BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 ‘PSG will make Neymar INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-6, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 REGION 7 BUSINESS 1-4, 10-12 best in the 22,017.00 9,313.49 49.58 ARAB WORLD 7 CLASSIFIED 5-9 Omani delegation +43.00 -156.10 +0.55 INTERNATIONAL 8-17 SPORTS 1-8 world’ +0.20% -1.65% +1.12% visits Hamad Port Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10538 August 7, 2017 Dhul-Qa’da 15, 1438 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Message from Algeria Emir meets paralympic team stars

In brief

QATAR | Development QRCS wheat project benefi ts Syria families Some 17,697 families (88,485 people) of farmers in eight Syrian governorates have benefited from a Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS) development project, which aims to support wheat crop growing in the war-torn country. The end of July saw Syrian farmers harvesting more than 24 tonnes of wheat, a strategic factor of food security for local populations. Page 5 His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received yesterday a verbal message from Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, pertaining to bilateral relations between the two brotherly ARAB WORLD | Confl ict countries and means of enhancing them. Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel conveyed the His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani welcoming players of Qatar Paralympic team who Veteran prosecutor to message when the Emir met him and the accompanying delegation at his Emiri Diwan Off ice yesterday. have won in world championships at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. Welcoming the winners, the Emir wished Talks during the meeting dealt with the close brotherly relations besides a number of issues of common them success in their future participation in international sports competitions, and praised their enthusiasm quit UN Syria probe interest, including the regional situation and the Gulf crisis in particular. Page 2 and sporting spirit. Page 2 Veteran former war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who is on a UN commission probing rights abuses in Syria, has said she intends to resign because the body “does absolutely nothing”. “I am frustrated, I give up,” she told the Swiss newspaper Blick Al Jazeera to fi ght in an interview. “I have written my letter of resignation and will send it in ‘Own your factory’ the next few days”. Del Ponte, a Swiss national who investigated war crimes Israeli plan to shut in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, has been part of the four-member UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria since September 2012. Page 7 project lures local its operations LATIN AMERICA | Unrest Two killed in attack Agencies for Erdan said he doubted the minister Jerusalem had the authority to do so. on Venezuela base “Our ministry is not the address. Try Two assailants were killed and 10 and foreign fi rms the police,” spokesman Daniel Bar said. captured yesterday in an armed attack srael plans to revoke the media cre- Asked if shutting down Al Jazeera’s by “terrorists” on a Venezuelan military dentials of Al Jazeera TV journalists, operations would make Israel appear base, President Nicolas Maduro said zInitiative attracts 9,349 applications from the industrial sector Iclose its Jerusalem bureau and pull to oppose freedom of the press, an offi - on state television. His toll revised a the Qatar-based station’s broadcasts cial close to the prime minister said the previous count by army chief General zQatari investors comprise nearly 85%; 15% are from 52 countries from local cable and satellite providers, country accepted diverse opinions but Jesus Suarez Chourio who said one Communications Minister Ayoub Kara not incitement. died and one was gravely wounded By Peter Alagos given a wide range of privileges like en- said yesterday. “There is no shortage of free speech in in the attack on the base in the Business Reporter vironmental and operational licences The closure did not appear immi- this country. There are plenty of dissent- northwestern city of Valencia, which with a plot of land. nent, however, and an Israeli offi cial ing voices. In democratic countries there the military said was quickly put down. He said the committee distributed said a legal process was still required are also things that are unacceptable, Other off icials had spoken of “several” he ‘Own your Factory in Qatar in yesterday 75 market studies on the ba- to implement most of the proposed and a lot of what Al Jazeera is saying and attackers arrested. Page 9 72 Hours’ project, a government sic activities proposed to investors. It steps. broadcasting falls into that category.” Tinitiative aimed at fast-tracking also provided them with information Al Jazeera denounced the decision He was referring to recent violence in ASIA | Sanctions vote the establishment of more manufac- on how to conduct feasibility studies “from a country that claims to be the and around a Jerusalem site that is re- turing companies and factories in Qa- based on the products needed in the only democracy in the Middle East” vered by Muslims and Jews in which six US and China pile tar, has attracted 9,349 applications domestic market. and vowed to seek necessary legal steps Palestinians and fi ve Israelis, including pressure on N Korea from local and international companies Established in 2016, the co-ordinat- against the Israeli measures. two policemen, were killed. The United States and China piled representing major industrial sectors. ing committee for the Single Window Kara said the measures were intend- Al Jazeera said in July it would take all pressure on North Korea yesterday Speaking at a press conference yes- Salman Mohamed Kaldari, the chairman System Management represents one of ed to bolster Israel’s security and “to necessary legal measures if Israel acts to abandon its nuclear missile terday, Salman Mohamed Kaldari, the of the co-ordinating committee for the the key government initiatives launched bring a situation that channels based in on its threat. It said Israel was aligning programme after the UN Security chairman of the co-ordinating com- Single Window System Management. to develop Qatar’s business environ- Israel will report objectively”. itself with four Arab states that have Council approved tough sanctions mittee for the Single Window System ment, stimulate real participation of the Journalists working for the station in severed diplomatic and commercial which could cost Pyongyang $1bn a Management, said the project attracted Russia, Germany, France, China, India, private sector, encourage domestic and Israel said they did not expect immi- ties with Qatar. year. One day after Council members investors vying for 250 opportuni- Iran, and Pakistan, among others. foreign investments and channel them nent moves against them. Al Jazeera said it was “surprised” voted unanimously for a partial ban on ties in the industrial sector, mainly in Aside from licensing, the project towards sectors with added value to the Last month, Israeli Prime Minister at Israel’s move, and a spokesman de- exports aimed at slashing Pyongyang’s eight major areas: food, paper, medical, guarantees qualifi ed investors with national economy in line with Qatar Na- Benjamin Netanyahu said he would fended the channel’s “professional and foreign revenue by a third, top chemical, electrical, machinery and land readiness and immediate access to tional Vision 2030, Kaldari said. work to shut the network’s offi ces in Is- objective” coverage of the Israeli-Pal- diplomats from the key powers in the automotive, rubber and plastics, and visas, including readiness of industrial He said the committee’s fi rst initiative rael, accusing it of inciting violence in estinian confl ict. dispute met in Manila. Page 10 metals. infrastructure like water, electricity, was the launch of the Single Window Jerusalem, including over an Old City The channel’s Jerusalem bureau Kaldari noted that the food sector gas, and roads, as well as priority for System, which streamlines the adminis- site that is holy to both Muslims and chief, Walid al-Omari, said his offi ce BRITAIN | Politics took the lion’s share or 34% of the to- purchases with local manufacturers. trative procedures in the state. The sec- Jews. The Doha-based network has had not received any offi cial notifi ca- tal number of registered investors with Kaldari said other privileges include ond initiative, the ‘Own your Factory in denied the accusation. tion that it would be forced to close. UK prepared to pay 3,168 applications, while applications platforms for exports, 10-year income Qatar’, helps investors in the industrial Kara said he would ask the Govern- The Foreign Press Association in Is- $47bn Brexit bill in the metal sector stood at 1,334. This tax exemption, customs exemptions sector get all the necessary facilities to ment Press Offi ce to revoke the accred- rael criticised the planned moves. Britain is prepared to pay up to 40bn was followed by the paper sector with for raw materials, and the provision of start a business in just 72 hours. itation of Al Jazeera’s journalists in Is- “Changing the law in order to shut euros ($47bn) to the European Union 1,086 applications, rubber and plas- a 10% support for national and govern- The initiative is spearheaded by the rael, where it has about 30 staff . Cable down a media organisation for political to settle its accounts when it leaves the tics sector (941 applications), chemical ment products, in addition to fi nancing Ministry of Interior, Ministry of En- and satellite providers have expressed reasons is a slippery slope,” association bloc, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper (826), medical (710), electrical (732), services provided by Qatar Develop- ergy and Industry, Ministry of Munici- their willingness to turn off its broad- executive secretary Glenys Sugarman reported. It is the first time the British and machinery and vehicles (552). ment Bank (QDB). pality and Environment, Ministry of casts, he said. said. side has put a figure even unoff icially Of the total number of applications, Kaldari said the committee will take Economy and Commerce, and Ministry Kara added that he had asked In- Al Jazeera has also faced government on the so-called divorce bill, one of the Kaldari said Qatari investors comprise a month to study the applications sub- of Administrative Development, La- ternal Security Minister Gilad Erdan censure in Egypt. In 2014, Egypt jailed biggest sticking points in the Brexit nearly 85%, while around 15% are 3,000 mitted by investors. After selecting bour and Social Aff airs, as well as QDB, to use his powers to close the station’s three of the network’s staff ers for seven negotiations. However, it falls well investors from 52 countries, including qualifi ed investors, the winners will be Manateq, and Qatar Chamber. offi ces in Israel, although a spokesman years and closed its offi ces. short of the 100-bn-euro ($118bn) sum discussed in Brussels. The newspaper report, based on unnamed government sources, said Britain would pay this only if the EU agrees to negotiate the financial settlement as part of a future Milaha launches in-country operations in Oman Bahrain to ease airspace trade deal. Page 11 atar-based maritime and logis- cal, regional, and international import- EUROPE | Weather tics conglomerate Milaha has ers and exporters, and will increase curbs on Qatar from today Qlaunched in-country opera- options to access the lucrative Qatari Sizzling summer gives tions in Oman. market. south taste of the future Initially, Milaha is setting up ware- Milaha president and CEO Abdul- ahrain is to ease airspace restric- (ALRS) are provided. Every portion Swathes of southern Europe sweltered housing and third party logistics (3PL) rahman Essa al-Mannai said: “We are tions on Qatar from today fol- of the atmosphere belongs to a spe- in a heatwave that has claimed several services within the Sohar Free Zone, pleased to be setting up in Oman as we Blowing International Civil Avia- cific FIR. lives, cost billions in crop damage and while it continues to explore further seek to strengthen our position as a tion Organisation (ICAO) directives to On July 31, ICAO asked all member is, scientists warned, a foretaste of expansion in Oman of its diverse port- leading international provider of ma- the eff ect, sources said. states to abide by and comply with the worse to follow in coming decades. At folio of services. rine transport and logistics services. “While the fi rst ease of Bahrain FIR Chicago Convention, and continue least five deaths in Italy and Romania The announcement comes on top of We are excited about the opportuni- airspace to Qatar is eff ective tomor- co-operation regarding aviation’s have been attributed to the extreme the company also shifting its regional Al-Mannai: eff icient solutions ties this will bring for our partners and row, more airspace is scheduled to safety and security and international conditions since the heatwave set in transshipment hub to the Port of Sohar, ourselves, especially as we add new open eff ective August 17,” a tweet from civil aviation’s effi ciency and sustain- around the start of August. Unusually where Milaha is off ering competitive and Kandla), off ering enhanced con- value-added services such as distri- noted aviation analyst Alex Macheras ability. high, sometimes unprecedented transit time for local cargo and a high nectivity and transit times to Qatar and bution and LCL, among others, over said. The directive was issued after the temperatures, are being recorded frequency of Oman to Qatar sailings. the region, and is actively evaluating the next few weeks. We will aim, as In aviation, a flight information ICAO Council Extraordinary Session across an area spanning much of Spain Milaha currently calls on two ports further expansion of services. always, to provide the most cost-ef- region (FIR) is a specified region of was held at the ministerial level in and Portugal, southern France, Italy, in Oman (Sohar and Salalah) and three Milaha’s logistics setup in Oman will fective and effi cient solutions to our airspace in which a flight informa- Montreal, Canada last Monday to ex- the Balkans and Hungary. Page 12 ports in India (Nhava Sheva, Mundra, provide excellent opportunities for lo- clients.” Business Page 1 tion service and an alerting service amine Qatar’s requirement. Gulf Times 2 Monday, August 7, 2017 QATAR

Emir receives message from Bouteflika

His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday received a verbal message from Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, pertaining to bilateral relations between Qatar and Algeria and means of enhancing them. The Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Algeria Abdelkader Messahel conveyed the message when the Emir met him and the accompanying delegation at his Emiri Diwan Off ice yesterday. Talks during the meeting dealt with the bilateral relations in addition to a number of issues of common interest, including the His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with the players of Qatar paralympic team at regional situation and the Gulf crisis in particular. the Emiri Diwan yesterday. HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, president of Qatar Olympic Committee; Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Saud al-Thani, president of Qatar Paralympic Committee; and Hassan al-Ansari, general secretary of the Qatar Paralympic Committee, were present on the occasion. FM briefs Algerian counterpart on crisis Emir welcomes players of Qatar

HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met Algerian Minister of Foreign Aff airs Abdelkader Messahel in Doha yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways of strengthening and developing them, in addition to regional issues of common concern. The Foreign Minister briefed his Algerian counterpart on the developments in the Gulf crisis and the humanitarian consequences resulting from the illegal measures taken against Qatar paralympic team by the siege countries. QNA Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Saud Doha al-Thani, president of Qatar Paralympic Committee, and Hassan al-Ansari, general sec- is Highness the Emir retary of the Qatar Paralympic Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- Committee were present on the Hmad al-Thani met the occasion. MEC slaps fi nes, cancels players of Qatar Paralympic The players who called on the team who have won in world Emir were: championships, at the Emiri Di- Abdulrahman Abdulkader wan yesterday. (winner of gold in special needs licences of retail outlets at At the outset of the meeting, in the F34 category) and Sa- the Emir welcomed all the play- rah Masoud (winner of silver). ers, including those who won the Those who participated for the fi rst place at the GCC level and fi rst time included Mohamed malls for fl outing norms the fourth at the level of the Arab al-Kubaisi, Khalid al-Hajri and world at the World Para Athlet- Mohamed Ahbabi. Abdulrahman ics Championships in London in and Sarah managed to maintain n inspection campaign from the ministry ensure that The MEC stressed it would July. and develop their winning streak carried out by the Min- retails outlets comply with the not tolerate any violations of The players also included after the Paralympic Games 2016 Aistry of Economy and terms of the licence. the Consumer Protection Law those who won in the Paralym- in Rio de Janeiro. Commerce (MEC) at a number The initiative comes within and its regulations and would pic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, For their part, the players of malls in Qatar has led to the the framework of the MEC’s intensify its inspection cam- and the winners in the Special expressed pleasure at meeting imposition of fi nes for seven vi- eff orts to monitor markets and paigns to crack down on viola- Olympics World Winter Games the Emir and listening to his re- olations and withdrawal of the commercial activities as well as tions. The ministry will refer in March 2017. marks. discount licences of three retail to crack down on price manip- those who violate laws and The Emir congratulated the They appreciated his gener- outlets for not complying with ulation and uncover violations ministerial decrees to the com- players for their accomplish- His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani welcomes ous gesture, stressing that their regulations. in a bid to protect consumer petent authorities, who will, in ments which represent an a player of Qatar paralympic team as Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Saud achievements would not have In a statement yesterday, the rights, the statement adds. turn, take appropriate action achievement for Qatar in the in- al-Thani, president of Qatar Paralympic Committee, looks on. been possible without the Emir’s ministry said it conducted the The MEC said retail outlet against the perpetrators in or- ternational sports arenas. support for them and for the surprise inspection campaign owners should take the initia- der to protect consumer rights. The Emir wished the players and sporting spirit, urging them HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad sports sector in general and for in a bid to monitor the compli- tive and adopt, without any fur- The statement urges con- success in future competitions to encourage their fellow sports bin Khalifa al-Thani, president athletes with special needs in ance of suppliers (retail outlets) ther delay, the ‘Shop with Con- sumers to compare the product and praised their enthusiasm fans to join them. of Qatar Olympic Committee, particular. with their obligations under fi dence’ mark when it comes price before and after the dis- Law No 8 of 2008 on consum- to announcing discounts and count and promotional period. er protection and Ministerial promotional off ers. The mark Consumers are also entitled to Decision No. 5 of 1984 on dis- should be placed on invoices inspect the product label for counted sales. presented to customers, as it the discount percentage as well The initiative resulted in the represents clear proof to con- as the actual and discounted imposition of seven fi nes for sumers that the shop concerned price. Consumers should also Qatari, Turkish missing Arabic labels and vio- has obtained the required li- ask for a detailed invoice with forces end lations pertaining to discounts cence from the ministry and the actual and discounted and promotion licences. These promotions and discounts are price, it adds. constituted violations of Arti- being off ered in line with appli- The MEC has urged all con- cle 7 of Law No 8 of 2008 and cable laws and legal regulations. sumers to report violations or submit complaints and sug- Shield’ exercise Ministerial Decision No 5 of Further, the ministry warned ‘Iron 1984, the statement noted. that retail outlets that have gestions through the call cen- The MEC withdrew the li- obtained a licence should of- tre: 16001, e-mail: info@mec. QNA cences of three outlets that vi- fer real promotions and refrain gov.qa, Twitter: MEC_QATAR, Doha olated the terms of the discount from fake and misleading dis- Instagram: MEC_QATAR and and promotion licence granted counts and practices that harm the application on iPhone and by the ministry. Inspectors consumers. Android devices: MEC_QATAR he “Iron Shield” exercise carried out by the Qatari TEmiri Land Forces in co- operation with the Turkish forces ended yesterday. The exercise was held Under the patronage of HE the Minister of State for De- fence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mo- hamed al-Attiyah. HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Major General (Pilot) Ghanim bin Shaheen al-Ghanim was present on the concluding day of the ex- ercise. The Director of the Directo- rate of Moral Guidance at the Ministry of Defence Lt Colonel Nawaf bin Mubarak bin Saif al- Thani, said in a press release that the exercise was held at Camp Al Dahiliyat to prepare the Emiri Land Forces to defend the coun- HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Major General (Pilot) Ghanim bin Shaheen al-Ghanim with try’s lands and vital economic, members of the Qartari Emiri Land Forces and the Turkish forces at the concluding day of the “Iron strategic and infrastructure fa- Shield” exercise. cilities. The commander of the ex- Qatari Emiri Land Forces and planning and preparation, then bilateral defence co-operation ercise, Brigadier Hadi Rashid the Turkish forces to stop and command centre exercise and between Qatar and Turkey to al-Shahwani, said that “Iron prevent infi ltrations and regain fi nally the briefi ng and lessons support counter-terrorism Shield” included training of control of the situation in vital learned. efforts, extremism and smug- leaders to assess the situation, areas. The military exercise comes gling operations as well as to planning, control and co-ordi- The “Iron Shield” exercise on the basis of prior agree- maintain security and stability Inspections in progress. nation between the units of the was carried out in three stages: ments within the framework of in the region. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 3 QATAR Ambulatory Care Centre receives fi rst outpatients

he Hamd Medical Corpo- at the Ambulatory Care Centre ration (HMC)’s Ambula- precedes the offi cial opening of Ttory Care Centre (ACC) the three new Hamad Bin Khalifa recently welcomed the fi rst out- Medical City hospitals, accord- patients at its digestive (GI) and ing to a statement. liver disease clinics, which have When fully operational, the moved from their previous loca- ACC will off er patients a “new tion at Hamad General Hospital. approach” to surgical and clini- Digestive endoscopy proce- cal care in Qatar, providing day- dures have also relocated to the care surgery, some inpatient Ambulatory Care Centre. surgical care and clinical care With a focus on treating pa- delivered in the “most techno- tients with digestive system logically advanced operating disorders, these are the second theatres and treatment rooms”. round of clinics to commence Dr Saad al-Kaabi, senior con- outpatient services at the Am- sultant, medical aff airs and head bulatory Care Centre and follow of gastroenterology and hepatolo- the start of podiatry outpatient gy at ACC, said: “Both myself and services earlier this year. the rest of our gastroenterology Audiology and ENT outpa- and endoscopy clinical teams are tient clinics are also planned to excited about the relocation to the move to the ACC along with a Ambulatory Care Centre. The fa- Dr Saad al-Kaabi and the team at the Ambulatory Care Centre. pre-admission anaesthesia clin- cility is state-of-the-art and will ic and surgical services. enable us to provide our patients tinuing to provide patients with build upon recent departmental “The new facility will provide fers comprehensive state-of-the- to enable the development of the This gradual introduction of with the best possible care.” our usual high standard of clini- successes such as introducing and encourage active participation art clinical training. It will also pro- expertise and knowledge required outpatient and surgical services He added: “In addition to con- cal care, we will also continue to new technology and therapies. of fellows in a programme that of- vide fully functional research areas to ensure excellent patient care.” UK composers, QRCS wheat project artistes to take benefi ts Syrian families part in Katara ome 17,697 families festival: envoy (88,485 people) of farm- Sers in eight Syrian gover- norates have benefi ted from a any British composers Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS) de- and artistes from the velopment project, which aims Mfi lm, music and visual to support wheat crop growing art industries will be coming in the war-torn country. to Doha in November to share The end of July saw Syrian their knowledge and experience farmers harvesting more than with their Qatari peers, British 24 tonnes of wheat, a strategic ambassador Ajay Sharma has factor of food security for local said. populations. The visit is part of the Brit- In a statement, QRCS said ish embassy’s plan to organise a the project was carried out in ‘British Festival’ in partnership co-operation with the General with the British Council and in Organisation for Seed Multi- collaboration with Katara - the plication (GOSM), Assistance Cultural Village Foundation. Co-ordination Unit (ACU) and It aims to further enhance the the Food and Agriculture Or- strong cultural ties between Qa- ganisation (FAO) of the United tar and the UK. Nations (UN), with support “This will build on the suc- Sharma: strategic partnership from Qatar Fund for Develop- cessful strategic partnership ment (QFD). of The Great British Festival in “The British Council contin- Half of the project’s $6.3mn 2016,” Sharma told Gulf Times. ues to support Qatar’s human funding was provided by QRCS “The programme will focus development plan by provid- while GOSM and ACU gave 25% on fi lm, music, street art and ing skills training by visiting UK each. aspects of mutual cultural herit- trainers,” Sharma said. A total of 7,733.5 hectares of age.” Such initiatives include help- agricultural land was cultivated A total of 7,733.5 hectares of agricultural land was cultivated in eight Syrian governorates. The envoy added that the ing women realise their poten- in eight governorates – Alep- British embassy would welcome tial and achieve success through po, Idlib, Homs, Hama, Daraa, co-operation with local and UK the ‘Springboard’ training pro- Quneitra, Damascus and Rif Di- business partners in Qatar. gramme, alongside ‘Women mashq. Sharma met with Katara Sport Journalist’ training and “Harvesting is the culmi- general manager Dr Khalid bin ‘Youth Sport Leaders’ pro- nation of the project. Over 45 Ibrahim al-Sulaiti recently to gramme, according to the en- days, the farmers have been present the proposal about the voy. harvesting and packing wheat festival, which would showcase He said the British Council is for the purpose of producing British culture in Doha. developing the personal skills bulgur and fl our, among oth- Katara, which features state- and capabilities of young peo- ers,” QRCS said. of-the-art facilities for cultural ple to have a successful transi- According to the plan, QRCS shows and exhibitions, among tion from school into the next will purchase a portion of the others, provides an authentic stage of their lives through its crop at a “reasonable price”. platform that showcases inter- Taqaddam programme. Some 75% of the wheat will be national art from various parts “There are also a number of used in producing bread while of the world. joint UK-Qatar science activi- 25% will be purifi ed and resold The event at Katara in late ties in the pipeline with a focus to the farmers at minimal prices November will also see British on research and capacity build- for the coming season. This per- artistes and performers take part ing,” Sharma said. centage, which equals to 6,000 in a number of Qatari festivals, Qatar and the UK continue tonnes of seeds, will be used to the envoy said. to broaden their cultural ties cultivate 24,000 hectares. The embassy, he noted, is also with the staging of events, QRCS secretary-general Ali supporting young emerging Qa- which cover various fields such Hassan al-Hammadi said the tari talents to participate in UK as arts, education, science and project is a major component of art festivals and residencies. sports. the food security strategy of the three partners. “It pursues the set goals and Tomoh programme concludes activities of food security under the UN Humanitarian Response Tomoh for Voluntary Work serve the basic pillars of the Plan 2016,” he stressed. Management has concluded National Vision, in addition to “The three partners worked QRCS completed the third version of its development project to support wheat crop growing in Syria. its latest programme entitled activating the role of the Qatari closely together to reinvigor- “Volunteer by Your Thoughts” media by highlighting the vision ate the local market and reduce lished to give the farmers ze- from the produced wheat. served and three species were extra 3,000 hectares of the total with nearly 150 project ideas, and its pillars. Director-General poverty in the target areas, ro-interest loans to purchase The project also aims to im- restored by importing seeds cultivated land. all aiming to contribute to the of Tomoh Nasser al-Meghaiseeb which suff er from food short- agricultural resources. The prove quality by off ering incen- from approved suppliers. “QFD plays a central role in development and advancement said the programme is one ages and low wheat productiv- loans are either in cash or in- tives for farmers depending on Al-Hammadi thanked QFD our Syria operations with posi- of Qatar National Vision 2030. of the activities that aim to ity,” al-Hammadi noted. kind (seeds and fertilisers, the purity of the harvest. Also, for contributing 50% of QRCS’ tive results for millions of dis- The programme contributed to promote voluntary work A $4mn fund was estab- among others) and are repaid 13 species of wheat were pre- funding, which enabled it to add placed Syrians,” he said. initiating innovative ideas that culture. Aster off ers free scanning facility to Indian medical organisations

ster DM Healthcare has 30th anniversary under the ban- Prajeesh Padmanabhan, vice- Dr Mathews said: “We are glad announced that it has of- ner of Aster@30, it said in a press president, IDC-IMA, and other to be a part of Aster@30 com- Afered free 300 MRI (mag- statement. committee members of IDC- munity service. This initiative netic resonance imaging) and The announcement was IMA. will immensely help patients 300 CT (computed tomography) made by Dr Joji Mathews, The project aims to achieve who are fi nancially challenged scanning facility worth QR1mn president of IDC-IMA Qa- “the wellness of people who and those who are on a waitlist to the Indian Doctors Club and tar, and Dr Sameer Moopan, cannot aff ord to go for such tests to get advanced early diagnosis Indian Medical Association chief executive officer of Aster in the private sector”, the state- and treatment.” (IDC-IMA) Qatar, registered un- DM Healthcare - Qatar, dur- ment said. Some 400 doctors of Aster DM Healthcare is one der the aegis of the Indian em- ing a function held at the re- IDC-IMA would be referring eli- of the largest private health- bassy. gional corporate headquarters gible candidates to benefi t from care networks operating in the The initiative is part of Aster’s of Aster in the presence of Dr this programme. Gulf. Aster and Indian medical associations officials announce the launch of free scanning facility. Gulf Times 4 Monday, August 7, 2017 QATAR

Partial lunar eclipse today

The last lunar eclipse of the year takes place today (Monday) and will be visible from Qatar, Qatar Calendar House (QCH) has said. The partial lunar eclipse will be visible throughout most of Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, according to QCH astronomer Dr Beshir Marzouk. Qatar residents will not require astronomical telescopes to see the partial lunar eclipse, while the penumbral phase is hard to see with the naked eye and advanced equipment is needed for this. All phases of today’s lunar eclipse will be seen over the Qatar sky, with the penumbral phase starting at 6.50pm. The partial phase will begin at 8.23pm and reach its peak at 9.22pm, when the Earth’s umbra shadow will cover 24.6% of the full moon, Dr Marzouk explains, adding that the partial phase will end at 10.18pm and the penumbral at 11.51pm. The overall duration of the lunar eclipse will be five hours and one minute, while the partial phase will last for one hour and 55 minutes.

