BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Al-Attiyah cruises to 14th Qatar Qatar-Oman trade jumps rally victory 240% to QR6.8bn published in QATAR since 1978

SUNDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11125 March 17, 2019 Rajab 10, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Defence minister visits Boeing plant

EUROPE | Demonstration NZ mosque Stores looted, burned in ‘yellow vest’ riots Rioters looted and torched shops and businesses on the famed attacks: white Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris yesterday, on the 18th weekend of French “yellow vest” protests, characterised by a sharp increase in violence after weeks of dwindling turnout. President Emmanuel supremacist Macron cut short a ski weekend in the Pyrenees mountains as hooded protesters went on the rampage in Paris, leaving a trail of destruction in the touristic heart of the city. charged with Page 20

AFRICA | Weather

Cyclone Idai kills 31 HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah visited the Boeing in eastern Zimbabwe plant in US city of Seattle where he was briefed on the production line for Boeing’s (KC-46) air refuelling aircraft. A number of murder At least 31 people have been Qatar Armed Forces off icers accompanied HE Dr al-Attiyah during the visit. killed and dozens are missing as O PM Ardern promises to mass killing in New Zealand and the tropical cyclone Idai hit eastern reform gun laws country had raised its security threat parts of Zimbabwe after lashing level to the highest. neighbouring Mozambique, the Reuters Footage of the attack on one of the government said yesterday. Most Christchurch/Wellington mosques was broadcast live on Face- of the deaths were in Chimanimani QatarDebate starts 5th championship book, and a “manifesto” denouncing East, Zimbabwe’s information immigrants as “invaders” was sent to ministry announced on Twitter. By Joseph Varghese championship is being attended by 107 reasoned communication. This year’s ustralian Brenton Harrison Tar- politicians and media outlets and post- Page 16 Staff Reporter teams from 51 countries. edition is unique because of its large rant, 28, a suspected white su- ed online via links to related social me- An opening ceremony was held at and broad international participa- Apremacist, was charged with dia accounts. The video showed a man AFRICA | Accident the Qatar National Convention Cen- tion. The championship features 107 murder yesterday after 49 people were driving to the Al Noor mosque, enter- atarDebate Centre, an initia- tre, attended by more than 600 del- teams representing 51 countries,” said killed and dozens wounded in mass ing it and shooting randomly at people Ethiopia jet crash tive of Qatar Foundation (QF), egates from the participating coun- Dr Hayat Maarafi – executive director, shootings at two New Zealand mosques. with a semi-automatic rifl e. Worship- probe needs ‘time’ Qyesterday launched the fi fth tries. The participating teams are from QatarDebate at the opening ceremony. Tarrant, handcuff ed and wearing a pers, possibly dead or wounded, lay on Identifying the cause of the International Universities Arabic De- both Arabic and Non-Arabic speaking Six teams that represent Qatar are: white prison suit, stood silently in the the fl oor, the video showed. deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash bating Championship, said to be the countries. Two teams – one each for boys and Christchurch District Court where he At one stage the shooter returns to that killed 157 people and caused largest university debate competition. “The championship is an oppor- girls from Qatar University, two teams was remanded without a plea. He is due his car, changes weapons, re-enters the the worldwide grounding of a Six teams from Qatar are participat- tunity to learn and practise Arabic – for boys and girls – from the Com- back in court on April 5 and police said mosque and again begins shooting. The brand-new Boeing aircraft model ing in the competition. language, which is fast becoming a munity College Qatar, a team from he was likely to face further charges. camera attached to his head recording will take “considerable time,” an Held under the patronage of HE language of research, literature and Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar Friday’s attack, which Prime Min- the massacre follows the barrel of his Ethiopian government minister said Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, creativity. Debating is an art that as well as another team from Police ister Jacinda Ardern labelled as ter- weapon, like some macabre video game. yesterday. Page 16 Vice-Chairperson and CEO of QF, the promotes critical thinking and well- Academy. To Page 10 rorism, was the worst ever peacetime To Page 18 Gulf Times 2 Sunday, March 17, 2019 QATAR

Qatar takes part in Turkish award ceremony

Qatar participated in the ceremony of the fifth edition of the Benevolence Awards, held in the Turkish capital Ankara under the auspices of the Turkish Religious Endowment, in the presence of President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. HE the Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Aff airs, Dr Ghaith bin Mubarak al-Kuwari, headed Qatar’s delegation, at the invitation of the head of Religious Aff airs in Turkey, Professor Ali Erbas. The ceremony was also attended by Qatar’s ambassador to Turkey Salem bin Mubarak al-Shafi.

Interfaith dialogue centre holds second youth forum

QNA hance the idea of dialogue countries of participating ings with students who will Doha and coexistence of diff erent students. be the future ambassadors cultures and religions. A total of 27 students of the Arab and Islamic It also aimed to showcase from 12 countries took part. culture when they return oha International Qatar’s open society that is They study the Arabic home. Centre for Inter- proud of its identity but also language for non-native He added that the fi rst Dfaith Dialogue (DI- positive in engaging with all speakers in Qatar University goal of the centre is to build CID) organised yesterday cultures. and Georgetown University bridges between citizens the second edition of a The meetings provide a in Education City. and residents. youth forum for non-Arab suitable environment for Chairman of DICID Dr Internationally, al-Nuai- university students based participants to learn about Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuai- mi highlighted that the cen- in Qatar. the culture of Qatar and mi stressed on the impor- tre is focused on promoting The forum aimed to en- about the cultures of the tance of holding such meet- interfaith dialogue. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 3 QATAR HMC teams safely deliver baby after mother in labour survives car crash

amad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) labour and delivery teams safely delivered a baby recently after a woman was involved in a road traffi c accident while in labour on the way to Women’s Wellness and HResearch Center (WWRC). Muna Abdelawel, from Eritrea, was 36 weeks pregnant when she experienced labour pains. With her husband Ibrahim driving, and accompanied by their three-year-old daughter, they began their journey to WWRC. While on the way to the hospital, their car was hit hard from behind by another vehicle and The Abdelawel family with Asmaa al-Atey and members of HMC care teams. Abdelawel and her daughter call gynaecologist, arrived were both violently thrown moments later. forward, causing them to “It was clear that Ms sustain head lacerations. Abdelawel was in the ad- “More than 25,000 ba- vanced stages of labour and bies are born each year un- that her baby would be born der the expert care of Ha- very soon. Dr Abu Baker, the mad Medical Corporation’s trauma team leader, assessed (HMC) labour and delivery her facial injuries and a deci- teams and the vast major- sion was made to prioritise ity of these deliveries take the mother’s delivery needs place as planned. However, and carry out the full range on February 23, things did of head assessments after not go as expected for one the birth,” said Dr Mustafa. mother when she was in- Within minutes, Abdel- volved in a road traffi c acci- awel delivered her second dent while in labour on the daughter, baby Entesar. The way to WWRC,” HMC said in WWRC neonatologist as- a statement. sessed baby Entesar while Ibrahim immediately Abdelawel underwent a CT called 999 and an ambu- scan and full assessment. lance was on the scene with- Following confi rmation of no in minutes. The paramedics serious complications due treated Abdelawel and her to her facial injuries, both daughter and transported mother and baby were trans- the entire family to Hamad ferred to the WWRC where General Hospital (HGH). baby Entesar was admitted Asmaa al-Atey, direc- to the Neonatal Intensive tor of Trauma Nursing, ex- Care Unit for observation. plained that while on the Baby Entesar was dis- way to HGH, the paramedics charged three days later and informed the HGH trauma the entire family is now fully team that they were bring- recovered from their event- ing in a mother who was in ful experience and thankful labour. for the way in which HMC’s “We have processes in care teams responded to this place that alert clinical unusual set of circumstanc- teams in the Trauma Sec- es. tion about high priority pa- “Giving birth to baby En- tients who are on their way tesar was certainly not the to HGH. Part of this process way we had planned it. I was enables any pregnant wom- very nervous as I have suf- an with trauma injuries to fered six miscarriages in the be immediately admitted to past so I was hoping for a the Trauma Section without smooth delivery. However, the need for the usual as- thanks to the expertise of the sessments at the Emergency paramedics, trauma team Department. This advanced and staff from WWRC, we all warning helped the trauma got through the experience team prepare for Abdelaw- safely,” said Abdelawel. el’s arrival and meant they “On behalf of my entire could immediately alert the family, I would like to thank on-call gynaecologist from everyone at HMC for the WWRC,” explained al-Atey. way in which they respond- On arrival at HGH, Ab- ed and for the care and delawel was admitted to the compassion they displayed Trauma Resuscitation Unit to my family. Baby Entesar where she was received by is a ray of sunshine and is, the trauma team, while her of course, totally unaware daughter was rushed to the of the unexpected nature of Emergency Department for her entry into this world. It immediate treatment of her will be a great story to tell facial injuries. her when she is a few years Dr Neven Mustafa, the on- older,” added Ibrahim.

QGBC opens registration for ‘No Paper Day’ campaign

atar Green Build- “We are proud to partner ing Council (QGBC), this year with local compa- Qa member of Qa- nies for the collection and tar Foundation (QF), has recycling of waste. We have opened registration for its on board Elite Paper Recy- annual ‘No Paper Day Qatar’ cling for paper and card- campaign. board, Global Metals for The initiative, now in recycling plastic and metal, its seventh year, is part of and Q e-waste, our newest QGBC’s ongoing eff orts to addition.” help schools, companies As part of the pro- and institutions fi nd ways gramme, companies and to reduce paper, plastic and individuals taking part in metal consumption, en- ‘No Paper Day Qatar’ are gage the wider community encouraged to start saving in environmentally friendly and collecting recyclable practices and raise sustain- waste in the form of news- ability awareness. papers and magazines, Meshal al-Shamari, direc- office paper, cardboard, tor of QGBC, said: “We are plastic bottles, plastic delighted with the success of cups and jugs, aluminium, this campaign over the past and steel cans. This year, few years. It has encouraged QBGC is also welcoming companies and individuals to e-waste. reduce their recyclable waste All collected recyclable and celebrate Qatar’s eff orts waste should be dropped to build a more sustainable off at the QGBC offi ce from future. We look forward to the April 7 to 9. Participating continuing participation of our companies will be invited to existing partners and to bring- attend an appreciation event ing new partners on board for to celebrate the success of this exciting and important the campaign, and will also work that supports Qatar’s receive QGBC-led sustain- journey to becoming a sustain- ability training sessions on able and diversifi ed economy. their premises.

Meshal al-Shamari Gulf Times 4 Sunday, March 17, 2019 QATAR

QCB governor attends conference in Morocco Qatar highlights achievements in gender equality

E the Governor of mentation of the Bali Fi- co Central Bank). QU conference atar has stressed given by Assistant Under- of Women. Al-Kuwari high- the Qatar Cen- nancial Technology Rec- The conference was pre- that it has made secretary at the Ministry of lighted the announcement H tral Bank (QCB) ommendations, held in pared by Bank al-Maghrib Qsignifi cant progress Administrative Develop- of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Rabat, Morocco. in partnership with the In- in terms of gender equal- ment, Labor and Social Af- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has participat- The QCB governor par- ternational Monetary Fund highlights role ity, empowering all women fairs, Ghanem Mubarak al- al-Thani pledging to provide ed in the Digital Trans- ticipated in the two-day (IMF) to discuss the chal- and girls as well as working Kuwari, during the dialogue education to 1mn girls by formation Conference: conference, at the invita- lenges and opportunities towards the realisation of held as part of the 63rd ses- 2021, in support of the Char- Balance Opportunities tion of the Governor of for fi nancial technology. women’s human rights. sion of the United Nations levoix declaration of the G7 and Risks in the Imple- Bank al-Maghrib (Moroc- – QNA of technology This came in the speech Commission on the Status summit of June 2017. – QNA in teaching

QNA introducing the eff orts Doha made, especially as Qa- tar has achieved advanced positions in the quality of atar University’s education according to the College of Educa- indicators of activating and Qtion (QU-CEDU) employing technology,” he and College of Engineering said. (QU-CENG) have started a He pointed out that tech- two-day conference under nology has become an im- the theme, “Technology for portant basis of the design Quality of Education” with of educational curricula, the participation of local and is one of the most im- and international experts. portant elements of teach- Participants will dis- ing in our time, especially cuss 33 working papers on the creative teaching that technology applications based on the use of critical in teaching and teaching thinking skills and problem methods, engineering and solving. education, assistive tech- CENG Dean Professor nology, educational assess- Abdul Majid Hammuda ment and e-learning en- stressed the importance of vironments, as well as the highlighting the technology convening of 12 workshops of education and to show its to a number of educators. role in the development of The conference aims to the educational process. provide a platform for ex- He said: “Education change of research, scien- technology is a science that tifi c and excellent experi- is developing steadily from ences of researchers and time to time, in order to specialists in the fi eld of meet the needs that arise education technology and in the educational sectors education. in general, and the need for Dean of College of Edu- this in the time of the in- cation Dr Ahmed al-Emadi formation revolution and confi rmed, during the technology in various fi elds. opening session, the im- For his part, Assist- portance of the conference ant Dean for Research and that highlights the educa- Graduate Studies at the Fac- tional technology and its ulty of Engineering Dr Abbas applications in the educa- Amira noted that the tech- tional fi eld in Qatar, “These nology is now shaping the conferences are an eff ective future of education based platform for exchanging ex- on the progress of scientifi c periences, promoting dis- research in this fi eld globally, tinctive practices, achiev- especially in the areas of ar- ing a privileged partnership tifi cial intelligence and Inter- with the community and net technology. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 5 QATAR

Tarsheed programme wins two prestigious international awards

QNA Engineer Essa bin Hilal Under the category of 3G ing environment-friendly Doha al-Kuwari said: “We are Sustainability of Perform- solutions. proud of Kahramaa’s suc- ance Award, Kahramaa’s As part of its social re- cess being achieved glo- Tarsheed programme has sponsibility initiatives atar General Elec- bally. Such accolades are achieved another milestone, and to further promote tricity and Water self-explanatory of our being chosen for 3G Best good governance practices QCorporation (Kah- continued achievements Public Sector Programme world over, Cambridge IFA ramaa) has won two promi- and milestones. He said (Sustainability) Award 2019. is spearheading a global nent awards in two diff erent accolade for Tasheed’s In another category, Kah- initiative to promote best categories of Global Good programme was the out- ramaa Awareness Park has practices in governance and Governance Awards 2019, come of its achievements added new dimension with sustainability. constituted by Cambridge gained in economy, envi- its international recognition The Global Good Govern- IFA. ronment and society. “This being awarded for 3G Most ance Awards or 3G Awards The awards were given is what our Qatar National Innovative Environmental celebrate individuals, gov- to Kahramaa for its ongo- Vision 2030 propagates,” Education Award 2019. ernments, public and pri- ing National Programme for he said. The award for sustaina- vate institutions and NGOs Conservation and Energy “Our International rec- bility category has been giv- that demonstrate making Effi ciency (Tarsheed) and its ognition reflects that we en for Kahramaa’s economic governance and sustain- iconic Kahramaa Awareness are going in the right di- performance which saved ability a strategic priority of Park (KAP). rection. Our technological QR5bn under its Tarsheed their organisations. The awards were pre- advancement, embedded Programme until April 2018, The 3G Awards are pre- sented in a ceremony held with our continued efforts sustainability-related 265 mier awards programme in Jakarta, Indonesia. More to adopt innovative ideas, initiatives and environment that highlights excellence in than 28 countries with more has been recognised. This protective actions among good governance and com- than 76 representations in is reflected in winning the others which included de- mitment to social welfare all categories took part in Innovative Environmen- veloping Electric Car infra- in 3 major streams: Govern- the process of award decla- tal Education Award 2019 structure, reducing carbon ment & Politics, Corporate ration. for Kahramaa Awareness emissions (10.5mn tonnes) Sector, and Social Sector & Kahramaa’s President Park”, he added. and brainstorming for fi nd- Philanthropy.

Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 7 QATAR

Mwani delegation in Italy

A delegation from Mwani Qatar and QTerminals has held several meetings and visited a number of ports in Italy to discuss ways of co-operation. (Images courtesy of Mwani Qatar Twitter page) French agribusiness fi rms to take part in Agriteq

usiness France will or- Business France is the duces made-to-measure production projects. ganise, under the pa- national agency support- equipment according to lo- Alma Sun Energy is in- Btronage of the French ing the international de- cal requirements and stand- volved in the design, in- embassy in Qatar, meetings velopment of the French ards. Deltex is dedicated to stallation and maintenance between leading French en- economy. providing solutions to agri- of environment-friendly tities dealing with various Participating French culture businesses under all power stations, and also technologies in agriculture agribusiness fi rms that spe- world climatic conditions, provides training and certi- and the main companies cialise in new concepts of while NTD France spe- fi cation to technical teams, and investors in Qatar, dur- fruits and vegetables pro- cialises in installing poul- while Vitalac manufactures ing the Qatar International duction, from greenhouses try and livestock buildings food, minerals, premixes Agricultural Exhibition to urban farms, as well as around the world and off ers and nutritional products for (Agriteq). environment-friendly en- new products to the market cattle and poultry. The event will be held ergy production and animal to meet the expectations Allfl ex is the No 1 in the from March 19 to 22 at identifi cation and traceabil- and requirements of the world for animal identifi ca- the Doha Exhibition and ity, include CK Industries, breeding business. tion - committed to guar- Convention Centre. Deltex, NTD France, Gautier Gautier Semences spe- anteeing animal product A delegation of French Semences, Berthault Engi- cialises, for more than 60 traceability for consumers companies will take part neering, Alma Sun Energy, years, in breeding, pro- with state-of-the-art tech- in the exhibition, look- Vitalac, Allfl ex and Senalia ducing and retailing high- nology. Senalia Group op- ing to meet Qatari coun- Group. quality vegetable seeds for erates the largest port and terparts in order to share CK Industries is an all- the professional market. agribusiness industry grain the French knowhow in-one solution provider for Berthault Engineering cre- silos in Western Europe with key Qatari entities tubular material, scraping ates unique food and agro- and specialises in the im- in the areas of technology systems and feeding-belt food concepts and provides port/export of agricultural transfer and research and for cattle, sheep and goat support and assistance commodities along with development. breeding, which also pro- solutions for turnkey food logistics. Gulf Times 8 Sunday, March 17, 2019 QATAR EAA nurtures youth minds at Empower

2019 conference sees launch of three initiatives

osted by Education Above All (EAA) Foundation’s pro- Hgramme, Reach Out To Asia (Rota), the three-day Empower Youth Conference 2019 was brimming with knowledge sessions with more than 500 young people aged between 16 and 32 years attending the forum. Organised under the theme ‘Youth – A Catalyst for Peach and Dialogue for Development’, Empower 2019 es- tablished the role of youth as agents and catalysts for peace and dialogue for sustainable development. Among those attending “Qatar’s largest annual youth gathering” were international participants. Snapshots from Empower 2019. The event included a combination of seminars, panel discussions, key- note speeches, small group workshops, off -site activities, exhibition and youth artistic expression. Power speech and keynote speeches inspired, informed and mobilised young delegates to act on the main learning theme of the confer- ence, which is the role of youth as agents and catalysts for peace and dialogue for sustainable development. The biggest achievement of this year’s Empower conference was the commit- building and mediation. The task force up to the Qatar 2020 Peace Conference ment by the youth to work for peace in will be composed of expert organisa- on youth participation in peace-build- their communities around the world and tions, including Search for Common ing processes. make every possible eff ort to unite a di- Ground, UNDP and Coaches Across The Rota Youth Service Clubs awards vided world where civilisations clash, Continents, working alongside youths ceremony was also held to recognise the the organisers said in a press statement. participating in Empower from diff er- eff orts of the four winning clubs on their The youth participants also renewed ent parts of the world. community service projects. Five priz- their belief to create a world of social, The second initiative is to being a es were awarded on the occasion: the economic and environmental justice network for participants of the Em- Leadership award for ‘Women Leaders’; and equity, and reiterated their commit- power conference to co-ordinate their Agent of Change award for ‘Read it and ment to recognise common humanity, peace-building and mediation activi- present it’; Global Citizenship award for where no human being or community ties. A Facebook group has already been ‘Greener Future’; Technology Utilisa- is put down so another can advance and set up and the name of the page is To- tion award for ‘EZZHLHA’; and for In- work towards a better world. gether for Peace to reach more youth novation award for ‘Moubsiroun’. Further, Empower 2019 announced how share common interest. Empower 2019 was successful in the launch of three major initiatives to The third and last initiative is to start serving as an important forum to pro- address the urgent need for global citi- a ‘Together for Peace Campaign’ to mote the importance of collaborating zenship and global challenges. The fi rst build momentum of young people to and engaging with youth in peace- initiative is the formation of Empower become peace-builders and mediators. building strategies with community task force on peace-building. The aim The campaign aims to reach 1mn youth actors, relevant international organi- of this task force is to produce a toolkit from diff erent parts of the world and to sations and United Nations bodies, the to equip marginalised youth on peace- get them engaged in activities leading statement added. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 9 QATAR HBKU presents programmes to students at Turkey fairs rospective students in resents more than 66 coun- Turkey were given an tries. We off er our students Popportunity to learn world-class educational more about the multidis- opportunities, as well as an ciplinary programmes at enriching environment that Hamad Bin Khalifa Univer- nurtures community en- sity (HBKU) during the A2 gagement. annual International Edu- “By choosing to study cation Fair, held in Ankara, in Qatar, students expand Istanbul and Izmir from both their academic and March 9 to 15. career opportunities. Once Representatives from they complete their stud- HBKU Student Aff airs and ies, HBKU graduates often the Offi ce of Enrolment, as go on to join top research well as faculty at HBKU, were institutes or organisations HBKU representatives informed visitors of the University’s initiatives, programmes and present at the university’s based in Qatar and across research. booths within dedicated the world.” Salem bin Mubarak al-Shafi, ambassador of Qatar to Turkey, visited the HBKU booth in Ankara. venues in all three cities On the sidelines of the Hanan al-Thani, associ- ment, assured of the men- minded educational institu- and engaged with visitors to event, a senior delegation ate vice-president of Stu- torship and support of fac- tions and academic experts provide information on the from HBKU met with rep- dent Aff airs at HBKU, noted: ulty and staff throughout through a series of one-on- university’s programmes, resentatives from a number “Our institution off ers stu- their academic journey.” one sessions, interviews, campus life, and potential of Turkey’s leading aca- dents access to a multitude HBKU off ers 26 degrees seminars, presentations and research opportunities. demic institutions, includ- of academic and research in the fi elds of science and workshops, to assist pro- Maryam al-Mannai, ing Bogaziçi University, opportunities in a multi- engineering, law and public spective students who want vice-president of Student Bahçesehir University, Iz- cultural, supportive com- policy, humanities and social to make informed decisions Aff airs at HBKU, said: “We mir Institute of Technology munity, in the heart of the sciences, health and life sci- about the next phase of their look forward to welcom- and Istanbul University, to Gulf. Students who choose ences, and Islamic studies. studies. ing graduate students from discuss future collabora- to pursue graduate studies The annual International HBKU is accepting appli- Turkey to join the student tions involving faculty and at HBKU will benefi t from Education Fair in Turkey cations for its spring 2019 body at HBKU, which rep- research exchange. a fully immersive environ- invites a host of globally programmes until April 1. Commercial Bank launches ‘special off ers’ on personal, vehicle loans ommercial Bank has rates starting from 5.25% Commercial Bank custom- countries through Commer- falls earlier this year, cus- launched “special reducing and a grace period ers can take advantage of. cial Bank Internet Banking tomers have the chance to Coff ers” on personal of up to six months. Through the Bank’s eGifts and Mobile Banking App. benefi t from our off ers at a loans and vehicle loans for Vehicle Loan rates starting scheme, they can transfer Commercial Bank execu- time when there are many the bank’s customers. from 2.69% fl at, with a grace monetary gifts to family and tive general manager (Con- seasonal expenses. The aim of the campaign period of up to three months. friends through any Com- sumer Banking) Amit Sah “Combined with our ef- is to help customers with The campaign benefi ts new mercial Bank ATM in Qatar said, “Commercial Bank forts to constantly improve their fi nancial planning for and existing customers look- or through a local or in- continues to put its cus- the bank’s digital products the holiday season, ensur- ing for fi nance to cover the cost ternational account trans- tomers fi rst through our and services, we hope that ing a smooth and stress- of booking a family vacation, fer, with the added special 2019 Lending Campaign, this off er will make our cus- free holiday period. buying a new car or to meet touch of a greeting card. which off ers competitive tomers’ lives easier. Initia- Until May 16, Commer- other fi nancial commitments. The bank’s ‘60 Seconds Re- and aff ordable rates on per- tives like this demonstrate cial Bank customers can In addition, there are a mittance service’ also allows a sonal and vehicle loans with our determination to be the enjoy same-day approval on range of innovative prod- way to transfer money abroad a fast approval process. As bank of choice for custom- special personal loans, with ucts and services that within on minute to many the holy month of Ramadan ers in Qatar.” Human Resource

