BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 World No. 1 Djokovic to start 2019 Qatar forex reserves rise season in 1.7% to reach $46.5bn in September: QNB Doha published in QATAR since 1978

FRIDAY Vol. XXXIX No. 11011 November 23, 2018 Rabia I 15, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Deputy Amir chairs QP Board of Directors meeting Father Amir visits traditional dhow festival

His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Petroleum (QP), presided over the company’s board of directors meeting held at the Amiri Diwan yesterday. The board reviewed QP’s workflow, future growth strategy and approved the 2019 budget. During the meeting, His Highness the Deputy Amir gave directions His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday evening visited the 8th Katara Traditional to name the QP district buildings in West Bay as ‘Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah District’ in recognition of the former Dhow Festival being held at Katara beach. His Highness the Father Amir toured various pavilions of the participating Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry’s role and contribution to the development of the energy countries and saw cultural and heritage events such as the handicrafts market, marine life and crafts, and watched sector in Qatar. some performances of traditional marine folklore arts. Page 16 In brief ‘CIA has recording QATAR | Diplomacy Amir greets Aoun on ‘Comprehensive’ Independence Day to prove MbS role in His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah Khashoggi killing’ bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday Qatar-EU aviation sent cables of congratulations to Lebanese President Michel Aoun zFrance to sanction 18 Saudi citizens over murder on the anniversary of his country’s zDenmark suspends sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia Independence Day. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Reuters Trump said the CIA had not de- Khalifa al-Thani also sent a similar pact in fi nal stage finitively concluded that the crown Istanbul cable Prime Minister-Designate Saad prince was responsible, and said al-Hariri. he would stand by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Baker thanks EU for support amid blockade Turkish newspaper reported leadership because it was a key US QATAR | Sport yesterday CIA director Gina ally. Schools to be closed AHaspel signalled to Turkish The French foreign ministry said atar Airways Group Chief Ex- single market area,” Qatar Airways said mies, and I have no doubt we will suc- offi cials last month that the agency yesterday that it would impose during 2022 World Cup ecutive Akbar al-Baker has yesterday. ceed,” he said. had a recording of a call in which sanctions against 18 Saudi citizens The Education Ministry will grant Qthanked the European Union During the visit, al-Baker held suc- “We appreciate the openness and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince gave over the killing of Khashoggi. students leave during the 2022 (EU) “for the fl exibility and support cessful one-to-one meetings with understanding demonstrated by the instructions to “silence” Saudi jour- “These measures... aim to pro- FIFA World Cup, HE the Minister of provided to the State of Qatar under MEPs Ramon Tremosa, Jose Ignacio EU. We also thank the EU for the fl exi- nalist Jamal Khashoggi. hibit these individuals from enter- Education and Higher Education the current blockade.” Salafranca and Ismail Ertug at the Eu- bility and support provided to the State Asked about the report, a Turk- ing national territory and the entire Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali In a meeting with infl uential Eu- ropean Parliament. of Qatar under the current blockade.” ish offi cial told Reuters he had no Schengen area” of Europe, the min- al-Hammadi has announced. ropean Parliament members and top Al-Baker also met with European During the evening, some 16 MEPs information about such a recording. istry said in a statement. The minister was speaking on decision-makers of the European Commissioner and Vice President “enjoyed a VIP dinner” with key note Saudi Arabia has said Crown Prince A report from Stockholm said the sidelines of an event on Commission this week in Brussels, al- Maros Sefcovic, and Henrik Hololei, speeches in the Presidential Salon at the Mohamed bin Salman (MbS) had no Denmark was suspending the ap- Wednesday to mark the launch Baker also expressed appreciation for Director General, Mobility and Trans- European Parliament, with “impres- prior knowledge of Khashoggi’s kill- proval of future weapons and mili- of the countdown to hosting the the support extended to the national port for the European Commission. sive” views over the city of Brussels. ing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul tary equipment sales to Saudi Ara- World Cup on November 21, 2022. airline by top decision-makers of the “The support extended to our coun- This visit comes at a time when Qa- six weeks ago. bia, citing the murder of Khashoggi The event was a festival hosted by world’s largest single market area. try and airline by top European deci- tar and the EU are close to completing When asked about the recording and the Gulf kingdom’s role in the Yarmouk Independent Preparatory “The aim of the series of meetings sion-makers is truly valued and appre- the fi nal stage of the EU-Qatar Com- by reporters in Florida, US Presi- Yemen confl ict. School for Boys to mark the and VIP dinner in the heart of Europe ciated,” al-Baker said. prehensive Air Transport Agreement, dent Donald Trump said: “I don’t Foreign Minister Anders Samu- occasion. Page 2 was to strengthen the already robust “We come here today in the spirit which has off ered Qatar and Qatar Air- want to talk about it. You’ll have elsen said the decision also includ- relationships that the airline enjoys of pursuing enhanced aviation oppor- ways an “excellent platform to engage to ask them.” The CIA declined to ed so-called dual-use equipment, QATAR | Weather with key MEPs and to demonstrate tunities for our industries and busi- in candid discussions” with its Euro- comment when asked about the re- referring to civilian material that Qatar Airways’ commitment to the nesses, more options for travellers, and pean partners on the potential growth port. may have military applications Thundery rain likely European Union, the world’s largest long-term prosperity for our econo- and future co-operation between the “There is talk of another record- “and can be used to violate human on Sunday and Monday two parties. ing,” Hurriyet newspaper journalist rights,” a Foreign Ministry state- There is a chance of scattered With 617 weekly fl ights to Europe, Abdulkadir Selvi wrote in a column, ment said. thundery rain – moderate to heavy Qatar Airways fl ies an average of saying the purported call took place Meanwhile, Crown Prince Mo- – especially on Sunday and Monday, 91,000 passengers a week to more than between Prince Mohamed and his hamed bin Salman arrived in the associated with strong wind at times 50 key cities in the region. brother, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador United Arab Emirates yesterday at and low visibility, the Met off ice said Over the last 18 months, the airline to Washington. the start of a tour of several Arab yesterday. The rain forecast is based has further enhanced this by launch- “It is being said that CIA chief countries since the murder of jour- on expectations of the country being ing 15 new routes to Europe, including Gina Haspel indicated this during nalist Jamal Khashoggi. aff ected by a state of atmospheric Nice, Dublin, Malaga, Prague and Lon- her visit to Turkey,” he wrote, adding The prince, the country’s de facto instability due to the extension don Gatwick. that they had discussed Khashoggi, a ruler, is also expected to participate of low pressure from tomorrow Further route launches are planned critic of the kingdom’s de facto ruler. in a G20 meeting in Buenos Aires at until Tuesday. The prevailing wind in the next year including Lisbon and “It is being said the crown the end of the month which will be will be mainly Northeasterly to Valletta, which will take the total prince gave orders to ‘silence Jamal attended by leaders from the United Southeasterly, between 10-20 number of destinations in Europe up Khashoggi as soon as possible’,” in a States, Turkey and European coun- knots reaching 40 knots during to 56. call which was monitored by the US tries. thunderstorms. The wave height Qatar Airways launched its opera- agency, he said. King Salman asked his chosen is expected to range between tions to Brussels in January 2011 with Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi heir, known in the West as MbS, 3-5ft, rising to 15ft at times during five-times weekly service. This was consulate in Istanbul on October 2 in to conduct the tour “based on his thunderstorms. “Therefore all are increased to a daily service in Feb- an operation that Turkey’s President keenness to deepen the kingdom’s urged to be cautious, avoid marine ruary 2013 and increased again to an Tayyip Erdogan has said was ordered ties regionally and internation- activities and follow latest updates Al-Baker (second left) is seen with European Parliament members and top eight-times-weekly-service in De- by the highest level of Saudi leader- ally”, the Saudi Press Agency re- through daily weather forecast. decision-makers of the European Commission in Brussels. cember 2015. ship. ported.

Hats off to Qatar, says BP worker who helped introduce football to the Middle East

By Anthony Harwood But it wasn’t long before they “For me it’s quite incredible what Qatar has achieved. The Qataris found the game of foot- London Correspondent were watching the ‘strange specta- ball an odd but amusing sight. cle’ of UK oil exploration workers An astonishing development and I would say full “We had no idea of sports like that, and their Indian colleagues kicking a marks to the Qataris for their achievement in getting but we used to enjoy watching the British oil engineer who helped ball about in the desert using sacks that massive development of their country” strange spectacle,” recalled Ibrahim al- introduce football to the Middle as goals. Muhannadi, a government offi cial and AEast has spoken of his pride that At the time Qatar was still a quite “To start with it was mainly Indian play the most because they were shift member of the Qatar Olympic Com- 70 years later Qatar is on the brink of a sparse country with not even a road workers playing with a few of the Brit- workers as opposed to many of the mittee. hosting the fi rst World Cup in the re- linking the oil fi eld at Dukhan with the ish production engineers who would British who were working fl at out to get Before Qatar, Tom was based in gion. capital, Doha. teach them the rules,” said Tom, from the oil production going. Kirkuk, Iraq, where he played in the When former BP worker Tom Clay- Local tribesmen would be called Wimbledon, South West London. But over the years, as more Brits ar- inside left position in a team of oil ton, 92, fi rst arrived in Qatar in 1948 upon to help with drilling operations “One of my diary entries just reads: rived, football became a much bigger workers. Before that it was also Brit- the local population had hardly even being carried out by the Iraq Petroleum ‘The Brits won!’” part of camp life with cup competi- ish riggers who had introduced Iran to Tom Clayton, 92, now lives in Wimble- seen soccer being played. Company. The Indian clerical staff were able to tions and leagues established. football in the 1920s. Page 2 don, South West London. Gulf Times 2 Friday, November 23, 2018 QATAR Minister: No classes for students during 2022 World Cup

QNA tar’s students are waiting for tional event not only for Qatar HE al-Hammadi stressed the Doha all Arab 2022 World Cup” – but also for other Arab countries readiness of the ministry to har- was held under the auspices of and the rest of the world. ness all its resources to make this the Ministry of Education and He said that the festival raises tournament the best in the world he Education Ministry Higher Education in co-oper- awareness about the importance of football, refl ecting Qatar’s will grant students leave ation with the Supreme Com- of the 2022 World Cup and the leadership and excellence in or- Tduring the 2022 FIFA mittee for Delivery and Legacy requirements for its success in ganising international sporting World Cup, HE the Minister of and the Qatar Stars League the educational fi eld and the events. Education and Higher Education Foundation. community. He called for concerted insti- Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali It was attended by a number The Minister praised the con- tutional and community eff orts al-Hammadi has announced. of offi cials, artists, athletes, tribution of this festival in cre- for the success of the World Cup, The minister was speaking present and former players and ating the media momentum in stressing that the 21 of Novem- on the sidelines of an event on professionals in the QNB Stars support of the World Cup in the ber will be a milestone in the his- Wednesday to mark the launch League, Qatar University and educational environment, espe- tory of Qatar. of the countdown to hosting Aspire Zone. cially as students represent a so- The Minister called for the the World Cup on 21 November Speaking on the occasion, the cial sector that is infl uential and organisation of this event an- 2022. Education Minister pointed out interactive. nually with the participation of HE al-Hammadi was taking that November 21 this year marks He appreciated the role of students of Qatar’s schools until part in a festival hosted by Yar- the start of the countdown to the school administrations in facili- the start of the 2022 Qatar World mouk Independent Preparatory Qatar World Cup which will be- tating the participation of stu- Cup. School For Boys to mark the oc- gin on 21 November, 2022. dents in the activities of the fes- More than 30 schools and 400 casion. The minister described the tival and achieving its goals and students participated in the fes- Higher Education Dr Mohamed Abdul Wahed Ali al-Hammadi speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the The festival – titled “Qa- 2022 World Cup as an excep- objectives. tival. festival on Wednesday.

OFFICIAL Culture minister meets UK envoy Hassad Food

enhances local Qatar-Italy military ties reviewed

Commander of Qatar’s Amiri vegetable output Land Forces Major General Mohamed bin Ali al-Ghanim has met the Commander of the Italian By Ramesh Mathew green fodder has reached 8mn ground forces General Salvatore Staff Reporter sqm. Farina. Similarly, there has been con- During the meeting, they siderable rise in Hassad Food’s discussed the military relations HE the Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali met UK’s ambassador to assad Food, an invest- dates production. Through a between Qatar and Italy Qatar, Ajay Sharma, yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed enhancing co-operation between ment arm of the Qatar programme to support the coun- and ways of promoting and Qatar and the UK in the cultural and sports fields. HInvestment Authority try’s farmers in co-ordination developing them. (QIA), with a primary focus with the Ministry of Municipal- After the meeting, General on the field of agriculture, has ity and Environment, now the Salvatore Farina visited the enhanced its local vegetable company produces nearly 3,000 stimulation centre and its production capacities consid- tonnes of dates, against 2,200 departments. He was also briefed erably since the beginning of prior to the blockade. on the latest military equipment the blockade, a senior official The company official also owned by the Qatar’s Amiri Land Ooredoo announces new Unlimited said. informed that chicken produc- Forces. “Hassad Food has increased tion from the Arab Qatari Com- production by nearly one-third pany for Poultry Production Qatar attends Nato Mobile Broadband Packs from the previous levels since would reach almost 16mn units Parliamentary the blockade on Qatar began in Mubarak al-Sahouti annually. 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From Page 1 Qatar, but also the game of golf. It wasn’t long before football Now the father-of-two, who Tom recalled: “There was no was taking off across the coun- went on to work for BP before re- grass. We carried a square of arti- try. This led to the Qatar Foot- tiring in 1986, can’t quite believe fi cial grass and wherever the ball ball Association being set in 1960 that the country where he rubbed landed in the sand you put down and the country’s national asso- shoulder with local Bedouin your grass and played off that. I’d ciation was recognised by FIFA a tribesmen is now the richest in brought an old pair of clubs with decade later in 1970. the world per capita. me from Iraq.” Hassan al-Thawadi, Secretary Speaking four years before the BP records show that from 1951 General of the Supreme Com- fi rst ball is kicked at the start of to 1953 the British and Indian mittee said: ‘In four years’ time the 2022 tournament, he said: employees of Petroleum Devel- 1.5mn fans will descend on Qatar “For me it’s quite incredible what opment (Qatar) Ltd were playing from every corner of the globe Qatar has achieved. An astonish- regular competitions. and billions more will tune in on ing development and I would say The winners were presented their TVs, smartphones and tab- full marks to the Qataris for their with their trophy by George He- lets to watch 28 days of football. achievement in getting that mas- seldin, the company’s general “It will be a momentous oc- sive development of their country. manager, who fi nanced the fi rst casion for the teams participat- “I think it’s incredible that league matches. His daughter, ing, the fans watching and for the they’ve come so far so quickly. I Diana Rahme, said: “It started out whole Arab world, which is eagerly News published in Iraq Petro- really do take my hat off to them.” with people being bored, having anticipating hosting the showpiece leum Company staff magazine It wasn’t only football which nothing to do and having a foot- event of the most popular sport in about a tournament played in Petroleum Development (Qatar) PD Q Football Team in 1951 (Courtesy: Iraq Petroleum Company staff the British oil workers brought to ball and kicking it round a fi eld.” the world for the fi rst time ever.” 1951 magazine) Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 3 QATAR/REGION/ARAB WORLD Experts cast doubt on upcoming Bahrain elections

AFP been hit by ongoing unrest try’s Shia population. “The subse- since the 2011 crackdown, de- safely. King Hamad in Septem- ments released by Bahrain’s pub- seat lower house has the authority Dubai since 2011, when security forces quent outlawing of Al Wefaq, and nouncing the vote as a “farce”. A ber urged voters to take part in lic prosecutor. One of the six was to examine and pass legislation crushed Shia-led protests de- of the relatively liberal, cross-sect, court banned Al Wefaq in 2016 for the vote, in which offi cials say Ali Rashed al-Asheeri, a former proposed by the king or cabinet. manding a constitutional mon- Waad trend, has merely underlined “harbouring terrorism”, inciting 293 people are running for par- member of parliament with Al However, the upper chamber, or ahrainis head to the polls archy and an elected prime min- the meaninglessness of Bahraini violence and encouraging dem- liament. A municipal poll coin- Wefaq, according to the London- Consultative Council, appointed tomorrow, but experts have ister. The Sunni-ruled country of elections,” he told AFP. onstrations which threatened to cides with the parliamentary vote. based Bahrain Institute for Rights by the king, has the power to block Bquestioned the value of a around 1.4mn people has a major- “Elections can still serve as spark sectarian strife. Since 2011, authorities have im- and Democracy. Asheeri had legislation passed by the lower parliamentary election in which ity Shia population, according to a prestige vehicle for individu- Bahrain, an ally of the United prisoned hundreds of dissidents tweeted that he and his family house. Jane Kinninmont, an ana- dissolved opposition groups have unoffi cial estimates contested by als seeking to present themselves States and home to the US Fifth – including top Shia opposition would boycott the polls. lyst specialising in Gulf politics, been banned from taking part. the government. as representative of the wider Fleet, regularly accuses Iran of leader Sheikh Ali Salman, who Al Wefaq called for a boycott said many citizens will either The country’s two main opposi- Neil Partrick, a specialist in Gulf national community, however provoking unrest in the kingdom, headed Al Wefaq – and stripped of this year’s parliamentary poll boycott or “simply not bother tion groups, the Shia Al Wefaq and Arab politics, said Bahrain’s elec- they have no political or practical which Tehran denies. Bahrain’s many of their nationality. after a law issued in June barred to vote” in this year’s elections. secular Waad, were barred from tions “have lost all practical and substance regardless of whether interior ministry said in a state- At least six people were de- “leaders and members of political “The elections will not change fi elding candidates, prompting political meaning” since the 2010 boycotts are called for or adhered ment Wednesday that authori- tained and charged this month associations dissolved for violat- much as almost all the opposition renewed calls for a boycott. boycott by Al Wefaq -- the main to.” Opposition parties shunned ties had “taken all required steps” for “obstructing the electoral ing the kingdom’s constitution or parties are now banned and their The tiny Gulf kingdom has movement representing the coun- the last elections in 2014, the fi rst to make sure the vote passes off process”, according to state- its laws” from standing. The 40- leaders in jail,” she told AFP. Free my husband, UN envoy pushes for pleads wife of UK academic Yemen peace talks jailed in UAE AFP Griffi ths and Yemeni rebel draft resolution urging an imme- Sanaa chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi diate truce in Hodeida. during their meeting addressed The draft, circulated to the Reuters “what can facilitate new discus- 14 other council members, and London United Nations envoy met sions in December”, rebel spokes- seen by AFP, sets a two-week Yemen’s rebel chief yes- man Mohammed Abdelsalam deadline for the warring sides to Aterday to nail down details said on Twitter. Abdelsalam said remove all barriers to humani- he wife of a British aca- of peace talks expected in De- that included “procedures need- tarian aid. It also calls for a large demic who was jailed by cember, a day before a planned ed to transport injured and sick injection of foreign cash to sup- Ta UAE court on spying visit to the battleground port city for treatment abroad and bring port Yemen’s collapsing currency charges called on the Emirati of Hodeida. Martin Griffi ths, them back”, a key sticking point and for salaries of civil servants, authorities yesterday to review who arrived in the rebel-held during a previous failed attempt teachers, and health workers to her husband’s life sentence and capital Sanaa on Wednesday, is at talks in September. be paid within a month. The cur- set him free. Matthew Hedges, pushing for negotiations early Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, rent peace push by Griffi ths is the 31, was sentenced to life in next month in Sweden to help head of the rebels’ Higher Revo- biggest eff ort in two years to end prison on charges of spying Daniela Tejada halt years of confl ict that have lutionary Committee and an in- the war. for the British government on left Yemen facing famine. fl uential political fi gure, said the In September, a previous Wednesday in a move described search visit. The evidence pre- The diplomat’s visit to Hodei- rebels were ready for peace. “We round of UN-led peace talks fal- as deeply disappointing by sented against him consisted da today is aimed at encouraging support peace. We are ready for tered when the Houthis refused Prime Minister Theresa May. of notes from his dissertation Houthi rebels and government peace if that is what they (the to travel to Geneva, accusing the “Matt is innocent,” Hedges’ research, his family said. forces backed by a Saudi-led co- Saudi-led coalition) want,” he world body of failing to guaran- wife Daniela Tejada told Reu- A life sentence for a non- alition to tamp down hostilities told reporters after also meet- tee their delegation’s return to ters. “Handing a life sentence Emirati entails a maximum of ahead of the talks in Stockholm, ing Griffi ths yesterday. “I do not Sanaa or secure the evacuation of to an innocent researcher who 25 years in jail and is followed a UN source said. The confl ict think anyone can doubt our de- wounded rebels to Oman. held the UAE in high regard by deportation, according to in Yemen, which escalated when sire for peace,” he said. Previous talks broke down in speaks volumes about their state-run media. the Saudi-led alliance intervened United States Defence Sec- 2016, when 108 days of nego- lack of tolerance and respect for British Foreign Secretary in 2015, has killed thousands and retary Jim Mattis confi rmed on tiations in Kuwait failed to yield human life.” “They must review Hunt has said the handling of sparked what the United Nations Wednesday peace discussions a deal and left rebel delegates their sentence and release my the case by Emirati authorities has called the world’s worst hu- between the Houthis and the stranded in Oman for three husband who has already had would have repercussions on manitarian crisis. internationally-recognised gov- Martin Griff iths months. A UN panel of experts more than six months taken relations between the old allies UN agencies say up to 14mn ernment look set for “very, very has accused both the Houthis away from us,” Tejada said. and urged them to reconsider Yemenis would be at risk of early” in December. He said Sau- Mattis last month made a sur- weapons, as well as intelligence and the Saudi-led coalition of She later met Foreign Sec- their decision. The UAE said starvation if fi ghting closes the di Arabia and United Arab Emir- prise call for a ceasefi re in Yemen support, to the Saudi-led coali- acts that could amount to war retary Jeremy Hunt and told both sides were looking for a port of Hodeida, through which ates were “fully on board”. and urged warring parties to en- tion backing Hadi, but recently crimes. reporters afterwards: “He has solution. nearly all of the country’s im- Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Min- ter negotiations within the next ended its refuelling support for According to the World Health assured me that he and his team “The UAE is determined to ports and humanitarian aid pass. ister Khalid al-Jarallah said that 30 days. Saudi warplanes. The murder Organisation, nearly 10,000 are doing everything in their protect its important strategic Both sides have in the past week the talks may happen on De- The UN has now pushed that of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in people have been killed in the power to get Matt free and re- relationship with a key ally,” its expressed support for the envoy’s cember 3. He added his coun- deadline back to the end of the Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate confl ict, though some rights turn him home to me.” statement said. “Offi cials from mission to hold discussions, but try– which is currently a non- year. Mattis’ latest comments has increased scrutiny of West- groups estimate the toll could The doctoral student at Dur- both countries have discussed military offi cials have said that permanent UN Security Council came as the US State Department ern support for the coalition, and be fi ve times higher. The World ham University has been held the matter regularly over recent intermittent clashes continued member – will off er “logistical said talks must not be delayed ramped up pressure on Riyadh. Food Programme says up to 14mn since May 5, when he was ar- months. Both sides hope to fi nd to erupt in the Red Sea city of support” at Sweden’s request, any longer. The United States has On Monday, Britain present- Yemenis are at risk of starvation, rested at Dubai International an amicable solution to the Hodeida. but did not give any more details. been providing bombs and other ed to the UN Security Council a and 18-19mn are “food insecure”. Airport after a two-week re- Matthew Hedges case.”