A view of Al Wakrah city. Al Wakrah joins Unesco network

l Wakrah city has sary standards to acquire joined the Global such membership. In the ANetwork of Learning application for the mem- Cities of Unesco’s Insti- bership, the municipality tute for Lifelong Education affi rmed the importance of as a member, the Ministry education in implementing of Municipality and Envi- Qatar National Vision 2030 ronment (MME) has an- and in resolving the diffi cul- nounced. ties faced by world govern- This marks an achieve- ments. ment for the ministry, The Unesco Global Net- represented by Al Wakrah work of Learning Cities is Municipality, and has been an international policy- made possible due to its oriented network provid- eff orts to spread sustain- ing inspiration, know-how ability concepts and part- and best practice. Learning nerships with social organi- cities at all stages of devel- sations, according to a press opment can benefi t greatly statement from the MME. from sharing ideas with Al Daayen Municipality off icials at the dates event. The director of Unesco’s other cities, as solutions Institute for Lifelong Edu- for issues that arise as one has held an event on dates. of the event, boxes of dates ongoing second Local Dates cation welcomed the ac- learning city develops may It features an exhibition of were given out to the par- Festival in Souq Waqif. The cession of Al Wakrah city already exist in other cities. dates and various types of ticipating employees and event was attended by more to the Global Network of Meanwhile, the MME in- palm trees in addition to a visitors. The ministry also than 5,500 people on that Learning Cities, as the city formed that Al Daayen Mu- lecture on the nutritional said 10.8 tonnes of dates day. The festival is set to has put in place the neces- nicipality’s Gardens Section value of dates. At the end were sold on Saturday at the conclude on August 12. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 5 QATAR Doha all set for 4th Mindsports

The students were introduced to the programme facilities, policies and activities, as well as the faculty championships and staff members with whom they would work during the upcoming academic year. ith less than 15 days Exhibition and Convention events director Mashal Shahbik left for the fourth Centre. said. WMindsports World Mindsports enthusiasts of all “In working with MSA to host Championships, event organis- levels, from beginner to profes- this event, we have been keen to er Mindsports Academy (MSA) sional, will be vying for their off er residents the opportunity QF’s ABP hosts orientation is ramping up activities to host mindsport championship title. to be part of the international the competition in Doha this The tournament will be over- mindsports scene, with the month. seen by experienced tourna- added convenience of staying in The event, which will be ment directors, including Jamie Qatar,” she added. for 2017-2018 Class students hosted by the Qatar Tourism Kenmure (chess), Chiva Tafaz- Shahbik: (QTA has) been keen to Mindsports Academy chief Authority (QTA), invites Qa- zoli (backgammon), Shaikh off er residents the opportunity executive Dave Brannan said: tar residents who have interest Mohamed Isa and Saleh Ali al- to be part of the international “Mindsports is one of the fast- he Academic Bridge Pro- facilities and services. to the students on their institu- and passion in chess, Scrab- Marri (bridge), and Prashanthi mindsports scene. est growing communities in the gram (ABP), a centre of “Our faculty and staff mem- tions. ble, e-sports, backgammon, Weerawardane (Scrabble). world. With so many activities Tthe Qatar Foundation for bers work hard for everything to Lunch with new students was bridge and Go, and want to take Participants will have the “We are very excited to be taking place, there is something Education, Science and Commu- run smoothly on the very fi rst the last activity on the fi rst day of part, to register online at www. chance to win prizes such as hosting the fi rst edition of the for enthusiasts of all ages and nity Development (QF), has held day of the new academic year. We orientation. msawc2017.com iPhone 7s and more, and prize Mindsports World Champion- abilities to get involved in and an orientation event for 220 new look forward to a very successful On the second day of orienta- It is open to adults and youths money from the $100,000 prize ships in the Middle East, al- become part of the global mind- students. and rewarding year ahead,” Dr tion, the ABP’s Dr Mark New- of all abilities. pool. lowing sports enthusiasts from sports community.” The event was held at the Lewallen said. “I am very proud mark started by giving a presen- Scheduled to run between Prizes will also be given to the the world over to experience The Marriott Marquis City Learning Resource Centre, lo- of our ABP students and the con- tation on the events and activities August 19 and 27, the champi- top Qatari in each event along Qatar’s authentic tourism off er- Center Doha is the offi cial cated in the ABP building on the tinuous accomplishments they that the students would be en- onships will be held at the Doha with the top resident. ing,” QTA tourism festivals and championship partner hotel. QF campus. achieve.” gaging in, while a representative During the gathering, the stu- The assistant director for Stu- from QF recreation and facilities dents of class 2017-2018 were dent Services, Moza al-Boainin, explained the services off ered by introduced to the programme gave a speech to motivate the QF to students. facilities, policies and activities, students. They were then divided into as well as the offi cers, faculty and Subsequently, the students groups and taken to classrooms staff members with whom they were divided into groups so that led by the faculty, who held a would work during the upcoming they could be introduced to the short session on study skills such academic year. programme’s facilities. as time management and note- The orientation included an They were taken on a tour taking. introductory speech by ABP around the Science and English Since its inception in 2001, the director Dr Bryan Lewallen, in sections, Student Services, Ad- ABP has graduated about 2,900 which he welcomed the new stu- ministration offi ces, and labora- students, and more than 85% of dents. tories. them enrolled in English-speak- Afterwards, the students In addition, representatives of ing universities in Qatar, the walked around the building to Education City universities were United States, the United King- familiarise themselves with its invited to provide information dom, and other countries.

Tickets for Kadim al-Sahir and Fahad al-Kubaisi concert sold out

ickets for the Kadim al- This is an indication that the au- performing during Qatar Sum- Guests from Ehsan at the Oryx Rotana Doha. Sahir and Fahad al-Ku- dience has a sophisticated mu- mer Festival (QSF) and without Tbaisi music concert have sical taste, which makes us very a doubt, it means a lot to me to already sold out, the organisers happy,” The Social Studio man- perform in my own country, giv- have said. aging director Hamzeh Zahr said. ing everybody the opportunity Tickets started selling late last Both artistes expressed excite- to come together in the spirit of month in the silver, gold, plati- ment at performing live for their solidarity and love,” he said. Ehsan visit to Oryx Rotana num, VIP and royal categories, fans in Doha this month. The concert comes as part of ranging from QR45 to QR395, at Dubbed the “Caesar of Arabic QSF’s entertainment off erings Virgin Megastore branches and Song”, al-Sahir is looking for- and is being supported by Qatar ryx Rotana Doha, in “This visit comes in the context local community and create nity and take care of such initia- on the store’s ticketing website. ward to his performance in Qa- Tourism Authority as part of its collaboration with the of strengthening our relation- links of compassion and aff ec- tives in diff erent ways,” Jwainat The event organisers, The So- tar, saying that “people the world strategy to support and engage OCentre of Empowerment ship with the surrounding com- tion while enjoying lunch and added. cial Studio, have said they are over deserve to experience so- local businesses in the tourism and Elderly Care (Ehsan), has munity, as we are an integral smiles on the faces of older par- The members of Ehsan ex- gearing up to host a full house of phisticated music, which is cre- sector. hosted a breakfast for 30 guests part of it.” ticipants”, according to a press pressed satisfaction and hap- music lovers and fans at the Qa- ated in a moment of peace”. The festival has activities hap- at the hotel to spend some time “Today, we share with the statement. piness at the visit, which they tar National Convention Centre He will also be performing pening across Qatar under the with elderly people and show elderly their beautiful moments “This visit brought joy to the considered a “family visit”. theatre on August 17. pieces from his latest album. theme “Colour Your Summer”. the importance of supporting and show our appreciation and hearts of senior citizens who “The aim of the visit was to “Within a few hours of an- Qatari celebrity pop artist al- The fourth edition of the festi- local communities. care for the older generation,” are, most importantly, willing share the family atmosphere nouncing the performances of Kubaisi has promised his audi- val begins on the fi rst day of Eid Lana Jwainat, director of the offi cial added. to visit us again. We at Oryx and raise awareness among the al-Sahir and al-Kubaisi, tickets ence a special evening. al-Adha and will run until Sep- marketing and communica- The event is part of Oryx Ro- Rotana are happy to continue community,” the statement immediately began to sell out. “This is the fi rst time I’m tember 5. tions at Oryx Rotana Doha, said: tana’s initiatives to “help the supporting the local commu- added.

Ferrari 488 Spider shows its handling prowess DHFC bringing Tom

By Joe Koraith and Jerry this Eid Staff Reporter oha Festival City musical chasing tour, using the t was supposed to be a Ferrari (DHFC) will bring two famous 40’s and 50’s Charle- track day at the Losail Inter- Dof the world’s most stone, Lindy hop, and Jazz bal- Inational Circuit. loved characters, Tom and Jer- let music. But there was a twist in the ry, to Qatar residents this Eid By using the universal lan- tale. al-Adha for fi ve days. guage of comedy, families with Instead of the circuit, Alfardan In a statement, DHFC said children of all ages are sure to Sports Motors, the offi cial im- this show brings a hilari- love this slapstick, dynamic porter of Ferrari in Qatar, had de- ous well-loved episode of the adventure. signed an obstacle course in the world famous double act to life, The free daily show is ex- parking lot. on a live stage. pected to enthral the audience Initially, there was a bit of dis- The characters play out the for fi ve days all throughout Eid appointment but little did we story of Tom falling in love and al-Adha. know what was in store. losing interest in chasing Jerry, Timings are: 4pm-4.30pm; Our steed of choice was the his archenemy. 7.45pm-8:15pm; and 9.15pm- 488 Spider. After getting frustrated, 9.45pm at DHFC’s Centre Having driven this glee-gen- Jerry brings Tom’s rival street Court on the ground fl oor. erator before, the familiarity was cat Butch, to help recapture his DHFC is the largest enter- reassuring in face of what was to attention. tainment, retail and hospitality come. The funny and classic tale destination in Qatar, managed We had experienced the brute The Ferrari 488 Spider tackling the specially prepared obstacle course at the Losail International Circuit. takes us through a fascinating and operated by Al Futtaim. power of the 488 Spider and this time it was all about experiencing Now the 3.9-litre twin-turbo from the engine becomes louder Then the instructor had a sur- entry was and how quickly you its precise handling. V8 in the 488 Spider produces a and you are egged on to tackle the prise in store. got on the gas. Indian Independence Day event Guiding us were instructors massive 661hp but this exercise course a little faster. He asked us to switch to ESC If you misjudged the corner from Ferrari’s Corso Pilota pro- was about the fi ve diff erent drive When we had driven this car OFF. entry speed, you would end up A flag-hoisting ceremony to celebrate the 71st Independence Day of gramme. modes – Wet, Sport, Race, CT earlier – even during the track This is the no-holds barred with the car’s nose pointing in India will be held at 7am on August 15 at the Indian Cultural Centre, The course was a short but OFF, and ESC OFF. day, Race mode was the maxi- mode. the wrong direction as it hap- the Indian embassy has said. technical one. We began by turning the Man- mum fun we were allowed to The stability control, the last pened to us – a couple of times. Indian ambassador P Kumaran will hoist the national flag and read It began with the instructors ettino on the steering wheel into have. bit of technology that’s hand- But we did manage to slide the address of the Indian president to the nation. showing how it’s done, with us in Sport mode. But here we were asked to holding you, gets turned off as through a few corners. Students of Indian schools in Doha will participate in the the passenger seat. With the safety net of the driv- switch to CT OFF. well. Driving the 488 Spider on the programme. Cue tyre screeches, rear slides er assistive technologies at its In this mode, traction control The experience was madden- track and in the city were unbe- All Indian nationals have been invited to attend the function and are and butterfl ies in our stomach tightest, it made you feel like an disappears. ing. lievable experiences but the tale requested to carry a photo ID with them. as they attacked the course with accomplished racer. Steering inputs have to be The rear would slide at every of thrashing it around this short The Indian Cultural Centre is located on Street No 916, Wahb Bin gusto. No slides, though. more precise and the rear was corner with the extent depending obstacle course will be retold Omair, Al Mamoura. Then it was our turn. Switch to Race and the growl happy to slide about a bit. on how inch-perfect your corner many more times. Refreshments will be served to the attendees. Gulf Times 6 Monday, August 7, 2017 QATAR

New Ooredoo tools to boost business competitiveness atar’s business competi- tiveness will get a boost Kheesa Interchange revamp Qwith the launch of new enterprise collaboration tools from Ooredoo, the telecommu- nications provider has said in a statement. To provide Qatar’s busi- nesses with more commu- to reduce commute time nication options, Ooredoo launched a one-stop-shop, he revamp of Al Kheesa Inter- cloud-based platform for end- change will improve traffi c fl ow to-end Cisco Hosted Collabo- Tand reduce travel time for road ration Solutions – Value Added users living in and visiting neighbour- Services. ing areas such as Al Kheesa, Umm Slal The platform will enable Mohamed and Al Kharaitiyat, the Public companies to add new Works Authority (Ashghal) has stressed. communication options A vital part of the North Road Cor- “quickly, easily and cost ridor Enhancement project, the inter- eff ectively”, enhancing their ex- change has been opened to traffi c after perience beyond basic collabo- Ashghal completed junction upgrade ration services, the statement works there, as reported in Gulf Times notes. on Sunday. Ooredoo Qatar chief oper- Stressing the importance of the inter- ating offi cer Yousuf Abdulla change, Ashghal’s Expressway depart- al-Kubaisi said: “In response ment manager Yousef al-Emadi, who to enterprise customer was among the senior offi cials present demands for better support at the inauguration, said this is the last for mobile workforces, interchange to be opened as part of the Ooredoo has launched North Road Enhancement Project. simple and aff ordable collabora- Meshal Abdullah al-Naimi, member tion solutions that enable Qa- of the Central Municipal Council from tar’s organisations to make com- the 18th constituency, lauded Ashghal munication faster, smarter, and for the speedy completion of Al Kheesa easier. Interchange, which followed the open- “Using Ooredoo’s suite of ing of the Umm Slal Mohamed and Al collaboration solutions, Qatar’s Kharaitiyat interchanges. organisations can hold meet- These interchanges provide vital ings at a moment’s notice on east-west link, facilitate traffi c fl ow and mobile devices, access real- help reduce traffi c density, he said. time business dashboards, and The offi cial said the development of enjoy full integration and bridges into large interchanges is a good security over apps and mobile idea especially in view of increasing ac- devices.” tivities and commercial facilities in the As an example of the services North Road area. available, businesses will be able Mansour Hasan al-Naimi, repre- Officials discussing the details of the project. to deploy the newly-launched sentative and director of the Services eFax service, which enables Department in Umm Slal Municipal- Al Shamal Road milestones companies to share documents ity, noted that Al Kheesa Interchange more easily. connects both the western and eastern The North Road Corridor Enhancement z Al Kheesa Interchange is part of ing several alternative routes for travellers z The road linking Al Khor and They will also be able to access parts of Al Daayen and Umm Slal and project incorporates some 200km of new the North Road Corridor Enhancement to and from North Road. North Road has been completed, improved billing and accounting provides a vital artery for residents of service roads from Duhail to Al Shamal Project being implemented by Ashghal, z In late-2016, Ashghal opened providing a 5km dual carriageway with services, and access their own both places. town, construction of the Izghawa and which is finalising work on 200km of serv- Izghawa Interchange to provide alterna- three lanes in each direction instead of contact centre solution over the He stressed that Al Kheesa Inter- Umm Slal Mohamed interchanges and ice roads and cycling and footpaths. tive routes from Lusail to Izaghawa, Al two. cloud. change would help ease traffi c fl ow upgrade of the Lehweilah, Al Kheesa and zAshghal opened Umm Slal Mohamed Shamal Road and businesses around, z Ashghal delivered Umm Birkah Road, Value-added services also in- on both Umm Slal Mohamed and Al Al Kharaitiyat interchanges. Also, the Interchange in April and Al Kharaitiyat sharing traff ic with Duhail Interchange. as well as the Al Sakhama and Umm Al clude call recording on-demand, Khraitiyat interchanges, adding that improvement works include revamping Interchange in March to serve the areas of z The bridge linking Al Huwaila Road Amad braiding bridges, to provide easier active directory and phone lock- the three interchanges have become Al Khor Link Road, Umm Birkah Road and Al Kharaitiayt, Leabib and Al Ebb besides, and North Road, enhancing traff ic to and access to Al Sakhama, Sanae Lehmaidi, ing, all made available via the the three main arteries linking the sur- creating new cycling and footpaths. nearby highways and businesses, provid- from Ras Laff an, has been opened. Umm Al Amad and Umm Slal. cloud-based platform, Ooredoo rounding eastern and western areas. added.

Alfardan off ers ‘premium service’ to Maserati owners

lfardan Sports Motors has stressed cellence through our range of premium and peccable safety and performance while on that it off ers an array of services and exclusive services. We aim to understand the the road.” Aamenities, which ensures that the needs of every client and their vehicles in The Maserati Premium Service and Pre- Maserati ownership experience “comes order to off er tailored solutions that go be- mium Service Plus programmes are available with peace of mind and real value”. yond their expectations. All our service and with the latest line-up of Maserati mod- The offi cial dealer of Maserati in Qatar maintenance programmes are conducted by els. This includes the GranTurismo, Ghibli, delivers these luxury services via an exclu- highly qualifi ed and technically advanced Quattroporte and Maserati’s fi rst-ever SUV, sive warranty extension known as the Pre- personnel, and are designed to achieve im- the Levante. mium Service Programme. The programme covers all genuine Ma- serati components and consumables, in- cluding air, pollen and oil fi lters, as well as The Maserati Quattroporte GTS GranLusso. their replacement and technical inspec- tions, for three years or 60,000km, which- with limitations on mileage. ever comes fi rst, Alfardan Sports Motors They can choose to extend the warranty has said in a statement. for further one or two years, to enjoy half a Now, for the fi rst time, Maserati is tak- decade of “fi rst-class service and protec- ing a step beyond this off ering to introduce tion”. Premium Service Plus, delivering “even In an “unprecedented move”, Alfardan is greater reassurance than before”. now providing a further two-year exten- “Coverage under Premium Service Plus sion, allowing owners to enjoy seven years is extended to include brake pads, brake of coverage with some terms and condi- discs and wiper blades, ensuring that no tions. Maserati owner has to accept less than op- Charly Dagher, general manager of Ma- timal performance,” the statement notes. serati Qatar, Alfardan Sports Motors, said: In addition, Maserati owners will enjoy “We continuously strive to prove the ex- warranty of their vehicle for three years quisite standards of Italian design and ex-

10-20-30 promo gets under way at Safari Group outlets

afari Group has announced that the 10- ade, customers can purchase high-quality 20-30 promotion will begin at all its products at “reasonable prices” at Safari Soutlets from today. In a statement yes- Hypermarket on Salwa Road, Safari Shop- terday, the group said constraints emerged in ping Complex in Umm Salal Mohamed and the transportation of goods due to the block- Safari Mall in Abu Hamour. The off ers in- ade, but strong support from the govern- clude tissue sets for QR10, anti-mosquito ment and timely action by the management bracelets for QR20 and dinner set for QR30. of Safari Group enabled the retailer to import Combo off ers featuring Western, In- products from countries around the world. dian, Arabic and Chinese food and bakery “This is how we are able to start the 10- items are available in the Safari Hot Food 20-30 promotion as had been scheduled and Bakery division, while fresh food items earlier. Also, we have ensured the availabil- such as fruits, vegetables, fi sh and meat, ity of all types of products in each depart- and other items like frozen, grocery, cos- ment – including for expatriates who are metics, household, sports, home decora- going to their native country for the sum- tion and back-to-school products are also mer vacation. We have specially designed available, the statement points out. this promotion for supporting this category Also, customers can purchase a wide va- of people,” the statement noted. riety of toys, including rechargeable heli- Products that are not available in other copters, battery-operated cars, newly ar- stores due to the blockade are readily avail- rived garments and readymade collections, able in Safari hypermarkets, the Group and electronic and IT products at “attrac- claims, adding that the 10-20-30 promo- tive prices”, the retailer has said. tion also “ends all anxieties and rumours Musical shows featuring artistes from regarding price hike”. Doha will be held at Safari Mall, Abu Safari Group succeeded in providing a Hamour, from tomorrow until August wide variety of products at “reasonable 10. Entry to these shows, which start at rates” even during the early stages of the 6.30pm, is free. blockade, the statement continued. There is also the ‘Win 20 Toyota Camry “We have made this possible through di- Car Promotion’ from Safari Group. The rect imports from countries such as Turkey, next draw for three cars is scheduled for Jordan, Iran and India.” August 30 at Safari Mall. All customers can Safari Group director and general man- participate in the promotion by making ager Zainul Abideen said despite the block- purchases worth at least QR50. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 7 REGION/ARAB WORLD

ACCIDENT CIVIL STRIFE RESCUE CRACKDOWN PROBE ON Fire erupts in Dubai 2 dead as Iran’s Guards Libyan coastguard Mahmoud Abbas vows to 4 killed as soldier opens residential highrise clash with militants intercepts migrants ramp up Gaza sanctions fire on Iran military base

A fire erupted yesterday in a residential Iran’s Revolutionary Guards clashed with a group Libya’s coastguard yesterday intercepted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has At least four soldiers were killed and eight highrise in Dubai, authorities said, days after of militants in the northwest of the country, killing 137 migrants including five women and three pledged to increase sanctions on the Gaza injured when one of their colleagues opened a blaze tore through a tower across the street. two of them, the Tasnim news site reported children as they attempted to reach Europe, a Strip. Abbas has been seeking to weaken fire yesterday on a military air base in Dubai Civil Defence said yesterday it had yesterday. Brigadier General Mohamed Pakpour, the migration off icial told AFP. Amine al-Boussefi, Hamas by cutting power supplies to crowded southern Tehran, the Iranian military said in a put out the “minor fire” that broke out on a commander of the Guards ground forces, said that head of a government agency in Tripoli tackling Gaza. On Saturday, he said he would continue statement. The incident was “probably related balcony in the 78-storey Tiger Tower, which four militants were also wounded and some military clandestine migration, said “137 migrants were with sanctions on the coastal strip, despite UN to psychological problems of the soldier who opened to residents in 2010. No injuries were material was confiscated, according to Tasnim. successfully rescued by the coastguard...then concerns that it amounts to collective punishment suddenly started firing on his comrades,” the reported. The building is across the street The report said the clashes took place in West handed over to us”. The migrants, from several of its 2mn residents. “We will continue the gradual statement said. It took place on a shooting from The Torch, an 87-storey residential tower Azarbaijan province, which borders both Turkey African countries, were aboard an inflatable boat stopping of financial allocations to the Gaza Strip range, and could also have been the result of a which was engulfed by a fire in early hours and Iraq, but did not specify when the incident intercepted yesterday morning around 40km until Hamas commits to reconciliation” with the gun misfiring, the statement added. “The injured of Friday, with no reports of injuries. The took place. Last month, the Revolutionary Guards north of Sayyad, a seaside village west of Tripoli, Abbas administration. “Since the coup, we have were transported to a medical centre and an Torch was also the scene of a 2015 fire that engaged in heavy clashes with gunmen on the navy spokesman General Ayoub Qassem said. paid a billion and half dollars to the Gaza Strip,” investigation has been opened,” it said. Military triggered a mass evacuation of surrounding border with Iraq, killing three of them and sustaining The migrants were taken to a navy base in the Abbas said, referring to the 2007 overthrow of his service of two years is mandatory for Iranian buildings. one fatality, the Guards said in a statement. capital. Fatah movement by Hamas in Gaza. men when they turn 19. Del Ponte quitting UN Syria probe

