BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Pakistan level series Malaysia off ers Qatar vs New opportunities in food processing, healthcare Zealand

published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 11016 November 28, 2018 Rabia I 20, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Defence minister meets Malaysian deputy PM

BUSINESS | Markets Qatar plan for Oil prices steady near year lows ahead of G20 Oil prices steadied yesterday at treatment of about $60 a barrel, supported by expectations that crude exporters would agree to cut output at an Opec meeting next week, but weighed down by signs of increased dementia global production. Traders also said any upside was being capped ahead of a meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 nations (G20), the world’s announced biggest economies, on November 30 and December 1. By Joseph Varghese achieving the 2022 national target of ARAB WORLD | Immigration Staff Reporter a “one-year increase in Healthy Life Years for the over 65-year-old popu- Stranded Syrian refugee lation” in the Healthy Ageing prior- arrives in Canada he Qatar National Dementia ity population within the National A Syrian refugee who spent months Plan (QNDP) 2018-2022 was Health Strategy 2018-2022. in limbo in a budget terminal at a Tlaunched yesterday at a ceremo- Dr Salih Ali al-Marri, assistant Malaysian airport has arrived in ny in the presence of HE the Minister minister for Health Affairs at MoPH, Vancouver after he was granted of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed said: “Populations around the world permanent residency by Canada. al-Kuwari. including that of Qatar are rapidly Hassan al-Kontar’s plight became HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Aff airs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah met yesterday with QNDP focuses on seven action ar- ageing. This presents both benefits, widely known after he shared posts the visiting Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Wan Azizah Wan eas and aims to set out the vision for in the form of our elderly population on social media that showed him Ismail. Talks during the meeting covered the bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields. The meeting was future services for people with de- contributing to the richness of our surviving on donated airline meals, attended by Chairman of the International Military Co-operation Authority Brigadier-General (Pilot) Fahad Hamad al-Sulaiti mentia, their families and carers. society, and challenges due to an in- washing and giving himself a haircut and a number of off icers at the Qatar Armed Forces. The objective is to raise public and creasing demand for specialist serv- in the toilets at Kuala Lumpur professional awareness on dementia ices across the healthcare sector. The International Airport’s Terminal 2. He and encourage timely diagnosis and launch of QNDP, one of the first to be had been stuck there since March. early intervention as well as improv- launched in the Middle East, dem- Page 9 ing post diagnostic treatment and onstrates our sincere commitment to care. ensuring we are properly prepared to ARAB WORLD | Confl ict The seven action areas are: De- support our ageing population.” US tells Russia not to Sidra Medicine launches mentia as a public health priority; According to Dr Hanadi Khamis al- dementia awareness and friendliness; Hamad, chairperson, Geriatrics and tamper with attack site dementia risk reductions; dementia Long Term Care Department at HMC The Pentagon cautioned Russia diagnosis, treatment, care and sup- and national lead for the “Healthy yesterday not to tamper with the site port; support for dementia carers; in- Ageing” priority within the National of an alleged gas attack in Syria’s child advocacy helpline formation systems for dementia and Health Strategy 2018-2022, there were Aleppo and allow investigators to dementia research and innovation. 900 people with recorded dementia inspect the site. The global chemical The event was attended by sen- diagnosis as per HMC Dementia Audit weapons agency, known as the ior representatives from the Minis- Report, 2017. The 2017 UN population Organisation for the Prohibition of z Abuse or neglect can be reported at 4003 4000 try of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad estimates that among people over 60 Chemical Weapons (OPCW), has Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary years in Qatar, over 4,400 may cur- said it will investigate the alleged idra Medicine has launched a families in need of our services. We sentation of a child going through the Health Care Corporation as well as rently be suff ering from dementia. gas attack in Aleppo on Saturday child advocacy helpline - 4003 work very closely with government ordeal of abuse, with a call to action other healthcare organisations and “If we don’t address the issue of that reportedly sickened up to 100 S4000 - for the safety and well- and social services to ensure that the on how to seek immediate help. research institutes in the country. the growing prevalence of dementia, people. The Syrian government and being of children. safety and care of the children is the “We commissioned this fi lm as HE Dr al-Kuwari affirmed that the it will have far-reaching implica- its ally, Russia, blamed the attack on The helpline is for children, fami- topmost priority. Our ultimate goal part of a concerted campaign to raise launch of QNDP demonstrates the tions for our country. I am therefore insurgents. Page 8 lies, caregivers and the community for the helpline is that it prompts awareness about the child advocacy great care given by Qatar under the delighted to see the positive support to report any form of child abuse or children, families and the community programme. I sincerely hope that after wise leadership of His Highness the we have seen from the government EUROPE | Confl ict neglect they may have witnessed or to immediately report cases of abuse watching it, viewers will understand Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- of Qatar as well as private and public that may have been infl icted on them or neglect and to know that help is at that we are just a phone call away from Thani to the health and well-being of organisations. This plan is designed Ukraine under threat of if they are a child. hand.” providing life-saving help. I also hope all segments of society. to ensure Qatar is ready to meet the full-scale war with Russia The helpline is operational from The child advocacy programme that our fi lm inspires other entities in She highlighted that such great challenge of dementia with a coordi- Russia has sharply increased its 7am to 3pm during weekdays. For af- at Sidra Medicine off ers treatment, the education, health and community care is extended even further to in- nated, focused approach to care and military presence on the border ter hours, callers will be requested to care and counselling services and is services sector to continue developing clude the elderly, especially in light research,” said Dr al-Hamad. with Ukraine, Ukrainian President leave their name and contact infor- dedicated to protecting children from and strengthening support systems so of the growing number of people with Prof Sube Banerjee, associate dean Petro Poroshenko said on television mation and a Sidra Medicine repre- abuse or neglect at home and in the that every child in Qatar can be pro- dementia globally, which calls for in- for strategy and professor of demen- yesterday, warning of the threat sentative will contact them the next community. It also collaborates with tected or is given the right help at the cluding dementia among the public tia at Sussex University delivered of “full-scale war”. The number of working day. government agencies such as com- right time,” concluded Dr al-Ansari. health priorities in Qatar. the keynote speech at the event and (Russian) tanks at bases located Dr Khalid al-Ansari, chair of Emer- munity policing and family support The child advocacy helpline is not “We seek to improve the qual- highlighted that improving public along our border has tripled, gency Medicine and founder of the networks within the country. an emergency service. In the case of ity of life for people with dementia, and professional attitude and under- Poroshenko said , adding that “the child advocacy Programme at Sidra To help build awareness about the an emergency, to report a crime or through the concerted efforts of all standing of dementia, better diagno- number of units that have been Medicine said: “Every child deserves child advocacy programme and the request for critical medical atten- stakeholders and to promote public sis of dementia and better prevention deployed along our border – what’s the right to be protected. Our pro- helpline, Sidra Medicine recently tion, please call 999 where either the awareness and improve all the neces- and treatment options are the three more, along its full length – has gramme is led by a dedicated team commissioned a short fi lm called Sor- police or ambulance service will off er sary services,” added the minister. ways to counter the challenge of de- grown dramatically.” Page 16 who work tirelessly with children and ry. The fi lm is a powerful visual repre- assistance. QNDP represents the first steps in mentia. Page 4 Tunisians protest at MbS visit over Khashoggi, Yemen

Reuters throne of the world’s top oil exporter, had no Tunis HRW urges Argentina to prior knowledge of the murder. charge Saudi prince at G20 The prince was welcomed by Tunisian Pres- ident Beji Caid Essebsi when he arrived at the undreds of Tunisians staged the first AFP, Buenos Aires: Human Rights Watch airport in Tunis from Cairo, the presidency protests of the Arab world against (HRW) has urged Argentine prosecutors to said, and he left immediately for talks with HSaudi Arabia’s crown prince as he ar- consider bringing criminal charges against Saudi Essebsi at Carthage Palace, the presidential rived on a visit yesterday, denouncing him as a Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who is due seat. murderer involved in the killing of Saudi jour- to join world leaders in Buenos Aires this week Protesters raised a large poster which de- nalist Jamal Khashoggi. for the G20 summit. picted the Tunisian president pouring water The protests were a rare occurrence for The New York-based rights group said it had filed on the bloodied hands of the Saudi crown Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MbS), a submission with Argentine prosecutors calling prince - suggesting Tunisia’s complicity in the kingdom’s de facto ruler who faces no on them to invoke the country’s universal juris- washing away guilt. overt criticism at home and who received a diction statute to prosecute the crown prince for Protesters also called for an end to the lavish reception earlier in his tour in visits to alleged war crimes committed by the Saudi-led Saudi-led military campaign in neighbour- Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. coalition in Yemen. ing Yemen, which was launched by Prince Hundreds of protesters marched through “Argentine prosecutorial authorities should Mohamed in his role as defence minister in the central Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis scrutinise Mohamed bin Salman’s role in possible 2015. on the second day of demonstrations against war crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition Journalists on Monday put up a huge banner the Saudi prince. since 2015 in Yemen,” HRW director Kenneth at their union showing the prince with a chain- They chanted “the murderer is not welcome Roth said. saw, which Turkish sources have said was used in Tunisia” and “Shame on Tunisia’s rulers” “The submission also highlights his possible to dismember Khashoggi in Istanbul. It read: for receiving bin Salman. complicity in serious allegations of torture and “No to the pollution of the Tunisian revolution.” The killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post other ill treatment of Saudi citizens, including the In an apparent attempt to avoid embarrass- columnist and a critic of the crown prince, at murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the ing the prince, the presidency only invited Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul six weeks ago rights group said in a statement. photographers to cover his visit. Tunisian protesters hold up saws and signs showing pictures of Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West Argentina’s constitution recognises universal The prince is expected to fly on to a G20 Salman with a caption below reading in Arabic “no welcome, Tunisians against the visit of the Saudi and battered Prince Mohamed’s image abroad. jurisdiction for war crimes and torture. summit in Argentina at the end of his Tunisia Crown Prince to Tunisia”, during an anti-Saudi crown prince protest in Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Saudi Arabia has said the prince, heir to the visit. Tunis yesterday. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 QATAR

Amir sends message to Albanian leader Attorney-general meets British officials

HE the Attorney-General Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri met with Lord Burnett, chair of the British judiciary council, Dominic Grieve, chair of the intelligence committee, Robert Neil, chair of the justice committee of the British parliament, and Desmond Browne, a member of the parliament. The meetings, held in London and attended by Qatar’s ambassador to the UK, Yousef Ali al-Khater, discussed issues of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has sent a written message to Albanian common concern. The attorney-general attended a workshop on the peaceful settlement of disputes as part of the Qatar Law Forum, president Ilir Meta on bilateral relations and means of developing them. The message was organised by the Centre for the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption. Members of the British judiciary and several members of the House of delivered by Qatar’s ambassador to Albania Ali bin Hamad al-Marri, during a meeting with the Commons participated in the workshop. Senator George Mitchell, a former US senator, delivered a lecture at the workshop focusing on president of Albania. what he had done in Northern Ireland while at the head of the US government’s negotiating team, and the possibility of spreading the experience in diff erent parts of the world. QIC Insured launches Safe Driver App

‘Traffi c scenario IC Insured, the retail arm of Qatar Insurance, Qlaunched the Safe Driver App during its participation in the International Traffi c Safety Conference. has improved The event was attended by traffi c safety experts, a number of ministers, offi cials, dignitar- ies, researchers, specialists in transport and traffi c safety and many government entities. remarkably’ The conference, which ad- dressed a number of topics re- By Ramesh Mathew lated to traffi c safety, driving Staff Reporter behaviour, transport safety and security etc, served as a launch- pad for QIC Insured’s latest of- here has been a remarkable fering, the QIC Safe Driver App. improvement in the traf- “Working relentlessly towards Tfi c situation in Qatar since its corporate social responsibil- the establishment of the National ity (CSR) mission for safer roads Traffi c Safety Committee (NTSC) in Qatar, QIC Insured has been fi ve years ago, Secretary-General for long engaging in various sur- Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah al- veys for developing road safety Malki said yesterday. monitor reports that highlight Ahmed Jarboey with Major General Mohamed Saad al-Kharji, director-general at the General Directorate “The number of deaths in road driving patterns of motorists of Traff ic, and Jean Todt, the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy for road safety and traffi c accidents came down last and key areas for enhancing road president of International Automobile Federation, at the conference venue. year by nearly 25% compared safety for all users,” the company to 2013,” he told the conclud- said in a statement. trip right from the start to the will be eff ective over and above vation, Ahmed Jarboey, senior ing session of the International Aligning its eff orts further end. the No Claim Bonus awarded to claims manager at QIC Insured, Traffi c Safety Conference, con- with the second phase of the Applying state-of-the-art the safe driver. said: “To enhance our eff orts ducted jointly by the Qatar Uni- implementation plan for the Signal Processing and Machine Available exclusively online, further towards achieving road versity and the General Directo- National Traffi c Safety Strat- Learning algorithms, all param- customers can visit qic-insured. safety and reducing road acci- rate of Traffi c under the Ministry egy (2018-2022), the Safe Driver eters of risky driving behaviour, com, select the Safe Driver op- dents and fatalities, we at QIC of Interior. App from QIC Insured “dem- such as speeding, mobile use tion to download the Safe Driver Insured have been working tire- The NTSC was set up in 2013, onstrates yet another initiative while driving, harsh acceleration App from Google Play (for And- lessly in raising awareness to- recalled the offi cial while point- towards incentivising motorists and harsh braking, are identifi ed riod users) or App Store (for iOS wards inculcating the culture of ing out that Qatar received an for being responsible drivers and and translated into scores on a users) and register themselves. responsible driving and avoid- international honour recently for ensuring road safety in Qatar”, safe driving scale of 100. After purchasing the new ing road rage in order to ensure the improvement in traffi c safety. the statement notes. To incentivise drivers to be re- comprehensive car insurance, safety for all road users in Qatar. While announcing the recom- Developed by OSeven, the sponsible while driving, QIC In- customers have to keep the Safe “We deployed the latest tech- mendations of the conference, Safe Driver App uses world- sured will reward “safe drivers” Driver App running while they nology to encourage our ‘price- Brigadier al-Malki said Qatar is leading telematics and Artifi cial who maintain a minimum score drive so that the app can monitor conscious customers to drive committed to continue the good Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah al-Malki speaking at the conference Intelligence to assess and rate of 76 out of 100 (throughout the the driving behaviour of the mo- safely and reap the benefi ts of works being initiated by the yesterday. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamkulam the driving behaviour of motor- year) by off ering a 20% saving torist and rate the driver. the app by incentivising them NTSC for strengthening traffi c ists and identify safe drivers. The upon renewal of their car insur- Speaking about the rationale with a huge saving on their com- safety. prove traffi c safety. The role of ducing irregularities or miscon- app records all the nuances of a ance in the following year. This behind the latest product inno- prehensive car insurance.” “We are working round-the- intelligent transport systems is duct of road users. clock to ensure that the deaths in to be strengthened. Qatar would The offi cial also highlighted road traffi c accidents in country also partner with international the necessity of establishing a would go down by at least 50% in bodies for ensuring better traffi c proper database for traffi c and 2022 when the country hosts the safety for its residents, the offi - road traffi c accidents in line with Ashghal implementing school zone safety programme FIFA World Cup,” he said. cial said. the best international practices Qatar would enhance its co- Along with fi nding solutions so that it is available for the operation with the UN forums to traffi c congestion, consistent country’s residents at regular QNA This is in addition to analysing to maintenance requirements, 42 areas around schools, in ad- as part of its commitment to im- eff orts would also be made to re- intervals. Doha incident and road asset informa- study road signs, ensure pedes- dition to the design of roads sur- tion, putting guidelines for tem- trian safety, and manage traf- rounding 149 other schools. porary traffi c management and fi c congestion during the 2022 On the occasion Ashghal par- he Public Works Author- road safety assessment, and de- World Cup. ticipated in an exhibition that Pedestrian crossings will further cut fatalities ity (Ashghal) has com- veloping maintenance standards He added: “As for the road accompanied the conference, Tpleted several road safety in Qatar. maintenance projects and the during which it presented the projects in the past years. Al-Emadi said that Ashghal day-to-day work carried out by School Zone Safety Programme, Construction of pedestrian Traff ic Safety Conference, al- as well as the rapid response by Speaking on the occasion of follows the fi ve-year plan (2018- the authority to ensure the safety and safety elements such as bar- crossings will reduce traff ic Kharji attributed the decline in ambulances and the provision of Ashghal’s participation in the 2022) in implementing 25 plans of the road users, Ashghal is im- riers, road signs, and Intelligent accident fatality rates by 30%, traff ic accident fatalities during medical services to the injured. International Traffi c Safety related to the assessment and plementing a school zone safety Transportation Systems. Major General Mohamed the past years (recorded at 5.4 Al-Kharji said he expected Conference, Engineer Yousef follow-up of road safety, includ- programme to ensure the safety The authority also partici- Saad al-Kharji, Vice-Chairman cases per 100,000 inhabitants the traff ic accident fatalities al-Emadi, Manager of Highway ing work zone safety, traffi c con- of students and parents when en- pated in three discussion ses- of the National Traff ic Safety in 2017) to the increase in to continue to decrease in Projects Department, said the gestion management, intelligent tering and leaving the schools. sions; the fi rst was titled “Health Committee and Director General community awareness of the country, adding that the projects included the develop- transportation system, road de- The programme includes 475 and Traffi c Safety”. The second of General Directorate of Traff ic, traff ic safety, the increase of statistics for the current year ment of a comprehensive road sign safety, traffi c safety, as well schools throughout the country, discussion was titled “Traffi c has said. fixed and mobile radars on the are promising, especially with safety monitoring system, in- as asset management and road of which 284 are complete, and Safety Engineering and at Risk Speaking to reporters on the roads, the presence of traff ic regard to deaths resulting from cluding key performance indica- maintenance. 176 of those were completed in Road Users,” while the third dis- sidelines of the International patrols equipped with radars, road traff ic accidents. tors for road networks based on a This plan includes an emer- 2018. cussion was held under the title star rating system through iRAP. gency team to respond urgently Currently work is ongoing in “ITS — the Flow of Traffi c”. Importance of eff ective investigations into road accidents highlighted

he International Traffi c tions and in partnership with Traffi c Awareness Depart- tar Shell’s senior logistics lead Urban Planning”. Safety Conference (ITSC), both local and international ment director Colonel Moham- in health, safety and environ- In another session, Mark An- Tjointly organised by the centres. ed Radhi al-Hajri, Dalian Uni- ment Majed Samarah, Sverker drew Cooper from Ashghal, Jeff Qatar University and the Gen- Some of the speakers advo- versity of Technology’s (China) Almqvist and Gareth Hill from Cheng Lung Lee of Taiwan Po- eral Directorate of Traffi c of the cated the need for promoting the College of Engineering dean the Qatar National Traffi c Safe- lice College and Abdel Ghani Ministry of Interior, yesterday concepts of traffi c safety among Meng Li, Tom Brijs, (Trans- ty Offi ce were among the other Karkar from Qatar University underlined the necessity of ef- students of schools, colleges and portation Research Institute of speakers. spoke. The session featured fective investigations to identify universities at regular intervals. Hasselt University, Belgium) Later in a session on ad- such areas as intelligent trans- the real causes of road accidents They also called for adopting and Wael Alhajyaseen (Qa- vanced technologies in traffi c portation systems, 3D technol- in the country. technological innovations in tar Transportation and Traffi c safety, Hamid Menouar from ogies for strengthening traffi c While highlighting the impor- line with the local requirements. Safety Centre) also spoke. the Qatar Mobility Innovations education and safety, a mobile- tance of developing eff ective and There is greater need of provid- At a session on “Road In- Center spoke on “The role of based computer-vision outdoor long lasting solutions to reduce ing safe passage for students frastructure”, French Railway connectivity and automation navigation system for people the number of road accidents in in the vicinity of schools and Company (South Paris) security in enabling next level of road with visual impairment and the the country, the speakers em- school buses should be equipped director Laurent Berthinier, Qa- safety” and Jayaseelan Sin- necessity of applying wearable phasised the necessity of proper with advanced features to ensure tar’s Ministry of Transport and garavelu of the Qatar National devices and traffi c cloud in the scientifi c research, supported by maximum safety for children, Communications offi cial Tareq Traffi c Safety Offi ce spoke on enforcement of traffi c law in Jayaseelan Singaravelu speaking on “GIS Applications for Land Use innovative technological solu- they pointed out. Abdulhamid al-Emadi, Qa- “GIS Applications for Land Use Qatar. Urban Planning” Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 3 QATAR

Minister, US university president Ministry organises discuss legal co-operation introductory meet on study in France he Ministry of Education She expressed her gratitude that all majors are available as the French university system and Higher Education to the parents for all their eff orts per the students’ goals, in addi- is among the best in the world. Tyesterday organised an with their children and extend- tion to training them to work in “It provides literary, linguistics, introductory meeting with sec- ing them with will and encour- public and private sectors. foreign languages, history, en- ondary public school students agement to achieve the desired Ambassador Gellet said there gineering and law, information on the benefi ts of education in goals of the nation. are currently 86 Qatari students security and networks, sports France and to brief them on the The French ambassador to studying in France and urged management, museum and ar- most prominent universities, Qatar, Franck Gellet, said his the students not to worry about chaeology, international rela- institutions and majors. country is home to the oldest learning the French language tions and other majors in various HE the Minister of Justice Dr Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi met yesterday with Dr Harris During the meeting, Moza universities covering all majors as many of the Qatari students fi elds.” Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina, USA. The meeting dealt with areas of al-Mudahka, director of educa- that students have interest in. He in France overcame this step He confi rmed that Qatar pro- legal co-operation between the Ministry of Justice and the University of Carolina in light of the tional guidance department at added that education in France through training and continu- vides students with all the facili- partnership agreement signed with the Rule of Law Collaborative of the School of Law at the the ministry, called on the stu- requires great eff ort and ambi- ous work till they achieved high- ties such as housing, education, University of South Carolina, and ways to support joint US-Qatari eff orts to establish the rule of dents, as ambassadors to their tion which is found in the Qatari est certifi cates and positions in health insurance and registra- law, as well as discussing a number of areas of training and qualification. country to highlight Qatar’s cul- students which France wishes to Qatar and globally. tion in language institutes and tural role and reiterated her trust increase their number to achieve Qatar’s permanent delegate other fi nancial and management in them and their capabilities to the aspired co-operation to Unesco Ali Zainal, who is matters and monthly grants, an- return to the land and contribute between both countries. also responsible for the univer- nual allowances and residence to its development. The ambassador reiterated sity co-operation in France, said cards. (QNA) Qatar participates in UN forum on business, human rights

QNA with the participation of the operation on issues linked to Geneva Assistant Director of the Hu- business and human rights. man Rights Department at The UN Forum is the world’s the Ministry of Foreign Af- largest annual gathering on atar is participating in fairs Sheikh Mohamed bin business and human rights the seventh UN annual Youssef al-Thani. with more than 2,000 partici- QForum on Business and The UN annual Forum on pants from government, busi- Human Rights, which is being Business and Human Rights ness, community groups and held in Geneva from Novem- focuses on topics that relate civil society, law fi rms, inves- ber 26 to 28 under the theme to the Guiding Principles on tor organisations, UN bodies, “Business respect for human Business and Human Rights national human rights institu- rights building on what works”. (the United Nations “Protect, tions, trade unions, academia Qatar’s delegation is head- Respect and Remedy” Frame- and the media. ed by the Permanent Rep- work), as well as trends and Qatar had hosted the First resentative of Qatar to the challenges in the implementa- UN Asia Regional Forum on United Nations in Geneva Ali tion of the Guiding Principles Business and Human Rights Khalfan al-Mansouri, and and promote dialogue and co- in 2016. Ministry of Education and Higher Education off icials along with the French ambassador and other off icials. Call for ending QU holds Second abduction of Youth children in Research confl ict areas Forum QNA one form and that children were New York subjected to brutal treatment by he Second Youth Research Forum on the all parties to the confl ict. The role of youth in innovation and sustain- message further pointed out that Table development in Qatar got underway atar and the US stressed the abduction of girls usually at Qatar University (QU) yesterday. the need to exert pres- leads to cross-border traffi cking The two-day forum is organised by QU in co- Qsure to put an end to the for sexual exploitation. operation with the Qatar National Commission widespread abduction of chil- The message stressed that for Education, Culture and Science, and Qatar dren in confl ict and crisis areas. confl ict and post-confl ict times Youth Hostel Association. This came in a message sent provide suitable environment The Youth Forum includes several panel by Qatar’s Permanent Repre- and conditions for traffi cking discussions and research papers on a number sentative to the UN, ambassador because of resultant poverty. of topics related to good health and well-be- Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al- The message also pointed to ing for all, education for all, gender equality, Thani, and US Permanent Repre- the social, health and economic clean water and sanitation, decent work and sentative to the UN, ambassador eff ects after the escape or release economic growth, industry, innovation and Nicky Healy, to UN Secretary- of children. infrastructure, sustainable cities and com- General Antonio Guterres, on the Qatar and the US called upon munities, and peace, justice and strong occasion of World Children’s Day, the international community to institutions. which falls on November 20. treat abducted children as vic- Vice-President for Research and Graduate The message, which was tims and to provide special care Studies Dr Mariam al-Maadeed praised the adopted by 101 countries, referred to those who were subject to role of the forum in honing the skills of young to the report of the UN Children’s psychological and physical trau- people and building their capacities in the fi eld Fund (Unicef), which noted a 70% ma, torture and sexual abuse. of sound scientifi c research. increase in abduction of children The two states also stressed This forum is a platform for young peo- during the past year. that violence against children ple and the voice of male and female students It also referred to the report of the in confl ict has a strong negative where they meet and present their research and UN secretary-general on children impact on the sustainable devel- give their views on social and economic priori- and armed confl ict and the report opment programmes as well as ties, thus refl ecting a high sense of citizenship of the Offi ce of the Special Repre- on social welfare. and belonging, she said. sentative of the Secretary General The two countries called for all She added that the forum is a valuable op- for Children and Armed Confl ict. forms of protection for children, in- portunity to develop curricula and knowledge The message said abduction cluding safe release, family follow- and to empower young people with original, of children was one of the most up, provision of medical and legal creative and individual research and co-opera- serious of six violations against assistance and facilitation of vol- tion in the various disciplines and requirements children, explaining that ab- untary programmes of social reform of the sustainable development in the State of duction could take more than and rehabilitation. Qatar. Abdullah al-Kubaisi, head of the Arab and Islamic aff airs section of the Qatar National 20 varsities take part in Doha expo Committee for Education, Culture and Science, said the forum is a good opportunity for con- The National Service Academy participation of several structive dialogue between students to evalu- of Qatar Armed Forces held international universities and ate and discuss their research and studies on a yesterday, the first educational educational institutions, off ering scientifi c and human basis. exhibition of international various scientific programmes He also stressed that the Forum contributes universities with the participation and specialisations. to enhancing the creative and critical thinking of prestigious institutions, as well The Director of Public Relations at the of the students by using it in solving problems, as a number of educational and National Service Academy Brigadier leading sustainable development projects, con- service institutions. Nasser al-Abduljabbar, said in remarks ducting meaningful dialogue, respecting the The aim of the exhibition is to on the sidelines of the function that other, and contributing to cultural and provide students and their families the exhibition is an opportunity for civilisational diversity of peoples. with the opportunity to meet up students and their families to speak A constellation of researchers and those in- to 20 international educational directly with representatives of the terested in innovation and sustainable devel- institutions from more than ten participating institutions, which off er opment, and many secondary schools, in ad- countries around the world. many courses and undergraduate to dition to student from Oman are taking part in The exhibition saw the postgraduate study levels. the forum. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 QATAR MoI portal Qatar launches national plan to counter dementia wins top award he Ministry of In- vided by governments in the fees directly in a few terior’s e-services the Gulf and Middle East moments. Tportal has won region. The web portal provides the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali The ministry said in a 216 e-services to indi- Al-Sabah Informatics statement that the award viduals, companies and Award-2018, the ministry is a testament to its suc- institutions in the public HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and other dignitaries at the launch of the Qatar National Dementia Plan 2018-2022 said yesterday. cess in the development and private sectors. These yesterday. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil Staff Major General Saad and modernisation of services include: Citizen bin Jassim al-Khulaifi , di- its systems, which have Services, Entry Permit rector, Public Security, improved the level of Services, Traffi c Services, received the award dur- services provided to the Residence Services, Secu- QF students to celebrate National Day ing the annual ceremony public. rity Systems Services, Civil held under the patronage The web portal of the Defence Services, NOC Students from Qatar It will also showcase the diverse 101mn gallons of rainwater drained of the Kuwait Amir Sheikh ministry provides integrat- Services, Travel Notifi ca- Foundation (QF) are set to multicultural community within Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber ed electronic services with tion Services, Reporting celebrate Qatar National Education City and provide al-Sabah in Kuwait. high quality, enabling its Services, Smart Card Serv- Day by hosting ‘Education visitors with an opportunity to The MoI e-services por- visitors to obtain informa- ices, Public Services and City United’, it has been learn more about the various tal won the award among tion, conduct transactions Community Policing Serv- announced. the academic institutes the best e-services pro- electronically and pay ices among others. (QNA) The event, which will take housed within QF’s flagship place at QF’s Ceremonial development, the statement Court tomorrow, has been notes. designed to celebrate and Mohamed al-Mansouri, honour Qatar’s rich traditions, president of the Qatari Students values and culture, QF has Association at Texas A&M said in a statement. University at Qatar, a QF partner Organised and hosted at university, said: “Our aim this Education City by students year is to focus on Qatar, both from Hamad Bin Khalifa its past and its future. We, the University, QF’s partner students of Education City, universities and the Academic believe that it is our duty to Bridge Programme, the demonstrate how, whichever event – which is free and open school or university we attend, to the public – will feature we stand together for Qatar. Rain emergency teams concluded rainwater draining operations across diff erent an operetta, a selection of “The concept of ‘unity’ cannot municipalities in Qatar and removed over 101mn gallons of rainwater within 37 retail business outlets and be fulfilled without the whole hours following the last spell of showers in the country, the Ministry of Municipality food stalls, a STEM-themed community participating. and Environment (MME) said yesterday. Safar Mubarak al-Shafi, head of the rain entertainment area for With this in mind, we would emergency committee and director of the General Cleanliness Department, said the children and an exhibition like to encourage the public teams managed to drain out all the rainwater that accumulated around the country showcasing pieces of artwork to come along and celebrate through 37 hours of continuous work. He said the total quantity of rainwater and innovative projects. with us.” drained out in various municipalities from Sunday until yesterday morning was 101,285,818 gallons. The water was removed in 14,488 batches with 347 tankers and 61 pumps under the supervision of 706 field workers. The operations room received 629 reports, all of which were duly addressed, the MME added. Diversion on Salwa Road Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim al-Khulaifi receiving the award from Kuwait Amir Friendship Group formed Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. westbound carriageway he Public Works Au- before Mesaieed Inter- thority (Ashghal) will change (Exit 24). Tput in place a tempo- During the diversion, rary diversion on Salwa Road the number of lanes will be westbound carriageway be- reduced from four to two tween Al Sailiya Interchange in order to accommodate (Exit 17) and Mesaieed Inter- traffi c movement in both change (Exit 24) for a distance directions. of approximately 1.3km, During the temporary starting from tomorrow realignment, Salwa Service night to December 2. road in the location will be The diversion, to allow limited to a one-way fl ow the installation of gantries with a right in/ right out Qatar’s ambassador to Belgium and head of missions to the European Union and at Mesaieed Interchange, availability to Salwa Road. Nato, Abdulrahman bin Mohamed al-Khulaifi, has announced the establishment of has been designed in co- The Public Works Au- the parliamentary group for Qatari-Belgian friendship with the participation of Alain ordination with the General thority will install road Destexhe, chairman of the Qatari-Belgian Friendship Group in Belgian parliament. Directorate of Traffi c. signs advising motorists of The meeting discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and means of Traffi c heading west- the traffi c shift and request supporting and developing them. bound on Salwa Road to- all road users to abide by the wards Bu Samra will be speed limit which remains diverted to the eastbound at 80kph along Salwa Road carriageway after Al Sailiya and 60kph along Salwa Interchange (Exit 17) and Service Road, and follow the will return to normal fl ow road signs to ensure safety. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 5 QATAR

Astronomy enthusiasts attend the live streaming of Nasa’s InSight Mission landing on Mars at QNL. QNL livestreams Nasa’s InSight landing on Mars

atar National Library (QNL) cation and Higher Education, said: “I landing and the wider mission. streamed live on Monday am passionate about science, and have Mahmoud Sawalha, a high-school QNasa’s InSight Mission’s suc- been following Nasa’s work for years. I student and a robotics programmer, cessful landing on Mars. want to thank QNL for organising this said he learnt how science can fi nd an- QNL was the only Nasa-registered event, and look forward to more sci- swers to real-world problems. entity in the Mena region to live stream ence events in the future.” “I am fascinated how engineers at the landing. The event started with a lecture on Nasa worked so hard for years to make The InSight Mission is Nasa’s fi rst landing on planets by Dr Essam He- this mission a success. I believe young Mars landing since 2012, and will re- ggy, research scientist in Earth and scientists in Qatar and elsewhere veal crucial insights on the formation Planetary Sciences and a member of should work hard to be able to develop and interior of the Red Planet. several space missions. Attendees successful careers,’ added Sawalha, Attending the event, Hesham Ham- also conducted live conversations who was present at the event with his za, who works at the Ministry of Edu- with scientists from Nasa about the fi ve-member robotics team.