Health Ministry showcases analytical methods for food safety

The Ministry of Public Health in the local market according The ministry is keen to support Egypt reveals it is holding held a presentation on its role in to the specifications approved CFL with the latest equipment, food control and explained many regionally and internationally. It technical and specialised staff to aspects of the technical and also involves co-operation with reach the best results in the field supervisory work carried out by off icials in food establishments of food analysis. the employees. The presentation to follow maximum preventive The laboratories have achieved daughter of political leader was held at an interactive event measures at all stages of the significant success in the de- organised by Qatar National food chain, from production to velopment of several methods, Library (QNL) on whether food trade to ensure safe access to including the eff iciency of an Reuters security forces had conducted a authorities”. Her daughters were to bring her medicine with her includes chemicals. food with an emphasis on moni- analytical method to estimate Cairo mass arrest campaign, rounding “shocked to fi nd that Hoda, a 60- when she was detained. The ministry also presented the toring compliance with health the residues of 372 pesticides in up at least 40 political activists, year old mother and grandmoth- The six people will now be held development mechanisms that requirements and preventing vegetables and fruits using high lawyers and human rights work- er, was in a dire health condition in custody for the next 15 days. the Food Safety and Environ- violations that aff ect the public performance Liquid Chromatog- gypt revealed yesterday ers since late October. with clear signs of weight loss, After that, they could either be mental Health department seek health, she said. raphy. In addition to the method that it was holding the Security forces carrying out psychological trauma, severe held longer or released. to achieve in line with Qatar’s She added that CFL attracts of estimating the residues of vet- Edaughter of Muslim Broth- the arrests presented no war- signs of instability and shock,” The Brotherhood, a decades- national strategies in the field of considerable international and erinary medicines and detecting erhood leader Khairat al-Shater rants, and families were not told the statement said. “She couldn’t old political movement with a food health and safety. local trust, having received the contamination of animal food and fi ve other people, three where the detainees were being give a reason for her condition to mass following, won the fi rst Head of the Central Food several advanced rankings in the with meat residues using the lat- weeks after family members say held, the New York-based rights her family members.” The interi- free elections after the 2011 up- Laboratory (CFL) at the ministry Food and Environment Research est technical analytical methods they disappeared in a new gov- watchdog said. or ministry was not immediately rising that ended autocrat Hosni Najat Ali Al Abd al-Malek said Agency laboratory performance in the fields. ernment crackdown. The state Among the others whose de- available to comment. Mubarak’s 30-year rule, but was the ministry in co-operation with assessment programmes in the These methods have been security prosecutor ordered Ai- tentions were revealed yesterday Abd al-Moneim’s daughter toppled by the army after a year the concerned authorities plays UK and was among the top 15 of adopted internationally by the sha al-Shater and the other fi ve along with Shater was Hoda Abd Gihad Badawy told Reuters earli- in power. Since then, the group a key role in implementing the 100 laboratories involved in the American laboratory accredita- to be held for 15 days pending an al-Moneim, a 60-year-old law- er this month that security forces has been banned and hundreds highest standards of food safety evaluation programmes, she said. tion authority. — QNA investigation on charges includ- yer and Brotherhood member. took her mother away without of its followers have been jailed. ing membership in a ‘terrorist’ Her family said in a statement presenting an arrest warrant, and The Brotherhood says it is a non- organisation, state news agency they saw her early yesterday at that the family had no idea where violent movement and denies Mena said. the state security prosecution she was being held. The lawyer any relationship to violent insur- Human Rights Watch said on offi ce “after 21 days of enforced had previously had a blood clot gencies waged by Al Qaeda and Selfie time Sunday that Egyptian police and disappearance by the Egyptian in her leg but was not allowed Islamic State militants.

Thousands of state workers protest wages in Tunisia

Thousands of Tunisian state work- General Labour Union yesterday. concerns about what he called ailing economy. Tunisia is widely ers yesterday staged a nationwide The protests were in response to a “absence of national sovereignty.” seen as the sole democratic suc- general strike, protesting against one-day nationwide walk-out called Earlier, Taboubi warned of what cess story of the 2010-11 Arab price hikes and the government’s by the union after the collapse of he called a “revolution of empty Spring uprisings. The country has freeze of wage increases amid negotiations with the government stomachs” in Tunisia. Hamma been in the grip of an economic economic woes. Demonstrators to increase their wages. Hammami, a senior leader in the slowdown resulting from the rallied outside the parliament in No violence was reported during opposition Popular Front Party, unrest that followed the revolt – the centre of the capital Tunis and the strikes staged by employees blamed the government and the which toppled long-time dictator raised placards demanding higher of ministries, municipalities, educa- parliament for the country’s crisis. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali – and ensu- wages, the fight against corruption tional institutions and healthcare “Although there are about 670,000 ing attacks by militant insurgents. and the “independence of national facilities. state employees, the country is still The incumbent government says decisions.” Schools and universities were suff ering from a shortage of em- its top priorities include cutting its In recent months, Tunisia has been closed as a result. Head of the ployees in several sectors, mainly budget deficit, which reached 6.2% under pressure from international General Labour Union, Nourredine education,” Hammami told DPA as of the gross domestic product lenders, mainly the International Taboubi, warned of unspecified he joined the protest in front of the last year, and rejuvenating the Monetary Fund (IMF), to take escalation steps if state employees’ parliament. There was no immedi- economy. drastic measures in order to living standards are not improved. ate off icial comment. However, the General Labour revamp its economy. Elsewhere in “Wages no longer provide a decent In December 2016, Tunisia reached Union accuses the government Tunisia, thousands of public sector life for Tunisian families,” Taboubi an agreement with the IMF for of failing to curb soaring prices of Palestinian woman Fatma Abu Musabbeh uses her mobile phone to take a selfie on a beach in employees also gathered outside said, according to Tunisia’s off icial a loan of about $2.8bn aimed at essential goods, which has been the central Gaza Strip. the branches of the influential news agency TAP. He expressed healing the North African country’s blamed on monopolies. Gulf Times 4 Friday, November 23, 2018 AFRICA DR Congo vote campaign starts, opposition divided

DPA Kinshasa

ampaigning for Congo’s long-overdue elections Ckicked off yesterday, de- spite a divided opposition, an Eb- ola outbreak in the east, and con- cerns over new voting machines. The elections, being held on De- cember 23, have been delayed for two years by President Joseph Ka- bila and will be a test for the trou- bled country — which has never seen a peaceful transfer of power. Despite expectations that Kabila would try to run again, his party is fi elding a new candidate, former interior minister Emmanuel Ram- azani Shadary. Yesterday morning, the streets of the capital Kinshasa were crowded with Kabila supporters, some carrying effi gies of Shadary. Shadary is predicted to win, with the country’s multiple oppo- sition parties plagued by infi ght- ing over which joint candidate to fi eld. After negotiations in Geneva, six top opposition fi gures chose little- known Martin Fayulu as their joint candidate earlier this month. Just days later, however, two opposition parties reneged on the agreement, saying Fayulu would be unable to win. Prominent opposition leader Supporters of Democratic Republic of Congo joint opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu sing and dance yesterday ahead of his arrival in Felix Tshisekedi withdrew his sup- Kinshasa to launch his campaign. port, while the Union for the Con- golese Nation (UNC) also asked its planning to consult with Kamhere whole world, the best opposition here were meeting in Brussels this been barred from running, includ- leader, Vital Kamhere, to withdraw to decide which name to put for- candidate is in our camp,” UNC weekend to choose who that will ing former warlord Jean-Pierre from the agreement. ward for Fayulu’s replacement. spokesman Sele Yemba told DPA, be. Bemba and ex-Kabila ally Moise Tshisekedi told DPA he was “We are going to surprise the adding that Tshisekedi and Kam- Several opposition leaders have Katumbi.

Eight killed as gunmen attack SA mine strike turns violent

French drilling camp in Niger AFP hospital with gunshot wounds and stab Johannesburg wounds.” The National Union of Mineworkers AFP Foraco, based near the southern French (NUM) said the dead man, who was a un- Paris city of Marseille, said the site had been cho- outh Africa’s largest gold producer, ion member, was attacked on a bus taking sen in conjunction with the Niger armed Sibanye-Stillwater, said yesterday workers to the Beatrix mine in Welkom, forces escort protecting the workers. Sone of its employees was shot dead Free State province. even employees of a French mineral and The company did not identify the attack- in a violent strike that shuttered all three “Attackers started by closing the secu- water drilling fi rm and a local offi cial ers, but Toumour was the site of a fi erce fi re- of its mines. rity gates, throwing stones at the bus,” an Swere killed yesterday morning when fi ght in September 2016 between the military Called by the Association of Mine- NUM statement said. “One of our mem- gunmen attacked their site in southeastern and Boko Haram jihadists which left 38 of the workers and Construction Un- bers was shot and killed and others sus- Niger, the company said. insurgents dead. ion (AMCU), the strike began late on tained serious injuries.” “A group of terrorists attacked the building “We know that Boko Haram is active in Wednesday, shutting down all of Siban- South Africa has a history of mining where a team of Foraco drillers and techni- the region but for now we’ve had no claim ye’s mines which employ some 32,000 strikes, with the 2014-15 labour dispute cians were resting in the village of Toumour, of responsibility, neither offi cial or unoffi - people, in the latest test for the country’s in the platinum sector causing severe in southeastern Niger,” the company said in a cial,” Thierry Merle, Foraco’s vice president struggling mining sector. damage to the industry. statement. in charge of Europe and the Middle East, told “There has been quite a lot of violence “Our members are prepared to (strike) “The assailants opened fi re on the sleeping AFP. and intimidation. It is a charged environ- in order to achieve a living wage in this personnel and killed eight people,” it said, add- “We’ve been operating in Niger for 20 ment and emotions are (running) high,” sector,” AMCU president Joseph Math- ing that fi ve others were wounded, two seriously. years, and at this site since a month ago,” Sibanye spokesman James Wellsted told unjwa told local media. The victims, all Nigerien, were drilling two Merle said. AFP. The South African Minerals Council, water wells to supply a camp for displaced “We hadn’t received any threat in particu- “One of our employees was killed dur- which represents mine owners, esti- people at a refugee camp at Toumour, near lar,” he added, and the company had not pre- ing the night. There have been a number mates profi table gold reserves could be the borders with Chad and Nigeria. viously suff ered similar attacks. of other injuries, including workers in exhausted as soon as 2033.

Uganda rebels fi re Heritage walk on UN helicopter in eastern Congo

AFP Kinshasa

gandan rebels yesterday fi red on a UN heli- copter in an attack in the volatile east of DR UCongo, though there were no victims, UN sources said. “One of our helicopters was fi red on in Semuliki valley by rebels — we reacted in legitimate defence,” French General Bernard Commins, deputy head of the MONUSCO UN peacekeeping force told AFP. “The aircraft was able to land without problems but it had been hit,” added Commins. The attack came in the eastern region of Beni, where last week eight UN peacekeepers died in a clash with Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan mil- Traditional Ivory Coast chiefs visit the Civilisation Museum of Abidjan yesterday. itant group blamed for bloody attacks on civilians. The region is rich in coltan, a mineral which when refi ned is a key element in electronic devices. The Islamist-rooted ADF, active in eastern Demo- Kenyan priest killed in fighting between Cameroon army, separatists cratic Republic of Congo since 1995, killed 15 peace- keepers in an attack in November last year at Semuliki Kenyan priest working in Cam- der to get at security forces, who were that they wished to secede and form a near the Ugandan border. eroon’s troubled South-West fi ghting from their armoured vehicles, new country called Ambazonia. In the worst skirmish since then, last week’s attack ARegion has been killed in cross- he said. English speakers in Cameroon have saw eight killed and 12 injured while 12 DRC soldiers fi re between separatists and govern- Aside from the priest, a soldier was long complained of being treated like backing the UN force also died. ment forces, an offi cial told DPA yes- shot in the eye during the exchange of second-class citizens and getting less The group, forced out of Uganda as they oppose terday. gunfi re and is now receiving treatment government funding. President Yoweri Museveni, live in the jungle and “Some villagers say he was shot by in hospital. This year, deadly violence marked by operate in the border area in the DRC’s North Kivu the gendarmes. Others say he was shot “It’s diffi cult to know whether the indiscriminate killings and mass dis- province. by separatists. We are still investigat- separatists incurred any casualties placement has been escalating in the The ADF is led by Jamil Mukulu, a Christian turned ing,” Divisional Offi cer of Eyumojock, since they strike and run back into the English-speaking regions, according to Muslim. Moloka Egbe, said. forests,” Egbe said. human rights group Amnesty Interna- The group has yet to launch large-scale attacks in- The gendarmerie is a paramilitary Cameroon, a former French colony in tional. side Uganda but is blamed for the deaths of hundreds force responsible for both law enforce- West Africa, has been troubled by un- Over the past few months, armed of civilians since late 2014. ment and national security. rest since its two main English-speak- separatists have stabbed and shot mili- MONUSCO has around 17,000 members, making it During the fi ghting in Kembong vil- ing areas, the North-West Region and tary personnel, burned down schools one of the UN’s biggest peacekeeping operations. lage, separatists climbed trees in or- South-West Region, announced in 2016 and attacked teachers. Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 5 AMERICAS

President threatens govt shutdown over border security Trump picks a fi ght

Reuters US Defence Secretary Jim Palm Beach, Florida Mattis said on Wednesday that he had been granted authority to allow troops on the Mexican S President Donald border greater powers to help with US chief justice Trump has warned that protect border offi cials, and Uthere could be a gov- would await direction from the Reuters have ‘Obama judges’, and they by people who know nothing ernment shutdown next month Department of Homeland Se- Washington have a much diff erent point of about security and the safety of over security on the border curity. view than the people who are our citizens, is putting our coun- with Mexico, suggesting he Mattis said that troops could charged with the safety of our try in great danger. Not good!” could hold up negotiations if help protect the border agents S Chief Justice John Rob- country.” Judges in that region have also no more money is provided for with shields and batons, but erts has defended the in- It is unusual for a US chief jus- blocked construction of the Key- a wall between the two coun- would be unarmed. Udependence of the federal tice, who presides over the nine- stone XL pipeline project that tries. Two US offi cials, speaking judiciary a day after President member US Supreme Court, to Trump has championed, and his “Could there be a shut on the condition of anonym- Donald Trump called a judge who issue such a statement in re- administration’s eff ort to restrict down? There certainly could ity, told Reuters this week that ruled against his policy barring sponse to a president. the military service of transgen- and it will be about border se- a memo signed by White House asylum for certain immigrants The US Constitution estab- der troops. curity, of which the wall is a Chief of Staff John Kelly gave an “Obama judge”, but Trump lished the federal judiciary as a Trump last year referred to part,” Trump told reporters in Mattis the authority to protect rejected the rebuke, chided Rob- co-equal branch of government a jurist who ruled against him Palm Beach, Florida. immigration agents and if nec- erts and launched a new round of with the executive and legisla- on his travel ban as a “so-called Trump also said that he had essary, could include actions attacks. tive branches as part of a system judge”. given the military the authori- like use of lethal force, crowd The remarks by Roberts repre- of checks and balances on power. Trump as a presidential candi- sation to use lethal force if control, temporary detention sented his fi rst public response to Presidents nominate federal date in 2016 said that a judge in a necessary on the border with and cursory searches. Trump over the Republican pres- judges and the Senate confi rms case involving Trump University Mexico. “If they have to they Having won control of the ident’s persistent criticism of the them. was biased against him because are going to use lethal force. House in the elections, Demo- federal courts. Ilya Somin, a law professor at of the jurist’s Mexican-American I’ve given the OK – I hope they crats said they will be even less Opponents of Trump have George Mason University in Vir- heritage. don’t have to.” motivated than before to meet called his criticism of judges an ginia, said that Roberts “is send- Trump with Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts after the former Neal Katyal, Obama’s former Trump also warned that the Trump’s wall demands. attack on the rule of law in the ing up a signal that Trump has delivered his State of the Union address to a joint session of the US acting US solicitor general, wrote United States could close the Trump has issued ultima- United States. gone beyond the pale of respon- Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, on January 30. on Twitter that Trump’s goal was whole border with Mexico for a tums about wall funding be- “We do not have Obama judges sible political discourse”. to delegitimise the courts and period of time “if we fi nd that it fore, with little impact, even or Trump judges, Bush judges or “For a long time the chief jus- Trump on Tuesday took aim at Trump called the liberal-lean- Roberts because they are part of gets to a level where we are go- with his own Republican Party Clinton judges,” Roberts, a con- tice didn’t respond to it. I suspect US District Judge Jon Tigar in San ing 9th Circuit a “disgrace”. an institution designed to serve ing to lose control or our people in majority control of both the servative who was appointed at some point Roberts decided Francisco, who on Monday tem- That court has ruled against as a check “against his impulsiv- are going to start getting hurt.” Senate and the House of Repre- by Republican former president enough was enough and he had porarily blocked an order by the Trump in several high-profi le ity and reckless disregard for the Ahead of US congressional sentatives. George W Bush, said in a state- to say something,” Somin added. president that barred asylum for cases, including his travel ban rule of law”. elections earlier this month, If the two parties cannot ment released by the Supreme Roberts, who administered the immigrants who enter the coun- targeting people from several With the help of a Senate con- Trump denounced the ap- reach a funding deal, there Court in response to a news me- oath of offi ce to Trump when he try illegally from Mexico. Muslim-majority countries and trolled by his fellow Republicans, proach of a caravan of migrants would be a partial government dia inquiry. was sworn in as president last Tigar was appointed by Demo- his bid to rescind a programme Trump has appointed a succes- as an “invasion” that threat- shutdown, with so-called “es- “What we have is an extraor- year, has himself been the target cratic former president Barack that protects from deportation sion of conservative judges in a ened American national secu- sential services”, including dinary group of dedicated judges of Trump’s attacks, in particu- Obama. hundreds of thousands of ille- bid to move the federal judiciary rity, and he sent thousands of some at the Department of doing their level best to do equal lar because of a 2012 ruling that “This was an Obama judge,” gal immigrants brought into the to the right. US troops to the border to help Homeland Security, likely re- right to those appearing before preserved Obama’s signature Trump said. “And I’ll tell you country as children. His appointments of Brett Ka- secure it. maining in operation. them. That independent judici- domestic policy achievement, what. It’s not going to happen In Twitter posts on Wednes- vanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the ary is something we should all the Aff ordable Care Act, dubbed like this anymore.” day, Trump heaped scorn on the Supreme Court have solidifi ed its be thankful for,” Roberts added Obamacare. Trump also blasted the en- idea that the 9th Circuit “was in- conservative majority for per- in the statement, which did not In a tweet after that ruling, tire San Francisco-based 9th US deed an ‘independent judiciary’”, haps years to come. mention Trump by name. Trump wrote: “Congratula- Circuit Court of Appeals, which and again brought up the idea of Roberts issued his statement In a Twitter post, Trump wrote tions to John Roberts for mak- hears appeals from federal courts breaking up that court because in response to a request for com- Canada moves to in response: “Sorry Chief Justice ing Americans hate the Supreme in nine western states, including the region it covers is “too big”. ment from the Associated Press California. He added: “Judicial activism, about Trump’s Tuesday remarks. end postal strike John Roberts, but you do indeed Court because of his BS.”

