QATAR | Page 16 SPORT | Page 1 National Thiem Museum of outlasts Qatar takes a Zverev to drive down storm into memory lane fi nal with Djoko published in QATAR since 1978

SATURDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11445 February 1, 2020 Jumada II 7, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

In brief Jordanians protest against US Mideast plan QATAR | Phone call QTerminals to FM reviews ties with Russian counterpart HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani invest $120mn received yesterday a phone call from Russian Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sergei Lavrov. During the call, they reviewed bilateral relations and the latest regional and international in Ukraine’s developments, in addition to a number of issues of common concern. BRITAIN | Politics Olvia port UK sees ‘new dawn’ in historic farewell to EU By Santhosh V Perumal the top shipbuilding centres. Business Reporter On an area of 178 hectares, Port of Britain yesterday ended almost half Olvia has six berths and 22 cranes and a a century of integration with Europe, number of warehouses and storage ar- finally making its historic departure Terminals, a joint venture be- eas. Its quay is 1,530m long and having from the EU to begin a new — tween Mwani Qatar and Milaha, own rail connection for transporting but still uncertain — future, with Qwill invest $120mn in Ukraine’s cargo inside the port. emotions running high following Port of Olvia as part of eff orts to expand The minister said awarding the con- years of wrangling and several false its operations in the Black Sea region. cession is a key investment opportu- starts. As the clocks struck 11:00pm QTerminals won concession to devel- nity in one of Ukraine’s most impor- (2300 GMT) in Britain, the bloc’s op, manage and operate Olvia port, which tant Black Sea ports and it will feature often reluctant member became represents an exceptional opportunity on signifi cant developmental works at the the first to leave an organisation set Jordanian women waving national flags take to the streets of Amman, in front of the Al-Husseini mosque in the centre developing and operating world ports. It port in a way that supports its opera- up to forge unity among nations of the capital, to protest against the US-brokered proposal for a settlement of the Middle East conflict yesterday. will invest some $120mn in the port dur- tions and boost its navigational and lo- after the horrors of World War II. President Donald Trump’s controversial peace plan, seen as overwhelmingly supportive of Israeli goals, has been ing the concession term of 35 years. gistics services portfolio to meet best Prime Minister Boris Johnson was a firmly rejected by the Palestinians. Page 3 “This concession is a major achieve- world standards and this will enhance figurehead in the 2016 referendum ment for QTerminals that honours its its operational revenues. vote to end 47 years of increasingly strategy for expanding in overseas in- Gulf Times in 2018 had reported that close ties between the British and vestments as a Qatari company special- QTerminals had undertaken initial due more than 500mn of their nearest ised in seaports management,” HE the diligence in the Black Sea region, which neighbours. Page 8 Minister of Transport and Communica- has extensive seacoast lines. tions Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said. The Black Sea, which lies between AMERICA | Trump trial Personal hygiene key to He made this statement at the southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, Democratic witness Ukrainian capital Kyiv at an event to is bordered by six countries as Roma- award the concession in the pres- nia and Bulgaria to the West; Ukraine, bid seems doomed ence of Ukrainian ministers Vladyslav Russia and Georgia to the North and Another pivotal Republican Kryklii of Infrastructure and Tymofi y East; and Turkey to the South. The sea announced opposition yesterday preventing coronavirus Mylovanov for Development of Econ- has an area of 168,500sq miles (exclud- to calling witnesses in President omy, Trade and Agriculture as well as ing the Sea of Azov, a length of 730 Donald Trump’s US Senate Qatari ambassador to Ukraine Hadi bin miles) and a depth of 7,257ft. impeachment trial, appearing to By Joseph Varghese to the aff ected areas in China, mainly Nasser Mansour al-Hajri and several This step would bolster the economic doom a bid by Democrats to permit Staff Reporter Hubei province. You should wash offi cials representing Qatari maritime co-operation with Ukrainian and inter- testimony and paving the way for your hands frequently, especially af- transport sector, Mwani Qatar, Milaha national fi rms, thus supporting the goals his expected acquittal. Senator ter touching surfaces such as door and the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. of the Qatar National Vision 2030, he Lisa Murkowski said she carefully ersonal hygiene, especially handles, elevator buttons and hand Established in 1992, Port of Olvia, said, adding it will represent a turning considered the need for witnesses hand hygiene, is the best pre- rails. You should avoid close con- located in the Mykolaiv region on point in QTerminals’ journey of contribu- and documents in the trial that Pcaution against the new coro- tact with people who have respira- the Black Seacoast, has been seeing tions to the sustainability of the national will determine whether Trump is navirus and the public should avoid tory symptoms such as coughing or a significant year-on-year increase economy and support for the eff orts that removed from off ice, but ultimately any unwarranted anxiety, a leading sneezing,” he cautioned. in grain and oils exports. Mykolaiv is aim to leverage Qatar’s competitiveness decided against it. Page 5 physician, who had played a multi- The physician described the glo- a city in southern Ukraine and one of on world map. Business Page 1 faceted role during the 2003 Sars out- bal situation as “very dynamic” and ASIA | Coronavirus break, told Gulf Times. “continues to evolve in China and Countries tighten “To avoid any respiratory infection, Dr Patrick Tang elsewhere”. He asked everyone to pay whether it is the common cold or the attention to the travel advisories from China travel curbs novel coronavirus, practise common cal datasets to better understand the the Ministry of Public Health, World Countries expanded restrictions measures such as washing the hands virus. Health Organisation and the Com- on travellers from China over a often, keeping hands away from the “The novel coronavirus spreads municable Disease Center. deadly virus epidemic yesterday as eyes, nose and mouth, and staying primarily through respiratory drop- “One unfortunate phenomenon an off icial admitted that a botched away from people who are sick,” Dr lets and secretions from infected is that the past global outbreaks response worsened an outbreak Patrick Tang, division chief of Pa- individuals. Transmission happens like Sars or Mers has heightened an that has grown into a global health thology Sciences at Sidra Medicine, from direct or close contact with peo- unwarranted anxiety in the public. emergency. At least 213 people said. ple who are infectious or contact with This leads to more people unnec- have died and nearly 10,000 people During the 2003 Sars outbreak, Dr objects and surfaces contaminated essarily seeking medical attention have been infected in China by the Tang, then based in the University of with the virus,” explained Dr Tang. and diagnostic tests. This should new coronavirus, while new cases Toronto, had performed many tasks He said that currently, people in be avoided as it can overwhelm the were found abroad with more than including the fi rst laboratory tests for Qatar have a very low to zero risk of medical system and prevent or delay 20 countries now aff ected by the an unknown virus, managing infected acquiring this virus. those who are truly ill,” he contin- HE Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti: Olvia port concession a major achievement for disease. Page 7 patients and to integrating large clini- “Certainly, you should avoid travel ued. To Page 2 QTerminals. Work underway to bolster security measures at HIA

he Airport Security Depart- in order to reduce the waiting time at cameras in order to secure the airport ment is set to further augment the checkpoints. HIA, according to al- from any danger,” the offi cial said. Tsecurity measures at Hamad Rumaihi, also has plans to make use of The airport security system, accord- International Airport (HIA), which is state-of-the-art communication sys- ing to him, is highly advanced and ef- set for the next phase of expansion, tems to interlink security offi cials and fi cient. It includes external fences and a senior offi cial has local Arabic daily advanced digital solutions for parking activities that are carried out in co- Arrayah. services. operation and co-ordination with the “The department is readying to Brigadier-General al-Rumaihi, General Directorate of Coasts and Bor- secure HIA in line with its expan- while noting the expansion is likely ders Security as a part of HIA borders sion. The latest technology is used to be accompanied by security chal- the sea. These are in addition to the in- for security purposes and work is on lenges, stressed that the department is stallation of cameras in the departures to upgrade internal and external sur- prepared to meet the security require- and arrivals halls and modern devices veillance cameras,” Brigadier-General ments in line with the new plans. to communicate with security person- Issa Arar al-Rumaihi, director of the “We are ready to secure HIA’s ex- nel deployed at the airport. Airport Security Department, told the pansion and have complete prepara- He added that the inspection of bag- daily. tions in this matter. We have been keen gage to ensure the safety of fl ights has He said the airport administration is to take care of every aspect of security. become more accurate with the intro- working to implement advanced secu- In response to the needs, we have in- duction of the advanced X-ray sys- rity screening procedures for travellers Brigadier-General Issa Arar al-Rumaihi The operation room at HIA where round-the-clock surveillance is carried out. creased the number of surveillance tems. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, February 1, 2020 QATAR MoPH monitoring global Lebanese PM meets Qatari envoy situation of coronavirus

he Ministry of Public ministry explained that it took ures taken in Qatar contribute to that show symptoms of respira- Health (MoPH) reaffi rmed all necessary precautions and strengthening health monitor- tory infections, where investiga- Tits continuous and prompt measures to monitor any sus- ing in all state border points and tive teams make daily visits to follow-up to the epidemiological pected case at Hamad Interna- raising awareness to ensure the hospitals to ensure that any of situation of the emerging coro- tional Airport (HIA), after in- public gets accurate information them conform with the defi ni- Lebanese Prime Minister Dr Hassan Diab met Qatar’s ambassador to Lebanon Mohamed Hassan navirus, against the background stalling thermal cameras at the about the disease and the most tion approved by the WHO for Jaber al-Jaber in Beirut yesterday. During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations, in of the World Health Organisa- airport a week ago to record the important methods of prevention. suspected cases. addition to topics of common interest. tion’s (WHO) declaration that temperature of passengers from The ministry indicated that Furthermore, the MoPH rec- the virus has become a glo- a distance while raising aware- the emerging coronavirus may ommended avoiding unneces- bal health emergency with the ness between the travellers re- not show some of its symptoms sary travel to cities where the emergence of cases in countries garding symptoms of pneumo- to the infected person until two virus has spread in China, as well other than China. nia include high fever, coughing, to 14 days after infection. as avoiding close contact with The MoPH stressed that it is and diffi culty breathing. Since the appearance of the animals in the aff ected areas and closely monitoring the devel- The MoPH assured the public virus in China, the ministry not mixing closely with people opments of the emerging coro- that the health sector in Qatar is has issued national guidelines who show symptoms of respira- QNL events in February navirus around the world while ready to deal with any situation re- for dealing with new cases of tory infections while continu- continuing to raise the degree of garding the emerging coronavirus. coronavirus, with alerting all ing to wash hands with soap and preparedness through a system The ministry confi rmed that it hospitals and private health fa- water. promote holistic approach of monitoring the epidemiologi- has taken all means to ensure the cilities in the country to report The rapid response team at cal situation at the local and glo- diagnosis and treatment of cases any suspected respiratory infec- the MoPH operates round the bal levels, in co-ordination and as and when they are discovered tions, especially for travellers clock and receives any commu- full communication with WHO. and the necessary procedures coming from countries where it nications or inquiries related to to sustainability The ministry said that, until to isolate the people close to the is spread, during the 14 days of communicable diseases on the the moment, no case of infec- patients when necessary. their arrival, with a focus on the hotline numbers: 66740948 or tion was recorded in Qatar. The It explained that these meas- importance of reporting cases 66740951. (QNA) atar National Library Youth Choir and the younger February 16 will teach students (QNL) has chosen sus- Junior Choir, performing to- what constitutes good public Qtainability as the theme gether at the library for the fi rst speaking and argumentative for a host of special events in time, will present a set of Arabic skills. Also on February 16, in February, geared towards nur- and Western folk songs today. collaboration with Sidra Medi- turing a holistic approach to Highlighting an issue which cine, QNL will host the inspi- Personal hygiene key to preventing coronavirus the subject that can be applied is of importance in every com- rational Dr Ahmed Hankir, to in all areas of life. munity, a two-part lecture on deliver his presentation “The Those on the fence about February 5, “Be Conscious: Wounded Healer,” a theatrical From Page 1 which a few may have mutations Be careful about coronavirus rumours making signifi cant lifestyle Mental Health,” held in co-op- performance that has inspired that allow them to cause infec- changes may fi nd inspiration in eration with the Mental Health thousands across the globe. Dr Tang said that the novel tions in humans,” he pointed out. There is no evidence that new coronavirus is transmitted from mail the compelling stories of indi- Friends Association WEYAK, Dr Hankir authored the evi- coronavirus causes respiratory Dr Tang also noted that fatal- packages from China, an off icial at Hamad Medical Corporation’s viduals who have successfully will focus on the importance dence-based and data-driven illness with a range of symptoms ity rate of the novel coronavirus Communicable Diseases Center has told local Arabic daily Arrayah. made the change to sustainable of caring for our mental health. anti-stigma programme that including fever, cough and short- is between 2 to 3% and Sars and People have to be careful about dealing with the information and living. Their experiences are the The talk will also review the describes his personal journey ness of breath. Mers were more lethal. rumours circulating about the new coronavirus, the source advised. subject of the 2018 documenta- provisions of Law No 16 of as a survivor of psychological “Some people may have little “Using the old-fashioned The public should take information only from off icial channel at the ry Living the Change: Inspiring 2016, which refl ects Qatar’s in- trauma to becoming an award- or no symptoms, while others technique of quarantine, we Ministry of Public Health that deals with the issue, as it provides Stories for a Sustainable Future, terest in caring for individuals winning “wounded healer.” may have severe illness and even were able to eliminate the Sars details in complete transparency. If any case is spotted, the source to be screened on February 14. and their mental health. Other regular events in Feb- fatal illness from the virus. Most virus in 2003 from the human pointed out, it will be immediately announced, but so far no case of QNL will welcome the found- Everyone interested in future ruary include the Science Book of the people with severe symp- population. Regarding the novel infection in the country has been identified. ers of the non-profi t organisa- technologies is welcome to at- Forum, which tackles the fasci- toms have been over the age of coronavirus, the questions are: The source stressed that there are strict procedures and tion Green Mangroves to Qatar tend the Second Student Ro- nating subject of natural haz- 65 and it is similar to what was how long will it take us to con- precautions in place to avoid the entry of the disease into the at “Saving the Blue” on Febru- botics Exhibition on February ards on February 18, tracing the observed with Sars and Mers,” he trol it, and at what cost in terms country through the checkup of the travellers from China by ary 29. The grassroots group’s 8, where high school students origins and the impacts of vol- noted. of human life and economic loss? thermal cameras at Hamad International Airport. mission is to lead action to save will take the stage and show off canoes, earthquakes, tsunamis According to Dr Tang, the The epicentre of this outbreak is Besides, there is a well-defined plan to deal with the persons oceans, mangroves and other their robotic-related projects. and fl oods on the lives of mil- novel coronavirus and many of where we need to watch closely. suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus. The natural environments, with a “Football: Beyond Sports” lions of people. its relatives, such as Sars and If China is able to contain the designated place to deal with such cases is HMC’s Communicable local focus. The workshop is a on February 10 will consider The monthly Philharmonic Mers, are found in bats. “There outbreak, it will signifi cantly re- Diseases Center, which is highly equipped and prepared to deal chance to learn about the man- the considerable political infl u- series presents “A Night at the are hundreds of strains of viruses duce the impact to the rest of the with any communicable disease, including coronavirus. groves in Qatar, the state of the ence that football wields today. Vienna Opera Ball” on February similar to Sars found in bats, of world,” he added. ocean today, and simple steps Matthias Krug, longtime Qatar 20, while budding Arabic writers anyone can take to reduce their resident and author of Journey can learn how to develop their plastic use to protect the oceans. on a Football Carpet, will dis- screenplays with the help of Dr Those looking to bring sus- cuss the history of football in Majd Khalid on February 22. tainability to the business world Qatar and the process of bid- “The Indian Navy and the New fuel stations bring relief to motorists, help will benefi t from “Sustainable ding for the 2022 FIFA World Mapping of the Gulf, 1612- Creative Marketing,” presented Cup. He will be joined by Bora 1947: Talk & Exhibition Tour” by Dr Eman al-Failakawi, on Milutinovic (ambassador for on February 25 presents a talk reduce queues of vehicles waiting to fi ll up February 13. She will show en- the 2022 World Cup); Shaima about the history of the Indian trepreneurs and business own- Abdullah, Qatar Women’s Na- Navy’s involvement in the Gulf ers new ways to market their tional Team goalkeeper; and since 1612 and its role in the Motorists have lauded the the Al Hilal Petrol Station, products and services at their products or ideas in a profes- Qatari football icon Badr Bilal mapping of the shores of East- frequent opening of new fuel Fuel prices stabilise Baaya Petrol Station, Al convenience and comfort” sional way and achieve sustain- to talk about the role of football ern Arabia during the 1760s to stations around the country by in February Sailiya-2 Petrol Station and Woqod has recently accelerated able marketing eff ectively. in politics and society. the 1860s, to be followed by a Qatar Fuel Company (Woqod), Qatar Petroleum (QP) an- expansion of the Al Markhiya the process for the construction A full programme of regu- Turning the focus to person- tour of the “Qatar, India & the saying this has significantly nounced yesterday that the Petrol Station since the of new petrol stations to meet lar events is also on schedule al growth, the Public Speak- Gulf” exhibition, open until the helped reduce queues of prices of diesel and gasoline beginning of January. the fuel needs of the country, he throughout February. The Qatar ing and Debate Workshop on end of February. vehicles waiting to fill up and for February are unchanged Apart from gasoline and diesel added. given relief to them. from January. products, the petrol stations Motorists have also lauded “Less time for refuelling actually Qatar Petroleum has set the - which operate round the clock - Woqod for extending the hoses means more time for other price of diesel at QR1.85 per off er services and facilities such at service stations, enabling important matters, especially litre and gasoline 95 (Super) as Sidra convenience stores, car attendants to fuel vehicles from Beautification works completed for those who are always on the at QR1.90 per litre, the same wash, oil change and tyre repair, either side of a pump. road. I hope to see more stations prices as of January. etc. Some of these stations also Raju, a Bangladeshi expatriate opening soon,” Jeff rey M, an Gasoline price 91 (Premium) sell the Shafaf LPG cylinders. who works as a driver for a Asian expatriate who works as a price also saw stability, as QP The company also announced private company, said this move salesperson, said yesterday. set its price at QR1.75 per litre. the opening of two mobile petrol maximised the use of lanes Jeff rey said he previously (QNA) stations at The Pearl and South at every petrol station and scheduled a particular day and Al Aamriya early in January. prevented long queues, which time (early Friday morning) to The new openings come as part earlier extended to the road refuel his car just to avoid the Thursday, raising its network of of Woqod’s ongoing expansion at times, impeding the flow of long queues. “Now, I just have to fixed and mobile petrol stations plans to serve every area in traff ic. look for the nearest station on to 103. Before that, the company Qatar. He noted that the increasing any given day and refuel right opened the 12,750sq m Rawdat In a statement, Woqod number of petrol stations has away.” Al Hamama-3 Petrol Station on managing director and CEO also made many motorists - who Woqod has been on a petrol Wednesday and the 20,000sq Saad Rashid al-Muhannadi often take their vehicles for a car station-opening spree of late, m Al Nigyan Petrol Station on Al stressed that the company wash - breathe a sigh of relief. inaugurating three such facilities Majd Road on Tuesday. “aspires to expand its petrol “If a new Woqod petrol station in diff erent locations over the Woqod has also announced station network in the country opens, then new car wash last three days and several more the opening of the New to meet the rising demand for service stations also open,” Raju since the start of January. Industrial Area Petrol Station, petroleum products and achieve said, adding that taking a vehicle Al Shamal Municipality’s Department of General Services Aff airs completed beautification works It opened the 12,000sq m Umm Al Seneem (Ain Khalid-2) the goal of providing customers for such a service usually on roads totalling a length of 1,047m. An irrigation network was set up for plants and median Sealine Petrol Station on Petrol Station, expansion of with access to best-in-class consumes some time. paved with stones. A total of 65 flower pots were also placed along the median. Awareness programmes QU’s Al-Bairaq programme kicks off new year with a slew of achievements

atar University’s (QU) ing its own development plans international institutions. will judge projects based on tracted a large number of visi- Al-Bairaq programme that include the entity of the Al-Bairaq also took on a new several criteria in terms of engi- tors of various ages and back- Qwhich has completed programme and the students role in the Q-Stem competition, neering and science. grounds and was distinguished 10 years, has pioneered an in- participating in it. organised by the Ministry of During last month, the pro- by its interactive and unique novative approach to education Al-Bairaq welcomed the New Education and Higher Educa- gramme participated in the QU approach. in the country and reaped many Year with a major global vic- tion to organise a series of basic booth at the 30th Doha Inter- Finally, Al-Bairaq is prepar- achievements, according to a tory at the Reimagine Educa- training workshops for 140 of national Book Fair, where rep- ing to start a new cycle of “I statement. tion Conference and Awards, the competing middle and ele- resentatives carried out various am Discovering Materials” for Al-Bairaq is a non-tradition- winning gold and silver awards. mentary school students. These activities that integrate read- the sixth cycle for the primary al educational project of QU, in This conference provides a workshops introduce students ing and science, attracting the and preparatory levels, which which students at Qatari sec- platform and competitive space to the STEAM curriculum (sci- attention of many school stu- includes a large number of ondary schools work in teams for projects, programmes, indi- ence, technology, engineering, dents and other audiences. schools in the north of Doha. with highly exquisite universi- viduals and institutions inter- mathematics and arts) and pre- During the annual Darb Al This cycle aims to cultivate a ty-level scientists on practical ested in the fi eld of education pare them to practise and apply Saai event, Al-Bairaq commis- culture of scientifi c research Students attended awareness programmes by the Public Parks scientifi c problems in authentic and changing learning meth- its principles during the chal- sioned a work area to carry out and problem solving for this Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment. contexts. ods to show their creativity and lenge, which is to provide solu- activities related to the STEAM age group, increase their The aim was to enlighten them about importance of home The programme is keen to es- share their fi ndings. Al-Bairaq’s tions to the problems of Qatar. curriculum, such as allowing love for science and encour- gardens and how to grow plants. tablish its mark by achieving its victory in this award represents Al-Bairaq will also be part of visitors to perform scientifi c age them to choose scientifi c annual goals and implement- signifi cant recognition from top the evaluation committee and experiments. The station at- disciplines. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 3 REGION/ARAB WORLD Thousands in Jordan Security tightened in protest US peace plan Old City AFP Amman but prayers housands of Jordani- ans protested yesterday Tin the capital Amman against US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan pass calmly and set fi re to the Israeli fl ag.