Dignitaries at the launching ceremony. Professional Forum-Qatar launched

uman Resource During his speech, Professional Forum Qadeer appreciated the H– Qatar (HRPFQ) founding members, James was launched recently at a George – ex AGM Jumbo ceremony in Doha by P Ku- Electronics, and TVS Pras- maran, Indian ambassador ad – managing director of and chief guest, and Azim Excellence Consultant, for Abbas, Indian Business their initiative, support and Professionals Council and guidance. (IBPC) president and guest The key objectives were of honour. read out and the envoy was HRPFQ, affi liated to requested to launch the IBPC, under the aegis of the HRPFQ website (www.hrp- Indian embassy, is a plat- fq.com). form for HR professionals Ambassador Kumaran to share and gain knowledge addressed the audience and help the community. by emphasising the im- The event was led by portance of the changing Ashwini Toppo, head of HR demography of the global at Galfar Al Misnad who working population and represented the forum as its the new opportunities and vice-president. He briefed challenges emerging due to the gathering on the forma- this. He stressed the need to tion and development of the capitalise on the opportu- HRPFQ. nities and the role HRPFQ This was followed by a can play in co-ordination speech by Syed Qadeer, with the IBPC, ICBF and general manager of Global Indian embassy. The role Premium HR Services, rep- of HRPFQ to become an resenting the forum as its enabler and facilitator of president who welcomed initiatives in co-ordination and introduced the manag- with other agencies will fa- ing committee. The forum cilitate initiatives to further was offi cially inaugurated improve the working condi- with a lamp-lighting cer- tions of expatriates, it was emony. observed. The vision of HRPFQ was This was followed by a introduced on the occasion. speech of Abbas, in which The mission of HRPFQ was he gave an assurance on also shared by praising and support and guidance for thanking the leadership of HRPFQ and applauded the Kumaran and the support steps taken towards better- extended by Abbas. ment of the community. Gulf Times 10 Sunday, March 17, 2019 QATAR ‘The Majlis’

exhibition Representatives of the teams from Qatar at a press conference. PICTURES: Shameer Rasheed ends its Paris QatarDebate starts fi fth Arabic university debate championship journey From Page 1

ollowing a two-month local preparations for the 2022 ernment’s eff orts that are suc- Speaking to Gulf Times, Noor al-Dulaimi, rep- stay at the Institut du FIFA World Cup. cessfully putting Qatar on the resenting a four-member team from the Univer- Fmonde arabe (IMA) in The cultural dialogue global sports map. sity of Utah in the US, said it was very exciting to Paris, ‘The Majlis – Cultures in brought forth the synergies “Whether through Aspetar be part of such a great debate championship. Dialogue’ – a travelling cross- and links between sports and that assists athletes to achieve “We are participating in the championship cultural exhibition organised culture and emphasised how their maximum performance for the fi rst time and we are all excited about at the initiative of the Sheikh sports can help in engag- and full potential or Aspire Zone it. With my fellow teammates, we started the Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani ing cultural interaction. The that aims to enhance sports preparations for the competition from No- Museum - hosted a closing agenda was projected by re- performance and act as the vember 2018. The championship is also an cultural ceremony recently in nowned speakers, including reference in sports excellence opportunity for us to learn more about the the presence of leading digni- Philippe Vinogradoff , French worldwide by 2020, Qatar went Middle East and interact with several uni- taries from France and Qatar. Ambassador for Sport; Dr far in promoting sports culture versity students from around the world,” ex- The exhibition, which fea- Jean-François Robin, specialist and still has big ambitions to plained al-Dulaimi. The team from the University of Utah, US. tures a collection of a unique as- in work psychology and sport achieve,” he noted. At a press conference held on the sidelines sembly of artefacts refl ecting the didactics; Khalid Jassem, Qa- The closing cultural dis- of the championship, representatives of the them to hone their public speaking skills, and the championship. She gave an inspirational interaction of civilisations in the tari TV presenter and writer cussion saw a performance by teams from Qatar shared their views on the become more tolerant to various ideas. They speech highlighting the challenges. She also past while encouraging dialogue on Al Kass TV sports channels; Bouyer - a choreography that championship and spoke about their prepa- also said that debating help them academi- described the diffi culties she and her fam- in the present, was the ideal spot Xavier Bouyer, internationally showcased the power of physical rations for the championship. They said that cally and in their personal lives as they become ily had to face during their political struggles for interesting open cultural renowned performer and art- balance in delivering the mean- they are not only debating but experienc- emotionally more mature. trying to improve the lives of fellow Nigeri- discussions, having being held ist; and Nasser al-Hinzab, legal ings of impartiality and peace. ing diff erent cultures while interacting with Dr Hafsat Abiola, president of the Women ans. She stressed the important role women during the past two months at counsel of Qatar to Unesco. On the exhibition’s concept, teams from diff erent countries. They noted in Africa Initiative and a Nigerian civil rights must play by actively participating in all the heart of the majlis, the main The discussion focused on Vinogradoff said: “I would like that the championship is an opportunity for activist who is currently in Qatar, visited walks of life. hub of the exhibition. Qatar’s pioneering role in this to congratulate the organizers Grabbing the French audi- regard, starting by designating to have achieved such a tre- ence’s attention to key topics the second Tuesday of February mendous feat in making peo- such as ‘The Power of Language of each year as the country’s Na- ple aware about the vastness in Shaping Culture’ and ‘Evolv- tional Sport Day – a date that is of Arab culture and delivering ing Art to Identities’ through- aimed to promote sport and edu- the importance of museums in Al Khaliji extends out its cultural discussions at cate the local population on ways preserving art and culture”. IMA – where attendees dis- to reduce health risks associated Sheikh Mohamed bin Faisal cussed the advancement and with inactive lifestyles, while al-Thani, member of the board preservation of culture through bringing communities closer to- of trustees of Sheikh Faisal Bin support to QSRSN language and art – the organis- gether through sport, based on Qassim Al Thani Museum, said, ers chose to end its journey in the sporting principles of team “We feel proud of the interac- l Khalij Commercial Bank Afi fah, board member at QSRSN. Paris by discussing ‘Sports as building, inclusion, unity, par- tion that our cultural discussions (Al Khaliji) has once again Commenting on the occasion, a Driver of Cultural Change’ - ticipation, fi tness and health. were able to create at Institut Aextended its fi nancial Alkuwari said: “Al Khaliji has one of the most pressing top- Jassem highlighted the im- du monde arabe. Being at this support in the form of a dona- been charting a very promising ics in Qatar today and in which portance of having that day important cultural destination tion to the Qatar Society for journey in Qatar and, as an ode all Qataris and expatriates are as part of the Qatari calendar complements our role in bring- Rehabilitation of Special Needs to this recognition, we believe it equally interested, given the while emphasising the gov- ing cultures closer together.” (QSRSN), a local humanitar- is our responsibility to support ian organisation that aims to the underprivileged society by support and develop the skills way of supporting unique en- and capabilities of people with deavours.” disabilities. Afi fah praised Al Khaliji and Off icials mark the occasion. This comes as part of its its sponsors for their keenness corporate social responsibil- to co-operate with QSRSN and most important project of the ing aids for the hearing impaired, ity drive, the bank has said in a contribute to the care of children organisation. laptop devices for people with statement. with disabilities on a permanent Medical and prosthetic devic- visual and motor disabilities and The donation, which was basis. He expressed gratitude es required are electric wheel- other devices needed by persons handed over in the presence for the contribution, which will chairs, electric medical beds, with disabilities, taking into ac- of Mohamed Alkuwari, head be used in purchasing medi- wheelchairs with special speci- count the progress made in the of Reward and HR Services at cal equipment and compensa- fi cations for severe motor dis- quality of these devices, the Dignitaries who took part in the cultural dialogue. Al Khaliji, and Taleb Abdullah tory tools, which make up the abilities, medical glasses, hear- statement notes.

Gulf Times 12 Sunday, March 17, 2019 QATAR Participants hail successful Qatar International Boat Show

he fi ve-day 6th Qatar In- Kahl said it was a fantastically the overall success of the event. until the paper work is done ternational Boat Show, organised show and the location “We were here to explore the and the ink is dry.” Tthe only annual premier was very nice , “with all the fa- market and so far it was good,” Qatar’s Coast Guard received boat show in Qatar, wrapped up cilities around.” He hoped that he opined. a marine surveillance boat as a yesterday evening at the Marina the show would grow further in “Turkey and Qatar are gift from Doha Craft at the glit- Pearl-Qatar on a high note with a the coming years. Zeeshan Raziq friendly countries and as a tering closing ceremony of the promise to off er more next year. of ZG Traders from Pakistan company based in Turkey, we 6th Qatar International Boat “It’s a promising market, we lauded the organisational skills are interested in joint ventures Show. will be coming back next year,” for the show, and the venue. He with Qatari investors,” he said. Rashid al-Madadi, manag- said Holger Kahl, managing di- said he will be coming back next “But, yes, at the end of the ing director of Doha Craft, pre- rector of Nobiskrug, the Germa- year. day it’s all about selling boats,” sented the keys of the Doha- ny-based marine industry giant A participant from Turkey a spokesman for the organis- manufactured boat to Lt Col for over 110 years. Nobiskrug said it was the first time for his ers said. Quoting Simpson of Abdulaziz al-Mohannadi, act- Group participated in the Doha company to take part in the Qa- Simpson Marine, he said “there ing head of the Coast Guard, Rashid al-Madadi (second from left) presenting the keys of a Doha-manufactured boat to Lt Col Abdulaziz show for the fi rst time this year. tar show but was impressed by won’t be any announcements Ministry of Interior. al-Mohannadi. Ooredoo Ride of Champions draws 1,500

he 2019 Ooredoo Ride als and enjoyed the light snacks of Champions has once provided by the organisers, Tagain “proved to be a huge or one of the healthy choices success”, as 1,500 “champions” available at the Torba Farm- of all ages and nationalities took ers Market. Rayyan Water pro- part in its third edition on Friday, vided more than 11,000 bottles the organisers said. of water at several points in the The annual event is organised ceremonial court and along the by Qatar Cyclists with support diff erent routes of the rides. The from the Ministry of Culture and day ended with some lucky par- Sports and the Qatar Cycling ticipants receiving prizes from Federation. the event’s offi cial partners and Cycling enthusiasts from all supporters; Turkish Airlines, Al- over Qatar, including public fi g- fardan Group, Rasen Sports and ures and top diplomats, gathered Garmin Lingawi. Manar Khalifa in the ceremonial court and the al-Muraikhi, director of PR and adjacent green spine at Qatar Corporate Communications at Foundation to celebrate their Ooredoo, said: “Once again the favourite sport, breaking the Cyclists take part in the 2019 Ooredoo Ride of Champions. Ride of Champions proved to be previous record of 1,100 partici- a great success, and one of which pants, set during the 2017 edi- Adib Mansour, an Indonesian we are very proud.” tion, a press statement noted. expatriate who participated in Dr Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, pres- The event encourages mem- the family ride alongside his wife ident of Qatar Cyclists Centre, bers of the community to practise and two kids, said: “We really noted: “I would like to express sport and lead healthy lifestyles enjoyed the Ride of Champions my sincere gratitude for each and by taking part in one of six cycling today, the organisation was per- every one who made the 2019 rides that cater to all ages and fect. It was our fi rst time in this Ooredoo Ride of Champions a levels of experience, before cel- ride, but the kids already eagerly huge success. We were honoured ebrating as champions on the po- await next year’s edition. They today to meet more than 1,500 dium at the end of each of them. had a lot of fun.” ‘champions’.” Ali al-Kuwari, Ooredoo Group chairman HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohamed bin Saud They also get to enjoy a number This year, many companies managing director of the Oore- al-Thani and Qatar Cycling Federation president Dr Mohamed al-Kuwari of entertainment shows and have supported the event and raised doo Ride of Champions, added: at the event. the chance to win prizes from the the awareness of both their em- “We have big plans to further event’s partners and supporters. ployees and the members of the develop the Ride of Champions The ceremonial court was cov- community to the great benefi ts in the near future. We aim to get ered with the red, orange and ma- of practising sports. a UCI Gran Fondo status for the roon colours of the offi cial jerseys Qatar Stock Exchange, offi cial road rides, while for the fam- worn by the participants who partner of the Ride of Champi- ily ride, our goal is to have more started to arrive to the area in the Family and kids. ons, organised a unique chal- than 3,000 participants and early hours of the day to get ready lenge for its listed companies make it the biggest community for the three big road rides. The of- choice for cyclists who wanted to and it saw a big turnout as regis- to encourage them to promote cycling event in the region.” fi cial supporter of the event, Rasen take their fi rst steps into a more tration was still open during the sports and healthy lifestyles Machaille al-Naimi, president Sports, provided free maintenance serious approach to road cycling. event, and Ooredoo, title partner among their employees. of Community Development, services to all participants at its The route highlighted the of the Ride of Champions, gave Meanwhile, Dolphin Energy, Qatar Foundation, said: “It’s an booth, in addition to rental service beauty of both Qatar Foundation away more than 70 bicycles for offi cial partner of the Ride of honour to have partnered with for bicycles, which was also avail- and Qatar’s fantastic vistas of the kids taking part in the ride to Champions, encouraged its em- Qatar Cyclists to host the 2019 able at Qatar Cyclists’ booth, as desert, showcasing the country’s provide them with an unforget- ployees and their family mem- edition of the Ooredoo Ride of the organisers aimed to attract the sports tourism potential to earn table experience. Next, it was bers to take part in all the rides Champions.” greatest number of participants the support of the Qatar Nation- time for the Family Ride, the of the event. With riders cross- Sara Fahad Alfardan, Commu- to try cycling even if they never al Tourism Council. most popular ride of the event, ing the fi nish line of all the rides, nications and PR manager of Al- owned a bike. All rides were led by offi cial as it gives all family members an it was time for celebration at fardan Group, said: “The Ride of The fi rst ride kicked off at cars from the Ooreedo Ride of opportunity to take a 5.8km tour the ceremonial court with their Champions is a one-of-a-kind 6.30am as the mostly-experi- Champions offi cial partner, Al- together inside the premises of family and friends, as they re- event and we are glad to have enced cyclists went on a 137.5km fardan Group, and escorted by Qatar Foundation on bicycles. ceived their participation med- partnered for the noble cause.” Best Buddies at the event. ride. Ten minutes later, it was time Traffi c Police motorbikes. Fahad al-Suwaidi, Public Re- for the 78km ride, which was more Light rain and strong winds lations manager of Qatar Stock convenient for less-experienced did not aff ect the number of par- Exchange, said: “Our partnership cyclists. The third ride, with ticipants in the three big rides, with the Ride of Champions this a 48km route, was the perfect which exceeded all expectations, year makes us absolutely proud, with more than 1,000 cyclists it’s an amazing event that helps taking part in them. The Traffi c to develop our community.” FAST FACTS Police were commended by the Dr Mohamed Jaham al-Ku- event organisers, as they put in wari, Qatar Cycling Federation z 72 nationalities represented, great eff orts to ensure the safety president, noted: “We would like with most participants coming of the riders. to thank Qatar Cyclists for their from the Philippines, Qatar, From 8am, all eyes were on huge eff orts to promote cycling the UK, Indonesia and India the Green Spine which host- in Qatar, and of course for this z80,224km: the total distance ed events for kids. The fi rst of amazing event which introduce covered by participants them saw the participation of a lot of people to the benefi ts of z130 volunteers provided 14 youngsters and their close riding a bicycle and also gives us support to participants in friends, representing the Best an indication of the popularity of addition to 30 policemen and Buddies Qatar initiative. Qatar this sport in the country.” five ambulances Cyclists provided bicycles for all Mehmet Zingal, general man- z 2.4mn calories burnt by the the children taking part in this ager of Turkish Airlines in Qatar, riders ride. The second was a 1km ride, Dr Abdulaziz al-Kuwari with Hassan al-Emadi, general manager of added: “It is a great event that open for kids aged 3-8 years old, Dolphin Energy. brings all people together.” Fayad al-Khatib, chief development off icer, Alfardan Group.

Georgetown to provide emergency disaster degree preview at info session

mergencies occur without warn- nities with leading experts in the fi eld, training included important fi eld visits ing, but responses to emergen- a statement notes. in the health sector as well as the Inter- Ecies can be planned and prepared “Graduates of our programme pol General Secretariat headquarters in ahead of time to develop organisation represent a diverse group of profes- Lyon,” he explained. resilience. Addressing this need, Geor- sionals across many sectors, such as Fellow IEDM student Hamad Eid getown University is presenting an in- global health, human and social serv- al-Romaihi, who serves as manager of formation session about this one-year ices, military, humanitarian aid, fi rst Health Protection and Communicable master’s degree to help working pro- response, planning, public policy and Diseases in the Public Health Depart- fessionals prepare for and respond to a all levels of government. And they ment of Qatar’s Ministry of Public wide variety of natural, technological use the strong critical-thinking and Health, enrolled in the programme “to and man-made disasters. problem-solving abilities they gain expand and advance (his) knowledge The public information session will through our programme to serve in and understanding of a topic as we are be held at City Centre Rotana Doha at important leadership roles in their preparing to host the FIFA World Cup 7pm tomorrow. fi elds,” said Georgetown faculty di- in 2022”. Off ered by Georgetown’s School of rector Dr Tim Frazier. The information session will pro- Continuing Studies, the International Farukh Azad, a current IEDM stu- vide insights about the programme’s Executive Master’s in Emergency & dent who also works as manager of on-site residencies around the world, Disaster Management (IEDM) pro- Digital Transformation at Ooredoo, re- curriculum, requirements, fees, ca- gramme off ers a blend of virtual learn- cently concluded the Paris residency of reer outlook and more. It is open to ing and fi ve on-site international resi- the programme. “We were introduced the public and reservations are not dencies that provide critical hands-on to critical aspects of preparing for and required. Find out more at scs.george- experience and engagement opportu- responding to man-made threats. The town.edu/doha Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 13 QATAR QAC signs deal to supply MBM with over 50 Fuso Rosa buses

atar Automobiles Com- services to the next level.” pany (QAC), the au- Saeed Mohamed Nazeer, Qthorised distributor of CEO of MBM, added: “With Mitsubishi Motors Corpora- increasing demand on reliable tion and Fuso in Qatar, and a fleet transportation, we are subsidiary of Nasser Bin Kha- happy to partner with Qatar led Group of Companies, has Automobiles Company to bring signed a deal to supply MBM on board more Mitsubishi Fuso with over 50 Fuso Rosa buses. Rosa buses that best meet our The agreement aims to up- needs. We look forward to sign- grade the MBM fleet of buses ing more deals and enhancing and meet the increasing de- this partnership with QAC.” mands of clients and corpo- “The Rosa is the only bus in rates that rely on MBM to pro- Qatar that can accommodate vide them with transportation up to 26 seats, including the services, QAC has said in a driver’s, and is equipped with statement. class-leading features. The Sheikh Faleh bin Nawaf al- forward position of the pas- The Fuso Rosa. Thani, Operations director senger entrance door makes it – Auto at Nasser Bin Khaled easier for the driver to see pas- for entertainment trips.” vents the vehicle from being Holding, said: “Qatar Auto- sengers entering/exiting the The Rosa uses Michelin tyres driven with the passenger door mobiles Company is proud to bus, while large bonded pas- and is equipped with a high open. Other facilities include extend its partnerships with senger windows are ideal for an performance 4.9-litre 4-cyl- a reverse camera as standard, various corporations in Qatar. unobstructed view,” the state- inder engine and independent seatbelts on every seat, ADR 59 Our agreement with MBM, the ment explained. front suspension. Its dual-cal- roll strength compliance and a leading company in transpor- Hisham al-Sahn, general iper front disc brakes with elec- rear air-conditioning system tation, is in line with our strat- manager of QAC, said: “The tronic wear indicator warning, with integrated roof vents lo- egy and plans to offer com- Rosa buses are globally known maximise the safety of the bus cated throughout cabin. fortable and reliable transport for their class-leading features, while moving and stopping. In MBM was founded in 1997 to solutions. Off icials mark the partnership. technology and high perform- terms of technology, the Rosa provide transport solutions to “This assures once again the ance with minimum operation- encompasses a multimedia various fields in Qatar. confidence of our clients in our us and look forward to enhance noted: “MBM continues its agreement with QAC is part al cost and high fuel efficiency. SAT/NAV unit with Bluetooth Customers can visit the Fuso vehicles and the value of our this collaboration in the years expansion plans to meet the of our strategy to enhance the We are confident that they are and 3-year map upgrades. showroom on Salwa Road from products in terms of efficiency, to come”. growing demand on trans- position of our company, con- the perfect fit for MBM opera- In terms of safety and com- Saturday to Thursday, 8am to safety and durability. We would Mohamed Mesned SM al- portation services for various tinue our sustainable growth tions, whether for staff trans- fort, the accelerator interlock 9pm, and on Friday from 5pm like to thank MBM for choosing Misned, chairman of MBM, business sectors in Qatar. Our and elevate the transportation port, school transportation or and pre-warning buzzer pre- to 9pm. Doha Bank off ers gold rewards to mark 40th anniversary

