QATAR | Page 4 SPORT | Page 1

Lusail to host Confi dent International Boat Show in El Jaish INDEX take on DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-10 COMMENT 26, 27 December REGION 11 BUSINESS 1–8, 13–16 18,094.83 10,509.79 45.65 ARAB WORLD 11 CLASSIFIED 9–12 Al Ain -166.62 +74.62 +0.17 INTERNATIONAL 12–25 SPORTS 1–12 -0.91% +0.72% +2.63% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXVII No. 10224 September 27, 2016 Dhul-Hijja 25, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Sash of Merit for envoy New transit visa In brief rules to boost QATAR | Diplomacy Erdogan meets with al-Attiyah Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday met with Qatar’s Qatar tourism Minister of State for Defence Aff airs, HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed The new visa structure now allows “We are pleased to further facilitate al-Attiyah, who is visiting Ankara. HE passengers with a minimum the movement of the 30mn passengers al-Attiyah conveyed the greetings transit time of five hours in Hamad who pass through HIA every year,” he of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin International Airport to stay in said. “We welcome them to spend time Hamad al-Thani to the Turkish Qatar for up to 96 hours, without in Doha and discover Qatari hospital- President and people, wishing them applying for an entry visa ahead of ity.” further progress and development. time QTA’s chief tourism development For his part, the Turkish president offi cer Hassan al-Ibrahim echoed these asked the Qatari minister to convey revised, free-of-charge tour- statements saying that by off ering an greetings to HH the Emir and the ism visa scheme for passengers enhanced transit visa to passengers people of Qatar. The meeting Atransiting through Doha was travelling through HIA, Qatar is pro- focused on bilateral relations and announced yesterday by Qatar Tourism viding its visitors a welcoming expe- ways to enhance them. They also Authority (QTA), Qatar Airways (QA) The new tourism visa scheme aims rience from the moment their planes discussed a number of issues of HH the Deputy Emir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday met with and Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MoI) to promote Qatar as a world-class touch down in Doha until they begin joint interest, particularly in fields Indian ambassador Sanjeev Arora who is ending his tenure in the country. HH in a move to promote the country as a stopover destination. their onward journeys to their fi nal relating to military co-operation. the Deputy Emir presented the outgoing ambassador with the Sash of Merit in world-class stopover destination. destinations. HE al-Attiyah also met with Turkish recognition of his role in enhancing relations between the two countries, wishing The new transit visa structure now Baker said in a press statement. “As we celebrate WTD’s ‘Tourism Defence Minister Fikri Isik. The him success in his future assignments and for the bilateral relations further allows passengers with a minimum The development, announced on the for All’ theme, we are delighted to meeting was attended by Qatar’s progress and prosperity. Page 2 transit time of fi ve hours in Hamad eve of World Tourism Day (WTD), is make Qatar more accessible to people ambassador to Turkey, Salim bin International Airport (HIA) to stay in the third in a series of enhancements from around the world and invite them Mubarak al-Shafi. Qatar for up to 96 hours (four days), that Qatar has made to facilitate entry to discover our country, our cultural without applying for an entry visa into the country for visitors. It aims to heritage and our natural treasures,” he ARAB WORLD | Reaction ahead of time. promote the country as a world-class noted. This is a signifi cant increase from the stopover destination. The introduction of a new transit Palestinians slam previous transit visa scheme, which al- Last week, offi cials announced a new visa scheme is also a step towards po- Trump’s stand QA set to meet lowed travellers with a minimum layo- process to quicken the entry of tourists sitioning Doha as a turn-around port Palestinian leaders yesterday accused ver of eight hours and a maximum of 48 arriving on board cruise ships, and ear- for cruise ships, al-Ibrahim added. Donald Trump of abandoning any hours (two days) in Qatar. lier, representatives signed an agree- He said that in the near future, in- hope of a two-state solution after The transit visa will be available on ment with VFS Global, which will see ternational cruise passengers could fl y the Republican candidate said he ICAO fl ight-tracking arrival at HIA to passengers of all na- the development of a new, faster and to Qatar, enter using a transit visa, and would recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s tionalities upon confi rmation of on- more transparent tourist visa applica- begin and end their cruise in Doha. “undivided” capital if he won the ward journey and completion of pass- tion mechanism. “This will increase the length of stay US presidential election. “Trump’s port control procedures. All visas are United Nations World Tourism Or- in Qatar of a growing segment of visi- statement shows disregard for recommendations approved and issued at the sole discre- ganisation (UNWTO) secretary-gener- tors, and allow them to further explore international law (and) longstanding tion of MoI. al Taleb Rifai commended Qatar on its our country’s tourism off ering, while US foreign policy regarding the status The move is designed to make stopo- rapid advancement in this area saying increasing the economic impact of of Jerusalem,” Saeb Erekat, secretary atar Airways will be the global be provided every minute. GlobalBea- vers easier and more attractive to QA’s that promoting visa facilitation is a pri- cruise tourism,” the QTA offi cial ex- general of the Palestine Liberation launch customer of GlobalBea- con will provide a permanent minute- global passengers. It aims to deliver ority for tourism development world- plained. Organisation, said in a statement. Qcon (sm), a technology solu- by-minute reporting capability, far ex- additional value to the local economy wide and a key element in the competi- To maximise on their transit through “Previous statements delivered by tion by Aireon LLC and FlightAware, ceeding the ICAO recommendation. while strengthening Qatar’s position as tiveness of tourism destinations. Qatar, visitors can explore Discover his adviser on Israel show a total designed to provide up-to-the minute Qatar Airways Group Chief Execu- an attractive tourist destination. Brigadier Abdullah Salim al-Ali, di- Qatar stopover packages off ered by abandonment of the two-state global tracking of all aircraft equipped tive Akbar al-Baker said: “As one of the “Whether travelling for business or rector general of the General Directo- QA Holidays. These include, desert solution, international law and UN with Automatic Dependent Surveil- fastest growing airlines in the world, leisure, we want to enrich the journey rate of Nationality, Borders and Expa- safaris, city tours, visits to Katara - the resolutions.” lance-Broadcast (ADS-B) in 2018. both our needs, and our drive to deliver of all of our passengers and are restruc- triates Aff airs at MoI said they strive to Cultural Village, Souq Waqif and The The national carrier is thus meet- the very best services for our global turing our fares to refl ect this initiative support the country’s growth and de- Pearl-Qatar island, museum and art ENERGY | Discussions ing, three years in advance, the Inter- passengers, are continually evolving. and to promote stopovers to travellers,” velopment while maintaining security gallery visits, architectural tours, and national Civil Aviation Organisation’s GlobalBeacon will seamlessly integrate QA Group chief executive Akbar al- for all visitors and residents. hotel bookings. Oil prices rally as (ICAO) recommendation for compli- with our existing ICAO 2018 compliant producers gather ance by 2021. fl ight watch technology (Total Opera- Oil settled up 3% yesterday as the Announced by ICAO in March of tions System), and further enhance our world’s largest producers gathered 2016, Global Aeronautical Distress fl eet management by providing up- in Algeria to discuss ways to support Safety System (GADSS) was created to dates every minute. New evidence of water plumes on Jupiter’s moon Europa prices. The Organisation of the help improve the ability to detect com- “I am proud of Qatar Airways’ lead- Petroleum Exporting Countries and mercial aircraft in remote locations. ership in this vital area of aviation AFP Hubble Space Telescope, the US space that is twice the size of Earth’s. other oil producers led by Russia are The key components of GADSS recom- safety and awareness. We will be the Miami agency said yesterday. The latest finding has given sci- meeting informally on the sidelines mend that aircraft report their position fi rst airline in the world to have the Europa, one of more than 50 entists fresh hope that a robotic of the International Energy Forum to the airline’s operations centre at a capability to use worldwide satellite moons circling the gas giant, is con- spacecraft could one day fly past in Algeria from September 26-28 to minimum of once every 15 minutes un- air surveillance to support our airline ore evidence of possible wa- sidered by Nasa as a “top candidate” these potential plumes and learn tackle a crude glut that has battered der normal fl ight circumstances. operations and to achieve the highest ter plumes erupting from the for life elsewhere in the solar sys- about their contents without having prices for two years now. Business However, if an aircraft should become level of fl ight tracking standards ahead Msurface of Jupiter’s icy moon tem because it is believed to possess to drill miles deep into the moon’s Page 2 in distress, position reports are then to of the ICAO 2021 mandate.” To Page 9 Europa has been spotted using Nasa’s a massive, salty, subsurface ocean icy shell. Annual cost for diabetes care could rise to QR5bn in 2035

By Joseph Varghese world and Qatar has not been spared According to the minister, Qatar’s Staff Reporter from this trend. National Diabetes Strategy 2016-2022 “Indeed, one in six (17%) of the off ers a real opportunity to focus the Qatari adult population suff ers from attention on one of the most important atar’s annual cost for diabetes diabetes. Today as a health system, we health challenges for Qatar. care could rise from QR1.8bn spend an estimate of QR1.8bn on treat- “We all know that lifestyle changes Qin 2015 to QR5bn in 2035 and ing diabetes and its complications in can have a massive impact on diabetes QR8.4bn by 2055, if no immediate ac- Qatar.” - regular exercise, a balanced diet and tion is taken to combat the problem, “An estimated 50% of all dialysis stopping smoking are just a few of the according to a report presented at the provided in Qatar is due to diabetes, steps people can take to signifi cantly International Diabetes Leadership Fo- half of acute coronary disease is asso- reduce their chances of getting the dis- rum yesterday. ciated with diabetes and close to 70% ease,” she added. The net present cost for treating dia- of all stroke patients have diabetes or The two-day forum is discussing the betes over the next 40 years is estimat- pre-diabetes. Our projections show most prominent health challenges of ed at QR130bn. The report also points that without any change, the number of diabetes and means of combating them out that if current behaviour and prac- people suff ering with diabetes is likely with a broad participation of interna- tices remain the same, there could be a to double in the next 40 years,” high- tionally-recognised experts. It aims signifi cant increase in the burden of the lighted the minister. to highlight the size of the problem in disease in the coming decades. The minister also called for collective tackling diabetes and the urgent need If nothing is done to fi ght the prob- HE the Prime Minister and Inteior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa eff orts to fi ght diabetes. “Tackling dia- to reduce its prevalence in Qatar. lem, the number of people suff ering al-Thani along with other ministers and senior off icials at the forum yesterday. betes is not – and cannot be – a chal- With several keynote speeches, case from diabetes in Qatar could go up from lenge for doctors, nurses and health studies and workshops run by leading 200,000 in 2015 to 299,000 in 2035 and The two-day forum was opened a number of ministers as well as several offi cials alone: it’s all of our collective international experts, the forum will 368,000 by 2055. Similarly, the number yesterday in the presence of HE the leading international experts on diabe- responsibility. Our greatest challenge promote dialogue and ideas exchange, of people suff ering from complications HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Prime Minister and Interior Minister tes from diff erent parts of the world. – and our biggest opportunity – is to to help develop practical recommen- due to diabetes is 48,000 presently Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari addressing Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Kha- Speaking at the opening session, HE work together to transform the way we dations for the implementation of the and could rise to 124,000 in 2035 and the forum yesterday. lifa al-Thani, HE the Minister of Public al-Kuwari stated that diabetes is one address preventing the disease in the country’s National Diabetes Strategy. 182,000 by 2055. PICTURES: Nasar T K Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al- Kuwari, of the fastest growing diseases in the fi rst place.” Page 2 Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 QATAR PM, justice minister meet envoys Conference calls for diabetes education

he International Diabetes Federation, and Qatar Airways. Sheikha Dr Anoud bint Mo- prevention, early diagnosis and Leadership Forum that Dr Mariam Ali Abdulmalik, hamed al-Thani, manager of management of diabetes and Tgot underway in Doha managing director of PHCC, Health Promotion and Non its complications. This forum is yesterday, with a broad partici- highlighted the need for diabe- Communicable Diseases, MoPH a catalyst to now be able to de- pation of internationally rec- tes education. said: “Diabetes is becoming velop the dedicated healthcare ognised experts, discussed the “If we are to successfully pervasive in our society and we and research programmes, in- most prominent health chal- tackle the challenges that dia- must act now to overcome its frastructure and collaborative lenges of diabetes and means of betes presents to our society, challenges. By assembling the frameworks to align activities HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday combating them. it is vital that we focus on pre- world’s greatest experts in dia- across both the public and pri- met outgoing Indian ambassador Sanjeev Arora. The Prime Minister wished the ambassador success The two-day forum is be- ventive measures by educat- betes, healthcare leaders, policy vate sector to tackle this pan- in his future tasks and further progress and prosperity to ties between Qatar and India. Also yesterday, ing held in co-operation be- ing the public on how to live makers, private companies and demic together.” HE the Minister of Justice Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr al-Mohannadi separately met Arora and Turkey’s tween the Ministry of Public a healthy life, for example by NGOs to share ideas and best Lewis Affl eck, managing di- ambassador Ahmad Dimerok (below and bottom). Health (MoPH) and ‘Action on eating healthy food and being practices, we can accelerate our rector of Maersk Oil Qatar, the Diabetes’, a major public-private active. This will help prevent understanding of the issue to lead sponsor of the forum said: partnership between Hamad the onset of diabetes and will better tackle this disease.” “This forum is the culmina- Medical Corporation ( HMC), also reduce obesity.” Prof Abdul-Badi Abou- tion of over fi ve years of hard Primary Health Care Corpora- Diabetes is currently one of Samra, chairman of Internal work and dedication with our tion (PHCC), Qatar Diabetes the greatest health challenges Medicine at HMC and co-chair Action on Diabetes partners to Association, Novo Nordisk and facing the Gulf region. If left of the National Diabetes Com- achieve that - and we’re incred- lead sponsor Maersk Oil Qatar, undiagnosed or untreated, it can mittee, said: “The national dia- ibly proud of the role we’ve been in collaboration with the Qatar be a debilitating illness, causing betes strategy was developed in able to play in making this event Metabolic Institute, and spon- a strain not only on individual consultation with the public, possible - and of the legacy that sors - the World Diabetes Foun- suff erers, but on society as a patients and healthcare profes- it will create in the fi ght against dation, International Diabetes whole. sionals and is focused on the diabetes in Qatar.”

A panel discussion during the forum. PICTURE: Nasar T K Features-packed credit cards will benefi t customers: QIIB

IIB has announced the launch monthly payment plan need to pay of the “latest and distinctive 1% as monthly profi t rate. They are Qfeatures” on credit cards, al- entitled to Takaful coverage of up to lowing customers to avail themselves QR100,000 at “competitive charges of a monthly payment plan equivalent in the sad event of a death,” he noted, to 5% of the due amount on the credit adding that QIIB customers have the card. option to settle credit card payments Users can also collect QIIB Points by instalments or as a lump sum. In that may be redeemed for travel tickets case they choose to settle the whole on more than 900 airlines worldwide, amount, the 1% monthly profi t rate the bank said in a press statement. will not be applied. Mohamed AlMawlawi, GM, chief The offi cial urged the bank’s cus- of business development and mar- tomers to make use of the features of keting at QIIB, said: “The launch of the QIIB credit cards, which would the 5% monthly payment plan for “help them fi x their priorities and set- QIIB’s credit cards comes within the tle their obligations at the lowest cost framework of innovation and in re- possible.” sponse to customer requirements. Flexible payment options will help We hope the features-packed QIIB customers who due to various reasons credit cards will meet the various may not be able to pay and clear their needs of our customers in different outstanding amount immediately. categories and that they will find AlMawlawi also expressed confi - these easily accessible and most Mohamed AlMawlawi dence that the various innovative fea- convenient. tures of the credit cards would be ac- “The advantages and benefi ts of may be redeemed for tickets on more cepted and acclaimed by a wide range QIIB credit cards are many. Besides than 900 airlines worldwide. Also, of QIIB customers. the option of a monthly payment QIIB credit cards are accepted world- Existing customers or newer cus- plan, equivalent to 5% of the total due wide.” tomers who wish to avail themselves of amount on the credit card, our cus- AlMawlawi explained that the hold- the features may visit any of the bank’s tomers can also earn QIIB Points that ers of QIIB credit cards with the 5% branches.

Indian embassy open house on Arbitration conference September 30 The Indian embassy will hold an Open to be held on Oct 18, 19 House on September 30 to address any urgent consular and labour problems of Indian nationals in Qatar. atar Chamber (QC) is the patronage of HE the Prime The Open House will be held from 5.30pm continuing its prepara- Minister and Interior Minister to 6.30pm. Qtions to host the 2nd In- Sheikh Abdulla bin Nasser bin Written information on issues/cases pro- ternational Arbitration Confer- Khalifa al-Thani. posed to be discussed with the embassy ence scheduled to be held in Doha The QICCA board member may be given from 5.30pm to 6pm. This on October 18 and 19. pointed out that the confer- will be followed by a meeting with embassy Sheikh Thani bin Ali bin Saud ence would focus on a number off icials from 6pm to 6.30pm. al-Thani, board member of Qatar of main subjects including a International Centre for Concili- review of the Qatari arbitra- Network monitors ation and Arbitration (QICCA), tion texts and related court rul- which comes under QC, said that ings, the role of GCC arbitra- Jordan elections the conference will bring togeth- tion centres in developing an The Doha-based Arab Network for National er a number of legal experts and investment-friendly environ- Human Rights Institutions took part in moni- specialists in arbitration at the ment, modern trends in arbitra- toring the recent parliamentary elections global, Arab and GCC levels, as tion, updating Qatari legislation in Jordan at the invitation of the Jordanian well as specialists in arbitration to create an attractive ground National Centre for Human Rights in Jordan from Qatar. for investments, integration (NCHR), a member of the Network. Chair- The aim of the conference, between Qatari laws and inter- man of the National Human Rights Commit- which coincides with the cel- national treaties to protect the tee (NHRC) and member of the Executive ebration of QICCA’s 10th an- rights of Qatari investors abroad Committee of the Arab Network Dr Ali bin niversary, is to promote the use and the role of the national ju- Samikh al-Marri represented the Network of commercial arbitration as a diciary in supporting and con- in monitoring the elections. A number of practical means to settle dis- trolling commercial arbitration the Network’s Arabic national institutions putes. and implementation of the arbi- members also participated as international The conference is held under trators’ rulings. observers. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 3 QATAR

PM meets UNODC officials

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday met off icials of the UN Off ice on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Talks dealt with co-operation between Qatar and the UNODC, particularly in the field of combating terrorism and cybercrimes. 31 to take part in WISE Learners’ Voice Programme

he World Innovation Summit for knowledge, as well as communication, “WISE is very excited to introduce Education (WISE), a global ini- entrepreneurship and leadership skills. the new cohort of the Learners’ Voice Ttiative of Qatar Foundation for In addition to their participation at Programme for 2016-17,” said Stavros Education, Science and Community the WISE Summit 2017, the Learners N Yiannouka, CEO, WISE. Development, has announced a new will participate in two intensive resi- “The WISE team has worked hard to cohort of outstanding young people dential sessions delivered by experts, bring together a group of young people who will be participating in the 2016- as well as in a variety of online and on- with diverse backgrounds and experi- 2017 Learners’ Voice Programme. site activities. ence who nevertheless share a com- A total of 31 young education advo- In a key component of the Learn- mitment to education as a means of cates from diverse backgrounds and ers’ Voice Programme, due to start individual empowerment and social disciplines have been selected to join next January, the participants will form transformation.” the international Learners’ Voice com- teams in order to conceive and design “A number of these young people munity and engage in global dialogue innovative projects that address criti- were refugees and immigrants to new on pressing issues in education. cal education challenges. countries, and have already faced life- The WISE Learners’ Voice Pro- After thorough evaluation by the changing experiences and challenges. I gramme brings the voice of young peo- Learners’ Voice team, selected mem- am confi dent that they and their peers ple to the challenge of rethinking edu- bers will have an opportunity to pitch will bring to the WISE community cation, and equips them with the skills their proposals to an audience of po- powerful perspectives toward building to take on leading roles in their fi elds. tential investors, donors, and partners the future of education,” Yiannouka The initiative focuses on building at the WISE Summit 2017 in Doha. added. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 QATAR

Envoys call on Awqaf Minister

HE Dr Ali bin Fetais al-Marri during a meeting with Gary Balch. AG holds talks with UK deputy chief crown prosecutor E the Attorney General During the session, a HE the Minister of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Aff airs Dr Ghaith bin Mubarak al-Kuwari yesterday met with the ambassador of Kazakhstan to Qatar Askar Shokybayev. The Minister (AG) Dr Ali Bin Fetais number of specialists present- met separately with the ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Qatar, Nuran Niyazaliev. Talks during the meetings addressed viewpoints on issues of common concern. Hal-Marri yesterday ed lectures on ways and means met with the UK Deputy Chief to facilitate judicial co-opera- Crown Prosecutor, CPS Pro- tion between the United King- ceeds of Crime, Gary Balch. dom and the State of Qatar in During the meeting, they the fi eld of recovery of funds exchanged views on a number and extradition as part of the of issues of common concern consolidation of the legal and and ways of co-operation in judicial relations between the the legal and judicial fi elds. two friendly countries. This meeting was held on The workshop was also at- Lusail to host International the sidelines of the opening of tended by a number of spe- a training course organised by cialists from the Ministry of the Public Prosecutor in co- Foreign Aff airs, the Ministry of operation with its counterpart Interior, fi nancial information in the United Kingdom on ju- unit of Qatar Central Bank, the dicial assistance and the pro- Supreme Judicial Council and ceeds of crime and extradition the Administrative Control Boat Show in December margin. and Transparency Authority. oha is set to host the key sector and its related supply cities in Qatar and the region, organisers, noted that the show fourth edition of Qatar industries. particularly Lusail Marina that enjoys the support of the State DInternational Boat Show “For the fourth consecutive has established itself as one of of Qatar. (QIBS 2016) at Lusail Marina, year, QIBS has become a princi- the region’s most popular des- “QIBS contributes to supporting Lusail City from December 7 to pal annual fi xture on the sector’s tinations for boat and yacht lov- the tourism and exhibitions sector Minister meets WHO 10 under the patronage of HE calendar of specialised regional ers,” added al-Hammadi. in Qatar, attracting investments to the Prime Minister and Interior and international exhibitions, Since inception in 2013, QIBS the country. This highlights gov- Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin which underlines the remarkable has brought together thousands ernment’s relentless support to the regional director Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. success it has achieved over this of the world’s distinguished boat private sector that drives the econ- Following on the show’s suc- short period of time and its abil- and yacht manufacturers, ex- omy’s competitiveness and helps E the Minister of Pub- Talks during the meeting cess, which attracted more than ity to attract the industry’s key Ahmad Abdulla al-Hammadi, hibitors, and specialists from the in the diversifi cation of income re- lic Health Dr Hanan dealt with areas of co-oper- 50,000 visitors from 88 coun- players. QIBS also consolidates executive director, Qatari Diar. UAE, Bahrain, Canada, France, sources, including the vital sectors HMohammed al-Ku- ation, the most prominent tries last year, QIBS 2016 will Doha’s position as a vibrant the UK, Germany, Italy, Mo- of tourism, exhibitions and marine wari yesterday met with World topics on the agenda of the fo- witness the participation of ma- global destination to organise 2030, which seeks to diversify naco, Turkey, Lebanon, Swit- services. Health Organisation (WHO) rum and a number of issues of jor manufacturers and exhibi- shows of this calibre,” said Ah- income resources and promote zerland, Poland, the Czech Re- “To ensure the complete suc- regional director for the East- common interest. tors, leading international and mad Abdulla al-Hammadi, ex- sustainable activities. Besides, public, and the US, as well as the cess of the show, a team of highly- ern Mediterranean Region, Dr The minister also met with a GCC companies currently active ecutive director, marketing and the city will stand out as always several other highly-esteemed skilled specialists has been formed, Aladdin Alwan, on the side- number of senior participants in boat and yacht manufacturing sales at Qatari Diar. in attracting residents and visi- countries in this fi eld. spearheaded by Nader Samaan, lines of the International Dia- in the forum and discussed and marketing, and local Qatari “Lusail City hosts QIBS in tors of all walks of life, becoming Khalid Essa al-Mannai, chair- director, Qatar International Boat betes Leadership Forum being with them various topics of companies specialising in this line with Qatar National Vision an icon for green, sustainable man, Al Mannai Events, QIBS Show 2016,” al-Mannai said. held in Doha. common interest.

Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 QATAR Stenden ‘entrepreneurs’ train at top US varsity

group of students from key to enriching our economies.” Stenden University, Qa- Dr Mandy Terc, director of the Atar, have completed a Sheikh Faisal Centre for Entre- training course at DePaul Uni- preneurship in the Middle East, versity, Chicago, as part of the DePaul University, stated that it entrepreneurship and business was a great experience to have development programme off ered young entrepreneurs visit Chi- by the Sheikh Faisal Centre for cago from Qatar. Entrepreneurship in the Middle “This programme was very East. intensive and benefi tted the stu- The two-week programme dents in several ways,” she said. involved eight students, major- “The students’ enthusiasm ing in International Business and for entrepreneurship was re- Hospitality and Tourism Man- fl ected through their astounding agement, learning from Chica- ideas and ambitions.” go’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. “The DePaul faculty was gen- During the course, the stu- uinely impressed by the poten- dents learned how to develop tial the students have, and what and enhance business ideas from great success they can achieve the DePaul faculty, from Chicago given the right tools, which is entrepreneurs, and from promi- what we, at the Sheikh Faisal nent local businesspeople. Centre for Entrepreneurship The students also visited en- hope to achieve; preparing youth trepreneurship incubators, met to become leading prominent with business leaders, learned entrepreneurs.” from successful DePaul alumni, The Sheikh Faisal Centre for and received advice from the De- Entrepreneurship is committed to Paul faculty. delivering its objectives through The goal of this programme HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani with the students. promoting knowledge transfer was to ensure that aspiring young between Qatar and the US. students are able to start their During their visit, the stu- and turn them into reality. The ideas were discussed Sheikh Faisal Centre for En- number of programme partici- Considering the increasing entrepreneurial journeys from dents shared several busi- At the end of the programme, amongst students and profes- trepreneurship in the Middle pants refl ects the high entre- demand for SMEs in the region, the strongest foundations and ness ideas and discussed them the students presented those sors, and the students received East, said it is pleasing to see the preneurial spirit amongst our the aim of the programme is to armed with the knowledge need- with the DePaul Faculty, they ideas to the dean of DePaul’s certifi cates acknowledging their progress the Centre has achieved youth. Entrepreneurship rep- provide future entrepreneurs ed to be able to face challenges, were also given guidance on Driehaus College of Business, Dr completion of the programme. through the unique range of pro- resents innovation, fi nding new with the necessary tools and overcome them and succeed. how to enhance those ideas Ray Whittington. HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qas- grammes it has been off ering. possibilities and seeing unmet knowledge that can help them sim al-Thani, chairman of The “The signifi cant rise in the market needs, all of which are run a successful business.

Met forsees winds, Volvo truck sets world records

dust over weekend he Doha Marketing Services Com- pany (Domasco) has announced Tthat Volvo’s Iron Knight truck broke he country is likely to experience another spell of world speed records for 500m and 1,000m. strong winds, dusty conditions and low visibility Reaching a top speed of 276kph, Volvo’s Tfrom this Thursday until Saturday, the Met depart- Iron Knight set the new unoffi cial world ment has said. record for trucks, covering a distance of 1km The sea level is also expected to rise during this period, in 21.29 seconds. according to the weather offi ce. The record is being reviewed by interna- In view of the expected conditions, the Met department tional motor sport association FIA, accord- has urged people to remain cautious and avoid venturing ing to a press statement from Domasco, the into the sea during the spell of strong winds. authorised distributor for Volvo Trucks in Citing weather charts, the Met department yesterday Qatar. said fresh-strong northwesterly winds would aff ect Qatar The tests were carried out on an air- between Thursday and Saturday, blowing over most parts plane runway in Sweden and the driver was of the country during the daytime in this period. former European Truck Racing champion The wind speed will range from 15-25 knots, reaching 35 Boije Ovebrink. knots in some places at times, which will result in blow- The truck covered 500m in 13.7 seconds. ing dust. After starting, the 4,500kg Iron Knight This, in turn, will lead to a drop in visibility to 2km or can reach 100km/h in just 4.6 seconds, the less, especially in open areas, while the sea level may rise statement notes. to 8-10ft and sometimes going up to 13ft. Specialists from diff erent Volvo Trucks A handout photo of the Volvo Iron Knight. Meanwhile, the maximum temperature is likely to range departments worked together to develop from 36-38C and the minimum from 26-29C in diff erent this “one-of-a-kind truck with unsur- Faisal Sharif, managing director of Do- parts of the country during this period. passed performance”. masco, said: “Combining good drivability Dusty and windy conditions have been reported from Apart from Volvo Trucks’ powertrain, with fuel-effi ciency is a great achievement. diff erent parts of Qatar over the past couple of days along which is the heart and soul of the Iron “For many of our customers, maintaining with high seas in off shore areas. Knight, they have hand-built the truck a high average speed is important in order to Today, the Met department has said low visibility is ex- from the ground up just for this special test. save time — time that may be crucial to the pected in some areas in the early hours of the day. The vehicle’s diesel engine is based on transport mission.” Hazy to misty/foggy conditions are likely in these plac- Volvo’s normal design for tractor-trailer “In the same way, it’s important to mini- es at fi rst, followed by a hot day with some clouds. trucks, but was modifi ed to enhance the mise fuel costs.” Visibility may drop to 2km or less. usual power and performance. “What Volvo Trucks off ers is an engine Off shore areas, meanwhile, are likely to experience The truck was also designed to reduce and gearbox that utilise their full combined hazy to misty conditions in some places today. wind resistance in order to increase speed potential to deliver more effi cient transpor- A maximum temperature of 39C was recorded yesterday and reduce fuel use. tation.” in Turayna, followed by 38C in the Qatar University and The truck’s transmission was made to Mohamed Majeed, sales and marketing Doha airport areas, Al Rayyan, Sheehaniya and other places. give the driver smoother control when manager of commercial vehicles at Do- Meanwhile, the minimum temperature dropped to 22C changing gears. masco, added: “Our customers constantly in Al Khor yesterday. This helps the truck perform better un- demand new solutions that are both pro- Today, the mercury level is expected to reach a high of der extreme conditions, such as carrying a ductive and cost-eff ective.” 36C in Doha, Al Khor and Dukhan. heavy load up a steep hill. “Volvo trucks are brawny steel titans that The Met department has advised people to follow lat- The previous record for 1km — 21.59 sec- can take on any extreme road condition or est weather updates through its offi cial social media ac- onds — was set in 2012 by Volvo’s Mean climate variances while guaranteeing maxi- counts. Green truck. mum fuel effi ciency and smooth driving.”

Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 QATAR CRA ‘Decision and Orders’ disappointing: Ooredoo oredoo has “expressed gressing well to reach a fi nal • The Order requiring the Ooredoo said its “conduct has Ooredoo believes an under- its disappointment” with agreement on this matter. adoption of the RIAO in its been in accordance” with the lying problem is also the lack McClure and Dr al-Ibrahim shaking hands after signing an MoU. Othe “CRA Decision and “However, the CRA has opted current form is not balanced IAA and agreements on opera- of rigour applied by the CRA in Orders”, issued on September 8, to make this commercial dis- and favours our competitors, tional matters agreed by parties its decision-making. Ooredoo in relation to access to its duct pute into a public discussion, so including: outside of the IAA. Unfortu- has engaged in the develop- infrastructure. Ooredoo is compelled to make • Excluding technical stand- nately, QNBN seems unwilling to ment of the RIAO in good faith, In the view of Ooredoo, “the the facts public,” a company ards that Ooredoo has adopted take the steps necessary to abide and was close to fi nalising the QF signs MoU CRA has not given suffi cient statement yesterday said. for many years; by the IAA. It has not adhered to whole process. It was the CRA consideration to Ooredoo’s The fact of the matter is that • Requiring Ooredoo to bear mutually-agreed safeguards, so that then amended the RIAO, in input or the evidence it has Ooredoo has not refused access the full cost of the auditors that it could rush commercial a manner that appears contrary presented.” to its network infrastructure. In alone; services into the market. to the nation’s Law and Licenses. with 500 Startups Ooredoo said it “has been ful- Ooredoo’s opinion, the CRA De- • Forcing Ooredoo to off er ac- QNBN’s conduct has not been Ooredoo reiterates its belief ly co-operating” with the CRA cision and Order includes grave cess to ducts that are not owned limited to a one-off breach of the that there is a confl ict of interest atar Foundation (QF) opment currently underway and has been sharing its mobile errors: by Ooredoo; IAA, but multiple instances that in the CRA adjudicating com- has signed a memo- within its research institutes sites with Vodafone Qatar since • The CRA inserted modifi ca- • Making modifi cations to QNBN had repeatedly failed to mercial agreements relating to Qrandum of under- and labs, and enable them to 2009. It opened its ducts net- tions in the fi nal Reference In- economic sections, which mean rectify. These breaches have not QNBN, which is affi liated to and standing (MoU) with 500 benefi t from the skills and ca- work to QNBN in 2012 and today frastructure Access Off er (RIAO) providing services that are sig- been investigated by the CRA ultimately operated by the CRA. Startups, a leading global pabilities of graduates from the majority of the QNBN net- without consulting Ooredoo. nifi cantly below cost. and are not mentioned in the The CRA assertion that there venture capital seed fund and universities in Education City. work in Qatar passes through the Such modifi cations may expose In its ruling, the CRA has not Decision and Orders. is very limited competition in startup accelerator, to stimu- Dr Hamad al-Ibrahim, exec- Ooredoo network. our network to mismanagement suffi ciently considered QNBN’s Ooredoo has “consistently the fi xed market cannot be at- late and advance innovation utive vice president, QF R&D, “We are a responsible organi- and would negatively impact the illicit use of Ooredoo’s infra- stated that it is happy” to resume tributed to Ooredoo. Vodafone in the Mena region. and chairman of the Board of sation that abides by the rules. quality of services that we off er structure – the deliberate breach the IAA with QNBN, once QNBN Qatar was granted a fi xed license Through the partnership, Directors of QSTP, said QF’s re- However, for the good of the to our customers, in particular of the Infrastructure Access rectifi es its breaches. Ooredoo is in April 2010 with strict rollout the two organisations will search and development eff orts people, the industry and Qatar’s government and public-critical Agreement (IAA) referred to as also happy to publish the RIAO obligations, and QNBN entered provide seed funding, train- demonstrate its commitment vision for growth, it is essential services. We have a duty to pro- “The Sheraton Matter”. and enter into agreements with into the IAA in April 2012. ing and mentorship to star- to building the nation’s innova- for all parties to do the same,” tect our customers and ensure “The Sheraton Matter dem- other service providers on the “The CRA has failed to enforce tups across the Mena region tion and technology capacity. Ooredoo said. service continuity. Our experi- onstrates that QNBN is prepared basis of the RIAO, once the RIAO compliance by either of these over the next fi ve years. The “Supporting entrepreneurs Ooredoo has been in discus- ence with QNBN shows that we to breach the IAA – the issue accords with the law. This in- parties, which has denied Qatar initiative aims to help startups in developing products that sions with the CRA at various need to be very careful in allow- that led to its partial suspension, cludes Ooredoo’s right to be the diversifi ed and second net- achieve market traction and address national priorities, levels throughout the year and ing third parties to utilise our which the CRA has ignored in its fairly compensated for providing work that it deserves, and that scale, using customer acqui- have regional relevance, and said it believes things are pro- networks. ruling,” Ooredoo said. access to its infrastructure. other countries enjoy.” sition and scaling strategies provide global benefi t is a key mastered by high-growth tech aspect of this commitment,” companies in Silicon Valley, Dr al-Ibrahim added. such as Facebook, Salesforce Dave McClure, founding and others. partner at 500 Startups, said QF will become an anchor the organisation provide en- investor in the 500 Startups trepreneurs with global access QNA director general Mena region microfund. It to expert mentorship, hands- will also organise the annual on support, networking op- world-class 500 Distro Dojo portunities, and resources that growth marketing accelera- will not only kick-start ideas, tor programme, and make its but help take companies to the visits Xinhua offi ce incubation centre at Qatar next level. Science & Technology Park “We aim to inspire, devel- (QSTP), part of Qatar Foun- op and lead by example. The irector-General of Qa- During the meeting, they dis- Al-Buainain toured the Xin- dation Research and Develop- Mena region is continuing to tar News Agency (QNA), cussed media relations between the hua departments, including the ment (QF R&D), available to all experience steady growth and DAhmed Saad al-Buainain, two agencies and ways of boosting Arabic service, television stu- explanation by those in charge of China Radio International (CRI) startups. through this partnership with met with Xinhua news agency co-operation in the fi eld of news dios, social media sites, edit- these sections. Ma Bohui. Following the meeting QF will help startups gain Qatar Foundation, we want president Cai Mingzhao in the exchange and other areas of interest ing and the Silk Road website, Earlier in the day al-Buainain the QNA director general toured access to the cutting-edge re- to help unleash the potential Chinese capital Beijing yesterday. to the two news agencies. where he listened to a detailed met with the editor-in-chief of the CRI departments. search and technology devel- within the region.” Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 9 QATAR China’s 67th anniversary celebrated Qatar Airways set to meet ICAO fl ight-tracking recommendations

From Page 1 Watch, which consolidates all GlobalBeacon combines fl ight data into a single graphi- FlightAware’s worldwide fl ight cal source for ease of tracking, tracking information, including communicating with and man- origin, destination, fl ight plan aging the airline’s more than route, position, and estimated 500 daily fl ights to more than time of arrival with data from 150 destinations in six conti- Aireon’s space-based ADS-B nents. aircraft surveillance system, In addition to aircraft track- due to be operational in 2018. ing and location reporting re- The solution will provide Qatar quirements, GADSS requires Airways with state-of-the-art aircraft to provide immedi- technology to meet and exceed multiple sources and produces miser, whereby aircraft are as- ate notifi cation of abnormal GADSS requirements and rec- a holistic view of the airline’s signed to specifi c lines of fl ying events, regardless of air traffi c ommendations. operation, from the global scale with respect to the operational unit boundaries and without a In May, Qatar Airways an- to the individual fl ight level, in needs of the route, based on degradation of baseline search nounced the successful com- order to anticipate and notify the specifi c aircraft’s capabili- and rescue services. Fur- pletion of its TOPS fl eet man- operations staff of any poten- ties; NOTAM manager, where ther, distressed aircraft status HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, HE the Minister agement system, designed to tial issue and provide solution Notice to Airmen are imme- tracking under GADSS can be of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Chinese ambassador Li Chen and other optimally schedule aircraft and options. Specifi c tasks that can diately communicated to the activated by the pilot, auto- dignitaries and off icials cutting the ceremonial cake at an event held in Doha on Sunday evening, to manage fl ights. TOPS, which now be carried out due to this specifi c dispatchers and opera- matically by the aircraft and mark the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. PICTURE: Nasar T K stands for Total OPerations integration include, but are not tions staff for more perfect sit- remotely by the operations System, integrates data from limited to: tail assignment opti- uational awareness; and Flight control centre. Qatar destinations in online spotlight

By Peter Alagos Business Reporter

cenic spots and other tourist destinations in and Saround Qatar are taking the global spotlight as residents take advantage of slowly cool- ing temperatures to travel and capture the country’s stunning views in photographs, which are uploaded online. Aside from favourable weath- er conditions, Qatar Tourism Authority’s (QTA) social media competition to celebrate World Tourism Day (from today until October 1) and other activities slated next month have raised the level of excitement, espe- cially among amateur and pro- fessional photographers. “The variety of scenic des- tinations in Qatar get interna- tional exposure every time resi- dents upload their travel photos A different view of Al Khor. PICTURES: Leo Bautista The singing sand dunes attract a number of visitors. on social media thus, the whole world gets a view of the beautiful “fun shoots,” as well as “photo pictures. But there are also oth- clubs in Qatar are “hyped” over be taken using the life-size pho- lauded the QTA’s initiative and quality is similar to those taken places Qatar has to off er,” Doha walks.” Most of the photos taken ers who trooped to historic QTA’s WTD competition, many to frames installed at eight dif- said the event not only helps pro- using DSLRs. So photo oppor- resident and professional lens- during these shoots, he noted, places in Qatar as far as Fort Zu- of whom, he said, “cannot wait ferent landmarks around Qatar. mote Qatar and its destinations tunities such as the WTD are man Leo Bautista told Gulf Times fi nd their way to diff erent social bara or the singing sand dunes to start taking pictures of Qatar Using the hashtags #WTD2016 to the world, but provides partic- great for bonding and having yesterday. media sites, giving Qatar “free, for landscape photography, or and upload them online.” and #ShowcaseQatar, partici- ipants time to enjoy the country fun,” said Bautista, who added He said the weather is now instant promotion” online. at nearby Souq Waqif, Museum Earlier, the QTA encouraged pants can upload their photos on “and bond with each other.” that photography clubs in Qatar slowly becoming suitable again “Many people have started of Islamic Art or along the Cor- residents to take photos of dif- social media for a chance to win “Photo sessions need not are also gearing up for the Scott for landscape photography, going to beaches in Al Shamal, niche,” he said. ferent parts of Qatar as part of its prizes. be expensive. Even the latest Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk street photography, and other Wakrah, Mesaieed and Fuwairit Bautista also said shutter- social media competition to cel- Bautista, who is the president smartphones are now equipped starting from Muglina Unit Park types of outdoor fashion and not only for a swim but to take bugs from diff erent photography ebrate WTD. The pictures must of Doha Pinoy Shooters Club, with higher megapixels; and the to the Corniche on October 1. Eight landmarks to welcome World Tourism Day visitors

By Joey Aguilar a range of theatres, galleries and cultural Staff Reporter venues along with an abundance of dining options facing the marvellous seaside.” Residents can also visit the Imam Mo- atar residents participating in a social hamed ibn Abd Al Wahhab Mosque. An- media competition for the 2016 World other Qatar landmark to look into is the As- QTourism Day celebration can now start pire Zone. Participants are also encouraged taking pictures at life-size photo frames in- to visit the Unesco World Heritage site in stalled at eight landmarks in the country. Qatar, the Al Zubarah Fort to get a big pic- The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA)-or- ture of what the past looked like. ganised competition, which runs from today For those who want to see the “vastness of until October 1, requires participants to take the desert,” the East-West/West-East public and upload a photo on social media using the art installation would be the right destination. hashtags #WTD2016 and #ShowcaseQatar. It is made up of two 66.5m-long and 4.1m-tall Winners will receive prizes, including a steel curves “that snake diagonally through weekend stay at a local fi ve-star hotel. the exhibition space”. Residents are also ex- The eight landmarks where life-size pho- pected to visit MIA, which features more than to frames have been installed are the Muse- 14 centuries of “the fi nest Islamic art and ar- um of Islamic Art (MIA), East-West/West- tefacts” from diff erent parts of the globe. East by American artist Richard Serra at the Besides MIA, QTA also cited the Sheikh Brouq Nature Reserve near Zekreet, Katara – Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum as an the Cultural Village, Al Zubarah Fort; Sheikh interesting place to visit. “It features a fasci- Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, Souq nating collection of more than 15,000 exhib- Waqif, Imam Mohamed ibn Abd Al Wahhab its covering a spectrum of arts, artefacts and (Grand) Mosque and Aspire Zone. historic equipment.” Souq Waqif is another QTA also included a brief description attraction. Many tour operators and hotels and history of the landmarks as part of pro- will off er special packages at discounted moting the country’s tourist destinations prices for visitors such as touristic activities this WTD dubbed as “Tourism For All – and excursions during the celebration. Promoting Universal Accessibility.” Qatar joins other countries in celebrating On its Facebook page, QTA said Katara, WTD today aimed at fostering awareness in which merges culture with recreation, “is the international community on the im- an impressively built development off ering portance of tourism.

World Tourism Day locations in Qatar. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 QATAR Qatar Rail Diplomats gather for moving to European Languages next phase Day celebrations of project aying of tracks and com- and plumbing works,” he said. By Ramesh Mathew pletion of station interi- “Completion of tunnelling Staff Reporter Lors are among the works on the Doha Metro is yet an- that are to be carried out fol- other major milestone for the lowing the completion of tun- project and one we are delight- number of European ambassadors nelling for the Doha Metro ed to have achieved on plan and and diplomats serving in Qatar project, a senior Qatar Rail of- to schedule,” Dr al-Muhannadi Amet yesterday at the French Cul- fi cial has said. observed. Until now, 7.5km of tural Centre to mark the European Day of On Sunday, the comple- above-ground tracks and via- Languages, celebrated under the aegis of tion of tunnel digging works ducts have been installed and the European Union National Institutes was celebrated at an event base slab and foundations have of Culture (EUNIC). The European Day of attended by HE the Prime been completed at 33 stations, Languages is celebrated on September 26. Minister and Minister of In- he informed, noting that roofs As part of the celebrations, classes in 12 terior Sheikh Abdullah bin have been completed at eight languages were formally held in diff erent Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani; stations and roof slabs are pro- sessions for invitees and other visitors. HE the Minister of Transport gressing at 27 diff erent stations. Speaking on behalf of the envoys and Communications Jassim “We are delighted to have present, French ambassador Eric Cheva- Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, who been able to achieve all this lier said the day was signifi cant for all Eu- is also vice-chairman of the within the timelines and budg- ropeans as it was an opportunity for the Rail Steering Committee, Qa- ets allocated and this is due to representatives from each of the EU mem- tar Rail; Qatar Rail managing the hard work and dedication ber countries to showcase the diversity of director and chairman of the of all parties involved. We look their cultures and traditions to others not Executive Committee, Abdulla forward to sharing many more familiar with the continent. al-Subaie; Qatar Rail CEO Dr milestones with you, especially Speaking to Gulf Times, Croatian am- Saad al-Muhannadi; as well as the arrival of the Doha Metro bassador Tomislav Bosnjak said the day is other VIPs and members of the train mockup later this year,” special for the European nationalities as it management and staff . he added. shows the number of languages spoken by The tunnelling milestone Tunnelling on the Doha diff erent linguistic groups across Europe. was achieved three months ear- Metro project was completed Bosnjak said events like the Languages lier than planned by 21 tunnel with the fi nal breakthrough Day celebrations would help others from boring machines (TBMs), with taking place at Terminal 1 of outside Europe to understand better the minimum disruption to Doha’s Hamad International Airport diversity of European culture, traditions Ambassadors and other diplomats at the European Day of Languages celebrations yesterday. PICTURE: Jayan Orma residents, Qatar Rail said in a (HIA). The fi rst TBMs started and above all languages spoken by its pop- press statement yesterday. tunnelling in July 2014 and ulace. Panayides (Cyprus), Bahia Tahzib (The Some of the participants expressed the membership of 33 organisations from all Dr al-Muhannadi stressed the fi nal, 111th kilometre was To mark the occasion basic lessons of Netherlands), Metin Kazak (Bulgaria), hope that there would be speakers of more 27 member states of the European Union. that while tunnelling had crossed by TBM Msheireb on 12 European languages were conducted ambassador designate of Greece, Con- languages when they meet for the celebra- The main mission of the EUNIC is to been completed, much still the southern part of the Red yesterday. The languages were Bulgarian, stantinos Orphanides, deputy head of the tions next year. They were also glad about form eff ective tie ups and networks be- remained to be done. “Now Line of the mega project. Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, German mission Peter Ziegler, chief eco- the increased awareness among the coun- tween the participating organisations, to that tunnelling has been com- Some 470,497 concrete seg- Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, nomic and commercial attache of Portugal try’s residents about the languages spoken improve, develop and promote cultural pleted, we are moving to the ments were required to pro- Spanish and Swedish. embassy Alexandra Sousa Esteves were in the European continent. diversity and understanding between Eu- laying of the tracks, awaiting duce 70,071 tunnel rings to Besides Chevalier and Bosnjak, ambas- among others present. The EUNIC members are engaged be- ropean societies. It is also hoped that such the arrival of train mockups make the 111km of tunnels. The sadors Guido de Sanctis (Italy) Christophe Panayides, the longest serving European yond their national boundaries and op- associations would strengthen interna- and working on the comple- overall completion of Doha Payot (Belgium), Ewa Polano (Sweden), ambassador Qatar, is now the chair of am- erating with a degree of autonomy from tional dialogue and co-operation with tion of the interiors of stations Metro now currently stands at Cristian Tudor (Romania), Charalambos bassadors from Europe, posted in Qatar. their respective governments. It has a countries outside Europe. with mechanical, electrical 50%. PHCC to launch screening clinics

By Joseph Varghese cholesterol, mental health and thyroid among oth- the process of getting people for screening for this Staff Reporter ers. This will help to understand if a person has any programme. Most probably, we might select the of these diseases or the possibility of developing any people based on our data,” she said. lose on the heels of the successful introduc- of them,” explained Dr al-Abdulla. Regarding the smart diabetes clinic in Wakra Health tion of the smart diabetes clinic in Wakra “This is a pilot programme and therefore it will be Centre, Dr al-Abdulla said that PHCC had collected CHealth Centre, the Primary Health Care introduced only in one or two health centres in the the details of over 10,000 Qatari patients registered Corporation (PHCC), is planning to launch clinics beginning. We will identify the health centres and under the health centre. “Among them, we found that for comprehensive screening of several diseases at announce the details very soon. After the piloting, a total of 3,343 could be at the risk of developing diabe- some of its health centres. if it is successful,we will hopefully roll it out in other tes. We invited them for screening at the clinic.” Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of Inter- health centres,” she stated. “Over 1,100 have gone for screening from Janu- national Diabetes Leadership Forum, Dr Samya al- As for the modalities of inviting the people for ary to August this year and out of them, 62% were Abdulla, director of operations, PHCC, said that the screening, al-Abdulla said that several procedures found to be normal. 365 were found pre-diabetic clinics will be launched sometime next year. are still to be developed. “When we started the and 55 were found to be diabetic. At present the fa- “The comprehensive screening will include sev- smart diabetes clinic in Wakra, we selected people cility is only for Qatari nationals but later we will eral diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, with risk factors. Until now, we have not fi nalised open it for other residents too,” she concluded. Some of the attendees at the International Diabetes Leadership Forum yesterday.

A class at the Diplomatic Institute. Diplomatic Institute launches Constitutive Program 2016

he Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs has launched its Second Constitutive Pro- Tgram for 2016 which will involve 30 trainees from the Ministry staff and some relevant institutions. HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi inaugurated the new programme in the presence of HE Director of the Diplo- matic Institute Dr Hassan bin Ibrahim al-Mohannadi, and HE Director of the Human Resources Department Ab- dulaziz bin Abdul-Qader al-Ahmad. HE the Secretary-General stressed the importance of preparing diplomats in a scientifi c and well-studied way for better performance, and for an honourable and eff ective representation of the State of Qatar that refl ects its status of excellence and its vital role in the international community. He noted that the training courses are designed to in- crease the diplomats’ knowledge of the concepts of inter- national relations, and introduce them to the grounds in dealings between states and international organisations and bodies, and others. He underlined the importance of active participation, self-learning and the acquisition of foreign language skills along with the importance of developing Arabic language skills as the mother tongue. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD Sisi vows more jobs Aleppo is battered to deter migrants

Reuters project in the coastal city of Alexandria, Sisi Cairo said there was no “justifi cation or excuse” for the loss of life in last week’s shipwreck but that securing the coastline and borders as ‘allies’ quibble resident Abdel Fattah al-Sisi yester- was a tough challenge. day pledged more jobs for Egyptians to He said factories and fi sheries were being AFP yesterday quit the last opposition- Phelp dissuade them from making dan- built in the Kafr al-Sheikh area, from where Aleppo held district of central Homs city as gerous voyages to Europe after more than the doomed boat departed, to create jobs and part of a deal struck with the regime 160 migrants died when a boat capsized off hope for locals. last year. the country’s Mediterranean coast. Kafr al-Sheikh, in Egypt’s Nile Delta, has esidents of Syria’s Aleppo A total of 131 fi ghters and 119 fam- Rescue workers and fi sherman recovered emerged as a hub for a trade smuggling mi- yesterday faced worsening ily members were bussed out of fi ve more bodies on Sunday, taking the death grants to Europe. Rfood and medical shortages Waer, devastated after a three-year toll in the September 21 shipwreck to 169, “There is hope..especially in this place as warplanes again pounded the city regime siege, to rebel-held Dar al- with another 169 migrants having been res- where the migrant boat sank, but we can’t after Western powers at the UN ac- Kubra further north, said a source cued. overcome all obstacles and put an end to cused Russia of war crimes. from Homs governorate. Security sources and the state MENA news them in one, two or four years,” Sisi said at A fresh wave of intense air strikes An estimated 600,000 Syrians agency initially said up to 600 people may the event. battered Aleppo’s opposition- live under siege, according to the have been abroad the boat, suggesting hun- “A project will be set up for fi sh farming. controlled east, said an AFP corre- UN, with most encircled by regime dreds more may be lost at sea. It may be the largest in Egypt, but putting a spondent in the city facing its worst forces though rebels also use the But some survivors have estimated the project into action takes time.” violence in years. tactic. number of people on the vessel at closer to About 400 people gathered yesterday During an emergency session of The UN’s World Food Programme 400. on the shores of Burg Rashid, near where the UN Security Council, US am- said it delivered food aid on Sunday Survivors and their families said poverty the boat capsized, waiting for the bodies of bassador Samantha Power accused to civilians in four besieged towns in and a lack of jobs and opportunity along about 50 missing Egyptians to be recovered, Russia of “barbarism”, while the Syria for the fi rst time since April. with political repression in Egypt have driv- a Reuters witness said. British and French envoys went even Madaya and Zabadani, near Da- en thousands to embark on perilous journeys It was not clear how many non-Egyptians further. A man rides a bicycle past damaged buildings in the rebel-held Tariq al-Bab mascus, are encircled by govern- in rickety boats across the Mediterranean to remained missing but the International Or- “War crimes are being committed neighbourhood of Aleppo. ment forces while Fuaa and Kafraya Europe. ganization for Migration has said the mi- here in Aleppo,” Francois Delattre in the northwest are besieged by More and more migrants have been try- grants included Sudanese, Ethiopians and of France said, while Britain’s envoy killed in Syrian and Russian raids on are under a lot of pressure due to the hardline rebels. ing to cross to Italy from the African coast Eritreans. spoke of bunker-busting bombs and eastern Aleppo since late on Thurs- signifi cant number of wounded in A convoy of 53 trucks entered Ma- over the summer months, particularly from The IOM says more than 3,200 migrants more sophisticated weaponry un- day. recent days, and the major shortage daya and Zabadani, with another 18 Libya, where people-traffi ckers operate with have died while trying to traverse the Medi- leashing a “new hell” on Syrians. Among them were 20 children and of blood,” the source told AFP. to Fuaa and Kafraya, according to the relative impunity. terranean this year, while nearly 300,000 “It is diffi cult to deny that Russia nine women, Observatory director “Because of this, serious injuries International Committee for the Red But boats have increasingly departed from had reached European shores safely. is partnering with the Syrian regime Rami Abdel Rahman said yesterday. are requiring immediate amputa- Cross. Egypt as neighbouring Libya has slid deeper More than 1mn migrants from Africa, to carry out war crimes,” said Brit- It was the fourth day of intense tions.” At Sunday’s Security Council into anarchy. Asia and the Middle East entered Europe ain’s Matthew Rycroft. bombardment since a defi ant Syrian With Aleppo back under siege meeting, US envoy Power voiced Speaking at the opening of a housing last year. The Kremlin hit back. regime launched a new assault to re- since regime forces again fully sur- some of the strongest criticism yet Spokesman Dmitry Peskov de- take all of Aleppo following the col- rounded the city in early September, of Russia’s support for President nounced “the overall unacceptable lapse early last week of a short-lived residents were left reeling from food Bashar al-Assad’s regime. tone and rhetoric of the representa- ceasefi re brokered by Moscow and shortages and skyrocketing prices as “What Russia is sponsoring and tives of the United Kingdom and the Washington. well as intensifying violence. doing is not counter-terrorism. It is United States, which can damage A Syrian military source told AFP Several charity kitchens in Alep- barbarism,” she said. Facebook faces Palestinian ire and harm our relations”. regime forces had no intention of po’s rebel-held east were closed in Russia’s year-long air war has Despite the exchange, the vio- letting up on rebel-held areas. fear of strikes, while water remained helped Assad’s forces regain ground lence showed no signs of abat- “The air force will bomb any ter- cut after pumping stations were lost to a wide range of opposition after pages blocked on Friday ing on the ground, with people rorist movements, this is an irre- damaged at the weekend. forces. in Aleppo saying food and vital versible decision,” the source said, “We endured through years of UN Secretary General Ban Ki- medical supplies were dwindling reiterating that the regime’s goal was bombardments and did not leave moon has also warned the use of AFP ministers are also seeking legislation ban- to nothing. to “recapture all regions of Syria” Aleppo. But now there is no bread, advanced weaponry against civilians Ramallah ning the use of Facebook to advance “terror” The Syrian Observatory for Hu- outside its control. no drinking water, nothing in the could amount to war crimes. and outlawing incitement from the Internet. man Rights monitor said the latest A medical source in rebel-held markets. Ban called on world powers to Israeli authorities say such incitement is raids killed four civilians in the dis- Aleppo said hospitals were strug- The situation is getting worse “work harder for an end to the acebook yesterday apologised after a main cause of a wave of Palestinian knife, tricts of Al-Mashhad and Sukari. gling to deal with a huge number of every day,” said Hassan Yassin, a nightmare” in Syria that has killed temporarily disabling accounts linked gun and car-ramming attacks over the past The Observatory said at least 132 casualties. 40-year-old father of four. more than 300,000 people and driv- Fto two Palestinian news sites critical of year. people, nearly all civilians, had been “Hospitals that are still in service Dozens of rebels and their families en millions from their homes. Israel, a move that drew concern over poten- Palestinians say they fear the Israeli cam- tial online censorship. paign will lead to censorship of legitimate Facebook pages of a number of editors of information and suspect last week’s closures Quds News Network were suspended for were linked to it. several hours last Friday, a campaigner said, Activists called on Palestinians to boycott in what the social media giant later called a Facebook activity for two hours on Sunday in Jordan imposes media blackout after writer killed “mistake”. protest. Pages linked to the Shehab News Agency The hashtag #FBCensorsPalestine was were also disabled, an editor there said. also being used on Twitter. AFP tion” and that the blackout Jordanian, gave himself up Quds has 5.2mn likes on Facebook, while “We fear that Facebook will assist the oc- Amman applied to both social and to police, a security source Shehab has 6.35mn. cupation and close the only space for free traditional media. said. “The pages were removed in error and expression for the Palestinians,” said Iyad Nahed Hattar was hit by A judicial source said on restored as soon as we were able to investi- al-Rifai, spokesman for a campaign against ordan’s judiciary yes- three bullets before the al- Sunday that the assailant gate,” Facebook said in a statement. such closures. terday slapped a media leged assassin was arrested at was remanded for 15 days “Our team processes millions of reports Hussam al-Zaygh, managing editor at the Jblackout on the murder the scene of Sunday’s shoot- and charged with premedi- each week, and we sometimes get things Gaza-based Shehab, called the closures “a of a Christian writer who ing in Amman’s central Ab- tated murder, meaning that wrong. We’re very sorry about this mistake.” political decision dictated by the Israelis”. was gunned down outside an dali district, offi cial media he could face the death pen- The US-based company did not respond to “It is our right as Palestinian journalists to Amman court where he faced said. alty if convicted. The sus- a request for more details on what prompted make our voice heard,” he said. charges over an anti-Islam The assailant shot the a pect had acted alone and was the closures. Israel has been in discussions Israeli and American victims of Palestin- cartoon. 56-year-old as he made his not linked to any “terrorist” with Facebook to stop what it calls online ian attacks fi led a $1-billion lawsuit against The information ministry way up the steps outside group, a source close to his incitement, including at a meeting of top of- Facebook in July over allegations it was used said the aim was to preserve the court. The gunman, interrogation said, asking not Protesters hold portraits of Jordanian writer Nahed fi cials earlier this month. by the Palestinian Islamist movement Ha- “the secrecy of the investiga- identified as a 49-year-old to be named. Hattar during a demonstration in Amman yesterday. The country’s justice and public security mas to organise violence.

