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MONDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10034 March 21, 2016 Jumada II 12, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Qatari sprinter wins silver medal Doha Metro In brief trial and

QATAR | Talks Emir meets US Senate delegation HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin testing ‘by Hamad al-Thani yesterday met with a team of US senators, including Ben Cardin (Maryland), who is the deputy chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Cory Gardner (Colorado); Ed 2017 end’ Markey (Massachusetts); and Jeff Merkley (Oregon). Talks during More than 95% of the tunnelling fi rst phase of the Doha Metro would be the meeting at the Emiri Diwan of the 22km Green Line between over latest by the end of this year, the dealt with co-operation between Mansoura and Al Riff a is now Qatar Rail offi cials said that more than Qatar and the US in addition complete 95% of the tunnelling of the 22km to a number of regional and Green Line between Mansoura and Al international issues of common By Ramesh Mathew Riff a (via Mushereib and Mall of Qatar interest. Also yesterday, HE the Staff Reporter in Rayyan) was now complete. Prime Minister and Interior Minister More than 51% of the Green Line Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin project is also over. Of the 22km, as Khalifa al-Thani met with Senator Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar celebrates after winning the silver medal in the men’s 400 metres at the IAAF World Indoor Athletics he trial and testing operations much as 19km are underground. Com- Cardin. They reviewed areas of co- Championships in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday. Reigning champion Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic won the gold in of the Doha Metro are expected muters will be able to travel the 22km operation between Qatar and the 45.44sec, while Haroun clocked 45.59 for the silver. Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago took bronze. Sports Page 12 Tto start towards the end of next in 24 minutes as against more than 64 US and ways of developing them year, senior offi cials of Qatar Rail re- minutes by road. The Green Line con- in addition to topics of common vealed yesterday. sists of 11 stations. interest. Page 2 “The coaches, each nearly 20m More than 38% of the works on the long, are expected to arrive towards Gold Line between Ras Abu Aboud and the end of this year,” Qatar Rail man- Al Aziziya is complete and 80% of the AFRICA | Mediation aging director Abdulla Abdulaziz al- tunnelling is also fi nished. The 15km AU chief lauds Summit spotlight on Subaie stated. line will feature 11 stations. It has been announced earlier Al-Subaie said that almost 70% of Qatari eff orts that the fi rst phase of the ambitious the total contracts of the project were Commission of the African Union project, consisting of more than executed by local contractors even (AU) chairperson Dr Nkosazana 108km of tracks and 40 stations, though the quantum of fi nancial com- Dlamini Zuma has welcomed the challenges facing media would be operational towards the end mitments covered by their contracts release by the Eritrean authorities of 2019. were still to be worked out. of four Djiboutian prisoners of Al-Subaie was speaking at a cer- Replying to a question on tunnel- war who had been detained in he choice of the Middle East dom of speech and truth,” he told the seeking to present a distinguished emony to announce the completion of boring machines (TBMs), the project 2008 following a border dispute for the fi rst time to host the opening session of the two-day event media service that respects the intel- the tunnelling of the northern section director for the consortium of Im- between Djibouti and Eritrea. She TWorld Media Summit (WMS) in Doha last night. lect of the viewer and provides infor- of the 42km long Red Line, at Doha pregillo-SK E & C and Galfar al-Mi- commended Qatar for the role it Doha 2016 in its third round refl ects Sheikh Thamer affi rmed that such mation honestly with professional- Golf Club, in the presence of Qatar snad (ISG), Barry Crouchman, said played in this respect. Dr Zuma the growing importance of the region a situation demanded close co-oper- ism. Rail CEO Saad al-Mohannadi. that one had already been returned considered that the release of the as a major global focus point due to ation among all media organisations “Through its various media plat- Briefi ng journalists about the on- to Germany for refurbishing and de- prisoners of war to be a positive the fundamental transformations and to make the protection of journalists a forms and screens, Al Jazeera Media going works, the offi cials said that ployment elsewhere soon. Four more step in the right direction towards changes it has undergone, Al Jazeera global issue. Network has provided the opportuni- electrical, mechanical and signalling TBMs will be sent back in the next six the normalisation of relations Media Network chairman Sheikh Ha- “The rapidly advancing digital ty for the expression of opinions, sup- works in the tunnels were expected to to eight weeks while two are ready for between the Eritrea and Djibouti. mad bin Thamer al-Thani has said. technology for the means of com- porting the just causes of the common start towards the end of the year. This shipping after completing their tasks. She pointed out that the AU had “The choice of the topic ‘The Fu- munication and social media provide man. The main objective of Al Jazeera would be followed by more develop- It may be recalled that as many as repeatedly urged for the full ture of news and news organisations’ another fi eld of co-operation to make since its beginning has been to reach mental works, including the test runs 21 TBMs were at work simultaneous- implementation of the agreement for this prestigious summit refl ects our channels continue to be a main the truth wherever it could be and towards the last quarter of next year. ly in Qatar as part of the Doha Metro of June 6, 2010 signed by the two the common challenges facing the source of documented and true infor- convey the image of the event and the While expressing confi dence that project in a Guinness World Record. countries under Qatar’s auspices. media and media persons, especially mation and free opinion.” reality as it is with complete objectiv- tunnelling of more than 85km of the Page 2 the risks facing journalists in many Sheikh Thamer recalled that ever ity and integrity.” countries around the world. Many of since it was founded 20 years ago, Sheikh Thamer stated that as Al IRAN | Charge them have lost their lives for the free- Al Jazeera Media Network had been Jazeera Media Network worked at the Khamenei says US heart of this region, it would con- tinue to carry its message and assume still hostile aft er deal its professional responsibility. As an Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali important part of the media scene, it Khamenei accused Washington would also continue positive co-oper- of failing to respect the terms of ation with media organisations on dif- a nuclear deal that lifts sanctions ferent levels, including the World Me- on Tehran, in a speech yesterday dia Summit, while striving to achieve marking Persian New Year. “The the highest levels of excellence. Americans have not respected their At the third WMS being hosted by commitments,” he said in the speech Al Jazeera Media Network, around for Nowruz in the northeastern city 350 delegates from 100 countries will of Mashhad. Page 11 explore the major challenges media organisations are facing, from the decade-old giants, to the start-ups TURKEY | Attacks pushing the boundaries of content Minister blames IS and distribution. The WMS serves as an effi cient for suicide blast platform for media organisations to A Turkish Islamic State recruit, communicate and pool collective wis- Mehmet Ozturk, carried out the dom for their survival and develop- suicide bombing that killed four ment, convening every two to three foreigners on a major shopping years. The summit was jointly initiat- artery in Istanbul, Interior Minister Al Jazeera Media Network chairman Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer al-Thani addressing ed by Xinhua News Agency and other A tunnel boring machine achieving the “breakthrough” in the northern section of the Efken Ala said yesterday. Page 19 the opening session of the World Media Summit 2016 in Doha yesterday. leading media organisations. Doha Metro’s Red Line near Doha Golf Club yesterday.

Investigators probe Flydubai jet crash Rain and thunder expected today

AFP after circling for several hours. bris was spread across a wide area. ain and thunder, along with aff ected by an extension of a low- go up to 25 knots during the thunder- Moscow Investigators said all 55 passengers Investigators were spending the day strong winds, are expected in pressure system from this evening, showers. and seven crew - including nine diff er- combing the scene for clues of what Rthe country by this evening, the with chances of scattered rain that Off shore areas will see hazy-to- ent nationalities, with 45 from Russia caused the crash, Sokolov said, with Qatar Met Department has said. might be thundery and accompanied misty conditions and it will also be nvestigators in southern Russia - had died instantly. They launched a experts from state-owned budget air- The mercury level is likely to go up by strong winds at times. Yesterday, partly-cloudy to cloudy. There is a yesterday began probing the causes criminal probe into whether pilot error, line Flydubai - a sister fi rm of Emirates across Qatar during the day, with the the Met Department – through a chance of scattered rain, accompa- Iof a Flydubai passenger jet crash a technical fault or poor weather was to Airlines - and the United Arab Emirates maximum temperature rising above post on social media – said the rainy nied by thunder, by the evening. The that killed all 62 people on board, as blame. authorities aiding the probe. 30C in most places, according to in- spell was expected to continue until wind speed may increase to 25 knots emergency workers at the site wrapped But the plane’s two black boxes were Some 40 people, including air traffi c formation available on the social me- Wednesday morning. by the evening, with the sea level ris- up the salvage operation. “badly damaged”, Russia’s intergov- controllers, offi cials from the regional dia channels of the Weather Offi ce The forecast for inshore areas says ing to 7ft. The Boeing 737, which fl ew from ernmental aviation committee said in meteorological centre, and Flydubai yesterday. it will be misty in some places at fi rst, Visibility, meanwhile, may drop to Dubai to the southern Russian city of a statement, warning that analysing representatives, had been questioned Meanwhile, off shore areas are ex- followed by relatively hot condi- 2km or less during the thundershowers. Rostov-on-Don, exploded into a fi re- them would take time. as part of the probe, investigators said. pected to witness thunderstorms, tions with slight dust. Partly cloudy The minimum and maximum tem- ball early Saturday after missing the Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov Authorities also said they were start- strong winds and high seas by the to cloudy conditions are also likely, peratures in the country today are runway in bad weather. said emergency service workers had ing the grisly task of identifying the evening. along with scattered rain and thunder expected to be 16C and 33C, respec- It had reportedly been mak- completed their “search and rescue” collected human remains using DNA On Saturday, the Met Department by the evening. tively, with the forecast for Doha be- ing its second attempt to land operation at the site, where tangled de- samples from relatives. had said the country was likely to be The wind speed in these areas may ing 22C and 32C. Gulf Times 2 Monday, March 21, 2016 QATAR

PM meets US senator Qatar, IMO sign memorandum of co-operation

QNA London

he State of Qatar and the International Maritime TOrganisation (IMO) have signed a memorandum of co- operation (MoC) on participa- tion in the audit and review pro- gramme for the member-states of the organisation. The MoC was signed by Qa- tar’s ambassador to the United Kingdom Yousef bin Ali al- Khat- er on behalf of HE the Minister of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani Transport and Communications yesterday met US Democratic Senator and Senate Foreign Relations Committee member, Ben Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and Cardin, in Doha yesterday. They reviewed areas of co-operation between Qatar and the US and IMO Secretary General Kitack ways of developing them in addition to topics of common interest. Lim. The MoC was signed at the IMO headquarters. Ambassador Yousef bin Ali al-Khater and IMO chief Kitack Lim shake hands after signing the MoC.

Awqaf Ministry constructs two new mosques

Qatar Rail achieves major milestone The authority of mosques at Qatar’s Ministry of Endowments By Ramesh Mathew was 114m on February 12, also and Islamic Aff airs (Awqaf) has Staff Reporter last year. More than 34,000 built two new mosques. While complimenting the workers deployed The new mosques are part of the contractors, al-Subaie recalled Ministry’s plan to increase their atar Rail yesterday the challenges they had to over- More than 34,000 workers number in line with the rise in achieved a major mile- come and specially mentioned are deployed for duties across population. Qstone with the completion the fl ooding of one of the TBMs Doha and its immediate The two mosques were of tunnelling of the over 13km a year ago. suburbs as part of the ongoing completed this month. The first northern section of its Red Line Once the tunnelling and first phase of the Doha Metro mosque can accommodate between Msherieb and Lusail. the other overhead works are project. up to 536 male and 57 female The formal completion was completed later this year, the As many as 44 nationalities are worshippers and has rooms announced on the stretch be- construction would move into working on the project. Works for three Imams, among other tween Legtaifi ya and Qatar Uni- systems installation as track, are progressing to build 37 facilities. The second mosque can versity. The overhead work in the power supply and signalling stations for the Red, Green and accommodate up to 300 male other stretches of the Red Line work starts. “We will also start Gold lines. and 66 female worshippers and are currently on. Qatar Rail MD Abdulla Abdulaziz al-Subaie (second left), CEO Saad al-Muhannadi and project director for the architectural fi nishes of the From the beginning of has a room for an Imam. Qatar Rail managing direc- the ISG joint venture Barry Crouchman at a briefing about the Doha Metro’s progress update yesterday. station,” added al-Subaie. this month, approximately The authority is responsible tor Abdulla Abdulaziz al-Sub- PICTURE: Jayan Orma Qatar Rail CEO and senior en- 112,580,321 man hours were for determining the needs of aie said tunnelling work on the gineer Saad al-Muhannadi said spent on the project. As part of diff erent areas for mosques. nearly 42km-long Red Line be- Out of the 18 stations on the consortium of Impregilo-SK E tion’s interior is built in Al Qas- the tunnelling works on the Gold the project, 963 tonnes of waste tween Wakrah and Lusail will be Red Line route, 14 are under- & C and Galfar Al Misnad which sar to showcase the materials and Green Lines are expected to has been recycled. completed later this year. ground. So are more than 28km undertook the northern sec- being used in the interior fi ttings. be over soon. More than 63,000 tonnes of Indian embassy “More than 37% of all works of the 42km project. When com- tion’s work between Msherieb The four tunnel boring ma- A mock up of the coaches to steel has been used so far are already complete now. This pleted, it would take only 37 and Lusail and said the JV will chines (TBMs) dug an average be run on the Metro will arrive in and 1.6mn cubic metres of holiday was about 20% in the fi rst one minutes for a journey between also build seven of the 14 under- of 30m a day at their peak in the Doha later this year. “Qatar Rail excavation carried out. It was year after works started in July Lusail and Wakrah in the Metro, ground stations of the project, as section. One of the TBMs, Leb- is planning to put it on public also informed that 2.3mn km of The Indian embassy will 2014,” he explained. In all, 85% compared to not less than 60 per terms of their contract. retha covered as much as 42m on display to help educate the pub- truck runs were completed until remain closed on Thursday, of the tunnelling work of the en- minutes by road. As part of the ongoing con- March 29, 2015. The best com- lic about Doha Metro’s services,” the beginning of March. on the occasion of Holi, it was tire project is also over by now. Al-Subaie also lauded the ISG struction, a mock-up of a sta- bined eff ort of the four TBMs he added. announced yesterday.

Rising artist collaborates with Salam Stores

oor Abuissa, one of Qatar’s ing the power of colour and simplicity rising artists, is collaborating in form and undeniable beauty of her Nwith Salam Stores for a muse- inspiration into various media,” the um-inspired installation and exhibi- statement notes. tion titled Fashion Dream House. Noor is currently an Artist in Resi- Inspired by the interaction between dence at Qatar Museums’ Fire Station art and fashion, Fashion Dream House in Doha and is exploring the use of will use clothing from the latest Spring public interactive installations to bring Summer 2016 fashion collections at a new dimension of her art to a public Salam Stores and Noor’s art to “bring audience. to life everyday living scenes in a play- As a leading retailer, Salam off ers ful way” through installations around more than 450 of the world’s top de- the ground fl oor at The Gate Mall, ac- signer labels, with many being exhibit- cording to a statement. ed as part of the Fashion Dream House The exhibition will be open to the collection. public from March 31 until May 31. “We are proud to support homeg- “I am honoured to have the chance rown talent like Noor, whose designs to co-curate the Fashion Dream House and modern interpretation of tradi- exhibition at one of the region’s pre- tional Islamic artwork meld history and mier retailers and collaborate with a modernity, art and fashion in a beauti- company that has been a long-stand- ful way,” said AbdulSalam Abu Issa, ing supporter of my career,” said Noor. deputy COO, Salam International. Her art is inspired by the funda- The opening of the exhibition will mentals of Islamic design, which she Noor Abuissa be accompanied by a launch event on utilises to communicate emotions March 31, between 7pm and 9pm. through the use of geometry and vi- in this abstract form of art. More details can be seen by follow- brant colour. She is drawn to the bal- “Noor’s chosen media span painting, ing the #FASHIONDREAMHOUSE ance achieved through the symmetry sculpture and furniture design, adapt- hashtag. Expat sentenced to 5 years in prison for stealing phones

oha Criminal Court has sen- The defendants received money give the lawyer of the defendants the tenced an Indian expatriate man from their partners abroad through opportunity to submit his defence ar- Dto fi ve years in prison, dismissal an electronic transaction to their ac- gument. from his public post, and subsequent counts in banks in Doha. deportation. The money was split into various Local Arabic daily reported yester- amounts and credited into diff erent Motorist fined for day that the court ordered him to pay accounts. road crash, driving back a sum of QR972,323 and the same amount as a fi ne. without licence The defendant was convicted by the court for stealing 490 phones owned n expatriate Tunisian motorist by his employer. was fi ned QR1,000 for causing The court documents affi rmed that Athe injury of another motorist. the convict stole phones by entering He was also fi ned QR10,000 for driv- false information on the computer sys- ing a vehicle without a valid driving tem at his work place. He also sold the licence. mobiles and entered into the system Local Arabic daily Arrayah has re- false information and kept the price of ported that the man was also ordered the mobile sets, for himself. Then, they would transfer the money by a Doha Criminal Court to pay a sum back into a bank account in Nigeria. For of QR14,000 in collaboration with the Court reviewing each operation they would get an in- insurance company concerned to the money laundering, come of 25% of the transferred sum. injured person as compensation for The Public Prosecution’s investi- damages. theft case gations revealed that such dubious The accident took place at the In- practices were meant to cover up the dustrial Area, when the defendant Doha Criminal Court has been original source of the money, which is wrongly overtook the vehicle of the reviewing the case of four Ni- believed to be criminal and illegal op- victim crashing into his vehicle and Agerian men accused of money erations. causing him a body disability of 7%. laundering and stealing £27,000, local The court has adjourned the case to Then, it turned out the defendant did Arabic daily reported yesterday. further hear from the witnesses and not have a valid driving licence. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 3 QATAR

Awqaf Minister meets Russian religious leader

HE the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Aff airs Dr Ghaith bin Mubarak al-Kuwari holding talks with Speaker of the Russian Muftis Shura Council and president of the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation Sheikh Rawi Ain al-Deen in Doha yesterday. They discussed a number of issues of common concern.

‘Qatar aims to play positive role in maintaining regional security’

QNA ferring to the a number of peace mediator in the region, Al-Kuwari stressed that Washington regional countries that suf- stressing that the Qatari me- Qatar managed to build a fer from sectarian rift, wars diations in regional confl icts unique foreign policy not and terrorism. were fair and impartial and based on historical rela- atar’s ambassador to Al-Kuwari said in order that they won the confi dence tions and not governed by the United States has to face the increasing chal- of all government and non- big events or military opera- Qunderlined the prin- lenges, new forms of au- government parties. He said tions, but small and gradual ciples of the foreign policy thority from outside the tra- Qatar managed to release steps, and painful in some of the country, stressing ditional and military power Arab and foreign hostages in cases, towards change and that it aims to play a posi- that are more innovative the region including interna- progress. tive role in building peace should be adopted. tional peacekeepers and US “This is what we endeav- and maintaining regional He said states’ policies, in journalists. oured for in Syria since the stability. general, are based on joining On relations with Iran, biginning of the confl ict Addressing a group of big alliances and investing ambassador al-Kuwari said through calling on the Syrian American and foreign stu- their national wealth and Qatar maintains good rela- regime to open doors gradu- dents at the International resources to ensure a greater tions with Teheran and al- ally for political and civilian Student House of Washing- independence of their for- ways urges a peaceful and reforms”, al-Kuwari said. On ton DC, which works for en- eign policies and infl uence, diplomatic solution to the the situation in Yemen, al- hancing cultural exchange explaining that these two Iranian nuclear confl ict, Kuwari reaffi rmed Qatar’s and international relations, examples of policies com- referring in this respect to eff orts to bring a peaceful Mohamed Jaham al-Kuwari pliment the strategy of Qa- Doha call last year’s for a di- settlement to the confl ict said that the Middle East is tar’s foreign policy. alogue with Iran for ending and pave the way for a joint at a crossroads as security He also referred to the diff erences through focus- international eff ort to re- and peace are aff ected, re- role of Qatar as a reliable ing on joint interests. build the country.

Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 5 QATAR Foreign Ministry’s IT system receives ISO certifi cation

QNA Doha

nformation Systems and Technology at the Min- Iistry of Foreign Aff airs has obtained the ISO 27001 Certifi cation in Information Security Management Sys- tem (ISMS). Such an achievement is a culmination of the ef- forts being exerted in or- der to improve the techni- cal aspects in the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs and the certifi cate documents the Information Technology Off icials from the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs displaying the ISO 27001 certification. functions within the Min- istry in the areas of devel- providing maximum pro- taining the ISO 27001 Certi- a prestigious certifi cation opment, implementation, tection for the information. fi cation, praising the eff orts from ISO affi rms the Min- operation, monitoring, Director of Information being made by all employees istry’s keenness to develop review, maintaining infor- Systems and Technology who worked with dedica- security systems, internal mation security systems as at the Ministry of Foreign tion to achieve the required processes, technical and part of a continuous risk Aff airs, Dr Saif al-Kuwari standards. human resources to protect management process and expressed pleasure at ob- The achievement of such the information, he added.

HMC marks World Oral Health Day

QNA ity of life. The GCC Oral “This year’s World Oral tal Center team in 2014. Doha Health Week aims to unify Health Day and GCC Oral “Good oral care, including activities and awareness Health Week activities are proper oral hygiene and regu- programmes that contrib- part of our eff orts to raise lar dental check-ups, can also amad Dental Center ute to the promotion of oral awareness among Qatar’s help one avoid other health at Hamad Medical and dental health in all GCC population of the impor- problems by keeping harmful HCorporation (HMC) countries. tance of oral health and the bacteria under control. Poor is hosting a number of ac- Members of the public impact that it has on their oral health has been shown tivities in recognition of are invited to visit the oral overall health and well-be- to contribute to the devel- World Oral Health Day and health tent at Souq Wa- ing,” said Dr Mohamed Sul- opment of many diseases, GCC Oral Health Week. qif. Visitors can avail of tan al-Darwish, Consultant including cardiovascular dis- World Oral Health Day is free dental check-ups and of Dental Public Health at ease and diabetes,” said Dr marked by most countries counselling, workshops and HMC and President of the Najat al-Sayed, Senior Con- every year on 20 March. educational materials be- Qatar Dental Society. sultant and Head of HMC’s The activities will last till ing provided by the Hamad About 85% of school- Orthodontics Section. March 27. World Oral Health Dental Center staff . School children in Qatar experi- According to the World Day aims to raise awareness children will also take part ence tooth decay and other Dental Federation (WDF), of the importance of oral in a programme. Activities oral health problems, ac- 90% of the world’s popula- health to a person’s gen- will run from 8:30am to cording to research con- tion will have an oral disease eral well-being and qual- 8pm daily during the week. ducted by the Hamad Den- during their lifetime. Gulf Times 6 Monday, March 21, 2016 QATAR WISH conference to discuss ‘Precision Medicine’

he World Innova- policy, in contrast to the one- only increase complexity, drive The WISH report will recom- es in both practice and policy. WISH, said: “Traditional medi- tion Summit for Health size-fi ts-all approaches of the up costs, and increase inequity,” mend how PM can be imple- Guided by the principles of PM, cal care has leveraged a one- T(WISH), a global ini- past. Dzau said. mented based on the expertise of developing the collection and size-fi ts-all approach to de- tiative of Qatar Foundation for Prof Victor Dzau, president of “In order to maximise the those at the forefront of its prac- analysis of such data could reveal livering health. However, with Education, Science and Com- the Institute of Medicine of the impact of PM, every PM inno- tice and development. The cru- even better methods to improve personal genome sequencing munity Development recently National Academy of Sciences vation must provide evidence cial measurable results for PM healthcare. costing less than $1,000 and announced that a ‘Precision will chair the forum. it will lower costs and improve - patient outcomes and lowered In addition, the report will continuous advancements in Medicine’ forum will be present- “The fi eld of precision medi- outcomes and is better than the costs - will be discussed, as well delve into the ever-present le- technology, precision medicine ed during its 2016 conference in cine is rapidly advancing and current standard of care. This as how those can be incentivised gal, ethical, and social concerns is becoming a primary area of in- November. will have a major impact on the requires health outcomes and within healthcare systems. surrounding data collection, and novation. The WISH Precision Precision medicine (PM) tai- practice of medicine. How- economic analysis both short The report will address the will suggest how PM can be sup- Medicine forum report draws lors healthcare to account for ever, scientifi c and technologi- and long term. Regulatory and benefi ts of cross-referencing ported and funded at the system upon some of the best minds in variables in each patient’s genes, cal progress does not guarantee payment frameworks should be relevant data. Properly analysing level, leveraging public-private modern healthcare to show how environment, lifestyle, and that the benefi ts of PM will reach developed to evaluate and in- the full breadth of information partnerships to create sustain- health systems can help deliver other factors. It represents the the general public. Furthermore, centivise cost-eff ective PM in- gathered by health systems has able, eff ective change. on that promise faster for the cutting-edge of treatment and there is concern that PM will novations.” produced unexpected advanc- Egbert Schillings, CEO of benefi t of their populations.” Prof Victor Dzau

CBeebies on beIN from April 1

BBC Worldwide has in the Mena region, which announced that CBeebies we know will entertain will launch as a linear and educate local channel in the Middle East pre-schoolers in equal and North Africa (Mena) on measure.” Experts attend April 1 for subscribers of CBeebies will introduce the the beIN DTH service. following key titles: This is the first time that Go Jetters, which follows CBeebies is entering the adventures of Xuli, the Mena market as a Kyan, Lars and Foz, as they full channel and will be travel the world with their available exclusively on teacher, mentor and friend, QU seminar on beIN. Ubercorn. CBeebies is a 24-hour Hey Duggee, an animated channel and will be series where Duggee, a big available in original English lovable dog, runs a club for audio. It can be viewed on pre-schoolers. the beIN platform, channel Sarah and Duck Series ‘Post COP21’ number 134. 2, which follows the Yousef al-Obaidly, deputy adventures of Sarah and atar University (QU) yes- CEO of beIN Media Group, her loud, quacky friend terday held a seminar on said: “Our partnership with Duck, as they explore the Q“Post COP21: Qatar and BBC enhances our kids’ world around them in the Paris Agreement”, in collab- entertainment portfolio unexpected ways. oration with the French embassy even further. I am sure Clangers, which is a and Unesco. that the CBeebies content contemporary version The event drew experts, stu- will be consumed by our of the British classic dents and researchers to discuss subscribers throughout animated television show QAC and Liderkit off icials in front of Liderkit’s headquarters in southern the issue of global warming in the region.” narrated by award-winning Spain. general and the Paris agreement Natasha Hussain, vice- actor, writer, presenter and its implementation in par- president and general and comedian Michael ticular. manager for the Middle Palin. Katie Morag Series It included addresses by QU East and Mediterranean 2, which follows the vice president for research and region, BBC Worldwide, adventures of Katie Morag, QAC is distributor graduate studies Prof Mariam noted: “We have a fantastic who lives with her family al-Maadeed, French ambassador Eric Chevallier Ahmed al-Sada line-up of brand new on a beautiful Scottish Eric Chevallier, assistant un- programmes for viewers island. for Liderkit products dersecretary for Environmental tributes to set new goals and to Aff airs at Ministry of Munici- implement them through the use pality and Environment Ahmed of renewable energy.” atar Automobiles Com- tions, as well as the quick assembly al-Sada, and Unesco Doha Offi ce Paolini called for greener pany (QAC) has signed an and high quality standards. director Anna Paolini. economies, greener legislation, Qagreement with Liderkit as Liderkit’s production system Prof al-Maadeed noted that and greener policies for sustain- the exclusive distributor for its en- combines all the stages in the de- Qatar is fully aware of the im- ability. tire range of products in Qatar. velopment of the product, allow- portance of environmental de- “We need also greener socie- The agreement was signed dur- ing manufacturing of orders in a velopment, which is among the ties. However, to succeed, fun- ing a meeting which took place short period of time. The result is four pillars of its Vision 2030. damentally, we need green citi- recently in Jaen, south of Spain. a product that is ‘very aff ordable, “Environmental development zens. This calls for new ways of The meeting was the culmination reliable, long-lasting and compet- contributes to ensuring the co- seeing the world, new ways of of year-long negotiations with the itive in any market of the world.’ herence and consistency be- thinking, new ways of behaving, Spanish manufacturer with the Liderkit, which has a presence in tween economic and social de- and new ways of acting. Edu- fi rst shipment arriving in Qatar in more than 30 countries, gets 75% velopment and the protection of cation is essential to shape the March/April this year. of the total turnover from exports. the environment.” new values, skills and knowledge Anna Paolini Liderkit Group is a market QAC was founded by the late Chevallier said the “Paris we need for the century ahead. leader producing a diverse vari- Sheikh Nasser bin Khaled al-Thani agreement should now be turned Education is the red thread ty- Programme manager Dr Hareb ety of vehicle bodies in aluminium, in 1970 as a subsidiary of Nasser into action for the benefi t of fu- ing Agenda 2030 and the deci- Aljabri, QU policy analyst Dr polyester, sandwich, plywood, iso- Bin Khaled Holding which has ture generations.” sions of the COP21 Conference Laurent Lambert, and French thermal, fridge box bodies and car more than 70 years of experience Al-Sada said: “Qatar puts en- together.” embassy’s Scientifi c and Higher recovery platforms, which are dis- in the automotive industry. vironmental issues at the top of The programme agenda in- Education Attaché Genevieve tributed in kit form to be mounted For over 40 years QAC has com- its priorities, in line with its on- cluded sessions chaired by QU Nguyen. on the vehicle chassis. mitted itself to constantly ex- going eff orts towards sustainable College of Law professor and Also attending were ambassa- The main advantage of the ceeding the expectations of its development, and the promotion editor-in-chief of the “Interna- dor of Morocco M El Mekki Ga- product is its versatility and design customers, guided by its steadfast of global co-operation to achieve tional Review of Law” Dr Talal ouane, QU faculty and students as any requirements by customers commitment to upgrading cus- the international economic wel- al-Emadi, QU College of Arts apart from students from Lycée can be produced to their specifi ca- tomers’ experience and service. fare. The Paris agreement con- & Sciences Algal Technologies Voltaire.

QDF vouchers for Ooredoo customers

Ooredoo and Qatar Duty Free are available at QDF. Ooredoo (QDF) have re-launched their Passport Card customers Scratch and Win Competition. get 100 roaming minutes Ooredoo customers can win for all incoming, outgoing QDF Shopping gift vouchers calls, 1GB of roaming mobile up to QR1,000 while buying data in more than 60 Ooredoo Passport Card at countries and an extra 1GB QDF at Hamad International of roaming mobile data for Airport before April 30. use in the GCC region. The Customers will then be Ooredoo Passport works on given a special scratch card all GCC networks and while which off ers them a chance roaming in GCC customers to win one of three prizes, a can enjoy 4G speeds in the discount of QR50 / QR100 UAE (Etisalat), Saudi Arabia / QR1,000 for purchases (Mobily & STC), Bahrain at QDF. A wide range of (Batelco), Kuwait (Ooredoo products, including perfumes, Kuwait) and Oman (Ooredoo food, clothes and souvenirs Oman), at no additional cost.

