QATAR | Page 20 SPORT | Page 8 Indian court orders

INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-5, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 removal of REGION 7 BUSINESS 1–6, 10-12 Charity auction raises 19,720.00 10,428.72 53.72 ARAB WORLD 7 CLASSIFIED 7-10 BCCI chief -39.00 -8.04 -0.05 INTERNATIONAL 8–17 SPORTS 1 – 8 QR3.2mn for Aleppo -0.20% -0.08% -0.09% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10322 January 3, 2017 Rabia II 5, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Djokovic starts season with win Nutritional In brief labels must

ARAB WORLD | Confl ict Syria army presses fi ght near Damascus Syria’s army advanced yesterday for food as it battles to capture a rebel region that is key to the capital’s water supply, launching strikes and artillery fire threatening a fragile nationwide truce. Brokered by regime ally Russia and opposition products supporter Turkey, the ceasefire is now in its fourth day despite sporadic violence and continued he Ministry of Public Health to modify their situation accordingly fighting in the Wadi Barada area (MoPH) announced yesterday before the actual enforcement of the near Damascus. Page 7 Tthat nutrition information labels regulations. must be provided for imported food The fi rst stage entails providing la- EUROPE | Security Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany in the first round of the Qatar products, which are ready-to-eat or to bels in English, and Arabic will be in- ExxonMobil Open tennis tournament in Doha yesterday. Djokovic battled back from 5-1 down in the first set against be consumed after heating. cluded later. However, the batches Istanbul attacker Struff to claim his first victory of the season. Sport Page 1 The directive is in line with the im- and consignments of imported food remains on the run plementation of the requirements of products without such labels will be Islamic State militants yesterday the GCC Technical Regulations No released, after pasting a sticker that claimed the shooting rampage at a GSO 9/2013. The facts should include includes the necessary information, glamorous Istanbul nightclub that the nutritional values of the packaged under the supervision of MoPH Food killed 39 on New Year’s night, while food (carbohydrates, fats, protein, fi - Safety and Health Department. police arrested eight suspects but bre, and energy), in addition to the The health ministry stressed that the the attacker remained on the run. values of salts, minerals, vitamins and fi rst stage of implementing the regula- The statement by the extremist calories. tions regarding the nutrition informa- group - which Turkey is fighting in IS car bomb kills 24 “The nutrition information label is tion label would not cover the types neighbouring Syria - was the first very important as it informs consum- of food products imported for serv- undisputed claim it has made for ers about the suitability of food for ices’ companies such as those to be an attack in Turkey despite being their needs and whether it is useful for used at kitchens, and the preparation blamed for several assaults over the them or not,” the MoPH explained in a and manufacturing of food, in addi- last year. Page 12 in Baghdad square statement. tion to the types that would not be sold It was in May 2016 that the health in their original packages (sale in kilo EAST ASIA | Accident ministry informed importers and trad- or repackaging), fresh vegetables and 25 killed as vehicles Reuters At least one of the strikes may have tional coalition fi ghting Islamic State ers about the requirements, including fruits, fresh meat and fi sh, complete Baghdad/Tikrit caused civilian casualties. was killed in a “non-combat related the nutrition information label, as a carcasses of slaughtered animals, the collide in Thailand Islamic State has lost most of the incident” yesterday, the US military mandatory condition for allowing the types in small packages with a surface At least 25 people were killed territory it seized in a blitz across said. entry of imported food products into of no more than 20sq cm, packaged yesterday in a horrific accident when n Islamic State car bomb killed northern and western Iraq in 2014 and It did not disclose the name, nation- Qatar. water of various types while abiding by two vehicles collided and caught fire 24 people in a busy square in ceding Mosul would probably spell the ality or circumstances surrounding the The health ministry had granted the the approved mineral rates, and food on a highway in eastern Thailand, ABaghdad’s sprawling Sadr City end of its self-styled caliphate. incident but said it was investigating. companies and importers concerned imported for non-commercial pur- police said. A pickup truck heading district yesterday and the militants But it would still be capable of wag- Since the drive to recapture Mosul a grace period of over seven months poses. to Klaeng district in Rayong with also temporarily cut a key road north ing a guerrilla-style insurgency in Iraq began on Oct 17, elite forces have re- 12 passengers in the cab and the from the Iraqi capital to Mosul, their and plotting or inspiring attacks on the taken a quarter of the city in the big- open cargo area crashed with a van last major stronghold in Iraq. West. gest ground operation in Iraq since coming from the opposite direction, Islamic State said in an online state- “The terrorists will attempt to at- the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled resulting in a fire on the two vehicles ment it had targeted a gathering of tack civilians in order to make up for Saddam Hussain. in the eastern province of Chonburi, Shias. their losses, but we assure the Iraqi Abadi has said the group will be No proof Russia hacking The Bangkok Post reported. The Sixty-seven people were wounded people and the world that we are able driven out of the country by April. van was carrying 15 passengers in the blast. to end terrorism and shorten its life,” Clashes continued in and around from Chanthaburi to Bangkok when At least four other attacks across Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Mosul yesterday. ‘infl uenced US election’ the accident took place yesterday the city, some also claimed by Islamic after talks with visiting French Presi- Meanwhile, militant gunmen wear- afternoon. Police said 11 people in State, killed nine more people, bring- dent Francois Hollande. ing suicide vests stormed a police sta- the truck and 14 people in the van, ing the total death toll from bombings Yesterday’s blast in Sadr City hit a tion in the Iraqi city of Samarra yester- Reuters being quick to pin the blame on Russia including the three-year-old boy, in Baghdad over the past three days to square where day labourers typically day, sparking clashes with the security Washington for the hacking of US e-mails. died. more than 60. gather. forces, offi cials said. “The idea that we’re jumping to In addition, seven policemen were Nine of the victims were women in a “There was a terror attack on Mu- conclusions before we have a fi nal re- AMERICAS t| Gang fi gh killed near the southern Iraqi city of passing minibus, whose charred bod- tawakil police station, now the Iraqi o evidence has emerged to sug- port is irresponsible,” Spicer told CNN. 60 inmates killed Najaf on Sunday. ies were visible inside the burnt-out forces are besieging them,” interior gest Russian hacking infl u- President Barack Obama expelled 35 The upsurge in violence comes as remains of the vehicle. ministry spokesman Saad Maan told Nenced the outcome of the US Russian suspected spies and imposed in Brazil jail riot US-backed Iraqi forces are fi ghting to Blood stained the ground nearby. reporters. presidential election and it would be sanctions on two Russian intelligence Rioting inmates in Brazil decapitated push Islamic State from the northern A parked car bomb targeting a Sunni The Islamic State group claimed irresponsible to jump to conclusions agencies last week for alleged Krem- and brutally assaulted their rivals, city of Mosul, where the militants are religious fi gure near a mosque in west- responsibility for the attack in cen- before receiving a fi nal intelligence re- lin involvement in hacking that intel- killing at least 60, when fighting putting up fi erce resistance. ern Baghdad killed fi ve people, and tral Samarra, a city 110km north of port, Donald Trump’s spokesman said ligence offi cials said aimed to help the erupted between two gangs at Islamic State said yesterday’s at- another blast close to a hospital in the Baghdad, via its propaganda agency yesterday. Republican Trump defeat Democrat a prison in the Amazon region, tacks were revenge for “the repeated centre killed one civilian and wounded Amaq. “There is zero evidence that they in- Hillary Clinton in the Nov 8 election. off icials said yesterday. The 17-hour targeting of health institutions in Nin- nine, police and medical sources said. Maan said the attackers holed up in- fl uenced the election,” Sean Spicer told Leading lawmakers from both par- riot broke out on Sunday afternoon eveh province” by the US-led coalition In the southeastern Zaafraniya dis- side the police station were exchanging Fox News. ties have voiced alarm at the sugges- and lasted through the night at a backing Iraqi forces. trict, two more people were killed and fi re with the security forces besieging Due to become White House press tion of Russian interference, whether prison on the outskirts of Manaus, That was an apparent reference to seven wounded when a car bomb ex- them. secretary when Trump enters the or not it made a diff erence in the out- the capital of Amazonas state, said two air strikes last month on hospi- ploded. A police major from Salaheddin White House on Jan 20, Spicer told come. state public security secretary tals in eastern Mosul, one where Iraqi A bomb affi xed to a vehicle in the province where Samarra is located said CNN the president-elect would see the Republican John McCain, chairman Sergio Fontes. He called it “the forces were under attack and another eastern area of Baladiyat killed one fi ve attackers had already been killed intelligence report once it was com- of the Senate Armed Services Commit- biggest massacre” ever committed which the US military said had targeted person and wounded four. and added that reinforcements had pleted later this week. tee, has scheduled a Thursday hearing at a prison in the state. Page 9 militants sitting in a van. A service member from the interna- been deployed. Page 7 On Saturday, Trump warned against on foreign cyber threats. Page 9 Top court upholds death sentence of Indian expats

By Ramesh Mathew after it was presented with sound now further reduced his life term to days later, based on the clues provided All the convicts come from the Qatar last June to move the Supreme Staff Reporter evidence to prove the involvement 15 years in jail. by the housemaid. The maid recog- southern Indian state of Tamil Court after the Court of Appeals had of the first and second accused in the The verdict of the Court of Ap- nised the trio during an identifi cation Nadu. WhileChelladurai, 45, is a upheld the death sentence of the de- crime. peals was delivered on May 30 last parade and testifi ed against them in the native of Virudhanagar, Alagappa fendants pronounced by the lower atar’s Supreme Court has con- According to the prosecution, year. The lawyer of the convicts had trial court. is reportedly from Pudukottai and court. Suresh Kumar’s trip was made fi rmed the death sentence of Chelladurai Perumal, Alagappa moved the Supreme Court against Reacting to the judgment yester- Sivakumar from Salem, sources possible by the monetary assistance Qtwo Indian expatriates who Subramanium and Sivakumar Ar- the ruling of the Court of Appeals day, Nizar Kochery, who represented said. provided by the government of Tamil had been found guilty by lower courts asan , the first, second and third within the stipulated two-month the convicts at the apex court, said A lawyer from India had arrived in Nadu. of murdering a local lady at her Doha accused respectively in the case, period. he was awaiting copies of the verdict home in 2012. killed the old Qatari lady while Giving the details of the case, a legal to decide the future course of action. However, the life imprisonment trying to burgle her house in the source said the trio used to work at a “One needs to wait a few days for re- Motorist ordered to pay blood money awarded to the third accused, also Salata Jadeed area some four years construction site near the house where ceiving the copies of the judgement,” an Indian expatriate, has been re- ago. the victim lived. She used to occasion- he said. A Doha Criminal Court has ordered The defendant was also fined QR1,000 duced to 15 years in jail by the apex The third accused Sivakumar Ar- ally feed the men. On the fateful night, The lawyer said the Indian embassy a motorist to pay a blood money of for reckless driving, local Arabic daily court. asan, who was also sentenced to the men entered the house to steal had been informed about the Supreme QR200,000, in collaboration with the Arrayah reported yesterday. The vic- Legal sources said the Supreme death by the trial court, had got a valuables but were seen by the lady and Court verdict. insurance company concerned, to the tim was trying to cross the road after Court upheld the death sentence reprieve from the Court of Appeals, her housemaid, who was the sole wit- An Indian embassy offi cial said the legal heirs of an Asian man who was getting off a bus, when the defendant handed down by the trial court and which commuted his sentence to life ness in the case. mission has been updated about the fatally run over. ran over him. later confirmed by the appeals court imprisonment. The apex court has The suspects were arrested a few case but refused to elaborate. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 QATAR

Falcon festival takes off

The eighth edition of Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival got under way on January 1. The festival, which runs until January 28, is taking place at the Sabkhat Marmi (saltflats) in Mesaieed (Sealine area). Pictures show a falconer launching his bird as spectators watch from a distance. Exchange houses QRCS purchases high-tech medical equipment for Gaza health facility in Qatar still lack atar Red Crescent Soci- supervision of the Islamic De- “Fractional CO2 Laser is cru- He commended QRCS’s role ety (QRCS) has bought velopment Bank (IDB). cial for plastic surgeries, as it is in procuring these equipment, Q$150,000 worth of new “For years now, we have been the only therapy for post-burn which will help patients and high-tech medical equipment demanding these two devices, scars and wrinkles, warts, pap- boost medical services at Gaza for the Palestinian Ministry of which are vital for many pa- illoma, and other benign skin hospitals. He also called for the Health’s (MoH) Al Shifa Medi- tients in Gaza. The Pulsed Dye growths,” he explained. professional development of lo- Indian currency cal Complex in Gaza. Laser removes red-coloured According to Dr al-Talmas, cal medical personnel to ensure In a statement, QRCS said skin marks, such as port-wine the CO2 Laser technology can higher quality services. By Joseph Varghese However, some exchange pointed,” he added. the procurement is part of the stains, birth marks on the skin, be used also in eye, nose, and First-of-their-kind in Pal- Staff Reporter houses said that they have some A staff member at Al Dar for $18mn project of equipping or facial thread veins. The treat- throat or ENT; obstetrics and estinian health facilities, such limited stock of Indian currency Exchange said that they have the complex’s specialised sur- ment takes only eight sessions,” gynaecology, and general sur- technologies will help around most of which they have re- some amount of Indian cur- gery building, funded by the Dr Galaa al-Talmas, plastic gery treatment. However, these 500 patients in Gaza, who pre- uch to the chagrin of ceived from the customers who rency. Programme of the Gulf Co- surgery, laser, and burns con- applications require specialised viously need to seek costly the Indian expatriates returned from India. One coun- “We have got only Rs2,000 operation Council for the Re- sultant at the Al Shifa Medical training available only outside treatment abroad and amid Min Qatar, most of the ter staff at Al Zaman Exchange notes. We don’t have any other construction of Gaza, under the Complex, said. of Palestine. travel restrictions. money exchange houses in the said, “We have not got any cur- currency. People are asking for country still do not have enough rency from the offi cial sources smaller denominations but un- Indian currency after the gov- so far. However, some custom- fortunately, we don’t have stock ernment of India demonetised ers bring us the currency for ex- of smaller denominations.” Rs500 and 1,000 notes. change which we sell back to the KNS Das, general manager, In a surprise move, the prime customers who come asking for Trust Exchange said, “Indian minister of India declared the Indian currency.” currency is available on a lim- demonetisation of these notes on ited scale. In high denomination, November 8 last year which, he “As you know, we cannot only 2,000 rupee notes are avail- claimed, was a step against illegal sell the currency until we able.” or black money, resulting in more get it from offi cial sources’’ A staff member of the UAE than 85% of the Indian currency Exchange said that they have becoming null and void. “As you know, we cannot not got any Indian currency in It was expected that the ex- sell the currency until we get it stock. “We have no stock of In- change houses will be in posses- from official sources. It is ex- dian currency and we have no sion of the new currency notes at pected that only after the cur- idea when we will get it. Several the earliest possible. However, rent currency crisis in India is people visit us every day asking enquiries with various exchange solved, we might get sufficient for Indian currency. We hope houses revealed that they are amount of money. Whatever the situation will improve soon still to get the currency from the currency we get from people and the customers will be able authorities almost two months who visit us to convert them to to get the currency in all de- after the announcement, and riyals, are sold back to others. nominations.” most of them have no idea when However, the demand is so high Enquiries with other money they will get suffi cient amount of and we cannot meet it resulting exchange houses also revealed currency. in several people go back disap- the same story.

Supreme Committee takes part in FIFA World Cup Legacy conference

QNA Major Sporting Events” discuss- that the tournament may only Doha ing SC competition venues and last a month, but the commu- Al Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza has received high-tech medical equipment from QRCS. legacy projects, including so- nity will benefi t in the decades cial, human and environmental to come.” he Supreme Committee legacy. The conference was at- Three months’ free data for new Shahry Smart customers In brief for Delivery & Legacy (SC) “It is rare to be part of a con- tended by State Secretary — Ttook part in the confer- ference with representatives Deputy Minister at the Rus- Ooredoo has launched a special off er for all new ‘Favourite Number’ off ering free calls/SMS to a ence which was organised by from three Olympic Games and sian Federation Ministry of Shahry Smart customers that will give them three selected number for just QR100 per month. Russia 2018 Local Organising four World Cups, as we share Sport Natalya Parshikova, months’ worth of data for free, whether upgrading Eligible Shahry Smart packs for the free data Committee under the title “FWC experiences and knowledge in General Director of the Russia from Hala or signing-up for the first time. off er are available at QR100, QR150, QR250, and Advisory Council — 2018: Shaping the Future. Im- the impact of event planning, 2018 Local Organising Com- New customers who subscribe to the Shahry 100 QR450 per month. holds weekly pact and Legacy of Major Sport- operational planning and legacy mittee Alexey Sorokin, Special pack will get 6GB of free data for three months Shahry Smart packs are post-paid bundles and ing Events”. planning for hosting such a mega Adviser to UN Secretary Gen- (18GB in total) while Shahry 150 and above include a mix of local and international minutes, meeting Communications Director event,” said al-Nuaimi. eral on Sport for Development subscriptions will enjoy 15GB per month for three SMS and mobile data. The free data off er will be at SC Fatma al-Nuaimi made a “Since we won the bid to host and Peace Wilfried Lemke and months (45GB in total). available for all Shahry Smart QR100 and above The Advisory Council held its presentation in the fi rst plenary the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we Head of Sustainability and Di- The Shahry Smart 100 pack includes 500 subscriptions registered via Ooredoo Shops until regular weekly session yesterday session, titled “Growing Impor- have incorporated legacy in all versity at FIFA Federico Ad- local minutes/SMS, 1GB of local data and one February 28. under the chairmanship of HE tance of Legacy and Impact of of our plans, keeping in mind diechi. the Speaker of Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Khulaifi. At outset of the meeting, HE the Secretary-General of the Advisory Council Fahad bin Mubarak al- Khayareen read out the agenda HMC’s Muaither complex provides mental health service to children which was agreed upon. Then the Council endorsed the minutes of its previous session. amad Medical Corpo- One young patient who is behaviour, such as an extreme ple who require more intensive Nothing we did would work,” perceptions within the com- The Council reviewed a draft law ration’s (HMC) Child benefi ting from the expanded reduction of food intake or ex- treatment have also been ex- said the mother. munity.” amending some provisions of Hand Adolescent Men- outpatient services is Maria treme overeating. Eating disor- panded. “We got a referral to CAMHS Access to HMC’s community- the Penal Code promulgated by tal Health Service’s (CAMHS) (not her real name), who was ders commonly co-occur with According to Maria’s parents, and were lucky to get an early based mental health services for Law No 11 of 2004, and decided Muaither Complex 2 provides born fi ve years ago without any anxiety disorders. For those who her problem began with a sore appointment. Later Maria’s case children and adolescents is by to refer it to the Legal and mental healthcare to a large known mental health condition. have an anxiety disorder, a co- throat that prevented Maria was diagnosed as food anxiety,” referral from a Primary Health Legislative Aff airs Committee number of patients up to the age Maria ate normally as a newborn occurring eating disorder may from eating properly for a few the couple explained. Care Corporation centre, private to study it and submit a report of 18 every month, it was an- and toddler, but in July last year make their symptoms worse days. Once her throat recovered, Dr al-Muaisi pointed out clinic, or an HMC service, such thereon to the Council. nounced yesterday. she began refusing to swallow and recovery more diffi cult. It’s she continued to be afraid to eat; that Maria’s case was just one as the Paediatric Department at Meanwhile, the Legal and The centre supports parents solid food. therefore essential to treat both fearing the pain associated with of the complex mental health Hamad General Hospital or the Legislative Aff airs Committee of children aff ected by mental After seeking medical atten- disorders,” explained Dr May swallowing would return. cases affecting young chil- Mental Health Service. of the Advisory Council held a health conditions and changing tion, Maria was diagnosed with Jassim al-Muraisi. “It is not that if you put dren, received at CAMHS on a CAMHS operates routine clin- meeting yesterday presided over how mental health is viewed in a form of mental illness called In recent years, HMC has something in her mouth that daily basis. “It is a good thing ics all days of the week, except by its rapporteur Nasser Rashid the community. food anxiety, a complex eating made signifi cant expansion to she would spit it out, she would that the parents realised there Wednesday. The service’s users Seraye al-Kaabi. CAMHS, part of HMC’s Men- disorder that can have severe its child and adolescent men- not even try to taste it. She was was a problem and they sought include children with varying The committee studied a draft tal Health Service, opened its physical and emotional conse- tal health service through the afraid to eat. We tried every- medical assistance. We recog- types of mental health disorders law amending some provisions of Muaither Complex 2 in April last quences if left untreated. development of a community- thing. We tried to force her and nise the importance of ensur- and conditions, such as depres- the Penal Code promulgated by year. Presently, the facility re- “An eating disorder is present based outpatient and daycare threatened her. We even tried ing the confidentiality of their sion, anxiety, bipolar disorder as Law No 11 of 2004, and decided ceives between 20 and 35 refer- when a person experiences se- programme. Inpatient services leaving her alone, thinking she medical condition to prevent well as other psychological and to submit its report thereon to rals a week. vere disturbances in their eating for children and young peo- was just being a picky eater. any stigmatisation or incorrect physiological problems. the Advisory Council.

Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 QATAR Researchers take Businesses at Barwa hope part in workshop on study of for increase in footfall genomic data By Joey Aguilar particularly in 2016, with a sub- Staff Reporter stantial decrease and cancella- esearchers from vari- QGP, said the workshop pro- tion of orders. ous institutes in Qatar vides a hands-on introduc- The company, he noted, is Rrecently took part in a tion to the research and clini- any business estab- known for its European-de- two-day workshop on WuXi cal interpretation interfaces lishments operating at signed beds, chairs, tables and NextCODE’s Genomically- through which researchers will MBarwa Commercial Av- stools, sofas and armchairs, and Ordered Relational (GOR) da- be able to conduct their future enue have expressed optimism desks, among others. tabase platform, an analysis analyses on genomic data. that their profi ts will improve An employee of a Qatar-based suite that will help individuals The platform features sev- this year despite facing “huge furniture company at Barwa in this fi eld to eff ectively study eral useful tools, including a challenges” in 2016. shared the same experience say- genomic data. clinical sequence analyser, Speaking to Gulf Times, an ing 2016 has been the most chal- The workshop sessions, held which is a web-based tool employee of a furniture company lenging year for them. at Sidra Medical and Research ideal for analysing genomic said they expect to receive more She said they saw a big drop Center allowed participants data from single patients and clients in the coming months in sales and orders, as well as to run sample queries on large small-families with rare, ge- due to the increasing number of projects, compared to their fi g- external datasets and ask ques- netic disorders. The sequence construction projects across the ures in 2014 and 2015 where tions about the GOR database miner is a Java-based applica- country. profi ts soared beyond their tar- platform and how it can help tion that enables analysis of “The fact that the FIFA 2022 gets. their own projects. Attendees clinical and genomic data of World Cup is getting closer “We experienced a slowdown learned how to perform qual- multiple families and patient means they will expedite con- in the last quarter of 2016, but ity control analysis, single and cohorts. struction of the required infra- we hope to overcome such chal- small family analysis, and co- Qatar Biobank and the Qatar structure for the tournament, lenges in the next few months,” hort analysis, including clinical Genome Programme (QGP), and we hope to see a surge in the she stressed. and genomic data. both members of Qatar Foun- demand for building furniture,” She said they are also trying The GOR database is the dation for Education, Science he explained. to cope up with the heavy and A number of stores expect footfall to increase in the coming months. main engine used to perform and Community Develop- According to the employee, still growing competition in the variant annotation and inter- ment, have now generated the they expect to get a fi llip from market by further enhancing quality products,” she said, citing An employee of an apparel fer to shoppers this year, he said pretation analysis. It can store fi rst 3,000 whole genomes and the growing population and Qa- their products such as sanitary that they were among the pio- shop said they received a large footfall will continue to drop data on hundreds of thousands inputting the phenotypic data tar market, which he believes can fi ttings, fl ooring and wall tiles, neers at Barwa. number of customers from their despite lowering the prices of of samples in one database, on the WuXi NextCODE GOR go beyond the prestigious foot- bathroom ceramics, and bath- Meanwhile, retailers operating opening day early last year until various items. and its interface off ers re- database for further study and ball event. room accessories, among others. at another building in the same Ramadan but footfall started to “Customers always ask us if searchers an easy way to access are developing partnerships However, he admitted that the “With more than 30 years of area have a diff erent view saying drop from the Eid and summer we have new designs but we have and analyse data from multiple with local stakeholders to in- oil price slowdown had signifi - operating here, we know that they might close shop if sales will holidays, until the end of 2016. nothing to show now except old subjects simultaneously. crease the quality of genomic cantly aff ected their business, customers will always go for the remain low this year. Without any new items to of- stocks,” he stressed. Dr Said Ismail, manager of data analysis.

