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published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11177 May 8, 2019 Ramadan 3, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Amir, Sheikha Moza attend QF convocation

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, dignitaries and students at the graduation ceremony yesterday. 787 students graduate from nine universities Amir receives more Ramadan well-wishers By Joseph Varghese Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President periences at Education City. It is a cul- Staff Reporter of Qatar Olympic Committee, also at- mination – but it is also a beginning. tended the event in Education City’s “At convocation, the talented, dedi- His Highness the Amir Ceremonial Court, alongside ministers cated and ambitious young people that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad is Highness the Amir Sheikh and dignitaries, university deans, fac- Qatar Foundation is proud to have called al-Thani yesterday received Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani ulty and family members. our students step out of one phase of at Al Wajbah Palace more Hand Her Highness Sheikha Among the graduates, 378 are Qataris their lives and into the next. A future that well-wishers including Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar and 409 non-Qataris. There are 484 holds challenges and possibilities awaits Sheikhs and citizens, on Foundation (QF), yesterday graced QF’s female graduates and 303 males and them, but wherever their path leads, they the advent of the holy annual convocation ceremony 2019 the graduates represent 70 nationali- will travel it, empowered by the knowl- month of Ramadan. His that saw a total of 787 students gradu- ties, taking the total number of Educa- edge that they are as well-equipped to Highness the Personal ate from nine universities. tion City alumni to 5,059. create, innovate, contribute and thrive as Representative of the HE the Prime Minister and Minister HE Sheikha Hind said: “For our Class any set of graduates in the world. Amir Sheikh Jassim bin of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser of 2019 graduates, convocation is many “Every member of our Class of 2019 Hamad al-Thani attended bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE Sheikha Hind things: a personal and shared celebra- has recognised and maximised the the reception along with bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice-Chair- tion, a source of pride and a time to unique educational opportunity that Qa- a number of Sheikhs. person and CEO of QF, and HE Sheikh refl ect on their achievements and ex- tar Foundation provides.” To Page 9 The Amir, meanwhile, exchanged Ramadan greetings with Somalia President Mohamed Abdullah Faramago during a telephone conversation. Akhlaquna Award presented Page 24 er Highness Sheikha Moza erainig, who developed a mobile app fi ed, independent life and be provided bint Nasser, Chairperson of named Mobsron. with equal opportunities to partici- HQatar Foundation, presented Mobsron is an innovative mobile pate in society. Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Akhlaquna application that provides people who The objective of the Akhlaquna Award Award (Cycle 2) during the annual QF are blind and visually impaired with a is to highlight the timeless and universal convocation ceremony in Education tool to order food, review ingredients values exhibited by the Prophet Muham- City yesterday. and compare prices. The project ini- mad (PBUH), who serves as a role model The award went to Nawal al-Kurbi, tially stemmed from the belief that it of great moral character, and guides the Almazun al-Marri and Amal al-Gh- is every human’s right to live a digni- values of the award. To Page 9

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the 2019 QF convocation, which celebrated 787 students graduating from nine EC universities.

RAMADAN THOUGHT Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous Doha Metro begins Red Line South service today deeds, that last, are better with your Lord for rewards and bet- Three types of cards can be of Doha Metro Red Line South today at Travel, Goldclub and Limited Use. Pas- Rides cost QR2 for a single journey five travel for free. (Qur’an ter in respect of hope. 8am. sengers can buy the Standard Travel and QR6 for day pass (Standard) while The Limited Use cards can be used 18:46) used for Metro travel The Ministry of Transport and Com- cards from vending machines at Metro those travelling the Goldclub class will for a single journey or for day-long Prayer times munications (MoTC) had announced stations and licensed retailers such as be charged QR10 and QR30, respec- travel. It cannot be topped up with By Joey Aguilar on May 6 that the line’s initial opera- Jumbo Electronics, LuLu, Al Meera and tively. Goldclub has larger and more travel credits unlike the Standard and Fajr....3.30 Zuhr....11.30 Asr....2.58 Staff Reporter tion for the public will extend from Al Carrefour, Qatar Rail said on its website comfortable seats. Goldclub cards. Maghrib.....6.11 Isha.....7.41 Qassar (near The St Regis Doha) to Al (https://www.qr.com.qa). The fee for acquiring a Standard Besides Standard and Goldclub car- Wakra. The service will be open from Goldclub cards will be available at Travel card is QR10 while the Gold- riages, the trains also have a section for Fasting times atar residents and visitors will Saturday to Thursday, between 8am Goldclub offi ces at the Metro stations, club card costs QR100 (valid for five families. Iftar today ...... 6.11pm have the opportunity to experi- and 11pm. while Limited Use cards can be bought years from the date of purchase); The cards can also be used for the Imsak tomorrow...... 3.19am Qence a new mode of transport Three types of travel cards can be from vending machines and Goldclub credits for travel have to be added on Lusail Tram once the service starts, ac- in the country with the soft opening used to ride the Metro - Standard offi ces at stations. to these cards. Children aged below cording to the website. To Page 2 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 QATAR

OFFICIAL Al-Mahmoud meets head of Burundi senate Qatar reaffi rms support for peaceful use of N-energy Kosovo’s first deputy PM meets QNA National Committee for the Pro- New York hibition of Weapons and mem- Qatari envoy ber of the delegation of Qatar participating in the third session atar stressed the im- of the preparatory committee for First Deputy Prime Minister portance of supporting the review of the Treaty on the and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Qand stimulating inter- Non-Proliferation of Nuclear of Kosovo, Behgjet Pacolli, met national co-operation with re- Weapons in 2020, which began the non-resident ambassador of gards to peaceful uses of nuclear its work at the United Nations Qatar to Kosovo Ali bin Hamad energy, considering it a corner- Headquarters in New York on al-Marri in Pristina yesterday. stone of the Treaty on the Non- April 29. During the meeting, they Proliferation of Nuclear Weap- Al-Suwaidi said that Qatar discussed the bilateral relations ons (NPT). seeks, within the framework of and ways of strengthening and Qatar stressed that it is an in- an integrated vision, to take ad- developing them, as well as alienable right of all parties to the vantage of modern nuclear tech- issues of mutual interest. treaty to develop research and nologies in the fi elds of energy, production and use of nuclear health, industry and agriculture, Qatar-India energy without discrimination, and it is gradually progressing while ensuring the eff ective and according to its development bilateral ties complete exchange of materi- programme for Qatar National reviewed HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council, Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud, yesterday met the President of the Senate of als, technology and knowledge Vision 2030. Burundi, Reverien Ndikuriyo, and his accompanying delegation. They discussed co-operation between Qatar and Burundi and ways of in this area, in accordance with Therefore it seeks to expand Secretary of the Indian Ministry promoting it, especially in the parliamentary field, in addition to issues of common interest. The president of the Senate of Burundi Article IV of the Treaty. co-operation with the Interna- of External Aff airs, Sanjiv Arora, congratulated HE al-Mahmoud on the success of the meetings of the 140th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentray Union, which This came in a statement tional Atomic Energy Agency in has met Qatar’s ambassador was held in Doha under the chairmanship of the Speaker in April. The meeting was attended by Mohamed bin Mansour al-Shahwani, by Qatar on “Peaceful Uses of line with its development pro- to India Mohamed bin Khater member of the Qatar-Africa Friendship Group. Nuclear Energy” delivered by grammes and scientifi c develop- al-Khater. Hamda Sultan al-Suwaidi of the ment. During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations and ways of strengthening and developing them, as well as issues of mutual interest. Metrolink feeder buses to connect stations to nearby locations Education ministry holds seminar From Page 1 link feeder buses. guiding them on their journey. Qatar Rail stressed that it Track facts Qatar Rail said commuters who PWD passengers can also strictly prohibits taking pictures The Ministry of Education and Passengers can use ‘free’ travel from Al Wakrah station can make arrangements ahead by and videos for commercial use z Qatar Rail has launched a Higher Education, represented by feeder buses called Metrolink to avail of the free ‘park and ride’ calling the customer service inside the stations and on board mobile app where users can the School Evaluation Off ice, held reach the stations as well as to provision on the western side of centre on 105. the trains without prior authori- get an array of information, a seminar entitled ‘Achievements travel to nearby locations from the shelter, which can accommo- Qatar Rail has also launched a sation. including the network map, Day’ during which it reviewed the stations. date up to 300 vehicles. mobile application where users Each passenger will be per- how to plan the journey, etc. achievements of the task forces Discounted rides on Karwa Folding bikes, wheelchairs, and can get an array of information mitted to carry two large luggage z Travel cards can be bought of the ministry in various fields, taxis will also be available. motorised wheelchairs will be such as answers to frequently besides small bags. at Metro stations or licensed including the revision of national Mowasalat yesterday tweeted permitted inside the trains except asked questions, network map The metro stations have retailers (Jumbo Electronics, school accreditation standards, that Karwa taxi passengers trav- for mobility scooter, hover-board and how to plan the journey, ATMs, food and retail outlets, LuLu, Al Meera and Carrefour) mechanisms and procedures elling to and from any Metro or any motorised transport. among others. prayer rooms and washrooms. z Rides cost QR2 for a single for the accreditation of private station can book a taxi through Eating on board the train is Passengers are advised to reg- Covering 13 of its 18 stations, journey and QR6 for a day schools and the revision of the the Karwa app using the promo prohibited but drinking from ister their travel cards on the the fi rst phase of the Red Line pass (Standard). The initial fee criteria and procedures for code, RAIL, to avail of a fl at QR8 containers with sealable-tops is mobile app to protect their bal- includes Al Qassar, DECC, QIC to acquire a card is QR10 for evaluating kindergartens and promotional fare for a journey allowed. ance if the card was lost or sto- West Bay, Corniche, Al Bidda Standard and QR30 for the public schools. The work of within 3km. Doha Metro stations are len, to view journey and transac- (Interchange station), Msheireb Goldclub. These have to be the Statistics Committee of the In another tweet, it said pas- equipped with advanced technol- tion history, and to receive off ers (Interchange station), Al Doha topped up with credits for travel. ministry and two working groups sengers can take the “fi rst and ogies such as digital screens and and promotions. Other features Al Jadeda, Umm Ghuwailina, z Special feeder bus services were also reviewed to prepare last mile” to connect to Doha special tactile path on the fl oor, of the app such as real time in- Al Matar Al Qadeem, Oqba Ibn and discounted taxi rates operational plans for the coming Metro, riding free “in the luxu- among others, for people with formation of the journey will be Nafi e, Free Zone, Ras bu Fontas off ered by Mowasalat. year for public and private ry and comfort” of the Metro- disabilities (PWD), assisting and available soon. and Al Wakra. Qatar Rail’s mobile app schools and kindergartens. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 3 QATAR

Qatar and Ethiopia sign security pact

Qatar and Ethiopia signed a letter of intent yesterday to promote security co-operation between both countries. The letter of intent was signed by HE the Director of Public Security Staff , Major General Saad bin Jassim al-Khulaifi, and Commissioner General of the Federal Police Commission in Ethiopia, Endeshaw Tassew, who is currently visiting Qatar.

2019 Doha Forum to ‘Reimagine Governance in a Multipolar World’

oha Forum will re- outstanding achievements “We live in a world undergo- Last year’s edition brought turn for a 19th edi- rooted in the core values of ing massive shifts in power, together international deci- Dtion on December 14 Doha Forum – dialogue, di- politics and trade. In the sion-makers, heads of state, and 15, under the patronage plomacy and diversity. The midst of breakthroughs in ministers, business execu- of His Highness the Amir winner will be announced at technology, issues of migra- tives and advocates to exam- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad the forum in December. tion and increasingly com- ine policy that could lead the al-Thani, the organisers Doha Forum 2019 will see plex security challenges, a world to a better future. Key have announced. the return of last year’s stra- new format of dialogue is speakers included Ecuador’s The annual policy gath- tegic partners, including needed to forge a consensus. President Lenín Moreno; ering will be held under the International Crisis Group, I look forward to welcom- United Nations Secretary- theme ‘Reimagining Govern- European Council for For- ing leaders from around the General António Guterres; ance in a Multipolar World’, eign Relations, and Munich world to another series of Iranian Foreign Minister “building on last year’s suc- Security Conference, each diverse, inclusive and action- Mohamed Javad Zarif; Nobel cess that saw eye-opening of which will curate panel oriented conversations.” Laureate Nadia Murad; Japa- conversations with world discussions and off er exper- The 2019 forum will tackle nese Foreign Minister Taro leaders, enriched by a new tise into some of the world’s key themes such as Trends Kono; President of the Unit- partnership model”, accord- most pressing challenges and Technology; Trade and ed Nations General Assem- ing to a press statement. around security, defence, Investment; Human Capital bly María Fernanda Espinosa This edition will also see humanitarian crises and and Inequality; Security, Cyber Garcés; Foreign Minister the launch of the Doha Forum foreign relations. Governance and Defence; In- of Romania Teodor-Viorel Award, given for the fi rst time HE Lolwah Alkhater, ternational Organisations, Civil Melescanu; and Wolfgang in 2019 to an individual or or- Spokesperson for the Min- Society and Non-State Actors; Ischinger, Chairman, Munich ganisation that demonstrates istry of Foreign Aff airs, said: and Culture and Identity. Security Conference. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 QATAR More than 130,000 visit NMoQ in fi rst month

he National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has welcomed more Tthan 132,000 visitors in the fi rst month since opening, “fi rmly estab- lishing its keystone role in the country’s cultural infrastructure”. Since opening its doors to the public on March 28, the NMoQ’s immersive experience has attracted thousands of residents and tourists with its use of audio-visual presentations, digital ex- hibitions, historical artefacts and im- NMoQ’s immersive experience has attracted thousands of residents and tourists mersive, multisensory approach, ac- with its use of audio-visual presentations, digital exhibitions, historical artefacts cording to a press statement. and immersive, multisensory approach. The new museum has also hosted several workshops, talks and presenta- to engage our public fully, with their and topics they are exploring (for ex- tions for members of the community. senses and emotions as well as their ample, sustainability) and support From welcoming some of the world’s intellects, and have assembled creative them in using NMoQ facilities to run best-known artists to creating new go- and authentic content that is so rich their own exploratory programmes to to sites for families, NMoQ has become that people will discover something collect badges. a destination for those who want to new with each visit. QM also developed strong ties with learn about the country and its people. It is now time for the discoveries to local schools through a number of in- As the country’s national museum, begin,” Sheikha Amna added. teractive and inclusive programmes, NMoQ also strives to create a dialogue As one of QM’s keystone institu- including the Teacher’s Council, and with members of the community to tions, NMoQ will also add to the fl our- creative teaching materials. gather feedback, ideas and recommen- ishing creative environment in Qatar Since the museum opening, 18 dations for improving the museum ex- utilising its resources to inspire young schools visited NMoQ to discover its perience. It held the fi rst ever seminar creatives. galleries and educational off erings. in Qatar to specifi cally address the fi eld During the fi rst of what will become Building on QM’s long-standing role of Visitor Studies in museums and cul- a regular series of talks, NMoQ hosted as partner to Qatar’s educational institu- tural institutions. ‘An Afternoon of Inspiration with Jeff tions, NMoQ educators are also off ering Distinguished international speak- Koons’. The interactive workshop al- ‘welcome tours’ featuring insights into ers including Jo Hargreaves, director of lowed young artists to hear about the how the topics and themes of the muse- Morris Hargreaves MacIntyre; Dr Al- iconic creator’s experiences as a young um can support classroom learning and exandra Bounia, professor of Museum artist, share his perspective on issues curriculum development. Schools can Studies at UCL Qatar; and Dr Karen that concern artists at the start of their now book structured workshop sessions Exell, senior museum development careers and get tips on developing their taking place from September. specialist at NMoQ, gave insightful personal styles. Admission to NMoQ, MIA and presentations, and a keynote address NMoQ artists have also run a series Mathaf will be charged at the entrance. was delivered by Professor John H Falk of creative drop-in workshops for fam- General admission will be QR50 for from the Institute for Learning Innova- ilies and adults on the theme of ‘Qatar adults, QR25 for students and free for tion, Oregon State University. & the Sea’ throughout the month of children under 16, Culture Pass Plus “After more than a decade of plan- April. Taking inspiration from the mu- and Culture Pass Family Members, and ning, we are deeply gratifi ed to welcome seum collections, artists guided par- visitors with disabilities. the people of Qatar and our internation- ticipants through diff erent techniques Tickets will be free of charge for al visitors to this exciting, multi-lay- and media to create their own art pieces Qatari nationals and residents of the ered, experiential museum. From the to take home. country, with a valid Qatari ID. start, Qatar Museums (QM) and the NMoQ is designed to become an in- General admission tickets include National Museum team knew that we tegral part of the local community for exhibitions within the museum and are wanted to create a living experience for all people of Qatar to enjoy, working valid for three consecutive days from our people — a museum with a heart,” with diff erent organisations to create the date of fi rst admission. NMoQ director Sheikha Amna bint Ab- specialised programming to support The Museum Pass comes for QR100 dulaziz bin Jassim al-Thani said. learning objectives. and permits admission to all museums “We have created galleries full of The NMoQ-designed summer pro- and venues, valid for three consecutive movement, sound and colour in order gramme will be linked to the themes days from the date of fi rst admission.

Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 QATAR

Ooredoo announces HEC Paris in Qatar honours tie-up with Uber, off ers discounted rides graduates in QF ceremony for Hala customers EC Paris has honoured like to congratulate this year’s most influential leaders of the latest graduating graduates who will build on the world to inspire and ignite Hclasses of 2019 for its their knowledge gained at HEC vigour among our graduates.” oredoo has announced the promo code on their Uber app. international Executive MBA Paris. It has been a remark- On his part, Professor Peter a tie-up with Uber that If customers do not yet have (EMBA) and the Specialised able journey for all of us at Todd, director-general and Owill see Hala customers the Uber app, they will need to Master in Strategic Business HEC Paris in Qatar where our dean of HEC Paris, said: “The receiving discount on Uber rides download it from the App Store Unit Management (SBUM) de- experienced staff instilled the constantly growing number when they recharge their ac- or Google Play. On activating the gree programmes. The convo- confidence and the learnings of graduates year on year is counts with Oredoo Flexi cards. code, customers will be eligible cation ceremony was held at to help our talented graduating the reflection of our long- The promotion, which came to enjoy the benefi ts of the off er, Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Cer- batch in taking the right career standing academic excellence, into eff ect on Monday, off ers which will be valid until June 5. emonial Court for all the Edu- progression and become in- which is fast penetrating into Hala customers 35% off on up to Speaking of the tie-up and cation City partners yesterday. spiring leaders, groundbreak- Qatar’s educational landscape. four Uber rides with a maximum promotion, Manar Khalifa al- Dr Nils Plambeck, dean and ers and innovators, not only in We are delighted to see busi- discount of QR30 when they re- Muraikhi, director of PR and CEO of HEC Paris in Qatar, and Qatar but also beyond our geo- ness leaders enhancing their charge their accounts with Flexi Corporate Communications at Jean-Paul Vermis, chairman graphical boundaries.” knowledge and skill-sets and Cards, Ooredoo has said in a Ooredoo, said: “We’re excited to of the HEC Paris Board, at- Dr Plambeck added, “Being transforming the future of the statement. introduce this amazing promo- tended the ceremony. With the a member of Qatar Founda- Qatari economy. We are con- The discounts are as follows: tion with Uber, where our cus- underlying theme as ‘Door to tion allows HEC Paris to unite fident that during the coming recharge with a QR100 Flexi Card tomers will be able to enjoy gen- the Future’, the 2019 ceremony academic excellence of world- years, HEC Paris in Qatar will and get 35% off on two rides up erous discounts on trips around focused on the convocation as class Executive Education pro- further strengthen its role of a to QR20; recharge with a QR150 town. the time for transformation grammes with a stimulating key enabler in realising Qatar Flexi Card and get 35% off on “We know value for money is and growth for graduates. remarkable year for HEC Paris Africa, Sub-Sahara & Africa, learning environment in Qatar, National Vision 2030.” three rides up to QR25; and re- an important factor for many of Among the 129 graduates of in Qatar where women partici- and North America. Welcom- empowered by the unique ed- Since joining Qatar Foun- charge with a QR200 Flexi Card us, and we’re delighted we can HEC Paris in Qatar for 2019, 95 pants outnumbered their male ing the graduating classes of ucation ecosystem of QF. dation in 2010, HEC Paris has and get 35% off on four rides up off er customers extra value when students were Qataris, includ- counterparts,” a press state- 2019, Dr Plambeck said: “This And this convocation cer- graduated 593 participants in to QR30. they top up their Hala accounts. ing 65 females and 30 males. ment noted. This year’s gradu- is a moment of pride celebrat- emony is a great platform to Qatar, of whom 279 partici- Eligible customers recharging We hope they enjoy their Uber The total number of women ates also included nationals ing the potential of our tal- showcase the learning experi- pated in the EMBA programme with a Flexi Card of QR100 and rides for less!” For more infor- and men in the class was 74 and from Europe, Central & South ented graduates, and on behalf ences of visionary leaders of and 314 in the SBUM pro- above will receive a unique code mation on this and other Oore- 55, respectively. “This was a Asia, the Middle East & North of HEC Paris in Qatar, I would Qatar as well as some of the gramme. with an activation notifi cation. doo off ers and tie-ups, one can They will then need to activate visit ooredoo.qa. MoCI launches initiative to bolster food productivity

he Ministry of Commerce and In- said the initiative comes on the occasion the holy month. The items covered by in Qatar, as well as encouraging bakeries, dustry (MoCI) has announced an of the holy month and within the frame- the initiative include kebabs, qatayef and restaurants, cafeterias and juice shops to Tinitiative aimed at supporting and work of its eff orts to bolster various com- sambusas, in addition to diff erent kinds increase productivity and enhance the bolstering the productivity of bakeries, mercial activities across Qatar, of pastries and sweets served during Ra- quality of their products during the holy restaurants, cafeterias and juice shops The MoCI has authorised bakeries, madan. month in addition to easing consumers’ during Ramadan 1440 Hijri. restaurants, cafeterias and juice shops The initiative is aimed at bolstering access to these products across diff erent In a statement yesterday, the ministry to off er various items in demand during various sectors and business activities outlets.

Azerbaijan on-arrival visas for Qatar citizens, residents The visa-on-arrival service of Azerbaijan is provided to citizens of Qatar, among other countries, as well as to expatriates possessing a valid residency permit from Qatar. Informing this, a statement from the Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) said the Caucasus country has launched several innovative reforms such as the new simplified electronic visa procedure to ensure travellers’ convenience. “Azerbaijan is currently on the cusp of a tourism boom as it welcomed a record number of in-bound visitors spending more than $2bn in 2018, making it one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world,” the statement noted. Since the introduction of the ASAN visa system, tourists can obtain a visa in three simple steps (application, payment and download) from the convenience of their home or on their mobile device. Tourists should visit www.evisa.gov.az, the off icial e-visa portal of Azerbaijan, which serves travellers in nine languages. At present, nationals of 95 countries are eligible to apply for an e-visa. The list of countries can be found at https://evisa.gov.az/en/countries. Emergency visas can be issued within three hours at an additional cost, while group visas can also be obtained through the portal. Since May 15, 2018, visas issuance and processing take under two minutes with the support of ASAN visa staff and self-service terminals at the Baku, Ganja, Gabala and Lankaran international airports. Recall of Mercedes SLC models

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in co- operation with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, dealer of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar, has announced a recall of the Mercedes-Benz SLC model of 2018 due to the right rear underbody not conforming to manufacturer specifications. In a statement yesterday, the MoCI said the recall campaign comes within the framework of its continuous eff orts to protect consumers and ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and repairs. The ministry 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 MoCI has urged all customers to report violations to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department, which processes complaints, enquiries and suggestions through the call centre: 16001, e-mail: [email protected], Twitter: @ MOCIQATAR, Instagram: MOCIQATAR, and the ministry’s mobile app for Android and iOS: MOCIQATAR. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 7 QATAR VCUarts Qatar grads step into the future at commencement ceremony

irginia Commonwealth Uni- versity School of the Arts in VQatar (VCUarts Qatar) re- cently held its 18th annual Com- mencement ceremony at the HBKU Student Center in Education City. The ceremony was “made mem- orable by inspiring and touching speeches” that were given by fac- ulty, graduates and the keynote speaker at the event that brought together families, friends, faculty and staff to celebrate the accom- plishments of VCUarts Qatar’s graduates, according to a press statement. By all accounts, the cer- emony was “a resounding success”, the statement noted. Dr Michael Rao, president of Vir- ginia Commonwealth University, told the students: “You are creative scholars who embody the very best of our university and illuminate the very meaning of our humanity. I know you will use your vast talents to benefit humankind.” The Commencement’s keynote speaker, Qatari contemporary composer, songwriter and sym- phonic artiste Dana Alfardan, said: “Today, you are stepping onto a new platform; a global marketplace where your talents and skill repre- sent your international currency, VCUarts Qatar graduates with off icials at the ceremony. and art the international language.” Class of 2019 co-valedictorians nections. It was a creative commu- university. And last but certainly not Hind Ghanim al-Saad and Yeon nity of like-minded people, and that least, we thank our amazing faculty. Geong Hwang, both graphic design was our creative fuel, which made us Sometimes I think our faculty suff ers graduates, gave a well-received grow and develop further as crea- a bit more than us, and for that, we speech in which they thanked their tives, by allowing new perspectives are very thankful,” Yeon added. families, fellow graduates, friends to come in,” Hind said. The university conferred 68 Bach- and faculty, and looked forward to “We deeply appreciate that we had elor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor what comes next. such an amazing batch as classmates of Arts (BA) degrees in fashion de- “All of you make up our com- and friends for the last four years. sign, graphic design, interior de- munity, and because we were sur- This batch had inspiring energy – sign, painting and printmaking, and rounded by you, we grew as people, that never sought to give up – and art history, and eight Master of Fine developed ways of seeing, thinking it brought us here today. It would’ve Arts (MFA) degrees in design. Nearly and reflecting, which completely been a very diff erent experience 60% of the graduating students are shifted our perspectives of the without every single one of you. We Qatari. world, we started to notice all the also want to thank the often hidden One can fi nd out more about small details and see all the con- and often less noticed staff of our VCUarts Qatar at qatar.vcu.edu Dana Alfardan was the keynote speaker. Dr Michael Rao addressing the gathering. Local businesses ‘improved’ despite blockade on Qatar

usiness establishments in Qatar are generally optimistic about Bthe future in terms of the general working conditions in the country, as local markets have “improved dramati- cally” after being able to reach new markets and suppliers, the fi ndings of a new study on the impact of the block- ade reveal. Qatar University (QU), represented by the Social and Economic Research Institute (Sesri) and the College of Business and Economics (CBE), in col- laboration with the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA), conducted the study, titled ‘Blockade on Business: A Survey of Qatar’s Financial and In- dustrial Firms’. The study focused on the industrial The event was attended by QU president Dr Hassan al-Derham and QFBA CEO and fi nancial sectors, using the high- Dr Khalid al-Horr. est scientifi c research methodology, to identify the initial and ongoing eff ects of the blockade on the functioning of the companies as well as their outlook for the future.

