BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 5 India clinch three-match series aft er another INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2 – 8, 28 COMMENT 26, 27 New rating, accreditation REGION 9 BUSINESS 1 – 7, 11 – 16 easy win against 17,739.61 9,704.36 48.73 ARAB WORLD 10, 11 CLASSIFIED 8 – 11 programme to benefi t -125.73 -89.66 -0.34 INTERNATIONAL 12 – 25 SPORTS 1 – 12 Zimbabwe -0.70% -0.92% -0.69% SMEs, says QDB offi cial Latest Figures published in w QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10119 June 14, 2016 Ramadan 9, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Iftar banquet Campaign aims In brief

AMERICA | Massacre for 150,000 FBI probes whether gunman had help US authorities yesterday investigated whether a gunman who killed 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando and declared his allegiance to Islamic State militants had received any help HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday hosted an Iftar banquet organ donors in carrying out the massacre. The FBI for scholars, judges and clerics on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. The and other agencies were looking at banquet, held at Al Wajbah Palace, was attended by HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad HMC and AlFaisal Without Borders Pancreas transplant likely Dr Riadh Fadhil, director of Qatar evidence inside the club and on the al-Thani, the Emir’s Personal Representative and a number of other dignitaries. Foundation have jointly launched to take place this year Organ Donation Centre (Hiba), said closed-off streets around the Pulse Picture shows HH the Emir with senior Islamic scholar Sheikh Yousuf al-Qaradawi. Ramadan Voluntary Blood the campaign’s main objective was to nightclub, where New York-born Page 4 Donation and the National Organ The Qatar Organ Transplant Centre increase awareness within the com- Omar Mateen perpetrated the worst Donation campaigns is likely to conduct the first pancreas munity about organ donation. mass shooting in modern US history. transplant later this year, director Dr “This year we have 14 organ dona- Page 13 By Joseph Varghese Yousuf al-Maslaman told Gulf Times. tion stands placed in diff erent loca- Staff Reporter “Most probably, before the end of the tions across Qatar. We are also seeking year, we may have the pancreas trans- to increase the number of registered SYRIA | Attacks Italy out-think Belgium plant,” he said. donors and to hopefully address mis- UN investigation team he Qatar Organ Transplant Qatar Organ Donation Centre director conceptions that people may have re- ‘making progress’ Centre aims to reach about Dr Riadh Fadhil said the centre was garding organ donation and transplan- to claim a shock win T150,000 organ donors in the working on it earnestly. “But we need tation services in Qatar,” Dr Fadhil said. A UN team is making progress in current year, a top offi cial told Gulf preparation for the donor as well as the “This campaign will run until the its investigation of nine chemical Times. recipient. We need to complete plenty end of the year. During Ramadan, it weapons attacks in Syria but it has DPA second half but Italy also had chances “We have already got over 100,000 of logistics. We will announce more will be on all the days at the 14 loca- yet to identify the perpetrators, a Lyon to double their lead before Graziano organ donors. details later this year.” tions but after Ramadan it will be on report said yesterday. Pelle sealed the win in injury-time. May be, we will reach 150,000 by the weekends.” Group E favourites Belgium are now this year,” Dr Yousuf al-Maslamani, The offi cial also said that the wait- RAMADAN THOUGHT nderdogs Italy produced a tac- bottom of the table while Italy sit top director of the centre at the Hamad Faisal. “It aims to provide support and ing list for organ transplantation was Whoever prayers the (optional) tical masterclass to defeat Bel- after Ireland drew 1-1 with Sweden ear- Medical Corporation (HMC), said. assistance to patients in need of blood decreasing. night prayers during Ramadan Ugium 2-0 in Lyon yesterday and lier yesterday. HMC and AlFaisal Without Borders and to spread the culture of voluntary “There is great increase in the (Taraweeh) out of sincere faith infl ict a shock defeat on one of the fa- In the next games, Italy face Sweden (ALF) Foundation jointly launched blood and organ donation throughout number of deceased donors as well as and hoping for a reward from vourites for Euro 2016. on Friday and on Saturday Belgium the Ramadan Voluntary Blood Dona- the society. We hope this year’s cam- living donors. Deceased donors have Allah, then all his previous sins Emanuele Giaccherini scored the meet Ireland. tion campaign and the National Organ paign will be equally successful and increased eight times while live donors will be forgiven. [Al-Bukhari] opening goal in the 31st minute, con- Torrential rain had pounded Lyon Donation campaign on Sunday. attract even more donors.” increased 20 times,” Dr Fadhil said. trolling a magnifi cent long pass from before the match, drenching fans who The campaigns were inaugurated Dr al-Maslamani pointed out that “There is also great increase in the Prayer times Leonardo Bonucci to slot home. had mingled peacefully in the city cen- by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al- the public could visit the organ dona- number of Qatari donors. And there Fajr....3.14 Zuhr....11.34 Asr....2.57 It was a thoroughly deserved reward tre, but it eased before kick-off , and the Thani, chairman of the board of trus- tion stands to learn more about organ is about 10% drop in the waiting list Maghrib.....6.28 Isha.....7.58 for Italy, who more than neutralised the pitch handled the deluge well. tees of ALF at City Center Doha. donation and transplantation and for transplant every year. It is not only supposedly superior individual skills of Belgium, roared on by a boisterous Philippe Morel, a global campaign- those who were interested could reg- in the kidney transplantation but also Fasting times Belgium with their organisation and support, started brightly as Lukaku er of organ donation from Switzer- ister as a donor. in the liver transplant list. We had six Iftar today ...... 6.28pm work-rate. almost got behind the Italian defence land, was present on the occasion. Visitors can register as an organ do- liver transplants from deceased do- Suhoor tomorrow ...... 3.14am Belgium’s best chance to level was but this proved to be a rarity in the fi rst “This campaign is vital to the nor or receive more information about nors and three from relative donors spurned by Romelu Lukaku early in the half. Sport Pages 1, 2, 3 health of our nation,” said Sheikh what it means to be a donor. last year,” stated Dr Fadhil. Page 8 Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 QATAR

Inspectors from CAP with HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health and other HMC off icials. HMC laboratory network receives global recognition

amad Medical Cor- lic Health and managing di- service which meets the ing standards possible and poration (HMC) has rector of HMC, highlighted highest international stand- as a result are very proud of Hbeen internationally the achievement as another ards. CAP reaccreditation our reaccreditation.” recognised with the award- example of Qatar’s contin- for HMC’s laboratory net- CAP, an international ing of reaccreditation to its ued success in the journey work is another outstanding leader in laboratory quality laboratory network. for providing a world-class example of quality recogni- assurance, has accredited Inspectors from the Col- healthcare system through tion for HMC and follows more than 7,600 laborato- lege of American Patholo- the delivery of high quality, soon after its recent JCI ac- ries in 50 countries. CAP gists (CAP) recently carried international standard pa- creditation success.” certifi cation demonstrates out reaccreditation visits tient care. Dr Ajayeb al-Nabet, adherence to a high stand- to HMC’s Department of chairperson of the Depart- ard of quality assurance and Laboratory Medicine and “HMC’s CAP ment of Laboratory Medi- control as well as staff qual- Pathology (DLMP) facilities reaccreditation is cine and Pathology at HMC, ifi cations, facilities, safety resulting in the reaccredita- a testimony to the said: “HMC’s CAP reac- programmes and overall tion success. continued dedication creditation is a testimony management. This achievement follows and quality of service to the continued dedication DLMP is the fi rst inte- the accreditation of HMC’s provided by the DLMP and quality of service pro- grated laboratory network laboratory network in 2014, team” vided by the DLMP team. in Qatar to have its labora- demonstrating how HMC Our pathologists, clinical tories accredited and now is continuing to provide the She said: “Our recent scientists and technologists re-accredited by CAP. The highest quality internation- CAP reaccreditation success all work together to ensure prestigious body accredits al standard patient care to continues to demonstrate that our patients receive clinical laboratories based patients across Qatar. that we are continually the highest quality care. on compliance with a rigor- HE Dr Hanan Mohamed striving to provide patients We continually strive to ous set of over 3,000 stand- al-Kuwari, Minister of Pub- with a quality healthcare achieve the highest operat- ards. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 3 QATAR

Jail term, deportation for counterfeiting documents

Doha Criminal Court has without informing or referring to vestigators that he was told by sentenced two Bangla- the company. The company had the second defendant, who was Adeshi defendants to one also reported him as absconding concerned with processing the year in jail followed by deporta- to the authorities concerned. residency permits at the com- tion, for colluding to counterfeit pany, that his residency permit their sponsorship transfer docu- would be cancelled and he would ments. be deported. Local Arabic daily Arrayah He also told him that he could reported yesterday that the help transfer his residency to court gave the fi rst defendant a another sponsor if he paid him suspended jail term for his part QR17,000. Eventually, the fi rst in the crime. The issue started defendant paid him the required when the director of a company sum. The forensic lab tests fi led a complaint against the fi rst proved that the documents were defendant, who used to work counterfeited and the second for the company, saying that During the interrogations, defendant admitted undertaking he transferred his sponsorship the fi rst defendant told the in- the process of counterfeit.

A night time scene from a site in Doha, where outdoor work starts usually only from 7pm. Two expatriates get 3-month jail Construction workers prefer for dealing in illegal visa trade wo expatriate men have been and obtaining residency in the bought the visas from the origi- sentenced to three months in country based on fraudulent nal recruiter based on false work Tjail and subsequent deporta- work contracts. contracts, with the intention of outdoor duty after sunset tion for violating the residency laws The duo were also convicted adopting freelance jobs in the and regulations. of working for themselves, after country and conducting their Local Arabic daily Arrayah re- quitting the work at their origi- own private business transac- By Ramesh Mathew searing heat Qatar is experienc- of his workers who worked out- successfully experimented ported yesterday that the Court nal recruiter. tions. Accordingly, the court Staff Reporter ing these days. doors during their initial con- evening duties in the peak sum- of Misdemeanour convicted At the prosecution interroga- convicted them for illegal visa Though the summer mid- tract period chose not to return mer months and working hours them of buying two work visas tions, they admitted that they trade. day work ban, prohibiting all for jobs once they went on their varied between 7pm and 4am. here has been a growing outdoor works on construc- two-month annual vacation. However, most workers gen- demand from sections tion sites between 11.30am and “On the contrary, almost 99% erally have no opposition to Advisory Council Tamong the country’s con- 3pm, is coming into force from of those who were working in working late in the evenings holds meeting struction workers for shifting all tomorrow until the end of Au- shaded or protected areas re- during the extreme summer, it is Qatar takes part in Qur’an outdoor works after sunset in gust, workers feel the three- turned for duties after their va- understood. view of the scorching heat dur- and-a-half hour break is far cation,” he recalled. While citing some logisti- The Advisory Council held ing the day. from enough to protect them A senior project engineer with cal and similar diffi culties for recitation competition yesterday its weekly regular Like many residents, most from the intense heat. a major construction group said implementing evening working meeting under the chairmanship workers deployed for duties out- Inquiries made with work his experience has proved that hours in his site, a work super- atar is participating in the fourth edition of Turkey’s interna- of HE the Speaker Mohamed bin doors feel such a move would not supervisors at some of the con- most of his workers delivered visor said it is mainly owing to tional holy Qur’an competition. Mubarak al-Khulaifi. only protect the workers from struction sites in Doha’s open better results while working in increasing overheads likely to Q The Qatari contestant, Mohamed Abdullah Mohamed Be- The Council discussed a report by heat related illnesses but also areas found they preferred the evenings during the summer be incurred on account of such lidah, is competing along with 89 reciters from 55 countries for the the services and public utilities contribute to better productiv- evening duty hours instead of months of June, July and Au- changes that most companies memorisation and recitation of the holy Qur’an, currently being held committee in relation to a draft ity. the unbearable heat of the day gust. He recalled the successes are forced to continue with the at Fatih Mosque in central Istanbul. law on the protection of personal Some workers told Gulf Times time. achieved in meeting deadlines age old practice of starting work Qatar participated in the third edition of this competition for the data, and decided to submit its it is becoming increasingly dif- While recalling his experi- during the evening schedule. in the morning hours even in the year 1436 AH - 2015. The contest aims to promote the Qur’anic culture recommendations to the Council fi cult to carry out works under ence, a site supervisor said many Some of the companies have summer months. and encourage memorisation and recitation of the holy book. of Ministers. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 QATAR

Emir hosts Iftar banquet

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani hosted an Iftar banquet yesterday in honour of scholars, judges and clerics at Al Wajbah Palace on the occasion of holy month of Ramadan. The function was attended by HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Personal Representative of HH the Emir, and the sons of HH the Father Emir.

MEC, Al Rayan Bank launch loyalty card

he Ministry of Economy malls and retail outlets. The Iktisadi bank card also of- join its loyalty points programme “The Iktisadi card aims to partnership with the Ministry of the 3rd edition of the “Trade in and Commerce (MEC), in The Iktisadi card, which is in fers a maximum degree of safety to provide various benefi ts to con- bolster Qatar’s business envi- Economy and Commerce. Islam” forum as well as the “Halal Tco-operation with Al Ray- accordance with Shariah law, in terms of anti-fraud protec- sumers. ronment and improve the pur- “The card off ers special dis- Livelihood” program on the min- an Bank, has launched the Iktisadi allows consumers to accumu- tion through the use of a PIN and chasing power of consumers counts on well-known brands istry’s YouTube channel, in addi- card in a bid to encourage the use late loyalty points that can be the delivery of SMS messages to “The card off ers special – which form part of the minis- in Qatar, as well as access to tion to the Al Baraka corporate so- of loyalty cards, which benefi t collected following consumer consumers to prevent fraud in discounts on well-known try’s overall development plans, special promotions by Al Rayan cial responsibility program which consumers and society at large by purchases, which can then be online transactions. brands in Qatar, as well in accordance with the goals set Bank such as free holidays and aims to boost the productivity of increasing savings on purchases. used for shopping, and can be The card also allows consum- as access to special by Qatar National Vision 2030.” rewards points from Ooredoo’s bakeries. This initiative is the latest exchanged for up to QR1,000 ers to deposit funds easily at all promotions by Al Rayan Al-Sada noted that the card Nojoom Points. It also provides Moreover, the ministry will out of a series of campaigns worth of cash per month or bank branches and ATMs in ad- Bank such as free holidays is part of a number of initia- access to a diverse banking sup- intensify its inspection cam- launched by the ministry on used to redeem Ooredoo No- dition to being accepted uni- and rewards points from tives launched by the ministry to port network and electronic paigns to monitor markets and the occasion of the holy month joom points and airline tickets versally at more than 24 million Ooredoo’s Nojoom Points” build trust and partnerships be- services provided by Al Rayan,” business activities, and will under the theme “#Aqal_Min_ to over 300 destinations around outlets and one million ATMs. tween merchants and consum- Jamali explained. launch a campaign to regulate Al_Wajeb,” Arabic for “#the_ the world as well as Qmiles from Consumers can take advantage Commenting on the initia- ers as well as to support families The Ministry of Economy gold and jewellery businesses. least_we_can _do” in a bid to Qatar Airways. of the rewards associated with Ik- tive, Tariq Abdulaziz al-Sada, during the holy month by giving and Commerce has unveiled a The ministry has invited the strengthen its partnership with Cardholders have access to tisadi card following three months director of Public Relations and them access to promotional dis- number of initiatives to mark the public to follow its social me- the private sector. more than 850 lounges at vari- of use. The card is available to all Communications at the Minis- counts across outlets in Qatar. holy month of Ramadan. dia accounts including Insta- The card caters to consumer ous airports around the world consumers whether citizens or try of Economy and Commerce, Hamad al-Jamali, assistant These initiatives include sheep gram, Snapchat and YouTube spending habits and preferred and benefi t from a variety of of- residents and whether they are said the initiative falls within the general manager of retail serv- subsidies and price caps on con- under the name MEC_QATAR shopping options and grants its fers by Al Rayan Bank in order to clients of Al Rayan Bank or any framework of the ministry’s ef- ices and private banking services sumer products in addition to or- and to subscribe to its What- holders access to discounts and reduce expenses and enjoy ex- other bank. Al Rayan Bank has in- forts to contribute to community at Al Rayan Bank, said the initia- ganising a number of informative sApp account on the number: promotions at major shopping clusive benefi ts. vited all shops and businesses to development. tive paves the way for a strategic programmes and forums such as 66111400.

Emir sends condolences No let up in strong winds, dust to Saudi king

he Qatar Met de- fore decreasing by night. In ranging from 7-10ft before Meanwhile, a maximum HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin partment has said off shore areas, it may go up decreasing to 3-5ft by to- temperature of 41C was re- Hamad al-Thani, HH the Deputy Tstrong winds are to 30 knots. morrow evening. corded yesterday in the Doha Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad again expected across the In a post on social media The forecast for inshore airport area, 40C in the Abu al-Thani and HE the Prime country today along with yesterday, the Met depart- areas also says it will be hot Hamour, Qatar University, Minister and Minister of Interior poor visibility due to dust. ment said fresh to strong during the day, while off - Wakrah, Messaied and Al Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Strong winds and high northwesterly winds were shore areas are likely to see Khor areas and 39C in Shee- Khalifa al-Thani have sent cables seas are also likely in off - likely to continue, along slight dust at times. haniya and other places. of condolences to the Custodian shore areas today, accord- with low horizontal vis- The windy and dusty Today, the maximum of the Two Holy Mosques King ing to the weather report. ibility of 2km or less due conditions are expected to temperature is expected to Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud The wind speed may to blowing dust. Off shore continue until tomorrow be 41C in Doha and 40C of Saudi Arabia, on the death of reach a high of 38 knots in warnings would also con- evening, the Met depart- in Al Khor, Mesaieed and Princess al-Jawhara bint Fahd bin some inshore at times be- tinue, with the sea level ment observed. Wakrah. Abdulaziz al-Saud. ‘Palestinian issue central to achieving Mideast peace’

QNA 32nd session of the Human dermine all efforts to reach inability of the interna- a real humanitarian crisis Geneva Rights Council, item (2) en- a just, comprehensive and tional community.” due to violations of Houthis titled general debate about lasting settlement that will Al-Henzab stressed that and the militia of the oust- the updated statement of restore all the legitimate Qatar strongly condemned ed president Ali Abdullah atar has reiterated the High Commissioner for rights of the Palestinian the violations and crimes Saleh, “who targeted civil- that the Palestinian Human Rights. people, based on the reso- committed by the Syrian ians, bombed and destroyed Qquestion is the cen- He said, “We warn that lutions of international le- regime and its allies against property, and imposed a tral issue on which depends failure to end the Israeli gitimacy.” the defenseless civilians, siege and blocked access to the peace and stability in occupation of all Palestin- On Syria, al-Henzab and the shelling of the refu- humanitarian aid.” the Middle East. ian and Arab territories, warned: “The situation gee camps and hospitals in Al-Henzab said that This came in Qatar’s its insistence on continu- has become catastrophic city of Aleppo. Qatar has Qatar has stressed that it speech delivered by Faisal ing settlement expansion, at all levels. A serious also condemned all crimes will continue to provide all bin Abdullah al-Henzab, the Judaisation of Jerusa- systematic policy of vio- committed by terrorist support for the success of Permanent Representative lem, the continuation of lations has resulted in groups, and called for en- the ongoing peace talks in of Qatar to the United Na- the unjust siege on Gaza, hundreds of thousands suring the accountability of Kuwait in order to reach a tions and other interna- the policies of collective of casualties and the dis- all those responsible. political settlement in ac- tional organisations offi ce punishment, house demo- placement of millions, On Yemen, Qatar stressed cordance with the GCC ini- at Geneva yesterday at the litions, will lead all to un- in light of the failure and that the country is facing tiative. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 5

QATAR Activities galore at Hyatt Plaza Arabian Nights

yatt Plaza, in the spirit of Ramadan, has launched HArabian Nights: Untold Stories from the Peninsula - a se- ries of educational yet fun-fi lled Workers attend the Rota Iftar. activities for children and their families. Arabian Nights at Hyatt Plaza runs until the 20th day of Ram- adan - June 25 - at Gate 2, from 8pm to 10pm. The fi rst session Rota organises Iftar for caters to kids aged 5 to 8 years and the second session to chil- dren aged 8 to 12. Organised by Hyatt Plaza Mall and animated by Maktaba Qatar, construction workers the event has a lot to off er to kids who love storytelling, creative workshops, colouring and play- ing traditional games, according in Shamal Municipality to a statement. Other activities include shadow puppet shows in Arabic and special crafts on Aj- each Out to Asia (Rota), a mal Laylat Garungao. member of Qatar Founda- Hyatt Plaza general manager Rtion for Education, Sci- Feroz Moideen said, “Arabian ence and Community Develop- Nights at Hyatt Plaza aims to ment, recently held an Iftar for nourish kids’ imagination and (From above) Arabian Nights: Untold Stories from the Peninsula is a series of educational yet fun-filled construction workers living in creativity, as well as instil moral activities for children and their families. the Al Shamal Municipality. values, while providing quality The event was sponsored by time for families.” Occidental Petroleum Corpora- Moideen added that the venue tion (Oxy) and hosted by Rota for Arabian Nights could “eas- volunteers. ily accommodate” 70-100 chil- Mohammed al-Saleh, direc- dren per session. “This early, the tor of National Programmes at turnout of visitors is very posi- Rota, said: “Ramadan presents tive and by the end of this activ- a great opportunity for Rota to ity, we are expecting more than further our year-round com- 2,000 children to benefi t from munity outreach initiatives. The Arabian Nights at Hyatt Plaza.” Ramadan 2016 Project also gives “The stories that we tell are Rota volunteers the chance to in- all related to Ramadan, Qatari teract with communities across Rota volunteers distributing gift bags to the workers. culture, bringing out the best in Qatar, and we hope this will build oneself. Ramadan is about being a platform for increased interac- this Ramadan initiative. These Khan, a Rota volunteer. good, forgiveness, sharing and tion between cultures. men work really hard throughout “Each year we look forward to other important values, which is “This is a small token of our the year and Ramadan can be a meeting the Rota volunteers and why we are trying to teach kids appreciation for construction tough time for them, especially the chance to enjoy and share an and encourage them to adhere workers, and we are grateful to being so far away from their fam- Iftar with our colleagues. We are to these values using a variety of the volunteers for their eff orts ilies. It’s important for us to show grateful to Rota for their consid- interactive activities,” said Manel ties relate to the story presented adan-related crafts like charity Two German ladies specialising towards Rota’s Ramadan 2016 our gratitude towards them and eration of the wider community,” Miaadi, Maktaba Qatar librarian during each storytelling ses- boxes, moon spotters and other in puppet shows will be joined Project.” give them a sense of belonging said a construction worker living and storyteller. sion. “Children will learn sto- activities that encourage kids to by Qatari storyteller Khalid al- “I am honoured to be a part of in the community,” said Yasser in Al Shamal Municipality. Miaadi said all crafting activi- ries about the moon and Ram- be generous and kind to others. Mohannadi.” Ooredoo volunteers join families at Ramadan cannon

oredoo volunteers have surprised and enjoy the sunset at the Imam Mu- and we welcome everyone to come and families waiting for the Ramadan hammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque, enjoy this spirit of togetherness.” Ocannon in Doha by distributing while children played and took pic- The visit is part of a series of com- Iftar boxes when the cannon was fi red. tures with the Ooredoo team. munity and charity activities this Ra- The fi ring of the Midfa al Iftar (Ram- Fatima Sultan al-Kuwari, director madan at various events and locations adan cannon) announces the breaking of community and public relations at around the country. Customers can of the fast, and is a very old tradition Ooredoo, said: “It’s a great honour to follow Ooredoo’s Ramadan campaign that is still practiced across the region. share this experience with our com- via Ooredoo’s Facebook, Instagram or After hearing the Ramadan cannon, munity. The Midfa al Iftar tradition is Twitter page and the hashtag #Closer- families gathered to break their fast something that keeps our culture alive, Connection

Ooredoo’s Alrabaa join children at the Ramadan cannon site. Guidelines for diabetics undertaking physical activity or Umrah in Ramadan

iabetes patients should aim to sweating and prevent dehydration, Umrah during Ramadan should under- do at least 30 minutes of physi- which may cause kidney injury. To take the necessary measures to prevent Dcal exercise a day during the prevent hypoglycemia during exercise, any adverse eff ects on their health. holy month of Ramadan, according to it is important to make sure that the “In the fi rst instance, they should Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, chair- blood glucose level before taking part check with their physician before un- man of Medicine at Hamad Medical in exercise is not less than 100mg/dl,” dertaking Umrah,” Prof Abou-Samra Corporation and director of the Qatar he continued. said. “Once given the all-clear, they Metabolic Institute. “No exercise should take place if the should of course obtain any neces- According to Prof Abou-Samra, dia- blood glucose level is too high (300mg/ sary vaccinations and ensure they have betics should take care to avoid exert- dl) as high sugar causes excessive loss suffi cient quantities of medicine, in ing too much physical eff ort during the of water in urine, which leads to dehy- addition to a blood sugar monitoring fasting period, particularly during the dration. It is also important to check device. two hours before Iftar. blood glucose levels after exercise to Prof Abou-Samra’s other sugges- “Ideally, extensive physical activ- avoid hypoglycemia,” he stressed. tions are to avoid prolonged exposure ity should only take place after Iftar or He said patients are advised to follow to the sun and try to perform Umrah before Suhoor, not during fasting. Pa- a daily physical activity programme of at night; drink enough liquids to off - tients should also ensure they are hav- moderate-level exercise for at least 30 set continually moving during Umrah; ing enough sleep at night,” said Prof minutes a day, such as walking, swim- perform Umrah with a companion who Abou-Samra. ming, cycling or similar activities. is aware of your medical condition; “They should avoid long exposure to “Overweight patients are encouraged have medications readily available in sunlight and intense heat. Fluid intake, to increase this to one hour a day,” Prof case of hypoglycemia and cease any especially water, is essential before and Abou-Samra said. activity and check with a doctor if you during exercise to off set fl uids lost by Diabetic patients planning to perform feel lethargic. Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 QATAR Cyclists raise QR1.5mn

Royal Jordanian will enhance Qatar Airways’ network for new school in Gaza with the addition of flights from Amman to Doha. he annual charity ride in race from the Sealine beach to an Europe organised by Qa- off road area outside Doha, which QA and Royal Ttar Cyclists Centre has attracted some 133 participants, attracted 25 Qatari cyclists and and the Heart of Qatar cycling raised some QR1.5mn this year, its event. Jordanian off er director Dr Abdulaziz al-Kuwari “A Canadian won the 42km has said. race followed by a guy from Dubai Qatar Cyclists Centre is known and the third placer was a Qatari,” passengers more as a cycling centre for amateurs al-Kuwari said. “More and more sponsored by the Ministry of Cul- Qataris are participating in this ture and Sports. beautiful sport.” shared destinations Speaking to Gulf Times at the Other than the weekly and opening of Freej Aspire on Friday, yearly rides, the centre also organ- al-Kuwari said that the money ised the fi rst cycling for women atar Airways and Qatar Airways, a renowned collected from the ride will be only in Qatar dubbed as Women Royal Jordanian partner in the oneworld used to build a school in Gaza. on Wheels held in April at the Lo- Qhave announced an airline alliance. In joining “Qatar Charity has started sail Circuit Sports Club, attracting expansion of their current forces with Qatar Airways, building the project and we are more than 300 participants. The code-share agreement, we are able to extend our very proud of this,” he stressed. event also engaged young children which will add six new customer experience be- “We are also proud that 25 Qataris to various games and physical ac- destinations to Royal Jor- yond our existing destina- of diff erent ages, the oldest was 61 tivities. danian’s existing network. tion network, to include and the youngest was 20, had par- Besides weekly and regular Royal Jordanian will several new destinations ticipated and we are very happy rides, the centre is also conduct- enhance Qatar Airways’ around the world.” about this.” ing a number of training sessions network with the addition Qatar Airways and Roy- Last year, al-Kuwari said they and workshops at its tent at Freej of fl ights from Amman to al Jordanian had launched were able to raise QR1mn from the Aspire located along Mehairja Doha, furthering the exist- the code-share agreement 800km charity ride, which started street. ing Qatar Airways code- in August 2015. in Vienna and ended in Berlin. Some of its programmes include Dr Abdulaziz al-Kuwari, right, along with Aspire Zone Foundation president Hilal al-Kuwari, at the opening of share on Royal Jordanian- The Doha-Amman Qa- Peddling their way across Europe, stationery training sessions for the Freej Aspire over the weekend. PICTURE: Jayan Orma operated fl ights to Doha, tar Airways (QR) and Royal participants crossed Czech Re- Freej visitors especially bike en- according to a statement. Jordanian (RJ) schedules public, Austria and Germany. thusiasts. workshops on bike safety and portunity to play around, exercise and then we take riders to the road Royal Jordanian custom- are as follows: QR401 de- Qatar Cyclists Centre also holds “We also explain to the com- maintenance regularly,” al-Ku- and learn cycling for free, and en- for a practice,” he said, adding: ers will have access to more parting Amman at 9.15pm races and competitions as part of munity diff erent types of bicy- wari said. joy the atmosphere at the venue as “We also teach them the safety destinations on Qatar Air- and arriving in Doha at its eff orts to promote the sport in cles (mountain and hybrid bikes, He added that visitors, espe- well. precautions while on the road and ways’ global network, such 11.55pm (Tuesday, Thurs- the country. These include a 42km among others), give courses and cially children, will have the op- “We do the workshop indoor the rider etiquette.” as Dhaka in Bangladesh, day, Friday, Saturday, Muscat in Oman, Karachi Sunday), QR403 depart- in Pakistan, Colombo in Sri ing Amman at 12.35pm and Lanka, Perth in Australia, arriving in Doha at 3.15pm and Singapore (subject to (Monday, Wednesday, Fri- regulatory approvals). This day, Saturday), QR400 QRCS completes expansion will open up departing Doha at 4.55pm 18 weekly fl ights between and arriving in Amman at Doha and Amman in ad- 7.45pm (Tuesday, Thurs- dition to numerous new day, Friday, Saturday, Sun- WASH project for connections on the Qatar day), and QR402 departing Airways global network Doha at 8.15am and arriv- from Hamad International ing in Amman at 11.05am Airport. (Monday, Wednesday, Syrian refugees Qatar Airways group Friday, Saturday); RJ646 chief executive Akbar al- departing Amman at Baker said, “By partnering 9am and arriving in Doha with Royal Jordanian, we at 11.30am ( (Monday, in Iraq province are opening up the world to Wednesday, Thursday, passengers travelling from Friday, Saturday), RJ650 Amman through Doha. departing Amman at atar Red Crescent Socie- is safe, integrated, and environ- Our code-share agreement 2.40am and arriving in ty’s (QRCS) has completed ment-friendly. It will serve up to enables Royal Jordanian to Doha at 5.10am (Tuesday, Qits water, sanitation, and 3,480 Syrians in two blocks of the benefi t from connectivity Thursday, Friday, Sunday), hygiene (WASH) project at Qush- camp. to some of our most popu- RJ647 departing Doha at tapa Syrian Refugee Camp in Er- Located nearly 20km away lar routes, including Perth 12.30pm and arriving in bil, Iraqi Kurdistan and handed it from the capital of Iraqi Kurdis- and Singapore, among our Amman at 3.20pm (Mon- over to the Kurdish government. tan, Qushtapa is a camp with 892 more than 150 worldwide day, Wednesday, Thurs- At least 60% of the project’s tents, hosting around 5,300 refu- destinations.” day, Friday, Saturday), and $2.25mn budget was contributed gees, mostly women and children. Royal Jordanian presi- RJ651 departing Doha at by the United Nations Children’s QRCS and Unicef had worked dent/CEO Captain Sulei- 7am and arriving in Am- Fund (Unicef) and QRCS supplied together on several projects (total- man Obeidat said, “We are man at 9.45am (Tuesday, the remaining 40%, including ling $2,341,417 or QR 8,520,420), pleased to co-operate with Thursday, Friday, Sunday). other works. benefi ting Syrian refugees in Iraqi The project aims to support Kurdistan. These projects aim to and improve the living condi- improve their conditions inside tions of Syrian refugees in Er- refugee camps until they can be bil by building 696 toilets and repatriated. sanitary facilities, constructing Currently, QRCS personnel in a sewage network throughout the Iraq are preparing for the Ram- Thousands of Syrian refugees to benefit from QRCS’ WASH project. camp, and launching awareness adan Iftar project, in co-opera- campaigns to enhance personal tion with the Iraqi Red Crescent Iraqi camps across the gover- To ensure transparency, a public chiefs and guards to reach out hygiene. Society (IRCS). norates of Baghdad (500), Erbil tender was conducted for securing to the most vulnerable, particu- In a press statement, QRCS said Food packages will be delivered (700), Sulaymaniyah (500), Dahuk the food aid. The distributions are larly orphans, the elderly, female The expansion of code-share agreement will add six new the established sewage network to 3,500 poor families in displaced (1,500), and Kirkuk (300). being co-ordinated with the camp breadwinners, and widows. destinations to Royal Jordanian’s existing network. QRCS reaches out to Yemeni infants with hydrocephalus

atar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) will be distributing Qcerebrospinal fl uid (CSF) col- lection machines to needy infants with hydrocephalus in Yemen. QRCS is implementing the second phase of its project, which has a total cost of $120,000 (QR436,800), aimed at reducing the mortality rate from hydrocephalus, mitigating its com- plications, and improving the well- being of patients to enable them to live normally. QRCS also wants to help poor fami- lies with hydrocephalic members, and promote solidarity and compassion in society. QRCS purchased 430 CSF collec- tion machines through the Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW) and forged an agreement with the Handi- capped Welfare and Rehabilitation Cerebrospinal fluid collection machines distributed in Yemen. Fund (HWRF) as a government body to perform the implantations for free. of al-Dailami saying that “QRCS has “I would like to thank QRCS for Targeting 430 hydrocephalic ba- a prominent role in various aspects of its humanitarian support of hydro- bies over one year, the fi rst 100 ma- humanitarian relief across Yemen.” cephalic patients,” said Nabil A Abdo, chines had been delivered from March “We in CSSW are proud of being father of Maram (Taiz). “I am happy to May and another 100 machines had partners with QRCS in many projects, to see my daughter smiling again after been given this month by the three which have a positive impact on the she had been crying all the time out of organisations. benefi ciaries and society at large,” he pain.” “This appreciated contribution will noted. Mohamed J Ahmed, father of Atef greatly help reduce disabilities and It is learnt that parents of the ben- (Imran), said: “I owe the benevolent save the lives of 430 newborns,” said efi ciaries were thankful to the donors donors a big favour. May God protect HWRF CEO Mohamed al-Dailami. for seeing their babies saved by what them and their children and I hope CSSW director-general Dr Abdel- they described as “life-saving ma- that this project will continue to save Wasei al-Wasiei echoed the statement chines.” every baby in this country.” Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 7 QATAR Pesticides pose threat to falcons, warns zoologist