Reuters UN condemns brutality Geneva of Yemen conflict after airstrikes hit civilians member of the UN Commis- sion of Inquiry on Syria said A top United Nations off icial in Yemen Tunisian fishermen demonstrate yesterday in the port of Zarzis in southeastern Tunisia. Ayesterday she was quitting be- said yesterday that reported airstrikes cause a lack of political backing from in which at least 12 civilians were the UN Security Council had made the killed, including children, were an ex- job impossible, Swiss national news ample of the “disregard” for civilians’ agency SDA reported. safety shown by all the combatants in Carla del Ponte, 70, who prosecuted Yemen’s civil war. war crimes in Rwanda and former Yu- The civilians were killed and 10 Tunisian fi shermen promise to goslavia, told a panel discussion on the others wounded in Sa’ada province sidelines of the Locarno Film Festival after attacks on a house and a private that she had already prepared her let- vehicle, the UN’s Humanitarian Co- ter of resignation. ordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick “I am quitting this commission, said, citing reports from fellow aid block ‘racist’ anti-migrant ship which is not backed by any political groups. will,” she said, adding that her role was Reuters reported on Friday that AFP is happening out in the Mediterrane- Since the start of 2014, some The Aquarius and Doctors without just an “alibi”. “I have no power as long three women and six children from Tunis an,” he added. “Muslims and Africans 600,000 people from Africa, the Mid- Borders (MSF) yesterday took part in a as the Security Council does nothing,” the same family were killed in an air are dying.” dle East and South Asia have been res- rescue operation in which around 100 she said. “We are powerless, there is strike by the Saudi-led coalition on An offi cial at the port, who asked to cued from traffi ckers’ boats and taken people were plucked from a distressed no justice for Syria.” their home in the area, according to a unisian fi shermen yesterday remain anonymous, said: “What? Us to Italy. dinghy. Del Ponte, a former Swiss attor- local health off icial. vowed to block a ship carrying let in racists here? Never!” Over 10,000 have died en route and The number of such rescues in in- ney general, joined the three-mem- A spokesman for the Saudi-led Tfar-right activists from dock- The C-Star headed straight from serial sinkings have resulted in pri- ternational waters has fallen sharply ber Syria inquiry in September 2012, coalition did not respond to a request ing at their port, dealing a fresh blow Cyprus to Libyan waters after being vately funded or charity-run boats over the last fi ve weeks to under half chronicling incidents such as chemical for a comment. to their mission to disrupt the fl ow of discouraged from attempting to dock joining a multinational search and res- the level of the same period last year. weapons attacks, a genocide against The new incidents were an exam- migrant boats from north Africa to Eu- en route in Greece and Sicily, with au- cue operation coordinated by Italy’s Italian offi cials are cautiously opti- Iraq’s Yazidi population, siege tactics, ple of the “brutality” of the conflict, rope. thorities concerned about the prospect coastguard. mistic that this refl ects a breakthrough and the bombing of aid convoys. McGoldrick said in the statement in The C-Star, a boat chartered by of protests. NGO boats have rescued around in their eff orts to strengthen the Lib- Her departure will leave only two which he expressed deep concern. anti-immigration group “Generation The self-styled ‘Defend Europe’ one third of the nearly 100,000 people yan coastguard’s capacity to combat commissioners, Brazilain human “All parties to the conflict continue Identity”, passed through waters off mission has had a chequered history to picked up this year, but their relations traffi ckers. rights expert Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, to show a disregard for the protection Libya on Saturday. date. Their boat was held up for a week with Italy have become strained as The Libyan navy told AFP that be- and Karen Koning AbuZayd from the of civilians and the principle of distinc- It briefl y tailed the Aquarius, oper- in the Suez Canal by Egyptian authori- pressure to stem the fl ow of migrants tween Thursday and Saturday the United States. The commission was tion between civilians and combatants ated by French group SOS Mediter- ties looking for weapons. has mounted. coastguard, which has received train- set up in August 2011 and has regularly in the conduct of hostilities.” ranee, one of several NGO boats con- Then, after it landed in the Cypriot Critics say the NGOs make it too ing and new equipment from Rome, reported on human rights violations, ducting search and rescue operations port of Famagusta last month, several easy for the traffi ckers to guarantee had intercepted fi ve traffi cker boats but its pleas to observe international in an area notorious for deadly migrant of its crew jumped ship and asked for would-be migrants safe passage to Eu- carrying a total of 878 people. law have largely fallen on deaf ears. Earlier this year, when the commis- boat sinkings. asylum in Europe — exactly the kind rope, allegedly fuelling the lucrative Rights organisations have voiced Although the United Nations is set- sion reported on Syrian government Having left Cyprus on August 1, the of thing the mission was set up to pre- trade. concern over the focus on sending ting up a new body to prepare pros- aircraft deliberately bombing and 40m vessel was thought to be in need vent. Italian authorities last week im- boats back to Libya. ecutions, there is no sign of any court strafi ng a humanitarian convoy, del of supplies: but the fi shermen in the The C-Star crew say their main goal pounded one NGO boat, the Iuventa, They say the migrants on board face being established to try war crimes Ponte hinted at her frustration with southeastern Tunisian port of Zarzi is to expose collaboration between which is operated by German associa- detention in squalid camps and the risk committed in the six-and-a-half year- the inability to bring the perpetrators had other ideas. NGO rescue ships and the traffi ckers tion Jugend Rettet. of torture, sexual violence and forced old war, nor of any intention by the UN to justice. “If they come here we’ll close the who launch boats packed with mi- They accused its crew of being in di- labour. Security Council to refer the situation “What we have seen here in Syria, I refuelling channel,” Chamseddine grants from Libya. rect contact with traffi ckers to organ- Italian offi cials defend the strategy to the International Criminal Court in never saw that in Rwanda, or in former Bourassine, the head of the local fi sh- Humanitarian groups say Genera- ise pick-ups of boatloads of migrants as the only way to end a humanitar- the Hague Del Ponte’s determination Yugoslavia, in the Balkans. It is really ermen’s organisation, told AFP. tion Identity is engaged in a potentially from locations very close to the Libyan ian crisis threatening to overwhelm the to be independent made her outspoken a big tragedy,” she added. “Unfortu- “It is the least we can do given what dangerous publicity stunt. coast. country’s reception facilities. and occasionally controversial. nately we have no tribunal.” Palestinian family faces Jerusalem eviction after half century

By Shatha Yaish, AFP tarily leave the cramped,50sq m now live in east Jerusalem in set- of the claimants, concluding the Jerusalem basement of their building or be tlement homes considered illegal family were not protected tenants. forced out. under international law. A spokesman for Palestinian “Fifty-three years here means The Shamasneh family says President Mahmoud Abbas con- ahamiya Shamasneh, a leaving is not easy — it is a lifetime. it has paid 250 shekels ($70) a demned the planned eviction. 75-year-old Palestinian I was a young girl when I came to month to the general custodian Fahamiya said they had been Fwoman, refuses to pack her this house,” said Fahamiya. since 1967, an arrangement used told to leave peacefully or they things despite a looming deadline “The police are threatening us. by the pro-settlers’ side as proof would have to pay the cost of the for evacuating the home she has We don’t know what to do,” she that the family recognised their eviction, about 60,000 to 70,000 lived in for more than 50 years. said, adding they had not found status as tenants. shekels ($16,000 to $19,000). Israel’s Supreme Court has anywhere else to go. In 2009, the original heirs “We will not leave of our own ruled the family have until Under a decades-old Israeli along with the general custodian will. Maybe if they force us, carry Wednesday to vacate the house law, if Jews can prove their fami- launched a legal process to force us and throw us on the streets, in annexed east Jerusalem. lies lived in east Jerusalem homes the family out, but the claimants then we’ll go. But for us to lock the The family’s supporters have before the 1948 war that led to later sold their rights to a US- door and tell them ‘here are the no doubt the house will be hand- the creation of Israel, they can registered company, according to keys,’ that’s impossible,” she said. ed over to Jewish Israelis, as part demand that Israel’s general cus- Peace Now. Peace Now says the house is part of a wider plan to boost Jewish todian offi ce release the prop- The NGO says such companies of a “larger process the govern- settlements in the predominant- erty and return their “ownership are often used to make it unclear ment is undertaking of establish- ly Palestinian neighbourhood of rights”. exactly who is behind the push ing settlements in Sheikh Jarrah”. Sheikh Jarrah. During the war, thousands of to evict people, a highly-charged King, who does not dispute It will be the fi rst eviction in Jews fl ed Jerusalem as Jordanian- political act. that, said the district is “going the neighbourhood since 2009, led Arab forces seized the city, Arye King, director at the Israel back to being a Jewish neigh- according to Israeli anti-occu- while hundreds of thousands of Land Fund and a de facto spokes- bourhood”. pation group Peace Now, and has Palestinians fl ed from land that man for much Jewish settlement “It is happening slowly, slowly become part of a fi ght over the was later to become Israel. growth in Jerusalem, denied any but thank God we are succeed- disputed status of Jerusalem. No such law exists for Pales- legal misconduct. ing in returning Jews to the place Israel sees the city as its undi- tinians who lost their land. “This house is not changing they ran away (from) when the vided capital, while the Palestin- Israel occupied east Jerusalem hands — it has belonged to Jews Jordanian legions bombed their ians want the eastern sector as in the Six-Day War of 1967 and for about 90 years and it is re- houses,” he told AFP. their future capital. later annexed it in a move never turning to the owners after some Fahamiya laughs at the idea Fahamiya, her sick husband recognised by the international people rented it,” he told AFP. of Jewish heirs, saying she lived Ayoub, 84, their son and his fam- community. In 2013, Israel’s high court reject- there for decades without any Fahamiya Shamasneh sits in her family house in the annexed east Jerusalem neighbourhood of ily have until August 9 to volun- Around 200,000 Israeli Jews ed an appeal by the family in favour mention of any legal owners. Sheikh Jarrah. Gulf Times 8 Monday, August 7, 2017 AFRICA

Zimbabwe opposition reunites

Reuters would see them fi elding par- told supporters at the ceremony. Harare liamentary candidates in some Biti added: “We owe it to the 12 shot dead in constituencies under the MDC thousands of Zimbabweans to Alliance banner and would sup- make sure that in our lifetime imbabwe’s main opposi- port Tsvangirai’s fourth bid for we can remove the beast called tion leader Morgan Ts- the presidency. ZANU-PF.” Zvangirai has reunited with Ncube and Biti are founding The opposition accuse Mu- his former allies to agree a pre- MDC members who both held gabe of rigging his way to victory election pact to challenge Presi- the position of secretary general in previous elections and say he dent Robert Mugabe’s near four- and served as cabinet ministers has used political violence and Nigeria church decade hold on power at the polls in a unity government with Mu- the state security apparatus to next year. gabe’s ZANU-PF until a crushing maintain his hold on power. AFP of their own blood and many pital, the source said. The gunmen had gone to kill Mugabe, 93, has ruled the defeat in the 2013 election. Mugabe denies the claims. Warri others were screaming in pain.” Witnesses said they feared the son of a local chief but failed former British colony since inde- Two other smaller po- The president plans to contest Attacks on churches are rare that up to 20 people may have to fi nd him at his home, Umeag- pendence in 1980. litical parties led by a former next year’s vote, his last under in southern Nigeria, where there died. balasi said. Tsvangirai’s Movement for army general and Mugabe ally the constitution, and will be 99 if welve worshippers were is a predominantly Christian Garba Umar, Anambra State The attackers then went to Democratic Change (MDC) has Agrippa Mutambara and Jacob he wins and fi nishes the fi ve-year shot dead at a church in population. police Commissioner, said the the church to hunt for him, but been the main threat to Mugabe Ngarivhume are part of the elec- term. Tsoutheast Nigeria yester- The country’s mainly-Mus- attacker was a gunman who could not fi nd their prey and be- since its formation in 1999 but tion alliance that was signed in An election pact signed in day, with authorities suggesting lim north has been gripped by a “went on a shooting spree, kill- came angry, he said. has been weakened by splits, in Highfi eld township in the capital April between Tsvangirai and the bloodshed was due to a local violent campaign by Boko Har- ing and wounding” worship- They opened “fi re on pa- 2005 and 2014. Harare. Joice Mujuru, who was Mugabe’s feud. am militants, who specialise in pers. rishioners and shot indiscrimi- On Saturday Welshman “We are saying today, this con- vice-president for a decade until At around 6am (0500 GMT), targeting religious centres. He said the violence was the nately”, he said, adding that the Ncube, who led a break-away vergence is not just about politi- she was fi red in 2014, was on the fi ve gunmen opened fi re at St There were varying accounts result of a failed murder at- father of the intended target was MDC faction in 2004, and Tendai cal parties. It is to stop fragmen- verge of collapse, mainly over Philip’s church in Ozubulu, near of what happened in Ozubulu. tempt, tied to a feud within the shot and wounded. Biti, who left the main opposi- tation. Mugabe has no excuse to leadership of the alliance, offi - the city of Onitsha, unleashing Witnesses said fi ve gunmen local community. Hundreds of churches and tion in 2014, signed a pact that rig if we are united,” Tsvangirai cials from both camps have said. terror on the congregation, wit- in masks stormed the church, “The information at the dis- mosques in Nigeria’s north have nesses said. but police said the killing was posal of the police is that the been attacked since 2009 when Witness Chukwuma Emeka the work of a lone shooter. gunman had been hired to kill Boko Haram began a violent Suicide attack in Cameroon kills eight said that he had just stepped “So far, 12 persons have been a particular family person be- campaign to impose strict reli- out of the church to stretch his confi rmed dead and deposited lieved to be among the worship- gious law. A suicide bomb attack in the far north of Cameroon killed eight legs “when I heard gunshots and in the mortuary here,” a worker pers,” he said. The rebellion has left at least people, local off icials and security sources said yesterday. Dozens screaming and people running at Nnamdi Azikwe University Local rights activist Emeka 20,000 people dead and forced The attack happened on Saturday evening at the village of Ouro- inside”. Teaching Hospital told AFP. Umeagbalasi said his informa- more than 2.6mn others to fl ee Kessoum, 2km from the Nigerian border, said the head of a local “When the chaos subsided A number of worshippers tion about the motive largely their homes, sparking a dire hu- security committee who asked to remain anonymous. killed in I went inside, I saw my fellow with gunshot wounds were also concurred with that of the po- manitarian crisis in the north- “There were eight killed and four wounded”, in addition to the church members dead in a pool receiving treatment at the hos- lice version. east. suicide bomber, he added. ethnic violence Deported advisers in eastern ‘manhandled’ by Congo

Reuters Kenyan police Kinshasa

Reuters “They handcuff ed me and ore than 50 people have Nairobi put me in the hatchback of a been killed in clashes car,” Phillips said by phone from Mbetween ethnic groups Frankfurt. in eastern Democratic Repub- wo foreign advisers to Katsouris said they were man- lic of the Congo, three local aid Kenyan opposition leader handled after the police arrived. workers said yesterday, the larg- TRaila Odinga, who were “One man had a picture of me est death toll in fi ghting between expelled from the country days on his mobile phone,” he said, the two groups for months. before tomorrow’s election, said speaking by phone from Delft, Violence has raged across they had been seized from their the Netherlands. “Another guy much of the Congo this year, homes by plainclothes police- grabbed me by the arm and killing hundreds and displacing men who also confi scated their grabbed my glasses from my millions amid a political crisis computers. face.” caused by President Joseph Ka- American John Phillips, chief After being bundled into bila’s refusal to step down when executive of political consultan- separate cars they were driven his constitutional mandate ex- cy Aristotle, and Canadian An- around for several hours, while pired in December. dreas Katsouris, a senior execu- being questioned, and then tak- On Friday, a group of Twa tive at the fi rm, were detained en to holding cells at the airport, pygmies attacked the Luba, a late on Friday and deported from they said. Bantu ethnic group, near Kale- Kenya on Saturday. Their laptops and other mi, in Tanganyika province, the They were consultants for equipment were confi scated. aid workers said. Odinga’s National Super Alli- Phillips refused to give his The pygmies, who live in Cen- ance (NASA). password and Katsouris said he An election tallying off icer stuff s voting material into ballot boxes, before they are transported to diff erent polling stations in the Kibra tral Africa’s Great Lakes region, Odinga is hoping to unseat did not have a password. Constituency, at a tallying centre in Nairobi. have fought the Luba for decades President Uhuru Kenyatta in the When police opened over what activists say are in- August 8 vote, but opinion polls Katsouris’s computer, they de- monitoring the election process. and Katsouris had “contradicted were marred by problems. killed in the protests and ethnic equalities between Bantu villag- suggest the two candidates are manded Phillips’ passwords, Kenyans will be electing a new the terms of their visa”. In 2013, there was widespread violence that followed. ers and the Twa hunter gather- neck-and-neck, leading many which Katsouris did not have. president, lawmakers and local When asked how, he replied failure of electronic voting The deportation of Phillips ers, are excluded from access to Kenyans to fear a disputed result Their equipment was not re- representatives. “ask them”. equipment and in 2007 tallying and Katsouris follows opposi- land and basic services. and possible violence. turned before they were deport- “We could help pinpoint and Odinga has said the president was abruptly stopped and au- tion claims that one of their own “According to information Phillips and Katsouris told ed on Saturday. bring problems to the appropri- can only win the election by rig- thorities announced the incum- vote-tallying centres was raided gathered, there were about Reuters yesterday that they were Phillips said one of Aristotle’s ate people’s attention, like the ging the vote. bent had won. by men in plain clothes on Fri- 50 deaths in the attack on the taken from their apartments in jobs was to monitor the trans- press or foreign governments,” Kenyatta, the son of the coun- If the opposition feels cheated day. group,” Ilunga Musafi ri, presi- western Nairobi at 8pm on Fri- parency of the election. Phillips said. try’s fi rst president, has chal- this time, Odinga may call for Chris Msando, the top elec- dent of the local NGO Inter- day by around 15 men in plain The two had been in Kenya Interior ministry spokesman lenged Odinga to show proof of demonstrations, as happened in tion offi cial in charge of elec- church Council said. clothes who said they were po- for around two months and were Mwenda Njoka said via a text his claims. 2007. tronic vote tallying, was mur- A local activist said most of lice. doing polling, data analysis and message yesterday that Phillips Kenya’s last two elections Around 1,200 people were dered last week. the casualties were Lubas. UN offi cials are concerned that violence is spreading out of control in the Congo with Ka- bila’s complicity. Critics have said he may use Killed and dumped in wells: the horrors of Jammeh’s regime the insecurity as an excuse to delay elections. A UN report last week found By Edward McAllister and Gambian intelligence offi cials dumped most of the bodies in a 251 killings took place in three Lamin Jahateh, Reuters had received word in early July well across the border. months this year in the dia- Dakar/Banjul 2005 of a plot by mercenaries In a separate incident, six men mond-rich central Kasai region from Burkina Faso to overthrow accused of an attempted coup in violence that has involved Jammeh, said Pa Jallow, a retired in March 2006 were shot and child soldiers and witchcraft. hen 52 West African police offi cer who was in charge thrown down the same well as The number of people dis- migrants sneaked into of arresting the migrants. the migrants, two police sources placed in the Congo has more WGambia from Senegal The men were in their early said. than doubled to 3.7mn since Au- on July 21, 2005, they expected twenties, unarmed, their pock- In 2012, nine death row in- gust 2016, the UN said in May. to meet a boat to ferry them to ets fi lled with small amounts of mates were strangled and Spain, but instead they were ar- euros and dollars, he said. dropped down a diff erent well, rested and put to death on the “They looked so tired, con- according to testimony given to orders of then-president Yahya fused and dejected. Most of police. ‘Yes’ leading in Jammeh. them weren’t even wearing In total, at least 60 people – Mauritania vote Jammeh, in power for more shirts. I immediately thought including the 40-odd migrants than two decades until he fl ed these people are migrants, not – were killed and dumped in two The majority of Mauritanian into exile earlier this year, had mercenaries,” Jallow said. diff erent wells during Jammeh’s voters approve of constitutional feared that the migrants were After their arrest, Jammeh’s rule, according to testimony amendments proposed by the mercenaries come to overthrow elite guard, called “junglers”, provided to the investigators and president, according to initial him. came to the house where they by the Jammeh-era police offi c- results announced by the Two days after their arrest, were being held and took them ers interviewed by Reuters. Independent Commission for eight of them were found shot away in small groups, said one Others were buried in shallow Elections yesterday. dead in a beachside bird reserve police source who was present. graves that have been discovered The referendum, held on 20 miles (32km) southwest from “The junglers would come since Jammeh left power. Saturday, proposed the abolition where they had been detained. and take three, four, fi ve at a Locating the bodies has prov- of the Senate – the upper house The bodies of at least 40 oth- time. They never returned,” the en diffi cult. of parliament – and replacing it ers were dumped down a well in source said. The entrance of one well in with elected regional councils, as neighbouring Senegal. Another former police of- Kanilai, near Jammeh’s old com- well as changes in the national The account is just one of fi cer involved in the arrests, who pound, has been cemented over. flag and anthem. many harrowing tales revealed This picture taken on December 4 last year shows people tear a poster of Jammeh in Broussbi. spoke to Reuters on condition of The other well, in Senegal, A turnout of below 30% was by an ongoing investigation into anonymity, witnessed a group of is in an abandoned village in an recorded in the capital city, suspected atrocities ordered by Reuters was unable to verify a bitter divide between Jammeh regional director for West and junglers shoot dead eight of the area peppered with landmines Nouakchott, while larger President Adama Barrow, who the accounts from witnesses and supporters and his victims. Central Africa. migrants in the bird reserve. laid by Senegalese Casamance numbers have cast their defeated Jammeh in an election investigators it interviewed, but “A successful Truth and Rec- Jammeh, who made headlines “The junglers told the Ghana- rebels. votes around the country’s 13 last December. if confi rmed, the fi ndings are onciliation Commission process as president for such quirks as ians to run into the forest, and Gambia’s Solicitor General provinces. Jammeh initially refused to likely to revive calls for Jammeh will not only see the truth come claiming to have a herbal cure for they shot them dead. There were Cherno Marenah said that he About 1.4mn Mauritanians were concede defeat but fl ed into exile to be brought to justice. out, but should also be designed Aids and vowing to rule for a bil- bodies scattered everywhere,” he had not yet seen a formal report eligible to vote on Saturday, in Equatorial Guinea in January They will also become part to provide the basis for crimi- lion years, could not be reached said. on the investigations, adding according to off icial figures. after West African regional body of an already contentious Truth nal investigations and pros- for comment. He has denied any Some of the junglers have at- that some wells had been se- The plebiscite came amid a ECOWAS threatened to remove and Reconciliation Commission ecutions,” said Steve Cockburn, wrongdoing since coming to tested that they carried out the cured by the military but not yet boycott campaign promoted by him from offi ce. this year that is meant to bridge Amnesty International’s deputy power in a 1994 coup. killings on Jammeh’s orders and searched. an opposition coalition. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 9 AMERICAS Pence calls Line of no control presidential bid story ‘absurd’

DPA In a statement issued yes- New York terday, Pence called the article “categorically false” and “dis- graceful and off ensive to me, S Vice President Mike my family, and our entire team”. Pence called reports “The American people know Uthat he is eyeing the that I could not be more hon- Republican candidacy for the oured to be working side by side 2020 presidential race “laugh- with a president who is making able and absurd” yesterday. America great again. Pence decried as “fake news” “Whatever fake news may reports that he is laying the come our way, my entire team foundations to replace Presi- will continue to focus all our ef- dent Donald Trump as the Re- forts to advance the President’s publican candidate in the next agenda and see him re-elected election. in 2020. Any suggestion oth- By creating his own political erwise is both laughable and fundraising committee and an absurd.” independent power base, Pence Trump’s unorthodox route to is fl outing political convention the White House has paved the A line of asylum seekers wait to illegally cross the Canada/US border near Champlain, New York. and poising himself as Trump’s way for his contemporaries to heir apparent, the report from discard traditions that dictate the New York Times says. intra-party politics, the report Trump has given no indica- adds. tion that he doesn’t plan to run It also names senators Tom for a second term, but multiple Cotton and Ben Sasse and gov- advisers to Pence have already ernor John Kasich as politicians intimated to party donors that starting to run “shadow cam- he would plan to run if Trump paigns” to garner support for a did not, the article continues. Republican nomination. Attack on Venezuela Planes clip wings on Toronto tarmac army base ‘repelled’ AFP thorities are investigating the The rebellion appears not to have dictatorships or for the tyrants that lead Montreal incident. worked as civil protests continue them,” the secretariat of the Organization Chris Krepski, a spokesman of American States (OAS) said in a state- for the Transportation Safety AFP ment. Canadian and a Polish Board of Canada, told public Caracas Also on Saturday, an opposition leader, passenger jet clipped network CBC that preliminary Leopoldo Lopez, was returned to house Awings on the ground information indicated that the arrest after being detained in military at a Toronto airport, caus- Air Canada plane had struck roops in Venezuela put down a “ter- prison for four days. ing “serious” damage but no the LOT plane as the Polish rorist” attack on an army base in the Lopez had been arrested along with an- casualties, a spokesman for Air aircraft was preparing for Tcountry’s third city of Valencia yes- other opposition leader, Antonio Ledezma Canada confi rmed yesterday. takeoff . terday, military chiefs said, after a video — who was released back to home deten- The Polish plane, operated CBC identifi ed the Polish surfaced of uniformed men declaring an tion Friday — in the aftermath of the high- by the LOT airline, was on the plane as a Boeing 787; its fl ight army “rebellion” there. ly contested vote to create the assembly. tarmac at Pearson Interna- to Warsaw was cancelled. Several of the assailants were arrested, Maduro and his Socialist Party have tional Airport late Saturday An Air Canada Airbus A320 offi cials said, after reports of shots being “completely taken hostage” Venezuela’s when it was struck by an Air was involved in a potentially fi red near the base in the city’s Paramacay institutions through “an undemocratic Canada plane that was taxiing catastrophic incident last Fort used by the National Bolivarian mechanism that is utterly dictatorial”, the toward a nearby landing gate, month at San Francisco Inter- Armed Forces (FANB in Spanish). leader of the opposition-controlled legis- Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman national Airport in California, “Our FANB successfully repelled a lature, Julio Borges, told reporters. for the Canadian company, when it came perilously close paramilitary criminal terrorist attack, the The opposition has vowed to main- said in an e-mail. to landing on a taxiway where 7 captured are giving information!” Rear A still image from video released by Operation David Carabobo purportedly shows a tain street protests against the assembly. The Air Canada craft, a Boe- several planes were lined up Admiral Remigio Ceballos, head of the group of men in military uniforms announcing an uprising in Valencia, Venezuela. Four months of demonstrations violently ing 767-300, was carrying 286 for takeoff . Air controllers ur- military’s strategic operational command, quelled by security forces have left at least passengers from Punta Cana in gently redirected the plane and said on Twitter. fi cial to tweet news of the attack. missal of the country’s attorney general, 125 people dead. the Dominican Republic. Au- it landed normally. The head of the armed forces, Defence He said troops had been deployed in its Luisa Ortega, who became a vociferous But the rallies grew more muted this Minister Vladimir Padrino, tweeted: wake “to ensure domestic security” and critic after breaking ranks with Maduro. week as the assembly vowed to go after “They couldn’t do anything against the there was “absolute normality in the other Ortega’s dismissal triggered an inter- those seen as inciting street action. Chicago to sue over funding threat FANB...they try to assault it with terrorist military units in the country”. national outcry, and she has refused to Maduro responded to the international attacks. They can’t.” The reported unrest occurred as a new recognise it. The United States, which criticism by telling an Argentine radio sta- Chicago will sue the Trump administration today over threats to Local media and social networks spoke assembly with supreme powers and loyal has imposed sanctions on Maduro, called tion that “Venezuela will not be taken out withhold public safety grant money from so-called sanctuary cities, of a possible military uprising in the city to Maduro started functioning in Ven- the sacking “illegal”, with a State Depart- of Mercosur — never!” escalating a pushback against a federal immigration crackdown, Mayor against the government of President ezuela, a week after it was elected in polls ment spokeswoman saying it was aimed at He accused his Argentine counterpart, Rahm Emanuel announced yesterday. The federal lawsuit comes less Nicolas Maduro, but there was no imme- marred by violence and allegations of tightening the “authoritarian dictatorship Mauricio Macri, of trying to impose a than two weeks after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that diate confi rmation. vote-tampering. of (the) Maduro regime”. “blockade” on Venezuela and US Presi- the US Justice Department would strip cities of certain grant funds In the video posted online, a man pre- Yesterday, the assembly announced the Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, dent Donald Trump of wanting to grab the unless they agreed to allow immigration authorities unlimited access senting himself as an army captain de- creation of a “truth commission” to probe Panama and Peru also slammed the deci- country’s vast oil reserves. to local jails and to provide 48 hours’ notice before releasing anyone clared a “legitimate rebellion... to reject alleged crimes committed during Ven- sion. Maduro has around 20% public sup- wanted for immigration violations. “Chicago will not let our police the murderous tyranny of Nicolas Ma- ezuela’s lengthy political crisis. At the same time, Argentina, Uruguay, port, according to surveys by the Datan- off icers become political pawns in a debate,” Emanuel, a Democrat, said duro”. The opposition and dozens of foreign Paraguay and Brazil announced Venezue- alisis polling fi rm. Ordinary Venezuelans at a news conference. The programme in question, the Edward Byrne Speaking with 15 other men dressed governments say the new body is illegiti- la’s indefi nite suspension from the South are struggling, with food, essentials and Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, provides money to hundreds of in camoufl age standing by him, some of mate and serves only to support a Maduro American trading bloc Mercosur for its medicine scarce, the currency rapidly de- cities across the country, and the Trump administration has requested them armed, he demanded a transitional “dictatorship” by bypassing the opposi- “rupture of the democratic order.” preciating, and infl ation soaring. $380mn in funding next year. Chicago, a regular target of Republican government and “free elections”. tion-controlled legislature. “The countries of the region...must Thousands have sought shelter in President Donald Trump because of its murder rate, expected to The deputy leader of Maduro’s Socialist In its fi rst act on Saturday, the body, the continue to tell the Venezuelan regime neighbouring countries, particularly Co- receive $3.2mn this year that it planned to devote mostly to police. Party, Diosdado Cabello, was the fi rst of- Constituent Assembly, ordered the dis- that in the Americas, there is no place for lombia and Brazil. US calls off rescue for three Explosion at mosque in Minnesota marines missing off Australia DPA Bloomington, south of Minne- Washington apolis. “Preliminary investigation in- Reuters Expeditionary Force, based in “All other personnel are ac- launched from the USS Bon- which ended two weeks ago. dicates the explosion was caused Washington Okinawa, Japan, said. counted for and safe,” the III homme Richard (LHD 6) am- “On behalf of all Queens- he lack of injuries in a Sat- by a destructive device in viola- “As the sea state permits, re- Marine Expeditionary Force phibious assault ship and was landers, our prayers are with urday explosion at a Min- tion of federal law,” the bureau covery eff orts will be conducted said on Twitter. The inci- on regular operations when it those US military personnel in- Tnesota mosque doesn’t said on Twitter. The FBI has he US Navy and Marine to further search, assess and dent happened off the coast of hit the water, according to the volved in the incident,” Queens- take away from “the serious na- taken the investigation lead and Corps suspended their survey the area...,” they said in Shoalwater Bay in Queensland Marines Corps. Boats and air- land Premier Annastacia Pal- ture” of the act, the US Depart- is “working to determine who Tsearch and rescue eff orts a statement. at about 4pm craft on the ship immediately aszczuk said in a statement. ment of Homeland Security has caused the explosion and why”, yesterday for three US Ma- The US Marines have de- local time on Saturday (0600 began search-and-rescue ef- The exercises in the Coral Sea said. “We are thankful that there with the help of local police and rines missing after their aircraft scribed the incident involving GMT), the Marine Corps said. forts. included the participation of were no injuries, but that does other agencies. crashed into the sea off Austral- the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor They called off the search at US President Donald Trump, MV-22 Ospreys practising the not diminish the serious nature Police in Bloomington were ia’s northeast coast a day earlier, aircraft as a “mishap” and said about 3am yesterday (1700 who was on his fi rst full day of deployment of US Marine re- of this act,” the department said called to the centre at 5.05am the US Marine Corps said. it was under investigation. GMT Saturday). vacation at the Trump National connaissance teams. late Saturday in a statement. (1005 GMT) Saturday and found The Marine Corps said they Ospreys have been involved in Australia’s Bureau of Meteor- Golf Club in Bedminster, New The Osprey, built by Boeing “The Department of Home- the building damaged, they said. had shifted to recovery eff orts in incidents resulting in deaths or ology described wind, swell and Jersey, was briefed on the crash Co and Textron Inc’s Bell Heli- land Security fully supports the Windows were broken and co-ordination with the Austral- injuries in recent years. atmospheric conditions at the by his chief of staff , retired Ma- copter unit, is designed to take rights of all to freely and safely there was smoke in the centre, ian Defence Force, which could Twenty-three other person- time of the incident as “benign”. rine Corps General John Kelly, a off like a helicopter and rotate worship the faith of their choos- where worshippers had gathered last several months, and had nel aboard the aircraft had been “There was a light northeast- White House offi cial said. its propellers to fl y like a plane. ing and we vigorously condemn for the fi rst prayer of the day, lo- notifi ed the next-of-kin of the rescued. erly wind with high cloud...but The Bonhomme Richard Ex- Its development was nearly such attacks on any religious in- cal media reported. three missing Marines. Australian emergency offi - that would have had no impact peditionary Strike Group was in cancelled after the deaths of 23 stitution.” In a statement, the centre said “The transition comes after cials said one person had been whatsoever on conditions at the Australia to participate in joint Marines during fl ight testing in According to the FBI, an it “thanks the community for an teams led continuous sustained taken to hospital in Rockhamp- surface,” meteorologist Michael training manoeuvres involv- 2000, but its speed and range improvised explosive device ‘outpouring of support’” follow- search eff orts supported by air- ton in northeastern Queensland Paech said. ing more than 33,000 US and have made it very popular in re- caused the explosion at the Dar ing what it called a “suspected craft and ships,” the III Marine state but gave no other details. The aircraft that crashed had Australian military personnel, cent years. Al Farooq Community Center in hate crime.” Gulf Times 10 Monday, August 7, 2017 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Japan marks 72 years since Hiroshima atomic bomb