Advisory Council website launched

The website of the Advisory Council Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s Arabic and English languages came was launched yesterday, as part speeches delivered during the opening under the directives of HE the Speaker of the Council’s eff orts to develop sessions of the Advisory Council. It also of the Advisory Council Ahmed bin its communication channels with includes several tabs on the background Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud. the citizens. The website will have and history of the development of The website can be accessed on the information about the work carried out the Advisory Council and specialised address: www.Shura.qa. Citizens by the Council, its terms of reference committees, as well as news reports and can submit their suggestions and and role. The website includes the full press releases related to its activities. comments directly through the special recordings of His Highness the Amir The inauguration of the website in the link on the website. - QNA Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 QATAR QRCS extends helping hand to Syrian refugees in Lebanon atar Red Crescent Soci- ety’s (QRCS) mission in QLebanon has completed a community-based project to enhance the sanitation services at four Syrian refugee camps in Joub Jannine, the capital of West Beqaa. The project is supported by Elrha’s Humanitarian Innova- tion Fund (HIF) programme, a grant-making facility supporting organisations and individuals to identify, nurture, and share in- novative and scalable solutions to the most pressing challenges facing eff ective humanitarian as- sistance. HIF is funded by aid from the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). Over the past six months, the toilets at the target camps were improved cleaned, maintained, and equipped based on the rec- ommendations and needs of their end users. QRCS personnel conduct a survey among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. QRCS personnel interact with a member of the Oxfam assessment team. “The value of the project goes far beyond the physical adjust- untapped potential for humani- He highlighted the fact that mony with the programme man- terviews with Syrian men, women, munity engagement in order to sanitary facilities are special- ments to the camp toilets, said tarian providers, who do not take being close to the benefi ciaries agement department in a dy- and children; each camp’s security fi nd out how to make their lives needs-friendly. Omar Katerji, head of QRCS’s into account the engagement of requires reconsideration of the namic rapid intervention system, offi cer; and QRCS’s project team. better,” said Helen Hawkings, “Formerly, going to the toilet mission. the benefi ciaries in decision- safety and security protocols, with a well-controlled workfl ow “Usually, humanitarian or- one of the advisers. was too diffi cult. No water. No “The biggest success was not making, thus denying them the emergency plans, and the broad- timeframe and department- ganisations have to intervene at Now, the toilets are bigger, lighting. In the winter, the sew- only the exterior and interior opportunity to give their views er humanitarian action method- specifi c key performance indica- short notice during emergency cleaner, and lighted. A new ‘smart age storage pits would overfl ow,” modifi cations to the structures, about the prototype and subse- ology. tors,” Katerji noted. to provide life-saving aid and re- bucket’ has been developed to muttered Farah al-Hassan, a though important, but rather quent improvements. This results “All our work should be bene- Two advisers from Oxfam GB, duce disease risks, paying no at- save water. Instead of having to refugee who lived at a camp for how such modifi cations were de- in frustration among the benefi - fi ciary-oriented. Safety and se- a leading UK charity fi ghting glo- tention the desires and needs of go to the nearby greens, it has be- three years now. signed in a manner that refl ects ciaries and big losses as the ben- curity, logistics, procurements, bal poverty, visited and evaluated the refugees. The joint project of come safe for women and kids to “Many things have changed the needs of the benefi ciaries. efi ciaries feel reluctant to use the human resources, and fi nancial the project. QRCS and HIF, however, serves use the toilets, even at night. after the maintenance works “This model has unveiled huge things designed on their behalf”. departments should work in har- Over three days, they held in- as a role model in refugee com- Most importantly, the new were done as we requested”.

Municipal inspections conducted

nspectors from Al Daayen Municipality’s Health Con- Itrol Section conducted a comprehensive inspection cam- paign at fruits and vegetables shops within their jurisdiction, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has said. The campaign resulted in the issuance of three reports for vio- lating Law No 8 of 1990 on the regulation of human food con- trol and fi ve affi davits to address some violations. Besides, those in charge of the shops concerned were informed about the standards that should be complied with while storing and selling vegetables and fruits, as well as transporting them in The inspection campaign at fruits and vegetables stores. vehicles, the MME added. Meanwhile, Al Sheehaniya Mu- area to spot abandoned vehicles. ent areas. Notices were pasted on nicipality’s General Control Sec- Some 30 fi eld tours were con- the vehicle ordering their removal tion conducted a search campaign ducted as part of the initiative, within a time-frame. at Umm Al Zubar, Abu Nakhla, Al which resulted in the detection of Two violation reports were An abandoned vehicle found during the campaign. Sheehaniya and the camel racing 50 abandoned vehicles in diff er- also issued in this connection. Inspection at a shop selling vegetables. Tamuq students explore solar energy with some ‘hands-on’ experiences

lectrical and computer en- gineering students at Texas EA&M University at Qatar (Ta- muq) recently visited the solar pan- els on the roof of the branch cam- pus’s building in Education City as part of Dr Robert Balog’s course on photovoltaic energy. Associate professor Balog created the course based on a graduate-level course he teaches at Texas A&M’s main campus in College Station, Texas. The course starts with the phys- ics of the sun as the source of energy, how that energy gets to the Earth’s surface, and how photovoltaics, or “solar panels,” convert that energy from the sun into electricity. Emphasis is placed on under- standing how the climate and geo- graphic location of Qatar eff ects the performance of solar energy sys- tems. As part of the course, the students also visited the Qeeri outdoor test facility. Balog explains the reasoning that if students get to see actual hard- ware, installed and operating, it will help solidify the concepts learned in the lecture. An aspect of the course uniquely developed for Qatar is an experien- tial learning module in which the students take home a special metre to measure insolation and log mul- Tamuq students look at the solar panels on the roof of the branch campus’s building in Education City. tiple days of data, which were then analysed in class. students could compare how the The data is also being used as part tem for their own home, taking into The measurements were repeated available energy changes as the sea- of the fi nal course project in which account electrical energy consump- in September and November so the sons change. students design a solar energy sys- tion. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 7 QATAR QIB introduces instant fi nance via mobile app atar Islamic Bank (QIB) has of- customers receive an SMS and/or a journey. For our fi rst campaign, we fi cially announced the launch notifi cation through their QIB mobile had customers applying for the per- Qof ‘Instant Financing’ – the app. The customers can then follow sonal fi nancing from inside and out- fastest and simplest way to obtain the simple instructions to enjoy the side of Qatar. “Most importantly, our personal fi nancing in Qatar. The in- fi nance transferred to their account mobile App allowed them to complete novative and fully-digital new feature within minutes from the comfort of the journey on average within min- allows pre-approved customers to get their home or offi ce in Qatar or while utes, without paperwork and need of additional personal fi nancing in a few travelling abroad. physically visiting a branch or talking clicks through QIB’s award-winning Within a few simple steps, they can to a bank representative.” mobile app. choose the fi nance amount, confi rm He added: “With this launch, QIB In a statement, QIB said it is proud all the fi nance details, e-sign the re- has set a new benchmark in the bank- to be the fi rst bank in Qatar to off er a quired documents, receive instant ap- ing sector in Qatar and the region. We full digital experience to provide fi - proval, and have the fi nance amount will continue to invest in technology nancing to its customers and the fi rst credited into their account immedi- to meet our customers’ expectations Islamic bank in the world to provide ately. and facilitate their daily experiences Faleh Mohamed al-Nuaimi with Laurent Hausknecht after signing the agreement. such an end-to-end fully-digitised QIB Personal Banking Group gen- within the current global shift to a service. eral manager D Anand said, “The digitalised world.” The service enables existing cus- purpose of our ‘Instant Financing’ is In the coming months, QIB said it tomers of the bank to get top up fi - to cater fi nancing needs of our cus- will introduce additional enhance- nancing instantly, in a completely tomers anywhere and anytime and to ments to the instant personal fi nanc- paperless and digital manner without provide smooth and paperless cus- ing service to constantly improve cus- Qatar Post facilitates valet trolley the need to visit the branch. Eligible tomer experience throughout their tomer experience. deliveries for Carrefour members

atar Postal Services Company then pack and store the goods in a chilled to introduce innovative products and (Qatar Post) has facilitated more room until the time of delivery where services for the benefit of our custom- Hi-tech Bose sleepbuds Qthan 950 deliveries for Car- the items will be loaded into refriger- ers. refour’s Valet Trolley service since the ated trucks so that all perishable items The Valet Trolley is positively received signing of an agreement one month ago. remain fresh during transit. by shoppers, as it enables a seamless ex- The partnership ensures that MyCLUB “We are happy to provide Carrefour perience that also saves their time. We members who purchase a minimum or- with a state-of-the-art service, which are pleased with the number of users so now exclusively available der of QR250 at Carrefour City Center will enhance the shopping and deliv- far and look forward to serving more in Doha receive their deliveries free of ery experience. Qatar Post’s mission is due course.” charge. to provide best-in-class service for all Customers who opt to use the valley Upon making their purchases, cus- people living in Qatar and our partner- trolley service will receive an SMS with tomers can go to the dedicated Valet ship with Carrefour in Qatar,” said Faleh delivery details after making the pay- at Lagoona outlet Trolley counter, provide their exact Mohamed al-Nuaimi, Qatar Post chair- ment. As a reminder, another SMS will address as per their ‘Inwani’ details, man and managing director. follow 20 minutes prior to delivery. If choose a one-hour delivery window Laurent Hausknecht, country man- customers wish to follow up or resched- ifty One East, Qatar’s leading from the six available time slots and pay ager of Carrefour Qatar, added: “At ule, they can call 5517 9105, seven days a department store and Bose, the for their items. The Carrefour team will Carrefour, we’re constantly looking week from 9am to 7pm. Fglobal audio brand, have an- nounced the availability of the new noise-masking sleepbuds exclusively at the Bose store located in Lagoona Mall. Tiny and truly wireless, the new Bose earbuds combine an ultra-com- fortable design with soothing sounds to block, cover, and replace the most common noises that interfere with sleep. Bose sleepbuds are the small- est Bose product ever made and are packed with proprietary technology. They come with 10 pre-loaded “sleep- tracks” that mirror the frequencies of snoring, neighbours, dogs, traffi c, and more — hiding them beneath a layer of Bose sleepbuds. relaxing audio. They feature new pat- ented ear tips for a snug, soft, barely- Inside, there’s a rechargeable sil- Bluetooth, are iOS and Android com- felt fi t, and can run for up to 16 hours. ver-zinc battery, a miniscule trans- patible, and come with the Bose Sleep Bose sleepbuds are the fi rst Bose ducer, and a micro-circuit board with app that makes it easy to update, con- product to use Bose noise-masking fl ash memory to store the pre-loaded trol, and select preferences. Users can technology. They aren’t active noise noise-masking sound fi les. Both at- set an alarm for the morning, choose cancelling headphones, they’re not tach to a new noise-isolating Stay- the sleeptrack and volume that works in-ear headphones with an added Hear+ Sleep tip — another line of best for their environment — and in- feature, and they don’t stream music defence that creates a physical bar- stantly hear gentle waves instead of a — because every last detail was opti- rier to unwanted sound. StayHear+ noisy partner, rustling leaves instead mised for one thing — better sleep. Sleep tips are included in three sizes. of the party next-door, smooth-turn- Bose sleepbuds are a sophisticated They’re soft, pliable, and virtually ing wind turbines instead of busy city engineering feat. Each bud weighs just weightless. And their materials, shape streets, and more. 1.4g, and measures just over 1cm wide and form were optimised specifi cally Bose sleepbuds come in a brushed and high. On their exterior is a laser- for rest, so they feel great and stay in aluminium charging case that pro- etched antenna for reliable connectiv- all night, regardless of sleep position. vides up to 16 hours of battery life un- ity to a phone or tablet. Bose sleepbuds use low-energy plugged. National Paints Factories Qatar hosts technical consultant meet

ational Paints Factories Qatar department, with support received pany’s products have been upgraded held a technical consultant from the Public Works Authority and to international standards and can Nseminar in Doha yesterday to Qatar Development Bank through the now compete internationally. create awareness about their premi- Ta’heel initiative. For this, the com- John Abraham, sales and marketing um range of products. pany recently bagged the SME Excel- manager, spoke about the recent de- The event was attended by rep- lence Award from the government of velopments and projects acquired by resentatives of public and private Qatar. the company. sector companies and government The seminar was opened by Na- It was followed by a presentation departments, the company said in a tional Paints Factories Qatar chair- by the company’s operational man- statement. During the seminar, it was man Saleh al-Khuleifi , while deputy ager, Liaqat Anjum, and a speech explained how the company upgrad- general manager Mohamed Saleh al- on how the product line of National ed its product line through research Khuleifi welcomed the guests. In his Paints Factories Qatar complied with and development and the QA/QC speech, the chairman said the com- international standards.

A snapshot from the seminar. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD

Work in full swing at Doha Metro’s Msheireb station

Msheireb station, Doha Metro’s central hub, is bustling with activity as crews work round-the-clock to put finishing touches to architectural fit-out, MEP, testing & commissioning works, Qatar Rail has tweeted. Unicef, WHO launch polio vaccination drive in Yemen

Reuters Sanaa UN sounds alarm over falling imports at crucial port

Operations at the Yemeni port of in the markets and (would make) it in- id agencies have launched a Hodeidah, a vital lifeline for the em- creasingly diff icult for Yemeni families polio vaccination campaign battled country, have fallen by nearly to aff ord their basic needs,” he added. Ain Yemen to inoculate up 50% over the past two weeks, the UN The UN estimates that 70% of all im- to 5mn children under the age of said yesterday. ports come through Hodeidah, a port fi ve across the Arab state whose Yemen’s Saudi-backed government in western Yemen on the Red Sea. healthcare system has been crip- had been waging a fierce off ensive Humanitarian shipments into Hodei- pled by more than three years of to retake the city of Hodeidah from dah have remained steady over the war. Houthi rebels. Under heavy inter- past two weeks, but falling commercial The three-day campaign which national pressure, pro-government imports could force more families to began on Monday is organised by forces suspended hostilities in Hodei- rely on food aid. WFP is currently sup- the UN children’s agency Unicef, dah but the World Food Programme porting some 8mn people in Yemen, the World Health Organisation warned that imports had fallen but another 20mn rely entirely on com- (WHO) and the health ministry substantially “because of the high mercial food imports. UN agencies say of the Houthi movement which levels of insecurity in the city.” 14mn Yemenis are at risk of starvation. controls most population centres “Operations at Hodeidah Port have According to the World Health Organi- in the country where millions face decreased by 47% over the past two sation, nearly 10,000 people have been starvation, making them more weeks,” WFP spokesman Herve Ver- killed since the Saudi-backed coalition vulnerable to diseases. hoosel told reporters in Geneva. launched an off ensive against Houthi “The campaign comes at a very A Yemeni child receives a polio vaccination during an immunisation “If this situation persists or further rebels in March 2015, though some critical time,” said Meritxell Re- campaign at a health centre on the outskirts of Sanaa. deteriorates, it would have (a) drastic rights groups estimate the toll could be lano, Unicef’s representative in impact on food availability and prices five times higher. Yemen. vened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 at risk of outbreaks because of dis- “The lack of a fully functional against the Houthi movement to ruption to their health systems. healthcare system and widespread restore the internationally rec- Yemen also carried out a vac- cinated children with black felt “That’s why we must thank malnutrition have drastically in- ognised government, causing the cination campaign in February, pens, and used white chalk on them from our hearts.” creased the risk of preventable world’s most pressing humanitar- 2017 against polio, which spreads doors of houses that had been cov- Yemen is home to the world’s diseases. ian crisis. quickly among children and can ered in the immunisation drive. worst cholera outbreak, with “It’s very important that all the Save the Children said last week cause irreversible paralysis within “Thank you to this immunisa- 10,000 suspected cases report- parties to the confl ict allow un- that an estimated 85,000 children hours. In the Houthi-held capital tion team, who in these diffi cult ed per week, the WHO said last hindered access to enable us to under the age of fi ve may have died Sanaa on Monday, nurses deliv- times, when the people need every month. It said 16% of Yemen’s reach all children, from north to from extreme hunger. ered oral vaccines to children on riyal, have decided to pass by every cholera cases were in the main south, east to west, with this vital Yemen was declared polio-free dusty streets, some of whom cried house, saving transportation fees port city of Hodeidah, the focus of vaccine.” in 2009, but experts say confl ict- and tried to squirm away. and eff ort for the people,” Sanaa the war, where only half the health A Saudi-led coalition inter- aff ected countries are particularly They marked the fi ngers of vac- resident Abdo Ahmed Ali said. facilities are operational.

Russia told not to tamper Iran’s N-chief warns EU with alleged Aleppo attack site patience is running thin Reuters nuclear agreement as a mat- Reuters city. “We caution Russia against until Russia blocked a United Brussels ter of respecting international Washington tampering with another suspected Nations Security Council resolu- agreements and a key pillar for chemical weapons attack site and tion to extend its mandate a year European and regional security,” urge Russia to secure the safety ago. ran’s nuclear chief said yes- Mogherini’s offi ce said in a state- he Pentagon cautioned of the OPCW inspectors so these Past investigations by the joint terday he was warning the ment. It said Mogherini also re- Russia yesterday not to allegations can be investigated in mission found that Syrian gov- IEuropean Union’s top dip- peated the EU stance “on issues Ttamper with the site of an a fair and transparent manner,” ernment forces had used chlo- lomat that Iranian patience was of concern such as Iran’s role in alleged gas attack in Syria’s Alep- Pentagon spokesman Commander rine and sarin several times in running out on the bloc’s pledg- the region” — alluding to Iranian po and allow investigators to in- Sean Robertson said. the civil war, while the militant es to keep up oil trade despite US involvement in Middle East con- spect the site. In April, the United States ac- group Islamic State was found to sanctions. fl icts from Yemen to Syria. The global chemical weapons cused Russia of blocking inter- have used sulphur mustard gas Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Under the 2015 deal with world agency, know as the Organisation national inspectors from reach- once. Atomic Energy Organisation of powers, Iran restricted its enrich- for the Prohibition of Chemical ing the site of a suspected poison Other rebel groups have not Iran, said the Islamic Republic ment programme, widely seen Weapons (OPCW), has said it will gas attack in Syria’s Douma and been found in formal reports to could resume enriching uranium in the West as a disguised eff ort investigate the alleged gas attack said Russians or Syrians may have have used banned toxic munitions. to 20% purity — seen as well to develop the means to make in Aleppo on Saturday that report- tampered with evidence on the A health offi cial in Aleppo said above the level suitable for fuel- atomic bombs, in exchange for edly sickened up to 100 people. ground. victims had suff ered breathing ling civilian power plants — if it an end to international sanctions. The Syrian government and its The OPCW will be able not diffi culties, eye infl ammation and fails to see the economic benefi t US President Donald Trump ally, Russia, blamed the attack on only to determine whether a other symptoms that suggested of the 2015 deal that curbed its pulled out of the accord in May, insurgents. The Syrian govern- chemical weapons attack oc- the use of chlorine gas. nuclear programme. arguing it was weak because it ment, which accused rebels of fi r- curred but also to assign blame. Chlorine is a widely available “If we cannot sell our oil and did not halt Iran’s development ing chlorine, asked the OPCW to That responsibility had fallen industrial chemical, but its use as a we don’t enjoy fi nancial trans- of ballistic missiles or support for send a fact-fi nding mission to the to a joint UN-OPCW mission weapon is banned internationally. actions, then I don’t think keep- armed proxies abroad, and reim- ing the deal will benefi t us any- posed sanctions on Iran’s vital oil more,” Salehi told Reuters ahead export sector earlier this month. of a meeting with EU foreign But Europe sees the nuclear deal Tehran pledges to fi ght Trump’s Israel-Palestinian deal policy chief Federica Mogherini as an important element of inter- in Brussels. national security. Iran is determined to fight against US Donald Trump’s let this deal take place in the region,” Larijani said at “I will pass certainly a word The EU and other remaining anticipated Israel-Palestinian peace plan, parliament an annual conference on Islamic unity. of caution to her (Mogherini): I parties — China and Russia — speaker Ali Larijani said yesterday according to semi- “If Americans are imposing sanctions on Iran today think the period of patience for have struggled to preserve trade off icial news agency ISNA. Trump has dubbed his and are putting pressure on Iran, the reason for it our people is getting more lim- incentives for Iran to respect the administration’s long-awaited plan the “ultimate deal”, is because Iran has stood against Israel,” he added, ited and limited. We are running deal’s nuclear limits under US which has already unsettled the Palestinians although quoted by ISNA. out of the assumed timeline, pressure. no details have yet been disclosed. Earlier this year, Washington pulled out of the which was in terms of months.” In Brussels for talks on civilian Speaking in Tehran, Larijani said the “deal of the landmark international nuclear accord with Iran and Following the meeting, nuclear co-operation that EU of- century” was a “plot” between Iran’s arch foe Israel reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran. Mogherini said she and Salehi fi cials intended as a signal sup- and the United States to establish the Jewish state’s “In order to achieve their objective they try to create remained committed to safe- port for the accord, Salehi said domination in the Middle East. new political arrangements in the region,” Larijani said guarding the nuclear accord. the bloc’s eff orts were encourag- “We will stand against the regime of Israel and won’t of US-Israeli strategy in the Middle East. “They equally expressed their ing but added: “We have not yet determination to preserve the seen any tangible results.” Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 9 ARAB WORLD

Gavin Ford US could unveil ‘Mideast British radio peace plan at start of 2019’ Reuters ades-old conflict, burying all are going for elections but not be shared “at the appropriate United Nations chances for peace. “We don’t immediately,” Danon said yes- time,” adding that: “Our tim- presenter know the details of the plan terday. ing, our strategy and our mes- but we know that it’s com- “So basically today the saging is and will be entirely he United States has pleted. So now the question president is able to come and our own.” found dead spoken with Israel about is when will they submit it. As present it without interfering Danon said it was unclear if Tpossibly presenting a far as we know they speak with in a political debate in Israel,” the United States planned to long-awaited Middle East peace us about the beginning of ’19,” he said. “If you present it dur- present a “take it or leave it” AFP plan at the start of next year, Danon told reporters. ing an election it will be hor- plan or if it would try and bring Beirut which could avoid interfering At the annual United Na- rendous.” all sides together to negotiate with the country’s election, Is- tions gathering of world lead- The next national election in the proposal. rael’s UN ambassador Danny ers in September, Trump said Israel is scheduled for Novem- Trump’s Middle East envoy ritish radio presenter Danon said yesterday. in a meeting with Israeli Prime ber 2019, but politicians and Jason Greenblatt, who is work- Gavin Ford who hosted US President Donald Minister Benjamin Netanyahu political analysts have specu- ing on the plan with Kushner, Bone of Lebanon’s most Trump’s son-in-law Jared he wanted to unveil a peace lated the poll could be brought made clear in September that popular shows was found dead Kushner has been preparing plan over the next two to three forward to March or May after both sides could expect parts in his home yesterday in an ap- a plan for peace between the months. Netanyahu’s governing coali- they would like or dislike. parent murder, a security source Palestinians and Israel. “We always spoke about the tion was reduced to a one-seat The Palestinians have re- said. But the Palestinians are fact that maybe we are going to majority in parliament earlier fused to participate in the US An investigation has been sceptical and have accused elections in Israel and the is- this month. effort since December when opened and “initial information the Trump administration of sue was whether you present US ambassador to Isra- Trump recognised Jerusalem Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon has said suggests that Ford was mur- siding with Israel on the core the plan in the middle of a el David Friedman said in a as Israel’s capital and then the US has spoken with Israel about possibly presenting a dered”, the source said, asking issues relating to the dec- campaign. As it looks now we statement on Monday it would moved the US embassy there. long-awaited Middle East peace plan at the start of next year. not to be named. Ford’s lifeless body was dis- covered at his home in Beit Meri, a mountain town east of Beirut where his employer Radio One is also based, the national news Migrant fl ows slow to trickle agency NNA said. Britain’s ambassador to Leba- non, Chris Rampling, said he was “shocked and deeply saddened in former smuggling hub by the death of Gavin Ford, one of Lebanon’s most popular morning breakfast hosts”. Reuters “The thoughts of all at the em- Sabratha, Libya bassy are with his family, friends and colleagues at this terribly diffi cult time,” he tweeted, also epartures of migrant- posting a photograph of Ford. laden boats to Italy from Radio One, in a message on DSabratha, formerly Lib- social media, said: “We are ya’s biggest people-smuggling heartbroken to announce the hub, have slowed to a trickle passing of our dear Gavin Ford, thanks to a security crackdown a member of our team for many triggered by European pres- joyful years.” sure that ejected the city’s top Neither the police nor his em- School children stand at a playground in Raqqa. smuggler. ployer elaborated on the cause of But the local branch of Lib- his death. ya’s coastguard feels neglected. Tributes started pouring in It says it is still starved for on social media for Ford, who resources, unable to run its had been one of Lebanon’s most With little aid, Syria’s Raqqa own patrols with only one bro- loved radio hosts for years. ken-down boat, one car and no uniforms. Sabratha, 75km west of the Coastguard off icial Ayman al-Dabbashi is seen on the seafront at struggles to revive schools capital Tripoli where people the city of Sabratha, Libya. smugglers exploited gang law- lessness for years, was the main are gone,” said General Omar vast North African country. Palestinians Reuters 45,000 children enrolled, said With much of Raqqa de- launchpad on Libya’s Mediter- Almabrouk Abduljalil, head of “They support the army Raqqa Ali al-Shannan, the head of the stroyed by US-led air strikes, ranean coast for Italy-bound a Sabratha operations room for as volunteers in these excep- education council set up by ci- Amnesty has faulted the coali- migrants, with the fl ow peak- military and security forces. tional times Libya is passing arrested in vilian authorities in Raqqa. tion for not doing more to help ing in 2016 and early 2017. But the local Sabratha coast- through,” said Abduljalil, the n the Syrian city of Raqqa, The children have lost out on recovery. Crossings fell off abruptly guard said it was not benefi ting Sabratha security co-ordina- children wear hats, scarves fi ve years of schooling. The United States has said in July 2017 after the city’s top from EU support being chan- tor. West Bank Iand coats to guard against “Very basic” aid had allowed stabilisation eff orts in Raqqa smuggler, Ahmed al-Dabbashi nelled through Tripoli, where With this year almost over, the winter cold as they strug- for some renovation work, cov- have focused on basic necessi- — also known as Al-Ammu naval and interior ministry 22,541 migrants have arrived gle to catch up on years of lost ering only 10% of needs, Shan- ties including demining, water (the Uncle) — struck a deal units have received nine patrol in Italy by sea since January, QNA learning in a classroom with no nan told Reuters. and electricity. The coalition with Tripoli authorities under boats. well down from the 119,369 in Occupied Jerusalem doors or glazed windows. The schools generally “have has also supported the reopen- Italian pressure to desist from Sabratha’s coastguard has all of 2017, says the Interna- More than a year since the no doors, no windows, in ad- ing of schools.Unicef, the UN traffi cking migrants. 150 members but just one car tional Organisation for Migra- United States and its allies de- dition to the sanitation systems children’s agency, estimates Rival militia ejected Al-Am- and a broken infl atable that tion (IOM). But many migrants sraeli occupation forces ar- feated Islamic State at Raqqa, that are in a deplorable state”, that 2.1mn children in Syria are mu and his followers in fi ght- was previously used by smug- are still dying when overladen, rested yesterday ten Pal- many of the city’s schools he said. out of school. ing two months later, and have glers. unsafe infl atables founder en Iestinians in diff erent areas still look like battlefi elds with At Uqba bin Nafi e school, In Raqqa, Unicef is providing since consolidated their posi- “We don’t even have uni- route. from the West Bank. buildings left lying in rubble one classroom looks out onto textbooks to more than 121,000 tion, fending off an attempted forms,” said Ayman al-Dab- A total of 1,277 are recorded Palestinian news agency re- and playgrounds dotted with a wrecked building, its fl oors children so they can get a start comeback by Al-Ammu earlier bashi, a navy offi cer dressed to have drowned on the central ported that the occupation wrecked cars. collapsed on top of each other while waiting for a classroom, this month. in civilian clothes, who said Mediterranean route so far in forces arrested a child from Tar- “When the crisis started, we and a car fl ipped on its side said Juliette Touma, Unicef’s With European Union and he was transferred to Sabratha 2018, compared to 2,786 in the biqa town in Beit Ummer north stopped studying, the schools nearby. In the yard, children regional chief of communi- Italian support, Libya’s coast- from Tripoli as some coast- same period last year, accord- Hebron. closed. Now we’ve come back stand around large pools of cations. “The self-learning guard has increased intercep- guard personnel who had col- ing to the IOM. The father of the prisoner, to study and we need help. Fix dirty water while others eat programme allows children tions of migrants in an area laborated with smugglers were While offi cials say boat de- Khalil al-Jabareen, who carried the windows, doors, we’re dy- snacks by the crumpled wreck- who are out of school to learn stretching 155km off the coast, pushed out. partures from Sabratha have out a stabbing operation two ing of cold,” said 12-year-old age of another vehicle. at home, an NGO or commu- while charity rescue ships that “We can’t do patrols. We stopped, migrants are some- months ago, was informed that Abdullah al-Hilal at Uqba bin Islamic State used Raqqa’s nity learning centre,” she said. once guided many of the mi- can’t fi x the boat’s engine,” he times detained trying to reach his house in the town of Yatta, Nafi e school. schools — like much of the Shannan said 57,000 books grants to Italy have retreated. said. “The radar is broken.” other coastal cities such as Zu- south of Hebron, will be demol- Islamic State, which turned city — for military purposes, have been received so far, short Migrant embarkations from By way of explanation, wara near the Tunisian border. ished. Raqqa into the Syrian head- digging tunnels under some of of 95,000 he said had been re- Sabratha, a city of 120,000, Dabbashi said co-ordination “There is a new trend of They also arrested two Pales- quarters of its self-declared them. quested. The need was grow- have all but ceased. between Tripoli and smaller Libyan families smuggling mi- tinians from the town of Jenin “caliphate”, kept schools shut Some of the schools were hit ing as the number of children While thousands once set coastal towns remains limited. grants from Tripoli to Zuwara and the village of Rummanah as it tried to impose its ultra- by air strikes, Raqqa residents registered for school increases, sail every week, 35 would-be In Sabratha, local security for 500 dinars ($129),” said and two others from Jamma’in radical vision through its own say. he said. migrants were detained in Oc- forces include veterans of the Basim Bashir, who runs the village, south of Nablus. education system. Amnesty International has As winter sets in, the di- tober in houses before they de- uprising that toppled Muam- Sabratha unit fi ghting illegal Five Palestinians were also ar- Since Islamic State’s de- said 80% of the city still lies in lapidated state of the schools is parted, offi cials said. mar Gaddafi in 2011 as well as migration. “So now we are also rested during an Israeli incursion feat there in October 2017, 44 ruins, with thousands of bodies leading some children to miss “We don’t have human traf- Salafi sts, a group that has ex- searching families at check- into Qalqilya. schools have reopened with under the rubble. out on yet more lessons. fi ckers any more. The militias panded its infl uence across the points.” Refugee stranded at airport lands in Canada