Saudi Arabian govt slashes ministers’ pay, cuts bonuses

Reuters A royal decree read di- Riyadh rectly after the broadcast on the TV channel an- nounced the cut in minis- audi Arabia will cut ters’ pay. ministers’ salaries by Housing and car allow- S20% and scale back ances for members of the fi nancial perks for public appointed Shura (Advi- sector employees, accord- sory) Council will be cut ing to a Cabinet statement by 15%. and royal decree broadcast Overtime bonuses were yesterday on state-run curbed at between a quar- Ekhbariya TV. ter and half of basic sala- It was the fi rst an- ries, while annual leave nouncement of pay cuts may now no longer exceed for government employees, 30 days. who make up about two- An exception to the curbs thirds of working Saudis would be made for troops citizens. involved in combat opera- “The Cabinet has de- tions along the southern cided to stop and cancel border and abroad as part some bonuses and fi- of an 18-month military nancial benefits,” read a intervention led by the line of text on Ekhbariya, kingdom in neighbouring as a minister read to as- Yemen. sembled ministers and Saudi Arabia unveiled royals, including King an economic reform plan Salman, a list of cuts in this year to wean the king- various grades in the civil dom off its addiction to service. oil, on which it depends The decision comes as for the overwhelming low oil prices have pushed share of government rev- energy-rich Gulf Arab enue. states to rein in lavish pub- The so-called “Vi- lic spending. sion 2030” initiative aims The kingdom racked up to jumpstart the private a record budget defi cit of sector, provide jobs for a $100bn last year, forcing growing population and it to fi nd new savings and collect more non-oil rev- ways to raise money. enue. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 AFRICA

Bongo to Union backs Ramaphosa as be sworn in today as Gabon next South Africa president President Reuters and plays an important role in galvanis- man and founding member of NUM, is Johannesburg ing public support for the ANC at elec- likely to face strong competition if he tions. does compete for the ANC leadership, AFP Its endorsement of Ramaphosa could including from Zuma’s ex-wife, Nko- Libreville eputy President Cyril Ramapho- encourage other infl uential trade un- sazana Dlamini-Zuma, who is currently sa’s chances of becoming the ions to join its campaign. head of the African Union. Dnext leader of South Africa got a The ANC rules in an alliance with the “It’s the start of the campaign and li Bongo will be sworn in boost yesterday when a powerful min- South African Communist Party and it will gain momentum,” said Gary van today as Gabon’s presi- ing union backed him to succeed Presi- trade union group, COSATU, both of Staden, a political analyst at NKC Eco- Adent for a second seven- dent Jacob Zuma. which will be infl uential in lobbying for nomics. year term, his offi ce announced, Debates over who should follow Zuma’s successor. “Other COSATU members should three days after his election Zuma, either when his term ends in COSATU, which played a key role in line up soon behind Cyril. His prospects victory was controversially 2019 or before, are heating up after the the fi ght against white-minority rule are good.” validated by the constitutional ruling African National Congress (ANC) and says it represents 2 mn workers, has Dlamini-Zuma, 67, is a Zulu, the larg- court. suff ered its worst local election results yet to publicly back any candidate. est ethnic group in South Africa, and The ceremony will be held at last month, exposing deep party divi- “COSATU has not come up with an would likely have the support of Zuma’s the seafront presidential palace sions. offi cial position. We must speak to all powerful voting block within the ANC in Libreville, the presidency told Ramaphosa, 63, would be the fi rst the unions and come with a clear man- were she to run. AFP yesterday. choice for many investors because he date,” Matthew Parks, COSATU’s Par- Ramaphosa comes from the minority It gave no details of who had is more likely to support pro-business liamentary Coordinator, told Reuters. Venda tribe. been invited or the time of the policies than many in the traditionally “It is tradition that the deputy takes Around one in fi ve South Africans are event. left-leaning ANC. the position but it is an ANC decision. Zulu and politicians from Zuma’s home Bongo’s victory in the August A decision has been taken “to support Unity is paramount, both inside the Kwa-Zulu Natal province, a key ANC Ramaphosa ... endorsed. 27 vote was confi rmed on Satur- the candidacy of Cyril Ramaphosa for ANC and between the alliance part- stronghold, have infl uence over top day by the country’s top court, president” (of the ANC), the National ners,” Parks added. party decisions. intention to run for leadership. Michael Zuma told the Sunday Times which dismissed opposition Union of Mineworkers (NUM), one of Zuma is expected to stand down as Despite their separation, Zuma Zuma has faced calls to quit from sev- people had “robbed” his brother after claims of vote fraud. South Africa’s biggest unions, said in a ANC president at a party conference backed her for the AU job and gave her eral members of the ANC and promi- he was ordered by the constitutional Violence erupted on August 31 statement. late next year, ahead of national elec- a position in his cabinet. nent business leaders following losses court to repay 7.8mn rand ($571,700) after Bongo, 57, was initially de- “It is not only NUM that is gunning tions in 2019 when his tenure as the Analysts say she would be unlikely to in local elections in August and a string in state funds inappropriately spent on clared winner. for Cyril for president,” general secre- country’s leader will come to an end. follow up on several high-profi le cor- of graft scandals but the party’s top upgrading his country home. Demonstrators set parliament tary David Sipunzi added, without giv- The ANC has dominated since the ruption cases that have plagued his ten- echelons have backed him. Anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie ablaze and clashed with police, ing details. end of apartheid in 1994 and is widely ure. Zuma’s younger brother Michael be- Madikizela-Mandela, a former fi rst lady who made a thousand arrests. However, Sipunzi said NUM wanted expected to retain control at the 2019 Zweli Mkhize, a Zulu and the current came the latest to call for his resigna- and wife of the late Nelson Mandela, Opposition fi gures say more Zuma to see out his second term which vote, making its next leader almost cer- ANC Treasurer-General, has also been tion, urging him to quit or risk being said last week that South Africa needed than 50 people were killed. runs until 2019. tain to succeed Zuma as president. mentioned as a potential party leader. killed, without elaborating on any death fresh leadership, but did not mention The government has given a NUM has around 200,000 members Ramaphosa, a wealthy business- No ANC member has declared their threats. Zuma by name. toll of three dead. Jean Ping, 73, Bongo’s main election rival, lashed the court’s ruling as a miscarriage of justice and declared himself “president elect”. Ping, a career diplomat and a Uganda takes on the ‘world’s most dangerous road’ former top offi cial at the African Union, had fi led a legal challenge after Bongo was declared winner By Michael O’Hagan, AFP Nanteza points to the mangled wreck- upgraded with the help of international to see rare mountain gorillas near the by a mere 6,000 votes. Mpigi, Uganda age piled up in the yard. donors, is dangerously inadequate. Uganda-Rwanda border are now opting Ping had asked for a recount in “Recently 21 people, including a The busy highway was resurfaced in to fl y there by light aircraft rather risk Haut-Ogooue province, where child, died in a single accident,” she says the late 2000s, then widened with extra travelling on the ill-fated highway. 95% of voters in the Bongo fam- earing pristine white with her while shooing away a goat. lanes to reduce accidents. The high stakes have even compelled ily stronghold were reported to woollen socks pulled high, “A car tried to overtake the vehicle Kristian Schmidt, who heads the EU some religious groups to take extreme have cast their ballots for the WUgandan traffi c police offi cer in front but collided with a trailer truck offi ce in Uganda, this month demanded action. president on a turnout of more Edith Nanteza exudes natural authority which lost control and crashed into two action after a government-commis- By the roadside, Reverend Bibiru than 99%. at the roadblock, barely lifting a hand as full minibus taxis.” sioned report found that more than pours oil over the painted lines as 15 of The Constitutional Court up- she waves motorists over. Nsubuga Shabal, who was travelling to $1bn had been misappropriated in cor- his followers chant and pray. held Bongo’s victory and put the This is no routine exercise. Kampala with his wife and seven-year- rupt roadwork deals in the last seven “This is the fi rst time we have con- winning margin higher at around Nanteza is on the frontline of opera- old son, was caught up in the carnage. years. ducted a road exorcism,” he says. 11,000 votes. tion “Fika Salama” — Swahili for “ar- “My wife died on the spot. Our child Last year, all 900 road authority em- “A lot of witchcraft took place while In its fi nal tally, the court ruled rive safely” — a high-profi le attempt is now living with relatives. He’s still ployees were sacked on the instructions the highway was being built, that’s why Bongo had won 50.66% of the by the government to regain control of injured and needs treatment but I can’t of Uganda’s President Museveni. so many people are dying here,” he ex- vote (172,990 votes) and Ping what the country fears has become the provide anything since I’m still recov- Now, with the death toll rising, the plains. 47.24% (161,287 votes). planet’s deadliest highway. A May 12, 2015, file photo of a bus on fire ering,” he says. concern is people might avoid the “It is the devil who has made this The European Union’s elec- From the top of a hill, Nanteza sur- on the infamous Kampala-Masaka road “And I lost my job because I can’t ‘highway to hell’ altogether. road so dangerous.” toral observer mission said Sun- veys the road, a heat haze shimmering in Buwama village. The passengers walk properly due to my injuries.” The Kampala-Masaka road provides Commissioner Kwibika prefers a day it “regretted” that Gabon’s over the tarmac highway stretching into luckily had time to get out of the Assistant Commissioner of Police essential access from the Kenyan coast more earthly solution. Constitutional Court “had been the distance. vehicle but they lost their belongings. Sarah Kwibika is in charge of operation through Uganda to Democratic Repub- “We will prosecute, without mercy, unable to satisfactorily rectify “Over 200 people have died on this Fika Salama. lic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. every driver we fi nd breaking even the anomalies observed during the road since January. It’s been a massa- ground with its 200 dead in the fi rst “In all, 90% of the accidents are due But despite its importance as a con- smallest regulation,” she vows. count”. Bongo’s family has exer- cre,” she says. eight months of 2016. to human error,” she says. duit for local traffi c, regional transpor- “No exceptions.” cised a long grip on power in the By comparison, Bolivia’s Yungas Witchcraft, poor roadwork and dan- “Speeding, risky overtaking on tation and tourism, people are increas- Penalties for off ences such as driving oil- and mineral-rich country of Road, a notorious mountain pass better gerous driving — all have been blamed bends, overloaded trucks, unroad- ingly afraid to travel on it. without a permit tend to be around $50, 1.8mn people. known as “Death Road”, averages be- for the killer highway whose users will worthy vehicles and driving while Last month, a UN trailer which was so not a strong disincentive, while pros- Ali Bongo took over from his tween 200 and 300 deaths per year. often turn to prayer before taking the drunk are the main causes. It’s all about carrying crucial food relief to Burundi ecution for more serious off ences is very father Omar Bongo, who ruled That would put the 130km Kampa- road. driver behaviour.” crashed off the road, destroying a house. slow, meaning none of the recent lethal Gabon for 41 years until his la-Masaka highway on at least similar In the local police station in Mpigi, Others claim the road itself, which was And tourists on safari who are hoping cases have gone to trial yet. death in 2009.

Nigeria set to get $4.1bn loan for power, farming

Reuters Abuja

he African Development Bank is looking to provide a total of $4.1bn to Nigeria over 2016 and 2017, its Tpresident said yesterday, as Africa’s biggest econ- omy seeks to bridge its budget defi cit and improve weak infrastructure. Akinwumi Adesina said the funds would be used to de- velop the power and agriculture sectors in the west African country, which has slipped into recession for the fi rst time in over 20 years, largely due to low oil prices. He was speaking after holding talks with the fi nance minister, Kemi Adeosun, and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the capital, Abuja. Oil sales, the economy’s mainstay, generate 70% of government revenues. Attacks on energy facilities in the Niger Delta have cut crude production by around a third since the start of the year. The Opec member has been left struggling to fund a record 6.06tn naira ($18.6bn) 2016 budget that aims to stimulate growth by tripling capital expenditure. Adeosun said Nigeria had asked for a $1bn loan to help cover its 2016 budget defi cit. She said it would be concessional and carry an interest rate of 1.2%. Adesina later said the pan-African lender was looking to provide $4.1bn over 2016/2017. He said “deepening the level of diversifi cation in critical sectors” such as agriculture, solid minerals and manufac- turing, was of particular importance. Aside from a wealthy elite who have profi ted from oil wealth, most of the 180mn people in Africa’s most popu- lous nation live on less than $2 a day. Development has been held back for decades by a poor power, road and rail network. “I expect that our portfolio in Nigeria will not decrease — it will actually grow. We expect to invest in Nigeria, by 2019, a total of $10bn,” said Adesina, a former Nigerian ag- riculture minister. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 13 AMERICAS Canadian Lawyer shoots nine diplomat’s people in Houston teenage son The lawyer appears to have fallen out with his firm deported Reuters Houston Reuters authorities, a Liberal gov- Toronto ernment spokesman said on Sunday. troubled lawyer opened The deal will allow Chi- fi re on morning commut- Canadian diplomat’s nese officials to travel to Aers in Houston yesterday, teenage son has been Canada to interview Chi- injuring at least nine people be- Adeported from the nese citizens considered fore being fatally shot by police, United States following his inadmissible, with the aim authorities said. involvement in a fatal drug- of verifying their identities Six victims were taken to hos- related shooting, eff ectively and documents, said Scott pitals and three were treated nullifying the house arrest Bardsley, press secretary at the scene after being shot at and probation he had been to Public Safety Minister while inside their vehicles in the sentenced to serve, a national Ralph Goodale. wealthy neighbourhood of West news agency reported on Sun- Bardsley said the verifi- University Place, acting Houston day. cation process could oth- police chief Martha Montalvo Marc Wabafi yebazu, 15 at erwise take a long time and told reporters. the time of the Miami shoot- had often delayed deporta- One of the victims was in criti- ing, was deported on Septem- tions. cal condition and another was in ber 6, according to the Cana- According to Canada’s im- serious condition. dian Press. migration department, those Montalvo declined to iden- The news agency did not deemed inadmissible include tify the suspect but said he was clearly cite its source, but people with criminal records, a lawyer. Investigators looks over the scene where nine individuals were shot at a strip mall along Weslayan St in Houston, Texas. quoted the teen’s mother, serious health or fi nancial is- She said the FBI was assisting Roxanne Dube, Canadian sues or who have lied on their with the investigation and did Police were planning to search numerous police cars and ambu- fi ring actively at the offi cers,” that the shooter fi red onto mov- consul general in Miami at the visa applications. not mention terrorism as a mo- his house. lances in the area. Montalvo said. ing cars from an area near an time of the incident, as say- The agreement, a one-year tive. Broken glass from shattered There were also a few vehicles The shooter was killed, after apartment complex. ing: “It’s done. It’s done. It’s pilot programme, was part Houston mayor Sylvester car windows littered a parking seen with bullet holes. which police examined his body “The shots were coming al- done.... He has his life ahead of law enforcement accords Turner, in Cuba on a trip to de- lot in an upscale shopping centre The police chief said there for explosives. most non-stop. of him.” signed during Premier Li Ke- velop trade relations, told re- near where the suspect fi red 20 to were no indications of any others They then examined his car Four, fi ve, six at a time,” said Wabafi yebazu was sen- qiang’s Canadian visit last porters, “The motivation ap- 30 shots. involved, and that investigators and found numerous weapons, Jaime Zamora, a cameraman tenced this year to nine week. pears to be a lawyer whose An unidentifi ed woman, were checking the man’s social Montalvo said. for Houston television station months of boot camp, fol- The border agency agree- relationship with his law fi rm standing next to a car with two media accounts to help in deter- Authorities also planned to KTRK who witnessed some of the lowed by two years of house ment, which will not be in went bad.” bullet holes in the windshield, mining his motive. check his apartment, and asked shooting. He estimated that be- arrest and up to eight years of place immediately, is similar to The police bomb squad was told a local television station she Police responded to reports of residents in a three-block area to tween 30 and 50 shots were fi red. probation. one China has with the Euro- securing the suspect’s car, a black heard “the bullets literally whiz a shooting at 6.29am local time, remain in their homes while po- Local stations broadcast im- Under a deal with the pros- pean Union, and offi cials from Porsche, which had numerous by my window”. and engaged in a shootout with lice continued their work. ages of cars with bullet holes and ecution, Wabafi yebazu plead- both countries will revisit weapons in it. Live video streams showed the suspect.”The individual was Witnesses told local media broken windows. ed no contest to two counts of the matter in November, said third-degree murder, aggra- Bardsley. vated assault and attempted The Chinese embassy in armed robbery involving the Canada did not immediately botched March 2015 marijuana respond to a request for com- deal. ment. Wabafi yebazu’s older Both countries are also brother, 17-year-old Jean Wa- talking about an extradition bafi yebazu, and a suspected treaty, which China has long drug dealer, died in the inci- wanted so it can press for dent, and under Florida law, the return of what it says are anyone who participates in a corrupt offi cials who fl ed to violent felony in which some- Canada. one dies can be charged with Human rights advocates are murder. opposed, citing what they say Wabafi yebazu’s mother is a fl awed Chinese justice sys- and lawyer and US authori- tem. ties could not be immediately Canadian prime minister reached for comment. Justin Trudeau, elected last Canada’s foreign affairs year, is trying to improve department, which employs ties and increase trade with Dube, declined to comment, China, the world’s second- calling the matter “person- largest economy, after a al”. decade of rocky relations The Canadian Press re- under his Conservative ported that US federal offi cials predecessor. started deportation proce- The countries on Thurs- dures against Wabafi yebazu as day settled a trade dispute he was completing boot camp, and said they would start ex- against the protests of Florida ploratory talks on a free trade state authorities who wanted pact. him to complete his full sen- The countries also signed a tence. memorandum of understand- According to the foreign ing under which the Royal ministry, Roxanne Dube is now Canadian Mounted Police and director general of its Cana- the Ministry of Public Secu- dian Foreign Service Institute rity of China will co-operate in Ottawa. to combat a broad range of An agreement signed crimes. between Canada’s border Bardsley said the memo- agency and China will re- randum was a renewal of a sult in the faster deportation similar one signed in 2010 of Chinese citizens deemed that called for broad coop- inadmissible by Canadian eration. Cheerleaders before the first presidential debate at the Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York, yesterday. Clinton, Trump neck and neck GoP candidate gets endorsement from AFP aire and former reality TV star, is pect Clinton to win the debate. and I think Donald Trump has play as Trump threatened to in- Washington good on his feet, and unpredict- And 84% said they intend to gifts and skills that sometimes vite Gennifer Flowers, a former able — more comfortable in the watch. escape typical politicians.” lover of Bill Clinton, to watch the immigration offi cers limelight than on issues. Expectations may be higher for The candidate’ son, Eric Trump, high-stakes battle from a front- illary Clinton and Don- The battle of wits, egos and big Clinton because she is a veteran said his father “will be presiden- row seat. ald Trump were neck and personalities comes with the No- of 34 primary debates, having tial, passionate, and resilient”. Conway on Sunday said it was Reuters and law enforcement sup- Hneck yesterday as they vember 8 elections just six weeks run for president in 2008 when The Clinton campaign ex- meant to show the New York bil- New York port staff, announced it would girded for their fi rst presidential away and the race in a virtual she lost to now-president Barack pressed concern Sunday over lionaire had ways “to get inside support Trump, in what was debate, an intensely anticipated dead heat. Obama in a long, hard-fought what it called a double standard, the head of Hillary Clinton” but described as its first endorse- clash of opposites that could set Moderated by NBC anchor Democratic primary. saying the bar has been raised she told CNN there were no plans epublican presidential ment of a candidate for elected the tone for the last six weeks of Lester Holt, it will revolve around higher for her. to actually invite Flowers. nominee Donald Trump office. the White House race. three themes: “America’s direc- In a close race, the debaters’ “It’s unfair to ask that Hillary Both Clinton and Trump go Rpicked up the endorse- The union’s president, Chris An estimated 90mn people tion, achieving prosperity, and real prize may be the Clinton both play traffi c cop with into the debate with high nega- ment yesterday of the union rep- Crane, outlined in a state- were expected to watch the Dem- securing America.” estimated 9% of voters who Trump, make sure that his lies are tive ratings, which they hope to resenting 5,000 federal immigra- ment why his group is back- ocratic and Republican candi- The candidates are under im- have yet to make up their corrected, and also to present her alter with their performance. tion offi cers, a boost of support ing Trump, saying his union dates go toe-to-toe for 90 min- mense pressure, with any slip of minds vision for what she wants to do The Washington Post/A B C for his immigration policy ahead members are “the last line of utes starting at 9pm (0100 GMT the tongue holding the potential for the American people,” Clin- News poll found that both Clin- of his fi rst debate with Democrat defence for American commu- Tuesday) on the stage at Hofstra for disaster. “When the spotlights are at ton campaign manager Robbie ton and Trump were viewed un- Hillary Clinton. nities” and that his members University in New York. In a close race, the debaters’ the brightest and the pressure Mook told broadcaster ABC. favourably by 57% of registered Trump has laid out a hardline “are prevented from enforcing Surrogates have been out in real prize may be the estimated is the most intense, that’s when Her team is concerned that voters. position on illegal immigration, the most basic immigration force trying to manage expecta- 9% of voters who have yet to she brings her A-plus game,” her moderator Holt will toss simpler Only 38% had a positive impres- proposing to build a wall along laws”. tions, and preempt public per- make up their minds. running mate Tim Kaine has said. “softball” questions in Trump’s sion of Trump, to Clinton’s 39%. the US A CNN/ORC poll released on ceptions of their respective can- A Washington Post-ABC News Kelleyanne Conway, Trump’s direction while pressing Clinton While voters fi nd both candi- southern border with Mexico September 7 said that among didates, two of the least admired poll on Sunday found Clinton campaign manager, dismisses with a much more challenging dates lacking in honesty overall, and take other steps to crack registered voters, 49 % said contenders for the White House tied with Trump at 41% among Clinton’s reputation as a debater, quizzing. Clinton’s ratings were worse, down on the fl ow of undocu- they trusted Clinton to handle in contemporary US political his- registered voters. however. “All that we’re asking is that with just 33% of voters fi nding mented people crossing into the immigration, a slight advan- tory. On Monday, a national poll by “She’s smart, but this isn’t her if Donald Trump lies, that it’s her honest and trustworthy and United States. tage over Trump, who was at Clinton, 68, enters the fray as Quinnipiac University also found sweet spot,” she said yesterday pointed out,” Mook said. 66% saying she is not. With immigration likely to 47 %. a polished former secretary of them in a virtual dead heat, with on MSNBC, adding that Trump But Trump has already stated Trump, on the other hand, be discussed at the debate, Crane said the endorsement state and ex-senator, who after Clinton at 43% to Trump’s 42 has prepared and is ready for her. that he does not believe Holt’s suff ers from the fact that 53 % of the National Immigration and was conducted by a vote of the almost 40 years of public service among likely voters. “He’s a natural debater. role as moderator is to police voters do not believe he is quali- Customs Enforcement Coun- union’s membership and that is steeped in the issues. The poll found that, by a mar- I have been in politics for 28 each candidate. fi ed to be president, lacking the cil, a union representing 5,000 Clinton received only 5% of the Trump, a 70-year-old billion- gin of 41 to 32%, likely voters ex- years,... Mind games were also on dis- temperament and knowledge. federal immigration officers vote. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 ASEAN Myanmar’s Protest against auto firm over defects Bagan set to make World Heritage list after quake

AFP “The chances are very like- Yangon ly” that Bagan will be recog- nised as a World Heritage site in 2019, according to the head yanmar’s ancient of Unesco’s Yangon offi ce, city of Bagan is “very Sardar Umar Alam. Mlikely” to be listed “The experts that are work- as a World Heritage site, a ing on the site, they are confi - Unesco offi cial said yesterday, dent that yes, the site stands a promising a boon to a tourist good chance,” he said. attraction battered by a recent The plan start the lengthy earthquake. application process next year Bagan is home to more than with an eye on making the 2,000 ancient Buddhist mon- list by 2019. Experts said the uments that are among Myan- bungled junta-era restoration, mar’s most venerated religious much of it hastily done with sites and is a major attraction modern materials, signifi - for its nascent tourist indus- cantly altered the original ar- try. chitecture and design of some The former military junta monuments. tried to get Bagan listed as a “They just used bricks and World Heritage site some 20 steel and started fi xing them years ago but was rebuff ed, just like normal buildings and seemingly because of haphaz- it really, really created an is- ard renovations under its rule. sue,” said Alam. An earthquake last month Unesco Myanmar is now Thais hold placards in protest against what they claim are transmission problems in a few models of Ford cars, in Bangkok yesterday. Ford later issued a statement saying destroyed many of those co-ordinating an internation- they were working to move negotiations forward, after what was a rare protest in post-coup Thailand. botched restorations. al team to work on the monu- That will allow fresh work ments and is supporting the more in keeping with the government in its bid to ap- original design, Unesco said, ply for World Heritage status boosting Bagan’s chances of next year. The renovation of taking a coveted place on the the fi rst group of 41 “priority list of the world’s most prized monuments” is expected to cultural artifacts. take around two years. Fishermen swamp Vietnam Suu Kyi unwell after trip to US, UK court to sue Taiwan fi rm Formosa Ha Tinh Steel at its $10.6bn steel plant, ac- Nam, a priest leading the group The disaster unleashed a state-run media.Activists said has promised $500mn tivists and a court official said. that journeyed 200km by bus to public outcry on social media yesterday’s convoy of more AFP fi ce in March.Pictures of her in compensation and Tens of millions of fish died a town in the central province and on the streets of big cities. than 10 buses was closely mon- Yangon being pushed through Yangon admitted its steel in April, in one of Vietnam’s of Ha Tinh told Reuters in a text Demonstrators vented their itored by police, with military airport in a wheelchair posted plant caused massive biggest environmental disas- message. “The court is receiv- fury at both the government also deployed around Formo- on social media sparked con- fish deaths along a 200km ters, which the government ing their files,” an official at the and Formosa, accusing them of sa’s project in Ha Tinh. yanmar’s de facto cern about the Nobel Laure- stretch of coastline blamed on a discharge of toxic Ky Anh People’s Court said by a cover-up. Several thousand Christians leader Aung San Suu ate’s health and quickly went waste into the sea by Formosa telephone.” Such protests have been a gathered around the court MKyi has been forced viral. Reuters Ha Tinh Steel, a subsidiary of It is very crowded here.” In headache for the authorities, and sang songs in support of to take a rest from her state “She feels weak as she did Hanoi Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics. a video posted on social media who have accused anti-gov- the fishermen, the priest said, duties after becoming unwell not have much time to rest Formosa Ha Tinh Steel has site Facebook, Nam said fish- ernment groups of trying to adding that the court was only during a state trip abroad, her during the trip,” her offi ce said promised $500mn in com- ermen still feared the sea was exploit the disaster and stir up able to process half the lawsuits offi ce said yesterday. in a statement. undreds of Vietnamese pensation and admitted its polluted and were suffering anger, with the aim of over- filed but would receive more The 71-year-old was diag- “She has a stomach ache as fishermen travelled to steel plant caused massive fish hardship. throwing the ruling Commu- today. Formosa is one of Tai- nosed with gastritis after re- she did not have time to have Ha small provincial court deaths along a 200km stretch “They cannot go to sea and nist Party. wan’s biggest conglomerates. turning from a visit to Britain regular meals,” it added, add- yesterday to sue one of the of coastline. cannot catch fish while they Yesterday’s mass lawsuit Its listed units include For- and the US, her fi rst trip to her ing that she “just needs to rest country’s biggest investors for A total of 545 people are su- face the prospect of hunger be- captured attention on Face- mosa Plastics Corp and For- Western allies since taking of- for a while”. compensation over an accident ing the company, Dang Huu cause of bank debts,” he added. book but was not covered by mosa Chemicals & Fiber Corp.

Dutchman Singapore scion buys 49% stake in Rolling Stone Govt raises held after AFP comes with its own challenges. volcano Singapore “When competing as a mag- azine, Rolling Stone only had so ‘pulling many competitors. But when alert for Singapore fi rm headed it’s competing on YouTube or by a scion of one of on a website basis, there are plug’ on AAsia’s richest families millions of competitors,” he Mount has bought a 49% stake in Roll- said. ing Stone, with plans to diver- Music and pop culture mag- sermon sify the iconic magazine into azine Rolling Stone was found- Bromo new business including live ed in 1967 by Gus Wenner’s fa- events and merchandising. ther, Jann S Wenner, and Ralph AFP BandLab Technologies, a Gleason with a $7,500 loan DPA Yangon music and technology start-up from friends and family. Jakarta headed by 28-year-old Kuok According to Singapore daily Meng Ru, bought the stake for The Straits Times, the deal has Dutch tourist has been an undisclosed sum and will been in the works for some 15 ndonesian authorities raised detained in Myanmar for partner current owners Wen- months after Kuok was intro- the alert level for a volcano in Ainsulting religion after ner Media, the fi rms said in a duced to Gus Wenner. IEast Java province yesterday being accused of pulling the plug statement late Sunday. Bloomberg said the two after it showed signs of increased on a speaker relaying a late-night Rolling Stone International, struck up a friendship over activity, an offi cial said. Buddhist sermon in Mandalay. a new subsidiary to be headed their common interest in gui- Mount Bromo has created small Klass Haytema, 30, has been by Kuok, will organise events tars and Bob Dylan. earthquakes and spewed thick held since Friday night when including concerts, and de- At the time, the Wenners smoke from its crater since earlier he allegedly disconnected the velop merchandising and hos- were looking for a way to ex- this month, said Sutopo Nugroho, cable linking an amplifier and pitality services, Bloomberg pand their reach in Asia, home spokesman for the National Dis- a speaker at a hall playing the News reported. to more than half the world’s aster Management Agency. sermon after he complained Rolling Stone Internation- population. that it was disturbing him, po- al will “build on the brand’s “It became much bigger than Mount Bromo has created lice said. worldwide appeal and recogni- what we began with,” Kuok told small earthquakes and “The religious hall is not tion”, the statement added. Bloomberg. spewed thick smoke from far from the hotel where he BandLab will have no in- “It was really more of a its crater since earlier was staying... he said he did volvement in the editorial side meeting of minds and visions this month, said Sutopo it because it was too noisy for of the magazine, and will not and long-term partnership Nugroho, spokesman him,” Kyi Soe, police chief at have a stake in Wenner Media, The Rolling Stone magazine (second row) are displayed on the shelves for sale in Singapore. that made it possible.” for the National Disaster Maha Aung Myay township, Bloomberg reported. In addition to its focus on pop Management Agency said. Kuok is the son of Singapore journey,” said Kuok, a Cam- found an extraordinary partner case of a traditional print brand music, Rolling Stone forged its An angry crowd followed palm oil magnate Kuok Khoon bridge graduate. for Rolling Stone as we focus on with a struggling business reputation by featuring some The national volcanology the man back to his hotel, Hong — founder of Wilmar In- BandLab Technologies’ the brand’s global expansion,” model attempting to survive in of the best American writers — agency heightened its alert level where he was taken into cus- ternational, the industry’s big- portfolio already includes a Gus Wenner, Wenner Media’s the digital age by diversifying. such as Tom Wolfe and Hunter on the mountain to three, on a tody by police and later trans- gest trader — and grand-neph- cloud platform and social net- head of digital, said in a state- “All the money in the music S Thompson — and by turning scale from one to four, according ferred to a Mandalay prison. ew of Robert Kuok, Malaysia’s work for musicians, a music- ment. industry now is related to an- its covers into showcases for to Sutopo. “We detained him for in- richest man who is worth more making website, an instrument “We see an enormous op- cillary services like concerts, top photographers and contro- Tourists have been warned sulting religion,” he said, add- than $11bn according to Forbes. accessory design studio and portunity to diversify the brand merchandise, digital, all these versial subjects. against climbing the mountain, ing it was under section 295 of “Rolling Stone’s impact on Swee Lee, Southeast Asia’s into new markets and new ar- kinds of things,” Marc Einstein New York-based Wenner he said. Myanmar’s penal code. culture over the years has been largest distributor of audio eas of business.” from business consultancy Media owns and publishes 12 The 2,329-metre volcano He is yet to be charged but immeasurable and I’m truly equipment and musical instru- An information and com- Frost & Sullivan said. international editions of the spewed ash and hot gas in April, the law carries up to a two honoured to be joining the ments. munications technology ana- But Einstein noted that ven- magazine, as well as Us Weekly forcing authorities to close the year jail term and fine. team on the next phase of its “We are thrilled to have lyst said the deal was another turing into digital marketing and Men’s Journal. airport in the city of Malang. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 15 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA

China fl ies military planes E Timor-Australia case over strait near taken up by global court Japan AFP arbitration tribunal – to help The country’s offi cial name change of letters between Can- Dili however offi cially East Timor, which only gained The Hague end the dispute that has soured is the Democratic Republic of berra and Dili “did not consti- dropped its spying case against its independence from Indo- relations between the two coun- Timor-Leste. tute an agreement ... because Canberra before the UN’s Inter- nesian occupation in 2002, is AFP tries, saying negotiations had so Australian Foreign Aff airs the exchange was not ... legally national Court of Justice in June an impoverished nation that is Beijing n a blow to Australia, an far failed. Minister Julie Bishop said that binding”. 2015 after Australia returned heavily dependent on oil and gas international arbitration Australia in return had argued Canberra “accepts the commis- And the PCA’s fi ve-member sensitive documents. exports. Icourt has agreed to take up that the PCA had no jurisdiction sion’s decision and will continue Conciliation Commission ruled The PCA has not shied away Negotiations between Timor hina has sent fi ghter a decade-long maritime border in the battle as Canberra had al- to engage in good faith as we that the dispute should be set- from stepping into complex dip- and Australia will now continue planes for the fi rst time dispute between East Timor and ready signed a treaty with Dili move to the next phase of the tled under the UN Convention lomatic battles. over the next year, the tribunal Cover a strait near Japan, Canberra which cuts through ruling out any recourse to the conciliation process”. of the Law of the Sea, rather than Earlier this year it sparked based in The Hague said, but it the two governments said yes- lucrative oil and gas fi elds in the court. “We are committed to work- the 2006 treaty – called Certain fury in Beijing by ruling in a case stressed the meetings will be terday, after Tokyo announced Timor Sea. Yesterday Dili welcomed the ing together to strengthen our Maritime Arrangements in the brought by the Philippines that “largely in a confi dential set- it may patrol alongside the US in The Permanent Court of Ar- PCA’s decision. relationship and overcome our Timor Sea (CMATS) – which China’s claims to a vast swathe ting”. the disputed South China Sea. bitration (PCA) “held that it was “Just as we fought so hard and diff erences in the Timor sea,” covers the vast Greater Sunrise of the resource-rich South Chi- The commission will be in- More than 40 Chinese mili- competent to continue with the suff ered so much for our inde- she added. gas fi eld lying between the two na Sea were invalid. volved “in a process for creating tary aircraft on Sunday traversed conciliation process” initiated pendence, Timor-Leste will not Canberra’s lawyers had also nations. The PCA, which was set up in a positive relationship between the Miyako Strait between Ja- by East Timor against Australia rest until we have our sovereign sought to argue that it had ini- East Timor has also called for 1899, is dedicated to resolving the two sides to try and bring pan’s Miyako and Okinawa Is- in April, the court based in The rights over both land and sea,” tiated talks with Dili through an CMATS to be torn up after ac- international disputes through them together to the table”, said lands, to carry out training in Hague said. the country’s independence re- exchange of letters in 2003 to try cusing Australia of spying to arbitration, mediation and other Aaron Matta, senior researcher the West Pacifi c, according to East Timor last month urged sistance hero and former prime to solve the dispute. gain commercial advantage dur- means, by referring to interna- at the Hague Institute for Global a statement on China’s defence the body – the world’s oldest minister Xanana Gusmao said. But the panel said the ex- ing the 2004 negotiations. tional and bilateral treaties. Justice think-tank. ministry website. The Sukhoi Su-30 fi ghters, bombers and refuelling aircraft did not violate Japanese air- space. Japan’s defence ministry said North Korea seeks it was the fi rst time Chinese fi ghters had passed over the strait. The drill is aimed at “testing fl ood relief amid far sea combat capabilities”, the Chinese statement said. It follows China’s fi rst military fl ight, carried out by surveil- nuke programme lance planes, over the Miyako Strait last year. The move comes after Japa- Agencies sources of supporting those nese Defence Minister Tomomi Washington people with whatever you can Inada said earlier this month make,” Kwon said. “It has been that Tokyo would increase its known that the primary neces- engagement in the South China he North Korean gov- saries for them are food, shel- Sea through joint training cruis- ernment is urging in- ter tent, blanket and medicine, es with the US Navy, exercises Tternational aid groups etc.” with regional navies and capaci- to provide fl ood relief while A second North Korean e- ty-building assistance to coastal spending hundreds of millions mail told foreign groups that nations. of dollars to develop nuclear Pyongyang would allow moni- Beijing asserts sovereignty weapons and missiles at the toring of aid distribution. over almost all of the South Chi- same time, according to a re- The e-mails coincided with na Sea, dismissing rival partial port in the Washington Times a rare public appeal for fl ood claims from its Southeast Asian newspaper. relief published in North Ko- neighbours. The US newspaper said that rea’s offi cial KCNA news agen- It rejects any intervention by Jong Kwon, North Korea’s cy. Japan in the waterway. counsellor at the UN mission News reports from the re- In recent months Japanese in New York, had sent an e- gion stated the fl oods are ex- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has mail appeal for the aid earlier pected to cause more food criticised China for rejecting a this month – fi ve days before shortages. July ruling by an international Pyongyang set its fi fth under- South Korea’s Yonhap re- tribunal, which said Beijing’s ex- Taiwan coast guard personnel patrol the Wushih harbour at Yilan county, eastern Taiwan, as Typhoon Megi approaches. ground nuclear test. ported that North Korean tensive claims to the waters had “Kwon wrote to several food shortages will amount to no legal basis. NGOs providing aid to North some 600,000 tons less than is Tokyo, a key US ally, is also Korea on September 5, explain- needed by the population. strengthening defence ties with ing that heavy rains and subse- North Korea’s appeal for hu- other countries in the disputed Taiwan evacuates thousands from quent fl oods hit two provinces manitarian aid comes at a time region. in the northeastern part of the when the government is accel- Japan and China are already at country,” the report said. erating its nuclear and missile loggerheads over a longstanding “Writing on behalf of Choe programmes. territorial row in the East China outlying islands ahead of typhoon Son-Hui, the new president The nuclear test carried out Sea. of the Korea-America Private on September 9 was the fi fth That dispute relates to un- Exchange Society (KAPES), a underground blast and the inhabited islets controlled by AFP 21 years to hit Taiwan – followed 3,700 visitors were evacuated “The storm eye will be closest Pyongyang front group that second this year. Japan known as the Senkakus Taipei by Typhoon Malakas. over the weekend. around noon tomorrow, aff ect- lobbies for foreign aid, Kwon Last Friday, North Korea in Japanese and the Diaoyus in The same part of the island A 700-tonne crane was blown ing Taiwan the whole day,” Lin stated that North Korea ‘would vowed to further strengthen its Chinese. is in the fi ring line again from over yesterday at a harbour in Chih-hui, a forecaster at Tai- like to appeal to you all for an nuclear weapons capability, in Abe said yesterday that Japan aiwan evacuated thou- approaching Typhoon Megi, the eastern area of Hualien. wan’s Central Weather Bureau, emergency support to the dev- spite of UN condemnation and would “never tolerate attempts sands of tourists from which is already bringing strong It crushed a nearby building told AFP. “There is still a chance astating fl ood damage area in sanctions, and said it would to unilaterally change the status Toutlying islands yes- winds and waves. but no one was injured. it might strengthen.” (North Korea)’,” according to never abandon its deterrence quo” in the disputed waters, or terday and set up nearly 100 The typhoon is due to make More than 35,000 soldiers are Mountainous regions in the an e-mail sited by the weekly while it was threatened by nu- “wherever else in the world”, in shelters across the island as it landfall on the east coast today on standby to help with disaster northeastern county of Yilan column called Inside the Ring clear-armed states. an apparent response to the Chi- braced for its third typhoon in and forecast to bring almost a relief and 92 shelters are open and Hualien – already hit by in Washington Times. In an address to the United nese move. two weeks. metre of rain to some areas over for residents. the previous storms – could be The North Korean counsel- Nations General Assembly, “We pledge to protect Japan’s The east coast is still reeling three days. At 0715 GMT Megi was 530km lashed by up to 900mm (35”) of lor said heavy rains destroyed North Korean Foreign Minis- territory, and in the sea and air,” from damage caused by Super Ferries to Taiwan’s Green Is- (329 miles) east-southeast of rain through to tomorrow, in- 17,180 houses and left 44,000 ter Ri Yong Ho described his he said in a speech to open a new Typhoon Meranti earlier this land and Orchid Island were Hualien, packing gusts of up to creasing the risk of landslides, people homeless. country’s nuclear weapons parliamentary session. month – the strongest storm for halted yesterday after more than 191kph (119mph). the bureau said. A total of 10 people died and as “a righteous self-defence 15 are missing. measure” against “constant “KAPES kindly requests you nuclear threats of the United to fi nd potentiality in your re- States”.

17-year-old surfer Mooning and streaking off icially made criminal in Victoria state mauled by shark Exposing bare buttocks in public and running naked in a public place to shock or amuse have been off icially made a crime in the Australian state of Victoria, it was revealed yesterday. AFP reporters. “(He) received lacera- “Mooning or streaking,” which was previously punishable under Sydney tions and bite marks to his up- other laws, has now been specifically named as off ence in the per-thigh area, he was assisted amendment of legislation that also includes sexual crimes. into the shore and off -duty nurs- The revised Summary Off ences Act 1966 states that “behaviour that 17-year-old surfer was es treated him. is indecent, off ensive or insulting includes behaviour that involves a attacked by a shark off “We’ve got the surfboard and person exposing (to any extent) the person’s anal or genital region” AAustralia’s east coast yes- the bite marks will be analysed by and mentions “mooning or streaking” as an example of such an terday, with locals saying that the DPI (the Department of Pri- off ence. he was lucky his board bore the mary Industries).” First-time off enders could face two months in jail while repeat brunt from a suspected great With school holidays in full off enders could be locked up for six months, according to the white. swing, police declared beaches legislation. The teenager, named as Coop- across Ballina, some 740km (460 This handout photo released yesterday by New South Wales Department of Primary Industries shows life Victoria’s Attorney General Martin Pakula told local 3AW radio that er Allen in local media, was bitten miles) north of Sydney, closed for savers chasing a shark off the Ballina’s popular Lighthouse Beach following a shark attack that injured a it was always an off ence but the legislation separates less serious on the leg while surfi ng at Ballina 24 hours. 17-year-old surfer. indecent exposure from more serious sexual exposure. Shire’s popular Lighthouse Beach Of the 14 unprovoked shark “Sexual exposure is of course a much more serious off ence. We – the scene of several attacks in attacks off the New South Wales off the shore but no-one actually Craig Nolan, president of the derstood the shark was a great don’t want a situation where someone who might streak at the recent years. coast in 2015, most occurred saw which shark it was that’s bit- Ballina Lighthouse and Lismore white and that it had come up cricket is funnelled into the same category as someone who Fellow surfers rushed to his along a 60km hotspot from ten him,” she said. Surf Lifesaving, told the Aus- from behind. might jump out in front of a 13-year-old girl and flash,” Pakula said aid, helping him back to the Evans Head to Byron Bay which Eff orts to contain the marine tralian Broadcasting Corpora- He said that it had wrapped its yesterday. beach where he received fi rst aid includes the town of Ballina. predators have so far proven dif- tion that the timing of the attack, jaws around the rear of the surf- “They are very diff erent types of off ences and the legislation for the from off -duty nurses. Bruce said it was too early to fi cult, with a shark eco-barrier ahead of the start of southern board, including its fi n, and over first time makes that clear,” he added. Surf Life Saving New South say what kind of shark was re- trial at Lighthouse Beach and hemisphere summer, was unfor- the victim’s leg. Pakula said if it was not mentioned as an off ence, “you could have Wales said the teen suff ered “se- sponsible, but a 3.5m great white nearby Lennox Head recently tunate. He added that the board had people simply doing it everyday with no possibility of any kind of vere lacerations” but police said was spotted at Lighthouse Beach scrapped due to rough condi- But he added: “Apparently the helped prevent more serious in- sanction”. his injuries are not considered by aerial surveillance after the tions. prime attack was on the board, so jury. The same act also outlaws singing “an obscene song or ballad” and life-threatening. attack. “You can never be in the clear, it took the brunt.” Wright said despite the latest behaving in a “riotous, indecent, off ensive or insulting manner”. “But obviously, with a shark It was chased out to sea by life- I suppose, it’s just one of those As the injured teenager re- incident, surfers would still fl ock At an annual event in February, local residents of the town of wound, they’re always quite se- savers on jet skis. things, you share the water with mained in a stable condition in to the north coast beaches. Livingstone in Australia’s Northern Territory welcome visitors vere,” New South Wales police “There has been (a) sighting of them, it could happen any day, Lismore Base Hospital, Ballina “It certainly won’t stop surf- coming by the luxury Ghan train from Adelaide to Darwin by chief inspector Nicole Bruce told a great white, a 4m shark, further anywhere,” said Bruce. Mayor David Wright said he un- ers,” he told AFP. “mooning” them. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 BRITAIN

INQUIRY LAW AND ORDER CRIME EXPOSED DISCLOSURE New search for toddler Suspect charged with Royal photo ‘hacker’ Healer’s abusive therapy Secret police unit tracked missing 25 years ago murdering Czech man bailed by police for autism caught on tape ‘Goldfinger’ for 16 years

Police started excavations on a Greek island Detectives investigating the murder last A suspected hacker was bailed by police A man claiming to be able to treat autism Notorious gangster John “Goldfinger” yesterday, saying they were armed with new week of Zdenek Makar in east London following reports that 3,000 photographs had has been recorded on camera screaming Palmer was under electronic surveillance by leads into the disappearance of a British have charged a 29-year-old man. Raymond been stolen from Pippa Middleton, sister-in- and threatening violence against an a secret police intelligence unit for 16 years toddler there 25 years ago. South Yorkshire Sculley, of Sherman House, Poplar, appeared law of Prince William, and were up for sale. undercover reporter who he believed until his assassination by a hitman last year, Police, who are leading the investigation, at Thames magistrates court yesterday The pictures were reported by The Sun and was a vulnerable patient. A BBC London according to a BBC investigation. Palmer, said they would focus their attention on two charged with 31-year-old Zdenek’s murder in Daily Mail newspapers to have been stolen investigation secretly recorded the 65, once described as Britain’s richest sites on the island of Kos, close to where East India Dock Road on September 21. Two from Middleton’s iCloud account and included supposed healer treating the journalist, criminal, was shot dead in the grounds of the child, Ben Needham, was last seen near others arrested on Friday – a 19-year-old man shots of her sister Kate, plus her and William’s who pretended to be a young man with the his Essex mansion in June last year in what his family’s holiday home on July 24, 1991. and a 16-year-old boy – have been released children Prince George, three, and Princess condition. The footage shows a London- police believe was a contract killing. Now Detective inspector Jon Cousins, the lead on bail pending further inquiries. Makar, 31, Charlotte, one. The Sun said it had been asked based physiotherapist for a Hungarian firm a documentary reveals police had run an investigator, said new information on the case was pronounced dead in the street near the for £50,000 for the shots, after someone asking the “patient” to choose between intelligence operation on Palmer from the surfaced in May, following a public appeal All Saints Docklands light railway station in contacted the newspaper. The Metropolitan being slapped or punched. Richard Mills, RAF Spadeadam base in Cumbria since to Kos residents. He would not comment on Poplar on Wednesday night, the Metropolitan Police said on Sunday a 35-year-old man director of the charity Research Autism, said 1999. A former intelligence officer said newspaper reports of speculation that the police said. His death reportedly followed arrested a day earlier had been released on such an encounter would send the stress the National Crime Agency had gathered child may have been crushed by a digger in an a row in a chicken takeaway shop in east bail, to return to a police station in the capital levels of an autistic person “through the intelligence on Palmer in an operation accident. London. in late November. roof”. codenamed Alpine.

Corbyn prospects Government of winning elections bleak: poll must spell out

London Evening Standard London Brexit plans, illions of voters say La- bour has virtually “zero Mchance” of winning the next election after Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected leader, a new poll revealed yesterday. says Labour The exclusive BMG Research survey for the Standard also tion, want to scrutinise it.” British access to the lucrative found: Reuters O The Conservatives have al- Liverpool Labour has been embroiled EU single market. most doubled their lead over La- in a divisive internal power Addressing the Labour con- bour from six percentage points struggle since the referendum. ference, Thornberry said a La- in August to 11 now. he main opposition La- Many of the party’s lawmakers bour government would make O Nearly three-quarters of bour party called on have criticised leader Jeremy up any shortfall in EU structural adults believe Labour will have to Tthe government to spell Corbyn for not doing enough to funding for deprived British re- wait until at least 2025 before be- out its strategy for negotiating persuade Labour voters to back gions beyond 2020, and would ing back in government. Britain’s exit from the Europe- remaining in the EU. fi ght to protect workers’ rights O Almost a quarter of people an Union, saying it had no brief The veteran leftist Cor- after a departure from the EU. aged 35 to 44, and 55 and over, to “do whatever the hell they byn’s re-election as Labour The Labour Party yesterday think Labour will “never” win like with our country”. leader last week has fanned also promised to take on big power again. Just over three months since fears among some that a move business and borrow to pro- O Nearly a third of 2,026 adults Britons voted 52% to 48% to to drive the party further left tect struggling industries, set- quizzed say they are less likely to leave the EU, Prime Minister will make it unelectable indefi - ting out a left-wing economic vote Labour after Corbyn’s vic- Theresa May’s Conservative nitely and allow the Conserva- agenda it hopes will re-engage tory to stay as Labour leader, government has given little tives free rein over the terms of with working class voters who compared to 15% who said they away about its Brexit plans. Brexit. backed leaving the European are now more likely to do so. It has said it needs more time Labour strongly promoted Union. O Far more people (34%) say to prepare before triggering immigration during its 13 years Finance spokesman John Labour has been taken over by Far formal divorce talks and that it in power until 2010. McDonnell, a veteran left-wing Left infi ltrators than those who will not give a “running com- But it saw many of its tra- lawmaker, said Labour would disagree with this view, 13%. mentary”. ditional heartlands support raise the minimum wage, However, the poll is not all While holding the June 23 Brexit on June 23, with the change company law to prevent doom and gloom for Corbyn, who referendum was a Conservative pressure on jobs and public fi rms taking on excessive debts was at Labour’s annual confer- re-election pledge, little was services blamed on EU im- to benefi t shareholders, and re- ence in Liverpool yesterday. said during the campaign about migrants a central driving double eff orts to clamp down Nearly seven out of 10 Labour what a post-Brexit relationship factor. on tax avoidance. voters believe his win against with the EU would look like and Thornberry said Labour also “We will rewrite the rules to Owen Smith gives him a mandate the government banned pub- needed more time to establish the benefi t of working people to reshape the Labour party to his lic servants from contingency its stance on Britain’s future re- on taxes, on investment, and own vision including with party members having a say over who is planning. lations with the EU. how our economic institutions in the shadow cabinet. “They had that referendum “We are still considering it. work,” he told the party’s an- Highlighting the political but in my view it does not give We need to consider it with nual conference. mountain Corbyn faces to get an- them a democratic mandate to some care. We need to consider He said Labour wanted to ywhere near No 10, the poll found put themselves into a locked the messages that we got from use low interest rates to borrow 38% of the public, including 29% room and do whatever the hell the referendum... We have to £100bn and leverage it to cre- of Labour voters, believe the par- they like with our country,” Emi- get the best deal possible but it ate a £250bn investment fund ty has “close to zero chance” of ly Thornberry, Labour’s foreign is unclear what the British pub- focused on reviving British winning the next general election aff airs and Brexit spokeswoman, lic wants.” manufacturing. with him at the helm. told an event on the sidelines of May has said the June 23 vote McDonnell has previously A further 20% say he has a its annual conference. showed immigration from the said Britain needs £500bn of “modest chance”, making a clear “It is about time they start- EU cannot continue as before infrastructure investment over majority who believe it is pretty ed telling us what their ne- but she will be under pressure the next 10 years, pledging to unlikely he will get into Downing Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry stands besides Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn after gotiating position is going to to seek to balance curbs on increase direct government Street. delivering her speech on the second day of the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool yesterday. be...because we, the opposi- immigrants with maintaining spending by £250bn.

Official visit Sacked actor sorry Soaring realty prices for racist tweets

AFP family, my friends and my former force many out of capital colleagues. This I again very sin- London cerely apologise for. ” London Evening Standard in the number of children be- traction of the big city but when “On Friday evening I saw, on London ing moved out of London with faced with insurmountable af- Pakistan-born UK ac- the news, children being pulled their parents, with 26,920 more fordability pressures many Lon- tor yesterday apologised out of rubble, people being pelt- under-10s leaving for another doners are pleasantly surprised Afor using “unacceptable ed with pellets, women mourn- he exodus of “30-some- part of the UK in 2014-15 than at the range of options they have language” about Indians, which ing their dead in Kashmir. This things” from London is arriving — up from 19,980 in beyond the Tube network.” saw him fi red from Britain’s most upset me very deeply and in a Taccelerating as sky-high 2011-12. Betsy Dillner, director of Gen- popular TV soap. moment of madness I ranted out. property prices and rents force eration Rent, said: “These peo- Marc Anwar, 45, joined Coro- I vented my anger. “Faced with ever more of them to relocate ple are leaving friends and fam- nation Street, the world’s long- “My feelings were very sincere insurmountable est-running TV soap opera, in for the people of Kashmir,” he outside the capital, according to aff ordability pressures ily in order to fi nd a home they a new analysis. can aff ord, and some are leaving 2014 as a member of the show’s said. many Londoners are fi rst Muslim family. “I hope that everyone that I Last year, 65,890 Londoners pleasantly surprised at the their jobs. This should worry in their thirties moved to other everyone in London.” But he was sacked from the have off ended can fi nd it in their range of options they have show after the Sunday Mirror hearts to forgive me.” parts of Britain, while 35,480 beyond the Tube network” The fi gures were released as moved in, the latest government the group issued a report calling newspaper published screen- His character, love cheat gym data reveals. Separate research from estate for huge reforms, including the shots from his private Twitter boss Sharif Nazir, will still appear This resulted in a net outfl ow agents Humberts shows the big- introduction of indefi nite ten- account, which hit out at India in scenes that have already been over the Kashmir dispute. fi lmed for upcoming episodes. of 30,140 — the equivalent of gest outfl ows in central London ancies in the private rented sec- “Indians killing our Kashmir The actor has appeared in Hol- the population of a town the size are from Greenwich and Wands- tor to help make renting a long- brothers and sisters,” he wrote. lywood fi lms including Captain term, stable option. of Windsor — up by almost half worth, two boroughs popular He also referred to Indians in in- Phillips and 51st State. on the 20,590 net move out of with young families in areas Of the people leaving the cap- sulting terms. Coronation Street, which be- London three years previously. such as Blackheath and Clap- ital for another part of the UK, “I would like to off er my sin- gan in 1960, became the longest- Over that period the average ham, but where the yawning 64% are moving into the South- cerest apologies to anyone that running soap opera in the world price of a home in London rock- pricing gap between fl ats and East and East of England com- I may have off ended with my in 2010. eted by 37% from £299,065 to houses makes it hard to step up muter belt. The rest are break- tweets on Friday evening, and Set in a fi ctional suburb of £410,445, compared with a 16% to the next rung of the property ing their links with London especially people from India,” Manchester in northwest Eng- rise for the country as a whole, ladder. altogether, with 12% moving to he said in a video he uploaded to land, it remains one of Britain’s according to fi gures from the Jeremy Campbell-Harris, the Midlands, 11% to the North, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, greets Hong YouTube yesterday. “This was most-watched programmes with Land Registry analysed by cam- head of Humberts’ London 9% to the South-West and 5% to Kong’s chief secretary for administration, Carrie Lam, at never my intention. The lan- around 8mn viewers. Guest stars paign group Generation Rent. country house department, Scotland, Wales and Northern Number 11 Downing Street in London yesterday. guage was unacceptable. I feel have included Prince Charles, There has been a similar rise said: “We all understand the at- Ireland combined. I’ve let a lot of people down: my the heir to the British throne. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 17 BRITAIN Hospitals and care homes fail food safety inspections

Guardian News and Media meet food hygiene standards more homeless shelters, churches and better. Despite this overall success, sure that the issues identifi ed at received a score of zero in May The Stay and Play after-school London than any other type of care provid- youth centres. Michael Harding, a food hygiene caring premises with a lower rating after inspectors found a mouse care service at Millbrook primary er, with more than 200 residential, The FSA ranks all food provid- rating scheme support offi cer at are addressed and that vulnerable infestation. The nursery closed school in Newport, south Wales, nursing and care homes receiv- ers, giving them a score of zero to the FSA, said any instance of a care people are not put at risk,” he said. and has since reopened under scored a zero rating in June after it ore than 500 care pro- ing low grades at their latest food fi ve. Zero means the establishment organisation receiving a low score Eight care providers still in op- new management. The new busi- provided high-risk food and salad viders in the UK, in- safety inspections. “urgently requires improvement”, was “a cause for concern”, due to eration scored zero, including six ness is yet to be inspected, but a wraps despite not having the facil- Mcluding 19 hospitals and This was closely followed by one or two is considered a failing the fact that vulnerable people, in- residential care homes, one nurs- spokesman from Blaby district ities to safely prepare them, New- other NHS facilities, have failed nurseries, childcare centres, play- grade, and three to fi ve is satis- cluding children, older people and ery and one after-school care fa- council, which conducts inspec- port city council’s environmental hygiene and food safety inspec- groups and out-of-school care factory. An overwhelming major- people who are ill, were more likely cility, which has since stopped tions in the area, said Ofsted vis- health team said. The centre has tions, Guardian analysis reveals. providers, more than 200 of which ity (more than 98%) of hospitals to use their services. preparing food for children. ited the site in mid-August and since stopped serving food that re- Food Standards Agency (FSA) failed to meet hygiene standards, and other care providers achieve “The food safety offi cer will be A ninth, Fairy Tales day nurs- confi rmed that it was clean and quires preparation and gives chil- data shows that care homes fail to as well as a handful of hospices, a food hygiene rating of three or taking the necessary action to en- ery in Glen Parva, Leicestershire, tidy with no evidence of mice. dren cereal or biscuits instead.

‘Pearly’ tradition May’s allies reject claim on role in EU vote campaign

Guardian News and Media Duncan Smith said: “In the London past, a knight of the realm who had failed in battle and lost would have quit the fi eld and retired in humil- llies of Theresa May have ity to better understand their own rejected claims that she failings. How surprising then to Afailed to pull her weight in fi nd that far from that, Sir Craig the campaign to stay in the EU, Oliver, one of the leading lights of after David Cameron’s former Remain, has decided to instead try media chief said she declined to to pin the blame for his failure on help on 13 occasions. others, particularly the new prime Sir Craig Oliver, who was No minister.” 10 communications director until Patrick McLouglin, the Con- July, writes in his book that May servative chairman appointed by frustrated the Remain campaign May, also rejected the idea that she by pursuing a “submarine strat- had let Cameron down during the egy” of disappearing from view. campaign. “I don’t think that is He said Will Straw, the director true at all. May during the referen- of the Remain campaign, had been dum campaign made her position A young pearly princess looks toward her aunt Charlotte Bennett , the Pearly Princess of Woolwich, during the Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival service at so uncertain where her true loyal- very clear,” he said on Sky News’s Guildhall in London. Pearly kings and queens are a working-class charitable tradition in London. The “pearly” tradition was started by a 19th century street sweeper who ties lay, he sent a text asking: “Are Murnaghan programme. decorated his suit with “pearl” buttons to draw attention to his charity fund raising activities. Since then many groups and associations were formed to carry forward we sure May’s not an agent for the “This is a book that has been the charitable “pearly” tradition with each London borough having its own pearly king or queen to act as a focal point for fund raising and charitable giving. The harvest other side!?” May, who was then written after the event. You have festival celebrates the autumn harvest and is a major date in the pearly calendar. home secretary, came out for re- got to have certain spicy things maining in the EU early on but kept in a book to sell it. I don’t blame a low profi le in the referendum and Craig for doing that. At the time, made only one public intervention Theresa was very much part of the in favour of the In campaign. Remain campaign.” Since becoming prime minister, However, Theresa Villiers, the she has been adamant that “Brexit former Northern Ireland secretary, means Brexit”, signalling she is who campaigned for Leave, said fully committed to taking the UK she believed May might have had out of the EU. a foot in both camps. “There were Oliver’s book, serialised in the times that I did wonder,” she told Operator ‘to blame’ for Mail on Sunday, said May stood BBC One’s Sunday Politics pro- aloof during the referendum as gramme. “Her major speech of the Cameron was fi ghting for his po- referendum campaign expressed litical life. The former communi- real concerns about the possibil- cations chief was strongly criti- ity of Turkey joining the EU. It also cised by Iain Duncan Smith, the said that the sky is not going to fall former work and pensions secre- in if we leave. I think she was gen- rollercoaster crash tary, who said he should not blame uinely listening to both sides.” May for the failure of the Remain Oliver writes: “Amid the mur- London Evening Standard empty car on June 2, 2015. He said on the day, a test car- thought it was a false one refl ect- for medical attention because of campaign and called on him to der and betrayal of the campaign, London Yesterday, Leah Washington riage had been sent around the ing a recently corrected issue and the inaccessibility of that part of “stop carping” and show humility one fi gure stayed very still at the and Vicky Balch, who each lost 14-loop ride but had stopped, did not see the stalled train, and the ride, according to Thorogood. in the face of defeat. centre of it all – Theresa May. Now a leg in the crash, were at Staf- known as “valley-ing”, in the bot- proceeded to reset and restart the But although there had been Oliver’s intervention comes at a she is the last one standing.” he operator of Alton Tow- ford crown court for a two-day tommost part of the Cobra Roll ride, overriding the computer- “a number of human errors”, the time of deteriorating relations be- He describes one conversation ers was at fault for last sentencing hearing, with fellow area of the ride, unseen by staff . generated block-stop.” barrister said, the “fault here tween those close to the new prime after Cameron had sounded out Tyear’s Smiler rollercoaster front-row passengers Joe Pugh Engineers who arrived then “The subsequent collision was is with the employers”. Engi- minister and allies of Cameron, May about her views on the EU. crash despite “human errors”, a and Daniel Thorpe. overrode a computer system plain to see to some in the train, neers, responding to a fault, were who are furious at her distancing “It sounds like she refused to come court heard yesterday. Chandaben Chauhan, who was “block-stop” which they believed and I refer to those in the front “without guidance from above”, herself from his premiership and off the fence. From her point of Merlin Attractions Opera- in the second row, also attended. had halted the ride in error. row’s statements, where they and had not been given a system ditching key aspects of his legacy. view it’s a smart strategy, trying to tions has already been warned All three were badly hurt. Open- Thorogood, speaking for the speak of their disbelief and horror to follow to deal safely with the Downing Street had no response demonstrate she is her own per- by a judge this year to expect a ing the case, barrister Bernard Health and Safety Executive, as they saw ahead up the track the problem on the track. to Oliver’s book but sources said son, allowing her to have her cake signifi cant fi ne for admitting a Thorogood said the kinetic energy which brought the prosecution, train.” “The fault is with the defend- it had not elicited much of a reac- and eat it, but it doesn’t seem fair health and safety breach which involved in the crash was equiva- said: “Engineers who came to The victims were then left for ant for not devising a scheme for tion in No 10, as it was going over on DC, who has treated her well,” led to a full 16-seater carriage on lent to “a family car of 1.5 tons remedy the situation, regard- a “signifi cant period of time” at not guiding the work of the engi- history rather than current events. he wrote. the £18mn ride smashing into an having collided at about 90mph”. ing the indicated block-stop, least 20ft above ground, waiting neers,” he said. Man stabbed to death by Prince George snubs gang armed with knives Trudeau’s high-fi ve Reuters trudeau in this,” said a Twitter Toronto user with the handle @OhAlex- London Evening Standard scream, ‘Help me, help me.’ It One resident said: “There aandra. London was terrible, I couldn’t sleep was screaming and shouting “Justin Trudeau getting denied last night. The group jumped and what sounded like a car lame it on jet lag or maybe a high fi ve by a toddler (even if it back in their vehicle and drove crashing or being smashed up. a precocious knowledge was the son of the prince) is a great man was murdered by a off fast.” It was pandemonium — there Bthat his great-grandmoth- analogy for modern global aff airs,” gang armed with base- A woman whose son saw the was a police helicopter above er is Canada’s head of state but said a Twitter user with the handle A ball bats and knives attack said: “Eight men pulled us and dozens of officers. It Britain’s three-year-old Prince @EmMcCon. who left him in a pool of blood up in two cars. He didn’t stand was shocking. It is rough here George just wasn’t going to be George did shake hands with and fled with his trainers, wit- a chance. He was stabbed mul- but I have never seen anything charmed by Canadian Prime Barack Obama on his visit to Eng- nesses said yesterday. tiple times and beaten with like this.” Another said drug Minister Justin Trudeau. land in April, when the prince was He was ambushed by a baseball bats. They even took dealers operated in the area. Landing in Canada on a week- allowed to greet the US president group who followed him to a his shoes as he was bleeding to A smashed-up blue car re- long offi cial visit with parents dressed in natty pajamas and a housing estate in Dagenham at death.” mained outside a Costcut- Prince William and Kate Middle- robe before he went to bed. 7.30pm on Sunday night. ter supermarket off Braintree ton, George, holding his father’s William and Kate yesterday vis- Police who were called to “This was a targeted attack, Road, where the attack started. hand, ignored Trudeau when he ited the Immigration Services So- Braintree Road after reports no doubt. I heard the guy Forensic offi cers were preparing squatted down to the toddler’s ciety of British Columbia to meet of a disturbance found the scream, ‘Help me, help me.’ to search the crime scene. level to off er a high-fi ve variation, staff and volunteers who help re- man, who was in his thirties. It was terrible, I couldn’t Parents on the school run the low-fi ve. cent migrants to the area. He died at the scene minutes sleep. The group jumped had to shepherd children Trudeau then switched his The couple also is scheduled later. back in their vehicle and through the site. One said: “To palm for a high-fi ve and subse- to meet young leaders of various A witness said he saw a drove off fast” walk through a crime scene quently off ered a handshake, both industries in Canada and some of group in a 4x4 swoop on three to school is something no one of which were seemingly rebuff ed, Vancouver’s fi rst responders. men who were in another car Businessman Astrit Muz- should have to do. It makes creating an awkward moment on Before leaving Canada on Oc- before chasing and killing one liukaj, 25, said: “There was po- you fear for your kids being the airport tarmac in the western tober 1, the couple is expected to of them. “The 4x4 hit the car, lice tape everywhere. I spoke brought up around here.” province of British Columbia. have more than more than 30 en- three guys ran away out of the to a man who saw the whole A Metropolitan police Canadians felt the princely snub gagements, including with abo- car and the gang caught one. thing. He said six guys came spokesman said: “We are in acutely, accustomed as they are to riginal Canadian communities. I could hear chains dragging out of a car with baseball bats the process of informing the seeing their young premier win William is second in line to suc- on the floor, they had a load of or pipes and knives. You could victim’s next of kin and a over millions of fans around the ceed his grandmother Queen Eli- weapons,” he added. see glass smashed all over the post-mortem examination Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Catherine, Duchess of world and attain social media star azabeth, who has been Canada’s “This was a targeted at- floor. I saw something lying on will take place.” No arrests Cambridge, tour the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station in Vancouver, British status. head of state since she ascended to tack, no doubt. I heard the guy the floor.” have been made. Columbia, Canada. “My heart broke 15 times for Britain’s throne in 1952. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 EUROPE EU launches debit cards for refugees in Turkey

AFP missioner Christos Stylianides, ($33.50) a month, giving people refugees, most of them Syrian. next month for the scheme. cohesion between citizens and In exchange for cutting the Ankara in Ankara for the start of the the chance to choose their own The vast majority live in cit- Families who have children refugees.” fl ow, Brussels also off ered Tur- programme, said the debit cards purchases. ies without direct support from going to school will receive more The project is part of a €6bn key visa liberalisation for its citi- will help give vulnerable refugees Stylianides said the pro- non-governmental organisations cash. ($6.75bn) deal struck in March zens to visit EU countries in the he European Union has a “sense of normality” in their gramme was an “unprecedented and aid groups. All refugees registered in Tur- between Brussels and Ankara to Schengen area as well as acceler- launched a scheme worth lives. response” to an “unprecedented Supported with €348mn key, including Iraqis, are eligible curb the migrant infl ux into Eu- ated membership talks. Talmost €350mn providing The refugees will be able to use crisis”. ($392mn) from Brussels and its to apply. rope, which saw more than a mil- But Ankara has threatened to mainly Syrian refugees in Turkey the cards in shops or institutions “This (scheme) is, in our hu- member states, the scheme will Stylianides suggested that the lion arrive in the EU last year. withdraw from the agreement if with pre-paid debit cards, the to pay for food, education, hous- manitarian fi eld, a game-changer be rolled out by Turkish Red programme would also benefi t There have been fears the deal Europe does not allow visa-free biggest project yet under a land- ing and clothing or also to with- in the delivery of humanitarian Crescent and the UN World Food Turks. could collapse with President travel for Turks by next month, mark deal between the bloc and draw cash from ATMs. aid. Refugees can choose what Programme supported by the “The money will be spent in Recep Tayyip Erdogan complain- though the numbers coming to Ankara. Each card will be automatically they spend money on.” Turkish authorities. local shops, boosting local busi- ing that the promised money was Europe have dropped signifi - EU Humanitarian Aid Com- topped up with 100 Turkish lira Turkey is home to some 3mn Applications are due to start nesses and encouraging social not handed directly to Turkey. cantly since March.