QU announces results of study, ‘Blockade on Business: A Survey of Qatar’s Financial and Industrial Firms’

“Qatar’s economy has performed re- markably well despite the challenges of the blockade. However, more informa- tion is needed to view how the embargo has aff ected Qatar’s business commu- nity, how fi rms have navigated these challenges, and what policymakers can do to help fi rms to succeed,” QU said in Dr Hassan Abdulrahim al-Sayed Dr Majed Mohamed al-Ansari a statement yesterday. The goal of the study is to obtain at Sesri, Dr Majed Mohamed al-Ansari, exception of the construction sector, fi rm-level assessments of Qatar’s busi- gave a presentation, which included a where demand remained low. ness environment, employment and set of recommendations for decision Looking at the supply chains and labour markets, trade and logistics, and makers. the import and export capacity of Qa- fi nance and investment conditions. Al-Ansari said the results showed tar, companies experienced some dif- The results will facilitate economic that in terms of general working condi- fi culties; however, 63% of companies analysis that will inform key decision tions in Qatar, companies are generally reported being able to fi nd alternative makers as they develop policies to sup- positive and optimistic about the fu- countries in a very short period of time port Qatar’s industrial and fi nancial ture, as local markets have “improved (less than fi ve months). sectors. dramatically” and been able to reach In addition, al-Ansari said policy- This study will provide a baseline new markets and suppliers. However, makers should look at success stories data for what could, in the future, be- some companies have lost business due as well as challenges, building on the come a regular survey to track fi rms’ to the blockade, it was observed. strengths and creativity of Qatar’s views over time, the statement noted. The opinion of fi nancial companies business community. They should The Sesri event where QU repre- was more positive about the impact of continue to look for ways to enhance sentatives announced the results of the the blockade than industrial compa- business fl exibility to access import study was attended by Qatar University nies, with 69% of fi nancial companies sources and export destinations. president Dr Hassan al-Derham and stating that the impact of the blockade The government should also encour- QFBA CEO Dr Khalid al-Horr. on business revenues was “neutral” age an eff ective response to future dia- Sesri director Dr Hassan Abdulrahim and, conversely, only 22% of indus- logue between the business commu- al-Sayed spoke at the event and em- trial companies said their revenues nity, it is suggested. phasised the importance of the study remained the same as before the block- Finally, it is recommended to inves- in forming a comprehensive picture ade, the study showed. tigate the reasons why industrial com- about the eff ects of the blockade on the In addition, 46% of companies in the panies and fi nancial companies diff er economic sector. industrial sector reported an increase in their perception of the fi nancial cir- Manager of the Policy Department in demand for their products, with the cumstances in the country. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 QATAR Vodafone thanks EAA launches Ramadan customers with exclusive off ers odafone Qatar has said fundraising campaign it “is thanking its cus- Vtomers for all their loy- o celebrate the spirit of special episode for the campaign alty and continuous support” the holy month of Ram- that will be aired on May 15, dur- during the holy month of Ra- Tadan, Education Above ing its programme, HAYATUNA, madan with exclusive off ers All (EAA) Foundation has to spread awareness about EAA’s under their Ramadan cam- launched its second Ramadan global programmes and projects paign, #ShukranFromThe- campaign in Qatar, under the for its fundraising, also, EAA Ra- Heart. theme “No child left out”. The madan programme. All Vodafone customers, campaign aims to raise funds for The EAA Foundation is eli- including prepaid, postpaid EAA educational programmes gible to receive Sadaqah and and Enterprise, will be able to curated Islamic content with - Educate A Child (EAC) and Zakat donations. The Ramadan enjoy the following Ramadan recitations of Qur’an verses, Reach Out To Asia (Rota). campaign aims to raise funds for Shukran Deals through the My Dua, Qibla direction, nearest These projects assist margin- several projects including in So- Vodafone App free throughout mosque and more. alised and impoverished chil- malia, Gaza, Lebanon, Turkey, the month of Ramadan: Diego Camberos, chief op- dren to have opportunities and Mali, Pakistan, Iraq, and Qatar Vodafone Entertainer Pack erating offi cer at Vodafone hope for a better future which and many other countries. – the application gives ‘great Qatar, said: “We recently intend to provide and increase Mohamed al-Naama said, discounts’ and buy one get one marked our 10-year anniver- access to educational facilities “The EAA Ramadan campaign free Iftar and Suhoor off ers in sary and what better a time to and resources as well as improve will target brand awareness of various popular restaurants thank our customers for their the quality of education. EAA and its global work across across Qatar. loyalty and support than the The campaign was announced Off icials at the press conference yesterday. the Qatari market through so- Careem discounts – 25% holy month of Ramadan. We at a press conference attended cial media channels and online. discount on one ride every day hope our free off ers, which by dignitaries such as Professor The EAA Foundation has part- onMobil, Ooredoo, Nakilat, W in Qatar including shopping Our mission has always been for the entire period of Ram- utilises our strategic partner- Dr Ali M al-Quradaghi, secre- nered with LuLu Supermarkets, Hotel, Qapco, Shell, Carrefour, malls and public places, at cash to get closer to the public and adan. ships, are enjoyed by all our tary-general of the International Marriott Hotels, ExxonMo- ELAN, Dar Al-Sharq, Qatar TV, counters in Lulu and Carrefour invite them to take part in the Wavo by OSN – the online customers and their families Union of Muslim Scholars and bile and Qatar Airways to cre- Muntajat, and Dar AlArab. supermarkets. As for payments, EAA mission. I believe that such streaming platform allows during this very special time.” vice chairman for European ate awareness through engaging The funds raised will support donation can be made through campaigns help us reach out to customers to watch their fa- Customers who do not have Council for Fatwa and Research; employees and customers for EAA projects around the world credit card, cheque, or through masses and spread the aware- vourite shows, Hollywood and the Vodafone App can down- and Mohamed al-Naama, sen- raising funds. Other companies as it works across 16 countries. personal Ooredoo Mobile Money ness on the need for a peaceful Arabic movies, kids’ content, load it from the Apple Store or ior representative of fundraising that have supported the EAA Donations can be made through Account. society which is driven by the live sport, WWE and more. Google Play, or via www.voda- department at EAA Foundation. Ramadan campaign include Exx- donation boxes at 60 locations Qatar TV will be organising a power of education.” (QNA) Noor –provides specially fone.qa/app.

Aspire Dome welcomes walking enthusiasts

Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) has walking 10,000 steps a day to announced the start of its annual avoid many chronic diseases, Barwa Bank launches customer loyalty reward schemes Ramadan Sports Festival, which will such as heart disease, diabetes take place from today until May 17. and obesity,” AZF said. s part of its annual Ram- cards during Ramadan with the at hotels and Ramadan tents their knowledge around the holy operation with the Qatar Char- The festival will feature a raft of Aspire Dome will organise walking adan campaigns, Barwa chance to win loyalty points, the across Qatar. month. Competition winners ity foundation, will be distrib- events and tournaments with a focus sessions that will take place before ABank has announced a bank has said in a statement. In a wider nationwide aware- will stand to each walk away with uting charitable endowments on giving participants an opportunity Iftar from 3pm to 5pm, and will be suite of customer loyalty reward Upon each local purchase made ness and educational eff ort, the a prize of QR1,000 and will be against attendee registrations in to improve their overall health. led by Aspire Zone trainers. Two schemes and experiences as well through their credit cards, the bank has launched a video series announced after Ramadan ends. this year’s tournament, donat- “One type of exercise that is often sessions will take place during that as charitable events and activi- bank’s loyal customers will get on its social media channels, ti- Barwa Bank is also bringing ing triple the registration pro- overlooked but whose benefits time lasting 45 minutes each, with ties that will be launched for the the opportunity to partake in a tled ‘Baseeta’ (Simple), off ering back its action-packed Ram- ceeds to charitable work serving are wide-ranging is walking. It is the first session starting at 3.15pm. duration of the holy month. nationwide draw, off ering 25 win- informative content, tips and adan Futsal Tournament. families in need. a low-impact exercise accessible Walking enthusiasts will be able Among its largest customer- ners monthly a prize of 20,000 life hacks for the community for Customers and others par- This year’s edition of Barwa for people with all fitness levels, to burn around 200-250 calories centric initiatives is a limited- loyalty points each and a grand Ramadan daily life and practices. taking in the ninth edition of Bank’s fl agship tournament does not require additional having walked an estimated 840 time Ramadan off er for all cred- prize of 1,000,000 loyalty points. In parallel, Barwa Bank’s re- the successful tournament will kicks off today at Qatar’s Al Ahli equipment and can be practised steps per round. Participants will be it card holders, rewarding their Moreover, the credit card turning Ramadan quiz will en- get the chance to contribute to Sports Club, and its fi nale will across many diff erent venues encouraged to complete six rounds, domestic and overseas pur- holders will benefi t from a wide gage 30 contestants in a com- the bank’s charity activities and see the distribution of fi ve priz- and terrains. Doctors recommend which equates to 5,000 steps. chases transacted through these array of exclusive discounts petition on its website, testing initiatives. Barwa Bank, in co- es for the winning teams. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 9 QATAR Amir, Sheikha Moza grace QF convocation

787 students graduate from nine universities

From Page 1

Their academic excellence has been matched by their growth as knowledge-seekers, criti- cal thinkers and active citizens who are determined to be driv- ers of positive change. As em- bodiments of QF’s belief in what quality education stands for, and what it makes possible, they will always be part of our story – and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, we will watch with pride as they Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the 2019 Qatar Foundation Convocation, which celebrated write their own.” the 787 student graduating from nine Education City universities. The Class of 2019 joins QF’s growing global alumni network, having graduated in fi elds such as medicine, engineering, art and design, computer science, law, communication and Islamic Sheikha Moza presents studies. The convocation cer- emony was an opportunity for graduates from the nine univer- sities to collectively look back on their time and accomplishments Akhlaquna Award at Education City – and look to the future, QF said in a state- From Page 1 ment. HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani with graduates at the ceremony. The proceedings began with Her Highness Sheikha Moza students from Qatar Leadership fi rst announced the Akhlaquna Academy – a school under the Award during QF’s 2017 convo- umbrella of QF’s Pre-University cation ceremony, with this year Education – performing the Qa- marking Cycle 2 of the initiative. tar national anthem. This was Al-Kurbi, leader of the initia- followed by the City of Knowl- tive, expressed delight at win- edge, the alma mater song of ning the award and the unforget- Qatar Foundation. table experience she shared with The 2019 convocation key- her friends and teammates. note speaker was Brandon Stan- “I am very proud that Mob- ton, author of ‘Humans of New sron has won this prestigious York’ – a photo blog and book award,” she said. “I couldn’t chronicling the lives of people in have achieved this without my the US city – who, in his address, teammates. We believe that urged the new QF graduates to winning this award will help us concentrate on the things in life Graduates passing through the ‘Door to the Future’, a QF convocation tradition. reach a larger audience and take that they alone have the power to our project to the next level, with infl uence and command. a mobile app that helps people Qatar Foundation’s support.” “The modern world has who are blind and visually im- Al-Marri, the initiative’s dep- trained us to judge all our eff orts paired to order food, review in- uty leader, said: “Each human by the immediate feedback that gredients, and compare prices. has the right to live an independ- they get, but the more sustain- A fi lm featuring testimonies ent life, and it is for this reason able and more sturdy path to from Class of 2019 students was that we launched our mobile success is to forget about those also screened at the ceremony. app. Through this human initia- things that are outside your con- At the conclusion of the cer- tive, we are looking to provide a trol, and focus on the things that emony, each graduate passed very eff ective service to help the you can control – the amount of through the ‘Door to the Future’, blind and visually impaired in Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar work that you put in, and what a long-standing QF tradition Qatar, and hopefully beyond.” Foundation, awarded students Nawal al-Kurbi, Almazun al-Marri you do on a 24-hour basis with that symbolises students enter- Al-Gherainig, who is the and Amal al-Gherainig with the 2nd annual Akhlaquna Award for your time,” he said. ing a new stage in their lives. initiative’s media specialist, ex- their project ‘Mobsron’, which aims to empower and integrate the Following the keynote ad- The nine QF universities are plained: “My participation in the visually impaired in society through a mobile app that aids in food dress, the Mobsron project was Hamad Bin Khalifa University - Akhlaquna Award this year has ordering and restaurant transactions. announced as the winner of Cy- QF member, and QF partner uni- given me confi dence to follow cle 2 of QF’s Akhlaquna Award versities: Texas A&M University my beliefs – without hesitation of Community Development at exemplary moral character and – an initiative announced by Her at Qatar, Northwestern Univer- – and to challenge myself.” QF, said: “We are absolutely de- inspire others to eff ect positive Highness Sheikha Moza in 2017- sity in Qatar, Virginia Common- Giving her advice to others, lighted to announce that Mob- change in their communities. that aims to help nurture posi- wealth University School of the she added: “Work on an idea and sron is the winner of this year’s Mobsron is a great example of tive behavioural change within Arts in Qatar, Weill Cornell Med- implement it, because working Akhlaquna Award. how Qatar Foundation, through society. icine – Qatar, Carnegie Mellon hard is the best way to make a “The ultimate aim of this this award, is committed to Created by students Nawal University in Qatar, Georgetown positive impact on the commu- award is to recognise and cel- helping empower the next gen- al-Kurbi, Almazun al-Marri and University in Qatar, UCL Qatar nity.” ebrate young people who have eration of leaders, and how our Amal al-Gherainig, Mobsron is and HEC Paris in Qatar. Brandon Stanton speaking at the ceremony. Machaille al-Naimi, president developed projects that embody youth are responding to this.” Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 RAMADAN/QATAR

Glorifying the Book of Allah

ranquillity and true happiness lie in glorifying the Book of Al- Tlah, reading it, resorting to it as a reference and using it as a guidance. Wretchedness lies in turning one’s back on the Qur’an, degrading it and deserting it. Allah says (what means): “And whoever turns away from My re- membrance - indeed, he will have a de- pressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing? [ Allah ] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.” [Qur’an 20: 124-126] The blessed month of Ramadan that we live in these days should remind the believing Muslim Nation of the impor- tance of going back truly and sincerely to the Book of Allah, the great Book Home to the world-famous flock of Angry Birds, the 17,000sq m nest features the 42m-high Super Slingshot. that Allah has honoured by having re- vealed it during this month. He, The Almighty, Says (what means): “The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guid- Doha Festival City ance and criterion.” [Qur’an 2: 185] The best way to spend time during the month of the Qur’an (Ramadan) is to give increased importance to the Qur’an by memorising, reciting, prac- now home to ‘world’s tising and contemplating it. Let us look at our best model, the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Ibn‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that: fi rst’ Angry Birds nest “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was the most generous of people and he used to be more gen- oha Festival City (DHFC) has erous during the month of Ramadan, said it is celebrating the open- when he used to meet Jibreel (Angel Ding of the world’s fi rst Angry Gabriel) and review the Qur’an with Birds World theme park, “making it the him. During this time, the Prophet, place to be for everyone in Qatar”. sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was Over the month of Ramadan, Angry faster (in his generosity and bring- Birds World Indoor will welcome visi- ing good) than a blowing wind”. [Al- other times; Qataadah used to teach “Say (O Muhammad): ‘What thing is tors from 10am to 3pm and from 7pm Bukhaari & Muslim] the Qur’an in the month of Ramadan. greatest in testimony?’ Say, ‘Allah is to 1am, until May 18. Then, from May We understand from this Hadith Whenever Ramadan started, Az- witness between me and you. And this 19 to June 4, the timings will be from that it is recommended to review the Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, Qur’an was revealed to me that I may 10am to 2pm. Qur’an and study it in the month of used to say: ‘This is the month of re- warn you thereby and whomever it Angry Birds Outdoor opens daily Ramadan, even gathering in group citing the Qur’an and giving food’.” reaches…’” [Qur’an 6: 19] from 7pm to 1am, until May 18, while sessions to do so. In addition, we can During Ramadan, Allah gives hon- The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa from May 19 to June 4, it will remain conclude from it that it is recommend- our and elevates people with the sallam, said: “The Qur’an is a proof or open from 7.30pm to 2am. ed to repeatedly recite the Qur’an dur- Qur’an and degrades others as a result an evidence for or against you.” [Mus- Home to the world-famous fl ock of ing the month of Ramadan. of neglecting it. All thanks are due to lim] So we must fear Allah and pay Angry Birds, the 17,000sq m nest fea- Many people have the mistaken idea Allah that the Qur’an is amongst us and attention to the Book of Allah, learn- tures “one of the much-talked-about that they should recite the Qur’an re- it is very easy to obtain a copy: they are ing it, teaching it, acting according attractions”: the 42m-high Super Angry Birds World Indoor welcomes visitors. peatedly during the day of Ramadan in the mosques, the homes, in the li- to it and applying it so that we will be Slingshot. and then stop reciting it during the braries and bookstores. In some of the among its people. Guests can also enjoy Red’s House, Once indoors, visitors can also en- “We are excited to host the unique night. Some of the Salaf (righteous Muslim countries you can even listen About the Qur’an, Allah Almighty The Raft Battle and the Angry Coast- joy exhilarating rides such as the Blast theme park, Angry Birds World at predecessors, may Allah have mercy to it on the radio. Having the Qur’an says (what means):“Indeed, this er – a fast and furious ride that twists Bomb, Red Alert, The Big Tree and the DHFC. We are certain that the open- upon them) used to read the entire available is a great bounty of Allah, Qur’an guides to that which is most through the air. Adventurists can head Trampoline Universe, which includes ing of the outdoor arena will reinforce Qur’an in Ramadan every three nights, glory be to Him. Being able to learn His suitable and gives good tidings to the to the park’s City Studio, a bustling a basketball court, foam pit and a kids’ our status as a destination for family and some used to do it every seven Book, listen to it, and act according to believers who do righteous deeds that adventure hub, to test their strengths court in addition to angry Birds GO – entertainment, and we look forward to nights, like Qataadah, may Allah be it is another great favour and bounty of they will have a great reward. And that with a range of activities involving wall the multi-level indoor and outdoor welcoming everyone to try this thrill- pleased with him; others used to fi n- Allah, The Most Exalted. those who do not believe in the Here- climbing, parabolic slides, roller glid- karting track and Epic Battle the fa- ing new adventure,” DHFC general ish it every ten nights. Ibn Rajab, may The Qur’an can also be a proven after - We have prepared for them a ers and a ropes course. mous laser tag game . manager Robert Hall said. Allah have mercy on him, said: “The evidence against all of those who ne- painful punishment.” [Qur’an 17: 9-10] Salaf used to recite the Qur’an in the glected it when it was so easily availa- Article source: http://www.is- month of Ramadan during prayer and ble. Allah Almighty says (what means): lamweb.net Mahaseel to market local farm products        assad Food, Qatar’s premier achieving self-suffi ciency in the veg- investor in the food sector, etables sector and ease the burden on  SNo 2    Hyesterday said its marketing local farmers in order to focus on en- arm ‘Mahaseel’ will commence receiv- hancing the quality and quantity of lo-  ing and marketing the local agricul- cal produce. tural products in the Qatari market on More than 110 local productive farms June 5. had registered through Mahaseel’s   The government has allocated a website to benefi t from the company’s piece of land, as a permanent head- marketing and agricultural services.      quarters for the Mahaseel’s project, This is equivalent to around 15% of near the new central market in the total number of local productive A’Sailiyah. Mohamed al-Ghaithani farms across the country (800 farms).    Given Hassad’s aim to support local Mahaseel is a company specialised in market needs, the company has allo- the product is delivered to the con- providing marketing and agricultural   cated an assembly point at the current sumer in the best form,” Mahaseel’s services. central market in Abu Hamour, to start general manager Mohamed al-Ghaith- The company was established by the fi rst phase until Mahaseel’s perma- ani said. Hassad with the aim of supporting the                                       nent facility is ready. Mahaseel is currently working with private agricultural sector in achieving “We have put in place a well-estab- local farmers (who signed up) to iden- self-suffi ciency.   (                      lished operations module to ensure tify the types, grades and quantities of Hassad Food recently launched the that the products are delivered to the vegetable products that will be mar- fi rst solar powered irrigation technol- assembly point, sorted, packaged then keted based on their contracts in the ogy in the local fodder sector, aiming to      marketed in the local market in an ef- fi rst phase. produce around 20,000 tonnes of fod- fi cient and smooth process, to ensure Mahaseel aims to contribute to der annually.                                         QRCS marks World Red Cross, Red Crescent Day

              atar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), together with fel- low members of the International Red Cross and Red   QCrescent Movement, is marking World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day. The day is observed every year on May 8.   This year also marks the centenary of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which      was established in 1919. “Over the year, the world celebrates the power of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, as well as the contributions                   of staff and more than 12mn active volunteers. Under the theme of #Love, the celebration is aimed at making the  .                  movement widely visible, by highlighting its diverse and  global scope of work. Also, it seeks to mobilise the senti- ment towards the movement in promoting the dedication  and influence of Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers,” a press statement noted.                    Commemorating the birthday of the movement’s   founder, Henry Dunant, the day embodies the work done by national societies in their respective countries, sup-                                    porting millions of persons at times of war, disaster and The celebration is taking place under the theme of #Love. emergency, the statement added.         “With more than 150 years behind, the movement is general of QRCS. “We also work to serve the Qatari com-  committed to providing relevant and timely aid for vul- munity across a wide range of fields and target groups.”  nerable communities. This is a legacy of the past, the According to al-Hammadi, the overall aid provided by . present and the future.” QRCS over the past three years amounted to above QR1bn,  “As part of the movement, we have intensified our ef- used to fund hundreds of relief, development and social    forts to help the victims of disasters and conflicts around projects for up to 30mn beneficiaries within and outside the world,” said Ali bin Hassan al-Hammadi, secretary- Qatar. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD/AFRICA

Wildfire kills 54 people in South Sudan At least 54 people were killed when a wildfire raged through a US sending B-52s village in northern South Sudan. At least 18 others were injured when the fire broke out in the village of Korok in Lol State on Sunday night, the state’s deputy governor, Mawein Akook, said yesterday via telephone. to ‘warn Iran’ Most residents had been asleep when the fire burned down most AFP cent and clear indications that not seek war with the Iranian threat orchestrated by Iran, of- huts in the village, and most Washington Iranian and Iranian proxy forces regime, but we will defend US fi cials said, but details of the victims were women, children and were making preparations to personnel, our allies and our threat have not been disclosed. elderly people, according to Akook. possibly attack US forces.” interests in the region.” Navy Captain Bill Urban, the A B-52 bomber from North Dakota does a flyby for the Centennial At least 14 people sustained he US Air Force is de- “The deployment of the USS The deployment was fi rst spokesman for the US mili- anniversary of the creation of the La Fayette Escadrille at the first-degree burns, the deputy ploying massive B-52 Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike announced late Sunday by tary’s Central Command, which Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-la-Coquette, France. governor added. TStratofortress bomb- Group and a bomber task force John Bolton, President Donald spans the Middle east, said the Farms and livestock were also ers to the Gulf in response to are considered a prudent step Trump’s national security ad- threat could be land-based or Lincoln to Split, Croatia. after Trump pulled the United destroyed in fire, while dozens an alleged possible plan by Iran in response to indications of visor, who said the move was maritime. The multinational carrier States out of a multinational ac- of residents fled the area to to attack American forces in heightened Iranian readiness to “a clear and unmistakable He said the Lincoln strike group, including several ships, cord under which Tehran dras- neighbouring villages. the region, the Pentagon said conduct off ensive operations message to the Iranian regime group was already scheduled multiple types of aircraft, and tically scaled back its sensitive The cause of the fire remained yesterday. against US forces and our in- that any attack on United to head to the region on long- 6,000 personnel, will be de- nuclear work. unknown. (DPA) Several nuclear-capable B- terests,” said acting Pentagon States interests or on those planned deployment but that ployed “where it will best be Since then, the Trump ad- 52s are heading to the region spokesman Charles Summers in of our allies will be met with its arrival in the Gulf has been able to protect US forces and in- ministration has ramped up along with an aircraft carrier a statement. unrelenting force.” accelerated due to the threat. terests in the region and to deter menacing rhetoric against Iran Namibia declares task force following what the “We emphasise the White The US move comes in re- That led to the cancellation any aggression.” while tightening economic Defence Department called “re- House statement that we do sponse to intelligence about a of a planned port visit by the The deployment comes a year sanctions on the country. drought national disaster, seeks aid Namibia yesterday declared drought a national disaster after poor rainfall wreaked havoc on Aid workers race Haftar forces say warplane downed crops and scorched grazing fields. Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa- Amadhila made the announcement AFP a day after the southern African to contain cholera Tripoli nation launched an urgent appeal for international aid. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila told parliament roops loyal to Libyan military com- it was clear that the “livelihoods of the outbreak in mander Khalifa Haftar said yester- majority of Namibians, especially those Tday they shot down a warplane and that depend on agricultural activities is captured its foreign “mercenary” pilot threatened.” near the capital Tripoli. “Most regions are experiencing Mozambique The Mirage F1 was downed in Al-Hira water shortage, as most of the region, 70km (43 miles) south of the capi- rain-fed catchments are either dry tal, Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National or have little water,” she said. Thomson Reuters Foundation Cholera is an extremely viru- Army said on its Facebook page. Namibia, a country of 2.4mn Nairobi lent disease that causes severe There was no immediate comment on people, has since 2015 acute watery diarrhoea due to the report from the Government of Na- experienced numerous dry spells. the ingestion of contaminated tional Accord, whose forces have been In April, an agriculture ministry id workers were yester- food or water, says the World locked in battle with the LNA since report said 63,700 animals day racing to contain Health Organisation (WHO). It Haftar’s fi ghters launched an off ensive to had died in 2018 because of Aa cholera outbreak in can take fi ve days for symptoms take Tripoli on April 4. deteriorating grazing conditions northern Mozambique after a to show and can lead to death if The LNA posted pictures of a man brought on by dry weather. (AFP) powerful cyclone contaminated untreated. with an apparent head wound and blood- water sources and damaged Kenneth struck while Mo- splattered uniform whom it identifi ed as a health clinics. zambique was still struggling “Portuguese mercenary”. Angola president Cyclone Kenneth crashed into to deal with the impact of Cy- In a video circulating on social me- the province of Cabo Delgado on clone Idai, which hammered the dia, the man is asked in English by an The foreign pilot of a Mirage F1, that was shot down by troops loyal to military strongman calls for resolution April 25, fl attening entire villag- country’s central region just six LNA fi ghter in the back of a pickup truck Khalifa Haftar, in custody in Al-Hira region, 70km south of Tripoli. to fuel crisis es and killing more than 40 peo- weeks earlier. whether he was a soldier. “No, I am a civil- ple. More than 200,000 people Idai destroyed the port city ian,” he says. Asked about the incident by AFP, a 432 people, wounded 2,069 and displaced Angola’s President João Lourenço are estimated to be aff ected. of Beira and caused devastat- In another video published by a pro- spokesman for the Portuguese defence some 55,000 others, according to the UN. called yesterday for a quick Reported cases of cholera in ing fl oods and leaving health Haftar website, the pilot says he is a ministry said the country’s “air force has After initial advances for the LNA, its resolution to the fuel crisis the province have risen almost offi cials and international aid 29-year-old “from Portugal”. no missing pilots, is not currently on a rivals have launched a counter-off ensive, plaguing the capital Luanda and fi ve-fold to 64 since the out- agencies battling cholera. The “I was requested to destroy roads and mission in Libya and does not have a Mi- leading to a stalemate on the ground. cities around the country, causing break was offi cially declared on cyclone killed more 1,000 people bridges” as part of a “civilian contract”, he rage F1 in its fl eet”. The two sides often accuse each of re- long queues in Africa’s second- May 2, according to the UN. across Mozambique, Malawi and said in English in response to a question The almost fi ve-week-old battle on the sorting to the use of foreign mercenaries largest crude producer. Aid agency Medecins Sans Zimbabwe. about what he was doing. southern outskirts of Tripoli has killed at least and outside military assistance. A statement issued by the Frontieres (MSF) said it was It was the fi rst time on record president’s off ice blamed a lack providing tents, water and sani- that two powerful storms had hit of communication between tation equipment for a cholera the southern African country in state energy company Sonangol treatment centre in the port city such a short space of time. and other state institutions that of Pemba, which was badly hit The UN Offi ce for the Coordi- resulted in problems with the by the storm. nation of Humanitarian Aff airs Ethiopia charges top ex-spy with rights abuses import of refined products such “We have two essential goals (OCHA) said at least 19 health as gasoline and diesel. now: saving the lives of severely facilities were hit by the cyclone AFP Getachew was the head of murder of dissidents. absentia”, it added. Lengthy lines were seen at petrol sick patients and containing the and water and sanitation facili- Addis Ababa the Ethiopia National Intel- Getachew was charged with Since taking offi ce in April stations all over Luanda yesterday, outbreak,” said Danielle Borg- ties damaged, heightening the ligence and Security Service 25 other intelligence offi cers, 2018, Prime Minister Abiy severely clogging traff ic and es, MSF project coordinator in risk of water-borne disease. (NISS) until June 2018, when the attorney-general’s offi ce Ahmed has sought to ad- frustrating motorists who had to Pemba. “From our previous experi- he was removed by Prime said in a statement. dress rights violations and wait for hours to fill up. “We need to isolate and treat ence responding to Cyclone thiopia has charged Minister Abiy Ahmed amid a “The 26 suspects have break with the country’s “Measures have been taken and sick people so they recover, and Idai which struck Mozam- powerful former intel- raft of reforms in the Horn of been charged with a total of authoritarian past. the necessary resources mobilised so that they do not contaminate bique in March 2019, we an- Eligence chief Getachew Africa nation. 46 criminal charges, with 22 In July last year he pub- to stabilise the market for fuel in others. We need to make sure that ticipated such a situation to Assefa and 25 others over al- Under Ethiopia’s previ- of them currently in custody licly acknowledged torture the coming days,” said the note people stop using infected water, happen,” said Daw Mohamed, leged human rights abuses, ous government, the NISS while the other four individu- carried out by security serv- issued after a meeting between and we should do all we can to humanitarian director for the offi ce of the attorney- was accused by rights groups als including Getachew As- ices, describing it as a form of the president and leaders from the prevent people from getting sick.” CARE International. general said yesterday. of overseeing the torture and sefa’s cases will be tried in “terrorism”. fuel industry. (Reuters) Three suspects in Tanzania plans cable car for Mt Kilimanjaro