Immediately after Trump Britain cautions AFP Jerusalem presented the plan fl anked by against annexing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin West Bank Netanyahu, offi cials said they srael stepped up security in would swiftly submit an annexa- Britain yesterday cautioned Jerusalem’s Old City yes- tion bill to cabinet tomorrow. Israel against quickly seizing Iterday after US President But the situation seemed less parts of the West Bank in line Donald Trump enraged Pales- clear yesterday, after Trump’s with a new Middle East initiative tinians with his controversial adviser and son-in-law Jared outlined by US President Donald peace plan, but weekly prayers Kushner said a decision would Trump. The UK foreign off ice at the fl ashpoint Al Aqsa Mosque be best left until a new govern- said London was “concerned passed off calmly. ment has been formed after a by reports of possible moves The plan released on Tues- March 2 election. toward annexation of parts of day was seen as heavily biased The acting head of the UN the West Bank by Israel. “Any towards Israel and was angrily agency for Palestinian refugees, such unilateral moves would be rejected by Palestinians, with Christian Saunders, said yes- damaging to renewed eff orts one of the key bones of conten- terday that Palestinians were in to re-start peace negotiations, tion being its classifi cation of a “state of shock” over the US and contrary to international Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided plan. law,” it said in a statement. “Any capital.” “We certainly have serious changes to the status quo can- Palestinians have long seen concerns that it will result in an not be taken forward without an the city’s eastern sector, which escalation in clashes and in vio- agreement negotiated by the was occupied by Israel in 1967, as lence,” he added. parties themselves.” the capital of their future state. At least 30 Palestinians have Fears of tensions were raised been wounded since Tuesday in Friday morning when a group of clashes with Israeli forces in the Chanting “Death to Israel”, Jordanians take to the streets of Amman, in front of the Al-Husseini mosque in the centre of the capital, to protest against the US-brokered Palestinians protested at the Al West Bank, although the dem- about 3,000 people took part proposal for a settlement of the Middle East conflict, yesterday. Aqsa compound in east Jerusa- onstrations have mostly been in the demonstration, which lem after dawn prayers. small. started in front of the city’s Al- century”. Protesters chanted, support the Palestinians and Abdullah II reaffi rmed Jordan’s lem as its capital, a statement Israeli police “responded and In Hamas-controlled Gaza, Husseini Mosque, amid a heavy “Listen, damn Trump, Pales- the “resistance” against the “fi rm position” on the Palestin- added. The US plan released dispersed the gathering,” police thousands gathered for demon- security presence, an AFP pho- tine is not for sale” and “The Jewish state. ian issue in a phone conversation on Tuesday was seen as heav- spokesman Micky Rosenfeld strations this week. tographer said. Jordanian and Palestinian peo- Hundreds gathered in simi- with Palestinian President Mah- ily biased towards Israel and was said, saying the protesters had Many more donned badges Protesters carried Jordanian ple are one, not two”. lar protests in the cities of Irbid moud Abbas, the palace said. angrily rejected by Palestinians, chanted “nationalist” slogans. proclaiming “no to the deal of and Palestinian fl ags and held Almost 300 people demon- in the country’s north, in Karak, He said Jordan will continue with one of the key bones of con- But noon prayers, when more the century”.There has been up signs that read “Jordan re- strated in front of the US Em- south of Amman, and in Salt, to back the Palestinian people tention being its classifi cation of than 30,000 Palestinians at- some rocket fi re from Gaza into jects the deal of the century” bassy in Amman, calling on northwest of the capital. in their eff ort to set up an inde- Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided tended the mosque, passed off Israel, but on nothing like the and “Down with the deal of the Arab and Muslim countries to The protests came as King pendent state with east Jerusa- capital”. without incident, religious of- scale of barrages launched dur- fi cials and AFP journalists said. ing multiple fl are-ups last year. The weekly prayers have pre- AIR STRIKES viously been a rallying point for Israel carried out air strikes on demonstrations. Hamas targets in Gaza early yes- Rosenfeld said “heightened terday after three rockets were Iran Pressure mounts on Iraq to choose PM security” measures would be in fi red the previous evening, caus- place across the Old City and ing neither casualties nor dam- “police units will respond if nec- age, the army said. says new AFP makers did not name a candi- no provisions for the prime tre of Tahrir Square in Bagh- essary”. The Trump plan gives And yesterday afternoon the Baghdad date by today. minister’s resignation and dad. Yesterday, protesters ve- Israel the green light to annex the Israeli army said that three mor- Sistani piled on the pressure the 15-day period since Abdel toed another candidate — Iraqi strategic Jordan Valley, which tar rounds were fi red from Gaza sanctions in his weekly sermon yester- Mahdi stepped down has long intelligence chief Mustafa Ka- constitutes some 30 % of the into Israel, prompting a retalia- ressure mounted on day, urging parties to “accel- since expired. zemi — by giving his portrait West Bank, as well as all Israeli tory strike by a tank on a “Hamas Iraq’s political elite yes- erate the formation of a new It is also unclear if it allows the same treatment. settlements, which now number military post” in the south of the will have Pterday to nominate a government” and “take the for the president to name his Protester turn-out in Tahrir more than 200, including those enclave. new premier, after a stern ser- necessary steps to hold free own candidate in this situa- had dwindled since Sadr ap- in annexed east Jerusalem. The Palestinians have sought mon from the country’s top and fair elections as soon as tion. Saleh’s letter sent fac- peared to drop support for The settlements are home to to rally international support ‘no eff ect’ religious authority and a call possible”. tions into crisis talks, with their civic movement last some 600,000 Israelis but are against the plan, which they see for fresh protests by fi rebrand “The continuation of the one political fi gure saying they week. considered illegal under inter- as illegal and a violation of their cleric Moqtada Sadr. current crisis and the lack of were “tense”. Any contender Sadr backed the rallies when national law. rights. AFP Iraq’s capital and the south political, economic and se- would need a green light from they fi rst erupted in October Tehran have been gripped by four curity stability are not in the a dizzying array of fi gures — and called on the government months of anti-government interest of the country or the the divided political class. to resign — even though he protests demanding snap elec- future of its people,” Sistani Progress has been slowed controls the largest bloc in Houthis say attacks were response to air strikes ew American sanctions tions, a politically independ- warned in a sermon delivered by the absence of two skilled parliament and a number of against Iran’s nuclear ent prime minister and an end by his representative. brokers who were key to con- key ministerial posts. Yemen’s Houthi military spokes- confirmed the strikes, and the Nprogramme will have to corruption. Top United Nations offi cial sensus in other rocky times: Sadr has a cult-like following man said yesterday the group coalition has not responded to “no eff ect”, Iranian foreign min- They pushed prime minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert Iranian general Qasem So- in Iraq and his supporters were had launched 26 rocket attacks requests for comment. istry spokesman Abbas Mousavi Adel Abdel Mahdi to resign in has also been pushing for leimani and Iraqi paramili- widely recognised as the best- in the past week against airports If confirmed, the attacks would said yesterday. December, but he has stayed progress, tweeting yesterday tary commander Abu Mahdi organised and well-equipped in southern Saudi Arabia, be the first by the Houthis on Washington announced new on in a caretaker role as rival that solutions were “urgently al-Muhandis, both killed in a demonstrators in Tahrir. facilities belonging to oil giant Saudi Arabia since late Sep- sanctions on Thursday against parties have struggled to agree needed” in order to “break the US drone strike in Baghdad on But after holding a separate, Saudi Aramco and “two sensitive tember, when the group which the Atomic Energy Organisation on a successor. political deadlock”.According January 3. anti-US rally a week ago, he said targets deep in” the kingdom. controls most urban centres in of Iran and its head Ali Akbar The political paralysis has to Iraq’s constitution, parlia- Still, a politician close to the he would no longer “interfere” The spokesman for the group, Yemen said it would halt missile Salehi. frustrated not only the pro- ment’s largest bloc must nom- talks said a near-consensus in the civil campaign and his Yahya Sarea, said the attacks, and drone attacks if the coalition Brian Hook, the US pointman testers, but the country’s pres- inate a prime minister within had been formed around ex- hard-core supporters disman- which were first announced ended air strikes on Yemen. on Iran, accused them of playing ident Barham Saleh and its top 15 days of legislative elections. minister Mohamed Tawfi q tled their tents in protest camps on Thursday, were in response That off er came after the “a big role in Iran breaching its authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali The candidate is then tasked Allawi, but some key parties across the country. to air strikes carried out inside Houthis claimed responsibility key nuclear commitments” and Sistani. by the president with form- were resisting his nomination. Yesterday, he appeared to Yemen by a coalition battling for a Sept 14 attack on Saudi exceeding “the limits on its ura- Saleh this week told Iraq’s ing a government within one Protesters had already re- change his mind again, calling the Houthis for the past five oil facilities that initially halved nium stockpile and enrichment deeply divided parliament he month. jected Allawi, hanging up his for his backers “to renew the years. the kingdom’s output. Riyadh levels”. would nominate a new prime But Iraq is in a legal grey portrait with a large “X” over peaceful, reformist revolu- The Saudi authorities have not rejected the Houthi claim. In a statement, Mousavi said minister unilaterally if law- area, as the constitution makes his face in the protest epicen- tion”. “Mr Salehi is an eminent sci- entifi c and political fi gure” and sanctions against him showed the “despair” of the United States. The sanctions would have “no impact on the progress of Regime on verge of recapturing Idlib highway town the peaceful nuclear programme of the Islamic republic of Iran,” Mousavi added. AFP of heightened bombardment, rescue workers were wounded, ing towards them from the Saraqeb the Syrian Observatory for Hu- all of whom are now in stable south, he said during a govern- man Rights said. condition, said Mustafa Abu ment-organised tour of Maarat HEALTH The clashes were within two Hamdou, who heads civil de- al-Numan on Thursday. Kuwait, Oman yrian regime forces were kilometres of the town, which fence teams in Idlib. The Idlib region is dominated issue advisory poised yesterday to retake lies on the M5 highway con- “The centre is now out of by militants from the Hayat Sthe rebel-held town of necting the Syrian capital Da- service,” Hamdou added. Tahrir al-Sham alliance, led by against China visit Saraqeb in the country’s north- mascus to Aleppo, said the Brit- It was not immediately clear a former Al Qaeda affi liate. west where battles this week ain-based Observatory. whether regime or Russian war- Damascus, which controls Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Aff airs killed more than 400 combat- Saraqeb also sits at the junc- planes where behind the strike. more than 70% of Syria, has re- advised its citizens against travel- ants, a monitor said. tion of the M4, which runs If the government takes peatedly vowed to reclaim the ling to China and called upon Ku- Russian-backed regime forc- west-to-east across Idlib, link- Saraqeb, it would be the second entire country, including Idlib. waiti citizens currently in China to es have advanced with a double- ing the coastal regime strong- strategic town in Idlib province The violence in the north- quickly leave amid fears from the pronged push in the Idlib region, hold of Latakia to Aleppo, once to be recaptured by Damascus west has displaced more than coronavirus outbreak, the state home to some 3mn people, half Syria’s industrial hub. forces this week. 388,000 people, according to news agency said, citing a ministry of whom have been displaced Both highways are coveted by On Wednesday, rebels and A man searches through the debris at a damaged headquarters the United Nations, and killed statement yesterday. from other parts of the country. the regime as it seeks to revive militants pulled out of Maarat used by the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the “White more than 260 civilians, ac- The statement also called on Slowly chipping away from a moribund economy after nine al-Numan, which also lies on Helmets”, following reported Russian air strikes in Saraqib, east cording to Observatory. Kuwaiti citizens to keep away from the south and northeast, they years of war. the M5. About 50 kilometres of of Idlib in northwestern Syria, yesterday. Aid groups have warned the other countries in which the virus have shrunk Syria’s last major In conjunction with the the M5 remain outside regime latest violence is compounding appeared. opposition bastion to just over ground push, air strikes hit control, mostly in the western in the largest escalation there who asked not to be named said one of the war’s worst humani- Meanwhile, Oman’s health minis- half of Idlib province and sliv- Saraqeb yesterday, with one countryside of Aleppo province, since 2016. The fi ghting in Idlib the push in the two provinces tarian disasters. “The situation try also advised against travel to ers of neighbouring Aleppo and falling on a centre for civil de- which neighbours Idlib, accord- and in western Aleppo over the aims to secure key highways here in the northwest of Syria China because of the outbreak. Latakia. fence rescue workers, said an ing to the Observatory. past week has killed 205 pro- and corner rebels and militants is unbearable for civilians,” said “It is advisable not to travel to Yesterday, regime forces bat- AFP correspondent in the area. Rebels and militants have government fi ghters and 220 in a shrinking pocket in cen- Lorenzo Redalie of the Inter- China unless it is absolutely neces- tled militants and rebels on the Parts of the building where been locked in fi erce battles anti-regime combatants, the tral Idlib. Regime forces near national Committee of the Red sary,” the ministry said in a Twitter edges of Saraqeb, which is near- the centre is located were re- with regime forces in west- Observatory said. Saraqeb are pushing north, Cross. “They are mentally and posting. ly deserted following two weeks duced to rubble and at least six ern Aleppo since mid-January, A Syrian military commander while those in Aleppo are mov- physically strained.” Gulf Times 4 Saturday, February 1, 2020 AFRICA

East African airlines suspend China fl ights due to coronavirus

Reuters people in China and spread to 18 been isolated in a Nairobi hos- sation on Thursday declared a which operates one fl ight daily fl ights a week to Guangzhou, has that fl ights were cancelled. Nairobi/Kigali countries. pital having arrived on Tuesday global emergency as the virus to Guangzhou via Bangkok, joins also suspended the fl ights, the Air Tanzania, which was poised Kenya’s health ministry said on a Kenya Airways fl ight from spread to more countries. other airlines around the world airline said yesterday, adding that to start maiden fl ights from Dar es samples from a person suspect- Guangzhou in southern China. Air transport links between that have stopped fl ying to the the decision would be reviewed in Salaam to China in February, said enya Airways and ed of having the new coronavirus “We have temporarily sus- Africa and China have boomed world’s second-largest economy February. on Wednesday it had postponed RwandAir said yesterday sent to South Africa for further pended all fl ights to and from in the past 20 years, in tandem as it deals with the outbreak that On Thursday, Ethiopian Air- the plan, citing concerns over the Kthat they had suspended tests had turned out negative. Guangzhou starting Friday until with the growth of trade, social, has infected at least 8,000 people. lines, Africa’s largest carrier, spread of the virus. Kenya Airways all fl ights to and from China The patient, a student in the further notice,” the airline said in economic, political and cultural Flights to Bangkok will continue, denied reports that it would sus- did not respond to queries about until further notice after a virus epicentre of the outbreak in a statement. ties between the continent and Kenya Airways said. pend fl ights to the Asian country the share of its revenue that comes outbreak killed more than 200 the city of Wuhan, China, has The World Health Organi- the Asian giant. Kenya Airways, RwandAir, which operates three after its call centre told Reuters from the China fl ights. Three killed in Lagos motorcycle taxi Boko Haram drivers march against ban suicide bombing

Reuters Lagos in Nigeria

ore than 1,000 mo- AFP were outside chatting with torcycle taxi drivers Kano neighbours,” he said. Mmarched to the gates of The two bombers sneaked the Lagos state legislature yes- into the area together but split terday to protest against a meas- girl detonated a bomb, to attack diff erent targets, Bola ure that will bar them from much killing three boys at a said. The scene of the bomb- of Nigeria’s traffi c-choked com- Aseminary in northeast ings, a popular night time mercial capital. Nigeria in an attack that bore venue for residents, has been The marchers, many of the hallmarks of Boko Haram, repeatedly targeted by sui- whom wore or carried motor- a local militia and residents cide attacks blamed on Boko cycle helmets, oppose a ban said yesterday. Haram. The group is notorious on commercial motorcycles The girl, aged around 12, for suicide attacks on civil- known locally as okadas and detonated the device late ian targets including schools, three-wheeled motorised rick- Thursday when open-air mosques and motor parks. shaws called kekes from the classes were on in Muna Dalti, In April, three people were city’s streets. on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killed and 33 injured in twin The state government said the capital of Borno state. suicide blasts among a crowd the decision, which goes into She walked up to the group in Muna Dalti which houses a force today, is necessary for of boys who were just ending sprawling camp for thousands safety and security. their lessons and “blew herself displaced by the militant vio- The protesters denied they up in their midst,” Mohamed lence. flout traffic rules and said they Bola, head of the anti-militant Another faction affi liated to are an essential part of the militia in the area, said. the Islamic State focuses on economy in the teeming city “She killed three boys and military targets, although it of 20mn people that has huge injured four others,” Bola said has recently been blamed for traffic jams. about the attack which hap- attacks on civilians. Many of them work for ride- pened around 1900 GMT. The decade-long violence hailing apps Gokada and Max. Moments earlier, another has killed 35,000 people in ng, which have called the ban young girl stormed into a northeast Nigeria and dis- an attack on poor people as house in the area and detonat- placed around 2mn from their many of the riders have few ed her explosives, injuring one homes, creating a dire human- other employment options. person, said resident Salisu itarian crisis. “If they ban the bikes I Mohamed. The confl ict has spread to won’t be able to pay my rent “The house was totally de- neighbouring Niger, Chad or my children’s’ school fees. stroyed. and Cameroon, prompting a I’m a graduate. I went to Luckily, no one was killed regional military response to school but there are no good as the occupants of the house combat the militant groups. jobs in the country so I need Members of the Transportation Hailing Alliance of Nigeria (THAN) protest in front of the Lagos State House against the ban of commercial to do this one to help my- motorcycles in Lagos, yesterday. self and my family,” Chigozie Bright, a 33-year-old driver the slogan as they went, but that customers would lob- kekes, and opposed the gov- in a tweet that the okadas and who started with ride service there were no signs of vio- by for the ban to be lifted ernment’s move. kekes were dangerous and the App Gokada last year. lence. once they were left without “To put a blanket ban is not drivers needed to learn “trades Safeguards ordered Some of the marchers car- Protesters said they would rides. Obiorah Obiorah, who proper because the roads are we used to be proud of” such ried signs saying “Regulate not disobey the ban by of- watched the march from a car, bad, totally bad,” he said. as bricklaying, printing or Us — Not Kill Us” and shouted fering rides today, and hoped said he relied on okadas and The state government said tailoring. for Kenyan digital IDs

Reuters Namba — “service number” in Nairobi KiSwahili — plan and agreed to give fi ngerprints and get en- Ugandan medics deploy AI to stop women dying after childbirth tered on a database. enya’s high court said It argues the scheme will cut the government could through red tape. The judges Thomson Reuters Foundation The phone-sized gadget transmits pa- than two-thirds of those deaths, due to African countries where connectivity and Kgo ahead with a new ruled late on Thursday that Nairobi tients’ data such as respiratory rate, oxy- poorly-equipped medical facilities and power is unreliable. digital ID scheme, as long as Huduma Namba could con- gen levels, pulse, temperature and blood limited healthcare workers. McCann said Internet and electricity it brought in stronger regula- tinue, with conditions. pressure to a desktop or mobile platform. UN fi gures show more women and coverage was rapidly expanding across the tions and did not use it to col- It would be unconstitutional gandan doctors are giving new Algorithms detect at-risk cases and newborns survive now than ever before continent. Addressing concerns over pa- lect citizens’ DNA and geo-lo- to collect DNA and global po- mothers artifi cial intelligence-en- alert doctors. Joseph Ngonzi from Mbara- but nations committed to ending mater- tients’ data privacy, he said participants cation data. Rights groups had sitioning system (GPS) data — Uabled devices to remotely monitor ra University of Science and Technol- nal deaths face funding shortfalls, accord- provide written, informed consent — and argued the scheme violated as had been suggested in early their health in a fi rst-of-its-kind study ogy, which is conducting the study, said ing to women’s rights groups. their data is encrypted. privacy and asked the judges versions of the plans for the aiming to curb thousands of preventable it would help “improve monitoring in a New York-based software fi rm Current Uganda enacted data protection and to outlaw the whole system — scheme — they said. maternal deaths across Africa, medics and resource-constrained environment”. The Health, which developed the technology, privacy legislation in 2019. under which people will get a “The government may con- developers said. World Health Organisation says almost said the technology had the potential to “We only use that data for the purposes single ID number and a card tinue with its exercise to im- Doctors at Mbarara Hospital in west- 300,000 women worldwide die annually improve postpartum healthcare for wom- of delivering our service and making it that will give them access to plement biometric and use of ern Uganda will give devices to more than from preventable causes related to preg- en across Africa. better for patients,” he said. “I believe pa- public services. data on the condition that it 1,000 women who have undergone cae- nancy and childbirth — that’s more than CEO Chris McCann said the devices — tients should clearly know exactly what is The government says thou- will enact relevant data pro- sarean section births to wear on their up- 800 women every day. which require wireless Internet and elec- happening with their data, and we make sands of people have already tection laws,” the high court per arms at all times. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more tricity — may not yet be practical for some this very transparent to them.” signed up for the Huduma added in its ruling.

African youth activists warn of ‘great danger’ from climate chaos

Thomson Reuters Foundation yesterday to an eff ort to focus “we are living through (climate ticularly beyond two degrees London attention on climate threats fac- impacts) every single day”, said Celsius above pre-industrial ing Africa after young climate activist Ayakha Melithafa. times, “we are in great danger”, activists who tried to spread that Poor people who are “really she added. Global temperatures fricans are facing wors- message at the World Economic struggling to make ends meet, to have already heated up by more ening food and water Forum in Davos last week were have a decent meal at the end of than 1 degree and are on track Ainsecurity among other largely overlooked, she said. the day” now need to fi nd mon- for at least 3 degrees of warm- threats from climate and weath- African perspectives are “al- ey to buy water as their regular ing by the turn of the century er extremes — but few grasp how ways so under-reported” and sources disappear, the South even if current national pledges and why they are at risk, or see boosting awareness is key “to get African said, even as richer resi- under the 2015 Paris Agree- global warming as a top policy those in the most powerful posi- dents dig private wells. ment on climate change are priority, young African activists tions to do something”, Thun- But persuading more people to met, scientists say. warned yesterday. berg, 17, told journalists. push for climate action is diffi cult Nakate said burgeoning “In school, it’s taught as Makenna Muigai, a young cli- because they face so many other street protests around the something in the future (that) mate activist from Nairobi, said daily challenges, from unemploy- world in 2019, led in part by we do not have to worry about,” her continent was grappling with ment to domestic violence and Thunberg and the Fridays for said Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan problems — from deforestation xenophobia, she said. Future youth movement, had Fridays for Future protester, via to poor energy policy — that are Nakate said she sees much made many more people aware live video at a Stockholm press feeding climate change.”All of us, the same thing in her country, of climate risks and had be- event with school climate strike at the end of the day, will be af- Uganda.”It is hard to convince Swedish climate activists Greta Thunberg (right) and Ell Ottosson Jarl sit in front of a screen displaying gun to exert pressure on global founder Greta Thunberg. fected,” she said. someone to fi ght as much as pos- Vanessa Nakate from the Fridays For Future movement in Uganda as they give a press conference during leaders. “If only the school institu- But the push to limit climate sible for the future when they have a meeting with climate activists and experts from Africa, in Stockholm, yesterday. In 2020, activists would need tions would teach the students change and deal better with its other current problems,” she said. to keep up the pressure, and help it is something happening right eff ects faces a range of road- Other Africans fear speaking really express themselves with- burg’s Witwatersrand Univer- ing traditional knowledge. more people understand that now”, that could unleash a new blocks, the activists said. out, Nakate said, because of laws out fear of being arrested or oth- sity, said she was confi dent Af- “The narrative we have is everyone will be aff ected and “all generation of activists and drive In South Africa, for instance, in some countries limiting free- er consequences,” she said. rica could tackle some climate (that) Africa can’t adapt to this. need to speak up”, she added. the problem up the agenda of Af- where severe drought has hit dom of expression, including the Ndoni Mcunu, a climate sci- impacts through measures like But that’s not true,” she said. “If 2019 was the year of creat- rican leaders, Nakate said. harvests and water supplies, and right to stage marches and street entist doing a PhD at the Global improving irrigation on farms, If global temperatures con- ing awareness, let’s make 2020 Thunberg lent her star power power blackouts are common, protests. “It’s hard for people to Change Institute at Johannes- growing diff erent crops and us- tinue to rise, however, par- the year of action,” she said. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 5 AMERICAS

