BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Coaches vow to fi ght all the way INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2–9, 30, 32 COMMENT 28, 29 REGION 10 BUSINESS 1–8, 11–16 in new QSL Qatar CPI infl ation 18,526.14 10,634.90 45.44 ARAB WORLD 10–13 CLASSIFIED 9–11 -11.98 -78.33 +0.61 INTERNATIONAL 14–27 SPORTS 1–12 edges up in August season -0.06% -0.33% +1.36% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

THURSDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10205 September 8, 2016 Dhul-Hijja 6, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Extension

QATAR | Diplomacy to deadline Foreign Minister in London meetings HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Aff airs on new AC Boris Johnson on the sidelines of Friends of Syria Meeting in London HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attending, along with Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, yesterday. During the meeting, Chad President Idriss Deby and Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera, the celebration of they discussed bilateral relations completing the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, in Al-Fashir in the Sudanese state of North and ways of enhancing them, in Darfur yesterday. addition to the latest developments in the region, the off icial Qatar regulation News Agency (QNA) said. Sheikh Mohamed also met with UK The new deadline to start tomers based on the old pricing system, National Security Adviser Mark applying the standard prescribed so the act of banning those ACs would Lyall Gran. They discussed bilateral specifications for energy-saving ACs lead to losses for both the dealer and the relations and exchanged views on a Sudanese president hails is final, according to the Ministry of consumer,” the MEC explained. host of topics of mutual interest. Economy and Commerce A memorandum was released earlier to the agents and distributors of ACs, urg- BRITAIN | Negotiations gents and distributors of air- ing them to abide by the standard pre- ‘Wait and see’ stand conditioners (ACs) in Qatar have scribed specifi cations for energy-saving Emir’s role in Darfur peace Abeen given time until January 1, air conditioners (window and split), is- on Brexit strategy 2017 to clear their stocks before the pre- sued by the Qatar General Organisation Prime Minister Theresa May QNA scribed specifi cations for energy-saving for Standards & Metrology under the na- yesterday warned Britons there Darfur ACs (window and split) come into eff ect. tional approved standard number (2663) would be no immediate answer to The extension has been granted by the and the Gulf Technical Regulations. how their country would leave the Ministry of Economy and Commerce According to the new criteria, the European Union, rejecting repeated udanese President Omar al- (MEC), in collaboration with Ministry of energy-effi ciency rate should not be demands from opposition leaders. Bashir has hailed the role of Municipality and Environment, Minis- less than 8.5 BTU/hr (EER=8.5 BTU/ The Conservative government has SHH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin try of Energy & Industry, Qatar General Hr) according to the examination’s yet to set out its vision for Brexit Hamad al-Thani in bringing peace to Electricity & Water Corporation (Kah- circumstances (T3 & T1) for all ACs (3 following the referendum vote on the Darfur region, commending the ramaa), and Qatar General Organisation stars at least). June 23, beyond saying it would not eff orts he made to achieve stability for Standards & Metrology. Each manufacturer has to register the start formal exit negotiations with across Sudan. “The new deadline to start applying model of the ACs based on the form ap- Brussels until next year. “We will not The president made the remarks the standard prescribed specifi cations proved by the Qatar General Organisa- take decisions until we are ready,” during a speech yesterday at the cel- for energy-saving ACs is fi nal,” the MEC tion for Standards & Metrology and ob- May told the House of Commons. ebration of completing the imple- announced in a statement yesterday. tain a corresponding certifi cate to prove “We will not reveal our hand mentation of the Doha Document It warned that any violation of these the number of stars for each AC at least prematurely.”Page 19 for Peace in Darfur, which took place specifi cations is a breach of Article No one month before the import date. in Al-Fashir in the Sudanese state of (6) of law No (8) of 2008 regarding the Agents and distributors of ACs are re- FRANCE | Probe North Darfur. Consumer Protection Law, which ‘pro- quired to provide an original testing re- “Sudan’s government and people hibits the sale or display or provide or port from a certifi ed laboratory having Terror link aft er gas highly appreciate the unlimited sup- promote or advertise any fake or cor- the ISO 17025 or accredited certifi cate in cylinders found in car port the State of Qatar has off ered and rupted goods.’ accordance with the IECEE CB Scheme French police were holding a the eff orts it exerted to bring peace The deadline extension has come system, or a certifi cate of correspond- couple with links to a radical group to the Darfur region and in Sudan in within the framework of co-operation ence from an internationally recognised yesterday after gas cylinders were general,” President al-Bashir said, and joint eff orts between the vari- and attested institution proving that the found in a car near Paris’s Notre noting that the Doha Document for ous government agencies, in order to system matches the criteria set forth in Dame cathedral, sources close to the Peace in Darfur was comprehensive ensure the protection of consumers’ the national approved standard number investigation said. The Peugeot 607 and complete. rights and in response to the requests (2663) and the Gulf Technical Regula- was discovered abandoned, with its In his address, the president an- made by the agents and distributors of tions Number (01-BD-142004) headlights flashing, at the weekend nounced the end of the term of the ACs through Qatar Chamber that they Voltages and frequency of the men- in a part of the city which is hugely Darfur Regional Authority and the be given additional time to allow them tioned devices should be “240 Volts” for popular with tourists, the sources beginning of a new phase so as to to clear the goods in their stores, which single phase and “415 Volts” for a three- said. Page 21 complete the peace process, reiter- HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani waving to the crowd on way to have been supplied in accordance with phase, with frequency of “50 Hz” ac- ating his intention to grant general attend celebrations marking the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace the old system. cording to the law of the State of Qatar. amnesty to all armed movements who in Darfur, in Al-Fashir in the Sudanese state of North Darfur yesterday. The request for additional time was An energy-effi ciency metallic or plas- wish to join the peace march. based on the fact that the delivery of tic card should be either attached to the He also declared the end of fi ghting The Chadian president, as chair- of peace talks between the Khartoum energy-saving ACs, in accordance with ACs or glued on the front of the device. completely, vowing to continue the man of the current African Union government and the rebels. the normal procurement procedures, In addition, the card should be approved process of construction and recon- session, stressed the AU’s support for “We declare to all the people of usually takes up to three months from by the Qatar General Organisation for struction until the full achievement peace in Darfur, saying that the Doha Darfur and Sudan.. that we have im- the date of opening the necessary bank Standards & Metrology and should show of peace. Document for Peace in Darfur was the plemented our commitments,” Presi- credits. the number of stars. It is important that Chadian President Idriss Deby said basis of the peace process in the re- dent al-Bashir said in his speech. “In addition, there are many cases the card does not get detached from the the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur gion, calling on all armed movements “Darfur is better today than yes- where dealers have agreements with cus- device under any circumstances. was met with support and backing that to join it as soon as possible. terday. And tomorrow it will be even helped it achieve the current success- Tijani Sese, head of the Darfur better.” es, praising the role of the wise Qatari Regional Authority, announced in Bashir vowed to develop the region. leadership, and especially HH the Emir a speech, the end of war in Darfur. “We will build roads and better Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in “More than 85% of the articles of the education, health, water and elec- Apple unveils new iPhones establishing peace in Darfur. Doha Document for Peace in Dar- tricity facilities... We will also under- He noted that Qatar was able, fur have been implemented on the take reconciliation among all Darfur pple yesterday unveiled two iPhone 7 and larger iPhone 7 Plus, with through follow-up and support, to ground and the remainder will be im- tribes,” Bashir said to supporters’ upgraded versions of its iPhone new camera technology, 50-metre wa- accomplish unprecedented achieve- plemented within a short period,” he cheers. Aand a new waterproof smart- ter resistance and other features, were ments that brought stability to the said. Many in the crowd carried pictures watch, seeking to reignite growth for the highlight of an Apple media event region. Qatar has hosted successive rounds of al-Bashir and the Emir. Page 6 the iconic technology maker. The in San Francisco. Draft law on regulating work of real estate brokers gets Cabinet nod

he Cabinet has given its nod to application of the existing law, accord- In May this year, Gulf Times had re- draft law stipulates that Qatar Gen- istry instead of the MEC, and the estab- ister prepared the draft law to replace a draft law that will regulate the ing to a report by the offi cial Qatar News ported – based on an article in local eral Electricity and Water Corporation lishment of one or more committees at Ministerial Decision No 142 of 2006 Twork of real estate brokers in the Agency (QNA). Arabic daily Al Sharq – that a new law (Kahramaa) is responsible for electricity the MoJ to settle real estate development regulating commercial representation country. The draft law includes provisions on real estate brokerage was on the an- and water connection works in diff er- disputes. offi ces. The matter was referred to the Advi- related to the realty brokerage busi- vil. The report noted that the depart- ent buildings and facilities, and prohibits The committee is to be headed by a The draft law includes provisions on sory Council at the weekly meeting of ness licence and the establishment of a ments concerned had prepared the draft carrying out any of these works without judge who ranks not lower than a presi- the documents that have to be attached the Cabinet, chaired by HE the Prime “committee of real estate brokers’ af- law, comprising a number of articles, to obtaining a licence from the corporation. dent at the Court of First Instance cho- with a licence application, duration of Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser fairs” at the Ministry of Justice, in order regulate the profession, real estate com- Further, the Cabinet endorsed a draft sen by the Supreme Judiciary Council. the licence, cancellation of a licence and bin Khalifa al-Thani at the Emiri Diwan to consider the grievances of stakehold- panies and offi ces. law amending some provisions of Law It will also include, as members, repre- closure of the offi ce and functions of the yesterday. ers regarding decisions of the compe- Also yesterday, the Cabinet approved No 6 of 2014 on organising real estate sentative from the MME, MoJ, MEC and offi ce, among others. The draft law will replace Law No 13 of tent administration for such brokers, a draft law regulating the electricity and development. This was done in the light QCB. The meeting also approved participa- 2011 regulating the real estate brokerage the obligations of brokers, disciplinary water connections and decided to refer of a study conducted by a working group The procedures for consideration of tion in Expo 2020 Dubai the formation business. accountability and revocation of the li- it to the Advisory Council. comprising representatives from the requests, the relevant rules to be fol- of a committee to prepare for the event. This is being done to enhance the cence, the report states. The draft law will replace Law No 4 ministries of Economy & Commerce lowed before the committee and details Further, the Cabinet endorsed draft profession in line with the development Realty brokers have to adjust their of 1997 on the procedures and fees for (MEC), Justice (MoJ) and Municipality of how its decisions are to be imple- air service agreements between the Qa- witnessed by Qatar, contribute to the existing operations in line with the new the connection of electricity and water & Environment (MME), as well as Qatar mented will be issued by a decision of tar government and those of Togo, Paki- development of the country’s real estate law within a maximum of six months supplies, and Law No 29 of 2008 on the Central Bank (QCB). the Council of Ministers. stan and North Korea. market and determine controls to prac- from the date it comes into eff ect. The works of electricity and water supply, in The amendments contained in the The Cabinet also approved a draft de- The Cabinet reviewed a draft regula- tise the profession in a comprehensive deadline can be extended through a res- order to keep abreast of modern devel- draft law include modifying the minis- cision by the Minister of Economy and tion on human resources at the Qatar Fi- manner, in order to deal with the short- olution by the Minister of Justice for a opments in the fi eld. try defi ned in the legislation, wherein Commerce to open commercial repre- nancial Markets Authority and took the comings that have emerged during the similar period or more. According to the QNA report, the the MME becomes the competent min- sentation offi ces in the State. The min- appropriate decision. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, September 8, 2016 QATAR

Farewell for ambassador

HE the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi held a farewell ceremony in honour of Singapore’s outgoing ambassador Wong Kwok Pun. A number diplomats and Foreign Ministry off icials attended the ceremony held at the Diplomatic Club. Qatar stresses importance of protection of civilians

QNA Alya said the security of mankind is a to prevent such terrible crimes, which New York collective responsibility of all member are increasing in more than one re- states, and added that the UN Security gion in the world, and which are likely Council, by virtue of its mandate under to continue unless the international atar has underlined that the the Charter, shoulders a special respon- community was more determined and continuing trend of record high sibility to prevent the terrible crimes consistent to take action to fulfi l its re- Qcivilian casualties, forced dis- and should carry out this responsibil- sponsibility to protect civilians. placement, mass migration and the ity by refraining from the use of veto in She pointed out that the R2P prin- risks of instability in the world makes cases involving egregious crimes. ciple addresses the crimes of geno- the implementation of the principle of She added that the progress that has cide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) an been made in building international crimes against humanity, which are issue of utmost importance. consensus on the principle of the R2P among the most heinous acts that are Qatar’s Permanent Representative to off ers a glimmer of hope for the protec- rejected by the conscience of mankind, the United National Ambassador Alya tion of the lives of millions of people whatever the circumstances. Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani stressed that suff ering from confl icts and grave vio- Tolerating such crimes is contrary the protection of civilians from terrible lations of human rights, the interna- to human nature. Those crimes require crimes is based UN Charter as well as tional humanitarian law and relevant concerted collective eff orts to put an the provisions of the international hu- international conventions. end to them, through the international manitarian law, the international hu- However, Alya noted, what has been commitment to the realisation of this man rights law and international law achieved has not lived up to the expec- principle, and to protect the future of for refugees. tations of the international community humanity.

Gulf Times 6 Thursday, September 8, 2016 QATAR Emir attends Darfur celebrations

QNA Darfur

H the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- HThani yesterday par- ticipated along with Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir in the celebrations of completing the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. The event was held in Al- Fashir in the Sudanese state of North Darfur. It was also attended by Presi- dents Idriss Deby of Chad, and Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic besides members of the offi cial delegation accompanying the Emir and a number of Sudanese HH the Emir attends the Darfur celebrations. HH the Emir tours the exhibition. ministers and senior offi cials, representatives of governments and regional and international government and non-govern- Emir awarded honorary doctorate ment organisations and unions, and a large number of people. The Emir and the presidents of Sudan, Chad and Central Af- rica also visited an exhibition on the sidelines of the celebrations. The dignitaries were briefed about the fi rst phase of Qa- tar’s economic, investment and charity projects in Darfur. The projects includes providing the region’s fi ve states with schools, health centres, as well as con- struction work being carried out by the Sudanese government. They were also updated on the joint projects being carried out between Sudan and Chad in the region. The Emir later attended a HH the Emir being given a ceremonial welcome. luncheon banquet held by the Sudanese president. and Major-General Adul- sage to Bashir, thanking him for of Sudan and the Sudanese peo- A number of offi cials attended Rahman Sadeq al-Mahdi were the good reception. ple further progress. the banquet. present. He also expressed pleasure at Earlier in the day, the Emir and The Emir later departed Su- Qatar’s ambassador to Sudan the success of Qatar and Sudan his accompanying delegation HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in law dan. Rashid Abdul-Rahman al-Nuai- in achieving peace and stability were welcomed upon arrival at El from Neelain University in Sudan, in appreciation of his support for the peace march in Sudan, his role He was seen off by the Suda- mi and Sudan’s ambassador to in Darfur, something that will be Fasher Airport by the Sudanese in combating corruption and strengthening the rule of law, and in recognition of his eff orts in Qatar’s nese president. Qatar Fath al Rahman-Ali were at a boost to sustainable develop- president and other offi cials in- sponsorship of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur that consolidated the foundations of security, Assistants of Sudanese presi- the airport as well. ment. cluding the ambassadors of Qatar stability and peace in the region. Professor Mohamed Elamin Ahmed, the university’s dean and chairman dent Moussa Mohamed Ahmed The Emir sent a written mes- The Emir wished the president and Sudan. of the board of professors, handed the degree to HH the Emir. QNB launches promotion for international transfers NB has launched a new cam- they use its digital banking services. cess from anywhere at any time. paign allowing all customers In addition to regular international QNB digital banking suite includes Qto make international transfers bank transfer processing, QNB part- fl exibility to transfer to any bank ac- anywhere in the world at zero fee when nered with HDFC Bank in India and count worldwide, using instant West- using its Internet and mobile banking Housing Bank in Jordan to facilitate ern Union remittances, scheduling re- channels. faster transfers where funds are cred- curring transfers, pay bills for Ooredoo, The campaign also applies to the fi rst ited to the benefi ciary account on the Kahramaa, Vodafone, QPost and Qatar Western Union transfer done during same day or the next working day. Cool and Top Ups mobiles from Oore- the campaign period. QNB was the first bank to partner doo and Vodafone. The promotion, which runs until with Western Union to provide in- QNB innovative digital channels also October 31, aims to encourage cus- stant electronic remittance service allow customers to deposit cheques tomers to take advantage of the vast in Qatar; where its customers can using QNB mobile application at their number of services as well as the con- initiate instant remittance using its convenience from home or offi ce, and venience off ered by QNB Internet and Internet or mobile banking service recently QNB Internet banking intro- mobile banking. conveniently through QNB electron- duced the feature to redeem customers’ It is also part of the bank’s ongo- ic banking services, which are simple Life rewards instantly to Qatar Airways ing effort to put its customers first as to use, secured and convenient to ac- Privilege Club. Wadi Aba Seleel gets facelift

nfrastructure development works in Wadi Aba Seleel area in the southwest Iof Doha Industrial Area have been com- pleted and roads and other facilities would be formally opened tonight. Ashghal has said the works carried out in the area aimed to convert the place into a sustainable part of Doha city by connect- ing it to the neighbouring areas and the main roads networks. As part of the works, a number of new areas with the necessary infrastructure for commercial and logistics services were de- veloped. The project works included construct- ing safe, permanent roads consisting of two lanes in each direction along 16km to replace the unpaved temporary roads near the Lo- gistics Village. This is in addition to providing complete street lighting in both directions, which will A newly laid road of the Wadi Aba Seleel. be completed by the end of September next year. This is expected to signifi cantly increase the traffi c fl ow in the area and the newly- developed roads could reduce travel time for commuters. The project also included implementing grading works in the newly developed land which earlier suff ered from problems aris- ing from surface and ground water related issues. However, it has been resolved by provid- ing advanced drainage networks and this would eff ectively prevent flooding. Al Jaber Engineering Company imple- mented the project at a cost of QR210mn. The project is part of the Roads and In- tegrated Infrastructure Projects for Local Areas Programme implemented by Ashghal. Proper street lights have been provided in the area.

Gulf Times 8 Thursday, September 8, 2016 QATAR

Greetings to Brazil president

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- Thani, HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah Hazy, dusty conditions bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday sent cables of congratulations to Brazilian President Dr Michel Temer on the anniversary predicted by Met dept of his country’s Independence Day. oha experienced windy and dusty conditions yesterday, leading Bab. Earlier in the day, the weather offi ce said the marine warning for Prime Minister to a drop in visibility. There are, however, no warnings for today strong winds (up to 22 knots) and high waves (up to 7ft) in the northern heads to Turkey D– both in inshore and off shore areas. areas was expected to continue until yesterday evening. Advising people to be careful, the Qatar Met department tweeted Today, the forecast for inshore areas says it will be hazy in some HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister yesterday afternoon that strong northerly winds were being observed places at fi rst, followed by a hot day and slightly dusty conditions. It Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- in several places along with low visibility in open areas due to blow- will also be relatively humid by night. Slight dust, meanwhile, is ex- Thani left Doha yesterday evening heading ing dust. In another tweet, it said strong northerly winds exceeding 20 pected in off shore areas. Turayna recorded the highest temperature to Turkey for a two-day off icial visit. knots were blowing in Abu Samra, Al Ghuwairiyah, Dukhan and Umm in the country yesterday at 43C, followed by 42C in Sheehaniya and Batna. In the capital, the mercury level reached a high of 40C in the Qatar University area. Today, the maximum temperature is expected to be 41C in Doha, Mesaieed and Wakrah. Pictured is the West Bay skyline shrouded in dust. PICTURE: Shaji Kayamku- lam

More building permits issued in August

here was a 67% rise in the total number of building per- mits issued across the country in the month of August Tcompared to the previous month, according to fi gures released by ministry of development planning & statistics yesterday. More than one-third of the total number of building permits issued last month were in places coming under Rayyan mu- nicipality which includes areas of Al Sheehaniya as well. The increase in the number of permits was 127% in Rayyan, Wakrah (38%), Umm Salal (72%), Al Da’ayen (69%) Al Khor (32%) and Al Shamal (8%). According to the latest fi gures, Rayyan accounted for as many as 234 permits in August, which was approximately 38% of the total number of new permits issued in the whole month. Doha (100 permits) was second (16%) and Al Wakrah (91) third with 15%, followed by Al Da’ayen (81 permits) 13%, Al Khor (50, 8%), Umm Salal (43, 7%) and Al Shamal (17, 3%). Another signifi cant fi nding was that residential and non- residential buildings together accounted for 351 (57%) out of the total 616 permits while 237 permits (38%) were issued for eff ecting extensions or modifi cations in the old buildings. The permits for fencing were issued for 5% (28) of the buildings. Among the new residential building permits, 151 (48%) were for villas and dwellings, made of housing loans account- ed for 39% (121 permits) and apartment buildings constituted (11%, 35 permits). In the list of non-residential buildings, commercial build- ings led with 51% (20 permits) while industrial buildings ac- counted for 23% (9 permits) and mosques 15% (6). Other buildings accounted for 8% (3 permits). In July, a total of 369 building permits were issued. Rayyan topped with 103, and Doha had 84. The permits issued in other municipalities were Wakrah (66), Da’ayen (48), Al Khor (38), Umm Salal (25) and Al Shamal (5).

Ooredoo business customers to stop receiving paper bills

oredoo has announced that all businesses in Qatar will stop receiving paper bills from September 30, as part of Oeff orts to reduce the company’s carbon footprint in the country. All Ooredoo business customers will now be moved to the company’s e-Billing systems ‘BillXpress’ or online via My Ooredoo, which off ers customer’s an easy-to-read PDF version of their monthly bill, via email or online, and provides a secure way to view and compare new bills with previous bills. Oore- doo business customers will receive their fi nal paper bill at the end of this month, and as of October 2016 will be able to access their business account information online 24/7 and ‘on-the go’. Business customers can call 800 8000 or their account manager for inquiries and registration.With the fi nal phase of paperless billing coming into eff ect, all business custom- ers who do not register to Ooredoo’s e-Billing methods before September 30 will be able to view their bills only on the My Ooredoo website. The company is urging all customers to register for e-Billing, in order to receive the monthly billing emails, and enjoy an in- stant and secure way to view their usage information. The environment has been a priority for the company for many years, and Ooredoo was one of the fi rst companies in Qa- tar to tackle issues on e-Waste management and recycling.

Mazda pickups recalled

he Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), in col- laboration with the National Car Company, has an- Tnounced the recall of Mazda 6 and Mazda BT 50 pickup 2002-2007 models over a potential defect in the front air bags infl ators. The MEC said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its ongoing eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and re- pairs. The MEC will co-ordinate with the dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works and communicate with customers to ensure that the necessary repairs are carried out. The MEC has urged all customers to report any violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Depart- ment through the following channels: Hotline: 16001, e-mail: [email protected], Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: MEC_ Qatar, MEC mobile app for Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar

Huggies diapers recalled

inistry of Economy and Commerce has announced a recall of Huggies diapers (active sizes 3, 4, 4+ and M5 with the green Huggies logo on pack) 2015/2016 batches over a potential defect in the type of adhesive used causing the diaper to stick to others under high tempera- ture. The recall is in collaboration with Bager Mohebi En- terprises, dealer of Huggies diapers in Qatar. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 9 QATAR UCQ welcomes new batch of students

he University of Cal- gary in Qatar (UCQ) Twelcomed a new batch of future healthcare professionals to its campus in Al Rayyan as the fall se- mester started on August 28. Nearly two-thirds of the incoming students, for UCQ’s gold-standard Bachelor of Nursing (BN) programmes, are Qataris or were born in Qatar. Preparations for the start of the academic year kicked off with UCQ’s new stu- dent orientation, which took place on August 24 and 25.The incoming class met with the faculty and toured UCQ’s state-of- Students at the UCQ campus the-art facilities, including the Learning Commons, a about improving lives and deliver world-class health- UCQ has educated hun- resource hub for students, strengthening patient care care in Qatar. dreds of nurses since 2007 and the Clinical Simula- here in Qatar,” noted Dr De- “We strive to ensure that contributing to the coun- tion Centre, where students borah White, dean and CEO every student is prepared to try’s growing healthcare practice patient care in a of UCQ. excel professionally, as well sector. simulated hospital environ- “In the years to come, our as provide for the well-be- With the addition of the ment. mission as nursing educa- ing of their family and com- BN students, UCQ’s total “Our new students chose tors is to equip these stu- munity.” enrolment is over 500. UCQ’s nursing education dents with the knowledge As Qatar’s sole provid- UCQ also off ers Master of because they are passionate and skills they will need to er of nursing education, Nursing degrees.

Stars of Science eighth season to start

tars of Science, an ini- and cultural value. al awards, showcasing their community to get excited tiative of Qatar Foun- The programme serves knowledge and expertise on about the show. Sdation for Education as a platform to launch the an international scale. Qatar’s very own Season Science and Community careers of talented young Some of the most notable 5 runner up, Mohamed al- Development (QF), will innovators who possess the inventions to emerge from Kuwari, created i7 Goal Line launch its eighth season potential to impact their lo- the series include Vetosis, Technology, an automated with the fi rst episode on cal community by address- a camel racing diagnostic verdict in disputed football MBC4 on September 17 at ing the needs and problems boot devised by 28-year- scoring which combines 10pm. specifi c to the Arab world. old veterinarian Mohamed linear readers with a high- Stars of Science enter- So far, Stars of Science Doumir from Season 5. speed computer vision sys- tains its viewers in Arabic alumni have picked up over Local involvement is an- tem to determine goal veri- reinforcing its educational 50 international and region- other reason for the Qatari fi cation. Gulf Times 10 Thursday, September 8, 2016 REGION/ARAB WORLD Egypt bans statues without offi cial nod

AFP parent portrayal of a man history”. The controversial Cairo sexually harassing a woman. statue of a soldier hugging a “It is forbidden to set up woman from behind in So- or renovate statues, mu- hag’s town of Balyana was gypt banned yester- rals or sculptures in Egypt’s the latest in a series of statues day statues in squares public squares except after that have become a laughing Ethat do not have prior a thorough review by the stock on social media. approval from the authori- ministries of antiquities and Balyana’s town mayor said ties after public outrage over culture,” said Prime Minister the statue was intended to controversial and unattrac- Sherif Ismail. portray a “martyred soldier tive sculptures across the A cabinet offi cial who hugging his mother”. country. asked to remain anonymous “People understood it Authorities ordered a said the decision came after wrong,” Adli Abu Aqeel said, statue in the Sohag province “the repeated setting up in adding its sculptor had been be altered this week after it the country’s squares of bad asked to alter the design to a sparked a wave of anger and statues that do not conform woman on her own holding mockery online over its ap- with Egypt’s deep-rooted up Egypt’s fl ag.

Jordan seizes 13mn captagon pills in ‘record’ haul

Jordan said yesterday it has seized a “record” The interior ministry said three alleged haul of more than 13mn captagon pills, one traff ickers, including a foreigner, were arrested of the most commonly-used drugs among in what it called “the most important seizure of fighters in neighbouring Syria. drug tablets in the kingdom’s history”.

A pilgrim prays at Mount Al-Noor ahead of the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Makkah yesterday. GCC slams Khamenei’s accusations against Saudi

QNA nian leader’s statement that also Muslims together in these blessed Iranian offi cials against Saudi Ara- Riyadh included indecent words and off en- days in the Two Holy Mosques. bia and the GCC states. sive descriptions that should not be He said that the Muslim world is The GCC countries emphasised issued from the heart or the tongue fully aware of the great and tireless that these campaigns, and what he Gulf Co-operation Coun- of any Muslim, as well as a leader of eff orts being exerted by the King- they include of accusations and cil (GCC) has expressed con- an Islamic state. dom of Saudi Arabia’s leadership, allegations, are completely incom- Tdemnation and denunciation GCC Secretary-General Dr government and people to arrange patible with the values and princi- of the statement issued on Tuesday Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani the Haj rites and to facilitate the ples of Islam which promotes com- by the Iranian supreme leader Ali stressed in a statement yesterday hosting of pilgrims and ensure their passion, love and brotherhood, and Khamenei, saying that it included that GCC countries consider Kha- safety. inconsistent with the principles false and disgraceful accusations meini’s statement regarding the The Secretary-General also of good neighbourhood policy and against Saudi Arabia. pilgrimage a public incitement and stressed that the GCC countries do not help to build a constructive The GCC countries expressed at a desperate attempt to politicise reject the unjust media campaign relationship between Islamic coun- the same time surprise at the Ira- this great Islamic ritual that brings and successive statements by senior tries

Rituals of the Haj

Muslims from across the world have gathered These rituals are considered the Umrah, or representing the devil, emulating the actions of in the holy city Makkah in Saudi Arabia for lesser pilgrimage, and come ahead of the Abraham. the annual Haj pilgrimage to take part in the Haj’s main rites, which start on Saturday, when After the first stoning, sheep are following rituals: pilgrims head to Mina, around 5km (three slaughtered and the meat distributed Ihram: Pilgrims wear special outfits, which for miles) east of the Grand Mosque. to needy Muslims, symbolising Prophet men is a two-piece white seamless garment. On Sunday, pilgrims gather on the hill known Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Women wear loose dress, generally white, with as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy) and the Ismael on the order of God, Who provided a only the face and hands exposed. surrounding Mount Arafat plain, 10km southeast lamb in the boy’s place. During this period, pilgrims must abstain from of Mina, where they remain until evening for Men then shave their heads or trim their hair marital relations and quarrels, not use perfumes, prayer and supplication. while women cut a fingertip-length of their locks. and not cut their hair or nails. After sunset, pilgrims leave for Muzdalifah, half- After that they can end their Ihram and change Once in Makkah, pilgrims perform Tawaf, way between Arafat and Mina, where they stay at back to normal clothing. or circumambulation, seven times counter- least until midnight. They then return to the Grand Mosque in clockwise, around the Ka’aba in the centre of the They gather pebbles to perform the symbolic Makkah, circumambulating seven times Grand Mosque. “stoning of the devil”. around the Ka’aba, and again performing Sa’i. Pilgrims then walk seven times between two Monday marks the start of the Eid al-Adha feast, The pilgrims then return to Mina to continue stone spots at the mosque, emulating a search when pilgrims return to Mina for the first of three the stoning ritual for two or three more days. for water by Prophet Ibrahim’s wife Hagar in a daily stoning rites. Finally, they return to the Grand Mosque, ritual known as Sa’i. Traditionally, seven pebbles are thrown at a post circumambulating the Ka’aba seven times.