oha Bank has announced who transfer their salary will re- QR500,000 will be rewarded of gold to 40 Al Dana account the 40th anniversary with dou- the linchpin of our successful products and services to excel in a campaign for its new ceive an entry into a special raffl e with 10kg of gold. customers during the promotion ble Doha Miles and LuLu points operations. our business.” Dand existing customers, draw where 40 winners will take Marking its four decades of period. earned when using Doha Bank As we celebrate the 40th anni- To learn more about the cam- off ering gold rewards, as part home 10kg of gold. successful operations in Qatar’s In addition, account holders credit cards on March 15 and 16. versary, we are excited to launch paign and various products and of its 40th anniversary celebra- The bank also announced an thriving banking industry, Doha can double their chances in the Doha Bank Group CEO Dr this new campaign as our way services off ered by Doha Bank, tions. exclusive off er for customers ap- Bank has also announced a dedi- monthly draw for May 2019. R Seetharaman said, “At Doha of thanking our loyal custom- call 4445 6000, send a mes- During the campaign period, plying for personal loans. cated draw for its Al Dana sav- Further, the bank’s credit card Bank, it has been an eventful ers for their continued support sage to the WhatsApp line on which runs from March 14 until The fi rst 40 customers who ings scheme customers. customers received a surprise journey over the past four dec- throughout the years as well as 5033DOHA, or visit www.do- June 13, Doha Bank customers avail a personal loan of minimum The bank will give away 5kg off er for the weekend marking ades with customers remaining for inspiring us to innovate new habank.com Gulf Times 14 Sunday, March 17, 2019 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Yemen Syria force locked in battle rebels warn of attacks on with IS in holdout village capitals AFP ain-based Syrian Observatory Baghouz for Human Rights. The exodus has sparked a AFP humanitarian crisis in Kurd- Sanaa S-backed forces bat- ish-run camps for the dis- tled Islamic State group placed further north, where Ufi ghters yesterday as the civilians have been trans- emen’s Houthi rebels holdout militants clung to the ported. They include the wives warned yesterday they last dregs of their crumbling and children of alleged foreign Ycould launch attacks “caliphate” in eastern Syria. militants, hundreds of whom against the capitals of Saudi For weeks, the Kurdish-led are being held by Kurdish Arabia and the United Arab Syrian Democratic Forces have forces. Emirates, who lead a military been battling to crush IS fi ght- Around 3,000 people ar- coalition against them. ers cornered in a riverside en- rived at Al-Hol camp from The threat came as the United campment in the village of Baghouz over the past two Nations was trying to salvage a Baghouz. days, pushing the camp’s pop- truce deal in Yemen, seen as cru- The makeshift camp of tents ulation to over 69,000, the In- cial to diplomatic eff orts to end and tunnels is all that remains ternational Rescue Committee the country’s four-year war. of a once-sprawling “caliphate” (IRC) said yesterday. “We have aerial photographs declared in 2014 over swathes of According to the United Na- and co-ordinates of dozens of Syria and neighbouring Iraq. tions children’s fund, Unicef, headquarters, facilities and mil- The SDF and coalition war- the camp was designed with itary bases of the enemy,” rebel planes have rained fi re on the capacity for just 20,000 peo- military spokesman Yahya Saree enclave since last Sunday, blitz- ple. said in comments carried by the ing more than 4,000 IS fi ghters The UN said most of the rebels’ Al-Masirah channel. and family members into sur- new arrivals “show clear signs “The legitimate targets of our render. of distress, fatigue, malnutri- forces extend to the capital of US-backed forces have re- tion and require some form Saudi Arabia and to the emir- duced daytime air strikes and of medical care or attention”. ate of Abu Dhabi,” capital of the shelling to allow for more exits According to the IRC and UN, UAE, he said. “We have manu- from the last militant bastion. since December around 122 factured advanced generations But AFP journalists at an SDF people have died en route to of attack aircraft, and new sys- post inside Baghouz heard spo- the camp or shortly after ar- tems will soon be functional.” radic rounds of mortar fi re Sat- riving, mostly small children, The Houthi rebels have tar- urday, and an SDF spokesman two of them on Thursday. geted Saudi border towns and said fi ghting was ongoing. “There is an urgent require- Riyadh with ballistic missiles “Clashes broke out again ment for funding to continue and also claimed drone attacks last night and have continued health and nutrition inter- on the airports of Abu Dhabi and since,” SDF spokesman Adnan ventions in the camp,” the UN Dubai during the course of the Afrin said. said. confl ict. Saudi Arabia has said “There have so far been no At the height of its brutal the missiles were all intercepted surrenders (today) and there’s A fighter of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) loads an ammunition belt at a position in the village of Baghouz, near Syria’s rule, IS controlled territory by its air force, with one civilian no sign they are giving up,” he border with Iraq, in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. in Syria and Iraq the size of reported killed by falling shrap- said. the United Kingdom, with a nel, while the UAE has denied An SDF statement said the Baghouz, killing six people as with others who were surren- tory,” it said on Twitter. ings over the past week to im- population of millions. The the alleged drone attacks. latest fi ghting broke out after they fl ed the village near the dering. “Daesh has proven to Analyst Mutlu Civiroglu pede the SDF advance. total capture of the Baghouz Saudi Arabia and its military the Kurd-led force attacked IS Iraqi border. demonstrate a reckless disre- said the attacks were designed It remains unclear how camp by the SDF would mark allies joined the Yemeni govern- positions inside Baghouz. They were the latest casual- gard for human life and con- to keep “morale high” among many fighters and civilians re- the end of the cross-border ment’s war against the Houthis Around 32 militants, includ- ties in Syria’s devastating civil tinues to be a global threat,” it militants. main inside Baghouz. “caliphate” it proclaimed in March 2015, triggering what ing at least four senior IS fi g- war as it entered its ninth year said late Friday, using an Ara- “From their perspective More than 61,000 people more than four years ago. But the UN calls the world’s worst ures, were killed in the battle, with 370,000 dead. bic acronym for IS. they are resisting, they are have streamed out of IS-held beyond Baghouz, IS retains humanitarian crisis. it said. The US-led coalition said the “We stand by our SDF part- not giving up quickly,” he said. territory since December, a a presence in eastern Syria’s Some 10mn Yemenis face On Friday, IS launched bombers were dressed in wom- ners as they fight to liberate Die-hard IS fighters have un- tenth of them suspected mili- vast Badia desert and sleeper mass starvation, according to three suicide attacks outside en’s clothing and had mixed that last Daesh-held terri- leased a wave of suicide bomb- tants, according to the Brit- cells in the northeast. the UN. Both sides to the confl ict stand accused of acts that could amount to war crimes. The World Health Organisa- tion estimates nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yem- New protests in Algeria demand end to president’s rule en since March 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government’s war against the DPA lika’s recent decisions, in- streets of the Algerian capi- Houthis. Algiers cluding an indefi nite delay of tal in what was believed to be Other rights groups estimate presidential polls that were the biggest anti-Boutefl ika the toll could be much higher. set for April 18. demonstration in memory. On Wednesday the UN Secu- everal protests were A similar rally was held The leader of the opposi- rity Council met to discuss the held yesterday in Al- in the town of Darguina, tion Workers’ Party, Louisa stalled truce deal that had been Sgeria to demand that north-east of the capital, Hanoun, hailed Friday’s agreed in Sweden in December long-serving President Algiers, independent news- large protests. between the Saudi-backed Yem- Abdelaziz Boutefl ika step paper Elkhabar reported on- “Our country has not seen eni government and the Houthis. down. line. The protesters chanted such demonstrations since The deal — which called for On Monday, the 82-year- slogans demanding “a radi- the declaration of independ- a ceasefi re, rebel pullback and old ailing leader bowed to cal change of the regime,” ence (from France in 1962),” mutual redeployment from Ho- two weeks of massive street according to the report. she said at press conference deidah, Yemen’s lifeline Red Sea rallies and dropped his bid Dozens of workers mean- in Algiers yesterday. port controlled by the Houthis for a fi fth term in offi ce. But while gathered outside the Hanoun called on Boutef- — off ered the best hope in years he also announced an un- headquarters of Algeria’s lika to scrap his recent deci- of moving toward an end to the specifi ed transitional period main trade union, demand- sions and respond to “peo- confl ict. While the fi ghting in — a step seen by protesters ing the removal of its head ple’s aspirations.” Hodeidah has eased, redeploy- as an attempt to prolong his after he had voiced backing Boutefl ika has been in ment eff orts have stalled in re- rule. for Boutefl ika, according to power since 1999. His cur- cent weeks. UN envoy Martin Hundreds of people witnesses. rent tenure ends on April 28. Griffi ths told the Security Coun- marched yesterday in the Yesterday’s protests come He suff ered a stroke in 2013 cil on Wednesday he was still eastern province of Tizi a day after tens of thou- and has since been rarely Algerians demonstrate during the first Friday rally since the president’s surprise announcement this week that he working to make the redeploy- Ouzou, protesting Boutef- sands of people took to the seen in public. would not seek re-election but was cancelling April polls, in central Algiers. ment a “reality”.

Iraqi Kurds commemorate Pope reactivates plans for South Sudan trip massacre in Halabja Reuters than a third of the country’s Vatican City 12mn people uprooted by the AFP Marking 31 years since the civil war — a confl ict punctu- Halabja massacre, tearful relatives yes- ated by multiple rounds of me- terday carried portraits of the ope Francis has asked diation followed by renewed victims in a solemn ceremony of aides to resume plans for bloodshed. undreds of Kurds gath- remembrance. Pa visit to South Sudan, a The original trip was to have ered in the Iraqi town Halabja Governor Azad Taw- trip that had to be scrapped in lasted only one day for secu- Hof Halabja yesterday in fi q called for compensation and 2017 because of the civil war in rity reasons and the Pope was a tearful ceremony commemo- care for survivors still suff ering the world’s youngest country. to have fl own in after spend- rating Saddam Hussein’s poison from respiratory problems. During a meeting with South ing a night in another African gas attack there which killed “The Kurdish government, Sudanese President Salva Kiir country. some 5,000 people, mostly the Iraqi central authorities and yesterday, Francis “expressed Francis is expected to visit women and children. the international community the wish to ascertain the con- several African countries this On March 16, 1988, Saddam’s owe a debt to Halabja,” he said. ditions for a possible visit to year, including Madagascar. forces unleashed a cocktail of Iraq’s President Barham South Sudan,” a Vatican state- The Pope was to have made deadly gases on the northern Saleh, himself Kurdish, said that ment said. the 2017 trip to South Sudan farming community, captured “the suff erings of Halabja refl ect It added that he wanted with Archbishop of Canterbury a day before by Kurdish fi ghters those of the Kurds and all Iraqis.” to make the trip as “a sign of Justin Welby, head of the world- who had sided with Iran in the Writing on Twitter, he said closeness to the population wide Anglican communion, in countries’ eight-year war. the town embodied “the will to and of encouragement for the an eff ort to promote unity in the Facing a barrage of Iraqi re- resist and be reborn” in a coun- peace process”. Oil-producing mostly Christian country. gime artillery and air strikes, try ravage by decades of confl ict, South Sudan, which became The confl ict sparked Africa’s Kurdish forces and most of the most recently the battle against independent in 2011, descend- Pope Francis exchange gifts with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir during a private audience at the worst refugee crisis since the town’s men had withdrawn to the Islamic State group. ed into civil war in December Vatican, yesterday. 1994 Rwandan genocide and the surrounding hills, leaving Prime Minister Adel Abdel 2013 when a dispute between plunged parts of the country behind women, children and the Mahdi said the Halabja attack Kiir and his sacked deputy Riek train their respective forces and the six-month-old peace deal had expected the Pope would into famine. elderly. was an act of “genocide” and Machar sparked fi ghting, often unify them into a national army risked collapse because none of visit the capital, Juba, in the au- More than 875,000 refugees The following day, Iraqi fi ght- “barbarity”. The Halabja vic- along ethnic lines. before the formation of a unity these steps have occurred, just tumn of that year. have fl ed into neighbouring er planes circled above the area tims were among some 180,000 In September, Kiir, and Ma- government in May. two months before the dead- The tentative plans were Uganda since the war broke out. for fi ve hours, releasing toxic people killed during the regime’s char, signed a peace deal call- Three days ago, the Brus- line. scrapped because of security The Pope and Kiir discussed the gases including sarin and mus- “Anfal campaign” against ing on the two main rival fac- sels-based International Cri- In 2017, Catholic Church concerns. About 400,000 peo- return of refugees, the Vatican tard gas. the Kurds. tions to assemble, screen and sis Group said in a report that leaders in the country said they ple have been killed, and more statement said. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 17 QATAR Qatar Charity granted membership of advisory council of UNHCR’s shelter cluster in Yemen atar Charity’s (QC) office in Yemen has been selected as a mem- ber of the Advisory Committee of the United Nations High QCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s shelter cluster. Qatar Charity will also participate in a forum for international donors dedi- cated to donating to shelter needs in Yemen this month in Jordan. The advisory council consists of six members, including Qatar Charity, the Norwegian Relief Council and the Danish Relief Council, in addition to three local associations. The role of this council is to provide the cluster with advice and opinions on its activities and work strategy, and to review its reports, in addition to the key role, which is working as implementing partners and supporting the cluster through funding from different donors for its activities. Qatar Charity’s office in Yemen is a member of UN’s shelter, food security, education, water and sanitation clusters, which organize and coordinate the activities of UN humanitarian agencies and interna- tional organizations operating in Yemen. Qatar Charity is also a member of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This membership means that its office in Yemen has become a candidate to act as an OCHA executive partner. This membership is considered as an important component of the office in order to be eligible to act as an implementing partner of UN agencies operating in Yemen, such as the World Food Program,

the World Health Organization, the Office of the cluster in Yemen, as those affected by the current crisis of the country United Nations High Commissioner for Refu- require support urgently. gees and the United Nations Development Pro- It is worth mention that Qatar has announced the support of the gramme. United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen in 2019 with Also, Qatar Charity will participate in a fo- $ 27 million. rum for international donors organized by the This came during the participation of Qatar in the “High-Level shelter cluster in Jordan. The European Union, Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen” held at the UN the United States Agency for International De- headquarters in Geneva at the invitation of the Swiss Union, Sweden velopment (USAID), the British Department for and the United Nations. International Development (DFID) and other Qatari charities, including Qatar Charity, will coordinate with Unit- agencies and international donors will take part ed Nations organizations and agencies and other humanitarian orga- in the forum. nizations in order to finance various humanitarian and service pro- The forum aims to encourage and motivate grams and projects in Yemen. international donors to donate for the shelter “Future’s Writers” organizes training workshops for school students atar Charity (QC) organized two training workshops on short story writing, targeting school students at different educational Qstages. They were held as part of the continued activities of the “Future’s Writers-3”, with the aim of developing the talents of students in the field of story writing,

Jamila Sultan Almas said, “The main goal of this workshop is to and talents of students and enhancing their abilities in writing the teach students the fundamentals of story writing and its elements, as story. they are important things”, noting that the workshop had practical She praised the great efforts made by Qatar Charity in the field of aspects, which included some short stories written and discussed by humanitarian and development work, adding, “Our goal of this event the participating students. is to establish an active partnership with Qatar Charity through its Some 18 talented students have participated in a training She lavished praise on the “Future’s Writers” programme and said “Future’s Writer” programme in order develop the writing skills of workshop entitled “colorful stories”, which was given by the trainer it was one of the significant initiatives to help discover talents and students.” Jameela Sultan Almas at the Omar Bin Al Khattab Primary School, in sharpen their writing skills, pointing out that these students needed Earlier, on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, cooperation with the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press. continuous training and full care from the school administration. Qatar Charity organized a workshop entitled “Secrets of Short Story The workshop covered many topics such as the importance of For her part, Aisha al-Ali from the Omar bin al-Khattab Primary Writing”, in collaboration with the Khair Jalees Book Club and Al- writing a story, the fundamentals of story writing, the storyline, the School, said, “This workshop came as part of the school’s celebration Iman Secondary School for Girls. key characters in the story and the sequence of events, in addition to of the reading week, and within the framework of its partnership with other important elements that a writer must know. community institutions to benefit from them in supporting the skills Gulf Times 16 Sunday, March 17, 2019 AFRICA Cyclone Idai kills 31 as it hits eastern Zimbabwe

AFP people in the port city of Beira. Harare Even before the cyclone made landfall on Friday, heavy rains earlier in the week had already t least 31 people have claimed 66 lives and forced been killed and dozens 17,000 people from their homes Aare missing as tropical in Mozambique, local offi cials cyclone Idai hit eastern parts of said. Zimbabwe after lashing neigh- They also aff ected neighbour- bouring Mozambique, the gov- ing Malawi, where 56 people ernment said yesterday. died, the government said. Most of the deaths were in As the cyclone hit, Mozam- Chimanimani East, Zimbabwe’s bique’s President Filipe Nyusi information ministry announced appealed for emergency assist- on Twitter. ance for the victims before leav- Two of the victims were stu- ing for eSwatini. dents who died after a landslide “We have compatriots suff er- sent a boulder crashing into their ing without hope and we have to dormitory, collapsing the wall of restore hope,” he said on Friday the dining room and trapping 50 as he set off on a three-day state of them, the country’s Depart- visit to the kingdom previously ment of Civil Protection (DCP) known as Swaziland. said in a statement. As the cyclone approached, A Kenyan man lights a candle at a prayer session, as they mourn their relatives, during a commemoration ceremony for the victims at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 The boarding school has been the Red Cross sent out more than plane crash, at the Kenyan embassy in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia yesterday. shut and the army, which is lead- 200 volunteers to areas most ing rescue operations, is moving likely to be aff ected. in to take the nearly 200 students “The situation is dire but we to safety. don’t know the exact particu- “So far a total of 71 people are lars,” said Jamie LeSueur, the Red reported missing,” said the DCP. Cross’s roving emergency opera- Others who had fl ed their tions manager for Africa. homes were stranded on top of a He was making the 1,200km mountain waiting to be rescued, trip from Maputo to Beira by road Considerable time needed as strong winds hampered heli- after fl ights were cancelled and copter fl ights, the ministry said. the airport closed. The storm damaged many It would require “the full force houses and washed away bridges of the humanitarian community in the eastern Manicaland prov- behind the government of Mo- ince which borders Mozambique. zambique to respond to rapidly”, for crash probe: Ethiopia Thousands of people have he told AFP. been aff ected by power cuts and Beira’s international airport AFP, Reuters nose-dived into remote pressure and remorse as it is, The crash of Ethiopian recorders due to its relative fl ooding, a lawmaker told AFP. was closed after the cyclone Addis Ababa farmland southeast of the without waiting half a year,” the Airlines Flight 302 was the proximity to Ethiopia. Earlier yesterday, Joshua Sac- made landfall, damaging the air Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, relative said. second deadly incidence for France’s air accident co, an MP in Chimanimani dis- traffi c control tower, the naviga- reducing the plane to small As families wait for the results the 737 MAX 8 following investigation agency said trict, told AFP that more than tion systems and the runways. dentifying the cause of the pieces of debris buried deep in from the investigation into the the October crash of an yesterday it was working on the 100 people were missing. “Some runway lights were deadly Ethiopian Airlines the earth. cause of the crash, Ethiopian Indonesian Lion Air jet that black boxes in co-ordination Around 100 houses had been damaged, the navigation system Icrash that killed 157 people The victims came from 35 Airlines is planning to hold a killed all 189 passengers and with teams from Boeing as well swept away in Ngangu township is damaged, the control tower and caused the worldwide countries. service today in Addis Ababa, crew. as US and EU aviation safety in Chimanimani town, he said. antennas and the control tower grounding of a brand-new Dagmawit said it would take at the Kidist Selassie, or Holy The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a authorities. The opposition Movement for itself are all damaged,” an offi cial Boeing aircraft model will up to six months to identify Trinity Cathedral, where many brand-new jet. The grounding of the 737 Democratic Change called for at the National Institute of Dis- take “considerable time,” an remains, and family members of the country’s past rulers are The crash of two of them in MAX jets has had no immediate immediate help for the storm-hit aster Management (NIDM) told Ethiopian government minister were being encouraged to buried beneath its pink stone the space of just a few months, financial impact on airlines east, warning that a “serious hu- AFP on Friday. said yesterday. submit DNA samples in Addis spires. coupled with similarities in the using the planes, but it will manitarian crisis” was unfolding “The runway is full of obsta- The crash of Flight ET 302 Ababa or at Ethiopian Airlines “We were told by the company circumstances, led countries get painful for the industry there. cles and parked aircraft are dam- minutes into its fl ight to Nairobi offi ces overseas. that we will be given a kilo (of and airlines around the world to the longer they do not fly, “We need state intervention aged.” on March 10 killed all onboard Death certifi cates would be earth) each for burial at Selassie ground the plane. companies and analysts said on on a massive scale to avoid bib- The storm also aff ected power and caused the worldwide issued in two weeks, she added. Church for a funeral they will A preliminary report into Friday. lical disaster,” MDC spokesman supplies to neighbouring South grounding of the Boeing 737 A relative of one of the crash organise,” said one family the Lion Air disaster was Boeing plans to release Jacob Mafume wrote on Twitter. Africa which imports electric- MAX 8 aircraft model involved victims who asked not to named member who asked not to be published a month after the upgraded software for the 737 President Emmerson Mnan- ity from Mozambique to supple- in the disaster. expressed frustration with the named. crash. MAX in a week to 10 days, gagwa, who is currently on a ment its own production. “The investigation of such wait for remains. Abdulmajid Sheriff , a Kenyan The Ethiopian plane’s voice sources familiar with the matter visit to Abu Dhabi, has declared South Africa’s power utility magnitude requires a careful The person said that under whose Yemeni brother-in-law and fl ight data recorders are in said. a state of disaster in the aff ected company Eskom yesterday in- analysis and considerable time the victim’s Jewish faith, no died, said the family had already Paris, where French, Ethiopian The US planemaker has been areas. troduced electricity rationing to come up with something funeral could be held until his held a service. and American investigators working on a software upgrade Tropical cyclone Idai battered “due to the loss of additional ca- concrete,” Transport Minister remains were returned, and the “We are Muslims we didn’t will try to determine what went for an anti-stall system and pilot central Mozambique on Friday pacity, which includes a reduc- Dagmawit Moges told a press six-month delay was distressing care about that (earth). We did wrong. displays on its fastest-selling killing at least 21 people and cut- tion in imports from Mozam- conference. for his family. yesterday our prayers at the Dagmawit said France was jetliner in the wake of the deadly ting off more than half a million bique,” it said in a statement. Witnesses said the plane “They are in immense mosque and that is all for us.” chosen to analyse the fl ight Lion Air crash.

Tshisekedi party’s Senate E Guinea activist poll loss sparks violence arrested ahead of

AFP blies elect the senators in each Tshisekedi won a surprise vic- region and some of them have tory in the presidential election award ceremony Kinshasa been accused of having sold their held on December 30 after three votes. postponements, beating opposi- AFP a police offi cer at the airport and police offi cer was killed in Tshisekedi’s UDPS, the Demo- tion leader Martin Fayulu, whom Malabo, Equatorial Guinea by the opposition Convergence for DR Congo yesterday as vi- cratic Republic of Congo’s largest pre-vote polls had predicted Social Democracy (CPDS) whose Aolence broke out after the and oldest opposition party, did would prevail. members have been previously crushing defeat of new President not win a single senate seat in Fayulu says the result was a leading human rights ac- targeted in a crackdown by Presi- Felix Tshisekedi’s party in the the central Kasai Oriental prov- stitch-up between Tshisekedi tivist in Equatorial Guinea dent Teodoro Obiang Nguema, previous day’s Senate election. ince, of which Mbuji-Mayi is the and Kabila. Awas arrested in the capi- who has ruled the West African Separately, presidential par- capital. Nearly two months after his tal Malabo after travelling there state for 39 years. dons from Tshisekedi released A policeman was killed in inauguration, Tshisekedi has to receive an award for his work, Okenve had arrived in Mal- an opposition leader and a rights Mbuji-Mayi in the resulting been unable to push through his his NGO and a police source said abo on Thursday, a day ahead of activist jailed during the presi- violence, according to several choice of prime minister as his yesterday. a ceremony at the French Insti- dency of Joseph Kabila. sources. party only garnered 32 seats out Alfredo Okenve was arrested tute where he was to receive the Tshisekedi was sworn in on Governor Alphonse Ngoyi Kas- of 500 in the National Assembly. at Malabo airport on Friday night Franco-German Prize for Human January 24 after a bitterly dis- anji, who was elected as an FCC Kabila, who as a former presi- when he was about to board a Rights and the Rule of Law from puted election mired by fraud al- senator, said that “UDPS fi ghters dent has become a senator for fl ight to Madrid after the can- French and German ambassa- legations, replacing Kabila who this morning conducted punitive life, meanwhile gathered the cellation of an awards ceremony dors. yielded power after 18 turbulent expeditions in the residence of leaders of the FCC coalition’s 18 earlier in the day. But Friday afternoon’s award years at the helm of sub-Saharan some provincial deputies”. member parties at his farm last A leading fi gure in the coun- ceremony was cancelled after Africa’s biggest country. “They looted, destroyed and month and pressed them to sign try’s civil society movement, the Guinean government sent a But Kabila has retained signif- torched houses and vehicles. a loyalty pledge. Okenve is one of the leaders of formal note to the envoys’ rep- icant infl uence as his Common FCC MP Felicita Ngalula lost all After his election, Tshisekedi the Centre for Studies and Ini- resentatives saying it did not Front for Congo (FCC) coalition her possessions. Her bodyguard pledged to release political pris- tiatives for the Development of recognise the award, a regional wields overwhelming control of was killed”, he tweeted. oners from Kabila’s reign. Equatorial Guinea (CEID-GE), diplomatic source said. the lower house of parliament. Civil society member Jimmy The former leader of a minor which said he had been fl own “Due to the lack of transpar- The pro-Kabila FCC extended Bashile also said “angry UDPS opposition party, Franck Diongo, back home to the port city of Bata ency in the awarding of this its parliamentary dominance on fi ghters” had raided Ngalula’s was released from prison in Kin- and placed under house arrest. prize, the government of Equa- Friday when it won “a very large home. shasa yesterday. The authorities “prevented torial Guinea cannot recognise majority of over two-thirds” “They arrived and ransacked He was arrested in Decem- him from fl ying to Spain,” said its validity,” said the note, a copy of the country’s more than 100 everything. A police offi cer ber 2016 during protests against Mariano Nkogo, who is also a of which was seen by AFP. Senate seats, the FCC said in a guarding her was killed,” Bashile Kabila after the then president senior fi gure within the NGO. The French and German em- statement. told AFP. refused to step down when he He said a military plane had bassies then postponed the cer- The size of the majority means The police confi rmed the reached the constitutional limit been chartered to fl y Okenve emony. the FCC will be able to make death of one of their offi cers. on his term in offi ce. back to Bata. In late October, Okenve was changes to the country’s consti- The UDPS also held protests On Friday, human rights ac- Supporters of Franck Diongo, the leader of the Lumumbist “He was asked to remain at seized and beaten by unidenti- tution or pursue legal proceed- on Friday night and yesterday in tivist Firmin Yangambi was also Progressive Movement (MLP) political party, sing and dance ahead home where he is under surveil- fi ed men who left him in a remote ings against the current head of the capital Kinshasa, where the released after a decade in prison. of his release after two years in prison in Kinshasa yesterday. Diongo lance. His passport and his mo- area of Bata. state. party also failed to win a single “No spite or rancour,” he said was arrested during the political unrest in 2016 which called for the bile phone have been taken by the He then went to Madrid to Locally elected politicians in Senate seat despite having 12 on Twitter. “It’s time to save the stepping down of former president of the Democratic Republic of security forces,” he told AFP. seek medical care, only returning the country’s provincial assem- MPs in the provincial assembly. Congo”. the Congo Joseph Kabila. His arrest was also confi rmed by home in mid-February. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 17 AMERICAS

POLITICS DIPLOMACY CRISIS TARGETTED JUSTICE Guaido speaks at Valencia Cuba slams US visa change, Ortega concedes opposition Colombia pipeline bombed Ex-cops face trial in Rio market, protests expected says impedes family visits demand, releases prisoners for the 12th time this year councilwoman’s murder

Venezuela’s would-be leader Juan Guaido Havana yesterday accused Washington of creating Nicaragua on Friday released 50 prisoners held Colombia’s Cano Limon oil pipeline was Two former police off icers were indicted on yesterday visited a sprawling indoor market in obstacles to US travel by Cubans by reducing the for taking part in anti-government protests, bombed on Friday in eastern Norte de Friday on charges of killing Rio de Janeiro the north-western city of Valencia, speaking to duration of its tourist visas from five years to three authorities said, giving a fresh impetus to peace Santander province, state-run oil company councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver, members of the public as he tried to drum up months. The so-called B-2 tourist visa will, as of talks on ending the country’s long running political Ecopetrol said, the 12th time it has been and will face trial in a crime that shocked support for his ongoing bid to unseat President tomorrow, be eligible only for three months and crisis. More than 700 people were detained attacked this year. Explosive devices were Brazilians and human rights activists around the Nicolas Maduro. “The consequences of the a single entry. The Cuban foreign ministry issued during a deadly crackdown on rallies that began detonated along the pipeline in a rural area world. Ronnie Lessa and Elcio de Queiroz were enormous crisis” can be felt in the Mercado a statement objecting to the change, saying “it last April and quickly grew into broad opposition of Teorama municipality near the border with arrested on Tuesday, a few days before the first Periferico La Candelaria, Guaido tweeted increases the obstacles for family and other visits.” to President Daniel Ortega iron-fisted rule. The Venezuela. Oil was spilled into a nearby river, anniversary of the deaths of Franco, a progressive yesterday, sharing a picture of himself greeting “If the United States really wants to apply reciprocity, interior ministry said in a statement that the Ecopetrol said in a statement. There have councilwoman born in a poor Rio neighbourhood, crowds there. He blamed Maduro’s government it should immediately open its consulate in Havana, prisoners had been released on house arrest. been more than a dozen attacks on Colombian and her driver, Anderson Gomes. Judge Gustavo and “an inhumane system” for destroying and resume the process of issuing visas, which it A list of those released did not contain any key pipelines so far in 2019, eleven of them on Cano Kalil, from Rio’s fourth criminal court, ordered a Venezuelans’ purchasing power. The 35-year- arbitrarily and unjustifiably interrupted more than opposition figures. The detainees were driven Limon. There were more than 80 attacks on the freeze on any assets held by the men with an eye old called for fresh protests this weekend, with a year ago, and eliminate the prohibition on US away from La Modelo maximum security prison, 780km pipeline in 2018, which kept it off line for to safeguarding compensation for relatives of the rallies planned in Valencia in Carabobo State. citizens travelling freely to Cuba,” it said. near Managua, out of the sight of waiting relatives. most of the year. victims if the two are convicted. Grand Marshal of annual parade First Trump veto seeks to ensure funds for his wall