Jetliner attacker’s wife can’t collect life insurance The wife of a Palestinian man convicted in an attack on an airliner cannot collect on her late husband’s life insurance Democratic witness bid because he omitted his criminal record when he took out the policy, a Canadian court ruled on Thursday. “It is a principle of long standing that an applicant for insurance has an obligation to reveal to the insurer any information that is ‘doomed’ in Trump trial material to the application,” the Ontario Court of Appeal said in Reuters ported that Bolton – contradict- overturning a lower court ruling. Washington ing Trump’s version of events “The deceased knew that his – wrote that the president told past activities were relevant,” it him he wanted to freeze $391mn concluded. nother key Republican in security aid to Ukraine until Mahmoud Mohamed Issa announced opposition to Kyiv pursued investigations of Mohamed, a member of the Acalling witnesses in US Democrats, including Biden and Popular Front for the Liberation President Donald Trump’s Sen- the former vice-president’s son, of Palestine (PFLP), had been ate impeachment trial, appear- Hunter Biden. convicted in Greece for killing ing to doom a bid by Democrats Yesterday the Times report- one person and destroying an to have testimony in the trial and ed that Bolton also wrote that El Al jetliner in a grenades and paving the way for Trump’s ex- Trump directed him in May to gunfire attack at the Athens pected acquittal. assist in a pressure campaign to airport in 1968. Senator Lisa Murkowski said get damaging information on He was released in a hostage yesterday that she carefully con- Schumer: If my Republican colleagues refuse to even consider Democrats from Ukrainian of- negotiation and, under an alias, sidered the need for witnesses witnesses and documents in this trial, this country is headed fi cials. moved to Canada in 1987. and documents to be used in the towards the greatest cover-up since Watergate. Bolton wrote that Trump is- Canada, which has banned trial that will determine whether sued the order in a White House the PFLP as a terrorist group, Trump is removed from offi ce, lican senators in the 100-seat The Democratic-led House conversation that also included eventually extradited him to but ultimately decided against chamber to support such a call. voted to impeach Trump on De- acting White House Chief of Lebanon, where he died of cancer it. Barring an unforeseen change cember 18. Staff Mick Mulvaney, personal in 2015. Murkowski said in a statement of heart by other Republican It charged him with abuse of lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and White His wife Fadia Khalil Mohamed as that the charges brought against senators, Trump’s allies seemed power for asking Ukraine to in- House Counsel Pat Cipollone, sole beneficiary sought to collect Trump by the House were rushed assured of defeating the request vestigate a political rival, Demo- who is part of the president’s on his C$75,000 ($57,000) policy. and fl awed and that “some of my for testimony. cratic presidential hopeful Joe impeachment defence team, the However, the Manufacturers colleagues” intended to further Alexander: said late on Thursday that Democrats had proven the “If my Republican colleagues Biden. Times reported. Life Insurance Company said his politicise the process. case against Trump, but that the president’s actions did ‘not meet refuse to even consider witness- It also charged him with ob- Bolton wrote that Trump told failure to disclose his violent past “Given the partisan nature the US Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable off ence’. es and documents in this trial, struction of Congress for block- him to call Ukrainian President and membership in a “terrorist of this impeachment from the this country is headed towards ing current and former offi cials Volodymyr Zelenskiy to en- entity” voided the policy. very beginning and throughout, resentatives Democrats serving telling the truth. Let’s fi nd out,” the greatest cover-up since Wa- from providing testimony or sure Zelenskiy would meet with “The past actions of the deceased I have come to the conclusion as prosecutors making a fi nal Schiff told the Senate. “Let’s put tergate,” Chuck Schumer, the top documents to the House. Giuliani, a key player in the cam- were material to the risk that he that there will be no fair trial in pitch for witnesses such as John John Bolton under oath. Let’s Senate Democrat, told reporters, Trump, who is only the third paign, the Times reported. posed for the purpose of having the Senate. Bolton, Trump’s former national fi nd out who’s telling the truth. referring to the corruption scan- president in US history to be The White House has objected his life insured,” the appeals court “I don’t believe the continu- security adviser. A trial is supposed to be a quest dal that prompted Richard Nix- impeached, denies any wrong- to the publication of the book, said. ation of this process will change The Senate was due later to for the truth. Let’s not fear what on in 1974 to become the only US doing. saying that it contains classifi ed anything. vote on the witness issue. we will learn.” president to resign. A two-thirds majority in the information that could harm na- It is sad for me to admit that, Adam Schiff , who leads the The timing of a fi nal vote on Acquittal in a “sham trial” Senate is required to remove tional security if disclosed. US soldiers hurt in as an institution, the Congress Democratic prosecution team, whether to convict or acquit would prompt Trump to con- Trump from offi ce. Democrats have said Trump has failed.” noted that the Senate will be Trump was unclear. clude he “can try to cheat in his No Republicans have yet indi- abused his power by using the Iran missile strike Democrats, who earlier in the voting just hours after the New Republican senators had said election again, something that cated that they will vote to con- security aid – passed by Con- up to 64: Pentagon day sounded resigned to defeat York Times reported new de- it could take place today. eats at the roots of our democ- vict. gress to help Ukraine battle Rus- in their bid to call witnesses, tails from Bolton’s unpublished But some senators said the fi - racy”, Schumer said. Trump’s Republican allies sia-backed separatists – and a The number of US troops injured would need four Republicans to book manuscript in which the nal vote may be put off until next Trump is seeking re-election have sought to keep the trial on coveted White House invitation by an Iranian missile strike in join them to win a vote to allow former aide said Trump directed week, perhaps until Wednesday. in a November 3 vote. a fast track and minimise any to Zelenskiy as leverage to get a Iraq this month has risen to 64, testimony and new evidence. him in May to help out in a pres- Earlier yesterday Mitt Rom- Republican Senator Lamar damage to the president. foreign power to smear a politi- according to new figures released “Tonight, all signs point to sure campaign aimed at getting ney became the second Repub- Alexander, who had been unde- The New York Times, which cal rival. by the Pentagon. a rushed acquittal of an im- Ukraine to pursue investigations lican senator to declare support cided, said late on Thursday that previously reported on allega- Trump’s acquittal would al- US President Donald Trump had peached president,” Patty Mur- that would help Trump politi- for calling witnesses. Democrats had proven the case tions made in Bolton’s manu- low him to claim vindication initially said no Americans were ray, a member of the Senate cally. Romney, the 2012 Republican against Trump but that the pres- script that go to the heart of just as Democrats hold the fi rst hurt by the missiles fired on a Democratic leadership, told re- Schiff noted that Trump de- presidential nominee and some- ident’s actions did “not meet the impeachment charges, reported of the state-by-state nominat- base housing US soldiers in the porters. nied Bolton’s account. time critic of Trump, and fellow United States Constitution’s yesterday on additional material ing contests on Monday in Iowa country’s west on January 8. The Senate resumed the pro- “So here you have the presi- moderate Susan Collins are the high bar for an impeachable of- in the book. to choose the party’s nominee to Democrats later accused Trump ceedings with the House of Rep- dent saying John Bolton is not only ones among the 53 Repub- fence”. The Times previously re- challenge Trump in the election. of trying to downplay the injuries. The American personnel have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement Democrats court Iowans on Thursday. The Pentagon said on Wednesday that 50 soldiers were injured in the Iranian strike on the Ain Al- Asad base. ahead of Monday’s vote Iran fired on Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for an American drone attack that AFP during his impeachment trial. believe these people?” he huff ed with a very important election killed Iranian commander Qasem Burlington, US In a twist of political fate, the at a packed rally where attendees coming up is to look to the same Soleimani in Baghdad, raising very process that each of them chanted “Four more years!” Washington playbook and re- fears of war. hoped would conclude with He took aim at several Demo- cycle the same arguments and At the time of the strikes most emocratic presidential Trump’s removal from offi ce has crats: “Crazy” Bernie Sanders, expect that to work against a of the 1,500 American soldiers candidates like Joe Bi- deprived them of multiple days “Sleepy Joe” Biden, and former president like Donald Trump,” at the Ain Al-Asad base were in Dden were traversing Iowa in Iowa at peak campaign time. Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg told Iowans in Deco- Elizabeth Warren’s son Alex holds the leash as a girl and her mum bunkers, after they were given yesterday, just days before an Warren was forced to cancel “Nobody can pronounce his rah. pet golden retriever Bailey Warren, during a advance warning from superiors. all-important vote launches the her appearance at two Friday name,” Trump grimaced. “We’ve got to galvanise, not meet-and-greet at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. party’s nomination contest. campaign events, in Sioux City Biden spent his Thursday on polarise” Americans, he said. But three high-profi le hope- and Ames, “due to the schedule the campaign trail hugging and Divergent political views sug- Warren sends star stand-in to Iowa: her dog Bailey Trump to expand fuls are unprecedentedly absent, for impeachment”, her campaign taking selfi es with supporters gest Democrats remain unde- tethered to Donald Trump’s im- said. as well as railing against a presi- cided on which path to take in Stuck in Washington as a juror in President Donald Trump’s impeach- travel ban: off icial peachment trial as rivals court Surrogates including con- dent he has declared a danger to the general election, and Trump ment trial while rivals for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination undecided voters. gresswomen Ayanna Pressley America. mercilessly mocked the radical crisscross Iowa, Senator Elizabeth Warren has tapped a stand-in with US President Donald Trump will All eyes are on the snowy, and Katie Porter will fi ll her “I can hardly wait to debate left-leaning approach from can- undeniable voter appeal: her dog Bailey. issue an expanded version of his sparsely-populated state as a shoes. this man,” Biden told a crowd in didates like Sanders, who ad- The latest opinion polls show either Senator Bernie Sanders or former travel ban, a US off icial said, a dozen White House contenders Sanders also missed his Iowa Waukee. vocates for universal healthcare vice-president Joe Biden in the lead in Iowa just days before the state’s move that could aff ect thousands battle for early momentum in events yesterday, but he too had Trump, Biden said, was trying and tuition-free college. February 3 caucuses, the country’s first contest to see who will challenge of immigrants and reignite the race to see who challenges stand-ins, including two liberal to obliterate the healthcare leg- “The Democrats will lose be- Trump in November’s presidential election. debate over whether the policy President Donald Trump in No- congresswomen, Ilhan Omar islation known as Obamacare, cause America will never be a Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, are close discriminates against Muslims. vember’s election. and Rashida Tlaib. ignores climate change and socialist country,” he said. behind the leaders, with Senator Amy Klobuchar in fifth place but having The United States will suspend With all to play for, former It remained unclear yesterday has “walked away from our al- The Iowa race is tight. gained ground in recent weeks. the issuance of visas that can vice-president Biden, the whether Sanders could escape lies and embraced dictators and Sanders, a 78-year-old run- Tied up with the trial, Warren cancelled appearances in Council Bluff s and lead to permanent residency for 77-year-old national front- Washington in time to host his thugs”. ning as a Democratic socialist, Le Mars in the western part of the state on Thursday, and instead sent her nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, runner, and fellow moderate campaign’s 6 pm concert in a His focus on Trump suggests is leading the charge in the state, husband Bruce Mann and their young golden retriever to meet backers Myanmar and Nigeria, acting Pete Buttigieg, 38, a former suburb of Iowa’s capital, Des he is already making the case for with Biden hot on his heels. at campaign off ices. Homeland Security Secretary Indiana mayor, have launched Moines, featuring indie band a Biden-Trump showdown. Centrist Buttigieg and pro- “Bailey arrived in Iowa late on Friday. In twenty fours, the Des Moines Chad Wolf said during a call with whistlestop bus tours to press Bon Iver. Democrats have also clashed gressive Warren, 70, are within Register had endorsed Elizabeth ... the dog’s a natural closer,” Mann reporters yesterday. the fl esh in all corners of the Trump jetted in to Iowa to cast against one another on policy, striking distance, with a fi fth joked, to a tightly-packed room of volunteers and supporters at the The targeted immigrant visas are state. a long shadow over Monday’s performance or personalities. candidate, 59-year-old Klobu- Council Bluff s off ice. distinct from non-immigrant visas Each had several in-state caucuses, hammering away at Buttigieg signalled a readiness char, in the second-tier but Tail wagging furiously, Bailey posed for selfies, sniff ed around camera typically issued to visitors, which events yesterday. the “madness” of the far-left to take on both Biden and Sand- hoping to land a major upset. tripods, and let attendees, young and old, scratch his head. will not be impacted by the ban, However, three main chal- and criticising their eff orts to ers when he called them out by Billionaire businessman Many at Thursday afternoon’s meet-and-greet admitted that they had Wolf said. lengers – Senators Bernie Sand- remove him from offi ce. name and urged voters to turn Michael Bloomberg, who could already decided to vote for Warren and had primarily come to see Bailey The US government will also ers, Elizabeth Warren and Amy “We’re having probably the the page from yesterday’s poli- become a major player in the take centre-stage. stop issuing “diversity visas” to Klobuchar – were not there, best years that we’ve ever had in tics. race, is not running in Iowa, “He’s like family and he’s integrated into the campaign and I think it’s nationals of Sudan and Tanzania, bound by their duty to sit in the history of our country – and “History has shown us that while rank outsider John Dela- wonderful,” said Warren supporter Marsha Pinger. Wolf said. judgment of President Trump I just got impeached! Can you the biggest risk we could take ney dropped out yesterday.

Pompeo vows unwavering US support on Ukraine visit

AFP Zelenskiy said he appreciated US start of the impeachment proc- dom, democracy and prosperity is and important relations have been Kyiv support, but stressed that Wash- ess against US President Donald a valiant one. Our commitment to infl uenced by the question of the ington should be more involved Trump, who is accused of with- support it will not waver,” he said impeachment,” he said. in resolving his country’s confl ict holding military aid to push Kyiv at a news conference with Zelen- Zelenskiy said he was “ready S Secretary of State Mike with Moscow-backed separatists. into investigating his Democratic skiy. to go tomorrow” to meet with Pompeo has said that Ukraine is walking a careful line rival Joe Biden. Zelenskiy, who allegedly faced Trump in Washington. UWashington’s support for in its relations with the United Pompeo said there could be no the pressure from Trump in a July Pompeo said no date had been Ukraine is unwavering during States – keen to maintain Ameri- doubts about Washington’s sup- 25 phone call, called on Washing- set yet for a White House meeting. a delicate visit yesterday to the can backing in the war but wary of port for Ukraine, calling it “a bul- ton to “be more actively involved A senior US State Department country at the heart of the US im- being further entangled in US do- wark between freedom and au- in the peace process in eastern offi cial told reporters that talks peachment process. mestic politics. thoritarianism in eastern Europe”. Ukraine” and to appoint a special between Pompeo and Zelenskiy After talks with Pompeo, Pompeo is the most senior US “The United States sees that representative on the confl ict. were “very focused on investment Pompeo and Zelenskiy during their joint news conference in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr offi cial to visit Ukraine since the the Ukrainian struggle for free- “I do not believe that our warm and infrastructure”. Gulf Times 6 Saturday, February 1, 2020 ASIA

Bangladesh to fl y its Myanmar sends back China citizens out of Wuhan

DPA/IANS where most of the infections Dhaka were reported. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi national, who returned from plane after coronavirus scare angladesh is expected China, has been kept in isolation to fl y out more than 360 after he developed a cold and fe- AFP workers wearing full protec- Bof its citizens from the ver over fears of contracting the Yangon tive gear greeting an airport Chinese city of Wuhan, the deadly novel coronavirus which ambulance. epicentre of novel corona- has killed 213 people in the Asian The two Myanmar nationals virus outbreak, today as the giant, it was reported. yanmar yesterday sent were also allowed to disembark epidemic reportedly killed at “We are not saying that he is a plane back to China and taken to the same hospital least 213 people in China, a infected with coronavirus. But Mwith most passengers for checks, Soe Paing added. senior minister said. he has been kept in an isola- still on board – including French “The rest of the people on the “A chartered plane will tion unit as extra precaution,” and American citizens – after fl ight were sent back.” leave Dhaka for Wuhan in the Director General of Health one man suspected of contract- An airport police offi cer afternoon, and hopefully re- Services Abul Kalam Azad told ing the coronavirus was taken to also confi rmed the passengers’ turn after midnight (Saturday bdnews24. hospital. return. Wuhan local time) carrying The authorities collected No cases of the pathogen that Despite a lack of confi rmed the Bangladeshi nationals un- blood sample from the patient has killed 213 people in China cases in the country experts fear der lockdown,” Foreign Minis- and he will be kept at the “iso- have been reported in Myan- its fragile health system is in no ter Abul Kalam Abdul Momen lation unit” until all necessary mar so far but fears have been way capable of coping with a told DPA by phone. tests were done, Azad said, growing in the impoverished serious outbreak. He said 361 Bangladeshi na- adding: “His body tempera- Southeast Asian nation that Myanmar is also waiting for tionals registered their names ture has decreased. There is shares a border with its powerful permission to evacuate more to return home until Friday. nothing to be afraid.” neighbour. than 60 students trapped in Wu- “All of them will be fl own The man arrived in Dhaka A total of 79 people were on han since the city, the origin of out of the Chinese city,” from Guangzhou on Wednes- board the China Southern Airline the epidemic, was sealed off last Momen said, adding that the day night, according to Azad. fl ight from Guangzhou, includ- week. evacuees would be quaran- “He was cleared by the au- ing two Americans, two French, Several countries have halted tined for 14 days at a place near thorities in China. But we col- two Myanmar, one Colum- fl ights to China or tightened visa Dhaka airport. lected samples and kept him bian and 72 Chinese nationals, restrictions amid the virus scare Earlier on Thursday the min- at an isolated unit of a hospital according to airport offi cials. and Myanmar has discussed ister told local media that 15 when his high body temperature One Chinese passenger was adopting similar measures. Bangladeshi nationals reported arose our suspicion,” he added. taken to a nearby hospital after The disease has so far spread they want to stay back in China Bangladeshi authorities displaying possible symptoms to more than 20 nations and amid the coronavirus outbreak. have started the screening of of the virus, said civil aviation infected nearly 10,000 people Offi cials say nearly 500 travellers from China at air- department manager Soe Paing. though there have been no re- Health off icers operate thermal scanner to check temperatures of people entering the Myanmar-China Bangladeshi students are liv- ports to stop the spread of the An AFP reporter saw health- ported deaths outside of China. border crossing checkpoint in Muse yesterday. ing in China’s Hubei province, deadly virus. Thailand confi rms Nepal’s ousted deputy speaker human transmission vows to fi ght on for gender parity

Thomson Reuters Foundation ises of a more equal society that Kathmandu many historically marginalised of coronavirus groups, including women, do not feel have been fulfi lled. ne of Nepal’s most sen- Women’s rights groups were Reuters that initially none of them had “We have not yet received ior female politicians has particularly angered by a clause Bangkok tested positive for the virus. confi rmation from China Osaid she was a “victim of in the new national constitution “The overall risk of infec- about when our plane can go patriarchy” after she was forced introduced in 2015 that restricts tion in Thailand is still low, to pick up stranded Thais, to stand down as parliament women from passing on their hailand has its fi rst case but people should take precau- but it should be in a matter of speaker, and vowed to fi ght for Nepali citizenship to their chil- of human-to-human tions to protect themselves,” days,” Narumon Pinyosinwat, greater equality for women. dren. No such restrictions are Ttransmission of the new Tanarak said. the government spokeswoman Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe placed on men. coronavirus inside the country, Thai health offi cials have said. took over as acting speaker of Tumbahamphe said she a health offi cial said yesterday, urged the public to wear face The vast majority of the al- Nepal’s lower house after the strongly resisted her removal as as authorities raised the total masks, regularly wash hands and most 10,000 cases identifi ed incumbent was accused of rape, speaker, giving the men who lead number of cases in the country be vigilant in public, especially in have been in China, mostly in but the leaders of the ruling Ne- her party a list of reasons why Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe ... “victim of patriarchy” to 19, the second-highest after areas frequented by tourists. and around the virus’ epicen- pal Communist Party made her she was the most qualifi ed can- China. The taxi driver is one of fi ve tre of Wuhan, and health au- stand down to make way for a didate – and copy of her book had a female chief justice. born into an indigenous com- The fi rst patient to contract other coronavirus cases con- thorities worldwide are seek- male colleague. about the women’s movement in But senior women in poli- munity in the remote hills of the virus inside Thailand is a fi rmed in Thailand yesterday. ing to keep the infection from The veteran politician, who Nepali politics. tics say they still face far greater eastern Nepal. She has been in- Thai taxi driver, said Tanarak Seven of the 19 cases have spreading. has a doctorate in political sci- Her replacement on Sunday challenges than men, and are volved in politics since she was at Pipat, deputy director-general recovered and gone home There have been at least nine ence, said things were now even by Agni Prasad Sapkota, a former frequently sidelined. school, and has held key posts in of the Department of Disease while 12 are still being treated cases of human-to-human worse for women than under Maoist rebel who stands accused “In my 40 years in politics, I women’s rights organisations. Control. at hospitals. All but two of the transmission in fi ve countries the monarchy, which was abol- of abduction and murder during have not noticed much change It has not been easy, she said. “(He)...does not have the cases are Chinese tourists vis- outside China: including the ished in 2008 after a Maoist the country’s decade-long civil in the condition of women. That She was recently appointed to record of travelling to China, iting the country, the health United States, Germany, Japan revolution. war, triggered protests by con- is why I have devoted myself to her left-wing party’s central and it is likely that he was in- authority said. and now Thailand. “Patriarchy is more deeply fl ict victims and human rights fi ghting discrimination and in- committee, the top policy-mak- fected (by) a sick traveller from Thailand is planning to send The World Health Organisa- rooted now than it was under the campaigners. justice,” said Tumbahamphe. ing body, a position she wants to China,” Tanarak said. a 180-seat Thai AirAsia plane tion (WHO) is looking closely monarchy,” she told the Thom- Nepal’s post-war constitu- “There are women in political use to achieve change for women. Authorities have conducted to pick up 161 Thai nationals at cases of person-to-person son Reuters Foundation in an in- tion mandates that one-third of parties looking after minor areas. “Women must get equal op- virus scans on 13 people, in- stranded in Wuhan, the epi- transmission outside of Wu- terview. “It is even stronger now the country’s lawmakers must But there are few in the policy- portunities and access to state cluding three family mem- centre of the coronavirus out- han, which would suggest in our country.” be women. The country has making level.” resources and power,” she said. “I bers, who the taxi driver came break that has killed more than that the virus may have the The abolition of Nepal’s a female president - a largely The 56-year-old, who is wid- will continue to fi ght... to ensure into contact with. They said 200 people in China. potential to spread further. monarchy came with prom- ceremonial role - and briefl y owed and has two children, was that women get a fair deal.” Bangladeshi capital awash Indonesia deports with plastic-coated posters detained US reporter

AFP Reuters Dhaka Jakarta

haka is awash with US journalist who has millions of plastic- written stories about en- Dlaminated campaign Avironmental destruction posters ahead of elections in in Indonesia was deported yes- the Bangladeshi capital, and terday after being arrested over environmentalists are up in arms. alleged visa violations, his law- These posters – of which yer and his news outlet said. there are an estimated 304mn Philip Jacobson, had been de- US journalist Philip Jacobson (centre) gestures next to head of – will likely end up in sewers, tained 45 days earlier in Palang- Palangkaraya legal aid Aryo Nugroho Waluyo (left) and lawyer Parlin rivers and canals, says activist karaya, the provincial capital of Bayu Hutabarat before leaving Palangkaraya airport in Central Sharif Jamil. Central Kalimantan in Borneo Kalimantan yesterday. “If they are burnt, they will island, according to a state- pollute the air,” he adds. ment from environmental news Immigration said he should thing I have to contemplate.” The city’s air quality has provider Mongabay. have been on a journalism visa Andreas Harsono, Indo- been ranked one of the worst in His detention was criticised and formally arrested him on nesian researcher at Human the world. by rights groups who said it Jan. 21. His lawyer Aryo Nugro- Rights Watch, said visa viola- “The posters will take 400 raised concerns over media free- ho and Mongabay said his meet- tions should not be treated as a years to decompose,” says dom in the world’s third-biggest ings there did not constitute criminal act. Jamil, who is general secretary democracy. journalism. “It’s tragic that an American of the Bangladesh Environment Arvin Gumilang, a spokesman Under Indonesia’s immigra- environmentalist who dedicated Movement, a campaign group. for Indonesia’s Immigration Di- tion law, Jacobson could have his energies to protecting Indo- Each contains about two rectorate General, did not im- faced up to fi ve years in prison. nesia’s rain forests and indig- grammes of polypropylene mediately respond to a request But after an outcry from activ- enous people has been treated so plastic, according to the Envi- Commuters make their way on a street adorned with election posters laminated with plastic in Dhaka yesterday. for comment. ists and widespread media cov- poorly,” Harsono said. ronment and Social Develop- Jacobson had entered Indonesia erage, Indonesia’s chief security In his role at Mongabay, ment Organisation (ESDO). don’t have proper recycling elections, which take place today. Manjur Hossain, head of using a business visa for a series of minister Mahfud MD said the Jacobson has worked on en- Spokesman Hossain Shahri- mechanisms in the city,” he said. But to no avail. Black- Dhaka City Corporation’s waste meetings, the statement said. On journalist would be deported. vironmental stories including ar said the plastics were Bangladesh’s High Court last and-white posters continue management department, said the day he was due to leave, im- On his release, Jacobson some containing allegations that non-biodegradable and non- week ordered a halt to the pro- to festoon the streets and they would deal with the waste migration authorities confi scated said: “It’s good to be out of companies in Indonesia used recyclable. duction, display and disposal parks of the congested, ca- after the polls. his passport and later ordered him prison and I’m relieved the falsifi ed permits to clear out “We will be choking un- of plastic-laminated posters cophonous metropolis of “We will separately manage to remain in the city pending an prospect of a fi ve-year jail a vast area of rainforest in the der these plastics since we for the mayoral and council 18mn people. it,” he said. investigation, it added. sentence is no longer some- easternmost region of Papua. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 7 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Hong Kong leader rejects calls to close border despite virus fears

