars account for eff ect initially. But what matters is for more than 60% of fi nal energy only 8% of total global carbon the carbon intensity of electricity demand by late this century, up from dioxide emissions, and if you used throughout the vehicle’s life. around 20% today. If we don’t electrify Pcharge an electric vehicle The optimal strategy is therefore to as much of the economy as possible, (EV) with electricity generated by encourage auto electrifi cation while and decarbonise electricity production ineffi cient coal power plants, the also rapidly decarbonising power as rapidly as possible, we have no hope immediate eff ect will be increased generation, which the collapsing cost of avoiding severely harmful climate CO2 emissions compared with driving of renewables now makes possible. change. a modern gasoline or diesel car. So As recent reports from the Energy Of course, EVs come in diff erent it’s important to stress, as Fatih Birol, Transitions Commission show, India types and sizes, and the bigger the Executive Director of the International could reduce its electricity carbon electric car you buy, and the more you Energy Agency, did at Davos in January, intensity to 550 grams per kWh by show off its superior acceleration, the that electric cars alone will not avert 2030, while doubling electricity greater the danger that the immediate catastrophic climate change. But consumption – and at no cost to impact of going electric will be an vehicle electrifi cation is nonetheless consumers. increase in emissions. Unfortunately, crucial to reducing emissions. If you Moreover, the potential for current EV off erings are skewed toward care about the climate, the next car you transport electrifi cation to reduce larger cars and SUVs, with fewer buy should be electric. CO2 emissions is far greater than the small and mid-size models, which Electric motors are inherently more 8% fi gure suggests. An additional 8% will eventually deliver the biggest effi cient than internal combustion of emissions come from trucks and emissions reductions. This refl ects the engines: while a gasoline or diesel buses, and the future is electric for car companies’ profi t incentives, the engine typically wastes more than 70% these vehicles, too. Here, the pace of diffi culties of achieving adequate range of the energy it uses as unwanted heat, electrifi cation will partly refl ect how with smaller batteries, and the lack an electric motor turns all but 5% into many people choose to buy electric of suffi ciently widespread charging kinetic energy. And once battery costs cars. Massive investments in battery infrastructure. But the charging fall below $100 per kilowatt-hour – innovation and manufacturing scale, infrastructure can and must be built, which Bloomberg New Energy Finance driven by expected EV purchases, are and a wider range of auto sizes will (BNEF) expects to occur by 2024 – delivering cost reductions and energy- increasingly be available. electric cars will not only be cheaper density increases which make battery- So, if you care about the climate, to run, but also cheaper to buy. So EVs powered electric buses and short-haul your next car should be electric, will eventually dominate – and far trucks increasingly competitive. For preferably a size or two smaller than sooner than many projections suggest long-distance trucking, hydrogen fuel the one you fi rst thought about. And – whether we care about the climate cells may be key to adequate range, but to ensure that you really are helping to or not. the engines will be electric, delivering save the planet, you should combine Provided the electricity used has dramatic improvements in urban air Electric automobiles manufactured by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, left, and Tesla Inc sit at an electric vehicle charging your personal purchase decision with a carbon intensity below about 800 quality and reducing CO2 emissions (if station at a Circle K gas station, operated by Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc, in the Oekern district of Oslo, Norway, in this political support for policies to drive grams per kWh, electric cars reduce electricity comes from lower-carbon October 31, 2017 file picture. Couche-Tard is using the Nordic country as a testing ground for how to respond to the rapid electricity decarbonisation and carbon emissions. In France (with sources). Battery or hydrogen electric electric-vehicle boom. PHOTOGRAPHER: Kyrre Lien/Bloomberg investment in widespread charging average intensity of about 80 grams), technologies will also play a signifi cant infrastructure. Buying EVs alone the United Kingdom (about 250 grams role in shorter-distance shipping and than $150 per kWh, with batteries fuel cells, are of course vital to reduce energy density – six times or more cannot save the planet, but doing so and falling fast), the United States aviation. providing cost-effi cient overnight emissions. In the harder-to-abate – can be achieved. Synthetic jet fuel is a powerful lever for the broader (about 400 grams) and even high- At the same time, battery storage in electricity systems that industrial sectors such as steel, produced from low-carbon electricity changes that can. – Project Syndicate carbon Germany (still around 500 innovations initially driven by EV increasingly depend on solar and wind cement, and chemicals, bioenergy may become economic, and biofuels grams), electric cars will undoubtedly growth will reduce the cost of power sources. That, in turn, will deliver the sources and carbon capture will also be are also likely to play a signifi cant role. z Adair Turner, Chairman of the reduce emissions, provided users avoid decarbonisation. BNEF estimates that lower carbon intensity required to required. In aviation, batteries will be But while a combination of Institute for New Economic Thinking charging them at times when marginal battery prices could fall to $62 per kWh make EVs good for the planet. far too heavy to power intercontinental technologies will be needed, all feasible and former Chairman of the UK intensity is highest. by 2030, enabling the utility sector Other technologies, apart from fl ight unless dramatic and currently scenarios for achieving the objectives Financial Services Authority, is Chair of In China and India, by contrast, to deploy total battery systems at less electricity, batteries, and hydrogen unforeseeable improvements in battery of the Paris climate agreement show the Energy Transitions Commission.