Reuters sible routes at the moment, UN experts’ killing Dar Es Salaam Kanyasu said. “We are still doing a feasibil- ity study to see if this project anzania wants to boost works,” he said. “There are two tourist numbers by companies one from China and escape jail in Congo Tputting a cable car on another from a Western country Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s that have shown interest.” tallest mountain, and is in talks “This won’t be the fi rst time A vehicle drives past Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania’s Hie district. Reuters service, the ANR, have also to be corrected for justice to about the project with a Chinese in the world, cable cars are there Goma been arrested in connection be done”. and a Western company. in Sweden, Italy, the Himalayas,” environmental impact assess- helped by an increase in arrivals with the case. Reuters and Radio France Around 50,000 tourists climb he said. ment would also be carried out, from foreign visitors. Tourism They deny involvement and Internationale (RFI) revealed Kilimanjaro annually. A cable car Kanyasu said the government he said. revenues raised $2.43bn for the hree suspects in the kill- have not been formally charged in December 2017 that the in- could increase tourist numbers was looking at business plans, Porter and guide groups who year, up from $2.19bn in 2017. ing of two UN inves- over the killings. formant who helped Catalan by 50% by providing access to potential investors and profi ts. take tourists up the mountain Tourism is the main source of Ttigators in Democratic Trésor Kabangu, the lawyer and Sharp plan their fatal trip the mountain for those unable to The length of the route has oppose the project because they hard currency in Tanzania, known Republic of Congo escaped for Ilunga and Tshiaba in the the day before they left was climb it, Constantine Kanyasu, the not been fi nalised, with various fear cable cars will reduce the for its beaches, wildlife safaris from prison overnight, a de- trial, which began in June 2017, working at the time for Congo’s deputy minister for tourism, said. options under consideration de- number of climbers. and Mount Kilimanjaro, which fence lawyer in the case said said the three defendants had intelligence agency (ANR). The country is conduct- pending on cost and engineer- Tanzania’s earnings from has three volcanic cones and is yesterday. escaped from prison in the city Their fi ndings revived ques- ing feasibility studies on pos- ing issues, the minister said. An tourism jumped 7.13% last year, nearly 5,000m high from its base. Evariste Ilunga Lumu, of Kananga overnight. tions about what role state Kanowa Tshiaba and Mbayi Timothee Mukuntu, Con- agents may have played in the Amoxi Tshikangu are on trial go’s top military prosecutor, killing. The United Nations accused of participating in the confi rmed at a news confer- and human rights groups have killing of American Michael ence that Ilunga and Tshiaba accused government forces of Sharp and Zaida Catalan, a were among fi ve prisoners who involvement in atrocities in the Leaders seek ways to manage jumbo populations Swede, in March 2017. had escaped by climbing over confl ict that Sharp and Catalan The UN investigators were the prison wall during a driving were investigating. AFP weetsi Masisi, whose country has and people is on the rise as the collision course with humans. probing alleged atrocities during rainstorm. He did not mention The Congolese government Gaborone, Botswana Africa’s largest elephant popula- demand for land, for agriculture The southern African region fi ghting in the central Kasai re- Tshikangu. has in the past denied any re- tion, told his fellow leaders that and settlements is growing,” he is also experiencing drought gion between government forc- “It is a tough blow for us that sponsibility for mass graves it was time the region comes up warned alongside the presidents of spells, which Masisi said were es and the local Kamuina Nsapu Ilunga Lumu escaped,” said that have been found in the eaders from four south- with a common strategy to man- Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. “placing even more pressure on militia, which prosecutors Mukuntu. “We are going to do Kasai region, and denied that ern African countries held age the huge mammals. Landlocked Botswana has our fragile ecosystems”. blame for their deaths. everything to fi nd him.” its troops have systematically Ltalks in Botswana yester- “We cannot continue to be more than 135,000 elephants Over the past decade, the Ilunga is the only defendant Florence Marchal, spokes- used excessive force there. day to better manage the world’s spectators while others debate roaming freely in its unfenced number of elephants on the among more than a dozen on woman for the UN peacekeep- Catalan’s mother Maria largest concentration of ele- and take decisions about our el- parks and wide open spaces. continent has fallen by around trial to have admitted having ing mission (MONUSCO) said Morseby tweeted: “I’m so dis- phants, amid growing concerns ephants,” Masisi said in opening The government says pop- 111,000 to 415,000, accord- participated in the killings. An the suspects’ escape showed appointed and sad because with over poaching, loss of habitat, remarks in the northern town of ulations have become un- ing to fi gures from the Interna- army colonel and an informant “a dysfunction in the sys- Ilunga important information and confl ict with humans. Kasane. manageably large in parts tional Union for Conservation of for the national intelligence tem ... dysfunctions that need and testimony disappears.” Botswana President Mokg- “Confl ict between elephants - placing the animals on a Nature (IUCN). Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 AMERICAS

POLITICS REPRIEVED CONSERVATION JUSTICE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Greens win special vote in Convicted Iraqi prisoner’s Canada lists 3 whale Virginia in the dock over blow to Canada’s Trudeau killer gets Trump pardon species as threatened solitary confinement

Canada’s Green Party pulled off a rare victory on President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned Canadian scientists on Monday listed three types Virginia’s prison system has violated the Monday in a special election for a parliamentary former US Army Lieutenant Michael Behenna, of whale that swim its waters, including two of the constitutional rights of inmates by holding them seat, provisional results showed, dealing a fresh who was imprisoned for five years for killing an world’s largest species, as threatened. Sei whales in solitary confinement for years, according blow to the ruling Liberals of Prime Minister Justin Iraqi prisoner in 2008. Behenna, a platoon leader were classified as endangered while Fin and to a lawsuit filed on Monday that alleges the Trudeau. The win in the Pacific province of British in the 101st Airborne Division, was convicted Sowerby’s Beaked whales were found to be “of practice can result in hallucinations and suicidal Columbia was only the second time the Greens, of unpremeditated murder and sentenced to special concern” by the Committee on the Status thoughts. The class-action complaint was filed who are a much less important political force than 25 years after killing Ali Mansur Mohamed, a of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). In a in US District Court in Richmond, Virginia, by in Europe, have captured a federal seat in their 36- suspected Al Qaeda member. Behenna claimed statement, the independent panel, whose reports the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf year history. Green candidate Paul Manly won the he was acting in self-defence. His sentence form the basis of Canada’s conservation eff orts, of a dozen prisoners who have been in solitary constituency of Nanaimo-Ladysmith with about was subsequently reduced to 15 years and he blamed human activity for the predicament of confinement for two to 24 years. But the practice 38% of the vote. The Liberals ran a prominent local was paroled in 2014, five years into his term. the marine giants. The cetaceans, it said, get is widespread and often used as punishment for US Senator Kamala Harris and school principal candidate but trailed in fourth place with about The White House said Behenna was a “model tangled in fishing gear or are killed in collisions minor infractions of prison rules. The Virginia Radewin Awada take a selfie photograph 11%. The off icial opposition Conservatives and left- prisoner” and “entirely deserving” of the ‘grant with an “ever increasing” number of large ships Department of Corrections did not immediately with students at Miller Elementary School in leaning New Democrats both took about 24% each. of executive clemency’. navigating Canadian waters. respond to a request for comment. Dearborn, Michigan.

Sombre ‘anniversary’ Activist group Families Man jailed Belong Together has setup a life sized cage on Capitol over plot Hill in Washington, DC, depicting child separation at the US to bomb border on the one-year anniversary of the Trump administration Illinois bar announcing its zero-tolerance family Reuters separation policy. Chicago

n Illinois man was sentenced on Monday to 16 years in Aprison for attempting to set off what he thought was a car bomb outside a downtown Chicago bar in 2012, a federal prosecutor said. Adel Daoud, 25, of the Chicago suburb of Hillside, pleaded guilty in November while maintaining his innocence under the terms of an “Alford plea” to one count of at- tempting use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of at- tempting to destroy a building by means of an explosive, court docu- ments showed. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman sentenced Daoud to 16 years in federal prison, to be fol- ‘Case closed’ on Mueller lowed by 45 years of supervised re- lease, two years after he was ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial and ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment. He pleaded guilty after receiving treatment. In 2011, Daoud began using e- mail accounts and Internet forums probe: top Republican to research and discuss “the killing of Americans,” court documents Reuters Report justifies obstruction charges, say former Justice Dept officials in open letter deadline to give lawmakers the full re- said. Washington port and failed to appear at a hearing Two undercover FBI employees Almost 500 former US Justice Depart- runs counter to logic and our experi- struction of justice,” the statement said. before the panel last week. The full began corresponding with Daoud ment off icials said on Monday in a joint ence,” said the statement, signed by A Justice Department spokeswoman House would then vote on the rebuke. in May 2012. Three months later, S Senate Majority Leader Mitch statement that the Mueller report’s find- Justice Department lawyers who served referred to prior statements by Barr, in A contempt citation against McGahn Daoud showed an undercover agent McConnell yesterday sought to ings would justify obstruction charges Republican and Democratic presidents which he said Mueller had not provided or other administration offi cials could a list of 29 possible targets includ- Uslam the door on further inves- against President Donald Trump if he stretching back to the 1950s. enough evidence to bring a successful lead to a civil case, raising the possibil- ing military recruiting centres, tigations of President Donald Trump by were not currently occupying the White As of late Monday, 467 off icials had obstruction case. ity of fi nes and even imprisonment for bars, malls and other Chicago-area declaring “case closed” after a two-year House. signed the letter. A Mueller spokesman declined to failure to comply. tourist attractions, the documents probe of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 US Attorney General William Barr has Under a long-standing Justice Depart- comment. The Judiciary Committee is among showed. elections, even as House Democrats’ said he found insuff icient evidence in ment Off ice of Legal Counsel policy, a Among signers of the statement several House panels investigating During later meetings, Daoud war with the White House intensifi ed. Mueller’s report to conclude that Trump sitting president cannot be charged with were Donald Ayer, who was the Justice Trump and his administration on vari- and the agent planned the attack McConnell, the top Republican in obstructed justice. criminal activity. Department’s No 2 off icial under Repub- ous matters, including the Russia probe that would involve a Jeep Cherokee the US Congress, delivered a stinging Special Counsel Robert Mueller him- “Each of us believes that the conduct lican President George H W Bush, and and Trump’s personal and business tax and explosives that, unbeknownst rebuke of Democrats seeking addi- self made no formal finding one way or of President Trump described in Special Bill Weld, a former head of the Justice returns. to him, were inert. tional information on Special Counsel the other on that question. Counsel Robert Mueller’s report would, in Department’s criminal division under The administration is stonewalling On September 14, 2012, Daoud Robert Mueller’s report that found no “To look at these facts and say that a the case of any other person not covered Republican President Ronald Reagan. congressional investigators while the met with the undercover agent in a evidence Trump’s 2016 campaign col- prosecutor could not probably sustain by the Off ice of Legal Counsel policy... The White House did not immediately president, who has denied any wrong- Chicago suburb, and he led a prayer luded with Russia. a conviction for obstruction of justice ... result in multiple felony charges for ob- respond to a request for comment. doing, vowed to fi ght all congressional that the attack would succeed in “The special counsel’s fi nding is clear. subpoenas. killing many people as they drove Case closed,” McConnell declared. On Monday, US Treasury Secre- the agent’s vehicle to downtown Meanwhile, battles between the being in an “absolute meltdown” and er Chuck Schumer fi red back, calling acknowledged that was unlikely. Dem- tary Steven Mnuchin turned down the Chicago, according to court docu- White House and congressional Demo- refusing “to accept the bottom line con- Trump a “lawless president” and ac- ocrats hold a majority in the House, House Ways and Means Committee’s ments. crats over documents and testimony clusion” that Mueller’s “exhaustive” re- cusing the Senate Republican leader while Republicans control the Senate. request for Trump’s tax returns, teeing In downtown Chicago, Daoud related to the Mueller investigation port found no collusion with Russia. of wanting to bury any congressional “Would we fi nally be able to move on up a likely legal battle. picked up the Jeep that contained deepened yesterday. Since the public release of the report investigations. “Of course he wants from partisan paralysis and breathless Democratic lawmakers want Mueller the purported explosives and drove White House counsel Pat Cipollone in- last month, House and Senate Repub- to move on. He wants to cover up,” conspiracy theorising? Or would we to testify before Congress, something it to the targeted bar. formed the House Judiciary Committee in licans have defended the president and Schumer said of McConnell. remain consumed by unhinged parti- Trump has balked at although Barr has Daoud then walked to an alley a letter that ex-White House Counsel Don called for an end to congressional in- Schumer likened McConnell’s move sanship,” McConnell said, adding: “Re- said he would not object. about a block from the bar and tried McGahn does not have the legal right to vestigations. to President Richard Nixon, who was grettably, the answer is pretty obvious.” If lawmakers decide that Trump ob- to set off the device in the agent’s comply with a House of Representatives Mueller detailed extensive contacts under investigation by Congress before House Democrats yesterday pre- structed justice by seeking to impede presence before FBI agents arrested subpoena and disclose documents related between Trump’s campaign and Mos- resigning from offi ce in 1974 in the face pared to meet Justice Department of- Mueller, Judiciary Committee chair- him, the court documents said. to Mueller’s investigation. cow. His 448-page report also outlined 11 of impeachment and likely conviction. fi cials over Attorney General William man Jerrold Nadler could move to im- In two other cases against Daoud, White House spokeswoman Sarah instances in which the president tried to “It’s sort of like Richard Nixon say- Barr’s failure to release the full unre- peachment proceedings against the he was accused of a murder-for- Sanders, when asked by ABC News impede the special counsel’s investiga- ing let’s move on at the height of the dacted Mueller report as they prepared president. hire plot against an FBI agent in whether McGahn would comply with tion, but avoided a conclusion on wheth- investigation of his wrongdoing,” to cite him for contempt. If the House goes down the impeach- 2012 and attacking a fellow jail in- the subpoena, said: “I don’t anticipate er or not Trump obstructed justice. Schumer said. The House Judiciary Committee has ment route, at least some Republican mate in 2015, court papers showed. that that takes place.” Speaking on the Senate fl oor after While McConnell urged an end to scheduled a vote today on a contempt support would be needed for a Senate They were combined with the bomb McConnell accused Democrats of McConnell, Senate Democratic Lead- the fi ght over the Mueller report, he citation for Barr, who missed a second conviction. plot case. Alaska’s thaw threatens prehistoric sites once frozen in time

By Jocelyne Zablit, AFP “This is by far the highlight of Yupik culture, he is also horrifi ed Based on carbon dating of or- discovered sites that no one will Quinhagak, Alaska everything I’ve ever excavated in that similar sites across Alaska ganic material at Nunalleq, ex- ever see.” my 40-year-career — and I’ve are probably disappearing as the perts believe the site dates back But against the grim backdrop worked on some pretty spectac- frozen ground that has preserved to a time historians call the Bow of climate change, one positive he fi rst artefact — a wood- ular sites,” said Rick Knecht, an them for centuries thaws and ero- and Arrow Wars, when Yupik side eff ect has been renewed in- en mask — was discovered archaeologist with the University sion sweeps them away. communities were engaged in terest among the Yupik people Tin 2007 by a child who of Aberdeen in Scotland. “As the permafrost melts, you fi erce warfare and before Russian in the practices and traditions of stumbled upon it while playing For the past 10 years Knecht can see that the soil liquefi es. It’s explorers discovered Alaska in their ancestors. on the beach near his home in has led a team racing to save as like a box of ice cream,” Knecht the early 1800s. A number of villagers in Quin- Quinhagak, a village in western many items as possible at the ex- said, pointing to the gooey mud “This was our heritage and we hagak are carving replicas of the Alaska that sits by the Bering Sea. cavation site about 4.8km from along the fast-eroding shoreline had to preserve it,” recalls Jones. artefacts found at Nunalleq, stu- Over the following months, Quinhagak and dubbed Nu- in Quinhagak and large clumps of “We couldn’t let it get lost at sea.” dents at the local school have set hundreds of similar objects — bas- nalleq, which means Old Village earth ready to topple into the sea. But getting village elders who up a traditional dance troupe and kets, fi nely carved harpoon shafts, in the Yupik language. “We’ve only saved this one believe ancestral sites should not be many have started to learn the lip plugs, wooden dolls, ivory tat- “Almost everything we know site but tens of thousands like disturbed to agree was no easy task. Yupik language. too needles — emerged from the about Yupik prehistory comes it are being lost right now while “It took Warren Jones two Not to mention the immense earth as melting permafrost and from this site,” said Knecht, an we’re talking because of climate years to talk the village, person by pride felt by the locals at hav- erosion driven by climate change aff able man with a grizzled beard, change,” he said. person, into allowing an archae- ing a spectacular collection that revealed a Yupik Eskimo settle- as he surveyed the area recently “In some places in the Arctic, ological project,” Knecht said. would be the envy of world- ment dating back to the 1600s. with an AFP team. the coastline has gone back more “They thought long and hard class museums. “This has had a Today, more than a decade “If we’d lost it, the people here than a mile. And since I’ve been about it and some of the elders A Yupik Eskimo artefact found by archaeologist Rick Knecht and his lot of impact on this small com- after the fi rst fi nd, an extraordi- would have lost their past and a here in Quinhagak, it’s gone back who were reluctant are now our team at the excavation site beside the Bering Sea, near the town of munity,” Jones said. “And it’s nary collection of some 100,000 tangible link to that past, which 10m to 20m in merely 10 years.” strongest supporters.” Quinhagak on the Yukon Delta in Alaska. important the collection stay in prehistoric Yupik artefacts — the would have been an unbelievable Knecht became involved with Many village residents now Quinhagak.” largest such collection in the tragedy.” the excavation project in 2009 volunteer every summer to join “You get this terrible feeling of “It’s grim, it really is grim. It’s “These objects belong to the world — sits in a small newly But while Knecht marvels at the after Warren Jones, a village Knecht and his crew of fellow working against time and you re- a horror show. For every beauti- community. But we’re willing to opened museum in Quinhagak, trove of artefacts discovered at leader, contacted him, desperate archaeologists and students as alise the full scope of the cultural fully preserved mask lifted out of share and send them out to mu- home to an indigenous commu- Nunalleq and the clues these ob- to salvage what remains of his they sift through the earth to save tragedy that is part of climate the ground, there are thousands seums on loan so that other peo- nity of about 700 people. jects have provided to traditional people’s past. what they can. change,” said Knecht. falling to the sea in other still un- ple learn about us.” Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Sri Lanka says terror threat persists despite arrests

AFP with the persisting threat. “The at three churches and three lux- public life was slowly returning forts to rebuild the church which schools.” Wickramaratne did er Sunday attacks. A bomb at St Colombo danger is not over, we are now ury hotels. to normal. is venerated not only by Catho- not say how many people were Sebastian’s church in the town a victim of global terrorism,” “All those who organised and The St Anthony’s church also lics but also by many people of in custody over the bombings, killed more than 100 worship- Wickremesinghe said. carried out the suicide bomb at- partially opened yesterday for other faiths who believe in the but police spokesman Ruwan pers. ri Lankan authorities have “Even if we have arrested or tack have died or is in our cus- prayers amid tight security even miraculous powers of Saint An- Gunasekera said Monday that 73 Dozens of Muslim-owned arrested or killed all the killed every terrorist responsible tody,” Wickramaratne said. “The as the military and police guard- thony. people, including nine women, businesses, homes and vehicles Smilitants responsible for for the Easter Sunday attacks, two bomb experts of the group ed the historic place of worship The government reopened were being held. in Negombo were damaged in Easter suicide bombings, but extremists abroad can still cause have been killed. We have seized dating back to 1740. public schools on Monday, but The bombings were blamed clashes on Sunday night. the island still faces the threat trouble for us. We need intelli- the explosives they had stored for Police set up steel barricades attendance dropped to below on a local group, the National The Roman Catholic Church of “global terrorism,” the prime gence sharing with foreign part- future attacks.” outside and frisked people enter- 10% in many places with par- Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), but appealed for calm and urged minister said yesterday. ners to deal with this challenge.” Wickramaratne, who was ing to pray before a statue of Saint ents still fearing attacks. “We the Islamic State group has also Christians not to carry out re- Ranil Wickremesinghe told His comments came as police named acting police chief last Anthony. Church authorities said have strengthened security for all claimed responsibility. venge attacks against Muslims. parliament that his Buddhist- chief Chandana Wickramaratne week after President Maithripala they will allow devotees for a 12- schools,” the police chief said. Police said religious tensions Police said two arrests were majority nation was a victim of said they have accounted for eve- Sirisena suspended his pred- hour period until the church was “We are also conducting a have eased at Negombo, a town made and more suspects had Islamist extremists and needed ry individual involved in the April ecessor over his failure to act on fully restored. programme to create awareness north of Colombo that suff ered been identifi ed through CCTV international support to deal 21 attacks that killed 257 people warnings about the attacks, said Sri Lanka’s navy is leading ef- about safety and security in all the highest death toll in the East- footage. Myanmar frees two Reuters journalists after global outrage

AFP vowed he would return to work. Press Freedom Day. “The lesson prompted an outcry around the Yangon “I can’t wait to go to my news- is simple: dialogue works even world and crushed what was left room,” he said. “I am a journalist in the most diffi cult of circum- of Suu Kyi’s legacy as a rights de- and I am going to continue.” stances,” he told media in Yan- fender. Reuters has said the two wo Reuters journalists Reuters editor-in-chief gon. The United States, which were imprisoned in retaliation jailed for their reporting Stephen Adler said: “We are had condemned the journalists’ for their expose. The army jailed Ton the Rohingya crisis in enormously pleased that Myan- jailing, welcomed their release seven soldiers for the massacre in Reuters journalists Wa Lone (left) and Kyaw Soe Oo gesture as they walk to Insein prison gate after being Myanmar walked out of prison mar has released our courageous and called for further action. a rare response to allegations of freed in a presidential amnesty in Yangon yesterday. yesterday, freed in a presidential reporters”. “We hope to see the release of atrocities. amnesty after a vigorous global “Since their arrests 511 days other imprisoned journalists and Military spokesman Zaw Min with numerous awards and hon- perts say the prosecution’s case In downtown Yangon on Tues- campaign — and backroom di- ago, they have become symbols greater freedom of expression,” Tun said it had no comment on ours in response to their work. was riddled with irregularities. day evening, most people AFP plomacy — for their release. of the importance of press free- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the release except that the case Last month, they won the pres- A whistleblowing police offi cer asked were happy to hear the Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo dom around the world. We wel- tweeted. was “undertaken in line with tigious Pulitzer Prize. Wa Lone testifi ed during their trial that news. “It was clear they were re- were mobbed by media as they come their return.” The journalists waved and the law”. While inside, the duo and Kyaw Soe Oo were also on the his superior had ordered his team porting the truth about human stepped out of Yangon’s notori- They were freed in an amnesty smiled broadly as they walked missed numerous family mile- cover of TIME magazine as part to trap the reporters in a sting — rights,” said 54-year-old Bud- ous Insein prison after more than that included more than 6,000 out of the jail. The two men were stones, including the birth of Wa of its person of the year coverage testimony the judge chose to ig- dhist monk Malar Nanda. 16 months in detention. prisoners. A government spokes- convicted on charges of violat- Lone’s daughter. Their families featuring journalists targeted for nore. Suu Kyi led her National Their December 2017 ar- man told reporters that family ing the offi cial secrets act and were overjoyed with the news. their reporting. The now ex-offi cer Moe Yan League for Democracy party to rests made them an interna- members had sent letters to Suu sentenced to seven years each. At “We are very happy,” Chit Su The case against them became Naing told AFP he was “de- victory in historic 2015 polls, tional cause celebre and a sign of Kyi and the president Win Myint. the time of their arrest, they had Win, who is married to Kyaw Soe a byword for the war against press lighted” the families were back ending decades of military- Myanmar’s deteriorating press “Leaders took into consideration been reporting on a September Oo, told AFP. A reunion photo of freedom and prompted an inter- together, and expressed inter- backed rule. But the dreams of freedoms under Nobel laureate the long-term interest of (the) 2017 massacre of 10 Rohingya both couples celebrating, smiling national campaign that attracted est in meeting the journalists, if a new day for Myanmar were and civilian leader Aung San Suu country,” Zaw Htay said. Muslims in confl ict-hit Rakhine and holding each of their daugh- the support of prominent rights they wanted to. Media advocates, short-lived — the army launched Kyi. Lord Ara Darzi, a British ad- state, where the Myanmar army ters was widely shared on Twit- lawyer Amal Clooney, who said the UN, and rights organisations a campaign against the Rohingya Wa Lone, 33, thanked peo- viser and confi dant of Suu Kyi, forced some 740,000 of the ter. yesterday it had been an “honour praised the release but slammed in Rakhine state, which UN in- ple from “around the world” for said it was “fi tting” the pair were stateless minority to fl ee over the During their imprisonment, to represent” her clients. the original arrest and convic- vestigators have said amounted advocating for their release and released a few days after World border to Bangladesh. The case the journalists were showered Rights groups and legal ex- tion. to genocide.