AFP day sales events, Ottawa was Ottawa facing pressure from online re- Hundreds of volunteers to search for wildfi re remains tailers to legislate an end to the walkout. anadian Prime Min- Canada Post delivers two- Reuters Asked about the eff ects of rain ister Justin Trudeau’s thirds of the nation’s online Chico, California on the search for human remains, Cgovernment has put shopping and the last six weeks Honea said that it would make forward legislation ordering of the year are its busiest due to going through debris more dif- striking postal workers back to the holiday rush. undreds of volunteers fi cult but he was less concerned work. The rotating strike, now in will spend Thanksgiving about remains washing away However, the government its fi fth week, has resulted in Hcombing through ruins than the headaches posed by still held out hope that the two a delivery backlog of up to 30 in heavy rain for the remains of mud. sides would come to an agree- days, with hundreds of trailers victims killed in the deadliest Still, he said some remains ment before the bill is passed waiting to be unloaded outside wildfi re in California history, might never be found. and takes eff ect, likely today, a sorting facilities, says Canada with strong winds and the risk of “What we’re looking for in spokeswoman for employment Post. mudslides an additional compli- many respects are very small minister Patty Hajdu told AFP. The union, however, has dis- cation. bone fragments so, as we go for- “Negotiated agreements puted the impact of the strike, The blaze killed 83 people and ward, it’s certainly possible that are always the best solution,” saying it has caused far fewer 563 people remain unaccount- not all of them will be located,” Hajdu told parliament as she delays in deliveries. ed for in and around Paradise, Honea said. unveiled the bill. “We wouldn’t This is Canada’s third postal a community of nearly 27,000 The Camp Fire incinerated come down this road, however, strike in two decades. people that was largely inciner- 13,503 homes in and around Par- we have exhausted every op- In 1997 and 2011, the gov- ated by the so-called Camp Fire adise. tion.” ernment legislated an end to two weeks ago, Butte County The cause of the fi re remains Earlier in the week the min- both disruptions. Sheriff Kory Honea said. under investigation. ister had lamented that more The union is claiming ad- Searchers moving through af- The state is undertaking the than a year of collective bar- ditional pay and an easing of fected areas around Paradise, 175 largest single wildfi re cleanup gaining had produced only workloads, citing an increase miles (280km) northeast of San operation in its history to re- “limited progress”. in on-the-job injuries from a Francisco, are expected to face move toxic and radioactive ash And on the eve of major jump in parcel shipments as e- heavy rains that may hinder their and debris at burned home sites, Black Friday and Cyber Mon- commerce sales soar. eff orts. Search and rescue crews dig through the burnt remains of a business as they search for human remains in said Eric Lamoureux from the Between 4-6” (102-152mm) of Paradise, California. Governor’s Offi ce of Emergency rain was due to fall at the week- Services. Michelle to visit Berlin on book tour end, forecasters said. as celebrity chef Jose Andres 153,336 acres (62,000 hectares) The death toll has been gradu- Butte County says evidence The weather will not de- prepared to cook hundreds of of the Sierra foothills and is 85% ally rising, with two more names from recent fi res in California The former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, is to ter some 830 people who have Thanksgiving meals for evacu- contained. added to the list on Wednesday to showed that some destroyed present Becoming, her newly published memoir, in the German signed up to spend Thanksgiving ees. “There’s no vegetation to bring the total to 83 people, with homes and property contained capital on December 6. combing through ash and rubble The rains, which in some areas hold the earth and there’s a risk 58 of them tentatively identifi ed, “high and concerning levels of As part of her European tour, Obama is scheduled talk to press for human remains, Honea told a were likely to be accompanied by it could just start moving, with Honea said. heavy metals, lead, mercury, di- representatives and invited guests in Berlin. news briefi ng on Wednesday. winds of up to 45mph (72kph), mud carrying everything in its The number of those unac- oxin, arsenic and other carcino- The book was released worldwide on November 13. Warehouses were opened in raised risks of ravines turning path,” National Weather Service counted for, which has fl uctuated gens. Some property may have In Germany, it leapt straight to the bestseller list, with 200,000 Chico to provide evacuees pro- into rivers of mud. forecaster Johnnie Powell said in over the past week, declined by the presence of radioactive ma- copies sold in the first week, publisher Random House said. tection from the cold and rain The fi re has burned across Sacramento. 307 to 563 on Wednesday. terials”. Romaine lettuce still on menus despite nationwide E.coli warning

Reuters in New York, had fallen ill from ited nine independently owned schedules pointed to romaine New York E.coli bacteria between October delis and cafes in midtown Man- harvested in September from the 8 and 31. hattan, where salad bar lines at central California coast, probably The Public Health Agency of lunchtime are typically long. from the areas around Salinas or omaine lettuce still had Canada said it was investigating All but one were selling ro- Santa Maria, as the most likely a place at the salad bars 18 cases of E.coli. maine lettuce, some of which had source. Rof some cafes and deli- A total of 13 cases in the two been delivered on Wednesday. Based on what is known, the catessens in New York City on countries resulted in hospitalisa- “No one came by and told us. tainted lettuce had almost cer- Wednesday despite a rare, na- tions. We didn’t know,” Irivia Spivey, a tainly expired and disappeared tionwide US public health warn- No deaths have been reported. salad tosser at Mamaroo, a Ko- from the distribution chain even ing for consumers to avoid eat- Both the US and Canadi- rean cafe, said as her manager before the voluntary withdraw- ing any of it because of possible an alerts, coming as millions stood by. als went into eff ect on Tuesday, E.coli contamination. of Americans planned their A sample by Reuters of 12 gro- Lunde said. The blanket warning, precipi- Thanksgiving Day menus, urged cers and supermarkets in Chi- CDC spokesman Tom Skin- tated by an E.coli outbreak in 11 consumers, restaurants and re- cago, Detroit and Denver found ner has admitted that the blan- states and Canada that has made tailers to throw out all romaine that romaine had been removed ket scope of the lettuce alert was at least 50 people ill, was issued left in stock and sanitise their from their shelves. “unusual but certainly not un- on Tuesday by the US Food and shelves. “As soon as I heard on the news precedented”. Drug Administration (FDA) and Romaine lettuce has been taken off the shelf for fear of an E.coli outbreak at this grocery store in Toronto. Given the early October onset yesterday, I threw everything in He cited a 2006 warning about the US Centres for Disease Con- of the fi rst illnesses reported, the trash that had romaine let- tainted spinach as the last time a trol and Prevention (CDC). Amazon.com Incorporated, and owned shops said romaine was Hwang, manager of Dali Market the tainted romaine in all likeli- tuce – salads, romaine itself,” cross-country advisory was is- The CDC and industry offi - nationwide salad retailers such still being sold because offi cials in midtown Manhattan. “What- hood originated from California, said Mike Fisayo, manager of sued for an entire type of food. cials said evidence pointed to the as Chopt and Fresh & Co, told had not specifi ed the source of ever we have, it’s the same thing which ranks as the leading pro- Chicago’s South Loop Market. “We did that out of an abun- central coast of California as the Reuters that they stopped selling potentially contaminated let- we had yesterday. They ate it, and ducer of American lettuce, FDA Cory Lunde, a spokesman for dance of caution, knowing that probable source of the outbreak. romaine as soon as the warning tuce, such as a farm or company. we had no issues with it.” spokesman Peter Cassell told the Western Growers farm trade we’re going into a holiday week- Large chain grocers such as was issued. “It’s up to the customers to The CDC said at least 32 peo- Reuters on Wednesday. group, said that the early on- end that is very centred on food,” Whole Foods Market, owned by However, some individually- choose to eat it or not,” said Alex ple in 11 states, including two On Wednesday, Reuters vis- set date and industry shipment Cassell said. Gulf Times 6 Friday, November 23, 2018 ASIA

Water Festival

Cambodian participants row their dragon boats during the Water Festival in Phnom Penh yesterday. A Cambodian dancer in traditional costume performs on a dragon boat during the Water Festival in Phnom Penh.

Indonesia keeps up Thai director turns back search for crashed jet’s cockpit voice recorder

Reuters Lion Air-Boeing on junta-run homeland Jakarta meet will discuss MAX series orders AFP agreed to frame the story outside ndonesia is still trying to Nakhon Pathom Thailand, where they were “both fi nd the cockpit voice re- Indonesia’s Lion Air execu- strangers... both foreigners”. Icorder from a Lion Air tives plan to meet Boeing Co “The story is about discovery. jet that crashed into the sea off icials on November 30 to earied by the crea- She (Swinton) is very adventur- near Jakarta last month, even review the airline’s orders for tive constrictions of ous. She has diff erent lives in though its “ping” signal is no Boeing 737 MAX series planes Wjunta-run Thailand, the cinema world, she has more longer being detected, a trans- in the period until 2035, Lion Palme d’Or-winning director mainstream movies... but also port safety panel said yester- Air’s director of safety and Apichatpong Weerasethakul is experimental movies.” day. The nearly new Boeing security Daniel Putut said making his next feature in Co- French actress Jeanne Bali- Co. 737 MAX passenger plane yesterday. Lion Air, one of lombia with Tilda Swinton, but bar, who met the Thai director crashed into the sea on Octo- Boeing’s largest customers promises to bring his key themes when they were jury members ber 29, just minutes after tak- globally, announced in April a — ghosts, memory and politics at Cannes in 2008, will also ing off from Jakarta en route to firm order to buy 50 Boeing — with him. Apichatpong, a star in the fi lm as an archaeolo- an island off Sumatra, killing 737 MAX 10 narrowbody jets soft-spoken 48-year-old from gist. The story draws on a motif all 189 on board. with a list price of $6.24bn. Its rural Thailand, may not leap out that runs through all his fi lms – Authorities have download- overall pipeline of orders is for as a household name. ghosts. Apichatpong’s parents ed data from one of the black 261 MAX series planes in the But he is the fi gurehead of were doctors and he grew up boxes found days after the period until 2035, Putut told Thailand’s cinema scene and in a hospital compound where crash, the fl ight data recorder, reporters. a doyen of the global arthouse “sickness, death and birth” left but are still looking for the circuit, vaunted for his non-lin- an indelible mark, while he was cockpit voice recorder. “We’re ear storytelling, dreamy shoot- also preoccupied with sci-fi and still putting in all our eff orts prevent it from stalling, may ing style and strong — if often the supernatural throughout to fi nd the CVR (cockpit voice have played in the crash. After subtle — political messaging. childhood. “There was nothing recorder),” Soerjanto Tjah- the crash, the US Federal Avia- With his home country under at that time except those maga- jono, the chief of Indonesia’s tion Administration warned military rule since 2014, the zines of sci-fi , ghost comics and National Transport Safety airlines that erroneous inputs fi lmmaker told AFP he decided Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul speaking during an interview in Nakhon Pathom. ghost movies,” he said. Committee (KNKT), told par- from the anti-stall system’s not to make the fi lm in Thai- “So to me they belong to the liament yesterday. sensors could lead the jet to land, where political discussion early next year a creative kick- tions and bruised national his- groups of the right, the fi lm fea- same place, a place out of the or- The search team was tar- automatically pitch its nose is stifl ed and he says fi lms can back is emerging, from docu- tories. tures Swinton playing an expat dinary, anti-gravity, something geting an area with a radius of down even when autopilot is be shut down on the whim of mentaries to rap and graffi ti. Yet In December, he is due to re- “adventurer” of sorts. that can appear at night and dis- 300m (984ft) using sonar and turned off , making it diffi cult the generals. for fi lm the road ahead is long, lease a short in the kingdom as She experiences auditory hal- appear in front of your eyes.” dredging mud from the sea to control. To make a movie without ad- Apichatpong said, explaining part of “Ten Years Thailand”, a lucinations and tries to “fi nd the But there was logic in the leap fl oor, even though a signal ini- Boeing has already provid- dressing the urgent issue of the that “cinema will follow... real bold project to document his sources of these sounds happen- to Colombia – fi rstly from a fi - tially heard from the recorder ed two updates for operators kingdom’s politics would be to democracy and rights” and add- nation’s political and social tra- ing to her only”, the Thai director nancing perspective for an inter- was now not being detected, around the world that re-em- undermine his role as a fi lmmak- ing he is happy to “nurture a new vails. But his next feature, Me- explained. national fi lm, but also to satisfy he said. Eff orts to find the sec- phasise existing procedures to er, Apichatpong says. “I want to generation of fi lmmakers”. moria, which is currently being Research took in two months- his curiosity. ond black box have been ham- deal with situations relating talk about politics, our reality, Apichatpong was catapulted scripted, will be fi lmed in Co- long trips to Colombia and inter- “I was very interested in Latin pered by strong currents and to the system. Lion Air, one our lives,” he told AFP this week to recognition by Uncle Boonmee lombia – a country that shares views with psychiatrists about American culture, I was very complicated by the presence of Boeing’s largest custom- before an awards event on No- Who Can Recall His Past Lives, some parallels to his politically drug use, he said, typical of his interested in the Amazon. But of energy pipelines in the area. ers globally, said yesterday it vember 19 in Nakhon Pathom, which won the 2010 Palme d’Or fragmented homeland. Set be- immersive approach to fi lm- when I was there I was more at- The cockpit voice recorder would meet the US plane mak- outside Bangkok. at Cannes. tween 1970 and 1980, a period making. Apichatpong had for tracted to the people, to their could hold vital clues to help er next week to review the air- Military rule has suff ocated His elegiac fi lms sweep marked by the bitter fi ght be- years quietly been working on a memories,” he said. answer questions over the role line’s orders for 261 Boeing 737 artistic expression in Thailand, through mysterious forests, tween the left-wing Farc gue- script for his long-time friend “They also really believe in that a new emergency system MAX series jets in the period but with elections slated for mystical creatures, hallucina- rillas and radical paramilitary Swinton. The pair eventually ghosts.” on the 737 MAX, designed to until 2035.

Canadian tourist dies while trekking in remote region of Nepal A Canadian tourist has died in Dolpa district. “He sent the A week ago, two Australians, a while trekking in a remote message late in the morning. rafter and a climber, died in two region in north-western Nepal, The helicopter landed near separate accidents in Nepal. Bamboo house for Manila slums the third foreign tourist to the monastery only in the Early this month, three trekkers have died in the country in afternoon,” he said. – a French woman, a Malaysian the course of a week, off icials Doctors pronounced the man woman and a Japanese man said yesterday. The 60-year- dead after he was rushed to a – died during their trek in the wins prize in future cities contest old Canadian had reached a hospital in Pokhara, a tourist Everest region. Thousands monastery, which lies 4,310m town about 150km east of of foreign trekkers visit the above sea level, on Wednesday the site, said Om Rana, a local Himalayan nation for trekking Thomson Reuters uses engineered bamboo, and stood out for its simple, yet well the Philippines is about 5.5mn, when he called authorities police off icer. The cause of during the spring and autumn Bangkok can be put together in four thought through solution to the campaigners estimate. for a medical rescue, said the man’s death was not clear, season, taking advantage of hours at a cost of 60 pounds world’s growing slum prob- Forlales, a graduate in mate- Abadesh Bista, a police off icer according to the police off icer. good weather conditions. per sq m, according to a state- lem,” he said. rial science engineering, said he he creator of a low-cost ment released yesterday. The Of Manila’s population of took inspiration for CUBO from house made of bamboo modular housing, which can 12mn, about a third live in the bamboo hut his grandpar- Tto tackle the chronic be manufactured in a week, in- slums, possibly the most in any ents lived in outside Manilla. shortage of aff ordable hous- cludes design elements such as urban area in the world, chari- CUBO will fi rst be used to house ing in the Philippine capital has a tilted roof that captures rain- ties estimate. Many residents the incoming worker population won a top international prize to water and reduces heat gain, are migrants from the provinces in the short term, and then ex- Vietnam protests new building design future cities in a rapidly and elevated stilts that prevent who come in search of better tended to the city’s slums. The urbanising world. Earl Forlales, fl oodwaters from entering the opportunities, and cannot af- plan also includes options to 23, won the fi rst prize from the home. ford housing. An additional provide residents with new skills by Beijing in South China Sea Royal Institute of Chartered “The world’s cities are grow- 2.5mn migrant workers are fore- and jobs, Forlales said. “The af- Surveyors (RICS) in its Cities ing all the time and there is a cast to move to the city in the fordable housing solution must for our Future competition. The real need to make sure they next three years. The National necessarily be low-cost, sustain- Reuters used for military purposes. China, whose continued build- prize money of 50,000 pounds are safe, clean and comfort- Housing Authority last year able, robust and long lasting. We Hanoi “The fact that China continues ing of military and other instal- ($63,915) will fund a prototype, able places to live in,” said John committed to building 800,000 cannot make do with band-aid its activities in Vietnam’s Paracels lations on artifi cial islands and as well as actual units. Hughes, competition judge and homes over fi ve years. The back- solutions,” he told the Thomson has seriously violated Vietnam’s reefs there has unnerved the The house, known as CUBO, president of RICS. “Earl’s idea log for government housing in Reuters Foundation. hina’s construction of a sovereignty on this archipelago,” region and angered Washington. new platform in a remote foreign ministry spokeswoman China’s foreign ministry Cpart of the disputed South Nguyen Phuong Tra told a news spokesman Geng Shuang said on 12 people hurt after Philippine Air Force chopper crashes China Sea is a serious violation of conference yesterday. “We ve- Wednesday that China’s sover- Vietnam’s sovereignty, its foreign hemently object to this action by eignty over the Paracel Islands A Philippine Air Force helicopter and seven staff members of the suff ered bruises and minor a nearby hospital, he added. The ministry said yesterday. China and demand that China was not in dispute, and there is yesterday crashed while landing House of Representatives and injuries in the accident, said lawmaker and the legislative The platform, which sits on stop immediately, not repeat sim- nothing wrong with China car- at a military facility in a northern the Senate to an air force base in Lieutenant General Emmanuel staff were supposed to attend the strategically-located Bom- ilar activities, and respect Viet- rying out construction work on province, injuring 12 people, Capas town in Tarlac province, Salamat, a regional military an activity in the air force base bay Reef and was revealed in nam’s sovereignty in accordance its own territory. The United including a lawmaker, a regional 92 kilometres north of Manila, commander. The main pilot when the chopper crashed while satellite images published this with international law,” said Tra. States earlier this month again military commander said. The when the accident occurred. and another crew member landing at nearby Crow Valley, a week by a US think tank, which The strategic waterway is urged China to halt its militari- Sokol chopper was ferrying The eight passengers, the suff ered suspected fractures sprawling military bombing and said the structure could be claimed almost in its entirety by sation of the South China Sea. Representative Anthony Bravo co-pilot and a crew member and were still being checked at gunnery range. Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 7 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Five dead, 19 hurt as car rams into children in China

AFP Weibo social media account. street. The screams and cries of cording to CCTV. The incident country in 2015 alone. Violations the wreckage and retrieve bod- fl ames. Three attackers also died Beijing Of the 19 that were injured, children could be heard in the happened around noon. The of traffi c laws were blamed for ies from the water. In February, a in the incident, which Beijing 16 were children. Two teach- background, as onlookers milled ages of the victims were not re- nearly 90 percent of accidents van packed with pressurised gas blamed on separatists from the ers and a passerbyer were also around the scene of the collision. leased. Police from Jianchang that caused deaths or injuries tanks and petrol-fi lled bottles restive western region of Xin- car rammed into a group of hurt, said CCTV. Unverifi ed An eyewitness quoted by Chi- county in Huludao city did not that year. caught fi re and ploughed into jiang. children crossing a street videos circulating on social me- nese media site Sina News said immediately respond to AFP re- Earlier this month, at least 13 pedestrians in Shanghai, leaving And in September, 11 people Ain front of an elementary dia appeared to show a car veer- that he saw “children’s shoes” quests for comment. people died when a bus plunged at least 18 people injured. died and dozens were injured school in northeast China yes- ing onto the wrong side of the and “traces of blood” on the Grisly car accidents are com- off a bridge in Chongqing mu- Authorities concluded that it when a car struck a crowd in a terday, killing fi ve children and road and ploughing through the ground near the accident. Citing mon in China, where transpor- nicipality, after the driver got had been a “traffi c accident”. But public square in the central Hu- injuring 19 others, state media line of pupils, with the impact local police in Huludao city, the tation authorities have struggled into a fi st fi ght with a passenger a 2013 incident was blamed on nan province city of Hengdong. said. Police took the driver into from the crash throwing bod- Chinese media report also said to enforce safety regulations, who had missed her bus stop. militant separatists. Two tour- Police detained the driver, a man custody and are investigating the ies across the road. Other gut- that police caught the driver af- which are often fl outed or go un- Search and rescue teams dis- ists were killed at the time when in his 40s, and described him as cause of the incident in Huludao, wrenching footage showed at ter he tried to fl ee the scene. enforced. According to authori- patched more than 70 boats, as a car rammed into bystand- a “vengeful repeat off ender” who Liaoning province, the offi cial least two small children lying Victims of the crash are un- ties, 58,000 people were killed well as a team of scuba divers ers in Beijing’s iconic Tianan- had daggers in his car and intend- CCTV broadcaster said on its unconscious and bleeding on the dergoing medical treatment, ac- in traffi c accidents across the and underwater robots, to fi nd men Square before bursting into ed to “cause serious damage”.