AFP Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, cised the UN Nuclear Weapon Some died immediately while Tokyo speaking at the annual ceremony Ban Treaty as deepening a di- others succumbed to injuries at Hiroshima Peace Memorial vide between countries with and or radiation-related illnesses Park near the ground zero, said without nuclear arms. None of weeks, months and years later. apan yesterday marked 72 Japan hoped to push for a world the nine countries that possess Japan announced its surren- years since the world’s fi rst without nuclear weapons in a nuclear weapons took part in der in World War II on August 15, Jnuclear attack on Hiroshima, way that all countries can agree. the negotiations or vote on the 1945. Many in Japan feel the at- with the nation’s traditional “For us to truly pursue a world treaty. tacks amount to war crimes and contradictions over atomic without nuclear weapons, we Japanese offi cials routinely atrocities because they targeted weapons again coming into fo- need participation from both nu- argue that they abhor nuclear civilians and due to the unprece- cus. clear-weapons and non-nuclear weapons, but the nation’s de- dented destructive nature of the The anniversary came after weapons states,” Abe said in his fence is fi rmly set under the US weapons. But many Americans Japan sided last month with nu- speech at the annual ceremony. nuclear umbrella. believe they hastened the end of clear powers Britain, France and “Our country is committed to Japan suff ered two nuclear a bloody confl ict, and ultimately the US to dismiss a UN treaty leading the international com- attacks at the end of the World saved lives, thus justifying the banning atomic weapons, which munity by encouraging both War II by the United States — bombings. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo was rejected by critics for ignor- sides” to make progress toward in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 Barack Obama became the Abe delivers a speech during ing the reality of security threats abolishing nuclear arms, Abe and in Nagasaki three days later. fi rst sitting US president to visit 72nd anniversary memorial People are seen at the Peace Memorial Park with the Atomic Bomb such as North Korea. added without directly referring The bombings claimed the lives Hiroshima in May last year, pay- service for the atomic bomb Dome in the front, at a ceremony in Hiroshima, western Japan, on Japan is the only country to have to the UN treaty. of 140,000 people in Hiroshima ing moving tribute to victims of victims at the Peace Memorial the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city. suff ered atomic attacks, in 1945. Japanese offi cials have criti- and 74,000 people in Nagasaki. the devastating bomb. Park in Hiroshima yesterday.

Myanmar rejects China says dialogue vital rights abuse charges against Rohingyas

Reuters Myint Swe. He added that, Yangon “some people from abroad to tackle N Korean crisis have fabricated news claiming genocide had occurred, but we Reuters yanmar yesterday re- haven’t found any evidence.” Manila jected allegations of The panel said that the UN Mcrimes against hu- report did not take into con- manity and ethnic cleansing sideration “violent acts” com- hina’s foreign minister during a crackdown against mitted by the insurgents, in- said yesterday new UN Rohingyas last year, accusing stead focusing on the activities CSecurity Council sanc- the United Nations of making of the security forces. The UN tions on North Korea were the exaggerated claims in its report did not immediately respond right response to a series of mis- on the issue. Rohingya mili- to a request for comment. The sile tests, but dialogue was vital tants killed nine border guards Myanmar commission had to resolve a complex and sensi- in October, sparking a response received 21 reports from vil- tive issue now at a “critical junc- in which the army was accused lagers of incidents of murder, ture”. of raping Rohingya women, rape, arson and torture by the Wang Yi, in what he described shooting villagers on sight and security forces, but, unable as “very thorough” bilateral talks burning down homes, sending to verify their veracity, it re- yesterday with North Korean an estimated 75,000 people ferred them to the authorities. Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho at a fl eeing to Bangladesh. “We opened doors for them to regional meeting in Manila, said A UN report in February complain to the courts if they he had told him that North Ko- said security forces instigated have evidence that they suf- rea should not carry out nuclear North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, dressed in traditional A woman stands at the entrance to a supermarket in Pyongyang. a campaign that “very likely” fered human rights abuses, but tests which would only stoke Filipino ‘barong’ is flanked by security as he leaves his hotel ahead of China urged North Korea to make a “smart decision”, after the United amounted to crimes against no one came to open a lawsuit tensions and calmly assess the the gala dinner of the 50th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Nations imposed tough new sanctions on the isolated regime over its humanity and possibly ethnic until now,” Zaw Myint Pe, the UN resolutions. (Asean) regional security forum in suburban Manila. missile and nuclear programmes. cleansing. This led to the estab- secretary of the panel said. The UN Security Council lishment of a UN probe which The commission blamed the unanimously imposed the new not done enough to rein in North to not do anything unbenefi cial tions seen by Moscow as a trade on Beijing ensuring that sanc- is being blocked by Myanmar. violence on the insurgents, sanctions on Pyongyang over its Korea, negotiated with China for towards the international com- war. Lavrov said he believed the tions were implemented. China The country’s own 13-mem- accusing them of links to or- two July intercontinental ballistic a month on the new resolution munity such as a nuclear test,” United States was ready to con- and the Association of South East ber investigation team – led by ganisations abroad, “set up to missile tests, a move that could before putting it to the Security Wang said. He declined to say tinue dialogue on complex is- Asian Nations (Asean) yesterday former head of military intelli- destabilise and harm Myan- slash by a third the Asian state’s Council. what Ri had told him. sues, despite tension. adopted a framework for draft- gence and now Vice President, mar”. $3bn annual export revenue. It bans North Korean exports Wang earlier said it was im- Wang sidestepped a question ing a code of conduct to prevent Myint Swe – has been dis- The treatment of the rough- Wang said diplomatic and peace- of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead portant that Ri was attending on whether China’s support for disputes in the South China Sea, missed by human rights moni- ly 1mn Muslim Rohingya has ful means were now necessary ore and seafood and prohib- the Manila meetings so he could the new North Korea measures negotiations which both parties tors as lacking independence to emerged as majority Buddhist to avoid tensions and an escala- its countries from hiring addi- hear “suggestions” and present were conditional on Washington said could start this year. produce a credible report. Myanmar’s most contentious tion of the crisis. “After the im- tional North Korean labourers. his own views. ceasing to impose further uni- Asean offi cials were on Sun- Speaking to reporters gath- rights issue as it makes a tran- plementation of the resolutions, It also bars new joint ventures He accepted that a resump- lateral sanctions and stopping its day trying to reach the required ered in Yangon to conclude its sition from decades of harsh the Korean peninsula issue enters with North Korea. The standoff tion of six-party talks would not investigations of Chinese fi rms consensus on a communiqué 8-month-long probe, Myint military rule. The Rohingyas into a critical juncture,” Wang is expected to dominate today’s be easy, but it was the right di- doing business with Pyongyang. that was supposed to have been Swe said the UN report exag- are denied citizenship and told reporters on the sidelines of Asean Regional Forum (ARF), rection, he said. Wang said he hoped all parties released the previous day, re- gerated the claims and cre- classifi ed as illegal immigrants the Asean meeting in Manila. which gathers 27 foreign min- It was not immediately clear involved could seriously con- fl ecting diff erences about how ated misunderstanding for from Bangladesh, despite “We call on all sides to take a isters, including former par- if Ri planned to hold other bilat- sider China’s proposal for a halt to address China’s controversial the international community. claiming roots in the region responsible attitude when mak- ticipants in the halted six-party eral meetings in Manila. South to North Korea’s nuclear and maritime activities. According “There is no possibility of that go back centuries, with ing judgements and taking ac- talks – Russia, Japan, the United Korean Foreign Minister Kang missile tests and for South Ko- to several diplomats and a work- crimes against humanity, no communities marginalised and tions ... We cannot do one and States, China and North and Kyung-wha expressed the hope rea and the United States to stop ing draft seen by Reuters, some evidence of ethnic cleansing, occasionally subjected to com- neglect the other. Sanctions are South Korea. that they could meet. Kang met joint military drills. countries wanted the text to ex- as per UN accusations,” said munal violence. needed but sanctions are not the Wang’s bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tiller- “This is currently the most re- plicitly oppose the building and fi nal goal,” Wang said. North Korea’s Ri started off in son yesterday and both described alistic and plausible initiative,” militarisation of artifi cial islands North Korea has been under a cordial way, with Ri smiling as a “good outcome” the passing he added. in disputed waters and for the UN sanctions since 2006. The as the two shook hands. Wang of the tougher UN sanctions. Susan Thornton, acting US code of conduct with China to be Senior Cambodian politician new measures were a response placed his hand on Ri’s shoul- Tillerson held talks for over an Assistant Secretary of State for legally binding. to fi ve nuclear tests and four der as the two entered a meeting hour with Russian counterpart East Asian and Pacifi c Aff airs, China is sensitive about Asean charged over old drug bust long-range missile launches. room. “The Chinese side urged Sergei Lavrov, their fi rst since US said China’s support showed making even veiled references to The United States, which has the North Korean side to calmly President Donald Trump signed it recognised the gravity of the the expansion of its military ca- A longtime ally of Cambodian drug bust wrote a letter last long maintained that China has handle the resolutions ... and into law new economic sanc- situation, but it was incumbent pabilities on the islands. premier Hun Sen has been month alleging Nhek Bun charged for alleged links to Chhay was linked to the a drug gang busted 10 years operation, the court said in a ago, a court said yesterday, as statement. political manoeuvres increase But suspicion over the ahead of key elections next timing of his legal woes year. Nhek Bun Chhay, a immediately pivoted to a former army commander- possible political motive. “I China’s web users fear losing in-chief and deputy prime think it’s very clear that these minister, was arrested weeks charges are being brought after rumours surfaced that against Nhek Bun Chhay to he had discussed a political punish his perceived lack tie-up with Hun Sen’s main of loyalty to the CPP,” said tools to bypass ‘Great Firewall’ opposition. Sebastian Strangio, an expert The 59-year-old, whose on Cambodian politics, in AFP implemented. In the past few restrictions,” said Graham Web- bers almost half expressed concern likely not looking to choke off small Khmer National United reference to Hun Sen’s ruling Beijing weeks, however, omens of sig- ster, a senior researcher scholar that the “continued strengthening VPNS completely, but was in- Party (KNUP) was a close Cambodian People’s Party nifi cant tightening seem to be at Yale Law School. But “this of measures to tighten Internet stead seeking to control them ally to Hun Sen’s ruling (CPP). Nhek Bun Chhay has everywhere. Several luxury ho- time appears diff erent.” control and access are having an more tightly. party, had been serving as denied making overtures to nterprising Internet users tels in Beijing have said they will For now, however, it still re- even bigger negative impact on James Gong, an expert on Chi- a government advisor since the opposition Cambodia in China fear the tools they stop using the tools, which once mains unclear who will be able their companies”. nese cyber law at Herbert Smith 2013. Prosecutors “have National Rescue Party. Euse to tunnel through the provided unfi ltered Internet as a to access VPNs and under what “Our members’ success de- Freehills, said that the regulations decided to charge Nhek Bun The CNRP is hoping to end country’s “Great Firewall” may convenience to their customers. circumstances, a situation that pends on instantaneous access are not targeted at companies. Chhay ... for conspiring in the Hun Sen’s 32-year rule in polls soon disappear, as Beijing tight- Last week, a cloud service has left both companies and to information worldwide, and The government can “shut production and importation next summer by drawing on ens its grip on the web. Tens of provider in the capital noti- regular users on tenterhooks. the ability to freely communi- things down, but that’s not their of drugs,” according to a the youth vote in a country millions of people are estimated fi ed users that it would practise Ordinary people have reacted to cate with affi liates, suppliers and purpose,” he said. court spokesman. An inmate tired of repression and to use Virtual Private Networks shutting down and reporting the new rules with a mixture of customers around the world,” Instead “they want to drive all arrested in 2007 in a massive rampant corruption. (VPNs) to bypass Chinese Inter- VPN providers on the orders of annoyance and quiet defi ance. William Zarit, Chairman of the the traffi c through the network net restrictions — getting access Beijing’s Public Security bureau. “You’ve blocked the last way American Chamber of Com- operators so all of the connections to blocked websites such as Fa- Tech giants Apple and Amazon, to watch US TV dramas, as well merce in China said in a state- will be transparent to them”. cebook and Twitter. too, have moved to limit their as my Facebook friends!” one ment to AFP. Paul Triolo, head of global Fourth man in Sydney plot cleared Beijing has for years turned customers’ access to the tools in user of China’s Twitter-like “Recent regulatory develop- technology at the Eurasia Group, a blind eye to these holes in its China in what has been seen as a Weibo platform said after the ments, including limiting VPN said he believes that the ultimate One of the four men arrested in He was arrested a week ago Great Firewall, but recent events voluntary move to get ahead of Apple announcement. “You can use, have created uncertainty for goal is not to cut off all VPNs but Sydney over an alleged terrorist along with three other men suggest the virtual tunnels may the impending crackdown. lock my cellphone, but you can- cross-border data communica- to “get visibility on (their) use so plot to bomb a plane has been during a sweeping counter- soon be bricked up. Yesterday, Apple said it was not lock my heart.” tion.” that they know what is going in charged with a non-terror terrorism operation in Sydney, In January China’s Minis- removing a number of the pro- Firms are casting around for Apple has come under fi re for and out and can turn off selec- related off ence and released, with half dozen houses raided try of Industry and Information grams from its app store, while information about the develop- bowing to the rules, but in an tively if they want to or need to”. police said late yesterday. The after a plot to bomb a plane Technology (MIIT) announced it Amazon’s Chinese partner said ments and have expressed alarm earnings call CEO Tim Cook said In a statement to AFP last 39-year-old was was charged was uncovered. Last week, would be banning the use of un- that customers would no longer at the potential impact on the the fi rm had to follow local laws. month, MIIT explained that with possession of a prohibited two of the men, aged 49 licensed providers of the services. be allowed to use “illegal” VPNs way they do business. He said Apple was “hopeful under the new rules, companies weapon yesterday and granted and 32, were charged with In the months since the rule’s on its cloud service. “There have In a statement, the European that over time the restrictions will only be allowed to rent VPN bail, Australian Federal Police planning two terrorist acts announcement, rumours have been many rounds of govern- Chamber of Commerce told AFP it we’re seeing are lessened, be- services from “telecommunica- said. His lawyer, Moustafa Kheir, each, including building a swirled that a crackdown was ment murmurings about VPN “has not seen any updated offi cial cause innovation really requires tions operators that have set up said on Twitter: “My client “fully functional home-made coming, but there was little clari- crackdowns, and foreign and document concerning restrictions freedom to collaborate and com- an international communica- Khaled Merhi has also been bomb” to bring down an ty on what exactly the rule meant Chinese businesses had grown on VPN use by companies,” adding municate”. tions entry and exit offi ce in ac- released. Cleared of any terror Etihad flight out of Sydney on and how, or even if, it would be used to only minor or temporary that in a recent survey of its mem- Analysts said that Beijing was cordance with the law”. allegation.” July 15. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 11 BRITAIN/IRELAND UK ready to pay up to $47bn to leave EU: Sunday Telegraph Reuters The government department is 60bn euros, but the actual bot- Theresa May was willing to pay tion about a divorce bill was “un- was a “real possibility” if the im- both parties to impose tariff s and London responsible for Brexit talks de- tom line is 50bn euros. Ours is “north of 30bn euros”, the Sun- helpful”. passe over the bill cannot be bro- customs checks and leave many clined to comment on the article. closer to 30bn euros but the ac- day Telegraph reported. “With the EU Brexit nego- ken. other issues unsettled. So far, Britain has given no of- tual landing zone is 40bn euros, Britain’s Brexit minister David tiations, nothing is agreed until Former European Commi- Last week the Bank of Eng- ritain is prepared to pay up fi cial indication of how much it even if the public and politicians Davis said on July 20 that Britain everything is agreed,” said the sion head Romano Prodi told the land said Brexit uncertainty was to 40bn euros ($47bn) as would be willing to pay. are not all there yet,” the newspa- would honour its obligations to groups’ co-chair Richard Tice. Observer newspaper it would be weighing on the economy. Bpart of a deal to leave the The newspaper said British of- per quoted one “senior Whitehall the EU but declined to confi rm “The focus should be on accel- economic “suicide” for Britain Finance Minister Philip Ham- European Union, the Sunday Tel- fi cials were likely to off er to pay source” as saying. that Brexit would require net erating talks with the aim of con- to fail to reach a compromise on mond wants to avoid unsettling egraph newspaper reported, citing 10bn euros a year for three years Whitehall is the London dis- payments. cluding them at the end of 2017. Brexit, and called on the EU to businesses further. three unnamed sources familiar after leaving the EU in March trict where most British govern- Foreign Secretary Boris John- This would enable businesses to preserve as much trade with Brit- The EU has also wants agree- with Britain’s negotiating strategy. 2019, then fi nalise the total ment departments and ministers son, a leading Brexit advocate, adapt during the 15 months lead- ain as possible to avoid damaging ment by October on rights of EU The EU has fl oated a fi gure of alongside detailed trade talks. are based. said last month the EU could “go ing to March 2019.” both sides. citizens already in Britain, and on 60bn euros and wants signifi cant Payments would only be made as A second Whitehall source whistle” if it made “extortion- The Telegraph said advisers in If Britain cannot conclude an border controls between the Irish progress on settling Britain’s liabili- part of a deal that included a trade said Britain’s bottom line was ate” demands for payment. May’s offi ce had warned bosses exit deal, trade relations would be Republic and the British province ties before talks start on issues such agreement, the newspaper added. “30bn euros to 40bn euros” and a Pro-Brexit campaign group in London’s fi nancial sector that governed by World Trade Organ- of Northern Ireland, before trade as future trading arrangements. “We know (the EU’s) position third source said Prime Minister Leave Means Leave said specula- Britain walking out of Brexit talks ization rules, which would allow and other issues are discussed.

Tax wealth or lose election, ex-May aide warns Tories

Guardian News and Media London

he Tories will lose the next election if they back “un- bridled capitalism” and refuse to tax wealth to help Tthe “struggling many”, one of Theresa May’s former advisers has warned. Higher tax on sales of expensive homes, more rights for workers and curbs on immigration should all be backed by the Tories if they are to reach the voters who feel abandoned by globalisation, according to Will Tanner, the former deputy head of May’s policy unit. His comments come as other infl uential Tory fi gures also express fears that the party’s disastrous election campaign will lead it to abandon May’s early attempts to intervene in broken markets and consider taxes on the wealthy – moves treated with suspicion by many pro-free-market Tory MPs. Tanner’s intervention, in an article for the Observer, comes after Nick Timothy, May’s former chief of staff who quit in the wake of the election, warned that the party would fail if it retreated into its comfort zone. He said the Tories had stumbled at the polls because May’s early pledge to take on “untrammelled free markets” had been contra- dicted by a campaign that was all about continuity. “If the party retreats to a much more orthodox Con- servative proposition, then I worry that won’t be suffi cient to tackle the big problems that the country has, and in fi ve years’ time we do risk the election of a dangerous leftwing alternative,” Timothy told the Telegraph. Writing in the Observer, Tanner said the election result was evidently “not an endorsement of the way the econo- my is run. Nor was it a vote for unbridled capitalism, nor a call for a smaller, less interfering state.” “Conservatives can restate the case for markets as much Protesters march at an anti-internment parade in Belfast yesterday. as they like: it will not win the next election,” he writes. “The liberal consensus that has dominated British politics for decades is crumbling. Markets remain the best way of distributing wealth, but have tended towards narrow in- terest when left unchecked.” While he condemned Jer- emy Corbyn’s policy prospectus, he said Labour had used Irish protest internment without trial “smart politics” in off ering a radical alternative. Tanner backs cutting employer national insurance and placing capital gains tax on the sale of primary homes over Guardian News and Media were barred from the city centre. the “poisonous” politics of Britain Goulding predicted “civil war parked across North Queen Street a certain value. “Rent-seeking, including ownership of Belfast Organiser Dee Fennell said: First. on British streets” over immigra- in the northern edge of the city commercial, second and empty properties, should be taxed “The only people that are denied “We have enough divisions in tion and Islam. centre to prevent about 400 re- more,” he writes. “The fi rst rung of the housing ladder should entrance to Belfast city centre are Northern Ireland without these His supporters heckled a cor- publicans including two fl ute be lowered, for example by abolishing stamp duty, in favour ne man was arrested after the republican people of Belfast, of fascists getting a foothold here in respondent from the Irish Times bands from fi ling into the heart of of a capital gains tax on expensive properties that would be a missile was hurled into a Derry, of right across this country this society. They are only here to and Goulding himself taunted her Belfast. progressive across incomes, generations and geography.” Ogroup of the far-right Brit- and beyond.” ramp up these divisions even fur- by shouting “fake news” at the Behind the Land Rovers were It is understood the party seriously considered impos- ain First group and their support- The arrested man at the Britain ther,” Carroll said. journalist. several heavily armoured riot ing capital gains tax on homes worth over a set value at the ers during a rally at Belfast City First protest was kept apart from Independent Unionist Jolen A separate Ulster loyalist protest squad offi cers. election, but backed away from doing so as the decision was Hall yesterday. a group of far-right loyalists who Bunting, who shared a platform around the corner at the front of Banners were carried in the taken to focus on May’s call for a “Brexit mandate”. Riot police offi cers quickly de- attempted to attack him in Don- with Britain First speakers at Bel- City Hall was held to demonstrate march in support of dissident re- Tanner also warns the party must not retreat from a Brexit tained the man around lunch- egall Square East. fast City Hall, was asked if she be- against dissident Irish republicans publican prisoners held at the that cuts immigration – May’s red line in securing a future time after an object was thrown Riot squad offi cers from the Po- lieved the far-right group was rac- marching into the city centre to top-security Maghaberry prison deal. “Brexit must be delivered in spirit as well as deed,” he as Britain First’s Jayda Fransen lice Service of Northern Ireland ist. She replied: “No!” commemorate those who were in- outside Belfast and also which de- writes. “The current debate about the terms of our departure vowed to organise future protests also separated around 50 Britain Among those to speak was Brit- terned without trial in Northern nounced “British internment”. is unedifying and superfi cial. A transition period is sensible, against new mosques being built First supporters from a smaller ain First’s leader, Paul Goulding, Ireland 46 years ago. In previous years the anti-in- as is realism over our fi nancial obligations. But what must be in Northern Ireland. band of left-wing anti-Nazi dem- who described the empty fl ag pole Unlike the Britain First Rally, ternment parade has proceeded avoided is a dilution of resolve around migration or sover- The Britain First rally was timed onstrators in the street from the where the union fl ag used to fl y Northern Ireland’s Parades Com- through the city to be greeted eignty. Such a betrayal of the referendum would not be for- to coincide with a republican pa- Belfast Says No to Fascism group. over Belfast City Hall as a “symbol mission banned the dissident re- by violence. At the same event given; the victory for liberalism would be short-lived. rade marking the anniversary of Gerry Carroll of the left-wing of oppression” and claimed that publican Anti-Internment League in 2013, 56 offi cers were injured “The next election may be months away or years away, but the British internment without trial in People Before Profi t party said there is “worse to come” for Brit- from central Belfast. when loyalist protesters attacked challenge is clear. Conservatism must be remade for the chal- Belfast, but those demonstrators they had come to protest against ish unionists and loyalists. Twelve PSNI Land Rovers were the police. lenges we now face, or brace itself for inevitable electoral defeat.” Parents need to stop kids bingeing on social media