AFP and was detained last month by bassy of the country that agreed no more airports,” he told the net- Ottawa immigration offi cials. to receive his relocation,” without work after a sleepless fl ight across “I know I look like someone naming Canada. In the video on the Pacifi c. “In Canada, here you who ran from the stone or middle his Twitter account Kontar said he have something very special, you Syrian refugee who spent ages. I’m sorry for that,” the smil- was in transit in Taiwan and that have an amazing group of people months in limbo in a budget ing 36-year-old said in a Twitter he would be reaching his “fi nal who believe they can make a dif- Aterminal at a Malaysian video Monday, looking tired and destination” the following day. ference, and they can.” airport has arrived in Vancouver stroking his bushy beard. “I could not do it without the Looking at Cooper, he said: after he was granted permanent “For the last eight years, it was support and the prayers from all of “When I was thinking of hope, her residency by Canada, a govern- (a) hard, long journey. The last 10 you,” he said. face was coming to my mind.” ment source and his lawyer said months, it was very hard and cold,” In Vancouver, he was greeted by Before climbing into a car and yesterday. he added. Kontar: new home Laurie Cooper, who with the help heading to Whistler, where a bed, Hassan al-Kontar’s plight be- After Kontar’s arrest, Malaysian of a group of residents in the ski fresh clothes and a hotel job were came widely known after he offi cials had said they were going and was granted permanent resi- resort of Whistler and the British awaiting him, he whispered to shared posts on social media that to work with Syrian authorities to dency under the country’s refugee Columbia Muslim Association, himself: “I will be fi ne.” showed him surviving on donated deport him back to his war-torn sponsorship programme. brought him to Canada and raised Kontar is not the only asylum airline meals, washing and giving homeland. “We were of course very pleased almost Can$15,000 for his fresh seeker who has been left in limbo himself a haircut in the toilets at But Kontar’s lawyer Andrew that Malaysia appeared to agree start. at an airport for a long period of Kuala Lumpur International Air- Brouwer said they brought the and abide by international law,” he Public broadcaster CBC said he time. port’s Terminal 2. Syrian back to the Kuala Lumpur said. looked “fragile in a blue T-shirt In 2015 an Iraqi family spent He had been stuck since March airport on Monday before he was Malaysia’s immigration offi ce and jeans, his curly hair long and more than two months in an emp- — blocked from entering Malaysia put on a Vancouver-bound fl ight. said in a statement yesterday it had his beard unkempt” after disem- ty smoking cubicle in a Moscow because of visa issues and barred Brouwer said his client was rec- held talks “on the basis of con- barking. airport, relying on passengers to from travelling to other countries, ognised by Canada as a refugee cern and humanity...with the em- “I’ve done my time in airports, bring them food and water. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 AFRICA

Six civilians, Tshisekedi returns to kick rebel killed in eastern off Congo presidential bid DR Congo AFP AFP Beni Kinshasa ix civilians and a rebel fi ghter ongolese opposition scion Fe- were killed overnight during an lix Tshisekedi returned home Sattack by the ADF armed group Cto Kinshasa yesterday, greeted in the troubled east of the DR Congo, by tens of thousands of supporters as civilian and military sources said yes- he kicked off his campaign to replace terday. longtime president and foe Joseph Ka- The attack in the town of Oicha bila in December elections. sparked a protest by several thousand “We will go with the people and we confl ict-weary residents of near- will win,” said Tshisekedi, the 55-year- by Beni, the scene of frequent raids old son of the late Etienne Tshisekedi, blamed on the Allied Democratic Forc- the face of the DR Congo’s opposition es, a Ugandan extremist group. for decades. “The ADF raided overnight Monday,” He vowed to deploy teams of ob- Beni administrator Donat Kibwana servers to combat election fraud, while told AFP. “They were repelled by the his running mate Vital Kamerhe, a army but unfortunately they killed six former speaker of parliament, said on civilians, and the army killed one ADF Twitter that the pair made a “winning (fi ghter).” ticket”. Army spokesman Captain Mak Tens of thousands of support- Hazukay confi rmed the death toll from ers from Tshisekedi’s main opposi- the attack, which comes less than four tion Union for Democracy and Social weeks before crucial elections set for Progress (UDPS) party and Kamerhe’s December 23 in the vast former Belgian Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) colony. were on hand to greet them as they ar- Jonas Mbulete, a resident of Oicha, rived at Kinshasa’s airport. which is around 30km north of Beni, Under an agreement reached Friday said the assailants burned fi ve homes. in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, if Tsh- Two other people died Monday during isekedi wins the presidency in the De- a separate attack blamed on the ADF. cember 23 polls he will make Kamerhe Marchers yesterday carried banners his prime minister. reading “Enough is enough” and bear- Kamerhe, who ran against Kabila ing slogans in support of the army and in 2011, will be Tshisekedi’s campaign MONUSCO. director. The pair withdrew from an agree- ment hammered out in Geneva earlier Mayor: Illegal mining this month in which seven opposition Supporters wait for Felix Tshisekedi, leader of Congolese main opposition the Union for Democracy and Social Progress party and presidential candidate, arrival at parties coalesced around a joint candi- N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa yesterday. puts Johannesburg at date in order to boost chances of victory. risk of explosions Their surprise choice, little-known sition heavyweights Jean-Pierre Bem- viduals under European Union sanc- Ex-militia chief goes on trial for mass rape MP Martin Fayulu, will now vie against ba and Moise Katumbi, both barred tions, accused of human rights vio- llegal underground mining in Jo- Tshisekedi as well as former interior from running. lations between December 2016 and A former milita leader accused of mass Yesterday’s hearing was brief, with the hannesburg is putting the city at minister Emmanuel Ramazani Sha- Bemba, a former warlord who was early 2018. rape and crimes against humanity in trial quickly adjourned to December 6 to Irisk of gas pipe explosions and mine dary, Kabila’s hand-picked successor. Kabila’s vice president from 2003 In all, 21 candidates are registered to the Democratic Republic of Congo allow Sheka to form his defence team. collapses that could result in disaster, Tshisekedi, who does not enjoy to 2006, saw his conviction for war run in the race to replace 47-year-old went on trial yesterday at a military In July 2017, Sheka surrendered to Mayor Herman Mashaba warned yes- the same degree of popularity as his crimes overturned at the International Kabila, who has ruled since his father, court in the eastern city of Goma. the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO, terday. father, last year told AFP that if he Criminal Court after serving two years president Laurent-Desire Kabila, was Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka and his militia- which turned him over to Congolese An investigation by local newspaper won the presidency he would set up in prison. assassinated in 2001. men are accused of raping more than authorities who had issued an arrest war- The Sunday Times, published over the a “truth and reconciliation commis- Once touted as a consensus op- Kabila’s second and fi nal elected 300 women in the towns of Luvungi, rant for crimes against humanity in 2011. weekend, indicated that areas of South sion” to call Kabila to account, but position candidate, popular business term in offi ce ended nearly two years Tweno and Kembe in the Walikale tin- MONUSCO launched military opera- Africa’s biggest city could collapse or be would allow him to stay in the country. tycoon Katumbi, who lives in exile in ago, but he has remained in offi ce producing region in 2010. tions against the NDC in 2015. incinerated if the miners — known here He has promised a return to the rule Belgium, has been accused of training thanks to a caretaker clause in the The 42-year-old, who founded the “I’m happy about this trial because as zama zamas — are not stopped. of law, to fi ght the “gangrene” of cor- mercenaries to topple Kabila and was constitution. Nduma Defence of Congo (NDC) militia Sheka raped the entire town of Luvun- In response to the Times article, the ruption and to bring peace to the con- convicted in absentia for real estate The volatile, poverty-stricken na- in 2009, is also accused of theft and gi,” said Honorine Feza, a woman who Department of Mineral Resources said fl ict-wracked east of the vast central fraud. tion has never known a peaceful tran- looting, recruiting children into his mili- attended the opening hearing. “Let him on Monday they were investigating the African country. Shadary, a hardline former interior sition of power since independence tia and belonging to a criminal gang. be convicted for these barbaric acts.” situation but that there was “no imme- Fayulu enjoys the support of oppo- minister, is one of 15 Congolese indi- from Belgium in 1960. diate threat.” An angry Mashaba hit back in a state- ment yesterday, saying the illegal min- ing activity “not only threatened infra- structure, but residents’ lives as well.” Johannesburg’s main conference Survivor recounts terror of Uganda party boat disaster centre and its major sports stadium “could go down in ruins as a result of unstable earth directly beneath the By Michael O’Hagan, AFP Below the waves now, Niyonzima As afternoon turned to dusk the several times so I didn’t think it was a As the sun set the boat shuddered to area,” the mayor said. Mutima, Uganda believed he would die. onboard DJ kept the music pumping big problem. I knew that once the boat a halt for a third time. “The widespread use of explosives in “Somebody grabbed my neck, I pushed while the drinks fl owed and the revel- was on the move we would have our The vessel’s owner Templar Bisasse decommissioned mines could have dis- them away. Another person grabbed my lers danced. cruise as usual,” he said. who, unusually, had spent the boat astrous consequences for the residents efore Alex Niyonzima was shoulder and I pushed them. I could feel “It was a party atmosphere,” Niy- A short distance from the shore the ride close to the engine rather than of Johannesburg and may lead to large pitched into the lake waters, from his hands it was a man,” he said. “A onzima said. engines failed for the fi rst time, but playing host as he usually did, also scale loss of life should these explosives Bbefore other partygoers fell on girl grabbed my life jacket and ripped it. I “Lots of free drinks: whiskies, Bai- few of the passengers paid much heed shouted to people to help keep the boat rupture the oil and gas lines,” Mashaba top of him driving him deep below was panicking that people were going to leys, Amarula and everything else you as they danced, chatted, laughed and level. added. the surface, before drowning hands strangle me down there.” can think of.” drank. His pleas fell on drunk ears. Johannesburg developed as a result grabbed at his body, there had been a Niyonzima forced himself to the There were signs of the danger to The DJ called over the music, warn- “Because they had been drinking a of its mining activity. moment’s lull. surface and swam the roughly 200m to come, however. ing people not to tip the heavily loaded lot people weren’t listening,” Niyonz- It sits on the Witswatersrand Ba- Niyonzima hung from a table weld- shore. “When I felt the sand below my Many of the partygoers ignored a boat. ima said. sin — the world’s largest gold resource, ed to the deck as the boat paused mid- feet I realised that I had saved my life,” police offi cer’s warning to wear life Restarted, the boat continued Next to him a group of women were according to data from the Minerals way through its turtling roll on Satur- he said. “I was lucky.” jackets: people wanted to fl aunt their across a wide bay at the northern end joking that “they were on the Titanic” Council South Africa. day night, in Uganda’s Lake Victoria. At least 32 of his fellow passengers clothes, not cover them up with un- of Africa’s largest lake. when a portion of the hull abruptly Drawn by the promise of striking “I was holding onto the table but died that evening, but with just 27 survi- fl attering buoyancy aids. Then it stalled again. rose out of the lake waters. gold, illegal subsistence miners have the fl oor was where the wall had vors and estimates that around 100 peo- Then, as the boat left shore — the Meanwhile, carefree partygoers Drinks slid from tables, passengers descended on the city in recent years, been,” he said. All around him people ple were aboard, the toll is expected to MV K-Palm, a bright blue converted posted exuberant videos to social me- lost their footing, stacked speakers trawling through shallow, disused were screaming, “holding onto chairs, jump when rescuers recover the vessel. fi shing vessel with a distinctive shark’s dia. tumbled into the lake and Niyonzima, shafts. guardrails, each other.” Most of the victims were young, af- teeth decal on the bow — the engine Among those pictured were singer terrifi ed, found himself clinging to a In its statement Monday, the Min- Then the boat lurched again. fl uent Ugandans enjoying a raucous screeched loudly. Irene Namubiru and Prince David table as the boat rolled further. “We eral Resources Department said it was “I was at the lowest end when the boat end-of-year party thrown annually by It was a “red fl ag” Niyonzima said, Wasajja, a brother of the King of Bu- stayed like that for about 20 seconds.” taking measures to fi ght illegal mining, fl ipped so all the people above fell on me,” businessman Freeman Kiyimba, ac- with hindsight. ganda, Uganda’s most prominent tra- Then, he said, “the boat fl ipped com- including sealing of derelict mines and the tall, heavyset 44-year-old said. cording to Niyonzima. “I had been on this boat for parties ditional kingdom. Both survived. pletely.” greater policing. SA MPs seek end of captive lion trophy hunting

By Susan Njanji, AFP Lawmakers also want the gov- “The industry is doing serious 300 lion breeding facilities were Yolan Friedman, chief execu- Johannesburg ernment to “reconsider” its re- damage to brand South Africa.” closed and the trade banned. tive of the Endangered Wildlife cent decision to nearly double to Derek Hanekom, who was act- Though the industry con- Trust. 1,500 the quota of lion skeletons ing minister for environmental tributes signifi cant tax revenues “South Africa’s captive preda- outh African lawmakers that can be legally traded this aff airs when parliament made every year, activists have labelled tor breeding industry is cruel, will seek to end the breed- year. its recommendations, told AFP it “unethical”. serves no conservation purpose, Sing of lions for trophy In the past decade South Africa he would appoint a special task Campaigns to ban the im- and damages South Africa’s hunting and the trade in their has exported the big cat bones force to examine animal breeding portation of captive-bred lion reputation as a wildlife tourism bones, setting parliament on a to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and rules. trophies have gathered steam in destination,” added Mark Jones collision course with a powerful other markets in Southeast Asia “We are fi nalising the terms of Australia, France, The Nether- of the Britain-based Born Free industry. for use in jewellery as well as their reference of the panel that will lands and the United States in conservation charity. South Africa has as many as supposed medicinal properties. investigate and make recommen- recent years. Paul Funston, a senior direc- 8,000 lions in captivity being “South Africa is allowing a dations on these issues,” he said. In 2016 the International Un- tor at the wild cat conservation bred for hunting, the bone trade, practice that everybody is turn- The practice of hunting lions ion for Conservation of Nature group Panthera warned that the tourism and academic research, ing their backs to. We need to fi nd raised in captivity has long been called on South Africa to end the government review could be too according to estimates by wild- a solution as a country to improve controversial in South Africa practice of hunting captive-bred vague to make a diff erence. life groups. the situation,” said parliament’s where a large number of animals lions altogether. “There is no real clear directive By contrast there are just A lion and two lionesses rest at Lions Park, near Pretoria. environment committee chief are confi ned to pens ringed with In September, Singapore Air- for change, it’s not a forceful di- 3,000 lions in the wild, living Phillemon Mapulane. electric fences. lines, which was the only air- rective. We are a bit disappointed in the country’s national parks ronmental aff airs recommended — but permitted for animals bred He added that the country’s But former environment min- line involved in transporting that it’s not an immediate call to where hunting is prohibited. on November 12 that the govern- in captivity. strong reputation for conserva- ister Edna Molewa, who died ear- lion bones from South Africa to close the industry,” said Funston. Trophy hunting is a $36mn ment reconsider the rules gov- The MPs resolved that min- tion was being compromised by lier this year, warned that chang- Southeast Asia, announced it But Kirsten Nematandani, industry, but parliamentarians erning the breeding of captive isters should review the issue the situation. ing the rules risked creating a would no longer carry the con- president of the South African have been emboldened by high- lions for hunting and bone har- “with a view to putting an end to “(It undermines) broader con- situation in which “thousands of troversial cargo. Predator Association, warned profi le global campaigns to push vesting. this practice”. The decision fol- servation, but (benefi ts) a small lions will have no value and there “This industry is nothing but a that if parliament’s recommen- for its demise. The global trade of body parts lowed two days of crunch talks number of breeders without will be no income”. blight on the conservation pedi- dations were implemented “it A committee of lawmakers from lions killed in the wild is between MPs, breeders and ani- proper scientifi c or conservation She also warned that jobs could gree that South Africa should means thousands of jobs will be responsible for overseeing envi- banned by international treaties mal welfare campaigners. basis,” said Mapulane. be lost if the country’s nearly otherwise be able to claim,” said lost”. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 11 AMERICAS Mourned ... Manafort ‘lied’ to special counsel

Reuters Trump intensifies attacks on Mueller New York President Donald Trump yesterday intensi- will come of this, and it won’t be Mueller and fied his attacks yesterday on the special his terrible Gang of Angry Democrats.” onald Trump’s former campaign counsel probing possible collusion between “Wait until it comes out how horribly & vi- chairman Paul Manafort breached Russia and his 2016 electoral campaign, after ciously they are treating people, ruining lives Dhis plea deal by lying to federal in- prosecutors said his former campaign chair- for them refusing to lie. Mueller is a conflicted vestigators, US prosecutors said in a court man lied to investigators. prosecutor gone rogue,” he continued. fi ling, signalling a potential setback to the Trump’s ongoing attacks against the inves- Trump has repeatedly denied he is ma- special counsel’s probe into Russia’s med- tigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller noeuvring to shut down the Mueller probe, dling in the 2016 US presidential election. have become more virulent this month, after which has so far indicted more than 30 Manafort said in the same fi ling on Mon- the president installed a new acting attorney people, most of them Russians. day that he disagreed with Special Counsel general who has strongly criticised Mueller’s But the president’s attacks on Mueller have An Honor Guard marches next to police off icers during the funeral service for Chicago police off icer Robert Mueller’s assertion that he had lied, probe and suggested cutting its purse- sharply escalated since his Republicans lost Samuel Jimenez at the Chapel of St Joseph at Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Illinois. but both sides agreed the court should move strings. control of the House of Representatives in Off icer Jimenez was killed by a gunman at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center on November 19. ahead and sentence him for his crimes. “The Fake News Media builds Bob Mueller this month’s midterm elections. Without a pardon, the 69-year-old up as a Saint, when in actuality he is the exact Starting in January, opposition Democrats Manafort could spend the rest of his life in opposite,” Trump said in a series of tweets. say they will use House investigative com- prison, experts said. “He is doing TREMENDOUS damage to mittees to open further probes of Trump’s The surprise development comes at a our Criminal Justice System, where he is only businesses and his alleged connections to critical time for Mueller, who is expected looking at one side and not the other. Heroes Russia. Canada blindsided by GM closure, to fi nalise a report in the coming months on the fi ndings of his 18-month probe into Russia’s election meddling and possible the United States — a charge that included “The consequences are potentially dev- workers walk out in protest collusion with the Trump campaign. a range of conduct from money laundering astating for Manafort,” said Washington While not a fatal blow, the dissolution of to unregistered lobbying. He also admitted attorney Shanlon Wu, who represented Manafort’s plea agreement means Mueller that he tried to tamper with witnesses. Manafort’s former associate Rick Gates Reuters “The families in Oshawa need Canadian auto parts maker is losing the contributions of a witness with Mueller said in the fi ling that after sign- before he pleaded guilty and became a star Toronto to hear that the prime minister Martinrea International Inc will deep ties to Russia and who ran the Trump ing the plea agreement “Manafort com- witness for prosecutors in Manafort’s Vir- hasn’t already given up on a cen- close a plant that supplies the campaign as it took off in mid-2016. mitted federal crimes by lying to the Fed- ginia trial. tury of the auto industry in our Oshawa facility, said executive “It’s bad for the overall Mueller investi- eral Bureau of Investigation and the Special But the development also raised specula- undreds of workers community,” said Conservative chairman Rob Wildeboer in an gation,” said Patrick Cotter, a criminal de- Counsel’s Offi ce on a variety of subject tion that Manafort may be seeking to curry walked off the job and member of parliament for nearby interview. fence lawyer in Chicago and former assist- matters.” Prosecutors did not provide de- favour with Trump or protecting other as- HCanadian Prime Minister Durham Erin O’Toole, speaking in Ford Motor Co has no plans to ant US attorney in New York. “He’s got one tails of the alleged lies but said they would sociates who worked on the campaign. Justin Trudeau expressed “deep the legislature. close a plant in Canada, president less witness today.” do so before sentencing. Trump has been vocal in his support for disappointment” after General GM told the provincial govern- Mark Buzzell told reporters after Still, Cotter said, it did not mean Mana- Manafort’s attorneys said Manafort met Manafort, lauding him as a “very good per- Motors Co on Monday announced ment nothing could be done to meeting with Trudeau on Monday. fort’s co-operation had not been of any with the government on several occasions son” during the Virginia trial. the closure of its Oshawa plant, keep the plant — located about The new trade agreement value, noting that he may have led Mueller and made “an eff ort to live up to his coop- And when asked directly about the pros- catching governments and em- 60km east of Toronto — open, struck by the United States, to other sources of information. eration obligations,” according to the joint pect of pardoning his former campaign ployees by surprise. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said. Mexico and Canada in September Manafort was a long-time Republican fi ling, which was submitted to US District chairman, Trump has not ruled it out. Canadian offi cials, briefed on “The fi rst thing I said is, ‘What leaves signifi cant room for Cana- political consultant who made tens of mil- Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington. “It seems to me he’s angling for the par- the plan on Sunday, promised to can we do? What do we have to dian plants to increase duty-free lions of dollars working for pro-Kremlin Rudy Giuliani, who represents Trump in the don,” said David Weinstein, a former fed- aid those aff ected by the Decem- do?’” said Ford, referring to a exports. politicians in Ukraine before joining the Russia probe, said Mueller’s team had crossed eral prosecutor in Miami. ber 2019 closure, part of a wider Sunday call with GM Canada’s USMCA, as the new Nafta is Trump campaign in March 2016, promising an ethical line between a search for the truth Giuliani, who said he regularly talks restructuring that will cut pro- president, Travis Hester. “He said called, is expected to be formally to work for free. and exerting too much pressure on Manafort. to Manafort lawyer Kevin Downing, said duction of slow-selling models the ship has already left the dock.” signed this week. Manafort attended a meeting at Trump “They are trying not to get a witness to Manafort told prosecutors “at least 10 and slash GM’s North American The Canadian and Ontario gov- But a former Canadian auto ex- Tower in June 2016 with a group of Rus- sing, but to compose,” he said in an inter- times that he has no information on wrong- workforce. ernments joined the United States ecutive said it would be diffi cult for sians off ering “dirt” on Democratic candi- view with Reuters on Monday night. doing by the president.” GM said the closure aff ects in supporting GM with billions of Canadian government offi cials to date Hillary Clinton, who lost in an upset to The breakdown in the plea deal means Giuliani, who last week called for an end 2,973 assemblyline jobs in the dollars in aid after the automaker persuade GM to keep the plant open. Trump in the vote that November. that Manafort will almost certainly be hit to the Russia probe, denied he was making Ontario city, out of the automak- fi led for bankruptcy protection “The government has done His long-standing relationship with with a harsher sentence — both for the a case for a pardon of Manafort. “This has er’s Canadian workforce of 8,150. during the 2009 global economic everything they could to keep an oligarch close to Russian President crimes he pleaded guilty to in Washington nothing to do with a pardon,” he said. “I spoke with GM (chief ex- downturn. them afl oat. Obviously incentives Vladimir Putin was another reason Mana- and for his conviction in August in a sepa- Russia denies US allegations it hacked ecutive) Mary Barra to express my “We are not going away with- by themselves don’t keep a car fort’s cooperation was seen as important to rate case in Virginia on bank and tax fraud. Democratic Party e-mails and ran a disin- deep disappointment in the clo- out a fi ght,” Jerry Dias, national plant open,” said the executive, Mueller’s probe. Manafort was likely facing about 10 years formation campaign. sure,” Trudeau tweeted on Mon- president of Unifor, told a news speaking on condition of ano- Manafort started co-operating in Sep- in prison — a statistical life sentence given his Trump denies any campaign collusion day. “We’ll do everything we can conference in Oshawa. nymity because of the sensitivity tember after pleading guilty in a federal age — for the eight guilty counts in the Virginia and has repeatedly called the investigation to help the families aff ected by Unifor, a successor to the Unit- of the matter. court in Washington to conspiracy against case alone, sentencing experts have said. a political witch hunt. this news get back on their feet.” ed Auto Workers breakoff Cana- Members of Unifor walked The end of automotive produc- dian Auto Workers, represents out of the Oshawa plant “in pro- tion in Oshawa is a blow to work- most of the country’s auto work- test,” ahead of a meeting with GM Trump says doesn’t believe own government’s climate warning ers in Canada’s manufacturing ers and more than 250,000 in about the announcement, a union heartland and comes as Trudeau’s other sectors. spokeswoman said. resident Donald Trump said on Mon- er countries, you know. It addresses our The eff ects will spill into global trade, Liberal government is trying to Canada’s auto industry has “I’ve moved my family twice day he doesn’t believe his own gov- country,” he said. hitting import and export prices and US head off the economic impact of struggled to attract new invest- for this company and they do Pernment’s report last week warning “Right now, we’re at the cleanest we’ve businesses with overseas operations and low oil prices in Western Canada. ment in recent years, and the lat- this to me. It’s terrible,” a tearful of massive economic losses if carbon emis- ever been. And that’s very important to me. supply chains, it added. Trudeau is up for re-election est closure will ripple through the worker told CBC TV as he left the sions continue to feed climate change un- But if we’re clean, but every other place on Compiled by more than 300 scientists, next October. company’s supply chain. plant. checked. Earth is dirty, that’s not so good. So I want the Fourth National Climate Assessment “I don’t believe it,” Trump said at the clean air, I want clean water, very impor- Volume II is a congressionally-mandated White House, adding that the United States tant.” report that spans more than 1,000 pages. E coli lettuce outbreak traced to California would not take measures to cut emissions if According to the report, released on Fri- Trump has long said he distrusts the the same was not done in other countries. day, “with continued growth in emissions consensus by nearly all the world’s respect- n outbreak of E coli linked and another 22 in Canada, ac- related to ‘end of season’ romaine Trump said he had read “some” of the re- at historic rates, annual losses in some eco- ed climate scientists on the link between to romaine lettuce ap- cording to the Food and Drug Ad- lettuce harvested from these ar- port and that it was “fi ne.” nomic sectors are projected to reach hun- human activity and rising temperatures, Apears to have been traced ministration (FDA). eas,” it said. However, he rejected the central warning dreds of billions of dollars by the end of the as well as other damaging climate change to crops in California, the US food “Our investigation at this point The harvest has now shifted to in the National Climate Assessment, which century — more than the current gross do- phenomena. authority said on Monday. suggests that romaine lettuce as- other areas and it was “critically said there will be hundreds of billions of mestic product (GDP) of many US states.” He also gave a lukewarm reaction to pub- American consumers were sociated with the outbreak comes important to have a ‘clean break’ dollars in losses by the end of the century “Without substantial and sustained glo- lication of a major UN report warning in warned against eating the leafy from areas of California that grow in the romaine supply available due to climate change “without substantial bal mitigation and regional adaptation ef- October of global warming-caused chaos, salad by health officials last romaine lettuce over the summer to consumers in the US in order and sustained global mitigation.” forts, climate change is expected to cause saying “I want to look who drew it, you week. months,” the FDA said in a state- to purge the market of potentially “No, no, I don’t believe it,” he repeated. growing losses to American infrastructure know, which groups drew it, because I can The outbreak has caused 43 ment. contaminated romaine lettuce,” “You’re going to have to have China and and property and impede the rate of eco- give you reports that are fabulous and I can people to become sick in the US “The outbreak appears to be the FDA said. Japan and all of Asia and all of these oth- nomic growth over this century,” it said. give you reports that aren’t so good.” InSight lands on Red Planet, takes fi rst picture

By Laurent Banguet and Kerry dent Mike Pence had watched on “The InSight team can rest a several minutes, coined “six and Sheridan, AFP television and called to congrat- little easier tonight now that we a half minutes of terror.” Pasadena, California ulate the US space agency for its know the spacecraft solar arrays Speeding faster than a bullet hard work. are deployed and recharging the at 19,800kph, the heat-shielded “Ultimately, the day is coming batteries,” said Tom Hoff man, spacecraft encountered scorch- heers and applause erupt- when we land humans on Mars,” InSight’s project manager. ing friction as it entered the Mars ed at Nasa’s Jet Propul- Bridenstine said, adding that the The spacecraft is Nasa’s fi rst atmosphere. Csion Laboratory on Mon- goal is to do so by the mid 2030s. to touch down on Earth’s neigh- The heat shield soared to a day as a waist-high unmanned The vehicle appeared to be in bouring planet since the Curios- temperature of 1,500 Celsius be- lander, called InSight, touched good shape, according to the fi rst ity rover arrived in 2012. fore it was discarded, the three down on Mars, capping a nearly communications received from More than half of 43 attempts landing legs deployed and the seven-year journey from design the Martian surface. to reach Mars with rovers, orbit- parachute popped out, easing to launch to landing. But as expected, the dust ers and probes by space agen- InSight down to the Martian sur- The dramatic arrival of the kicked up during the landing ob- cies from around the world have face. $993mn spacecraft — designed scured the fi rst picture InSight failed. InSight contains key instru- to listen for quakes and tremors sent back, which was heavily Nasa is the only space agency ments that were contributed by as a way to unveil the Red Planet’s fl ecked. to have made it, and is invested several European space agencies. inner mysteries, how it formed France’s Centre National in these robotic missions as France’s CNES made the SEIS billions of years ago and, by ex- d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) made a way to prepare for the fi rst instrument, while the German tension, how other rocky planets the Seismic Experiment for In- Mars-bound human explorers in Aerospace Center (DLR) pro- like Earth took shape — marked terior Structure (SEIS) instru- the 2030s. vided a self-hammering mole the eighth successful landing on ment, the key element for sens- “We never take Mars for grant- that can burrow 5m into the Mars in Nasa’s history. ing quakes. ed. Mars is hard,” Thomas Zur- surface — farther than any in- “Touchdown confi rmed,” a The principal investigator on buchen, Nasa associate admin- strument before — to measure mission control operator at Nasa the French seismometer, Philippe istrator for the science mission heat flow. said, as pent-up anxiety and Lognonne, said he was “relieved directorate, said on Sunday. Spain’s Centro de Astrobio- excitement surged through the and very happy” at the outcome. The nail-biting entry, descent logia made the spacecraft’s wind room, and dozens of scientists “I’ve just received confi rma- and landing phase began at 1940 sensors, and three of InSight’s Project manager Tom Hoff man at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, points to the leapt from their seats to embrace tion that there are no rocks in GMT at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion seismic instruments were de- first picture sent back to earth from Mars by the spaceship InSight. each other. front of the lander,” he told AFP. Laboratory in Pasadena, Califor- signed and built in Britain. “It was intense and you could And in a fi nal crucial phase, nia, home to mission control for Other signifi cant contribu- InSight spacecraft has landed pal investigator at the Jet Propul- the planet formed. The goal is to feel the emotion,” said Nasa ad- Nasa said InSight signalled to Mars InSight, and ended one sec- tions came from the Space Re- safely on Mars,” said Sue Horne, sion Laboratory. map the inside of Mars in three ministrator Jim Bridenstine, in Earth that its solar panels — twin ond before 1953 GMT. search Center of the Polish Acad- head of space exploration at the By listening for tremors on dimensions, “so we understand an interview on Nasa television solar arrays spanning 2.2m in A carefully orchestrated se- emy of Sciences and Astronika UK Space Agency. Mars, whether from quakes or the inside of Mars as well as we afterwards. width — had opened and were quence — already fully prepro- and the Swiss Institute of Tech- Together, the instruments will meteor impacts or even volcanic have come to understand the Bridenstine also said President collecting sunlight on the surface grammed on board the spacecraft nology. study geological processes, said activity, scientists can learn more outside of Mars,” Banerdt told Donald Trump and Vice Presi- of Mars. — unfolded over the following “It is wonderful news that the Bruce Banerdt, InSight’s princi- about its interior and reveal how reporters. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 ASIA