Gulf Times 8 Monday, March 21, 2016 QATAR CNA-Q celebrates multiculturalism ollege of the North At- from various embassies. CNA-Q president Dr Ken Ma- lantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) CNA-Q’s Qatari student cLeod said, “Our college com- Cheld a new event to cel- body offi cially hosted the event, munity is a lot like Qatar – we ebrate multiculturalism on its where students and staff repre- are comprised of a mosaic of in- campus. senting 19 countries showcased dividuals who come from diff er- Souk Areej Min Baladi (Flavours of My Homeland) being inaugurated at CNA-Q. The inaugural Souk Areej their heritage and traditions. ent backgrounds and heritages. Min Baladi (Flavours of My Over 3,500 members of the pub- In the past we have displayed public to come directly onto our as ambassadors of their native hallmark of Qatari culture.” Career Development who sup- Homeland) opened on Thurs- lic visited the campus courtyard our multi-faceted college com- campus to learn about the many countries. We decided to do this Souk Areej Min Baladi was or- plied vendors providing delicious day in the presence of ambas- as it was transformed into a munity at an event called Global countries that are represented in a souk-style setting, which, ganised, in part, with the Bedaya food, handicrafts, jewellery, sadors and other representatives lively souk. Village. This year we invited the here, and let the students shine of course, is the quintessential Centre for Entrepreneurship and clothing and accessories.

QIB launches credit card spends campaign

atar Islamic Bank The winners will be se- (QIB) has announced lected through a random Qits latest credit card electronic draw to be held by spends campaign, giving card May 2016, with cash prizes holders the opportunity to credited to winners’ cur- win up to QR25,000 when rent or savings accounts. making purchases, locally or The prizes include a main internationally, until April 30. prize of QR25,000, three of Eligible cardholders, in- QR10,000 each for inter- cluding supplementary national spends, three of cardholders, who spend a QR10,000 each for domestic minimum of QR5,000 or spends, 20 of QR2,000 each equivalent on international for international spends, purchases or a minimum and 20 of QR2,000 each for of QR10,000 on domestic domestic spends. purchases, will be entered “QIB customers have an- into the draw. An additional other reason to enjoy the entry will be extended for world-class credit card of- each international spend ferings,” said D Anand, of QR5,000 and domestic general manager of QIB’s spend of QR10,000. Personal Banking Group.

Book presented

HE the Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah was presented with a book on the sacrifices of Indians in World War I by Sanjiv Arora, Indian ambassador, recently.

Cadillac Escalade models recalled The Ministry of Economy and follow up on vehicles’ defects Commerce, in collaboration and repair them. with Mannai Trading The MEC will co-ordinate with Company, has announced the dealer to follow up on the recall of Cadillac Escalade the maintenance and repair 2011-2012 models. works and communicate The recall is to rectify a with customers to ensure problem caused by the outer that the necessary repairs diameter of the ignition are carried out. The MEC key cylinder exceeding the has urged all customers to standard diameter. report any violations to its The MEC said the recall Consumer Protection and Anti- campaign comes within the Commercial Fraud Department framework of its ongoing through the following eff orts to protect consumers channels: Hotline: 16001, and ensure that car dealers e-mail: [email protected] Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 9 QATAR Ezdan extends support to Civil Defence campaigns

zdan Holding Group has donated QR1mn Eto the General Di- rectorate of the Civil De- fence (GDCD) to support its awareness campaigns among all the segments of society. Ezdan Holding chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani bin Abdulla al-Thani pre- sented the cheque to GDCD director general Staff Briga- dier General Abdulla Mo- hamed al-Suwaidi. GDCD assistant direc- tor general Brigadier Aman Saad al-Sulaiti and Preven- tion Department director Major Hussein Aman al-Ali were present at the ceremo- Ezdan Holding chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani bin Abdulla al-Thani presenting the ny held at the Ezdan Holding cheque to GDCD director general Staff Brigadier General Abdulla Mohamed al-Suwaidi. headquarters at Dafna area. Brigadier al-Suwaidi Ezdan Holding has always ture of safety and secu- Sheikh Dr Khalid affi rmed thanked Ezdan Holding on been a pioneer in promoting rity in co-operation will all that Ezdan Holding is keen behalf of the GDCD for such the activities that serve Qa- government and non-gov- to support all the activities a support that would refl ect tari society. ernment entities is among of the Ministry of Interior, positively on the aware- The official also asserted the main priorities of the giving priority to those of ness eff orts. He recalled that that disseminating a cul- GDCD. the GDCD.

Maritime audit gets under way

E the Minister of Mohamed bin Abdullah Transport and al-Rumaihi attended the HCommunications session along with Qatar’s Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti director-general of Public said yesterday that maritime Security Saad bin Jassim al- transport in Qatar had been Khulaifi , who also serves as developing in all aspects in chairman of the permanent accordance with Shariah, committee for emergency which values the safety of in the Ministry of Interior. lives and the conservation of Al-Sulaiti said that his the environment. ministry’s plans involved im- He highlighted in par- proving the shipping capabil- ticular the development in ities of its ports. He thanked ports, building of ships and the international mandatory dry docks. The minister was audit team and stressed that speaking at the opening the ministry was committed session of the International to all agreements with the Maritime Organisation’s International Maritime Or- mandatory audit for mem- ganisation. he added that the ber states. ministry would co-operate HE the Minister of Mu- with the audit team to help nicipality and Environment make their visit a success. Gulf Times 10 Monday, March 21, 2016 QATAR

QSTP to host innovation Katara Hospitality to promote session at ARC ’16

atar’s primary in- efi t of Qatar’s society. The To further explain brand awareness at QIFF cubator for tech- event will also address the QSTP’s invaluable role in Qnology develop- country’s national Re- bridging the gap between ment, Qatar Science & search Grand Challenges research and commerciali- atara Hospitality is launch- and international hotel portfolio. and Doha Film Institute, who will Technology Park (QSTP), on a global scale. sation, while facilitating ing an initiative designed In April, Katara Hospitality will screen two popular family fi lms as part of Qatar Foundation The parallel sessions the transformation of in- Kto highlight the evolution also bring the fl avours of Qatari part of QIFF 2016 activities planned Research and Develop- will be led by Hamad al- spiring ideas into products of its food and beverage concepts cuisine to all of its local and inter- at the satellite venue in Qanat ment (QF R&D), will host a Kuwari, QSTP managing that address various mar- at the seventh edition of the Qatar national hotels by introducing Ka- Quartier at the Pearl-Qatar. parallel conference session director; Haya al-Ghanim, ket demands, the sessions International Food Festival (QIFF). tara Specialties, a culinary palette Acclaimed animation fi lms at Qatar Foundation’s An- QSTP innovation director; at ARC ’16 will highlight As the offi cial hospitality partner steeped in Qatari cuisine. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs nual Research Conference and Dr Danny Ramadan, the diff erent support pro- of the event, the Qatar-based global The hotel developer will also host by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and (ARC ’16). acting director of Strategic grammes it off ers to the hotel developer aims to raise brand its fi rst Qatar Restaurant Week to- Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki will be During the event, QSTP Research at QSTP. community. awareness through its culinary wards the end of 2016, a culinary screened throughout the festival will address the diff erent Al-Kuwari said, “QSTP Speakers will elaborate off erings. initiative off ering food enthusi- at 7.30pm at the Qanat Quartier needs of the innovation strives to be a unique plat- on the services, which in- “We place high importance on in- asts unique dining experiences at Beach Pop-Up. community in Qatar and form that transforms crea- clude the proof of concept itiatives that enhance our combined aff ordable unifi ed prices. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs the wider region, bring- tive ideas in Qatar and the fund, aimed at providing product off ering while highlighting The seventh QIFF promises to (2009) is a computer-animated sci- ing together some of the pan-Arab region into re- grants to focus on product our passion for creating the ulti- be the largest and most exciting ence fi ction comedy fi lm loosely world’s brightest industry ality. We have committed development; the Acceler- mate guest experiences,” said Ha- culinary celebration in Qatar. based on the children’s book of the minds. ARC ’16 will take ourselves to be the hub for ator, designed to help en- mad Abdulla al-Mulla, CEO, Katara The festival, fi rst organised in Katara Hospitality CEO Hamad same name by Judi and Ron Barrett. place from tomorrow at technological and scien- trepreneurs and research- Hospitality. 2010 as part of Qatar’s strategy to Abdulla al-Mulla Ponyo (2008) is a Japanese ani- the Qatar National Con- tifi c innovations and an es- ers assess the commercial Partnering with Qatar Tour- grow and diversify its tourism off er- mated fantasy fi lm produced by vention Centre, providing sential supporter of aspir- viability of a business idea; ism Authority (QTA) and Qatar ings, has gained popularity and gone Qatar and Katara - the Cultural Vil- Studio Ghibli. The plot centres on a platform to highlight the ing entrepreneurs through and the Incubator, which Airways at this year’s edition, Ka- from strength to strength, receiving lage, alongside the main venue at a goldfi sh named Ponyo who be- importance of strategic in- our permanent mission facilitates the estab- tara Hospitality wants to provide 170,000 visitors last year. the Museum of Islamic Art. friends a fi ve-year-old human boy, vestment in research and to implement Qatar’s Na- lishment of technology guests unique yet diverse culi- This year, QIFF has grown to span QIFF 2016’s offi cial festivity part- Sosuke, and wants to become a innovation for the ben- tional Research Strategy.” development start-ups. nary experiences within their local new satellite venues in The Pearl- ners include Ooredoo, Baraem TV, human girl.

Lebaiab Health Centre to off er new services soon

he Lebaiab Health illness will be referred to Ha- Centre will introduce mad Medical Corporation.” Tnew services such as Dr al-Sa’adi noted that psychotherapy clinic, can- early screening programme cer-screening programme to detect breast and colon and ‘beautiful smile’ pro- cancer will be among the gramme to fi ght tooth new programmes slated to decay, soon. be implemented in the near Dr Mona al-Sa’adi, of Pri- future. mary Health Care Corpora- She added that the family tion, said that 9,000 visi- doctor service is other new tors have registered during service that will be applied the fi rst three months at the at the health centre. health centre and 10,000 This service includes a are expected to register at certain number of individu- the health centre for various als and families to be con- cases in the fi rst year. sulted by a specifi c family Dr al-Sa’adi said, “The doctor, who will have a full psychotherapy clinics are knowledge of the family’s limited to treat moder- medical history. The doc- ate cases of mental illness, tor will work with them to such as moderate stress motivate them to take pre- and depression, through ventive actions through the medication or psychological early detection of diseases therapy sessions. However, that may threaten their advanced cases of mental lives.

People attend a session at the workshop . QCHP holds workshop for CPD providers

he accreditation were accredited under the department of the provisional QCHP-AD TQatar Council for standards. The representa- Healthcare Practitioners tives from University of (QCHP-AD) organised a Calgary in Qatar, Weill Cor- workshop for Continuous nell Medicine in Qatar, Pri- Professional Development mary Health Care Corpora- (CPD) providers. tion, and School of Health The workshop aimed to Sciences-Qatar University ensure the smooth func- attended this session. tioning of the National The session explained the CME/CPD accreditation new QCHP accreditation systems. The workshop standards and application included two sessions. The process for accreditation first session was intended of CME/CPD activities in to target CPD providers addition to the application accredited under the new process for accreditation as QCHP-AD CME/CPD ac- CPD provider. creditation standards. The workshop was highly Attendees from Hamad interactive and included Medial Corporation, Sidra presentations, group dis- Medical Research Center, cussions and question- College of Pharmacy at and-answer sessions. Qatar University and Col- QCHP-AD has dedicated a lege of North Atlantic- special time, every Monday Qatar participated in this from 11.30am to 1pm, to be session to enhance their an open day for hosting knowledge about CPD ac- healthcare practitioners and tivities, application form, CPD providers at the Minis- and attachments required try of Public Health premis- under the new QCHP-AD es to answer their ques- standards. tions related to the National The second session tar- CME/CPD programme and geted those providers who accreditation system. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD Iran’s leader says US still hostile after N-deal

Reuters a challenge to President Has- places which are under US infl u- Obama off ers Iranian holiday greetings country, and constructive en- Dubai san Rouhani, the architect of last ence, our banking transactions gagement with the world, our year’s nuclear deal who hopes to and the repatriation of our funds US President Barack Obama the lifting of painful UN and economy can bloom and devel- open Iran’s economy to the world. from their banks face prob- off ered holiday greetings to Western sanctions, including on op,” Rouhani said. he US is still fundamentally In keeping with the deal, lems ... because (banks) fear the Iranians celebrating the first its lifeblood oil exports. The president’s allies made hostile to Iran and its poli- many international sanctions on Americans,” he said. Nowruz, or new year, since a “Every year as president I’ve gains in parliamentary elections Tcies have undermined the Iran were lifted in January. Since “The US Treasury ... acts in landmark nuclear deal, and taken this opportunity, the hope last month that could help him benefi ts of sanctions relief, the then foreign business delega- such a way that big corporations, welcomed “a chance for a of spring, to speak directly with push through reforms in support Islamic Republic’s hardline leader tions have fl ocked to Tehran and big institutions and big banks do diff erent future” between the the people of Iran about how of a more open economy. But said yesterday, warning Iranians billions of dollars of deals have not dare to come and deal with two countries. we might open a new window Khamenei and his conservative not to trust their old enemy. been signed. Iran,” Khamenei said. The Cen- Tehran and six world powers, and begin a new relationship Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah allies have the power to block Ringing in a new Iranian year But European banks and tral Bank of Iran has also said including the US, agreed to with our countries,” Obama said Ali Khamenei poses before new legislation. at a televised rally in Mashhad, other companies have stayed remaining US sanctions have the deal in July when Iran Saturday in a video message to delivering a speech marking Khamenei, a 76-year-old supreme leader Ayatollah Ali away, largely due to remaining scared off European rms.fi promised to scale down its the Iranian people, posted online Nowruz, Iranian new year, cleric, also urged the young men Khamenei said fear of US regu- US sanctions. That, Khamenei To drive the point home, the nuclear activities in return for one day ahead of Nowruz. yesterday. in the crowd not to forget Iran’s lations was keeping big foreign said, was a sign that Iran should stage on which Khamenei sat car- revolutionary history, which he companies, particularly in the be economically self-reliant be- ried a giant banner reading “the ingly at odds with Khamenei, said was proof that the Islamic fi nancial sector, away from Iran. cause the US and its allies were year of the Resistance Economy: year 1395 that began yesterday. ment with other countries was who outranks him. Republic could stand on its own The uncompromising stance not reliable partners. Action and Implementation”, In a video message earlier, the key to economic growth, a “I am sure that with co-op- and that foreign powers were not of Iran’s most senior fi gure poses “In Western countries and his chosen slogan for the Iranian Rouhani said further engage- view that has put him increas- eration and eff ort inside the to be trusted. Business Page 2

Nine migrants drown off Libya, 55 killed in hundreds rescued

AFP two days of Tripoli ine migrants trying to reach Europe have drowned off Libya and hundreds more Nbeen rescued, the Red Crescent said yesterday amid fears of an increase in crossing attempts as the route from Turkey closes. Leaders from six EU nations led by Brit- Yemen fi ght ain held talks in Brussels on Friday on how to tackle the fl ow of migrants across the Medi- AFP siege of the southwestern city. fi ghting between pro-govern- terranean from Libya after a European naval Aden “At least 26 people, includ- ment forces and rebels, two task force plucked more than 3,100 from the ing 14 civilians, have been killed loyalists were killed late Satur- water in just three days. in 24 hours” in rebel shelling of day in an ambush that targeted The nine who died were among several hun- t least 55 people, in- residential neighbourhoods a convoy heading from Taiz to dred migrants who were discovered aboard cluding 14 civilians, and loyalist positions, a local Aden, a military source said, dilapidated boats off the port of Zawiya, west Ahave been killed in two offi cial said. accusing the Islamic State of Tripoli, on Saturday, Libyan Red Crescent days of fi ghting between pro- Taiz lies between Sanaa, group of being behind the at- spokesman Malek Mersit said. government forces and Shia which rebels overran in Sep- tack. A total of 586 migrants were rescued, said Houthi rebels in Yemen, offi - tember 2014, and the port city IS and Al Qaeda militants Colonel Ayoub Qassem, spokesman for the cials said yesterday. of Aden - the temporary base have gained ground in south- navy of a Tripoli administration that has dis- The clashes came as UN spe- of the government of President ern Yemen since the coali- puted power with Libya’s internationally rec- cial envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. tion launched air strikes in the ognised government since 2014. Ahmed was in the rebel-held On another front, six pro- country in March last year, af- They included 11 children and 60 women, capital Sanaa for meetings with Hadi fi ghters and seven rebels ter the rebels closed in on Hadi and were mainly Bangladeshis and Sudanese, the Houthis aimed at restart- were killed on Saturday in in Aden, forcing him to fl ee to he said. The drownings came just days af- ing peace talks with the inter- clashes in the southern prov- Riyadh. ter four migrants were killed in a boat fi re off nationally recognised govern- ince of Shabwa, where loyalists Loyalists last summer re- Libya and another 187 rescued. ment. advanced in the oil-rich area of captured Aden and four other European leaders fear that a deal with Tur- Since Saturday, fi ghting has Baihan, another military source southern provinces including key to tackle the EU’s worst ever migrant crisis raged in the outskirts of third said. Shabwa, but its northern area will spark an acceleration in the already large city Taiz as rebels try to retake In the neighbouring province of Baihan remained in rebels number of crossing attempts from Libya. positions lost in recent weeks of Marib, pro-Hadi forces on hands. Around 330,000 have landed in Italy from to loyalists, military sources Saturday captured the Harib The World Health Organisa- Libya since the start of 2014. said. area, the military source said, tion says fi ghting in Yemen has The lawlessness that has reigned in the Pro-government forces adding that 13 rebels and three killed more than 6,200 people North African nation since the Nato-backed backed by a Saudi-led coalition loyalists were killed in the over the past year and the UN overthrow of veteran dictator Muammar managed earlier this month fi ghting. has warned of an unfolding hu- Gaddafi in 2011 has made it a favoured jump- to break a months-long rebel As well as the 55 dead in manitarian catastrophe. ing-off point.

World heritage site

The Wadi Rum and its stunning landscape in southern Jordan is listed as a Unesco world heritage protected site, with the organisation noting its ancient rock carvings and archaeological remains. The hiking guides on the recent trip say they have led fewer groups in recent months than in previous years due to security fears in the Middle East. Nevertheless, some Israeli hikers continue to travel to neighbouring Jordan to participate in such treks.

Death toll in IS attack in Egypt’s Sinai rises to 15

AFP fi re late on Saturday, but IS said a of policemen and soldiers. After it took off from a South Sinai beach Cairo suicide bomber blew up a car at the Egypt’s military overthrew Islam- resort. police post, which militants then ist president Mohamed Mursi in The group said it had smuggled raided. 2013, the militants launched an explosives packed into a soda can on he death toll from an at- Three officers and 12 police- insurgency that has persisted de- to the aircraft. tack on a police checkpoint men were killed in the attack, the spite a massive army campaign in The military says it has killed Tclaimed by the Islamic State ministry said in a statement yes- North Sinai. more than 1,000 militants, occa- militant group in Egypt’s Sinai Pe- terday, updating an earlier death The militants have also attacked sionally publishing pictures of their ninsula has risen to 15, the interior toll of 13. tourists. bodies. ministry said yesterday. The attack was the deadliest in The militant group claimed re- Security offi cials said that fi ve at- The ministry said a checkpoint months in Sinai, where IS’s Egyp- sponsibility for bombing a Russian tackers were killed in clashes near near North Sinai’s provincial capi- tian branch is waging an insur- airliner on October 31, killing all the checkpoint after it was attacked tal of El Arish was struck by mortar gency that has killed hundreds 224 people on board, minutes after on Saturday. Gulf Times 12 Monday, March 21, 2016 ARAB WORLD Syria peace talks grind towards Assad question

Reuters he praised the opposition for the killed more than 250,000 people take the Geneva talks seriously. a brief statement after the longest Opposition rejects election-related delay in talks Geneva depth of their ideas, but criti- and caused a refugee crisis. And de Mistura appointed a Rus- session of the talks so far. cised the veteran diplomats on The main opposition, along sian expert to sit in the negotia- But offi cials and diplomats in- The Syrian opposition said the past week in Geneva with the government side for getting with the US and other Western tions with him and to advise on volved in the talks variously de- yesterday it rejected any at- UN Special Envoy Staff an de yrian government negotia- bogged down. nations, has long insisted any political issues. scribed the document as “very tempt by the government to Mistura, who has said he plans tors at Geneva peace talks “The government is currently peace deal must include his de- Unlike previous rounds, the thin”, “bland” and “off the point”. delay the next round of peace to suspend them on Thursday Sare coming under unaccus- focusing very much on princi- parture from power, while the talks have run for a week with- It listed familiar goals such as talks in Geneva until after Syria and resume in early April. tomed pressure to discuss some- ples, which are necessary in any Syrian government and Russia out any hint of collapse, forcing maintaining a secular state and holds a parliamentary election Salim Al-Muslat, spokesman of thing far outside their comfort type of common ground on the have said there is no such clause in the government delegation led by Syria’s territorial integrity and on April 13. the opposition High Nego- zone: the fate of President Bashar transition,” he said. “But I hope the international agreements that Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar the importance of fi ghting ter- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tiations Committee (HNC), told al-Assad. And they are doing next week, and I have been say- underwrite the peace process. Ja’afari to acknowledge de Mis- rorism, according to sources who called the election last month, in reporters in Geneva: “We are for their best to avoid it. ing so to them, that we will get The Syrian president looked tura’s demands. have read it. But it said nothing a sign of confidence reflecting continuing the negotiations. We UN mediator Staff an de Mistu- their opinion, their details on more secure than ever at the start Ja’afari began by giving de Mis- about a political transition. his growing momentum on the won’t accept a postponement to ra describes Syria’s political tran- how they see the political transi- of the latest round of talks, rid- tura a document entitled “Basic In sessions with de Mistura, battlefield after five years of civil hold illegitimate elections. sition as “the mother of all issues” tion taking place.” ing high after a Russian-backed elements for a political solution”. Ja’afari has approached the ne- war. Elections are held every “We didn’t receive anything and, emboldened by the Russian Arguments over Assad’s fate military campaign. “Approving these principles gotiations as slowly as possible, four years and the last one was from Mr. de Mistura calling for a and US muscle that brought the were a major cause of the failure But Russia’s surprise with- will open a serious dialogue under reopening UN resolutions and in 2012. delay...We’ll raise this with Mr. De participants to the negotiating ta- of previous UN peace eff orts in drawal of most of its forces dur- Syrian leadership without foreign going through them “by the let- The two warring sides have Mistura, we reject a postpone- ble, he refuses to drop the subject. 2012 and 2014 to end a civil war ing the week signalled that Mos- intervention and without precon- ter”, said a source with knowl- been holding separate talks for ment.” After a week of talks in Geneva, that has now lasted fi ve years, cow expected its Syrian allies to ditions,” Ja’afari said on Friday, in edge of the process. Home of key witness to arson attack is torched

AFP the outside and fl ammable ma- had not done enough to prevent Duma terials were found in the rubble,” such violence. Colonel Malek Ali, fi re chief for Amiram Ben-Uliel, 21, from the the nearby city of Nablus, said. northern West Bank settlement ire yesterday engulfed the Another family member, Nass- of Shilo, was charged with three home of a key witness to an er Dawabsha, said he believed the counts of murder and one of at- Farson attack by Jewish ex- fi re was intended to “send a mes- tempted murder, arson and con- tremists that killed a Palestinian sage to the family and the village: spiracy to commit a hate crime. Trucks began moving stacked rubbish outside Beirut under a plan adopted by the Lebanese government to put an end to the waste crisis that family last year, but he survived ‘This witness must disappear.’” A 17-year-old, whose name has been going on for eight months. the blaze, police and residents Israeli police had initially said remains under a gag order, was said. “all leads will be investigated”, charged with being an accessory The home of Ibrahim Dawab- issuing a gag order on the probe. to committing a racially moti- sha is in Duma in the occupied Israel’s Shin Bet internal secu- vated murder. West Bank, the same village rity agency said later the investi- Ben-Uliel and the minor, who where a July fi rebombing killed gation’s fi ndings were indicating lived in another wildcat settle- an 18-month-old Palestinian that “this is not a nationalisti- ment near Duma at the time, alleg- Beirut trash clean-up boy and his parents. cally motivated incident”. edly plotted to avenge the shooting Israeli authorities were inves- “The fi ndings collected so far death of an Israeli near Shilo by a tigating the cause of the fi re at at the scene are not characteris- Palestinian one month earlier. the second fl oor home, though tic of deliberate Jewish arson at- At the time, Prime Minister residents said they believed it tacks,” a Shin Bet statement read. Benjamin Netanyahu labelled begins as critics cry foul was started by Molotov cocktails the fi rebombing “terrorism” - a and Palestinian offi cials reacted “We hold the Israeli word usually used by Israelis to AFP tivists have opposed the plan, have long opposed the use of the have incineration - I don’t know angrily to what they viewed as government fully refer to violence committed by Beirut demanding a more environ- site but when it was shut in July if you can call this a plan, be- another extremist attack. responsible for the crimes Palestinians. mentally sound solution. no alternative was proposed. cause it certainly has nothing to Dawabsha and his wife were in Duma” Israel came under heavy pres- Workers could be seen yester- Two other landfi lls are also do with planning.” awakened overnight by thick sure to try those responsible, orkers began at the day at Jdeideh, a suburb north planned for Burj Hammoud, Activists from the “You smoke, residents said. The July 31 attack on a fam- with rights groups questioning weekend removing of Beirut, using front loaders to a mainly Armenian suburb of Stink” movement and other The young couple, relatives of ily home in the village killed the delay in investigating the Wtonnes of rubbish that pack piles of trash into dozens northern Beirut, and Costa groups have also demanded the family killed in July’s attack, 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha case and contrasting it to the have piled up around Lebanon’s of trucks. Brava to the south of the capital, long-term solutions, including were hospitalised for smoke in- and fatally injured his parents. swift response that generally fol- capital under a government plan “The stench is awful but the likely for four years. investment in recycling and the halation and were said to be in Five-year-old Ahmed was the lows Palestinian attacks. to end an eight-month crisis that roads are open, everything is go- “The idea of taking the rub- transfer of waste management shock. sole survivor from the immediate Palestine Liberation Organi- has sparked repeated protests. ing well on the road, the security bish and dumping it in landfi lls duties to municipalities. “At around 1:30am, I heard family. sation secretary general Saeb Civil society activists and en- forces are facilitating the fl ow of - this is how the crisis started The movement has in recent my brother and his wife call for After spending months in Erakat said in a statement yes- vironmental experts once again traffi c,” said Kamil Haddad, one in the fi rst place. So they (au- months led a string of protests help,” said Dawabsha’s brother hospital, he was fl own to Spain terday that “we hold the Israeli lashed out at the plan, warning of the workers, who wore a pro- thorities) are basically ignor- that has seen thousands of peo- Bashar, who lives downstairs. last week to meet Real Madrid government fully responsible for that it does nothing to allay the tective mask over his nose and ing the crisis of the past eight ple taking to the streets, accus- “I went up to their fl oor and I football stars, including his hero the crimes in Duma” and said he ecological concerns that took mouth. months, pretending like nothing ing the government of misman- saw the fi re.” Cristiano Ronaldo. was expecting “another sham in- them to the streets in the fi rst The waste, which has laid for happened, and taking us back agement and corruption, and There was heavy damage, with Ibrahim Dawabsha told local vestigation”. place. months in the open as authori- to square one,” environmental even calling for its downfall. walls covered in soot and fur- media last July that he saw two Robert Piper, UN humanitar- Beirut’s suburbs have been ties scrambled to fi nd a solution, and industrial engineer Ziad Abi “Now the ball is in the court niture burnt, including the bed. masked men standing near the ian co-ordinator for the Pal- awash in trash for months fol- will now be transported to a Chaker said. of residents of the areas where Shocked residents gathered to badly injured parents lying on estinian territories, “strongly lowing the closure in July of dump operated by Sukleen - the He explained that Lebanon the landfi lls are located,” one view what happened. the ground. condemned” the attack which the country’s largest landfi ll at same private waste collection could in fact recycle up to 90% leading “You Stink” member A bedroom window in the In January, a court charged two he said was carried out by “sus- Naameh, just south of the Leba- company that threw in the towel of its waste. told AFP on condition of ano- house was broken, with shat- Israelis over the fi rebombing af- pected Jewish extremists”. nese capital. after its contract with the gov- But “there’s a corruption di- nymity, for fear of retribution. tered glass inside, an AFP jour- ter slow progress in the case led He urged Israel “to investigate Rubbish has piled up on ernment expired last July. mension ... There is no huge “We do hear some people nalist reported. to criticism from human rights this incident promptly and fully” beaches and in forests and riv- “Things are going all right,” money to be made out of recy- have started to mobilise in a The broken window raised groups and Palestinians. and said letting “such acts... fos- erbeds elsewhere in the country. Haddad said, as his colleagues cling. The only way to make cra- couple of areas, but when you suspicions that petrol bombs had The attack generated global ter hatred and violence” would The government last week piled trash into trucks. zy money is with another cor- see the army, security and intel- been thrown inside - as occurred condemnation and drew renewed “only bring more personal trag- said it would temporarily reo- Naameh was set up in the early rupt contract,” Abi Chaker said. ligence forces deployed in the in the July attack. attention to Jewish extremism, edies and bury any prospect of pen the Naameh landfi ll to ease 1990s as a temporary measure. “The cherry on the cake is Naameh area - how do you think “The window was broken from including accusations that Israel peace”. the crisis, but civil society ac- Activists and nearby residents that after the four years, we will residents will dare take action?” Jordan to install cameras at Aqsa compound

AFP A “control centre” will be set up Amman to monitor round-the-clock video surveillance of the compound, Jor- dan’s Islamic Aff airs Minister Hayel ordan said yesterday it will set up Daoud said. security cameras around Jerusa- The footage will be broadcast on- Jlem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound line to “document all Israeli viola- in the coming days to monitor any tions and aggressions”, he said in a Israeli “violations”. statement, adding that no cameras In October, US Secretary of State would be installed inside mosques. John Kerry endorsed a plan to install Clashes between Palestin- cameras at the site in a bid to calm ian youths and Israeli security forces repeated disturbances, after talks erupted at the compound in Septem- with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and ber amid fears among Muslims that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Ab- Israel was planning to change rules bas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin governing the site. Netanyahu agreed. The Israeli prime minister has said But the Jordanian-run trust or repeatedly there are no such plans. “Waqf” that administers the site The Al Aqsa clashes preceded a - which houses the famed gold- wave of violence that has killed 198 en Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Ameri- mosque - then complained that Is- cans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese raeli police had blocked it from in- since October 1, according to an AFP The Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City. Jordan to set up security cameras around the mosque stalling the cameras. count. compound in the coming days to monitor any Israeli “violations”. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 13 AFRICA Kenya kills Rejecting terrorism 34 Shebaab in Somalia fi refi ghts