Tunisia calls for ban on Islamist party

AFP saying that “the govern- Tunis ment knows that its time has come and that heads and hands will be cut.” unisia’s govern- The remarks prompted ment has asked a a stinging rebuke from Tmilitary court to President Beji Caid Es- outlaw the radical Islam- sebsi, who told his na- ist Hizb ut-Tahrir move- tional security council ment, which has been last week that the group’s regularly accused of “un- “arrogance towards the dermining public order” state undermines its au- since its legalisation in thority.” 2012, an offi cial said yes- The Tunisian branch of terday. the pan-Islamic move- “A request to ban was ment appeared in the submitted recently. We 1980s but it remained on are awaiting the decision a list of banned organisa- of the military investiga- tions until after the 2011 tive judge,” the offi cial, overthrow of longtime who spoke on condition strongman Zine El Abi- on anonymity, said. dine Ben Ali. He said a total ban on The party is frequently the party was imminent. accused of causing pub- Hizb ut-Tahrir is known lic disturbances with its for focusing on unifying rallies and had its annual Muslims into a caliphate congress cancelled in June and is already banned in for “security reasons.” several countries. Thousands of Tuni- The party last month sians are thought to have successfully overturned a travelled to Syria and Iraq decision by a civil judge to to fi ght with militants ban it, and has denounced such as the Islamic State what it says is “police har- group, and the country assment” in Tunisia. has witnessed a string of It released an apparent- attacks by extremists in ly infl ammatory statement recent years. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 11 ARAB WORLD Syrians start returning to Jarablus from Turkey

Reuters support for the idea, Ankara has OCHA said in a report last week, Istanbul pressed on with its off ensive to referring to Jarablus which had carve out a swathe of territory a pre-war population of about under the control of the Turkish 27,500 people. group of 292 Syrians went army and its allies, the Free Syri- Further south and west of Syrian refugees walk on their way back to the Syrian city of Jarabulus yesterday at Karkamis crossing gate, in the southern region of Kilis. back to the town of Jara- an Army, allowing some civilians Jarablus, Turkish forces have Ablus from Turkey yes- to return home. continued fi ghting. terday, marking the fi rst formal “The formal returns have be- The military said late on Tues- return of civilians since Ankara gun today,” said a spokesman day that three Turkish soldiers were launched a military incursion at the governor’s offi ce for the killed when two tanks were hit by two weeks ago to try to secure southern Turkish province of rockets fi red by Islamic State. the border region, a Turkish of- Gaziantep, which lies across the Four others were wounded, it Palestinian economy sapped fi cial said. border from Jarablus. said. Jarablus, which had been held He said there were 292 people It said Turkey’s rebel allies had by Islamic State, was the fi rst in the fi rst group of registered taken six more villages, located Syrian town captured by Tur- returnees, including women, in Islamic State-held areas, add- key’s army and its Syrian rebel children and the elderly. ing to dozens of settlements now by Israeli confl ict, says IMF allies in an off ensive launched on More would be allowed to re- under the control of Turkish- Aug. 24 that aims to sweep away turn but only gradually, he added. backed forces. militants and Syrian Kurdish mi- “Turkey has supported us in Turkish President Tayyip Er- AFP diff erent economic models to Bank and blockade on Gaza. In Gaza, the unemployment litias from the frontier. every way until now, and has dogan said in remarks published Jerusalem assess the impact. Israel occupied the West rate is over 40%, with close Turkey has said it cleared mil- now saved our homeland,” said yesterday by the daily Hurriyet “Absent the political un- Bank in 1967 in a move never to two thirds of young people itants from a 90-km (56-mile) Fatima Mahmud, a mother who that US President Barack Obama certainty and restrictions of recognised by the international without jobs. stretch of Syrian territory and was among the group, told the had fl oated an idea of joint action he confl ict with Israel, the past 20 years, real GDP per community. “Political and security un- has pushed south. Turkish newspaper Milliyet. with Turkey to capture Raqqa, the blockade on Gaza and capita would have been signifi - It has also fought three wars certainties weigh heavily on It has also said it would sup- The United Nations has said the Syrian city that is Islamic Tinternal political infi ght- cantly higher in the West Bank in Gaza against Hamas and the prospects for growth,” it port any US initiative to strike an area can only be declared a State’s de facto capital. ing have severely constrained and Gaza,” the report said. other Palestinian groups since said. Islamic State’s stronghold of “safe zone” if the protection of “Obama wants to do some the Palestinian economy, ac- It predicted the Palestinian 2008 and maintains a blockade “Israeli restrictions and Raqqa, further to the southeast. civilians can be guaranteed. things together concerning cording to an International economy would grow by 3.3% on the enclave. continued (Israeli) settlement Turkey, which hosts 3mn Syr- It has previously cautioned Raqqa in particular,” Erdogan Monetary Fund report released in 2016, compared with 3.5% The IMF report painted a expansion impede economic ian refugees, has urged world against encouraging returns too told reporters on his plane that yesterday. last year. gloomy picture of growth pros- activity and exacerbate social powers to back plans for a “safe soon. returned early on Tuesday from a Palestinian gross domestic The fi ndings echo a Tuesday pects, saying unemployment hardships,” it said, adding that zone” in north Syria to stem the “Currently, confl ict lines are summit of G20 leaders in China, product (GDP) per capita would report from the United Nations, reached 26.9% across the Pal- Hamas’s control of Gaza and fl ow of migrants and to allow too insecure for many of the where he met Obama, Russian be between 37% and 130% which found the Palestinian estinian territories by the end divisions between Palestinian Syrians to return home. town’s displaced to return safe- President Vladimir Putin and higher were it not for political economy could double without of June, up 2 percentage points factions were also hindering re- Although it has failed to win ly,” the UN humanitarian agency other leaders. issues, the IMF said, using three Israel’s occupation of the West on the previous year. construction. Gulf Times 12 Thursday, September 8, 2016 ARAB WORLD

Chemical arms watchdog warns over barrel bomb attacks

AFP monitor said, adding most were The Hague civilians. The opposition Aleppo Media Centre said on its Twitter ac- he world’s chemical weap- count that the Sukkari neigh- ons watchdog said yester- bourhood was the target of a Tday it was “disturbed” by chlorine attack. the alleged use of toxic chemicals Observatory head Rami Abdel in Aleppo after dozens of people Rahman was unable to confi rm had to be treated for breathing the claim, but said no one was problems in the Syrian battle- killed in the strikes. front city. A Sukkari resident said a “very “We are disturbed by the re- strong smell” fi lled the neigh- cent allegations of the use of toxic bourhood after it was hit by a chemicals in Aleppo,” said a state- barrel bomb and that he and oth- ment by the director-general of ers had diffi culty breathing. the Hague-based Organisation Both sides in Syria’s complex for the Prohibition of Chemical civil war have traded accusations Weapons, Ahmet Uzumcu. of attacks against civilians and use British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (front row second left), and Chief Negotiator for the Syrian Opposition, Dr Riyad Hijab (front row second right), stand with members of the Syrian High “Such allegations are tak- of unconventional weapons in- Negotiations Committee as they pose for a family photograph during their meeting at The Foreign Off ice in central London yesterday. Syria’s opposition set out detailed plans yesterday for en very seriously. The use of cluding chlorine and mustard gas. the transition to a democratic state without President Bashar al-Assad ahead of talks with ministers of EU, US and regional powers in London. chemical weapons by anyone, Last month, an investiga- anywhere and under any cir- tive panel set up by the UN Se- cumstances is unacceptable,” he curity Council said in a report added in a statement. that President Bashar al-Assad’s More than 70 people were left forces had carried out at least choking on Tuesday after regime two chemical attacks, one in helicopters dropped barrel bombs 2014 and another in 2015. on a rebel-held district of the war- But Syria’s ally Russia said it ravaged city, the Syrian Observa- had “very serious questions” Syria opposition makes tory for Human Rights said. about the report while the Syrian The bombs left people in need envoy to the world body, Bashar of treatment, the British-based Jaafari, rejected the fi ndings. new push for transition Syria govt swaps AFP Russian counterpart Vladimir made similar calls since early in the political transition”. The British diplomat accused London Putin failed on Monday to reach the confl ict. The proposals, and the talks Assad of “barbaric military tac- a deal on the sidelines of a G20 Its proposal came even as hosted by British Foreign Secre- tics” in the ongoing confl ict and meeting in China to stem the armed rebels faced enormous tary Boris Johnson, came as the criticised Russia’s “seemingly prisoners for yria’s opposition yesterday violence. pressure on the ground, par- confl ict raged relentlessly and indefensible conduct” in back- made a fresh call for a tran- Russia and the US are seek- ticularly around Aleppo where on multiple fronts, particularly ing him. Ssition to democracy with- ing to revive a ceasefi re on the regime forces backed by the Rus- around Aleppo. “The entire international out President Bashar al-Assad, ground and co-ordinate strikes sian air force have complete- Yesterday the world’s chemical community is committed, at Russian bodies as Russia and the United States against the Islamic State group ly encircled opposition-held weapons watchdog condemned least in principle, to getting rid agreed to hold a new round of and other militants. neighbourhoods. the alleged use of toxic sub- of the Syrian dictator. Even the talks aimed at ending the war. But with prospects for peace The group’s plans are largely in stances in Aleppo, once Syria’s Russians have accepted that AFP Those being freed had been The proposal by the opposition still more elusive than ever, the line with existing international economic capital, after dozens there must be political transi- Beirut accused of “terrorism”, a term during one-day talks in London broad-based opposition High proposals for a post-war Syria, of people had to be treated for tion,” he wrote. President Bashar al-Assad’s gov- came as the world’s chemical Negotiations Committee (HNC) although unlike a 2015 agreement breathing problems there. “But then the Russians are also ernment uses to describe all of its weapons watchdog yesterday proposed – during talks with its hashed out in Vienna, they are “Such allegations are taken employing their military muscle he Syrian government has armed opponents. said it was “disturbed” by the foreign allies in London – a six- clear about Assad’s future. very seriously. The use of chemi- to prevent him from losing and to begun releasing 169 pris- Chammas, who tracks the alleged use of toxic chemicals in month negotiating phase with A transition, HNC says, cal weapons by anyone, anywhere keep him in power.” Toners in exchange for the cases of his clients from abroad, the battleground city of Aleppo. the regime. “shall require the departure of and under any circumstances is The talks in London were also return of the bodies of fi ve Rus- said the releases would take place Russian Foreign Minister Ser- The opposition hopes the talks Bashar al-Assad and his clique unacceptable,” Ahmet Uzumcu, due to involve foreign minis- sian soldiers killed when their in exchange for the return of “the gei Lavrov and his US counter- would result in an 18-month who committed heinous crimes head of the Hague-based Or- ters from Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, helicopter was downed, a lawyer bodies of fi ve Russian soldiers part John Kerry, whose countries transition that would see Syria against the Syrian people.” ganisation for the Prohibition United Arab Emirates, Italy and said yesterday. that are in rebel hands”. back opposing sides in the Syrian governed by a transitional body The group’s leader Riad Hi- of Chemical Weapons, said in a France, as well as representatives “On Tuesday, 50 inmates Two offi cers and three crew civil war, decided to meet today made up of opposition fi gures, jab, who spoke in London ahead statement. of Germany and the EU. including seven women were were aboard a Russian military and tomorrow in Geneva to try to current government representa- of the talks, insisted that regime More than 70 people were left Kerry was due to take part via set free from Adra prison and helicopter shot down on August hammer out a deal, Moscow said. tives and members of civil soci- leaders who killed Syrians “can- choking on Tuesday after re- video-link. 84 others from Hama prison,” 1 in the northwestern province The two top diplomats agreed ety, according to a 25-page blue- not have a role in the future of gime helicopters dropped barrel The Syrian war, which began as Michel Chammas, who repre- of Idlib, which is almost entirely to a “personal meeting” to work print. Syria and in this transitional bombs on a rebel-held district of a pro-democracy revolt but later sents many of them, told AFP by under the control of a coalition of out an accord on fi ghting mili- The HNC and its predecessors phase at all”. the war-ravaged city, a monitor- morphed into a multi-front con- phone from Germany. Islamists and militants. tants and pushing forward the – weakened by years of confl ict, Hijab, a former Syrian prime ing group said. fl ict after the regime unleashed a “Another 31 inmates at Homs The attack was the single dead- peace process in Syria, a foreign regime advances, the spread of minister who defected to the op- In an article in yesterday’s edi- crackdown, has killed more than prison were also informed that liest for Moscow since it inter- ministry statement said. militants and what some have position in 2012, blamed the fail- tion of The Times, Johnson urged 290,000 people and forced more they are going to be let go but vened in the confl ict in September The agreement came after US branded a disconnect from the ure of previous rounds of peace Russia to cease support for the than half the population to fl ee they still haven’t been released. 2015 in support of Assad, taking to President Barack Obama and his grim reality on the ground – have talks on “a refusal to talk about Syrian president. their homes. Four others held elsewhere 18 the overall number of Russian should also be released,” he said. soldiers killed in the country.

Fighting in Hama displaces 100,000: UN Heavy fighting between regime advance and aiming for the Saudi FM: Syrians can’t accept Assad in power troops and opposition forces airport in Hama, from which has forced around 100,000 regime helicopters fly regular people from their homes in sorties against opposition QNA period, which should be without London on Syria, he said that the that has been reached through special envoy to Yemen. Syria’s central Hama province, fighters. London Assad, stressing that “Geneva 1” situation has not changed, and national dialogue conference, as He pointed out that the king- the United Nations said. Hama province is of vital stra- Declaration called for transfer- Assad’s regime is still practising they have also violated UN Reso- dom has announced three The displaced fled parts of tegic importance to President ring power from Assad before repression of civilians, believing lution 2216, SPA reported. months’ ceasefi re, but Houthis northern rural Hama between Bashar al-Assad, separating audi Arabian Foreign Min- leaving the Syrian territory. that Bashar won’t change his ap- He further said that this war and Saleh had fi red more than 20 August 28 and September 5 opposition forces in Idlib ister Adel al-Jubeir has This came in interviews al-Jubeir proach during the coming period. was a defensive war to protect ballistic missiles towards the ter- towards neighbouring villages province from Damascus to the Sstressed that the Syrian held at the headquarters of Saudi On the situation in Yemen, legitimacy of Yemen and to de- ritory of the kingdom and killed and the provincial capital, the south and the regime’s coastal people cannot accept Bashar al- embassy in London yesterday with a the Foreign Minister said that ter the threat targeting the king- forces stationed on the border. UN Off ice for the Co-ordination heartlands to the west. Assad in the power after killing, number of British and Arab journal- the war was not initiated by the dom’s borders at a time when However, the kingdom has of Humanitarian Aff airs said. Regime forces have struck back displacement and destruction ists and media men and carried by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but Saudi Arabia supported the Yem- committed to the principle of An alliance of rebel and militant against the off ensive, includ- infl icted on their country and Saudi Press Agency SPA. by Houthis and Ali Saleh, who eni negotiations, but the Houthis restraint, and when negotiations forces launched an off ensive ing with a wave of air strikes that the Syrian people will de- On changes in Syrian aff airs seized the legitimate author- and Ali Saleh rejected the pro- failed it has the right to defend its in late August in the province, on opposition-held areas, and cide to start a political transition after the meeting held recently in ity, and violated the agreement posal which put forward by UN borders, al-Jubeir stressed. seizing several areas in a rapid fighting has been ongoing.

Morocco busts ‘terror cell’ planning attacks

AFP of preparation,” the state- Rabat ment said. It added that the cell members were linked to IS orocco said yes- supporters “active in Syria terday it has bro- and Iraq”. Mken up a “terrorist The ministry said the cell” linked to the Islamic three had planned to at- State group that authori- tack “sensitive and crucial ties believe was planning sites” in several cities. attacks in the north of the “The cell’s chief rented a country. safe house near to the city of A statement from Rabat’s Oujda, which was reserved interior ministry said three for lodging and the prepara- suspects had been detained tion and manufacture of re- by police in the northern mote-detonated explosives,” cities of Oujda, Casablanca the statement added. and Fez. A raid on the property The arrests “revealed uncovered chemicals that several dangerous terrorist the ministry said could have projects in advanced stages been used to make bombs. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 13 ARAB WORLD

The wreckage of a train after it derailed near the village of Al-Ayyat in Giza on the southern outskirts of Cairo yesterday. The conductor suddenly hit the breaks when he spotted a problem with the tracks, causing three carriages to overturn. 27 die in Egypt bus and train accidents

AFP Traffi c accidents are common in sions to broken bones, the health min- Cairo Egypt, where many of the country’s istry said. roads are not well-maintained and reg- Egypt’s roads and trains are busier ulations are laxly enforced. before national holidays, such as the Eid t least 22 people were killed in a The train, carrying about 60 pas- festival next week, with people working bus collision and fi ve died when sengers, derailed after leaving Cairo for in Cairo and other major cities visiting Aa train derailed in separate acci- the southern city of Aswan, police and their home towns and villages. dents south of Cairo yesterday during a medical offi cials said. Al-Ayyat was the scene of Egypt’s busy holiday travel time. The conductor hit the brakes when deadliest rail accident in 2002 when a The bus collided with a truck in the he spotted a problem with the tracks, cooking gas cylinder exploded on a train southwestern province of Wedi El-Ge- causing three carriages to overturn near and led to a fi re that killed 361 passen- did, the Egyptian health ministry said. the village of Al-Ayyat, offi cials said. gers. The number of passengers on the bus Twenty-seven passengers were also Trains are often overcrowded in was not immediately clear. hurt, with injuries ranging from abra- Egypt, adding to the safety risks.

Sirte battle

Smoke rises following what witnesses said was an air strike during a battle between Libyan forces allied with the UN-backed government and Islamic State militants in Sirte, Libya, yesterday. Palestinian killed by Israel police was not an attacker

AFP cated police were holding Nimr respon- been in the camp for a separate raid, au- Jerusalem sible for the death of his cousin, Mustafa thorities said. Nimr, 27, who was shot dead by police. Police carry out such raids regularly in An inquiry has also been opened by search of weapons or wanted suspects. Palestinian killed by Israeli police the Israeli justice ministry unit that In June, Israeli troops killed a Pales- this week was not attempting a probes police activity, Samri said. tinian teenager after apparently mistak- Acar-ramming attack on offi cers Israel’s Channel 10 television broad- ing his group for stone-throwers as they as had been initially claimed, police said cast video of the incident that appeared returned from a swim, sparking outrage yesterday. to show shots being fi red after the car and debate about the security forces’ use Police originally said they opened fi re was stopped, with Mustafa Nimr already of fi rearms. on Monday during a car-ramming attack on the ground either wounded or dead. Violence since October has killed 223 targeting offi cers in the Shuafat refugee The two men were returning to the Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, camp in east Jerusalem.One of the men camp after buying pizzas, a witness told one Eritrean and a Sudanese. in the car was killed and the driver was Channel 10 on condition of anonymity. Israeli forces say most of the Palestin- wounded, police said. Haaretz newspaper reported that ians killed were carrying out knife, gun There were no casualties among the Mustafa Nimr’s Jewish girlfriend and his or car-ramming attacks. offi cers. Yesterday, police spokeswoman brother were following them in a second Others were shot dead during protests Luba Samri said they were now inves- vehicle. It said Mustafa Nimr grew up and clashes, while some were killed in Is- tigating the driver of the car, Ali Nimr, in Shuafat but was living in the Tel Aviv raeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. 20, for manslaughter, involuntary man- area at the time with his girlfriend. Israel has faced accusations of exces- slaughter, driving without a licence, Haaretz quoted witnesses as saying sive force in certain cases for allegedly driving under the infl uence of alcohol the car did not endanger police and they shooting dead Palestinian attackers after and reckless endangerment. were racing at the time. they appeared to be subdued and posed The manslaughter investigation indi- The border police who opened fi re had no further threat.

Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians in West Bank

Israeli occupation forces early Hebron, Jenin, Nablus and arrested district of Khan Younis. yesterday arrested 11 Palestinians the citizens claiming they are wanted Palestinian security sources reported from various parts in the West for the occupation authorities. that four D9 military bulldozers and Bank. Meanwhile, several Israeli a digger coming from the Kissufim The Palestinian Prisoner’s Club said military vehicles penetrated military base pushed for a distance in a statement that Israeli soldiers yesterday morning into Al-Qarara of tens of metres and started to raze broke into the West Bank cities of town, in the southern Gaza Strip areas of Palestinian lands. Gulf Times 14 Thursday, September 8, 2016 AFRICA Bongo hits back at EU criticism

AFP revealed a “clear anomaly Paris in the fi nal results in Haut- Ogooue.” In an interview with Europe abon’s Ali Bongo yes- 1 radio, Bongo accused the EU terday rejected criti- observers of “overstepping Gcism of his disputed their mandate” and said he presidential election victory, too was preparing to challenge accusing EU observers of bias some of the results. towards his rival and insist- Bongo is under increasing ing that only the country’s top pressure at home and abroad court could order a recount. after justice minister Seraphin Oil-rich Gabon has been in Moundounga resigned on turmoil since the August 27 Monday demanding a recount poll, in which Bongo’s rival “polling station by polling sta- Jean Ping also claimed victory. tion.” Several people have been Ping’s campaign co-ordina- killed in violence triggered tor Rene Ndemezo Obiang re- by the results, which showed iterated the demand yesterday. Bongo winning a second term by a wafer-thin margin of An EU election observer some 6,000 votes. team reported a clear On Tuesday, an EU elec- anomaly Girls walking on a street in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria. tion observer team reported a “clear anomaly” in voting in In the chaos following the Haut-Ogooue province, Bon- result, opposition demonstra- go’s heartland. tors clashed with police and Offi cial results gave turnout the country’s parliament was in the province at more than torched. 99%, with 95% backing the Ping, 73, has called for a incumbent. general strike but the appeal Reacting to the criticism, seems to have garnered little Bongo, 57, told France’s RTL support. Boko Haram factions radio: “I would also have liked “Mr Ping’s call went un- them to have noted some heeded...it failed,” Bongo de- anomalies in the fi efdom of Mr clared, vowing: “Chaos will Ping. not take hold.” “If we’re raising anomalies, Bongo accused Ping, a we have to be clear, balanced former African Union Com- and raise all the anomalies that mission chairman, of attempt- have been noted.” ing “massive fraud” and said it clash in NE Nigeria The opposition has accused was diffi cult to envisage dia- Bongo of rigging the vote and logue with “people who ask the AFP town of Chibok more than two years ago. by the authorities for alleged links to Boko called for a recount — a call Gabonese to go into the street Kano Shekau has justifi ed the attacks in rant- Haram has been released from custody, the echoed by Manuel Valls, prime to loot and destroy and burn ing video and audio monologues against BBC reported him as saying yesterday. minister of Gabon’s former co- things.” the secular state, those who support it and The military said last month it wanted lonial power France. According to an AFP count, n-fi ghting has broken out in Boko anyone who does not share his radical in- to question Ahmad Salkida for allegedly A defi ant Bongo ruled out the post-election chaos has Haram after the Islamic State group terpretation of Islam. concealing information on the more than any new tally unless the con- claimed at least seven lives. Iannounced a new leader of its Nigerian He pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islam- stitutional court ordered one. Gabonese authorities affi liate, according to reports in the coun- Bakr al-Baghdadi in March last year, ists more than two years ago. “I cannot violate the (elec- have reported three killed try’s remote northeast. changing the group’s name to Islamic Nigerian media reported that he was ar- toral) law,” he insisted. and 105 wounded, with the IS said last month that Abu Musab al- State West Africa Province (ISWAP). rested when he arrived in the capital Abuja “African governments are government saying some Barnawi, the son of Boko Haram’s founder Experts, however, suggest the indis- on a fl ight from the United Arab Emirates often accused of not respect- deaths had previously been Mohamed Yusuf, had replaced Abubakar criminate slaughter of civilians as well on Monday. ing the law. incorrectly attributed to the Shekau at the head of the designated ter- as Shekau’s “dictatorial” style, including But the BBC said he had since sent a For once we’re respecting clashes. rorist organisation. secret killings of dissenting commanders, text message to the broadcaster’s Hausa- the law and we’re being told to Bongo dismissed as “fanci- But Shekau then insisted he was still in have caused a rift. language service saying he was “released circumvent it, it’s strange,” he ful” a claim by Ping’s camp charge of the Islamist group, whose in- Shortly after his nomination, Barnawi in less than 24 hours without any condi- said. that between 50 and 100 have surgency has killed at least 20,000 people made a pointed critique of Shekau’s lead- tions”. Ping has yet to announce died but said that “around since 2009 and forced more than 2.6mn ership, lambasting him for targeting ordi- He also denied being arrested at the whether he will challenge the 100” had been hurt in the vio- from their homes. A woman waits at a polio immunisation nary Muslims. airport, saying he had been given a “pre- election in the constitutional lence. Sources in northeast Nigeria now say centre in Maiduguri. News of the factional clashes have been arranged lift” by the authorities, whom he court. Some 800 people have been there have been deadly skirmishes be- slow to emerge because of the destroyed said misunderstood the role of journalists The deadline for doing so is arrested in recent days in the tween the two factions, even as Nigeria’s Shekau in Zuwa village in nearby Marte telecommunications infrastructure in in reporting the confl ict. 1500 GMT today. capital Libreville, with the military seeks to fi nally rout the rebels in a district, killing an unspecifi ed number, northeast Nigeria, and restricted access. The army, which also denied the arrest, In their analysis, the EU authorities accusing them of sustained counter-off ensive. Kaka said. A civilian vigilante assisting the military said on August 15 it wanted to speak to the election monitors said the looting, while lawyers say they Last Thursday, several fi ghters from “The Barnawi fi ghters told villagers against Boko Haram said there were spo- journalist, after he tweeted about a new number of non-voters and of are being held in “deplorable” Shekau’s camp were said to have been after each attack that they were fi ghting radic clashes between the opposing fi ght- video of the captured schoolgirls before it blank and disqualifi ed votes conditions. killed in two separate gun battles with IS- the other camp because they had derailed ers. was published on YouTube. backed Barnawi gunmen in the Monguno from the true jihad and were killing in- The three incidents described by Kaka Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman area of Borno state near Lake Chad. nocent people, looting their property and were “very possible”, said Babakura Kolo. said at the time there was “no doubt” the Nigeria’s military declined to comment burning their homes,” he went on. “I don’t have news of the clashes but reporter and two other individuals “have on the reported in-fi ghting when contact- “They said such acts contravene the it is not surprising if they did occur be- links with Boko Haram terrorists and have ed by AFP. teachings of Islam and true jihad.” cause there has been similar in-fighting contacts with them”. E Guinea leader’s Mele Kaka, who lives in the area, told Shekau has led Boko Haram since the among the two Boko Haram camps,” he Salkida has reported extensively on AFP: “The Barnawi faction launched an death of Yusuf in police custody in 2009, added. Boko Haram over the last 10 years and is off ensive against the Shekau faction who waging a deadly, indiscriminate guerilla Two weeks ago, there was a fi erce gun believed to have high-level contacts with- son to stand trial were camped in the villages of Yele and war that has overwhelmingly targeted ci- battle in the Abadam area of Borno state, in the group and previously been involved Arafa. vilians. near the border with Niger, where Shek- in talks to free the kidnapped girls. “In Yele, the assailants killed three peo- Suicide bombers have repeatedly hit au’s fi ghters were routed, he said. He has maintained he has done nothing over fortune ple from the Shekau camp, injured one and busy mosques, churches, markets and bus “It was a deadly fi ght and Shekau’s wrong and that he was prepared to return took one with them, while several were stations while hit-and-run raids have de- fi ghters were forced to fl ee,” he said. to Nigeria to speak to the authorities. killed in Arafa,” he said by telephone from stroyed remote villages, killing and maim- Hundreds of residents of the villages A total of 218 schoolgirls from the Borno AFP ily’s six-storey mansion on Av- the state capital, Maiduguri. ing residents. and their herds taken hostage by the fl ee- state town of Chibok are still being held by Paris enue Foch — one of the poshest The attack prompted residents of Arafa Thousands of people, many of them ing fi ghters were allowed to go about their Boko Haram. addresses in Paris — seizing it to fl ee, he added. women and young girls, have been kid- normal lives by the Barnawi faction, Kolo The militants have said they will release along with several luxury cars. Fighters from Barnawi camp had the napped, including more than 200 school- added. them in exchange for imprisoned rebel he son of oil-rich Equato- Police also took away van- previous day attacked gunmen loyal to girls, who were seized from the Borno A Nigerian journalist declared wanted fi ghters held by the government. rial Guinea’s veteran ruler loads of valuables, including Twill go on trial in France paintings by famous artists, a on charges of corruption and $4.2mn clock and wines worth misusing public money to fund a thousands of euros a bottle. jet-set lifestyle in Paris, judicial The investigation was sources told AFP yesterday. launched after Transparency Teodorin Obiang, currently International and Sherpa, an Zimbabwe court lifts ban on protests vice president, is accused of us- NGO that campaigns against ing the proceeds of corruption economic crimes, fi led a com- and embezzlement to fund an plaint against him. AFP now not in formal employment. set tyres ablaze and pulled down “Ruling party members were array of eye-popping purchases, Obiang has tried unsuccess- Harare The cash-strapped government the sign for a street named after the major perpetrators in viola- from private jets and top prop- fully ever since to have the pro- has been slow to pay the salaries Mugabe. tions linked to distribution of erties to pop star Michael Jack- ceedings quashed. of public sector workers, includ- The demonstration — which food,” Zimbabwe Human Rights son’s famous white glove. Obiang Nguema, one of Af- imbabwe’s high court yes- ing the military, while banks are had been authorised by a court — Commission (ZHRC) chairman His trial in France, whose rica’s longest-serving lead- terday overturned a two- running out of cash. was to demand electoral reform Elasto Mugwadi told a news con- date has not yet been set, will ers, seized power in Equatorial Zweek ban on protests in the “The judgement is progressive. before 2018 when Mugabe, 92, ference in Harare. be the fi rst arising from a series Guinea in a 1979 military coup. capital Harare after a challenge We are excited,” Stendrick plans to stand for re-election. ZANU-PF youths “openly told of landmark investigations into He promoted his son to vice from activists involved in a surge Zvorwadza, a protest leader and Promise Mkwananzi, leader of those affi liated to the opposition the alleged ill-gotten gains of a president in charge of defence of demonstrations against presi- long-time critic of Mugabe, said the Tajamuka (“We are agitated”) (they) would never get food aid”, handful of African leaders. and national security in June. dent Robert Mugabe. after judge Priscilla Chigumba protest group, was also arrested Mugwadi said, adding the prob- Prosecutors will show he US authorities have also pur- Mugabe has vowed to crack President Robert Mugabe. made her ruling. at the protests and was denied lem aff ected several rural areas amassed French assets worth sued Obiang junior, accusing down on the protests, which have “Like we have always been say- bail when he appeared in court on across the country. several tens of millions of euros him of racking up more than erupted over recent months as power in 1980, last week criticised ing this (campaign) symbolises public violence charges. “Investigating offi cers were between 2007 and 2011, “either $300mn through embezzle- Zimbabwe has been pitched into the country’s courts after several peace.” The last elections in 2013 were informed (that) youths from the directly or through front men or ment, extortion and money deepening economic crisis. anti-government protests turned Zimbabwe Lawyers for Hu- won by Mugabe in a vote the op- ruling party who are not even part shell companies”, a source close laundering. “The court has said the ban violent. man Rights, who have represented position said was rigged. of the distribution committees to the investigation said. In October 2014, he was was unlawful,” Tendai Biti, a law- Judges authorised an opposi- scores of arrested protesters, said President Robert Mugabe’s are involved in the distribution of Obiang, now 47, was his fa- forced to turn over more than yer and opposition party leader tion demonstration in Harare on the ruling against the police ban ZANU-PF party has prevented food aid.” ther Teodoro Obiang Nguema’s $30mn in ill-gotten gains — in- among those who brought the August 26 which degenerated into on protest was “a victory for ac- opposition supporters receiving Mugwadi gave no exact fi gures agriculture minister in the west cluding a Malibu villa, a Ferrari case to court, told journalists. clashes between opposition sup- tivists”. emergency food aid in Zimbabwe, but said that “huge numbers of African nation at the time, and Michael Jackson memora- “The judgement is a very brave porters and security forces. On Friday, another court denied a rights body said yesterday, as the people” were aff ected. earning a government salary of bilia. judgement. Mugabe later blasted judges for bail to 58 people arrested during country reels under severe short- The ZHRC was established un- under $100,000 a year. He managed however to hang We are very proud that the “reckless” rulings allowing dem- the August 26 protests when riot ages. der the 2013 constitution. He will be tried on charges of onto the white glove Jackson court recognised the power it has onstrations against his rule, say- police fi red tear gas, beat up sev- A drought across southern Af- Zimbabwe’s main opposi- laundering the proceeds of cor- wore during his Bad tour. (and) importantly that courts will ing he hoped they had “learnt a eral people and blocked off the site rica has pitched Zimbabwe further tion Movement for Democratic ruption, embezzlement, misuse Other leaders under investi- adjudicate matters without fear lesson”. of an opposition demonstration in into economic crisis, with public Change (MDC) party has often of public funds and breach of gation in France include Repub- and favour.” Zimbabwe has suff ered eco- Harare. anger over lack of food helping accused the government of chan- trust. lic of Congo’s president Denis Mugabe, who has routinely nomic collapse over the last 15 Protesters fought back, throw- to fuel a series of recent protests nelling food supplies to Mugabe In 2012, French authorities Sassou Nguesso and Gabon’s crushed dissent since he came to years, with 90% of the population ing stones at police while some against veteran leader Mugabe, 92. supporters. swooped on the Obiang fam- Omar Bongo. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 15 AMERICAS Trump invokes NY thanks Gander religion in his new avatar Trump is making the changes to stering missile defence systems. As head of the state department, his message and it appears to be Trump will also criticise Clinton for Clinton oversaw “hard-nosed nego- working “military adventurism” for her han- tiations” with Russia to reduce nuclear dling of Libya and the Middle East as stockpiles and destroy Syrian chemi- Reuters secretary of state. cal weapons, while still going “toe-to- Washington Trump, buoyed by polls showing toe” with Putin to protect America and him as gaining ground against Clin- Nato allies, Kaine said. “Trump seems ton, outlined what he would do on his to support Russian interests at the ex- Members of the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group move a piece of steel from the World Trade Center to a trailer, during epublican presidential nominee fi rst day as president if elected on No- pense of American ones,” he added. a ceremony outside the Fox News studios to mark the beginning of the piece of steel’s journey from New York City to Donald Trump invoked reli- vember 8, part of a new eff ort to inject Kaine’s speech began less than an Gander, Newfoundland in Canada. Following the 9/11 attacks, 40 planes were grounded in the small town of Gander. In Rgion, talked of unifying Ameri- more discipline into his campaign. hour after Trump concluded a cam- the following days, residents of Gander helped care for the nearly 6,000 people who were stranded. cans and tried to raise doubts about He said he would suspend the re- paign stop in Virginia Beach, in Kaine’s whether Democratic rival Hillary settlement of Syrian refugees into the home state of Virginia, where he Clinton can be trusted in a new cam- United States, start toward repeal- scoff ed at the idea that Clinton would paign stump speech. ing and replacing president Barack hold any sway over Putin’s actions. “I will fi ght for Detroit, for Chicago, Obama’s signature healthcare plan, “Putin looks at Hillary Clinton and for Baltimore, and for every neglected and begin the fi rst steps toward build- he laughs. part of this nation — and I will fi ght to ing a wall along the US southern bor- Putin looks at Hillary Clinton and Humpbacks taken off endangered list bring us all together as one American der with Mexico. he smiles,” Trump said. people,” Trump told a packed rally in Trump, who rarely mentions reli- The back-and-forth occurred as Greenville, North Carolina, in a de- gion, quoted from a Bible passage he the focus shifted to national security, AFP populations that are largely independent living off Hawaii and Alaska by “specifying parture from his typical bare-knuck- read aloud at a black church in Detroit with both Clinton and Trump set to Washington of each other allows us to tailor conserva- distance limits for approaching vessels.” led approach. on Saturday, part of his eff ort to ap- participate in a televised forum yes- tion approaches for each population.” Two of the four humpback groups still On the Democratic side, both Clin- peal to African-American voters. terday hosted by a veteran’s group. After commercial whaling severely re- considered endangered can be found in US ton and her vice presidential running “Imagine what our country could ac- Trump followed up his Virginia ost populations of humpback duced populations, the US listed all hump- waters at some times of the year. mate, Tim Kaine, blasted Trump. complish if we started working together event by meeting with the wives of US whales are no longer on the back whales as endangered in 1970. The Central American population looks Clinton focused on Trump’s past as one people, under one God, saluting military personnel stationed at nearby MUnited States endangered spe- Today, just four whale groups remain on for food in the Pacifi c Ocean off the US bankruptcies and his refusal to release one fl ag,” he added.”It is time to break installations. cies list thanks to international conser- that list, and one is now listed as threat- West Coast, while the group in the Pacifi c his tax records. with the bitter failures of the past, and Setting aside his usual bombast, vation eff orts, the National Oceanic and ened. Northwest spends time in the Bering Sea “He clearly has something to hide. to embrace a new American future.” Trump turned soft-spoken and nod- Atmospheric Administration announced The International Whaling Commis- and near the Aleutian Islands. We don’t know exactly what it is, But Trump was unfl inchingly criti- ded attentively as the women, some Tuesday. sion’s whaling moratorium imposed in The humpback group from Mexico but we’re getting better guesses about cal of Clinton over the latest disclo- of whom held babies on their laps, de- Four decades of national and interna- 1982 — which remains in eff ect — played a now listed as threatened regularly goes to what it probably is,” she said in Tam- sures from the Federal Bureau of In- scribed their concerns about the qual- tional initiatives to protect and conserve crucial part in the comeback, NOAA said. the West Coast of the continental United pa, Florida. vestigation about her use of a private ity of schools and fi nding jobs. the marine mammals have helped nine of The US Marine Mammal Protection States and Alaska. Kaine, in a national security speech email server and destruction of thou- “So much of this we can take care 14 humpback population segments re- Act that protects marine mammals within In 2010, NOAA launched an extensive in Wilmington, North Carolina, criti- sands of emails that she and her staff of,” Trump told them. bound from historically low levels. US waters still applies to all humpback review of the status of humpback whales cised Trump’s business dealings with had deemed of a personal nature. Meanwhile Kaine, Clinton’s run- “Today’s news is a true ecological suc- whales, regardless of endangered status. that resulted in the reclassifi cation of the Russia, the ties between some of his At least two of her mobile devices ning mate, will deliver a national cess story,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant The MMPA prohibits the killing of cer- species into 14 distinct populations. campaign advisers to the country and were reported destroyed by a staff us- security speech in North Carolina NOAA administrator for fi sheries. tain marine mammals in US waters and by NOAA proposed last year to remove 10 Trump’s suggestion that he hoped ing a hammer and BleachBit software criticizing Trump’s foreign policy cre- “Whales, including the humpback, US citizens on the high seas, and bans their of those 14 groups off the endangered list Russian hackers could fi nd missing to wipe unwanted emails. dentials, saying he botched his meet- serve an important role in our marine en- importation into the United States. and gave the public 90 days to comment e-mails from when Clinton was sec- “People who have nothing to hide ing last week with Mexican president vironment. Two separate regulatory decisions fi led on the proposed change before fi nalising retary of state. don’t smash phones with hammers. Enrique Peña Nieto. Separately managing humpback whale Tuesday maintain protection for whales its decision. “He has openly encouraged Russia People who have nothing to hide “The centrepiece of Trump’s cam- to hack his political opponents and don’t bleach their e-mails or destroy paign is building a wall and making commit espionage against his own evidence to keep it from being public- Mexico pay for it. country,” Kaine said. ly archived as required under federal It’s even a chant at his rallies,” Kaine Trump, in a speech in Cleveland, law,” Trump said. will say, according to excerpts of the is to lay out a military preparedness Kaine, in his fi rst major policy speech reviewed by Reuters.”Yet when plan in which he will call for rescind- speech since being tapped as Clin- Trump fi nally had the chance to look ing spending cuts and embarking on a ton’s running mate, drew a contrast president Pena Nieto in the eye, he major military buildup. between how Trump would approach said it never came up. The Trump campaign said the candi- US relations with Russia and Clinton’s “In other words, he choked. date will call for big increases in spend- track record as head of the US state Turns out, Donald isn’t such a great ing for new ships, planes, submarines department from 2009 to 2013, during negotiator after all,” Kaine will add of and training combat troops and bol- Obama’s fi rst term as president. the New York businessman.