Monkey Myanmar seizes boat with 93 killing video sparks outrage in Rohingya fl eeing to Malaysia Vietnam Reuters a fresh wave of hazardous voy- placed people, most of whom their movements and access to year fl eeing an army crackdown saying conditions in Myanmar Yangon ages after a 2015 crackdown on are stateless Rohingya. services are severely curtailed. in the north of Rakhine State, were not safe. people smugglers. “They said they ran away The UN refugee agency has according to UN agencies. Myanmar detained 106 Ro- DPA Moe Zaw Latt, director of from the camp. They said they said Myanmar must “address UN-mandated investiga- hingya men, women and chil- Hanoi uthorities in Myanmar the government offi ce in Da- intended to go to Malaysia,” the root causes of displace- tors have accused the Myan- dren on a boat near the com- have seized a boat car- wei, a coastal town in southern said Moe Zaw Latt, adding ment”, including the lack of cit- mar army of “genocidal intent” mercial hub of Yangon on Arying 93 people, appar- Myanmar, said fi shermen had authorities were preparing to izenship for the Rohingya, who and ethnic cleansing. Myanmar November 16, when their en- ietnamese forest rangers ently Rohingya Muslims, fl eeing reported a “suspicious” boat to send them back to Sittwe yes- consider themselves native to has denied most allegations of gine failed on their way from the in the central province of displacement camps in western authorities. terday. Rakhine State. atrocities, blaming Rohingya Sittwe camps to Malaysia. VHa Tinh have identifi ed Myanmar’s Rakhine State and The navy stopped the boat Photographs in media showed Myanmar regards Rohingya insurgents who attacked police Those people have been re- fi ve people involved in the bru- hoping to reach Malaysia, an of- on Sunday and detained the 93 police standing by as passen- as illegal migrants from the boats for sparking the exodus. turned to the camps, along with tal killing of a monkey that was fi cial said yesterday. people, who said they had come gers – many of them women Indian subcontinent and has Myanmar offi cials say they another group of more than 80 fi lmed and posted on Facebook, The boat is believed to be from the Thae Chaung camp in in headscarves and children – confi ned tens of thousands to are ready to accept Rohingya people whose boat was seized authorities said yesterday. the third bound for Malaysia the Rakhine State capital of Sit- huddled on the deck. sprawling camps outside Sittwe who want to return from Bang- off the coast of southern Ra- The case occurred on Sun- stopped in Myanmar waters twe, he said. The boat resembled vessels since violence swept the area in ladeshi refugee camps. But ref- khine last week also bound for day when a man live streamed a since monsoon rains began to Thae Chaung is about 900 the Rohingya typically use to 2012. ugees themselves and aid agen- Malaysia, according to an aid 6-minute clip showing a group subside last month, bringing km (560 miles) northwest of escape the apartheid-like con- More than 700,000 Rohingya cies oppose a repatriation plan worker in Sittwe monitoring the of men killing a monkey and calmer weather, raising fears of Dawei and holds internally dis- ditions in Rakhine State, where crossed into Bangladesh last that was due to begin on Nov. 15, boat movements. eating its raw brain. Some people in Vietnam believe eating monkey brain imparts intelligence. The video clip went viral on Facebook and local media, sparking protests in Vietnam. Lanka crisis The clip was then removed but some people saved the video. The fi ve men were iden- tifi ed as living in Hoa Hai Commune, Huong Khe dis- continues as trict of Ha Tinh province, said Nguyen Hoang Hao, head of Huong Khe District’s forest ranger board. The men told police they shot MPs boycott and wounded the 14kg mon- key, then took it back home to slaughter. Authorities have not yet made arrests as they investigate parliament whether the monkey is a rare, protected species. If found guilty of killing an en- AFP/IANS ity on the fl oor, has also not dangered primate, the men could Colombo stepped aside. face up to 15 years in prison. The speaker of parliament has not recognised either man llies of Sri Lanka’s – leaving the country adrift embattled President with rival factions claiming to AMaithripala Sirisena command a government. boycotted parliament yester- Sirisena allies have accused Prioritise day as the country drifted into the speaker of bias. a second month of political “We will not attend parlia- turmoil. ment until the speaker agrees development Sirisena loyalists refused to to act impartially,” said Nimal show up at parliament in Co- de Silva, an MP from Sirise- lombo, where last week op- na’s United People’s Freedom works, Nepal posing MPs scuffl ed and threw Alliance. Members of Sri Lanka’s sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s party (left) sit in the parliament chamber as President Maithripala objects across the cham- Their opponents taunted the Sirisena’s party boycotts the parliament session in Colombo yesterday. ber, forcing the legislature to president, who has ruled out re- PM tells adjourn. imposing Wickremesinghe even staying away from parliament.” fault on its considerable foreign ministers in the new govern- the petition are from ousted The island has been politi- as Sri Lanka remains locked in a The ousted prime minister’s debt. ment appointed by President prime minister Wickremes- cally paralysed since October power vacuum. United National Party plans to On Monday, Sri Lanka’s court Sirisena, Xinhua news agency inghe’s UNP, the Tamil Na- ministers 26 when Sirisena sacked prime “Usually you see opposi- move a motion in parliament on of appeal accepted a legal chal- reported. tional Alliance and the Janatha minister Ranil Wickremesinghe tion (parties) boycotting,” Eran Friday to block any new spend- lenge against newly appointed The case is to be taken up for Vimukthi Peramuna. and replaced him with Mahinda Wickramaratne, a Wickremes- ing by Sirisena’s administration. Prime Minister Rajapakse and preliminary hearing on Friday. They argue that a “state of IANS Rajapakse. inghe loyalist, told parliament Sri Lanka risks entering 2019 his cabinet. The petitioners are seek- anarchy and chaos” would en- Kathmandu Parliament has twice yesterday. without parliament having ap- The court accepted the pe- ing an interim order preventing sue in the country given that voted against the former “But in Sri Lanka you proved a budget for the year. tition fi led by 122 legislators Rajapakse and his government Rajapakse’s cabinet had lost president but he has refused have the unique situation Moody’s recently downgrad- against Rajapakse and 48 others from exercising any authority of two votes of no-confi dence mo- epali prime minister to back down. Wickremes- where a party which claims ed Sri Lanka’s credit rating amid who have been named as minis- a legitimate cabinet. tions and does not command a yesterday directed min- inghe, who holds a major- to be the government is warnings the island could de- ters, state ministers and deputy The legislators who have fi led majority in parliament. Nisters in his government and civil servants in the country to change their working style to ensure smooth and effi cient governance. Foggy morning Speaking on the second day Court ruling bars Khaleda from poll of the fi rst trimester review of implementation of govern- ment policies and programmes IANS to the court observation. rose to power with a landslide and the annual budget, Prime Dhaka Attorney General Mahbubey election victory in early 2009 Minister K P Sharma Oli di- Alam told journalists shortly and won its second term in rected them not to waste time after the court ruling that Kha- 2014, is facing challenges from in policy meetings and con- High Court division leda Zia, who was found guilty Zia’s BNP and its allies, which sultations, and prioritise bench in Bangladesh of a corruption charge and sen- boycotted the 2014 elections. development works. Ayesterday said a convict tenced to fi ve years in prison BNP has been demanding “You need to deeply study jailed to more than two years in February, is “ineligible” for the immediate release of all a subject matter and be clear cannot contest the election. general elections slated for political prisoners including about it before taking expert The High Court division December 30. BNP chairperson Zia, who has suggestions. Things will not bench of Justice Mohamed A BNP spokesman was not been in jail since February in a move ahead if you start taking Nazrul Islam Talukder and immediately available for corruption case. expert suggestion on every- Justice KM Hafi zul Alam comment. The ruling Awami League thing,” he added. passed the order, rejecting an The major opposition alli- said the release of Khaleda Oli also directed government appeal seeking a stay order on ance led by Khaleda Zia’s BNP Zia, also chairperson of BNP, employees to adopt auster- the imprisonment of former has already announced to con- from jail is a matter of court’s ity and not to take allowances prime minister Khaleda Zia’s test the parliamentary polls decision. for meetings held during offi ce fi ve opposition (Bangla- slated for next month. The chief state counsel said hours creating additional burden desh Nationalist Party) BNP BNP secretary general Mirza even if Zia was released from on state coff ers. leaders. Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made jail before November 28, the He also enquired about rea- As per the constitution, if the announcement, urging the deadline of fi ling the nomina- sons for losses being faced by a person is sentenced to more government to ensure a level tion papers, the constitution Nepal Airlines Corporation and than two years in prison, he or playing fi eld for holding a free, would not allow her to contest its preparations for optimal uti- she will not be able to partici- fair and neutral election. the polls and “she will have to lisation of recently-acquired A man carrying hay stacks walks along the field during a foggy winter morning at Khokana in pate in elections until an ap- The ruling Bangladesh Awa- wait for fi ve more years after wide-body aircraft. Lalitpur, near Kathmandu, yesterday. pellate division rejects or sus- mi League (AL) party of Prime her acquittal to take part in the The prime minister told pends the verdict, according Minister Sheikh Hasina, which elections”. the ministry of forest and soil conservation to promote agri- culture forestry and plant fruit saplings rather than unpro- ductive trees. He also stressed promotion of agriculture co- New govt has strong India-fi rst policy: Maldives minister operatives to boost productiv- ity and employment creation IANS of the Maldives, the new gov- ment Minister Fayyaz Ismail, the budget. The modalities of “We also reaffi rm our commit- through parliament... as for- through the modernisation of New Delhi ernment in the island nation was on a two-day visit to India the same are being worked out. ment to the peace and security of eign minister, I have asked my agriculture, industry, tourism was open to engaging with oth- to discuss a range of issues in- “We are also looking at India the Indian Ocean and our neigh- offi cials to review the docu- and service sectors. er countries, including China. cluding economic, social and to lead in engaging with us on bourhood. We are committed to ment. We will publicly com- Oli directed civil servants to ormer Maldives president “Our message is very clear: defence co-operation. projects related to diversifi cation keeping the Indian Ocean safe ment on it after the review is address the lack of co-ordina- Abdulla Yameen tried India is our closest and most The new government took of our economy. We want to vig- and secure, and to working with complete. tion seen among federal, pro- Fto play India and China trusted friend and neighbour. reigns of the island country last orously engage with Indian busi- India to combat terrorism in all “China has been generous to vincial and local governments, against each other but the new We are committed to reigniting week. ness community on development its forms,” Shahid said. us. They have assisted us in a lot and remove duplication of government of Ibrahim Mo- the India-Maldives friendship Shahid said the Maldives was of Indian economy,” he said. On the Maldives looking into of projects, and the country has development plans. hamed Solih has a strong “In- and relationship, reaching new immediately looking for India to During the visit, the Maldives deals made with China, Shahid benefi ted over the last 50 years Secretaries of ministries of dia-fi rst policy” and was not in- horizons, exploring new ave- help them on the budgetary con- recommitted itself to the 1979 said while many of those deals through the generosity of Chi- water supply and sanitation, terested in playing such games, nues while strengthening exist- straints that they were facing. visa agreement, with a plan to were made in secrecy and were be- na,” he said. youth and sports and educa- its Foreign Minister Abdulla ing links,” he said. “We have received very posi- reviewing it in due course. It ing reviewed, the island country The Maldivian delegation’s tion, science and technology Shahid said yesterday. Shahid, along with Mal- tive feedback from India... India also assured India that stalled continued to see China as a friend. visit would be followed by Pres- presented progress report of He said even as India was the dives Finance Minister Ibrahim has given us an assurance they projects between the two coun- “The free trade agree- ident Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s their respective ministries at closest and most trusted friend Ameer and Economic Develop- will help us sustain and stabilise tries would move forward. ment (with China) was rushed visit to India on December 17. meeting. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Indonesia to release fi rst report on deadly Lion Air crash

Reuters vestigation into the Oct 29 crash. fi cation new to the model that MCAS was not described in the the crash. In response to initial tices and pilot training also face contains 69 hours of information Singapore However, investigators have crashed – activated and directed Lion Air fl ight manual before fi ndings from the jet’s fl ight data scrutiny after investigators said from its last 19 fl ights. said they are focusing their at- the jet’s nose down to prevent the crash, KNKT has said, nor in recorder, Boeing issued a bulletin the doomed jet had problems But they can include imme- tention on the Boeing 737’s anti- a stall, Utomo said. The pilots those used by American airlines to airlines reiterating procedures with airspeed indicators on its diate recommendations if they ndonesian investigators will stall system. The doomed jet’s counteracted that successfully according to US pilot unions. and advising them to add infor- fi nal four fl ights. Lion Air, one have pressing safety concerns. deliver their fi rst report into systems had detected it was in for some time before the plane However, the cockpit proce- mation on MCAS to fl ight manu- of Asia’s largest budget carriers, The search for the cockpit voice Ithe Lion Air crash today, a a stall due to a faulty indicator entered a fi nal dive, he added. dure for dealing with a runaway als, which was followed by a US says it tackled safety concerns recorder is proving diffi cult after month after the brand-new Boe- and gave the captain a warning The same anti-stall system stabiliser remains unchanged Federal Aviation Administration highlighted by previous inci- investigators said last week its ing 737 crashed into the sea, kill- through a “stick shaker” that had activated on the jet during a from earlier 737 models. Boeing directive making that mandatory. dents. “ping” signal was no longer being ing all 189 on board in the coun- vibrated the controls, Nurcahyo fl ight the previous evening, but Chief Executive Dennis Muilen- A Boeing spokeswoman yes- Most air accidents are caused detected. “We’re still making ef- try’s second-worst air disaster. Utomo, an investigator at Indo- the pilots in that case managed to burg said earlier this month that terday declined to comment on by a cocktail of factors and inves- forts to fi nd the CVR and it is very The report, which comes as the nesia’s transport safety commit- shut off the system, Utomo said. Boeing provides “all of the in- the investigation, but said Boe- tigations typically take around a important. The CVR is related to search continues in the Java Sea tee (KNKT), told parliament last The crash was the fi rst involving formation that’s needed to safely ing had discussed MCAS func- year to complete. Investigators the credibility of the country so for the jet’s cockpit voice record- week. The Maneuvering Charac- the latest model of Boeing’s best- fl y our airplanes” but the jet’s tions with more than 60 airline are expected to restrict their re- that we can avoid the same in- er, is not expected to draw fi rm teristics Augmentation System selling 737 series, the 737 MAX, manual and training methods operators globally since 2016. port to factual details from the cident,” KNKT head Soearjanto conclusions from the ongoing in- (MCAS) – an automated modi- which entered service a year ago. have come under scrutiny after Lion Air’s maintenance prac- jet’s fl ight data recorder, which Tjahjono told parliament. Jack Ma, China’s Puppy love richest man, joins Communist Party

AFP New York Stock Exchange. It is Beijing not known if Ma was a member at the time. A spokeswoman for Alibaba declined to comment. ack Ma, founder of Chinese Alibaba bought Hong Kong’s tech giant Alibaba, is among English language newspaper, Jthe world’s richest people but the South China Morning Post he has now emerged as a member (SCMP), in 2015 and controver- of another club: China’s 89-mn- sies have swirled over the edito- strong Communist Party. The rial slant of its coverage since the billionaire’s Communist bona purchase. fi des were revealed by the Peo- Ma told the paper he wanted to ple’s Daily, the party’s offi cial off er a “fair chance to readers” to mouthpiece, in an article prais- understand China when Alibaba ing contributors to China’s de- purchased it. “The political af- velopment. fi liation of any Alibaba execu- He is not the fi rst nor likely tive will not impact or infl uence the last Chinese super-rich capi- SCMP’s editorial or operational talist to join the party, which decisions,” SCMP spokeswoman counts property titan Xu Jiayin Jack Ma attends an investment conference in this file picture. Andrea Leung told AFP in an e- and Wanda Group founder Wang mailed statement. Jianlin among its billionaire dustries and private business can with nearby fi rms. Three in four Despite being known for its members. But Ma’s membership be unwelcome. In China, compa- private companies already host in-depth coverage of China, the had not been widely known until ny chiefs need the backing of the party organisations. “We must do paper had yet to publish a story now as China’s richest man had Communist Party to get rich, but a good job in the education and on the party membership of Chi- previously suggested that he pre- they also need it to survive. management of party members na’s top capitalist by yesterday ferred to stay out of politics. It is a relationship that – when and guide them to play an active evening. Ma — who announced In Monday’s article, the Peo- the political winds change – can role,” Xi told offi cials in Shang- in September that he would step ple’s Daily said Ma was a party hang them out to dry, experts say. hai earlier this month, noting the down as head of Alibaba next member who has played an im- Party membership did not pre- increase in private employment year — has previously indicated portant role in pushing China’s vent the abrupt fall of oil tycoon and new types of employment. he preferred to keep the Chinese Belt and Road global trade in- Ye Jianming, chairman of CEFC Xi is pushing to further inter- state at arm’s length. frastructure initiative — a pet China Energy, who disappeared twine the party and business, “My philosophy is to be in project of President Xi Jinping. from public view this spring and with the latest rewrite to the rules love with the government, but He has also been honoured as is thought to be under investi- for party organisations published never marry them,” he said at the one of the “outstanding builders gation in China. Ma’s business Sunday by offi cial news agency World Economic Forum in Davos of socialism with Chinese char- rivals, Tencent CEO and Chair- Xinhua. in 2007. But party members must acteristics in Zhejiang Province”, man Pony Ma and Baidu’s Robin In private companies party hold up their right fi st and recite where Alibaba is based, the daily Li are not affi liated with any cells should “guide and supervise an oath upon joining. said. party, the People’s Daily said. Xi the enterprise to strictly abide by “Be loyal to the party, work Joining the party can be help- has renewed a push to expand the national laws and regulations,” actively, fi ght for communism all ful to private businessmen and Communist Party’s infl uence in the draft order says, according one’s life, always be prepared to women in the country as they private business, requiring any to Xinhua. Ma did not reveal his sacrifi ce everything for the party navigate a complicated business company with more than three Communist Party membership and people, and never betray the South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook hold puppies born from a environment where the state-led party members to set up a party in paperwork fi led for Alibaba’s party,” they recite. hunting dog gifted from North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea. economy dominates many in- cell, or lacking numbers, join 2014 initial public off ering on the

Japan’s lower house passes open-door immigration bill Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo meito plan to start deliberations overseas through its “technical Stage set for fresh Australia election in May Abe’s party and its junior coali- in the upper house today as intern training programme” tion partner yesterday forced they want the bill to be enacted through which critics say many an immigration bill through the by the end of the current parlia- workers are exploited. Many AFP is an ally of ousted former prime pendent. “Led by members of lower house of parliament de- mentary session on December opposition party lawmakers Sydney minister Malcolm Turnbull — de- the reactionary right wing, the spite complaints about the leg- 10. That would allow Japan to harshly criticised the legislation. livered Morrison a hammer blow, coup was aided by many MPs islation. The move will open the receive up to 47,550 foreign Kazunori Yamanoi, a lawmaker quitting the party to become an trading their vote for a leader- door to hundreds of thousands workers in the next fiscal year, of the Democratic Party for ustralia is set for a May independent. ship change in exchange for their of foreign blue-collar workers as starting in April. the People, argued it is “full of election showdown after The defection put the ruling individual promotion, preselec- Japan has been struggling with The world’s third-largest econ- problems” as the loose wording Athe prime minister yester- conservative Liberal Party two tion endorsements or silence,” worker shortages as its popula- omy is estimated to accept up appears to make changes to day announced a budget date in members short of a parliamentary she told parliament. tion ages. to 345,150 workers from abroad the system possible in a later the new year and his weakened majority. With his government in She accused both the Liberal Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party over the five years. Japan has phase, Kyodo News agency liberal party staggers on following the minority and his party riven and Labor parties of being fo- and its coalition partner Ko- already received workers from reported. another defection. by divisions between moder- cused on “political point scor- Scott Morrison announced a ates and the hard right, the prime ing” rather than “timely, practi- new national spending plan for minister faces an uphill struggle cal, sensible decisions on matters April 2, promised a fi scal surplus to keep his job. Australian PM Scott Morrison which Australians care about”. and hailed his party’s custodi- A weekend parliamentary elec- With each defection the odds of anship of a booming economy tion in Victoria — the state that fi rebrands ousted centrist leader Morrison being ousted in a vote of in remarks eff ectively fi ring the encompasses Melbourne — saw Malcolm Turnbull as prime min- no confi dence increase. NZ rescuers save six stranded whales starter’s gun for the 2019 election the Liberal Party vote shrink to ister last August. Meanwhile recriminations campaign. historically low levels. Since then, persistent back- within the Liberal Party contin- AFP whales were euthanised after the rest were put down because Parliamentary budget rules This, just weeks after the party biting and stinging electoral de- ued behind closed doors. Austral- Wellington continually restranding. Two there was no chance of rescu- and constitutional provisions lost a Federal parliamentary by- feats have created the sense of a ian media yesterday reported that of the pod were already dead, ing them from the remote loca- about the length of campaigns election in a Sydney suburb that government in disarray, even as cabinet minister Kelly O’Dwyer and two more died after being tion. mean the election will now al- has been solidly Liberal since the Morrison has tried to take the warned in a closed meeting that ix beached whales were found by rescuers on the North US travel blogger Liz Carlson most certainly take place in early constituency was created at the fi ght to the opposition Labor the Liberal party was widely successfully refl oated off Island’s west coast, with the was among a group of hikers on to mid-May. Yesterday, Liberal founding of the country. Morrison Party. Banks cited Turnbull’s viewed by voters as “homopho- SNew Zealand yesterday, remaining eight transported by Stewart Island that found the MP Julia Banks — who had earlier has struggled to keep his party to- removal as the catalyst for her bic, anti-women, climate-change rescuers said, after a spate of truck to the east coast on Mon- whales and she described her complained of party bullying and gether since Liberal ideological decision to become an inde- deniers”. mass strandings in recent days day, where sea conditions were frustration at being unable to that resulted in the deaths of calmer. help the huge sea creatures. dozens of marine mammals. The survival of even part “When we realised the hor- Snoozing Australian pilot overshoots landing by 46km Wildlife rangers and volun- of the pod was a rare success ror of what we were seeing, we teers used pontoons to fl oat the for DOC as it struggled to deal dropped everything and ran A small plane overshot its destina- ing the twin-engine Piper PA-31 releasing a final report next year. crashes,” Hansford told Australian killer pygmy whales — part of a with four separate strandings straight into the water,” she tion in Australia by almost 50km turboprop aircraft on a morning The plane has a cruising speed broadcaster ABC. He said it would group of 12 found beached in the in quick succession, includ- posted on social media. because the pilot fell asleep in the flight. “During the cruise, the pilot of around 380km per hour and be unusual for a pilot to fall asleep country’s far north on Sunday ing a sperm whale and a pygmy “Desperately we grabbed cockpit, national air safety off icials fell asleep, resulting in the aircraft a range of about 1,900km. Neil on a relatively short flight of about — and take them about 400m sperm whale in separate in- their tails and pushed and said yesterday. The pilot was the overflying King Island by 46km,” Hansford, the chairman of airline 240km. He also said Australia has (437 yards) off shore. cidents on the North Island yelled, before we got hammered only person on board the Vortex said the Australian Transport consultancy Strategic Aviation So- strict rules relating to pilot fatigue. “We are hopeful that the six coast. by them thrashing around. “It Air freight flight from Devonport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is in- lutions, said yesterday the aircraft “There is no way in the world that whales that have been refl oated By far the largest was when was useless — they were so big city in Tasmania to King Island, an vestigating the incident, classified would have been on autopilot. someone should’ve taken on that will remain at sea,” the Depart- up to 145 pilot whales were and heavy and the realisation island between Tasmania and the as a case of “incapacitation.” “The aircraft will fly until it runs out flight fatigued,” he said. Vortex Air, ment of Conservation (DOC) found late Saturday washed we could do nothing to save Australian mainland, on November The ATSB said in a statement it of fuel, or in some cases the fuel a 25-year-old Australian company department said in a state- up on Stewart Island. Half the them was the worst feeling I’ve 8. It is not clear how the pilot was will interview the pilot and review tanks have to be switched over, that runs flights in Tasmania, has ment, adding that another two animals were already dead and ever experienced.” awakened before safely land- operating procedures before so once it’s starved of fuel it then been asked for comment. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 BRITAIN/IRELAND

LEGAL NOMINATION LAW AND ORDER FALLOUT OBITUARY Home Off ice faces suit Thatcher on long list to Two anti-fracking Third Ukip MEP quits over Lady Trumpington over child citizenship fees be face of new £50 note activists arrested Robinson appointment dies aged 96

The Home Off ice is facing a high court challenge She is best known as Britain’s first female prime Two people have been arrested during a pro- Another senior Ukip member has left the party The long-serving peer and former member over the £1,012 fee it charges to register a child as minister. But Margaret Thatcher could feature on test outside a fracking site in Nottinghamshire. over the leader Gerard Batten’s decision to appoint of the Bletchley Park codebreaking team, a British citizen, after a judge granted campaign- the new plastic £50 note to celebrate her brief ca- The 45-year-old man and 33-year-old woman Tommy Robinson as an adviser and take the party Lady Trumpington, has died at the age of 96. ers permission to apply for a judicial review. The reer as a scientist. Baroness Thatcher, who died in had locked themselves together for 80 hours in a hard-right direction. Ukip’s former econom- Trumpington retired from the House of Lords case is to contest the legality of the amount of 2013, has been nominated following an appeal for outside the Tinker Lane site near the market ics spokesman Patrick O’Flynn is the third MEP last year after a 37-year tenure as a Tory peer the fee – not the charging of it – when the admin- suggestions by the Bank of England. Nominees town of Retford, north Nottinghamshire. The to leave in two months over Batten’s views and that included spells as a minister and a govern- istrative cost of processing a registration is £372, must be dead and be linked with British scientific pair were arrested on Monday on suspicion policies. Flynn said he would join the remnants of ment whip. Her death was confirmed by her campaigners said. Justice Yip, sitting in the high achievement. Thatcher was a food scientist for J of obstructing the highway, Nottinghamshire the Social Democratic party. Robinson, whose real son, Adam Barker. International Development court, warned the Project for Registration of Chil- Lyons and Co from 1949 to 1951 before enter- police said. They were charged and were due name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is the founder of Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, tweeted: “Deepest dren as British Citizens, a charitable company, it ing politics. She worked on ice cream and was to appear in court at a later date, according the far-right English Defence League. After Ukip’s sympathies to all who knew and loved this in- faced an “uphill struggle”. PRCBC estimates there rumoured to have helped develop Mr Whippy, to Ross Monaghan, a spokesman for a protest national executive delayed moves to allow Rob- credible woman.” The Green peer, Jenny Jones, are 120,000 children in the UK who have grown although that is probably a myth. The favourite to camp set up at Tinker Lane this year. The inson to join the party – as a former member of called Trumpington “amazing”, while the Tory up British and are being charged “unaff ordable” be selected as the face of the new £50 is Profes- woman arrested joined the anti-fracking move- the EDL he is barred under current rules – Batten MP Nusrat Ghani said: “She was a phenomenal fees to register as citizens. sor Stephen Hawking, who died in March. ment after giving birth recently. appointed him last week as an adviser. woman and I loved meeting her.”