Reuters members would go on strike if the ments not to take any measures of confi rmed cases in China has other way into China that day, she authorities. In a news confer- yesterday included checks on Hong Kong frontier stayed open, a day after that may fuel discrimination,” risen beyond 9,800, Beijing’s en- said. The health scare comes after ence earlier yesterday, Winnie Yu, people’s temperatures as they left the World Health Organisation Lam told a news conference. voy to the United Nations in Vien- months of often violent anti-gov- the chairwoman of the Hospital Hong Kong. Lam extended school (WHO) declared the virus a global She announced a raft of new na said, and 213 people have died, ernment protests in Hong Kong Authority Employees Alliance, holidays until at least March 2 and ong Kong leader Carrie emergency. measures against the disease all in China. Lam said that on triggered by fears its high degree said its members may go a strike said civil servants not providing Lam rejected calls from a The WHO recommended all and said any industrial action by Jan 30, only 9.7% of arrivals into of autonomy, guaranteed under a next week unless the border was urgent or essential services would Hmedical union yesterday countries try to prevent or reduce medical staff would only make the Hong Kong, excluding those at “one country, two systems” for- closed. Other new unions have work from home next week in an to close the border with main- cross-border spread of disease, situation worse. the airport, were from mainland mula, is being eroded by Beijing. pledged support. Lam had pre- arrangement which will be re- land China to contain the spread which originated in the central “At the end of the day those China, and most of the rest were The central government denies viously ordered the suspension viewed weekly. She urged private of the new coronavirus, and urged Chinese city of Wuhan. But it who will suff er will be our Hong returning Hong Kong citizens. meddling. Protesters frustrated of the high-speed rail service sector employers to do the same. health staff not to go through with said measures should avoid un- Kong citizens and the public She said she expected the fl ow to by the government’s refusal to between the city and mainland Immigration offi cials have a threatened strike. necessary interference with trade health system,” she said. shrink as many mainland cities make concessions on demands China and all cross-border ferry identifi ed 48 visitors from China’s The recently formed Hospital or travel. “I am afraid (closing Authorities have announced were under lockdown. for full democracy have in recent services, but the unions said it Hubei province, whose capital is Authority Employees Alliance the border) contradicts the WHO 12 confi rmed infections in Hong About 37,000 Hong Kongers months formed about 40 unions was not enough. Wuhan, and said they will either said earlier yesterday 6,500 of its suggestion ... which asks govern- Kong but no deaths. The number crossed the mainland border the to keep up the pressure on the The new measures announced leave the city or be quarantined. Curbs imposed on travel to China as virus toll hits 213

Reuters Shanghai

he United States and other countries tightened travel Tcurbs yesterday and busi- nesses said they were facing supply problems because of the coronavirus in China, a day after the World Health Organisation declared a global health emer- gency. With the death toll rising to 213, all of them in China, the United States warned Americans not to travel to the Asian country, where the outbreak fi rst appeared in Wuhan, capital of the central Hubei province. Japan advised citizens to put off non-urgent travel to China, Iran’s health minister urged a ban on all travellers from China and Britain reported its fi rst two cases of the virus. Singapore said it was suspend- ing entry to travellers with a re- cent history of travel to China and suspending visas for Chi- A woman wearing a surgical face mask looks for products at a supermarket in Beijing yesterday. A security guard checks the temperature of a man at the entrance of a park in Beijing yesterday. nese passport holders. The ban will also apply to those transit- Home appliance maker Elec- emerging. And people were leav- Germany, Japan and Vietnam. pared” to deal with the outbreak. ing Singapore, a major travel hub. trolux issued a similar warning. ing and entering Hubei by foot Thailand said yesterday it too Japan, with 14 confi rmed cases, Italy’s government decided to French car maker PSA Peugeot over a bridge spanning the Yang- had a case of human-to-human has sent three fl ights to bring declare a state of emergency and Citroen said its three plants in tze river, a Reuters witness said. transmission. citizens home. The fi rst of four stopped all air traffi c with China Wuhan will remain closed until WHO Director-General Tedros Some airlines have stopped planned fl ights taking South Ko- after announcing its fi rst cases, Feb 14. Adhanom Ghebreyesus had com- fl ying to mainland China, includ- reans home landed yesterday. in two Chinese tourists. Stock “Do not travel to China due to mended China for its eff orts and ing Air France KLM SA, British China’s statistics show just over markets steadied slightly after novel coronavirus fi rst identifi ed said the WHO was not recom- Airways, Germany’s Lufthansa 2% of infected people have died, the WHO praised China’s eff orts in Wuhan,” the US State Depart- mending curbs on travel or trade and Virgin Atlantic. Others have suggesting the virus is less dead- to contain the virus, following a ment said on its website, rais- with Beijing. A WHO spokesman cut fl ights. Japan’s ANA Holdings ly than the 2002-2003 outbreak tumble the previous day over a ing the warning for China to the said keeping borders open pre- said it may consider suspending of the Severe Acute Respiratory rising toll on the world’s second- same level as Afghanistan and vented illegal or unoffi cial border China fl ights, media reported, Syndrome (Sars). biggest economy and its knock- Iraq. crossings. The number of con- after the airline said bookings for But economists fear its impact on eff ect worldwide. China has taken “the most fi rmed cases in China has risen February fl ights leaving China could be bigger than Sars, which The outbreak could “rever- comprehensive and rigorous pre- beyond 9,800, Beijing’s envoy had halved. Several foreign gov- killed about 800 people at an es- berate globally”, hitting supply vention and control measures”, a to the United Nations in Vienna ernments evacuating citizens timated cost of $33bn to the glo- chains, Moody’s said. foreign ministry spokeswoman said. China’s Health Ministry from Hubei are holding them in bal economy, since China’s share Hyundai Motor said it planned said in response to the WHO said there were 15,238 suspect- quarantine for a 14-day incu- of the world economy is now far to halt South Korean produc- declaration. Hubei is in virtual ed cases in China at the end of bation period. A plane carrying greater. Chinese-ruled Hong Passengers, wearing protective face masks, walk at the arrival area of tion of a sport utility vehicle this lockdown. “We have full confi - Thursday. Some 131 cases have Britons and other Europeans left Kong, hit by sometimes violent the Beijing Capital International airport yesterday. weekend to cope with a supply dence and capability to win this been reported in 23 other coun- Wuhan yesterday, Britain’s em- anti-China unrest for months, disruption caused by the out- fi ght,” Hua Chunying said in a tries and regions. bassy said. rejected calls from a medical un- is emerging in some places and plummets across China, martial break. Sangyong Motor said it statement. The WHO has reported at A spokesman for British Prime ion to close the border with the manufacturers are scrambling arts fi lm Enter the Fat Dragon will would idle its plant in the South But a jump in infections in two least eight instances of human- Minister Boris Johnson said the mainland. to meet demand for protec- premiere via video streaming to- Korean city of Pyeongtaek from cities fl anking Wuhan was fuel- to-human transmission in four country’s National Health Serv- With new cases being reported tive masks. But in good news for day, its makers said, after drop- Feb 4-12 for the same reason. ling fear that new hot spots were countries: the United States, ice was “extremely well pre- abroad, anti-China sentiment movie fans as cinema attendance ping plans for a theatre debut.

Travellers beat virus lockdown via bridge over Yangtze Australia on standby

Reuters tion period at play here, if they other cities in Hubei province. for bushfi re threat as Jiujiang head out, for example, to cities Though Jiujiang itself has not in the north of China, then it’s offi cially been locked down, its highly possible they will infect streets were mostly deserted and heat, winds return eople are leaving and en- those areas too,” he said. While its tourist sites closed on what tering China’s Hubei prov- vehicles are not allowed over the was offi cially the last day of Chi- Pince by foot over a bridge bridge, it is open to some pedes- na’s Lunar New Year celebrations Reuters Australia’s bushfi res that spanning the Yangtze river, de- trians. on Thursday. Sydney have killed 33 people and an spite a virtual lockdown on ve- Police explained that people “This year ... we are all just fol- estimated 1bn native animals hicle traffi c due to a coronavirus were still entering Hubei and lowing what the government has since September. About 2,500 epidemic that has killed more they could still get out, but only asked us to do. That is, we’re at ustralian authorities homes have been destroyed than 200 people. in “special circumstances”. home almost all the time,” said warned yesterday of as more than 11.7mn hectares The Yangtze divides Jiujiang in Those included people who local taxi driver Guo Dongbo, 59. Asevere fi re danger in (117,000sq km) have been razed. Jiangxi province and Huanggang were in Hubei but booked train “We don’t go out and nobody else densely populated areas this Andrew Barr, chief minister in neighbouring Hubei, one of tickets to leave from Jiujiang be- is out on the streets either.” weekend, declaring a state of of the Australian Capital Terri- the cities hardest hit by the coro- fore the Lunar New Year. “Eve- In one of the residential areas emergency in the capital, Can- tory (ACT), said the area’s fi rst navirus outbreak and now sealed ryone’s panicking right now, of Jiujiang, a city of nearly 5mn berra, as soaring temperatures state of emergency since fa- off from the rest of China to try to but I think things are not that people, a man carried a loud- and strong whipped up huge, tal wildfi res in 2003 indicated contain it. bad,” migrant worker Guan, 45, speaker playing a recorded mes- unpredictable blazes. the danger this weekend. Four But the foot traffi c over the told Reuters after crossing from A man wearing a surgical face mask stretches at an outdoor gym sage ordering anyone who has With temperatures above people were killed and almost Yangtze shows gaps in the lock- Hubei. at the embankment of the Yangtze River Bridge in Jiujiang, Jiangxi been to Hubei recently to go and 40C, emergency offi cials urged 500 homes destroyed in 2003. down, adding to doubts over A 40-year-old woman, who province, China. register with the local residents’ people to prepare for fi res in Offi cials said an out-of- its eff ectiveness and providing only gave her surname as Li, committee. By yesterday, the city parts of the southeast includ- control fi re in the ACT’s south, a glimpse of life inside the epi- said she was heading back to her Jiujiang with his friend, who was in the Hubei provincial capital had 42 confi rmed cases of infec- ing hundreds of miles of coast on the doorstep of Canberra, centre of what the World Health home in Huizhou, Guangdong going the other way home to of Wuhan, prompted the WHO tion. south of Sydney that has al- had grown to 185sq km, almost Organisation (WHO) has called a province, with her son. Hubei, a province of about 60mn to declare a global emergency on Elsewhere, shops were mostly ready been badly hit in months 8% of the territory’s land mass. global emergency. She had to show their train people. “But once you get back Thursday, only the sixth time it shuttered, and the few restau- of blazes. “This fi re may become very Wu Minzhou, a 40-year-old tickets at the checkpoint and get you cannot come out again,” said has done so. rants that remained open were “Tomorrow will be the peak unpredictable. It may become business owner who was fi sh- their temperatures taken on the the man, who gave his surname Trains and other public trans- nearly empty. “Normally at this of the heatwave in NSW with uncontrollable,” Barr said in a ing near the bridge on the Jiangxi Hubei side of the bridge before as Tian. “You have to stay there, portation have been suspended, time of year a lot of people come some areas expected to reach televised briefi ng. “The com- side, said he was worried about being allowed to make the long stay at home. You can’t come roads have been sealed off and here. Now there’s nobody,” said a extreme heatwave conditions,” bination of extreme heat, wind, exceptions being made for people trek into Jiangxi. out.” checkpoints established at toll- vegetarian restaurant owner near the New South Wales (NSW) and a dry landscape will place leaving Hubei. Another man told Reuters that The epidemic, believed to have gates around Wuhan. The special the Donglin Buddhist temple in state Rural Fire Service said in suburbs in Canberra’s south at “Because there’s an ... incuba- he had driven to the bridge from originated in a seafood market measures have been extended to Jiujiang. a Facebook post late yesterday. risk.” Gulf Times 8 Saturday, February 1, 2020 BRITAIN/IRELAND

DECISION COMMENT PEOPLE RELIEF VERDICT Paramedics, nurses ‘to be Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Katie Hopkins’ Twitter 31mn workers to pay Man found guilty of bid allowed to train as doctors’ products condemned account suspended £100 less tax a year to steal Magna Carta

Paramedics, nurses and pharmacists will Gwyneth Paltrow’s range of wellness products The controversial right-wing commentator A total of 31mn people will pay about £100 A man has been found guilty of trying to steal a be allowed to train-up as doctors in three has been criticised by the head of NHS England Katie Hopkins has had her Twitter account less tax on their yearly earnings from April ‘priceless’ version of the Magna Carta. Despite years under drastic plans to tackle the who warns that one of the recommended suspended for violating the terms of the social thanks to a change in the National Insurance using a hammer, Mark Royden, 47, was unable to NHS’s staffing crisis. The government is procedures poses a considerable health risk. media site. Twitter said that Hopkins had been threshold, the chancellor confirmed. smash open the protective glass case containing hoping to take advantage of freedoms At an event in Oxford, Sir Simon Stevens said temporarily locked out of the platform for Workers currently pay National Insurance the document at Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire. brought by Brexit to enable some people were wasting their money or taking violating its anti-hate policy. A spokesperson Contributions (NICs) once they earn an Then he was chased by members of the public, medical staff to gain fast-track doctors’ risks with their health by falling for the lure for Twitter told the BBC that it was looking annual income of £8,628. However, Sajid cathedral staff and stonemasons – who detained qualifications. The radical measures, due to of “too good to be true” wellness products into complaints from anti-racism campaigners Javid has confirmed that from April 6 the him. Salisbury’s version of the Magna Carta is be announced next week, will be presented and cures and singled out the actor’s brand that Hopkins’ comments on the social media NIC threshold will rise to £9,500 a year. This one of four still in existence from the original as a solution to the NHS’s doctor shortage, Goop for specific criticism. He said: “Myths and platform constituted hate speech. “Keeping means a typical employee will save around 1215 charter. Royden, from Canterbury, was which is being worsened by a pensions misinformation have been put on steroids by the Twitter safe is a top priority for us – abuse and £104, while the self-employed, who pay a convicted the at Salisbury Crown Court of standoff. Latest official figures show availability of misleading claims online.” Along harassment have no place on the service,” said lower rate, will see £78 cut from their tax attempted theft of the Magna Carta and criminal that the NHS is short of 11,500 doctors – with Paltrow’s Goop brand, he cited Russian the spokesperson, according the BBC. Hopkins, bills. Javid said: ‘We’re determined to do what damage to the display case costing £14,466 equivalent to nearly one in ten posts being social media bots undermining public faith in who rose to prominence as a contestant on the we promised and put more money into the to repair. He was remanded in custody until left vacant. essential vaccines. Apprentice, is known for her outspoken views. pockets of ordinary hard-working people.” sentencing on Feb 25.

Sturgeon to step up push Johnson hails for new referendum ‘new dawn’ as

Reuters London

cotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday Britain bids Ssaid she did not rule out testing the legality of calling a consultative referendum on in- dependence if Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government continued to oppose another vote. farewell to EU Speaking in Edinburgh on the day Britain left the European AFP And while the exit terms have Johnson brought an end to the Union, Sturgeon said the ques- London been agreed, Britain must still turmoil with his decisive election tion of whether the Scottish Par- strike a deal on future relations victory last month, which gave liament had the power to agree with the EU, its largest trading him the parliamentary majority to to hold a non-binding vote on ritain yesterday ended al- partner, which sets out its negoti- ratify the Brexit deal. independence had never been most half a century of inte- ating position on Monday. But Britons remain as divided tested in court. Bgration with Europe, fi nally “We want to have the best pos- as they were nearly four years ago, “Now, should the UK govern- making its historic departure sible relationship with the United when 52% voted to leave and 48% ment continue to deny Scot- from the EU to begin a new — Kingdom, but it will never be as voted to remain in the EU. land’s right to choose, we may but still uncertain — future, with good as membership,” European Yesterday’s newspapers re- reach the point where it is neces- emotions running high following Commission president Ursula fl ected that continued split, with sary for this issue to be tested,” years of wrangling and several von der Leyen said. best-selling eurosceptic tabloid she said. “I am not ruling that false starts. “Our experience has taught The Sun triumphantly declaring out.” As the clocks struck 11pm us that strength does not lie in “our time has come” on its front Sturgeon wants to hold anoth- (2300GMT) — midnight in Brus- splendid isolation, but in our page alongside an image of Big er Scottish referendum, but she sels — Britain became the fi rst unique union.” Ben. cannot do so without the con- country to leave the 28-member Getting this far has been a trau- But pro-European The Guard- sent of the British government. bloc. matic process. Despite Britain’s ian opted for the headline “small She has asked Johnson to en- Prime Minister Boris Johnson resistance to many EU projects island”, calling Brexit “the biggest ter negotiations on transferring has backed Brexit since the 2016 over the years — it refused to join gamble in a generation”. power to hold a referendum from referendum vote to leave that the single currency or the Schen- Johnson, himself a polarising London to Edinburgh, and said triggered deep bitterness and di- gen free travel area — the 2016 fi gure, has emphasised unity and yesterday such a step was the vision but he promised to unite vote to leave was a huge shock. is avoiding any major celebrations best way to put the legality of a the country in a new era of pros- It unleashed political chaos in that might exacerbate divisions. vote beyond doubt. perity. London, sparking years of bitter The Conservative leader hosted Sturgeon yesterday said a “Our job as the government, arguments that paralysed parlia- a special cabinet meeting in Sun- non-binding referendum could my job, is to bring this country ment and forced the resignations derland, which was the fi rst to gauge the appetite for an inde- together and take us forward,” of two prime ministers. declare for Brexit in the 2016 vote. pendent Scotland. Johnson said in a statement to But it was uncertain if one mark the occasion. could be held under the Scottish “This is not an end but a begin- Post-Brexit talks failure ‘will be threat to Ireland’ government’s existing powers, ning.” she said, and a legal test could German Chancellor Angela A failure by Britain and the realistic about the dangers,” take the cause forward or equally Merkel called Britain’s depar- European Union to reach a he said in a speech in Dublin. set it back. ture a “sea-change” for the bloc, post-Brexit trade deal by the “A failure to secure a trade And it would still require the although nothing will immedi- end-of-year deadline would deal would be a major threat, transfer of additional power ately feel diff erent because of an pose an “existential threat” and an existential threat to from London to Edinburgh to 11-month transition period ne- to Ireland, Prime Minister Leo our economy in 2021, so we implement any pro-independ- gotiated as part of an EU-UK exit Varadkar said yesterday. The do need that deal.” Ireland ence result, she said. deal ratifi ed this week. Irish leader also called on shares a border with Britain’s Therefore she said it was bet- Britons will be able to work in the European Union to find Northern Ireland and will be ter for Scottish nationalists to and trade freely with EU nations a new role in the post-Cold directly impacted if there is no focus on building and winning until December 31, and vice versa, War era — such as tackling new trade deal by the end of the political case for independ- although the UK will no longer be global warming — that could the year. Dublin wants London ence. represented in the bloc’s institu- keep other countries from and Brussels to secure as “Firstly, I will continue to do tions. leaving the soon-to-be 27 broad a free-trade agreement all that I can to secure a referen- But legally, Britain is out — with member bloc. “We have to be as possible. dum this year,” she said. People celebrate Britain leaving the EU on Brexit day at Parliament Square in London yesterday. no easy way back. Health offi cials confi rm Woman fi ghts to stop killer’s release

Guardian News and Media of ratifi cation before parliament two coronavirus cases was dissolved for the 2019 general London election. It has since been reintro- AFP bers of the same family, have tested dents from leaving in a bid to stop duced in parliament. London positive for coronavirus,” he said in further spread. he mother of a 22-year-old The Parole Board said Simms a statement. Thousands of foreigners were woman who was murdered had “met the test for release” be- Whitty added the patients were among the millions of people Tas she walked home from cause of factors including a “con- ealth offi cials yesterday receiving specialist care, including confi ned in the metropolis, and work has begun legal proceedings siderable change in his behaviour”. said two people had test- “tried and tested infection con- numerous countries have begun to prevent the release of her killer. He is due to be freed from HMP Hed positive for the novel trol procedures to prevent further airlifting their nationals out. Ian Simms was convicted of Garth in Leyland, Lancashire. coronavirus, in Britain’s fi rst cases spread of the virus”. A plane chartered by Britain to killing the insurance clerk Helen The former pub landlord was in since the deadly outbreak emerged “We have been preparing for evacuate its citizens and other na- McCourt, who disappeared in 1989 given a life sentence with a in China and spread globally. UK cases of novel coronavirus and tionals departed the city yesterday Merseyside in 1988. minimum of at least 16 years, after The announcement came as we have robust infection control with 110 people aboard — 83 Brit- Simms, 63, is due to be released being one of the fi rst people to be 83 British citizens fl ew back on a measures in place,” he added, not- ons and 27 others. by the Parole Board after an ap- convicted on DNA evidence with- chartered fl ight from Wuhan, the ing offi cials were working to iden- “We will work with our inter- peal by Robert Buckland, the jus- out the victim’s body having been Chinese city at the centre of the tify any contacts the two patients national partners on further as- tice secretary, was rejected. He discovered. epidemic which has so far killed had. The pair are believed to have sistance for those who remain,” has served more than twice the McCourt vanished shortly after 213 people. travelled to China recently. a spokesman for Prime Minister minimum term specifi ed by the alighting from a bus home near her With a growing number of cases Health offi cials declined to re- Boris Johnson said. judge who passed his life sentence home in Billinge. Simms’s pub, the reported in at least 19 other coun- veal the location, citing patient The returning Britons have been because he has never admitted his George and Dragon, near Wigan, tries, the World Health Organisa- confi dentiality. isolated for 14 days at a medical guilt or revealed where he hid his was close to McCourt’s home and tion (WHO) on Thursday declared But the domestic Press Asso- facility in northwest England after victim’s remains. he quickly became a suspect. He an international public health ciation news agency reported they they arrive at an air force base yes- Marie McCourt has lodged was found guilty of McCourt’s ab- emergency. were being treated at a hospital in terday afternoon. papers requesting a judicial re- duction and murder after her ear- Chris Whitty, chief medical Newcastle, northeast England. The two-week quarantine pe- view at the high court. The Parole ring was found in his car boot. offi cer for England, insisted the China’s National Health Com- riod is at the Arrowe Park Hospital, Board has confi rmed the case is Marie McCourt has crowd- country was “extremely well- mission yesterday revealed that in accommodation usually used by under review. Legislation, named funded more than £26,000 to prepared” and that offi cials were nearly 10,000 people there have health service staff . “Helen’s law”, was designed to re- pay for the legal costs of the court working with the WHO and oth- been infected by the novel coro- Anyone with suspicious symp- quire the Parole Board to consider action to overturn the decision. ers “to ensure we are ready for all navirus. toms will be taken to the Royal Liv- British nationals evacuated from Wuhan in China are helped by any refusal to provide informa- Upon his release, Simms will be eventualities”. Wuhan, a city of 11mn people, erpool and Broadgreen Hospital, personnel (high visibility jackets) as they disembark a chartered tion about remains when decid- subject to conditions including “We can confi rm that two pa- has been subject to an unprece- which has a high-level infectious passenger jet at the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in ing about release. The bill made wearing a tagging device to moni- tients in England, who are mem- dented lockdown, preventing resi- diseases unit. Carterton, west of London, yesterday. its way through the early stages tor his whereabouts. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 9 EUROPE