Three technical inspection centres Temperature in Doha to drop Sweets shop and eateries to open in Feb Three new automobile technical he maximum tem- tal visibility over most ar- Al Khor are expected to perature of 13C is fore- violate food safety norms inspection stations of Fahes perature in Doha eas at fi rst and strong wind experience a maximum cast today at Mesaieed are to be opened by the end of Tis forecast to come at places during the day. temperature of 25C, fol- and Wakrah, followed by oha Municipality’s health February or early March, local down to 26C today from The off shore warning is lowed by 22C at Ruwais 14C at Abu Samra, 16C at control section has spotted a Arabic daily Arrayah reported yesterday’s 29C. strong wind and high seas and Abu Samra and 21C at Al Khor, 18C at Dukhan, Dnumber of food shops violat- yesterday. There is an inshore by afternoon. Dukhan. and 19C at Ruwais and in ing the rules of food health and safety. Fahes general director Eid warning of poor horizon- Mesaieed, Wakrah and The minimum tem- Doha. These include a sweets shop in the Mohamed al-Kubaisi said Markhiyah area, a restaurant in Old Al these stations will come up Ghanim, and another restaurant in Bin in Al Wukair, Al Khor and Al Mahmoud. All were spotted preparing Shehaniyah and all of them will food in unhygienic conditions. have number plate workshops A café was issued a violation notice as too. customers complained that the coff ee Two of these stations will machine contained insects, which was comprise four lines to inspect later confi rmed by the inspectors. The light vehicles while Al Khor café was told to keep the machine clean. station will have three lines for The Ministry of Municipality and En- Food stored in unhygienic conditions. light vehicles and another line for vironment’s (MME) agriculture quar- trucks. antine offi ce inspected 6,016 consign- Al Khor and Al Thakhira Municipality The total cost of these stations ments of imported agriculture products implemented 3,015 requests and appli- is about QR90-100mn. There is in December 2016. These weighed cations to combat rodents and insects also a plan to include number around 65,893 tonnes. From these, 59 last year. plate workshops at all Fahes consignments of around 63 tonnes were The MME’s Environment Protection, stations in co-operation with the destroyed for being infected with vari- Protectorates, and Wildlife Department Traff ic Department and the three ous bugs. Meanwhile, 35 consignments spotted 845 environmental violations upcoming three new stations ready to be exported and weighing last year and issued 2,030 warnings to would be the first phase of this around 36 tonnes were inspected as well. the violators. plan. Sports academy names new GM

heikh Faisal Sports The company is one of the He also holds under his Academy (SFQ) has leading holding companies belt the universities’ local Sappointed Islam El- in the region with more than and international heavy- rayes as its general manager. 30 subsidiaries in Qatar, in weight championship for the “Elrayes will work to further addition to investments in years 1996 and 1997, and Qa- enhance the academy’s op- Jordan, Algeria, Lebanon, the tar heavy weight champion erations and generate new UK, Germany and the US. for the years 2012 and 2013. line of activities and events, Elrayes is also a medals “With the help of the besides boosting the exist- awarded athlete, and holds outstanding SFQ Academy Islam Elrayes ing ones,” it was mentioned a 4th Dan black belt in Taek- team, I will help to broaden in a statement yesterday. wondo. He is a member of the base of sports activities He also thanked “HE Elrayes has to his credit Qatar’s Taekwondo referees, in the Academy to include Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim impressive management an ex-member of Egypt’s all ages. We will also work to al-Thani and the board of experience as he worked as national team, in addition develop the system assist- directors for their trust.” an internal auditor at KPMG of scoring a good number of ance to the secretion of tal- SFQ sports academy was for four years and later as medals at local and interna- ent, with the expansion plan established in 2012 with the internal audit manager at Al tional tournaments between in Qatar to cover all areas,” guidance and support of HE Faisal Holding. 1992 and 1997. Elrayis said. Sheikh Faisal. Qmic and SmartEnds tie up

atar Mobility Innova- expertise in IoT hardware advantage of the main tech- the potential of digital in- tions Centre (Qmic), sensor and wireless com- nological strengths of both novations and IoT in creat- Qone of the fi rst IoT munications technology enterprises. ing value and enabling smart (Internet of Things) technol- and solutions, will explore Qmic is leading the Mena living. Hence, we are very ogy enterprises in the Mena creating robust end-to-end region market in deliver- pleased to form a partnership region, and Belgium-based, low power wide area net- ing homegrown intelligent with an emerging startup SmartEnds, a leading IoT work IoT solutions. platforms and solutions to company like SmartEnds to networks technology and This will generate great enable smart living which deliver end-to-end IoT so- solutions provider, have an- possibilities for new market includes its Labeeb IoT plat- lutions that utilise our com- nounced a new partnership verticals and businesses in form, Masarak Smart Mobil- prehensive and user-friendly to explore delivery of joint Qatar and the Mena region. ity platform and services, and Labeeb IoT platform jointly innovative low power IoT In addition, this confl uence is Hawa’ak environment moni- with their Low Power IoT solutions in Qatar and the expected to spark innovation toring platform and services. devices and applications.” broader Mena region. and accelerate additional re- SmartEnds is focused on Noman Ahmed, CEO, The partnership brings search and development in the delivering advanced, high- SmartEnds, commented, together ‘a unique blend’ of IoT technologies and solutions quality and innovative Low “The partnership with Qmic Qatari and Belgian innova- space in the Mena region. Power WAN Network node will be pivotal for doing co- tion enterprises together in The partnership will lever- devices to customers in the innovation in IoT while of- the same IoT space. Qmic age the respective strengths EMEA region fering businesses in Qatar as a leading IoT technol- of Qmic and SmartEnds Dr Adnan Abu-Dayya, and beyond Qatar the oppor- ogy enterprise in the Mena across the IoT solutions executive director and CEO tunity to diversify into new region with its Labeeb IoT spectrum and will enable of Qmic, said, “We strongly businesses using the end to Cloud Services Enablement the delivery of unique end believe in having win-win end solutions off ering from Platform, and SmartEnd’s to end IoT solutions taking partnerships to fully realise this combined forces”. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 5 QATAR

Bentley model QU honours recalled

he Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), Tin collaboration with Al Wajba Establishment, has an- 17 PhD and nounced the recall of Bentley- Bentayga model year 2017 over a potential defect in the front seats bolts which are not torqued enough. The MEC said the recall cam- paign comes within the frame- work of its ongoing eff orts to MA scholars protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on ve- he Scholarships and the benefi ts and challenges of lege of Education), Sultana hicle defects and repairs. Partnerships Offi ce at studying abroad. al-Nabet, Shaikha al-Saud and The MEC will co-ordinate TQatar University (S&P A total of 17 returned scholars Hameda Janahi (College of En- with the dealer to follow up on Offi ce-QU) yesterday held its were given awards in recogni- gineering), Mohsin al-Marri A scholar shakes hands with QU president Dr Hassan al-Derham at the ceremony. the maintenance and repair sixth annual Scholarship and tion of their commitment and (College of Law), and Mohamad works and communicate with Sponsorship Students’ gath- academic achievements while al-Sai, Abdul Aziz al-Thani and QU’s role in the region and to re- Rankings list 2015-16,” he said. Wazen gave an overview on the customers to ensure that the ering. The event aimed to cel- on the programme. They in- Omar al- Khatib (College of alise the university’s vision.” He told the students that the offi ce, noting that 29 students necessary repairs are carried out. ebrate returned scholars who cluded fi ve PhD scholars - Seeta Sharia and Islamic Studies). Dr al-Derham also stressed Scholarships and Partnerships have been selected in 2016 The MEC has urged all cus- pursue their education in pres- al-Athba (College of Arts and Dr al-Derham described the the importance of attract- Offi ce gives them the opportu- from various colleges and de- tomers to report any violations tigious international univer- Sciences), Al Anoud al-Maa- event as an occasion to listen to ing high-qualifi ed faculty and nity to pursue graduate studies partments across QU to pursue to its Consumer Protection and sities and whose experiences deed and AbdulAziz al-Ali (Col- the experiences of the returned researchers from all over the at top universities around the scholarships and sponsorships Anti-Commercial Fraud De- inspire current students. lege of Engineering), Muna al- scholars while studying abroad world, which contributes to world. at universities around the world. partment through the follow- QU president Dr Hassan al- Marzouqi (College of Law), and and to give them an overview of strengthening the university’s “After graduation, you will “Currently, 119 students are ing channels: Hotline: 16001, Derham was joined by mem- Noora Lari (Social and Econom- the objectives of the Scholar- global dimension. contribute with your expertise being managed by the Offi ce - e-mail: [email protected], Twit- bers of QU leadership, deans ic Survey Research Institute) ships and Partnerships Offi ce at “This is refl ected in QU’s to adding value to Qatar Uni- 46 scholarship students who are ter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: and heads of departments. - and 12 MA scholars - Abdulla Qatar University. achievement of the fi rst versity, your college, and your pursuing Masters programmes, MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for The event was also an op- al-Otaibi, Hayat al-Jabiry, and “The investment in national place among 200 institu- department. We look forward 44 scholarship students who Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar portunity for scholars to pro- Dalal al-Dosari (College of Arts competencies gives us the re- tions worldwide in the Inter- to maintaining a real commu- are pursuing PhD programmes, vide prospective scholarship and Sciences), Sara al-Rasheed sponsibility to contribute to national Outlook indicator nication between you and the two under sponsorship, and 27 holders with an insight into (College of Business and Eco- building the future generation in the overall Times Higher university.” preparing to leave for studies Careem now postgraduate education and nomics), Rouda al-Marri (Col- of skilled expertise to advance Education World University S&P Offi ce director Cesar abroad,” he added. in Wakrah Careem, an app-based car booking service, has expanded its operations in Al Wakrah, Qatar yesterday, adding to its existing Doha city map. Dreama signs deal to enhance orphans’ care Free rides will be given today within Al Wakrah if users enter promo code ALWAKRAH. OS Children’s Villages, to caring for children without managing director Nicole our care,” al-Misned said in a leged children with appropri- been operating in the Mena re- It was in August 2016 that Gulf area, and Dreama parental care and those at risk Nassar. statement. ate care, rehabilitation and gion since 1968. The organisa- Careem announced its off icial Shave signed a memoran- of losing it while Dreama is a “We have faith that bring- The agreement will help protection. tion has established villages partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of dum of understanding (MoU) pioneering centre in providing ing in expertise with local Dreama leverage more than 65 “When we team up, share in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Transportation and Communication to exchange knowledge and care to orphans and integrat- perspective can result in great years expertise of SOS Chil- knowledge and act together, we Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, to strengthen its operations. provide capacity building for ing them into the society in benefi t to both parties. The dren’s Villages in integrating get that much closer to fi nding Tunisia, and Morocco, and runs Careem users will have access the best interest of orphans in Qatar. two organisations work for the best-in-class social, scien- eff ective solutions to the criti- several programmes aimed at to complete information on their Qatar. The MoU was signed by best interest of the children tifi c, economic and cultural cal problems and challenges providing children with quality captains who drive them around SOS Children’s Villages is Dreama executive director in need and thus we share the practices in child upbringing children are facing today,” care and educational support, their cities, as well as a call centre, an international non-govern- Mariam al-Misned and SOS same vision of bringing the into their projects with a view Nassar said. as well as empowering local according to a statement issued mental organisation dedicated Children’s Villages, Gulf area, best future for the children in to providing the underprivi- SOS Children’s Villages has communities. yesterday.

Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 7 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Bombing, Battle against IS prevents air strikes kill 25 in attacks at home: Hollande Yemen AFP A suicide bomber detonated Aden an explosives-laden car on a square in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighbourhood, leven civilians, including killing at least 32 people in fi ve members of one fam- the latest attack on the Iraqi Eily, and 14 Houthi rebels capital claimed by IS have been killed in shelling and air strikes in Yemen in two days, AFP military and rebel sources said Arbil, Iraq yesterday. An air strike by the pro-gov- ernment coalition killed fi ve Shia estern support for rebels yesterday when it targeted military action a convoy of three vehicles in Wagainst the Islamic Marees, in the southern province State group is key to prevent- of Daleh, a military offi cial said. ing attacks at home, French One of the vehicles was trans- President Francois Hollande porting weapons, the offi cial said yesterday in Iraq, where yet said, adding three other rebels another bombing killed dozens. were wounded in the strike. A suicide bomber detonated Six other insurgents were an explosives-laden car on a killed in a similar raid on two square in Baghdad’s Sadr City vehicles in Al-Makhdara, in the neighbourhood, killing at least central province of Marib, an- 32 people in the latest attack on other military offi cial said. the Iraqi capital claimed by IS. Shelling by government forces France, one of the most active killed three more rebels in the members of the US-led coali- same area of Marib, east of the tion fi ghting the Sunni extrem- rebel-held capital Sanaa. ist group, is particularly con- The coalition started an air cerned over the return of a large campaign against the Iran- contingent of French jihadists backed rebels in March 2015 af- from Syria and Iraq. ter the insurgents closed in on “Taking action against ter- President Abd-Rabbu Mansour rorism here in Iraq is also pre- Hadi in his refuge in the south- venting acts of terrorism on our ern city of Aden. own soil,” Hollande said at a Rebel media accused the coa- base where French soldiers have lition of conducting air strikes been training elite Iraqi forces. yesterday across several regions Hollande, the only major in Yemen, killing two civilians Western head of state to have in the western province of Ho- visited Baghdad since the coali- A woman walks past the site of car bomb attack in a busy square at Baghdad’s sprawling Sadr City district, in Iraq yesterday. deida. tion was set up in 2014, stressed A military offi cial said an air that supporting Iraq was one of families with them, including operations to retake the city. the largest Shia political bloc, for Iraqi forces, partly because targets.A suicide car bomb blast strike on Sunday hit a house in the surest ways of securing Eu- in some cases very young chil- Australia, Britain and Italy and called for reconciliation and hundreds of thousands of civil- killed at least 32 people and Marib, killing fi ve members of rope. dren,” Hollande said. are also part of the 60-member unity after IS is defeated. ians have remained in the city, wounded more than 60 yester- the same family. Of European countries tar- Since it joined the United coalition supporting Iraq’s ef- He then fl ew to the northern slowing their advance. day in Baghdad’s Shia majority It took place in the village of geted by terror attacks claimed States in the coalition in Sep- forts against IS. city of Arbil, the capital of Iraq’s Abadi had promised his forc- neighbourhood of Sadr City. Wadi Habab, in the Sarwah re- or inspired by IS, France has tember 2014, France says its Hollande said the recapture autonomous Kurdish region, es would rid the country of IS by Police offi cials said the gion, a major front in the war be- been the worst hit, but attacks warplanes have conducted of Mosul, Iraq’s second city and where he met local leader Mas- the end of 2016 but he said last bomber struck on a square tween the rebels and forces loyal have also been carried out in 5,700 sorties, around 1,000 the militants’ last major bastion sud Barzani. week that three more months where daily labourers were to Hadi, the insurgents’ news Belgium and Germany. strikes and destroyed more than in the country, was a matter of Hollande began his trip with would be needed to achieve that waiting for jobs, causing one of website sabanews.net said. Besides the defeated fi ghters 1,700 targets. weeks but warned eff orts should a visit to a base near Baghdad goal.Some observers argue the the highest casualty tolls in the Meanwhile, four civilians, who are expected to return to France has 14 Rafale fi ghter then focus on Raqa in Syria.“If where French forces are train- new timeline remains ambi- capital in months. including three children, were Europe in the coming months, jets that are stationed in Jordan Daesh is eradicated in Iraq but ing Iraq’s elite Counter-Terror- tious, given the continued pres- IS claimed responsibility for killed on Sunday in rebel bomb- radicalised children who grew and the United Arab Emirates remains in Syria, we know full ism Service, the force that has ence of IS fi ghters in other parts the attack via its propaganda ing that targeted residential ar- up in the “caliphate” IS pro- and taking part in coalition op- well that acts will be carried out spearheaded most major anti- of the country. agency Amaq, saying the “mar- eas in the southwestern city of claimed in 2014 are also seen as erations. here in the Middle East but also IS operations in Iraq since 2014. Hollande predicted yesterday tyrdom operation” had killed Taez, a local offi cial and medical ticking bombs. It also has 500 soldiers train- on our own soil in France, in Eu- It was CTS that fi rst breached that 2017 would be “a year of about 40 people. sources said. “We will have to deal with ing and advising elite Iraqi rope,” said Hollande. the city limits of Mosul late last victories against terrorism but, It also claimed another The Yemen confl ict has killed the issue of the return of for- forces and Caesar artillery ve- He met Iraqi President Fuad year in an eff ort to retake it from while its “caliphate” appears bombing on Saturday that left more than 7,000 people since eign fi ghters...who commit- hicles stationed south of Mosul Masum, a Kurd, and Prime IS. doomed, IS still has the ability at least 27 dead in a busy area of the coalition intervened, ac- ted crimes, who brought their to provide support for ongoing Minister Haider al-Abadi, from But the going has been tough to sow chaos by attacking softer central Baghdad. cording to the United Nations.

JUSTICE Parents sentenced to death for Libya deputy PM quits over ‘failure’ Iran denies receiving invite for talks killing toddler