By Peter Alagos “Qataris import many species Business Reporter of falcons to the country and breed them in many centres all around the country. There is big business in fal- nabated use of pesticides poses con breeding. Many Arabs from Gulf a threat to various species of countries such as Qatar import these Ufalcons, according to a veteran raptors from Europe and crossbreed zoologist who has produced a docu- them with diff erent species,” he said. mentary on falcons, which was shot “Arab sheikhs also compliment oth- mostly in Qatar. er sheikhs with very expensive falcon Dr Zubair Medammal, a falcon re- species. They are the costliest crea- searcher and assistant professor of the Falcon researcher Dr Zubair tures in the world. In Kuwait, one rap- University of Calicut’s Department of Medammal. PICTURE: Jayaram tor was purchased by the royal family Zoology, told Gulf Times that in the for approximately QR2.7mn. To buy wild, falcons are prone to the eff ects of in the summer, they will start breeding.” the most capable hunter, one has to Participants of the training session with off icials. pesticides. Also, their moulting season is dur- spend a large amount,” he said. “Falcons are carnivorous hence they ing summer, said Meddamal, whose Medammal also lauded the eff orts are susceptible to feeding on pesti- doctoral research was on the topic “Bi- of the Qatar Society of Algannas in cide-contaminated prey,” he said, ex- ology and Behaviour of Falcons with Katara for helping promote falconry plaining that pesticides could lead to Emphasis on Breeding and Healthcare among Qatari youth. He is in talks with thinning of the falcon’s eggshell. in Captivity.” Algannas to produce 100,000 DVD Katara Hospitality holds food “Thin eggshells will result in break- “During this season, owners take copies of a 30-minute documentary ing or unhatched eggs, which would special care of their falcons and it is on falcons and distribute them for free also aff ect the falcon’s breeding cy- a costly process. In many cases, they to students. cle and lead to a decline in the falcon will focus on the falcons and live in “I would like to supply my research safety training for employees population,” Medammal noted, add- the desert,” said Medammal, who was for free to students to promote the ing that the life span of falcons in the the only Indian who participated in importance of falconry and to pre- wild is 12 to 15 years. Qatar’s “7th International Falcons and serve and conserve this endangered atara Hospitality has held and Saraya Corniche Hotel. facilities, industry dining facilities, Arab falcon breeders, on the other Hunting Festival” (Marmi) in January. species,” he stressed, adding that the an ISO 22002-2 food safety Employees who took part in the as well as mobile catering compa- hand, use “sophisticated” breeding Medammal emphasised that hunt- documentary entitled “Falcons and Ktraining session in Doha, in ISO/TS 22002 Part-2: Catering for nies are known to take part in the facilities, Medammal said. “They will ing “is an integral part of Qatari herit- Falconry in the Arabian Gulf” is avail- conjunction with Bureau Veritas, a Katara Hospitality training were exhaustive set of ISO certifica- use these falcons during the winter for age.” He said Qataris “put a lot of im- able in English, Arabic and Malayalam global leader in testing, inspection awarded certificates of attendance tion training programmes on food hunting and other competitions, while portance” on falcon breeding. languages. and certification. in recognition of having completed safety. Head chefs, chief stewards and the programme. The comprehensive training ses- hygiene managers from the com- ISO 22002-2’s food safety train- sion was conducted by Bureau Ver- pany’s Qatar-based hotels took ing specifies the requirements for itas, a global company renowned part in the training, with repre- the design, implementation and for delivering certification services sentatives in attendance includ- maintenance programmes that as- and accreditations in awareness ing those from The Ritz-Carlton sist in controlling potential food training. The programme is de- Health minister appointed Doha, Sheraton Grand Doha Resort safety hazards in outlets offer- signed to assist clients with meet- & Convention Hotel, Movenpick ing catering and food-related ing their operational objectives in Hotel Doha, Simaisma, a Murwab services. line with product safety, quality, Resort, The Avenue, a Murwab Hotels, restaurants and dining environmental protection and so- as member of Sidra board Hotel, Sealine, a Murwab Resort outlets, hospitals and healthcare cial responsibility.

idra Medical and Research and children of Qatar as well as being Centre has announced the ap- a centre for world class research and Spointment of HE the Minister education. of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed “I am delighted to be appointed to al-Kuwari as a member of its Board of the Board of Governors and look for- Governors. ward to working collaboratively both Lord Darzi of Denham, the vice with the board and the wider Sidra or- chair of the Board of Governors and ganisation.” the chair of the Executive Committee HE Dr al-Kuwari is a visiting profes- of Sidra said HE Dr al-Kuwari’s coun- sor at Imperial College London and is sel will help strengthen Sidra’s strate- an accomplished speaker and thought gic approach to meeting the healthcare leader in the healthcare industry in the needs of the children and women of region. Qatar. HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari In addition to being a board member “HE Dr al-Kuwari’s appointment at Sidra, she holds several other board comes at a crucial time as we launch she has been credited with transform- memberships in Qatar, including with new clinics and services at our re- ing the organisation into an integrat- the Joint Commission International; cently opened Outpatient clinic while ed academic health system that has Middle East Advisory Council; the As- continuing progress with the main achieved numerous awards and inter- sociation of Academic Health Centres hospital commissioning.” national accreditation. International Steering Committee and HE Dr al-Kuwari was appointed the HE Dr al-Kuwari said with a strong the Institute of Global Health Innova- minister of public health in 2016. patient and family centred focus, Sidra tion. She is also the managing director of will be at the forefront of delivering She is also the chairperson of the Hamad Medical Corporation, where excellent patient care to the women board for Qatar Biobank.

Reardon-Anderson is new GU-Q dean

enior associate dean of George- wanted to go Reardon-Anderson, who received town’s School of Foreign Serv- back. This is an his Ph D from Columbia University, Sice in Washington DC, Dr James opportunity to is Sun Yat-sen professor of Chinese Reardon-Anderson (pictured), has go back. I really Studies and has been a member of been appointed the new dean of the like the place, I the Georgetown faculty since 1985. university’s Education City campus in like the school, He has served as director of the Inter- Qatar, and will serve until July 2018. and I like the University Programme for Chinese The president of Georgetown Uni- students. I am Language Studies in Taipei, chief li- versity, Dr John J DeGioia said: “Dr looking for- brarian of the C V Starr East Asian Reardon-Anderson brings a wealth of ward to it.” Library of Columbia University, di- experience to this role, having served Joel Hell- rector of the Committee on Scholarly as the founding dean of the School of man, the cur- Communication with the People’s Foreign Service in Qatar, from 2005 to rent dean of the School of Foreign Republic of China, director of Asian 2009, and as interim dean of the Walsh Service on the main campus, said: Studies at Georgetown, and director School of Foreign Service.” “He’s really been an integral part of of the Master of Science in Foreign Reardon-Anderson said he has al- GU-Q. Even over the last year, he was Service programme. ways felt a connection to Doha, de- serving as the GU-Q liaison here on He is the author of fi ve books on the spite the fact that he had to leave after the Washington campus. So, he’s al- history and politics of China, most serving as founding dean. ways kept one very important foot on recently Reluctant Pioneers: China’s “I was the fi rst dean and I really the ground in Qatar and Doha because Expansion Northward, 1644-1937, a enjoyed it. I had to come home for that’s where, I think, his passion has study of Chinese frontier expansion personal reasons, and I have always been.” and settlement.

QNB launches MasterCard promotion

NB, in collaboration with Mas- the draw and chances will be doubled and we are very pleased to bring this terCard yesterday launched for weekend spends and tripled when campaign to our valuable cardhold- Qa unique 100-day campaign the MasterCard credit cards are used ers,” Heba al-Tamimi, general man- off ering credit cardholders a total of overseas, including on international ager, QNB Group Retail, said. QR1mn for purchases made during the websites. “We are delighted to collaborate period. The minimum purchase amount with QNB to bring this exciting cam- For a total of 100 days, all QNB Mas- to enter the draw does not include paign to our cardholders in Qatar. Re- terCard credit cardholders will stand cash advances, donations or fees and warding our customers with amazing a chance to win back QR10,000 daily charges. benefi ts is our way of thanking them when using their MasterCard credit “The campaign aims to encourage for their loyalty, while we remain com- cards for purchases until September customers to use their QNB Master- mitted to off ering them smarter, more 16, in addition to accumulating life re- Card credit card as the best method of innovative and safer ways to pay,” ac- wards points. payment for all their retail purchases. cording to Raghav Prasad, general Every cumulative QR1,000 usage At QNB, we always strive to reward our manager (Gulf Countries), Master- weekly will qualify as one entry into customers with unique experiences Card. Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 QATAR

Blood and organ donation campaigns

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Al Faisal Without Borders (ALF) Foundation have jointly launched Ramadan Voluntary Blood Donation and National Organ Donation campaigns. The two Ramadan campaigns - now in their fifth year - were off icially inaugurated by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of the board of trustees of ALF at City Centre Doha. Mobile blood donor units are being dispatched to locations around Qatar to encourage voluntary donation. The main Blood Donor Centre on the grounds of Hamad General Hospital next to the Consultative Council is open to donors from 6pm to midnight during Ramadan. The National Organ Donation campaign booths will be set up in shopping malls and other prominent locations around the country. PICTURE: Thajudheen Freej Aspire a big draw with families reej Aspire has proven to be “hugely popular” with families Fwho have fl ocked to the specially created neighbourhood village to cel- ebrate their history and heritage dur- ing the holy month of Ramadan, Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) has said in a statement. The offi cial opening of Freej Aspire took place on Friday evening in the presence of AZF president Hilal al-Ku- wari and acting CEO Mohamed Khalifa al-Suwaidi. A number of dignitaries also attended the opening and toured the Freej to learn about the range of events and activities. Freej Aspire is a “truly welcoming and family-friendly place”, AZF has Social media celebrities enjoying the Freej Aspire atmosphere. stressed. Khalid al-Nima, a Qatari par- ent who accompanied his daughter to is authentic and family-friendly. It has Sky Climbers, an organisation that the Freej to make the most of the Ra- a number of areas that are suitable for provides a range of activities for talent- madan atmosphere, said: “The place children and I am truly impressed with ed young people, has also participated what has been achieved.” in the Freej. Freej Aspire also provides opportuni- This year, AZF has allocated a dedi- ties for talented Qataris. The Freej stage cated space at Freej Aspire to exhibit a will screen two short fi lms produced number of traditional artworks in ad- by Qatari directors as part of a series of dition to a corner for henna drawing, fi lms being presented every day. Audi- make-up and design. In addition, there Children take part in a traditional activity. ences will also have the chance to meet is a dedicated corner for children to try both directors to discuss the making of Arabic calligraphy and prints. place at the Freej theatre on the fi rst number of food recipes presented by Qatar TV presenter Hassan al-Saai. their fi lm. The Freej will also host an exhibition day. These included competitions and chef Mohamed Nijm. With a capacity of up to 3,000 visitors The second day of the Freej featured for Qatar Cyclists to promote a culture entertainment activities provided by The initiative has also drawn praise daily, this year’s Freej Aspire occupies an Raghd Al Halal, a fi lm produced by Qa- of cycling among the local community, the Raqi group and religious songs from dignitaries who attended the area of more than 8,000sqm and is air- tari director Hussain al-Sayigh. and a dedicated booth for Qatar Red performed by Jihad Alyafai. In addi- opening. “As a concept and experience, conditioned to 25C to keep visitors cool As part of the activities specifi cally Crescent Society (QRCS) to give the tion, there was a range of practical ad- I think the Freej should extend beyond and comfortable, the statement adds. Khalid al-Nima accompanied his designed for children, storyteller Rash- public an overview of their various ac- vice and guidance provided by Mariam Ramadan, given its role in celebrating Freej Aspire forms part of Aspire daughter to the Freej to make the id al-Shib read a number of traditional tivities and services. Bekhit from Aspire Active about fast- Qatari culture and the way it success- Zone’s Ramadan Festival, which runs most of the Ramadan atmosphere. stories to groups of boys and girls. A number of performances took ing safely and healthily along with a fully combines sport and culture,” said from Ramadan 5 to 19 (June 10 to 24).

Cebu Pacifi c sale for Philippines Independence Day

ebu Pacifi c (CEB), the Philippines’ leading carrier, joins the Philippines’ 118th Independence Day cel- Cebration with a network-wide seat sale, available for booking via CEB’s offi cial mobile app. Seats on CEB’s long-haul fl ights from Doha to Manila are available for QR349. The airline’s grand seat sale will run until June 18, 2016 for all long-haul routes or until seats last. All promo fares are valid for travel from September 1 to December 31, 2016. Passengers can also avail of CEB’s extensive domestic net- work for competitive prices. The quoted fare is inclusive of admin fees, airport fees, and country taxes where applicable. Baggage allowance, meals, travel insurance, and other ancillaries may be added to the fare per the passenger’s preference. To avail of the travel deal, download the offi cial CEB mobile app on the App Store or on Google Play, and click “Book a Flight”. CEB’s 57-strong fl eet is comprised of seven Airbus A319, 36 Airbus A320, six Airbus A330, and eight ATR 72-500 aircraft. Between 2016 and 2021, CEB expects delivery of two more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and 16 ATR 72-600 aircraft. The latest seat sales can be found on CEB’s offi cial Twit- ter (@CebuPacifi cAir) and Facebook pages.

Cebu Pacific said the airline expects delivery of two more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and 16 ATR 72-600 aircraft between 2016 and 2021. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 9 REGION Saudi prince to meet Obama, Ban on US visit

Reuters/AFP discussions with senior bankers Prince Mohamed has risen to Riyadh and business executives. be among Saudi Arabia’s most Prince Mohamed is the main infl uential fi gures since being architect of a wide-ranging named second-in-line to the audi Arabia’s infl uential “Vision 2030” plan released in throne last year. deputy crown prince fl ew April to diversify the kingdom’s Prince Mohamed, spearhead- Sto the United States yes- economy away from oil. ing an ambitious plan to revamp terday for meetings with US At the heart of Vision 2030 the economy of the world’s top President Barack Obama and is a plan to fl oat less than 5% of oil exporter, will also travel to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- state oil fi rm Saudi Aramco on California where he is expected moon, offi cial media reported. the stock market. to meet company executives in Prince Mohamed, 30, who The proceeds would become Silicon Valley, the Saudi-owned Emiratis watch a bullfight in Fujairah. No matadors, blood, or betting when bulls lock horns in Fujairah’s ring, but a winning beast might capture the is also defence minister, will part of the world’s largest state in- Asharq al-Awsat newspaper hearts of traders and bring its owner a small fortune. hold talks with US offi cials on vestment fund, with $2tn in assets. said. “strengthening bilateral rela- Profi ts from the fund would Asharq al-Awsat quoted Sau- tions and discussing regional help economic diversifi cation di sources as saying that Prince matters of mutual interest”, the and provide an alternative to Mohamed would start his visit Saudi Press Agency said. oil revenues that have fallen by in New York where he was ex- The prince, who is King Sal- about half since 2014. pected to meet the UN chief Bloodless bullfi ghts earn man’s son, was accompanied by This month, San Francisco- yesterday. a ministerial delegation includ- based Uber announced that the Ban said last week that Saudi ing Finance Minister Ibrahim al- Saudi Public Investment Fund Arabia had exerted “unaccepta- Assaf and Commerce and Invest- has pumped $3.5bn into the ble” pressure on the world body ment Minister Majid al-Qasabi. ride-sharing giant. after a UN report blacklisted Gulf owners big bucks His trip follows an April visit The move signals a more ag- a Saudi-led military coalition to the kingdom by President gressive global investment for killing children in Yemen, a Obama, who also attended a presence by the kingdom under charge denied by the kingdom. AFP an alarm pierces the air. dors is replaced by the traditional “It comes with its own audi- summit meeting with Gulf lead- its economic restructuring pro- The United Nations removed Fujairah, UAE Known as “Al-wannan”, the white robe worn by Bedouins, ence,” said Abdullah. ers. gramme. the coalition from the list af- sound is intended as a form of known locally as the dishdasha. The owner has been off ered During his stops in Washing- Uber is a smartphone app ter Riyadh threatened to cut its applause to heighten the excite- Twelve-year-old Swati, an In- 300,000 dirhams ($81,700) in ton and New York, Prince Mo- that connects passengers and funding of UN programmes, here’s no matador, betting ment. dian girl who came with her fam- cash and still refuses to sell. hamed is also expected to hold drivers around the world. diplomatic sources said. or blood when bulls lock Despite soaring temperatures, ily from the modern city-state From an early age, owners can Thorns in the Gulf emirate local families and tourists gather of Dubai, was expecting to see a tell if a calf will grow up to be of Fujairah, but a winning beast around the fenced bull-ring. matador waving a red cape. successful in the ring. Saudi stops 122 African migrants at sea in the popular sport can still earn Some sit atop SUVs, cracking “But when I came here, my fa- Potential fighters are its owner a fortune. seeds and sipping juice. ther told me that it’s actually two trained by walking them in Saudi Arabia has intercepted 122 Patrol boats intercepted three Sea from oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Bullfi ghts are a weekly event Around 80 bulls take part in bulls fi ghting,” she said. the sea to strengthen the legs, illegal migrants trying to reach the wooden boats with the 122 There were also 11 Nigerians, one at a ring close to the beach on the hours-long contest. Matrushi pointed to another before they are taken to the kingdom from Africa by sea, off icial “infiltrators” including women and Ethiopian and one Chadian. the east coast of the United Arab The winning bull in each diff erence with the Spanish ver- mountains to build up chest media said yesterday. children, it quoted border guards According to the United Nations, Emirates. round is decided by a committee sion. muscles. In the past two days border guards spokesman Colonel Sahir al-Harbi since 2014 more than 10,000 people Organisers admit the sport of judges formed of eight local “There, they could mistreat Matrushi said a farmer can of- disrupted four attempts by people as saying. have died crossing the Mediterra- is rough but insist it is animal- elders. the animal or torture it. Here ten “provide the bulls with more trying to enter the kingdom from Most of them, 109, were Sudanese, nean from Africa to Europe, which is friendly, and they ensure the bull There are no cash prizes for the we are merciful towards it. We attention than that he gives to the Red Sea, the Saudi Press whose impoverished homeland experiencing its worst migrant crisis is never killed. owners. provide it with medical treat- his own children”. Agency said. lies on the other side of the Red since World War II. While it’s believed 16th cen- But the value of a winning bull ment, we take care of it and feed tury Portuguese invaders intro- can shoot up in price, attracting it properly.” duced bullfi ghting to the Gulf, off ers by traders, some of whom Mohamed Abdullah, a Fujairah’s version pits two bulls drive in from nearby Oman where 30-year-old government em- against one another instead of the sport is even more popular. ployee who himself owns 15 bulls, man against beast. “When a bull is always distinct agreed. And unlike at bull-on-bull – winning against other bulls “We give them food and nour- “When tournaments in Southeast Asia, – its price can reach 600,000 ishment from the best types of a bull is spectators place no bets – Is- dirhams ($163,000),” said Ha- proteins and vitamins,” he said. always lamic tradition and Emirati laws mad al-Matrushi, an elderly He estimated that feeding his distinct — forbid it. committee member and bull- bulls costs him 10,000 dirhams winning A fi ght lasts just minutes, end- owner. ($2,700) a month. against ing when one of the bulls gives “But the price of a bull which There is no system of weight other bulls up or is pushed back by its rival to sometimes performs well and classes for the bulls, which can — its price the roar of a commentator’s voice other times not so well would fi ght from the age of two un- can reach over loudspeakers. go down to around 120,000 til they retire to the fi elds or are 600,000 Upon his word, more than a ($32,700) or 80,000 dirhams given away as gifts. dirhams dozen barefooted handlers use ($21,800),” he said. The Jersey and Holstein breeds ($163,000)” ropes to pull the bulls apart be- This form of bullfi ghting, are the most popular. fore the next bout kicks off . known in Arabic as munatahat Fujairah’s champion is named “Dr Thomas and Jackson,” says al-thiran (bull-butting), has its Reyla, a massive black hulk of the commentator, introducing own set of traditions. fl esh. the next pair of animals to lock The brightly-coloured “traje It always wins, attracting fans horns. de luces” (suit of lights) clothing who cross the border from Oman As the two bulls square off, that distinguishes Spanish mata- to watch it fi ght.

Prison terms for links to Islamist groups

n Arab citizen was jailed for fi ve years Aby the United Arab Emirates yesterday for hav- ing ties to Syria’s Al Qaeda affi liate Al Nusra Front, the offi cial WAM news agency reported. It said the man, whose na- tionality was not given, will be deported after serving his sentence. Another four people - “of Arab, American and Euro- pean nationality” - were each given one year “for not informing the authorities about the activities” of the fi rst man, WAM said. A sixth man in the same case was given a three- month prison term for illegal possession of a fi rearm. The same Federal High Court also delivered its ver- dict in a case relating to the Muslim Brotherhood organ- isation. Fifteen Yemenis and four Emiratis were convicted of “forming a Muslim Brother- hood cell and collecting fi nan- cial contributions” for the or- ganisation, which is banned in the UAE, the news agency said. Without giving details, it said the maximum sentence given was three years in pris- on, but added that some de- fendants had been acquitted. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 ARAB WORLD/RAMADAN Time to break the fast Ramadan resolutions

By Abdullah Khan A successful personal goal setting endeavor begins with a self-assess- ment. For Muslims, the central ques- t is customary among many peoples tion in accounting for oneself is to ask to set New Year resolutions. The sincerely: “Am I observing the golden Imajority of people lose their new- mean in my life?” This will reveal where found resolve, however, within just a we focus most of our energy and re- few months. This is mainly because few sources in life. of us know how to set goals for our self- For some of us, we may realise that promises. Even less have an action plan we are spending the bulk of our time to achieve them. and energy at work, to the detrimental The best time to set resolutions or neglect of our family life. Others may renew intentions for Muslims is not in come to realise that though their family, Muharram or January, but Ramadan, social, and intellectual life is satisfacto- for Ramadan is Divinely designed to ry, the spiritual aspect is wanting. Still be a month of personal and commu- others may conclude that while they nal change. No surprise, then, that it is are fi nancially fulfi lled, they fall short also the lunar period in which Allah Al- in giving charity. This central question mighty changed the destiny of human- will help us identify areas and aspects in kind by blessing them with His fi nal our lives that we need to work on in or- and universal Divine Guidance. der to achieve and maintain that golden In it, as a commemoration and a mean. Still, the question remains, How renewal, Allah re-instituted fasting should we prioritise our goals? An Egyptian family watches as a cannon fires to announce the time to break the fast during the Ramadan in Cairo among humanity and magnifi ed all the Allah Almighty provides guidance yesterday. other great acts of worship not specifi - in setting priorities in life through the cally time-bound to another calendar example of His Friend, Ibraaheem, may date or season. His Heavenly purpose, Allah exalt his mention. After deliver- therein, being precisely to purify us ing his wife Hajar and his son Ismaa‘eel, both physically and spiritually. These may Allah exalt his mention, to the pre- acts of worship, within a state of wor- cincts of the barren sacred valley of ship, within framework of worship - Makkah, Ibraaheem, may Allah exalt Sadaqah (charity), for instance, given his mention, walks away from them, as when one is in a condition of self-im- directed by Allah Almighty. When he is posed deprivation, within a divinely out of their sight, he turns around fac- demarcated, obligatory sacred span ing the place of the Ka’aba and makes Egypt builds new - of and by their very nature facilitate inevitable meeting with Allah in the the following Du‘aa (supplication) for - even mandate - change in our lives, Hereafter while Ramadan represents them: {Our Lord, I have settled some of at the very list by disrupting our daily the life of this world that we are living, my descendants in an uncultivated val- routines. It is during this time of fl ux which, again, is a preparation for that ley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that our lives are most malleable to any ultimate goal. that they may establish prayer. So make attempts to improve them. Muslims hearts among the people incline to- must, therefore, set new resolutions The practical refl ection of our ward them and provide for them from homes to replace and goals for and during this month. spiritual objectives the fruits that they might be grateful.} But what kind of resolutions should Given this understanding of the [Qur’an 14:37] we make? What type of goals should we profound aspirations of the believer, Note that though Ibraaheem, may seek to achieve? the main focus for any Ramadan goal Allah exalt his mention, acknowledges Allah Almighty has clearly set out should entail the ultimate ambition of a in his supplication the scarcity of food the main goal for the month of Ram- favourable meeting with Allah. and water faced by his family - an ur- adan by declaring what means: {O you One of the most common New Year gent matter of life and death - the fi rst crumbling slums who have believed, decreed upon you resolutions is to lose weight. This, it aff air of signifi cance that Ibraaheem, is fasting as it was decreed upon those seems, has also become a common ob- may Allah exalt his mention, places be- By Mahmoud Mourad/Reuters in tombs in an area known as the City a problem,” Sisi said at the recent open- before you that you may become right- jective for Muslims during Ramadan. fore Allah Almighty is the high purpose Cairo of the Dead. ing of a low-income housing project in eous} [Qur’an 2:183], that is to become Although keeping a healthy body is part of his intent: To facilitate his family in Egyptian President Abdel Fattah the Madinat Badr area of Cairo. ever God-fearing. But the acquisition of our responsibility as Muslims, if our the establishment of Salaah (prayer). al-Sisi promised last month to move While it evacuates dangerous areas, of Taqwa itself contains a higher pur- focus is as solemn as meeting Allah in Only after fi rst establishing their spir- ayada Mohamed has left her old all those living in unsafe slums to new the government is upgrading other in- pose: To prepare us for a much greater joy and happiness, then it becomes itual mission - and by extension his slum on a crumbling cliff side fl ats over the next three years in an am- formal settlements, connecting them achievement in life - namely, to meet clear that our goals for Ramadan must hope in Allah’s succour of their vital Band moved into a new fl at in a bitious project expected to cost about to basic services and paving roads. Allah. Allah States this throughout the be more comprehensive than losing spiritual need - does Ibraaheem, may Cairo residential complex, making her 14bn Egyptian pounds ($1.58bn). But many residents are disappointed Qur’an what means: weight. Allah exalt his mention, turn in his sup- among the fi rst to benefi t from a gov- The fi rst two phases of Tahya Misr, with the upgrades. {Then to your Lord is your return…} Our lives are multidimensional: Fi- plication toward their dire physical and ernment plan to rehouse residents of which is dedicated to rehousing slum- Magdi Mahmoud, a factory worker [Qur’an 6:164] nancial, spiritual, intellectual, social, social needs in his supplication. And Egypt’s most dangerous slums. dwellers, were completed in 11 months who lives with his family in the in- {…To Him is the destination.} familial, personal, philanthropic, phys- even then, he connects the purpose of Like other residents of the Doueyka and comprise 12,000 fl ats. formal settlement of Abu Dahruj in [Qur’an 40:3] ical, etc. Consequently, the resolutions the fulfi llment of their social and phys- slum where homes have no running The third phase opens in 2017, bring- southern Cairo, said the work should {And that to your Lord is the fi nality.} we set for Ramadan must refl ect this ical needs to their (ultimate) spiritual water and a rockslide killed about 130 ing the number of fl ats to 20,000. have stretched to schools and clinics. [Qur’an 53:42] multi-dimensionality. Some people goal, namely, to thank Allah. people in 2008, Bayada’s family has The completed complex will house “The improvements are not bad but It is for this reason that Allah States expend all their energy in pursuing only It is with this same spirit and under- been off ered a rental fl at in the recent- 100,000. the important thing is people look af- in another place in the Qur’an concern- their fi nancial goals and pay no heed standing that we need to prioritise our ly-opened Tahiya Misr development in Government eff orts to eradicate the ter them,” he said. And on Cairo’s dusty ing Haj (Pilgrimage) what means: {… to other aspects of their life. Muslims goals for life in general, and more spe- the Moqattam area. worst slums come as Sisi faces grow- and desolate fringes, the city’s poorest And take provisions, but indeed, the should try to achieve and maintain the cifi cally for the month of Ramadan. “Where was I and where am I now?” ing pressure to revive the economy and are building more illegal homes on land best provision is fear of Allah. And fear golden mean, as practiced by the Mes- exclaimed Bayada, sitting in her new avoid the kind of protests that toppled they do not own. Me, O you of understanding.} [Qur’an senger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa Article source: http://www.islamweb. fl at surrounded by new furniture. two presidents in the last fi ve years. As the Tahya Misr development 2: 197] Haj, in this life, symbolises our sallam, in all aspects of his life. net/emainpage/ There are 351 slums deemed unsafe But rising prices are eroding living nears completion, Ahmed, a vegeta- in Egypt, most of them in the sprawl- standards in a country where tens of ble seller, is working with neighbours ing capital where the poorest have millions rely on state-subsidised food to complete a new slum near Arab al built ramshackle homes that lack basic and complicating eff orts to rid Egypt of Barawi, an older informal settlement in amenities such as mains sewage and its slums. southern Cairo, after struggling to af- water. Not all slum residents have been as ford the rent there. Some 850,000 people are believed to enthusiastic as Bayada about leaving His new house is built with scav- live in dangerous slums. behind their communities and seeing enged materials. Building collapses are common in their old homes demolished. “Thank God, today he blessed us Cairo, home to some 20mn people, and “Most of the residents of these areas with a bit of wood that was left on the the shortage of aff orable housing is so wish to be in areas close to where they street ... to roof my house,” Ahmed acute that 1.5 to 2mn are believed to live are actually living now and this for us is said.