North Korea still Australia proposes working at main nuclear site: IAEA

Reuters on the period since August. Vienna The IAEA has not had ac- stripping native-born cess to North Korea since 2009 and mainly monitors ac- orth Korea appears tivities there through satellite to be still expanding imagery, meaning it cannot Noperations at its main confi rm its observations. nuclear site, the UN atomic North Korea also appeared watchdog indicated yesterday. to have continued work at the extremists of citizenship The statement by the head of nearby Kuryong River that it the International Atomic En- dammed last year to increase AFP days after police in Melbourne said they would renew a push for ergy Agency is a further sign the supply of water available Sydney arrested three Australian-born controversial legislation which that North Korea is pressing for cooling the planned reac- men of Turkish descent for al- would allow authorities to break ahead with its atomic activi- tor or the existing experimen- legedly plotting a mass shooting into encrypted messaging apps ties despite pressure from the tal one, which has an output ustralia unveiled a radi- in the city. that police say are widely used United States for it to scrap its capacity of 5 Megawatts. cal plan yesterday to strip Less than two weeks earlier, by extremists and other crimi- nuclear weapons programme. “Further activities were Aconvicted terrorists of another man who was born in nals. At a leaders’ summit in June observed near the Kuryong their citizenship even if they are Somalia but came to Australia The law, which would force both sides pledged to work River. These may be related native-born Australians. with his family as a child, went app developers and telecom towards the complete denu- to changes to the cooling in- Acting after a series of ter- on a stabbing rampage in Mel- companies to provide police clearisation of the Korean Pe- frastructure for the 5MW(e) ror-inspired plots and attacks bourne, killing one man and with the ability to decrypt ninsula. reactor and the light water in the country, Prime Minister wounding two others before be- messages, has drawn strong Since then, few concrete reactor,” Amano said, adding Scott Morrison said his govern- ing fatally shot by police. criticism from civil liberties steps have been made towards that the experimental reactor ment needed expanded powers Authorities said all four men groups. the full and irreversible dis- was likely shut down while to withdraw citizenship from were inspired by terror propa- Morrison heads a minority mantling of North Korea’s some of those unspecified anyone found guilty of terrorist ganda from the so-called Is- coalition government that must nuclear arms programme that activities were carried out. activity. lamic State group, even though call a national election before Washington has called for. Amano referred to a meet- “People who commit acts of none had any direct links to an May 2019 but is trailing well At Yongbyon, North Korea’s ing between North and South terrorism have rejected absolute- extremist organisation. Home behind the main opposition La- main nuclear facility which is Korea in September at which ly everything that this country Scott Morrison Aff airs Minister Peter Dutton bor Party in opinion polls. As widely believed to have pro- the North expressed its stands for,” Morrison told a hast- said there had been seven terror- campaigning builds towards the vided fi ssile material for its readiness to take measures ily organised press conference. “unrealistic” and said the law The legislation will also seek related attacks in Australia while election, Morrison and Dutton bombs, components appear including a permanent dis- “This is something that can’t should be broadened so that the power to impose “temporary authorities had thwarted 15 oth- have led a tough law-and-order to have been brought into mantlement of its main nu- be tolerated, and for those who anyone convicted of a terrorist exclusion orders” on so-called er plots since 2014. push around terrorism and im- a light-water reactor being clear facilities in Yongbyon would engage in this sort of ac- off ence, even native-born Aus- “returned foreign fi ghters” — Nine convicted terrorists have migration. The government’s built there, IAEA chief Yukiya should there be unspecified tivity, and they have citizenship tralians, could be expelled if they Australian citizens who travel to already had their citizenship re- proposed citizenship crackdown Amano said. corresponding action from elsewhere, or we have reason to could “reasonably” be expected confl ict zones to fi ght alongside voked under existing law, mainly is meanwhile certain to worsen “At the light water reac- the United States. believe they do, they can go.” to gain citizenship in another extremist groups. Modelled on a for activities overseas, he added. tensions with parts of Australia’s tor, the agency also observed Apart from an annual re- Australia’s current Citizen- country through their parents or British law, the provision would “We assess there are around 50 large Muslim community. activities consistent with the port on developments in ship Act allows authorities to grandparents. allow Australia to bar the return Australian dual citizens who may Several Islamic leaders already fabrication of reactor compo- North Korea, the IAEA does revoke citizenship from people The conservative government of a citizen for up to two years, be eligible to lose citizenship un- boycotted a proposed meeting nents and the possible transfer not normally comment on jailed for six years or more for will submit legislation to amend and to impose strict conditions der the current provisions, and with Morrison this week after he of these components into the what it sees there, suggesting terrorist activities, but only if the Citizenship Act to enshrine on their activities once they even more with the changes we said the community needed to reactor building,” Amano said that Amano’s comments were they are already dual nationals. these new powers by the end of come home. are announcing today,” Dutton do more to police extremists in in a statement to the IAEA’s aimed at illustrating the con- Morrison called these limits the year, he said. Morrison’s action came two said. Morrison and Dutton also their ranks. Board of Governors, reporting tinued activity at Yongbyon.

Low-lying Vanuatu Two Koreas connect DMZ threatens to sue Cloud cover road across border: Seoul North and South Korea be maintained on Pyongyang culprit countries have connected a road until it denuclearises. for climate change across their shared border Pictures handed out by for the first time in 14 years, Seoul’s defence ministry Low-lying Vanuatu is Seoul’s defence ministry yesterday showed a South considering suing fossil fuel said yesterday in the latest Korean soldier and a companies and industrialised reconciliation gesture North Korean counterpart countries that use them for their between the neighbours. taking part in the “recent” role in creating catastrophic The dirt road, which is wholly roadworks holding their climate change, the foreign within the Demilitarised Zone hands out toward each minister of the Pacific island that divides the peninsula, will other, with their colleagues nation said yesterday. Speaking be used for joint operations watching. “It is historically at the Climate Vulnerable next year to recover remains significant for the North and Forum’s Virtual Summit, Ralph from the 1950-53 Korean War. the South to open a new Regenvanu said the impact of The 12-metre-wide passage and jointly engage climate change is felt first and construction of the route in operations to recover hardest by those who are least in Cheorwon, near the mid- remains of war dead at the responsible for it. point of the DMZ, is one of place which saw the worst “Vanuatu is on the front lines several steps agreed at the battles during the war,” the of climate change and yet we Pyongyang summit between ministry said. have benefited least from the the South’s President Moon Despite its name the area exploitation of fossil fuels that Jae-in and the North’s leader around the DMZ is one of has caused it,” Regenvanu said. Kim Jong-un in September. the most fortified places “My government is now exploring The neighbours also pledged on earth, replete with all avenues to utilise the judicial to remove bunkers and minefields and barbed-wire system in various jurisdictions weapons from the border fences. US Secretary of Mike – including under international truce village of Panmunjom. Pompeo stressed this week law – to shift the costs of climate But Seoul and Washington that Washington wants protection back on to fossil are pursuing increasingly to “make sure that peace fuel companies, the financial diff erent approaches to the on the peninsula and the institutions and the governments nuclear-armed North. The denuclearisation of North that actively and knowingly dovish Moon has pursued a Korea aren’t lagging behind created this existential threat to policy of engagement with the increase in the amount my country,” he said in a video of Clouds can be seen above a dust storm as it descends upon the city of Sydney in Australia, yesterday. his isolated neighbour, while of inter-relationship between the summit posted online. the US insists pressure should the two Koreas”.

South Korean pastor sentenced Chinese e-commerce sites ditch Dolce & Gabbana in ad backlash to 15 years for raping followers A South Korean pastor was sentenced to 15 years in prison Reuters removed the brand’s listings on which a Chinese woman strug- ing the backlash. The company calling for a boycott of the brand. yesterday for raping eight followers over 40 diff erent diff erent Beijing Wednesday evening. gles to eat pizza and spaghetti later apologised in a statement An airport duty fee shop in the occasions at his mega-church in Seoul, Yonhap news agency Checks done by Reuters yes- with chopsticks, sparking criti- on Weibo, saying both Gabbana’s southern Chinese city of Haikou reported. Lee Jae Rock of the Manmin Central Church, which has terday morning showed pages cism on social media. The blun- and the brand’s accounts had been said on Weibo it had removed all about 130,000 followers, was convinced by the Seoul Central hinese e-commerce sites that previously linked to Dolce der was compounded when hacked. The company did not re- Dolce & Gabbana products from District Court of using his authority to commit the rapes, the have removed Dolce & & Gabbana products on the screenshots were circulated spond to requests for comment on its shelves. agency reported. The 75-year-old regularly took advantage of his CGabbana products amid e-commerce sites hosted by online that appeared to show the e-commerce listings. The Communist Party Youth followers’ trust in him as a man close to God, Yonhap quoted the a spiralling backlash following Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Dolce & Gabbana designer Ste- Celebrities including Mem- League, the youth wing of the court as saying. a series of ads that were con- JD.com Inc were no longer avail- fano Gabbana making negative oirs of a Geisha movie star Zhang ruling Chinese Communist The church, which was founded by Lee in 1982 and claims to have demned as “racist” by celebrities able and searches for the brand remarks about China. Ziyi criticised the brand, while Party, said on Weibo “we wel- more than 10,000 branches around the world, was expelled by and on social media. NetEase Inc returned no products. The topic quickly went viral on singer Wang Junkai said he had come foreign companies to the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) in 1999 under the accusation e-commerce platform Kaola Alibaba and JD.com did not re- China’s Twitter-like Weibo plat- terminated an agreement to be invest and develop in China of “heresy.” On its website, the church claims that “countless have confi rmed it had removed Dolce spond to requests for comment. form, with over 120mn views. The the brand’s ambassador. The ... companies working in the received God’s healing of such incurable and terminal diseases as Aids, & Gabbana products while lux- Earlier this week, the brand brand cancelled a fashion show in uproar against the brand contin- country should respect China cancer, and the like on the spot when Rev Dr Lee prayed not by placing ury goods retailer Secoo said it released a series of adverts in Shanghai on Wednesday follow- ued yesterday, with many groups and Chinese people”. his hand on each of the sick but merely for all from the pulpit.” Gulf Times 8 Friday, November 23, 2018 BRITAIN

CRIME TOUGH TIMES LAW AND ORDER DECISION OFFBEAT Nurse stabbed in grounds Homelessness in Britain Man held after makeshift EDF extends outage at MPs told off for playing of Ailsa Hospital in Ayr rises to one in 200: charity bombs found in London flat reactor where cracks found football in parliament

A nurse is being treated for serious injuries after One in 200 people in Britain is now homeless, Police yesterday arrested a man after two EDF Energy has extended an outage at its Five female MPs have been shown the yellow card being stabbed in the grounds of a hospital in Ayr. an increase of 4% in less than a year despite makeshift bombs were found in an unoccupied Hunterston B-7 nuclear reactor in Britain, off line by Speaker John Bercow after playing football Ailsa Hospital in Dalmellington Road was put on government pledges to tackle the problem, the flat in northwest London but said he did not since March when cracks were found in its core, in the Commons chamber. He said the ‘historic’ lockdown at 10.15 following the attack, which is charity Shelter said yesterday. A Shelter report have links to any terrorist organisations. Police until February 21, it said in a market update. The building should not be used for kickabouts believed to have involved a patient. The woman blamed the rise on high rents, cuts to welfare were called on Wednesday to a flat in Harlesden, cracks were found at the reactor, which can after footage emerged of SNP MP Hannah was taken to Ayr Hospital where her condition is payments and a dearth of aff ordable housing northwest London, after the two devices were produce enough electricity to power more than Bardell practising ‘keepy uppies’. The Women’s described as serious but stable. Police off icers, and said the biggest increases were in major found, triggering an investigation by counter- 800,000 homes, during a routine inspection. Parliamentary Football Club had been due to play supported by a police helicopter team and dog cities including London and Birmingham. “It’s terrorism off icers. The 48-year-old man was Hunterston B-7 was initially scheduled to return to their first game on Tuesday evening, but were handlers, conducted a search of the area. NHS unforgivable that 320,000 people in Britain have arrested on suspicion of off ences under the service on November 17, later pushed back until forced to cancel. Instead Bercow gave permission Ayrshire and Arran initially said no members of been swept up by the housing crisis and now Explosive Substances Act. “At this early stage December 18. EDF Energy said it had extended for the team – made up of Bardell, former sports staff , patients or visitors would be allowed to have no place to call home,” said Shelter chief of the investigation, detectives do not believe the outage to prepare a safety case needed for minister Tracey Crouch, and Labour’s Alison leave the site. However, the lockdown was lifted executive Polly Neate. “These new figures show that the arrested man has links to any terrorist Britain’s nuclear regulator to allow the unit to McGovern, Louise Haigh and Stephanie Peacock – at 13:00. The area around the addiction services that homelessness is having a devastating impact organisations, or that there are any ongoing restart. EDF Energy’s 15 nuclear reactors provide to pose in their kit in the chamber. But they ended buildings remain taped off . on the lives of people right across the country.” public safety issues,” police said. around 20 % of Britain’s electricity. up showing off some skills. Lawmakers slam MI5 over Manchester Arena bombing

AFP were missed,” the ISC said. London Responding to the report, UK counter-terrorism police said they would study the report’s fi ndings Ps investigating Britain’s “carefully”. “We are deeply com- 2017 terror attacks yes- mitted to learning so that we can Mterday said that the MI5 refi ne our response to the evolving security service missed key op- threat,” he said. portunities to stop the Manchester The committee found 12 “cross- Arena bomber. cutting issues” which played a Parliament’s intelligence and part in at least two attacks. security committee, a cross-party On explosives, “the system for panel of lawmakers that scrutinis- regulating and reporting purchas- es the work of government in these es of the ingredients used to make fi elds, slammed communications explosives was hopelessly out of Prime Minister Theresa May joins a parent and baby group during a visit to the Kentish Town health centre in north London yesterday. service providers (CSPs) for giving date in dealing with the threat terrorists a “safe haven”. The ISC posed,” it said, adding that it had also said their recommendations facilitated the perpetrators’ ac- on previous failings had gone ig- tions. Meanwhile appeals to CSPs nored. Britain suff ered fi ve terror- to tighten up their loopholes had ist attacks in 2017: at Westminster, fallen on deaf ears. The commit- London Bridge, Finsbury Park and tee said that four years ago they Parsons Green in London; and at concluded that CSPs were failing the Manchester Arena, where 22 to stop their systems “being used May defends draft Brexit were killed in a suicide bombing. as a safe haven for extremists and Thirty-six people were killed in terrorists. total in the attacks. “Yet we have seen that appeals The Manchester Arena attack, to these companies’ sense of cor- as concert-goers were leaving an porate and social responsibility Ariana Grande show, was per- have not resulted in them making petrated by 22-year-old Salman the changes required — and again deal agreed by EU, Britain Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan these loopholes were used by the descent. The ISC’s report said perpetrators of the 2017 attacks.” AFP against the euro on the news, laration was not legally binding, mission president Jean-Claude policy” and declares an end to free the MI5 domestic security agency The committee concluded that London which allayed fears Britain could unlike the terms of the divorce. Juncker. movement of citizens between missed chances to stop Abedi, MI5 and counter-terror police leave the European Union next Former foreign minister Boris She will return tomorrow, on Britain and the EU — two key de- moving too slowly after his case wanted to learn from past mis- March with no new arrange- Johnson, who is seen as a poten- the eve of a special summit where mands of the Brexit campaign in had been fl agged for review and takes and their determination was rime Minister Theresa May ments in place. tial leadership rival, said the draft all 28 EU leaders are expected to the 2016 referendum. failing to consider him for referral impressive. However, “we have yesterday fended off heavy But the deal does not address deal “makes a complete nonsense sign off on the overall Brexit pack- In the Commons, May also to the anti-radicalisation scheme. previously made recommenda- Popposition in parliament the thorny issues of fi shing rights of Brexit”. age. highlighted the possibility that Abedi also visited an extrem- tions in all of these areas, yet the after Britain and the EU agreed and Gibraltar, which have raised Other leading pro-Brexit First, the texts must be cleared the Irish border issue can be re- ist contact in prison on more than government failed to act on them. on the outlines of post-Brexit concerns in EU capitals, and it Conservative MPs, as well as her by a meeting of top EU diplomats solved through the use of tech- one occasion but no follow-up ac- The lessons from last year’s tragic ties as part of a draft deal due to could still yet be rejected by the Northern Irish allies the DUP, — the summit’s so-called “sher- nology, rather than through the tion was taken by either MI5 or the events must now result in real ac- be signed off by EU leaders. British parliament. urged May to renegotiate the pas” — today. controversial “backstop” customs police. tion”, the report said. After briefi ng her Cabinet in a MPs of all parties criticised the divorce agreement to remove a “The negotiations are now at arrangement included in the di- MI5 did not place travel moni- The probe did not fully cover the hastily-arranged teleconference divorce agreement announced contentious legal guarantee to a critical moment, and all our ef- vorce deal. toring or restrictions on Abedi, bomb attack on a London Under- call, May addressed the House of last week, which includes a fi - ensure an open Irish border. forts must be focused on working This is intended to avoid new meaning he was allowed to return ground train at Parsons Green sta- Commons, saying the agreement nancial settlement and a con- Opposition Labour leader Jer- with our European partners to border checks between British undetected from Libya to Britain tion, because the Home Offi ce did was the “best possible deal”. troversial plan to avoid an Irish emy Corbyn confi rmed his party bring this process to a fi nal con- Northern Ireland and the Repub- shortly before the bombing. not provide full evidence in time EU Council president Donald border. would not back it, saying: “This clusion,” May said. lic of Ireland, an EU member, after “There were a number of fail- for the inquiry. Tusk said the 26-page declara- May hopes the promise of fu- is the blindfold Brexit we all The political declaration, says a transition period ends in De- ures in the handling of Salman “From what we have seen to tion covering trade, security, ture co-operation will act as a feared, a leap in the dark.” future ties will be wide-ranging, cember 2020. Abedi’s case and while it is impos- date, there were fundamental fail- the environment and other is- sweetener to persuade her own The deal was struck after covering economic co-operation, It says that unless alternative sible to say whether these would ings in the handling of this case,” sues was agreed “in principle” Conservative MPs and any wa- through-the-night talks be- law enforcement and criminal arrangements are made, Britain have prevented the devastating at- the committee found, saying the and would be sent to the other 27 vering opposition lawmakers to tween British and EU negotiators, justice, foreign policy, security will stay in a customs union with tack on May 22, we have concluded “litany of errors” by the ministry, member states for approval. back her. which followed a last-minute and defence. the EU and Northern Ireland will that, as a result of the failings, po- the police and the local authority The pound leapt by about 1% But her critics were quick to visit to Brussels by May for a It includes references to Britain continue to follow the bloc’s sin- tential opportunities to prevent it necessitated a separate review. against the dollar and also fi rmed point out that the political dec- meeting with European Com- developing “an independent trade gle market rules. Woman accused of faking Charity initiative Easier language tests for foreign nurses eyed cancer to con relatives Daily Mail (IELTS) – one of two tests per- London mitted by the NMC as a proof of competence. Currently nurses and Daily Mail she has done it. She must be very kidney treatment. Some of this midwives need a score of seven to London sick mentally.” Danagher, of Wel- was paid back, she added, but the anguage tests for foreign pass, on a nine-point scale. The wyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, payments stopped when she her- nurses and midwives could NMC wants to lower the pass to is accused of beginning her scam self was diagnosed with bowel Lbe made easier to tackle a se- 6.5 in the writing part of the test factory worker conned her when she told her family she had cancer. vere NHS staffi ng shortage. – although staff would still need family out of a fi ve-fi gure cancer in 2009. Prosecutor Robin One of her brothers, her father The threshold for passing an level seven in reading, listening Asum after pretending to Miric said: “This defendant made and an uncle have also been diag- English language test is to be low- and speaking. have bowel cancer and had only false representations to her family nosed with the disease, she said. ered under proposals by the Nurs- Someone with a score of seven ‘three to fi ve years to live’, a court which proved to be fraudulent.” Danagher’s claim was backed by ing and Midwifery Council. is described as a “good user” of heard. Ellen Danagher, 48, alleg- Young told the jury at St Albans a letter signed by Professor Martin The regulator said it is planning English who is “generally able to edly told her siblings she needed Crown Court her sister claimed Gore at the Royal Marsden Hos- to change the requirements after handle complex language well” money for ‘innovative’ treatment she needed a “new and innova- pital in London, the jury was told, some were “just missing out”. but with “occasional inaccuracies, not available on the NHS. tive” treatment that would cost but the doctor said in a statement The changes would “increase inappropriate usage and misun- She backed her claim with a let- between £160,000 and £180,000 the hospital had no record of her. fl exibility” in a time of “signifi cant derstandings in some situations”. ter purportedly from a specialist at and “as a family we would have Young began doubting her sis- pressure” on staffi ng numbers, the A score of six indicates someone a leading hospital. Her sister Kath- to fund around £21,000”. The ter’s story in 2014 after hearing NMC said. is a “competent user”. leen Young and brothers John and three siblings split the burden and about a child who needed cancer Most foreign staff make several Joyce Robins of pressure group Patrick Mullins claim they handed handed the money to Danagher. treatment abroad. “I asked her a attempts to pass the tests, taking Patient Concern, said: “I don’t over £7,000 each to help her. Young told the court she also number of times – she was getting between eight months and a year think dumbing down critical tests After several years they became gave her sister £150 a month for more and more vague,” she said. to fi nally get through. Only around is a good idea. Patients and nurses suspicious and hired a private in- several years towards healthy or- Patrick Mullins told the court 50% are ultimately successful. need to understand each other, or vestigator to look into her claims, ganic food “to help her”. he had not spoken to his sister With the NHS short of 42,000 mistakes will be made.” before contacting the police. On one occasion she received a since 2015 when he confronted her nurses and midwives in England The importance of fl uency in Giving evidence, Young said: message from Danagher “saying about her claims. “She accepted it alone, bosses are desperate to English was exposed by the 2008 “We just thought we had to get the she had three to fi ve years to live”. – she said she wasn’t ill,” he said. make it easier for foreign staff to death of David Gray, 70, at the money for her and we did. We had Young said: “I never questioned “I said, ‘Why did you lie to us?’ and England and Tottenham Hotspur player Harry Kane work here. hands of German GP Daniel Uba- no reason not to believe her. She’s her. I just believed everything.” she said, ‘I did lots of good things, visits the Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, The plan, to be considered at ni. He had not faced any checks our sister and we loved her.” Drug and alcohol support work- so why pull me up about this?’” yesterday as part of Samsung’s nationwide ‘Wishes a meeting of the NMC council on his competence or English and She added: “This is a terrible er Young said she and her husband Danagher denies three charges can come true’ campaign to donate a technology next week, involves lowering the gave the pensioner Cambridge- thing that has happened to our provided another £5,000 as a loan of fraud by false representation. experience to hospitals and charities. threshold for the International shire 10 times the safe dose of family. I don’t understand why after Danagher said she needed The case continues. English Language Test System diamorphine. Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 9 EUROPE Turkey slams ‘political obstacles’ to EU membership

