BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Iraq make ideal start at AFC U23

INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2 – 8, 30 – 32 COMMENT 28, 29 QNB posts championship REGION 10, 11 BUSINESS 1 – 7, 11 – 16 16,428.36 9,477.09 30.21 ARAB WORLD 11, 12 CLASSIFIED 8 – 11 8% jump in +29.79 -194.77 -1.20 INTERNATIONAL 13 – 27 SPORTS 1 – 12 +0.18% -2.01% -3.82% 2015 profi t Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978

THURSDAY Vol. XXXVI No. 9967 January 14, 2016 Rabia II 4, 1437 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals PM opens regional conference on human rights Pledge to In brief

QATAR | Solidarity improve Emir condoles with Turkish president HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, in a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan worker yesterday, expressed his heartfelt condolences and sympathy on the victims of Tuesday’s terrorist bombing in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district. The Emir “expressed his utter condemnation of the criminal act that aimed at destabilising conditions Turkey’s security and stability and terrorising innocent people”, The Labour Minister hails the entry and exit of expatriates. according to the off icial Qatar abolishing of the kafala system The workshop was aimed at gener- News Agency (QNA). He said the and the issuance of a new law that ating discussion on developing Qatar’s terrorist attack violated all human regulates the entry and exit of fi rst-ever index of expatriate workers’ values and religious principles and expatriates welfare. laws. The Emir reiterated Qatar’s The index will be based on the solidarity with Turkey and its HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and HE the Foreign Minister Dr atar is committed to provide fi ndings of a survey of expatriate people in countering terrorism Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah attending a regional conference on the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for protection to expatriate work- workers to be conducted by Sesri, and its support for actions taken to Human Rights (UNHCHR) in the Arab world at Doha’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday. The Prime Minister opened the two- Qers and the best living stand- in addition to other administrative maintain its security and stability. day conference, organised by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and the UN High Commissioner for Human ards, HE the Minister of Labour and data. Page 20 Rights in co-operation with the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI). Speaking at the opening of Social Aff airs Dr Abdullah Saleh Mu- The index will serve as a study on the the conference, NHRC chairman Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri pointed to the “serious threats” the Arab region is facing, which barak al-Khulaifi has said. progress of workers’ welfare and safety have heavily aff ected the human rights situation and the performance of civil society and human rights organisations. This, He was speaking at a closed work- in Qatar over time. REGION | Resolution he said, had led to a significant decline in respect of human rights “in an unprecedented way and a manner that can’t be shop organised by Qatar University’s Al-Khulaifi was joined by QU presi- Iran frees ignored or overlooked”. Page 31 Social and Economic Survey Research dent Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham and Institute (Sesri) to discuss the welfare Sesri director Dr Darwish al-Emadi as US sailors index of expatriate workers in the state, well as ministry offi cials. Also partici- Iran yesterday freed 10 US sailors the offi cial Qatar News Agency (QNA) pating were 25 national and interna- a day after detaining them aboard reported yesterday. tional experts as well as researchers two US Navy patrol boats in the “The Ministry of Labour and Social who developed similar indices in vari- Gulf, bringing a swift end to an Aff airs is working to review its strategic ous countries. incident that had rattled nerves Al Jazeera expands its plan in line with Qatar National Vision The programme agenda included shortly before the expected 2030, which urges establishing the best presentations delivered by Sesri mem- implementation of a landmark environment for labour, underlining bers - head of research Dr Abdoulaye nuclear accord. Iran’s Islamic the role of Sesri in assisting the minis- Diop, research programme manager Dr Revolutionary Guard Corps try to achieve its plan through the in- Justin Gengler and senior policy ana- (IRGC) said it had released the dex,” he stated. lyst Dr Michael Ewers - and Univer- global digital services sity of Michigan research professor Dr sailors after determining they had Al-Khulaifi pointed to some aspects entered Iranian territorial waters that should be monitored through the Michael W Traugott. by mistake. IRGC Rear Admiral Ali l Jazeera Media Network CEO Al Anstey announced that Al work done by the team at Al Jazeera index such as legislation that clarify Topics tacked at the workshop Fadavi said earlier the boats had yesterday announced its in- Jazeera America would cease opera- America has been recognised with the rights and duties of both the em- included “Developing the Overall strayed due to a broken navigation Atention to expand its exist- tion by April 30 this year. nearly every major award an Ameri- ployers and employees and providing Themes of the Guest Workers’ Welfare system. The quick resolution ing international digital services to While Al Jazeera America built can news organisation can receive. health and safety standards at work- Index”, “Constructing the Specifi c El- contrasted with previous cases in broaden its multi-platform pres- a loyal audience across the US and “I greatly respect the unrivalled place, employment laws and compli- ements of the Guest Workers’ Welfare which British servicemen were held ence in the United States. increasingly was recognised as an commitment and excellent work of ance with regulations of appeals and Index”, “Operationalising of the Se- by Iran for considerably longer, in “As audiences increasingly turn important new voice in television our team, which has created great complaints. lected Themes of the Index – Drafting once case almost two weeks. to multiple platforms, including news, the economic landscape of the journalism. We have increasingly “The ministry has taken a number of the Questions”, and “Composing the Page 10 mobile devices, for news and infor- media environment has driven its set ourselves apart from all the rest, measures to improve the conditions of Index”. mation, this expansion will allow strategic decision to wind down its and the achievements of the past expatriate workers, including the de- Dr al-Emadi said: “In conducting US and non-US consumers alike to operations and conclude its service. two-and-a-half years should be a velopment of standards for their hous- this study, Sesri continues in its role to KOREA | Tension access the Network’s journalism Al Jazeera America said it is com- source of immense pride for every- ing, increasing the number of health address contemporary issues that im- Troops fi re at and content wherever and when- mitted to conducting this process in one,” Anstey added. and safety inspectors from 150 to 350, pact the wider community and off ers ever they want,” a statement issued a way that is consistent with its re- The shutdown of US operations limiting work hours during summer sustainable solutions that will contrib- intruding drone by the Doha-based channel network spect for colleagues. comes less than three years after a months and signing agreements with ute to the country’s development and South Korean troops fired at a said. massive investment in a cable news 35 countries of origin to limit the role of progress. suspected North Korean drone that “The expanded digital platform operation aimed at rivaling CNN, intermediary companies,” al-Khulaifi “We look forward to the outcomes crossed the border yesterday, as will augment the Network’s suc- Fox News and MSNBC. said. and recommendations that will emerge President Park Geun-Hye pushed cessful current digital offerings, in- In mid-2013, the channel went The minister hailed the abolishing of from this survey, which will help us en- China to back harsh sanctions on cluding AJ+ (www.ajplus.net) which live after hiring some 850 staff and the kafala (sponsorship) system and the hance guest workers’ living and work- Pyongyang over its latest nuclear has achieved more than 2bn online opening 12 bureaus in the US. issuance of a new law that regulates the ing conditions.” test. The defence ministry said the video views since its inception in The wind down of Al Jazeera drone eff ected a brief incursion, but September 2014. America will not affect the rest of swiftly returned to the North side “The Network’s commitment to the group’s global media operations, when South Korean troops fired a its digital transformation of its glo- the AFP news agency quoted an in- series of warning shots. Page 16 bal operations is consistent with its ternal memo from director general mission to inform and engage au- Mostefa Souag as saying. diences no matter who they are or Al Jazeera acquired its US cable PAKISTAN | Arrest where they are,” it said. channel from Current TV, a group Suspects detained “By expanding its digital content “We recognise the high quality of that included former vice president and distribution services to now Al Jazeera America’s work and that Al Gore and reached some 40mn over airbase attack include the US, the Network will be its journalism was recognised with households. Pakistan has arrested several better positioned to innovate and nearly every major award an Ameri- The new channel hired high-pro- people including the chief of an compete in an overwhelmingly dig- can broadcast and digital news or- file journalists from CNN and other outlawed militant group over ital world to serve today’s 24-hour ganisation can receive, including the networks and began with 14 hours of suspected links to an attack on digitally focused audience.” Peabody, Emmy, and Alfred I Du- news programming. an Indian airbase, off icials said in Over the coming months the Net- Pont-Columbia University awards,” The company separately launched Islamabad yesterday. The attack on work said it intended to provide said Anstey. an English-language AJ+ digital the Pathankot airbase in north- more details around the forthcom- “I have witnessed and worked network in 2014, aiming to con- western India on January 2 left six ing expansion of its multi-platform alongside some of the most talented nect with younger viewers who are militants and seven Indian security digital services to the US. people any organisation could wish not watching television or reading HE the Minister of Labour and Social Aff airs Dr Abdullah Saleh Mubarak al-Khulaifi, personnel dead. Page 25 Separately, Al Jazeera America for. Since its launch in 2013, the newspapers. left, and QU president Dr Hassan Rashid al-Derham at the workshop. Panel to study reports on business environment in Qatar he Cabinet yesterday approved After the meeting, HE the Deputy dicators with Respect To The Business ment, improve Qatar’s ranking in the tablish a “Committee to Prepare The the competent authorities in Qatar. a draft decision to establish a Prime Minister and Minister of State Environment in Qatar’ will be formed business environment system and cre- National Strategy For Intellectual Among the other decisions were ap- Ttechnical committee to study for Cabinet Aff airs, Ahmed bin Ab- and chaired by a representative of the ate an attractive environment for in- Property” to be chaired by a repre- proving a draft decision of the Minister international reports on the business dullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud, said the Ministry of Economy and Commerce vestment,” QNA said . sentative of the Ministry of Economy of Communications, determining fees environment in Qatar and to create an Cabinet had approved a draft deci- and membership of two representa- The Cabinet also approved a draft and Commerce, and the membership and charges in the maritime ports of attractive investment climate in the sion to establish a technical committee tives among a number of stakehold- decree amending the unifi ed customs of representatives from a number of Qatar and approving the distance edu- country. to study the indicators of international ers,” the offi cial Qatar News Agency tariff . It also added sub-paragraphs of stakeholders. cation system and the development of HE the Prime Minister and Minister reports with respect to the business en- (QNA) said . the unifi ed customs tariff list for the The committee will be concerned the necessary conditions and proce- of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser vironment in Qatar. “The committee will be concerned Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), an- with the preparation of the national dures for the equivalence of certifi cates bin Khalifa al-Thani chaired the Cabi- “Under the terms of the draft reso- with the study and analysis of the re- nexed to the Decree No (53) of 2012. strategy of intellectual property of Qa- and degrees issued by distance educa- net regular meeting held at its Emiri lution, a ‘Technical Committee for the ports released by international organi- Al-Mahmoud said the Cabinet ap- tar in co-ordination with the World tion institutions, according the Su- Diwan premises. Study of International Reporting In- sations relating to business environ- proved a draft Cabinet decision to es- Intellectual Property Organisation and preme Education Council’s vision. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, January 14, 2016 QATAR

Chairman of the Qatari Committee for Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, ambassador Mohamed Ismail al-Emadi, holding talks with the Palestinian Fatah movement parliamentarians in Gaza yesterday. Chief of Qatari panel for Gaza Strip reconstruction meets Fatah MPs

QNA people in Gaza. Gaza Referring to the electric- ity crisis in Gaza Strip, al- Emadi reiterated that eff orts hairman of the Qa- are on with the Palestinian tari Committee for Authority and the Israelis as CReconstruction of well as the Quartet Commit- the Gaza Strip, ambassador tee in order to end it, adding: Mohamed Ismail al-Emadi, “We have come a long way met the Palestinian Fatah with regard to extending a movement parliamentar- gas line to the power station ians here yesterday. in Gaza; it is possible that The meeting, held at the during the month of March Fatah movement headquar- we will get the fi nal approval ters in Gaza City, discussed Ambassador Mohamed Ismail al-Emadi and Fatah and construction licence for a number of problems in the movement parliamentarians addressing the media in Gaza. the project from the Israeli Gaza Strip. side.” Al-Emadi said Qatar Gaza Strip’s problems, and two factions would be re- He noted that if the de- aims, through such meet- provide a decent life for its solved, stressing: “We are signs and approvals are fi - ings that bring together the residents in light of diffi cult present in Gaza to serve nalised during the month two Palestinian blocs (Fatah siege that they suff er from. the Palestinian citizen” of March, the project will be and Hamas), to contrib- He expressed hope that and help alleviate the suf- completed in one-and-a- ute to the solution of the the dispute between the fering of the Palestinian half years.

Gulf Times 4 Thursday, January 14, 2016 QATAR

Inspection tours

The Health Inspection Section of the Municipal Control Department at Doha Municipality conducted 26,055 periodical and sudden inspection tours last year on various food facilities and outlets within Doha. The tours resulted in the closure of 161 various food facilities including 85 food outlets at the Doha Industrial Area for violating the standards of health specifications and practice. Besides, 1,294 violation reports were issued to diff erent outlets and the workers there. Further, 58,2078 tonnes of food stuff were destroyed for being expired or not fit for human consumption. The section has also conducted various inspection campaigns jointly with the inspectors of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the Supreme Council of Health. Picture shows an off icial of the Doha Municipality conducting an inspection tour.

QRCS celebrates Gulf Child Day

QNA al-Fayyad, Head of Public bitious programmes to en- close the gap between gen- Doha Relations Ibrahim al-Ajlan sure sustainable economic erations. Some time ago, our and Head of Human Re- prosperity, social develop- ancestors were here. Today, sources Issa al-Ishaq, as ment, and human rights we are at the same place. atar Red Crescent well as several volunteers protection of all nationals And soon, our children will Society (QRCS) par- and social advisers from the and non-nationals of all have their turn to stand out,” Qticipated in the cer- Social Development De- walks of life.” he concluded. emony held yesterday by the partment. Since its establishment in Fun-fi lled competitions Audio Education Complex In his opening speech, al- 1978, al-Ajlan added, QRCS were held to put a smile on in co-operation with Qa- Ajlan said, “On the occasion has been working to create the faces of the 50 children tar Institute for Speech and of Gulf Child Day, QRCS channels of communication from the Audio Education Hearing (QISH) in celebra- shares with you the care for with all segments of soci- Complex and QISH who at- tion of the Gulf Child Day, these dear children, inspired ety to deliver services in the tended the celebration. marked every year on 15 Jan- by the national develop- best interest of local society, In the same vein, a work- uary by GCC countries. ment strategy that pursues under the principles of soli- shop will be held today at The celebration was at- the goals of Qatar National darity and compassion. QRCS Women’s Branch for tended by several QRCS of- Vision 2030. We seek to im- “Firm belief in its noble housewives of the Qatari soci- fi cials, including Commu- prove the life of everyone mission is what inspires ety, under the title “Original- nications Director Hamad here in Qatar, through am- QRCS to move forward and ity, Roots, and Citizenship.”

Gulf Times 6 Thursday, January 14, 2016 QATAR

Qatar Airways ‘travel festival evokes good response’ The Qatar Airways Travel Festival, online at qatarairways.com/travelfes- ary sees many people setting their Al-Kuwari meets a unique promotion off ering up to tival, through Qatar Airways sales sights on travelling abroad. Qatar 40% discounts on Economy class off ices or travel agents. Airways Travel Festival supports this French official fares, 2-for-1 Premium off er, and Travellers can choose from more vision by helping people go places, special off ers on car rentals and than 150 destinations globally with both new and familiar, near and far.” HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdul hotel rooms, has generated a good travel valid between January 19 and Terms and conditions apply for Aziz al-Kuwari met in Doha yesterday with President of the “Reun- response, an off icial said. December 15, 2016. bookings. Seats are subject to avail- ion des Musees Nationaux” (RMN) in Paris, Jean-Paul Cluzel. Talks The first-of-its-kind promotion, which Qatar Airways chief commercial ability and blackout dates apply. during the meeting dealt with prospects of cultural co-operation ends on January 17, also off ers triple off icer, Dr Hugh Dunleavy, said: Customers should review these at between the Ministry of Culture and RMN in the fields of culture, bonus Qmiles for Privilege Club “Traditionally a time for New Year the time of booking at qatarairways. arts and heritage and means of enhancing them. members. Passengers can book resolutions and looking ahead, Janu- com/travelfestival. Shangri-La Hotel now Nojoom partner

oredoo has added very latest hotels, restau- Qatar’s newest lux- rants, shops, international Oury hotel, Shangri- establishments and more.” La Hotel Doha, as a re- Located in West Bay, demption partner for its Shangri-La Hotel Doha has multi award-winning No- 272 spacious rooms and joom Rewards Programme. suites, and 42 fully serviced Nojoom members will apartments. The lifestyle fa- be able to redeem their cilities include seven dining Nojoom Points to enjoy and entertainment choices, the luxuries of Shangri-La as well as the Shangri-La’s Hotel Doha, including spa signature “Chi, The Spa”. services, room stays, pool access, and dining. “The agreement demonstrates our To redeem the services, commitment to members must exchange rewarding our customers their points for Nojoom with the very latest vouchers directly from the hotels, restaurants, Nojoom page on the Ooredoo. shops, international qa website or from the app establishments and more” and validate the voucher with the hotel at the time of visit. More information on all Fatima Sultan al-Ku- Nojoom partners and how wari, director of Commu- to enrol into Nojoom can be nity & Public Relations at had from the Nojoom page Ooredoo, said: “The agree- of the Ooredoo website at ment demonstrates our www.ooredoo.qa/nojoom, commitment to rewarding the Ooredoo app or from our customers with the any Ooredoo shop.

Gulf Times 8 Thursday, January 14, 2016 QATAR

Mercedes C Class recalled

The Ministry of Economy recall campaign comes and Commerce (MEC), in within the framework collaboration with Nasser of its ongoing efforts to Bin Khalid Automobiles, protect consumers and has announced the recall ensure that car dealers of Mercedes-Benz C Class follow up on vehicles’ model of 2015 because of defects and repair a potential defect in the them. coolant line, to update the The Ministry will co- software for engine and ordinate with the dealer transmission control units to follow up on the as well as retrofit maintenance and repair the retaining clip on works and communicate the fuel feed module if with customers to ensure required. that the necessary repairs The Ministry said the are carried out.

Dr Hassan al–Derham and Prof Stuart Corbridge shake hands after signing the agreement. QU, UK university in pact on dual PhD

atar University’s College of it is ranked 36th globally by the Times lighted to cement an already strong Arts and Sciences (QU-CAS) Higher Education (THE) World Uni- relationship with Qatar University Qand the Durham University of versity Rankings subject league tables. through signing this agreement for a the United Kingdom have signed an It has a leading international repu- joint PhD in Gulf Studies. Durham has agreement for the initiation of a dual tation for Middle Eastern and Gulf an excellent reputation for delivery of award PhD in Gulf Studies. Studies, and this partnership allows high quality teaching and research in QU president Dr Hassan al-Der- students to benefi t from the range this area of study. Qatar University is a ham, and the vice-chancellor of the of expertise at Durham University, natural partner for us in what is a new Durham University, Prof Stuart Cor- in addition to those within the Qatar and exciting initiative for the School bridge, signed the agreement at Dur- University’s Gulf Studies programme. of Government and International Af- ham University recently. Dr al-Derham said: “This agree- fairs.” Gulf Studies is a leading programme ment will support Qatar University’s CAS dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi at Qatar University, which currently leading academic role in advancing noted: “We are certain that partnering off ers a Masters degree, in addition to quality education and research, and with Durham University with its long a PhD. The dual award PhD gives an enhancing the economic and social and distinguished history of focusing additional degree option, and will in- development of the state”. on the study of the states, communi- volve students spending time at both “This new collaboration will also ties, economies, and cultures of the institutions and receiving co-super- promote close ties between the two Arabian peninsula, Iran, and Iraq, will vision of their thesis. institutions and will be aligned with enable students to contribute to one Durham University is ranked 61st in our stated strategic direction to build of the world’s most rapidly developing the world in the QS University Rank- partnerships with top universities regions through delivering research ings (2015/16) and is recognised as a around the world,” he added. supervision and training off ered by global leader in Social Sciences where Prof Corbridge said: “I am de- experts in Qatar and United Kingdom.”

Gulf Times 10 Thursday, January 14, 2016 REGION

Tehran expects implementation of nuclear deal by Sunday: offi cial

AFP “And when that happens, it Tehran will make us and our partners around the world more safe and secure.” he fi nal implementation Araghchi said an announce- of Iran’s nuclear deal with ment about implementation Tworld powers is expected would be made jointly by Iran’s by Sunday, the country’s deputy Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad foreign minister Abbas Araghchi Zarif and European Union for- said, quoted by state media. eign policy chief Federica Mogh- A report by the International erini. Atomic Energy Agency, conclud- Under its July deal with the ing that Iran had fulfi lled its ob- P5+1 group - Britain, China, ligations under the agreement, France, Russia and the US plus will come out tomorrow, broad- Germany - Iran agreed to take caster IRIB cited Araghchi as measures to limit its nuclear ac- saying, paving the way for sanc- tivities. tions to end. One such step involves mak- The IAEA fi ndings would be ing changes to the core of a heavy US sailors are pictured on a boat with their hands on their heads at an unknown location in this still image taken from video. Iran released 10 US sailors yesterday after holding followed by “reaching the end of water reactor at its Arak nuclear them overnight, bringing a swift end to an incident that had rattled nerves days ahead of the expected implementation of a landmark nuclear accord between Tehran and the line and the announcement site to ensure it cannot be used to world powers. of the implementation during make atomic weapons. Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Reports emerged on Monday the offi cial IRNA news agency that Iran had removed the core quoted the minister as saying. at Arak, but a top official later There was no immediate denied this was the case, insist- confi rmation from the IAEA of ing Tehran was still working on Araghchi’s comments about the a deal to redesign the reactor timing of “Implementation Day” with the help of China and the when the deal comes into eff ect, US. Iran releases US sailors but US and European offi cials But Araghchi said the new have said it could be just days core’s redesign would be done by away. an Iranian company, citing a “re- In Washington, US Secretary liance on domestic capabilities” of State John Kerry did not con- to modernise the reactor. fi rm a specifi c date for imple- Under the deal, Iran has re- mentation, but reiterated that it duced the number of its centri- after detention in Gulf was expected to come rapidly. fuges - fast-spinning machines AFP Video footage showed the “this trespassing was not hostile Washington and Tehran have Iran scaling back its activities to “Implementation Day - the that enrich uranium - and trans- Tehran Navy personnel with their hands or for spying purposes”. no diplomatic relations but US put an atomic bomb outside its day on which Iran proves it has ferred the bulk of its low-en- on their heads as they were ap- Instead “a broken navigation Secretary of State John Kerry reach in exchange for relief from suffi ciently downsized its nu- riched uranium stockpile to Rus- prehended. But other footage system” had led them astray, he called Iranian counterpart For- crippling international sanctions. clear programme and can begin sia. ran yesterday released 10 US showed them eating a meal and said. eign Minister Mohamed Javad Following the quick release to receive sanctions relief - will The IAEA must verify that Iran Navy sailors detained in the drinking water, some smiling, US offi cials had said one or both Zarif to discuss the incident. of the sailors, the head of Iran’s take place soon, likely within the has fulfi lled all of its obligations IGulf, heading off a potential while sitting on Persian rugs. of the boats experienced me- Both men cited the sailors’ armed forces hit back, saying Iran coming days,” Kerry said. before sanctions can be lifted. crisis within days of the expected A Pentagon statement con- chanical problems and they had speedy release as a textbook ex- had shown “wisdom and good- implementation of its nuclear fi rmed they had been freed. been taken to Farsi Island, which ample of diplomacy, with Kerry will” in quickly freeing them. deal with world powers. “There are no indications that lies roughly midway between thanking “Iranian authorities for “Those US Congressional law- A dramatic series of events the sailors were harmed during Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Gulf their co-operation”. makers that come up with a new started with the sailors - nine their brief detention,” it said, and houses a base of the Guards, “That this issue was resolved obstacle for Iran every day don’t men and a woman - being taken adding: “The Navy will investi- which has its own naval units. peacefully and effi ciently is a seem to have correct informa- US House passes Iran into custody after their two pa- gate the circumstances that led Radio contact was lost with testament to the critical role di- tion,” General Hassan Firouza- trol boats drifted into Iranian ter- to the sailors’ presence in Iran.” the two vessels - riverine patrol plomacy plays in keeping our badi said. ritory late on Tuesday. Admiral Ali Fadavi, the naval boats under 65ft (20m) in length country safe, secure, and strong,” “I hope that the incident... bill, then cancels vote US and Iranian offi cials scram- commander of the Guards, said - while they were en route from Kerry added in a statement. which probably won’t be the last bled to defuse the situation, an investigation established that Kuwait to Bahrain. Zarif said on Twitter: “Happy mistake from American forces AFP Some 137 members missed which unfolded as the nuclear to see dialog and respect, not in the region, will be a lesson for Washington the vote. In a rare procedural accord edged toward its fi nal US Navy weighs navigational error threats and impetuousness, stonewallers in the US Congress.” move after presiding Republi- steps, with a top Iranian offi cial swiftly resolved the #sailors epi- Relations with Washing- can Bradley Byrne brought the saying the deal should be imple- US naval off icials were yesterday al error of that type, it happens to sode. Let’s learn from this latest ton were strained by claims last he House of Representa- gavel down and deemed the bill mented by Sunday. investigating navigational error as everyone once in a while,” a senior example.” month that Iran fi red rockets tives passed a measure passed, House offi cials scrapped The detention of the sailors the possible cause of an interna- US naval off icial said. The latter comment seemed close to a US aircraft carrier in Tyesterday aimed at block- the vote. raised alarm in Washington but tional incident that saw Iran briefly “Sometimes you get out of chan- a barb aimed at US lawmakers the Gulf. ing implementation of the Iran House Speaker Paul Ryan, who after informal talks with Tehran, detain 10 sailors after they strayed nel, sometimes you hit a buoy. who had quickly jumped on the Last year, Iranian patrol boats nuclear deal, but abruptly can- took up the post in late October, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said into Iranian waters. ... Sometimes the charts aren’t incident as an example of Iranian seized the Maersk Tigris, a cargo celled the vote because nearly has made a point of sticking to they had been set free. Contrary to initial reports, US right.” hostility. ship sailing under the Marshall one third of lawmakers were ab- rules designating the timing for “Following their apology, they off icials are now ruling out any Iran’s Admiral Ali Fadavi, the naval Kerry and Zarif developed a Islands fl ag, which meant it was sent. House votes, many of which are have been released to interna- mechanical fault aboard the commander of the Guards, said an close working relationship dur- under US protection. The Iran Terror Finance held open at length as lawmakers tional waters in the Gulf,” said a sailors’ two small patrol boats, investigation established that “this ing the nuclear talks, which And in March 2007, Iranian Transparency Act, which would make their way to the chamber. statement read out on state tel- which were apprehended by Iran’s trespassing was not hostile or for concluded in July with a deal be- patrols captured 15 British Royal bar the US administration from “The speaker made an an- evision, noting that the sailors Revolutionary Guards while en spying purposes.” tween Iran and the P5+1 powers Navy and Royal Marines person- lifting certain sanctions against nouncement on the fl oor last had not entered Iranian waters route from Kuwait to Bahrain. Instead “a broken navigation sys- of the US, Britain, China, France, nel, interrogated them and held Iran, passed by a vote of 191 to week about keeping vote times intentionally and had no “hostile “It’s possible to make a navigation- tem” had led them astray, he said. Russia and Germany. them for 13 days before releasing 106, a low total by any measure in closer to the allotted time,” a intent”. The nuclear accord foresees them. the 435-member chamber. Ryan aide said.