‘Norway-plus’ option winning support, claims Sturgeon

The argument for a “Norway- plus” compromise on Brexit is May rebukes winning the day at Westminster, according to Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who has committed her Scottish Na- tional party MPs to supporting the soft Brexit option provided it can command a majority in Trump as she the Commons. Sturgeon said the option of a Norway-style framework for the UK, which the Scottish government first advocated in December 2016, “may have met attempts to with a disinterested rejection from the UK government but … is gathering support from others. The arguments that the Scottish government has been making are actually winning the day”. sell Brexit deal Almost half of Theresa May’s Cabinet have held talks to AFP “We will have an independ- ing in the bloc and want a second weigh up the possibility of London ent trade policy and we will be referendum. backing the Norway-inspired able to negotiate trade deals with Opposition Labour party alternative – which could see countries around the rest of the leader Jeremy Corbyn called the the UK joining the European heresa May rebuked Don- world,” May said. deal “an act of national self- Free Trade Association (Efta) ald Trump and insisted “As regards the US, we have al- harm”. and maintaining a customs TBritain could strike trade ready been talking to them about May, who ducked televised de- arrangement with the EU if agreements outside the EU as the sort of agreement that we bates during the 2017 snap gen- parliament rejects the prime she launched a nationwide tour could have in the future. It will eral election, challenged Cor- minister’s EU withdrawal deal yesterday to whip up support no longer be a decision taken by byn to a TV contest, nominally next month. for the contested Brexit divorce Brussels. planned for December 9. Dismissing the prime minis- deal. “We will have control of that “I am ready to debate it with ter’s deal as “damaging to the Prime Minister May headed and we will strike trade deals Jeremy Corbyn because I have Scottish people and therefore to Wales and Northern Ireland, that will enhance our prosperity, got a plan. He hasn’t got a plan,” unacceptable to the Scottish hours after US President Trump enhance our economy and bring May was quoted as saying by The government”, Sturgeon yester- said it seemed like a “great deal” jobs to the UK.” Sun newspaper. day said the SNP would support for the European Union that A Labour spokesman said: whichever of two alternatives could block Britain from forging “As the deal stands, they “Jeremy would relish a head to could command a cross-party its own trade agreements with may not be able to trade head debate with Theresa May majority. the US. with the US and I don’t about her botched Brexit deal “The first option is the compro- May has two weeks to con- think they want that at all. and the future of our country.” mise position of single market vince the public, and, crucially, That would be a very big In London, Brexit fi gure- customs union membership ... a divided parliament, before the negative for the deal” head Nigel Farage launched a the second option is another December 11 vote in the House billboard campaign reading referendum on EU member- of Commons that risks ending in Her spokesman said there “Welcome to the worst deal in ship with the option to remain a humiliating defeat and sinking were no plans for one-to-one history”. A few streets away, an- in the EU on the ballot paper. the deal. talks between May and Trump at ti-Brexit youth movement Our The SNP will support whatever Trump suggested May had the G20 summit in Buenos Aires Future, Our Choice rolled out option can command a majority made a mistake by signing an this weekend. a campaign bus urging MPs to though it will always be our agreement that might impede a The pound was down about heed their voices. preference to look at options future trade deal between Lon- 0.3% against the dollar while Meanwhile in Luxembourg, that see us remaining in the EU.” don and Washington. London’s FTSE 100 share index lawyers for a group of Scot- Speaking as the Scottish gov- “Sounds like a great deal for was down 0.4% in early after- tish politicians argued before ernment published an analysis the EU,” he said at the White noon trade. the top European court that the which estimates that Brexit House, adding: “We have to take May on Sunday closed 17 British parliament should have would cost £1,600 per person a look at seriously whether or not months of complex talks with the unilateral power to halt the across Scotland, Sturgeon the UK is allowed to trade”. Brussels by sealing Brexit ar- countdown to Brexit, set for refused to be drawn on when “As the deal stands, they may rangements with the 27 other EU March 29. she would divulge her plans for not be able to trade with the US heads of state and government. A Scottish court has referred another Scottish independence and I don’t think they want that But this tortuous chapter on the case, which hinges on wheth- referendum. at all. That would be a very big ending Britain’s 45-year involve- er London could simply revoke Admitting that she was repeat- negative for the deal,” said the ment in the European project Britain’s “Article 50” EU with- ing the position she had taken president, who is close to leading was just the beginning of another drawal process, to the European over the past few months, the Brexiteers in the UK. struggle. Court of Justice. SNP leader said: “The case “I don’t think that the prime May runs a minority Conserv- The British government argues for the people of Scotland to minister meant that and hope- ative government and opposition that the case is a political tactic determine their own future has fully she’ll be able to do some- parties, as well as many of her by pro-EU opponents. never been stronger and I will thing about that.” own MPs, are against the deal. A court source said the deci- return to that matter when we Starting her tour in Builth Some Brexiteers think it keeps sion could well be made before know which approach to Brexit Wells in central Wales, May in- Britain shackled to Brussels the end of the year, but the judges the Commons chooses.” Prime Minister Theresa May is welcomed by The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s chairman John Davies sisted Trump had not rained on while pro-EU lawmakers think must fi rst decide if the ECJ even as she arrives at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells, Wales, yesterday. her parade. the terms are worse than stay- accepts jurisdiction in the case. London house price MPs’ furious over Zuckerberg ‘no-show’

boom ‘over for now’ Reuters criticised Zuckerberg for declin- London ing to appear himself to answer questions on the topic. Reuters “Things are starting to look a ability of a signifi cant correc- “We’ve never seen anything London bit bleak. Uncertainty is about tion in London’s housing market acebook came under fi re quite like Facebook, where, while the only thing we can be certain by end-2019 the median fore- yesterday from lawmakers we were playing on our phones about over the next two years,” cast was only 20%, signifi cantly Ffrom several countries who and apps, our democratic in- he days of London house said independent buying agent down from the 29% given in Au- accused the fi rm of undermin- stitutions...seem to have been price rises hugely outpac- Henry Pryor. gust. ing democratic institutions and upended by frat-boy billionaires Ting infl ation won’t be re- Asked if there would be a return That may be partly explained lambasted chief executive Mark from California,” Canadian law- turning anytime soon, the vast to strong turnover and above- by the view that prices are al- Zuckerberg for not answering maker Charlie Angus said. majority of economists and ana- infl ation house price growth in ready falling. questions on the matter. “So Zuckerberg’s decision not lysts polled by Reuters said. London and the South East, 14 of But not everyone was gloomy Facebook is being investigated to appear here at Westminster to Property values in the capital, 17 respondents said no. about the capital’s prospects. by lawmakers in Britain after me speaks volumes.” long a haven for foreign inves- A sharp increase in Stamp “London demand is starting consultancy Cambridge Ana- Richard Allan, the vice presi- tors, more than tripled in the last Duty Land Tax, paid when buy- to poke its head above the stamp lytica, which worked on Donald dent of policy solutions at Face- 20 years, but demand and turno- ing a house, has particularly af- duty-laden parapet again,” said Trump’s presidential campaign, book who appeared in Zucker- ver have crumbled since the June fected the capital where houses Russell Quirk, chief executive of obtained the personal data of berg’s stead, admitted Facebook 2016 vote to leave the European are much more expensive than online estate agent eMoov. 87mn Facebook users from a re- had made mistakes but said it Union and property taxes were the rest of the country. “History tells us that you can’t searcher, drawing attention to had accepted the need to comply raised. “The high rates of SDLT will subdue London long term and the use of data analytics in poli- with data rules. According to the November continue to stifl e transaction therefore it’s clear that the cur- tics. “I’m not going to disagree 13-22 Reuters poll, London house volumes, especially in expensive rent downturn in the capital’s Concerns over the social me- with you that we’ve damaged prices will fall 1.7% this year and price areas like London and the volumes and values is tempo- dia giant’s practices, the role of public trust through some of the another 0.3% in 2019. South East,” said Ray Boulger, a rary.” political adverts and possible actions we’ve taken,” Allan told Asking prices in London fell senior manager at mortgage bro- Nationally, house prices are interference in the 2016 Brexit the hearing. 1.7% this month from October, ker John Charcol. forecast to rise 2% this year, 1.8% vote and US elections are among Facebook has faced a barrage according to property website After next year’s modest dip next year and 2% in 2020, the poll the topics being investigated by of criticism from users and law- Rightmove. London prices will rise 1.5% in found. British and European regulators. makers after it said last year that Sterling, the stock market and 2020, the poll found. Those moderate gains are be- While Facebook says it com- Russian agents used its platform businesses have had a turbulent A separate Reuters survey said low expectations for wage in- A campaigner from a political pressure group wears an oversized plies with EU data protection to spread disinformation before few years since Britons narrowly overall infl ation would be 2% creases and will likely cheer fi rst- mask of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg after he laws, a special hearing of law- and after the 2016 US presiden- voted to end their 45-year mem- that year. time buyers who are struggling to failed to attend a meeting on fake news held by Parliament’s makers from several countries tial election, an accusation Mos- bership of the EU. When asked about the prob- get on the property ladder. digital, culture media and sport committee in London yesterday. around the world in London cow denies. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 15 BRITAIN British academic back home after UAE pardon

Reuters airport early in the morning on a without Daniela,” he added, re- leading to the aircraft for several student at Durham University, had tween the long-time allies, leading The UAE’s ambassador to the London fl ight from Dubai, a day after the ferring to his wife, Daniela Tejada, minutes before being greeted by been held in the UAE since May London to issue a forceful diplo- UK has disputed the account, UAE pardoned him from a life sen- who lobbied the governments of what appeared to be two UAE se- 5, when he was arrested at Dubai matic response after last week’s saying the case was “extremely tence in the spying case. the UK and UAE for his release. curity offi cials and then boarded airport after a two-week research verdict was handed down, with serious” and there had not been a ritish academic Matthew “I don’t know where to begin “She is so brave and strong, seeing the fl ight. visit. a warning that it could hurt rela- “fi ve minute show trial”. Minutes Hedges arrived back in the with thanking people for securing her and my family after this ordeal The UAE pardoned Matthew His family has described him as tions. Hedges’ wife said he was before the pardon was announced BUK yesterday and thanked my release...Thank you so much to is the best thing that could have Hedges on Monday after showing a a dedicated researcher who fell foul kept in solitary confi nement for on Monday, a UAE government his “brave and strong” wife for the British embassy and the FCO happened. I thank you all once video of him purportedly confess- of the UAE’s security and justice more than fi ve months and the spokesman showed journalists helping secure his release, nearly (Britain’s foreign ministry) for again, this is very surreal.” ing to being a member of the MI6 system. evidence presented against him a video of Hedges purporting to seven months after he was de- their eff orts in ensuring I arrived Hedges was escorted to the de- intelligence agency. Britain has The UAE said he was a British consisted of notes from his disser- confess to belonging to the secret tained in the United Arab Emir- safely back home,” Hedges said in parture gate at Dubai International denied he was a spy and welcomed spy who was given a fair trial for tation research. intelligence service (MI6) and re- ates on espionage charges. Hedges a statement. Airport by three people earlier his pardon. grave espionage off ences. Last week’s hearing lasted less searching which military systems arrived at London’s Heathrow “I could not have done this yesterday. He stood in the tunnel Hedges, a 31-year-old doctoral The case has strained ties be- than fi ve minutes, she said. the UAE was buying. Women launch Harry visits Circus Zambia legal challenge to universal credit system

Guardian News and Media kitchen and receives universal London credit to top up her income, said she was £500 a year worse off as a result of the design fl aw. our women have launched She said: “I have never been a high court legal chal- this fi nancially unstable before, Flenge to universal credit, to the point of being unable to arguing that an arbitrary design aff ord my rent and having to go fl aw in the payment system for into my overdraft when buying the new benefi t is “irrational and food. It is getting me into a vi- discriminatory” and leaves some cious cycle of debt. families hundreds of pounds a The problem arises when Youths pose for a photograph with Prince Harry during his visit to Circus Zambia in Lusaka, Zambia, yesterday. year worse off . claimants’ wages are paid on They say the fl aw, which re- or close to the fi rst day of their lates to the way universal credit universal credit monthly assess- monthly payments are calcu- ment period, which is used to lated, disproportionately aff ects calculate how much a claimant working parents with children, is entitled to be paid each month. though it is likely to aff ect tens of If a claimant is paid wages a thousands of people claiming the day or two earlier – because their benefi t. normal payday would fall on a The women say the fl aw leaves weekend or bank holiday, for ex- Supreme Court rejects claimants with a “dramatically ample – the system records them fl uctuating income” and unable as having had two pay cheques in to budget from month to month. one assessment period and none They can also suff er fi nancial in the following one. shortfalls because of what law- As a result, universal credit yers call a “rigid, infl exible as- considers them to be earning assisted dying case appeal sessment system”. more than they actually do in the One of the women, Claire fi rst period. In the second period Woods, 30, said the cashfl ow it wrongly considers them to be Guardian News and Media our own death,” they said. panel,” the judges said. disappointing. It means that I tinue to deny me and other ter- problems caused by the fl uctuat- earning nothing, meaning they London But the justices decided there They said Conway could will not be able to have my argu- minally ill people this right. ing payments forced her to rely lose out of work allowance of up was little chance of success if bring about his death by refus- ments heard by the highest court “This is the end of the road for on a food bank and run up debts. to £258 each month. Conway’s claim were heard in full ing consent to the continuation in the land. Dying people like me my case, so we must now turn She was subsequently forced to Universal credit is a means- he Supreme Court has by the court. “Not without some of the “non-invasive ventilation” cannot wait years for another our attention back to parliament. turn down a promotion and put tested benefi t that replaces other dismissed an emergency reluctance, it has been concluded keeping him alive. case to be heard. I hope that MPs will listen to the her career on hold. benefi ts including income sup- Tapplication for a right-to- that in this case those prospects Helping someone kill them- “I am particularly disappoint- vast majority of their constitu- Woods said: “I invested port, jobseeker’s allowance and die case challenging the legal ban are not suffi cient to justify giving selves is a criminal off ence car- ed that the courts have instead ents and give people like me a say £40,000 in higher education housing benefi t. It is the second on assisted dying to be heard. permission to appeal,” they said. rying a maximum sentence of 14 listened to the arguments of doc- over our deaths.” studies so that I could become legal action on universal credit to In a three-page decision is- The judges stressed any years in prison. The government tors who have never met me but Sarah Wootton, the chief ex- an occupational therapist and reach the high court, following sued yesterday, the UK’s highest change to the law would have argued in a brief application think they know best about the ecutive of Dignity in Dying, said: it’s great that I’ve got my degree a ruling in June that the system court turned down the request to be for parliament, although hearing last week that modern end of my life. “This decision is a grave injustice but I have had to put my career unlawfully discriminated against from lawyers for Noel Conway, a it would be within the Supreme palliative care allows some pa- “I have no choice over whether for dying people across the coun- hopes on hold because of univer- severely disabled people. retired lecturer who is paralysed Court’s powers to make a decla- tients to die if they withdraw I die; my illness means I will die try who want to have a say in how sal credit. In some cases uncovered by from the neck down by progres- ration that UK law was incom- from artifi cial ventilation. anyway. The only option I cur- and when they die. Not only does “I am competent, managing the Child Poverty Action Group sive motor neurone disease. patible with Conway’s rights un- But Conway’s counsel, Lord rently have is to remove my ven- (it) let down dying people, it lets my own fi nances and am some- (CPAG) , household income fl uc- The three Supreme Court jus- der the European convention on Pannick QC, told the court such a tilator and eff ectively suff ocate to parliament off the hook. When one who wants to work for pro- tuated wildly as a result of the tices – Lady Hale, the Supreme human rights. death “could last only a few min- death under sedation. To me this more than 80% of the British fessional and personal develop- design fl aw. In one case, a fam- Court president, Lord Reed, the The three justices were not utes, but in some cases hours, is not acceptable, and for many public want to see a change in ment, but the assessment period ily’s monthly payment swung deputy president, and Lord Kerr unanimous in their approach to and other cases days”. It would other dying people this choice is the law on assisted dying, and problem meant my income fl uc- from £1,185 to zero, making – acknowledged that the issue such a complex issue, they noted. induce a “drowning sensation” not available at all. when countries such as the US, tuated so much that it was im- budgeting impossible. was of “transcendent public im- “These are questions upon and would not constitute a digni- “All I want is the option to die Canada and Australia can all craft possible to budget.” Woods is represented by CPAG portance”. which the considered opinions fi ed end, he added. peacefully, with dignity, on my compassionate, safe laws to al- Another of the women, Dan- along with the other two claim- “We all have to experience the of conscientious judges may le- Responding to the ruling, own terms, and I know that the low their citizens this choice, we ielle Johnson, 25, of Keighley, ants, Erin Barrett and Katie death of people about whom we gitimately diff er. Indeed, they Conway, 68, from Shropshire, majority of the public are behind must ask why the UK is being left who works part time in a school Stewart. care. We all have to contemplate diff er among the members of this said: “This decision is extremely me. It is downright cruel to con- behind.” Javid’s plans to tackle Aquaman premiere Electric bike-sharing fi rm launches in UK knife crime hits hurdle Guardian News and Media which launched a sharing scheme London this summer. Lime will start with 50 bikes in Daily Mail to believe prison worked,” said a carrying knives. Milton Keynes and double that London senior Conservative Party source. “Given our existing messages he Uber-backed electric number as demand grows. It is un- “This looks more like Gauke wants on knife crime and the statutory scooter and bike-shar- derstood to be in talks to launch in to hug a hoodie.” There have al- minimum sentences, there is a real Ting company Lime has another UK city by Christmas. lans to tackle knife crime ready been more than 250 fatal risk that the courts will feel com- launched its fi rst UK operation Lime’s most distinctive green are being blocked amid fears stabbings in England and Wales pelled to impose custodial sen- with dockless e-bikes in Milton vehicle is its electric scooter, Pover the cost of jailing of- this year – including at least 120 in tences – often very short custodial Keynes. which launched in Paris earlier fenders. the capital. sentences – for breach of an order. The Californian transporta- this year, but e-scooter sharing In a bid to tackle a surge in stab- The knife crime orders were “I do not want to see large num- tion company, which launched in has been ruled out for now by de- bings, Home Secretary Sajid Javid drawn up by the Home Offi ce fol- bers, especially of young people, early 2017 but is already valued partment for transport regulations is proposing to use Asbo-style lowing a request from senior po- serving ineff ective short sentences at $1.1bn (£860mn), has spread in the UK. powers against thugs. lice offi cers. for breaches of civil orders.” rapidly across the US and parts of Despite the backing of Uber and Breaching these ‘knife crime They would cover youngsters Gauke said he supported “giv- Europe. Google, who invested as part of a prevention orders’ would be a caught carrying a blade for protec- ing full and careful consideration The bikes, which can be located $335mn fundraising round in July, criminal off ence, potentially pun- tion but who are not regarded as to any gaps in police powers” and and unlocked via the Lime phone Lime has fallen foul of the authori- ishable by prison. serious off enders. wanted to provide additional sup- app, will cost £1 to unlock and 15p ties in its native San Francisco, But Javid’s colleague David Gauke made his opposition clear port over knife crime. a minute to ride - a 28% higher where the city banned the scooters Gauke, who is responsible for jails, in a letter circulated in Whitehall But he said: “I would oppose charge than that paid by Ameri- before licensing a rival company to has questioned the plans, saying and seen by the Mail. an announcement being made at can users while the pound sustains run a similar scheme. they could ‘accelerate the crimi- Written last week, the letter this stage, on one option, without its value, and signifi cantly higher Safety questions have also been nalisation’ of young people. said: “I remain to be convinced having given more consideration than other e-bike sharing schemes raised, with the death of a Lime The justice secretary has also of the evidence that these or- to whether these orders are the that have launched in the UK. scooter rider at the weekend the raised concerns about ‘aff ordabil- ders will be eff ective in reducing best way to provide a preventative, However, Lime claims the third reported fatality in the US in ity’ when the prison system is un- knife crime, especially posses- proportionate and aff ordable re- scheme will be fi rst fully dockless the past three months. der huge pressure. sion, among young people. Bear- sponse to knife crime.” He said he e-bike business in the UK. Dock- While Lime still hopes it can His stance casts doubt on the ing in mind the intention to move had asked his offi cials to work on less bikes have not fared well in introduce e-scooters to Britain in government’s commitment to to a public health approach, I am other measures. the UK so far, with Mobike with- some capacity in the future, for combat spiralling crime in ‘Wild concerned that these orders will Sources denied Gauke had drawing from Manchester after a now, its e-bikes will spearhead its West Britain’. accelerate the criminalisation of sought to veto the plans and was Actor Amber Heard attends the world premiere of the high rate of thefts and vandalism. move into the UK. The bikes will “There was a time when Con- young people rather than address instead asking for more informa- film Aquaman in London. Reports of missing and abandoned have a maximum speed of just un- servative justice secretaries used the wider social issues around tion about them. e-bikes quickly surfaced in Derby, der 15mph. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 EUROPE Global warming outpaces eff orts to slow it: UN

AFP (3.6° Fahrenheit), national car- This trend is set to continue in a maelstrom of deadly extreme “But the bus is accelerating even on track to achieve their current annual emissions in 2030 will Paris bon-cutting pledges annexed to 2018, which saw a jump in CO2 weather. faster, and the gap is increasing.” pledges. need to stay under 40bn tonnes the 2015 Paris Agreement must emissions from the energy sec- Taken together, rising emis- Momentum is most lacking at The United States, the world’s of CO2 or its equivalent (Gt- collectively triple by 2030, ac- tor, according to the Interna- sions and revised projections on the national level, the report sug- second biggest carbon emitter, CO2e). umanity is falling further cording to the UN Environment tional Energy Agency, as well as CO2 removal have widened the gested. will miss its target badly, as will In 2017, total greenhouse gas behind in the race against Programme’s (UNEP) Emissions an increase in the atmospheric emissions gap by 15% for a 2°C “Governments really need to Australia, Canada, South Korea, emissions hit 53.5 GtCO2e. Hclimate change, with Gap report. concentration of CO2. world, and by nearly 70% for the look at their Nationally Deter- Mexico and Turkey. If the target is 1.5°C, the gap the gap between greenhouse gas To hold the rise in Earth’s But the gap between where we 1.5°C target, according to the new mined Contributions (NDCs) The European Union, Japan, becomes a chasm: by 2030, car- emissions and levels needed to temperature to 1.5°C above the are and where we need to be also report. and increase their ambition,” said Brazil and South Africa will also bon emissions must be lowered achieve the Paris climate treaty preindustrial benchmark, such grew on paper: new calculations The news comes despite Drost. fall short. to no more than 24bn tonnes per temperature goals continuing to eff orts would have to increase by the UN’s top science panel breakneck growth in solar and Boosting carbon-cutting ef- Top emitters China and Russia year, nearly one-and-a-half- widen, the UN said yesterday. fi ve-fold. sharply reduce the real-world wind power, gains in energy ef- forts is high on the agenda at UN are both on track, but mostly be- times lower than they would be With only a 1° Celsius of “The emissions gap is much potential for drawing CO2 out of fi ciency, and climate action by climate talks starting next week cause their goals were so modest even if Paris promises are kept. warming so far, the world has bigger than last year,” UNEP’s the air, whether by planting more business and local governments, in Katowice, though host country to begin with. Written and reviewed by 100 seen a crescendo of deadly wild- Philip Drost, one of several co- trees or capturing and storing said Andrew Steer, president and Poland has let it be known that The Emissions Gap report’s climate scientists and experts, fi res, heatwaves and hurricanes. ordinators for the annual report’s CO2 emitted by power plants. chief executive of the Washing- its top priority is fi nalising the projections are based on esti- the annual, 100-page analysis On current trends, tempera- ninth edition, told AFP. More broadly, the Intergovern- ton DC-based World Resources “rulebook” for the Paris Agree- mates of how much carbon hu- tracks progress towards achiev- tures are on track to rise roughly One obvious reason was a mental Panel on Climate Change Institute. ment, which enters into force in manity can emit into the atmos- ing the Paris treaty goals. 4°C by the century’s end, a sce- spike last year in the quantity of (IPCC) special report released “We are chasing a bus” – cli- 2020. phere – known as the “carbon Under Donald Trump, the nario that would tear at the fabric carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, last month concluded that 2°C of mate change – “and we are go- However, upping ambition will budget” – without breaching the United States has abandoned its of civilisation, scientists say. and other planet-warming gases warming – once seen as a safety ing faster and faster, setting new be a tall order given that most 2°C or 1.5°C ceiling. greenhouse gas goals and vowed To cap global warming at 2°C escaping into the atmosphere. guardrail – would in fact usher in world records”, he said by phone. major economies are not even To cap global warming at 2°C, to quit the Paris Agreement.

Court orders two months’ detention Macron vows to stay for Ukrainian sailors

AFP Ukraine under threat Simferopol of ‘full-scale war’ with Russia: Poroshenko course on climate court in Crimea has Russia has sharply increased its ordered two months’ military presence on the border Reuters/AFP nerving foreigners, though he er told BFM TV. “He’s not listen- Adetention for Ukrain- with Ukraine, Ukrainian Presi- Paris acknowledged yesterday that ing to us. Our anger is real.” ian sailors captured in a con- dent Petro Poroshenko said on many protesters held legitimate They have already called an- frontation at sea with Russia, television yesterday, warning of grievances. other day of protests for Decem- in a move likely to further stoke the threat of “full-scale war”. resident Emmanuel Ma- “I will not confuse citizens ber 1. tensions between Moscow and “The number of (Russian) tanks cron said yesterday that and their demands with thugs,” Many participants have called Kyiv. at bases located along our Phe understood the anger Macron said. “I will not cede any for Macron to reimpose a wealth The 24 sailors have been held border has tripled,” Poroshenko felt by voters outside France’s big ground to those who want to de- tax on high earners, repealed af- by Moscow since Sunday, after said in an interview, adding cities over the squeeze that fuel stroy and create disorder.” ter the former investment banker Russian forces seized three that “the number of units that prices have put on households, He conceded that the increase took offi ce last year. of Kyiv’s ships off the coast have been deployed along our but insisted that he would not be in diesel tax, which kicked in just “Macron stays his course, so of Crimea, sparking the most border – what’s more, along its bounced into changing policy by as pump prices were rising, had do we!” a group of around 50 dangerous crisis between the full length – has grown dramati- “thugs”. infl icted more pain than antici- protesters chanted yesterday at ex-Soviet neighbours in years. cally”. For over a week, “yellow vest” pated. a roundabout in Tregueux, west- Russia has resisted calls to He said that the military build- protesters have blocked roads “I have seen, like many French ern France. let them go, accusing the sail- up meant that the country is across France and impeded ac- people, the diffi culties for people “He’s found a solution for ors of crossing illegally into “under threat of full-scale war cess to some fuel depots, shop- who have to drive a lot and have saving the environment and be- Russian waters and of ignor- with Russia”. ping centres and factories in problems making ends meet at ing more energy effi cient, but ing warnings from its border Poroshenko did not give Rus- protest against fuel tax hikes the end of the month,” he said. “I who’s going to pay for it? Us, guards. sian troop numbers but said that they say have eroded their believe very profoundly that we like always,” said Benoit Julou, a Yesterday, a court in Simfer- the information on the military spending power. can transform this anger into the 44-year-old real estate agent at opol, the main city in Russian- buildup was based on intel- The unrest, including vio- Macron: You cannot chant in the same slogan: ‘cut taxes and build solution.” the protest. annexed Crimea, ordered 12 of ligence reports. lent skirmishes stirred by fringe more crèches, schools’. He sought to dampen the an- Far-right leader Marine Le Pen the sailors to be held in pre- He said that numbers of groups in Paris over the week- ger of protesters, dubbed “yel- lambasted the speech as “devoid trial detention for two months. Russian troops in Crimea had end, has stung Macron as he tries in an hour-long address outlin- cherishes its generous welfare low vests” because of the high- of any solutions”, while the So- The others are to appear be- tripled since Moscow annexed to fi ght back against a sharp fall ing his blueprint for a transition state and was becoming less in- visibility jackets they wear at cialist Party leader Oliver Faure fore the court today. the peninsula in 2014. in popularity and exposed him towards cleaner energy. clined to pay for it through taxes, their barricades, with a proposal said Macron had turned a deaf The detentions angered to charges of being out of touch Striving to show both humility he said. to review fuel tax rates quarterly ear to voters’ complaints. Kyiv, which has demanded the with voters. and empathy with anger among “You cannot chant in the same to take into account global oil Conservative lawmaker Dam- release of the sailors and urged ing Western governments to A little over 18 months into provincial voters, he said his ad- slogan: ‘cut taxes and build more prices. ien Abad said Macron’s remarks Western allies to impose fur- impose further sanctions on his presidency, it has raised ministration needed to be smart- crèches, schools’,” Macron said. Protesters manning the road- underlined the reality gap be- ther sanctions on Moscow. Russia. questions about whether the er in its policymaking to avoid Two people have been killed blocks and the president’s politi- tween the Elysee Palace and the “We don’t agree with such Putin said Kyiv’s actions 40-year-old former investment the emergence of a “two-speed and more than 600 injured dur- cal opponents were unimpressed rest of France. a decision, we consider it were “clearly taken in view banker has misjudged his ability France” where workers living ing the 11 days of “yellow vest” with Macron’s overtures, even “This was a technocrat’s baseless and unlawful,” Aider of the election campaign in to overhaul France and its econ- outside cities were left behind protests across France. after the president said his ecol- speech, disconnected from the Azamatov, the lawyer for one Ukraine”. omy. and grew more frustrated with a Macron has warned that the ogy minister would meet repre- reality of French and not touch- of the sailors, said outside Sunday’s incident has been “We must not change course, perceived urban elite. violence which turned some sentatives of their protest move- ing on their worries, including court, adding that there would playing out on Russian and because the policy direction is The crisis, though, illustrated Parisian boulevards into bat- ment later in the day. those of the ‘yellow vests’,” he be an appeal within three days. Ukrainian television screens, right and necessary,” Macron said a “paradox” in a country that tlefi elds on Saturday risked un- “We’re all fed up,” one protest- said in a television interview. The incident was the fi rst with dramatic footage of Rus- major confrontation at sea in sian ships chasing down a the long-running confl ict pit- Ukrainian tugboat that was ting Ukraine against Moscow trying to pass through the and Russian-backed separa- Kerch Strait from the Black Sea tists in the country’s east. into the Sea of Azov. German jailed It has raised fears of a wider Russian state television late escalation – in a confl ict that on Monday aired footage of has killed more than 10,000 some of the captured sailors people since 2014 – and being questioned by Moscow’s for football team prompted international calls security services. for restraint. One of them is heard saying Yesterday President “the actions of the Ukrain- Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine ian armed vessels in the Kerch bus bomb attack against any “reckless acts” af- Strait had a provocatory char- ter Kyiv declared martial law in acter” – parroting the version response to Moscow’s seizure of events put forward by Rus- AFP hedge three explosive devices, of the three navy vessels. sian authorities. Dortmund, Germany each of which contained up to The Ukrainian parliament Ukraine’s naval commander, 1kg of a hydrogen peroxide mix- late on Monday voted in favour Igor Voronchenko, said the ture and about 65 cigarette-sized of President Petro Porosh- sailors were pressured into giv- German who launched a metal bolts. enko’s request for the intro- ing false evidence. shrapnel bomb attack on Wenergold had left letters sug- duction of martial law in bor- “I know these sailors, they Athe team bus of football gesting an Islamist terrorist mo- der areas for 30 days. were always professional. club Borussia Dortmund in April tive at the scene, sparking initial This gives Ukrainian author- What they are saying now is 2017 to make money on the club’s alarm about a possible extremist ities the power to mobilise citi- not true,” he told Ukrainian shares diving was sentenced yes- attack. zens with military experience, media. “They (the Russians) terday to 14 years in jail. He had bought put options regulate the media and restrict could even say that we came A court in Dortmund found worth some €26,000 ($29,000) public rallies in aff ected areas. from the sky on a spaceship.” Sergej Wenergold, 29, guilty of 28 – essentially a bet on the club’s Moscow has accused Kyiv of Western governments have counts of attempted murder after share price falling – and had planning Sunday’s confronta- rallied behind Kyiv in the dis- he detonated three explosive de- hoped to gain half a million eu- tion as a provocation aimed pute, accusing Russia of ille- vices while the bus was en route ros, said prosecutors. at drumming up support for gally blocking access to the Sea to the stadium for a Champions Wenergold’s defence lawyer Defendant Sergej W (left) stands in the courtroom with his lawyer Carl Heydenreich (right) prior to the Poroshenko ahead of elec- of Azov and of taking military League game last year. Carl Heydenreich insisted that verdict in his trial in Dortmund, western Germany. tions next year and convinc- action without justifi cation. “He expected people to at least his client hoped to spark panic, be killed,” judge Peter Windgaet- not to wound or kill people. in tears when he gave evidence ter said in court. Wenergold reportedly drew about the aftermath of the blasts After an 11-month trial, the attention to himself at the hotel, on board the bus. trained electrician, who was born fi rst by insisting on a window “Everyone was lying on the in Russia, was also found guilty room facing the front and then, fl oor. Splinters were fl ying. There French offi cial suspected of spying for N Korea of causing an explosion and two in the chaos after the blasts, by was a lot of smoke. Marc was counts of causing serious injury. calmly walking into its restaurant crying out. We didn’t know what The blasts wounded Spanish to order a steak. would happen next,” Ginter told AFP isolated, dictatorial nation, was show Le Quotidien, which broke dent, Gerard Larcher, declined defender Marc Bartra and a po- Police arrested him 10 days af- the court in April. Paris taken into custody late on Sun- the story, said he was arrested at to comment. lice offi cer. ter the attack. A day after the attack, the day, the source in Paris said. his home. Quennedey has written fre- Wenergold had stayed in the Several players of Borussia team played their postponed After an inquiry which began It unclear what type of in- quent articles on North Ko- same hotel as the team when he Dortmund, who currently sit game against Monaco and lost, ntelligence agencies have ar- in March, prosecutors suspect formation Quennedey was rea and travelled extensively remotely triggered the bomb at- four points clear at the top of the prompting then coach Thomas rested a senior French civil him of the “collection and de- suspected of trying to pass to throughout the peninsula, ac- tack on the evening of April 11, Bundesliga table, gave emotional Tuchel to rail against the UEFA Iservant who worked at the livery of information to a foreign Pyongyang. cording to the website of his 2017 as the bus was heading for testimony during the trial about for not giving the players time to Senate on suspicion he passed power likely to undermine the According to the Senate web- publisher Delga. a Champions’ League quarter- the trauma they suff ered. come to terms with their fear be- confi dential information to fundamental interests of the na- site, Quennedey is a senior ad- Last December Delga pub- fi nal match against Monaco. “There are still some players fore returning to the pitch. North Korea, a judicial source tion”, the source said. ministrator in France’s upper lished Quennedey’s latest work, The devices were triggered receiving psychological treat- Wenergold, who confessed to told AFP. Quennedey is being held at house of parliament in the de- North Korea, The Unknown. “just at the moment” the bus ment,” Windgaetter revealed. the attack in January, voiced his Benoit Quennedey, who is the headquarters of France’s partment of architecture, her- In a video posted on YouTube drove past the bombs, added Defender Matthias Gin- regret last week when he told the also the president of the Franco- DGSI domestic intelligence itage and gardens, in charge of that month, Quennedey de- Windgaetter. ter, who now plays for Borussia court: “I would like to apologise Korean Friendship Association agency on the outskirts of Paris. administration and fi nances. scribed the impoverished state Wenergold had hidden in a Moenchengladbach, broke down to everybody.” and has published works on the The French news and talk The offi ce of the Senate presi- as a “model for development”. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 17 INDIA Delhi wanted Sajad Lone’s govt in Kashmir, says governor