Guardian News and Media Launching a campaign to help right. With your diet, you know another game or video based on they don’t like me any more? It’s Instead, she is announcing a confi dence to say, ‘no, I’m not London parents to regulate their chil- that, because you don’t feel that what they had just played. almost like chain letters. There “digital fi ve-a-day” campaign, going to do that’. That same con- dren’s Internet use, she said time good. It’s the same with social She had been pressuring Fa- are children who say they can’t designed to advise parents and fi dence we want for children, we online should be balanced in the media.” cebook to make it easier for chil- not be online, and I think that’s children on a healthy online diet. want for parents, too.” he children’s commis- same way that parents regulate Her warning comes after a re- dren to report things they are really worrying. Rather than switching off the She said Facebook and other sioner has warned parents their children’s diets. port said that children in all age worried about or switch off cer- “I want Facebook and all the Wi-Fi, parents should help chil- social media giants “are not com- Tthat they must intervene “It’s something that every par- groups are spending ever-longer tain features. other social media companies to dren to use their Internet time to ing forward at quite the speed I to stop their children overusing ent will talk about especially dur- periods online. She also criticised a feature on be as proactive as they can about learn new skills, interact positive- would like them to” on making it social media and consuming time ing school holidays – that chil- The Internet overtook televi- Snapchat, known as the Snap- creating a good place and a safe ly with friends and be creative. easier to protect children. online “like junk food”. dren are in danger of seeing social sion as the top media pastime for streak, that she said encouraged place for kids to be. At the same “We’re not saying it’s par- “There is so much more they As web use reaches record media like sweeties, and their on- British children last year, accord- children to increase their Inter- time I want them to stop using ents’ fault, or that they should could do,” she said. highs among children, Anne line time like junk food,” she said. ing to the media regulator Ofcom. net use. A streak is created when the algorithms and the target- tell their children what to do, “These are clever, clever peo- Longfi eld has attacked the new “None of us as parents would Children aged fi ve to 15 are friends share photos over three ing that get kids addicted – all because ultimately this is part ple, who know their industry well, methods social media giants are want our children to eat junk food spending 15 hours a week online. consecutive days, but it is de- those things that we know can be of life. All of those kids will have their tech abilities well. They can using to draw them into spending all the time – double cheese- Last year the time three- and stroyed if a day is missed. very stressful and very destruc- grown up with that being the do things if they want that I don’t more time staring at tablets and burger, chips, every day, every four-year-olds spent online in- Longfi eld compared the fea- tive. However, it doesn’t mean normality. But we do think there even know exist, and there are smartphones. meal. For those same reasons we creased from six hours 48 minutes ture to a chain letter. that parents themselves can step is a role here for parents to step some very good examples of them In an interview with the Ob- shouldn’t want our children to do to eight hours 18 minutes a week, “You fi nd children saying to aside and wait for that to hap- up, to stop waiting for others to using their expertise, for example server, she said that parents the same with their online time. while 12- to 15-year-olds now parents that they have 30 people pen.” come up with the solution, be by spotting people who have sui- should “step up” and be proac- “When phones, social media spend more than 20 hours online. that they have to do every day and Longfi eld said it was not help- that government or (social me- cidal tendencies. But they are not tive in stopping their children and games make us feel worried, Longfi eld said children should if they don’t, they drop the streak, ful to recommend an absolute dia) companies. We want (chil- doing (enough) yet.” from bingeing on the Internet stressed and out of control, it be helped to understand that and everyone will see,” she said. time limit on how long children dren) to feel informed, confi dent Snapchat and Facebook de- during the summer holidays. means we haven’t got the balance sites encourage them to click on “And then – does that mean should be online. and empowered, and have the clined comment. Gulf Times 12 Monday, August 7, 2017 EUROPE

Putin cultivates his strongman Knife attack bid persona with holiday adventures AFP Moscow

resident Vladimir Putin, who loves to cultivate a Pvirile man-of-action im- at Eiff el Tower age, was shown on Russian TV yesterday spear-fi shing in a Reuters/AFP France has seen 271 militants return, says interior minister camoufl age wetsuit, piloting a Paris powerboat, and catching some France has seen 271 militants return from war zones Islamic State in Iraq, and it also intervened in Mali to rays while on a Siberian holiday. in Iraq and Syria and all of them are subject to inves- push back a rebellion in the west African state. Putin’s affi nity for the tough rench prosecutors have tigation by public prosecutors, the country’s interior French military interventions overseas have exposed guy pose has been documented opened a counter-terror- minister said in a newspaper interview. it to attack by religious militants at home. with shots of him bare-chested Fism investigation after a Some 700 French nationals are estimated to have Gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in and on horseback, diving in a subma- man with a knife tried to force fought in Islamic State (IS) ranks in Iraq and Syria, around Paris in November 2015 and more than 100 rine in Lake Baikal – the world’s Putin shows mushrooms to Shoigu during his vacation in the remote his way in to Paris’ Eiff el Tow- and like other European countries, France has been were killed in other militant attacks in France in the deepest – and fl ipping a Judo op- Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture taken between August 1 er late on Saturday, a judicial wrestling with how to handle the flow of so-called past two-and-a-half years. ponent. and 3. source said. returnees. Collomb said the threat of militant attacks was “very These latest images, provided The incident at the world- The number of militants to have returned to France high”, citing two incidents targeting police on Paris’ by the Kremlin, captured his “the physical fi tness of the presi- Putin’s previous made-for-TV famous tourist site was initially were 217 adults and 54 minors, with some of them Champs Elysees and seven foiled plots so far this year. two-day stay in the remote Tuva dent”, show Putin catching a pike exploits, however, have not been treated as a criminal matter, but currently in detention, Gerard Collomb said in an An increasing number of people were being flagged area of southern Siberia. in a camoufl age wetsuit or sun- without controversy. was later designated a counter- interview with Le Journal du Dimanche. under a preventative monitoring system for radi- Putin “fi shed in a waterfall ning his bare torso with Defence During a 2011 dive in the Black terrorism case because of the Asked how many French militants had been killed in calised behaviour, with more than 18,500 people near a mountain lake, indulged in Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is Sea he allegedly discovered two suspect’s statements to police Iraq and Syria, Collomb told the Sunday newspaper reported, he said. underwater fi shing, sunbathed, originally from the region. 15th century amphoras, but the and his apparent radicalisation, that it was diff icult to corroborate information. France has been subject to state of emergency went rafting in mountain riv- His trip comes days after Pu- fi nd was mocked in independent the source said. The head of France’s special forces said in June that legislation, giving police extended powers, since the ers, piloted ... motor boats, went tin said the US would have to cut media because the vessels were The company that operates his units were directly involved in street battles in the November 2015 attacks, and the government plans hiking and four-wheeler riding 755 diplomatic staff in Russia and suspiciously without algae or the Eiff el Tower said in a state- Iraqi city of Mosul but denied they were specifically to incorporate some of these measures into ordinary in the mountains”, said Kremlin warned of a prolonged gridlock other sea life. ment early yesterday that a man targeting French-born militants fighting for IS. law through a counter-terrorism bill to be put before spokesman Dmitry Peskov. in its ties after the US Congress Peskov admitted several with a knife tried to force his France has participated in a US-led coalition battling parliament in the coming months. The images broadcast on pub- backed new sanctions against the months later that the scene had way through a security check at lic television, which insisted on Kremlin. been staged. around 2130 GMT on Saturday before being quickly stopped. to the Eiff el Tower, the man ap- The legal source said the man police on Paris’ Champs Elysees No one was injured, the op- proached soldiers patrolling at with the knife, a Frenchman (see accompanying report). erator said, adding that the the site and, holding a blade, born in the West African state France has been in a state of tower was evacuated by police to shouted “Allahu Akbar”, the of Mauritania, was a patient in emergency since November check the entire site. source said. a psychiatric hospital who had 2015 and has seen a string of Dutch release list of tainted egg codes A source close to the investi- But he complied when the been let out for the weekend. attacks on security forces who gation said the suspect, a French soldiers told him to put down his He was found guilty of incit- have been regularly targeted, national born in Mauritania in weapon and off ered no resist- ing terrorism and making death particularly those guarding key DPA However, 170 aff ected codes sible mass contamination since 1998, had been in a psychiatric ance when arrested, the source threats in December 2016 and tourist sites. Amsterdam does not necessarily mean 170 the beginning of June but did hospital for several months and added. received a suspended sentence. In February, a man armed manufacturing companies have not inform the public so that the was granted temporary permis- After the arrest, police The tower reopened yesterday with a machete attacked four been closed. prosecutor’s offi ce “could do its sion to leave care from August 4 checked the Eiff el Tower site morning as usual at 9am. soldiers on patrol at Paris’s Lou- utch authorities have re- Often producers have multi- work”. to August 6. and called for it to be evacuated Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo vre Museum, while in April an- leased a list of 170 codes ple chicken coops with diff erent Fipronil is a common ingre- During questioning by police, around 0030, 15 minutes before praised the “professionalism other extremist shot and killed Dfor eggs tainted by the identifi cation codes, he added. dient in veterinary products for the man stated he had wanted it normally closes, a statement and reactions” of security forces a policeman on the Champs insecticide fi pronil, amid probes By releasing the codes, con- getting rid of fl eas, lice and ticks to carry out an attack against a from the company that runs the at the site. Elysees. into how the contaminated prod- sumers can check whether they in animals. soldier and was in contact with monument said. France’s Interior Minister In June, a 40-year-old Alge- ucts had reached at least fi ve have tainted eggs, the spokesman It is banned from use on ani- a member of militant group Is- At the time of the incident the Gerard Collomb said in a news- ria doctorate student who had countries. said, though “we are not expect- mals destined for human con- lamic State who encouraged him tower was lit up with the col- paper interview published yes- pledged allegiance to the Islam- “Our list is very dynamic and ing to fi nd many more incidents sumption. to act, the source said. ours of the team to welcome the terday that the threat of militant ic State group attacked a police constantly changing,” a spokes- in coming days”. It can cause damage to the liv- After pushing his way past a club’s new world-record sign- attacks was “very high”, citing offi cer with a hammer outside man for the Dutch food safety Belgium’s food safety author- er, thyroid glands and kidneys if security guard at the entrance ing, Brazilian star Neymar. two incidents this year targeting Notre Dame cathedral. agency said yesterday. ity said that it had known of pos- consumed in large quantities.

Five hurt in Istanbul airport brawl

Five people were hurt at Istanbul airport in a brawl between knife- Police send postcards with an wielding employees of two rival coach operators, the Dogan news agency reported yesterday. The fight broke out overnight on Saturday at Sabiha Gokcen international airport involving around 40 people following mutual edge to Europe’s most wanted accusations of the firms “stealing one another’s customers”, said the agency. Airport security police had to step in to separate the two sides. AFP dressed to Artur Nawrocki, who French police, adding in French At least five people who suff ered minor knife wounds had to be The Hague is on the run after being convict- “we miss you!” hospitalised, off icers arrested several other people and opened an ed of drugs traffi cking by a Brus- The picture shows the Eiff el investigation, Dogan reported. sels court in 2014. Tower, a man in striped T-shirt Sabiha Gokcen one of two international airports serving Istanbul, uropean police forces are The summer postcard cam- and neck-scarf brandishing a Turkey’s largest city in Turkey. sending a series of cheeky paign by the European police baguette next to a croissant and The other is Ataturk Airport, where in June last year 45 people were E“wish you were here” post- agency, Europol, was unveiled a bottle of red wine, and is ad- killed in a triple suicide bombing blamed on religious militants. cards this summer in a bid to on Friday on its EU Most Wanted dressed to Farouk Hachi. track down 21 of the continent’s website as part of its ongoing He was sentenced in absentia This handout image obtained from the website www.eumostwanted. most wanted criminals. initiative to hunt down Europe’s in 2009 to 20 years in jail for vio- eu shows one of a series of postcards released in a bid to track down Wildfire forces water park evacuation “Dear Artur, Belgian fries are most wanted criminals. lent, armed bank robberies and is 21 of the continent’s most wanted criminals. the best and we know you miss People can click on the post- believed to have lived in France, A wildfire raging in northern Portugal amid scorching temperatures them. Come back to enjoy them card, which will then link them Belgium and the Netherlands. “While most of us are enjoying Since the launch of the “most forced the evacuation on Saturday of a water park and the closure – we’ll have a nice surprise in to the name and picture of the Behind the humorous cam- a well-deserved summer break, wanted” list on www.eumost- of a highway, firefighters said. store for you,” says one postcard wanted person. paign though is a serious aim to criminals are not taking time off wanted.eu in January 2016, a to- More than 70 firefighters backed by 21 vehicles were battling the from the Belgian police. “Cher Farouk, You must know drive people to the Europol web- from crime,” Europol said. “Hol- tal of 36 people have been found blaze in scrubland near Vila Caiz, located about 55km (35 miles) Complete with a cartoon of the that life is best in la douce France. site in the hope of tracking down iday destinations have proven and arrested – 11 of them as a di- northeast of Porto, the civil protection agency said. Manneken Pis, a bunch of fries We hope you will return to us criminals wanted for serious, to be popular hiding places for rect result of information passed Firefighters evacuated the Parque Aquatico de Amarante and and a glass of beer, the card is ad- soon,” says the card from the violent crimes or sexual off ences. criminals on the run.” to Europol. closed a stretch of the A4 highway as a precaution, according to Commander Jose Pereira, the head of the firefighters in the nearby town of Avintes. Romania to impose cap on special military pensions WWII munition mistaken for jewel A woman strolling along river shore in northern Germany mistook a chunk of white phosphorus from a World War II-era incendiary Reuters secret services to keep spending its fi scal defi cit target of 3.0% of rises in their sectors even after The average military spe- device for a semi-precious stone, police said on Saturday. Bucharest in check. gross domestic product. retirement. cial pension stands at 3,292 lei The 41-year-old found the material in the wet sand while walking A number of wage increases Pay deals granted to several “We are in a situation where ($856.98) per month, Tutuianu along the Elbe river bank near Hamburg and placed it in her pocket and tax cuts have raised concerns areas of the bloated public ad- some pensions are higher than said. for safekeeping. omania’s Social Demo- with the European Commission ministration including the army, wages and there will come a mo- In comparison, the average When the phosphorus chunk dried, it ignited itself and set fire to crat-led government has and the International Monetary secret services, police and law- ment when the budget could not pension for the 5.2mn state pen- her jacket, police said, adding that the woman was not injured. Rsaid that it would cap spe- Fund (IMF) that the European makers mean their pensions get aff ord that,” Defence Minister sioners stands at a little under White phosphorous burns at 1,300° Celsius and creates fire that cial pensions for the military and Union member state will miss hiked in line with special wage Adrian Tutuianu said on Friday. 1,000 lei ($260.32). cannot be doused with water. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 13 INDIA

PEOPLE PROTEST POLITICS AGRICULTURE TRAGEDY Aamir and wife Kiran Patkar’s health deteriorates Shah’s entry into RS will be World Bank to fund Student commits suicide down with swine flu on Day 11 of hunger strike good for BJP: Javadekar Himachal orchards after being harassed

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan yesterday The health of social activist Medha Patkar who Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Shimla, Aug 6 (IANS) About 18,200 hectares of A teenage girl committed suicide yesterday revealed that he and his wife Kiran Rao were is on an indefinite hunger strike, deteriorated Javadekar has said it will be good for the Bharatiya high density orchards will be raised on private after allegedly being harassed by a man in West down with swine flu. The Dangal actor and as her fast entered its 11th day yesterday. The Janata Party to have party president Amit Shah in land in Himachal Pradesh at an outlay of Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, police his wife were to attend an event in Pune but “Narmada Bachao Andolan” founder and 11 the Rajya Sabha. It would be “good for the party Rs1,134 crore to be funded largely by the World said. “The class 10 student’s body was found could only address the attendees via Skype. “It’s a others began fasting in Dhar’s Chikhalda village when Amit Shah wins Rajya Sabha election”, he said Bank, an official said yesterday. The project, to hanging from the ceiling of her bedroom,” a police happy day but we are very sad... because after in Madhya Pradesh on July 27, demanding in an interview to the Zee Group, a statement said. He be implemented in the ratio of 80:20 between off icer said. The girl’s family said she had previously working so hard for a year, when the time came proper rehabilitation and resettlement of those also lauded newly-elected Vice President M Venkaiah World Bank and the state government, complained of being harassed and threatened by for us to celebrate with you, we got this illness. aff ected by the Sardar Sarovar Project. Her Naidu, saying he will work taking everyone on board. will have its main focus on rejuvenation of the man on her way to school. “She was scared to And the disease we are suff ering from is one organisation claims that thousands of houses Javadekar noted that it was “very unfortunate” that existing apple orchards and replacement of go out alone and go to school after being harassed. which spreads rapidly. It’s called H1N1 or swine flu would be submerged once the gates of the dam many bills are held up in the upper house despite old senile orchards with improved variety She feared that the guy won’t let her off the hook in common usage,” the 52-year-old actor said in a in neighbouring Gujarat are closed. The state the mandate the Narendra Modi government has with high density plantation, a government easily,” her mother said. Police have arrested video message. “The problem with swine flu is if I government had sent a delegation to meet with earned. Rejecting the idea of a united opposition spokesperson said. A special provision the suspect. “We have arrested the accused. go anywhere, I will give it to other people so we the agitators on Saturday but the talks, which as “a myth”, he said that the Congress is a one- has been made in the project to develop Investigation is on to find out what compelled the have been forced to stay at home for a week. lasted around five hours, were unsuccessful. family party while his BJP is cadre-based. community irrigation facilities. girl to take such a drastic step,” the off icer added. Divestment Vice president-elect felicitated not to hit AI expansion plan: CMD

IANS airline might consider starting New Delhi a fl ight to Nairobi, Kenya. Also on the cards are commercial operations on the Guwahati- ir India’s global expan- Bangkok and Guwahati-Kun- sion plans, along with ming (China) routes. Athe induction of more At present, Air India has a aircraft and pilots, would not network of more than 30 des- be hindered by the govern- tinations across the US, Eu- ment’s recent decision to di- rope, Australia, Far-East and vest its stake in the national South-East Asia, and the Gulf carrier, the airline’s chief said. regions. It gets over 65% of its The “painful decision” of revenue from overseas opera- divestment would “open doors tions and has deployed most to a better future for the airline of its assets on foreign routes. and its employees”, Ashwani In addition to its interna- Lohani, chairman and manag- tional expansion plans, the ing director of Air India, said airline hopes to introduce in an interview here. what is being touted as the Lohani said he had been in “Necklace” or “Garland” Bharatiya Janata Party leaders felicitate M Venkaiah Naidu with a giant garland after he was elected India’s vice president, at a function in Bengaluru yesterday. “constant touch” with em- fl ight on the domestic network ployees to allay their fears over from September-October. the divestment process. The fl ight will start from “I have been in touch with Kolkata in the morning to employees through What- Raipur from where it will head sApp, e-mail, and by having out to Indore and then on to one-on-one interactions. I Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Its have asked them – why should fi nal port of call will be New we slacken from our end? We Delhi in the evening. should continue to do our Asked about the extra aircraft best,” he said. and crew required for the cur- LeT behind attack on “As and when a decision is rent expansion drive, Lohani taken on the divestment we said: “We have already hired will make sure that employees’ around 250 pilots and more are genuine interests are put forth being inducted. The same is the to the government,” Lohani case with inducting cabin crew. added. Aircraft acquisition on lease is “Our expansion plans are on also going according to plan.” pilgrims, say police track. We will start a new desti- The airline hopes to add nation each month till October. around 15 more aircraft to its Agencies local Kashmiri Lashkar militant heavily armed gunmen battled separatist leaders in the past one Nadeem said the security per- A new route to Stockholm will fl eet via the lease model by Srinagar carried out the attack.” commandos on the streets of the month. sonnel went through the photo be started in August, followed a this fi scal year-end. Most of Three others who provided lo- fi nancial capital. Security forces in Kashmir, and video gallery of his phone and month later to Copenhagen. In these aircraft will be turbo- gistical support to the militants, It took the authorities three particularly in its volatile south, checked his WhatsApp messages. October, we will start our New prop planes which will be used olice said yesterday a mili- including hiding places and ve- days to regain full control of the are allegedly prying into cell- “Suddenly, one of the security Delhi-Los Angeles fl ight opera- to connect the hinterland with tant group blamed for the hicles, had been arrested. city and New Delhi has long said phones of residents during road- personnel noticed a photograph tions,” Lohani said. metropolitan cities. P2008 Mumbai attacks was The July shooting was the there is evidence that “offi cial side searches, raising privacy of a militant-funeral. Infuri- “We also plan to start op- Currently, the airline has responsible for last month’s kill- worst such attack in the state agencies” in Pakistan were in- issues in a state where militants ated, he asked me to stand by the erations to Tel Aviv in Israel more than 115 aircraft in its ing of eight Hindu pilgrims in since 2000, when gunmen fi red volved in plotting the attack. use social media to propagate roadside and take off my shirt,” and Dallas and Houston in the fl eet – a mix of wide-body Jammu and Kashmir. on a group of Hindu pilgrims and Islamabad denies the charge. their agenda and garner mass Nadeem, 30, said. US. Last year, we started op- Boeing B777s, B747s, B787 Police said an investigation killed 32 people including two In other developments, the support. He said he had participated erations to four new destina- Dreamliner aircraft, and the had concluded that Lashkar-e- police offi cers. Enforcement Directorate yes- Even as offi cials denied it was in the LeT commander Bashir tions and this fi scal we plan to narrow body Airbus A321s, Taiba (LeT) and Kashmiri ac- Khan said the militants had terday arrested Mohamed Aslam routine policing practice, dozens Lashkari’s funeral a day before introduce seven new fl ights.” A320s and A319 planes, apart complices were behind the July carefully plotted to attack any Wani, an aide to senior separatist of incidents have been reported where he had taken a few pho- On Friday, the airline launched from turbo-props. 10 attack that saw militants open police or tourist vehicle that leader Shabir Shah, on charges of in recent weeks in which security tographs that showed the slain services from pilgrimage des- The AI chief said that cost- fi re on a bus carrying Hindus on crossed their path on the evening funding terrorist activities in the forces have checked photos, vid- militant’s body and a few Paki- tination of Varanasi to Co- saving measures along with the annual Amarnath pilgrim- of the assault. Kashmir Valley. eos and WhatsApp messages of stani fl ags in the backdrop. lombo. In July, it started a di- aggressive focus on interna- age. “They had kept separate code “He is being fl own to Delhi,” a civilians on their smartphones. “They hit me with sticks and rect connection between New tional markets and route ra- “Lashkar was involved and words for tourist and CRPF source said. And if anything “incriminat- gun-butts, and kicked me,” Na- Delhi and Washington, DC. tionalisation eff orts are ex- the accused have been identi- (Central Reserve Police Force) Shah himself was arrested last ing” related to militancy is found deem alleged. Last year, the airline added pected to raise the operating fi ed,” Inspector General of Police vehicles. It was purely an act of month in Srinagar and shifted to in the gallery of smartphones, Deputy Inspector General of four new international desti- profi t to around Rs150 crore Muneer Ahmed Khan told re- terrorism carried out with an New Delhi in connection with a beating might follow, as hap- Police S P Pani denied knowing nations, including New Delhi- from Rs110 crore in 2015-16. porters in Anantnag district. aim to spread fear,” he said. a terror funding racket being pened with Mohamed Nadeem of any such incident and said San Francisco, Delhi-Vienna, “These fi gures might be in- “Once the investigation was LeT has been blamed for a probed by the ED. of Kulgam, who was on his way if such things happened, com- Delhi-Madrid and Ahmeda- consequential, but the signifi - started it was revealed that a Pa- string of deadly attacks inside The directorate and the Na- to Srinagar on his motorbike on plainants should contact the po- bad-London. cance they hold is the fact that kistani militant of Lashkar along India, most notably the Mumbai tional Investigation Agency July 2 when he was stopped by lice who will take the cognisance According to Lohani, the a turnaround is taking place.” with two other militants and one carnage in November 2008 when have arrested many Kashmiri security forces near Awantipora. of the matter. Congress faces existential crisis after string of losses