DPA bership of the EU – but it faces “The EU also has to unlock the coup in Turkey more than two civil society,” Cavusoglu said. bership candidate for almost 20 for the time being no further Istanbul political obstacles. doors it has locked,” he added. years ago. The state of emergency Mogherini also said she hopes years but has regressed on the chapters should be opened”. This month, Hahn joined those Mogherini said she had ex- is now behind us and I dare to pro-Kurdish opposition politi- bloc’s benchmarks in areas such Yet, Brussels is heavily reliant calling for the accession talks pressed to Cavusoglu strong hope that soon all related meas- cian Selahattin Demirtas will be as the rule of law, citizens’ rights on Turkey to help tackle the issue urkey said that “politi- with Ankara to offi cially end – a concerns over last week’s crack- ures will be something of the released from detention soon, and media freedom since an at- of migration. cal obstacles” had been decision that would be up to EU down in Turkey on academics past,” she added. and that it was in the “interest of tempted coup in 2016. A deal signed with Ankara in Tplaced on its path to EU member states. and activists accused of support- The state of emergency de- Turkey to follow up on court de- Cavusoglu said that the Turk- early 2016 stemmed the fl ow of membership, while the bloc’s top The European Commission ing anti-government protests in clared fi ve days after the failed cisions”. ish public mistrusts the EU be- migrants headed for the EU from offi cials raised concerns about has stressed that it does not share 2013. putsch in 2016 lasted two years, The European Court of Human cause of its “double standards the Middle East, helping to end recent detentions in the country his view. “The European Union wants a but those suspected of links to Rights ruled on Tuesday that and hypocrisy” towards Ankara. the migrant crisis that hit the as both sides met in Ankara yes- “Statements that exclude Tur- strong Turkey,” Mogherini said, the coup plotters or of anti-gov- Turkey must release Demirtas, “We make a deal for the open- bloc in 2015. terday. key, statements denying that adding that “a stronger Tur- ernment activities are targeted in who has been held in pre-trial ing of fi ve chapters with the con- Turkey hosts more than 4mn After talks with the European Turkey is a member country key means a democratic Turkey frequent raids. detention since November 2016. sent of all EU member countries. refugees, among them more than Union’s foreign policy chief, Fe- have no benefi t,” Cavusoglu told based on the rule of law, an in- “It is both meaningless and President Recep Tayyip Er- Soon after that comes an [EU] 3.5mn from neighbouring Syria. derica Mogherini, and Neigh- a joint press conference. “The dependent and professional ju- contradictory that the EU de- dogan has said Turkey is “not decision not to open any chapters Under the 2016 deal, the EU bourhood Policy Commissioner political obstacles set are hinder- diciary and full respect of funda- fends persons who said, ‘I have bound” by the ruling. with Turkey. There is no reason- helps fund their basic needs, al- Johannes Hahn, Turkish Foreign ing not only Turkey but also the mental freedoms”. done activities to overthrow the Brussels and Ankara have a able explanation for this,” he said. though Ankara has repeatedly Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said growth, welfare and political sta- “We are all very much aware of elected government in Turkey’, strained relationship. Hahn countered that the EU’s accused Brussels of failing to de- his country’s goal is full mem- bility of the European Union.” the marks left by the attempted simply because they are (part of) Turkey has been an EU mem- position is “very well known ... liver on its pledges. UN: Greenhouse gas levels hit new high AFP window of opportunity for ac- bal warming was “unequivocal”, rough CO2 estimates going back tal Panel on Climate Change Geneva tion is almost closed.” without challenging the US lead- up to 5mn years. (IPCC) has said that in order to In an open letter to all states er directly. In addition to CO2, the United keep warming below 1.5°C, net ahead of COP24, UN rights chief The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, Nations agency also highlighted CO2 emissions must be at net he levels of greenhouse Michelle Bachelet warned of the UN weather agency’s annual rising levels of methane, nitrous zero, meaning the amount be- gases in the atmosphere, cataclysmic consequences if the fl agship report, tracks the con- oxide and another powerful ing pumped into the atmosphere Tthe main driver of climate world does not reverse course. tent of dangerous gases in the at- ozone depleting gas known as must equal the amount being change, have hit a new record “Entire nations, ecosystems, mosphere since 1750. CFC-11. removed, either though natural high, the UN said yesterday, peoples and ways of life could This year’s report, which cov- Emissions are the main factor absorption or technological in- warning that the time to act was simply cease to exist,” she said, ers data for 2017, puts the con- that determines the amount of novation. running out. citing evidence that nations are centration of CO2 in the atmos- greenhouse gas levels, but con- WMO deputy chief Manaenk- This handout picture taken on June 28, 2017 and released by the Ahead of the COP 24 climate not on track to meet the commit- phere at 405.5 parts per million centration rates are a measure ova noted that CO2 remains in Russian defence ministry shows Russian President Vladimir Putin summit in Poland next month, ments made in Paris. (ppm). of what remains after a series the atmosphere and oceans for and Korobov attending a reception at the Kremlin. top United Nations offi cials are US President Donald Trump, That is up from 403.3ppm in of complex interactions be- hundreds of years. again trying to raise the pres- who pulled his government out 2016 and 400.1ppm in 2015. tween atmosphere, biosphere, “There is currently no magic sure on governments to meet the of the Paris agreement, again ap- “The last time the Earth expe- lithosphere, cryosphere and the wand to remove all the excess pledge of limiting warming to the peared yesterday to cast doubt on rienced a comparable concentra- oceans. CO2 from the atmosphere,” she less than 2° Celsius, enshrined in climate science. tion of CO2 was 3-5mn years ago, Roughly 25% of all emissions said. “Every fraction of a degree Head of spy agency the 2015 Paris accord. “Brutal and Extended when the temperature was 2-3°C are currently absorbed by the of global warming matters, and “Without rapid cuts in CO2 Cold Blast could shatter ALL warmer,” Taalas said. oceans and biosphere – a term so does every part per million of and other greenhouse gases, cli- RECORDS – Whatever happened Researchers have made reliable that accounts for all ecosystems greenhouse gases.” accused of Britain mate change will have increas- to Global Warming?” he said in a estimates of CO2 concentrations on Earth. According to the United Na- ingly destructive and irrevers- tweet. rates going back 800,000 years The lithosphere is the solid, tions, 17 of the 18 hottest years on ible impacts on life on Earth,” the Asked to respond to Trump, using air bubbles preserved in ice outer part of the Earth, while the record have occurred since 2001, poison attack dies head of the World Meteorologi- deputy WMO chief Elena Ma- in Greenland and Antarctica. cyrosphere covers that part of the while the cost of climate-related cal Organisation (WMO) Petteri naenkova told reporters that However, by studying fossil- world covered by frozen water. disasters in 2017 topped $500bn Taalas said in a statement. “The the science underpinning glo- ised material, the WMO also has The UN’s Intergovernmen- (€439bn). Reuters unconfi rmed media report that Moscow Putin had summoned him after the Skripal aff air and severely criticised the operation which he head of Russia’s mili- left the Skripals alive and the tary intelligence agen- GRU a target of mockery in the Leaning Tower of Pisa straightens up, a little bit Tcy that the West has Western media. blamed for a string of brazen Korobov was absent from attacks died on Wednesday af- a ceremony in Moscow this By Angela Giuff rida The surveillance group was ter “a serious and long illness”, month where Putin and other Guardian News & Media set up in 2001 ago after Michele the Russian defence ministry senior offi cials celebrated the Jamiolkowski, an engineer of said yesterday, hailing him as a centenary of the GRU, with the Polish origin, co-ordinated a “true son of Russia”. Russian leader praising its skill tabilisation work means committee to save the landmark. The ministry of defence and “unique abilities”. the Leaning Tower of Pisa The bell tower, a symbol of the heaped praise on Colonel- Korobov’s death paves the Sis leaning slightly less than power of the maritime republic General Igor Korobov, 62, who way for Putin to appoint a suc- it used to, experts have said. of Pisa in the Middle Ages, was had run the spy agency, best cessor to head an agency that The tower, which has leaned defective from the beginning due known as the GRU, since 2016, intelligence experts say should to one side ever since it began to the porous clay soil beneath its saying that he had been made not be underestimated and to take shape in 1173, has lost foundations. a Hero of Russia for his service which has stepped up its cov- 4cm of its tilt over the past two After three fl oors were com- in the post, the highest state ert missions as tension mounts decades, according to a report pleted, construction stopped and award. between Russia and the West. from the surveillance group that did not resume until 90 years lat- “The loving memory of this Asked last month if there meets every three months to give er when workers started building wonderful person, a true son of would be a shake-up at the de- updates on the monument’s con- additional fl oors on a diagonal to Russia, a patriot of the Father- fence ministry in the aftermath dition. off set the lean. land Colonel-General Igor Val- of the Skripal aff air, the Krem- “Since restorative work began, However, work was again dis- entinovich Korobov will always lin said the low quality of the the tower is leaning about half rupted before fi nally being com- be in our hearts,” the ministry allegations levelled at GRU did a degree less,” said Nunziante pleted in 1372. said in a statement. not justify such changes. Squeglia, a geotechnics profes- The tower, located behind Pi- President Vladimir Putin ex- The United States included sor at the University of Pisa who sa’s cathedral, attracts more than pressed his condolences to Ko- Korobov’s name on a March works with the group. “But what 5mn visitors a year. robov’s relatives in a statement sanctions blacklist of people counts is the stability of the tow- Reaching the top requires saying he had led “a “legendary believed to have helped “un- er, which is better than initially climbing 269 steps. agency”, while state news agen- dermine cyber security on predicted.” The surveillance group’s work, cy Tass cited a military source behalf of the Russian govern- The structure, which was bad- which is funded by the non-prof- as saying that Vice-Admiral ment”. ly damaged during World War II, it Opera della Primaziale Pisana, Igor Kostyukov, the agency’s Korobov was a Soviet mili- was closed to the public in 1990 includes improving the quality of fi rst deputy head, had been tary veteran who served in the over safety fears and did not reo- the structure’s conservation and standing in for Korobov during air force and, according to his This file photo taken on September 12, 2017 shows tourists posing for photographs at the Pisa tower. pen for 11 years. promoting research. his illness and was favourite to offi cial biography, began work- formally succeed him. ing for the GRU in 1985. Britain has accused the GRU The GRU, founded as the of attempting to poison former registration directorate in 1918 Russian spy Sergei Skripal after the Bolshevik revolution, and his daughter with a nerve is one of Russia’s three main Man accused of luring hundreds of boys into online sex agent, the Netherlands has intelligence agencies, along- accused it of trying to hack side the domestic Federal Se- the global chemical weapons curity Service and the SVR For- AFP left off the charge sheet to keep Priest, bishop convicted over paedophilia scandal “It is clearly unfortunate and watchdog, and US intelligence eign Intelligence Service. Oslo the case manageable. extremely regrettable, but we had agencies say it tried to hack the The last head of the GRU, The 80-page indictment, seen A French priest from the town of Orléans was handed a two-year jail term no idea of the extent of the case 2016 presidential election. Igor Sergun, also died at a rela- by AFP yesterday, is a lengthy list yesterday, and a bishop was convicted for failing to report him in rare at that stage of the investigation,” Russia denies all those alle- tively young age. osing online as a girl named of alleged off ences committed prosecutions that have shaken the French Catholic church. police offi cial Sindre Stave, told gations. He was just 58 when the “Sandra”, a Norwegian man mostly via the Internet. Pierre de Castelet, 69, was sentenced to two years in prison, with another the Verdens Gang newspaper. Speculation about Korobov’s Kremlin said in 2016 he had Pduped hundreds of minor It describes the suspect as a year suspended, after abusing children during a summer camp in 1993 The man is in pre-trial deten- fate had been growing since an died unexpectedly. boys into sex acts with prom- 26-year-old man named only as where he touched them while pretending to carry out medical examina- tion, and was formally charged ises of sweets, nude pictures, or “Henrik”. tions. this week. iPhones, according to the charge He has been described in the His superior, the former bishop of Orléans Andre Fort, 83, was given a The Norwegian penal code al- sheet in the country’s biggest- media as a football referee. suspended prison sentence of eight months for failing to notify French lows for the number of victims Swedish Centre Party leader gives ever sex abuse case. Under the fake name of “San- police when he was made aware of the abuse allegations in 2008. listed on an indictment to be lim- up government formation eff ort For years, the now 26-year-old dra”, sometimes “Henriette”, the Both men are expected to avoid serving time behind bars, however, ited. suspect manipulated the boys Norwegian would pass himself under French law that allows a convict to apply for a non-custodial pun- Prosecutors left 160 alleged Swedish Centre Party leader Annie Loof said yesterday that she into committing sex acts online off as a young girl to chat up boys ishment in cases involving short jail sentences. victims off the charge sheet as has given up her eff orts to explore the possibilities for a new and then threatened to expose on Internet forums and mobile including them “would make the government, citing outstanding diff erences between the main them if they did not carry on. apps. case fi le too large for the court” blocs. Some of the boys he met in “She” would promise them were committed between 2014 “But we have to look into the le- to handle, state prosecutor Guro She was the third party leader to make an attempt to form a person and sexually assaulted, racy photos, sex, money, or elec- and 2016, according to the charge gal basis for the more serious ac- Hansson Bull told AFP. government since September. prosecutors say. tronic devices – even sweets – sheet, although some date back cusations, those of rape.” The 160 cases “will not be Sweden’s general election on September 9 resulted in a political “It is the biggest case of sexual to act for the camera – some of to 2011. “Henrik” was arrested in 2016, brought up in court, but ... may stalemate between the country’s two main political alliances, led by abuse in Norway to date,” the these videos were later used to The youngest victims were lit- but soon released, allowing him be considered when it comes to the Social Democrats and the conservatives. prosecution has stated, with the extort more sexually explicit ma- tle older than 10. to continue preying on boys un- sentencing”, said Bull. Neither bloc has a majority in the 349-seat legislature, complicating number of victims so vast – 460 terial from the boys. The man “admits his guilt” his til he was taken into custody for a The trial is set to open on Janu- the formation of a new government. in total – that one-third had to be Most of the alleged crimes lawyer Gunhild Laerum told AFP. second time. ary 22 and last nine months. Gulf Times 10 Friday, November 23, 2018 INDIA

POLITICS TRAGEDY SETBACK PEOPLE CLOSE CALL By-polls in Gujarat, Six schoolchildren among Disqualified legislator’s Three unemployed Baby survives being Jharkhand on Dec 20 seven killed in road crash plea on hearing dismissed youths end lives run over by train

The election commission yesterday announced Seven people including six children died in The Supreme Court yesterday declined an urgent Three unemployed youths were killed and A baby who was dropped onto railway tracks the schedule for by-elections to fill the two Satna district of Madhya Pradesh yesterday hearing of a plea by Indian Union Muslim League another was battling for life yesterday after moments before a train passed through the station vacant Assembly seats of Jasdan in Gujarat when a passenger bus collided with a school (IUML) MLA K M Shaji challenging his unseating they flung themselves before a train in Alwar has escaped unscathed. The incident, captured and Kolebira (ST) in Jharkhand on December van, police said. Six other children also and disqualification by the Kerala High Court for in Rajasthan, police said. Police officer Hari on cell phone footage yesterday, showed a train 20. The counting of votes will take place on received injuries in the crash. “A private school making communal overtures during his election Singh said the three were killed instantly. rolling over the infant in Mathura, as screaming December 23. The date of issue of notification van collided with a bus coming from the campaign. The court refused to hold an early Singh said that two other youths who were onlookers stand by hopelessly. The one-year-old for the two by-polls is November 26 and the last opposite direction near Birsinghpur village hearing and said that the matter can come up in with the four did not jump on to the tracks. reportedly fell into the gap between the carriage date of nominations is December 3. Scrutiny under Sabhapur police jurisdiction,” a police due course, after Shaji’s lawyer sought an urgent The dead were identified as Manoj Meena (24), and the platform as the girl’s parents were stepping of nominations will be done the next day and officer said. Six children and the driver of van hearing. The bench asked the lawyer for Shaji if he Satyanarayn Meena (22) and Rituraj Meena off the train. She was wedged flat on her back the last date for withdrawals is December were killed and six other children were injured wanted to continue to remain an MLA by getting (17). Abhishek Meena (22) sustained serious alongside the track as the train left the platform, 6. The electoral rolls for the two assembly in the accident, he said, adding the condition a stay on the high court order. The court while injuries. Rahul Meena told the police that picking up speed and thundering overhead. Once constituencies with reference to January 1, of two injured students was critical. The exact unseating Shaji for corrupt practices in breach Satyanaran Meena told him that they were all the train passed a man quickly scooped up the tiny 2018 as the qualifying date has been finally cause of accident will be known only after of the election code of conduct, disqualified him fed with their lives as they could neither do child who, apart from crying, was astonishingly published, the commission said. proper investigation, he added. from contesting elections for six years. farming nor get decent jobs. left unscathed by the terrifying incident.

Top court Setting a world record censures Modi behind BJP leader

IANS New Delhi governor’s

he Supreme Court yes- terday let off Delhi BJP Tchief Manoj Tiwari in a contempt case against him for Kashmir order, breaking the seal of a commer- cial establishment. The court, however, said his actions were “painful and shocking,” leaving it to the better judgment of the BJP to “take ac- tion against” the lawmaker. says Congress The Bharatiya Janata Party leader had drawn the court’s ire IANS “As long as no one staked claiming majority in the Assem- when he broke the seal of a dairy New Delhi/Jaipur a claim to form government, bly, it was for the PDP to chal- in Mangolpuri area in the capital Jammu and Kashmir governor lenge Malik’s Wednesday night on September 15. was happy to keep the Assembly action. “We are extremely pained by he Congress yesterday under suspension. The moment The National Conference also the brazen manner in which Ti- attacked Prime Minister someone staked a claim, he dis- reacted angrily against Ram wari took the law into his own TNarendra Modi for “us- solved the Assembly. Parliamen- Madhav’s comment. hands and broke or tampered ing” Governor Satya Pal Malik to tary democracy standing on its “I challenge Ram Madhav and with the seal,” a bench of Jus- dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir head. his associates to prove his wild tice Madan B Lokur and Justice S Assembly “illegally and uncon- “The Westminster model of claims with evidence,” Abdullah Abdul Nazeer said in their judge- stitutionally”. democracy is outdated. Like in dared. ment. Charging the Modi govern- all other matters, it is the Gujarat In a lighter vein, Abdullah said The consequence of such ment with pushing Jammu- model that has appealed to the this was for the fi rst time that behaviour by an elected repre- Kashmir into an “unending cycle J&K governor,” Chidambaram a fax machine did not work in sentative of taking law into his of violence”, the Congress ac- tweeted. a governor’s offi ce and became hands could be “devastating in cused the BJP of ruling the state The party also ridiculed the responsible for the death of de- a given situation”, the court said. “through proxy”. governor’s defence on Wednes- mocracy. “This fax machine is a He acted “irresponsibly,” not “We strongly condemn the day, when he maintained that one-way fax, it has only outgoing expected from an elected repre- way the governor illegally and “the grand alliance” of PDP, Na- and no incoming. This is a unique sentative and a lawmaker. unconstitutionally dissolved tional Conference and Congress fax machine and an investigation The court said a leader is ex- the Assembly. The governor has was an “opportunistic” one. should be done,” he said. pected to lead and guide the peo- toyed with the constitution and “It is unfortunate that the The comment was in response ple and not blindly follow a mob. it was done at the behest of the Governor is talking more like a to PDP chief and former chief “We are pained because Tiwari prime minister and the Prime BJP spokesperson than a gover- minister Mehbooba Mufti’s is an elected MP and hopefully Minister’s Offi ce (PMO),” Con- nor. When there was a PDP-BJP statement that her party had a responsible citizen of Delhi. gress leader Manish Tewari told alliance, was it a holy alliance,” sent a fax to the Raj Bhawan Should an elected representative the media in Jaipur. asked party spokesperson Ran- claiming support of 56 MLAs but defy the rule of law in this man- The former Union minister deep Singh Surjewala in Delhi it did not reach Raj Bhawan. ner”, asked justice Lokur speak- questioned as to why Malik did demanding elections be held at Mufti in response to Madhav’s ing for the bench. not dissolve the House in the last the earliest. tweet said she was shocked to The court expressed “shock” six months after the Bharatiya Ja- Later Jammu and Kashmir see “baseless allegations against over the justifi cation provided nata Party (BJP) in June withdrew governor Satya Pal Malik de- mainstream parties in the state. by Tiwari. He had said that he support to the Mehbooba Mufti- fended his decision to dissolve We had aligned with the BJP to was a “popular leader of a po- led Peoples Democratic Party the Assembly stating that the al- change this pernicious mindset.” litical party and on seeing him in (PDP) coalition government. liance between the former rival She added that “just because that area, a mob of about 1,500 “For the last fi ve-six months, parties was opportunistic and our MLAs had enough integrity people had gathered and goaded the BJP tried its best to garner not in the interest of the state. to stand up to your (BJP) failed at- him to break the seal.” support by indulging in horse A major row also broke out tempts of defection, they are now The court said what is quite trading. But when its conspiracy over BJP general secretary Ram anti-national? Both PDP and NC explicit is that “instead of paci- failed to yield any result, it got Madhav’s allegations that the have been allies of BJP at some fying the mob and act in accord- the governor to dissolve the As- People’s Democratic Party, NC point. Strange that our creden- ance with law”, Tiwari acted ir- sembly just after the PDP, Na- and the Congress had come to- tials weren’t questioned then. responsibly by taking the law tional Conference and the Con- gether at the behest of Pakistan, “Sad to see what the politi- into his own hands. gress staked claim to form the a remark he withdrew following cal discourse of our country has The court asked: “if a mob government,” Tewari said. stiff opposition. been reduced to. How does one goads an elected MP to commit Earlier in the day former Addressing the media in Sri- defi ne a party’s nationalistic a far more serious off ence, would Participants raise their sock puppet-clad arms in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Union fi nance minister P nagar, former chief minister credentials? Nationalistic and it mean that the elected repre- Record for most people wearing sock puppets in a single venue, in Mumbai yesterday. A Chidambaram also targeted Ma- Omar Abdullah of the National patriotic only if you are with the sentative would act on the in- total of 427 people took part in the attempt to break the previous record of 365 people set lik saying parliamentary democ- Conference said that since it was Centre and Pakistan-sponsored structions of the mob and com- in 2016 in Queensland, Australia, by children’s author Ian McIntosh during a book launch. racy was “outdated” for the BJP- the PDP and not his party that and anti-nationalistic other- mit the off ence?” appointed governor. had sent a letter to the governor wise?”