Singapore Storm in the backyard opposition Aussie gangsters eye freedom echoes public calls to scrap amid police informant scandal proposed fake news law

AFP turned,” Melbourne University a stash of cannabis, ampheta- Singapore’s lone opposition Melbourne law professor Jeremy Gans told mines and weapons. She re- party, which only holds six of AFP. Crime boss Tony Mokbel ceived a good behaviour bond 89 seats in parliament, will op- – who survived a stabbing at- and no conviction was recorded, pose a controversial fake news ome of Australia’s most tack in prison this February – is according to a police informant bill, its leader said yesterday, dangerous criminals could among those seeking leave to registration document tabled echoing public calls for its Shave their convictions appeal his 30-year sentence for with the Royal Commission. withdrawal but unable to make overturned after revelations drug traffi cking. Victorian police spent fi ve any diff erence. Singapore is their defence lawyer was secret- Also challenging his convic- years and millions of dollars likely to pass the law today ly feeding information to police. tion is Faruk Orman, currently fi ghting in the courts to keep despite coming under fire For a decade before the turn serving a 20-year jail term for Gobbo’s identity a secret, main- from tech firms, rights groups, of the millennium, Melbourne’s driving the getaway car in a taining that she could be mur- academics and journalists who gangland wars gripped Austral- 2002 shooting murder, who has dered if it came to light. say that the new law may give ia, with police seemingly unable always maintained his inno- Gobbo herself has lost trust the government too much to penetrate the city’s shadowy cence. in the police and has refused to power and hinder freedom of underworld as the death toll Gobbo acted as Orman’s enter witness protection on the speech. “The Workers’ Party soared. defence lawyer when he was basis she did not believe her opposes this bill,” opposition The series of up to 40 bloody charged. His new lawyer, Ruth confi dentiality would be re- leader Pritam Singh said in retributive murders came as Parker, told AFP that the use of spected. parliament. “We do not agree rival gangs battled over Mel- Gobbo as a police source was an In March, the High Court that the executive should be bourne’s lucrative drug trade example of “gross misconduct lifted the suppression order that the initial decision maker on and only eased when key mob and corruption”. had protected her anonymity, A dust storm is seen approaching in Mildura, Victoria, Australia. matters surrounding false fi gures were put behind bars. “Ms Gobbo and every inves- accusing her of “fundamental statements of fact.” But a legal scandal now threat- tigator with whom she worked and appalling breaches” of her ens dozens — if not hundreds should be investigated both obligations as a lawyer, and ac- — of their convictions, with the for misconduct in their duties cusing Victoria Police of “repre- shocking revelation that crimi- as public offi cers but also for hensible conduct” for their role nal defence lawyer Nicola Gob- crimes,” Parker said. in the saga. bo was also acting as a police Victorian Police Commis- The Royal Commission is informant at the time. sioner Graham Ashton has also investigating six other pos- Protester charged in Australia for The former barrister repre- staunchly defended the force, sible police sources in the le- sented some of Australia’s most saying they acted in “good gal profession, including legal dangerous criminals on charges faith” and their conduct should secretaries and a former court ranging from drug traffi cking to be viewed in the context of the clerk, though police said only striking PM Morrison with an egg murder, while also feeding in- spiralling gangland war. one — a now-deceased lawyer formation about her clients to “It was a desperate and dan- — ever provided them with in- police. gerous time and a general sense formation. Reuters The woman told reporters moments whether it’s these cowardly activ- Prosecutors last year in- of urgency was enveloping the Victoria Police said that the Melbourne ists who have no respect for any- formed 22 people that they criminal justice system, includ- way informants are managed after the incident that her action one, or militant unionists stand- could have grounds to appeal. ing the police,” he told reporters has now been completely over- “speaks for itself” and she referred to ing over small businesses and But Gobbo — also referred to in December. hauled, and that such a breach 24-year-old woman who their employees on work sites,” as Lawyer X and Informer 3838 The period inspired a televi- could not happen again. struck Australian Prime Manus Island, in Papua New Guinea, Morrison tweeted after the inci- — claims that at least 386 people sion series, Underbelly, which The reaction to the scandal AMinister Scott Morrison where Australia has detained refugees dent. were arrested and charged based gripped Australian audiences among Australia’s legal com- with an egg yesterday as he cam- Later, he joked when asked on the information she pro- for six seasons. Gobbo, who munity has ranged from shock paigned for a May 18 general elec- ment. Police, who initially said assault and drug possession, af- about it, saying he did not want to vided, according to a June 2015 comes from a prominent Mel- and embarrassment to anger tion has been charged with as- the woman was 25, said they had ter police found cannabis on her. “over-egg” it. “Just because you letter that was made public in bourne family, was a key police and disbelief, according to Adri- sault, police said. Security guards been arrested her but they did not The woman was released on bail have a diff erence of view to some- December. A Royal Commission source during the critical years an Evans, Emeritus Professor of pounced on the protester, who identify her nor give any details and ordered to appear in court on one, doesn’t mean you have to inquiry is currently underway of gangland prosecutions be- Law at Monash University. was wearing a beanie and casual about her motive. May 27. engage in these sorts of ugly types to determine how many cases tween 2005 and 2009 but was “Overall fairness absolutely clothes, and dragged her away The woman told reporters mo- Morrison rubbed his head of protests ... We have to learn to have been impacted by Gobbo’s registered as an informant as far requires silence, as otherwise, moments after the attack. ments after the incident that her briefl y after being grazed by the disagree better,” he told reporters, double life, with hearings set to back as 1995, two years before no one will trust lawyers or the “The prime minister was at- action “speaks for itself” and egg, which did not break, and referring also to recent protests resume on Wednesday. she was admitted to practice legal system and that will lead to tending an event at Albury Enter- she referred to Manus Island, in then helped an elderly woman by vegans against farmers. Op- “Any conviction in any case law. a dystopian existence,” he told tainment Centre, when a woman Papua New Guinea, where Aus- who was pushed to the fl oor in the position Labor leader Bill Shorten where Gobbo played anything She was recruited as a police AFP. approached him from behind tralia has long detained refugees, scuffl e, television images showed. called the protester’s action unac- but a very minimal role in pro- informer after being charged The Royal Commission is due and allegedly struck him with an according to a reporter with the No injuries were reported, the po- ceptable. viding legal services is almost with drug off ences in 1993 when to release a report detailing its egg to the back of his head,” New Australian newspaper. lice said. “This is appalling and disgrace- certainly going to be over- a raid on her shared house found interim fi ndings by July 1. South Wales police said in a state- She was charged with common “We will stand up to thuggery ful behaviour,” he told reporters. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 BRITAIN/IRELAND

N Ireland talks begin in fresh eff ort to revive power-sharing

Guardian News and Media The talks are aimed at restor- minister, Simon Coveney. party was there to “do the busi- lic pressure to fi nd consensus essary further steps at the end that the new talks could not be Belfast ing the devolved government, The region has been left with- ness”. amid concerns that violent ex- of the month, such as the con- “privatised” into bilateral nego- which collapsed spectacularly out a working government for She has taken over at the head tremists are exploiting the power tinuation of talks, according to a tiations confi ned to the two larg- in January 2017 after a bitter row than two years but renewed ef- of the party since the retire- vacuum. statement by both governments. est parties. olitical leaders in North- between the Democratic Un- forts to get Stormont up and ment of Gerry Adams and the Many have voiced scepticism The involvement of all fi ve “I think the mistake has been ern Ireland have begun ionist party and Sinn Fein and a running again have been made death of Martin McGuinness a that talks will result in a deal by main parties in Northern Ireland made over the last couple of Ptalks in a fresh eff ort to breakdown in trust. after the killing of the journalist few months after the collapse of the end of May, but there is hope has the potential to inject some years that this process has been break the protracted impasse on The UK and Irish governments Lyra McKee by dissident repub- power-sharing. the establishment of the process consensus-building around the privatised between the DUP and power-sharing, with the Prime set out a road map yesterday for lican terrorists. While Sinn Fein and the DUP will engender a positive environ- table, missing from previous talks Sinn Fein,” he said. “The strate- Minister Theresa May, and the the talks with a pledge to hold a Arriving at Stormont House in appeared not to be punished in ment that will eventually lead to between Sinn Fein and the DUP. gies that have been employed Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, pledg- weekly evaluation by the North- Belfast for the opening meeting last week’s local elections over success. Colum Eastwood, the leader by those two parties up to now ing to review progress at the end ern Ireland Secretary, Karen Bra- yesterday, Sinn Fein’s president, the failure to compromise, poli- May and Varadkar will review of the Social Democratic and haven’t worked, so I think it’s of the month. dley, and Ireland’s deputy prime Mary Lou McDonald, said her ticians are facing mounting pub- progress and consider any nec- Labour party (SDLP), cautioned time for a rethink.” Britain eagerly William and Kate rekindle sailing rivalry awaits royal baby’s name

AFP With the birth being private, Windsor most media assumed Monday that Meghan had opted for a home delivery. hrilled Britons bet on baby Not so, said The Daily Mail names and congratula- yesterday, announcing that Ttions poured in yesterday “overdue Meghan’s home birth after Prince Harry and Meghan dream was dashed as she was se- welcomed the royal family’s fi rst cretly whisked to a London hos- known mixed-race member. pital on Sunday by Harry and his Harry on Monday announced Scotland Yard security team”. the birth of the couple’s fi rst — The Sun, a competing tabloid, a son who will be seventh in the breathlessly reported that Meg- long line to the British throne. han was a “week overdue” and “This little thing is absolutely ended up being secretly rushed to die for,” Harry, 34, said with a to a £15,000-a-night London giggle, delighted but somewhat hospital before giving birth “at overwhelmed. exactly sunrise”. The Daily Mail Harry “was so genuine,” re- countered that the birth came marked Mark Schultz, 57, an three minutes later. American queuing outside Wind- A spokesman for Buckingham Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, arrive to launch the King’s Cup Regatta in London yesterday. Prince William will be looking for revenge when sor Castle with his wife Jeanelle Palace said such details should he takes on his wife Kate in the new sailing event the couple are launching to raise money for charities they support. Kate is an experienced sailor who beat her and other tourists yesterday. be revealed when the birth is of- husband last time they went head-to-head on America’s Cup yachts in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2014. “Any time there’s a royal baby fi cially registered, most likely it’s exciting, but Meghan, she’s later this week. one of ours,” Jeanelle added. Britain has a long and proud The world has been buzzing tradition of betting on just about about Britain’s royals ever since everything, and the new arrival Meghan, a 37-year-old TV star had the bookies busy for months. with partial African American Some shops stopped taking ancestry, infused the family with punts on female names because a hip new vibe. everyone — somewhat inexpli- Her fairytale wedding last cably, based on rumours and Britain ‘to go ahead with May to Harry was attended by anonymous tips — assumed that A-list celebrities, including it would be a girl. family friends George and Amal The odds changed radically Clooney, the heartthrob actor on Monday, with Albert, Oliver, and the high-powered human Edward, Henry and Charles all right attorney. surging to the top. European Parliament polls’ Meghan and Harry have been UK royal names are normally busy ever since changing tradi- chosen from a relatively restrict- tions, bringing the dynasty more ed pool of those used by past DPA said David Lidington, May’s dusted by the summer recess Political analysts, however, sion in the EU internal market. into line with modern tastes and kings and queens. London deputy. (in the British parliament),” pointed to the fact that the big- Responding to May’s week- that little bit closer to the people. But Meghan and Harry, the “But what this now means, Lidington added. gest winners in the local voting end article, Labour shadow The American last year made Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are given how little time there is, is He said he remained hope- were the Liberal Democrats, chancellor John McDonnell waves in Britain by closing her anything but normal royals. ritain will hold elec- that it is regrettably not going to ful that the government and who are staunchly opposed to claimed she had “blown the own car door — a task usually “Meghan Markle and Prince tions to the European be possible to fi nish that proc- Labour “will reach a successful Brexit and have campaigned for confi dentiality” of the talks be- performed by aides. Harry to choose UNUSUAL name BParliament as planned ess before the date that is legally conclusion on all the issues in- a second referendum with an tween the parties. The couple also announced the for baby that UNIFIES the US on May 23, as it is “not pos- due for European Parliamentary volved.” option for Britain to remain in “I actually think she’s jeop- birth — “It’s a BOY!” — to their and UK,” The Daily Express wrote, sible” to resolve the impasse elections,” Lidington said in a May made another public ap- the EU. ardised the negotiations for her 6.4mn followers on Instagram. sparking a wild guessing game on over the country’s plan to statement. peal to Labour to “do a deal” on May opened formal talks with own personal protection,” Mc- But perhaps most impor- Twitter fi lled with puns and jokes. leave the European Union He said the government Sunday via the Daily Mail, one Labour after lawmakers voted Donnell, a close ally of Corbyn, tantly, Meghan decided to ig- For now, British television before then, the government “will be redoubling (its) ef- of Britain’s most popular tab- against her vision for Brexit, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr nore past practice by keeping the stations refer to the new arrival said yesterday. forts and talks with MPs of loid newspapers. negotiated with Brussels, three Show. birth private and well out of the as simply “Baby Sussex”. Conservative Prime Minister all parties to try to make sure She said the “public is frus- times. Graham Brady, chairman of prying media’s eyes. The entire world seemed to Theresa May is continuing talks that the delay after (May 23) trated” by politicians’ failure to Both parties are divided over the 1922 Committee of Con- The attempt appeared to only celebrate along with the happy on Brexit with the main oppo- is as short as possible.” “Ide- deliver Brexit. Brexit and many of their law- servative lawmakers, wrote in generate even more interest from couple, refl ecting both the ex- sition party, Labour, and other ally, we’d like to be in a situa- This was the major driver of makers oppose the talks. the Telegraph on Sunday that the tabloids, which published panse of the former British em- lawmakers to “try and fi nd a tion where those MEPs never last week’s loss of more than Labour is still promoting its May should resist “the temp- screaming headlines about un- pire and the public’s fascination way forward that has maximum actually have to take their seat 1,300 seats in local elections by alternative Brexit plan, which tation... to do whatever is nec- confi rmed details on how the with how Meghan will get on possible support amongst poli- at (the) European Parliament - the Conservatives, and nearly includes a permanent British- essary to secure some kind of 3.26kg came into the world. with her new in-laws. ticians of all political parties,” certainly, to get this done and 100 by Labour, May wrote. EU customs union and inclu- Brexit agreement.” Drivers conned into Royals in Berlin Pamela Anderson buying written off cars visits Assange in jail DPA week, Assange confi rmed that London he opposes his extradition. The Daily Mail Sales staff at Britain’s largest could be repaired and sold on. case is expected to take up to London used car dealers, Evans Halshaw, Rip-Off Britain visited the big one year to resolve. and two other big chains, Arnold name car dealerships in March S actress Pamela An- “It’s going to be a long Clark and Car Store, told un- with forensic car expert John derson urged more fi ght...and he needs our sup- ajor car dealers are sell- dercover reporters from BBC1’s Dabek, who examined vehicles Upeople to support port. He needs all the support ing second-hand cars Rip-Off Britain programme that the programme’s researchers WikiLeaks founder Julian As- he can get,” said Anderson, 51, Mthat were repaired after cars on their forecourts were not had identifi ed as write-off s. sange after visiting him in a who befriended Assange dur- being written off in accidents as write-off s. But the journalists He found clues to major re- London prison yesterday. As- ing visits to the embassy. having a clean history, an under- had already traced the cars from pairs and was surprised garages sange is awaiting a hearing on “He’s sacrificed so much to cover investigation has found. salvage websites and knew they did not spot them before putting a US extradition request. bring the truth out,” she said, Drivers are overpaying by had been written off . the cars on sale. For example, a “He’s an innocent person... adding that she felt “sick” thousands of pounds for cars Dealers insist there was no 2015 Ford Fiesta listed by Arnold He’s a good man, he’s an in- after meeting Assange in they believe were driven by care- deliberate attempt to fool cus- Clark for £7,698 was said to be credible person. I love him,” prison. ful owners and have not been in a tomers, and blamed the offi cial in really good condition with no Anderson told reporters after signifi cant crash. database, the Motor Insurance evidence of damage. But Dabek she and WikiLeaks editor Kris- “He’s an innocent person... The vehicles were written off Anti-Fraud Theft Register. said it was worth £3,000 less be- tinn Hrafnsson met Assange at He’s a good man, he’s an by insurance companies after Experts at AutoExpress maga- cause it had clearly had massive Belmarsh prison. incredible person. I love being so badly damaged that it zine told the programme that damage to the front and still had The US government has ac- him” was too expensive to fi x them. while insurers are legally re- problems with some panels. cused Australian citizen As- However, the wrecked cars are quired to tell the DVLA when a Car Store was selling a 2017 sange, 47, of conspiring with Hrafnsson also said it was being bought at knock-down car has been written off , there Fiesta for £11,729 on the basis former US military intelligence “shocking to see my friend prices from salvage websites, is no obligation to update the it had never been in an accident analyst Chelsea Manning to — an intellectual, a journal- repaired cheaply by middlemen register, which is used by car- when in fact it had been written leak a trove of classifi ed mate- ist... sitting in a high-security and sold on, eventually being checking fi rms such as HPI to off in a crash that wrecked the rial in 2010. prison.” picked up by dealers who don’t give buyers peace of mind that suspension, and Evans Halshaw He has been held at the pris- He said Assange had lost know their history. the vehicles have not been stolen was selling a Vauxhall Astra for on since police dragged him weight but “his spirit is Although there is no evidence or irreparably crashed and there £8,450 without any information from the Ecuadorian embassy strong.” that the repaired cars are dan- is no outstanding fi nance debt. about a serious front collision. in London on April 11. He had “Julian Assange is bent but gerous to drive, they should be As a result, up to 80,000 Dabek said the fi rms should German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Prince Charles spent seven years inside the not broken. He is an extraordi- worth far less because few peo- cars a year are being written have spotted the accident repairs and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at the chancellery in embassy to avoid arrest. narily resilient person,” Hraf- ple will buy a vehicle that has off without appearing on the even if cars had not been regis- “JulianBerlin, Assange Germany, is yesterday.bent but not broken. He is an extraordinarily In a brief court appearance nsson added. “He knows that been in a serious shunt. register – and a large number tered as write-off s. resilient person. He knows that he has done nothing wrong” via video from the prison last he has done nothing wrong.” Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 15 EUROPE

As elections loom, Greece announces ‘relief measures’ Erdogan welcomes

Reuters pected to put the country’s Athens fi scal achievements or annual targets at risk. It was not clear if the lend- reek Prime Minister ers, who started a post-bail- Istanbul vote re-run Alexis Tsipras has an- out review to assess Greece’s Gnounced tax cuts and progress this week, had ap- Turkish opposition confident regularities,” the president told pledged to reinstate a ben- proved the handouts. of winning Istanbul poll party members in parliament efi t for low income pensioners Greece has committed to re-run yesterday, saying that the re-run among other “relief measures”, delivering primary budget sur- was the “best step” for the coun- weeks before municipal and pluses, excluding debt servic- AFP/Reuters try. European Parliament elections. ing, of 3.5% of annual econom- Istanbul On Monday, Turkey’s top elec- Greece emerged from its ic output up to 2022. tion body YSK annulled the re- third international bailout in Its outperformance this year sults of the March 31 mayoral August last year and has been would be €1.14bn, Tsipras pro- urkish President Recep vote, which was won by Ekrem outperforming fi scal targets jected, adding that Greece has a Tayyip Erdogan has wel- Imamoglu of the main opposition agreed with its international €31bn liquidity buff er. Tcomed an order to re-run Republican People’s Party (CHP). lenders, giving the government In the coming days, an the recent Istanbul election, a Erdogan told his AKP lawmak- leeway to proceed with hand- amount of €5.5bn would be de- move the opposition has branded ers that the YSK decision was “an outs in an election year. posited in an escrow account, an attack on democracy. important step to strengthen our “The time has come for the which would serve as a guar- His ruling Justice and De- democracy”. sacrifi ces of the Greek people antee that Greece would meet velopment Party (AKP) lost the “There was organised cor- to be vindicated,” Tsipras said its fi scal targets up to 2022 and mayorship of Turkey’s biggest ruption and full illegality in the in a joint news briefi ng with Fi- debt obligations, he said. city by a narrow margin and has Istanbul mayoral elections,” said nance Minister Euclid Tsakalo- “We promised 3.5% and they Kilicdaroglu: accused the YSK of refused to accept defeat. Erdogan, adding that former tos and other ministers. (the lenders) will get 3.5%,” betraying voters’ trust and giving “We sincerely believe there prime minister Binali Yildirim The new measures will come Tsakalotos said. “Either they in to AKP pressure. was organised corruption and ir- would again be the AKP candi- into eff ect in 2019-21. will get it from the escrow ac- date for the post. They include a permanent count or from our outperform- The CHP leader has described benefi t for pensioners, who ance ... It’s our guarantee.” the seven members of the elec- saw their incomes slashed at His leftist government, trail- tion board as “gang members” the peak of Greece’s debt crisis ing the conservative opposi- under Erdogan’s control. in 2012. tion in opinion polls, is keen “Those who take their power Erdogan: We sincerely believe there was organised corruption and Value-added tax on restau- to demonstrate its concern for from the palace will be brought irregularities. rants will be reduced to 13% poorer, more vulnerable Greeks to account before history one from 24% while the reduced hit hardest during the 10-year day. We take our power from and rose to power after himself German Foreign Minister VAT bracket will fall to 11% crisis. the people,” CHP leader Kemal serving as mayor. Heiko Maas said yesterday that from 13%. Late on Monday, the labour Kilicdaroglu said in a televised Imamoglu, a softly-spoken the decision to annul the elec- The government will also ministry submitted to parlia- speech. former district mayor, gave a tion was “not transparent, and eliminate a so-called “solidar- ment a bill providing relief to He accused the YSK of betray- rousing speech to thousands of incomprehensible to us”. ity tax” on annual incomes of millions of people owing tax ing voters’ trust and giving in to supporters in Istanbul late on The European Union called for up to 20,000 euros and lower it and pension contribution ar- AKP pressure. Monday, vowing they would the election body to produce its for all other incomes from next rears. “Since you want to renew the emerge even stronger after the reasons “without delay”. year. Tsipras’s term ends in Octo- elections so badly, do so as much re-run on June 23. “Ensuring a free, fair and It also wants to reduce cor- ber and he is seeking re-elec- as you want. We will emerge vic- “Maybe you are upset but transparent election process is porate tax to 25% by 2021 from tion. torious every time,” he told CHP never lose your hope,” he said, essential to any democracy and is 28%. European Parliament elec- lawmakers in the Turkish parlia- while thousands more took to the at the heart of the European Un- Tsipras, who faces a confi - tions will be held in parallel ment. streets of the chic Kadikoy dis- ion’s relations with Turkey,” EU dence vote on Friday, said the with municipal and regional The loss of Istanbul, the coun- trict to protest against the elec- diplomatic chief Federica Mogh- new handouts were not ex- elections on May 26. try’s economic hub, was a shock- tion board. erini said. ing defeat for Erdogan’s ruling “This is the collapse of the de- Erdogan’s party won the most party. clining democracy in Turkey. The seats nationwide, but has been The Islamic-conservative AKP coming process is condemned to hurt by the fi rst recession in a and its predecessors have ruled be even worse,” said 60-year-old decade, as well as record-high the city for 25 years, and it was shopkeeper Ali Yamac. infl ation and a currency that has Puigdemont urges PM Imamoglu gestures during a protest on Monday against the re-run of especially sensitive for Erdogan The international community lost more than 12% of its value Istanbul mayoral election. who grew up in the metropolis has voiced concern. against the dollar this year alone. to be open to dialogue

Reuters in an interview with Reuters, Waterloo, Belgium when asked what he would ask Denmark’s PM calls election for June 5 of Sanchez if he gets enough support to stay in as prime atalonia’s former sepa- minister. Reuters to an average of polls published Danes, like citizens of other 40 years to retire earlier. ratist leader Carles “He has the rare opportu- Copenhagen by Berlingske Barometer. Nordic nations, pay some of the By taking a tougher stance on CPuigdemont has urged nity to do what no other prime Frederiksen is currently stay- highest taxes in the world. immigration, Frederiksen has in Skvernelis: The election is an Pedro Sanchez, the winner of minister has done,” said Puig- ing in hospital due to a stomach Rasmussen has during his particular gained votes from the evaluation of the job of this Spain’s parliamentary election demont, who has been living enmark will hold a par- upset. four years as prime minister anti-immigrant Danish People’s government. last month, to be open to dia- in self-imposed exile in Bel- liamentary election on The two blocs have main- continued a string of reforms Party (DF), which has been part logue with the independence gium since Spanish authori- DJune 5, Prime Minister ly been at odds over welfare and tax cuts aimed at boosting of the political establishment in movement but declined to say ties sought to arrest separatist Lars Lokke Rasmussen said yes- spending, as changing de- economic growth. Denmark for decades. if his party would back him in leaders for organising a banned terday, starting a campaign like- mographics put pressure on a The Nordic welfare model Berlingske Barometer shows parliament. referendum in October 2017 ly to focus on cracks in the Nor- cradle-to-grave welfare system featured in the last US presiden- that support for DF has dropped Lithuania The northeast region’s bid to and briefl y declaring inde- dic country’s cherished welfare that includes universal health- tial election campaign, when to 13.4% from the 21.1% break away from Spain was at pendence. model. care, education and services for Democratic candidate Bernie achieved in the last election in the heart of the election, which Puigdemont is still his Junts Polls indicate that a coalition the elderly. Sanders pointed to Denmark as 2015. PM says Sanchez’s Socialists won but per Catalunya (JxCat) party’s led by Rasmussen’s centre-right “Even though there are dif- a model for his vision of an ideal Both parties face competition without enough seats to have a leading fi gure. Liberal Party will lose power to ferences between parties, we American future. from two new far-right anti- majority on their own. Although he did not stand a centre-left bloc led by Mette agree on a lot. We agree to pri- The Social Democratic Party immigrant parties, Hard Line he would “I would ask him one thing: in the Spanish parliamentary Frederiksen’s Social Democratic oritise welfare,” Rasmussen said has pledged to increase public and The New Right, which will opt for the courage of dialogue election last month, Puigde- Party. in parliament. “But we must not spending and partially roll back gain seats in parliament if they and not the cowardice of re- mont will run in the upcoming Support for the centre-left forget that good welfare takes a recent pension reforms by al- clear the 2% barrier required to quit if he pression,” Puigdemont said EU vote. bloc stands at 54.8%, according healthy economy.” lowing people who have worked enter the Danish parliament. loses polls