A court in Kuwait yesterday sen- AFP have failed,” said a visibly Libya has been mired in AFP saying in Iranian media reports yesterday. tenced a couple to death after Tripoli moved Kouni, who is originally chaos since the 2011 downfall Tehran Once the invitation was received, Iranians finding them guilty of torturing from southern Libya and rep- of longtime dictator Moamer would only be able to take part in the Haj if “the their three-year-old daughter un- resents the Tuareg minority in Kadhafi . Saudi side secures the conditions of dignity and til she died, it said in a statement. ne of three deputy pre- the GNA. In March last year, the in- ran has denied receiving any invitation from security” for them, said Mohamadi. The parents, both Kuwaitis, were miers in Libya’s UN- “We (in the GNA) are re- ternationally backed GNA was Saudi Arabia for talks on the Haj, after a row Iran was doing all it could to open the arrested in May and accused of Obacked Government of sponsible because we accepted formed, intended to replace Isaw its pilgrims stay at home last year. “blocked path” to the Haj, he said. beating and torturing the girl National Accord resigned yes- this mission. two rival administrations, one The Al-Hayat daily reported on Friday that The annual pilgrimage, which starts and ends until she died and then keeping terday, saying he had failed in “We take responsibility for in Tripoli and one in the coun- Saudi pilgrims minister Mohamed Bentin had in the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, is a her body in a freezer for a week. his mission. everything that has happened try’s far east. opened discussions with more than 80 coun- must for all able-bodied Muslims who can af- The court statement only gave Moussa al-Kouni told a press in the past year: dramas, vio- It is also the centrepiece of tries, including Iran, to work out the details of ford it. the verdict but, according to conference in the capital of the lence, murder, rape, invasion, Western hopes to stem an up- the 2017 Haj. More than 1.8mn faithful took part in 2016, media reports at the time of chaos-ridden North African the squandering of public surge of militancy in Libya and “No invitation from Saudi Arabia has been but Iranians stayed at home for the first time their arrest, they had been country that he could no longer funds...Regardless of the ex- halt people traffi cking across received by Iran’s Haj and Pilgrimage Organisa- in three decades after tensions between Riy- annoyed by their daughter’s stay in the post. tent of the crimes, we are re- the Mediterranean that has led tion or the foreign ministry,” the head of the Haj adh and Tehran boiled over following a deadly constant crying. The father, “I’m resigning because I sponsible,” he said. to thousands of drownings. Organisation, Hamid Mohamadi, was quoted as stampede during the 2015 pilgrimage. 26-year-old Salem Buhan, and mother, 23-year-old Amira Hus- sein, were charged with murder after police found burn marks on the shoulders and legs of the toddler’s body, according to the Syria army presses fi ght near Damascus despite truce interior ministry. The ministry also said they were drug addicts. The verdict is not final as it must AFP The monitor said govern- talks in Kazakhstan later this track to UN-sponsored nego- be reviewed by the appeals and Beirut ment forces were carrying out month. Four civilians and nine tiations. supreme courts. air strikes and artillery fire rebels have been killed since Turkey and Russia are or- on the area, northwest of the the truce began, but officially ganising the talks in Astana it is still holding. along with regime ally Iran, INFRASTRUCTURE yria’s army advanced yes- capital, but reported no casu- terday as it battles to cap- alties. In a statement, rebels fight- and say they are intended to Dubai set to Sture a rebel region that is Wadi Barada has been sur- ing under the Free Syrian Army supplement, not replace, UN- key to the capital’s water supply, rounded by government forces banner in Wadi Barada warned backed negotiations scheduled build Mena’s launching strikes and artillery since mid-2015, but the siege that the truce was in danger of to resume in February. largest marina fi re threatening a fragile nation- was tightened in late Decem- collapse. Despite backing opposite wide truce. ber as the army piled on pres- “We call on the sponsors of sides in Syria’s conflict, An- The Gulf emirate of Dubai yes- The ceasefi re brokered by sure seeking to secure a “rec- the ceasefire agreement to as- kara and Moscow have worked terday announced plans to build regime ally Russia and Turkey, onciliation” deal. sume their responsibility and closely in recent months on the the largest marina in the Middle which backs the opposition, is It has won several of these pressure the regime and its al- war, brokering a deal to evacu- East and North Africa with 1,400 now in its fourth day, despite deals in opposition areas lied militias to stop their clear ate civilians and surrendering berths. The “Dubai Harbour” will sporadic violence and contin- around the capital, offering violation of the agreement,” rebels from Aleppo last month also feature a cruise ship port ued fi ghting in the Wadi Barada safe passage to surrendering the statement said. before the regime recaptured and a terminal that can accom- area near Damascus. rebels in return for retaking Otherwise, they warned, the northern city in full. modate 6,000 passengers at a “Regime forces and fight- territory. The opposition criti- “we will call on all the free mil- Both countries are also wag- time, a government statement ers from Lebanon’s Hezbol- cises them as a “starve or sur- itary factions operating inside ing their own military inter- said. lah group are advancing in render” tactic. Syria to overturn the agree- ventions in Syria, with Rus- Home to Burj Khalifa, the world’s the region and are now on the As the fighting stepped up ment and ignite the fronts in sian forces fighting to bolster tallest tower, Dubai said the new outskirts of Ain al-Fijeh, the in the area, Syria’s government defence of the people of Wadi President Bashar al-Assad’s project will include a 135-metre primary water source in the says rebels targeted key water Barada”. The statement said government since September lighthouse featuring a hotel and area,” said Rami Abdel Rah- infrastructure, causing leak- that Wadi Barada was included 2015. observation deck. man, director of the Syrian ing fuel to poison the water in the deal brokered by Mos- Turkey launched a military The marina will expand Dubai’s Observatory for Human Rights supply and then cutting it off A rebel fighter carries his weapon inside a damaged building on the fourth cow and Ankara and accused campaign in northern Syria yacht capacity by around 50% monitor. altogether. day of the truce, on Al-Rayhan village front near the rebel held besieged the regime of violating the in August 2016, targeting the from its current 3,000 berths, He said government troops The United Nations says at city of Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta yesterday. agreement. Islamic State group but also the statement said. and allied fighters were en- least 4mn people in Damascus The ceasefire deal, and the Kurdish militants. The project will be located off gaged in fierce clashes with have been without water since women and children — fled the The violence threatens the plan for new talks, received the The Syrian conflict has also the upmarket Dubai Marina rebels, including from the December 22. fighting in Wadi Barada over delicate truce that came into unanimous backing of the UN spilled over into Turkey, with neighbourhood and next to the former Al Qaeda affiliate now The Observatory said around the weekend, moving to other force last week and is intended Security Council on Saturday, several attacks blamed on man-made Palm Island. known as Fateh al-Sham Front. 1,000 civilians — all of them parts of the province. to pave the way to new peace despite offering a competing Kurdish or IS militants. Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 AFRICA Gambia govt shuts two radio stations Obiang: was agriculture minister under his father. Reuters/AFP/DPA A government spokesman said “It is a slap in the face of the Banjul/Dakar he could not confi rm the clo- country’s democratic process,” sures. said Gambia Press Union head Emil Touray, head of the Gam- Touray. “People will not have ac- ambian security forces bia Press Union, confi rmed the cess to information in this criti- E Guinea leader’s closed down two private closures but had no further de- cal period of our history.” Gradio stations based near tails. He expressed concern that this the capital, Banjul, the main It was not immediately clear could signal the beginning of a journalists’ union said yesterday, why the two stations were target- crackdown on independent me- son goes on trial amid an escalating political crisis ed by Jammeh, under whose 22- dia. caused by President Yahya Jam- year authoritarian rule the media Barrow’s election victory was meh’s refusal to accept his elec- has come under regular attack, seen as a surprising triumph for AFP dent Teodoro Obiang Nguema. tion defeat. rights campaigners say. democracy in Gambia, which Paris As agriculture minister, the Jammeh, who seized power in Teranga FM, popular for its re- gained independence from Brit- permanent bachelor held a a 1994 coup, initially conceded Jammeh: regularly accused of rights abuses and repression of the view of newspapers in the local ain in 1965 but has since had only powerful position that gave defeat to opposition rival Adama media. wolof and mandinka languages, two presidents. he playboy son of Equa- him control over the lucra- Barrow but then called for fresh has been closed four times in re- But the elation seen on the torial Guinea’s leader, tive timber industry which is elections, drawing condemna- Agency (NIA) operatives and one said they are only acting on exec- cent years. streets of Banjul in the days after Tnotorious for his ex- Equatorial Guinea’s main ex- tion from local opponents and police offi cer in uniform came to utive orders and do not know the The station’s managing direc- Barrow’s victory was quickly ex- travagant taste in cars, homes port after oil. foreign powers. the radio station this afternoon reason why the radio should stop tor Alagie Ceesay was arrested tinguished by Jammeh’s defi ant and Michael Jackson memora- A so-called “revolutionary” The veteran leaders’ refusal (Sunday) around 2.30pm and told broadcasting,” he added. in July, 2015, and charged with stance. bilia, went on trial yesterday in tax imposed on wood sales was to step down has opened up the us to stop broadcasting,” a Teran- A security source said no one sedition and “publication of He is regularly accused of Paris charged with plundering transferred to his personal ac- possibility of a military interven- ga FM staff member told AFP on had been arrested but could not false news” for privately sharing rights abuses and repression of his country’s coff ers to fund his counts, prosecutors allege. tion by West African forces after condition of anonymity. say why the radio station was or- a provocative photo of Jammeh, the media. jet-set lifestyle in France. He has “always said that he the ECOWAS body said it was “They said they have been or- dered off the air. depicting a gun pointed at a pic- The Gambia ranked 145 out of Teodorin Obiang, his coun- earned the money legally in his putting military forces on alert. dered by the director general of “We only asked them to stop ture of the president. 180 countries in Reporters With- try’s vice-president, is accused country”, one of his lawyers, Jammeh has called that a “dec- NIA, Yankuba Badjie, to tell us to broadcasting and they co-oper- He was hospitalised twice in out Borders’ 2016 World Press of using state money to buy a Emmanuel Marsigny, told AFP. laration of war” (see accompa- stop broadcasting with immedi- ated with us. They have stopped early 2016 while in detention, Freedom Index, pointing to “a mansion on one of the swanki- Obiang fought unsuccess- nying report). ate eff ect. We asked them the broadcasting since in the after- Amnesty International said, and climate of terror around anything est avenues in Paris as well as a fully to prevent the trial. “Four National Intelligence reason for their action, but they noon,” the source told AFP. later fl ed to Senegal. remotely to do with journalism”. collection of Italian supercars In December, the Interna- and other luxury items. tional Court of Justice in The His lawyers have said they Hague rejected a request by will call for the trial to be ad- Equatorial Guinea to suspend journed, saying that they need the case. Jammeh accuses regional bloc of declaring war more time to prepare his de- Born in 1969, Obiang was 10 fence. when his father overthrew his The trial is the fi rst arising bloodthirsty uncle, the dicta- Reuters/AFP The veteran leader initially whatever means possible”, ap- opt for such confrontation but fi ed (itself) to provide mediation out of an investigation into the tor Francisco Macias Nguema. Banjul conceded defeat, then changed parently acknowledging again defending our sovereignty is services as a genuine mediator French assets of a trio of Afri- Now Africa’s longest-serv- his mind days later – raising fears that the poll did not go in his fa- a sacred duty for all patriotic has to be neutral and impartial can leaders accused of leading ing ruler, Teodoro Obiang that regional powers might have vour. Gambians,” he added. and win the trust and confi dence a life of luxury abroad while Nguema made his son vice- ambian leader Yahya Jam- to intervene to oust him. He said that the ECOWAS Barrow’s surprise victory and of the parties to the confl ict,” he their citizens live in poverty. president in June just after be- meh accused West Afri- His mandate runs out on Janu- summit decision was “totally il- Jammeh’s initial decision to con- said. The 47-year-old shopaholic ing re-elected with his usual Gcan regional body ECOW- ary 19. legal” as it violated the principle cede after 22 years in power was Gambia’s top court said last is not expected to attend the score of more than 90% of AS of declaring war, after it said Marcel de Souza, commis- of non-interference in the inter- initially seen as a moment of month that it was adjourning trial where he has been charged votes cast. it was putting forces on alert in sion president for the Economic nal aff airs of member states. hope on continent where auto- until January 10 a case fi led by with corruption, embezzle- During one of his appeals case he refused to step down at Community of West African “It is in eff ect a declaration of cratic leaders are becoming more Jammeh to annul the vote results. ment, misuse of public funds against the French trial, a law- the end of this month. States (ECOWAS), said last week war and an insult to our consti- entrenched. “Given the unjustifi able and and breach of trust. yer acting for the French gov- Jammeh, who has vowed to that it had put standby forces on tution. It is therefore absolutely Nigerian President Muham- unprecedented anomalies... US offi cials have already ernment said Obiang had a stay in power despite losing a De- alert. unacceptable,” said Jammeh.”Let madu Buhari has stepped in as an what we are simply and rightfully forced him to forfeit prop- “compulsive need to buy”. cember 1 election to rival Adama In his speech, Jammeh decried me make very clear that we are ECOWAS mediator to off er Jam- asking for is to return to the polls erty bought with the proceeds In a US cable published by Barrow, also promised to defend “the resolution of ECOWAS on ready to defend the country meh an “honourable exit”, but and allow the Gambians to elect of corruption, accusing him the WikiLeaks website in 2010, Gambia against any outside ag- the current situation to imple- against any aggression and there Jammeh said the bloc could no who they want to be their presi- of “shamelessly” looting his Teodorin was said to live “the gression, in a New Year’s speech ment the results of December will be no compromise on this.” longer fulfi l that role. dent in free and fair elections,” he country. life of an international playboy broadcast on state TV. 1, 2016 presidential election by “My government will never “ECOWAS has also disquali- said on Saturday. His house on Avenue Foch in and is widely accused of cor- Paris, which boasts a cinema, ruption”. spa, hair salon and taps cov- In a settlement with US ered in gold leaf, is estimated prosecutors in 2014, Obiang to be worth around €107mn agreed to turn over more than ($112mn). $30mn in property – includ- Offi cial: Fresh ‘rebel’ attacks When French judicial of- ing a Malibu villa, a Ferrari and fi cials fi rst launched raids in Michael Jackson memorabilia. Paris in 2011, they hired trucks He is known to have bought to haul away his Bugattis, Fer- a crystal-covered glove worn in east Congo leave six dead raris, Rolls Royce and other by Michael Jackson during his cars. “Bad” tour, worth hundreds of The case sets a precedent for thousands of euros. AFP the border with Nord Kivu (prov- Experts on the Congo have not France which has long turned The US Justice Depart- Kinshasa ince), which left at least six people found any link between the group a blind eye to African dicta- ment said he “embarked on a dead in Irumu territory,” the vice- and the global Islamist militant un- tors who routinely park their corruption-fueled spending governor of Ituri province, Pacifi que derground. ill-gotten gains in Parisian real spree in the United States” af- t least six people were hacked Keta, said. Others have alleged that govern- estate and luxury products. ter racking up $300mn through to death in troubled north- Keta added that the death toll was ment agents have had a role in the It came about after nearly embezzlement, extortion, and Aeastern Democratic Republic provisional. killing – claims Kinshasa rejects. a decade of lobbying by anti- money laundering. of the Congo (DR Congo) in two at- Separately, Gill Gotabo, a civil so- A report by experts in March said corruption groups Sherpa and In November, Swiss pros- tacks last week blamed on Ugandan ciety leader in Ituri, reported that members of the Congolese army, Transparency International. ecutors said they had opened rebels, a regional offi cial told AFP 14 people were killed in the attacks, former rebels from the RCD-K/ML “In the beginning, there a money laundering probe yesterday. which took place in the villages of group – who held the area during was simply no political will in targeting Obiang and seized 11 The government and the UN mis- Saboko and Bialee. the 1998-2003 Second Congo War France to listen to us,” William luxury cars in Geneva, includ- sion in the central African country Irumu territory in Ituri province – and local militias were all involved Bourdon, a lawyer for Sherpa, ing a Bugatti Veyron worth MONUSCO have accused the rebel is near Beni in neighbouring Nord in the mass killings. wrote in September. around €2mn. group Allied Democratic Forces Kivu province – the main target of In explaining the violence, some French prosecutors al- As part of that investigation, (ADF), dominated by hardline attacks where the ADF are alleged to experts have cited struggles for lege that party-loving Obiang his luxury 76m (250’) yacht Ugandan Muslims, of carrying out have massacred around 700 people, control of traffi cking in various in- lined his pockets to the tune of “Ebony Shine” was seized in a two-year bloodbath in the region. many of them hacked to death. dustries like timber, agricultural nearly €110mn between 2004- the Netherlands in December, “There have been attacks blamed The ADF has not claimed any of produce or minerals in a region with 2011, when he was agriculture according to the Swiss maga- on suspected ADF members near the Beni massacres. extremely rich potential. minister for his father, Presi- zine L’Hebdo.

Twin car blasts at Mogadishu hotel

DPA Mogadishu

t least 14 people were killed yesterday in a twin suicide car Abombing targeting a hotel pop- ular among Westerners in the Somali capital Mogadishu, police and wit- nesses said. The death toll includes four mem- bers of the security forces, eight civil- ians and the two bombers. Security forces stopped a car at a checkpoint near the airport, senior police offi cer Ali Hassan Kulmiye said. The car blew up, destroying the checkpoint and opening the way to a truck which also exploded, the African Civilians and soldiers stand amongst scattered objects and belongings at the Union mission to Somalia said. scene of a car bomb attack near Mogadishu’s Peace Hotel. “The drivers [...] were trying to move into the Peace Hotel, which is It was not immediately known if an- Unconfi rmed reports said the attack popular with Westerners and AU and yone was killed inside the hotel. targeted an African Union (AU) mili- government offi cials,” Kulmiye said. Witness Omar Afey said he saw at tary base, which is also located near The hotel, which is located near the least 16 injured victims at the site. the airport. airport, was partially destroyed by the The second, more powerful blast But the Shebaab said it had targeted blast. sent a large plume of smoke rising the hotel. Security offi cial Mohamed Hassan above the city. The AU has more than 20,000 troops said the death toll could rise. Gunfi re followed the attack, which in Somalia to help the government Unconfi rmed reports said the blast was claimed by the radical Islamist fi ght the Shebaab, whose military and had killed guards standing outside the group Shebaab on pro-insurgent radio terrorist campaign has claimed thou- hotel. Andalus. sands of lives over the past decade. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 9 AMERICAS

EVENT DATA OBITUARY ANGER VIOLENCE Obama farewell speech Chicago crime rate Bambi artist Wong Mexicans march to protest Canadian killed in Istanbul next week in Chicago soars to record high dies aged 106 rise in gasoline prices attack, reveals Trudeau

US President Barack Obama will deliver a farewell 2016 was the most violent year in the US city Tyrus Wong, the artist whose works inspired Hundreds of irate Mexicans marched in Mexico A Canadian woman was among the 39 people speech next week from his political stronghold of Chicago in almost two decades, local media the Disney film Bambi, has died aged 106. A City to protest a steep rise in gasoline prices. They killed in the New Year shooting rampage at of Chicago, one of the last times he will be able to reported, citing annual police statistics. The Chinese immigrant, Wong’s vibrant paintings carried signs denouncing President Enrique Pena an Istanbul nightclub, Prime Minister Justin advocate for his policies before the inauguration Chicago police department said there were a captured Walt Disney’s eye and became Nieto, whose government announced last week Trudeau confirmed. “It is with deep sadness of Donald Trump. The Republican political novice total of 762 murders in the city in 2016 as well the basis of the film’s distinct style. In a that the price of gasoline would increase by as that I learned of the deadly terrorist attack on has vowed to rip up key Obama initiatives such as as 3,550 shooting incidents in which there were statement, the Walt Disney Family Museum much as 20% to 0.88 dollars per litre on New Year’s a nightclub in Istanbul that killed and injured the so-called Obamacare healthcare reform act, 4,331 victims, broadcaster ABC 7 reported. A said “his influence on the artistic composition Day, while diesel would rise by 16.5% to 0.83 dollars. innocent people celebrating the New Year and to back out of climate change agreements and to police spokesman described the numbers as of the animated feature Bambi cannot be Pena Nieto has promised that fuel prices will claimed the life of a Canadian citizen,” Trudeau reassess ties with foreign allies and foes. Obama “unacceptable,” according to ABC 7. Over the overstated.” He died at home surrounded by eventually fall thanks to a landmark 2014 energy said in a statement, referring to the attack on will hand over the reins of power to Trump on New Year’s weekend alone, five people were his family. Wong emigrated to the US from reform he instituted, which ended a seven-decade- the upscale Reina club. “We also grieve the January 20. “On Tuesday, January 10, I’ll go home killed and at least 30 others were wounded in China as a child, with his father - leaving old monopoly held by the state-run firm Pemex. senseless loss of a Canadian citizen and remain to Chicago to say my grateful farewell to you, shootings in the city, broadcaster NBC reported. behind his mother and a sister he would never The government plans to end subsidies and let the steadfast in our determination to work with even if you can’t be there in person,” Obama said Police blamed gang violence and illegal guns on see again. After studying as an artist, he began market dictate prices in March. But Mexicans will allies and partners to fight terrorism and hold in a short statement released yesterday. the street for the violence, ABC 7 said. working with Disney in 1938. feel the pinch at the pump before they start falling. perpetrators to account.”

Perdue top contender US sanctions for post of agriculture secretary on Russia ‘out

Tribune News Service New York of proportion’: onny Perdue III, the former governor of Georgia, is SPresident-elect Donald Trump’s leading candidate to be his secretary of agriculture, ac- cording to a person familiar with the matter. Trump aide Perdue, 70, would succeed Tom Vilsack. Perdue met with Trump Tribune News Service “It could be somebody else,” “It’s indeed overwhelming on November 30 and afterward Washington Trump said before the New and the president-elect, as you said they talked about agricultural Year’s Eve party at his Florida know, also said that he knows commodities traded domestically resort. “And I also know things things that other people don’t and internationally. While Perdue resident-elect Donald that other people don’t know, know,” Schiff said. “He needs is the front-runner, the decision Trump’s incoming press and so they cannot be sure of the to stop talking this way. If he’s isn’t fi nal, the person said. Psecretary questioned situation.” going to have any credibility as Trump won the presidency whether the Obama administra- When pressed to describe president, he needs to stop talk- partly on strong support from tion’s sanctions after concluding what he knew, Trump replied: ing this way. He needs to stop voters in rural areas clamouring Russia interfered in the election “You’ll fi nd out on Tuesday or denigrating the intelligence for an economic turnaround. were out of proportion. Wednesday.” community. He’s going to rely on Farm incomes are expected “Why the magnitude of this?” Trump has said he will re- them.” to fall for a third successive year Sean Spicer said on ABC. ceive an intelligence briefi ng on Meanwhile Spicer said Trump while debt levels have risen. The White House announced the hacking in coming days, and will not end the onslaught of Perdue appears to be emerging last week that it was levying Spicer said the president-elect posts on Twitter that fed his from a broad pack of candidates. sanctions against Russian intel- would reserve judgment until unconventional campaign, even Trump and his aides have in- ligence services and expelling learning more. after taking on the duties of the terviewed several others, includ- 35 Russian offi cials from the US Republicans in Congress have presidency this month. ing former Texas A&M University in response to meddling in the said they intend to hold hearings Making news and issuing president Elsa Murano, former presidential election. It also into election hacking by the Rus- statements on social media sites Rep. Henry Bonilla of Texas, blocked Moscow’s access to two sian intelligence services. House that also include Facebook and Texas agriculture commissioner compounds it owns in the US. Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Instagram will “absolutely” Sid Miller, former Texas agricul- “Is that response in propor- the sanctions were “overdue.” continue, despite earlier prom- ture commissioner Susan Combs, tion to the actions taken? Maybe “Russia does not share Amer- ises by Trump to cut back, Spicer former California Lt. Gov. Abel it was; maybe it wasn’t, but you ica’s interests. In fact, it has con- said. Maldonado, Idaho Gov. Butch Ot- have to think about that,” Spicer sistently sought to undermine “You know what? The fact ter, and senator Heidi Heitkamp of said. “That’s nothing that we them, sowing dangerous insta- of the matter is that when he North Dakota, a Democrat. haven’t seen in modern history bility around the world,” Ryan tweets, he gets results,” Spicer The president-elect’s state- and when we look back.” said in a statement, signalling said. ments covered issues that could US intelligence and law en- that he will not be in full align- In recent Twitter posts, have major implications for ag- forcement offi cials have alleged ment with the Trump adminis- Trump has hinted he’d like to ricultural businesses. The US is that Russia’s two largest intel- tration on the issue. change decades of policy on a major exporter of crops and ligence agencies conducted a Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif., nuclear weapons; praised Rus- other farm commodities, and that campaign of cyberattacks that the ranking minority member of sian leader Vladimir Putin even fl ow of goods could be disrupted were aimed, in part, at interfer- the House Intelligence Commit- after accusations by intelligence if Trump follows through with a ing in the November election. tee, said on ABC that the intel- agencies that Russia attempted pledge to reshape trading relation- Trump has expressed scepti- ligence community has gathered to tamper with US elections; ships with China and other coun- cism that Russia is behind the “solid” evidence to support its and said the United Nations is a tries. Such changes might also af- cyberattacks, and he reiterated conclusions that Russia was be- “club for people to get together, fect global commodity prices. Donald Trump Jr. arrives at Trump Tower for meetings with President-elect Donald Trump yesterday. those doubts on Saturday. hind the election hacking. talk and have a good time.” Additionally, if US immigra- tion laws are enforced more strictly, business owners could face labour shortages. Much of Hollywood sign altered to read ‘Hollyweed’ the US agricultural workforce are undocumented workers. Los Angeles residents awoke early The surveillance footage showed a Mother Nature became the sign’s If nominated, Perdue would Sunday to see that one thing, at least, man dressed in black, tactical-style first editor, knocking out the H in a also need to deal with the 2018 looked diff erent in the New Year: the gear. One of the tarpaulins was deco- violent storm in 1949. The Hollywood Farm Bill. Rural America’s Hollywood sign. rated with a peace sign, and another Chamber of Commerce restored the newfound political infl uence Armed with four tarpaulins, a prank- with a heart. letter, but removed the “land” the will help shape the legislation, ster had climbed Mount Lee under Because the sign was not damaged, same year. Chuck Conner, president and the cover of night to edit the iconic the incident will be investigated as On New Year’s Day of 1976, the sign CEO of the National Council landmark, which was changed to misdemeanour trespassing. The became “HOLLYWeeD” for the first of Farmer Cooperatives, and a “HOLLYWeeD.” police have no suspects. time - the work of California State Trump adviser, has said. Security footage recorded at 3am Some Angelenos joked that the University, Northridge student Daniel Perdue was born in Perry, Ga. Sunday showed a “lone individual” alteration reflected California’s Finegood, who scaled Mount Lee A graduate of the University climbing up the mountain, scaling recent vote to legalise recreational with $50 worth of curtains. of Georgia, he served as a state the sign’s ladders and hanging tar- marijuana. The modification was his project for senator. In 2003, he became the paulins over the O’s to change them The New Year’s Day change is far an art class assignment on working fi rst Republican governor of the to E’s, said sergeant Guy Juneau of from the first time the Hollywood with scale. He earned an A. state in 130 years. He stepped the Los Angeles police department’s sign has been edited by artists and The first iteration of “Hollyweed” was down in 2011, and the same year security services division. pranksters. also the first day that California clas- he founded Perdue Partners, It could have been a New Year’s Eve The sign, erected in 1923 as an adver- sified possession of up to one ounce which according to its Linke- prank, Juneau said, or the work of “a tisement for a housing development, of marijuana as a misdemeanour, dIn profi le, is an Atlanta-based thrill seeker.” originally read “Hollywoodland.” rather than a felony. trading company. 60 killed in Brazil prison riot

Reuters reported that several of the dead The Manaus-based gang is wide- Fontes said that 74 prisoners were Brasilia had their decapitated bodies thrown ly believed to be attacking PCC in- taken hostage during the riot, with over the prison wall. mates at the behest of the Rio de some executed and some released. The riot began late Sunday and Janeiro-based Red Command (CV) A video posted on the website of round 60 people have been was brought under control by drug gang, Brazil’s second largest. the Manaus-based newspaper Em killed in a bloody prison riot around 7am yesterday, Fontes said. Security analysts have said that Tempo showed dozens of blood- Asparked by a war between ri- Authorities were still count- a truce that held for years between ied and mutilated bodies piled atop val drug gangs in the Amazon jungle ing the prisoners to determine how the PCC and CV was broken last each other on the prison fl oor as city of Manaus, offi cials said yester- many had escaped, he added. year, resulting in months of deadly other inmates milled about. day, in some of the worst violence in International watchdog groups prison battles between the gangs Brazil’s prison system is precari- years in Brazil’s overcrowded peni- sharply criticise Brazil for its prison and sparking fears that chaos will ously overcrowded and conditions tentiary system. system, where overcrowding is the spread to other prisons. in many institutions are horrifi c. The head of security for Amazo- norm and deadly riots routinely break In the latest riot, a group of in- That has sparked a rash of deadly nas state, Sergio Fontes, told a news out. The massacre was the latest clash mates exchanged gunfi re with po- riots in recent years. conference that the death toll could between inmates aligned with the Sao lice and held 12 prison guards hos- Sunday’s riot was the deadliest in rise as authorities get a clearer idea Paulo-based First Capital Command tage late on Sunday in the largest years. A 1992 rebellion at the Caran- of the scale of the rebellion sparked (PCC) drug gang, Brazil’s most pow- prison in Manaus, an industrial city diru prison in Sao Paulo state saw by a fi ght between rival drug gangs. erful, and a local Manaus criminal on the banks of the Amazon River, 111 inmates killed, nearly all of them Manaus’ Em Tempo newspaper group known as the North Family. Globo TV reported. by police as they retook the jail. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 ASIA /AUSTRALASIA

ACCIDENT PROBE INVESTIGATION MISHAP ACCIDENT Woman bitten by wild Myanmar to investigate Cambodia to arrest 3 for Tourists burned by Thai full French tourist bitten by snake at Australian zoo police abuse of Rohingya derogatory image of king moon party pyrotechnics crocodile in Thailand

A young woman was bitten by a wild green Myanmar’s government yesterday pledged to Cambodian police yesterday said they planned Tourists attending a full moon party in southern A French tourist was bitten by a crocodile snake at an Australian zoo, paramedics said investigate a video apparently showing police to arrest three suspects, including one believed Thailand on New Year’s Eve said they were inside a Thailand national park as she tried yesterday, a year after a keeper was attacked beating and kicking Rohingya civilians, a rare to be in Thailand, for being behind an off ensive left with burns when a pyrotechnic display to get close to the fearsome animal to take a by a tiger at the same spot. The woman, in her admission that authorities may have carried photoshopped image of the country’s king showered revellers with red-hot embers. Footage selfie, an off icial said yesterday. The incident mid-20s, was treated by paramedics at Australia out abuses against the Muslim minority. Tens that placed him in a porn scene. The image, of the incident on the backpacker island of took place on Sunday afternoon in Khao Yai, a Zoo, which was founded by the family of the late of thousands of people from the persecuted which appeared on some Facebook accounts Koh Phangan was posted online, showing how popular national park filled with dense jungle ‘Crocodile Hunter’ star Steve Irwin, and taken ethnic group have fled a military operation in in both Cambodia and Thailand, is a rare public cheers turned to screams of panic as a giant sign hiking trails and waterfalls three hours north of to hospital where she was in a stable condition. Rakhine launched after attacks on police posts. insult aimed at King Norodom Sihamoni, a reading ‘Happy New Year 2017’ was set alight. Bangkok. “This afternoon a guest accidentally stood on Bangladesh says some 50,000 Rohingya have monarch who is largely respected. In contrast Sparks could be seen raining down on the crowd, “She wanted to take selfie with the crocodile a wild snake in our Wetlands area,” Australia fled across its border over the past two months. to neighbouring Thailand, which outlaws any aided by an onshore breeze. Eyewitnesses who was lying down near a stream,” a park Zoo, on Queensland state’s Sunshine Coast, said Many have brought harrowing accounts of criticism of its monarchy, Sihamoni is not described mass panic as people scrambled to off icial said, asking not to be named because in a Facebook post. “The snake was identified rape, murder at the hands of security forces. shielded by a specific lese majeste law. However get out of the way of the display. “It was just like he did not have the authority to speak to the as a green tree snake, which are a common Their stories have galvanised protests against the country’s constitution describes him as a shower of burning sparks,” Lucy Coyle, a British media. “It was startled and bit her on her on occurrence in the Wetlands.” Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. “inviolable”. tourist attending the party, said . the leg.”