AFP Gandhi, great grandson of In- The Congress has ruled India past its sell-by date. His mother lapses like a proverbial house of New Delhi dia’s fi rst prime minister Jawa- for more than 50 of the past 70 at least had an interest (in poli- cards,” Dhume said. harlal Nehru. years, most of them with Nehru tics), Rahul doesn’t seem inter- Rahul’s younger sister Priya- Gandhi led the campaign in and his descendants at the helm. ested...he is unsuitable for lead- nka, who many see as an alter- he Congress Party and the disastrous 2014 general elec- Since Nehru, his daughter In- ership,” Jagannathan added. native leader, is hampered by a its controlling Nehru- tion which saw Congress win dira Gandhi and grandson Rajiv Rahul Gandhi made an unsuc- controversy over her husband’s TGandhi dynasty that has just 44 seats – an historic low. Gandhi have been prime minis- cessful attempt to mediate be- property dealings, and has so far been synonymous with political The party went on to defeat- ter. tween regional allies in a dispute refused to take a more prominent power for most of the 70 years after-defeat in state elections. But the so-called ‘natural- that led to Bihar falling to the BJP role. since independence, hit a new “The Congress faces two ex- born leaders’ have looked like last month, and the loyalty he With the opposition in disar- low with this weekend’s vice- istential crises – lack of leader- political outsiders since the 2014 commands within the party is ray, the BJP and its allies now presidential election. ship and the absence of an aspi- electoral drubbing. open to doubt. rule 18 of India’s 29 states, and The Congress-backed can- rational, coherent vision for the Party number two to his So- Jagannathan suggested the look set for more gains in the up- didate was crushed in Satur- future,” Milan Vaishnav, South nia Gandhi, 70 – widow of the once-dominant family should per house. day’s parliamentary ballot by Asia director at Washington- assassinated Rajiv – Rahul has make way for “real grassroot “The Rajya Sabha is eff ective- the nominee of Prime Minister based Carnegie Endowment for suff ered a string of key local leaders,” but Sadanand Dhume ly the only real political check Narendra Modi and his ruling International Peace think-tank, election defeats including in the of the Washington-based Amer- on Modi’s power. Once the BJP Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). told AFP. bellwether state of Uttar Pradesh ican Enterprise Institute, said a gains control, Modi will be free The victory means the BJP “What is stunning is that the in March. change in leadership would be to pursue an expansive legisla- occupies the top three offi ces of 2014 general election result ex- Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi: “Today, unlike the past, the problematic. tive agenda on a range of issues,” state for the fi rst time, following posed both of these infi rmities, party risks terminal decline family needs the party more “In theory it makes sense to Dhume said. its victory in last month’s presi- yet the party has made little to than the party needs the family,” suggest that Congress should In the current opposition vac- dential ballot. no progress remedying them. right majority, the BJP last week A favourable vice-president R Jagannathan, a Mumbai-based outgrow its reliance on the Ne- uum, even one-time Modi chal- It heightened a crisis for Con- If current trends continue, the snatched Congress’ mantle as could also bolster Modi’s legisla- political commentator and edi- hru-Gandhi dynasty. In reality, lengers like Bihar Chief Minister gress and raised fresh questions Congress risks terminal decline,” the largest party in the upper tive agenda as the vice president torial director of Swarajya, told the family is all that holds the Nitish Kumar now say Modi’s about the party’s top leadership Vaishnav added. house, the Rajya Sabha, after al- doubles as chairman of the Rajya AFP. party together. victory in the 2019 national elec- – especially 47-year-old Rahul While still short of an out- most six decades. Sabha. “I think that Gandhi name is Take it out and Congress col- tion is a foregone conclusion. Gulf Times 14 Monday, August 7, 2017 INDIA

Tamil Nadu Roundup NRIs can enrol as voter on new trilingual website

By Umaima Shafiq By Ashraf Padanna The cabinet of Prime Minis- son can act as a proxy for only abroad, which the government based entrepreneur who moved last month to end the discrimi- Kochi ter Narendra Modi earlier this one overseas elector and cast a had earlier rejected considering the court, told reporters here. natory provisions. week cleared an amendment to vote on his behalf. the enormous size of the popu- “A majority of expats are from Welcoming the decision, Central govt the Representation of People Act Only a person already enrolled lation, especially in the Gulf re- Kerala, Punjab and Gujarat. It will Sharjah-based investment ad- ith the federal govern- so that some 10mn adult Indian in the same constituency of the gion, and diffi culties in the staff make an enormous impact on the viser and Pravasi Bandhu Trust rejects plea ment deciding to allow citizens can vote soon. overseas elector can be appointed deployment. elections here. The move will chairman, K V Shamsudheen, for NEET Wproxy voting for non- NRIs were allowed to enrol as as his proxy. The Left parties which benefi t some 6mn eligible voters wanted India to make Aadhaar, resident Indians (NRIs), the elec- overseas electors and could cast While the ruling Bharatiya have just 19 members in the and those who are yet to enrol.” the unique biometric citizen ID, exemption tion authorities have launched their vote if they were present in Janata Party and the principal 545-member Lok Sabha, had in He moved the court after he mandatory to NRIs as well to pre- a new trilingual website where their constituency during elec- opposition Congress Party wel- 2014 told an Supreme Court- lost his voting rights 15 years ago, vent fraud. Tamil Nadu failed to get the they can enrol. tions for the fi rst time in 2011. comed the proposal, the Com- appointed panel that they were but, he said politicians were in- “When India is making Aad- federal government’s approval The website nvsp.in/Forms/ When the fi rst national elec- munist Party of India (Marxist), opposed to the proposals of both diff erent towards the issue the haar mandatory for all transac- for exempting students from the Forms/form6a?lang=en-GB of- tions were held in 2014 after the which rules Kerala continues to e-postal ballot and proxy. NRIs faced as they were disen- tions, why not elections?” he asks. state from NEET qualifying exams fers options for fi lling up the enrolment was opened, 96.64% oppose. “I hope the government will franchised. “The citizens can then vote on- for medical admissions. form in three English, Hindi and of NRI voters on the list were CPM general secretary Sita- introduce a bill in parliament Along with another litigant, he line with biometric identifi cation, In another major setback, the Malayalam and uploading a pho- from Kerala. ram Yechury said his party would soon. The long-cherished dream relentlessly fought the case in the sitting anywhere in the world. It Madras High Court vetoed a June tograph and relevant pages of the Under the proposed rules fur- not, however, oppose allowing can be realised in three months,” apex court until it gave an ulti- will make the ballot easy and fool- 22 state government order to passport. ther enfranchising them, a per- the NRIs to vote at embassies Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, a Dubai- matum to the federal government proof, even for resident citizens.” reserve 85% medical and dental college seats for state board students and only 15% to CBSE and other board students. The court ruled that the order was discriminatory. NEET (National Entrance and Eligibility Test), a uniform qualifying exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Kerala RSS Education (CBSE) for medical admissions, was introduced in 2013. However several states including Tamil Nadu got a court stay and continued with their own entrance tests. Last year, NEET was made mandatory and man’s murder exams were held in May and July all over India. Due to poor pass percentage Tamil Nadu tabled two bills on January 31 for NEET exemptions. The bills were approved by state Governor Vidyasagar a barbaric Rao but rejected by the federal government despite representations from Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami and his ministers. The state pleaded for a year’s crime: Jaitley grace period to prepare its students by upgrading its syllabus to CBSE standards and IANS and police of being “mute spec- of the Raj Bhavan, the offi cial introduced NEET coaching in Thiruvananthapuram tators” and said the killings were residence of Governor P Sathasi- schools and compulsory board targeted murders and not scuffl es vam, asking Jaitley to also visit exams for Class X, XI and XII. leading to violence. the families of its cadres allegedly Meanwhile preliminary rounds of inance Minister Arun “Governments are elected to killed by BJP and RSS workers. single window counselling based Jaitley yesterday visited do good for the people,” he said. Anavoor Nagappan, the Thiru- on NEET scores began at Tamil Fthe family of a Rashtriya “But in Kerala the ruling party vananthapuram district secre- Nadu’s eight deemed universities Swayamsevak Sangh activist al- is perpetrating violence on the tary of the CPM, told reporters on August 1 and will continue legedly murdered by Marxist people. This type of ideology that those who participated in until August 31. Ironically the workers in Kerala and called it won’t crush our ideology.” the protest included 21 family turnout has dropped due to high a “barbaric” crime that would The minister said if a similar members of party activists killed fees, NEET and other admission have “even embarrassed a ter- incident had happened in a BJP- in the state from 1980. constraints. rorist”. ruled state, there would have “Jaitley should not just restrict “Rajesh had 89 wounds on his been a hue and cry. his visit to just the RSS worker’s Student drowns body. The kind of wounds infl ict- “Every time the LDF (Left home. All these people who are ed would have even embarrassed Democratic Front) is in power, sitting here have lost their near after saving a terrorist,” Jaitley said after incidents of violence increase... and dear ones to BJP and RSS his friends meeting the family members of What is needed now is neutrality workers,” he said. E Rajesh, 34, who was hacked to by police. Those who joined the protest A 21-year-old engineering student death a week ago. “We need political will and de- included state CPM secretary drowned after saving seven of “It is cruelty of a barbaric na- termination by the state govern- Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and LDF his friends during a swimming ture... Even an enemy country ment to discipline its own cadre convener Vaikom Viswam. trip at Koonandiyur near Mettur wouldn’t do this kind of brutal- rather let them loose on the po- Since Chief Minister Pinarayi dam about 50km from Salem last ity but a political party did this,” litical opponents,” he said. Vijayan assumed offi ce last year, week. the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaitley said the BJP will sup- there have been 14 murders, nine The group was in a country-made added. port the families of workers killed of them BJP, two each of the coracle which toppled. Madanlal “You have a series of these in- by Marxists. CPM and Muslim League, and a Choudary was the lone swimmer cidents in which a large number “Kerala is blessed with na- BJP sympathiser who was killed and helped his friends reach of political workers are being ture’s bounty and the challenge hardly a kilometre away from his shore. However he was pulled killed, party offi ces have been at- for any government should be home. in by a whirlpool and marshy tacked; our president of the state how to make it the most prosper- The CPM says it has 564 “mar- currents. unit got saved by a whisker. ous in the country,” Jaitley said. tyrs” while the BJP claims it had His body was recovered the “We will not forget this hei- “But if the policy gets diverted lost nearly 300 lives since 1969. following day. nous act. I am here to express my and the prime concentration is to The BJP also claims 13 of its In a separate incident, two solidarity on behalf of our party,” use the cadres to eliminate op- workers were killed by the CPM seven-year-old boys drowned the minister added. ponents and create an environ- since Vijayan took over and they in a 15ft pit filled with rain water Jaitley, who drove from the ment of violence, then the party feel unsafe under his rule. dug for a bridge at Kalasapakkam airport to Rajesh’s home, met in power has to seriously intro- The senior leader’s visit is also in Tiruvannamalai about his wife, two children and other spect.” seen as a last-ditch attempt by 195km from Chennai last week. family members. On a day’s visit to Kerala, Jait- the BJP to establish itself as a Thangadurai slipped and fell He then addressed a com- ley was received at the airport by dominant force in the state. into the pit and Karthikeyan died memorative meeting where he leaders of the BJP in the state. Last week, Governor P trying to save him. The accident accused the Communist Party Also yesterday, the CPM or- Sathasivam asked Vijayan to en- Jaitley speaks during a meeting held to express condolences over the murder of RSS worker Rajesh, was not discovered for some time of India (Marxist) government ganised a sit-in protest in front sure peace in the state. in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday. as it was a lonely spot. Ocean scientist gets prestigious global award Suspense on next move in drug case probe R Venkatesan, an ocean scientist at Chennai’s National Institute of IANS on July 28 came a few days after ing orders through Darknet (a Ocean Technology (NIOT), has Hyderabad Akun Sabharwal, the Enforce- restricted online network) and won the prestigious Lockheed ment Director of the department how the drugs were being deliv- Martin award for 2017 from the who is heading the probe, told ered by couriers, including from US-based Marine Technology peculation abounds on the reporters that the possession, overseas. Society. next move by Telangana’s sale, purchase and consumption Without revealing the identity He heads the Ocean Observation SProhibition and Excise De- of any psychotropic substance is of the students, SIT sent letters Systems at NIOT located at partment in its high-profi le in- a crime under the Narcotic Drugs to over 50 schools and colleges to Velacherry in Chennai. He joined vestigation into the sensational and Psychotropic Substances keep a tight vigil. NIOT in 1997 and has 34 years of drug racket allegedly involving (NDPS) Act. When investigators found experience in ocean studies. He several fi lm personalities. The SIT has so far questioned some Tollywood celebrities has formed a team on par with After the questioning of 12 top actors including Ravi Teja, among the customers, the focus international standards to detect personalities from the Telugu Charmme Kaur and leading di- shifted to the fi lm industry. tsunamis, torpedoes and other fi lm industry, owners of several rector Puri Jagannadh. Actress The notices served on the natural calamities. pubs and bars, issuing notices Mumaith Khan, actors Tarun, stars led to criticism from some He said: “My team also manages to schools and colleges and even Navdeep, Nandu and Subbaraju sections of the industry. Lead- buoys that monitor the weather, some information technology were among others quizzed over ing fi lmmaker Ram Gopal Verma recording 100 data points like companies, the Special Inves- the last two weeks. slammed the excise department wave heights, wind speed, tigation Team (SIT) has taken Their names cropped up dur- for targeting Tollywood to get humidity and solar radiation. a pause, triggering speculation ing the investigation into a high- Actress Mumaith Khan was among those questioned in the case. publicity. We also track cyclones minutely over its next move. end drug network when the SIT Adding a new twist, authori- using software that has been There was no clarity, for in- allegedly found their contact more people for questioning,” initially sent shockwaves across aff ect the brain’s functioning. ties also identifi ed some drug us- indigenously developed.” stance, on whether the SIT will numbers with the accused. said an offi cial. educational institutions, with The fact that the peddlers man- ers as techies working in software call in more Tollywood person- The SIT has so far arrested Some sections of Tollywood the probe revealing that students aged to penetrate campuses sent fi rms in Hyderabad. Excise Min- alities for questioning. over 20 people, including US have alleged that the industry is of several top private schools and alarm bells ringing and indicates ister T Padma Rao revealed that Auto-rickshaw SIT offi cials have of been citizen Dundu Anish, a former being unfairly targeted, a charge colleges were using drugs. how wide and well-organised the notices were issued to 13 IT com- driver rewarded tight-lipped, worried over the aerospace engineer who has the authorities deny. Excise The offi cials found that stu- racket is. panies, whose employees were ripples the investigation is caus- worked with Nasa, Dutch na- Commissioner R V Chandra- dents as young as 13, including The offi cials, after questioning found to be using drugs. Muniyappan, an auto-rickshaw ing in fi lm circles and its possible tional Mike Kamminga and sev- vadan said more than 30 people girls, were taking what they call the alleged kingpin of the racket Information Technology Sec- driver, stunned police with his impact on brand Hyderabad, even en B Tech degree holders, most were questioned and they in- high-end drugs like Lysergic Acid Calvin Mascrenhas, and others, retary Jayesh Ranjan was appar- honesty by returning a bag as the Telangana government an- of them employed with multi- clude people from diff erent walks Diethylamide (LSD) and Methyl- identifi ed 1,000 students hailing ently not pleased with the por- containing 60 sovereigns of gold nounced that drug users, includ- national companies. of life. enedioxy-methamphetamine from rich and infl uential families trayal of the entire IT industry as jewellery worth Rs1.5mn that ing celebrities, will be treated as “Based on the statements giv- The investigations over the (MDMA), popularly known as and studying at top schools and bad by a section of media. “Only a passenger had forgotten in victims and not criminals. en by the accused and others who last one month has seen some Ecstasy. colleges as the customers. 10 to 12 people in a workforce of his vehicle at Panaimarathur in The announcement by Chief were called for questioning, the dramatic turns and twists. The Experts have described these The investigations also re- 400,000 are indulging in this ac- Coimbatore. Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao SIT will decide whether to call busting of the racket in early July as highly destructive drugs which vealed how peddlers were plac- tivity,” he said. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 15 PAKISTAN

RELIGION TRADE POPULATION COMMERCE ENERGY Ban on private moon Exports to China dropping Islamabad registers 2,724 Pakistan to achieve $35bn Fuel prices cut by committees likely for last four years births, deaths in 3 months exports target by 2018 government for masses

A draft of the ‘Prohibition of Private Moon Sighting China emerged as the largest trade partner Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) The government of Pakistan will make all-out The government of Pakistan has slashed prices Committee Bill, 2017’ has been submitted in the of Pakistan in 2016-17, although exports of Islamabad was taking steps to improve the eff orts to achieve the realistic exports target of of petrol and diesel with eff ect from August Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Provincial Assembly’s to Beijing have been declining for the last procedures of birth and death registration. $35bn by 2018 with an active participation of the 6, 2017. Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar Secretariat with an aim to end the moon-sighting four years. Exports to China equalled just Islamabad Mayor Chairman Anser Aziz said private sector and leading exporters, a minister announced petroleum prices to be eff ective from controversy in the country. The draft bill endorses 15% of imports from the same country last this while chairing a meeting held at CDA said yesterday. Commerce Minister Pervaiz 06.08.2017 to 31.08.2017. The finance minister ban on any private moon-sighting committees year, according to data released by the State headquarters. Mayor Aziz was apprised that Malik, talking to vice-president South Asian said it had been decided with the approval of in K-P as the country remains divided over Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Chinese products the directorate registered 2,724 births and Association for Regional Co-operation (Saarc) the prime minister that the price of petrol will be commencing the holy month of Ramadan and are replacing local goods and becoming a deaths during May, June and July and collected Chamber Iftikhar Ali Malik, said the commerce decreased by Rs1.80/litre and price of diesel will celebrating Eid on the same day. The proposed bill dominant force in the domestic market, data revenue amounting to Rs676,250. During the ministry would enhance co-operation with the be decreased by Rs2.50/litre. The new prices will mainly aims to tackle the Peshawar’s Masjid Qasim shows. said period, 263 cases regarding modifications in Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce be Rs69.50/litre for petrol and Rs77.40/litre for Ali Khan committee, led by Mufti Shahabuddin Exports to China shrank to $1.62bn in 2016-17 birth registration certificates, 48 cases regarding and Industry, its aff iliated chambers and trade diesel (HSD). The finance minister said that rates Popalzai, which has a history of announcing Eid from $2.69bn in 2013-14. Imports from China, modification in death certificates, 2,062 new associations to address traders’ problems. The of kerosene oil and LDO will not be increased and start of Ramadan a day ahead of the rest of the in contrast, grew to $10.53bn in 2016-17 from birth registration certificate and 351 death minister advised the business community to even though substantial increase had been country. $4.73bn in 2012-13, an increase of 123%. certificates were issued. formulate plans. recommended in their prices. Patriotism in the air Sharif family may fi le review petition today

Internews Islamabad

ith the Sharif family likely to fi le a review Wpetition today over the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict, leading lawyers in the country are still debating whether or not the receivable salary that was not drawn is an asset. The Sharif family’s legal team is still stunned over the unani- A Pakistani youth poses for a photograph as he sells masks ahead of the forthcoming Independence Day celebration, in Lahore, mous verdict by a fi ve-judge yesterday. Pakistan’s Independence Day, which is annually held on August 14, celebrates the country’s independence from the British bench whereby Nawaz Sharif rule on that date in 1947. was disqualifi ed as member of the National Assembly. A member of the legal team Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The Sharif family’s legal team believes that the court did not is still stunned over the unanimous verdict by a five-judge bench properly hear the Nawaz’s salary disqualifying him. issue. According to him, the bench’s Pakistan Bar Council Dr Farogh obligation and if the people start entire focus was on the alleged Nasim believes that legally, ignoring the moral prerequisites BBC probes staff over racist, illegal off shore business of the the judgment is correct, add- in public life, there would be no family, but it disqualifi ed Sharif ing that the Sharif family adopt- better forum than courts to insist on something that was not raised ed the doctrine of ‘Piercing the upon the values and ethos of the in the petitions. Corporate Veil’. He says that the Constitution. We must not for- The PML-N lawyers believe top court may now disqualify get that the so-called moral pro- anti-Pak slurs on social media that the judgment was authored any parliamentarian under Arti- visions of Articles 62 and 63 of in haste and the bench did not cle 184(3) of the Constitution on the Constitution are meant to be consider relevant provisions as concealment of assets in nomi- enforced even against those who Internews give due coverage to Pakistani dia reports, were accidentally tive member of the group. well as previous judgments rel- nation papers. claim to have popular support or Islamabad art and culture. linked to a BBC laptop where BBC Asian Network staff evant to the matter, adding that Legal experts believe that SC who have already demonstrated In fact, allegations have been Miss Kaur stumbled across also used the messaging the bench only relied on Black’s judges’ views widely diverged on their popular endorsement and, made by insiders that the BBC them and that formed the ba- groups to make vile homopho- law dictionary while defi ning the applicability of Article 62(1) thus, popular support or en- he British Broadcasting Asian Network has intolerant sis for the BBC to open a major bic slurs, calling one colleague ‘assets’. They also wondered why (f) of the Constitution. dorsement of the person con- Corporation (BBC) has policy towards Pakistani music investigation, including disci- a ‘batty boy’ and used a highly the Supreme Court did not con- In his minority judgment, Jus- cerned has absolutely nothing Tsuspended a star of its and musicians. plinary action, against some of offensive terms for homo- sider the Income Tax Ordinance tice Asif Saeed Khosa declared to do with enforcement of those Asian Network in a row over Another message in the those involved. sexuals using an Urdu/Hindi 2001 to interpret the word ‘sal- that provisions of Articles 62 provisions of the Constitution”, online messages littered with group referred to BBC’s British It is not clear how many peo- expression used by Pakistanis ary’, which was not defi ned in and 63 be applied to the public says Justice Khosa in his dissent- lewd comments and racist slurs Pakistanis entertainment re- ple were part of the secret mes- and Indians. The Representation of People conduct of a person aff ecting ing note. — including racist attacks on porter Haroon Rashid as a ‘Paki’, saging groups but they included They also accused a fellow Act (ROPA) of 1976. others rather than his private However, three judges in the Pakistanis and BBC’s British a racist derogatory term used to Asheesh Sharma and Kejal Ka- radio host of being gay, even Section 12 of the Ordinance conduct not aff ecting the general Panamagate case diff ered with Pakistani staff members. attack Pakistanis physically and mani, two radio producers who though he is married. states: “Salary means any populace. Justice Khosa’s view and they Famous DJ and BBC host to attack their origin. routinely join Sandhu on air, A BBC spokesman said: “We amount received by an employee These constitutional provi- held that violation of legal obli- Tommy Sandhu, 40, who is of It was discussed in the and a disc jockey known as DJ never comment on matters from any employment, whether sions deal with the moral con- gation or breach of law was nec- Indian origin, is amongst at group that one of the DJs who Sachy. concerning any individuals of a revenue or capital nature”. duct of an individual. essary for applicability of Article least four colleagues allegedly worked with British Paki- Sharma has been given a fi nal working with the BBC. It is learnt that the Sharif fam- Under Article 62(1)(f), a per- 62(1)(f) of the Constitution. part of WhatsApp group shar- stani presenter Noreen Khan written warning and Kamani Any allegations of inappro- ily lawyers will raise this point son can be qualifi ed as member Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, ing sexist comments as well as had been converted by ‘Pakis’. has been fi red, it is understood. priate behaviour would always in the review petition likely to be of the National Assembly or pro- who was among these three homophobic remarks and a de- When one of the men did some DJ Sachy, who has worked be taken extremely seriously fi led on Monday (today). How- vincial assemblies, if he is not judges, says that Article 62(1)(f) rogatory term for Pakistanis. work with Noreen Khan, an- at the station as a freelance for and would be dealt with swiftly ever, a section of lawyers diff ers ‘Sadiq and Ameen’ of the Constitution cannot be One of the men in the group other BBC Asian Network DJ, years, has been told he will not and appropriately.” with this interpretation, con- Justice Khosa relied on Justice permitted to be used as a tool suggested they refuse to play they were asked on the mes- get any more shifts, insiders The BBC Asian Network costs tending that Section 12 should Qazi Faez Isa’s judgment, who, as for political engineering by the any music by Pakistanis on the saging group “Have them Pa- claimed. around £7.5mn a year to run and be read with Section 69(c) of the Chief Justice of the Balochistan court, nor should the court grant breakfast show even though the kis converted you?” according Sources close to Sandhu is listened to by nearly 650,000 the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, High Court, interpreted how Arti- itself the power to vet candidates network was set up to cater to to sources who revealed evi- claimed he did not make de- people a week, according to lat- which states that a person shall cle 62 (1) (f) should be applied. on moral grounds, like a Council all Asian groups. dence to British media. rogatory comments himself and est fi gures. be treated as having received an Justice Gulzar Ahmad also of Elders as is done in a neigh- This isn’t the fi rst time that Vile sexist comments were was simply part of WhatsApp It was nearly shut in 2010 amount, benefi t or perquisite if agrees to this view. bouring country. BBC Asian Network has been also made about female Asian groups where some of the re- when it was pulling in just it is made available to the person. These three judges will be fu- “Under our Constitutional accused of anti-Pakistani bias, Network staff , including young marks were made. 477,000 listeners a week. They believe that in view of this ture chief justices of Pakistan. dispensation, Pakistan is to be on several occasions it has assistant producer Amanpreet It’s understood that he didn’t The station was reprieved on provision, salary was available for “If honesty in public offi ce governed by representatives emerged that BBC Asian Net- Kaur. object to comments and didn’t the proviso it boosted ratings Nawaz, therefore it should have holders is a moral issue then one chosen by the people and not work’s hosts and DJs refused to These messages, said me- raise complaints but was an ac- and slashed its budget. been declared as asset. needs not be apologetic about chosen by any institution or in- Former vice-chairman of the enforcing such a constitutional dividuals.” Ousted PM Sharif looks to win hearts on way to Lahore

Internews to security concerns. after the former prime minis- Talking to journalists, Sharif of the CoD and, after the 2013 main silent for now. “He has no courage to return Islamabad However, he said, they had ter returned to Islamabad from declared that he still stood by elections, they had accepted “I understand a lot. I want to to Pakistan. Come here and say decided to revert to the original Murree, where he had been stay- the Charter of Democracy (CoD), the mandate of other parties say a lot. But for the time being, I this in public, and then he would plan when party activists and ing since Sunday. which he had signed with the in other provinces on the same want to keep silent,” he said. come to know (about real situa- n a bid to demonstrate its lawmakers expressed their de- The former prime minister late Benazir Bhutto over a dec- principle. “How could I declare a salary tion),” he said. political power, the rul- sire to host grand receptions for also had an informal chat with ade ago. “Even during the anti-gov- I never received from my son’s “Musharraf wanted to sign Iing Pakistan Muslim their beloved leader. senior journalists and met the Answering a question, the ernment protests and sit-ins (by company?” he said in his ap- the NRO (National Reconcilia- League-Nawaz (PML-N) has The minister said that party leaders of his coalition partners former PM said that for the sake the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in parent reference to the Supreme tion Ordinance) with me,” Sharif announced that ousted prime activists and others wanted to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) of democracy and strengthen- 2014), we never took an off ensive Court’s verdict. claimed. minister Nawaz Sharif will give their leader a rousing wel- chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman ing the democratic system in stance,” he recalled. He reiterated that no evidence Without elaborating, he said travel to Lahore via the histor- come in every town along the and Pakhtoonkhwa Mili Awami the country, he was ready for He said Pakistan was current- of corruption had been found that he was told to meet Mush- ic Grand Trunk (GT) Road on GT Road, fearing it could take Party (PkMAP) president Meh- dialogue with other parties and ly on a path to prosperity and against him. arraf to strike a deal. Wednesday (Aug 9). two days for Sharif to travel the mood Khan Achakzai. called for a consensus and unity would continue to grow. Sharif said that NAB had in- Sharif said that he had learnt Newly-appointed Interior 300km or so between Islamabad Former interior minister among political parties. However, he warned that the vestigated several corruption a lot from his exile life soon after Minister Ahsan Iqbal claimed and Lahore. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and “Even today, we are commit- country could face a “state of cases against his, but this would the military coup in 1999. that the party had taken the Sources in the PML-N said PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul ted to the CoD and ready to make anarchy” if not allowed to run on be the fi rst time they were prob- He said it was important to decision on the insistence of that the party had planned Haq, sources said, were also it even better,” Sharif said in re- the right track. ing the business set up by his an- learn from one’s mistakes, but party lawmakers from cities a grand reception for Sharif, present at Punjab House for sponse to a question about the Sharif, who was disquali- cestors. it seemed that the country had and towns situated along the who would be returning to his some time. need for political dialogue in the fied by the Supreme Court Commenting on the recent learned nothing from the seces- GT Road, who wanted to dem- hometown of Lahore for the Sharif’s children Maryam Na- country. on July 28 from holding any remarks of Gen Pervez Mushar- sion of Bangladesh in 1971. onstrate their love and respect first time after his ouster in the waz and Hussain Nawaz were The former prime minister public office for not disclos- raf in an interview to BBC, Sharif He asked whether the courts for Sharif. light of the July 28 Supreme also on hand during his interac- said he believed in political dis- ing his income from Capital challenged him to return to Pa- could ever hold a dictator ac- The minister confirmed that Court verdict in the Panama tion with journalists, as well as course and had run the country FZE a Dubai-based company kistan. countable for his actions and the party had initially planned Papers case. Information Minister Marriyum along the same principles. owned by his son said that In the interview, Gen Mushar- regretted that no one had been that the former PM should Sharif’s travel plans were fi - Aurangzeb, her predecessor Per- He said his party had accept- although he had a lot to say raf had stated that dictatorships held responsible for the “mur- travel to Lahore via GT Road, nalised by PML-N leaders at a vaiz Rashid, and Interior Minis- ed the mandate of the previous about the circumstances of had served the country better der” of Baloch leader Nawab Ak- but had to change the plan due meeting at Punjab House hours ter Ahsan Iqbal. PPP government in the light his ouster, he wished to re- than civilians had. bar Bugti. Gulf Times 16 Monday, August 7, 2017 PHILIPPINES Duterte’s ‘build, build’ hits currency