EU warns Swiss Calais camp to be razed after local vote on by year-end: Hollande migrant AFP curbs Calais

AFP rench President Francois Brussels Hollande said yesterday Fthat the sprawling “Jun- gle” migrant camp in Calais he EU has warned Swit- would be dismantled by the zerland over a vote by one end of this year under a plan to Tof its cantons backing spread asylum seekers around curbs on migrants, an issue be- the country. ing closely watched in London “I have come to Calais to as a possible template for Brexit confi rm the decision that I took negotiations. with the government ... to dis- A measure making it more dif- mantle (the camp) defi nitively, fi cult for foreign workers to be entirely and rapidly, that means employed won 58% of the vote by the end of the year,” Hollande in a referendum on Sunday in the said on his fi rst visit to Calais as Italian-speaking canton of Ti- president. Migrants living in the ‘Jungle’ migrant camp walk past a sign posted along a road that leads to Calais. cino, which borders Italy. The French president called Brussels said the vote would on British authorities to help be a “country of camps”. onstrated at the weekend in unaccompanied minors (see ac- further complicate thorny ne- in assisting the migrants, most Calais has become a symbol Versailles, west of Paris, against companying report). gotiations over a national vote in of whom are desperate to reach of Europe’s failure to resolve the plans to move a group of mi- A 14-year-old Afghan boy was early 2014 in which Switzerland Britain. Hollande: I have come to Calais to confirm the decision that I took migration crisis that continues grants there. killed by a car earlier this month voted for similar curbs, despite “I am determined to see the with the government ... to dismantle (the camp) definitively, entirely to divide the continent, after The Jungle camp has also be- as he tried to climb aboard a them violating the EU’s free British authorities play their and rapidly, that means by the end of the year. people fl eeing war and misery come a sore point in relations truck. movement rules. part in the humanitarian eff ort across the Mediterranean began between France and Britain. Under EU rules, under-18s “The EU and Switzerland have that France is undertaking” in the migrants camped across the made immigration and national pouring into Europe in unprec- Last week, building work be- travelling alone are allowed join been in intense talks for months Calais, Hollande said, fl anked by Channel. identity key themes in early edented numbers. gan on a British-funded wall family in Britain. now in order to fi nd a solution security forces. “Just because the United campaigning for next year’s Plans to relocate the Calais to clamp down on repeated at- Around half of the unaccom- on how to implement the Swiss Between 7,000 and 10,000 Kingdom has taken a sovereign election, which has echoes of migrants have sparked con- tempts by migrants to stow away panied minors in Calais are esti- popular vote on free movement migrants are currently living in decision, it does not mean it is the US race for the White House. troversy and protests, with on trucks heading for Britain. mated to have family across the in a way that respects obligations the Jungle, the launchpad for freed from its obligations to- On a visit to one of the new residents in some parts of the Rights groups have criticised Channel. under the free movement agree- their attempts to stow away on wards France,” he said. reception centres in the central country vehemently opposed to the hardship and dangers facing But the process of trying to ment,” said Margaritis Schinas, lorries heading across the Chan- Hollande said the vote also city of Tours at the weekend taking them in. the migrants living in the camp, reunite them with their relatives spokesman for commission head nel to England. had no eff ect on the bilateral Le Hollande said France would not Several hundred people dem- particularly the hundreds of has been dogged by delays. Jean-Claude Juncker. Hollande met police, local Touquet agreement which ef- “Yesterday’s vote will not politicians, NGOs and business fectively means that the British Calais migrant camp demolition raises child traffi cking fears, says UN children’s agency make the already diffi cult talks leaders in the northern port city border extends to Calais’s ferry any easier,” he told a daily brief- but was not expected to visit the ports, where British immigra- Lone children living in the shanty town near “If mistakes from the first eviction are repeated, About 7,000 migrants are living in the remain- ing. camp itself. tion offi cials check passports Calais are likely to go missing or risk being we will see more children going missing, falling ing northern half of the camp, up from 4,500 in EU Commission President The Socialist president has and inspect vehicles. traff icked when France dismantles the migrant prey to traff ickers and facing the winter without June, according to local authorities, although Juncker will visit Switzerland at been under pressure from right- Hollande’s visit comes just camp, the United Nations said yesterday, urging a home,” said Caprani in a statement to the humanitarian groups put the number closer to the end of October to continue wing rivals to close down the days after his conservative pred- authorities to speed up the reunion of children Thomson Reuters Foundation. 9,000. discussions in order to fi nd “an Jungle. ecessor Nicolas Sarkozy – who with families in Britain. Rape, forced labour, beatings and death are just Most attempt to climb onto lorries or trains us- agreement acceptable to both A fl urry of preparations in is hoping to return as president The UN children’s agency, Unicef, said it some of the dangers faced by children travel- ing the Channel Tunnel, and police have had to sides”, said Schinas. Calais suggest the operation to in next year’s election – visited was concerned for the safety and future of ling without their parents, Unicef says. be deployed permanently in the area. Switzerland is not an EU raze the collection of makeshift Calais to promote his tough line unaccompanied minors living in the so-called “The UK must work with the French authorities London and Paris have struck agreements on member but is signed up to the shelters may begin shortly. on migration. “Jungle” camp, on the outskirts of the northern to get children into appropriate accommoda- issues such as the recently begun construction bloc’s Schengen agreement, The government has said the Migration has been a low-key French port town. tion, where they can have access to care and of a giant wall on the approach road to Calais which allows passport-free migrants, who are mostly from issue of Hollande’s four-year “Before the bulldozers arrive, there must be legal support, so they can reach their families port in an attempt to try to stop migrants who travel and free movement of Sudan and Afghanistan, will be presidency. robust plans to safeguard the hundreds of (in Britain) safely,” said Caprani. attempt daily to board cargo trucks bound for workers. moved to 164 reception cen- But he has been forced to take unaccompanied children currently stranded in Thousands of migrants fleeing war and pov- Britain. The referendum in Ticino was tres around the country “before a stronger stance on the issue, the camp,” said Lily Caprani, Unicef UK’s deputy erty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia have “What happens in the Jungle is ultimately a presented by the conservative winter”. under pressure from Sarkozy executive director. converged on Calais over the past year, hoping matter for the French authorities, what they Swiss People’s Party. Hollande said Britain’s vote to and far-right leader Marine Le Clashes with police broke out in February when to find a way of getting across the Channel to choose to do with it,” a British government The vote’s result still requires exit the European Union did not Pen. authorities began evicting refugees. Britain. spokesman said. approval from the Swiss federal diminish its responsibility for Both Sarkozy and Le Pen have government. However Bern is unlikely to look kindly at the Ticino vote, as Sister of killed militant arrested and charged in Belgium it struggles to repair frayed rela- tions with the EU and fi gure out The sister of a Islamist militant killed in a terror Prosecutors later said the group was under the how to apply the 2014 vote. Azerbaijan organises referendum raid in Belgium last year has been arrested and orders of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the ringleader of The EU is keen to take a hard charged, a prosecutor said yesterday. the terror cell that attacked Paris on November line on Switzerland shirking its Chaimaa Amghar, 20, was arrested in the 13, 2015. duties from bilateral agreements expected to boost President Aliyev Brussels district of Molenbeek on September The two men killed in the Verviers raid, Sofiane ahead of the bloc’s negotiations 21 after police traced social media messages Amghar and Khalid Ben Larbi, went to Syria to with London over its departure indicating she was attempting to “commit acts join IS in April 2014. from the bloc. AFP a scheme to pave the way for his violations of the right to freedom of terror-linked crimes in a conflict zone”, the They then slipped back into Belgium to the Pro-Brexit campaigners want Baku children to take the helm one day. of association. source said. Verviers hideout. Britain to limit migration from Aliyev has two prominent so- “The referendum has been The suspect is the sister of Sofiane Amghar, one Authorities have said the November Paris and EU countries but keep access to cialite daughters Leyla, 32, and accompanied by arrests and in- of two suspected Islamic State (IS) members March Brussels attacks were the work of the the single market – a combina- zerbaijan voted yesterday Arzu, 27, and a student son, Hey- timidation,” the rights group said killed in a raid in the eastern city of Verviers in same cross-border militant group with deep tion that EU leaders have repeat- on whether to extend the dar, 19. in a statement. “Those who have January 2015. roots in the Belgian capital. edly warned is impossible. Apresident’s term in offi ce, “The constitutional changes attempted to criticise and cam- with opposition groups attack- are aimed at further concen- paign against these proposals ing the referendum as a ploy to trating the power in one family’s have faced assaults and harass- boost Ilham Aliyev’s long grip on hands,” opposition leader Isa ment by the authorities.” power. Gambar told AFP. “The amend- Aliyev, 54, has led the country Polls across the former Soviet ments would allow young mem- since his father Heydar, a former German deadline in fi ght against online hate republic of 9.4mn closed amid bers of Aliyev’s family to inherit Communist-era boss, died after little doubt that the amendments power.” a decade in power in 2003. would be passed. The authorities have dismissed He won a landslide election Reuters quests by government-funded sioner Vera Jourova told the group, told newspaper execu- The changes would extend the the criticism, arguing that con- victory in 2013 despite Organisa- Berlin organisations but did not take news conference with Maas that tives that media organisations president’s term in offi ce from stitutional reform would stream- tion for Security and Co-opera- private complaints as seriously. she was counting on voluntary should be regulated like tel- fi ve to seven years and create a line running of the country. tion in Europe observers point- “Of the illegal content re- steps by social media fi rms and ecommunications fi rms, which powerful position of fi rst vice “One of the main reasons for ing to signifi cant problems with ederal Justice Minister ported by users, Twitter deletes preferred to avoid deadlines. are “not held responsible if peo- president. holding the referendum is the the vote. Heiko Maas said yester- about 1%, YouTube just 10%, Konstantin von Notz, dep- ple use their phone to talk about The Central Election Commis- need to create an eff ective system The next elections are in 2018. Fday that the German gov- and Facebook about 46%,” Maas uty leader of the Green party’s stupid or dangerous stuff ”. sion said turnout was 63.3% as of of governance and to get rid of a He is allowed to stand for an ernment could take legal action said. parliamentary group, said the “If these quasi-monopolistic 5pm (1300 GMT). number of bureaucratic mecha- unlimited number of presidential against Facebook and other so- Those rates were too low, he German government had ig- technology platforms are also Opposition groups staged nisms that still exist within the terms after a previous disputed cial media groups if they do not said. nored the problem for too long, responsible for content, the protests ahead of the ballot, de- state system,” Aliyev’s top aide, referendum in 2009 scrapped a intensify their fi ght against ille- Maas said he would decide and Maas’ deadline only put off consequences will be grave – for nouncing it as a bid to extend Ali Gasanov, told journalists. two-term limit. gal hate speech or Islamist “ter- on next steps after government any real action for another six business and society,” he said. the Aliyev family’s more-than In contrast, the Council of Eu- If passed, the referendum ror fantasies”. study was completed in March, months. Facebook touched off a re-fi two-decade grip on the levers of rope’s constitutional law experts would also introduce a new posi- Maas said Facebook, Twitter with legal measures possible. “This problem is too impor- storm earlier this month when it power. said the draft changes to the con- tion of fi rst vice-president, who and Google, a unit of Alphabet German political leaders and tant for our society. The chan- deleted an iconic Vietnam War The proposal would axe the stitution “would severely upset would rule in the president’s ab- Incorporated, were removing il- regulators say the world’s larg- cellor should take the issue in photo of a naked girl fl eeing a current age minimum of 35 for the balance of power” and give sence. legal content from the Internet est social network, with 1.6bn hand herself. Her justice minis- napalm attack, saying that it standing as president of the oil- the president “unprecedented” That duty is currently held by more frequently and quickly, monthly users, has been slow ter is clearly in over his head,” he violated restrictions on nudity. rich Caucasus nation. authority. the prime minister, whose ap- but more work was needed. to respond to hate speech and said in a statement. The company later reinstated That change has been criti- Amnesty International said pointment requires the approval He said the social media anti-immigrant messages. Mathias Doepfner, who heads the photograph after it received cised by Aliyev’s opponents as the amendments would lead to of parliament. groups responded mostly to re- European Union Commis- Germany’s Axel Springer media multiple complaints. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 19 EUROPE Earth’s climate past points to overheated future: study

By Marlowe Hood, AFP millennia,” said a study in the main greenhouse gas CO2 – just inked by 195 nations in Decem- peratures stretching back 2mn original approach”, Snyder ex- atmosphere would drive global Paris peer-reviewed science journal over 400 parts per million (ppm) ber. years. tracted 20,000 bits of data from temperatures up by 9° C, an in- Nature. – would, over the next century, The planet has already heated Some parts of Earth’s climate 59 ocean sediment cores, to build crease that would melt away ice This was the middle of a pre- push average global temperatures up 1.0° C (1.8° F) above the pre- history have been relatively easy a temperature timeline at 1,000- sheets and raise sea levels by doz- ur planet may grow intol- dicted warming range of 3° C 2° to 2.4° C above the pre-indus- industrial benchmark, and could to reconstruct: there is broad year intervals. ens of metres. erably hot even if green- (5.4° F) to 7° C (12.6° F). trial era benchmark. see its fi rst year at 1.5° C within agreement, for example, on car- She then used climate models This is considerably higher Ohouse gases in the atmos- Even 3° C would, in the long- The IPCC had concluded that a decade, scientists reported at a bon dioxide levels, sea surface to infer wider trends. than most estimates. phere remain at current levels, run, unleash a maelstrom of cli- global warming of 2° C was a rel- conference that took place in Ox- temperatures and sea level go- The result agreed with a well- Researchers not involved in the according to the fi rst 2mn-year mate change impacts including atively safe limit for humanity for ford last week. ing back hundreds of thousands established link between global study also cautioned that it relied reconstruction of surface tem- storm surges engorged by rising most regions. The new study, by palaeocli- – sometimes even millions – of temperature and atmospheric on numerous assumptions that peratures, published yesterday. seas, deadly heat waves, and se- But a recent crescendo of cli- matologist Carolyn Snyder of years. greenhouse gas concentrations, may turn out to be wrong. “Stabilisation at today’s vere fl ooding, said the study. mate-enhanced extreme weather Stanford University’s Interdisci- But evidence of the change in especially over the last 800,000 Extrapolating land tempera- greenhouse gas levels may al- The UN’s Intergovernmen- pushed world leaders to inscribe plinary Programme in Environ- air temperatures has been harder years of cyclical ice ages, occur- tures based on what’s going on ready commit Earth to an even- tal Panel on Climate Change an even more stringent tem- ment and Resources, is the fi rst to come by. ring roughly every 100,000 years. in the oceans, for example, is rife tual total warming of 5° Celsius (IPCC) has said that current at- perature cap of “well under two to piece together a continuous In what a climate expert not The new data suggests that with uncertainty, the researchers (9° Fahrenheit) over the next few mospheric concentrations of the degrees” in the Paris Agreement record of average surface tem- involved in the study called “an a doubling of CO2 levels in the said. December 4 vote on Italian reform Regional poll results Reuters that he would win the referen- Rome dum six months ago when he staked his political career on the result, but the backdrop has referendum over Prime since changed drastically. Minister Matteo Renzi’s The economy has unexpect- Afl agship constitutional edly slowed after growing just boost Rajoy’s party reform will be held on Decem- 0.7% last year and Britain vot- ber 4, a government offi cial ed in June to quit the European AFP said yesterday, with the fate of Union, sending a shockwave San Sebastian the Italian government likely to through the 28-nation bloc. hinge on the outcome. There has also been a sour- Renzi says the reform will ing of opinions regarding the egional elections in Spain bring much-needed politi- 41-year-old Renzi. on Sunday have strength- cal stability to Italy and has His swagger was welcomed Rened acting Prime Min- repeatedly pledged to resign by voters at fi rst, bringing his ister’s Mariano Rajoy’s con- if voters reject his proposals Democratic Party more than servatives and weakened the to cut the powers of the upper 40% in the 2014 European Socialists, who are now under house Senate and reduce the election, but now many see pressure to let him form a gov- number of parliamentarians. him as too arrogant and his ap- ernment and end a months-long However, some recent opin- proval rating has dropped to political impasse. ion polls have put the “No” around 30%. The country is being run by a camp ahead and Renzi now In the meantime the anti- government without full powers refuses to be drawn on his fu- establishment 5-Star Move- following inconclusive elections ture, saying that he does not ment (M5S) has gained ground, in December and June that saw want the issue to dominate the winning the mayorship of Rajoy’s Popular Party (PP) win referendum debate. Rome in June. without an absolute majority and Renzi originally said he Beppe Grillo, the comedian other parties fail to forge a rival Rajoy at a press conference following the Popular Party’s national wanted to hold the ballot who founded the movement, coalition. Sanchez: The ‘no’ to Mr Rajoy ... has never been more justified. executive committee in Madrid yesterday, a day after regional in early October, but he has announced at the weekend that The polls in the northern re- elections in the Basque Country and Galicia. pushed back the vote to one of he would return to running the gions of Galicia and the Basque Spain has never been popular. seats, but without an absolute the last practicable dates al- group full time after giving up Country have thus been seen as a Rajoy’s conservative PP won majority. offi cials in the formation. “It is a The Socialist will hold a lead- lowed to him by law to give the management two years ago. possible game-changer, refl ect- 41 out of 75 seats in the regional In both regions, the Socialist negative result in both regions.” ership meeting on Saturday to government more time to win All opposition parties have ing the public mood as an Octo- parliament in Galicia – equal to party (PSOE) lost seats from pre- The Socialists’ poor showing decide their next steps in the na- over a sceptical electorate. lined up to denounce the con- ber 31 deadline looms. its share in the outgoing assem- vious elections four years ago and follows bad results in December’s tional impasse in the light of their “This date gives us time to stitutional reform, with some If no government emerges bly – with over 95% of ballots lost votes to new anti-austerity general election and again in the regional showing. carry on a conversation with critics arguing that it strips by then Spain, the eurozone’s counted. party Podemos, which is seeking June repeat vote. Sanchez is unpopular among citizens about the reform,” Italy of vital democratic checks fourth largest economy, will face In the verdant Basque country to replace it as Spain’s main party It is expected to increase pres- many so-called barons, or re- cabinet undersecretary Clau- and balances put in place after an unprecedented third election in northern Spain, the PP came on the left. sure on Socialist leader Pedro gional party leaders, who think dio De Vincenti told reporters. World War II to prevent the around Christmas. in fi fth with nine seats in the The PSOE fi nished fourth in Sanchez to allow Rajoy to form the party should help end to The constitutional reform, emergence of a new strong- The PP renewed its absolute 75-seat assembly, down from 10 the Basque region, behind Po- a new government at national Spain’s nine-month deadlock by which was approved by par- man. majority in Rajoy’s northwestern seats in the outgoing assembly, demos, and was tied in Gali- level. admitting defeat and allowing liament in April after almost An opinion poll by Eumetra home region of Galicia, a long- after 99% of the ballots had been cia with the En Marea coalition Sanchez had voted against a Rajoy to come to power. two years of fi erce debate, ef- Monterosa published yesterday time party stronghold. counted. which includes Podemos with 14 Rajoy-led government in a par- Poor results at regional level fectively abolishes the Sen- said 55% were set to vote “No” And the Popular Party lost just The moderate nationalist PNV seats each. liamentary vote of confi dence could re-open an internal leader- ate as an elected chamber and against 45% backing “Yes”. one seat in the independence- party was once again the most- “These results are not good for earlier this month. ship war. prevents it from bringing down By contrast, a survey by poll- minded Basque Country where supported party in the Basque the Socialist party,” said Cesar He is seeking to negotiate a Spain has never had a coali- a government via a vote of no- ster Ixe Institute also released its strong defence of a united region as expected, winning 28 Luena, one of the most senior leftwing coalition alternative tion government since its return confi dence. yesterday said “Yes” was at with arch-rival Podemos. to democracy after the death of Under the current system, 44%, “No” at 38%, with some Spain’s Socialist leader stands by refusal to allow conservative govt But a weak result could wreck dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. the upper and lower houses of 18% of people undecided. this strategy, either forcing This lack of experience has parliament have equal powers Italy is not due to hold a na- Spain’s Socialist leader stood by yesterday his refusal election in a year, analysts said. Sanchez out or pressuring him been blamed in part for the fail- and critics say this is one of the tional election until 2018, but to let conservative acting Prime Minister Mariano Sanchez repeated his desire to form a “government into allowing the rightwing coa- ure of talks to create a governing reasons why Italy has had 63 one could be called sooner if Rajoy form a new government despite heavy losses for of change” that ousts the PP from power and said he lition government through by alliance. governments since World War Renzi’s government were to the centre-left party in regional elections. wants the PSOE to hold primaries on October 23 in abstaining in another vote of Voters, though, are starting to II, none of them strong enough fall and President Sergio Mat- “The ‘no’ to Mr Rajoy ... has never been more justified,” which he will stand again as leader. confi dence. get frustrated with the political to survive a full fi ve-year term. tarella failed to fi nd a stop-gap Pedro Sanchez told reporters after the Socialist party “There is enough time for the debate to be held ... and “The Socialists have sunk here vacuum. Renzi was highly confi dent solution. (PSOE) lost ground in polls in Galicia and the Basque for us to form an alternative government,” he said. and in Galicia, and it should take “We are making fools of our- country on Sunday. In Sunday’s elections, the PSOE lost ground to new note of the message of the ballot selves,” said 61-year-old civil Sanchez’s refusal to endorse his longtime rival height- anti-austerity party Podemos, which is seeking to box,” said former health minister servant Mercedes Solana, as she Man gunned down in south Sweden ens the chances of an unprecedented third general replace it as Spain’s main party on the left. Alfonso Alonso, who headed the cast her ballot in the fashionable PP’s list in the Basque region. Basque resort of San Sebastian. Police in the southern Swedish city of Malmo said yesterday that a man died after being wounded in a drive-by shooting, while the suspected gunmen remained at large. The deceased, who was not identified, was one of four men injured on Sunday evening when shots were fired at a car the men were in. The assailants reportedly fled the scene on two scooters. Two stray bullets were later retrieved from a flat in the Paris bans cars along part of the Seine neighbourhood of Fosie in southern Malmo. The incident was being investigated as murder, but police investigator Calease-Arne Hermansson said “neighbours were AFP (Paris Breathes) anti-pollution unwilling to talk to the police as they were afraid”, SVT reported. Paris programme has also included Many police off icers were on duty Sunday evening due to a local banning cars from the Champs- football derby, and were redeployed to help with the probe. Elysees avenue on the fi rst Sun- Some were dispatched to the hospital where the men were taken trollers and cyclists can day of every month. for treatment. breathe easy on the banks Another nine new routes are Sof the Seine after Paris ap- reserved for pedestrians and bi- proved yesterday a plan to ban cycles every Sunday and public German broadcaster files complaint cars on a long stretch of riverside holiday. road cutting across the city. The mayor is determined to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle said yesterday that it had Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo fi ght pollution in a city where filed a complaint with a civil court in Ankara seeking the return of a hailed the move as a “historic de- air quality regularly violates EU confiscated video interview with Turkey’s youth and sports minister. cision, the end of an urban mo- norms, sometimes rivalling that Turkey confiscated the tape after reporter Michel Friedman asked torway and the taking back of the of heavily polluted cities such as the minister, Akif Cagatay Kilic, in the September 5 interview about Seine”. Beijing and Shanghai. a range of sensitive issues including July’s attempted military coup A centrepiece of her battle Medical experts blame air and the mass layoff s and arrests it prompted. against pollution, the plan has pollution for 2,500 deaths each “This is an event that has nothing to do with the rule of law and divided opinion in the French year in the city, and 6,600 in the democracy,” Peter Limbourg, director general of Deutsche Welle, capital. A traff ic jam is seen as the banks of the Seine river are closed to the traff ic in Paris yesterday. greater metropolitan area. said yesterday. “We need to slow down a bit, On Sunday, a large part of cen- In Ankara, sports ministry spokesman Ubeydullah Yener referred let go, stop and relax,” said Vio- (two miles) of an expressway on Pensioner Veronique Gryson, said yesterday that a committee tral Paris was closed to cars, re- Reuters to an earlier statement, which requests that the interview letta Kolodziejczak, a restaurant the Right Bank of the Seine. out walking along the Seine with would track the impact of clos- peating an exercise fi rst carried not be aired and refers to “presumptuous comments and greeter. The project, with a cost esti- her husband, said that the car ing the road previously used by out a year ago, when nitrogen allegations” made by the presenter in the interview. “If you’re in a car, who has time mated at €8mn ($9mn), will add ban could be “an expensive privi- around 43,000 cars each day. oxide emissions dropped by be- to appreciate all this?” asked the wooden walkways and greenery lege” for pedestrians. The banks of the Seine, a mag- tween 20% and 40%. Polish 56-year-old, sweeping an while leaving a lane for emergen- “For us, it’s very pleasant,” net for lovers as well as tourists Socialist Environment Min- Tourist bites chunk out of man’s ear arm towards the turret-topped cy vehicles. she said. “But during the week if thronging to the Notre Dame Ca- ister Segolene Royal has praised stone facades on the riverside, As expected, left-wing and there are 200 pedestrians and at thedral or the Louvre museum, Hidalgo’s “courage” for the latest A Norwegian tourist took a bite out of the ear of a man who tried to with the Eiff el Tower in the dis- environmentalist members of the same time you have 20,000 have been classed as a Unesco initiative, saying that banishing intervene when he was verbally assaulting a black man on a Berlin tance. “It’s magnifi cent.” the city council approved the disgruntled motorists up there World Heritage Site since 1991. cars from the Right Bank puts train, police said yesterday. A recent opinion poll found plan yesterday, while the minor- (on another road), that might be The newly pedestrianised Paris “on the right side of his- The 43-year-old Norwegian was “verbally attacking and provoking” 55% support for the plan among ity right-wing opposition voted a problem.” section has been car-free for a tory”. the German man on a commuter train near Berlin when another Parisians. against it. Opponents have also com- month every summer since 2002, To ensure its eff ectiveness, passenger tried to intervene, a police spokesman told DPA. Nearly 19,000 people signed a The right-dominated greater plained of a lack of consultation for the hugely popular Paris the city plans to monitor traffi c The Norwegian then turned on the other passenger and bit off a petition in favour, while a motor- Paris region has been hostile to and insuffi cient testing of the Plages riverside beach bonanza. on other main arteries, as well as large chunk of his ear, the spokesman added. ists’ association gathered 12,000 the plan, citing fears that bottle- plan. This year, it remained closed to noise and emissions levels in the Several passengers on the train restrained the Norwegian man until signatures of members who op- necks on alternative routes will Paris police chief Michel Ca- traffi c for an exhibition after the area – as well as use of the river police arrived on the scene to detain him. pose it. hurt businesses and delay com- dot, whose remit includes en- sand was cleared away. bank by pedestrians, cyclists and The victim was taken to hospital. The car ban applies to 3.3km muters. suring smooth traffi c fl ows, Hidalgo’s “Paris Respire” rollerbladers. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 INDIA

CRIME CONTROVERSY CORRUPTION JUDICIARY EVENT Man held for killing Picture of Lalu’s sons with Vigilance questions SC defers hearing on Irom Sharmila to attend his mother, sister murder suspect surfaces former minister’s relatives bail to Shahabuddin global peace fest

A 22-year-old man was arrested for killing his Another photograph has surfaced of Rashtriya Kerala’s Vigilance Bureau yesterday questioned The Supreme Court yesterday said it will hear Manipur’s Irom Chanu Sharmila and other mother and sister over alleged prostitution in Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s sons - Bihar the wife and brother of former Kerala tomorrow a petition by the Bihar government civil rights activists, as well as youth from Gurgaon, police said yesterday. On September Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav and excise minister K Babu. The authorities are challenging the grant of bail to Rashtriya war-ravaged countries like Syria, Afghanistan 19, Sumit Kumar along with Dharamveer and Health MiniDalster Tej Pratap Yadav - with a investigating the assets of the former minister Janata Dal strongman and former Siwan and Libya, will participate in the 11th edition of Pradeep Kumar, fatally shot his 38-year-old suspect in the murder of journalist Rajdeo said to be more than his known sources of legislator Mohamed Shahabuddin in a murder the Global Youth Peace Festival (GYPF), which mother and 16-year-old sister, as he objected Ranjan. The photograph of Tejaswi and his income. In September, the Vigilance Bureau case by the Patna High Court. As the defence opens in Chandigarh tomorrow. “Over 200 to his mother’s prostitution business which elder brother Tej Pratap with Jawed Bhath who had seized CCTV visuals from a bank where counsel sought a week’s time alleging that young change-makers will participate in this she operated from their home. “Sumit is on the run went viral on the social media Babu’s wife has lockers, after it came to light Shahabuddin has become a victim of trial by unique festival to make an ardent appeal for objected to his mother’s prostitution business. yesterday. A Central Bureau of Investigation that she had emptied its contents. The bureau the media, the bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra peace. Joining them in this mission would be She had dragged her daughter too into team had visited Bhath’s home in search of also submitted several files revealing that Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy said they the ‘Iron Lady’ of Manipur, Irom Chanu Sharmila. prostitution,” Deputy Commissioner of Police him last week. Bhath and another accused former Kerala finance minister K M Mani gave would not like to postpone the hearing even The festival will bring together peace crusaders Sumit Kuhar said. Sumit Kumar told the police Jimmi are absconding. Under increasing police exemptions to a trader dealing in importing by a day. However, later the judges indicated from across the world, including the war-torn that his mother had killed his father in 2000 pressure, two other suspects, Mohamed Kaif poultry products. Both Babu and Mani have they will adjourn the matter until tomorrow at countries of Syria, Liberia, Libya, Afghanistan, by poisoning him. He was arrested along with and Sonu had surrendered in court. Earlier, a been under the Vigilance scanner ever since the request of the defence counsel that Ram Pakistan and others, to celebrate the spirit his accomplices on Sunday from Manesar on photograph of Kaif with Tej Pratap surfaced there were reports of their involvement in the Jethmalani, who will represent Shahabuddin, is of global citizenship and universal peace,” Delhi-Jaipur National Highway. and went viral on the social media. 2014 bar scam. yet to be briefed on the matter. organiser of the festival Pramod Sharma said.