AFP it will remain at the centre of the Washington agenda in his 2020 re-election bid. Although there has been a onald Trump on Friday surge in arrival of families and signed the first veto of children at the border, overall Dhis presidency, overrid- apprehensions at the frontier are ing congressional opposition down substantially from a dec- to secure emergency funds to ade or more ago. build more walls on the US- Most Republicans support Mexico border. Trump’s position that the border Trump declared in the Oval is out of control. Offi ce that he was “proud” to However, there were defec- sign the veto. tions in Thursday’s Senate vote It came after he suff ered an by Republican senators angered embarrassing defeat on Thursday at what they see as the presi- when senators, including fellow dent’s improper seizing of pow- Republicans, voted to terminate er over the government purse his declaration of an emergency strings — a role reserved for the on the Mexican border. legislature. Surrounded by law enforce- The declaration of emergency ment offi cials, senior aides and has been challenged by 16 states The 2019 Grand Marshal Dr Brian J O’Dwyer marches in the annual St Patrick’s Day parade in New York City yesterday. The New York City St Patrick’s Day parade, dating people who have lost loved ones which sued the administra- back to 1762, is the world’s largest St Patrick’s Day celebration. to cross-border crime, Trump tion last month, contending said the veto reaffi rming his the order was contrary to the power to get the funds without constitution’s presentment and Congress was to “defend the appropriations clauses, which safety of all Americans.” outline legislative procedures “The mass incursion of illegal and defi ne Congress as the fi nal aliens...has to end,” he said. arbiter of public funds respec- “People hate the word ‘inva- tively. sion’ but that’s what it is...Our immigration system is stretched “The mass incursion beyond the breaking point.” of illegal aliens...has Jury hung in Florida Trump’s emergency declara- to end. People hate tion allows him to secure funding the word ‘invasion’ for construction of border walls but that’s what it is... after he failed to get authorisa- Our immigration tion from Congress. system is stretched Opponents, who accuse beyond the Trump of executive overreach breaking point” cop’s manslaughter trial and overhyping the problem on the border, could now use court The lawsuit also questioned Reuters Prosecutors will decide by March 27 unarmed black men across the United Aledda was one of six offi cers who re- challenges to halt the emergency Trump’s categorisation of illegal Miami whether to pursue the three undecided States that fuelled a debate over racial sponded to the call. measure. border crossings as a national charges, Miami-Dade State Attorney bias in the criminal justice system and He had testifi ed on Wednesday that Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic emergency, saying data issued by Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a the use of lethal tactics by law enforce- when he fi red his gun, he was aiming speaker of the House of Rep- the administration itself refuted hung jury was declared on Friday statement. ment. at Rios because the autistic man had resentatives and a leader in the the notion. in the attempted manslaugh- “The diffi culties posed by this case Kinsey had been working as a care- turned and pointed the object in his fi ght to prevent Trump’s wall The White House says the Ater trial of a Florida policeman are clearly represented by the jury’s in- taker for Arnoldo Rios Soto, a 27-year- hand at Kinsey, who was lying on the plans, called Trump’s action a emergency order empowers it to charged in the shooting of an unarmed ability to come to a verdict on three of old man with severe autism who had left ground next to him. “lawless power grab.” pull around $6.6bn from other black caretaker for a mentally ill man the four charged off enses,” she said. a nearby group home where he requires Aledda said he, too, believed the ob- “The president has chosen to sources, mostly already-allo- who was holding a toy truck mistaken The jury began its deliberations on 24-hour attention, according to court ject was a gun. continue to defy the Constitu- cated funds in the Defense De- for a gun. Thursday in the trial, which started on records. “So at that point I just had to fi re my tion, the Congress and the will of partment budget. The six-member Miami-Dade Coun- March 7. By the time Kinsey caught up with shot, or else I thought the black male the American people,” she said in But the complaint countered ty jury also acquitted the North Miami The case gained national attention Rios on the afternoon of July 18, 2016, was going to get executed in front of a statement. that tapping military funds police offi cer, Jonathan Aledda, of a after cellphone video of the incident police had received a call from a motor- me,” he testifi ed, referring to Kinsey. An attempt to override the would result in huge losses for single misdemeanour count of culpable emerged showing behavioural thera- ist who reported seeing Rios holding Asked under cross-examination veto will be held on March 26, the states’ national guard units negligence in the non-fatal 2016 shoot- pist Charles Kinsey, who is black, ly- what appeared to be a gun but turned about a police radio transmission de- she announced. which would otherwise use the ing. ing in the middle of a street, comply- out to be a toy tanker truck, court docu- claring that the object Rios was holding However, this is very unlikely money to combat drugs. The jury failed to reach a unanimous ing with police orders with his hands ments say. was a toy, Aledda insisted that he never to pass as a two-thirds majority Should the states prevail, the verdict on two counts of attempted raised, at the time he was shot in the Based on the motorist’s account, heard it. is required. case could work its way up to manslaughter and a second negligence leg. police dispatchers issued a bulletin de- Aledda, who fi red his gun three times, Trump has made border se- the Supreme Court, setting up a count, a state attorney spokeswoman The shooting by Aledda, who is white, scribing a man with a gun possibly con- was the only offi cer on the scene to use curity an over-arching domestic precedent-setting showdown on said. came amid a spate of police shootings of sidering suicide. their weapon. issue in his presidency and says the separation of powers. Trudeau condemns NZ attack, tightens Canadian security

AFP and Canada strongly condemns Douglas-Cook said. a Quebec City mosque after Ottawa today’s shootings in New Zea- Similar precautionary meas- evening prayers, killing six men land,” Trudeau said on Twitter. ures were taken by authorities in and wounding 35 others. “Our thoughts and hearts go Montreal, Quebec City and else- Both the defence and prosecu- olice stepped up security out to the victims and their fami- where across the country. tion are currently appealing the patrols at mosques over the lies, and we join New Zealanders Public Safety Minister Ralph 29-year-old shooter’s 40-year Pweekend across Canada and Muslim communities around Goodale insisted that “there is prison sentence in that case. following attacks in New Zea- the world in grieving.” no known nexus to Canada and According to his lawyers, Bis- land on Friday that Prime Min- The fl ag atop the Canadian Canada’s threat level remains sonnette “has been very aff ected ister Justin Trudeau condemned parliament was lowered to half- unchanged at ‘medium.’” by (the New Zealand shooting) as “absolutely appalling” — and staff in memory of the victims. However, pictures posted to a and is particularly troubled that which evoked painful memories Police in Toronto and Montreal social media account of a semi- his name is associated with this for Canadians only two years af- — home to Canada’s largest Mus- automatic weapon covered in attack.” ter a similar massacre. lim populations — told AFP they the names of historical fi gures, “Mr Bissonnette deeply re- The attacks on the two have stepped up security around many of whom were involved in grets the actions he has com- Christchurch mosques left at the more than 100 mosques in the killing of Muslims, included mitted and wants everyone with least 49 people dead, with the the two metropolitan regions. Canadian Alexandre Bissonnette. problems or diffi culties to talk suspect — 28-year-old Austral- “In response to the attacks Prior to the New Zealand about it and get help, something ian Brenton Tarrant — having in New Zealand, we will have a mosques shootings, Canada had he had not been able to do ad- live-streamed the assault and heightened police presence in the seen the worst ever attack on equately,” Charles-Olivier Gos- published a manifesto online. community, focusing on places of Muslims in the West. selin and Jean-Claude Gingras “Attacking people during worship — especially mosques,” Bissonnette in January 2017 said in a statement on behalf of A man holds a play card at a vigil held at NYU Kimmel Center, Manhattan, on Friday to mourn for the prayers is absolutely appalling, Toronto police Constable Allyson opened fi re on worshippers at their client. victims of the Christchurch mosque attack. ‘Kia Kaha’ is a Maori phrase, meaning ‘Stay strong’ Gulf Times 18 Sunday, March 17, 2019 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA ‘What is next?’: Christchurch Muslims struggle with shock, fear

AFP contributors, donating their per- when they heard about the said he could not understand how Christchurch, New Zealand sonal time to help in fundraising shootings. such violence could take part in eff orts. “I did not go to the prayer yes- New Zealand, a small nation bet- One woman, a local Kiwi, fell terday due to work... ter known for its rolling, green hills few months ago, down beside his wife when she but received a call from my and snow-capped mountains. Christchurch’s Linwood was shot dead, AbdelHalim said. friends and rushed to the spot,” “We never thought in New AMosque proudly laid His wife, Falwa El-Shazly, was Mohamed Kamruzzaman, origi- Zealand, this could happen. New down new carpets in its halls. shot in the arm but survived the nally from Bangladesh, told AFP. Zealand’s so friendly a place, you On Friday, the light brown attack. “Five of (our Bangladeshi can leave your door open and go. carpets were stained red after an Another man, a Fijian-Indian friends) are still missing, only But not now,” he added. gunman stormed the building, New Zealander who would regu- Allah knows where they are. We “I’m thinking what’s going to spraying bullets at worshippers. larly bring boxes of food from his have lost a guardian lady for our happen the next time it could “There was blood everywhere. restaurant during mosque dona- community, who taught children be more people targeting some- Everything was out of control,” tion drives, was also killed. the Qur’an for free. It feels like where else.” Ibrahim AbdelHalim, imam of “They are dear to me, these are we have lost a parent.” It was a sentiment shared by Linwood Mosque, told AFP. people who off er to us work for Fiji-born Azan Ali, 43, who Sahra Ahmed, a New Zealander Like the wider Muslim com- free,” AbdelHalim said. was in the Linwood Mosque with of Somali origin and a nurse ac- munity in Christchurch, Egypt- “It was a very bad day, not just his Auckland-based father when tive in her local community. born AbdelHalim is struggling all of us, all of New Zealand.” the attack occurred, trembled Sahra said the attacks showed to come to terms with the vio- At Hedley College, the main when he thought back to crack of the South Pacifi c island nation lence wrought upon worshippers meeting centre for the survivors the gun shots on Friday. could not escape the global wave this week as he waits to bury the and victims’ families, local Mus- “Will I see my parents, my of right-wing extremism. dead. lims from various ethnic and cul- kids, my loved ones again or not? “This is a global movement, Working together with the lo- tural backgrounds shared word- All the people you pray with, you for better or worst, it’s happened cal Islamic community, Abdel- less hugs and fought back tears as see beside you...” he added, his in all parts of the world. And Halim had sought to refresh the they exchanged news about their voice trailing off . some people like to import ideas mosque after a trust bought it loved ones. “My kids are scared, you know. from everyone else. So we’re not over in early 2018. With Muslims making up just You just have to work through it immune from what’s happen- Some of the seven worship- 1% of New Zealand’s population, as a community.” ing,” she told AFP. pers who died at Linwood were some members of the close-knit His father, Sheik Aeshad, who “It doesn’t matter where you People gather at a memorial to pay tribute to victims of the mosque attacks outside Masjid Al Noor in among the most enthusiastic community raced to the mosques saw a worshipper shot in the neck, go, the world is very small.” Christchurch yesterday. White supremacist charged with murder

From Page 1 absolutely was his intention to con- saw it, who sent it to police, the said hospital authorities. Thirty- please pray for my son, me and my The majority of victims were were regular worshippers at the tinue with his attack,” Ardern told spokesman said. six people were still being treated daughter...I am just posting this migrants or refugees from coun- Linwood mosque. Forty-one people were killed at reporters in Christchurch. The visiting Bangladesh cricket yesterday, 11 of whom remained in video to show you that I am fully tries such as Pakistan, India, “I can’t even go to the mosque the Al Noor mosque. Ardern’s offi ce said the suspect team was arriving for prayers at one intensive care. One victim died in ok,” said Wasseim Alsati, who was Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, So- now because I am scared of that Police said the suspect took sent the “manifesto” by e-mail of the mosques when the shooting hospital. reportedly shot three times. malia and Afghanistan. Muslims happening again,” the 16-year-old seven minutes to travel to the sec- to a generic address for the prime started but all members were safe, a “Many of the people require Dozens of people laid fl owers account for just over 1% of New told New Zealand television. He ond mosque in the suburb of Lin- minister, the opposition leader, team coach told Reuters. multiple trips to the theatre to deal at cordons near both mosques in Zealand’s population. said his mother, who was at the wood, where seven people were the speaker of the parliament and Two other people were in cus- with the complex series of inju- Christchurch, which is still re- “I’m not sure how to deal with Linwood mosque with his father killed. No images have emerged around 70 media outlets just min- tody and police said they were ries they have,” said Christchurch building after an earthquake in this. Forgiving is going to take and brother, saw two people shot. from there. utes before the attack. seeking to understand whether Hospital’s Chief of Surgery Greg 2011 killed almost 200 people. time,” Omar Nabi, whose father “She came here for the peace... Tarrant was arrested in a car, A spokesman said the email did they were involved in any way. Robertson. Wearing a black scarf, Ardern Haji Daoud Nabi was gunned now she is shocked,” he said, add- which police said was carrying not describe the specifi c incident None of those arrested had One victim posted a Facebook hugged members of the Muslim down, told reporters outside the ing his mother was too afraid to improvised explosive devices, and that there was “nothing in the a criminal history or were on video from his hospital bed, ask- community at a Christchurch refu- Christchurch court. Nabi’s family leave her house. 36 minutes after they were fi rst content or timing that would have watchlists in New Zealand or Aus- ing for prayers for himself, his son gee centre, saying she would ensure left Kabul, Afghanistan, for New None of the bodies of the victims called. been able to prevent the attack.” tralia. and daughter. freedom of religion in New Zealand. Zealand in the 1970s. were immediately released due to “The off ender was mobile, there The staff member monitor- Twelve operating theatres “Hi guys how are you. I am “I convey the message of love Abdikina Ali-Hassarn and his the investigation, leaving families were two other fi rearms in the ve- ing the accounts sent it to parlia- worked through the night on the very sorry to miss your calls and and support on behalf of New family moved to New Zealand unable to bury their dead within the hicle that the off ender was in, and it mentary services as soon as they more than 40 people wounded, text messages...I am really tired... Zealand to all of you,” she said. from Somalia four years ago and 24 hours customary in Islam.

Senator egged aft er racist comments PM vows gun law reform A far-right Australian senator ‘He leaped on had to be restrained by security off icials yesterday after punch- AFP now - our gun laws will change.” ing a young man protesting his Christchurch Ardern confi rmed that the off ensive comments about the suspected gunman and two as- Christchurch mosque attacks. someone to sociates who were also arrested Queensland Senator Fra- ew Zealand’s prime min- had not been on the radar of any ser Anning drew international ister vowed yesterday to intelligence agencies for extrem- condemnation for his eff orts Ntoughen the country’s ism. to blame the attack that killed gun laws after revealing the al- “I have asked our agencies this 49 Muslim worshippers on im- save them’ leged shooter behind Christch- morning to work swiftly on as- migration. urch’s mosque attacks had le- sessing whether there was any Amid the controversy, an un- he worshippers and their mosque which he attended with his gally bought the fi ve weapons, activity on social media or oth- named young man threw an families caught up in the mother and friends every Friday, the including two semi-automatic erwise, that should have trig- egg at Anning during a press Tattacks in the normally New Zealand Herald reported. rifl es, used in the massacre. gered a response. That work is conference in Melbourne, peaceful city of Christchurch His father John Milne said his The nation’s fi rearms laws are already underway,” she said. prompting the senator to hit came from around the world. death hadn’t been offi cially con- lax compared to neighbouring The head of the New Zealand him in the face repeatedly be- Here are some of their stories: fi rmed but he’d been told the Australia, which enacted a strict Police Association, Chris Cahill, fore being stopped by what ap- The Afghan who ran into teenager had been seen lying on gun control regime in the wake welcomed Ardern’s comments peared to be a security guard. gunfi re: An Afghan man, the fl oor of the mosque, bleeding. of a similar massacre in 1996. and said previous attempts to in- In a statement on Friday, Anning thought to be in his 60s or 70s, “I’ve lost my little boy, he’s Jacinda Ardern said 28-year-old troduce gun controls had failed had said the attack which killed died after he reportedly ran into just turned 14,” he told the paper, Australian Brenton Tarrant ob- partly because of diehard oppo- 49 Muslim worshippers in the the line of fi re to save fellow wor- adding that his son had been a tained a “Category A” gun licence nents to reform. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to representa- southern New Zealand city was shippers at the Al Noor mosque keen footballer. in November 2017 which allowed “I believe many New Zealand- tives of the Muslim community at Canterbury refugee centre in the result of Muslim immigra- in central Christchurch. “A brave little soldier. It’s so him to purchase the weapons used ers will be aghast that in our Christchurch yesterday. tion into the country. Daoud Nabi had lived in New hard... to see him just gunned to mow down worshippers in two country someone can amass a Prime Minister Scott Morrison Zealand for more than 40 years down by someone who didn’t Christchurch mosques. cache of weapons like that dis- At least one of the weapons tighten the laws, including a ban described Anning’s comments after fl eeing Afghanistan as a refu- care about anyone or anything.” Some of the guns appear to covered in this Christchurch used by Tarrant was reportedly an on semi-automatic weapons, as “appalling” and “ugly” with gee in the late 1970s, and believed The three-year-old still have been modifi ed to make tragedy,” he said in a statement. AR-15 - the same semi-automatic have stalled in parliament. “no place in Australia”, as he an- his adopted home to be a “slice of missing: The last time Mucad them more deadly, she said, add- “There is no place in the up- rifl e used in a number of mass Anyone over 16 can apply for nounced a bipartisan motion of paradise”, his son Omar said. Ibrahim, aged three, was seen ing that a ban on semi-automat- coming debate for the radical shootings in the United States, a New Zealand fi rearms licence, censure would be launched. Omar learnt his father had alive was at the Al Noor mosque ic weapons would be considered. gun lobby which has made its including the 2012 Sandy Hook valid for 10 years after complet- Anning was elected in 2017 by a died after trying to shield some- with his brother and father. “The mere fact... that this in- presence felt in previous at- school killings in Connecticut. ing a safety course and a police fluke of Australia’s proportional one else from a bullet. His brother Abdi managed to fl ee dividual had acquired a gun li- tempts to make our country New Zealand tightened its background check. voting system, having received “I got told by my best friend’s the carnage while his father pretend- cence and acquired weapons of safer.” gun laws to restrict access to Most guns do not require reg- only 19 first preference votes. father... that he leaped on some- ed he was dead after he was shot and that range, then obviously I think He highlighted the “bitter semi-automatic rifl es in 1992, istration under New Zealand’s He is unlikely to be re-elect- body else to save their life,” he managed to escape, The Age said. people will be seeking change, irony” that the alleged Austral- two years after a mentally ill man Arms Act and police do not know ed when Australians go to told Stuff .co.nz. Mucad has not been seen since and I’m committing to that,” she ian shooter would not have been shot dead 13 people in the south- “how many legally or illegally the polls in a vote expected “He jumped in the fi ring line the shooting. told a press conference. able to buy the same weapons in ern town of Aramoana. owned fi rearms there are in New this May. (AFP) to save somebody else’s life and Abdi said his family - who had “I can tell you one thing right his home country. But subsequent eff orts to Zealand”, police said last year. he has passed away.” been to Christchurch Hospital and Another of Daoud’s sons, Yama, looked through the list of people was on the way to the mosque - to there - thought his brother had make up with his father after a most likely died at the mosque. small falling out - when he bumped The father and daughter into a friend outside who told him in hospital: Jordanian barber China to prosecute former Xinjiang governor for graft “your father saved my life. Your Wasseim Alsati and his daughter father saved my life”, according to Alin, four, are both in hospital Australian newspaper The Age. with serious injuries after being Reuters gation in September into Bekri, It said the investigation had surveillance and suppression tenure between the Uighurs in It wasn’t until Yama re- shot at the Al Noor mosque. Shanghai who as governor between 2008 found that he took advantage of Uighurs in Xinjiang, a group Xinjiang and the Han Chinese watched the gunman’s video of In a video fi lmed from his and 2014 held the second-high- of his position to obtain “a huge it has long considered prone to national ethnic majority that the rampage - which he streamed hospital bed Alsati asked people est position of power in the re- amount of wealth”, either di- dangerous religious extremism. led to the deaths of hundreds of on Facebook Live - and saw his to “please pray for me and my hina’s anti-corruption gion behind party secretary. rectly or through relatives. He Researchers estimate that as people. father lying dead on his back. daughter”, who has been fl own to watchdog said yester- Bekri, who until December also allegedly demanded the many as 1.5mn Uighurs are in As governor, Bekri supported “I never thought it would hap- Auckland for treatment. Cday it would prosecute was director of China’s Nation- provision of luxury sedans and detention centres, where they policies that restricted religious pen in New Zealand. It’s a peace- A friend of Wasseim’s, Caro- Nur Bekri, one of the highest- al Energy Administration, could chauff eur services to his family are subject to political indoctri- practices of the Muslim Ui- ful country,” Yama Nabi said. lyne Phillips, who was at the ranking Uighur offi cials in the not be reached for comment. members, and received bribes. nation programmes. ghurs, who make up a majority There were reports on so- hospital with him, said he had country, over allegations of The Central Commission for Bekri “led an extravagant life, The Chinese government has of the overall Uighur popula- cial media that Daoud Nabi had undergone surgery for a perfo- graft and corruption during his Discipline Inspection (CCDI) was morally corrupt, and used tried to counter this, saying the tion. opened the door to the terror- rated bowel, an injury to his pel- time as governor of Xinjiang said in a statement that Bekri his power for sex,” the state- Uighurs are being sent to voca- He was also a proponent of ist, greeting him with the words vis and to get shrapnel and bone province. obstructed the investigations ment alleged. tional training centres. educating Xinjiang’s Turkic- “hello brother”. out of his hip socket. The decision comes after au- and did not tell the truth during His prosecution comes as the Bouts of ethnic violence took speaking schoolchildren in The ‘brave little soldier’: Sayy- Alsati reportedly moved to New thorities launched an investi- the probe. Chinese government ramps up place over the course of Bekri’s Mandarin. ad Milne, 14, died at the Al Noor Zealand from Jordan in 2014. (AFP) Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 19 BRITAIN

