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WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10687 January 3, 2018 Rabia Il 16, 1439 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals Kahramaa saves In brief QR3.8bn since

QATAR | Media Tarsheed launch Jazeera condemns fake social media accounts By Ramesh Mathew been considerable reduction of carbon Al Jazeera has deplored attempts to Staff Reporter emissions as well in the last fi ve years. tarnish its credibility through fake It is estimated that a reduction of at social media accounts. In a statement least 380mn tonnes of carbon emissions issued yesterday Al Jazeera Media he Qatar General Electricity and could be achieved by the turn of the next Network said certain individuals Water Corporation (Kahramaa) decade through the Tarsheed campaign. and groups are continuing to seek Thas reported a revenue saving The target for the next fi ve years of to undermine its credibility by of approximately QR3.8bn since the Tarsheed is to reduce consumption of forging fake social media handles launch of the Tarsheed campaign to electricity across the country by 18% with misleading and false news conserve energy and water in 2012. and water 20%. Kahramaa has said fi ve content. “In the latest attempt, a While highlighting the achievements new power stations are being estab- fake twitter account @Aljazeerairan of the last fi ve years, Kahramaa said in a lished to cater to the needs of World was used to spread misinformation statement yesterday that the systemat- Cup stadiums. A total of QR800mn and inaccurate news pertaining to ic works carried out as part of Tarsheed has been earmarked for their construc- on-going protests in Iran. Al Jazeera has helped the corporation make an ef- tion and one of them has already been condemns such activities and has fective saving of nearly 212,200cu m of opened at Khalifa Sports City. asked Twitter Inc to take down the natural gas. Similarly, the fi rst station to supply fake account, and requests all our HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani is being briefed about the Ambitious projects are underway power to the under construction Doha followers to be vigilant about such comprehensive urban plan as HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, HE the in the country to tap solar energy re- Metro has already been commissioned fake and fraudulent accounts. We Minister of Development Planning and Statistics Dr Saleh Mohamed Salem al-Nabit and others look on. sources, the statement said. The tar- and more power stations are coming up take this opportunity to inform our get is to produce between 200MW and in other locations as well, including in dedicated audience that the Network 500MW of solar power by the middle Al Waab, Al Bidaa and Lusail. Another continues to bring impartial and of the next decade and several agree- unnamed station is in a western Doha balanced news content through all ments have been signed with diff erent site, it is learnt. its platforms.” institutions on this. Most of them would be ready by the A number of MoUs have also been end of 2019 and handed over to the ASIA | Politics signed with the aim of generating at authorities well before the schedule. A US warns North Korea least 550MW of alternative energy total of QR696mn has been set apart New urban plan from sources including solar and wind. for the fi ve power stations. against new missile test Kahramaa said one of the major The daily potable water production The US ambassador to the United agreements is with the Qatar Airways in the country would reach 476mn gal- Nations, Nikki Haley, warned North and Hamad International Airport lons a days (mlgd) with the complete Korea yesterday against another (HIA) for more eff ective use of solar commissioning of the 2,520MW inte- missile test and said Washington energy for its operations. One of the grated water and power station at Umm would not take planned talks between agreements with the Ministry of En- Al Houl on the southern side of Wak- launched to meet ergy and Industry is for the launch and rah. Now it is close to 454mlgd. The to- North and South Korea seriously if Pyongyang did not take steps to enhanced use of user- and eco-friendly tal water generation from Umm Al Houl give up its nuclear weapons. Haley green vehicles in large numbers. would be 136mlgd. told reporters the United States was It also said it achieved a remarkable When it is fully implemented, Umm hearing reports that North Korea milestone of a million man hours with- Al Houl would generate nearly 30% might be preparing to fire another out any accidents since the launch of share of the total potable water pro- test missile. Page 9 future challenges the campaign. duced in the country. The statement said with the district Kahramaa has also built a sub-sta- REGION | Protests water cooling coming in place in several tion-cum parking facility to accommo- Project to meet Qatar National Vision 2030 goals locations, signifi cant savings of natu- date 270 cars on Doha’s Grand Hamad Khamenei blames ‘foes ral gas have been made, and there has Street at a cost of QR155mn. Page 2 of Iran’ for unrest To contribute to growth of national economy The protests that have rocked Iran since the waning days of 2017 are Land allocated for setting up of economic zones, being controlled by foreigners opposed to the country’s religious agricultural complexes, educational and health centres leadership, Supreme Leader 97 diplomatic missions Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday. “The foes of Iran have QNA and challenges are formulated. and housing for workers, the Minister supplied money and weapons, as Doha In this context, the Ministry of Mu- noted. electronically linked well as political support, to those nicipality and Environment adopted He said the comprehensive urban fomenting unrest in the last days, a comprehensive plan for the country plan was part of the national devel- QNA diplomatic missions. with the goal of hurting Iran,” he E the Prime Minister and Inte- to serve as a spatial translation of the opment framework document, which Doha The websites provide accurate and said in his first public reaction to the rior Minister Sheikh Abdullah National Vision and a regulator for the lays out spatial development plans updated information about Qatar and protests. Since Thursday, thousands Hbin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Tha- future growth and expansion of the for municipalities and the creation of its diplomatic relations and refl ect the of Iranians have taken to the streets ni yesterday launched a comprehen- State, al-Rumaihi said. urban development centres based on he Foreign Ministry has com- ministry’s keenness to facilitate access to air their grievances, including the sive urban plan within the framework The ministry has worked on the for- public transport. pleted the electronic linking of to the information and services it pro- high cost of living, unemployment of Qatar National Vision 2030. mulation of a national framework that These are expected to contribute to T97 diplomatic and consular mis- vides to the public and to convey up- and Tehran’s Middle East policies, The launch event held at the Minis- includes a comprehensive set of strat- supporting the state economy and di- sions abroad with the ministry’s head- dated information about the activities with some targeting the country’s try of Municipality and Environment egies, policies, guidelines and work recting investors towards the best plac- quarters. of the missions abroad. religious establishment. Page 6 was attended by ministers and senior areas which ensures high standards es for development, al-Rumaihi added. Qatar’s diplomatic missions can now Among the 97 diplomatic missions offi cials. of life for citizens and residents, the The Minister also announced the use all of the ministry’s internal elec- are Algeria, Amman, Ankara, Astana, REGION | Sport Speaking at the event, HE the Min- Minister added. launch of a programme which ena- tronic systems eff ectively and safely Asuncion, Athens, Baku, Bandar Seri ister of Municipality and Environment He said the rapid urban growth and bles the owner of the allocated land without access to the Internet, the Begawan, Bangkok, Beijing, Beirut, Oman-UAE Gulf Cup Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi the associated challenges prompted to access its details online for the fi rst ministry said in a statement, adding Belgrade, Berlin, Bern, Bishkek, Bra- fi nal on Friday said the urban plan was the result of the Ministry to work hard in order to time in Qatar with a view to promoting this was a major achievement in terms silia, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Oman will meet the UAE in the years of hard work and was carried meet the needs of the society, in ac- transparency. of speed and accuracy. Buenos Aires, Cairo, Canberra, Cara- final of the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup out in co-operation with partners in cordance with the policies and stra- The launch of the comprehensive The ministry said the project was cas, Chisinau, Colombo, Dhaka, Dji- in Kuwait City on Friday. In the first various institutions and government tegic plans that have been prepared urban plan, adopted by the Ministry of launched in 2016 as part of its strate- bouti, Dushanbe, Geneva, The Hague, semi-finals played earlier yesterday agencies. to benefit the State and the entire Municipality and Environment, comes gic plan to develop its work system and Hanoi, Havana, Hong Kong, Houston, Oman edged out Bahrain. In the Al-Rumaihi said the Qatar Na- society. in light of the unprecedented transfor- provide protection for its various elec- Islamabad, Istanbul, Jakarta, Karachi, other semi-final Iraq lost to UAE in a tional Vision, and its main pillars The Ministry allocated lands to var- mation in the planning of the policy tronic systems and is the largest tech- Kathmandu, Khartoum, Kuala Lumpur, match that extended to extra time - environmental, social, economic ious sectors in the country to set up in- and strategy of the future of Qatar, to nological project in the history of the Kuwait, Kiev, Los Angeles, Lima, Lis- and shootout. While the UAE scored and human - have been and contin- dustrial, economic and logistic zones, achieve the Qatar National Vision ministry. bon, London, Madrid, Manila, Mexico, four goals in the penalty kicks Iraqis ue to be the approach of all sectors in a range of central markets, agricultural 2030 which has become a reference To complement this achievement, Mogadishu, Montevideo, Mumbai, could manage only two goals. the country, through which policies complexes and livestock markets, as guide for all institutions, bodies and the information systems department Muscat, Nairobi, Naypyidaw, New Del- Sport Page 8 and strategies that meet the needs well as educational and health services ministries. Page 2 also launched websites for 97 Qatari hi, Nicosia, Nouakchott and New York. Qatar may have 293,000 housing units by year-end: report

atar is expected to have 293,000 Rent and price corrections are expected to occupy offices there. by the loss of visitors from GCC trig- had two positive spillovers,” ValuStart augmented to support buff er stocks. residential units, 51mn sq ft of to continue especially in prime areas The government relaxed visa rules gered by regional sanctions imposed noted. Hamad Port saw 30% y-o-y average Qoffi ce supply and nearly 31,000 in the fi rst half of the year due to in- for many countries in the second half on Qatar since Q2 2017. Performance- Firstly, the demand for local pro- increase in cargo since Q2, 2017, the re- hotel rooms and apartments by 2018- creasing number of project handovers, of 2017 and is targeting to diversify the wise, the fi rst ten months saw occu- duce increased, which resulted in local port said. end, assuming all projects are delivered expected to stabilise by the end of the source of inbound tourists this year. pancy rates averaging 60%, which is manufacturers increasing their pro- Additionally, government-regulated on time, advisory fi rm ValuStrat has year. As of October 2017, Qatar had 25,600 3% lower than last year, however, the duction capacity. It has also provided warehousing zones were completed in said in a report. In the office sector, ValuStrat said hotel rooms and apartments. A total of RevPAR (revenue per available room) opportunities for further optimisation south and north of Doha, which off ered By the end of the year, Qatar’s popu- the majority of the supply is expect- 1.94mn international guests (compared declined by 14%. in food security. The government of storage options at competitive rates. lation is expected to reach 2.69mn, it ed to concentrate in Lusail which to 2.38mn last year) stayed an average “Regional challenges had a direct Qatar introduced multiple initiatives to As a result, rental rates in relatively added. will continue to depress commercial 3.7 nights and spent an average daily negative impact on hospitality sec- support the private sector to capitalise older industrial areas saw marginal de- Supply projections have been adjust- rents in the area unless there is an rate on their room of QR417, ValuStrat tor and to some extent on retail sector on these opportunities. Secondly, due clines during the fi rst half of the year, ed upwards to 8,800 units in the resi- uptick in demand or a large number noted. as footfall from tourists decreased. to the suspension of land borders, the stabilising towards the fourth quarter, dential sector due to delayed deliveries. of users in secondary locations move “The fall in occupancy was caused However in the industrial sector it demand for port and logistical services ValuStart said. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 QATAR

Prime Minister inaugurates Comprehensive Urban Plan of Qatar OFFICIAL

Emir issues decrees

His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued yesterday Decree No 1 of 2018, ratifying a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the field organising exhibitions between the governments of Qatar and Turkey, which was signed in Trabzon, on December 12, 2016, annexed to this decree and to have the force of law in line with Article 68 of the constitution. The Emir also issued Decree No 2 of 2018, ratifying an MoU to co-operate in the health sector between the governments of Qatar and India, which was signed in Doha on June 5, 2016, annexed to this decree and to have the force of law in line with Article 68 of the constitution. HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani inaugurated the Comprehensive Urban Plan of Qatar at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Emir ratifies Municipality and Environment yesterday. The event was attended by HE the Minister of cabinet decisions Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi and several other ministers and senior off icials. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday ratified the Cabinet Decision No 1 of 2018, to extend the grace period for Transport Minister meets Azeri envoy the correspondents to the provisions of Law No 13 of 2016 on protecting the privacy of personal data. The Emir also ratified the Cabinet Decision No 2 Emir issues of 2018, to establish co-ordination committee for search and rescue mechanisms in civil aviation. The decisions are eff ective the day following their date of issue. law on legal Instruments of ratification

His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani issued an instrument of ratification approving the memorandum of practice understanding (MoU) between Qatar Tourism Authority and is Highness the Emir years and specifying the need to payment of bonus to the lawyer HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti met Azerbaijan’s National Tourism Administration Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- pass the personal interview and under training to include, in ad- ambassador to Qatar Dr Tofiq Abdullayev in Doha yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed of China on facilitating Chinese Hmad al-Thani yesterday tests set by the committee, the dition to training at the Centre the two countries’ relations in the fields of aviation and communications, and means to develop tourist groups to Qatar, signed in issued Law No 1 of 2018, which report explains. for Legal and Judicial Studies, them. Chengdu on September 12, 2017. grants clients the right to lodge The law requires lawyers ap- the duration of training in one of The Emir also issued an a complaint against their lawyer. plying for registration at the the law offi ces. instrument of ratification on The new legislation amends courts of Appeal and Cassation The new legislation, mean- the MoU on establishing a some provisions of the Law to submit the necessary docu- while, obliges law fi rms to have joint committee between the Practice Act promulgated by ments to register and inform websites and also considers governments of Qatar and Law 23 of 2006, the offi cial Qa- the committee of their previous owning stakes and shares in joint Indonesia, signed in Jakarta on tar News Agency (QNA) has re- work, in addition to complet- stock companies to be outside Call to recycle water used October 18, 2017. ported. ing the work tenure before lower the scope of the ban on trade, The law provides for expand- courts. QNA adds. Emiri Decision on ing the scope of the Department Further, the law details the The law extends the guaran- Kahramaa panel of State Aff airs at the Ministry of registration requirements before tees granted to lawyers regard- for ablution at mosques Justice to include public bodies the Court of Cassation for the ing their access to documents of and institutions, as well as min- categories of employees in gov- cases, lawsuits and investigation His Highness the Emir istries and other government ernment and private bodies, in papers, and allows for the pos- he water used for ablu- ommendations. mended that the expiry dates for Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad agencies, in addition to regulat- terms of duration and nature of sibility of an agreement between tion at mosques around Taking into consideration the the display and storage of tyres al-Thani yesterday issued ing the work of legal offi cers in the work and in accordance with the lawyer and client on the Tthe country should be re- prevailing economic blockade should be extended to three the Emiri Decision No 1 of private companies and institu- the regulations issued by HE the condition that fees entitlement used to irrigate plants and trees against Qatar, the council rec- years instead of the current two 2018 on establishing the tions by granting them the right Minister of Justice. remains pending vis-à-vis win- around these places of worship, ommended that the MME and years. financial sustainability to provide legal advice and the Law No 1 of 2018 grants the ning the claim. suggested the Central Munici- the Qatar General Organisa- The QGOSM should accord- steering committee for Qatar drafting, registration and docu- client the right to lodge a com- The law is to be eff ective and pal Council (CMC) yesterday. tion for Standards and Metrol- ingly exert more eff orts to raise General Electricity and Water mentation of contracts, accord- plaint against his/her lawyer published in the offi cial gazette. Vice-chairman Hamad bin Lah- ogy (QGOSM) to temporarily the awareness of consumers that Corporation (Kahramaa). ing to QNA. and get it investigated by the In March 2017, the Cabinet dan al-Mohannadi raised the is- waive the stipulation of the GCC tyres are valid for use for up to The decision is eff ective the day The law requires obtaining committee. It also specifi es the had approved a draft law amend- sue during the biweekly regular standards for the imported goods fi ve years from the date of man- following its date of publishing in a licence from the lawyers’ ac- jurisdiction and competence of ing some provisions of the Law session. and limit the accreditation to the ufacturing, depending on the the off icial gazette. ceptance committee for non- the disciplinary board of law- Practice Act promulgated by Such an initiative would also Qatari or international stand- conditions of storage. Qatari lawyers who work in yers formed by a decision of the Law 23 of 2006, and decided to considerably reduce water wast- ards only due to the diffi culty of The CMC issued other recom- Advisory Council Qatari legal fi rms to appear be- Supreme Judiciary Council in refer it to the Advisory Council. age. Al-Mohannadi pointed out getting the GCC certifi cation, mendations asking the MME to team for Kuwait fore courts. It also adds new re- terms of lawyers’ accountability, Then, in June, the council dis- that among the advantage of which used to be obtained from study the possibility of setting quirements for the registration imposing the necessary penal- cussed a report of the Legal and this concept is to create a beau- Saudi Arabia. up a camel market and slaugh- of lawyers who have worked in ties on them and considering Legislative Aff airs Committee tiful green cover. He suggested The QGOSM responded that terhouse at Dukhan and Abu A delegation of the Advisory the judiciary and/or the pros- suspending them from practis- on the draft law and decided to that this could be jointly im- it has held a number of meetings Samra, at areas easily accessi- Council is participating in the ecution, setting the duration of ing the profession. submit its recommendations to plemented by the Ministry of with importers and discussed ble to the camel farms that have meeting of the Parliamentary Co- judicial work at no less than fi ve Also, the law allows for the the Cabinet. Endowments - Awqaf and Is- the best ways to ease such pro- been recently allocated to the ordination and External Relations lamic Aff airs and the Ministry of cedures. herd owners. Committee of the Legislatures Municipality and Environment The aim is to enable them This would save camel owners of Gulf Co-operation Council Doha to host interfaith dialogue conference next month (MME). to supply the consumers in the the diffi culties and the involved (GCC), slated for today in Kuwait. CMC members hailed the country with the necessary high cost of moving the animals The meeting comes within the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue will discuss three main aspects, namely: human suggestion and decided to re- goods through a hassle-free to the main market in Doha and framework of preparations for (DICID) will host the 13th conference on interfaith rights in religion, the position of religion on human fer it to the Services and Utili- process while stressing the qual- would refl ect positively on the the Gulf Parliaments’ Speakers dialogue on February 20 and 21 under the theme rights violations, and human rights issues between ties Committee for more study ity of the imported products. welfare of the livestock and ani- Conference, to be hosted by of “Religion and Human Rights.” The conference heavenly laws and international covenants. and to produce detailed rec- Besides, the council recom- mal wealth in the country. Kuwait next Monday.

Strong winds, high seas forecast in off shore areas 32 electricity substations opened in 2017 Strong winds and high seas are expected in off shore areas today, s many as 32 electricity eff ectively used in the event of an pacity of 1,400mlgd. the Qatar Met department has substations were opened emergency, it has been pointed One of the fi ve stations would said. Alast year across Qatar, ac- out. be ready in the fi rst quarter of The wind speed (northwesterly) cording to a statement released Another signifi cant develop- 2018. The reservoirs are being in these areas will range by Qatar General Electricity and ment of 2017 was the success- built at Umm Slal, Umm Mu- from15-25 knots, reaching a Water Corporation (Kahramaa) ful laying of more than 100km baraka, Rawdat Rashed, Abu high of 30 knots in some places yesterday. of under sea cables to link Doha Nakla and Thumama. As part of at times, according to the The total number of substa- with Halul island. This under sea the ambitious project 15 water weather office. tions in the country has risen to line is considered the longest in tanks are being built and the res- Slightly dusty conditions and 320. There were no major break- the Gulf region. ervoir project is supposed to be some clouds are also likely downs during the year and eff ec- New power stations to link one of the largest in the world. off shore, while the sea level may tive monitoring by Kahramaa’s with World Cup stadiums would The project also involves nearly rise to 10ft occasionally. teams could detect and resolve be built at Al Jehaniya, Al Hey- 650km of pipelines to link them. The weather report also says 26 cases. den, Al Wukair and Ras Aboud. An agreement has been signed moderate temperature and It has been mentioned the The one near Khalifa Sports City with a major Japanese company clouds are expected in inshore country’s total installed power has already been opened. The to develop a 1,500MW integrat- areas today, along with slight to capacity has risen to 10,170MW country has nearly 13,513 power ed water and power plant in Ras blowing dust in some places at with the opening of the fi rst distribution stations, of which Laff an. times. It will be cold by night. phase of the 2,520MW capac- 1,008 were opened last year. It has also been mentioned The minimum temperature is ity Umm al Houl Station, add- The corporation has also in- that Kahramaa Awareness Park, expected to be 10C in Abu Samra ing more than 1,612MW or about formed that with the complete which was opened last year, and 12C in Wakrah and Mesaieed, 25% of the power generated in commissioning of the fi ve mega has received more than 25,000 while in Doha it will be 14C. Qatar. The station also provides water reservoirs by 2026, the visitors from various sectors. Yesterday, the minimum was 7C 30% of the potable water for the country would have the storage The park is functioning wholly in Abu Samra, 9C in Mesaieed, country’s requirements. facility for 2,300 million gallons through alternative sources of Batna and Karana, and 15C in Now, Qatar has a surplus of a day (mlgd) of water. In the fi rst energy like solar, wind and other The Kahramaa Awareness Park in Al Thumama, which was formally opened last year, has received more Doha. nearly 2,300MW, which could be phase it would have a storage ca- methods. than 25,000 visitors.

Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 QATAR Registration Over 400 attend HMC’s for Ooredoo Doha Marathon annual research day extended ore than 400 delegates care,” explained Prof Janahi. recently attended Ha- In addition to Prof Janahi, Prof Mmad Medical Corpora- William McKenna, HMC’s insti- o ensure that as many tion’s (HMC) Annual Research tutional offi cer for research and people as possible Day 2017. The day provided an CEO and medical director, Heart Tcan take part in this opportunity for HMC research- Hospital, and Dr Hadi Abder- year’s Ooredoo Doha Mara- ers and senior leaders to come rahim, strategy lead, healthcare thon, registration has been director, Ooredoo Qatar. together to celebrate the re- and biomedical, Qatar Founda- extended until 11.59pm “As well as getting fi t and search achievements of the past tion Research and Development, tomorrow. active, runners will take part year and share ideas and updates presented papers on the occasion. The sixth annual Oore- in a truly community driven on the latest research fi ndings. A panel discussion was mod- doo Doha Marathon will event for our country and get “Our researchers are commit- erated by Prof Janahi and fea- take place on January 12 and the chance to run alongside ted to pursuing new treatment tured experts from HMC and organisers have promised a internationally renowned ath- methods and practices to ensure Qatar Foundation who discussed bigger and better event this letes such as Sir Mo Farah,” she we are able to deliver the highest strategy at a national level. The year. added. quality of care possible with the panellists included Prof Egon The marathon returns to This year’s marathon fea- best outcomes for patients,” said Toft, vice president and dean, Qatar’s Museum of Islamic tures courses for runners Prof Ibrahim A Janahi, executive College of Medicine, Qatar Uni- Art Park and the course will of all abilities, including a director, research at HMC. versity; Dr Frans Vandenboom, take participants along Doha’s 10km run, half-marathon, “Through poster and oral executive director of policy Speakers and senior leaders from HMC at Annual Research Day 2017. Corniche. full marathon and a spe- presentations, and awards given planning and evaluation, Qatar “We have already seen cial children’s 1km fun run out on the day, we have been able Foundation Research and Devel- Research Resilience’. “The panel with the ultimate aim of advanc- range of awards, recognising the a huge response for the and registration fees will to highlight the valuable work opment; Dr Abdulla al-Ansari, discussion enabled us to dis- ing patient care outcomes,” said outstanding contributions of re- Ooredoo Doha Marathon range depending on the se- of our researchers. I am proud acting chief medical offi cer for cuss strategy for research at the Prof McKenna. searchers at HMC. Awards on the 2018 since registration lected course and age of the of the quality of research show- HMC and deputy chief of medi- national level as an Academic Another featured session of day included Distinction in Re- opened. However, we want participant. cased today and believe our re- cal, academic and research af- Health System and explore ways the morning was the presenta- search – Individual, Distinction to ensure as many people Anyone interested in run- searchers are making a positive fairs, Hamad General Hospital, to build HMC’s research strength tion by Prof Khaled Machaca in Research – Team, Research as possible join us for what ning the 2018 Ooredoo contribution towards HMC’s and Professor Mckenna. and harness opportunities for which focused on collaborative Excellence Awards, Promising is looking to be our biggest Marathon can fi nd more in- academic health vision – com- The keynote address and collaborations, thereby intro- opportunities with researchers Young Researcher awards, Best and best marathon yet,” formation and register at bining innovative research and panel discussion focused on ducing a culture of research at Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar. Publication Award, Best Oral said Manar Khalifa al-Mu- https://www.ooredoo.qa/ top-class education to deliver this year’s Annual Research Day planning and foresight through- As with previous years, Annual Presentation and the three best raikhi, public relations and portal/OoredooQatar/mara- excellent clinical theme ‘Strategic Foresight for out our research activities, all Research Day 2017 included a poster presentations. corporate communications thon-home.