Trump’s Indonesian business partner Indonesian boat captain ‘eyeing presidency’

AFP Jakarta detained for blaze probe

onald Trump’s Indonesian business partner has revealed AFP not believe the vessel was over- he may follow the example of the brash US billionaire and Jakarta loaded. The ministry has said a Drun for president, a report said yesterday. Hary Tanoe- short-circuit in the engine room soedibjo, who is building two Trump Organisation projects, told may have caused the fi re. Bu- the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he was considering be- ndonesian police said yester- diono said the boat was built in coming a candidate in Indonesia’s 2019 presidential elections for day they have detained the 2013 and was seaworthy and the the sake of the country. Icaptain of a tourist boat that weather was good. “If there is no one I can believe who can fi x the problems of the burst into fl ames en route to a Vessels from several govern- country, I may try to run for president,” said the media mogul and holiday island and left 23 people ment agencies and divers con- property developer, who has his own political party. “We need a dead, amid reports he was the tinued to scour the waters as a leader with integrity who can bring a solution for the country,” the fi rst to jump ship. precaution. Offi cials said they 51-year-old billionaire added. The Zahro Express became en- believed that all passengers were If Tanoesoedibjo were to be successful, it could mean there are gulfed by fi re on Sunday shortly now accounted for but they were two world leaders who have been business partners, raising fresh after it set off from Jakarta carry- having diffi culties identifying concerns about potential confl icts of interest related to Trump’s ing about 250 local holidaymak- some of the bodies because they business empire. Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, ers to celebrate the New Year on were badly burned. has sought to allay worries by insisting that “no new deals” will nearby Tidung island. Tidung is part of the Thou- be struck during his presidency and that his two sons will man- Panicked passengers fought sand Islands, an archipelago that age his companies. In Indonesia, Tanoesoedibjo is working on a over life jackets and jumped into is a popular weekend getaway Trump project outside Jakarta and one on the resort island of Bali, the sea as the huge blaze tore for residents of the teeming and with both in the early stages. through the ferry after starting in overcrowded capital of more than The project close to Jakarta is a 1,700-acre development that the engine room, with authori- 10mn inhabitants. includes a luxury hotel, a golf course, a country club and villas, ties blaming an electrical fault for It was just the latest fatal mari- according to the Trump Hotels website. The Bali resort will be the accident. time accident in the vast Indo- built on a cliff top overlooking a famous Hindu temple. In an ear- Most were rescued but 23 were nesian archipelago, which relies lier interview with the New York Times, Tanoesoedibjo insisted he killed and 50 suff ered injuries, heavily on boats to ferry people did not believe the projects represented a confl ict of interest for with 19 still in hospital yesterday, round its 17,000 islands but has a the president-elect. “His family and children have the freedom to according to the disaster agency. Rescue team use inflatable raft as they search for victims after a fire ripped through a boat carrying patchy safety record. In Septem- do business as long as it is arm’s length and unrelated to the presi- Police said the captain, named tourists in the waters of Jakarta Bay, Indonesia. ber a tourist boat on the resort is- dent’s position,” he said. in local reports as Muhammad land of Bali exploded, killing two The businessman, whose interests include media company Nali, had been detained and was ists as the fi re erupted, and was then he is not a real captain — the still investigating the case and foreigners and injuring about 20 MNC Group, said he has access to Trump although his day-to- being questioned over suspect- found fl oating in the sea before captain should be the last,” he questioning the captain”, but did others. day contact is mostly with the children. “I have access to him, of ed negligence in relation to the being rescued. was quoted as saying in local me- not give further details. At least 54 people died in No- course, because we are in co-operation, but I have to limit the co- fi re, which reduced the boat to a Tonny Budiono, a senior of- dia. “If it is true we will revoke his The boat’s manifest said it was vember when an overcrowded operation and interaction,” he told the ABC. Tanoesoedibjo has blackened wreck. fi cial at the transport ministry, licence, he will not be allowed to only carrying about 100 pas- speedboat carrying three crew long had political ambitions. He made an unsuccessful attempt Several local media outlets re- vowed to punish the captain if sail anymore.” sengers, less than half the true and 98 passengers struck a reef to win nomination as a vice-presidential candidate for 2014 elec- ported the captain had jumped the allegations turned out to be Jakarta police spokesman Argo number, although the trans- and sank on its way from Malay- tions and has now started his own party, United Indonesia. ship fi rst, abandoning the tour- true. “If the captain jumped fi rst Yuwono confi rmed that “we are port ministry has said it does sia to Batam. Daughter of South Korea’s ‘Rasputin’ held in Denmark

AFP of top offi cials, but the presi- Seoul dent denies all charges against her. Parliament voted on De- cember 9 to impeach Park over he daughter of Choi the scandal and her executive Soon-sil, the woman powers have been handed to an Tat the centre of a cor- acting president, Prime Minis- ruption scandal that led to the ter Hwang Kyo-Ahn. impeachment of South Korea’s The impeachment case is President, has been arrested in being considered by the Con- Denmark after months in hid- stitutional Court — which has ing, Seoul prosecutors said yes- up to six months to reach a rul- terday. ing — but hundreds of thou- Chung Yoo-ra, the 20-year- sands of South Koreans have old daughter of the woman joined weekly protests calling Japanese Emperor Akihito (second left) and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers along with Crown Prince Naruhito (left) and Prince dubbed South Korea’s “Ras- for Park’s immediate departure Akishino during a public appearance for New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. putin”, is one of the fi gures in Chung Yoo-ra poses after from offi ce. the infl uence-peddling scan- winning an equestrian If the impeachment is con- dal that sparked massive street competition. fi rmed, a presidential election protests demanding the re- will have to be held within 60 moval of President Park Geun- daughter’s admission to an elite days. Choi, daughter of a con- Japanese Emperor greets New Year well-wishers hye. Seoul university, with a state troversial religious fi gure who Danish police arrested Chung probe revealing the school had was close to Park until his death Sunday night for overstaying admitted Chung at the expense in 1994, is awaiting trial on AFP his duties, setting the stage for family. Deliberations over his to in his August announcement, her visa, Korean prosecutors of other candidates with better charges including coercion and Tokyo Japan to prepare for an historic retirement wish are under way though he stressed that he cur- said, adding they were in talks qualifi cations. abuse of power. abdication. in an advisory panel set up by rently enjoys good health. Spec- with Danish authorities to have The revelation touched a raw Several professors at Ewha The Imperial Palace said some Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in ulation about Akihito’s future her deported to Seoul. nerve in education-obsessed Women’s University, including apan’s Emperor Akihito de- 58,600 people attended his ad- September to study a possible emerged last year with reports Choi, a secret confi dante of South Korea and prosecutors a former school president, have livered his traditional New dress in fi ne weather, many legal mechanism for a royal de- he had told confi dantes that he Park, is accused of using her sought to question Chung over been investigated for giving JYear address yesterday with waving small Japanese fl ags and parture, which currently does would like to step down in a few ties with the president to force her admission to Ewha Wom- Chung preferential treatment. tens of thousands of people shouting “Banzai” or “Long not exist. years, in what would be the fi rst top fi rms including Samsung to en’s University in 2014. One professor was arrested fl ocking to the Imperial Palace live”. Any eventual move by Akihito abdication from the Chrysan- “donate” nearly $70mn to non- Park stands accused of col- over the weekend for allegedly for what could be his last such “At the start of this year, I to step down, which would see themum Throne in two centu- profi t foundations Choi then luding with Choi to extract giving Chung a good grade for appearance after he expressed wish for happiness and tran- him replaced by his eldest son ries. used as her personal ATMs. money from the fi rms and also a class she never attended and his desire to abdicate. quility of people in the world Crown Prince Naruhito, appears Akihito has keenly embraced She is also accused of us- of letting her meddle in state forcing his teaching assistants It was his fi rst New Year mes- and our country,” the emperor to have wide support, according the role of symbol of the state ing her infl uence to secure her aff airs including nominations to forge exam records for her. sage since he announced in Au- said in a televised address from to recent opinion polls. imposed after World War II end- gust that his advancing age and a glass-covered balcony at the Akihito has had surgery for ed. Previous emperors including weakening health mean he may palace, where he was fl anked prostate cancer and heart prob- his father, Hirohito, had been no longer be able to carry out by other members of the royal lems, both of which he alluded treated as semi-divine. Australian minister questions NYE bashing of refugees on Manus Island

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton because they were part of the Manus Island Beijing enjoys brief respite, but choking smog set to return said yesterday he wants the full facts before population,” Dutton told radio station 2GB. commenting on a reported beating of two The Refugee Action Coalition said Sunday that asylum-seekers by police and immigration the two Iranian asylum-seekers were beaten by Heavy smog that blanketed northern China provinces as the north battles freezing known as PM2.5, dropped to just over 100 off icials near the country’s off shore detention a number of Papuan New Guinea police off icers at the weekend cleared somewhat yesterday, temperatures. micrograms per cubic metre in Beijing early centre on Manus Island. and immigration off icials while they were with flights in Beijing back to normal, but it Authorities have been issuing smog alerts yesterday from more than 500 on Sunday Dutton accused refugee advocates of trying to attempting to attend New Year’s celebrations. was likely only to be a brief respite with more across China’s north since mid-December, night. use the bashing of the two men, and the release The group said the men were denied medical choking smog expected to return to the leading to orders for hundreds of factories The safe recommended level of PM2.5 is 10 of graphic photographs of their beaten faces, treatment while held by police for 36 hours, but wintry north within 24 hours. to cut production or close outright and for micrograms per cubic metre. A customer to attack the Australian government’s policy that they have now been released. Weather forecasts yesterday showed the restrictions on motorists to cut emissions. service staff member at the Beijing Capital of detaining refugees on Papua New Guinea’s “That two refugees could be beaten so badly smog would return to Beijing and nearby Pollution alerts are common in northern China, International Airport said flights were Manus Island. by PNG police on New Year’s Eve makes it Tianjin city from today. It was expected to especially during winter when energy demand, returning to normal. Heavy smog on Sunday “I would wait to see the full facts of that case clear that there is no freedom for refugees persist until Thursday in Hebei, the heavily much of it met by coal, soars. caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled before I’d make any comment to say that they on Manus,” spokesman Ian Rintoul said in a industrialised province that surrounds the A pollution index that measures the average and highways to shut, disrupting the first day were targeted because they were refugees or statement. Chinese capital, and Henan and Shandong concentration of small breathable particles, of the New Year holiday. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 11 BRITAIN

WEATHER INVESTIGATION RESCUE CELEBRITY ENTERTAINMENT Commuters face Bodies of two men Couple found after search Sportier now than when I Sherlock beats the Queen icy return to work and a woman discovered in snowy Cairngorms was in Spice Girls: Mel C in festive TV ratings

Millions of commuters could face travel disruption The bodies of two men and a woman have been A couple missing overnight in “Arctic” conditions in Former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, 42, better More than 8mn people tuned in to see the return on their return to work today, with icy conditions found near the white cliff s of Dover in Kent, police the Cairngorms have been found alive. The couple known as Mel C, once thrilled us as Sporty Spice of Sherlock on BBC One on Sunday, overnight forecast for London and large swathes of England have said. Off icers were alerted to concern for the – aged 60 and 57 – were reported missing on as she stormed the stage with the most success- ratings show. That means it was the UK’s second- and Wales. Forecasters warned that roads may be welfare of a man at Langdon Cliff s and found a Sunday after failing to return from a walk with their ful girl band of all time. Her trademark back-flip most watched programme of the festive period – treacherous after subzero temperatures overnight body at the base of the cliff s. During the search, dog. Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team searched was part of the sporty package, but she says she behind the New Year’s Eve fireworks, which were yesterday across most of Britain, with up to 5cm of the coastguard also discovered the bodies of a the Cairngorm Plateau overnight in freezing tem- no longer does them. “I haven’t done one for a watched by 11.6mn. The biggest Christmas Day snow on high ground. A Met Off ice severe weather second man and woman, Kent police said. A police peratures and deep snow. The couple are believed couple of years,” she said in an interview. “The audience came for the Queen’s Christmas mes- warning for ice is in place for east Wales and a large spokesman said: “Kent police were called due to to be from England and had been staying in the funny thing about being Sporty Spice is that I am sage, which was seen by 7.7mn people. The first stretch of England, from Manchester to the west concern for the welfare of a man at Langdon Cliff s, Glenmore area. They were found at about 12.00 definitely sportier now than I was in the 90s,” she episode of the fourth series of Sherlock had an Midlands and south-east to the capital. Frank Saun- Dover. Off icers attended and the body of a man was and were escorted off the hills along with their said. Her greatest achievement in 2016 was doing average audience of 8.1mn. The episode, entitled ders, the Met Off ice’s chief meteorologist, said: “We subsequently discovered at the bottom of the cliff s dog. Conditions in the area have been described well at the London Triathlon. “This year 2016 was The Six Thatchers, was based on Arthur Conan are advising commuters to pay particular attention by the coastguard. During the search the coast- by Cairngorm MRT as “Arctic”. The Cairngorm my big year. I actually achieved a personal best,” Doyle’s story The Adventure of the Six Napoleons to the potential for ice and frost to aff ect journeys guard also discovered the bodies of a second man Mountain Rescue Team and a team from the RAF she said. Mel C launches her comeback album and involved six smashed statues of the former today morning.” and a woman.” were involved in the search. Version of Me in February. UK prime minister.

Second girl Seeing double dies after Government hit-and-run in Oldham unveils plans Guardian News and Media London

girl who was left fi ghting for her life after a hit- to build 14 Aand-run which killed her 12-year-old cousin has now also died. Zaneta Krokova, 11, was run over with her cousin Helina Kot- larova, 12, as they crossed the road holding hands on New Year’s Eve. garden villages The 11-year-old had been in a critical condition in hospital since the crash in Oldham, which killed Guardian New and Media space in a new china clay heritage The garden village initiative was Helina at the scene. London park incorporating the Sky Tip, announced by the then chancellor Police said Zaneta died in hos- a local landmark. Bike trails and George Osborne last year. Condi- pital yesterday morning from the pubs are also planned. tions for building villages or mar- injuries she suff ered. ourteen garden villages are However, local councillors have ket towns stated that the devel- Sergeant Lee Westhead from to be built across England raised concerns about the small opments must be “a new discrete Greater Manchester police’s seri- Fon sites including a former percentage of aff ordable housing settlement and not an extension of ous collision investigation unit airfi eld and green belt land, min- and change in character of the his- an existing town or village”. said: “This is a heartbreaking in- isters have said. The villages, to- torical mining area. Shaun Spiers, the chief execu- cident which has now taken the talling 48,000 homes, will not be Councillor Dick Cole, leader of tive of the Campaign to Protect lives of two young girls and all of extensions of existing small towns the Cornish devolution party Me- Rural England (CPRE), said it our thoughts remain with their or villages, but “distinct new plac- byon Kernow, who said he had ob- would carefully examine the pro- families, who are understandably es with their own community fa- jected to proposals for an ecotown posals to see whether they were devastated. cilities”, the government said. for a decade, said the garden vil- locally led and respected the green “We have made signifi cant Sites from Cornwall to Cum- lage announcement was no more belt. progress with our investigation bria have been identifi ed in the than window dressing for a con- “Done well with genuine lo- since the collision happened and I fi rst round of approved locations, troversial project. cal consent, garden villages and would like to thank everyone who making them eligible for a share “The government talks about it towns can help tackle the housing has contacted police with infor- of a £6mn government technical being a locally led development, crisis,” he said. “They can certainly mation so far. and fi nancial support fund. After but the reality is that this is only be preferable to what is currently “The community are clearly completion, the villages may vary happening because it was a gov- happening in too many parts of as committed as we are to estab- in size from 1,500 homes up to ernment top-down initiative,” he the country: poor quality develop- lishing exactly what happened to 10,000. told the Guardian. ments plonked on the countryside, Helina and Zaneta and the sup- The Housing Minister, Gavin “They say it is a brownfi eld in the teeth of local opposition and port they have provided has been Barwell, said the development of site, but many of the houses are in defi ance of good planning prin- vital to the investigation.” the villages would be locally led by on fi elds. It has been one of those ciples.” But areas that absorbed the Detectives also released pic- communities rather than central projects that seems to have a mo- new garden villages should have tures of a blue Peugeot 807 estate government. “New communities mentum of its own, despite what guarantees that they would be car they said was involved in the not only deliver homes, they also local people say.” “protected from speculative plan- collision, having initially believed bring new jobs and facilities and North Cheshire garden village, ning applications for a long time to a black VW Golf was responsible. a big boost to local economies,” which will sit on the eastern edge come”, he added. Four men – aged 59, 48, 38 and he said. The 600-acre former of Handforth, has development The department for commu- 18 – were arrested on suspicion of Deenethorpe airfi eld near Corby, plans that include 2,000 homes, a nities and local government said causing death by dangerous driv- Northamptonshire, is one of the nursery and a care home, as well there had been high levels of inter- ing and were in custody for ques- sites that has been approved for a as architect-designed “one-off ” est in building more villages in the tioning. A fi fth man, aged 23, ini- village. The plans include a village homes. coming years and it would make tially arrested for the same off ence green, shops and community hall, However, locals are worried that an additional £1mn available this was de-arrested and was assisting as well as more than 1,000 homes. a new village of several thousand year to further development other police with their inquiries. Dunton Hills, a garden village homes may put pressure on infra- proposals. Police were also trying to trace set to be built near Brentwood, Es- structure such as the congested Three new garden towns have the driver of a white Citroën Dis- sex, will have at least 2,500 homes, A34. also been announced near Ayles- patch, which was in the area at the as well as new Gypsy and Traveller Other planned villages include bury in Buckinghamshire, Taun- time of the collision on Ashton pitches. Long Marston in Warwickshire, ton in Somerset and Harlow and Road, as they believed he could West Carclaze in Cornwall is set Spitalgate Heath in Lincolnshire, Gilston in Hertfordshire, with hold key information. Westhead to be an ecovillage with 1,500 new Bailrigg in Lancaster and the In- £1.4mn of funding to support the added: “As the investigation has energy-effi cient homes, space for fi nity garden village in Derbyshire. delivery of about 50,000 homes. progressed we have identifi ed that self-build and custom-built hous- The fi nal six are Oxfordshire Local CPRE members strongly the vehicle that struck the girls ing, and a new primary school for Cotswold, Culm in Devon, Wel- object to the Hertfordshire plans, was a Blue Peugeot 807. We have more than 400 pupils. borne in Hampshire, Halsnead in under which the village of Gilston recovered this vehicle abandoned Swans are reflected in the water as they swim in Hyde Park in central London. Developers say it will have a so- Merseyside, Longcross in Surrey and neighbouring hamlet of East- on Honeywell Lane”. lar farm and 350 hectares of green and St Cuthberts near Carlisle. wick would disappear.

Farage’s Brexit story Corbyn ‘could quit if to be turned into fi lm

Labour’s fortunes dip’ Reuters tive on January 19 in Washing- London ton DC,” Wigmore said. Farage, Banks, Wigmore and Guardian News and Media critical support”, said: “These two tions in Richmond Park and Slea- others in their circle will travel London are not egomaniacs. They are not ford. hree film production to Washington for Trump’s in- desperate to cling on to power for Senior Labour fi gures around companies including auguration as president, which power’s sake.” Corbyn have insisted the party’s TNetflix are interested will take place on January 20. eremy Corbyn should con- He also said Labour needed to poll standing will improve, but in making a warts-and-all “We have invited all of them sider his position as Labour pin down its stance on the free McCluskey’s comments increase screen dramatisation of Ni- (the studio representatives) to Jleader if the party’s opinion movement of people following de- the pressure on the Labour leader. gel Farage’s insurgent Brexit our pre-inaugural drinks party poll ratings do not improve in the parture from the EU, after diff er- McCluskey is facing his own campaign, according to an ... We have also invited many run-up to the next general elec- ent MPs expressed wildly varying challenge to remain as Unite’s associate of Farage. of Trump’s team to the event,” tion, the leader of the Unite un- assessments on the need for any general secretary. In a speech yes- This would be another ex- said Wigmore. ion has said. change. terday, his rival Gerard Coyne said traordinary twist for Farage, Netfl ix did not immediately Len McCluskey, who has been McCluskey, whose union is a tightening border controls should who from the fringes of British respond to a request for com- one of Corbyn’s strongest sup- major funder of Labour, said the be a fundamental part of the Brexit politics achieved his life’s goal ment. porters, said the Labour leader and party could lose votes to Ukip if it process. when Britons voted to leave the The Sunday Telegraph news- his shadow chancellor, John Mc- did not “get its narrative right on “My many conversations with European Union last June, and paper earlier reported that Donnell, were “not egomaniacs” free movement” and immigration. Unite members leave me in no has since befriended US presi- Hollywood studio Warner and would not want to keep their He said: “We need to expose doubt that those who voted for dent-elect Donald Trump. Bros. was also interested, but roles if there was no hope of vic- what Ukip stand for – not just Brexit expect that promise of an The project would be based it was unclear from Wigmore’s tory. anti-foreign, anti-workers’ rights, end to uncontrolled immigration on The Bad Boys of Brexit, an texts to Reuters whether those Speaking to the Mirror, he said: their hidden agenda on the NHS from the EU to be kept, and will account of Farage’s campaign who have approached Banks “Let’s suppose we are not having and welfare state. But it will only feel betrayed if it is not,” he said. by Arron Banks, a multi- included representatives of a snap election. It buys into this work if ordinary people believe La- “Theresa May and other min- millionaire British insurance Warner Bros. question of what happens if we get bour is listening to their concerns isters should not wait until Article tycoon who bankrolled the The subtitle of Banks’ book to 2019 and opinion polls are still and has solutions.” 50 has been triggered to set out a campaign, according to Andy is Tales of Mischief, Mayhem awful. Recent polls have shown There- negotiating position on free move- Wigmore, a spokesman for and Guerrilla Warfare in the “The truth is everybody would sa May’s Conservatives leading ment of labour. They should be Banks. EU Referendum Campaign. It examine that situation, including Labour by around 12 points, with saying now, without equivocation, “We have three interested is described on its publisher’s Jeremy Corbyn and John McDon- the prime minister’s personal rat- that the issue is non-negotiable. parties in the rights to the book website as “an honest, uncen- nell.” ings also considerably higher than There can be no compromise on and we will be meeting repre- sored and highly entertaining McCluskey, who said his back- Corbyn’s. Labour also performed the principle of taking back control sentatives from three studios diary of the campaign that ing for Corbyn was “based on dreadfully in December’s by-elec- of our borders.” Jeremy Corbyn: ‘not desperate to cling on to power for power’s sake.’ including a Netfl ix representa- changed the course of history”. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 EUROPE Germany arrests Syrian over alleged car bomb plot

AFP The unemployed 38-year-old The man was detained before plan was to re-paint the vehicles gee status and given a residency who do not follow the Muslim motives” – suggesting that he Berlin with refugee status had urged being formally arrested on ter- to make them look like police pa- permit, prosecutors said in a faith”. claimed to have attempted to de- an IS contact via mobile phone rorism fi nancing charges on Sun- trol cars. statement. According to messages found fraud the extremist group. message service Telegram to send day. It named the suspect as Hasan The man had in December on his phone, the man said each Investigators said there was no erman authorities said him €180,000 ($188,000), said The police said that the man’s A and said his contact was locat- 2016 asked an IS contact in Syria vehicle would be re-painted and evidence the suspect had already yesterday that police had prosecutors. “as yet undefi ned attack sce- ed in the militant group’s de facto to send him the money “so he packed with 400-500kg of ex- obtained and prepared any vehi- Garrested a Syrian man Police commandos raided his nario” suggested the use of ex- capital of Raqa, Syria. could purchase vehicles which plosives at a cost of €22,500 cles for an attack. who had allegedly asked the Is- apartment in Saarbruecken near plosives-packed vehicles in Ger- The man had entered Germany he could load with explosives and each, prosecutors said. Police said “an initial evalua- lamic State (IS) group to fund an the French border around 2am many, France, Belgium and The in December 2014 and applied for which he wanted to drive into Prosecutors added that the tion of the evidence did not point attack using explosives-packed (0300 GMT) on Saturday, New Netherlands. asylum in January 2015. crowds ... and blow up in order to man had “admitted contact to a concrete threat to New Year’s vehicles. Year’s Eve. Spiegel Online reported the The suspect was granted refu- kill unknown numbers of people with the IS but denied terrorist Eve events”.