47% of Russians think Putin trying to stay leader: poll Nearly half of Russians believe that President Vladimir Putin’s proposed amendments are intended for him to hold ‘Goodbye, Hello’ as new onto power, Russia’s largest independent pollster said yesterday. Forty-seven per cent of the nationwide survey’s respondents said the draft legislation is “in the interests of Vladimir Putin himself, to expand his authority MEPs join parliament and enable him to remain in power after 2024”. AFP pick up his accreditation in But there was no sentimen- Another 44% disagreed with Brussels Brussels on Monday. tality about Brexit for French- that position, and 9% declined Although their term of offi ce man Jean-Lin Lacapelle, elected to answer, the pollster Levada theoretically starts on February for the far-right National Rally Centre said in a statement. or many in the EU, Brexit is 1, most newcomers will not take party. Putin, 67, has been in power as goodbye. over their offi ces until Febru- “Finally, the people are re- president or prime minister for F But for the members of ary 7, and they will be offi cially spected,” he said, recalling that two decades, with his current the European Parliament (MEPs) introduced at the parliamentary the referendum on Brexit was term set to end in 2024. elected to replace the Britons session in Strasbourg starting held more than three years ago, He is the longest-serving Russian leaving the parliament, it is a three days later. in June 2016. or Soviet leader since Joseph new beginning. The months of waiting were “The European Parliament Stalin. The mandate of the 73 Brit- less of a drag for retired Esto- did everything it could to thwart Putin proposed a raft of changes ish MEPs ended last night when nian general Riho Terras, 52, who the departure of the British,” he to the constitution in his state Britain quit the bloc, but as the continued working for his com- said. of the nation speech earlier this EU is getting smaller so too is pany, which develops unmanned For his part, 62-year-old month, calling for a reform of the the parliament – dropping from vehicles for the military and in- French ecologist Claude Gruff at country’s leadership. 751 to 705 members – and so 27 dustry. has prepared for his mandate by The changes would give more representatives from 14 member He will join the ranks of the visiting Brussels and Strasbourg authority to the prime minister states will take their place. centre-right European People’s “at least twice a month”. and the advisory State Council, France and Spain take the li- Party (EPP) group. From the start of the European prompting speculation that he on’s share of the new intake with Frenchwoman Ilana Cicurel, election campaign he resigned could move to either of those fi ve members each, followed by 47, a member of the centrist Re- as president of the Biocoop net- roles. the Italians and the Dutch with new Europe group, said the delay work of organic shops, consid- Putin has insisted that the draft three, then two Irish and, among gave her time to prepare herself, ering his work “incompatible” legislation be decided in a others, one Romanian, one Aus- but now she is “impatient and with his “commitment in the national referendum. trian, one Polish, one Croatian, proud” to be able to start. political sphere”. The amendments include one Swede, and one Estonian. To help her in her new role, For Gruff at, Brexit is “a weak- establishing a minimum wage “I’ve been living these last few she will employ the Belgian par- EU Council staff members remove the United Kingdom’s flag from the European Council building in ening of Europe and the British and pension allocations based months in a state of emotion and liamentary assistant of a British Brussels. ... we, the newcomers, are facing on the cost of living, aspects uncertainty. Then Brexit was Liberal Democrat MEP. a political landscape in disarray”. that could help to convince the postponed again and the British For 52-year-old Irishman politician of the centre-right The excitement of taking up wheeling down the centre of He hopes to help “make the populace to vote in favour. held new elections,” new MEP Barry Andrews, starting the new Fianna Fail party told AFP. “I his seat mingles with regret. Brussels. I think we have to have Union stronger”. More than 1,600 adults, across 45-year-old Spanish socialist job after eight months in “cold don’t want to trot out clichés but “That’s a tricky kind of para- respect for the many millions of Aware that English will re- more than half of Russia’s Marcos Ros Sempere told AFP. storage” brings mixed feelings. there’s a lot of real strong bonds dox for me to try to express,” he UK citizens that voted against main the main working language regions, were surveyed between Sempere, an architect and “I suppose the overwhelming of friendship that are being bro- said. leaving the European Union,” he in Brussels, he has decided to January 23 and 29. university professor, plans to sense is of regret,” the veteran ken now.” “There won’t be any cart- added. take lessons to brush up.

Portuguese public sector workers rally for more pay Activists block Shell headquarters Moscow court case Public sector workers, including nurses, doctors, teachers, and Reuters challenges city’s use transport drivers, staged a one- The Hague day strike in Portugal yesterday demanding that the government of facial recognition increase its off er of a 0.3% pay nvironmental activists rise in this year’s budget that is to chanting “keep it in the be voted in parliament next week. Eground” blocked the en- Reuters ty”, and that video footage is The strike, which unions said trance to Shell’s headquarters in Moscow deleted within fi ve days of an shut down over 1,000 schools The Hague yesterday, protest- incident, unless a request by and hundreds of public services ing at the energy company’s role the public or law enforcement across the country, was the first in climate change, until police Russian court heard is made. by public sector workers since dragged them away, detaining yesterday a legal chal- Popova alleges that the use Socialist Prime Minister Antonio 30. Alenge to Moscow’s roll- of private data means this con- Costa was re-elected in October. Some of the environmental- out of facial recognition tech- stitutes “illegal surveillance,” Workers were bussed in from ists from the Extinction Rebel- nology over privacy fears, after but the RBC newspaper on across Portugal to Lisbon lion (XR) and Shell Must Fall! the fi nal piece of its video sur- January 23 reported the DIT as to protest a measure in the lobby groups wedged them- veillance jigsaw fell into place saying its data centre does not government’s 2020 budget bill selves between the glass front with the awarding of a software store citizens’ personal bio- to limit to 0.3% their first pay doors of the building. contract last month. metric data. increase after a 10-year freeze. Others held banners and Moscow has stepped up its The DIT said in response to “This measure shows their splashed a black liquid on its drive to launch facial recogni- a Reuters query that it would complete disrespect towards front steps, chanting slogans in- tion technology over the past comment later. public sector workers,” Sebastiao cluding “ExxonMobil, BP, Shell: year, spending or allocating at Moscow’s facial recognition Santana, representative of take your oil and go to hell!” least 3.3bn roubles ($53.3mn) surveillance began operating in Common Front Union, said. “Shell is one of the biggest on hardware for the project, full on January 1 when Ntech- Another union leader, Ana Avoila, polluters,” said one woman who the database of state purchases Lab, a private company found- told a news conference: “There’s had glued herself to a railing showed. ed in 2015, won exclusive rights no reason for the government to outside the building. With Moscow Mayor Ser- to provide unifi ed video detec- act like we are still in the troika She declined to give her name. gei Sobyanin aiming to have tion services with a 200mn- years – now, we have money and “If we want to have a chance for 200,000 cameras across the rouble contract, the company the means to increase pay.” stopping climate change, Shell Activists block the entrance to oil giant Shell’s headquarters in The Hague. city – 175,000 of which are confi rmed. Portugal was subject to harsh is one of the fi rst companies that already in place – the 12.5mn The value of the surveil- austerity measures in 2011-2014 has to go.” same time the company an- detained because they did not the safety of others in mind.” inhabitants of Russia’s capital lance system’s purchases of under the terms of a €78bn In a statement, the groups nounced its intention last year have a permit. The company said that its fell under the watchful eye of hardware such as cameras and ($86bn) bailout provided by the said they were motivated by to increase its tens of billions of In a reaction to the protest, strategy is in alignment with in- one of the world’s most com- servers dwarf this software European Commission, European what they said was hypocrisy (dollars in) investments in fossil Shell said it respects the activ- ternational climate treaties. “In prehensive surveillance sys- contract, but NtechLab’s tech- Central Bank and International by Shell. “Shell claims regularly fuels.” ists’ right to demonstrate. “We that sense we have the same goal tems when it became fully op- nology has made the system Monetary Fund – known as the that it is ‘part of the solution’ Police spokesman Stefan van ask only that they do so within as the activists. We only disa- erational on January 1. functional. “troika”. to the climate crisis, but at the Sande said 30 activists had been the law and with their safety and gree about the methods.” On Thursday, the European The company’s software is Union scrapped the possibility now working in 105,000 cam- of a ban on facial recognition eras at entrances to buildings technology in public spaces, in Moscow alone, a source told according to the latest propos- Reuters. als seen by Reuters. Facial recognition software Pasteurised camembert? French cheesemakers vote ‘Non’ Lawyer and activist Alena is divided into detection and Popova and opposition poli- recognition. tician Vladimir Milov of the It works by detecting a face By Isabel Malsang and year, compared to 60,000 tonnes plan last spring, calling it an “un- Solidarnost party fi led a case and converting the image to a Joseph Schmid, AFP of pasteurised cheese that costs acceptable homogenisation” of a against Moscow’s Department unique digitised fi le that can Paris half as much or less. cheese whose fl avour and texture of Technology (DIT), which then be scanned in a database. Mercier, one of just two pro- change with the seasons. manages the capital’s video NtechLab chief executive ducers who make raw-milk The board’s president Michel surveillance programme, seek- Alexander Minin said his fi rm battle over the future of camembert from their own herd Lacoste said using “curd ma- ing to ban the technology’s use does not store any private data. camembert came to a head of native Normande cows, had chines” and other techniques at mass events and protests. Minin said facial recogni- Ayesterday after French backed the proposed changes, would make the cheese taste the The case at Tverskoy Dis- tion technology is often mis- producers voted against allowing seeing it as a way to increase con- same year round, no matter what trict Court is Popova’s second understood and he said he feels pasteurised versions of the clas- sumption of the more pungent type of milk was used. attempt to ban facial recogni- proud to provide a service that sic raw-milk cheese. produce. “The whole point of AOP tion technology in Moscow makes cities safer. A narrow majority of northern It would have also forced dairy cheese is that is comes from milk after a November lawsuit was “I understand there is al- French cheese-makers – 53% – giants to adapt more savoury that’s alive, from a particular dismissed. ways a challenge between pri- rejected a plan that would have practices. place, and the producer has to Popova was fi ned for ap- vacy and safety, but in coun- given industrial producers the Firstly, they would have had to adapt to make it,” he said. pearing at a protest in Moscow tries and in regions where they right to use the exclusive “Cam- sharply increase the size of their Camembert is said to have in 2018, but she alleged that the put the right legislation and embert of Normandy” label, even Normande herds – the more pro- been created in 1791 when Marie authorities only established regulations in place, I think the when using modern techniques ductive Holsteins currently pre- Harel, who lived in Camembert, her identity using facial recog- results we are getting through denounced by purists. dominate – and ensure that they adapted a recipe for brie she nition technology. the system are enormous and Producers rejected the en- mainly eat grass instead of pack- learned from a priest hiding out On its website, the DIT says people quickly feel much safer larged AOP (Protected Designa- aged feed. during the French Revolution. it uses video surveillance in and it’s changing the quality of tion of Origin) that Patrick Mer- Meanwhile, producers of the In 1982, the government in- crowded areas to “ensure safe- life,” he said. cier, president of an association cream of the crop, like Mercier, troduced rules for its production that had been pushing for the would have had the right to call – including at least fi ve scoops of changes said in a statement. This file photo shows French camembert cheese at the their cheese “Authentic Cam- curd in a round 11cm mould and Founding AfD member loses his Veronique Richez-Lerouge, Isigny-Sainte-Mere dairy co-operative in Isigny-sur-Mer, northwestern embert of Normandy”, to distin- at least three weeks of ageing to a staunch opponent of the plan France. guish their artisanal and more promote the snowy growth of immunity in tax evasion case who heads the “Fromages de Ter- costly creations from industrial Penicillium camemberti mould roirs” association, hailed yester- makers of the top-selling Presi- rejected yesterday, would have alternatives. for the rind. One of the founding members of the far-right Alternative for day’s vote as “very good news for dent brand, can call their creamy reversed decades of declin- But critics cried foul, saying But crucially, offi cials failed to Germany (AfD) party was stripped of his parliamentary immunity all European AOPs”. disks camembert. ing dairy farming in Normandy, that consumers could be con- specify that less stringent ver- on Thursday as federal prosecutors launched raids at the “The principle of quality won Crucially, however, they can- where fewer than a dozen pro- fused by the two diff ering AOPs, sions could not use the camem- politician’s addresses for suspected tax evasion. out over the increased demands not use the tastier “Camembert ducers still make the cheese the the French badge of quality for bert name, allowing them some- Prosecutors in Frankfurt launched an investigation into Alexander of dairy giants, it’s a victory for de Normandie AOP” label. traditional way. locally produced delicacies. what confusingly to tout their Gauland last year because of “personal tax errors” and requested taste,” she said. Supporters said the compro- AOP producers now make just France’s AOP dairy board, the blander varieties as being “Made that his parliamentary immunity be lifted. Agrifood giants like Lactalis, mise struck in 2018, which was 5,500 tonnes of camembert a CNAOL, came out against the in Normandy”. Lawmakers voted on Thursday to remove Gauland’s immunity. Gulf Times 10 Saturday, February 1, 2020 INDIA

DECISION LEGAL LAW AND ORDER CRIME TRAGEDY Mask exports banned amid UP response over notices to 200kg of heroin Hostage-taker, wife Kolkata man found coronavirus outbreak anti-CAA protesters sought seized in Punjab dead as crisis ends living with wife’s corpse

The government yesterday banned the export The Supreme Court yesterday sought response The Special Task Force (STF) has seized nearly The 11-hour hostage drama in Uttar Pradesh’s A man was found living with his wife’s body of personal protection equipment such as from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea 200kg of heroin, valued at around Rs12bn Farukkhabad ended early yesterday as angry for three days in West Bengal’s Nadia district, masks and clothing amid a global coronavirus seeking directions to quash notices sent for from a house in Punjab’s Sultanwind village villagers stormed the house of the kidnapper with police said yesterday. The incident in Chakdah outbreak. It did not give a reason for the ban but recovering the loss caused to public property by near Amritsar and arrested four persons. STF bricks and hammers and police managed to rescue came to light after neighbours found the body it reported its first case of the new coronavirus the alleged protesters during the anti-Citizenship chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu said 200kg of 23 children unscathed after shooting dead the of the woman - Bharati Chanda - who was in her on Thursday, a woman in Kerala who was a (Amendment) Act protest in Uttar Pradesh. The chemical was also seized besides the heroin. criminal. According to eyewitness, the locals broke 50s and had been suff ering from liver ailments. student of Wuhan University in China. The court issued notice to the state government and It seems the people involved in the drug trade open the gate of Subhash Batham’s house, where According to police, the condition of the corpse central Chinese city of Wuhan is the epicentre of sought its response within four weeks. Advocate were linked to proclaimed offender and drug the children were being held hostage. As soon as seemed to suggest the woman had died a few the outbreak, and the virus has since spread to Parwaiz Arif Titu, petitioner in the case, has smuggler Simranjeet Singh Sandhu, the officer the gate broke, the Batham opened fire injuring days back. The neighbours said the last time more than 9,800 people globally and killed 213 sought stay on these notices, as these were sent said. He added local businessman Ankush two police personnel. He was killed in retaliatory they saw Bharati was on Monday. They became people in China. Several Indian citizens living in in an “arbitrary manner”. The plea said notices Kapoor and Happy were arrested. The house firing by the police. The villagers also beat up his suspicious on not seeing her for three days and Wuhan will arrive in India by plane today and be were allegedly even sent to a person, who had from where the drugs were seized had been wife Ruby who died an hour later at the community questioned her husband Bacchhu Chanda before taken to a quarantine centre on the outskirts of died six years ago at the age of 94, and to two rented a month ago. health centre. The couple’s one-year-old daughter entering his house. Police said Bacchhu’s mental New Delhi. others aged above 90. was handed over to a neighbour. condition was being reviewed. Hanging of Delhi rapists postponed

AFP/IANS the bus and raped and tortured New Delhi her with a metal rod. The physiotherapy student and the friend were then dumped he hanging of four men on the road. for a notorious gang-rape Jyoti died 13 days later in a Tand murder on a Delhi bus Singapore hospital from massive in 2012 has been postponed “un- internal injuries. til further orders,” a court ruled Widespread horror sparked yesterday. The four were sched- nationwide demonstrations and uled to hang today. led to tougher sentences for sex- The brutal attack on Jyoti ual crimes. Singh sparked weeks of demon- Jyoti ‘s mother Asha Devi yes- strations and shone a spotlight terday said after the postponement on the alarming rates of sexual that her “hopes were dashed” but violence and the plight of wom- that she would continue to fi ght for en in the country. justice for her daughter. Four men were convicted in She also claimed that the 2013 and were due to be hanged lawyer representing the four simultaneously today at 6am convicts on death row had alleg- in the country’s fi rst execution edly bragged that their hanging since 2015. would never take place. A fi fth, the sus- The Supreme Congress party president Sonia Gandhi joins other leaders to protest against the new citizenship law at the parliament house in New Delhi yesterday. pected ringleader, Court earlier was found dead in yesterday dis- jail in a suspected missed a review suicide, while a petition fi led by 17-year-old ac- one of the four complice spent death row con- three years in a victs. juvenile detention A three-judge centre. bench of the apex Anger as president says The delay was court presided by because some of justices Ashok the men still have Bhushan, R Ba- legal options to numathi and A S appeal their sentences includ- Bopanna dismissed the plea fi led ing “mercy petitions” with the by convict Pawan Gupta following president. an in-chamber hearing. CAA is ‘will of Gandhi’ All are, however, widely ex- The court observed that the pected to fail, with support for issue on the juvenility of convict IANS and will continue till February fi lled by enacting a Citizen- Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on of people have been hurt in vio- their execution appearing to be Gupta had already been decided New Delhi 11, after which the session will ship Amendment Act by both December 12, 2019. The Act lent incidents. That’s why we overwhelming within Indian so- by courts, and queried his coun- be adjourned for a short break. the Houses of parliament,” the came into force on January 10 boycotted president’s address ciety and among political parties. sel, “How many times will we The second half of the session president said. this year. and no leaders, including Sonia Ahead of their executions, the hear the same things? You have n a rare but not the fi rst such will be from March 2 until April The president stressed that The law has faced country- Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, sat in media have been full of gory de- already raised it many times.” occasion, opposition parties 3. the government makes it clear wide protests in various cities the front row,” said Azad. tails including that the nooses Gupta had moved the top court Iyesterday jointly expressed The opposition’s objection that the procedures which were leading to injuries to hundreds “The BJP orchestrated the vi- will be smeared with banana to challenging the Delhi High Court their objection by sloganeering came minutes after the presi- there earlier for people of all of security personnel. olence and their ministers used soften them. order declining to entertain his “shame, shame”, that reverber- dent started speaking about the religions of the world, who be- Senior Congress leader Ghu- unparliamentary language. Hangman Pawan Jallad, whose plea that he was a juvenile when ated in the central hall of the benefi ts of the CAA mentioning lieved in India and want to take lam Nabi Azad yesterday told We questioned the constitu- father and grandfather were also the off ence was committed. parliament when President Ram the government had fulfi lled the citizenship of India, are the mediapersons outside parlia- tional morality of some of the executioners, has given multiple A Juvenile Board in January Nath Kovind mentioned that will of Mahatma Gandhi with same today. ment that the opposition boy- steps taken by the government interviews ahead of what will be 2013 had declared that Gupta was Citizenship Amendment Act the passing of the Citizenship “A person of any creed can cotted the president’s address which were discriminatory his fi rst job. not a juvenile when he committed (CAA) was the will of Mahatma Amendment Bill, 2019 in both complete these processes and be- as it referred to the most divisive and divisive. Those should not Jyoti, 23, was returning home the off ence. Gupta’s counsel ar- Gandhi which the government the houses of parliament. The come a citizen of India. The gov- action taken by the government. have found any reference in the from the cinema with a friend on a gued the prosecution deliberately had fulfi lled. CAA came into force earlier this ernment has made several provi- “It is extremely shameful president’s address. Today the Sunday evening in December 2012 concealed that he was a juvenile. Kovind made the statement month after it was passed in the sions for granting citizenship to that the government projected Budget will be presented, but when they boarded a Delhi bus, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta while addressing a joint sitting winter session of parliament refugees in any region and espe- the Citizenship Amendment we know that India is moving thinking it would take them home. said the prosecution has consist- of the parliament before the be- last year. cially in the northeast,” he said. Act as a success in the presi- towards a deep economic reces- The fi ve men and one juvenile ently maintained that the convict ginning of the Budget session “I am happy that the will of The Lok Sabha passed the dential address at a time when sion,” he said, adding, “There knocked the friend unconscious was not a juvenile when the of- which is divided into two parts. the Father of the Nation, Ma- Citizenship Amendment Bill the entire country is protesting was nothing new in his ad- and dragged Jyoti to the back of fence was committed. The fi rst part began yesterday hatma Gandhi, has been ful- on December 9, 2019 while the against the act and thousands dress,” Azad added. BJP accused of plotting Star biker Noisy motorists face ‘big disturbance’ in Delhi longer wait at signals IANS this innovative solution to arrest Mumbai this menace,” Pandey added. IANS sages and videos are doing the of Thakur and therefore “the Decibel meters have been New Delhi rounds on WhatsApp,” Singh charge-sheet in this case should installed and activated at ma- claimed, adding that he would include his name too”. raffi c police in Mumbai jor junctions or signals at the submit the “evidence” to the The AAP claimed: “We are have quietly come up with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja am Aadmi Party Rajya Election Commission. afraid that the (shooting) inci- Tan unique initiative to Terminus, Marine Drive, Pedder Sabha MP Sanjay Singh He claimed that the BJP lead- dent is just the tip of a bigger discipline motorists who love to Road, Hindmata Cinema Dadar Ayesterday claimed that ership was “losing temper” be- conspiracy of creating law and blare the horns of their vehicles and Bandra. the BJP was planning some “big cause that party is set to lose the order problem to subvert Delhi even when the traffi c signal is red. “The scheme is intended for disturbance” on February 2 at Assembly elections in Delhi and Assembly elections.” From yesterday, the police creating awareness instead of Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Mil- so they want to “postpone elec- Meanwhile, AAP is hold- have installed decibel meters at punishment. Presently it is being lia Islamia - the epicentre of the tions”. ing silent marches across all certain select but heavy traffi c launched on an experimental ba- anti-CAA protests in Delhi - Delhi will hold the Assembly 70 Assembly constituencies in signals under a campaign named sis to study the public response,” ahead of the February 8 Assem- polls on February 8. Delhi to protest against BJP MP ‘The Punishing Signal’. Mumbai Police spokesperson bly polls. The Aam Aadmi Party yes- Parvesh Verma’s “terrorist” re- Joint police commissioner and deputy commissioner of po- “(Union Home Minister) Amit terday also wrote to Delhi Police mark targeted at Chief Minister (Traffi c) Madhukar Pandey said lice Pranaya Ashok said. Shah is behind all this. First, he Commissioner Amulya Patnaik Arvind Kejriwal. the decibel monitors are connect- Lauding the Mumbai Traf- encourages a BJP minister to de- demanding an investigation into The silent marches started ed to traffi c signals around the ity, fi c Police for the initiative, re- liver hate speech and then vio- the alleged role of Union Minis- yesterday and will continue and when due to needless honk- nowned anti-noise pollution lence breaks out. A man walks ter Anurag Thakur in the Jamia till tomorrow. Apart from the ing the cacophony exceeds the activist Sumaira Abdul Ali said openly with a gun in public and shooting case and the inclusion march, AAP will also conduct dangerous 85-decibels, the signal this is the fi rst time in decades opens fi re. of his name in the charge-sheet. a door-to-door campaign and timer resets, entailing a double that the police have got around “Shah is controlling Delhi In the letter, the AAP said that distribute pamphlets asking waiting time for all vehicles! to “enforcing” something which Police’s hand. Law and order the man who fi red from a coun- people to decide whether “Ke- Thus, those who ‘honk more, activists have been demanding has gone from bad to worse af- try-made pistol at a Jamia student jriwal is their son or a terrorist”. wait more’, is the punishing mes- for years. ter Shah took over as the home “took inspiration from Thakur”. “Verma had called Kejriwal a sage that is fl ashed at such noisy “This is a global fi rst as we minister. Now, they plan to do “The action is part of a chro- ‘terrorist’ and the statement was signals. have not heard of such a thing something big on February 2 at nology after what Thakur had endorsed by Manoj Tiwari, the “Mumbai is one of the noisi- anywhere in the world and I Shaheen Bagh and JMI. I wish to exhorted a couple of days ago,” Delhi BJP chief. The Aam Aadmi est cities in the world and lot of wholeheartedly congratulate the warn the people and the Election the letter said. Party moved the Election Com- Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha arrives on a motorbike this noise is at the traffi c signals Mumbai Traffi c Police for doing Commission,” the AAP leader The party alleged that it ap- mission and complained against to the ‘What Women Want’ radio chat show at Mehboob where motorists honk even when something concrete to make the told the media here. peared that the fi ring inci- the hate campaign of the BJP and Studio in Mumbai yesterday. the signal is red. Jointly with the city roads less noisy and eventu- “I have proof. A lot of mes- dent took place at the behest the lack of decorum on their part. FCB Interface, we have launched ally noise-free,” Ali said. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 11