Cosby faces June 5 sex assault trial

AFP pants, Cosby had appeared animated rights” and accused a lawyer repre- Norristown and engaged in conversation with his senting other alleged sexual assault lawyers before Tuesday’s hearing at victims of waging a campaign built “on Montgomery County Courthouse in racial bias and prejudice.” isgraced US megastar Bill Cosby Norristown, northwest of Philadel- “When the media repeats her ac- is due to stand trial for sexual phia. cusations — with no evidence, no trial Dassault on June 5, 2017 in what But the prospective trial cements and no jury — we are moved backwards could see up to 13 other alleged victims a brutal fall from grace for the once as a country and away from the Amer- testify against the award-winning co- treasured father fi gure and apparent ica that our civil rights leaders sacri- median turned pariah. model citizen who smashed through fi ced so much to create,” they said. Judge Steven O’Neill set the date af- racial barriers and delighted audiences Those allegations have seen celeb- ter the 79-year-old pioneering black with his gentle, self-deprecating hu- rity pals and millions more malign the comedian made multiple attempts to mour. legend who attained his greatest fame head off the possibility of a trial stem- In recent years, more than 50 women for his role as a lovable obstetrician and ming from one alleged incident at his have publicly accused him of being a family man in the hit 1980s television Philadelphia home in 2004. sexual predator spanning four decades, sitcom The Cosby Show. But O’Neill advised lawyers that the making remarkably similar allegations The Constand case was initially set- trial could start even earlier if sched- that he fed them sedatives and alcohol tled by a civil suit in 2006 but prosecu- ules permit. that made them unable to resist his ad- tors reopened claiming that new evi- He also said that given the defence vances. dence had come to light. assertion that Cosby is blind, the de- The vast majority of the alleged The former star posted bail at $1mn fendant may require special assistance abuses happened too long ago to pros- in the case last December, but has yet in court. ecute, making the Constand case the to enter a plea. Andrea Constand, who worked for only criminal charge brought against If he pleads guilty, Cosby could avoid the Temple University basketball team Cosby. the enormous publicity that will come at the time, alleges that Cosby plied her Montgomery County prosecu- with one of America’s most famous en- with pills and wine, then sat her down tor Kevin Steele told the court that he tertainers going on trial. on a couch at his Philadelphia home wants up to 13 other alleged victims to Cosby’s legal team mock Constand’s where he assaulted her. testify at trial. credibility, saying she chopped and Cosby says he gave her a pill, but in- The judge has yet to agree and Cos- changed her evidence, and omitted sists their relations with consensual. by’s legal team will likely put up fi erce from the fi nal version lying down on a He faces up to 10 years in prison and resistance. bed next to the actor and later visiting a $25,000 fi ne if convicted. The defence vowed their cli- his home for dinner. Dressed in a pinstripe jacket and gray ent would continue “the fi ght for his Constand, now lives in Canada.

12-year-olds attend university

AFP after fast-tracking through school in in 1984, remains the youngest ever to Ottawa his home country, learning English by have graduated with a college degree at watching movies. age eight.He went on to teach college Diki is the youngest student ever to while still a teenager. f you’re not already feeling old, enrol at Waterloo, one of Canada’s top Waterloo admissions staff told Ca- this may provide a little nudge — a schools, admissions staff said. nadian media that age did not factor I12-year-old Indonesian boy will He is also among a growing number into their decision to admit Diki, who start university classes in Canada to- of smart youngsters eager to begin they said has one of the best academ- day with peers almost twice his age, higher education. ic records of anyone accepted at the and apparently he’s not alone. South of the border, Cornell Univer- school this year. Cendikiawan (Diki) Suryaatmadja sity in New York welcomed 12-year-old “He had phenomenal grades,” An- will study physics and take additional freshman Jeremy Shuler this week. dre Jardin, associate registrar of ad- classes in math, chemistry and eco- And a cursory look at enrolment sta- missions, told broadcaster CTV. “He’s nomics at the University of Waterloo in tistics over the past century shows the fully prepared academically. Ontario, school offi cials said. bar falling lower and lower. What we have to address is the fact The boy genius reportedly applied American Michael Kearney, born that he is a 12-year-old boy.” Gulf Times 16 Thursday, September 8, 2016 ASEAN

Drug-resistant bacterial infections rising in Thailand: study Tensions over ‘South China Drug-resistant bacterial infec- tions are increasing in Thailand because of poor policy and an absence of regulation and are killing more than 19,000 people a year compared with 23,000 Sea’ belie summit cordiality a year in the United States, researchers warned yesterday. Reuters The problem, largely caused Vientiane Obama meets by the over-use of antibiotics informally with among people and livestock, Philippine president could hit Thailand’s profitable he Philippines said yes- medical-tourism sector. terday it was “gravely US President Barack Obama and “Drug resistant bacteria is Tconcerned” that Chinese Philippine President Rodrigo spreading in Thailand and, boats were preparing to build Duterte met briefly late yesterday very likely, in all low and middle structures at a disputed shoal in and exchanged pleasantries, income countries,” Direk Lim- the South China Sea, shattering Philippine off icials said, after mathurotsakul, lead author of a an appearance of cordiality at an a meeting between the two study by Britain’s Oxford Univer- Asian summit in Laos. leaders was cancelled due to the sity and Mahidol University in Offi cials said talks between latter’s crude comments. Thailand, told Reuters. Southeast Asian leaders and The two leaders were supposed The researchers estimated Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to meet one-on-one on Tuesday that drug-resistant bacterial went smoothly. on the sidelines of the leaders’ infections killed 19,122 people in There was no reference dur- summit of the Association of Thailand in 2010. When adjusted ing the talks to a recent ruling South-East Asian Nations (Asean) for population, the problem was by an arbitration court in The in Vientiane, Laos. However, much more severe than in the Hague that invalidated China’s Obama cancelled the meeting United States and the European claims to the waterway and has after Duterte warned him and Union, where about 25,000 peo- incensed Beijing. other leaders against questioning ple die a year from such infec- But, hours before the meet- his bloody anti-drug campaign tions. People in Thailand can buy ing, the Philippines’ defence with a controversial expletive. antibiotics over the counter and ministry released photographs Yesterday, Obama and Duterte many take them “without really and a map showing what it said shook hands and talked briefly needing them”, fuelling bacterial was an increased number of before attending a gala dinner resistance, Direk said. Chinese vessels near Scarbor- at the summit. “They met at the The excessive use of anti- ough Shoal, which China seized holding room. They were the bacterial drugs by farmers also after a standoff in 2012. last persons to leave the holding “generates antimicrobial resistant The ministry’s spokesman room,” Foreign Secretary Per- bacteria in the environment”. told reporters in Manila the pic- (From left) China’s Premier Li Keqiang, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Philippines President fecto Yasay said, insisting that the “The impact of drug-resistant tures were made public because Rodrigo Duterte attend the gala dinner during the second day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Vientiane yesterday. countries’ relationship was “firm, bacterial infections is already China’s ambassador to the Phil- very strong.” considerable — and getting ippines had denied there was that there had been no dredging land on several disputed reefs emergencies in the disputed sea, its military presence in the sea. worse,” said study co-author Nick any new activity there. or building at the shoal. through dredging, and building participants said. Although the Scarborough Day of Oxford University. “We believe that this is a “The Chinese side has main- air fi elds and port facilities. The Philippines’ expression Shoal is merely a few rocks pok- negotiations and last month sent “If it’s not to overwhelm... precursor to possible build- tained a number of coast guard A Philippines offi cial said the of concern comes after a dispute ing above the sea, it is important former President Fidel Ramos as the world’s economic, health and ing of structures on the shoal,” vessels for law enforcement pa- release of the pictures and a map with the United States, its main to the Philippines because of the his special envoy to meet Chinese life expectancy gains, we need spokesman Arsenio Andolong trols in the waters of Huangyan showing the ships’ positions ally.Philippine President Rod- fi sh stocks in the area. representatives in Hong Kong. A to take drug resistance seriously said, adding that China’s denial Dao,” the embassy said, refer- was ordered by the defence min- rigo Duterte criticised US Presi- Manila says China’s blockade draft Asean communique seen by and invest heavily in its defeat was “even more disturbing”. ring to the Chinese name for ister, who was at the Asean sum- dent Barack Obama on Monday, of the shoal is a violation of inter- Reuters on Monday listed eight — now,” he said. About 2.5mn “We are gravely concerned Scarborough Shoal. mit in Vientiane, Laos. prompting the cancellation of a national law. The dispute has be- points related to the South China foreigners visit Thailand every about this development,” he “There are no dredging or But there was no row over the meeting between them in Laos. come more signifi cant since the Sea, but made no mention of the year for health services and said. building activities there.” issue at the summit. China has repeatedly blamed Permanent Court of Arbitration arbitration ruling. Direk said that while private hos- China said there had been no China, Taiwan, the Philip- “It seems that every country the United States for stirring up ruled in July that no country had The bloc traditionally shies pitals “have enough resources” change in the situation around pines, Vietnam, Malaysia and played down the level of con- trouble in the South China Sea, sovereign rights over activity at away from taking a position on to address the situation now, the shoal and it had not taken Brunei claim parts or all of the fl ict, therefore the tone of the a strategic waterway through Scarborough Shoal, a traditional thorny diplomatic issues, es- the sector could be aff ected in any new action there. resource-rich South China Sea, meeting was quite friendly and which more than $5tn of trade fi shing ground for Chinese, Fili- pecially where China is con- future if authorities did not take “Given this situation, some making it a hot spot of regional emphasised peace and security moves annually. pino and Vietnamese. cerned, because of its infl uence the fight against drug-resistant people are hyping the situa- tension. within the region,” said Major The United States says it has China has refused to recognise in the region.Still, a Philippine bacteria seriously. tion by spreading that kind of The last four are members of General Weerachon Sukhond- no position on the territorial dis- the ruling by the court in The security offi cial travelling with “Private hospitals have to admit information,” Chinese Foreign the Association of South East hapatipak, a Thai government putes but wants to ensure free- Hague. Duterte said it was a challenge patients from all over the world, Ministry spokeswoman Hua Asian Nations (Asean). China spokesman. dom of navigation. Duterte wants China to abide for the government to explain who could have already had Chunying told a daily briefi ng in has over the past year alarmed China and Asean members With that in mind, it has con- by the ruling but he had pledged to fi shermen why they could not drug-resistant bacteria with Beijing. other claimants, and outside agreed at their meeting to set up ducted patrols close to Chinese- not to raise the issue during the return to the Scarborough Shoal them,” he said. China’s embassy in Manila powers such as the United hotlines between their foreign held islands, to Beijing’s anger, meeting in Laos.Instead, he wants area when The Hague had ruled said in a statement yesterday States and Japan, by re-claiming ministries to tackle maritime while China has been bolstering to smooth the way for bilateral it was a fi shing ground for all.

Indonesian offi cial wants crackdown on drugs Rally planned against

AFP mented in Indonesia, we believe Najib in November Jakarta that the number of drug traf- fi ckers and users in our beloved country would drop drastically,” AFP NGOs and civil-society groups ndonesia’s anti-drugs chief the anti-drugs agency head said Kuala Lumpur commonly known as “Bersih”, has supported implement- earlier this week. the Malay word for “clean”, is Iing a bloody crackdown on “I would be on the frontline to the country’s most prominent traffi ckers like the war on crime eradicate all the traffi ckers.” Malaysian group that political pressure group and in the Philippines that has left In later comments, he said has staged huge politi- previous rallies have ended almost 3,000 dead. the agency had a major plan to Acal demonstrations in with demonstrators clashing Budi Waseso, the tough-talk- hire more personnel and procure the past will hold another rally with police. ing anti-drugs czar who once more weapons to better crack in November to protest against In 2015, it drew tens of proposed holding death row down on the drug trade. the country’s scandal-tainted thousands of people to peace- traffi ckers on a prison island Agency spokesman Slamet prime minister, its chairwom- ful demonstrations in Kuala guarded by crocodiles, said he Pribadi sought yesterday to play an said yesterday. Lumpur and other locations to believed such a campaign would down the comments, saying a Demonstrators will demand demand Najib’s removal over safeguard “our beloved country”. Philippines-style policy would the resignation of Najib Ra- the spectacular corruption Indonesia says it is fi ghting a only be followed “if our law zak, who is under fi re over his scandal, shutting down the war against rising narcotics use. makes it possible”, adding: “We alleged involvement in the capital for two days. It has stepped up executions Indonesian national narcotics agency (BNN) and national criminal police detectives parade foreign and local can’t shoot criminals just like looting of billions of dollars in “We will defi nitely have of convicted drug traffi ckers, drug traff ickers in Jakarta yesterday. that, we have to follow the rules.” state funds. Bersih 5 in November,” China including foreigners, triggering But he acknowledged that A date for the November was quoted saying by news international outrage. scale killing of drug traffi ckers Asian summit and the leaders are low a policy like that of the Phil- Waseso was “strict” and had told rally will be announced on website Malaysiakini. Meanwhile President Rod- since winning election in May. expected to discuss their respec- ippines and revealed authorities staff members that “we should September 14, said Maria Chin Contacted by AFP via sms, rigo Duterte of the neighbouring Duterte is due to visit Jakarta tive anti-narcotics campaigns. were bolstering their resources not keep our guns in a safe, we Abdullah, chair of the Coali- she declined to provide further Philippines has sparked contro- later this week for talks with Ahead of the visit, Waseso to fi ght the drug trade. must use them — but only for tion for Clean and Fair Elec- details but said more informa- versy by overseeing the large- President Joko Widodo after an suggested Indonesia could fol- “If such a policy were imple- law enforcement”. tions. The group, an alliance of tion would emerge next week.

Zika concerns could test Singapore’s eff orts to boost birth rate

Reuters aff ecting large parts of Latin The low birth rate, and a drive Practice safe sex for the dura- Singapore America. to wean the economy off foreign tion of your pregnancy if your Babies born with the de- labour, prompted the govern- partner has been exposed to Malaysia reports fi rst pregnant patient fect have undersized heads and ment last year to start giving out Zika,” reads the advice for preg- ingaporean pre-school brains. as much as S$10,000 ($7,400) in nant women on the Singapore Malaysia yesterday reported its first case of a preg- Sabah.The man, who had no recent history of over- teacher Siti is determined In adults, the virus — which cash to Singaporeans who have a government’s main online por- nant woman with Zika — a resident of a Malaysian seas travel, was already in fragile health due to other Sto try for a baby even as can also be sexually transmit- baby. tal. state bordering Singapore where authorities have conditions and subsequently died of heart-related Zika infections spread across the ted — has been linked to a rare Singapore health authorities “Note that a positive Zika test already recorded 275 cases. The 27-year-old woman complications. Subramaniam said it was not clear Southeast Asian nation. neurological syndrome called have urged pregnant women or may not mean your unborn child in the southern state of Johor is the third case how the pregnant Malaysian woman contracted Zika, She just does all she can to Guillain-Barre. those trying to conceive to avoid is infected or harmed.” detected in Malaysia, where fears of a full-blown but she had visited Singapore six months ago and her avoid mosquito bites. Economists say concerns mosquito bites and take precau- Citing a study published in the outbreak emanating from Singapore are mounting. husband regularly makes trips to the city-state. Subra- “I really love kids and want about the birth defect could dent tions since the fi rst case of local- New England Journal of Medi- Infected pregnant women can give birth to babies maniam said authorities have inspected a wide area to have one of my own,” the the Singapore government’s ef- ly transmitted Zika was detected cine, Singapore’s government with microcephaly, a deformation marked by around her home and other places she had recently 37-year-old who declined to give forts to boost the number of ba- on Aug 27. portal says Zika infected women abnormally small brains and heads. visited, and they were being fogged with mosquito- her full name said after a proce- bies born to its citizens. Since then, more than 280 have a 1 to 13% chance of giving “The woman is expecting her first child and is killing chemicals. Zika, which is spread mainly by the dure at the fertility clinic of KK The city-state, a major fi nan- people have become infected, of birth to a child with microceph- three to four months’ pregnant,” Malaysia’s health Aedes mosquito, has been detected in 67 countries Women’s and Children’s Hospi- cial hub, has one of the world’s which two were pregnant. aly. minister S Subramaniam said in a statement on the and territories including hard-hit Brazil. Malaysia tal, the largest facility for wom- lowest birth rates and a rapidly In their guidelines, they There is currently no vaccine ministry’s Facebook page. Malaysia last Thursday has struggled in recent years to control the spread en’s health in Singapore.“I’m ageing society, while more than a highlight the risks for pregnant for Zika, and Singapore has said reported its first case of Zika, a woman believed to of dengue fever, which is also borne by the Aedes not postponing my pregnancy third of its 5.5mn population are women that are associated with the virus is likely to be in the have caught the virus while in Singapore. mosquito.It has stepped up screening of travellers plans but I’m taking all precau- foreigners. Zika. country to stay, given the preva- On Saturday it reported its first suspected locally from abroad, particularly Singapore, and is fogging tions I can.” “It could lead to some delay They do not urge women lence of the Aedes mosquitoes transmitted case, a man in the eastern state of with insecticides. The mosquito-borne virus in people who are going to get who are otherwise healthy, and that carry it in this small, tropi- has been linked to a spike in mi- pregnant or thinking of getting whose partners also show no cal island. crocephaly, a rare birth defect, pregnant,” said Michael Wan, an symptoms of infection, to post- Singapore has been battling The World Health Organisa- outbreak, recommends peo- Zika-aff ected areas, and are told in Brazil, which has so far been economist at Credit Suisse.“But pone pregnancy. dengue, another mosquito- tion, which has praised Sin- ple considering pregnancy get that their options include delay- the hardest hit by an outbreak it’s a bit too early to tell.” “Use insect repellent. borne virus, for decades. gapore’s handling of the Zika counselled about the risks in ing pregnancy. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 17 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

ACCIDENT DIFFICULT FEAT AUSSIE IMBROGLIO CONSERVATION ‘THAT WAS A LIE’ Ambulance crashes into 73-year-old completes Senator quits shadow cabinet ‘Too soon’ to take giant Koizumi says Fukushima hospital bus stop, 3 hurt record swim across strait after China payments row panda off endangered list still not ‘under control’

An ambulance mounted the footpath and A Japanese man aged 73 yesterday became the An Australian opposition senator yesterday quit It is too soon to downgrade the conservation Former Japanese leader Junichiro Koizumi smashed into a bus stop outside world’s oldest person to swim across the country’s the shadow cabinet after saying he had failed status of China’s giant pandas as they still yesterday accused current Prime Minister Auckland Hospital yesterday, injuring three Tsugaru Strait. Toshio Tominaga’s record bid saw to declare that a Chinese company had made face severe threats, a leading conservationist Shinzo Abe of lying when he claimed the people waiting there for a bus, police in New him spend about 10 hours swimming across the payments on his behalf for travel and legal bills. said. On Sunday, the International Union for stricken Fukushima nuclear plant was “under Zealand city have said. The ambulance was not channel in northern Japan that is considered one Senator Sam Dastyari, 33, widely viewed as a Conservation of Nature reclassified the species control.” Abe made the assertion in 2013 believed to have been using its warning lights or of the world’s most diff icult because of strong and rising star of the centre-left Labor opposition as “vulnerable” rather than “endangered”, citing at a meeting of the International Olympic sirens at the time. Police said three passengers unpredictable currents. The strait is only 19.5km party, has been fending off a public backlash growing numbers in the wild due to decades Committee (IOC), which voted to grant the waiting for the bus received minor injuries in the wide at its narrowest point, but Tominaga ended over the past week after media reported he of protection eff orts. Zhang Hemin, of the Japanese capital the right to host the 2020 crash and were being seen by medical staff at up swimming 38km, ploughing northward as asked a Chinese company to pay his expenses China Conservation and Research Centre for Summer Olympics. “That was a lie,” Koizumi the hospital. The four people in the ambulance, he battled currents moving eastward. Marathon on a trip. “I freely admitted that I made a the Giant Panda, told Xinhua that “a severely told reporters when asked about Abe’s including the driver and a patient in the back swimmers usually attempt Tsugaru as part of their mistake,” Dastyari said as he announced he fragmented natural habitat still threatens remark. “It is not under control.” Fukushima of the vehicle, were not injured. Police said the bid to complete the world’s “Oceans Seven” long- was quitting his post as manager of opposition the lives of pandas; genetic transfer between operator Tepco has not been able to cause of the crash was not yet known. distance swims, along with the English Channel business in the Senate. He will remain in the diff erent populations will improve, but is still effectively control contaminated water at the and the Strait of Gibraltar. Senate. not satisfactory.” plant, Koizumi said.

Australia Japan ‘seriously concerned’ wary of lone wolf attacks

AFP by South China Sea tension Sydney

Agencies They are known as the Senkakus in he threat of a terror attack in Vientiane/Tokyo Japan and as the Diaoyus in China. Australia is “real”, Prime Min- Separately, Increasingly authors of Tister Malcolm Turnbull said af- new research tracking maritime law ter the so-called Islamic State group apan is “seriously concerned” enforcement incidents across the vi- urged followers to target Sydney’s about Beijing’s increasingly mus- tal trade route have said assertive ac- beachside Bondi and the Melbourne Jcular claims in the South China tion by China’s coast guard ships in the Cricket Ground. Sea, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told South China Sea risks destabilising the Responding to an English-lan- Asian leaders yesterday. region. guage online magazine that singled Beijing insists it has sovereign rights While the risks of full-blown na- out prominent Australian locations at to almost all of the strategically vital val confl ict dominates strategic fears which to kill people, Turnbull said it waters, where the Philippines, Viet- over the disputed waterway, the dan- was a “disturbing reminder” of the se- nam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also ger of incidents involving coast guards curity situation. have claims. should not be underestimated, said “We have a threat level of ‘prob- It also has a simmering territorial Bonnie Glaser, a regional security ex- able’, so it is a real threat,” he said when row with Tokyo over disputed islands pert at Washington’s Center for Stra- speaking to reporters in Vientiane, in the East China Sea. tegic and International Studies think Laos. “I am seriously concerned with the tank. “The capacity of Daesh, of course, is continuing attempts to change uni- CSIS researchers have detailed some much less than they proclaim it to be laterally the status quo in the East and 45 clashes and standoff s in the South but we do have to be very alert to the South China Sea,” Abe said at a re- China Sea since 2010 in a survey pub- actions of these lone actors,” he said, gional summit in Laos hosted by the lished on its ChinaPower website yes- using another name for the Islamic 10-member Association of Southeast terday. State. Asian Nations (Asean). While the research includes clashes The fi rst edition of the magazine “I hope that both parties to the dis- between a variety of regional states Rumiyah released in English online pute in the South China Sea will abide and types of vessels, the actions of on Monday called for attacks on the by the ruling by the China-Philippines China’s coast guard dominates the streets of Brunswick and Broadmead- tribunal court, which legally binds the picture. ows in Melbourne and Bondi in Sydney. parties to the dispute, and it will lead China’s coast guard has been in- “Kill them at the MCG, the SCG to a peaceful settlement of the dis- volved in 30 of the cases logged, two- (Sydney Cricket Ground), the Opera pute,” he added, according to a brief- thirds of the total. House, and even in their backyards,” ing by foreign press secretary Yasuhisa Four other incidents involved a Chi- Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives at the Asean Summit in Vientiane yesterday. it said. Kawamura. nese naval vessel operating in a law en- Turnbull said IS jihadists would The gathering in Laos is the fi rst forcement capacity. etnamese coast in 2014, as well as ten- can stop hyping up this kind of infor- Encounters by rival coast guards are “resort to terrorist activities outside Asean meeting since an international “The evidence is clear that there is a sions that led up to China’s occupation mation, and stop sowing discord and not yet covered by expanding com- of the Middle East” as they came un- court ruled in July that China’s claims pattern of behaviour from China that of the Scarborough Shoal off the Phil- tension,” she told a daily news briefi ng munications arrangements that are der more pressure on the battlefi eld in to the sea had no legal basis, and that is contrary to what law enforcement ippines in 2012. in Beijing. geared to preventing clashes between Syria and Iraq. its artifi cial island building programme usually involves,” Glaser told Reuters. China’s State Oceanic Administra- The research defi nes an incident the region’s naval forces. In relation to so-called “lone wolf” in the waters was illegal. “We’re seeing bullying, harassment tion, which oversees the coast guard, where a nation’s coast guard or navy The survey cites research showing attackers, he said some individuals It was a sweeping victory for the and ramming of vessels from countries did not respond to requests for com- has used coercive measures beyond the unifying of China’s civilian mari- could be radicalised very quickly “and Philippines, which fi led the case in whose coast guard and fi shing vessels ment on the research. routine law enforcement action. time fl eets in 2013, coupled with on- engage in very destructive, lethal con- 2013. are much smaller, often to assert sov- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes- In the short term, Glaser said she going budget increases, has given it the duct”. China has ignored the ruling, an- ereignty throughout the South China woman Hua Chunying said she be- believed the risk of injury or death world’s largest coast guard. But he added: “Every time there is nouncing penalties for “illegal” fi shing Sea.” lieved it was natural for China’s coast could be worse in civilian clashes It now deploys some 205 vessels, a terrorist incident, wherever it is in in the sea and continuing its reclama- The research includes the violent guard vessels to legally carry out pa- than among navies patrolling the including 95 ships over 1,000 tonnes, the world, we learn as much as we can tion activities. maritime stand-off between Beijing trols and maintain maritime order in South China Sea, given the frequency according to the US Offi ce of Naval In- about it and then take those learnings Japan’s dispute with China is over un- and Hanoi over the placement of a waters under China’s jurisdiction. and intensity of incidents in recent telligence — a far larger fl eet than other to keep Australians more safe.” inhabited islands controlled by Tokyo. Chinese oil exploration rig off the Vi- “We hope the relevant individuals years. regional countries, including Japan. Australia’s Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the latest threat did not change the fundamentals in Australia, where the terror threat was lifted to high in 2014. “This is not the fi rst time that ISIL Pro-independence HK students protest against latest pamphlet ban has called for attacks in Australia and I don’t think it will be the last,” he told the Nine Network. AFP The city was returned from Britain Secondary school students say they The young activists say they want to win political reforms from Beijing. Offi cials say they have stopped 10 Hong Kong to China in 1997 under a “one country, should have the right to distribute pro- Hong Kong to have the option to split That movement has now spawned terror attacks in Australia in the past two systems” deal that guaranteed its independence pamphlets outside their from China in 2047, when the hando- campaigners calling for an outright two years. freedoms for 50 years, but there are schools, but have been stopped from ver deal expires. split. Police chief commissioner for the econdary school students push- fears those liberties are disappearing. doing so by staff . “When 2047 comes, those who are The government has warned teach- state of Victoria, Graham Ashton, said ing for Hong Kong’s breakaway The fl edgling independence move- “School staff ...banned students in secondary school now will be mid- ers not to promote independence in while it was the fi rst time such threats Sfrom China have threatened ment has gained momentum in the from taking media interviews and even dle aged,” 15-year-old Tony Chung, a schools, sparking criticism they are had been published in English rather protests after staff stopped them from face of staunch opposition from au- led away those who were distributing convener of new school activist group quashing academic discussion and than Arabic, the magazine “appears to handing out political pamphlets, as thorities in Beijing and Hong Kong, pamphlets,” said a statement from an Studentlocalism, told AFP. fuelling self-censorship. be propaganda”. the government puts pressure on in- who have branded it illegal and uncon- alliance of groups from 21 schools. “We have to now discuss with stu- City leader Leung Chun-ying, seen Ashton said while police were tak- dependence activists. stitutional. “If any more schools try to suppress dents what is the way out for Hong by critics as a Beijing stooge, has lik- ing the comments seriously, there was Since the beginning of term last week, Several young campaigners advocat- members of the groups, we will defi nite- Kong, and we think that way out is in- ened promoting independence in nothing to suggest any specifi c threat teenage students have been distributing ing independence or self-determination ly respond through escalated action,” dependence.” schools to swearing. to the places mentioned. leafl ets outside their schools advocating became lawmakers for the fi rst time in the statement said, without elaborating. The “localist” movement of ac- “It is not a matter of freedom of “If anything arises then we’ll obvi- Hong Kong’s independence from China weekend elections, despite a govern- The South China Morning Post said tivists seeking more autonomy from speech to promote independence in ously be acting on it, but at this stage as concerns grow Beijing is tightening its ment ban on the movement’s leading student leaders had claimed they were Beijing fi rst grew out of the failure of schools...school rules are more strict there is nothing of any concern,” he grip on the semi-autonomous city. activists from running in the vote. planning to “lay siege” to schools. mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 than law,” he said last month. told reporters.