AFP Camps set up by Burundian and Ugandan Nairobi troops have also been attacked with scores of soldiers killed each time. As a result of the string of attacks AMI- he Kenyan military said yesterday it SOM forces have withdrawn from a number killed 34 Islamic insurgents in two of towns in southern Somalia and observers Tseparate battles in neighbouring So- say the troops are largely in garrison mode, malia this weekend. hardly venturing out into hostile territory. Military spokesman David Obonyo said Earlier this month, the US said it carried two Kenyan soldiers were also killed and out an air strike on a Shebaab training camp fi ve others wounded when Shebaab mili- north of the Somali capital Mogadishu kill- People hold banners with the inscriptions ‘Bassam will live, live and live’ and ‘Yes to the peace, yes to serenity’ as they stand before a banner reading tants staged an ambush in Afmadhow, ing 150 fi ghters, a fi gure disputed by the in- ‘Women of Grand-Bassam, remain standing and let’s say no to terrorism’ during a tribute yesterday to the victims of a militant attack on March 13. southern Somalia, on Saturday afternoon. surgents. “Twenty one Shebaab militants were The strike marked a shift in US strategy killed,” Obonyo said, during what he de- in Somalia which had previously focused scribed as a “fi erce engagement”. on targeted killings of a small number of Last week, the Kenyan army said it Shebaab fi ghters with suspected direct thwarted an attack on a military camp also links to Al Qaeda, rather than mass attacks at Afmadhow, killing 19 militants. on foot soldiers. Obonyo said 13 more Shebaab fi ghters The Shebaab was ousted from Mogad- Sassou Nguesso seeks to extend were killed in a separate operation yester- ishu in August 2011 and has since lost much day in Sarira, north of the southern port of the territory it once held. Today, it con- town of Ras Kamboni, in which “a middle centrates on guerrilla attacks in the Somali level Shebaab commander” was also cap- countryside, bombings and suicide raids tured. in towns and cities, and terror assaults in 32-year rule in Congo election In both incidents weapons, including Kenya where small groups of Shebaab gun- AK-47 assault rifl es and rocket-propelled men have attacked a mall in Nairobi and a grenades, were seized, Obonyo said. university in Garissa in recent years. AFP describing election day as a “penalty In January, the Al Qaeda-aligned She- Shebaab fi ghters have targeted AMI- Brazzaville kick and then victory”. baab overran a Kenyan military camp in El- SOM in Somalia because, in the ab- On Friday, fi ve rival presiden- Adde, southern Somalia, manned by up to sence of a functioning national army, the tial contenders - including former 200 soldiers, killing a large number of them 22,000-strong force is the only protector ongo voted yesterday under a military chief Jean-Marie Mokoko although Nairobi has refused to say how of the internationally-backed government nationwide media blackout, - signed an agreement to back the many died. that the militants are committed to over- Cin a tense ballot expected to strongest candidate among them in The attack, which was widely regarded throwing. see President Denis Sassou Nguesso the event of a second round vote. as Kenya’s worst-ever military loss, was Shebaab attacks have increased in tempo prolong his 32-year rule over the oil- While the Republic of Congo saw the third major assault on isolated bases since the start of the year, seen as an at- rich but impoverished nation. “robust growth” of fi ve% over fi ve manned by soldiers of the multinational Af- tempt to destabilise the government ahead On the eve of voting, Interior years through to 2014, with oil and rican Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). of an election due later this year. Minister Raymond Mboulou or- timber providing its main revenues, dered a 48-hour communications the country remains in dire straits. blackout, instructing telecoms fi rms Unemployment hit 34% in 2013, to block all telephone, Internet and the last data available, and stood at SMS services for “reasons of secu- 60% for 15- to 24-year-olds. rity and national safety”. The IMF fears “domestic instabil- Congo hands over genocide Polls had been due to open at 7am ity” without progress in the battle to (0600 GMT), but in most polling eliminate poverty. stations visited by AFP they opened “We’re really disappointed about suspect to Rwanda offi cials an hour late. By the middle of the what’s happening in Congo,” said day voting was going smoothly. 20-year-old student Yette. “Most “There were some delays but it is young people have diplomas but no Reuters - is accused of genocide, direct and public improving. Things are going calmly,” work.” Kigali incitement to commit genocide as well as said Eric Katolo, head of an 18-per- Sassou Nguesso acknowledges extermination, murder and rape. son observer mission from the In- there is a problem. The US had off ered up to $5mn for infor- ternational Conference on the Great His new election platform un- he Democratic Republic of Congo mation leading to his arrest. Lakes Region (ICGLR). derlines government eff orts in edu- yesterday transferred a suspect in “We are very happy to see this eff ected. Sassou Nguesso himself voted in Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso casts his vote in the presidential cation while noting that “60% of TRwanda’s 1994 genocide to Rwanda, We’ve been long waiting for this and we central Brazzaville late morning. election at a polling centre in Brazzaville yesterday. graduates without work” qualifi ed Rwandan offi cials said. are happy that the Mechanism for the In- In Poto-Poto, in the city centre, at the country’s sole university. Ladislas Ntaganzwa, a former Rwan- ternational Tribunals has ... delivered him dozens of youths took advantage of wanted “stability,” and “peace,” two old former paratrooper colonel Sas- Sassou Nguesso has told voters he dan mayor indicted for his alleged role in from DRC,” Jean Bosco Siboyintore, head of a traffi c ban to play football in the watchwords of Sassou Nguesso’s re- sou Nguesso to run in the election. needs more time. the slaughter of some 800,000 Tutsis and Rwanda’s Genocide Fugitive Tracking Unit street. election campaign. The vote also removed a 70-year “Seven years were insuffi cient moderate Hutus by ethnic Hutu militias, told reporters at Kigali’s airport. There was a visible police pres- With all telecommunications age limit for the presidency that to fully make these solutions op- was arrested in eastern Congo in December. The Tanzania-based International ence, notably at checkpoints moni- banned, it was impossible to obtain could have forced one of Africa’s erational ... which is why we need to “The national public prosecution au- Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), toring vehicles allowed on the road, information on what was going on fi ve longest-serving leaders to step continue the country’s modernisa- thority is pleased to announce the transfer which closed in December, has convicted but nothing overwhelming. outside the capital. down. tion and industrialisation,” reads the and handover of Ladislas Ntaganzwa ... to 61 people for involvement in the genocide, In the run-down Makelekele dis- A government source told AFP the The changes were approved in a new platform. the national public prosecution of Rwan- including leading military and government trict in the south of the capital, few shutdown was intended to stop any referendum by 94.3%, dubbed “a Sassou Nguesso served as presi- da,” Prosecutor General Richard Muhumu- offi cials. hid opposition to the incumbent pres- “illegal” publication of the results. constitutional coup” by the opposi- dent from 1979 to 1992 and returned za said in a statement. New cases stemming from the genocide ident. “He won’t get 10 votes here,” Tensions have been running high tion. Even before the vote, protests to power in 1997 following a civil Muhumuza said Ntaganzwa - who head- are expected to be heard by Rwandan courts said Raymond, a 56-year-old builder. in Congo since an October referen- erupted which left several people war. He won two successive man- ed the commune of Nyakizu in southern or a separate tribunal - the Mechanism for In the northern Ouenze neigh- dum when voters agreed changes dead. dates in 2002 and 2009, but both Rwanda and was indicted in 1996 by the In- International Criminal Tribunals - backed bourhood, where support for the to the constitution that removed a Sassou Nguesso has said he has tallies were contested by opposition ternational Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda by the UN. president is high, locals said they two-term limit, allowing 72-year- no doubt he will beat his eight rivals, parties.

Electing a president Opposition boycotts Niger vote

Reuters by Islamist Boko Haram mili- Issoufou’s main opponent Niamey tants. It also shares borders Hama Amadou, who came in with Burkina Faso and Mali second with 18% of the vote to the west, where Al Qaeda- in the fi rst round, was jailed in iger voted yesterday linked groups are active. Libya, November in connection with in a presidential run- home to Islamic State affi li- a baby-traffi cking scandal. Noff which incumbent ates, lies to the north. Hama, who has not been President Mahamadou Issou- Speaking after casting his convicted, says he is innocent fou is heavily favoured to win vote, Issoufou appealed to Ni- and claims the charges are after his jailed opponent was geriens to stay the course amid politically motivated. He was fl own out of the country for the growing menace from re- fl own to Paris just days before medical reasons and an op- gional militants. the second-round vote for position coalition called for a “A single term in offi ce is treatment of a chronic health boycott. not enough to overcome all issue, a government spokes- Issoufou, an ally of the West the challenges, in particular man said. in its fi ght against Islamist in- I am thinking of the security The Coalition for an Alter- surgents in West Africa, won challenges,” he said. “We need native (COPA), which unites the fi rst round comfortably a sacred union ... We must re- about 20 political parties in- last month with 48% of votes mained united.” cluding Amadou’s MODEN, but failed to clinch the outright Late on Saturday, the re- called for a boycott of the polls majority required to avoid a gional governor of Niamey on Friday, claiming the process second round. Hamidou Garda issued a ban had been tainted by fraud. Voting offi cially opened at on gathering outside polling Issoufou’s supporters called 7am (0700 GMT) though there stations citing security rea- the boycott “absurd” and were only a few early voters sons. urged all Nigeriens to go out visible outside polling stations “All gathering is forbidden. and vote. in the capital Niamey. Voters come, vote and then Having taken offi ce in April “I am against any boycott. leave,” he said on state-owned 2011, a year after a popular I’ve just voted,” said Sadou Ide, television. coup overthrew his predeces- who cast his vote at the Nogare Security forces were posted sor Mamadou Tandja, Issou- school in Niamey. at polling stations. They also fou is seeking a second fi ve- Southern Niger, which bor- patrolled the streets of Niamey year term as president of the Women queue at a polling centre in Porto-Novo, Benin, during the presidential election yesterday. ders Nigeria, has been the and monitored the city’s main impoverished uranium pro- target of regular deadly raids intersections. ducer. Gulf Times 14 Monday, March 21, 2016 AMERICA Anti-Trump demo turns violent

AFP Trump defends ‘spirited’ campaign chief New York Donald Trump yesterday de- “No, he didn’t touch him, that fended his campaign manager, was someone else pulling him undreds protested Donald who appeared to grab a protester (the man) back,” Trump told the Trump in New York and at a rally for the Republican presi- ABC News program “This Week.” Hblocked a major road Sat- dential frontrunner that was again “I give him credit for having urday in the southwestern state marred by demonstrations and spirit. He wanted them to take of Arizona, where a demonstrator sporadic violence. down those horrible profanity- was punched and kicked at a rally. It is just the latest controversial laced signs,” Trump said of his The latest attempts by op- turn in the real-estate mogul’s campaign manager. ponents to disrupt the cam- unconventional run for the White “We don’t condone violence paign of the top US Republican House, but it appears to have and I say it,” Trump told ABC, White House hopeful resulted in done little harm so far to his asked if would condemn the a handful of arrests, police and presidential ambitions and he is incident that saw a man viciously witnesses said. in pole position for the Republi- punching and kicking to the In Tucson, Arizona a protester can nomination for November’s floor a demonstrator wearing an with a sign showing Trump’s face election. American flag shirt. and the words “Bad For Ameri- Among the incidents on Satur- The attacker was arrested and ca,” was kicked and punched by day, cameras caught a member of charged with assault with injury, a member of the audience while the crowd repeatedly kicking and NBC News said. being escorted out of the venue punching a protester and video Video also showed someone - by security, video posted online also showed Trump’s campaign whom Trump called “a disgusting by NBC showed. manager Corey Lewandowski guy” - wearing a white mask simi- The network reported that the caught up in a melee. lar to the Ku Klux Klan and giving audience member was hand- Lewandowski appeared to what seemed to be a Nazi salute. cuff ed and taken away before grab one man by the scruff of the Asked if would tell his support- being charged with assault with neck, with a member of Trump’s ers to riot if he loses out, he said injury, according to police. security detail also involved in Sunday: “I don’t want to see riots. I Meanwhile, on the other side the fracas. don’t want to see problems.” of the country, demonstrators who gathered at Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, near one of that was quickly brought under “If we start closing our borders the billionaire real estate mogul’s control by police. to some people based on their re- luxury buildings overlooking The demonstration was organ- ligious beliefs, that is completely Central Park, shouted the slogan ised by a group called Cosmo- unconstitutional... we start go- “Donald Trump, go away, racist, politan Antifascists, with others ing to a World War II Germany Demonstrators protest against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump outside the Trump Tower building in Manhattan. sexist, anti-gay.” joining in. kind of situation and I don’t want Amid a considerable police Ordinary New Yorkers turned that in my country,” the 31-year- Some pro-Trump supporters event, Arizona protesters blocked of Fountain Hills. Controversial because they were blocking a presence, protesters held up out for the event, concerned by old historian added. also showed up. a major thoroughfare on the out- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Ar- public roadway, not for protest- signs that read “Deport Trump” Trump’s status as the clear front- Trump has called for a ban on “More and more, people who skirts of Phoenix, in an attempt paio, who openly endorsed and ing,” he said. and “Build a wall around Trump.” runner for the Republican party’s all Muslims entering the US, just show their support to Donald to prevent his supporters from supports Trump, said he would Demonstrations and violence Also spotted in the crowd were nomination ahead of November’s one example of rhetoric by the Trump are intimidated,” said one reaching an area rally. do everything possible to ensure have broken out at several Trump placards which read “Don’t let presidential elections. candidate that has sparked con- among them, Jim MacDonald. Trump was in the state ahead the event would go ahead - and events recently, with critics say- bigotry Trump our constitution” Trump “is racist, he is sexist, troversy on the 2016 campaign “As frightening as this is, we of its primary tomorrow. Trump subsequently took the ing the businessman’s infl amma- and “Will trade 1 Donald Trump he is homophobic, he is Islamo- trail. are going to show that we have The estimated 50 protesters stage. tory rhetoric and barely-veiled for 25,000 refugees.” phobic, xenophobic, he is a fas- “Everything he says is racist, the right to show our support to held a banner across the width of Deputy Joaquin Enriquez told threats directed at protesters At least one person was ar- cist. It has serious implication for is false. It hurts my feelings,” said Donald Trump whether it pleases Shea Boulevard with the words AFP that three people were ar- have been fuelling an increasing- rested on the city’s famous Fifth the future of America,” Patrick Nour Hapatsha, a 22-year-old the other side or not,” he added. “Dump Trump” as long lines of rested and that two vehicles were ly toxic atmosphere surrounding Avenue during a brief skirmish Waldo told AFP. Muslim born in the US. Ahead of Trump’s Tucson traffi c backed up in the suburb towed. “These arrests were made his rallies. Earth Hour No vote on Obama court pick, insists McConnell

AFP justice could be held after the Novem- Republicans are betting that a mem- Washington ber vote, during the two-month White ber of their party may win the presiden- House and congressional interregnum. tial election, and hope that their stalling But McConnell, leader of the Repub- tactics may allow them to put a con- enate Leader Mitch McConnell lican-led Senate, told ABC television: servative in the US high court seat left yesterday vowed not to vote on “The American people are in the mid- vacant by the death last month of justice SBarack Obama’s pick for the Su- dle of choosing who the next president Antonin Scalia. preme Court while Congress and the US is going to be. And that next president Obama on Wednesday announced his president are in a “lame-duck” session ought to have this appointment, which choice of Garland, a 63-year-old cen- following November elections. will aff ect the Supreme Court for prob- trist judge to replace conservative stal- Senate Republicans have been ada- ably a quarter of a century.” wart Scalia. mant that they will not hold a hearing “This is not something he does alone. Republicans fear Garland will tip the and a vote on the nomination of Judge He nominates; we confi rm,” McConnell even balance of the top court toward lib- Merrick Garland, insisting that the deci- told the This Week program. erals. sion should be taken by Obama’s succes- “I can’t imagine that a Republican Justices on the highly infl uential Su- sor, who will not take offi ce until January. majority in the US Senate would want preme Court serve life-time tenures and Some lawmakers have suggested to confi rm in a lame-duck session,” he can exert great infl uence for decades on however that a vote on a Supreme Court added in remarks to Fox News. US social and political policy.

Texas mother put 2-yr-old in hot oven Second bald eagle hatches A mother in Texas has been arrested and charged with child abuse on suspicion of burning Reuters nest! Mr. President and The First Lady are her 2-year-old daughter by Washington going to have their hands full!” the Ameri- putting the child into a heated can Eagle Foundation, a conservation group oven, a sheriff ’s department dedicated to protecting bald eagles, wrote said yesterday. he second eaglet from a pair of bald on its Facebook page. Tasha Hatcher, 35, was ar- eagles known as “Mr President” and The fi rst egg was laid on February 10 and raigned over the weekend on T“the First Lady” emerged from its the other on February 14. a first-degree felony charge of shell yesterday at Washington’s National The pair built their nest in a tulip poplar causing serious bodily injury to Arboretum. The latest edition was seen on tree in 2015. The federally protected bird, a child for the incident that took an “eagle cam” that has been providing live the Haliaeetus leucocephalus, is featured place on Thursday, the Somer- footage of the fi rst bald eagles to nest since on currency and in the presidential seal, and vell County Sheriff ’s Off ice said 1947 in the Arboretum, a park-like conserv- was adopted as the national US bird symbol in a statement. atory in northeast Washington. in 1782. The child, who was not identi- The video from the American Eagle Foun- The bald eagle almost disappeared from fied by name, was taken by air dation shows the parents, and two fl uff y ea- the US decades ago, but habitat protection to a burn centre in Dallas, about glets in the nest. The fi rst eaglet hatched on and the banning of the pesticide DDT led to 120km northeast of where the The One Times Square building, in the centre of Times Square, switches off for Earth Hour on Saturday evening. Friday.“Things are going to get a lot more its recovery. The bird was removed from the incident took place in Glen Rose. interesting with four in the DC Eagle Cam federal endangered species list in 2007. Gawker could still win Hulk Hogan case: experts

Reuters crucial test of the balance be- ignored basic journalistic ethics Gawker’s lawyer, told jurors on Republican presidential hopeful of the verdict was not surprising. verdict, Gawker said the judge New York tween the right to privacy and by failing to contact him before Friday. made about his genitals during a He pointed out that broadcaster had kept the jury from hearing freedom of the press in the digital publishing and violated his pri- Hogan, whose real name is presidential debate. Erin Andrews recently won a crucial prior statements by Clem, age, when a celebrity sex tape can vacy by including several seconds Terry Bollea, testifi ed at trial that “Regardless of how you judge $55mn judgment against a ho- the wrestler’s former friend, and he $115mn a Florida jury reach millions of viewers with of explicit sexual activity as part he made those comments while in what’s newsworthy, he’s asked tel after she was secretly fi lmed suggested it was already thinking awarded to Hulk Hogan on one click of a button. of the video excerpt it posted. character, not as part of his real- for it,” Marburger said of Hogan. nude through a peephole. about its appeal. TFriday may seem like a big “The jury’s decision is some- “What’s disturbing about life persona. Gawker’s attorneys “He’s assumed this risk.” The jury could still add pu- “Given key evidence and the blow to the website Gawker, but what of a black box,” said Gawker isn’t what they do in a argued that Hogan was drawing a Gawker has at least some rea- nitive damages next week af- most important witness were the media company could ulti- Mary-Rose Papandrea, a Uni- vacuum,” said Kenneth Turkel, meaningless distinction. son to feel more optimistic about ter both sides have a chance to both improperly withheld from mately prevail in its court battle versity of North Carolina law one of Hogan’s lawyers, during David Marburger, a Cleveland its chances on appeal. In 2014, present more evidence. this jury, we all knew the ap- with the fl amboyant wrestler, le- professor who previously repre- his closing argument. “It’s how attorney who represents media the Florida Second District Court But Calvert said a verdict that peals court will need to resolve gal experts say. sented the National Enquirer, a proud they are of it.” clients, compared Hogan to Don- threw out an injunction requiring large was almost certain to be the case,” the site’s founder, Nick Hogan had sued the website tabloid known for its aggressive Gawker countered that Hog- ald Trump, another larger-than- it to take down the Hogan video pared back on appeal, if not re- Denton, said after the verdict. A for posting a video clip in 2012 reporting on celebrity scandals. an’s own penchant for publicly life fi gure who has bragged about that the trial judge had granted. versed. “Juries generally do not Gawker representative declined featuring him having sex with the “It will be much more interesting describing his sex life in detail his male prowess as part of his Clay Calvert, a professor of law like the media,” he said after the to comment on Saturday. wife of his then-best friend, the and much more important as a had made the sex tape fair game. public image. and mass communications at the verdict. “The appellate court is a David Houston, one of Hogan’s radio shock jock Bubba the Love legal issue to see what the appel- “He has consistently chosen to In Marburger’s view, a private University of Florida and an ex- little more neutral.” lawyers, said any testimony from Sponge Clem. late court says.” put his own private life out there, video of Trump would be news- pert on the First Amendment of The site appeared prepared Clem would not have made any Both sides cast the case as a Hogan had argued that Gawker over and over,” Michael Sullivan, worthy because of references the the US Constitution, said the size for a loss at trial. Even before the diff erence. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 15 ASEAN Indonesia to Getting ready to mark ex-PM’s death anniversary summon China envoy over fi shing incident Chinese ship fishing illegally detain the Chinese vessel for nesian ship, a Chinese Coast in Natuna Sea: Jakarta; fishing illegally in waters near Guard ship went to assist,” it Beijing says trawler in the contested South China Sea said. traditional fishing grounds when a Chinese coast guard “The Chinese side immedi- vessel intervened, fisheries ately demanded the Indonesian Reuters minister Susi Pudjiastuti told side at once release the de- Jakarta/Beijing reporters in Jakarta. tained Chinese fishermen and “What we will ask the am- ensure their personal safety,” bassador is that if they say the ministry added. ndonesia will summon Chi- their nine-dash line does not China hopes Indonesia can na’s ambassador over an in- claim Natuna then why is there “appropriately handle” the is- Icident involving a Chinese still illegal fishing happening sue, it said. Indonesian foreign fishing vessel in the Natuna there,” Pudjiastuti said, adding ministry officials were not im- Sea, a minister said yesterday, the ambassador will be sum- mediately available for com- as Beijing accused it of attack- moned by the foreign ministry ment. ing the ship in traditional Chi- today. China claims vast swathes nese fishing grounds. “Their government should of the South China Sea that are The move comes amid not stand behind illegal and also claimed by several South- heightened tensions in the unregulated fishing,” she said. east Asian countries. South China Sea over China’s China’s foreign ministry, in Indonesia is not a claimant in land reclamation there and a statement sent to Reuters, the disputed South China Sea, over its claims on vast swathes said the trawler was carry- but has raised concerns over of an important shipping cor- ing out “normal activities” in China’s inclusion of the re- ridor. “traditional Chinese fishing source-rich Natuna Islands in Several Southeast Asian grounds”. its so-called “nine-dash line”. countries have overlapping “On March 19, after the rel- China says that it does not Shaun Lee, nephew of the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, takes a photo of a portrait made up of 4,877 erasers bearing the claims in the area. evant trawler was attacked and dispute Indonesia’s sovereign- Singapore flag ahead of the first anniversary of Lee’s passing in Singapore yesterday. Indonesia was attempting to harassed by an armed Indo- ty over the Natuna Islands. Singapore PM launches projects 12 dead in military to beautify waterways in Hougang chopper crash on Sulawesi island Agencies tify Singapore’s blue spaces and transform Singapore concrete canals and drains into areas that can also be used for community events and rec- AFP military spokesman Tatang Su- reation. Since 2006, 32 projects costing about Jakarta laiman, adding that rescuers esidents in Hougang can look forward $150mn have been completed so far under the were still searching for one crew to three more community spaces along scheme, including a 3km stretch of the Kallang member. Rwaterways within the neighbourhood by River located within Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. welve people were killed The aircraft, carrying seven 2018. Instead of a concrete canal, visitors will now yesterday when a military passengers and six crew, crashed A total of 2.2km will be made over from fi nd a meandering river which allows them Thelicopter crashed in bad 35 minutes after take off and just April at Hougang Avenue 10, Sungei Pinang to get up close to the river bank. That project weather in central Indonesia, 10 minutes before it was sup- and Serangoon Reservoir, under national water drew more than just humans, with otters spot- an offi cial said, the latest air ac- posed to land, the military said. agency PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters ted frolicking there. cident for the country’s armed There was heavy rain at the (ABC Waters) programme, The Straits Times Birds such as the purple Heron and the col- forces. time of the accident, and Su- reported. lared kingfi sher have also been seen along the The Bell 412 helicopter went laiman said the bad weather was Some new features that residents can expect naturalised river. down in Kasiguncu village in seen as the most likely cause of include a new deck over the canal at the Hou- On top of the 32 completed projects, nine Poso district, on Sulawesi island, the accident. gang Avenue 10 project, which can be used for more ABC Waters projects at areas such as where a radical group is waging The military has launched an community events. Pang Sua Road and Siglap Canal Outfall are a guerilla war against the gov- investigation, he added. There will also be more greenery at the three ongoing. ernment. “Twelve (bodies) have The twin-engine helicopter locations to liven up the concrete structures, The PUB also has plans for 11 additional been found and identifi ed,” said was purchased in 2012. and a new fi shing spot along the edge of the projects, including the three at Hougang. The reservoir for the Serangoon Reservoir project. 20 are expected to be completed in the next fi ve Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong offi ciated years and beyond. AVIATION the groundbreaking ceremony for the three Tan Nguan Sen, PUB’s chief sustainability Passenger scare delays plane in Thailand projects yesterday morning. Minister for the offi cer, said: “Over time, conventional water Environment and Water Resources Masagos infrastructure will be replaced with treasured A Moscow-bound flight with 369 passengers on board was grounded Zulkifl i was also present. blue spaces, creating an even more liveable and temporarily at Phuket airport in southern Thailand yesterday after a pas- In his speech, Lee urged residents to keep sustainable City of Gardens and Water.” senger refused to fly, saying that his presence endangered the aircraft. the waters clean and the surrounding beauti- PUB is also rolling out exhibits to mark The incident comes a day after all 62 people aboard a Flydubai Boeing ful. He added that otters may visit if waters are the 10th anniversary of the ABC Waters pro- 737-800 flying from Dubai to southern Russia were killed when their well looked after, which drew applause from gramme. They include a roving exhibition plane crashed on its second attempt to land. Yesterday’s Phuket to Mos- the crowd. called Water Wally Explores ABC Waters, a cow flight operated by Russia’s Nordwind Airlines was due to depart at The event also marked the 10th year of the collection of 10 life-size Water Wally fi gurines, 10.35a.m local time but the captain asked to suspend the flight because Lee Hsien Loong: promoting eco-friendly initiatives ABC Waters programme, which aims to beau- PUB’s mascot. of a passenger incident, Airports of Thailand said in a statement. Confl ict, powerful companies stoke land disputes in Kachin

Thomson Reuters Foundation but which offi cials say is part of added. Campaign group “Land land when peace returns and ac- ownership and use are among 30 to 40% of Myanmar’s popu- was so scared,” Yaing Myaw said. Wai Maw Township, Myanmar 1,600 acres designated as graz- In Our Hands” said in a 2015 re- cuse the army of seizing swathes key issues in Myanmar’s political lation, and ethnic states occupy But they’ve become embold- ing ground. port Kachin, Myanmar’s north- of land. Meanwhile, junta-era and economic transition, with some 57% of the total land area. ened. With help from Bawk The villagers say they were not ernmost state bordering China, issues such as a heavy military deep resentment and protests “Important questions around Ja, they sent letters to central a Laung Daung Nan vividly consulted about plans to turn has the second largest number presence across the state, op- over acquisitions for infrastruc- access to and control of land are authorities about their cases, remembers the last day of their land into grazing grounds of land confi scations after Shan pression of ethnic minorities ture, development or large-scale at the heart of the civil war, and and defi antly returned to their LApril 2015. and believe it was a ploy by of- state. and the unchecked exploitation agricultural projects. unless they are addressed well, homes and farms. Alone in front of the two-acre fi cials who planned to profi t “Land confi scations in Kachin of natural resources persist. Up to 70% of Myanmar’s la- real peace is likely to remain “I’m not giving in. It’s my plot of land her family had been from renting out 300 acres to a have been so rampant there is bour force is estimated to work out of reach,” the Netherlands- land,” said Arr Ti, who was asked allocated in a UN-led project, Chinese company for a banana little vacant land left,” Bawk Ja “Villagers are too scared in agriculture. The sector ac- based Transnational Institute in 2006 to leave her orchard, she waited for fellow villagers to plantation. Lum Nyoi, a fi ery political activ- to speak up. There are counts for 44% of economic said in a report. Bawk Ja, chair of which she has owned since 1982. turn up. Their battle is an illustration ist known for taking on powerful more landless people output, according to consulting the National Democratic Force The army told her it was con- They had been sent by offi cials of land rights disputes engulf- interests, said. now and many are fi rm McKinsey & Co (NDF) in Kachin, who took a fi scated to build a telecommuni- and were coming to take down ing Kachin state and the whole “Villagers are too scared to struggling to survive” All land is owned by the gov- powerful company to court over cations tower, but nothing has the barbed wire that protected country, a largely agrarian nation speak up. There are more land- ernment but farmers are given a land grabbing case and has been built so far. her rubber saplings from the emerging from decades of mili- less people now and many are If land disputes remain unre- land use or tillage rights, making been jailed for her political ac- Land grabs have become so trampling of cows and buff aloes. tary rule where rights are fragile struggling to survive.” solved they will be detrimental land use a particularly sensitive tivities, agreed. politically contentious that My- “When they came, I pleaded and victims of injustice have lit- Land disputes had been to the peace process and overall issue for small-scale farmers “Without resolving the land anmar’s military-backed parlia- with them not to do it, that we tle recourse. fuelled by the semi-civilian stability of Kachin, activists said. who make up the majority of the issue, there’s no way you can ment set up the Farmland Inves- are from the same village,” she Sa Yaw Haung Khaung, the government of President Thein “Many farmers do not dare to country’s population of 51mn. achieve real peace,” she said. tigation Commission in 2012. recalled, sitting on the bamboo village administrator, defended Sein’s liberalisation policies that demand the return of land con- Yet these rights are neither Activists like Bawk Ja and Zaw In just two years the commis- fl oor of her stilt home with three the land seizure in an interview have driven up land prices and fi scated by the military,” said respected on the ground in Tawng are educating villagers sion received more than 30,000 other aggrieved farmers. with Myanmar Now, an inde- attract foreign and domestic in- Lahpai Zaw Tawng from Kachin practice, nor provide protection about their rights so they are cases. But it has heard only Her words fell on deaf ears. pendent news service supported vestment, analysts said. State Farmers Network, who has against land grabbing, activists better able to stand up for them- two-thirds of cases and found in The next day, roaming animals by the Thomson Reuters Foun- Fighting between ethnic in- been helping the Naung Chain said. selves. It is a long process. fewer than 1,000 that compen- seeking pasture left few traces of dation, saying offi cials acted ac- surgents and the army, which villagers. The “Land In Our Hands” re- Arr Ti, 65, and Yaing Myaw, sation was justifi ed, according the 11-month-old saplings. cording to the law. fl ared up again in 2011 after a Many are hoping the new gov- port found 42.9% of respond- 45, from Shwe Aite village, re- to Namati, a charity working on Daung Nan, her husband and He played down the impact ceasefi re fractured over long- ernment and parliament led by ents said they possessed legal member shaking with fear dur- land rights. 16 others in Naung Chain, a on villagers, saying the Chinese held grievances, has weakened the National League for Democ- documents issued by the gov- ing a meeting a few years ago Daung Nan and her husband, dusty village a 40-minute mo- concession covered only 70 acres communities’ rights and driven racy (NLD) will keep its election ernment when their land was with a senior military offi cial. La Ban Khan Phan, have began torbike ride away from the state for growing watermelons. It more than 100,000 civilians promises, including fair resolu- confi scated. “He put his pistol down on to prepare their land in Naung capital Myitkyina, are in a legal would have generated income for from their homes. tion of disputes, establishing The issue is even more sensi- the table fi rst before telling us Chain village again, while keep- tussle with village authorities the whole village but was aban- Many worry whether they will land tenure security and support tive in ethnic areas. Ethnic mi- we have to move. Then he asked, ing up the fi ght to save it from over land they consider theirs, doned following protests, he still be able to access their farm- for the landless. Changes in land norities make up an estimated ‘Anyone want to say anything?’. I becoming a grazing ground. Gulf Times 16 Monday, March 21, 2016 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA Trump candidacy stirs angst in Japan over alliance