Israeli soldiers detain three Palestinians Israeli soldiers invaded at dawn yesterday Beit Fajjar town, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and detained three young Palestinian men. The soldiers invaded the town through its western part, and were largely deployed in the Western Neighbourhood and Sahlet Eid area, before storming and searching many homes, and arrested the three young men. The soldiers also fired several gas bombs, and concussion grenades, before withdrawing from the town. Meanwhile, Dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded yesterday many Palestinian homes in Yatta town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and searched many homes, before the army tightened the siege that was imposed on the town several days ago. The soldiers invaded Yatta from several directions, before advancing into its neighbourhoods, and then broke into many homes, and violently searched them. They interrogated many Palestinians while searching their homes, especially in Roq’a area, Zeev and Susiya junctions. The soldiers deliberately caused damage to windows, doors and furniture in the invaded homes, Jabour added. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 11 ARAB WORLD Libya forces’ advance slows as IS hits back in Sirte

AFP fi ghters were wounded in a clash and turned it into its main base Sirte, Libya with IS on the western side of in North Africa. the residential areas, and that The loss of the city would be the militants lost both men and a major setback for the group, n intense fi ghtback by vehicles in the fi ghting. which has also been losing ter- the Islamic State group On Sunday, three IS fi ghters ritory in Syria and Iraq where Ain Libya’s Sirte slowed drove cars laden with explosives IS established its self-declared Iraqi security forces transport a tank in Fallujah, Iraq, yesterday. an advance by pro-government at pro-government troops and a “caliphate” in 2014. forces yesterday into the mili- fi eld hospital, killing at least one The forces battling to oust tants’ North African stronghold. fi ghter and wounding four oth- the militants from Sirte include Forces allied with Libya’s uni- ers, a unity government spokes- militias from western cities, no- ty government made rapid gains man said. tably Misrata, and the guards of Iraq makes in Sirte last week, pushing IS out Pro-government fi ghters re- eastern oil installations that IS of the port and the airport on the sponded by attacking IS positions has repeatedly tried to seize. edges of the coastal city, 450km at the main western entrance to Under the command of Lib- arrests over (280 miles) east of the capital the city on Sunday afternoon. ya’s UN-backed Government Tripoli. They came under intense fi re of National Accord (GNA), they But the advance, under cover from the militants and withdrew launched the assault on Sirte, ‘execution of of air strikes and heavy artil- as evening fell, an AFP journalist the hometown of Libya’s ousted lery, slowed as pro-government at the scene reported. A pro-gov- dictator Muammar Gaddafi , a fi ghters reached residential areas ernment fi ghter was injured by month ago. Sunni men’ near the city centre. sniper fi re during the operation. Directed from a joint com- Most of Sirte’s residents have But another fi ghter in the mand centre in Misrata, 190km fl ed, but offi cials have said some battle sounded an upbeat note: (120 miles) to the northwest, Reuters 30,000 civilians remain there. “Our ground forces will advance pro-GNA forces have deployed Baghdad “We are trying to advance despite the diffi culties,” he said. tanks, rocket launchers and ar- slowly today,” a member of The AFP journalist fi lmed pro- tillery in the fi ght for the city. the operations command government fi ghters fi ring assault Forces from Misrata - who raq said yesterday it had made arrests said.”There are no big clashes so rifl es at IS positions from inside have an arsenal that includes as it investigates allegations that Shia far, but the most important thing buildings on the edge of the city. MiG fi ghter jets and attack heli- Imilitiamen helping the army retake is that we are trying to advance.” One wounded fi ghter lay on copters - have carried out doz- Fallujah had executed dozens of Sunni As the fi ghting degenerated steps as his colleagues shouted ens of air raids against IS. Muslim men fl eeing the city held by Is- into a street-by-street battle, IS for medical assistance. Pro-GNA forces entered Sirte lamic State. militants holed up in the central “The infantry has advanced last week, taking the port on Fri- Iraqi authorities “are following up on and northern parts of the city inside Sirte with a great deal of day and advancing on residential the violations and a number of arrests have hit back with sniper fi re, impro- eff ort,” said Mohamed al-Fadel, areas in the east. been made,” government spokesman Saad vised explosives and suicide car a pro-government fi ghter. Following rapid gains, a spokes- al-Hadithi said after a regional governor bombings. IS - which is estimated to have man for the pro-GNA forces pre- said 49 Sunni men had been executed after The GNA forces’ Facebook some 5,000 fi ghters in Libya - dicted on Thursday the city would surrendering to a Shia faction. page said yesterday 10 of their seized control of Sirte last year fall “in two or three days”. Sohaib al-Rawi, governor of Anbar province where Fallujah is located, said on Sunday that 643 men had gone miss- ing between June 3 and June 5, and “all the surviving detainees were subjected to severe and collective torture by various means.” The participation of militias in the battle of Fallujah, just west of Baghdad, alongside the Iraqi army had already raised fears of sectarian killings. Iraq’s Defence Minister Khalid al- Obeidi said four military personnel were arrested after video footage showed them abusing people displaced from Fallujah. He pledged on Twitter to prosecute any serviceman involved in such acts. “Harassment of IDPs (internally dis- placed persons) is a betrayal of the sacri- fi ces of our brave forces’ liberation opera- Forces loyal to Libya’s UN-backed unity government carry a comrade wounded during clashes with militants tions to expel Daesh (Islamic State) from in Sirte as they take part in an operation to recapture the city from the Islamic State (IS) group. Iraq,” he said.

EgyptAir black box signals will soon stop: inquiry

AFP Greek offi cials, that the Cairo aircraft had made a 90-de- gree left turn followed by a 360-degree turn to the ignals from the black right before disappearing boxes of the EgyptAir from radar screens. Splane that crashed The French research into the Mediterranean on vessel “John Lethbridge” May 19 will stop operat- arrived in Egypt on June ing in 11 days, the Egyptian 9 to join the search for the board of inquiry said yes- aircraft which came down terday. between the Greek island What caused the Airbus of Crete and Egypt. A320 from Paris to Cairo A French navy vessel us- to go down, killing all 66 ing deep-water listening people on board, remains a devices picked up signals mystery. from one of the black boxes The sea where it crashed on June 1. is believed to be about Egypt initially suspected 3,000m (10,000ft) deep, the aircraft was brought and its fl ight data recorder down by an attack, but it and cockpit voice recorder is now thought the crash should have had enough may have been caused by a battery power to emit sig- technical fault. nals for four to fi ve weeks. Automatic alerts sent by Yesterday, a statement the Airbus indicated smoke from the commission of in the cabin and a fault in inquiry issued by the civil the fl ight control unit. aviation ministry said the The crash happened sev- signals would continue un- en months after the bomb- til June 24. ing of a Russian airliner over The statement also said Egypt’s restive Sinai Penin- Egyptian investigators had sula in October that killed all agreed to a US request for 224 people on board. its National Transporta- The Islamic State group tion Safety Board to rake claimed responsibility for part in the inquiry. that attack. Egyptian investigators There has been no such also confi rmed what had claim over the EgyptAir already been reported by crash. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 AFRICA Pistorius a ‘broken’ man, psychologist tells S Africa court

Reuters received preferential treatment. with Britain’s ITV is due to air on Scholtz said Pistorius had Pretoria Jonathan Scholtz, a psy- June 24 at 2000 GMT. been assaulted once in jail but chologist called by Pistorius’ Nel told the court Pistorius Nel rejected this, saying the lawyer Barry Roux, told the had shown no remorse for the complaint register in which Pis- scar Pistorius is a “bro- sentencing hearing that the murder, and that he only “feels torius often raised issues had no ken” man who should athlete, who attended in a dark sorry for himself”. report of such an incident. Oscar Pistorius attending his sentencing for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp at the Pretoria High Court yesterday. Onot be jailed for the suit and at times sat with his Pistorius had had temper Nel also disputed a claim by murder of his girlfriend Reeva head in his hands, was on med- tantrums in jail and had once the psychologist that Pistorius his frame of mind. In my opin- The original trial judge, lars in endorsements and spon- Steenkamp, a psychologist told a ication for depression, anxiety banged a table when he got up- was traumatised after he saw a ion that’s going to count against Thokozile Masipa, started hear- sorships after reaching the pin- court in South Africa yesterday, and insomnia. set with a nurse, Nel said, asking prisoner who had hanged him- him,” he said. ing the pre-sentencing argu- nacle of his fame in London 2012 while a prosecutor said he has “One would describe him as Scholtz why he ignored Pisto- self, saying it was unlikely that Pistorius was at fi rst given a ments at Pretoria High Court when he became the fi rst double shown no remorse. broken. In my opinion his cur- rius’ actions. he could have seen the victim. fi ve-year sentence for culpable yesterday. amputee to run in the Olympics, The 29-year-old Paralym- rent condition warrants hospi- Scholtz said Pistorius may Luvuyo Mfaku, a spokesman homicide, South Africa’s equiva- State prosecutors who lodged reaching the 400m semi-fi nals. pic gold medallist, known as talisation,” Scholtz said, noting have acted violently as he was for the National Prosecuting Au- lent of manslaughter, for shoot- the appeal say Pistorius intended Outside the court, a group held “Blade Runner” for the car- that Pistorius was not in the still adapting to prison and af- thority, told Reuters its position ing Steenkamp through a locked to kill Steenkamp and that the up placards backing the athlete, bon-fi bre prosthetics he wore right frame of mind to testify. fected by medication. was “to argue for the prescribed toilet door in his Pretoria home law graduate and model had fl ed one of them with the message: when racing, faces a minimum “Since 2013, he becomes “Why would you select only sentence to be imposed, that is on Feb. 14 three years ago. He had to the toilet during an argument. “Worldwide supporters of Oscar 15-year jail term after his man- traumatised when he hears the positive views for your report. I 15 years.” argued he mistook her for an in- A fi nal ruling on his sentence is Pistorius”. slaughter conviction for the sound of gunfi re,” Scholtz said. fi nd that in your report you are Johannesburg-based lawyer truder. expected by the end of this week. Jacqueline Mofokeng, a 2013 killing was upgraded on “He never wants to touch a fi re- biased towards the accused,” Nel and legal analyst Ulrich Roux The conviction was later up- Scholtz told the hearing, which spokeswoman for the Women’s appeal. arm again.” said, shortly before the court ad- said the fact that Pistorius would graded to murder after an appeal was attended by Steenkamp’s League of the ruling African Na- The case has prompted a fi erce Prosecutor Gerrie Nel ques- journed for the day. not testify was crucial. heard by the Supreme Court, mother, that Pistorius had suf- tional Congress party, which has debate in a country beset by high tioned Scholtz’s assertion that Pistorius’ lawyer Roux de- “I think it would have served which ruled in March that Pis- fered fi nancially and found ask- attended the trial in support of levels of violent crime against Pistorius was not fi t to testify, clined to comment on the day’s them better to let him testify, torius had exhausted all his legal ing others for assistance humili- Steenkamp, said: “I don’t think women. Some rights groups saying he had given a TV inter- proceedings, as did Steenkamp’s and even if he breaks down, the options and could no longer ap- ating. he has remorse. We are calling for have said the white athlete has view. The hour-long interview family. state can take into consideration peal. Pistorius lost millions of dol- the 15 years without parole.”

Kenyan lawmakers Albinism Awareness Day Eritrea, Ethiopia trade propose poll reforms blame for border clashes

Reuters The lower house of Reuters Eritrea on the Tsorona Central Nairobi parliament, or National Addis Ababa Front.” Assembly, is also propos- Tsorona is a town south of ing amending the consti- the Eritrean capital Asmara enya’s parliament tution and Independent ritrea and Ethiopia ac- and close to the frontier. The has proposed giv- Electoral and Boundaries cused each other of area saw intense fi ghting dur- King the Supreme Commission (IEBC) Act Estarting clashes on Sun- ing the earlier border war. Court more time to hear to remove the role of the day between their soldiers in “The purpose and ramifi ca- petitions against future IEBC in resolving disputes a border region, highlight- tions of this attack are not clear,” presidential votes, after relating to nominations. ing persistent tension over a the Eritrean statement said. weeks of protests by op- It called for a public boundary dispute that trig- Ethiopia disputed this ac- positions parties accusing consultation across the gered war in 1998-2000. count, saying Eritrea started the main election body of country between July 4 Ethiopia said the situation the fi ght. “Their forces were bias. and July 15. was calm on Monday, after a promptly repulsed. They were The results of both the In 2013, the Supreme resident on the Ethiopian side given a proper response,” gov- 2007 and 2013 presiden- Court ruled President reported the sound of explo- ernment spokesman Getachew tial elections were disput- Uhuru Kenyatta won the sions all day on Sunday and Reda said, adding that the situ- ed, and in the aftermath of vote, which was accepted lasting into the early morning ation was quiet yesterday. the December 2007 vote by his rival Raila Odinga, yesterday. Eritrea and Ethiopia rou- Kenya plunged into sever- who accepted the rul- Eritrea, a Horn of Africa tinely accuse each other of al weeks of ethnic blood- ing, thereby preventing a country that won independence backing rebels trying to desta- letting that killed about new fl are up. But Odinga from Ethiopia in 1991, fought bilise and topple the other’s 1,200 people. is now leading protests Albino people walking at a clinic run by the NGO, Standing Voice, on Ukerewe Island in Victoria Lake during border wars with its larger government, a legacy from the Now, more than a year against the IEBC. International Albinism Awareness Day yesterday. Albinism aff ects the development of human eyes so eye neighbour in 1998-2000 that earlier war. before the next election The amendment to the checks are a vital service needed by Albinos. Ukerewe island is home to many albinos. Many of the first killed about 70,000 people. A resident in the Ethiopian in August 2017, opposi- IEBC Act proposes setting albinos to live on the island were taken there and abandoned by their families as children or fled from vio- Eritrea’s Information Min- town of Zalambessa, across the tion protests have been up a panel to select com- lence they had faced on the mainland. Ukerewe island is now seen as a safer place for Albinos to live and istry said in a statement late border from Tsorona, told Reu- staged on an almost missioners comprising integrate, as superstition has caused the practice of mutilation and killing of albinos by some witchdoctors on Sunday night that the ters by telephone that he had weekly basis against the two people nominated by for many years both in Tanzania and other African countries. Ethiopian government had heard the sound of shelling on electoral oversight body the largest party or coali- “unleashed an attack against Sunday and into the night. which opponents say tion in the National As- show pro-government sembly, and two people bias, a charge the body nominated by the second Ex-Niger Delta denies. largest party or coalition. At least four people have In the current parlia- rebels’ call for been killed in violence as- ment, the largest parlia- talks rejected sociated with the protests, mentary party is Keny- Zimbabwe villagers displaced by alarming many Kenyans atta’s Jubilee coalition and The Niger Delta Avengers, a group and Western powers, who the second largest is Od- that has claimed responsibility have called for dialogue inga’s opposition CORD for a recent spate of attacks on oil and condemned what they movement. and gas facilities in Nigeria’s oil call the excessive use of The other group that diamond fi eld look to govt for help hub, yesterday rejected calls from force by police. would also have a say in former militants to join talks with In a statement pub- selecting members of the the government. lished in newspapers, panel, to be appointed by Thomson Reuters Foundation court with the issue still pending tional law requires mining com- company was happy with what On Sunday, the Movement for the lawmakers proposed a bill the president, is the Pub- Mutare before the courts. panies to help local communities they had done for the villagers Emancipation of the Niger Delta to give the Supreme Court lic Service Commission, While Mugabe’s move could develop. and the traditional leaders had (MEND) - one of the largest militant 30 days instead of 14 days the draft says. further tarnish the country’s im- But the plight of the villag- appreciated their initiatives. groups until it signed up for a to deliberate over peti- The panel will then be illagers relocated to a age as a risky investment, with ers has been further exacerbated But villager Blessing Mufute government amnesty in 2009 - tions so it can “deliver the responsible for selecting sprawling government- investors already unnerved by by the current El Nino induced said the situation at Arda Tran- urged the Avengers to negotiate and reasons for the decision the nine members of the Vowned farm complex in his drive to force foreign-owned drought which has decimated the sau had become so bad that many halt attacks that have cut Nigeria’s along with the verdict”. electoral commission. eastern Zimbabwe to make way fi rms to sell majority shares to southern African nation’s crops, people were going hungry. crude output to a 20-year low. for the nation’s biggest diamond locals, the relocated villagers are leaving 4 million Zimbabweans in “We have been selling the few The ex-militants said they had fi eld are hoping that President hoping it will help them. a population of 14 million without livestock we had to buy food,” said chosen a team of negotiators to Robert Mugabe’s move to take Caiphas Mujuru is one of the adequate food supplies. Mufute, adding relocated villag- participate in the government control of the valued resource will Arda Transau residents lobby- The villagers had the chance to ers were in urgent need of jobs, initiative to start talks over their benefi t them. ing the government to get ZCDC voice their concerns at the Alter- clean water, and electricity as well demands for a greater share More than 1,000 families were to address the problems faced by native Mining Indaba conference as food. in oil wealth and a reduction in moved in 2009 from a village ad- the villagers who are facing severe in Mutare this month comprising In a telephone interview with pollution from oil spills in the jacent to the Chiadzwa diamond food shortages. civic society, communities and the Thomson Reuters Founda- impoverished Niger Delta. fi eld in Marange to Arda Transau, “Life is really diffi cult here at stakeholders in the mining sector tion, Mines Minister Walter Nigeria’s government has moved a 12,000 hectare farm settlement Arda Transau. We are going hun- and legislators promised to help. Chidhakwa said local people army reinforcements into the about 40km (25 miles) to the north gry,” Mujuru told the Thomson “We will take your concerns should not feel they are forgotten. swampy Delta region in response with promises of a better life. Reuters Foundation. to the Minister of Mines (Walter He said the Manicaland Pro- but Western allies have said that Arda Transau was billed as a “We had been promised hon- Chidhakwa),” Prosper Mutseya- vincial Aff airs Minister Mandi widespread poverty and oil spills new township with tarred roads, ey and milk here but it is now a mi, legislator for Musikavanhu Chimene would work with the there must be tackled to defuse shops and health clinics - but nightmare for us.” constituency in Chipinge district, Ministry of Labour and Social the militant problem. seven years later the villagers say When the villagers were moved, told the villagers. Welfare to provide social and food Nigeria was long Africa’s biggest they have yet to see the promised each family was given $1,000 in However the diamond compa- assistance to the villagers. oil producer until the wave of education and health facilities compensation and a four-room nies maintain they fulfi lled what Contractors would also be attacks by the Avengers pushed it while their homes are crumbling house but these new dwellings, they were expected to do for the asked to work on the poorly built into second place, behind Angola, and food is scarce. painted bright yellow, have since relocated villagers. houses at Arda Transau, Chid- in recent weeks. Seven mining companies li- developed cracks. Anjin Investments, which was a hakwa added. MEND has said some of its former censed to mine the area were Families were promised 11 hec- joint venture between the govern- But James Mupfumi, who heads commanders and fighters make ordered in March to leave by tares of arable land including one ment and Chinese investors, said it the Centre for Research and De- up the Avengers, which has been Mugabe who accused them of hectare earmarked for irrigation complied with the law when it came velopment, a local non-govern- denied by the group. Security robbing Zimbabwe of wealth. to run small piggery or poultry to the relocation of the villagers. mental investigative organisa- off icials have also linked a MEND Mugabe took over all diamond projects but this never happened, “We did everything required tion, is sceptical. commander to the Avengers, operations in the newly-formed the villagers say. by the law,” Anjin Investments’ “It is disheartening to realise that although he denies this. Zimbabwe Consolidation Dia- People in Marange hoped the Chief Executive Offi cer Mun- the Mines Minister has already vis- “MEND is a phased out body,” mond Company (ZCDC). diamond industry would pump yaradzi Machacha told the Thom- ited Arda Transau for Zimbabwe an Avengers representative told Some of the aff ected diamond money into reviving failing ir- son Reuters Foundation in a tel- Consolidated Diamond Company Reuters in a text message, saying companies - Mbada Diamonds rigation schemes as small-scale ephone interview. to relocate more villagers to Arda the group had been defunct since and Anjin Investments - have farmers cannot maintain or re- A spokesman for Mbada Dia- Transau without addressing previous participating in the amnesty since taken the government to place ageing equipment and na- monds, George Manyaya, said his community grievances,” he said. scheme. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 13 AMERICA

Court rejects challenge to mercury air pollution rule

Reuters Washington

he US Supreme Court yesterday let stand a lower-court ruling that left Tin place Obama administration envi- ronmental regulations limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other toxic pol- lutants while the Environmental Protection Agency revised them. The justices opted not to hear an appeal by 20 states led by Michigan of a December US appeals court decision that said the rules could remain intact while the government responded to last year’s Supreme Court rul- ing that the EPA should have considered the compliance costs when crafting the regula- tions. The rules aff ect mainly coal-fi red power plants. It marked the second time this year that the Supreme Court has spurned the states on the issue. Chief Justice John Roberts on March 3 declined their request for a stay to put the regulations on hold following the December ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The EPA has since updated the regula- tions, fi nding in April that they were neces- sary even when costs that would be incurred by industry are taken into account. “That fi nding refl ects EPA’s determina- tion that consideration of cost does not justify any alteration of its prior conclu- Mourners lay flowers during a vigil outside the nightclub in Orlando. sion that regulation of hazardous emissions from power plants is ‘appropriate and nec- essary,’” the Obama administration said in court papers. The EPA’s April decision is itself chal- lengeable in court. Coal company Murray Energy Corp has already fi led a lawsuit. The Supreme Court in June 2015 ruled FBI ivestigates whether that the Obama administration wrongly failed to consider compliance costs when it devised the regulations, which were intend- ed to reduce deaths caused by air pollution and reduce cases of mercury poisoning that can cause developmental delays and abnor- malities in children. Orlando shooter had help The justices left it up to the appeals court to decide whether the rule had to be thrown Reuters involved in this crime, they will be that the fi gure included Mateen. Islamic State yesterday reiterated a gated retirement community, and had out altogether while the agency revised it. Orlando prosecuted.” Some 53 people were wounded and claim of responsibility. worked for the global security fi rm According to the EPA, the rule, which Offi cials stressed they believed 29 remain hospitalized at Orlando “One of the Caliphate’s soldiers in G4S for nine years. He had cleared went into eff ect in April 2015, applies to there had been no other attackers Regional Medical Center, the hospital America carried out a security inva- two company background screenings, about 1,400 electricity-generating units at S authorities were yesterday and had no evidence of a threat to the said on Twitter. sion where he was able to enter a cru- the latest in 2013, according to G4S. 600 power plants. investigating whether a gun- public. By yesterday morning, all but one sader gathering at a nightclub for ho- Mateen’s father, Seddique Mir Ma- Many are already in compliance, the US Uman who killed 49 people at Mateen’s rampage began about of those killed had been identifi ed and mosexuals in Orlando,” the group said teen, said in an interview at his home Energy Information Administration said. a gay nightclub in Orlando and de- 2am Sunday (0600 GMT) when the about half the families of the dead had in a broadcast on its Albayan Radio. in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, that he The regulation, which covered oil-fi red clared his allegiance to Islamic State club was packed with some 350 rev- been notifi ed, offi cials said. The group’s claim of responsibility was angered by his son’s actions. plants as well as coal-burning ones, was militants had received any help in elers. Many fl ed as the gunman raked Other family members were des- does not mean it directed the attack, “Even though he is my son I admit challenged by Michigan and other states in carrying out the massacre. the crowd with bullets from an AR- perate for news about their missing as it off ered nothing to indicate coor- this is terrorist act. This is terror- addition to various industry groups, includ- The FBI and other agencies were 15-style semiautomatic rifl e and a loved ones. dination with the gunman. izing. I don’t forgive him,” the father ing the National Mining Association. looking at evidence inside and in the pistol. Julissa Leal, 18, and her mother President Barack Obama de- said. “If you see his wife, what she is closed-off streets around the Pulse An initial wave of offi cers charged drove to the Florida city from La- nounced the attack as an act of ter- going through his poor wife and his nightclub, where New York-born into the club and trapped Mateen in a fayette, Louisiana, in search of her ror and hate and said yesterday that son 3-1/12 years old, such a nice son, Omar Mateen perpetrated the deadli- bathroom, Orlando Police Chief John brother, 27-year-old Frank Hernan- the gunman seemed to have been in- he should’ve thought about that.” est mass shooting in US history, and Mina told reporters. dez. spired by extremist ideas. Mateen’s former wife, Sitora Yu- the worst attack on US soil since the That action allowed many patrons They knew he was at the club with “It appears that the shooter was sufi y, told reporters near Boulder, Freddie Gray September 11, 2001. to fl ee, although others were trapped his boyfriend, who lost him in the inspired by various extremist infor- Colorado, that she had been beaten Mateen, the 29-year-old son of Af- in the restroom with Mateen, leading chaos. mation that was disseminated over by Mateen during angry outbursts in ghan immigrants, was shot and killed to the standoff . “We haven’t heard anything, don’t the internet,” Obama told reporters which he would “express hatred to- ‘asked for by police who stormed the club early “We were able to save and rescue know anything,” Leal said, fi ghting at the White House. “It does appear wards everything.” Sunday morning with armored cars dozens and dozens of people,” Mina back tears.”I’m going to see him again that at the last minute he announced Authorities said on Sunday that after a three-hour siege. said. ... I’m going to see him again.” allegiance to ISIL (Islamic State), but Mateen had been twice questioned help’ during Law enforcement offi cials were Police negotiated with Mateen for Mateen called emergency services there is no direct evidence so far that by FBI agents in 2013 and 2014 af- looking for clues as to whether any- about three hours before breaking a during the shooting and pledged al- he was directed.” ter making comments to co-workers one had worked with Mateen on the hole in the wall, which allowed hos- legiance to the leader of the militant The attack reignited the debate about supporting militant groups, fatal ride attack, said Lee Bentley, the US attor- tages to escape. Islamic State group, offi cials said. over how best to confront violent but neither interview led to evidence ney for the middle district of Florida. Mateen also emerged from the hole Mateen’s father said his son was Islamist militancy, and immediately of criminal activity. “There is an investigation of other and was shot dead by offi cers, police not radicalized but indicated the gun- became a sharp point of disagree- Mateen visited Saudi Arabia in 2011 Reuters persons. We are working as diligently said. man had strong anti-gay feelings. ment in the campaign for the Novem- and 2012 for religious pilgrimages, a Baltimore as we can on that,” Bentley said at a Offi cials said on Sunday the death His ex-wife described him as men- ber 8 presidential election. Saudi government spokesman said news conference.”If anyone else was toll was 50. Yesterday, they clarifi ed tally unstable and violent toward her. Mateen was an armed guard at a yesterday. Baltimore police offi cer testifi ed yesterday that black detainee Fred- Adie Gray asked for help while being transported in a police van, where he suf- fered a broken neck. The offi cer, William Porter, took the stand Democrats push new gun control measures in the trial of Offi cer Caesar Goodson, 46, the van’s driver. Prosecutors contend Goodson gave Gray Reuters subsequently was killed by a “rough ride” and he is accused of second- Washington law enforcement offi cers. degree depraved heart murder and other Joining Schumer in calling charges in Gray’s death in April 2015. for passage of the legislation His death triggered protests and rioting eading US Senate are Senators Dianne Fein- in Baltimore and stoked a debate on police Democrats yesterday stein of California, Bill Nel- treatment of minorities. Lurged quick passage of son of Florida and Richard Goodson is the third of six offi cers to go legislation defeated last year Blumenthal of Connecticut. on trial, and his attorneys argue that Gray to impose additional gun Meanwhile, President caused his own fatal injuries. controls in the wake of the Barack Obama yesterday Porter testifi ed in Baltimore City Circuit weekend mass shooting in blamed weak gun laws for Court that he responded to a call to assist Florida. allowing disturbed individu- Goodson at the fourth stop the van made Four Democratic sena- als to gain access to powerful while transporting Gray. tors, led by Chuck Schumer weapons. He found Gray, who was shackled, lying of New York, the No 2 Sen- Hillary Clinton, the lead- on his stomach on the van’s fl oor, his head ate Democrat, called for ing Democratic candidate to toward the front of the vehicle. immediate passage of a bill replace Obama in the White “What if anything did Mr Gray say?” preventing people on “terror House, said people on watch asked prosecutor Michael Schatzow. watch lists” and other “sus- lists should be barred from “I said, ‘What’s up?’ He said, ‘Help,’” pected terrorists” from buy- buying guns and said there Porter said.”’What do you need help with?’ ing fi rearms or explosives. should be a debate about ‘Help me up.’” Last December, Demo- possible restrictions on as- Schatzow read from a statement that crats attempted to pass this sault weapons. Porter gave internal aff airs investigators in legislation but were blocked Donald Trump, the pre- which Porter said he had told Goodson that by Republicans, who said the sumptive Republican presi- Gray should he taken to a hospital. Asked if government could mistak- dential nominee, took a dif- Goodson had agreed, Porter paused, then enly place innocent people ferent approach, repeating said: “Sure.” on watch lists. his call for temporarily ban- A medical examiner’s report concluded The new push for legisla- ning Muslims from entering that Gray was fatally injured between the tion came after a man with the country. second and fourth stops that Goodson an assault rifl e entered a gay The Orlando gunman was made. nightclub in Orlando and born in the United States. His Prosecutors had been expected to call killed 49 people and wound- parents were Afghan immi- Porter to help establish a timeline on Gray’s ed 53 others. The gunman grants. People gather to protest gun violence and call for sensible gun laws outside the White House yesterday. transport. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 ASEAN Indonesia lashes out at Singapore in new haze row

AFP ereignty, and Environment Jakarta Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar stepped up the angry rhetoric yesterday. ndonesia’s environment “The most important prin- minister lashed out yes- ciple is that cooperation is Iterday at Singapore for done with respect for each failing to show “respect” after country’s sovereignty,” she the city-state tried to question told reporters in Jakarta. the director of an Indonesian “What has been done by company over last year’s haze Singapore, in my opinion, outbreak. does not show their mutual It was the latest row be- respect to Indonesia.” tween the neighbours over the Bakar said she was seek- smog-belching Indonesian ing a review of “of all issues of forest fi res that choked Singa- co-operation with Singapore pore, Malaysia and other parts concerning the environment of the region with acrid smog and forestry.” for weeks. She also pointed out that The blazes are an annual the Association of Southeast occurrence during the dry Asian Nations, a 10-member season as land is cleared using regional bloc that includes slash-and-burn methods but Indonesia and Singapore, had they were the worst for some an agreement to deal with for- time in 2015, with Singapore est fi res that was based on co- particularly angered at what operation. it said was Jakarta’s failure to Her comments came after take action. Indonesia’s Vice President Ju- Tempers frayed again after suf Kalla insisted that Singa- Singapore last month tried to pore cannot take legal action call in the director of an In- against Indonesian citizens. donesian company suspected The director of the fi rm of being linked to the haze for called in by Singaporean au- questioning when the indi- thorities reportedly did not vidual was in the city-state, turn up for the interview de- Singaporean media reported. spite being served with a legal Jakarta is furious at what it notice and has since left the sees as a violation of its sov- city-state.

Cambodia’s opposition National Rescue Party (CNRP) supporter Yon Kimhour arrives to the court to hear a verdict over insurrection charges against him and two more opposition supporters in Phnom Penh yesterday. Pilot jokes about crashing plane carrying Yingluck

Thai budget airline carrier passengers were just kidding, Nok Air apologised yesterday they count as illegal and unac- after one of its pilots joked ceptable,” he wrote.Nok Air’s about crashing a plane CEO Patee Sarasin wrote an carrying ousted premier open apology to Yingluck, say- Yingluck Shinawatra. The gaff e ing the pilot’s comments did Opposition activists get highlights how hatred towards not reflect the company’s. the Shinawatra political clan “The airline aff irms that we still runs deep two years after work with good governance Yingluck’s administration was to serve all passengers equally toppled by a military coup. with no discrimination,” he The pilot’s comments were said, without elaborating what, made in a social media chat if any, disciplinary action the jail term for ‘insurrection’ group used by Nok Air pilots pilot would face. that was later leaked. It is not the first time the AFP Party (CNRP) were found guilty At the time the park was a the CNRP’s headquarter since ing, Hun Sen vowed to crack In it a pilot posted a picture of Shinawatra family has been Phnom Penh of insurrection by the Phnom rallying point for Hun Sen’s op- late May after armed police last down on any demonstrations. Yingluck about to board their on the receiving end of airline Penh Municipal court yesterday. ponents who accused him of month tried to arrest him. “I tell you fi rst that I won’t Nok Air flight over the weekend. hostility. In 2012 Cathay Pacific The three men were arrested rigging the previous year’s elec- Hun Sen’s government has tolerate them. Authorities must One chat member responded sacked a Thai stewardess after Cambodian court yester- last year after another 11 opposi- tions. The CNRP are currently denied targeting Kem Sokha but keep security and social order,” with “We have prey on board”. she posted on Facebook day sentenced three more tion offi cials and activists were involved in a fresh standoff with has gone on to arrest dozens of he said.Hun Sen has ruled Cam- Another then added “CFIT”. about wanting to throw hot Aopposition activists to jailed on the same charges — in- the authorities. critics in recent weeks. bodia with an iron fi st for more CFIT is an aviation acronym for coff ee in the face of one of seven years each in prison over cluding three who received 20- Secret phone calls alleg- Among them are human rights than three decades. “controlled flight into terrain”, Thaksin’s daughters. their alleged roles in post elec- year sentences. edly between the party’s deputy defenders, environmental cam- But the opposition’s popular- a term used to describe when The wealthy Shinawatra family tion protests that turned violent The convictions, condemned leader Kem Sokha and a mistress paigners, monks, students, op- ity has grown amid growing dis- a pilot unintentionally crashes are hugely popular in Thai- two years ago. as politically motivated by rights were released earlier this year. position party activists and poli- illusionment with the endemic a plane that has no technical land’s poor rural north, where The jailings come as political groups, stem from clashes be- He is now wanted for ques- ticians. corruption, rights abuses and problems. voters have helped them or tensions in Cambodia soar with tween protesters and authorities tioning by a court after a pros- Am Sam Ath, of local rights political repression under his Panthongtae Shinawatra - the their proxies win every elec- the opposition party embroiled in July 2014 during a demonstra- titution investigation was group Licadho, said Monday’s watch. son of Yingluck’s brother tion since 2001. in a sex scandal and strongman tion against the closure of Free- launched against the woman. jailing would fuel further politi- The premier’s main rival, op- Thaksin Shinawatra, who was That infuriates the Bangkok- Prime Minister Hun Sen accused dom Park, a key site for public But he has refused to be inter- cal resentment. position leader Sam Rainsy, toppled as premier by a 2006 based establishment, with its of carrying out a fresh crack- rallies in Phnom Penh. viewed, arguing that the police “The political situation is has been forced to live in self- coup - posted the leaked chat deep military and judicial ties, down against critics. Dozens of security offi cers and investigation is politically mo- tense now, and the sentences imposed exile abroad to avoid on his Facebook. and arch-royalist southern Three youth members of the several protesters were injured in tivated. will add to the heat,” he said. arrest warrants that he says are “Even if the messages about supporters. Cambodian National Rescue the clashes. He has holed himself up in In a speech yesterday morn- politically motivated.