Police: ‘Nafri’ is not an ‘off icial term’

A single word in a police tweet from New Year’s Eve has caused hand-wringing in Germany, with detractors saying using IS claims Istanbul attack, “Nafri” as a reference to North Africans is demeaning and the German government insisting that the word is not an “off icial term”. The issue surfaced after police in the city of Cologne tweeted an update about crowd control with gunman still at large eff orts during the festivities. “Several hundred Nafris are Reuters It described the Reina night- blood of Muslims shed with “This attack is a message to people were killed and hundreds currently being checked at the Cairo/Istanbul club, where many foreigners as airplanes and artillery fi re will, Turkey against its decisive op- wounded. main railway station,” the police well as Turks were killed, as a with God’s permission, ignite erations across the border,” Kur- The attack at Reina, popu- tweeted as the celebrations in gathering point for Christians a fi re in their own land,” the Is- tulmus said, adding that the of- lar with Turkish celebrities and Cologne unfolded on Saturday slamic State (IS) has claimed celebrating their “apostate holi- lamic State (IS) declaration said. fensive in Syria would continue wealthy visitors, shook Turkey night. responsibility for the New day”. At a news conference in Anka- until all threats to Turkey were as it tries to recover from a failed Nafri is police jargon for North IYear’s Day mass shooting in The attack, it said, was re- ra, Turkish government spokes- removed. July coup and a series of deadly African Intensive Off enders. a packed Istanbul nightclub that venge for Turkish military in- man Numan Kurtulmus made no The authorities are close to bombings, some blamed on Is- The authorities had boosted killed 39 people, an attack car- volvement in Syria. reference to the claim but said it fully identifying the gunman, lamic State, others claimed by the number of police off icers ried out by a lone gunman who “The apostate Turkish gov- was clear Turkey’s military op- Kurtulmus said, after gathering Kurdish militants. deployed on the ground after remains at large. ernment should know that the erations in Syria had annoyed fi ngerprints and information on Around 600 people were last year’s New Year’s Eve terrorist groups and those be- his basic appearance, and had thought to be inside when the celebrations in Cologne, when hind them. detained eight other people. gunman shot dead a police offi c- hundreds of women filed North Atlantic Treaty Or- er and civilian at the door, forc- complaints that they had been Left: Members of several Islamic ganisation (Nato) member Tur- ing his way in and opening fi re sexually assaulted and robbed religious communities and key is part of the US-led coali- with an automatic assault rifl e. allegedly by large groups associations lay down flowers in tion against Islamic State and Witnesses said he shouted This handout picture released foreigners. front of the Turkish embassy in launched the incursion into “Allahu Akbar”. by the Turkish police yesterday Off icials believed that many Berlin yesterday to pay tribute neighbouring Syria in August to Some at the exclusive club shows the main suspect in the of the those committing the to the victims of the Reina night drive the radical Sunni militants, jumped into the Bosphorus after Reina nightclub rampage. off ences had North African club attack in Istanbul. as well as Kurdish militia fi ght- the attacker opened fi re at ran- backgrounds. ers, away from its borders. dom just over an hour into the Tayyip Erdogan said such at- But using the word “Nafris” as a Below: Relatives of security The Islamist militant group new year. tacks aimed to create chaos and synonym for the people being member Fatih Cakmak, 35, who has been blamed for at least half Witnesses described how he destabilise the country. blocked is the same as saying was killed in the Reina night- a dozen attacks on civilian tar- shot the wounded as they lay on Four months into its operation all North Africans are criminals, club attack on Monday, mourn gets in Turkey over the past 18 the ground. in Syria, the Turkish army and argued some. during his funeral ceremony in months, but, other than assas- The attacker was believed the rebels it backs are besieging “This is not an off icial language Istanbul yesterday. sinations, this is the fi rst time to have taken a taxi from the the Islamic State-held town of rule or an off icial term that we it has directly claimed any of southern Zeytinburnu district al-Bab. would use,” an interior ministry them. of Istanbul and, because of the Erdogan has said he wants spokesman said after police It made the statement on busy traffi c, got out and walked them to continue to Raqqa, came under fire for using the one of its Telegram channels, a the last four minutes to the en- the Islamist militants’ Syrian word. method used after attacks else- trance of the nightclub, newspa- stronghold. Cologne police chief Juergen where. per Haberturk said. Turkey has also been cracking Mathies also said he regretted Twenty-fi ve of the dead were He pulled his Kalashnikov rifl e down on Islamic State networks the use of the term in the police foreigners, according to the from a suitcase at the side of the at home. tweet, but defended the action. state-run Anadolu news agency. road, opened fi re on those at the In counter-terrorism op- All of those killed died from door, then threw two hand gre- erations between December gunshot wounds, some of them nades after entering, Haberturk 26-January 2, Turkish police Migrants protest shot at a very close distance or said, without citing its sources. detained 147 people over links to even point-blank range, accord- It said six empty magazines the group and formally arrested attacks in Zagreb ing to a forensics report quoted were found at the scene and that 25 of them, the interior ministry by Milliyet newspaper. he was estimated to have fi red at said. Around 50 migrants staged a Police distributed a hazy least 180 bullets. The New Year’s Day attack protest in the Croatian capital black-and-white photo of the Security services had been on came fi ve months after a failed Zagreb yesterday, claiming that alleged gunman taken from se- alert across Europe for New Year military coup, in which more they have suff ered attacks by curity footage. celebrations following an attack than 240 people were killed, unknown assailants, state-run The authorities believe the on a Christmas market in Berlin many of them in Istanbul, as HRT television reported. attacker may be from a Central that killed 12 people. rogue soldiers commandeered The protesters gathered in front Asian nation and suspect he had Only days ago, an online mes- tanks and fi ghter jets in a bid to of an asylum-seekers centre links to Islamic State, the Hurri- sage from a pro-Islamic State seize power. where they are housed, carrying yet newspaper said. group called for attacks by “lone More than 100,000 people, banners saying “Refugees are It said he may be from the wolves” on “celebrations, gath- including soldiers and police of- not criminals” and “We came for same cell responsible for a gun- erings and clubs”. fi cers, have been sacked or sus- peace”. and-bomb attack on Istanbul’s In a statement hours after pended in a subsequent crack- The migrants claimed that main airport in June, in which 45 the shooting, President Recep down ordered by Erdogan. several of them were attacked in the city at the weekend, and accused the police of failing to respond to their reports of violence. According to Zagreb police, Nine killed in Kazakhstan apartment building collapse two incidents were reported on Saturday, involving a total of five migrants, and that police AFP with an exploding boiler in- The victims were three men, as saying, as no cases of missing dibekov as saying that a portion lished by the interior minis- were now looking for the alleged Astana stalled by residents reportedly to three women and three children. people were reported. of the 60-apartment building try showed a digger shovelling assailants. blame for the carnage. Five people, including a Authorities got word at could have collapsed following through the rubble as emergency The nature of the attacks was not “Nine dead people were pulled 32-year-old man and two chil- 10.40pm on Sunday (1640 GMT) the explosion of a heating boiler workers stood by. disclosed. ine people were killed from the rubble” of the building dren, were rescued alive from that part of the building had col- in its basement. The remaining residents have One of the migrants, whose when part of their apart- in the village of Shakhan outside the rubble. lapsed and they rushed 70 emer- “We will fi gure out what hap- been evacuated, the ministry nationalities were not revealed, Nment building collapsed the city of Karaganda, according The search operation was gency workers to the scene. pened,” the Tengri news website said, adding that a government was taken to a hospital while the in central Kazakhstan, the coun- to the central Asian nation’s in- called off later in the day, local Local media quoted regional quoted Abdibekov as saying. committee has been set up to remaining four declined medical try’s authorities said yesterday, terior ministry. media cited regional authorities governor Nurmukhambet Ab- Pictures from the scene pub- probe the incident. help, the police statement said. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 13 INDIA SC bans politicians from using religion, caste to win votes

Agencies India is offi cially secular but two issues of religion and caste basis of religious sentiment. ligious and caste equations” ing votes in the name of Hindu- caste, language, region or re- New Delhi political parties have tradition- generally dominate campaigns. Most political parties as well dominating politics. ism was not a “corrupt practice”, ligion had “harmed our nation ally used religion and caste as the Results of the election will be as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad “Some parties have made re- which would result in setting very much” and that “national main criteria to select candidates important for Modi’s expected (VHP) and the Jamat-e-Islami ligion and caste part of their aside the election of the winning integration has also been dam- he Supreme Court yester- and to appeal to voters. bid for a second term in 2019. Hind (JIH) hailed the ruling. ideology. This needed to be dis- candidates. aged by this practice”. day prohibited politicians Prime Minister Narendra State elections are also due Communist Party of India couraged.” Trinamool Congress MP Su- The Jamat-e-Islami Hind Tfrom using religion and Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata this year in Punjab, Uttarakhand, leader D Raja said the court has Rashtriya Janata Dal spokes- khendu Sekhar Roy said: “We (JIH) said the prohibition to use caste to garner votes, a verdict Party (BJP) has for years fought Goa and Manipur. sent out a strong message. man Manoj Jha said the ruling welcome the verdict that estab- religion to gain votes should be that could force political parties elections on a Hindu nationalist The Supreme Court, ruling on “One will have to wait to would help in “curing an anom- lishes elections to be a secular strictly implemented. to change their strategy in up- agenda, with party members in a petition fi led by a politician in fi nd out if the RSS (Rashtriya aly” created by an earlier verdict exercise.” “Although the Supreme Court coming elections. the past being accused of mak- 1996, wrote in its opinion that Swayamsewak Sangh) and other by the court. The VHP said politics based ruling is not something new as “No politician can seek vote ing anti-Muslim statements to the secular ethos of the consti- Sangh Parivar outfi ts and vari- “I believe this is a milestone on caste, community and reli- the existing law already bars in the name of caste, creed or polarise Hindu voters. tution had to be protected. ous fundamentalist groups will moment for Indian politics and gion had harmed the country. people from stoking communal religion,” said Chief Justice T S The court ruling comes just The majority view of the sev- abide by this ruling,” Raja said. public life,” said Jha while point- “We welcome the decision of sentiments to get votes, this or- Thakur in an order, adding that weeks ahead of assembly elec- en-judge bench held that elec- Congress spokesperson Priya- ing to the 1995 verdict by Justice the Supreme Court,” VHP leader der should be implemented in election process must be a “sec- tions in Uttar Pradesh, India’s tions would be void if a politician nka Chaturvedi said the ruling J S Verma. Surendra Jain said. letter and spirit,” JIH secretary ular exercise”. most populous state where the made an appeal for votes on the was vital in the wake of “re- The court then said that seek- He said politics based on general Mohamed Salim said. I-T offi cials to verify large deposits after demonetisation

IANS and see the way in which we can New Delhi have maximum impact. The ac- tion will be planned out prop- erly,” he said. he Income Tax Depart- The department is facing ment has said it verify- shortages of manpower and in- Ting the account details frastructure. At all-India level, of those who have made large 396 posts are vacant against the deposits after the government sanctioned 2,200 at the level of demonetised Rs1,000 and Rs500 Assistant and Deputy Commis- notes on November 8. sioners, which is a crucial cat- “That process (verifi cation) is egory for working on the assess- on for quite some time. It’s going ment exercise. on. Our directorate of investiga- About 30-35% posts are va- tion and intelligence does that. cant in the category if the posts BJP supporters attend a rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lucknow yesterday. They are on the job. Notices may of Joint and Additional Com- be sent in respect of such ac- missioner are also included. The counts,” a top offi cial in the de- vacancy at the staff level is even partment said. worse - around 40%. “If there are large numbers of However, the department other accounts with huge depos- does expect increased revenues its, then maybe we will go into after demonetisation. those fi rst,” he said and added “Response from the ongoing that the department will have scheme - Pradhan Mantri Garib UP has to change for to prioritise and plan the action Kalyan Yojana - may be com- considering the constraints of a ing. Let’s see how it plays out. limited manpower. Indications are that there will be “It is a huge operation increase in revenue collections, launched by our investigation though I can’t say how much,” wing. All the information will be the offi cial said. very large, so very relevant in- The Taxation and Investment India to progress: PM formation will have to be culled Regime for Pradhan Mantri out and we’ll have to prioritise,” Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016, com- Modi vows to root out ruption though the entire op- and BSP come together to seek “It pains me when I see how tune of UP is changed. For India the offi cial said. menced on December 17 and corruption position was clamouring for his my removal. governments in the state have to progress, UP has to progress.” The Income Tax Department is open for declarations up to head. “When they are all clamour- functioned. Even for building He pointed to the poor law has also identifi ed the local clus- March 31. IANS “There is this party, which for ing to remove Modi, I am saying a road, they fi rst measure po- and order in the state, lack of ters and bank branches where the According to the scheme, the Lucknow the last 15 years has been strug- remove corruption and black litical considerations. Develop- security for women and land infl ow of Jan Dhan deposits have person will have to pay 30% tax gling to establish their son as an money,” the prime minister ment is not their preference. grabbing. been more than normal in order on income, 33% surcharge on acceptable leader,” Modi said said, pointing to his Novem- The Centre in the last two-and- “Rise above caste politics to investigate money deposits in tax, 10% penalty on income, to- rime Minister Narendra targeting Congress and its vice ber 8 decision to demonetise a-half years provided Rs2.5 and vote for development,” said those accounts which belonged talling nearly 50% of the income Modi yesterday hit out president Rahul Gandhi. Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes that lakh crore to the state. Had this Modi. to somebody else, but the scru- to be declared under the scheme. Pat the Samajwadi Party “There is another, which caused an unprecedented cash money been properly utilised, He lashed out at the BSP for tiny into these may take longer. In addition, an amount equal to and the Bahujan Samaj Party is busy trying to settle its ill- crunch. UP’s condition wouldn’t be like fi nding “politics” in the recently Deposits in Jan Dhan accounts 25% of the declaration will have for “banishing” develop- gotten money in various banks Modi claimed development it is now,” he said. launched BHIM mobile app ded- have grown by more than 50% to be deposited in the scheme for ment from Uttar Pradesh, and and escape scrutiny,” he said, in work was carried out by the He called on the people to icated to Bhim Rao Ambedkar. since the demonetisation an- four years without any interest. urged the people of the state an apparent reference to Maya- BJP when it ruled Uttar Pradesh vote for the BJP in the upcom- On demonetisation, Modi nouncement. The total amount of high de- to rise above caste and vote for wati’s BSP. And he targeted the until it lost power 14 years ago, ing assembly elections, and said said the money deposited in “That depends on the total nomination currency circulating progress. ruling Samajwadi Party by say- and accused successive govern- development of Uttar Pradesh the banks would be used for the workload,” the offi cial said on in the system on November 8 was Addressing a rally in Luc- ing: “Then there is this third ments of indulging in politics at was imperative if the country welfare of the people. the scrutiny of such Jan Dhan Rs15.44 lakh crore or $225bn. know which he said was the party which is busy trying to the cost of progress. had to progress. “The poor in the state have accounts. According to estimates, banks biggest of his life, Modi, with- save their family from breaking “Parties should not play “We want India to march been looted for long, the middle “Whatever manpower we have collected cash deposits of out taking names, ridiculed the up.” politics with the poor, voters ahead, want poverty to be elimi- class marginalised for long... have, we’ll have to use it in the over Rs14.9 lakh crore following Congress, the Samajwadi Party “In the past few weeks, we and farmers but in UP politics nated, illiteracy to end, diseases The time has come to change all best possible way. There has to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s and the BSP and asserted that have seen bitter foes and arch comes in the way of develop- to end. But all these dreams will this and the change will begin in be some prioritising of action November 8 announcement. he was determined to end cor- rivals like the Samajwadi Party ment. be fulfi lled only when the for- Uttar Pradesh.” Home loan rates fall to Lawyer, bank manger lowest level in six years sent to judicial custody IANS a week and booked under the New Delhi Prevention of Money Launder- IANS Under the MCLR, banks need posits following the demoneti- ing Act. Kumar was arrested on Kolkata to consider their marginal cost sation drive and these will fl ow Wednesday. of funds, or the cost incurred on out. “But we expect 40% of New Delhi court yes- ED sources said Tandon incremental deposits across dif- that to stay with the bank,” she terday sent to judicial gave Rs 10.5mn as commis- ith a bulk infusion of ferent maturities, to decide on added. Acustody a lawyer and a sion to Kumar, posted at Kotak fresh liquidity arising interest rates. “At that time, we will have a Kotak Mahindra bank manager Mahindra Bank’s Connaught Wfrom demonetisation, State-owned IDBI Bank has relook at the deposit rates,” she arrested on charge of convert- Place branch, for converting banks, both public and private, also cut in its MCLR by 30-60 told reporters at a press confer- ing Rs600mn in demonetised his Rs340mn demonetised yesterday slashed lending rates, basis points eff ective Sunday ence in Mumbai. currency into new notes. high-value currency into new leading to home loan rates fall- while Punjab National Bank Bhattacharya said she saw Additional Sessions Judge notes. ing to their lowest level in six slashed its lending rates across normalcy returning to the bank- Raj Kumar Tripathi remanded Cash of Rs130mn, including years. maturities ranging from over- ing system by end-February or lawyer Rohit Tandon and Ko- Rs20.6mn in new notes, was ICICI Bank has announced a night to fi ve years with the new March, with uptake in credit tak Mahindra Bank manager seized from Tandon’s offi ce in reduction of 0.70% in marginal rates. growth. Ashish Kumar to 14 days judi- Greater Kailash-I area of south cost of funds-based Lending Following the Reserve Bank Her reference was to the cial custody after Enforcement Delhi during a raid by police on Rate (MCLR) benchmarks across of India (RBI) cutting its repo events following the demon- Directorate did not seek cus- December 10. tenures eff ective from today rate by 25 bps in October, pub- etisation of Rs500 and Rs1,000 tody for further interrogation. Tandon’s T&T law fi rm and while Bandhan Bank Ltd has cut lic sector lenders - the United currency notes, which put enor- Meanwhile Tandon has residence, before this opera- its MCLR by 148 basis points to Bank of India, Canara Bank, mous pressure on commercial moved his bail application. tion, were separately searched 10.52% per annum. Indian Bank, Indian Overseas banks in servicing people for The court has sought reply by the Income Tax Depart- Dena Bank also slashed its Bank, Bank of India and the exchanging or depositing the old from ED and listed the matter ment, which said he had de- MCLR by 75 basis points from Syndicate Bank - as well as the currency. for further hearing tomorrow. clared undisclosed income of 9.30% to 8.55% for one year ten- private sector ICICI and Kotak Referring to the rate cut an- The Enforcement Direc- over Rs1.25bn. ure. Mahindra banks have cut lend- nounced on Sunday, Bhattach- torate arrested Tandon on The court also sent to ju- The country’s largest lender ing rates. arya said: “This is a liquidity- December 28 on charge of dicial custody hawala trader State Bank of India cut its lend- Meanwhile SBI chairperson driven rate cut. The liquidity in converting Rs600mn in de- Paras Mal Lodha who was ing rates by 90 basis points for Arundhati Bhattacharya said the the system is unprecedented, in monetised currency into new arrested for converting the maturities ranging from over- deposit rates also soon require a terms of the fact that what we notes in connivance with the demonetised notes worth night to three-year tenures af- “relook.” did in the fi rst nine months of People waiting to exchange demonetised currency show their old bank manager. Rs250mn linked to industrial- ter experiencing a surge in de- She said the banks have huge the year, we have done one-and- Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes near the closed gates of Reserve Bank of He was arrested after grill- ist J Sekhar Reddy and Tandon posits. low-cost funds driven by de- half times that in 30 days.” India in Bengaluru yesterday. ing by ED offi cials for almost into new currency. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 INDIA

ELECTION POLITICS MYSTERY EDUCATION PILGRIMAGE Sharmila to contest Kashmir assembly Girl’s body found 300,000 school children Mobile app for against Manipur CM adjourned after protest hanging from ceiling to come under ICT Club Haj launched

Irom Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years to The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was A girl studying hotel management in Over 300,000 schoolchildren in Kerala will come Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar demand the repeal of the Armed the Armed adjourned yesterday amid opposition protests Kolkata was found dead under mysterious under the ICT Club in two years a minister said Abbas Naqvi yesterday launched the Haj Forces (Special Powers) Act, yesterday after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti blamed circumstances in a residential block yesterday. The largest students’ IT network in Committee of India’s mobile app in New formally announced she would take on the National Conference for rigging elections in West Bengal’s capital, police said the country managed by the state-owned IT@ Delhi. The app will bring all Haj related Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh in and giving birth to militancy. “People who yesterday. The 22-year-old girl was School Project will focus on areas like animation, information to the fingertips of users. People assembly polls. Sharmila ended her fast on sowed seeds of secession by demanding staying in the accommodation in south multimedia, hardware, electronics, language can apply for Haj, seek relevant information, August 9 last year. Okram Ibobi Singh has plebiscite in the state also rigged elections Kolkata’s Santoshpur since the last two computing and Internet and cyber safety, news and updates and can make e-payment been the chief minister for the last three in 1987 to give birth to militancy,” the chief months. “Purnima Mitra’s body was found Education Minister C Ravindranath said. He said through the app, the minister said. The terms after getting elected from Thoubal minister said. The National Conference hanging from the ceiling of her room,” the programmes aim at facilitating an in-depth app can be downloaded from Google constituency. Sharmila said: “During his members took strong exception to the a police official said. The housekeeping ICT learning environment for students to provide Playstore. “The central government has been 15 years of leadership he has not done remarks and started raising their voice. One staff called the police as there was no them with an experience of group learning as well encouraging online applications to ensure anything to repeal AFSPA. Since I realise member, Abdul Majid Larmi, told Mufti that response from the girl even after they as collaborative learning, thereby improving the fair opportunity for the pilgrimage with that no politician shall repeal it, I am her late father and former chief minister Mufti knocked on the door many times on eff iciency of ICT enabled education in schools. complete transparency and comfort. For the planning to contest the election, become Mohamed Sayeed was a part of the National Sunday night. The body of the girl has “As part of General Education Protection Mission, first time, Haj application process is going the chief minister and repeal it.” The chief Conference-Congress government in 1987 and been sent for an autopsy. “A case of the Hi-School Student Group programme will be to be digital,” Naqvi said. Last month, the minister accused her of not speaking the so should be held responsible for the alleged mysterious death has been lodged,” the strengthened and the students’ participation will be ministry launched a new trilingual website truth. rigging. official said. ensured in various activities,” Ravindranath said. of Haj.