Protest against Two-in-one fee hike in medical colleges ISRO mission

By Ashraf Padanna Thiruvananthapuram

he Kerala Assembly yes- puts India in terday witnessed up- Troarious scenes over the steep hike in medical colleges fee structure while opposition stu- dent groups clashed with police outside demanding its rollback. The protests ended after the unique league government off ered to hold talks with Youth Congress lead- PSLV deploys eight satellites lites for international customers. orological applications, the ISRO ers who are staging an indefi nite in separate orbits in complex Interestingly, this was also said. hunger strike which entered the mission PSLV’s longest launch spread over The ISRO said, SCATSAT-1’s seventh day yesterday. two hours and 15 minutes. scatterometer will provide wind The opposition members be- Agencies ISRO also put into commercial vector data products for weather longing to the Congress-led Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh use its multiple burn technol- forecasting, cyclone detection United Democratic Front (UDF) ogy in PSLV. Simply put multiple and tracking services to the users. sat in the well of the assembly burn technology is the switching The satellite carries Ku-band raising slogans after Speaker P ndia’s space agency yesterday off and on of a rocket’s engine in scatterometer similar to the one Sreeramakrishnan rejected their inserted eight satellites into space mainly to deliver satellites fl own onboard Oceansat-2. demand to adjourn the regular Itwo diff erent orbits in one in two diff erent orbits. The mission life of the satellite business to discuss the issue. of its most complex and longest Vikram Sarabhai Space Cen- is fi ve years. Congress leader Ramesh missions. tre (VSSC) director K Sivan said: After slinging SCATSAT-1 into Chennithala alleged that the gov- A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle “The mission was exciting and its orbit the rocket’s fourth stage ernment led by the Communist (PSLV) rocket took off from the the longest one. The other land- was restarted one hour 22 minutes Party of India (Marxist) raised the Sriharikota spaceport at 9.12am mark mission to be done this year into the fl ight and cut off around fees in private medical colleges (0342 GMT) and placed the pay- will be the GSLV-Mk 3 rocket.” 20 seconds later. Two hours and 11 after taking bribes. They returned loads in their prescribed orbits Exactly at 9.12am the PSLV minutes into the fl ight the fourth to their seats after an hour when some two hours and 15 minutes rocket standing 44.4m tall and stage was again restarted to be cut Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan later, Indian Space Research Or- weighing 320 tonnes tore into the off one minute later. agreed to hold talks. ganisation spokesman D P Karnik morning skies with fi erce orange Following that in three min- He said Health Minister K K said. fl ames at its tail. utes all the seven satellites were Shylaja would hold discussions Besides being a complex mis- Gathering speed every sec- ejected putting an end to PSLV’s with leaders of the Youth Con- sion, it was also the space agen- ond the rocket raced towards the longest mission till date. gress and warned medical col- cy’s workhorse rocket, the PSLV’s, heavens amidst the cheers of the The PSLV rocket is a four stage/ leges against bypassing the Na- longest fl ight, he added. ISRO offi cials and the media team engine rocket powered by solid tional Eligibility-cum-Entrance Most countries launch satel- assembled at the rocket port here. and liquid fuel alternatively. Test (NEET) merit list. lites in a single orbit and even if At the rocket mission control On Sunday, Sivan had said that Congress leader and former multiple satellites are inserted, it room, the ISRO scientists were the long time gap between the health minister V S Sivakumar is in sequence in the same orbit, glued to their computer screens cutting off of the engine and its said while the previous Con- NDTV news channel reported. watching the rocket escaping the restart was not an issue. gress-led government increased A twin-orbit manoeuvre was earth’s gravitational pull. The director said the multiple the fee by 7% annually on aver- accomplished by the European Seventeen minutes into the burn technology was fi rst tested age, the current administration Space Agency Vega rocket, it said. fl ight the rocket’s main cargo, by ISRO while fl ying its PSLV hiked it by 35% this year. “This is a challenging two-in- the 371kg SCATSAT-1 - for ocean rocket on December 16, 2015 and “The increase in the cost of one mission which puts India in and weather related studies - was in June 2016, the technology was education has dashed the hopes a unique league of nations having injected into a 730km polar sun again demonstrated. of ordinary students,” he said. the capability to achieve two dif- synchronous orbit. About the challenge, Sivan “Now the medical education is ferent orbits in a single mission,” The remaining seven satellites said: “After cutting off the engine, accessible only to the wealthy.” ISRO chief A S Kiran Kumar said. were also placed in a 689km polar its condition should be brought to The six legislators of Kerala “Our scientists keep scripting orbit after a long time lag. such a stage that it could be re- Congress (M) led by former fi - history,” Prime Minister Narendra Although SCATSAT-1 is a fol- started again. The next challenge nance minister K M Mani also Modi wrote on Twitter. low-on mission for Oceansat-2 is to control the engine and bring staged a walkout in protest. While the main weather fore- improvements have been made it so as to eject the remaining sat- Shylaja’s remarks that chil- casting SCATSAT-1 satellite was in the satellite’s hardware con- ellites into a diff erent orbit.” dren of some opposition mem- placed in a 720km, two more sat- fi guration based on lessons learnt He said the rocket has GPS bers were studying in private ellites from India, three from Al- from Oceansat-2 instruments. aided navigation system so that medical colleges without paying geria and one each from Canada Also SCATSAT-1’s payload has data generated by the rocket’s in- the mandatory fees triggered a and the United States were insert- been characterised with the ob- ertial navigation system and the heated exchange of words be- People photograph the launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Polar Satellite ed in a 670km orbit. jective of achieving data quality one provided by the former will tween opposition and treasury Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C35), carrying equipment which will be used to monitor oceans and weather at With this success, India has for Climate Data Records, apart be blended to erase errors and to benches. Sriharikota yesterday. The rocket also deployed satellites from Algeria, Canada and the US. successfully launched 79 satel- from facilitating routine mete- generate a precise data. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar have Ministry approves India’s youngest population 3 greenfi eld airports IANS (Public Private Partnership) New Delhi mode at an estimated cost of IANS have a median age of 46 years, but (29.05) and Rajasthan (29.51) will Rs22bn to cater to 6.3mn pas- Lucknow higher than Pakistan, which will continue to have low median ages, sengers per annum (mppa) in the have a median age of 30.9 - ac- while Kerala (37.67) and Tamil he Civil Aviation Ministry initial phase. cording to data from the United Nadu (37.29) will likely have the has given ‘in principle’ ap- “The other two airports in ttar Pradesh and Bihar’s Nations. highest median ages in the coun- Tproval to three new green- Andhra Pradesh will be devel- populations have the There is wide variation within try. fi eld projects in Andhra Pradesh, oped as domestic no-frills air- Ulowest median ages - or India: Kerala’s median age of 31 Over the next century, 60% of it was announced here yesterday. ports with an estimated cost of youngest populations - in India years is close to Argentina’s medi- the population increase in India According to the ministry, the Rs88 crore each,” the statement while Kerala and Tamil Nadu have an age (30.8), and Uttar Pradesh’s will come from the four states Steering Committee on Green- said. the highest median ages, accord- median age of 20 is similar to of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar fi eld Airports, headed by Civil “Dagadarthi will be developed ing to Census 2011 data, compiled Kenya’s (18.9). Pradesh and Rajasthan while only Aviation Secretary R N Choubey, under the PPP mode while the by Bengaluru-based think tank The median age is broadly cor- 22% will come from Kerala, Tamil met here yesterday and consid- project at Orvakallu will be de- Takshashila Institution. related with the level of develop- Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karna- ered the proposals for four new veloped by the state government The median age is the age ment within the state in India. taka and Maharashtra, according airport projects. itself.” which divides the population into Southern states with a higher per to a 2003 study published by The “The committee recom- Referring to the new greenfi eld two equal halves, i.e., there are as capita income such as Andhra Economic and Political Weekly. mended ‘in principle’ approval airport project at Kothagudem many people older than the medi- Pradesh (27), Tamil Nadu (29), This young population will to three projects in Andhra , the ministry said: “With this, an age as there are people younger Karnataka (26) and Kerala (31) and form India’s working-age popu- Pradesh viz., Bhogapuram, Da- Telangana is getting a second than it. A low median age would the western states of Maharashtra lation, and give India an advan- gadarthi (Nellore) and Orvakallu greenfi eld airport besides Hy- suggest that a country’s popula- (26) and Gujarat (25) have higher tage over countries with a smaller (Kurnool),” the ministry said in a derabad international airport.” tion has more young people than median ages. working-age population. But statement. “These clearances are ex- older people. Less developed states in the productivity could depend on “The committee also approved pected to enhance the aviation The median age in India rose north including Uttar Pradesh how states, with the bulk of In- ‘site clearance’ to the project of infrastructure facilities in newly from 22.51 years in 2001 to 24 in (20), Bihar (20), Jharkhand (22), dia’s population, improve health Kothagudem in Telangana.” created states of Andhra Pradesh 2011, according to Census data. Madhya Pradesh (23) and Rajas- and education levels, and provide The ministry said the new and Telangana and will also The median age of India’s popula- than (22) have lower median ages. employment opportunities, ac- Over the next century, 60% of the population increase in India international airport at Bhog- boost the regional connectivity tion will be 37 years in 2050 - low- In 2026, Uttar Pradesh (26.85), cording to a 2013 study by Asia will come from the four states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar apuram will be developed by the scheme announced recently by er than that of China, which will Madhya Pradesh (28.83), Bihar and Pacifi c Policy Studies. Pradesh and Rajasthan. state government under PPP the government of India.” Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 21 INDIA Indian farmers can meet agricultural demands of Gulf: PM

IANS them worried about an ever- “Scientists should focus on with best talents of the country, deep sea explorations... from vention in waste management, derabad, Jammu, Cuddalor New Delhi increasing population. Can’t developing new varieties. We a similar talent hunt is required health to housing, from UAVs Modi said: “We can turn waste in Tamil Nadu, Jorhat in As- we keep the requirements of should not be limited to produc- for scientists and innovators,” (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to to wealth through technology ... sam and Palampur (Himachal the Gulf in mind and fulfi l them tion and consumption locally Modi said. underwater vehicles CSIR has There is a huge opportunity to Pradesh). rime Minister Narendra through export,” Modi said at but also focus on export,” Modi Modi highlighted the CSIR’s registered its presence,” Modi grab in that sector, which would The new varieties of the plants Modi yesterday urged sci- an event marking the platinum said, adding that the country 75 years as a “journey dedicated said. not just generate businesses but that have ornamental and me- Pentists to draw up focused jubilee function of the Council was proud of its scientists. to nation.” “Sometimes I think that I have also keep the nation clean.” dicinal qualities were developed targets in agriculture to boost of Scientifi c and Industrial Re- No nation could progress He expressed his gratitude very high expectations from The prime minister also dedi- by the CSIR laboratories, espe- exports, and said Indian farmers search. without scientifi c innovation, to the CSIR for the range of do- you... but one asks from only cated seven new indigenously cially the Central Institute of can benefi t by meeting the de- He said there’s a huge demand the prime minster said, calling mains where the institute has those who can deliver,” he said. developed varieties of plants to Medicinal and Aromatic Plants mands of the Gulf countries. of agricultural products in the for a “talent hunt” for scientists, left an “indelible mark.” Minister for Earth Science Dr the nation and interacted with (CIMAP). “Due to water crisis in the Gulf Gulf and Indian farmers could innovators and entrepreneurs. “From agriculture to aero- Harsh Vardhan also praised the farmers through videoconfer- The plants include new vari- countries they have to import all provide them a cheaper alterna- “Just like the reality shows space, chemicals to climate eff orts of the nation’s scientists. encing. eties of lemongrass, citronella, their food items which leaves tive to capture that market. go on talent hunt and come up change, drug development to Calling for technology inter- The farmers were from Hy- vetiver and canna lily plant. Kashmir an integral part of India, says Sushma

Agencies the initiative to resolve issues The United Nations not on the basis of conditions, but on the basis of friendship. We conveyed Eid greetings to xternal Aff airs Minister the prime minister of Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj yesterday wished success to his cricket Esaid Jammu and Kashmir team, extended good wishes for is and will always remain an in- his health and well-being. tegral part of India. “Our prime minister went to In a strong reply to Pakistan Lahore to wish Nawaz Sharif on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s his birthday. Did all this come address to the UN General As- with conditions attached?” sembly last week, Swaraj hit out at the neighbour on the issue of She claimed the confession of terrorism and raked up the “hu- Bahadur Ali, who was captured College students hold placards during a rally to condemn terrorism, at a railway platform in Mumbai, yesterday. man rights violations” in Balo- after a shootout in Kashmir, “is chistan. a living proof of Pakistan’s com- She told the world body that plicity in cross-border terror.” India had off ered an uncon- India has claimed Ali con- ditional hand of friendship to fessed that he was trained by the Pakistan but got in return cross Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant border terror attacks. group. “And what did we get in re- “But when confronted with turn? Pathankot, Bahadur Ali, such evidence, Pakistan remains and Uri,” she said in her speech in denial. It persists in the belief India is set to review in Hindi. that such attacks will enable it In his address to the Gen- to obtain the territory it covets,” eral Assembly, Sharif last week she said on the fi nal day of the praised Burhan Wani, the Hizbul annual gathering of world lead- Mujahideen commander, whose ers at the United Nations. killing triggered a fresh wave “My fi rm advice to Pakistan of deadly unrest in Jammu and is: abandon this dream. Let me Kashmir. The Pakistan prime state unequivocally that Jammu Indus Waters Treaty minister said his country wanted and Kashmir is an integral part to have better ties with India and of India and will always remain Blood and water cannot flow an inter-ministerial commission Kashmir in which 90 lives have oversees the implementation of looking at the full utilisation of was open to an unconditional so,” Swaraj said. together, says Modi would be set up to look into vari- been lost in the wake of the kill- the treaty for the time being. The the 3.6mn acre feet of water it is dialogue to resolve all issues, in- “We need to forget our preju- ous provisions of the bilateral ing of Hizbul Mujahideen com- commission has held 112 meet- entitled to. cluding Kashmir. dices and join hands together IANS water treaty that was signed in mander Burhan Wani. ings till now at an average of two The meeting also decided to But Swaraj rebutted the claim to script an eff ective strategy New Delhi Karachi on September 19,1960, Yesterday’s meeting decided a year. look at the possibility of gener- that India had put any condi- against terror,” Swaraj said. “And out of Pakistan’s fear that since to look at the full utilisation of According to the sources, the ating the full potential of 18,000 tions for talks “which are not ac- if any nation refuses to join this the source of rivers of the Indus the waters of the Indus, Chenab government will look into re- MW of power from these rivers. ceptable to him.” global strategy, then we must s India decided to revisit basin is in India, it could poten- and Jhelum, the three western viving work on the Tulbul water As of now, India is generat- “What pre-conditions? Did isolate it.” the 56-year-old Indus tially create droughts and fam- rivers of the Indus water system navigation project on the mouth ing only 3,034 MW. Projects are we impose any pre-conditions Prime Minister Narendra Modi AWaters Treaty with Paki- ines in Pakistan during times of that fl ow through Jammu and of the Wular Lake in Jammu and under construction for generat- before extending an invitation vowed on Saturday to mount a stan in the wake of the Uri army war. Kashmir. Kashmir. ing 2,526 MW, while projects for for the swearing-in ceremony global campaign to isolate Paki- camp terror attack, Prime Min- The meeting was attended, Around 95% of the waters of Work on the project was sus- generating 5,046 MW are at an of our government? We took stan. Last month US Secretary of ister Narendra Modi yesterday among others, by National Se- the three eastern rivers of Sutlej, pended in 1987 after Pakistan advanced stage of approval. State John Kerry urged Pakistan bluntly said that “blood and wa- curity Adviser Ajit Doval, For- Beas and Ravi is being utilised by objected to it, saying it violated The Salal hydroelectric to join other nations in fi ghting ter cannot fl ow together”. eign Secretary S Jaishankar, Wa- India. the provisions of the Indus Wa- project was constructed on the terrorism. The government also decided ter Resources Secretary Shashi Signed after 10 years of dis- ters Treaty. Chenab river. Pakistan’s UN Ambassa- there would no meeting of the Shekhar and Principal Secretary cussions, the Indus Waters The inter-ministerial com- The Pakal Dul hydroelectric dor Maleeha Lodhi dismissed Permanent Indus Commission to Prime Minister Nripendra Treaty was designed to gener- mission that will be set up will be project on the Marusadar river, Swaraj’s statement as “a litany of set up to overlook the implemen- Mishra. ate goodwill between the two tasked with reaping maximum a tributary of the Chenab, is falsehoods and baseless allega- tation of the treaty till “terror is in “Blood and water cannot fl ow countries and has survived three benefi ts from the Indus water under construction in Kishtwar tions”. the air”, and that India would take together,” offi cial sources quoted wars. system for farmers. district of Jammu and Kashmir “For the Indian foreign min- a fi nal call on the unilateral part of Modi as having said during the The meeting, according to At present 900,000 hectares while the Bursar project on the ister to claim that her country the suspension of the Tulbul wa- meeting. the sources, decided that with of land has been harvested with Chenab in Kishtwar district is to has imposed no preconditions ter navigation project in Jammu The attack at an army camp things being “rather diffi cult” these waters in India, the sourc- be implemented by the National for talks with Pakistan is another and Kashmir depending on what in Uri on September 18 claimed with Pakistan in the past few es said and added that there was Hydro Power Corporation. fl ight from reality. India sus- Pakistan did next. the lives of 18 soldiers and India weeks, India should revisit the potential to harvest 800,000 The sources also said the Jam- External Aff air Minister Sushma pended talks more than a year The two major steps were de- has blamed the Pakistan-based treaty. acres more. mu and Kashmir assembly has Swaraj addresses the United ago, and has refused to resume cided at a meeting of senior of- Jaish-e-Mohamed (JeM) for it. It was also decided that there Though India as of now has also voiced dissent at the Indus Nations General Assembly these despite repeated off ers fi cials chaired by Modi here. The attack came amid large- would be no meeting of the Per- no storage facilities for these Waters Treaty and called for its yesterday. from Pakistan,” Lodhi said. The meeting also decided that scale violence in Jammu and manent Indus Commission that waters, the government is now scrapping. Dalit woman attacked SC asks expelled in Gujarat over dead cow MP to join probe IANS anticipatory bail case. The court New Delhi also continued its order of Au- AFP cial custody and charges will Prime Minister Narendra gust 26 granting protection from Ahmedabad be framed against them soon,” Modi has urged a halt to attacks arrest to Pushpa. Chavda said in Gujarat’s Ba- on Dalits, who lie at the bottom he Supreme Court yes- The court, taking note of the naskantha district. of India’s deeply entrenched so- terday asked expelled submission of her counsel that n angry mob attacked a The attack late on Friday cial hierarchy. TAll India Anna Dravida there was threat to her life, asked pregnant Dalit woman comes as Dalits continue their Cow carcasses can be seen Munnetra Kazhagam Rajya Sab- the Tamil Nadu police to ensure Aand her family in Gujarat strike against collecting car- on roadsides in Gujarat as Dal- ha member Sasikala Pushpa to full protection to her so that no for refusing to clear away a cow casses in Gujarat in protest at the its demand an end to deep- join a probe into two criminal harm is caused when she appears carcass because of a weeks-long public fl ogging of four Dalit vil- rooted discrimination and cases relating to alleged sexual in police stations. strike against such work, police lagers in July. violence. harassment, ill-treatment of her The state government assured said yesterday. Dailts are commonly tasked Police officer Chavda said former maids and forging docu- the court that it would ensure Sangita Ranawasia, who is with removing dead cows from the mob was angry at the Dal- ments in her anticipatory bail protection provided she joins the five months’ pregnant, was re- streets, where the animals often its’ refusal to remove the car- case. investigation. covering in hospital after she roam freely. cass due to the strike, and ten- A bench headed by Chief Justice Pushpa’s former maids ac- and seven family members were Anger has mounted among sions have been running high in T S Thakur asked Pushpa to ap- cused her husband and son of beaten with sticks in their vil- the Dalit community and vio- the village. pear on October 3 at a police sta- alleged sexual harassment. A lage. lent protests have erupted over Ranawasia, whose unborn tion in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi case was lodged against her and “Six persons of the upper- the fl ogging of the villagers by child was unharmed in the in alleged sexual harassment case some of her family members for caste Darbar community were cow-protection vigilantes who attack, and her family have lodged against her and some of her alleged sexual harassment under arrested for assault on a preg- accused them of killing a beast since been given police pro- family members. the Indian Penal Code and the nant woman and her family they were removing. tection. Demonstrators shout slogans as they are detained by police She was also asked to appear stringent Protection of Children members,” deputy police super- Cows are considered sacred The upper-caste mob faces during a protest organised by the Dalits against what they say on October 7 before K Pudur po- from Sexual Off ences (POCSO) intendent B A Chavda said. by Hindus and killing them is initial charges of assault and are increasing atrocities against their community in Ahmedabad lice station in Madurai in alleged Act, claiming that the victims “The accused are in judi- banned in most Indian states. criminal intimidation, he said. yesterday. forging of documents for her were minors. Gulf Times 22 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

POLITICS POLLUTION CRIME LAW AND ORDER PEOPLE Opposition calls for Peru authorities report Six bodies found Priest found slain Jewish community anti-Maduro protest two oil spills in Amazon in Sinaloa state in Michoacan claims harassment

Venezuela’s opposition yesterday called for a Peruvian off icials reported two new oil spills The bodies of five men and a woman were A Mexican priest was found murdered in the A community of Orthodox Jews living outside nationwide protest on October 12 to push for in the country’s Amazon on Sunday, bringing found in the northwestern Mexican state of central state of Michoacan, the state attorney Guatemala’s capital moved out on Sunday, a recall referendum against President Nicolas this year’s total to seven. Both spills happened Sinaloa, state prosecutors said. The corpses general said, the third to be killed in the country claiming persecution because of their faith. Maduro that it says must take place this year in the northern Loreto region, one on Saturday were found at dawn in a parking lot in the Pacific in less than a week. The priest in Michoacan, The 500-strong group hails from the US, Israel, despite the election board’s insistence it in the Andoas district and the other on port of Mazatlan, said Guadalupe Martinez, a identified as Jose Alfredo Lopez Guillen, was found Canada, several European countries, Mexico could only be in 2017. The opposition urged Sunday in the Urarinas district, the Agency for spokesman for the state attorney general’s off ice on a highway between Puruandiro and Zinaparo, and El Salvador. The leader of the Lev Tahor Venezuelans to protest daily against “anti- Environmental Appraisal and Audits (OEFA) said in Sinaloa. The prosecutors’ off ice for the cartel- the state attorney general’s off ice said. Autopsy community, the US rabbi Uriel Goldman, said constitutional” conditions by the board, in statements posted on Twitter. Specialty staff plagued state of Sinaloa says the killers wrapped results, which revealed gunshot wounds to be the his people are moving to a village in eastern including a stipulation a signature drive next are investigating whether each of the companies the victims’ heads in duct tape, covering their cause of death, suggested the priest was killed Guatemala because of harassment including month must meet a threshold of 20% of responsible for the two sites — Pacific Stratus mouths and noses and smothering them. The five days before his body was found. The murder a raid of the group’s buildings on September voters in every state rather than nationally. Energy of Peru SA and state-owned Petroperu victims were residents of Mazatlan. Three were comes after a decade of drug violence in Mexico 13 on the outskirts of the capital. Guatemalan “It is time for civil disobedience,” former — followed contingency plans. They are also abducted from a store parking lot Saturday by that has frequently touched the Roman Catholic authorities said that search was carried out at presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado assessing the environmental impact the spills armed men in two vehicles, and the others were church, with 31 priests killed in the 10 years to 2015, the request of Israeli authorities to search for a said on Twitter. may have caused. kidnapped from a street in front of their home. according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide. girl who was barred from leaving Israel. Parents of Back in the limelight missing Mexico students live in classrooms