Reuters Russia investigates pilot error after deadly plane blaze Vilnius

AFP Victims’ families to receive $135,000 ithuanian Prime Minis- Moscow ter Saulius Skvernelis told The families of those who died in a Russian airliner accident at a Moscow LReuters yesterday that he airport over the weekend will each receive 9mn roubles ($135,000), Rus- would resign if he came third or Russian investigators are con- sia’s transportation minister said yesterday. lower in presidential elections as sidering pilot error as the cause More than half of that money, 5mn roubles for each payment, will be this would signal his government of a crash-landing that saw a contributed by the airline, Aeroflot, Minister Yevgeny Dietrich said in had lost the public’s trust. plane erupt in fl ames at Mos- comments carried by state media. Skvernelis is facing an uphill cow’s busiest airport and kill 41 Forty-one people died when the Russian Superjet airliner erupted battle in Sunday’s election, poll- people, media reported. in flames during an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo Airport on ing third with 17% of voter sup- The Sukhoi Superjet-100 had Sunday. port, according to a Vilmorus/ just fl own out of Sheremetyevo The plane, which had been heading to the northern city of Murmansk, Lietuvos Rytas poll. airport on Sunday evening when was forced to return to Moscow because of a technical issue and suf- After the Sunday vote, the two it sent out an emergency signal fered an engine fire upon landing, Aeroflot said in a statement. top candidates will proceed to a and circled back, bouncing on run-off on May 26. the runway and catching fi re. “The election is an evaluation Sources in the investigation no witness accounts confi rmed were in a stable condition yes- of the job of this government and told Kommersant newspaper the speculation. terday, transport minister Yevg- this ruling coalition,” Skvernelis that the Aerofl ot pilots made a Survivor Oleg Molchanov, eny Dietrich said. said in an interview. number of errors including fl y- who posted a photo of his board- Russia’s national carrier Aer- “So, a painful loss – which is ing into a thunderstorm and ing pass to prove his identity, ofl ot was once notorious for a to say, if I don’t make it to the landing with a full tank rather wrote on an online forum that poor safety record but in recent run-off – means we do not have than circling to use up fuel. toxic black smoke fi lling the years its image has improved and trust to continue our job,” said Various sources told the busi- cabin within seconds was the it has not had a fatal accident in Skvernelis, who has led the gov- ness daily RBK that the pilots reason why evacuation from the more than a decade. ernment since a 2016 general opened a cockpit window, po- back rows was extremely diffi - The Russian Sukhoi Su- election. tentially fanning the fl ames, and cult. perjet-100 however has been The poll is led jointly by In- failed to turn off engines imme- Meanwhile, a video also dogged with problems since its grida Simonyte, a former fi nance diately after landing. emerged showing unidentifi ed launch in 2011 and Russia has minister and former central bank Investigators are still exam- offi cials at the airport laughing struggled to convince foreign deputy governor, and Gitanas ining the black boxes from the This picture taken from the airport window shows the remains of a Russian-made Superjet-100, at as they shot footage of the fatal carriers to purchase it. Nauseda, a former adviser to the plane and have so far given no Sheremetyevo airport, outside Moscow. landing. In 2012, a Superjet perform- president of the top Lithuanian offi cial reason for the crash. Sheremetyevo said in a state- ing at an Indonesian air show bank, running neck-and-neck Pilot Denis Yevdokimov ear- saw a bright light and felt a jolt People could be seen leap- gers were carrying hand luggage, ment that the offi cials – who slammed into a volcano, killing on 22% each. lier said the lightning strike as the plane entered clouds. ing onto an infl atable slide at prompting harsh online criti- were not employees of the all 45 people on board. Skvernelis said he wanted to shortly after take-off caused the Videos on social media the front and running from the cism. airport company or Aerofl ot Indonesia blamed the crash be the president, a semi-exec- aircraft to lose communication showed the plane landing with blazing plane as columns of Some on social media sug- – would be “punished in the on pilot error. utive position, in order to sup- and forced the emergency land- a jolt and then speeding along thick black smoke billowed into gested that taking the bags out strictest possible way”. Dietrich said there were no port his parliamentary coalition, ing. the runway with fl ames pouring the sky. of lockers could have held up the Ten passengers were hospital- plans to ground the Super- which faces a next general elec- Passengers and crew said they from its fuselage. In the footage, several passen- evacuation of the plane, though ised following the crash, and all jet-100 model. tion in 2020. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 EUROPE

‘Aragorn’ up in arms over Spanish far-right ad Actor Viggo Mortensen has rebuked Spain’s far-right party Vox for featuring in a political US sinks Arctic pact over tweet the sword-wielding hero Aragorn whom he plays in The Lord of the Rings. On the day of Spain’s recent election, Vox posted an image of Aragorn, with the Spanish flag and party emblem on his back, charging against an enemy climate change wording army under banners of left-wing, feminist, LGBT, liberal media and Reuters said. “I don’t want to name and were not always the answer. Spanish separatist groups. Rovaniemi, Finland blame anyone.” Agreements between coun- “Let the battle begin!” #For A senior US State Department tries in the Arctic Council are Spain”, it said. offi cial denied that Washington non-binding, and Pompeo ac- “You’d have to be pretty ignorant he United States has re- had again dragged its heels over cused Russia and China of not to think that using the character fused to sign an agree- global environmental action. playing by the rules as they look ... to promote the campaign of Tment on challenges in the “There were several diff erent to assert rights over resources a xenophobic, ultra-right party Arctic due to discrepancies over versions of the declaration go- and trade routes. like Vox would be a good idea,” climate change wording, diplo- ing around. The US was ready “Collective goals ... are ren- Mortensen wrote in a letter mats said yesterday, jeopardis- to sign,” said the offi cial, who dered meaningless, even coun- to Spanish newspaper El Pais ing co-operation in the polar re- spoke to reporters on condition ter-productive as soon as one published yesterday. gion at the sharp edge of global of anonymity. nation fails to comply,” Pompeo “I would laugh at their ineptitude warming. The idea for “a simpler, posi- told the council. but Vox has won 24 seats in With Arctic temperatures ris- tive, unifi ed, collective mes- Trump has frequently ex- Congress; it’s no joke,” the ing at twice the rate of the rest sage” had come from Russia and pressed scepticism about 60-year-old Danish-American of the globe, the melting ice is Canada, he added. whether global warming is a re- actor, a fluent Spanish speaker creating potential new shipping Scientists believe the Arc- sult of human activity and has with a home in Madrid, wrote lanes and has opened much of tic contains around 13% of the stood by his 2017 decision to from Los Angeles. the world’s last untapped re- world’s undiscovered reserves withdraw from the Paris climate In the April 28 general election, serves of oil and gas to commer- of oil and 30% of its reserves of accord signed by almost 200 Vox became the first far-right cial exploitation. natural gas as well as huge de- governments in 2015. party to secure a significant A meeting yesterday of eight posits of minerals such as zinc, That has put him at odds with presence in parliament since nations bordering the Arctic in iron and rare earth metals. campaigners and many other dictator Francisco Franco died Rovaniemi in Finland was sup- Harvesting them remains ex- countries. in 1975. posed to frame a two-year agen- pensive, but melting ice is mak- “A climate crisis in the Arctic Mortensen said that Vox’s da to balance the challenge of ing that more feasible, as well as is not a future scenario, it is hap- message was absurd because global warming with sustainable aff ecting the world’s weather, pening as we speak,” Swedish in the books Aragorn is “a development of mineral wealth. Finland’s Foreign Minister Timo Soini welcomes foreign ministers attending the Arctic Council and the Arctic’s wildlife and in- Foreign Minister Margot Wall- multilingual statesman who However, sources with Ministerial Meeting in Rovaniemi. digenous residents. strom said in her address to the advocates the knowledge and knowledge of the discussions Addressing the council, US council. inclusion of the various races, said the United States balked at the Arctic Council was formed ment to sustainable develop- mate change as a fundamental Secretary of State Mike Pom- The Paris accord agreed to customs and languages of signing a fi nal declaration as it in 1996. ment and the protection of the challenge facing the Arctic and peo said that President Donald limit a rise in average global Middle-earth” and should not be disagreed with wording that cli- Instead, in a brief state- Arctic environment. acknowledged the urgent need Trump’s administration “shares temperatures to “well below” 2° associated with the far-right. mate change was a serious threat ment, ministers from the United Except for the United States, to take mitigation and adapta- your deep commitment to envi- Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit) above to the Arctic. States, Canada, Russia, Finland, other nations had wanted to go tion actions and to strengthen ronmental stewardship” in the pre-industrial times by 2100. It was the fi rst time a decla- Norway, Denmark, Sweden and further, participants said. resilience,” talks chair and Finn- Arctic. Worldwide, temperatures are Amanda Knox ration had been cancelled since Iceland repeated their commit- “A majority of us regarded cli- ish Foreign Minister Timo Soini But he said collective goals up about 1°C (1.8°F). returning to Italy for justice debate Amanda Knox, a US citizen who spent years in prison in Italy before being cleared of murder In North Macedonia, charges, will return to the country to take part in a debate on miscarriages of justice. Knox was announced yesterday among the speakers at the Pope urges Balkans Festival of Penal Justice, taking place next month in the central Italian town of Modena and organised by the Italian lawyers’ association. to embrace diversity The debate Knox is scheduled to join, on June 15, is called “Wrongful conviction and judicial AFP in “your land, a bridge between edonia,” said 18-year-old Filip populism”. Skopje East and West”. Etmisovski. Knox wrote on Twitter that she North Macedonia’s diver- Dragi Bojadziski, a 46-year- was invited to speak by the Italy sity, which refl ects the broader old Catholic from the south, also Innocence Project, which is ope Francis called on the Western Balkan region, forms a celebrated the once-in-a-life- helping organise the event. Western Balkans to em- “mosaic in which every piece is time opportunity. “I’m honoured to accept their Pbrace its patchwork of essential for the uniqueness and “This is a historic moment invitation to speak to the Italian faiths and ethnicities during a beauty of the whole”. that will not be repeated for a people at this historic event and visit to North Macedonia yes- A “peaceful and enduring co- very long time, for another 100 return to Italy for the first time,” terday, saying that “respect for existence” is essential for “in- or 200 years. It means a lot to us, she said. diversity” is key to the region’s creased integration with the na- the Catholic faithful here,” he In this handout photograph released by the North Macedonian Government press off ice, Pope Francis is Knox was arrested in 2007 eff orts to integrate with Europe. tions of Europe”, he continued. told AFP as the square was fi ll- greeted by crowds as he travels in his Popemobile in Skopje. with her then-Italian boyfriend The Pontiff was welcomed “It is my hope that this inte- ing up. Raff aele Sollecito following the with yellow billboards and buses gration will develop in a way that Before delivering his hom- great woman,” he said. launched an insurgency in the Macedonia to end a decades-old murder of her British flatmate bearing his smiling face after he is benefi cial for the entire region ily, Francis met the poor and Though the nun spent most of northwest. row with neighbouring Greece. Meredith Kercher, in the touched down in the tiny Balkan of the Western Balkans, with religious leaders at a memorial her life devoted to the poorest of The confl ict was eventually The move cleared Skopje’s university town of Perugia. state, which is mainly Orthodox unfailing respect for diversity dedicated to Mother Teresa – the poor in Calcutta, her legacy ended with a peace deal promis- path to join the North Atlantic She and Sollecito remained in Christian but was delighted to and for fundamental rights.” Skopje’s most famous Catholic is visible in her birthplace in the ing more rights and representa- Treaty Organisation and the EU. prison until a 2011 appeal ruling welcome him. Yesterday people of all faiths native. form of statues, memorials and a tion to the Albanian community. But it upset critics who felt a quashed their first conviction. Catholics make up only a were fi lling up Skopje’s main The revered nun was born to highway in her name. The country has since kept the piece of their national identity Knox returned to the United small sliver – less than 1% – of square for Pope Francis’s late an Albanian family in Skopje in North Macedonia avoided the – sometimes uneasy – peace. had been unjustly robbed. States after that verdict, and she the country of 2.1mn, which is morning mass, which formed 1910, when the city was part of inter-ethnic confl icts that tore A centre-left government is Ahead of Francis’s arrival, has not set foot in Italy since. also home to a large ethnic Alba- the fi nal leg of his three-day the Ottoman empire. through most of former Yugo- now focused on trying to move pro-European Prime Minister Trials over the Kercher murder nian Muslim minority. Balkan tour that began in Bul- In his address, Francis praised slavia as it collapsed in the 1990s forward with dreams of joining Zaev, a devout Orthodox believ- case continued, attracting huge In an address before President garia over the weekend. Mother Teresa, whom he canon- and shattered along communal the European Union. er, said that the Pope was “com- media attention. Gjorge Ivanov and Prime Minis- “For me this is a historic visit, ised as a saint in 2016, for mak- lines. The Pope’s message of unity ing to the hometown of Holy Following a few more appeals, ter Zoran Zaev, Francis praised not only for Catholics but also ing “love of neighbour the su- However, the land-locked comes after the government re- Mother Teresa ... who carries a Knox and Sollecito were finally the “crucible of cultures and for us Orthodox, Muslims and preme law of her life”. country was brought to the brink cently changed the country’s special symbol of reconciliation cleared by Italy’s Supreme Court ethnic and religious identities” all others living in North Mac- “You are rightly proud of this in 2001 when Albanian militants name from Macedonia to North and solidarity”. in 2015.

Runaway sisters leave Georgia to start new life Two runaway Saudi sisters who won global attention for fleeing to Georgia and pleading online for protection said yesterday that they Migrant death were preparing to start new lives in a country where their family could not find them. Maha, 28, and Wafa al-Subaie, 25, started an online campaign to find a safe haven in April after arriving in Georgia to escape relatives they ship to be shown said abused them, in the latest case to highlight Saudi Arabia’s strict social control over women. “We are thrilled to announce that we are leaving Georgia,” the young women wrote yesterday from their Twitter account @Georgias- at Venice art fair Sisters2, posting a short video of them at the airport. The sisters applied for asylum in Georgia in April, but said they feared that their family could come to the former Soviet republic, which AFP called Barca Nostra (Our Boat). does not require visas, and force them back. Venice It will be shown in a shipyard Georgia’s interior ministry said the sisters decided to travel to another by itself, without any explana- country while their asylum application was pending. tion. “Any asylum-seeker is free to travel upon his/her decision and willing- he remains of the worst “It is a quiet site, sheltered ness,” a ministry spokeswoman told the Thomson Reuters Founda- known Mediterranean mi- from noise, an invitation to si- tion in an e-mail. Tgrant shipwreck, in which lence and meditation,” said Paolo The sisters tweeted earlier that they wanted their destination to up to 900 people perished, will Baratta, the head of the Venice remain secret “for a little while” and thanked all those had who sup- be exhibited at the prestigious Biennale which opens on Satur- ported them. Venice Biennale art fair this day. “As we settle in our new home and life we will continue to support week. Italy spent around €10mn Saudi women. We will continue our fight against guardian abuse. The blue and red fi shing boat ($12mn) to raise the wreck from Many Saudi women supported us and we will never forget it,” they was carrying almost 1,000 mi- a depth of 370m (1,200’) and wrote. grants when it struck a Portu- transport it to Sicily so the vic- The UN refugee agency in Georgia, which had been following their guese cargo ship that was coming tims could be identifi ed and giv- application process, said it would not comment on individual cases. to its aid off the coast of Libya en a proper burial. The fishing vessel that sank on April 18, 2015, trapping hundreds of migrants in its hull, is being installed in The sisters are the third group of young Saudi women this year to during the night of April 18-19, A large rectangular opening Venice’s former shipyards as part of the centrepiece of a new art project by Swiss-Icelandic artist attract global attention for seeking refuge outside their homeland. 2015. was cut in the hull to allow work- Christoph Buechel, prior to the the 58th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. A teenage girl won asylum in Canada when she holed up in a Thai The boat sank quickly as the ers to recover hundreds of bodies, airport hotel in January to escape her family. cargo ship’s horrifi ed crew raced with dozens of medical examin- dan, were found, along with in the Mediterranean,” UNHCR with one of its biggest challenges Two other Saudi sisters who hid in Hong Kong for six months were to save 28 people. ers called in to examine the re- small packets of earth from some spokeswoman Carlotta Sami said ever. granted visas in March to travel to a third country. Swiss artist Christoph Buchel mains of 800-900 people. migrants homelands and a school at the time. The victims now lie in various Suad Abu-Dayyeh, Middle East consultant for women’s rights group obtained permission from Italian Travel documents from Bang- report that a teenager had sewn The disaster provoked an Sicilian cemeteries, and it was Equality Now, said it is good the sisters had finally found a country authorities and a group that rep- ladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gam- into their clothes. emergency EU summit as Europe decided to not destroy the boat where they could live freely. resents the victims to move the bia, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, “It seems we are looking at tried to control a migrant cri- but integrate it into a Sicilian hull to Venice as part of a project Mali, Senegal, Somalia and Su- the worst massacre ever seen sis that has presented the union “memory garden”. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 17

INDIA

VIOLENCE APPEAL PEOPLE COMMENT CONTROVERSY BJP leaders’ convoy EC urged to increase Modi second most followed Talk about AgustaWestland Goa deputy CM sorry for attacked in West Bengal auto check of VVPAT politician globally: report before Rafale: Sitharaman ‘aggressive behaviour’

The convoy of two prominent BJP leaders – A delegation of opposition parties yesterday Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the Attacking the Congress for raising questions A day after a video in which a visibly Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the visited the election commission (EC) and second most-followed politician in the world on the Rafale deal, Defence Minister Nirmala irritated Goa Deputy Chief Minister Vijai party’s West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh – was urged it to look into their demand for with a social media audience of 110,912,648mn Sitharaman yesterday said the opposition Sardesai knocked a mobile phone from a attacked by alleged Trinamool Congress-backed 50% auto check of VVPAT. The delegation on platforms including Facebook, Twitter, party must first give answers on the Rs36bn government off icer’s hand went viral, the goons in East Midnapore district yesterday but comprised Congress leader Abhishek Manu and Instagram, a study by online visibility AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal and Backops politician yesterday said he is an “aggressive both were unhurt. The incident happened when Singhvi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister management and content marketing SaaS before speaking about the BJP and Prime person” by nature and not quite an “English Ghosh was going to Khejuri with the convoy after Chandrababu Naidu, former Jammu and platform SEMrush said yesterday. The most- Minister Narendra Modi on the fighter jet deal. gentleman”. Sardesai also said that he had doing a roadshow in Nandigram. According to Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, followed politician globally was former US “The Supreme Court has given its verdict on the already expressed regret and added that he Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, the convoy was CPI leader D Raja and Majeed Memon of president Barack Obama, who has 182,710,777 Rafale deal. Not just the Congress, somebody needed to control his patience and temper attacked soon after it crossed the Tekhali bridge NCP. After meeting the EC, Singhvi said that followers on his Facebook, Instagram, and else had also gone for a review, the Supreme in the future. A video showing Sardesai and reached Tentultala in Khejuri. Some bikes in nowhere the Supreme Court has said that the Twitter accounts. With almost 110mn followers Court is seized of it. Also the Comptroller and knocking off a ringing mobile phone from the convoy were damaged and some BJP workers EC cannot increase the auto check of VVPAT worldwide, Modi has overtaken US President Auditor General of India has given its report on the hands of Siddhivinayak Naik, chief beaten up by the assailants. “Two cars have been from 5%. “Only our review plea for extending Donald Trump who has 96mn followers Rafale.. I think it is on the Congress, first of all, off icer of the Margao Municipal Council, completed broken down. TMC goons surrounded the auto check of VVPAT was rejected by the globally. However, Trump is the second-most to give answer on AgustaWestland (deal) and during a field visit on Monday had gone the convoy from all sides,” a BJP source said. apex court,” Singhvi said. followed politician on Twitter. Backops,” she said in response to a query. viral.

Congress, Priyanka campaigns in Haryana BJP clash Congress moves over farm loan waiver Supreme Court in MP

IANS Bhopal against Modi’s

he Madhya Pradesh gov- ernment and the opposi- Ttion BJP yesterday battled over loan waivers for farmers, with the ruling Congress furnish- Rajiv remarks ing a list of those who benefi ted, while clarifying its poll promise IANS Act, 1951, which “ex-facie pro- posely using the armed forces in was limited to crops loans, not New Delhi motes feeling of enmity and ha- their election campaign in order “personal loans”. tred between diff erent classes of to gain political mileage. A number of Congress work- the citizens of India on grounds He also mentioned that many ers led by former Union minister he Congress yester- of religion”. orders of the poll body contained Suresh Pachauri went to the resi- day moved the Supreme Citing Modi’s statement dissenting notes by its offi cials. dence of former Madhya Pradesh TCourt against Prime against Rajiv Gandhi, the Con- The bench asked Dev’s coun- chief minister Shivraj Singh Minister Narendra Modi call- gress noted that the poll panel sel to fi le an additional affi da- Chouhan yesterday and hand- ing former prime minister Ra- has already placed sanctions on vit in court documenting, on ed over to him the list of 2.1mn jiv Gandhi “Bhrashtachari No. 1 Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, record, the poll body’s orders on farmers whose loans the govern- (Corrupt No. 1)” at a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister the complaints of MCC viola- ment says it has waived off . Uttar Pradesh last week. Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister tions by the BJP leaders. Pachauri said that a total of In an additional affi davit fi led Maneka Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj The apex court last week di- 5.5mn farmers in the state were before the court, Congress MP Party chief Mayawati and Sama- rected the commission to de- eligible to avail the Jai Jawan Jai Sushmita Dev, said that by mak- jwadi Party leader Azam Khan cide on all the remaining com- Kisan Debt Waiver scheme and so ing extremely derogatory com- for speeches similar in “tone, plaints against Modi and Shah far, 2.1mn of them had benefi ted ments on Gandhi, the prime tenor, purport, and intention”. filed by the Congress regarding before the model code of conduct minister has committed an “act The affi davit said this kind of the violation of MCC before came into force on March 10. unbecoming of the high offi ce he discrimination and arbitrariness May 6. In response, the Bharatiya Ja- holds.” is not expected from a poll body, Earlier Punjab Chief Minister nata Party presented some farm- Dev’s additional affi davit which is, supposed to be unbi- Amarinder Singh hit out at Modi ers who, it said, were still to avail came a day after the Supreme ased. for his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi. the promised waiver. Court asked her to put on record Earlier, representing Dev, “The prime minister has ab- Chief Minister Kamal Nath, the election commission (EC)’s senior advocate Abhishek Manu solutely no decency in him as however, hit back at the BJP and order giving clean chit to prime Singhvi said that the EC has not he has not spared even a man Chouhan for “spreading false- minister Modi and Amit Shah. been reasonable in declining the who is no more and who can no hoods to deceive people”. According to the affi davit, complaints registered by the longer defend himself, which is Addressing reporters at his Modi allegedly said: “Your fa- Congress party on the violation completely against India’s tradi- residence, he said the Congress ther may have been declared of the model code of conduct tional values and ethics,” he said had promised to waive off loans ‘Mr. Clean’ by his courtiers, but by the prime minister and BJP at an election meeting in Fazilka, of up to Rs200,000 for crops, not he died as ‘Bhrashtachari No. 1’. president Amit Shah by pur- Punjab. any other purpose. This arrogance will destroy you. “Congress had promised to This country forgives mistakes waive crop loans and this un- but never betrayal.” PM’s comments backfi re on BJP dertaking has been met. The The Congress also attacked BJP is citing the case of one the lack of transparency in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gandhi that the public sector farmer in Khargone to claim functioning of the EC, and utterances on former prime and private sector flourished and that loan waivers have not taken claimed that dissent on record minister Rajiv Gandhi seems the country could achieve an place. This farmer had taken a by one of the election commis- to have spurred activists from excellent GDP during the tenure loan to buy a tractor-trolley.... sioners has not been provided diff erent sectors to make a of Prime Minister Manmohan we had never said that we will with the order. beeline to campaign against the Singh. We shall highlight these waive such loans. Congress “This demonstrates a com- BJP in the last two rounds of Lok things to challenge Modi’s fake never promised that loans to plete lack of transparency Sabha elections. Maharashtra campaign and insult to a martyr buy tractor-trolleys, houses, or and arbitrariness in decision- Trade Unions Joint Action like Rajiv,” Utagi said. Swabhimani for daughters’ marriage will be making process on complaints Committee (TUJAC) convenor Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief waived off .” against Modi and Amit Shah,” Vishwas Utagi said he will go Raju Shetti will campaign in 8-10 Accusing the BJP of “constant- said the affi davit. to campaign in Delhi and some constituencies in Bihar and Uttar ly misleading” the people, he said The Congress also said that urban centres in Punjab to bring Pradesh, mainly in the farmer it is being said that the permis- speeches by Modi and Shah awareness among the people on belts. Utagi and Shetti said the sion of the election commission Congress general secretary (Uttar Pradesh east), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, takes part in a roadshow in should be declared “corrupt various issues. “It was the strong intention was to defeat the BJP for the loan waivers is not neces- Haryana’s Rohtak yesterday. practices” under Section 123A of foundation laid by the late Rajiv and the ‘dictatorship’ of Modi. sary. the Representation of the People