Two cops Jet Airways’ 10% LuLu Hypermarket opens in Dammam shot dead discount, fi ve-day in Aden off er from today

AFP et Airways has announced The off er is valid for travel only Aden a “special fi ve day sale of- on direct fl ights on the airline’s Jfer” giving passengers from select international network. the GCC region a fl at 10% dis- Shakir Kantawala, vice pres- nidentifi ed gunmen yes- count on base fares, applicable ident (Gulf, Middle East & N. terday shot dead two on all fl ights booked on jetair- Africa) Jet Airways, said: “We Upolicemen in Yemen’s ways.com for travel to India and are pleased to off er our guests southern city of Aden, a security countries in Asean and Saarc added value as they travel be- offi cial said, in the second such region. tween these prominent regions attack in as many days. Available for ‘Premiere’ and and enjoy the airline’s globally The assailants opened fi re at economy travel, passengers acclaimed product and serv- the traffi c policemen at a rounda- from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, ice, on ground and in the air. bout in the country’s second city Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Guests from GCC countries before escaping on a motorbike, UAE, can avail of this travel of- can now celebrate on the occa- the offi cial said. fer from January 14 to 18. The sion of India’s ‘Republic Day’, by There has been a string of kill- off er is in celebrations of In- planning their future travel and Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, along with Engineer Abdullah al-Ahamed, LuLu group chairman Yusuff Ali MA, Ashraf Ali MA, ings by militants in Aden target- dia’s Republic Day on January vacations at any of the loca- and other dignitaries tour the newly-opened LuLu Hypermarket in the Saudi Arabian city of Dammam. The new store is the sixth in the ing members of the security forc- 26. tions in India, Asean and Saarc kingdom and the 121st in the GCC. The latest hypermarket was off icially inaugurated on Wednesday. Speaking at the inauguration, Yusuff es and the government, which has Under the off er, travel valid- regions. We are certain that this Ali announced the proposed launch of four more hypermarkets this year – two in Jeddah and one each in Hail and Hofuf. He added that set up its temporary base there. ity is eff ective January 14 on- unique initiative will provide LuLu will launch six more in the kingdom in 2017. The new hypermarket provides a one-stop shopping destination for city dwellers, which Al Qaeda and the rival Islamic wards, on fl ights from the GCC exceptional value to our guests include a growing community of nationals and expatriates. The hypermarket also houses Sparkys family entertainment, a food court State group (IS) both have a foot- countries to destinations in and prove to be extremely pop- consisting of authentic Arabic fine dining and Filipino cuisine, and coff ee shops, pharmacy, ATMs and exchange houses. hold in the city. India, Asean and Saarc regions. ular.” Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 11 REGION/ARAB WORLD Youths say IS, Qaeda distort Call for life Islam: poll sentences for AFP More than 90% of respond- Abu Dhabi ents in Morocco and the UAE called both extremist groups a “complete perversion of Is- majority of Arab Mus- lam,” as did 83% of respond- lim youths see the ac- ents in Egypt and more than Ations of extremists such 60% in Bahrain and Jordan. killers of teen as the Islamic State group and More than 55% of respond- Al Qaeda as a perversion of Is- ents in the Palestinian territo- AFP sponsible for his actions at the teenagers, both of whom were lam’s teachings, according to a ries and Saudi Arabia also said Jerusalem time. wearing skullcaps. new poll. the radical groups were dis- The court has found that he “My son Mohamed was the The Zogby Research Serv- torting Islam’s teachings. committed the crime but is yet to same age as you. Why did you do ices poll of 5,374 young Mus- More than 30% of those sraeli prosecutors yesterday rule if he is mentally competent. this to him?” Suha Abu Khdeir lim men and women from the polled in many countries, in- called for life sentences for The two others were 16 when asked through tears. Middle East and North Africa cluding 69% of respondents Itwo young Jews convicted of they were charged in 2014 but “I know my son won’t come also found that many millen- in the UAE and 50% in Moroc- burning alive a Palestinian teen, are now adults. They cannot be back but I want them to be pun- nials blame corruption for the co, said “corrupt, repressive, part of an upsurge in violence identifi ed by court order. ished to be a lesson and so this rise of militant groups. and unrepresentative govern- ahead of the 2014 Gaza war. The prosecutor said the at- doesn’t happen to any other “At least three-quarters of ments” were the main causes The request was made at an tacks came against the backdrop mother.” millennial respondents in all of young men and women emotional hearing in a Jerusa- of ideological hatred and called His father Hussein, speaking countries surveyed” said move- joining extremist groups. lem court for the two, who were for life sentences. in Arabic, told the three judges ments like IS and Al Qaeda “are Others blamed extreme minors at the time of the chill- The court is due to hand down “we are living in a nightmare. I either a complete perversion religious teachings and poor ing attack in which they and a its sentence on February 4, with wake up in the night screaming.” of Islam’s teachings or mostly levels of education. third man snatched Mohamed the ruling on Ben-David’s sanity He called on Israeli authori- wrong,” the polling fi rm said. “In most countries, the ma- Abu Khdeir, 16, from an east Je- expected two days earlier. ties to demolish the houses of The survey was conducted jority says that religion does rusalem street and subsequently Both of Abu Khdeir’s parents the assailants’ families as they in October and November 2015 not need to be reformed” but killed him. took the stand in the hearing to regularly do with Palestinians with respondents aged 15 to 34 rather that religious discourse Israeli settler Yosef Haim Ben- call for severe sentences. convicted of attacks. in Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Ara- “needs to be made more rel- Suha, the mother of late Palestinian teenager Mohamed Abu Khdeir, David, 31, is said to have led the The two defendants bowed The court’s actions are being bia, the United Arab Emirates, evant,” the polling fi rm’s chief waits in a courtroom at a Jerusalem district court yesterday before a attack on Abu Khdeir but his their heads when Abu Khdeir’s closely watched at a time of re- Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and James Zogby said while releas- sentencing hearing in the case of two young Jewish men convicted lawyers say he suff ers from a mother began to speak. At one newed Israeli-Palestinian ten- the Palestinian territories. ing the survey results. last year of the kidnap and murder of her son (seen on the badge). mental illness and was not re- point she addressed the two sions.

Kuwait passes law tightening online media controls Israeli air raid in Gaza kills one, wounds three Kuwait’s parliament yesterday including cabinet ministers passed legislation to regulate voted for the law and four MPs all web-based “professional” opposed it. AFP Israeli aircraft “targeted a killed and three wounded on a gades, an armed off shoot of Gaza Strip, which have usually media, a day after a Those who voted against the Gaza City terror cell plotting to detonate beach in the area of Beit Lahiya, Palestinian president Mahmoud followed rocket fi re from Pales- controversial cybercrimes law legislation said it would further an explosive device against located near the Palestinian en- Abbas’s Fatah party, said he was tinian militants and have rarely came into eff ect. curtail freedom of speech and (military) forces stationed clave’s northern border with Is- one of its members and vowed led to casualties. All forms of electronic media expression. n Israeli air raid yester- along the border of the north- rael. revenge. There was no reported rocket like Internet-based news “I believe that the government day in the northern Gaza ern Gaza Strip,” the Israeli The spokesman, Ashraf al- Gun-wielding masked mili- fi re from Gaza before yester- services, bulletins, publications, wants to use this law like the AStrip targeting alleged army said. Qudra, identifi ed the person tants from the group were seen day’s strike, but there have been newspaper and television station others to curb freedoms,” said militants killed one Palestinian It declined to provide further killed as Musa Abu Zuaiter, 31, attending his funeral in the Jaba- a number of recent incidents portals and commercial services MP Jamal al-Omar, who added and wounded three others, the details on the raid. and said the casualties were the lia refugee camp. along the Gaza border, including are subject to the new law. that the legislation breaches Israeli army and a Palestinian of- A Gaza health ministry result of Israeli rocket fi re. The air raid marks a departure explosions and gunfi re targeting Thirty-seven members the Gulf state’s constitution. fi cial said. spokesman said one person was The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Bri- from recent Israeli strikes in the Israeli soldiers. Gulf Times 12 Thursday, January 14, 2016 ARAB WORLD Special US targeting force ‘now in place’ in Iraq

Reuters ment in a broad speech to US sol- While the force was expected on the ground with US-backed of communication,” Carter said. but said his administration is fo- - until ISIL is delivered a lasting Washington diers that sought to underscore to number only about 200, its rebels fi ghting in a civil war rag- Republicans have sought to cused on destroying the extrem- defeat,” he said. American eff orts to accelerate deployment marks the latest ex- ing since 2011. portray US President Barack ist group. Carter was addressing soldiers the campaign against Islamic pansion of US military pressure Carter said that smaller group Obama’s strategy to defeat Islam- Carter’s speech emphasised from the 101st Airborne Division, new US force of special State, both in Iraq and Syria. on Islamic State. It also exposes of forces had already established ic State as fl awed and insuffi cient, advances by Iraqi forces - includ- 1,800 of whom will deploy to Iraq operations troops has ar- “The specialised expedition- American forces to greater risk, contact with rebels, as well as as the militants plot or inspire ing retaking control of the city in the coming months, largely to Arived in Iraq and is pre- ary targeting force I announced in something President Barack new targets for airstrikes and attacks far beyond their self-de- of Ramadi - and by US-backed train local forces. paring to work with Iraqi forces December is now in place and is Obama has done only sparingly. “strikes of all kinds.” clared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. rebels in Syria. Carter also fl agged a meet- to go after Islamic State targets, preparing to work with the Iraqis The force is separate from an- “These operators have helped Obama, in his State of the Un- “President Obama is commit- ing next week in Paris with de- US Defense Secretary Ash Carter to begin going after ISIL’s fi ghters other deployment last year of focus the eff orts of the local, ca- ion speech on Tuesday, warned ted to doing what it takes - as op- fense ministers from six nations said yesterday. and commanders,” Carter said at up to 50 US special operations pable forces against key ISIL vul- against overstating the fi ght portunities arise, as we see what - France, Britain, Australia, Ger- Carter disclosed the deploy- Fort Campbell, Kentucky. troops in Syria to coordinate nerabilities, including their lines against Islamic State militants, works, and as the enemy adapts many, Italy, and the Netherlands. Syria peace talks still on for Jan 25 : UN envoy

Reuters in order to move forward on the statement saying that offi cials Geneva Geneva talks, and there are is- from the fi ve permanent members sues still, and very much at stake, of the UN Security Council had that’s why I needed to consult agreed to push for “sustained and A boy inspects damage inside his school, due to what activists said was an air strike carried out yesterday by the Russian air force in Injara town, he UN Special Envoy for them,” he said. unimpeded access to a number of Aleppo countryside, Syria. Bombs dropped by suspected Russian warplanes killed at least 12 Syrian schoolchildren on Monday when they hit a Syria said after meeting Assistant US Secretary of State besieged areas” in Syria’s civil war. classroom in a rebel-held town in Aleppo province. Trepresentatives of the US, Anne Patterson said the talks “The Special Envoy and his Russia and other major powers were still “on track” for Jan. 25 team will continue working hard yesterday that Syria peace talks and she had had a “good conver- to issue the invitations in order were still planned to start in Ge- sation” with Russian Deputy For- to ensure maximum inclusivity, neva on Jan 25. eign Minister Gennady Gatilov with a view to starting the intra- Staff an de Mistura told report- and senior offi cials from Britain, Syrian Geneva Talks on 25 Janu- New food aid planned for ers they had discussed access to China and France. ary,” it said. the government-besieged town “Everyone’s primary concern is The opposition council told of Madaya, where the fi rst aid humanitarian access given some de Mistura that the Damascus deliveries were made on Monday of the dire situations that are tak- government would have to take to starving civilians after three ing place inside of Syria,” Patter- goodwill steps, including a pris- besieged towns today months. son told reporters. oner release, before they would go “This meeting was essential De Mistura’s offi ce issued a to negotiations. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said AFP to Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya on Government-held Fuaa and tial” to get medical teams into Rebels reject talks unless resolution implemented on Twitter that Gatilov would Beirut Thursday, which will be followed Kafraya in Syria’s northwestern Madaya “to examine patients to meet representatives of various by a third delivery in the follow- Idlib province are under rebel determine their condition.” Syrian rebel groups said yesterday “We consider that implementing opposition groups today. It also ing days,” she said on Wednesday. siege, and are reportedly suff er- “Our priority is also to bring they would not take part in peace these articles is self-evident and a hu- said the international powers id groups hope to deliver She added that assistance for a ing shortages of food and medi- in mobile clinics to immediately talks scheduled this month unless man right,” they said in a statement. needed to do more work to agree more food and medicine fourth town, Zabadani, was be- cine, though the regime has been provide medical care to those humanitarian articles in the latest “We do not accept any compro- lists of groups to be regarded as Atoday to three besieged ing planned for a later date. able to airdrop some supplies to who can be treated in Madaya,” UN resolution were implemented. mise on it under any justification or terrorists. Syrian towns, including Madaya, Badly needed supplies entered the towns. she added. The groups, which include the circumstances.” Patterson said the US and where residents have reportedly the three towns on Monday. Yesteday, the Syrian Observa- But it was not immediately powerful Islam Army, mentioned They also called on an opposition Russia were working “very as- starved to death, a UN offi cial It was the fi rst aid to reach in- tory for Human Rights, a Britain- clear if that would be possible articles 12 and 13 of a resolution council set up to oversee negotia- siduously” on the question of said. habitants for four months, and based monitor, said a child had today. that was passed late last year, tions, expected to start on Jan. 25 defi ning terrorist groups. They Linda Tom, a spokeswoman came after international concern died in Fuaa because of lack of Aid offi cials who accompa- which calls on the sides in Syria’s in Geneva, “to be steadfast in its had been discussing “the terror- with the UN’s Offi ce for the Co- about the situation in Madaya. medical treatment. nied Monday’s convoy confi rmed civil war to allow humanitarian honourable position in refusing to ism issue in the whole Syria-Iraq ordination of Humanitarian Af- The town, along with neigh- Tom said today’s planned con- cases of malnutrition inside Ma- access to all in need and cease enter into any political solutions corridor” for months, and mili- fairs (OCHA), confi rmed new bouring Zabadani in Damascus voy would take in “food, health daya. attacks on civilians. imposed through massacres”. tary and intelligence contacts aid deliveries were planned for province, are under government supplies and non-food items “We saw a number of people were continuing. Madaya, where more than two siege, and Madaya residents have including items for winter like that were clearly malnourished, dozen people are thought to have also reportedly died after step- blankets to complement the especially children, and heard died from lack of food, and two ping on landmines or being shot initial delivery of humanitarian that hundreds of others were in other towns. by snipers while trying to leave in aid.” urgent need of medical care that Appeal for nearly $8bn aid “We are planning operations search of food. She said it remained “essen- could not be provided,” Tom said.

AFP 4mn people in Turkey, Jordan den from the refugee crisis and United Nations and Lebanon who are hosting said funding must be directed at millions of Syrian refugees, said a them. Obama, Abdullah meet amid talk of snub UN statement. More than a million refugees, ith the war in Syria International donors will be many from Syria, crossed into headed for a sixth asked to come forward with large Europe last year after conditions AFP his State of the Union address in primetime address. the fi ght against the Islamic Wyear, UN agencies on pledges at a conference on Syria’s in camps deteriorated, with cuts Washington Nebraska, Obama met Abdullah “The president regrets that State group and eff orts to revive Tuesday appealed for $7.73bn in humanitarian crisis in London on to food rations and other aid. in the VIP lounge of Joint Base he is unable to meet with him Israeli-Palestinian peace nego- funding to help 22.5mn people February 4. Last year, UN agencies asked Andrews. personally on this visit due to tiations, a diplomat said. aff ected by the confl ict. “After nearly six years of bru- for $8.4bn from governments resident Barack Obama Abdullah had been in Wash- scheduling confl icts, including For his part, Carter expressed The appeal for funds from UN tal confl ict and political paraly- worldwide to fund the Syrian aid and Jordan’s King Ab- ington for days without meeting the State of the Union address,” his “deep appreciation... for member-states covers help for sis, the Syrian people need our eff ort, but received only $3.3bn of Pdullah met for around Obama, raising questions about a White House spokesperson Jordan’s continued contribu- 13.5mn Syrians displaced inside help more than ever,” said UN aid that amount. five minutes at a military base the health of a normally close said. tions to regional counter-ISIL the war-wracked country and chief Stephen O’Brien. The appeal for Syria is part of a near Washington yesterday, relationship. Abdullah instead met with eff orts,” Pentagon spokesman 4.7mn who have fl ed across the UN High Commissioner for part of a wider 2016 humanitar- hoping to quash suggestions White House aides denied Vice President Joe Biden, De- Peter Cook said. border to neighbouring coun- Refugees Filippo Grandi stressed ian appeal, asking for $20.1bn to of a White House snub of the there was any snub of the king, fence Secretary Ash Carter and Obama and Abdullah had last tries. that Syria’s neighbours were reach 87mn people in need of aid monarch. citing scheduling problems be- Secretary of State John Kerry. met in Washington almost a year The aid will also reach some shouldering the biggest bur- around the world. Before hitting the road to sell cause of the Tuesday evening Kerry and Abdullah discussed ago. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 13 AFRICA

Harare declines New team comment on Robert Mugabe health rumours

Agencies Harare

imbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s spokesman yesterday declined comment on rumours that the 91-year-old leader Zhad suff ered a heart attack, saying a response to the latest speculation about his health was “unnecessary”. Spokesman George Charamba’s response was to a text message sent by Reuters asking for an update on Mugabe’s health. The online Zimbabwe news website Zim Eye (www.zimeye.net) published a letter on Tuesday by an anonymous author saying Mugabe was “reported to have collapsed after suff ering a heart at- tack while on holiday with his family”. The letter, which did not reveal the source of its information, added that Mugabe was in a critical condition and that his family had been told to expect the worst. It did not say where he had suf- fered the heart attack or where he was being treated. Reports about the declining health of Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has known since independence in 1980, are common and Charamba normally declines to give an offi cial response. Mugabe likes to describe himself as “fi t as a fi ddle” but has shown signs of his advancing age in the last few years. He was caught on camera in 2015 tripping and falling down a short fl ight of stairs at Harare airport. First vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, a powerful former security chief and for decades one of Mugabe’s closest aides, stands in line to succeed Mugabe in the event of his death. Separately, a Zimbabwean court has acquitted a legislator of insulting Mugabe’s wife Grace, who is seen as a possible succes- sor to the veteran leader, an independent daily reported yesterday. Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara (second right) and Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan (second left) pose with ministers of the newly-appointed government at the Justice Wadyajena was accused of shouting “abusive or insulting Presidential Palace in Abidjan. Duncan yesterday appointed more women to his new government, tasked with accelerating economic growth in the world’s top cocoa language” at a fellow ZANU-PF party member who had a portrait producer and west African powerhouse. There are a total nine women among the 36-member cabinet, whose aim is to propel Ivory Coast to “emerging country” status by of Grace Mugabe and pro-Grace slogans emblazoned on his car. 2020 by investing more than $50bn, the premier said. “The aspect of insulting the First Lady is no longer there,” Give- more Muvhiringi, Wadyajena’s lawyer, told the News Day. “The court agreed with us, so they said he won’t be prosecuted,” Muvhiringi said, adding that his client may still face a charge of disorderly conduct. Wadyajena, 35, was alleged to have shouted at the owner of the car in the resort town of Victoria Falls during the annual confer- ence of the ruling ZANU-PF party in December. Wadyajena was quoted in court papers as having told Muduvu- ri: “You are a fool as well as that mother of yours.” The fi rst lady is referred to as “mother” by the ruling party supporters. Wadyajena has been linked to a party faction loyal to Vice Presi- 12 dead in Cameroon dent Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is another potential candidate to take over from Mugabe.

Soldiers held over ‘coup’ mosque suicide blast AFP Since July last year Cam- “The suicide bomber was Since late November the Cam- shooting and suicide assaults welve soldiers and a civilian have been arrested so far in Douala eroon’s far north has been hit praying with the others,” the eroon army has carried out op- on markets, mosques and other connection with last month’s failed coup in Niger, Defence by a series of attacks blamed on source said, adding that the erations in several border areas mostly civilian targets within Ni- TMinister Mahamadou Karidjo said yesterday. Boko Haram, which has pledged imam of the mosque fi gured aimed at weakening Nigerian ji- geria itself. “Investigators have established the involvement of 13 people, suicide bomber killed 12 allegiance to the Islamic State among the victims. hadists who have been very ac- The group’s six-year cam- including 10 soldiers from the Niger Armed Forces, two National worshippers yesterday group. The bombing came after two tive in the region. paign for a hardline Islamic state Guard members and a civilian,” the minister said on state televi- Aat a northern Cameroon “Eleven worshippers were people were killed overnight in Sources say these operations in northeast Nigeria has killed sion, which said the preliminary stage of the inquiry had fi nished. mosque, security offi cials said, killed at the scene. A twelfth died the same area in another attack have signifi cantly weakened at least 17,000 people and made He said four of the suspects had “admitted they were prepar- hitting an area regularly targeted of their wounds in hospital,” the blamed on Boko Haram, the se- Boko Haram’s capability, forc- more than 2.6mn others home- ing a coup d’etat” on December 18, 2015 when the former French by Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islam- security source said, adding that curity source said. ing the insurgents to turn away less. colony was to mark its 57th anniversary. ists. the attacker was praying along- Cameroon has beefed up its from direct confrontations with Despite the off ensives “The offi cers whose guilt has been established... will appear be- The blast struck the mosque in side other worshippers when he military presence along the Ni- the military in favour of suicide launched by regional forces, the fore a military tribunal,” he said. the village of Kouyape, in Kolo- blew himself up. gerian border as part of a regional attacks. group maintains strongholds in He said another 10 civilians and three customs agents had also fata district north near the Ni- Another source close to the coalition, after years of doing lit- Boko Haram in the past year areas that are diffi cult to access, been detained while investigators check “their possible implica- gerian border, at around 5.30am security services confi rmed the tle to stop Boko Haram fi ghters stepped up cross-border attacks such as the Sambisa forest, the tion” in the planned putsch, Karidjo said. He refused to identify (0430 GMT) during morning blast killed 12 people and the using its territory as a rear base to in Niger, Chad and Cameroon Mandara mountains and the nu- any of the detainees. prayers, a security source said. bomber. arm and equip themselves. while also continuing to mount merous islands of Lake Chad. WHO set to formally declare Africa’s Ebola outbreak over

By Zoom Dosso, AFP It was the last country aff ected by borders and national controls. At the time, more than 400 new Monrovia an outbreak infecting almost 29,000 The epidemic devastated the cases were being reported each people and claiming 11,315 lives, ac- economies of the worst-hit coun- week, with uncollected and highly cording to offi cial data which most tries, as crops rotted in the fi elds, infectious bodies piling up in the he two-year Ebola epidemic experts accept represents a signifi - mines were abandoned and goods streets of Monrovia, a sprawling, which laid waste to commu- cant underestimate. could not get to market. chaotic city at the best of times. Tnities across west Africa and The patients’ recovery triggered Strong recent growth has been Schools remained shut after the killed more than 11,000 people is a 42-day countdown - twice the in- curtailed in Guinea and while Libe- summer holidays, unemployment due to be declared over today with cubation period of the virus - before ria has resumed growth, Sierra Leo- soared as the formal and black mar- Liberia expecting the all-clear. Liberia can be declared free of trans- ne is in a severe recession according ket economies collapsed, clinics The worst outbreak of the tropical mission for a third time. to the World Bank, which has mobi- closed as staff died and non-emer- pathogen in history has devastated Ebola can fell its victims within lised $1.62bn for Ebola response and gency healthcare ground to a halt. health services and wrecked the days, causing severe fever and mus- recovery eff orts. Amid the horror, one case stood economies of the hardest hit nations cle pain, weakness, vomiting and “Ebola has reduced me to a pau- out as uniquely cruel. since it emerged in southern Guinea diarrhoea. In many cases it shuts per, as many of my creditors were In the quarantined hamlet of in December 2013. down organs and causes unstoppa- foreigners, mainly Nigerian nation- Ballajah, 150km from the capital, At its height, the epidemic cut a ble bleeding. als,” said textile dealer Mohamed 12-year-old Fatu Sherrif was locked swathe through the capital cities of The virus is spread through close Sow, one of numerous entrepreneurs into her home with her dead mother Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, contact with the sweat, vomit, blood interviewed by AFP in Sierra Leone as panicked neighbours fl ed to the with bodies piling up in the streets or other bodily fl uids of an infected this week who have described being forest. and overwhelmed hospitals record- person, or the recently deceased. ruined by the epidemic. “They owed Her cries could be heard for sev- ing hundreds of new cases a week. Liberia was fi rst declared free of me millions and they left Freetown eral days by the few who had stayed WHO said today’s announcement human-to-human transmission when the Ebola virus was raging.” in the abandoned village before she in Geneva will “mark 42 days since the in May, only to see the fever resur- During the two months of peak died alone, without food or water. last Ebola cases in Liberia were tested face six weeks later, It was offi cially transmission in August and Septem- The international community negative.” The announcement was credited with beating the epidemic ber 2014, Liberia’s capital Monrovia came under fi re for a response that previously scheduled for tomorrow, for a second time in September be- was the setting for some of the most saw west African states treated as and no reason was given for the change. fore another small cluster of cases harrowing scenes from the outbreak. pariahs. “We will remain careful and keep emerged. The largest Ebola unit ever built But that all changed when aid calling on the population to take the The virus spread aggressively opened there with 120 beds in Au- workers started falling ill and going necessary measures in preventing from “patient zero”, a Guinean in- gust 2014 but was immediately home for treatment, resulting in the reoccurrence,” said Francis Karteh, fant who became the fi rst victim, overwhelmed, with staff forced to fi rst-ever domestic infections out- Liberia’s chief medical offi cer and into Liberia and then Sierra Leone, turn patients away at its gates, de- side of Africa - two in the US and major fi gure in the response to the quickly notching up more deaths spite more than doubling its capac- one in Spain. epidemic. than all other outbreaks combined. ity. From a position of indiff erence, Liberia, hardest hit in the out- Sporadic cases were also regis- Liberian Defence Minister the West rallied to the cause, send- break with 4,800 deaths, discharged tered in Mali, Nigeria and Senegal as Brownie Samukai told a meeting of ing thousands of troops and med- its last two cases - the father and deaths mounted at a dizzying rate, the UN Security Council that the ics to Africa in 2014 and developing younger brother of a 15-year-old igniting fears in Europe and else- country was facing “a serious threat possible treatments and vaccines, victim - on December 3. where of a virus that transgressed to its national existence”. many of which are still being tested. Gulf Times 14 Thursday, January 14, 2016 AMERICAS

10,000th Syrian refugee lands at Toronto airport

AFP Toronto

anada has welcomed its 10,000th Syrian refugee, the government announced yesterday, although Calmost two weeks behind schedule and far fewer than it had originally planned to resettle by now. A planeload landed in Toronto late on Tuesday, putting the number of arrivals of asylum seekers at 10,121 since November when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals took offi ce. In a statement, Immigration Minister John McCa- llum called it a “signifi cant milestone” on the way to meeting the Liberal’s overall pledge to take in 25,000 Syrians. “Many people have worked day and night to bring these refugees to Canada,” he said, “and Canadians have opened their communities and their hearts to welcome them. Canada continues to set an interna- tional example with its response to the worst refugee crisis of our time.” Trudeau had promised during an election campaign last year to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by Decem- ber 31. But after assuming power the target date was pushed to the end of February, following criticism that the government was moving too fast amid security concerns in the aftermath of deadly attacks in Paris, as well as due to logistical issues. A new interim target of taking in 10,000 by Decem- ber 31 was set, but only 6,000 Syrians travelling from camps in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey made it onto Canadian soil by year’s end. President Barack Obama waves at the conclusion of his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington on Tuesday. The UN refugee agency estimates that more than 4mn Syrians have fl ed the civil war ravaging their country. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights puts the total number of dead at more than 260,000 people.

Obama urges anxious Ohio man sends selfi e to police, US to embrace change held in Florida Reuters AFP been through big changes before,” not threaten our national existence.” by news that 10 US Navy personnel in a moment of personal candour. Miami Washington as he took thinly veiled shots at “Our answer needs to be more had been taken to an Iranian naval “There’s no doubt a president Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and other than tough talk or calls to carpet- base in the Gulf. with the gifts of Lincoln or Roo- leading Republican presidential bomb civilians. That may work as Senior US offi cials said they sevelt might have better bridged n Ohio man wanted for drunk driving who sent resident Barack Obama told candidates. a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass had received assurances the crews the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep police a more fl attering photo of himself be- Americans nervous about “Each time, there have been muster on the world’s stage,” he would sail onwards come fi rst light, trying to be better so long as I hold Acause he did not like his mug shot has been ar- Pterror and a changing econ- those who told us to fear the future, said pointedly. but Republicans held up the crisis this offi ce.” rested in Florida, police said. omy that they should not fear the who claimed we could slam the “Over-the-top claims that this up as evidence that Obama was na- South Carolina Governor Nikki “How’s this photo Donald Pugh?” asked the Escam- future, in a farewell State of the Un- brakes on change, promising to re- is World War III just play into their ive to engage Tehran. Haley said in the traditional Repub- bia County, Florida, Sheriff ’s Offi ce on its Facebook ion address on Tuesday that drew store past glory if we just got some hands.” Overall, it was an unorthodox lican rebuttal of Obama’s address page, showing the suspect’s new, broadly smiling mug sharp contrast with Republicans. group or idea that was threatening And in a volley clearly aimed speech that eschewed the typical that “the president’s record has shot. “Maybe that selfi e helped people identify you In a primetime address that bub- America under control. And each at Trump, Obama warned that laundry list of legislative priorities often fallen far short of his soaring better?” bled with 2016 election politics, time, we overcame those fears.” “when politicians insult Muslims... as Obama tried to lift the country’s words.” Pugh, 45, had posted a photo of himself wearing Obama assailed Republicans for With less than three weeks until that’s not telling it like it is. It’s just gaze beyond the next year, and be- “As he enters his fi nal year in of- sunglasses in a car after he saw the two mug shots that talking up the threat posed by the the Iowa caucuses - the fi rst votes wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes yond his presidency. fi ce, many Americans are still feel- the Lima, Ohio, police department had posted on its Islamic State group and talking cast in the process to replace him of the world.” But he also tacitly, and explicitly, ing the squeeze of an economy too Facebook page. down the American economy. - Obama berated Republican eco- The Republican frontrunner admitted mistakes. weak to raise income levels.” “Here is a better photo that one is terrible,” Pugh A self-assured and optimistic nomic rhetoric, saying “anyone Trump was not impressed, describ- There was no mention of the ra- She also cited “chaotic unrest in wrote when he sent in the selfi e. Obama cast himself as the foil of claiming that America’s economy is ing the speech on Twitter as “really cial tensions that have dogged the many of our cities” and “the most Pugh was arrested in Century, Florida, on Tuesday foes who warn the country is going in decline is peddling fi ction.” boring, slow, lethargic - very hard tenure of the fi rst black president. dangerous terrorist threat our na- morning thanks to a tip, the Escambia County Sher- in the wrong direction because of But some of his toughest words to watch!” There was only a fl eeting refer- tion has seen since September 11.” iff ’s Offi ce said. He is being held for warrants out of his seven years in offi ce. were for Republican statements Tuesday’s address was arguably ence, and a symbolic empty seat But Haley, the daughter of Indian Columbus, Georgia, according to Lima police. Hailing an epoch of “extraordi- over the rise of the Islamic State Obama’s last big opportunity to in the chamber, to gun control and immigrants, also jabbed at Trump “Alas we will wait our turn,” said Lima police on nary change” laden with risk and group. sway a national audience and frame the awful toll of American gun vio- over his views on immigration. their Facebook page. They thanked “the power of so- opportunity, Obama called for a He painted the jihadists as the 2016 White House race. lence. “During anxious times, it can be cial media” and tips called in to authorities for the ar- new “moonshot” to cure cancer, “masses of fi ghters on the back of Around 30mn viewers were ex- Obama did take some blame for tempting to follow the siren call of rest, as well as Escambia County. a shift away from dirty energy to pickup trucks, twisted souls plot- pected to watch live, a nationwide Washington’s hyper-partisan poli- the angriest voices,” she said. Lima police last week posted Pugh’s mug shots af- power the world’s biggest economy ting in apartments or garages.” audience that may only be matched tics. “We must resist that temptation. ter an arrest warrant was issued following his failure and for a thaw in the last remnants He admitted that the extrem- in political terms during the Demo- “It’s one of the few regrets of my No one who is willing to work hard, to appear in court on a misdemeanour drunk driving of the Cold War by ending the em- ists, who have overrun large areas of cratic nominating convention later presidency - that the rancour and abide by our laws, and love our tra- charge. Pugh is a person of interest in several other bargo on Cuba. Syria and Iraq, pose an “enormous this year. suspicion between the parties has ditions should ever feel unwelcome cases including an arson and vandalism. Obama insisted “America has danger,” but made clear: “They do But it risked being overshadowed gotten worse instead of better,” he said in this country.” It was not known if Pugh had an attorney.