Maharashtra dismisses 477 ‘absconding’ Election panel doctors

IANS Mumbai ‘may freeze’

he Maharashtra govern- ment has decided to sack T477 government doctors who have remained absent from duty after joining the service, Samajwadi’s some for nearly 15 years, a state minister said yesterday. “We have decided to act against them,” Health and Fam- ily Welfare Minister Deepak Sa- want said. cycle symbol Many doctors, who were ap- pointed by the government for its hospitals or clinics across the Mulayam fights tough battle Ram Gopal Yadav as its emissary within it to put forth an argu- state, went missing after joining with son Akhilesh over party to the poll panel, the other fac- ment that the national conven- services and are usually referred reins tion was being led by Mulayam tion called in haste was in con- to as “absconders”. Singh himself. travention to the laid down rules Sawant said 581 such ‘ab- IANS The party founder is being of the party and hence anything sconders’ have been identifi ed New Delhi accompanied by loyal younger that happened in it was invalid. by his ministry and out of them, brother Shivpal Singh Yadav The sources said Amar Singh the services of 104 have already and Rajya Sabha member Amar was also to lining up a battery of been terminated. he Election Commission Singh, who returned mid-way legal eagles and constitutional “They come, appear for the may freeze the Sama- from his New Year family vaca- experts to pitch in for the Mu- interviews, collect their ap- Tjwadi Party’s ‘cycle’ sym- tion in London. layam Singh faction. pointment letters and join the bol ahead of assembly elections Before leaving from Lucknow Reacting to his expulsion from department. After a few days, in Uttar Pradesh after the party for Delhi, Mulayam Singh told the party, Amar Singh told re- they just leave. We are not able split, former poll panel chief S Y reporters the party belonged to porters: “Once Mulayam had to stop them, nor can the courts. Quraishi said yesterday. him as he enjoyed the support of said that I am in his heart, not in Ideally, they should submit their He said neither faction may the people of India’s most popu- the party. So, if Mulayam expels resignation before going,” he get the symbol. lous state. me from his heart then it will said. “Both sides will give affi davits At an emergency national be saddening for me. The party The government has informed and evidence in support of their convention on Sunday, Akhilesh does not matter to me.” the Maharashtra Medical Educa- claims along with signatures of upstaged his father as the party All eyes are now on the fi nal tion Department and Maharash- their supporters to prove they chief and appointed himself as decision of the poll panel. tra Medical Council who will de- enjoy majority support,” Qurai- the working national president. Earlier, a group of Samajwadi cide the future course of action shi told India Today TV channel. He also replaced state unit chief Party activists gathered outside against these doctors. “These will be verifi ed and this Shivpal Yadav with his loyalist Mulayam Singh’s residence in “Out of these 581 doctors, may take four to fi ve months,” he and legislative council member New Delhi raised slogans in his some have not reported for duty added. “I don’t see this happening Naresh Uttam. support and sought unifi cation for 10-12 years and others for before the elections as both sides The convention, declared ille- of the party. 12-15 years. They have been paid have strong base and the claims gal and unconstitutional by Mu- Around 50 supporters, most salaries during the period of ab- will be contested strongly. layam Singh, also expelled Amar from Badaun and neighbour- sence,” Sawant said. “The (election) symbol will be Singh from the party. ing Ghaziabad, gathered as Mu- While a majority of these frozen and ad-hoc names and In the night, a tense Mulayam layam Singh sat in a meeting cases are mainly from the rural ad-hoc symbols may be given to Singh’s blood pressure was re- with Shivpal Yadav and Amar areas, the process of issuing no- both sides. A fi nal decision will ported to have shot up and doctors Singh before going to meet the tices has already been taken up, come after due process in due were brought in for a check-up. Election Commission. even making a request to them to course of time,” he added. In Delhi, the party sources The supporters, however, rejoin duties. Meanwhile, the tussle be- said Akhilesh will show the poll did not raise any slogan against Responding to the notices, tween two the factions – led by panel video recordings, papers Akhilesh or Ram Gopal Yadav. some of the doctors said they Mulayam Singh Yadav and son and resolutions signed by at Instead, they sought unifi - preferred to switch over to lucra- and Chief Minister Akhilesh Ya- least 40% of party workers – the cation of the two factions and tive private practice, or taken up dav – to gain control of the party number required to call an emer- urged Mulayam Singh to make better job off ers in diff erent hos- became bitter yesterday over the gency convention under the Sa- Akhilesh the face of the election pitals. A few left the country for claim for its symbol. majwadi Party’s constitution. campaign. higher studies or employment. According to sources, both The faction was also relying Arman Khan, a party worker Some others just ignored the factions will meet the Election on Ram Gopal Yadav’s skills as from Ghaziabad, said he wants government communication. Commission of India in Delhi to a man who was instrumental in Mulayam Singh Yadav to take his The matter was raised in the claim that they are the actual Sa- drafting the constitution of the son back into the party. Maharashtra legislature on sev- majwadi Party. party 25 years back. However, he added if that eral occasions in the past and the While the Akhilesh faction Mulayam Singh was also de- doesn’t happen, he “would go government had promised strict Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav arrives at the off ice of the Election Commission in New was sending party national gen- pending heavily on the very same with Netaji (Mulayam) whatever action against the ‘absconders.’ Delhi yesterday. Also seen are Amar Singh and Jaya Prada. eral secretary-turned mentor constitution and the clauses decision he takes.”

Chandigarh schoolchildren add Ex-Congress minister strength to ‘Wall of Kindness’ joins BJP in Karnataka

IANS recent time, indicated he would IANS institutions, so that the givers Carmel Convent School, Dev Bengaluru join the BJP. Chandigarh and the takers can easily leave Samaj College of Education, “I was deeply hurt as Siddara- and pick up things. The clothes St Joseph School, St Stephen’s maiah, whom I know for years, and other things to be given can School, Dev Samaj School and ongress leader and dropped me from the cabinet t is an act of kindness and simply be hung on hangers or the Government Girls Model former Karnataka min- unceremoniously and without gratitude, but veiled in ano- nails on the walls from where the Senior Secondary School in Cister V Srinivasa Prasad even giving a hint,” he said. Inymity. needy can take them. Sector 18, which is one of the yesterday joined the Bharatiya “I have joined the BJP after Students of private and gov- Started a couple of months biggest all-girls’ school in the Janata Party. the people in my constituency ernment schools and other in- ago, the campaign has already region. “I have joined the BJP to endorsed my decision to quit the stitutions in Chandigarh have been adopted by hundreds of “This unique initiative equally strengthen its presence in the Congress during my interaction adopted a “Wall of Kindness” students in various schools respects the dignity of the do- state and help Prime Minister with them at Nanjungud, Cha- campaign that was launched re- and institutions across Chan- nor and recipient, as one doesn’t Narendra Modi on the devel- marajangar and T Narsippura.” cently in the Union Territory by digarh. People in some private know who is giving and who opment front,” Prasad told re- Prasad said he will contest on an NGO, Yuvsatta. houses have also shown initia- is receiving and your donation porters at the BJP officer after the BJP ticket in the Nanjangud “While working on our social tives on this front at a smaller reaches the deserving ones,” Prof he was formally enrolled into assembly by-election due in projects, we realised that there level. Devi Sirohi, chairperson, Chan- the party at a function attended February. was a segment of society which “The concept originated in digarh Commission for Protec- by top leaders including federal Hundreds of Prasad’s sup- needed clothes, books and other Iran some years back. Over the tion of Child Rights (CCPCR), ministers H N Ananth Kumar porters and Congress cadres in things. Also, many people don’t years, it has been done in Paki- said. and D V Sadananda Gowda, the district are set to join the BJP know what to do with such used stan, parts of China and other Sharma said they had not ex- and state party chief B S Yed- and campaign for his victory in things which are still usable oth- countries. The unique thing pected such a good response to dyurappa. the bye-election, which is seen erwise,” Yuvsatta co-ordinator about this concept is that the the campaign. “Many schools The veteran Dalit leader, who as crucial, since Siddaramaiah Pramod Sharma said. giver and the receiver remain and institutions are coming for- represents Nanjangud constitu- hails from the same region. “So, we decided to launch this anonymous to each other. It has ward to join the campaign,” he ency in Mysuru district since He was a fi ve-time Lok Sabha campaign – ‘Wall of Kindness’ an element of kindness from the said. 2008, was appointed revenue member of the Congress from – with schoolchildren in Chan- giver and gratitude from the re- The success of the campaign minister in the Siddaramaiah the Chamarajanagar constitu- digarh, so that the gap could be ceiver,” Sharma said. can be gauged from the fact that government in May 2013 but ency from 1980 to 1996. Later bridged,” Sharma said. The “Wall of Kindness” has government school authorities dropped last July in a major re- he joined the Janata Dal-United, The “wall” is marked on the already been started by leading want to extend it to individual Former Congress leader V Srinivas Prasad is congratulated by BJP shuffl e. He had resigned from and won the seat in the 1999 outer facade of participating institutions in Chandigarh, like classes. Karnataka chief B S Yeddiyurappa in Bengaluru yesterday. the seat in October and had in elections on a JD-U ticket. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 15 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Quetta launches new polio campaign

Afghan minister Reuters Quetta

akistan began a special fi ve-day polio immuni- Psation campaign in the suspended southwestern city of Quetta yesterday for children under fi ve after a rare strain of the vi- rus was found in sewage sam- ples, offi cials said. Local offi cials said they had over tax probe recruited Muslim clerics to promote the immunisations Internews will wait for the fi ndings of the for 400,000 children after past Islamabad investigation,” Sameem said. programmes were met with re- The mobile phone levy, which sistance and even violence by has raised millions of dollars for extremists. fghan President Ashraf government coff ers, was im- “The religious leaders were Ghani suspended his posed as part of eff orts to raise asking the people to give their Aminister for telecommu- domestic tax revenue to make children anti-polio drops in nications and information tech- up for a gradual reduction in in- their sermons in the mosques in nology yesterday while he is in- ternational donor aid in coming rural areas of Baluchistan,” said vestigated over a levy on mobile years. Syed Faisal Ahmed, co-ordina- A boy receives polio vaccine drops by anti-polio vaccination workers along a street in Quetta, Pakistan. telephone charges, offi cials said. While Wahidi’s suspension tor of the local Emergency Op- The removal of Communica- will not immediately aff ect the eration Centre. ed a record low of 19 cases, ganisation in November, polio is Type 1, with no human tions Minister Abdul Razaq Wa- day-to-day functioning of the Pakistan is one of just three Ahmed said, with only one of Ahmed said. cases of Type 2 reported for hidi adds to a lingering political government, it highlights the countries in the world, along them in Baluchistan province, The WHO reported the fi nd- more than a decade. crisis in Afghanistan, height- Abdul Razaq Wahidi diffi culties Ghani has had in with Afghanistan and Niger- of which Quetta is the capital. ings last week. “We have achieved ma- ened in November when parlia- pushing through major reforms ia, that have endemic polio, a The new campaign fol- No cases of the Type 2 strain jor goals in combating polio ment passed no confi dence votes topups imposed in 2015. of the economy while fi ghting once-common childhood vi- lows the detection of the have been reported in humans disease, but still we have to against a number of ministers He said the president’s of- the Taliban insurgency. rus that can cause paralysis or rare Type 2 strain of polio in Quetta but it has been added strive more to declare Paki- over poor performance and fi ce, which has declared the fi ght Ghani ordered ministers re- death. in sewage samples taken to the vaccine as a precaution. stan a polio-free country,” budgetary issues. against graft as a top priority, felt moved by parliament to remain Last year, Pakistan report- by the World Health Or- The more common type of Ahmed said. Yasin Sameem, a spokes- the ministry had not co-operat- in their posts until a Supreme man for the communications ed suffi ciently with an investiga- Court ruling on the aff air but the ministry, said the decision to tion into alleged corruption sur- standoff underlined the weak- Senate panel suspend Wahidi was taken af- rounding the levy. ness of the national unity gov- ter an audit into the collection “We are committed to ac- ernment formed after a disputed approves Hindu of a 10% tax on mobile phone countability and the minister election in 2014. Afghan troops start new year marriage bill In what appears to be a New battling Taliban onslaught in south Year’s gift for Hindus living in Pakistan, the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights Passport must for Pakistanis to DPA The Taliban claimed in a claimed to have reopened a unanimously approved the much- Kabul Tweet that they were attacking road connecting Helmand’s awaited Hindu Marriages Bill government offi ces, however, provincial capital Lashkargar yesterday. cross over into Afghanistan provincial spokesman Omar and the neighbouring Kanda- Earlier in September, the Natio- fghan security forces Zwak said that “all government har province after a week-long nal Assembly passed the Hindu faced a tough year ahead facilities, including the district blockage. Marriage Bill, 2016, paving the Internews litical administration after nec- The number of Afghans com- Ayesterday, as the Taliban governor’s compound and po- The provincial government way for the adoption of a com- Islamabad essary verifi cation. ing to Pakistan through Torkham began the new year with anoth- lice station are under govern- rejected this, saying it had prehensive and widely-accepta- They said that so far 3,800 was reduced considerably from er onslaught in Afghanistan’s ment control.” pushed the Taliban back from ble family law for Hindus living in Rahdari cards were issued to almost 20,000 per day to 1,200 embattled southern Helmand “Taliban have taken heavy the route. Pakistan. ossession of Pakistani Shinwari tribesmen since Sep- after last year June 1 restrictions province, where fi ghting con- casualties, three of their com- Together with northern The bill will enable the Hindu passport was made man- tember 2015. as the rest were refused entry tinued into a third day, authori- manders have also died in the Kunduz province, Helmand has community members to get Pdatory yesterday for cross- These cards are renewed after for not having legal travel docu- ties and locals said. clashes,” Haji Sulaiman Shah, been a major focus of the Tali- their marriages registered and to border movement by Pakistani every six months. ments. All civilians have fl ed the the district chief for the long ban. appeal in courts of law in cases of nationals at Torkham border Officials said that with the centre of the Helmand district embattled Sangin district said. Experts say they want to es- separation, Dawn reported. after expiry of the deadline on Officials said that they passing of time, Afghans got targeted in the attack, accord- The district targeted by the tablish a state within the state There were penalties for violating December 31. were also trying to accustomed to the new bor- ing to a local tribal elder, Sham- Taliban onslaught has been the there. the provisions of the bill, which al- Authorities had made an- develop new software for der management policy of sullah Sahrayi. centre of the Helmand confl ict According to recent security lows Hindus to finally have a proof nouncements through loud- hassle-free movement Pakistan and most of them The state of the fi ghting was since the Nato combat mission reports they may control up of marriage document called speakers and displayed banners of Afghan transporters acquired passports while de- unclear on Monday, with Tali- ended in 2014, and was also to 75% of Helmand’s territory, the shadiparat, similar to the at prominent places at the bor- to boost bilateral mand for Pakistani visa also ban, government troops and once the focus of the British which is also home to the bil- nikahnama for the Muslims. der to apprise Pakistani nation- trade between the two increased. tribal elders all giving diff erent fi ght against the insurgency. lion dollar illicit opium cultiva- The bill also allows separated als about the new restrictions neighbouring countries They said that an average of accounts. Meanwhile, the Taliban also tion and trade industry. Hindu persons to remarry. prior to expiry of the deadline. 4,000 Afghans with Pakistani Authorities said that the new Officials said that no visa on visa on their passport travelled restrictions were imposed after passport was required for Pa- to Pakistan on daily basis. arrest of a number of suspected kistani nationals and the pol- They said that acrimony Afghans with fake Pakistani icy was implemented in a bid caused between the offi cials Computerised National Identity to discourage misuse of fake of both countries posted at Ex-president’s pension may be increased Cards (CNICs). CNICs. Torkham after the cross-border Earlier, authorities had per- They said that at least 200 Pa- fi ring incidents in June last year mitted Pakistani nationals to use kistanis without their passports due to the construction of Paki- Internews who also retired as a senior zen at Rs48,450 per month for restore the “honour and grace their CNICs for cross-border were refused entry into Afghani- stan Gate had also reduced to a Islamabad judge of the Supreme Court of 15 years due to “ill-will” of the of the Presidency” and auto- movement but ended the relaxa- stan while around 480 locals great extent. Pakistan before rising to hold two successive governments of matically ensure gradual ad- tion after receiving information crossed the border and came The Afghan offi cials showed the offi ce of the president on retired Gen Pervez Musharraf justment every year. about preparation of fake CNICs back by using their CNICs and willingness in implementation he government of Paki- Jan 1, 1998, has been referred to and the PPP while the salaries To achieve this, Tarar has in Nangarhar province of Af- Rahdari cards. of the border management pol- stan may have to enhance the laws review committee led and pensions of all others have recommended slightly amend- ghanistan. Sources said that the number icy. Tby more than 10 times by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. been continuously increasing. ing Section 3 of the President Offi cials said that Shinwari of Afghans having legal travel Officials said that they the pension of former president Feeling neglected and dis- In fact, the former president Salary Act and Section 2 of the tribal people, living on both documents was increased mani- were also trying to develop Rafi que Tarar and fi x it higher graced, the octogenarian has advised the government to President Pension Act. sides of the Durand Line, would fold since Pakistan imposed new software for hassle-free than that of the chief justice of former president had recently permanently fi x 10-30% higher He wrote that the monthly pen- be exempted from possessing the new policy of allowing only movement of Afghan trans- Pakistan to ‘restore honour’ of reminded the PML-N govern- the ‘salary and pension’ of the sion of the private secretary of the passport as they were already is- those Afghans, who had valid porters to boost bilateral trade the country’s highest offi ce. ment that Sharif’s party had president of Pakistan than the president of Pakistan was Rs81, sued temporary ‘Rahdari’ Pakistani visa stamped on their between the two neighbour- The matter of increase in the once elevated him to the highest salary and pension of the chief 000 at present against his frozen cards by Khyber Agency po- passport. ing countries. salary of the former president offi ce but his pension stood fro- justice of the Supreme Court to pension at Rs48, 450 per month. Liquidity to drive Pakistan stock market to new peaks

Internews The best part of the 2016 mar- could jeopardise analysts’ calcu- index up by a hefty 272% in- Islamabad ket performance came in the last lations include local political cli- cluding return of 43% in CY16 two months (Nov-Dec) which mate, delays in implementation Pakistan still trades at a 23% contributed around 18% to KSE- of the CPEC projects; weakening discount to the Morgan Stanley s the stock market opened 100 index gains. of the external account and the Composite Index (MSCI) FM for trading yesterday, it Most market participants are unexpected huge outfl ow from and a 29% discount to MSCI Amarked the fi rst day of the therefore looking forward to local to developed markets, par- EM, which means there is New Year, 2017. 2017 with optimism. ticularly the US. a sizeable room for market For investors in Pakistan eq- They expect the rally to con- According to Al-Falah Securi- growth. uities, the year that they bade tinue into the New Year. ties, liquidity would be the main Yet, for retail and small inves- goodbye to brought many boun- The benchmark KSE-100 cur- driving force in 2017. tors things appear a little less ties. rently stands at around 47,000 The brokerage says in its cheerful. Relative to a fl at performance points. “We expect the Index Pakistan Equities Strategy Private companies, which in 2015, investors received a re- to rise to 56,000 points by Dec 2017: “While estimates vary usually off er shares at low prices turn of 44% in 2016-a feat that 2017, generating 21% returns from $300mn to $500m as the still prefer to stay out of equities put the Pakistan Stock Exchange (inclusive of dividend)”, predict net inflow can look like with as only three companies sought (PSX) in the spotlight as the best analysts at brokerage Topline entry in EM index, but one listings at the PSX in 2016 performing market in Asia. Securities. thing is sure that the hefty against six Initial Public Off er- By comparison, last year the With slight variations, most outflow witnessed during ings (IPOs) a year before. common benchmark for glo- brokers and investors also vis- CY15 and CY16 will reverse”. The government off erings of bal stocks funds – the MSCI’s ualise the index to scale new Brokerage Insight Securities shares at the stock market, in Frontier Market (FM) was down peaks. “I believe that with other expects a massive flow of li- public sector entities have all but 2% while the MSCI Emerging things remaining the same, the quidity in 2017: “We estimate dried up. Market (EM) returns of around index could hit 60,000 by end of a total of $1.0 to 1.5bn fresh li- Small investors, therefore 12%, faded in the face of the 44% 2017”, said a fund manager who quidity approaching the stock dabble in low-priced stocks, return provided by the Pakistan has Rs23bn under his manage- market in 2017. many of which may not be fun- market. ment. “Our thesis is based upon the damentally sound and could The signifi cant feature of the It may be recalled that dur- A Pakistani stockbroker monitors share prices during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange estimated $300-$500mn flow eventually lead such small in- Pakistani market’s exceptional ing 2016, KSE-100 index rose (PSX) in Karachi yesterday. The benchmark PSE-100-Index was up 433.31points to 48240.28 end of the linked to MSCI Funds; $140mn vestors to huge losses. performance was that in con- by 14,184 points to the current day trade. liquidity inflow to brokers after The number of investors in trast to the past – when a slight 47,000 from 32,816 points in Jan PSX divestment; net inflow to stocks is not known to have tak- sell-off by foreign investors 2016. of 1% in 2016, due to several fac- performers during the New Year Corridor (CPEC). Expected key banks after PIB’s maturity be- en a phenomenal jump from an would send shudders up inves- But the gains in stock prices tors including re-bound in oil could be cements, consumer triggers for corporate growth ing invested in T-bills or stocks abysmal under 5mn registered tor’s spine the market remained are directly linked to the growth prices; bottoming out of interest goods, oil and gas marketing and the subsequent jump in and new fund flows to mu- account holders. resilient regardless of the heavy of profi tability of the underlying rates; higher sales of oil, ferti- and steel sectors as those were stock prices in 2017 are: the tual funds which have received The onus is on the govern- foreign selling of $267mn worth companies. liser and autos and fi nally, in- looked upon as prime benefi ci- CPEC, rising consumer demand $380mn in the last six months ment and market regulators of stocks during 2016, as the for- Analysts fi gure that corporate creased investment in the energy aries of rising domestic demand and the transition to MSCI EM in (among other sources)”. De- to devise measures so that the eign sell-off was absorbed by lo- profi tability would grow by 23% sector. and expansion activities led by May 2017. spite the last six-year bull-run fruits of the stock market boom cal participants. in 2017, compared to an increase According to Topline, the best the China- Pakistan Economic On the fl ip side, events that which has tossed the KSE-100 are more widely shared. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 PHILIPPINES

Hungarian Duterte seeks ‘strategic shift’ killed by neighbour from US to China: new envoy By Anthony Vargas Manila Times

AFP bloody war on drugs that has are basically trying to normalise Manila was open to working Manila killed over 5,000 people since our relations with China.” with China to access resources Hungarian was shot he took offi ce in June. Beijing claims most of the in the disputed region. dead by his neighbour His fi ery rhetoric against the South China Sea despite com- “The Chinese viewed the A whom he reportedly ac- he Philippines is tilting US has been followed by over- peting claims from the Philip- Philippines as a geopolitical costed for lighting a firecracker away from its traditional tures to China as he has sought pines and other Asian countries, pawn or Trojan horse of the US. near his house on New Year’s Tally the United States to assuage Beijing’s concerns but a UN-backed tribunal ruled Now they look at us as a friendly Day at Avida village in Baran- towards China in a bid to “nor- over Manila’s competing claims in July that China’s claims had neighbour.” gay Balagbag, Pavia town in malise” relations following a to the South China Sea. no legal basis in a resounding He added that relations with Iloilo. longstanding territorial dispute, The new Philippine ambas- victory for Manila. the US plunged after Washing- Chief Supt. Jose Gentilles, the country’s incoming ambas- sador to China, Jose “Chito” Sta Duterte’s decision to set aside ton criticised Duterte’s crack- Western Visayas Police Office sador to Beijing said yesterday. Romana, said the move repre- the territorial confl ict in ex- down on crime. director, identified the victim Manila has been one of Wash- sented “a strategic shift in our change for Chinese investment “The problem came after they as Daniel Melczer, 37, residing ington’s most loyal allies in foreign policy”. and aid has given Beijing a boost began lecturing him. The presi- in Jaro, Iloilo City. Asia, but Philippine President “We were one-sidedly imbal- in its quest for more control over dent considers it an internal af- The suspect, Lucindo Lim, Rodrigo Duterte has threatened anced in favour of the US,” he the strategically vital waters. fair,” he said. 42, seaman-neighbour of Dan- to end the decades-long alli- said. “We are not abandoning The incoming envoy, a former “The Chinese don’t comment iel, has been detained at Pavia ance after the US criticised his Duterte: seeking strategic shift our alliance with the US....We Beijing-based journalist, said on your internal aff airs.” Municipal Police Station. President Teen girl hit by stray bullet in coma