Tory MEPs Farage leads eurosceptics told to mull election run if on Brexit ‘betrayal’ march Brexit deal fails By Lisa O’Carroll, By Clara Wright, AFP Sea route for the town of Hartlepool Guardian News and Media Sunderland some 35km to the south. Organisers are providing meals and accommodations to “core marchers” he Conservative party has con- rch-eurosceptic Nigel Farage for a one-off payment of £50. tacted all its MEPs to ask them to yesterday led a hundred anx- “I’m taking to my second right, Tconsider running for election in Aious Brexit backers through the which is to protest peacefully about May if the prime minister’s Brexit deal mud of England’s industrial northeast the parliament ignoring my demo- is defeated on Tuesday. towards London, demanding certainty cratic vote,” said Coward. Ashley Fox, the party’s leader in the that Britain leaves the EU this month. The marchers brandished Union European parliament, contacted MEPs The 435km march from Sunderland Jacks and signs reading “Democracy” to ask them to think about their options to the capital’s parliament will con- and “Liberty”. in the event that Theresa May’s deal clude on March 29 — the date Britain Some said that any economic pain fails again. was scheduled to pull out of the Euro- caused by the breakup would be short- “May I ask you to refl ect over the pean Union after nearly half a century. lived and worth the benefi ts of greater weekend whether you would wish to But lawmakers’ refusal to back the independence. stand as a Conservative candidate. I will divorce deal Prime Minister Theresa Sunderland store owner Janice Mc- speak with you all individually after the May struck with Brussels has put Beth said she was sure “this country MV3 (meaningful vote 3) next week,” he Britain’s divorce from the EU in some will thrive” down the line. said in a WhatsApp message to MEPs doubt. “I’m not naive — it might be diffi - after MPs voted overwhelmingly to de- May will try this week to push her cult, a few shortages, trade barriers,” lay Brexit on Thursday night. pact through the divided House of she said. “But it will be sorted out.” He said he hoped May would get the Commons for a third time. The march is designed to echo simi- deal approved but the party needed to If it is approved, the prime minister lar processions witnessed in England’s be prepared to fi eld candidates for the will ask the remaining 27 EU leaders to northeastern coalfi elds in the 1930s European elections, due to be held be- sign off on a Brexit deadline extension that saw workers protest poverty and tween 23 and 26 May. through June to allow parliament to the closure of a big shipyard. “We need to be ready, if necessary, to pass the necessary legislation. The Jarrow March of 1936 was the take part in the European elections in Another rejection of the deal and most famous. May and Conservative MEPs are pre- May will be forced to seek a longer A few hundred reached London and paring to discuss the next steps,” he delay that some EU leaders have said were treated as heroes once they re- said. could last through the end of next year. turned home. The question of whether European “Sunderland is very symbolic. It Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage addresses supports ahead of the ‘Brexit Betrayal’ march from Hartlepool yesterday. Sunderland has been shaken in the elections would be necessary in the was the Sunderland result on the night past month by news that Nissan is event of a Brexit delay is a hotly con- of the (2016 Brexit) referendum that Brexit eff ort whose calls for barriers around ‘Let’s get on with this’,” he told force another Brexit referendum that ending production of its luxury Infi n- tested topic, with some saying Britain made us think — wow, this is going to to migrants and sovereignty from EU AFP. could overturn the fi rst one’s result. ity models — a reversing a decision to could simply ignore the elections and happen,” Farage said before setting off rules struck a cord in working-class “The overwhelming majority say Such talk is anathema to Farage and build a new sports utility vehicle — at others that the UK could have a catch- on the march in a brand new pair of cities such as Sunderland. ‘Let’s end this agony’.” his supporters. the local plant. up vote when the future was clearer. sneakers and trench coat. He resigned as leader of the populist Some Britons who voted to stay in “We are a little forgotten by the pol- Farage admitted that he intends to One prominent Labour MEP said the “I believe we are witnessing a be- UK Independence Party (UKIP) after Europe hope an extension will give iticians,” retired banker Christopher cover just a third of the entire trek to warning by May and European leaders trayal. I think we are witnessing, in the 2016 vote and now heads a new London a chance to negotiate much Treggelis said. London. that the UK would have to hold elec- terms of our nation’s democratic his- Brexit Party in the European Parlia- closer ties than those in May’s current “My democratic vote has been ig- “Unfortunately, I have a European tions for something so central to Euro- tory, one of the saddest chapters.” ment. deal. nored,” pensioner Steve Coward added summit to go to, one or two things like sceptics’ hostility towards the EU was Farage was a poster child of the pro- “The country is actually united Others will try to use the time to as the group set off along their North that,” he told the BBC. as fi ctional as Frankenstein. Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission president, has written to Donald Tusk, the European council president, saying the UK would be le- Cleaning up gally required to hold the elections if Top Tory quits local Britain was still in the EU at the end of May. Claude Moraes, the Labour MEP party over Brexit for London, said: “He sent this letter without any legal advice backing it up. I think this is just a device to create a Reuters false discussion about whether MEPs London will have to come back or not to force the ERG to vote for May’s deal. “They know that Brexiters, Euro- senior lawmaker from Britain’s governing Conservatives sceptics and Tories think the European yesterday quit his local party due to disagreements over parliament is just a gravy train, waste ABrexit, as the decision to leave the European Union con- of money and every time they suggest tinues to reshape loyalties in the country’s politics. a long extension period of 21 months, Nick Boles, 53, has been critical of the government’s threat they know it is pressing on that raw to leave the EU without a deal and has faced calls from his local nerve. party to be ousted as its candidate for the next general election. “It’s like a bolt of electricity to Frank- Boles said he could remain aligned with the Conservatives in enstein. Nobody expects the corpse to parliament if they make him an acceptable off er. be brought back to life, but somehow The former minister said in a letter to his local party he was Tusk and Juncker create that idea that “not willing to do what would be necessary to restore a reason- the elections will have to be held. Most able working relationship with a group of people whose values MEPs realise the chances of very, very and views are so much at odds with my own.” low of elections.” “I regret that my relationship with you should end in this Catherine Bearder, the only Liberal way. But a politician without principles is worthless.” Democrat MEP, believes the UK has Britain’s 2016 EU referendum has split not only British towns time to decide whether to have elec- and villages but also parliament, with both Conservative and tions and did not necessarily have to Labour leaders struggling to keep their parties united. have them in May, but could delay to Last month, eleven members of parliament from both main the middle of June when the success parties defected to form the Independent Group, in large part or failure of an article 50 extension was dismayed by the handling of Brexit. clear. This week, lawmakers voted down Prime Minister Theresa The European parliament confi rmed May’s divorce deal with the EU for a second time — by 391 to this was technically possible but would 242. require ratifi cation by a qualifi ed ma- Boles backed May, but has urged the government to work jority of the council of ministers. with opposition parties on an alternative Brexit plan — which Richard Corbett, the Labour MEP would likely lead to a closer relationship with the EU than many for Yorkshire and the Humber, said a Conservatives are prepared to accept. catch-up election would be a tall order May continues to fi ght to build support for her Brexit plan, because every parliament would have to which is expected to be put before Parliament for a third time A snow plough clears the A924 near Moulin, Scotland. vote on it and countries such as Spain, next week. which are holding general elections at the end of April, may not be interested in facilitating such a move. Bearder, 70, had planned to retire in July but said she was willing to stand again if necessary as it would help her Charles embarks on Caribbean tour, heads to Communist-run Cuba pursue her interests in fi ghting environ- mental crimes and human traffi cking. Nigel Farage is already gearing up to By Sarah Marsh, Reuters In a video posted on Twitter, the ers at the foot of a marble sculpture by fi eld candidates for his new Brexit par- Havana British ambassador to Cuba, Antony artist Juan Narciso Quintanilla show- ty, saying elections are “pretty much Stokes, said the visit refl ected Brit- ing a sun representing her luminosity, unavoidable”. ain’s growing relationship with Cuba, she said. He told the BBC earlier this week that rince Charles and his wife including greater co-operation in Workers were busy pruning plants he would try his hardest to persuade a Camilla embark today on a Car- fi elds like biotech and renewable en- and fi xing the fountain as Charles is European leader to veto any extension Pibbean tour during which they ergy. expected to pay it a visit during a tour to article 50. will become the fi rst British royals to Charles, a vocal environmentalist, of Old Havana, she added. Jean Lambert, a Green party MEP for visit Communist-run Cuba, even as will visit a solar farm in Cuba being But many in the former Spanish the London region, said her party was the island faces rising hostility from built by a British company. colony know little of the British royals, continuing to selectcandidates in case Britain’s closest ally, the United States. He will also hear about the island’s while others are indiff erent. of a lengthy Brexit delay, The royals will kick off their 12-day plans to tackle climate change. “So many foreigners have come but she thought there was little tour of ten islands with a visit to St “That doesn’t mean we agree on here and yet everything continues chance the EU would grant “multiple Lucia, continuing onwards to Barba- everything — we don’t — but mean- the same,” said Julio Poyato, 76, com- short extensions” so it was an academic dos, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St ingful diplomacy can help us to talk plaining about Cuba’s beleaguered, discussion. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada, accord- more closely on issues both where still highly centralised economy. If the article 50 extension was ing to their private offi ce. we agree and where we diff er,” Stokes “There are no eggs, chicken, noth- lengthy, it would be possible to have Many of the islands are former Brit- said. ing at all,” said the former welder, “dual mandate” representatives, rais- ish colonies and retain Charles’ moth- While communism and royalty may who struggles to live off a pension of ing the prospect of MPs also standing er Queen Elizabeth as head of state. seem unlikely companions, in a corner around $10 per month, referring to as MEPs. On March 24, the royal couple will of Havana’s bustling historic centre chronic shortages of basic goods in This is something that would be land in Havana for a three-day visit at lies an unexpected homage to Britain’s Cuba. anathema to many in Brussels. the request of the British government Caribbean calypso ... Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall monarchy: a small memorial garden Charles is set to meet some of the Corbett believes there could be plen- to underscore warming British-Cuban for Princess Diana, Charles’ late fi rst entrepreneurs breathing new life into ty of legal challenges from voters if the ties, where they will dine with Cuban “This is an acknowledgement not the communist-run country and wife. the economy, despite heavy restric- British decided not to hold elections in President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who re- only of Cuba’s people, but also of Western nations. “She was very beloved in Cuba,” tions, as well as a group of owners of the event of a lengthy extension. placed Raul Castro last year. the government, and tells the United Over the past fi ve years, Cuba has said Margarita Rego, 73, who works for British classic cars. He revealed that the European par- Charles, the heir to the British States we are not that isolated,” said taken steps towards an opening that the offi ce of the city’s official historian He and Camilla will conclude their liament’s legal services department had throne, already met the president last Havana resident Cira Llerena, 70. has seen a growth in free enterprise, and said Cubans had heard about her Caribbean tour with a visit of the Cay- advised MEPs that suggestions the par- November on his 70th birthday, when The visit forms part of a broader internet connectivity and foreign in- in magazines from abroad. man Islands, a British overseas terri- liament would be rendered invalid if the Diaz-Canel was visiting London. normalisation of relations between vestment. Cubans would sometimes lay fl ow- tory. UK was not represented were incorrect. Gulf Times 20 Sunday, March 17, 2019 EUROPE

POLITICS POLLUTION SURE BET CELEBRATION Police, protesters clash at Third oil slick found as ship $60mn European jackpot Polar bear cub steals the Albanian parliament sinks off French coast for winner in Sweden show at German zoo

Police in Albania yesterday used tear gas and water French authorities are examining a third oil slick Sweden has registered a win of 53.4mn euros Rolling around, splashing in the pool and cannon against stone-throwing anti-government where the Grande America, an Italian cargo vessel ($60.4mn), a national record, in a pan-European playing with mum — Berlin’s new baby polar demonstrators in the capital Tirana, as they tried travelling from Germany to Morocco, sank in the lottery, the Swedish state-owned lottery bear treated zoo visitors to the full programme to force their way into the parliament building. Atlantic west of France last week. Stephane Doll, company said yesterday. The win from Friday’s at her off icial debut this weekend. Crowds The protesters were calling for the resignation the head of anti-marine pollution agency Cedre, EuroJackpot draw was the largest total lottery reacted with oohs and ahs as the little bear — as of socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama. The clashes said yesterday that the oil slick is located where sum to be handed out in Sweden, Svenska Spel yet unnamed — tumbled around her enclosure lasted for more than an hour. Opposition activists the ship sank. Its discovery on Friday suggests said. “It’s really crazy, terrific,” Svenska Spel at the Tierpark animal park in the German have been demonstrating for a month against that oil continues to leak from the sunken vessel. spokesman Pierre Jonsson said in a statement. capital’s east. Many spectators held their Rama — in power since 2013. Deputies from Following the sinking of the Grande America He verified the win, but could not say whether smartphones in the air to try and get a snapshot the centre and centre-left have walked out of in the Bay of Biscay on Tuesday, two oil slicks the jackpot was won by a single winner or if it of her. Nursed by her 9-year-old mother, Tonja, parliament, accusing the government of having with a combined surface area larger than that of was shared by several people who were part the cub showed signs of a healthy appetite. manipulated the results of the June 2017 legislative New York City’s Manhattan borough have been of a pool. The EuroJackpot was launched in Tonja gave birth to the cub on December 1. The elections. They want the creation of a transitional drifting eastward towards the French coast. The oil March 2012, and is available in 18 countries from mother bear’s previous litters did not survive Visitors watch a polar bear cub and her mother government to organise fresh elections. originated from the Grande America’s fuel tanks. Iceland to Slovenia. the two winters before that. Tonja at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin.

Italy investigates mystery death Stores looted, bank torched of key witness in Berlusconi trial

AFP in fresh ‘yellow vest’ strife Rome taly is investigating the mys- By Simon Valmary and terious death of a former Clare Byrne, AFP Imodel and witness at Sil- Paris vio Berlusconi’s sex trial, with a newspaper suggesting yesterday that she may have been poisoned emonstrators yesterday looted with a radioactive substance. and torched shops and busi- Milan prosecutor Francesco Dnesses on the famed Champs- Greco said an investigation had Elysees avenue in Paris, on the 18th been opened following the death on straight weekend of “yellow vest” pro- March 1 of Moroccan-born Imane tests, characterised by an uptick in vio- Fadil at one of the city’s hospitals. lence after weeks of dwindling turnout. The 33-year-old had been A Boss menswear store and the up- brought to the hospital on January scale Fouquet’s restaurant — an eatery 29 with unexplained stomach pains. popular with politicians and fi lm stars Fadil was one of the witnesses — were among the premises to have who testifi ed at the trial of the their windows smashed by groups of former Italian premier and me- hooded demonstrators in scenes remi- dia mogul on charges of having niscent of the worst “yellow vest” riots sex with an underage prostitute in Paris in December. at one of his notoriously hedon- The demonstrators also set fi re to istic bunga-bunga parties. a Longchamp handbag store and to a According to Italy’s Corriere bank situated on the ground fl oor of della Sera daily, the hospital had an apartment building, which was en- run a battery of tests to determine gulfed by fl ames. the cause of her failing health, The fi re service evacuated the resi- but fi nding nothing, had sent off dents, including a nine-month-old samples to a specialised laborato- baby, and extinguished the blaze. ry in the northern town of Pavia. Yesterday’s turnout is a test for the The results came back on “yellow vest” movement, which be- March 6, fi ve days after her gan in November over fuel tax hikes death, suggesting the presence and quickly ballooned into a rebellion of “a mixture of radioactive sub- against President Emmanuel Macron’s stances which are not normally policies but has struggled lately to mo- available for purchase”, the paper bilise large numbers of protesters. said, citing unnamed sources. The police estimated the number Fadil’s lawyer, Paolo Sevesi, of protesters in Paris at 10,000, out of said she had spoken to him about around 14,000 nationwide — a fraction “her fear of having been poi- of the 282,000 that took part in the in- soned,” the AGI news agency reported. Climate rally draws 45,000 The former model fi rst hit the headlines in 2012 when she gave Around 45,000 climate campaigners detailed testimony about the go- marched yesterday in Paris to condemn ings on at Berlusconi’s parties at what they called the French govern- A ‘yellow vest’ protester gestures behind flames rising from a barricade in Paris yesterday. his villa in Arcore near Milan. ment’s “inaction” on climate change, She testifi ed that the fi rst according to a media estimate. augural demonstrations on November stun grenades and water cannon to re- thisers from Italy, Belgium, the Nether- ($11.2bn) to try defuse the protests. He time she went to a party, she saw Organisers of the march through the 17. By the mid-afternoon 129 people had pel protesters who gathered at the foot lands and even Poland. has travelled the length and breadth of two young women in costumes centre of the city, which coincided with been arrested. of the Arc de Triomphe war memorial, “Macron, we’re coming to get you at the country, engaging in marathon de- stripping in front of the-then “yellow vests” riots in the west, estimat- Eleven people, including two fi re which was sacked by protesters on De- home,” some of the protesters chanted, bates with local politicians and voters. prime minister. Later, she said ed that 107,000 people took part while fi ghters, suff ered minor injuries in the cember 1 in scenes that drew interna- referring to the presidential palace situ- But the measures failed to quell the an- he himself handed her 2,000 eu- the police put the figure at 36,000. bank blaze, the fi re service told AFP. tional condemnation. ated near the Champs-Elysees. ger of the anti-capitalist demonstrators, ros ($2,600) in cash, telling her: Organisers said more than 350,000 Interior Minister Christophe Cas- Several news stands also went up in The president and his wife Brigitte who accuse the former investment bank- “Don’t be off ended.” people turned out to march in 220 taner in a tweet accused the arsonists smoke as groups of mostly black-clad were however last seen publicly at a ski er of being elitist and favouring the rich. Berlusconi has faced a string towns and cities across France. of being “neither demonstrators, nor demonstrators pelted the security forc- resort in the southwestern Pyrenees Last month the leaderless movement, of charges over the so-called Ru- “Macron, you’re (expletive): the pan- trouble-makers” but “murderers”. es with stones and erected barricades. mountains, where they arrived for a which spans the spectrum from the far bygate scandal linked to his par- das are in the street,” said one placard The rally coincides with the end of “There are a number of people who short break on Thursday night on Ma- left to right, was tainted by allegations ties and the underaged prostitute at the Paris demonstration, addressing the public debates called by Macron to have come just to smash things,” Cas- cron’s return from a trip to Africa. of anti-Semitism. Karima El-Mahroug, also known French President Emmanuel Macron. try take the heat out of the protests and taner said, estimating that some 1,500 Protesters yesterday streamed into French Jewish philosopher Alain as “Ruby the heart-stealer”. “We are here to demonstrate against give voters a forum to propose policy “ultra violent” activists had infi ltrated the capital by train and car for a rally Finkielkraut was jeered and called a Now 82, the billionaire busi- the inaction on climate change...and changes. the crowd. they called an “ultimatum” to the young “dirty Zionist” by a group of “yellow nessman is currently on trial for against the multi-billionaires in their Around half a million people turned “We have been too nice, that’s why it’s president. Over 5,000 police were de- vests” after he crossed their path during paying a witness to give false ivory towers,” 18-year-old drama stu- out at townhall-style meetings held violent today. I’m not in favour (of vio- ployed, along with several armoured a protest. testimony about his parties. dent Pierre-Loup Meriaux told AFP. around the country over the past two lence) but we are ruled by corrupt people police vehicles. The protest was one of several in Paris Berlusconi is already being in- Many of those present were young months. who dare to lecture us,” Jean-Francois Macron, who was caught off guard yesterday, where thousands of climate vestigated or prosecuted for wit- people, some of whom had already But many “yellow vests” dismissed Bernard, a landscape gardener who was when grassroots protesters began occu- campaigners also held a demonstration ness tampering in Milan, Sienna, marched the previous day in a youth the consultation exercise as a smoke- among the protesters, told AFP. pying traffi c roundabouts in November to demand that the French government Rome and Turin, each time for al- protest for climate change action. screen. On social media, “yellow vest” lead- over fuel taxes, has loosened the state’s uphold its commitments on reducing legedly paying people to keep qui- The police yesterday used tear gas, ers had hinted at the arrival of sympa- purse strings to the tune of 10bn euros emissions. et about his bunga-bunga parties. Anti-graft campaigner set to win Slovakia presidential vote

By Tatiana Jancarikova, Reuters ment action on the corruption he told reporters as she cast vote in “Caputova has a history of Bratislava uncovered. her home town Pezinok. fi ghting for the common peo- Polling stations opened at 7am “We stand on a crossroads be- ple as a public-interest lawyer across the European Union and tween the loss and renewal of pub- and brings much-needed non- n anti-corruption cam- Nato member country of 5.4mn lic trust, also in terms of Slovakia’s confrontational style and liberal paigner with no previous people. foreign policy orientation.” values to the public debate,” Ivan Aexperience of public offi ce The two best performing can- Sefcovic, who voted in Bra- Musak, 52, told Reuters in Brati- is set to win Slovakia’s presiden- didates will face a run-off on tislava and ran on a platform of slava. tial election as voters yesterday March 30. unity and continuity, said he Peter, a 69-year old pension- seemed to spurn the ruling Smer Polls show the Smer-backed would “expect the results with er who declined to give his full party one year after the murder candidate, EU commissioner suspense. The people will de- name, was concerned about her of a journalist sparked mass pro- Maros Sefcovic, trailing far be- cide.” lack of political experience. tests. hind political newcomer and The president does not wield “Sefcovic is an experienced The killing of Jan Kuciak, who lawyer Zuzana Caputova, whose day-to-day power but has veto diplomat, he would be more ca- reported on fraud cases involving endorsement by the protest power over the appointments of pable of representing the coun- politically connected business- movement has catapulted her to senior prosecutors and judges, try,” he said. men, triggered the biggest anti- frontrunner position with sup- pivotal in that fi ght. “But I voted for him despite government protests in Slovakia port at more than 50%. The murder of Kuciak and the Smer backing, not because since communism ended three If elected, the 45-year-old his fi ancee, who was shot dead of it.” decades earlier. Caputova, a pro-European liberal alongside him, is still under in- The last AKO agency poll It also led to the resignation of who belongs to the small, non- vestigation. before the vote published on then prime minister, Smer leader parliamentary Progressive Slo- The biggest breakthrough to March 1, showed support for Robert Fico. vakia party, will stand out among date came just two days before Caputova at 52.9% and Sefcovic Fico’s government remains in the populist nationalist politi- the vote, when special prosecu- at 16.7%. power, but Smer’s popularity has cians on the rise across much of tors said they had charged busi- Supreme court judge and slumped. Europe. nessman Marian Kocner, a sub- former justice minister Stefan On the fi rst anniversary of “I see a strong call for change in ject of Kuciak’s reporting with Harabin, an independent, got Kuciak’s murder, thousands of this election following the trag- connections across the political 11.4%. He promises to fi ght im- Presidential candidate Zuzana Caputova speaks to journalists yesterday outside a polling station in Pezi- Slovaks rallied to protest against ic events last spring and a very scene including with Smer, with migration and dismantle EU nok, Slovakia. what they see as a lack of govern- strong public reaction,” Caputova ordering the murder. sanctions against Russia. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 21 INDIA Congress stakes claim to form government in Goa

IANS minority and its numbers may Manohar Parrikar, has long lost largest party in the august House pressure had dropped consider- currently lying vacant. 12, with Parrikar ill. We are al- Panaji “dwindle”. the trust of the people and now and is presently enjoying the ma- ably yesterday morning. Speaking to IANS on condition ready in touch with ruling coali- Kavlekar demanded that she also lost strength in the House,” jority, be called to form govern- Parrikar was diagnosed with ad- of anonymity, a Congress legisla- tion allies to convince them to dismiss the incumbent Bharatiya Kavlekar said in the letter. ment,” Kavlekar said. vanced pancreatic cancer in Feb- tor said that Parrikar is unable to quit the BJP-led front and join a mid reports that ailing Janata Party (BJP)-led adminis- “Also, we anticipate that num- Earlier in the day, the Chief ruary 2018 and has been in and out move owing to ill-health, and his Congress-led coalition govern- Goa Chief Minister Mano- tration and invite the Congress bers of the BJP may further dwin- Minister’s Offi ce (CMO) was of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi inability to attend the assembly ment,” the Congress MLA said. Ahar Parrikar’s condition – the single-largest party in the dle,” he wrote to the governor forced to issue a statement and New York ever since. session if a no-confi dence vote is The BJP-led coalition govern- has worsened, the Congress yes- state assembly – to form the gov- requesting that such a minor- claiming that Parrikar, who is After the death of former facilitated by the governor would ment currently has the support terday staked claim to form the ernment. ity government be not allowed to being treated at his private resi- deputy chief minister Francis further deplete the BJP’s strength of 12 BJP MLAs, and three law- government in the coastal state. “Consequent upon the sad de- continue even for a moment. dence for advanced pancreatic D’Souza on February 14 this in the assembly to 36. makers each from two regional In a letter addressed to Goa mise of Francis D’Souza, MLA, “It is, therefore, incumbent cancer, was “stable”, after media year, the BJP’s tally in the state “This gives further advantage parties – the Goa Forward and Governor Mridula Sinha, Con- who belonged to the BJP, it is upon you to dismiss the state reports said that his health had assembly has come down to 13, to the Congress in case of voting the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak gress leader Chandrakant Kav- humbly submitted that the in- government led by the BJP to worsened. while the Congress has 14 MLAs during the passing of a no-confi - Party, one MLA from the Nation- lekar said that the Parrikar-led cumbent BJP-led state govern- ensure that the Indian National Sources requesting anonymity in the House. Although the as- dence motion. We have 14 MLAs, al Congress Party and two inde- coalition government was in a ment under the leadership of Congress, which is the single- told IANS that Parrikar’s blood sembly has 40 seats, seats are while the BJP will eff ectively have pendent legislators. Defections on the rise in Odisha ahead of elections