Reuters progress,” said John Forbes, Manila senior adviser at the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. hilippine construction “However, the capacity of fi rm Teravera Corp is the bureaucracy to process Pplanning to raise a fourth a huge volume of projects... dollar loan in a year, after bor- (is) untested,” he added. “The rowing around $2.5mn to buy Philippines is not China, where dozens of excavators, road bulldozers rumble through rollers and dump trucks from neighbourhoods at the govern- China, South Korea and Japan. ment’s command.” Teravera is one of hundreds To meet existing and antici- of local builders contributing to pated pick-up in demand, im- a surge in capital goods imports ports of capital goods, mainly that has turned the country’s infrastructure-related, have current account surplus into risen more than 7% in the fi rst a defi cit and knocked the peso fi ve months of the year from the down to 11-year lows against same period of 2016 to $12.1bn. the dollar last month. For the fi rst time in 15 years, While the peso’s dip is rais- the Philippines is expecting its ing eyebrows in a region where 2017 current account balance to the Thai baht and the Malay- be in a defi cit of $600mn. sian ringgit are fl irting with The peso is Asia’s worst per- multi-year highs, it’s come forming currency this year, hit- mainly because the Philippines, ting lows close to 51 per dollar one of the world’s fastest grow- last month. ing economies, has been enjoy- At the market close in Ma- ing a construction boom. nila on Friday, the peso traded Besides private construc- 50.16 to the dollar, down 0.9% Cambodia’s Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, Canada’s Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Brunei Darrussalam’s Foreign Minister Lim Jock Seng, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Abul tion, companies like Teravera in 2017. Policymakers are often Hassan Mahmood Ali, Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi link arms during the Gala Dinner of the Association of South East Asian Nations are confi dent of more contracts reminded of the Asian fi nancial (Asean) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings in Manila. coming from the government’s crisis 20 years ago whenever drive to upgrade its dilapidated external balances weaken, and roads, railways, ports and air- most economies in the region ports, which have been a drag have built solid surpluses to on the economy. avoid a similar episode. In the “We have seen the govern- Philippines, Duterte’s admin- ment’s list of projects and they istration dismisses such warn- are bidding them out early, that ings. is why we have been procuring “We are importing equip- equipment,” said Teravera vice- ment because we are a develop- Diplomatic coup for president Aldrin Cabrera. ing country trying to make up He said the company is con- for past neglect on infrastruc- fi dent of getting subcontracted ture,” Budget Secretary Ben- to build a long-delayed four- jamin Diokno said last month. lane toll road project on the Central bank deputy gover- southern part of Luzon island nor Diwa Guinigundo says the later this year, as it is one of weak peso boosts the purchas- bigger players in the area. ing power of Filipinos receiving China in sea row Foreign and local busi- $2bn a month in remittances nesses have been frustrated and, longer-term, will improve With Cambodia’s assistance China has The Philippines, under previous presi- with former president Benigno export demand. But foreign in- managed to have its way dent Benigno Aquino, had been one of the Aquino’s Public Private Part- vestors are more cautious. most vocal critics of China and fi led a case nership (PPP) projects, which “Until investors feel the im- AFP before a UN-backed tribunal. often took a long time to kick ports work through the econ- Manila The tribunal last year ruled China’s off because of red tape. omy and push it to a higher sweeping claims to the sea had no legal The game changer is that growth path, the market’s focus basis. But China, despite being a signatory President Rodrigo Duterte, who would be on a deterioration in hina yesterday scored a diplomatic to the UN’s Convention on the Law of the took offi ce just over a year ago, the balance of trade,” said Joey coup in its campaign to weaken re- Sea, ignored the ruling. has decided that all projects Cuyegkeng, senior economist Cgional resistance against its sweep- The Philippines, under new President will be entirely funded by the at ING. “We expect gradual ing claims to the South China Sea when Rodrigo Duterte, decided to play down the government, which his eco- (peso) weakening.” Southeast Asian nations issued a diluted verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties nomic managers say should Near term, around $40bn in statement on the dispute and agreed to with Beijing. simplify the process. yearly infl ows from outsourc- Beijing’s terms on talks. This in turn led to off ers of billions of The controversial leader says ing contracts and from millions After two days of tense meetings on the dollars in investments or aid from China. he plans a $180bn “Build, Build, of citizens working overseas dispute in the Philippine capital, foreign “It’s clear that China’s pressure on indi- Build” infrastructure campaign mean the trade gap is covered. ministers from the 10-member Associa- vidual Asean governments has paid off ,” in his six-year term. But Cuyegkeng says in two tion of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Bill Hayton, a South China Sea expert and Duterte has already approved years time those infl ows would issued a joint communique that diplo- associate fellow with the Asia Programme the auction of 21 projects worth barely cover the gap. mats involved said was carefully worded to at Chatham House in London, told AFP. $16bn, including the overhaul Duterte has promised to avoid angering China. Hayton and other analysts said the of Manila’s shabby airport and usher in a “golden age of in- The release of the statement came agreement on a framework for talks on a railway line on Mindanao is- frastructure” by raising annual shortly after the ministers met with Chi- Sunday came 15 years after a similar docu- land in the south. spending to 7% of GDP from nese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and agreed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is interviewed by the media. ment was signed committing the parties to Other projects include up- less than 3% previously and on a framework for conducting nego- begin negotiations. grading ports, roads, rail links above the 5% average of neigh- tiations on the decades-long row that in- ing concerns it will eventually establish de tougher language and Cambodia lobbying The 2002 document was more strongly and irrigation. bouring countries. cluded key clauses advocated by China. facto control over the waters. hard for China. worded against China. Despite security problems Encouraged by better budget “This is an important outcome of our In what two diplomats involved said “Vietnam is adamant, and China is ef- China used those 15 years to cement its linked to the spread of Islamic planning and a crackdown on joint eff ort,” Wang told reporters as he cel- was another victory for Beijing on Sun- fectively using Cambodia to champion its claims, while continuing to get Asean to State militancy on Mindanao red tape, Nomura’s economists ebrated the agreement. day, Asean members declined to say in interests,” one diplomat told AFP yester- issue ever-weaker statements of opposi- and Duterte’s bloody war on estimate 90% of the money China claims nearly all of the strategi- their joint statement that the hoped-for day as negotiations extended into over- tion, according to the analysts. drugs, investors have wel- lined up for infrastructure cally vital sea, through which $5tn in an- code of conduct with China be “legally time. “It would appear China has never lost comed the commitments, but would be spent. On the ground, nual shipping trade passes and is believed binding”. Tensions over the sea have long vexed in terms of seeing the language of Asean say they need to see progress on builders share the view. to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits. Vietnam, the most determined critic of Asean, which operates on a consensus ba- forum statements being toned down,” Ei the ground. “Some of the projects may Its sweeping claims overlap with those China on the issue, had insisted during sis but has had to balance the interests of Sun Oh, adjunct senior fellow at the S Ra- “We see a high degree of sound ambitious, but they are of Asean members Vietnam, the Philip- two days of negotiations that Asean insist rival claimants and those more aligned to jaratnam School of International Studies commitment and seriousness needed. They will happen and pines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Tai- the code be legally binding, arguing other- China. in Singapore, told AFP. in the executive branch and it is just a question of time,” wan. wise it would be meaningless. Critics of China have accused it of try- Philippine academic and security ana- probability of suffi cient fi nanc- said Edgar Saavedra, president China has dramatically expanded its The Asean ministers failed to release the ing to divide Asean with strong-armed lyst Richard Heydarian expressed stronger ing...not for every project to be and chief operating offi cer of presence in the contested areas in recent joint statement as expected after meeting tactics and chequebook diplomacy, entic- sentiments as he summarised yesterday’s completed on schedule but for building company Megawide years by building giant artifi cial islands on Saturday because of their diff erences ing smaller countries in the bloc such as developments: “Overall it’s a slam dunk very substantial and signifi cant Construction Corp. that could be used as military bases, rais- on the sea issue, with Vietnam pushing for Cambodia and Laos to support it. diplomatic victory for China.”

Councillor’s killing may be revenge attack Police are looking into a dismissed murder case Labour group calls for Military needs more as a possible motive in the killing of a Pasay City councillor at a mall in Las Pinas on Saturday night, an off icial said yesterday. “There’s a across-the-board wage hike possible motive like that. That will be part of our investigation,” Chief Superintendent Tomas troops: president Apolinario, director of the Southern Police District Manila Times sires and it will be done. The president (SPD), said. Borbie Rivera, who was also president Makati can also issue a presidential executive of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Pasay, was gunned order mandating a wage increase (based AFP terte to declare martial law in the is among the region’s most poor- down at about 8.30pm in a parking area near on the) amount needed by workers and Manila entire southern region of Mindanao. ly-equipped, with only a dozen one of the SM Southmall exits. Police reports said ig labour has reiterated its call to their families to cope and survive with “The request of the president jet fi ghters and a fl eet composed a man approached the Pasay off icial, who was President Rodrigo Duterte for a the increasing prices of goods and serv- for additional 20,000 troops mainly of second-hand ships. So on his wheelchair, and shot him several times. Bnationwide across-the-board in- ice. The President has the variety of op- hilippine President Rodrigo is part of our intensifi ed secu- many troops have been deployed The suspect escaped aboard a motorcycle. The crease for minimum wage earners amid tions to make a signifi cant wage hike,” Duterte has asked lawmakers rity posture to guard areas in the to Marawi that other parts of the gunshots caused a commotion inside the mall as the falling purchasing power and rising said ALU-TUCP spokesperson Alan Pto approve the recruiting of country where there are continu- country have expressed concern some mall goers thought that there was a terror cost of living. Tanjusay. 20,000 more soldiers to tackle in- ing security threats,” spokesman that they are unprotected. attack. Rivera and a policeman were tagged in Labour group Associated Labor Un- Tanjusay said the workers had been creased security threats following a Ernesto Abella said in a statement. In a trip to Marawi last week, the killing of racecar driver Enzo Pastor in 2014. ions-Trade Union Congress of the Phil- desperate for a signifi cant across-the- bloody urban siege in the south, his “The deployment of troops to Duterte asked Congress for the A certain Alvin Nidua, a self-confessed killer-for- ippines (ALU-TUCP) issued the appeal board increase for many years because spokesman said yesterday. Marawi and other points in Mind- funding for 20,000 additional hire, said he was contracted initially by Rivera but ahead of the Regional Tripatite Wages the wage board has always been granting Almost 700 people have been anao needs to be rebalanced to troops but did not specify how refused the assignment because the payment and Productivity Board-National Capi- meagre and pittance increases despite killed, according to the offi cial ensure maximum eff ectiveness,” much he needed. Military spokes- off ered to him “was too small”. Apolinario said tal Region meeting this week to deliber- an improving economy. count, in over two months of he added. The Philippine military man Colonel Edgard Arevalo said the case against Rivera in the killing of Pastor ate on a fi nal new increase for minimum “The last time the workers expe- fi ghting in the southern city of numbers about 125,000 and faces yesterday the defeat of the fi ghters was dismissed. Apolinario said Rivera started to wage workers in Metro Manila. rienced a signifi cant wage hike was Marawi against Islamist militants numerous threats including the in Marawi was coming soon but he receive death threats after this. Rivera was also The ALU-TUCP had fi led an across- in 1989 or 28 years ago when the late who have pledged allegiance to the IS-inspired militants in Mind- would not give specifi cs. arrested in 2015 for alleged involvement in a the-board P184 daily increase for mini- President Cory Aquino gave a P25 daily Islamic State group. anao, communist guerrillas scat- “We are closer there now than shooting incident in Makati City that left one dead mum wage workers in Metro Manila. across-the-board wage increase nation- The militants, waving the black tered all over the archipelago and before. We can say that we are re- and nine injured but he was released in 2016 after “President Duterte can text or call wide. After which, the wage board has IS fl ag, have occupied parts of Ma- territorial disputes with China in ally at the culminating part of our the court dismissed the case. He also survived an the wage board and prod them on the been issuing pittance wage orders as if rawi since May 23, prompting Du- the South China Sea. The military operations in Marawi,” he said. ambush in Pasay City in June. –Manila Times amount of wage increase that he de- workers are beggars,” Tanjusay said. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Wholesale market

A vegetable market at Karwan Bazar in Dhaka. Karwan Bazar is one of the largest wholesale marketplaces in the Bangladeshi capital. Right: Workers clean used drums to be resold at Karwan Bazar. Court upholds death Bangladesh for League activists

By Mizan Rahman and Saiful Islam – and two lifers – Golam each, in default, to suff er one year more rig- Dhaka Mostafa and HM Kibria – were acquitted. orous imprisonment. However, the court did not say anything Besides, as per the Bangladesh Penal about 11 fugitive convicts who got life- Code-143, the tribunal awarded the lifers six plans new he High Court (HC) yesterday upheld terms in the case. On July 17 last, an HC months imprisonment and fi ned them taka the death penalty for two convicts bench fi xed August 6 for delivering the ver- 500 each, in default, to suff er 15 days more Twhile commuting the death sentence dict after concluding hearing arguments on in jail. of four convicts to life imprisonment and the case. On December 9, 2012, tailoring shop em- acquitting two death-row convicts in the The high court started hearing the death ployee Biswajit Das was beaten to death by Biswajit murder case. reference and appeals in the murder case on some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) ac- An HC bench of Justice Md Ruhul Qud- May 16 this year. On December 18, 2013, a tivists near Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka dus and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty tribunal condemned eight activists of Bang- during the opposition’s countrywide road unit to fi ght passed the order following an appeal fi led by ladesh Chhatra League (BCL) to death and blockade programme. the eight convicts. 13 others to life term imprisonment in the Metropolitan Magistrate Zahurul Haque Among the convicts, the court upheld the Biswajit Das killing case. framed charges against the 21 activists of death penalty of Rafi qul Islam Shakil and Judge ABM Nizamul Haque of the Speedy Jagannath University unit of Bangladesh Rajon Talukdar while commuted the death Trial Tribunal-4 pronounced the verdict Chhatra League (BCL), associate body of the penalty Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, Emdadul against all 21 accused in the case. ruling party Awami League on June 2, 2013. Haq Emdad, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon All the convicts were activists of Jagan- On March 5, Tajul Islam, Detective Branch and Mir Nure Alam Limon to life-term im- nath University unit of BCL, the student inspector and investigation offi cer of the terrorism prisonment. wing of the ruling Awami League. The tri- case, submitted a charge sheet against the The two death-row convicts-Kaiyim bunal also fi ned the 13 lifers 20,000 taka 21 accused. The responsibility for counter terror actions The new unit will also have a research wing to will move to the new unit conduct research on militancy and other heinous crimes. At present, the CTTC conducts anti-mil- By Mizan Rahman itant drives and tackles terror fi nancing, cyber Dhaka crimes and mobile banking-related crimes. Diff erent law-enforcing agencies have carried out anti-militancy drives in the wake of rise in mili- angladesh is set to form a new ‘Anti-Terror- tant attacks. Fifty-seven armed militants have been ism Unit’ with modern arms, ammunition gunned down by the law enforcers in diff erent oper- Band equipment to combat militancy in the ations across the country since the attack on Holey country. The Secretary Committee on Administra- Artisan Bakery in capital’s Gulshan area on July 1 tive Improvement Aff airs has approved the home last year, which left 20 hostages — mostly foreign ministry’s proposal to form the new security unit, citizens – dead. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said. A total of 41 members of banned militant outfi ts “We want to root out militancy from the country Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and neo- and hope that the special police unit will be able JMB were also detained during this period. to do so successfully.” Headed by an additional in- “We have so far carried out 20 big anti-militant spector general of police, the proposed unit will drives in diff erent parts of the country after the carry out anti-militancy raids instead of the exist- Holey Artisan attack, in which 57 militants, mostly ing Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime top leaders and operatives of the neo-JMB, were (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). killed and 41 others were captured,” Assistant In- As per the plan, 581 posts would be initially created spector General of Police Moniruzzaman said on the for the specialised unit. eve of one year of the brutal incident. These will include one post of deputy inspec- He said 11 law enforcers were killed during anti- tor general (DIG), two posts of additional DIG, fi ve militant drives while over 50 cases have so far been posts of superintendent of police (SP), 10 posts of lodged relating to the killings. Moniruzzaman also additional SP, 12 posts of assistant police super, 75 noted that 13 more militants were killed in a series posts of inspector, 125 posts of sub- inspector, and of anti-militant drives before the Holey Artisan at- 140 posts of assistant sub-inspector. tack when over 200 others were arrested. Some special police units, such as police com- The police offi cial claimed that extensive crack- mandos, special weapons and tactics (SWAT), downs on the militants after the attack on the bomb disposal unit, and dog squad, would be put Gulshan restaurant have broken the networks of the under the specialised unit. armed activists. Biswajit being attacked.

House panel to inspect Govt will not protect thieves, land purchased says Lankan premier by Nepal Oil Corp 25kg of gold seized from man in wheelchair Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe speaking at a public function in Hatton said the government would The Industry, Commerce and not protect thieves, and would remove them, but Consumer Welfare Committee under AFP suspicious when they noticed from Singapore, he added. from countries in the Gulf. stressed that there should be room for a transparent the parliament is to onsite visit land Dhaka Jamil Akhter, who was using a It is not the fi rst time a More than 100 people — investigation. “Today there are so many investigations purchased by Nepal Oil Corp in four wheelchair as he cleared im- gold smuggler has opted for a mostly Bangladeshi migrant that ministers are brought before the Attorney General districts for petroleum storage. migration, had travelled over- wheelchair ruse to sneak past workers working in the Gulf and are questioned. Was there a situation as such Committee President Bhishmaraj uthorities at Bangla- seas 13 times this year. customs. — have been arrested since before? Those days, the Attorney General was an acolyte Angdembe informed a meeting that a desh’s main interna- “Our team challenged him Last year a separate man was 2014 for traffi cking gold at the of the president. “The Attorney General who questioned group of lawmakers elected from these Ational airport yesterday and found 250 pieces of gold busted pulling the same trick country’s three international was removed from the department or else taken in a four districts would be selected and arrested a man accused of pos- weighing 25 kilograms (55 in a failed attempt to get 23kg airports. white van. Now there is room to question anyone. This sent for the onsite monitoring. ing as a wheelchair user in an pounds) beneath his under- of gold into Bangladesh at the Smugglers have become government will not protect thieves. If anyone found He said that preparation was underway elaborate plot to smuggle 25kg garments taped to his thighs,” same airport. more creative as their schemes committing frauds, we will act according to probe to send the group to Jhapa, Sarlahi, of gold past customs. airport customs spokesman Bangladesh has emerged as a have been uncovered, with au- reports. The UNP is not a party of thieves. If there are Chitwan and Rupandehi districts for The bullion bust, worth an Ahsanul Kabir told AFP. major route for smuggled bul- thorities discovering gold bars thieves in the party we will remove them. Allow us to onsite study. The group would collect estimated $1.5mn, was the “The market price of the re- lion into neighbouring India, sewn or hidden inside traffi ck- carry out a transparent and public investigation. The real facts by holding discussion with largest this year by airport of- covered gold is $1.5mn. It is the the world’s largest consumer ers’ bodies. media in Sri Lanka don’t have an ethical right to say that representatives of concerned off ices, fi cials in Bangladesh, which single biggest haul this year.” of gold. Offi cials said smuggling net- such and such things have happened.” “Why is that? people’s representatives of local-level have been battling a record Officials earlier yesterday Authorities have seized a works often included air host- They covered up corruption of the previous government. and locals of the area, where the NOC surge in gold smuggling in re- also found six more kilos of record 1.5 tonnes of gold from esses, airport ground staff and They all went shopping. Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, had purchased the land, in four districts cent years. gold taped inside the toilet Bangladeshi airports in the cleaners and corrupt security Lankadeepa, Dinamina, Silumina all went. Tell me who –kathmandupost.ekantipur.com Customs offi cials became of a passenger aircraft flown past three years, most coming personnel. did not do it.” - dailymirror.lk Gulf Times 18 Monday, August 7, 2017 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief: Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Explaining global recovery Deputy Managing Editor: K T Chacko