Three-day forecast Puerto Rico on the brink TODAY Maximum Temperature : 260c Minimum Temperature : 160c By Simon Johnson PROMESA Act, which enabled a form generate electrical power on the island that Trump would even consider such Washington, DC of court-supervised bankruptcy, along could also be jeopardised. a move. WEDNESDAY with an oversight board in charge of The precise legal situation remains Trump’s cynical and cruel calculus Maximum Temperature : 240c monitoring and approving fi scal plans in fl ux. One court has determined is, however, understandable. Minimum Temperature : 170c ore than 3mn Americans, in Puerto Rico. This was a pragmatic that the board is unconstitutional, Although Puerto Rico’s people are US THURSDAY residents of the US political compromise worked out by but granted 90 days for board citizens, the island is not a state, and Maximum Temperature : 240c commonwealth of the US Treasury and congressional members to be appointed (in its view) therefore has no representation in the Minimum Temperature : 160c Puerto Rico, could be Republicans and Democrats. (I appropriately. Another court, hearing Senate and only one representative M Fisherman's forecast plunged into economic turmoil supported PROMESA at the time, a diff erent case, has upheld the board’s (with limited voting rights) in the unless President Donald Trump’s including in congressional testimony.) appointment. The Supreme Court may House. This lack of political voice in administration acts quickly. But now this entire arrangement has or may not get involved. Washington, DC, has hurt for a long WARNING Unfortunately, there is no sign that been called into question by a recent This is a mess with an easy solution. time – and now threatens to destroy Inshore : Nil Trump is paying attention to the court decision that invalidates the Trump could immediately nominate, Puerto Rico’s prospects for economic Offshore : Expected strong wind problem; he is distracted by other legal authority of the oversight board. and the Senate could confi rm, the recovery. and high sea the north- east till evening matters. And, because no one else has At issue is a purely procedural issue current oversight board members, or, Puerto Rico needs a lot more than the authority or will to take action, a – whether the board was appointed as Skeel points out, a new set of board just debt restructuring. The island has WEATHER tragedy looms. properly as specifi ed in the legislation, members could be chosen. Such a substantial economic potential, but Inshore : Mild daytime & cold by night Puerto Rico borrowed too much or whether its members should have process normally takes many months realising it requires putting essential Offshore : Fine money in the boom years and has gone through a Senate confi rmation (or longer), but in this instance there is public services like education and struggled with an overwhelming process. a strong case for expeditious action. health care back on their feet. To WIND Inshore : Northwesterly-North- debt burden over the past decade. The main plaintiff is a hedge fund Sadly, there is no sign that the do that, the payments due on the easterly 04-14 KT When a company is in this situation, that is not happy with the current Trump administration is taking the outstanding government debt need Offshrore : Northwesterly-North- the outcome is some form of arrangement. But, as David Skeel, a situation seriously. After Hurricane to be reduced – and in a way that east 08-18 KT bankruptcy: the debt is restructured highly respected bankruptcy expert Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Trump does not involve a mad scramble by Visibility : 4-8 KM or the company is wound down. The and member of the oversight board, made a show of delivering aid, but the creditors to seize assets. Offshore : 3-5/7 FT same logic applies at some levels of notes in a recent commentary, “Puerto reality was that the island received The Trump administration needs government in the United States, Rico would collapse into chaos if the too little assistance – and too late – to to pay attention, before it’s too late. – make a diff erence for many people. Project Syndicate with court supervision of debt ruling took immediate eff ect.” Around the region restructuring ensuring relatively Skeel is not exaggerating. If The death toll