BMW X5, X6 models of 2010-2013 recalled

The Ministry of Economy and The MEC said that it will co- Commerce (MEC), in collaboration ordinate with the dealer to follow HBKU to host eight special events this month with Alfardan Automobiles, has up on the maintenance and repair announced the recall of BMW works and will communicate with amad Bin Khalifa Uni- on ‘Qatar’s New Humanitarian Adults will start from January for Children will start from is also hosting a training work- X5 and X6 models of 2010-2013 customers to ensure that the versity (HBKU) will host Paradigm: Lessons Learned and 16. The Translation and Inter- January 20. Classes are off ered shop on the techniques of sports because there is a possible necessary repairs are carried out. Hin January eight special Prospects’, to shed light on Qa- preting Institute’s Language in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), translation from January 28 – 31. interruption in the universal joint The MEC has urged all customers events which are open to the tar’s experience of humanitar- Centre at the College of Hu- French, German and Spanish The College of Science and of the front driving shaft which to report any violations to its general public and students. ian aid and support. By analys- manities and Social Sciences for children aged 5-12. Engineering will host “Innovate; might cause noise. Consumer Protection and Anti- On January 14, is the talk on ing historical and contemporary will off er participants the op- The Translation and Interpret- Create,” a winter programme The MEC said the recall campaign Commercial Fraud Department ‘Religion and the State in Mus- aspects and dynamics of Qatar’s portunity to learn their choice ing Institute at the College of from January 28 – February 1. comes within the framework of through the following channels: Call lim America’ by Dr Kambiz Bas- humanitarian engagements, the of language from amongst Humanities and Social Sciences The College of Islamic Studies its ongoing eff orts to protect centre: 16001, e-mail: [email protected]. siri, professor of religion and event will yield valuable insights Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), is hosting a training workshop will host a training programme to consumers and ensure that car qa, Twitter: @MEC_Qatar, Instagram: humanities at Reed College. for academics, policymakers, French, German, Italian, Por- on the techniques of intralingual help participants learn how to eff ec- dealers follow up on vehicles’ MEC_Qatar, MEC mobile app for On January 15, the College of analysts and students. tuguese and Spanish. Similarly, and interlingual subtitling from tively create and deliver academic defects and repair them. Android and IOS: MEC_Qatar Islamic Studies will hold a lecture Language Center Courses for the Language Centre Courses January 21 – 24. The institute presentations on January 30. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 5 QATAR

Top experts for Katara Tech Forum today Information technology (IT) experts and researchers from the public and Safari launches ‘Digital Dream’ and ‘Buy 2 Get 1 Free’ promos private sector will gather in Doha today for the ‘Katara Tech Forum,’ at the Katara – the Cultural Village. In a statement, Katara said the forum will discuss topics about government services in Qatar, web and user experi- afari Hypermarket Group wear and footwear divisions, counts for various high-quality the various divisions men- Philippe, Allen Solly, Peter ence portals, and related topics in the IT field such as the ‘Epilert project,’ has announced the launch Safari has said in a statement. products in the electronics, tioned above. The highlights England, Van Heusen, Wood- and “Mobile Phone project which entails charging using walking move- Sof the ‘Digital Dream’ and The ‘Digital Dream’ and ‘Buy IT, home appliances and home of the promotion include the land, Reebok, Nike, Reebok, ment.” The event will also host a lecture about the “Thaqafa project,” a ‘Buy 2 Get 1 Free’ promotions 2 Get 1 Free’ promotions are entertainment divisions,” the Chiq 65-inch 4k LED TV for Puma, etc, across the gar- place which provides people with various Arabic audio content from from today. available at Safari Mall in Abu statement noted. QR2,799 and 6kg Super Gener- ments/readymade and foot- poetry, history and stories. A number of exhibitions such as Techno Ejabi, While ‘Digital Dream’ offers Hamour, Safari Hypermarket A wide variety of cameras, al washing machine for QR299, wear divisions. This promotion Kinetco project, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Ebla and electronic and IT items, home on Salwa Road and Safari Shop- flashlights, laptops, earphones, according to the statement. is available at all Safari outlets Katara will also be held at the forum. The Katara Tech Forum was organ- appliances and home enter- ping Complex in Umm Salal. computer accessories, refrig- The ‘Buy 2 Get 1 Free’ pro- until January 23. ised to captivate energetic youths in order to develop their skills, spread tainment-related products at “As the name indicates, erators, washing machines, motion, on the other hand, is In the statement, Safari IT awareness and discuss the latest technological aspects. Katara Tech “best discounts”, the ‘Buy 2 Get ‘Digital Dream’ promises to grinders and ovens, etc, are applicable to menswear, la- stressed that it would contin- Forum is scheduled to take place every first Wednesday of each month. 1 Free’ promotion covers the fulfil the dreams of customers available at discounted rates dieswear, kidswear, abayas as ue to offer special promotions garments, abaya, ladies/mens- by providing unbelievable dis- as part of the promotion across well as products from Louis through the year.

Qatar leadership praised QFFD, QRC extend support over handling of siege

espite the numerous restrictions imposed by Dthe blockading coun- for farmers in northern Syria tries, Qatar has not recipro- cated with similar restraints QNA ricultural production, with foodstuff s in the domestic mar- on the people of these coun- Doha farmers forced to rely on low- ket, and added that the project tries, Doha resident Tek Nath productivity achieves more than one goal at Baral told Qatar Urdu Radio’s rain-fed agriculture or in- the same time. live show Haqeeqat yesterday. atar Fund for Develop- dividual artisan wells. This re- For his part, the Secretary- Baral spoke about the dif- ment (QFFD) has an- sulted in high agricultural costs General of QRC Ali bin Hassan ferent aspects of the siege and Tek Nath Baral Qnounced reaching an and also the reluctance of many al-Hammadi, said: “Due to the recalled that nearly 6,524 fam- advanced stage in the project to to abandon their lands or rely signifi cant role played by agri- ilies were separated because of support activities in the north- on relief assistance, which led culture in Syria and its econom- Gulf crisis. ern region of Sahel Al Rouj, with to a sharp decline in agricultural ic importance in Sahel Al Rouj, “The blockading countries a budget of $176,317 of the total production. which comprises 50 villages in have put many restrictions approved budget of $546,777. The project targets the res- Idlib Governorate, QFFD has and these have by far aff ected QFFD said in a statement toration of the fi ve kilome- fi nanced the collective irriga- families the most in the region yesterday that the implementa- tre-length irrigation concrete tion project in this plain, which because marriages between tion of the project, which start- channel, the rehabilitation of aims at enabling 5,200 farmers’ people of diff erent GCC na- ed in January 2017, will continue existing power stations, the families to return and to im- tionals was very common,” he until the end of March this year. provision of well accessories, prove the productivity of wheat revealed. This project is being carried the supply of two generators to in the area. The project allows “However, Qatar has not out by the Qatari Red Crescent operate the pumps, the provi- wheat consumption for more stopped anyone from entering (QRC) and is a continuation of sion of a 525m3/h pump and the than 13,000 people a year. It its border or created hurdles the joint eff orts of the two par- fuel required to support supple- also creates jobs that help farm- for families. Everyone is free ties to mitigate the impact of mentary wheat crop irrigation. ers to stay in their land. to move as they please, which the Syrian crisis which has been Executive Director of the Al-Hammadi also pointed shows Qatari leadership un- ongoing for more than six years. Projects Department at QFFD, out that the QRC supervises the derstands the sensitive nature Sahel Al Rouj is one of the Masfar al-Shahwani said the implementation of the project of the crisis.” most important plains in the project is one of the vital devel- on the ground and to follow- Haqeeqat is a joint venture north of Syria and is a major opment projects, as it provides up all the technical activities it of Gulf Times and Qatar Me- food source, as well as a source food support through the pro- needs. dia Corporation’s Urdu Radio. in Qatar. Log on to Qatar Urdu of income for tens of thousands vision of agricultural materi- The estimated area of the The show, hosted by Saif-ur- Radio on Facebook and ‘@Qa- of families. Therefore, one of Picture shows the progress of the project. als, as well as self-suffi ciency fi eld for this project of about Rehman, aims to engage and tarUrduRadio’ on Twitter for the main reasons for the adop- for a large number of families 700 hectares can meet the interact with the large South feedback and comments about tion of the project is the weak- ity in these areas, which was a but incidents in Syria in recent who rely on food aid, and con- needs for wheat of 13,000 Asian expatriate community the show. ness in agricultural productiv- distinct agricultural location, years have resulted in poor ag- tribute to the provision of basic people a year. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 REGION/ARAB WORLD

CONFLICT Seven civilians killed after Syria air strikes Israel law tightens At least seven civilians, including five children, were killed yesterday by air strikes in Syria’s northwest- ern Idlib province, the last outside hold on Jerusalem government control, a monitor said. Government and allied forces backed by Russian warplanes AFP 120 members of the Knesset. have been battling fighters and Jerusalem It also enables changing the municipal defi ni- rebels for more than a week in tion of Jerusalem, which means that sectors of an area straddling the boundary the city “could be declared separate entities”, a between Idlib and Hama provinces. srael’s parliament yesterday gave fi nal ap- statement from parliament read. The air strikes targeted the town proval to legislation aimed at making it more Israeli right-wing politicians have spoken of of Khan Subul in the centre of Idiffi cult for the government to hand the Pal- unilaterally breaking off overwhelmingly Pal- Idlib province, the Britain-based estinians parts of Jerusalem under any future estinian areas of the city in a bid to increase its Syrian Observatory for Human peace deal. Jewish majority. Rights said. “There were at least The bill, approved by a 64 to 51 vote, is the lat- However, the new law is not necessarily de- The film stars and Kalyan Jewellers’ off icials inaugurating an outlet in Muscat in the presence of other seven dead, five children and two est blow to remaining hopes for a two-state so- fi nitive. It can be changed by a regular parlia- dignitaries. women,” the Observatory said. lution to the Israeli-Palestinian confl ict. mentary majority of 61. “We do not know if these were air Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’s of- The issue is among the most contentious in strikes by the Syrian regime or the fi ce said US President Donald Trump’s recent the Israeli-Palestinian confl ict. Russians,” Observatory head Rami declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and “We’ve ensured the unity of Jerusalem,” Edu- Abdel Rahman said. The off icial the new Israeli law amounted to a “declaration cation Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads Jew- Bollywood star launches ‘Kalyan news agency said the army took of war”. Formulated by Shuli Moalem-Refaeli of ish Home, said after the vote. control of six villages in the central the far-right Jewish Home party, the new law “The Mount of Olives, the Old City...will for- Hama province. The government comes weeks after Trump’s decision on Jerusa- ever remain ours,” he wrote on Twitter. push on the edge of Idlib province lem sparked deadly protests in the Palestinian Abbas’ offi ce said Trump’s recognition and Jewellers’ outlets in Oman follows two months of sporadic territories. the Israeli law amounted to a “declaration of fighting that the UN says has dis- It also follows a vote earlier this week by the war on the Palestinian people and its political placed more than 60,000 people. central committee of Prime Minister Benjamin and religious identity”. he launch of Kalyan Jew- This was the fi rst time that covery,” T S Kalyanaraman said. Netanyahu’s Likud party in favour of extending The statement called the moves a “dangerous ellers in Oman drew Oman saw fi lm stars “launch Addressing the crowd, Shah Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the occu- project for the future of the region and the world”. “huge crowds” recently as multiple showrooms on a single Rukh said: “I feel very fortunate TURMOIL T pied West Bank. Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine famous Indian actor Shah Rukh day for any brand”, the statement that Kalyan Jewellers invited Khamenei blames The Likud vote was non-binding, but was a Liberation Organisation, said the Israelis were Khan inaugurated new show- noted. me for the inauguration of their further expression of the hopes of many right- moving ahead with such measures because the rooms of the brand in Muscat, “We are delighted to launch showrooms and I am very happy Iran’s ‘enemies’ wing Israelis who oppose the creation of a Pal- United States had stayed silent and signalled ap- the leading jewellery chain said in Oman and promise to deliver to be here in Muscat to meet you for unrest estinian state. proval with Trump’s Jerusalem declaration. in a statement. a world-class shopping experi- all. However, I am also a little sad The law approved yesterday determines that Hamas, the movement that runs the Gaza Also present on the occasion ence to customers. Our show- that Amitji is unwell and there- Iran’s supreme leader blamed any ceding of lands considered by Israel to be Strip, said Abbas should declare the end of the were well-known Indian actors rooms will feature an exquisite fore was not able to come here; “enemies” yesterday for unrest that part of Jerusalem would necessitate a two- Oslo peace accords of the 1990s and withdraw and Kalyan brand ambassadors, range of jewellery in contem- so, on his behalf, I am here and I has seen 21 deaths as Washington thirds majority vote in parliament — 80 out of the PLO’s recognition of Israel. Nagarjuna, Prabhu Ganesan, Si- porary and traditional designs will convey all your love to him.” sought to increase pressure on the varaj Kumar and Manju Warrier, that will elevate everyday wear The actors were received with regime that was facing its biggest who regaled the gathering of fans, as well as for special occasions. loud cheers and a thundering test in years. In a speech carried the jeweller said in a statement. We are committed to earning applause by the audience. The on state television, Ayatollah Ali The fi lm stars were accompa- the trust of the people of Oman stars then greeted the crowd Khamenei broke his silence on nied by Kalyan Jewellers chair- and hope that they will accept us and thanked them for the sup- the protests for the first time since Experts decry repression in Saudi man and managing director T wholeheartedly. Unfortunately port. After a brief appearance, they erupted last Thursday. Even S Kalyanaraman and executive Amitabh Bachchan was unable the stars were taken inside the reformists, who backed the last directors Rajesh Kalyanaraman to attend the launch due to ill showrooms for a preview of the major protest movement in 2009, Reuters 60 prominent clerics, writers, Saudi government. “We are and Ramesh Kalyanaraman. health. We wish him a speedy re- jewellery collection. condemned the unrest and the Geneva journalists, academics and ac- witnessing the persecution of support it has received from the tivists are reported to have been human rights defenders for United States. A fifth night of unrest detained in a wave of arrests peacefully exercising their LEGAL on Monday to yesterday saw six nited Nations human since September, they said. rights to freedom of expres- Detention without trial extended for Palestinian MP protesters killed during an attack on rights experts called on The crackdown on dissent sion, assembly, association a police station in Qahderijan in the USaudi Arabia yesterday has been denounced by Am- and belief, as well as in retali- Israel has extended the detention without trial of a prominent Palestinian politician by another six months, the central province of Isfahan, state TV to end “repression” of rights nesty International and Hu- ation for their work,” the fi ve army said yesterday, meaning she will spend at least one year in custody. Khalida Jarrar was arrested on July said. US President Donald Trump’s activists and release dozens man Rights Watch, but strong independent experts said. 2 for being a senior member in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). She had been released ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, detained since September for criticism by the UN of the oil They decried a “worrying from prison only a year before. Details of the accusations against her are secret, as is customary with Israeli ad- said the US would seek emergency peacefully exercising their civil giant is rare. There was no pattern of widespread and ministrative detention orders, which allow detention without trial for renewable six-month periods. A legislator in UN talks on the situation. and political rights. More than immediate reaction from the systematic arbitrary arrests. the Palestinian parliament, she was given a six-month administrative detention order in July. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 7 AFRICA

14 churchgoers gunned Shekau appears in down in Nigeria carnage

AFP a New Year’s Eve service. The of police, Ahmed Zaki, has also Warri, Nigeria shooting took place in the town launched a manhunt for the of Omoku about 90km from the bandits to ensure they are ar- video amid surge in southern oil hub of Port Har- rested and prosecuted,” Omoni unmen killed at least 14 court. “Fourteen persons died said. churchgoers returning on the spot, while 12 who sus- Rivers State, a region blighted Gfrom a midnight service tained gunshot wounds were by poverty despite a wealth of on Monday in Nigeria’s Rivers rushed to the hospital and are oil, is home to several powerful State, a police source told AFP, receiving medical attention,” gangs that often engage in vio- the latest violence to hit the oil- said a police source who asked lent turf wars. Boko Haram attacks rich region. to remain anonymous. Such gangs, known as “cults” “The gunmen opened fi re on Rivers State police public re- in Nigeria, began as univer- AFP a set of worshippers at about lations offi cer Nnamdi Omoni sity confraternities decades ago Kano, Nigeria 12:30am on Monday,” said Ugo- said the number of casualties before evolving into powerful chi Olugbo, a relative of one of could not be confi rmed at the armed groups that now rule the the victims who were attending moment. “The commissioner streets of the destitute region. oko Haram leader Abu- bakar Shekau released a Bvideo message yesterday Death toll in DRC violence climbs to 12 claiming a series of attacks in Museveni signs law northeast Nigeria during the fes- removing age cap tive season. The shadowy leader The death toll from a crackdown AFP reporter at a demonstration for president released his fi rst video message in on New Year’s Eve protests in in the central city of Kananga months amid a surge in violence Democratic Republic of Congo saw a man shot in the chest by Uganda’s President Yoweri casting doubt on the Nigerian (DRC) has risen to 12, protesters soldiers who opened fire on wor- Museveni has signed a law government’s claim that the ter- said yesterday. shippers. Police spokesman colo- that scraps a 75-year age cap rorist group is defeated. “Eleven people died in Kinshasa nel Rombaut-Pierrot Mwanampu- for presidential candidates, “We are in good health and and one in Kananga,” Jonas tu, meanwhile, said in a statement a spokesman for parliament nothing has happened to us,” said Tshombela, a spokesman for yesterday that “no deaths” had said yesterday, a move critics Shekau in the 31-minute video the protest organisers, told AFP. occurred in the context of the say will allow him to remain in message spoken in the Hausa Catholic and opposition groups demonstrations. On Sunday, he power indefinitely. Museveni, 73, language common across north- on Sunday defied a ban on had said three civilians – “robbers” has ruled Uganda for 31 years ern Nigeria. demonstrations demanding that and “looters” – had been killed, and could now stand again in “Nigerian troops, police and President Joseph Kabila leave in incidents that had occurred the next election, due in 2021, those creating mischief against off ice. far from the protests. The DRC despite increased public anger us can’t do anything against us, They were met with a deadly authorities also say a policeman over corruption, human rights and you will gain nothing,” he crackdown by authorities, who was killed when a police station violations and poor social said. fired tear gas into churches and came under “attack.” services. Parliament, controlled “We carried out the attacks in This screen grab image taken from a video released yesterday by Boko Haram shows Boko Haram leader bullets in the air to break up Meanwhile, the Internet was by Museveni’s ruling National Maiduguri, in Gamboru, in Dam- Abubakar Shekau speaking in his first video message in months amid a surge in violence casting doubt on gatherings. The protests took restored yesterday after the Resistance Movement (NRM), boa. We carried out all these at- the Nigerian government’s claim that the group is defeated. place on the first anniversary of government cut services for approved the constitutional tacks.” a deal under which Kabila was three days. The Congolese amendment on December 22 The video then shows foot- of Boko Haram attacks and just mosque in Adamawa state. But sages, took over Boko Haram in scheduled to leave off ice in 2017 minister for telecommunica- amid heavy security deploy- age from a Christmas Day attack days after the terrorists killed 25 Nigerian President Muhammadu 2009 after the death of its found- after fresh elections – a vote that tions, Emery Okundji, ordered ments across the capital Kam- on a military checkpoint in Mo- people outside Maiduguri, the Buhari said in his New Year ad- er Mohamed Yusuf. Boko Haram, has since been postponed until mobile operators to cut Internet pala and outside parliament. lai village on the outskirts of the birthplace of the insurgency. dress that Boko Haram has been whose insurgency has left at least December 2018. and SMS services “for reasons “It has been signed into law,” northeast Nigerian city of Maid- In December, Boko Haram at- “beaten”. 20,000 dead in Nigeria since it In contrast to the toll given by of state security” on Saturday. spokesman Chris Obore said, uguri, which the military said was tacked convoys of Nigerian sol- “Isolated attacks still occur, began in 2009, has long been the protesters, the United Nations Internet cuts are common during adding that the president had thwarted by troops after one hour diers and dispatched suicide but even the best-policed coun- fractionalised. said in a statement yesterday that anti-government demonstrations done so on December 27. of battle. Boko Haram fi ghters in bombers into crowded markets in tries cannot prevent determined In 2016 it suff ered a major “at least five people” were killed, in the vast, mineral-rich central Museveni’s move quickly drew torn clothes were shown shoot- towns across northeast Nigeria. criminals from committing ter- split, when the so-called Islamic adding that several others had African country. Protesters want criticism from his political oppo- ing from the back of battered At least 50 people were killed rible acts of terror,” said Buhari. State group recognised Yusuf’s been wounded and more than Kabila to promise he will not nents, religious leaders, human pickup trucks. Shekau’s message in November when a suicide Shekau, a leader known for his son, Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi, as 120 arrested. On Sunday, a UN further extend his time in power rights activists and even some comes during an acceleration bomber blew himself up at a lengthy, wild-eyed video mes- leader. source said eight were killed and in DRC, a mostly Catholic former members of the ruling party. 123 arrested, including priests. An Belgian colony. Two climbers die in fall on S Africa’s Table Mountain

Two climbers were killed abseiling on The cable car that takes tourists to the that the best way to rescue the climbers Cape Town’s Table Mountain on New top of the mountain was used to rescue was to abseil from the cable car,” rescue Year’s day, with hundreds of tourists the surviving climber and remove the team spokesman Johann Marais told stranded on the summit for hours during two bodies from the steep rock face after the Times Live news website. Marais the rescue eff ort, South African off icials a helicopter was unable to reach the described the operation as an “extremely said yesterday. The victims were one scene. About 500 people on the summit diff icult rescue” completed during a cold Japanese man, whose wife survived, were trapped for several hours, with the night. Christmas and New Year are the and a local tour guide, according to local last group brought down in the early height of the tourist season in Cape media, with about 30 rescuers involved hours of yesterday after the cable car Town, and the cable car is one of the in a dramatic 12-hour night operation. restarted. “The crew’s assessment was city’s most popular attractions. Johannesburg suff ocates in shadow of mine dumps

AFP Johannesburg

ook at my spinach. That is the sand from the mine. The yellow Lone in the soil — it’s destroy- ing everything, said Thabo Ngubane as he tended his small allotment in Soweto. In Johannesburg tens of thousands of poor South Africans like him spend their lives in the shadow of vast mine dumps, exposing them to toxic substances like arsenic, lead and uranium. The gold rush from 1886 that caused the imposing slag heaps to spring up around South Africa’s larg- est city saw many investors and min- ers become fabulously wealthy. The same was not true of those who lived and worked near the pits, and were exposed to dangerous cocktails of A child in the yard of his shack in Grootvlei, Snake Park, an impoverished suburb dust and chemicals. living on the tailing of one of the biggest mine dumps in Soweto, Johannesburg. More than 200 mounds of earth contaminated with heavy metals, “I’m coughing all the time... My she said. During the dry months of notably uranium, lie within sight of daughter also,” Thabo complained. July and August, wind blows tons South Africa’s commercial capital ac- He has no doubt that tainted vegeta- of dust from the mounds onto the cording to the Harvard International bles and toxic dust are to blame. streets, coating laundry, sweeping Human Rights Clinic. His case is far from unique. Several into homes and contaminating food. They include the one close to where other areas in Soweto, which is home “In almost every street in this com- 50-year-old Thabo tends his vegeta- to more than a million and a half peo- munity, people are living on oxygen bles in Snake Park in the north of the ple, have also fallen foul of Johannes- machines,” said David Van Wyck, a Soweto township. burg’s mining legacy. researcher at South Africa’s Bench- “When there is heavy rains, all the Twenty kilometres east in Riv- mark foundation, a Christian NGO. mine waste comes here and erodes erlea Extension 1 is a community of More than half of Riverlea’s resi- everything,” he said. 2,500 people including Rose Plaatjies dents claim to suff er from a cough, “This month 22 of my baby pigs whose home is surrounded by three asthma, sinusitis or tuberculosis died... I think it’s because of the mine dumps. according to a report published by mine.” When the waste comes into Rose, a retired labourer, has been Benchmark. contact with water, oxidation causes there since 1962 when she was forced “Our children have eczema, our an extremely dangerous solution to to move to comply with the apart- children have eye problems... (a form. heid-era rules on segregated living. neighbour had) twins with undevel- The company responsible for the Black people from the region often oped lungs — one has died,” said Rose. slag heap built a storage pool to al- moved to Soweto while “coloureds” Statistics show that Riverlea is an low contaminated water to evaporate like Rose moved to Riverlea. outlier. in an eff ort to protect the neighbour- Now 63, she suff ers from shortness Respiratory and cardiac illnesses ing homes from pollution. But the of breath and is dependent on an oxy- are far more prevalent among the eld- pool walls have been poorly main- gen tank — all of which she blames on erly in the area than in similarly poor tained allowing acid water to leak into the mines. neighbourhoods elsewhere, accord- Thabo’s agricultural plot for much of “The toxic sand aff ects a lot of us ing to the South African Medical Re- the past year. – I can’t breathe because of the dust,” search Council. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 AMERICAS