Special courts hope to reduce gun violence Grand Canyon park female

By Joseph Ax, Reuters workers ‘sexually harassed’ New York

By Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters inappropriately and lashed out if their ad- ew York City will establish Los Angeles vances were rejected. The aggressors had special courts for gun pos- “some sort of wager... to see who would Nsession cases and create a get laid the most,” according to a witness police unit dedicated to gun-related omen employees at Grand Can- quoted in the report. investigations as part of an eff ort to yon National Park were sexually One employee said she suspected one of cut gun crime, offi cials said on Tues- Wharassed for more than a decade the boatmen may have “taken sexual ad- day. by three male boat operators during work vantage” of an intoxicated woman during Project Fast Track, unveiled at a trips on the Colorado River, a federal in- a 2008 trip. City Hall press conference, is an at- vestigation found on Tuesday. When the witness questioned the man, tempt to ensure gun cases are pros- The investigation was based on allega- who was lying next to the sleeping wom- ecuted quickly and effi ciently at all tions by 13 former and current park em- an, she said he “stood up, buckled his levels of the criminal justice system. ployees and information from 22 others, pants and walked away,” according to the Mayor Bill de Blasio, joined by revealing “a long-term pattern of sexual report. state and federal law enforcement harassment and a hostile work environ- After a 2005 incident in which one of chiefs, court offi cials and anti-crime ment” at the park in Arizona, the report the boatmen took a photograph under advocates, made the announcement said. a park employee’s dress, he received a just a week after President Barack The incidents included inappropriate 30-day suspension and subsequently re- Obama said he would take several touching and threats and took place over signed, according to the report. A second executive actions aimed at reducing 15 years since about 2000. boatman resigned in 2013 after being dis- gun violence nationwide. Some were not investigated or reported ciplined. Under New York’s initiative, peo- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a news conference at City Hall in Manhattan on Tuesday. by supervisors, according to the US De- The third boatman told investigators he ple charged with illegally possess- partment of the Interior inspector gen- had consensual sex with women during ing fi rearms in Brooklyn, which has vowed that police would work closely said the new initiative would help tablished dedicated to gun cases in eral’s offi ce. river trips and was not disciplined for any the highest rate of such cases among with federal agencies to enhance in- ensure “the most dangerous indi- Brooklyn. “The behaviour cited in the report of the incidents described in the report. the city’s fi ve boroughs, would be vestigations into interstate gun traf- viduals in this city are behind bars.” While the court had initial suc- is simply unacceptable,” National Park He remains an employee of the park but processed through two “gun courts” fi cking. Two assigned state judges will cesses, it eventually became over- Service spokesman James Doyle said in an is prohibited from participating in river starting this week. New York State has some of the oversee the “gun courts” to try and loaded with a backlog of cases, partly email. trips. The police department’s new Gun country’s toughest gun laws, but streamline the adjudication of cases. because of a new law increasing the Neither the boatmen nor the complain- The investigation stems from a let- Violence Suppression Division, with police have struggled to stem the so- Court offi cials said cases would be minimum prison sentence for gun ants were named. All three of the men de- ter sent to Secretary of the Interior Sally nearly 200 assigned detectives, will called “Iron Pipeline,” in which il- resolved within six months of arrest, possession, making plea deals less nied any wrongdoing, and two no longer Jewell in September 2014 from several Na- handle gun-related investigations in legal fi rearms fl ow in from Southern far faster than typical prosecutions. likely. Court offi cials suspended the work for the park. tional Park Service workers. the city of about 8.5mn, the largest in states with looser restrictions. If successful, similar courts could court in 2009. The US Attorney for Arizona declined Offi cials have taken steps to change the the US. De Blasio emphasized that a small be set up throughout the city, in- Offi cials said the new courts would to prosecute. way river trips are conducted at the Grand The unit’s mandate includes gang number of people, numbering in the cluding Manhattan, offi cials said. have greater resources, including re- During research and park maintenance Canyon, including prohibiting alcohol cases and shootings, and a database thousands, are responsible for the The gun courts recall a similar ef- tired judges to oversee pretrial hear- trips that could last for weeks, female and stripping boatmen of their power to to track illegal gun sales. De Blasio vast majority of gun violence. He fort in 2003, when a court was es- ings. workers said the boatmen touched them remove other workers from the trips. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 15 ASEAN Suu Kyi not to Thai websites hacked press for charter amendment

Reuters former head of the junta that Naypyitaw ruled the country for 49 years, over murders verdict Than Shwe, pledging the NLD wanted work for the “brighter Reuters the island of Koh Tao in 2014. believe police forced the two into associated with the Anonymous hacked but were looking into it. yanmar election win- future” and not focus on the Bangkok Witheridge had been raped confessing under duress. Police movement, with a blindfold over In an emotionally charged Fa- ner Aung San Suu Kyi past. and bludgeoned to death, ac- denied that. his eyes and the words: “Failed cebook post on Tuesday, With- Mwill not press for an The Nobel laureate’s concil- cording to police, and Miller In a message posted on the Law. We Want Justice!” eridge’s sister criticised the immediate change to the con- iatory steps towards the army nternational hacking move- suff ered severe head inju- ‘We Are Anonymous’ Facebook The group listed more than investigation and the police. stitution that bars her from refl ect a pragmatic approach ment Anonymous said it ries and was left to drown in page the hacking group said it 200 websites it said it shut down. Miller’s family has said it sup- becoming president, and will to transition from semi-ci- Iattacked hundreds of Thai the surf. had shut down Thai judicial The Civil Court of Thailand’s ported the court verdict and the instead appoint a ceremonial vilian rule in place since 2011, government websites yesterday But the investigation drew websites in protest over the main website was not immedi- work of the police. head of state, a senior offi cial and see Suu Kyi’s image as a over death sentences handed allegations of police incompe- verdict. ately accessible but the Courts This month, Anonymous, a in her party said yesterday. democracy icon blur with that down to two migrant workers tence, torture and mishandling “Anonymous shuts down all of Justice website, which the loose-knit international net- She will also include in of a political operator. for the murder of two British of evidence. Thai Court of Justice website in group said it had hacked, work of activist hackers, said it the new cabinet at least one That pragmatism has drawn tourists. Police rejected the complaints protest over the Koh Tao murder was running as normal late was responsible for cyberattacks member of the military-linked criticism in the recent past. A court sentenced Myanmar but protests erupted in neigh- verdict. Anonymous is support- yesterday. on Thai police websites in pro- Union Solidarity and Devel- One issue Suu Kyi largely migrant workers Zaw Lin and bouring Myanmar after the ver- ing the campaign to ask tourists Police Colonel Somporn test against the Koh Tao verdict. opment Party (USDP), which avoided during election cam- Win Zaw Htun, both 22, to death dict, with many people there to boycott Thailand,” the group Daengdee, deputy chief of the Police confi rmed the attacks was trounced in the Novem- paigning, for example, was the on December 24 after fi nding believing the two workers, who said. police Technology Crime Sup- but said they were not on con- ber vote, as well as technocrats plight of Myanmar’s persecut- them guilty of murdering tour- denied killing the tourists, were It also posted a black and pression Division, said po- fi dential data. Reuters was un- from ethnic minorities who ed Rohingya Muslims, a silence ists Hannah Witheridge, 23, and scapegoats. white graphic of a man wearing lice had not received reports able to verify who carried out the have long complained of being that was frowned upon by David Miller, 24, on a beach on Some rights workers say they a Guy Fawkes mask, an image of government websites being attacks. sidelined from power. some international observers. The democracy champion is As far as political transition keen to avoid open confronta- is concerned, however, experts tion with the powerful military, said the 70-year-old’s will- perhaps wary that the last time ingness to do business with Rubber market she triumphed at the ballot box the former military dictator- Fishermen in 1990, the army kept her un- ship was unavoidable. der house arrest for years and “Her priority ... is not to refused to surrender power. get rid of the military or to di- rescued That does not mean Suu Kyi’s minish it, but to bring it under National League for Democracy civilian control, and I think (NLD) party has given up on its that’s understood by everyone after eight overarching goal of amending to be a gradual process,” said the constitution, the party of- Richard Horsey, a respected fi cial said, but the issue has not Yangon-based analyst and days at sea been discussed yet between the former senior United Nations sides in recent weeks. offi cial in Myanmar. “Our choice of president “It’s not going to happen AFP will be only ceremonial and overnight and it can only hap- Sydney the decisions will be made pen if the military accepts to only by Aung San Suu Kyi,” be brought under civilian con- said the offi cial, who declined trol, given ... its de facto au- our Indonesian fi shermen to be named because of the thority and power.” who spent eight days adrift sensitivity of negotiations on Myanmar’s existing consti- Fin the remote Timor Sea on how the country will be run tution, drawn up by the junta, a makeshift raft were rescued by following the NLD’s landslide guarantees the military a quar- marine authorities and a fi shing election victory. ter of seats in parliament, con- vessel yesterday, Australian offi - He reiterated Suu Kyi’s as- trol of three security ministries cials said, adding that they were in sertion that she would stay and a constitutional veto. “good health” despite their ordeal. “above the president”. NLD representatives were The men were spotted by an But by appointing a fi gure- meeting or calling army offi c- Australian Border Force plane in head president, the NLD aims ers “two or three times” a week, the Timor Sea on Tuesday evening to “show the people this ri- the offi cial said. Both mid- and and a nearby fi shing vessel AFV diculous constitution must be high-ranking party members Exodus was called on to pick up amended.” were involved in the talks. the men early yesterday morning, Suu Kyi has discussed aspects “They (the military) are the Australian Maritime Safety of the transition with the army nervous. They want to know Authority (AMSA) said. chief at “a few”, previously un- that we won’t rock the boat,” The fi shing boat was later reported, closed-door meetings said the offi cial. met by the Australian Navy ship since the elections, he said. Zaw Htay, a senior offi cial HMAS Maitland, AMSA added. She has also appointed NLD in the president’s offi ce, sup- “All survivors have been medi- Workers move baskets filled with rubber at the central rubber market in Nong Khai town of Thailand yesterday. Steps announced this week liaisons who are in regular ported the dialogue. cally assessed and are in good by Thailand’s ruling junta to help rubber producers grappling with plunging prices do not go far enough, some farmers said. The cabinet contact with the army, part “Trust and co-operation are health. The fi shermen will be has promised to buy some rubber directly from farmers at rates above market levels and announced piecemeal measures including a plan of intensifying eff orts to build based on understanding. So repatriated to their home port of to open up rubber processing factories. The moves came after protest threats by rubber farmers galvanised a military government that trust between the party and its both sides need to talk to each Kupang, Indonesia,” AMSA said draws much of its support from Bangkok and the south, the country’s main rubber-growing region. former enemies. other directly without using a in a statement. Last month Suu Kyi met the third person,” he said. The skipper of the Exodus, Gary Finlay, said the men were “140 miles off the nearest Kim- berley Coast... basically in the middle of nowhere”. “It was a wing and a prayer Missing Indonesians raise fears Cambodia’s long-ruling PM keeping them afl oat,” Finlay told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, adding that the raft about ‘dangerous’ group was just 1.5sq m (16sq ft) in size gears up for distant election and made from debris from the fi shermen’s ship. Reuters militants and a crackdown by Widodo to monitor this.” “They had two fuel cells Jakarta counter-terrorism police on Anung said little was known Reuters squeeze the opposition and re- latched together as the base of people with suspected links to about the group but the reli- Phnom Penh cast himself as a reformer who the boat then around the two fuel Islamic State. gious aff airs ministry had been is doing “something good for cells they had plastic 20-litre (5.3 ndonesia’s president or- The more than a dozen men asked to help the police in in- the people,” said Koul Panha US gallon) drums,” he said. dered police yesterday and woman were reported vestigating. ambodia won’t hold of the Committee for Free and “They had a couple of 40-litre Ito step up surveillance missing by their families and Police last month rounded a general election for Fair Elections in Cambodia, an plastic blue containers latched after at least a dozen peo- there were strong indica- up several men across Java Canother two years. But election watchdog based in the there and a 400kg (882 pound) ple went missing and are be- tions they had joined a group island who were found with look at Prime Minister Hun capital Phnom Penh. ice box that was half submerged.” lieved to have joined a little known as Gafatar, authorities bomb-making materials, a su- Sen, its long-ruling and mer- “But his leadership style is Finlay said when his crew known group that authorities have said. icide-bomb vest, and books on curial strongman, and you’d still about fear and coercing found the Indonesians, they were have described as radical and “This has the potential waging jihad. think one was imminent. Prime Minister Hun Sen voters - no change there,” he knee-deep in water and their feet dangerous. to disturb public security,” The men were believed to Hun Sen’s party narrowly added. were “suff ering”. The order from President Cabinet Secretary Pramo- have been targeting Christmas won the last election in 2013 an old defamation case which Analysts said Hun Sen’s Cam- But while they were hungry and Joko Widodo came during a no Anung said in an online and New Year’s Eve celebra- after losing seats to a resurgent critics say was revived at Hun bodian People’s Party (CPP) was “in a bit of shock”, they were oth- period of heightened concern statement. “We have been tions in the capital, Jakarta, and opposition that shook his dec- Sen’s bidding. rattled by November’s historic erwise physically well, he added. about the danger of Islamist asked by President Joko other cities. ades-long grip on power. The prime minister has also election in Myanmar, where an Now, with a familiar mix of begun to harness the power of authoritarian incumbent was guile and ruthlessness, Hun Sen the Internet to soften his fe- trounced by a long-persecuted China told to halt is stepping up attempts to boost rocious image and reach the democratic opposition with a his popularity, blunt the oppo- youthful voters who deserted charismatic leader. flights to Reef sition and avert a potential dis- him in 2013. The scale of the victory of Vietnam has demanded that aster in 2018, say analysts. A late adopter of social me- Aung San Suu Kyi’s National Malaysia lays down China stop flying to Fiery Cross That election will be closely dia, Hun Sen is now locked in League for Democracy over its Reef in the South China Sea, watched as Hun Sen, one of Chi- a closely watched popularity army-backed rival surprised calling recent test flights there a na’s closest allies in Southeast contest with Sam Rainsy on Fa- many pollsters. violation of its sovereignty, news Asia, fi ghts to extend his rule. cebook. Latest score: the prime The Myanmar result was “a reports said yesterday. Only Zimbabwe’s Robert Mu- minister’s page has 1.8mn welcome development”, CPP the law on fat cops China has flown three civilian gabe and a handful of other auto- “likes,” his rival’s has 2mn. member of parliament Suos planes to the reef since January 2. crats have held power for longer. Hun Sen recently launched a Yara said, and it confi rmed his AFP National police chief Khalid hundreds on the force call in It had converted the reef in recent In an internal report cir- slick personal website and even party’s long-held belief that Kuala Lumpur Abu Bakar said yesterday of- sick every day. years into an artificial island with culated at the weekend, Hun his own cellphone app. “the only way to win election is fi cers will now have to pass a Nearly half the population an airstrip. Both countries claim Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party But some analysts ques- to make sure that people from fi tness test before they can rise of relatively prosperous, food- jurisdiction over the area. (CPP) said it had fi red or hired tion whether any of this will be all political backgrounds can alaysia is putting the up the ranks, and that a new fi t- loving Malaysia is overweight Vietnam’s foreign ministry hundreds of offi cials in reforms enough to dispel widespread have a better life.” heat on overweight ness programme has been in- or obese, according to a 2013 said the flights landed on a aimed at regaining the “warmth disenchantment with Hun Hun Sen’s attempts to re- Mpolice offi cers, warn- troduced for overweight cops. study by UK medical journal runway “built illegally on Fiery and trust” of the people. Sen’s iron-fi sted rule. form his party and image were ing them to shape up or miss Besides limiting their eff ec- The Lancet, compared to global Cross Reef, which is part of Hun Sen recently gave sal- The beating of lawmakers neither credible nor eff ective, out on promotions amid esti- tiveness as crime fi ghters, the rates of around 30%. Vietnam’s Spratlys,” the Vietnam ary bumps to civil servants from Sam Rainsy’s party by Sam Rainsy said. mates that nearly 10% of the problem has led to a “high mor- Experts blame a diet marked News Agency reported, citing and workers in the politically Hun Sen loyalists in October Any genuine reform of the CPP force is obese. tality rate... caused by diabetes by spicy curries made with fat- spokesman Le Hai Binh. sensitive garment sector, and suggested a return to form for a would undermine the cronyism A taste for rich foods has and high blood pressure” in the tening coconut milk, carb-heavy The flights “aff ect the security, relaxed unpopular laws relat- man who, in a televised speech and corruption upon which the made Malaysia the fattest corps, Khalid was quoted saying rice dishes, sugary drinks and a safety and freedom of aviation ing to motorbike licenses and in 2005, told political oppo- party was founded, he said. country in Southeast Asia, ac- by news portal Malaysiakini. penchant for late-night eating. in the South China Sea, and run inheritance tax. nents to “prepare coffi ns and “The CPP has become more cording to offi cials and health “We, as the management Malaysia also has historically counter to applicable regulations He has also turned up the say their wills to their wives.” and more anachronistic,” he said. experts, and the police force of the Royal Malaysian Police, lacked a strong tradition of ac- under international law,” Binh heat on his long-time political Other opposition politicians A former fi nance minister, has not been spared. need to fi nd a way for the sake of tive outdoor leisure pursuits added. foe Sam Rainsy, a leader of the have been jailed, while protests Sam Rainsy has twice returned Local media have quoted police their families, and for them, to due in part to its sweltering China said that its flights to Fiery opposition Cambodia National - including one by garment from self-imposed exile to fi ght offi cials estimating that nearly be made aware that they need to weather, Islamic modesty, and Cross Reef were “state aviation Rescue Party (CNRP). workers last month - violently general elections after Hun Sen 11,000 of the country’s 122,000 exercise and to stay fi t,” he said. shortage of public spaces for activities” and “totally within Sam Rainsy fl ed to France in dispersed. signed royal pardons clearing police offi cers were “obese”. Police offi cials have said exercise. China’s sovereignty.” November to avoid arrest for Hun Sen’s strategy is to him of charges. Gulf Times 16 Thursday, January 14, 2016 AUSTRALASIA/EAST ASIA HK leader pushes integration in policy speech

dents from countries targeted by of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, or and political issues, particularly “One Belt, One Road”. Reuters Government to ban ivory trade: Leung Hong Kong the programme. mini-constitution, and that he Beijing’s ties with Hong Kong, One regular Hong Kong Uni- He mentioned “One Belt, One had raised the issue with main- a former British colony that re- versity poll ahead of the speech Hong Kong will ban the import and export of ivory, the city’s leader an- Road” 40 times in his speech, land authorities. turned to Chinese rule in 1997 showed his popularity had ong Kong’s leader an- nounced yesterday, in a “historic” move hailed by animal welfare activists. which also boosted existing The policy address has tra- with the promise of wide-rang- reached an all-time low of 37.5%. nounced steps yesterday Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told lawmakers in his annual policy plans in other areas but lacked ditionally been a platform for ing autonomy. Leung, who pledged in 2012 to Hto boost integration with address that off icials were determined to crack down on the trade in sweeping new initiatives. leaders in the Chinese-control- “I think (Leung) ought to off er make housing more aff ordable, China, pinning the city’s future Hong Kong. The southern Chinese city is a major hub of ivory sales and Four lawmakers were removed led city to hand out billions to stronger reassurances to Hong said Hong Kong’s lack of aff ord- on the success of Beijing’s inter- has been criticised by environmentalists for fuelling the illegal trade that for heckling Leung during his the less-advantaged or to signal Kong people and address the able property remained a serious national “One Belt, One Road” leads to rampant poaching across Africa. “The government is very con- speech over a lack of substance shifts in economic and other po- confi dence issues,” she said. problem. concept. cerned about the illegal poaching of elephants in Africa. It will kick start and his failure to mention con- litical policies. James Sung, a political ana- Prices and rents “are still be- Leung Chun-ying, who start- legislative procedures as soon as possible to ban the import and export cerns over the disappearance of With many Hong Kong resi- lyst at City University, said Le- yond what people can aff ord, ed a fi ve-year term as chief ex- of elephant hunting trophies,” Leung said at the Legislative Council on fi ve Hong Kong booksellers. The dents increasingly dissatisfi ed ung seemed determined to show and have distorted the values of ecutive in 2012, said during his yesterday. He added ministers will “actively explore other appropriate fi ve, linked to the production with Leung’s administration, loyalty to Chinese President Xi the younger generation,” he said. annual policy address that Hong measures” to phase out the local ivory trade. and sale of works critical of Bei- experts expressed surprise at Jinping and he doubted smaller “We should continue to tackle Kong would play a signifi cant jing’s leaders, are widely feared the dominance of ‘One Belt, One businesses would prosper from the housing problem head-on role in promoting the new “silk to have been illegally abducted Road’ over other issues. Beijing’s initiative. and must not concede.” road” spreading from Western “Hong Kong is well-posi- said. He pledged HK$1.2bn by mainland agents. Pro-Beijing politician Regina Leung later acknowledged He said about 97,100 public China to Central Asia and Eu- tioned to capture the wealth ($154.65mn) for the concept, Leung said that any such ac- Ip said Leung had “overdone it” that some residents neither un- housing units will be built over rope. of the Belt and Road,” Leung mostly for scholarships for stu- tion would be in contravention while skirting key governance derstood nor were interested in the next fi ve years. Seoul urges Fitness time tough China response to North’s test

AFP tional “punitive sanctions” with Whatever the nature of the de- Seoul the US and its allies, she added. vice, it was North Korea’s fourth The president stressed that nuclear test since 2006, and fur- China, North Korea’s main ally ther evidence of Pyongyang’s outh Korean troops fi red at and economic benefactor, would intention to continue developing a suspected North Korean be critical in securing an eff ec- its nuclear weapons capability in Sdrone that crossed the bor- tive Security Council resolution. the face of international censure. der yesterday, as President Park Noting Beijing’s public ad- “An additional North Korean Employees stretch as they practice a routine exercise during a break at a garment factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China. The Geun-Hye pushed China to back monishments of Kim’s regime provocation can take place any factory organises exercises for over 1,200 employees twice a day, during their break at 9.30am and 2.30pm, for their well-being, harsh sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme, time,” Park said, adding that local media reported. over its latest nuclear test. Park said it was time for China to Seoul and Washington were dis- The defence ministry said the move beyond rhetoric. cussing the transfer of further drone eff ected a brief incursion, “I believe China is aware that US “strategic assets” to the pe- but swiftly returned to the North if its strong determination is not ninsula. side when South Korean troops put into actual, necessary ac- A nuclear-capable US B-52 fi red a series of warning shots. tions, we will not be able to pre- bomber fl ew a highly-visible Any shooting on what is prob- vent a fi fth or sixth nuclear test,” mission to the peninsula on Sun- ably the world’s most heavily she said. day, and the nuclear-powered Ai bedecks beard with Lego militarised border is rare and a Her stance was backed hours aircraft carrier USS Ronald Rea- cause for concern, though there later by a meeting in Seoul of the gan, as well as B-2 stealth bomb- was no exchange of fi re and the US, Japanese and South Korean ers and F-22 stealth fi ghter jets, incident showed no immediate special envoys on North Korea. are understood to be among the sign of escalating. “I think the Chinese will additional deployments being bricks after fi rm backs down But it fuelled already height- agree with us that the only way considered. ened tensions on the frontier, we can send a clear message to In a meeting with his nu- where the South has been blast- Pyongyang is to adopt strong clear scientists in Pyongyang on Reuters China’s rights record, had ac- ceived as inconsistent”. Cus- It was not immediately clear ing high-decibel propaganda international measures,” the US Tuesday, North Korean leader Copenhagen cused the Danish toymaker of tomers wanting to build pub- if Ai would now repeat his or- broadcasts into the North as envoy Sung Kim told reporters Kim Jong-Un said the talk of censorship and set up collec- lic displays out of Lego bricks der and press on with his Lego punishment for last week’s nu- after the talks. sanctions and movement of tion points for people to send would now only have to make project. He has used the mul- clear test. But Park’s entreaties went strategic weapons was “bringing issident Chinese art- him bricks. it clear that the company did ti-coloured building blocks Earlier in the day, President largely ignored at the regular dark clouds of a nuclear war” to ist Ai Weiwei published Lego said at the time it had not endorse the project, it before to build portraits of Park told an annual press con- foreign ministry briefi ng in Bei- the peninsula. Dphotos of himself with a long-running policy of not added. other dissidents, including ference that the nuclear test was jing, where the spokesman re- He urged them to build up a Lego hanging off his moustache fulfilling bulk orders or do- The free speech campaigner Nelson Mandela. an “unacceptable challenge” to iterated China’s standard line nuclear force “capable of making and beard yesterday, celebrat- nating bricks if they knew published photos of himself Chinese authorities con- global security that had to be about working with all inter- nuclear strikes at the US-led im- ing the toymaker’s decision they would be used as part of with Lego bricks hanging off fiscated Ai’s passport in 2011 met with unprecedented sever- ested parties to resolve the issue perialists anytime,” the offi cial to back down on rules that a “political agenda”. his hair, moustache and beard and detained him for 81 days, ity. and achieve a “durable pace” in KCNA news agency reported. blocked his bulk order of bricks. But it said in a statement on on his Instagram and Face- only returning the document “The international commu- the region. Following the test, Lego said on Tuesday it had Tuesday it would stop asking book accounts. The Instagram in July last year. nity’s counter measures... must North Korea says last week’s Pyongyang’s invitation to the dropped restrictions on large people why they wanted its post included a grinning emoji Owned by the founding diff er from the past,” Park said. test was of a miniaturised hydro- World Economic Forum in Davos orders after facing a storm of products. symbol, but no further com- family Lego is the world’s larg- As well as working with the gen bomb — a claim dismissed was revoked, just months after it criticism for declining his re- It did not refer directly to ment. est toymaker by sales having UN to adopt the “strongest” res- by experts who argue the yield was asked to join the gathering quest for pieces for a large pub- Ai’s order, but acknowledged “So sweet, congratula- recently overtaken US Barbie- olution to penalise North Korea, was far too low for a full-fl edged in the interest of furthering dia- lic work in Australia in October. that the rules “could result in tions,” wrote one supporter on maker Mattel and Monopoly- Seoul would also discuss addi- thermonuclear device. logue and reconciliation. Ai, known for his criticism of misunderstandings or be per- Facebook. board maker Hasbro.