IANS Those who want to abuse me, People’s Democratic Party lead- Reacting to Malik’s assertions, “J&K Governor has exposed Delhi. The governor has done Malik for not looking to Delhi & Gwalior they will keep abusing. But I am er Mehbooba Mufti and National the Congress targeted Prime Modi government’s sinister de- long-term damage to India’s in- for not taking their instructions convinced that what I have done Conference leader Omar Abdul- Minister Narendra Modi for his sign of installing an illegitimate terest in J&K,” said Tewari. thereby stopping the installation was right,” Malik said, defend- lah made no “serious” eff orts to “sinister design” to install an government by horse trading and “That is a reality which unfor- of a government of the BJP & its ammu and Kashmir Gover- ing his decision to dissolve the get in touch with him. illegitimate government on the coercion. From Goa to Arunachal tunately will have implications proxies formed by horse trading, nor Satya Pal Malik yesterday Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. “You can’t just fax or tweet state. Pradesh, J&K to Tamil Nadu, this in the future also. defections & use of money”. Jsaid he would have had to let The remarks could likely em- and form the government. Why The Congress also accused has been Modi’s (modus) oper- “What Governor is trying to Mufti said it was a welcome Peoples Conference leader Sajad barrass the Bharatiya Janata par- didn’t they come to Jammu? Why the governor of infl icting long- andi. PM must answer for the do is really emulate his masters departure from the past as the Lone form a government if he ty-led central government. did they not call me?” he said. term damage to India’s interest rank political dishonesty,” said in Delhi who have done a Phd in governor did not take dictates had taken hints from New Delhi. Later, talking to CNN News 18, On November 21, the gover- in Kashmir. Congress spokesman Randeep fl ip-fl op, U-turns, somersaults from Delhi and decided on his “I want to make it clear once Malik said that whatever he did nor dissolved the assembly after In his bid to defend the abrupt Singh Surjewala. and the reality is that the Naren- own to dissolve the assembly. again. If I had looked at Delhi, I was right. the PDP staked claim to form a dissolution of the state Assem- Another Congress leader dra Modi government has no “Leaving aside the fax ma- would have had to make a gov- “Sajad Lone had the num- government along with the Con- bly, Malik had said that “had he Manish Tewari said the gover- policy towards J&K,” he added. chine fi asco, good to see that ernment of Lone and I would bers, obviously Delhi will push gress and with the outside back- looked to Delhi, he would have nor in his attempts to defend was However, Omar Abdullah and governor Sb (sic) refused to take have been known in the history for him,” he said, rejecting the ing of the National Conference. had to install a government led “tying himself up in his knots”. Mehbooba Mufti reacted posi- dictation from Delhi, rather opt- as a dishonest (beimaan) man,” claims that the central govern- In no time, Lone made a counter by Peoples Conference leader “The fact remains what the tively to Malik’s statement. ed for dissolution of assembly. the governor reportedly said at ment interfered in the decision claim to power with the backing of Sajjad Lone, and history would governor did was nothing short Former chief minister Omar This could be unprecedented, an event here. to dissolve the assembly. the BJP and the rebel Peoples Dem- have remembered him as a dis- of a command performance and Abdullah said on his twitter: given the story of democracy in “That’s why I ended the issue. The governor claimed that ocratic Party (PDP) legislators. honest man. he did it on the instructions of “My compliments to Governor the state “, Mufti tweeted. MP, Mizoram to hold crucial state assembly polls tomorrow

IANS Gandhi sought to rejuvenate Bhopal/Aizawl the state unit by appointing Kamal Nath as the party chief in April this year and naming Jyoti- adhya Pradesh will vote raditya Scindia, MP, as the cam- tomorrow to either give paign chief. Mthe Bharatiya Janata Congress leaders have sought Party a fourth successive term to highlight the problems of in power or give a chance to the farmers, the poor, middle class challenger Congress to break the and youths in their rallies, espe- saff ron party’s monopoly over cially holding demonetisation power for the last 15 years. and GST as reasons for the agrar- Similarly, voters in Mizoram ian distress and traders’ plight. will exercise their franchise to- Gandhi attacked Modi and his morrow to elect a new assembly government on issues of corrup- in which the Congress is striv- tion and promises made in the ing for a third successive term 2014 Lok Sabha elections and by Federal ministers Prakash Javadekar and Arun Jaitley and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje release the BJP’s manifesto in Jaipur yesterday. against a stiff challenge from Chauhan in the 2013 elections. the Mizo National Front headed He has promised a farm loan by former chief minister Zo- waiver within 10 days of Con- ramthanga. gress coming power. Mizoram, one of the four National issues like surgical states where the Congress is in strike, construction of a temple power at present besides Punjab in Ayodhya, caste and dynasty and the union territory of Pu- were raised with the campaign ducherry and is part of a coali- barely revolving around the issue BJP promises dole for tion in Karnataka, is the last re- the development. maining bastion for the party in Modi attacked the Congress the northeast. on corruption, dynasty politics The campaign has been high and several other issues and gave decibel, often marked by bit- accounts of the achievements of ter personal attacks, with Prime the state and his own govern- Minister Narendra Modi and ment. the jobless in Rajasthan Congress president Rahul Gan- In Mizoram, the fi ght is largely dhi leading the charge of their between the Congress and the IANS The manifesto promises “The manifesto promises a didates and now it is fi rst again in (Central Bureau of Investiga- parties. Mizo National Front though the Jaipur 30,000 government jobs, with Yog Bhavan in each district. declaring the manifesto.” tion), ED (Enforcement Direc- In Madhya Pradesh, the con- BJP is also seeking to make its Raje emphasising 5mn addition- It also promises to set up Par- Federal Finance Minister Jait- torate) and Income Tax Depart- test is mainly between the BJP presence felt. The BJP has made al jobs in the private sector in the ashuram Board and Rajasthan ley said the BJP was also fi rst in ment. This fear was not there and Congress though the Bahu- deep inroads in the northeast he Bharatiya Janata Party next fi ve years. Vedic Studies Board in the state,” announcing the chief ministe- earlier. The people of Rajasthan jan Samaj Party and Samajwadi since the Modi government came in Rajasthan has promised Besides an allowance of she said. rial candidate, adding that the do not support the BJP-run cen- Party are also in the fray. to power in 2014 and its perform- Ta monthly unemployment Rs5,000 per month to the eligi- “All districts will be linked “biggest factor to infl uence the tral government anymore. They Apart from Modi’s appeal, ance in the Christian majority dole of Rs5,000 and 30,000 gov- ble unemployed youths over 21 to the four-lane highway in the Rajasthan assembly elections is will lose big time in Rajasthan. I the BJP is banking on the image state will be keenly watched. ernment jobs in fi ve years, ac- years of age, the manifesto also state. The youths will be trained the rural outreach programme have heard that their situation is of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh In the battle for supremacy in cording to the party manifesto promises a transparent process for jobs in the army in each sub- that has taken place during the not good anywhere, be it Madhya Chouhan and its organisational the election to the 40-member released yesterday for the as- to strengthen the minimum sup- division three months before BJP tenure in the state.” Pradesh or Rajasthan,” Banerjee structure. Party president Amit Mizoram Assembly, Chief Min- sembly elections to be held on port price to double farmers’ in- army recruitment camps are Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief said at a public rally in Purulia. Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Min- ister Lal Thanhawla of the Con- December 7. come, Raje said. held,” Raje added. Minister Mamata Banerjee ac- “People are not able to do ister Yogi Adityanath and fed- gress is seeking a hat-trick. He The manifesto was unveiled The manifesto also mentions The chief minister said ‘hap- cused the BJP-led central govern- business freely. Even the money eral ministers Rajnath Singh, claims there is no incumbency by federal ministers Arun Jait- a rural start-up fund of Rs250 piness index’ will be set as a pa- ment of not keeping its electoral kept in the banks is not safe. The Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley against his government. ley, Prakash Javadekar and Chief crore, adding that co-operative rameter for implementing these promises and making the lives of business infrastructure in the campaigned in the state. A total of 209 candidates are Minister Vasundhara Raje. agriculture loans worth Rs1 lakh policies. traders and businessmen miser- country has collapsed after de- The Congress put up a spirited in the fray in Mizoram. Raje said the manifesto is ti- crore will be given in the next fi ve Sharing credit for releasing able, and said the saff ron party monetisation. Many small- and fi ght by raising issues concern- The Congress has fi elded 40 tled ‘Rajasthan Gaurav Sankalp years. This initiative, Raje said, the manifesto ahead of its rival, will lose the assembly elections in medium-scale traders are forced ing the people and putting up a candidates while the BJP and 2018’ as her government had will help in extending the ben- the Congress, she said: “The BJP Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. to shut their business while a united fi ght by keeping the issue MNF are contesting in 39 and 40 “fulfi lled 95%” of promises efi ts of co-operative agriculture has been a leader; it was the fi rst “Today, the traders are in trou- number of big businessmen have of leadership at bay. constituencies respectively. made in the 2013 document. loans to new members. in announcing the names of can- ble. They are scared of the CBI left the country,” she claimed. Modi’s ‘victimhood politics’ to KCR dares PM for joint hide incompetence: Congress visit to Nizamabad IANS capita power consumption in the IANS hya Pradesh, Telangana and Tewari, adding that Modi should Hyderabad country. New Delhi Rajasthan, Tewari questioned pay heed to former prime minis- Addressing election rallies in why Modi never talked about his ter Manmohan Singh’s advice to Mahabubnagar district, KCR government’s failure to fulfi l the him on the issue. elangana Chief Minister K claimed that Telangana is the rime Minister Narendra promise of generating 10 crore Singh on Monday urged Modi Chandrashekhar Rao yes- only state supplying uninter- Modi is solely responsible jobs, or why the autonomy of the to exercise “due restraint” in his Tterday challenged Prime rupted round-the-clock free Pfor lowering the politi- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was public speeches observing that Minister Narendra Modi for a power to farmers. “Even the BJP- cal discourse in the country, the attacked, or about the “irregu- the prime minister must “set the joint visit to Nizamabad to fi nd ruled states are not doing this,” Congress said yesterday, and ac- larities” in the deal to buy Rafale example” for the people. out if people are facing electrici- he said. cused him of pursuing “politics fi ghter jets from France. Tewari also targeted Finance ty and water problems as alleged KCR’s daughter and Nizama- of victimhood” in order to hide “The only thing we get to hear Minister Arun Jaitley who in his by him. bad MP K Kavita also reacted his incompetence and non-per- from him are variants of victim- latest blog post has come down Reacting to Modi’s remark at sharply to Modi’s speech. “Let formance of his government. hood. You were given an absolute heavily on the Congress over dy- an election rally in Nizamabad him come for a field visit. I Wondering when Modi will majority to run the country and nasty politics, saying “Congress that people in the town lack ba- wonder if the PM is able to do stop playing the “victim card”, we hope in the remaining days considers only a great surname sic amenities, the Telangana in his constituency Varanasi the Congress asked him to an- (of campaigning) we will get to as a political brand”. Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief what we have achieved here,” swer about challenges faced by hear from you about the per- “Why doesn’t the fi nance dared him to come with him for she said. the country including the rupee formance of your government,” minister blog on the tumbling a visit. Modi in his speech poked fun touching a historic low and the the former federal minister said. rupee or why the RBI’s autono- KCR, as the chief minister is at KCR’s promise to turn Nizam- ever-rising fuel prices. About the heated political cam- my was attacked? Why doesn’t called, termed as the “biggest abad into London. “While com- “Why does Modi need to prac- paign that has often witnessed he write about why fuel prices lie” Modi’s claim that people of ing here I asked the pilot (of the tise the politics of victim-hood leaders indulging in personal are skyrocketing or why the cur- Nizamabad are facing electricity helicopter) to take a round to see when he is fundamentally and mudslinging, Tewari blamed Modi rent account defi cit is constantly problem. He also remarked that if he has done this. I found that primarily responsible for fi nd- for the political discourse going rising? When will he answer he had never seen such an “igno- towns in states with relatively ing solutions to the problems and down on a daily basis. these questions? rant” prime minister. weak economy are better than challenges faced by the country,” “When the prime minister for “The problem is, the fi nance “You are the prime minister Nizamabad,” he said. Congress spokesman Manish Te- the last 53 months has been low- minister talks on everything of the country. How can you talk Modi was on a visit to Te- wari asked at a press conference. ering the level of political dis- which doesn’t concern his min- like this,” asked the TRS chief langana to campaign for the Pointing to Modi’s numerous course on a daily basis, then rest istry...and the reason is clear, Telangana’s Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) while pointing out that Electric- Bharatiya Janata Party for the rallies for the assembly polls in of the leaders too feel that this that under him the economy is president K Chandrasekhar Rao addresses a public meeting in ity Authority of India has ranked December 7 elections to Telan- Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Mad- ought to be the language,” said in tatters.” Kollapur in Nagarkurnool district yesterday. Telangana number one in per gana Assembly. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 INDIA

GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE CULTURE LITERATURE SCIENCE Krishnankutty sworn Apollo inks pact with Adlux Recording studio to Varun Gandhi to publish Earth observation satellite in as Kerala minister for 250-bed hospital be set up in Dharavi book on rural distress to be launched today

Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader K Krishnankutty Apollo Hospitals has joined hands with Kerala’s A recording studio will be set up in Mumbai’s Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi will India will launch today an earth observation was sworn in as the new minister for water Adlux Group to develop a 250-bed super- Dharavi slum locality for nurturing young publish a book in December which will explore satellite and 30 small satellites from eight resources in the Kerala government yesterday. speciality hospital in the suburb of Kochi. Located talents and celebrating hip-hop culture. This is rural India’s innate perseverance and highlight countries, the country’s space agency said Governor P Sathasivam administered the oath in Angamaly, close to the Kochi International a collaboration between PepsiCo India and The potential solutions in development policy with yesterday. According to the Indian Space Research of off ice and secrecy. Krishnankutty, 74, replaced Airport, the new Apollo Adlux Hospital will begin Dharavi Project, a school that off ers a platform a focus on making the rural economy resilient, Organisation (ISRO), the Polar Satellite Launch Mathew T Thomas who resigned on Tuesday operations in four to six months, the healthcare to discover and showcase talents of hip-hop New Delhi-based Rupa Publications announced Vehicle Core Alone variant (PSLV-CA) will fly with in accordance with a decision by the national company said in a statement yesterday. Apollo artistes. The upcoming studio will be called yesterday. The book Rural Manifesto “sparks the 380kg Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite and 30 leadership of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). Hospitals would be responsible for all operations ‘PepsiCo Recording Studio’. The move was formally a national conversation on rural distress, others together weighing 261.5kg. The PSLV rocket While the Congress-led opposition boycotted and management of the hospital, it added. “We are announced by Simon Fuller-introduced global pop highlighting the potential solutions to putting is a four-stage launch vehicle with alternating solid the swearing in protesting against the Kerala happy to enter into God’s Own Country with this group Now United, currently on a two-week tour the village economy on an even keel, while and liquid stages and engines. The entire mission government’s tough stand on the Sabarimala world-class super-speciality hospital in partnership in India. Now United comprises 14 talented singers exploring how the vast majority of India ekes out will be completed in 112 minutes after the rocket’s issue, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet with the Adlux Group,” said Prathap C Reddy, and dancers from across the world, including India, a living,” the publisher said in a statement. The liftoff . The rocket’s fourth stage will be switched off colleagues and legislators from the ruling chairman of Apollo Hospitals Group. “This is indeed Brazil, the Philippines, Finland, Senegal and the US timely book will cover facets of the Indian rural in just over 16 minutes after the liftoff . After over 17 front were present on the occasion. Thomas a special moment for us and I am confident that among others. The Dharavi Project is the group’s economy, and the author shines a bright light minutes into the flight, the PSLV rocket will place was present at the event and so was the lone Apollo Hospitals will be able to utilise its experience first stop on their four-city tour of India. The goals of on the travails of the marginal farmer and asks the HysIS satellite with a mission life span of five Bharatiya Janata Party legislator, O Rajagopal. of 35 years to serve the people of Kerala through The Dharavi Project resonate strongly with PepsiCo searching questions on why the rural economy years in 636km polar sun synchronous orbit. After Krishnankutty started his political career in the proven global practices augmented by cutting India’s aim to give people the chance to create remains in the doldrums, seven decades after that the rocket will be brought to a lower altitude Congress and later joined the Janata Party. edge innovation in healthcare,” he added. outstanding art, said Tarun Bhagat of the company. independence. of 503km.

No clues still Protest against Bihar govt on Air India employee Kerala court missing for two months rules no more IANS New Delhi

he case of an Air India woman employee miss- Ting for two months has protests at been handed over to the Crime Branch. Sulakshna Narula, 57, went missing from outside her Pan- dara Road house in the heart of Delhi on September 30, leaving her family in distress. Sabarimala The Crime Branch took over the case on November 22 fol- IANS lowing the intervention of Delhi Kochi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. “My mother went missing he Kerala High Court yes- from outside our house around terday ruled that there 6pm on September 30. We Tshould be no more pro- lodged a missing complaint on tests at the Sabarimala temple October 1 and a case of abduc- during the ongoing pilgrimage tion on October 4. But the police season. are still clueless,” the woman’s The court also asked the po- son Anubhav Narula told IANS. lice to deal properly with the “After our continuous pres- pilgrims and allow them to chant sure, the case was transferred to hymns, but refused to lift pro- Crime Branch last Thursday and hibitory orders in place in and Educationist, social activist and entrepreneur Lalita Nijhawan speaks their team met us the very next around the temple town. during a seminar on ‘police atrocities on Sabarimala devotees’ in day,” Narula said. Sabarimala town has been New Delhi on Monday. The distraught son expressed witnessing repeated protests the hope that the Crime Branch ever since a September 28 ver- Janata Party and the Rashtriya the Congress-led United Demo- might be able to trace his mother. dict of the Supreme Court that Swayamsevak Sangh have been cratic Front announced that it A day after Sulakshna went that allowed women of all ages to arrested. Most have been re- will continue the protests till the missing, a complaint was fi led by enter the temple. leased on bail. police withdrew the prohibitory the family at Tilak Marg police High court judge P R Ramach- The Left Democratic Front orders. station. On October 4, an FIR andran Menon verdict came af- (LDF) government-led by the The decision was announced was fi led suspecting abduction. ter hearing around 30 petitions. Communist Party of India by UDF convener Benny Be- The family also contacted all The court asked the Kerala (Marxist) has been trying to im- hanan soon after the liaison relatives, put up posters on au- government to submit in a sealed plement the top court’s order committee of the leadership met to-rickshaws and even created a cover what arrangements it has even as the Congress, the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram. Facebook page in a desperate bid made for women in the 10-50 and Hindu groups have stepped “We have decided that our to locate her. age group if they desire to pray at up opposition to the Supreme protests will continue till the Abhinav Narula suspects the temple. Court verdict. prohibitory orders in the temple that his mother may have been The court refused to interfere The high court also set up a town in Sabarimala are lifted. locked up at some ashram as she on the action of the Kerala police three-member observer panel Our protests will be seen both was a religious person and was which on Monday extended a which will oversee the Sabar- inside and outside the assembly,” facing acute depression since prohibitory order that bans as- imala pilgrimage season. said Behanan. 2007 as her promotion was de- sembly of more than four people The court ruled that arrange- The business session of the nied to her even as a junior was in one place till November 30. ments should be made for wom- state assembly begins today. made her boss. But the court asked the police en above 50 years, children and Behanan said there was “an She was diagnosed with Bipolar to ensure that there should be physically challenged pilgrims to unholy alliance between Chief disorder – an illness related to mood no protests in the temple. And rest near the temple. Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s gov- swings ranging from depressive while the police could conduct The court, without naming a ernment and the BJP/RSS forc- lows to manic highs – on July 24. searches, these should be done police offi cial who was report- es”. “She was taking pills to cope in a decent manner. edly rash with a high court judge “Vijayan and the Sangh Pari- with depression. Because of her Since the ongoing two-month who went to Sabarimala to pray, var forces are hand-in-glove problem, we were not letting her pilgrimage season opened on said if the judge had not forgiven and the former has given the go out of the house alone. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislators stage a demonstration against the Bihar government November 16, around 85 ac- the police offi cer, tough actions chance to the latter to get glori- last time she visited her offi ce outside the Bihar Assembly in Patna yesterday. tivists of various rightwing would have been taken. fi ed through their protests and was the fi rst week of September. groups including the Bharatiya Despite the high court order, arrests of their leaders.

More charges fi led Farmers to hold protest against blasts suspect rally in Delhi on Friday IANS on September 17, 1997 and the Mumbai Interpol had issued a red corner notice in his name. IANS dra Yadav, president of Swaraj to the Private Member’s Bills in The CBI probe revealed that New Delhi India, told reporters. the last one year. he Central Bureau of Shaikh was part of the crimi- AIKSCC convener V M Singh “Over 3.5 lakh farmers in the Investigation yesterday nal conspiracy hatched for ex- said farmers coming from diff er- country have committed suicide Tfi led a supplementary ecuting the blasts. housands of farmers from ent parts of the country would so far. We have never seen such a charge-sheet against a man He had gone to Dubai and across the country will start the marches today from the bad condition of farmers. Now, the for his alleged involvement in worked in close association Thold a protest march from stations where they arrive at to Agriculture Ministry itself is saying the March 1993 Mumbai serial with several other prime ab- Ramlila Maidan to Parliament the Ramlila Maidan. that demonetisation had a bad im- blasts case, an offi cial said. sconders such as Dawood Ib- Street in New Delhi on Friday Swabhimani Shetkari Sangha- pact on farmers,” Dhawale said. The CBI lodged the supple- rahim Kaskar, Tiger Memon to pressure the government for tana leader and parliament mem- Social activist Medha Patkar, mentary charge-sheet before and others, the CBI said. higher crop prices and farm loan ber Raju Shetti, who is also a part retired major general Satbir Singh, the Designated TADA Court After the Dubai meeting, waiver. of the AIKSCC, has introduced who has been spearheading the in the case registered 25 years Shaikh was given training According to the All India two Private Member’s Bills in the agitation for implementation of the ago. in handling arms and am- Kisan Sangharsh Co-ordination Lok Sabha seeking a loan waiver One Rank One Pension, and noted Thirteen back-to-back munition, bomb making and Committee (AIKSCC), an um- for farmers across the country and journalist P Sainath were among blasts rocked Mumbai on throwing hand grenades, in- brella organisation of over 184 a guaranteed remunerative price those who briefed the media. March 12, 1993 killing 257 peo- vestigations revealed. farmers’ groups, the two-day for agricultural commodities. Sainath said a special session ple, injuring over 710 and de- On March 12, a series of protest starting tomorrow would “We want the government to of parliament was convened on stroying properties worth over blasts shook Mumbai at prom- be the culmination of eff orts be- pass these bills for the benefi t to short notice for the Goods and Rs270mn. inent locations such as the ing made by the distressed farm- farmers,” Singh said. Services Tax but the Swami- Ahmed Kamal Shaikh alias Bombay Stock Exchange, Air ers over the past one-and-a-half The AIKSCC said 21 political nathan Commission’s report had Ahmed Lambu, one of the sus- India Building, Zaveri Bazaar, years. parties have extended their sup- been lying in parliament without pects named by the CBI, had Mandvi Co-operative Bank, a “We had held our fi rst rally af- port to the bills and their repre- any discussion since 2006. been absconding for the past 25 location in Worli, Fishermen’s ter the Mandsaur fi ring. We have sentatives may visit the protest “The government has stopped years and was arrested on June 1. Colony Mahim, Plaza Cin- received a huge response from march on Friday. giving data about farm suicides. He is in judicial custody. ema, Regional Passport Offi ce, not just farmers but people in the Left-affi liated All India Kisan It is not just farm woes; it is be- Earlier, he had been declared Century Bazar, Kattha Bazaar, country as well. The AIKSCC has Sabha (AIKS) leader Ashok Dha- yond. There is a national crisis a proclaimed off ender by the Hotel Sea Rock, Hotel Juhu brought all ideologies together wale said the government had now. We have to show solidarity Social activist Medha Patkar speaks at a press conference as noted court, a non-bailable warrant Centaur and Mumbai Airport for the cause of farmers,” Yogen- failed to do anything with regard with farmers,” he said. journalist Sainath looks on in New Delhi yesterday. of arrest was issued against him Sahar Terminal. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 19 LATIN AMERICA

CRIME ASSISTANCE DEFORESTATION APPOINTMENT OFFICIAL US charges Honduran UN approves $9mn aid for Brazil loses ‘1mn football Mexico’s new govt names China president to visit president’s brother crisis-stricken Venezuela pitches’ worth of forest ally from left to top bank Panama in December

US prosecutors said they have charged Juan The United Nations announced $9.2mn in health Deforestation in Brazil has reached such Mexico’s incoming finance minister nominated China’s President Xi Jinping will in December Antonio Hernandez, the brother of Honduran and nutritional aid for crisis-stricken Venezuela, epic proportions that an area equivalent to left-leaning economist Gerardo Esquivel as make his first visit to Panama since the Central President Juan Orlando Hernandez, with where hunger and preventable disease are 1mn football pitches was lost in just one year, central bank deputy governor, the second American country switched diplomatic ties last conspiring to import cocaine into the US, soaring amid the collapse of the country’s socialist Greenpeace said. Between August 2017 and appointment to the board by the new year from Taiwan. President Juan Carlos Varela weapons off ences and making false statements. economic system. It is the first UN emergency July 2018, deforestation increased by almost government following an independent named said on Twitter that his government has received The former Honduran congressman, who also funding for the government of President Nicolas 14% with an area of 7,900sq km of forest in September. In a 2016 newspaper opinion off icial confirmation from Beijing about Xi’s visit. goes by the name Tony, was arrested in Miami Maduro, which blames the country’s economic cleared. “It’s more or less 1mn football fields of piece, Harvard-educated Esquivel raised the Xi is to meet Varela on December 3, and the on Friday, the day after the US public holiday of problems on US financial sanctions and an deforestation in just one year,” Marcio Astrini, question of whether the autonomous Banco two leaders will witness the signing of about 20 Thanksgiving, and appeared in Miami federal “economic war” led by political adversaries. the public policies co-ordinator for Greenpeace de Mexico should adopt a dual-mandate to agreements in a range of sectors from science court. US prosecutors said Hernandez was a Government critics celebrated the move as a Brazil, said. “Every year we have this news that promote growth as well as low inflation, and to infrastructure, the statement said. In August, large-scale drug traff icker who worked from recognition by Venezuelan authorities that the forest is being criminally deforested.” Astrini argued for more diverse views on the board. El Salvador also switched diplomatic allegiance 2004 to 2016 with other drug traff ickers in country faces a humanitarian crisis — something said things could get even worse if president- Esquivel was a spokesman on economic to Taiwan, as did the Dominican Republic in May Colombia, Honduras and Mexico, to import Maduro has denied in the past — and a step toward elect Bolsonaro carries out his threats to loosen matters for the campaign of president-elect under a campaign by Beijing to split democratic cocaine into the US. treating a population starved of basic services. environmental protection rules. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Taiwan from its few remaining diplomatic allies. Concern as Maduro visits tourism fair Bolsonaro adds fi fth military man to cabinet