By Micah Yvana M Vardeleon ished.” Ubial said 350 were in- Manila Times jured by fi recrackers and fi re- no protector works this year compared to a 10-year average of 1,000. milyn Calano, 15, was Duterte last month said he watching a fi reworks dis- would issue an order to ban Eplay in her neighbour- people from using fi recrackers, hood in Malabon City when a limiting their use to community of Filipinos: fi reworks displays. stray bullet hit her in the head. Her aunt, who was standing “The least that I can say or do several metres away, saw the is just to issue a warning that it’s teenager collapse and rushed to very, very dangerous,” he said help. pending the order’s release. archbishop The president said he was Emilyn’s mother Merluin said they only found out that concerned about children, who By Jaime G Aquino The bishop said law enforc- the teenager was hit by a bullet make up most of the victims. Manila Times/Dagupan City ers can help eradicate crime by when she was taken to the hos- Ubial said the trend con- enforcing the laws and by ar- pital. tinued this year, with a three- resting and prosecuting crimi- The bullet was lodged in the year-old suff ering a hand injury atholic Bishops’ Con- nals.He urged parishioners to teenager’s head. She is now in a in Cabanatuan.“Even if it’s now ference of the Philip- ask their congressmen not to coma. down to 350 (injuries), that is Cpines (CBCP) President vote for the reimposition of the Dr Emmanuel Montana, di- still a lot of misery.” and Archbishop Socrates Vil- death penalty. rector of the Jose Reyes Medical Although the number of vic- legas has lambasted President Villegas said most of the Centre where Emilyn is con- tims was signifi cantly down, Rodrigo Duterte, saying he people who made mistakes and fi ned, said removing the bullet Ubial said the fi gures will was not a protector of Filipinos violated the law are victims of may cause more damage to her change because the surveillance because of his refusal to stop injustice and poverty. brain. on fi recracker-related injuries extrajudicial killings and his Stressing that killing is not Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Emilyn fights for her life at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Centre. will end on January 5. campaign to bring back capital the solution to crime, Villegas Ubial visited Emilyn at the hos- Most of the cases were from punishment. vowed to continue opposing pital on Sunday to ensure that Emilyn is one of four victims Eve merrymaking that leaves on fi recrackers which he im- National Capital Region (NCR) In his homily delivered on the return of capital punish- she is attended well. of stray bullets during the New hundreds maimed as people plemented when mayor of his with 211. Manila had the high- December 31 at the Saint John ment even as he admitted that Merluin said Emilyn, a grade Year revelry. Ubial said there set off fi recrackers and fi re guns southern home town of Davao. est number of incidents with 81, Cathedral, the Lingayen- drug killings have become a se- eight student at the Saint James was a remarkable decline in the in the air in a loud and raucous “People are now afraid to followed by Quezon City with Dagupan prelate said Duterte rious problem. Academy, tends to her sib- number of fi recracker injuries overnight celebration. light fi recrackers because of the 48, and Marikina, 23. is not the real protector of the He urged Duterte to stop at- lings in the morning while her because people fear that they But injuries during this year’s president,” Ubial said. Piccolo had the most damage, Filipino people because he tacking groups or individuals parents sell fi sh in the market. will be punished. revelry were the lowest in 10 “They have this impres- injuring 132. wanted to kill them by reim- who wanted the killings inves- Merluin hopes that the gunman The Philippines indulges in years after Duterte said he was sion that somehow they will Majority of the victims were posing the death penalty. tigated. will surrender. an annual orgy of New Year’s considering repeating a ban get caught or they will be pun- children aged 15 and below. He urged the people of Pan- Earlier, Ifugao Rep.Teddy Ba- gasinan to help the CBCP in guilat confirmed meeting with opposing the reimposition of Villegas where they agreed to the death penalty and the war launch a nationwide prayer on drugs that has victimised rally to show to the public their innocent and indigent people. strong opposition to the reim- “If the law for the reimpo- position of the death penalty. Power restored in typhoon-aff ected areas sition of death penalty will Baguilat said the bishop gave be approved by Congress, the assurances that he will lead a president of the Philippines protest and prayer rally in front Manila Times tions, has brought back electricity in time in restoring damaged energy fa- normal operations yesterday afternoon will kill people, mostly indi- of the Batasang Pambansa to Manila areas hit by typhoon Nina. cilities,” said Energy Secretary Alfonso as the Mariinawa Diesel Plant resumed gents who cannot afford to pay personally ask the Congress “Restoring power in town centres and G Cusi. operations. lawyers in their judicial fight not to pass the measure rein- nearby communities aff ected by Ty- In Catanduanes, the National Power “The operation of the airport is criti- specially those accused in drug stating the death penalty that he Department of Energy (DOE), phoon ‘Nina’ would not be possible, if Corporation (NPC) and the First Cat- cal in improving the access of relief pushing and other crimes,” Vil- was authored by House Deputy with the help of local govern- not for all the strong men and women anduanes Electric Co-operative, Inc. operations among others to the whole legas added. Speaker Fredenil Castro. Tment units and private institu- who continue to give their full eff ort and (Ficelco) helped the Virac Airport begin province of Catanduanes,” Cusi said. Armed forces deployed Estrada to provide capital for to track down rebels small, medium businesses Manila Times ing but it did not say whether wag, Midsayap, wounding Nor- Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao soldiers recovered the bodies of cel Bulay-Bulay, wife of an Army By Jaime Pilapil the slain BIFF members. soldier. Manila Times The latest attack struck Tayong said about 30 BIFF roops have been deployed fear among villagers living rebels, led by Commander Tato to hunt down the Bang- near the Army bases along the Pauya and Commander Tong, ayor Joseph Estrada will be pro- Tsamoro Islamic Freedom Datu Saudi Ampatuan-Datu exchanged gunfi re with ele- viding capital to small entrepre- Fighters (BIFF) who attacked Salibo-Datu Piang highway in ments of the 34th IB until about Mneurs in Manila this year under the several Philippine Army posts in Maguindanao. 1am on New Year’s Eve. city government’s Capital Assistance Pro- Maguindanao and North Cota- Bulay-Bulay was hit by a gramme (CAP). bato last week. Midsayap has been shrapnel in the head that was Estrada said he wants to help micro- The deployment came about repeatedly attacked apparently fi red from a grenade businesses and small enterprises in the as the Armed Forces of the Phil- by BIFF and drug launcher. city grow, pointing out that micro, small ippines (AFP) and the Philippine syndicates the past She was brought to Amado and medium enterprises or MSMEs are the National Police (PNP) in Mid- months, the latest of Diaz Hospital in Poblacion Mid- backbone of the city government’s rapid sayap, North Cotabato retained which was the Christmas sayap but was later transferred progress. their red alert status over threats Eve grenade attack on a to Cotabato Regional and Medi- “We will give these small entrepreneurs of harassment from lawless ele- police patrol car that left 17 cal Centre in Cotabato City. a chance to make their business grow, after ments, including the BIFF and people injured, Nabalawag is the last barangay all, they complement Manila’s economic drug syndicates. including a police offi cer (village) of Midsayap before the growth,” he said. It was made after a huge group boundary with Datu Piang. Since 2013 when Estrada put up CAP, of BIFF attacked military de- Supt. Bernard Tayong, Mid- Midsayap has been repeat- thousands of Manilenos who wanted to tachments and outposts in Datu sayap town police chief, yester- edly attacked by BIFF and drug have their own businesses have been pro- Salibo town, sparking fi erce day said soldiers from the 34th syndicates the past months, vided with a start-up capital of P5,000 to fi ghting that lasted until day- Infantry Battalion (34th IB) the latest of which was the P10,000. The programme has produced break on New Year’s Eve. and Midsayap PNP will con- Christmas Eve grenade attack standalone stores, food kiosks and other The terrorists also raided mili- tinue to enforce checkpoints in on a police patrol car that left backyard businesses which provided extra Joseph Estrada: boost for small businesses tary posts in Midsayap and Pig- areas identified to be conflict- 17 people injured, including income to the benefi ciaries and helped with cawayan towns in North Cota- affected and crime-prone, es- a police officer identified as their day-to-day expenses. “To avail of the capital assistance, yag, this year’s CAP will be refocused on bato. pecially in the boundaries of Senior Police Officer 4 Johnny But by the start of 2017, Estrada said he would-be beneficiaries should have ex- “enterprise development.” The Army fi red artilleries at Midsayap and municipality of Caballero. will restructure CAP to include MSMEs that isting business ventures, regardless of Indigent benefi ciaries of the current CAP rebel positions while Air Force Datu Piang. Police believe the attack was have no suffi cient capital for continued op- how small it is, and we will help them ex- will be shifted to the Modifi ed Conditional planes provided cover for troops Since Friday night up to dawn not directed at the Santo Nino eration or expand their businesses. pand their business operations,” the may- Cash Transfer (MCCT) programme. In Feb- battling the BIFF on the ground. on Saturday, suspected members Parish Church but at law enforc- This will give the local MSME industry an or explained. ruary last year, 2,624 poor residents were The military said at least four of the outlawed BIFF harassed an ers in retaliation against their opportunity for more growth and fi nancial According to Manila Social Welfare and provided with CAP assistance amounting to terrorists were killed in the fi ght- Army base in Barangay Nabala- successful anti-drug campaign. stability. Development (MSWD) Chief Nanette Tan- P13.12mn. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Hunger striking doctor demands better healthcare By Annabel Symington, AFP least 34.5 skilled healthcare of the country’s most remote year included a pledge for uni- Kathmandu professionals per 10,000 people. communities to provide medi- versal healthcare, but the charter The limited health sector was cal care and train local health is yet to be implemented. further strained after the dev- workers. Private hospitals and medi- r Govinda K C spent 22 astating 2015 earthquake, which He lives in doctors’ quarters at cal colleges have mushroomed, days lying on a gurney damaged nearly a third of public the back of the hospitals where fi lling a hole left by the limited Din a hospital in Nepal’s clinics and hospitals. he works and spends less than government-run health sector, capital Kathmandu, but he was More than 80% of the popula- a third of his salary on himself, and often owned by the politi- not a patient. The orthopaedic tion live in rural areas, reliant on using most of it to buy drugs and cally well-connected. surgeon was on hunger strike. rudimentary state-run clinics, basic equipment for his clinics. “It is supposed to be a serv- Dr Govinda has gone on hun- while hospitals are concentrated His only luxury is a 20-year-old ice-orientated sector, but it has ger strike 10 times over the past in cities - and are mostly private. television. turned to be [a] profi t making four years in an attempt to pres- “Private healthcare is linked to He has travelled alone to help sector for the political parties, sure the government to improve higher out-of-pocket payments, out in disaster zones around the for the politicians themselves,” healthcare in the impoverished which leads to more people be- world, off ering his services to said Dr Govinda. Himalayan nation - and he is ing impoverished as a result of local hospitals in Haiti follow- Top of Dr Govinda’s demands sure he will have to strike again. healthcare,” said Jos Vandelaer, ing the 2010 earthquake and is an end to the political med- “The hospitals and medi- country director for the WHO in the Philippines after Typhoon dling that he says is putting cal institutions, they don’t have Nepal. Haiyan. business interests ahead of de- In this photograph taken on December 7, Dr Govinda K C has a sample taken by a medical attendant as he proper infrastructure. They Health Minister Gagan Thapa Nepal has been plagued by po- veloping public health services. lies in a hospital bed in Kathmandu. don’t have adequate manpower, said that while Nepal has made litical instability since it trans- Training is particularly con- adequate equipment,” said Dr improvements, reducing child formed from a monarchy to a tentious, dominated by fee- Bangladesh with residencies in demands Dr Govinda made in has been nine times the agree- Govinda from a hospital bed and maternal mortality, health- federal state in 2008, two years based medical schools which Britain and Switzerland. his latest strike, his longest yet, ment has been broken,” said where he is recovering from his care remained limited - and after the end of the bloody dec- critics say lack basic facilities Health Minister Thapa said which ended in early December Dr Lijan Maharjan, part of his latest fast. expensive. ade-long Maoist insurgency. and enrol too many students at least six members of the gov- after he reached an agreement negotiating team. Nepal - a country of 28mn “You have one liver problem The revolving door politics each year. ernment’s advisory health com- with the government. Lying on a hospital bed, a people - has only seven doctors, and you are back into poverty,” has seen competing parties seek “There is no commercialisa- mittee, which has consistently But the surgeon and his sup- woollen hat pulled down low nurses and midwives, and 50 he said. to retain infl uence by stacking tion of the medical education blocked the passing of a medical porters have little confi dence against the cold, Dr Govinda hospital beds, for every 10,000 Something of a medical Rob- loyalists within the bureaucratic sector in the big developed coun- education bill to regulate doc- things will change quickly. appeared resigned to another people, according to the World inhood, Dr Govinda, 60, is well structures - including in the tries, whereas in our country it is tor training, had links to private “This is the tenth time that strike. Health Organisation (WHO). known in Nepal for his philan- health sector. so rampantly commercialised,” medical colleges. Dr Govinda has been in hun- “They won’t let it happen if I The WHO recommends at thropic work, travelling to some A new constitution agreed last said Dr Govinda, who trained in The bill was one of the main ger strike, that means there don’t,” he said. Lanka Paying respects to slain lawmaker Lanka, India targets 2.5mn decide to free tourists fi shermen IANS Colombo IANS The ministers exchanged Colombo views on possible mechanisms ri Lanka yesterday said that to help fi nd a permanent solu- it has set a target of wel- tion to issues related to fi sher- Scoming 2.5mn tourists to ri Lanka and India yester- men from both countries. the island nation in 2017. day announced the imme- As part of the Confi dence Tourism Minister John Ama- Sdiate release of fi shermen Building Measures (CBMs) ratunga told Xinhua news agency in each other’s custody. agreed to by them, it was de- that the country had already ex- The announcement followed cided to intensify co-opera- ceeded the 2mn tourist arrival talks between Indian Agricul- tion on patrolling and to set up mark in 2016 and now it hoped to ture Minister Radha Mohan periodic interactions between attract a further 2.5mn tourists Singh and Sri Lankan Minister their Coast Guards. by the end of 2017. for Fisheries and Aquatic Re- “An understanding was Up to November 2016, the gov- sources Development Mahinda reached to ensure that there ernment had achieved a little more Amaraweera in Colombo. was no physical harm or loss than 1.8mn tourists with the lead- Both sides agreed to a set of life while apprehending ing markets being India and China. of standard operating proce- fi shermen by Navy and Coast He further said that the closure of dures (SOPs) to expedite the Guard... It was agreed to ex- the Bandaranaike International Air- release and handing over of plore the possibility of in- port for certain hours from January Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, flanked by Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and parliament Speaker fi shermen in each other’s cus- troducing eff ective tracking to April would have an eff ect on the Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, seen praying for slain ruling party lawmaker in Dhaka yesterday. tody on completion of legal systems for the fi shing vessels number of tourist arrivals this year. and procedural formalities. and making use of onboard “This is worrying and I have “The immediate release of communication equipment taken the matter up with the au- the fi shermen presently in cus- mandatory,” the statement thorities concerned. However we tody was announced following said. will do our best to achieve the tar- the ministerial level talks,” an The two ministers appreci- gets set and ensure that tourism offi cial statement said. ated the eff orts taken by the becomes the leading foreign ex- Bangladesh proposes 825km border road Sri Lanka routinely arrests JWG in operationalising a hot- change earner,” Amaratunga said. Indian fi shermen poaching in line between the Indian and The country’s main interna- its waters and seizes their ves- Sri Lankan Coast Guards to tional airport will be closed from By Mizan Rahman The three-day bilateral ever, has a road running along We again placed the issue at the sels. The two countries are di- ensure quick decision making. 8.30am to 4.30pm every day Dhaka meeting concluded yesterday. the border. Chittagong conference. The In- vided by a narrow strip of sea. Sri Lanka sought an end from January 6 to April 6 due to The deputy commissioners “The Bangladesh govern- dian side has assured us of co- Some Sri Lankan fi shermen are to bottom trawling which maintenance work on the run- of Bangladesh’s Khagrachhari, ment wants to construct a operation on this issue. We will also detained in Indian jails. Colombo says is destroying way. Several fl ights have had to angladesh has proposed Moulvi Bazar and Rangamati border road in the area, but submit an offi cial proposal to The talks follow the fi rst its aquatic resources. India re-schedule their arrivals and to India to build a road districts and the district mag- the main diffi culty is that there the Indian government soon,” meeting of the Joint Working promised it would be phased departures to Colombo as a re- Balong its 825km border istrates of North Tripura, Un- is no way to carry construc- he added. Group (JWG) on fi sheries held out in a time-bound manner. sult of the maintenance. with the Indian state of Tripura okoti and Dhalai in Tripura took tion materials to the hilly and “The Indian side requested in New Delhi on December 31. Sri Lanka was briefed about Passengers travelling during to increase vigilance. part in the conference. remote areas. It will be very us to maintain vigil on the bor- Both countries also dis- the measures already taken this period have also been advised The country has sought per- Deputy commissioner of convenient for us to use the der so that National Liberation cussed the issue of releasing including the decision to con- to arrive at the airport fi ve hours mission from India to use their Khagrachhari, Muhammad Tripura border road to carry- Front of Tripura (NLFT) mem- seized fi shing vessels. struct a new fi shing harbour prior to their fl ight departure. border road in Tripura to carry Wahiduzzaman, and DM of ing our construction materi- bers cannot enter Bangladesh,” “The Indian side requested at Mookaiyur in Ramanath- Meanwhile, Amaratunga said the construction materials to build Unokoti, P R Bhattacharya, led als,” he also said. said Wahiduzzaman. for the immediate release of apuram in Tamil Nadu and the government had planned mega pub- the road. their respective teams. “Last year, a similar confer- The two sides also spoke Indian fi shing vessels. The Sri capacity building programme licity campaigns to be launched in Bangladesh has placed the Wahiduzzaman said Bangla- ence was held at Agartala in about intensifying joint patrol- Lankan side agreed to con- for Indian fi shermen on deep several cities across the world this proposal at a joint district-level desh has an 825km border with Tripura and we had proposed ling by the BGB and the BSF to sider the request in view of the sea fi shing. year, which would promote Sri Lanka conference held with India in Tripura. Most of the areas are to use the Tripura border road stop border-related crimes, he progress being made by the The next JWG meeting will as an ideal tourist destination. Chittagong city’s Motel Saikat. remote and hilly. India, how- to carry construction materials. added. JWG,” the statement said. be held in Colombo in April. Nepal’s Supreme Court gives nod for constitution amendment bill

IANS tion against the constitution the Nepal government regis- After the bill was regis- Communist Party of Nepal- bill... there is no need to issue gued that the revision of Kathmandu amendment bill in parlia- tered the constitution amend- tered in Legislative-Parlia- Unifi ed Marxist-Leninist - show cause notice against the provincial boundaries can ment, the apex court said: ment bill in parliament on ment Secretariat, a case was CPN-UML - has been obstruct- government to stop proceed- happen only with the con- “Judiciary could not bar the November 29. fi led in the Supreme Court ing the house proceedings for ing the debate over constitution sent of the concerned pro- epal’s Supreme Court legislative from using its Issues like change in demar- challenging that move as over a month against the bill’s amendment bill,” said the Su- vincial assembly, and cannot yesterday said the con- wisdom in the formulation cation of provinces, citizen- “anti-constitutional”. registration. preme Court. be done by the present par- Nstitution amendment of legislation, on the basis of ship, language and making the A division bench of Chief With the Supreme Court rul- According to the theory of liament alone. bill registered in the Legislative- the principle of separation of constitution more inclusive are Justice Sushila Karki and ing, the main opposition would separation of powers and ob- The government has not Parliament should move ahead powers.” incorporated in the proposed Justice Ishwor Prasad Khati- be under pressure to remove the jectively, parliament holds right formed a commission to re- as it is a matter of parliamentary In order to address the de- amendment that the Madhes- wada gave its ruling on it house obstruction. to formulate the bills, said the vise the provincial bounda- supremacy. mands and grievances of Mad- based parties have cautiously yesterday. “It is also not a wise move to court. ries as provided for under the Responding to a writ peti- hes-based political parties, welcomed. Nepal’s main opposition intervene against the proposed The petitioners had ar- constitutional provision. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko Overuse of antibiotics: the world races to avert disaster P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] A few generations ago, Changing attitudes is diffi cult, even a simple cold could turn if progress has been made in Western Telephone 44350478 (news), countries, WHO expert Tayler said. 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) into a dangerous illness. “If there is a chance that there is an Fax 44350474 Antibiotics changed that, infection, no doctor wants to miss an infection” she said, explaining why but their overuse during many medics still hand out antibiotics recent decades could turn when in doubt. WHO has developed an action back the wheel of time and plan that puts a strong focus on make simple infections life- improving sanitation and hygiene GULF TIMES around the globe, because no new, threatening more effective drugs are expected once more anytime soon. “Currently, most major By Albert Otti/DPA pharmaceutical companies have Vienna stopped research in this area,” the India’s Supreme action plan says. Companies fear that anything ntibiotics not only heal they develop will soon become infections: They also useless as bacteria adapt to the new Court stings staunch bleeding after drugs. Achildbirth; help cleanse The excessive use of antibiotics over the past decades has brought us to the In September, world leaders at the people living in dirty cities; and brink of a post-antibiotic era. United Nations in New York therefore protect those who work with issued a statement that called on animals. Or at least that’s what many can no longer stop infections. “It’s soothes them in a way,” she governments, pharmaceutical cash-rich BCCI people in Kabul believe. “To some extent, this is happening said. “It gives them comfort.” companies, research institutions Doris Burtscher, an Austrian now,” said Elizabeth Tayler, a senior It would be a mistake, however, to and non-governmental groups to all anthropologist, has studied attitudes expert on antimicrobial resistance at see war zones as the only breeding support the much-needed research India’s Supreme Court has cracked the whip on towards antibiotics at Kabul’s the World Health Organisation (WHO) grounds for nasty bacteria. eff orts. one of the world’s richest and most powerful sports Ahmad Shah Baba hospital, which in Geneva. Antibiotics can be bought without They also stressed that the is run with the support of Doctors Resistant bugs kill an estimated prescriptions in several southern agricultural industry needs to reduce bodies by ordering the removal of Board of Control for Without Borders (MSF). The hospital 25,000 people each year in Europe and European countries, she notes, the use of antibiotics, as resistant Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur and staff knows that the overuse of a similar number in the United States, increasing the risk of overuse. germs have been spreading from farms secretary Ajay Shirke. such medicines leads to the spread she said. A EU briefi ng paper showed in to humans. The order was passed yesterday by a bench of bacteria that are resistant to For example, intensive care units November that a certain type of Governments have begun to antibiotics, Burtscher said, but many struggle with this problem, as patients superbug that can cause blood and understand that growing resistance is comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur, Justice A M doctors outside the hospital still whose immune systems are already lung infections is now endemic in not only a medical problem, but also Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud for the duo’s give in to patients who demand the weakened catch pneumonia that is Malta, Italy, Greece and Turkey. an economic one. failure to implement a slew of reforms recommended medicine. caused by hard-to-treat superbugs. WHO and other organisations have The World Bank estimated in “It’s very diffi cult, because they Sexual diseases are becoming more been lobbying governments, September that the global economy by the R M Lodha Committee. want to satisfy their patients,” she diffi cult to heal, as bacteria now hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and could stand to lose up to 3.4tn Besides sacking Thakur and Shirke, the court also said. withstand more and more classes patients to adopt simple and eff ective annually by 2030 if death rates issued notices to them asking them why they should All over the world, people hold of drugs, especially in the case of measures. and healthcare costs climb and if not be tried for perjury and contempt of court. In wrong beliefs about the benefi ts and gonorrhoea. For example, doctors should labour productivity falls because of risks of these drugs. The medical aid group MSF has routinely ask patients what superbugs. an earlier hearing the duo had failed to admit that Their excessive use over the past sounded the alarm in crisis regions medications they have been taking, One the other hand, low- and they had asked for a letter from the International decades has brought us to the brink of such as Iraq and Syria, where very and they should tell them how to avoid middle-income countries would only Cricket Council (ICC) stating that the appointment a post-antibiotic era. large shares of patients are resistant to washing hands. need to invest a total of $9bn each The spread of “antimicrobial multiple drugs. WHO has recently issued new year to curb antimicrobial (AMR) of a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General resistance,” as experts call the People tend to take too many drugs guidelines to surgeons, telling them to resistance, the World Bank report (CAG) on the Board of Control for Cricket in India problem, means that simple illnesses in crisis situations, said Burtscher, cut down on unnecessary antibiotics said. amounted to government interference in its aff airs. could turn into lethal ones, and who has witnessed it in Afghanistan, use, and to stop shaving patients “The report concludes that AMR “Supreme Court judges feel that BCCI could do that medical advances in surgery or Iraq, and in a Palestinian refugee camp before operations, because this can containment is a hard-to-resist chemotherapy could be lost as doctors in Lebanon. cause small infections. investment opportunity,” it said. better under retired judges, I wish them all the best. I am sure Indian cricket will do well under their guidance,” Thakur said sarcastically in a video message posted on Twitter. Retired Justice Lodha, who headed the panel for Tech show looks beyond ‘smart,’ to new ‘realities’ bringing in reforms, which included age and tenure restrictions for top offi cials as well as banning them from serving successive By Sophie Estienne and Rob Lever/AFP It is no secret terms, said: “The San Francisco, Washington that the reforms were laid down on July 18. BCCI was he mega-extravaganza of cricket board bound to follow it but the tech world in Las Vegas they didn’t. Hence is showcasing an array of considered itself consequences had to Tnew devices that get smarts from computer chips, sensors and above the law follow. artifi cial intelligence, but go further by “It’s a victory for opening doors to augmented or virtual cricket. Administrators will come and go and I am sure realities. The Consumer Electronics the game will fl ourish.” Show, which begins with a series of Former India skipper Bishan Singh Bedi, who has media events today will off er trade been a constant voice against the BCCI set-up, said: “I professionals a look at new robotics, hope Indian cricket will return on the right track.” connected cars and a dizzying assortment of gizmos from connected It is no secret that the BCCI considered itself a law sneakers to drones. unto itself, holding the ICC to ransom on various This year’s show will see results issues and arm-twisting lesser powerful boards into of a boost in computing power from artifi cial intelligence, which can help supporting its policies. On the back of its massive power things like autonomous cars, fi nancial clout, the BCCI stonewalled the universal and deliver new experiences such as application of the Decision Review System (DRS) augmented or virtual reality. for several years driving the ICC to frustration and “Virtual reality is changing the game for a variety of industries employed an army of public relations men in the form including healthcare, agriculture, of past players to ensure its interests and reputation manufacturing and business,” said were protected whenever there was a controversy. Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association Critics of the Supreme Court ruling will inevitably that organises the annual show, in a argue that the BCCI was the only sports body in India Reddit chat. that actually did a lot to develop the game and took “Doctors are using VR to enhance traditional therapies, architects use good care of past and present players by giving them VR to design stronger buildings and generous salaries and pensions. travel agencies are using it to simplify The fact also remains that it has used its rich coff ers vacation planning.” augmented reality in business or demonstrations of autonomous or But he added that the strongest to ensure its hegemony at the global level, and there CES will celebrate its 50th industry, “gaming is where it is going semi-autonomous vehicles, including potential for drones may be with anniversary at the gathering, and to take off fi rst,” because that’s where one from Japan’s Honda said to be businesses, with uses including aerial are reasons to suggest that the way it distributed funds organisers promised it would have the people are spending money. equipped with an artifi cial intelligence photography. to member associations, conducted IPL auctions and largest showcase of VR technology “The issue is not whether it has “emotion engine” that aims to better On the smartphone front, South struck sponsorship and television rights deals is not ever. the potential to transform things, but understand its occupants. Korea’s LG will show a range of new One CES panel discussion will whether you can put it into a space Electric car startup Faraday Future, “mid-range” handsets and China’s above suspicion. examine how virtual reality is where consumers can aff ord it and one of several manufacturers taking Huawei has a smartphone event The Supreme Court’s decision has created a transforming television, movies and give enough additional information so on Tesla, is expected to unveil its fi rst scheduled. sensation in India, but it must follow through and even news with immersive forms of people are able to use it,” Gold said. production car a year after showing a TCL, the Chinese fi rm which owns ensure that the reforms are implemented for cricket’s video. CES is among the world’s biggest prototype. the Alcatel brand, will unveil new A host of virtual reality experiences trade shows, and last year drew Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn BlackBerry handsets following its deal general good and also go after other sports bodies will entice attendees at the trade-only 177,000 attendees over exhibit space has promised to discuss “a major for the troubled Canadian brand. where corruption and nepotism rule. show. of 2.47mn sq ft (230,000sq m). This technological breakthrough in the The show floor will see a host Cars will feature virtual reality year, 150 countries will be represented. realisation of a zero-emission, zero- of new and improved connected displays to provide a better sense of It will include big industry names fatality world for everyone,” according home technologies that manage the environment around them, while such as Sony, LG and Samsung in to a statement from CES organisers. everything from light bulbs to To Advertise similar technologies will be showcased electronics, with the perennial battle The show is also expected to feature refrigerators. for smart glasses, medicine and beauty to have the sleekest most gorgeous advances in robotics, with more “We’re pretty close on things like [email protected] makeovers. television screen. human-like robots and the public the smart home, where we’re going to Display Robin Raskin, who heads the Living Meanwhile, in attendance will debut of “Professor Einstein” from get up one day and everybody is going Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 in Digital Times centre of the show, be more than 600 startups from Hanson Robotics. to speak to their refrigerators,” said said augmented reality is catching on 33 countries, including fi rst-time Getting a boost from artifi cial NPD analyst Stephen Baker. Classified with try-and-see beauty apps, in- participants - the Czech Republic, intelligence, some new robots at the Carolina Milanesi of the Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 store virtual mirrors and toys. the Netherlands, New Zealand and show will keep an eye on the kids, play consultancy Creative Strategies said Augmented reality, she said, “lets Ukraine. chess or help with homework. 2016 “has seen material progress” in Subscription us look at the real world and add Auto-industry titans including Gold said he expects to see a large some new technologies that will result [email protected] valuable, entertaining and immersive Ford and BMW are increasingly using number of drones looking for a slice of in products hitting the marketplace, information to it.” CES to show off technology packed a surging market. even though not all will be hits. Analyst Jack Gold at J Gold into vehicles for effi ciency, safety, “This is really the year of the drone, “In some cases, it’s because the 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Associates said that despite the entertainment and navigation. and everybody is trying to get into this consumers weren’t really asking for potential benefi ts of virtual and The show will feature market,” he said. it,” she said. Gulf Times Tuesday, January 3, 2017 19 COMMENT Big-screen ‘digital resurrections’