Promoting Arunachal Sabarimala facilities to be Centre, states fl ayed for beefed up, assures Vijayan poor condition of jails IANS ting all the facilities they are not New Delhi authorised otherwise. By Ashraf Padanna protests by traditionalists and temple. The protesters claim The court also referred to the Thiruvananthapuram hardliners who refuse to allow the state government led by report prepared by an additional the entry of women below 50 the Communist Party of India he Supreme Court yes- session judge blaming the Tihar years of age. (Marxist) or CPM was imposing terday lashed out at the jail authorities for allowing TV, erala governor P Sathasi- The police also made scores of its atheist ideology while Vijay- TCentre and states over crates of mineral waters and the vam yesterday summoned arrests, including leaders from an insists he is merely protect- “pathetic condition” in jails and household matters to Chandra KChief Minister Pinarayi Prime Minister Prime Minister ing all faiths. observation homes for children brother - who are in jail for alleg- Vijayan as the state continued to Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Ja- The governor’s offi ce said in across the country, saying eve- edly cheating house buyers. be on edge over the issue of al- nata Party (BJP), for violating the statement that Sathasivam rything has been reduced to a “Every now and then articles lowing the entry of women into a form of curfew in force at the had “highlighted the grievance “joke”. are appearing .. in Tamil Nadu, the Sabarimala temple. temple and its base camps. expressed by Radhakrishnan” “Please visit jails and obser- Bihar, inmantes possessing mo- Sathasivam sought an expla- On Wednesday, junior fi - during his meeting with the vation homes for children to see bile phones, running the show nation from the chief minister nance and shipping minister chief minister. the condition. Ask your offi cials from the jail”, said justice Lokur. on complaints he received from Pon Radhakrishnan had heated During the half-hour meet- to get out of their offi ces...taps “You have converted the whole opposition leaders of the police exchanges with two senior of- ing, Sathasivam and Vijayan are not working, toilets are not thing into a joke”. excesses and lack of basic facil- fi cers as they stopped his mo- discussed measures taken to working... they are all blocked... Taking a dig at the way the ities for visitors to the temple. torcade. address the complaints re- they are in a pathetic condition,” Centre and the state govern- An offi cial statement from More than 15,000 forces, in- garding lack of basic amenities said the bench of Justice Madan B ments were addressing the issue the governor said he invited cluding armed commandos, are like drinking water, toilets, re- Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta. of ameliorating the conditions in Vijayan for a discussion “on re- guarding the temple following strooms and transportation. The court expressed serious jails, justice Lokur said: “That is ceipt of petitions from various intelligence warning of Hindu The governor took up with concern over the media reports why two judges of this court felt leaders and the general public.” hardliners possibly trying to the chief minister the com- that real estate major Unitech’s agitated because they saw what Though millions usually visit take control of it. plaints about police action and managing director Sanjay Chan- is happening.” the temple during the Novem- The police are not permit- the possibility of lifting re- dra and his brother Ajay cur- Justice Lokur was referring to ber –January period, this time ting private vehicles beyond strictions imposed through the rently lodged in Tihar Jail have the visit of justice Adarsh Kumar round most have kept away. the fi rst camp at Nilakkal from strict Section 144 of the Crimi- been provided with TV, crates of Goel (since retired) and justice On September 28, the Su- where state-run buses take vis- nal Procedure Code. mineral waters and the house- Uday Umesh Lalit to jails and preme Court ruled on a decade itors to Pamba before they trek Both the Congress-led Unit- Bollywood actor Salman Khan and Union Minister of State hold matters. observations homes in Haryana old plea to end “gender dis- 5.5km through the jungles. ed Democratic Front (UDF) and for Home Aff airs Kiren Rijiju ride mountain bikes in Mechuka, “Let the people go to jail. En- that triggered judicial scrutiny crimination” at the temple. So far protesters have suc- the BJP had met him earlier close to the India-China border, in Arunachal Pradesh. Khan joy life and have a good time”, of the conditions in jails and Since it opened last week, ceeded in thwarting attempts demanding the lifting of the promised to shoot for his upcoming film in the scenic state. the court said pointing to several observation homes across the the temple witnessed a series of by women to gain entry to the curfew-like ban. instance of powerful people get- country. Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 11 LATIN AMERICA

IN PLANE SIGHT CIVIL STRIFE JUSTICE POWERPLAY Brazil hosts drills for 13 Haiti president appeals for Two sons of former Panama Bolsonaro’s party eyes air forces, including US calm after deadly protests president arrested in US biggest bloc in lower house

The air forces of 13 nations including the United After deadly weekend protests calling for Two sons of former Panamanian president Brazil President-elect Jair Bolsonaro’s party States are taking part this week in air combat his resignation, followed by a general strike, Ricardo Martinelli, who is accused of collecting expects to recruit members from rivals in the exercises and non-conventional warfare training Haitian President Jovenel Moise emerged late bribes worth millions in the wide-ranging Chamber of Deputies to form the biggest bloc at a base in northern Brazil, the Brazilian Air Wednesday to reaff irm his legitimacy and appeal Odebrecht scandal, were arrested in the United with 61 seats, lawmakers said on Wednesday. Force said on Wednesday. Some 100 planes for calm in a televised address. The strike shut States, off icials said Wednesday. “US Immigration The Social Liberal Party (PSL) was a political are involved in the so-called Southern Cross down most of Haiti on Wednesday as tension and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested minnow before Bolsonaro’s election victory last or CruzEx exercises, including six F-16 from and uncertainty gripped the Caribbean country unlawfully present Panamanian nationals Luis month, which turned it into the second biggest the Texas Air National Guard alongside aircraft following the protests and Moise’s unexplained Martinelli-Linares and Ricardo Martinelli-Linares party in the lower house, which has over 500 from Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Peru and absence from public view. “I emphasise no one, during a targeted enforcement operation in Coral seats, behind the leftist Workers Party (PT). Uruguay. “The purpose of CruzEx is to increase whatever the pretext, can threaten the interests Gables, November 20,” a statement issued to After a party meeting on Wednesday, elected co-operation and share experiences to be able to of the country or put the nation in danger,” said the media said. “Both men lawfully entered the PSL Congressman Marcelo Alvaro Antonio A Chilean Air Force F-16 jet fighter lands at an act with greater synergy,” said Brazilian Air Force Moise, in power since February 2017. He gave US; however, their visas were revoked in 2017.” told reporters the aim was to overtake the PT, airbase during CruzEx, hosted by the Brazilian Brigadier Luiz Guilherme Medeiros, director of his six-minute address with Prime Minister Jean- Interpol Red Notices had been issued for men, which won 56 seats. “I believe we can reach 61 Air Force, in Natal, Brazil. the air exercises organised in Brazil since 2002. Henry Ceant looking on. requesting their arrests pending extradition. deputies,” he said. “Sixty-one is our projection.” Spain-Cuba trade Student suppression in the spotlight as Sanchez breaks ice

A line of riot police advances during clashes with students of Caracas’ Central University, after three decades in the framework of a demonstration marking University Student Day in Caracas, on Wednesday. Reuters torical ties with its former colony. tor of an independent digital mag- launched in 2016 after a two-dec- Havana “Cuba is opening up and we azine, the Spanish offi cial said, but ade chill. are interested in our companies is not expected to talk to opposition Retired Cuban diplomat Carlos being well positioned to have ac- activists. Alzugaray said Sanchez’s visit was rade will be in focus when cess to the most important con- Many world leaders have already part of a rapprochement with Eu- Pedro Sanchez makes the tracts,” a Spanish government visited Cuba as it has in recent rope that showed that Cuba’s for- Venezuela unrest disconnects telecoms Tfi rst bilateral visit to Cuba official said. years sought to improve relations eign relations “do not need to be by a Spanish leader in 32 years, at Several hundred Spanish fi rms with the West, modernise its cen- limited to the US-Cuba confl ict or a time when the Communist-run already have a presence in Cuba, trally planned economy and attract alliances with countries like Russia By Angus Berwick, Reuters give telecoms access to people and build the island is looking towards Europe particularly in the tourism sector, more foreign investment. and China”. Barinas, Venezuela socialist state. Internet use in the country had as its ties with the United States dominated by alliances between They include former US presi- “It is oxygen at a diffi cult mo- quadrupled since 2007, he said. fester. Spanish hotel chains and Cuban dent Barack Obama who sought to ment,” he said. Cellphone connections are patchy across Socialist Sanchez, who is trav- companies. normalise relations between the Cuba is seeking to drum up more hen Ceferino Angulo heard screams Venezuela, however, and people are reporting elling with executives from two The main aim of the trip was to former Cold War foes. investment and credit lines al- and gunshots one night last year ever more network outages, which the gov- dozen companies, is to meet repre- deepen relations “at a time when His successor Donald Trump though its cash crunch is a deter- Wclose to his dairy farm on the west- ernment has blamed on right-wing saboteurs. sentatives of Cuba’s fl edgling pri- foreign policy towards Latin Amer- has rowed back, tightening the rent. ern plains of Venezuela, he tried to call the Barinas, also the area where former Vene- vate sector during the roughly 24- ica is a big priority for the prime decades-old US trade embargo at a It is already behind on payment police, but there was no phone signal. zuelan president Hugo Chavez lived and stud- hour offi cial trip and inaugurate a minister.” time when the Cuban economy was to providers from Spain and else- He was not surprised. ied as a youth, has been one of the areas hard- Spanish-Cuban business forum. Sanchez will begin his visit with already smarting from declining where. A phone tower, built by state telecommuni- est hit by the deterioration in Cantv service. Spain is already Cuba’s third late afternoon talks in Havana with aid from ally Venezuela and weaker Jose Maria Aznar was the last cations fi rm Cantv on his land to provide cov- In some places, coverage has been com- largest trading partner, with an- Cuban President Miguel Diaz- exports. serving Spanish prime minister to erage to his local area outside the western city pletely lost. nual bilateral commerce at around Canel, who succeeded Raul Castro Relations between the European visit Cuba in an offi cial capacity, of Barinas, had stopped working. Rusting service vehicles sit abandoned out- $1.3bn according to Cuban data, in April. Union and Cuba have steadily im- when he attended an Ibero-Amer- The tower, set in rolling grassland on his 57- side the phone company’s local headquarters, and shares strong cultural and his- He will also meet with the direc- proved since being formally re- ican summit there in 1999. acre farm, was overgrown with vines snaking as it cannot aff ord new tyres or batteries, the up its pylons. current and former employees told Reuters. Its guardhouse was abandoned almost a Cantv’s own offi ces there often spend days decade ago and no Cantv employee had visit- without Internet, they said. ed in three months, 54-year-old Angulo said. Some of the rusted electrical circuits pro- “We’ve spent four years incommunicado. A viding Internet to Barinas homes have not Ex-Guatemala soldier gets 5,160 years telephone signal is one of the things we most been replaced since the early 1990s and sev- need here,” he said. eral residents said they had gone over a year In the decade since the government nation- without a connection. behind bars for civil war massacre alised the 88-year-old fi rm, Cantv has cut “There is a crisis of investment,” said Jose investment in new technology, skilled staff Luis Machin, Barinas’ former mayor. have departed and thieves have pillaged its A Cantv technician taking a Reuters jour- A Guatemalan court on Wednesday prison term is 50 years. The story of Dos Erres was Several others are believed to equipment, according to a dozen current and nalist on a tour of the company’s infrastruc- sentenced a former soldier to 5,160 Lopez was a member of a US- told in the 2017 documentary reside in the United States. former Cantv employees and internal docu- ture in Barinas said over 100m of copper cable years in prison for the massacre of trained counterinsurgency force Finding Oscar, executive- The massacre occurred during ments. had been stolen the night before from a bridge, 201 peasants during one of the worst called Kaibil. produced by Steven Spielberg, the rule of dictator Efrain Rios Montt, Venezuelan businesses struggle to operate severing the neighbourhood’s connection. atrocities of the Central American He was arrested in the United which recounts the search for who himself was indicted on charges because phone lines have stopped working, Thieves melt down the copper or even sell nation’s civil war. States and deported in 2016. another boy whose life was spared of genocide and died last April. worsening a fi ve-year economic crisis that the cables back to Cantv, the technician and The court found Santos Lopez According to the investigation, and who was then raised by one of Rios Montt allegedly ordered the has shrunk the Venezuelan economy. two other employees said. “responsible as author” of 171 of Lopez belonged to a patrol that com- the soldiers. murders of 1,771 indigenous Ixil- People fi nd it diffi cult to access healthcare For telecoms services, Barinas’ nearly the killings and sentenced him to mitted the massacre in December A handful of other “Kaibiles” have Maya people during his short reign or sign up for new passports because they 300,000 residents now depend on network 30 years for each, or 5,130 years in 1982 in Dos Erres, on the border with been convicted, each receiving a in 1982-83, which came at the height cannot register online. terminals built during the past few years by total. Mexico. sentence of more than 6,000 years of the 36-year civil war. According to A Cantv spokeswoman declined to com- Chinese telecoms fi rms ZTE and Huawei. He received an additional 30 years The soldiers were trying to in prison. the UN, about 200,000 people died ment. On one block, a ZTE terminal was consid- linked to the killing of a surviving recover about 20 rifles stolen by Three others accused in the or were made to disappear during Cantv president Manuel Fernandez did not ered so valuable that a guard from the Nation- child, but the sentences are symbolic guerrillas during an earlier ambush slaughter were jailed in the US for Guatemala’s war, which ended in respond to e-mails and text messages. al Bolivarian Militia, a branch of the armed because Guatemala’s maximum which left 19 soldiers dead. immigration violations. 1996. Last year, Fernandez said on a government forces, said he had been posted there to pro- website that Cantv was a “powerful tool” to tect it from vandals. Tijuana off ers jobs to Central America migrants

By Yemeli Ortega, AFP Service and director of the job in Tijuana is manufacturing, es- waiting for other opportunities I Tijuana fair, which will last a month. pecially automobiles, aerospace, would stay here for a while,” Elvir Companies advertise job va- pharmaceuticals and electronics. said with a smile. cancies and interview candidates, To the south, along the fi ne The Central American caravan hey’re not just migrants, while migration authorities and beaches of Baja California, the is giving a taste of deja vu to Ti- they’re builders, cooks, offi cers of the Mexican Commis- state that includes Tijuana, res- juana, which two years ago saw Tpainters and seamstresses: sion for Aid to Refugees are also taurants and hotels catering to the arrival of thousands of Hai- the caravan of Central Americans on hand to give the migrants tem- foreign tourists abound. tians also bound for the US. Many gathering at the US border boasts porary residency papers. US-Mexico bilateral trade to- made it but many also stayed and an attractive workforce and Ti- “The idea is to give them a visa tals about $500bn a year and put down roots in Mexico. juana, their last stop before Cali- on humanitarian grounds while 80% of Mexico’s exports go to the “The Haitian case was very fornia, wants to tap it. their residency status is sorted US, its main trading partner. positive,” said Diaz. Under a white awning near a out so they can obtain a work At the job fair, employers are About 2,500 of them ended up packed shelter in a poor neigh- permit,” said Rangel. off ering 7,000 to 10,000 jobs in working, legally, in manufactur- bourhood of commercially bus- Around 3,000 people who manufacturing and areas like the ing plants, he said. tling Tijuana, hundreds of the travelled with the caravan are hospitality industry, said Sal- “The most important thing is migrants line up for a job fair now in Tijuana, most of them vador Diaz, president of a local they blended in to society very staged just for these determined living in a makeshift shelter that manufacturing association. well. We have not had any prob- travellers. Mexican authorities set up in an He says it’s a win-win situ- lems with them. We want to do Since setting out more than a open air sports arena, with tents ation: migrants get an above- the same thing with the Central month ago from Honduras, they and mattresses. board job and business get tax- Americans,” Diaz added. have covered about 4,400km, ei- Another 1,000 who lagged be- deductible labour, said Diaz. After fi lling out a job appli- ther walking or hitchhiking, until hind in the nearby town of Mexi- For the equivalent of around cation, Karla Vallecio, 34, re- several thousand reached Tijua- cali were on their way Tuesday to $90 a week, Cesar Elvir hopes to calls that back in Honduras she na, Mexico which is just across Tijuana, persevering along a hot, work as a painter in a factory. worked taking care of babies, the border from San Diego, Cali- dry road. This 20-year-old Hondu- cleaning other people’s houses — fornia on their journey seeking “Worker wanted,” reads a job ran travelling with his wife and “whatever I could get.” a better life in America, whose ad that Wilmar Correa holds two children has already gone “If I got a job the fi rst thing I President Donald Trump has de- while waiting in line at the fair. through the interview process would do is fi nd a room for me ployed soldiers to help stop them. He is a 27-year-old Honduran Salvadorean migrants headed to the US are detained for entering the country illegally during an and is waiting for the company to so I can stay in Tijuana, she said, “These are very strong people. who studied to be a teacher, but operation by Mexican police in Metapa, Chiapas State. call him on his cell phone with a explaining that the process of They are a valuable workforce for he never made it because of the formal off er. asking for asylum in the United our industry,” said Nayla Ran- gang violence and lack of jobs in Correa says he is willing to ous industries operating along As in other cities along the “It looks good. My goal is not States is slower and more com- gel of the National Employment his country. work at anything in the prosper- the US-Mexico border. frontier, what drives the economy to stay in Tijuana, but while I am plicated than she expected. Gulf Times 12 Friday, November 23, 2018 PAKISTAN