AVIATION ENTERTAINMENT Search for aircraft Japan boy band finds second 19th ‘Bushcraft’ helps Dutch SMAP mulling century shipwreck Feminists hail expected breakup: media The search for a missing Malaysia woman survive ordeal Japanese pop fans were rocked Airlines plane in the Indian Ocean election of Taiwan’s Tsai by news yesterday that ever- has turned up the second cen- green boy band SMAP is mulling turies-old shipwreck but no sign AFP “When they found her she a breakup, ending the group’s of the aircraft which disappeared Reuters Sydney was absolutely covered in mud 30-year reign at the top of the with 239 passengers and crew Beijing from head to toe, and she’s told music business that has won nearly two years ago, searchers the searchers she’s put the mud them legions of fans across Asia. said yesterday. Malaysia Airlines Dutch woman lost in a all over her to protect herself One of Japan’s most popular Flight MH370 went missing during eminists in China are “dense and unforgiving” from the sun during the day,” and longest enduring bands, a flight from Kuala Lumpur to embracing Taiwan’s AAustralian forest for fi ve Inspector Mark Edwards told the heartthrobs soared to the Beijing on March 8, 2014. Fpresidential front- days used “bushcraft”, includ- the Australian Broadcasting top of the charts with sugary The Australian-led underwater runner Tsai Ing-wen as a role ing covering herself with mud Corp. “Her clothing was stuff ed pop songs and choreographed search, the most expensive ever model in a country where the and stuffi ng her clothing with with river moss, and she’s used dances, but may split follow- conducted, is expected to be last woman leader was the river moss, to stay alive, police the river moss to keep herself ing a feud within their agency, completed by the middle of 2016, empress dowager more than a said yesterday. warm during the night. It’s according to reports. News of having scoured more than half century ago. Veronique Biunkens, 41, was acted like a bit of a doona (quilt/ the quintet’s possible breakup of a planned 120,000 sq kms of If elected, Tsai, the leader staying at a retreat in Victoria duvet).” emerged on the front pages seafloor, the agency overseeing of Taiwan’s independence- state when she went for a walk Biunkens also built a small of major Japanese “sports” the eff ort said, ruling out any leaning Democratic Progres- in the bush last Thursday near shelter between two trees, using newspapers — which also carry expansion of the search without sive Party (DPP), will be the Buchan, about 355 kilometres branches and bracken, to “make entertainment stories — yes- new leads. “In the absence of cred- fi rst woman president of the east of the state capital Mel- herself a little hut”, Edwards terday and quickly spread as ible new information that leads to Chinese-speaking world. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai bourne, and did not return. said. “She’s been very, very mainstream national dailies and the identification of a specific loca- Earlier this month, she topped Ing-wen addresses her supporters during a rally in Taichung, She was only reported miss- smart, and used some bushcraft public broadcaster NHK rushed tion of the aircraft, governments the last opinion poll before a some 140km southwest of Taipei yesterday. ing by the retreat’s staff on to keep herself alive.” to confirm the reports. SMAP have agreed that there will be no polling blackout began ahead Monday, with rescuers fi nding The policeman praised was established as just another further expansion of the search of the Jan 16 elections. Chinese world, she has set an nist ideas,” said Wu Rongrong, her Tuesday afternoon next to a Biunkens for staying at one spot ubiquitous teenage boy band, area,” Australia’s Joint Agency Co- Tsai’s victory “will be a example and is a role model.” a women’s rights activist. “To creek some 1.3 kilometres from after realising she was lost. but backed by the powerful ordination Centre (JACC), which source of great encourage- Zeng said she hoped that be a female leader, I think it’s an W Tree, a remote area that po- “People always say when Johnny & Associates agency its is overseeing international search ment for feminists on the Tsai’s victory would lead to co- admirable thing.” lice said had “dense and unfor- you start walking in the bush members have flourished — as eff orts, said in a statement. mainland,” said Zeng Jinyan, operation and exchanges be- Democratic Taiwan, viewed giving” terrain. and you lose all sense of direc- a group and also in their solo The search has focused on a a Chinese activist who has tween feminists on the main- by Communist Party rulers in She had not eaten for fi ve tion you basically end up going careers as actors and fixtures on remote part of southern Indian written about women’s rights. land and in Taiwan. China as a renegade province, days and survived by drinking round in circles, and you can popular variety shows. Reports Ocean, where the plane is widely “In terms of the political “When I watch her speech- has made some of the greatest water from the creek bed, Vic- end up really hopelessly lost,” said four members plan to leave believed to have gone down. participation of women in the es, I think she has many femi- strides in women’s rights in Asia. toria police said. Edwards said. Johnny & Associates. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 17 BRITAIN

INDUSTRIAL ACTION PEOPLE CLAIM TRAGEDY CRIME Talks resume to avert Lineker and wife split Police accused of cover-up Two-year-old leads off icer Nine held after man killed next junior doctors’ strike after six-year marriage over Russian death to her mother’s body in burglary at home

A fresh round of talks is due to take place over the Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker and The police were yesterday accused of A two-year-old girl has led an off -duty police Nine people have been arrested over the next two days in an eff ort to resolve a four-month his wife Danielle have split after six years of orchestrating a cover-up over their investigation community support off icer to the body of her killing of a 58-year-old man who is thought to dispute over a proposed new contract for junior marriage. The ex-England footballer, 55, said into the death of Russian whistleblower Alexander mother. The off icer was driving with his wife be the victim of a house burglary. Tony Fisher doctors in England. Three hours after the first the couple are still the “greatest of friends” Perepilichny, who it is claimed may have been when he spotted the little girl walking on her is believed to have been stabbed to death round of planned strikes ended, the Advisory, and had a “wonderful” time together, while the poisoned. Businessman Perepilichny, 44, died own in Shobnall Road, Burton-upon-Trent, last during a break-in at his home in Nottingham Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) said 36-year-old model said she will “cherish” their near his home in 2012 in the county of Surrey, Wednesday. When they asked the girl what she on Friday night. His body was discovered the negotiations would resume today at 10am and relationship. The couple, who do not have any southwest of London, while out running, with was doing, the two-year-old said she was heading following day by his son at the property in continue tomorrow. The resumption of talks comes children, wed in Ravello, Italy, in 2009 after police ruling that he died of natural causes. The to nursery because she could not wake her mum Coningswath Road. Seven men, aged between amid renewed optimism that an agreement can be dating for two years. It was Lineker’s second cover-up allegations centre on Surrey Police’s up, Staff ordshire Police said. The young girl, who 22 and 47, and two women, 28 and 42, have been reached that would avert another planned walkout marriage following his divorce in 2006 from refusal to hand over documents on the case to was metres from her home, then led the off icer to detained on suspicion of his murder. Detective later this month. Thousands of doctors took part Michelle, the mother of his four sons, after 20 legal representatives, claiming that dozens of them the house where her mother, Nicolla Rushton, was superintendent Rob Griff in, of Nottinghamshire in the first strike in more than 40 years, forcing years, and Bux’s first. Bux is a former Virgin qualify for “public interest immunity”. Surrey Police dead inside. The death of the 30-year-old is not Police, said: “We believe that Tony was thousands of operations to be cancelled and Atlantic air stewardess who has become a told Woking Coroner’s Court that the force “very being treated as suspicious. The little girl is now deliberately targeted in the belief that he had a outpatient appointments to be rescheduled. successful lingerie model. firmly rebutted and refuted” claims of a cover-up. being looked after by relatives. large amount of money in his house.” PM under fi re Alien at Winter Lights Festival as panel denied access to Syria intelligence

Harriet Harman accuses examine the intelligence which PM of frustrating security prompted the prime minis- committee’s work after he ter to authorise the strike. But said ministers can withhold under questioning from Tyrie, some information who chairs the liaison commit- tee, Cameron said that ministers Guardian News and Media would retain the right to withhold London some intelligence and he would not allow the ISC to examine the military’s decision-making in the avid Cameron has been run-up to the drone strikes. criticised by senior MPs Asked by Tyrie if he would drop Dafter he refused to allow the power of ministers to block parliament’s intelligence and se- the release of intelligence, he said: curity committee (ISC) unlimited “My instinctive answer would be access to the intelligence that led no … You have to be incredibly to recent drone strikes against Is- careful with highly sensitive in- lamic State. formation, information that if re- A giant inflatable figure has set up home in Canary Wharf as part of the Winter Lights Festival. The 18-foot high alien, called Fantastic Planet, is inspired by the cult 1970s Harriet Harman, the former vealed could result in somebody’s science-fiction film of the same name and is the creation of Australian artist Amanda Parer. deputy leader of the Labour party, death. accused the prime minister of “You are asking me should the frustrating the work of the com- government have no hold-back mittee after he insisted that min- on the intelligence it gives to the isters would retain the right to ISC? Instinctively I would be very withhold some intelligence. worried about that because there The criticism by Harman, who might be a piece of intelligence is now chair of parliament’s joint so sensitive that its release in any committee on human rights, was way could endanger the source.” echoed by the Tory chairman of Tyrie said after the hearing: the treasury select committee, “On the basis of the evidence, the British EU deal ‘to be Andrew Tyrie. intelligence and security com- The parliamentarians attacked mittee will not be able to do a the prime minister after a testy thorough job. The prime minister appearance before the Com- should reconsider his decision to mons liaison committee - the prevent the ISC from looking at body comprising all the chairs of information on the military as- the select committees - at which pects of the drone strikes. Unless ready early February’ he declined a series of requests he permits this, the ISC will be in- to give MPs greater access to the capable of providing reassurance AFP “I think that a concrete draft by the end of 2017 but Cameron currency and to boost economic protections for non-euro na- decision making process on drone to parliament and the public that Brussels could be put on the table in on Sunday gave his clearest hint competitiveness - face much tions. “Cameron is afraid that strikes. the strikes were both necessary early February,” the European yet that it could come later this less opposition. the steps we take in the euro- Harman highlighted the drone and proportionate.” diplomat said on condition of year, telling the BBC: “I would However, Belgian Foreign zone could harm the City, for strike on August 21 last year that Harman said: “The prime deal on reforms Britain anonymity. “Between now and like to see a deal in February and Minister Didier Reynders London’s position... but it’s a killed two Britons fi ghting with minister sought to give the im- has demanded to stay in February, the process contin- a referendum that will follow.” warned yesterday that Cam- bit strange to worry about the Isis in Syria. Reyaad Khan , a pression that he is allowing the Athe European Union will ues.” Cameron said his most con- eron could not expect an “a la euro when he is always telling us 21-year-old from Cardiff who ISC to scrutinise the targeted be put in writing by early Feb- Offi cials from Britain, the troversial proposal - a four-year carte” form of EU membership he wants no part in it. He has to featured in an Isis recruiting vid- killing of Reyaad Khan in Syria in ruary for EU leaders to discuss other 27 EU governments, and ban on top-up benefi ts for mi- for Britain. fi gure out what he wants!,” the eo , was the target of the strike. August. But under questioning later that month, a European the European Commission were grants - was “still on the table” “There are red lines for us,” Belgian said. Ruhul Amin, 26, another Brit- from the liaison committee chair diplomat said yesterday. having “intense discussions” in but he could agree to an “equal- Reynders told journalists in “Nor can we have coun- on, was among two Isis fi ghters Andrew Tyrie MP he was forced Prime Minister David Cam- a bid to hammer out an agree- ly powerful” plan to tackle so- Brussels. “We will not go back- tries that are not members of killed in the attack on Raqqa. to admit he is not allowing this eron has said he is reasonably ment, the diplomat added. called benefi t tourism. wards unless everyone (all 28 the euro and do not want to be In her role at the time as act- scrutiny. It’s not acceptable that confi dent of an accord for the EU leaders will hold a summit His other demands - for the EU states) decides that we will blocking procedures in the eu- ing Labour leader, Harman was he is clearly frustrating the scru- changes in four key areas, ahead in Brussels on February 18 and European Union to give Britain generally transfer some powers rozone. briefed by the prime minister on tiny work of the ISC who he ap- of a referendum on a possible 19 at which they have said they safeguards against more politi- back to individul states.” “So we have to fi nd formulas, the strike in September. pointed and who are all security “Brexit” from the bloc, expect- hope to reach a deal. cal integration, to protect coun- Reynders also voiced caution and there are formulas” for a The ISC is being allowed to cleared.” ed in mid-2016. The referendum must be held tries that do not use the euro over Cameron’s demands for deal, he added. Bowie fi nale soars on Britain may be heading for EU exit: Sturgeon charts after death shock Reuters “David Cameron needs to get London away from the very narrow fo- cus on these renegotiation issues AFP veloped countries on Monday. fully today (Sunday) surrounded and make the big picture case for London Songs from the album as well as by his family after a courageous ritish voters may opt to staying in,” Sturgeon was quoted classic Bowie hits such as Heroes, 18-month battle with cancer.” leave the European Union as saying. Let’s Dance and Under Pressure Bowie’s family asked for privacy Bif Prime Minister David Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish avid Bowie’s fi nal album - performed with Queen - also and a representative said that no Cameron holds a referendum National Party and of Scotland’s soared toward the top of entered the charts of streaming further details would be released. on membership as early as June, devolved government, said she Dthe charts after the mu- leader Spotify, with Bowie’s cata- Left unanswered were where Scottish nationalist leader Nicola was confi dent Scotland would sic legend’s death from cancer log ascending especially quickly exactly Bowie died as well as fu- Sturgeon has said, The Scotsman vote to stay in the EU, but was stunned the world, with the details in France. Blackstar on its release neral arrangements for the artiste newspaper reported yesterday. now less sure about what the rest still shrouded in mystery. already enjoyed nearly universal whose infl uence towered over mu- Cameron is pushing for a deal of the United Kingdom would de- Blackstar, released on Bowie’s critical acclaim, with Bowie again sic, art, fashion and drama. on new membership terms from cide, the paper reported. 69th birthday Friday, was on proving his mastery of reinvention Bowie had told only a few people other EU leaders before a refer- Scotland has 5mn people, com- course to be the fi rst number-one by creating a saxophone-driven he was seriously ill as he worked on endum which he could call this pared with England which has album in the US for the quintes- hard jazz sound. Blackstar and the music to Laza- summer, though opinion polls 53mn and represents about 84% sentially avant-garde artiste who Yet only a few people knew rus, an off -Broadway science-fi c- have shown that opposition to of the population of the United lived his last two decades in New that the album would be Bowie’s tion play based on The Man Who the European Union is growing in Kingdom. York but enjoyed greater main- swansong and that it was in fact a Fell to Earth, whose 1976 fi lm ver- Britain. Scots voted 55%-45% against stream success in his native Brit- meditative fi nale to a nearly half- sion starred Bowie. Sturgeon was quoted by The independence in a referendum in ain. century career. The play’s director Ivo van Hove Scotsman newspaper as saying 2014, but Sturgeon’s party then Billboard, which will publish the Especially poignant is the song said that Bowie told him in confi - that if the referendum was called won 56 of the 59 seats represent- benchmark US chart this weekend, Lazarus, whose video - also re- dence more than a year ago that he in June there might be too little ing Scotland in the national par- said that Blackstar was expected to leased on Bowie’s birthday, two was suff ering liver cancer and was time to convince voters in the rest liament in London in an election easily outsell ballad singer Adele’s days before he died - depicts him racing to fi nish the projects before of Britain that EU membership last May. blockbuster “25,” which has spent levitating from a hospital bed. it was too late. was the right choice. Scottish nationalists have seven weeks at number one. “This way or no way / You know At the December 7 premiere of “It would leave barely four repeatedly told Cameron that In Britain, the Offi cial Charts I’ll be free / Just like that blue- “Lazarus” in New York, few knew months - including the period he cannot rule out giving Scot- Company forecast that Blackstar bird,” Bowie sang over an omi- that anything was amiss. of the Scottish election - for the land another independence would lead the weekly list and nous bassline but with no hint of “But as we went off the stage, public to fully engage in and for referendum, and that a situ- that 13 of Bowie’s previous albums weakness in his voice. News of he collapsed. And I realised that it the arguments about EU mem- ation in which Scots voted to would re-enter the top 100. his demise broke with a stunning might be the last time I saw him,” bership to be heard fully,” she told stay in the EU but a majority of Blackstar was the top-selling statement on his social media ac- van Hove told the Dutch daily a news conference, according to all Britons voted to leave could album on iTunes in all major de- counts: “David Bowie died peace- NRC. Sturgeon: Early referendum opposed the report. be a trigger. Gulf Times 18 Thursday, January 14, 2016 BRITAIN Police chief defends £65,000 Range Rover purchase

London Evening Standard vehicle — complete with a £1,000 SE on October 6 last year — a time hope to persuade people that it is compared to what it was before, it rangements which means there is spend so much on a car at a time of London backseat entertainment system — when he was warning about the not a luxury to have a car to travel was just a replacement. We actual- always more than one of us in the austerity. just days before warning that gov- damaging eff ects of government around in because of the nature of ly delayed that replacement by two car — so has to be quite a big one. Sir Bernard said he could have ernment cutbacks could put the spending curbs. the job I do. You could argue that years. I was told I should replace it “I think it is a fair question to gone for another car but there was cotland Yard chief Sir Ber- public in danger. Baroness Jones of Moulse- I should not have a driver but I do two years ago. ask if you should pay so much for pressure to buy British-made ve- nard Hogan-Howe yester- But yesterday he said his old coomb, deputy chairman of the sometimes need security arrange- “We were losing £600mn at a car but I’d hope to persuade you hicles. Sday defended taking de- Range Rover had done 130,000 London Assembly’s police and ments.” He said he had delayed the time and I didn’t think it was that you have to replace a vehicle, The Met said in a statement livery of a £65,000 Range Rover, miles and kept on breaking down, crime committee, criticised the replacing the car two years ago very sensible. It had done about it has to be reasonably big.” The that the Range Rover, which is for saying he hoped people would so he was told to get a replacement. decision, saying: “I would ques- because of concerns about auster- 130,000 miles and it had got less police chief, speaking on the Nick both business and personal use, not see it as a “luxury”. Sir Bernard was speaking after de- tion expenditure on what seems to ity, adding: “All we’ve done is re- reliable. “You could argue this Ferrari LBC radio show, was reply- had been purchased after a recom- The Met commissioner has tails emerged that he was given a be luxury goods.” place the old one. It’s not that I’ve should not be such a nice car but ing to a question by “Sally in King- mendation from the force’s fl eet come under fi re for accepting the new three-litre Range Rover Vogue Sir Bernard said yesterday: “I bought a very good car for myself frankly I have some security ar- ston” who asked why he needed to services department.

Fox takes shelter in restaurant Record number Oxford head of asylum seekers ‘destitute’ rebuff s call

Thomson Reuters Foundation London by students record number of asy- lum seekers in Britain A are being left destitute, and planned legislation could plunge thousands more into poverty, the British Red Cross said yesterday. in statue row The charity said it had sup- ported more than 9,000 refugees Reuters name to Rhodesia, present-day “Our cities are full of buildings and asylum seekers who were London Zimbabwe, and founding the De that were built with the proceeds destitute last year, compared with Beers diamond empire. of activities, the slave trade and 7,700 in 2014. The youngest was A student at Oriel in his youth, so on, which would nowadays be less than one year old and the old- he chancellor of Oxford Rhodes left the college money regarded as completely unaccept- est was 81. University has warned when he died, which helped fund able,” he said. The Red Cross said an Immi- Tagainst rewriting history the construction of the building He asked rhetorically what gration Bill, being debated in the in his fi rst public comments on where his statue stands in a niche should be done about Trin- House of Lords was expected to a student campaign to remove a on the facade. ity College in Cambridge, which reduce asylum support further. statue of 19th century colonial- The student campaigners see was founded by King Henry VIII, Some 29,000 people applied ist Cecil Rhodes from one of the it as a “veneration” of a man who who had two of his six wives ex- for asylum in Britain between university’s colleges. made his fortune from the exploi- ecuted. September 2014 and October Inspired by protests at the Uni- tation of African miners, secured Patten, a former Conservative 2015, 19% up from the previous versity of Cape Town in South power through bloody imperial politician and governor of Hong year. Africa, which led to its statue of wars, and paved the way to apart- Kong, also said that Rhodes’ views Nearly 44% of destitute asy- Rhodes being removed last April, heid with his beliefs and measures on race and empire were “com- lum seekers supported by the Red the ‘Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford’ on racial segregation. mon to his time” and probably not Cross were from Eritrea, Sudan, campaign says the statue at Oriel “(Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford) very diff erent from those of World Iran and Syria, which are among College celebrates a brutal racist. is NOT an attempt to ‘rewrite his- War II hero Winston Churchill. the biggest sources of refugees. The dispute is one of a grow- tory’, but its opposite - a campaign Rhodes endowed the famous British Red Cross asylum expert ing number of university contro- to bring its uncomfortable truths scholarships that bear his name Karl Pike described the situation versies over issues of history and to salience,” said Jack Kellam, a and that have allowed 8,000 stu- as a “quiet crisis”. identity, often pitting freedom political theory student at Oxford, dents from countries around the “Refugees should not be left of speech arguments against de- on Twitter after Patten’s speech. world to study at Oxford over the destitute, having fl ed awful vio- mands for symbols deemed of- The campaigners have also ar- past century. Patten said some lence and persecution,” he said. fensive by some students to be gued that the statue is a symbol Rhodes scholars had become “People refused by the system, but removed. of racist attitudes that black and campaigners against apartheid who the Home Offi ce accept can- In the US, southern campuses ethnic minority students still en- and for civil liberties. not return to their home country, have been rocked by arguments counter at Oxford today, and that The long list of prominent should not be left with nothing.” over the confederate fl ag, while removing it would demonstrate a Rhodes scholars also includes Bill The Home Offi ce had no imme- at Yale a row erupted when an commitment by the university to Clinton and former Australian diate comment. academic pushed back against combat racism. Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who Those supported by the Red suggestions that students should The decision will be made waded into the Oxford dispute in Cross included people who had self-censor Halloween costumes by Oriel, one of 38 colleges that an e-mail to The Independent in been granted refugee status but to avoid causing off ence. make up the university. It has an- December. had not been given enough time Chris Patten, Oxford’s chancel- nounced steps to improve the rep- “The students of Oriel should to change to mainstream benefi ts lor, spoke against removing the resentation and experience of stu- be clear-eyed about Rhodes’ from asylum seeker support. Rhodes statue in a speech widely dents from minority backgrounds faults and failings but proud of his The Red Cross said research in reported yesterday. at the college, and will launch achievements,” he wrote, lament- one northern region found two- “Our history is not a blank page a six-month consultation on ing Rhodes’ ideas about race but thirds of asylum seekers with no on which we can write our own whether to pull down the statue. referring to “the genius that led to access to public funds went hun- version of what it should have Patten, whose role as chancel- the creation of the Rhodes schol- gry regularly, and one-quarter been, according to our contem- lor is largely ceremonial, told BBC arships”. were hungry every day. porary views and prejudices,” he Radio 4 yesterday that Oxford The student campaigners re- More than three-fi fths had no Diners in the West End were confronted by the curious sight of an injured fox crouching said. should welcome debate on his- sponded that invoking the schol- fi xed accommodation and more under a restaurant table. The vixen, which appeared to be nursing a broken hind leg, took A fervent imperialist and min- torical issues, no matter how un- arships was “a justifi cation for than half reported worsening refuge under the awning of Tibits vegetarian restaurant in Heddon Street yesterday morning ing magnate, Rhodes was a central comfortable, but that taking aim the continued whitewashing of health. Some had been destitute with another fox that appeared to be guarding her. fi gure in Britain’s colonial project at physical monuments was the Rhodes’ violent, destructive leg- for up to eight years, it said. in southern Africa, giving his wrong way to go. acy”.

Creed premiere Couple tortured by Zac Goldsmith an Papua New Guinea tribe underachiever: Khan London Evening Standard radical politics” which he said London would hamper his ability to de- London Evening Standard before he was able to escape the first few days but he dis- liver. Labour suggested it was a London with Clemens. appeared before their ambush “coded racist attack”. He told The Sun: “They and the couple now think he ondon’s mayoral race got The new Labour advert looked very scary in native may have betrayed them. personal yesterday as came in the form of a mock CV marketing execu- costumes and what looked Iovane said: “We were LSadiq Khan launched his for Goldsmith, highlighting tive and his American like warpaint and came clos- about an hour into the walk fi rst big attack of the campaign the fact his only job before en- A girlfriend yesterday er before circling around us. when a tribesman appeared against Zac Goldsmith. tering politics was editing the revealed how they were kid- They tore up my T-shirt to ahead of us and another be- Labour’s mayoral candidate Ecologist, a magazine owned napped by cannibals in Papua blindfold me and the awful hind us. accused his Tory rival in an ad- by his late uncle Edward Gold- New Guinea who told them: thought crossed my mind that “Our first reaction was to vertisement of being a “serial smith, and suggesting he got “We will kill you.” Londoner we could be on the menu. try to calm them and we even underachiever” who “isn’t up to the job “through a not-entire- Matthew Iovane was with his “They were totally feral and thought it must be some kind the job” of running the capital. ly-competitive process”. girlfriend Michelle Clemens we were at their mercy.” of a prank, but we realised Campaign sources claimed It also quoted Tory party donor on a dream holiday in the Pa- Iovane is a brand consultant very quickly that we were in a they were not attacking the and former Heathrow chairman cific island when they were and part-time DJ who lives in very serious situation.” Tory MP because of his wealthy Sir Nigel Rudd, who attacked captured by tribesmen on Shoreditch. He met Clemens He said the terrifying background - Khan has previ- the MP’s inherited wealth and Monday. last year while in Los Angeles tribesmen began swinging ously conceded that his op- questioned his qualifi cations in The pair, both 31, were where she works as a waitress. machetes, adding: “I was too ponent’s multi-million-pound an interview last month. stripped naked and blindfold- The couple met up in Syd- terrified to fight back.” fortune does not stop him hav- The ad pointed out Goldsmith ed before they were lead into ney and flew to Papua New The couple made one at- ing empathy - but because of his had failed to win ministerial of- the jungle by spear-carrying Guinea together where they tempt to escape their captors failure to fulfi l the vast opportu- fi ce in his fi ve years at Westmin- men wearing “war paint” who planned to hike the 60-mile but got stuck in vines and re- nities it aff orded. ster - though he has said he communicated by grunting. Kokoda Trail, the largest ex- captured and subjected to a The ad, which will be pro- turned down a post to focus on The island and its jungle are panse of undiscovered wil- terrifying torture ordeal. moted on Twitter and Face- his Richmond Park constituents. notorious for cannibalism and derness in the world. The duo finally escaped as book, is Labour’s equivalent of A Labour source said: “We will cases have been reported as Iovane said the pair lived they were marched back along Goldsmith’s six-point barrage never criticise Zac Goldsmith for recently as 2012. “like Tarzan and Jane” by the hiking trail. against Tooting MP Khan which being born into wealth. But we Iovane, who has lived on sleeping under the stars and British consular officials was posted through letterboxes will point out he is a serial un- a barge on the Regents Ca- eating nuts and rare fruits yesterday said they were pro- around outer London before derachiever who has never been nal and appeared on Chan- which only grow in the jun- viding support to the couple US actor Sylvester Stallone poses on arrival for the European Christmas. That exploded into a success in business or politics nel Four’s Shipwrecked, was gle region. They hired a local and said: “The matter is being premiere of Creed in London. a bitter war of words after he despite the vast opportunities he beaten by the “feral” natives guide to carry their bags for taken very seriously.” attacked Khan’s “divisive and has been aff orded.” Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 19 EUROPE Spanish parliament convenes at time of turmoil