Raid on frail Indonesian food seller sparks anger Les Miserables scene Singapore govt destroys Indonesian netizens have reacted with fury and a flurry of donations cut after complaints after footage emerged of a frail food seller breaking down as her cafe was raided for staying open AFP staged in Singapore are subject tonnes of illegal ivory during the daytime in Ramadan. Singapore to approval by the media regu- Video of the 53-year-old business lator, and organisers can be owner desperately begging of- fi ned up to $10,000 for fl out- AFP ficials not to confiscate her food kiss between two male ing licensing conditions. Singapore went viral at the weekend, and actors in a production The Southeast Asian city- social media users have donated Aof Les Miserables in state has relaxed its censor- almost $20,000 to a crowdfunding Singapore has been cut after ship rules in recent years but it ingapore yesterday site to help her and other vendors. complaints from the public. maintains strict regulations on crushed and burnt almost It is common for food outlets in the Producers axed the kiss af- works that depict local politics Seight tonnes of ivory con- country that remain open during ter they were warned that the and homosexuality. fi scated over two years to try the daytime in the holy month routine — a quick peck on the The change in choreogra- to deter smugglers as activists of Ramadan, when Muslims are lips between an innkeeper and phy has angered Singapore’s called for tighter enforcement. supposed to fast from sunrise to a guest during the song “Beg- close-knit artistic commu- Over 2,700 elephant tusks sunset, to be raided.But the case gars At The Feast” — contra- nity amid rising tensions be- weighing 7.9 tonnes were fed of food seller Saeni, who like many vened the show’s “general” tween religious conservatives into an industrial rock crusher Indonesians goes by one name, rating. and gay-rights activists. before incineration. has touched a nerve, with many The show’s organiser Mo- “You might think that It was the fi st time seized criticising authorities for being ses Lye told local TV network cancelling the kiss repre- ivory had been destroyed in heavy-handed during the raid in Channel NewsAsia that the sents some kind of victory Singapore, the Agri-Food and Serang, west of the capital Jakarta. scene was meant to be comic, over LGBT’s and liberals, but Veterinary Authority said in a “You should be tolerant towards but that since June 3 they have honestly...it is nothing more statement. those who are not fasting, cruel omitted the kiss. than a triumph of ignorance Previous hauls were returned authorities,” wrote Facebook user Regulatory guidelines and hysteria over common to the originating country, Elisabeth Oktofani.The food seller state that a production with sense and sober reflection,” donated to museums or kept was deeply in debt and so had de- a “general” rating must have playwright Alfian Sa’at wrote for education. The tusks, es- cided to keep the cafe open during “no references and depiction in a widely shared Facebook timated to be worth Sg$13mn daylight hours to make extra cash, promoting issues or lifestyles post. ($9.6mn), were seized on four she was quoted by local media as contrary to prevailing social Alfian added that the in- separate occasions between saying.President Joko Widodo con- norms”. cident was also a “triumph January 2014 and December demned the raid. In the footage, a “The inclusion of the same- of bureaucracy over litera- 2015. group of public order off icers, who sex kiss was not highlighted ture”.The move comes barely In May 2015 some 2,000 assist police in maintaining order in the script when it was sub- a week after Singapore’s tusks were found hidden in a but have fewer powers, march mitted to Media Development government warned foreign shipment of tea leaves from into the small food outlet, which Authority (MDA) for classifi - firms against backing a gay Kenya. Some of the destroyed illegal ivory by a rock-crusher machinery in Singapore yesterday. consisted of a few goods in a glass cation,” the city-state’s regu- rights rally. “The public destruction of case and some shabby chairs latory body said in a state- Gay rights movements ivory sends a strong message Lee, a senior minister of state in communications director Kim to enforce the strict rules,” he and tables. Saeni, wearing a blue ment.It added that it will be had been growing stead- that Singapore condemns ille- the interior and national devel- Stengert. “There are illegal said. The ivory trade has been headscarf, begs them not to take “taking action” against pro- ily in recent years helped by gal wildlife trade. opment ministry. wildlife shipments caught in banned since 1989 by the Con- the food but they put it into plastic ducers for violating licensing changing social norms and By crushing the ivory, we Singapore can do more to en- other ports after they came vention on International Trade bags and march off . conditions. a large influx of tourists and ensure it does not re-enter the force strict anti-traffi cking through Singapore. So we defi - in Endangered Species, of which All theatre productions expatriates. ivory market,” said Desmond laws, said WWF-Singapore nitely need to step up eff orts Singapore is a signatory. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

Bamboo pickers defy bear alert

AFP man body part was found in- Tokyo side it. The expert, Toshiki Aoi, an emeritus professor at Iwate esidents seeking sea- University, however, noted that sonal bamboo shoots it is extremely unusual for that Rin northern Japan are type of bear to eat people. ignoring warnings to avoid a Prefecture and city offi cials mountain despite four deaths have told locals to stay away from apparent bear attacks, of- but some are not heeding the fi cials said. warnings, according to pre- Bear attacks on humans are fectural offi cial Masaru Koba- not unusual in mountainous yashi. Akita prefecture on Japan’s “Some people ignore our main island of Honshu, but warning, thinking they won’t fatal ones are rare, with only encounter bears, or they can eight tallied from 1979 through handle the dangerous situ- last year. ation,” Kobayashi, who is in Last month three men, two charge of environmental con- in their seventies and one in his servation, told AFP. sixties, died in apparent bear In addition to prefectural attacks while harvesting bam- and city offi cials, police and boo shoots in three separate fi refi ghters are patrolling the incidents in a mountain forest mountains daily encouraging near Kazuno city. anyone there to leave, Koba- The body of a fourth vic- yashi said. tim, a badly mauled 74-year- “It’s impossible to set up a old woman, was discovered fence around the mountains,” Friday, with reports saying he said.”All we can do is to ad- A tourist snorkels above coral in the lagoon located on Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef, 80km north-east from the town of Bundaberg in Queensland. she had been picking wild vise locals not to go in.” plants. Makoto Aoyama, a Kazu- Hunters killed an Asian no city offi cial, said bamboo black bear just 10m from the shoots are a popular seasonal spot where her remains were product and some residents discovered. make a living selling them. Public broadcaster NHK “But there is always a chance reported Monday, citing a to encounter bears because specialist, that it probably at- bamboo shoots are their staple Australian PM pledges tacked all four because a hu- in spring,” she said. A$1bn for barrier reef N Korean hackers Reuters Pollution from water-borne fertiliser in solidarity after the worst mass shooting the fi ght for gay rights. steal fi les from South Sydney and nutrient-rich run-off limits the abil- in modern US history. In Melbourne, hundreds more gathered ity of corals to withstand higher sea tem- As Sydney’s Town Hall was bathed in to pay their respects to those killed, while peratures associated with cyclical El Nino pink light, a crowd gathered at Taylor the government said buildings such as the AFP ware developed by a Seoul IT ustralian Prime Minister Malcolm weather events and global warming. Square for a sombre, candlelit vigil for Arts Centre would be lit in rainbow col- Seoul fi rm, according to the police. Turnbull, facing a tight re-election Bleaching occurs when the water is too the 50 people shot dead at an Orlando ours. The breach was discovered Abattle, pledged yesterday a A$1bn warm, forcing coral to expel living algae nightclub on Sunday, and the scores left Australian rights activists said the les- earlier this year. ($738mn) fund for the Great Barrier Reef, and calcify. wounded. bian, gay, bisexual, transgender and in- orth Korean hackers The hackers also planted 33 where scientists say mass coral bleach- The fi ndings of the bleaching survey “This could have happened anywhere,” tersex community had taken the attack managed to steal thou- types of malicious code into ing has destroyed vast tracts of the World came at a bad time for Turnbull, who was Paul Savage, one of those paying tribute, deeply to heart. Nsands of records from the computers in an apparent Heritage site. under pressure after Australia’s Depart- told AFP from the busy strip as those at- “When you go to a venue like a gay club private fi rms and state agencies bid to use them as “zombie” A report late last month said mass coral ment of Environment confi rmed it had tending held hands and hugged. you expect that to be one of the places in the South including defence machines to launch future cy- bleaching, caused by climate change, had omitted its contribution to a UN “He could easily have walked into a bar where you feel safe and supported,” Chris industry information and fi les berattacks on other organisa- destroyed at least 35% of the northern and report on the impact of climate change in Sydney even though the gun laws here Pycroft from the New South Wales Gay from Korean Air, Seoul police tions in the South, it said. central Great Barrier Reef and that the cor- on world heritage sites over concerns it are much more helpful.” and Lesbian Rights Lobby told the Aus- said yesterday. The companies that were al mortality rate would likely rise. might have a negative impact on tourism. Savage said the level of hatred displayed tralian Broadcasting Corp. The hacking originated from hacked include South Korea’s The report cast a shadow over the long- Turnbull’s conservative coalition began by the gunman was “just incomprehensi- In Wellington, the city council said the 16 servers based in the North’s fl agship air carrier Korean term prospects for the reef, which attracts the seven-weak election campaign with ble” and described the vigil as a “show of New Zealand capital’s main downtown capital Pyongyang, police said, Air and SK Networks, a sister about A$5bn ($3.7bn) in tourism each year. a healthy lead over the centre-left Labor solidarity”. concert venue, the Michael Fowler Centre, adding the North had stolen company of South Korea’s top Scientists also believe Unesco may re- opposition but opinion polls now have Earlier Prime Minister Malcolm Turn- would be illuminated in rainbow colours, more than 42,000 internal wireless operator, SK Telecom, consider its decision not to put the reef on them neck-and-neck. bull had said the shootings were not only with a vigil nearby to remember the vic- records. Yonhap news agency said. its endangered list. Labor, which announced a, A$500mn, an assault on the gay community but “an tims. The North gained access Some of the stolen records Turnbull, on the campaign trail for fi ve-year plan for the reef last month, crit- attack on all of us” as Sydney’s Lord Mayor Vigil organisers said all were welcome, to the internal systems of the however contained informa- the July 2 election in tropical northern icised Turnbull for “raiding” the CEFC to Clover Moore tweeted “our hearts break adding: “We intend for this to be a space fi rms and agencies at some tion about the defence indus- Queensland state, the usual jumping-off fund his pledge. for Orlando”. free of Islamophobia, please help us keep point after hacking in 2014 into try or network data essential to point for tourists going to the reef, said he “Malcolm Turnbull is misleading In Newtown, in Sydney’s inner west, it that way.” computer management soft- stage cyberattacks, it added. would instruct Australia’s Clean Energy Queenslanders and other Australians in hundreds more gathered for a second im- Prime Minister John Key said it was “a Finance Corp (CEFC) to redirect A$1bn of saying he’s providing any additional fund- promptu vigil to call out discrimination terrible and tragic day for America and the its A$10bn fund. ing to the Great Barrier Reef at a time of and racism, adding that not only had the gay community”. The money would go to a loans scheme great crisis,” Labor’s environment spokes- gay community been targeted but also In Bangkok around a dozen people gath- aimed at reducing the agricultural and man, Mark Butler, told the Australian Latinos. ered outside the US embassy, lighting can- waste water run-off that is diminishing Broadcasting Corp. “We called this action because it des- dles and laying down fl owers and cards. Airport bomber the reef’s ability to withstand rising sea Scientists are unsure how much of the perately needed to be called,” organiser One note on rainbow coloured paper temperatures. damaged areas of the reef will regenerate Rachel Evans told AFP. read: “Love always wins.” “Much of this will come in the form of as winter brings cooler temperatures. “It’s very important to come and say In Hong Kong, about 100 people held a ‘had heavy debts’ fi nancing solar energy, which of course will AFP ‘together we are strong’.” vigil in the city’s fi nancial district. reduce emissions but also enable farmers The Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit with Organisers called on Australians not As a community we stand together,” ac- to manage their land more effi ciently...” the colours of the rainbow yesterday as to lash out against Muslim communities, tivist William Leung of Pink Alliance, one AFP department said in a statement Turnbull told reporters in Townsville. hundreds of Australians gathered to stand adding the focus should be on continuing of the vigil organisers, told AFP. Shanghai on its offi cial microblog. Zhou told his friends through social media that he hinese police yester- “owed many people money” day identifi ed the sus- and was “preparing to do Cpect in a bombing at something extremely crazy” Shanghai’s main international and “losing his little life was a Japan street art: working against airport which injured four certainty”, the statement said. people as a 29-year-old man A previous government with heavy debts from online statement said Zhou threw a gambling. beer bottle packed with explo- Zhou Xingbai had been sives near a check-in counter the tide to change mindsets working at an electronics in Terminal Two at Pudong In- company in Kunshan city near ternational Airport on Sunday Shanghai but had lost his sav- afternoon. He then took out AFP a weeklong extravaganza cel- the view or something too self- ings through gambling and was a knife and slashed at his own Tokyo ebrating live painting across sev- assertive for the scene is consid- having diffi culty supporting neck before being admitted to eral city districts including youth ered unpleasant,” said Bakibaki, himself, the Shanghai police hospital in critical condition. and fashion havens Shibuya and whose distinctive ‘tag’ is a star- eneath the crackle and hum Harajuku, where street art has shaped design inspired by tra- of Japan’s neon veneer, gained some acceptance. ditional Japanese hemp patterns Bgraffi ti culture has tradi- Originally the brainchild of often seen on kimonos. tionally been viewed as mindless Chinese-American artist Jasper “In my case, I would do a vandalism assaulting the coun- Wong, Pow! Wow! began in Ha- painting in a way to fi t the view.” Three held for forcing try’s highly valued sense of order waii as a way of connecting art- Besides live painting, street and cleanliness. ists to the public. artists have also been able to Tokyo’s lanes are virtually bare “People are able to view the translate their murals into more woman into porn of the edgy street art - common process and learn at the same refi ned “art walls” for compa- in other major cities - that has time and see how each artist nies, promoting ‘legal’ graf- brought global fame to guerrilla works during the event,” said fi ti through corporate collabora- AFP graphic video fi lm location icons such as Banksy, JR and the Emily Okamoto, director of Pow! tions. Tokyo in 2013, the spokesman said late Keith Haring. Wow! Japan. In 2014, international ad- without giving further details. But local enthusiasts are trying Blending foreign infl uences vertising and public relations The woman signed a con- to work their way into the hearts with Japanese, such as inter- company Ogilvy & Mather in- hree Japanese talent tract as a model with the and minds of the public in art- Mural done by BakiBaki in Hatsudai, Tokyo weaving calligraphy with graf- vited Remo Camerota, author of agents who allegedly agency in 2009, Kyodo News loving Japan, despite a prevailing fi ti tagging styles, the festival “Graffi ti Japan”, to create an art Tforced a woman to ap- Agency reported. conformist culture. countries,” he added. Still, some Japanese artists brought together local and in- installation inside its Tokyo of- pear in more than 100 porno- She was forced to appear in “Japanese street art is still Opulent galleries with a heavy have found ways to skirt con- ternational artists in an exchange fi ce. graphic videos have been ar- more than 100 videos, Nippon a little behind Asia, Europe or emphasis on the traditional - straints, such as with “live paint- resulting in creations such as a The result was a fl oor to ceil- rested, a police spokesman and Television Network said. America,” street artist Kohei Tokyo museums this year have ing” - where works are created massive drawing of a sumo wres- ing mural on which 12 songs can local media said yesterday. The talent agency pressed Yamao, better known as Bak- exhibited Botticelli, Caravag- before an audience usually ac- tler on a 12-storey building by be played by touching diff erent The suspects, including the victim to perform in adult ibaki, told AFP. gio and Vermeer - are visited in companied by music, in bars, German artist Andreas von Chr- points on the work. a 49-year-old executive at videos by allegedly warning “It’s not that artists here don’t cathedral-like reverence, their clubs or on the street. zanowski, known as Case, in To- “It’s true that street art is be- Tokyo-based agency Marks her that she had to pay penal- have the same kind of talent, works discussed in hushed tones “My style has developed from kyo’s Tennozu Isle. ing recognised more than ever Japan, were arrested on sus- ties for breach of contract if she it’s just that the environment and prized above the anarchic mechanical designs to a more For the artists, the festival is a thanks to collaborations with picion of violating the coun- refused, Kyodo added. doesn’t exist (for it to fl ourish). designs and images of the street. organic fl avour,” said the Osaka- valuable opportunity to slowly brands,” Bakibaki said. try’s worker dispatch law, said Pornography is widely Historically Japanese people Beyond cultural attitudes, le- born Bakibaki. “What they actu- shift Japan’s conservative stance “We’re trying to mix Japanese a spokesman with the Tokyo available in Japan, but the don’t have a culture of drawing gal sanctions are also a factor - ally represent is open to interpre- on artwork, but in a respectful sub-culture with main street Metropolitan Police Depart- dark side of the industry is on city walls. with graffi ti artists facing up to tation.” manner. art to make something uniquely ment. seldom discussed openly and The concept of the public fi ve years in prison if caught de- Last year, Tokyo hosted the “We have a culture here, in Japanese, something ‘Made in Police suspect the trio forced the rights of those who work space is diff erent than in other facing public property. fi rst Pow! Wow! Japan festival, which something that disturbs Japan’.” the woman to go to a porno- in it even less so. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 BRITAIN

CRIME ENTERTAINMENT AVIATION OFFBEAT OPINION Man held after two women Zayn Malik pulls out of Flights diverted after hole Residents ordered to Use road taxes to tackle found dead in Liverpool gig blaming ‘anxiety’ in airport’s main runway put out rubbish at 5am filthy air, says mayor

A man has been arrested on suspicion of Zayn Malik has pulled out of a performance at Flights have been diverted and passengers faced A north London council has apologised after Sadiq Khan demanded that a share of road tax murder after two women were found dead at the Capital FM Summertime Ball because of lengthy delays at Gatwick after a hole opened a blunder in which off icials put up signs paid by Londoners be used to fund tougher a house in Liverpool. The bodies were found an “anxiety” attack. The former One Direction up in the tarmac on the airport’s main runway. warning residents that they could only leave steps to tackle toxic air pollution. The mayor at a property in Cathedral Road, Anfield, at star, who was due to perform at the Wembley Between 15 and 20 flights due to arrive at Gatwick out their rubbish between 5am and 6am. of London urged George Osborne to give him 9.50am on Monday after police received a call Stadium show, posted a lengthy apology on Sunday afternoon were diverted to Stansted Confused residents in the Liverpool Road control over vehicle excise duty rates so he expressing concern about the safety of two and explanation on his Instagram account. and Bournemouth airports, a spokesman said. area of Barnsbury, in Islington, were left can target vehicles spewing out poisonous women at the address. Merseyside police said “Unfortunately, my anxiety that has haunted Harry Evans said he and other passengers trying furious at the thought that if they did not fumes. It comes days after Transport Secretary its off icers had arrested a 42-year-old man from me throughout the last few months around live to make their way from Copenhagen to Gatwick meet the 6am deadline their rubbish would Patrick McLoughlin said the VED regime should the Anfield area in connection with the deaths, performances has gotten the better of me,” he were told that a storm had flooded the runway, remain uncollected. The signs, which said be looked at as part of plans to clean up filthy which it described as unexplained. The man said. “With the magnitude of the event, I have preventing planes from landing. “Then they “Waste and recycling can only be put out at air in London and other cities. Khan outlined was in custody, where he will be questioned suff ered the worst anxiety of my career. I cannot discovered it had made a hole,” he said. Despite these times: 5am - 6am” should have said his proposals in a submission in support of by off icers. Merseyside police said they were apologise enough.” The show’s organisers were flights having been allowed to take off and land at 8am-9am. The council said they will now be environmental lawyers ClientEarth’s judicial in the very early stages of their investigation. forced to make an announcement just moments the airport within an hour, Evans said there were replaced. The council said no one would be review against the government’s new blueprint A postmortem will take place to determine the before Malik was due on stage on Saturday. The delays and that his flight departed about three penalised for not following the instructions to cut nitrogen dioxide levels, which they say causes of death for both women. news was greeted with loud boos. hours behind schedule. on the signs. will still deal with the problem too slowly. Migrants from Royals attend ceremony UK urged to give evidence to abuse inquiry

Guardian News and Media ing 7,000 children to Australia London between 1912 and 1970. Goddard is asking migrants to apply for core participant status en and women trans- in the investigation by June 24. ported to Australia and The churches and charities are MCanada in the child mi- also being urged to take an active grant programme are being en- role in the inquiry. couraged to give evidence about An inquiry spokeswoman said the sexual abuse they suff ered to given the advanced age of many Britain’s public inquiry into his- former child migrants the inves- toric and ongoing child abuse. tigation into what happened to The Goddard inquiry, set up in them was “particularly urgent”. 2014 to examine the abuse of chil- Andy Burnham, the shadow dren in public and private institu- home secretary, worked with tions, is urging those who may Gordon Brown to set up a fund for have been victims before and af- child migrants after Brown issued ter being removed from the coun- a public apology in 2010 when he try to come forward as a priority. was prime minister. Judge Lowell Goddard is fast- He said the Goddard inquiry tracking her investigation into the and the ongoing royal commis- abuse of child migrants from the sion in Australia were a chance UK because of the advanced age to fi nally establish the full truth Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (second left), Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex (right), speak with Lord Ashburton, as they wait for cars and possible ill-health of those of perhaps the greatest scandal in to pick them up to leave after attending the Most Noble Order of the Garter Ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, yesterday. The Order of the Garter is who are still alive. A preliminary recent British history. the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain, established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago. hearing will take place in July. “Many of these former child They were part of a programme migrants are elderly, they have that saw up to 150,000 children lived hard lives and are in poor aged three and over taken from health, so there is an urgency to their families and transported this investigation,” he said. to Australia, Canada and other “The abuse some suff ered is Commonwealth countries be- the source of the greatest pain tween 1920 and 1970. A parlia- for child migrants, they feel that mentary report in 1998 said the they have not been listened or abuse suff ered by some of those fully understood. They feel the Property tycoons accused in Australia was widespread, truth is much more shocking systematic and exceptionally de- than what has so far been heard. praved. It was not just the state that was Frances Swaine, a lawyer from complicit, it was church organi- Leigh Day, who has worked with sations, churches themselves child migrants for many years, and well known charities, so of tax evasion by rival said: “It is hugely important that I really welcome the fact that the Goddard inquiry is looking at judge Goddard is going to exam- Guardian News and Media sued for damages by a rival busi- In a dramatic twist, e-mails all the accusations as “untrue, A judge has yet to rule on the this. Thousands of child migrants ine this and the truth is going to London nessman, Mark Holyoake, who is were read out in court that the unsubstantiated and denied”. allegations made by both par- suff ered sexual abuse. They have be told.” lifting the lid on their tax aff airs claimants say show Nick act- They stress that Nick Candy is ties and the trial is not expected never had their voices heard in a Prof Gordon Lynch of Kent in a £132mn claim. ing as a shadow director of his not and has never been an ul- to begin until February 2017. The judicial setting in the UK.” University said about 2,000 roperty tycoons Nick and Lawyers for Holyoake allege brother’s fi rm. If the allegations timate or other owner of his claims have emerged from a se- The programme involved not former child migrants were still Christian Candy have been that Nick Candy, who is married are proven, Holyoake’s lawyers brother’s Guernsey-based busi- ries of pre-trial hearings. just the state, but voluntary alive, most in Australia and some Paccused of tax evasion in to the pop star Holly Vallance, has say the brothers could face a bill ness, nor a director, employee or At a hearing last week, Holy- church organisations and other in Canada. the high court, in a fi ercely con- been lying about the source of his for unpaid taxes from HM Rev- agent. oake’s request for a full, world- well known charities, who re- Lynch, who curated a recent tested legal battle that threatens wealth, and that the motive is tax enue and Customs. Holyoake’s They accuse Holyoake of de- wide freezing order on the Can- moved children from their fami- exhibition at the Museum of to reveal the complex off shore evasion. They say Nick has been barrister, Anthony Trace, said: faulting on the loan and lying dys’ assets was rejected. He was lies with and without parental Childhood in London about child structure that has sheltered prof- receiving secret dividends from “We claim that the fi nancial about his own assets, which he refused leave to appeal and or- permission. The Presbyterian, migrants, said the institutions its from their sprawling real es- his brother’s Guernsey-based position of Nick Candy is being in turn denies. A spokesman said dered to pay costs. Methodist and Catholic church- involved had not acknowledged tate empire for a decade. property development business, falsely stated. It’s all a matter of the brothers “have an open rela- In April, the brothers were or- es, the Church of England, Bar- their responsibilities for the mul- The creators of the super-elite in the form of two London homes tax evasion.” tionship with HMRC, and have dered not to sell property over a nardo’s and the Salvation Army tiple traumas the children went One Hyde Park complex near worth more than £200mn and a The Candys deny making any complied fully with all their UK certain value without giving no- alone were responsible for send- through. Harrods, west London, are being series of loans and cash gifts. threats of violence and describe tax obligations”. tice to the court. Top Gear viewing Fashion week ends Nine Johnson aides to get £450,000 payout

fi gures fall to new low which then allowed them sever- London Evening Standard London ance payments by giving them Guardian News and Media The show’s lowest overnight and rally driver Ken Block doing the same redundancy rights as London audience is understood to be the “doughnuts” around London’s permanent employees. 2.362mn who watched the sixth Cenotaph war memorial was ine of Boris Johnson’s At the time Johnson said he episode of the second Clarkson se- cut from the fi lm of the former senior City Hall advis- was “dismayed” by the huge hris Evans’ third episode ries on June 15, 2003, according to Friends’ star’s high-speed tour of Ners are to receive “gold- sums, which were among the fronting Top Gear drew one industry source. the capital. en goodbyes” totalling almost most generous in local govern- Cthe best critical response Sunday night’s audience - to Response on Twitter was gener- £450,000, it emerged yester- ment, but then did nothing to yet but it was not refl ected in the three decimal places - of 2.371mn ally more favourable to the show day. reverse the change. show’s overnight ratings, which means there was only 9,000 view- but it was not enough to turn They will get an average of A City Hall source said: “Eight fell to 2.4mn – the lowest fi gure ers in it. The BBC had not con- around its overnight ratings slide. £50,000 each, although as sev- years ago, Johnson made a huge for the BBC2 show for more than formed the historical fi gures at the Evans has previously pointed out eral of the top team were part- song and dance about being a decade. time of publication. that the show’s overnight audi- time, other senior staff will re- ‘dismayed’ that Livingstone’s Top Gear launched two weeks There was the consolation on ence is only one part of its total ceive much more. The payoff s appointments received pay- ago with 4.3mn viewers before Sunday night that the show, re- ratings performance and accused are in addition to more than off s. With these huge payments dipping to 2.8mn for its second launched by Evans following the critics of being “out of date”. £300,000 handed to senior staff to Boris’s own team he has now episode last week. axing of Jeremy Clarkson last Sunday night’s overnight audi- who left his team after the 2012 been hoist by his own petard.” The show’s consolidated audi- year, was up against BBC1’s cov- ence of 2.4mn viewers delivered mayoral victory — despite walk- All of Johnson’s senior staff ence for Sunday night will be sub- erage of Euro 2016 in which Ger- a 10.4% share of the audience to ing into lucrative positions in the were on contracts — under Sec- stantially higher once people who many beat Ukraine 2-0, watched BBC2, with a fi ve-minute peak of private sector. tion 67 of the GLA Act — that recorded it and watch it in the next by 6.3mn viewers. 2.8mn. The modern Top Gear era Johnson attacked his pred- expired at the end of his second seven days are taken into account. It was also scheduled against began when the show, revamped ecessor Ken Livingstone when term in power. The payouts were But the overnight ratings, de- the second half of an hour-long by Clarkson and executive pro- he took over at City Hall for pay- for “compensation for loss of of- spite the rise of on-demand TV, Coronation Street on ITV, watched ducer Andy Wilman, beginning ing his closest aides a staggering fi ce” even though several walked remain an important, if diminish- by 6mn viewers. with 3.5mn viewers, a 12.8% share, £1.6mn in pay-off s. They were all into other employment. ing, indicator of a show’s success. Sunday night’s Top Gear was on October 27, 2002. political appointments on fi xed- They were paid the equivalent The BBC2 show’s Sunday night memorable for the sequences it in- Two factors have to be taken into term contracts — and included of three months’ salary for the audience was its lowest for more cluded - and didn’t include - with account in comparing with 2016 - Models present creations at the Liam Hodges catwalk show Simon Fletcher who is now Jer- fi rst year of service, followed by than a decade. It is also only nar- Chris Evans being sick after being fi rst, these are consolidated fi gures in London yesterday. London wrapped up its fashion week emy Corbyn’s top adviser. an additional month for every rowly avoided being the lowest au- driven around at high speed by co- (although catch-up viewing was for men yesterday after four days of high street and designer By law they had to lose their extra year, up to a maximum of dience for any episode of Top Gear presenter, Sabine Schmitz. far less prevalent back then) and brands showcasing a mix of tailoring, smart outfits and casual jobs when the former Labour six months’ pay. No individual since it was reinvented by Jeremy But the controversial footage TV viewing is now far more frag- wear. mayor lost the election. But Liv- pay-out exceeded £78,962 — the Clarkson in 2002. that was fi lmed of Matt LeBlanc mented than it was in 2002. ingstone had changed the rules, cap for unfair dismissal claims. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 17 BRITAIN Gove lying about Scottish visa quota plan: Sturgeon

Guardian News and Media In a short visit to Scotland to land that although the Home in next week’s referendum was tion of the Brain family who ment, if you are an Austrian hands of Gove’s Tory govern- London rally support for the Vote Leave Office in London would still “on a knife-edge” and said the face being deported from Scot- you can come here and there ment,” the former SNP leader campaign, Gove said the points- control UK borders after leav- outcome among Scottish vot- land back to Australia because is no control over the number said. based system would be very sim- ing the EU, under his cam- ers “will be signifi cantly higher” the UK government changed of people who can come from “The truth is of course is that icola Sturgeon has ac- ilar to the proposals put forward paign’s proposals both the UK than the 25% to 30% leave vote the post-study work visa rules any EU country but if you are the Brexiteers will say anything cused Michael Gove of by the Scottish National party and Edinburgh governments shown by recent polls. which originally brought the an Australian there is a limit,” at this stage in the campaign. Ntelling “a fi b and a half” in the 2014 independence refer- would in future negotiate a Gove endorsed a letter to Brains to the Highlands. That he said. They run about England telling after he claimed Scotland would endum. Alex Salmond, the then distinct Scottish policy. Ap- Sturgeon from Tom Harris, the system did give Scotland some “Ultimately, the numbers people they are going to slash be able to set its own immigra- fi rst minister, and Nicola Stur- pearing to appeal directly to former Labour MP now leading flexibility but was scrapped in who would come (to Scotland) immigration and now Gove tion quotas if the UK leaves the geon, his successor, were highly a growing number of leave the Scottish Vote Leave cam- 2012. in the future would be decided comes to Scotland to tell us EU. critical of UK immigration pol- voters, including to a third of paign, saying Scotland could Provoking a scathing attack by the Westminster parliament we will be able to attract more The pair clashed after Gove icy for refl ecting the needs of Scottish National party and negotiate a special decentralised from Salmond, whose party and the Holyrood parliament people. The lord chancellor is said a Scottish visa system could south-east England or the anti- pro-independence support- deal within the UK, in the same has championed the Brains’ working together.” talking nonsense on ermine- be devised by the Scottish par- immigrant sentiment of English ers, Gove said “it would be way the Isle of Man has one with case, Gove implied the family Salmond accused Gove of clad stilts – what is standing in liament after a Brexit vote, al- voters. for Scotland to decide” what the European economic area was being penalised because talking nonsense. “The Brain the way of Scotland having the lowing Holyrood to tailor an Sturgeon implied Gove was migrant tests it wanted to in- which allows it to prioritise its the EU system forced the UK family are not suff ering from immigration powers we need immigration policy to meet its guilty of cynicism. troduce. own workers. to give preferential treatment any impositions of the European isn’t the EU, it’s the UK gov- economic needs. Gove told BBC Radio Scot- He said the UK-wide result Gove pointed at the situa- to EU migrants. “At the mo- Union. They are suff ering at the ernment.” ‘Shameful’ Orlando Brexit will not poster warning mean drop in criticised