IANS Mitra have joined the BJD. Bhubaneswar The BJD yesterday inducted Harischandra Panda, nephew of BJP state president Basanta Panda. eaders switching loyalties “Uncle (Basanta Panda) is ahead of simultaneous Lok working for the party, not for the LSabha and assembly elec- area. The BJP leadership is acting tions in Odisha have been prov- like an autocrat. That’s why I am ing a major headache for political quitting the party”, said the junior parties. Panda. The state is witnessing an in- Earlier, Congress MLAs Nab creasing rate of defections with Kishore Das and Jogesh Singh politicians jumping to and from joined the regional party. parties. On the other hand, former The defection has gained mo- MLA Jagneswar Babu and former mentum as the three major po- fi nance minister Panchanan Ka- litical parties – the Biju Janata Dal nungo have joined the Congress. (BJD), the Bharatiya Janata Party Odisha will vote in the simul- Shopkeepers display flags of various political parties in the old quarters of New Delhi yesterday. (BJP) and the Congress – are busy taneous Lok Sabha (21 seats) and giving fi nishing touches to their assembly (147 seats) polls in four fi nal lists of candidates. phases, beginning on April 11. While the ruling BJD is attract- Meanwhile, in a major setback ing leaders from the opposition to the BJP, the party’s sitting MP parties, BJD leaders who are un- from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, likely to get party ticket are taking Shyama Charan, Gupta resigned a plunge into the saff ron pond. and joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led The BJP is making serious ef- Samajwadi Party. Rahul’s campaign built forts to dethrone Chief Minister Gupta will contest the general Naveen Patnaik. elections as an SP candidate from Sensing denial of ticket, Na- the Banda parliamentary constit- barangpur MP Balabhadra Ma- uency. jhi quit the BJD on March 14 and Also yesterday, BJP MP from joined the BJP at its party head- Tezpur constituency in Assam, quarters in New Delhi yesterday. Ram Prasad Sarmah, announced on fake issues: Jaitley Federal Minister Dharmendra his resignation citing “ill-treat- Pradhan said Majhi’s decision to ment to old guards”. IANS out of the cocoon of falsehood or and they vote back those who mandate in the upcoming Lok the deal, rejecting all conten- join the BJP and reposing faith in He took to Facebook to express New Delhi perish there,” Jaitley said. deliver. Pollsters, political pun- Sabha polls, Jaitley said unlike tions of the opposition. the transformative governance of unhappiness over ill-treatment to “Fake issues raised in Rafale, dits and commentators usually many Western democracies, a On the criticism that the BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi the old guard in the BJP. Balakot, Judge Loya’s death, go wrong,” he added. sizeable section of India’s popu- was politicising the terror at- will further strengthen the party “I have left the BJP today. But inance Minister Arun Jait- bank loan waiver, JNU issue, Jaitley said the Bharatiya Ja- lation was not permanently po- tack in Pulwama and the Indian in Odisha, especially in the tribal- I really feel deep pain in my heart ley yesterday accused the EVM, GST, demonetisation or nata Party-National Democratic litically affi liated and their vote Air Force (IAF) strikes at Balakot dominated areas of the state. for those old BJP workers who are FCongress and its president Nirav Modi and Mallya, or be Alliance (NDA) government was preferences varied from election in Pakistan, and its demand that BJD’s Nilgiri MLA Sukanta neglected by the new intruders of Rahul Gandhi of raising “manu- it the special status for And- led by a leader with whom the to election. evidence of what happened at Nayak on Friday resigned from the the party. I was strongly raising my factured issues” in their elec- hra Pradesh or the issues of comfort level of the voters was He said that hung assemblies Balakot should be placed in the party. voice on their (old guard) behalf. toral campaign, and said if those economy, every time fakery and high and hence the opposition and parliament are predicted public domain, Jaitley said the Prakash Chandra Behera, a But now there will be none to raise “fake” issues were taken out of manufactured issues of oppo- was in a state of panic with its only in opinion polls and since Indian armed forces consider it Congress MLA from Salepur con- voice for them,” Sarmah said in his Gandhi’s speech, nothing will sition fell apart...If fake issues “negative” single point pro- the voter is far more decisive, “not in the interest of national stituency in the Cuttack district, Facebook post. be left. are taken out of Rahul Gandhi’s gramme – “remove one man”. he endeavours to elect a govern- security and military discipline also resigned from the party yes- An advocate, Sarmah had been In a Facebook post, Jaitley speech, nothing will perhaps be “The level of their ambition is ment with a clear mandate with that the details of military oper- terday. He is likely to join the BJP associated with the BJP for a long said that “falsehood falls apart” left,” the minister said. limited. Indian voters have huge the front-runner getting more ations should be placed in public soon. time. He was also a member of the and that the “overconfi dence” of Accusing the opposition of potential to distinguish between seats than predicted. domain.” Earlier, expelled BJD leaders Ba- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh opposition leaders undermining underestimating the wisdom of truth and falsehood and they In a point-by-point rebuttal On the opposition’s allega- ijayant Panda and Damodar Rout and the Vishva Hindu Parishad. the electorates’ wisdom would the voters, Jaitley said the elec- prefer fairness. Political lead- of the opposition’s electoral is- tions of waiving loans worth joined the BJP. He was, however, entangled in not go unpunished in the Lok torate would also underestimate ers are over-confi dent of their sues, Jaitley rejected its conten- Rs2.5 lakh crore of 15 industrial- At the same time, former several controversies in the last Sabha elections. India’s opposition parties and wisdom. Little do they realise tion that a costlier Rafale was ists, he reiterated that “not one chief minister and senior Con- two years. After Sarmah started “Rahul Gandhi has led not show them their place. that the electorate is wiser than purchased by the present gov- rupee of loan has been waived” gress leader Hemananda Biswal’s criticising the BJP-led govern- only his party but the entire op- “Poll campaigners must know them. Voters are capable of pun- ernment while giving favours to and in fact, the present govern- daughter Sunita Biswal, BJP’s can- ment in Assam for ‘poor perform- position to rely on fake and man- that a campaign of fake issues ishing those who resort to false- a domestic industrialist violat- ment through its new Insol- didate from Nilagairi in the 2014 ance’, his name cropped up in the ufactured issues. They raise fake never works...The real strength hood,” he said. ing procedures. vency and Bankruptcy Code had assembly election Sushama Bisw- multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam in issues, create an echo eff ect and of Indian democracy is the in- Expressing confi dence that He said both the Supreme recovered almost Rs3 lakh crore al, Pradeep Disari of the Congress Assam where one of his daughters then believe their falsehood to herent wisdom of the voters. the BJP under Prime Minister Court and the Comptroller and worth of non-performing assets and BJP leader from Khurda Jitu was also found to be involved. be true. It’s time that they come They punish non-performers Narendra Modi would get a clear Auditor General (CAG) cleared (NPAs) in the last two years.

BJP protests in Punjab Priyanka to start boat poll Ali joined BSP with our campaign from tomorrow consent: Kumaraswamy IANS told IANS, though the details Bengaluru about the seat were not shared. IANS conclude at Varanasi’s Assi Ghat Maulana Ismail Chisti in Bhado- As convenor of the southern Lucknow and Dashashwamedh ghat on hi’s Kantit area and interact with state’s coalition co-ordination Wednesday evening. people there. arnataka Chief Minister committee, Ali recently held dis- She will take the boat ride from The Congress leader will then and Janata Dal-Secular cussions with Congress presi- ith less than a month Chhatnag in Prayagraj on March 18 again be back to boat ride from Kleader H D Kumaraswamy dent Rahul Gandhi and fi nalised to go for the 2019 Lok and en route meet elderly citizens Mirzapur. She will interact with yesterday said party general sec- the seat-sharing pact between WSabha polls, Congress of Dumduma in Prayagraj and the advocates at Kachahri Ghat in the retary Danish Ali joined the Ba- the ruling allies. general secretary Priyanka Gan- family members of Mahesh Raj district and then visit Bhatauli vil- hujan Samaj Party (BSP) with the According to BSP sources, Ali dhi Vadra will kick off a three- Yadav, who was killed in Jammu lage and meet people there. party’s consent. is likely to contest from Amroha day poll campaign from her great and Kashmir’s Pulwama on Febru- Thereafter, the newly-ap- “Ali joined the BSP in consent in western Uttar Pradesh. grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru’s ary 14 in a suicide attack. pointed general secretary will with me and our national presi- The BSP which scored a nil in birthplace Prayagraj to Prime Vadra, who is considered as reach Chandrika Devi temple and dent H D Deve Gowda in a purely the 2014 Lok Sabha polls is con- Minister Narendra Modi’s parlia- the second most important face interact with people after off er- political arrangement between testing the general elections this mentary constituency Varanasi in Congress after her brother ing her prayers there. the two parties. It is a thought- time in the state in alliance with by boat tomorrow. and party president Rahul Gan- After leaving the temple, Vadra ful political decision taken by the the Samajwadi Party and the According to Congress leaders, dhi, will be back to her boat ride will reach Devri in Mirzapur and JD-S and the BSP to win more Rashtriya Lok Dal. during her three-day programme, from Rampur ghat in Bhadohi. interact with local villagers there seats in the Lok Sabha elections,” The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Vadra will cover a distance of over From there, she will also visit before arriving at Chunar for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers shout Kumaraswamy tweeted. National Democratic Alliance 140km through four districts of Vindhyachal temple in Mirzapur night halt. slogans during a protest march against the Congress Earlier in the day, Ali joined had won 73 out of 80 seats in the the state – Prayagraj (formerly Al- and meet carpet weavers before a In the last leg of her three-day Party government in Amritsar yesterday. BJP leaders the BSP in the presence of party’s state in 2014. lahabad), Bhadohi, Mirzapur and night halt there. journey on Wednesday, she will alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder national general secretary Satish The Lok Sabha elections start Varanasi – by boat as well as car. She will commence her jour- visit via road Varanasi’s Sheetla Singh’s government has failed to fulfil its pre-poll Mishra in Lucknow. from April 11 to May 19. The Her journey will commence ney on Tuesday from Vindhy- Mandir and meet women groups promises. “He was promised a Lok Sabha counting of votes will take place from Prayagraj tomorrow and achal and visit the Dargah of there. seat by the BSP,” a JD-S leader on May 23. Gulf Times 22 Sunday, March 17, 2019 INDIA

DEMAND INVESTIGATION CRIME CONTROVERSY HONOUR IDBI staff seek option to Charge-sheet against Two arrested for obscene Raman Singh’s relative Kovind presents Padma shift to other banks bishop soon: police posts about poll candidate accused of fraud awards to 54 personalities

Employees have opposed IDBI Bank’s Kerala police have assured a group of nuns that Two men, including a Bharatiya Janata Party Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman President Ram Nath Kovind yesterday presented categorisation as a private lender and the charge-sheet against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, worker, were arrested in West Bengal yesterday Singh’s son-in-law Puneet Gupta has been Padma awards to 54 noted personalities, are seeking the option to switch to other accused of repeatedly raping a nun over several for allegedly posting obscene messages on charged with misusing his position and including scientist S Nambi Narayanan and nationalised banks with protection of pay and years, will be ready in three to four days, one of social media about Trinamool Congress Lok committing financial fraud of Rs50 crore when actor Manoj Bajpayee. There was a total of service. “The All India IDBI Off icers’ Association the nuns said. Sister Anupama along with three Sabha candidate Nusrat Jahan, police said. he was the superintendent of a state government 112 personalities who were selected for this (AIIDBIOA) proposes to go on a one-day hunger other nuns yesterday said that the assurance Jahan, a popular Bengali actress, will contest hospital in Raipur. Police said they have been year’s Padma awards and 47 were conferred strike on March 30 seeking options to be given was given by Kottayam Superintendent of Police. the upcoming polls from Basirhat constituency. investigating the case. According to the police, the awards on March 11. The remaining awards to all off icers to switch over to any nationalised All four nuns were witnesses in the case against Subhendu Chakraborty, a member of the BJP’s superintendent of D K Super-Specialty Hospital K were presented yesterday in the Darbar Hall of bank with protection to pay/salary and the former bishop of the Jalandhar diocese, IT cell, was arrested from North 24 Parganas K Sahare filed a complaint alleging irregularities Rashtrapati Bhavan, in the presence of Prime service, the organisation’s secretary A V Vithal accused of sexually assaulting a nun repeatedly district’s Baduria area after police received a to the tune of Rs50 crore during Gupta’s tenure. Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Koteswara Rao said in a letter addressed to between 2014 and 2016. Mulakkal was arrested complaint that he shared obscene pictures and Acting on the complaint, police filed a case under Singh and other cabinet ministers including Banking Secretary Rajeev Kumar, the Regional on September 21, 2018 but got bail on October 16, text messages about Jahan on social media. Section 420 against Gupta. Sahare has alleged Harsh Vardhan, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Labour Commissioner and the Chief Labour and is now back in Punjab, though he is no longer “We received specific complaint against him that large-scale irregularities took place when Vijay Goel. Among the awardees were folk singer Commissioner. The employees’ association also the diocesan head. “We gave a memorandum to for posting and forwarding obscene messages Gupta was the superintendent of the hospital Teejan Bai, Larsen and Toubro chairman Anil demanded a bilateral transfer policy between the police stating the trials and tribulations faced about a female public figure here. We have from December 2015 to October 2018. He alleged Kumar Naik, MDH founder and CEO Mahashay the IDBI Bank and the AIIDBIOA to be signed by the witnesses in the case. We brought up the arrested him and seized his phone. He has that Gupta misused his influence and bypassed Dharam Pal Gulati, tabla player Swapan keeping in mind the diff iculties being faced by issue that the charge-sheet has not yet been filed,” been produced before the court,” a police rules to appoint doctors and other staff , and also Chaudhuri, photographer Anup Shah and tea the off icers in getting transfers. Anupama said. off icer said. misused government funds. seller Devarapalli Prakash Rao.

Bengaluru elevated YSR Congress road plan triggers leader’s killing protest

IANS Bengaluru rocks Andhra

undreds of people took to the streets in Bengalu- Hru yesterday to protest against the Karnataka govern- ment’s proposal to build a series ahead of polls of elevated roads, citing environ- mental concerns. IANS In a region once notorious Now Vivekananda’s murder “The elevated corridor project Amaravati for bloody fights among rival on the election eve has trig- poses a huge threat to hundreds factions backed by political gered a war of words between of trees in the city. Instead of parties, Raja Reddy headed a the TDP and the YSR Congress, making these corridors for more he sensational murder strong group supported by the the new identity of the YSR private vehicles, the state gov- of a leading politician Congress Party. A rival fac- family. Jagan and his party see ernment should provide a reliable Tis heating up Andhra tion, headed by Parthasarathy this as a part of TDP conspiracy public transport,” one of the pro- Pradesh politics ahead of next Reddy, enjoyed the support to eliminate YSR family. testers said. month’s elections. of the Telugu Desam Party The opposition has blamed At least 50 citizen groups and The killing of YSR Con- (TDP). Raja Reddy was killed Chief Minister and TDP presi- regional welfare associations, gress Party (YSRCP) leader Y in a bomb attack near Puliv- dent N Chandrababu Naidu for including Citizens for Bengaluru S Vivekananda Reddy at his endula. the murder and demanded an and Environment Support Group residence in his home town of R Sudhakar Reddy, one of the investigation by the Central and Citizens for Sustainability, Pulivendula in Kadapa district convicts in Raja Reddy’s mur- Bureau of Investigation (CBI). staged protests urging the gov- on Friday has rattled the family der, was released from prison However, the TDP alleged that ernment to cancel the project. when it was gearing up for the three years ago. His possible some family members tried to The proposed project would April 11 elections to the And- role in Vivekanandaa¿s murder wipe out evidence from the result in thousands of trees being hra Pradesh Assembly and Lok is now under the police scan- crime scene before lodging a felled and may not ease the traffi c Sabha. ner. complaint with the police. woes in the tech hub, they said, The uncle of YSRCP chief Of Raja Reddy’s fi ve sons, Jagan said the TDP leader- and demanded more investment and opposition leader Y S Jag- only Rajasekhara Reddy and ship was in power or it was in public transport system. anmohan Reddy was the most Vivekananda Reddy were in aware of the conspiracy when- “We still don’t know how to unlikely victim of a ghastly politics. While Rajasekhara ever a death occurred in his protest against the project be- crime. The former state minis- Reddy went on to become one family. cause we have not seen the de- ter and former MP was consid- of the most popular leaders of “Two days before the heli- tailed project report. We don’t ered friendly across the politi- the state, Vivekananda kept a copter crash in which my father know the logic for it. We don’t cal spectrum. low-profi le. The two brothers died, (TDP chief and current know what studies they have That could be the reason for always shared family strong- chief minister) Chandrababu done. We are saying we still don’t relatives initially stating that holds of the Pulivendula as- Naidu said in the assembly my know what the project is. You Vivekananda died of cardiac sembly seat or the Kadapa Lok father would not return,” Jagan can’t call a tender to build a house arrest. However, with his body Sabha seat depending on the said. when you still don’t have a proper bearing multiple injury marks, role YSR chose for himself. The YSRCP chief also sees plan. We found out that the ten- it was treated as a case of un- After YSR’s death, his son the knife attack on him at Visa- der has been ready for two years. natural death and within hours Jaganmohan Reddy raised the khapatnam airport in October What kind of arrogance is that?” police concluded that he was banner of revolt against the last year a part of TDP con- he said However, Chief Minister murdered. Congress after it rejected his spiracy to eliminate him and his H D Kumaraswamy defended the Vivekananda was alone at his claim to be YSR’s successor. family. proposal. Jagan fl oated the YSR Congress On Jagan’s demand, the cen- “One of the biggest hurdles home after a day-long cam- in Bengaluru’s progress is traffi c paign for the party in Jammala- while Vivekananda remained tral government handed over congestion. The elevated corri- madugu constituency, of which loyal to Congress, became a the investigations into the at- dor project is the solution to this. he was the in charge. state minister and even con- tack on him at the airport to the Some citizen groups are protest- The 68-year-old is the third tested by-elections against National Investigation Agency ing against the project. My re- member of YSR family to die an Jagan’s mother Y S Vijayamma (NIA). quest to all is to come to me and unnatural death. His father Y from Pulivendula in 2011. He, Meanwhile, Vivekananda raise their concerns. I will listen S Raja Reddy was murdered in however, lost and later joined was buried yesterday. with an open mind to your feed- 1998 while elder brother and the YSR Congress. Jagan along with other fam- back,” he tweeted. then chief minister Y S Rajas- Meanwhile, a Special Inves- ily members attended the fu- The project will cover almost Citizens stage a protest against the Karnataka government’ proposal to build an elevated corridor, in ekhara Reddy died in a helicop- tigation Team (SIT) has begun a neral at Pulivendula amid tight 90km. Bengaluru yesterday. ter crash in 2009. probe into the case. security. Govt urged to block entry Two Indians among of e-cigarettes into country NZ mosque victims IANS Ancy was doing her post- Reuters our tobacco control eff orts,” Modi’s offi ce also did not re- Hyderabad/Thrissur graduation in Christchurch New Delhi Health Secretary Preeti Sudan spond. Juul’s sleek vaping de- where her husband was working, wrote in her letter dated Febru- vices, which resemble a USB the offi cer said. ary 18. fl ash drive and off er fl avours software engineer from Meanwhile, Mohamed Say- ndia’s health ministry has “It is felt that the young gen- such as mango and creme, are a Hyderabad and a woman eeduddin, father of Ahdsan, 31, called for Juul Labs Inc’s elec- eration would be particularly sensation in the United States, Apost-graduate student from who was hoping to hear some Itronic cigarettes to be blocked vulnerable to such products and but have drawn tighter regula- Kerala were among the 49 people good news about his son, was in- from entering the country, a let- gimmicks.” tory scrutiny due to surging use killed in Friday’s terror attacks on consolable. ter seen by Reuters showed, po- Asked for a comment on the among teenagers. two mosques in Christchurch in Grieving family members tentially dealing a blow to the US letter, Juul spokeswoman Victo- India has 106mn adult smok- New Zealand, while the wherea- huddled in a corner at the fam- company’s plans to tap the In- ria Davis said the company was ers, second only to China in bouts of at least two visitors from ily’s home in Nadeem Colony of dian market. “open to dialogue with lawmak- the world, making it a lucrative Gujarat where not known. Toli Chowki area. Juul has plans to launch its ers and regulators in order to help market for fi rms such as Juul Farhaj Ahsan, who was report- Relatives and friends were products in India by late 2019 as switch” adult smokers in India to and Philip Morris International ed missing following the attacks, pouring in to console the family. it looks to expand away from its a viable alternative to combusti- Inc. However, India’s regulatory was confi rmed dead, his family in Ahsan was at Al Noor mosque home turf. ble cigarettes. environment for tobacco and Hyderabad said yesterday. for Friday prayers when a gun- The company has hired new Juul has previously said India electronic cigarettes is highly re- “We have received informa- man opened indiscriminate fi re executives and plans to open an was among the Asian markets strictive. tion that my brother was killed on worshippers. India subsidiary, Reuters report- under evaluation, but there were The health ministry last year in the attack,” his elder brother Offi cials in Gujarat said there ed in January. no “defi nitive plans”. advised states to stop the sale or Kashif Ahsan told IANS. was no word about some people Citing the Reuters article, In- The details of Sudan’s let- import of e-cigarettes, saying Ancy Ali, a 25-year-old mar- from the state who were under- dia’s top health offi cial wrote a ter have not previously been re- they pose a “great health risk”. ried woman from Kerala’s Thris- stood to be visiting Christch- letter to the federal commerce ported. About a third of India’s 29 sur district, was the other vic- urch and they were awaiting a secretary in February, saying She also sent a copy to Prime states currently ban e-cigarettes. tim, the Kerala police said. response from the Ministry of necessary measures should be Minister Narendra Modi’s offi ce. In February, India’s federal Ancy, who migrated to New External Aff airs (MEA). taken to “prevent entry of such The commerce ministry, drugs regulator told all states to Zealand with her husband Abdul According to unconfi rmed products in our markets”. which is likely to be involved in ensure that e-cigarettes were Nassar last year, lived near the sources, at least four visitors “Novel products such as discussions if Juul was to receive not sold or manufactured in their Women hold placards and candles during a silent protest to pay mosques that were attacked, an from Gujarat were present at the ‘JUUL’ are harmful and addictive an India approval, did not re- regions, according to a circular tribute to the victims of the March 15 Christchurch mosques offi cer at the Kodungalloor police two mosques when the shootings and could potentially undermine spond to Reuters queries. seen by Reuters. attacks, in Hyderabad yesterday. station in Thrissur told IANS. took place. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 23 PAKISTAN Kabul summons Plan to close airspace Pakistan envoy over PM remarks