LATIN AMERICA

DATA LEGAL POLICY APPOINTMENT Mexico’s economy shrinks Chapecoense lawyers seek Chile passes bill to Actress says she will be for first time in 10 years Bolivia help in payout case boost taxes on rich Brazil’s culture chief

Mexico’s economy contracted for the first Lawyers for the families of those killed in a 2016 Chilean lawmakers have passed a bill that An actress known for decades of work in soap time in a decade last year, data showed, plane crash that all but wiped out Brazilian raises taxes on the rich while reducing the operas said she has agreed to become Brazil’s as businesses reined in investment due to football team Chapecoense have arrived in burden on the elderly and small businesses, a secretary for culture. Regina Duarte, 72, made nagging uncertainty over the economic Bolivia to enlist government help in their nod to months of protests over inequality in the announcement to reporters as she left the management of President Andres Manuel compensation case. “Three years have passed. the nation. The legislation is expected to boost presidential palace. In taking the job off er from Lopez Obrador. Adjusted for seasonal So far we have 68 families and 105 children Chile’s total tax haul, helping underwrite other President Jair Bolsonaro, Duarte will replace swings, Latin America’s No. 2 economy abandoned, and their rights unanswered,” one costly measures demanded by protesters, a man fired over a speech that included lines contracted by 0.1% in 2019 after a growth of the lawyers, said. The lawyers hope to meet including a guaranteed minimum wage, a seeming to quote Adolf Hitler’s propaganda of just over 2% the previous year, according with members of President Jeanine Anez’s pension plan overhaul and changes to the minister Joseph Goebbels. “Yes, I accepted,” to a preliminary estimate published by government to try to end the deadlock in the country’s public-private health system. Chilean Duarte said of the new position. Duarte’s name national statistics off ice INEGI. “The figures case. The families had previously petitioned Finance Minister Ignacio Briones called the has been circulating for some time, but she essentially confirmed that Mexico was the government of ex-president Morales to nearly two-year-old bill, rewritten amid the kept mum after visiting the culture secretariat Brazilian actress Regina Duarte speaks one of the world’s worst-performing large manage a payout from private insurers after a unrest in late 2019, a compromise that would headquarters last week in Brasilia. She will with journalists after a meeting with Brazil’s emerging markets in 2019,” said Capital probe found the now-defunct Bolivian charter help spur investment while levying taxes in a be the fourth person to hold the job since President Jair Bolsonaro (not pictured) at the Economics in a note. company LaMia responsible for the disaster. “progressive manner...something we all value.” Bolsonaro took off ice. Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil. Brazilians sent Pope to help Argentina in debt crisis to Mexico by US left sad and confused

Reuters thing was scheduled, but they Ciudad Juarez didn’t let me stay there.” She was getting death threats because of her inability to pay her ewildered, sad and disap- debt, she said, and that she had pointed, Brazilians mi- no job. “They said since we don’t Bgrants sent from the US to want to go back to Brazil, because Mexico this week were left won- we’re being threatened, then we dering how they had ended up in have to return to Mexico,” she another country whose language said. they do not understand. US Border Patrol caught The US on Wednesday began roughly 17,900 Brazilians at the sending some Brazilian migrants southwestern border with Mexico who had crossed the border with in the last fi scal year, which began Mexico back there to await their October 1, 2018. US court hearings under a pro- The fi gure was a sharp increase gramme known as the Migrant from 1,500 arrests a year earlier. Protection Protocols (MPP). It “I would like to return to the is one of several moves by the US,” said Costa. “They gave us a Pope Francis meets Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez and Fernandez’ partner Fabiola Yanez during a private audience at the Vatican yesterday. Fernandez said administration of US President court date, but in April. And we Pope Francis had promised him to do everything he could to help with his homeland’s debt crisis. Next Wednesday, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing Donald Trump aimed at reduc- have no way to get back to Brazil.” director Kristalina Georgieva and Argentine Economy Minister Martin Guzman are due have a meeting on the debt on the sidelines of a conference at the Vatican. ing the number of people seeking Meanwhile, Mexico’s foreign asylum at the US-Mexico border. minister warned the country will Since the programme began a not tolerate the presence of Cen- year ago, more than 57,000 non- tral American migrants who in- Mexican migrants have been re- tend to enter violently or with an turned to Mexico. aim to cause trouble. “I don’t understand why I was Marcelo Ebrard defended sent here,” said Brazilian migrant Mexico’s migration policies and Tania Costa, adding that she did expressed his approval for the not understand Spanish and had eff orts of the National Guard, been unable to communicate with which last week detained some Gunmen shoot dead six Mexican offi cials. “Why did they 800 migrants from the so-called return me to Mexico and not Bra- “2020 Caravan”. zil?” The group had crossed the She said US offi cials had not Suchiate River along Mexico’s explained to her that she would be southern border to illegally enter sent to Mexico. the country from Guatemala on indigenous Nicaraguans The US Customs and Border their way to the US. Protection agency did not im- “If you come to Mexico to pro- Reuters The raiders were part of a tack. Salomon disputed the po- With only about 30,000 peo- gained autonomy in 1987 over mediately respond to a request for voke, create confl ict, I will return Managua group of “settlers” in the area lice version of events. ple spread across the country, their ancestral lands and a law comment. you to your country, because we who do not belong to the indig- Animosity has been growing Mayagna make up about 0.5% of was introduced in 2003 to allow Ten Brazilian migrants were don’t have to support, to toler- enous communities that make up over the past decade between Nicaragua’s population. indigenous people to apply for sent to Mexico under the MPP on ate that,” Ebrard said before the bout 80 armed men killed about 14% of Nicaragua’s 6.2mn Nicaragua’s native people and The Mayagna have been com- land titles. Wednesday, according to Enrique Mexican Senate. six indigenous people on people, according to a Mayagna the “settlers,” who come to plaining since 2014 about living But indigenous communities Valenzuela, who heads the civil “Mexican policy off ers you Aan isolated Nicaraguan lawyer from the region. indigenous areas in search of under siege from armed groups have more recently criticised the protection services in Chihuahua refuge, temporary employment, nature reserve in an attack linked “They wanted to subjugate the cheap, fertile land, as well as who are seizing their lands, and government for not doing enough state. The programme was previ- medical support — everything to raging land disputes, the in- men and shot to death six peo- timber and gold, according to last year their leader said his peo- to protect them and their way of ously limited to Spanish speakers. that you want according to Mexi- digenous Mayagna community ple,” Mayagna lawyer Larry Salo- activists. ple are facing an existential risk. life. Among them were Costa and can norms, norms that favour said, with 10 other Mayagnas mon told Reuters by phone, say- “This is a land confl ict. They “They’re exterminating us lit- The Bosawas Biosphere Re- her six-year-old daughter. those seeking refuge,” he said. kidnapped in the raid. ing the attack occurred in the Alal want our lands for cattle farming tle by little and the state is do- serve, renowned for its biodiver- They had left Belo Horizonte “But if you come to Mexico to The men stormed a Mayagna de Sauni As community. and to destroy our forests,” Salo- ing nothing,” Gustavo Lino, the sity, is a treasure-trove of rare in the southwestern state Minas provoke, you will be returned to commune about 500kms north The government did not re- mon added. highest-ranking Mayagna leader, and endangered species. Gerais, Brazil just over a week ago, your country.” of capital Managua, deep in the spond to a request for comment. Salomon said a delegation said last year. It hosts one of the world’s last she said. Ebrard revealed that refugee north-central Bosawas Biosphere The police, in a government- made up of Nicaraguan army, Nicaragua had been a world populations of Baird’s Tapir and “I had heard of people who requests from Central Americans Reserve, the second-largest rain- controlled media outlet, pub- police and the municipal gov- leader in the granting of land Central American Spider Mon- managed, so I tried as well,” she in Mexico have grown from 6,000 forest in the Americas after the lished a statement saying only ernment was on the way to the rights to native peoples. key, according to the United Na- said. “I had a court date, every- last year to more than 70,000. Amazon. two people were killed in the at- reserve to investigate the attack. Indigenous communities tions.

Alert sounded Bolsonaro fi res aide over Bogota snubs Caracas bid to resume ties use of plane from Davos Maduro proposed the resump- Reuters Bogota tion of consular relations be- Reuters be moved to the economy min- cost Brazilian taxpayers 740,000 tween the countries on Wednes- Brasilia istry. reais ($177,000), not welcome day, as Colombia seeks the Loss of authority over this news for a government that says olombia has rejected Ven- extradition of former Colombian key programme, aimed at draw- it is committed to fi scal belt- ezuelan President Nicolas congresswoman Aida Merlano. resident Jair Bolsonaro ing local and foreign investors tightening and fi ghting corrup- CMaduro’s proposal that Merlano was detained this fi red his deputy chief of into infrastructure projects, tion. the two countries resume diplo- week in Venezuela’s Zulia state, Pstaff for the second time marks a fall from grace for Only two other aides were on matic relations, amid a dispute which borders Colombia, four this week, after the offi cial used Lorenzoni. the plane, the paper reported. over a fugitive former Colombian months after she escaped from a Brazilian Air Force plane to fl y He was one of the first law- Bolsonaro, a far-right leader congresswoman who was cap- custody. from Davos, Switzerland, to New makers to back Bolsonaro’s elected in 2018 on a pledge to tured in Venezuela. The former lawmaker, im- Delhi last week. presidential bid, but has been clean up Brazilian politics, has Maduro abruptly cut diplo- prisoned in Colombia for buying The costly trip has drawn ex- unable to muster support in been hurt by accusations his matic relations with neighbour- votes in 2018, made a dramatic tensive public criticism amid Congress for many of the ad- tourism minister committed ing Colombia last February after escape by lowering herself by mounting allegations of corrup- ministration’s policies, includ- electoral fraud and a money- Colombian President Ivan Duque rope from a second-fl oor ortho- tion by Bolsonaro’s administra- ing a bid to restructure the gov- laundering investigation into his helped Venezuelan opposition dontist’s offi ce last October. tion. ernment. son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, a politicians deliver humanitarian She fl ed on the back of a mo- Bolsonaro fi rst fi red the offi - Santini fl ew from the World former Rio de Janeiro state law- aid to their crisis-stricken coun- torbike. cial, Vicente Santini, on Tuesday Economic Forum in the Swiss maker. try. Maduro and offi cials in his when he returned from a state Alps on an Air Force Legacy ex- The PPI programme has been Colombia, like the majority of government have said Merlano visit to India, calling his use of ecutive jet to join Bolsonaro’s reassigned to Economy Minis- Western democracies, recognis- had told them stories of corrup- the plane “completely immoral.” visit to India, even though such ter Paulo Guedes, who is work- es Venezuelan opposition leader tion among Colombia’s political Santini was reassigned to anoth- fl ights are reserved for ministers ing to speed up the privatisation Juan Guaido as the country’s le- class, hinting they could reveal er position by chief of staff Onyx and other higher-ranking au- of state companies, reduce the gitimate president. them. Lorenzoni. thorities. government´s budget defi cit and “We see little possibility of Merlano was charged by a After heightened public out- The scandal adds to specula- restore confi dence in Brazil´s fi - providing consular and other Venezuelan court with identity cry, Bolsonaro later told report- tion Lorenzoni will be dropped nances. services in Venezuela, plainly theft, using fake documents and ers he was firing Santini de- from Bolsonaro’s Cabinet, which The economy ministry’s pri- and simply because of the con- conspiring to commit crimes. finitively and said that the main political analysts have been pre- vatisation secretary Jose Salim An orange volcanic alert was announced by the National stant aggressions doled out by “Duque doesn’t want the truth policy area run by Lorenzoni’s dicting for months. Mattar will be running the pro- Geology and Mining Service of Chile after the Chillan volcano the government against many to come out... he is going to get office, the Investment Partner- According to the Estado de gramme, starting Monday, gov- spewed a plume of ash over 10,000ft into the sky. countries that have rejected it,” a surprise in the next few days,” ships Programme (PPI), would S.Paulo newspaper, the fl ight ernment sources said. Duque told journalists. Maduro said on state television. Gulf Times 12 Saturday, February 1, 2020 PAKISTAN

‘Lucky escape’ from epicentre of viral outbreak in China Reports

Internews put under a virtual lockdown. tious disease started spreading “After undergoing a medical made no contact with any of the Another student from Kara- about pay Karachi “There are 559 Pakistanis in January, but residents didn’t check-up and receiving an all- students,” Arsalan claimed. chi, Meharun Nisa Ijaz, who is stuck in Wuhan. Of them, 105 care much until the internation- clear, Chinese authorities al- He stated that students from currently stuck in Wuhan, also are students of the University of al media raised alarm. lowed us to travel to Pakistan via other countries, including Ja- requested the government to raise for hile hundreds of Pa- Wuhan,” said Arsalan, who also Arsalan said he went to Dubai. I reached Karachi on the pan, Korea, India, Indonesia and evacuate the trapped Pakistani kistanis are living studies at the same institute. Shanghai on January 22 to spend night of January 28,” he said. Bangladesh, received immediate students as soon as possible. Wa nightmare in the “Some of them are PhD candi- China’s New Lunar Year holi- Arsalan added that Pakista- help from their embassies and “Although the university ad- PM Khan coronavirus-infested Wuhan dates who have their families days, and in that time the coro- nis students in diff erent cities special fl ights were arranged for ministration and the Chinese region of China, a young univer- with them, including children navirus spread across Wuhan, of China, including Urumqi, their evacuation, but the gov- authorities are being very care- sity student from Pakistan was and infants.” and the city was put under quar- Shanghai and Beijing, had lately ernment of Pakistan extended ful and considerate towards rejected lucky to have made a safe exit “I have been in touch with antine by authorities in an at- been facing a lot of problems at no support to its citizens. students, we are very scared from the city of 11mn people. some of the trapped students. So tempt to contain it. the airports, but they received “As I am in touch with many because the situation is worse But it was not easy for Arsalan far, fi ve Pakistani students have At Shanghai airport, Arsalan no assistance from Pakistani students stuck in Wuhan, they than what is being reported in Internews Amin, who hails from the Lyari been infected,” he claimed. and two other Pakistani stu- diplomatic missions. have requested me to convey the media and our families are Karachi neighbourhood of Karachi, to Offi cially, four students have dents were stopped by offi cials “We faced a similar situation their appeal to Prime Minister extremely worried,” she said in return to Pakistan. been diagnosed with the myste- and a medical check-up was in Wuhan where Pakistani dip- Imran Khan and the government a video message. “I request the He left for Shanghai on Janu- rious illness. conducted before they were al- lomats acquired a list of Paki- of Pakistan for their evacuation government of Pakistan to sup- erming reports on in- ary 22 – just before the city was Arsalan said the highly infec- lowed to board the fl ight. stanis studying there, but they to Pakistan,” he said. port us before it is too late.” crease in the prime min- Tister’s salary “baseless” and “unfortunate”, the Prime Minister’s Offi ce spokesperson has clarifi ed that there will be no increase in the premier’s offi cial pay. The clarifi cation was issued in response to media reports al- leging that the prime minister’s No plan for evacuation gross salary is being increased to Rs800,000. “At a time when the prime minister is carrying out a cam- paign to slash the government’s expenditures, which he initiated from his own, the propagation of such a baseless and concocted of Pakistanis in Wuhan news report is unfortunate,” the spokesperson remarked, accord- Pakistan to follow WHO ing to a press release. guidelines to prevent spread It said that Prime Minister of coronavirus Imran Khan, at a recent meet- ing of the federal cabinet, while Internews amending the rules for perks and Islamabad/Karachi privileges of the president and prime minister, allowed both of them to declare only one resi- s per guidelines of the dence as their camp offi ces. World Health Organisa- The prime minister had also Ation (WHO) and in the directed the cabinet to defi ne a larger interest of the region and limit of the expenditures per- world, Pakistan has decided not missible at the camp offi ces, to bring its citizens from China contrary to the previous prac- as it can become a reason for tices. the spread of novel coronavirus The spokesperson quoted the (nCoV). prime minister as saying that However, a Pakistani student expenditures incurred on the has returned on his own from A doctor wearing a protective mask speaks on a phone as he leaves head of the government are paid Wuhan, China, the epicentre of an isolation ward set up at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences out of the people’s hard-earned the nCoV outbreak, has said that Hospital (PIMS) in Islamabad as a preventative measure following money, so it was a must to keep other countrymen are facing the coronavirus outbreak. it at the minimum level. hard times there. Earlier, during a cabinet meet- Though the United States has students and their families and turn (see report above). ing, Minister for Communica- shifted its diplomats from China that as per the medical guide- Arsalan Ameen, a student of tions and Postal Services Murad under the Vienna Convention, line, the residents in the aff ect- the University of Wuhan, told Saeed said that Prime Minister the Foreign Offi ce of Pakistan ed province would have to stay media that he landed in Karachi Khan was living at his private says that it is not focusing on Medical staff members wearing protective masks prepare rooms in an isolation ward at the Pakistan there for 14 days. on January 28 after a thorough residence at Banigala despite be- diplomats and their families in Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad as a preventative measure following the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) procedure and strict medical ing the premier, and even spent China. coronavirus outbreak. leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said checks, but other Pakistanis money from his own pocket for However, federal Education that he is in contact with the stranded in the city were not the construction of the road Minister Shafqat Mahmood, on travelling outside the coun- not stop diplomats from leaving of whom 500-800 are in Wuhan. students in China. lucky enough. leading to his home. while speaking on the fl oor of try, so Pakistan has decided to the country. Abbas said that the Chinese “A student, Furqan Rauf, has “There are 569 Pakistanis in Khan recently disclosed that the National Assembly, claimed follow the Chinese policy.” Asked if Pakistan is consider- government is providing food told me that his four friends Wuhan right now,” he told re- he could not cover his household that the government is consid- “We don’t want to take any ing bringing diplomats and their to students on daily basis, while have been infected with the vi- porters at his Lyari house. “In expenses from his offi cial salary. ering bringing Pakistani citizens step in haste, but we are ensur- families back, Farooqui said that the canteen in the university also rus, and no one is caring about my university, there are 105 stu- “We have reduced the ex- back from China. ing that proper treatment and the Foreign Offi ce is not focusing opened for two hours every day them. Even people are not ready dents, many of them enrolled in penses of the Prime Minister’s The outbreak of nCoV began care is provided to Pakistanis,” on diplomats and their families. for students. to shake hands with each other. PhD programme. The situation House by 40%. I live in my own in Wuhan city. Mirza said. “We are focusing on Pakistani She said that students are also “I suggest that we should send is very critical there. home, pay my own expenses. My As the mortality rate, in con- Mirza, who was accompanied citizens living in China.” being provided online food de- an aeroplane there and bring Pa- “People are in a state of pan- [offi cial] salary is not enough to fi rmed cases, is around 3%, by Foreign Offi ce spokesperson On the other hand, respond- livery facility in the university. kistani citizens back,” he said. ic and fear. The city has been cover the expenses of my own panic has been triggered across Aisha Farooqui, said that al- ing to a call to attention notice at Replying a question, Farooqui Meanwhile, a Pakistani stu- locked down and the people household,” he said during his a the globe. though videos are being shared the National Assembly, Shafqat said that presently the reloca- dent who has returned from cannot leave home. recent interaction with the busi- So far more than 10,000 cases on social media showing that Mahmood claimed that the gov- tion of students from Wuhan is Wuhan after being trapped in “I went through multiple ness community. of nCoV had been confi rmed in Pakistanis wanted to return, he ernment is considering bringing not possible as per the medical nCoV-hit city said that more medical checks and investiga- The premier also said that his 15 countries, with more than 210 had also seen a number of videos back Pakistani students from guidelines of the WHO. than 500 countrymen, including tion from the local authorities expenses on foreign trips were deaths reported. in which Pakistanis are saying Wuhan. She said that at this point, re- women and children, are waiting to reach Shanghai, from where I 10 times less than those spent by “There is no confi rmed case in that they did not want to return. The issue was raised by Pa- location would not benefi t the for government assistance to re- caught the fl ight to Pakistan.” his predecessors. Pakistan,” said Special Assistant A core committee of top health kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Describing his participation to the Prime Minister on Health hierarchy had been formed, that members of the National As- Pakistan halts China flights amid coronavirus outbreak in the World Economic Forum’s Dr Zafar Mirza. “Four Pakistani met every 24 hours, whereas a sembly (MNAs) Fazal Mohamed annual meeting as the “cheap- citizens have been infected with meeting of the nCoV Emergency Khan, Ehsan Ullah Tiwana, and Pakistan has temporarily suspended all direct flights China Southern Airlines, Khokhar said. est” offi cial visit, Khan had said the virus in China, but they have Operation Centre was held every Sher Akbar Khan. with China, after a global health emergency was de- “We have received a notification from the CAA that his trip was sponsored by been improving. 48 hours, he said. Parliamentary Secretary for clared over the coronavirus epidemic which has killed regarding the flight suspension to China. Since it is a friends and businessmen Ikram “They [the Chinese authori- Replying to a question, Mirza Foreign Aff airs Andleeb Ab- more than 200 people. decision from the regulatory body, we will obey its Sehgal and Imran Chaudhry. ties] have requested that Paki- said that soon a helpline would bas said that the Pakistan em- “We have suspended all the direct flights to and from directions,” said PIA spokesman Aamir Memon. This is not the fi rst time the stan not to share their identity be established for public aware- bassy in China has established a China, with immediate eff ect till February 2,” Abdul So far there is no confirmed case of the coronavirus prime minister’s salary has come and details of their families in ness and pamphlets – on which round-the-clock hotline to co- Sattar Khokhar, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Civil in Pakistan, although four Pakistani students in China under public discussion. Pakistan,” he said. precautionary measures are ordinate with Pakistani students Aviation Authority (CAA), told AFP. have been confirmed as infected. Last year, it was reported that “The WHO has advised all mentioned in Urdu, English and in Wuhan. He did not elaborate on the reason for the flight Some 28,000 to 30,000 Pakistanis are living in China, the premier earned less than member states – 194 nations – Chinese – are being handed over “The government is also in suspensions. while more than 500 Pakistani students are in virus- federal and provincial ministers: that they should not evacuate to passengers at airports. contact with the families of the A decision on whether flights will be resumed will be hit Wuhan, according to off icials. as per his February 2019 salary their citizens from China. Answering another question, Pakistani students,” she said. made tomorrow. Some airlines including British Airways, have also slip, Khan is entitled to a gross “Moreover, China has been he said that only the United She said that about 28,000 The three airlines aff ected by the suspension order suspended flights to China due to warnings of the salary of Rs201,574, which is re- dealing with the issue remark- States had shifted its diplomats Pakistani students are studying are Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air China, and coronavirus outbreak. duced to Rs196,979 after tax and ably, and it has also imposed ban from China as the latter could in various universities of China, other deductions. All in a day’s work Tax body to replace pirated software with licensed copy