Even penguins coming out of the cold in Canada Just how cold is it in Canada? Ask the penguins at the Calgary zoo: Even they have had to take ‘Record-shattering’ cold shelter. King penguins – one of five species at the zoo in western Alberta province – are certainly accustomed to chilly weather, more so than species like the Humboldt that prefer somewhat warmer climes, said zoo curator grips northeastern US Malu Celli. But with a cold snap pushing Reuters much of the country for the diana, Ohio and North Carolina, temperatures below -30° Celsius New York past few days, breaking long- school districts cancelled or de- (-22° Fahrenheit) on New Year’s standing temperature records in layed the start of classes as bit- Eve – and feeling more like -40°C cities from Omaha, Nebraska, to terly cold weather, 20° to 30°F in the wind – and with one five- record-shattering Arctic Aberdeen, South Dakota, but the (11° to 17°C) below normal, were month-old penguin chick still freeze kept its grip on the weather was forecast to warm up expected across the eastern half maturing, zoo off icials decided AUS Northeast yesterday, in the coming days. of the United States. to draw a line in the snow on closing schools and aff ecting However, the higher tem- The cold was blamed for the Sunday, setting -25°C as the birds’ travel on the fi rst business day peratures were expected to be deaths of two men in separate limit. of 2018, and forecasters warned accompanied by heavy snow in incidents in Milwaukee, accord- They brought the 10 kings into the region could be walloped by the East Coast by as early as to- ing to the Milwaukee Journal their heated enclosure, where snow later in the week. day, according to the National Sentinel. they can still be viewed by Boston tied a 100-year-old Weather Service (NWS). A homeless man was found humans brave enough to be out. record yesterday when it marked “New York City will prob- dead on a porch in Charleston, Across Canada, planned New seven consecutive days that the ably expect anywhere from 2” to West Virginia, while another Year’s Eve festivities in several temperature did not top 20° 4” (5cm to 10cm) of snow,” said man was found dead outside a cities – for humans, that is – Fahrenheit (-6.7° Celsius), and weather service meteorologist church in Detroit, and police were moved indoors amid a people whose work kept them Greg Gallina. “The maximum said he may have frozen to death, particularly brutal cold snap. outside struggled to fi nd ways to swath will be from southern local news outlets reported. For nearly a week, most of keep warm. Rhode Island to the south of The cold should ease across Canada has been under an “I’m here since ‘78 and I Boston and into Maine. South- most of the country heading into extreme cold alert. don’t remember cold weather east Maine will experience any- the weekend, Gallina said. At midday on Monday, the like this,” Yiannis Galanopou- where from 12” to 15” (30-38cm) “We’re going to see a steady country’s coldest temperature los, who sells $3 cheese pretzels of snow.” of warm-ups at the end of the was registered in Eureka, in from a cart in New York’s Times He added that cities in north- weekend when temperatures northern Nunavut territory, at Square, said as he warmed his The Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain at Bryant Park in New York is seen frozen as New Yorkers ern Florida will experience become average again across the -40.5°C. hands over the glowing char- return to work yesterday after the holiday break. freezing rain and maybe some Great Plains and into the Mid- The highest was in Prince Rupert, coals that keep his wares hot. sleet. west by Sunday,” he said. “An- in the western province of British “But a living is a living,” he Jersey. “It’s not worth it to take stuck outside in the cold. Bitter cold was blamed for Coastal areas in Georgia and other cold blast will come in on Colombia, at -7.5°C. said, adding that if the tem- a chance.” “We want every resident at least four deaths across the South Carolina will start to ex- Monday, but it won’t be as bru- But Environment Canada perature dipped much lower, he Offi cials throughout the re- to have shelter and warmth,” United States over the New perience smaller amounts of tal. This warm spell will basi- promised “a gradual warming might rethink the trip from his gion urged residents to alert so- Washington Mayor Muriel Year’s holiday weekend. snow. cally be a short respite from the trend ... (and) more seasonable home in West New York, New cial services if they saw people Bowser said on Twitter. Frigid weather had gripped In Iowa, Massachusetts, In- severely cold weather.” temperatures”.

NBC replaces Lauer with Hoda Kotb as Today co-anchor 2017 was

Reuters fi rst pair of women to host the appropriate sexual behaviour 1998 as a correspondent and has safest year New York show along with weatherman that began while they were on co-hosted the fourth hour of Al Roker and Orange Room host assignment at the 2014 Sochi Today with Giff ord since 2008. Carson Daly. Winter Olympics in Russia, ac- She also hosts a programme for civil elevision host Hoda Kotb Kotb will continue co-host- cording to the network. on Sirius XM satellite radio. was named yesterday the ing the 10am hour of Today with At least two other women “Over the past several weeks, Tnew co-anchor of the Kathie Lee Giff ord. went to NBC with similar com- Hoda has seamlessly stepped aviation NBC News Today programme, “It’s 2018 and we are kicking plaints against Lauer following into the co-anchor role along- replacing former co-host Matt off the year right because Hoda the fi rst allegation. side Savannah, and the two have Lauer several weeks after the is offi cially the co-anchor of None of the women has been quickly hit the ground running,” AFP long-time anchor was fi red for Today,” said Guthrie, 46, who publicly identifi ed. NBC News chairman Andrew Washington inappropriate sexual behaviour, announced the news during “Repairing the damage will Lack said in an e-mail to staff , according to a network state- the programme’s opening mo- take a lot of time and soul according to Today.com. ment. ments. searching and I’m committed #SavannahHodaTODAY was ast year was the safest Kotb will join Savannah Kotb, 53, quickly fi lled in as to beginning that eff ort,” Lauer a top-trending topic on Twitter year for civil aviation since This file photo taken on November 30, 2016 shows Today hosts (from Guthrie during the fi rst two co-host when Lauer was fi red said after he was fi red. following the announcement as Lplane crash statistics were left) Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Matt Lauer hours of the popular pro- on November 28 after a female Reuters has not independent- fans and NBC News colleagues fi rst compiled in 1946, two in- attending the 84th Annual Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree gramme, starting at 7am EST colleague complained to NBC ly verifi ed the accusations. congratulated the host on her dustry studies have found. Lighting Ceremony in New York City. (noon GMT), and become the offi cials about a pattern of in- Kotb joined NBC News in new position. President Donald Trump hailed the results yesterday, and credited his “very strict” stance on commercial aviation for the positive data in the US. A total of 10 crashes of civil Head of New drug approvals hit 21-year high last year passenger and cargo planes claimed 44 lives, said the Avia- tion Safety Network (ASN) in a New York Reuters spending fall, refl ecting more Gilead Sciences and Spark times and helped to stimulate fi nzi was the fi fth medicine to statement published on Monday. London competitive pressures and the Therapeutics that were ap- competition by adding multiple target a key protein found on “The year 2017 turned out to growing share of new products proved in 2017 under a separate new drugs that often work in a the body’s immune cells when be the safest year ever for com- City Ballet now coming from younger bio- category. similar way. it won approval last May. mercial aviation,” ASN said. S drug approvals hit a tech companies. US Food and Drug Admin- A wide choice of medicines For the current year, compa- Five of the fatal accidents in- 21-year high in 2017, Consultancy Deloitte said istration (FDA) commissioner with the same mechanism of nies have more new products volved cargo fl ights and fi ve pas- retires Uwith 46 novel medicines last month that projected re- Scott Gottlieb has hailed these action can be a double-edged waiting in the wings, although senger fl ights. winning a green light – more turns at 12 of the world’s top products as “a whole new sci- sword for manufacturers, since the pace of FDA approvals may The previous year, ASN re- than double the previous year – drugmakers were at an eight- entifi c paradigm for the treat- it gives insurers and govern- be tempered by the fact that corded 16 accidents and 303 lives AFP while the fi gure also rose in the year low of only 3.2%. ment of serious diseases”. ments ammunition to drive several drugs that had been ex- lost. New York European Union. Many of the drugs receiving However, there is debate as to down prices. pected to be cleared in the fi rst No major airline crashed a The EU recommended 92 a green light in 2017 were for how cash-strapped healthcare Pfi zer and Merck’s new dia- quarter of 2018 were actually plane, the To70 agency said in its new drugs including generics, rare diseases and sub-types of systems will pay for them. betes drug Steglatro, for exam- approved in 2017. annual report, also published on eter Martins, the renowned up from 81, and China laid out cancer, which often target very Under Gottlieb, the FDA ple, was the fourth product of In Europe, meanwhile, the Monday. head of the New York City plans to speed up approvals in small populations, although has taken advantage of policy its kind to win a green light in focus will be on any disruption “The past year has been an- PBallet, has announced his what is now the world’s sec- they can cost hundreds of thou- changes implemented in recent the United States, while Novo or delays to the approval proc- other exceptionally good year for retirement following allegations ond biggest market behind the sands of dollars. years to accelerate the drug ap- Nordisk’s Ozempic was the ess as the European Medicines civil aviation safety,” To70 said. of sexual harassment and physi- United States. Signifi cantly, the US drug proval process. sixth of its type. Agency prepares to relocate “2017 was much better than cal abuse, according to a report Yet the world’s biggest drug- tally of 46 does not include the Procedures such as the agen- Both were approved in De- from London to Amsterdam as could reasonably (and statisti- in the New York Times. makers saw average returns on fi rst of a new wave of cell and cy’s “breakthrough therapy” cember. a result of Britain’s decision to cally) be expected, and was again The 71-year-old stands ac- their research and development gene therapies from Novartis, designation have cut review In cancer, AstraZeneca’s Im- leave the European Union. better than last year’s remark- cused by two dozen dancers of able performance,” said To70 verbal and physical abuse as well researcher Adrian Young. as extorting sexual favours. The chances of dying in a “I have denied, and continue plane crash are now one in 16mn, to deny, that I have engaged in Young said, making air travel the any such misconduct,” he wrote 23 hurt in blaze at safest means of transport even in a letter to the board informing as worldwide air traffi c grew by them of his retirement, a copy of three percent in 2017 over 2016. which was seen by the Times. Bronx apartment The To70 report used data “We thank Peter for his tre- from the International Air mendous contributions to New Transport Association (IATA), York City Ballet as ballet master DPA/AFP brought out of the building by which is to issue its own annual in chief for over three decades, New York the fi refi ghters on scene. We report soon. leading the Company to excep- have 16 people; seven adults Accidents involving military tional artistic heights and ac- and nine children, all with non planes, including military trans- complishments,” board chair- pre-dawn blaze be- life-threatening injuries,” said port aircraft, were not taken into man Charles W Scharf said in a lieved to have started in New York City fi re chief Daniel account in the study. separate statement. Aa ground-fl oor furniture Nigro. “They’ve all been trans- ASN president Harro Ranter Martins, who is Danish, had store left one fi refi ghter and 22 ported, and they will all be ok, said that the low number of acci- been under investigation since residents of upper-storey fl ats thankfully.” dents was “no surprise”, coming an anonymous letter detailing injured in New York’s Bronx “We still have to do more after a steady decline of fatalities several allegations. borough, authorities said yes- searches in the building, but in recent years. A group of dancers later came terday. there is no report of anyone In praising his own eff orts on forward to the Times with alle- None of the injuries are life- missing at this time,” he added. aviation safety, Trump said there gations dating back to 1983. threatening, the New York Fire One resident told NBC news were no aviation accident-relat- A former principal dancer, Department said. he fl ed the building, barefoot ed deaths in the US last year. Martins became a co-leader of The seven-alarm fi re was re- and bare-chested, with his “Since taking offi ce I have the company in 1983 and sole ported shortly before 5.30am three children into freezing been very strict on Commercial ballet master in chief in 1989. (1030 GMT) in the building. temperatures that dipped as Aviation. Good news – it was It was the latest in a wave of Barely four minutes after the low as -10° Celsius (10° Fahr- just reported that there were misconduct allegations prompt- emergency call, around 200 enheit). Zero deaths in 2017, the best ed by investigative reports by the fi refi ghters arrived in three The Red Cross in New York and safest year on record!” he Times and the New Yorker into dozen vehicles at the three- is arranging housing for 22 New York firefighters at work at the apartment building in the Bronx. tweeted. Hollywood producer Harvey storey red-brick close to the residents displaced in freezing But Trump was probably re- Weinstein, who was accused by Bronx Zoo. weather that has gripped the ment fi re in less than a week in a child playing with a stove. Mayor Bill de Blasio called it ferring only to statistics for tur- more than a hundred women of “Our units arrived and were eastern US since last week and the Bronx, where 12 people were It was New York City’s dead- the “worst fi re tragedy we have bojets, as there were two deadly allegations ranging from rape to immediately faced with heavy is forecast to continue all week. killed on Thursday in a blaze liest fi re since a 1990 nightclub seen in this city in at least a US accidents in ASN data last harassment. fi re. Numerous people were It is the second major apart- believed to have been started by fi re. quarter century”. year. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 9 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Japan’s emperor greets New Year well-wishers

AFP in the afternoon. The emperor Tokyo shocked the country in 2016 when he signalled his desire to take a back seat after nearly three apan’s Emperor Akihito decades in the job, citing his age yesterday delivered his tra- and health problems. Jditional New Year address He will be the fi rst emperor to with tens of thousands of well- retire — on April 30, 2019 — in wishers fl ocking to the Imperial more than two centuries in the Palace for one of the last such world’s oldest imperial family. occasions before he abdicates Akihito’s eldest son, 57-year- next year. old Crown Prince Naruhito, is set It was the fi nal New Year ap- to ascend the Chrysanthemum pearance alongside Akihito for Throne a day later. Princess Mako, his eldest grand- The status of the emperor is daughter, who is scheduled to sensitive in Japan given its 20th wed her college sweetheart in century history of war waged in November and leave the royal the name of Akihito’s father Hi- family. rohito, who died in 1989. The Imperial Palace said more Akihito has keenly embraced than 73,000 people attended his the more modern role as a sym- address, many waving small Jap- bol of the state— imposed after anese fl ags and shouting “Ban- World War II ended. Previous zai” or “Long live”. emperors including his father, “Happy New Year. I’m sin- Hirohito, had been treated as cerely glad to celebrate the new semi-divine. year together with you,” the em- The palace, surrounded by peror said in a televised address stone walls and mossy moats — from a glass-covered balcony at is opened to the general public the palace, where he was fl anked twice a year — on the emperor’s by Mako and other family mem- birthday and the second day of Japan’s Crown Princess Masako waves to well-wishers during a bers. They will make two further New Year — for the royal family Japan’s Emperor Akihito (right) and Crown Prince Naruhito wave to well-wishers during a public public appearance for New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace appearances before the crowd to greet well-wishers. appearance for New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. in Tokyo, Japan. S Korea off ers high-level talks with North ahead of Olympics

Reuters Winter Olympics,” Unifi cation time before reacting to Kim’s Japan, tested its most powerful Seoul Minister Cho Myong-gyon told comments. “I regret the govern- intercontinental ballistic mis- reporters. “I repeat: The gov- ment had even lost the fl exibility sile in November, which it said ernment is open to talking with to spend one day or two taking was capable of delivering a war- outh Korea yesterday of- North Korea, regardless of time, a deep breath and meticulously head to anywhere in the United fered talks with North Ko- location and form.” analysing Kim Jong-un’s ulte- States. Kim said in a New Year’s Srea amid a standoff over its Cho said he expects the dia- rior motive before hastily issu- Day speech on Monday he would weapons programmes, a day after logue at the border village of ing a welcoming statement,” he consider sending a delegation to North Korean leader Kim Jong- Panmunjom, if it happens, to be said. “The government will have the Olympics. un said he was open to negotia- focused on North Korea’s partic- to strive more to come up with a “North Korea’s participation tions but that his country would ipation at the Olympics in Febru- countermeasure not to get caught in the Winter Games will be a push ahead with “mass produc- ary, but other issues would likely in a trap set by Kim Jong-un.” good opportunity to showcase ing” nuclear warheads. arise, including the denucleari- Choi Moon-soon, governor the national pride and we wish The off er for high-level talks sation of North Korea. of Gangwon Province where the the Games will be a success. Of- next Tuesday had been dis- Should the talks be held on Olympics are to be held next fi cials from the two Koreas may cussed with the United States, January 9, it would be the fi rst month, has proposed South Ko- urgently meet to discuss the pos- the South’s unifi cation minister such dialogue since a vice-min- rea send cruise ships to bring sibility,” Kim said. said, while a decision on whether isterial meeting in December North Korean athletes and offi - North Korea would focus in to push back a massive joint mili- 2015. cials to Pyeongchang, according 2018 on “mass-producing nucle- tary drill between South Korea The off er landed after a New to South Korean media. ar warheads and ballistic missiles and the United States until after Year’s Day speech by Kim who Choi met North Korean sports for operational deployment”. the Winter Olympics was pend- said he was “open to dialogue” offi cial Mun Woong in China on “The whole territory of the US is ing. with Seoul, and for North Korean December 18 on the sidelines of within the range of our nuclear Tension has been rising over athletes to possibly take part in a international youth football strike and a nuclear button is al- North Korea’s nuclear and missile the Winter Games, but he per- tournament where North and ways on the desk of my offi ce and programmes, which it pursues in sistently declared North Korea a South Korea soccer teams com- this is just a reality, not a threat,” defi ance of years of UN Security nuclear power. peted, the Dong-A Ilbo newspa- he said, while emphasising that Council resolutions, with belli- After welcoming Kim’s ad- South Korea’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon speaks during a press conference at a government per reported. The governor did the weapons would only be used cose rhetoric coming from both dress, South Korean President complex in Seoul yesterday. not immediately respond to a if North Korea was threatened. Pyongyang and the White House. Moon Jae-in had asked his gov- request by Reuters for comment. The Commerce Ministry in The North sees the regular war ernment earlier in the day to Olympics, were a “good thing”. US President Donald Trump nickname for Kim. “Perhaps that This week’s exchanges follow China, North Korea’s lone major drills between the South and the move as quickly as possible to “China welcomes and sup- said yesterday that sanctions and is good news, perhaps not – we a year dominated by fi ery threats ally, also said it would continue United States as preparations for bring North Korea to the Olym- ports North Korea and South Ko- other pressures were starting to will see!” from Kim and Trump, who to fully implement United Na- war. pics. Chinese Foreign Ministry rea taking earnest eff orts to treat have a big impact on North Ko- Analysts said Kim’s address vowed to destroy North Korea if tions sanctions on North Korea. “We look forward to candidly spokesman Geng Shuang said the this as an opportunity to improve rea but he withheld judgment on was an attempt to weaken the threatened, even as US diplomats Trump said on Twitter last week discussing interests from both recent positive comments from mutual relations, promote the al- Pyongyang’s off er to talk. “Rock- US-South Korean alliance. Chun pushed for a diplomatic solution. that China has been “caught” al- sides face-to-face with North both sides about improving rela- leviation of the situation on the et man now wants to talk to South Yung-woo, a former South Kore- North Korea, which regu- lowing oil into North Korea and Korea along with the North’s tions, and Kim’s remarks about Korean peninsula and realize de- Korea for fi rst time,” Trump an national security adviser, said larly threatens to destroy the said such moves would prevent participation in the Pyeongchang participating in the upcoming nuclearisation on the peninsula.” wrote in a Twitter post, using his Seoul should have taken more United States, South Korea and “a friendly solution” to the crisis. Australian investigators hope to recover seaplane this week

AFP of transport safety for the Aus- into the water in the suburb of “The families of these poor Sydney tralian Transport Safety Bureau, Cowan 50km north of Sydney. people, they need to know people said the investigation would Witnesses on a nearby houseboat were there risking their lives try- cover the plane’s maintenance told national broadcaster ABC ing to help their family members. ccident investigators hope record as well as its components how they dived into the river, There was someone there trying this week to raise a sea- and any recordings of the fl ight. which was covered with avia- to do something.” Aplane which crashed into “So that could involve avionics tion fuel, in an attempted rescue. The Britons had watched Eng- an Australian river with the death or instruments that are attached Three men repeatedly plunged in land in the fourth Ashes Test of six people, including a high- to the aeroplane, but also things to try and open the plane’s doors against Australia at the Mel- profi le British chief executive. like mobile phones, iPads, Go- as it sank. Unsuccessful, they bourne Cricket Ground, and Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo (third left) sits in the newly launched airport train along the Richard Cousins, the boss Pros that we will be able to re- tied the aircraft’s tail to their din- were set to watch the fi nal Test train line linking Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the city centre in Tangerang, on the of catering giant Compass, his cover data from,” Nagy said, an- ghy but were unable to move it. in Sydney this week, Sydney’s outskirts of Jakarta, yesterday. sons Edward and William, fi - nouncing the intention to recover “Dead set, they could have Daily Telegraph reported. Eng- ancee Emma Bowden and her the DHC-2 Beaver Seaplane this died,” said Will McGovern of his land’s Barmy Army cricket sup- Jakarta launches first airport train to tackle gridlock daughter Heather Bowden-Page week. A preliminary report is ex- three friends. “The whole time porters paid tribute to them. “It’s were killed in the accident on the pected in a month. I was freaking out that this fuel very sad to hear of the loss of Jakarta launched the first train subway and light-rail systems, rupiah ($5) for the first two Hawkesbury River north of Syd- The sightseeing aircraft, was going to spark. This plane any cricket fan around the world connecting its international air- with service expected to start in months of service, rising to the ney on New Year’s Eve. which was heading to Rose Bay was moving fast, it was going especially when it’s so close to port to the city centre yesterday 2019. “Thank God that after three regular rate of 100,000 rupiah Pilot Gareth Morgan also died. in Sydney Harbour, made a sharp down fast — they could have got home,” the Barmy Army’s Chris as the sprawling Indonesian years and working hard to finish afterwards – about half the cost Nat Nagy, executive director turn before plummeting straight sucked in. Millard told the Telegraph. capital moves to tackle the this Soekarno-Hatta airport train, of a taxi. gridlock that can make the trip this morning we can inaugurate Indonesia, the world’s biggest ar- an hours-long headache. The it and we know that this train is chipelago nation and Southeast Dozens of snake eggs found in Australian school playground new system links Soekarno- a way to provide transportation Asia’s biggest economy, has been Hatta International Airport on the in Jakarta to reduce traff ic jams,” grappling with a lack of public A cache of snake eggs caused alarm after being discovered in the sandpit of an Australian school playground, it was reported yesterday. Wildlife outskirts of Jakarta to downtown Widodo said. transportation for years, while volunteers said the eggs were from the world’s second most venomous snake, the eastern brown snake, and were found late last month at a school in in 55 minutes, cutting driving The direct link cost 3.6tn rupiah Jakarta has seen an explosion in the small town of Laurieton, almost 400km north of Sydney. The volunteers spent three days digging in the playground, where they uncovered seven time by half or more. President ($266mn) with a total of 42 trips traff ic jams that are among the nests packed with eggs that were two weeks away from hatching, For Australian Wildlife Needing Aid (FAWNA) spokeswoman Yvette Attleir told the Joko Widodo inaugurated the scheduled daily. The service is to worst in the world. This week’s Camden Haven Courier. new system that off icials hope run from dawn to shortly before inauguration comes about eight “The sand was still fresh and loose and would have provided the perfect place for snakes to regulate eggs due to the temperature,” will convince travellers to make midnight. months before the capital hosts Attleir said. “I believed they were brown snake eggs due to the fact that they were seen in the area and that when I shone a light through the egg I saw the switch from private to public About 11,000 passengers are the 2018 Asian Games, which a small striped baby snake,” fellow volunteer Rod Miller told The Guardian. The eastern brown snake is the species responsible for most deaths caused transportation on the 38km expected to use the service are expected to see about 9,500 by snakebite in Australia, but better first aid and access to antivenom mean there are usually only one or two deaths per year, the Australian Reptile route. daily with three trains plying the athletes flock to the congestion- Park said on its website. The eggs were removed by FAWNA, the Courier’ said. Jakarta is also building its first route. Tickets will cost 70,000 prone city. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 BRITAIN

CRIME DISASTER LEGAL CONFESSION OFFBEAT Man charged for Monkeys killed in ‘Self-proclaimed Nazi’ Jailed murderer admits Donations pour in Finsbury Park murder safari park blaze goes on trial over rallies killing former girlfriend after theft at hospice

A 31-year-old man has been charged with the A safari park’s entire troop of 13 Patas monkeys An alleged self-proclaimed Nazi has appeared A man who already had convictions for killing A charity says it has had an “overwhelming” murder of a woman who was found dead in were killed in a fire that ripped through their in court charged with stirring up racial hatred his wife and a former partner has pleaded response after a thief stole a donation box from a north London park. Kasim Lewis, of Friern shelter yesterday. Woburn Safari Park in at two far-right demonstrations in Blackpool guilty to murdering his ex-girlfriend. Theodore one of its hospices on Christmas Day. About £250 Barnet in north London, was remanded in Bedfordshire, southern England, said staff were and North Yorkshire. The 22-year-old man from Johnson, 64, beat Angela Best with a claw was taken from Sue Ryder’s Thorpe Hall centre in custody over the death of Iuliana Tudos in left “devastated” by the blaze, which broke out in Lancashire, who cannot be named for legal hammer and throttled her with a dressing Peterborough. Afterwards, the charity wrote an Finsbury Park. He will appear at Wimbledon the early hours of the morning. The inferno was reasons, appeared at Preston crown court gown cord after she met another man, the open letter to the thief on its website, prompting magistrates court today. Tudos, 22, had last spotted by security guards. When firefighters yesterday accused of breaching Section 18 of Old Bailey heard. Johnson has two previous more than £1,000 in donations to be delivered in been seen getting off a bus near the park arrived, they found the outbuilding housing the the 1986 Public Order Act by using “threatening, manslaughter convictions, for pushing his wife person, with more raised online. “So many people on December 24. She was due to arrive at a monkeys was “well alight and its roof had fallen abusive or insulting words or behaviour” over a balcony in 1981 and strangling a partner have helped,” said Hospice director Allison Mann. friend’s house to celebrate Christmas but failed in”, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said. intended to stir up hatred against Jewish people. in 1993. He will be sentenced tomorrow. After It is believed the suspect got in through a door to turn up. Her body was found near a disused “The building was 90% damaged by the fire. The charges relate to two speeches given by attacking Best, 51, at his Islington home on which had been left unlocked so “the family of a building in the park three days later. Tudos, We have concluded that it is likely that the fire the defendant, the first in March 2016 at a December 15, 2016, the garage worker threw patient who had just died could come in and say who was of Russian and Greek origin, worked started accidentally in a generator.” No other demonstration in Blackpool and the second later himself in front of an express train. He survived their final goodbyes”. A local mosque has donated at World’s End pub in Camden, north London. animals are thought to have been aff ected. the same year at a meeting in Yorkshire. but severed his right arm and left hand. £500 and anonymous person handed staff £250.