Reuters “Afghanistan expressed Kabul its grave objection on for parade rehearsals Pakistan’s government and deemed such remarks a Internews lamabad and Rawalpindi. Earlier, Islamabad Police In- fghanistan summoned fl agrant interference in its Rawalpindi The Civil Aviation Author- spector General of Police (IGP) a senior Pakistani dip- internal aff airs” ity (CAA) has already informed Aamir Zulfi qar Khan directed Alomat yesterday to ac- all commercial airliners regard- all police offi cers to ensure tight count for remarks by Prime grave objection on Pakistan’s s the twin cities of Islam- ing the closure of airspace and security arrangements for the Minister Imran Khan specu- government and deemed such abad and Rawalpindi of the schedule of all commercial March 23 parade. lating about a new govern- remarks a fl agrant interfer- APakistan gear up to cel- fl ights to and from the federal Presiding over a high-level ment in Kabul following a pos- ence in its internal aff airs,” he ebrate Pakistan Day on March 23 capital has been altered accord- meeting, the IGP issued clear in- sible peace settlement. said. with a military parade, the gov- ingly. structions that no gap in security The summons by the Af- In February, the ministry ernment has announced plans Meanwhile, security in the arrangements will be tolerated. ghan foreign aff airs ministry summoned Pakistani ambas- to close the airspace above for federal has been put on high alert During the meeting, the IGP marked the second time in just sador Zahid Nasrullah Khan fi ve hours every day until the in Islamabad to avert any unto- directed that Intelligence Based over three weeks that Kabul over his remarks that Afghan penultimate day for rehearsals. ward incident ahead of the Paki- Operations (IBOs) should be has demanded an explanation peace talks could be aff ected The airspace will remain closed stan Day parade. conducted in areas adjoining the from Pakistan, illustrating if India resorted to violence for fi ve hours every day until the Police sources have said that parade ground in particular and the longstanding tensions be- against Pakistan. day of the parade when the dura- senior offi cials of the force along the outermost cordon areas apart tween the two neighbours at a The summons to Pakistan tion of the parade closure will be with the district administration from searches at hotels, motels, sensitive time. comes a day after a top offi cial extended to eight hours. have jointly devised a compre- rest houses and seminaries on a Khan, at a rally in Bajaur, in in President Ashraf Ghani’s The airspace is being closed hensive security plan to ensure daily basis. northwestern Pakistan on Friday, government voiced frustra- to allow space for combat air- security on the eve of Pakistan In this regard, Security DIG predicted “mutual peace” in Af- tion about what Kabul regards craft to perform their acrobatic Day parade. and Operations DIG have al- ghanistan as an outcome of re- as Afghanistan being sidelined displays. As per the initial plan, over ready been directed to review the curring talks between the United during talks between Taliban Sources have told Daily Ex- 3,000 security personnel of overall security plan for the up- States and the Taliban to end the and US negotiators, drawing a press that in the fi rst phase, the the Islamabad police, as well as coming event. In this regard, the country’s 17-year-old war. rebuke from Washington. airspace over the twin cities will Rangers, would perform security operations DIG was given clear “A good government will The latest round of peace be closed from 9am to 12pm. duties on March 23 in and around orders for a strict crackdown come in Afghanistan,” Khan talks ended on Tuesday, with During this time combat air- the parade ground. against kite fl ying in the city. said. “I mean a government both US and Taliban offi cials craft will rehearse for the annual Sources said that the law en- Per IGP Aamir’s directions, a will come in which all will be saying progress was made. March 23 parade. forcement agencies will also security survey has been com- represented. War will end and Tensions have been building In the second phase, the air- install closed-circuit television pleted and further eff orts are there will be peace.” between Kabul and Washing- space will be closed from 2 pm (CCTV) cameras and conduct underway to plug any loophole in The Afghan ministry sum- ton over US eff orts to forge a until 4pm. aerial surveillance of the city. order to make it foolproof. moned Pakistan’s counsellor peace pact with the Taliban Sources said that during the The city police have also start- Moreover, the Operations DIG to clarify the remarks, spokes- that includes a US troop with- parade rehearsal, the Pakistan ed combing in the forest areas was directed to initiate a fresh person Sibghatullah Ahmadi drawal, something that Kabul Air Force’s combat fi ghter and apart from checking guest hous- crackdown against drug peddlers PAC JF-17 ‘Thunder’ aircraft flies during the rehearsal of the Pakistan tweeted. fears could weaken its own ne- trainer jets will fl y low over Is- es in the city. and land mafi a. National Day army parade in Islamabad yesterday. “Afghanistan expressed its gotiating position. Govt set to increase power tariff again PM forms board to Internews coming into power. In the next fi nancial year, the This increase will be wit- to low gas supplies and the gov- Offi cials said power distribu- Islamabad Sources said that consum- consumers are also likely to face nessed if 850mn cubic feet per ernment now plans to lift ban tion companies were still facing ers are expected to face another an increase in electricity price day (mmcfd) gas is supplied to on import of furnace oil to build problems of losses and power promote increase of Rs2.33 per unit dur- by Rs0.94 per unit on account the power plants on permanent stocks for summers. theft despite the anti-theft he electricity users in Pak- ing the current fi nancial year. of quarterly adjustment. Rs97 basis. If the power plants face The demand of electricity in drive launched by the Pakistan sitan are likely to face fur- The power tariff is expected to billion are expected to be gener- gas shortage and use furnace summer season would increase Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) govern- tourism Tther hike in power prices jump from the existing Rs12.98 ated this way. oil, the prices will go up further and, therefore, the government ment. as the government is planning per unit to Rs13.85 per unit reg- Total base tariff is expected to on account of monthly fuel ad- would have to run all power Circular debt was still a akistani Prime Minister to increase electricity rates istering an increase of Rs0.87 jump from Rs12.98 per unit to justment, an offi cial said. plants on full capacity. threat due to high losses, power Imran Khan has consti- by Rs3.26 per unit in coming per unit in ongoing month of Rs16.24 per unit registering a net The power plants have con- Earlier, the government had theft and low recovery of bills. Ptuted the National Tourism months in order to meet revenue March. increase of Rs3.26 per unit. In sumed 613,314 metric tonnes imposed a ban on furnace oil The losses could increase fur- Coordination Board (NTCB) and requirements of power distribu- The tariff is expected to fur- addition to the increase follow- oil during December 2018 and import in order to utilise the ther if the transmission and nine working groups for promo- tion companies (Discos). ther increase to Rs15.31 per unit ing quarterly adjustments, the January 2019 due to low gas locally produced furnace oil as distribution system is not im- tion of tourism in the country The Pakistan Tehreek-e- in June 2019 as the government consumers may also face anoth- supplies. the local refi neries had warned proved. The other issues are and for better coordination be- Insaf (PTI) government has al- plans to generate Rs223bn in er increase of Rs1.9 per unit on The offi cial said all furnace to shut down due to reluctance delay in paying due subsidies by tween the provinces and regions. ready increased electricity tariff revenues for power distribution account of monthly adjustments oil stocks have been consumed of power sector to lift their sup- government and notifi cation in Syed Zulfi qar Abbas Bukhari by 33% or Rs1.20 per unit after companies. from April to June 2019. in December and January due plies. tariff , they added. has been appointed acting chair- man of the NTCB, while four provinces of the country, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have repre- sentation in the board. Candlelit vigil According to a notifi cation is- Women’s march organisers sued by the cabinet secretariat recently, the joint secretary of the cabinet division will be secretary of the board, while provincial min- highlight online death threats isters and secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pa- khtunkhwa, AJK and GB and chair- Reuters of its kind in Pakistan, which a The days following the men of the Pakistan Association of Islamabad Thomson Reuters Foundation march have seen social media Tour Operators, Travel Agents As- poll found to be the sixth most attacks on women, while some sociation and Pakistan Hotel Asso- dangerous country for women prominent men have com- ciation will be its members. rganisers of an Inter- in 2018. plained about “obscene” signs Private members of the board national Women’s Day A Human Rights Watch re- carried by protesters. include Kamaran Lashari, Ali Omarch in Pakistan say port last year estimated that A member of the coun- Asghar, Aftabur Rehman, Sira- they have had death and rape 1,000 “honour killings” - the try’s largest religious po- jul Mulik, Samina Baig, Behram threats on social media over the practice of relatives murdering litical party fi led a complaint Avari, Muhammad Ayub Baloch, event, which prompted com- girls or women because they with police, seen by Reuters, Yasir Rafi q and Zulfi qar Ali. plaints from some conservative think the victim has brought in the southern city of Kara- The notifi cation further said groups. shame or dishonour on the chi where 7,000 women at- that joint secretaries of the for- Nighat Daad said that the family – take place in Pakistan tended the march, saying the eign aff airs ministry, aviation di- march organisers are looking each year. protesters “provoked reli- vision, interior ministry, defence into fi ling a complaint with Another march organiser, gious sentiments” and spread ministry and information minis- Pakistan’s Federal Investiga- who asked not to be identifi ed, vulgarity. try would be representatives of tion Authority about the online said the backlash “shows that The march organisers also their institutions in the board. harassment. this collective organisation said the media had focused on Under the terms of reference, “It has gone too far in terms of women has threatened the the backlash more than the the NTCB would co-ordinate of death and rape threats to patriarchal forces”. original aims of the event. between provincial, national and the organisers and also to the Pakistan has experienced “The media played a mas- international institutions deal- marchers,” Daad said, adding a surge in social media usage sively negative role in this ing with the tourism sector. Demonstrators hold placard and candles during a candlelit vigil the day after the deadly attack that one of the threatening ac- with more than 40mn Face- campaign... they just looked The NTCB will also engage on two mosques in Christchurch city of New Zealand, in Lahore yesterday. A right-wing extremist counts had been suspended by book users. The rapid growth at what trolls were saying on- in the marketing and promo- armed with semi-automatic weapons rampaged through two mosques in the quiet New Zealand Twitter. has sparked an online debate line and picked up (on) a few tion of tourism, co-ordination city of Christchurch during afternoon prayers on March 15, killing 49 worshippers and wounding The event, which attracted about misogyny, with some placards that were provocative with EAD, BOL and other en- dozens more. tens of thousands of women on women highlighting daily hate to try and sell their content,” tities to attract investment in March 8, was only the second and pornographic messaging. Daad said. the sector. (Internews)

Punjab to introduce new homicide probe system ‘Did not take single day pay as CM’

Internews Steel Mills case. Assembly about increasing Internews training. Investigation kits were parison between 2015 and 2018 tricts, said Saleemi. If the master Lahore “Nawaz Sharif underwent salaries, perks and privileges of Lahore also provided to them under the further showed that the rate of trainers training 30 offi cers in one open heart surgery a year its members, Shehbaz said, he programme. conviction has decreased while month, at least 1000 IOs can be The Opposition leader in and a half ago,” Shehbaz never took any allowances as The decision, according to the number of POs increased. trained in March only, he added. the National Assembly and said. “The government is chief minister. nspector General of Pun- IGP, was taken after analysis In this regard, the IGP ordered Meanwhile, IGP Saleemi has Pakistan Muslim League- not taking Nawaz’s health “The allowances approved jab Police (IGP) Amjad Javed of the progress of the unit dur- to appoint a homicide offi cer at introduced a new policy per- Nawaz (PML-N) president, issues seriously. Nawaz is not by the Punjab Assembly are ISaleemi has issued orders ing 2018 that suggested that the every police station. He said that taining to arrest of the accused Shehbaz Sharif, said yesterday well and the government is beyond my understanding,” to make new homicide investi- standard of investigations of a specialised course spanning persons after registration of FIR that he did not take a single showing carelessness.” he said. gation system functional from murder cases has declined. up to one week has been intro- and awarding of powers of bail in day’s pay during his 10 years “The government will be He further said that as the March 31. Besides, submission of chal- duced at Police Training Col- minor off ences to IOs. as Punjab chief minister. responsible if something chief minister he used his Moreover, Homicide Inves- lans and other important mat- lege Chung. At least 61 IOs have IGP issued a standing order Speaking to media outside the happens to the former prime private car for commute. “I did tigations Unit (HIU), set up in ters like the arrest of proclaimed graduated from the college in the number 03/19 under which he accountability court, the former minister,” the PML-N leader not use government money 2015, will be restructured, he off enders in murder cases was fi rst phase. ordered police not to haphaz- Punjab chief minister expressed warned. for health expenses and added. A unit was established also badly aff ected. About 88 are going to get ardly arrest the accused persons reservations about Nawaz Sharif’s Responding to a question neither did I take a single day’s in every police circle. At least The complainants of the cases training in the second phase. after registering of an FIR and health who is incarcerated at Kot about the recent unanimously- pay in my ten years as Punjab 600 police offi cers through- also faced diffi culty in contacting The trained offi cers were acting delay it until solid evidence was Lakhpath prison in the Al-Aziza passed legislation in the Punjab chief minister.” out the province were provided investigation offi cers. The com- as master-trainers in their dis- found against them. Gulf Times 24 Sunday, March 17, 2019 PHILIPPINES Metro Manila Charity run voters prefer ‘younger candidates’

By William Depasupil in Valenzuela City, Mayor Edwin Manila Times Olivarez (45%) in Paranaque City and Mayor Lenlen Oreta (48%) in Malabon City also led in the Pet owners run during a fun run for charity in Pasay City, yesterday. n independent survey poll. conducted by the RP- Former San Juan vice mayor AMission and Develop- Francis Zamora was in a close ment Foundation Inc (RPMDinc) fi ght with Vice Mayor Janella Es- showed that Mar-len Abigail trada. Zamora leads by only one Binay of Makati City, Jose- point with 45%. fi na “Joy” Belmonte of Quezon In the cities of Mandaluyong, City, Imelda Calixto-Rubiano Mar-len Abigail Binay Caloocan and Muntinlupa, in- US report slams abuse by cops of Pasay City, Lino Cayetano of cumbent candidates pulled away Taguig City and Robert “Bobby” 73% against Taguig-Pateros in the poll with Mayor Carmel- Eusebio of Pasig City would win Rep. Arnel Cerafi ca, who got ita Abalos (87%), Mayor Oscar if the elections were held today. only 20%. Eusebio was also Malapitan (90%) and Mayor during drug war campaign The non-commissioned ahead at 65% for the Pasig may- Jaime Fresnedi (61%) leading in survey held from March 1-10, oral post, compared to Vico their respective rankings. 2019 showed that Binay, who is Sotto, son of Vic Sotto and Co- The other leading candidates Agencies ported eight cases of rape in- tives of the drug suspects told which has killed thousands of seeking a second term, enjoys ney Reyes, who scored 27%. for mayor in Metro Manila, based Manila volving 16 police officers from authorities that the rookie cop mostly urban, poor Filipinos. a strong 71% lead against her Rep. Toby Tiangco, who is run- on the survey, also include Im- January 2017 to July 2018, abused the pair’s daughter. In the same 2018 report, the brother, Jejomar “Junjun” Binay ning for Navotas mayor, is up by elda Aguilar (70%) of Las Pinas Philippine Star reported. According to reports, Valen- State Department said summary Jr, who posted a 27% rating. 58% against Dan Ang’s 24%, and City, Marcelino Teodoro (87%) eports of rape and sex- “The Center noted that cia off ered to give the victim a executions have been the “chief The survey polled 3,500 reg- Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, who of Marikina City and Miguel ual abuse of women many of the rapes occurred in ride home. But he took her to a human rights concern in the istered voters in Metro Manila. wants to be Pasay mayor, has Ponce 3rd (57%) of Pateros town. Rin police or protec- connection with police anti- hotel in Sta. Mesa where he al- country for many years,” amid Belmonte was the top choice 67% as against megastar Sharon Paul Martinez of RPMDinc tive custody continued in the drug operations,” the report legedly physically abused the rising impunity following a dra- for mayor in Quezon City, get- Cuneta’s brother, Chet, who got said the fi rm would continue Philippines, with many of the read in part. Last year, a Manila girl. matic surge in drug-related slays. ting 75%, higher than her oppo- 18%. conducting independent sur- cases linked to police’s anti- cop grabbed the headlines after The policeman also allegedly Washington also fl agged the nent, Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” In Manila, former vice mayor veys dubbed as “Halalan 2019 narcotic operations, the US he was accused of physically promised to release the teen’s Duterte administration’s defi - Crisologo who got 24%. Former Francisco “Isko Moreno” Doma- NCR Survey” for the May 2019 State Department said in its abusing a 15-year-old daughter parents in exchange for abuse. ance of international calls for representative Chuck Mathay goso is leading at 42%. elections. The question asked latest global rights report. of drug suspects. Valencia’s arrest came amid an external probe into the drug received only 1%. Incumbent Mayor Joseph Es- for the mayoralty race was, “If In its 2018 Country Reports Hours after a couple was ar- recent opinion polls showing war, saying government offi cials In Taguig City, former con- trada got 30%, while ex-mayor elections for mayor are to be held on Human Rights Practices re- rested during a sting operation growing distrust of the police “were under pressure not to co- gresssman Lino Cayetano, Alfredo Lim posted a voter pref- today in your place, who among leased this week, the US State in Manila in October last year, force and unease with their operate or respond to the views brother-law-law of incumbent erence of 20%. the following candidates will you Department said the Center Police Offi cer 1 Eduardo Va- conduct of President Rod- of international human rights Mayor Lani Cayetano, garnered Mayor Rex Gatchalian (92%) vote for?” for Women’s Resources re- lencia was nabbed when rela- rigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, organisations.”

Duterte orders probe into Manila, Cebu student’s murder Hanoi

By Ralph Villanueva and order in the country. “A fi ve-year- renew Manila Times old was raped by a priest. Yesterday, (a woman) was killed and her face was peeled off , while others, four months call for resident Rodrigo Duterte has or- old, were raped. You go to hell now,” the dered an investigation of the bru- president said. He asked human rights Ptal murder of a 16-year-old high groups to dig into the rape cases and sea code school student in Cebu City, Malaca- “fi nd his revulsion.” nang said. “Now, look. Children are being raped. Christine Silawan, a Grade 9 student, I do not like that, I curse people out, By Dempsey Reyes was found on Monday with multiple stab people say it’s bad to listen to, I am what Manila Times wounds and her face peeled off . I am. Deal with it,” the president said. She was believed to have been raped The bounty for any information that before she was murdered. would lead to the capture of Silawan’s he Philippines and Viet- In a media briefi ng, Palace spokes- killers was increased to P1.8mn. nam have renewed their man Salvador Panelo said Malacanang Supt. Benjamin Lara, director of the Tcall for a fast adoption of believes the killing was carried out by a Philippine National Police Crime Labo- a Code of Conduct (CoC) in the drug addict, echoing Duterte’s earlier ratory in Central Visayas, was quoted South China Sea (West Philip- ONE SMOKER. statement. in reports saying that Silawan’s tongue, pine Sea), according to Defence “Well, who does that? The face was trachea and oesophagus were missing. Secretary Delfi n Lorenzana. skinned. My goodness,” the president In his speech, Duterte asked the police Lorenzana went to Hanoi on asked In a speech during the campaign to get the suspects. Monday for bilateral talks with rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipi- Panelo said a drug addict might do Vietnam’s Defence Minister Ngo TWO PATIENTS. no-Lakas ng Bayan in Cauayan City, Isa- such a heinous and systematic crime if Xuan Lich. bela, Duterte cursed at the rapists as he the suspect was a medical practitioner He disclosed on Friday that underscored again the need to have law or a student. he and Lich discussed how Ma- nila and Hanoi could navigate a long-standing dispute in the South China Sea involving not only the Philippines and Viet- nam but also China, Malaysia, Call for expert opinion on Taiwan and Brunei Darussalam. Hanoi has been known for its stance over the South China Sea, TOBACCO KILLS bigger plates for motorcycles always calling out Beijing for its alleged militarisation of reefs and islands in the contested sea. By Bernadette E Tamayo “We discussed how to navi- Manila Times gate the issue in the face of Chi- nese increased activity. We both agreed that the CoC should be enator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pursued and concluded in the has called on the Land Transpor- fastest time possible,” Lorenzana Station Offi ce (LTO) to consult with told reporters. He said he did not experts on the implementation of a new have an agreement with Lich “on law that requires bigger and colour-cod- anything,” but only agreed to deal ed plates for motorcycles. with their own “peculiar circum- President Rodrigo Duterte on March stances” amid China’s moves in 8 signed Republic Act (RA) 11235 or the the disputed waters. “Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act” au- Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has The Philippine government thored by Sen. Richard Gordon. said the safest size of plates for has apparently been taking the “As a rider, my concern regarding the motorcycles should be picked after South China Sea row lightly, with double plates on motorcycles is the safe- consulting experts and riders. President Rodrigo Duterte and his ty issue with putting big plates at the spokesman downplaying the ac- front and rear of motorcycles. The safe cycles or using motorcycles as get-away tivities of Beijing there by saying size should be consulted with experts vehicles,” Gordon said. that Manila cannot aff ord to fight and riders as the IRR (implementing “Criminals on board motorcycles have such a big and powerful country rules and regulation) is being drafted,” really become so bold and fearless. They like China. The Philippine mili- Ejercito said in a text message. kill with impunity in broad daylight and tary, at the same time, has been RA 11235 aims to deter, if not totally even along very busy thoroughfares such referring queries concerning the stop, crimes perpetrated by criminals as EDSA,” he said. South China Sea dispute to the on board motorcycles by enabling wit- RA 11235 mandates the LTO to is- Department of Foreign Aff airs. nesses to read the plate numbers when a sue bigger, readable and colour-coded Lorenzana and Lich’s meeting crime had been committed. number plates for motorcycles and was held amid reports that Chi- “I thank the president for signing my scooters. nese ships have been prohibiting proposed measure into law. This law According to the Philippine National Filipino fi shing vessels from going Issued in Public Interest by GULF TIMES aims to stop criminals from perpetrating Police, four people are killed each day by near sandbars of Pagasa (Thitu) crimes with impunity on board motor- riding-in-tandem shooters. Island in the South China Sea. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 25 COMMENT Market concentration threatening US economy

By Joseph E Stiglitz executives made sure that the vast New York majority of the benefi ts from the tax cut went into dividends and stock buybacks, which exceeded a record- he world’s advanced breaking $1.1tn in 2018. Buybacks economies are suff ering from raised share prices and boosted the a number of deep-seated earnings-per-share ratio, on which Tproblems. In the United many executives’ compensation is States, in particular, inequality is at its based. Meanwhile, at 13.7% of GDP, highest since 1928, and GDP growth annual investment remained weak, remains woefully tepid compared to while many corporate pensions went the decades after World War II. underfunded. After promising annual growth of Evidence of rising market power can “4, 5, and even 6%,” US President be found almost anywhere one looks. Donald Trump and his congressional Large markups are contributing to high Republican enablers have delivered corporate profi ts. In sector after sector, only unprecedented defi cits. According from little things like cat food to big to the Congressional Budget Offi ce’s things like telecoms, cable providers, latest projections, the federal budget airlines, and technology platforms, a defi cit will reach $900bn this year, few fi rms now dominate 75-90% of the and will surpass the $1tn mark every market, if not more; and the problem year after 2021. And yet, the sugar high is even more pronounced at the level of induced by the latest defi cit increase is local markets. already fading, with the International As corporate behemoths’ market power Monetary Fund forecasting US growth has increased, so, too, has their ability of 2.5% in 2019 and 1.8% in 2020, to infl uence America’s money-driven down from 2.9% in 2018. politics. And as the system has become Many factors are contributing more rigged in business’s favour, it has to the US economy’s low-growth/ become much harder for ordinary citizens high-inequality problem. Trump and to seek redress for mistreatment or abuse. the Republicans’ poorly designed A perfect example of this is the spread of tax “reform” has exacerbated arbitration clauses in labour contracts and FILE PHOTO: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, appears on stage during a town hall at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. existing defi ciencies in the tax code, user agreements, which allow corporations funnelling even more income to to settle disputes with employees and laws for the twenty-fi rst-century your political power to extract more narrowed the focus of competition have shown in fighting against it. the highest earners. At the same customers through a sympathetic economy. As a result, the share of new rents through market exploitation? policy solely to economic effi ciency, The challenge, as always, is political. time, globalisation continues to mediator, rather than in court. fi rms in the US is declining. Political investments in getting lower rather than broader concerns about But with US corporations having be poorly managed, and fi nancial Multiple forces are driving the None of this bodes well for the taxes yield far higher returns than real power and inequality. The irony is that amassed so much power, there is markets continue to be geared toward increase in market power. One is the US economy. Rising inequality investments in plant and equipment. this assumption became dominant reason to doubt that the American extracting profi ts (rent-seeking, in growth of sectors with large network implies falling aggregate demand, Making matters worse, America’s in policymaking circles just when political system is up to the task of economists’ parlance), rather than eff ects, where a single fi rm – like Google because those at the top of the wealth low tax-to-GDP ratio – just 27.1% even economists were beginning to reveal reform. Add to that the globalisation providing useful services. or Facebook – can easily dominate. distribution tend to consume a smaller before the Trump tax cut – means a its fl aws. The development of game of corporate power and the orgy of But an even deeper and more Another is the prevailing attitude among share of their income than those of dearth of money for investment in the theory and new models of imperfect deregulation and crony capitalism fundamental problem is the growing business leaders, who have come to more modest means. infrastructure, education, healthcare, and asymmetric information laid under Trump, and it is clear that concentration of market power, which assume that market power is the only Moreover, on the supply side, and basic research needed to ensure bare the profound limitations of the Europe will have to take the lead. - allows dominant fi rms to exploit way to ensure durable profi ts. As the market power weakens incentives future growth. These are the supply- competition model. Project Syndicate their customers and squeeze their venture capitalist Peter Thiel famously to invest and innovate. Firms know side measures that actually do “trickle The law needs to catch up. Anti- employees, whose own bargaining put it, “competition is for losers.” that if they produce more, they will down” to everyone. competitive practices should be z Joseph E Stiglitz is University power and legal protections are being Some US business leaders have have to lower their prices. This is why The policies for combating illegal, period. And beyond that, Professor at Columbia University weakened. CEOs and senior executives shown real ingenuity in creating investment remains weak, despite economically damaging power there are a host of other changes and the 2001 recipient of the Nobel are increasingly extracting higher market barriers to prevent any kind of corporate America’s record profi ts and imbalances are straightforward. Over needed to modernise US antitrust Memorial Prize in Economics. His pay for themselves at the expense of meaningful competition, aided by lax trillions of dollars of cash reserves. the past half-century, Chicago School legislation. Americans’ need latest book, People, Power, and Profi ts: workers and investment. enforcement of existing competition And besides, why bother producing economists, acting on the assumption the same resolve in fighting for Progressive Capitalism for an Age of For example, US corporate laws and the failure to update those anything of value when you can use that markets are generally competitive, competition that their corporations Discontent, will be published in April.