AFP that their sons can still be found. Ayotzinapa, Mexico The attorney general’s offi ce says it will soon use laser scan- ning technology to look for clan- hey turned classrooms at destine graves in other locations their children’s college and investigate if police from Tinto dormitories, sleep- other towns were involved in the ing on the fl oor, but parents of 43 mass disappearance. Mexican students missing since The parents moved to the col- 2014 won’t rest until they fi nd lege because they live in remote them. parts of the impoverished state, The mothers live in one class- and travelling is expensive for room that still has a whiteboard, them. They wanted to be closer while fathers bunk in another. to the protests, and fi ght to fi nd Mosquito nets hang over their their children. mattresses, but that didn’t stop Maria Elena Guerrero’s voice one mother from being infected shakes when she says she be- Fidel Castro appeared in the state-run media yesterday for the third time in less than a week, which is extremely rare for the father of the Cuban revolution. Castro, 90, with Zika. lieves her son, Giovanni Galindo, who ceded power to his brother Raul in 2006, received visiting Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang at home on Sunday. In three photos published yesterday in state They pray to see their sons who would be 21 years old now, is media, Castro is wearing his traditional sweat suit and looks fit for his age. Over the past week Castro was also seen in separate photos with Japanese Prime Minister alive again, two years after they still alive. Shinzo Abe and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, both of whom were visiting Havana. disappeared in a case that re- A cardboard hangs on the wall mains unsolved, causing wide- with verses written by Uruguay- spread anger at the failure of an poet Mario Benedetti: “Don’t President Enrique Pena Nieto’s give up. Please, don’t give up, government to fi nd the students. even if the cold burns, even if Around 20 parents have made fear bites, even if the sun sets the teacher training college in and the wind goes silent.” Ayotzinapa, southern Guerrero Before the tragedy of Septem- state, their home since September ber 26, 2014, Maria Elena Guer- 27, 2014, the day after their sons rero was a stay-at-home mom, vanished from the city of Iguala. caring for her two children and Former minister held The night before, dozens of her husband, Alfredo Galindo, young men from the school had a primary school teacher who gone to Iguala to seize buses for a studied at Ayotzinapa. protest in Mexico City, but they She returns to her real home were attacked by local police. once a month to see her 18-year- Prosecutors say the offi cers old daughter, Sandra, “because handed 43 of the students to a she feels lonely,” said Guerrero, 45. in Brazil graft probe drug cartel, but what happened But it’s her own daughter who next has been the subject of sends her back to the college, AFP long list of top offi cials accused ci...acted in favour of the Oder- trial for corruption in the Petro- The arrests are the latest heated debate. saying “you have to fi ght for my Sao Paulo of taking part in a huge corrup- brecht group between 2006 and bras case. phase of “Operation Car Wash,” The attorney general’s offi ce brother.” tion scheme linked to state oil late 2013,” a statement from the Lula thus became the high- the federal probe into the Petro- initially said the cartel killed the Since they left their jobs, the company Petrobras. prosecution service said. est-profi le fi gure to face trial in bras scheme, which has upend- students after confusing them parents receive donations in a razilian police yesterday “He was detained in Sau Pau- Police said in a statement they a case that has taken down some ed Brazilian politics since it was with a rival gang, incinerated shared bank account. A paper arrested Antonio Palocci, lo on a temporary detention or- were investigating “negotiations of the country’s most powerful launched in 2014. their bodies at a garbage dump hanging on a door says they must Ba former fi nance minis- der for fi ve days and left for Cu- between the Oderbrecht group business executives and politi- Dozens of politicians and and tossed the remains in a river. attend protests to earn the aid. ter and senior fi gure in the last ritiba,” the southern city where and the ex-minister to try to pass cians. The charges allege that some of Brazil’s richest busi- Only one student has been Nicanora Garcia Gonzalez two governments, as part of the a judge is leading the probe, an a law” that would bring “im- Lula, 70, masterminded the nessmen have been charged or identifi ed through a bone frag- has been working since age fi ve. Petrobras corruption probe, offi cial in the state prosecution mense fi scal benefi ts” to the fi rm. corruption racket and received convicted. Under the corrup- ment found at the river. She’s a baker who made bread in prosecutors said. service said. They said they were probing the equivalent of 3.7mn reais tion scheme, Petrobras alleged- But independent experts from a wood oven back at her home on Palocci, 55, served as fi nance Palocci was arrested on sus- suspected irregularities linked ($1.1mn) in bribes. ly gave infl ated contracts to big the Inter-American Commission the Pacifi c coast of Guerrero. minister under former presi- picion of being linked to bribes to Petrobras deep-sea oil explo- Among the accusations are construction fi rms in exchange on Human Rights rejected that But her job now is to fi nd her dent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid by the construction com- ration contracts. Last week the charges that the former union for hefty bribes. conclusion, saying there was no son, Saul Bruno Garcia. A picture and as chief of staff for his suc- pany Odebrecht, one of the police briefl y detained Palocci’s leader and his wife received a Brazil’s new president, scientifi c proof of such a massive of him rests on the table next to cessor Dilma Rousseff , who was main fi rms involved in the huge successor as fi nance minister, beachside apartment and up- Michel Temer, and the PMDB fi re at the landfi ll. her mattress alongside medicine. impeached this month. Petrobras pay-to-play scandal. Guido Mantega, also in connec- grades to the property from a were allied with the Workers’ The parents always doubted the She also has a photo of her Palocci was also a key fi gure Evidence from e-mails and tion with the Petrobras scandal. major construction company, Party before splitting in March, government’s conclusions and the daughter-in-law’s brother, who in the leftist Workers’ Party. mobile telephones shows “that Last week a judge also ruled OAS, which was one of the play- a prelude to Rousseff ’s im- report helps them cling to hope is also missing. Like Lula, he has joined the the ex-minister Antonio Paloc- that Lula himself must stand ers in the Petrobras scheme. peachment. Drug lord ‘serene’ ahead Parkour practitioner Poll candidate shot of US extradition ruling dead in Rio suburb Reuters a municipal candidate in Rio’s Rio de Janeiro suburbs, where drug traffi ck- AFP tradition, Guzman would have 10 tween his gang and a local car- ers and militia groups compete Mexico City days to appeal to a higher court tel. for dominance and routinely of appeals, which would take Pena Nieto had balked at ex- candidate for town use violence to intimidate or several weeks to rule, the lawyer traditing Guzman before his council in upcoming eliminate anyone suspected of Mexican judge is ex- said, warning that he would take escape in July 2015, preferring Amunicipal elections was threatening their interests. pected to rule whether the case to the Supreme Court if to put him on trial in Mexico. shot to death in a Rio de Janeiro Police said the gunmen in A Joaquin “El Chapo” necessary. But after he was recaptured, the suburb on Sunday, the latest in Sunday’s shooting were still at Guzman can be extradited to A US government offi cial on president ordered the attorney a wave of killings of local poli- large. the US, but the drug kingpin’s condition of anonymity that general’s offi ce to speed up the ticians in the city’s outskirts in On Friday, a mayoral can- lawyers vow to appeal if he Guzman could be in US custody extradition process. recent months. didate in the Rio suburb of loses. before the end of the year. Refugio Rodriguez said his The fatal shooting, which Japeri survived an attack by One of Guzman’s lawyers, Jose He faces charges ranging client’s health has “deteriorated coincided with an increase in gunmen. Refugio Rodriguez, said that the from murder to drug distri- a lot” while in prison. “He’s do- violent crime in the Brazilian In July, assailants killed Sinaloa drug cartel leader was bution in courts in Texas and ing very badly. He’s isolated. metropolis despite the mostly candidates planning to run for “very serene” as he waits for the California. He lost a lot of hair because he safe staging of the Olympic town council in the suburbs of decision by a court in Mexico Guzman was captured in Feb- takes a lot of medicine. He lives Games in August, took place Duque de Caxias and Mage. City. ruary 2014 after 13 years on the in constant physical stress,” the shortly after the candidate, Last month, according to The foreign ministry gave the lam, but he escaped a year later lawyer said. seeking a council seat in the state crime statistics released green light to Guzman’s extra- from the Altiplano maximum- Guzman’s extradition would town of Itaboraí, attended a on Friday, 386 murders were dition in May, but the former security prison near Mexico City set up a major trial in the US campaign event a week before reported in the state of Rio de most wanted man won a tempo- under a 1.5km tunnel, humiliat- for a man whose cartel has been municipal elections. Janeiro, a region of about 16mn rary injunction in June, which ing President Enrique Pena Ni- accused of murdering count- Rio’s military police force, people that comprises the city the judge must decide whether eto. less people in Mexico while which confi rmed the shooting of the same name and many to make permanent or strike After he was recaptured in providing tonnes of cocaine in a statement, declined to give suburbs. down. January in his northwestern and other drugs to addicts in the victim’s name, but local That represented an in- “We hope that the result will home state of Sinaloa, he was the US. media identifi ed the slain can- crease of 15%, or 50 killings, be favourable,” Refugio Rod- sent back to the same prison. But another Guzman lawyer, didate as Jose Ricardo Guima- compared with August 2015. riguez said, adding Guzman’s But he was abruptly trans- Andres Granados, said that if his raes, 49. For the year so far, the state defence team would only be no- ferred in May to another prison client is “judged according to the The shooting, carried out reported 3,224 murders, a 17% tifi ed a day after the judge passes in Ciudad Juarez, a city bor- law, he won’t be extradited this Daniel Macas a parkour practitioner does a back-flip at a park by assailants as the victim increase from the 2,747 mur- his verdict. dering Texas that was once the year or during the six-year term” in Quito, Ecuador. sought to fl ee them by motor- ders through August a year If the judge approves the ex- scene of brutal turf wars be- of Pena Nieto. cycle, was the latest killing of ago. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 23 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN Accounts of 8,400 terror Human rights group calls for funding suspects frozen urgent reforms Internews unit’s radar. We’ve frozen es- Database Registration Authority lar contact with the counter- to Schedule IV and now are in Islamabad timated Rs1.2bn in suspicious (Nadra) and Directorate of Pass- terrorism forces in Sindh and various jails of Sindh, Khyber AFP scribe staged confrontations funds so far,” said a senior of- port and Immigration offi ce have Balochistan where almost 75% Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad in which police or troops kill fi cial of the National Counter blocked travel documents of militants on terror watch list are Punjab. suspects and later claim they he Pakistan government Terrorism Authority (Nacta) over 3,111 terror suspects whose untraceable. Security experts, however, were acting in self-defence. has launched a crack- yesterday. names were listed in Schedule IV The top body co-ordinating said that the government’s late uman Rights Watch The report found that those Tdown against over 8,400 “Over three dozen banks on recently, he said. with provinces to clamp down directions to freeze accounts yesterday accused from marginalised groups – individuals allegedly involved in our request have also blocked The government is in the on terrorists wants to get their of suspected terrorists might HPakistan’s police of refugees, the poor, religious terror fi nancing in a fi rst appar- around Rs101mn in suspicious process freezing bank accounts accounts frozen as soon as not be helpful to stop terror fi - routinely carrying out extra- minorities, and the landless – ent sign of state acting decisive- funds owned by 177 madaris,” and blocking travel documents possible. nancing. “It should have been judicial killings, torture and are at particular risk of violent ly to track the money supply to said the offi cial. of over 8,400 terror suspects Six most wanted militants done earlier. It was a key point arbitrary arrests, and called police abuse. extremists. “All bank accounts of Lal whose names have been included belonging to proscribed organi- of NAP. Why did it happen on Islamabad to implement It said: “Torture methods From the controversial cleric Mosque’s top cleric Maulana to 4th Schedule under the An- zations have shifted to Holland, too late,” opined an Islamabad urgent reforms of its under- include beatings including at Islamabad’s Lal Masjid to the Aziz and gangster Shahid Bikiki ti-Terrorism Act 1997, interior Bangladesh, Dubai, Ethiopia, based security expert Imtiaz resourced forces. with batons and leather straps, mover and shaker of Lyari Aman of Lyari Aman Committee have ministry offi cials said. the United Arab Emirates and Gul. Terrorists never trans- The fi ndings were contained stretching and crushing legs Committee are among the top been frozen. Their travel docu- Around 2,021 accounts of Afghanistan, revealed offi cial fer money through banks, so in a new report based on in- with metal rods, sexual vio- suspects whose bank accounts ments have also been cancelled,” prominent individuals have been documents. government would come hard terviews with more than 30 lence, prolonged sleep dep- have been frozen under the said a senior offi cial of the min- blocked by various banks on the Offi cials claimed that they on militants by blocking their police offi cers and 50 victims rivation, and mental torture, National Action Plan (NAP). istry of interior, who is involved order of the State Bank of Paki- would successfully trace ac- fi nances which they receive or witnesses of abuse across including witnessing others “Over 8,400 terror suspects in the process. stan, revealed the offi cials. counts of around 38 militants through “hawala and hundi,” three of the country’s four being tortured. ” are on fi nancial monitoring Authorities at the National The Nacta is also in regu- put on watch list and also listed Gul said. provinces. “Senior offi cials told Hu- In addition to noting habit- man Rights Watch that physi- ual rights violations – includ- cal force is often threatened ing more than 2,000 so-called and used because the police “encounter” killings in 2015, are not trained in professional which are often believed to investigation and forensic Afghan have been staged – the report analysis methods, and thus said police often found them- resort to unlawfully coercing Polio vaccination drive begins information and confessions.” selves in thrall to powerful in- forces claim dividuals who subvert the law Local politicians mean- DPA started from Monday morning. for their own purposes. while are able to halt investi- Islamabad Pakistan is among two coun- “Pakistan faces grave secu- gations against suspects with freeing tries along with Afghanistan rity challenges that can be best political connections, and to where polio – a disease that handled by a rights-respect- harass or fi le charges against akistan yesterday launched cripples kids for life – is still ing, accountable police force,” opponents. 101 Taliban a three-day national anti- an endemic, according to the said Brad Adams, Asia director In addition to being on the Ppolio campaign to vacci- World Health Organisation at Human Rights Watch. frontline of the country’s nate around 37mn children aged (WHO). The Taliban militants “Instead, law enforcement battle against homegrown captives fi ve or below to stamp out the oppose vaccination because has been left to a police force Islamist terror, Pakistan’s crippling disease by the end of they blame it to be a West’s fi lled with disgruntled, cor- police forces contend with this year, offi cials said. conspiracy to sterilise Muslims. rupt and tired offi cers who high-levels of organised and DPA Thousands of security per- More than 100 vaccina- commit abuses with impunity, violent crime – including kid- Kabul sonnel – military, paramilitary tors working on an immunisa- making Pakistanis less safe, nappings for ransom and drug and police – were escorting tion drive funded by the World not more.” traffi cking. over 100,000 teams of vacci- Health Organisation and secu- In the biggest city Karachi, A recent wave of high- fghan security forces nators across the country, said rity men escorting them have encounter killings have surged profi le murders of women in have freed 101 prisoners Rana Safdar, national coordi- been killed in bomb and gun A health worker administers polio vaccine drops to a child during a since 2013 as paramilitary the name of family honour Afrom three Taliban jails in nator for the polio eradication attacks since 2012. door-to-door polio campaign in Karachi yesterday. forces and police have stepped has cast a spotlight on blood- three districts of the embattled programme. Pakistan has made pledges up raids against Taliban mili- money laws which allow the southern province of Helmand, “We hope to reach 95% at several international forums The number of infected kids military pushed back militants tants, criminals and armed relatives of victims to forgive offi cials claimed yesterday. of kids under fi ve this time,” that the poliovirus will be erad- has dropped from 306 in 2014 from the area they previously political activists. perpetrators in exchange for The operations were con- said Safdar as the drive kicked icated by the end of the year. to only 14 so far this year as the controlled near Afghan border. The term is used to de- money. ducted on Sunday night in the districts of Marja, Nawzad and Nahr-e Saraj by special units of the Afghan security forces. All freed prisoners were Unpaid brought to Lashkargah, the capi- Altaf-led MQM to have new set-up tal of Helmand province. “The freed prisoners are not Pakistanis identifi ed yet,” Ministry of De- Internews MQM chief, who believes in stances, the party chief him- wait and see policy so that fi nal those in Pakistan who were ei- fence spokesman General Mo- Islamabad the party’s philosophy and self distanced himself and en- shape of the MQM could be- ther inactive or were sidelined. hammad Radmanesh said, add- ideologies of Altaf Hussain dorsed the MQM-P’s decision come clear. The source claimed that to fl y home ing that security force members would be given important po- and announced his full support According to them, despite soon after the announcement and civilians were among the ighly disappointed sitions and portfolios in the to Dr Farooq Sattar. all actions and assurances, of a new organisational setup, freed captives. with the Muttahida revamped party. But now the MQM London the MQM has failed to win the a large number of people would from Saudi “The Taliban suff ered heavy HQaumi Movement- The decision of revamping has reached the conclusion heart of the establishment and disassociate themselves with casualties, however numbers Pakistan (MQM-P), the Lon- the party was taken following that over two dozen leaders remained unsuccessful in its the MQM-P led by Dr Farooq are not clear at the moment,” don-based MQM led by its the resolution adopted in the within the MQM are not strug- attempt to secure its workers, Sattar. AFP Radmanesh said. founder Altaf Hussain has for- Sindh Assembly against MQM gling for the survival of the followers and get them re- It must be mentioned here Riyadh The Ministry of Defence says mally decided to form a new supremo Altaft Hussain. organisation but have become leased and recover them. Even that Sathi Ishaque, who quit that there are possibly more organisational set-up of MQM The MQM-London has part of a conspiracy to elimi- its Mayor Waseem Akhter is the Pakistan People’s Party Taliban prisons. Pakistan. strongly taken notice of the nate the party once and for all. under detention. and joined the MQM, had al- undreds of Pakistani con- “Our eff ort is to free all cap- The announcement of the MQM-Pakistan endorsing the So it was immediately decided In the prevailing circum- ready resigned from the Cen- struction workers are to fl y tives immediately after we iden- new set-up is expected to be resolution moved by the law- to establish a new organisa- stances, they believe that tral Executive Committee of Hhome from Saudi Arabia tify covert Taliban prisons,” made in the next a few days, makers of the provincial as- tional setup of the party, the MQM’s future is bleak. The the MQM citing reason that this week but without the salaries Radmanesh said. credible sources within the sembly and said that “enough sources said. source in London said that he had joined the party un- they have waited months to receive, Afghan Special Forces freed 60 MQM said. is enough”. Political pundits in the Altaf Hussain had no con- der the Quaid’s leadership and embassy offi cials said yesterday. prisoners in Helmand’s Nawzad “There is no place for those The source said when the country, especially those who nections with these ‘so- not those who are running the A total of 405 Pakistanis owed district in early May. who ditched the party and its party members united for their think about MQM, opined that called MQM Pakistan’ lead- party now. wages by once-mighty Saudi Helmand is one of the most founding chief Altaf Hussain,” own vested interests against a large number of MQM leaders ers but was in constant touch An MQM-London based Oger will fl y home from tomor- volatile provinces in southern the source said. the founding chief, nothing and parliamentarians of 1992 with those who proved their leader, Wasay Jalil, on phone row courtesy of the Saudi gov- Afghanistan, with several dis- According to a key MQM- remained in it and it was high were confused over the situ- loyalties to the chief. said that all these lawmakers ernment, said Abdul Shakoor tricts heavily contested and London leader, those who time to part ways with them. ation and waiting for the dust The party leaders in London who reached Parliament were Shaikh, the Pakistani embassy’s controlled by the Taliban. showed allegiance to the Under the given circum- to settle. They have adopted a are having discussions with due to Altaf Hussain. community welfare attache. They are among more than 6,500 Pakistanis who, he said, have not been paid by the construction giant for that past eight or nine months. Showing solidarity Shaikh said 275 Pakistanis have already fl own home un- Lawmakers in hiding der an aid plan announced last month by King Salman. The 100mn-riyal ($27mn) fund helps stranded workers with food, medical needs, a trip after court orders home, exit visas or, if they want, transfer to another employer in Saudi Arabia. Internews etary dispute, according to paid back my money,” reads Shaikh said the Saudi labour Islamabad documents. a copy of his written state- ministry “has facilitated a lot” The petitioner, Abdul Wa- ment. in caring for the workers and has heed Khan, submitted before The petitioner also claimed also helped to fi le court claims n a unique case, two par- Judicial Magistrate Asim Mur- that he had borrowed the against Saudi Oger. liamentarians – who are taza Cheema that he had paid money from his acquaint- The embassy is authorised to Ialso brothers – have ‘gone Rs250mn to the two lawmak- ances who have lodged a le- receive the back wages for most into hiding’ after a lower court ers, who, in return, promised gal case against him after he of the workers and, when it ar- declared them proclaimed of- him a Senate seat during the failed to return the amount. rives, will forward the money to fenders (POs) for their alleged elections to the upper house Resultantly, multiple cases those who return home, offi cials involvement in a monetary of parliament held on March were registered against him at the mission said. dispute. 3, 2012. “However, later they [Waheed] and presently he is “But the problem persists. A Rawalpindi court has is- reneged on their promise,” he in jail, facing trial. We cannot say that Saudi Oger sued non-bailable arrest war- alleged. The documentary evidence has started paying the salaries,” rants against MNA Bilal Reh- According to the deal, the suggests that Rehman broth- Shaikh said. man and his brother Senator amount – paid in cash – was ers sheltered Waheed, his wife, Exit visas for more than 2,000 Hilal Rehman and their father to be refunded to Waheed one two sons and a daughter for of the Pakistanis have been com- Malik Abdul Rehman and uncle hour after the Senate election over two years at a suite in the pleted, and the rest must decide Naeem Jan. The MPs, who be- results if the lawmakers failed Parliament Lodges. whether to also go home. long to Mohmand Agency, are to secure a seat for him. The The court issued three sum- A relatively small number, not affi liated with any political deal was cut in the presence of mons for the Rehman brothers more than 70, have transferred to party. two witnesses. to defend themselves, but they other companies in Saudi Arabia Apart from charges of “I got only four votes in did not show up. On Septem- but Shaikh said other sectors do fraud, the lawmakers are also the Senate elections instead ber 19, Civil Judge Chaudhry not pay as much as construction. accused of sheltering a crimi- they [the accused lawmak- Waqar Mansoor Baryar de- Shaikh was confi dent the nal and his family in the Par- ers], showing ill intention, clared the two lawmakers pro- Pakistani Kashmiris shout anti-Indian slogans during a protest in Muzaff arabad, the capital of workers would eventually receive liament Lodges for more than secured a Senate seat for claimed off enders and ordered Pakistan-administered Kashmir, yesterday. The protest was held to show solidarity with those their delayed wages. “The judi- two years in a bid to prevent Hilal Rehman neither did I the Rawalpindi airport police to living in Indian-administered Kashmir. cial system is good compared to their arrest in the same mon- become a senator nor was I arrest the accused. other countries,” he said. Gulf Times 24 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 PHILIPPINES

First case President keen on ‘open of Zika pregnancy alliances’ with Russia, China reported AFP Reuters and shrugged off rating agency maritime confl ict should it be Manila Manila Standard and Poor’s concerns initiated by the United States, last week about the Philippine despite a 1951 treaty between economy on his watch and his the two countries under which he Philippines yesterday hilippine President Rod- unpredictability. Duterte said Manila was legally reported its fi rst known rigo Duterte said yester- “Never mind about the rat- obligated to back Washington. Tcase of a pregnant woman Pday he would visit Russia ings,” he said.”I will open up “I am about to cross the Rubi- infected with the Zika virus that and China this year to chart an the Philippines for them to do con between me and the US,” he threatens unborn babies, as au- independent foreign policy and business, alliances of trade and said,” without elaborating. “It’s thorities warned people to avoid “open alliances” with two pow- commerce.” the point of no return.” mosquitoes. ers with historic rivalries with The peso fell to its lowest It is unclear whether Du- Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial the United States. since 2009 yesterday and for- terte’s outbursts will impact re- said 12 cases of Zika had been de- Duterte said the Philippines eign investors have dumped lo- lations between the two coun- tected across the Philippines this was at the “point of no return” cal shares for six straight weeks, ties. month, including a 22-year-old in its relations with former co- worried about Duterte’s anti- Militaries of both sides are woman from the central island of lonial ruler the United States, US rhetoric and brutal war on due to carry out joint exercises Cebu who is 19 weeks’ pregnant so he wanted to strengthen drugs, which has alarmed rights in the fi rst half of October. with her fi rst child. ties with others, and picked groups at home and abroad. The US embassy in Manila “Initial ultrasound did not two global powers with which Duterte also said he would yesterday announced two-week detect any foetal abnormalities. Washington has been sparring open up telecoms and airlines, deployment of a pair of C130 She will be monitored regularly with on the international politi- which are two domestic sectors planes and 100 troops at an air during the entire period of the cal stage. long controlled by local players base in the central Philippines, pregnancy,” the health depart- He last week declared he and criticised for being uncom- the third of its kind this year, ment said. would soon — and often — visit petitive. He did not elaborate. as part of a rotational troops Zika-infected pregnant wom- China, with which ties remain The volatile leader’s vitriol agreement. en can give birth to babies with frosty over a South China Sea against the United States has Separately, Duterte said the microcephaly, a deformation arbitration ruling won by the become a near-daily occurrence United Nations, European Un- marked by abnormally small Philippines in July. Duterte: set for independent foreign policy. and source of both amusement ion and United States would get brains and heads. He said Russian Prime Min- and concern. a free hand to investigate the Of the country’s 12 Zika cases, ister Dmitry Medvedev was ex- Brunei, Malaysia, the Philip- case brought by the Philippines, Medvedev, he is awaiting there Yesterday he accused Wash- killings in his anti-narcotics eight were female and ranged in pecting him in Moscow. pines, Taiwan and Vietnam have a ruling that Beijing refuses to for my visit,” Duterte told re- ington of “hypocrisy” and said campaign, but only under Phil- age from nine to 55, the depart- China claims most of the rival claims. recognise. porters, adding he would open Americans were still “lording it ippine laws. ment said. South China Sea, through which An arbitration court in The “I am ready to not really up the “other side of the ideo- over us”. Deaths in the campaign have None of those infected had more than $5tn of trade moves Hague in July invalidated Chi- break (US) ties but we will open logical barrier”. His latest swipe included averaged over 40 a day since travelled a month before testing annually. na’s claims to the waterway in a alliances with China and... He welcomed investment ruling out participation in a Duterte took offi ce on June 30. positive and all had since recov- ered, it said. Special teams have been dis- patched to all the aff ected areas to investigate where the infec- tion came from and recommend Joint naval measures to deal with the virus, UN rights expert plans to probe killings which can be spread by the bite of a mosquito or via sexual con- drill with tact. AFP Ubial called on the public to Manila destroy mosquito breeding plac- US from es, use insect repellent and wear condoms during sex. United Nations rights Scientists warned this month Oct 4 rapporteur said yester- that the world should prepare for A day she intended to visit a “global epidemic” of micro- the Philippines to investigate cephaly due to Zika as there is no By Fernan Marasigan President Rodrigo Duterte’s cure or vaccine for the disease. Manila Times deadly war on crime, but was seeking security guarantees for people she planned to speak he Armed Forces of the with. Philippines (AFP) and the Duterte last week said he Tbattle-tested Philippine would allow UN and EU ex- Court martial Marines are set to hold joint na- perts to look into the thou- val exercises with their Ameri- sands of killings since he took can counterparts beginning Oc- offi ce on June 30, however he for theft of tober 4, offi cials announced on also challenged them to face Sunday. him in public debates. The war games are pushing While the government has ammunition through in Luzon and Palawan yet to issue formal invitations, near the disputed West Philip- the UN rapporteur on extra- pine Sea (South China Sea) even judicial, summary or arbitrary Manila Times as President Rodrigo Duterte has executions, Agnes Callamard, Manila expressed a desire to become less said she would solicit one. dependent on US military assist- “I welcome the reports re- ance. cently (conveyed) through the wo Philippine Army per- Duterte has called for a stop to media that the president and sonnel are facing court joint patrols in the disputed wa- government of the Philippines Tmartial charges for alleg- ters and a pullout of US troops will invite a UN mission to in- edly stealing government-issued in Mindanao, although the lat- vestigate the alleged extraju- ammunition, Major General Ra- ter statement has been clarifi ed dicial executions,” Callamard Workers carry the dead body of an alleged drug pusher in Manila. fael Valencia, Army’s 10th In- by Malacanang as a mere warn- said in a statement e-mailed fantry Division (10th ID) com- ing or expression of concern for to AFP. freedom of inquiry, and the took offi ce, police fi gures show. while the others were victims condemned the killings. mander said. the security of American sol- Callamard said that she assurance that those who co- Duterte has in recent of intra-gang wars. But Duterte has insisted He identifi ed one of the sus- diers amid the presence of terror would insist on a range of operate with me will not be the months urged police and even However rights groups say he must continue his bloody pects as Sergeant Jeff rey Ordono groups in the south. measures to ensure that those object of retaliation, such as civilians to kill drug addicts as police are conducting extraju- crackdown to stop the Philip- of the 10th ID who was arrested On Sunday, offi cials said who spoke with her did not intimidation, threats, harass- well as traffi ckers, and vowed dicial killings and unleashing pines from becoming a narco on Friday by the police in Ma- at least 500 Filipino soldiers face retribution. ment or punishment,” she said. to protect lawmen from pros- hired assassins, and that peo- state. wab, Compostela Valley. Ordono and 1,400 US troops based in “The date and scope of the Duterte won the presiden- ecution. ple with no links to the drug He often responds to criti- had some 1,000 rounds of as- Okinawa, Japan will be partici- fact-fi nding mission will be tial election in a landslide in However he has also insisted trade are being murdered as the cism with abusive and defi ant sorted ammunition, which he pating in the 33rd iteration of the discussed and negotiated with May after promising to kill that he has not encouraged an- rule of law crumbles. language. Targets of his foul- sold to “lawless elements.” Also Philippines Amphibious Land- the government, along with 100,000 criminals as part of a ything illegal. The United Nations, the mouthed tirades have included facing court martial proceedings ing Exercise (Phiblex 33), on essential guarantees,” she said. campaign against illegal drugs. Police say they shot dead European Union, the United US President Barack Obama, is Army Tactical Sergeant San- October 4 to 12 at multiple loca- Those would include “my More than 3,300 people about a third of the people States and international hu- UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the tiago Caasi of the command’s tions in Luzon and Palawan. freedom of movement and have been killed since Duterte killed so far in self defence, man rights groups have all European Union. Mechanised Infantry Division.

Philippine airliners abort Trillanes claims to have proof backing Matobato

fl ights due to problems By Jeff erson Antiporda the witness claimed was an in- ernment of Davao City would Manila Times ternational terrorist. have shown that Matobato was Trillanes noted that one sen- lying. But there has been no de- AFP crew was forced to return to Ma- ator had insisted that Matobato nial, he said. Manila nila 20 minutes after taking off , a enator Antonio Trillanes told the Senate justice com- “So now we were able to get PAL statement said. on Sunday said he was mittee inquiry it was Presi- information regarding that PAL said there was no panic Sready to present evidence dent Duterte, back then mayor matter which I would be pre- Philippine passenger jet and the passengers all disem- that could show confessed of Davao City, who ordered senting along with other infor- heading to Japan was barked safely and would travel to “Davao Death Squad” member the terrorist killed.“Matobato mation,” he added. Aforced to turn back yes- Japan on another aircraft. Edgar Matobato was telling the never said that it was President Trillanes insisted that Mato- terday after smoke was detected Meanwhile, an ATR 72-500 truth. Duterte who ordered the killing bato’s testimony was important in the aircraft, while the wheel of aircraft from budget carrier Trillanes claimed that while of Makdum and I can show it in because the witness was claim- a second plane caught fi re after it Cebu Pacifi c was taking off from his colleagues in the Senate transcripts of the hearing,” the ing that the former Davao City aborted taking off from a sepa- the central island of Cebu when were focused on trying to dis- senator added. mayor, now the president of the rate airport, an aviation offi cial instruments warned of an oil credit Matobato during two He said there were many in- Philippines, was a murderer. said. problem in one of the two tur- Senate inquiries, he was busy stances wherein Duterte direct- If the Senate is willing to look The fi rst incident involved boprop engines, Apolonio said. gathering information and doc- ly or personally gave orders, but into allegations of corruption a Philippine Airlines fl ight to As it was taxiing off the runway uments that would validate the Matobato: getting support? the Makdum killing was not or- involving certain public offi cials, Haneda which had just taken off after aborting take off , one of the witness’ testimony. dered by the former Davao City it should be more interested in from Manila, said Eric Apolonio, plane’s wheels burst into fl ames “There are pieces of the in- of enemies and crime suspects in The senator lamented that mayor. fi nding out if the president was spokesman for the civil aviation and the 67 passengers and crew formation given by Matobato Davao City from 1988 to 2013. some of his colleagues were de- Trillanes also said he was able really involved in summary kill- authority. were forced to evacuate, he add- that can be easily verifi ed, but Trillanes said he would termined to discredit Matobato to obtain verifi able information ings in Davao City, he argued. “Apparently there was infor- ed. instead of doing it, they (col- present the new evidence in the by accusing the witness of lying that would prove that Matobato Trillanes noted there was mation that the pilot detected One passenger suff ered a leagues) tried to fi nd a hole on coming days. “This is to show in his testimony on the basis of was telling the truth when he even a time when the president smoke in the cabin. So as part slight leg injury during the evac- his testimony,” Trillanes said in to my colleagues that there are what he said were “trivial in- claimed he was employed as a bragged about ordering the kill- of safety measures, the pilot uation, he said. a radio interview. other ways of validating the consistencies.” contractual worker of the Davao ing of more than 1,000 people in had to return to the ground,” he The cause of the incidents are Matobato had claimed before testimony of the witness aside He cited as example the sup- City government when he was Davao. said. still being investigated, the two the Senate justice committee from badgering the witness and posed inconsistencies in Mato- with the so-called Davao Death Thus, Matobato’s statement The Airbus A340-300 plane, airlines said in separate state- that President Rodrigo Duterte try to look for inconsistencies in bato’s narration regarding the Squad. The senator pointed out can help in fi nding out the carrying 222 passengers and 13 ments. was behind the summary killings his testimony,” he added. killing of Sali Makdum, whom that a denial from the local gov- truth, he said. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 25 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL Body of murdered Lankan journalist to be exhumed New autopsy ordered for an editorial that was published japakse’s near decade-long rule, government and the separatist Lasantha Wickrematunge, three days after he was shot dead including Wickrematunga’s Tamil Tigers in May 2009. who was gunned down by gunmen on motorcycles while murder and the disappearance Under Wickrematunga, the Activists and members of civil societies light candles in front of a portrait of Lasantha Wickrematunge in during the civil war after driving to work in January 2009. of Prageeth Ekanaligoda, a car- virulently anti-establishment a silent vigil condemning his killing in Colombo. predicting he would be killed “When fi nally I am killed, it toonist last seen being bundled Sunday Leader closely scruti- by the government will be the government that kills into a white van near his offi ce in nised the army’s conduct of the The union has been lobbying “We have gone through so nation, according to human me,” he wrote, in a 2,500-word January 2010. civil war, often in the face of cen- for a presidential commission much, the children have had rights groups. Guardian News Services piece that was republished by An army intelligence offi cer sorship orders, armed raids and to investigate Rajapakse-era at- their hearts broken and now the Restrictions on media, includ- Delhi/Colombo the Guardian and New Yorker identifi ed in local media as P arson attacks on the newspaper’s tacks on journalists, and Ruhu- band-aid is going to be ripped ing Internet censorship, have and attracted international Udalgama was arrested in July as offi ces. nage said he was concerned the out and the wound re-opened,” been largely lifted, and the con- scrutiny of the harassment faced part of the investigation and re- Wickrematunga himself was appointment of a secretary in she said. stitution has been amended to he body of a celebrated Sri by Sri Lankan journalists. mains in custody. beaten twice and had had his March meant “the government But she expressed faith the restore the independence of the Lankan journalist gunned Directly addressing the then- According to court docu- home sprayed by machine-gun will bear the fi nancial respon- “process of uncovering the police, judiciary and public Tdown in the fi nal months president, Mahinda Rajapaske, ments, investigating authorities fi re. sibility for such attacks but no murderers is not happening in service commissions. of the country’s brutal civil war the slain editor predicted an in- requested that Wickrematunge’s His fi rst wife, Raine, fl ed to convictions will be forthcoming”. a half-hearted manner any- The country has also estab- in 2009 will be exhumed today quiry would swiftly follow his body be exhumed again because Australia with their children “We feel that is because mem- more” and was no longer the lished a South Africa-style truth as part of a fresh investigation death, “but like all the inquir- two separate medical examina- after threats against the family. bers of the government armed subject of and reconciliation commission into his death. ies you have ordered in the past, tions at the time of his death Media colleagues of the late forces could be implicated is political interference. to examine crimes committed Lasantha Wickrematunge’s nothing will come of this one, produced contradictory results: editor were reluctant to welcome some of these attacks,” he added. “This is such a welcome during grave in Colombo has been un- too”. The investigation did in- one fi nding he had died due to news of the fresh exhumation as “Even in (Wickrematunge’s) change after the years of sham the three-decade civil war. der armed guard since the new deed languish, until Rajapakse’s gunshot injuries, the other fi nd- a sign his killers might soon be case we feel that the chances of investigation we had to endure Abuses by security forces re- autopsy was announced earlier surprise election defeat in Janu- ing no evidence of gun wounds found. any convictions is still remote, for several years after the mur- main an issue, advocates against in September, two months after ary 2015, when his successor, the at all. “The (investigation) has been it could happen, but right now, I der,” she said. torture say, recording at least 17 a military intelligence offi cial current president Maithripala Press freedom was “ severely very slow, too slow, given the am not optimistic.” Rajapakse’s election defeat in cases under Sirisena’s adminis- was arrested in connection with Sirisena, promised to fi nd the restricted “ under the former pledges made by this govern- Raine Wickrematunge, who 2015 - a result he reportedly re- tration, including Briton Velau- the killing of the former editor of journalist’s killers. president according to watch- ment before it came to power,” was divorced from her ex-hus- sisted by trying to order a state thapillai Renukaruban, who says the Sunday Leader newspaper. Sirisena in March appointed dog groups, particularly in the said Lasantha Ruhunage, the band before his death, said news of emergency as results came he was and beaten in June while Wickrematunge had foreseen a secretary to examine violence months surrounding the end president of the Sri Lanka Work- his body would be re-examined in - has ushered in signifi cant visiting the north of the country his impending murder and wrote against journalists under Ra- of the civil war between the ing Journalists’ Association was “a huge shock”. positive reforms in the island to be married.