Malaysia-bound plane ends up in Melbourne A Malaysia-bound AirAsia X plane which took off from Sydney ended up in Melbourne instead after the pilot entered the Japan’s half-Indian Miss World a challenge to its self-image aircraft’s wrong longitudinal position, safety off icials revealed yesterday. The Airbus A330-300 left Sydney en route to Kuala Lumpur on March 10 last year but air traff ic controllers went on By Hyun Oh, Reuters at the just-concluded Rio Olym- cepting of ethnic diversity. alert after it began flying in the wrong direction. Tokyo pics, and Asuka Cambridge, who Some were puzzled or critical. They radioed the crew but attempts to fix the problem only led anchored the silver medal-winning Miss Japan should “look good in to “further degradation of the navigation system, as well as to the men’s 4x100 metres relay team. kimono,” said one person in a com- aircraft’s flight guidance and flight control systems”, the Austral- riyanka Yoshikawa says she Some children of mixed ethnicity ment on Yahoo. ian Transport Safety Bureau said following an investigation. hopes that being crowned in Japanese schools have been bul- Another said, “She’s not bad, but The pilot, who had been flying A330s for 18 months, decided to PMiss World Japan will spur lied because they look diff erent. wasn’t there a pure Japanese to rep- return to Sydney but bad weather forced him to fly manually to greater acceptance in her homeland Other “hafu” have won fame in resent Japan?” Melbourne, where he landed safely, it said. of people with parents from diff er- entertainment, but may yet not be Such reactions refl ect a tradition- “The ATSB found that when setting up the aircraft’s flight man- ent ethnic backgrounds, such as regarded as genuine Japanese. al mindset that is starting to change, agement and guidance system, the captain inadvertently entered herself. Yoshikawa is the second Japanese said Yoshikawa, whose height of the wrong longitudinal position of the aircraft,” it said. With a Japanese mother and an of mixed ethnicity to win a beauty 1.76m exceeds that of the average “This adversely aff ected the onboard navigation systems. Indian father, Yoshikawa, 22, of- contest in as many years. Japanese woman. However, despite a number of opportunities to identify and cor- fers the latest challenge to Japan’s Last year, Ariana Miyamoto, “We’ve been told how Japanese rect the error, it was not noticed until after the aircraft became self-image as a racially homogene- whose father is African-American, look,” she added. “How our faces airborne and started tracking in the wrong direction.” ous nation, after she was selected on was chosen as Japan’s representa- are. We have to be pale, or the Asian The ATSB also found that the plane was not fitted with an Monday to represent the country in tive to the Miss Universe contest, a look. But things change. It’s a small upgraded flight management system that would have prevented the Miss World contest. victory that Yoshikawa said had in- island, but we have a lot of people the data entry error. “The flight crew attempted to troubleshoot “I have a responsibility,” said spired her to enter for Miss World. from other countries and we have and rectify the situation while under heavy workload,” the Yoshikawa. “I have to make things Miyamoto’s win sparked a social a lot more ‘hafus’ in every single ATSB said. “Combined with limited guidance from the available happen because I made a diff erence, media backlash, but the response to year.” checklists, this resulted in further errors by the flight crew in the being crowned as a mix.” Yoshikawa has been more nuanced. International marriages are in- diagnosis and actioning of flight deck switches.” She joins a wave of prominent “Miss Japan is ‘haafu’. I’m so hap- creasing in Japan, forming 3.3% of The low-cost Malaysian carrier has since shared the incident “hafu”, as many Japanese call those py!” wrote one social media com- the total in 2013, government fi gures with all its pilots and developed a new training manual for its Designers helps Priyanka Yoshikawa, winner of Miss World with parents from diff erent ethnic mentator. show, four times those in 1980. flight crews, the ATSB added. Japan 2016, try on a dress as she chooses a costume for the backgrounds, among them Mashu Others said the two mixed-race Mixed-race children accounted Miss World competition, at a designer’s atelier in Tokyo. Baker, who won a gold medal in judo choices showed Japan was more ac- for 1.9% of 2013 births. Gulf Times 18 Thursday, September 8, 2016 BRITAIN BMA in a total mess over doctors dispute, says insider

Guardian News and Media BMA leaders are backing the with the loss of 50,000 medics Expo in Manchester. “What it means is that patients The BMA source, who asked partments such as A&E, mater- London walkouts partly because they withdrawing cover in areas of “The vital importance of jun- who needed their outpatient ap- not to be named, said: “The BMA nity services and intensive care. want to avoid junior doctors emergency care. ior doctors to the NHS can never pointment or their operation are are in a total mess. We have lost The climbdown followed a revolt breaking away and forming their “We should be in no doubt that be underestimated and so it is having those deferred and, where the battle (over junior doctors’ by grassroots trainee medics, who he British Medical Associa- own union, the well-placed it will not be possible to ensure not just about the notice period, it is a day or two, then the hospi- contracts) lock, stock and bar- feared the BMA had not given the tion is in a “total mess” over source told the Guardian. there will be no harm to patients, it is about the impact that action tals have been able to cope, but rel.” NHS long enough to prepare for Tthe junior doctors dispute The insider’s admissions came even with several weeks’ notice, would have.” when it is repeated, blocks of per- On Monday the BMA called the walkout. and is pushing ahead with plans as Simon Stevens, the head of if we are talking about multiple Stevens asked the BMA to call haps fi ve days at a time, then the off a fi ve-day strike it intended Signifi cantly, the call-off was for a series of week-long strikes the NHS in England, added his weeks of up to 50,000 doctors off the strikes. “No good for pa- potential impact for urgent care, to hold next week. Junior doctors initiated by Porter and Dr Ellen despite having “lost the battle” weight to the growing criticism not being available for emer- tients will come out of the kind and the knock-on for patients had been set to refuse to work in McCourt, the chair of the BMA’s with Jeremy Hunt, a senior fi gure of the doctors’ union. Stevens gency care at hospitals across this of action that is still on the table,” with very substantially high-risk hospitals across England between junior doctors’ committee, and in the union has said. said the service could not cope country,” Stevens said at the NHS he said. conditions, is far greater.” 8am and 5pm, even in critical de- not by the committee itself. Leak reveals Superyacht docks in London govt plans to lift grammar schools ban

Guardian News and Media who don’t get in”. Some believe London Greening is considering conces- sions to make it more likely that the policy will be passed through heresa May’s government parliament. will publish plans that Slater, who sources said was Tcould, within weeks, end the man pictured holding the the ban on building new gram- document outside Downing mar schools after a proposed street during Tuesday’s cabinet policy change was inadvertently meeting, said the caveat sounded leaked. A short note, written by reasonable to him, because: “I department for education (DfE) simply can’t see any way of per- permanent secretary Jonathan suading the Lords to vote for se- Slater, was captured by a photog- lection on any other basis.” rapher as a civil servant walked A government spokesperson A superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko is moored against HMS Belfast on the river Thames in London yesterday. Designed by French designer along Downing Street. refused to comment on inter- Philippe Starck, the luxury superyacht boasts three pools, specially designed fixtures and fittings, a helipad and a disco. The note referred to a con- nal government documents but sultation document that states hinted that the policy was on the the government “will open new table. “The prime minister has grammars, albeit that they would been clear that we need to build a have to follow various condi- country that works for everyone, tions”. not just the privileged few. Details of the radical expansion “We are looking at a range of policy are set to be published be- options to allow more children fore the Conservative conference to access a school that lets them in early October. They are likely rise as far as their talents will to trigger an ideological battle in take them.” But any attempt to Work on £1.9mn Calais parliament, where selective edu- repeal a ban on selective schools, cation has become a divisive and put in place by the previous La- symbolic issue, with passionate bour government, would require proponents and opponents. legislation and would be heavily The revelation has already resisted by opposition parties. led to an angry response from Angela Smith, Labour’s leader those who oppose more grammar in the Lords, indicated that she wall to start: minister schools including campaign- and colleagues could make life ers, teaching unions, Labour, the diffi cult for May and said the Guardian News and Media ister told the Commons home af- The plan has already attracted tion has said it will be a poor use where safe to wait.” Liberal Democrats and members prime minister should put such a London fairs committee. criticism from local residents of taxpayers’ money, arguing Goodwill, who took over the of the House of Lords – with ac- signifi cant policy to the elector- Building on the 1km-long wall who have started calling it “the that security levels need to be job of immigration minister on cusations that the prime minis- ate during a general election. along the ferry port’s main du- great wall of Calais”. improved in the surrounding July 16, said he had yet to visit ter is simply “pandering” to her “If the Tories are set on bring- ork is about to begin al-carriageway approach road, François Guennoc of Auberge approach roads to Calais. “It is Calais to see for himself the backbenchers. ing back grammar schools, on “a big, new wall” known as the Rocade, is due to des Migrants, a French aid group imperative that the money to pay conditions in the refugee camp The department’s senior of- Theresa May should seek a po- Win Calais as the latest start this month. The £1.9mn wall working in Calais, said: “This wall for a wall would be much bet- known as the “Jungle”. He said fi cial has made clear that Justine litical mandate to do so. Trying attempt to prevent refugees and will be built in two sections on is the latest extension to kilome- ter spent on increasing security he would go as soon as he could Greening, the education sec- to slip it in under the radar is migrants jumping aboard lorries either side of the road to protect tres of fencing and security sur- along approach roads,” a spokes- but refused to be pinned down by retary, believes that ending the completely unacceptable and it heading for the Channel port, the lorries and other vehicles from veillance already in place. It will man said. MPs on when exactly that might moratorium on new grammar won’t wash with peers from all UK’s immigration minister has migrants who have used rocks, just result in people going further But Goodwill, a former ship- be. schools should be considered as corners of the House of Lords,” confi rmed. shopping trolleys and even tree to get round it.” ping minister, said the new wall He defended the government’s one option in the forthcoming Lady Smith said. Robert Goodwill told MPs the trunks to try to stop vehicles be- “When you put walls up any- was part of a package of meas- record on helping child refugees publication. Angela Rayner, the shadow four-metre high wall was part fore climbing aboard. where in the world, people fi nd ures to step up security at the with links to Britain in the Calais However, the department education secretary, said the of a £17mn package of joint An- It will be made of smooth ways to go round them. It’s a Channel ports. “We are going to camp, saying they were trying believes that the policy should photograph had “let the cat out glo-French security measures to concrete in an attempt to make waste of money. It could make it start building this big, new wall to speed up the process. But he “only be pursued once we have of the bag”. She argued that any tighten precautions at the port. it more diffi cult to scale, with more dangerous for people, it will as part of the £17mn package we conceded that he had only had worked with existing grammars expansion of grammar schools, “People are still getting plants and fl owers on one side to push up tariff s for people smug- are doing with the French. There one lengthy conversation with to show how they can be expand- which limit access to students through,” he said. “We have done reduce its visual impact on the lo- glers and people will end up tak- is still more to do. We have also Lord Dubs, the leading parlia- ed and reformed in ways which who pass an academic exam at the fences. Now we are doing the cal area. It is due to be completed ing more risks.” invested in space for 200 lorries mentary campaigner on the is- avoid disadvantaging those age 11, would be “regressive”. wall,” the new immigration min- by the end of the year. The Road Haulage Associa- at Calais so that they have some- sue, since taking over the job. Inquest into death of Tusk in Dublin Amazon food delivery service in London

whistleblower delayed London Evening Standard many of these small businesses London start off ering home delivery for the fi rst time.” Reuters gin next week but has now been caused by the government action Daniel Creedon, head chef at Woking postponed in a legal wrangle over was disgraceful. Fitzrovia’s world cuisine restau- confi dential documents. Perepilichny had been provid- mazon has thrown down rant Archipelago, said: “We believe The government has applied for ing evidence against those linked the gauntlet to restaurant with Amazon’s experience and inquest into the sudden “public interest immunity” over to the death of lawyer Sergei Mag- Atakeaway websites such as success in the US and understand- death of a Russian mafi a material it holds citing national nitsky while in custody in Moscow Deliveroo and Just Eat with its own ing of logistics in London they are Awhistleblower was delayed security grounds, a move which in 2009. Magnitsky had accused home delivery service for London. perfectly placed to deliver a serv- until next year because of a wran- would prevent the information be- Russian government offi cials of The US giant launched its ver- ice that ensures our food reaches gle over sensitive documents the ing considered at a normal inquest stealing $230mn. Hermitage Cap- sion, Amazon Restaurants, yester- our customers as it should.” government wants kept secret. which determines how and why a ital Management, which employed day in 19 postal districts after link- Amazon Restaurants is ini- Alexander Perepilichny, 44, was person dies unexpectedly. Magnitsky, also condemned the ing up with about 150 restaurant tially available only in the City, found dead near his luxury home Coroner Richard Travers had move by the government lawyers. brands across the capital, includ- West End, Westminster, Pimlico on the exclusive gated St George’s wanted to know if there was any If the High Court judge rules the ing US diner Planet Hollywood, and Victoria in central London; Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, information which might throw government information should Scottish-inspired Boisdale and Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, Bow, southwest of London, after he light on whether Perepilichny had be kept secret but was relevant to Soho Indian The Red Fort. Clapton, and Homerton in the had been out jogging in November been threatened or possible third the death, the inquest might have The service, which fi rst east; Islington, Stoke Newington 2012. party involvement. to be abandoned and a public in- launched in Seattle a year ago, is and Stamford Hill in the north; The sudden nature of the death The issue will now be settled by quiry held instead. free for orders over £15 and guar- Kensington and Chelsea in the of Perepilichny, who had sought London’s High Court. That would be the same se- antees delivery within an hour — west; and Southwark, Lambeth, refuge in Britain in 2009, and his “I’m enormously frustrated quence of events which led to an but is available only through Ama- Vauxhall and Kennington in south role in helping a Swiss investiga- by it,” Travers told a pre-inquest inquiry into the death of ex-KGB zon’s £79-a-year Prime Now app. London but will be rolled out tion into a Russian money-laun- hearing. He added that the in- agent Alexander Litvinenko in It comes three months after the around the capital if successful. dering scheme raised suggestions quest would now start on March London in 2006. launch of grocery delivery service Other restaurants on the Ama- that he might have been murdered. 13 next year. Cecily White, a law- That inquiry concluded in Amazon Fresh in the capital. zon app include eastern Euro- Surrey Police have said there yer for Perepilichny’s widow, said January that Russian President Al Wilkinson, head of Ama- pean specialists Baltic, Michelin- was no evidence to suggest a third the delay was a cause of extreme Vladimir Putin had probably zon Restaurants in the UK, said: starred Mayfair Indian Benares, party had been involved, but last distress for her client and her two given the go-ahead to a Russian “Based on our own research into Japanese restaurant Kiru and Ital- year a pre-inquest hearing heard children and had had an eff ect on intelligence operation to murder President of the European Council, Donald Tusk (right) what is important to consumers in ian chain Strada. that traces of a rare and deadly her health. Litvinenko, an outspoken Kremlin shakes hands with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny on food delivery, our team have hand- Fleets of mopeds sporting the poison from the gelsemium plant Lawyers for Legal & General, critic who had also fl ed to Britain, arrival at the government buildings in Dublin for talks picked a selection of the best qual- Just Eat, UberEAT or Deliveroo had been found in his stomach. with whom he had taken out a life with the rare radioactive isotope yesterday. ity local restaurants in London” logos have become a common The full inquest was due to be- insurance policy, said the situation polonium-210. “We’re excited to be helping sight on the capital’s streets. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 19 BRITAIN

Corbyn vows fracking ban as part of Labour’s green agenda

Guardian News and Media the party intends to embrace unambitious and accused the He said in Nottingham: “Re- cial justice at the heart of our sion of the green industries and “We will launch a publicly London an ambitious environmental Labour leader of backtracking. search shows that as much as environment policies, and take jobs of the future.” funded National Home Insu- agenda and break its traditional Corbyn’s environment and 80% of known fossil fuel re- our fair share of action to meet The manifesto includes a lation programme that would strong links to mining and fos- energy manifesto, launched serves must remain unburned if the Paris climate agreement – commitment to create over see at least 4mn homes insu- Labour government un- sil fuel extraction, he pledged yesterday in Nottingham, a the world is to keep global tem- starting by getting on track with 300,000 renewable energy jobs lated. This would create tens of der Jeremy Corbyn would to phase out all coal power sta- former centre of the mining perature rises to 2C (above pre- our climate change act goals.” and to set a target of 65% of thousands of jobs across every A ban fracking, ditch all tions by the “early 2020s” and industry and a potential future industrial levels)”. “We want Britain to be the UK electricity from renewable community, reducing the need coal-fired power stations and invest heavily in energy-saving site of fracking, states that the “When Labour gets back into world’s leading producer of sources by 2030. for expensive new energy gen- massively increase renewable to avoid building many new controversial technique for ex- power, Britain will lead the world renewables technology. To In addition, Labour would eration, and helping millions of energy, his leadership campaign power stations. tracting shale gas “is not com- in action on climate change. achieve this we will accelerate invest heavily in energy saving, people to save money on their has announced. But rival leadership candidate patible with climate change ”“We will act to protect the the transition to a low-carbon making building insulation a bills,” Corbyn said. In the clearest signal yet that Owen Smith said the plan was prevention”. future of our planet, with so- economy, and drive the expan- national infrastructure priority.

Famed London May ‘cannot club shuts due to drug fears take any part

AFP London of Britain ondon’s famed Fabric nightclub will be shut Ldown after the local coun- cil revoked its licence yester- day due to several drug-related deaths, sparking an online petition that garnered nearly out of the EU’ 150,000 signatures. The club’s licence was sus- Reuters voted against secession just two how to approach it.” pended last month at the request Edinburgh years ago. “It would not be right for me or of the police following the deaths “Our guiding principle will con- this government to give a running of two teenagers from suspected tinue to be at all times the best in- commentary on negotiations.” drug overdoses at the nightspot rime Minister Theresa May terests of the people of Scotland.” Immediately after prime min- in the borough of Islington. does not have a mandate to Sturgeon said she had held ister’s questions, May made a “The police win out. Fabric is Ptake any part of Britain out meetings with high-ranking EU statement to the Commons on this shut,” the Time Out entertain- of the European Union’s single offi cials after the June vote, in- week’s G20 summit in Hangzhou, ment magazine said following a market, Scottish First Minister cluding the prime minister of Mal- China, beginning with an update late-night meeting of Islington Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday, ta who she said was likely to hold on the Brexit process. council’s licensing committee upping the stakes in talks for Brit- the EU presidency when the legal While giving no more details, on Tuesday which confi rmed the ain to leave the bloc. mechanism for Britain to leave the she promised a specifi c British club would not reopen. May has said Britain will be bloc is triggered. variant on non-membership as- Fabric, renowned for its drum leaving the EU after 52% of vot- May meanwhile again refused sociation with the EU, one that and bass, techno and house ers backed Brexit at a June 23 to say whether the UK could re- would be “ambitious and bold”. nights, built up a reputation to referendum. While England and main in the EU single market after She said: “It is not about the rival fellow British clubbing in- Wales voted to leave, the Scots Brexit, using her fi rst prime minis- Norway model or the Swiss model stitution Ministry of Sound over and Northern Irish backed staying ter’s questions since the summer or any other country’s model – it is the last decade-and-a-half. in the bloc, complicating divorce recess to say she would not give a about developing our own British Host to many of the world’s proceedings. “running commentary on nego- model.” top DJs and behind regular “We will seek to use whatever tiations”. “So we will not take decisions branded music releases, Fabric infl uence we have to shape the Following an exchange with until we are ready. We will not re- claims 6mn people have stepped best, or the least bad option,” Jeremy Corbyn on housing in veal our hand prematurely and we through its doors since its open- Sturgeon told the Scottish par- which the prime minister merci- will not provide a running com- ing in a old meat-processing area liament, providing an update on lessly mocked the divisions in the mentary on every twist and turn of north London in 1999. Scotland’s drive to keep its EU Labour party – “We’re not going of the negotiation. And I say that The local council concluded membership. to let them anywhere near power because that is not the best way to that the club had a “culture of “In my view, that does mean again,” she said at one point. conduct a strong and mature ne- drug use” which staff were “in- the UK continuing as a member of May was questioned by Angus gotiation that will deliver the best capable of controlling”. the single market. I accept that the Robertson on Brexit. The SNP’s deal for the people of this country.” London mayor Sadiq Khan, prime minister has a mandate in Westminster leader asked May In response, Corbyn said it was who said he went to Fabric when England and Wales to leave the EU, twice whether she planned for a clear there had been a lack of plan- he was younger, expressed dis- but I do not accept that she has a Brexit deal to include full access ning for a Brexit vote. “The prime appointment, while leading DJs mandate to take any part of the UK to the EU’s single market in goods minister said she wouldn’t reveal Carl Cox and Fatboy Slim, as out of the single market.” and services, as hoped for by many her hand on this subject. Nobody well as the Chemical Brothers Continuing to have access to the businesses. would blame her because she and Groove Armada joined a bid single market without being an EU May dodged the question both hasn’t revealed her hand or indeed to overturn the decision. member would mean taking part times, saying only that she would any of the government’s many “London’s iconic clubs are in the trade area without having a seek “the right deal for the trade in hands. They’re unclear on what an essential part of our cultural say over its rules. goods and services with the Euro- they’re trying to do.” landscape,” he said in a state- Support for EU membership pean Union in a new relationship “We accept the decision taken ment. among Scots in the June ‘Brexit’ we will be building with them”. by the majority of our people but “Clubbing needs to be safe referendum was 62%, putting Amid some jeers in the Com- we cannot ignore the fact that the but I’m disappointed that Fab- Scotland at odds with much of the mons, she added: “That new re- outcome has left this country di- ric, Islington Council and the rest of Britain. lationship will include control vided, with rising levels of hate Metropolitan Police were un- Sturgeon, who leads the de- of the movement of people from crime, huge uncertainty about able to reach agreement on how volved Scottish government, has the EU into the UK, and it will in- what comes next for our country, to address concerns about public Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon views the construction work underway during a visit to the new raised the possibility of another clude the right deal for the trade the extraordinary lack of planning safety,” he said. Borroughmuir High School in Edinburgh, Scotland. independence referendum. Scots in goods and services. That is and preparation.”

Veterinary hospital opened Southern rail commuters Victory for traders hit by fresh travel misery as fl ats plan axed London Evening Standard Orion has now agreed to hand London over day-to-day control of London Evening Standard are “unsafe”. The claims are ro- The RMT, which has staged re- Shepherd’s Bush Market to its London bustly denied by rail chiefs. peated walkouts since April, re- joint venture partners, property The union declared the strike sponded: “The arrogance of the raders at Shepherd’s Bush regeneration company U+I. A “solid and determined”, although basket-case Southern franchise Market celebrated yester- spokesman for the company said undreds of thousands of Southern sources suggested one is breathtaking... we haven’t Tday after bitterly contest- it would enter talks with traders passengers suff ered more in fi ve guards had reported for come this far with this campaign ed plans for a £150mn moderni- and the now Labour-run council Hdisruption yesterday as work. to cave into this racketeering sation were scrapped. about a new vision for the mar- another strike by train guards Train services across Sus- outfi t and their attacks on staff The owners of the 102-year- ket. cancelled and delayed services sex were particularly badly hit. and passengers alike.” old market, known for its fabric James Horada, chairman across the South and into Lon- Southern and the RMT each de- Mick Cash, RMT general sec- shops and stalls, have written to of the Shepherd’s Bush Mar- don. clared they are not backing down retary, admitted the union was traders confi rming that the pro- ket Tenants’ Association, said: Commuters face exactly the in the increasingly bitter dispute, “no closer” to settling the dis- posed scheme is no longer being “There’s been a lot of wrongs same again today for the second raising the prospect of yet more pute than it was in April when the pursued. The decision follows a caused over the past two-and- half of the 48-hour walkout. walkouts. strikes began. defeat for developers Orion Land a-half years. We are now looking A dozen routes operated by Alex Foulds, Southern’s pas- Southern’s parent company, & Leisure in the Court of Appeal to this company U+I to right all Southern Railway were left with- senger rail services director, GTR, says it is introducing the earlier this year over a compul- those wrongs. out any trains and some serv- made clear: “This two-day strike changes with more driver-only sory purchase order it said was “The proposals were to the ices did not start running until will achieve nothing.” He said operated (DOO) trains to im- needed to make the redevelop- detriment of the tenants, that’s 7.30am. plans to change the role of guards prove service for passengers. It ment viable. the real crux of the matter. One in three trains were can- and other staff are now “moving says responsibility for train doors Orion had planned to build Hopefully sensible proposals celled, with those that did run forward” and would not be pre- will be transferred from guards more than 200 fl ats next to the can now be brought forward to even more crowded than usual. vented by the RMT’s action. We to drivers. Guards will instead market in Goldhawk Road and help the existing businesses.” Southern warned passengers: have guaranteed all our onboard be replaced by train “hosts” to use the profi ts to pay for an over- Ali Rehman, 19, who has “We cannot guarantee there will staff a job until the end of the take care of passengers. GTR says haul of the rundown site along- worked on his fruit and veg stall be space for you to travel.” franchise with no reduction in DOO is safe and used across oth- side a railway viaduct. However, for three years, said: “We are The rail fi rm said it would safety. Our plans are safe and will er parts of their network and the traders said the proposals — right at the front of the market only be able to operate 65% of its mean fewer cancelled trains. country. which secured planning consent so the fact that the plans have current revised timetable, with “We are sorry passengers will The RMT maintains the Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, tours the Battersea Dogs from the former Conservative been dropped is massively ben- some trains replaced by buses. once again suff er because of RMT changes are “unsafe” and that a & Cats Home in west London yesterday. The duchess regime at Hammersmith and efi cial for us. We are very happy. The walkout was ordered by intransigence and urge the union driver has enough duties to per- off icially opened the new Veterinary Hospital and Centre of Fulham council in April 2014 — This stall has been here for a total RMT leaders, who say proposed to work with us to fi nd a sensible form without the added respon- Excellence, where she met staff , volunteers and supporters. did not provide adequate safe- of 40 years and we can now keep changes to the role of the guard way forward.” sibility of operating train doors. guards for their future. going.” Gulf Times 20 Thursday, September 8, 2016 EUROPE

HATE CRIME POLLUTION KNIFE WIELDER BID TO END FIGHTING POLL PLANK Right-wingers attack Russia investigates river Body armour to the rescue German, French ministers Norway Conservatives veiled, pregnant Muslim turning bright red as Brussels cops attacked head to Kiev for fresh talks pitch some tax relief

Two suspected right-wing extremists attacked Russia’s environment ministry yesterday ordered A man wielding a knife yesterday attacked two German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Norway’s ruling Conservative Party plans to a heavily pregnant Muslim woman wearing a a probe into a possible industrial accident after Belgian police off icers in the capital Brussels, but said yesterday he would travel to Ukraine with campaign for a moderate reduction of taxes in full-face veil in Barcelona, Spanish news agency a river in the far north of the country turned their body armour protected them and they were his French counterpart next week to discuss if, next September’s general election campaign, draft Efe reported yesterday, citing police sources. The bright red. In a statement, the ministry said it had unhurt, the police said. Police gave no immediate and when, broader Normandy format talks that policy proposals released by a key party committee men insulted the woman and her husband in the received complaints from local residents over details about the suspect’s identity or motives for also include Russia could be scheduled. Russian showed yesterday. With the price of crude, Norway’s Spanish coastal city’s old town, before kicking “pollution of the river Daldykan in the region of the attack in a park in the Molenbeek district. The President Vladimir Putin on Monday had said main export, down by more than half since 2014, her in the stomach, according to the report. the city of Norilsk by an unidentified chemical that man was arrested by another patrol and is now in Russia would continue to support the Normandy the country’s politicians face tougher priorities The victim was sent to hospital, where she and turned the water a bright red colour.” “According custody, police spokeswoman Julie Mampuy told format talks, which are aimed at ending fighting than in past years, said committee leader Torbjoern her unborn baby are said to be doing well. The to preliminary information the possible reason for AFP. “Two patrolmen were attacked with a knife in eastern Ukraine, with the leaders of Germany, Roe Isaksen. “Even in the coming years we’ll have attackers have been arrested and are facing the pollution of the river may be a breakage in a by a man while they were in the Bonnevie park in France and Ukraine. The German foreign minister some more money to spend, but we can’t for much charges of “violence, hate and discrimination.” slurry pipe at a Norilsk Nickel plant,” it said. Pictures Molenbeek,” police spokeswoman Julie Mampuy had told reporters in Oslo, Norway on Sunday that longer base ourselves on oil revenues to balance The woman was wearing a niqab at the time circulated online earlier by local activist groups told AFP. “They received several knife blows but he hoped a new regulation aimed at maintaining the accounts,” he told a news conference. “The time which covers the whole body and face, with a showed what they claimed was the blood-red river they were protected by their bullet-proof vests a fragile “back to school” ceasefire in eastern for major welfare expansion is over. In the future we thin gap for the eyes. running through forests in the Russian far north. and were fortunately not hurt,” she added. Ukraine could be completed soon by the OSCE. must focus on maintaining current benefits.”