Internews “We have conveyed to the US the tax authority was not made Islamabad authorities through the proper aware of. channels that the software will VMware provides cloud com- be purchased for use in WeBOC,” puting and virtualisation soft- fter reports emerged that a senior FBR offi cial said. ware and services. the Federal Board of Rev- He said where an alternative to Its desktop software runs on Aenue (FBR) is using a pi- the software is available, the FBR Microsoft Windows, Linux, and rated version of VMware, the tax would remove VMware; for ex- macOS, while the enterprise ver- authority has now announced ample, the authority has already sion – hypervisor – is for servers. plans to buy a licensed version of removed it from the e-fi ling of As part of IPR violations, the the software. income tax returns platform – FBR has already received a re- The said software is used in Iris. minder from the US authorities Pakistan’s Web-based One Cus- The offi cial said that the Pa- to purchase the software and re- toms (WeBOC) and e-fi ling of in- kistan Revenue Automation Ltd move the pirated version. come tax returns. (PRAL), a subsidiary of the FBR, The FBR has asked for an in- The issue was brought up has been asked to seek quota- quiry into the issue. during a recent meeting with tions for the purchase of VMware “We are doing one on our the US Principal Deputy Assist- for use in WeBOC. own,” he said, adding the US au- ant Secretary of State for South He explained that it would cost thorities have only asked that the and Central Asian Aff airs, Al- the government more to remove software be purchased. ice Wells, who raised questions the software from WeBOC. As the PRAL provides services regarding intellectual property The offi cial explained that to provincial revenue authori- A street barber takes care of a customer, while another waits his turn, in Rawalpindi. rights (IPR) violations at Paki- the pirated software came pre- ties, it will purchase the software stan government departments. installed in the systems, which from own funds. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 13 PHILIPPINES Lopez warns against Analysts see minimal panic buying of masks impact on By Aric John Sy Cua Manila Times economy rade Secretary Ramon Lopez yesterday warned Tthe public against panic- By Mayvelin U Caraballo very likely to be very minimal,” buying for protective masks Manila Times he added. as the 2019 novel coronavirus The Diff erence Group (2019-nCoV) scare continues to founder, Dan Steinbock, said spread following the discovery mid the 2019 novel it was a challenge to quantify of the fi rst case of the infection coronavirus (2019- the economic impact of the in the Philippines. AnCoV) scare in the 2019-nCov on the Philippine The masks have disappeared country, private analysts have economy at present. from shelves in many stores, shared the view of the gov- “The question is whether snapped up by people who want ernment’s economic manag- the government can manage protection from the virus that is ers that the outbreak would this without overshooting,” he transmitted through respiratory only have a minimal impact on added. droplets. Philippine economic growth. Citing Chinese authorities´ Speaking to reporters at the Maybank Kim Eng chief draconian measures against National Press Club yesterday, economist Suhaimi Ilias said the outbreak as an example, Lopez also warned suppliers not the spread of the virus was Steinbock said he thinks that to overprice their masks. likely only in the short term. China is doing only what it “Let’s not panic, in terms of But he added that an impor- can, given the situation. supply. Because if we panic, tant factor at present “is the The comments from the stores could wind up running constant updates by relevant analysts were consistent with out of supplies. These stores authorities on the cases and statements of Finance Sec- are reordering the supplies. But the measures that have been retary Carlos Dominguez 3rd they should also not raise prices, taken to contain it.” and Socioeconomic Planning since the cost of production does Robert Dan Roces, Security Secretary Ernesto Pernia on not increase,” he said. Bank Corp assistant vice pres- Thursday night that the virus He said surgical masks should People scramble to buy face masks in a medical supply store a day after the Philippine government confirmed the first novel coronavirus case, ident and an economist, noted would have a short-term eff ect be sold at only P8 each, while in Manila, yesterday. the incidence of 2019-nCoV in and would not trigger reces- N95 masks should not be sell for the country is well-contained sion in the country. more than P100. Lopez also al- our countrymen is foremost in the sary precautions to inform them seriously and co-operate with equipment, and equip offi cers “relative to the rest of the “I think it’s likely to just layed concerns that some Chi- president’s mind,” Panelo said. so they can have themselves authorities in order to ensure the and crew onboard ships with full countries with infections.” have a short-term impact nese suppliers were hoarding the The Department of Health checked in case they show fl u- safety of Filipinos,” he said. information about the virus. The Department of Health because given the measures masks. “There is nothing to wor- (DoH) said the 38-year-old Chi- like symptoms,” the airline said The Department of Educa- At the Supreme Court, Chief earlier confi rmed the fi rst case being done to minimise the ry about in hoarding. Because nese woman infected with the in a statement yesterday. tion (DepEd) yesterday directed Justice Diosdado Peralta called of the virus in the Philippines, Filipinos incurring the coro- there is no reason for them (sup- virus came from Wuhan, fl ew to “The cabin crew and pilots on its offi cials in the virus-aff ected on all court personnel to observe involving a 38-year-old Chi- navirus, it shouldn’t take long pliers) to hoard, because their Cebu from Hong Kong via Cebu aff ected fl ights have also been regions to co-operate with the the proper hand and respiratory nese woman who tested posi- for that to have an eff ect on the prices are just the same,” he said. Pacifi c, then from Cebu to Dum- informed and show no symp- DoH in tracing individuals who hygiene, and safe food practices. tive for the virus. economy,” Pernia said. The World Health Organisa- aguete City before taking a Phil- toms of illness,” it added. were in contact with and may “Court personnel are likewise Despite this case, Roces said Dominguez said the pub- tion (WHO) has declared a world ippine Airlines fl ight to Manila. Sen. Christopher Lawrence have been exposed to the con- encouraged to wear masks inside the country’s tourism sector lic should appreciate China’s health emergency as the 2019 The woman is under isola- “Bong” Go said the president fi rmed patient during her visit. court rooms, halls of justice, and would not be aff ected, includ- response to the outbreak to novel coronavirus acute respi- tion at the San Lazaro Hospital scheduled a meeting next week DepEd said Secretary Leonor judiciary buildings, in the inter- ing airline and other comple- shorten the potential length ratory disease, which started in in Manila. Yesterday, the DoH with medical experts and key Briones has been in direct com- est of everyone’s health,” Peral mentary industries. and spread of the virus. Wuhan, China, last week has af- also announced it was adding an government offi cials to discuss munication with Duque as well said in an advisory on the novel Analysts at ANZ Research “One thing we have to ap- fected all of China and spread to American and a Chinese nation- measures to prevent the spread as the health offi cers in the af- coronavirus for court personnel. said the Philippines was “like- preciate with the Chinese other countries like the Philip- al to its list of Patients Under In- of the novel coronavirus. fected regions and communities Senate President Vicente Sot- ly to experience only slightly government is they acted pines, the United States, Canada vestigation (PUI) for the Wuhan “As part of our precaution- visited by the confi rmed patient to 3rd said the travel ban ordered negative eff ects.” very swiftly on this round of and in Europe. virus. The DoH is monitoring 31 ary eff orts, the Department of since Thursday night. by the president should be for all Ruben Carlo Asuncion, Un- these diseases and have been The situation has prompted PUIs. Twenty-fi ve of them are Foreign Aff airs (DFA) has earlier DepEd said that tracking indi- nationalities. ion Bank of the Philippines very proactive in the control President Rodrigo Duterte to ban under medical confi nement, and stopped the issuance of visas- viduals who were in contact with “All the nationalities coming chief economist, said tourism of this disease. This is much travellers from Hubei province fi ve have been discharged but on-arrival to Chinese nationals. the patient is “for the benefi t not from that area in China, in the connected with the retail and better than what happened and other places in China, Mala- under strict monitoring. The DFA also eventually tem- only of our schools and learners meantime. If it gets worse, ban service sectors; and trade, par- during the Sars and the Mers- canang said yesterday. Cebu Pacifi c yesterday said it porarily stopped the issuance of but of the communities as well.” all coming from countries with ticularly exports, would be the CoV (Middle East respiratory In a statement, Palace spokes- has started contacting passen- visas to travellers from Hubei The Maritime Industry Au- nCoV,” Sotto said. two areas that will be hit by the syndrome-coronavirus) out- man Salvador Panelo said Health gers who travelled on the same province, altogether,” Go said. thority (Marina) has also mo- He said that even Filipinos eff ects of the 2019-nCoV out- breaks,” he added. Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd plane with the nCoV positive The chairman of the Senate bilised, advising shipowners who are in Wuhan should be break. The Finance chief said it is recommended to Duterte to deny woman. health committee, Go said he and operators to take necessary covered by the ban, saying it’s “If this outbreak delivers a too early to tell the impact of entry to visitors from infected “We are in the process of con- would call a hearing on the mat- measures to monitor nCoV. safer for them to stay in lock- severe, but temporary impact, the virus scare on the tourism places in China. tacting passengers seated in the ter on February 4. The shipowners have been down there than come home and like Severe Acute Respiratory sector, but added that “we’re “It will last until the threat is vicinity of the positive nCoV “Let us not panic, but at the asked to report suspected nCoV be discriminated upon by au- Syndrome (Sars), the econom- not going into a recession be- over given that that the safety of patient and are taking the neces- same time, let us take the threat cases, install necessary medical thorities and even their relatives. ic impact on the Philippines is cause of this.” Three arrested for Govt bans entry of visitors from China extortion attempt DPA Manila By Benjamin L Vergara pects as Rino Romero, who Manila Times stood as the leader, Rene Ares Cascano and Jodrel Joe Vic- hilippine President Rodrigo Duterte toriano. has ordered a ban on the entry of visi- viation police arrested Captain Roberto Papa, Ptors coming from areas in China that three men who intro- Aviation police intelligence are aff ected by an outbreak of the novel Aduced themselves as chief, said Royal Air com- coronavirus as part of eff orts to contain the immigration offi cers while plained that the suspects spread of the disease, his spokesman says. trying to extort some P60,000 were asking for P60,000 as The ban was announced after the De- from a budget airline as pen- penalty or payment for its partment of Health confi rmed the fi rst case alty or payment. non-commercial flight. of infection with the novel coronavirus The Philippine National Royal Air Philippines is a (nCoV) in the Philippines. Police Aviation Security Philippine-registered budget The patient is a 38-year-old Chinese Group conducted an entrap- airline established on Aug 22, woman who arrived from Hong Kong and ment operation against the 2002 as a chartered airline. travelled to central provinces. suspects at the Ninoy Aquino Police said later during Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo International Airport (NAIA) investigation, Cascano and said the fi rst patient with nCoV in the Phil- Terminal 3 following com- Victoriano were identified as ippines was being treated and isolated in a plaints of Royal Air manage- groundhandlers of Royal Air. government hospital in Manila. ment on Thursday afternoon. Immigration Port Op- “There is no way that she will transmit The three were about to eration Division chief the disease to another person as the hospi- receive the cash from Royal Grifton Medina denied the tal personnel are protectively dressed and Air staff when they were ar- widely assumed accusation their mouths and noses covered with sur- Hospital off icials Hian Kua (second right), Mario Juco (right) and Anthony Leachon (left) watch as a medical worker demonstrates rested. that the three suspects were gical masks plus their hands covered with the best way to put on protective gear inside the holding area for patients suspected of being infected with a deadly Sars-like virus Police identified the sus- immigration employees. gloves,” he said. which originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, at the Manila Doctors Hospital compound, yesterday. Labour dept issues guidelines on health-related absence

By William B Depasupil at the workplace, which include sence may be charged to his or benefits, and that those who directed to take precaution- Manila Times provisions for leave of absence, her annual or vacation leave contracted the disease in the ary measures in the workplace hospital benefi ts and assistance credits, depending on company performance of their duties are through updated information to be provided by DoLE. policy or as stipulated in the entitled to additional benefits about the virus, including its he Department of La- “For workers who need to collective bargaining agree- under the Social Security Sys- transmission, disease out- bor and Employment take a leave to take care of their ment. tem and employee’s compensa- come, and treatment options, T(DoLE) is encourag- children or parents afflicted Bello said employers could tion benefits under Presidential and maintenance of proper hy- ing employers and business or suspected of having 2019- consider granting leave of Decree 626 or the “Employees giene like cleaning the work ar- establishments to be flexible nCoV, or choose to stay away absence without pay if the Compensation Law.” eas with disinfectant and make and compassionate, in grant- from work on their own accord worker’s leave credits have The Labour department also sure that water, soap and sani- ing additional leave with pay due to contact with a confirmed been used up, adding “by mu- provides assistance to local and tisers are available in wash- to workers who need to take a or suspected 2019-nCoV to tual agreement, employers overseas Filipino workers in rooms and toilets. leave of absence because of the avoid its transmission, em- and workers could also agree collaboration with the Depart- In workplaces where work- 2019 novel coronavirus (2019- ployers are encouraged to adopt on other arrangements for the ment of Health, the Philippine ers could be at risk of infection nCoV). a flexible and enlightened ap- worker’s leave of absence.” Overseas Employment Admin- such as healthcare and other Labour Secretary Silvestre proach in granting time-off On healthcare benefits, Bello istration, the Overseas Workers frontline services, the employ- Bello 3rd yesterday issued an which may include use of leave said workers and their depend- Welfare Administration and the er will take protective meas- advisory setting the guidelines credits, if there is any,” Bello ants infected by the virus can International Labour Affairs ures to avoid, correct or remove Silvestre Bello: setting guidelines on nCov prevention and control said. A worker’s leave of ab- avail of PhilHealth hospital Bureau. Employers were also such imminent danger. Gulf Times 14 Saturday, February 1, 2020 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wars and viruses: Are Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko Production Editor robots less prone to panic? Amjad Khan

By Saikat Chatterjee/Reuters P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar London [email protected] 44350478 (News), idely blamed for volatile “fl ash crashes” in curren- 44466404 (Sport), cies and equities, high- 44466636 (Home delivery) Wfrequency algorithms may also be why shock global events, 44350474 including the current coronavirus, facebook.com/gulftimes seem to have lost their power to spook markets for any length of time. twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar Whether stocks, bonds, currencies or commodities, asset prices seem less prone to any selloff for very long; the US killing of an Iranian general and Iran’s retaliatory missile attack are among GULF TIMES potential catastrophes that triggered violent but surprisingly shortlived reactions just since the start of 2020. In both cases, knee-jerk yen-buying Coronavirus outbreak: and selling of equities faded within hours, allowing stocks to scale new record peaks. Misinformation spreads Now even as China’s coronavirus threatens to throttle economic growth, global stocks are not far off all-time panic and confusion highs. Certainly, many factors are shaping the resilience, not least central bank Misleading bat soup videos, vastly infl ated death tolls, money printing and rising global quack remedies and vaccine conspiracies — a global deluge of savings which boosted the value of misinformation is compounding public fears about China’s world stocks by $25tn in the past File image of the US Nasdaq Composite stock market index from April 1, 2011. new coronavirus. decade. Phoebe, a 40-year-old Hong Kong doctor, has been Yet it is hard not to link the shift in “trained” to learn from the experience option barrier was tripped. To predict what might happen next, reaction by fi nancial markets to the rise before the next shock. A plausible comparison may be the the programme compares interested dismayed by some of the messages cropping up in her family of automated trading strategies. One currency trader familiar with 0.6% plunge in the S&P 500 within the parties’ online attention to a subject, WhatsApp group in recent days. In the past six years, the share of algo use said a machine reading space of half an hour on Jan. 29. with the media coverage it receives, “I’ve seen information telling people to use a hairdryer to algo-trading in the $6.6tn-a-day FX coronavirus cases would typically buy The move came after American Predata CEO Hazem Dawani said. disinfect your face and hands, or drink 60-degree hot water to market has more than doubled to 27% stocks if informed of “500 new cases, Airlines and Lufthansa said they were The Saudi event elicited little keep healthy,” she said. among fund managers, a survey by 10 deaths”. “If it’s ‘3000 new cases, 200 suspending their China fl ights, but reaction from military offi cials and “I also saw a post shared in Facebook groups telling people to Greenwich Associates found. deaths’ they might sell. an hour later, the losses had been policymakers. There is some reason to believe algos “The point being that as soon as recouped. “The amount of news was far more drink Dettol,” she added, referencing a household disinfectant. cause volatility, especially when trading a headline is out, the machine-led Stephane Malrait, ING Bank’s head of than the amount of attention being As a health expert, she knew none of these methods would thins and the humans overseeing them market is trading on it,” the trader said, market structure and innovation, says devoted on the particular subject by work — and could, in fact, be dangerous — so she set about vanish, for instance during public speaking on condition of anonymity. in such instances algos are programmed investors, politicians, companies directly warning her family. holidays. But the machines had ‘vol triggers’, to check if moves are in line with price impacted by them,” Dawani said. But how many more messages like that are out there? That’s what likely happened during he said, meaning they can stop trading trends. He concluded — rightly — that there Researchers say the Internet and chat apps are awash in the Wall Street fl ash crash of 2010 and when the market moves beyond If the swings are in response to the an would be no escalation. dramatic but fl eeting yen moves in Jan specifi ed limits. incident, human traders can step in to VIRUS UNKNOWNS them. 2019. HOW IT WORKS smooth out the trade, Malrait added. Executives at half a dozen fi rms Ever since the emergence of the virus in the central But they also off er the advantage Simple fi rst- and second-generation Next, the algos may gauge the providing risk analysis for algo Chinese city of Wuhan became public at the start of January, of being able to transact at lightening programmes merely broke down large seriousness of the incident based on strategies told Reuters their services misinformation has stalked its spread. speed at any hour of the day or night, buy/sell orders into chunks to minimise patterns of investor behaviour and were increasingly in demand, but Cristina Tardaguila, from the Poynter Institute for Media with razor-sharp accuracy and lower market impact. economic consequences that followed declined to give fi gures. overall costs. Now algos can be hooked up to previous such episodes. But they acknowledged limitations. Studies, says more than 50 fact-checking organisations Being machines, they are also alien sophisticated language processing After the Iran missile attacks, the Reactions to the coronavirus for in 30 countries have been dealing with “three waves” of to the common human impulses of fear technology, to “read and analyse” news message from the specialised data- instance could be hobbled because the misinformation. and greed that tend to take over. feeds, then react accordingly, all in the crunchers to the algos was: stand down. only meaningful precedent is the 2003 “One regarding the origins of the virus; one about a fake Algorithmic trading is dispassionate, space of seconds, said Antony Foster, One was Geoquant, a US fi rm which Sars epidemic which also coincided patent, and a third about how to prevent it/cure it,” she said. said Scott Wacker, global head of fi xed head of G10 FX trading at Nomura. monitors geopolitical events and with the US invasion of Iraq. There’s a deluge of income, currency and commodity However this can “lead to models the asset price impact. Second, the pathogen and its dangers e-sales at JPMorgan, one bank at the overreaction in the fi rst instance”, “We modelled our Iranian misinformation causing are relatively unknown. Researchers say forefront of the algo revolution. Foster warned. geopolitical indicator back to seven Rosenberg said Geoquant’s China confusion and fear — “As a result, the reaction function The impact in fast-moving markets years... and put the current tensions Health Risk index was at record highs. the Internet and include one out of Sri Lanka in currency markets to even major can be outsized if the models rapidly against that backdrop,” said Geoquant That has pushed up the fi rm’s claiming China said 11mn geopolitical news has considerably push prices towards existing buy/sell CEO Mark Rosenberg, who concluded Social Instability Risk index for China, chat apps are people would die. shortened which enables stability to order levels, trip them and trigger other the risk would subside, with minimal oil pressuring Chinese markets. Another was a false report return more quickly.” orders. price impact. However, he said this correlation awash in them In short, when left-fi eld events hit, That’s what happened when news Another fi rm, Predata, applied its breaks down beyond short periods. in Australia listing common not only can algos scan and react swiftly broke of Iran’s Jan. 8 attack, according machine-reading algorithm to last “The longer-term relationship food brands and locations to newsfeed, many now can gauge the to a quant fund manager, who said September’s attacks on Saudi oil between Chinese Health Risk and in Sydney that were supposedly tainted, while multiple posts potential asset price impact. algos had bought yen with the aim of facilities, which had raised fears of a equities, Chinese or global, is basically pushed the erroneous idea that saline — basic salt water — can The most sophisticated can be triggering larger buy orders once a key regional war. zero,” he said. kill the virus. One video which went especially viral was a video of a woman tucking into bat soup. The footage, which was also picked up by western tabloid media outlets, was hailed as proof that China’s appetite for exotic animals had caused the crisis. Inequality and economic growth But it emerged that the video was shot in 2016 on the Pacifi c island of Palau by a Chinese travel blogger — a fact that few sector, let alone one group of investors. Moreover, if barriers to market entry of the media outlets which ran the footage bothered to either By Simon Johnson Washington, DC Across the entire economy, more are becoming a problem, then we should check or update once the reality became known. entrepreneurship and more market entry change the focus of antitrust activity to While China’s culinary tradition encompasses a vast array of tend to erode incumbents’ profi ts and reduce those barriers in a reasonable and ingredients that many elsewhere may turn their noses up at — n previous eras, top economic thus mitigate inequality, because the timely manner. and there are legitimate concerns over the country’s hygiene decision-makers considered entry of new fi rms into an industry will If traditional criteria, developed in inequality to be distinct from the likely create more jobs, boost incomes, and for the pre-Internet era, prove standards and live animal markets — bat is not commonly main concerns of macroeconomic and lead to new products, better cumbersome or ineff ective, then we consumed. I policy. services, or both. should update them. Australia has seen multiple false claims that tap into Since the Industrial Revolution, the Third, inequality has become a driver And if wealthy people are buying prejudice towards its sizeable Chinese community. general view has been that, on average, of worsening outcomes in a broader political access, with the result that the The far-right corners of the Internet have also seized on the people want higher incomes and a larger political-economy sense. economy is becoming more distorted outbreak. number of good jobs – and that the best When rich people spend their money and less fair, then we should change the way to achieve these goals is through to infl uence political decisions, they do campaign-fi nance and lobbying rules. One early hoax widely spread alleged a vaccine against the faster economic growth. not typically seek to ensure freer entry In the US, a higher rate of tax on virus had already been patented in 2015. Not surprisingly, therefore, much for others into the sectors that generate wealth over $1bn (or a similar very high The story was quickly dismantled — the patent was for a thought has been devoted to the their wealth, precisely because that level) would aff ect only about 600 coronavirus found in poultry — but it gained traction. question of how to design and run would likely mean less for them. people, but it would send a powerful monetary and fi scal policies that can On the contrary, powerful incumbents signal that their outsize infl uence will be Hal Turner — a far-right American radio host — has Warren Buff ett famously remarked in published a piece on his website claiming 112,000 people have sustain higher aggregate growth rates. want more protection from domestic and addressed. Inequality was regarded as a separate 2011 that his tax rate is lower than his foreign competition. Inequality at modern levels is not an already died in China, with 2.8mn quarantined. issue, which could be addressed at the assistant’s. They also want more subsidies, accident. “The coronavirus is a classic setup for the spread of rumours margin through making net taxes more whether through the tax code or It is the result of policy choices that which are incubated in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty,” or less progressive. healthcare costs – insurance premiums, otherwise. were infl uenced or swayed by relatively said Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist in New Zeland Rich people would contribute a higher deductibles, and out-of-pocket And their most cherished goal is to rich people (again, Unbound has the who has written a book about public panics. share of their total incomes to the public expenses – then median take-home pay become too important to fail, so that details). The pendulum can – and should For health offi cials tasked with battling the outbreak, the fi nances than would the middle class. (available to spend on everything other they are likely to be bailed out in times of – swing back in the other direction. It is increasingly apparent that there than health care) has barely budged in trouble. Economic policymakers can no longer relentless fl ood of false claims is making their jobs harder. are three main problems with this view recent decades. Boushey connects these dots in a aff ord to view inequality as an issue of the world, at least as it applies to the There is nowhere near as much remarkable and refreshing manner. separate from boosting employment and modern United States. redistribution as there was in the post- Even for people who have studied the incomes. All three are made fully apparent in World War II decades. (In my book with issue, the links and specifi c policy issues Addressing it through a wealth tax, To Advertise Heather Boushey’s brilliant new book, Jon Gruber, Jump-Starting America, she identifi es are illuminating. combined with more eff ective antitrust Unbound: How Inequality Constricts we examine the statistics and history in This is not an argument against policies and enforcement, has become [email protected] Our Economy and What We Can Do more detail.) markets or against private enterprise, but essential to sustaining economic growth, Display About It. Second, the extent of inequality has it is an important cautionary tale: we get including by encouraging the creation First, the tax system has ceased to be increased, owing partly to barriers to the inequality that we choose, regardless and growth of new business. – Project 44466621 44418811 progressive. market entry, which also undermine of whether we are aware that we are Syndicate Warren Buff ett famously remarked economic growth. making a choice. Classified in 2011 that his tax rate is lower than his It is easy to understand why Buff ett Unbound is not an explicitly partisan O Simon Johnson, a former chief 44466609 44418811 assistant’s – and this is not an isolated likes investing in companies with book, but it is easy to draw inferences for economist of the IMF, is a professor at occurrence. “moats” – for example, in insurance, the current political season. MIT Sloan and an informal adviser to US Subscription Since the 1970s, eff ective taxes on railways, and other sectors. For starters, if the existing system is Senator Elizabeth Warren’s presidential income from capital (for Buff ett) have Owning fi rms that are diffi cult for broken, the easiest and fairest way to fi x campaign. He is the co-author, with [email protected] fallen dramatically, while taxes have others to challenge is undoubtedly good it would be with a modest wealth tax. Jonathan Gruber, of Jump-Starting remained much steadier for wage for his profi ts. The specifi cs can be debated, but a tax America: How Breakthrough Science earners such as assistants (including to But economic policymakers’ goal on wealth over $50mn would impact only Can Revive Economic Growth and the © 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved billionaires, it turns out). If we include should not be to maximise profi ts for one the richest 0.1% of all Americans. American Dream. Gulf Times Saturday, February 1, 2020 15 COMMENT Hard choices lie ahead for Britain