Reuters enters “because there are some Rio de Janeiro/Brasilia people we don’t want in Brazil.” A non-governmental organisa- tion working on the Venezuelan ex- razil’s right-wing presi- odus into Brazil said refugee camps dent-elect Jair Bolsonaro were an “extreme option” for war Bhas picked retired General zone areas and would worsen the Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz as plight of the immigrants. his minister in charge of political “The camps would be far from relations with Congress, adding a urban areas and the Venezuelans fi fth military man to his cabinet. want to be in urban areas to be able Bolsonaro, a former army to rebuild their lives,” said Camila captain-turned-politician who Asano of Conectas rights group. surged to victory on a pledge She said the crisis has sub- to end years of corruption and sided in Roraima where there are rising violence, made the an- 6,000 Venezuelans in shelters nouncement in a Twitter post. and the number living on the Moving to deliver on his law- streets was down to 600. and-order platform, Bolsonaro’s Asano said, however, that a Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro attends the Venezuelan International Fair of Tourism in Caracas. choice for justice and public se- Brazilian Air Force airlift to move curity, former anti-corruption Venezuelans out of Roraima and judge Sergio Moro, said he would to larger cities appeared to have co-ordinate federal and state po- slowed down. lice forces to better fi ght organ- In Brasilia, where Bolsonaro’s ised crime and slow the growth transition team is preparing to of Brazil’s powerful drug gangs govern, Moro told reporters that that control swathes of cities. he will create a secretariat of po- Some Brazilians are concerned lice operations to co-ordinate all that the appointment of Santos Brazil’s security eff orts by feder- Mexico seeks investigation Cruz, who led United Nations al and state police forces to curb peacekeepers in Haiti and the violence in the country that has Democratic Republic of Congo, more murders than any other. and other current or former mil- Brazilian states have control itary offi cials marks a return to a over nearly all the police forces militarised government. in the country, and Moro under- Bolsonaro takes offi ce on Janu- scored he would respect their into teargas fi ring by US ary 1. Seeking to defuse those sovereignty. concerns, Bolsonaro, a fan of the But he said federal co-or- Reuters der authorities said, adding that sands of migrants who have their countries. Do it by plane, nas, an incoming deputy interior 1964-85 military dictatorship, has dination was badly needed to Washington/Tijuana, Mexico none were believed to have suc- made their way north through do it by bus, do it anyway you minister. “Migrants have rights vowed to adhere to Brazil’s consti- improve street policing across cessfully crossed further into Mexico from violent and im- want, but they are NOT coming and we will respect them.” tution and has moderated some of Brazil and to tame the country’s Californian territory. poverished Central American into the USA. We will close the US government agen- his more extreme views expressed overcrowded prisons, which are exico’s foreign min- US President Donald Trump countries. border permanently if need be. cies defended the response to during almost three decades as a under the control of drug gangs istry has presented a told reporters at an event in Tensions had been growing Congress, fund the WALL!” Sunday’s incident at the San federal congressman. who recruit from jail and where Mdiplomatic note to the Mississippi that he would close in Tijuana, and Trump said on Trump tweeted. Ysidro crossing south of San Bolsonaro, who has long been a bloody uprisings are rampant. US government calling for “a the border if migrants “charge” Saturday the migrants would Mexico has been in negotia- Diego, California. News pic- critic of the socialist government Meanwhile, Brazil’s exiting full investigation” into what it the barrier. have to wait in Mexico until tions with the US over a possi- tures showing children fl eeing of Venezuelan President Nicolas President Michel Temer signed described as non-lethal weap- During the melee on Sunday, their individual asylum claims ble scheme to keep migrants tear gas prompted sharp criti- Maduro, again appeared to tone into law a 16% pay rise for Su- ons directed toward Mexican US authorities shut San Ysidro, were resolved in the US. in Mexico while their asylum cism from some lawmakers and down his strident views on re- preme Court justices, disregard- territory on Sunday, a state- the country’s busiest border That would be a signifi cant claims are processed. charities. gional migration, saying that Ven- ing a request from Bolsonaro that ment from the ministry said. crossing, for several hours. “We shift in asylum policy that could The team of Mexican pres- British aid group Oxfam ezuelans fl eeing to Brazil could not he veto the bill to avoid increasing The formal request came af- would close it and we’ll keep it keep Central Americans in ident-elect Andres Manuel said the use of tear gas was be returned to their country “be- next year’s budget defi cit. ter US authorities fi red tear gas closed if we’re going to have a Mexico for more than a year. Lopez Obrador, who takes offi ce shameful. “Images of bare- cause they are not merchandise.” The top court salaries serve canisters toward migrants in problem. Trump went further on Mon- on Saturday, has said no deal has foot children choking on tear In comments to reporters on as a benchmark for other public Mexico — near the border cross- We’ll keep it closed for a long day, saying Mexico should send been agreed on the migrants. gas thrown by US Customs and the weekend, he also fl oated the sector pay and the hike will add ing separating Tijuana from San period of time,” Trump said. the Central Americans, mostly But offi cials have hinted they Border Patrol should shock us idea of creating a refugee camp an estimated 4bn reais ($1bn) to Diego, California — when some Sunday’s incident was the Hondurans, back home. “Mex- could remain. to our core,” Vicki Gass, Oxfam for Venezuelans in the northern the defi cit that Bolsonaro’s eco- rushed through border fencing latest chapter in a saga that has ico should move the fl ag wav- “We should be objective, America Senior Policy Advisor border state of Roraima, while nomic team has promised to bal- into the US. More than 40 were pitted Trump’s hardline immi- ing migrants, many of whom whatever happens they will stay for Central America, said in a defending strict checks on who ance in one year. arrested on the US side, US bor- gration policies against thou- are stone cold criminals, back to in Mexico,” said Alejandro Enci- statement. Lula faces new money Workers protest Odebrecht ‘nears deal’ laundering accusation on graft probe in Peru Reuters not immediately be reached for Lima comment. AFP without any compensation.” Dilma Rousseff , were accused The Odebrecht offi ce in Lima Sao Paulo According to the prosecutor, of receiving bribes with money said the company was in talks an executive at civil construc- diverted from state-owned oil razilian construction to reach an agreement, but de- tion company ARG “asked the giant Petrobras. company Odebrecht is clined to provide further details. razil’s jailed ex-president ex-president to play the role of They have been accused of Bclose to reaching a fi nal “Odebrecht Peru maintains its Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s intermediary” with Obiang to conspiring to form a de facto settlement with Peruvian pros- commitment to collaborate with Blegal troubles mounted as facilitate the company’s business criminal organisation. ecutors over their investigation the justice administration and to he was accused by the Sao Pau- dealings in Equatorial Guinea, Lula’s lawyers branded the into bribes paid by the former for the confi dentiality of the case, lo public prosecutor’s offi ce of notably road construction. charges as “unprecedented po- public works contracts in Peru, a so it is unable to make any com- money laundering in his deal- litical persecution.” prosecutor said. ment on the matter,” it said. ings with Equatorial Guinea. Lula is already serving Obiang, 76, has been ac- Odebrecht has admitted to Odebrecht has been at the cen- “Lula used his international a 12-year corruption cused of brutal repression of his paying about $30mn in bribes to tre of a massive graft scandal that prestige to infl uence decisions sentence for having opponents as well as election win contracts in the South Amer- has rippled across Latin America. made by Equatorial Guinea’s accepted a seaside fraud and corruption. He seized ican country and has agreed to In 2016, it acknowledged in a le- President Teodoro Obiang apartment as a bribe power from his uncle in a 1979 provide prosecutors with details niency deal that it had bribed (Nguema) to benefi t Brazilian from another Brazilian military coup and has ruled the on the payments, culminating offi cials in a dozen countries to group ARG in the African coun- company, BTP, in return country ever since. in a formal plea deal intended to secure public works contracts, try,” the public prosecutor’s of- for public works contracts In 2016, he won a fi fth sev- reduce its exposure to legal risks. dating back over a decade. fi ce said in a statement. en-year presidential term with “It is true we are near to clos- It agreed to pay a record In return, Lula is believed Lula is already serving a 12- nearly 94% of the vote. ing everything,” Rafael Vela, one $3.5bn in settlements in the US, to have received 1mn reais year corruption sentence for Equatorial Guinea has be- of the prosecutors investigating Brazil and Switzerland. ($250,000) in bribes from Sep- having accepted a seaside apart- come one of sub-Saharan Af- Odebrecht, told Reuters. After Brazil, Peru is the coun- tember 2011 to July 2012 under ment as a bribe from another rica’s biggest oil producers, but He declined to off er details try where the Odebrecht scandal the guise of donations to his Brazilian company, BTP, in re- a large proportion of its 1.2mn on what the agreement would has been most disruptive. charitable Lula Institute. turn for public works contracts. population lives in poverty. include. Brazilian newspaper Peru’s four most recent presi- The alleged events happened The 73-year-old is the sub- Two months ago, Brazilian Valor reported late Sunday that dents are under investigation in after his 2003-10 presidency. ject of fi ve other corruption and police seized more than $16mn Odebrecht would sign a defi ni- connection with alleged bribes The Lula Institute rejected money laundering investiga- in cash and luxury items from tive agreement this week with paid by Odebrecht. the accusations saying all its tions but insists he is innocent a delegation accompanying Peruvian authorities investigat- The investigation hit a snag in “donations received... are le- of all charges. On Friday, he and Obiang’s son, Teodorin Nguema Chilean public sector workers take part in a rally to demand ing the company. July, when the Brazilian builder gal, duly declared... and used his successor as president, and Obiang, as he arrived in Brazil to an increase in their salaries in Valparaiso, Chile, yesterday. Representatives of the Pe- raised complaints about the probe for the institute’s activities, fellow Workers Party member, undergo a medical procedure. ruvian attorney’s offi ce could in Peru to authorities in Brazil. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 PAKISTAN

‘Momentum needed Parliament may regain to build consensus tax exemption authority on reforms’ Internews stan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gov- of reviewing the existing with- taxation of the agriculture in- desired to be continued indefi - Internews Islamabad ernment has decided to increase holding tax regime with an aim come, it added. nitely, it should expire after a Karachi property valuation rates, aimed to reduce the number of with- The government also cleared period of fi ve years and should at bringing them closer to real holding taxes, said offi cials. the proposal of formulating an- be re-enacted after that with re- he government of Paki- market value rates. The subgroup report stated nual medium-term tax policy determination of costs. he government has made stan has in principle ap- The Federal Board of Revenue that there are certain withhold- framework that should indicate A list of all government- a good start in its early Tproved proposals to re- (FBR) may issue notifi cations on ing taxes that are imposed on the direction of tax policy over owned enterprises availing ex- T100 days of rule, but it turn the authority of giving tax new rates next month, a senior people who are otherwise not li- the next few years. emption, along with quantifi - needs to build momentum and exemptions, through statutory FBR offi cial said. able to pay income tax. The subgroup has made some cation of the tax expenditure, communicate more eff ectively regulatory orders, to parliament The previous Pakistan Mus- The report also noted that proposals on the overhaul of the should be published and a plan to take public into confi dence and increase property valua- lim League – Nawaz (PML-N) the provincial governments do statutory regulatory order (SRO) for phasing out of these con- and seek national consensus on tion rates from next month, as government had decided to not have incentive to enhance regime. cessions should be prepared to reforms, a business policy advo- it inches towards rolling over a bring the deputy collector-de- their tax collection, as they get The power to issue SROs remove this distortion from the cacy group has said. new set of tax policy reforms. termined property rates on par 57.5% of federal taxes under the should be withdrawn from the market, according to the report. “The opposition (parties) These proposals are a part of with prevailing market rates for National Finance Commission FBR and returned to the parlia- The subgroup has proposed needs to rise above party politics the recommendations that the Prime Minister Imran Khan has enhancing tax collection in three (NFC) award without having to ment. that the federal and provincial and join hands with the govern- Tax Policy Subgroup of the Eco- approved the EAC report. phases. take eff ort. In theory, the FBR has already tax systems be integrated. ment in the national objective of nomic Advisory Council (EAC) However, after implementing The solution to this might lie surrendered these powers, but The subgroup is of the view regaining fi nancial sovereignty has submitted to Prime Minister been made by the Tax Reforms the fi rst phase, it put the mat- in handing over the collection all the tax laws allow the FBR that an arrangement without and economic discipline,” the Imran Khan. Commission, which remain un- ter on the backburner due to the of income tax on agriculture in- and the federal government to any change in the constitution Pakistan Business Council (PBC) On Sunday, the premier gave implemented. prevailing political situation at come to the federation, accord- give exemptions without ap- is possible, where the centre said. a go-ahead to fi nalise timelines The subgroup report is silent that time. ing to the report that the prime proval of the parliament. can collect taxes but they do not The PBC also believes there for their implementation. on the aspect of revenue impli- The FBR may now increase minister has approved. It has proposed that legisla- form part of the divisible pool. are suffi cient grounds for busi- Due to the paucity of time, cations of the proposals, and it the valuation rates by another FBR offi cials said the proposal tion be enacted to ensure that no This will make the adminis- ness to have confi dence in the Khan did not take a presentation did not suggest drastic meas- 30% for federal tax collection will now be placed before prov- tax exemption is allowed though tration of sales tax more effi cient potential of the economy. on tax reforms. ures like abolishing the Final Tax purposes. inces for a decision. law or notifi cation without an and consistent, and greatly re- Exports have begun to re- The report, approved by the Regime, which is necessary to Under the constitution, while The recommendation states estimate of its cost to be deter- duce cost of doing business. spond to a more competitive prime minister, includes a rec- bring true reforms. immovable property is a pro- the collected agriculture income mined independently by the tax The report has recommended exchange rate and imports will ommendation to give the right to In its report, the commit- vincial matter, the federal gov- tax, in respect of each province, department as well as the con- a major review of the import tar- decline with lower crude oil cost. collect agriculture income tax to tee admitted that an extensive ernment has the right to collect should not form part of the di- cerned ministry. iff structure. “Business should play a vis- the federal government, without review of the entire taxation income tax. visible pool and can be directly Such cost shall be made pub- According to the report, 50% ible role to gear up investment, amending the constitution. system and tax policy is a mo- It collects income tax through transferred to the respective lic. of imports are cleared against create the capacity and capabil- The EAC subgroup also advo- mentous task, and was not pos- withholding taxes and capital province. Furthermore, all exemptions, the lowest tariff slab of 3%, and ity to export by broad-basing its cated an integrated tax system at sible in the short period of time gains tax. The provinces can still retain existing or newly proposed, another 22% of imports at 11% off erings, diversify markets and federal and provincial levels. allowed to the subgroup. The government has also, in the constitutional right as well should have a sunset clause. rate, underscoring the need to add sophistication to products,” Similar recommendations had In the short-term, the Paki- principle, approved the proposal as policy decision-making of Even where an exemption is review the system. the council said in a report on assessment of the government’s fi rst 100 days. “It also needs to help reduce reliance on imports and generate more livelihoods.” The PBC has consistently ad- vocated the need to grow, create, Kartarpur Corridor aimed at and make more in Pakistan. “If we do this responsibly, inclu- sively and sustainably, we will serve Pakistan and Pakistanis better. That should be hallmark lessening Indo-Pak tension of the Naya Pakistan (New Pa- kistan), and there is substantial work to do to get there.” Internews tehsil, were part of Indian’s Pun- Sikhism, being celebrated next However, later on relations The group hopes that a possi- Islamabad jab’s Gurdaspur district. year (2019). between the two countries be- ble bailout from the Internation- After the creation of Pakistan, Currently, the Sikh Yatrees came tense and the plans could al Monetary Fund (IMF) should these tehsils were made part intending to visit Kartarpur’s not be implemented. be the last one, and for that t is a matter of great respect of Sialkot district, and in 1991, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib have to During the term of the Paki- to happen reform programme and pride for Pakistan that Narowal and Shakargarh were go to Lahore fi rst through the stan Muslim League – Nawaz needs to be implemented “with Ithe holy places of three big upgraded as districts. Wagah border crossing, before (PML-N) government, then-in- rigour and discipline (and with- religions of the world – Bud- It has been a long-drawn de- proceeding toward Kartarpur terior minister Ahsan Iqbal also out waivers) to address the fun- dhism, Hinduism and Sikhism mand of Indian Sikh Yatrees that through Baddomalhi. made various eff orts for Indian damental fl aws undermining – are situated in Pakistan. they should be provided with the However, after the opening of Sikh Yatrees’ direct access to industry”. Taxila in Rawalpindi district facility of visiting Kartarpur’s Kartarpur border crossing and Kartarpur’s Gurdwara. “At the appropriate time, the of Punjab has been a centre of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib directly construction of the corridor, the However, the fi nal decision government should also share a Buddhism’s Gandhara civilisa- from Dera Baba Nanak, a city Yatrees will have to cover just was reached after Imran Khan’s ‘Plan B’, covering the possibility tion. and a municipal council in Gur- 6km across the Ravi River. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of failure of talks with the IMF,” The Katas Raj temples, also daspur district of India’s Punjab Historically, the proposal for won general election held on July it said. known as Qila Katas, situated state. opening of Kartarpur border 25 this year. The PBC opposed the issuance near Chakwal city, is a sacred Pakistan has reached out to crossing was discussed for the During Khan’s swearing-in of notices to late fi lers of income place for Hindus, with centu- India previously in this regard, fi rst time between then-Prime ceremony in August, Chief of tax returns, saying that the FBR’s ries-old history, while Hasanab- but failed to get a positive re- Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Army Staff General Qamar Javed time and eff ort should better be dal, Nankana Sahib, and Kar- sponse every time. Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Bajwa told visiting former crick- spent on chasing non-fi lers. tarpur towns are well known in A suggestion was made once Vajpayee in 1998. eter and incumbent Indian Pun- “If this continues unchecked, the world as sacred places of the again few months back. When Vajpayee came to La- jab state Minister Navjot Singh the government’s credibility to Sikh community. As India is going to election hore in his Dosti (Friendship) Sidhu that he was in favour of create an equitable and broad- Kartarpur’s Gurdwara Dar- next year, the Narendra Modi Bus in 1999, the plan was dis- construction of Kartarpur Cor- based taxation system would be bar Sahib, situated at the bank government showed willing- cussed again. ridor to facilitate the Yatrees. India’s Punjab cabinet minister and former cricketer Navjot Singh impacted negatively,” it said. of River Ravi about 10km from ness to accept the suggestion The Pakistan Peoples Party The announcement sent a Sidhu (fourth left) is seen yesterday after entering Pakistan from The council also raised an is- Narowal city, is being opened to and open the Kartarpur border, (PPP) has also always supported wave of joy among the Sikh com- India at the border crossing in Wagah. He is in Pakistan to attend the sue of provinces aligning their Sikh Yatrees (pilgrims) from In- to win the support of the Sikh the initiative. munity in India and Pakistan. groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor today. taxation of real estate to ac- dia through a new border cross- community. During the Pervez Musharraf The initiative, launched by cord with the federal govern- ing today. Prime Minister Imran Khan era, when composite dialogue Pakistan, is primarily aimed at out work on it at a fast pace. 550th birth anniversary of Baba ment’s priority to stem leakage India’s zero line (border) is will perform the groundbreak- process was launched between reducing tensions between the The Pakistani government Guru Nanak. of wealth, “denying the formal just kilometres away from Kar- ing of the Kartarpur Corridor Pakistan and India in 2004-5, two countries. is preparing a master plan for It is also hoped the act of in- sector fuel to grow”. tarpur. project today. the two countries agreed on The Pakistan government has construction and completion of augurating work on the Kartar- The council also said that the Before the Partition, the The move is aimed at facilitat- launching the Khokhrapar- awarded the task of constructing the corridor, and it is hoped the pur Corridor by Prime Minister manufacturing industry that Narowal tehsil (district adminis- ing the Sikh Yatrees from India Munabao railway line and Am- the Kartarpur religious corridor project would be completed by Khan would prove to be the be- represents 13.5% of GDP should trative area), in which Kartarpur on the 550th birth anniversary of ritsar-Lahore-Kartarpur road to the Frontier Works Organisa- November 2019, when the Sikh ginning of new relations with not carry 58% of the taxation is situated, and the Shakargarh Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of link. tion (FWO), which is carrying community would celebrate India. burden.

First mobile health unit activated Powerlifter breaking social taboos in Islamabad for labourers The first mobile health unit has been activated in Islamabad to provide health facilities to labourers and other segments of the Internews in relation to women. appreciated her eff orts. society at their doorsteps. Islamabad While most other girls opt Nasim explained that there are The unit will provide ECG, X-ray, blood testing and other facilities to for “softer” sports like volley- three types of lifting: her fi eld of people at their workplaces. ball, badminton, volleyball, and expertise is powerlifting. While inaugurating the mobile unit, Director General Health omen have always been handball, but she has chosen the In May this year she secured a Services Directorate of Capital Development Authority Dr Hasan depicted as fragile and more “masculine” sports. bronze medal at the Avia pow- Orooj said it is a great step towards providing healthcare facilities at Wdelicate in worldly Nasim is the eldest of four sib- erlifting competition in Mel- the people’s doorstep. matters, particularly in literary lings in a business family based in bourne. Last year at another Orooj said the mobile health unit had been established with the co- pursuits or physical activities, Peshawar. competition, she won a silver operation of Excel Labs, which will also subsidise all the tests. and this mindset is ingrained in She obtained her early educa- medal. Pakistan’s patriarchal society. tion in Peshawar and graduated She participated in the 63kg However, there are many in Australia in the fi eld of ac- category of the event, alongside KP sets up 22 model police stations women in the country who do counts. participants from seven other not fi t the stereotype, and proved Besides a lucrative bank job in countries, and made her mark Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province police have established 22 model their mettle in their chosen pro- Melbourne, she also took part in and won recognition among the police stations in various parts of the province to provide easier fessional fi eld. powerlifting and is aiming the sports community of Australia access to justice and to the high echelon of power, said a press One such example is Maryam world championship. and Pakistan. release issued by the Central Police Off ice (CPO). Nasim, an intrepid and deter- Nasim is also a certifi ed nutri- In recognition of her services Women’s desks have been established in these police stations. mined young woman who has tionist and blogger, who guides for KP and Australia, the district Besides this, two women doctors are also performing duty on these outclassed her male counterparts various sports professionals such government awarded her a sport desks to provide first aid to the injured persons of any incident. in a fi eld said to be the exclusive as coaches. recognition award (Fakhr-e- domain of men. “When I moved to Australia, Peshawar) last year, and the pro- Maryam Nasim: banker, nutritionist, blogger ... and powerlifter. Believe it or not, powerlifting I was looking for activities on vincial sports ministry has of- Centre for tax matters under one roof and bodybuilding are Maryam’s campus. I started running ini- fered her space for coaching and practicing hard since last year Besides power lifting game, forte, and not only has she shat- tially, and then powerlifting was imparting training to men and to get her eligibility certifi cate she is professional dietician and The Excise and Taxation (E&T)’s public facilitation centre, tered the myth of women be- a sport activity which attracted women in the province. for competing in world tourna- coach for sports people. established at the Commercial Market, Satellite Town of Pakistan’s ing weak, she has proved herself me a lot.” Nasim hopes that she would ments. “I am looking forward to hav- garrison city of Rawalpindi, is providing all tax solutions to the by winning multiple medals in Despite several warnings from win more medals for her coun- Attired in the traditional Pe- ing my own platform to utilise citizens under one roof. many competitions. the family members and col- try, but stressed that practice and shawar outfi t, with light makeup my knowledge and expertise to A spokesman said that services related to motor vehicle She hails from Khyber Pa- leagues that she had made a physical fi tness are key to suc- and with a childish smile, she give basic health information to registration, property tax, entertainment tax, excise duty and fee, khtunkhwa (KP) – considered a wrong choice, she persisted in cess. does not appear to be a power the majority of KP women,” she professional tax, information about licences and guidance about conservative area of the country her pursuit, and now everyone She said that she has been lifter. said. the diff erent issues are available at the centre. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 21 PHILIPPINES

Smuggled Chief peace adviser quits; rice and cigarettes two other offi cials fi red seized Manila Times By Catherine S Valente “I’m still going to fire an- The chief executive has been Manila Manila Times other one. I’ll not talk about it firing high-ranking officials anymore. We’re done talking. and heads of offices accused of It’s the way it is,” he added. corruption, excessive travels ome P50mn worth of smug- resident Rodrigo Duterte The president’s surprise de- and abuse of power. gled rice and cigarettes were has accepted the resig- cision throws the peace proc- Among those he had fired Sseized in Zamboanga by Pnation of his close friend ess with the communist rebels were former interior and lo- joint operatives of the Bureau of Jesus Dureza as peace adviser, in limbo. Dureza had worked cal government secretary Mike Customs (BoC), the Intelligence and fired two officials of the on the outlines of a final peace Sueno, former tourism chief Service of the Armed Forces of the Office of the Presidential As- deal amid resistance from the Wanda Teo and former justice Philippines (ISAFP), and the Phil- sistant for the Peace Process defence and military estab- secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. ippine Coast Guard (PCG). (OPAPP). lishments, which advocate the This year alone, Duterte The contrabands, consisting of In remarks during the inau- use the military option to quell ordered the dismissal of mili- 55,000 sacks of rice and 85 cartons guration of the Bohol-Panglao rebel attacks. tary officials over supposed of cigarettes, were recovered in International Airport in Duterte did not give other anomalous transactions at the various warehouses and in vessels Panglao, Bohol, Duterte an- details about the resignation Armed Forces of the Philip- off the coast of Zamboanga. nounced that he had dismissed of Dureza and the dismissal of pines’ V Luna Medical Center. Customs Commissioner Rey OPAPP Undersecretary Ronald the two OPAPP officials. The president also fired Leonardo Guerrero said yester- Flores and Assistant Secretary The dismissal came a day af- the board members and man- day that he issued seven letters of Yeshter Don Baccay, both in ter the president said he would agement of Nayong Pilipino Authority (LOA) in Zambasulta charge of the agency’s “Payapa remove this week for graft an- Foundation for entering into a (Zamboanga-Basilan-Sulu-Tawi- at Masaganang Pamayanan” other government official with supposedly disadvantageous Tawi) to curb hoarding and smug- programme. the rank of undersecretary. lease deal with a Hong Kong- gling operations. “I’m very sad that I accepted Last week, the president based developer for an inte- The inter-agency operation the resignation of Secretary fired over corruption alle- grated casino-resort project. formed part of government’s Dureza and I fired his (un- gations Housing and Urban Duterte fired former Na- campaign against the proliferation dersecretary) Ronald Flores Development Co-ordinating tional Irrigation Adminis- of smuggled goods in line with the OPAPP, which is the presiden- Council Secretary General Fal- tration chief Peter Lavina in instruction of President Rodrigo tial office for the peace proc- coni Millar, who has described March last year and former Duterte to address the problem of ess, and Director Yeshter Donn the charges as a “demolition government corporate counsel smuggling, entry of illegal drugs Baccay,” the president said. job.” Rudolf Philip Jurado in May. Jesus Dureza: shock resignation and corruption at Customs. Nod for healthcare Duterte plans ‘death squad’ bill hailed as ‘historic’ to counter rebel ‘sparrows’ By Bernadette E Tamayo Manila Times By Ralph Villanueva Manila Times he bicameral conference committee yesterday ap- resident Rodrigo Duterte Tproved the proposed Uni- yesterday said he would versal Health Care (UHC) bill Psoon form a “Duterte in what Senator Joseph Victor Death Squad” to counter com- Ejercito, chairman of the Senate munist hitmen known as “spar- Committee on Health, said was a rows.” “historic” day for Filipinos. Angelina Helen Tan (left) and Joseph Ejercito. In remarks during his visit to Ejercito and representative Camp Rajah Sikatuna and the Angelina Helen Tan headed the gency health services, including dental, mental and emergency turnover of housing units to committee. out-patient drugs by registering health services, including outpa- troops and policemen in Bohol, “I hope that it would be rati- them to a primary healthcare tient drugs by registering them Duterte said he wanted a gov- fi ed by tomorrow so that it can provider of their choice.” to a primary healthcare provider ernment version of the sparrow be transmitted to the President If passed into law, Ejercito of their choice; gives all Filipinos units to counter those oper- (Rodrigo Duterte) for review and said the government would need improved benefi t packages that ated by the New People’s Army for the president to sign (it into P257bn for the fi rst two years of will reduce their out-of-pocket (NPA), the armed wing of the law) before Christmas,” he said. implementation and another expenses; and improves public Communist Party of the Philip- Under the consolidated UHC P280bn the following year. health facilities for better health pines. bill, all Filipinos whether direct “The needed amounts can service delivery; and encour- He said he would give the gov- or indirect contributors, will be be provided by present appro- ages the private sector to become ernment hitmen the license to covered. priations for the Department partners in UHC implementa- shoot those deemed “prospec- “If you’re a Filipino, you are of Health (DoH), the Philip- tion, as well as the entire health tive” members of the NPA. covered by health insurance au- pine Charity Sweepstakes Offi ce system by addressing gaps in The Reds, he pointed out, kept tomatically. However, we have (PCSO), and Philippine Amuse- facilities, equipment, human re- on killing soldiers even if the Duterte: crackdown on rebels two types of members: the ones ment and Gaming Corp (Pag- source, among others, and insti- government has been reaching who contribute, 35%, and the cor),” he added. tuting reforms in the system. out to communist negotiators. assassinating people. “I will when he was mayor. Early in statement rejecting President rest, 65%, are subsidised. These “But for the third year and Some of the major amend- “I am trying to make peace match (the NPA’s sparrow Duterte’s presidency, witness- Duterte’s call for him to sub- are senior citizens, persons with fourth year (of implementation), ments introduced by Recto, the with them and they do not want units’) talent in assassinat- es came forward accusing Du- mit the “final draft” of peace disabilities (PWD) and indi- we feel that we need supplemen- principal author of the UHC it. They keep on killing my police ing people. For sure, they have terte of being behind the Davao agreement between the gov- gents,” Ejercito said. tal additional sources of fund be- bill in the Senate, provide all and soldiers. Now then, what I arms. That is what I want to Death Squad. ernment and the rebel group. “We had a long discussion cause there will be an increase in Filipinos automatic PhilHealth lack is my version of sparrows, do,” Duterte said. Duterte, who called himself a But Palace spokesman Sal- on this part because we have to the number of claimants,” Ejer- coverage (no PhilHealth ID card because that’s their advantage,” In the same speech, Duterte “leftist” in the past, terminat- vador Panelo reiterated that subsidise 65% of the population cito said. needed); additional benefi ts for Duterte said. said he did not want to wage ed peace talks between the gov- Duterte remained committed because only 35% are able to pay The UHC bill automatically paying members as incentive “In the field, that is a fight. war against the Reds forever, as ernment and the communist to peace despite Sison’s pro- their premium,” he added. enrols all Filipinos in the Nation- for increase in premium rate and I will create a sparrow (unit). they are also Filipinos. rebels in November last year. nouncement. Senate President Pro Tempore al Health Insurance Programme gradual premium rate increase Duterte Death Squad, against Duterte had said that the Two weeks after, Duterte “As we said, this government Ralph Recto said the measure of PhilHealth, either as direct or at 0.5% per year and gradual the sparrow. There is no prob- Reds’ sparrow units have sur- signed Proclamation 374 that is open to peace talks. It’s about provides all Filipinos the “im- indirect contributors; provides adjustment of income ceiling by lem with that, they are ene- faced anew. declared the NPA and CPP as time we end to this. It’s confl ict mediate eligibility and access to all Filipinos immediate eligibility P10,000 per year, phased transi- mies,” he added. The president had been ru- terrorist groups. within Filipinos. The president preventive, curative, rehabilita- and access to preventive, pro- tion to service delivery networks He said the creation of the moured to operate a vigilante Malacanang on Monday doesn’t like blood being shed. tive and palliative care for medi- motive, curative, rehabilitative so as not to disrupt delivery of Duterte Death Squad would “death squad,” called the “Dav- shrugged off communist lead- For the 50 years we’ve been do- cal, dental, mental, and emer- and palliative care for medical, healthcare services. match the NPA’s “talent” in ao Death Squad,” in Davao City er Jose Maria “Joma” Sison’s ing that,” he told reporters. NBI joins probe into Pasay intelligence chief’s killing