Deol vows to solve all Film stars lose their Gurdaspur problems

IANS ite candidate. sheen in elections Gurdaspur (Punjab) The star also did not miss any opportunity to get off from his vehicle to click photos with IANS A clear indication of this is the Bhojpuri stars Ravi Kishan and ctor-turned-politician them. Lucknow fact that the demand for fi lm stars Dinesh Yadav Nirahua, who are and BJP candidate from During his day-long visit, Deol as campaigners is rapidly going contesting the Gorakhpur and APunjab’s Gurdaspur Lok visited many religious places. down in these elections. Azamgarh seats respectively, are Sabha seat Sunny Deol yester- The BJP-Akali Dal has fi elded ill the turn of the millen- A BJP candidate said: “There is already fi nding the going tough. day promised he would solve all the 62-year-old from Gurdaspur, nium, fi lm stars guaranteed no use getting fi lm stars to cam- Raj Babbar, who is presently problems of the constituency ef- the seat represented four times Tcrowds and votes in poli- paign because they cannot give seeking election for his sixth term fectively after winning the elec- by yesteryear actor Vinod Khan- tics. Political parties wooed them speeches and do not leave any im- to parliament and holds the posi- tions. na, who died in April 2017 due to ardently. As a result, top stars like pact on voters.” tion of Uttar Congress president, Addressing election meetings, cancer. Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, Explained senior journalist explains that it needs more than he said the way people of Gur- Khanna, a native of Punjab, Shatrughan Sinha, Raj Babbar, R.K. Singh: “The stars are losing just stardom to survive in politics. daspur have instilled confi dence was a sitting MP at that time of Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya their credibility because they lack “Much before I started working in him and given him aff ection, his death. Prada, Govinda and Jaya Bach- conviction in what they say. Peo- in theatre and then fi lms, I was as- he was sure of winning. The son of veteran actor Dhar- chan braved the heat and dust of ple know that in most cases stars sociated with the socialist youth When Deol stepped into Gha- mendra, Deol, who does not have campaigning for their political take money to campaign and this politics. I joined the Janata Dal in rota, the village of yesteryear su- any direct connection with Gur- parties. erodes their sincerity. Some stars 1989 and actively participated in perstar Dev Anand, he was wel- daspur city, though his father Some like Dharmendra and like Ravi Krishna and Manoj Ti- party activities. I later joined the comed heartily by villagers. hails from Sahnewal town near Govinda could not understand wari have changed more parties Samajwadi Party and then the Village elder Kishan Chand Punjab’s industrial town Ludhi- the manipulations of politics and than they have delivered hits.” Congress. said the village has had a long ana, has a strong Punjabi appeal. called it a day after one term. Oth- Besides, he explained, the “I never confi ned myself to association with Bollywood and He is a Jat Sikh. ers like Raj Babbar, Shatrughan glamour factor has also reduced campaigning and that is one rea- with Sunny Deol coming, the Gurdaspur lies in the north of Sinha, Hema Malini and Jaya because fi lm stars are now seen son why the parties and the peo- bond had grown stronger. Punjab, sharing an international Bachchan continue to stand their 24x7 on the social media and tel- ple started taking me seriously,” The actor said he would eff ec- border with Pakistan and Kash- ground. evision. he says. tively implement schemes meant mir. The area is not as developed However, if various politi- “Earlier, people would wait for When Raj Babbar was appoint- for youngsters, elderly and wom- as other areas in Punjab. cal parties are to be believed, the hours to catch a glimpse of their ed president of the Uttar Pradesh en. Deol is pitted against Congress stardust is losing its glitter and favourite actor but not any more. Congress in July 2016, few took Amid blistering heat, a sea of state unit president Sunil Jakhar, fi lm stars can no longer guarantee You just need to get on to the In- him seriously in his own party. BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Gurdaspur, Sunny Deol, people thronged actor-turned- who won the October 2017 by- a win on the seats they campaign ternet and you can have your fi ll,” But two years later, they under- campaigns for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, at Bhoa in politician Deol’s roadshows vy- election with a margin of 1.92 for. he added. stood that he means business. Punjab’s Pathankot district yesterday. ing for a selfi e with their favour- lakh votes. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 INDIA

LEGAL DECISION CRIME TRAGEDY LAW AND ORDER Jet Airways’ pilots seek No more Wednesday traff ic Another bride abducted Boy who died before class X Expat arrested on terror court directions on lenders curbs on Kashmir highway in Rajasthan results gets 95% marks charges at Cochin airport The pilots’ union of grounded Jet Airways The Jammu and Kashmir government decided Close on the heels of the Sikar incident Vinayak Shridhar, who died on March 26 – a A day after a Gulf-based Keralite was named by yesterday approached the Supreme Court to to lift restrictions on civilian traff ic on the where a newly-wed woman was abducted day before his class X exams were over – the National Investigation Agency as an accused direct the consortium of lenders for release Udhampur-Srinagar National Highway on by miscreants, another bride was kidnapped secured more than 95% in all of his exams based on information from arrested alleged of funds to restart operations. In its petition, Wednesdays from May 13. “The restriction in Udaipur in Rajasthan yesterday while he had taken. Vinayak was was diagnosed Islamic State operative Riyaz Aboobacker, he the National Aviators’ Guild (NAG) asked the on civilian movement between Srinagar going to her husband’s house. The incident with muscular dystrophy when he was two was picked up by the agency from the Cochin Supreme Court to direct the airlines’ lenders and Udhampur on NH-44 will be lifted on happened at 6.45am when the miscreants years old. The incurable disease pinned the airport on his return yesterday. Faizal hails from to release the promised amount to restart Wednesdays with eff ect from May 13. The stopped the couple’s car at Savina railway 16-year-old boy down, but Vinayak fought Oachira in Kollam district. The NIA, which had operations as it impacts 22,000 direct and prohibition on civilian traff ic in this stretch gate, police said. They manhandled the on. And as soon as the 10th results were on Monday moved a Kochi special court for indirect employees. According to the petition, would now be only on Sunday,” an off icial groom when he tried to resist the abduction announced, his entire family erupted in joy. custodial interrogation of Aboobacker – arrested the union said the consortium has failed to meet statement said. It said the government has been and damaged the vehicle, the police Vinayak Shridhar’s mother Mamata Shridhar in wake of the blast in Sri Lanka, also mentioned its obligation of providing Rs15bn worth of funds reviewing the restrictions on civilian movement said. Last month, a similar incident was has been receiving congratulatory calls. “I that it wants to include three more people, to the airline under its turnaround plan. The on National Highway (NH-44) connecting reported when Hansa Kunar, while going wish he was with us, he had worked so hard including Faizal, as accused in the case in which petition also asks the Supreme Court to stop the Jammu to Srinagar with a view to balancing the to her husband’s house after her marriage, for this moment. Vinayak secured 96% marks it has already arrested 21 persons. Of the three, central government from allotting Jet Airway’s security needs of security force convoys with was abducted by armed men from near in Sanskrit. In English he got 100 out of 100. In Faizal was working abroad, while the other two time slots at the airport to other airlines. the need for minimising public inconvenience. Mordunga village in Sikar district. Home Science, Vinayak secured 97%. are based in Kasargode district. BJP an obstacle to Kerala’s progress, says chief minister

IANS to wait another two years to be- Thiruvananthapuram gin. The only exceptions, placed on priority I list, are highways from ays after a letter by state Thalapady-Chengala and Chen- BJP chief P S Sreedharan gala-Nileswaram in Kasaragod DPillai to the Centre ask- district. ing it to stall a national highway The widening of the national project became public, Kerala highway in Kerala will thus have Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to wait till 2021 – the year the yesterday slammed the activities current term of the Left Demo- of the right-wing forces for hin- cratic Front (LDF) government dering the state’s development. is over. “His letter came at a time Vijayan said: “This shows when the Left government had the sadistic nature of the Sangh revived the process of land ac- Parivar forces, who have played quisition for the national high- no part in the development way development project cutting of our state. What he (Pillai) across our state,” Vijayan said should have done was instead after chairing a Cabinet meeting of throwing a spanner in the here. progress of Kerala’s develop- A policewoman detains a demonstrator during a protest after a panel of judges dismissed a sexual harassment complaint against chief justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, outside The chief minister was react- ment plans, is to write to the Supreme Court in New Delhi yesterday. ing to Pillai’s letter to Minister state government, or at best, he for Road Transport and High- could have raised it here in pub- ways Nitin Gadkari. lic domain.” State Finance Minister Tho- Vijayan said that what was mas Issac in a Facebook post had most surprising is that conse- carried a picture of the Pillai let- quent to the fresh directive of ter, dated September 14, 2018, the National Highway Authority requesting a stay on land acqui- of India (NHAI), nothing would sition proceedings for NH 66 progress for two years. “Now Anger as top judge cleared which passes through the Edap- comes a new directive where pally-Moothakunnam route in Kerala has been pushed from pri- Ernakulam district. ority table 1 to priority table II. In In the letter, Pillai states he has table I, are states which are ruled attached a representation by the by BJP, while in the table 2, the “NH 17 Samyuktha Samrakshana states are non-BJP governments. of harassment charges Samithi” of Ernakulam district, This policy is against the federal “with regard to the anxiety over polity and not acceptable,” added Reuters/IANS Gogoi has denied the charges “We were not allowed to pro- identity has been withheld, “This case has exposed the the 3A notifi cation and land ac- Vijayan. New Delhi and an internal panel of judges test even for fi ve minutes!” law- withdrew from proceedings urgent need for just, transpar- quisition proceedings of Nation- “What should not be forgot- cleared him of wrongdoing, a yer Amritananda Chakravorty of the three-member panel of ent and fair procedures to be laid al Highway Authority of India”. ten is that in the past when pet- court statement said on Monday. said in a Twitter message. judges investigating the case, down as soon as possible...what “It is also requested to keep rol and diesel prices were hiked, ozens of protesters gath- But protesters gathered on a A journalist, Gaurav Sarkar, saying she did not expect justice is at stake is not just the rights the land acquisition proceedings it was said that a cess would be ered outside the Supreme street in the capital said they were added that he had been from it. of women, but also the credibil- in abeyance for a while,” Pillai collected from this increase for DCourt yesterday, a day not satisfi ed with the decision. “chucked” into a police van for Gogoi has called the allega- ity of the Supreme Court,” they had told Gadkari. infrastructure development,” after a panel of judges dismissed “Transparent and fair due covering the protest. tions part of a wider conspiracy said. Meanwhile, the National the chief minister said pointing a sexual harassment complaint process is a must,” read one of Police at the site said it was il- to taint India’s judiciary, without The woman yesterday asked Highway Authority of India out that all this should be taken against the chief justice, carry- the placards, while another read, legal to hold demonstrations at elaborating. the apex court’s in-house probe (NHAI) has divided development in conjunction especially after ing placards demanding a new “Supreme injustice”. the Supreme Court. His accuser said the fi ndings committee for a copy of the re- projects into two categories – the natural disaster which struck and impartial investigation. Security was strengthened In her complaint fi led to the of the judges’ panel had not been port giving a clean chit to Go- priority I (high priority projects Kerala last year. A former court assistant ac- outside the court, with dozens court last month the 35-year- revealed to her, and she felt it goi on all charges. “I have a which will be taken up immedi- “When Ockhi struck, we cused chief justice Ranjan Gogoi of paramilitary police and trucks old woman accused Gogoi of had done her injustice, adding right to know how, why and on ately) and priority II. raised a demand for Rs74bn and of having made unwanted ad- carrying water cannons de- harassing her when she worked that she was scared. what basis have Your Lordships According to media reports, all we got was Rs1.12bn. Likewise vances last year, the most high- ployed in the area. in an offi ce at his home last year, In a statement yesterday, a found my complaint to have the development of the NH and when the worst fl oods hit our profi le case in a wave of sexual Police quickly dispersed the saying she and her family were group of 350 women’s rights ac- ‘no substance’,” the complain- SH corridors in the state has state last year, we demanded over harassment accusations after a crowd and most protesters were victimised after she spurned his tivists and civil society members ant said, adding she was “deeply been included in priority II list. Rs100bn and what we received #metoo movement swept the taken away in police vans soon advances. called for a fresh inquiry into the shocked” on the outcome of the The Priority II projects will have was Rs24.85bn,” added Vijayan. country. after they gathered. Last week, the woman, whose accusations. committee’s fi ndings.

Floating restaurant sinks Big spike in petrol, diesel Centre releases Rs10bn prices likely after polls for cyclone-hit Odisha IANS still needed to be covered in New Delhi Puri. IANS losing heavily on retail sale of the as the retail price of petrol and “Power supply to maintain New Delhi two products. diesel are determined on the basis essential services such as wa- “Oil PSUs have avoided hik- of global oil prices in trailing 15- he central government has ter, health and banking is being ing oil prices in tandem with day period and also as prices are released Rs10bn addition- provided through diesel gen- etrol and diesel prices may global crude rates for almost two determined on the basis of move- Tal assistance to Cyclone erator sets. It was reported that increase sharply soon af- months now and the pattern may ment of international petrol and Fani-aff ected Odisha while step- land line connectivity has been Pter new government comes well continue till the end of May diesel prices and not crude oil, ping up work to restore power restored in Puri though mobile to power at the Centre with oil when elections gets over. So, it retail prices could remain static supply and the telecommunica- services still remain skeletal,” companies looking to raise the would not come as a surprise even through crude prices move. tions network, a home ministry said the statement. retail price of the two transport if domestic oil prices witness a While oil companies have built statement said yesterday. The department of telecom- fuels between Rs3-Rs5 per litre sharp spike after the election sea- losses on sale of petrol and diesel The ministry released the munications is co-ordinating with in phases and make up for losses son comes to a close unless the by not carrying forward the req- amount a day after Prime Minis- the state government to imple- they incurred by keeping the new government issues fresh ad- uisite hikes during election time, ter Narendra Modi made the an- ment a priority plan for restoration prices at artifi cially low levels in visory to stagger the required hike they have not shied from passing nouncement to assist Odisha. of mobile and Internet services in the run up to elections 2019. to prevent a public outrage,” said any cut in retail price of the auto Earlier, Rs3.41bn was provided the aff ected areas, said the state- Government sources said that an energy sector expert of a global fuel when international crude to the state in advance, the state- ment, adding mobile service pro- oil companies sold petrol at al- audit and consulting fi rm who did price has shown some softening in ment said. viders have allowed free SMS and most Rs5 per litre discount and not wish to be named. the month of May. Petrol price has The information was shared in intra circle roaming in these areas. diesel at Rs3 per litre discount OMCs have been soft on in- been cut by almost seven paisa and a review meeting of the National “Cellular towers on wheels in March and April when average creasing petrol and diesel prices diesel by fi ve paisa since May 4. Crisis Management Commit- are also being deployed in Puri. crude oil price of Indian basket since the beginning of 2019 but “We have to remember compa- tee (NCMC), chaired by Cabinet Banking services have started hit a high of about $67 a barrel it has become more pronounced nies like Indian Oil Corporation, secretary P K Sinha. and eff orts are being made to op- and $71 barrel respectively. At from March when election dates Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Stressing on early restora- erationalise all ATMs.” this level of crude oil prices (of were announced. Since March, Petroleum are all government- tion of power infrastructure, The centre has also decided to over $70 a barrel), petrol was there have been numerous days run companies. So even if petrol the Odisha government said extend the registration dates of priced at over Rs78 a litre and when both petrol and diesel pric- and diesel prices are, so called, Marina, a floating restaurant of the Uttarkahand Tourism that following deployment the JEE advanced examinations diesel over Rs70 a litre in Au- es have remained static despite freed from any administered con- Department, sank partially in the Tehri reservoir yesterday. of additional manpower and by fi ve more days up to May 14 gust, 2018. sharp movement in global oil trol, government still continues to The restaurant, which was not in use for some months but materials from central public in Odisha. Those students who It is, however, priced at around prices. use its hold over the companies to was built to promote tourism in the reservoir, has been sector units and neighbour- are unable to get Internet con- Rs73 and Rs66.66 per litre now While experts term this a big get prices that they feel is right for extensively damaged. A Cabinet meeting was also held in ing states, power supply has nectivity can approach IIT Bhu- respectively suggesting that oil loss for oil companies, offi cials in a particular time,” said an offi cial Marina last year. been partially restored in Bhu- baneswar for registration, said marketing companies (OMCs) are leading oil sector PSUs said that source. baneswar, while a lot of ground the statement. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 19 LATIN AMERICA

CAUSE UNKNOWN TOURISM INVESTIGATION UNDER A CLOUD PEACE TALKS 3 killed in shooting More Americans head to Chile suspends prosecutor Presidential candidate at Guatemala prison Cuba despite sanctions over graft allegations probed for corruption

Three people were killed and at least ten injured Cuba’s relationship with Donald Trump’s A prosecutor who headed an investigation into Guatemalan prosecutors have launched an when shooting broke out at a prison near administration may be worsening, but that didn’t alleged cover-up of sexual abuse within Chile’s investigation into a presidential candidate, six Guatemala City yesterday, a local emergency stop the island nation from welcoming more Catholic Church has been suspended from his duties, lawmakers and a cabinet minister on suspicion services off icial said. The injured were transferred than a quarter million US visitors in the first four local media reported Monday. Attorney General of corruption, the UN-backed International to a medical facility, said Eduardo Castillo, a months of 2019. That was a 93.5% increase from Jorge Abbott suspended Emiliano Arias preventively Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala spokesperson for volunteer firefighters. An the same period in 2018, said Michel Bernal, the while he is under investigation over corruption (CICIG) said late on Monday. The Guatemalan interior ministry spokesman said off icials were commercial director at Cuba’s tourism ministry. allegations, which include influence peddling attorney general’s off ice and the CICIG said in still gathering information about the incident. The “Despite defamatory campaigns against Cuba, and hampering the course of justice, according to a joint statement the eight oversaw approval Pavon prison, some 16km from the Guatemalan 13.5% of tourists that visit us say they chose the daily El Mostrador. Arias was investigating former and distribution of bribes worth $7.5mn for capital, houses more than 4,100 inmates, island for its safety,” said Bernal. Cuba welcomed Santiago archbishop Ricardo Ezzati and Cardinal 62 deputies between 2012-2015 during the Nicaragua’s Foreign Minister Denis Moncada according to off icial data. Local media reported 1.93mn visitors in the first four months of the Francisco Javier Errazuriz over allegations of administration of former president Otto Perez. speaks before a meeting with members of that gunfire was continuing inside the prison, and year, a 7% increase on 2018. However, visitors covering up sexual abuse. The investigation The presidential candidate, Estuardo Galdamez, is the opposition Civic Alliance at The Central that police were flying a drone overhead but had from major European nations France, Germany, will now be taken over by prosecutor Javier von now seeking the job for President Jimmy Morales’ American Institute of Business Administration not yet taken control of the facility. Italy, Spain and Britain were down by 10% to 13%. Bischoff shausen, news portal Cooperativa reported. conservative National Convergence Front. in Managua on Monday. Police shoot dead 8 Guaido believes backers failed to in raid on Rio favela follow through in AFP Rio de Janeiro aborted uprising razilian police shot dead eight people in one of Rio de Janei- Bro’s biggest slums on Mon- AFP a main security ring composed of Cubans day, an offi cial said, just days after Caracas and a second ring made up of soldiers from fi gures showed a record number of the Casa Militar,” Guaido said, referring to killings by state offi cers in the rst fi Venezuela’s elite presidential protection quarter. enezuelan opposition leader Juan corps. Weapons, cash and drugs were Guaido said on Monday that back- “He no longer trusts even in his high seized during the raid in Mare — a Vers who had pledged support for command, he doesn’t even have any trust poor, densely populated swathe his abortive uprising last week had “failed in his environment.” of the city encompassing various to follow through” to dislodge President The attempted uprising set off two days favelas in large part run by heavily- Nicolas Maduro. of violent clashes between security forces armed drug traffi ckers. But that “doesn’t mean that they won’t and protesters that left fi ve people dead, An elite police unit had been do it soon,” Guaido told AFP in an interview dozens injured and more than 233 arrested. targeting Thomaz Jhayson Vieira in Caracas. Authorities have also issued 18 arrest Gomes, known as “3N”, who was al- Guaido, recognised as interim president warrants against “civilians and military legedly planning to attack a favela by more than 50 countries, said it was “ob- plotters,” according to Attorney General some 35km away, police said in a vious today, there is widespread discontent Tarek William Saab. statement. from which the armed forces aren’t im- Guaido has tried to keep up the pressure “The criminals resisted and eight mune.” with massive street protests, but his latest suspected of being involved in traf- “There have been discussions... with civ- call for demonstrations on Saturday drew fi cking were shot and killed in the il and military offi cials who are ready to take only several hundred people. confrontation,” the statement said. the side of our constitution,” he said. He rejected suggestions that his opposi- It is not clear if Vieira Gomes was “I’m very optimistic given that we are tion movement was fl atlining, however. among the dead. very close to achieving change in Venezue- “On Saturday, I think the protest was Images on social media purport- la.” fulfi lled. A key goal for us was to redirect it edly showed children fl eeing the The 35-year-old National Assembly chief toward non-violence,” he said. area where the shooting was hap- has branded Maduro a usurper over his Maduro, meanwhile, appeared at a mili- pening, while a helicopter could be controversial re-election last year, and in tary exercise on Saturday with Defense seen hovering above the commu- January declared himself acting president, Minister Vladimir Padrino, who top US of- nity. plunging Venezuela into a political crisis fi cials had said was in on the attempted up- Slain black rights activist Mari- that deepened its already grave economic rising but backed out. elle Franco, whose assassination last woes. “I told the generals and admirals yester- year shocked Brazil and prompted But Maduro has held fi rm, bolstered day: loyalty, I want an active loyalty,” Ma- major street demonstrations, was by the continued support of the powerful duro said in a speech to some 5,000 troops from Mare. armed forces. that was broadcast nationally on radio and The city council member was shot Guaido, however, expressed the hope television. dead in the centre of Rio in what ap- that the army would eventually come on Tensions in Venezuela have soared since peared to be a professional hit. board. Guaido invoked the constitution to declare Monday’s police operation comes “We are waiting for many more to join in himself acting president. after the state Institute for Public expressing their discontent and to partici- As major world powers have been drawn Safety released fi gures on Friday pate in ‘Operation Freedom,’” he said. in, the US has thrown its support be- showing 434 people were killed Soldiers patrol in the Complexo da Penha slum in Rio de Janeiro. The graff iti reads: ‘The favela is a place of peace.’ Of those that did, 25 soldiers sought ref- hind Guaido, while China and Russia have during “police intervention” in the uge in the Brazilian embassy later in the day. backed Maduro. fi rst three months — a 17.9% in- The number went from 1,868 to be neutralised in lethal fashion to congress a bill that among other “Today all that needs to happen is for Washington has repeatedly stated that crease as compared with the same down to 1,528, but the latter is still immediately,” Witzel said. things would broaden the list of cir- the armed forces and certain (public sec- “all options are on the table,” including period in 2018. very high, with an average of 17 peo- The start of his term has been cumstances under which police are tor) employees to overcome their fear,” said military intervention in Venezuela to help That is the highest quarterly fi g- ple killed each day. marked by several major police allowed to shoot in self-defence. Guaido. Guaido oust Maduro. ure since record keeping of police- In late March, state Governor shootings. If the law passes, police will avoid Maduro was getting “weaker and weaker” Without using such antagonistic lan- related killings began in 1998. Wilson Witzel told O Globo news- In January, 13 people were shot prosecution if they open fi re “out of after years of protests against his regime, guage, Guaido said there could be a case But the total number of homi- paper that police were now using and killed during a police raid in a fear, surprise or violent emotion.” Guaido said, painting a picture of a leader to seek “foreign co-operation to overcome cides in Rio state, including those snipers to take out suspects from slum near downtown Rio, nine of Rights groups report that extra- surrounded by the last vestige of support in the unprecedented crisis Venezuela is going committed by police, fell by 18% long distances. them in the same house. judicial killings in Brazil have been his Mirafl ores presidential palace. through.” Asked about military interven- compared to the fi rst three months “The order is clear: if someone is Justice and Public Safety Minis- on the rise in recent years and that “They say that Maduro is in Mirafl ores, tion, he said only that it was a “controver- of last year. carrying an assault rifl e, they have ter Sergio Moro recently submitted police are rarely charged. but they also say that he’s in a bunker with sial option.” Mexican president’s new airport fl ies into turbulence