from the hurricane Weather orderly outcomes – invariably after the oversight board is deemed was signifi cantly understated by the z Simon Johnson, a former chief Weather tomorrow Max/min a great deal of argument about debt unconstitutional, the most likely administration for far too long. economist of the IMF, is a professor at today Max/min M Sunny 22/10 levels and how to reduce payments to result will be the collapse of the court- More recently, Trump has even MIT Sloan, a senior fellow at the Peterson Baghdad P Cloudy 23/10 P Cloudy 21/13 an aff ordable level. run process and a mad scramble by talked of diverting funds from Institute for International Economics, Kuwait CitySunny 23/14 Sunny 26/18 But, because of Puerto Rico’s all of Puerto Rico’s creditors to seize rebuilding Puerto Rico to constructing and co-founder of a leading economics Manama Sunny 23/16 Sunny 26/21 particular legal status as a US its assets in any way they can. As a his pet project – a wall on the US- blog, The Baseline Scenario. He is the co- Muscat Sunny 25/18 P Cloudy 14/04 territory, it is not eligible for any result, it would be very hard for any Mexican border. The legality of this author, with Jonathan Gruber of Jump- Tehran Sunny 14/04 kind of standard court-run debt local government to operate. Supplies has been challenged, but, given the Starting America: How Breakthrough restructuring process. Recognising of essential goods, including fuel, suff ering and continued vulnerability Science Can Revive the Economic this, in 2016 Congress passed the could well be disrupted. The ability to of Puerto Rico’s people, it is shocking Growth and the American Dream.

Live issues

‘Ultra-processed’ foods linked to risk of early death Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min By Najja Parker activities and sociodemographics. Athens Sunny 18/09 P Cloudy 21/09 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution After analysing the results, they Beirut Showers 16/12 Sunny 17/13 found ultra-processed foods made up Bangkok P Cloudy 33/26 Sunny 34/26 more than 14% of the weight of total Berlin Cloudy 09/02 Cloudy 14/09 t’s no secret ultra-processed food consumed and 29% of the total Cairo Showers 19/09 M Sunny 22/10 foods can be detrimental to your calories consumed. Cape Town Sunny 24/18 Sunny 24/17 health, but they can also increase They also discovered ultra-proc- Colombo M Cloudy 31/25 P Cloudy 31/25 Iyour risk of early death, according essed foods were associated with Dhaka S T Storms 27/21 P Cloudy 29/20 to a new report. younger age, lower income, lower Hong Kong S T Storms 24/22 T Storms 23/18 Researchers from health institutions educational level, living alone, higher Istanbul P Cloudy 14/08 Showers 13/06 in France recently conducted a study, body mass index and lower physical Jakarta T Storm 30/24 T Storm 29/24 published in JAMA Internal Medicine, activity level. Karachi Sunny 26/18 Sunny 27/18 to determine the relationship between Furthermore, they calculated a 14% London Showers 12/09 Showers 15/07 overall mortality risk and the con- higher risk of early death for each 10% Manila Sunny 33/24 M Sunny 33/24 sumption of ultra-processed food. increase of ultra-processed foods con- Moscow Rain 04/01 S Showers 02/-13 They defi ned ultra-processed foods sumed. A total of 602 deaths occurred New Delhi Sunny 23/12 Sunny 24/12 as those “manufactured industrially during the course of the study. New York M Sunny 00/-8 M Cloudy 03/-11 from multiple ingredients that usually Although the scientists acknowl- Paris Showers 14/08 Showers 16/08 include additives used for technologi- Researchers from health institutions in France calculated a 14% higher risk of edged more testing is needed to Sao Paulo S T Storms 28/19 S T Storms 29/20 cal and/or cosmetic purposes,” the early death for each 10% increase of ultra-processed foods consumed. confi rm their results, they believe the Seoul M Cloudy 14/03 P Cloudy 12/02 authors wrote in the study. “Ultrap- additives, packaging and processing Singapore P Cloudy 33/26 Cloudy 32/27 rocessed foods are mostly consumed For the assessment, the analysts submitted 24-hour dietary records of such foods could all be factors that Sydney Cloudy 28/21 S T Storms 32/17 in the form of snacks, desserts, or examined nearly 45,000 adults aged 45 every six months and completed ques- negatively impact our health. – Trib- Tokyo Clear 15/05 Cloudy 15/08 ready-to-eat or -heat meals.” and older for two years. The subjects tionnaires about their health, physical une News Service Gulf Times 24 Tuesday, March 5, 2019 QATAR