School under Merkel warns peers against fi re for ‘ethnic quota’ classes

AFP populist race to the bottom Copenhagen

AFP Danish PM to push ahead Danish school was criticised yes- Berlin with tough asylum law terday for limiting the number of Astudents from ethnic minorities Denmark’s prime minister has said in some of its classes, in a bid to prevent hancellor Angela Merkel yes- his minority government would push students from a Danish background from terday urged German politi- ahead with a bill to reject asylum seek- leaving it. Ccians against stooping to the ers at the borders in times of crisis even The Langkaer upper secondary school levels of anti-immigration populists, though such a move might breach the outside the city of Aarhus said its fi rst-year days after her party suff ered a sting- European Union’s Dublin rules. students had been divided into seven dif- ing state election defeat against the Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he ferent classes, out of which three classes Islamphobic AfD. wanted to guard against a situation had a 50% limit on the number of ethnic In her fi rst address to parliament like last year when 21,300 asylum minority students. since Sunday’s election in the state seekers entered the country and the The remaining four classes consisted of Mecklenburg-Western Pomera- rules that say people must stay and only of students from an immigrant back- nia, Merkel defended her welcoming claim asylum in the first EU country ground. stance to refugees and called on all they reach were discarded. The school’s headmaster, Yago Bund- parties to unite against the Alterna- “The proposal is aimed at a situ- gaard, denied allegations that the practice tive for Germany (AfD). ation like the one last year, when it amounted to discrimination and said that Her Christian Democratic Union was very obvious that Dublin rules the aim was to encourage integration by (CDU) garnered its lowest ever score had been de facto sidelined,” Lars preventing a dwindling number of ethnic in the northeastern, ex-Communist Lokke Rasmussen told Reuters in an Danes from leaving the school. state, falling to third place behind the interview late on Tuesday. “For real integration to take place in a anti-immigrant AfD, which was run- He said the proposal was inspired class there has to be suffi cient numbers ning there for the fi rst time. by a similar law adopted in June by from both groups for it to happen,” he told Merkel noted that not just her con- neighbouring Norway, which is not a public broadcaster DR. servative party, but all mainstream member of the EU but adheres to the The school had seen the number of eth- parties from the left to the right, had Dublin rules, and acknowledged that nic minority students rise from 25% in lost ground to the AfD, which has the change could be “problematic in 2007 to 80% of this year’s fi rst-year stu- railed against Merkel’s welcoming relation to the Dublin rules”. dents. liberal refugee stance. “Like Norway sent a signal to us, Describing it as “the least bad solution”, “A party like the AfD is not only a we would like to send a signal to Bundgaard said that the ethnic minority challenge for the CDU...but a chal- others that we must find a solution students had been picked based on wheth- lenge for all of us sitting here,” she in Europe where we take care of our er they had “a Danish-sounding name”, but told the Bundestag. external borders,” Rasmussen said. admitted that it was a “fl uid” distinction. But she warned politicians against EU states are at loggerheads over Turkish-born commentator and former deploying populist tactics such as how to manage migration after 1.3mn lawmaker Ozlem Cekic said she would blurring or ignoring facts in an eff ort refugees and migrants reached the report the school to Denmark’s Board of to win back voters, saying Germany bloc last year. Frictions intensified Equal Treatment. must stand by its core principles of after Italy and Greece, frustrated by a “When a headmaster isolates the brown freedom, security, justice and soli- Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the Bundestag in Berlin yesterday. lack of help from other countries, let children from the white in an upper sec- darity. migrants travel north to richer states ondary school, he is part of sending a signal “Politicians like us have a respon- The drubbing emboldened Mer- ers’ expense...then the only winners ments with Libya and Tunisia, said in defiance of the rules. that the whites must be protected from the sibility to moderate our speech,” she kel’s critics, including within her own are those who rely on slogans and easy the German leader. While that eased pressure on brown,” she wrote on Facebook. said. “If we begin to orient our speech conservative Union alliance. answers,” she warned. Merkel acknowledged however that the “frontline” states, the northern Human rights lawyer Nanna Krusaa also and actions towards those who are Horst Seehofer, who leads the Defending her refugee policy again, work remained to be done at home to reaction to last year’s huge surge in told broadcaster TV 2 that “placing stu- not interested in solutions, we will CDU’s Bavarian sister party CSU, Merkel said a controversial EU-Tur- integrate the newcomers, as well as arrivals from Syria, Africa and beyond dents solely based on race or ethnicity is in lose our own direction in the end. heaped on the pressure, saying “the key deal that she championed is in beef up security to prevent attacks led to new border controls across my clear view illegal”. “If we resist that and stick with the situation is a serious threat for the “both our interests.” such as those carried out in July by Europe, including in Denmark. Danish Education Minister Ellen Trane truth, then we will regain what’s most Union”. Under the deal, Ankara agreed asylum seekers in Germany. The proposed law has yet to be Norby said that she had requested a report important — the trust of the people.” And Vice Chancellor Sigmar to take back migrants who land in “Terrorism is not something new adopted by the parliament, where from the school to ensure that the law was In the run-up to Sunday’s vote, Gabriel, who leads the CDU’s junior Greece in exchange for billions in aid that came with refugees. But, given Rasmussen’s Liberals hold only 34 being upheld, but that she was also looking Merkel had urged the electorate to re- coalition partner the Social Demo- as well as visa-free travel to the bloc. that not all refugees come with good out of 179 seats and need the support at introducing legislation to make upper sist voting for the AfD, saying it off ers crats, charged that Merkel’s message “It is right for us to fi ght the ille- intentions, we will take further (secu- of others, including the anti-immigra- secondary schools in Denmark more ethni- “no solutions to problems” and was of “we can do it” was empty words. gal trade of people smuggling...since rity) measures,” she pledged. tion Danish People’s Party, to govern. cally mixed. spreading a message based in “hate”. In a response to the jibes, Mer- we’ve had this deal, almost no one has Germany in August unveiled tough The European Commission has “The fundamental problem is that we Nevertheless, the right-wing kel said squabbling within the ruling drowned in the Aegean Sea,” Merkel new anti-terror measures after the said it will only be able to comment in Denmark have...schools with a too high populist party, founded only in 2013, coalition only served their common argued. IS-claimed attacks, including a con- on the issue once precise draft legis- ratio of students with a diff erent ethnic clinched almost 21% of the vote, enemy. The EU-Turkey deal should also troversial proposal to strip militant lation is put on the table. background than Danish,” she wrote on Fa- against 19% for Merkel’s party. “If we seek small gains at each oth- serve as a model for future agree- fi ghters of their German nationality. cebook.

Serbia jails ‘spy’ ahead Ukraine ponders delivery of world’s largest jet to China of Croatian elections AFP test fl ight of an unmanned Buran or- Kiev biter from its Baikonur space centre in present-day Kazakhstan in 1988. Reuters under questioning Colovic had The Mriya was able to ferry the Buran Belgrade admitted he was recruited by kraine said yesterday it may de- fi xed on top of the plane. Croatia’s spy agency in 1999. liver the world’s largest jet — But a second fl ight planned for the “Colovic said he was collecting Uoriginally developed for the So- early 1990s had to be scrapped because erbia has jailed a veteran of the information about former Yugo- viet Union’s abandoned space shuttle of the Soviet Union’s disintegration and 1990s Yugoslav wars on charg- slav army offi cers who fought in programme — to China within the next Russia’s subsequent deep economic ma- Ses of spying for Croatia, the Croatia in the 1990s, in exchange fi ve years. laise. latest of several tit-for-tat moves in for immunity from prosecution The fi rst AN-225 Mriya (Dream) six- China has not offi cially said what which relations between the former there, and that he was paid for engine heavy lifter was built by the An- plans it has for the plane. foes have fallen to their lowest ebb that,” the offi cial said. tonov aircraft maker in the 1980s. Some military experts believe that since the confl ict ended in 1995. Croatian authorities deny The company moved in 1952 from Si- Beijing does not intend to employ the The Serbian High Court on Tues- Colovic ever worked for them. beria to Kiev and then fell into Ukraine’s Mriya in a space programme but rather day accepted a plea bargain by Cedo With polls predicting a close lap when the Soviet Union dissolved in to use it as a heavy lifter for domestic Colovic, 57, a former artillery offi cer election, Croatian parties have 1991. and international projects. who served with the military of the been courting the nationalist vote. Antonov and the Aviation Industry Ties between Kiev and Moscow breakaway Serb republic in Croatia Moves which have infuriated Corp of China signed a memorandum have been frozen since Russia in March between 1991 and 1993. He was Serbia include rehabilitation of of understanding on August 30 to renew 2014 seized Crimea after swarming the sentenced to three years in jail. a cleric who supported Croatia’s the plane’s production in China under Ukrainian peninsula with troops and Colovic’s arrest last Friday was World War II-era pro-German licence from Ukraine. then overseeing an independence refer- widely seen as a response to moves government and honouring a man The only functioning Mriya jet last endum the UN General Assembly con- in Croatia, which votes in a gen- who assassinated a Yugoslav am- completed a large cargo delivery from demned as “illegal”. eral election on Sunday, to publicly bassador in the 1970s with a statue. the Czech Republic to Australia in May. Russia denies backing a pro-Krem- rehabilitate controversial fi gures “This Colovic case was a totally A second jet was only partially fi n- lin revolt that broke out in the east of from the past, causing consterna- unnecessary escalation in already ished and has remained in Ukrainian Ukraine in the following weeks. tion in Serbia. strained relations with Croatia... storage for the past 28 years. The 28-month war has claimed near- The worsening relations be- and if it was a tit-for-tat, than it Antonov’s China project co-ordinator ly 9,600 lives and resulted in Ukraine tween the two threaten to derail was a rather miserable one,” said Gennadiy Gabruk said the second plane cancelling major aviation projects with Brussels’s plans to cajole the seven Milos Damjanovic, an analyst with would be fully upgraded and “under op- Russia. Yugoslav successor states towards the Belgrade-based BIRN Consul- timal conditions” delivered to China by Oleksander Kotsyuba, president of Ukrainian aviation state’s company Antonov, The former Soviet republic currently further European integration since tancy. 2021. speaks to the media in Kiev. refuses to service the world’s largest European Union member Croatia The collapse of Yugoslavia in “This jet will be built using the ba- mass-produced cargo jet — the An-124- has the power to block or slow Ser- 1991 plunged the region into a sis of the basic framework we already China reportedly conducted covert Such a project would need a vessel to 100 Ruslan that Russia fl ies around the bia’s progress towards EU mem- bloodbath that lasted the best part have, but all the equipment will be new,” work on its own shuttle programme be- transport people to and from Earth. world for emergency relief and contract- bership. of the 1990s, cost over 130,000 Gabruk told reporters. fore dropping the idea in the 1990s. The Soviet Union developed the Mriya ed work. Slovenia, another ex-Yugoslav lives, drove around 4mn people The memorandum of understanding But the booming nation is keen to to help lift off shuttles that could com- Antonov’s chief Oleksandr Kotsyuba republic, is also a EU member. from their homes and saw the mul- foresees mass production of the Mriya join the international space race and is pete against those being used by the said in a statement that Ukraine could A government offi cial who asked tinational federation break up into by China under Antonov’s licence if all reportedly considering a permanently United States. no longer be held liable for the safety of not to be named told Reuters that seven successor states. the technical details are resolved. manned moon base. Moscow conducted a successful Russia’s Ruslan jets. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 21 EUROPE Washed away Two detained after car with gas cylinders found in Paris

Reuters Documents with writing in Arabic Paris were also found in the car. More than 200 people have been killed in terror attacks over the past car, whose owner is on an in- year-and-a-half in France. telligence services watchlist France remains on maximum alert Aof people suspected of reli- after calls by the Islamic State group gious radicalisation, was discovered for followers to attack the coun- near Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris try, which is bombing the militant on Saturday night with seven gas group’s bases in Iraq and Syria. cylinders inside, police and judicial Florence Berthout, mayor of Par- offi cials said yesterday. is’s Fifth Arrondissement, said the The car owner was taken into cus- incident highlighted the need to beef tody but later released, one judicial up security and put more police on offi cial said. patrol in one of the world’s most vis- A couple, aged 34 and 29, were ited cities. arrested at a motorway lay-by on She said the vehicle was left in a Tuesday in southern France in con- zone where parking is strictly pro- nection with the incident and re- hibited and that it had remained mained in custody, the offi cial said. there for around two hours before it The car, which had no registration came to the attention of police. plates, contained seven gas cylin- “Police and army staffi ng must be ders, one of them empty on the front stepped up,” she told news TV chan- passenger seat, two police offi cials nel BFM. said. Thousands of extra police and It was found with its hazard lights soldiers have been deployed to patrol fl ashing, as if to attract attention, sensitive sites across France since they said. 130 people were killed by Islam- Interior Minister Bernard Caze- ist gunmen and suicide bombers in neuve said he was waiting for a report multiple attacks on Paris on Novem- from investigators on what the possi- ber 13. ble motives were for the incident. A state of emergency declared at There was no detonating device that time is still in place and gives present in the car, found on a Seine police extra search and arrest powers riverside stretch called the Quai de but debate still rages over security Montebello, metres from the Notre- levels, following a further attack on A car is washed away into the sea following floods caused by heavy overnight rain yesterday in Agia Triada, a suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece. Dame cathedral, one of Paris’s many July 14 in which a man mowed into popular tourist attractions. crowds in the city of Nice, killing 86. Portugal and Spain Back to earth battle wildfi res AFP Still, over a third of the country faced local emergency services spokeswoman At least 92 fi re outbreaks have been Lsibon a “very high” or “maximum” risk of said. Authorities suspect the blaze was recorded since Monday in the Galician wildfi res yesterday. deliberately set and are looking for the province of Orense, leading offi cials to Nearly 300 fi refi ghters were fi ghting culprits. suspect arson. housands of fi refi ghters in Spain one of the largest fi res, near the north- Another wildfi re on the holiday is- The rural aff airs minister in the re- and Portugal were yesterday bat- ern town of Boticas. land of Menorca was declared under gional government of Galicia, Angeles Ttling blazes that threatened lo- Local offi cials evacuated children and control on Tuesday night after destroy- Vazquez Mejuto, said those who delib- cals and tourists, as authorities hoped the elderly from a nearby hamlet over- ing scrubland and pine forest near Are- erately set wildfi res in the middle of a that the arrival of cooler weather would night. nal d’en Castell, local emergency serv- heatwave were “murderers”. help tame the fl ames. “Two other localities are still threat- ices said. According to the agriculture minis- In Portugal, more than 2,000 fi re- ened by the fl ames,” said the mayor of That fi re “was caused by children try, wildfi res destroyed almost 40,000 fi ghters backed by water-dropping Boticas, Fernando Queiroga, complain- playing, probably due to a fi recracker,” hectares of land between January and aircraft were at the scene of about 50 ing that there were not enough fi re- the regional government said. August — an area close to the size of fi res yesterday morning, down from the fi ghters available. Temperatures in Spain have also hit Barbados. 3,800 deployed at 100 fi res the previ- Just across the Spanish border, the records in recent day, topping 40 de- But this is still far less than the av- ous night, the country’s civil protection intense heat also fanned fi ve wildfi res in grees Celsius in some places. erage for the period, which since 2006 agency said. Carlos Guerra, an offi cial the northwestern Galicia region. As such, Spain’s Agriculture Minister has been around 78,000 hectares. with the agency, said yesterday most On Spain’s eastern coast firefight- Isabel Garcia Tejerina said there was an Wildfi res have so far this year de- fi res were under control even if not fully ers had managed to stabilise a wildfire “added risk” of wildfi res due to the in- stroyed over 107,000 hectares of land in extinguished. raging since Sunday near the popular tense heat. mainland Portugal. The landing module of a Russian Soyuz TMA-19M space craft carrying The mercury has topped 40 degrees resort of Benidorm that prompted the “We remain in wildfi re season even Another 5,400 hectares of land have crew members of the International Space Station, Russian cosmonauts Celsius in recent days but the national temporary evacuation of 1,400 peo- though we are in the month of Septem- been destroyed on the holiday island Alexey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka and US astronaut Jeff rey weather offi ce forecast maximum tem- ple. ber,” she said, adding arsonists were to of Madeira where wildfi res killed three Williams, landing some 150km to the east of the city of Dzhezkazgan in peratures would drop by between four “They continue to work to water the blame for most major wildfi res in Spain people in August and charred dozens of Kazakhstan yesterday. and eight degrees Celsius. area. The fi re...has been stabilised,” a this year. homes. Isolated Russian outpost withers in confrontation with West

By Lidia Kelly, Reuters Protestant learning and trade on Companies like Pleshkov’s Since 2014, Russia’s overall The Moscow government become a manufacturing hub as- in our stores is not cheese.” Kaliningrad the Baltic coast, was in fact part Thomas-Beton were permitted trade volume has fallen by a third, speaks of refocusing eastwards sembling products from import- Vadim Khlebnikov, editor of of Germany until World War II, to import raw materials duty free but Kaliningrad’s has plummeted on trade with countries like Chi- ed EU materials, which would local news portal rugrad.edu, when it was bombed to rubble to make products that could be by nearly half. Industrial output, na. only be sustainable if workers said everything had become more he Baltic Sea outpost of by the allies, besieged by the ad- sold back in mainland Russia. which had previously outpaced But that is small comfort here stay low paid, he said. expensive last year, apart from Kaliningrad was once vancing Red Army and captured But that status was allowed to the rest of Russia, fell more than on Europe’s doorstep. “I don’t want Kaliningrad to potatoes and cheap frozen fi sh. Ttouted as Russia’s future in the fi nal months of the war. lapse on April 1 this year. anywhere else. “Co-operation with Australia become an appendage to the EU Russian tourists still come in Hong Kong: separated from the Its entire German population And that followed a series of Russia’s counter-sanctions looks as likely to yield success as with cheap labour and low costs summer to enjoy Kaliningrad’s mainland, with a special sta- fl ed, died or was expelled, and other moves to restrict trade included a ban on most EU food the current model at this point — that would be some kind of sandy coast. tus that would allow it to thrive the region known as North Prus- since 2014, when Russia seized imports, wrecking an industry of in time,” gloomily quipped Ilya neo-colonialism,” said Likhanov. But statistics show restaurants through trade. sia was annexed by the Soviet Ukraine’s Crimea, the United processing imported meat into Shumanov, a former director of Instead, it should focus on have been closing. But for Igor Pleshkov, who em- Union, renamed Kaliningrad, re- States and EU imposed punitive canned lunch meat for sale across Kaliningrad’s Transparency In- high-quality manufacturing us- Many are empty. ploys 300 workers in a cement built with stark housing blocks fi nancial sanctions, and Moscow Russia, which had accounted for ternational offi ce. ing Russian raw materials. Meanwhile, Moscow has been factory in this region of 1mn peo- and repopulated by Russians. responded with counter-sanc- nearly a fi fth of Kaliningrad’s Many locals blame the region’s For years, Kaliningrad resi- busy turning the already highly ple wedged between EU members The breakup of the Soviet Un- tions of its own. manufacturing. government for not having a plan dents enjoyed special permission militarised region into a fortress, Lithuania and Poland, the future ion left it separated from the rest Kaliningrad is hardly the only In the case of Pleshkov’s ce- to support business after the to travel back and forth across the beefi ng up its military presence now looks dark. of Russia, its crumbling roads part of Russia that is hurting. ment company, the situation end of the special status regime, Polish border. amid heightened tensions with He has watched his business now clogged with second-hand Throughout the past two became worse in recent months beyond relying on government But Poland suspended that Nato. wither in recent months, brought Volkswagens and Skodas bought years, a collapse in global prices when the government squeezed subsidies, set at 66bn roubles pact in July, citing security con- Some locals say that will only low by protectionist measures cheaply in Europe, rather than for energy exports have created a his supply of inexpensive cement ($1.02bn) for this year. cerns, and says it won’t renew it isolate Russia further. imposed by Moscow in retalia- Russian Ladas and Volgas. grinding economic crisis. by demanding complicated cer- Anton Likhanov, the region’s anytime soon. Pleshkov, who calls himself an tion for Western sanctions. While the region was heavily The rouble has fallen, raising tifi cates for imports. newly appointed prime minis- That hurts shops in Kalinin- optimist, says he fears the re- “The Russian economy has militarised and largely closed to the price of imports. The reform was intended to ter, an energetic young politician grad, many of which have long gion’s best times are behind it. hit bottom, but who would have outsiders during the Soviet pe- But while some parts of Russia protect Russian companies but from Moscow, said there were passed off smuggled Polish meat “The government tried to thought the Russians would start riod, it grew the shoots of pros- have been partly shielded from had the opposite eff ect in Kalin- some “rough edges” that needed as local meat. cover up the problems with the digging?” Pleshkov, 46, says, perity in recent years. the pain by the fall in imports, ingrad, Pleshkov says. smoothing out. Consumers are demoralised. help of quasi patriotism, sug- quoting a line he says he fi rst heard Kaliningrad now has some which has boosted consumption “They are closing off markets, “We need to change the struc- “I am certainly a patriot, but gesting it wasn’t those fools who from a German engineer who had 80,000 small and medium-sized of home-made goods, Kalinin- but they do not understand that ture because we have depended I would go from time to time to didn’t know how to manage their come to work in Kaliningrad. fi rms, many involved in manufac- grad’s close ties to its EU neigh- the Kaliningrad region is in a lit- too much on import compo- Poland,” said Vladimir Kuzin, a own country, but those evil peo- The mediaeval port of turing, thanks in part to special bours means it has suff ered more tle bit of a diff erent geographical nents,” Likhanov told Reuters. former Kaliningrad city offi cial. ple abroad who drove us into this Koenigsberg, once a centre of trade status with its EU neighbours. than other areas. situation,” said Pleshkov. Kaliningrad should not aim to “Because what they call cheese situation,” he said. Gulf Times 22 Thursday, September 8, 2016 INDIA

SURVEY RETAIL CONTROVERSY INVESTIGATION INITIATIVE Flipkart most preferred US-based Amy’s BJP slams Azam Khan Accused in attack on Disabled swimmer to e-commerce platform to arrive in India over Ambedkar remark BJP leader arrested campaign against terror

Flipkart has been chosen as the Amy’s, a US brand that has pioneered the The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested from A 51-year-old physically challenged most preferred e-commerce organic food movement globally, is set to slammed Uttar Pradesh’s Parliamentary Muradnagar the prime accused in last month’s Kerala swimmer has started training to platform ahead of Amazon, launch a select range of its products in India. Aff airs Minister Mohamed Azam Khan for his murderous attack on senior Bharatiya Janata swim non-stop for 25km in an effort to Snapdeal, Paytm and Shopclues, After successfully retailing in the US, Britain derogatory remark that the pointed finger of B Party leader Brijlal Teotia, an off icial said campaign against terrorism. E D Baburaj’s a survey revealed yesterday. The and Australia, Amy’s will launch a select range R Ambedkar on his statues exhorts people to yesterday. Manish was nabbed near Manan left hand became incapacitated after a “E-tailing Leadership Index” survey of 14 products in India starting with Delhi and go for land grabbing. Senior BJP leader Swamy Dhaam Duhai on the Delhi-Meerut Road, the fall when he was 11 years old. He makes was conducted by research firm National Capital Region in mid-September Prasad Maurya, who recently switched sides off icial said adding he was under electronic a living by selling insurance policies. RedSeer Consulting for the May-July period. The across select Modern Trade outlets, said a from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), said it was surveillance since the attack on August 11 in However, he never let his disability come quarterly survey was conducted among 3,000 statement. The range includes canned soups, shameful and unfortunate that senior ministers Ghaziabad district. Police said a US-made .30 in the way of his love for swimming. online shoppers across 30 cities and was split frozen pizzas, meals and snacks, starting at of the state government were mouthing such bore carbine and cartridges were seized from Last year he was notified by the URF between population with equitable distribution of an aff ordable price of Rs160. Started in 1987 remarks and were not reprimanded by their him. Manish is said to have fired the most number Asian Records - an Asian record book age group and gender. Flipkart scored the highest by Andy and Rachel Berliner in California, leadership. “This statement is most unfortunate,” of bullets at Teotia, injuring him seriously. He is published in India - when he swam 10 km in all the three pillars - most trusted brand, best the inception of the food outlet started when he said and added the pointed finger of statues recuperating at a hospital in Noida. The special at the widest part of the Vembanad lake. value proposition and great buying experience - on the couple could not get their hands on any of Ambedkar indicates towards parliament and task force set up to probe the attack on the BJP Baburaj said his new agenda is to create which the overall performance of various e-tailers ready-to-eat food that was made organic urges Dalits to empower themselves so that the leader, has since taken Manish for interrogation awareness that terrorism will destroy was decided in the survey. ingredients. country is ruled by them. to an undisclosed location in Greater Noida. mankind.

Street food suspicions Protests rage have police hunting as Karnataka for beef

DPA Chandigargh releases water olice in Haryana state have been on the look out for il- Plegal beef following com- plaints that the meat was being sold in a rice dish by street ven- dors, a government offi cial said to Tamil Nadu yesterday. Hindus regard the cow as a Government to file petition basin was 46.8 tmcft (thousand the southwest monsoon rainfall holy animal and its slaughter in Supreme Court, says million cubic feet) on Tuesday, is above normal. and consumption is banned in Siddaramaiah which will be barely suffi cient “Due to weak rainfall in the most states. even for drinking water supply to catchment areas in the river ba- In the northern state of Hary- IANS Bengaluru, Mandya and Mysuru. sin, the four reservoirs have re- ana, cow slaughter can fetch up Bengaluru The combined storage of wa- ceived 114.66 tmcft of water up to 10 years’ imprisonment. ter in Kabini, KRS, Harangi and to August 31 as against a normal “Police in Haryana’s Mewat Hemavathi reservoirs is 114 tmcft fl ow of 215.7 tmcft, resulting in a district have been asked to look owing to the Supreme while the live storage is 104 tm- defi cit of 47.27%,” said Siddara- into the complaints and collect Court order, Karnataka cft. maiah. and test samples of the biryani Byesterday began releas- The apex court set up the su- Though the tribunal has pro- sold by vendors,” said Bhani Ram ing Cauvery river water to Tamil pervisory committee in May 2013 vided for sharing of distress Mangla, chairman of the Hary- Nadu amid massive protests as a pro-tem measure for im- without giving the operational ana Gau Sewa Ayog, a commis- and demonstrations across the plementing the Cauvery Water method or formula, the state re- sion set up especially to protect Mysuru region. Dispute Tribunal award, which leased 33 tmcft of water till Au- the cow. “We have started releasing the central government notifi ed gust on the basis of proportion- Alongside this commission, water from early today to Tamil in February of 2013 and six years ality as specifi ed by the tribunal. Haryana’s police department Nadu as directed by the Supreme after the tribunal declared the “Ignoring the distress condi- has a Cow Protection Task Force Court despite facing hardship,” award in February 2007. tions, Tamil Nadu has sought 50 headed by a senior offi cer. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah The federal Water Resources tmcft at the Central Water Com- Mewat district has a major- told reporters here. Secretary is the chairman of the mission gauge station at Bili- ity Muslim population of about Though the apex court on Supervisory Committee while gundlu, which is applicable in a 79%. Monday directed the state to the chief secretaries of Karna- normal year and not in a distress The complaints about the release 15,000 cusecs of water taka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and year,” a water resources depart- biryani started coming in dur- daily for 10 days to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry are its members, be- ment offi cial said. ing the run up to the Eid al-Adha 10,000 cusecs was let out from sides offi cials from the Central Meanwhile, the state govern- festival scheduled Saturday- the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Water Commission. ment has deployed heavy secu- Sunday, district police chief reservoir as 5,000 cusecs is ex- As 11,000 cusecs is equivalent rity at the Kabini Dam in Mysuru Kuldeep Singh said. pected to fl ow to Biligundlu, the to 1 tmcft and 15,000 cusecs is district amid reports that farmers “We held meetings with measuring point at the inter- 1.36 tmcft, the combined reser- were planning to lay siege to it. members of both communities state border, by natural course voirs’ live storage will decline to Prohibitory orders have been and are looking into the com- (gravity) and other sources in the 33.2 tmcft after September 16 - clamped by the authorities at the plaints,” Singh said. downstream. from 46.8 tmcft on September 6 dam site to prevent farmers from Since the Bharatiya Janata “As decided at the all-party if 13.6 tmcft is released in 10 days. assembling in the village. Party came to power in India in meeting on Tuesday, we are soon A cusec, which is a measure of Buses and trucks from Tamil 2014, there have been several fi ling a petition in the apex court fl ow rate of water per second, is Nadu heading to Karnataka were incidents of self-styled cow pro- for modifying its order to reduce equivalent to a fl ow of 28.317 li- stopped at Hosur border. tection activists attacking peo- the quantum (15,000 cusecs) to tres per second. Vehicular traffi c has been hit ple they suspect of transporting 10,000 cusecs and the number “With the southwest monsoon on Mysuru-Bengaluru express- cows for slaughter or of storing of days to six from 10, which we retreating and prospects of more way as Janata Dal (Secular) ac- or carrying beef. off ered to release on September 5 rains in the catchment areas of tivists led by former minister G A man was killed by a mob as a goodwill gesture in response the reservoirs being bleak, the T Devegowda staged protest at in Uttar Pradesh in 2015 over to the apex court’s observation quantum of water (33.2 tmcft) Naganahalli on the outskirts of rumours that his family had on September 2 to adopt a policy will be barely suffi cient for drink- Mysuru. killed and eaten a cow sacri- of live and let live,” said Siddara- ing water supply to Bengaluru, The ongoing agitation has also ficed during Eid al-Adha cel- maiah. Mandya and Mysuru and very severely aff ected the state trans- ebrations. Karnataka has also decided to little for irrigation of agricultural port bus service. In August, Prime Minister soon petition the Cauvery Su- fi elds,” Siddaramaiah said. The Karnataka State Road Narendra Modi criticised the pervisory Committee for spar- According to the tribunal’s fi - Transport Corporation (KSRTC) so-called “gau rakshaks,” or cow ing the state from releasing more nal award, Karnataka has to re- yesterday suspended bus serv- vigilantes, who have attacked People stage a demonstration against releasing of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, in Bengaluru water as the water level in all the lease 192 tmcft of water to Tamil ices from Bengaluru towards people. yesterday. four reservoirs across the river Nadu during a normal year, when Mysuru.

Awareness rally Textile workers demand Using teachers for non-academic work enforcement of pay hike unconstitutional: SC Reuters fi cation,” S Elizabeth Rani, gen- competitors in other states. Chennai eral secretary of the Garment and “States cannot have their own IANS would adversely aff ect their chil- Fashion Workers Union, said in a way of fi xing wages without un- New Delhi dren’s education and the em- statement. derstanding the reality and the ployment of their spouses. undreds of textile work- “Our wages have stagnated background,” K Venkatachalam, Directing their withdrawal ers in s Tamil Nadu state while the cost of living keeps in- chief adviser of the Tamil Nadu he Supreme Court yester- from their current positions, the Hhave launched protests to creasing. Many of us are single Spinning Mills Association, told day said engaging school bench said: “They could not have demand that the fi rst minimum parents and sole wage earners.” the Thomson Reuters Founda- Tteachers and university been deputed in their current po- wage increase in the southern tion. professors for non-academic sitions. Though they are not at state in more than 12 years is en- “Our wages have stagnated “If such decisions are taken, work was against the constitu- fault but being bound by the law forced. while the cost of living industries would attempt to tion. (Right to Education Act), we can’t In July, the Madras High Court keeps increasing. Many of move to a state where they feel The court directed that 32 pass an order to allow the teachers ordered a pay rise of up to 30% us are single parents and comfortable with labour poli- teachers who are working as pri- to continue till June 2017. If we do for hundreds of thousands of sole wage earners” cies.” vate secretaries to lawmakers in so, it would be express violation garment workers in Tamil Nadu, India is one of the world’s larg- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh of legislative command.” but appeals by manufacturers About 50 protesting workers est textile and garment manu- be relieved of their current re- The bench declined the plea by against the order have left work- were arrested near the port city facturers. The $40bn a-year sponsibilities. the teachers who are working as ers in limbo, labour unionists of Chennai last week before be- industry employs around 45mn Justices Dipak Misra and C personal assistant or secretaries said. ing released without charge. workers. Nagappan asked the two state of the lawmakers in the Andhra Under the 1948 Minimum Under the court ruling, work- Many of them are trapped in governments to issue their post- Pradesh and Telangana state as- Wages Act, state governments ers would see their pay rise from debt bondage, face abuse or are ing orders within a week and semblies. are required to increase the basic a monthly average of Rs4,500 forced to work long hours in poor thereafter gave the 32 teachers Expressing confi dence that minimum wage every fi ve years to Rs6,500 ($68 to $98)- which conditions, campaigners say. three weeks’ time to join their this kind of situation would not to protect workers against labour campaigners say is comparable “Manufacturers must recog- new postings in schools. arise in the future, the bench exploitation, but textile manu- to wages for textile jobs in most nise that this is a labour inten- The court rejected a plea by the directed the state governments facturers have repeatedly chal- other states. sive unit requiring highly skilled teachers to allow them to con- to admit their children in mid- lenged pay rises in Tamil Nadu. But manufacturers in Tamil workers,” said Sujata Mody, pres- Students participate in an awareness rally about global tinue to be in their present po- session. “We command that “The government must en- Nadu say the hike is too high, ident of the Garment and Fash- warming in Bengaluru yesterday. sition till the end of the current children are given mid-term ad- force the minimum wage noti- putting them at a disadvantage to ion Workers Union. academic year as their transfers mission.” Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 23 INDIA ‘Locker’ to digitally store vehicle documents launched

IANS People can access digital cop- Prasad and Road, Transport, down corruption and red-tape. India into a digitally empow- 4,26,73,232 documents as on through DigiLock,” the state- New Delhi ies of the documents on their Highways and Shipping Minister The move will benefi t a large ered society and knowledge September 1, 2016. ment added. mobile phones through the Dig- Nitin Gadkari. number of people by facilitating economy. According to government, Abhay Damle, joint secretary iLocker mobile app. The service will also be used ease of access to the documents,” It is a platform for issuance with the launch of the service at Ministry of Road Transport here is no need any more “Driving licences and vehicle for on-the-spot verifi cation said Gadkari. and verifi cation of documents National Register System has and Highway said the ministry to carry around physical registration documents can now through the person’s mobile Stating that the launch will and certifi cates digitally. got integrated with DigiLocker, was working towards integrat- Tcopies of the vehicle reg- be issued directly to the Dig- phone by law enforcement agen- bring a paradigm shift towards As per the government, making over 190mn vehicle reg- ing even documents like vehicle istration certifi cate or the driv- iLockers of individuals in digital cies like the traffi c police. Be- the vision of paperless govern- when a person signs up for istration certifi cates and over insurance and fi tness certifi cates ing licence: it can all be stored formats,” the government said in sides being convenient for peo- ance, Prasad said: “It will serve a DigiLocker he gets access 90mn driving licences available to DigiLocker. digitally – courtesy the Dig- a statement, adding the digital ple, it will also result in assured to bring agility and effi ciency to to a dedicated cloud storage in the citizens’ lockers. “Such intelligence is also im- iLocker, a secured cloud-based copies can be shared with other authenticity of such documents the entire process of issuance of space for his important doc- “Once the data from the re- portant to ensure that the docu- platform. departments as identity and ad- and reduction of administrative driving licences and vehicle reg- uments. maining RTOs is updated in the ments of one person are not used The government yesterday dress proof. overhead. istration certifi cates through IT DigiLocker currently has National Register Systems, the by another person. This will halt launched the integration of ve- The service was jointly “This platform is a major enablement.” 21,26,332 registered users digital copies of those driving such malpractices,” Debabrata hicle registration and driving li- launched by Information and step forward towards ensuring DigiLocker is an application with 24,11,702 uploaded doc- licences and vehicle registration Naik, project director of Dig- cences with the DigiLocker. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar greater transparency and cutting which aims at transforming uments and has issued over certifi cates will also be available iLocker said. Pakistan envoy summoned over ‘discourtesy’ to Indian diplomat