Guardian News and Media London immigration, rexit campaigners have been condemned as B“shameful and cowardly” for claiming the UK faces the prospect of an Orlando-style terror attack if it stays in the EU. claims Benn The poster was produced by Leave.EU, an unoffi cial cam- Guardian News and Media that care, we will need to pay for centrepiece of a day of events led paign with links to Ukip, just London it, which is why it is utterly irre- by Labour but carefully choreo- 36 hours after the atrocity at a sponsible to advocate a course of graphed with No 10, amid fears nightclub in Florida. action that will lead to a weaker, that without a strong remain “Extremism is a real threat to oters will be bitterly dis- less strong and less prosperous verdict from Labour voters the our way of life. Act now before appointed if they choose economy. referendum could be lost. we see an Orlando-style atrocity Vto leave the EU in the be- “This would damage our pub- “From now until 10pm on June before too long,” it read, against lief that it will signifi cantly re- lic services and make it more dif- 23, we will not rest and I will not a backdrop of Islamic State duce immigration, Hilary Benn, fi cult to deal with, as we must, stop explaining why 9mn Labour fi ghters waving Kalashnikovs. the shadow foreign secretary, the pressures that immigration voters have most to gain from re- An accompanying tweet read: has said. brings.” maining in the EU,” Brown said. “The free movement of Kalash- The senior Labour MP said Making a passionate case in After weeks of warnings about nikovs in Europe helps terrorists. leaving the EU would not put a favour of the benefi ts of immi- the risks of leaving the EU, Labour Vote for greater security on June stop to high levels of immigra- gration, Benn said the British now hopes to switch the argu- 23. Vote Leave.” tion as foreign workers would be were a nation of migrants, from ments to the benefi ts of staying in. The tweet was later deleted from needed to care for Britain’s ageing the “Romans to the Anglo-Sax- Brown used the speech in the Leave.EU account but not be- population and staff the NHS. ons and the Normans, from the Leicester to set out reforms he fore it had been retweeted about “Immigration into Britain will Jews fl eeing persecution to the believes Britain could achieve 100 times and drawn condemna- continue whether we stay or go, Irish fl eeing famine and from the when it takes over the EU presi- tion from Remain campaigners. as the Leave campaign have now Windrush generation and those dency of the council of ministers Hilary Benn, Labour’s shadow admitted,” he said, urging the who came from India, Pakistan in the second half of next year, foreign secretary, said it was a Leave campaign to be more hon- and Bangladesh to work in the including action on tax havens “shameful and cowardly poster”, est about the necessity of immi- mills to their present day equiv- and an EU “solidarity fund” to while Nicky Morgan, the Con- gration. alents from Poland, Lithuania help communities facing a rapid servative education secretary, “Indeed, Nigel Farage’s con- and Romania”. infl ux of migrants. said: “Using the tragic deaths of tradictory promises, as we saw He also accused Leave cam- “Today I am setting out a innocent people to make a po- on Sunday, simply don’t add paigners of harking back to the positive agenda for Labour vot- litical point is simply shameful.” up. And anyone who thinks that age of empire. “They sound as if ers – reasons why Labour vot- Morgan added: “Leave.EU voting leave will bring the num- they mourn for the bygone age in ers should vote remain and the must apologise for the hurt bers down signifi cantly will in which Britain gained infl uence patriotic case for remaining in they have caused and apologise time be bitterly disappointed.” through military strength and Europe,” he said. immediately. And Vote Leave Benn went on to speak of how empire,” he said. Appearing on the BBC Radio need to condemn such despica- his late father, Tony Benn, a La- “In the second half of the 20th 4’s Today programme yesterday ble tactics and make clear that bour politician and well known century, we came to realise that before his speech, Brown said the Orlando attack has nothing anti-EU campaigner, was cared it was far better and far more ef- Britain had a history of leading whatsoever to do with the EU for with patience and gentleness fective to be a global power that in Europe. “Look at the sweep of debate in this country.” by foreign health and care work- achieved its goals through co- history,” he said. It is not the fi rst time Leave ers in his fi nal days. operation rather than conquest.” “Britain led Europe against campaigners have warned of He pointed out that one in fi ve The MP set out his argument fascism, Britain created the Eu- greater exposure to terror at- of Britain’s care workers comes as Labour hit the referendum ropean convention of human tacks because of free movement from outside the UK – from Eu- campaign trail afresh yesterday, rights, Britain was the leader in through Europe. Days after the rope and the rest of the world – with Gordon Brown leading a persuading eastern Europe to Paris terror attacks, the Ukip and more will be needed as the fi nal 10-day push in an attempt come in to the European Union, leader, Nigel Farage, claimed the population ages. to prevent Britain leaving the EU. Britain has always led the way EU was “seriously imperilling “In the years ahead, it will be A speech from the former when things have been diffi cult our security” because of the risk UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage shows his passport to a member of the public as he goes on our turn to be looked after,” Benn prime minister setting out the in Europe, and I think it’s time of terrorists posing as migrants. the campaign trail for Brexit in Ramsgate yesterday. said. “And as well as providing case to “lead, not leave” was the that we were a leader again.”

Young Londoners ‘spend Exhibition opens Probe Green’s past 60% of wages on rent’ deals, demands MP London Evening Standard — not to take away an honour Guardian News and Media 2007, before the onset of the fi - more than in May 2015, with rents London but actually to say, ‘If you’re London nancial crisis, the proportion of at £661 a month. not going to co-operate, we’re one-person households in the pri- Recent years have seen a steep going to have a full investiga- vate rented sector has decreased increase in the number of ten- senior MP has said re- tion in all of your business he cost of renting a one- by 3%, while four- and fi ve-per- ants, driven by a number of fac- tail billionaire Sir Philip dealings going back many bedroom property in the son households have risen. tors including high house prices AGreen should face a years’. I think that would TUK has risen to swal- The fi gures, which are based and harder tests for mortgages. “full inquiry” into all his busi- bring him to the table far more low almost half of the average on properties let through Although the housing market ness deals unless he co-oper- quickly than anything else.” young worker’s take-home Countrywide’s letting agents appears to have slowed, there ates with a probe into the BHS Administrators announced pay, according to fi gures, while and income fi gures from the seems to be no let-up in ris- collapse. earlier this month a last-ditch those living in London are typ- Offi ce for National Statistics ing rents, and the most recent Tory MP Mark Field said bid to save BHS had failed with ically handing over 57% of their (ONS), adjusted for tax, show monthly report by the Royal In- the threat of an investigation the potential loss of 11,000 monthly wages. that the lowest rents as a pro- stitution of Chartered Surveyors into Sir Philip’s historic deal- jobs and a £571mn shortfall in The average cost of a new portion of income are found predicted that they would rise at ings might be the only thing to its pension pot. tenancy on a one-bedroom in the east Midlands, where a faster pace than house prices “bring him to the table”. Field told BBC radio: “I want home hit £746 a month in May, tenants are spending a third of over the next fi ve years. It comes after the Arcadia to see him putting many hun- taking up 48% of the take- their take-home pay. Johnny Morris, research di- boss indicated he was not pre- dreds of millions of pounds home pay of a worker aged un- Countrywide’s analysis of rector at Countrywide, said pared to take part in a Com- back into that pension fund, der 30, data from property fi rm all new lets showed landlords that in most parts of Britain, mons inquiry into BHS, ar- given the huge amounts of Countrywide showed. have increased prices by 2.9% rising incomes had softened guing it was akin to “trial by money taken out of that com- In London, the average rent on since May 2015, with the aver- the impact of increasing rents, media”. pany during what were at least a one-bed property was £1,133 in age monthly rent for all types but in London aff ordability was Sir Philip sold BHS to Retail apparently better times.” May, Countrywide said. Rising of property across Britain ris- being stretched. Acquisitions for £1 in 2015, Sir Philip Green has previ- rents had outstripped growth in ing to £945. In Greater London, “Many tenants have adapted only for it to fail 13 months lat- ously rejected responsibility earnings to such an extent in the the average new rent was up by to rising prices by either mov- er. Questions have since been for the company’s failure. He capital that since 2007 the pro- 0.3% year-on-year at £1,292. ing to cheaper areas, further raised during the Commons indicated in a letter he may not portion of take-home pay used Tenancies coming up for re- from the centre, or sharing,” he inquiry about the way the deal attend a hearing to be ques- to meet the cost had increased newal showed a bigger jump in said. “Stalling rental growth in was done, with calls for Sir tioned on the shop’s demise, from 41% to 57%. costs, with rents rising by 5.2% the capital raises the question Finance Minister George Osborne speaks at the opening of the Philip to lose his knighthood. saying: “I am not prepared to The fi rm said tenants were re- over the year, to an average of £907 whether London’s rents have International Festival for Business 2016 at the Exhibition Centre Cities of London and West- participate in a process which sponding to the higher costs by a month. In Wales, Countrywide reached their aff ordability lim- Liverpool yesterday. minster MP Field said: “The has not even the pretence of moving into house shares. Since said landlords were charging 9.4% its for now.” real sanction on Green is this fairness and objectivity.” Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 EUROPE ‘Trained’ Russians took part in Euro

clashes Pope Francis greets workers during a visit at the United Nations World Food Progamme headquarters in Rome yesterday. Reuters A Marseille court yesterday began Marseille hearing fast-track trials of 10 people held in police custody - six Britons, three French nationals and an Austri- ussians trained to fi ght were in- an. All were charged with violence in- volved in the worst of the fan volving a weapon, mostly against a law Feed people, not wars, Pope Rviolence that hit Marseille at the enforcement offi cers. start of the Euro 2016 soccer tourna- In the fi rst fi rst two cases, English ment, the French city’s chief prosecu- cook Alexander Booth, 20, and psychi- tor said yesterday, as two English fans atric nurse Ian Hepworth were jailed were jailed for fi ghting. for two and three months respectively. urges UN food agency A middle-aged Englishman re- Both men were barred from returning mained in a critical condition in hos- to France for two years once their sen- Reuters On a visit to the headquarters of the zen and virtually absolute freedom in Francis, who in the past has con- pital after he was assaulted, one of 35 tences were served. Rome World Food Programme (WFP), the many parts of the world. As a result, demned speculation in food commod- people injured during three days of “I’m truly sorry. I was in the wrong Pope said the world faced a “strange wars are fed, not people,” said Francis, ities as undermining the fi ght against fi ghting involving Russian, English and place at the wrong time, but I’m no paradox”. who has often condemned arms man- poverty and hunger, also condemned French fans in Marseille’s Vieux Port hooligan,” Booth told the judge before ope Francis yesterday con- “Whereas forms of aid and devel- ufacturing and traffi cking. rich countries’ wasteful use of food. (Old Port). his sentence was read out. demned the use of hunger as a opment projects are obstructed by in- In January, UN Secretary-General “We have made the fruits of the European soccer’s governing body, No Russians had been arrested over P“weapon of war” and lamented volved and incomprehensible political Ban Ki-moon accused both the Syrian earth - a gift to humanity - commodi- UEFA, has said it is “disgusted” by the the weekend, Robin acknowledged. the fact that it was easier to move decisions, skewed ideological visions government and rebels of using star- ties for a few, thus engendering exclu- melees inside and outside the stadium Asked why not, the prosecutor said weapons across borders than the aid and impenetrable customs barriers, vation as a weapon, calling the prac- sion. The consumerism in which our in Marseille and has threatened to ex- they had carried out lightning strikes needed to keep civilians alive. weaponry is not. tice a war crime.. societies are immersed has made us pel the Russian and English teams from which made arrests diffi cult and that Days after aid agencies were allowed “In some cases, hunger itself is used The Argentina-born Pope said the grow accustomed to excess and to the the championship if the violence per- closed-circuit television footage was to deliver food to the besieged Syrian as a weapon of war,” he said in an ad- rich world was increasingly desensi- daily waste of food,” he said. sists. still being studied. town of Daraya for the fi rst time since dress to the WFP, the Rome-based UN tised, “growing immune to other peo- “We need to be reminded that food “There were 150 Russian supporters “These are highly trained people,” 2012, Francis said preventing supplies agency which is the largest provider of ple’s tragedies, seeing them as some- discarded is, in a certain sense, stolen who in reality were hooligans,” Mar- Robin said. from reaching war zones was a viola- food aid worldwide. thing ‘natural’... all those human lives from the table of poor and the starv- seille prosecutor Brice Robin told a Robin said some Russian supporters tion of international law. “(Weapons) circulate with bra- turn into one more news story.” ing.” news conference.”These people were were turned back on arrival at Mar- well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra- seille international airport but that violent action.” others had arrived overland. Scenes of rival fans wielding metal French offi cials say 3,000 England bars and hurling beer bottles in street soccer fans had been slapped with clashes in Marseille, as well as inci- banning orders to block their travel to Bosnian children with IS deemed a ‘time bomb’ dents in Nice, Lille and Paris, under- France due to previous off ences, while score the challenge soccer federations only 30 Russian supporters were pre- in Europe face in stamping out hooli- vented from travelling. By Daria Sito-Sucic, Reuters The study by the non-profi t Sara- media, boys of 13 or 14 undergo mili- stopped by early 2016 because Bosnian ganism. A spokeswoman for British Prime Sarajevo jevo-based Atlantic Initiative, which tary training before being sent to join authorities were prosecuting more Further along the Mediterranean Minister David Cameron said his gov- made an advance copy available to fi ghting formations. aspiring fi ghters as well as those who coast from Marseille, Nice’s prosecutor ernment welcomed the UEFA inves- Reuters, found that the number of At least one minor from Bosnia had returned, the study said. said violence there involving North- tigation and it was also vital to review ore than 80 Bosnian children adult male fi ghters, estimated at 188 been killed as a combatant, the study Bosnia’s Muslims are generally ern Irish fans on Saturday night was crowd-control methods inside Euro are in Islamic State-held ter- in the three-year period to end-2015, said, urging Bosnian authorities to moderate but some have adopted radi- instigated by remnants of the now- 2016 stadiums. Mritory in Syria and Iraq and had dropped to 91, after 47 returned to prevent children from being taken to cal Islam from foreign fi ghters who disbanded French fan group known as “Are there any lessons that the represent a “time bomb” that could Bosnia and 50 had been killed. confl ict zones. came to the country during its 1992-95 the Nice Brigade that had ties with far- French authorities can learn from that pose a major security risk when they As of April, less than half of Bos- “We are seeing a completely new war to fi ght alongside Muslims against right circles. for future games... to look at where the return, a study said yesterday. nians in Syria were men of military generation of children who were raised Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats. England fans have said they were teams’ relevant supporters are and how Bosnian Muslims are the largest age, while there were also 52 women on the battlefi eld or near the battle- Some of them have formed illegal ambushed by squads of Russian assail- to manage those issues at the end of the group from the Western Balkans fi ght- and 80 children. fi eld,” said Vlado Azinovic, a co-author communities which the national Is- ants in at least one incident, though the game?” she told reporters. ing for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Some children, who went to the re- of the study. “They are like a time bomb lamic organisation wants to shut down. Marseille prosecutor made clear that Asked whether a complaint had been alongside fi ghters from countries such gion with their families, have joined Is- for any country they may end up in.” The study said Islamic community England supporters were responsible made about Russian fan behaviour, she as Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Mon- lamic State combat units, the study said. Departures from Bosnia and returns offi cials or property may become a tar- for some of the skirmishes in Marseille. said: “We have raised our concerns.” tenegro and Serbia. According to witnesses and social from Syria had almost completely get of possible retaliatory attacks.

Nato set to deploy four battalions in Baltics, Poland SAS cancels fl ights

AFP after pilot talks fail Brussels

DPA Long-haul fl ights were not ato will deploy four in- Stockholm aff ected, the airline said. ternational battalions It was not immediately clear Nto Poland and the three when mediators would resume Baltic states as part of the wider candinavian airline SAS eff orts. pushback against Russia’s inter- said it plans to cancel 240 “We have done all that’s in vention in Ukraine, alliance head Sfl ights today after over- our power to avoid a continued Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday. night talks failed to end a strike strike, “We will agree to deploy by ro- by Sweden-based pilots over but we have unfortunately tation four robust multi-national wages. still been unable to come to an battalions in the Baltic states and Today’s cancellations aff ect agreement,” Poland,” Stoltenberg told a news about 25,500 passengers, the SAS spokeswoman Karin conference ahead of a meeting airline said. Nyman said in a statement. today of Nato defence ministers The disruptions began Friday The union said they wanted in Brussels. when the Swedish pilot’s union wage increases of 3.5% and “This will send a clear signal called on 400 pilots to walk off revisions in the collective bar- that Nato stands ready to defend work. The carrier had already gaining agreement. any ally,” he said, referring to a cancelled 230 fl ights yesterday, SAS pilots said they want whole series of measures the US- aff ecting 27,000 passengers. compensation for wage cuts led alliance has taken since the The labour action has dis- and other concessions they Ukraine crisis to counter a more rupted domestic Swedish and made in 2012 when the com- assertive Russia. European fl ights including to pany was in dire straits. Nato leaders are due to sign other Nordic capitals as well as The Swedish Aviation In- off on the programme at a July Frankfurt, Paris and London. dustry Group, which organizes 8-9 summit in Poland, which Overnight talks broke down employers, off ered 2.2%, say- has pushed for a much harder early yesterday. ing that was in line with other line, including having permanent SAS expressed regret that groups. bases in the east to counter Rus- the Swedish Pilots Union had Danish and Norwegian pi- sia. rejected a bid presented by me- lots were fl ying as normal, the Stoltenberg did not say how diators. company said. Passengers were many troops would be deployed “Our diff erences on some advised to consult the carrier’s in the four battalions but offi cials key issues are simply too website or the company with previously have said they will great,” union head Wilhelm which they booked tickets. number 2,500-3,000, acting as a A US M1 Abrams tank fires during the “Saber Strike” Nato military exercise in Adazi, Latvia. Tersmeden told Swedish Radio. The airline - whose main tripwire to deter Russia and reas- Over the weekend an es- owners are the governments of sure nervous alliance members nent so as not to infringe existing Response Force to 40,000 men It also includes pre-position- He repeated that Nato’s re- timated 50,000 passengers, Denmark, Norway and Sweden once ruled from Moscow. treaties with Russia - was part ready to move at short notice, ing equipment and headquarters sponse to the Ukraine crisis was including several thousand - is facing stiff competition The Nato chief stressed that of a much wider response to the creating a Spearhead force of units so these troops can hit the purely defensive and that it did charter tourists, were aff ected from low-cost carriers such as the deployment - to be made on Ukraine crisis. about 5,000 on a just few days ground running in any fresh cri- not seek any “confrontation” when 380 fl ights were can- Norwegian Air Shuttle in the a rotational basis, not perma- This includes tripling the Nato standby. sis. with Russia. celled due to the labour action. crowded European market. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 19 EUROPE UN rights chief slams detention of migrants

AFP Hungary to return migrants Geneva beyond border fence Hungary yesterday passed a law that he UN’s human rights chief yesterday allows police to send back illegal migrants voiced alarm at the increasing deten- detained within 8km of its southern frontier Ttion of migrants in Europe, including to the Serbian side of the border fence, unaccompanied children, amid widespread drawing criticism from the UN refugee anti-migrant rhetoric across the continent. agency. As Europe faces its biggest migration cri- A razor-wire fence built along Hungary’s sis since the aftermath of World War II, UN southern border with Serbia and Croatia rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said he has helped to reduce sharply the flow of had sent staff members to assess areas along migrants from the hundreds of thousands the main migration routes in the central who last year moved up from the Balkans Mediterranean and Balkans. towards northern Europe, especially “They have observed a worrying increase Germany. in detention of migrants in Europe, includ- However, a steady trickle of migrants ing in the hotspots, (which are) essentially is still arriving at Hungary’s border with vast mandatory confi nement areas which Serbia. have been set up in Greece and Italy,” he told Budapest has set up two transit zones A refugee boy rests in the makeshift camp situated at the old Athens airport. the opening of the UN Human Rights Coun- there where migrants can submit a request cil’s second annual session. for asylum. “Even unaccompanied children are fre- “The aim...is to allow (the authorities) to quently placed in prison cells or centres escort back across the gates of the border ringed with barbed-wire,” he said, insisting defence facility third-country nationals “detention is never in the best interests of who are in Hungary illegally and who were Stuck in Greece, migrants the child.” detained within 8km of the border,” the Zeid urged the EU to collect data on mi- reasoning of the law said. grant detentions by member states, warn- Serbian off icials were not immediately ing that “the fi gures would, I fear, be very available to comment. shocking.” So far this year Hungary has registered queue for access to asylum More than 1mn people made the journey 19,140 asylum applications and more than to Europe in 2015, the majority fl eeing war 14,000 migrants have crossed its southern in Syria and the Middle East, and a further borders illegally, according to government Reuters mn people from Syria, Afghanistan, called “pre-registration”, they are black paint hoisted above one of the 208,000 have come since January, accord- data. Athens Iraq and beyond headed for western granted a temporary right to remain in gates directs visitors to “Hockey - ing to UN fi gures. Hungary has recently limited the number Europe. Greece, and access to basic services. Baseball - Refugees”. Rights groups More than 2,850 people have died trying of daily admissions into the transit zone to Some 1,200 people have been One of two pre-registration sites have described conditions at Hel- to cross the Mediterranean so far this year. a maximum of 30, government spokesman ozens of migrants and refu- registered in the three days since the has been set up at the capital’s lenikon and other Greek camps as Faced with the infl ux, the UN rights chief Zoltan Kovacs said last week. gees stuck in Greece queued EU-funded scheme was launched. crumbling former airport at Hel- unfi t for humans. warned that in many countries were show- Kovacs added that Hungary was follow- Dup in Athens yesterday to Authorities hope to register 1,400 lenikon, home also to now-derelict Fights are not uncommon in food ing “a strong trend that overturns interna- ing European and international law as well register for access to its asylum people a day from two sites, the head Olympic hockey and baseball ven- queues and elsewhere. tional commitments, refuses basic human- as Hungarian protocols for admission. system, a new process that Greece of Greece’s asylum service, Maria ues from when Greece hosted the Authorities hope the new process ity, and slams doors in the face of human That narrow bottleneck has caused hopes will speed up their relocation Stavropoulou, told journalists. Games in 2004. will help to ease tensions. beings in need.” migrants to amass in makeshift camps near to other EU member states or reu- “It is going to be the fi rst step ei- About 3,600 refugees and mi- “The level of frustration we hope He pointed out that EU countries so far the transit zones. nite them with family elsewhere. ther for relocation to other member grants, among them many young will go down; they will get a sense have managed to relocate fewer than one% The camps are still on Hungarian terri- Some 48,000 refugees and mi- states, or to family reunifi cation, or children, are currently living in that something is in the making,” of the 160,000 people they have commit- tory but on the southern side of the fence. grants are stranded on the Greek to apply for international protec- abandoned buildings in the sprawl- Stavropoulou said.”Some peo- ted to taking from overwhelmed Greece and The UN refugee agency said the new law mainland by the closure of Balkan tion in Greece and either getting it ing complex, or in tents pitched ple might actually want to go back Italy. approved by Hungary’s parliament would borders, which has shut the main or not,” Stavropoulou said. among the weeds. home, and here they have the option He urged European countries to “fi nd a way only exacerbate the situation of those overland route used last year by a Once individuals complete the so- A makeshift banner written in also of saying so.” to address the current migration crisis con- waiting to be able to submit an asylum sistently and in a manner that respects the application. rights of the people concerned,” and to “re- Erno Simon, a UNHCR spokesman in Bu- move hysteria and panic from the equation.” dapest, said it would force migrants to wait This, he said, was particularly important outside the transit zones and could prompt in the context of a controversial deal be- many to turn to human traff ickers. New Hungary law blocks ride-sharing services tween the European Union (EU) and Tur- “Obviously, this will only exacerbate the key in March, under which migrants not inhumane conditions at the two transit entitled to asylum are to be deported from zones,” Simon said. Reuters ment Minister Miklos Sesztak wrote ban on UberPOP last week. tions director Zoltan Fekete said in Greece back across the Aegean. Another rights group, the Hungarian Hel- Budapest in the reasoning. Hungary issues taxi fi rms with a statement. Zeid also decried “the widespread anti- sinki Committee, accused the government Taxi drivers in Hungary have de- dispatcher service permits, allow- “Uber has emphasised legal com- migrant rhetoric that we have heard, span- of wanting to keep the number of migrants manded Uber be outlawed and its ing a dispatcher service to transfer pliance: our drivers took out per- ning the length and breadth of the European as low as possible. ungary yesterday passed smartphone app blocked as they say passenger requests to drivers under mits and provide legal receipts,” continent.” Helsinki Committee co-chair Marta Par- legislation which could curb its drivers breach regulations other a series of criteria, such as a sizeable Fekete said. “This fosters a climate of divisiveness, davi said that, based on the new legislation, Hthe activities of Uber after taxis fi rms must adhere to. insurance deposit and an obligation “Uber seeks dialogue with deci- xenophobia and even, as in Bulgaria, vigi- police would escort migrants back to the months of protests by taxi drivers, UberPOP, a smartphone app that to record data. sion makers in the hope that the lante violence,” he said. other side of the fence to the transit zones following in the footsteps of other links private drivers with passen- Without such permits it is il- current outdated regulations are Before they reach Europe, many migrants where they would have to queue without countries that have banned some of gers, has prompted taxi driver pro- legal to off er rides for money, and replaced with a modern one tailored are meanwhile suff ering horrible human basic amenities. its ride-hailing services. tests across Europe and to date has the government can block Internet- to new technology, centred around rights abuses in chaos-wracked Libya, the This way migrants would basically be Under the new law, the Hungar- been declared illegal by courts in based communication that enables the interest of consumers,” he said, UN rights warned. “booted out” of the country, she said. ian national communications au- Italy, Spain and Germany, with ap- that, the new law says. adding that Uber has 150,000 Hun- He decried “disturbing reports of many “Instead of providing proper treatment thority can block Internet access peals pending in Belgium and the While traditional taxi services in garian users and 1,200 drivers. migrants in Libya being subjected to pro- and procedures prescribed by law, the aim to “illegal dispatcher services”, in a Netherlands. Hungary also have apps for ordering The new Hungarian legislation, longed arbitrary detention, attacks and is to have... no asylum seekers arriving in similar fashion to the way the regu- France suspended the low-cost cabs, Uber does not yet have a dis- which does not mention Uber by unlawful killings, torture and other ill- Hungary,” Pardavi added. lator blocked access to illegal online service last year after the govern- patch permit. name, is due to come into eff ect in treatment, sexual violence and abduction gambling sites in the country. ment banned it under pressure from “Uber will request the dispatcher 31 days. for ransom.” “The bill aims partly to block the licensed taxi drivers and a French permit from the Hungarian author- Dispatcher services in breach of UN staff visiting a migrant detention He urged EU countries attempting to co- Internet access to illegal taxi, or court slapped a hefty fi ne on Uber ities. Currently we are preparing the regulations are fi rst fi ned and centre in the country found “dozens of peo- operate with Libya on migration and border other similar dispatcher services, last week for running an illegal taxi that administratively. This is also will then have their Internet access ple crammed into storage rooms without management to only do so “in full respect if the authorities’ other preventive service. part of our regulatory compliance blocked for a year. space to lie down.” for the human rights of the people involved.” measures are ineff ective,” Develop- A German court also upheld the eff orts,” Uber’s Hungarian opera- The ban can be repeated.

Recovered ... New Nobel centre sparks outcry

Reuters probably the prize ceremonies. It seum, an area with an aristocratic Stockholm is to be built on the site of an 1870s air of traditional restaurants, har- customs house and other historic bour-side bars and shining yachts. sites in Stockholm’s old harbour. Original plans for the build- he waterfront building in Stockholm City Council ap- ing have already been reduced in an upscale part of Stock- proved the plans but has since size and a brass facade has been Tholm was meant to show- faced uproar and appeals against changed to brass coloured steel to case one of the world’s most fa- the 18,000 square metres build- adhere to environmental standards. mous prizes. ing, which is partly fi nanced by The cost will be met by dona- Instead, plans for a new Nobel the Wallenberg business dynasty. tions, including from Swedish Centre have sparked royal out- In June, King Carl XVI Gustaf, icons like the main owner of re- rage, political spats and objec- who presents the Nobel prizes each tail giant Hennes & Mauritz as tions from a Swedish business year in Stockholm, triggered con- well as the Wallenberg family. tycoon that it spoils his view. troversy himself by criticising the But another business tycoon is “It looks like a brass-coloured building as too big in a rare public on the opposite side of the con- nuclear power plant,” said Lotta foray into Swedish public life. fl ict. Fredrik Lundberg, often Edholm, who heads the opposi- “It need not be so gigantic,” he referred to as Sweden’s Warren tion Liberal Party in Stockholm told Dagens Nyheter newspaper. Buff ett, has objected to the scale and who voted against the deci- “It could be downsized.....And of the building, citing concerns sion to approve the 130mn euro why get stuck in trenches and about the sea view of his nearby ($146mn) building because of its say it has be located right here? It offi ces and the value of their cen- design and cost. could also be moved.” tury-old properties. The Nobel Foundation cen- The centre will dominate an A Lundberg real estate com- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (left) and mayor of the Italian city of Verona Flavio Tosi visit a temporary exhibition in Kiev tre, designed by British architect area featuring some of Sweden’s pany that owns a neighbouring of artwork stolen from the Verona museum and recovered last month by Ukrainian border guards on the Moldovan border. David Chipperfi eld, is intended most emblematic and historic building has threatened to sue if to host exhibitions, seminars and buildings like the National Mu- the Nobel Centre is built. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 INDIA

POPULATION CRIME TRAGEDY EDUCATION APPOINTMENT Manipuri couples Principal arrested for Boatman is hero of Dell, Shiv Nadar University Lawyers continue prefer large families raping minor student Kashmir: Mehbooba join hands for research protest over judges

The more the merrier. That’s what indigenous The principal of a primary school in Tripura has A boatman who drowned in Srinagar last Dell and Shiv Nadar University have signed an Lawyers in Telangana continued their protest couples in Manipur believe. So they don’t been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl week while saving a tourist family was agreement to collaborate and drive research and for the seventh day yesterday against the care much about family planning. It’s not student, police said yesterday. The 36-year-old the real symbol and hero of the eclectic innovation, a statement said yesterday. Under appointment of judicial off icers from Andhra surprising then that Mutum Sobita, 44, is happy principal of a private school in Kanchanpur culture known as ‘Kashmiriyat’, Jammu the agreement, Dell will engage with faculty Pradesh and to demand bifurcation of the unified that she’s the mother of 15 healthy children. allegedly raped the nine-year-old girl several and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba members at the university to mentor students high court. They boycotted courts in Hyderabad So is Ningombam Sanahanbi, 54, who gave times at his home in the school complex since Mufti said yesterday. She visited the family and jointly work on technology projects in areas and nine other districts of Telangana and staged birth to 13 children. And in both the cases, October last year, police spokesman Uttam of Ghulam Mohamed Guroo, 55, who died such as big data, cloud computing and Internet demonstrations outside court premises. The the children were provided proper care and Kumar Bhowmik said. “The girl’s mother while saving the family. On June 8, Guroo of Things. Through this partnership, Dell has set Telangana High Court Advocates Association education. Observers point out that the fear on Sunday filed a complaint against him,” was rowing a boat carrying the family up two laboratories jointly with the university is demanding that the provisional allotment of of being outnumbered by non-locals has been Bhowmik added. “According to the mother, the on Jhelum river when it hit a pillar and to integrate theoretical concepts with practical about 130 judges who are natives of Andhra prompting families to notch up the number accused also showed her daughter nude and capsized. He saved the family but was experience. “The labs are a platform for us to Pradesh to subordinate courts in Telangana of children. According to the 2011 Census, off ensive videos,” he added. Recently, when the himself carried away by the powerful collaborate with the faculty, and provide practical be recalled. The lawyers locked the courts in population in Manipur was 27,21,750 of which girl came home, she disclosed these horrific current of the river and died. Guroo’s body learning experiences for students,” said Hemal Nizamabad and Warangal in support of their the non-locals accounted for over 12,00,000, incidents to her parents and was reluctant to was recovered yesterday from the river Shah, executive director and Asia Pacific & Japan demand. The protesters also demanded the government off icials said. return to school. near Chattabal area in Srinagar. Chief Information Off icer, Dell India. immediate bifurcation of the unified high court.