By Sofia Miselem and raphy,” said Mexican pilot Angel 13 people killed after passenger jet from US makes a fiery crash-landing in Mexico Sylvain Estibal, AFP Jimenez, a 58-year-old veteran Mexico City with 22,000 hours of fl ying ex- A plane crash in a remote moun- showed what it said were the burnt and 57 years old, according to a the victims, the company said it said the aircraft departed Las perience. tain region in northern Mexico remnants of the plane, broken into version of the passenger list pub- had been in touch with Canada’s Vegas shortly before 3pm. “We’re surrounded by a system claimed the lives of all 13 people pieces, spread over charred earth. lished in Mexican media. transportation safety board and Nearly two hours later, Monter- or a groundbreaking cer- of mountains shaped like an in- on board, including a family of five Mexican media reported that Newspaper Diario de Yucatan would work with the investigating rey lost track of the jet and was emony, there was suspi- verted horseshoe. The only fl ight that were flying back from watch- the passengers had been to a box- said on its website that among authorities. unable to make contact with pilots, Fciously little ground bro- pattern for ascents and descents ing a boxing match in Las Vegas, ing match between Mexican boxer the victims were 55-year-old Alvarez was saddened to hear of it said in a statement. ken as President Andres Manuel is via the north. There will be a authorities and local media said on Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and US businessman Luis Octavio Reyes the crash. Mexican broadcaster Televisa Lopez Obrador symbolically in- huge amount of air traffi c,” he Monday. fighter Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas Dominguez, his wife, and their “I deeply lament the terrible said that the pilot had intended to augurated work on a new Mexico told AFP. The wreckage of the plane that on Saturday. three children. accident of the plane coming from descend to avoid a storm. City airport — a pet project ana- On top of that, Lopez Obrador, took off from Las Vegas on Sunday The nationalities of the victims In a statement, Canada’s Vegas,” he wrote on Twitter on Francisco Martinez, an emer- lysts warn could go badly wrong. who took offi ce in December, has was found via aerial surveillance were not immediately clear. Bombardier Inc identified the jet Monday. gency services off icial in Coahuila, Smiling and waving an orange infuriated many people by can- in the northern municipality of The surnames of the three crew as a Challenger 601 and said the “I’m deeply grateful for the sup- told Milenio recent adverse weath- fl ag, the anti-establishment left- celling another airport project Ocampo, the government of Coa- and 10 passengers published by plane had gone missing about 150 port of all the people who travel to er conditions would form part of ist stood before a line of heavy that was launched by the previ- huila state said in a statement. the Coahuila government were all nautical miles from the northern see my fights. My prayers are with the investigation into the crash. construction equipment last ous government and was already A photograph published on Hispanic. Mexican city of Monclova. their families.” However, he stopped short of week, declaring work was of- one-third complete. local television network Milenio The victims were between 19 Expressing its condolences to Mexico’s civil aviation authority saying weather had caused it. fi cially under way to turn the The sleek new airport in the Santa Lucia military air base into Texcoco district was meant to a second airport for the sprawling completely replace the current celling it would amount to “can- around $5.2bn in sunk costs, ac- It said Lopez Obrador’s goal of and the margin of error for air- runways — adding to the final Mexican capital. airport, which is ageing poorly celling the economic growth of cording to its calculations. opening the fi rst portion of the traffi c controllers and pilots will bill. But there was no sign of that and handled nearly 48mn pas- the country.” However, that is assuming project in 2021 was “ambitious,” be minimal,” said Valero, the Critics had a fi eld day with the from the bulldozers, which stood sengers last year — despite an of- Lopez Obrador is promising an everything goes according to but feasible if construction work former head of the Mexican pi- glitch on social media, posting by silently throughout — and fi cial capacity of 32mn. “austere” alternative: continue plan — and so far, there is room is accelerated. lots’ association. pictures of “solutions” including could stay that way for some But Lopez Obrador called the using the current airport and for doubt. Miguel Angel Valero, a Mexi- “For the operation to be safe, it a hill perforated by a runway or time. $13bn project a “bottomless pit” easing its load by converting the The company hired to carry can pilot and security offi cial will have to be effi cient,” he told whose slope served for take-off s. The new airport faces heavy rife with corruption. Santa Lucia base into a second out feasibility studies for the new with the International Civil Avi- AFP. Valero said the problem goes turbulence, aviation experts say. He cancelled it after holding civilian airport. airport system, France’s ADP, ation Organization, warned there Adding to Lopez Obrador’s deeper than that. The biggest problem is the a controversial referendum that The repurposed base is to be says it will mean reconfi guring was no good option for operating headaches, engineers discovered “It’s not just Paula, it’s the ring of mountains that surrounds had no independent oversight called the Felipe Angeles air- the airspace over Mexico City. two airports in the metropolitan just before the ground-breaking whole Guadalupe mountain Mexico City, limiting the routes and was plagued by irregulari- port, in honour of a hero of the “The studies have just begun, area of more than 20mn people, ceremony that the planned fl ight chain” surrounding the capital, for take-off and landing, and ties. Mexican Revolution who fought and no defi nitive decisions have which sits 2,200m above sea level path for the Santa Lucia airport is he said. making it a logistical nightmare In doing so, he essentially alongside Pancho Villa before been made so far,” ADP said in an and has mountains rising well partially blocked by a 240m tall “They’re betting on a new sat- to operate two separate airports, thumbed his nose at the busi- being executed by fi ring squad in e-mail. beyond that. hill dubbed Paula. ellite-based technology (for ap- according to critics. ness world — including the fi fth- 1919. However, operating two air- “It’s not impossible to have The hill, which was not tak- proaches), which is very precise “Some people say, ‘There are richest person on Earth, Mexican It will cost around $4bn, the ports will mean “reassessing how two airports, but it involves a en into consideration in initial but also very complex. You need other cities with more than one telecoms magnate Carlos Slim, government estimates — though the city’s airspace is organised,” high degree of complexity. It will studies for the project, could a lot of technology, very modern airport.’ That’s true, but they who had a major stake in the new cancelling the Texcoco airport with “new approach procedures” be impossible to have simultane- force engineers to change the planes and pilot training. It’s no don’t have Mexico City’s geog- airport and had warned that can- will also hit the country with for aircraft, it said. ous approaches and take-off s, orientation of the airport’s panacea.” Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 PAKISTAN Traders up prices to welcome Ramadan Internews the mercy of exploitative retail- bread is now available for Rs90 “Consumers may see more even demanding Rs70 per kg. Karachi ers. (Rs80 previously). price hikes in view of recent rise On the other hand, clever ghee “When every item’s rate is go- A four-piece pack of burger in diesel rates,” he warned. and cooking oil manufacturers ing up, then why not red meat,” buns is now available for Rs45 Among non-perishable items, announced a relief of Rs5 per kg/ onsumers are bracing for a retailer in Federal B Area com- (Rs40 before) as manufactur- millers raised fl our prices twice litre for Ramadan after increasing a costlier Ramadan this mented, adding that “if food ers complained that rising util- just days ahead of Ramadan, cit- prices by Rs20 per kg/litre in the Cyear as prices of almost all infl ation has hit the consumers ity bills, increasing price of raw ing the minor damage to wheat past two months. essential items, including meat, hard, then it has also (aff ected) material, labour wages, trans- crop in Punjab, coupled with Good quality cooking oil and ghee, cooking oil, fl our, onion, our cost of living”. portation charges and high cost quality damage owing to rains. ghee now costs Rs200 per litre, chicken, and fruits, have seen a There was no respite in chick- of imported ingredients owing Furthermore, sugar prices after a jump of Rs20; two months signifi cant increase in the past en rates either, as some dealers to rupee devaluation against the have also risen to Rs70 per kg ago it was being sold at Rs180 per few weeks. have begun charging as high as dollar have compelled them to (from Rs65 per kg) following per- litre. Meat sellers have increased Rs380-390 per kg, though others revise their rates upward. sistent rise in wholesale rates at Justifying the price hike, man- prices by Rs20-50 per kg – de- have maintained their prices at A leading butter manufacturer, Jodia Bazaar. ufacturers believe that govern- pending on the localities, as re- Rs350-360 per kg. without citing any reason, in- In January, a 1kg packet of sug- ment had increased the federal tailers previously selling veal at In the last week of March, creased prices last month: packs ar was available at Rs55. excise duty on palm oil import by Pakistanis buying Iftar food in Rawalpindi. Rs500 per kg, are now charging chicken meat was selling for be- of 25g, 50g, 100g and 200g of The demand for the sweetener 1% and other taxes followed by Rs520-540, whereas boneless tween Rs310 and Rs320 per kg. butter are now sold for Rs20, goes up exponentially in sum- rising cost of imports on account For example, the average per Iranian dates now cost Rs200- meat is now being sold at Rs620- Joining the trend, bread manu- Rs40, Rs80, and Rs160, com- mers as it is extensively used in of persistent fall in rupee’s value tonne price of palm oil dropped 250 (Rs150-170 per kg last year). 640 (Rs600 per kg, previously). facturers, after a gap of fi ve years pared with Rs15, Rs30, Rs60, and preparation of traditional drinks, against the dollar. to $596 from $729. Melon rates hover between Mutton dealers have also in- and four months, also raised the Rs120 earlier. syrups, juices and confectioner- Ghee and cooking oil prices Dates, which are traditionally Rs60-80 per kg, when they were creased prices to Rs1,000 (from prices by over 8% last month. Karachi Wholesalers Grocers ies during Ramadan. had risen amid declining trend in used to break fasts during Ram- easily available for Rs40-50 per Rs950) per kg, attributing the Mini-bread – plain and milky Association patron-in-chief Amongst vegetables, prices of palm oil rates in world market. adan, have also seen their prices kg last month. hike to rising wholesale prices. – now costs Rs30 and Rs31, com- Anis Majeed said that prices of onion – the most sought-after It may be noted here that world increase during the last two There was no change in rates of Meat retailers have made it pared with Rs27 and Rs28, re- various food items in Jodia Bazar item in Ramadan – witnessed a rates of various items have fallen months. banana, which are being sold at an annual ritual of raising pric- spectively. – the country’s largest wholesale 100% jump in price, to Rs60 per in the fi rst nine months for the Various varieties of dates have Rs80-100 per dozen for the last es just days ahead of the holy The price of small bread has market – had not been increased kg from Rs30 per kg in March, 2019 fi scal year compared with already become costlier: for ex- two months. month, while municipal authori- been increased to Rs50 and Rs51 the way the rupee had devalued while it was priced Rs40-50 in the same period in the last fi scal ample, Muzafati dates are being Local apple carries price tag of ties watch the situation from the against Rs45 and Rs46 respec- against the dollar, followed by April. year, but consumers have been sold at Rs300-400 per kg com- Rs150-200 per kg, showing no sidelines, leaving consumers at tively, whereas the large plain higher transportation charges. Some push-cart owners are taken on a costly ride. pared to Rs200 last year. change in the last two months.

Charity dishes out ostrich meat for the poor Pakistan busts Jail time in

Reuters Expensive and seldom eaten Greece for Islamabad in Pakistan, ostrich is deemed gang traffi cking exotic in the mainly Muslim na- tion of 208mn people. Pakistani’s charity in Karachi is Volunteers stewed the red serving up a rare treat for meat in cauldrons and served women to China Athe city’s Muslims ahead it in a chickpea curry to more murderers of their fast for the month of Ra- than 500 residents before dawn madan – ostrich meat. broke yesterday, when Muslims AFP/Reuters/Internews three-decade-long one-child began their month-long Ram- Lahore policy. AFP Left: Volunteers are seen with adan fast. Last month a Pakistani news Athens ostriches prior to slaughtering “Keeping in view of this dep- channel spotlighted growing them for charity food, on the rivation, (wealthy) people sup- akistan arrested at least concerns about the issue in first day of Ramadan, in Karachi. ported us, and like the previous eight Chinese nation- Pakistan, claiming that it had wo Greek men were sen- year, we off ered those dishes Pals for allegedly luring gained entry to a matchmaking tenced on Monday to over Below: Ostrich meat and which even a middle class per- young Pakistani girls into fake centre in Lahore where poor T21 years in prison for the chickpea curry are ready to son cannot aff ord, let alone the marriages, then forcing them families would marry their racially-aggravated murder of serve on the first day of poor,” said Zafar Abbas, the gen- into prostitution in China, daughters off to Chinese na- a Pakistani migrant worker, a Ramadan. eral secretary of the Jafaria Dis- authorities confi rmed to AFP tionals in exchange for money verdict that could impact the aster Management Cell Welfare yesterday. and a visa. landmark trial of the neo-Nazi Foundation. Those arrested were eight “China is co-operating with Golden Dawn party, a court He said that the plan is to of- Chinese nationals and four Pa- Pakistani law enforcement source said. fer deer and other expensive kistanis, said Jameel Ahmad, a agencies to crack down on il- Shehzad Luqman was 27 cuisine in coming days dur- top offi cial at Pakistan’s Feder- legal matchmaking centres. We when he was fatally stabbed by ing Ramadan, when practising al Investigation Agency (FIA), remind both Chinese and Pa- 29-year-old Christos Stergi- Muslims abstain from eating, which deals with human traf- kistani citizens to remain vigi- opoulos and 25-year-old Diony- drinking and smoking during fi cking. lant and not be cheated,” the sis Liakopoulos in 2013 whilst daylight hours. “We busted the gang after Chinese embassy in Islamabad cycling to work in the Athens The move is likely to be wel- the FIA received information said. district of Petralona. comed by those who stuff ed about increasing smuggling Pakistan does not meet the The pair’s sentences were re- themselves with the ostrich of Pakistani woman to China “minimum standards for the duced on appeal on Monday, meat dishes. where they are thrown into elimination of traffi cking; after a court had earlier handed “It felt very nice. I had never prostitution,” the FIA deputy however, it is making signifi - down lifetime prison terms. eaten (ostrich),” said van driver director told Reuters. cant eff orts to do so”, the US Luqman’s murder is among Mohamed Hussain. “It was so He said several gangs were State Department says on its crimes investigated in connec- wholesome that I feel no need to believed to be operating, main- website. tion with the ongoing Golden eat for the next two days.” ly targeting members of Paki- FIA offi cial Ahmad said that Dawn trial, which began in 2015. stan’s Christian minority. a police raid he led on a wed- Police found a cache of weap- Ahmad said that more de- ding ceremony last week the ons and Golden Dawn fl yers tentions are expected as the eastern city of Faisalabad was whilst searching the defendants’ investigation continues. a major breakthrough in the in- homes. Human Rights Watch (HRW) vestigation. Luqman’s killers denied links Puppeteers lead message of tolerance raised the alarm over “bride” He said a man and a woman with Golden Dawn and blamed traffi cking from Pakistan to from China and a fake priest the killing on an altercation. China in a report last month, were arrested at the ceremony However, prosecutors are By Shahabuddin Shahab, where it said Islamabad should where a Christian girl was to be seeking to prove that such vio- Reuters be “alarmed” at the reports. married. lent acts against foreigners and Karachi It warned they are “disturb- “The gang members con- political opponents were en- ingly similar to the pattern of fessed that they have sent at couraged, if not actively ordered, traffi cking of ‘brides’ to China least 36 Pakistani girls to China by senior Golden Dawn offi cials. n the narrow alleys of a poor from at least fi ve other Asian where they are being used for Formerly on the fringe of neighbourhood of Karachi, countries”. prostitution,” he said. Greek politics, Golden Dawn Iknown for drugs, gang wars Tens of thousands of young Other than the traffi cking went from 19,000 votes a few and low literacy rates, children women from Southeast Asian of women to China, Pakistan years ago to over 426,000 in are learning about peace, love countries such as Myanmar also grapples with the traffi ck- 2012 when it entered parliament and inter-faith tolerance from and Vietnam marry Chinese ing of children to Middle East- for the fi rst time after pledging string puppets. men each year, plugging a gen- ern countries, particularly the to “scour the country” clean of As the curtains open on stage, der gap incubated by Beijing’s UAE, to serve as camel jockeys. illegal immigrants. a narrator tells the story of Sind- bad the Sailor, a hero of Middle Eastern origin and his journeys Pakistan appoints accountant as new tax collection chief around the world in which he meets people of diff erent faiths, Pakistan has appointed chartered accountant Syed Pakistan’s central bank, reflecting the turmoil in languages and religions – who Shabbar Zaidi the new chief of the Federal Board Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government as it often do not have much toler- of Revenue (FBR) after its top economic policy grapples with a slowing economy, a weakening ance for one another. leadership was removed during bailout talks with the currency and soaring inflation. “A man is dying and you guys International Monetary Fund (IMF). Their removal comes only weeks after Finance are talking about castes,” the The previous head of the agency, Jahanzeb Khan, Minister Asad Umar was asked to step down amid protagonist puppet rebuked a was sacked on Friday along with the head of diff icult talks with the IMF. fellow puppet who refused to save a drowning marionette be- longing to a lower caste. Omar Ayub given additional charge of petroleum ministry “You should be ashamed call- ing yourself human beings. Hu- Prime Minister Imran Khan has given Omar Ayub previously, but he was removed a few days ago mans save humanity not caste,” Khan the additional charge of the petroleum after he apparently failed to perform according to Sindbad says. Children watch a string puppets play in a puppet theatre in Karachi. ministry. expectations. Writer Nouman Mehmood Omar Ayub already holds the charge of Power The Cabinet Division issued a notification to give said the story came to mind Muslim country of more than tive messages especially impor- neighbourhoods and provinces Division. the additional portfolio of the Petroleum Division when his group was conducting 200mn people, has seen repeat- tant. after its run in the tough Karachi Ghulam Sarwar Khan headed the Petroleum Division minister to Omar Ayub. an education awareness cam- ed attacks on churches, Hindu “The basic thing is accept- neighbourhood of Lyari. paign in some poor neighbour- temples and sufi shrines in re- ance. You should have enough “There is a message that we hoods in the city. cent years by hardline religious room to accept others regard- should not interfere with others’ Thousands rally behind ex-PM Sharif as he heads to prison They noticed religious and groups and Islamist militants. less of whether he is a Chris- religions. We should help each ethnic antagonism in those Conservative religious tian, without considering he is a other,” said eighth grade student Thousands of supporters rallied behind former His appeal for an extension was rejected last week. neighbourhoods and decided to schools or madrasas are regu- Hindu, without considering he Adul Rahim Arshad after watch- prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he set out for prison Sharif met political aides at his residence in Lahore create a show to spread a mes- larly blamed for radicalisation is a Sikh,” Mehmood said. ing the show. “If one deceives yesterday. before beginning the journey to the jail. sage of peace, tolerance and but they are often the only edu- Organised by the Thespi- us, we should not deceive him Sharif, who is serving a seven-year jail term since Thousands of activists from his Pakistan Muslim harmony. cation available to millions of anz Theatre, the show plans back. Instead we should help December after being convicted of corruption, was League – Nawaz (PML-N) party chanted slogans and Pakistan, an overwhelmingly poor children, making alterna- to travel to other poor Karachi him.” granted the six-week release in March. waved as his car drove out of his residence. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 21 PHILIPPINES

Canada vows to pay for return of garbage shipped to the Philippines

Senate panel to probe claims Canada has vowed to pay for the return of garbage shipped to the Philippines more than five years ago after President Rodrigo Duterte issued an ultimatum, an official said yesterday. against president’s family Duterte has given Canada until May 15 to take back the By Bernadette E Tamayo former Davao vice mayor Paolo being fooled. “Certain offic- waste sent to the Philippines Manila Times “Pulong” Duterte; son-in-law ers of the Integrated Bar of the in batches from 2013 to 2014, Manases “Mans” Carpio; and Philippines may have unwit- and warned of a diplomatic former top aide Christopher tingly allowed their facilities falling out if there was no im- he Senate will investigate Lawrence “Bong” Go, among to be used by a fraudster to mediate action from Ottawa. claims made by Peter others. Malacanang, however, perpetuate lies and foist ac- “The president is firm that TJoemal Advincula, sup- dismissed the allegations as cusations against PRRD (Du- we are not garbage collec- posedly the “Bikoy” in a series “black propaganda” and Pal- terte), his children and those tors, thus he ordered that of videos accusing members ace spokesman Salvador Panelo closely identified with him of the Philippines will no longer of President Rodrigo Duterte’s cast doubt on Advincula’s cred- the commission of illegal trade accept any waste from any family of ties to the illegal drugs ibility, given his criminal past. of prohibited drugs,” he said. country,” presidential spokes- trade. “Information about the crim- “The PNP (Philippine Na- man Salvador Panelo said in a Senator Panfi lo “Ping” Lac- inal background of Advincula is tional Police) is still unearthing statement. son, chairman of the Senate starting to come out. It appears information that will further “The Canadian government public order and dangerous that he has been incarcerated in bolster the fraud perpetrated has committed to shoulder all drugs committee, set a hear- 2012 for conviction of illegal re- by this unscrupulous person,” the expenses to ship out all the ing for Friday, but added that cruitment and large scale estafa, Panelo continued, promising a waste containers,” he added. Advincula should fi rst submit a as well as for theft,” Panelo said “bombshell” would be subse- More than 100 containers of sworn affi davit and supporting in a statement. quently released. waste from Canada — consist- documents. “Presently, there are news “There are strong indica- ing of household trash, plastic “The committee is send- that he is facing multiple crimi- tions that Advincula is not bottles and bags, newspapers, ing out today a formal invita- nal cases like estafa, among alone but is just being used and used adult diapers — were tion letter to Advincula thru others. by a personality in conspiracy shipped to the country and the IBP (Integrated Bar of the These crimes involve moral with others bent on destroy- misdeclared as plastic scraps. Philippines) since it was the turpitude that goes to the very ing the reputation of the Du- Canada had insisted then that last known link to him, and they integrity and credibility of Ad- terte family and tarnishing the dumping was not support- may have knowledge of how vincula or Bikoy,” he added. the image of the President,” he ed by its government and that to relay the invitation to him,” Panelo noted that others claimed. it was a private transaction. Lacson said in a text message. identifi ed in the videos as being PNP chief Oscar Albayalade The Philippine government “The hearing is set on Friday Senator Panfilo M Lacson. involved in the narcotics trade also questioned Advincula’s has repeatedly demanded that at 9:30 am. It will push through had denied the allegations. claims and said these still had Canada take back the waste. once Bikoy confi rms his attend- Recto, Senate Majority Leader a few years ago and off ered to decided not to further entertain “Categorical denials… such to be validated. He confirmed, While Canada has stressed ance with a sworn statement Juan Miguel “Migs” Zubiri and provide drug payoff evidence him. Nothing materialised be- as those made by the Rural however, that Advincula had that it was committed to fixing ready,” he added. Senate Minority Leader Frank- against then-President Benigno cause the bank accounts and the Bank of Guinobatan Inc and previously been convicted of the matter, no definite resolu- In a radio interview, Lacson lin Drilon to attend. “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd and then- checks given were disowned by the Misibis Bay Resort were large-scale estafa and served tion was offered. said he already asked the com- “In the meantime, we are do- Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” the concerned bank overseas,” made. Strangely enough, such six years of a 10-year jail term, Last month, Duterte said he mittee’s members — Senators ing some background investiga- Binay. “There was a particular he added. denials did not catch much set free due to “good behav- would ship the waste back to Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan tion and record check on him to person — you can verify this, Opposition senators want the attention from the media,” he iour.” Canada even if it leads to war. 2nd, Mary Grace Poe, Loren Le- check whether there is a need I think I still have some of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee said. Another estafa case against Panelo also noted last month garda, Maria Lourdes Nancy not to push through with the records.There was a person that to reopen an investigation into “There is a dictum in law, Advincula is pending at the that 70 years of diplomatic Binay, Emmanuel “Manny” hearing,” he added. approached me, sent word to me the illegal drugs trade follow- which says: ‘You lie in one, you National Bureau of Investi- relations between the Philip- Pacquiao, Joseph Victor “JV” Senate President Vicente when he was still in the National ing the release of the “Ang To- lie in all.’ This legal principle gation, the PNP chief added. pines and Canada “will be put Ejercito, Antonio Trillanes 4th, “Tito” Sotto 3rd also called for Bilibid Prison,” Sotto said. toong Narcolist” videos, where applies to Advincula or Bikoy.” Given Advincula’s claims that to naught” if no immediate and detained Leila de Lima — further checks, reiterating that “After we investigated and Bikoy claimed that drug money Panelo also warned the IBP, his life was in danger, Albay- action was taken to resolve and ex-offi cio members Senate an individual surnamed Ad- validated the information and was deposited in bank ac- whose assistance has been alde said the PNP was open to the rubbish issue. President Pro Tempore Ralph vincula had approached him documents passed on to us, we counts owned by Duterte’s son, sought by Advincula, from providing security. Journalists vow to fi ght Duterte signs into law for truth amid threats energy conservation By Glee Jalea Times chairman emeritus, the there is no freedom of the press, Manila Times matrix linked a hooded “Bikoy,” that is why they want to kill in- By Catherine S Valente who accused members of Presi- dependent reporting,” Tordesil- Manila Times dent Rodrigo Duterte’s family of las added. ournalists who were linked to illegal drug activities in a series “The matrix alone demon- the so-called “Oust-Duterte of videos entitled “Ang Totoong strates the administration’s lack resident Rodrigo Duterte Jmatrix” reiterated the need Narcolist”, to a number journal- of respect for the rule of law,” has signed into law a to stand together in fi ghting for ists, among them Ellen Tordesil- said Ephraim Cortez, secretary Pmeasure institutionalis- the truth amid alleged threats las, president of Vera Files and general of the National Union of ing energy effi ciency and con- from the government. Maria Ressa, Rappler CEO and People’s Lawyers. servation in the Philippines. In a public forum hosted by executive director. When asked for specifi c so- Republic Act (RA) 11285 or the University of the Philippines “Our goal is to never go down,” lutions to threats against press the “Energy Effi ciency and Third World Studies Center at said Ressa who is also facing tax freedom, the speakers cited the Conservation Act” was signed the UP-Diliman in Quezon City evasion charges from the gov- importance of being on the look- by the president on April 12, but yesterday afternoon, journalists ernment. Luis Teodoro, Centre out for familiar patterns of vilifi - was released to the media only and professionals converged to for Media Freedom and Re- cation, not just in media, but in yesterday. tackle the contingency plans and sponsibility trustee, said that a various institutions. Under the law, a National long-term solutions that must journalist’s task was to always “A long term solution: Educa- Energy Effi ciency and Con- be done under the administra- provide context and give further tion; medium term: Media liter- servation Plan (NEECP) will tion of President Rodrigo Du- meaning to his or her story and acy; short term: Demand action be formulated to serve as the terte where media and various expressed dismay over the Times from social media platforms,” framework for programmes on organisations were seen as con- matrix for “having no context.” Ressa said, adding that Rappler energy effi ciency and conser- stantly under threat. “What kind of data was used was building communities that vation. The forum dubbed as “This here? There was a lot of imagi- are vigilant when it comes to The framework will intro- is The Matrix: A Free Public Fo- nation involved,” said Ramon threats of disinformation. duce fundamental policies on President Rodrigo Duterte talks to members of the cabinet prior to the start of the 37th Cabinet rum” was a take from the con- Guillermo, Faculty Regent of UP. Tordesillas added that as energy effi ciency and conser- meeting at the Malacanang Palace. troversial matrix, which was “The administration will real- fact-checkers, trolls should not vation, including the promo- published on April 22 by Manila ly destroy the media because it is be given the attention that they tion of effi cient and judicious Conversation Act delegates the industrial, transport and power ergy and environmental impacts, Times. one of the pillars of democracy. seek to prevent the spread of utilisation of energy, increase Department of Energy (DoE) sectors, to ensure compliance among others. Written by Dr Dante Ang, the There can be no democracy until misleading or inaccurate stories. in the utilisation of energy ef- as the lead agency responsible with the law, and broaden and The law orders all government fi ciency and renewable energy for the planning, formulation, enhance their effi cient and ju- agencies, including government- technologies, and the delinea- development, implementation, dicious utilisation of energy. owned and -controlled corpora- tion of responsibilities among enforcement and monitoring The law also seeks national tions to ensure the effi cient use various government agencies of energy management policies awareness and advocacy cam- of energy in their respective of- Three dead, nearly 70 hurt in bus-truck collision and private entities. and other related energy-effi - paign on energy-effi ciency and fi ces, facilities and transporta- Three people were killed and nearly 70 others travelling along a downhill stretch of a diver- The law also mandates the ciency conservation plans and conservation that will also be tion units, and in the discharge of injured when a tour bus collided with a truck in the sion road in the town, when it overtook another development and maintenance programmes. done by the DoE, in partnership their functions. Philippines, police said yesterday. vehicle and collided with the 10-wheeler truck, of a National Energy Effi ciency The DoE is also tasked to with business, academe, non- RA 11285 also creates an Inter- The accident took place on a highway in Ati- the report said. and Conservation Database develop a system of monitor- government organisations and Agency Energy Effi ciency and monan town in Quezon province, 120 kilometres The bus driver has been arrested by police. (NEECD), a centralised, com- ing the implementation of the other sectors. Conservation Committee that is south-east of Manila, on Monday evening, Fatal road accidents are common in the Philip- prehensive and unifi ed data- NEECP, and to maintain the The DoE is directed to provide tasked to provide strategic direc- according to a police report. One passenger pines, mainly due to driver negligence, defective base on the application and use NEECD. annual reports to the Senate and tion in the implementation of the on the bus died as well as a passenger and the public vehicles or unsafe road conditions. of energy-effi cient and renew- RA 11285 also instructs the the House of Representatives, government energy management driver of the truck. An average of 10,000 people die annually in the able technologies, and other Energy department to initiate with regard to the status of the programme, a programme that Sixty-eight people suffered various injuries and Philippines due to road accidents, according to relevant information about en- and maintain collaborative ef- implementation of the law at will reduce monthly consump- were taken to nearby hospitals. The bus was the World Health Organisation. ergy consumption. forts with the business sector, the national and local levels, cost tion of electricity and petroleum The Energy Effi ciency and particularly the commercial, eff ectiveness outcomes and en- products by the government. ‘Fewer Filipinos jobless’ in fi rst quarter of year