IANS dia and Pakistan soured after New Delhi the January 2 terror attack on the Pathankot air base, which India has blamed on Pakistan- n an escalation of diplo- based Jaish-e-Mohamed matic row, India yester- members. Ties deteriorated Iday summoned Pakistan’s further after Pakistan eu- High Commissioner Ab- logised slain Kashmiri rebel dul Basit over “discourtesy” commander Burhan Wani as a Customers wait to purchase Reliance Jio Infocomm 4G mobile service SIM cards at a store in Mumbai. shown to New Delhi’s top dip- “martyr”. lomat in Islamabad, Gautam Islamabad has openly sup- Bambawale. ported the ongoing unrest in External Aff airs Ministry the Kashmir Valley triggered offi cial Amar Sinha sum- by the July 8 killing of Wani. moned Basit and “conveyed India has accused Pakistan the concern of the government of stoking the unrest that has of India ... on the discourtesy killed at least 76 people and (shown) to the Indian High left thousands injured. Commissioner,” ministry Mobile price wars as spokesman Vikas Swarup said. >> The opposition Congress Swarup said Basit was told and the Communist Party of that India hoped its diplomats India (Marxist) yesterday said in Pakistan would be allowed any talk on the Kashmir issue “to discharge their normal should include all, including functions without hindrance.” the separatists. Basit’s summoning took Senior Congress leader place a day after a meeting in Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Our Jio pledges free 4G Karachi, which Bambawale stand is that all stakeholders was to address, was cancelled. should be included in any dis- Analysts say smaller “I am hoping Jio can help me over the next decade will start cost eff ective they will go and Yet while freebies have won it Bambawale was invited to cussion on Kashmir.” providers may be forced to bring down my bills while pro- with smartphones, something try it, it is in the DNA,” Amresh attention, the proof will be in the address the Karachi Chambers Similar view was expressed merge or go under viding unlimited Internet us- being avidly targeted by tech gi- Nandan, research director at service, analysts say. of Commerce. He had accept- by CPM leader Sitaram age,” said Pushpraj Yadav, an ants Google and Facebook. consulting fi rm Gartner in New While low income customers ed the invitation last week and Yechury, who said he along AFP e-commerce worker in Mumbai Ambani hopes to win over Delhi said. – who often use two SIM cards in was already in the port city. with other MPs had gone to Mumbai who complains he “incurs huge those who have never had an In- Competition hit full stride on the same phone to hop between But the event was cancelled meet fi ve separatists leaders of bills” for his data use. ternet connection and for whom Monday in the form of warring plans – may switch straight and the Indian envoy was in- whom four met them. “Competition between Jio and mobile data was previously front-page newspaper advertise- away, better-off users are more formed only at the last minute. “I don’t take it as an in- utside a tiny Reliance other networks like Airtel is good unthinkably expensive, with a ments by the main rivals – with likely to wait and see. The event organisers cited sult,” he said after an all-party store in a trendy Mum- for consumers.” high-speed 4G covering 90% of Reliance controversially using an Others suggest it is an eye- no reason for the cancellation. meeting. Obai neighbourhood, India’s mobile market is India by March 2017. image of Prime Minister Narendra catching gimmick and that, as But apparently, it was can- He said that the government residents queued for hours this plagued by patchy reception, “This is going to change the Modi to promote its off ering. with most things, free does not celled because Bambawale had has accepted all the sugges- week for a new SIM card prom- frequent call drops, erratic pric- dynamics of the game,” said The newcomer seeks to upend really mean free. made some harsh comments tions made by diff erent politi- ising free data – and a dramatic ing and 3G Internet speeds that Bhasker Canagaradjou, head of a market at present two-thirds Umesh Mehta, research head on Monday over Pakistan’s cal parties during the meeting, reshaping of the Indian mobile fl uctuate wildly. research at Ipsos Business Con- dominated by three players – at SAMCO Securities in Mum- alleged involvement in the which was headed by Home landscape. “With Reliance Jio, I expect sulting in Mumbai, adding that Airtel, Idea and Vodafone – say- bai, said that “hidden costs and Kashmir trouble and its at- Minister Rajnath Singh. Mukesh Ambani, India’s rich- the data charges to be low and data use was already growing at ing it aims to secure 100mn cus- indirect charges” meant the tempts to internationalise the Yechury said Pakistan est man, announced his long- the connectivity to be better an “exorbitant” rate. tomers in the shortest possible savings would not be as great as Kashmir issue. should also be included in the awaited Reliance Jio 4G network than other networks,” said Amit Under the Reliance plans, a time. the marketing campaigns sug- The Indian envoy had asked talks. with an audacious free service Biswas, a navy offi cer in Mumbai. gigabyte of data costs as little As the battle heats up, with mo- gest. Pakistan to focus on resolv- “You should also start dia- for the rest of 2016, followed by “Mobile connectivity in some as a tenth of the previous Rs250 bile providers eschewing profi t- Yet in Mumbai, customers ing its problems before look- logue with Pakistan,” he add- vastly cheaper data plans and parts of the country is really bad.” ($3.70). He expects competitors ability to gain a foothold, analysts queued in searing heat in Colaba ing into the problems of other ed. free voice calls for life. With his $20bn investment in to slash their prices by 30-40%. say smaller providers such as Tata neighbourhood, undeterred. countries. “You have to give some as- Anticipating the shake-up, mobile, Ambani is betting on a Combined with ever-cheaper Docomo or Aircel may be forced to Jishnu Prasad, a hotel manage- He had also called for im- surance on (use of) pellet rival Airtel has already slashed fast-evolving Internet landscape smartphones, the new 4G net- merge or go under. ment student from Bhopal, said proved commercial ties be- guns. Families of the injured 3G and 4G prices by up to 80% in a country where nearly a bil- work will swell the number of “Jio will make a major dent he is currently a Vodafone cus- tween Pakistan and India that and dead people should be while Vodafone has heaped more lion people are still not online. Internet users and prompt those and lure away consumers in the tomer but expensive data means he said was a “low hanging” compensated,” he said, adding data into its prepaid tariff s. Public Wi-Fi is scarce and already using data, millions of near future,” said Nikhil Pahwa, he is open to being courted. fruit for the two countries to that there has to be a rehabili- Yet analysts say competitors broadband access is weak, with them on sluggish 2G networks, founder of Medianama, a digital “I am purchasing a new SIM benefi t from as other issues tation package also for all the will struggle to match the deep many rural areas lacking the infra- to upgrade. media news site. card to check out the features between them will take time to violence-aff ected people. pockets of a startup backed by structure to deliver high speeds. “Indians are cost-sensitive. “With increased competition during the trial period. If I fi nd resolve. Reliance Industries, the energy- Most of the hundreds of mil- Even though they may have and price wars, many smaller play- the facilities good, I will contin- Bilateral ties between In- to-chemicals conglomerate. lions of people coming online money, if they fi nd something ers will fi nd it diffi cult to survive.” ue,” he said.

Railways to off er flexi fare pricing Ola to announce Antique coins Pokemon Go ‘hurts Indian Railways yesterday said it will introduce flexi fare pricing on its Rajdhani, Duranto and Mahindra tie-up religious sentiments’ Shatabdi trains from tomorrow. “The base fares will increase by 10% with every 10% of berths Reuters growing taxi markets worth Agencies Pokemon Go has not been sold subject to a prescribed Mumbai nearly $12bn. Ahmedabad released in India but players ceiling limit. There will be no Ola last year announced a can access it on their phones change in the existing fare for tie-up with Nissan Motor In- through roundabout meth- 1AC and EC class of travel,” a ide-hailing fi rm Ola and dia to buy and lend cars to its opular mobile app game ods. railway ministry statement said. the country’s top utility drivers. Pokemon Go was ac- In the augmented reality According to the statement, Rvehicle maker Mahindra And last month, Tata Mo- Pcused in a court yester- game, players can collect eggs, other supplementary charges like and Mahindra are set to an- tors’s parent Tata Group, be- day of hurting religious sen- which hatch into the collect- reservation, superfast, catering nounce a joint initiative today, came the fi rst Indian carmaker timents by showing eggs in able Pokemon creatures after and service tax will be levied according to an invitation sent to tie up with Uber. Hindu and Jain temples. they have walked a certain separately. “The changes in to the media. Overseas, General Motors in The Gujarat High Court distance while playing. fares shall come into force from The move will come close January announced a $500mn has asked the makers of the “Religions propagate non- September 9, while the revised on the heels of a string of tie- investment in Lyft, with plans game, US-based Niantic Inc, violence and vegetarianism fares will not apply to tickets ups between online taxi serv- down the road to develop an and India’s federal and state while eggs are non-vegetarian already issued in advance ices and automakers, keen to on-demand network of self- governments to respond to food. We cannot stand this for journeys to commence cash in on the rising demand driving cars. the charges within four weeks, and it is blasphemous to carry on or after September 9,” the and popularity of these serv- In May, Toyota also laid NDTV news channel reported. non-vegetarian food inside statement said. The railways ices. out plans to invest in Uber to The case has been fi led by a place of worship of Hindus further said that vacant berths Mahindra is likely to off er create fl exible vehicle leasing Alay Anil Dave of Ahmedabad, and Jains.” left at the time of charting leasing of cars, fi nancing and terms, while the ride-hailing who says eggs are banned from He also sought directions would be offered for current auto insurance to Ola as part of service has also entered into temples of Hindus and Jains, to the state and central gov- booking. “Tickets under current the deal, CNBC TV 18 reported a $300mn deal with the Volvo many of whom are vegetar- ernments to stop the formal booking shall be sold at the last yesterday. Car Group to develop self- ians. launch of the game in India. price sold for that class and Ola and Mahindra declined driving cars. “To fi nd eggs in temples of “It also compromises safety other supplementary charges to comment on the specifi cs of Europe’s largest auto- Customs off icials display 539 confiscated coins that have been Hindus and Jains is blasphe- of the player and lots of acci- like reservation fee, superfast the initiative. maker Volkswagen has also declared antique by the Archaeological Survey of India, in mous, and therefore my client dents have taken place due to charges, catering charges, Ola and global rival Uber announced a $300mn invest- Amritsar yesterday. The coins that were deemed to be around has sought a ban on the game players getting engrossed in service tax etc, as applicable have burned through money ment in Gett aimed at car 2,200 years old were seized from two passengers who arrived from the country,” playing this game, other than shall be levied in full,” the to capture market share in In- sharing, limousine rides and from Pakistan in October 2015 and January this year. the petitioner’s lawyer privacy and security issues,” statement said. dia, one of the world’s fastest taxi services. Nachiket Dave said. Dave said. Gulf Times 24 Thursday, September 8, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

FALLOUT DISASTER TRAGEDY PEOPLE LEGAL Finance minister Videgaray Storm makes landfall again Nine dead, two missing Rousseff leaves Venezuela high court quits after Trump visit in Mexico after killing two in Guatemala mudslide presidential palace blocks legislature’s bills

Mexico’s finance minister Luis Videgaray Tropical storm Newton roared into northwestern At least nine people died and two people were Brazil’s impeached president Dilma Rousseff has Venezuela’s Supreme Court has ruled the opposition- stepped down yesterday, a surprise move Mexico early yesterday, making landfall a second missing from a small town near Guatemala City yes- left the off icial presidential residence, flying to her controlled legislature’s bills are “null and void” because that follows his reported key role in Donald time after leaving two people dead in Baja Cali- terday after intense rains the night before caused coastal hometown. Symbolically marking the end it swore in three lawmakers accused of electoral fraud. Trump’s controversial meeting with President fornia, US forecasters said. Downgraded from a a mudslide, emergency workers said. Around 50 of an era of 13 years in power for the leftist Work- The decision, issued last Friday and published on Enrique Pena Nieto. The president said he had hurricane, the storm swept into mainland Mexico people were aff ected and various homes were ers’ Party, Rousseff stepped out of the Alvorada Tuesday, is the latest showdown between the National accepted Videgaray’s resignation and replaced and was expected to head to the US, weakening damaged in Santa Isabel II, a town 30kms south Palace and into the blazing Brasilia sunshine, Assembly and the court, which the opposition accuses him with Social Development Minister Jose on the way. It hit the Mexican state of Sonora of the capital, David de Leon, a spokesman for the surrounded by some 100 supporters, former min- of blatant bias in favour of leftist President Nicolas Antonio Meade, a former foreign minister who with winds of 110kms an hour, the US National national emergency services, told reporters. After isters and allied lawmakers. Leaving the grounds, Maduro. The case dates back to legislative elections held the finance job between 2011-2012. Pena hurricane centre said. The storm was expected to Tuesday’s rains, the lack of drainage caused water to she got out of her car to greet supporters, who in December, which the opposition won in a landslide Nieto, flanked by both men at the presidential dump eight to 15 centimetres (three to six inches) accumulate and eventually triggered the mudslide, had scattered red and yellow flower petals at the amid an economic crisis marked by severe shortages residence of Los Pinos, praised Videgaray as of rain in Sonora, before travelling to the US states de Leon said. Authorities opened shelters for those entrance. “I’m very sad, very sad, feeling like the of food and basic goods. The court barred the three a public servant who has been “committed to of Arizona and New Mexico later, the Florida- aff ected, while emergency services continued to country will be left a bit orphaned,” said one sup- opposition lawmakers pending an investigation of Mexico and loyal to the president.” based weather centre said. look for survivors. porter, 56-year-old retiree Cecilia Monteiro. fraud allegations. Brazil’s new govt buff eted by pension fund scandal

Reuters Temer’s government will press Brasilia for a thorough investigation as it pushes through proposed legisla- tion that will depoliticise the ap- he government of Brazil’s pointment to directors of state new President Michel Tem- companies, he said. Ter is scrambling to distance The investigation focuses on itself from a multibillion-dollar investments in overpriced assets, corruption scandal that broke less including private equity funds than a week after he took offi ce, with artifi cially infl ated share involving fraud in the country’s prices, according to the federal largest pension funds. police. With the country already reel- The Workers Party declined ing from a sprawling bribery and to comment on the investigation kickback scandal at state oil com- but its president, Rui Falcao, de- pany Petrobras, the new corrup- nounced as “arbitrary” a raid and tion case could hamper the con- seizure of documents at the home servative Temer’s eff orts to restore of the party’s former treasurer credibility and turn the page on the Joao Vaccari, jailed a year ago in leftist government of impeached the Petrobras scandal. President Dilma Rousseff . Political observers in Brasilia Police on Monday arrested fi ve doubt that Temer’s Brazilian people linked to fraudulent invest- Democratic Movement Party will ments made by four huge pension emerge unscathed from the new funds of state-run companies. scandal, since it shared power with The investigation snared dozens the Workers Party during the years People demonstrate against President Nicolas Maduro, in Los Teques, Miranda state, Venezuela, yesterday. of businessmen and fund manag- the fraud allegedly took place. The ers suspected of involvement in party has also been deeply impli- a fraud scheme valued at around cated in the Petrobras scandal. 8bn reais ($2.5bn), including the The state-company pension chief executive of the world’s big- funds, fl ush with cash, have long gest beef exporter. been vulnerable to political inter- The coveted appointments of ference and dogged by suspicions directors to the funds’ boards were of fraud, said political risk con- made by political parties and the sultant Andre Cesar. Anti-Maduro protests probe is expected to spread to Bra- “The 8bn reais is just the tip of zil’s political establishment, where the iceberg. They have opened some 50 politicians are already a Pandora’s Box and names of under investigation in the Petro- politicians will inevitably appear bras scandal. sooner or later,” Cesar said. Temer’s offi ce said the appoint- Even if nobody in Temer’s gov- ments were made during the 13 ernment is implicated, the new draw lower turnout years of Workers Party rule that scandal underscores some of the ended with Rousseff ’s removal unsavoury ties between business Reuters gling to feed themselves. ezuela’s second city Maracaibo. the ruling Socialist Party for the the crowd with teargas. Since from offi ce last week, and the “ir- and political interests in Brazil Maracaibo, Venezuela But the opposition’s new Amid hundreds of others remainder of his term, but if the narrowly winning election to regularities” uncovered by the that have undermined confi - round of rallies, outside heavily- chanting “this government will opposition won a referendum replace the late socialist leader police had nothing to do with the dence in Latin America’s largest guarded national election board fall” and waving national col- this year, that would trigger a Hugo Chavez in 2013, Maduro’s current administration. economy. oes of President Nicolas offi ces in provincial cities, drew ours, Rubio said he suff ered from presidential election. popularity has plummeted. “The Workers Party appointed “What are voters going to think? Maduro protested across just hundreds of supporters at allergies but was unable to fi nd Offi cials say the opposition The country is suff ering short- the pension fund directors from We just got rid of one government FVenezuela yesterday to each, according to Reuters re- the right food or medicines. is to blame for wasting three ages, triple-digit infl ation and a the moment it took offi ce in 2003 and corruption continues just the demand a referendum to end porters and witnesses. The election board has months at the start of this year third year of recession. The gov- and they were closely linked to the same in the new one,” Cesar said. his socialist rule, but numbers The government held rival stretched out the process to- while the multi-party coalition ernment has this month arrested unions,” said a Temer aide who The pension funds caught up were far smaller than a huge op- demonstrations in most cities. wards a referendum on Maduro decided its strategy. dozens of opposition activists it asked not to be named. in the investigation are those of position showing last week and Turnout on both sides ap- with the next stage, collection of Offi cials also allege fraud dur- accuses of planning a coup. “The Workers Party was re- state-run banks Banco do Brasil matched by parallel pro-govern- peared limited in part by rain and 20% of registered voters’ signa- ing initial signature drives. “We want peace, that’s what sponsible for the big loss suff ered, and Caixa Economica Federal, ment rallies. people’s need to stand in line to tures, due later this year, mean- In Coro city, near the Carib- we are seeking for all Venezue- ironically, by the workers of the the postal service Correios and oil As many as a million op- buy basic food and medicine. ing the actual plebiscite would bean coast, Maduro opponents lans. That’s what our command- state companies who were saving company Petrobras, or Petroleo ponents fl ooded Caracas last “We must get rid of this op- almost certainly happen next and supporters briefl y clashed, er Chavez left us,” said govern- for their retirement,” the aide said. Brasileiro SA. The funds have said Thursday to press for a plebiscite pressive, totalitarian govern- year. The timing is crucial. with bottles and stones thrown, ment supporter Maria Luisa “This has not even scratched the they are cooperating with the in- this year and decry an economic ment,” said student Junior If Maduro lost in 2017, his vice witnesses said. Castilla at a pro-Maduro rally in image of the new government.” vestigation. crisis that has left many strug- Rubio, 21, at a gathering in Ven- president would take over for National Guard troops quelled Los Teques town. Mexico hunts suspects Fishermen protest Nicaragua off ers who shot down chopper Funes, family asylum Agencies funded trips abroad while in of- Managua fi ce. Asylum was granted the fol- AFP thorities are “working to capture farmers grow lime and mango. lowing day. El Chauz, Mexico those responsible” for the attack. Authorities manned check- Funes, a former journalist who It is the second time since 2015 points leading to the area of the icaragua said it has giv- was elected as a member of the that a gang has downed a heli- incident, which was cordoned off en political asylum to leftist Farabundo Martí National uthorities yesterday copter. with some 200 soldiers and po- Nformer El Salvador presi- Liberation Front (FMLN) party, hunted for gang suspects Last year, the Jalisco New lice keeping guard. dent Mauricio Funes, who has is facing a civil prosecution back Awho shot down a heli- Generation drug cartel in neigh- Aureoles said the incident fol- come under scrutiny back home home for alleged illicit enrich- copter carrying police in western bouring Jalisco state used a rock- lowed a series of operations to for a truce with gangs during his ment. Investigators argue that he Mexico, killing four aboard in a et launcher to hit a military heli- capture gang leaders in Tierra administration and is also facing and his family need to justify the clash highlighting the govern- copter, killing seven soldiers and Caliente and Sierra Costa that, multiple legal cases. origin of more than $700,000 in ment’s struggle to quell violence a policewoman. since August 30, led to a dozen The Nicaraguan government’s income. in the region. The clash near the village of El arrests and the seizure of several offi cial Daily Gazette published Salvador prosecutors have The suspects apparently used Chauz happened amid a resur- weapons, including two rocket a notice announcing that Funes, also opened an investigation a high-powered .50-calibre Bar- gence of violence in Michoacan, launchers. his partner and three children into possible corruption dating rett rifl e to bring down the heli- a historic fl ashpoint in Mexico’s The Knights Templar drug have all been granted asylum. It to his 2009-2014 government. copter in Michoacan state, killing war on drugs. cartel terrorised Tierra Caliente said their lives and physical in- In August, Salvadorian author- the pilot and three offi cers, said Aureoles said the helicop- until lime growers formed vigi- tegrity are in danger as a result of ities raided several homes and National Security Commissioner ter had backed an operation to lante forces in 2013 to fi ght back “fi ghting in favour of democracy, businesses searching for evi- Renato Sales. capture leaders of an uniden- against the gang. peace, justice and human rights”. dence related to alleged “crimes “It was indeed shot down,” tified gang after the suspects The cartel was weakened as Funes said via Twitter that he of embezzlement, illicit nego- Sales told Radio Formula. Mi- tried to abduct a farmer in La authorities deployed troops and decided to seek asylum on Au- tiations, misuse of funds, il- choacan’s governor, Silvano Au- Huacana. arrested or killed its top leaders, gust 31 “after confi rming the po- licit enrichment and influence- reoles, had initially said the heli- The clash took place in Mi- but smaller criminal groups have litical persecution that is being trafficking”. copter was shot down but later choacan’s Tierra Caliente (Hot since emerged. initiated against me”. Funes denies any wrongdoing. said he could no longer confi rm if Land), a region that has endured The vigilantes have been or- Fishermen clash with riot policemen during a protest According to the Gazette, the “Asylum only seeks to guaran- that was the case. years of drug violence and vigi- dered to disband or join offi cial against the current fisheries law which they say the petition was dated September 1, tee protection from persecution,” Sales told Radio Formula that lante justice. police forces but some of the mi- government has failed to improve, in Valparaiso, Chile, the same day El Salvador’s su- he tweeted. “I have not given up one suspect was detained but The helicopter crashed in a litia members have been impli- yesterday. preme court ordered the release on confronting the judicial proc- “I think he died,” and that au- mountainous area where local cated in crimes. of a list of Funes’s government- ess nor proving my innocence.” Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 25 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

Power generation surges 12% Pakistan’s overall power generation witnessed a growth of 12% to 11,805GWh in July as compared to 10,540GWh in July 2015. Rao Amir Ali at Arif Habib Limited Taliban off ensive nears said growth in generation was mainly due to increase in generation from furnace oil (FO), which surged 38.5% to 3,187GWh in July as compared to 2,300GWh in the same month of the last year. “Uptick in FO generation is attributable to higher generation Afghan provincial capital at Northern Block-II, Kapco, Hub Narowal, Kohinoor Energy, Reuters in eastern Nangarhar. The insurgents would not be Lalpir Power, Attock-Gen and Lashkar Gah Many of the embattled police able to break through security Atlas Power.” In addition, the and soldiers around the Uruzgan cordons, said Dost Mohammed generation from gas also capital of Tarin Kot are fi ghting Nayab, the spokesman of the witnessed a growth of 31.5 per aliban forces have fought with minimal reinforcements provincial governor. cent in the month to 3,865GWh. their way to within a few and often with insuffi cient food “The Taliban did whatever they Uptick in gas-based generation Tkilometres of the capital and ammunition, say regional could to get the capital city but was led by Orient Power, of Afghanistan’s central prov- offi cials. they couldn’t,” he said. “We are Saif Power, Engro Powergen, ince of Uruzgan, offi cials said “If there is no signifi cant air ready to defend our province.” Sapphire Power and Liberty yesterday, warning of its col- support and ground reinforce- At least 32 Taliban have been Power. However, generation in lapse unless authorities provide ment, Tarin Kot will collapse,” killed and another 23 wounded, July from hydel, HSD and others air support and ground rein- warned Abdul Karim, head of Nayab said, with six security dropped 12.8%, 54.8% and 43.6%, forcements. the provincial capital. forces killed and nine wounded. respectively. The Taliban are battling to Security forces have halted Taliban forces continue to During July, the electricity topple the Western-backed the Taliban advance about threaten the Helmand capital generation cost of FO declined government of Afghanistan 15 2km (1.2 miles) from the city’s of Lashkar Gah, where militants 30% to Rs7.5/KWh and HSD was years after they lost power in a prison, whose prisoners the once again cut a major highway down 18.8% to Rs12.8/KWh. US-led military operation. militants seek to free, offi cials to neighbouring Kandahar, said “This was primarily due to the Overstretched Afghan se- suspect, using a tactic the Tali- Omar Zwak, the spokesman of downward trend in oil prices, FO curity forces and their for- ban employed when they briefl y The Taliban yesterday claimed to have overrun 15 government security posts near Tarin Kot, including a the provincial governor. and HSD prices plunged 20.4% eign military advisers have captured Kunduz last year. “strategic military base.” Coalition advisers were re- and 16.7%, respectively, in the focused on blunting Taliban In a posting online, the Tali- cently sent back into the city month,” Ali said. In addition, attacks in southern Helmand ban claimed to have overrun 15 “All the surrounding areas of Despite the Taliban off ensives said it had no advisers in the to help police based there, but generation cost of gas also province and the northern government outposts, includ- the capital are under tight siege in Uruzgan, the Nato-led coali- province, nor had US warplanes a US military spokesman said dipped 4.9% to Rs5.2/KWh as city of Kunduz, besides bat- ing a “strategic military base” in and attacks of mujahideen,” the tion, which declared its combat conducted any air strikes in the soldiers would have a non- compared to Rs5.5/KWh in July tling Islamic State militants Uruzgan. group said. mission over at the end of 2014, recent days. combat role. 2015. Agencies Govt schools miss top honours