Lalu appears in court CBI fi les charges against 10 RS election in Vyapam scandal in Haryana IANS New Delhi/Bhopal

he Central Bureau of In- vestigation (CBI) yes- Tterday fi led two separate charge-sheets in Indore and Bho- rigged, says pal courts against 10 people in two cases related to Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, offi cials said. The charge-sheet in the fi rst case named only one person while the other in the second case mentioned names of nine people for their alleged involvement in Congress the Pre-Medical Test (PMT) in 2009 and the Police Constable Opposition party alleges dependent candidate supported Former MP G Vivek and his Recruitment Test in 2012, re- deep-rooted conspiracy, by the state’s ruling Bharatiya brother, and former Andhra spectively. demands re-election Janata Party - was elected to the Pradesh minister G Vinod also Both the examinations were Rajya Sabha from Haryana, de- announced their decision to conducted by Vyavsayik Pariksha IANS feating Congress-backed inde- switch loyalties to the TRS. Mandal (Vyapam) or the Madhya New Delhi pendent R K Anand. Chandra got The decision comes a day after Pradesh Professional Examina- 24 votes while Anand managed the Congress leaders met Chief tion Board (MPPEB). only 15. Minister and TRS president K In both cases, the accused were he Congress Party yes- As many as 14 votes were re- Chandrasekhar Rao and amid booked on charges of impersona- terday alleged the Rajya jected in the 90-member assem- internal squabbles in the opposi- tion, cheating and forgery under TSabha polls in Haryana bly. tion party. the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and on June 11 were rigged under a “In a clear case of conspiracy, a Sukhender Reddy told report- sections of the Madhya Pradesh “deep-rooted conspiracy” and pen used for marking ballots was ers they were joining the TRS to Recognised Examinations Act 1937. demanded re-election. given to 13 voters to see to it that pay back to the people of Telan- The charge-sheet in the fi rst A delegation led by Haryana they voted with this particular gana. He said they took the deci- case that was earlier registered in Congress chief Ashok Tanwar pen so as to create ground for re- sion to help Chandrasekhar Rao 2014 in Indore, was fi led against submitted a memorandum to the jection. in his eff orts to develop the new Purushottam Khoiya in the court Election Commission to under- “Since this pen was made state. of a special magistrate. Khoiya line how the elections to the two available to voters to mark the The MP said he would take a was remanded in judicial custody Rajya Sabha seats from the state ballot, the votes could not have decision on resigning from the by the court. were rigged and why it should be been rejected on this ground,” it Lok Sabha at an appropriate In the second case, registered held again. added. time. by Bhopal police in 2015, the “There is a deep-rooted con- The Congress has demanded Sukhender Reddy was one of charge-sheet was fi led against spiracy to see that all votes cast that “all the videography and the two Congress leaders who Kamlesh Kushwaha, Naveen by the Congress MLAs were re- photographs (of the election won Lok Sabha seats in 2014 de- Kumar, Jyotish Kumar, Vishal jected on the ground that they process) be preserved” and the spite the TRS wave. Solanki, Kavendra Singh Raja- were marked with a diff erent pen elections “countermanded and The TRS, which won 11 seats, wat, Nemichand, Dinesh Ku- than supplied by the Returning polls held again” after getting a has now increased its tally to 13 mar Solanki, Pankaj Kumar and Offi cer,” the memorandum read. report from a specially-appoint- with the YSR Congress party’s Rajesh Dhakad in a Bhopal court. It said when the ballot papers ed observer. lone MP from the state, P Sud- “The fi ndings are based on the are given to the voting legisla- Meanwhile, in yet another ma- hakar Reddy, switching loyalties investigation done by the CBI on tors, pens should have been made jor setback to the Congress in Te- last month. the basis of evidence,” an offi cial available to each of them with the langana, a member of parliament Bhaskar Rao is the ninth legis- said. instruction to use only that pen and a state legislator from the lator from the Congress to defect The Supreme Court on July 9, while casting the vote, which was main opposition party decided to the TRS in the last two years. 2015, handed over the Vyapam not done. to join the southern state’s ruling The latest setback came amid cases to the central agency. At “There is a conspiracy to hijack Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). increasing internal diff erences in least 48 people linked to the Vya- and rig the elections so that Sub- The Lok Sabha member from the main opposition party. pam scam have died, some mys- hash Chandra was elected, al- Nalgonda, G Sukhender Reddy, Some leaders have openly hit teriously. Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav arrives at a Central Bureau of Investigation court though he didn’t have suffi cient and the member of the state out at the party’s state chief Ut- The CBI has till now registered over his involvement in a multi-million rupee fodder scam, in Ranchi, yesterday. The case numbers. The Congress and the assembly from Miryalguda, tam Kumar Reddy, criticising his 155 First Information Reports and relates to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs30mn from Dumka treasury. Yadav had already been Indian National Lok Dal had 17 Bhaskar Rao - both of the Con- style of functioning while some six charge-sheets in the Vyapam convicted in another case related to the fodder scam and was sentenced to five years in jail in and 18 clear votes,” the Congress gress - announced yesterday that others have called party’s fl oor scam. The agency registered its October 2013. He is currently on bail. memorandum said. they would formally join the TRS leader in the assembly, K Jana fi rst Vyapam case on July 16, 2015. Media baron Subhash - an In- tomorrow. Reddy, an ‘agent’ of the TRS. Anju George demands MiG fi ghter jet crashes, pilot safe

Agencies the other hand, moving towards probe into allegations retirement with the IAF look- New Delhi ing at decommissioning a few By Ashraf Padanna the Kerala State Sports Council sity, was the football coach of the squadrons this year itself. Thiruvananthapuram (KSSC). Kerala University earlier. n Indian Air Force MiG-27 The MiG-21s are scheduled The Bengaluru-based athlete Politicians had been heading fi ghter jet crashed in the to retire over the period 2017 to was also accused of appointing the KSSC until then chief minis- ARajasthan yesterday, but 2020. letter athlete Anju Bobby her brother Ajith Markose as a ter Oommen Chandy decided not the pilot ejected safely. The non-upgraded versions of George wrote to the Kerala coach for the National Games. to mix sports with politics and The jet crashed into a house MiG-27s are scheduled to retire Agovernment demanding a Markose is currently in Bel- appointed Padmini Selvan as its on the outskirts of Jodhpur city this year and others by the next probe into the state’s sports ad- gium with an Indian team for Ol- president but allegations of cor- minutes after it took off from a year. According to the data that the ministration has opened a can of ympics trials. ruption continued. nearby air base on a training sor- defence ministry provided to the worms. “We were all working with George took over in Novem- tie, IAF spokeswoman Rochelle Parliamentary Standing Commit- George, the only Indian ath- sportsmen spirit without any per- ber, and she soon set up an ethics D’Silva said. She denied media tee on defence, there were 65 ac- lete to win an Olympics medal, sonal agenda. She has been actively commission headed by a woman reports that two locals were in- cidents involving IAF aircraft be- wants to know how proceeds from involved in policymaking though offi cer of the elite Indian Police jured. tween April 2007 and March 2012. Sports Lottery, which she and her presence was not always availa- Service to probe all corruption al- The IAF has ordered an inves- Of these, 31 involved a MiG other international athletes in- ble here,” said KSSC vice-president legations against the council. tigation into the cause of the ac- fi ghter; three of them were MiG- cluding P T Usha promoted as its T K Ibrahim Kutty, who accompa- Following the humiliating ex- cident. 29s. brand ambassadors, disappeared nied George to the minister. perience, she decided to return Of all aircraft crashes suff ered The following are some of the during the previous Left Demo- “The minister said we were all the entire airfare of Rs40,000 she by the IAF since 2012, half in- recent accidents involving MiG cratic Front (LDF) government. corrupt, and she was reimburs- had drawn from the exchequer on volved MiG fi ghters, data com- fi ghter aircraft. The immediate provocation ing the airfare illegally. a government order issued by the piled by the defence ministry zAugust 24, 2015: A MiG-21 for the letter was a concerted That pained her a lot. new government which came to shows. fi ghter aircraft crashed in Jammu campaign against George af- She wanted to pro- power on May 25. Since April 2012, there have and Kashmir’s Badgam district. ter she lodged a complaint duce good athletes and “We were ready to go. But since been 25 accidents - of which 13 The pilot safely ejected. with Chief Minister Pi- sport was her politics the minister himself levelled cor- involved a MiG fi ghter aircraft, zMay 8, 2015: A MiG 27 narayi Vijayan that and religion,” Kutty ruption allegations against us, we which has often been described crashed in Alipurdwar district of Sports Minister said. need to fi ght it out,” Kutty said. as a “fl ying coffi n.” West Bengal. E P Jayarajan Kutty, who retired as In the emotionally charged Two of those accidents in- The pilot ejected safely. taunted her about head of the department “open letter,” George urged volved MiG-29 aircraft that are zJanuary 31, 2015: A MiG-21 claiming airfares of physical education Jayarajan to probe all the corrupt relatively new and have a long life crashed near Bed village in Jam- of Rs40,000 as at the Mahatma deals at the KSSC for at least last An Indian Air Force MiG-27 fighter jet burns on the ground after ahead for them. nagar district of Gujarat. the president of Gandhi Univer- ten years. crashing into a residential building in Jodhpur yesterday. MiG-21s and MiG-27s are, on The pilot ejected safely. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 21 INDIA I was absolved of involvement in 1984 riots: Kamal Nath

IANS on Internet has absolved me and Kejriwal regarding his involve- has spearheaded the legal battle riots. However, on November 1, Phoolka said it was unfortunate “It’s been 32 years and the New Delhi said that in no way I have either ment in the riots, Nath said: against the riot accused. 1984, a mob led by Kamal Nath that the Congress should ‘re- victims are still waiting for instigated or participated in an- “The perception is that this is He alleged that a mob led by was behind the violence which ward’ a riot accused. justice. We should convey the ti-Sikh riots,” Nath told NDTV. politics and since he is slipping Nath was behind the violence at led to the killing of two Sikhs in “This cannot be an internal message that if you commit a enior Congress leader “This was end of the mat- back in Punjab, he is bringing Gurudwara Rakabganj in New Rakabganj,” Phoolka said. matter of the party. The 1984 crime, you would be punished, Kamal Nath, who was ap- ter as there was never a charge this issue and we will deal with Delhi. “Mukhtiyar Singh, the man- anti-Sikh riots brought dis- no matter how big a politician Spointed general secretary against me and the matter was it.” He said Punjab Congress ager of the gurudwara, had also repute to the entire country... you are. But the Congress has in charge of Punjab, yesterday also raised in parliament, there However, senior AAP leader president Amarinder Singh was testifi ed this before the Nanavati What message do they want to not changed in all these years,” said he was absolved by an in- was no charge by the Akalis Harvinder Singh Phoolka said “rubbing salt on the wounds” Commission. This is like rub- convey? He would give tickets to Phoolka said. quiry commission of any in- themselves for all these years,” even police records show that of riot victims by saying that he bing salt on the wounds of riot people like himself,” said Phool- The AAP also alleged that the volvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh he said. Nath was present with the mob had asked for Nath to be made in victims.” ka, referring to the upcoming as- central government led by the riots. Asked about the perception at Gurdwara Rakabganj at the charge of the state party unit. Asked why the AAP was com- sembly elections in Punjab. Bharatiya Janata Party was po- “The Nanavati Commission in being developed by the Aam time of the riots. “Amarinder Singh is saying menting on the internal mat- He said the Congress must im- liticising the 1984 riots by reo- its report which is also available Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Phoolka is a senior lawyer who that Nath was not involved in the ter of another political party, mediately revoke the appointment. pening 75 cases related to it. Modi urges BJP workers not to be arrogant

IANS law and order situation in the Allahabad state has not deteriorated. “If the law and order situa- tion of the state is good then he rime Minister Narendra should fi ght next assembly elec- Modi yesterday put forth tions in 2017 over it. Let there Pseven “mantras” before be a referendum over it. We are Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and ready for it. If a referendum takes workers, asking them to adopt place, it will be a setback for the these in their dealings and cau- Samajwadi Party,” Jaitley said. tioned them not to be arrogant. Earlier, the BJP passed a po- Addressing party activists at litical resolution and launched a the BJP National Executive here, scathing attack on the Congress. Modi also said slogans alone are “Popular message from this not enough and the party must round of elections is that they A man rides his bicycle past a poster of the movie Udta Punjab in Mumbai yesterday. focus on how the country would reject not only the Congress but be strengthened. the brand of politics associated “Sense of service, balance, with it. Congress Mukt Bharat patience, co-ordination, posi- (Congress-free India) for us is tive attitude, sensitivity and di- not merely about defeating Con- alogue were the seven points the gress everywhere, although that prime minister asked party lead- will be the primary objective of ers and workers to follow,” Fi- our party. It also means ridding nance Minister Arun Jaitley told country of the Congress brand of Court overrules CBFC, reporters here. In his concluding politics - corruption, nepotism, remarks the prime minister also politics of inheritance and blue remembered the contribution of blood, arrogance and non-ac- millions of party workers. countability, politics of obstruc- “It was their sacrifi ce and we tionism and vote banks, etc,” the are lucky to get its benefi t,” he resolution said. said, adding: “Today we are in “For the BJP every election clears Udta Punjab power at the Centre and also rul- from panchayat to parliament ing many states. So we should is an important one to expand Stop acting like censoring the movie to avoid Filmmakers accuse the cen- Pahlaj Nihalani to sanitise art Several Bollywood actors and never be arrogant. We need to be its electoral and ideological in- ‘grandmother,’ judge tells embarrassing the state govern- sors of intolerance. and popular culture. directors praised the court’s de- useful for the society.” fl uence. The party is gearing up censor board ment. The high court said fi lmmak- “I’m deeply stressed as a cision. Modi also said that each part for the next round of assembly Yesterday, the court ordered ers should be allowed to choose fi lmmaker, and I know I’m not “Landmark judgement by of his body and every moment of elections due early next year Agencies the board to clear the fi lm with the backdrop for movies, rul- alone. The censorship crisis, the honourable Bombay High his life were devoted to the cause with renewed energy and vigour Mumbai just one cut. ing that the CBFC’s “exercise the moral policing, the politics Court on #UdtaPunjab. Great of the nation. that it has derived from the re- It is due for release on Friday. of power should not violate the of it has most of us on edge,” victory for the filmmakers,” The prime minister said the cent electoral successes as well “The CBFC should issue a constitutional guarantee of free- producer Karan Johar wrote Madhur Bhandarkar, a film- National Democratic Alliance as the successes achieved by the he Bombay High Court fresh certifi cate within two days dom of speech and expression.” in a column for news chan- maker himself, wrote on Twit- (NDA) government has had “two Modi government in the last two yesterday told India’s with the cut suggested by this It overruled the board’s de- nel NDTV’s website before the ter. successful years” in offi ce, making years,” the resolution added. Tfi lm censor board not to court,” Justice C S Dharma- mand that the words “election, court’s ruling. “Thank U Judiciary for giv- policy paralysis a thing of the past. The party spoke about its vic- act “like a grandmother” as it dhikari said, ruling that a scene MP, parliament, and party” Nihalani, who produced fi lms ing back the makers of Indian “It’s a historical period for all of tory in Assam and growth in the overturned a controversial de- showing a character relieving should be cut and said a scene in the 1990s, made a campaign Cinema their right to express,” us,” Jaitley quoted Modi as saying. “Coromandel Coast spanning mand by the notoriously strict himself should be removed. where a character injects him- video that backed Narendra tweeted fi lmmaker and dis- He said the BJP’s two-day from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu body for 13 cuts to a fi lm depict- “Do not act like a grand- self with drugs could be shown. Modi’s successful bid in 2014 to senting CBFC board member National Executive convention and Kerala.” ing drug addiction. mother. Change as per the References to a dog called become prime minister. Ashoke Pandit. in Allahabad, which concluded “We secured a good vote share The makers of Udta Punjab, a times now. The CBFC need not “Jackie Chain” will also be al- He was later named chair- Opposition parties such as yesterday, was held when the in the states like Kerala, Tamil Bollywood movie set in Punjab, be over-sensitive in the mat- lowed to remain. man of India’s censor board af- the Congress and the Aam Aad- party was doing “really well.” Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telan- went to the court after the Cen- ter of art. The CBFC cannot The court ordered that the ter several members quit citing mi Party have accused the Modi Among other things, the gana, Odisha and West Bengal. tral Board of Film Certifi cation stop creative people abruptly fi lm be issued an A - or adult - government interference. government of obstructing the BJP discussed how it would However the number of Lok (CBFC) demanded 13 cuts and as it may discourage them,” the certifi cate for screening imme- “I’m terribly pleased and fi lm to divert attention from strengthen its presence in states Sabha seats that the party has said all mention of the northern judge added. diately. relieved with the verdict,” what Congress vice president where it was not doing well ear- won in these states was very state should be removed, in- India’s censors have a long In a rare display of unity, Bol- the fi lm’s director Abhishek Rahul Gandhi called Punjab’s lier, Jaitley said. small,” it said, adding the BJP has cluding from the title. history of barring movies and lywood had rallied behind Udta Chaubey told reporters outside “crippling drug problem.” Jaitley also ridiculed the started working on strengthen- Punjab is due to hold assem- cutting scenes, including those Punjab co-producer Anurag court, adding that he hoped it Udta Punjab stars Kareena claims of Uttar Pradesh Chief ing its organisational network in bly elections in 2017 and crit- deemed too racy or capable of Kashyap and the fi lm’s cast to would force the board to change Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Shahid Minister Akhilesh Yadav that the this region. ics alleged that the CBFC was causing religious off ence. protest attempts by censor chief its approach. Kapoor. Student goes undercover Pranab calls for joint to expose child labour fi ght against terror IANS three-nation tour that will also Accra, Ghana take him to Cote D’Ivoire and Agencies Joshi said the children were fence offi cer, Rajkot, said: “The Namibia as part of India’s out- Ahmedabad working from 8am to 6pm and entire credit to this rescue oper- reach to Africa to consolidate not allowed to go outside the ation goes to Jharna who should resident Pranab Mukherjee ties with the continent. work area. be honoured. It takes immense has expressed grief over the Mukherjee’s message to the business student who “Many were even made to courage to undertake such a cov- PUS mass shooting that left Ghanaian leadership was also went undercover to ex- work in high temperature ar- ert operation.” 50 people dead and has empha- on similar lines as he expressed Apose child labour at a fac- eas like furnaces. Even in such Millions of children in India sised on the need to co-ordinate solidarity with the African peo- tory promised yesterday to keep scorching summer, they were work in factories, mines and global eff orts to fight terrorism. ple wherever they are hit by ter- up the fi ght after her eff orts led not given cold water to drink,” other areas, according to aid Mukherjee, who is on a three- rorism. to the rescue of more than 100 she said. agencies and government data. nation African tour said here he As a victim of the “global men- children. When her appeals to lo- The law bans those under 14 was “shocked and deeply sad- ace” for the past three decades, Jharna Joshi, 22, was visiting cal child protection authori- from working in hazardous jobs, dened” at the killings at a gay bar India believed that terrorism relatives in Gujarat when she ties went unheeded, she wrote but activists say it is not properly in Orlando, Florida. knew no religion and no ideol- noticed large numbers of chil- to the state’s Chief Minister implemented. “This event is yet another ogy, Mukherjee said at a banquet dren going to work at a ceramics Anandiben Patel and travelled to Joshi said she was attacked grim reminder that the world hosted in his honour by President factory. the capital Gandhinagar to lobby as she went to the police sta- must come together to address, John Dramani Mahama. She asked local people about state government offi cials. tion to record her statement by comprehensively and urgently, Mukherjee applauded Ghana’s the issue but could not con- Earlier this month govern- two men who pulled her off her the scourge of terrorism, its role in promoting co-operation firm the workers were under- ment offi cers raided the factory scooter. perpetrators and also those who among the African nations and age, so decided to apply for a and rescued 111 child workers, But she vowed to continue the support or harbour them,” the with India, as Mahama had un- management trainee job at the most of them girls. fi ght, saying she knew of more president said. derlined during the India-Africa factory. “We have initiated a process to factories in the area that em- “India condemns terrorism in Forum last year. “In the factory I accessed verify children’s age group. This ployed under-age workers. all its forms and manifestations. The Indian president congrat- records of these workers and was the biggest rescue operation “I will continue to fi ght un- We believe that there can be no ulated the Ghanaian leadership found that the majority of them so far in Saurashtra,’’ said M C til the ceramic unit owners are justifi cation for such senseless for moving the country to the were below 18 years of age. Some Karia, deputy labour commis- behind bars. They used to make acts of violence.” low-middle income group and were even below 14 years which sioner, Rajkot region. children work in such sub-hu- Business student Jharna Joshi poses in the village of Charadava Mukherjee arrived here on becoming one of the major Afri- is illegal,” she said. Kanaksinh Jhala, social de- man conditions,” she said. some 170km from Ahmedabad. Sunday on the fi rst leg of his can economies. Gulf Times 22 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 LATIN AMERICA 93 prisoners being held for ‘political reasons’ in Cuba

AFP latter’s historic visit to Havana sation that compiles an annual reasons or charged and sentenced by hijacking boats or planes. years, for Raibel Pacheco Santos Human Rights Watch do not Havana in March, reacted with an angry list of what it calls political pris- in politically motivated trials.” “Those prisoners were sen- and Jose Ortega Amador, con- republish its list, saying they denial. oners on the communist island. He says 51 of them are “pris- tenced for crimes against the victed in 2014 of “planning anti- would fi rst have to be able to “After this meeting is over, It is the only group that at- oners of conscience” and 31 held state, which is a political crime,” government actions.” send their own representatives t was one of the most awk- you can give me a list of political tempts to keep such a list in a for crimes against the state. Sanchez responded. Others on the list include to Cuba to verify it. The last au- ward moments of a press prisoners, and if we have those country where trials are held be- Another 11 are on parole af- The paroled inmates, mean- former diplomat Miguel Alva- thorised international visit to Iconference that was full of political prisoners, they will hind closed doors, the lawyers are ter being convicted during the while, have a “sword of Damo- rez, sentenced to 25 years in 2012 Cuban prisons was in 1988. them: when an American jour- all be released before the night all paid by the government and so-called Black Spring, a wave of cles” hanging over their heads in what is believed to be an es- “When Amnesty Internation- nalist asked Cuban President ends,” he said. sentences are rarely made public. crackdowns on dissidents in 2003. and can be put back behind bars pionage case, and ex-spy Claro al does not recognise prisoners Raul Castro about the fate of po- Elizardo Sanchez would have Sanchez himself has spent The government and state anytime, he said. Fernando Alonso Hernandez, of conscience, it is not because litical prisoners on the island. loved to have been there at that eight years in prison across three media, however, question why The crimes of the 51 “prison- sentenced to 30 years in 1996 for there aren’t any...it is simply Castro, who had only reluc- moment to hand over his list. separate sentences imposed for the list includes people who are ers of conscience” include taking revealing state secrets. that we don’t have the means to tantly agreed to face unscripted Sanchez heads the Cuban Hu- his political activities, he says. out on parole, as well as prison- part in banned protests, public The CCDH is respected, but verify all the information,” said questions alongside US Presi- man Rights Committee (CCDH), His list currently names 93 ers convicted for espionage, ter- disorder and civil disobedience. international rights groups such Louise Tillotson of the group’s dent Barack Obama as part of the a banned-but-tolerated organi- prisoners being held for “political rorism or trying to fl ee the island The longest sentences are 15 as Amnesty International and Americas offi ce. Fujimoris pose major challenge for Peru’s new president

AFP that, if Keiko lost, he would seek Lima the presidency in 2021 - then didn’t bother to vote at all. Kuczynski, best known by eiko Fujimori may have his initials PPK, “governs from lost Peru’s presidential the executive and Keiko governs Kelection, but her party’s from Congress. There is not one majority in Congress and her government, there are two gov- brother’s political ambitions ernments,” said former lawmak- guarantee years of governing er and Alberto Fujimori spokes- drama for winner Pedro Pablo man Carlos Raff o. Kuczynski. “For the country to move Kuczynski defeated Fujimori ahead,” Kuczynski’s “inescap- by such a razor-thin margin in able responsibility” is to reach the June 5 run-off that she con- agreements with the opposition, ceded defeat only fi ve days after he said. the vote. “In practice, Kuczynski’s gov- And when she did, Fujimori - ernment will be in the hands the daughter of an ex-president of Keiko.” Congressman Car- jailed for corruption and rights los Bruce, from the president- abuses - was fl anked by most elect’s Peruvians for Change Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes (left) meets Venezuela opposition leader Henrique Capriles in Asuncion. of the 73 legislators of her party party, said the country needs “a elected to Peru’s single-chamber cohabitation agreement.” Congress. “If we don’t, the pendulum will swing towards the left” in “In practice, Kuczynski’s the 2021 election, he said. government will be in the However, Keiko Fujimori’s hands of Keiko” strength in Congress may not be as solid as it seems. “It will not Venezuela lootings, food Only 18 members of Kuczyn- be the cohesive bloc that it was” ski’s party were elected to the in the past fi ve years under out- 130-seat body. Kuczynski, 77, going President Ollanta Humala, and Keiko Fujimori, 41, are both said political analyst Carlos Ba- centre-right politicians. sombrio. Both are also still dealing This is the second time Keiko with the legacy of Keiko’s fa- Fujimori lost a presidential protests leave three dead ther, Alberto Fujimori, Peru’s election - she was defeated by controversial authoritarian Humala in 2011 - and her party Agencies All three suff ered gunshot More than 10 incidents of support for his side in its bid with Paraguayan President Ho- president in power from 1990 leadership may be challenged. Caracas wounds during chaotic scenes looting are occurring daily, ac- to remove President Maduro racio Cartes. to 2000. There are two factions among outside supermarkets, which cording to the Venezuelan Ob- from office. Capriles was scheduled to Kuczynski was able to tap the “Fujimoristas”: a group have become a fl ashpoint for servatory of Violence, a local Henrique Capriles, a senior meet with Argentina’s Presi- into that anti-Fujimori feeling seeking to create a moderate he recent wave of loot- violence and looting amid scar- monitoring group. fi gure in the opposition MUD dent Mauricio Macri and Bra- and received key support from party that engages in deal mak- ings and food riots in cities of basics across the South Venezuela’s political opposi- coalition, was in Paraguay and zil’s Foreign Minister Jose Serra Veronika Mendoza, 35, a leftist ing, led by Keiko, and a populist, Tcrisis-hit Venezuela has American Opec member coun- tion is pursuing a recall referen- planned to move on to Argen- on later steps in his tour. lawmaker who came in third in hard-lined wing closer to the left three people dead in the last try, according to local rights dum in an eff ort to remove the tina and Brazil. The MUD blames Maduro for the fi rst round of voting. policies of Alberto Fujimori led week, authorities and a rights group Provea. socialist Maduro from offi ce. “Venezuela is a marvelous a severe economic crisis in Ven- The political wild card in the by Kenji. group said. A policeman has been arrest- Maduro, 53, won election to country but we need help from ezuela. coming years is Keiko Fujimori’s Kenji Fujimori never acknowl- The state prosecutor’s offi ce ed over the Tachira death. succeed Hugo Chavez in 2013. all of our brothers in the region Center-right leader Capriles younger brother Kenji Fujimori, edged his father’s guilt, and is investigating the deaths of a With basics such as fl our The government accuses its for the constitution to be re- lost his bid for the presidency in 36, the ex-president’s favourite would likely release him if elect- 21-year-old man in eastern Su- and rice running short, crowds opponents of deliberately stir- spected,” he told reporters. the 2013 election against Madu- child. ed president. cre state on Saturday, another chanting “We want food!” are ring up trouble and seeking a He called on the South Amer- ro. “The situation in Venezuela Kenji Fujimori was elected His 2021 ambitions are clear 21-year-old man in the Caracas thronging supermarkets daily, coup. ican regional blocs Unasur and is not a matter for indiff erence,” to Congress with half a million evidence “of an internal crisis” slum of Petare on Thursday, presenting a major problem for Meanwhile, a top Venezue- Mercosur to back his side’s he said. “It can aff ect what hap- votes, more than any other law- among the Fujimori supporters, and a 42-year-old woman in the struggling leftist govern- lan opposition leader yester- constitutional eff orts to remove pens in Paraguay and in all the maker. said newly-elected leftist law- the western state of Tachira last ment of President Nicolas Ma- day launched a tour of Latin Maduro via a recall referendum. countries in the region. Do not He said before the run-off maker Marisa Glave. Monday. duro. American countries to rally Capriles spoke after meeting abandon us.”