By Linda Sieg, Reuters able to defend its key Asian ally. there is great anxiety for allied vise the post-war charter to fur- Both Washington and Tokyo Japanese policymakers have government insiders say they are Tokyo Comments from the Republi- countries,” Itsunori Onodera, ther loosen limits on military ac- are alarmed by China’s increas- not geared up specifi cally to betting that if Trump becomes can Party frontrunner have done who served as defence minis- tion overseas. ing assertiveness in the South counter what they see as his mis- the Republican nominee and little to allay those fears. ter under Prime Minister Shinzo “Most people consider Trump China Sea, where Beijing has ter- leading rhetoric, which seems to goes on to win the November 8 S presidential candidate “If somebody attacks Japan, Abe, told Reuters. bad news, but for those who want ritorial rows with several South- hark back to an outdated 1980s presidential election, he would Donald Trump’s portrayal we have to immediately go and Last year, Abe spent consid- to revise the constitution and east Asian nations. Japan has a vision of Japan, the source close surround himself with experts Uof Japan as a free-rider start World War III, okay? If we erable political capital enacting strengthen the military, it actu- separate dispute with China over to Abe said. who would draft more realistic on security is stirring worries in get attacked, Japan doesn’t have controversial legislation that al- ally provides a boost for their tiny islands in the East China Sea. “I think it’s too early. Number policies. Tokyo about damage to its US to help us,” Trump said at a cam- lows Japan’s military to defend position,” said a former Western Like many Trump observers one, he has not made it known Publicly, Japan is playing it po- alliance, and could embolden paign speech late last year. friendly countries under attack, diplomat still in touch with Japa- around the world, Japanese pol- even to the American voters litely. hardliners keen to bolster Japan’s Trump has also accused Japan a major reinterpretation of the nese policymakers. icy makers at fi rst watched with whom he counts on as far as Asked about Trump’s candi- military in the face of a rising of stealing jobs and criticised the country’s pacifi st constitution. As host to around 50,000 US amusement and then disbelief as foreign policy goals,” the source dacy on Wednesday, Japanese China. US-led 12-nation Trans-Pacifi c “It is incumbent on Japan to troops, Japan is vital to Washing- he garnered growing momentum. said, adding they expected Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshi- The US-Japan alliance has Partnership trade pact that To- protect itself and its defence is ton’s “rebalance” of its economic Only in recent weeks have they Trump would change if elected. hide Suga told reporters: “We are been the lynchpin of Tokyo’s kyo sees as vital for strategic as necessary for the alliance to be and security focus to the Asia- begun taking Trump’s chances “We are fully aware campaign of course watching this because security policy for decades, but well as economic reasons. maintained in the best possible Pacifi c region. seriously and are now scrambling rhetoric is dramatically diff erent of the impact such a large coun- worries have simmered in recent “If you listen to his comments posture,” said a source close to Trump did not respond to re- to fi nd out who is advising him from real policies pursued by in- try has, but we cannot otherwise years as to whether Washington (on security), the United States Abe. quests for comments about the on security, another government cumbents.” comment on another country’s will continue to be willing and would become isolated so I think Abe also wants to formally re- US-Japan alliance. source said. For now, though, Japanese election.”

Coral bleaching at Missing Australia drops Barrier Reef ‘severe’ Chinese AFP Hunt said that the govern- journalist Sydney ment would fund a survey of 40 sites in the reef area, which had been investigated in 2012, in detained: ustralian authori- September to assess the health ties said Sunday coral of corals and potential recovery Ableaching occurring options. lawyer campaign to log in the World Heritage-listed “This information is par- Great Barrier Reef had become ticularly important for the fu- “severe”, the highest alert level, ture understanding of the reef AFP as sea temperatures warm. given that the frequency of Beijing Australian Environment coral bleaching events and the Minister Greg Hunt said that severity of tropical cyclones while the bleaching at this are predicted to increase in the Chinese journalist who stage was not as severe as in future,” the minister said in a has been missing for sev- Heritage forest 1998 and 2002, also El Nino- statement. Aeral days has been de- related events, “it is however, Bleaching is a phenomenon tained because he is “implicated Reuters/AFP A United Nations Educational, dation ... that special species The statement said no com- in the northern parts a cause that turns corals white or fades in a case”, his lawyer has cited Sydney Scientifi c and Cultural Organi- timber harvesting should not be mercial forestry will be permit- for concern”. their colours, threatening a authorities as saying. sation (Unesco) report issued allowed anywhere in the world ted in the World Heritage-listed “The reef is 2,300km (1,429 valuable source of biodiversity, Jia Jia disappeared on Tues- on Saturday said the whole area heritage area,” Tasmania’s En- area. miles) long and the bottom tourism and fi shing. day shortly after going through he Australian government “should be off -limits to com- vironment Minister Matthew The announcement came days three-quarters is in strong It occurs when reef symbio- customs at Beijing international has ended its push to log mercial logging in its entirety” Groom said in a joint statement after Australia’s parliamentary condition, but as we head sis – the mutually benefi cial airport while preparing to board TWorld Heritage-listed for- and that it “does not consider a with national Environment Min- upper house said it would hold an north, it becomes increasingly relationship between two or- a fl ight to Hong Kong where he ests on the southern island state World Heritage property recog- ister Greg Hunt. inquiry into bushfi res in the for- prone to bleaching,” Hunt said ganisms that inhabit corals – was to attend an academic con- of Tasmania after the United Na- nised for its outstanding cultural “Today we confi rm that we ac- est to investigate the impact of after an aerial tour of some of is disrupted by a rise in ocean ference, according to a close tions cultural agency Unesco is- and natural values the place to cept the recommendation of the global warming on fi re frequen- the aff ected areas yesterday, warming, although there can friend cited by Amnesty Inter- sued a report calling for the area experiment with commercial monitoring mission that special cy, and on measures to protect the Australian Broadcasting also be other causes. national. to remain protected from log- logging of any kind”. species timber harvesting should the area. Corporation reported. The reef – the world’s big- “Because of his implication in ging. The report was compiled by not be allowed anywhere in the The blazes this summer re- “Essentially what you gest coral reef ecosystem – is a case, Jia Jia was detained at Be- Australia’s government in 2014 experts from the International World Heritage Area,” the state- portedly burnt some 2% of the could see was patches of coral already struggling from the ijing airport terminal on March sought unsuccessfully to have Union for the Conservation of ment said. protected region. bleaching as you approached threat of climate change, as 15,” said lawyer Yan Xin on his parts of the Tasmanian wilder- Nature (IUCN) and the Interna- “It was important that the The Tasmanian forest, added Lizard Island (located in the well as farming run-off , devel- WeChat account, adding that ness, some 1mn hectares (2.47mn tional Council on Monuments mission experts had the oppor- to the World Heritage list in 1982, Barrier Reef).” opment and the coral-eating the information came from the acres) or a fi fth of the island, and Sites (ICOMOS) after they tunity to hear all sides of the de- “constitutes one of the last ex- The Great Barrier Reef Ma- crown-of-thorns starfi sh. city’s Public Security Bureau. removed from Unesco’s World visited the site in November. bate, and having done so, their panses of temperate rainforest in rine Park Authority said that It narrowly avoided being No details were given about Heritage listing to enable log- Yesterday both Australia’s na- clear advice to the World Her- the world”, according to Unesco. the highest response level, put on the UN World Herit- the nature of the case. ging. tional and Tasmanian state gov- itage Committee is that there Conservation groups wel- which it described as a “severe age in danger list last year with Amnesty and the Commit- It was the fi rst time a devel- ernments adhered to the Unesco should no timber harvesting in comed the Unesco report and regional bleaching”, allowed Canberra working on a plan to tee to Protect Journalists linked oped country had asked for a request. the World Heritage Area includ- government commitment not to them to step up surveys to un- improve the reef’s health over the journalist’s disappearance delisting. “We accept the recommen- ing for specialty timbers.” log the Tasmanian wilderness. derstand what was happening. successive decades. to the publication this month on the Chinese news website Wujie News of an open letter calling for the resignation of Chinese Presi- Air is not free dent Xi Jinping. The letter, which was rap- Activist idly removed, was signed “Loyal Communist Party members”, but little else is known about its au- to set up thorship. “His going missing is most likely related to the publishing HK party of the letter and perhaps the au- thorities’ implication of his in- volvement or knowledge of the AFP letter,” Amnesty China research- Hong Kong er William Nee told AFP earlier. Student protester Joshua Wong (centre) and other members of However, Jia’s lawyer Yan has pro-democracy campaign group Scholarism at the press conference said his disappearance may not he teenage face of Hong regarding the group’s future plans. be connected to the letter. Kong’s pro-democracy Since Xi came to power the Tmovement has announced The 79-day protest which he was disbanding the student Chinese Communist Party has that he will head a new political blocked major roads failed to win activist group Scholarism, of increased pressure on civil so- party to be set up to contest leg- any concessions from the Hong which he is convenor, to form the ciety, arresting or questioning islative elections in September. Kong or Chinese governments. new party. more than 200 lawyers and hu- Joshua Wong, 19, was at the Wong’s announcement came He said that the new party man rights activists. forefront of mass rallies which at a time when more radical would be aimed at nurturing pol- China is currently in the spot- brought parts of the semi- young activists are gaining a iticians who could push for “self- light over the disappearance last autonomous Chinese city to a foothold in mainstream politics. determination” among residents year of fi ve Hong Kong booksell- standstill in 2014 as residents “It’s time for us to change our over the city’s future. Visitors buy plastic bags containing air collected by locals at the mountainous environment ers who reappeared on the main- called for fully free elections for position,” Wong told a press con- Wong cannot himself stand for protection zone in Qingyuan, Guangdong province in China. land, as well as the use of tele- future leaders. ference at which he announced election until he is 21. vised confessions from suspects. Exiled Tibetans elect new leader

AFP exile was a low-profi le role before The 48-year-old Harvard- complete independence. The results from the voting are Dharamsala, India the 80-year-old Tibetan spir- educated former academic is re- On policy, there is relatively expected on April 27. itual leader devolved power in an garded as the front-runner, hav- little to choose between Sangay Tsering was born in India and attempt to lessen his own totemic ing already beaten off three of the and his remaining opponent, and has served in the Tibetan parlia- ens of thousands of exiled status and foster a democratic four other candidates in a fi rst opinions on the streets of Dhar- ment-in-exile based in Dharam- Tibetans voted yesterday setup to keep Tibet’s freedom round of voting last October. amsala were mixed in the run-up sala for 10 years, where he is cur- Tfor a new leader tasked movement alive after his death. Both he and his one remaining to yesterday’s vote. rently the speaker. with sustaining their struggle While many felt voting could opponent, Penpa Tsering, 49, fa- Many said they would stick Whoever prevails can expect for greater autonomy in the Chi- help their campaign against Chi- vour the “middle way” approach with Sangay. to remain in the shadow of the nese-ruled province as the Dalai nese rule over their Himalayan of the Dalai Lama that advocates But some who voted for him Dalai Lama, a Nobel peace laure- Lama retreats from the political homeland, several were sceptical seeking greater autonomy for Ti- in 2011 said they had been dis- ate who remains the most potent frontline. given the government-in-exile’s bet peacefully. appointed by his performance in rallying point for Tibetans, both While Tibetans from across lack of eff ective power. In all, 88,000 Tibetans in 13 offi ce. in exile and in their homeland. Electoral off icials help an elderly monk cast his vote. the world were geared up to vote, “I am not sure whether the countries from Australia to the “I will vote for Penpa Tsering, The Himalayan hill town has those in the picturesque Indian democratic system can help in United States were registered to who has decades of experience been home to him and thousands to provide her full name. The globe-trotting Buddhist hill town of Dharamsala where Tibet’s freedom struggle,” said cast ballots for a prime minister serving in the Tibetan govern- of Tibetan refugees since he fl ed She expressed hope the Nepal monk raised concern among his the Dalai Lama lives started lin- Rikten, a 28-year-old teacher and the 44-member parliament- ment in exile and in the Tibetan Tibet in 1959 after a failed upris- government would allow vot- millions of followers last year ing up at booths at 9am (0330 who gave one name, after vot- in-exile. community. He will have more ing against Chinese rule. ing to go ahead after authorities when he scrapped a tour of the GMT) to elect the next leader of ing. “But its values and rights can Many voters, like Sangay, have substance,” said Lhadon, a Despite the Dalai Lama’s sta- confi scated ballot boxes in 2011, United States for health reasons. the government-in-exile. defi nitely ... bring more aware- lived all their lives in exile and 55-year-old woman who did not tus, many exiles said it was im- apparently under pressure from Asked about yesterday’s elec- One by one, hundreds includ- ness on the Tibetan cause.” never visited Tibet. give her full name. portant to vote. neighbouring China. tion, Chinese foreign ministry ing monks and nuns wrote the The Dalai Lama announced his One of the eliminated candi- Both Sangay and Tsering voted “The election is really impor- China has widely been seen spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing names of their candidates on decision in March 2011, just days dates, Lukar Jam Atsok, spent yesterday, while Atsok cast an tant. It is a basic right of a citizen as waiting for the Dalai Lama’s had never recognised the govern- pieces of paper and slipped them before the election of the incum- time as a political prisoner in “empty vote” to express dissat- to vote and we take this opportu- death, believing that the move- ment-in-exile and hoped other into ballot boxes as polls were set bent prime minister – or Sikyong China and had threatened to isfaction over the election com- nity as a blessing,” said Sonam, ment for Tibetan rights will not countries “will not provide any to close around 5pm. – Lobsang Sangay, who is stand- make waves with his more ag- mission’s move to bar his candi- a 22-year-old Tibetan who is survive without its charismatic stage for Tibetan separatist ac- The post of prime minister in ing again. gressive policy of advocating dacy. studying in Nepal, who declined and world-famous leader. tivities”. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 17 BRITAIN/IRELAND Earth Hour Mayor Boris revives his airport plan

Evening Standard London

oris Johnson has at- tempted to resurrect the Bpossibility of a new air- port in the Thames estuary 18 months after the idea was of- fi cially rejected by the Airports An artist’s impression of the Commission. four-runway estuary airport. The so-called Boris Island scheme was ruled out as one of runway at Heathrow would not the shortlisted options for air- be “very much lower” than the port expansion in September cost of a new airport. 2014. He said an estuary airport But the mayor of London’s would cost around £20bn The Houses of Parliament are shown during Earth Hour in London, yesterday. offi ce has published a report to 25bn - with an additional which claims a four-runway £25bn required for road and hub either in the Thames es- rail connections - while a third tuary or at an expanded Stan- runway at Heathrow is esti- sted Airport is the only way mated to cost £18.6bn. to secure the number of new The mayor’s report calcu- routes required to boost the UK lated that the surface access economy. improvements required to en- Johnson believes a hub in the able Heathrow to expand with- east of the capital would off er out “signifi cant consequences” around double the number of for congestion and crowding long haul and domestic routes would be more than four times ‘Civil war’ grips govt served by Heathrow while ex- the fi gure estimated by the posing 95% fewer people to Airports Commission, at up to signifi cant aircraft noise. £20bn. He said: “If we are to secure The commission did not the connectivity we need to take into account necessary support our future growth and schemes such as a direct rail prosperity - and do so without link between the west London dire impacts on public health airport and Waterloo station after resignation - then we must do better than or the cost of maintaining new Heathrow.” roads and tunnels up to 2050, Smith’s claim that the party’s actions “He seems to want to do maximum nied speculation that his resignation was The government is yet to according to the mayor’s offi ce. were aimed at the poor is likely to damage to the party leadership in order to triggered by his position on Europe, where decide whether to back expan- Johnson said: “We need a taint the prime minister further his campaign to try to get Britain to his desire for Britain to leave the European sion at Heather, which is the long-term vision for the right leave the EU,” she added. Union pits him against Prime Minister Airports Commission’s recom- airport that sustains our econ- Agencies In response, three other ministers who David Cameron and Osborne. mendation, or at Gatwick. omy and safeguards our public London worked closely with Duncan Smith issued He told the BBC that juxtaposing welfare The 78-page document pro- health. I would urge Govern- statements supporting him. changes against tax cuts for the wealthy in duced by the mayor’s offi ce, ti- ment not to turn its back on our Another Duncan Smith ally, senior eu- the budget was damaging to Cameron’s tled Landing The Right Airport, future.” top British eurosceptic minister rosceptic Bernard Jenkin, complained of Conservative party and to the country. says a four-runway hub would Asked about the probabil- who quit over welfare cuts launched high-handed leadership by Cameron, tell- “That is deeply unfair and was perceived serve 114 daily long haul routes ity of the estuary airport going Aa damaging attack on Prime Min- ing Sky News that “the prime minister... is to be unfair,” he said in his fi rst interview in 2050, compared with 75 at a ahead, Moylan said: “The like- ister David Cameron yesterday, exposing not meant to be a dictator”. since he resigned. three-runway Heathrow. lihood of closing down Hea- serious tensions in his government ahead Smith on the Andrew Marr Show. David Laws, who served as a Liberal “And that unfairness is damaging to the A report prepared for the throw - and these arguments of June’s referendum on EU membership. Democrat minister in the last coalition government, it’s damaging to the party commission warned that the will help in doing that - is quite In his fi rst interview since resigning as fered since being re-elected last year. government under Cameron, said on the and it’s actually damaging to the country,” estuary plan posed a “signifi - high. work and pensions secretary Friday, Iain It comes just three months ahead of BBC that the implications of the current he said yesterday. cant cost and risk to the tax- “After that, everything is up Duncan Smith accused Cameron of trying the referendum on EU membership which row were “huge”. Cameron and Osborne’s fl agship policy payer”. for grabs.” to reduce Britain’s budget defi cit through Cameron admitted in an interview pub- “I hate to intrude into a civil war which is of reducing Britain’s budget defi cit was But the mayor’s chief adviser Johnson, who is also Con- benefi t cuts which hurt poorer voters lished Sunday would be close. now dominating British politics,” he added. being pursued at the expense of some of on aviation, Daniel Moylan, servative MP for Uxbridge and while protecting older, often richer ones. “My fear is turnout,” the prime minister As the Duncan Smith row overshad- the poorest in society, he said. told the Press Association the South Ruislip, is stepping down Duncan Smith, who last month became told the Independent yesterday. “For heav- owed the wider referendum debate, Con- “(The government) has become too burden on taxpayers of a third as mayor in May. one of the most senior Conservatives to en’s sake, get out and vote in, because you servative former prime minister John Ma- focused on narrowly getting the defi cit say he would campaign against the pre- might wake up and fi nd you’re out.” jor stepped forward to argue that a Britain down without being able to say where that mier for Britain to leave the EU on June 23, Duncan Smith says he resigned over outside the EU would be much less power- should fall other than simply on those who denied his shock resignation was about £1.3bn of cuts to disability welfare an- ful that at present. I think can less aff ord to have that fall on Europe. nounced in a budget last week which “Our nation can either decide to be true them,” he said on the Andrew Marr show. But the former army offi cer known as “benefi ts higher earning taxpayers” — of- to our history — and remain outward- “I think it is in danger of drifting in a London ‘prepared IDS who led the ruling party from 2001 ten Conservative voters. looking internationalists on the world direction that divides society rather than to 2003 admitted that Cameron and his But a furious Cameron called Duncan stage — or shrink to lower prominence,” he unites it, and that I think is unfair.” fi nance minister and close ally George Os- Smith a four-letter word in a phone call to wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. He said he considered resigning a year for 10 simultaneous borne had stopped listening to him. discuss the resignation, describing him as Major — the last Conservative to lead ago, and had felt increasingly “isolated” “This is not some secondary attempt “dishonourable”, media reported. Britain before Cameron, between 1990 in a government “losing the narrative that to attack the prime minister or about Eu- And ministers in Cameron’s government and 1997 — endured a turbulent term in the Conservative Party was this one nation terror attacks’ rope,” Duncan Smith said in a BBC televi- were arguing publicly yesterday about offi ce due to party infi ghting over the crea- party caring for those who don’t even nec- sion interview, adding he quit because he whether Duncan Smith’s resignation was tion of the European Union. essarily vote for it”. was “losing that ability to infl uence events a principled stand against benefi t cuts or a He famously dubbed leading euroscep- Energy secretary Amber Rudd told Sky Evening Standard As part of the plans, the Na- from the inside”. eurosceptic plot to undermine the premier. tics who plotted against him “bastards”. News yesterday that she was “perplexed” London tional Crime Agency has been Duncan Smith also said that Cameron’s Pensions Minister Ros Altmann, who Smith said he had come under “massive by the move, echoing comments made by told to prioritise cracking down government was “in danger of drifting in a served under Duncan Smith, said she was pressure” to cut welfare budgets as part of Cameron on Friday, who was “puzzled and on fi rearms amid fears of a such direction that divides society, not unites it”. baffl ed by his decision to quit after Down- a “desperate search for savings” ahead of disappointed” by Duncan Smith’s decision olice and special forces an attack on British soil. The resignation of Duncan Smith is per- ing Street had already said it would rethink fi nance minister George Osborne’s budget to leave the cabinet post he has held since have been ordered to A spokeswoman said the haps the biggest blow Cameron has suf- the cuts he was objecting to. statement last week. Duncan Smith de- 2010. Pprepare for as many as 10 NCA was working with its simultaneous terror strikes on partners including the Met to London, it has been reported. tackle the threat posed by the Soldiers based outside the criminal use of fi rearms. capital, as well as the SAS and A home offi ce spokesman the Metropolitan Police, are said they did not comment on said to be on standby in case operational matters and mat- Ireland marks seminal event terrorists target multiple loca- ters of national security. tions in co-ordinated attacks. It comes after a prime sus- A minister described as fa- pect in the deadly Paris attacks, miliar with the proposals told Salah Abdeslam, was charged the Sunday Times: “We used following his arrest. of the 1916 Easter rebellion to plan for three simultaneous French prosecutors, who are attacks but Paris has shown requesting his extradition from that you need to be ready for Belgium, said he had allegedly DPA thorities punished the leaders of the rebel- nifi cant events in our nation’s journey to deployed in Europe as the perfect time to more than that. We are ready planned to be a suicide bomb- Dublin lion meant that the public, some of whom independence”. strike,” Kenna says. “There was a prevailing if someone tries with seven, er but backed out at the last had viewed the events of Easter 1916 as a “We can now acknowledge the diverse current of militancy in Europe at that time eight, nine, ten.” minute then went on the run. disruptive nuisance, became more sympa- identities, backgrounds and experiences with blood sacrifi ce seen as necessary.” s Ireland marks the centenary of the thetic. of those who participated in it, as well as When Scotland was voting on inde- Easter Rising this week, most ob- The execution of 15 leaders, including the varied ideologies and beliefs that mo- pendence in 2014, some commentators, Aservers agree that the rebellion of the trade unionist James Connolly, who tivated them,” Higgins said. including former Irish prime minister 1916 has resonated through modern Irish was so badly wounded that he had to be “Nothing in Irish history is black and John Bruton, claimed that 1916 had been history unlike any other event. shot while strapped to a chair, led to an white, everything is grey,” says Kenna. unnecessary and that Ireland could have Hacker shares “1916 was a seminal event in Irish histo- upsurge in public outrage. gained independence without blood being ry, without which we would not have had The “blood sacrifi ce”, called for by 1916 In military terms, the rising meant spilled. the War of Independence, the Civil War leader Padraig Pearse, had the intended ef- nothing, but its aft ermath had a The home rule bill had promised Ireland Adele photographs and the emergence of the Irish Republic,” fect. huge eff ect on subsequent events in some independence in 1913 but was sus- says historian Shane Kenna, biographer of This in turn led to the War of Independ- Irish history” pended at the outbreak of World War 1. the poet Thomas MacDonagh, one of the ence in 1919 and the beginning of the end “The home rule that was being off ered Evening Standard the early days of her career not executed leaders of the 1916 rebellion. of British rule in Ireland. “There were widows of ordinary Cath- then would have been a very limited type London previously released to the pub- “The legacy of the 1916 rising, which In his poem Easter, 1916, William Butler olic Irish men who had gone to fi ght in of self-determination which would have lic. saw 1,500 volunteers fi ght in Dublin for six Yeats, who had denounced the Irish mid- World War I who viewed the [1916] leaders left Ireland without even control of light- The 27-year-old singer, who days against 20,000 soldiers of the British dle classes as petty materialists, claim- with hate.” houses,” Kenna says. dele has reportedly is known to closely guard her army for the belief in a republic cherish- ing that “Romantic Ireland was dead and Offi cial British estimates say that “Without the legacy of the rising, Ire- fallen victim to a hacker family’s privacy was said to be ing all of the nation’s children equally, is gone”, was moved to write: 200,000 Irish went to fi ght on the British land would have remained part of Britain Awho has shared her pri- “angry and upset”. hugely important,” Kenna said. “I write it out in a verse - MacDonagh side during World War 1. and had devolved powers much like Scot- vate photographs online. The newspaper said it was “In military terms, the rising meant and MacBride/ And Connolly and Pearse/ Unionists did so out of loyalty to the land is today.” Leaked photographs are said thought the hacker gained ac- nothing, but its aftermath had a huge Now and in time to be,/ Wherever green Crown, but many nationalists did so hav- Kenna says he is “incredibly proud” that to include a baby scan and a cess to the images through the eff ect on subsequent events in Irish his- is worn,/ Are changed, changed utterly: A ing been promised increased Irish self-de- some of his family members took part in picture of the Hello singer’s email account of her partner, tory.” terrible beauty is born.” termination under home rule after the war. the Easter Rising. three-year-old son Angelo, Simon Konecki. The volunteers took over government The subject of much poetry and art, Some Irish people viewed it as treacher- He quotes one of the executed leaders, according to The Sun on Sun- A fan is said to have raised buildings including Dublin’s General Post 1916 has acted as a prism through which ous to strike at Britain when it was fi ghting Thomas Clarke, summarising the rebels’ day. the alarm with Adele’s man- Offi ce, from where Padraig Pearse read the the vexed question of Irish identity can be a war, but the 1916 leaders saw an oppor- cause: “I and my fellow signatories believe The haul of photographs are agement after the images were Proclamation of the Irish Republic and viewed. tunity. we have struck the fi rst successful blow for also said to contain pictures posted on a Facebook page only raised the green, white and orange tricol- In his St Patrick’s Day address, Irish “Socialist leaders such as James Con- Irish freedom. The next blow, which we from her childhood, a photo- accessible to a group of the our fl ag. president Michael D Higgins highlighted nolly viewed the war as imperialistic and have no doubt Ireland will strike, will win graph of her dressed in a Santa 27-year-old singer’s most de- The severity with which the British au- the complexity of “one of the most sig- saw the time when British forces were through. In this belief, we die happy.” Claus outfi t as a teenager and voted followers. Gulf Times 18 Monday, March 21, 2016 EUROPE Germany has changed course on migrants: Merkel ally

Reuters policy, even if it does not ad- proach” by supporting a deal be- which takes a tougher line on EU-Turkey co-operation deal as Berlin mit that,” Horst Seehofer, leader tween the European Union and immigration, have repeatedly well as on the government’s refu- of the Christian Social Union Turkey that aims to stop illegal clashed on how to tackle the mi- gee policy in general. (CSU), the Bavarian sister party migration fl ows to Europe. grant crisis and the confl ict has A survey for magazine Der erman Chancellor Angela to Merkel’s Christian Democrats Bavarian premier Seehofer has escalated in recent days, with Spiegel showed around two- Merkel’s government has (CDU), told Bild am Sonntag. insisted the country should cap a senior CSU lawmaker caus- thirds of Germans were unhappy Gdone an about-turn on its “There has been a creeping the number of refugees it accepts ing upset by calling for all CDU with Merkel’s refugee policy. refugee policy and has gradually withdrawal from the uncondi- at 200,000 per year – a demand members who sympathised with Deputy Finance Minister and shifted away from its welcoming tional welcoming culture. De- Merkel has rejected as she bets Merkel’s refugee policies to leave senior CDU member Jens Spahn, culture, the leader of her Bavar- spite the images from the Greek- instead on a European solution to her party and join the left-lean- a vocal critic of Merkel’s refugee ian allies told a newspaper. Macedonian border no German the crisis. ing Social Democrats (SPD) and policy, told the same magazine Merkel opened Germany’s politician today says: ‘The bor- He said the fact the number of Greens. that his party had “perhaps put borders to refugees last summer ders are open, let everyone come migrants coming to Germany had Bild cited sources within the too much emphasis on the hu- and at that time Germans ap- to Germany’,” he added. now fallen was solely due to other conservative faction as saying manitarian approach”. plauded newcomers arriving at Some 1.1mn migrants came to countries seeking to reduce the that senior members of the CDU/ He said that the policy of wav- A migrant takes a selfie with Merkel outside a refugee camp near the the train station in Munich but, Germany in 2015. infl ux but that could not be the CSU parliamentary group would ing people across the borders Federal Off ice for Migration and Refugees after registration at Berlin’s as the mood towards migrants A senior member of the oppo- ultimate solution. meet in the second week of April had given the impression that all Spandau district, Germany, in this September 10, 2015 file photo. has shifted, she has stressed that sition Greens, Anton Hofreiter, Still, it would mean that his to consult on a joint strategy in people had to do was board a boat Merkel’s government has done an about-turn on its refugee policy the number coming needs to be also accused Merkel of chang- suggested cap of 200,000 prob- the migrant crisis. to Europe and they would end up such that it has gradually shifted away from its ‘Willkommenskultur’, reduced. ing tack, telling Rheinische Post ably would not even be reached Seehofer said the Bundestag in Germany, Austria or Sweden, or welcoming culture, the leader of her Bavarian allies told a German “The federal government has newspaper the chancellor had this year, he added. lower house of parliament should adding: “We should have said newspaper. completely changed its refugee “given up her humanitarian ap- Merkel’s CDU, and the CSU, be given the chance to vote on the earlier: ‘That’s not how it works’.” Don’t turn backs on refugees, Pope says at EU-Turkey deal fails Palm Sunday service