By Harold James Politically, this message failed. Severe Princeton cuts to welfare benefi ts produced many victims and revived the old complaint about a lack of choice. After 2012, a new oodbye, Britain. Brexit is narrative began to take hold, facilitated in done. It’s over. Some Britons large part by monetary easing, which was are waving Union Jacks, making it easier and cheaper to borrow. Gand public buildings are Under these circumstances, large-scale illuminated in red, white, and blue. public expenditures could actually be Having dramatically opened up a stabilising, because governments that new space for political manoeuvre, issued their own currency would never the country is now celebrating its default. But in the case of the EU, there achievement. was no European-level governance This uplifting mood comes as a mechanism capable of reaping the surprise. Following the June 2016 benefi ts of cheap money. referendum, which “Leave” won by a Against this backdrop, the relatively narrow margin (52% to 48%, Johnson government has recast with a 72% turnout), Brexit became the economic argument about the a deeply polarising issue. The bid to absence of choice. Exploiting the leave the European Union faced many destructive and demoralising eff ects legal challenges, and left Parliament of “austerity,” it has promised massive bitterly divided and incapable of public investments to galvanise and approving an exit deal. The public transform the declining northern descended into acrimony. To observers industrial areas that voted for Brexit around the world, it looked like the and fuelled the Conservatives’ victory United Kingdom was disintegrating. in December. This increased spending But then came the strong showing will supposedly lead to social harmony, by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and because it will restore a sense of free the Conservatives in the December choice. Or, as Johnson famously said of 2019 general election, which many Brexit, “We’ll have our cake and eat it.” interpreted as a “landslide” – an In reimagining itself, the UK is now epic shift in the country’s political acting as if it has entered a world of new, orientation. Although the Tories attractive alternatives. The freedom to actually won only 44% of the vote Mounted police off icers ride down The Mall towards Buckingham Palace on Brexit day in London yesterday. choose means that Britain is indeed free. (with turnout at 67%), we are told that At some point, though, it will become the country has undergone a profound with the EU include services? Will a on the economic benefi ts of integration European Act, which took Europe in a “collectivism and corporatism at the clear that, as with all choices, there are psychological transformation. The doctrine of “equivalence” preserve against those worried about political free-market direction. Until German European level,” even while maintaining tradeoff s. To choose one option is to sudden emergence of a new consensus, UK-based fi nancial institutions’ access sovereignty and encroachments by Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived on the view that Britain’s “destiny is in eschew many others, and any choice can we are told, resolved the issue. to the continent? And how will the remote supranational authorities. the scene, Thatcher was the best- Europe, as part of the Community.” have far-reaching implications for the Insofar as there has been a shift in Irish border be managed? This served to frame the issue as one known proponent of the view that After the 2008 global fi nancial crisis, range of future choices. public opinion, it may simply refl ect But, of course, the shift in public of economic necessity versus political “there is no alternative” (TINA) to and especially after the European Brexit may have lifted the national frustration after more than three mood also may refl ect a genuine desire choice. economic integration. debt crisis, the problems with TINA mood for now. But sooner or later, years of debating Brexit. Appealing to to shake off the constraints associated Prime Minister Margaret And yet, Thatcher also argued came to the fore. Large-scale public hard economic realities will reassert this sense of exhaustion, the Tories with EU membership. After years of Thatcher, however, managed to consistently about the need for choice, expenditures fi nanced by fi scal and themselves. – Project Syndicate campaigned on a straightforward Remainers arguing that leaving the EU stand on both sides of the divide. and increasingly depicted Europe current-account defi cits had become platform: “Get Brexit done.” The would create incalculable economic She had campaigned vigorously for as a “superstate” that threatened an obvious source of vulnerability. O Harold James is Professor of simplicity of that slogan belies the risks, Johnson held out the promise of UK membership in the European to restrict national sovereignty, as External funding dried up, and History and International Aff airs at mind-numbing complexity of the fi nally overcoming “Project Fear.” Economic Community, and her exercised through regular parliamentary governments pursued austerity, which Princeton University and a senior questions that remain unanswered. Since the 1970s, the British debate government played a decisive role processes. In a 1988 speech at the they presented as necessary to restore fellow at the Center for International Will the future trading relationship about Europe has pitted those focused in pushing through the 1986 Single College of Europe in Bruges, she rejected business confi dence. Governance Innovation. The real Brexit negotiations start now Three-day forecast

future relationship between the UK as environmental, labour, food, undoubtedly lose business to its EU27 TODAY By Willem H Buiter Maximum Temperature : 230c or phytosanitary standards; local competitors, it could be legislated New York and the EU are starting only now Minimum Temperature : 150c (actually, on March 1). The political content requirements; defence of and deregulated into a position declaration concerning the post- infant industries; intellectual property enabling it to attract new business SUNDAY ritish Prime Minister Boris Brexit relationship between the UK rights; climate change interventions; from the EU as well as from the wider Maximum Temperature : 220c Johnson has fi nally achieved and the EU that accompanied the and more. In October 1982, the French global economy. I doubt whether Minimum Temperature : 130c the Brexit he has championed Withdrawal Bill is not legally binding; government ingeniously required Sunderland and the rest of the UK MONDAY for the last four years. But, as it represents aspirations and good that all Japanese VCR imports enter car industry will be able to transform Maximum Temperature : 210c B Minimum Temperature : 130c the saying goes, be careful what you intentions, but nothing more. the country via Poitiers, a small town their tax and regulatory regimes and wish for. The duration of almost all trade hundreds of miles from the nearest the industrial culture in which they Fisherman's forecast Four issues were part of the divorce negotiations is measured in years, signifi cant shipping port. This non- are embedded in such a way as to agreement that Johnson concluded not months. The Comprehensive tariff trade barrier remained in place make them viable competitors after WARNING Inshore : Poor horizontal visibility with the EU and Parliament approved Economic and Trade Agreement until April 1983. 2020. expected at places at last month: future contributions to (CETA) between the EU and Canada, So, the dominant characteristic of Of the EU’s four freedoms, the end first the EU budget, the treatment of legacy signed on October 30, 2016, took more the UK’s future trade arrangements of free movement for EU citizens Offshore : Nil WEATHER citizens (both EU citizens in the UK than a decade to conclude, if we date and wider economic and political will likely cause the most severe and Inshore : Misty to foggy at some and British citizens living in the EU), the start of the process to the March relationship with the EU is pervasive lasting damage to the supply side places at first becomes Northern Ireland’s place in the EU 2004 accord on a framework for a new uncertainty. Its trade and wider of the UK economy. Again, it is in moderate temperature daytime with scattered customs union and single market, Canada-EU Trade and Investment economic relationships with non- principle possible to mitigate most or clouds and chance of and the continuing jurisdiction of the Enhancement Agreement. And seven EU member states will be negotiated even all these costs by an enlightened light rain, cold by night. European Court of Justice. years were required after the launch from a position of weakness relative to globally oriented immigration policy, Offshore : Misty at some places of formal talks in May 2009. In fact, that of the European Union, when it along the lines of the Australian or at first becomes partly But there is still pervasive cloudy with chance of uncertainty about the nature of the CETA is still not in force, although negotiates as a single bloc on behalf of Canadian models. But the post- scattered rain at times. trade regime, the wider economic substantial parts of it are being its member states. Brexit political equilibrium in the UK WIND relationship, and the political provisionally applied pending approval Some Brexiteers may think they is unlikely to generate an effi cient, Inshore : Southeasterly 05-15 KT Offshore : Southeasterly-South- relationship between the UK and by all signatories. can pull it off , but Johnson’s promise points-based immigration regime, westerly 03-12/15 KT the EU that will prevail after the It is important to remember that to turn the UK into an across-the- or one that attracts talented foreign Visibility : 4-8/2 KM transition period ends. Comparable tariff s and quotas are only the tip board deregulatory, low-tax haven is students. Offshore : 1-3/4 FT uncertainty surrounds the nature of of the iceberg in trade negotiations. not credible. Johnson’s Toryism – a The UK avoided one disaster when the trade regimes and wider economic There are many visible and big-government, dirigiste, one-nation voters rejected the hard-left Jeremy Around the region formula with populist overtones – Corbyn in December. But it is not out arrangements the UK will enter into invisible barriers to trade. Other Weather Weather legal, regulatory, administrative, rules out “Singapore-on-Thames.” of the woods. It can now look forward with non-EU states. And, despite today Max/min tomorrow Max/min bureaucratic, and political obstacles; At most, such an approach might be to the painful grind of negotiations Johnson’s emphatic assertions that Baghdad M Sunny 15/04 Sunny 16/03 subsidies and taxes; anti-dumping attempted for the fi nancial sector. and policy implementation, probably there will be no extension of the Kuwait City P Cloudy 19/07 Sunny 18/08 legislation; restrictions on foreign Regulatory arbitrage could lasting many years, to make the best of transition period, his failure to deliver Manama P Cloudy 21/15 Sunny 19/14 direct investment; and exchange-rate certainly produce substantial changes a bad Brexit. – Project Syndicate Brexit on October 31 last year, as Muscat Sunny 26/17 M Sunny 27/18 manipulation can result in zero trade, in the rules of the game for the promised, suggests that we should Tehran Rain 09/-3 Sunny 07/-2 never say never. despite the complete absence of tariff s investing industries (MiFID II) and O Willem H Buiter, a former chief It is not an exaggeration to argue and quotas. the insurance industry (Solvency economist at Citigroup, is a visiting that the real negotiations about the Protectionism can masquerade II). While the City of London will professor at Columbia University.

Live issues Taking zinc may not shorten your cold: study Around the world By Kiersten Willis as their type and optimal dose. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Our study does not confi rm the Weather Weather usefulness of zinc lozenges for treating today Max/min tomorrow Max/min the common cold, but neither does it Athens Sunny 18/08 P Cloudy 18/08 here are many ways people refute the previous studies where zinc Beirut Showers 16/13 S Showers 17/13 attempt to fi ght colds, but lozenges were found to be eff ective,” Bangkok M Sunny 34/24 M Sunny 34/24 a new study indicates that Hemila said. Berlin Rain 12/07 Showers 08/06 taking zinc lozenges may not “In future trials of zinc lozenges, Cairo Sunny 20/08 Sunny 21/08 T Cape Town Cloudy 24/17 Sunny 27/18 help you get rid of them sooner. the dosage of zinc should be greater, A randomised trial published in BMJ the lozenges should dissolve more Colombo Sunny 31/23 M Sunny 31/23 Open showed that taking lozenges slowly, and the treatment should Dhaka Sunny 24/13 Sunny 24/12 containing zinc acetate did not shorten last longer than 5 days. Before zinc Hong Kong P Cloudy 17/14 P Cloudy 18/16 colds, according to a news release from lozenges can be widely promoted Istanbul P Cloudy 12/08 Sunny 14/09 the University of Helsinki. for common cold treatment, the Jakarta T Storm 29/24 S T Storms 31/24 The double-blind trial saw the characteristics of lozenges that Karachi Sunny 26/13 Sunny 25/12 university’s professor Harri Hemila, are clinically efficacious should be London P Cloudy 11/07 S Showers 13/09 Ph.D. and his colleagues investigate The common cold infected 88 colds were shortened. One explanation defined in detail.” Manila P Cloudy 29/22 P Cloudy 29/22 the eff ect of zinc acetate lozenges on participants, who then started to use for the varying results is the diff ering Zinc is used in the body to build Moscow P Cloudy -1/-4 Rain&Snow 02/01 City of Helsinki, Finland employees. the lozenges. In the fi ve-day treatment kinds of zinc lozenges used in the T cells, which fi ght infection. Mayo New Delhi Sunny 19/07 Sunny 19/07 Participants were told to slowly period, no diff erence was found in the studies. Many studies with negative Clinic reports it may be more eff ective New York Cloudy 08/03 P Cloudy 08/05 dissolve six lozenges in their mouth rate of recovery between the zinc and results used lozenges that had low as a lozenge and syrup so it can stay in Paris Rain 13/09 Rain 15/12 each day. In total, they took 78 mg/ placebo groups. An unexpected fi nding doses of zinc or had ingredients that the throat and come into contact with Sao Paulo T Storm 28/21 T Storm 26/21 day of zinc over fi ve days. Participants occurred when participants in the zinc bind zinc, which halts the release the cold virus, mostly spread through Seoul M Sunny 08/-4 M Cloudy 04/-3 were told to begin treatment as soon group had a slower recovery time than of free zinc in the middle portion of the rhinovirus. But the mineral can Singapore S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 30/26 as cold symptoms began in an eff ort to those in the placebo group. the throat. The results indicate more be found in foods including poultry, Sydney Cloudy 33/24 S T Storms 31/22 minimise the delay between getting a Results in this study diff ered from research is needed to discover when red meat, beans, nuts and seafood like Tokyo Clear 12/03 Clear 11/03 cold and starting the treatment. those of eight prior trials, in which zinc lozenges could be eff ective as well oysters. – Tribune News Service Gulf Times 16 Saturday, February 1, 2020 QATAR NMoQ takes a drive down

A highlight of the cars exhibition includes a 1983 Toyota Cressida, used as a taxi in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. A 1975 Suzuki Titan motorbike used for delivering off icial documents and letters in the 70s and 80s. memory lane

By Joey Aguilar in the past did not have their own Staff Reporter water source, the water truck was used to distribute water to every household,” she recounted. “So unique cars exhibition by again it is very familiar to most of Mawater Centre opened the people who were here in the Ayesterday at the National 70s, 80s and 90s.” Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), fea- Baltaji said the exhibition also turing 12 vintage cars used be- showcases government and min- tween 1950’s and 1990’s. Running isterial cars such as the special until February 29, this month- NMoQ off icial Bouthayna Baltaji. forces car (today’s Internal Secu- long show forms part of a series rity Forces - Lekhwiya), as well as of exhibitions that Mawater and clude a 1983 Toyota Cressida (in the ambulance service, fi re truck NMoQ are organising throughout orange and white colours), which and police car (1972 Mercedes- A 1980 B-series school bus on display at the exhibition. PICTURES: the year in Doha. was used as a taxi in the 70s, 80s, Benz 280E model). Nasar K Moidheen Speaking to reporters, NMoQ’s and 90s, roaming the streets in A 1975 Suzuki Titan motorbike, A 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280E model, used as a police car. acting head of Exhibitions Sec- Doha until 2004. A water truck, a she noted, was used to deliver of- tion Bouthayna Baltaji said that GMC 1977 model, was one of the fi cial documents and letters be- the concept behind the exhibi- vehicles mostly owned by Qatari tween the Ministry of Finance tion was to tell the story of Qatar families transporting potable wa- and Petroleum and other govern- by showcasing some of the old ter from the desalination plants in ment institutions in the 70s and vehicles used for government Msheireb and Ras Abu Abboud to 80s. “The fi nal section of the ex- and public transportation. “The residents. hibition features personal cars. So whole idea was just showing how “We start outside with the pub- we have the GMC, which was ac- something may have changed lic transport cars, which is quite tually a family car, used not only with modernisation and every- nice, because public transporta- around Doha and Qatar but also thing, but also something stayed tion actually drops our current when families would go on pil- the same,” she said. “Families are visitors there. So you have the grimage abroad,” Baltaji said. still very important, we love to school bus (1980 model and used She added that the 1989 Nis- go to the desert, have road trips by the Ministry of Education from san Skyline GT was one of the together, so these simple things the 70s to 2004),” Baltaji said. most popular sports cars roam- A ‘preferred sports car’ among the young generation was the 1989 have remained the same.” “We have the taxi and the water ing the streets of Doha until the Nissan Skyline GT, roaming streets of Doha until the late 1980s. Among the cars on display in- truck on show. Since most houses late 1980s. A 1977 GMC water truck used for transporting drinking water. Qatar’s champion stallion Hariry steals limelight at Houston event

atar’s Platinum World pedigree to be shared world- Champion stallion Hariry wide. Frozen semen is FedExed QAl Shaqab greeted guests from Texas to regional breeding as they arrived for a talk, ‘The centres. In the tradition of royal Arabian Horse: Lore and Legends,’ and diplomat gift-giving, these featuring Houstonian and re- breedings build ties of friendship nowned Arabian breeder, Michael between individuals and nations Byatt, at the Houston Museum of that treasure the Arabian horse.” Natural Science earlier this week. Last November, Byatt took The event was hosted by the Marwan’s son Hariry Al Shaqab Qatar-America Institute (QAI), an into the show ring at the prestig- independent cultural and educa- ious Salon Du Chevalier de Paris tional nonprofi t organisation that winning the title of World Plati- facilitates dialogue, research, and num Champion. exchange between Qatar and the Hariry then made the trans- US, according to a statement. atlantic fl ight back to the US in a Hariry Al Shaqab also recently container specially designed for visited philanthropist Lynn Wy- Michael Byatt in conversation with Diana Untermeyer. (Supplied equine air transport. att in Houston who was a special picture) “The links between Qatar and guest at the talk. The Platinum Houston also include communi- World Champion posed with In- series, which is free and open to forums to foster mutual under- ties centred around sustainability ternational Best Dressed List Hall the public. standing between communities in and sports. of Famer Lynn Wyatt and Rashid Past Expressions speakers have the US and Qatar; and the talk on Houston Mayor Sylvester bin Abdulla al-Dehaimi, Consul included: architectural author Arabian horses in Houston is the Turner proclaimed November 19, General of Qatar in Houston. Phillip Jodidio for a talk centred perfect opportunity to display the 2019 as ‘Qatar Day in Houston’ in Byatt, of Michael Byatt Arabi- around contemporary architec- cultural commonalities and inter- appreciation for its support after ans, is an internationally known ture in Qatar; the former chair of sections between the American Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Arabian horse breeder and rider the Fashion Design department of and Qatari people.” From the $30mn Qatar Harvey who helped develop the incom- Three-time Platinum World Champion Arabian Hariry Al Shaqab poses at Houston Polo Club with his Virginia Commonwealth Univer- “Both Doha, Qatar, and Hou- Fund — which supports a variety parable Arabians at Qatar’s Al breeder/trainer Michael Byatt, International Best Dressed List Hall of Famer Lynn Wyatt and Qatar Consul sity – Qatar, Sandra Bell Wilkins, ston, Texas, share a thriving of Houston area community de- Shaqab Equestrian Center, which General in Houston, Rashid bin Abdulla al-Dehaimi. (Supplied picture) for a discussion on the history of equestrian scene that is rooted velopment projects — $3.3mn was has infl uenced breeding world- fashion in the Middle East; chef in each cities’ culture and tradi- donated to Harris County to build wide. world. Byatt noted that “Arabians human interaction.” Qatar and who have been inspired and author Anissa Helou who tions,” said Diana Untermeyer. eight new soccer fi elds in Pre- Established in 1992, Al Shaqab have been the mounts of choice The programme, moderated by Qatari culture. spoke about the history and infl u- “Houston and Qatar interact be- cincts 1 and 4 that also will serve has bred seven World Champion for leaders from Alexander the by Diana Untermeyer, author of The speakers share their ex- ences of Middle Eastern cuisine; yond the petroleum industry with as fl ood mitigation basins. In its stallions, who have fl own regular- Great to Napoleon and in America ‘Qatar: Sand, Sea, and Sky’ and pertise, stories, and perspectives and novelist Mohanalakshmi Ra- the Arabian horse playing a cen- growing role as a sports hub in the ly between Qatar, Europe and the from George Washington to Ron- cultural adviser to the QAI, is part about Qatar followed by an audi- jakumar whose recent books fo- tral role. Mena region and gearing up for its US, living for many years in New ald Reagan. In fact, these versatile of QAI’s Expressions Artist Talk ence Q & A to enhance commu- cus on life in Qatar. Many Qatari horses, includ- hosting duties for the FIFA World Ulm, Texas. horses fi nd favour as sport horses, series. Expressions is a commu- nity and cultural understanding Fatima al-Dosari, QAI’s execu- ing three-time world champion Cup in 2022, Qatar recognises the Today, champion off spring of polo ponies and backyard friends, nity event featuring American between the two nations. Qatar tive director, said: “QAI conducts Marwan Al Shaqab, have lived in important role of sports as a glo- these stallions enhance the pedi- beloved for their athleticism, personalities, artists, and crea- National Tourism Council pro- cultural exchanges, educational Texas. Artifi cial insemination al- bal unifi er, from horse-riding to grees of Arabian horses around the beauty and innate sensitivity to tives who have lived or worked in vided funding for the Expressions programmes and storytelling lows the sought-after Al Shaqab soccer,” Untermeyer concluded.

Calligraphies and Decorations Exhibition at Katara Police Training Institute marks graduation

The Calligraphies and Decorations Exhibition has opened at Katara – the Cultural Village’s Building 19. Featuring six Police Training Institute on Thursday celebrated the graduation of the obligatory leadership course in which 18 off icers Qatari calligraphers, the event will continue until February 12. The exhibition features more than 30 artworks by from various departments of the Ministry of Interior participated. The event was attended by HE the Director of Public Ibrahim Ali, Issa Yousef Fakhro, Nasser al-Khallaqi, Abdullah Fakhro, Iman al-Saad and Moza al-Kuwari. Katara general Security Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim al-Khulaifi, and a number of ministry off icials. The five-day course is manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of a group of ambassadors and aimed at providing participants with contemporary police leadership strategies. It also aims to prepare distinguished artists. Al-Sulaiti said such exhibitions highlight the creativity of Qataris in various artistic fields. “The works are senior leaders and provide them with the knowledge and skills of administrative, legal and technical policing skills that distinguished, beautiful and varied, and we invite everyone to visit the exhibition and enjoy,” he said. The exhibition is enable them to perform the tasks given to them eff iciently. The course included field applications, practical scenarios, open for visitors at Hall 1 of Building 19 from 10am-10pm. and group discussions.