Property prices in Rail bosses south, west London ‘declining’ seek to defend

Guardian News and Media London train fare rises ouse prices in “prime” central London appear Hto be stabilising, while areas in the south and west of the capital such as Wandsworth and Richmond are now under amid protests increasing pressure, according to estate agent Savills. Guardian News and Media best we possibly can to im- cember 23, the Sunday Times The company is predicting London prove as fast we can.” reported. that average property values in Asked about 42-year-old Andy McDonald, the shadow central London’s top-end en- trains on some parts of the net- transport secretary, joined pro- claves such as Knightsbridge, ail bosses have defended work, Plummer said: The oldest testers at London’s King’s Cross Mayfair and Holland Park will the biggest annual in- trains on the railway are going station to condemn what he said record no growth for the next Rcrease in train fares in fi ve to be replaced very soon. Those were “truly staggering” fare in- two years following three years years in the face of dozens of trains are on order, they are creases. of decline. demonstrations against the rise coming very very soon ... It can’t Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s To- However, Savills said there by commuter groups and unions all happen at once.” day programme, he said: “This were signs parts of the market at the UK’s busiest stations. Mark Carne, the chief execu- franchise system has completely “may be bottoming out” and the Senior Labour politicians, in- tive of Network Rail, which man- and utterly failed. We have a frac- prime markets of south and west cluding the shadow work and ages Britain’s rail infrastructure, tured, expensive and complex London could bear the brunt of pensions secretary, Debbie Ab- said: “We all share the objective system – it duplicates costs and Brexit uncertainty and concerns rahams, joined protests over av- of wanting to keep fares as low there are dividends going out to regarding future interest rate erage fare increases of 3.4% and as possible. I’m not responsi- subside railways on the conti- rises. This market is defi ned as season ticket increases of 3.6%. ble for setting fares. My job is nent. This is an absolute racket.” running from Battersea through The rises, the biggest since 2013, to make sure that the money we McDonald called for a switch Clapham and Wandsworth to are more than the consumer are given is spent as effi ciently as to link rail increases to consumer the south, and Fulham, Barnes price index infl ation rate and possible and on the best possible price index, which he claimed and Richmond to the west. well above average increases in projects.” would save commuters £500 Typical prices in prime cen- annual earnings. At Manchester Piccadilly, one over the course of a parliament. tral London ended 2017 down Chris Grayling, the transport of the busiest stations in Eng- He added: “Having risen at three 4% for the year as a whole, but secretary, declined broadcast land, travellers were exasper- times the rate of earnings I think prime south and west London interview requests to defend the ated by the fare hikes. “It’s not a people have got to the end of experienced a bigger annual fall rises, despite protests at about public transport service if most their tether and quite under- of 4.2%. Within this segment of 40 stations. He left the task to people can’t aff ord it,” said Lynn standably so.” the market, Fulham was named Paul Plummer, the chief execu- Macdonald, a PA travelling home McDonald pointed out that by Savills as the area that re- tive of the Rail Delivery Group, to Bristol. “It’s become way too fares had risen three times more corded the steepest falls. who claimed the increases would expensive.” quickly than wages since the Prices in Fulham fell by 4.6% help improve services. Anthony Paul Dodwell, a start of the fi rst David Cameron in 2017 and were down more “The fares are actually lev- window cleaner travelling to government. than 14% on their 2014 peak, eraging more investment from Scunthorpe, said: “It’s beyond a Separate analysis by the TUC said the company. private sector and government,” joke really now. It wouldn’t be so said rail commuters in Brit- It means average values in Ful- he told ITV’s Good Morning bad if they put enough coaches ain were spending a consider- ham, which passed the £1,000 Britain. He added: “It underpins on so you got a seat but to pay ably higher proportion of their per square foot mark in 2013, that investment, so we can con- these prices and still have to salaries on season tickets than have fallen back to £890, well tinue to improve.” stand is just not on.” equivalent travellers in other below Chelsea’s £1,600 average. Speaking from a newly refur- The north of England has the European countries. While studio fl ats in Fulham bished London Bridge station, worst-performing rail fi rms in The TUC’s fi gures used the start at around £285,000 and Plummer said he understood the the country. In the run-up to example of a season ticket to large family houses can easily frustration of commuters and Christmas, 72.5% of services London from Chelmsford in Es- command a price of £5mn-plus, said no one wanted to pay higher operated by First Rail Hull were sex, which had risen to £381 a according to property website fares. late or cancelled. Virgin Trains, month – 13% of average London Rightmove, Savills claimed the He added: “I’m a commut- which in 2018 is now charging salaries. price falls “eff ectively reposi- er myself, I have travelled 30 £169 for a walk-up, peak-time Members of the Rail, Mari- tion Fulham as a value location years on the railway. All we single to travel from Manchester time and Transport (RMT) un- for those looking to make their can do in the industry is use to London, managed to oper- ion handed out chocolates to equity stretch further than in the money, whether it be from ate just 31% of services on time “sweeten the bitter pill” of the prime central London”. On the day that rail fares increased, passengers arrive at Waterloo Station in London. taxpayers or fare-payers, as between November 19 and De- price increase.

Flooded road Trio jailed for enslaving Four people killed women in nail bars in knife violence AFP (1930GMT), a 20-year-old man London was stabbed in West Ham in east Thomson Reuters tection whilst being exploited in countries for potential victims London, while in Tulse Hill, in Foundation plain sight within our society.” of modern slavery in Britain. the south, a 17-year-old boy was London The defendants were caught Anti-slavery commissioner our men were stabbed to killed at around 10.40pm. after police traced a missing Kevin Hyland has called for death in unrelated inci- In the early hours of yesterday, Vietnamese teenager to a nail tighter regulation of nail bars Fdents in London on New a 20-year-old man was fatally embers of a gang who bar in Burton-on-Trent in cen- and said government estimate Year’s Eve, while a fi fth is in a stabbed in Old Street, a busy area forced Vietnamese tral England, Staff ord Crown that there are 13,000 victims of critical condition in hospital, fi lled with bars and clubs east of Mgirls and women into Court heard. forced labour, sexual exploita- police said yesterday. the city centre. slavery in nail bars in Britain The shop’s owner Viet tion and domestic servitude The unusually concentrated A second man in his 20s was have been jailed for a total of Hoang Nguyen, known as Ken, in the UK is just the tip of the spate of violence will add to hurt in the same incident, and nine years in what police be- was sentenced to four years, iceberg. growing concerns about knife was taken to hospital suff ering lieve is the fi rst case of its kind. while manager Tran, known as Detective inspector Clair crime in the capital, which is at critical stab injuries. Giang Huong Tran, 23, Viet Susan, received a suspended Langley, of Staff ordshire Po- its highest level for fi ve years. “It is heart-breaking that, at Hoang Nguyen, 30, and Thu two-year sentence. lice, said the speed with which At least 80 people were killed a time when so many of us are Huong Nguyen, 49, were sen- Thu Huong Nguyen, known the victims were moved around in stabbings in London in 2017, contemplating what lies ahead tenced yesterday after being as Jenny, who owned a nail bar in the country indicated a high more than half of them under the in 2018, four families are dealing convicted of human traffi cking the historic western city of Bath, level of organisation. age of 25. with the grief of losing a loved and modern slavery off ences. was sentenced to fi ve years. “This is the fi rst successful Detectives launched four one to senseless violence and Police said the “sophisticat- Police said £60,000 in cash prosecution for child labour ex- separate murder investiga- the callous use of knives as le- ed money-making operation” was discovered concealed in a ploitation and child traffi cking tions into the overnight attacks, thal weapons,” said police com- involved the exploitation of stuff ed toy at her home. Nguy- under the Modern Slavery Act which took place away from the mander Neil Jerome. vulnerable Vietnamese teen- en and Nguyen were convicted and we hope it sends out a clear city centre, where more than Police registered almost agers who were physically and of facilitating the traffi cking of message — we won’t tolerate 100,000 people had gathered to 12,100 knife attacks in London verbally abused. victims to work in nail bars. this activity and we will bring watch the New Year’s Eve fi re- in the year to March 2017, which “The victims worked for no Tran was found guilty on a off enders before the courts.” works. left more than 4,400 people in- money and were traffi cked be- forced labour charge. The Modern Slavery Act of An 18-year-old man was jured — the highest fi gures in fi ve tween nail bars according to The Vietnamese community 2015 introduced life sentences stabbed in Enfi eld, north Lon- years. demand,” senior Crown pros- has set up nail bars across the for traffi ckers, off ered better don, late on Sunday evening, and A spokeswoman for the Met- ecutor Eran Cutliff e said in a country but experts say traffi ck- protection for people at risk later died in hospital. ropolitan Police said yesterday statement. ers have exploited their success. of being enslaved, and forced A heron walks past a car on a flooded road near the River Five men have been arrested, that 77 people died from knife “They were hidden from the Vietnam consistently ranks companies to check their sup- Thames in west London, Britain. police said. crime in the city between Janu- authorities in order to avoid de- as one of the top three source ply chains for forced labour. Earlier, at around 7.30pm ary 1, 2017, and December 22. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 11 EUROPE Outrage in Ukraine France vows over activist’s death

AFP This won’t end well for you.” court system as one of the big- Kyiv The Kyiv region’s police chief gest impediments to foreign in- Dmytro Tsenov denied having vestment and public trust in the received any reports of intimi- authorities. crackdown on he murder of a Ukrainian dation or other complains from The US embassy issued a blunt lawyer who helped convict Nozdrovska. statement yesterday, saying that Ther sister’s well-connect- But more than 100 people ral- it was “shocked and saddened” ed killer sparked public outrage lied outside the Kyiv police head- by the activist lawyer’s death. and a warning yesterday from the quarters shouting “shame” and “Those responsible must be foreign minister that the slaying demanding an impartial investi- brought to #justice,” the US em- marked “a challenge to the state”. gation into Nozdrovska’s death. bassy said on its offi cial Twitter Activist attorney Iryna Foreign Minister Pavlo Klim- account. urban violence Nozdrovska spent two years kin underscored the national sig- The Kyiv region’s police said working on the case against nifi cance of the incident by call- it had already interrogated AFP Dmytro Rossoshansky – a Kyiv ing it “a challenge to the state”. 50 people and suspected that Paris judge’s nephew convicted of This is “a test of our society’s Nozdrovska’s murder was linked driving under the infl uence in a ability to protect female activists to her work on Rossoshansky fatal car crash in September 2015. and to ensure justice as a whole”. case. he French government Rossoshansky was jailed in The former Soviet republic has “We have ascertained that has vowed a crackdown June 2017 but immediately fi led come under growing criticism this murder happened because Ton urban violence after an appeal. from its Western allies for failing of the last court case in which shocking video footage emerged The high-profi le case was seen to implement the institutional she played such a big role,” the of a policewoman being beaten a test of the Ukrainian justice changes promised by the new Interfax-Ukraine news agency on New Year’s Eve. system’s ability to fairly pros- brand of leaders who replaced quoted police spokesman Mykola She was one of two offi cers ecute people with links to the the Russian-backed leadership Zhukovych as saying. attacked by a crowd of youths upper echelons of power who nearly four years ago. However, Zhukovych added after police were called to a par- had seemed untouchable prior to Diplomats and economists that he could not yet rule other ty in the Paris suburb of Cham- the pro-EU revolution that swept both identify Ukraine’s corrupt motives. pigny-sur-Marne, in an assault Kyiv in 2014. President Emmanuel Macron “She had succeeded in dem- called “a cowardly and criminal onstrating to the court that lynching”. there was plenty of evidence that A third offi cer was beaten up Rossoshansky had been under on Monday while trying to in- the infl uence of drugs when he spect a stolen scooter inside a caused the accident,” the Kharkiv sprawling housing estate in the Human Rights Protection Group suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois. said in a statement. More than a thousand cars Rossoshansky was sentenced were burned across France on in June to seven years behind New Year’s Eve, a ritual for bars. youths living in deprived high- The Kharkiv Human Rights rise suburbs. Members of the Alliance Police Nationale union gather yesterday for a protest outside the Protection Group said Nozdrovs- “This violent society cannot Champigny-sur-Marne police station, two days after a policewoman was beaten after clashes erupted ka had received constant threats continue in the years to come. on New Year’s Eve near a party hall. during the trial “from Ros- It must be stopped,” Interior soshansky himself, and from his Minister Gerard Collomb told suspicion of vandalism, but no in local policing set to begin French police have long suf- mates”. Europe 1 radio yesterday, calling one has been arrested for at- next month following a large- fered testy relations with youths A Kyiv court turned down Ros- the attacks against police “un- tacking the police. scale consultation with security in poor immigrant-heavy sub- soshansky’s appeal last Wednes- acceptable”. Macron vowed that the cul- forces. urbs, not least since the nation- day and ordered him to remain in Offi cers had been called to prits would be “found and pun- Far-right leader Marine Le wide riots in 2005 sparked by a detention centre for another 60 clear a crowd of three or four ished”. Pen urged reforms to laws gov- the death of two teenagers who days while the case underwent hundred people attempting to A total of 1,031 vehicles were erning police offi cers’ right to were electrocuted while hiding further hearings. welcome 2018 at a warehouse set on fi re across France as the self-defence, blasting “insecu- from offi cers. Kyiv police said the 38-year- party in Champigny-sur- country welcomed the New Year rity that sometimes comes close The assault of a young man old mother of one was reported Marne. – up from 935 a year ago – while to that of urban guerillas” in by police in Aulnay-sous-Bois missing on Friday and that her They fi red tear gas after “a the number of arrests rose from tough neighbourhoods. – which led to offi cers being body was discovered on Monday. group of particularly violent 456 to 510, according to the in- Macron set out a raft of poli- charged, including for rape with “Iryna Nozdrovska’s body … individuals laid into the police”, terior ministry. cies to fi ght poverty in down- a truncheon – sparked fresh un- was found in a river in the Vy- local security chief Jean-Yves Collomb said reforms were trodden districts in Novem- rest last year. shhorod district near Kyiv,” the Oses said, with revellers beating needed to improve lives in “pau- ber after critics labelled him a An attack on two offi cers rights group said. and kicking two offi cers. perised, ghettoised” French “president of the rich” due to who were badly burned when Parliament member Mustafa Videos of the policewoman suburbs, which have long suf- his generous tax cuts for high Molotov cocktails were thrown Nayyem – a prominent leader writhing on the fl oor as she is fered a reputation for violence earners. into their car in the southern of the 2014 street protests that kicked by the crowd, as well as and poverty. He reached out to the poor Paris suburbs in October 2016 pulled Ukraine out of Russia’s revellers fl ipping over a car, have “These are neighbourhoods again in his New Year’s mes- prompted weeks of protests by orbit – wrote on Facebook that gone viral on social media. that must change,” Collomb sage, promising a “grand social police demanding safer working Rossoshansky’s father “warned A man holds a tablet showing an image of Nozdrovska during a rally Two people were detained on said, ahead of new pilot schemes project” in 2018. conditions. Irina during (Friday’s) hearing: outside the Kiev police headquarters.

Merkel allies want Berliners mourn polar bear cub

AFP had taken “exemplary” care of month-old Fritz to hepatitis in age tests for minor Berlin her baby, which was still healthy March last year. and nursing on New Year’s Day, Berliners had reacted enthu- the zoo said in its statement. siastically to the arrival of Fritz, polar bear cub born in a But the cub – which had not the fi rst cub born in the former asylum-seekers Berlin zoo has died af- yet been given a name – ap- East Berlin zoo in 22 years. Ater just 26 days, offi cials peared lifeless when staff Many hoped he would take said yesterday, the second such checked a surveillance camera the place in Germans’ hearts Reuters her ruling conservatives and bereavement for the German in the bears’ enclosure yester- once occupied by Knut, the uni- Berlin the SPD lost votes. capital in a year. day morning. versally adored polar bear born The Bavarian Christian So- “We know that mortality Scientists at Berlin’s Leibniz in 2006 and raised by west Ber- cial Union (CSU) party, which among cubs is very high in the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife lin zookeepers after being re- he Bavarian allies of is part of her conservative bloc, fi rst weeks, but we are still de- Research (IZW) will carry out jected by his mother. Chancellor Angela Mer- has sought a tougher line. pressed and it’s making us sad,” an autopsy on the baby bear to Knut’s worldwide fame Tkel’s party said yesterday A CSU draft resolution calls said Florian Sicks, polar bear determine the cause of death. brought in millions of euros that minors seeking asylum for mandatory tests for minors This handout file photo released on December 8, 2017 by Tierpark Berlin keeper at the Tierpark in the This was the second polar from visits and merchandis- should undergo medical age seeking asylum when there is (Berlin zoo) and taken the day before shows polar bear mother Tonja east of the city. bear cub death within a year for ing before his untimely death in tests, a measure the German doubt about their ages. with her newborn cub shortly after its birth in their enclosure. Eight-year-old mother Tonja the Tierpark, which lost four- 2011. Medical Association said could “I believe that we will require be a violation of ethics. in the future, from all allegedly A debate about verifying the underage refugees for whom ages of unaccompanied minors we have specifi c doubts about seeking asylum has intensifi ed their minority, a compulsory since last week, after the fatal medical assessment on enter- Berlin authorities under fi re Court freezes Moldova stabbing of a 15-year-old Ger- ing” the country, said Stephan man female by a suspect iden- Mayer, a CSU domestic policy tifi ed by police as her former expert. president’s powers boyfriend, an Afghan migrant. Mayer said that medical after nine abscond from jail The suspect’s documents say tests in other EU countries he is 15, but the girl’s father told such as Austria and Sweden AFP ter or the speaker of parliament German media that he believed had revealed that a signifi cant AFP The convicts doing time for “They could have left the pris- Chisinau Andrian Candu, the court said. the migrant was older. proportion of age information Berlin theft, extortion and aggravated on the next morning by simply Dodon hit back in a Face- Germany is undergoing a provided by asylum-seekers assault were able to use an angle walking out through the front book post, calling the decision fi erce national discussion over was incorrect. grinder and a huge hammer from door,” a Berlin city administra- he Moldovan constitu- a “serious violation of judicial migration since Chancellor “Particularly, since numer- erlin authorities faced a their prison workshop to break tion spokesman told DPA. tional court temporarily procedures”, accusing the con- Angela Merkel accepted more ous privileges such as much fi restorm of criticism yes- out through a ventilation shaft It was not clear yesterday Tsuspended the powers stitutional court of entering than 1mn migrants in 2015, more complex care and a ban Bterday after nine people before slipping underneath a whether the two further men of President Igor Dodon yes- “the grey zone of democracy”. mainly fl eeing confl icts in the on deportation are tied to the escaped a city prison in succes- fence to freedom. who escaped at the weekend terday following his refusal to “It is a dishonourable and Middle East. status of being minor,” Mayer sive walkouts and jailbreaks over A perimeter surveillance cam- failed to return from day release approve the appointment of regrettable fall from grace for In an election in September, told Reuters yesterday. the past week. era captured their escape, but or had broken out of the prison several pro-Europe ministers. a democratic state,” he added, the issue helped bring the far- The head of the German Tabloid-style Bild daily la- wardens did not view the footage itself. Dodon, a fi gurehead leader promising “not to give in”. right Alternative for Germany Medical Association, Frank belled the security lapses incom- in real time and took 41 minutes Conservative opposition law- who backs closer ties with Moldova, a former Soviet party into parliament. Ulrich Montgomery, said that prehensible”, city-state politi- to sound the alarm. maker Burkard Dregger attacked Russia, repeatedly refused at republic, is divided between In the past three years, Ger- an age test, which could in- cians urged local justice chief On Friday it emerged during a the “dilettante” approach and the end of December to ap- supporters of closer links to man authorities have regis- volve X-rays of teeth and wrist Dirk Behrendt to step down, and head-count that a fi fth prisoner, called for the resignation of Be- point fi ve ministers and two Moscow and those who want tered nearly 70,000 unaccom- bones, could be unethical and Twitter users mocked the penal aged 30, had failed to return from hrendt. deputy ministers put forward integration into the European panied minors seeking asylum. inaccurate. facility’s “open door” policy. day release on Thursday, Behrendt tweeted yesterday by his pro-EU Prime Minister Union, which includes mem- Critics of government policy “The examination is labori- Behrendt acknowledged yes- And on Monday morning, New that one of the initial four es- Pavel Filip. bers of the current govern- have argued that some of them ous, expensive and is loaded terday that two other inmates Year’s Day, it was learnt that two capees had just turned himself However, the court said ment. may not be minors, and could with major uncertainties,” had escaped at the weekend, more prisoners had slipped out in, accompanied by a lawyer, and that “the president has the Dodon is on good terms with be falsifying their ages to qual- Montgomery told Sueddeut- news agency DPA reported, overnight through a cell window, added that he would “now be right to refuse to approve the Russian President Vladimir ify for extra benefi ts and pro- sche Zeitung newspaper. which put the number of escap- with one recaptured by police transferred to a higher-security candidacy of a member of the Putin and was the only foreign tection from deportation. The tests involved exposing ees still on the run at seven. later that day. prison”. government just one time” as leader who attended the an- Immigration is likely to be a people to radiation, which is The fi rst group escape saw The pair had been held under “Today I have put together a it announced the “temporary nual Victory Day parade on Red major issue as Merkel seeks to normally impermissible with- four inmates aged 27 to 38 fl ee on an open-prison policy that al- commission of internal and ex- suspension” of his powers. Square on May 9 this year. renew a coalition agreement out a medical indication, ex- Thursday from the Ploetzensee lows detainees to go to work dur- ternal experts to analyse weak The appointment of the sev- Since May, however, the two with the centre-left Social cept in criminal proceedings, jail facility, now widely dubbed ing the day but obliges them to points and clear them up,” he en ministers will be made on countries have seen tensions in Democrats (SPD), after both he said. the capital’s “scandal prison”. spend nights behind bars. later added. January 5 by the prime minis- their diplomatic ties. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 INDIA