Nepal Airlines jet makes emergency Six Jamaat militants nabbed Court freezes assets landing after smoke A Nepal Airlines jet carrying 163 of factory owner people from New Delhi yesterday IANS made an emergency landing at Kolkata, India Tribhuvan International Airport AFP woman for one of the rights in Kathmandu after the aircraft Dhaka groups, Bangladesh Legal Aid emitted smoke at 12,500ft. ix Jamaatul Mujahideen and Services Trust. The crew detected smoke in the Bangladesh (JMB) activ- Relatives of the victims have Airbus A320-220 named Lumbini Sists, including three of Bangladesh court yes- already fi led a private murder as it entered Nepal’s airspace this Bangladeshi origin, have been terday ordered banks case against the owner, who afternoon, off icials said. arrested from Assam and West Ato freeze the assets of remains at large, and the gov- The pilots sought permission with Bengal states of India, police the owner of a factory hit by ernment has launched an in- the airport’s air traff ic control said yesterday. a deadly blaze, as fi refi ghters vestigation into what caused tower for an emergency landing “Special Task Force of pulled three more bodies from the fi re. of the flight 9N-AKX after the Kolkata police has arrested six the rubble to take the toll to 39. The deputy district police smoke was detected while they Jamaatul Mujahideen Bang- The High Court made the commissioner S M Alam said were flying at 12,500ft. ladesh (JMB) terrorists,” Joint order after rights organisa- most of the workers listed The smoke alarm went off at the CP (crime), Visal Garg, told tions fi led a writ alleging ba- as missing had now been cockpit, local media reports said. reporters. sic safety measures had not accounted for. “Following the detection, the All of them are actively in- been taken and demanding “I think we are almost near captain asked permission for volved with JMB, said the compensation for workers and to an end of the operation and an emergency landing with police offi cial. bereaved relatives. soon we will call it off ,” he said. the control tower,” Tribhuvan Garg said four of them are The three bodies recov- The blaze was the latest in International Airport (TIA) wanted in connection with the ered yesterday were charred a series of deadly accidents spokesperson Premnath Thakur Khagragarh blast case in beyond recognition. to hit impoverished Bangla- said. “Then, we closed the airport Burdwan district in 2014. Around 100 people were desh, whose $27bn garment as a precaution. All the passengers Police have seized laptops, working at Tampaco Foils industry is the world’s second and crew members are safe.” mobile phones, wire, deto- Limited factory on Septem- largest behind China’s. According to off icials at the nators, a powder like sub- ber 9 when a fi re caused by an The Rana Plaza collapse airport, there were 163 people on stance and fake ID proofs explosion in the boiler room triggered international out- board the aircraft including nine from them. tore through the four-storey rage, forcing US and European crew members and have been “We had information that Suspected JMB activists who were arrested from Assam and West Bengal being taken to a Kolkata building. clothing brands to improve safely evacuated. these people were hiding in court for hearing yesterday. It was Bangladesh’s worst deplorable safety conditions at Several aircraft flying in and out the northeastern states and such disaster since the col- the factories that supply them. of the airport were put on a hold in some parts of south India. cluded Anwar Hossain Farook the second in command in Jamalpur, Bangladesh, Abul lapse of the Rana Plaza gar- But labour rights groups say and the runway was cleared for They were under physical and of Jamalpur, Bangladesh, who JMB. Kalam from Burpeta, Assam ment complex in 2013 that much more needs to be done allowing the plane to land. technical surveillance of the was the head of the JMB unit The other four are Shahidul and Jahidul S alias Jabirul from killed more than 1,100 people. and have urged the Bangla- The aircraft has been placed at the STF. We were able to crack in Bengal. Another nabbed Islam, the head of JMB’s North Bangladesh. “The court asked that the desh government and West- airport’s parking way after there their encrypted communica- militant was Moulana Yusuf Eastern unit, Mohammad Ru- Two suspected terrorists Tampaco owner’s accounts ern companies to work harder was no threat of blaze and is under tion system,” Garg said. alias Abu Khetab from Man- bel - an expert in improvised were killed and a third injured in be frozen for three months,” to protect workers in their the inspection of Nepal Airlines The arrested activists in- galkot of Burdwan district, explosive devices - hailing from the Burdwan blast. said Mahbuba Akhter, spokes- supply chains. Corporation’s technical team. Diminishing democratic space in 3 killed, former Bangladesh, says EU report minister missing

By Mizan Rahman women’s and children’s rights, On January 15, 2015, it said experts and by the chair of the published in September 2015 and in Nepal crash Dhaka support for civil society and im- that the heads of mission also European Parliament Delegation factory inspections in the ready- plementation of labour rights. met with the Bangladesh foreign for relations with the countries made garment sector continued “Attacks on freedom of ex- minister to express their regret of South Asia,” it said. at a steady pace, it added. DPA treated in a local hospital, he angladesh witnessed a pression multiplied in 2015. The at the political violence and the “In response to the poor per- “These issues were discussed Kathmandu added. diminishing democratic killings of four ‘atheist’ bloggers resultant casualties. formance of the Election Com- at a conference entitled ‘Re- “We are still searching for Bspace and a steady dete- and one publisher in 2015 proved “The EU strongly condemned mission in three consecutive membering Rana Plaza: The road Ghimire and his two brothers. rioration in civil and political that the country was not im- the murders of bloggers in sev- elections (most recently, the ahead’ at the European Parlia- hree people were killed (An) increase in water levels rights, including extrajudicial mune to the threat of rising reli- eral statements and called on the April 2015 city corporation elec- ment in April 2015. At the 104th and three others, in- in the river has hampered our killings, enforced disappearanc- gious extremism. authorities to undertake proper tions in Dhaka and Chittagong International Labour Confer- Tcluding Nepal’s former operation,” the police offi cial es and restrictive action against The deteriorating security investigations in order to bring were marred by many irregulari- ence, the EU contributed to the home minister, were miss- added. opposition and human rights ac- situation was underlined by the the perpetrators to justice. …. ties witnessed by EU ‘watchers’), examination of compliance of ing after a car veered off a “A Nepal army team has tivists last year, according to the killings of two foreign citizens,” issued a statement condemning and pursuant to Article 1 of the Bangladesh with the ILO Free- busy highway approximately joined us in the operation. We ‘Human rights and democracy: it said. the killing of an Italian aid work- 2001 Co-operation Agreement dom of Association Convention 100kms west of Kathmandu, have also asked locals of the EU annual report 2015’. “On the positive side, some er and calling for those responsi- under which respect for human 87,” said the report. local police said yesterday. districts that the river passes “Intimidation of journalists progress was achieved on social ble for the crime to be brought to rights and democratic principles To advance implementation Madhav Prasad Ghimire, through to look out for the and editors also increased, while and economic rights,” it added. justice,” said the report. is an essential element, the EU of the Chittagong Hill Tracts who was Nepal’s home min- missing,” he said. measures were taken to under- “The EU and its member- “As regards the death pen- decided together with other do- (CHT) Peace Accord, the EU fi - ister in 2013, was returning The highway on which the mine the economic viability of states regularly followed the hu- alty, Bangladesh continued nors to terminate a programme nanced two projects: the CHT from a pilgrimage in northern accident occurred belongs to some prominent newspapers,” man rights situation in Bangla- executions and passing death supporting the election com- Development Facility project, Nepal on Sunday, when the the main road artery which it said. desh through political dialogue, sentences. On April 9, 2015, fol- mission,” the report stated. which received EUR 24 million, car he was in plunged into the connects Kathmandu with As per the report, the main public diplomacy, development lowing confi rmation by the Su- Co-operation under the and a project to strengthen basic Trishuli river, said Chitwan other parts of the nation. European Union (EU) priorities assistance and projects, engag- preme Court of the death sen- framework of the sustainability education in the CHT,” it said. district senior police offi cer. Last month 30 people in the area of human rights and ing with Bangladeshi represent- tence in the case of Muhammad compact continued in 2015 with The EU continued its dialogue A police search and rescue were killed in Nepal when a democracy remained judicial re- atives, meeting human rights Kamaruzzaman, the EU spokes- the aim of improving labour with civil society organisations team on Sunday found the passenger bus crashed on a form, a death penalty moratori- activists or organising fi eld visits person issued a statement con- rights, occupational health and and human rights defenders. bodies of Ghimire’s 80-year- mountain road. um, implementation of the Chit- to get acquainted with the situ- demning the death penalty. The safety conditions in the garment Continuous support was pro- old mother, a policeman and Poorly maintained vehicles tagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, ation on the spot. The EU heads lack of fairness and transparency industry in Bangladesh, it said. vided to human rights NGOs a male relative, the police coupled with reckless driving support for Rohingyas, the rights of mission issued several state- of the proceedings of the Bang- The long-awaited imple- through the European Instru- offi cial said. and bad roads result in nu- of persons belonging to minori- ments on incidents of violence,” ladeshi International Crimes menting rules for the revised ment for Democracy and Human The driver of the car sur- merous fatal road accidents in ties, human rights defenders, said the report. Tribunal was criticised by legal Bangladesh labour act were Rights, said the report. vived the crash and was being Nepal every year. Gulf Times 26 Tuesday, September 27, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Managing the economic Production Editor: C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 consequences of nationalism Doha, Qatar [email protected] Britain’s ability to restore and bar Muslims from entering the reassured market participants that it growth and spur fi nancial volatility. Telephone 44350478 (news), country. is committed to maintaining fi nancial But here, too, a measured and 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) a sense of calm amid far- So what economic consequences stability and avoiding the disorder that cautious approach can help. The UK Fax 44350474 reaching uncertainty about would a vote for nationalism have? malfunctioning markets can cause. government should do its utmost to Judging by the Brexit referendum, The BoE’s vigilance, together with conduct the most sensitive parts of its economic and fi nancial the immediate eff ects could include the fact that economic and fi nancial the negotiations with its European future shows how, with the fi nancial-market turmoil and a shock arrangements with Europe have yet to partners in secret. When it is time to to consumer and investor confi dence. be altered, has convinced companies announce changes, it should do so right approach, political But this could give way rather quickly and households to postpone plans in the context of a larger program of actors can manage shocks to an economic and fi nancial calm. The to change their behaviour. They are credible domestic reforms that target GULF TIMES real question is what comes next. now waiting to see whether the UK strong, inclusive growth and improved and surprises To be sure, the calm that has set in negotiates a “soft” or “hard” Brexit fi nancial stability. in Britain is tenuous. Pre-referendum before they make any signifi cant It is not easy to keep an airplane By Mohamed A El-Erian predictions that a vote for Brexit moves. fl ying smoothly while changing the Laguna Beach would lead to substantial economic Britain’s ability to restore a sense of engines. And that is precisely the Palmer credited pain and fi nancial volatility remain calm amid far-reaching uncertainty challenge the May government faces. likely to materialise. The severity of about its economic and fi nancial future It is now preparing for this ultra- he aftermath of the United the eff ects will depend on how the UK shows how, with the right approach, delicate manoeuvre by identifying and Kingdom’s unexpected vote and its European partners negotiate political actors can manage shocks arranging the components of the new with taking golf in June to leave the European their tricky separation, particularly the and surprises. Had Britain’s leaders engine, and planning for their quick TUnion is being monitored extent to which free trade and fi nancial rushed to dismantle long-standing assembly; only then will it be able to closely. People all over the world – passporting are upheld. trading systems and other economic dismantle the engine of European trade and particularly in Europe – want to and fi nancial arrangements with without risking heavy turbulence, or to the public know how Brexit will unfold, not just the EU, before developing a credible even a painful crash. to manage its specifi c eff ects, but also It is not easy to keep and comprehensive alternative, the But even with a carefully sequenced to gain insight into what is likely to situation could be much more volatile. plan in place, May’s government will There’s a great picture available on the Internet of two happen if other upcoming votes tip in an airplane fl ying Others aspiring to advance similarly need to show a level of resilience great golfers contemplating their next move during one favour of nationalist agendas. inward-looking agendas – be they and agility far beyond what has been Those agendas are certainly making smoothly while nationalistic European parties seeking required of its predecessors, in order to of the rounds at the 1966 Masters. Both are wearing blue, a political comeback. In Germany, to roll back international connectivity manage the transition without veering leaning on their golf clubs and looking ahead into the which will hold a general election changing the engines or US presidential candidates off the path of growth and stability. horizon as hundreds of elegantly dressed fans watch, eagerly in 2017, support for the far-right proposing tariff s that could well trigger The same would be true for any other Alternative for Germany (AfD) is on But, for now, volatility remains retaliation from trading partners – nationalist political fi gure or party waiting for them to decide on their shots. the rise, exemplifi ed in the party’s contained. That can be attributed should take note. that came to power. The question is The golfers look intense, as if their life depended on the next strong showing in recent state partly to Prime Minister Theresa Of course, under the current whether any of them would be equal shot, but that is not what would strike most people at fi rst. In elections. In France, the National May’s new government, which has circumstances, there are limits to to such a complex challenge.- Project Front’s leader, Marine Le Pen, hopes purposely adopted a gradual approach the benefi cial eff ects of sound UK Syndicate fact, what would initially draw fans’ attention to the picture to ride nationalism to power in next to the Brexit process. May has also leadership. When the details of is the fact that both have cigarettes on their lips, unmindful of year’s presidential election. made it clear that she and her Cabinet Britain’s divorce from the EU are zMohamed A El-Erian, chief economic the cameras or the viewing public at Augusta National. The trend is not exclusive to members are not in the business of eventually announced, companies and adviser at Allianz, is Chairman of Europe. In the United States, providing regular progress reports. households will respond, particularly US President Barack Obama’s Global Their demeanour could have been that of gun-slinging Republican presidential candidate The Bank of England has also if the country’s trading, economic, and Development Council and author of The cowboys planning an ambush, but they were only Donald Trump has promised to helped, by injecting liquidity into fi nancial linkages with the EU change Only Game in Town: Central Banks, sportsmen. Fifty years ago, you would imagine that golf was impose trade tariff s on China, build the economy almost immediately. considerably. That response, it seems Instability, and Avoiding the Next a sport characterised by exaggerated politeness and refi ned a wall on the border with Mexico, Moreover, the BoE has convincingly almost inevitable, will hurt economic Collapse. public behaviour, but while that was true to a large extent, these two epitomised the very opposite. For them, golf was almost a matter of life and death. The two, of course, were Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 87. Palmer, Jack Niclaus and Gary Player were collectively known His all-out as the “Big Three” during approach on the 50s and 60s, while Hogan was from the the golf course previous generation when combined with he ruled along with Sam Snead and Byron Nelson, his looks earned all born in 1912. him a loyal fan Palmer is credited with making golf more following appealing to the public. With his dashing looks and working class background –his father was a greenkeeper before becoming a club pro in Pennsylvania – Palmer is considered the fi rst golfi ng superstar of the television era when golf was beamed live into living rooms across America. His all-out, carefree approach on the golf course combined with his looks earned him a loyal fan following known as Arnie’s Army. A seven-time major winner, Palmer was in declining health for a few years, but he still made appearances at big tournaments and made it a point to interact with the younger lot and inspire them. Palmer won only $3.6mn in prize money during a career that lasted more than fi ve decades, but he made almost a billion dollars from endorsements, appearances and golf course design, second only behind Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, according to Forbes. Although Presidents and Hollywood stars queued up to This handout file photo released on September 5 by the European Space Agency shows images of the landing craft Philae, viewed for the first time since its crash landing, taken by ORIS narrow-angle camera. European spacecraft Rosetta will end its mission on September 30 after travelling almost7bn kilometres to probe the play a round of golf with him, he is credited with taking the secrets of comets, with help from a high-tech robot named Philae. golf to the common man. An avid pilot and the author of several books, he was also a philanthropist, touching the lives of the less fortunate. Rosetta: What did Europe’s comet mission uncover? “I can spend the rest of my life being thankful that golf has given me the opportunities to make signifi cant contributions By Mariette Le Roux/AFP football, scientists were fl abbergasted The comet had much less water The water on Rosetta is of a very Paris to observe through Rosetta’s cameras ice than thought, was littered with diff erent “fl avour” than that on throughout the world,” Palmer said during an interview in that 67P resembled a rubber bath duck pebbles and rocks ranging in size our planet, with three times more 2009. with a distinct “body” and “head”, and from a few centimetres across to fi ve deuterium, a heavy hydrogen isotope. Yesterday, golfers and presidents were paying their urope’s Rosetta spacecraft, a crack through its “neck”. metres, and pocked with deep craters. Analysing the comet’s chemical due to switch off on Some scientists have since The surface is rendered super-dark signature, Rosetta scientists respects to the man from Latrobe, Pennsylvania. September 30 after a 12-year postulated that this shape was not and non-refl ective by a thin layer of concluded it probably smells like a “Here’s to The King, who was as extraordinary on the links Eodyssey, carried 11 scientifi c created by erosion, but a low-velocity dust. noxious mix of rotten eggs, horse as he was generous to others. Thanks for the memories, instruments to sniff , smell and impact billions of years ago between Scientists were astonished to fi nd urine, alcohol and bitter almonds. photograph a comet from all angles. two objects which fused. oxygen molecules in the gassy halo “If you could smell the comet, you Arnold,” said President Obama. “Thanks Arnold for your After arriving in orbit around comet This all suggests the comet was around the comet, and said they would probably wish that you hadn’t,” friendship, counsel and a lot of laughs,” Tiger Woods added. 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, it formed in a young, outer part of our appeared to be older than our Solar the ESA team said at the time. The ‘King of Golf’ is no more, but he left his subjects launched Philae, a separate lander, Solar System that was much less System. Philae’s magnetometer found that, which had another 10 hi-tech gadgets, densely packed with bodies than Scientifi c models had previously surprisingly, 67P has no measurable with priceless memories and a fulfi lled life to draw much including a drill that never deployed, previously thought. calculated that oxygen as a molecular magnetic fi eld — throwing into inspiration from. but also cameras, X-ray scans and If not, 67P “is so fragile it should compound on its own would not have question another key theory on the radio wave probes. have been clobbered by something existed at the time the comet was formation of solar system bodies. Together, the robot explorers else and broken apart”, ESA senior formed, as it would have bound with It implied that magnetism played To Advertise have advanced our understanding of science advisor Mark McCaughrean other elements like hydrogen. no part in debris in the early Solar comets, of which there are billions, told AFP. So, how the comet got its oxygen System clumping together to form [email protected] believed to be leftovers from the birth This aff ects our understanding of remains a mystery. 67P has organic planets, comets, asteroids and moons. Display of our Solar System some 4.6bn years planetary formation, thought to have molecules, many diff erent ones — Scientists expect that the data ago. happened when ice and dust debris, including amino acids which are the extracted by Philae and Rosetta will Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 “Nobody had any idea comets can swirling around in a proto-planetary building blocks of life as we know it. keep them busy for decades to come. Classified be so weird until Rosetta got there,” disk around an infant Sun, collided This discovery supports the “The metaphor I used at the said Fabio Favata of the European and stuck together, growing bigger hypothesis that comets may very well beginning, was Rosetta would be the Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Space Agency’s (ESA) robotic and bigger over time. have helped spark life on Earth by key that would unlock the treasure Subscription exploration directorate. The comet’s surface was another delivering organic materials when they chest to the secrets of the Solar [email protected] 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko surprise. It was less “fl uff y” and slammed into a young planet that was System. I think... we found the key, is currently 710mn kilometres from much harder than expected, which basically molten iron. it’s on the fl oor and it’s in pieces. We Earth. contributed to Philae bouncing several Water, on the other hand, is need to assemble the key fi rst before 2016 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Expecting to encounter something times after its harpoons failed to fi re unlikely to have come from comets of we can unlock the treasure chest,” said roughly the shape of an American on landing. 67P’s type, the mission found. McCaughrean. Gulf Times Tuesday, September 27, 2016 27 COMMENT A new strategy for China’s SOEs

Despite their grim fi nancial equity ratio of the industrial sector between the public and private performance, many of as a whole has declined over the past sectors, beginning with concern about 15 years, the SOEs’ has increased the loss of state assets. Given the China’s state-owned since the global fi nancial crisis, to an severity of SOEs’ debt problem – the enterprises have a lot going average of 66%, 15 percentage points National Railway Company alone higher than that of other kinds of holds CN¥3tn (over $40bn) in debt for them fi rms. – discounts are inevitable when SOE A looming recession undoubtedly debts are transferred to private AMCs. By Yao Yang spurred this debt accumulation, This could cause some to assert that Beijing possibly aided by former prime the private fi rms are realizing unjust minister Wen Jiabao’s massive 2009 gains. stimulus package. But it was lax In order to overcome this obstacle, hina’s economic slowdown fi nancial discipline that enabled the China should engage in local has been the subject debt buildup. Banks feel safe lending experimentation – a tried-and-tested of countless debates, to SOEs, no matter how indebted, approach that has long guided the Cdiscussions, articles and because the government implicitly country’s reform eff orts – beginning analyses. While the proposed remedies guarantees the debt. in the regions where the SOE debt vary considerably, there seems to be As a result, the SOEs, not problem is the most acute. The a broad consensus that the illness surprisingly, have developed a habit of resulting revitalisation of SOEs would is structural. But while structural debt-fi nanced growth. also help quell any doubts about debt- problems, from diminishing returns That may not have been a equity swaps with the private sector. to capital to the rise in protectionism problem when China’s economy was Another obstacle is the fear that, since the global economic crisis, are growing, but it represents a serious by allowing SOEs, yet again, to escape certainly acting as a drag on growth, economic risk today, which is why market discipline, debt-equity swaps another factor has gone largely the government has set deleveraging would set a dangerous precedent. unnoticed: the business cycle. as one of its major tasks for this year. But the improvements to corporate For decades, China’s economy But execution has been slow, owing governance that would follow from the sustained double-digit GDP growth, partly to China’s failure to enforce its introduction of private shareholders seemingly impervious to business bankruptcy law fully. would reduce substantially the cycles. But it wasn’t immune: in The fact that commercial banks likelihood that SOEs would continue fact, the six-year slowdown China are not allowed to hold shares to abuse the fi nancial system. experienced after the 1997 Asian in companies has also impeded Moreover, their NPLs are essentially fi nancial crisis was a symptom of deleveraging, as it prohibits the use sunk costs; debt-equity swaps are precisely such a cycle. of direct debt-equity swaps to reduce pretty much the only way to claw back Today, China’s business cycle has SOE debt. This should change. anything at all. led to the accumulation of non- China has employed debt-equity By allowing private-sector performing loans (NPLs) in the swaps to reduce NPLs in the state- participation in debt-equity swaps, corporate sector, just as it did at the sector before. In 1999, it established China could kill three birds with one turn of the century. While the rate four asset-management companies stone: advance SOE deleveraging, of NPLs is, according to offi cial data, (AMCs) to take on the weakest loans strengthen corporate governance lower than 2%, many economists of the four largest state-owned banks, A container area is seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port, part of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, in Shanghai. in the state sector and enhance estimate that it is actually more like thereby improving those banks’ economic effi ciency. With local 3-5%. If they are right, NPLs could fi nancial stability. Given China’s high owned entities to assume the debt. just address the NPL problem; by rate technical staff , and competitive experimentation, Chinese authorities amount to 6-7% of China’s GDP. growth rates in 2003-2012, the AMCs Instead, it should allow private equity giving the private sector a stake in products. Their problem is bad map out that stone’s most eff ective Most of this debt is held by made handsome profi ts from those funds, which have accumulated large the SOEs, it would also help to spur governance and poor management – a trajectory.— Project Syndicate state-owned enterprises (SOEs), shares. amounts of savings as they await performance-enhancing reforms. problem that, as China’s top leaders which account for just one-third of Today, too, debt-equity swaps good investment opportunities, to act After all, despite their grim fi nancial recognised in 2013, private-sector zYao Yang is director of the China industrial output, yet receive more may be the only viable solution to the as AMCs, bidding for the NPLs at a performance, many of China’s SOEs involvement can help resolve. Centre for Economic Research and Dean than half of the credit dispensed by NPL problem. But the government discount. have a lot going for them, including Of course, there are some obstacles at the National School of Development China’s banks. Though the debt- does not need to rely on government- Such an approach would not state-of-the-art equipment, fi rst- to introducing debt-equity swaps at Peking University.

Experts restore fi rst-ever computer music recording Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY AFP Long said in a blog post on the British High: 36 C Wellington Library website. The two-minute recording can be Low : 29 C Expected low horizontal visibility at heard here: http://blogs.bl.uk/fi les/ places at first. ew Zealand researchers fi rst-recorded-computer-music--- said yesterday they have copeland-long-restoration.mp3 restored the fi rst recording It features short snippets of the WEDNESDAY of computer-generated tunes rendered in a slightly grating High: 39 C N Low: 29 C music, created in 1951 on a gigantic drone, like electronic bagpipes. contraption built by British genius There are also a number of glitches Sunny Alan Turing. and when the music halts during the The aural artefact, which paved the Glenn Miller number, a presenter way for everything from synthesisers comments: “The machine’s obviously THURSDAY to modern electronica, opens with not in the mood”. High: 40 C a staunchly conservative tune – the While Turing programmed the fi rst Low: 29 C British national anthem God Save the musical notes into a computer, he Cloudy King. had little interest in stringing them Researchers at the University of together into tunes. Canterbury (UC) in Christchurch said That work was carried out by a school Fishermen’s forecast it showed Turing – best known as teacher named Christopher Strachey, OFFSHORE DOHA the father of computing who broke who went on to become a renowned Wind: NW-NE 03-12 KT the WWII Enigma code – was also a computer scientist in his own right. Waves: 1-3 Feet musical innovator. Strachey recalled that Turing’s INSHORE DOHA Wind: NE-E 05-14 KT “Alan Turing’s pioneering work in University of Canterbury alumni composer Jason Long and professor Jack taciturn response upon hearing Waves: 1-2 Feet the late 1940s on transforming the Copeland. New Zealand researchers say they have restored the first recording his machine play music was “good computer into a musical instrument of computer-generated music, created in 1951 on a gigantic contraption built by show”. Around the region has been largely overlooked,” they British genius Alan Turing. Turing was a computer scientist, Weather Weather said. philosopher and cryptologist who today Max/min tomorrow Max/min The recording was made 65 years Miller’s swing classic In the Mood. the computer sounded,” they said. played a crucial role in breaking the Abu Dhabi Sunny 40/28 Sunny 39/27 ago by a BBC outside-broadcast But when UC professor Jack They fi xed it with electronic Nazi’s Enigma Code. Baghdad Sunny 40/22 Sunny 37/19 Dubai unit at the Computing Machine Copeland and composer Jason Long detective work, tweaking the speed As depicted in the Oscar-winning Sunny 38/28 Sunny 37/28 Kuwait City Sunny 40/26 Sunny 41/27 Laboratory in Manchester, northern examined the 30.5 centimetre acetate of the audio, compensating for a movie The Imitation Game, he was Manama Sunny 37/28 Sunny 38/29 England. disc containing the music, they found “wobble” in the recording and fi ltering prosecuted for homosexuality and Muscat Sunny 31/27 Sunny 33/27 The machine, which fi lled much the audio was distorted. out extraneous noise. forced to undergo chemical castration, Riyadh Sunny 41/24 Sunny 40/24 of the lab’s ground fl oor, was used to “The frequencies in the recording “It was a beautiful moment when killing himself in 1954 at the age of 41. Tehran Sunny 31/18 Sunny 30/17 generate three melodies; God Save the were not accurate. The recording gave we fi rst heard the true sound of He was offi cially pardoned by Queen King, Baa Baa Black Sheep and Glenn at best only a rough impression of how Turing’s computer,” Copeland and Elizabeth II in 2013.

Live issues Setting conversational boundaries

By Marie G McIntyre a lot of advice about my personal discussing family matters or social Jabbering Tribune News Service relationships. This seemed very relationships is personal. And sexual disrespectful, so how do I keep it banter is in a category all its own. colleagues from happening again? Once you have mentally defi ned Q: I sit between two co-workers UES- your conversational boundaries, who chatter to each other all day TION: ANSWER: While a few creepy try to recognizse when things are long. When they talk across me, I I’m new customers might have lecherous about to take an inappropriate turn. can’t concentrate on my work or Around the world Qto being intentions, some of these guys At that point, one helpful strategy hear phone conversations. After I Weather Weather a business owner, may simply be trying to fill a is the “nonresponsive response,” in spoke to our supervisor, the talking today Max/min tomorrow Max/min and unfortunately, conversational vacuum. So the first which you reply to a question with an stopped for a couple of days, but Athens P Cloudy 26/16 Sunny 26/15 in the short time step in solving this problem is to answer that is both uninformative and Beirut M Sunny 27/22 Sunny 28/22 then it started up again. How can I S T Storms T Storms 32/26 I’ve been running maintain control of the discussion redirecting. Bangkok 32/26 get these chatterboxes to shut up? Berlin Sunny 23/13 Cloudy 20/14 my own fi rm, I’ve encountered a in a pleasant, professional manner. For example, if a customer were Cairo Sunny 31/21 Sunny 32/21 number of male customers who Since you’re just starting out, this to say “Do you enjoy being single?” A: The solution to this problem seems Cape Town Rain 15/11 P Cloudy 17/11 seem to view me as an available might require a bit of practice. you might reply, “My real focus is on so simple that surely someone has Colombo T Storms 29/26 T Storms 29/26 female rather than a professional When meeting with prospective work. By the way, how many diff erent considered it. But perhaps not, so here Dhaka S T Storms 32/26 S T Storms 31/26 Hong Kong P Cloudy 34/29 S T Storms 32/26 accountant. Although I wear clients, you must be prepared to product lines do you have?” This goes. Since you’re located in between Istanbul Rain 20/14 P Cloudy 22/14 modest, conservative attire and initiate the conversation and then approach can be useful whenever a these jabbering colleagues, why not Jakarta S T Storms 32/25 S T Storms 31/25 do nothing to project an “on the move it forward in a productive direct answer could lead you down an just switch places with one of them? Karachi M Sunny 32/26 P Cloudy 31/26 market” vibe, these customers direction. If you start with a concise undesirable path. Once you’re no longer in the middle, London Cloudy 21/13 M Sunny 23/16 T Storms T Storms 29/26 description of your services, followed To summarise, begin your client Manila 29/26 have focused on my social circum- their chatter might still be annoying Moscow M Cloudy 11/05 Cloudy 10/03 stances instead of my abilities. by some targeted business questions, meetings with a businesslike but it’ll be signifi cantly less disruptive. New Delhi Sunny 36/26 Sunny 37/26 Recently, for example, I met customers are less likely to drift off opener and remain focused on New York S Showers 24/16 S Showers 24/18 with a potential client who track. your goal. If “getting to know you” zMarie G McIntyre is a workplace Paris P Cloudy 23/14 M Cloudy 24/13 asked several overly personal With those who like to chat, conversations begin to cross the coach and the author of Secrets to Sao Paulo P Cloudy 22/12 M Sunny 28/13 Seoul Rain 23/18 Cloudy 22/17 questions. Because I didn’t want keep the topics appropriate by line, tactfully shift direction. And Winning at Offi ce Politics. Send in Singapore T Storms 32/25 T Storms 32/25 to be rude, I wound up providing diff erentiating between what’s should you encounter any creepy- questions and get free coaching tips at Sydney Cloudy 21/09 Sunny 18/13 more information than I would friendly and personal. Talking about crawlers, immediately delete them http://www.youroffi cecoach.com, or Tokyo Cloudy 29/23 Clear 30/23 have liked. As a result, he off ered pets, sports, or travel is friendly, while from your client list. follow her on Twitter @offi cecoach.