Reuters in 2015 and the infl ux has con- Vatican City tinued, prompting countries straddling the main migration corridor through the Balkans to to stem migrant fl ow ope Francis, leading the the wealthy north of the EU to world’s 1.2bn Roman seal their borders, trapping tens Reuters/AFP nating Athens’ response to the PCatholics in Palm Sunday of thousands in Greece. Lesbos, Greece crisis insisted however that those services leading up to Easter, has Last week, Macedonia trucked arriving faced certain return to criticised those who he said were 1,500 migrants back to Greece Turkey. washing their hands of the fate of after they forced their way across hey waved, cheered and “They will not be able to leave desperate refugees. the border. smiled, elated to have the islands, and we are awaiting Francis blessed palm and olive Images of exhausted migrants Tmade it to Europe at dawn the arrival of international ex- branches in Saint Peter’s Square fording a fast-moving stream yesterday in a packed blue rubber perts who will launch procedures before tens of thousands of peo- in the cold were splashed across motor boat. for them to be sent back,” the ple to commemorate Jesus’ tri- Italian newspapers. The 50 or so refugees and mi- agency said. umphant entrance into Jerusa- Palm Sunday marks the start grants were among the fi rst to Among the early morning ar- lem the week before the crowd of the busiest week in the Catho- arrive on the Greek island of rivals on the seaweed strewn turned against him and he was lic liturgical calendar. Lesbos on day one of an EU deal beach on the south of Lesbos was crucifi ed. Francis has two events on with Turkey designed to close the Syrian Hussein Ali Muhammad, He departed from his prepared Holy Thursday, including a ritual route by which a million people whose studies were interrupted homily to appeal to nations not to where he washes and kisses the crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece after the war began. turn their backs on refugees. feet of 12 people commemorat- in 2015. He said he wanted to go to After mentioning the part of ing Christ’s gesture of humility Exhausted but relieved, the Denmark to continue university. the gospel recounting how Jesus towards his apostles on the night new arrivals wrapped their wet Asked if he was aware of the was denied justice and aban- before he died. feet in thermal blankets as vol- European decision, he said: “I doned to his fate, Francis added The Pope presides at two serv- unteers handed out dry clothes know that. I hope to cross these in unscripted remarks: “I am ices on Good Friday, including a and supplies. borders. I hope I complete my thinking of so many other peo- candlelight Via Crucis (Way of Reuters witnesses saw three studies here (in Europe), just this: ple, so many marginalised peo- the Cross) procession around boats arrive within an hour in I don’t want money, I just want to ple, so many asylum-seekers, so Rome’s Colosseum. darkness in the early hours of complete my studies. This is my many refugees. He leads an Easter vigil service yesterday. message.” “There are so many who don’t on Saturday and on Easter Sun- Two men were pulled out un- Muhammed, who worked odd want to take responsibility for day he delivers his twice-yearly conscious from one of the boats jobs in Turkey to pay a smuggler their destiny.” “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and amid the screams of fellow pas- to bring him across, said he did More than 1.1mn migrants the world) blessing and message sengers and were later pro- not want to go back. fl eeing war and failed states from the central balcony of Saint nounced dead. “I worked very, very hard in fl owed into the European Union Peter’s Basilica. Twelve boats had arrived on Turkey, I collected the money to the shoreline near the airport by come here ... It’s very dangerous 6am (0400 GMT), a police offi - and not good.” cial said. Another arrival, 30-year-old A government account put the computer engineer Moham- Neanderthal remark number of arrivals across Greece med from Daraa in Syria, said he in the past 24 hours at 875 people. hoped to stay in Greece until he Under the European Union found a way to be reunited with by Austrian politician deal with Turkey, all migrants his wife and son in Germany. and refugees, including Syrians, “I know the decision. I hope who cross to Greece illegally by to (meet with) my wife and chil- triggers calls to resign sea from March 20 will be sent dren,” he said. back to Turkey once they are reg- Gatan, a Syrian who had just istered and their asylum claims arrived with his wife and two Reuters adopted tough rhetoric on mi- have been processed. children, said he chose to ignore Vienna grants as the far-right Freedom That is expected to take ef- warnings about the deal. Party attracts more than 30% fect from April 4, by which time “In Turkey they told us not to approval ratings in voter surveys, Greece must have in place a fast- go to Greece, that we risk arrest,” ustria’s Green Party has about 10 percentage points ahead track process for assessing asy- he told AFP. “We could not stay called on an Austrian law- of each of the ruling centrist coa- lum claims. in Turkey. We want to go to Ger- Amaker to resign after he lition parties. The EU has pledged to help many or France.” compared refugees to “Neander- Lugar is chairman of the Team Greece set up a task force of some Doubts remain about whether thals who trample underfoot the Stronach parliamentary group, 4,000 staff , including judges, the deal is legal or workable. It rights of women”. founded in 2012 by Frank Stro- interpreters, border guards and was not clear what would hap- Refugees and migrants wave as they approach the shores of the Greek island of Lesbos on a dinghy In remarks in parliament this nach, an Austrian-Canadian others to manage each case indi- pen to the tens of thousands of during sunrise yesterday. week which he reiterated later businessman who has criticised vidually. migrants and refugees already in in a statement, Robert Lugar the euro and has called for a sim- “The agreement comes into Greece. from the island on Saturday to in the country, seeking instead a ries infl icted by Macedonian po- said most refugees and migrants pler tax system and a shrunken eff ect from today. Greek authori- It was too early to say if the make space for new arrivals. route to northern Europe where lice as they tried to slip across the arriving in Austria were “un- public sector. ties have done whatever is neces- deal would be eff ective, a senior The island has a capacity to more support and jobs are avail- shuttered border with Greece. educated, religiously blinded, “Now we bring such Neander- sary and will continue to do what coastguard offi cial said. host 3,500 people at a place set able than in Greece, which is in In Turkey, around 200 mi- fanatical (and) impossible to in- thals here who thank God had it promised,” George Kyritsis, a “We haven’t yet seen the terms up to register arrivals. the grip of an economic crisis. grants were caught off the coast tegrate”. been extinct in our country,” he government spokesman for the of the deal properly,” said Antonis At least 144,000 people, most- But border closures along and turned back as they tried to Austria has mainly served said. refugee crisis, told Reuters. Sofi adelis, head of the coastguard ly Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, the main route north through reach Greece before the deadline, as a conduit into Germany for In the last parliamentary elec- “Other parties (to the agree- operations on Lesbos. “But if re- have arrived in Greece so far in the Balkans have meant at least a Turkish coastguard offi cial said. refugees and migrants from the tions in 2013, Team Stronach got ment) should also do their part,” turns begin I believe it will act 2016 according to UN refugee 48,000 people are stranded They were detained on a ship Middle East and Africa but has around 5.7% of the votes, but it he said, referring to Greece’s EU as a deterrent. They (migrants) agency data. in Greece, in camps and ports for 36 hours and were being held absorbed a similar number of now barely registers in opinion partners and Turkey. won’t want to pay $1,000-2,000 About 60% were women and across the country. in a pen in the port of Dikili, asylum-seekers relative to its polls. In return, the EU will take in to a smuggler. Everything de- children. About 12,000 people remain where they pressed against the much smaller population. “Not only is your speech ex- thousands of Syrian refugees di- pends on whether Turkey imple- Of those people, more than at a squalid tent camp near the metal gates, chanting “We want It has angered other European plicitly discriminatory, but it rectly from Turkey and reward ments its part of the deal. half landed on Lesbos, the island Macedonian border hoping to to go! We don’t want to stay!” Union states by setting a cap on also endangers the safety of all it with more money, early visa- “What we’re doing on our part on the frontline of Europe’s big- cross. “We were treated like animals the number of asylum-seekers who live and reside in this coun- free travel and progress in its EU is boosting the asylum process.” gest migration crisis since World The charity Doctors Without on the big ship. They gave us no it accepts – a step Brussels said try,” several opposition Green membership negotiations. Authorities in Lesbos began War II. Borders said 33 migrants had food or water,” a 19-year-old was unlawful. politicians said in an open letter The SOMP agency co-ordi- removing refugees and migrants Few, if any, had planned to stay been treated yesterday for inju- Syrian told AFP. The coalition government has to Lugar. Kazakhstan ruling party set to sweep in parliament vote

AFP booming economy slump on capital Astana yesterday morn- in a ballot featuring six parties diff erence between the parties. dow-dressing in the authoritar- Astana the back of falling oil prices and ing, Nazarbayev – who has main- mostly supportive of Nazarbayev. They all say the same thing,” she ian republic. an economic crisis in north- tained close ties with former The Central Election Com- told AFP. “These are zombie parties. ern neighbour Russia, but Soviet master Russia – called mission (CEC) claimed 75% of Yesterday’s early polls came They take up space and make Nazarbayev visits a polling olling stations closed yes- Nazarbayev’s grip on power ap- on other countries “not to rush” the electorate of nearly 10mn had after Nazarbayev brought for- announcements, but principally station in Astana. terday in energy-rich Ka- pears as fi rm as ever. Kazakhstan on its journey toward cast votes by 1200 GMT yester- ward the presidential vote last do not have any particular sort Pzakhstan after citizens The 75-year-old strongman democracy. day. year, with analysts saying he was of platform,” Dosym Satpayev, People’s Party and Ak Zhol. voted in a parliamentary elec- - who has ruled Kazakhstan vir- “This is Asia,” he said. “We Standing in line to vote in keen to get elections over with Director of the Risk Assessment Of the three remaining par- tion expected to provide a com- tually unopposed since before its have diff erent relationships – Astana, Maral Akimbaeva, a in case the economic situation Group based in the country’s ties, both Auyl, which focuses on manding majority for ageing independence from the Soviet family relationships, a diff erent 27-year-old worker for a state worsened. largest city Almaty, told AFP. agrarian issues, and pro-green autocrat President Nursultan Union in 1991 – was elected to a religion and diff erent opportuni- company, said she would “prob- Analysts say the parties com- In addition to Nur Otan, two Birlik are loyal to Nazarbayev, Nazarbayev’s ruling party. new fi ve-year term last year with ties between people.” ably” vote for ruling party Nur peting in the vote lack coherent other parties from the outgoing while the Nationwide Social The vote came as the former 98% of the vote. Polling stations closed across Otan. ideologies or manifestos, and legislature are competing – the Democratic Party (NSDP) claims Soviet country sees its once- After casting his vote in the the vast country at 1500 GMT “If I am honest I don’t see any exist to provide democratic win- pro-government Communist the mantle of the opposition. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 19 EUROPE

600-plus people have left Bus of foreign students France for Syria or crashes in Spain, 13 dead Iraq: Valls AFP before 6am (0500 GMT) near Spain’s national radio sta- deadliest in Spain in recent Tortosa, Spain the small town of Freginals, tion RNE spoke to the son of years. about 150km (95 miles) south of the owner of the company that In November 2014, a bus car- Reuters Barcelona, as the students were chartered the bus, who said his rying pilgrims fell into a ravine Paris hirteen foreign students returning from the Fallas festival father was driving another bus in the southeast of the country, were killed and dozens in eastern Valencia known for in front of the one that crashed leaving 14 dead and another 41 Tmore injured in Spain the burning of giant statues. – one of a total of fi ve vehicles injured. ore than 600 people yesterday when a bus carrying The driver “hit the railing on ferrying students back from Va- Spain’s Prime Minister Mari- have now left France them back from a popular tra- the right and swerved to the left lencia. ano Rajoy tweeted his concern Mfor Syria and Iraq, with ditional festival crashed into an so violently that the bus veered “All of a sudden, he stopped yesterday. about 800 more wanting to leave incoming car. onto the other side of the high- seeing it in his rear-view mir- “My condolences to the fami- to join Islamic State (IS), Prime The students, who were on a way”, said Jordi Jane who heads ror. He stopped at the next serv- lies of the victims and I wish Minister Manuel Valls said yes- European exchange programme up interior matters for the Cata- ice area, called the driver but rapid recovery to the injured,” he terday. in the northeastern region of lonia region. he didn’t pick up,” said the son, wrote. The fi gures show little respite Catalonia, came from 16 diff er- The bus then struck a car named only as Raul. Catalonia’s newly-elected in the number of people join- ent countries including Britain, coming in the opposite direc- He added that his father then regional president Carles Puig- ing the terrorist group despite the Netherlands, Ukraine, Swit- tion, injuring two people inside, asked passengers in his own bus demont, meanwhile, visited the multiple bombing campaigns zerland, Finland, Norway and he added. to call those in the other vehicle, area after cancelling a planned against IS strongholds and a Sweden but also Japan and New Interior Minister Jorge Fern- and that is when he got news of trip to Paris. crackdown by French authorities Zealand. andez Diaz, who rushed to the the accident. Joining in mourning for the to prevent people from leaving All the dead were female, ac- scene, said that it was still not The wreckage of the bus is lifted by a crane after the crash in “The driver is in a state of tragedy, players for Barcelona the country after two major at- cording to a regional govern- clear why the driver hit the rail- Freginals. shock, but he’s okay physically.” and Villarreal – which is only tacks in France during last year. ment source who requested ing in the fi rst place, adding Catalonia’s high court said in around 100km from the crash “We are in a battle on our soil,” anonymity, but authorities have however that the accident was crash said that many fi re engines in, and the bus was lying on its a statement that an initial probe site – observed a moment of Valls said in a speech to Socialist yet to announce their exact na- likely due to a “human factor”. were at the scene, as were three side after the accident. revealed “the bus driver tested silence before kick-off , as did party supporters. “Each day (we) tionalities. An AFP photographer at the hearses and a heavy-lift crane. The bus was carrying 57 peo- negative for drugs and alcohol”. those from the Real Madrid and ... trace networks, locate cells, The accident occurred just scene several hours after the The car’s front was smashed ple in all, including the driver. The accident is one of the Sevilla later yesterday. arrest individuals. Today 2029 French citizens or residents are implicated in (militant) net- works.” European governments have been tightening anti-terrorism Istanbul bomber identifi ed laws as the Syrian confl ict en- ters its sixth year, agreeing to share more intelligence and tak- ing down radical websites to try as Turkish member of IS to stop their citizens from going to fi ght in the Middle East and bringing militancy home. Reuters is trying to determine whether Turkey sees the Kurdish in- Breaking down the fi gures, Istanbul its citizens were deliberately tar- surgency as fuelled by the ter- Valls said 609 people who are geted. ritorial gains of Kurdish militia French nationals or have French Eleven of the 36 wounded fi ghters in northern Syria. resident’s status are currently Turkish member of the were Israelis. Police were questioning the among fi ghters, including 283 Islamic State (IS) group Saturday’s attack on Istiklal father and brother of the alleged women and 18 minors. Awas responsible for Sat- Street, Istanbul’s most popu- bomber Ozturk and had deter- Almost 170 have been killed urday’s suicide bombing in Is- lar shopping district, appeared mined his identity by checking while in Syria or Iraq and 300 tanbul that killed three Israelis similar to a January suicide a DNA sample from the blast have returned to France from and an Iranian and wounded bombing blamed on IS that scene against one taken from his those countries. dozens of others, Turkey’s inte- killed at least 12 German tourists father, security sources said. “Almost 800 would today like rior minister said. in the city’s historic centre. Ozturk’s family reported him to go to these war zones, accord- Efkan Ala identifi ed the More than 80 people have missing after he went to Istanbul ing to intelligence services,” Valls bomber as a man born in the now been killed in four suicide in 2013, security sources said. said, adding that 1,000 people southern province of Gaziantep, attacks so far this year in Turkey, Police were on high alert yes- are being monitored closely. adding that fi ve people had been a Nato member that faces multi- terday after the previous day’s In February 2015, only weeks detained so far in connection ple security threats. attack and due to concerns after an attack in Paris that with the bombing. As part of a US-led coalition, about potential clashes between A woman places carnations yesterday at the scene of a suicide bombing at Istiklal street, a major killed 17 people, Valls said there “We have determined that it is fi ghting Islamic State in security forces and Kurdish mil- shopping and tourist district, in central Istanbul. were 1,400 French citizens or Mehmet Ozturk, born in 1992 neighbouring Syria and Iraq. It itants during a spring festival residents linked to militant net- in Gaziantep, has carried out is also battling Kurdish militants this weekend that is widely cel- “We have to take all measures the red and white Turkish fl ag readily accessible, local users works, with 410 present in Syria the heinous attack on Saturday in its southeast, where a 2-1/2- ebrated by Kurds. to prevent any terrorist acts,” he from buildings and laid carna- reported. and Iraq and about 80 killed on in Istanbul. It has been estab- year ceasefi re collapsed last July, The United States and some said. “But sometimes there are tions next to handwritten signs Authorities have blocked ac- the ground. lished that he is a member of triggering the worst violence European embassies had warned suicide bombings that are hard that read: “We are here. We are cess to such sites after bomb- Daesh,” Ala told a news confer- since the 1990s. their citizens to be vigilant be- to prevent.” not afraid.” ings in the past, usually because ence broadcast live on televi- The spate of bombings has fore the Newroz celebrations. Streets across the city, usually A small group of lawmakers graphic images have been shared Austrian youths sion, using an Arabic acronym raised questions about Turkey’s Interior Minister Ala said bustling with traffi c and pedes- from the Peoples’ Democratic online. for Islamic State. ability to protect itself from a authorities had put 200,000 trians yesterday, were eerily qui- Party, the Kurdish-rooted op- It was not immediately clear set record with Israel has confi rmed that three spillover of both the Syria and members of the police and gen- et apart from the sound of police position party, were scheduled whether Germany, which closed 92-hour TV binge of its citizens died in the blast. Kurdish confl icts. darmerie on duty, some of whom helicopters buzzing overhead. to walk to Istanbul’s Bakirkoy its diplomatic missions and Two of them held dual citi- An off shoot of the militant would set up checkpoints. Hun- Istiklal, quiet earlier in the district for Newroz celebrations. German schools last week cit- Five young Austrians have zenship with the United States. Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) dreds of bomb control devices day, was no longer deserted by Roads in that area were being ing a security threat, would open broken the record for binge- An Iranian was also killed, claimed responsibility for two had also been dispatched. afternoon. closed by police for security rea- them today. watching TV by staring at a Turkish offi cials have said. recent car bomb attacks in the But he acknowledged the dif- Crowds gathered at a make- sons, Anadolu Agency reported. A foreign ministry spokes- screen for 92 straight hours, Israeli Prime Minister Ben- capital Ankara that killed a total fi culty of catching lone suicide shift memorial at the site of the Social media sites such as woman said the decision would organisers said yesterday. jamin Netanyahu has said Israel of 66 people. bombers. bombing, where mourners hung Twitter and Facebook were not be made at short notice. “Towards the end it was really tough for them,” said Moritz Arnold, who organised the successful record-breaking attempt in the window of a shop 19 arrested ahead of Kurdish New Year in the Austrian capital Vienna. The feat has been recognised by Guinness World Records, he DPA The arrests came ahead of today, and tens of thousands are the southeast, including civil- added. Istanbul planned demonstrations that expected to attend. ians. The five record-breakers were could potentially turn violent The security situation has Variations of Newroz are also four men and a woman aged as the event usually becomes an been tense for several months in celebrated in Syria, Iraq, Iran 19-24. ineteen people were ar- opportunity for political expres- the south-east, and the Turkish and the Caucuses. They were allowed a five-minute rested in the western sion. army said on Saturday night that Newroz festivities were break per hour for calls of nature, NTurkish city of Izmir Among those held were two a soldier was killed in an attack banned in Turkey until 1995 a leg stretch or even a shower. yesterday, a day before Newroz mayors of pro-Kurdish opposi- by the banned Kurdistan Work- when then prime minister Tansu To help them stay awake the TV- celebrations for the Kurdish tion party HDP, DHA said. ers’ Party (PKK) in Nusaybin. Ciller declared that the festival marathoners also had access to New Year, the DHA news agency The authorities have banned In July last year, a two-year was in fact a Turkic event. an exercise bike as well as coff ee reported. Newroz festivities in the restive, ceasefi re between the PKK and Despite a number of offi cial and energy drinks. Kurds in Turkey will welcome largely Kurdish southeast of the the state collapsed after peace celebrations of the festival, the The former record of 91 hour Riot police detain a pro-Kurdish demonstrator during a gathering spring today, celebrating the country. negotiations stagnated. vast majority of people who cel- was set in Toronto, Canada in in Istanbul to celebrate the spring festival of Newroz despite a ban new year during the festival of Events are only being allowed Many hundreds have died in ebrate Newroz are of Kurdish December 2014. from the governorship. Newroz. in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir the renewed confl ict, mostly in origin. Paris attacks suspect also ‘targeted Brussels’: offi cial

AFP a Friday police raid in Brussels, around him in Brussels”, Rey- tion with the suspect to journal- His brother Brahim blew him- petration of these attacks”, said said France was deploying extra Brussels told interrogators that he had nders was quoted in a statement ists on Saturday. self up in a restaurant in the east French President Francois Hol- police offi cers to its borders to planned to blow himself up at the as saying at a panel discussion. “I don’t understand why a of the French capital, and Molins lande, who was in Brussels for an step up controls following dis- Stade de France stadium in Paris Reynders, speaking in English prosecutor in Paris has to com- said Abdeslam had planned to do EU summit when the raid took cussions with Interpol. top Belgian offi cial re- but had backed out at the last at the Brussels Forum, an annual municate at this stage on an the same at the Stade de France place. Abdeslam is behind bars in vealed yesterday that Par- minute. US-organised transatlantic con- investigation in Belgium,” the before changing his mind. Hollande said shortly after the solitary confi nement at the Brug- Ais attacks suspect Salah A day after his capture, the ference, said that police were still lawyer told Le Soir newspaper Investigators believe Abdeslam suspect’s arrest on Friday that he es high-security prison alongside Abdeslam also targeted Brussels, 26-year-old was taken to a working to track down suspects yesterday. rented rooms in the Paris area to wanted to see Abdeslam trans- Mehdi Nemmouche, who carried as Europe’s most wanted sus- maximum security prison in the involved in the attacks in which Abdeslam “is worth gold. He is be used by the attackers and a car, ferred to France as quickly as out a fatal attack on the Jewish pect’s lawyer launched a furious northwestern city of Bruges. 130 people died. collaborating, he’s communicat- which he used to drive them to possible to face prosecution. Museum in Brussels in 2014. legal fi ght to avoid extradition to Belgian Foreign Minister Di- “We are sure that for the mo- ing, he is not using his right to the Stade de France before head- Abdeslam’s arrest in the gritty Police have also detained a France. dier Reynders revealed yesterday ment we have found more than remain silent”, Mary said, urging ing to the 18th arrondissement in Molenbeek neighbourhood of suspected accomplice, known Abdeslam is held in a high- that Abdeslam also targeted the 30 people involved in the ter- patience. the north of the capital. Brussels was hailed by European only under the false IDs of Amine security jail on charges of “ter- Belgian capital. rorist attacks in Paris, but we are Paris prosecutor Francois Days after the attacks an ex- and US leaders, while French Choukri or Mounir Ahmed Alaaj, rorist murder” for his role in the Abdeslam told investigators sure there are others,” he said. Molins told reporters on Satur- plosives-fi lled suicide vest was Interior Minister Bernard Ca- but at a prison near Liege in east- November 13 gun and suicide “...he was ready to restart some- Abdeslam’s lawyer Sven Mary day that Abdeslam had played found in Paris in an area where zeneuve said it dealt a “major ern Belgium. attacks on the French capital, thing in Brussels, and it may be said that his client would fi ght a “central role” in planning the mobile phone signals indicated blow” to IS militants operating in Former small-time criminal which killed 130 people. the reality because we have found his extradition to Paris beginning November attacks, which tar- Abdeslam had been. Europe. Abdeslam is believed to be the The Belgian-born French citi- a lot of weapons, heavy weapons, with a legal complaint against a geted bars, restaurants and the Abdeslam was “directly linked But the minister warned on last surviving member of the 10- zen, who was caught unarmed in the fi rst investigations and French prosecutor who divulged Bataclan concert hall and were to the preparation, the organisa- Saturday that the threat level man terrorist team that carried after being shot in the leg during we have found a new network the details of the fi rst interroga- claimed by Islamic State (IS). tion and, unfortunately, the per- remained “extremely high” and out the Paris attacks. Gulf Times 20 Monday, March 21, 2016 INDIA Tamil Nadu New bill will bring FDI into real estate: experts