Allama Iqbal Open Progress on Kartarpur University inaugurates border corridor hailed world-class Internews/Reuters the Kartarpur corridor, calling it The idea to construct and Cabinet approves building and data centre Islamabad/New Delhi a “victory of peace”. open the Kartarpur Corridor development of Kartarpur cor- “Indian Cabinet endorse- was fi rstly raised by Pakistan’s ridor from Dera Baba Nanak in ment of Pakistan’s proposition veteran politician Anwar Aziz Gurdaspur district to Interna- Internews oreign Minister Shah on #KartarPurBorderOpening Chaudhry decades ago. tional Border. Islamabad Mahmood Qureshi has is victory of peace lobby in both Earlier this year, the opening “The Kartarpur corridor Fsaid that Prime Minister countries,” he tweeted. “It’s a of corridor was fi rst conveyed project, with all modern ameni- Imran Khan will inaugurate the step towards right direction and by Pakistan army chief General ties and facilities, would be World-class IT-data cen- construction of Kartarpur bor- we hope such steps will encour- Qamar Javed Bajwa to visiting implemented with central gov- tre has formally started der corridor between Pakistan age voice of reason and tranquil- former Indian cricketer and In- ernment funding,” the minister Aworking at Pakistan’s and India on November 28. lity on both sides of the border.” dia’s Punjab Minister Navjaot tweeted. Allama Iqbal Open University And yesterday India approved Pakistan’s Foreign Offi ce had Singh Sidhu at the swearing-in He further added that the (AIOU) in Islamabad, to provide the building of a new border en- said that the bid for opening of ceremony of Prime Minister Kartarpur corridor will provide digital-based academic services try point and road connecting Kartarpur border corridor be- Khan in August. smooth and easy passage to pil- to the students. the northern state of Punjab to tween Pakistan and India had Thousands of Sikh devotees grims to visit Gurdwara Darbar It will help to upgrade the uni- the border with Pakistan, mak- made swift progress and that are currently visiting Pakistan to Sahib throughout the year. versity’s academic programmes ing it quicker and easier for Sikh good news in this regard was in attend the 549th birth anniver- The corridor indicates a thaw and promote on-campus man- pilgrims to visit a holy site. the offi ng. sary of Baba Guru Nanak, with in relations between the two nu- agement services, said AIOU Qureshi tweeted that “Pa- “The Kartarpur Corridor will 3,838 visas issued. clear-armed foes. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr kistan has already conveyed to soon see the light of day, which Many Sikhs see Pakistan as In September, India called off Nasir Mahmood while inaugu- India its decision to open Kar- will greatly facilitate Sikh pil- the place where their religion a meeting between their foreign rating the data centre. tarpur Corridor for Baba Guru grims crossing two countries,” began: the founder of Sikhism, ministers to protest the killing The centre is a step forward Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary. Foreign Offi ce spokesman Mo- Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 in of Indian security personnel in towards provision of academic PM Imran Khan will do break hamed Faisal said at a weekly a small village near Lahore. Kashmir. content to students in soft form, ground at Kartarpur facilities on press briefi ng. Thousands of Sikhs already Talks have been stalled for instead of the hard copies, he 28th November. The Kartarpur Corridor, on visit the shrine in Pakistan every years over Kashmir, claimed by added. “We welcome the Sikh com- completion, will connect the year. both countries and ruled in part This is the part of eff orts to munity to Pakistan for this aus- Sikh holy shrines of Dera Baba The decision was taken in a by each of them. gradually turn the AIOU into picious occasion”. Nanak Sahib and Kartarpur Sa- meeting chaired by Indian Prime Pakistan and India have paperless university through the Information Minister Fawad hib shrine situated at the two Minister Narendra Modi, said fought two of their three wars use of technology. Chaudhry has welcomed the In- Punjabs of India and Pakistan Home Minister Rajnath Singh. since independence from Britain Prime Minister Khan will inaugurate the construction of Kartarpur Mahmood said that the data dian cabinet’s announcement on respectively. “In landmark decision, the in 1947 over the region. border corridor between Pakistan and India on November 28. centre will also work as a digital library for researchers and stu- dents of higher education. According to IT director Mo- hamed Ajmal Farooq, the data centre will provide a strong-base Militant Apex court reserves verdict on TLP’s 2017 protest for the introduction of “virtual classroom”, providing online educational services to the stu- hideout Internews from the TLP’s sit-in last year, torney general have with eco- made it to the court, he told the the attorney general explained. dents home and abroad. Islamabad including its party registration, nomics?” Justice Isa asked. court that “the TLP could be “A person holding a Nicop is It will also strengthen cam- its violent protest as well as the “Is this a joke? Is the attorney deprived of its election symbol”. not a dual national.” pus infrastructure management bombed role of government institutions general a servant of the prime “Without the symbol they “Should a Nicop holder not in administrative and fi nancial he Supreme Court of and regulators in the build-up, minister? will not be able to contest elec- have been questioned about matters. Pakistan has reserved its the chaos on the day itself, and “If the prime minister had tions,” he said. dual nationalities?” the judge The data centre will have Reuters Tverdict on the suo motu the unrest in the aftermath of called him, he could have de- Justice Isa then informed the asked, to which the attorney many value-added additions to Islamabad case over the Tehreek-e-Lab- the protest. clined. attorney general that the TLP general replied: “In my opin- provide relevant academic data baik (TLP)’s Faizabad sit-in, At the case’s hearing, Justice “Did the prime minister ask is registered in the name of a ion, he should have been ques- to the students at their door- after dishing out severe criti- Qazi Faez Isa was livid to know to adjourn the hearing? person who is based in Dubai, tioned.” steps. bomb targeting Haqqani cism to the attorney general, that Attorney General Anwar “Is the prime minister above possibly wondering if the case The attorney general further It is equipped with all relevant network militants in their the media regulator, and other Mansoor Khan was not in court the Supreme Court? could fall under the dual na- said that while “peaceful pro- data related equipment. Ahideout in Pakistan’s stakeholders in the case’s fi nal and instead attending a meet- “For the attorney gener- tionality rule. tests is everyone’s right, action The required technical as- tribal areas bordering Afghani- hearing. ing of the Economic Co-ordi- al, Pakistan is not important “Nicop (the National Identi- can be taken where threats are sistance has been acquired from stan killed three people yester- The reserved verdict pertains nation Committee. enough.” ty Card for Overseas Pakistanis) issued and provocations are China to ensure that it is working day, including two militants, a to a variety of issues stemming “What business does the at- After the attorney general is for Pakistanis living abroad,” made”. as per international standard. security offi cial and a militant source said. No group claimed responsi- bility for the blast. The Haqqani network is known for bloody attacks Court Massive response to against government institutions and foreign forces in Afghani- stan, and its presence inside Pa- grants offi cial mobile app kistan is a major source of fric- tion between Washington and Islamabad. transit AFP around 84,000 complaints The United States and Af- Islamabad were yet to be addressed, while ghanistan accuse Pakistan of around 16,000 had been re- providing a safe haven to senior remand of solved. Haqqani commanders and allege mobile app launched by Around 4,000 more com- the group operates freely on Pa- the Pakistan govern- plaints were received from kistan’s side of the porous fron- Shehbaz Ament to allow the pub- Pakistanis living abroad, and tier, charges that Pakistan has lic to voice their grievances 96% of those who downloaded repeatedly denied. over creaking infrastructure the app were males. “It was the offi ce of our com- Internews has been inundated with re- Prime Minister Imran Khan mander Naik Mohamed,” a Islamabad sponses. came to power in the July 25 Haqqani network source told A government offi cial said elections with a populist slo- Reuters about the attack near the yesterday that more than a gan of “Naya Pakistan” (“New Pakistan-Afghanistan border in n accountability court 100,000 complaints had been Pakistan”), promising to root Pakistan’s South Waziristan re- has granted seven-day made through the offi cial app, out corruption. gion. Atransit remand of Op- which launched only a month “Our state institutions will “At the present we cannot say position Leader in National As- ago. be so strong that they will who is behind this blast. It dam- sembly Shehbaz Sharif. The application was in- stop corruption. Accountabil- aged our offi ce,” he said. Earlier, National Account- tended to off er swift resolution ity will start with me, then my When asked what he meant by ability Bureau (NAB) offi cials for basic civic problems being ministers, and then it will go term “offi ce”, the source said it produced Shehbaz Sharif before faced by Pakistanis. from there,” Khan said in his was a meeting place for Haqqani Accountability Judge Syed Na- However, the government fi rst speech after coming to and other militants. jamul Hassan. has been overwhelmed with power in July. One of those wounded was The NAB prosecutor sub- responses, particularly about But Pakistan – which has a regional Haqqani commander mitted that National Assembly problems in public services like population of around 207mn Jamshed Khan, he added. Speaker Asad Qaiser had issued energy, health and education, and around 150mn mobile A Pakistani security offi cial in orders for Sharif to be produced said the prime minister’s Spe- phone users – is known for the region said that three people for the National Assembly ses- cial Assistant Iftikhar Durrani. sluggish bureaucracy, with in- were killed in the attack, includ- sion today (November 23). Speaking with reporters in competence and corruption ing two Haqqani militants, and He requested that the court Islamabad, Durrani said that rampant. 11 were wounded. grant a transit remand of the former Punjab chief minister for the purpose. Three die playing He further submitted that Sharif be produced at the con- with mortar cerned court on the expiry of his Body formed to make physical remand on Saturday Three children were killed (November 24). after a mortar shell that they Sharif has complained that Islamabad a model city mistook for a toy exploded in a members of his family have not field in Pakistan’s northwestern been allowed to see him. Swat valley, a police off icer said He also complained about Internews ior superintendent of police yesterday. lack of medical facilities. Islamabad (SSP), and the chief metropoli- “The shell exploded when the The NAB prosecutor rejected tan offi cer. children were playing with it the complaints. The committee has been and some started hitting it with The court granted seven-day he government has con- tasked with deliberating on stones,” Sayed Wali Khan, a local transit remand and also directed stituted a high-profi le a plan to make Islamabad a police off icial in Swat, told AFP. the NAB authorities to ensure Tcommittee to make Is- model city in all respects, and Khan said that one child was the provision of medical facili- lamabad a model city. ensure establishment of rule of immediately killed in the ties and family meeting. The interior ministry issued law and its implementation. explosion – which occurred in Strict security arrangements a notifi cation on the commit- The committee has also been Nela Gram village on Wednesday were made inside and outside tee, which will be headed by tasked with deliberating on – while two others died in a local the court premises on the occa- interior secretary, on Novem- various issues and challenges hospital. sion, in addition to the deploy- ber 12. that may hinder the smooth The dead are two brothers and ment of anti-riot force. The committee will com- functioning of the government their cousin, aged between four Sharif has been in custody prise the Central Development organisations and fi nd practi- and nine years. since October 5 due to his al- Authority (CDA) chairman, the cal solutions. Three others sustained injuries leged involvement in the Rs14bn chief commissioner, the in- According to the notifi ca- and were receiving medical A security convoy transporting arrested opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif leaves the corruption court Ashiana Housing Scheme scam, spector general of police, the tion, the committee will hold treatment. premises following a case hearing in Lahore yesterday. while he was chief minister. deputy commissioner, the sen- weekly meetings. Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 13 THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH Are you a good Prayer is the pillar of religion neighbour? f you are not giving your neighbours their due rights, then you are missing By Sameh Strauch others do for us. So what about thanking Allah, an important part of your duties as a Who, in His infi nite Mercy, has provided for every IMuslim. single one of our needs. Just observe the beauty A neighbour is someone who lives in fter a long and hectic day at work, how and perfection of the earth around you and fall the same neighbourhood as you; he could diffi cult it is for a tired person to go out down in gratitude to your Lord. be a friend, but does not necessarily have to the mosque and concentrate on his to be one. The defi nition of a neighbour Aprayers to Allah, the Almighty. Snuggled Prayer: The Ascension for a Believer can have various meanings; for example, up in a warm and cozy bed, how diffi cult it is to After the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi it can refer to someone who lives directly get up at the call of the Muezzin: “Come to prayer! wa sallam) was commissioned for Prophethood, beside you, as the Prophet, sallallaahu Come to success!” the fi rst thing he was commanded to do by Allah ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his The famous doctor and philosopher, Ibn Sina was to pray. The angel Jibreel came to him and a mention), said: “One must not prevent (Avicenna), recalls such a moment in his life. One spring of water gushed out of the rocks in front his neighbour from placing his wood cold and icy night, he and his slave were resting of them. Jibreel then showed Allah’s Messenger against his wall.” [Al-Bukhari]. at an inn in a remote part of Khuraasaan. During how to make ablution. He then showed him how However, it can also refer to someone the night, he felt thirsty, so he called to his slave to off er prayers to Allah. He began to pray two living further away, since the Prophet, to bring him some water. The slave had no desire rak’ah twice a day, once in the morning and once sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “No to leave his warm bed, so he pretended not to hear in the evening. He then went home and showed obligatory Salaah (prayer) is accepted Ibn Sina’s call. But fi nally, after repeated calls, he his wife Khadeejah what he had learnt from the from a neighbour of the Masjid (mosque) reluctantly got up and went to fetch the water. angel Jibreel. except if it is off ered in the Masjid.” A little while later, the melodious sound of the From that time, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi Present-day examples would include azaan (call to prayer) fi lled the air. wa sallam) never went through a day without machines and equipment that emit Ibn Sina began to think about the person praying. Just before his migration to Madinah, disturbing noises. If people do anything calling the people to prayer. “My slave, he was taken on a night journey to Jerusalem and on their property that is disturbing ‘Abdullaah, he mused, has always respected me then to the heavens (Mi’raaj). During this journey, or harmful to their neighbours, then and admired me. He seizes any opportunity to Allah, Almighty, ordered him to pray fi ve times a they must remove the cause of the lavish praise and aff ection on me, but tonight he day. This prayer was a gift given to every Believer disturbance. preferred his own comfort to my needs. On the to enable him to experience a spiritual ascension It is permissible for people to build a other hand, look at this Persian slave of Allah: He fi ve times a day. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi house on their own property, even up left his warm bed to go out into the chilly night, wa sallam) said: “The prayer is the Mi’raaj of the against their neighbour’s wall -- but only he made ablution in the icy water of the stream, Believer.” It gives every Muslim the chance to if they have no other choice and only if and then he ascended the high minaret of the communicate with his Lord. During each prayer, their neighbour is not harmed by it in mosque to glorify Him Whom he truly serves: ‘I the Muslim recites Surah Al-Faatihah: This any way. Even in such cases, they should bear witness that there is none worthy of worship recitation is not a dull monologue by the Believer, still ask their neighbor’s permission except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is but Allah promises that it is a conversation beforehand. the Messenger of Allah.’” between Him and the worshipper. If they are denied permission, their Ibn Sina records: “I learned the essence of The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa neighbour may be legally compelled to true love, that love which results in complete sallam) reported that Allah, the Almighty says: grant them permission by the proper obedience.” The love of Allah demands total and ‘When my slave says in his prayer: “All praise is authorities. The proof for this is in a unconditional obedience. Allah, the Almighty for Allah, the Lord of the worlds,” I say: “My slave Hadith related by Abu Hurayrah, may says: { Say [oh, Muhammad!]: “If you love Allah, has praised Me” When he says: “The Merciful, the Allaah be pleased with him, who said follow me: Allah will forgive you your sins, for Compassionate, Master of the Day of Judgment,” that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful } (Surah I say: “My slave has glorifi ed Me.” When he says: sallam, said: “You must not prevent your 3:31) “You Alone we worship and your Aid we seek,” I neighbour from putting his wood on your say: “This is between Me and My slave.” When he wall.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Prayer: A Cry of the Inner Soul says: “Show us the Straight Path,” I say: “This is If the fl ow of water becomes blocked His arrogance and pride have often led man for My slave, and I give My slave what he wants.” on a farm, perhaps due to wastefulness to behave as an oppressor and a tyrant. Some The Messenger of Allah once said: “Prayer is and subsequently bursts out, causing men have been carried away by their own self- the pillar of religion.” (Narrated by Al-Baihaqi) damage to neighbouring farms, the importance that they have even claimed divinity. He also informed us that Islam is built upon fi ve neighbours may come up with proposals Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, was among those pillars, the second being to establish prayer fi ve to channel or dam the water and irrigate who announced: “I am your supreme Lord!” times a day. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari) This makes the farm. If the wasteful farmer refuses to With his sense of greatness and pride, Pharaoh the image very clear: Islam is like a building comply with them, the ruling is the same subjugated the Israelites and made their lives supported by fi ve columns; remove just one as in the following case of a damaged wretched and miserable. column and the entire building weakens. In the wall. But is man really as strong and great as his same way, when a person stops praying, his faith If a wall between two properties is ego tells him? The Qur’an tells us the reality of becomes weak, and the mildest blows can cause damaged, the owners of one property can man’s nature: { It is Allah Who created you in a it to crumble. The prayer is so very important ask the owners of the other to participate state of weakness, then gave you strength after that the Prophet said: “Verily, between man and in rebuilding it. If they refuse, they can be weakness, then after strength, gave you weakness polytheism and disbelief is abandoning prayer.” compelled to do so. Likewise, they can be and a hoary head: He creates what He wills, and (Narrated by Muslim) compelled to help demolish the wall if it He is the All-knowing, the All-powerful } (Surah Allah says, concerning the plight of the is expected to collapse. 30:54) disbelievers on the Day of Judgment, that they The owners of the highest buildings Weakness in the beginning and weakness in will be asked by the Believers: {“What led you in an area must construct screens to the end: This is the essence of man. He is so weak into the Hell-fi re?” They will say: “We were not prevent themselves from overlooking and helpless at birth that his entire existence of those who prayed.”} (Surah 74:42-43). Allah their neighbour’s properties. Likewise, depends on his parents and his family. If he were also says: {Successful indeed are the Believers, whoever wishes to utilise their roof to be abandoned in these fi rst crucial years, he those who humble themselves in their prayers should make sure that they cannot could not survive on his own. He needs a gentle } (Surah 23:1-2), and: {And those who guard see into their neighbour’s properties and loving hand, not only in his infancy, but in his [strictly] their worship, such will be the honoured and erect a screen for this purpose if childhood and even in his teenage years. ones in the Gardens [of Bliss] } (Surah 70: 34-35). necessary. As this child enters the years of youth and Allah has emphasised the need for humility and Whoever owns some property, but independence, he begins to take control of his own concentration in prayers. There is no doubt that cannot reach it without causing damage life. He looks with pride at his strong physique, Satan is the most bitter enemy of man; he always to a neighbour’s property is forbidden his handsome features and his many talents. He tries to disturb the Believer’s prayers. He (the to cause the damage. Instead, the begins to despise those of lesser abilities, even worshipper) fi nds his mind suddenly engulfed authorities should endeavour to arrange scorning his parents, who exhausted their own with memories, problems, worries, work and his matters in a way that prevents harm to health to nurture him. He becomes unjust and family... and he will often fi nd himself wondering either party. cruel, using his strength and vigour to dominate whether he has prayed three rak’ah or four. This Thus, even though our neighbours may others. He thinks he is master, free to act as he is how Satan steals the prayer. Man was created be Muslim or non-Muslims – each are wills. But does this youth, these good looks last only to worship Allah. He says: {I created not the equally entitled to their rights according forever? In only a few decades, he begins to lose jinns and mankind except to worship me} (Surah to our religion. Sometimes we may fi nd his strength...his youth is replaced by old age. 51:56). Man is to live in this world as a worshipper it hard to reach out to our non-Muslim Weakness in the beginning, weakness in the end.” of Allah and prayer is the best form of worship. neighbours, but it is an obligation upon us, The message is clear: The real Master is Allah. On the Day of Judgment, man will have to answer and it can also be one of the best forms of He Alone is Mighty, He Alone, is Great. He for his deeds. Allah says: {Then shall you be Da’wah (call to Islam) we can give. Alone is never tired, never needs rest, is never questioned about the joy [you indulged in]} Article source: http://www.islamweb. dependent upon anyone. Allahu Akbar! – Allah is (Surah 102:8) net/emainpage/ the Greatest! In our everyday lives, we say a warm (Abridged from: Why Do We Pray? by Dr thank you for the small acts of kindness which Suhaib Hasan) The ideal personality of the Muslim

he ideal Muslim character is all and Witnesses every secret. Allah than a weak believer. Allah, The understand the nature and the essence is, as well as fl ooding them with love attitude of shyness. He is cheerful. He distinct and balanced. The A Muslim feels in the depths of his Exalted, Says (what means): “…Eat of things. Allah Says (what means): and compassion, to pay attention to is not pushy. He is patient. He avoids Muslim is the embodiment of soul that he is in constant need of the and drink; but waste not by excess, for “…and say: My Lord! Increase me in anything that may infl uence their slandering or uttering obscenities. He Tthe teachings of the Qur’an help and support of Allah, no matter Allah loves not the wasters.” [Qur’an knowledge.” [Qur’an 20: 114] Islamic development and give them does not unjustly accuse others. He is and the Sunnah (sayings, actions how much he may think he can do for 7: 31] The Muslim does not forget that man proper education, so that they become shy and modest. He does not interfere and the approvals of the Prophet himself. He has no choice in his life but The Muslim keeps away from drugs is not only composed of a body and a active and constructive elements in in that which does not concern him. Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa to submit to the will of Allah, worship and stimulants. He also does not forget mind, but that he also possesses a soul society, and a source of goodness for He refrains from gossiping, spreading sallam. He follows the teachings of Him, strive towards the Right Path and to exercise regularly to maintain his and a spirit, and feels a longing for their parents, community, and society slander and stirring up trouble. He the Book of Allah (i.e. Qur’an) and the do good deeds. physical fi tness. higher things that make him rise above as a whole. avoids false speech and suspicion. example of the Prophet Muhammad in This will guide him to be righteous The Muslim also keeps his body this materialistic life and scale the With his relatives, the Muslim When he is entrusted with a secret, all aff airs, relations, and situations – and upright in all his deeds, both in and clothes very clean. He bathes heights of goodness, virtue and light. maintains the ties of kinship and he keeps it. He is modest and never starting with his relationship with his public and in private. frequently. The Prophet, sallallaahu Therefore, the Muslim pays as much knows his duties towards them. He arrogant. He does not make fun of Lord, his own self, his family and the A Muslim recognises the signs of ‘alaihi wa sallam, placed a great attention to his spiritual development understands the high status given to anyone. He respects his elders. He people around him. the unlimited power of Allah in the emphasis on cleanliness and bathing. as to his physical and intellectual relatives in Islam, which makes him mixes with the best of people. He Following is a brief overview of universe, and so his faith in Allah Cleanliness makes the Muslim more development, in a precisely balanced keep in touch with them, no matter strives to reconcile between the some qualities of the ideal Muslim increases: Allah, The Exalted, Says likeable to people. He also takes care of fashion which does not concentrate on what the circumstances. Muslims. He calls others to Islam with personality. (what means): “Verily! In the creation his mouth and teeth. one aspect to the detriment of others. With his neighbours, the Muslim wisdom and beautiful preaching. He of the heavens and the earth and (in) It is no surprise that the Muslim illustrates good treatment and visits the sick and attends funerals. His attitude towards Allah the diff erence of night and day are is concerned with his clothing and His attitude towards people consideration of others’ feelings He returns favours and is grateful for One of the most distinguishing tokens (of His sovereignty) for men appearance. The Muslim does all of With his parents, the Muslim is and sensitivities. He puts up with them. He guides people to do good. He features of the (ideal) Muslim is his of understanding. Such as remember this in accordance with the Islamic an example of sincere fi lial piety. He mistreatment and turns a blind eye to always likes to make things easy and not deep faith in Allah, The Exalted, and Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, ideal of moderation, avoiding treats them with kindness and respect, his neighbor’s faults while taking care diffi cult. his conviction that whatever happens and consider the creation of the the extremes of exaggeration and infi nite compassion, utter politeness not to commit any such errors himself. The Muslim is fair in his judgments. in the universe and whatever befalls heavens and the earth, (and say): Our negligence. and deep gratitude. He recognises their The Muslim relationship with his He is not a hypocrite, a sycophant him, only happens through the will Lord! You created not this in vain. Allah Says (what means): “Say: status and knows his duties towards brothers and friends is the best and or a show-off . He does not boast and the decree of Allah. The Muslim is Glory be to You! Preserve us from the Who has forbidden the adornment of them. Allah Says (what means): “And purest of relationships, for it is based on about his deeds and achievements. closely connected to Allah, constantly doom of Fire.” [Qur’an 3: 190-191] Allah which He has brought forth for serve Allah. Ascribe nothing as partner love for the sake of Allah. He is loving, He is straightforward and is never remembers Him, puts his trust in Him His bondmen, and the good things unto Him. (Show) kindness unto not cold towards them; he is loyal and devious or twisted, no matter what the and is obedient towards Him. His attitude towards his body, of His providing? Say: Such, on the parents…” [Qur’an 4: 36] does not betray them; he is sincere and circumstances. He loves noble things His faith is pure and clear, mind and soul Day of Resurrection, will be only With his wife, the Muslim does not cheat them; he is gentle and and hates foolishness. He is generous uncontaminated by any strain of The Muslim pays due attention to for those who believed during the exemplifi es good and kind never harsh; he is tolerant and forgiving; and does not remind others of his gifts ignorance, superstition or illusion. His his body’s physical, intellectual and life of the world. Thus do We detail treatment, intelligent handling, deep he is generous and he supplicates for or favours. He is hospitable and does belief and worship are based on the spiritual needs. Our revelations for people who have understanding of the nature and them (his brothers and friends). not complain when a guest comes Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah. He takes good care of his body, knowledge.” [Qur’an 7: 32] psychology of women, and proper In his social relationships with all to him. He prefers others to himself The Muslim is alert and open- promoting its good health and As for his intellectual care, the fulfi lment of his responsibilities and people, the Muslim is well-mannered, as much as possible. He relieves the minded to the magnifi cence of Allah. strength. He is active, doesn’t eat in Muslim takes care of his mind by duties. civil and noble, characterised by the burden of the debtor. He is proud and He knows that it is Allah who is in excess; but he eats enough to maintain perusing benefi cial knowledge. He is With his children, the Muslim is attitudes which Islam encourages. does not think of begging. control of the aff airs of the universe his health and energy. He understands responsible to seek knowledge whether a parent who understands his great The Muslim does not envy others. Article source: http://www. and of mankind, and He (Allah) Knows that a strong believer is more loved by it is religious or secular, so he may responsibility towards them which He fulfi ls his promises. He has the islamweb.net/emainpage/ Gulf Times 14 Friday, November 23, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Amir’s tour to Croatia, Italy raises Qatar’s profi le His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s recent successful European tour – to Croatia and Italy – has further strengthened Qatar’s standing and raised its profi le internationally. Besides bolstering Doha’s relations with Zagreb and Rome in various sectors, His Highness the Amir’s tour has resulted in cementing strategic partnerships between Qatar and European India’s ‘solar gal pals’ countries and reaffi rming the State’s positions on regional and international issues. The Amir’s latest tour, which follows earlier visits to Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the US and the UN headquarters in New York, affi rms light up rural homes the Qatar’s openness to the world. The ceremonial welcome the Amir was accorded costs between $10 and $20, while a stayed at home, tended the buff alos Rajasthan is known as much for its in Croatia and Italy refl ects the feeling of By Annie Banerji Alwar, India regular battery-run one would be about and done household work. That is all I beautiful palaces, camel-back desert friendship the Amir enjoys in these two countries $5. would have been good for,” said Bassi. safaris and colourful apparel as for its But once doubts are cleared, almost Having never ventured out much or age-old customs like purdah, or veiling, and the depth of Qatar’s relations with them. uff alo trampled over it? Rain every customer is satisfi ed, said Bassi. spoken in public before, Bassi said she of women. The results achieved by the Amir’s tour to drenched it? Child dropped Kamlesh Devi, a mother of two, was jittery at fi rst, unsure whether she It is home to some of India’s poorest Croatia and Italy are not limited to the agreements it? No problem! This solar bought the Solar Rakshak in June after would be taken seriously or be able to villages where politically powerful and memoranda of understanding that were Bfl ashlight can endure it all, said Bassi assured her that it would save sell anything. councils, mostly comprising elderly Bassi in a pitch to her neighbours in her frequent trips to the market for “But now I feel like I have no fear,” men, have an iron grip over social and signed. rural India to convince them to power new batteries and lights, and help her said Bassi, who unlike most rural moral life. They show that Qatar stands on the right side of their homes with clean energy instead children study without any irritation to women travels miles out of her village, Women are often expected to of polluting fuels. their eyes. interacts with men and earns an income conform to established gender roles history, as refl ected Bassi is one of 2,500 “Solar Sahelis”, “I used to buy fl ashlights for Rs300- — up to Rs 2,000 ($28) every month. such as being the main caregivers in the shared vision or solar women friends, who fan out to 400 (about $5) that would malfunction “Women are not weaker than men. who look after the home and children Amir visit refl ects between the Amir diff erent villages and persuade families within six months. Sometimes it would At least I do not have to depend on despite modern, urbanising times, to use solar energy in the western desert fall here or there. The batteries would anybody for money,” she said. experts say. the success of and the presidents state of Rajasthan, which sees about die quickly. But this is a great thing,” “On days when I feel like buying That is why it is essential to sensitise of Croatia and Italy, 300 days of sunshine every year. said Devi, her head veiled with her sari. something or wearing something new, villagers about changing dynamics, Qatar’s foreign Kolinda Grabar- With unreliable electricity and “The kids are studying well. Until 10, then I know I have my own money and I said Shashank Bibhu of CARE India, hours-long power cuts every day, many 11 at night, even if there is no electricity, can do whatever I want.” a charity that works for women from policy Kitarovic and rural families in Rajasthan are often they study very comfortably,” she said. The Solar Sahelis have collectively poor, marginalised communities. Sergio Mattarella, forced to rely on candles, kerosene oil Jaipur-based Frontier Markets, the earned more than $2.5mn by lighting “Otherwise, in the past, we have seen lanterns or burning wood, which emit social enterprise behind the project, over 500,000 homes, according to that it has led to domestic violence,” he said. respectively, on regional events. soot and noxious fumes. said its mission is to provide over Frontier Markets. He urged organisations to counsel Signifi cantly, during a dinner banquet hosted They not only can lead to premature 10mn clean energy products to 30mn “In order to drive true women communities about gender equality and in honour of the Amir by Mattarella, the death due to disease, but can also cause households in India by 2020. empowerment, they need to be promote supportive men as role models fi re accidents and burn injuries. But the project is not just about going economically secure. The second you put who share household responsibilities. Italian president stressed that the solution to That is why solar is the way to go, green. money into women’s hands, everything For Radha Devi, working as a Solar the Gulf crisis will only be achieved through 26-year-old Bassi, who goes by one It also aims to empower women in the changes,” said Ajaita Shah, the 34-year- Saheli has not been very easy due to dialogue and diplomatic eff orts based on mutual name, told the Thomson Reuters male-dominated, conservative state, old founder of Frontier Markets. the lack of help from the men in her Foundation in her village of Moonpur, where child marriage is rife and girls are The rise in family incomes has made family.”I struggle to balance household understanding, respect and non-interference about 130km from state capital Jaipur, routinely denied an education and live a the Sahelis confi dent and more involved work and this work,” said the 37-year- in the internal aff airs of countries. This refl ects where buff aloes and cows wander the life largely confi ned to home. in household decisions, she said. old, who became a Saheli last year. Qatar’s view on the issue. dusty streets. Bassi’s life was headed there too. “The fi re we saw in some of these “Men do not have to worry about “They just makes more sense — Forced to marry at 17, she was women, it is like they were fi nally household work...so they progress Meanwhile, Croatia’s president Kolinda Grabar- aff ordable, long-lasting, durable and regularly beaten up by her husband recognising that their voice has value,” in life. But women have to think a lot Kitarovic described Qatar as an important partner safe,” said Bassi, who has sold up to 32 before she ran away and moved back in said Shah. about how they will take out time for solar fl ashlights since becoming a Solar with her parents. Repeated studies show that when their jobs,” she said. and stressed the signifi cance of the Amir’s visit as Saheli last year. When she insisted on studying women control the family’s fi nances, they Still, that does not dim her hopes of a basis for developing excellent bilateral relations. Even then, Bassi said it can be a further, her elders refused, saying she invest more in their children’s education, making it big one day. She said the presence of a Croatian community challenge to win over villagers who brought shame to the family. healthcare, businesses and communities, “The plan is to open up my own are usually wary of the initial higher That is when Frontier Markets found which can be a step out of poverty. store...and make a name for myself,” in Qatar represents a bridge between the two costs and distrust solar products due to Bassi in a self-help group for women While such programmes seek to boost she said, wearing a bright yellow Solar countries’ relations, expressing optimism for experience with some fl imsy products and trained her to spread awareness women’s rights, experts warn they can Sahelis vest. future co-operation, especially in the fi elds from China. and sell solar lights in remote areas of backfi re at times as they upset traditional “Success takes time. One should not The most popular product, the “Solar Rajasthan. norms and spark confl ict, especially in lose confi dence.” – Thomson Reuters of energy, industry, defence, technology and Rakshak”, or solar protector, fl ashlight “If not for this...I would have just conservative pockets of India. Foundation tourism. President Kitarovic said she is looking forward to the 2022 World Cup, expressing her confi dence that Qatar will host a wonderful event. The Amir’s latest European tour refl ects the success of Qatar’s foreign policy and reaffi rms the fact that Qatar is an important country and an active partner of the international community on account of its political and economic weight and responsible and realistic outlooks to solve the problems of the world.