AFP astating economic crisis – and Lopez was elected speaker after a surprise turn-of-events in Madrid upstart centrist grouping Ciu- with the votes of lawmakers from the northeastern region of Cata- dadanos won 69 and 40 seats the PSOE and Ciudadanos while lonia. each. PP lawmakers abstained. Over the weekend, the ma- pain’s parliament held its The fresh air breathed into the But despite this agreement jority secessionist local par- fi rst session yesterday, with assembly by the new parties was among the three parties Socialist liament there fi nally elected a Slawmakers from four main highlighted by the image of law- chief Pedro Sanchez is still seek- pro-independence politician to parties taking their seats at a time maker Carolina Bescansa cra- ing an alliance with Podemos, a head up the regional government of political turmoil, intensifi ed dling her baby and of Spain’s fi rst close ally of Greece’s Syriza, to after months of in-fi ghting, giv- by a resurgent secessionist threat black lawmaker, Rita Bosaho, form a left-wing government. ing fresh impetus to attempts to in the Catalonia region. taking her seat. “Those who voted for Podem- break away from Spain. Lawmakers picked a Social- Both lawmakers belong to Po- os and the Socialists would not “It would be incomprehensible ist, Patxi Lopez, a former head demos. understand if we did not reach an to take six months to hold new of the regional government of To form any kind of govern- agreement,” he told news radio elections when in Catalonia there the northern Basque Country, ment, Rajoy needs the Socialists’ Cadena Ser. is a government with a clear, ab- as parliamentary speaker, in the outright or tacit support – which Such a coalition still won’t solute majority, with a roadmap fi rst pact between rival parties they have repeatedly rejected. have enough parliamentary seats with deadlines and concrete still engaged in talks to form a Rajoy reiterated his call yes- to form the absolute majority objectives,” says Anton Losada, government since last month’s terday for a pact with the Social- that would bring it to power, and politics professor at the Univer- inconclusive election. Rajoy and Vice-President Soraya Saenz de Santamaria listen during the opening session of parliament. ists and Ciudadanos, declaring this week Sanchez put forward sity of Santiago de Compostela. It is the fi rst time since Spain it could carry out “the reforms the idea of an alliance with Po- The political paralysis that it returned to democracy following Party (PP) won elections in De- The lower house is starkly dif- and 90 parliamentary seats re- Spain needs” and “consolidate demos – as well as centre-right would create would be “problem- the death of dictator Francisco cember but without an absolute ferent from what it was after the spectively out of 350 as voters, the economic recovery”. Ciudadanos. atic when you have the Catalan Franco in 1975 that the speaker majority, ushering in weeks of 2011 elections, when it was split tired of austerity and corruption, “The PSOE is the referee, it’s What happens next is anyone’s issue, economic turbulence and does not come from the party uncertainty as he failed to form a largely along traditional conserv- fl ocked to two new reformist the party with the most options,” guess, but all four parties are un- pending reforms”, adds Simon, with the most parliamentary government in the face of resist- ative-socialist lines. groupings. says Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, der pressure to form some sort politics professor at Madrid’s seats. ance from his traditional Social- In the December polls, both Podemos and its allies – a far- director of the Madrid chapter of of government soon if they want Carlos III University. “So Cata- Acting Prime Minister Mari- ist rivals and two upstart group- the PP and the Socialists (PSOE) left party that emerged just two the European Council on Foreign to avoid calling new elections in lonia is putting more pressure on ano Rajoy’s conservative Popular ings. lost ground, ending up with 123 years ago on the back of a dev- Relations. the next few months, particularly them to reach an agreement.” EU launches inquiry

into new Polish laws Szydlo: Democracy is alive and well in Poland. AFP a preliminary assessment on court, with the EU to review Po- The changes to the constitu- mind its own business. we’ve seen recently,” Michal Brussels’ interference. Brussels this matter under the rule of law land’s answers by March. tional court sparked mass pro- “Poland has been unfairly ac- Baranowski, head of the Warsaw Harsh words from Brussels framework,” European Commis- Brussels introduced the “rule tests and opposition complaints cused of things that don’t ex- branch of the German Marshall have been matched by tough sion vice-president Frans Tim- of law” mechanism in 2014, giv- that they threatened judicial in- ist in our country ... of breaking Fund of the United States, told rhetoric in Warsaw, with a Polish he EU has launched an mermans said after a special de- ing the 28-nation bloc the right dependence. the principles of the rule of law. AFP. “It will help both sides re- magazine depicting EU leaders unprecedented probe into bate on the issue. to investigate and if necessary Poland downplayed the EU That’s not true. Democracy is ally understand what the other is including German Chancellor Tcontroversial legal chang- Timmermans said that “bind- punish any member state which investigation as a request for a alive and well in Poland,” Prime saying.” Angela Merkel in Nazi uniforms. es introduced by Poland’s new ing rulings” by Poland’s consti- violates key EU democratic and “standard dialogue”. Minister Beata Szydlo told par- Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the The split is the latest in an right-wing government to see if tutional court were not being re- rights norms. “The European Commission liament earlier. Liberal group in the European EU sharply divided by a host of they violate EU democracy rules spected by the new government, If found at fault, a country can simply wants a little more infor- Timmermans said Brussels Parliament, took a harder line, problems ranging from Greece’s and merit punitive measures. “which I believe is a serious mat- be stripped of its EU voting rights mation about what is happening had a right to examine the situa- saying that the probe sent “a near eurozone exit to the conti- The move comes amid growing ter in any rule of law dominated – the so-called “nuclear option” in Poland. It will be a pleasure tion in Poland. clear message” to any member nent’s biggest migration crisis concern over reforms to Poland’s state”. – but the rule of law procedure to inform the Commission chief “The rule of law preserved state tempted to bend the rules. since World War II. constitutional court and in- Timmermans said that he was has not been used before and of- (Jean-Claude Juncker) and of throughout the EU is a key part of The European Parliament is set Poland’s new government creased control over state media also concerned about the new fi cials say they hope it does not course we invite him to Poland,” the Commission’s responsibili- to debate the Polish situation on stands in sharp contrast to its adopted by the conservative, eu- media laws in Poland which crit- come to that. government spokesman Rafal ties ... the rule of law is one of our January 19. predecessor which won friends rosceptic Law and Justice party ics claim curb freedom of expres- Polish President Andrzej Duda Bochenek said in Warsaw. fundamental values,” he said. The investigation threatens to in high places in Brussels, cul- (PiS), which swept to power in sion, another key EU value. last week signed into law a bill The Polish government in- Initial reaction was mixed. infl ame already tense relations minating in the appointment of October. Offi cials said that they will allowing the government to ap- sisted meanwhile the changes are “It’s good that this is taking with Poland and other eastern former centrist Polish premier “Today we have decided that be addressed during the inves- point and sack senior fi gures in perfectly consistent with the rule the path of institutional dialogue European countries such as Hun- Donald Tusk to head the Europe- the Commission will carry out tigation into the constitutional public radio. of law and that Brussels should rather than the war of words gary who resent what they see as an Council of the 28 EU leaders.

Sperm whales washed up on Bird fl u outbreak Dutch coast Five sperm whales have been washed up on the shore of the found outside northern Dutch island of Texel, authorities said yesterday. All of the marine mammals have since perished, they said. restriction zone Experts plan to investigate the cause of death of the animals, a spokesman for the economics Reuters 10 died from H1N1 ministry in The Hague said. Paris swine fl u: Armenia A rescue mission had to be halted during the night owing to bad Ten people have died from H1N1 weather. ird fl u has been found in swine flu in Armenia in the last The five whales were discovered a French town outside a two months but there is no dan- still alive on Tuesday in the Bbroad restriction zone, in ger of a mass outbreak, a spokes- breakwater on the southern tip of a setback to eff orts to contain the woman for the country’s health the island, which lies between the outbreak that has led a growing ministry said yesterday. North Sea and the Wadden Sea. number of countries to ban poul- “Seven people died this year It was not clear why the whales try products from France. from H1N1 swine flu,” Anahit were in the North Sea, an area France, the European Union’s Haytayan, the spokeswoman they are rarely to be found. largest agricultural producer, said. “Three more died at the end Marine biologists said they would has had 69 outbreaks of highly of last year.” have had very little chance of pathogenic bird fl u in eight ad- She said the deaths did not survival in the shallow water. ministrative departments in the amount to an epidemic. The bodies were expected to be southwestern part of the country retrieved in the next few days. since late November. Dead sperm whales have also A case has now been found in poultry products, live animals been spotted off the German Haute-Garonne, which is not or hatching eggs after the bird People stand yesterday next to a beached sperm whale on the Dutch island of Texel. Five sperm whales died after being stranded on the North Sea islands of Wangerooge included in the zone where the fl u outbreaks, which were found beach. and Heligoland in recent days. government has put in place mainly in ducks and chickens. tightened sanitary measures and The new director general of restricted movement of poul- the World Organisation for Ani- Alps avalanche hits school group try since mid-December, a farm mal Health (OIE), Monique Eloit, ministry offi cial said yesterday. said the cause of the recent out- An avalanche in the French Alps hit a school group and other skiers The zone includes Dordogne, breaks in France remained un- Italy arrests 11 in illegal online yesterday, killing at least two people and gravely injuring at least Gers, Haute-Vienne, Landes, certain, unlike previous ones in three others, police said. Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Hautes- 2007 which could be linked to “Five people have been found and searches are still underway,” the Pyrenees and Lot – as well as the wild swans. gaming ring involving mafi a head of the police unit, Bernard Host, told Reuters. whole of Gironde and Lot-et- “There are high presumptions Three of the injured were found in a state of cardiopulmonary Garonne, and parts of the Cor- that these are strains that are not arrest, police said. reze and Charente departments. coming from wild birds but that Reuters national criminal group that average of 12,000 virtual poker One of the dead was a fourteen year-old member of the school Despite the spread of the dis- have propagated below epidemic Rome favours the mafi a. tables throughout Italy with group from the eastern French city of Lyon. ease, the number of outbreaks thresholds in palmipeds (ducks, Gambling in Italy has been €11.5mn ($12.43mn) in bets per The body of a Ukrainian skier was also found by rescue teams, a has slowed in France since late geese) farms where the identifi - gradually legalised over the past day, Prestipino said. Tancredi’s spokesman for regional police said. December with only fi ve out- cation of these strains is far more talian police arrested 11 peo- two decades, in part to curb or- daily cut was more than €1mn. The avalanche occurred at the Deux Alpes ski resort about 50km breaks reported since the start diffi cult because there are no ple yesterday for allegedly ganised crime’s grip on it, but In one case, Tancredi struck a from the Italian border. of the year, the farm ministry’s clinical signs,” Eloit told a news Irunning an illegal online this has actually created new deal with the powerful Casalesi dedicated website showed. conference. gaming business which gar- opportunities for the mob, in- clan to place his poker screens Avian fl u cannot be transmit- Eloit’s predecessor Bernard nered millions of euros in bets vestigators say. in bars and gambling halls Dutch police hack into BlackBerry ted to humans through food. Vallat said last month the emer- every day, sometimes in collu- Known as the “king of slots”, north of Naples, handing them Some viruses have infect- gence of three diff erent highly sion with the mafi a, a top pros- Tancredi had worked exten- a monthly cut that ranged from Dutch police confirmed yesterday that they have found a way to ed humans, but initial results pathogenic strains in such a ecutor in Rome said. sively in Italy’s legal gambling €45,000 to €60,000 a month. hack into messages on BlackBerry data-encrypted smartphones, showed that the strains found short time was unprecedented. Luigi Tancredi, accused of business in the past and had “A wiretap captured some which claim to be the world’s most secure communications devices. in France posed no risk of be- One hypothesis is that low heading the ring, installed poker come under scrutiny in previ- mobsters commenting that this The news first leaked in December on a Dutch blog Misdaadnieuws. ing caught by humans, the farm pathogenic strains had evolved screens in bars and gambling ous probes by courts in central business was more profi table com which revealed that the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) minister said. into high pathogenic ones, Eloit rooms run by Italian mafi as, and northern Italy, investiga- than drug traffi cking,” fi nance had broken into BlackBerries equipped with the Pretty Good Privacy More than a dozen countries said, and it showed the need for prosecutor Michele Prestipino tors said. police Colonel Alessandro Cav- (PGP) encryption program. including Japan – the world’s countries to monitor all types said. His business, run out of Ro- alli told reporters. Even deleted e-mails could “largely” be recovered, although police largest importer of foie gras – of bird fl u strains, not only the Tancredi was arrested on mania through a server based There is also much less risk in could not hack into the phones from a distance, but had to have imposed restrictions on French highly pathogenic ones. suspicion of running an inter- in Tampa, Florida, operated an gambling. them in their hands, the website said. Gulf Times 20 Thursday, January 14, 2016 EUROPE Belgium identifi es safe houses used by Paris suspects

AFP the Paris attacks in which 130 But they revealed for the fi rst to commit the Paris attacks, had from the Brussels immigrant dis- Brussels people were killed were planned time yesterday that they had also “stopped in the immediate vicin- trict of Molenbeek who gradu- in Syria but prepared and organ- found DNA traces from Hadfi , ity of the premises in Charleroi ated to become a leading Islamic ised in Belgium. precision scales and a drawing and Auvelais”. State militant with ties to a series elgian police have identi- The Islamic State (IS) group representing a person wearing a The new tenant living at the of plots in Europe. fi ed three safe houses used has claimed responsibility for the large belt. property in Auvelais said there The 28-year-old of Moroccan Bby key suspects including attacks. No traces of explosives or was little sign that it had once origin had recently boasted of presumed ringleader Abdelha- Belgian investigators found weapons were found in either the been an alleged safe house for the evading police dragnets in Eu- mid Abaaoud as they plotted the fi ngerprints from Abaaoud and Charleroi or Auvelais lodgings. Paris attackers. rope, and taunted European au- deadly Paris attacks, prosecutors suicide bomber Bilal Hadfi as The Auvelais house was “There was a bit of fi ngerprint thorities from what was assumed said yesterday. well as mattresses at the fl at in searched on November 26, the powder everywhere when we to be an IS base in Syria. The premises include a fl at in Charleroi, the prosecutor’s state- Charleroi apartment on Decem- moved in, but otherwise it was But investigators were also Charleroi – a town south of the ment said. ber 9 and the Schaerbeek fl at on empty,” Martine Culot told AFP. examining whether the two capital Brussels where a major Investigators say Hadfi blew December 10, they said. “I just hope the suspect stays far men with fake identities that airport is located, as well as a himself up outside the Stade de All of the accommodations away and that nothing else hap- Abdeslam picked up in Hun- house in the rural village of Au- France on the night of the at- were rented using false names pens.” gary – Soufi ane Kayal and Samir velais near the French border and tacks while French police killed and paid for in cash, prosecutors An international manhunt Bouzid – could also have been a fl at in Brussels. Abaaoud in a raid north of Paris said. has been under way for Belgian- operational commanders in the “The investigators were able to days after later. In the case of the Auvelais born Abdeslam, 26, since suicide Paris attacks. identify three premises that have Prosecutors announced last house, the fake identity – Soufi - bombers and assailants fi ring au- “It’s still a possibility but it has been used by the conspiring per- week the discovery of the Brus- ane Kayal – was that of one of two tomatic weapons launched the not been confi rmed by the inves- petrators of the attacks of 13th sels fl at in the Schaerbeek dis- people picked up in Budapest on wave of attacks across Paris. tigation,” prosecutors’ spokes- November 2015,” Eric Van Der trict, and said they had found September 9 by Salah Abdeslam, France has said that Abaaoud, man Van Der Sypt told AFP. Sypt, a spokesman for the federal the fi ngerprints of Paris fugitive who is now on the run. a Brussels resident, was the ring- He also said the investigators A picture taken yesterday shows a house (centre) in Charleroi prosecutor, said in a statement. Salah Abdeslam there along with Prosecutors also said the in- leader. have found nothing to suggest identified by Belgian police as a safe house used by key suspects in French President Francois traces of explosives and possible vestigation had shown that the Abaaoud was a one-time any suspects used or planned to the November 13 Paris attacks. Hollande has previously said that suicide belts. Seat Leon car, which was used school bully and petty criminal use the airport at Charleroi. Istanbul bomber ‘registered’ but was not on wanted list Reuters Deputy Prime Minister Numan Istanbul Kurtulmus said on Tuesday that the bomber had been identifi ed from body parts at the scene. suicide bomber who killed He was born in 1988 and was himself and 10 German thought to have been living in Atourists in Istanbul’s his- Syria, from where he was be- toric heart had registered with lieved to have recently entered Turkish immigration authorities Turkey. but was not on any list of known Ten Germans were killed in the militant suspects, Turkey’s inte- bombing, a spokeswoman for the rior minister said yesterday. German foreign ministry said, The bomber, who authorities raising the death toll among Ger- say is an Islamic State (IS) mem- mans from nine previously. ber recently arrived from Syria, Five more are in intensive care. blew himself up on Tuesday in Turkey, which like Germany is Sultanahmet square near the a member of the US-led coalition Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, against Islamic State in Syria and major tourist sites in one of the Iraq, has become a target for the world’s most visited cities. radical Sunni militants. Asked about a report in the It was hit by two major bomb- A man holds a Turkish newspaper with a title in German which Turkish media that the bomber ings last year blamed on the translates as ‘We mourn’ in front of the Blue Mosque near the site of had registered at an immigra- group, in the largely Kurdish the explosion in Istanbul’s tourist hub of Sultanahmet. tion offi ce in Istanbul a week town of Suruc near the Syrian ago, Interior Minister Efkan Ala border and in the capital Ankara, Left: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, members of the confi rmed that the man’s fi nger- the latter killing more than 100 government and parliament stand at the opening of a plenary prints were on record with the people at a pro-Kurdish rally in session at the German lower house of parliament yesterday to pay Turkish authorities. the worst attack of its kind on tribute to the victims of Tuesday’s suicide attack in Istanbul. “Your assessment that his fi n- Turkish soil. gerprints were taken and there The Istanbul attack, target- their respects at the site early achieved the opposite. Germany “I didn’t fi nish the tour, you He vowed to work closely with cluding 16 foreign nationals in six is a record of him is correct. But ing groups of tourists as they yesterday. and Turkey are becoming even know, the tour I had bought. Germany to investigate the at- Turkish cities, the Dogan news he was not on the wanted indi- wandered around the square, Scarves with the Bayern Mu- closer,” he said, adding there was I suppose there is something tack. agency reported. viduals list. And neither is he on appeared to mark a change in Is- nich football club emblem were no link to Germany’s contribu- remaining of the ticket,” said One person was detained late The Russian foreign ministry the target individuals list sent to lamic State’s tactics against Tur- left along with carnations and tion to the fi ght against terror- Jostein Nielsen, a wounded Nor- on Tuesday as part of the inves- confi rmed three of those de- us by other countries,” Ala told key. roses at the scene, before Turkish ism. wegian tourist, as he waited on a tigation, Ala said. tained were Russian nationals, a joint news conference with his “This incident is a bit diff er- police sealed off the area. The guide of the German group stretcher at Istanbul airport, his He defended Turkey’s record in but it was not immediately clear German counterpart Thomas de ent. In previous attacks, it was De Maiziere said there were no was quoted by Turkey’s Hur- left leg bandaged. fi ghting Islamic State, saying 200 whether there was any connec- Maiziere. Turks who crossed into Syria indications Germans had been riyet newspaper as saying that “I still have to go to the Blue suspects had been detained just a tion to the Istanbul attack, for The Haberturk newspa- to fi ght Kurds and then crossed deliberately targeted and that she had yelled “run” after seeing Mosque and the old Turkish Ba- week before the blast. which there has been no claim of per published what it said was back to attack Kurdish targets,” he saw no reason for people to the bomber, who was standing zaar, so I have to use that ticket ... Turkey has rounded up hun- responsibility. a CCTV image of the bomber, said Aaron Stein, senior fellow change travel plans to Turkey. among the tourists, pull a pin on we have no hard feelings towards dreds of suspected Islamic State Ala said Turkey had detained named in local media as Saudi- at Atlantic Council’s Rafi k Hariri He said Germany stood reso- his explosives, enabling some of Turkey. We know there are some members since launching what 3,318 people for suspected links born Nabil Fadli, at an Istanbul Center for the Middle East. lutely by Turkey’s side in the fi ght them to get away. mad people out there,” he said. it called a “synchronised war on to IS and other radical groups immigration offi ce on January 5. “It’s diff erent in terms of in- against terrorism. Witnesses said the square was Ala said nine other Germans terror” last July, raids which con- since Syria’s confl ict began. It said he was identifi ed by a tentions and in terms of its tar- “If the terrorists aimed to dis- not packed at the time of the ex- were wounded in the blast, along tinued yesterday. Of that number, 847 were sub- sample of a fi nger taken from the gets,” he told Reuters. turb, destroy or jeopardise coop- plosion, but that several groups with the Norwegian and one Pe- Since the attack, police have sequently arrested, most of them blast site. Foreign tourists and Turks paid eration between partners, they of tourists were there. ruvian. detained a total of 65 people in- foreigners.

French police station attacker applied for asylum in Switzerland before being sent back to Italy Marseille attack sparks debate over Jewish skullcap The man shot dead after trying to attack a Paris police station last week applied for asylum in Switzerland before being shunted back to Italy, Swiss police said yesterday. AFP Chillingly, Monday’s teenaged Ammar “clearly was well- call came from an “understand- since the massacre at the satirical The news came three days after the German interior minister said the Paris assailant, a self-radicalised eth- intentioned, but it’s not the sort able emotion”, but insisting: “We weekly Charlie Hebdo. man had been an asylum seeker since 2011 and had a criminal past. nic Kurd from Turkey, reportedly of message to send, certainly not should not give an inch.” Marseille is particularly on “At the behest of French authorities, fedpol (Swiss police) has looked told police he was “ashamed” now”, Vallaud-Belkacem told Joel Mergui, president of edge following assaults on three into the identity of the individual shot dead on January 7 after attack- alls for French Jews to that he did not manage to kill his French radio. France’s Israelite Central Con- Jews in October, one by a drunk- ing a police station in Paris,” said police spokeswoman Anne-Florence leave their skullcaps at 35-year-old victim, Benjamin Brice Hortefeux of the centre- sistory, said: “If we have to give en assailant with a knife near a Debois. Chome in the wake of a ji- Amsellem. right Republicans party agreed up wearing any distinctive sign synagogue. “He applied for asylum in January 2013. This request was turned down hadist attack on a kippa-wearing Yesterday government spokes- with the chief rabbi that “giving of our identity, it clearly would In November, another Jewish and the man was sent back to Italy in June 2013,” Debois said. teacher sparked an emotional man Stephane Le Foll declined to up (the kippa) is giving in”. raise the question of our future in teacher was stabbed by people Fedpol said it was still investigating the case of the man while Swiss debate yesterday pitting security voice an opinion on the kippa, France.” shouting anti-Semitic obsceni- authorities added there was no evidence he engaged in “terrorist activi- concerns against a desire to up- saying it was a “debate that orig- Teenaged assailant Anti-Semitic acts in France ties and support for the Islamic ties” while in Switzerland. hold Jewish identity. inated within the Jewish com- reportedly told police that have soared in recent years, in- State (IS) group. After comparing fingerprint records, the Tunisian authorities mean- Parents in the southern city of munity”. he was ashamed to have creasing by 84% in the period “When I drop my children while confirmed to French investigators the man was Tunisian national Marseille, where Monday’s vi- He stressed however that the been unable to kill his between January 2015 and May off at school, I have a pit in my Tarek Belgacem. cious attack “in the name of Al- state’s role is to “provide protec- victim 2015 compared to a year earlier, stomach,” a 43-year-old Jewish His fingerprints matched those of a man investigated for a 2013 bur- lah” added to a string of anti-Se- tion and to denounce anti-Se- according to offi cial statistics. mother said in Marseille, adding glary in Luxembourg. mitic incidents in recent months, mitic acts”. But he said it was impossible As a result, emigration from that she had asked her 14-year- German police earlier this week said the man had spent time living in have begun urging their sons to Anti-Semitism “unfortunately “not to modify your behaviour France to Israel has spiked, with old son to take off his kippa. an asylum seekers hostel in western Germany – some media reports wear a baseball cap instead. has gone on for too long and has in the face of these unspeakable a record 7,900 people leaving last Marseille, a city of more than alleged he had posed as a Syrian national – and had spent four years The city’s top Jewish leader, taken new forms today”, he added acts”. year. 850,000 people, has France’s criss-crossing Europe. Zvi Ammar, had on Tuesday on French television. On Tuesday, top national Jew- Monday’s assault came just second largest Jewish commu- German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Sunday that the called on Jewish men and boys But several ministers and other ish leaders rejected the call to days after France marked a year nity with some 70,000 residents, man had a “criminal past”. to stop wearing the kippa “until politicians spoke out on the is- shun the kippa, decrying a “de- since the attacks that left 17 peo- and one of the country’s largest Police gunned the man down after he tried to attack the police station better days”, saying: “Unfortu- sue, with Education Minister featist attitude” and an off ence ple dead, including four gunned Muslim populations, estimated in northern Paris armed with a meat cleaver and wearing a fake suicide nately for us, we are targeted. As Najat Vallaud-Belkacem voicing to the community’s identity. down in a Jewish supermarket. at 220,000. vest. soon as we are identifi ed as Jew- surprise over Ammar’s urging, Chief rabbi Haim Korsia re- It was just four days after a France’s overall Jewish com- Police found a handwritten note on his body in which he pledged al- ish we can be assaulted and even saying: “It’s certainly not the ad- acted quickly late on Tuesday, jihadist attack on a police sta- munity is estimated at between legiance to the Islamic State group. risk death.” vice I would give, personally.” acknowledging that Ammar’s tion in Paris, one year to the day 500,000 and 600,000 people. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 21 EUROPE Germany to utilise budget surplus for refugees

Reuters that the budget will be balanced However, Chancellor Angela needed to be built annually to BDI president Ulrich Grillo Berlin for a third straight year in 2016. Merkel’s ruling coalition agreed avert housing shortages in cities, said that Germany’s current eco- “We’ll urgently need the re- last September, to funnel extra he said. nomic upturn depended on spe- serve to fi nance the additional money from 2015 into a reserve to Construction Minister Bar- cial factors such as low oil prices, ermany achieved a larger- spending on accommodating and pay refugee-related costs. bara Hendricks and Schaeuble low interest rates and a weak than-expected budget integrating refugees,” Schaeuble One benefi ciary may be con- are planning tax incentives for euro. Gsurplus of €12.1bn in 2015 said. struction companies. investors who build new apart- “I’m worried that the govern- and will use the windfall to pay He added that achieving an- Their industry association, ments in certain city areas in the ment, stuck in crisis modus due for accommodating and inte- other balanced budget this year HDB, said yesterday that higher next three years. But the federal to the refugee question, will turn grating refugees, Finance Min- was realistic despite the balloon- state spending on infrastruc- states have yet to agree to the a blind eye to other challenges,” ister Wolfgang Schaeuble said ing refugee costs. ture and a property boom will plan. Grillo said, adding Berlin should yesterday. But a senior government of- boost their sales 3% to €103bn Strong private consumption not neglect public spending on Germany is at the centre of fi cial said it was hard to predict ($111.37bn) this year, its highest and higher state spending on infrastructure. Europe’s biggest migrant crisis how the federal budget would de- since 2000. refugees are expected to boost The economy ministry said since World War II. More than velop because nobody could say Nearly 290,000 fl ats will be Germany’s gross domestic prod- Europe’s largest economy prob- 1mn people arrived in the coun- how many refugees would arrive built in 2016, but that still is not uct this year and beyond, com- ably expanded in the fourth try in 2015, far more than in any in Germany this year and beyond. enough to meet demand from the pensating for weaker demand quarter of 2015 as employment other EU country. The DIW economic institute rising numbers of refugees and from China and other emerging and real incomes increased, Higher tax revenue and auc- expects state spending on refu- growing population, it said. markets. even though industrial activity tions of mobile telephone licenc- gees will rise to €15bn in 2016 and “In metropolitan areas, aff ord- Germany’s BDI industry asso- slowed. es provided the surplus, which is €17bn in 2017. able housing is in short supply,” ciation expects the economy to German gross domestic prod- nearly twice the expected €6.1bn Under German law, funds not HDB president Thomas Bauer grow by almost 2% in 2016, but it uct data for 2015 is due today. ($6.62bn). spent at the end of the year must said. also warned of uncertainties and Economists polled by Reuters Schaeuble: We’ll urgently need the reserve to finance the additional That increases the chances go to repay debt. More than 400,000 fl ats geopolitical risks. expect GDP grew 1.6% last year. spending on accommodating and integrating refugees. Bar ban follows Denmark debates laws ‘attacks’