Morales hospitalised Govt, Farc to join hands Teacher union leader in fi ght against coca crop in Mexico arrested Reuters panies supplying the teachers’ Mexico City union to charge an illegal 3.5 % Tribune News Service Farc’s chief negotiator, Ivan Colombia is the world’s larg- commission on sales, money Havana Marquez, called the pilot project est cocaine producer, and about its leaders then used for per- “transcendental” and “new.” 60,000 families are thought to exico’s government sonal ends and to fund demon- The pilot project will be make their living off the trade. yesterday said it had strations by its members. he Colombian govern- near El Orejon, a community Daaz said 120,000 to 150,000 Marrested the leader of Between 2013 and 2015, more ment and the country’s where the army and guerrillas people depend economically on a dissident teachers’ union for than 24mn pesos ($1.29mn) Tlargest guerrilla group have been working together for coca. But most are subsistence alleged corruption, redoubling were acquired by Nunez as part have agreed to introduce a crop- months removing land mines. farmers who are open to alterna- eff orts to impose its authority of the scheme, he added. substitution programme aimed tives, he said. on an education reform that The CNTE was defi ant fol- at weaning tens of thousands of “Introduce me to a farmer “Introduce me to a farmer has sparked months of protests lowing Nunez’s arrest. farmers from coca - the raw in- who has gotten rich who has gotten rich growing in the country. “We’re not going to give up gredient of cocaine. growing coca and it will be coca and it will be the fi rst one Deputy attorney general our fi ght,” Section 22 member The Andean nation has spent the fi rst one I’ve ever met” I’ve ever met,” he said. Gilberto Higuera told a news Juan Garcia told a crowd of more than two decades and hun- The Farc has long been ac- conference that Ruben Nunez, supporters in Oaxaca’s capital, dreds of millions of dollars on al- Eduardo Diaz, Colombia’s cused of using the drug trade to head one of the most combat- Oaxaca City. ternative development and crop top anti-drug offi cial, said the fi nance its war. As part of the ive factions of the CNTE union, Organising marches and substitution programmes, but mine-removal project laid the peace talks, the group agreed to had been held on suspicion of protests that have frequently remains the world’s top cocaine groundwork for the government be part of the solution in eradi- receiving money of illicit origin caused chaos in the Mexican producer. and the guerrillas to work to- cating the trade, but details have through the organisation. capital, the CNTE has spear- This, however, is the fi rst time gether on the drug issue. been scarce. “This is another step in the headed eff orts to resist the that the Revolutionary Armed Asked what made this eff ort Marquez blamed past ad- process of full application of education reform, in particular Forces of Colombia, known as diff erent from those that have ministrations for treating coca the law, and respect for the rule its mandate to carry out evalu- the Farc, will be partners in the failed in the past, Daaz said this farmers like criminals. “Their of law,” said Javier Trevino, ations of teachers. process. time the pilot project would be solution was repression, jail and deputy minister of education. Critics argue many teach- The deal comes as govern- in the heart of Colombia’s coca the criminal use” of aerial eradi- Nunez is secretary general ers in the poorer south lack the ment and guerrilla negotiators country. cation, he said. “We ask the in- of the CNTE’s Section 22 in fi nancial support to meet re- have been meeting in Havana for Almost 70% of the areas most ternational community to help the southern state of Oaxaca, a quired standards. more than three years in hopes of aff ected by coca-growing have as much as possible. Bolivia’s President Evo Morales speaks on a phone at Los longstanding hotbed of resist- President Enrique Pena Ni- reaching a peace deal that would never had access to alternative- “That way they can add their Olivos Hospital, Cochabamba, after a surgery on his left ance to government eff orts to eto has staked his name on the allow them to end Latin Ameri- development projects, he said. valuable grain of sand in help- knee caused by an injury during a soccer game with the reform the education system. reform, describing it as the ca’s longest-running and most “This is the beginning of the ing make this anti-drug policy a presidential team. According to Higuera, Sec- most important for Mexico’s violent civil confl ict. end of this tragedy,” he said. success.” tion 22 made a deal with com- future. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Clerics issue Pakistan, Afghan soldiers clash at Khyber Pass border

Reuters fatwa against Torkham, Pakistan

akistani and Afghan sol- diers clashed overnight at Pthe main border crossing at the end of the Khyber Pass, offi cials said yesterday, with honour killings at least one killed and several wounded, further straining re- Reuters wards an age of barbarism,” the Last month, a 16-year-old girl lations between the militancy- Lahore council said in its fatwa issued accused of helping a young cou- plagued neighbours. on Sunday, a rare edict on the ple elope was killed and her body One Afghan soldier was killed problem in the Muslim majority set on fi re, in a case that again and six were wounded, an Af- group of Pakistani cler- country of 190mn people. brought the into the national ghan offi cial said. ics has issued a fatwa, or “Burning women alive for spotlight. The Pakistani army said one Areligious ruling, declaring marrying by their choice is Last year, more than 500 men of its soldiers was wounded “honour killing” over perceived against the teachings of Islam.” and women were murdered in in the fi ghting at the Torkham damage to a family’s reputation The council is affi liated with such, according to the Human Gate crossing in the mountain- against the teaching of Islam, the Barelvi sect of Sunni Islam, Rights Commission of Pakistan. ous region of northwestern Pa- and anyone who carries out such the largest sect in Pakistan, and The toll this year, as of Mon- kistan and eastern Afghanistan. an attack a heretic. it holds signifi cant infl uence in day, was 233, the group said. Both countries blamed each Hundreds of Pakistanis, the Punjab province, where half of Most suspects in honour kill- other for starting the fi ghting, vast majority women and girls, Pakistanis live. ings are never prosecuted. which broke out at roughly 9pm are murdered every year by The religious council called local time on Sunday and relatives after being accused of “Burning women alive for on the government to amend continued into the night. damaging a family’s honour. marrying by their choice laws that allow family members “We currently have agreed Afghan border policemen take their positions after overnight clashes with Pakistani forces on the Most cases involve young is against the teachings of to “forgive” perpetrators in kill- on a ceasefi re with #Pakistan. border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in eastern Nangarhar province yesterday. women trying to chose partners Islam” ings over honour, which means We hope this problem will end against a family’s wishes. charges are often dropped. through the work by diplomatic tal. responded to Afghan fi ring ef- build a fence on sections of the The ruling by the Sunni It- “Considering any killing in In February, Prime Minister addresses,” the Afghan govern- Pakistan denies supporting fectively.” roughly 2,200-km long fron- tehad Council, which includes the name of honour to be justi- Nawaz Sharif praised an Oscar- ment’s chief executive, Abdul- militants and said it was con- Ayub Hussainkhil, border tier, rejecting the contours of more than 100 prominent cler- fi ed is heresy,” the council said in winning Pakistani fi lm on hon- lah Abdullah, said on Twitter. structing a border gate near police commander in eastern the boundary. ics, comes after a string of par- a press release. our killings, raising hope among “The current fi ght Pakistan Torkham, a Pakistani town Afghanistan, said the fi ghting Last month, Pakistan build a ticularly shocking killings in- Last Friday, a father in the activists that long-pending leg- started doesn’t help anyone’s close to the frontier, to prevent at the Torkham Gate stopped at border post between Pakistan’s cluding the burning to death by a eastern city of Lahore, the capi- islation on the issue would be interest.” militants crossing from Af- t 5am yesterday. South Waziristan and Afghani- mother of a 16 year-old girl who tal of Punjab, killed his daughter passed. Relations between the neigh- ghanistan into Pakistan. “We have received reinforce- stan’s Paktika province and eloped with a young man. and her husband because he dis- However, no progress has bours have been strained in re- “In order to check movement ment and are ready to defend handed it over to Afghan offi - “It seems were are moving to- approved of their marriage. been made. cent months. of terrorists through Torkham, our country until the last drop cials. Kabul has accused Pakistan Pakistan is constructing a gate of blood in our bodies,” he said. Hours later, Afghan authori- of harbouring militants seeking on its own side of the border as The Pakistan-Afghanistan ties shut the post, saying that to topple the Afghan govern- a necessity to check unwanted border has long remained po- the actual border lay about a ment, including the notorious and illegal movement,” Paki- rous and disputed. kilometre inside Pakistani ter- Haqqani network, blamed for stan’s army said in a statement. Afghanistan has blocked re- ritory. Will not ask Pakistan and India high-profi le attacks in the capi- “Pakistani security forces peated attempts by Pakistan to US for F16 jets to become SCO anymore: Pak members this month US plans $5bn in Afghan Agencies Internews ed in Tashkent summit. Islamabad Islamabad Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has designated Presi- dent Mamnoon Hussain to funding until 2020 akistan has closed the akistan and India will represent the country in the chapter of seeking F16 become members of signifi cant summit being held Pfi ghter jets from the US Pthe prestigious Shang- on 23rd of this month and that Reuters for the Afghan government, planned on slowly reducing fi - includes about 320,000 mem- and will now opt for Jordan- hai Cooperation Organisa- would continue for two days. Kabul which is struggling to con- nancial support for Afghanistan bers of the security forces, Dav- owned F16 jets, an offi cial said tion (SCO) in the last week of Adviser to the Prime Min- tain a resurgent Taliban in- as international troops with- is said. yesterday. this month at the outset of its ister on Foreign Aff airs Sartaj surgency. drew. Among the factors that coali- Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaud- 16th summit where 10 heads of Aziz will accompany the presi- he United States is ask- “There is strong agreement, “Obviously, conditions have tion commanders are consider- hry, briefi ng the Senate Standing states are likely to turn up for dent in the sojourn. ing its allies helping with certainly from the chiefs of de- changed since decisions were ing as they recommend funding Committee on Defence and For- attending it. India earlier indicated that Tsecurity in Afghanistan fence, that the support for Af- made back in 2012 and 2014,” and troop levels are the high eign Policy, said the US seemed to It will be held in Uz- it would be represented by to maintain funding for Afghan ghanistan...needs to continue,” Davis said. rates of Afghan casualties, their be satisfi ed with Pakistan’s deci- bekistan’s capital Tashkent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi forces at a cost of nearly $5bn a Major General Skip Davis told Under the current funding struggles in training new troops sion. Choudhry said that one of Diplomatic observers term the but New Delhi is changing its year until at least 2020, a top US reporters in Kabul. structure, the United States and replacing damaged equip- the reasons for strained relations SCO as the ‘Nato’ of the East. mind. military commander said “I think there is much more provides a little more than ment, and the continuing “fra- with the US were Pakistan’s close China, Russia, Kazakhstan, India will announce leader yesterday. consensus on the fact that $3.5bn a year. gility” of the national govern- ties with China. Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan are of its delegation this week. The plan extends the inter- stemming extremism here, in Other countries contrib- ment, Davis said. “Pakistan cannot co-operate the founder member of the or- The SCO Council of Foreign national fi nancial commitment the region, is a direct contribu- ute another $900mn to $1bn, “Last year was a big signal with the US on some issues,” ganization that came into being Ministers has also approved for the foreseeable future at tion to security in the home- while the Afghan government that the Afghan army and police he said. “One of these issues is as SCO 15 years ago in the Chi- the proposal about new en- a time when Western leaders land. There’s a willingness to do pays more than $400mn, a need some more time,” he said. its sovereignty.” He added that nese commercial city Shanghai. trants. have been hoping to reduce Af- what it takes.” share Davis said was expected “They are resilient, they strained relations with the US Uzbekistan became its The respective protocols ghanistan’s reliance on foreign Eff orts by Western nations to grow. fought well and they took on were nothing new for Pakistan. member as a result of fi rst ex- were signed in Tashkent after military aid. to extract themselves from the Commanders say that gener- leadership, but at the same Condemning the US policy of the pansion and since then no oth- consultations with the repre- Military commanders are war in Afghanistan have been al level of funding is expected to time, they had some signifi - war on terror he said, the US “has er country has been enrolled as sentatives of Pakistan and In- making the pitch for contin- frustrated by high levels of vio- continue for at least four years. cant challenges and the Tali- spent 16 years fi ghting the war on a full member. dia last month. ued funding ahead of a Nato lence. The funding is based on ban proved much more resilient terror. If only it had given six years The membership of Pakistan The SCO summit will be summit in Warsaw in early When they gathered at a maintaining a goal of 352,000 than we expected and less likely to the peace process, things would and India was approved in July held in Tashkent on June 23- July, where the alliance’s similar summit in 2012, Nato Afghan soldiers and police. to come to the table for recon- have been diff erent.” last year and it would be grant- 24. leaders will discuss support members and other nations had The offi cial roster currently ciliation.” Facing fewer checkpoints, Taliban make road trips more risky

Spike in road attacks linked smaller checkpoints. soldiers move back to their bases,” The Taliban have not claimed to new military strategy; In late May, the Taliban also he said. “It is very diffi cult for us to all recent road attacks, and a Off icial says policy to remove named a new leader, although it provide 24 hour patrolling.” spokesman was not immediately some checkpoints may be is not clear if they have changed Security offi cials said the Tali- available to comment. reviewed; Nato stands by tactics to go after softer targets. ban’s ploy may be to expose the Insurgents are not the only strategy, saying it is hurting Defence ministry spokes- government’s weakness outside ones profi ting from lawlessness, Taliban; Militants, criminals man Mohamed Radmanish said major urban centres. according to bus driver Moham- blamed for road killings, measures were being taken to “By kidnapping passengers, ed Shir, who travels between Ka- kidnappings make travel safer. the Taliban are trying to provoke bul and Mazar-i-Sharif, another The vast majority of Afghan people against the government, northern city. Reuters individuals and businesses have showing that it can’t provide “There are always Taliban Kabul to use roads, because fl ights are security,” said Mohamed Qasim stopping cars and searching,” either unavailable or unaff ord- Jangalbagh, police chief of Kun- he said. “Sometimes they are able to them. duz, where security forces have thieves and only want your be- series of kidnappings and “Kidnapping of innocent peo- rescued at least 140 hostages longings. Such incidents hap- murders on Afghanistan’s ple, which is a new tactic by the kidnapped in May. pen more often from evening till Ahighways has some offi - Taliban, is a concern for us,” said Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman dawn when there are no govern- cials and travellers questioning Radmanish. “We have increased for the Afghan interior minis- ment security forces.” the Nato-backed strategy that the number of patrols and bases try, said the government was The number of bus passengers reduced security check posts on major highways during the re-examining its highway se- has dropped sharply, and those protecting roads in order to free day time.” curity strategy in light of recent who can aff ord it are opting for up police and soldiers to go after The move to staff fewer check- attacks. air travel, said Mohamed Zaka- the Taliban. points was aimed at reducing “We have decided to increase ria, who runs a bus company in Since the end of May, more casualties among security forces the number of checkpoints on Mazar-i-Sharif. than 200 people have been re- as well as bolstering off ensive major highways and also in- Those who cannot go by air ported kidnapped and at least 21 operations, and the coalition An Afghan policeman keeps watch at a check post on a highway, north of Kabul, on June 11. crease the number of regular increasingly travel only during murdered in northern and east- says it still supports the policy. patrols.” the day. ern Afghanistan. “The reduction of checkpoints the government is reviewing the “The Taliban are everywhere 50 kidnapped in road attacks on Asked why road attacks had Off -duty members of the se- Roads have long been dan- has actually allowed the Afghan policy, said one senior Afghan and take hostages whenever they Wednesday, lies astride the vital increased markedly, he replied: curity forces are frequently tar- gerous in the war-torn country, Security Forces to respond more military offi cial, who spoke on want to,” said bus driver Nas- highway from Kabul to Kanda- “The Taliban had high expec- geted by militants. as the Taliban insurgency and quickly to enemy activity and condition of anonymity. rullah, who travels between the har in the south. tations when they started their When Sher Baz, a police of- other Islamist militant groups move from a defensive mind- Cleveland said he was opti- capital Kabul and Kunduz in the Soldiers still try to patrol the spring off ensive, but since then fi cer based in Ghazni, travels to expanded their reach. set to one that’s more off ensive mistic Afghan security forces north and uses one name. route during the day, but with Afghan forces have hit them Kabul to see his family, he often But the spike in abductions in nature,” coalition spokes- would be able to better secure “Some passengers are so many checkpoints closed they hard, and killed hundreds of hides his identifi cation card to and killings, widely blamed on man Brigadier General Charles transportation routes. afraid (that they) keep talking to only provide a temporary pres- their commanders and shadow avoid being targeted should he the Taliban, comes a few months Cleveland said in a statement. Bus drivers and passengers family members on the phone, ence, said Hanif Rezaee, spokes- governors. be stopped. after the Nato-led international The road attacks against ci- described a growing sense of sometimes the whole journey.” man for the army in Ghazni. “Now the Taliban want re- “It is a very diffi cult journey, mission encouraged Afghan vilians, however, have taken Af- fear, despite government eff orts Ghazni province, where 12 “There are still small check- venge or to compensate (by at- but I have to make it because security forces to close many ghan offi cials by surprise, and to stop the attacks. people were killed and nearly points, but at the end of the day, the tacking) innocent people.” there is no direct fl ight,” he said. Gulf Times 24 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 PHILIPPINES

Two held over drug Canadian government traffi cking

Manila Times Davao City

probes death of hostage espite several drug-related deaths recently follow- AFP “While Canadian officials demand of 300mn pesos was Abu Sayyaf is a loose network nappings-for-ransom rather many Abu Sayyaf leaders. Ding the declaration of war Ottawa are working closely with au- not paid.In the Philippines, of militants that was founded than waging a religious war. But the Abu Sayyaf went on against illegal drugs in the country thorities in the Philippines to authorities would not confirm in the early 1990s with money Abu Sayyaf gangs have a sustained kidnapping spree by incoming President Rodrigo formally confirm Mr Hall’s Hall had been killed. from Osama bin Laden’s Al earned many millions of dol- after the Americans left. Duterte, police arrested two men he Canadian government death, we have compelling “No formal report has Qaeda network. lars from kidnapping foreign- The Abu Sayyaf has abduct- who sold shabu to undercover has “compelling reason reason to believe that reports reached me. I cannot con- It is regarded as one of the ers and Filipinos since the ed 44 Filipinos and foreigners agents just outside the City Hall. Tto believe” that one of to this effect are, unfortunate- firm that,” regional military most radical offshoots of a early 1990s. since last year in at least 16 Police arrested Dexter Dumalat, its citizens kidnapped by mili- ly, true,” Trudeau said. spokesman Major Filemon Tan separatist insurgency in the Aquino vowed after separate incidents, according 18, and Oliver Alonzo, 32, after tants in the southern Philip- “The vicious and brutal ac- said. south of the mainly Catholic Ridsdel’s death that security to Pacific Strategies and As- handing methamphetamine hy- pines nearly nine months ago tions of the hostage-takers President Benigno Aquino Philippines that has claimed forces would “neutralise” the sessments, a regional risk as- drochloride (shabu) to the agents has been killed, Prime Minister have led to a needless death. cancelled a public engagement more than 100,000 lives since Abu Sayyaf, but a fresh of- sessment organisation. during a sting operation and re- Justin Trudeau said yesterday. Canada holds the terrorist yesterday to receive updates the 1970s. The Abu Sayyaf fensive involving thousands The Abu Sayyaf was report- covered the marked money used in “It is with deep sadness that I group who took him hostage about the hostages, but no is believed to have just a few of troops apparently had little ed to have earned hundreds the buy-bust operation yesterday. have reason to believe that a Ca- fully responsible for this cold- facts about their fate had yet hundred armed followers but impact.The Abu Sayyaf has for of thousands of dollars for The transaction was made just nadian citizen, Robert Hall, held blooded and senseless mur- been verified, his spokesman authorities regard it is as one years withstood repeated mili- the kidnapping and release of within the vicinity of Duterte’s hostage in the Philippines since der.” said in a statement. of the most dangerous terror- tary offensives against it, sur- 18 Indonesian and Malaysian offi ce. But in Surallah town in September 21, 2015, has been Hall was among four people The fates of the two other ist groups in the Philippines. viving by using the mountain- sailors in recent months. South Cotabato, drug users have killed by his captors,” Trudeau abducted in September last people abducted at the Samal Its leaders have in recent ous, jungle terrain and support One of the Abu Sayyaf’s voluntarily surrendered to the said in a statement. year from aboard yachts at a resort -- Hall’s Filipina girl- years declared allegiance to of local communities to its biggest recent windfalls is be- police ahead of Duterte’s formal Members of the notorious tourist resort on Samal island friend Marites Flor and Nor- the Islamic State group that advantage. lieved to have come in 2014 takeover of the presidency. At kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines. wegian resort manager Kjar- holds vast swathes of Iraq and From 2002-2014, the US de- when it claimed to have been least four dozen people, includ- gang had said they would mur- Another Canadian who was tan Sekkingstad -- were not Syria. ployed Special Forces advisers paid more than $5mn for the ing minors, have fl ocked to police der Hall if they did not receive abducted at the same time, known. But security analysts believe to train and provide intelli- release of a German couple ab- stations the past two weeks to 300mn pesos ($6.5mn) ransom John Ridsdel, was beheaded Listed by the United States the leaders are chiefly focused gence to Filipino troops, which ducted from aboard their yacht turn themselves in, and promised by yesterday. in April after a similar ransom as a terrorist organisation, the on getting money from kid- led to the killing or arrest of in the southwest Philippines. to stay away from illegal drugs.

Aquino govt offi cials ‘may Braving the waters to attend school face charges’ for fund misuse

By Neil A Alcober meeting on Friday night at the New World Hotel Manila Times in Makati City (also in Metro Manila). “The money really belongs to the local govern- ment units and knowingly the national govern- utgoing offi cials of the Aquino admin- ment used the money for their own projects, so istration may be charged with technical using somebody else’s money is technical mal- Omalversation over unreleased Internal versation. It’s really in bad faith,” the Batangas Revenue Allotment (IRA) amounting to P800 bn governor explained. Mandanas, however, said the for Local Government Units (LGUs), Batangas late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo could not Governor Hermilando “Dodo” Mandanas said. be held liable for diverting the IRA because the Named as respondents in the case submitted former Cabinet offi cial had agreed that the funds for resolution were Budget Secretary Florencio should be given to the LGUs. Before he was ap- Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Ex- pointed as head of the Department of Interior and ecutive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr, the National Local Government, Robredo had served as long- Treasurer and chiefs of the Bureau of Internal time mayor of Naga City, Camarines Sur. Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC). He was the husband of Vice President-elect According to Mandanas, they were involved in Leni Robredo.“I did not include him (Robredo) in approving the release of the IRA but allegedly the case because this guy had good faith. He re- withheld and misused part of it for national gov- ferred this to the DBM (Department of Budget and ernment programmes, instead of automatically Management),” Mandanas said. The governor fi led releasing the entire amount to the LGUs in ac- a case with the Supreme Court on January 10, 2012 cordance with the law. while the funds were still at P500bn. He said the “But all of them will say they’re just following case has already been submitted for resolution. orders, just like in the case of the Disbursement The High Court, meanwhile, ordered the au- Acceleration Programme (DAP). The Executive tomatic release of IRA as sought by Mandanas Secretary (Ochoa) is included in the case because and former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr you cannot sue the President Benigno Aquino. in 2003, wherein a total of P60bn in allotment He (Ochoa) has agreed with me that it has to backpay had been received by the LGUs. be paid. He knew it because he was a former city Mandanas, former chairman of the House administrator of Quezon City (Metro Manila),” ways and means committee, said the Aquino ad- Mandanas told Manila Times after he spoke with ministration should recognise in 2016 an increase Schoolchildren ride on a makeshift raft to attend the opening of classes at a remote Casili Elementary School in Montalban, Rizal, town mayors during the League of Municipalities of approximately P800bn in IRA for local govern- northeast of Manila yesterday. of the Philippines’ (LMP) executive committee ment units as IRA backpay from 2010 to 2016. Protesters claim harassment by Chinese during fl ag stunt

AFP blocked by two Chinese coast- of its neighbours. Aside from has previously said it recog- Manila guard vessels. the Philippines, other claim- nises the group’s patriotism “Five of us attempted to ants are Vietnam, Malaysia, but has discouraged such trips, swim to the rock to plant the Brunei and Taiwan. owing to safety concerns. ilipino protesters said Philippine flag and the UN Philippine President Benigno The group posted video clips yesterday that Chinese flag but they harassed us,” the Aquino’s administration has and pictures of its latest trip on Fcoastguard ships blocked group’s co-ordinator Vera Joy taken China to a UN-backed its Facebook wall. and sprayed them with water as Ban-eg, said via text message. arbitration tribunal in a bid to One clip showed a group of they sailed to a disputed South “They chased us with their have Beijing’s territorial claims young men and women singing China Sea shoal to plant a Phil- two speed boats and blocked declared illegal. the Philippine national anthem ippine flag for independence our path, sprayed water on us. A ruling is widely expected while they stood on the deck of day. Two of the swimmers how- over the next few weeks, al- a wooden-hulled boat flying China claims most of the ever were able to reach the ring though China does not rec- Philippine and United Nations strategic and resources-rich of the shoal and raised the Phil- ognise the arbitration and has flags. sea and has controlled Scarbor- ippine flag.” reacted angrily to the Philip- A larger, white-hulled vessel ough Shoal, just 230 kilometres The incident comes at a pines’ legal efforts. is seen shadowing the Filipino off the main Philippine island particularly tense time in the Kalayaan Atin Ito has or- vessel from behind. of Luzon, since a 2012 standoff long-running dispute between ganised trips to Philippine- Ban-eg said 15 Filipino with the Philippine Navy. the Philippines and China over claimed or controlled South youths and an American na- The Kalayaan Atin Ito (Free- Scarborough Shoal and other China Sea islands in the past, tional took part in the protest dom This is Ours) group said parts of the sea claimed by sending 47 Filipino youths by sail, but did not identify the 16 of its members arrived near both. boat to Filipino-garrisoned foreigner beyond calling the This undated handout photo taken from the Facebook account of Kalayaan Atin Ito (Kalayaan This Is Ours), the shoal early on Sunday, China insists it has sovereign Thitu Island in the Spratly person a “volunteer”. A Chinese a group of Filipino activists, made available to AFP yesterday shows Filipino activists posing for a photo at Philippine independence day, rights to nearly all of the sea, group in December. embassy spokeswoman in Ma- the bow of their vessel next to a Philippine flag at Scarborough shoal. and their boat was promptly even waters close to the shores The Philippine government nila said it may comment later. Top judge ‘worried’ about future under Duterte govt

By Jomar Canlas Highly placed sources at the top magistrate. Many SC justices coming president has been may- Filipino citizen. Sereno was even medical check-ups. Despite chief justice and that she has 14 Manila Times Supreme Court (SC) told allegedly dislike her for ignoring or for more than two decades. accused by her fellow justices of these issues, Sereno has told more years left in her term of Manila Times over the week- seniority in the High Court. The SC sources pointed out “lawyering” for Poe during oral SC employees that she will fin- office. “We will be together in end that Sereno is suff ering Associate Justice Antonio that Sereno was worried be- arguments on the senator’s resi- ish her term even beyond that the next 14 years,” she told the ustice Maria Lourdes Sereno from stress as President Benigno Carpio, the most senior justice, cause she lost her supposed bet dency and citizenship. of Duterte. crowd. Sereno will mark her is allegedly “worried” about Aquino approaches the end of apparently was overlooked by on Senator Grace Poe–ensuring The sources said the chief During the 115th anniversary fourth year in office on August Jthe security of her job under his term on June 30. Aquino for the top SC post. that she will not be disquali- justice was having “palpita- of the Supreme Court last Fri- 24 and she will be 70 years old, the administration of incoming It was Aquino who had ap- Like Duterte, Carpio is also fi ed from the presidential race tions” and usually absented day, Sereno said in her message the age of retirement, on July 2, President Rodrigo Duterte. pointed Sereno as the country’s from Davao City, where the in- and declare her as natural-born herself from office to have that it will be her fourth year as 2030. Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

UN rights body voices Arrests in Bangladesh concern over killings

By Mizan Rahman crackdown top 8,000 Dhaka AFP wife of a top anti-terror police Dhaka offi cer. N High Commissioner for The offi cer had led several Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al- high-profi le operations against UHussein yesterday expressed angladesh police said the banned group Jamayetul concern over the dramatic rise in yesterday they have ar- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), murder incidents in Bangladesh. Brested more than 8,000 members of which were among “I am very concerned about the dra- people in a nationwide crack- those arrested in the latest sweep. matically increased number of bru- down launched after a wave of tal murders in Bangladesh that target murders targeting minorities “Police have said several freethinkers, liberals, religious minori- and secular activists. suspected militants ties and LGBT activists,” he said. Authorities have come under have been shot dead In a wide-ranging opening speech mounting international pres- in crossfi re. Instead of to the United Nations Human Rights sure to end the attacks in which putting them into trials, Council in Geneva, Hussein sheds nearly 50 people have been these suspected militants a light on ‘preventable calamities’ killed over the last three years, are being eliminated in and worrying trends in human rights many hacked to death with ma- cold blood” around the world, including detailed chetes. concerns about the situation in more Prime Minister Sheikh Hasi- JMB is one of two local groups than 50 countries. na vowed at the weekend to blamed by the government He urged the Bangladesh authori- catch “each and every killer” for most of the recent killings. ties to ensure full respect for human and yesterday police spokes- Authorities reject claims of re- rights in investigating and prosecut- man Kamrul Ahsan said 3,245 sponsibility by the Islamic State ing the perpetrators of recent vicious suspects had been arrested, (IS) group and a South Asian crimes, UN offi cials in Dhaka yester- raising the total to 8,192 since branch of Al Qaeda and say they day said. Friday. have no presence in the country. “I note recent reports of police ar- Opposition parties have ac- Premier Hasina accuses the rests, and I urge that investigating cused the government of using main opposition Bangladesh and prosecuting the perpetrators of the crackdown to suppress po- Nationalist Party (BNP) and its these vicious crimes be made a pri- litical dissent. Islamist party ally, Jamaat-e- ority, with full respect for human Deputy inspector general of Islami, of orchestrating the kill- rights,” said the rights body chief. national police A K M Shahidur ings to destabilise the country. He also urged all government offi - Rahman said most of those ar- A BNP spokesman said police cials and political and religious lead- rested were criminal suspects had detained more than 2,100 of ers to ‘unequivocally’ condemn these with existing warrants against its activists across the country. attacks on freedom, and to do more them, rather than suspected “Police have arrested and to protect aff ected groups. militants. harassed opposition activ- Police standing guard during a nationwide crackdown on militants in Dhaka yesterday. Meanwhile, inspector general of “Only a fraction of the peo- ists and ordinary people in the police A K M Shahidul Hoque said ple who have been arrested are name of the crackdown. Also Last week an elderly Hindu ular, but around 90% of its hardliners who feel they have no the ground is important, win- National Human Rights Commission members of Islamist militant many of our activists have fl ed priest was found nearly de- 160mn-strong population is choice but to join the militants. ning hearts and minds of people chairman Mizanur Rahman had de- groups,” he said. their homes, fearing arrests,” capitated in a rice fi eld, while a Muslim. A previous government crack- is crucial so that more people do plored the ongoing police crackdown The crackdown comes after Rizvi Ahmed said. Christian grocer was hacked to Other victims have included down on government opponents not join militancy,” said Hasan, of on militants without ‘understanding it’. fi ve suspected Islamist mili- “Police have said several sus- death near a church. liberal activists and secular – including a ban on Jamaat – Dhaka’s University of Liberal Arts. Amid allegations that police are tants were shot dead in gunbat- pected militants have been shot IS claimed responsibility for bloggers along with two foreign- following a protracted political National police chief Shahidul harassing innocent people in the tles with police in recent days. dead in crossfi re. Instead of those murders as well as that of ers and two gay rights activists. crisis is widely blamed for push- Hoque defended the crackdown, name of cracking down on militants, It is thought to have been putting them into trials, these a 62-year-old Hindu monastery Mubashar Hasan, an expert on ing many Bangladeshis towards saying only those suspected of several media published NHRC triggered by the murder this suspected militants are being worker on Friday. political Islam, said the crack- extremism. wrongdoing were being picked up. chief’s comment that police are month of Mahmuda Begum, eliminated in cold blood.” Bangladesh is offi cially sec- down risked further alienating “While fi ghting militants on misusing their power. Thapa at convocation Lanka’s investment in disaster risk insurance gives fast payoff

Thomson Reuters Foundation well as paying compensation for had eased the burden on the than a tenth of the 220 families country began only last week Colombo deaths, said Manjula de Silva, government to provide emer- living in the massive landslide and are expected to take another chairman of the insurance trust, gency assistance and long term area in the country’s central two weeks. known as NIFT. recovery eff orts after May’s Arananayake region have been Despite Sri Lanka being hit n April 1, the Sri Lankan “This is the fi rst time a Sri crisis. so far traced. by frequent extreme weather, government paid Lanka government had bought The May disaster left 89 Karunanayake said the insur- this is the fi rst time the coun- O300mn rupees ($2mn) such a cover and the fl ood dis- dead, while 102 are listed as ance payout had made compen- try has bought an insurance as a premium to buy its fi rst aster showed how vital such missing by the Disaster Man- sating families for deaths much policy. Karunanayake said that national natural disaster cover precautions can be,” he said. agement Center (DMC). That easier. as the 2015 budget was being from the country’s National Around the world, insurance authority also calculates that “We are ready, willing and prepared, offi cials assessed that Insurance Trust Fund. is increasingly being looked at 691 houses were destroyed, able, due to the fact that we the annual impact of extreme Just six weeks later, as as an eff ective way to curb the while about 4,900 sustained have insurance,” he said. weather on the economy was drenching rains swamped the blow of more frequent or pow- damage during a week of NIFT head de Silva said that between 450mn and 700mn ru- country and a major land- erful disasters brought on by heavy rain and landslides. the compensation could be as pees ($3mn to $4.8mn). slide ripped through Aranay- climate shifts. Policies ranging But Karunanayake said that high as 2.5mn rupees ($17,000) “In the budget we looked at ake region, in Kegalle district, from regional-level risk pools, the government expects the for individual homes and small the annual impact and I wanted the government made its fi rst involving groups of coun- estimate of houses damaged to businesses, and fatalities would to ensure the risk to the govern- insurance claim, for nearly tries, to single-farmer policies rise to about 128,000. About a be compensated with 100,000 ment was reduced,” he said. $1mn, to provide meals and aimed to helping growers get sixth of those are likely to need rupees ($670). All Sri Lankans who don’t other immediate assistance to going again after a total loss, complete rebuilding, he said. NIFT, a public body under have private insurance cover over 300,000 people hit by the are taking off in regions from “They were under water for the Ministry of Finance, is able against natural disasters are disaster. the Caribbean to sub-Saharan seven days. That is no joke,” he to provide payouts of up to 10bn protected under the policy, Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Soon the cover will also pro- Africa. said. rupees ($68mn) to policyhold- NITF’s de Silva said, adding Thapa at the South Asian University Convocation in New Delhi vide fi nancial help for those In Sri Lanka, Finance Minis- The Sri Lanka Red Cross ers by obtaining reinsurance that the request for the insur- last week. left with damaged or destroyed try Ravi Karunanayake said his warned that the death toll could from global providers. ance policy came from Finance houses and small businesses, as country’s new insurance cover also rise. It estimated that less Damage assessments in the Ministry. Nepal highlands attract thousands in hunt of caterpillar fungus