By Neil Jayson Servallos his body from his bottom going I want the truth of how he died shows that the eight policemen Manila Times upward towards his stomach and come out,” Taytayon Sr told Ma- in the operations shot Taytay- the other from the upper right nila Times. on, Albayalde said they would back going downwards. If Taytayon’s fellow police- face administrative and crimi- he National Bureau of The family said they were men killed his son, Taytayon nal sanctions. Investigation (NBI) yes- puzzled with the sketch as re- Sr. said charges would be filed Albayalde and National Tterday joined the investi- ports said the intelligence chief against the perpetrators. Capital Region Police Office gation into the killing of Senior and his fellow operatives had A source from the Pasay City Director Guillermo Eleazar vis- Insp. Manuel Taytayon Jr in an surrounded fugitive Narc De- Police said the eight lawmen ited Taytayon’s wake yesterday operation last Sunday, as his lemios in a bathroom. who joined Taytayon Jr dur- morning where they conferred family was convinced that two Philippine National Police ing the operation were relieved on him the “Medalya ng Kagal- fatal wounds he sustained were Chief Oscar Albayalde said that from duty and were currently ingan.” fi red by his fellow lawmen. while the possibility that he was being held at the Pasay Police Eleazar said Taytayon’s post- According to ballistic exami- killed by fellow policemen was Station for questioning. humous promotion was also nations and anatomical sketches being considered, it could also be Albayalde welcomed the being processed. from police, Taytayon, the chief that Taytayon tried to evade the family’s move to ask the NBI’s Mayor Antonino Calixto or- of the city’s intelligence unit, gunshots of Delemios, thus the assistance as he believed that dered that the Philippine flag sustained seven bullet wounds, bullet wounds in his back. there were lapses in the facts of at the Pasay City Hall be flown allegedly shot by the fugitive “It’s instinct. If you’re fi red at, the case. at half-mast. that police hunted down in Pasay you have to duck. In this case, it “There could be lapses here. Taytayon Sr said he was City. seems that he may have turned Maybe he would still be alive, proud of his son and vowed to However, police were not able his back to evade (the bullets),” he could have been saved. If expose the truth behind his to remove two slugs, seen as the Albayalde told reporters yester- he was injured, he should have killing. bullets that killed Taytayon, day. Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde (left) and National Capital Region Police Off ice Chief been brought to the hospital. It “My son is dedicated and during the autopsy as they were PO3 Manuel Taytayon Sr, the Guillermo Eleazar visit the wake of slain Senior Inspector Manuel Taytayon Jr at the Verenica Memorial took 30 minutes before he was committed compared to me deeply embedded in his stomach victim’s father, said he was not Chapel in Pasay City, yesterday. given medical attention. The who has been a policeman for and chest, which would require convinced with the police in- speed at which he was brought the longest time. I don’t know further “slashing” into his body. vestigation and that the family operation. The older Taytayon, a the assistance of the NBI was “I really want to have his body to the hospital would also be how we can cope because the The two slugs entered Taytay- believed that he was also shot by veteran police investigator in the sought for a “more convincing” examined, even if my son is rest- investigated,” Albayalde said. incident has been traumatic for on’s back, one of which entered his fellow policemen during the Southern Police District, said investigation. ing because I am not convinced. If the NBI investigation everyone,” Taytayon Sr said. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Fiscal support as global economy faces headwinds

Bad news keeps coming as the global economy is headed into the fi nal stretch of 2018 with a weakened momentum. Fresh data from the world’s third and fourth-largest economies have added to the concern. A manufacturing gauge in Japan dropped to the lowest since early 2016, and business confi dence in Germany fell for a third month. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has just downgraded its global outlook, and How Kim has Trump the MSCI All-Country World Index dropped almost 3%. The Dutch statistics offi ce said its measure of global trade fell 1.1% in September. The trend has got economists rethinking what central banks might do next year. Barclays expects the European Central Bank to announce a new round of long-term loans dancing to his tune to banks as early as December to “prevent a tightening in lending conditions” and keep money fl owing into the at America’s expense in the meantime. economy. Morgan Stanley analysts see the US Federal By Kent Harrington and John Walcott driven president and setting the terms Pyongyang this month, Kim will surely Atlanta of the negotiations. hold his ground. Since declaring in June Trump’s cancellation of two major US- Reserve pausing in mid-2019. By contrast, the Trump administration that North Korea is “no longer a nuclear South Korean joint military exercises The growing headwinds show a marked turnaround has little to show for its eff orts. Since threat”, Trump has backpedalled on already has commanders from both from April, when the International Monetary Fund said orth Korean leader Kim the Singapore summit, US offi cials have virtually all of his demands, dropped his countries worried about their military the world was enjoying the most united upswing since Jong-un is eager to hold reportedly been pushing the Kim regime draconian deadlines, and failed even to readiness. And international support a second summit with to lay out a path to denuclearisation. But hint that Kim’s foot-dragging is a cause for economic sanctions – particularly 2010. But in October, the Fund cut its global outlook for NUS President Donald the North Koreans have refused to turn for concern. In October, Pompeo made on the part of China and Russia – has the fi rst time in two years and said growth had plateaued. Trump. Since their fi rst meeting in over even the most basic facts about their no headway toward defi ning even the been steadily eroding since even before The question is whether the US can resist the Singapore in June, Kim has consistently arsenal. This stonewalling suggests that basic vocabulary of a future agreement. the Singapore summit. downdraft, providing a balance for the rest of the world. outmanoeuvred his counterpart. Trump Kim has read Trump well. As Trump According to offi cials who are familiar With a fourth 2018 summit between may still fancy himself a world-class himself contends, “I am the only one that with the talks, on at least two occasions, Kim and South Korean President Moon While a tightening dealmaker, but the truth is that Kim – matters.” the North Koreans asked him if he Jae-in now in the works, it is clear Governments are labour market gives like Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump’s narcissism, hunger for the wanted to step out and call his boss. As that Moon’s political future is tied to reason to hope it can, – has got Trump’s number. spotlight, and desperation to match matters stand, the Kim regime and the rapprochement. During his October doing their most most economists Kim’s bonhomie (real or feigned) former President Barack Obama’s Nobel US have yet to agree on the defi nition trip to Europe, Moon lobbied hard for forecast growth will ebb and promises of denuclearisation Peace Prize are all that Kim needs to of terms such as “denuclearisation,” the easing of sanctions, refl ecting his to propel the have muted Trump’s threats, brought know about the man. The only question “verifi able,” and “irreversible.” government’s desire to engage, not a bit in 2019 on the back the South Korean government closer is how far Trump will go to secure To be sure, playing Trump and embargo, the North. world economy of protectionism, higher to his side, and eroded international something that he can hawk as an reneging on promised steps toward It is time for the self-described interest rates and the sanctions against his regime. unprecedented deal with North Korea. denuclearisation has its risks. In May, master of the “art of the deal” to admit fading support of tax cuts. Kim has accomplished all of this By agreeing to another summit while Trump temporarily cancelled the that he doesn’t have one. Trump prefers without diminishing his regime’s slow-rolling preliminary talks, Kim is Singapore meeting in response to North hype to the hard work of hammering The US is already forecast to slow, with growth tipped nuclear capacity, and he appears reconnoitering Trump’s bottom line. Korean statements, and he did the same out arms-control agreements, so to cool to 2.7% in the fourth quarter, versus 3.5% in the to have continued ballistic-missile Recall that, as its up-front price with talks between Pompeo and the controlling his craving for the spotlight third and 4.2% in the second, according to the median development at 16 hidden sites. Having for serious denuclearisation talks, the North Koreans in August. There is no will not be easy. Nonetheless, when forecasts of economists tracked by Bloomberg. gone from nuclear-armed pariah to North initially pushed for diplomatic guarantee that he will not repeat that it comes to Kim, a bit of 54-year-old The growth wobbles have already hit markets. October presidential negotiating partner, it steps, such as a treaty to end to the gambit. wisdom from Barry Goldwater, another is little wonder that Kim would want Korean War. In Singapore, Trump And yet, even if he does, Kim’s own outsider-turned-Republican Party marked one of the worst months for the bull market in a second summit to consolidate his promised to do just that, surprising penchant for drama – from fi ring icon, still applies: “The only summit US stocks, contributing to selloff s around the world that newfound international legitimacy and American allies and US offi cials alike. missiles over Japan to carrying out meeting that can succeed is the one that erased some $8tn in wealth. A further 20% fall in global position in the global limelight. Then, in talks last month with US frequent purges at home – suggests doesn’t take place.” – Project Syndicate equity markets could lower average advanced economy Kim has already outdone his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Kim that he knows how to command the forebears. His father and grandfather upped the ante by also calling for an end stage and bring Trump to the table. zKent Harrington, a former senior CIA gross domestic product in 2019 and 2020, according to an both tried and failed to create a high- to the international sanctions against Moreover, his ego-stroking personal analyst, served as National Intelligence estimate by Oxford Economics. level channel to the US government. his regime. No doubt, Kim is hoping letters to Trump show that he has a Offi cer for East Asia, Chief of Station There are some signs of hope. The relationship that Kim has forged that Trump’s impulsiveness will lead good fi x on the president’s psyche. So in Asia, and the CIA’s Director of Public Global governments are doing their most to propel the with Trump is thus an historic and him to fold. This month, Kim’s foreign far, he has proved to be highly eff ective Aff airs. John Walcott has covered world economy in a decade. China is using tax cuts and personal success. After six reclusive ministry issued a public threat that at keeping the bromance alive, and the foreign policy and national security for years in power, the 35-year-old scion North Korea could restart its weapons forthcoming summit on track. Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and infrastructure spending to underpin demand. In Europe, of North Korea’s dynastic regime has program if the US does not soften its Regardless of when the second other publications, and is an adjunct the UK plans to increase spending while Spain and Italy made a remarkable debut on the world position on sanctions. summit occurs, the North Korean professor in the School of Foreign Service are among those leaning on fi scal policy. The US is already stage, both managing an erratic, ego- As Pompeo pursues further talks in regime will continue to reap dividends at Georgetown University. relying on tax cuts to prop up demand although their infl uence may soon fade. JPMorgan Chase & Co economists calculate easier fi scal policy will add 0.3 percentage point to global GDP next year, the biggest impulse this decade. As 2018 has started drawing to a close, there are signs the peak has passed for the global economy. There are concerns galore: Brexit, trade wars, Italy’s fi ght with the European Union, renewed US sanctions on Iran, a Chinese debt bomb, jittery stock markets, intermittent capital fl ight from emerging markets, and more. But a slower-than-expected pace of Fed rate hikes, soothing of political tensions over Brexit and breakthroughs in the trade war as well as Italy’s debt crisis could provide further support to boost sentiments.

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© 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has consistently outmanoeuvred his US counterpart Donald Trump. Gulf Times Wednesday, November 28, 2018 23 COMMENT Climate change, markets and Marxism

By Adair Turner fact, such an economy would deliver as prices and appropriate regulation can London many job and business opportunities provide the required incentives, but as those created by today’s fossil-fuel- competition among profi t-motivated dependent economy. fi rms is crucial to ensuring that razil’s new foreign minister, This is true for developing countries decarbonisation is achieved at the Ernesto Araújo, is on record in particular. For example, India will lowest possible cost. The market’s as believing that climate need to triple its annual per capita capacity for “price discovery,” lauded Bchange is a plot launched by energy consumption – currently by free-market thinker Friedrich “cultural Marxists” to stifl e Western about 30 gigajoules – to achieve the Hayek and largely ignored by Karl economies. These nefarious forces’ standard of living of today’s developed Marx, will be crucial. environmentalist “dogma has world. But it can do so while cutting Vibrant capitalist economies been used to justify increasing the greenhouse-gas emissions and have always depended on a carefully regulatory power of states over the dramatically cutting the terrible air calibrated balance between economy.” pollution that blights its major cities. government policy and private Given the key role that Brazil Nobody should be trying to keep any competition. Franklin Delano has played in past climate-change economy down, and nobody needs to. Roosevelt’s New Deal of the 1930s debates, including in forging the 2015 The ETC’s analysis shows that India signifi cantly extended the previously Paris climate agreement, President- could increase its total electricity minimal role of the US federal elect Jair Bolsonaro’s choice of Araújo supply from today’s 1,100TW hours government. But, rather than holding must disturb anyone who believes to 2,500 by the 2030s, with continued back growth and destroying private that climate change threatens severe rapid growth thereafter, while never enterprise, it was followed by 30 years harm to human welfare. Coming building any more coal-fi red power of spectacular capitalist development, on top of US President Donald stations beyond those already under spreading prosperity as never before Trump’s withdrawal from the construction, and without suff ering a and dramatically expanding the ranks Paris agreement, his appointment growth penalty. More broadly, a zero- of the American middle class. threatens progress toward a low- carbon global economy in 2060 would Ayn Rand’s free-market utopia, carbon economy. probably consume 4-5 times as much so beloved by climate-change Part of the response to such electricity as today’s 20,000TW hours, deniers, is as detached from real- conspiracy theorists must be to delivering improved transport services, world complexities, and as likely to keep making the scientifi c case that air conditioning, and cleaner heating produce social and environmental climate change is occurring and will to billions of people. disaster, as simplistic Marxist faith cause major harm to middle-income This will create huge opportunities in the inevitable effi ciency and countries such as Brazil (even more for investment, job creation, and incorruptibility of the state. than to developed economies). But it is income growth. Initial subsidies were On the far right, free-market also important to convince people that required to drive the dramatic cost ideologues deny climate change combating climate change threatens An Indian runner (centre) wearing a face mask takes part in the 3rd Petro Run Delhi Half Marathon in New Delhi on reductions now benefi ting wind and because it threatens their facile neither prosperity nor private November 25. Smog levels spike during winter in Delhi, when air quality often eclipses the World Health Organisation’s safe solar power. But it is mainly private economic ideology. And there probably enterprise. levels. Cooler air traps pollutants – such as from vehicles, building sites and farmers burning crops in regions outside the companies that are now producing are some on the far left who, as Araújo True, the need to tackle climate Indian capital – close to the ground. wind turbines and solar panels, and fears, would like to turn the fi ght change does pose a challenge to it is private investors, submitting against climate change into a new simplistic and extreme free-market by those currently producing and economies of scale required for low- But the public-policy interventions competitive bids in power auctions, justifi cation for eliminating private ideology. Free markets alone cannot consuming fossil fuels. cost production. needed to fi ght climate change pose no who are fi nancing renewable power enterprise. Both sides deny reality, cope with the “externalities” that arise As a result, signifi cant public Given the need for such threat to responsible private business and earning good returns, despite and for that reason are certain to when economic activities produce policy interventions are required. interventions, the belief that climate or to the aspirations of developing ever-falling prices. Venture capitalists be severely disappointed. - Project harmful consequences that impose These should include carbon prices, change is a hoax is comforting to economies. A report just published by – a group not known for its Marxist Syndicate no direct cost on individual producers which create incentives for reducing anyone who thinks hat government the Energy Transitions Commission leanings – are playing a major role and consumers. And climate change emissions; regulations mandating must play no role in the economy. Ayn (ETC) – which includes many major in the development of new battery zAdair Turner, Chairman of the is the biggest externality of all, with more energy-effi cient buildings, Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged, a paean businesses and no obvious “cultural technologies and electric vehicles. Institute for New Economic Thinking the harmful consequences likely to consumer appliances, and vehicles; to entrepreneurship unfettered by Marxists” – describes how to build a Market competition is not only and former Chairman of the UK be suff ered by future generations and subsidies to nascent technologies environmental or social constraints, is zero-carbon global economy at only compatible with a zero-carbon Financial Services Authority, is Chair of worldwide, rather than primarily that have not yet achieved the a favourite of climate-change deniers. minimal economic cost by 2060. In economy. It is essential. Carbon the Energy Transitions Commission.

Transparency for tuna Three-day forecast TODAY Nauru Agreement (PNA) may look like With electronic and human earnings have increased from about Maximum Temperature : 250c By Peter M Christian Minimum Temperature : 180c and Mark Zimring dots on the map, but they command an monitoring, we can stop illegal, $60mn to more than $500mn. Palikir/San Francisco expanse of ocean greater than the size unreported, and unregulated fi shing, Pacifi c fi sheries ministers are THURSDAY of Europe and are global powerhouses which robs the region of more than hoping to raise revenue even more by Maximum Temperature : 260c when it comes to fi sh. $600mn a year. working with The Nature Conservancy Minimum Temperature : 190c cluster of small Pacifi c With control over half of the world’s Contrary to popular belief, to co-implement a system similar to FRIDAY islands is poised to make his- supply of skipjack tuna and about a most poaching is not the work of one used in western Alaska, where Maximum Temperature : 270c tory in the management of third of tuna stocks globally, the PNA pirate operators; the major culprits the Community Development Quota Minimum Temperature : 210c global fi sh stocks. is a veritable Opec of the sea. are licensed foreign vessels that Programme (CDQ) has helped poor A Fisherman's forecast Recently, when conservationists In FSM, eff orts are already underreport or deliberately misreport communities generate income from around the world gathered at the underway to use this market position their catch. by investing in fi sheries-related WARNING fi fth annual Our Ocean Conference as a force for good. State-of-the-art electronic businesses. Inshore : Nil in Bali, the Federated States of Fish like tuna are important global monitoring will also help ensure the The commitment to full Offshore : Expected strong wind Micronesia (FSM) unveiled a bold commodities, but the industry is in sustainability of fi sh stocks and the transparency and the launch of a and high sea promise and issued an even bolder steep decline worldwide. communities they support. CDQ-type initiative for PNA states are WEATHER Inshore : Mild daytime with challenge: full transparency in tuna By committing to full transparency Currently, a lack of reliable intended to keep more tuna wealth in scattered clouds and fi shing by 2023. and pushing private partners to do the monitoring data makes it diffi cult to the Pacifi c. relatively cold by night. If FSM’s commitment is replicated, same, FSM will send a powerful signal establish protective fi shing limits, and By promoting better fi shing Offshore : Partly cloudy at times citizens of the Pacifi c could reclaim that sustainable fi shing practices even harder to enforce them. practices, we can increase regional control over a natural resource that are urgently needed to protect these To remedy this, FSM plans to revenue fl ows to rebuild and restore WIND forms the backbone of the region’s crucial species. deploy remote sensors, GPS systems, fi sheries, boost food and job security, Inshore : Northwesterly 05-15 KT economies. But the real motivation behind cameras, and tracking devices on every and strengthen resilience to climate Gusting 20 KT And it would promote future FSM’s pledge lies closer to home. longline vessel in its waters within fi ve change. Offshrore : Northwesterly12-22 KT prosperity by helping to ensure that Tuna is more than a commodity years. We believe that fi sh, marine Gusting to 27 KT at tuna stocks are fi shed sustainably, here; it is what builds schools, pays This will enable the collection ecosystems, and people can coexist times. and that foreign vessels fi shing in teachers’ salaries, paves roads, and of information such as catch and thrive, and that the road Visibility : 4-8 KM these waters do not take more than is keeps hospitals open. composition, discards, and bycatch, to sustainability runs through permitted by law. It is the socioeconomic foundation which in turn will help minimise the community empowerment. Offshore : 4-7/8 FT accidental capture of sharks, turtles, The mechanism that FSM and The of communities on the frontlines of We hope this vision will be Around the region Nature Conservancy will present climate change and rising sea levels. and marine mammals. shared by FSM’s Pacifi c neighbours, Weather this week is called the Technology In other words, this is an existential Crucially, these tools will also give consumer advocates, and fi shing Weather tomorrow Max/min for Tuna Transparency Challenge, fi ght – for the well-being of people authorities the data to manage ocean partners gathered in Bali this week. today Max/min M Sunny 21/13 a combination of monitoring and today and the survival of island resources in real time. Protecting half of the world’s tuna Baghdad Sunny 21/09 Sunny 22/14 regional pacts aimed at improving societies in the future. By joining FSM in these eff orts, stocks could be just the start of the Kuwait CitySunny 21/13 Sunny 25/20 fi shing oversight. FSM’s rich tuna fi shery already the PNA could raise the bar for global transparency revolution needed Manama P Cloudy 24/19 P Cloudy 27/21 The initiative represents the provides half of the country’s income, transparency and set a new standard to protect our oceans – and our future. Muscat Sunny 26/21 M Sunny 15/09 fi rst time a developing country has but it could deliver even more. for fi sheries management. - Project Syndicate Tehran Sunny 14/06 committed to 100% transparency in That is because too much of the We already know that co-operation its fi shery operations; if it succeeds, it value of tuna caught in local waters and conservation can reap big rewards. zPeter M Christian is President of the could trigger a transformation of how is being captured by foreign fi shing For example, since PNA-member Federated States of Micronesia. Mark seafood is managed worldwide. fl eets. states launched the Vessel Day Scheme Zimring is Director of the Indo-Pacifi c FSM and the seven other island Transparency is the key to bringing in 2007 – which sets limits on fi shing Tuna Programme at The Nature states that make up the Parties to the more of this wealth home. by foreign fl eets – their annual tuna Conservancy. Live issues

Around the world Obese children have higher asthma risk Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens P Cloudy 19/10 S Showers 12/09 By Lisa Rapaport found. This was based on a diagnosis abnormal lung growth associated with kept by clinicians, and documentation Beirut M Sunny 25/19 P Cloudy 24/18 Reuters Health or asthma drug prescription but not on obesity causes airfl ow obstruction,” of an asthma diagnosis or ordering of Bangkok M Cloudy 30/23 P Cloudy 33/25 breathing test results. Lang said by e-mail. spirometry is at doctors’ discretion, Berlin Sunny 02/-2 M Sunny 02/-1 When researchers looked at the Obesity can also trigger the researchers note. Cairo M Sunny 27/16 P Cloudy 26/14 hildren and teens who are connection between asthma and the development of so-called It’s also impossible to determine Cape Town Cloudy 18/13 Cloudy 24/16 overweight or obese may obesity based on so-called spirometry cardiometabolic risk factors like high from the study whether asthma might Colombo S T Storms 30/23 S T Storms 30/23 be more likely to develop tests that show how easily people can cholesterol and an inability to use the lead to obesity or whether obesity Dhaka Sunny 31/18 Sunny 30/18 Casthma, a US study suggests. breathe air out of their lungs, the link hormone insulin to contribute blood might lead to asthma. Hong Kong Showers 20/18 P Cloudy 21/18 While obesity has long been linked was stronger. Obesity was associated sugar into energy that may lead to Even so, the results suggest that it may Istanbul Rain 16/09 Rain 10/08 to asthma in adults, research to date with a 29% higher risk of asthma impairment in the airway, Lang added. be possible to prevent the development Jakarta S T Storms 32/25 T Storm 32/25 has off ered confl icting evidence based on this stricter diagnostic “Several studies have shown of asthma by helping children maintain Karachi Sunny 31/19 Sunny 32/19 about whether this also holds true criteria, the study found. that asthma symptoms get much a healthy weight, said Dr Deepa Rastogi, London Showers 14/12 Rain 13/07 for young people, researchers note in The study wasn’t a controlled better with weight loss but the exact director of the Paediatric Asthma Centre Manila P Cloudy 32/25 M Sunny 32/25 Paediatrics. experiment designed to prove whether mechanism is unknown,” Lang said. at Children’s Hospital at Montefi ore in Moscow P Cloudy -5/-10 Sunny -4/-12 The current study followed more or how being overweight or obese might An estimated 23% to 27% of new Bronx, New York. New Delhi Fog 27/13 Fog 27/14 than 500,000 kids, ages two to 17, for directly cause asthma, but the results asthma cases in children with obesity Even with asthma, kids can exercise New York M Cloudy 08/03 P Cloudy 09/01 an average of four years. Overall, about off er some of the most compelling may be directly attributable to obesity, to help them achieve and maintain a Paris Rain 11/09 Showers 12/08 8% had been diagnosed with asthma. evidence to date suggesting that there researchers calculated. healthy weight, Rastogi said by e-mail. Sao Paulo P Cloudy 26/17 I T Storms 28/18 Compared to kids at healthy weight, is indeed a connection, said lead study If no children were overweight or “Children with asthma can be as Seoul M Sunny 09/-3 M Cloudy 08/-1 overweight children were 17% more author Dr Jason Lang of Duke University obese, 10% of asthma cases would be active as they want to be - we have had Singapore T Storm 31/25 T Storm 30/25 likely to have an asthma diagnosis and School of Medicine in Durham, North avoided, they estimated. Olympic level athletes with asthma,” Sydney Heavy Rain 20/15 Cloudy 20/14 obese youth were 26% more likely to Carolina. One limitation of the study is that said Rastogi, who wrote an editorial Tokyo Cloudy 15/09 Clear 15/09 have an asthma diagnosis, the study “Experts have speculated that researchers relied on medical records that was published with the study. Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, November 28, 2018 QATAR Star-studded red carpet to mark Ajyal opening

By Joey Aguilar ney through the ups and downs Lilly, Tuba Unsal, Engin Altan and Naif al-Malki’s I Am Not My among the highlights of Geek- Staff Reporter of three women’s eff orts to build Duzyatan, Bulent Inal and No- Father. dom, which will open tomorrow a football team in post-revo- bel Peace Prize winner Kailash Besides fi lm screenings, DFI (Thursday) and concludes on lution Libya, even as the coun- Satyarthi, as well as dignitaries announced that the six-day fes- December 3. Ajyal will also mark he Middle East premiere try descends into civil war. The and diplomats, among others, are tival will also feature Qatar’s Qatar’s resilience and ability to of Freedom Fields, direct- fi lm, which was nominated for expected to attend the red carpet largest pop-culture and crowd- overcome “even the most testing Ted by Naziha Arebi, and a ‘Best Documentary Award’ at the today. puller event, Geekdom, which of challenges” with a special in- red-carpet event for fi lmmakers, Stockholm Film Festival 2018 re- The second day of Ajyal will form part of the Ajyal Creativ- teractive art exhibition, dubbed as celebrities and dignitaries will cently, is “a story about hope and see the screening of 16 fi lms from ity Hub. The free-of-charge and ‘[Re]action’, at building 19, featur- mark the opening of the sixth sacrifi ce in a land where dreams the ‘Made in Qatar’ programme, must-visit event at building 18 ing the works of local artists. DFI CEO and festival director Fatma Hassan al-Remaihi. edition of Ajyal Film Festival to- seem a luxury.” presented by Ooredoo, including and 19 for nerds, gamers and “[Re]action is a cultural re- PICTURE: Ram Chand day at Katara – the Cultural Vil- Meanwhile, key personalities world premieres of next com- those who love to have a good sponse to the challenges faced lage. in fi lms, arts and humanity, in- pleted projects from the Qatari time in the company of friends by the nation and our remarkable together, we can overcome all the overall theme of our festival’s A recipient of the Doha Film cluding director Nadine Labaki, Film Fund recipients: Mahdi Ali aims to engage the community. spirit of resilience, and it will odds,” DFI CEO and festival di- programming, which puts the Institute’s (DFI) Grants Pro- producer and music composer Ali’s Amphitheatre, Amal al- ‘Cool Cosplay Days’, edge-of- surely inspire all visitors. The rector Fatma Hassan al-Remaihi spotlight on human courage even gramme, Freedom Fields takes Khaled Mouzanar, artist El Seed, Muftah’s Sh’hab, Mohamed al- your-seat video game tourna- powerful works of art commu- said in a statement. in the most diffi cult situations,” audiences on an inspiring jour- actors Tom Felton, Evangeline Mahmeed’s Nasser Goes to Space ments, and fi lm screenings are nicate a poignant message that “The art showcase also refl ects she stressed. Qatar Airways is Big cheer for Ajyal Jurors offi cial partner of Ajyal Film Festival

atar Airways is the offi - ers and storytellers. “As the of- Airways has a proud tradition cial partner of the sixth fi cial partner to this important of supporting both local and Qedition of Ajyal Film event, we are delighted to play international cultural events. Festival, which starts today at a role in providing a voice to the The airline recently supported Katara – the Cultural Village and next generation of storytellers the Cosmoscow International concludes on December 3. in Qatar. We believe that art is a Contemporary Art Fair as main Featuring thematic tributes, universal language that plays a partner to the event, which took Cinema Under the Stars event, vital role in uniting people from place in Moscow from Septem- Creativity Hub activities, and a diff erent communities, some- ber 6-9 as part of the Qatar Rus- red-carpet screening, the an- thing which is central to Qa- sia Year of Culture 2018. nual festival aims to unite young tar Airways’ brand message of This featured an exhibition people aged eight to 21 by em- ‘Going Places Together’, Qatar showcasing the work of pio- powering and encouraging cul- Airways Group chief executive neering Qatari artists, as well tural dialogue through the magic Akbar al-Baker said. as a selection of sculptures and of cinema. “We look forward to helping installations by leading con- The family-friendly event will to inspire young people across temporary Qatari female artists. also feature the annual ‘Ajyal Qatar in sharing their experi- Qatar Airways currently oper- Competition’, inviting young ences and understanding of ates a modern fl eet of more than people to share their work with the world around them in a fun 200 aircraft via its hub, Hamad the aim of enhancing and en- and engaging environment,” he International Airport to more couraging support for the next added. than 160 destinations world- generation of regional fi lmmak- As the national carrier, Qatar wide.

Abdallah al-Musallam, chief administrative officer of Doha Film Institute and Ajyal Film Festival deputy director with Ajyal Jurors at the Jurors Hub at Katara – the Cultural Village yesterday. Ooredoo to sponsor Made in Qatar event at festival

oredoo is the principal partner of Ajyal Film Festival 2018, which opens today and runs until December 3 at Katara – the Cultural OVillage, and will exclusively sponsor the Made In Qatar pro- gramme, it was announced. Made in Qatar is presented by the ‘Ooredoo Award’ is a special focus on local fi lms. The six-day festival brings the best of cinema from around the world to fi lm lovers in Doha, with mov- within local cinematography, and its contribution to the world of fi lm. ies for all the family including short fi lms for children as young as four. “We are delighted to have this opportunity to support local cinema tal- The annual event aims to connect people from all sectors of the com- ent in Qatar, and are excited to see the quality of the fi lms our cinema- munity, through a series of screenings and events designed to inspire tographers have produced. creative interaction and provoke cinematic dialogue. Events will include Promoting community spirit is a key focus for Ooredoo and we’re talks, an interactive art exhibition and a series of live stage performances looking forward to partnering with the Ajyal Film Festival to present this The Ajyal Film Festival aims to unite young people aged eight to 21 by empowering and encouraging from musicians, dancers and artists on the Katara Esplanade. Ooredoo award,” Ooredoo’s communications and public relations director Manar cultural dialogue through the magic of cinema. noted that the new award is intended to recognise the wealth of talent Khalifa al-Muraikhi said. Northumbria University signs MoU with Academic Bridge Programme

orthumbria Univer- fi ed students from Academic global fi nancial hotspots and sity Newcastle has an- Bridge. This agreement provides our association with QFBA has Nnounced a strategic graduates of ABP with direct off ered us a greater access in the tie-up with Academic Bridge admission to degree courses in Qatari market to showcase our Programme (ABP). many disciplines, including ac- fi nancial education might to the Hosted by Qatar Finance and counting, business, computing, fi nancing professionals in Qatar. Business Academy (QFBA), the cybersecurity, engineering, fi - Our partnership with ABP will MoU was signed by Rob Carthy, nance, health, psychology and further accelerate our reach in director of International De- sport management. Qatar. velopment, Northumbria New- Students interested in ac- Through this collaboration, castle and Dr Bryan Lewallen, counting, banking and fi nance we aim to enhance our local director, ABP at QFBA premises have the choice of studying the presence and educate students in Qatar. same programme at the Univer- on the global fi nancing para- Through this partnership, sity’s main campus in Newcastle digms,” Carthy noted. ABP and Northumbria Univer- in the UK or in Qatar. “This partnership marks a sity intend to establish a rela- Dr Khalid al-Horr, CEO, new era for the faculties and tionship to co-operate in a broad QFBA, said, “We take immense students of ABP. This tie-up range of areas and will work pride in hosting this strategic would assist our faculties in together to expand education deal between the institutes of gaining global exposure through landscape. such repute. exchange programmes and pre- Both the partners would Northumbria is a highly ac- pare our students to take on any encourage and develop col- claimed global institute for fi - global challenge. laborative activities in various nance professionals. ABP is “We are living in a boundary- ways, including the exchange of sure to gain tremendously from less world and we have to make scholarly ideas/expertise, the this association as both the in- sure that our younger genera- support of specifi c discipline stitutes will complement each tion is well nurtured and con- interaction, the development of other in bringing their capa- ditioned to accept the changing programmes and the advanced bilities be it global or local best times and be ready to face any entry to Northumbria pro- practices.” “Qatar has been unforeseen situation,” added Dr grammes of appropriately quali- gaining traction as one of the Lewallen. Officials at the MoU signing between Northumbria University Newcastle and ABP.