AFP Vienna to discourage migrants bar owner in Austria said yesterday that she Reuters/AFP valued at more than 10,000 kro- the international criticism, it was Ahad banned “all asylum- Copenhagen ner. unlikely to have an impact on its seekers” after alleged attacks on Wedding rings would be ex- policy. guests, sparking strong criticism empt, along with other items of “Lars Lokke Rasmussen has to from human rights groups. enmark said it would ex- sentimental value, such as en- be elected in Denmark ... not (by) Karin Siebrecht-Janisch, who tend temporary border gagement rings, family portraits the international media,” he said. runs Charly’s Bar in the pictur- Dcontrols by 20 days in and medals. The UNHCR said earlier this esque spa town of Bad Ischl in order to deter migrants as parlia- Prime Minister Lars Lokke month it feared the new im- Upper Austria state, said she ment started to debate tough im- Rasmussen’s right-wing govern- migration bill “could fuel fear, took the decision after male mi- migration reforms. ment has faced a wave of criti- xenophobia and similar restric- grants had repeatedly harassed The immigration ministry said cism over its proposal, which had tions that would reduce – rather her female clientele in recent yesterday that it would extend its initially put the limit for migrants than expand – the asylum space months. temporary border checks at the at 3,000 kroner. globally”. Things escalated on New usually open border with Ger- It has since backtracked, and The bill also includes delaying Year’s Eve when “several asy- many until February 3, after an fi nally reached agreement with family reunifi cations for some lum-seekers” groped a waitress, initial 10-day period expired. other parties in parliament on refugees by up to three years, as according to Siebrecht-Janisch. “The assessment is that there Tuesday to secure a majority for well as making it harder to ob- “After that I had enough and I is still a risk that a large number the vote. tain permanent residency and decided to ban them all until we of illegal immigrants accumulate The Scandinavian country has shortening temporary residence fi nd the culprits. I need to pro- in Denmark,” immigration min- some of Europe’s strictest immi- permits. tect my guests and my family,” istry said in a statement. gration policies, and has repeat- A spokesman for the far-right she told AFP. Denmark, which swung to the edly tightened its regulations in Danish People’s Party told AFP in Siebrecht-Janisch said she right in the last election in June, recent months to deter foreign- December the bill was intended had also hired bouncers and is one of several European Union ers from seeking a new life in the as a “signal” to dissuade mi- introduced a two-euro door countries trying to discourage country. grants from coming to Denmark, charge, which she expected “mi- migrants from seeking asylum on But the bill, even in its amend- and not aimed at raising money. grants aren’t able to pay”. its territory. ed form, was criticised yesterday “It is very odiously reminis- However, police in Bad Ischl The question of how to deal by a group of 10 local and region- cent of the German past – leave said they had so far not received with the infl ux of migrants and al members of Rasmussen’s rul- the valuables and go to the show- any complaints about the 120 refugees fl eeing war and poverty ing Venstre party. ers,” Derek Beach, an associate asylum-seekers currently living has divided EU members, and “It is not just a matter of prop- professor in political science at in a local refugee centre. has also triggered a surge in anti- er policy and humanity, but also Aarhus university. “We’ve often been called to immigration sentiment across Denmark’s international repu- A migrant girl is wrapped up in a blanket after arriving yesterday at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, on Immigration Minister Inger Charly’s for incidents, when the bloc. tation,” they wrote in the Ber- board the passenger ferry Nissos Rodos along with other refugees and migrants. Stojberg has defended the pro- there were fi ghts or girls lying Denmark’s parliament began lingske daily. “When focusing on posal as being in keeping with a around drunk, but not anything debating yesterday a controver- symbolic actions rather than real European Union Vice-Pres- But observers believe the par- “We almost paid everything Danish norm that if you can pay involving refugees,” a police sial plan to seize refugees’ valu- content, you forget that politics ident Frans Timmerman said ty’s leadership is unlikely to be to come here. Like a house, like a for yourself, you must do so. spokesperson told Die Presse ables, with the bill widely ex- is about real people of fl esh and yesterday that the 28-nation bloc infl uenced by critics of Integra- restaurant we owned before,” he On the ground, the issue has newspaper. pected to pass a January 26 vote blood.” would examine the Danish plan tion Minister Inger Stojberg’s told AFP. split Danes. Austria has become a major after being backed by a majority In a near-empty parliament “once the law is adopted and ... hardline policies. A police search of his bags “I realise it is sad for those transit country for the hundreds of lawmakers. yesterday, Social Democratic then give our offi cial position to “It is not at the centre of the would turn up “maybe €100”, he people but as long as we can- of thousands of migrants and The bill has been criticised lawmaker Dan Jorgensen de- the Danish government”. party that this debate is tak- laughed. not even take care of our elderly refugees trying to enter the Eu- by UN refugee agency UNHCR fended what he called a “com- The proposal is part of a bigger ing place,” Bjarne Steensbeck, a Public support for seizing mi- and sick people then maybe we ropean Union, with some 1,000- which fears it will “fuel fear” and promise” solution hammered out immigration bill. political commentator at public grants’ valuables was hard to should concentrate on that,” said 2,000 arriving in Upper Austria “xenophobia”, while interna- “in a diffi cult situation”. Yesterday’s debate was the fi rst broadcaster DR told AFP. gauge, but there was widespread 61-year-old Marianne Andersen. on a daily basis at the moment. tional media have compared the “We should help, and we do, of several to be held ahead of the Migrants themselves have backing for tighter asylum rules By contrast, Soren Ostergaard, Although many continue on searches to Nazi Germany’s seiz- but we also have to limit the January 26 vote on the proposal. been sceptical about the pro- in general. 57 and a teacher, says he has to Germany and Scandinavia, ing of gold and valuables from number (of migrants arriving) A European lawmaker for Ven- posal. A survey by pollster Megafon “never been more embarrassed some 90,000 applied for asylum Jews and others during World and the increase we are seeing stre last month left the party over At the Auderod asylum centre on December 20 found that 51% by my country”. in Austria in 2015 – one of the War II. right now cannot be managed.” its ever-tighter migration poli- 60km northwest of Copenha- of Danes were in favour of delay- “We are a rich country with highest rates per capita in the The proposal would allow Denmark, a country of 5.4mn, cies, which have included delay- gen, Tarek Issa, a 25-year-old law ing family reunifi cations by three plenty of resources. We could 28-nation bloc. Danish authorities to seize asy- received 21,000 asylum appli- ing family reunifi cation times student from Hama in Syria, said years, while 29% said they were defi nitely take more than we al- Slamming the ban as racist, lum seekers’ cash exceeding cations last year, compared to and advertising in Lebanese that he thought police would fi nd against it. ready have. We should just shut Austrian rights groups said it 10,000 kroner (€1,340, $1,450), 163,000 in neighbouring Swe- newspapers to deter refugees little of value during their mi- Steensbeck said that although up and reach out to those in also highlighted an important as well as any individual items den, home to 9.8mn people. from coming to Denmark. grant searches. the government had taken note of need,” he said. loophole in Austria’s legal sys- tem. Dutch police look into abuse at church “Inciting hatred against ‘for- eigners’ is illegal, but using the Dutch police are probing newspaper reports that at least 20 term ‘refugee’ or ‘asylum-seek- Merkel’s allies want faster processing young Eritrean refugees have become pregnant under suspicious er’ in a discriminatory way is not circumstances after visiting a local Eritrean orthodox church, a an off ence under current sedi- spokesman said yesterday. tion laws,” explained Christina Reuters Complaints fi led against police over mob violence Members of Merkel’s Chris- The probe comes after newspapers reported that the country’s Central Schaefer of the ZARA initiative, Berlin tian Democrats (CDU) and their Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) has now banned which provides legal support to German prosecutors said yesterday that they had received several Bavaria-based Christian Social single young asylum seekers from visiting the Tewahdo church in the victims of racist attacks. “We’ve criminal complaints against the suspended police chief of Cologne and Union (CSU) sister party have northern Rotterdam suburb of Schiebroek. been lobbying for ages to get this erman Chancellor Angela off icers for failing to prevent a spate of violence against women blamed suggested classifying Morocco, The media reports said there were suspicions the women may have changed as it can leave people Merkel’s coalition part- on migrants. Algeria and Tunisia as “safe been victims of sexual abuse. very vulnerable.” Gners proposed fast-track- “Several criminal complaints were filed against the former police chief countries”, which would allow “We’ve noted the reports and are probing whether the facts are indeed But Siebrecht-Janisch insist- ing asylum applications by Mo- of Cologne and other police off icers in connection with the events at Co- quicker deportations of failed correct,” Rotterdam police spokesman Roland Ekkers said. ed she was not being racist. “My roccans and Algerians to enable logne main rail station,” said the state prosecutor for the city of Aachen. asylum applicants from those “At this moment we cannot confirm anything, but it’s certainly a strange Dutch husband is of coloured or- quicker deportations if they are “The complaints, which include the accusation of failing to render assist- countries. story that warrants our attention,” he told AFP, stressing no criminal igin and so are my children. I am rejected, following sexual attacks ance, were received today,” said the prosecutor in a statement, adding Last year, the German gov- charges have been laid. just trying to fi nd those respon- on women blamed on migrants. that they will be examined. ernment declared states of the In the first 11 months of 2015, there were some 7,256 requests for sible and then we can talk about Justice Minister Heiko Maas More than a week on from the alleged crime spree on New Year’s Eve, Western Balkans, namely Alba- asylum from Eritrean migrants – making them the second largest group letting those who are innocent said more foreign criminals Cologne police said they had received 561 criminal complaints over the nia, Montenegro and Kosovo, to of refugee seekers in the Netherlands last year after Syrians. back inside.” would be expelled once new re- violence. be “safe countries”. strictions are rolled out in the Following that move, asy- Migrant influx to Greece continues despite winter chill wake of the crowd assaults on lum applications from citizens women on New Year’s Eve in Co- the Social Democrats (SPD), said Merkel has endorsed the pro- of these countries signifi cantly More than 1,000 migrants and refugees arrived dangerous sea passage between Greece and Turkey logne and other German cities. yesterday that the majority of posals. dropped. at Greece’s biggest port of Piraeus near Athens in just 12 days aboard rickety, overcrowded boats, it Complaints from over 600 the suspects in the assaults were Burkhard Lischka, domestic But the total number of mi- yesterday as the influx of people fleeing conflict said. women range from sexual mo- from Algeria and Morocco. aff airs spokesman for the SPD, grants reaching Germany surged zones for Europe continued unabated into the winter “I leave my home, my country (because) there was lestation to theft and police say The coalition, led by Merkel’s said asylum requests from Al- to some 1.1mn in 2015. months. violence, it was not safe,” said 18-year-old Idris, who their inquiries are focused on il- conservatives, on Tuesday pre- geria and Morocco are almost Maas, the justice minister, said More than 1mn refugees and migrants braved the left his home and family behind in Afghanistan three legal migrants from North Africa sented plans aimed at making it never approved after the stand- there would certainly be more seas in 2015 seeking sanctuary in Europe, nearly five months ago, travelling alone through Turkey and as well as asylum seekers. easier to deport foreigners who ard processing time of 15 months, deportation orders as a result of times more than in the previous year, according to hoping to reach Germany to study. The attacks have deepened are found guilty of committing and that the party now wants to amendments to the legislation the United Nations’ refugee agency. As others disembarked from the ferry yesterday, doubts about Merkel’s decision physical and sexual assaults, re- cut this period to a few weeks. “because we are lowering the re- Most entered Europe through Greece’s outlying volunteers passed out hot tea and fruit to help to throw open Germany’s door sisting police or damaging prop- “An especially important pro- quirements for a deportation”. islands. them get through the next leg of their journey, an to asylum seekers, the majority erty. tective measure against such Germany will still not deport So far this year, 31% of arrivals to Europe have been eight-hour bus ride from Athens to Greece’s northern of whom have escaped wars in Under current laws, most of criminal practices by people people who come from countries children, said medical aid group Medecins Sans border with Macedonia. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. these crimes carry probationary from these countries is to decide where war is raging or where they Frontieres, which has been treating arrivals to the The ferry picked up a total of 1,238 migrants and A spokesman for Merkel’s sentences and do not trigger ex- on asylum claims from North Af- could face the death penalty or Greek islands. refugees from the Eastern Aegean islands of Lesbos left-leaning coalition partner, pulsion. rica within a few weeks.” torture, he added. About 5,700 children crossed the narrow but and Chios. Gulf Times 22 Thursday, January 14, 2016 INDIA

JUDICIARY CONTROVERSY ACCIDENT KIND GESTURE DIPLOMACY Supreme Court refuses Court asks lab to test Car kills IAF off icer, Kejriwal gives Rs200,000 Defence co-operation to to permit Jallikattu more Maggi samples Mamata vows action each to martyrs’ kin top Sushma’s Israel agenda

The Supreme Court yesterday declined to The Supreme Court yesterday asked a An Indian Air Force (IAF) off icer supervising Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday Co-operation in defence and counter-terrorism withdraw its order barring the bull taming laboratory in Mysuru to get more samples the Republic Day parade rehearsal in Kolkata handed over Rs200,000 each to the families of will be among the top priorities of External Aff airs sport of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu that is held of Maggi noodles to test lead and MSG was killed yesterday when a speeding car hit two security personnel killed in the terror attack Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Israel next week, during Pongal festivities beginning tomorrow. contents in its taste makers. The bench him, off icials said. West Bengal Chief Minister in Pathankot as well as a taxi driver murdered Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said Judges Dipak Misra and N V Ramana declined of judges Dipak Misra and N V Ramana Mamata Banerjee promised strict action against earlier. The Aam Aadmi Party leader met the yesterday. “We attach great importance to this to lift an earlier order that put on hold a also asked the Central Food Technological the guilty. “A speeding Audi car knocked down families of Defence Services Corps personnel visit,” Carmon said. “Defence co-operation has central government notification allowing Research Institute (CFTRI) to tell if the Corporal Abhimanyu Gaud, who was supervising Subedar Major Fateh Singh and Havildar Kulwant been the central pillar of our relationship,” Carmon Jallikattu and bull races. The judges said they lead content found in its tests of Maggi the parade, before hitting a barricade and Singh as also of taxi driver Ikagar Singh in said. He said Israeli defence manufacturing were not inclined to vacate the Supreme carried out in October was within the limit coming to a halt. He was declared dead at a Gurdaspur and Pathankot in Punjab. Kulwant companies were interested in India’s ‘Make in Court order of Tuesday prohibiting Jallikattu prescribed under the food safety law and hospital,” a defence ministry spokesman said. and Fateh belonged to Chak Sharif and Jhanda India” campaign. As for co-operation in counter- on grounds of cruelty to the bulls. Jallikattu, rules. The court gave the lab two months’ Gaud, 21, hailed from Surat and was stationed at Gujjran villages respectively of Gurdaspur district. terrorism activities, he said: “We should do more an ancient sport, is held in rural parts of Tamil time to carry out the tests and submit its the Kaliakunda air base. He was in Kolkata as a Ikagar Singh, killed by terrorists a day before the and go beyond the established fields.” The other Nadu during Pongal festival. It involves young report, and said if the lab needed more drill instructor for the Republic Day Parade. The January 2 attack, hailed from Bhagwal village in areas of bilateral co-operation are agriculture men clinging on to the hump of bulls to win samples, it should ask for them. The next new car is said to have been registered in the Pathankot. Kejriwal will address a public rally in and water management, academia, cyber and prize money. hearing of the case is on April 5. name of a former legislator’s son. Muktsar Sahib district today. innovation, the ambassador said.

Bangladesh war hero Jacob dies Modi woos aged 93

IANS New Delhi rural voters t Gen J F R Jacob (retd), one of the last of the In- Ldian Army veterans to have seen action in World War II and who played a stellar role in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, died in a hospital with crop here yesterday, an offi cial said. Jacob, 93, a bachelor, died around 8.30am at the Army Hos- pital due to pneumonia, a hospi- tal offi cial said. He was admitted on January 1. Enlisting in the British Indian Army in 1942 much against the insurance wishes of his father, the Calcutta (now Kolkata)-born Jacob, who Home Minister Rajnath Singh traced his roots to Baghdadi Jews says the scheme will create a from Iraq who settled in the city security shield for farmers in the 18th century, saw his fi n- est moment on December 16, Agencies 1971 when he fl ew to Dacca (now New Delhi Dhaka) and persuaded the Pa- kistani Army commander in the then East Pakistan, Lt Gen A A ndia’s cabinet has cleared the K Niazi, to surrender along with launch of the country’s fi rst some 93,000 troops to bring the Imajor crop damage insurance war to an end. scheme from the next fi scal year, Niazi would later claim that a move that would further strain Jacob had arm-twisted him, but government fi nances but help Home Minister Rajnath Singh (centre) speaks at a press conference the Hamoodur Rahman Com- Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu (right) and the mission, which probed the Pa- to woo rural voters ahead of key Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh look on in New Delhi kistani Army’s debacle, had this elections. yesterday. to say: “He displayed a shameful Stung by criticism of ignoring and abject attitude in agreeing to the concerns of rural India where Agriculture Minister Radha Mo- “So far, a government will surrender when he had himself over two-thirds of the country’s han Singh has said that delays in only provide relief, but now the off ered a ceasefi re to the Indian 1.25bn people live, the govern- clearing payouts for crop losses scheme will compensate for the commander-in-chief; in signing A Kashmiri Shikara owner waits for customers on his boat on Dal lake during dense fog in ment yesterday fi elded as many were the “biggest reason for de- losses,” the agriculture minister the surrender document agreeing Srinagar yesterday. as three cabinet ministers to un- stroying farm families”. said. to lay down arms....” derline the importance of the The government would now Going beyond the conventional The last word on Jacob came Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yo- ensure faster settlements by in- methods of compensation and from Pakistan’s National De- jna whose budget will more than creasing the use of technology, crop cover, the scheme provides fence College, which concluded double in three years. including smartphones to capture for compensation for even loss in a study that “the credit really Dense fog, intense cold hit Kashmir Modi is trying to placate rural crop data. It would also reduce of seed plants and post-harvest goes to General Jacob’s meticu- voters after the impact of unsea- premiums to be paid by farmers to damage. It will also provide as- lous preparations in the Indian IANS “We are not expecting gion was the coldest in the sonal rains and two straight years 2% for summer-sown crops and sessment for localised calamities eastern command and to the im- Srinagar heavy fog tomorrow,” an offi - state at minus 13.2 degrees of drought on agriculture dented 1.5% for winter crops. - including hailstorms, unsea- plementation by his corps com- cial said. while Kargil in the region re- his popularity and contributed to The current premium share for sonal rains, landslides and inun- manders.” Meanwhile, the minimum corded minus 12.4. a humiliating loss for the ruling farmers can go as high as 40%, dation - addressing a long-stand- Jacob was then a major general thick fog enveloping temperatures plunged several “It will be a partly cloudy Bharatiya Janata Party in elec- which is one of the main reasons ing demand of farmers. and soon picked up his third star most parts of the Kash- degrees below the freezing day ahead in Ladakh with the tions late last year in the largely that only about a tenth of India’s Urban Development Minister to head the Eastern Command, of Amir Valley and freezing point in the valley and other maximum hovering around 7 rural state of Bihar. estimated 263mn cultivators opt M Venkaiah Naidu said: “Because which he was chief of staff under temperatures aff ected life in parts of the state yesterday, degrees,” the weather offi cial Further elections are due in for crop insurance. of area-based assessments - in Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora during Jammu and Kashmir yester- intensifying the chilly weather said. the states of West Bengal, Kerala, Home Minister Rajnath Singh which the results of crop cutting the Bangladesh operations. day. conditions. In Jammu city, the mini- Tamil Nadu and Assam this year. said “the scheme will create a se- experiments over a small area are Prior to this, he commanded People were forced to begin The tourist destinations of mum overnight temperature “It is a historic day,” Modi curity shield for farmers and will used to pay claims for a larger area the 12 Infantry Division and saw their day late due to the fog, Gulmarg and Pahalgam shiv- was 7.8 degrees. Banihal town tweeted after the scheme was an- provide fi nancial relief to them.” - farm-level assessment is not action in the 1965 war with Paki- which also inconvenienced ered at minus 5 degrees and in Jammu province recorded nounced by the ministers of agri- Crop insurance schemes have done at all. Once farm-level as- stan. After retirement, he served motorists and other commut- minus 4.9 degrees respec- the lowest minimum in the culture, home and parliamentary been around since 2008, but they sessments begin, claims for losses as the governor of Goa and Pun- ers due to low visibility. tively. region at minus 0.6 degrees aff airs. “I believe the prime min- have registered a mere 23% cover. suff ered in localised calamities jab and as the security adviser to Traffi c was moved slowly The minimum was minus yesterday. ister’s crop insurance scheme, The aim is to increase it to 50% will get paid.” the Bharatiya Janata Party. Srinagar’s roads. Many drivers 2.8 degrees in Qazigund town, The minimum was 7degrees inspired by the well-being of cover in the next few years. New Delhi will more than “I am proud to be a Jew, but am switched on their fog lights. minus 3.4 in Awantipora, mi- in Katra town, 0.3 in Bhader- farmers, will bring about a huge “Farmers didn’t accept the double the budget for the crop Indian through and through,” he Offi ce-goers complained of nus 3.1 in Kupwara and minus wah, 2.7 in Batote, 5.2 in Ud- change in the lives of farmers.” scheme because of defi ciencies. insurance scheme to Rs77.50bn told journalist Aimee Ginsburg sluggish traffi c movement in 2.2 in Kukernag in the valley. hampur and 9.2 in Kathua, the Several debt-laden farmers The government has now re- ($1.16bn) in the fi scal year begin- in 2012. many parts of the city. Leh town in the Ladakh re- weather offi ce said. committed suicide last year, and moved those,” Singh added. ning April 2018.

US ‘will continue to press Minister denies report Pakistan on terror fi ght’ on Nehru library head IANS Asked about the delay in IANS killing spree, leaving 166 Indians around sensitive topics,” she said. New Delhi fi lling the position, Sharma New Delhi and foreigners dead. Nine of the “They can go a step further by said the appointment could gunmen were killed and one was proactively reaching out to build not be done by a minister or hanged. ties with communities targeted ulture Minister Ma- even the prime minister. he US will keep pressing New Delhi has for years by violent extremists for recruit- hesh Sharma yesterday “The director’s post is not a Pakistan to help India get pressed Islamabad to bring those ment,” she said, underlining that Cdenied reports on the nominated one. The NMML is Tjustice for the Mumbai who masterminded the attack to terrorism was a common foe of likely appointment of journal- an autonomous body. The ap- terror attack, a senior US offi cial justice. India and the US. ist Swapan Dasgupta as head pointment cannot be done by said yesterday. India and the US, Sewall said, Ensuring freedom calls for of the Nehru Memorial Mu- any minister or even the prime “We will continue to press “have also been brought together more than just enforcing laws, seum and Library (NMML). minister,” he said. Pakistan to take the fi ght to all by the shared trauma of terror- the offi cial said. It involves “There is no truth in the re- Sharma said the executive terrorist networks in the border ism. We recognise that terror is proactively speaking out - as ports. There is a system of se- council will follow due proc- region and do everything in their too often on India’s doorstep”. both public offi cials and private lection, after all. The decision ess by inviting applications power to help India achieve jus- She said challenging calls for citizens - to challenge calls for lies with the library’s execu- for the post through adver- tice for the Mumbai attack which hatred and violence was vitally hatred and violence. tive council, which will have tisements. claimed both Indian and Ameri- important for countries like India “Silence can embolden the to follow the defi ned method Rangarajan’s resignation can lives,” US Under Secretary and the US if they need to take on criminal and the cruel - as in the of selection,” the minister led to a controversy as op- for Civilian Security, Democracy terrorism. lynching of a Muslim man last said. position parties and others and Human Rights Sarah B Se- Sewall said that justifying big- September, or the burning of Political commentator Das- dubbed it as the Bharatiya Ja- wall said here. otry and discriminating against churches in Odisha.” gupta is currently a member nata Party government’s ploy “That is what partners do - we any religious group would not “Learning from the past, we of the NMML Society, pre- to manipulate cultural insti- help each other overcome shared help the cause of fi ghting terror- must avoid the trap of invoking sided over by Prime Minister tutions. struggles and face hard truths,” ism. security to justify bigotry, profi l- Narendra Modi. The NMML The government, however, she added. “Governments can help by end- ing, and discrimination against director’s post is lying vacant alleged irregularities in Ran- Ten Pakistani militants ing stifl ing regulations on civil so- any religious or ethnic group - since September 2015 after the garajan’s appointment by the sneaked into Mumbai by sea in ciety and allowing citizen groups including our Muslim brothers Sarah Sewall delivers an address on ‘Democratic values and violent resignation of Mahesh Ranga- previous Congress-led gov- November 2008 and went on a to peacefully speak and organise and sisters,” Sewall said. extremism’ in New Delhi yesterday. rajan. ernment. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 23 INDIA

TERROR CAMPUS HEALTH MILITARY AGREEMENT 4 Indians held in Syria New IT facility to Call for screening Army capable of any Japan lends Rs10bn preparing to join IS open next week for ‘monkey fever’ kind of operation: chief to clean river

Four Indians have been detained in Syria while A new 330,000 sq ft building, which has a A Goa legislator yesterday demanded compul- Days after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Japan yesterday signed a loan agreement with the trying to join the Islamic State (IS) terror group, special economic zone (SEZ) classification, sory screening of villagers in the remote forested said pain will be inflicted upon those who hurt central government to provide Rs10bn to facilitate pol- Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign will open on January 21 as part of the second areas in Sattari sub-district for the rare Kyasanur India, Army chief General Dalbir Singh yesterday lution control and decline of Pune’s Mula-Mutha rivers, Minister Walid al-Moualem said in New Delhi phase of the Thrissur Infopark campus in Forest Disease (KFD). Three people have been said the army was ready for any kind of opera- a statement said. Under the National River Conserva- yesterday. Moualem, who was on a three-day visit Kerala. The park is located around 30km diagnosed with the disease, known locally as tion. Singh, however, did not explain the nature tion Plan, a loan agreement was signed between to India since January 11, said Syria was ready to from the main Kochi Infopark campus. monkey fever. Health Minister Francis D’Souza of operations. Asked at the army’s annual press Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and hand over all the four to India. “They are in jail Infopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair said the new fa- told the Goa assembly there was need to increase conference ahead of Army Day tomorrow about the central government. Forests and Environment Min- in Damascus and Syria is ready to hand them cility has the potential to be developed into a awareness about the disease, but bemoaned lack Parrikar’s comment, Singh said he cannot com- ister Prakash Javadekar, who hails from Pune, termed over to India,” he told reporters. About 39 Indians major IT hub. “Infoparks Kerala has a growth of public enthusiasm on the vaccination drive. ment on what the minister said, but added: “The it a “historic agreement”. The major components captured in Mosul in Iraq, he said: “If they were of around 30% year-on-year, and majority “The monkey fever has aff ected more people Indian Army is capable of doing everything. proposed under the project include the construction captured by Iraqi security forces, then Syria can of this export turnover is from the Infopark now. It is a serious matter. A compulsory blood- These are government decisions, whatever task of 11 new sewage treatment plants, laying of 113.6km help negotiate their release but if they were cap- Kochi campus. With the current focus on test drive should be conducted in places where the government gives us we are ready.” In one of of sewer lines and renovation and rehabilitation of the tured by the IS, then we cannot help.” The Syrian Infopark Thrissur, it is expected to grow at the disease has surfaced to check its root cause,” the strongest statements following the January four existing intermediate pumping stations. The loan minister met External Aff airs Minister Sushma par with Infopark Kochi in the coming years,” Congress legislator Vishwajeet Rane told the 2 attack on the Pathankot air base, Parrikar said has to be repaid by India in a period of 40 years, includ- Swaraj on Tuesday. Nair said. assembly. pain must be inflicted on those who hurt India. ing a 10-year grace period. Tata Motors Festival marks end of winter seeks image rebirth with new hatchback

Reuters are converging across the world - Pimpri what is expected today in Europe is what is wanted here in terms of what the car is,” said Leverton, ata Motors Ltd will be re- president and head of advanced born this month with a and product engineering and a Tcurvaceous hatchback far former executive at Rolls-Royce. removed from the low-cost, boxy The Zica will compete with ve- models often associated with tax- hicles in a similar class from Maru- is, kicking off an image-centred ti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai strategy for a brand with newly Motor Company where prices global aspirations. start at Rs400,000 ($5,977.29). The Zica will be followed over Tata, exclusively a truck-maker the next three years by more until around the turn of the cen- hatchbacks and sport utility vehi- tury, is looking beyond primarily cles, plugging gaps in Tata’s line- practical, fuel-effi cient workhorses up, said chief engineer Tim Lev- as India’s fast-growing, brand- erton. Meanwhile, Tata will adopt conscious middle class increasingly a modular production approach seek vehicles that refl ect their tastes. Students perform a traditional folk dance near a bonfire as they celebrate the Lohri festival in Chandigarh yesterday. Lohri marks the culmination of winter in many parts of - where components are common The Zica is the start of that new northern India and is celebrated on the 13th day of January every year. across models - to cut costs and direction, Leverton said, but the raise quality, he said. carmaker will have a hard time India’s fi fth-biggest automaker changing perceptions. - owner of Jaguar Land Rover Ltd “Customers will go back to (JLR), a luxury brand patronised Tata only if the product is above by the British monarchy - has everything else in the market,” struggled to dispel perceptions said Deepesh Rathore, director at of cheapness since releasing the Emerging Markets Automotive Nano seven years ago for under Advisors. Tata has been stigma- $3,000. tised by early quality issues while Few new models in the inter- subsequent quality gains have SC allows Italy marine vening years, materials-related been off set by questionable reli- quality issues and the need for fre- ability, he said. quent servicing has seen domestic Devesh Gupta, a Delhi-based passenger car sales and market 26-year-old media professional, share roughly halve in the past two said he recently passed over buy- business years, with profi t held up ing a Tata car because of the au- mainly by JLR. tomaker’s “taxi” image, and opted to extend home visit Tata’s response begins with for a Maruti Suzuki Wagon R. the Zica. The car was designed “It’s diffi cult to bet on a Tata Decision defuses a possible shooting the fi shermen while His reported remarks drew the murder charges and the long by an international team result- horse,” said Gupta. judicial standoff protecting an Italian oil tanker sharp reactions in Kerala. wait for the case to be resolved ing in a more modern look, built Leverton, hired in 2010 to as part of an anti-piracy mission “The Italian government has are sore subjects in Italy with with higher-quality materials and streamline production processes, Agencies off Kerala’s coast in 2012. stood up for its soldiers, our gov- Prime Minister Matteo Renzi equipped with up-to-date fea- hopes to broaden Tata’s appeal New Delhi The incident, which is now ernment must stand up for us,” T regularly fl ayed by opposition tures such as an infotainment sys- through international input, with subject to international arbitra- Peter, a top offi cial with the Na- leaders for failing to get both tem - all endorsed by world soccer quarterly factory visits by engi- tion, has badly strained rela- tional Federation of Fishermen men home. player of the year Lionel Messi. neers from JLR. But, he said, it will he Supreme Court yes- tions between Rome and New was quoted as saying by NDTV. Italy insists the oil tanker, the “Customers are very well-in- be at least a year before production terday granted an Italian Delhi, particularly after the two “I only request the govern- MV Enrica Lexie, was in interna- formed ... and standards overall changes boost sales. Tmarine detained over the marines overstayed in Italy after ment of India to bring back these tional waters at the time of the killing of two fi shermen another being allowed home in early 2013 men to stand trial in India,” incident. three months at home on health to vote in general elections. Kerala Chief Minister Oomen India argues that the case is not grounds in the latest chapter of Both marines were then barred Chandy said. a maritime dispute but “a double a legal battle that has caused a from leaving India again pending Italy initiated arbitration murder at sea”, in which one fi sh- diplomatic row. a trial, but Latorre was allowed Latorre: gets court approval to proceedings last year and, in erman was shot in the head and The decision defuses a pos- to travel back to Italy in 2014 for delay return August, a UN body, the Inter- the other in the stomach. sible judicial standoff after an medical treatment after he suf- national Tribunal for the Law of In a sign of lingering tensions Italian senator said the day be- fered a blood blockage in his brain. tion of the dispute. the Sea (ITLOS), ordered India over the case, Italy’s foreign fore that Massimiliano Latorre The court yesterday extended The Supreme Court’s order to suspend court proceedings ministry issued a tetchy reac- would not return to face trial as Latorre’s permission to stay in came soon after Italian senator against the pair. tion to yesterday’s ruling, em- he had been due to by tomor- Italy until April 30. Nicola Latorre said the marine ITLOS rejected Rome’s re- phasising that, in Rome’s view, row, having earlier been allowed The other marine, Girone, is would not be returning to India quest for both marines to be the Indian court was not entitled home for medical treatment. living at Italy’s embassy in New and Italy was also exploring the freed immediately pending a fi - to make any ruling on Latorre’s Latorre and his fellow marine Delhi and remains barred from return of the second marine, nal ruling. case pending the outcome of the Leverton: image makeover Salvatore Girone are accused of leaving India pending a resolu- NDTV reported. The detention of the marines, arbitration process.