Sheikha Moza graces Silatech events in Geneva

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech, met yesterday with UN High Commissioner for Human Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech, met yesterday with the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Rights Michelle Bachelet Jeria to discuss the importance for empowering youth, as well as Silatech’s ongoing eff orts in Ali Khaire, in Geneva. During the meeting, they discussed their mutual interest in empowering youth, as well as Silatech’s the Mena region and worldwide. ongoing eff orts in Somalia and around the world.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, attended the high-level event, ‘Empowering Youth, Transforming Societies’, hosted Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Silatech, announced yesterday Silatech’s commitment to create 3mn employment by Silatech at the International Conference Centre, Geneva. Her Highness reaff irmed Silatech’s opportunities for youth globally and proposed to raise the bar to 5mn by 2022. Her Highness urged the global community to rally behind commitment to tackling rising youth unemployment through economic and social empowerment, and empower youth as the key to achieving peace and stability worldwide. particularly in developing regions with increasingly young populations.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser with the delegates of the Silatech event in Geneva. Her Highness discussed some of the challenges Silatech programmes face, including regional instability and economic exclusion. As a solution, she stressed the importance of investing in both education and employment.

Doha Film Institute to host over 100 Sheikha Moza industry experts at Qumra this year calls for creating 5mn jobs for QNA nies, sales and distribution com- “The tools that delegates provide Netfl ix; Bobby Allen, vice presi- tar-based organisations include Doha panies, and cultural and funding elevate the creative and technical dent of Content at MUBI and Sam teams from Qatar TV, Al Rayyan agencies. International delegates standards of fi lm production in Morrill, director of Curation at TV, Al Jazeera Media Network, Al come from countries ranging Qatar and the region, and hones Vimeo. Jazeera Documentary along with youth by 2022 oha Film Institute (DFI) from Chile to Italy, Canada to Ja- fi lmmakers’ ability to identify and Festivals directors of Berlinale, over 120 Qatar-based fi lm, pro- will host more than 100 pan and the UK to the USA among connect to local and global audi- Toronto, Rotterdam, Karlovy duction, media and entertain- Dinternational fi lm indus- others. Attendees from the region ences.” Vary, Marrakech, Sarajevo, IDFA, ment delegates who will also par- From Page 1 cluding regional instability and try experts who will mentor 36 include delegates from Jordan, “The unprecedented access for Visions du Reel, and program- ticipate in the programme. economic exclusion. Qumra projects from March 15 to Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, emerging talent to the world’s top mers from Directors Fortnight This year’s Qumra Masters are Sheikha Moza warned that As a solution, she stressed 20, mostly helmed by fi rst- and Turkey, Syria and Tunisia. leaders across all aspects of fi lm- and Critics Week in Cannes, Ven- French New Wave cinema leg- without decent livelihood op- the importance of investing in second-time fi lmmakers. The Qumra industry pro- making from development to dis- ice Biennale, Locarno, Tribeca end Agnes Varda, prolifi c Japa- portunities and meaningful both education and employ- Along with the Qumra Masters, gramme focuses on 36 projects tribution boosts the potential of and Mumbai among others, will nese director and writer Kiyoshi work frustrated youth become ment. the six-day event will welcome from 19 countries at various stag- projects for success. We are very be attending the work in progress Kurosawa, Polish auteur Pawel socially, politically and eco- “Education without em- accomplished fi lm directors, es of development. The sessions grateful for the