Roundup IANS months of the current fi scal year, partment of Industrial Policy and has interest in real estate, said the “This state of aff airs is now set Puri, however, pointed out: Kolkata compared to the same period last Promotion (DIPP), during the legislation aimed to do away with to change drastically,” Pate, chair- “So far, a private equity fund By Umaima Shafiq year. fi rst nine months of the current improper business practices of man and managing director of that wished to invest in Indian “The bill will facilitate in in- fi scal year, India attracted only the unorganised real estate sec- Amit Enterprises Housing, said. real estate had to go through a he Real Estate (Regula- jecting FDI into the Indian real Rs6.73bn of FDI in construction tor, and bring builders within the Industry body Credai’s West very lengthy, and often painful, tion and Development) Bill estate. It essentially works to- development, including town- ambit of regulations pertaining Bengal president Sushil Mo- partner search, as the only kind Vigilance Tpassed by both houses of wards strengthening transpar- ships, housing and built-up in- to timely delivery of projects. hta said the bill will bring more of partners acceptable to foreign parliament is expected to facili- ency, information in the public frastructure. The sector, how- “The bill also aims to put in transparency to the sector. funds would have to demonstrate stepped up tate more foreign direct invest- domain, accountability and re- ever, attracted Rs42.64bn of FDI place a seamless framework “It was necessary, but not suf- the right kind of qualities and ca- ahead of ments in the sector, developers sponsibility for developers,” Anuj infl ows in the same period of for resolving disputes between fi cient, to route more foreign in- pabilities.” say. Puri, chairman and country head 2014-15. builders and home buyers. All vestments in the country. Unless The bill provides for setting up elections According to them, one over- of global real estate services fi rm “The bill will help boost the this is likely to improve cred- the process of project sanctions, the Real Estate Regulatory Au- weening factor which prevented JLL India, said. overall image of Indian real es- ibility of the sector and make it approval and clearances get sim- thorities (RERAs). Vigilance has been stepped up all more foreign investment from “It will bring overall fi nancial tate as an attractive investment more attractive for investment,” plifi ed, foreign investment would Puri said it could now set over Tamil Nadu after the Election coming to the Indian real estate discipline. The bill also provides avenue from all over, including he said. not come in a big way,” he said. transparency as a fundamental Commission of India (EC) imposed sector was its opaqueness. comprehensive consumer pro- foreign investors,” Harshavard- Another developer, Kishor Pate also said with the bill basis for developers, and private the model code of conduct to Foreign direct investment tection which was hardly existed han Neotia, president of industry Pate, felt investment funds, so bringing in high levels of trans- equity players could save the time prevent malpractices for the May16 (FDI) equity infl ows in construc- before,” he added. chamber Ficci said. far, have not been able to perceive parency into the Indian real es- they would usually have spent on assembly elections in the state. tion development fell by a stag- According to the latest data Neotia, who is also chairman the comfort levels they require to tate sector, it will become very such due diligence so as to focus Election off icials have seized cash, gering 84% during the fi rst nine by the central government’s De- of the Ambuja Neotia Group that invest confi dently. attractive for foreign funds. on the actual opportunity. silver ornaments, kitchen utensils, toys, tricycles and footwear being transported by road at Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Nagercoil and other districts Landslides block highway meant for bribing voters. The EC has also ordered that the photos of Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa and her cabinet be covered or removed from all Mehbooba to government off ices, schools, colleges and other services, but allowed them on campaign advertisements. So far, about Rs91mn of unaccounted cash has been seized in the state and 1,306 police brief PDP complaints have been registered for poll violations. Meanwhile businessmen and traders have appealed to the EC to be permitted to carry cash with valid documents for their daily transactions. Chief electoral leaders on off icer Rajesh Lakhoni has denied permission to private companies working multiple shifts to declare a partial holiday on May 16. He said of the 65,616 polling booths in Tamil Nadu, about 28,000 would govt deadlock be web streamed, while 10,000 would be video recorded. Some contestants have appealed Senior leaders say channels two parties when they formed slogans, the ultra-left was in the that the EC also take over the of communication between the coalition government headed forefront. government-owned Arasu the PDP and BJP parties are by Mehbooba’s Mufti Mohamed “In fact the members or leaders television cable network, as the snapped at present Sayeed on March 1 last year. of the minority community did ruling All India Anna Dravida “The PDP chief has made it not come up. Most of them didn’t Munnetra Kazhagam party was IANS clear time and again that she will comment or participate in that blocking out news channels Srinagar stand by her father’s decision to debate.” owned by opposition parties. form an alliance with the BJP as He said: “Ideology of nation- he was convinced that it is in the alism is the driving force for BJP. mid a deadlock over the interest of the state’s people,” a Free speech can co-exist with Thermal imaging formation of a new gov- PDP leader said. the idea of nationalism. While camera used to Aernment in Jammu and “All Mehboobaji wants is to our Constitution allows for free Kashmir in alliance with the ensure that the promises made to speech and dissent, it does not trap man-eater Bharatiya Janata Party, People’s her father in terms of political ini- permit destruction of the nation.” Democratic Party president Me- tiatives and economic progress of Jaitley said on the Ishrat Jahan A tiger that caused panic after hbooba Mufti is likely to hold a the state see the light of the day,” case, the Congress-led United killing a plantation worker on meeting in three days to chart out he added. Progressive Alliance government March 11 at Devarshola estates her party’s future course of ac- The PDP sources said Meh- undermined national security. in Gudalur forests was caught by tion. booba would speak to the media “When the Congress was in elaborate traps laid by the Forest During the meeting, Mehbooba after the meeting on the political power, the manner in which they Department of Coimbatore last will apprise senior party lead- deadlock. attempted to undermine national week. ers about the talks she had with The state was placed under security in the Ishrat Jahan case The department used thermal BJP president Amit Shah in New Governor’s Rule on January 8, a was also raised in the meeting.” imaging cameras besides police Delhi, top PDP sources said here. day after the then chief minister He said the BJP meeting also dogs to track the animal. Finally The date of the meeting will be Sayeed died in New Delhi. discussed how “we streamlined they were able to locate the fi nalised as soon as senior PDP In the national capital, Finance defence procurements to avoid animal when it killed six cows in leaders presently stuck in Jammu Minister Arun Jaitley said the BJP corruption and how India could the area surrounding the Wood due to inclement weather arrive was fully committed to the agen- improve relations with neigh- Briar estate. They used a trap with here. da of governance in Kashmir. bouring countries and across the live animal bait. Government formation hit a Jaitley said the National Ex- world.” Forest off icials who had taken vigil dead end after BJP national gen- ecutive meeting of the party dis- Jaitley stressed on the idea of on a makeshift tree house shot it. eral secretary Ram Madhav told cussed the issue of government encouraging Dalit entrepreneurs. “We were unable to tranquillize it reporters in New Delhi that his formation in Kashmir as well as “There is an eff ort by the due to mist and invisibility,” said party would not accept any con- the Jawaharlal Nehru University government to encourage and an off icial. The team then climbed ditions from the PDP on the is- (JNU) row. strengthen Dalit entrepreneurs down to subdue the animal but it sue. On Jammu and Kashmir, he as an institution. Our main focus injured two foresters before dying. Although neither of the part- said: “We stand fully committed is economic and social inclusion, ners has so far said that the alli- as far as the agenda of governance good governance,” he said. ance between them is over, senior (signed with the Peoples’ Demo- “There is a chapter on poverty Student denied PDP leaders maintain channels of cratic Party).” alleviation. All the economic pol- permission to communication between the two But he added there was a refer- icies of the government and the parties are snapped at present. ence to “national security” in the initiatives launched by the gov- write exam The PDP maintains it has made Kashmir resolution. ernment were discussed. no fresh demands for govern- On JNU, Jaitley said: “Though “There is a proposal to increase Tension gripped a government ment formation, except that the on the fi rst day some people did BJP membership in areas that are school when a Class X student was Trucks are stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Qazigund due to landslides party wants a time frame for the come and raise anti-national slo- not BJP strongholds. We have al- not allowed to write her March in Batote, yesterday. The landslides were triggered by continuous rainfall at many places, an implementation of the agenda gans in JNU, by and large in the ready shown improvement in all 15 and 16 public board exams at off icial said. The over 300km-long highway is the only conduit for essential supplies to the of alliance agreed upon by the entire debate on the anti-national states,” Jaitley said. Vepanalli in Krishnagiri district. landlocked Kashmir Valley. Ranjitha’s father Govindasamy claimed the school refused permission fearing that his Street scene daughter would fail and bring down the institution’s pass percentage. However the school authorities BJP demands CBI probe said Ranjitha had missed classes for two months and had not applied for a hall ticket. They demanded that Govindasamy submit the hall ticket application into actor Mani’s death but allowed Ranjitha to write the remaining exams. IANS manem Rajasekheran told re- Said to be suff ering from a liver Chalakkudy, Kerala porters outside Mani’s home ailment, he died two days later. here after meeting the bereaved After his death, hospital au- Eight killed in family. thorities reported the presence road accident he Bharati- “We are looking into all as- of a chemical in the body, lead- ya Janata pects. It’s too early to come to ing to speculation that he may Eight people including a seven- TParty’s a conclusion on what caused not have died a natural death. month-old baby and a five-year- Kerala unit yes- Mani’s death. Nothing has been Police have now asked the old child were killed when their terday demanded confi rmed,” Superintendent of regional laboratory in Kochi to bus collided with a lorry on the a Central Bureau Police P N Unniraja, who heads provide a detailed report on the Tiruppur-Pollachi road last week. of Investigation the probe team, told reporters at quantity of insecticide and other The accident happened as the bus probe into the Mani’s farmhouse on Sunday. details. with 50 passengers was about to death of popular actor Kalabha- On March 18, forensic experts Likewise, a full autopsy report overtake another vehicle. At least van Mani (pictured). said an insecticide was found in from the state-owned Thrissur 20 were injured in the accident. His brother R L V Ram- the actor’s body. On Saturday, a Medical College and Hospital is In another accident, a senior akrishnan meanwhile demand- search of his 30-acre farmhouse also awaited. off icial of a Korean multinational ed a lie-detector test on Mani’s near here in Thrissur district led Police have questioned more company, Probir Maiti, 52 and his associates often seen with him police to a few bottles - one of than 140 people. Three of Mani’s driver Janardhan died when their at his farmhouse. them suspected to be containing close friends - Arun, Vipin and car collided with a government “It’s two weeks since he died Chlorpyrifos insecticide - that Murugan who were often spot- bus at Chengalpattu in suburban on March 6 and the ongoing have since been sent for forensic ted at his outhouse - have been Chennai. Probir had flown from probe appears to have reached examination. called in for questioning by po- Kolkata a few hours earlier nowhere. We feel there is some- Mani, 45, who acted in 200 lice a few times. and was on his way to attend a thing wrong somewhere. We fi lms in Malayalam and other The probe team is now look- company meeting. Police blamed demand a CBI probe to crack languages, was admitted to a ing into the bank accounts of A street vendor blows bubbles to attract customers in Srinagar yesterday. the drivers in both accidents. the case,” state BJP chief Kum- hospital in Kochi on March 4. Mani as well as the three friends. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 21 INDIA

TRAGEDY AGREEMENT CRIME POLITICS RIVER POLLUTION Soldier’s body recovered Will ink accord with WHO Teacher held for bid Sonia summons Manipur Rights panel seeks from under snow in Kargil on AYUSH, says minister to rape schoolgirl CM again over dissidence report from Odisha

The body of a soldier buried under an India’s AYUSH Minister Sripad Yesso Naik yesterday An elderly teacher has been arrested on charges Congress president Sonia Gandhi has summoned The National Human Rights Commission has avalanche was recovered yesterday in Kargil said his ministry will ink an agreement with the of molesting and attempting to rape a 15-year- Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and sought a report from the Odisha government over district of Jammu and Kashmir. “Army rescue World Health Organisation to popularise AYUSH old schoolgirl in Manipur. The incident happened Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam in connection river pollution by industries in the state. Hearing teams have recovered the mortal remains of system of medicine at a global level. AYUSH stands on Friday night in the hostel of a government- with the unflinching stand of dissidents within a complaint filed by human rights campaigner Sepoy Vijay Kumar K from under 12ft of snow,” for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, aided school at Bishnu Naha in Thoubal district. the ruling Congress. They will meet the Gandhi Subash Mohapatra, the Commission ordered the Colonel S D Goswami, spokesman of the army’s Siddha and Homoeopathy. Naik said the ministry “On March 18 night, the accused barged into the and vice president Rahul Gandhi. A meeting of chief secretary and the Odisha State Pollution Udhampur-headquartered Northern Command, had inked memorandums of understanding with room where some of us were preparing for the the Congress Legislature Party members was Control Board (SPCB) chairman to submit the report said. The soldier was buried under an avalanche several countries for co-operation in the field of next day’s examination. He told us to go to our held late on Saturday. Manipur will hold assembly in four weeks regarding the pollution of Brahmani, in the Kargil sector on the Line of Control on traditional medicines. “The National Health Policy rooms. When I was the last person to leave the elections in February next year. In the by- Kharashrota and Gandanal rivers. “Pollution in March 17. Kumar from Vallaramapuram village will be reviewed in six months to incorporate room he molested me and tried to rape,” the elections held late last year the Bharatiya Janata Brahmani, Kharashrota and Gandanal rivers has in Thirunelvelli district of Tamil Nadu is survived this aspect of propagation of AYUSH in the wake victim alleged. “Luckily for me, one student saw Party won both assembly seats. An upbeat increased. A steep increase in toxic cyanide and by his parents and two younger sisters. Another of suggestions,” Naik said at the inauguration what was happening and alerted others,” she Manipur BJP president Thounaojam Chaoba said: phenolic compounds in the water samples has soldier Sepoy Sujit, who was rescued on the of a four-day National Arogya Fair in Pune. Naik said. The accused, Keisham Ibohanbi, 61, also “In the 2017 assembly elections the BJP shall been confirmed by tests,” Mohapatra said. He said first day itself, is stable and recovering well, the said India will partner with the US for research in threatened to harm her if she told anyone about wrest power from the Congress which has been the SPCB had failed to take appropriate measures spokesman said. AYUSH to look for treatment of cancer. f the incident, the victim said. in power for the last three terms.” to reduce toxic compounds in water bodies. CPM faces revolt over candidates in Kerala

By Ashraf Padanna “I consider them like reactions Gulf Times Correspondent to fi lms. I’m going there with con- Thiruvananthapuram fi dence,” the 69-year-old widow of fi lmmaker Bharathan said. “Balakrishnan called me and hen the Communist said the party was considering Party of India (Marx- me for Wadakkancherry. I gave Wist) decided not fi eld my consent. The offi cial confi r- mass leader V S Achuthanandan mation is yet to come.” in the 2006 Kerala elections, a The award-winning actress small group of people came out has portrayed hundreds of on the streets forcing the party characters in fi lms over a career to change its decision. spanning more than fi ve dec- The drama was repeated when ades. She started acting at the the party denied the veteran leader age of 10 and was part of Kerala the chief minister’s chair and the People’s Arts Club (KPAC) which A hoarding featuring Election Commission’s brand ambassador Saina Nehwal put up by the election watchdog is seen in Kolkata, yesterday. party had to retreat amid protests. spread leftwing politics among Now, as the party begins the the masses in the 1950s. process of fi nalising its candi- CPM Thrissur district secre- dates for the May 16 elections to tary A C Moideen said he would the 140-member state assembly, initiate action against those par- similar protests are being re- ty workers who participated in ported from across the state. the protests. The 92-year-old has already Posters also appeared in Poon- ensured his candidature from jar in Kottayam against consider- Jaitley: BJP will do well Malampuzha in northern Kerala ing Kerala Congress faction lead- for a fourth straight time, and it’s er P C George or Congress rebel certain that he would stake his George J Mathew there, saying claim for the top post if the CPM they don’t want to vote for defec- comes to power. tors who could not be trusted. He has virtually no role in the Cadres have also come in the selection of candidates and his open against non-party candi- in assembly elections supporters among the cadres are dates representing interests of unsettled. various groups, including the Finance minister mocks alliance is eff ective... we will The resolution was moved by S Kunjwal for his decision would be taken up by the party Several constituencies wit- church, like television jour- Congress, says it’s content to score a decisive victory,” Jaitley minister M Venkaiah Naidu and to pass the state budget by a high command in the coming nessed street protests and post- nalists Veena George and M V become a tail of alliances told reporters here on the sec- seconded by party general sec- voice vote. weeks. ers against the shortlisted candi- Nikesh Kumar, forcing the party ond day of the BJP’s national retary Saroj Pandey. “It is a rare case in the history “But with elections in Kerala dates, prompting party secretary to hold back the list. IANS executive meeting. Taking a dig at the Congress, of democratic India where a almost a month after they take Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to issue Kumar was initially con- New Delhi The meeting discussed the Jaitley said: “The Congress po- speaker has passed a bill defeat- place in West Bengal and As- a strong warning against sabo- sidered for his hometown of assembly elections to be held sition in these states is clearly ed by members of the house,” sam, the high command will taging the party’s chances of re- Azhikode in Kannur as a candi- in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, evident. I think the Congress Jaitley said. sort out the list of candidates in turning to power after fi ve years. date of a faction of Communist inance Minister Arun Tamil Nadu and the union ter- has lowered its level of ambition Meanwhile in Thiruvanan- those state fi rst,” he said. However, yesterday, over 50 Marxist Party (CMP) which his Jaitley said yesterday the ritory of Puducherry in April- and is quite content to become a thapuram, Kerala Chief Min- “After the Congress list is workers, mostly youngsters, took late father M V Raghavan found- FBharatiya Janata Party May. These states and the UT tail of the alliance.” ister Oommen Chandy said cleared, we will fi nalise the seat to the streets in Wadakkanchery ed after the CPM expelled him. will improve its position signifi - are governed by opposition par- Jaitley also spoke on the po- the complete list of candidates sharing arrangements with our to protest against the candida- The CPM hopes his family roots cantly in the coming assembly ties where the BJP does not have litical situation in Uttarakhand of the Congress-led United allies and we are sure that the ture of fi lm star K P A C Lalitha. there would convert into votes, elections in four states and a a signifi cant presence. after nine Congress legislators Democratic Front (UDF) for full list of the UDF will be out in “There are several people but voices of dissent have come union territory. “In Kerala, we have strength- rebelled against Chief Minister the assembly elections would the fi rst week of April.” qualifi ed to be a party candidate from within the family itself. He also took on the Congress ened our position. The politics Harish Rawat and joined hands be ready in the first week of The UDF is made up of Con- here. They have parachuted a “I’m a member of the CMP over its horse-trading charge in in Kerala has changed. As far with the BJP. April. gress, Indian Union Muslim candidate with little experience central committee, but he has Uttarakhand and said the op- as West Bengal is concerned, “There was a deep division Kerala goes to polls to elect League (IUML), Kerala Con- in politics. Don’t think people no political experience to match position party had lowered its we will try to increase our vote in the Congress in Uttarakhand 140 members of its 14th legisla- gress (Mani), Janata Dal (Unit- will elect such nominees,” an an- me,” said M V Rajesh Kumar, his ambition. share,” Jaitley said while speak- and it should not be attributed tive assembly on May 16. ed), Revolutionary Socialist gry protester shouted. elder brother who is a lawyer. “We will improve our per- ing on the deliberation on the to the BJP,” he said. Chandy, who is also the Party (RSP) and Kerala Con- But Lalitha remains unper- “If someone from MVR’s family formance signifi cantly in the political resolution adopted at He also criticised Uttara- chairman of the UDF, said the gress (Jacob) who all have legis- turbed. should contest, why not me?” assembly polls. In Assam, our the meeting. khand assembly Speaker G list of the Congress candidates lators in the outgoing assembly. Our party will not tolerate PM urged to rectify anti-nationalism: Rajnath ‘historical blunders’ against Muslims IANS Saturday invoked the issue in his velopment is the only solution New Delhi presidential address, saying the to all problems confronting the party would not accept criticism country,” he added. IANS of Sufi followers in India.” of the nation in the name of free- Federal minister M Venkaiah New Delhi He also demanded that the ome Minister Rajnath dom of speech and expression. Naidu termed Modi “god’s gift home ministry spell out what Singh yesterday said the Earlier in the day, Finance Min- to India” and a “messiah of the steps it has taken over the small HBharatiya Janata Party ister Arun Jaitley said the ideol- poor” and said India is recog- he organisers of the fi rst and big communal incidents was open to political opposition ogy of “nationalism” guides the nised and respected everywhere World Sufi Forum yester- that have taken place in diff erent but will never tolerate anti-na- party’s belief and that chanting because of him. Tday urged the government parts of the country. tional thought process. “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” was an issue “Modi is a god’s gift for India. to rectify the “historical blun- Ashraf also raised concerns “We expect political opposi- which should not be debated at all. He is the messiah of the poor. ders” against Muslims and to over low Muslim representation tion as a normal course but at “We believe that this is one is- He inherited challenges in each introduce Sufi sm at all levels of in various minority institutions. any cost, we cannot tolerate any sue on which there should be no and every sector. He is steering education. “Indian Muslims having faith anti-national thought process,” debate. People in India should clear of them,” Naidu said at the Speaking at the Ramlila in Sufi traditions should be given Singh told reporters in a brief- have absolutely no diffi culty as meeting. Ground on the fi nal day of a representation according to their ing on the discussions in the far as this slogan is concerned He also said that Modi is seen four-day event, renowned Sufi share in population” in various two-day BJP national executive and the best example we saw as a leader of the largest democ- leader Hazrat Syed Mohamed bodies such as the Central Waqf meeting here. yesterday (Saturday) at Eden racy in the world. Ashraf said: “Over the last few Council, State Waqf Boards, He said unlike other parties, Gardens (during the India-Pa- “India is recognised and re- decades, there have been con- Central and State Haj Commit- the BJP was a diff erent politi- kistan World Twenty20 match),” spected everywhere because of certed eff orts to weaken Sufi sm tees and National Minority Fi- cal party and was clear about its Jaitley said. Narendra Modi,” he said. in India and replace it with an nance Development Corporation. priorities and commitment. He also said that while the However, when reporters extremist and radical ideology.” The AIUMB, the apex body “On three grounds - leader- Constitution allows complete asked Singh about Naidu’s state- “This recent phenomenon is representing Sufi s in India, un- ship, policy and ideology - we freedom to dissent and disagree, ment, he said he “didn’t hear dangerous not just for the Mus- veiled its 25-point charter on the are diff erent. We have a decisive it does not permit destruction Venkaiahji saying this”. lim community, but also for the occasion. leadership, progressive policies of the nation. Singh said Prime He also declined to reply country itself,” added the found- AIUMB appealed to the gov- and nationalistic ideology,” he Minister Narendra Modi in his whether he or the BJP believes er president of All India Ulama ernment to establish a Sufi uni- said. address urged party workers to Modi is god’s gift to the nation. and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB), versity in the name of revered The issue of nationalism fi g- focus solely on development. Naidu also said that Modi has the organisers of the event. Sufi saint Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz. ured in the political resolution “The prime minister lauded become one of the most popular “We request our Prime Min- It said a Sufi centre should be even on the second day of the the success of a Sufi conference leaders in the world and is work- ister (Narendra Modi) to rectify established in New Delhi and in national executive meeting. in Delhi,” he said. ing to make India a strong and Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with Finance Minister Arun these historical blunders and all capital cities to promote Sufi Party president Amit Shah on “The prime minister said de- wealthy country. Jaitley at BJP’s National Executive meeting. meet the demands of millions literature, Sufi culture and music. Gulf Times 22 Monday, March 21, 2016 LATIN AMERICA Plane crash Restive rich in Brazil draft a duck to lead stir

Reuters boom ended and a wide-rang- Sao Paulo ing corruption scandal hit in- vestor confi dence. Last year, when Rousseff f any symbol captures the proposed a new levy to help anger of rich and upper- compensate plummeting tax Imiddle class Brazilians revenues, the Sao Paulo fed- who have taken to the streets eration infl ated the giant duck to protest against President in the capital Brasilia while its Dilma Rousseff , it might be a counterpart in Rio took it to giant, infl atable yellow duck. Copacabana. The 40-foot high duck pre- Now, the duck has taken up sides over Sao Paulo’s Avenida residence in Sao Paulo out- Paulista, Brazil’s economic side the federation building, nexus. It has landed on the es- striking a colourful note on planade in the capital Brasilia, the somber Avenida Paulista, while its ducklings swam in the which has hosted the biggest refl ecting pool outside Con- demonstrations supporting gress. the ouster of Rousseff . She fac- The duck and its brood have es impeachment proceedings also hit the sands of Copac- in Congress. abana Beach, a prime place to The marches have un- see and be seen in Rio de Ja- derscored growing tensions neiro. between classes in what re- Firefighters try to extinguish a fire where a small airplane crashed into a house in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The crash instantly killed Roger Agnelli, the former head of Brazilian Brazil’s business leaders mains one of the world’s mining giant Vale, his wife, their two children, their children’s spouses and the pilot. have adopted the duck to fi ght most economically stratified against what they describe societies. as the economic quackery of The recession has cost Rous- Rousseff , a leftist who is facing seff and her ruling Workers’ growing pressure to quit and Party support among blue- struggling to pull the economy collar Brazilians, who have out of its deepest recession in borne the brunt of a downturn 25 years. marked by the loss of 1.5mn “Enough of paying the jobs last year. duck,” said Paulo Skaf, presi- But the working class, even if dent of the Federation of In- disgruntled, has not wanted to Protests over President dustries of the State of São associate itself with those who Paulo, in a video earlier this have most visibly turned out month urging Brazilians to against Rousseff : white-collar demonstrate against Rousseff ’s types who never supported her government. to begin with. “To pay the duck” in Brazil- On Friday, as offi ce workers ian Portuguese means to un- toiled in the towers high over Rousseff ignite race row fairly pay for someone else’s the duck’s perch, a gaggle of mistakes. pro-government demonstra- Roussef’s radical policies are fuelling to the time of slavery — abolished in 1888. wasn’t invented by the Workers’ Party. The term’s origin is unclear tors gathered for a rare display the protests At the largest anti-Rousseff protest, in They’re using that argument to hide their but the saying is common of support for Rousseff . Sao Paulo, 77% of the demonstrators self- real objective: to seize power,” said retiree enough for the federation to Denouncing anti-govern- AFP identifi ed as white, and 77% were univer- Margarita Brega at Friday’s pro-govern- employ it against what it sees ment protests as “nothing Sao Paulo sity graduates, according to polling fi rm ment demo in Rio de Janeiro. as the failures of Rousseff ’s ad- more than a privileged class Datafolha. Nogueira, the musician at the pro-gov- ministration. out to defend their luxuries”, Nationwide, those fi gures are 48% and ernment demo in Brasilia, said there is a Since she took offi ce in 2011, Cleber Goncalves, a 36-year- ival protests sweeping Brazil have 13%, respectively. diff erence in inclusiveness between the Brazil’s economy has gone old teacher, scoff ed at the exposed a demographic divide be- Half the protesters in Sao Paulo last two camps. from being one of the world’s duck. Rtween President Dilma Rousseff ’s weekend earned between fi ve and 20 times “It’s not that the people who support fastest growing major econo- “It’s just a silly symbol haters and her backers, igniting a national the minimum wage. Dilma’s government are black and poor. mies to one of its worst per- thought up by the elite,” he debate about race and class that is only in- Blacks make up 50.7% of the sprawling The people who support a ‘coup’ are white formers, contracting by 3.8% said. “They are always trying creasing tensions. South American country’s 200mn people, and rich. There’s a big diff erence,” he said. in 2015, as the commodities to fool the people.” Waving the red banners of the ruling and a disproportionately large part of the But the divisions are not always black Workers’ Party, Rousseff ’s left-wing base Dilma Rousseff 7.3% who live in poverty — a fi gure that has and white. sought to seize back the streets this week, fallen from 25.2% in 2003. Last Sunday, a photo went viral on social after tides of protesters draped in the yel- Historian John French said he sees a The anti-government protests are less media of an affl uent white couple on their low and green of the national fl ag marched conservative backlash against this new so- broad-based than the last wave of outrage way to protest, bringing their little white nationwide last Sunday calling for her im- cial order in the anti-government protests. that swept Brazil, in 2013, in the build-up dog and their two toddlers, pushed in a peachment.The opposing theme colours “They’re discomforted by the fact that to hosting the World Cup. stroller by a black nanny wearing a white were not the only diff erence in hue: the people are rising to places where they’re Then, Brazilians from many walks of life uniform. anti-government protesters were a visibly not supposed to be,” said French, a Bra- took to the streets demanding better serv- The picture sparked vitriolic exchang- whiter crowd than the Rousseff support- zil specialist at Duke University in North ices such as transportation, education and es about racial inequality and whether ers. Carolina. health care. wealthy whites should be demanding They were also wealthier and better- “For example, a lot of poor people are At the time, some political analysts sug- “justice”. educated than average Brazilians, pollsters now fl ying in airplanes, which really out- gested the Workers’ Party was a victim of But the nanny later told interviewers she found. rages them, because airports used to be an its own success: gains in income and edu- herself supported the protests and voted Mafa Nogueira, a Rousseff supporter upper-class preserve. Or the tripling of cation were making voters more demand- against Rousseff in 2014. who joined the rally in the capital Brasilia the number of people going to higher edu- ing of their government. In the highly polarised atmosphere, on Friday, described the people calling for cation.” Despite the tumult, Rousseff went on to many Brazilians complain the tone of the impeachment as elites panicked by the so- Jeff erson Banks, a leader of the anti- narrowly win re-election in 2014. debate has turned nasty. cial changes reshaping Brazil after 13 years government movement in Brasilia, said But with the economy in a tailspin and “People complain that they’re losing of leftist rule. talk of race and class divisions seeks to scandal ensnaring top offi cials — includ- friends because of political hatred,” said “The people who are desperate for this distract from the issues that have left ing Lula, who faces charges of accepting political analyst Michael Mohallem. government to fall are the ones who lost Rousseff hanging by a thread: a colossal bribes — her popularity has plunged to 10 “People are not hearing each other, their privileges,” said the 42-year-old mu- corruption scandal, a drawn-out recession percent, and 68% of Brazilians support they’re not reasoning with each other.” sician. and government dysfunctionality. impeaching her. Brazil’s former president Fernando Brazil has undergone a transformation “It takes the focus off the real issue our But only a portion of those who disap- Henrique Cardoso said yesterday he sup- since Rousseff ’s predecessor and mentor, movement raises and shifts the debate to prove of her are taking to the street. ports impeaching President Dilma Rous- Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, took offi ce in other issues: whites and blacks, rich and The fact that the current protests have seff , calling it the will of the people. 2003. In the decade that followed, strong poor,” he told AFP. drawn a narrower demographic has raised Cardoso was Brazil’s president from economic growth and progressive social But the numbers are awkward in a coun- suspicions of undemocratic ulterior mo- 1995 to 2003 and is a leading fi gure in the A giant inflatable doll in the shape of a duck is seen in front of programmes lifted tens of millions of peo- try known for its racial diversity and a tives. PSDB, a centrist party opposed to Rouss- the National Congress during a protest against tax increases in ple out of poverty. troubled history of inequality dating back “Corruption is systemic in Brazil. It eff ’s left-wing Workers’ Party. Brasilia. Cubans welcome Obama despite hatred of embargo

Reuters busily laid down asphalt in a city nist radio and TV programmes Instead, the highlights are to receive its highest state honour Havana where drivers joke they must beamed into Cuba. likely to be Obama’s speech on in a show of defi ance by socialist navigate “potholes with streets.” “There are many years of mis- live Cuban television tomorrow, allies that have stood together Welcome signs with images of trust and we are not going to when he will also meet dissidents against the United States since resident Barack Obama ar- Obama alongside Castro popped change our system, our values,” and attend a baseball game be- Maduro’s predecessor, the late rived in Cuba yesterday for up in colonial Old Havana, where said Ileana Valdes, 55, a nurse. tween the Cuban national team Hugo Chavez, came to power in Pa 48-hour visit, making Obama will tour shortly after “Although one must highlight and the Tampa Bay Rays. 1999. history by venturing into what landing. that there are no longer inva- “Times change and it’s great The photos of Fidel and the was once enemy territory and Since rapprochement the two sions.” that we have relations with the medal for Maduro underlined the generating enthusiasm among sides have restored diplomatic The Americans in turn criticise United States, even though they confl icting sentiments within the Cubans who have seen their ties, signed commercial deals one-party rule and repression of still impose the embargo,” said Communist Party about receiv- Communist government vilify 10 on telecommunications and political opponents. Cuban po- Barbaro Echevarria, 28, a medi- ing a US president. At the same previous US leaders. scheduled airline service, and lice briefl y detained more than cal student. “But we can’t blame time offi cial media published a The visit, the fi rst by a US expanded co-operation on law 200 activists in the days before all our problems on the US em- glowing biography of Obama and president in 88 years, would have enforcement and environmental the visit, dissidents said. bargo.” the government signed a hotel been unthinkable until Obama protection. Obama’s critics at home ac- Obama is not scheduled to management deal with Starwood and Cuban President Raul Cas- “Obama has been brave cuse him of making too many meet retired president Fidel Cas- Hotels & Resorts Worldwide . tro agreed in December 2014 to for agreeing to relations with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro visited Cuban leader Fidel concessions for too little in re- tro, 89, but offi cials reminded Starwood becomes the fi rst end an estrangement that began Cuba,” said school teacher Elena Castro in his home in Havana on Saturday. turn from the Cuban government Cubans of their “historic leader” US hotel company to sign a deal when the Cuban revolution over- Gonzalez, 43. and of using his trip to take a pre- by publishing photos in the Ju- with Cuba since the 1959 revolu- threw a pro-American govern- Major diff erences remain, no- lican leadership. Instead, Obama the continued occupation of the mature “victory lap”. ventud Rebelde newspaper of tion, announcing a multimillion- ment in 1959. tably the 54-year-old economic has used executive authority to naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Little progress on the main is- Castro seated in a wheelchair and dollar investment to manage and Plainclothes police have blan- embargo of Cuba. Obama has loosen trade and travel restric- which Obama has said is not up sues is expected when Obama meeting with Venezuelan Presi- market two properties in Havana keted the capital with security asked Congress to rescind it but tions. for discussion, and US support and Castro meet today or over dent Nicolas Maduro. and signing a letter of intent to while public works crews have has been blocked by the Repub- Cuba also complains about for dissidents and anti-commu- state dinner that night. Maduro had just visited Cuba operate a third. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Musharraf ‘made deal with govt’ to go abroad