By Shristi Kafle/Xinhua mobilised in the area to curb any guage, it is called ‘chyau’ mean- In recent years, locals have two teenage daughters support “In the past, there were fewer of Maikot, said, “Around 700 Rukum looting or illegal trading of Yar- ing mushroom, ‘kira’ meaning stopped working in traditional him in running the business. pickers so the availability was locals were mobilised for the sagumba. Last year, 18,000 peo- ‘insect’ or yarsa, and is mostly agriculture, livestock and weav- Once the Yarsa season that high. Nowadays, people don’t construction of the trail and ple had participated in the har- found in Nepal, China, India and ing clothes and nowadays prefer usually runs from mid-May to see it as a simply a piece of Yarsa, more than Rs20mn was invest- n the Pupal valley of upper vesting in the Pupal area alone, Bhutan. Researchers have re- to keep horses and sheep, along July is over, his family migrate they see it as a 1,000 rupee note ed by the locals for the trail’s Rukum, some 700km from which borders the Dolpa dis- cently found that this hybrid is with running seasonal hotels back to Maikot village. which means they are in race to completion.” Ithe Nepalese capital, it was trict although has absolutely no also found in some parts of Paki- targeting the Yarsa season. There was a time when people see who can grab the most fi rst. Locals claim that this new not a normal weekend for those transportation or infrastructure. stan and Afghanistan as well. Surabindra Pun, a local of used to pick 500 and 700 pieces I am worried about the future of trail is an adventurous one, but gathering 4,500m above sea level. Ophiocordyceps sinensis, or, This precious biological re- Maikot and a photojournalist, of Yarsagumba every day. Now, Yarsagumba,” Jit Man Pun, a vet- there are security concerns as As with every year, thousands as it’s more commonly referred source is traded worldwide, es- said, “People want to make fast it has dropped to between 5 and eran trader, said. well. They are hopeful that the of people undertook a treacherous to here, Yarsagumba or Yarsa, is pecially in neighboring China for bucks these days. You can see the 15 per day. High demand but less He buys the caterpillar fun- trail will be used by the foreign two-day journey from many dif- a small, somewhat fragile, mum- medicinal purpose. It is highly- barren fi elds everywhere as they availability has compelled hun- gus from pickers directly in trekkers who travel to neighbor- ferent districts like Rukum, Dolpa, mifi ed body of what is known as valued for its potential to treat don’t want to do hard labour. In- dreds of people to lose interest kilograms and sells them in ing Dolpa and then mountainous Baglung, Myagdi and Dolpa to get the Himalayan bat moth cater- cancer and other diseases related stead they only focus on working in the harvesting of Yarsagumba. bulk to traders in Kathmandu districts like Manang and Mus- to Pupal; trekking uphill, some pillar, which has been taken over to the lungs, kidney and stomach. for two months a year.” Jogamaya Pun, 40, a local of and China’s Tibet. Accord- tang via the Dhorapatan hunting carrying infants to participate by a parasitic fungus. The spe- However, not much extensive Krishna Bahadur Pun, 55, Maikot village who runs a hotel ing to Pun, over-exploitation reserve. in the harvesting of the precious cies is known throughout Hima- scientifi c research has been con- started running a temporary ho- in the Pupal valley said, “When of the highland including in- “If we could arrange home- caterpillar fungus known as Yar- layas as a powerful medicine and ducted on the actual medicinal tel two years ago during the Yarsa I was 15, I used to pick more than creasing numbers of people stay facility, then we could eas- sagumba in the region. in some instances is worth more properties of Yarsagumba, and so season. He runs a small portable 500 Yarsa every day. In return, and grazing animals have led ily introduce our isolated village Laxmi Prasad Pun, president, than its weigh in gold. Its stalk- its restorative potential remains hotel inside a tent in three diff er- my trader used to provide a to the shrinking numbers of and rich culture to the outer Pupal Yarsa Festival 2016, said, like fruiting body can be found in shrouded in folklore and mystery. ent locations, Hampa hill, Dule wage of Rs80. After a few years, Yarsagumba. world,” Magar said. “People will stay in Pupal for dizzying heights of up to 5,000m Communities in the upper Ru- base camp and Pupal valley. its price gradually increased to The newly-explored Yarsa Yarsagumba is the major as- nearly two months to collect above sea level. kum are solely dependent upon “My family has been running Rs2, 5, 25, 50 a piece and so on. trail has been initiated by the lo- set of this region that is traded in the unique hybrid Yarasagum- In actuality, it is a fi nger- the picking and selling of the pre- a hotel targeting the Yarsa pick- The price has gone up but we can cal community of Ranmamaikot the global market, especially in ba, which has become a major shaped caterpillar fungus that cious Yarsagumba for their live- ers. We provide local lunch and hardly fi nd 10 pieces these days.” village development commit- neighboring China, and is worth means of income for thousands sprouts above the soil from 2 to lihood. Though the region has dinner comprising rice, daal and Though the pickers claim that tee, located at upper Rukum, millions of rupees a year. Accord- of people living in this moun- 5cm and is usually golden in col- immense possibility for agricul- sheep curry and a home-made Yarsagumba is hard to fi nd in re- with the 20km trail starting from ing to the Rukum district forest tainous region.” our, soft to the touch and tastes tural production, locals fi nd Yar- drink to the visitors. It is the cent years, traders believe that Maikot, a Magar community and offi ce, it collected revenue for Nearly 100 volunteers and 40 like a milk product. sagumba to be the quickest and only season to make money,” Pun there has been an uptick in har- running to the Pupal valley. 15kg of Yarsagumba last season security personnel have been However in the local lan- easiest way to make money. said, adding that his wife and vesting. Raj Dharma Magar, a local worth Rs15,000 ($150) per kg. Gulf Times 26 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Production Editor: C P Ravindran End the self-defeating

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] cycle of fi scal austerity Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) The more governments cut drove the economy back into impossible for governments to pay energy prices over the last 18 months Fax 44350474 their defi cits, the faster recession. down their debts. has overcome it. The eurozone – the developed Among the biggest drags on growth Expansionary monetary policy – growth slows – and the world’s leading champion of today is fi scal austerity. that is, massive injections of liquidity further out of reach debt- austerity – has yet to come to the The more governments cut their through so-called quantitative easing same realisation, despite glaring defi cits, the faster growth slows – – is clearly not enough, either. reduction targets become evidence. and the further out of reach debt- While QE does serve a purpose In 2012, eurozone leaders signed a reduction targets become. – and remains necessary in Europe GULF TIMES fi scal compact aimed at controlling Thus runs the self-defeating cycle and Japan – it has failed to stimulate By Bill Emmott London public debt – which, in total, of fi scal austerity. private investment and accelerate job amounted to 91.3% of GDP, according To be sure, this is not always how creation and wage growth. to the International Monetary Fund – austerity works. Some direct intervention in wages veryone knows there is no gain by forcing countries to cut spending In the infl ation-plagued 1970s and may help. The UK has implemented an Brazil’s problems without pain. But there can be and raise taxes. 1980s, when investors’ demand for increase in the mandatory minimum pain without gain – a lesson By 2015, the eurozone’s budget infl ation-risk premia pushed up long- wage, and some US states, led by Ethat Western populations have defi cit, as a share of GDP, had fallen by term borrowing costs, larger defi cits California, will soon follow. been learning the hard way since at two-thirds from its peak in 2010. tended to boost long-term interest Japan, which faces stagnant wages, far deeper than early least 2012. rates further, while smaller defi cits despite apparent labour shortages, With years of fiscal austerity in In today’s world, reduced them. may stand to benefi t the most from the United States, Europe and Japan It was this experience that this approach. Copa America exit having achieved nothing, it is time nothing can caused policymakers after 2010 to But, in today’s world, nothing can for governments to start spending assume that reducing government substitute for fi scal expansion. again. substitute for fi scal demand would help to boost private Many countries, particularly Forget about the searing injustice. Try, if you can, to The proposal will be met with investment. (In the eurozone, it in Europe, need to boost public eradicate the memory of one of the worst refereeing outrage from many governments, expansion should be noted, arguments for fi scal investment in infrastructure. More especially, but not exclusively, austerity were also fuelled by mistrust broadly, Europe needs a new Marshall displays ever seen in a major tournament. Germany’s, and will be dismissed Yet gross public debt had actually among governments, with creditor Plan, this time self-fi nanced, rather Yes, the hapless Uruguayan referee, Andres by the many political candidates increased, to 93.2% of GDP. countries demanding that debtors than funded by the Americans, to Cunha, dropped an almighty blunder by allowing who treat sovereign debt, built up by Indeed, while Germany has endure some pain in exchange for kick-start economic growth and boost the incumbents they are seeking to managed to reduce its gross public “gains” like bailouts.) productivity. Raul Ruidiaz’s winning goal for Peru on Sunday depose, as the devil’s work. debt, from 79.7% of GDP in 2012 to But times have changed. There is plenty of scope for a similar night despite a clear handball. The result, and the But beyond ideology and self- 71% last year, debt ratios in France For starters, we are no longer living programme in the US, too. repercussions which will be long, arduous and interest lies a simple and unavoidable and Italy have continued to rise, in an infl ationary era. Such spending could even help get truth: austerity is not working. despite tight fi scal controls (especially On the contrary, Japan and some tax revenues growing, by pushing potentially leave people searching for new jobs Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Italy). Elsewhere in Europe, the eurozone countries face defl ation, employment and wages higher. following Brazil’s shock exit from the Copa America reluctantly acknowledged austerity’s United Kingdom has followed a similar while infl ation in the UK is essentially At a time of low borrowing costs and Centenario, was, however, about more than just a bad failure when he announced on June 1 trajectory, with gross public debt zero. little to no infl ation (or even defl ation), that his government would postpone increasing from 85.3% of GDP in 2012 Only in America is infl ation picking austerity is not the answer. It is time call. a planned increase in the country’s to 89.3% of GDP in 2015. up – and only gently. for policymakers to recognise that It’s a story of the kings of soccer, the fi ve-time world consumption tax. And in the US, the debt ratio rose Moreover, long-term borrowing there is no need for pain that is not champions, the purveyors of o jogo bonito taking a Far from helping to control Japan’s from 102.5% to 105.8% over the same costs are at historic lows, just as they bringing any gain. budget defi cit and huge public debt, period. have been throughout the last fi ve It is time to get fi scal. - Project two-year journey to skid row. It’s a story of a vibrant, the tax hike probably would have The problem, of course, lies years. Syndicate, fascinating, culturally rich country tearing itself apart reduced revenues. in sluggish economic growth, Pursuing austerity in this context in the midst of a debilitating economic and political After all, the previous hike, which undermines wage growth, has resulted in a drag on growth so zBill Emmott is a former editor-in- implemented in April 2014, quickly weakens tax revenues, and makes it severe that not even the halving of chief of The Economist. crisis. A story of fans sick of the incompetence of CBF, the game’s governing body in Brazil, bringing shame to proud people who deserve much better. Sunday’s result was greeted with shrugs back home. On the whole, people have been more interested in domestic action: apathy and disillusionment concerning the national team have seeped in ever since Germany delivered that astonishing 7-1 beating in the World Cup semi-fi nal two years ago. The Selecao, once seen as the team of the people, a vestige of hope for those who live with The Brazilian nothing, had betrayed people, and their a nation, and there is a worrying disconnect glorious football manifesting itself right legacy, certainly now. Many in Brazil question the billions of deserve better dollars spent on staging a World Cup and Olympic Games when millions remain, and continue to live, in abject poverty. The former CBF head, Jose Maria Marin, was indicted with nine others last May in conjunction with the FBI crackdown on FIFA corruption. A few months later his replacement, Marco Polo Del Nero, also received a knock on his door. It is, perhaps, little surprise that Brazil have failed again in a major tournament when men such as these are in charge of leading the team’s recovery, and two years on from that incredible, unforgettable night against Germany, there are scant signs of improvement. The defeat to Peru was just another kick to a team already sprawling on the turf. Abraham Lincoln: few individuals have had less impressive credentials for America’s highest off ice before assuming it than Lincoln, its16th president. On Sunday the Brazil coach, Dunga, looked forlorn on the sidelines. In his second spell as national team manager, his days are surely numbered. Indeed, if it Wanted: Another president Lincoln wasn’t for this summer’s Rio Olympics, his seat would surely already be vacant. The man who lifted the By James Jay Carafano Too little remembered is that willing to press American interests Taiwan Relations Act and meet World Cup in 1994 – in the US incidentally – knows a The Heritage Foundation/TNS Lincoln, who never crossed the seas, from a position of strength. Taiwan’s requirements for military was a fair statesman as well. That starts with a military that is sales to ensure its self-defence. gold medal on home soil is the priority. While he was vehemently anti- equal to the task of protecting the The next president needs a foreign There still remains quality in the ranks – Neymar, here’s no set resume required slavery, in geostrategic terms, it might nation’s global interests - not the policy team that truly works as a Philippe Coutinho, Casemiro, Willian as well as the of presidential hopefuls. have been easier to deal with two anaemic armed forces that President team. Running the world from a Consider Abraham Lincoln. Americas rather than one. Barack Obama will bequeath to the bloated, self-absorbed National injured Oscar – are top-class talents. But despite T Few individuals have Yet he steered a foreign policy next president. Security Council has been a disaster. those bright spots there is a worrying lack of striking had less impressive credentials course that did not widen the war. The next president also has to Outsourcing the job to squabbling for America’s highest offi ce before America could certainly use a demonstrate rock-solid solidarity secretaries of defence and state talent from the country that produced names like Pele, assuming it than America’s 16th president today just as determined with allies that matter. There are doesn’t work either. Romario and Ronaldo, just to name a few. president. and skilled at foreign policy. nations that share America’s vision What’s needed in not just a team of Change at the top needs to be made, and fast, though Yet when it came to matters of international community. They talents, but a talented team - one that of foreign policy and defence, no The next president see mutual security not just in terms works together in trust and confi dence. the timing couldn’t be worse. The Brazilian people, president since has demonstrated of common interests, but in terms of Presidential leadership is and their glorious football legacy, certainly deserve more remarkable leadership. needs a foreign common eff ort. They believe in shared combination of skills, knowledge and better. From a military perspective, no burdens, shared commitments and attributes - ones not simply defi ned confl ict is more treacherous and policy team that truly shared solidarity. by past duties and accomplishments. unforgiving than a war that rips a The next president could start out As Lincoln proved, there are nation in two. works as a team by signalling determined leadership. measures of leadership that blossom To Advertise Lincoln had virtually no preparation This means showing, in each part of under adversity. the kind of struggle experienced By any objective measure, US the world, that the US is determined We in the US may never have [email protected] during the Civil War. interests are more at risk in the three to protect its interests and won’t show another leader of his calibre, but Display In his brief volunteer service in the key regions of the world - Europe, the reluctance to act. for the sake of our security, let’s Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Black Hawk War, his most notable Middle East and Asia - than when the For example: hope someone comes close - and achievement was getting his horse last president took offi ce. zIn Europe, the next administration soon. Classified stolen. He ignominiously walked home. In all three of these regions, could announce its determination America’s future depends on it. Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Yet as Elliot A Cohen detailed in America’s best interests require a to return to the four brigades we had his 2002 book, Supreme Command, larger measure of peace and stability permanently stationed there before zJames Jay Carafano is vice president Subscription Lincoln during the Civil War - one that minimises the potential for Obama took offi ce. of the Davis Institute for National [email protected] persevered through terrible defeats, future large-scale regional confl icts zIn the Middle East, it could signal Security and Foreign Policy and the E pressed tirelessly for a winning or the proliferation of transnational that the Iran deal, as it stands, is W Richardson Fellow at The Heritage strategy and demanded that his Islamist terrorism. unacceptable. Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved commanders work for nothing less In Europe, the Middle East and Asia, zIn Asia, it could move to honour NE, Washington, DC, 20002; Website: than total victory. what is needed is a president who is our national obligations under the www.heritage.org Gulf Times Tuesday, June 14, 2016 27 COMMENT Pulses and millets are new stars

Feeding an estimated 9bn of several developing regions of the sector become more involved? And world. where can research help? people with nutritious Over the past few months, at a At this juncture, a convergence food by the year 2050 number of conferences supported between the academic world and the during the International Year of real world is the need of the hour. remains a major challenge Pulses, the point has been brought It is imperative to harness the power for agricultural research home time and time again. of both scientifi c and farmer-based In Canada, pulses were once a crop knowledge in order to develop the with low production and relatively right crops, tools, techniques and By Kevin Tiessen minimal research attention. expertise for smallholder farmers and IANS No longer. their communities. Advances in agricultural sciences Many smallholder farmers already and a vibrant international market have extensive knowledge of crop nce relegated to the status have turned the Canadian pulse sector production as they have vast inherited of “orphan crops”, pulses into a major world player. knowledge. and millets are currently Pulses are staple foods in many In many cases they simply need a Oa subject of tremendous regions of the world. boost to supplement their ongoing interest among the global community. They diversify income and food eff orts - this could include access Pulse crops, millets and a host of sources for the poor in developing to aff ordable technologies, to new other local cereals, vegetables and countries - they are rich in techniques that have been proven in fruits are of vital importance to the micronutrients and serve as the key similar circumstances, or to markets world’s poor. source of protein that is far more and information. It is no surprise, therefore, that aff ordable than animal protein. Regrettably, there remains little development agencies working in the Many pulse crops grow well in dry plant research targeted to pulse crops area of agriculture - like mine - have conditions and can provide a hedge in many Asian countries. moved beyond the traditional “stars” against the negative eff ects of climate This often results in farmers having of food research - grains such as change, a major concern in India and diffi culty fi nding good quality seed, wheat, rice, and corn - and expanded throughout South Asia. coping with crop diseases and dealing the scope of its research around Pulses therefore have a relatively with numerous challenges to maintain agriculture to include pulses and low “water footprint”. Despite the productivity. millets. clear benefi ts of pulses, production The multi-pronged strategy to Remarkable progress has been made remains stagnant. deal with this would need investment in decreasing the proportion of poor In some countries, including in research and on-the-ground and hungry people globally over the the ones where the population is solutions. past decade. growing fastest, and where pulses One of the most critical needs is However, feeding an estimated 9bn are consumed in the greatest to fi nd the fastest and most eff ective people with safe and nutritious food quantities, pulse production is ways of taking research products to by the year 2050 remains a signifi cant actually declining. scale. challenge for agricultural research, India has been the largest producer The challenge is great, but the development, and policies - especially of pulses in the world. opportunities are enormous. given the obstacles of climate change, However, what is of concern is Most importantly, pulses are no increased demand, and volatile prices. that India’s per hectare yield has not longer orphan crops - they have been To increase the sector’s productivity increased in the past two decades. adopted by the global community and gradual transition towards This is a key challenge for the pulse and it will not be long before results economically viable small and sector. appear. medium-scale farming, particularly What is preventing farmers, in South Asia and Africa, there is a Food security is achieved, in and play a key role in the fi ght against agricultural growth because most of especially small-holders growing zKevin Tiessen is a senior programme great need to develop and scale up part, through focused and practical poverty. the world’s poor live in rural areas. crops on one-two hectares of land, specialist at the Asia offi ce of the innovations specifi cally suited for the research. According to the World Bank, This means that millets, including from expanding production? What International Development Research nearly 800mn small-scale farming There is clear evidence that science agricultural growth is twice as pulses, cannot be overlooked as will it take to see voluntary uptake Centre – IDRC. families globally. and research can increase food supply eff ective at reducing poverty as non- these are part of the traditional diet of these crops? How can the private He can be reached at [email protected]) Letters Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY Key role The terror It’s extremely challenging to Another possible solution is to High: 41 C identify the real ideology behind these send the SMS to an alternative mobile Low : 32 C for schools phenomenon “acts of terrorism” and to locate the number which the customer uses Strong wind and high seas forces that really gain from them. every day. I hope both the regulator Dear Sir, Dear Sir, and service providers will look into Ramachandran Nair this problem to help customers. WEDNESDAY Schools play an important role in Sunday’s mass killing at a Florida (Address supplied) High: 41 C inculcating environmental awareness nightclub in the United States has KN Low: 30 C among students. Students are often come as a huge shock (“50 killed in (Full name and e-mail address Cloudy urged to make posters proclaiming Florida nightclub shooting”, Gulf Mobile data plan supplied) environmental slogans, collect plastic Times, June 13). excess usage items and are taught the right way to The incident once again proves that THURSDAY dispose of waste. Stickers about saving terrorism is spreading its tentacles far High: 39 C electricity and water can be seen on and wide, targeting innocent people, Dear Sir, Please send us Low: 32 C the walls of almost all schools. despite the worldwide campaign Sunny But what are the practical steps these against it. I had subscribed to a 5GB mobile your letters schools taking? Words are fi ne but they Terrorism, it seems, has become data plan, postpaid for QR50. But should be translated into action. entrenched in our society and we have when I received the bill from the By e-mail Fishermen’s forecast I would like to call upon all schools no idea where it will rear its ugly head service provider the other day, the [email protected] OFFSHORE DOHA to adopt eff ective measures to preserve next time. amount shown was much higher than Fax 44350474 Wind: NW 20-30 KT our environment by recycling many of Investigation agencies have QR50. On enquiry with them, I was Waves: 7-10 Feet Or Post the items used by their students and failed in their measures to prevent informed that my usage had exceeded INSHORE DOHA Letters to the Editor Wind: NW 10-18 KT administration. such incidents despite their loud 5GB. The excess charge is fair under Waves: 2-4 Feet Old and dated textbooks may be declarations that they have identifi ed the situation, I admit. But the service Gulf Times collected from students at the end of the masterminds behind them. The provider should have alerted me when P O Box 2888 Around the region each academic year. Along with the fact is that actions that follow many the 5GB usage was exceeded. Also, it Doha, Qatar Weather Weather books, all used papers may also be terror attacks lose their steam soon, should be noted that some customers today Max/min tomorrow Max/min collected from school offi ces and even without any noticeable improvement don’t have the facility to check SMS Abu Dhabi Cloudy 36/26 Sunny 38/27 from parents. in the security system. every day on the device having the All letters, which are subject Baghdad Sunny 42/24 Sunny 44/27 Schools may also contact a paper Since the latest shooting happened mobile data plan, hence even when to editing, should have the Dubai Sunny 37/27 Sunny 39/29 Kuwait City Cloudy factory in Qatar for its help. There are on the American soil, it gets wider such messages are sent to them, they Cloudy 44/29 46/29 name of the writer, address Manama Cloudy 37/31 Cloudy 37/31 a few paper units that collect used attention and media coverage than are often missed. and phone number. The Muscat Sunny 38/32 Sunny 37/32 papers from schools and recycle them many other incidents happening So I request the service provider writer’s name and address Riyadh Sunny 41/26 Sunny 42/26 to make new paper rolls. elsewhere in the world. But such focus to stop the plan when the data limit Tehran Sunny 31/20 Sunny 33/22 lasts for a moment and doesn’t lead is reached and allow the customer to may be withheld by request. CV to any major shift in approaches to take an informed decision whether to (Full name and address supplied) contain the terror phenomenon. continue with it. Live issues To avoid confl icts, clearly defi ne your roles

By Marie G McIntyre other’s toes. Therefore, to solve this When Henry launches into one information, which is notoriously Tribune News Service problem, you must fi rst clarify your of his critical commentaries, do inaccurate. So if this is merely responsibilities. not attempt to justify your actions. speculative gossip, don’t repeat it to To accomplish this, you will need Simply state that he’s entitled to his the owner or anyone else. UESTION: One of my to agree with your boss on the scope opinion, but these decisions are yours Second, why does your co-worker’s colleagues seems unable of your position. Start by drafting to make. After that, just go on about promotion seem unjustifi ed? If she to separate my duties a detailed job description with your business and ignore any further met the qualifi cations and proper Around the world remarks. Qfrom his own. “Henry” particular focus on the areas of overlap procedures were followed, you might Weather Weather constantly interferes with my with Henry. Describe your duties as have diffi culty proving that ulterior today Max/min tomorrow Max/min work and makes critical comments you think they should be and then motives were involved. And if this is Athens Sunny 28/21 Sunny 32/22 about the way I do my job. When I request your manager’s input. Anonymous note a small business, remember that the Beirut Sunny 32/25 Sunny 31/22 off er friendly explanations for my For example: “Henry and I often owner may have personally approved Bangkok S T Storms 34/27 S T Storms 34/27 won’t work Berlin T Storms 22/12 Showers 22/12 decisions, he dismisses them by seem to be working on the same the move. Cairo Sunny 41/27 Sunny 38/21 saying “that’s just your opinion”. things, which can be very confusing. Finally, assuming that the sexual Cape Town Showers 17/13 Rain 17/11 Henry and I work in diff erent To avoid this, I’ve drafted a more Q: I recently learned that my favours are a proven fact and the Colombo T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 30/26 areas but have overlapping detailed description of my role and boss received sexual favours promotion was clearly bogus, do Dhaka T Storms 30/27 S T Storms 32/27 S T Storms T Storms 32/27 responsibilities. Although his would like to get your opinion. I from one of my co-workers. I other colleagues fi nd these events Hong Kong 32/28 Istanbul S T Storms 26/19 P Cloudy 26/19 constant meddling is driving me believe that clearly defi ning my believe this is why she was given disturbing? If so, then a group meeting Jakarta S T Storms 32/25 T Storms 32/25 crazy, I’m not sure how to address responsibilities will help to prevent a promotion. I have considered with the owner would have much Karachi P Cloudy 34/28 Cloudy 35/29 this or with whom. We report to future misunderstandings.” sending an anonymous letter greater impact than an anonymous London T Storms 18/11 T Storms 18/11 the same manager, but I haven’t Having delineated your boundaries, about this to the owner of our note, because those often wind up in Manila P Cloudy 33/25 S T Storms 33/24 Moscow P Cloudy 23/13 P Cloudy 26/18 discussed this issue with him. Any you are now ready to begin managing company. Would that be a good the trash. New Delhi P Cloudy 41/28 I T Storms 38/29 advice? communications with your annoying idea? New York Sunny 28/17 M Sunny 29/19 ANSWER: Many co-worker co-worker. Previously, your “friendly A: In order to answer this zMarie G McIntyre is a workplace Paris S Showers 19/12 T Storms 19/12 squabbles are inaccurately labelled explanations” only served to reinforce question, you must consider coach and the author of Secrets to Sao Paulo M Sunny 19/08 P Cloudy 22/08 Seoul M Sunny 31/20 T Storms 26/19 “personality confl icts” when the real Henry’s intrusive behaviour and several others. First, how did you Winning at Offi ce Politics. Send in Singapore S T Storms 32/26 T Storms 32/27 cause is that roles have been poorly encourage him to continue. So if you come by this knowledge? Unless questions and get free coaching tips at Sydney Sunny 21/09 P Cloudy 20/08 defi ned. If the boundary between jobs want him to change, you will need to you personally witnessed illicit http://www.youroffi cecoach.com, or Tokyo Rain 27/19 Cloudy 27/18 is fuzzy, people inevitably step on each provide a less rewarding response. contact, you are dealing in grapevine follow her on Twitter @offi cecoach Gulf Times 28 Tuesday, June 14, 2016 QATAR Rayyan project ‘to be shining light in Qatar investments’ he main contractor re- a milestone for L&T’s future “We are very impressed cently announced for in stadium investment but with the SC’s way of manag- T Al Rayyan Stadium will be the shining light of the ing the techno-commercial — a proposed host venue for company’s general stadium negotiation process. We will matches through to the quar- investments in Qatar, India be ready to proudly inaugurate ter-finals of the 2022 FIFA and the whole of Asia,” he told the stadium within the time- World Cup Qatar — believes www.sc.qa following the ap- frame for completion,” said the stadium will become a pointment of India’s largest Satish, based in L&T’s head benchmark project for the construction company as the office in Chennai. company. main contractor of the sta- L&T’s Indian engineering “Upon completion in 2019, dium. procurement construction the 40,000-seater Al Rayyan The Ramboll and Pattern- (EPC) project delivery exper- Stadium will be a fine example designed stadium will be tise will be the DNA of the Al for Indian construction com- handed over to the current Rayyan project, according to An artist’s illustration of a match at the under construction Al Rayyan Stadium. pany Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Qatar Stars League champions the official. general stadium investment Al Rayyan Sports Club, with “Our EPC delivery has been our partner Al Balagh.” on time,” recalled Satish. They have a big reference list portantly, we will implement a projects to follow,” said M V 20,000 modular seats from successful in many countries. A high-profile sporting ex- The Indo-Qatari joint ven- from many stadiums used in project-specific labour welfare Satish, L&T whole time direc- the top tier to be dismantled You will find people of about ample of the success of the ture has teamed up with Lon- FIFA competitions.” The L&T of- management plan. The com- tor and senior executive vice and donated to developing 40 nationalities in our global L&T delivery model is their don-based architect KSS and fi cial emphasised the company’s mitment we gave SC from day president (buildings, minerals football nations. staffing. Yet the core of the association in constructing Stuttgart-based structural en- steadfast commitment towards one is that we will never ever and metals). Qatari contractor Al Balagh business is the Indian EPC the erstwhile Al Rayyan sta- gineer Schlaich Bergermann & the SC’s Workers Welfare Stand- cut corners in implementing la- “The Al Rayyan Stadium Trading and Contracting are project delivery expertise, dium which the new one will Partner for design execution. ards during the project delivery. bour standards.” project with the Supreme partnering L&T in a joint ven- and we are very confident that replace. “We were up against “Schlaich Bergermann are glo- “The SC Workers Welfare The Al Rayyan site has Committee for Delivery and ture on the Al Rayyan Stadium we will deliver an amazing Al a tight deadline for the project bal pioneers in wide spanning Standards are aligned to L&T achieved over 1.3mn man hours Legacy (SC) will not only be delivery. Rayyan Stadium along with and are proud we completed it structures like stadium roofs. labour standards. Most im- without lost time incidents. Programme backs solar-powered charging stations in Al Shamal parks

as Laff an Industrial City’s Dhalouf public parks and 34 Gas, Al Khaleej Gas, Dolphin In line with Qatar National Community Outreach shaded areas set up with solar Energy, Pearl GTL and Oryx Vision 2030, RLIC-COP con- RProgramme (RLIC-COP) lights in the Abu Dhalouf and GTL. Qatargas is managing the tributes towards such strategic has extended support to Al Al Ruwais beaches. project on behalf of the RLIC- areas as Environment, Com- Shamal Municipality for install- The solar-powered mobile COP. Qatargas public relations munity Recreation, Health, ing solar-powered charging sta- charging station is called the manager Azzam Abdul Aziz al- Well-being, Education, Safety tions for mobile phones in three “Solar Multi-Function Charging Mannai described the initiative and Security. By further de- public parks of Al Shamal Area. Tree” with each having two light as a commendable step in line veloping these key areas, The project, which also in- poles which can provide eight with the objectives of the Qatar RLIC-COP is able to contribute cludes setting up of shaded ar- hours of continuous lighting. National Vision 2030. towards the long-term sustain- eas with solar-powered lights RLIC-COP offers support to Al Shamal Municipality di- ability of the local community. in two beaches in the area, is sustainable initiatives for the rector Hamad Juma Jassim al- The COP office was estab- part of Al Shamal Municipal- benefit of the local community Mannai said RLIC-COP, as part lished in Al Khor in 2011 to ity’s environment conservation in Al Khor and Northern Areas of its corporate social respon- serve as the focal point for efforts and sustainability de- of Qatar. The initiative was es- sibility strategy, is playing an building closer community re- velopment initiatives. tablished by the seven leading important role in supporting lations through effective two- A total of 10 solar charging energy companies operating in the local community to un- way dialogue and meaningful Qatargas’ public relations manager Azzam Abdul Aziz al-Mannai (right) presents a memento to Al Shamal stations are to be installed in Ras Laffan Industrial City: Qa- dertake sustainable initiatives partnerships that meet com- Municipality director Hamad Juma Jassim al-Mannai. Al Ruwais, Ain Sinan and Abu tar Petroleum, Qatargas, Ras- across various spectrums. munity needs. Katara’s Ramadan workshops, activities unveiled

atara - the Cultural Vil- place their hand print on a panel lage has unveiled its Ram- at Building 13. Kadan workshops that give Besides these workshops, Ka- children a glimpse on how to tara will also entertain its visi- create a lantern using solar kits tors on Garangao night set on the and recyclable materials. 14th of Ramadan by distributing The workshops are part of gifts and giveaways to children Katara’s Ramadan festivities along Katara’s pathways. launched this year dubbed as Katara’s Ramadan events “Human Creation in the Holy will continue throughout the Qur’an.” holy month, including the fi r- It starts with the Shams Gen- ing of the Iftar cannon and the eration (Generation of the Sun) traditional Al Mesahar activi- activity at Building 19 from 8pm ties. Islamic lectures, interac- to 10pm. tive workshops and informative Children who want to create exhibitions will also dominate hand sculpture with wax can the spiritual scene of Ramadan also visit Katara for a chance to at Katara.

Qur’an reading is part of Al Mesahar at Katara - the Cultural Village.

Garangao night at Katara is expected to draw a large number of young visitors. Katara is also hosting a number of interactive workshops. The Iftar cannon will be fired daily at Katara.