As technology has improved, commercial, while a performer’s will comment on whether Princess Leia economic value and should be many living actors there are can address broader issues. would appear in fi lms beyond Episode treated accordingly,” a SAG-AFTRA Some actors or heirs worry that VIII, set for release in 2017. spokesperson said. more focused on steering overexposure will tarnish a celebrity’s Fisher had wrapped fi lming for the Celebrity deaths often spur big their legacy with stipulations image, Roesler said. next Star Wars episode before she increases in sales of music and Some explicitly rule out died. movies. on how their images are used posthumous depictions involving She suff ered a heart attack on a Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley – or by forbidding their use sex or violence, while others focus on fl ight from London to Los Angeles. regularly top Forbes list of dead drugs or alcohol. Fisher had been expected to play a celebrities with annual earnings of “We have seen people address key role in the ninth instalment of the tens of millions of dollars. By Lisa Richwine and marijuana,” he said. “We’ve seen sci-fi saga, due for release in 2019. If Disney decides to resurrect Jill Serjeant/Reuters liquor addressed.” Fisher’s attorney, Frederick Leia, the costs could go much higher Los Angeles/New York California law already gives heirs Bimbler, did not return requests for than what it might have to pay her control over actors’ posthumous information on any stipulations the surviving family. profi ts by requiring their permission actress may have made about use of The technology and time involved ast week’s death of actress for any of use of their likeness. her image. in CGI recreations for major roles can Carrie Fisher, who played As technology has improved, many Disney bought Star Wars producer make the prospect more costly than Princess Leia in Star Wars, living actors there are more focused on Lucasfi lm in 2012 for $4bn. hiring even a fi rst-tier actor. Lset off waves of remembrance steering their legacy with stipulations The two new fi lms since released “It’s very expensive,” Litwak said. among fans – but also speculation on how their images are used – or by have sold some $2.7bn worth of tickets What about other characters in the over her character’s return in yet-to- forbidding their use. and boosted sales of toys and other blockbuster franchise? be-fi lmed episodes. Robin Williams, who committed related merchandise. James Earl Jones, who is 85, Filmmakers are tapping advances suicide in 2014, banned any use of Disney would need to negotiate provided the menacing voice for in digital technology to resurrect his image for commercial means “re-use fees” with Fisher’s estate Darth Vader in the original Star Wars characters after a performer dies, until 2039, according to court to resurrect her character for trilogy, in an animated TV series and most notably in Rogue One: A Star documents. future fi lms, said Mark Litwak, again in Rogue One. An assistant Wars Story. The fi lm, in theatres now, He also blocked anyone from an entertainment attorney in Los to Jones declined to comment on features the return of Grand Moff digitally inserting him into a movie Angeles. whether any provisions are in place Tarkin, originally played by a long- or TV scene or using a hologram, as The rights of actors’ heirs are rooted regarding use of his voice after his dead actor. was done with rapper Tupac Shakur in a 1985 California law requiring death. The trend has sent Hollywood at Southern California’s Coachella fi lmmakers to obtain permission from A bigger question for fi lmmakers actors in the here-and-now music festival in 2012 – 16 years after a celebrity’s estate to use his or her and fans is whether the technology scrambling to exert control over his murder. image after death. provides a realistic portrayal, Litwak how their characters and images are Virtual characters have been used The law was enacted after a said. portrayed in the hereafter. when an actor dies in the middle of a campaign by the son of Dracula actor “Most people in the movie industry “Celebrities are increasingly fi lm production, as when Universal Bela Lugosi, a lawyer who objected don’t think it’s quite there yet,” he involved in making plans to protect Pictures combined CGI and previous to widespread use of his late father’s said. “It’s amazing what they can do, their intellectual property rights,” footage for Paul Walker’s role in 2015’s image. but it’s not as good as a real actor. It said Mark Roesler, an attorney Furious 7 after Walker’s 2013 death in With today’s movie technology still seems a bit artifi cial.” and chairman of CMG Worldwide, a car crash. opening up so many possible Tarkin’s resurrection in Rogue an agency representing celebrity But Rogue One broke new ground by scenarios, actors’ union SAG-AFTRA One sparked debate among fans estates. “They understand that their giving a signifi cant supporting role to is lobbying for all states to enact over whether the portrayal was legacy will continue beyond their a dead star. protections on the use of celebrity realistic, with some complaining it lifetime.” A digital embodiment of British images after they die. did not look human enough to be Roesler said at least 25 of his clients actor Peter Cushing, who died in 1994, Minnesota began considering such convincing. are engaged in actively negotiating reprised his role from the original 1997 legislation this year following the “Does Disney want to have people the use of their or their loved ones’ Star Wars fi lm as Tarkin. death of music legend Prince, who was scrutinising how real that synthetic computer-generated images in Walt Disney Co recreated Tarkin from Minneapolis. character is, rather than talking about movies, television or commercials. with a mix of visual eff ects and a “The issue for us is straightforward the movie itself?” he asked about the Employment contracts govern how diff erent actor. Carrie Fisher: her death set off speculation over her character’s return and clear: The use of performers’ prospect of Leia’s return. “It would be they can be used in a particular fi lm or A Disney spokeswoman declined to in yet-to-be-filmed episodes work in this manner has obvious a distraction.” Weather report Charting our AI future Three-day forecast TODAY High: 26 C By Luciano Floridi new information from huge data sets, of plebs. Meanwhile, as jobs go, so will sociability as well, as artifi cial and so forth. tax revenues; and it is unlikely that the companions, holograms (or mere Low : 19 C Oxford Strong wind and high sea by Digital technologies and automation companies profi ting from AI will willingly voices), 3D servants, or life-like afternoon have been replacing workers in step in to support adequate social-welfare sexbots provide attractive and possibly alileo viewed nature as agriculture and manufacturing for programs for their former employees. indistinguishable alternatives to a book written in the decades; now they are coming to the Instead, we will have to do something human interaction. WEDNESDAY language of mathematics services sector. More old jobs will to make companies pay more, perhaps It is unclear how all of this will play out, High: 24 C and decipherable through continue to disappear, and while with a “robo-tax” on AI applications. but we can rest assured that new artifi cial Low: 17 C G Sunny physics. His metaphor may have we can only guess at the scale of the We should also consider legislation agents will not confi rm the scaremongers’ been a stretch for his milieu, but not coming disruption, we should assume and regulations to keep certain jobs warnings, or usher in a dystopian science- for ours. Ours is a world of digits that it will be profound. Any job in “human.” Indeed, such measures are fi ction scenario. Brave New World is not that must be read through computer which people serve as an interface also why driverless trains are still rare, coming to life, and the “Terminator” is not THURSDAY science. – between, say, a GPS and a car, despite being more manageable than lurking just beyond the horizon, either. High: 23 C It is a world in which artifi cial- documents in diff erent languages, driverless taxis or buses. We should remember that AI is almost Low: 16 C intelligence (AI) applications perform ingredients and a fi nished dish, or Still, not all of AI’s implications for an oxymoron: future smart technologies Cloudy many tasks better than we can. Like symptoms and a corresponding the future are so obvious. Some old will be as stupid as your old car. In fact, fi sh in water, digital technologies are disease – is now at risk. jobs will survive, even when a machine delegating sensitive tasks to such “stupid” our infosphere’s true natives, while we But, at the same time, new jobs is doing most of the work: a gardener agents is one of the future risks. Fishermen’s forecast analog organisms try to adapt to a new will appear, because we will need who delegates cutting the grass to a All of these profound OFFSHORE DOHA habitat, one that has come to include a new interfaces between automated “smart” lawnmower will simply have transformations oblige us to refl ect Wind: NW 18-25 KT mix of analog and digital components. services, websites, AI applications, more time to focus on other things, seriously on who we are, could be, Waves: 6-8/9 Feet We are sharing the infosphere with and so forth. Someone will need such as landscape design. At the same and would like to become. AI will INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW 06-16/22 KT artifi cial agents that are increasingly to ensure that the AI service’s time, other tasks will be delegated challenge the exalted status we have Waves: 1-3/4 Feet smart, autonomous, and even social. translations are accurate and reliable. back to us to perform (for free) as conferred on our species. While I Some of these agents are already What’s more, many tasks will not users, such as in the self-checkout do not think that we are wrong to Around the region right in front of us, and others are be cost-eff ective for AI applications. lane at the supermarket. consider ourselves exceptional, I Weather Weather discernible on the horizon, while later For example, Amazon’s Mechanical Another source of uncertainty suspect that AI will help us identify today Max/min tomorrow Max/min generations are unforeseeable. And Turk programme claims to give its concerns the point at which AI is the irreproducible, strictly human Abu Dhabi Sunny 24/19 Sunny 24/19 the most profound implication of this customers “access to more than no longer controlled by a guild of elements of our existence, and make Baghdad Sunny 16/04 Sunny 16/04 Dubai Sunny 500,000 workers from 190 countries,” technicians and managers. What us realise that we are exceptional P Cloudy 26/19 26/20 epochal change may be that we are Kuwait City M Sunny 21/09 Sunny 19/10 most likely only at the beginning of it. and is marketed as a form of “artifi cial will happen when AI becomes only insofar as we are successfully Manama Sunny 23/17 Sunny 22/17 The AI agents that have already artifi cial intelligence.” But as the “democratised” and is available dysfunctional. Muscat Sunny 27/18 Sunny 27/19 arrived come in soft forms, such as apps, repetition indicates, the human to billions of people on their In the great software of the universe, Riyadh Sunny 27/09 Sunny 22/08 web bots, algorithms, and software of all “Turks” are performing brainless smartphones or some other device? we will remain a beautiful bug, and Tehran Sunny 09/-1 Sunny 07/-2 kinds; and hard forms, such as robots, tasks, and being paid pennies. For starters, AI applications’ AI will increasingly become a normal driverless cars, smart watches, and These workers are in no position to smart behaviour will challenge feature. - Project Syndicate other gadgets. They are replacing even turn down a job. The risk is that AI will our intelligent behaviour, because white-collar workers, and performing only continue to polarise our societies – they will be more adaptable to the zLuciano Floridi, Professor of functions that, just a few years ago, were between haves and never-will-haves – if future infosphere. A world where Philosophy and Ethics of Information considered off -limits for technological we do not manage its eff ects. It is not hard autonomous AI systems can predict at the University of Oxford, is the disruption: cataloguing images, to imagine a future social hierarchy that and manipulate our choices will author, most recently, of The Fourth translating documents, interpreting places a few patricians above both the force us to rethink the meaning of Revolution: How the Infosphere is radiographs, fl ying drones, extracting machines and a massive new underclass freedom. And we will have to rethink Reshaping Human Reality. Live issues Driven to distraction: texting behind the wheel

Tribune News Service Japan is playing Pokemon Go while guidelines encouraging smartphone can turn it on, or turn it off . A phone Around the world Washington behind the wheel. He rams into two makers to develop technology that manufacturer that automatically Weather Weather pedestrians, killing one of them. detects when a cellphone is being blocks text without giving the user a today Max/min tomorrow Max/min July 21, 2015: A 17-year-old girl kills operated by the driver of a car and say-so runs the risk of users taking Athens Sunny 14/08 P Cloudy 14/07 lose your eyes, and count a Minnesota man and his 10-year- then blocks most apps. Think of a their business to other phone makers. Beirut Rain 14/10 Showers 16/12 Bangkok P Cloudy 32/26 P Cloudy 33/26 fi ve seconds. Open them. old daughter after running through a “driver mode,” similar to the current Should the federal government Berlin Rain & Snow 04/01 Rain& Snow 04/-3 That’s the average amount red light; she had been messaging on “airplane mode.” mandate such technology? No. Cairo Sunny 18/08 Sunny 19/08 of time motorists take their Facebook for eight minutes before the There’s a lot of technology already Phone makers would be smart to Cape Town Cloudy 23/16 Cloudy 31/18 C Colombo P Cloudy 32/22 P Cloudy 32/22 eyes off the road while texting. The collision. out there aimed at curbing distracted pursue that kind of innovation, and M Sunny 27/16 Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Lives lost, families forever marred driving. Most new cars are equipped consumers would likely welcome it. Dhaka 27/16 Sunny Hong Kong Sunny 22/20 P Cloudy 23/21 says it’s actually 4.6 seconds, but you by moments of distraction. with software that allows drivers to Market forces, not government fi at, Istanbul M Sunny 09/03 P Cloudy 09/05 get the picture. Think of what could The latest statistics suggest the toll make phone calls, dictate texts and can drive this change. What to do Jakarta S T Storms 32/26 T Storms 31/24 happen in 4.6 seconds while you’re is likely to get worse. Roughly 10% of use apps hand-free. Cellular phone in the meantime? That’s easy - the Karachi Sunny 28/17 Sunny 27/18 driving 55mph or faster down a busy the 35,000 traffi c deaths in the US in carriers Sprint and AT&T off er apps public should stigmatise texting while London M Sunny 07/03 P Cloudy 08/-2 Manila P Cloudy 32/24 P Cloudy 32/24 expressway, with your eyes shut. 2015 involved a distracted motorist, a that, when a car reaches a certain driving, making it as unacceptable as Moscow Cloudy -4/-16 S Showers -13/-14 Here’s what driving distracted nearly 9% jump from 2014. speed, send automatic not-now- smoking in front of a baby. New Delhi Sunny 23/11 Sunny 23/10 does: April 30, 2013: A woman driving Texting while driving is outlawed I’m-driving replies to incoming texts A sea change needs to happen with New York Rain 09/07 P Cloudy 13/00 her Dodge Ram truck on an eastern in 46 states. Yet a 2015 Harris poll and e-mails. In the case of AT&T texting while driving. A stiff er penalty Paris Sunny 05/00 Cloudy 06/-1 Sao Paulo T Storms T Storms 33/21 Texas highway checks messages on found that nearly a third of American DriveMode, it’s 25mph. Sprint’s Drive for texting behind the wheel would 28/21 Seoul Sunny 06/-1 M Sunny 08/-3 her iPhone. She crashes into an SUV, motorists said they text while First app locks out calls, e-mails and send a stronger message. Saturating Singapore T Storms 31/24 T Storms 33/25 killing its driver and a passenger and driving. text messages at 10mph. the web and airwaves with public Sydney S Showers 22/18 M Cloudy 23/18 leaving a six-year-old boy paralysed. The National Highway Traffi c Safety But all this distracted driving awareness campaigns can certainly Tokyo Clear 13/04 Clear 12/03 August 23, 2016: A motorist in Administration has proposed new technology has a big limitation: You help. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, January 3, 2017 QATAR Fundraiser for Aleppo Shop Qatar to feature pop-up stores at malls

By Joey Aguilar and shows at the festival, which at Ezdan Mall for four weeks. Staff Reporter is expected to attract a large Besides clothing and furni- number of domestic and foreign ture, the source added that some visitors. start-up businesses will also he fi rst edition of ‘Shop The source noted that some of display unique and hand-made Qatar’, a new festival or- the pop-up stores will include products at the festival. Tganised by Qatar Tourism Artikkan, an enterprise focusing Qatar authorities have been Authority (QTA), will feature 30 on modern and oriental (fusion) encouraging young Qataris to put pop-up stores across fi ve of the furniture; Maryam Aldarwish, up their own businesses or small participating malls from January specialises in ready-to-wear and medium-sized enterprises 7 to February 7. fashion; and Fanilla Couture, as part of their eff ort to help di- Shop Qatar is hosted by Mall of which off ers a wide range of ap- versify the country’s economy Qatar, Ezdan, Lagoona, The Gate parel, including kaftans, dresses, despite having a “very low” un- and Landmark malls. A source modern galabias, travel kimonos, employment rate. told ‘Gulf Times’ that a major- sweat pants, sweaters, hoodies, In a statement, QTA noted ity of the stores are Qatar-based and passport covers, among oth- that Shop Qatar will also fea- start-up businesses while some ers. ture local products designed by have been operating for more Now operating at Hamad students of Virginia Common- than four years and established a International Airport, 51 East wealth University in Qatar and name for themselves. stores, the Gate Mall and Bou- other local designers at these The move is part of QTA’s aim tique Muscat, Fanilla Couture pop-up stores. The Bedaya Cen- of supporting local entrepre- aims to showcase its products tre for Entrepreneurship and neurs, who will have the oppor- overseas and “see westerners Career Development noted that tunity to showcase their prod- wearing them that refl ect the the demographic of many Qatari ucts at the festival dubbed as ‘A Arabic rich culture.” entrepreneurs comprises uni- Brand New Tradition’. Other pop-up stores will versity students, graduates, and Participating retail outlets at also include The Color Recipe working professionals. the malls will off er a wide range (consulting), participating at Many of these entrepreneurs of promotions and discounts on The Gate Mall for two weeks; are also looking at lifestyle and popular brands, and major prizes Waad (clothing) at Landmark technology businesses, particu- for the raffl e draws, as well as an Mall for four weeks; and Sonali larly food and beverage sector, array of entertainment activities Raman (clothing accessories) according to Bedaya. An amount of QR3.275mn was raised to support Syrians in Aleppo at a charity auction at Katara – Cultural Village last night. Cars, including some classic vehicles, motorcycles, jewellery and fancy number plates were auctioned at AlBahie Auction House. Among the vehicles, a Lexus SUV fetched the top price of QR325,000. The vehicles were displayed at the Katara beach area and other items at the auction venue. The items off ered on auction were collected at a fundraising campaign on Qatar National Day at Darb Al Saai in association with Qatar Charity, Eid Charity, Qatar Red Crescent Society, Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian The joy of giving Services (RAF) and Afif Charity when over QR290mn were received in donations for Aleppo. PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam

Al-Ahli Hospital, in co-operation with Hamad Medical Corporation’s Blood Donor Unit, held a blood donation drive recently as part of the organisation’s corporate social responsibility. Khalid al-Emadi, chief executive off icer, Medicare Group, which runs the hospital, said,“Blood and platelet donors can bring joy to patients and their families who receive lifesaving treatments.” Jamal Saleh Hammad, deputy CEO and director of projects at Medicare noted that by donating blood to HMC, “you can help ensure blood is available when someone you know, needs it.” Dr Abdul Azim Abdul Wahab, chief of medical staff , highlighted that many newborn babies may benefit from a single blood donor as their blood requirements are smaller. Al Jazeera, Huawei to work together on online platform l Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) and Huawei, a Aglobal leading ICT solu- tions provider, have entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore possible avenues of co-operation to transform the Network’s on- line platform using media cloud solutions, in a bid to increase on- line viewership and revenues. Based on the terms of the MoU, both parties will work together to examine the best available op- tions to launch the next genera- tion platform for Al Jazeera’s on- line content, in a bid to enhance the Network’s online off ering. Huawei and Al Jazeera will also explore options for digitising the Network’s analogue content and archiving it online using media cloud technologies. “We are very excited to tie up with a well-established media network, like Al Jazeera, to ex- plore possible avenues of co-op- eration to launch the Network’s next generation online platform,” said Zong Yan, CEO, Huawei Qa- tar. “This MoU presents us with a unique opportunity to leverage our off ering in the media cloud Off icials of AJMN and Huawei at the MoU signing ceremony. sphere both regionally and glo- bally,” he explained. dering capabilities 30 times faster between offi ce and production use this opportunity to work out to our reputation as a leading news “We will explore various ave- “ Given that Huawei is a “Huawei’s Media Cloud Solu- than existing transcoding devices.” service networks; between input, ways to increase further collabo- provider on various platforms.” nues with Huawei to see how best world leader in developing tion supports video production Huawei’s Media Cloud Solu- editing, broadcast, and manage- ration between our organisations Mohamed Abuagla, execu- we can transform AJMN’s online Media Cloud Solutions, AJMN and broadcast, off ering Al Jazeera tion employs a converged archi- ment workfl ows; and between to help expand new avenues on all tive director of Technology & platforms using next generation wants to ensure we can also a platform that replaces multiple tecture and media processing re- traditional media and new media. our platforms for our audiences. Network Operations at AJMN media cloud solutions. We hope have a state-of-the-art media traditional, independent media- sources for computing, storage, Abdulla al-Najjar, AJMN’s exec- Also from a brand perspective it said this partnership will provide to have in front of us a variety of processing resources for com- handling systems with a single migration, and management. The utive director of Global Brand and shows Huawei, a leader in its fi eld, tangible benefi ts to the network’s options to increase the Network’s puting, storage, migration, and universal infrastructure, with ren- solution enables convergence Communications said: “We will is working closely with AJMN due online profi les. digital footprint and viewership. management.”