Internews subverting the Constitution in according to Kasuri. his party in the general elections. in the court anymore, he added. Musharraf in 2014 for promul- “This is contemptuous for a Islamabad 2007. He fl ew to Dubai Thurs- The agreement also envisages He was, however, disqualifi ed “The special court can record gating emergency and suspend- constitutional institution [such day morning after the govern- the government will wrap up the from contesting the polls and his statement through a video ing the Constitution before as the judiciary].” ment lifted international travel treason trial, he said. “I will dis- found himself fi ghting an array link, if he reneges on his com- sacking top judges, including the He blamed the PML-N gov- close aide to former Pa- restrictions on him. close contents of the deal at an of charges relating to his time in mitment to come back.” Senator then chief justice of Pakistan. ernment for lifting international kistani President Pervez A day earlier, the top court di- appropriate time,” said Kasuri power from 1999 to 2008. Farogh Nasim, who is Mushar- According to Article 6 of the travel restrictions on Musharraf. AMusharraf has claimed rected the government to remove when pressed for details. raf’s lead counsel in the treason Constitution, Musharraf can be “It seems the honeymoon period that travel restrictions on the Musharraf’s name from the ECL. Interior Minister Chaudhry “He [Musharraf] has been trial, refused to comment on this sentenced to death or life in pris- of the Nawaz government is over former military ruler were lifted “At 2am on Thursday, my Nisar Ali Khan said on Thursday allowed to travel abroad issue. However, Kasuri ruled out on if he is convicted of treason. now,” said Chandio. as a result of an ‘off -shore deal’ phone rang. It was General Sahib that the government removed for medical treatment. His ‘trial in absentia’. Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s “Earlier it was powerless but struck with the government. [Musharraf] on the line. General Musharraf’s name from the ECL lawyers have committed “This cannot be a viable op- Party supporters staged ‘Go Na- now it has become restless.” The claim by Ahmad Raza Sahib took me into confi dence in compliance with the Supreme before the apex court that tion in such high-profi le cases,” waz Go’ rallies in several cities of PPP lawmakers will also protest Kasuri, the chief co-ordinator of and shared details of the agree- Court orders. he will return aft er four to he said. Sindh yesterday to protest the the government decision dur- the All Pakistan Muslim League ment (struck with the govern- “He [Musharraf] has been al- six weeks” Punjab Law Minister Rana government decision to strike ing a Sindh Assembly session (AMPL), negates the govern- ment) before his departure,” lowed to travel abroad for medi- Sanaullah has said that if the Musharraf’s name off the ECL. on today. Sources said the PPP ment’s version that Musharraf’s Kasuri said. cal treatment. His lawyers have A senior government offi - court issues Musharraf’s ar- “The federal government is may move a resolution in the as- name was struck off the Exit As a fi rst step towards its im- committed before the apex court cial said the three-judge special rest warrants, then he would be passing the buck to the judici- sembly against the government’s Control List (ECL) in compliance plementation, Attorney Gen- that he will return after four to court trying Musharraf for trea- brought back through Interpol. ary for allowing Musharraf to decision. with the Supreme Court orders. eral for Pakistan Salman Aslam six weeks,” Nisar told the media. son would continue proceed- “The court has not ordered go abroad,” said provincial in- In this connection, a parlia- Musharraf is facing a slew of Butt did not argue against the Musharraf’s name was put ings in absentia. The court has putting Musharraf’s name on the formation adviser Maula Bux mentary party meeting has been court cases on diff erent charg- Supreme Court order for lifting on the ECL after he returned to already indicted Musharraf, and ECL in any case,” he said. Chandio, who led a rally in Hy- convened at the Chief Minister es, including high treason for travel restrictions on Musharraf, Pakistan in 2013, hoping to lead there is no need for his presence The special court indicted derabad. House to devise a plan. Sindh province Rally to mark National Day declares holiday to celebrate Holi

Agencies days’ on the annual festivals of rescue. He said the minorities Islamabad minority communities, includ- could be granted holiday by ing Holi, Diwali and Easter. their respective offi ces. “Pa- Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, kistan already has one of the akistan’s southern Sindh a PNL-N MNA elected on a seat highest rates of public holidays province has announced a reserved for minorities in Thar- compared to the rest of the Ppublic holiday to celebrate parkar district of Sindh prov- world,” he added. Holi next week, the fi rst time the ince, presented the resolution Speaking on the occasion, Hindu “festival of colours” will which said: “This house is of Minister for Religious Aff airs be offi cially marked in the over- the opinion that the government Sardar Mohamed Yousaf said it whelmingly Muslim country. should take steps to declare Holi, was the interior ministry’s pre- The move comes days after Diwali and Easter as closed holi- rogative to make such decisions. Pakistan’s federal parliament days for minorities.” Ignoring Yousaf, the speaker passed a non-binding resolu- Vankwani, who is also patron- once again asked Hasnat if he tion that called for the country in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu endorsed the resolution. to observe Hindu and Christian Council, was of the view that the Hasnat, now visibly exasper- holidays. announcement was inevitable ated, replied, “As you wish”, “We have announced a public for the good image of Pakistan which elicited a chuckle from Pakistani supporters of the banned charity organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) carry a national flag during a rally in connection holiday across the province on as such holidays were also being both treasury and opposition with the upcoming National Day, in Karachi yesterday. Pakistan is set to celebrate National Day on March 23, the day that March 24 for the festival of Holi,” observed in the United States on benches. commemorates the anniversary of the 1940 resolution adopted in Lahore when the demand for a separate homeland for the Maula Bakhsh Chandio, a senior Eid, and in India on Muharram. Later, in response to the Muslims from India was made. aide to the province’s chief min- The resolution, however, took speaker query, Parliamentary ister Qaim Ali Shah said. the cabinet ministers by sur- Secretary for Interior Mariyyum A government circular that prise, and Minister of State for Aurangzeb said they would not was tweeted by Bakhtawar Bhut- Religious Aff airs Pir Aminul Ha- oppose the resolution which was Avalanche to-Zardari, daughter of the ex- snat Shah was visibly confused subsequently passed. president Asif Ali Zardari, added when Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Pakistan’s Hindus make up kills two that all government bodies ex- asked him if he agreed with the around 2% of the country’s schoolchildren India, Pakistan should fi ght cept essential services would be resolution. 200mn people and mostly live in off for the day. Hasnat said the interior min- southern Sindh province. Chris- Celebrated mainly in India, istry had the authority to no- tians account for roughly 1.6% Pakistani rescuers yesterday Nepal and other countries with tify such holidays and that his of the population. found the bodies of two terror together: Tahirul Qadri large Hindu populations, it falls ministry has nothing to do with The ancient Hindu festival of schoolchildren hit by an on the last full moon of winter. it. However, he was hesitant to Holi, which heralds the end of avalanche in the moun- The government of Pakistan give a categorical reply when the winter and the victory of good tainous northwest, while IANS countries realised that they terrorists. Let’s end this pov- March 16 reluctantly accepted speaker asked him again if he op- over evil, is marked with a na- around nine more remain New Delhi are not each others’ enemies, erty and deprivation,” he said a resolution moved by a ruling posed the resolution. tional public holiday in India buried beneath the snow. The but have a diff erent common while addressing a gather- party lawmaker in the National Information Minister Per- and sees revellers pour onto the disaster struck on Saturday enemy, which is terrorism. ing of thousands at Ramlila Assembly seeking ‘closed holi- vaiz Rashid came to Hasnat’s streets. afternoon near the village of t was time both India and Let’s fi ght it together,” Qadri ground here. Susom, some 40km north of Pakistan realised that they said. Qadri also blamed “interna- the town of Chitral in Khyber Ihave a common enemy – He said that the money both tional injustices” for the spread Pakistan frees 86 Indian fi shermen Pakhtunkhwa province, local terrorism – and they need to India and Pakistan are spend- of terrorism and called for the police station chief Sultan fi ght it together, Pakistani-Ca- ing on fi ghting and containing end of such injustices. Pakistan yesterday released 86 Indian fishermen Pakistani custody. On March 6, Pakistan released Baig said. Worried parents nadian cleric Tahirul Qadri said each other should be spent on “Establishment of everlast- held for trespassing into its territorial waters, 86 fishermen and a civilian prisoner, he added. and authorities began search- here yesterday at the World Sufi development and alleviating ing peace and harmony should off icials said, the second batch freed this month. Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently ing for the ninth graders Forum. poverty. be a global goal and agenda,” “We released 86 more Indian fishermen today,” detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea when they did not return “India and Pakistan have “Poverty is pushing people said the cleric, who spearhead- Superintendent of Karachi’s Malir prison Raja border is not clearly defined and many boats lack from school. “The chances of fought four wars and have into terrorism. Parents who ed a revolt against Pakistan Mumtaz told AFP, adding that 363 still remain in the technology to fix their precise location. finding any survivors are very achieved nothing out of them. have no food to feed their Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif low,” said a local off iclal. Now it was time that both children are selling them to in 2014. Will Easter, Holi and Diwali holidays impact box offi ce?

Internews viewpoints, one thing everyone one Pakistani fi lm on the same and managed just Rs20mn and Karachi seems to agree upon is that it will weekend may aff ect local films Rs25mn, respectively. help infl ate the box offi ce in the adversely. However, a major reason for long-run. “When more than two Pa- this could be that they were Renowned fi lm distribu- kistani fi lms are released on competing against Salman or many reasons, Steven tor and cinema owner Nadeem the same day, both end up eat- Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Spielberg’s 1975 thriller Mandviwalla of Mandviwalla ing into each other’s box offi ce Ultimately, this implies that FJaws is considered to be the Entertainment thinks for an in- gross,” he reasoned. Pakistani fi lms releasing on Di- fi rst blockbuster in the New Hol- dustry that is still growing, it Interestingly though, for wali or Holi may end up contend- lywood era. may take some time before the all the hype surrounding the ing with Bollywood’s tendency Released during a less com- holidays are rendered major box holidays, Pakistani fi lms to to reserve major fi lm releases for mercially-viable summer win- offi ce weekends. have released outside the Eid those particular holidays. dow, the movie went on to be- “Any holiday short or long is al-Adha and Independence Cinema owners and produc- come a runaway hit amongst bound to have an eff ect on the Day weekend slots have done ers argue that while there is audiences. earnings of a movie,” Mandvi- well too. Even in terms of great risk involved in competing Even more so, it redefi ned the walla said. sheer numbers, Eid al-Adha against an international release, Hollywood business model to But while Eid lasts up to stands out as the main event the reward is also greater. one that is implemented till to- three days, none of the new re- on the calendar for Pakistani The performances of Bin Roye day: Premiere an action-adven- ligious holidays is longer than cinema. and Wrong No lend credence to ture with simple, high-concept a day and may possibly fall in Two of the highest-grossing the notion that quality content premise in the summer to ensure the middle of a week - barring local releases Waar (2013) and will always prevail. For all the maximum box offi ce returns. Easter Sunday. Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015) excitement and hype surround- The concept poses a very im- According to Mandviwalla, premiered during the Eid week- ing Diwali and Holi, it is unlikely portant question regarding local however, this should not matter. end. Both fi lms enjoyed stellar that they will have the same im- cinema. With the government The holidays may present fi lm openings, with Waar earning pact as Eid al-Adha. having announced Easter, Holi producers and cinema owners Rs42.5mn and Jawani Phir Nahi “It is highly unlikely that and Diwali as public holidays with an extra day. Ani setting a local record for these holidays will be as lucra- recently, will the local box offi ce “Holidays basically give at the highest Eid opening, with tive as Eid al-Adha because undergo a similar makeover in least a day’s worth of bonus Rs74.5mn. those are the days (Eid and In- the near future? earnings to fi lms,” he explained. Is Pakistan cinema on the verge of a renaissance? On the other hand Jalaibee dependence Day) when there While it is still too early to say, “From the night before the holi- which was released on Pakistan is a true spirit of festivity and stakeholders of the Pakistani day up till the evening, there is statement, IRK Films producer cinema as well. their fi lms,” stated the producer, Day (March 23) was an excep- people want to go out and cele- fi lm industry are already expe- bound to be a high demand in Imran Kazmi added that this was “Now, fi lm producers and in- who is awaiting the release of tion that earned little in excess brate,” concluded Mandviwalla. riencing mixed feelings about cinemas.” a great step forward, not just for vestors can aff ord to look beyond Janaan. Kazmi also lamented of Rs40mn. Bin Roye and Wrong “This is why you see Pakistani the change. Despite confl icting Building upon Mandviwalla’s minorities in Pakistan but local the usual Eid holidays to release over how releasing more than No released during Eid al-Fitr fi lms do well then.” Gulf Times 24 Monday, March 21, 2016 PHILIPPINES Poe, Roxas seen Festive celebration as most friendly to investors

By Maria Laura Angeles translating to a more competi- Manila Times tive pricing and bidding for the project,” Tiu added. Under the Aquino adminis- f all the presidential tration, a handful of contracts candidates, Sen. Grace was successfully awarded OPoe and former Interior through the PPP Centre, a fa- Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas cilitative body created when are seen as the most “investor- President Benigno Aquino as- friendly” and presenting the sumed the presidency in 2010. least “political risk” to ongo- One thing that has helped ing and future Public-Private the current administration Partnership (PPP) projects, has been the absence of legit- analysts said. imacy issues, Nicholas Anto- Political risk, usually de- nio Mapa, research officer for termined by the stability of an market and strategy for the administration, directly aff ects Bank of Philippine Islands the cost of projects. (BPI), explained to Manila PPP chief Andre Palacios Times. said with high political risk, “Aquino was not hounded project costs are pulled up but like previous administrations if there is reduced political by questions of legitimacy. It risk, costs go down. also helped that Aquino is in “Political risk is really broad the good graces of the mid- and often it is diff erentiated as dle class and the elite, which regulatory risk posed by regu- usually help keep the political latory change in law,” Palacios fabric in place,” Mapa said. pointed out. So far, 12 PPP projects Alexander Tiu, senior equity costing P217.42bn had been analyst at AB Capital Securi- awarded.These include the ties, said political risk could Daang Hari-SLEX Link Road, either attract or discourage in- Mactan-Cebu International vestors. Airport Passenger Terminal Administrations that exhibit Building, Cavite-Laguna Ex- lower political risk attract in- pressway and South Integrat- vestors, he added. ed Transport System Project. Political risk, which is quan- But with a new adminis- tifi ed into a certain monetary tration about to take power, cost set by banks and inter- continuity and further suc- Participants throw coloured powder into the air while celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, in Manila yesterday. ested bidders, is based on lead- cess of the PPP programme ership, governance, transpar- is somewhat uncertain, ana- ency, ease of doing business, lysts said. legality, perception of corrup- “The Philippines’ current tion, safety, level of bureaucra- level of political risk is hinged cy and historical performance on who will win this year’s and perceptions, according to presidential elections. That Tiu. “A higher risk translates to said, the next administration higher required returns, which should have consistency in translates to a higher cost for a governance, smooth transi- Defence to improve under project,” he said in an e-mail to tion, perception of cleanli- Manila Times. ness, and should ultimately “Lower political risk would continue the past projects of attract more bidders from both the current administration,” local and international parties, Tiu said. US ‘rotational’ deal: govt Presidential candidates oppose legalising divorce The agreement between Under the agreement, US went into effect in January. kilometres from Scarborough ing on Friday about a possible The Philippines looks likely to remain one of the few countries the two close allies comes forces would be able to rotate One of the installations is the Shoal, occupied by Chinese adverse Chinese reaction to the where divorce is illegal, based on a survey of the four leading as the Philippines and through five Philippine bases Antonio Bautista Air Base in vessels after a tense confron- bases agreement, he said: “It’s presidential candidates yesterday. other countries are including those close to the the western Philippine island tation with Philippine ships in not about selling it to the Chi- Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe, veteran mayor embroiled in a tense dispute South China Sea. of Palawan, directly facing the 2012. nese or to anybody. It’s about Rodrigo Duterte and former interior secretary Mar Roxas were with China over conflicting “The five agreed locations... South China Sea. The other bases through meeting our security commit- asked during a presidential debate to raise their hands if they fa- territorial claims in the reaffirms the shared commit- Another is Basa Air Base which US forces can rotate ments in a serious alliance with voured legalisation of divorce. Not one raised a hand in the brief South China Sea ment of the Philippines and north of Manila, home of the through are a major army train- the Philippines.” segment. They were not given time to explain their stance. US to strengthening their alli- Philippines’ main fighter wing, ing camp with its own airstrip Press reports quoted US am- The overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines is the only country AFP ance in terms of ensuring both which is also close to disputed in the north, and two air bases bassador Philip Goldberg as aside from the Vatican that bans divorce. Strong pressure from Manila countries’ mutual defence and waters. China claims virtually in the central and southern is- saying in Washington that US the Catholic church has stymied previous attempts to pass a security,” Foreign Department all the South China Sea despite lands of the archipelago. personnel and equipment would divorce law even though a survey last year showed that about spokesman Charles Jose said in conflicting partial claims by US State Department arrive “very soon.” 60% of adult Filipinos support such a measure. he Philippines yesterday a statement. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, spokesman John Kirby said the Philippine offi cials said they A survey earlier this month showed that Poe, the adopted daugh- hailed a new accord giv- Defence Department spokes- Taiwan and the Philippines. two sides at their Friday meet- did not know when the US forces ter of the country’s top movie star, has a slight lead in the run-up Ting the US military access man Peter Galvez said sepa- It has been asserting its ing discussed next steps for would arrive. The Philippines, to the May 9 vote for the presidency. She is followed closely by to fi ve of its bases, saying this rately the agreement “would claim by occupying more reefs implementation of the Edca a US colony from 1898 to 1946, Duterte, who is running on a ruthless anti-crime platform; Binay, would strengthen its defensive greatly enhance our capabili- and outcrops in these waters, “and how it will support the hosted two of the largest over- former mayor of the country’s financial district of Makati; and capabilities and maritime secu- ties” in maritime security and and building artificial islands US efforts to help modernise seas US military bases until 1992 Roxas, the anointed successor of outgoing President Benigno rity. disaster relief. including airstrips on some of the armed forces of the Phil- when the senate voted to termi- Aquino who is limited by law to one six-year term. The agreement between the Philippine and US officials them. ippines, develop capacity and nate their leases amid growing In another portion of the debate, the four candidates were asked two close allies comes as the meeting in Washington on Fri- Bautista Air Base is just 300 capability for maritime secu- nationalist sentiment. who supported restoration of the death penalty. Philippines and other coun- day announced that they had kilometres east of Mischief rity and domain awareness, But since then Manila has Poe and Duterte, who openly boasts about killing criminals, both tries are embroiled in a tense agreed to the rotation of US Reef, an outcrop occupied by and provide rapid humanitar- been seeking closer ties with raised their hands despite the Catholic church’s opposition to dispute with China over con- military personnel under the China in the 1990s despite an- ian assistance to the people of Washington as China has be- capital punishment. flicting territorial claims in the Enhanced Defence Co-opera- gry protests by the Philippines. the Philippines.” come more assertive in the South China Sea. tion Agreement (Edca), which Basa Air Base is about 330 Asked at a Washington brief- region. Bangladesh heist exposes Philippine dirty money secrets

AFP system and into the casinos. of the Philippines alone,” Sena- the Senate inquiry $30mn went Manila And it did. Authorities took tor Ralph Recto said. The Sen- to a man named Weikang Xu. He four days to order a recall of the ate inquiry and another probe was described as a casino junket money. by the Philippines’ Anti-Money operator but senators have said hen mystery hackers But by then it had vanished — Laundering Council have hit they know little more about him launched a stunning leaving in its place a tale of death several major hurdles, including other than he is of Chinese ori- Wraid on Bangladesh’s threats, bribes, shady business a security camera at the bank not gin. foreign reserves, a plot worthy fi gures and a bank manager who working when the money was The anti-money launder- of a John le Carre spy novel was could be the villain or a victim. shifted. ing council said another $29mn sparked in the Philippines, ex- “I did not do anything wrong. Accusations and counter-ac- ended up in Solaire, a casino on posing the Southeast Asian na- If this is a nightmare, I want to cusations between Deguito and a glittering Manila bayside strip tion as a dirty money haven. wake up now,” the manager of RCBC management have further that the Philippines hopes will The $81mn stolen from the RCBC bank, Maia Deguito, told confused investigators. become one of the world’s big- Bangladesh central bank’s ABS-CBN television this week A fi nal roadblock has emerged gest gambling destinations. American accounts last month after authorities stopped her at at the casinos, with the money That money was exchanged was immediately sent via elec- Manila airport from trying to apparently vanishing in moun- into chips but could only be tronic transfer to the Philip- leave the country. “I live every- tains of gambling chips and turned back into cash after pines’ RCBC bank, with the day in fear.” mysterious middlemen. being played in the casino, its thieves deliberately targeting With authorities in Bangla- “Our money trail ended at the management told the Senate their laundering location. desh and elsewhere bamboo- casinos,” Julia Abad, deputy di- inquiry. The Philippines has some of zled over who masterminded rector of the anti-money laun- Another $21mn was sent to the world’s strictest bank se- the cyber-heist, Deguito’s role dering council, told senators Eastern Hawaii Leisure, which crecy laws to protect account as manager of the bank that ac- Tuesday. runs a sparsely furnished casino holders, while its casinos are cepted and shifted the money On February 5, the same day with Chinese-only television in exempt from rules altogether has come under intense scrutiny. Bangladesh Bank was hacked, Santa Ana, a sleepy town in the aimed at preventing money She has accused the bank’s the money was sent electroni- far northern Philippines, ac- laundering. president, Lorenzo Tan, of or- cally to four accounts in Degui- cording to the council. “The Philippines is very at- dering her to move the money. to’s RCBC branch in the fi nan- Senator Osmena said the case tractive (for dirty money) be- He has fi ercely denied the accu- cial capital of Makati, according was likely just the tip of the ice- cause our laws have gaping sations. to testimony to the Senate in- berg. “This could have happened holes. It’s easy to launder money Philippine senators who quiry. hundreds of times already,” he here,” said Senator Sergio Osme- launched an inquiry this week Those accounts appeared to Maia Santos Deguito (right), branch manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC), testifies during said. na, who is pushing for stronger into the aff air are yet to deter- have been set up solely for that a Senate hearing of money laundering involving the theft of $81mn from the US account of the Bangladesh “We discovered this one only anti-money laundering laws. mine whether she was a scape- purpose because they were done Bank, at the Philippine Senate in Manila. because someone complained. Still, if the thieves were to get goat or not, but are convinced using aliases, the Senate inquiry But normally, if a drug dealer away with their audacious he- she was not the mastermind. heard. of a local ethnic Chinese busi- He said his signature was briefl y held by Philrem, a foreign from Burma (Myanmar) or China ist, the money had to be moved “It’s a big operation. This After that, the bulk of the mon- nessmen, William Go, who has forged to set up the accounts. exchange brokerage. Philrem would send money here, no one quickly through the banking could not have been done out ey was transferred into accounts since protested his innocence. From there, the money was President Salud Bautista told would complain.” Page 25 Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Lanka says mega port city project met Oli leaves for China key conditions

IANS after it began construction. Colombo The new government said that the project needed to be reviewed. to boost trade ties he Sri Lankan govern- The city is to be built on re- ment yesterday in- claimed land off Sri Lanka’s IANS discuss matters of mutual inter- up to Lumbini, the birthplace of Tsisted that a mega port west coast and include a golf Kathmandu est and common concern. Buddha. city project has met some key course, marinas, apartments, After the offi cial talks, the two China and Nepal will sign an conditions and has, there- hotels and malls. leaders will witness the sign- agreement in this regard where fore, been approved to resume The project created disquiet epal’s Prime Minister ing ceremony of bilateral agree- the Chinese side will agree to work. in neighbouring India over the K P Sharma Oli yester- ments and memorandums of prepare the detailed feasibility The approval for the project possibility China might be al- Nday started a week-long understanding to be concluded study of the rail project. was given earlier this week af- lowed outright land owner- offi cial visit to China. between Nepal and China. Agreements on $216mn for ter it remained suspended for ship. China’s infl uence in Sri This is Oli’s maiden offi cial The most important agenda constructing regional airport in a year. Lanka makes India anxious visit to China since assuming the of Oli’s visit is to sign transit and Pokhara, opening up more trade Local environmental groups because it considers the In- prime minister’s offi ce in October transportation agreement with routes between Nepal and Chi- have raised concerns over the dian Ocean region to be its 2015, Xinhua news agency re- China. With the new agreement, na, Free Trade Agreement, pro- project and its impact on the strategic backyard. ported. He is accompanied on the Nepal, as a landlocked country, tection of patent rights, cross- environment. Chinese President Xi Jin- visit by his wife Radhika Shakya. will have sea access to a Chinese border transmission line and on However, Finance Minister ping inaugurated the project Deputy Prime Minister and port that will lessen its depend- many other issues will be signed, Ravi Karunanayake said the during a visit in September Minister for Foreign Aff airs ency on India for trade with a according to the ministry. environment concerns over 2014 during the tenure of Kamal Thapa, Minister for Fi- third country. Oli is also scheduled to ad- the project were cleared. former president Mahinda nance Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Nepal is heavily dependent dress the scholars, academics, He said the government Rajapakse. At the time, Xi won Minister for Commerce Deepak with only one port - Kolkata business people and students at ensured the concerns, includ- Colombo’s support for a pro- Bohora and Chief Secretary Som - for its third-country trade Renmin University on the Nepal- ing those raised on the impact posed maritime Silk Road link Lal Subedi are among others in and recently fl oated the idea of China relations in the context to the environment from the between China and Europe. the prime minister’s delegation. reaching to sea through China of ‘Belt and Road Initiatives’. project, were addressed be- The leading company in the Oli is undertaking the visit at after Nepal suff ered block- He will also witness the sign- fore the project was cleared consortium building the port the invitation of Chinese Prime age on Nepal-India border by ing of an MoU on granting Nepal to recommence work, Xinhua city is a major Chinese con- Minister Li Keqiang from March its Madhesi protestors over the the status of dialogue partner reported. tractor, China Communica- 20 to 27. country’s new constitution. of the Shanghai Co-operation The $1.4bn project which tions Construction Co. Accompanied by four minis- With the new transit and Organisation (SCO), and ad- will be the fi rst of its kind in Rajapakse relied heav- ters and senior government offi - transportation accord, India’s dress the Chinese and Nepalese South Asia began construc- ily on China for infrastructure cials, Oli will meet Chinese Pres- monoply in providing seaport business communities at the tion adjacent to the Galle projects. During his adminis- ident Xi Jinping, Premier Li and facilities to Nepal will end and China Council for Promotion of Face Green and near the Co- tration, China provided loans other senior Chinese government the Himalayan republic can use International Trade (CCPIT). lombo Harbour in Septem- for an airport, sea port, high- offi cials, according to Nepal’s sea route in China for third- Oli is scheduled to address ber 2014 under the previous ways and power plants, and ministry of foreign aff airs. country business. the Boao Forum for Asia on the government. became the largest investor in Oli will attend today the wel- Another agreement is about theme “Asia’s New Furure: New However, it was suspended Sri Lanka. come ceremony at the Great Hall linking Chinese rail to Nepali Dynamics, New Vision” at Boao, by the new government of The decision to continue of the People and hold bilateral border and later on to Kath- Hinnan province of China, on President Maithripala Sirisena the port project is seen as an offi cial talks with Premier Li and mandu and probably extend it March 24. K P Sharma Oli ... eyeing transit and transportation agreement in March last year, six months eff ort to reassure China. Hackers stalked bank computer systems