LEGAL CLARIFICATION CLAIM APPEAL CONTROVERSY Lalu to be sentenced in 8% GoI savings bond Bihar minister allegedly Pub owners linked to Hyderabad singer arrested fodder scam case today scheme not closed ‘manhandled’ by hotel staff fatal fire seek PM’s help for sexual harassment

A court in Ranchi will today pronounce the The government yesterday replaced its GoI Bihar’s Urban Development and Housing Minister In a twist to the ongoing blame game between Singer Kesiraju Srinivas was arrested in quantum of sentence for jailed former Bihar chief Savings Bonds, 2003, scheme earning 8% interest Suresh Sharma, who was allegedly manhandled restaurants accused for the raging fire that killed Hyderabad yesterday on charges of sexual minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and 15 others. per annum by another which has a lower rate of by hotel employees in West Bengal’s Tarapith, 14 people on December 29 and the administration, harassment. A case against the singer, also A special CBI court had on December 23 convicted interest at 7.75%. On Monday, the government yesterday alleged complete collapse of law and the absconding owners of 1Above yesterday wrote known as “Ghazal Srinivas”, was registered on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and 15 others had announced that its GoI Savings Bonds, 2003, order in the state and said the incident was a plot to the president and prime minister challenging December 29 following a complaint by a woman, in a case relating to the multi-million-rupee fodder will cease subscription from the close of banking to insult him. “There is no rule of law in Bengal. This the Mumbai police investigations seeking to blame a radio jockey. The woman said Srinivas, who is scam. Lalu Prasad’s lawyer yesterday told reporters business on January 2. “The 8% Savings Bonds was a well-planned conspiracy to insult a minister them for the tragedy. The owners of 1Above – popular for singing ghazals in Telugu, had been that they would press for minimum punishment in Scheme, also known as RBI Bonds Scheme, is not like me. We contacted the local police station Kripesh Sanghai, Jigar Sanghavi and Abhijit Manka harassing her for the last nine months, a police the case. “Lalu is 70 years old and suff ering from being closed. The scheme is being replaced by several times after the incident but no one came – allege that the Mumbai police investigations off icial said. Srinivas, who holds the Guinness many diseases. We will seek minimum punishment 7.75% Savings Bonds Scheme,” economic aff airs for nearly one-and-half hours,” he alleged. “Even conducted by N M Joshi police station was World Record for singing in most languages (76) for him “ he said. According to lawyers, Lalu Prasad secretary S C Garg tweeted. The bonds – with a when they came, they were reluctant to lodge “biased.” “Police is deliberately not arresting The at one concert, has denied the allegation and can be awarded three to seven years’ punishment. tenure of six years, a minimum investment of the complaint,” Sharma, a Bharatiya Janata Party Mojo’s Bistro under the false presumption that the said he had never misbehaved with her. Srinivas If he gets three years’ punishment, he would get Rs1,000, no limits on maximum investment – are MLA from Bihar, added. Sharma and his men had a fire has not occurred from the premises of The said he had always treated the woman like his bail soon after sentencing. available in physical form only. dispute with the hotel employees over a refund. Mojo’s Bistro, despite evidence,” their plea said. daughter. Doctors end stir as medical bill sent to MPs committee

IANS not conduct any minor or major New Delhi surgeries. However, major hospi- tals like Himalayan Hospital, Max, Synergy and Mahant Indresh con- he Indian Medical Associa- ducted surgical procedures and tion (IMA) yesterday called kept the OPDs open. Toff its 12-hour shutdown of In West Bengal, healthcare OPDs (outpatient departments) in services remained functional for private hospitals across the coun- the most part of the day as doctors try to protest the National Medical at several hospitals worked wear- Commission (NMC) Bill, 2017, af- ing black badges as a symbolic ter the Bill was referred to a parlia- protest against the Bill. mentary standing committee. The H N Ravindra, president of the strike saw low response in metro Karnataka chapter of IMA, speak- cities, including Delhi, but was ing on the strike, said “There was near total in rural areas, the IMA good response to our strike call said. from private hospitals, though a Riot police walk past a damaged public bus during a protest in Mumbai yesterday. The Bill, which has been con- few corporate hospitals in Ben- stantly opposed by the IMA ever galuru like Apollo, Fortis and since it received the go-ahead Kempegowda Institute of Medical from the Union Cabinet on De- Sciences (KIMS) were function- cember 15, was referred to a stand- ing normally.” IMA, which is not a ing committee following the re- statutory body, has been opposing quest of several opposition parties. the Bill to set up the NMC, and has “We called off our 12-hour demanded amendments in it. strike (6am-6pm) as the govern- Terming the Bill as “anti-people Maharashtra shutdown ment agreed to our demands and and anti-patient”, the association has sent it to the standing com- has stated that the Bill purported mittee,” IMA’s senior member and to eradicate corruption is “de- ex-president K K Aggarwal said. signed to open the fl oodgates of Asked about the response to its corruption”. strike call, IMA’s national presi- “NMC is an anti-poor bill with dent Ravi Wankhede said “since pro-private management clauses. today as Dalits protest most private hospitals in metro A bill to regulate the medical edu- cities are tertiary care hospitals, cation and medical practice with- IANS walk on the railway tracks to their the village of Koregaon-Bhima on that resulted in the Monday vio- spurt in sporadic caste-related the response was low. However, out the concurrence of the medical Mumbai destinations. January 1 during the 200th anni- lence. violence that has been erupting in private hospitals in rural areas fully profession will be a disaster,” said a Similarly, hundreds of youths versary celebrations of the Anglo- “Why did the administration the state, which needs to be thor- participated and followed our call statement from the association, swooped onto the roads in eastern Maratha War between the army not take adequate precautions oughly investigated and “the hid- of 12-hour OPD shut down.” issued after the delegation met the ngry Dalits staged rail and suburbs asking shops, restaurants of Peshwa Bajirao II with a small for this event which has been cel- den hand” must be exposed. Aggarwal and Wankhede had union health minister. road blockades and took and commercial establishments force of the East India Company ebrated peacefully for 200 years? On his part, Ambedkar ap- also met Union Minister of Health The bill also has provisions for Aout processions in Mumbai to down shutters, and staged road that comprised a large number of Due to its lapses, there was con- pealed to his supporters to ensure and Family Welfare J P Nadda who granting permission to doctors and carried out agitations in dif- blocks. Dalits. Lakhs of Dalits had con- fusion and rumour-mongering, that today’s shutdown call in the said only the Parliament could de- under Indian systems of medicine, ferent parts of Maharashtra yes- However, police intervened gregated around the Victory Pil- resulting in the violence,” Pawar state passes off peacefully with- cide the fate of the NMC Bill. including Ayurveda, to be allowed terday to protest against violence and traffi c movement resumed, lar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the demanded. out inconveniencing the public Most Delhi private hospitals to practice allopathy after clear- in Pune a day ago which left one though it resulted in massive ve- British in Sanaswadi village when Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and demanded action against preferred to keep their OPD serv- ing a bridge course. IMA has made youth dead. hicular snarls all over the city, suddenly stone pelting started, Sanjay Raut yesterday hinted at those responsible for the Kore- ices open, and only few adhered to four demands. The association The Bharipa Bahujan Mahas- some several kilometres long. allegedly by some right-wing a “big conspiracy” in the recent gaon-Bhima incident. the IMA’s call. had sought one elected represent- angh, a Dalit party headed by Pra- Protests and violent incidents groups carrying saff ron fl ags. Among the major corporate ative in NMC from the registered kash Ambedkar - the grandson were witnessed in other parts of In the clashes that ensued be- Ghaziabad court closed in Ambedkar statue row hospitals in Delhi which kept medical graduates of every state. of Bharat Ratna B R Ambedkar, the state, including Ahmedna- tween the two groups, more than their OPDs open were BLK Super It addition it demanded that called for a ‘peaceful Maharashtra gar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Beed, Nashik, 30 vehicles, including buses, po- The Ghaziabad court was shut Association. Police said that on Specialty Hospital, Max Super “the minimum qualifi cation to shutdown’ today to express anger Pune, Solapur, Thane and Palghar lice vans and private vehicles, yesterday following noisy the night of December 31 some specialty hospital, Sir Ganga Ram practice modern medicine shall over the Pune incidents. as Dalits expressed their ire over were torched or damaged and protests by a section of lawyers members of the Bar Association Hospital and Apollo among others. remain MBBS. No bridge courses Yesterday afternoon, thou- Monday’s incidents in Koregaon- one youth, Rahul Fatangale, 28 of protesting against the removal installed the statue, taking other The health care institutions that to MBBS. No joint council meet- sands of Dalits took to the streets Bhima in Pune district. Nanded lost his life. by police of a statue of Dalit lawyers by surprise when the heeded the IMA’s call comprised ings to formulate them. IMA in Chembur, Mankhurd, Ghatko- At least 25 buses of the Ma- The police fi red tear gas to con- icon B R Ambedkar from the court opened on January 1. smaller private hospitals such as will facilitate the deployment of par, Bhandup and other strong- harashtra State Road Transport trol the mobs and prohibitory or- court compound. The court’s Some lawyers urged the police Bansal Hospital and Rockland 65,000 fresh MBBS graduates holds in north-eastern parts Corporation, besides private lux- ders were imposed in the entire functioning came to a halt as the to remove the statue installed among others. However, private every year in rural health services of the city demanding action ury buses and other vehicles, were Pune district, with the situation deployment of security forces without proper formalities. hospitals in states like Karnataka with appropriate working condi- against the perpetrators of the damaged in stone pelting by riot- reported tense but calm yesterday. was so massive that litigants were This was done at night, and Kerala responded well as hun- tions and incentives. Pune riots. ous mobs. In most districts yesterday, sent back from the main gate. leading to scuff les between dreds kept their OPDs shut. “No licentiate exam after fi nal Scores of Dalit youth blocked Maharashtra Chief Minister protesters staged road blockades A majority of Dalit lawyers and police personnel and lawyers. The IMA has 277,000 mem- MBBS examination. IMA proposes the Harbour Line of Central Rail- Devendra Fadnavis announced stopping traffi c and enforced several members of the public “The approval of the district bers, which includes corporate common All India Final MBBS way near Chembur yesterday af- a judicial probe by a sitting high shutdown of shops and com- placed an Ambedkar photo at administration was a mandatory hospitals, poly clinics and nursing examination. Legitimate inspec- ternoon, leading to stoppage of court judge and a crime investiga- mercial establishments even as the site where the statue stood formality which was not sought homes, across the country. tion and appropriate regulation the local train services for hours. tion department (CID) probe into additional police forces were de- and staged a demonstration, prior to the statue’s installation,” In Dehradun, private doctors af- on starting and running a medi- Lakhs of commuters were Monday’s violence in Koregaon- ployed. Nationalist Congress Par- said Surendra Rathi, a former said additional district magistrate fi liated with the IMA closed their cal college; 85% government fi xed stranded on stations or in station- Bhima. ty president Sharad Pawar blamed president of the Ghaziabad Bar Gyanendra Singh. clinics and nursing homes and did fees in private medical colleges.” ary trains and many preferred to The disturbances erupted in the state government for “lapses” Man held for airport bomb scare

Vinod Moorjani claims he bai was formerly known as cent to the charges. seat but released him soon called flight information Bombay. His lawyer argued he had after, reportedly conclud- number at Mumbai Police allege that Moor- merely called the operator ing that check-in staff had jani, 45, was frustrated with to enquire about the status scrawled the passenger’s Guardian News and Media fl ight delays and used a of the fl ight, asking for the seat number, B-47, on the Mumbai phone booth in the airport “Bom-Del status”, and had ticket beside the code for to call its toll-free number, hung up because of a distur- Mumbai, BOM. warning the operator “bomb bance on the line. In November, another businessman charged fata hai” — a bomb has ex- fl ight was delayed in Chen- with making a bomb ploded. Investigators claim nai after making an emer- Athreat at a Mumbai He then immediately he made the threat gency stop in the city when airport claims he was mis- hung up. in order to delay all an Iranian woman discov- heard by a telephone op- Investigators claim he outbound fl ights from ered mid-air that her hus- erator while asking for the made the threat in order to Delhi so he would not band was having an aff air. “Bom-Del status” — the delay all outbound fl ights miss a connecting fl ight The woman used her status of his Mumbai-to- from Delhi so he would not to Rome husband’s thumb while he Delhi fl ight. miss a connecting fl ight to was sleeping to unlock his Vinod Moorjani was ar- Rome, according to Press In April 2016, a fl ight from phone, where she found pic- rested at the Mumbai inter- Trust of India. Ahmedabad to Mumbai was tures of another woman. national airport on Sunday Moorjani has appeared in delayed for nearly four hours Staff were unable to calm while waiting to board a court charged with criminal when a cleaner found a tick- her and elected to land the fl ight to Delhi with his fam- intimidation and other of- et reading “bomb” in a pas- plane midfl ight and offl oad ily. fences. senger pouch. the entire family. The airport has the city But court offi cials told the Authorities detained the Moorjani was released on code BOM, because Mum- media he had pleaded inno- man who had fl own in the bail of Rs30,000. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 13 INDIA

OPINION POLITICS EXERCISE POLICY COMMENT Electoral bonds ‘will curb Gujarat minister upset MP’s name missing from Bill to allow projects near Secular politics is spiritual graft in political funding’ over portfolio allocation first Assam residents’ list monuments cleared politics: Rajinikanth

BJP president Amit Shah yesterday said the gov- After Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel created a stir All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) presi- A Bill allowing construction within 100 metres of Tamil movie superstar Rajinikanth said honest ernment’s move to notify a scheme of electoral over allocation of portfolios not befitting his status, dent and Lok Sabha MP from Dhubri, Badruddin ancient and protected monuments was passed in and secular politics is “spiritual politics” and Tamil bonds would pave the way to clean the system, Gujarat Koli community veteran Parshottam Solan- Ajmal, yesterday said he will request the Supreme the Lok Sabha yesterday. The Ancient Monuments Nadu, where he wants to bring about major curb black money and bring transparency in ki yesterday threw a tantrum asking Chief Minister Court to direct the authorities to expedite the and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amend- changes, was the land of several revolutions. After political funding in the country. The scheme will Vijay Rupani to give him “better”, “more than one” process for issuing the second list of Assam ment) Bill, 2017 amends a provision in the existing Rajinikanth said he will float a new party and help keep check on corruption in the name of and a Cabinet status after winning five terms in a citizens, after he found his and his kin’s names Act prohibiting construction in “prohibited areas” pursue “spiritual politics”, many have commented political funding, Shah said in a statement after row. Solanki, once accused by the Srikrishna Com- missing from the first list issued on Sunday. He - defined as 100 metres around the monument that he was being fronted by the Bharatiya Janata the government outlined contours of the new mission in connection with the 1993 Mumbai com- said his party wants all the Bangladeshis who - even if it is for public purposes. The proposed Party and that “spiritual politics” was nothing but electoral bonds in Parliament. Under the scheme, munal riots, also held out a veiled threat that his came into India illegally after 1971, to be deported. amendment allows civil construction for public rebranded Hindutuva. At a meeting with journal- the bonds, pitched as an alternative to cash dona- Koli community would “demonstrate this during The Registrar General of India on Sunday night is- purpose in the “prohibited areas” but after off icial ists, he said many revolutions have started in Tamil tions made to political parties, can be bought in the 2019 Lok Sabha election whom they support sued the first Draft List of Assam Citizen Register permission and under certain conditions. The Bill Nadu including Mahatma Gandhi’s decision to multiples of Rs1,000, Rs10,000, Rs1 lakh, Rs1mn and who they won’t”. The minister told Rupani that containing 19mn names. However, the names of also holds that “public works” will only be allowed wear only dhoti and a shawl at Madurai in 1921. The and Rs10mn from specified branches of the State it was a sentiment of his community that he has a Ajmal, his two sons and his brother are missing after considering the archaeological, visual and actor declined to comment on the name of his Bank of India. better say in the government. from the list. heritage impact on the protected monument. proposed party, saying he himself does not know.

Helmet inspection Mentally ill ex-army Kerala CPM offi cer kills six in Haryana faces fresh

IANS Palwal (Haryana) charges over 37-year-old former army offi cer yesterday bludg- Aeoned six persons, in- cluding two women, to death in just two hours in Haryana’s Pal- wal district, police said. The ac- cused has been arrested. political killing Naresh Dhankar, a former army lieutenant who took vol- By Ashraf Padanna Achuthanandan, seen as arch- seven of the nine arrested indi- untary retirement on medical Thiruvananthapuram rival of Chief Minister Pinarayi viduals took part in the attack grounds in 2003, was arrested Vijayan in the CPM. while others were involved in the from Adarsh Nagar here, in- Vadakayil Biju, then a mem- planning. There will be more ar- spector general of police (Rewari nother political killing has ber of the CPM local committee rests, the CBI added. Two of the Range) C S Rao told the media. returned to haunt Kerala’s whom the local police had ar- murder suspects have left the The horrifi c crime took place Aruling Communist Party raigned as the third defendant, country. within 100 metres of a police of India (Marxist) with new rev- said they were victims of the fac- It was revealed that the con- station early yesterday and was elations by former suspects. tionalism in the party. spiracy was hatched at the party recorded on CCTV camera, On February 12, 2012, a gang of “I feel the CBI investigation offi ce in Payyoli with the direct leading to his arrest. masked men killed autorickshaw is moving in the right direc- involvement of the leaders. Armed with an iron rod, driver C T Manoj, 40, a trade tion,” he said. “The police of- The CBI claimed in court that Dhankar was seen on CCTV en- union activist of Prime Minister ficers had told us they knew we the CPM local committee decid- tering a government hospital, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Ja- had no role in the killing but ed to eliminate Manoj to avenge some 80km from New Delhi. nata Party (BJP), in Payyoli in the they were left with no other op- the killing of Babu, an autorick- He fi rst killed a private secu- northern Kozhikode district. tion,” he added. shaw driver belonging to its trade rity guard by hitting him on his The men called Manoj out of “We were told we would be union, CITU. The CPM local head with an iron rod near the his home and attacked him in out on bail in three months and committee plan was endorsed by hospital, Rao said. front of his mother, wife and the case would be hushed up af- the area committee, the agency Around 2.30am, dressed in a children. The local police soon ter paying money to the victim’s said. blue sweater and white trousers, arrested six “fake” culprits sug- family,” another “accused,” told Others in CBI custody include Dhankar moved through the gested by the local leaders to a television channel without re- Payyoli area committee secretary hospital corridor. ensure the prosecution failed to vealing his identity. P V Ramachandran, 59, Payy- His second victim was a incriminate them. “We surrendered as instructed oli local committee secretary P 35-year-old woman who had However, last year the Kerala by comrade Chandu. I’m not re- K Kumaran, 53, Payyoli branch come to attend on a relative. She High Court, on a plea by Manoj’s vealing my name as we fear for committee secretary and local was found stretched out outside friend Sajid, asked the Central our lives,” he said. committee members N C Mus- the Intensive Care Unit on the Bureau of Investigation to take The men claimed the leaders thafa, 47, S Suresh Babu, 54, and fi rst fl oor of the hospital. over the probe and last week ar- had convinced them to surren- K T Ligesh, 38, who is also a mu- The next four murders took rested six CPM men including der saying they were on the list nicipal councillor. place in rapid succession - the district committee member T of suspects the BJP had given to Manoj was attacked by the victims were security guards Chandu, 73. police. Later they realised there seven while others watched. He and beggars and a woman. All of The earlier “culprits” have was no such list. later died at the Government them were found dead outside now accused their party leader- “It was a plot to save the killers Medical College Hospital. the hospital. The accused also ship of hatching a conspiracy and conspirators,” he said. High Court judge Kamal B injured two policemen from a with rivals to incriminate them The ongoing district confer- Pasha handed over the case to team that tried to arrest him. and save the actual killers and ence of the CPI (M) yesterday the CBI observing that the state Dhankar received a head in- conspirators. rejected their claims. A resolu- machinery had failed to come jury when he was arrested. He The men claim they are deep tion accused them of conspiring forward with a proper investiga- might have been injured in a in debt after fi ghting the case against the party and extended tion and that justice could not be counter-attack by one of the Policemen conduct an awareness drive on the quality of helmets in Mysuru, Karnataka, in the court and the party dis- all support to the leaders in CBI forthcoming from the hands of deceased in self defence, the yesterday. owned them as they were loyal- custody. those who were behind the in- police said. ists of former chief minister V S The investigation agency said timidation tactics. Rahul can script new narrative for Indian politics