P.O.Box 2888 amid political recession Doha, Qatar [email protected] The political gridlock vehemently with their compatriots on it is of course impossible to know how subscribe, at the risk of being labelled Telephone 44350478 (news), the other side of the aisle; they also the economy would be performing in an irrational optimist. The inequality 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) long fuelled by America’s don’t like or respect them. a more stable political environment). of opportunity and outcomes that Fax 44350474 right-left divide has The political gridlock long fuelled There are several possible (and non- have fuelled popular discontent and by America’s right-left divide has mutually exclusive) explanations for political polarisation are very real, now become entrenched now become entrenched within the this counterintuitive state of aff airs. and, after years of neglect, they are within the Republican Republican Party, which controls For starters, institutions built over fi nally getting the attention they both houses of Congress and the time now limit the capacity of political deserve. Party, which controls both White House. So far, President Donald leaders and legislators to aff ect the More concerted attention to social houses of Congress and Trump’s administration has only economy. While these institutions cohesion will not bring quick results. GULF TIMES exacerbated this internal turmoil, can impede the implementation of But, over time, it can help to reduce the White House while off ering none of the hoped-for positive policies, they also serve to partisan intensity, refocus citizens’ economic-policy shifts that might minimise economic and investment attention on their common values, By Michael Spence elevate investment and growth risk. and restore their leaders’ capacity to Milan and boost quality employment. Particularly on the international deliberate responsibly and implement Neymar looking While it is hard to detect the Trump front, politicians cannot easily policy. As always, there will be administration’s priorities at this bring about a dramatic and disagreements – sometimes sharp n the summer, as life slows point, it would be hard to argue that immediate reversal of the patterns disagreements – about how to achieve down, there is space to reflect they include a concerted and narrow of globalisation that have been shared goals. The key is to address for more challenges on fundamental issues. One focus on policies designed to make established in recent decades. Any them in a context of relative mutual Iof the key puzzles occupying growth patterns more equitable and attempt to do so – undoubtedly respect. my mind of late is the disconnect sustainable. fuelled by intensifying populist and This scenario is far from between widespread political In the United Kingdom, last nationalist pressures – would cause guaranteed, but it is by no means at Paris St. Germain dysfunction and relatively strong summer’s vote to leave the European serious economic damage, ultimately impossible. After all, Emmanuel economic and financial-market Union surprised many, and concerns depleting the political capital of those Macron’s election as France’s performance. across the EU were heightened when who spearheaded it. president, May’s setback on hard Barcelona fans have not taken kindly to Neymar Today, the world’s major economies Prime Minister Theresa May took over Another, more worrying Brexit, and a near-universal rejection leaving the club, with posters appearing outside Camp are experiencing a steady recovery, and committed to securing a “hard” possibility is that risks are rising of the Trump administration’s stance despite the occasional setback. To Brexit. Now that British voters have faster than perception of them. If on climate change and a rules-based Nou labelling him a “traitor” and a “mercenary”, but in be sure, economic performance is stripped May of her parliamentary this seems implausible, consider the global economic order, both within heading for Paris Saint-Germain the winger has made far from reaching its full potential: majority in June’s snap general 2008 global financial crisis, in which and outside the US, suggest that the a brave decision. depending on where one looks, election, the outcome of the coming lax regulation and informational centre may be holding. The money paid by Qatar-backed PSG is eye- one can fi nd output gaps, excess withdrawal negotiations – and the fate asymmetries led to a pattern of In the meantime, national leverage, fragile balance sheets, of the post-Brexit UK – has become rapidly rising risk and deepening and international institutional watering, with the 222mn euro transfer fee stumped under-investment, and unfunded even more uncertain. imbalances that were, for the most frameworks must continue to guard up on Thursday topped by a salary reported to reach longer-term non-debt liabilities. Leaders in Europe, as well as in part, obscured from view. against destructive actions by 300mn euros over his fi ve year deal. But Neymar has Still, fi nancial markets show no signs a number of emerging economies, In the current context, the political leaders. In the fi nal analysis, of convulsion, even as monetary have now concluded that both the cumulative effect of rising confi dence in these institutions’ ambitions beyond fattening his bank account. stimulus is gradually withdrawn. UK and the US are unpredictable geopolitical tensions, loss of trust, resilience – and in an eventual end to In fl ying the nest where he was well-looked after by Yet, at the same time, political and unreliable allies and trading and disrespect for key institutions the current political dysfunction – is fi ve-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, nurtured conditions seem to be deteriorating. partners. Asia, with China in the could produce either a large shock what markets seem to be banking on. from a precocious 21-year-old into a world star, Polarisation has intensifi ed, owing lead, has decided to go its own or just deteriorating conditions – Project Syndicate partly to growing resistance to way. International co-operation on for investment. But it is harder to Neymar has taken a step into the unknown. globalisation and the unbalanced economic and security matters – construct concrete scenarios than zMichael Spence, a Nobel laureate in Wearing the number 10 shirt at PSG, which Messi growth patterns that have resulted never easy – seems to be unravelling. it is to ignore the potential risks we economics, is Professor of Economics owned at Barcelona, is a statement of the Brazilian’s from it. In the United States, for In this context, the global face. at New York University’s Stern School example, the Pew Research Center economy’s resilience – at least so far Having said that, there is a more of Business and Senior Fellow at the ambition. The 25-year-old is about to hit his peak reports that people not only disagree – is all the more remarkable (though hopeful explanation, to which I Hoover Institution. and believes it is his time to lead a team, to be the fi gurehead, which could not have happened at Barcelona after Messi agreed his new contract earlier this summer. With the exception of Real Madrid, Neymar could have moved to any other side in the world and instantly become the key player, the man the team was built around, but he opted to move to PSG. The money played a part, with the Ligue 1 champions able to make him the second highest paid footballer in the world, behind only Shanghai Shenhua’s Carlos Tevez, while few other sides would have been able to pay the 222mn euro release clause immediately. However, at the Parc des Princes Neymar has a chance to write The Brazilian has history, with the club desperate ambitions beyond to win their fi rst fattening his bank Champions League trophy. Signing the balance winger is a show of intent on their part, while for him it would be a stepping stone on the way to a fi rst Ballon d’Or. While at Barcelona with Messi, Neymar had no chance of winning the award, because he would never be viewed as the best player in his own team, let alone the world. If he can drive PSG to Champions League glory, there would be no doubt over whether he merits it or not. Neymar would love to be the man to break the hegemony set by Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo since 2008. He fi nished third in the 2015 award ceremony, and now wants more. Most of Rio’s homeless are black and come from poor backgrounds. Many are drug addicts, with psychological or family problems. “An athlete (me) needs challenges. And for the second time in my life I will contradict my father,” Neymar said in an emotional video on Instagram, as he explained why he was bidding Barcelona goodbye. In Rio, offi ce workers join the homeless Winning the Champions League with PSG will be studied business administration in Sao every night, sleeping on cardboard and for work when the city hosted the a challenge. The French club have never made it to AFP Rio de Janeiro Paulo. wrapped in blankets. World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics the semi-fi nals, with Neymar the architect of their His plight refl ects the sting of Most are black and come from poor in 2016. downfall last season as he shone in Barcelona’s historic a recession that has taken Brazil’s backgrounds. But today oil-producing Rio state’s ilmar Mendonca used to be a jobless ranks up to 13.5mn people Many are drug addicts, with coff ers are empty, hit by corruption, quarter-fi nal second leg 6-1 thrashing. human resources director for and tarnished Rio, a city that just a psychological or family problems. low crude global prices and the Neymar loses the likes of Messi, Suarez, Andres several companies in Brazil. year ago hosted the summer Olympic Among their ranks is a mix of people Olympic bill. Iniesta and Gerard Pique, world class performers, as V Now he is homeless, Games. from street vendors to retired civil Former state governor Sergio sleeping outdoors along with “When you are like this, no one servants like Gilson Alves. Cabral, whose 2007-2014 he steps into a dressing room with less experience and thousands of other victims of the wants to come near you,” said Alves, 69, worked for 35 years as administration was crucial to silverware. The Brazilian must lead them to European country’s economic crisis. Mendonca. an X-ray technician in Rio’s public preparing the World Cup and glory, because no number of Ligue 1 and French Cup Mendonca lost his job in 2015 and Like many in his situation, he has hospitals. Olympics, was convicted of trophies will be seen as a success if the Champions for a while, he lived off his savings. not told anyone how far he has fallen, But his pension payments were late embezzling millions of dollars and But now, at age 58, he sleeps on a still hoping it will be temporary. and he ended up selling his belongings sentenced to 14 years in prison. League is not conquered. It is impossible to say if bench outside Santos Dumont Airport During the day he exercises, reads and giving up his rented apartment. Part of the money recovered from Neymar’s decision to leave Barcelona will prove good in Rio de Janeiro. in cafes and book stores, posts on The tall, kindly looking man says he him was used to pay back wages to or bad — but it is, at least, bold. He leaves some of his stuff at a bank Facebook — where his photo shows never had an easy life. 150,000 retired civil servants. where he is a client, cleans up in public him in a suit and tie — and goes to job At fi ve, he was run over by a street But the accounts are still in the red restrooms and lives off food handed interviews where he competes against car and lost a leg. and help for the most vulnerable is out by charity organisations. hundreds of younger candidates. Two months ago he ended up on insuffi cient. To Advertise “It is a terrible situation but I have By night, he puts on simpler the street and the bag containing “The swift increase in the number of no choice,” said Mendonca, a thin, clothes and a hat to go unnoticed and everything he owned was stolen. homeless people in Rio is due mainly [email protected] divorced man who has no children, stretches out on a bench outside the He was taken in by social services to the economic crisis but also to the Display as he looks at job off ers on his laptop airport, near its security cameras. and transferred to one of the city’s 64 lack of public policy,” said citizens’ Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 using the airport’s Wi-Fi. “I try to stay on my own so as to shelters, which have room for 2,200 ombudsman Carla Beatriz Nunes. He wears stylish glasses, a dress remain focused because if I start to people. To fi ll the vacuum, networks of Classified shirt and nice shoes. hang out with others, I might get into “I feel sad, humiliated, struck volunteers from churches and NGOs Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 He does not at all look like one things I do not want, like alcohol, down for having put in so many years provide social services, serve breakfast of the thousands of other homeless drugs or fi lth,” he said. and then being here because of this and some even off er yoga classes to Subscription people in this city of 6mn. The homeless population is an government,” said Alves, who shares homeless people. [email protected] In late 2016, the Rio city hall said especially common sight in Rio’s a room with six people of around his “Those of who are paying for the there were 14,279 people living in the most popular tourist areas, including age. crisis are the ones with less money street — triple the number in 2013. Copacabana and Ipanema. “The situation is critical,” said Rio’s and less education,” said Robson, a 2017 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Dozens of them have advanced In the old quarter, groups of up to 20 social aid secretary, Teresa Bergher. 43-year-old jobless construction degrees, including Mendonca, who homeless people take up entire streets Many Brazilians came to Rio looking worker. Gulf Times Monday, August 7, 2017 19 COMMENT Recovery is not resolution

The Federal Reserve’s unresolved external debt overhang, critical but politically sensitive and several ill-advised domestic policies to ensure future fi scal ongoing exit from policy initiatives cut those recoveries sustainability remain unresolved in ultra-easy post-crisis short. The post-crisis legacy was both countries. finally shaken off only several years The UK’s withdrawal from the monetary policy adds to later with the restoration of fiscal European Union – and Brexit’s the sense among market sustainability, debt write-offs medium-term impact on the British under the so-called Brady Plan, economy – is another source of risk participants and other and a variety of domestic structural that has yet to be tackled. How Japan countries’ policymakers reforms. will resolve its public and private debt Since its 1992 banking crisis, Japan overhang is yet to be determined. I that normal times are has suff ered several false starts. There have argued elsewhere that infl ation were recoveries in 1995-1996 and will likely be part of that resolution, returning again in 2000 and 2010; but they as it is improbable that an ageing tended to be cut short by the failure population will vote to raise its By Carmen M Reinhart to write down bad debt (the so-called tax burden and reduce its benefi ts Cambridge zombie loans), several premature suffi ciently to put Japan’s debt policy reversals, and an increasingly trajectory on a sustainable path. unsustainable accumulation of In Europe, the high level of arlier this year, the consensus government debt. non-performing loans continues to view among economists The eurozone emerged from the act as a drag on economic growth, was that the United States fi nancial crisis in 2008-2009 with by inhibiting new credit creation. Ewould outstrip its advanced- some economic momentum. Unlike Furthermore, these bad assets pose economy rivals. The expected US the Federal Reserve, however, the a substantial contingent liability for growth spurt would be driven by the European Central Bank hiked interest some governments. Target2, the euro’s economic stimulus package described rates in early 2011, which contributed real-time gross settlement system, has in President Donald Trump’s election to the region’s descent into a deeper emerged as the eurozone’s mechanism campaign. But the most notable crisis. for fi nancing the emergence of positive economic news of 2017 among History, therefore, suggests caution widening structural balance-of- the developed countries has been before concluding that the current payments gaps, whereby capital fl ows coming from Europe. recovery has the makings of a more out of southern Europe into Germany. Last week, the International sustainable and broad-based variety. For Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, Monetary Fund revised upward its Many of the economic problems public-sector debt must now also growth projections for the eurozone, created or exacerbated by the crisis include the central bank’s sharply with the more favourable outlook remain unresolved. rising debts. extending broadly across member overheating. A few days ago, Greece, In the US, the Federal Reserve’s Recovery is not the same as resolution. All of the advanced economies Perhaps the main lesson is that countries and including the Big Four: the most battered of Europe’s crisis ongoing exit from ultra-easy post- It may be instructive to recall that in (to varying degrees) have signifi cant even more caution is warranted in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. IMF countries, was able to tap global crisis monetary policy adds to the other protracted post-crisis episodes, legacy debts (public and private) from deciding whether the time is ripe to Chief Economist Maurice Obstfeld fi nancial markets for the fi rst time in sense among market participants and including the Great Depression of the the excesses that set the stage for the “normalise” monetary policy. Even characterised recent developments years. With a yield of more than 4.6%, other countries’ policymakers that 1930s, economic recovery without fi nancial crisis, as well as from the in the best of recovery scenarios, in the global economy as a “fi rming Greece’s bonds were enthusiastically normal times are returning. resolution of the fundamental prolonged impact of the crisis on the policymakers would be ill-advised recovery.” Growth is also expected to snapped up by institutional investors. But are they? Do recent positive problems of excessive leverage and real economy. Low interest rates have to kick the can down the road on pick up in Asia’s advanced economies, Greek and European offi cials hailed developments in the advanced weak banks usually proved shallow eased the burden of those debts (in structural reforms and fi scal measures including Japan. the bond sale as a milestone for a countries, which were at the epicentre and diffi cult to sustain. eff ect, negative real interest rates are needed to mitigate risk premia. – As I noted in a previous country that had lost access to global of the global fi nancial crisis of 2008, During the “lost decade” of the a tax on bondholders), but rates are on Project Syndicate commentary, Iceland, where the capital markets back in 2010. Greek mean that the brutal aftermath of that Latin American debt crisis in the the rise. fi nancial crisis dates to 2007, has Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said the crisis is fi nally over? 1980s, Brazil and Mexico had a Political polarisation in the US zCarmen Reinhart is Professor of the already been dealing with a fresh debt issue was a sign that his country Good news notwithstanding, significant and promising growth and the United Kingdom is at or International Financial System at wave of capital infl ows for some time, is on the path to a defi nitive end to its declaring victory at this stage (even pickup in 1984-1985 – before serious near historic highs, depending on Harvard University’s Kennedy School leading to concerns about potential prolonged crisis. a decade later) appears premature. problems in the banking sector, an the measure used. As a result, many of Government. Weather report Kosovo Roma seek justice Three-day forecast TODAY High: 45 C Low : 35 C AFP Inshore: Hazy to misty at places at first becomes hot daytime with Mitrovica some clouds and humid by night.

osovo’s Roma minority “are TUESDAY not treated as humans,” High: 43 C laments Florim Masurica, Low: 33 C Kwho is seeking justice for Sunny his disabled son, one of the children suff ering from suspected lead- poisoning contracted at post-war WEDNESDAY United Nations camps. High: 42 C Kosovo’s pro-independence ethnic Low: 33 C Albanian rebels saw Roma people Sunny as guilty of co-operation with Serbs during the 1998-1999 confl ict – a gratuitous accusation as Roma largely Kosovo’s pro-independence ethnic Albanian rebels saw Roma people as guilty of co-operation with Serbs during the 1998- Fishermen’s forecast kept out of the fi ghting. 1999 conflict. OFFSHORE DOHA But some of them faced summary Wind: NE-E 03-10/15 KT executions, while others were complex, these displaced people were family — four daughters, seven sons and that “more than 80% of soils in Waves: 1-3/4 Feet forced to flee from their homes that unaware that they were breathing in and 60 nieces and nephews — “who is the camps were ‘unsafe’ because of INSHORE DOHA Wind: NE 05-15 KT were looted and destroyed after air and trampling on soil contaminated not a victim of lead toxins.” lead contamination.” Waves: 1-2 Feet the departure of Serb forces from with lead and other toxins, as “It’s the doctors who say it,” he told An environmental medicine Kosovo following a Nato bombing scientifi c tests have showed. AFP, showing the latest blood test specialist, Klaus-Dietrich Runow, Around the region campaign. In 2005, human rights groups results. took hair tests in the camps in 2005 Weather Weather That was the case in the Roma became concerned by the symptoms In February 2006, a panel of experts with “the highest ever seen [results] today Max/min tomorrow Max/min neighbourhood of Mahalla in Kosovo’s of Roma children in the camps such appointed by the UN – following in the values of heavy metal in human Abu Dhabi Sunny 42/34 Sunny 42/34 northern city of Mitrovica. as black gums, headaches, learning complaints by 138 Roma – came up hair samples.” Baghdad Sunny 49/32 Sunny 50/32 Dubai Around 600 of its inhabitants diffi culties, convulsions and high with a 79-page report examining the The panel concluded that UNMIK Sunny 46/34 Sunny 46/33 Kuwait City Sunny 46/33 Sunny 47/33 were given shelter by the UN mission blood pressure. claims of poisoning. had failed “to comply with applicable Manama Sunny 42/33 Sunny 42/33 in Kosovo (UNMIK) in fi ve camps, UNMIK then evacuated the camps It cited tests conducted by the human rights standards in response to Muscat Sunny 32/27 M Sunny 32/27 initially meant as a temporary measure – but for some of its residents this was World Health Organisation in the adverse health condition caused by Riyadh Sunny 45/31 Sunny 44/31 for 45 days, but they ended up staying too late. 2004, showing most children in the lead contamination in the IDP camps Tehran Sunny 36/24 Sunny 37/24 six years. Bajram Babajboks, 65, claims that most exposed camps had “above and the consequent harms suff ered by Living near a heavy metals mining there was no single member of his acceptable” lead levels in their blood the complainants.” Live issues Walking and biking tied to lower risk of sciatica

By Carolyn Crist Reuters Health by e-mail. Obesity increased hospitalisation Future studies should analyse long- Reuters Health About 2 to 5% of people have risk by 36%, especially abdominal fat, term data related to these factors and sciatica, the authors note in the which pushed the increase to 41%. measure the physical activity directly, American Journal of Medicine. At the same time, commuting to the study authors write. ifestyle factors like obesity and The painful condition typically work by walking or cycling reduced “It could be, for example, that smoking are known to raise results from a herniated disc in the the risk by 33%, which was true there is something else associated people’s risk of developing lower back and a compressed nerve happened regardless of body weight with smoking and independently Around the world Lsciatica, but a new study fi nds root, with shooting pain from the and other activity. makes people more likely to be Weather Weather that regular walking and biking may lower back along the sciatic nerve that “Other types of leisure time admitted to the hospital for sciatica,” today Max/min tomorrow Max/min have an opposite, and just as powerful extends down the back of the thighs physical activities had no eff ect on said David Coggon, a professor of Athens Sunny 39/27 Sunny 39/27 eff ect. and legs. hospitalisation,” Shiri added. “That occupational and environmental Beirut Sunny 29/27 Sunny 30/27 I T Storms 33/27 Researchers in Finland analysed Sciatica rarely leads to surgery or was somewhat unexpected.” medicine at the University of Bangkok 32/27 S T Storms Berlin M Sunny 24/14 M Sunny 28/18 data on more than 35,000 people in hospitalisation, but it’s considered one Regular low-level physical activities Southampton in the UK. Cairo Sunny 37/26 Sunny 37/26 that country who were followed for up of the more long-lasting and severe such as walking and cycling may be Perhaps more importantly, future Cape Town P Cloudy 17/11 Sunny 21/11 to 30 years, and found that smoking low back pain syndromes, Shiri said. helpful because they don’t strain the studies should look at the major Colombo T Storms 29/27 T Storms 29/26 and obesity each raised the risk of The study team analysed data lower back, the study authors note, as changes in back pain and sciatica Dhaka Rain 31/27 Rain 31/27 Hong Kong P Cloudy 32/29 S T Storms 32/29 being hospitalised for sciatica by 33% from four long-term studies with a opposed to higher-intensity exercise occurrence over time, Coggon added. Istanbul Sunny 33/23 Sunny 32/24 or more, while regularly commuting total of 34,589 participants and 1,259 that may be harmful. For example, long-term workplace Jakarta M Sunny 33/25 P Cloudy 33/26 on foot or by bicycle lowered the risk hospitalisations for sciatica during One limitation of the study is that absence due to low back pain has Karachi P Cloudy 31/27 M Cloudy 31/27 by 33%. 12-30 years of follow-up. it relies on self-reported data, and the increased eightfold between the 1950s London Cloudy 21/13 Showers 18/12 Manila S T Storms S T Storms 32/26 “The harmful eff ects of overweight, They looked at risk factors such as researchers are unable to verify what and 1970s, said Coggon, who wasn’t 32/26 Moscow P Cloudy 24/13 M Cloudy 23/13 obesity and smoking, and the smoking, body mass index, obesity, other health factors were involved involved in the study. New Delhi S T Storms 33/27 S Showers 33/27 protective eff ect of walking or cycling age, sex, education and occupation, with hospitalisation for sciatica. “That said, there are plenty of other New York T Storms 23/19 P Cloudy 28/18 to work on hospitalisation are as well as the frequency, intensity and The studies also used diff erent good reasons not to smoke, not to be Paris M Sunny 27/16 Rain 21/13 substantial,” said lead study author Dr duration of physical activity. questions about leisure-time physical obese, and to exercise,” Coggon said. Sao Paulo Sunny 26/14 M Sunny 28/17 Seoul P Cloudy 31/24 P Cloudy 30/23 Rahman Shiri of the Finnish Institute Although smoking increased the activity, and two surveys didn’t have Changing habits could have Singapore S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 30/26 of Occupational Health in Helsinki. risk of hospitalisation for sciatica enough information to distinguish “practical implications for public Sydney Cloudy 17/08 Sunny 17/08 “These fi ndings have important by 33%, former smokers were not at between potential gender-related health” for many disorders or diseases, Tokyo Clear 33/26 Cloudy 31/26 implications for prevention,” he told increased risk. diff erences. he added. Gulf Times 20 Monday, August 7, 2017 QATAR Siege lies versus hard truths he lies and rumours spread by Lie: The economic collapse of Qa- the siege countries have been tar is posing a threat to the World Cup Texposed by the fi rm and ethi- projects and the companies under- cal stance of Qatar over the past two taking such projects are preparing to months. Stressing that the circula- leave. tion of fake and misleading reports Truth: The projects are well under has become a “vicious circle” for the way and on schedule. blockading nations as they try to con- ceal their failed eff orts with further Lie: The Turkish military base in falsehoods, local Arabic daily Arrayah Qatar is a declaration of war on Arabs. has listed some of these lies and coun- Truth: The base is part of a bilat- tered them with the truth and facts. eral defence treaty signed sometime These lies are aimed at tarnishing ago and targets nobody. the reputation of Qatar and are also a clear attempt to adversely aff ect the Overall, Qatar is fl ourishing and national economy. These falsehoods various economic and diplomatic include a sharp fall in the value of the measures have helped overcome the Qatari riyal, a severe shortage of food- initial shock of the blockade. Its peo- stuff , Qatar resorting to witchcraft to ple, both Qataris and expatriates, assist it in its dispute with the neigh- have stood fi rmly behind the govern- bouring Gulf countries, and cows in ment and expressed their love and Qatar being infected with a strange support for His Highness the Emir disease, among several others, the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. daily points out. This solidarity has been witnessed Now, two months since the block- not only within Qatar but also in ade began, it is evident that the ef- countries around the world. forts of the siege countries have gone Business continues as usual with a against them and made them the sub- Qataris and expatriates have stood firmly behind the government and expressed their love and support for His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad number of new direct trade routes be- ject of much ridicule globally. Here al-Thani. This solidarity has been witnessed not only within Qatar but also in countries around the world. ing launched to various destinations. are some of the major lies and truths Hypermarkets and other retail outlets highlighted by the daily: Truth: A ridiculous claim that the National Human Rights Com- unable to convince the international Truth: FIFA has affi rmed in clear are fi lled with products from around exposes the falsehood spread by the mittee (NHRC) fi led a complaint with community that these claims have any terms that Qatar has won the right to the world, and the country’s inhabit- Lie: The cows imported by Qatar siege nations and their failure to the United Nations highlighting the merit. Qatar, on the other hand, has hold the World Cup. ants are leading normal lives. suff ered high temperature immedi- maintain a strong stance. harassment of Qatari pilgrims and the won international acclaim for its ef- Further, the Qatar-based charities, ately after arriving in Qatar. demand that Saudi Arabia guarantees forts to fi ght terrorism. Besides, there Lie: Qatar is on its way to becoming falsely accused of fi nancing terror- Truth: The cows are well and Lie: Qatar is trying to internation- the safety of such pilgrims. is not a single Qatari accused of terror- internationally isolated. ism, continue to provide aid around thriving, and 20 batches of them are alise the issue of Haj; a ‘declaration of ism or detained over such charges in Truth: Qatar has managed to suc- the world and off er help to the help- arriving in Qatar to secure the local war’, as described by Saudi Arabia. Lie: Qatar is accused of fi nancing any country around the world. cessfully overcome the challenges put less — thus winning global praise in production of milk. Truth: No such step has been taken terrorism and should be dealt with as forth by the blockade at diff erent lev- this area. by Qatar and there is no statement by a rogue country. Lie: Japan and the US are the main els, including political and economic, At the same time, the siege coun- Lie: Qatar uses genies and demons any offi cial on the internationalisa- Truth: Two months have passed candidates for the 2022 FIFA World in addition to winning the support of tries have failed to produce any evi- to beat the blockade. tion of the issue. The reality is that and the blockading countries are still Cup instead of Qatar. a number of international friends. dence to support their claims. NBK Holding launches national ‘Journey of Glory’

asser Bin Khaled (NBK) Holding yesterday Nlaunched its new na- tional campaign, ‘The Journey of Glory’, allowing the people of Qatar to sign on Mercedes-Benz vehicles used as ‘billboards’ to support the ‘Tamim the Glori- ous’ initiative. ‘The Journey of Glory’ joins national sentiment to show soli- darity with His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in the face of the cur- rent geopolitical issues, NBK Holding has said in a statement. NBK Holding will parade the cars around Qatar until August 20 to allow partners and the people of Qatar to sign and share testimonials, to show their com- mitment to Qatar and its leader- ship. As a fi rst in Qatar, NBK Hold- ing has created two bespoke mo- bile ‘billboards’ using two Mer- cedes-Benz cars, the S-Class and the Vito. Inaugurated at Sheikh Nasser bin Nawaf al-Thani, second deputy CEO of NBK Holding, joins the signing campaign. the headquarters of Nasser Bin Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin Khaled al-Thani, NBK chairman and CEO, inaugurates the signing campaign. Khaled Holding on Salwa Road, Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin Kha- subsidiaries, we are proud to The Vito tour led, chairman and CEO of NBK launch this national initiative Holding, was the fi rst to sign on to showcase our commitment Parking of Mosque, Porto the cars at a special ceremony and loyalty to our beloved na- Arabia: August 7, 6.30-11pm along with Sheikh Nasser bin tion and its honourable leaders. Medina Centrale, near Novo: Nawaf, second deputy CEO, We are here to tell the world we August 8, 6.30-11pm and NBK Holding staff and val- support our government and to Aspire Park: August 9, 6.30- ued partners. express solidarity and unity in 11pm this critical period. Souq Waqif: August 10, 6.30- NBK Holding will parade “Through its legacy and her- 11pm the cars around Qatar itage in Qatar, Nasser Bin Kha- Doha Festival City: August 11, until August 20 to allow led stands at the forefront of 4.30-11.30pm partners and the people national companies that have Al Hazm: August 12, 4.30- of Qatar to sign and share made clear contributions in 11.30pm testimonials, to show the progress and development The Mall: August 13, 6.30- their commitment to of Qatar.” 11pm Qatar and its leadership The two ‘billboard’ vehicles Landmark: August 14, 6.30- taking part in ‘The Journey of 11pm The Mercedes-Benz Vito Glory’ are decorated with the Costa, Sheraton Park: August will travel to key landmarks iconic portrait of His Highness 15, 6.30-11pm and the Mercedes-Benz S- the Emir and the slogan ‘Tamim The Gate Mall: August 16, 6.30- class will visit VIP dignitaries. the Glorious’, the statement 11pm To follow the journey the cars notes. Once fully adorned with Katara: August 17, 6.30- will take and to make contribu- signatures from the people of 11pm tions to support Qatar, one can Qatar, NBK Holding will host Villaggio: August 18, 4.30- follow #JourneyOfGlory. the Mercedes-Benz Vito in the 11.30pm Sheikh Nasser bin Nawaf showroom of Nasser Bin Kha- Mall Of Qatar: August 19, 4.30- said, “At NBK Holding and its led Automobiles. 11.30pm Group photo of dignitaries at the event. Blockade boosts industries in Qatar

Al Jazeera began two months ago, Doha has slowing them down, Khashif Qatari offi cials say import projects, but currently, we do not commitment to His Highness have stressed the importance of Doha investigated how it can become Aijaz of Don Construction Prod- cuts would not aff ect govern- foresee it because a plan (was) the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- improved communications. more self-reliant and sustain- ucts said. ment projects. “When it comes already in place since 2014.” mad al-Thani will be met one “It has always been a challenge able. “Our orders have increased to our projects, when it comes Al-Attiyah says that “in 2017, way or another.” for entrepreneurs and local man- he blockade on Qatar by At Don Construction Prod- and there is an above-propor- to Qatar 2022, we don’t foresee Ashghal has signed contracts The construction industry has ufacturers to get access to knowl- four Arab states has af- ucts, for instance, the workload tional growth in the orders we any issues even if this blockade worth more than $3.5bn.” Of that been booming in preparation for edge, and at Qatar Development Tfected businesses but also has doubled in the last few weeks are getting every day,” Aijaz told continues for 20 years, we will amount, $1.7bn has been signed the football World Cup in 2022. Bank, we’ve been trying to come created opportunities for the as the company tries to step up Al Jazeera. “...we are importing keep delivering,” Abdulla Hamad after the blockade, he says. Large infrastructure projects are up with initiatives,” Ibrahim Ab- country. its manufacturing of construc- raw materials from Europe, from al-Attiyah, assistant president “What does that give you? We also being executed to meet the dulaziz al-Mannai of Qatar De- Qatar’s industries relied heav- tion chemicals. The blockade China and from the US. We have at the Public Works Authority believe that we can deliver infra- government’s development plan, velopment Bank told Al Jazeera. ily on imports, most of which imposed by Saudi Arabia, the a challenge because previously (Ashghal), told Al Jazeera. “That structure construction. the Qatar National Vision 2030. “We implemented several used to come from its blockading UAE, Bahrain and Egypt on June the materials were coming in impact you have seen could have “We will deliver on our com- In order to fulfi l that supply- initiatives to raise awareness of neighbours, but since the crisis 5 has sped things up instead of from Jebel Ali in the UAE.” been so much stronger on our mitment to the World Cup, our and-demand cycle, businesses what is available in Qatar.”