‘India in talks to boost Rafale Comedian held for deal ahead of Hollande visit’ ‘off ensive’ guru act

Agencies it was only aimed at entertaining Reuters option” for more jets, the person “No. The negotiations are ongo- Chandigarh audiences. Paris close to the talks said. ing,” he said. “I was given a dress, a script to Dassault Aviation declined to Indian military offi cials have read and directed to act,” he was comment. warned their air force risks a ma- olice arrested a popular quoted as saying by the Press rance and India are nego- Indian government sources say jor capability gap with China and comedian for off ending re- Trust of India news agency. tiating whether to widen the Rafale deal is politically done, Pakistan without new Western Pligious sentiments after he He repeated his apology yes- Fa proposed $9bn deal for paving the way for Hollande’s visit, warplanes, or if local defence con- mimicked a controversial spir- terday saying, “I had no idea it the sale of 36 French-built Rafale though the country’s longstand- tractors cannot produce what the itual guru on a television show, would hurt religious sentiments warplanes to include an option for ing eff orts to modernise its air force military needs in a timely manner. an offi cial said yesterday. and I am sorry.” further purchases, but have yet to have been peppered with delays and In October, Indian offi cials said Kiku Sharda, 40, known for his Singh, who heads the Dera decide the scope of the deal, a per- premature hopes of a deal. the government had turned down comic role in popular TV show Sacha Sauda sect, is known as son close to the talks said. One source at the defence min- the military’s request to expand Comedy Nights with Kapil, was the “guru in bling” for his pen- The nations have been negotiat- istry said the all-in price for the 36 the acquisition of 36 Dassault- sent to judicial custody for 14 days chant for garish clothes and jew- ing for months after Prime Minister fi ghter jets, in fl y-away condition, built fi ghter planes to plug vital by a court in Haryana after he was ellery. Narendra Modi announced plans to was Rs610bn ($9.1bn). gaps, nudging it to accept an in- arrested in Mumbai late Tuesday, a Dera Sacha Sauda describes buy 36 warplanes directly from the An option for add-on purchases digenous combat plane. senior police offi cer said. itself as a social welfare and spir- French government following the could give France an extra edge In August, sources said talks to “A police team arrested the ac- itual organisation with millions collapse of a larger commercial deal over US and European rivals cir- fi nalise the government-to-gov- cused at a TV studio in Mumbai of followers in India and abroad. with Dassault Aviation. cling India’s lucrative arms market ernment deal for 36 jets had run late last night following a com- “In the show (Jashn-E-Um- Talks have sped up in recent and allay concerns among India’s into snags over the unit price and plaint fi led by one of the guru’s meed), he was shown dressed up weeks ahead of a visit to India by military about the strength of its a condition that Dassault Aviation followers,” he said on the condi- like our respected guruji. He was French President Francois Hollande ageing air force, which is at its invest a big percentage of the deal’s tion of anonymity. shown with liquor and did dance on January 25-27, and aides were weakest operational strength since value in India. The comedian was released on with two girls. He did mockery of said to be locked in discussions with the 1962 war against China. Addressing that potential stick- bail later yesterday. guruji. Whosoever saw it, their Indian offi cials at France’s presiden- The source close to the talks ing point, the new contract may Sharda, who imitated guru feelings were hurt,” Uday Singh, tial offi ces yesterday. played down a report that the op- involve “off sets,” or local work, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a a complainant, told reporters. “The deal should be signed at tions would cover 18 planes, ex- worth 30% of the value of the deal, TV appearance on December 27, The show was aired on De- the end of January and there is an panding the potential deal by 50%. an Indian defence source said. Sharda: controversy has apologised for his act, saying cember 27. Gulf Times 24 Thursday, January 14, 2016 LATIN AMERICA

OPINION OPTIMISM ENTERTAINMENT ANGER CORPORATE Cuba doubts next US Rio mayor insists Olympics Major Lazer to perform Protests erupt against Blackout paralyses president will reverse thaw will weather Brazil crisis at US-Cuba festival Argentina media reforms Paraguana refinery

Cuba’s top diplomat for US aff airs said she The mayor of 2016 Olympic host city Rio de Major Lazer, one of the most popular acts Tens of thousands of people demonstrated Operations at Venezuela’s massive cannot imagine the next president of the Janeiro insisted authorities had the finances in electronic music, will perform in Cuba as in Buenos Aires against the new Argentine 955,000-barrel-per-day Paraguana refinery US undoing the historic rapprochement the to avoid disruption to the summer Games part of a rare US-linked festival. The group, government’s reforms, including measures they were paralysed by an electrical blackout two countries embarked on under Barack despite Brazil’s recession. “We have enough whose Lean On is the most popular song ever say curb press freedom. Crowds responding to yesterday morning, according to two workers Obama. “I can’t imagine a new president, money to make sure everything is presented on streaming service Spotify, will play March an online call by organisers swamped the Plaza and an anti-government union leader. It whoever it is, deciding to break off relations as it is supposed to be, as you can see here,” 6 on the Havana waterfront to kick off the de Mayo square in front of the presidential was not immediately clear what caused the with Cuba and close the (US) embassy,” said mayor Eduardo Paes said. Brazil is suff ering Musicabana festival of more than 25 artistes. palace in the Argentine capital. The demo problems reported by the workers at the Josefina Vidal, the Cuban foreign ministry’s from a deep recession and soaring inflation - a The Musicabana Foundation, which promotes was called as a protest against President 645,000-bpd Amuay refinery and adjacent top off icial for US aff airs, in an interview contrast to the boom times of 2009, when joint US-Cuban cultural activities and organised Mauricio Macri’s bid to repeal a law by his 310,000-bpd Cardon refinery, which are run published by Cuban state news agency ACN. Rio won the right to host the Olympics. The the events, said the concerts would be free for leftist predecessor that outlawed monopolies by state oil company PDVSA. “At 8.35am She admitted however that the November International Monetary Fund expects Brazil Cubans. Performers at the festival will include by media companies. It expanded to draw there was a blackout, again due to problems 8 elections in the US introduce an element will stay in recession in 2016. Paes insisted classic artistes of the nueva trova movement of crowds of protesters angry at the treatment at the Genevapca electrical plant at Cardon,” of uncertainty to the thaw between the the crisis “is not aff ecting the finishing of the Cuban roots music, 72-year-old Pablo Milanes of a prominent journalist and critic of Macri said union boss Ivan Freites, a fierce critic communist island and its long-time Cold War (sporting) installations” in the city’s Olympic and 52-year-old Carlos Varela, and Ibeyi, the who was fired on Monday from a private radio of PDVSA’s management and an opposition foe. park, however. Afro-Cuban R&B duo of Paris-born twin sisters. station. activist. “Both refineries are halted.” Cubans bound for US inch closer, arrive in Guatemala

AFP to the US border and to what they Guatemala City hope will be new lives in Amer- ica. Elation and trepidation group of 180 Cuban mi- gripped the Cubans ahead of grants took a step closer to their fl ight out of Costa Rica, Atheir dream of a new life in where many have languished for the US yesterday after fl ying out weeks or even months. of Costa Rica in a trial run de- “I still can’t believe it. We signed to blaze a path for thou- could be arriving and I still won’t sands of stranded compatriots to believe it,” said Liana Cabezas follow. Gonzalez, a 28-year-old inter- In what they nervously hope preter who left Havana seven will be the successful conclu- months ago, aiming to join her sion to a months-long odys- parents already in Miami. sey through South and Central She and the others paid $555 America, the Cubans landed in for the trip to Mexico’s border. El Salvador and then made it The governments involved in- further north to Guatemala by sisted the migrants bear the en- bus after travelling through the tire cost of their trip. night. But their joy was tempered by Deputies of Venezuela’s United Socialist Party (PSUV) applaud during a session of the National Assembly in Caracas yesterday. The 109 men and 71 women fears about running the gaunt- are ultimately bound for the US, let of Mexico’s fearsome narco- which has a longstanding policy gangs. of accepting Cuban migrants. “We’ve heard a lot that in If their arduous plane-and- Mexico there are gangs like the bus trip is successful, other Zetas that make attacks on roads fl ights will follow as early as next and that there are dangerous week, transporting more of the zones,” said Yordani Casanova, 7,600 other Cubans stranded in a 33-year-old who left his herbal Venezuela opposition Costa Rica. drinks business in Cuba to make The air bridge, organised by the journey to the United States Latin American governments with his wife. and the International Organisa- Cabezas said she planned to tion for Migration (IOM), be- minimise that risk by taking a came necessary when Costa domestic fl ight inside Mexico to Rica’s northern neighbour Nic- a town close to the US border. moves to resolve crisis aragua - a Cuban ally - closed At American border posts the its border to Cuban migrants in Cubans can expect a relatively Reuters in December’s elections for the However, by leaving, “we help would win any constitutional Without the four barred leg- mid-November. easy entry, despite not having Caracas first time in 17 years of socialist free parliament from the insti- clashes. islators, the opposition has 109 The 180-strong group boarded American visas. rule, defiantly swore the three tutional ambush they (the gov- Earlier yesterday, the three seats to the government’s 54. a chartered aircraft in Liberia, a Under a Cold War-era law, in anyway. ernment) want to lead it into.” opposition legislators and doz- So the opposition would have northern Costa Rican city near America welcomes Cubans un- hree Venezuela opposi- However, in a reluctant U- The opposition’s victory in ens of supporters protested two thirds of an effective sit- Nicaragua’s border. der a scheme that gives fast- tion lawmakers gave up turn cheered by government the December vote gave them outside the Supreme Court. ting total of 163 seats. They arrived just over an hour track access to permanent resi- Ttheir seats yesterday to lawmakers as a “victory for the a long-sought power-base to Illustrating the tensions, The government, though, is later at El Salvador’s interna- dency. try to defuse an acrimonious people,” the opposition major- take aim at Maduro, who suc- tomatoes and a firework were likely to argue that based on the tional airport southeast of the Costa Rican offi cials were vis- power dispute between Presi- ity yesterday approved a letter ceeded late president Hugo hurled at people walking into chamber’s total capacity of 167 capital San Salvador, disembark- ibly relieved that there is fi nally dent Nicolas Maduro’s govern- from the three asking to leave Chavez, and try to undermine congress by a group of red- seats, the opposition will have ing with smiles and small bags. movement to clear out some of ment and the newly opposi- the legislature pending resolu- his grip on the Opec nation of shirted bystanders who ap- less than a two-thirds majority. Accompanied by a police es- the thousands of Cubans who tion-led National Assembly. tion of the election dispute. 29mn people peared to be government sup- In addition to the move to cort, they arrived in Guatemala have been piling up in shelters on Venezuela’s Supreme Court The Supreme Court, which Days before the opposi- porters, witnesses and some defuse the dispute over the leg- later aboard four buses before its territory. had barred the three - plus a almost always rules in favour tion took over the legislature local media said. islators, there was a rare sign of dawn and kept going toward Foreign Minister Manuel government legislator - from of the government, had said last week, the outgoing gov- The opposition argues that rapprochement in news that Mexico. Gonzalez said after the plane’s office pending a probe into al- congressional decisions would ernment-controlled congress even without its barred legis- National Assembly president After crossing Guatemala, the departure that the trip was or- leged vote cheating in their be null until the swearing-in of named 13 new magistrates to lators, it still has a two-thirds Henry Ramos twice talked by Cubans are to be dropped off at ganised for “humanitarian” rea- jungle state Amazonas. the three was overturned. the 32-judge Supreme Court. super majority that will enable phone with Maduro’s new vice the border with Mexico with 20- sons and he was confi dent of its But the opposition, which “We completely reject that Critics saw that as a cynical it to, for example, fire minis- president, Aristobulo Isturiz, day visas to make their own way success. won control of the legislature ruling,” the three’s letter said. ploy to ensure the government ters. this week.

Bus fare protest Nephews kidnapped Mexico ‘not directly by US: Maduro’s wife

Reuters quest for comment. probing Sean Penn’ Caracas The two met with a DEA in- formant in Honduras in Octo- ber and asked for help in sending Reuters He is now being held in isola- “Joaquin El Chapo Guzman” and enezuelan fi rst lady Cilia 800kgs of cocaine to the US, ac- Mexico City tion in another part of the prison, a “El Chapo Guzman” in 2011, fi led Flores said two of her cording to a source knowledgeable Mexican security source said. by Alejandrina Gisselle Guzman, Vnephews who have been of the situation. The improved security meas- who is believed to be his daughter. indicted on drug traffi cking exico is not directly in- ures also include reducing the The applications - for clothing charges were kidnapped by US “We have evidence that vestigating actors Sean number of inmates, quadrupling and apparel, not movies - were de- authorities, her fi rst comments the DEA was here on MPenn and Kate del Cas- the number of cameras on the site nied on the grounds that Guzman on the case since their arrests Venezuelan territory tillo for secretly meeting with drug and moving Guzman randomly, was a wanted man. sparked a scandal last year. violating our sovereignty lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, without warning, to diff erent parts A search on the IMPI website Franqui Flores de Freitas, 30, and committing crimes on but will look into the circumstanc- of the prison, Mexico government shows a brand under the name “El and Efrain Campo Flores, 29, our territory” es, a government spokesman said. spokesman Eduardo Sanchez said. Chapo,” fi rst registered in 2006. were arrested in Haiti in Novem- The clandestine meeting in Before his brazen jailbreak last Local media did not explain how ber in an operation involving the Opposition critics have de- early October to discuss a Rolling year, the notorious drug boss in- authorities knew at this time that Drug Enforcement Administra- scribed the two as “narconeph- Stone magazine article was es- structed his lawyers to trademark Guzman might be seeking a trade- tion (DEA). The two were later ews,” and say the case signals sential to fi nding the fugitive drug his name, giving Mexican authori- mark to make a fi lm. indicted in New York on charges a broader involvement of Ven- lord, Mexico’s attorney general ties their fi rst clue that he wanted Mexico has said it plans to ex- of conspiring to traffi c cocaine, ezuelan authorities in smug- said. to make a fi lm of his life, local me- tradite Guzman, head of the Si- an embarrassment to President gling drugs from neighbouring Guzman was recaptured on dia said. naloa drug cartel, to the US, where Nicolas Maduro. Colombia toward the US and Friday in northwest Mexico and is During his previous 17 month he is wanted for exporting hun- “We have evidence that the Europe. now back in the same maximum stint behind bars, Guzman asked dreds of tonnes of cocaine, meth- DEA was here on Venezuelan ter- Socialist Party offi cials call the security prison he escaped from his lawyers to begin the process amphetamine and heroin across ritory violating our sovereignty accusations an attempt by Wash- in July via a tunnel that burrowed of trade-marking his name with the border. and committing crimes on our ington to smear the leftist govern- right up into his cell. The magazine the Mexican Institute of Industrial Mexico has received guarantees territory,” said Flores, who is also ment, and insist drug interdiction article by Penn was published on Property (IMPI), Mexican jour- from a court in Texas that if it re- a congresswoman, when asked eff orts have improved since the Saturday. nalist Carlos Loret de Mola said. ceives Guzman as part of his ex- about the issue by reporters at the 2005 expulsion of the DEA. Deeply concerned that Guz- However, IMPI denied his request. tradition, it will not seek the death A student is arrested by riot police during a protest against legislature. “They have tried to link high- man could escape for a third time, IMPI could not immediately be penalty against him, the attorney the rise in transport fares in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Amid a “The DEA committed the crime ranking government offi cials to Mexico has beefed up security at reached for comment. general offi ce’s head of interna- marked economic downturn and high inflation bus fares of kidnapping, which the (legal) make it look like Venezuela is com- his prison, reinforcing the fl oor of According to documents seen tional proceedings, Jose Manuel went up in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city from 3.50 to 3.80 defence will prove.” placent with the drug trade, and it his cell and placing a guard on his by Reuters, IMPI rejected two ap- Merino, said in a newspaper inter- reais. The US embassy in Caracas did turns out that major drug traffi ck- door 24/7. plications to trademark the names view. not immediately respond to a re- ers are arrested here,” Flores said. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 25 PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN

CELEBRITY Veena Malik Pakistan arrests head of militant group over Indian airbase raid returns to Pakistan Reuters Pakistan said earlier in the air base attack before the meet- said earlier it would decide behind the assault on the air base and sealed. Further investiga- Islamabad day that it had arrested several ing goes ahead. late on Wednesday whether after India handed evidence to tions are under way.” Infamous Lol- members of Azhar’s group and “We will keep them (Azhar Foreign Secretary Subrahman- Pakistan that it said implicated Jaish-e-Mohamed has lywood actor sealed off its offi ces as it inves- and brothers) for as long as we yam Jaishankar would travel Jaish-e-Mohamed. long fought Indian forces in Veena Malik akistan has arrested the tigates Indian assertions that the need to carry out our investiga- to Islamabad on Friday for the The Pakistani prime minister’s India’s part of the disput- has finally head of the Jaish-e-Mo- Jan. 2 attack, in which seven mil- tion over India’s claims about meeting. offi ce said the government had ed region of Kashmir. It is returned to Pa- Phamed militant group on itary personnel were killed, was the attack. We are resolved to made “considerable progress” in blamed for the 2001 assault kistan, touch- suspicion his outfi t master- the work of the Pakistan-based take this investigation to its con- “We will keep them (Azhar investigating the attack, and it on India’s parliament that ing down in minded an attack this month on militants. clusion,” the senior intelligence and brothers) for as long wanted to send a team of special brought the two countries to Lahore on an air base in India, two offi cials The foreign secretaries of offi cial said. as we need to carry out our investigators to the Pathankot the brink of war. Monday with said yesterday. India and Pakistan - longtime, A senior government offi cial investigation over India’s air base. India also holds Pakistan- her husband Maulana Masood Azhar, an Is- nuclear-armed arch-rivals on close to the investigation said claims about the attack. “Based on the initial inves- based militants responsible for and two kids. lamist hardliner who was blamed the Indian subcontinent - are that Azhar, who has been placed We are resolved to take tigations in Pakistan, and the the 2008 Mumbai shooting at- According to a for a 2001 attack on India’s par- set to hold a rare, previously under house arrest in the past this investigation to its information provided, sev- tacks that left 166 dead. source, Veena plans to partici- liament, was detained two days scheduled meeting on Friday, but never prosecuted, would be conclusion” eral individuals belonging to But a surprise December 25 pate in human rights campaigns ago along with his brother and part of a budding diplomatic prosecuted this time if evidence Jaish-e-Mohamed, have been visit by Indian Prime Minister and other goodwill social brother-in-law and will remain thaw after decades of hostility. connected him to the attack on Islamabad, which India has apprehended,” the offi ce of Narendra Modi to meet Sharif activities. The actor has planned in protective custody for at least But India has demanded Pa- the Pathankot air base. long accused of backing Islam- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised hope that stop-and-start a visit to Peshawar’s Army Public 30 days, a senior intelligence of- kistan take “prompt and deci- India’s foreign ministry had ist militant attacks, promised said. “The offi ces of the organ- talks between the bitter rivals School (APS), and also plans on fi cial said. sive” action over the January 2 no immediate comment, but to get to the bottom of who was isation are also being traced might fi nally yield progress. producing a song for APS vic- tims. The controversial actor also expressed a desire to resume her acting career, but ruled out appearing on the big screen. Veena left the country last year after being issued a jail term for ‘malicious acts’ of blasphemy. The actor, who has been living with her husband and children in the UAE, disclosed several failed IS claims deadly attack on attempts to return to Pakistan due to ‘death threats’.

ECONOMY Pakistan govt accepts IMF Pak mission in Afghan city benchmarks Gunfire, explosions rock Ghani phoned Pakistan’s leader In a sign of their growing With slippages on three major Jalalabad after suicide blasts Nawaz Sharif yesterday to as- reach in Afghanistan, the group deliverables, the government has ; Three bombers, seven sure him of greater security for has taken to the airwaves in a committed itself to nine fresh security force members Islamabad’s diplomats in Af- 90-minute Pashto-language targets with the International killed ; Rare attack on ghanistan following the attack, radio show called “Voice of the Monetary Fund (IMF) as compen- Pakistan by radical Islamist according to a statement from Caliphate”. sation to ensure smooth comple- movement ; Highlights the prime minister’s offi ce. The government has said it is tion of around $6.64bn bailout growing Islamic State threat The Jalalabad attack bore trying to block the broadcast, package in August this year. This in Afghanistan chilling similarities to a similar beamed from an undisclosed lo- could involve additional revenue deadly siege last week near the cation, that is aimed at winning measures of around Rs100bn by AFP Indian consulate in the north- new recruits. end-February, Rs30bn reduction Kabul ern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. No This week representatives of in expenditures across the govern- group has claimed that attack Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Unit- ment machinery, and speeding so far. ed States and China met in a bid up privatisation of public sector slamic State jihadists yester- Nangarhar faces an emerg- to revive stalled Taliban peace entities apart from an unspeci- day claimed responsibility ing threat from loyalists of the talks, even as the insurgents fied amount of increase in gas Ifor a deadly gun and bomb Islamic State group, which wage a brazen winter campaign rates. This has been revealed by siege targeting the Pakistani controls territory across Syria of violence. the IMF in its quarterly report on consulate in Afghanistan’s Jala- and Iraq and is making gradual The so-called “roadmap” the completion of ninth review labad city, in the fi rst attack by inroads in Afghanistan, chal- talks were meant to lay the of Extended Fund Facility (EFF) the group on the Pakistani gov- lenging the Taliban on their groundwork for direct dialogue contracted in September 2013 for ernment. own turf. between the Afghan government 36 months. Afghan offi cials said all three The jihadists have managed and the Islamists to end the 14- attackers and seven security to attract disaff ected Taliban year Taliban insurgency. NATURAL DISASTER forces were killed in the brazen fi ghters increasingly lured by the The four-country group is set 5.6 magnitude assault in eastern Nangarhar group’s signature brutality that to hold the next round of discus- province, where the group has has made them notorious. sions on January 18 in Kabul. quake shakes made alarming inroads in recent Afghanistan months. Afghan security personnel inspect a building used by insurgents to launch an attack on the Pakistan Pakistani TV station attacked The four-hour siege near the consulate in Jalalabad yesterday. consulate comes amid renewed A 5.6-magnitude earthquake international eff orts to revive ers from the apostate Pakistani tack as the Pakistani consulate tails of the investigation should Attackers on a motorcycle chased away the drive-by shook northeastern Afghanistan peace talks with the Taliban, intelligence services,” the state- is a high-profi le installation in be shared with us.” lobbed grenades and opened attackers, it said, and an editor early yesterday, the US Geological locked in a tussle for supremacy ment said. Jalalabad.” Islamabad has offi cially de- fire at a Pakistani television hit by shrapnel in the head was Survey said, but there were no with Islamic State jihadists in The toll appeared to be exag- There was no immediate com- nied that the Islamic State or- station yesterday, wounding hospitalised. The pamphlets immediate reports of serious dam- Afghanistan. gerated, with Islamabad saying ment on the IS group’s claim ganisation is operating in Pa- one person, and left behind left behind said “Islamic State age. The USGS said the quake was In an Arabic statement re- offi cials at the consulate itself from Islamabad. kistan, but authorities have pamphlets linked to Islamic Khorasan Province” claimed 242.9km deep and its epicentre leased via Twitter, the IS group are safe and accounted for. In a statement earlier yes- expressed fears the jihadists State, the station said. The responsibility for attacking was 62km south-southeast of the said two of its fi ghters blew The brazen assault sent ter- terday, Pakistan’s foreign offi ce could fi nd recruits among the attack on the ARY News media that it accused of “siding town of Feyzabad. Tremors could themselves up at the scene by rifi ed young students in an ad- “strongly condemned” the at- country’s myriad of Islamist Islamabad off ice was the with the apostate army and be felt in the Afghan capital Kabul detonating explosive belts, while jacent school fl eeing the area, tack on its consulate. militant groups. second such assault on media government of Pakistan in their as well as Pakistan’s capital Islama- a third managed to escape un- which is also close to the Indian “The government of Afghani- In May last year, the IS group premises in as many months global crusade against Islam”. bad, witnesses said. On December harmed. diplomatic mission. stan has been requested to thor- claimed responsibility for an at- by the militant group claiming Pakistan’s army is fighting a 25, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake “The attack lasted almost four “This is fi rst attack claimed by oughly investigate this incident tack that claimed the lives of at a connection with Islamic military campaign against rocked northern Afghanistan and hours during which the consu- IS against the state of Pakistan,” and bring the culprits to book,” least 43 members of the Shiite State’s self-declared province Taliban and other militants in Pakistan, two months after more late building was destroyed and Mohamed Amir Rana, a Pakista- the Pakistani government said in Ismaili minority in Pakistan’s of Khorasan in Afghanistan the country’s northwest near than 300 people were killed by a tens of its employees were killed ni security analyst, said. a statement. southern port city of Karachi. and Pakistan. Security guards the Afghan border. quake in the same mountainous together with a number of offi c- “This is a highly symbolic at- “We have requested that de- Afghan president Ashraf region. Suicide bomber kills 15 in Quetta YouTube launches Pakistani version AFP since December 2012. Quetta While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for yes- AFP Content on the local site can terday’s attack, Islamist groups Islamabad still be regulated, and a senior suicide bomber blew including the Taliban say the government offi cial said yes- himself up outside a polio polio vaccination drive is a front terday Pakistan’s telecommu- Avaccination centre in the for espionage or a conspiracy to oogle has launched a nication authority could ask southwestern Pakistani city of sterilise Muslims. localised version of Google to remove content it Quetta yesterday, killing at least In 2014 the number of po- GYouTube in Pakistan, deems objectionable. 15 people, mainly police, offi cials lio cases recorded in Pakistan potentially paving the way for If Google complies, it could said. soared to 306, the highest in 14 the country’s top court to lift a meet a condition set by the Su- The policemen had been years, falling to 52 in 2015. ban on the site over “blasphe- preme Court for lifting the ban. gathering outside the centre to The most recent attack came mous content”. “The understanding is that accompany polio workers on in November last year, when un- The site was blocked after on the localised version off en- the third day of a vaccination known gunmen shot and killed “Innocence of Muslims” was sive and blasphemous content campaign which are frequently the head of an immunisation uploaded, an American-made could be blocked by Google on targeted by Taliban and other programme in the Khyber Pa- fi lm that triggered protests the government’s request,” the Islamist militant groups in Pa- khtunkhwa district of Swabi. across the Muslim world — offi cial said. kistan. Islamist opposition to all including in Pakistan, where A Google spokesman con- Quetta is the capital of the forms of inoculation mounted more than 20 people died in fi rmed that governments are restive Balochistan province, after the CIA organised a fake demonstrations. allowed to request the removal which is home to a separatist vaccination drive to help track Google said on Tuesday of YouTube videos that violate insurgency that has been rag- down Al Qaeda’s former leader users in Nepal, Pakistan and local laws. ing since 2004, with rebels fre- Osama Bin Laden in the Pakista- Sri Lanka would see a new “We have clear community quently targeting government ni garrison town of Abbottabad. YouTube homepage featuring guidelines, and when videos personnel and facilities. The terror chief was killed local content in native lan- violate those rules, we remove “There are 15 dead, including during a US special forces raid guages. them,” the spokesman said. 12 police, one paramilitary, and Pakistani security off icials examine the site of a bomb blast near a polio vaccination centre in Quetta in 2011. YouTube, owned by Califor- But the Internet giant said it two civilians,” a local police of- yesterday. Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest nia-based Google, has already would review requests before fi cial told AFP. but most impoverished prov- launched similar initiatives in taking videos down. Sarfraz Bugti, Balochistan the caps and shoes of policemen. “Suddenly there was a loud ment, vowed the polio immuni- ince, is also home to a raging dozens of other countries. “Government requests to home minister added: “So far 15 Some offi cials had begun to bang and I fell to the ground, I sation drive would continue. insurgency that has claimed the The Supreme Court’s ban remove content will continue people have been injured in the gather evidence from the scene could not see anything, there “We won’t allow the nefarious lives of hundreds of soldiers and in place since September 2012 to be tracked and included in blast, seven of whom are in criti- while others were collecting was dust everywhere,” he said. designs of the terrorists to succeed, militants since it re-ignited in applied to YouTube’s global our Transparency Report.” cal condition.” body parts to put in bags. “Then I heard people we will eliminate polio,” he said. 2004, with rebels often attack- and localised sites. Islamabad has been in in- An AFP reporter at the site Eye-witness Shabir Ahmed, screaming and sirens of am- Pakistan is one of only two ing government installations The new site, youtube.com. termittent talks with Google saw three burned out vehicles a 32-year-old police constable, bulances,” he continued, add- countries where polio, a crip- and personnel. pk, is currently live but inac- for several years over the issue, that had been blown up in the told AFP he had been deployed to ing he had received shrapnel pling childhood disease, remains The province’s roughly 7mn cessible inside Pakistan, and another source close to the explosion, while human remains protect a polio vaccination team wounds to his stomach, hands, endemic. Attempts to eradicate inhabitants have long com- the government and Google matter said, without provid- lay strewn across the ground, that was due to leave for various legs and feet. it have been badly hit by militant plained they do not receive a hope its creation will mean ing a specifi c timeframe for walls, and electrical poles, along neighbourhoods of Quetta at 10 Anwar ul Haq Kakar, a spokes- attacks on immunisation teams fair share of its gas and mineral the Supreme Court will lift the the unveiling of YouTube Pa- with items of clothing including am. man for the provincial govern- that have claimed nearly 80 lives wealth. ban, even if only partially. kistan. Gulf Times 26 Thursday, January 14, 2016 PHILIPPINES Govt off ers eight bases to US under new military deal