Europe can trade with Iran and avoid US sanctions Three-day forecast TODAY zero trade. It has just a single staff make its currencies convertible. policy oversight and adjustment to Maximum Temperature : 300c By Barry Eichengreen Minimum Temperature : 220c Berkeley member, the former Commerzbank The analogy with Instex is a insure prompt repayment of those manager Per Fischer. There is less direct one. Iran will be able to off set credits. MONDAY information than confusion about how the defi cits it runs with one set of Before 1950, the US government Maximum Temperature : 250c S President Donald Trump’s it will work. European countries using the surpluses strongly opposed the creation of Minimum Temperature : 170c unilateral withdrawal Fortunately, there is a precedent for it runs with others. It will be able the EPU, just as it now strongly TUESDAY from the 2015 Iran nuclear the initiative: the European Payments to do so without recourse to dollar opposes Instex. The concern then was Maximum Temperature : 240c Udeal – formally known Union (EPU) that operated between credits and without having to make discrimination: European countries, Minimum Temperature : 170c 1950 and 1958. payments via SWIFT, the Society it was feared, would fi nd it easier to as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Fisherman's forecast Action – has put Europe in a bind. In the wake of World War II, for Worldwide Interbank Financial import from one another, but, lacking Its governments remain committed Europe’s currencies couldn’t be Telecommunications, through which dollars, would still refuse to import WARNING conventional cross-border settlements from America. In addition, US offi cials Inshore : Expected thundery rain to economic engagement with Iran converted into dollars or exchanged for at times and strong as a way to encourage compliance one another, owing to the continent’s are carried out, and which has similarly worried that the EPU would duplicate wind at some places. with the JCPOA, which means fi nancial diffi culties. As a result, been threatened with US sanctions. and undermine the functions of the Offshore : Expected thunder rain/ providing not just humanitarian they couldn’t be used to fi nance or In addition, the EPU was endowed newly created International Monetary strong wind and high sea assistance, but also other goods. Firms settle international transactions. Nor with $600mn to lend to members Fund. WEATHER supplying these exports, however, risk were there substitutes. In particular, running temporary trade defi cits At this point, however, the two Inshore : Partly cloudy to cloudy incurring sanctions from the Trump European countries possessed little with the group as a whole. The EPU narratives diverge. With the advent with a chance of scattered rain maybe administration. gold and few dollars with which to Board was understandably concerned of the Cold War, President Harry S thundery at times and For the same reason, European make international payments. that these credits be repaid. When Truman’s administration and the light to blowing dust at banks are reluctant to provide euros In order to trade, European West Germany showed signs in US Congress recognised the urgency places by evening. Offshore : P cloudy to cloudy to fi nance trade with Iran. And US countries therefore had to rely on 1950 of exhausting its credits, the of European reconstruction. To this with a chance of scat- banks, for their part, are prohibited bilateral agreements. They had to Board dispatched a small team of end, they authorised the EPU’s use of tered rain. from providing dollars. Collectively, balance their trade country by country, experts to diagnose the problem. $350mn of Marshall Plan funds. WIND Inshore : Southeasterly 07-17 KT these obstacles constitute a essentially reducing their transactions It recommended an increase in the This time, the US is not about to Offshrore : Northeasterly 18-28/40 formidable barrier to the sought-after to barter. This was not an effi cient way German central bank’s interest rate, help Europe with its trade-settlement KT engagement. to reconstruct the continent’s trade higher commercial-bank reserve project, new Cold War or not. Visibility : 4-8/3 KM In response, France, Germany, and payments, to put it mildly. requirements, and a ceiling on credit. But, in contrast to 1950, European Offshore : 6-8/14 FT With the adoption of these restrictive governments today are capable of and the United Kingdom, the three By 1950, it had become clear Around the region European signatories to the nuclear that these diffi culties were holding monetary measures, German trade operating this type of mechanism Weather deal, have established a mechanism back the recovery of the European swung back into balance. The EPU on their own. They have the money. Weather tomorrow Max/min for conducting trade with Iran economy, prompting 18 European lived to fi ght another day. They can manage the clearing. History today Max/min Sunny 19/07 independent of the United States. governments to create the EPU. The Again, the implications for Instex provides guidance on how to get it Baghdad T Storm 17/09 Sunny 24/12 That mechanism, the Instrument in new organisation pooled its members’ are clear. There is no reason to expect done. - Project Syndicate Kuwait CityCloudy 23/13 Sunny 23/18 Support of Trade Exchanges, or Instex, trade defi cits and surpluses, and, trade between Iran and Europe to Manama S T Storms 26/17 P Cloudy 26/20 is registered in France and reports to a by off setting the defi cits a country balance minute by minute. There will z Barry Eichengreen is a professor Muscat M Sunny 31/24 M Sunny 14/04 supervisory board of diplomats from incurred with one set of partners have to be credits to compensate fi rms at the University of California, Tehran Rain 14/06 the three countries. against the surpluses it ran with exporting to Iran in periods when the Berkeley. His latest book is The Populist But in the month since its others, enabled Europe to settle its country is buying more from Europe Temptation: Economic Grievance and establishment, Instex has fi nanced trade multilaterally without having to than it sells. There will have to be Political Reaction in the Modern Era.

Live issues Smartphone mindfulness app may help curb loneliness Around the world By Lisa Rapaport and inexpensive,” Lindsay, who did the engage with other people. Participants who received training Weather Weather Reuters Health study while at Carnegie Mellon Uni- The researchers randomly assigned in monitoring and acceptance skills today Max/min tomorrow Max/min versity in Pittsburgh, said by e-mail. 153 adults to one of three 14-day saw the greatest benefi ts: they reduced Athens Sunny 21/09 Sunny 20/11 “The majority of American adults smartphone-based interventions daily life loneliness by 22% and in- Beirut Sunny 18/13 Sunny 18/14 dults who spend just 20 own smartphones, so the smartphone developed in collaboration with one of creased social contact by an average of Bangkok M Sunny 34/27 Sunny 34/27 minutes a day using a smart- platform provides an opportunity to their colleagues, Shinzen Young, based two interactions each day. Berlin S Showers 13/03 S Showers 09/03 phone mindfulness training learn mindfulness meditation for peo- on his Unifi ed Mindfulness system. The monitoring-only mindfulness Cairo P Cloudy 24/11 Sunny 26/12 Aapp may feel less lonely and ple who might not have resources for For 20 minutes each day, one group didn’t experience these chang- Cape Town P Cloudy 21/18 P Cloudy 23/17 have more social interactions than longer, in-person mindfulness training mindfulness training group received es, suggesting that acceptance skills Colombo S T Storms 30/26 S T Storms 30/25 people who don’t, a small experiment programs,” Lindsay added. training in monitoring and accept- training may be a critical ingredient Dhaka M Sunny 34/24 Cloudy 28/22 suggests. Mindfulness-based training ance skills, a second mindfulness for the social benefi ts of mindful- Hong Kong P Cloudy 21/18 M Sunny 22/19 While mindfulness training has long programmes are designed to help group received training in monitoring ness training programs, researchers Istanbul M Sunny 16/09 Sunny 19/09 been linked to reductions in social people focus on the present moment skills only, and a third group received conclude in the Proceedings of the Jakarta T Storm 32/24 T Storm 32/24 isolation, much of this research has and accept any pain or discomfort no mindfulness content and instead National Academy of Sciences. Karachi M Sunny 31/19 P Cloudy 31/21 focused on longer in-person sessions they may be feeling. This may involve received guidance in common coping One limitation of the study is that London P Cloudy 10/03 P Cloudy 12/02 that continue over several weeks or meditation techniques to cultivate techniques. researchers didn’t specifi cally test the Manila M Sunny 34/26 Sunny 34/26 months. With its focus on brief digital awareness of the present moment With each group, researchers also smartphone mindfulness app in lonely Moscow Cloudy 03/0 Cloudy 04/01 training sessions, the current study during ordinary daily activities such asked participants to complete brief or socially isolated adults; people were New Delhi P Cloudy 28/14 M Sunny 29/16 suggests that group sessions and the as driving or eating, or breathing exer- daily homework activities that were stressed, but not necessarily suff ering New York M Sunny 08/01 P Cloudy 08/-1 social contact that comes from in- cises and practices such as yoga to help designed to last no more than 10 from these other problems. Paris S Showers 10/03 P Cloudy 12/0 person meetings may not be required encourage body awareness and focus minutes. Researchers also lacked data on Sao Paulo S T Storms 27/21 I T Storms 31/21 for people to benefi t from mindfulness on the present. For three days before and after these whether using the mindfulness app Seoul Sunny 12/-2 Cloudy 14/01 interventions, said lead author Emily In the current study, the goal of interventions, participants completed might help users make new friends Singapore P Cloudy 34/25 P Cloudy 34/25 Lindsay, a psychology researcher at mindfulness training was to help periodic assessments throughout the or interact with strangers as opposed Sydney Showers 22/18 P Cloudy 24/19 the University of Pittsburgh. participants accept discomfort with day to measure loneliness and social to engaging more with people they Tokyo Clear 14/05 Clear 14/04 “Smartphone training is accessible social interactions while continuing to contact. already know. Gulf Times 26 Sunday, March 17, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Qatar pitches in for viable, long-term hydrocarbon projects

Qatar Petroleum’s strategy to enter into exploration activities in frontier basins with high hydrocarbon resource potential clearly refl ects QP’s eff orts to expand its portfolio globally. In the last few months, QP announced plans to enter into exploration activities in frontier basins in Morocco, South Africa, Mozambique, Cyprus, Congo, Sultanate of Oman and Mexico among other places. Qatar has worked diligently during the past few years to develop a future strategy in the oil and gas sector based on growth and expansion, both in its activities in Qatar and Italy’s drive to join China’s internationally. When Qatar decided to quit Opec on January 1 this year, many sceptics said the country was lessening its focus on oil and bringing down the output in order to focus on natural gas production. Belt and Road hits potholes But, HE the Minister of State for Energy Aff airs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi clarifi ed, “We are not saying we are Lucio Caracciolo, director of the “systemic rival” and called on European national security advisers said on going to get out of the oil business, but gas production By Crispian Balmer Rome infl uential Limes geopolitical review, Union leaders to back its ideas to curb Saturday in a rare public rebuke for one would remain Qatar’s top priority.” told Reuters. Chinese state-owned enterprises. of Washington’s staunchest allies. Already, the country is the biggest exporter of liquefi ed “My fear is that in the end we will The European Union has grown Refusing to back down, Italy has he ancient Silk Road was a lose on both counts, getting nothing increasingly frustrated by what it sees nonetheless tried to reassure the United natural gas at 77mn tonnes a year. network of trading routes that substantial from China while the United as the slowness of China to open its States, releasing a draft of the MoU to QP is working on plans to develop and increase the stretched from China to Italy, States retaliates against us for having economy and by a surge of Chinese show it off ers up no firm commitments country’s LNG output to over 110mn tonnes by 2024. Ttransporting goods, skills and got too close to Beijing.” takeovers in critical EU sectors, and makes no reference to the sort The new capacity increase will further strengthen ideas half way around the world. Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di accusing it of distorting local markets. of technology transfers feared by Jump forward two millennia and Italy Maio, who leads the populist 5-Star Rome says such concerns should Washington. Qatar’s leading position as the world’s largest LNG now wants to play a pivotal role in the Movement, has spearheaded the pro- not stop it forging closer ties and Likewise eager to show that its producer and exporter, and will further boost QP’s new Silk Road being created by Chinese Beijing policy, setting up a China Task points to the fact that 13 EU countries pro-China policy is bearing fruit, the strategic growth plan. This additional production will President Xi Jinping. Force within the industry ministry that have already signed memoranda of government has leaked reports that 50 But joining the latest incarnation has the stated aimed of making Italy a understanding (MoUs) with China, agreements might be signed during Xi’s have a great impact on Qatar’s economic growth and help is proving controversial and risky for “privileged partner” in BRI. including Hungary, Poland, Greece and March 21-23 visit, including deals with stimulate the national economy. Rome’s modern-day masters. He has visited China twice in eight Portugal. oil company Eni, gas infrastructure fi rm Qatar has also announced Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte plans months and eff ectively sidelined the However, the biggest EU exporters to Snam and shipbuilder Fincantieri. plans to build the Middle to sign a preliminary accord when Xi foreign ministry on one of the most China have not signed MoUs and those Italy also hopes to unveil projects QP’s strategy visits Rome next week, hooking Italy up sensitive diplomatic issues of the day. that have do not have much to show for to develop trade through its ports of East’s biggest ethane cracker, to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — a Di Maio’s task force is led by junior it, said Lucrezia Poggetti, a research Genoa, Trieste and Palermo. is to remain an industrial facility, which colossal, multi-billion-dollar project industry minister Michele Geraci, associate with the Mercator Institute Although China’s COSCO Shipping focused on its converts gas to by-products designed to improve Beijing’s trade who lived in China for 10 years before for China Studies in Berlin. has bought control of the largest port in such as adhesives and reach. entering government in 2018. “They have been frustrated that Greece, Italy says it off ers better entry Italy’s drive to be the fi rst Group Neither he, Di Maio nor Conte vaguely phrased Chinese promises for points into Europe. core business ethylene for plastics. of Seven industrialised nation to join had any experience of international economic opportunities have largely “There is still much work to be done QP is working with the ambitious venture has angered diplomacy before last year. failed to materialise,” Poggetti said. on the China deals, including what in Qatar various government Washington and alarmed Brussels, Geraci speaks Chinese and fervently “Signing up to the BRI without taking money is involved,” said a business raising fears of a sellout of sensitive backs closer ties with Beijing, saying into account geopolitical considerations source involved in the negotiations, authorities and stakeholders to facilitate the provision technologies and the handover of Italy has fallen behind its partners. and without making concrete demands, who declined to be named. of the required infrastructure and for the creation of critical infrastructure. “When I returned to Italy I found a hoping that one day you will get A welter of lucrative contracts would appropriate policies, regulations and incentives to With ports that off er easy gateways certain inertia when it came to China,” something in return economically, is represent a badly needed victory for Di attract local and international companies to establish into Europe’s richest markets, Italy is Geraci, a former economics professor, very naive,” she said. Maio, who is not only battling to soothe a promising and prestigious prize for told Reuters last month.”We need to The Belt and Road project lies at the US tempers, but is also struggling to operations in Qatar. China. play catch-up.” heart of China’s foreign policy strategy sell the deal to his coalition partner, the It is also co-ordinating with other stakeholders to help In return for its endorsement, Italy’s According to Eurostat, Germany and was incorporated into the ruling far-right League. facilitate the development of new industries in the energy government hopes for a boost in exports exported 93.8bn euros of goods to Communist Party constitution in 2017, Even though Geraci is a member sector in order to ensure they acquire the capacity for and investment that will lift its anaemic China in 2018, with Britain next on the refl ecting Xi’s desire for his country to of the League, the group appeared economy out of its third recession in a list exporting 23.4bn euros, France third take a global leadership role. blindsided when news of an imminent greater competitiveness and fi nancial sustainability. decade. with 20.8bn euros and Italy fourth on The United States, locked in a trade deal emerged last week, with party chief As part of this, QP last month launched Tawteen, But diplomatic analysts and political 13.17bn euros. war with Beijing, worries that Xi’s Matteo Salvini warning against the which is designed to enhance the resilience of the energy foes say Rome has not weighed the “There is huge potential there that initiative is designed to bolster China’s “colonialisation” of Italy by China. sector’s supply chain. geopolitical risks, failed to consult other countries are already taking political and military infl uence, and “We are reviewing it,” Salvini, who with its Western partners and advantage of,” said Geraci. could be used to spread technologies serves as joint deputy prime minister It aims at creating around 100 new investment underestimated growing concern about But just as Italy adopts its new capable of spying on Western interests. with Di Maio, said on Thursday. “Before opportunities within the energy sector in order to retain China’s burgeoning global aspirations. position, the rest of Europe seems to be “No need for Italian government allowing someone to invest in the ports economic value within Qatar, which in turn may add “I am afraid that up until now we having second thoughts. to lend legitimacy to China’s of Trieste or Genoa, I would think about have handled this in too amateurish a Earlier this week, the European infrastructure vanity project,” a it not once but a hundred times.” – QR8bn of import substitutes annually and create more fashion, without any real coordination,” Commission branded Beijing a spokesman for the White House’s Reuters than 5,000 new white collar jobs. Clearly, QP’s strategy is to remain focused on its core business and activities in Qatar and enhance the country’s international standing as the world’s leading natural gas producer by pitching in for viable and long- term projects. At the same time, the country’s oil portfolio is also being developed as is seen from the joint venture projects announced in the last few months. QP is looking nationally long-term growth and strategy for production, which can be sustainable for generations. Externally, it is working to add on to that capability to basically expand its horizon.

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© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved FILE PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a news conference at the end of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China May 15, 2017. Gulf Times Sunday, March 17, 2019 27 QATAR

Alfardan Group president and CEO Omar Hussain Alfardan inside the 2019 BMW 3 Series sedan. Alfardan Group president and CEO Omar Hussain Alfardan and other off icials at the launch of the 2019 BMW 3 Series sedan. 2019 BMW 3 Series comes to Qatar lfardan Automobiles has offi cially welcomed the A2019 BMW 3 Series sedan, presenting the vehicle to its cli- ents and lovers of sheer driving pleasure. “The seventh generation of the hugely successful BMW 3 Series range, the new 3 Series sedan is set to dominate the premium mid-size luxury car market,” Alfardan Automobiles said in a press statement. The latest edition to Alfardan Automobiles’ range of BMW vehicles, the 2019 BMW 3 Se- ries sedan “combines enhanced sporting prowess with a refi ned interior ambiance, eye-catching design and state-of-the-art driver assistance, control and connectivity technologies. Featuring notably sharper driving dynamics thanks to its upgraded chassis, a new damper technology, stiff er body struc- ture, low centre of gravity and even 50-50 weight distribution, The 2019 BMW 3 Series sedan being displayed at the event. The 2019 BMW 3 Series sedan being unveiled at the ceremony. the new 3 Series sedan delivers a “smooth, high-performance and pressing clear and visible refer- the positioning of clearly struc- destrian Warning with Braking comfortable experience for both ences to the range’s heritage and tured controls that help to con- Function, plus Lane Departure passengers and driver”. enduring popularity,” the state- vey an ambiance of exclusive dy- Warning as standard. BMW’s new powertrain tech- ment notes. namism”. Systems available as optional nology provides higher output, The car’s modern aesthetic, Increased shoulder and elbow extras include Driving Assistance greater pulling power and op- sportiness and exciting on-road room as well as improved vis- Professional that features Active timised effi ciency through its presence is visible through clear ibility towards the rear create Cruise Control with Stop and four-cylinder petrol engine. yet rigid design lines that incor- a comfortable and functional Go function, Steering and Lane The 3 Series sedan will be in- porate optimal aerodynamics to experience for the driver and Control Assist, Cross Traffi c troduced with the BMW 330i help reduce drag along with new front seat passenger, which is Alert, Priority and Wrong-way engine available in the M Package features such as an active air enhanced through the Harman warning systems, while the new- and Sport Package. fl ap control, air curtains and the Kardon surround system and the est generation of BMW’s Head- An expansive range of chassis completely sealed underbody. newly redesigned sports leather Up Display is also an additional options adds to the sporting abil- Full LED headlights come as steering wheel with multifunc- option. ity and driving performance of standard throughout the range, tion buttons. The instrument cluster fea- the new 3 Series sedan. along with stylishly darkened The latest communication, tures a larger 5.7-inch screen These include a lowered M rear LED lights, with additional driver assistance and connec- and Control Display as standard, Sport suspension, M Sport extras including Adaptive LED tivity technologies are featured while the fully integrated and brakes and up to 19-inch light- headlights with BMW’s non- throughout the new BMW 3 Se- market-leading BMW Intelli- alloy wheels. dazzling technology and optional ries sedan range. gent Personal Assistant system “The striking design language LED front foglamps. BMW’s innovative driver as- expertly responds to voice com- created for the 2019 BMW 3 Se- The BMW 3 Series sedan sistance systems have been ex- mands by the driver for a range ries sedan helps expand the clas- boasts of a “superbly refi ned in- panded for the 2019 3 Series of tasks related to on-board sic look of this popular mid-size terior, with extensive emphasis sedan to include Parking Space entertainment, the statement luxury vehicle while also ex- placed on driver focus through The launch took place with a glittering ceremony. Assistant, Collision and Pe- adds.

Visitors take a close look at the 2019 BMW 3 Series sedan. (Inset) A view of the gathering. Gulf Times 28 Sunday, March 17, 2019 QATAR Domasco launches all-new Honda HR-V

oha Marketing Services with the practical space and of a youthful vibe with unique Company (Domasco) re- toughness of an SUV, thus cre- styling touches. The intuitively Dcently launched the all- ating a car that can keep pace designed HR-V cockpit ensures new Honda HR-V in Qatar. with your life, wherever it takes that everything is where one The HR-V marks the presence you”, the statement notes. needs it. The elegant dashboard of an entry-level SUV from the The all-new HR-V receives includes the latest technology, Honda range and the 5-seater exterior styling that expands it’s easy to understand and use. vehicle will be available across its appeal to millennials. The Designed to adapt to one’s all GCC countries and North grille is enhanced by a new in- lifestyle, the HR-V offers a Africa. terpretation of the ‘flying wing’ clever, comfortable and ca- The Honda HR-V has been rendered in dark chrome and pacious interior. A centrally positioned as a “fun and sporty extending over the new projec- mounted fuel tank provides SUV, which has been designed tor-style headlights. Under the the HR-V with a huge boot and for life”, Domasco said in a press chrome band. the grille opening the novel second-row Magic statement. has been restyled to emphasise Seats are further evidence of “The Honda HR-V is engi- a wide look, and the fog light smart thinking. The second- neered to match its owner’s housings have been enlarged to row Magic Seats are designed to pace of life. Catering to differ- help give HR-V a more aggres- configure in lots of useful ways ent lifestyles and preferences, sive stance. to increase its carrying capacity. the sporty and compact SUV is Also, in the front is a sporty Also, with the new stay-spring designed for a dynamic driv- front bumper that gives it an mechanism for the hatch, it’s ing experience in the city,” said elegant yet rugged look, while now easier than ever to access Faisal Sharif, managing director in the rear, taillights with Inte- HR-V’s cargo space of 1,456 li- at Domasco. grated LED Light Bars give the tres. He added: “The new genera- HR-V a distinctive, sporty look. The HR-V also offers up to tion of automobile customers New to the SUV-B segment is 100.1 cubic feet of passenger are looking for a ride that will the Panoramic Sunroof, in the space with abundant rear seat match their lifestyles and we’re EX grade, making the HR-V feel head and legroom, especially delivering exactly that, along like a large sporty SUV ready considering HR-V’s compact with our top-of-the-class af- for the next adventure. The all- outer dimensions. ter-sales services that exceed new HR-V has 16” alloy wheels Some of the other features are our customers’ expectations.” for the DX grade and 17” al- a 6.8-inch Display Audio with The new HR-V “offers the loy wheels for the LX and EX Touchscreen (LX and EX grades) best of both worlds by blending grades. with USB and HDMI ports that Off icials at the launch of the all-new Honda HR-V. the beautiful lines of a coupé The all-new HR-V boasts allows one to connect a smart- phone and use its features such efficiency, achieving 16.9km/l, tion with the amplitude reac- LED Daytime Running Lights as playing their favourite mu- on a tank of fuel. tive dampers give the HR-V and rear corner parking sensors sic and using the phonebook The HR-V is front-wheel excellent driving dynamics and only in the LX and EX grades. to make calls to contacts. A drive, driven by a 7-speed fully- minimising body roll. The all new HR-V is avail- Multifunction steering wheel automatic CVT (Continuously The 2019 HR-V also benefits able in three grades - DX, puts the audio and cruise con- Variable Transmission). With from a standard list of active LX and EX - and in one inte- trols at one’s fingertips, making the CVT transmission, one has and passive safety features. rior colour – beige with black it a driver-friendly interface. the ability to drive the car in This includes Vehicle Stabil- combination with various ex- The HR-V EX Grade now fea- a relaxed, automatic mode or ity Assist (VSA) with traction terior colour options: White tures automatic climate control you can change gear using the control, driver and passenger Orchid Pearl, Lunar Silver Me- where one can adjust the tem- racing car-inspired, steering front airbags standard on all tallic, Modern Steel Metallic, perature of the cabin with the wheel-mounted paddle shifters grades, side airbags and side Crystal Black Pearl, Passion touch of a button. Standard on (on EX grade only). Addition- curtain airbags on the EX Grade Red Pearl and Brilliant Sporty LX models and Smart Entry and ally, HR-V’s CVT uses a more only, Electronic Brake Distribu- Blue Metallic. push-button start. refined and natural feeling en- tion, Tire Pressure Monitoring Customers can purchase the The HR-V has spirited engine gagement, staying at lower revs System, Hill Start Assist (HAS) new HR-V at the showroom performance matched with low more often. and Honda’s next-generation located on Khalifa Street near running costs. It features a re- The chassis incorporates a Advanced Compatibility En- National Mosque and the TV sponsive 140hp@6500rpm and centrally mounted fuel tank, gineering body structure. The intersection. The showroom is a torque of 172N-m@4,300rpm which provides perfect weight EX grade features a multi-angle open from Saturday to Thurs- on a 1.8L i-VTEC petrol engine, ratio and concentrates the mass rearview camera with wide view day, 8am until 8pm, and on Fri- A view of the interior of the new Honda HR-V. which maximises economy and in the centre. This in conjunc- feature. All grades also feature day from 4pm to 8pm. Qatar Museums announces creative spaces programme

QNA ate around the country. We’re thrilled short-term and long-term use. Doha to announce the opening of these crea- Spaces can be rented indoors and out- tive spaces under the management of the doors at a day rate, as well. Fire Station. Fire Station is known for its initiatives atar Museums has announced a “Designed to support the develop- which champion young local talent in- programme whereby a series of ment of the art and culture scene in cluding its famed nine-month residency Qcreative spaces will be identifi ed Qatar, the new creative spaces will programme, where artists are given stu- and developed into artist studios around offer an opportunity for artists to be dio space in one of the fi ve fl oors of the Qatar with the aim of enabling artists, inspired by the historical setting of building. The space also hosts a resi- designers, photographers and other the house, the surrounding souq and dency in Paris and New York for Qatari creatives to produce, build communities the thriving community in the area.” artists, held in partnership with Cité and inspire others to create. Studios will be available for rent via an internationale des Arts Paris, France and Each location, in which studios will be online application process. the International Studio and Curato- made available for rent, will be carefully Artists will be able to rent studios rial Programme (ISCP) in Brooklyn, New selected based on the needs of the sur- and spaces on a monthly basis, for both York, respectively. rounding community, the sites aesthetic and potential to host an active creative hub. The fi rst of such spaces is Bayt Al Wakrah, which opened over the week- end in the historic Souq Al Wakrah. Bayt Al Wakrah is a traditional home located in the Souq Al Wakrah area, which itself is a coastal market con- structed to mimic the traditional archi- tecture of Qatari souqs. As a unique location for an artists stu- dio, the new space can be used for a vari- ety of creative pursuits. It features four artist studios and two multipurpose spaces available for rent, both short and long term. Other services available at the house include an art shop, security and free utilities for renters. Khalifa al-Obaidly, Director of the Fire Station, said: “Qatar Museums has long sought to create art spaces that provide Bayt Al Wakrah, the first of creative spaces, opened over the weekend in the historic a place to explore, experience, and cre- Souq Al Wakrah.