Internews result, 79.97% students passed candidates passed. The overall clinched by Palwasha Munir of and pass percentage 76.34. Peshawar the exams. result was 76.97%. Malakand Public School and Syeda Sadia from Pakistan At least 83.62% male students The top three positions were College and Aiman Khan of Uni- International Public School and unsure about versity Public School Chakdara, passed the exams while 86.88% clinched by private schools stu- College topped the exam se- ot a single student from female students passed with fl y- dents wherein Karishma Batool both securing 1,010 marks. curing 1,035 marks, Mushtaq government schools ing colours. The result showed Durrani of Shan Model High BISE Kohat results revealed Ahmed, a student of Abbotta- Nin Pakistan’s north- that the top three positions School, Paharpur got 1,029 70,100 students appeared in bad Public School and College west province of Khyber Pa- were secured by private schools marks out of 1,100. Hafi z Waja- the SSC examination, in which stood second with 1,026 marks role in cyber 47,689 candidates passed the khtunkhwa clinched top po- while only two of the govern- hatullah Anwar of Iqra Educa- and Warda Jamil of Hazara Pub- sitions in Secondary School ment schools featured in the top tion System School and College examination. lic School and College Haripur Certifi cate (SSC) exams of 2016 20 positions. came second with 1,026 marks The pass percentage was bagged the third position despite repeated claims by the In Mardan district, not a sin- while the third position was se- 68.03%. Junaid Khan, a student with 1,023 marks. provincial government that gle government school student cured by Samina Kanwal of Shan of the Cadet College Kohat, KP Elementary and Second- crime law clinched the fi rst position in the there has been an improve- achieved a notable score. The top Model High School, Paharpur, ary Education Department Ad- ment in records in the education three positions were clinched by with 1,010 marks. board by securing 1,038 marks ditional Secretary Qaiser Alam Internews awareness about new cyber sector records. private schools and the overall From BISE Malakand, 80,337 out of 1,100. Khan said the government is Lahore law especially about pun- According to the results of result was 71% as announced by students appeared in the exami- Danish Sattar of the same col- taking a number of initiatives. ishments against diff erent Board of Intermediate and Sec- BISE Mardan. nation, out of which 59,994 were lege stood second by obtaining These include appointing crimes, capacity building of ondary Education (BISE) Pesha- KP Elementary and Second- declared successful. 1,037 marks while two other stu- teachers, providing basic facili- he federal government the offi cials of investigating war, Mardan, Kohat, DI Khan, ary Education department also The overall result remained dents were Malik Waleed Zeb of ties and teacher training. He said of Pakistan has not no- agencies and the judiciary. Malakand, Abbotabad and Swat, admitted the poor performance 74.67%. Nazneen Wahid, a stu- Cadet College Kohat and Alina government schools capaci- Ttifi ed the role of the The FIA has also proposed all top positions have been ac- of the government schools and dent of Malakand Public School Rehman of Iqra Public School ties have been improved while Federal Investigation Agency establishment of a special tri- quired by students from private claimed that not a single gov- and College Dargai, clinched fi rst Kohat clinched third position by thousands of students have left (FIA) and other law-enforce- bunal and purchase of modern schools. ernment school currently ranks position in the board by securing securing 1,035 marks. private schools for government ment agencies in the cyber IT-related equipment to deal As per BISE Peshawar’s SSC in the top 10 category. 1,016 marks out of 1,100 whereas According to BISE Abbot- schools. crime law despite its approval with new challenges. result, announced on June 21, According to results from Muhammad Suleman of Allama tabad SSC results, 58,253 can- “The government is focusing by President Mamnoon Hus- “Investigating offi cers, 70,339 students appeared in the BISE DI Khan, 19,716 candidates Iqbal Model School and College didates appeared in the exams on reforms and will build the ca- sain more than two weeks ago. judges and prosecutors should SSC examination out of which took the 2016 matriculation stood second with 1,011 marks. for all the disciplines in which pacity of teachers and its results The delay in determining be taught local and interna- 56,247 cleared the exams. As a examinations. Of these, 15,175 The third position was 44,585 declared successful will be evident next year.” the role of the FIA has forced tional cyber laws and train- it to stop entertaining com- ing of cyber crime investiga- plaints related to cyber crime. tion offi cers be conducted by Over 80% drink After the repeal of the Elec- foreign experts,” FIA Cyber tronic Transaction Ordinance Crime Wing Lahore head Sha- Fighting for survival contaminated (ETO) sections 36 and 37, the hid Hasan said. water FIA at the moment has no He said on Wednesday that law at its disposal to entertain international linkage for in- More than 80% Pakistanis fresh and pending cyber crime formation sharing regard- consume contaminated and related complaints which are ing cyber security should be unsafe water, a top off icial said. in thousands. established and signing of Minister for Science and Technology “We cannot proceed on international covenants and Rana Tanveer told the Senate that the any relevant complaint till agreements for international Pakistan Council for Research in Water the government notifi es the cooperation in combating cy- Resources (PCRWR) had conducted FIA role in the new cyber ber crime should be made for various water quality monitoring crime law,” an offi cial said on eff ective implementation of projects in the country and said 69% Wednesday. Owing to this, the cyber laws. to 82% water samples collected from backlog of such complaints is He said since the general 2,807 villages in 24 districts were mounting. public and government insti- found contaminated or unsafe for A source in interior ministry tutions took cyber crime se- drinking, Dawn online reported. said since a couple of intel- curity casually which often re- The PCRWR, which is a research ligence agencies and IT min- sulted in hacking of accounts, and development organisation istry also wanted their role in misuse of IPs and breaking of the Ministry of Science and the enforcement of the Pre- into software systems through Technology, reported that major vention of Electronic Crimes backdoor and other serious contamination was due to bacteria Act (cyber crime law), the gov- off ences, there was a need for (coliforms), toxic metals (mainly ernment is taking time to issue launching awareness and edu- arsenic), turbidity, total dissolved notifi cation in this regard. He cation campaigns for cyber solids (TDS) and nitrate and said the IT ministry should be security. fluoride pollution, Tanveer said. engaged with regard to cyber According to the cyber law, Besides setting up 24 state-of- security arrangements. an investigation agency will the-art water testing laboratories The FIA believes the new have to develop its own capac- around the country, several law will help check cyber ter- ity for forensic analysis of data other initiatives have also been rorism, cyber stalking, fake and information systems. undertaken. These included the and stolen identities on Face- The law says it the duty development of microbiological book, Twitter and other social of the federal government testing kits, low-cost arsenic media links. to establish or designate a detection testing kits and The government has to also forensic laboratory to pro- Abdul Jabbar, 40, lays unconscious in an intensive care unit at the public sector Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi. Weighing production of chlorination and take into account the proposal vide expert opinion to the 490kg (1,080 pounds), Jabbar is fighting multiple organ failures after dealing with morbid obesity where he has been unable to move his disinfection tablets. of the FIA about launching court of law in relation to hands, legs or his head. However, bacteriological, arsenic an extensive programme of the electronic evidence. and turbidity are the leading causes of contamination in the drinking water, Dawn online quoted Tanveer as saying. While microbiological contamination remains one of More than 36,900 tax defaulters detected, minister tells Senate the leading causes of cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid etc., arsenic can cause Internews the Muttahida Qaumi Move- faulters in Islamabad is higher Islamabad is much higher than from Islamabad, Rs5.37bn from electricity distribution compa- various types of diabetes, skin, Islamabad ment, the fi nance minister stat- than in Sindh and Balochistan. the amount due from the de- Punjab, Rs3.11bn from Sindh, nies, automobile manufacturing kidney, heart, black foot diseases, ed in a written reply that a total The statistics provided by the faulters in Punjab and other Rs17.91 million from KP and companies and withholding tax hypertension, birth defects amount of Rs106.82bn was due minister show that the FBR has provinces. Rs507mn from Balochistan. statements. and multiple types of cancer, akistan’s Federal Fi- from the defaulters, of which detected 3,437 tax defaulters in The minister’s reply shows Explaining the procedure He said that the data de- according to the PCRWR. nance Minister Ishaq Dar Rs18.89bn had been recovered Islamabad whereas the number that the FBR is required to adopted by the FBR for detec- clared in withholding tax state- A senior PCRWR off icial told Dawn Ptold the Senate yester- by the FBR. of tax defaulters in Sindh is 1,351. recover Rs52.16bn from the tion of tax defaulters, the min- ments and sales tax returns was online that the function of its day that the Federal Board of Giving a province-wise Only two tax defaulters have defaulters in Islamabad, fol- ister said that data had been analysed and cross-matched to laboratories were in jeopardy due Revenue (FBR) had detected break-up, he said that the high- been detected in Balochistan. lowed by Rs37.84bn from Pun- collected through third-party identify persons who carried out to the lack of funds. 36,936 tax defaulters this year est number of 21,370 tax de- Though the number of tax jab, Rs11.43bn from Sindh, sources such as motor vehicle fi nancial transactions but were Set up at a cost of 1.2bn rupees and Rs87.93bn was outstanding faulters had been detected in defaulters in Punjab is higher Rs2.62bn from KP and Rs2.76bn registration authorities, edu- not on tax rolls. He said that ap- (about $11mn), the labs were to against them. Punjab, followed by 10,776 in than in Islamabad, the amount from Balochistan. cational institutions, property propriate action in respect of identify contamination in drinking In response to a question Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Inter- which the FBR is required to However, the FBR has so far registrar offi ces, development such persons had been initiated water and ensure the availability asked by Mian Ateeq Shaikh of estingly, the number of tax de- recover from the defaulters in succeeded in recovering Rs9.87bn authorities, housing societies, in accordance with the law. of potable water to the citizens. Gulf Times 26 Thursday, September 8, 2016 PHILIPPINES Obama slur no bar to US, Clinton call to show Duterte’s popularity respect AFP least two hours getting to work gency and the Philippine Manila through Manila’s gridlocked government particularly Reuters months ago and which has killed traffic. President Duterte are in- Washington/Tampa about 2,400 people. “Okay, I don’t like his atti- stead cheerleading and He has also previously called espite foul-mouthed tude, his swearing, his wom- praising this campaign...It’s the Pope a “son of a whore” and tirades, international anising, all his negative traits. absolutely appalling,” Phe- he US State Department the US ambassador a “gay son of Doutrage and a public But what he has done and what lim Kine, of Human Rights and Democratic presi- whore.” The Philippines voiced spat with Barack Obama, Rod- he continues to do outweighs Watch, told Al Jazeera. Tdential candidate Hillary regret for Duterte’s comments rigo Duterte is the most popular everything,” the 39-year-old “Lawyers, human rights Clinton yesterday stressed the after Obama cancelled a formal politician in the Philippines. said. “He is transparent, noth- activists understand these need for ties with the Philippines bilateral meeting.The White As the politically incor- ing about his personality is things but ordinary people on to be based on mutual respect, House then said Obama might rect president enters the third faked, and he represents the the streets are not likely to be after Manila’s new leader raised speak with Duterte informally. month of his six-year term, common man. I feel safer ac- familiar with that,” Contreras worries about the future of the Duterte’s volatile nature the Asian nation’s slums are tually,” dela Cruz added. said of concerns over demo- key alliance by using a contro- threatens to complicate Wash- drenched in blood from a bru- Parreno said Filipinos gen- cratic rights. versial reference to President ington’s ties with its closest ally tal anti-drug campaign that erally backed Duterte’s bloody “They (victims) are painted Barack Obama. in Southeast Asia as it tries to has seen police and shadowy anti-crime crackdown not to be criminals, they are de- Despite US dismay over Du- forge a united front in the region assassins kill nearly 3,000 because they were ignorant of monised as drug addicts,” he terte’s remarks, current and in response to China’s extensive people. their rights but that they were said. former US offi cials played down claims in the strategic South But 71-year-old Duterte is more concerned about their Duterte’s popularity — or the impact, saying they did not China Sea. riding high on record approval personal safety. “They really notoriety — is extending be- expect any serious damage to The Philippines has been cen- ratings, with the acid-tongued think we need this kind of ac- yond Philippine borders as he ties at a time of high tensions tral in this eff ort due to an inter- and irascible grandfather tion,” he said.”It is sometimes makes his first foreign trip to over China’s extensive territorial national court case it brought shrugging off repeated con- embarrassing but that is the a summit in Laos this week, claims in Asia. and won against Beijing. troversies including unpro- mind of the masses.” according to his spokesman The State Department said a In March, the United States voked and obscene attacks on Manila pollster Pulse Asia Martin Andanar. planned fi rst meeting between and the Philippines agreed on the United Nations and the US said 91% of Filipinos sup- Some foreign ministers as Obama and his counterpart Ro- fi ve locations for US military president. Critics said he was ported Duterte in their last well as delegates at the As- drigo Duterte on the sidelines facilities in the country under a a dictator in the making, but popularity survey in July, sociation of Southeast Asian of a regional summit in Laos on new security deal.Asked about 16mn people voted the former more than a month after he Nations meeting have been Tuesday was cancelled because Duterte’s comments, US Secre- state prosecutor into office took 38% of the popular vote scrambling to take selfies the tone of the Philippine lead- tary of Defence Ash Carter said earlier this year, a landslide in the landslide May election. with the Filipino leader, An- er’s rhetoric raised questions the defence relationship with win fuelled by widespread Rodrigo Duterte: widely popular There have been no other danar told reporters yester- about the chances of productive the Philippines was a “strong” disgust at conventional poli- surveys since then. day. talks. “Words matter, and we and “longstanding” one. ticians in a raucous, corrup- machismo thing,” said Earl insults...what they want really Rights groups, church “In spite of the colourful want to see an atmosphere that Speaking to reporters, Carter tion-ridden democracy. Parreno, from the Manila- is for him to be given a chance leaders in the mainly Catho- language that he uses, the is cordial and open to strong co- also described the Philippines’ “He is probably saying based think tank Institute for to do something that will have lic nation and some lawmak- Asians in the region seem to operation,” State Department new defence minister, Delfi n things ordinary people would Political and Electoral Reform, an impact on their lives,” Par- ers have joined the US and be able to get — and there spokesman Mark Toner told a Lorenzana, as someone who was not say because they are fear- explaining that Duterte repre- reno said. United Nations in condemn- seems to be an empathy to- regular news briefi ng in Wash- “very knowledgeable about all ful or ashamed,” political sci- sented many people’s hope for That sense of hope is em- ing the extra-judicial kill- wards — him,” Ernesto Abel- ington. the things that we do together.” entist Antonio Contreras said. genuine change. bodied by Irving dela Cruz, ings. la, another Duterte spokes- Clinton, who as secretary An offi cial of the US State De- “It’s hard to explain. It’s a “Despite his missteps, his an IT manager who spends at “This is a national emer- man, added. of state was an architect of partment said “government to Obama’s policy of emphasising government” relations with Ma- the importance of the Asia-Pa- nila remained strong. cifi c to US interests in the face of “The areas that we believe we a rising China, said Obama was have robust, strong co-opera- right to cancel the meeting. tion with them, we are not going Washington to give Manila military planes “When the president of the to just simply throw that aside.” Philippines insulted our presi- The offi cial noted that Duterte dent, it was appropriate in a very was new to national leadership AFP the Philippine Coast Guard like patrol improve defence ties with its former Yesterday, the Philippines released low-key way to say: sorry, no having served as a city mayor. Manila missions,” Balilo added. colonial ruler Washington and other photos to back its claims.Manila meeting,” she told reporters on “He is maybe feeling his way The announcement came days after allies. Balilo said the Sherpas would scored a sweeping victory when a UN- her campaign plane. into the new job,” the offi cial Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte help the coast guard augment its mea- backed tribunal ruled in July that Bei- “We have a lot of ties between said. he United States is giving the on Monday sparked a major diplomat- gre air patrol capability, now com- jing’s claims to most of the sea had no the United States and the Philip- Former US offi cials said China Philippines two used military air- ic row with Manila’s longtime treaty prised of two old Britten-Norman Is- legal basis and that its construction of pines.And I think it’s very im- would be pleased by the US- Tcraft, the coast guard said yester- ally the United States by making a landers. artificial islands was illegal. portant that we have a relation- Philippines friction. day, to help Manila expand sea patrols controversial reference to President The Philippines has expressed con- The US has said it does not take ship, but there has to be a certain “Time will tell whether Presi- in the face of territorial disputes with Barack Obama. Duterte said Tuesday cern about Beijing’s massive island- sides in the dispute but has raised its level of respect that is expected dent Duterte steps back from this China. he regretted the tirade, sparked by the building over reefs, some of them naval presence in the region to ensure on both sides,” Clinton said. episode and realises he needs to The two Sherpa 30-seater aircraft US leader’s plan to raise the issue of claimed by Manila, in the South China freedom of navigation. Taiwan, Bru- Duterte made the remark recalibrate his choice of words in will be delivered in December, Philip- extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s Sea.Duterte last week said China had nei, Malaysia and Vietnam also have about Obama while explain- engaging US leaders,” said Amy pine coast guard spokesman Com- war on crime. sent barges to the contested Scarbor- competing claims to parts of the sea, ing that he would not be lec- Searight, a former senior Penta- mander Armand Balilo said. Manila, which has one of Asia’s ough Shoal and had appeared to begin through which $5tn in annual trade tured over extrajudicial killings gon offi cial now at Washington’s “It will help us in the movements of weakest militaries, has been trying to construction there for the first time. passes. in the war against drugs he has Centre for Strategic and Inter- launched since taking over two national Studies think tank.

UP among Govt accuses top 400 in Explosives seized after raid global universities China of secret on group in Mindanao ranking State-run University of the Philip- pines has risen to be featured in By Julmunir I Jannaral nicipal Police Station were Brigade, said the traffi c between is commonly used by the rebels,” the top 400 of the 13th edition & Moh Saaduddin preparing charges for the ar- Cotabato City and North Cota- Baliao said. An investigation, he of the annual university ranking island building rested suspect Buisan. bato was interrupted for about added, is being conducted to Manila Times/Kidapawan City compiled by British company The raid was conducted by two hours while the EOD team determine what groups planted Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), AFP waters approaching the coasts of combined forces of the Cota- deactivated the 60mm mortar the improvised bomb. leading three other Philippine Vientiane the Philippines and other South- uthorities have seized bato Police Provincial Offi ce with a two-way hand-held ra- A number of local terror- education institutions. east Asian nations. explosives and various (CPPO) and the Philippine Ar- dio as trigger device. ist groups are operating in the UP ranked 374th in the The competing territorial Acomponents of impro- my’s 602nd Infantry Brigade Baliao said a man named South, notably the Abu Sayyaf 2016-2017 listing, a significant he Philippines released claims have long been a major vised explosive devices (IEDs) of the 6th Infantry Division Norodin Alba found a suspi- Group, the Maute group that re- improvement from last year photos yesterday to back source of tension in the region, during a raid on the hideout late Tuesday afternoon.| cious package beside the high- cently recently staged a daring when the state university ranked Tits claims that China had with China using deadly force of a suspected bomb merce- Peralta did not provide way in Barangay Rebuken and jailbreak in Marawi City free- within the 401-410 range. secretly begun work to cement twice to seize control of islands nary group operating in cen- other details on the suspects quickly informed the soldiers of ing 23 detainees and the An- QS said this was based on UP’s control over a crucial shoal in from Vietnam. tral Mindanao, believed to be but sources from intelligence the 37th Infantry Battalion in a sarul Khilafah in the Philippines rise in three measures, namely the hotly contested South China Concerns have escalated sharp- apprentices of fallen interna- authorities said the broth- nearby detachment. (AKP). Although there may be academic reputation, faculty/stu- Sea. ly in recent years as China has tional terrorist Zulkifl i bin Hir, ers were among the militants Senior Supt. Nickson Muk- other purposes in the planting dent ratio, and international fac- The release of the images, built artifi cial islands on reefs and alias Marwan. personally trained by interna- san, Maguindanao police di- of the bomb along the highway ulty ratio, Manila Times reported. which claimed to show Chi- islets in the Spratlys archipelago Senior Supt. Emmanuel tional bomber Marwan. rector, said the IED was similar of Barangay Rebukin as some The Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila nese ships preparing to build — another strategically impor- Peralta, CPPO provincial di- Marwan was killed on Janu- to that used in the September 2 families are also involved in the University stayed at the 501-550 an artifi cial island on Scarbor- tant location — that are capable rector, said the raiding team’s ary 25, 2015 in an anti-terror Davao City night market bomb- so-called feuds between fami- range, while De La Salle Univer- ough Shoal, came hours ahead of supporting military operations. target were Guiamadel Sandi- operation in Mamasapano, ing that claimed the lives of 14 lies or clans. sity of the Brothers of Christian of a meeting between Southeast An artifi cial island at Scar- gan and his brother Anwar Maguindanao that also resulted civilians and wounded 67 oth- Baliao said he is sure that lo- Schools and the Dominican-run Asian leaders and Chinese Pre- borough Shoal would potentially Sandigan with arrest warrants in the death of 44 members of ers. Similarly, earlier on Tues- cal terrorists are the culprits. Pontifical University of Santo mier Li Keqiang in Laos. give China a military base close to for violation of Republic Act the Special Action Force, 18 day, Army Sgt. Ricor Bati-on The military offi cial ex- Tomas (UST) stayed at 701+. China this week insisted it had where US forces regularly operate 10591 and RA 9516 for illegal members of the Moro Islamic of the 1st Mechanized Infantry plained that although the bomb QS said the Ateneo was the only not launched any eff orts to begin on the Philippine main island of possession of explosives. Liberation Front and fi ve civil- Brigade was slightly injured used in the Davao blast and Filipino university that improved construction at the shoal, which Luzon, which is just 230 kilome- The targets, however, es- ians. when an IED was set off along the ones recovered in Sultan its research impact, measured has enormous strategic impor- tres away. caped but the team arrested It was not immediately Barangay Lower Salbu, Datu Kudarat are both 60mm, they using QS’ citations per faculty tance for Beijing’s ambitions to Philippine President Rodrigo Jokrie Andong Buisan, who known whether the fugitives Saudi Ampatuan. diff er on the type. The former metric. La Salle, meanwhile, control the sea and weaken US Duterte had said he did not want was found inside the house of were the same “person of inter- The outlawed Bangsamoro was being used in mortar and was the only Filipino university military infl uence in the region. to anger China by highlighting Anwar holding a live Model 34 est” being eyed as behind the Islamic Freedom Fighters was the latter for RPG. that improved its ranking in But the Philippines said the the territorial row at the summit or M34 grenade. December 31, 2015 bombing in blamed for the blast that hap- When asked if the recovery of employer reputation. It also has images showed Chinese ships at of regional leaders in Laos this Peralta said the raid was Mlang. pened at about 9.30am. the IED is related to the Davao the “most impactful researchers, the shoal last weekend that were week.But the release of the pho- conducted in the presence of The New Year’s Eve bomb at- “So immediately our troops bombing, Baliao said the inves- as measured using citations capable of dredging sand and tos came just a few hours before Jose Sagadan Sr, chairman of tack left two women dead and together with the police re- tigation is continuing and there per faculty.”UST, Asia’s oldest other activities required to build Duterte and other leaders from Barangay Dungguan, Mlang 33 others wounded. It was ini- sponded and cordoned off the are several angles that are being university, entered the published an artifi cial island. the 10-member Association of town. tially blamed on radical groups area while waiting for the Ex- looked into. Authorities earlier rankings this year, QS said. “We have reason to believe Southeast Asian Nations met Seized from the houses of operating in central Mindanao plosive Ordnance Disposal. said the ASG most likely car- QS uses six performance that their presence is a precur- China’s Li. the suspects in the villages of such as the Bangsamoro Islamic Upon arrival of the Army EOD ried out the attack on President indicators to assess universities’ sor to building activities on the A UN-backed tribunal ruled in Dungguan and Inas were one Freedom Fighters and Al-Kho- team, the IED (improvised ex- Rodrigo Duterte’s home city in rankings. These are academic shoal,” defence department July that China’s claims to almost M-67 fragmentation grenade, bar. plosive device) was disrupted,” response to a military off ensive reputation, 40%; employer repu- spokesman Arsenio Andolong all of the sea had no legal basis bomb-making materials like Meanwhile, bomb experts Baliao said. launched against it last week. tation, 10%; student-to-faculty said in a text message. and its construction of artifi cial blasting caps, detonating cord, from the Army’s Explosives and The IED, he added, consists Duterte, who was in Davao ratio, 20%; citations per faculty, “We are continuing our sur- islands in disputed waters was il- mobile phone, batteries, two Ordnance Division (EOD) de- of three 60mm projectiles for at the time of the attack but not 20%; international faculty ratio, veillance and monitoring of their legal. China has vowed to ignore motorcycles with question- fused in Sultan Kudarat town, Rocket-Propelled Grenade near the market, told reporters 5%; and international student presence and activities, which the ruling. able registrations and a home- Maguindanao a powerful im- (RPG), an Icom transceiver ra- before dawn on Saturday that ratio, 5%. American universi- are disturbing.” US President Barack Obama is made Uzi sub-machinegun. provised explosive device (IED) dio, wires and AAA batteries. it was an act of terrorism, as ties led the world ranking, with China claims nearly all of the also in Laos for the regional meet- A manhunt is underway for on Tuesday night. “The rocket-propelled gre- he announced extra powers for the Massachusetts Institute of sea, through which $5tn in ship- ings, which will conclude today the Sandigan brothers while Colonel Earl Baliao, com- nade, if you will notice, is not in the military under a “State of Technology at No 1. ping trade passes annually, even with an East Asia summit. law enforcers in Mlang Mu- mander of the 603rd Infantry the inventory of the Army. This Lawlessness.” Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 27 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Rhino shot by Lanka to ground former poachers dies

AFP president’s ‘vanity airline’ Kathmandu AFP pected to cease fl ying by the Mattala airport, which serv- Colombo end of 2016. ices just one fl ight a day, was one-horned rhino has The former president built in the home district of Ra- died weeks after it was launched Mihin to compete japakse, 250km (155 miles) by Ashot by poachers in Nepal, ri Lanka will scrap an air- with SriLankan airlines, which road from Colombo, at a cost becoming the fi rst of the rare an- line set up by the coun- was then part-owned and of $210mn. imals to be killed in the country Stry’s strongman former managed by Dubai’s Emirates The airport employs 550 in over two years. president and widely seen as a airline, amid personal disa- workers and is only used as an The injured adult male was vanity project, with the national greements with the national alternative when aircraft cannot taken to the Chitwan National carrier set to take over its routes, carrier’s managers. fl y into Colombo’s international Park, the country’s biggest rhino an offi cial said yesterday. The Emirates deal was can- airport. conservation area, for treatment Budget carrier Mihin Lanka celled in 2008 after SriLankan re- Faced with a huge white el- after it was shot in a forest in was founded by Mahinda Ra- fused to bump fare-paying busi- ephant, the authorities last year southern Nepal in August. japakse in 2007 but operated at ness-class passengers to economy turned some of the air cargo But yesterday staff at the park a huge loss. and give their seats to members terminals at the Mattala airport said it had died of its injuries, be- SriLankan airlines chairman of Rajapakse’s family, who were into rice storage to accommo- coming the fi rst rhino to die at the Ajith Dias said the fl ag carrier returning from London. date the bumper harvest in the hands of poachers since May 2014. would cover fl ights to all des- A furious Rajapakse re- region. “The critically injured rhino had tinations serviced by the air- moved the Emirates-appointed Rajapakse spent lavishly on started to recover, but died Tues- line, which offi cials said had CEO of SriLankan from his infrastructure and was criti- day,” said assistant conservationist accumulated losses of $117mn. post and replaced him with his cised for ignoring feasibil- Nurendra Aryal. “By the end of the year, there brother-in-law. ity studies and environmental Conservation groups had will be no Mihin Lanka and SriLankan airlines has also warnings. praised the Himalayan nation for we (SriLankan airlines) will be sunk into the red since the An investigation is under- its progress in combatting the servicing the routes they oper- Emirates deal ended, with an way into a $2.3bn deal to buy poachers who kill the animals for ated,” Dias said in Colombo at estimated debt of $3.2bn. Airbus aircraft during Ra- their prized horns. the opening of a new call centre Other vanity projects japakse’s presidency over graft Thousands of one-horned for the national carrier. launched by the former presi- allegations. rhinos once roamed the plains Mihin, which operates four dent include an international The mounting debt crisis at of Nepal, but their numbers have Airbus aircraft to several Indian airport in his constituency in SriLankan has forced the gov- plunged over the past century cities as well as Bangladesh, the island’s south. It is widely ernment to seek international Lankan Airlines chairman Ajith Dias (centre), chief executive Suren Ratwatte (right) and customer due to poaching and human en- Indonesia, the Seychelles, the regarded as a white elephant, partners to inject capital and relationship executive Sulali Marasinghe look on at the opening of Sri Lankan Airlines’ new call centre in croachment of their habitat. Maldives and Bahrain, is ex- with only one airline using it. manage the airline. partnership with Malaysia’s Scicom in Colombo yesterday. The animals’ horns are prized in China and parts of south- east Asia for their supposed medicinal qualities. Rhino poaching carries a max- imum penalty of 15 years in jail and a 100,000-rupee ($1,000) Bangladesh Two couples belonging to fi ne in Nepal, which is now home to over 600 rhinos.

China remains mulls law to terror outfi t detained Lanka’s largest tourism market IANS fl ee abroad”. The documents who would join which squad. ganised Jama’atul Mujahideen Dhaka recovered from their driver The detention of the four Bangladesh as Neo-JMB, was China remains the largest seize assets of “prove they were preparing comes after four women mili- killed in a raid on a house in tourism source market of Sri to fl ee to Pakistan”, reported tants of JMB, aged between 18 Narayanganj along with two Lanka, with over 27,000 tourists angladesh police have Dhaka Tribune. and 30, were arrested on Mon- others on August 27. Tamim’s arriving in the island country in detained two couples be- RAB’s legal and media wing day during a raid in Sirajganj. deputy Mohammad Jahidul August, off icial figures showed Blonging to the terror out- chief Mufti Mahmud Khan Police also seized a large quan- Islam was killed in a raid in yesterday. war criminals fi t Neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen said that acting on a tip-off , tity of bomb-making materials, Mirpur on September 2. Nearly 200,000 Chinese tourists Bangladesh (JMB) on suspicion a police team detained Mah- six improvised bombs, nine Ji- The JMB, founded in 1998, is have arrived in Sri Lanka from they were planning to fl ee to mud, Shumi and Aminul from hadi books, four grenade shells an Islamic fundamentalist or- January to August this year, a By Mizan Rahman criminals,” the minister said. Pakistan. a restaurant opposite to Anan- and electrical equipment from ganisation, operating in Bang- 32% increase for the like period Dhaka Huq said with the trial Rapid Action Battalion da Cinema Hall in Farmgate the den. ladesh. It gained public promi- in 2015, Xinhua news agency of most of the high-profi le (RAB) said yesterday that past midnight. The detentions also comes nence in 2001 when bombs reported. perpetrators of 1971 crimes Shariful Islam alias Mahmud, Khan said that Nahid and days after Tamim Ahmed and documents detailing the Overall, tourist arrivals to Sri he Bangladesh govern- against humanity, a phase his wife Marjiya Akter Shumi, Aminul handled the “post Chowdhury, the “mastermind” activities of the organisation Lanka rose 11.8% in 2015 to ment is considering le- in war crimes trial has been and Aminul Islam and his wife recruitment procedures” of the Dhaka cafe terror attack were discovered in Parbatipur 186,288 in August 2016, with total Tgal steps regarding war completed. Nahid Sultana, had “plans to of New JMB and decided and who police said had reor- in Dinajpur district. visitors up 16% to 1.3mn. criminals’ property against “People are demanding ac- the backdrop of what the law tion against war criminals’ minister said a growing public property. We have started demand seeking confi scation considering actions to be of their assets. taken about these properties Militants holed up in building “Steps could be taken on the in line with the law as Sheikh basis of a (possible) court order Hasina’s government is a peo- to be obtained after amending ple’s government and we are International Crimes Tribunal accountable to people,” he Act of 1973 or we can enact a said. new law (regarding war crimi- However, Huq said the is- nals property),” Law Minis- sue involving the war crimi- ter Anisul Huq told reporters nals’ property is unlikely to be yesterday. resolved ‘very soon’ while, on Huq, however, said the the other hand. property of 1971 war crimes “What I can tell you is that convicts who were executed the legal process has started. by now might not be con- We will try to do it as fast as fi scated as under the law of possible,” the minister said. inheritance their heirs by Replying to a question, if now got the ownership of the steps are underway to expose assets. to justice Jamaat-e-Islami as “I am afraid we may not do a party for committing crimes anything with their (executed against humanity in 1971, war criminals) property … the minister replied in the but we may frame a new law affi rmative. to take action with regard “The matter awaits the ap- to the property of other war proval of the cabinet,” he said.

Film on Nepal quake to be screened at fest

Ganesh Panday’s Nepal Din Baba, narrates the story of Earthquake: Heroes, Survivors floods in Kashmir. and Miracles and Graham Colin’s World famous cinematographer Outcast are among 54 films Stanzin Dorje from Ladakh will to be screened at the two-day represent his film Shepherdess Second International Film of Glaciers that tells their Festival of Shimla, commencing story of survival in adverse in the Himachal Pradesh geographical conditions. capital Shimla from October 1, Three films by the State organisers said yesterday. Institute of Film and Television Bangladesh police cordon off a building over suspected militants’ presence in Dhaka. The Bangladesh police cordoned off a building in the capital’s diplomatic enclave Gulshan Films from the US, Russia, in Rohtak, Haryana, will be on Tuesday, where militants were suspected of being holed up. Japan, Iran, Dubai (UAE), screened, while Marathi film Argentina, Cyprus, Bangladesh, Chaukhat will motivate the Canada, Israel, France, audience to think above the Australia, Belarus and Nepal common lines. will be screened in the The festival will also witness documentary, short and the premiere of short film Laal feature films and animation Hota Darakhta directed by Dev Nepali offi cer cleared of torture charges by British court categories, festival director Kanya Thakur based on a short Pushp Raj Thakur said. story of S R Harnot. In the national category, 22 Twelve Indian films have been IANS edly ordered the torture of two alleged off ences are commit- said: “I am extremely pleased for jurisdiction for the victims of documentaries, short films and shortlisted for screening this Kathmandu suspected Maoist rebels, Kamal ted abroad and they are not UK Lama that this case is fi nally at torture and other serious viola- feature films will be screened year. The Infinite Space by Husein and Janak Raut, who citizens. an end and that he can put these tions is open in the UK and be- and filmmakers will represent Sidharth Chauhan from Shimla were held at the Gorusinghe He was arrested in January allegations behind him.” yond. The experiences that we issues of their states diff erently will throw light on learning of UK-based Nepal army of- barracks in Kapilvastu district of 2013 while vacationing with Lama is the fi rst person to be have gained will help to fi nd jus- in a cinematic way. Buddhism in Bhoti language. fi cer accused of torturing Nepal in 2005. family in the UK. He was on leave tried outside Nepal for alleged tice in other similar cases and to Hunt from Jharkhand by Bijju A short film Meera, directed Asuspected Maoist detain- Charges against Lama were from his posting as a UN peace- human rights violations and continue with our fi ght against Tappo represents the conflicts by Satyender Rana and Diksha ees was yesterday acquitted by a brought under section 134 of keeper in South Sudan. war crimes in Nepal under the impunity in Nepal,” Kathmandu between Naxalism and the Jain from Mandi, and Dost from British Court, media reports said. the Criminal Justice Act, which His solicitor, Jonathan universal jurisdiction. Post quoted Mandira Sharma, security forces, while Shrouded Bilaspur by Piyush Kanga will also Lt Col Kumar Lama, 49, from allows suspects to face trial be- Grimes, a criminal law partner “The case has already estab- founder of rights NGO Advocacy Paradise, directed by Jalal-ud- make their debut in the festival. St Leonards, London, alleg- fore a British court even if their at the law fi rm Kingsley Napley, lished that the door of universal Forum. Gulf Times 28 Thursday, September 8, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Production Editor: C P Ravindran Seeking a road map to a more