Agencies Before making transfers, they still missing. with representatives from ment advices sent to the Federal Dhaka sneaked through the network, “Malware was specifi cally de- Bangladesh’s Criminal Investi- Reserve Bank,” Alam said. inserting software that would signed for a targeted attack on gation Department and off ered “This has raised our suspi- allow re-entry. It was the sort Bangladesh Bank to operate on to assist with the investigation cion that there could be some Fazle Kabir speaking at a news conference in Dhaka yesterday. ackers who stole $101mn of thorough operation often Swift Alliance Access servers,” into the spectacular cross- local links.” ($137mn) from Bang- mounted by nation-state hack- the interim report said. country theft. In a damning interview pub- Hladesh’s central bank ers, according to the report, but Swift is a member-owned “Both the FBI and the CID lished on Friday, the country’s stalked its computer sys- FireEye’s intelligence unit be- cooperative that provides inter- have agreed to work together Finance Minister A M A Muhith tems for almost two weeks lieves the group, which it has national codes to facilitate pay- since it’s a transnational organ- told the Bengali-language daily beforehand, according to an been tracking for some time, is ments between banks globally. ised crime and transnational Prothom Alo that Bangladesh ‘First priority to interim investigation report. criminal. Charlie Booth from Brunswick criminal networks are involved,” Bank offi cials were “100%” Prepared for the Bangladesh The heist exposed weaknesses Group, a corporate advisory fi rm Saiful Alam, deputy inspector involved in the scandal. Bank by cyber security fi rms in systems, sparked a dispute be- that represents Swift, said: “We general of CID, said. “Of course! One hundred FireEye and World Informatix, tween Bangladesh’s central bank reiterate that the Swift network There was no immediate percent they are (involved). recover money’ the assessment off ers a tanta- and its fi nance ministry, and cost itself was not breached.” comment from the FBI. This cannot be possible with- lising glimpse into how cyber the central bank governor his job Bangladesh yesterday formal- Police said Bangladeshi inves- out complicity of the locals,” By Mizan Rahman on March 15 amid a row over the criminals can use the banks’ own less than fi ve months before he ly sought assistance from the US tigators were planning to travel the newspaper, which has the Dhaka heist of $101mn from the Bang- systems against them. planned to retire. Federal Bureau of Investigation to the Philippines, Sri Lanka and highest circulation of any in ladesh Bank’s account with The cyber companies say The hackers sent $81mn from to track down the crooks. the Federal Reserve Bank of New Bangladesh, quoted Muhith as the US Federal Reserve Bank of the thieves deployed malware the Bangladesh Bank’s account The FBI has agreed to help York as part of the transnational saying. ewly-appointed Bangla- New York. on servers housed at the cen- in New York to the Philippines, Bangladesh investigate the probe into the heist. Muhith said the New York desh Bank (BB) governor Prior to his new appointment, tral bank to make payments and another $20mn to Sri Lanka. theft from the nation’s foreign However, investigators say lo- bank requires hand prints and NFazle Kabir yesterday he was the chairman of state- seem genuine. The report cast The Federal Reserve Bank of New reserves, authorities said yes- cal hackers were likely involved other biometric information said his fi rst priority will be to owned Sonali Bank. the unidentified hackers as York blocked transactions worth terday, days after the fi nance in the theft. from central bank offi cials to recover its $81mn stolen money. The Bangladesh Bank has a sophisticated group which another $850mn. minister accused central bank “We suspect some local peo- activate transactions, appear- “My another duty will be to introduced double-check, es- sought to cover their tracks by A bank in Sri Lanka stopped offi cials of complicity in the ple are involved in the crime. ing to suggest the hackers could strengthen our IT (information pecially in overseas payment, deleting computer logs as they and returned the cash, while heist. The names of local development not have carried out the attack technology) security system to to guard against any error or went. the money in the Philippines is A FBI offi cial in Dhaka met projects were used in the pay- without inside help. Page 24 prevent the recurrence of such forgery of the type that shook hacking incident,’’ said the new the central bank. governor of Bangladesh’s central Offi cial sources said the sys- bank. tem has been introduced as a “I’ll also try to restore con- failsafe measure. fi dence among offi cials of the Under this system, offi cials of the Bangladesh Bank and the coun- central bank have already started is- Prince Harry try’s people. I’ll also try to bring suing manual instructions over the dynamism in their working,” the telephone besides placing online governor added. orders (through SWIFT network) Responding to another question, for transfer of its funds deposited he said the plans undertaken by the with diff erent central banks, in- meets Nepal’s former governor will continue. cluding the US Fed. Kabir, a former fi nance sec- “It’s a temporary measure, retary, was appointed as the however,” said one offi cial. central bank governor following But he did not mention any the resignation of Atiur Rahman timeframe. earthquake Transit passengers detained survivors in Lanka after carrying cash DPA the Nepali greeting, “namas- Kathmandu te.” Agencies were only transferring fl ights.” Reconstruction work is un- Colombo The detained North Koreans der way in Bhaktapur with the Prince Harry interacts with a group of local women while he visits Patan Durbar in Patan, a Unesco said the cash were the wages ritain’s Prince Harry support of the British govern- World Heritage Site, in Kathmandu yesterday. earned by themselves as well as greeted Nepali locals and ment. Later, the prince met wo transit passengers, other co-workers at construc- Bspoke with the survivors with earthquake survivors who killed nearly 9,000 people. identifi ed as North Kore- tion sites in Oman. of the 2015 earthquake in and have been living in temporary “I want to show all those Tans, have been detained India-based North Korean around Kathmandu yester- camps there. people around the world who in Sri Lanka after carrying embassy has requested for the day, as part of his visit to Nepal Earlier, he held talks with want to help that this is a $150,000 in cash, the Yonhap release of the two as well as the which sees him tour areas hit Nepal’s fi rst woman President country open for business - so News Agency reported, with the confi scated cash. hard by the disaster. Bidhya Devi Bhandari, during please come and visit again,” he local customs offi ce opening an “Policy watchers said the He visited Patan Durbar which the two discussed cli- added. investigation into the case. North Koreans carried the cash Square in central Kathmandu mate change and the empower- Today, he is to travel to “According to sources, two in an apparent bid to evade sur- and Bhaktapur east of the capi- ment of women. Bardiya Wildlife Reserve in North Koreans, who departed veillance amid the rising sanc- tal - both areas which sustained The prince arrived in Kath- western Nepal, before heading from Oman to China, were ar- tions against Pyongyang,” ac- severe damage during the mandu on Saturday at the to Pokhara, where he will visit rested at a Colombo-based air- cording to Yonhap. earthquake. start of a five-day visit, and the villages of Gurkha soldiers port while transferring to an- North Korea tested a nu- A casually dressed Prince met the prime minister and aff ected by last year’s quake. other fl ight. Under Sri Lankan clear device in January and a Harry walked through the an- the foreign minister soon after On Wednesday, he will join law, any cash amounting to more long-range rocket in Febru- cient seat of the Malla kings, his arrival. the president in inaugurating than $10,000 can be confi scat- ary, prompting the UN Security viewing monuments, inter- “I ... know that I arrive here the Nepal Girl Summit before ed if the carriers fail to make a Council to impose its strictest acting with artisans and the in Nepal as you approach the returning home. proper report to the authorities,” sanctions ever on the country. locals. first anniversary of the earth- It is the fi rst time in years Yonhap said. It is estimated that there are Residents crowded to catch quakes that took so many lives that a British royal family “The sources, however, said some 50,000 to 60,000 North a glimpse of the prince, while and that you are working to member has visited Nepal. Late the Sri Lankan authorities are Korean workers in around 50 young women were able to ask recover from,” the prince said Princess Diana, Harry’s moth- still mulling over the punish- countries, earning foreign cur- for his autograph. The prince during his address, recalling er, had visited the Himalayan Prince Harry meeting Nepal’s President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the ment as the two North Koreans rency for Pyongyang. greeted elderly women with the earthquakes in 2015 that nation in 1993. Presidential Palace in Kathmandu yesterday. Gulf Times 26 Monday, March 21, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed Maintain the growth engine Production Editor: C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 of the emerging-economy Doha, Qatar [email protected] With appropriate policies do not return to pre-crisis levels, their The recent emerging-economy improve schools’ quality, especially at Telephone 44350478 (news), contribution to the world economy slowdown is also the result of the secondary and tertiary levels. 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) and structural reforms, should remain substantial, given structural factors. When the emerging Where necessary, education Fax 44350474 the emerging economies that their share of world GDP in economies’ growth stories began, the systems must be reformed to meet purchasing-power-parity terms has gap between their actual per capita changing industry demand and skill can recapture their increased signifi cantly, from 43% in incomes and long-run potential requirements. dynamism 2000 to 58% in 2015. enabled rapid capital accumulation Second, structural bottlenecks must But the emerging economies have and strong technology-enabled urgently be addressed, through the much more to off er. With the right productivity gains. streamlining of regulations, as well By Lee Jong-Wha policies, they can tap into as-yet- But after years of large-scale as reforms to promote competition GULF TIMES unexploited growth potential and investment – which, in China in in product markets and to increase Seoul continue their progress toward particular, has led to excess capacity the fl exibility and effi ciency of factor convergence with advanced-economy and resource misallocation – capital markets for labour, fi nance and land. he world’s emerging income levels. The key to determining accumulation has moderated. Emerging economies must lower economies seem to be losing what those policies must be is to Meanwhile, as countries move closer barriers to market entry, support their dynamism. Countries understand why growth has slowed in to the technology frontier, imitation business operations, and increase Clamp down on Tthat only a few years ago were the fi rst place. and adaptation must give way to access to fi nance. Obstacles to trade being hailed for their resilience in the genuine innovation – no easy feat when and foreign direct investment must be face of a global economic meltdown innovative capabilities are lacking. removed as well. are now facing myriad challenges, Despite their current So what can emerging economies do Finally, emerging economies must smoking inside refl ected in signifi cantly slower GDP struggles, it would be to improve their prospects? Though work to strengthen their institutions. growth. the particular policy mix will vary by As it stands, corruption – facilitated Is the emerging-economy growth premature to write economy, some priorities are clear. by complex and burdensome engine breaking down? For one thing, countries must regulatory environments, ineffi cient From 2000 to 2007, annual off the emerging strengthen their resilience against tax regimes, and weak judicial systems public buildings growth in emerging and developing adverse external shocks, including incapable of protecting investor economies averaged 6.5%. More economies through eff orts to strengthen their and property rights – is pervasive in impressive, from 2008 to 2010, own fi nancial systems. many emerging economies, hindering Smoking rooms or closed areas inside offi ce when the advanced economies were At fi rst, emerging economies were To reduce their vulnerability to sustained growth. buildings and many public places are seen not only in in recession or struggling through hit by external challenges, including volatile capital fl ows, they should Improving governance and a fragile recovery, they managed to weakening world trade, low commodity promote exchange-rate fl exibility, bolstering the rule of law are essential Qatar but also in the other GCC countries. They are sustain 5.5% growth. In fact, at the end prices, and tight fi nancial conditions. secure adequate international to boosting productivity and long- supposed to protect non-smokers from the harmful of that period, average growth stood at Global merchandise trade slowed reserves, and adopt carefully designed term GDP growth. a very healthy 7.5%. considerably over the last four years; in capital controls. The emerging-economy growth eff ects of second-hand smoke or passive smoking, But then growth began to slow, the fi rst half of 2015, it contracted for Emerging economies that rely engine is not broken; it simply needs while allowing smokers to have their nicotine fi x. with the annual rate falling to 4% in the fi rst time since 2009. Oil and metal excessively on exports need to to be serviced. With appropriate But, very few people know that setting up designated 2015. Even China, the largest and most prices have dropped more than 50% rebalance their sources of growth policies and structural reforms, the dynamic emerging economy, recorded from their 2011 peaks. toward domestic demand. emerging economies can recapture smoking places inside buildings, is a breach of Article its lowest growth rate since 1990 Moreover, the US Federal Reserve’s Investment in public infrastructure, their dynamism and move onto an 8 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework (6.9%) last year, and the slowdown is monetary-policy reversal, which an improved investment climate, and even stronger growth path – taking forecast to accelerate this year. entails a long-delayed increase in social safety nets could all help to spur the entire global economy with them. Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), as pointed Many now argue that the emerging interest rates, combined with the higher private-sector investment and - Project Syndicate out to Gulf Times recently by two prominent anti- economies are settling into a “new negative-interest-rate policies of household expenditure. normal” of slower growth, and that the Bank of Japan and the European Greater priority must also be given zLee Jong-Wha is professor of smoking activists in the region. their days as the key driver of the Central Bank, has caused fi nancial- to structural supply-side policies economics and director of the Asiatic There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand global economy are over. market fl uctuations and left emerging targeting productivity growth. Research Institute at Korea University. smoke, according to Dr Fatimah El-Awa regional Despite their current struggles, it economies vulnerable to capital First, to strengthen human His most recent book, co-authored with would be premature to write off the fl ight. These external factors could be capital, emerging economies must Harvard’s Robert J Barro, is Education adviser, Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO-EMRO, while emerging economies. For starters, cyclical, but it remains to be seen how complement their progress in Matters: Global Gains from the 19th to citing the relevant article from the FCTC. even if these countries’ growth rates soon they will pass. educational attainment with eff orts to the 21st Century. “Parties of the FCTC recognise that scientifi c evidence has unequivocally established that exposure to tobacco smoke causes death, disease and disability,” she explained. “The opinion of the FCTC is that all indoor areas must be 100% smoke free. Allowing designated smoking areas inside buildings, is a breach of Article 8,” highlighted Dr Jawad al-Lawati, senior consultant, ministry of health, There is no Oman. safe level of Several studies have proved that tobacco exposure to smoke continues to second-hand linger all over the place, where smoking rooms smoke are located, for very long hours and can harm others. According to Dr al- Lawati, a fan as powerful as a tornado is required to expel tobacco smoke from any indoor area. According to Dr El-Awa, second-hand smoke is not only harmful to health; it kills. Nearly 600,000 people die each year from exposure to second-hand smoke. The list of diseases and adverse health eff ects from exposure to second hand smoke is long and Chinese workers loading steel onto a truck at a steel market in Yichang, central China’s Hubei province. With a huge global steel glut and slowing demand in China, an growing, and includes cancer, heart disease, stroke enormous recent spike in the price of iron ore has left analysts scratching their heads. The drag on commodity prices from China’s growth moderation is real. But the sharp and generalised drop seen in commodity prices should not be laid entirely at China’s feet. and sudden infant death syndrome. There are at least 69 established cancer causing chemicals in tobacco smoke, and hundreds of recognised human toxins. China and the future of commodity prices Narrating a personal experience, Dr El-Awa pointed out that any area fi lled with cigarette smoke can By Abdul Abiad and China accounts for less than one- substantially reduce China’s apparent not spell disaster for commodity discolour teeth and skin and creates breathing trouble Shang-Jin Wei fi fth of world consumption of sugar, role in these markets. exporters. for some people. “I found myself with blackened teeth Manila wheat, poultry and beef; 12% of world A look at the commodity-price On the contrary, even if, as many consumption of crude oil; and 5% of fl uctuations themselves reinforces fear, China’s economic growth slows when I went to brush after staying in a hotel room natural gas. this view. Consider copper: From 2001 further, its impact on commodity which was occupied previously by a tenant who was a here is no doubt that China’s And, in fact, some of the to 2006, prices gyrated wildly, with prices will be limited. ongoing growth slowdown commodities that have experienced price declines of 30% in some years Bolstering prospects for commodity chain smoker,” she remarked. has had far-reaching eff ects the largest price declines – most and increases of 150% in others – all prices further is the promise that As another anti-smoking activist observed, smokers Ton the global economy. notably, oil (down 73%) and natural while growth in Chinese industrial demand in other emerging giants, ought to be considered more dangerous than reckless But its role in the sharp fall in gas (down 55%) – are those in production and demand for copper such as India and Indonesia, will commodity prices that has occurred which China is a relatively minor remained relatively steady, at 15% and accelerate in the coming years. or drunk motorists. They are endangering the health since 2014 – an outcome that has been player. 20%, respectively. The rest of developing Asia’s and lives of the non-smokers around them and get devastating for commodity-exporting Clearly, other factors – ranging from economy is currently about 4% larger countries, including once-dynamic China’s slowdown supply-side factors and global demand than China’s, and twice as large as away unpunished while errant motorists are more emerging economies – is more to speculative demand and inventory China was in 2000, when growth in likely to be caught by the authorities concerned. limited than the conventional wisdom is only a part of the adjustment – are also playing a major the country’s commodity demand Clamping down on smoking in public places and suggests. role in driving outcomes in commodity began to accelerate. In fact, China’s slowdown is only a commodity-price markets. If solid growth in Asia’s other abolishing smoking places inside public buildings is part of the commodity-price story. So what does China’s continuing emerging economies continues over the need of the hour. Qatar could take the lead in the To be sure, there is a clear story slowdown imply for commodity the next decade and a half, it will correlation between Chinese GDP prices? Even though China’s growth generate commodity demand at least region in this regard by setting the ball rolling. growth and commodity prices. In the Moreover, China’s actual has moderated since 2011, the as large as China’s in the boom years. early 2000s, when Chinese growth commodity consumption is even country’s commodity-consumption The drag on commodity prices from accelerated, commodity prices rose lower than the fi gures suggest. growth still outpaces that of the rest China’s growth moderation is real. But sharply; since China’s slowdown Conventional measures, instead of of the world. As a result, its share in the sharp and generalised drop seen in To Advertise began in 2011, energy prices have taking into account cross-border global commodity consumption has commodity prices should not be laid fallen by 70%, metals prices by 50%, production chains, simply take the been rising. entirely at China’s feet. [email protected] and agricultural commodity prices by sum of a country’s production and net This should not be surprising, given Perhaps more important, with Display 35%. commodity imports to determine its that Chinese GDP growth, though the country still importing large Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 But the view that China’s slowdown level of consumption. down signifi cantly from its double- volumes of commodities and the rest is the main driver of the collapse in But, for China, a sizeable proportion digit heyday, remains above 6%. of developing Asia set to generate a Classified commodity prices is incomplete, at of the commodities it “consumes” While the shift from an investment- new surge in commodity demand, Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 best. is actually used in the production of led to a consumption-driven growth the prospects for a commodity-price As new research by the Asian goods that will be exported to the rest model will weaken growth in demand rebound look brighter. - Project Subscription Development Bank shows, while China of the world. Indeed, almost one-third for metals and energy, it will also Syndicate [email protected] plays a signifi cant role in commodity of Chinese metals demand is used to bring an increase in demand for food markets – accounting for about half satisfy export demand. products and services, and hence for zAbdul Abiad is economic adviser at of global consumption of metals and Subtracting the commodities agricultural commodities. the Asian Development Bank. Shang- 2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved coal, for example – it is not nearly as embedded in China’s exported The conclusion is clear: China’s Jin Wei is chief economist of the Asian dominant as is widely believed. manufactured goods would changing economic situation does Development Bank. Gulf Times Monday, March 21, 2016 27 COMMENT A tale of two bombastic billionaires

The manipulation of public Italy is well known for low trust in the Berlusconi comparison have opinion is a powerful weapon government, with citizens largely highlighted one distinction between resigned to the idea that virtually the bombastic billionaires: Berlusconi, in any democracy, and it is every public fi gure is self-serving, they say, at least has some charm a weapon that Trump, like Berlusconi managed to numb the and much more business acumen. popular consciousness even further. This assessment is not only far too Berlusconi, knows how to He somehow lulled Italians into generous toward Berlusconi; it also wield better than most believing that all was well in their risks making it seem that Trump economy and society, even in the is less dangerous than his Italian wake of the 2008 global economic counterpart. By Bill Emmott crisis, when plainly it was not. Under The reality is that, while Berlusconi Tokyo his leadership, Italy lost many years certainly has his charm, Trump’s when its government should have been swelling base of support seems to see a pursuing critical reforms. certain charm in him, too, even if it is a he rise of billionaire Donald How did Berlusconi achieve this? less seductive version. Moreover, while Trump in the US presidential For the most part, he used the joke, Berlusconi undoubtedly possesses race has been met with the lie and the smile. When that business acumen, he has, like Trump, Ta mixture of horror and didn’t work, he resorted to bullying, cut plenty of corners along the way. fascination. As his campaign, once including through libel suits. But none of this is particularly regarded with derision, continues to In fact, few media tycoons important, in terms of its implications rack up successes – most recently, – Berlusconi owns Italy’s main for the US today. What is important in the Michigan and Mississippi commercial television channels and is that both Trump and Berlusconi primaries and the Hawaii caucus several daily newspapers (either are willing to resort to any means to – pundits are scrambling for some directly or through his family) – have achieve their (self-serving) ends. historical or foreign analogue that can ever been as freewheeling in their use Given this, underestimating shed light on the phenomenon. of libel litigation to silence journalists Trump would be a huge mistake; While no comparison is perfect, the and other critics. he will always prove stronger, more most apt comparison is with Silvio The famous Italian anti-mafi a slippery and more enduring than Berlusconi, the Italian media mogul writer Roberto Saviano referred expected. The only way to avoid who has served three terms as his to Berlusconi’s “mud machine”, Berlusconi-level disaster – or worse country’s prime minister. It is not a with which he would smear anyone – is to continue criticising him, reassuring model. who dared stand in his way. (Full exposing his lies and holding him to Of course, Berlusconi and Trump disclosure: As editor of The Economist, account for his words and actions, share some superfi cial similarities, I was the target of two libel suits by regardless of the insults or threats he including multiple marriages and a Berlusconi.) throws at those who do. generally vulgar style. But the most All of these tactics are in Trump’s Too many Italians shrugged their important – and the most worrying inventory. Trump is aggressive with shoulders at Berlusconi’s lies and – qualities they share is an ability to his opponents, especially in the media. failings, fi guring that he would soon substitute salesmanship for substance, Throughout his business career, he go away, having done little harm. But a willingness to tell bald-faced lies in has frequently invoked libel laws. If he he did not go away, and he did plenty pursuit of publicity and advantage, wins the presidency, he has said, he of harm. The US cannot aff ord to make and an eagerness to intimidate critics will seek to control media criticism. the same mistake. into silence. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Fountain Hills, Arizona. And yet his essential message is The price of liberty, Americans are Berlusconi’s policy platforms, optimistic, delivered with a joke and a fond of saying, is eternal vigilance. In even his fundamental ideology, have his own business interests. established by the US Constitution Trump, like Berlusconi, knows how to big smile. confronting Trump, there can be no always lacked consistency. During So far, Trump has followed much has an unmatched capacity to prevent wield better than most. As Berlusconi has shown, when discount. - Project Syndicate his successful campaigns, he said the same strategy, saying anything any single branch of government from Berlusconi’s greatest successes – the population is feeling grumpy or whatever it took to win votes; during to grab another vote. The question going haywire. especially during his 2001-2006 and disillusioned, as much of America is zBill Emmott, a former editor-in- his three terms in offi ce, he used the is what this would mean if he were But the manipulation of public 2008-2011 terms (he also served in today, this approach can be highly chief of The Economist, is executive same tactic to form coalitions. His to make it to the White House. opinion is a powerful weapon in any 1994-1995) – lay in the manipulation eff ective – and for a very long time. producer of the documentary The Great only agenda was to protect or advance The system of checks and balances democracy, and it is a weapon that of media and public opinion. Though Some pundits who have invoked European Disaster Movie. Letters Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY Impact of e-mails accumulated volume of virtual be enough to power a low-wattage High: 32 C messages will become a signifi cant lightbulb for two hours. Please send us Low : 22 C Misty at places at first becomes rela- on our environment part of humanity’s carbon footprint. If that e-mail is sent to a mailing tively hot with slight dust and partly your letters cloudy to cloudy with scattered rain Electricity consumption related to list, multiply by the number of ,thundery by evening Dear Sir, the growth of digital technologies is recipients. exploding, according to the article. E-mail tips for the energy- By e-mail TUESDAY The article, “Nothing ‘virtual’ In France it already accounts for conscious include avoiding [email protected] High: 28 C about climate impact of e-mails” (Gulf more than 10% of total electricity unnecessary recipients, slimming the Fax 44350474 Low: 21 C Times, March 20), made a striking use. weight of attachments, emptying your Or Post S T Storms and frightening point. We all thought Sending fi ve dozen of those four- trash box. Letters to the Editor e-mails and twitters never had any gramme e-mails in a day from your And then there’s spam. Anti-virus Gulf Times impact on the environment. How smartphone or laptop is the equivalent software maker McAfee estimates that P O Box 2888 WEDNESDAY wrong we were! of driving an average-size car a upward of 60tn spams are sent each Doha, Qatar High: 27 C A short e-mail, according to the kilometre. year, generating the same greenhouse Low: 19 C article, is estimated to add about four The culprits are greenhouse gases gas emissions as 3mn cars using Sunny All letters, which are subject grammes of CO2-equivalent (CO2e) produced in running the computer, 7.5bn litres of petrol. So, my friends into the atmosphere. server and routers. They also include be careful with those e-mails and to editing, should have the By comparison, humanity emits those emitted when the equipment forwards. They are not that harmless name of the writer, address Fishermen’s forecast and phone number. The some 40bn tonnes of CO2 every was manufactured. as we thought to be. OFFSHORE DOHA year. So the e-mail impact on our Add a one-megabyte (MB) writer’s name and address Wind: SW-SE 08-16/25 KT environment is not much now. attachment - a photo or invitation, Rajesh Nair may be withheld by request. Waves:2-4/7 Feet But as the digital era deepens, the say - and the energy consumed would [email protected] INSHORE DOHA Wind: SE-SW 08-18/25 KT Waves: 1-2/3 Feet

Around the region Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Live issues Abu Dhabi P Cloudy 34/23 M Cloudy 30/22 Baghdad Sunny 26/12 M Sunny 24/11 Dubai Sunny 30/23 Rain 29/22 Kuwait City P Cloudy 29/19 Sunny 29/17 Manama M Sunny 28/22 P Cloudy 26/21 Muscat M Sunny 32/25 M Sunny 30/24 Riyadh Cloudy 32/16 Sunny 27/12 How to deal with verbal violence issues Tehran S Showers 17/11 Rain 14/07

By Judi Light Hopson, Emma H feelings for 40 years until my wife Hopson and Ted Hagen compared me unfavourably to her fi rst McClatchy-Tribune News Service husband. Then, all hell broke loose.” Eric says that his wife’s comments were only the “valve” that let the ave you ever been steam come out. “Men hold in rage personally confronted and anger for years,” says Eric. “That’s with someone’s explosive why we need to learn how to share our Htemper? Or, have you inner pain appropriately.” witnessed someone verbally battering “I’ve learned to write down some another person? of my frustrations,” says a fi refi ghter If we could all eavesdrop on our we’ll call John. “I write until my hand neighbours, it’s likely we would hear is cramping, but it helps. Then, I tear verbal violence. Spouses might be the paper into shreds so no one will loudly chewing each other out, or see it.” parents might be slamming their John says he’s learned to stay away children with hateful words. from people who cause him pain Verbal violence is one of the main as well. “I’m learning to stay away issues behind physical violence. One from dating women with loads of or both people get so worked up that personal problems,” says John. “Their someone decides to fi re a gun, strike negativity hurts my mental health.” Around the world someone with a fi st or object, or tear John is right. If you have co- Weather Weather out of the driveway at a dangerous workers, relatives, or neighbours today Max/min tomorrow Max/min speed. who drain you and drag you down Athens M Sunny 19/13 P Cloudy 20/14 “I saw a man hitting a woman while mentally, decide how to keep a Beirut P Cloudy 18/13 Sunny 18/12 Sunny 37/27 he was driving their car,” a friend of healthy distance. Bangkok 36/27 M Sunny Berlin Showers 08/04 Showers 08/02 ours told us recently. “His mouth was “When you listen to what comes out Cairo Sunny 24/11 Sunny 26/13 twisted with rage.” of your own mouth,” says John, “you’ll Cape Town Cloudy 23/14 P Cloudy 27/15 We live in a world where we have fi gure out pretty quickly how mentally Colombo P Cloudy 33/26 P Cloudy 33/26 more temptations to explode verbally healthy you are. If you don’t like what Dhaka P Cloudy 33/24 Sunny 34/23 Hong Kong Rain 21/18 Rain 22/16 due to the bad economy, bullies you hear, take a step back and fi gure Istanbul M Sunny 14/09 P Cloudy 18/11 hurting our children, and too much out what you need to do. We can’t Jakarta S T Storms 32/25 T Storms 30/25 stress coming from many directions. start a screaming match with your “Can you tell me your biggest worry allow ourselves to become emotional Karachi Sunny 35/20 Sunny 34/19 These tips can help you manage a spouse with small children in the right now?” dumping grounds for the people London P Cloudy 13/03 M Cloudy 13/04 M Sunny Sunny 34/22 potentially explosive situation: room. If your spouse is acting out of Men, especially, aren’t usually around us. We each need to guard our Manila 35/23 Moscow S Showers -1/-6 S Showers -1/-11 zRealise that all people are not control, don’t add fuel to the fi re. encouraged to speak about their own mental well-being.” New Delhi Sunny 32/17 Sunny 32/17 mentally healthy. Quickly size up any zTalk about problems when things feelings. While most women talk New York S Showers 11/02 M Sunny 13/08 person you are dealing with. If he or are calm. Don’t off er ideas you think to gain closeness and comfort with zJudi Light Hopson is the executive Paris Cloudy 10/04 P Cloudy 12/04 she is not a calm and balanced person, will shape up this person. Angry other people, men don’t typically feel director of the stress management Sao Paulo Sunny 32/20 S T Storms 31/19 Seoul Sunny 15/01 P Cloudy 14/03 don’t try to preach your ideas to him people already feel diminished and comfortable discussing their feelings. website USA Wellness Cafe at www. Singapore M Cloudy 33/27 T Storms 32/27 or her. out of control. Instead, ask questions “My dad taught me and my four usawellnesscafe.com. Emma Hopson Sydney Rain 20/15 Showers 21/14 z Protect the people in your circle quietly and thoughtfully. You might brothers to not cry or complain,” says is an author and a nurse educator. Ted Tokyo Clear 13/07 Clear 16/04 by staying calm. For example, don’t say, “What is stressing you out?” Or, a man we’ll call Eric. “I held in all my Hagen is a family psychologist. Gulf Times 28 Monday, March 21, 2016 QATAR Power of visuals in research QNRF announces winners their project ‘Mapping the Mi- of inaugural crobial Diversity in the Arabian photography contest Gulf Surrounding Qatar us- ing Genomics, Metagenomics atar National Research and Culturing Approaches’, Dr Fund (QNRF), a mem- Rashmi Fotedar, a lead principal First prize winning photo of a novel species of fungi discovered at Salwa Beach. Second prize winning image entitled ‘Converting Liquid Fuel into Small Droplets’. Qber of Qatar Foundation investigator from the Ministry Research and Development, has of Environment, and her team project, led by Dr Reza Sadr announced the winners of its demonstrated that Qatari ma- from Texas A&M University inaugural ‘Best Representative rine sediments could harbour a at Qatar. Image of an Outcome’ competi- variety of yet-to-be-discovered An image entitled ‘Fat Stem tion. fungal species. Cells Full of Red Fat Droplets’ The competition encouraged The second prize was awarded submitted by Dr Mohamed QNRF-awarded research teams to an image taken using a high- Elrayess and his team from the to use artistic images and visu- speed camera at 20,000 frames Anti-Doping Lab Qatar, took als to highlight the outcomes of per second, and was entitled the third place. The research their research to a wider audi- ‘Converting Liquid Fuel into relates to fat deposition on ence. From a total of 50 sub- Small Droplets During Spray the liver, kidney, heart and il- missions, 10 were shortlisted Process to Enhance Engine Per- lustrates sensitivity to type-2 and three outstanding images formance’. diabetes. awarded. The picture, which showed The shortlisted images will The fi rst prize went to an im- the relevance of predictive be displayed during QF R&D’s age of a novel species of fungi models for fuel spray research Annual Research Confer- discovered during the analy- in a real-life application, was ence (ARC’16), which opens sis of sediment collected from captured by Dr Kannaiyan, a tomorrow, and the winners Salwa beach in Qatar. Through principal investigator in the recognised. The ‘Fat Stem Cells Full of Red Fat Droplets’ image won the third prize in the competition. LuLu outlets go dark for Earth Hour UDC backs campaign with lights off at Pearl-Qatar

nited Development Company (UDC) collab- Uorated with Qatar Tour- ism Authority to participate in the Earth Hour celebrations on Saturday. UDC supported the initiative by powering down superfl uous lights at all of its common areas on The Pearl-Qatar for an hour, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. “Participation in this envi- ronmental decision-making is eff ectively aimed at raising awareness among the Qatari society about the importance of turning off all unnecessary lights for one hour. In turn, this will demonstrate a commitment in supporting a better world, pre- serving sustainable power for one hour and to observe and join Earth Hour communities around the world in order to protect the Diff erent parts of The Pearl-Qatar before the lights were switched off environment for future genera- and during Earth Hour. tions,” according to a statement. LuLu Hypermarket outlets observed Earth Hour on Saturday night by switching off all external lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. An “Earth Hour has always been exterior view of the LuLu Hypermarket, D Ring Road branch, Doha, during Earth Hour. an important corporate and community-wide initiative for UDC. This initiative encour- ages UDC employees, residents and customers to participate in this global event as the underly- ing issue continues to be a sig- nifi cant one that aff ects all. The QTA leads 40 partners in participation in Earth Hour re- minds all on reducing the carbon footprint and drives all to con- tinue furthering in conservation and environmental protection,” tourism sector at celebration it added. Conserving energy and pro- tecting the environment are key atar Tourism Authority (QTA) and strategic imperatives for United a large group of its partners in the Development Company and its Qpublic and private sectors, including fl agship island development, hotels and tourist establishments, joined The Pearl-Qatar. the world in marking Earth Hour 2016 by switching off or dimming lights for one hour on Saturday night. Hotel guests also participated by dim- ming their lights in their rooms or hotel apartments from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. The 40 tourism establishments who par- ticipated include The Ritz Carlton Doha, Sharq Village & Spa, Movenpick Tower & Suites Doha, Sealine Beach Resort, Al Sul- tan Beach Resort, Wyndham Grand Regency Doha, Millennium Hotel Doha, La Cigale Hotel, Grand Hyatt Doha, W Doha Hotel & Residences, Grand Regal Hotel, Kempinski Residences & Suites, Oryx Rotana Doha and City Center Rotana, The Torch Doha, The St Regis Doha, Concorde Hotel Doha, In- tercontinental Doha The City, Hilton Doha Hotel, Crowne Plaza Doha - The Business Park, Retaj Royale, Banana Island Resort, Kempinski Marsa Malaz, Radisson Blu Hotel, Mercure Grand Hotel, Gloria Hotel Doha, Swiss BelHotel, Holiday Villa Hotel & Residence, K108 Hotel, Amari Doha, Gulf Paradise Hotel, Zubarah Boutique Hotel, Copthorne Hotel Doha, Le Mirage Suites, Somerset West Bay, Saraya Corniche, Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, AMLAK Holding, Simaisma Resort Al Khor, L’etoile Hotel. “We are grateful to Tarsheed – the Na- tional Campaign for the Conservation and Effi cient Use of Water and Electricity in Qa- A combo picture of the Qatar National Convention Centre before and during Earth Hour. tar, for spearheading this eff ort, and to our partners in the tourism sector, all of whom Public Relations and Communication di- and classifi cation system that is paving the worked diligently to make Qatar’s partici- rector Faisal bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi said. way for a more sustainable, environmentally pation in Earth Hour a great success,” QTA’s QTA recently released a new hotel grading friendly and diverse hospitality sector.