generous contri- screenings of projects in post- Pawlikowski, Academy Award nomically excluded, exacerbat- ployment can lead to frustra- producers, fi lm festival directors, are presented in two strands: bution of all our industry experts production. winning Mexican production ing pressing global challenges tion and employment without programmers, consultants, fund tutorials, workshops, consulta- and look forward to facilitating There is a strong representation designer Eugenio Caballero, and like poverty, social unrest, and education is a false dream,” she managers, sales professionals, tions and one-on-one meetings this inspiring energy for the 5th of fi lm institutes and funds such Cannes award veteran Italian illegal mass migration. said. acquisition heads, script experts, for projects still in development; year in a row,” she added. as: Sundance Institute, Tribeca writer and director Alice Rohr- “Young men and women Sheikha Moza emphasised distributors, video on demand and a series of works-in-progress Consultants confi rmed to ad- Institute, Arab Fund for Arts and wacher. need the chance to earn a living the role of quality education (VoD) platforms and broadcast- screenings and feedback sessions vise on the Qumra projects in- Culture, World Cinema Fund, The Qumra 2019 industry that will allow them to support in shaping youth for the fu- ers, and other industry profes- for projects in post-production. clude fi lmmakers Rithy Panh, Eurimages Fund, Luxembourg events include the Qumra Mas- their families, contribute to so- ture, but it must be followed sionals. Qumra covers the script-to- Ghassan Salhab, Tala Hadid, Film Fund, Medienboard Berlin- terclasses, led by the Qumra Mas- ciety, and build better futures,” by meaningful employment Several of them have formed screen journey and beyond, and Annemarie Jacir, Karim Ainouz, Brandenburg, Centre Cinemato- ters; workshops and meetings for she said. “This is the hope that to give youth a chance to strong bonds to the annual event, with the inclusion of VoD and cinematographer Sofi an El Fani; graphique Marocain, Centre Na- fi rst- and second-time fi lmmak- Silatech off ers.” Established in become productive citizens which has become the premiere online platforms, fi lmmakers can editor Sebastian Sepuldeva, pro- tional du Cinema et de I’image ers with international fi lm indus- 2008, Silatech, with the help of and “the engine of economic talent hub and project incubator look beyond conventional plat- ducer Joslyn Barnes and Jean des Tunisien, Independent Filmmak- try experts in bespoke mentor- over 300 partners, has success- growth.” for new voices and compelling forms to take their projects to a Forets. Among industry leaders er Project (IFP), Torino Film Lab, ship sessions; Qumra Screenings fully empowered more than The event included speakers stories in Arab and world cinema. wider audience. attending Qumra include Franklin and Venice Biennale. of feature fi lms presented by the 1mn young people with eco- and panellists such as Michelle The 2019 Qumra industry del- “We are pleased to once again Leonard, founder of The Black- International Sales and Dis- Qumra Masters and recipients of nomic opportunities and jobs Bachelet Jeria, UN High Com- egates includes representation host the world’s leading fi lm list; Michel Reilhac, head of Stud- tributors include Wild Bunch, funding from the Institute, fol- in 17 countries. missioner for Human Rights; from more than 15 leading inter- industry professionals at our ies at Venice Biennale College and The Match Factory, New Europe lowed by question-and-answer Sheikha Moza also partici- Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Min- national fi lm festivals, and ex- Qumra 2019,” said Fatma Hassan VR expert; Funa Maduka, Content Film Sales, Stray Dogs, Films Bou- sessions; and the Qumra Talks, pated in a panel where she dis- ister of Somalia; and Filippo ecutives from some of the world’s Alremaihi, Chief Executive Of- Acquisition for Independent Fea- tique, Doc & Films, Bac Films, MC which are panel-style discussions cussed some of the challenges Grandi, UN High Commission- leading fi lm production compa- fi cer of the Doha Film Institute. ture Films & Documentaries at Distribution, among others. Qa- that cover a broad range of topics. Silatech programmes face, in- er for Refugees.