By Catherine S Valente points below the 22% or an esti- The survey showed that 9.4%, The same survey also found Moreover, SWS said the pessimism – the outlook that was a Very High +37 in March Manila Times mated 9.8mn adults in Septem- or an estimated 4.5mn adults, that the adult labour force par- 47.6mn adult labour force con- there would be fewer jobs – 2019. ber 2018. resigned or left their jobs vol- ticipation rate was at 71.4% or an sisted of 58.1% or an estimated rose by one point from 12% to “It soared from High +24 in “This marks the second con- untarily, 7.6% or an estimated estimated 47.6mn adults. of 27.7mn adults were males 13% in December and March, September 2018 to Excellent ewer Filipinos are job- secutive quarter where there has 3.6mn adults who were re- “This is 5.2 points above the while 41.9% or an estimated of respectively. +40 in December 2018 before less for the fi rst quarter of been a decrease in the propor- trenched, and 2.7% or an esti- 66.2% or an estimated 42.4mn 20mn adults were females. “The proportion of those dipping to Very High +37 in Fthe year, according to the tion of adults in the labour force mated 1.3mn adults who were adults in December 2018,” SWS Meanwhile, the same survey who say there will be no change March 2019,” it added. latest Social Weather Stations who are jobless,” SWS said. fi rst-time job seekers as of said. found that optimism on job in job availability rose by three The SWS interviewed 1,440 (SWS) survey released yesterday. The pollster defi nes jobless March. “The estimated size of the availability – the outlook that points, from 22% in December adult Filipinos,using sampling The poll survey from March adults as those who have either Of the 7.8% retrenched em- adult labour force in previous there would be more jobs in the to 25% in March,” the polling error margins of + or — 2.6% 28 to 31 showed the joblessness voluntarily left their previous ployees, 5.6% did not have their quarters were 44.4mn adults next 12 months – fell by two firm said. for national percentages, and + rate at 19.7%, or 1.4 points below jobs, lost their jobs because of renewed contracts, 1.4% were (69.3% of adults) in September points from 52% in December SWS said the resulting net or -5% each for Balance Luzon, the 21.1% or an estimated 9mn retrenchment, or are seeking laid off , and 0.5% had employers 2018 and 43.8mn (68.3%) in June to 50% in March. optimism on job availability (% Metro Manila, the Visayas, and adults in December 2018, and 2.3 jobs for the fi rst time. who closed operations. 2018,” it added. On the other hand, SWS said more jobs minus % fewer jobs) Mindanao. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah 2022 Qatar World Cup plays key role EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor in accelerating pace of development K T Chacko QNA P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar Doha [email protected] 44350478 (News), he hosting countries of the World Cup are planning to 44466404 (Sport), make the most of the eco- 44466636 (Home delivery) Tnomic benefi ts after the World Cup, just as Russia achieved after 2018 44350474 edition profi ts estimated at $14bn, but facebook.com/gulftimes Qatar broke this rule and turned into an exception, and began years ago to reap twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar the benefi ts of hosting the 2022 World Cup through its accelerated pace of integrated and sustainable development in all sectors of the state. Yasir al-Jamal, Vice-Chairman of GULF TIMES the Technical Operational Offi ce at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), said that the 2022 Qatar World Cup played an important role in US-China trade war accelerating the pace of development The World Cup stadiums reflect the Qatari originality and give the fans a unique and unprecedented experience of learning and the completion of many projects more about the rich Qatari heritage. planned in advance within the Qatar at key turning point National Vision 2030. He considered in the work schedule of the World Cup and the Mowasalat company, where that the World Cup and development project, which was designed with great everyone expressed observations and all are two sides of a single message that fl exibility and immediate readiness aware of their role and responsibilities after new Trump threat Qatar is prepared to organise the most to meet any emergencies, in order to during the tournament. He added that important event in the Arab region and re-evaluate the status of suppliers and FIFA will be briefed on the plan for the Middle East and provide the best supply systems. adoption as a full transport plan in the US President Donald Trump’s threat of hiking tariffs version in the history of the World Cup. Al-Jamal added that the blockade World Cup. on Chinese goods to force the pace in stuttering trade Speaking to Qatar News Agency benefi ted contractors in a big way and Responding the questions about talks sent global stock markets plunging on Monday. (QNA), al-Jamal said that Qatar’s opened new doors for them in terms of Qatar’s inability to absorb the expected Asian investors infl icted some of the worst falls on the recent development projects have been quality of materials and competitive audience to watch the World Cup, planned for a long time within the prices, by opening up to markets al-Jamal refuted all these opinions by region’s exchanges, with Shanghai plunging more than 5%. Qatar National Vision, but hosting a in Turkey, Oman, Vietnam, South saying that SC has developed integrated The Chinese yuan took a battering. The currency’s fall, huge historical event of the size of the Yasir al-Jamal Korea and other countries. It was an and alternative plans for everything 1.3% at one point against the dollar, was its heaviest in World Cup was the main vehicle that opportunity for local contractors to related to hosting the World Cup. more than three years. drove these projects directly to see the which are the most sophisticated in communicate with these companies and He explained that SC did a Comments from officials in recent weeks indicated the light quickly, according to the planned the world of football both in terms of to get high quality products at a better comprehensive survey of the hotel sides were making progress towards an agreement aimed form and schedule set in the plan of the design and exterior shape and in terms price. rooms expected to be available during comprehensive committee to organise of interior design, were not built solely Al-Jamal added that in addition, the the World Cup, when it found that it at addressing longstanding concerns about the forced the World Cup. to host the tournament, but to refl ect local market rebounded after the SC would not be enough, it developed transfer or outright theft of American technology, as He added the SC’s projects for the the Qatari originality and give the fans reviewed the evaluation of the local alternative plans such as building cruise well as reducing the US trade deficit with the world’s hosting of the World Cup began at the a unique and unprecedented experience market, to discover that many products ships and special fans villages that will second largest economy. right time after the completion of the of learning more about the rich Qatari manufactured locally need to develop also help to introduce visitors to Qatari But after his weekend threats — which prompted period of planning and design, where heritage. the plant so that this product reaches heritage in the important tourist areas, the start of the construction phase and Al-Jamal added that Al Wakrah international quality, and this is evident in addition to renting private housing reports the Chinese might cancel the talks in all projects are now in full swing, all of Stadium, which will be completed in the World Cup stadium chairs, which units, and all these plans are being Washington — Trump remained defiant. which will be ready by the end of 2020 this month, will be ready for offi cial are 100% local. studied accurately in order to reach the Since December, a truce has kept the trade war and the beginning of 2021. matches. It is inspired by traditional Al-Jamal stressed that many local appropriate number that will cover the between the world’s two biggest economies from The Qatar World Cup projects have boats, especially that the city of Wakrah companies have begun to move needs of all visitors to the World Cup. escalating. Under the agreement between Trump been progressing rapidly in various is coastal and located in the southern eff ectively after the blockade to take With regard to the fans’ zones during and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US postponed sectors since 2010, which confi rms the region. their chances in World Cup projects, the World Cup, al-Jamal explained that ability of Qatar to fulfi l its promise to Al-Jamal stressed that the cooling and the contracts signed for the World the committee has planed three main indefinitely a threatened increase, to 25% from 10%, organise the best version in the history technology is one of the characteristics Cup projects reached about 100 areas for fans during the World Cup (Al in tariffs on almost half the goods it buys from China, of the World Cup, serving all the of Qatar’s stadiums, and there are contracts, 62%, are of local companies, Bidaa Park, Al Khor Park, Al Wakrah worth some $200bn. countries of the region and benefi ting no stadiums in the world using this which strengthens the local economy. Park), and is currently contacting FIFA The talks have made the people of the region, al-Jamal said. technology. The cooling technology in Al-Jamal asserted that there is no to adopt fans’ zones during the World some progress. China Vice-Chairman of SC’s Technical Qatar stadiums has undergone various problem with the operation of the World Cup, with a capacity of about 50,000 The dispute has agreed in principle Operational Offi ce pointed to the stages of development since it was Cup stadiums which are scheduled people. to be completed in the beginning of He added that the committee is to increase imports of US achievements that have been made fi rst applied in Al Sadd Stadium, then has already following eight years of hard work Khalifa International Stadium, and now 2021 until the offi cial launch of the looking to create additional areas for agricultural products, along within an integrated plan which at Al Wakrah Stadium, which will be championship at the end of 2022, as this gathering the masses, but for a smaller shaken the with energy, industrial included stadiums hosting World opened this month. will be under the responsibility of the number, in some important tourist areas products and services, as Cup matches, training grounds Al-Jamal added that the committee main contractor for each stadium, and where the infrastructure is available, world economy part of a path to eliminate and infrastructure facilities. He promised to donate 170,000 chairs this is according to the contracts signed and the places are rich in Qatar’s culture its imbalance in trade explained that this is evident in the through co-ordination with the FIFA by the SC with the main contractors in and heritage. and caused accelerated pace of development and and distribute them to countries that all stadiums. Regarding the number of World Cup with the US. That promise the completion of many mega projects, need to develop sports infrastructure. Al-Jamal confi rmed that the World teams, al-Jamal stresses that all Qatar’s companies to might form the basis of a most notably the Doha Metro project, Al-Jamal emphasised that the Cup projects were implemented by plans and arrangements are based on preliminary agreement. three lines of which (red, golden, main idea in the construction of the the joint eff orts of all governmental the hosting of 32 teams, but SC is open reconfi gure The dispute has already orange) will be fully completed by the World Cup stadiums was based on the and non-governmental institutions, to the FIFA and the sports community’s shaken the world economy end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. economic and social sustainability of stressing that these eff orts are very opinions on this matter, especially that their supply and caused companies to This is a major achievement within a these facilities after the World Cup so important to continue the march SC’s position from the beginning is that short period. that the community benefi ts from it. and the success of the event during the World Cup is the championship of chains reconfigure their supply He noted that the establishment of Concerning the crisis brought about the period of the tournament. He all peoples of the region and will benefi t chains. The International Hamad International Airport and its by the unjust blockade imposed on explained that the committee has set up all of them. Monetary Fund warned that the global economy remains opening in 2015, with extensions to be Qatar, and its impact on the World integrated plans to deal with all aspects He added that the fi nal decision vulnerable to trade tensions and urged governments to added in the coming period, as well as Cup projects, al-Jamal stressed that of transportation, in co-operation will be made clear in June during FIFA be “very careful.” the road projects that are completed the siege has become a success story with all the relevant authorities meeting, adding that the fi nal word in daily by the Public Works Authority for Qatar, adding that since the fi rst from the Ministry of Transport and this matter is for Qatar, which will take Investors and executives routinely say it’s hurt “Ashghal” throughout Qatar, were not hours of the blockade, the SC began to Communications, the Ministry of into account the interest of the state and business confidence and upended supply chains. to achieve at a fast pace without the communicate with the main contractors Municipality and Environment, its people and will implement the best Apple, Starbucks, Volkswagen and FedEx are among World Cup. The World Cup stadiums, in order to activate the emergency plans Ashghal, Hamad International Airport option. companies that cited a slowing Chinese economy in their outlooks. More than 400 publicly traded Chinese companies have warned on their earnings. American shoppers have been mostly insulated – so far – because inflation remains tame and the tariffs haven’t hit staples such as clothing, footwear and toys. 1,000 engineering leaders in Qatar That could change. A January report by Bank of America analysts said any escalation of the trade war “would be much more painful” for the US, triggering renewed By Dr César O Malavé as unique as Education City. Qatar, Tamuq faculty are investigating The best evidence of success for solutions to real-world problems. On market volatility and undermining investor confidence. this innovative education model is the horizon, we see emerging needs for China’s economic growth has been slowing in recent Tamuq’s graduates themselves. Their advances in agriculture, food security years, a weakness US officials sought to leverage in exas A&M University at Qatar employers praise their technical ability and smart manufacturing, among other their push for a trade agreement. But China’s economy will award its 1,000th engi- and professional skills, and industry topics. Our ability to adapt to new rebounded through the first quarter of 2019, offering the neering degree this week. We leaders recognise something more: priorities matches our commitment to government more room for manoeuvre. Tare proud of this milestone, Tamuq engineers live by the core values Qatar’s growth and development. but this achievement belongs to Qatar they learned as students: excellence, Texas A&M University at Qatar stands A key theme of Trump’s election campaign was itself. Please join us in celebrating 1,000 integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect ready to lead, eager to contribute, prepared “China’s gain is America’s loss.” Amid his outburst engineering leaders in Qatar. and selfl ess service. These values align to provide solutions for the challenges against cheap Chinese imports weighing on US jobs, and Through our partnership with Qatar Dr César O Malavé with a trend that is evident among our Qatar faces today and tomorrow. We with trade hawks in his team, protectionism sure will Foundation, Tamuq is educating world- students and alumni alike — a sense of draw from not only the know-how of our have its toll, on both sides. class engineers to meet growing demand and as of today, 967 engineering degrees duty, purpose and obligation to Qatar’s faculty and staff in Doha, but also from for technical expertise and human have been awarded. At graduation vitality and prosperity. Tamuq students experts on our main campus in Texas, Trump will want a deal that boosts the stock market, capital in a workforce that is diversifying Thursday evening, that number crosses are motivated not only by careers, but which is among the largest universities and to declare a political victory as he gears up to run as rapidly as it is expanding. This is the threshold of more than 1,000 by learning itself — and by an innate in the United States with almost 70,000 for re-election. But Xi will not want to be portrayed as important not only now, but also for the engineering degrees. This incredible sense of responsibility to maximise their students and more than 400 degree having surrendered. decades ahead as Qatar transforms its journey — and its innumerable success ability to serve something greater than programmes. As a public university, Make no mistake, in a globalised world, no country can economy through self-reliance. stories — would not be possible themselves. we support society through diverse ensure quality growth with inward-looking isolation I often say that every student should without Qatar Foundation’s devotion to Engineering is a patriotic profession knowledge, whether it be in agribusiness, want to become an engineer. Or as some education and diverse thought. in Qatar, and Qatar’s youth understand architecture, aerospace engineering or and restrictive trade protection. analysts have predicted, engineering Qatar Foundation is a global leader this at an early age. Innovative academic more. We do the same in Qatar. degrees are the liberal arts degrees of in promoting education. Its mantra, enrichment and outreach programs in As we end our 16th year in Qatar, we the future. Why? Because engineers Unlocking Human Potential, refl ects science, technology, engineering and look forward to many more ahead, and To Advertise are taught to solve problems. Engineers the reality that untapped human mathematics (STEM) are cultivating also to thousands more engineers who are inspired to think critically. And potential is a loss for humanity at interest in high-tech careers among will fulfi l Qatar’s national vision and [email protected] engineers have a broad base of large. This philosophy underlies the students in schools across the nation. lead its knowledge-based economy. Display knowledge that can support advanced multiversity concept of Education This community engagement represents I am confi dent that the value and education in an array of disciplines such City, which is unmatched worldwide. our dedication to developing the human contributions of our graduates will 44466621 44418811 as medicine, business or law. And, of Each of Qatar Foundation’s partner talent Qatar will rely upon in the decades increase in Qatar over time, and I course, engineers can have tremendous universities is among the best in the ahead. Our goal is to inspire young thank our stakeholders and steadfast Classified careers in the energy sector, military, degree programmes it off ers. And people to select educational pathways supporters for being part of this noble 44466609 44418811 government and beyond. although each institution is admired that will lead to fulfi lling careers in eff ort. Together, we are engineering For the past 16 years, Tamuq has and respected on its own, together we engineering, medicine and science. leaders in Qatar. Subscription been educating engineers with these are greater, stronger and more eff ective This education enterprise is enhanced possibilities in mind. Our fi rst classes at meeting the educational needs of by cutting-edge research that responds Dr César O Malavé is dean of Texas [email protected] began in Education City with 29 Qatar and the surrounding region. directly to national priorities and A&M University at Qatar and a world- students in September 2003. Since Our complementary expertise and challenges identifi ed by Qatar’s leaders. renowned engineering educator. He has then, our student population has grown interwoven teaching and learning result Thanks to Qatar National Research taught at Texas A&M University for © 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved to more than 500 engineering students, in opportunities available only in a place Fund and industry partners across more than 30 years. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 8, 2019 23 COMMENT Keeping US workers in the game

By Laura Tyson and Lenny Mendonca automation, incarceration, and opioid which gives every citizen access to Berkeley addiction. For example, according to individualised reskilling programmes, the OECD, opioid addiction is a factor and increases tax credits and other behind the decline of male labour- benefi ts as workers age. hough the unemployment force participation in the US. Indeed, In the US, policymakers at all levels rate and jobless claims are recent research suggests that the can help workers and businesses currently lower than at any increase in opioid prescription rates alike by providing tax credits for Tpoint since 1969, the US between 1999 and 2015 could account investments in employee training, economy is still facing labour-market for as much as 43% of the decline in expanding apprenticeships, and challenges that cannot be ignored. One the LFPR of prime working-age men. supporting innovative career- stands out: the long-term decline in The US labour-supply challenge advancement and training programs. the US labour-force participation rate is further complicated by rural- Current and future workers must be (LFPR) – a key factor in future growth. urban diff erences. As hosts to large equipped to gain the credentials and In the late 1960s, 97% of all prime institutional employers, cities tend to work experience they need in a rapidly working-age men (25-54) participated have lower unemployment, stronger changing occupational environment. in the labour force, but by 2018 population growth (particularly among In California, for example, their participation dropped to 89%, younger cohorts), and more educated Governor Gavin Newsom (whom driven by the decline in labour-force workforces. By contrast, in many small Lenny Mendonca advises) is participation of non-college educated towns and rural areas, populations developing a comprehensive men. Similarly, after steady gains, the are ageing, and in over half of all US strategy to upskill the state’s diverse participation rate for prime working- counties, the population is shrinking. workforce. The administration age women peaked at 77% in 1997, Between 1963 and 2017, the share of envisions a cradle-to-career stagnated until 2000, fell during the US workers with a college or graduate education system that will offer Great Recession, recovered somewhat degree rose from 12% to 39%, and two years of free community college after 2015, and was 75% in 2018. the share of those with a high-school and 500,000 “learn and earn” The trends in the United States diploma or less fell from 75% to 33%. apprenticeships by 2029. Newsom diff er from those in other advanced But the latter group suff ers from also intends to convene a new industrial economies. For example, higher rates of unemployment, lower commission on the future of work, using a broader age group (15-64), the LFPRs, and weaker earnings than their through which government, labour, male LFPR stabilised in Canada and the more educated counterparts. While and business leaders will consider United Kingdom after falling between the rural-urban gap in high-school solutions to the labour-supply 1990 and 2000, while it declined completion rates has narrowed, the A New York Department of City Administrative Services representative, left, speaks with job seekers during a Catalyst Career challenges discussed above. further in the US. In 2018, the US rate rural-urban gap in college completion Group job fair in New York, US, in this February 7, 2018 file photo. PICTURE: Caitlin Ochs/Bloomberg The issue is not just “the future of was 78%, while the rate in both Canada rates is growing. Moreover, in terms work,” but the future of people and and the UK stood at 82%. Trends in of both high-school and college time), the US labour supply would have metropolitan areas, the US could add 2017-2018 fi scal year, 10% of the US their livelihoods. Developing the skills the female LFPR also varied across graduation rates, Latino, African- 5.2mn additional workers. 3.5mn people to the labour supply. counties that experienced population needed for the twenty-fi rst-century countries. Using this broader measure American, Native American, and Likewise, closing education-based But this will require expanded growth did so because of immigration. labour market is the most eff ective way (15-64), the US female participation Alaska Native students lag far behind gaps could add another 10mn access to broadband connectivity Another requirement for meeting to foster growth, address inequities, rate peaked at 70% in 1997 and fell to Asian and white students. people to the US labour supply. The and aff ordable, technology-enabled future labour-market demands is and generate measurable prosperity for 67% by 2018. In sharp contrast, the Given these demographic unemployment rate for high-school education, as well as more career- reskilling. As automation becomes an all. – Project Syndicate female rates in both Canada and the diff erences, the Federal Reserve Bank of graduates is almost double that of advancement opportunities. One increasingly important component of UK have increased gradually since the Richmond estimates that by targeting college graduates. Yet, by 2025, two- proposal that deserves consideration is economic growth, workers employed Laura Tyson, a former chair of the 1990s, hitting peaks of 75% in Canada women, non-college educated thirds of all jobs will require education to use tax credits and other incentives in routine manual and cognitive US President’s Council of Economic and 73% in the UK in 2018. workers, and rural Americans, the US beyond high school. And, according to attract entrepreneurs and businesses jobs will become more vulnerable to Advisers, is a professor at the Haas The decline in labour-force could add more than 18mn people to to the Centre on Education and the to rural areas. displacement. School of Business at the University of participation is not spread equally the workforce. For example, if the US Workforce at Georgetown University, But increasing the LFPR will take the New social-insurance programmes California, Berkeley, a senior adviser across the US workforce. It varies raised its female LFPR to match that the US will already face a skilled-labour US only so far. President Donald Trump will be needed to help them acquire at the Rock Creek Group, and a senior not just by gender and age, but of Canada (where paid parental leave, shortage of 5mn workers by next year. might not like it, but America will need new skills, and existing benefi ts should external adviser to the McKinsey Global also by education and geography, aff ordable child care, and tax benefi ts/ Finally, by bringing the prime-age more legal immigration. The crucial be made portable to follow workers Institute. Lenny Mendonca is Chief refl ecting a variety of factors, credits for parents and caregivers all employment-to-population ratio role that immigrants will play in future from job to job. A good model is Economic and Business Adviser for the including macroeconomic conditions, make it easier for women to work full- in rural counties up to that of large US growth cannot be overstated. In the Singapore’s SkillsFuture programme, State of California.

A time for refl ection, sharing and compassion Three-day forecast TODAY Maximum Temperature : 410c By Ewa Polano Minimum Temperature : 300c Ambassador of Sweden THURSDAY Maximum Temperature : 360c wish all Qatari Friends and Minimum Temperature : 270c Muslims in Qatar – Ramadan FRIDAY Kareem! Ramadan is an Maximum Temperature : 360c Iimportant period of time for Minimum Temperature : 280c refl ection, sharing, compassion, Fisherman's forecast togetherness, family and, of course, faith, but also for discipline and WARNING showing your extra fi ne and good Inshore : Nil human qualities and skills in both Offshore : Expected strong wind work and your social environment. and high sea to the The messages during Ramadan on northeast at first peace, respect and tolerance are WEATHER among the most important ones. Inshore : Hot daytime with some All these values are also core values clouds at times Offshore : Scattered clouds in my religion, Christian Lutheranism, and other world religions, which WIND should unite us all globally. These Inshore : Northwesterly-North- easterly 05-15/19 KT shared, global values are important to Offshrore : Southwesterly-North- underline, instead of what we hear and westerly 05-15/22 KT see too much of these days, of cruel Visibility : 4 -8 KM acts of terrorism, severe confrontation Offshore : 2-4/7 FT and even diff erences within the big in their homes and mosques, and the as well as Qatar has proven to be in so Let me also take this opportunity, world religions. I wish Ramadan to Swedish supermarkets have Ramadan many other areas in their impressive not only to send my warm well wishes be a month of close and constructive off ers. The Muslims in Sweden are developments during the last years. of Ramadan Kareem to my dear Qatari dialogue between us all, calling for now more than 10% of the population. If I may add a small, but well- friends, but also to congratulate Qatar Around the region confl ict resolution and peace in the Most cities in Sweden have a mosque, meant comment, I would like to again for how well Qatar’s leadership Weather Mena region and globally. I also wish alongside our churches and other perhaps wish for a more moderate have handled the blockade, which Weather tomorrow Max/min Ramadan to focus on women’s highly religious sites, and the biggest mosque celebration of Ramadan, in order to looked as a crisis in the initial months in today Max/min Cloudy 30/18 relevant role in peace and security in in Scandinavia, in the city of Malmö promote the healthy life style that the summer 2017, but was then rapidly Baghdad Sunny 34/20 P Cloudy 38/26 the world, in which I genuinely believe. in southern Sweden, was partially I know both Qatar Foundation and turned into a well-used opportunity Kuwait CityM Cloudy 38/26 P Cloudy 35/27 I have spent many Ramadans fi nanced by Qatar and inaugurated HMC are energetically working on in and into a success story for Qatar. The Manama M Sunny 34/27 M Sunny 32/27 in various countries during my by a Vice Minister from Qatar in Qatar, and we should all try to refrain region and the world, including Sweden, Muscat M Sunny 33/27 M Sunny 30/19 diplomatic carrier – three years May 2017. In that same spirit it is from too excessive eating during this have been taken by surprise during the Tehran M Sunny 28/17 in Syria and Lebanon, fi ve years in good to learn about the plans Qatar month. However, this is of course very last years with the impressive Qatar Indonesia and also in Kuwait and is having, preparing for FIFA 2022 diffi cult to implement, since the Iftars diplomacy, the positive development of Iraq and this year, 2019, it is my fi fth and the Christian tourists coming and Suhoors in Doha are so full of its international relations, its changes Ramadan in Qatar. here in the holy month of December. tempting delicacies, but we could try of trade routes and the Qatari economy. In Sweden, Ramadan is celebrated I am convinced that Qatar will be and we could share more in the right Therefore – Mabruk Qatar, and again – vividly among the Muslim community, successful also in these preparations, and good spirit of Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem! Live issues Sunscreen ingredients end up in bloodstream Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens P Cloudy 21/12 P Cloudy 21/13 Manas Mishra lotion and cream, applied to 75% of limit is not known and needs to be scientist at the nonprofi t health Beirut P Cloudy 21/15 M Sunny 21/15 Reuters the body four times a day over four further studied, the research team and environmental advocacy group Bangkok Cloudy 38/28 Cloudy 37/28 days, with blood tests to determine the wrote in the Journal of the American Environmental Working Group, called Berlin M Cloudy 19/11 S Showers 19/09 maximum levels of certain chemicals Medical Association (JAMA). for thorough testing of sunscreen Cairo Sunny 27/14 Sunny 26/15 he active ingredients of absorbed into the bloodstream The results in no way suggest that ingredients. Cape Town Showers 16/13 P Cloudy 19/12 commonly-used sunscreens conducted over seven days. people should stop using sunscreen “For years the sunscreen chemical Colombo M Cloudy 31/27 P Cloudy 31/27 end up in the bloodstream The study found maximum plasma to protect against the sun’s harmful manufactures have resisted common Dhaka P Cloudy 38/27 P Cloudy 38/28 Tat much higher levels than levels of the chemicals it tested for – ultraviolet (UV) rays, researchers said. sense safety testing for their Hong Kong Showers 22/20 S Showers 23/21 current US guidelines from health avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene “The demonstration of systemic ingredients and now FDA is proposing Istanbul S Showers 14/09 M Sunny 18/13 regulators and warrant further safety and in one sunscreen ecamsule – to be absorption well above the FDA guideline that these common ingredients must Jakarta S T Storms 32/26 S T Storms 33/26 studies, according to a small study well above the level of 0.5 nanograms does not mean these ingredients undergo additional testing to stay on Karachi Sunny 32/26 P Cloudy 32/27 conducted by US Food and Drug per millilitre (ng/mL) at which FDA are unsafe,” Dr Robert Califf and Dr the market,” Andrews said. London Rain 16/09 S Showers 14/07 Administration researchers and guidelines call for further safety Kanade Shinkai said in an editorial that However, the Personal Care Manila T Storm 33/27 T Storm 32/27 published recently. testing. accompanied the study in JAMA. Products Council trade association Moscow Showers 23/11 S T Storms 26/16 The over-the-counter products For example, the maximum “The study fi ndings raise pointed out limitations of the study New Delhi Sunny 43/29 Sunny 43/29 originally marketed to prevent concentration of avobenzone was many important questions about and expressed concern that it may New York P Cloudy 18/11 Cloudy 13/12 sunburn with little regulation are found to be 4 ng/mL and 3.4 ng/mL for sunscreen and the process by which confuse consumers. Paris Rain 17/11 Showers 16/08 widely used to block radiation from two diff erent sprays, 4.3 ng/mL for a the sunscreen industry, clinicians, Sunscreens in the study were used Sao Paulo Cloudy 22/16 P Cloudy 24/17 the sun that can cause skin cancer, lotion and 1.8 ng/mL for the cream. specialty organisations, and regulatory at “twice the amount that would Seoul M Cloudy 21/09 M Cloudy 22/08 the most common malignancy in the Researchers did not name the agencies evaluate the benefi ts and be applied in what the scientifi c Singapore S T Storms 31/28 S T Storms 32/28 United States. products used in the study. risks of this topical OTC medication,” community considers real-world Sydney Cloudy 19/09 M Sunny 19/12 The study of 23 volunteers tested The eff ects of plasma they added. conditions,” said Alexandra Kowcz, the Tokyo Clear 23/10 Cloudy 23/13 four sunscreens, including sprays, concentrations exceeding the FDA’s David Andrews, a senior group’s chief scientist. Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, May 8, 2019 QATAR AAmirmir receivesreceives moremore RamadanRamadan wwell-wishersell-wishers