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Radha Devi, a Solar Saheli (Solar Friend), stands in the courtyard of her home in Moonpur village of western Rajasthan state, India, on September 12, 2018. – Thomson © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Reuters Foundation Gulf Times Friday, November 23, 2018 15 COMMENT America suff ering from massacre fatigue

By Harold I Schwartz there is a continuum between being Tribune News Service infl uenced by other murders and being infl uenced by the general breakdown of civility, the tolerance of hatred and ntensive care unit doctors lesser violence, real or suggested. If and nurses, barraged day you’re contributing to the breakdown and night by the alarms that of civility, amping up the hatred, Isignal dangerous changes in suggesting that violence of any kind a patient’s pulse, respiratory rate is OK, you’re edging high risk people or cardiac rhythms, may gradually toward the precipice. This is not high lose the capacity to pay attention. neuroscience. It’s common sense. It Not because they are bad people or has to stop. lazy or even inattentive, but because Another closely related phenomenon the brain’s capacity to respond is that of contagion. Social scientists diminishes when so overstimulated. and epidemiologists are observing This phenomenon is known as that violence (murder and suicide) alarm fatigue. The result can be seem to spread in patterns that look catastrophic. much like that of a viral epidemic. We Americans are suff ering, as a These patterns are being studied but people, from massacre fatigue. Was it such research is hampered by the my imagination that as news broke of prohibition against using federal funds still another disastrous mass murder to study gun violence. Perhaps such in Thousand Oaks, California, only studies can help to explain causation 11 days after the massacre at the Tree but, more important, prediction of of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, that where catastrophe is likely to spread this horrendous news occupied less next. Meanwhile, people’s heads are of the news cycle, that it disappeared spinning senseless in the face of a from the front pages a bit sooner? calamity that they are prohibited from Tree of Life was shocking. But do you studying. How does this make sense? remember First Baptist of Sutherland The people have a new Congress. Don’t Springs (26 six dead)? Emanuel African let this stand. Methodist Episcopal in Charleston? There remains the issue of How about the Sikh Temple in Oak reasonable gun safety regulation – Creek? These are just the churches background checks, assault weapons, (and there are scores more). How large capacity clips. One keeps about Las Vegas, Orlando, Virginia repeating the mantra but failing to Tech, Luby’s Cafeteria, San Ysidro, enact the legislation. Gun safety Parkland, San Bernadino, the Edmund regulation will never prevent all mass Oklahoma Post Offi ce, Columbine, shootings but there is no other viable Seattle, Wilkes-Barre, Camden, option for gaining some traction Aurora, Atlanta, Santa Fe, Sandy Hook against this contagion. How many (which no one in Connecticut will ever lives are worth the inconvenience of a forget)? Are people even able to keep background check to the buyer or a lost these all in mind? And yet each one of sale to the industry? these was catastrophic, with at least FBI agents are seen at the site of the shooting in Thousand Oaks. Contagion can be controlled. 10 dead. Together, these and the many Edward Jenner demonstrated this hundreds of other mass shootings in never answered, and more often the have become fatigued by these alarms; concepts that can help us to explain disinhibited by them. The more they by inventing the smallpox vaccine. recent history are a calamity equivalent motive remains ambiguous. After accustomed and even inured to the what’s going on. are exposed to hatred and violence the Disinhibition can be mastered by to a ground war on American soil. every incident people call for rational calamitous war around them. There are many bad people out more these come to seem the norm removing the stimuli that encourage Americans are unable to see it for what gun regulation. They endure the How could this be happening to us? there. Some may be mentally ill, and the more whatever psychological it and modelling norms of behaviour. it is. usual pushback. Blame is defl ected to How is it that they can be so seemingly many are not and most are in a gray and moral impediments to acting out Alarm fatigue can be resisted by Each incident sounds a new alarm. the mentally ill. The mentally ill are helpless and worn down in the face zone the people would think of as they may have are eroded. With each calling it out and pushing it back. People rush to identify the killer so defended. One reads of the lives of the of it? Why are these horrendous “disturbed” though not necessarily new shooting the glue wears down Gun safety can be enhanced when they can learn the motive. Sometimes victims until one can’t bear reading outbursts of violence accelerating to ill. While most people are repulsed by and the murderous impulses seem people value lives more than special the motive is hatred, but why one anymore and turns the page. This has a nearly weekly event? There are no each incident, those who are living more acceptable to them. There’s not interests. The only alternative is hater kills while the next doesn’t is become a ritual dance. Americans ready answers but there are important on the fringes of hatred are becoming much people can do about that but more catastrophes.

The limits of China’s charm off ensive

By Minxin Pei Stockholm

ver the last decade, China has taken an increasingly muscular approach to Orelations with East Asian countries. But in recent months, it has surprised its neighbours with a charm off ensive. What changed? In terms of China’s behaviour in the region, quite a lot. In 2013, China unilaterally declared an Air Defence Identifi cation Zone covering the East China Sea’s disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands – a move that exacerbated tensions with Japan. A year later, China began to construct large artifi cial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea. In 2016, China imposed sanctions on South Korea in response to the decision to allow the United States to deploy a missile- defence system there. Now, however, such geostrategic bullying seems to be taking a backseat to diplomacy. Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Beijing. Abe’s visit to China was the fi rst for a Japanese leader in Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, shakes hands with China’s President Xi seven years, and Xi’s scheduled visit Jinping during a meeting in Beijing. to Japan next year will be the fi rst for a Chinese president in more than a to Japan. Xi Jinping, for example, is To be sure, most East Asian decade. expected to visit the Philippines on countries prefer not to choose a side Last week, Chinese Premier Li November 20-21. Through summits outright. But if the US and China were Keqiang headed to Singapore, where and other opportunities to convene to engage in direct strategic confl ict he signed an upgraded version of the senior offi cials, China will attempt – an increasingly likely prospect – it China-Singapore free-trade agreement. to cultivate friendlier relations with is the US that would gain the most He also hopes to sign and implement its neighbours. To support these support, especially from allies like the Regional Comprehensive Economic eff orts, China’s propaganda machine Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Partnership, which China initiated has probably been instructed to tone Malaysia and Singapore would several years ago to counter the now- down nationalist rhetoric and cut probably also back the US. defunct Trans-Pacifi c Partnership, out content that might off end its If China wants to make reliable next year (an overly ambitious target neighbours. friends in its neighbourhood, it will unlikely to be achieved, owing to the Finally, China may temporarily have to make far greater concessions complexities of multi-party trade restrain its assertion of territorial on security issues, especially deals). claims. For example, it is unlikely to territorial disputes. For example, China’s new, less antagonistic turn the Scarborough Shoal, which it a permanent settlement of claims approach does not refl ect a change seized from the Philippines in 2012, concerning the Senkaku/Diaoyu of heart or objectives on the part of into another artifi cial island in the Islands would go a long way toward its leaders, but rather a change in foreseeable future. Likewise, it will convincing Japan that China does the regional geopolitical landscape. probably avoid sending ships close not pose a serious threat. Similarly, Over the last six months, the US has to the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and China’s acceptance of international abandoned its four-decade-old policy antagonising Japan. arbitration of its claims in the South of engagement with China, adopting a East Asian countries have so far China Sea would assuage the fears of containment strategy instead. Facing responded positively to China’s its Southeast Asian neighbours. escalating geopolitical competition new diplomacy, and they would As it stands, there is no indication with the US, China is scrambling to undoubtedly welcome any respite that Xi, who has pledged to “make win friends in the region. from Chinese belligerence. But China great again,” is so much as Although China’s charm off ensive neither sweet talk nor trade deals considering such concessions. But as is very recent, its contours are already will secure reliable allies for China, long as China takes a purely tactical clear. The most prominent feature is especially in a contest against the US. approach, it will reap purely tactical trade. As the largest trading partner Few in East Asia want to live in gains. When it comes to building of numerous Asian countries, China the shadow of a hegemonic China. friendships that can withstand will off er attractive trade terms to its The fear of that prospect has long strategic confl ict with the US, those neighbours, much as it has done with underpinned America’s East Asian gains will not be nearly enough. – Singapore. security architecture, which is based Project Syndicate China’s new tactics also include on bilateral alliances and forward more frequent high-level diplomatic deployment of the US military. And it zMinxin Pei is a professor of engagement, focused on leading sustains widespread support in East government at Claremont McKenna regional players, such as South Korea, Asia for the US to act as a strategic College and the author of China’s Indonesia, and Vietnam, in addition counterweight in the region. Crony Capitalism. Gulf Times 16 Friday, November 23, 2018 QATAR Father Amir visits Dhow Festival

His Highness the Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, yesterday visited the 8th Katara Traditional Dhow Festival. He toured a number of pavilions of the participating countries, and saw various cultural and heritage events such as the handicrafts market, marine life and crafts, and watched some performances of traditional marine folklore arts. Fireworks wows audience at Katara Dhow Festival

he Eighth Katara Tra- schools across Qatar, especially In Shoush, the team compris- ditional Dhow Festival in the morning hours. ing Darwish Salim and Khalfan Tattracted huge crowds Hundreds of children took Salim won the fi rst prize, while to the Katara beach yesterday part in art workshops in a dedi- the second prize went to the evening to witness a dazzling cated pavilion at Katara beach, team comprising Ahmed Yusuf fi reworks display. featuring painting, drawing, al-Hail and Ahmed al-Miraikhi. The unique show was themed face painting, paper design, The team comprising Ahmed on sea traditions, and narrated a among others, having been Abdullah and Mohamed Malal- story about fi shing, diving and trained by experts in the respec- lah won the third prize. fi ghting in the sea, in bright and tive fi elds. Traditional stalls set up by the vibrant colours. Katara has announced the participating countries are at- The crowd watched in awe, winners of three maritime com- tracting huge number of visitors shouting and cheering, as fi re- petitions — Al Haddaq, Ta- every day. works burst above, drawing freesh and Shoush — held over Iran has set up a replica of the thematic patterns into the sky the fi rst two days of the Festival. anthropological house of the in brilliant light and vivacious More competitions were held natives of Kish Island in Iran, colours. yesterday. showcasing marine and sailing A similar fi reworks show will Al Hadaaq is an individual traditions and the lifestyle of the take place today at the Katara contest in traditional fi shing, people of the Island 80 years ago. beach from 8pm to 8.20pm. in which Yusuf al-Obaidli won The Omani House fea- The evening will also witness the fi rst prize bagging QR5,000. tures sea-related products and a surprise announcement by Mohamed Salim al-Araimi equipment from Oman, along Katara Cultural Village. won the second prize worth with Omani sweets, and is also Visitors to the Festival over QR4,000 while the third prize introducing traditional Omani the past three days had been worth QR3,000 was bagged by dances related to the sea. treated to various traditional Rashid al-Magairafi . The Kuwaiti House has shows and dances presented by In Tafreesh — a rowing con- brought together a number of teams from the participating test using small boats — Ahmed marine experts from the coun- countries, maritime contests Yusuf al-Hail won the fi rst prize try, and showcases Kuwaiti and a wide range of cultural ac- while the second and and third wedding traditions, among oth- tivities. prizes went to Saleh al-Araimi er aspects. The Festival attracted large and Musallam al-Araimi, re- The fi ve-day festival will number of children from spectively. conclude tomorrow. Rota launches second MYCHA

ducation Above All (EAA) Foundation’s programme EReach Out To Asia (Rota) yesterday launched the second edition of Mena Youth Capac- ity building in Humanitarian Action (MYCHA) 2018 training at the Qatar National Conven- tion Centre, sponsored by Qatar Fund for Development. The opening ceremony start- ed with a motivational speech which drew a special attention to the participant’s success sto- ries by the Ministry of Foreign The winner with Baladna and Vodafone off icials. Aff airs spokesperson Lolwah al-Khater, followed by a speech for Rota executive director, and a panel discussion under the theme of ‘Transforming Hu- manitarian Action with and for Vodafone, Baladna Young People’. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr Hani al-Ban- na, president of Humanitarian fete promo winner Forum, and attended by Sultan Ahmed al-Aseeri, country pro- odafone Qatar and Baladna have congratulated the fi rst lucky grammes manager at the QFFD; winner of ‘1mn Vodafone Flex’ in their popular joint promo- Dr Iyad Nasr, Head of United Vtion. Nations Offi ce for the Co-ordi- The winner, Yunus Kandy from India, was welcomed at Voda- nation of Humanitarian Aff airs A panel discussion in progress. fone’s headquarter offi ce by senior representatives from Vodafone and (OCHA) Regional Offi ce for the Baladna to celebrate his win. Mena; Dr Hossam Said, manag- right to quality education, and ately be applied by youth in their manitarian action. The training’s education, health and economic The two companies partnered last month for the fi rst time to launch ing director of the Humanitar- to promote it as a key aspect of local contexts. theme will focus on the dimen- empowerment.” a promotion, that with every purchase of Baladna’s multipack 6x170g ian Academy for Development humanitarian intervention in Once participants return to sions of humanitarian action, The MYCHA training pro- yoghurt, Vodafone Qatar Prepaid customers instantly win up to 1mn (HAD); and Khalid Khalifa, the countries in crisis. their home countries, they will the provision of education as a gramme is organised in associa- Flex for free data and minutes. UN Refugee Agency UNHCR’s The training is being attended receive six months of ongo- humanitarian response, climate tion with EAA’s international and Customers simply need to check the unique code located on the regional representative in the by 210 participants from diff er- ing support and mentorship by change and nature caused disas- local partners, including OCHA, inside panel of the multipack carton, and then dial *127*CARTON- GCC region. ent parts of the world, consist- partner NGOs to help them de- ters, famines, fl oods, typhoons, United Nations High Commis- CODE# from any Vodafone Prepaid number to activate. This fi ve-day event strives to ing of youth advocates, humani- liver their planned Youth-led volcanoes, as well as infl uencing sioner for Refugees, Doha In- The off er continues until December 1, 2018 and the free Flex can be empower youth in humanitar- tarian organisations, and other Humanitarian Action Projects. and advocacy in humanitarian stitute for Graduate Studies, redeemed until December 15, 2018. ian settings throughout the Mena experts in the fi eld to share their Rota executive director Essa work such as volunteerism, social Qatar Red Crescent, Human Flex are units that customers can use to get data, make local or in- region to assure their meaningful experiences and best practices, al-Mannai said: “The 2nd edition media, and the use of technology Appeal, Inter-Agency Network ternational calls and SMSs – as per their preference. participation in preparedness, re- and is designed for young people of MYCHA training programme in humanitarian action.” for Education in Emergencies, Additional benefi ts of Flex include Carry Forward feature, in which sponse and confl ict resolution in in the Mena to support them as will provide a great opportunity QFFD’s al-Aseeri said: “MY- Norwegian Refugee Council, In- unused fl ex balance get carried forward automatically through re- diff erent situations and contexts. partners and active youth in hu- to promote humanitarian cre- CHA training falls in tune with ternational Rescue Committee, charge of Flex before expiry for Prepaid users. The MYCHA training is in manitarian action. dentials and work towards em- our goal to achieve inclusive Osman Consulting, CARE Or- More information and terms and conditions can be had from www. line with EAA’s broad mission The training will off er practi- powering young people to play and sustainable development, ganisation, HAD, Mercy Corps, vf.qa/baladna of providing and protecting the cal learning that can immedi- a leading role in the region’s hu- by addressing priority issues of Unicef, QNCC, and QFFD.