Arrogance of people in power Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi had There is much at stake for all hul will know that in this fi ght the the next elections? These are and their disconnection with led the party, she had hardly spo- politicians as eight states will wit- BJP is perhaps not his worst ene- early days yet and the plot is sure “the masses led to the party’s ken such strong words to her par- ness elections to their respective my. The bigger demons are within to thicken in the weeks, months defeat…Excuses like lack of re- tymen, leave alone the top leader- Delhi Diary assemblies this year before the all- the Congress party. If he succeeds and even years to come. The next sources are totally unacceptable. ship of a state. important Lok Sabha polls in May in conquering them, the Con- elections to the assembly are not The Congress was very much in The Congress had lost the elec- By A K B Krishnan 2019. Politicians must realise that gress can return to power one day, due till 2021 but everyone feels the power in the state. It had to tions in Gujarat too but had man- business as usual will not work though perhaps not in 2019. And if these could come by much earlier manage its resources for the poll, aged to put up a brave fi ght and had Gulf Times Correspondent with the Indian voter any more. he fails… as the ruling faction of the AIAD- not looking up to the party. The even seemed to be on the cusp of As Rahul rightly said, arrogance MK is a marriage of convenience Congress high command can only victory for much of the counting of power and disconnect from the that can end up in divorce any fund the states where the party is day. The creditable showing was claiming his Hindi was poor. hul is quite young, He has time on people will only lead to electoral History favours time. And then there are the Lok not in power.” attributed to Rahul’s tireless cam- However, Rahul, who honestly his hands. If he sets out on a path defeat. Rajinikanth Sabha elections that will force If there has been a wake-up call paigning, including his visits to 27 cannot lay claim to being profi cient of conciliation and discussion, It is not as if elections are won Rajinikanth to commit himself to for a political party from its top temples across the state. But when in Hindi, would not have anything instead of confrontation and dis- and lost during the space of a 30- ife imitating art has the one party or the other though his leadership, this was it! And the eventually the results left the Con- to do with Aiyar’s shenanigans. He ruption as has been the experience or 40-day campaign. Five years of perfect example in Tamil own may not contest. speaker was none other than the gress Party in the second spot, Ra- promptly suspended the veteran these past few years, India’s poli- misrule cannot be set right in one Lcinema and Tamil Nadu History is on the side of ‘Tha- newly-named president of the hul was quick to accept the defeat from the party. tics, and therefore India as a whole, month of speech-giving. Voters politics, the latest chapter of laivar’ as far as fortunes of fi lm Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi. He and congratulate the BJP. Modi’s remarks about his pred- has much to gain. Simultaneously, make up their minds much before which was written earlier this stars in Tamil politics are con- was speaking to party leaders of When the Gujarat campaign was ecessor Manmohan Singh and Modi and his party chief Amit elections are even announced. week when superstar Rajinikanth cerned. While Tamilians have Himachal Pradesh where the Con- reaching its crescendo, Gandhi former vice-president Hamid An- Shah, who is the latest entrant into Even the so-called votebank poli- declared his intention to fl oat somehow not taken kindly to gress suff ered a humiliating de- acolyte Mani Shankar Aiyar de- sari on their dinner meeting with parliamentary politics having been tics has a ‘sell-by-date’ that, as a party that will contest all 234 their very own stars in poli- feat at the hands of the Bharatiya scribed Prime Minister Narendra a visiting Pakistani politician had nominated to the Rajaya Sabha, witnessed in the past three years, seats in the next state assembly tics - late Sivaji Ganesan (Con- Janata Party (BJP) in last month’s Modi as ‘neech’, which is the Hindi also created much furore. also should not spare the rod when has expired. elections. gress) and Vijayakanth (Desiya assembly polls. Gandhi’s audi- word for ‘low-born’ and is asso- In fact, the Congress stalled their party leaders stray off course. The fact that many Muslim- For decades ‘Thalaivar’, patri- Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam) ence included Virbhadra Singh, ciated with the much-maligned parliament for the entire opening A functioning parliament is the dominated constituencies voted arch or chief, as he is referred to are prime examples - imports the 84-year-old party veteran who caste system of medieval India. week demanding Modi apologise primary responsibility of the gov- for BJP candidates in both Gujarat by his myriad fans, had been hov- from other states have had stel- lost his chief ministership. Although hailing from south In- for attributing ulterior motives to ernment of the day. Reaching out in December and Uttar Pradesh in ering around the political spec- lar political careers from Madras/ For sure winning and losing are dia, Aiyar, a former diplomat of the two senior politicians. to the opposition before major bills February-March last year busts trum without taking the plunge. Chennai. part of electoral politics. And in the many years’ standing, has been a As the BJP also stood its ground are presented and keeping in check the myth that the minority com- His one statement that nobody Both Marudhur Gopalan Ram- Indian scenario the loser usually North Indian for all practical pur- refusing any statement from the the tongues of some of the more munity is a captive of the Congress can “save Tamil Nadu if Jayala- achandran (MGR) and Jayalalithaa whines about how he/she has been poses and is regular on Hindi news prime minister - one came from virulent examples of Hindu fi re- or the Samajwadi Party or the lithaa returns to power” was said Jayaraman were born outside Tamil short-changed by the winner. The television channels during their Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ex- brands that populate parliament Rashtriya Janata Dal. to be the reason for her All India Nadu but had huge fan following Aam Aadmi Party’s complaints evening political debates. plaining that Modi held his pred- would do the BJP’s cause a world of Aspirational India of the 21st Anna Dravida Munnetra Ka- which they astutely converted into about electronic voting machines But when the BJP protested Ai- ecessor in high esteem - Rahul good ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha century is a far cry from the feu- zhagam’s miserable defeat in the political base. Rajinikanth, whose is a case in point. yar’s use of the unparliamentary apparently advised his senior col- elections. At least one such exam- dalistic, ghettoised India of Jawa- 1996 elections. Such is the power real name is Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, But quite refreshingly, Rahul word to describe the prime min- leagues not to make too much of ple has been put in his place when harlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and of the man on whom legends and is a Maharashtrian born in Ben- is beating a new path. Instead of ister of the country, with the clear the incident. A truce was called Ananth Kumar Hegde, junior min- others. If, eventually, the scion of myths have been created that galuru, Karnataka, but made his blaming the BJP or the Election intention of gaining much sym- and parliament functioned there- ister for skill development, was that Nehru-Gandhi family has re- even the far-out jokes on his in- mark in Tamil cinema like few oth- Commission of India or some pathy in Modi’s home state, and after. asked to tender an apology in par- alised this plain and simple truth vincibility have a ring of serious- ers. His legion of fans too can rival such third agency, the Congress with public opinion also seeming Compared to the rest of the es- liament for his wayward remarks and, therefore, takes his party in a ness about them. those of MGR and Jayalalithaa. But president had decided to point the to turn against him, Aiyar tried tablished politicians on both the about the government preparing to new direction, there is scope and So, is Rajinikanth and his yet- will he make it count? No wager on fi nger inwards. In the 19 years that to wriggle out of the situation by ruling and opposition sides, Ra- change the Constitution. deliverance for the Congress. Ra- to-be-named party going to win that one. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 LATIN AMERICA

Venezuelan Brazil closes out 2017 soldier held with record surplus

for killing AFP mistic: 3% in 2018 and 1.1% in Brasília 2017. Economy Minister Hen- rique Meirelles said last month pregnant that the improvement was owed razil’s road to economic to better “fi scal control, the recovery has passed an- approval of a freeze on public woman Bother milestone with offi - spending and reforms in gen- cial data showing yesterday that eral.” Reuters the country fi nished 2017 with a The country’s key interest rate Caracas record trade surplus 40.5% high- is now at a record low of 7%, half er than in the previous year. The of what it was in late 2016. Infl a- $67bn surplus was in line with tion is now considered a minimal enezuelan authorities ar- market projections and within risk. rested a National Guard the $65bn to $70bn range fore- Brazil’s centre-right presi- Vsoldier over the weekend cast by the government. dent, Michel Temer, has spear- and accused him of shooting a Brazil’s economy is projected headed austerity cuts, looser la- pregnant 18-year-old during an to grow 2% this year, according bour laws and a big privatisation incident that local media de- to an annual report by the Unit- programme to boost the econ- scribed as a melee over scarce ed Nations-backed Economic omy, Latin America’s largest. food. Alexandra Colopoy was Commission for Latin America But Temer remains unpopular gunned down by First Sergeant and the Caribbean (CEPAL) re- with voters, clouding the politi- David Rebolledo, according to leased last month. That is un- cal outlook ahead of presidential a tweet by the state prosecutor spectacular but solid – and far election this year. late Sunday night. No further better than the 0.2% expected The frontrunners for the elec- details were provided, but crit- for 2017, or the two years of of its tion so far are leftist former pres- Prisoners’ relatives waiting for information outside the “Coronel Odenir Guimaraes” State Prison in Aparecida de Goiania, Goias, Brazil. ics of President Nicolas Ma- worst-ever recession preceding ident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva duro’s leftist government seized that. and rightwing former army of- on the incident, calling it a stark The government’s own pro- fi cer Jair Bolsonaro. Neither man example of the oil-rich coun- jections are slightly more opti- is much welcomed by investors. try’s meltdown. Local media reported that Colopoy’s husband and a wit- Boeing talks not considering ness said the soldiers were drunk when they arrived at the change of control at Embraer Nine die in Brazil queue for food in a poor area of Caracas. They said the soldiers Tie-up talks between Boeing sales platforms, and developing ordered the Venezuelans to Co and Embraer SA do not new products. move on because the traditional contemplate a change of control Such an arrangement would Christmas meat had run out, at the Brazilian planemaker and likely ease regulatory pressure but the group refused. are focused on joint ventures surrounding the deal, as Brazil’s “The National Guard went and joint business agreements, government has repeatedly said prison violence crazy and started fi ring,” Colo- a Brazilian newspaper reported it is opposed to Boeing gaining poy’s spouse Bernabé said in a yesterday. Citing sources control over Embraer due to the Reuters ing to newspaper O Estado de ple died, several of whom were ditions medieval, with food fi lmed interview circulating on familiar with the talks, Valor planemaker’s key role in Brazil’s Sao Pauolo São Paulo, 106 prisoners es- decapitated and thrown over scarce and cells often so packed social media. “She fell to the Economico said the companies defence sector. However, it may caped the prison in the city prison walls. inmates have no space to lie ground,” he said, adding his wife were looking at forming point to limits to the ambitions of Goiania, near the capital of That riot, which was rooted down. was fi ve-month pregnant. His joint business agreements in of a potential tie-up. ine inmates were killed, Brasilia. Authorities recaptured in a long-standing gang rival- In comments to newspaper brother Alejandro was also shot, which they divide costs and Neither Boeing nor Embraer 14 were injured, and 27 of the escapees, but the rest ry, came at the beginning of a Folha de São Paulo, the head but was recovering, he said. income in certain areas, or immediately responded Ndozens escaped in a remained at large. January marred by widespread of Brazil’s prison guard union, Prosecutor Tarek Saab con- JVs, in which both companies to requests for comment. prison riot on Monday, national One of the nine killed in prison violence, with 130 pris- Jorimar Bastos, criticised the demned the incident. “The enter independently into a On December 21, the two news media reported, in the the mayhem was decapitated, oners dying in the fi rst 20 days amount of resources allocated Venezuelan state guarantees the partnership. planemakers said they were latest example of Brazil’s con- news media reported, sparking of 2017. Brazil’s prisons, which for oversight at the Goiania respect and application of hu- Among the areas Boeing was discussing a “potential tinuing diffi culties maintain- memories of a prison riot that suff er endemic violence, are prison, saying only fi ve guards man rights, as well as sanctions looking to focus on, the paper combination,” in a move that ing control over its notoriously occurred one year ago today in often severely overcrowded. were assigned to watch over for those who violate them,” he said, was complementing its could consolidate a global violent penal system. Accord- the Amazon in which 56 peo- Rights group call prison con- 900 prisoners. tweeted. aircraft portfolio, expanding passenger jet duopoly.

Solar Balloon Festival

ONE SMOKER. TWO PATIENTS.

A boy walks past a balloon in the shape of an elephant during the Solar Balloon Festival in Envigado, Colombia. TOBACCO KILLS

Issued in Public Interest by GULF TIMES A balloon in the shape of a lion is seen during the Solar Balloon Festival in Envigado. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 15 PAKISTAN Politicians react strongly against fuel price hike

Internews (PTI) chairman Imran Khan also would give rise to infl ation and Increase in petroleum product prices challenged in court gone up by Rs6.25, marking a Islamabad criticised the government for put extra burden on the already change from Rs52.12 to Rs58.37 what he called dropping a “petrol encumbered population,” the The recent increase in petroleum prices in Pakistan The lawyer argues that the federal government in- per litre.” bomb” on the people at the be- notice said. has been challenged in the Lahore High Court through creased the prices of petroleum products illegally and The senator said that by taking alling the recent hike in ginning of the New Year. It further said: “The prices of a civil miscellaneous application, filed in a pending against the Constitution, in view of Article 3 read with the decision to raise the prices of prices of petroleum prod- “[It is] absolutely shameful these products in Pakistan are case against levy of over 17% sales tax on petroleum provisions of Sale Tax Act 1990. petroleum products, the govern- Cucts “a petrol bomb” and how the government has dropped already high as compared to the products. He contends that the government cannot levy taxes ment had expressed “an open “a new year’s gift”, opposition a petrol bomb on the poor nation prices in international market. Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) chairman Advocate of more than 17%, but it has been imposing exorbitant enmity with the nation”, adding parties have strongly rejected the at the start of 2018. Instead of in- “Rather than providing relief Azhar Siddique filed the application, saying that the taxes illegally. that the government was solely government’s decision and taken troducing tax reforms or cracking to the public, the government has petroleum products’ prices are revised every month The petitioner alleges that the Ogra with the conniv- responsible for the present state the issue to parliament. down on money laundering, the further raised petroleum prices by the Ministry of Finance and the Oil and Regularity ance of the FBR, the finance ministry and the off ice of of economy and price hike, which The opposition warned that government continues to bur- to fi ll its own pockets.” Authority (Ogra). the prime minister, has been continuously exploiting had created an economic mess. the government must immedi- den the masses – this time with Senator Mashhadi said: “The He states that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) public at large as Article 3 of the Constitution does “It is very strange that despite ately reverse the fresh hike in pe- a massive hike in the prices of federal government has given issued an state regulatory order (SRO) on December not allow any kind of exploitation, especially financial tall claims by the government of troleum prices or risk country- petroleum products,” he tweeted. a new year’s gift to the general 31, 2017, “in exercise of powers conferred by clause (b) exploitation, of citizens. providing the cheapest electric- wide protests. Senior PPP leaders Syed public in the shape of an increase of subsection (2) and subsection (6) of Section 3 of the Siddique further alleges the government has been ity and other household items to Yesterday the Pakistan Peoples Naveed Qamar, Shazia Marri, Dr of Rs4 per litre in fuel prices on Sales Tax Act, 1990”. hoodwinking the nation and not stating the true facts the common man how is it possi- Party (PPP) a “calling attention” Nafi sa Shah, Mir Aijaz Hussain the very fi rst day of the new year.” Siddique pleads that the Supreme Court has already about the decrease in petroleum prices in the interna- ble after dropping this new year’s notice to the National Assembly Jakhrani, Imran Zafar Leghari, The MQM leader is of the view disapproved taxation by the executive in the cases of tional market. gift of a petrol bomb,” he said, secretariat, fearing that the gov- and Syed Ghulam Mustafa had that the federal government had Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Senator Rukhsana He asks the court to declare void the levy of sales tax adding that the government had ernment’s decision would fur- signed the “calling attention” failed to give relief to the masses Zuberi. on petroleum products. burdened consumers with gen- ther enhance infl ation. notice. and, for the last six months, was eral sales tax and petroleum levy. Muttahida Qaumi Movement “We would like to draw the at- increasing petroleum prices. “On the recommended prices (MQM) leader Syed Tahir Hus- tention of the minister for petro- “The government should im- The prices of petroleum prod- and have reached Rs81.53 from “The price of high speed die- of Ogra (the Oil and Gas Regu- sain Mashhadi also submitted an leum towards the rise in prices mediately reduce prices by 50% ucts had been rising steadily Rs77.47 per litre. The price of sel (HSD) has gone up by Rs3.95, latory Authority), the Federal adjournment motion against the of petroleum products causing or be ready to face countrywide since August last year, he said, kerosene has gone up by Rs6.74, raising price per litre from Board of Revenue will charge 17% hike to the Senate secretariat. grave concern among public. protests by the general public,” adding: “Petrol prices have raising the price of a litre from Rs89.91 to Rs85.96. general sales tax on petroleum Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf “This step of the government he said. been increased again by Rs4.06 Rs64.32 to Rs57.58. “The price of light diesel has products,” the MQM leader said. Islamabad summons US envoy over Trump tweet Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. Reuters/AFP/DPA The meeting, which lasted Islamabad bristles at the Trump’s comments as a politi- Islamabad nearly three hours, was brought suggestion that it is not doing cal stunt born out of frustration forward by a day and followed an enough to fi ght militants, noting over US failures in Afghanistan, earlier meeting of army generals. that its casualties at the hands of where Afghan Taliban militants akistan civilian and mili- The NSC, in a statement is- Islamists since 2001 number in have been gaining territory and Malala tary chiefs have rejected sued by the prime minister’s the tens of thousands. carrying out major attacks. P“incomprehensible” US offi ce, did not name Trump but “Pakistan cannot be held “He has tweeted against us comments after President Don- spoke of “deep disappointment” responsible for the collective and Iran for his domestic con- tops list of ald Trump used his fi rst tweet at a slew of critical comments failure in Afghanistan and that sumption,” Asif told Geo TV on of 2018 to tear into Islamabad, coming from US offi cials over blaming allies certainly does Monday, adding that Pakistan slamming Pakistani “lies and the past few months. not serve the shared objective did not need US aid. Wikipedia’s deceit”, with Islamabad sum- “Recent statements and ar- of achieving lasting peace in Af- Yesterday Asif appeared to moning the US ambassador. ticulation by the American ghanistan and the region,” the suggest Trump was lying about David Hale was summoned by leadership were completely in- NSC said. how much aid Pakistan had re- of most the Pakistani foreign offi ce late comprehensible as they contra- A statement issued by the ceived. on Monday to explain Trump’s dicted facts manifestly, struck prime minister’s offi ce said that “Pres Trump quoted fi gure of tweet, media said. with great insensitivity at the Pakistan will remain commit- $33billion given to PAK over last This file photo taken on November 6, 2017 shows US ambassador to searched The ministry could not be trust between two nations built ted to playing a constructive role 15yrs, he can hire a US based Au- Pakistan David Hale with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khawaja reached for comment but the over generations, and negated towards the Afghan-led and Af- dit fi rm on our expense to verify Mohamed Asif at the 4th Round of the US-Pakistan bilateral US embassy in Islamabad con- the decades of sacrifi ces made ghan-owned peace process de- this fi gure & let the world know dialogue in Islamabad. Pakistanis fi rmed yesterday that a meeting by the Pakistani nation,” it said. spite “unwarranted allegations”. who is lying & deceiving..,” Asif had taken place. Relations with Washington The real challenges in Af- tweeted after the NSC meeting. Jitendra Singh, a junior min- to push Pakistan further into Trump said that the United have been strained for years over ghanistan were political in- A US National Security Coun- ister at the Indian prime min- the arms of China, which has Internews States had been rewarded with Islamabad’s alleged support for fi ghting, massive corruption, cil offi cial said on Monday that ister’s offi ce, said that Trump’s pledged to invest $57bn in Paki- Karachi “nothing but lies and deceit” for Haqqani network militants, who phenomenal growth of drug the White House did not plan to comment had “vindicated In- stani infrastructure as part of its “foolishly” giving Pakistan more are allied with the Afghan Tali- production and expansion of send an already-delayed $255mn dia’s stand as far as terror is con- vast Belt and Road initiative. than $33bn in aid in the last 15 ban. ungoverned spaces inside Af- sum in aid to Pakistan “at this cerned and as far as Pakistan’s Observers have said that alala Yousafzai, the ac- years. The United States also alleges ghanistan full of sanctuaries for time” and that “the administra- role in perpetrating terrorism is without further information the tivist for girls’ educa- “They give safe haven to the that senior Afghan Taliban com- multiple international terrorist tion continues to review Paki- concerned”. tweet could just be more hot air Mtion and the youngest terrorists we hunt in Afghani- manders live on Pakistani soil, organisations, posing a serious stan’s level of co-operation”. Chinese foreign ministry between the allies. Nobel Prize laureate from Paki- stan, with little help. No more!” and has signalled that it will cut and direct threat to Afghanistan, Trump fi rst hinted at cut- spokesman Geng Shuang, asked “Trump is in the habit of is- stan, has topped the list of most he tweeted on Monday. aid and take other steps if Is- its neighbours and the entire re- ting aid to Pakistan in an August during a briefi ng about Trump’s suing hardline statements which searched Pakistanis on Wikipe- His words drew praise from lamabad does not stop helping gion, the statement added. speech charting his Afghan pol- tweet, did not mention the Unit- only spoil the atmosphere and dia during 2017 – for the second Pakistan’s old foe, India, and or turning a blind eye to Haqqani “The Committee reached a icy, and administration offi cials ed States. violate diplomatic niceties,” year in a row. neighbouring Afghanistan, but militants crossing the border to consensus that despite all un- including Vice-President Mike “We have said many times analyst Hasan Askari told AFP, According to a report by the long-time ally China defended carry out attacks in Afghanistan. warranted allegations, Pakistan Pence have also intimated cuts that Pakistan has put forth great adding that Pakistan should seek Pakistan affi liate of The Wiki- Pakistan. In 2016, Taliban leader Mul- cannot act in haste and will re- in recent months. eff ort and made great sacrifi ces more information. media Foundation, Yousufzai’s Yesterday Pakistan’s Prime lah Mansour was killed by a US main committed to playing a Afghan defence spokesman in combating terrorism,” he said. “It will only add to the ac- Wikipedia page had over 2.5mn Minister Shahid Khaqan Ab- drone strike inside Pakistan and constructive role towards an General Dawlat Waziri said that “It has made a prominent con- rimony that has crept into views the previous year. basi chaired a National Security in 2011, Al Qaeda leader Osama Afghan-led and Afghan-owned Trump had “declared the real- tribution to global anti-terror the bilateral relationship after The list, which tabulates Committee (NSC) meeting of ci- bin Laden was found and killed peace process,” NSC added. ity”, adding that “Pakistan has eff orts.” Trump’s arrival in the White Wikipedia searches of Paki- vilian and military chiefs, focus- by US troops in the garrison Foreign Minister Khawa- never helped or participated in Pakistani offi cials say that House,” another analyst, Imtiaz stani personalities, is based on ing on Trump’s tweet. town of Abbottabad. ja Mohamed Asif dismissed tackling terrorism”. tough US measures threaten Gul, told AFP. searches carried out from Janu- ary 1 to December 20, 2017. Other personalities who were KP announces among 25 most-searched Pa- kistanis on Wikipedia in 2017 Couple selfie 300 scholarships included politicians, social Karachi Laughter for minorities workers, and people from the entertainment industry. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Auqaf, Among the most searched are Hajj, Religious and Minority also those who are no more in Fest opens today Aff airs Department, has this world. announced 300 merit-based Mahira Khan, the actress who scholarships for members of has been adding one accolade Internews The festival will kick off with the minority community who after the other to her name over Karachi the play Crash Landing that are pursuing their studies at the the past few years, was the sec- will run for two days – January intermediate, graduate, and post- ond most-searched Pakistani on 3 and 4 – at the Zia Mohyeddin graduate level. Wikipedia with over 2mn views. he National Academy of Theatre. KP Minister for Zakat, Ushar, The page of the father of the Performing Arts (NAPA) Directed by NAPA graduate Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and nation, Quaid-i-Azam Moham- Thas a strong and colour- Rauf Afridi, it is about play- Minority Aff airs Habibur Rehman mad Ali Jinnah, came on third ful history of giving theatre- boy Jimmy, an architect based said that the scholarships will position with over 1.3mn views. goers the opportunity to see in Dubai, who is involved with be provided to talented and On fourth position came the diverse ideas onstage. three women, all stewardesses, brilliant students of the minority page of Saba Qamar, an actress, This year the NAPA will be and none of the women know community across the province. with 910,102 views. presenting the fi rst Karachi about each other’s existence. He added that the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Laughter Festival. Kya Aap Pagal Hain will be government wants to provide (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s The NAPA revealed details staged on January 5 and 6, and educational opportunities to page is on fi fth position, attract- about the Karachi Laughter is directed by Aqeel Ahmed. all citizens of the province, ing 884,206 views, with former Festival 2018 at a press confer- It is said to be a classic ro- allocating funding for this. prime minister and Pakistan ence in Karachi recently. mantic farce based on two cou- “These scholarships not only fulfil Muslim League – Nawaz (PML- The fest, scheduled to be- ples and their desire to marry in their education requirements N) president Nawaz Sharif on gin today, January 3, runs un- the face of parental opposition. but they can also help them sixth position with 867,548 til January 14, and will feature Other plays that will be in fulfilling their daily routine views. plays from Lahore and Karachi staged during the 12-day run needs,” Rehman said. Actor Fawad Khan came on as well as stand-up comedy, include Qissa Kahani, Don’t The minister said that a seventh with 860,213 page views. improv (improvisational thea- Laugh, I’m Serious, Burqava- scholarship of Rs15,000 per On eighth position, the page tre), and dastangoi (an Urdu ganza, Chacha Chakkan, Lafro month will be provided to of late legendary Pakistani musi- oral storytelling art form). Returns, Jo Baat Hai, and Dil e students of intermediate level, cian and singer Nusrat Fateh Ali “The Karachi Laughter Fest Nadan. Rs20,000 to graduate level Khan attracted 838,527 views. 2018 will bring together some The fest will conclude with students, and Rs25,000 to post- Former prime minister and of the best new directors and Larki Wonderful, which is graduate level students. assassinated Pakistan Peoples actors – presenting diverse helmed by Faiza Saleem of Kha- Similarly, Rs40, 000 will Party chairperson Benazir Bhut- plays that will defi nitely cheer watoons (Pakistan’s fi rst all- be provided to medicine, to’s page was viewed by 794,442 us all up. Along with stand-up girl improv comedy troupe). engineering and PhD students. times. comedy and improvs, this fes- Everything will be non- There are 120 seats for The page of iconic social tival promises to be a joyful and scripted and performed on the intermediate students, 120 for worker, late Abdul Sattar Edhi, A couple takes a selfie while on a boat ride yesterday at the Rawal Lake, Islamabad. exuberant event,” read a post spot on the basis of audience graduate, 40 for postgraduate had 664,107 views. on their offi cial Facebook page. suggestions. and 20 for PhDs. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 PHILIPPINES

Military to resume Feeding programme off ensives against communist rebels

DPA although some skirmishes oc- Manila curred. Suspected communist rebels attacked a military detachment he Philippine military will in the southern province of Dav- resume off ensive opera- ao Oriental on December 25 and Ttions against communist attempted to abduct a govern- rebels after a ceasefi re declared ment militiaman in the nearby for the Christmas holiday period Compostela Valley the following was set to end yesterday, offi cials day, Andolong said. said. Colonel Edgard Arevalo, a The Philippine government spokesman for the military, said and the communist rebels made the two attacks “show the du- separate ceasefi re declarations plicity and deception of com- over the holidays to allow forces munist terrorists in saying one to celebrate Christmas and New thing while doing the opposite.” Year. Despite the two incidents, “When the ceasefi re lapses at Arevalo noted, “Having a cease- 11:59 tonight, that automatically fi re is generally good especially means that we will resume com- for our troops, who had the bat operations,” said Arsenio chance for a reprieve.” Andolong, Hostilities between govern- spokesman for the Depart- ment forces and communist ment of National Defence. rebels have escalated since Pres- Andolong said the ceasefi re, ident Rodrigo Duterte termi- which was in eff ect on Decem- nated peace talks with guerrillas ber 23-26 and Dec 30 to Janu- last month and later offi cially ary 2, was “generally successful” declared the rebels terrorists.