P.O.Box 2888 prosperous future for Brazil Doha, Qatar [email protected] Temer’s government should in 2014. Much of that spending can enough fi scal or monetary space. This tap investment in human capital as a focus on reducing waste in be explained by a commitment to leaves Brazil’s government with only source of productivity growth. As it Telephone 44350478 (news), tackling endemic poverty – an eff ort one real option for restoring business stands, private companies in Brazil 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) the private sector caused that included the world’s largest confi dence and reviving economic invest less in personnel training than Fax 44350474 by other problems with the conditional cash-transfer programme, growth: tackling Brazil’s structural those in other countries with similar among other things – without weaknesses. per capita incomes, owing largely business environment reducing the privileges enjoyed by The good news is that Temer’s to disincentives embedded in tax Brazil’s better-off citizens. government seems to recognise this and labour laws – incentives that By Otaviano Canuto For some time, Brazil’s government imperative. Already, it has proposed Temer’s government has proposed to Washington was able to fund higher expenditure to Brazil’s Congress a constitutional change. with tax revenues, which also rose as a amendment forbidding for the next To maximise the impact of GULF TIMES result of levies on rising consumption 20 years nominal annual increases these efforts, Temer’s government ow that impeached and labour-market formalisation. And in public expenditures, including at should also focus on reducing Brazilian president Dilma high global commodity prices helped the subnational level, that exceed the waste in the private sector Rousseff is out of offi ce, it is sustain GDP growth of around 4.5% previous year’s infl ation rate. caused by other problems with Nup to the newly empowered per year from 2003 to 2010, which also Provided that infl ation stabilises the business environment. The A year on, migrant administration of President bolstered government revenues. at some lower level, such a cap would more efficient use of human and Michel Temer to clean up Brazil’s cause public expenditure as a share material resources would make macroeconomic mess. Can Temer’s Brazil’s primary of GDP to decline as soon as the firms more competitive and boost crisis hangs over votes government save Brazil’s crumbling economy began to grow again. If Brazil’s total-factor productivity, economy? government increases in tax revenues accompany especially if Brazil’s human capital The situation is certainly dire. GDP growth, fi scal imbalances and the were enhanced. In fact, Brazil has lately been expenditures as a accumulation of public debt would Add to that eff orts to facilitate in Hungary, Austria experiencing the most powerful automatically be addressed. At a time foreign trade, and Brazil’s “animal economic contraction in its recent proportion of GDP when Brazil has little fl exibility in its spirits” of entrepreneurship could be history. Its per capita GDP will be budget, such a rule could turn out to unleashed, enabling Brazil to escape One year after the border between Hungary more than 10% smaller this year than rose from 22% in 1991 be a fi scal game changer. the current crisis and move toward and Austria became a focal point of a mass infl ux it was in 2013. And unemployment to 36% in 2014 Of course, a cap on expenditure a more prosperous future. -Project of refugees to Europe, many of them heading for has soared to more than 11%, up four growth would not by itself eliminate Syndicate percentage points from January 2015. the need to address existing budget Germany, offi cials in both countries say the situation Brazil has no easy route to recovery But, of course, the formal labour rigidities. Temer’s government has zThe views expressed here are the is largely under control. for a simple reason: the current rout force cannot expand forever, and declared its intention to present to author’s own and do not necessarily But migrants continue to make their way into derives from the intensifi cation commodity prices always fall Congress a pension reform plan for refl ect those of the World Bank or any Hungary and across the border into Austria from areas in recent years of long-standing eventually. Unfortunately, Brazil failed precisely this reason. of the governments he represents. economic vulnerabilities – in to take advantage of the good times to As for productivity, the government of the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa hit by particular, fi scal profl igacy and reap productivity growth. Indeed, only is focused on reducing waste caused zOtaviano Canuto, former State confl ict and poverty. anaemic productivity growth. 10% of Brazil’s GDP growth in 2002- by insuffi cient infrastructure Secretary for International Aff airs at The situation has left many Hungarians and Consider Brazil’s fi scal position, 2014 can be attributed to total factor construction in recent decades. the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, is Austrians on edge and could shape the outcome of two which has deteriorated rapidly since productivity gains, while two-thirds Scaling up infrastructure investment Executive Director on the Board of the 2011, with a 3.1%-of-GDP primary was the result of an increase in slightly also promises to spur private World Bank for Brazil, Colombia, the votes on October 2, when Austria elects a president surplus giving way to a defi cit of more better-educated workers entering investment in other sectors. The key Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, and Hungary decides whether to accept mandatory than 2.7% of GDP, leading to an overall the labour force. So when Brazil’s will be to fi ne-tune the division of Panama, the Philippines, Suriname, European Union quotas for resettling migrants. budget defi cit of close to 10% of tax-revenue boosters fi nally collapsed, responsibilities between the private and Trinidad and Tobago. A former Many people in Austria, a country of 8.5mn that GDP. In fact, the groundwork for that legally mandated increases in public and public sectors – including vice president and senior adviser at deterioration was laid a long time ago. spending drove Brazil rapidly toward a independent regulatory agencies – in the World Bank, he previously served has taken in about 110,000 asylum seekers since Brazil’s primary government fi scal cliff . the various segments of infrastructure as Executive Director of the IMF and last summer, see a risk that the migrant crisis could expenditures as a proportion of Today, counter-cyclical policies services. Vice President of the Inter-American worsen again. Although there is little evidence of it GDP rose from 22% in 1991 to 36% are not an option; there simply isn’t Temer’s government also hopes to Development Bank. happening, they believe Austria could become the destination for migrants making their way from Africa through Italy. Such concerns could work in favour of far-right candidate Norbert Hofer in Austria’s election runoff . The fi rst ballot, narrowly won by former Greens party leader Alexander Van der Bellen, was annulled because of technical irregularities. Similar fears could also help Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban persuade voters to reject the EU quota system following an aggressive government campaign in which billboards have been erected linking migrants to Many people assaults and terrorism. Election of a far-right in Austria see president in Austria and rejection of the quota a risk that the plan in Hungary would migrant crisis be likely to damage the unity of the EU, which could worsen is already struggling to again articulate a common vision after Britain’s vote on June 23 to leave the bloc. Few communities have felt the impact of the migrants infl ux more than Nickelsdorf, a town of 1,800 in the eastern border region of Burgenland surrounded by sunfl ower and corn fi elds. It was near Nickelsdorf that the corpses of 71 refugees were found in an abandoned truck, shortly before Austria and Germany threw open their borders Brazilian President Michel Temer in Hangzhou, China, to attend the recent G20 summit. to migrants on September 4 last year. Burgenland is a traditional stronghold of Chancellor Christian Kern’s Social Democrats. But two thirds of voters there backed the eurosceptic Freedom Party’s (FPO) Hofer in the presidential run-off in May that Keeping Qatar connected was annulled. Orban opposes the EU quota plan and hopes the By Ramy Boctor our lives are touched by mobile weekends or dune excursions. best technology to Qatar to empower October 2 referendum will strengthen his hand in Doha technology. And largely they are made We have further increased capacity, people to make better connections. We dealings on the migrant issue with the EU and German better for being connected. Now, which has produced a signifi cantly will not spare any eff ort to maintain the Chancellor Angela Merkel. smart phones and social media usage better customer experience on both momentum we have built up, and to s the are rife across the Gulf, and Qatar voice and data services. We now have invest in further improving the quality The UN refugee agency has condemned Hungary’s country is considered to have amongst the more than 150 cell sites dedicated and capacity of our network. refugee practices but criticism of the referendum and gears up highest smart phone penetration rates to in-building solutions providing At the same time, given our majority Orban’s stance on refugees has largely been limited in Ato get of anywhere in the world, as high as fantastic coverage and data speeds in shareholder is Qatar Foundation, we Hungary to small opposition and rights groups. back to business 95% of the population according to shopping malls, hotels, and hospitals combine the best that Vodafone Group after the summer, for those of us a study conducted by Northwestern as well as residential buildings and can bring in terms of global innovation Merkel and then-Austrian chancellor Werner returning to Doha or arriving for the University in Qatar (NU-Q). towers around the country. with a keen interest in reinvesting Faymann suspended EU migration rules last year to fi rst time, the investment in roads, Nowadays, our network strength in and creating value for the State allow in thousands of refugees who reached those rail and physical infrastructure that Most waking enables us to provide a world- of Qatar. It takes deep pockets and countries via Hungary. will help keep modern Qatar moving class customer experience, which unwavering commitment to invest is inescapable. But in the pipes, ducts minutes, our lives are compares favourably to that which on this scale and to meet the network Faymann quit in May after losing his party’s and network pylons in the desert, Vodafone customers enjoy in challenges that arise from this support, partly because of his handling of the crisis. Vodafone has been working tirelessly touched by mobile London, Cairo or Mumbai. That explosion in data usage. Merkel has also faced problems and her Christian on less obvious but equally critical means fast connection speeds, great Telecoms operators are well placed Democrats lost a regional election on Sunday to an investments that will underpin Qatar’s technology mobile coverage, and unparalleled to act as catalysts for transformation continued economic growth and access to video, social media in a fast-changing digital society. anti-immigrant party. success. These seismic changes in how we and music streaming. Don’t take But before they can take advantage of Cast your mind back to 2009, communicate and connect with one our word for it: an independent changing customer needs, they must when Vodafone was fi rst invited to another, whether through data heavy network test by consultants P3 decide where they want to play - and To Advertise come to Qatar by Qatar Foundation, applications or by sharing video, conducted in 2016 showed that then focus rigorously on developing and to create a joint venture which have evidently put huge pressure on Vodafone’s network was the best the strategies, technologies and talent [email protected] became Vodafone Qatar in order to telecoms networks. From a network performing in Qatar for mobile voice that are prerequisites for success. We Display help drive competition, innovation engineer’s perspective, it has felt like and data combined. But standing don’t have a crystal ball to predict the Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 and consumer choice in the country’s running hard to stand still. still is not an option. As the sole next Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, telecoms market. At that time, the However, having invested almost representatives from Qatar on global Snapchat or Uber. Classified iPhone was just two years old – most QR1bn over the past 24 months telecoms industry steering groups But we are determined that Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 business customers were still using to improve our network coverage for 5G standards, we are already whatever Qatar’s future network Blackberries – and not everyone had and performance, we are confi dent thinking about how we can bring needs, we will be there to connect Subscription a smartphone. Twitter was not much our customers are now reaping the that technology to bear in Qatar. people and businesses, enabling them [email protected] older, WhatsApp had just started out, benefi ts. Our 3G and 4G network Being part of one of the largest to benefi t by making the most of these and Instagram, Snapchat and Uber coverage covers not only urban and telecommunications companies in new technologies. had not yet launched. rural areas, but even expands into the the world – Vodafone Group Plc – has 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved The world, and Qatar, look very desert where it enables customers to been crucial to our success in achieving zRamy Boctor is chief technology diff erent today. Most waking minutes, stay connected during their camping this. It means we are able to bring the offi cer, Vodafone Qatar. Gulf Times Thursday, September 8, 2016 29 COMMENT Life-altering science sparks debate

Proponents of gene drive Proponents of gene drive the voices of my colleagues here technology say it eliminates technology say it eliminates the need worried about the birds and the for polluting pesticides, and could trees,” he said. the need for polluting off er a more eff ective remedy against “One of the key things that is going pesticides, and could off er invasive species than any tool on hand. to be important for this technology is But opponents fear the impacts of the ability to get these genes out in a a more eff ective remedy permanently altering life forms on very rapid way in the population.” against invasive species than Earth and its unknown — and likely According to Floyd Reed, a irreversible — impact on creatures and scientist at the University of Hawaii any tool on hand ecosystems. who is working on a project to alter Kevin Esvelt, an assistant professor Culex mosquitoes which transmit By Kerry Sheridan at the Massachusetts Institute of avian malaria to birds, gene drive AFP/Honolulu Technology (MIT), is among the fi rst technologies are incredibly diverse. scientists to propose using gene- Some could theoretically spread editing, or CRISPR technology, to alter from a single small release and cientifi c techniques that can species. genetically transform an entire wipe out invasive species He is also one of the most cautious species, he told AFP via e-mail. or alter mosquitoes’ ability voices on its potential uses. “These should be treated extremely Sto carry disease are pushing “As a scientist who worked on it, cautiously. And there are other ahead, raising concerns about the I am particularly concerned because types of population modifi cation ethics of permanently changing the we scientists are ultimately morally genetic technology that are safer, natural world, experts say. responsible for all the consequences geographically self limiting, and This fast-moving fi eld of science — of our work,” Esvelt said at a panel reversible.” which involves changing the biology discussion at the IUCN meeting in At the ongoing IUCN World of creatures by interfering with their Honolulu. Conservation Congress, a meeting DNA — is increasingly being debated “It should be a requirement that of environmentalists and heads of not only for human health purposes, no one gets to build a gene drive or state from around the world that but also in conservation circles. any technology designed to alter the runs from September 1-10 and has Perhaps the most controversial type shared environment in a laboratory drawn some 9,000 heads of state and of research is known as a “gene drive,” without making their proposals public environmentalists to Hawaii, members which ensures that a certain trait is fi rst,” he said. adopted a motion to refrain “from passed down from parent to off spring. “If something goes wrong in the supporting or endorsing research, It eventually leads to genetic changes laboratory, it can aff ect people outside including fi eld trials, into the use of throughout the entire species. the laboratory,” Esvelt added. gene drives for conservation or other Projects being considered include “That means if you do it behind purposes” until a rapid assessment is one to release altered mice on islands closed doors — as is traditional in completed by 2020. that will only bear male off spring, science — then you are not giving However, the motion is non- ensuring an end to future generations, people a voice in a decision that might binding, and does not prevent anyone scientists said at the International aff ect them.” from pursuing research. Union for Conservation of Nature He also said the current regulatory British primatologist Jane Goodall (IUCN) World Conservation Congress. environment is “all based around and dozens of other environmentalists Another idea is to save endangered release. And not really stringent and scientists have signed an open birds on the Hawaiian islands by enough, frankly, if you ask me.” letter expressing concern about releasing altered mosquitoes that But others at the same panel the use of gene drives in military, cannot carry avian malaria. called for quick action to preserve agriculture and conservation. The Oxitec mosquito developed imperilled species before they from malaria,” said Chris Farmer, the remaining 32 species are at risk, Anthony James, professor of The letter calls for a halt to all by Intrexon is not technically a disappear forever due to invasive Hawaii program director of the experts say. microbiology and molecular genetics proposals for the use of gene drive “gene drive,” but cuts down on species and diseases. American Bird Conservancy. By not exploring new technologies, at the University of California Irvine technologies “given the obvious the population of mosquitoes by “One of the scariest things of A total of 38 forest birds in Hawaii “we are choosing to let these species School of Medicine, said time is of the dangers of irretrievably releasing introducing altered males whose working in conservation in Hawaii have gone extinct already due in go extinct,” Farmer said. essence. genocidal genes into the natural off spring cannot survive. is there is no way to save these birds large part to avian diseases, and 21 of Another speaker on the panel, “You have heard the urgency in world.” Weather report Nearly 50mn children ‘uprooted’ worldwide Three-day forecast TODAY High: 41 C AFP seeking refuge outside their birth countries. Low : 33 C United Nations Hazy at places at first becomes hot Children make up about a third of daytime and slight dust, realtively the world’s population but about half humid by night. lmost 50mn children of all refugees. throughout the world In 2015, about 45% of child refugees FRIDAY have been “uprooted” under the UN refugee agency’s care High: 38 C from their homes by war, came from Syria and Afghanistan. Low: 29 C A Sunny violence or persecution, the United Unicef urged authorities to end Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said the detention of children migrating yesterday. or seeking refugee status, abstain “Indelible images of individual from separating families, allow child SATURDAY children – Aylan Kurdi’s small refugees and migrants access to health High: 38 C body washed up on a beach after services and to promote measure that Low: 28 C drowning at sea or Omran Daqneesh’s combat xenophobia, discrimination Sunny stunned and bloody face as he sat and marginalisation. in an ambulance after his home The international body will take up was destroyed – have shocked the the issue of migration in two late- Fishermen’s forecast world,” United Nations International September meetings on the sidelines OFFSHORE DOHA Children’s Emergency Fund Executive of this year’s UN General Assembly. Wind: NW-NE 05-15 KT Director Anthony Lake said in a “We’d like to see some clear Waves: 2-4 Feet statement. commitments and practical INSHORE DOHA Wind: NW-NE 05-15/18 KT “But each picture, each girl or boy, whose refugee status is pending legal status, and there is no systematic measures,” Unicef deputy executive Waves: 1-2 Feet represents many millions of children and approximately 17mn children tracking and monitoring of their well- director Justin Forsyth told journalists in danger – and this demands that our displaced within their own countries being – children falling through the in New York. Around the region compassion for the individual children lacking access to humanitarian aid and cracks,” Unicef said. “The burden sharing of this crisis Weather Weather we see be matched with action for all critical services. Children are also increasingly is not fair: the greatest burden is today Max/min tomorrow Max/min children.” Some 20mn other children have crossing borders on their own: more supported by neighbouring countries Abu Dhabi Sunny 42/31 Sunny 41/29 In its analysis of global data, Unicef left their homes for various reasons than 100,000 unaccompanied minors or the poorest countries.” Baghdad Sunny 41/23 Sunny 42/23 Dubai Sunny 39/31 Sunny applied for asylum in 78 countries last Forsyth said the upcoming summits 39/30 found that 28mn of those children including gang violence or extreme Kuwait City Sunny 42/27 Sunny 41/27 were forcibly displaced by violence poverty. year, tripling 2014’s numbers. are “not enough to solve the problem,” Manama Sunny 41/29 Sunny 41/29 and confl ict within and across borders, “Many are at particular risk of Unicef pointed to children but they remain “critical.” Muscat Sunny 32/26 Sunny 31/26 including 10mn child refugees. abuse and detention because they have accounting for a “disproportionate “It is a chance to get the world to Riyadh Sunny 41/28 Sunny 41/27 There were also 1mn asylum seekers no documentation, have uncertain and growing proportion” of people look at this crisis,” he said. Tehran S T Storms 28/20 Sunny 30/21 Live issues Trying to fi nd your passion? Find a decent job instead

By Gina Barreca successful fi lms based on their fi rst voice. She’d been a fi ne undergraduate something you indulge and should The Hartford Courant/TNS novels. and then gone on to train for precisely seek. Yes, some people do, but even many the fi eld in which she was now Ambition is not passion; aff ection is of the ones who arrive in the spotlight employed. not the same as a willingness to suff er et’s stop telling young people have, or have had, day jobs and regular When I asked her what was wrong, affl iction. to fi nd their passion and start work. They too have to support she said: “I worked eight hours a day The ability to do good, fi ne and telling them to fi nd a job. themselves between projects unless for fi ve days last week.” useful work does not depend on LThe work you do in the world they marry rich or come from families “And?” I asked. passion. By defi nition, passion is not supposed to make a fulfi lled that own air and mineral rights (and “And now I’ll have to do that for passes – it must, because it cannot be individual; it’s supposed to make you remember that many who appear to the rest of my life.” She sounded withstood or else it would consume Around the world an employed individual. have achieved success on their own shocked. It was exciting to get the the one at its centre. But we must work Weather Weather We do a disservice to our young have instead inherited it). job but having and doing the job? We for the world to continue, let alone today Max/min tomorrow Max/min people when we encourage them to didn’t necessarily prepare her for that. improve. Athens P Cloudy 32/22 M Sunny 31/21 believe that the world will reward Where did the passion go? Work depends on character; it Beirut Sunny 29/26 Sunny 31/25 Most people do Bangkok M Cloudy 33/26 S T Storms 33/26 them fi nancially for something that it Let’s put passion in its place, or at depends on commitment; it depends Berlin Sunny 30/15 M Sunny 28/16 didn’t ask for and doesn’t want. not make a living least remind ourselves of its origin: on self-respect. In To Be of Use, poet Cairo Sunny 35/22 Sunny 37/23 We’ve been telling them since they The Latin word “pati” meant “suff er”. Marge Piercy writes: “I want to be Cape Town Showers 17/10 P Cloudy 16/10 were toddlers to follow their own Passion was originally with people who submerge/ in the Colombo P Cloudy 29/24 P Cloudy 29/25 by dancing, singing, S T Storms 32/26 paths. Of course they believed it. That synonymous with agony and task, who go into the fi elds to harvest/ Dhaka 32/26 S T Storms Hong Kong T Storms 28/26 S T Storms 29/26 these paths often lead to the couch, acting, writing, martyrdom; it was twinned with and work in a row and pass the bags Istanbul Sunny 30/21 Sunny 29/21 the mall and the nurse’s offi ce seems endurance and fervency. It was not along,” who “move in a common Jakarta T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 32/25 not to deter them. drawing or designing something you sought but something rhythm/ when the food must come in Karachi P Cloudy 32/26 Sunny 32/26 We too often tell the impressionable you could not overcome. or the fi re be put out.” London P Cloudy 23/16 Cloudy 22/17 apps Manila T Storms 32/25 T Storms 32/25 young that if they’re passionate Gradually passion became a word Let’s remember Piercy’s words Moscow P Cloudy 18/09 M Cloudy 15/08 enough about a topic or activity, people used when discussing any ourselves, no matter what our age. New Delhi M Sunny 36/27 Sunny 36/27 they’ll be recognised, eventually, for Instead, most of us will need to intense desire. But during the last Here’s to being part of the common New York P Cloudy 32/26 M Sunny 34/23 their talents. Yet this is not generally, show up at a job on a regular basis. three decades or so, the term passion rhythm, the world’s heartbeat, in our Paris M Sunny 26/12 Sunny 26/14 M Sunny Cloudy 19/15 or even often, the case in actual life. Nobody said it’s easy. One of my has become synonymous with the work. Sao Paulo 23/13 Seoul T Storms 27/18 P Cloudy 28/18 Most people do not make a living by favourite young women called me after idea of enthusiasm and eagerness. Singapore I T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 32/25 dancing, singing, acting, writing, landing an excellent full-time position We’ve gone from believing that zGina Barreca is a columnist for the Sydney P Cloudy 21/13 M Sunny 22/14 drawing or designing apps. Most in a major city. I was surprised when passion is something you endure Hartford Courant. Readers may e-mail Tokyo Rain 28/25 Cloudy 31/24 people do not write and direct highly I heard the lack of enthusiasm in her to imagining that a passion is her at ginabarreca.com Gulf Times 30 Thursday, September 8, 2016 QATAR 10 outlets closed for violations ffi cers from the health included 4,790 tonnes of vege- destruction of some 250kg of conducted a comprehensive control section of Doha tables and 4,705 tonnes of fruits. frozen and chilled chicken past clean-up campaign in addition OMunicipality conducted They destroyed 96 tonnes of their expiry date. The initiative to a pest and rodent control drive 1,430 inspections at food facili- these products for being unfi t for also led to issuance of a violation across all municipal facilities ties within its jurisdiction last human consumption. report for imposition of a fi ne. and schools ahead of the new month, resulting in the closure Similarly, meat health unit Livestock carcasses were also academic year. of 10 errant outlets. veterinarians examined 51,793 destroyed – two completely and The municipal aff airs depart- The inspection tours also led sheep, 615 cows and 497 camels 350 partially. ment at Al Rayyan Municipality to the issuance of 150 reports and destroyed 12,033 tonnes of The technical inspection sec- responded to 1,440 requests for for violation of the Law No. 3 for rotten meat. In addition, they tion at Umm Salal Municipality pest control and 117 for rodent 1975 on commercial and indus- checked 1,235 tonnes of fi sh and conducted 92 inspection tours control in August. It conducted trial houses and public utilities, destroyed nine tonnes for being during the same period. Besides, a total of 2,245 such operations. and nine reports for violation of unfi t for human consumption. it conducted 60 reviews to issue It also carried out 8,520 requests Law No. 8 for 1990 on the regu- The health control section building completion certifi cates to drain out sewage water and lation of human food control, at Al Shamal Municipality de- and also served 32 notices for 385 requests to maintain drain- according to a statement. stroyed around half a tonne of violation of building permits. age pipes. The closure period ranged various types of fi sh – found un- The public control section de- The public gardens section at from one week to a month. fi t for human consumption – at tected 123 abandoned vehicles the municipality planted 22 palm Inspectors from the Doha the fi sh market there. and took the necessary steps for trees on Al Furusyah Street and Municipality examined 9,495 The Umm Salal Municipality their removal. 14 trees on Al Gharafa Street, tonnes of vegetables at the Doha conducted 70 inspection tours The Al Shamal Municipal while it also removed rubble Central Market last month. This in August, which resulted in the services aff airs department from February 22 Road. Doha Municipality inspectors examine products at a store. Diversion MEC implementing law to end in north Wukair monopoly on 35 products

two-month partial road he Ministry of Economy brands, coff ee, sugar, honey, study, which revealed that the the competitiveness of the na- closure will be in place on and Commerce (MEC) juices, soft drinks and mineral food and consumer products in tional economy will help realise AHaroun Street in north Tyesterday said it has start- water. question were in the hands of Qatar National Vision 2030,” the Wukair area starting from today. ed implementing Cabinet Deci- The list extends further to a small number of agents. The report said. As a result the traffi c to and sion No.24 for 2016, which ex- include table salt, all kinds of study also noted that, in some HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim from the Industrial Area through empts 35 commodities from the pastries, biscuits, chocolates, instances, one agent would hold bin Hamad al-Thani had ratifi ed Haroun Street will be diverted to provisions of Law No.8 of 2002 ice cream, nuts, chips, frozen the right to import diff erent Cabinet Decision No.24 of 2016 Al Tabaa Street (As shown in the regulating the work of commer- food products, tomato paste, brands that were meant to com- in June this year. map). cial agents. grains, popcorn, legumes, cook- pete in the market and not com- Earlier, in April, the Cabinet The diversion is being made to The MEC has informed the ing oil, margarine, aluminium, plement one another. had issued a draft law regulating enabling works on the roads and General Authority of Customs food preservatives, personal and Such practices prevented the import and sale of goods by infrastructure for government about a list of around 420 com- home hygiene products. prices from falling and did not commercial agents and traders residential buildings in north mercial agencies whose monop- The MEC stressed that the provide any incentive for agents in Qatar. Wukair. oly for importing these products measures would help boost to improve the service they of- HE the Prime Minister and has been scrapped. It has also business environment in the fered to consumers, it was felt. Minister of Interior Sheikh Ab- informed agents about the re- country and off er new incentives The decision will allow trad- dullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa moval of the 35 food and con- to young importers to enter the ers, who did not have the nec- al-Thani had observed that ex- sumer products from the records market. essary rights to import these empting some goods from the of commercial agents, according The ministry has co-ordi- products, to do so now. This will law regulating the work of com- to a report by the offi cial Qatar nated with the state’s outlets in help enhance market competi- mercial agents refl ected the gov- MoI issues advisory News Agency. order to carry out the decision, tiveness and bring down prices, ernment’s commitment to moni- The 35 products in question which aims to improve market it is believed. toring and regulating the market. include powdered and con- competitiveness and lower pric- “The decision is part of the On his part, HE the Minister of densed milk along with all dairy es. The law, it is noted, prevents ministry’s eff orts to end unjus- Economy and Commerce Sheikh products. Chicken, meat and re- a number of food and consumer tifi ed increases in price and en- Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed for Haj pilgrims lated products, including eggs, products to be owned by a par- courage competitiveness in light al-Thani had said the decision are also on the list. Rice, fl our, ticular commercial agent. of the free market policies the would support the ministry’s ef- fi sh and seafood in general are Cabinet decision No.24 for government is undertaking. The forts in combating monopolies he Ministry of Interior The MoI has “strongly ad- umbrellas for protection from also included along with all tea 2016 came on the back of a role of the ministry in enhancing and regulating prices. (MoI) has issued an ad- vised” pilgrims to properly sun rays and rain in order to Tvisory for Haj pilgrims understand the location of preserve their health. from Qatar to ensure their their tents and camps at the Pilgrims need to exercise QIB mall branches safety during the journey. holy sites and learn about sur- caution when boarding and “We wish for the safe arrival rounding roads in order to have alighting from a bus and should to operate during National Award for principal of the Qatar Haj Mission to the smooth access to the places avoid rushing with others to Eid break sacred places. Qatari Haj pil- where they stay. prevent accidents, the MoI has grims are advised to follow the Important phone num- said. Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has safety guidelines during their bers – of those in charge of Further, the advisory notes announced that its The Gate journey and their stay in the tents, escorts, group leaders, that pilgrims should avoid Mall, Dar Al Salam, and City holy lands,” the MoI said in a etc – should be saved. Pilgrims walking in tunnels meant for Center branches will be open to post on its Facebook page yes- should also have light snacks vehicles, while also pointing to provide only cash services from terday. and enough water at intervals the risks of sitting along pedes- the evening of the second day Providing general tips, the to remain in good health, the trian ways. of Eid al-Adha break, September advisory says pilgrims should ministry has said. The ministry has advised 13. keep their travel documents To ensure safety and prevent pilgrims to follow the instruc- These QIB branches will then safe and prevent any damage accidents and injuries, the ad- tions of security personnel follow their regular opening or loss. They should also keep visory says pilgrims should while travelling between holy hours, which for all three are a copy of their passports with avoid rushing into crowds dur- sites. They should also observe from Saturday until Thursday, them for reference, if neces- ing Tawaf, Saa’y and stoning safety measures in their camp 9am to 2:30pm and 3:30pm - sary. rituals. They should also use to avoid other accidents. 9pm, and on Fridays from 4pm - 9pm. Throughout the Eid holiday, customers can use QIB’s alternative channels to perform Preparation for Eid their daily banking needs by simply logging into their mobile and Internet banking applications or calling QIB’s call centre at 4444 8444. For cash transactions, 170 QIB ATMs and cash deposit machines are spread across the country. All QIB’s alternative channels Shantiniketan Indian School principal, Dr Subhash B Nair, was presented with the National services are available 24 hours, Award 2015, by President of India Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of the Teachers Day all year round. celebrations in New Delhi, on Monday. Dr Nair, with 29 years of experience in India and the Gulf, After the Eid holiday, all 32 QIB holds a masters degree in education as well as in Life Science Education and a doctorate in branches will resume work as education technology. per their regular opening hours. Pearl-Qatar lines up activities for Eid

he Pearl-Qatar, United De- to 10pm at 1 La Croisette’s indoor velopment Company’s (UDC) shopping arcade in Porto Arabia, Tfl agship project and one of featuring a range of family and chil- the largest urban developments in dren recreational activities that will Qatar, has lined up various enter- appeal to all ages and interests. tainment activities to mark the Eid Some of the activities include a al-Adha this year. theatrical performances led by Bar- Set to kick off on September 12, ney, Dora, Frozen, Aladdin, Jungle the three-day event will give resi- Book and Nemo, a bubble show, dents and visitors the opportunity photo booth, face painting and to spend ‘memorable times’ with henna stations, jugglers, balloon The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) has said it is working round-the-clock to their families. twisters, stilt walkers, mascots, and spruce up and prepare places across Doha and beyond for the Eid al-Adha celebrations. Picture UDC said yesterday that The human statues, among others. Free courtesy of MME Twitter page Pearl-Qatar will host a rich enter- popcorn, cotton candy and ice- Various Eid al-Adha activities will take place at Porto Arabia tainment programme from 6pm cream will be given to visitors. from September 12 to 14.

Gulf Times 32 Thursday, September 8, 2016 QATAR CRA resolves Luncheon banquet 85% complaints

against service Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations, HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, has hosted a luncheon banquet at the mission’s headquarters in New York in honour of the president-elect for the 71st session of United Nation General Assembly Peter Thomson. The attendees reviewed the most prominent issues placed on the agenda of the 71st session as well as sustainable development issues and ways to implement the 2030 Sustainable Plan. They also discussed global challenges like regional conflicts, terrorism, climate change and refugee crisis. The banquet was attended by a number of permanent providers representatives of the UN member states and the director of the General Assembly president’s off ice. he Communications Reg- plaints are related to delay in ulatory Authority (CRA) installation and activation while Thas resolved over 85% of 9% of the fi xed line complaints the 877 complaints it received are about disconnection issues. against Ooredoo and Vodafone “The Telecommunications Qatar from January to August Law and the licenses issued to 2016. service providers include provi- QU research fi nds ‘artifi cial’ The CRA’s Consumer Aff airs sions to protect consumers by Department said it is “working placing obligations on the serv- closely” with the two service ice providers to be honest and providers to resolve the rest of be fair in their dealings. Con- thyroid cancer epidemic the complaints, which are still sumers with a complaint can under investigation. freely approach the CRA if they “As the regulator of commu- fi rst complain to their service research led by a faculty About 2,500 new cases will In 2019, the projected medi- nications services, CRA encour- provider and this complaint re- member at Qatar Uni- be diagnosed in Australia this cal care costs for diff erentiated ages all consumers to understand mains unresolved for 30 calen- Aversity’s College of Med- year. Thyroid cancer surgery thyroid cancer in the US is es- their rights, as well as obliga- dar days, or if they are dissatis- icine (QU-CMED) has found has substantial consequences timated to be more than $3bn. tions clearly before signing any CRA Consumer Aff airs Department fi ed with the resolution off ered,” that doctors globally are over- for patients — most must re- “The medical costs for diff er- contract with their service pro- manager Amel Salem al-Hanawi. the CRA said. diagnosing patients with the ceive lifelong thyroid-replace- entiated thyroid cancer in Aus- vider or before subscribing to It added: “The CRA’s Con- most common thyroid cancer, ment therapy, and some have tralia could be about $300mn in paid services,” said Amel Salem ment failures and failure to acti- sumer Aff airs Department is creating an artifi cial epidemic complications from the pro- 2019, if we extrapolate from the al-Hanawi, CRA’s Consumer vate SIM cards. responsible for receiving and that costs billions of dollars in cedure including damage to US projection,” he said. Aff airs department manager. The CRA is mandated to man- investigating telecom consumer unnecessary medical care costs Dr Suhail Doi at the laboratory. nerves and surrounding glands. Dr Doi and his colleagues She added: “However, as a age disputes within the sectors complaints by working with annually. Dr Doi said the research fi nd- analysed international autopsy consumer, if you have a com- it regulates. The CRA said it re- both consumers and service pro- CMED associate professor of cal forms of cancer, but overly ings, published in the Journal of data, including from regions plaint against your service pro- ceives an average of about 100 viders in a prompt and balanced Clinical Epidemiology Dr Su- meticulous examinations are Clinical Oncology would inform that had high and low instances vider pending for more than 30 complaints against both service way to fi nd mutually acceptable hail Doi, the principle inves- detecting the condition in the clinical guidelines around the of diff erentiated thyroid cancer, days, or the resolution is unsat- providers each month. solution. The Consumer Aff airs tigator in the study, said diag- early stages and resulting in world on appropriate treatment from the 1960s to 2007. isfactory, please contact CRA’s According to the CRA, 56% department also responds to noses of diff erentiated thyroid unnecessary surgeries,” said for diff erentiated thyroid cancer, Dr Doi said: “Ultimately, this 24-hour hotline at 103. We are of the complaints against Oore- consumer inquiries about any cancer globally had increased Dr Doi, who is also a clinical and also help to educate the gen- research will help improve thy- there for you.” doo’s mobile services are related issues they have regarding the three-fold internationally dur- epidemiologist at the Austral- eral public about the condition. roid cancer patients’ quality of Consumer complaints, ac- to billing issues, while 7% are services provided by their tel- ing the past 25 years— up to ian National University (ANU) “People with this type of life and reduce avoidable bur- cording to the CRA, include network coverage issues. On the ecom service provider.” 15-fold in countries with wide- Research School of Population thyroid cancer can sometimes den on health systems.” disconnections, delays in serv- other hand, 40% of Vodafone Consumers can e-mail the spread thyroid screening pro- Health and a specialist in endo- live until normal life expectancy Other co-authors of this ice provisions, refunds, incor- mobile services complaints are CRA at [email protected]. grammes — despite no change crinology. with the condition and usually study are ANU PhD student rect billing, slow Internet, weak about billing issues, while 20% qa, or submit an online com- to the disease’s low death rate. “Active monitoring rather die from other causes, so there Luis Furuya-Kanamori, Dr Katy broadband services, services not covered service disconnection plaint form on the CRA website “Diff erentiated thyroid can- than intervention is appropri- is no point diagnosing and in- Bell from University of Sydney, activated or mistakenly discon- issues. or through Twitter @CRAqa- cer mainly involves papillary ate in many cases, similar to tervening if the cancer is acting and Justin Clark and Professor nected, high roaming charges, Data collected revealed that tar. For more information, visit and follicular tumours that do how doctors treat prostate can- in a benign way and not causing Paul Glasziou at Bond double debiting and replenish- 14% of Ooredoo fi xed line com- http://cra.gov.qa/en not usually progress to clini- cer today,” Dr Doi said. any problems,” Dr Doi said. University.