Children sing a religious song before eating their free meals inside a missionary house during a feeding programme funded by a South Korean missionary, at a slum Gunmen steal cash, area in Baseco, Tondo city, Metro Manila, yesterday. jewellery from hotel

DPA the suspects, but police said Manila none of the guests were harmed. Manila’s chief of police Oscar Albayalde said his offi cers were our gunmen robbed the investigating the incident and guests of a hotel in the studying the footage in hopes to Fireworks-related FPhilippine capital yes- identifying the suspects. terday, taking more than 3.3mn “As much as possible, we need pesos ($66,000) in cash and per- to arrest these suspects because sonal items, police said. if we don’t, they will probably The suspects barged into the repeat their crime,” Albayalde lobby of The Mabuhay Manor told a Manila radio station. in the Manila suburban city Albayalde noted that the gun- of Pasay before dawn, point- men were brazen in the attack, injuries rise to 362 ing their guns at employees and Despite most of the group wear- guests, security footage from the ing caps and surgical masks, one By Kenneth Hare Hernanez and Quezon. These cases un- ecutive Order 28, which stipu- 77% compared to the average by local governments and under hotel showed. They took cash of them did not bother to hide his Manila Times/Agencies der the surveillance period are lates the use of fi recrackers to over the past fi ve years — but the supervision of trained and from the front desk and guests, face from the security camera. 57% lower than the fi ve-year be confi ned or limited only to added his department might licensed people. as well as jewellery and other The robbery comes almost exact- average from 2012 to 2016.At community fi reworks display recommend a total fi recracker Duque said most of this year’s personal items, according to the ly seven months after 37 people he Department of Health press time, there have been no areas to minimise risk of inju- ban to ensure zero casualties. injuries occurred on the streets hotel’s night manager, Rudy De were killed at the Resorts World (DoH)-Epidemiology recorded deaths and fi reworks ries and casualties. “We are relatively pleased — of the capital Manila, with ille- Guzman. Manila Casino by a lone gunman TBureau has recorded an ingestion. Earlier on Monday, nearly relative because there are still gal matchstick-sized “piccolo” The footage shows Guzman who set himself on fi re when he additional 171 fi recracker-relat- One stray-bullet case was 200 people were injured during injuries but pleased because fi recrackers remaining the top being physically assaulted by was shot by security guards. ed injuries, bringing the total to recorded in Caloocan, accord- traditionally raucous New Year of the substantial reduction cause. 362 cases since the start of the ing to the Philippine National celebrations in the Philippines, in fi reworks-related injuries,” Among those hurt was an surveillance period on Decem- Police. Majority or 79% of the the health minister said. Duque told reporters as he 11-month-old baby, he added. ber 21, 2017 to January 2. cases of fi recracker injuries The order signed in June re- thanked Duterte for issuing the Duterte in 2016 said fi re- More than 500 e-jeepneys to launch operations Out of the 362 cases recorded were males with ages ranging stricted the noisy explosives to order. cracker-related injuries were a in sentinel hospitals, 201 came from 11 months to 69 years and community fi reworks displays Asked how to further mini- “very serious public health is- More than 500 electric than 15 years old will not be from Metro Manila. with most of the cases involving in an attempt to curb the bloody mise injuries, Duque said: “I sue”, adding he was concerned jeepneys will be rolled out phased out right away. Units Of the 201, 97 cases came boys of 13 year of age. merrymaking that leaves scores think the end goal really is to about children, who make up this month as the govern- that pass the Motor Vehicle from Manila; 23 cases from Illegal fi recracker “piccolo” of Filipinos dead or injured each ban fi reworks completely.” most of the victims. ment begins implementing Inspection System will still be Quezon City; 14 from Pasig remains as the top cause of the year. Duterte, 72, won elections in As Davao mayor, he signed in the transport modernisation allowed to operate. Last year, City; Caloocan City and Ma- injuries, injuring 129. The Philippines is mainly mid-2016 vowing to strictly en- 2002 an ordinance that banned programme, according to the President Rodrigo Duterte rikina City with 12 each; Man- Other fi recrackers used were Catholic but the violent New force law and order measures. the manufacture, sale, distribu- Department of Transportation said old and rickety jeepneys daluyong City with 11 cases; Las “boga” and “fi ve-star.” Year festivities draw on ancient He has also waged an un- tion, possession and use of fi re- (DoTR), Manila Times reported. should be phased out begin- Pinas City, 6 cases; and other Majority or 300 of the cases superstitions and Chinese tra- precedented drug war which crackers in the city. Transportation Undersecretary ning January 2018. But Orbos municipalities with 16. involved blast injuries without ditions, with people fi ring guns has claimed thousands of lives Duterte’s spokesman said Thomas Orbos said the e- said not all old jeepneys will be The Ilocos Region recorded need for amputation; 61 had and setting off powerful fi re- and led rights groups to warn on Monday that the president jeepneys have free Wi-Fi, CCTV taken off the street.“If we do, 35 cases; Calabarzon, 34; West- eye injuries; and 12 were blast works in the belief the bangs he may be orchestrating crimes might consider adopting a total camera; GPS; fare card reader all the jeepneys will have to go ern Visayas, 27; Bicol Region, 15; injuries with need for amputa- will drive away bad spirits. against humanity. fi recracker ban nationwide. and a speed limiter. Orbos out. So we’re looking at road- and Central Visayas, 13. tion. Health Secretary Francisco The president’s June order “He might but there may be clarified that jeepneys more worthiness,” he explained. Calabarzon is made up of In June of last year, President Duque said 191 people were hurt stated that fi recrackers may a need to amend the law,” Harry Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal Rodrigo Duterte issued Ex- during the 2018 revelry — down only be used in areas approved Roque said. Two dead, thousands fl ee Three children fall sick in storm-weary nation after dengue vaccination By Jeff erson Antiporda return to the hospital if the pain tion of former President Benigno AFP Manila Times persisted. Aquino launched the school- Manila As for the 16-year-old based anti-dengue vaccination Dengvaxia recipient, initial di- programme in April 2016. The hree children who landed agnosis found that he has viral programme only covered nine- wo people were killed in hospital weeks after exanthem (tigdas hangin) and year-old public school students and thousands fl ed Tthey were inoculated with rashes were observed on his face in the National Capital Region, Tstrong winds and fl oods Dengvaxia are under observa- and body. Central Luzon, and Calabarzon as a tropical depression hit the tion after showing symptoms of It was learned that he received (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and central Philippines yesterday, dengue, the Volunteers Against the fi rst dose of Dengvaxia in Quezon). following deadly back-to-back Crime and Corruption (VACC) October 2017. Since the programme was storms during the Christmas said. The third patient, a 14-year- launched, about 850,000 season. According to Dante Jimen- old boy, was given two doses of school children have been in- The deaths were reported on ez, founding chairman of the the vaccine also in October. Ini- oculated with the world’s first- Cebu island, where an elderly VACC, the three children, aged tial diagnosis found that he has ever dengue vaccine created by woman was killed in a landslide 11, 14 and 16, were rushed to the Pott’s disease (tuberculosis of pharmaceutical giant Sanofi while a man died after he hit his Philippine Children’s Medical the spine). Pasteur. head on the pavement as the Center (PCMC) on Sunday (De- He started complaining of se- In November 2017, Sanofi is- storm cut off electricity in the cember 31), after they showed vere back pain after receiving the sued a statement admitting that area. dengue symptoms. Dengvaxia shots. He had been Dengvaxia could increase risk of Tropical storm Kai-Tak killed Two of the victims (11-year- unable to stand or walk since last hospitalisation for dengue and 47 people in the central Philip- old girl and 16-year-old boy) year. severe dengue on individuals pines last month, while tropical were from barangay (village) 199, The patient was transferred who have not been previously storm Tembin killed 240 on the zone 20, Rivera Village, Pasay to the PCMC after he was de- infected by the disease. southern island of Mindanao. A resident gathers belongings from their flooded house after a tropical depression hit Loboc town, City. They received the anti- nied admission at the Philippine The VACC and the Pub- The state weather service Bohol province, in the central Philippines, yesterday. dengue vaccine late last year. General Hospital. lic Attorney’s Offi ce (PAO) are warned the new disturbance The 11-year-old, based on According to Jimenez, a doc- currently providing free legal was poised to hit the western hood and have had no rest since the central Philippines had storm has yet to subside,” pro- the information received by tor said the two male patients support to the families of two tourist island of Palawan with Christmas,” said Gil Acosta, in- moved to safer ground to es- vincial disaster information the VACC, completed all three should not have been given children who died months after gusts of 65 kilometres per hour formation offi cer of the island. cape high winds and fl ooding, offi cer Julius Regner said by tel- Dengvaxia shots. On and off , she Dengvaxia because they are not being inoculated with Dengvax- later. Palawan accounted for 37 of the national disaster agency in ephone from Cebu City. complained of having abdominal included in the target popula- ia. “The residents are really sad. the recorded Tembin deaths, Manila said. The Philippines is bat- pains. tion of nine-year-old Grade 4 Christine Mae de Guzman of It is tough that we have three with 60 other people still miss- “There is continuous fl ood- tered by 20 major storms She was recommended for ad- students. Bataan died in October 2016, six storms coming one after anoth- ing, Acosta added. ing in some towns where the each year on average, many of mission, but her family decided The Department of Health months after receiving the initial er. People have lost their liveli- About 4,000 people across fl oodwater from the previous them deadly. to bring her home, vowing to (DOH) during the administra- shot of the anti-dengue vaccine. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 17 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

PM inducts three new China boosts investment ministers

By Mizan Rahman Dhaka

angladesh Prime Minister in Lankan mega-project Sheikh Hasina yesterday Bexpanded her cabinet by AFP “China Harbour inducting three new faces into it Colombo (company) will put and promoting a state minister to in $1bn to build three a full one. buildings that the They all took oath at the Presi- hina will invest $1bn government hopes will dent’s Secretariat. President Ab- in the construction of be able to attract more dul Hamid administered oath to Cthree 60-storey build- foreign companies into them at 6:30pm. ings at a mega-project near Sri Sri Lanka” Of them, Narayon Chan- Lanka’s main port, Colombo dra Chanda, Shahjahan Kamal, said yesterday, as Beijing aims Urban Development Minis- a member of parliament from to boost its infl uence in the ter Champika Ranawaka told Laxmipur-3 constituency, and Indian Ocean. reporters in the capital. information technology expert The deal follows an earlier “These three 60-storey Mustafa Jabbar were sworn in as Chinese investment of $1.4bn buildings will be able to attract ministers while Rajbari-1 member to carry out reclamation work more foreign companies into of parliament Kazi Keramat Ali for the wider Colombo Interna- Sri Lanka.” was sworn in as a state minister. tional Financial City develop- The controversial project Chandra was made full minis- ment, strategically located next was formally launched after a ter from being state minister for to Sri Lanka’s harbour, the only visit to Colombo by Chinese fi sheries and livestock. deep sea container port in the President Xi Jinping in 2014 With a little more than a year region. but work was suspended by left of the government’s term, the The countries hope the the new administration, which president swore the three in at the project, initiated by former came to power in January the ceremony, which was also attended Sri Lankan president Mahinda following year. by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Rajapakse, will create a fi nan- It resumed after the state- Chanda, 72, elected member cial centre in the Indian Ocean owned China Communica- of parliament from Khulna-5 comparable with those in Sin- tions Construction Company three times, had been serving as gapore and Europe, drawing (CCCC) entered into a fresh a state minister since 2014, when billions in foreign investment agreement with the new gov- the Awami League took offi ce for and thousands of jobs. ernment in August 2016, de- the second term. Sri Lankan offi cials said spite geopolitical concerns from Jabbar is a technocrat minister 60% of the 269 hectare (672 regional super power India. as he is not elected to parliament. acre) reclamation, due to fi n- Colombo is a key hub for In- The 68-year-old now heads the ish next year complete with dian import-export cargo. Bei- Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, second left, inspects progress during a visit to the Chinese-funded $1.4bn of reclamation Bangladesh Association for Software yacht marina, had already been jing has been accused of seek- land next to Colombo’s main sea port yesterday. and Information Services or BASIS completed. ing to develop facilities around and is well-known for developing the No completion date was giv- the Indian Ocean in a “string rights granted to the Chinese progress of reclamation. the project to create 83,000 er to Sri Lanka, secured con- fi rst Bangla keyboard ‘Bijoy’. en for the buildings, the fi rst for of pearls” strategy to counter company and off ered the land on “We will shortly have legis- new jobs and help Sri Lanka at- tracts to build roads, railways Keramat has been elected from the development. the rise of its rival and secure its a 99-year lease instead. lation to turn this area into a fi - tract another $13bn in direct and ports under Rajapakse, who Rajbari-1 for the fourth time in 2014. “China Harbour (com- own economic interests. Sri Lankan Prime Minister nancial centre like in Europe or foreign investment to develop is facing investigations over al- The 63-year-old presided over the pany) will put in $1bn to build After protests by New Delhi, Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Singapore,” he said. infrastructure. legations of corruption during parliamentary standing committee three buildings,” Sri Lanka’s Colombo removed freehold the site Tuesday to inspect the The CCCC has said it expects China, the largest single lend- his decade in power. on the cultural aff airs ministry. Court orders Introduce digital system Zia’s arrest for arson attack in courts, says Hamid By Mizan Rahman Dhaka Agencies Dhaka angladesh President Ab- dul Hamid yesterday said Bangladesh court yesterday ordered the ar- Bthe Supreme Court has a rest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia history of protecting the con- Ain connection with bomb attacks on a bus stitution and ensuring people’s during an anti-government agitation in 2015 that human rights whenever needed killed eight persons, a police offi cial said. during critical times of the Judge Joynab Begum of the Comilla district court nation. accepted the charge-sheet fi led by the police in the Speaking at a function mark- case and issued the arrest warrant, the offi cial said. ing the Supreme Court (SC) The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Day, he also called for having 72-year- old Zia, had boycotted the 2014 general good terms and co-ordination elections which were held under the Awami League among the three state organs, government. The BNP had emerged as the main In this file photo, BNP leader Khaleda Zia speaks saying they are not competi- Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid with Supreme Court judges holding a commemorative book on opposition party outside parliament. during a press conference in Dhaka. tors, rather co-operative to Supreme Court Day yesterday in Dhaka. Law Minister Anisul Huq is also seen. The BNP, along with 20 alliance partners, had each other. given a call for a nationwide transport blockade for spearheading a protracted violent campaign “It is seen analysing the his- portant role of lawyers in es- The president also asked the ecutive, legislative and judici- in 2015 in protest against the fi rst anniversary of three years ago in which over 125 people lost their tory that the Supreme Court tablishing justice and the rule Supreme Court administration ary for establishing democracy the polls. lives, mostly in arson attacks on buses and trucks. protected the constitution and of law, and hoped that they to take steps for preserving all and the rule of law. “It should Eight passengers were killed after protesters Yesterday’s court order came a day after pros- established people’s basic hu- will help ensure prompt justice the activities from fi ling cases be remembered that mutual hurled petrol bombs on a bus in the central Comilla ecutors demanded death sentence for the BNP man rights discharging the re- for people with their intellect, to delivering verdicts in digital co-operation and trust are very district during the agitation. leader and Zia’s son Tarique Rahman and 48 oth- sponsibilities bestowed upon it wisdom, honesty, sincerity, system. crucial for the success of the “The judge issued the arrest warrant after ac- ers for their alleged involvement in two cases of whenever necessary during the and exercising knowledge more “The measures can be taken each organ.” cepting the charge-sheet submitted by police,” the murder and blasts. critical time of the nation,” the and more. to produce the accused be- President Hamid also asked offi cial said. Rehman, the BNP’s senior vice president who president said. Stating that it is the time of fore court from the jail and all to keep it in mind so that The former prime minister is also facing a lives in exile in London, is accused of planning an He hoped that the Supreme digitisation with smart phones take depositions of witnesses any organ’s activities do not number of graft cases and a sedition charge for her attack in 2004 in which more than 10 grenades Court will make positive con- available in people’s hands, the through videoconferencing. hamper that of others as well as “slanderous” remarks two years ago when she “ex- were thrown in a rally organised by Prime Minister tributions to fl ourishing de- president asked the Supreme The Supreme Court will have the national interests. “All the pressed doubts” about the casualty fi gures of 1971 Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party when she was mocracy, socio-economic Court administration to bring to be active in implementing branches must give priority to Liberation War in which offi cially 3mn people were in opposition and Zia was in power. progress and establishing the dynamism into case manage- the e-judiciary in the future as the welfare of the country and killed, during the nine-month long war against Hasina, who sustained permanent hearing im- rule of law in the future as it did ment using all the facilities of the government is very sincere its people.” Pakistan. pairment, had a narrow escape in the attack that in the past. the information technology. about it,” he advised. “The role of the judiciary is Zia also faces similar charges in diff erent courts killed 24 people and injured 300 others. President Hamid recalled “Steps will have to be taken to Mentioning that the Supreme very important in ensuring the with deep gratitude its former carry out the offi cial tasks of the Court has the judicial review rule of law, protecting peo- brave judges who contributed country’s all the courts in digital power, the president urged the ple’s basic and human rights to establishing the rule of law system ... as the Supreme Court judges to perform their major and establishing participatory without compromising with is the court of record, eff orts responsibilities with utmost democracy,” he observed. their conscience and bowing must be taken to turn its all fi les caution. He hoped that the Supreme down at gunpoint. and records into digital ones,” He laid emphasis on having Court Day will now be observed Nepal eases norms He also mentioned the im- he said. good relation among the ex- every year with due reverence. Landslide at stone for hospitality sector quarry kills four Nepal likely to miss deadline for govt Four workers were killed in a landslide at a stone quarry in IANS should have 60 down from 80 star hotels outside Kathmandu Jaflong area of eastern Sylhet Kathmandu while three-star hotels should Valley. IANS “That is obvious because “The election commission district of Bangladesh yesterday. have 45 rooms down from 60. “Earlier, the standard was the Kathmandu the Upper House is yet to is also one of the reasons for The victims could not be The two and one star hotels same for the hotels all over the be formulated. The Lower the delay,” KC added. identified immediately. he Nepal government has should have 30 and 15 rooms, country,” he said. House is yet to be completed,” The constitution has the Police said the incident occurred relaxed norms for hos- from the earlier provision of 40 According to the tourism de- epal, which had gen- Surendra K C, a political ana- provision of electing the lead- when the four workers were Tpitality sector in areas and 20 rooms respectively. partment, no provision has been eral assembly elec- lyst in Kathmandu, said. er from the major party in the extracting stones from the quarry. outside capital Kathmandu. Also, four- and fi ve-star ho- changed regarding standards for Ntions held in Novem- The formal process for the parliament to be nominated Early this week, three persons By amending the regulation tels outside Kathmandu are not the hotels inside Kathmandu ber and December, is likely to formation of the new gov- as the prime minister and can were killed in a landslide on hotels, lodge, restaurant and required to arrange parking area Valley. miss the constitutional dead- ernment will only start after form the government. in Rangunia sub-district in bar recently, the department of if the location is remote and ve- There are currently 11 fi ve- line for the formation of the the formal submission of the “The commitments and Chittagong when some workers tourism downsized the number hicle cannot travel. Swimming star hotels in Nepal and fi ve new government, a political election results by the elec- the promises which the po- were cutting a hill. The Rajanagar of rooms required to be called pool is also not required in the four-star hotels in 2017, accord- expert has claimed. tion commission of Nepal to litical parties have had made union parishad chairman said at from one to fi ve star hotels. mountainous regions for the ing to the tourism department. The constitution, which the president, which is yet to before the elections with the least 10 people were cutting the As per the new provision, a four- and fi ve-star hotels. Lately, Nepal has been seeing was promulgated in 2015, had be done. public, now seem to have hill when the tragedy struck. fi ve-star hotel outside Kath- Rajesh Lamsal, an offi cer at an infl ux of international hotel set mid-January as the dead- Previously, the election been forgotten. They are fo- Climate experts have warned that mandu Valley should have at the hotel division of the tour- chains including Sheraton, Mar- line to form the new govern- commission was expected to cussed on power struggle,” Bangladesh’s hilly region will face least 80 rooms, down from ism department, said that the riot, India’s Hotel Leela Palaces ment. An expert has, how- complete the procedure and Saroj Khanal, who recently more landslides in future due to earlier provision of 100 rooms. new provision was made to ease and OYO Rooms and Thailand’s ever, now claimed there was a ease the process by the end of voted in general elections, increased variability of rainfall Likewise, four-star hotels and encourage investors to open Dusit International. constitutional crisis. December, 2017. complained. caused by climate change. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko

P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES How to survive robot revolution? Learn to work with them Just as the fi ntech upheaval has started to disrupt the banking sector, the robot revolution is now sweeping through the Wall Street. JPMorgan Chase & Co is rolling out a programme called LOXM that executes equities trades so well, it’s replacing the humans who used to do that. Goldman Sachs is in the midst of automating the initial public off ering process. Innovations in fi nancial technology (fi ntech) are creating competition in fi elds long dominated by the humans. N Korea’s Olympic overture Algorithms are being taught to parse troves of data and identify patterns and relationships. The idea is to let machines calculate, for example, the odds that Apple stock will rise a certain amount in coming weeks, or suggest when aimed at blunting pressure to load up on gold amid geopolitical upheaval. More than half of the 160 or so jobs that Goldman Sachs securities division advertised online earlier last year were for Reuters Russel, the top US diplomat for East would boycott the Games if North and political isolation measures in the Seoul/Washington Asia until last April and now at the Korea attends. near term,” said Scott Snyder, director tech workers. Asia Society Policy Institute. “Allowing Kim Jong-un’s North of US-Korea policy at the Council on Hiromichi Mizuno, chief investment offi cer of Japan’s North Korea has long followed such Korea to participate in Winter Foreign Relations. Government Pension Investment Fund, the world’s biggest fter a year of threats and a strategy of intense provocations Olympics would give legitimacy to At the heart of analysts’ scepticism weapons advances, North followed by conciliatory phases aimed the most illegitimate regime on the is Kim’s apparent lack of appetite for manager of retirement savings, sees the adoption of Korea’s leader appears to be at exposing rifts, he said. planet,” Graham said on Twitter. “I’m compromise on the main points of technology, including artifi cial intelligence, into all asset Ausing the upcoming Winter “This is a classic united we stand, confi dent South Korea will reject this nuclear weapons, missile testing, or classes. He says he wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people Olympic Games in South Korea as a divided we fall situation,” Russel said. absurd overture and fully believe that human rights. tool to blunt growing international “It’s always easier to maintain fi ve if North Korea goes to the Winter “Participation in things like the lose their jobs as AI replaces their routine. pressure on his regime while leaving party solidarity when North Korea is Olympics, we do not.” Olympics are pseudo-concessions, Peer-to-peer lenders now use the Internet to match his nuclear arsenal untouched. behaving badly.” Graham unsuccessfully called for because the North doesn’t actually borrowers with investors, shortening loan approvals time Kim Jong-un, in his annual New US President Donald Trump has a boycott of the previous Winter have to give up anything,” Kelly said. to hours compared with weeks at conventional banks. Year’s Day speech, called for reduced led a drive to step up global sanctions Olympics in Sochi over Russia’s In his speech, Kim vowed he would tensions on the Korean peninsula on North Korea as it seeks to develop granting of asylum to NSA leaker spend 2018 “mass-producing nuclear Online US loan volume and fl agged the North’s possible nuclear-tipped missiles capable of Edward Snowden. warheads and ballistic missiles” is expected to reach participation in the Games next hitting the United States. The spectacle of North Korean to “give a spur to the eff orts for It’ll always be $120bn by the end of the month, just across the border in Washington says the full athletes and officials participating deploying them for action.” Pyeongchang. cooperation of China, Russia in Olympic events may create some That means further missile hard to automate decade, up from $20bn South Korea has been eager to and other countries is vital to the awkward moments for international tests are almost certain, with more in 2015, according to involve North Korea to ensure the success of this eff ort, which includes leaders who have spent months focus on “realistic” exercises than empathy or trust Morgan Stanley. Games are not disrupted by any signifi cant restrictions on trade and painting the country as a pariah developmental tests, said Joshua further nuclear or missile tests and as other ties with North Korea. state, said Robert Kelly, a professor Pollack, a senior researcher at the When technology a way of re-establishing dialogue with China, which remains North Korea’s at South Korea’s Pusan National Middlebury Institute of International takes over, many a sector is legitimately worried that the reclusive state. major partner, has curtailed trade in University. Studies in California. machines will soon make swaths of the workforce obsolete. Analysts say Kim’s gambit is aimed line with United Nations sanctions, “It puts the South Koreans in a “The major theme here for strategic at driving a wedge between Seoul and but Washington has called for it to do weird position because it potentially forces is shifting from development Vikram Pandit, who was Citigroup’s chief executive offi cer Washington, which has advocated a more to isolate Pyongyang. creates tension between US and Japan to serial production, deployment, and from 2007 to 2012, thinks developments in technology could strategy of maximum pressure and South Korea’s government publicly who have gone to lengths to isolate the increased readiness,” he said. see some 30% of banking jobs, mainly in the back-offi ce, insisted that all options, including welcomed Kim’s overture, and regime,” he said. If the United States wants to take disappear in the next fi ve years. military ones, are on the table. President Moon Jae-in has pushed Japan’s relationship with South advantage of any possible easing in But the move also targets the to ease tensions ahead of the Games Korea is already seen as under some tensions, it needs to drop its demands While automation won’t cause mass unemployment, it broader international consensus by postponing joint military drills strain, with one former Japanese for a halt in testing as a precondition could boost inequality by shifting work toward creative involving major players China, Russia with American troops until after the diplomat saying Tokyo was suff ering for talks, said Leon Sigal, director and decision-making occupations, according to a UK think and Japan that has tightened sanctions Olympics. from “fatigue” with Seoul and lacking of the Northeast Asia Co-operative and deepened isolation for North Moon also said yesterday the confi dence in Moon. Security Project in New York. tank. Low-wage jobs are fi ve times more likely to fall by the Korea in recent months. improvement of inter-Korean ties Still, analysts were sceptical Kim’s “The most important reciprocal wayside than better-salaried posts, leading to a less equal “A major part of the Kim family was linked to resolving North Korea’s gambit would do lasting damage step would be to scale back — not distribution of wealth, income and power, says the Institute playbook is to exploit and to widen the nuclear programme. to the alliance between Seoul and (just) postpone — the spring joint divergences in the interests, in the fi rst The White House has yet to make a Washington, or to the international exercises,” he said. “Failure to try these for Public Policy Research. instance between the US and South detailed response. push for sanctions. steps will only ensure that unbridled All hope is not lost, though. Korea, but more broadly among the However, powerful Senator Lindsey “I doubt that there will be a North Korean weapons development Management consultant Opimas predicts 90,000 people fi ve major neighbours,” said Daniel Graham suggested the United States substantial reversal in global economic continues.” in asset management on the Wall Street (or 30% of those workers) will be replaced by machines by 2025, along with 45,000 jobs in sales and trading, which would amount to a 15% cut. But as many as 27,000 new jobs will be created for technology and data workers. New jobs like machine-learning engineers and data scientists are increasingly in demand. American banks are investing more in AI than European or Asian peers. Investment gurus like Mizuno still keep their faith in human wisdom. There could still be a strong case for perpetuating the “human touch” as it’ll always be hard to automate empathy or trust. Without customers, after all, banks will have no business. How to survive Wall Street’s robot revolution? “Be tech-savvy, be client-savvy or be data-savvy,” says Richard Johnson of Greenwich Associates. In other words, learn to work with the tech.

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North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a New Year’s Day speech in this photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang © 2018 Gulf Times. All rights reserved on Monday. Gulf Times Wednesday, January 3, 2018 19 COMMENT The last Basel round?

By Howard Davies recesses of banks’ internal models; on the economy and on individuals. London so, instead, they have imposed a so- Reducing the number and severity called “output fl oor.” In other words, of crises is evidently desirable. however much your model reduces So Cline attempts to calculate fter long and sometimes risk-weighted assets, you cannot take where the optimal balance might lie, painful negotiations, which credit for more than a 27.5% cut. recognising that to reduce the risk stress-tested the personal The output fl oor is expressed as a of bank failure to zero might carry Arelationships between net fi gure, of 72.5%, below which you irrationally high costs. many countries’ central bankers cannot go. Cline’s conclusion is that “the and regulators to the limit, the Basel Why the unusually precise fi gure of optimal capital ratio is 7% to 8% of Committee laid a long-expected egg in 72.5%? The answer is obvious. total assets, corresponding to 12% to December 2017. It is half way between 75%, which 14% of risk-weighted assets (using the Described as a package that was the fi nal US bid, and 70%, which ratio of risk-weighted assets to total finalises the post-2008 reforms to was the French off er. assets in euro area and US banks).” the global regime for bank capital, it They agreed to split the diff erence. These fi gures are, in fact, quite close brings to an end the process known Although this may make no sense, to the numbers underlying the new as Basel 3. even aff ected banks had come to the Basel requirements as implemented by Bankers have dubbed the result view that some kind of agreement was national regulators. “Basel 4,” arguing that the fi nal better than none. Most British banks, for example, are package contains many new and more Continuing uncertainty made now targeting a requirement of 13%, burdensome requirements. capital planning very diffi cult. and typically carry a bit more “for But the Committee is adamant So bankers favoured a deal, and will luck.” that the new rules should be regarded live with the outcome, if it is genuinely Cline’s approach is intuitively as part and parcel of the reform the end of the programme. appealing. programme begun in 2009, in the Unfortunately, this new agreement He recognises that the ratio wake of the global fi nancial crisis. is unlikely to draw a line under the might reasonably be shaded up for Basel 4 may come one day, but this capital debate. systemically important banks, those is not it, they insist. Even though senior central famously dubbed “too big to fail.” In What problem does the new bankers like Mark Carney, the the regulatory school where I was package seek to resolve? In the Governor of the Bank of England trained – the Bank of England – we preamble, the regulators refer to and Chair of the Financial Stability were told never to use that fatal “a worrying degree of variability in Board, think there is now enough phrase, for fear of generating precisely banks’ calculations of [risk-weighted capital in the banking system, many the moral hazard we wished to avoid. assets].” They have found that do not share his view. But there is no getting away from it applying the major banks’ diff erent Anat Admati of Stanford would like in the post-crisis world. internal models to the same portfolio capital ratios well above 20%. Martin Will Cline’s hard work end the of loans can produce very diff erent Wolf of the Financial Times makes a debate? I doubt it. numbers, meaning that some banks similar case. Even now, I hear axes being would be carrying signifi cantly less He thinks banks are still ground, and statistical models being capital than others for the same dangerously unstable. The Basel Committee secretariat is located at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland. recalculated. quantum of assumed risk. Andy Haldane of the Bank of And there are still no votes in taking The logical answer to that problem, England points out that, given the low In Europe, around half of the produce a rationale for the appropriate backing is high, which one would the pressure off big banks. one might think, is to interrogate pricing of bank equity, on a market- improvement in capital ratios has level of bank capital. expect, the reduction is not one for The central bankers will need to the models closely, to see what is adjusted basis banks are not as strong come from reducing lending rather Drawing on a wide range of research one. hold their nerve, and the bankers driving the diff erences, and demand as they seem. than raising new equity. and market analysis, Cline argues that And an increase in the cost of themselves to behave, or a genuine calibration changes where the Bankers, by contrast, point to the There is little meeting of minds requiring banks to hold more capital credit is likely to depress growth and Basel 4 may hove into view on the resultant asset reductions are deemed high cost of equity and argue that between the two camps. does indeed increase the cost of credit generate welfare losses. banks of the Rhine. - Project Syndicate excessive. forcing banks to raise even more will So it was a relief to encounter to some extent. On the other hand, higher equity But the regulators clearly doubt increase the cost and decrease the William Cline’s book The Right Although there is some evidence for banks will reduce the incidence of zHoward Davies is Chairman of the their capacity to penetrate the dark availability of credit. Balance for Banks, which attempts to that bank debt is cheaper if equity bank failures, which impose high costs Royal Bank of Scotland.

Britain’s NHS turns 70 this year Three-day forecast TODAY thanks in part to British science, which advanced proton beam therapy. And housing and transport policies, and Maximum Temperature : 230c By Bruce Keogh Minimum Temperature : 140c London has brought the world vaccination, as individual treatments continue social services can help keep people penicillin, IVF, stem cell transplants, to change, so too must the way we out of hospital. Rather than being the THURSDAY artifi cial hips and MRI scanners, and provide services: hospitals and GP Trojan horse for privatisation that Maximum Temperature : 230c he NHS will celebrate its knowledge of the structure of DNA. surgeries still look much as they did some critics may fear, this is a bold Minimum Temperature : 130c 70th birthday in 2018, after But our greatest innovation by far, when the NHS was founded. attempt to unite a fractured system FRIDAY a diffi cult decade since with the most far-reaching impact on Over the next 12 months we will and stop people being pushed from Maximum Temperature : 240c Tthe global fi nancial crisis the health of our nation, has been the step up eff orts to get diff erent parts pillar to post. Minimum Temperature : 160c culminating in one of the most testing NHS. It embodies the British social of the NHS working better together. Scientifi c progress means that soon Fisherman's forecast years in our history. The terrorist conscience. Since resources are very Technology will play a part, with more we will be able to partially predict the attacks in London and Manchester, stretched, some may question the appointments bookable online and future health risk of each child, and WARNING Inshore : NIL along with the Grenfell Tower tragedy, funding model, and suggest the NHS greater access to patient records. hence of the population at large. This Offshore : Expected strong wind saw all emergency services, including is not fi t for the future. Nothing could Already, in Rushcliff e, science ratifi es the wisdom of the and high sea. NHS staff , respond with skill and be further from the truth. Scientifi c Nottinghamshire, extra support for founding principles of our NHS, where WEATHER Inshore : Moderate temperature bravery. advances mean it is needed more now care home residents means they go to we share the burden of those risks & some clouds with Our health service, while still ranked than ever before. A&E nearly a third less often and are and pool our money through taxation slight dust to blowing among the best in the world, has never Growing up in Africa in the 1960s, almost a quarter less likely to need in order to treat each patient fairly. dust at places at times been busier. The NHS sees almost 1.5 I dreamed of moving to Britain admission. In Dudley, West Midlands, Our task now as a nation is to enable and cold by night. WIND million patients every day in England and working for its health service. doctors, nurses and others have the NHS to properly adapt to medical Inshore : Northwesterly 05-15/20 alone. So as well as celebrating its Fulfi lling that dream has been a worked together to reduce time spent advances and public expectations. KT many achievements, in our landmark huge privilege. As national medical in hospital by the equivalent of 9,600 This is a challenge. The good Offshrore : Northwesterly 15-25 KT reaches 30 KT at year we must also reaffi rm our director I have learned that the NHS bed days. news is that, as it heads into its 70th places at times. commitment to a taxpayer-funded will always need to change to match This year NHS bodies in eight places birthday year, we can say that the Visibility : 4-8 KM service, based on clinical need and not emerging science and shifting disease will come together with local councils future of the health service is already SEA STATE the ability to pay. profi les, and to meet increasing and other organisations to work as in sight in parts of the country, but Offshore : 4-8/10 FT In 1948, at the NHS’s founding, demand within a set budget. complete care systems, with the needs just not everywhere. - Guardian there were no routine antibiotics, So in the next two years alone we’ll of patients, not those of institutions, News & Media anti-cancer drugs or blood pressure deliver cutting-edge genomic testing driving decision-making. Local treatments, and infectious diseases for personalised cancer care, a 10% councils can support the NHS through zBruce Keogh is medical director of the Around the region were common. This has all changed, reduction in hepatitis C deaths, and disease prevention via education, National Health Service in England Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Baghdad Sunny 18/06 M Sunny 19/08 Kuwait City Sunny 22/08 Sunny 22/11 Manama Cloudy 22/14 Sunny 22/14 Live issues Muscat Sunny 24/18 P Cloudy 23/17 Tehran Sunny 12/01 Sunny 12/02 Informal caregiving linked to sleep problems

By Carolyn Crist were not caregivers, while 12% spent 1 authors write in the journal Sleep. Reuters Health to 5 hours providing care each week and Future studies should look at 2 percent spent anywhere from 6 to 15 working people in various countries, hours caregiving. Sacco added, since Sweden uses a or people who are in the After adjusting for social and welfare model aimed at minimising workforce already, the added economic factors, as well as the confl ict between paid work and burden of unpaid caregiving caregiver’s own health status, the caregiving commitments. Ffor a family member or loved researchers found that sleep problems “This is a wake-up call to one may lead to insomnia and other were more common among caregivers governments and employers that sleep issues, according to a large study overall, and most common among they should be supporting informal Around the world from Sweden. those who provided more than fi ve caregivers better,” he said. Weather Weather Researchers found that the symptoms of depression and other hours a week. In addition, future research should today Max/min tomorrow Max/min likelihood of sleep problems rose with mood disorders.” When caregiving ceased from one examine what types and aspects of Athens P Cloudy 14/07 Rain 12/05 the number of hours spent in unpaid Sacco and his colleagues at the survey year to the following one, caregiving aff ect sleep the most, said Beirut S Showers 18/14 Showers 17/13 caregiving, and when caregiving Stress Research Institute at Stockholm researchers saw a drop in reported Dr Barry Oken of Oregon Health and Bangkok M Sunny 32/23 M Sunny 33/24 stopped, sleep disturbances were University analysed responses from sleep troubles. Science University in Portland, who Berlin Rain 08/05 Showers 07/04 reduced. 12,200 participants in the Swedish Caregivers were more likely to wasn’t involved in the study. Cairo P Cloudy 21/12 P Cloudy 19/15 “Informal caregiving is common, Longitudinal Occupational Survey of be female and older, to have less “Caregiving at home for someone Cape Town Sunny 30/19 Cloudy 27/19 and the need for carers is expected to Health, a questionnaire mailed every education, to work less than 20 paid with dementia or chronic pain may Colombo M Sunny 31/23 M Sunny 32/22 grow due to population ageing and two years to employed residents of hours per week and to report physical cause more problems with the care Dhaka Sunny 25/13 Sunny 24/13 cuts to social care services in various Sweden aged 16 to 64. The researchers pain, chronic illness, poor health and recipient’s sleep and perhaps then Hong Kong S Showers 21/19 Showers 20/18 countries,” said lead study author focused on surveys in 2010 through depression. the caregiver’s sleep,” he told Reuters Istanbul Rain 12/07 Showers 11/06 Lawrence Sacco of the Institute of 2016. “This means that increases in Health by e-mail. Jakarta S T Storms 33/26 T Storms 32/25 Gerontology at King’s College London They defi ned informal caregivers as informal caregiving that are expected Oken said he is interested in fi nding Karachi Sunny 26/13 Sunny 26/13 in the UK. those who, without pay, help or care in the years ahead as a result of ways to help caregivers improve London Cloudy 11/07 Showers 12/03 Caregivers often face confl icting for an elderly, ill or disabled relative population ageing may hit those who their sleep. In recent studies, he and Manila Rain 28/23 S T Storms 29/24 schedules and feel a sense of other than a child or grandchild. are already struggling the hardest,” colleagues have found that mind- Moscow Cloudy 03/01 Cloudy 02/-2 obligation, leaving some with little or Participants were asked how many Sacco said. body practices, such as mindfulness New Delhi Sunny 22/06 Sunny 23/07 no choice about when and how to help hours they typically spend on this The study team saw no diff erence meditation, can improve mental health New York M Sunny 01/-3 Snow -1/-12 loved ones, he noted. caregiving each week. in sleep problems between men who in caregivers and stressed older adults. Paris Showers 11/08 Rain 13/07 “Sleeping problems are common They were also asked how often provided no care versus those who “Be aware that sleeping may be Sao Paulo T Storms 25/18 P Cloudy 26/16 and deserve attention because people in the prior three months they had provided up to fi ve hours of caregiving, impacted by caregiving and explore Seoul Sunny 00/-8 M Cloudy -1/-6 with insomnia are more likely to suff er diffi culties falling asleep, repeated but women reported sleep problems at with health providers what you can do Singapore T Storms 29/24 T Storms 30/24 from other physical illnesses,” Sacco awakenings, premature awakenings or all levels of caregiving. That could be to minimise it,” he said. “What society Sydney Cloudy 22/18 P Cloudy 23/17 told Reuters Health by e-mail. “Sleep restless sleep. related to the diff erent tasks that men can do to help minimise this is alluded Tokyo Clear 09/03 Clear 09/02 disturbance and tiredness are also About 85% of the survey participants and women perform as caregivers, the to here but is a bigger question.” Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, January 3, 2018 QATAR

The Company House. The Radwani House. Msheireb Museums in RIBA’s list of best new buildings sheireb Museums, the new cultural destina- Mtion located at Msheir- eb Downtown Doha, has been included in the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) long list of world’s best new buildings. Some 62 buildings from 28 countries made it to the list, including Msheireb Museums, and are now in the running to win the RIBA International Prize 2018. The RIBA International Prize 2018 will be awarded to a build- ing, which exemplifi es design excellence, architectural ambi- tion and delivers meaningful social impact. These qualities are encap- sulated in the Downtown Doha The Mohamed bin Jassim House. museums project, which en- sured its recognition by the public buildings, private offi ces, al-Mehshadi, CEO, Msheireb architectural language,” he noted. leading global architectural places of worship, houses, mu- Properties. “The inclusion of Msheireb competition. seums, residential buildings and “After years of research and Museums within the Royal In- The RIBA list highlights the designs that respond to natural architectural and engineer- stitute of British Architects In- world’s best buildings and out- disasters. ing studies, and with the par- ternational Prize list is proof of The Bin Jelmood House. standing architectural talent in “We are proud of this great ticipation of institutes from their important status world- the RIBA International Awards achievement. It refl ects our on- around the world, we have suc- wide, and the unique approach cated within the Msheireb Doha the Radwani House, have trans- turally signifi cant museums, ceremony, which takes place going commitment and the col- ceeded in developing an ar- that Msheireb has taken in the Downtown project, developed by formed the Heritage Quarter at cultural centres and exhibition every two years, selecting the lective eff orts we have made chitectural method that took museums’ development and in Msheireb Properties. Msheireb Downtown Doha and buildings. best architectural designs from in creating the four heritage insights from the past and com- the development of Downtown The Heritage Houses, com- created an important cultural Rooted in local history, these around the world. houses in the Msheireb Proper- bined them with present-day Doha as a whole,” al-Mehshadi monly known as the Bin Jelmood destination within the develop- courtyards and spaces showcase The award is presented in ties fl agship project, Msheireb technologies and thinking, to added. House, the Company House, the ment. The four courtyard houses important aspects of Qatar’s his- eight categories, including Downtown Doha,” said Abdulla achieve a new, distinctly Qatari Msheireb Museums is lo- Mohamed bin Jassim House and have been converted into cul- tory and memories of old Doha. A year of success for SC Workers’ Welfare Department

he past 12 months have In other examples of trans- seen a “huge focus on parency, and following two Toutreach and innovation” quarters of initial and follow- to contribute to achieving the up audits, Impactt released its welfare of workers engaged in its fi rst annual report in April. The projects, the Supreme Commit- report highlighted the progress tee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) made to date and laid out a has said. roadmap for improvements “Almost 17,000 workers are and enhancements, which the currently engaged at our project SC said it was actively working sites, all helping bring the 2022 on for implementation. The SC FIFA World Cup to life,” a report also released its own Progress on sc.qa said. “It’s the duty of Report in June, which gave its the Supreme Committee for De- perspective on the successes livery & Legacy and the Workers’ and challenges of the previous Welfare Department (WWD) to year. 2018 will see the publica- ensure that their health, safety tion of these reports again, in and general well-being are all addition to an Annual Report protected during their time on by the BWI JWG. our programme.” In terms of outreach, one of The fi rst half of the year the key initiatives launched by “demonstrated the SC’s com- the SC in 2017 was the Nutrition mitment to transparency”, as it Programme with Weill Cornell continued its work with Building Medicine-Qatar. A “fi rst-of- & Wood Workers’ International its-kind” initiative in the Gulf (BWI) and its external monitor, region, the programme was Impactt Ltd, the report noted. designed to identify prevalent “Our work with BWI saw six health risks among SC workers inspections take place during and raise awareness of the im- 2017: at Al Wakrah Stadium, Al portance of health and nutrition Bayt Stadium-Al Khor City, Al among workers and contractors. Rayyan Stadium, Qatar Foun- The fi rst phase tested more Almost 17,000 workers are currently engaged at 2022 FIFA World Cup project sites. dation Stadium and multiple than 1,000 workers for key accommodation sites. The de- health issues, and the results fi rst quarter of 2018 will cover “The fi ndings were used fi rst towels and vests were distributed with 10% of the workforce being also worked on enhancing ex- veloping partnership with BWI, were used to shape phases two emergency medical training and foremost to ensure that to approximately 10,000 workers interviewed. isting Workers’ Welfare Forums through the Joint Working Group and three, which would focus and occupational health train- workers deemed as high-risk on our programme. We are hope- Another major achievement (WWFs), and on instituting new (JWG) made up of both SC and respectively on training and ing, among other topics,” the SC receive immediate medical at- ful that 2018 will see further en- in this area was the institution of ones where needed. There are BWI representatives, identifi ed a awareness for workers and con- added. tention, and secondly to develop hancements in this area, with the the pre-Other Contracting Par- currently 52 active WWFs across series of health and safety issues tractors, and proposing menu The emergency medical train- a health and safety roadmap, help of local research and devel- ties (OCPs) approval, a process the programme. The forums saw that we were able to address and changes to caterers in order to ing is largely based on the fi nd- which we will continue to imple- opment partners,” it continued. that allows the WWD to audit worker representative elections enhance,” the SC said. improve diets throughout 2018, ings of a recent emergency medi- ment throughout the course of Throughout this time, the SC OCPs and approve or reject them being carried out across multi- Throughout the process, the report explained. cal response assessment carried 2018,” the report pointed out. continued to execute its com- before a main contractor mo- ple sites, with many more due in BWI’s team of experts off ered During this period, the SC also out by the SC’s health and safety In a similar vein of health and prehensive compliance and au- bilises them on any SC project. 2018, when we will continue to feedback in a number of ar- recognised the need to enhance team across all sites and accom- safety enhancements, the SC said dit programme. It developed a This “greatly enhanced the com- expand and enhance the mecha- eas, including suggestions to the skills of its workers to pro- modations. This was initiated to it worked to identify and roll out ‘robust’ Compliance & Audit pliance programme” and would nisms available to our workers to strengthen grievance mecha- tect their safety and bolster their identify health and safety gaps innovative cooling technologies Plan to help enforce its Workers’ continue to do so in the new year, make their voices heard,” the nisms and enhance occupational skills for both current and future and off er solutions that could across its projects. The SC pilot- Welfare Standards and ensure the SC said. report noted. health and safety. The SC has employment. “To achieve this, immediately make a diff erence to ed ‘state-of-the-art’ technolo- that workers are protected all the “Our compliance eff orts also The SC stressed that it looked stressed that all suggestions will we partnered with Qatar Inter- the level of healthcare on the SC gies at the Al Wakrah Stadium way through from recruitment addressed a key issue – the am- forward to continuing the be addressed, and training of national Safety Centre and be- projects. The assessment includ- and Lusail Stadium sites to assess to repatriation. Implementation plifi cation of workers’ voices. projects it launched in 2017, and worker representatives will take gan delivering bespoke training ed baseline health screenings for if these solutions would benefi t of this plan resulted in 8,800 Throughout 2017, we launched rolling out further initiatives, place as the co-operation agree- to our workers in late 2017. The 12,000 workers, in addition to workers during hotter times of hours spent on accommodation a dedicated grievance hotline in 2018 to address the chal- ment with BWI continues for a initial focus has been on work- assessments of medical staff and the year. “The fi ndings were very inspections and ethical recruit- to receive and address work- lenges and gaps identifi ed along second year in 2018. ers’ welfare induction, while the facilities. positive, and as a result cooling ment audits throughout the year, ers’ issues and concerns. We the way.