Reuters northern Philippines, including Manila Clark airfi eld, a former US air force base, and two are on the western island of Palawan, near he Philippines has off ered the South China Sea. the US eight bases where The Americans are also seek- Tit can build facilities to ing access to three civilian sea- store equipment and supplies ports and airfi elds on Luzon, under a new security deal, a mil- including Subic Bay, a former US itary spokesman said yesterday, Navy base, a senior defence offi - amid rising tension with China cial told Reuters. Last year, more over the South China Sea. than 100 US Navy ships docked Last year, the Philippines and in Subic and two advanced nu- the US signed the Enhanced De- clear-powered stealth subma- fence Co-operation Agreement rines made visits in the fi rst two (Edca) granting Washington in- weeks of this year. creased military presence in its “Subic is important to the former colony, rotating ships Americans because it is one of the and planes for humanitarian and few areas in the country where maritime security operations. they can actually dock safely,” said “The list has been prepared a defence offi cial, who declined to many months ago when we had be named because he is not au- earlier discussions,” Colonel thorised to speak to the press. Restituto Padilla told reporters, In Washington, Defence Sec- saying fi ve military airfi elds, two retary Voltaire Gazmin said secu- naval bases and a jungle training rity co-operation with the US had Student activists burn a US flag during a protest near the US embassy in Manila yesterday. camp were off ered to the US. become more intertwined amid “These are still subject for ap- increasing tension over the South proval and we’re going to hold China Sea. fi nal discussions about these The Philippines has fi led a pro- areas.” test against China’s test fl ights Three of these bases are on from an artifi cial island in the the main island of Luzon in the South China Sea. Protest fi led against Marcos Jr questions high price of goods

Manila Times dential candidate noted that China’s test fl ights Manila compared to the prices of petrole- um products in 2014, the present Last week, Beijing landed Last week, Beijing landed tion and overfl ights in the South have been negotiating a legally plan to hold more freedom of price of fuel is much lower and three flights on Fiery three fl ights on Fiery Cross in China Sea. binding code of conduct to re- navigation patrols in the South enator Ferdinand Marcos should have resulted in the de- Cross in the disputed Spratly the disputed Spratly archi- Every year more than $5tn of place the informal rules con- China Sea. Jr wants the Department of crease of the prices of basic com- archipelago, angering pelago, angering Vietnam and world trade is shipped through tained in a political declaration US ships and planes will have STrade and Industry (DTI) modities. Vietnam and drawing drawing criticism from the US, the South China Sea, believed made in Phnom Penh in 2002. longer time to patrol the disputed to explain why the prices of basic Based on the Energy depart- criticism from the US which expressed deep concern to have huge deposits of oil and Chinese Foreign Ministry sea because they were given ac- commodities remain high despite ment’s price monitoring report, it will exacerbate tension in the gas, which China claims almost spokesman Hong Lei rejected cess to Philippine naval and air a series of oil price rollbacks in the retail prices of petroleum prod- Reuters region. entirely. Brunei, Malaysia, the Manila’s complaint, saying bases under a new military deal, country. ucts in January 2014 ranged high- Manila “We formally protested on Philippines, Taiwan and Viet- China had the right to freely fl y which the Philippine Supreme “There is a tremendously huge est from P50.30 per litre to P55.45 Jan 8 the recent test fl ights nam have rival claims. over the South China Sea, as did Court allowed on Tuesday, called decrease in the prices of oil es- per litre for gasoline and P42.10 by China to Kagitingan Reef,” “These actions by China have other countries. the Enhanced Defence Co-oper- pecially diesel which aff ects the per litre to P46.50 per litre for die- he Philippines has fi led Charles Jose told reporters, us- elevated tensions and anxiety “The Philippines’ criticism ation Agreement. transportation and production sel. a protest against China’s ing the local name for Fiery in the region and are in viola- has ulterior motives and is not US Secretary of State John costs of many of the manufactur- “Just last Monday, oil compa- Ttest fl ights from an arti- Cross Reef, saying the foreign tion of the spirit and letter of worth refuting,” Hong told a Kerry and Defence Secretary Ash ing and retail sectors, but we have nies announced another round fi cial island in the South China ministry summoned China’s the Asean-China Declaration daily news briefi ng. Carter welcomed the court’s de- yet to see a substantial reduction of an oil price rollback which put Sea, a foreign ministry spokes- embassy offi cial to hand over on the Conduct of parties in the In Washington, foreign and cision as both Philippine and US in the prices of commodities. The diesel prices in the range between man said yesterday, describing the protest. South China Sea,” he added. defence ministers of both the military began discussions on a DTI should look at this and ex- P20.40 and P23.80 per litre while the actions as “provocative” Jose said the test fl ights were Since 2010, China and the Philippines and the US held dozen possible locations in its plain to us,” the senator said. gasoline prices range from P33.30 and a violation of an existing “provocative actions” that will 10-member Association of talks on trade and security is- former colony where American The independent vice presi- to P40.75 per litre,” he said. informal code. restrict the freedom of naviga- Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) sues, including the US Navy’s ships and planes will have access. Emirates’ return to Clark Zamboanga declares state of ‘to decongest Manila airport’ calamity as water levels dip By Al Jacinto approved the CDRMMC pro- was expected to begin that Manila Times posal. The city’s calamity sta- month, but no reports of any By Joey Aguilar tus will remain until the eff ects such severe dry spell in Mind- Staff Reporter of the early dry spell in the re- anao had been recorded. amboanga City has de- gion are addressed eff ectively. But El Nino began infl icting clared a state of calamity Climaco urged residents to damage on Zamboanga three he return of Emirates Air- Zafter the water level in the conserve not only water, but months later. lines to Clark on March Pasonanca diversion dam con- electricity as well, with the El Nino is characterised by T30 will help decongest tinued to drop to critical levels, Mindanao grid being reliant on unusually warm ocean surface the Ninoy Aquino International prompting the local water util- hydro energy for its power sup- temperatures in the central and Airport (NAIA) in Manila, Clark ity fi rm to enforce a rationing of ply. eastern equatorial Pacifi c, dis- International Airport Corpora- supply to many villages. “Given the continuous de- rupting the normal rainfall pat- tion (CIAC) president and CEO This is the result of the El cline in the water level, the tern in the areas. Emigdio Tanjuatco III has said. Nino dry spell, which has been water fi rm’s calamity fund can- Weather experts said diff er- Emirates recently announced wreaking havoc in Zamboanga not be accessed unless a state ent parts of the country experi- the resumption of its daily City, pushing temperatures up of calamity is declared by the ence varying degrees of the im- fl ights to Clark via the Dubai- to a higher-than-normal 37 de- local government through the pact of the abnormal weather Cebu-Clark circular service in grees. City Council, upon the recom- phenomenon. the Philippines. Mayor Beng Climaco said mendation of the CDRRMC,” Edgar Tabal of the Rice Pro- The new route is also expected the City Disaster Risk Reduc- Climaco said. gramme Division of the De- to benefi t a large number of over- tion and Management Council In October last year, the De- partment of Agriculture, said seas Filipino workers (OFWs) (CDRRMC) recommended that partment of Agriculture said other areas in the country may particularly those in the UAE, the city be placed under a state Western Mindanao was still reel from the eff ects of warm Qatar and other GCC countries Off icials of Emirates and CIAC pose during an initial meeting to discuss preparations for Emirates’ return to Clark. of calamity to allow the use of free from the eff ects of El Nino. weather – there are at least who live in northern and central the city water district’s calam- Evelyn Academia of the De- 120,000 hectares of rice farms part of the Philippines. fused to increase the frequency port for their fl ights,” he said. 300ER which off ers 42 seats in ity fund to mitigate the eff ects partment of Agriculture of the and more than 136,000 hec- “Presently we are engaging of daily fl ights to Manila re- “While they expressed some Business Class and 386 seats in of El Nino. Regional Operations Division, tares of corn fi elds in western the national government to show quested by some foreign airlines important concerns about their Economy. On Tuesday, the City Council said the weather phenomenon Mindanao. them that Clark is willing and including those in the Middle fl ight operations at the airport, Besides decongesting NAIA, able to be that airport to help de- East. CIAC worked hard to appropri- the increase of daily fl ights at congest NAIA,” Tanjuatco said in Unlike NAIA, Clark is open for ately address the issues and con- Clark will also benefi t areas LEGAL a press statement. more daily fl ights. cerns that they raised,” the CEO outside Metro Manila including Cops can’t arrest gun ban violators: lawyer He added that they want to Qatar Airways is the only air- added. northern and central Luzon. contribute to the national scene line in the Middle East that fl ies Emirates offi cials led by Guy “These developments in the Policemen manning checkpoints cannot arrest a per- to support or oppose any candidate, political party or by providing quality air trans- to Clark daily. Hickling, manager for Procure- aviation sector are geared at son found to be in possession of a firearm or bladed coalition of political parties under or pursuant to any port services. Tanjuatco met with Emirates ment and Logistics and Jie Zhu, supporting the government’s weapon, a lawyer maintained yesterday. order of whatever name or nature and by whomso- While many travellers have offi cials at the World Routes senior regional manager for Air- eff orts to promote tourism and Moises Samson said even if police off icers found a ever issued except only upon a warrant of arrest is- been complaining of fl ight de- Convention in South Africa in port Services Asia, also visited improve the local and national gun inside a vehicle, they have no power to arrest sued by a competent judge after all the requirements lays and cancellations due to September last year to discuss Clark recently. economy,” he noted. the driver unless they have an arrest warrant, Manila of the constitution shall have been strictly complied air traffi c congestion at NAIA, the latter’s return at Clark after During their meeting, Zhu Other airlines such as Qatar Times reported. He cited Section 266 of the Omnibus with.”“From the aforequoted provision of the law, it is various groups had urged the two years. lauded CIAC offi cials for the sig- Airways, Asiana Airlines, Dragon Election Code, which explicitly declared in part:“Arrest clear, like a crystal ball, that the possessor of a gun national government to transfer “During the convention, we nifi cant improvements done at Air, Cebu Pacifi c Air, CEBGO, in connection with the election campaign –No person inside a motor vehicle cannot be validly arrested at a signifi cant number of fl ights to discussed Clark International the airport. Air Asia Berhad, Tiger Air Singa- shall be arrested and/or detained at any time for any check points without a warrant of arrest issued by a Clark. Airport’s (CIA) capabilities in Emirates will be using a two- pore and Jin Air also have fl ights alleged off ence committed during and in connection competent judge,” the lawyer said in a letter to Philippine authorities also re- becoming the most suitable air- class confi gured Boeing 777- to Clark. with any election through any act or language tending Manila Times. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 27 SRI LANKA/BANGLADESH/NEPAL

Norway firm quits $1.5bn Nepal power project

Norwegian company Statkraft has said it is dropping plans to build a $1.5bn hydropower plant in Nepal, Over 400,000 lost jobs citing bureaucratic hurdles and political instability in the troubled Himalayan nation, AFP reports from Kathmandu. A vast network of fast-flowing rivers through the Himalayas means Nepal has huge untapped hydropower resources, making it a in Nepal in fi ve months significant potential supplier to its energy-hungry neighbour, India. IANS Yet the country’s total installed Kathmandu power generation capacity is only about 800 megawatts - 1.9% of its potential — and fails to fulfil even epal’s apex business local demand, meaning Nepalis body has claimed that endure blackouts of up to 15 Nmore than 400,000 hours a day. Nepalis lost their jobs in the The Norwegian firm entered an last fi ve months in the wake of agreement in 2007 to build the the anti-constitution protest in Tamakoshi III plant and generate the Terai plains and the block- 650 megawatts for export to ade of Nepal-India border entry India and other neighbours points. before transferring ownership to The southern Terai region is Nepal after 25 years. considered the industrial heart- In a statement released on land of the Himalayan nation Tuesday, Statkraft’s Nepal with 70% of manufacturing country director, Sandip Shah, units located there. said the company’s decision Industry contributes 17% to to quit “reflects the increased the Gross Domestic Product of bureaucratic hurdles for foreign the Nepali economy. Tourism, investments, a fragile political carpet manufacture, textiles, situation and a geo-political cigarette manufacture and ce- situation leading to a non- ment and brick production form conducive project development the major part of the country’s environment”. industry. The project would have covered The Federation of Nepalese the districts of Dolakha and Chambers of Commerce and Ramechhap, which suff ered Industry (FNCCI) claimed on severe damage when a massive Tuesday that around 2,200 earthquake hit Nepal last April, manufacturing units stopped killing some 9,000 people. operations during the last fi ve The disaster and protests against months. a new national constitution For almost fi ve months, the adopted in September have plains of the Nepal Terai have devastated Nepal’s economy, been simmering with protests pushing growth forecasts down against the country’s new con- to three% and derailing hopes of stitution that was adopted by raising crucial foreign investment. the constituent assembly on September 20. The Madhesi protestors are Lanka, Japan hold demanding, among others, a talks on boosting ties redrawing of the boundaries of the provinces in the Hima- Sri Lanka and Japan have held layan nation as proposed in the high-level discussions aimed at new Constitution; and res- Nepalese earthquake victims carrying relief goods distributed by the army in Keruja village in Gorkha district, some 250km northwest of Kathmandu, yesterday. Thousands of Nepalis enhancing bilateral and economic toration of rights granted to still living in tents months after a massive earthquake are facing a desperate winter, because of a fuel crisis and bickering politicians’ failure to spend a $4.1bn reconstruction fund. co-operation, the foreign ministry Madhesis in the interim con- said In Colombo, IANS reports stitution of 2007 which, they The protests have badly hurt tor is likely to witness a nega- from India,” Gupta said. government’s decision to estab- mainly machinery and equip- from Kathmandu. claim, the new charter has the country’s economy, said Sau- tive growth rate of 2.5% since Finance Minister Bishnu Pau- lish a Rs100bn Economic Re- ment, petroleum products, and The Sri Lanka-Japan Policy snatched away. rav Jyoti, chairperson of FNCCI’s protests erupted in the Terai re- del said the government was cau- habilitation Fund to bail out the fertilizer. Dialogue was held between the As part of their agitation, the tax and revenue committee, at an gion, NRB warned adding that tious about the impact of the on- country’s economic sector - hit Nepal’s GDP is heavily de- foreign ministries of the two Madhesi protestors have been interaction. infl ation had already touched the going situation and stressed on by the April 2015 earthquakes, pendent on remittances of for- countries in Colombo after such preventing the entry of Nepal- According to a Nepal Rastra double-digit fi gure. the need to work together with political unrest and the border eign workers. Subsequently, an interaction was proposed bound cargo, freight and con- Bank (NRB) report, a single day’s Subodh Gupta, vice president the private sector. blockade - was in line with the economic development in social during Sri Lankan Prime Minister tainers from key Nepal-India industrial closure leads to losses of Birgunj Chamber of Com- “Our economy is not in a good government’s commitment to services and infrastructure in Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to entry points, causing scarcity of worth Rs1.8bn. merce, criticised the government shape. This is indeed an outcome work together with the private Nepal has not made dramatic Japan last year, Xinhua news essentials. As per NRB statistics, the for not being able to provide se- of political problems and needs a sector. progress. agency reported. FNCCI claimed that the Mad- cumulative losses faced by the curity for the industrial units in political solution,” he said. India remains the largest trad- The export-oriented carpet The Japanese delegation will hesi protests have resulted in a private sector have crossed Rs- Birgunj. “We are committed to resolv- ing partner of landlocked Nepal and garment industries have also hold discussions with the huge revenue loss to the coun- 300bn. “The situation is going from ing the crisis as soon as possible accounting for 55.7% of exports - grown rapidly in recent years and Sri Lankan defence ministry on try amounting to an estimated “The country’s economy is in a bad to worse. We are clueless as by bringing the agitating Madhe- largely carpets, clothing, leather together now account for ap- Wednesday on maritime security, Rs2bn daily for the last fi ve free-fall mode,” Jyoti said. to how to pay detention charge si parties on board,” Paudel said. goods, jute goods, and grain - and proximately 70% of merchandise safety and oceanic issues, the months. Likewise, the industrial sec- of cargo trucks consignments The fi nance minister said the 82.9% of imports - comprising exports. foreign ministry said. Saudi Prince Fate of dam project hangs in balance

Reuters The Ganges, known as the perts had evaluated project doc- counterpart, Uma Bharati, who Bangladesh has little possibility Dhaka Padma river in Bangladesh, is uments sent by Dhaka and were assured him of a response soon. to cause harm to upstream coun- one of the major sources of sur- concerned the dam could cause It will be a hard task for Bang- tries, Hossain said. calls on Zia ladesh to implement the large At a meeting with the outgo- face water in the southwest of fl ooding in India. angladesh’s plan to build the country. The Ganges fl ows out of India dam alone, which is why it has ing Indian High Commissioner By Mizan Rahman lowed,” he said at a press con- a dam on the Ganges River Water scarcity and water sa- on fl at terrain from West Bengal. sought cooperation from India, to Bangladesh in October, Bang- Dhaka ference in Dhaka. Bto ease water shortages linity - made worse by climate India in the letter predicted that experts say. ladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh He was in Bangladesh to in its southwest coastal region change - are common prob- even a slight increase in the riv- The two countries are cur- Hasina emphasised the impor- open the completed schools- hangs in the balance as neigh- lems in the region, which is er’s water level would cause huge rently locked in a range of politi- tance of engaging India in the isiting Saudi Prince cum-cyclone shelters in the bouring India has yet to accept why Bangladesh has given the submergence in areas of India cal squabbles over water, includ- dam project. Turki bin Abdullah Aziz coastal region. the plan. barrage project top priority. bordering Bangladesh. ing over how to share the waters According to the feasibility Val-Saud and his brother Earlier, Prince Turki along Bangladesh started work on Experts say salinity is on the New Delhi asked Dhaka to of the Teesta, another cross- study, around $4bn will be required Prince Badar bin Abdullah met with Ahmed Mohammad Ali, the proposed Ganges Barrage rise in the southwest due to sea- send the full feasibility study, boundary river. to implement the project over a BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia president of the Islamic De- Project during the tenure of the level rise from global warning. including scientifi c modelling, “India may halt the (Ganges) seven-year period, but the govern- in Dhaka, a party spokesman velopment Bank (IDB), opened previous ruling Awami League The proposed dam would release so it could be sure there would project, showing technical is- ment has yet to fi nd the funds. said yesterday. a school-cum-cyclone shelter government in the late 1990s. water through river channels to be no increase in water levels on sues that it (says) will pose ad- The Ganges Barrage would The 40-minute meeting in Barguna district as part of The country has already com- help dilute the salt levels. Indian territory. verse impacts on Indian territory create a reservoir 165 km long, was held at the BNP chief’s the Fael Khair Programme in pleted a feasibility study and the However, experts say it will be Bangladesh Water Resources - which is why Bangladesh has covering 62,500 hectares and Gulshan residence. Bangladesh. design for the proposed 2.1km- diffi cult to push forward with the Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud sought cooperation from India” with a capacity of some 2.9bn President of Islamic De- Prime Minister Sheikh long dam, due to be constructed project in the absence of support said all the documents requested on the project, said Delwar Hos- cubic litres of water. velopment Bank Dr Ahmad Hasina also joined the inau- at Pangsha in Rajbari district, from India. by India were sent last April, but sain, an international relations According to the minister, the Mohamed Ali al-Madani and guration ceremony via video about 100km downstream from New Delhi sent a letter to the New Delhi had yet to respond. professor at Dhaka University. water would be diverted to 26 Saudi ambassador in Dhaka conferencing. the Farakka Barrage in India’s Bangladesh government in early During a visit to India in No- However, any project in a districts through 123 regional Abdullah HM al-Mutairi, BNP The ceremony also included West Bengal state. 2015 saying Indian technical ex- vember, Mahmud met his Indian downstream country such as rivers. acting secretary general Mirza the handover of seven shelters Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, vice- as part of the second batch of chairman Chowdhury Kamal 27 completed shelters in the Ibne Yusuf, chairperson’s ad- southern district. visers Mir Mohammad Nasir The philanthropic pro- Sea journey Uddin, Reaz Rahman, Sabi- gramme began after Sidr hit India to supply power to Bangladesh huddin and chairperson’s Sau- the country’s coastal region di Arabia aff airs special envoy in 2007, killing 3,400 people, were present at the meeting. leavingmns homeless and de- IANS “In Dhaka, several meetings central government has no The Saudi philanthropists stroying their homes and be- Agartala were held to fi nalise the power objection,” Dey added. behind the cyclone shelters longings. tariff . It was decided that the elec- Power Grid Corporation of being built in the coastal re- Late king Abdullah of Saudi tricity would be supplied to Bang- India Ltd (PGCIL) and Power gion to protect people from Arabia donated $130mn for re- ndia’s NTPC Vidyut Vya- ladesh at a price of Rs5.5 per unit.” Generation Company of Bangla- natural calamities and provide lief and assistance of Sidr vic- par Nigam (NVVN) and the Dey - accompanied by of- desh (PGCB), both government- means to rebuild victims’ lives tims, but requested the IDB, IBangladesh Power Devel- fi cials of the external aff airs run companies, set up the 47km following Cyclone Sidr have which is implementing the opment Board (BPDB), both ministry, power ministry, Cen- transmission lines on their sides expressed satisfaction over project, not to reveal his name state-run companies, will soon tral Electricity Authority, and for electricity supply from the the progress of the work. at that time. The IDB presi- sign an agreement to sup- NVVN - went to Dhaka on Fri- Palatana power plant in Tripura. “We are glad to see the dent revealed the king’s name ply 100MW of electricity to day and held a series of meet- “Earlier, the supply of 100MW amount and the quality of the after his passing away in Janu- Bangladesh, Tripura’s Power ings there with Prime Minister of power to Bangladesh was sup- work that has been done in ary last year. Minister Manik Dey has said. Sheikh Hasina and offi cials. posed to start from December Bangladesh,” said Prince Turki Bangladesh and the IDB “Transmission lines are “During the meeting, the 16, 2015 to keep in mind the Vi- Bin Abdullah, chief executive signed a memorandum of un- ready to supply 100MW of Bangladesh prime minister was jay Diwas celebration. But the of King Abdullah bin Abdul derstanding in May 2008. The Devotees come back to the city by boat after attending the concluding power to Bangladesh at any very keen to get more power transmission lines were not Aziz Al Saud International IDB is implementing the pro- prayer of Biswa Ijtema in Dhaka. Hundreds of thousands of devotees moment. However, the supply from India as the country needs ready and the plan could not Foundation for Humanitarian gramme with the government from Bangladesh and other countries swarmed into the main venue would start after an agreement 8,000MW of electricity to materialise,” the minister said. Activities (KAIFHA). providing all necessary assist- of the first phase of Biswa Ijtema, the world Muslims’ second largest between NVVN and BPDB,” meet its energy crisis. The 100MW of power will “Things have been very ance to ensure its successful congregation in Bangladesh which ended early this week amid the Dey told reporters after return- “The Tripura government be in addition to the 500MW pleasant, and international implementation within the Akheri Munajat or concluding prayer. ing from Bangladesh capital is also ready to provide more Bangladesh is already receiving standards have been fol- stipulated time. Dhaka recently. power to Bangladesh if the from West Bengal. Gulf Times 28 Thursday, January 14, 2016 COMMENT

Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed Production Editor: How Facebook spreads C P Ravindran

P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar falsehoods and paranoia [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), If a story fi ts with what Del Vicario and her coauthors The consequence is the your own, you might well hold them 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) people already believe, explored how Facebook users spread “proliferation of biased narratives tentatively and with a fair degree of Fax 44350474 conspiracy theories (using 32 public fomented by unsubstantiated rumors, humility. they are far more likely to webpages); science news (using mistrust and paranoia”. And while the But after you learn that a lot of 35 such pages); and “trolls”, which study focuses on Facebook users, there people agree with you, you are likely be interested in it and thus intentionally spread false information is little doubt that something similar to end up with much greater certainty to spread it (using two webpages). Their data set is happens on other social media, such - and perhaps real disdain for people massive: It covers all Facebook posts as Twitter - and in the real world as who do not see things as you do. during the fi ve-year period. They well. On the basis of all the clustering, GULF TIMES explored which Facebook users linked Striking though their fi ndings are, that almost certainly happened on By Cass R Sunstein Bloomberg View/TNS to one or more of the 69 web pages, Del Vicario and her co-authors do not Facebook. Strong support for this and whether they learned about those mention the important phenomenon conclusion comes from research from links from their Facebook friends. of “group polarisation”, which means the same academic team, which fi nds hy does misinformation In sum, the researchers fi nd a lot of that when like-minded people speak that on Facebook, eff orts to debunk Messi, an antidote spread so quickly on communities of like-minded people. with one another, they tend to end up false beliefs are typically ignored - the social media? Why Even if they are baseless, conspiracy thinking a more extreme version of and when people pay attention to Wdoesn’t it get corrected? theories spread rapidly within such what they originally believed. them, they often strengthen their When the truth is so easy to fi nd, why communities. Whenever people spread commitment to the debunked beliefs. do people accept falsehoods? misinformation within homogenous Can anything be done? The best to football’s A new study focusing on Facebook Confi rmation bias clusters, they also intensify one solution is to promote a culture users provides strong evidence that another’s commitment to that of humility and openness. Some the explanation is confi rmation turns out to play a misinformation. people, and some communities, hold bloated excesses bias: people’s tendency to seek out Of the various explanations for their own views tentatively; they information that confi rms their pivotal role in the group polarisation, the most relevant are interested in refutation, not just beliefs, and to ignore contrary involves a potentially insidious eff ect confi rmation. Moreover, those who information. creation of online of confi rmation itself. Once people manage social media (such as Google) Even FIFA gets it right sometimes. In front of Confi rmation bias turns out to play discover that others agree with them, can take steps to allow people to a pivotal role in the creation of online echo chambers they become more confi dent - and assess the trustworthiness of what the usual Zurich crowd of power brokers, buff et- echo chambers. This fi nding bears on then more extreme. they are seeing, though these eff orts lurkers, desiccated legends and appallingly-tux- a wide range of issues, including the More generally, Facebook users In that sense, confi rmation bias is might be controversial and remain in a edoed superstars, Lionel Messi has been awarded current US presidential campaign, the tended to choose and share stories self-reinforcing, producing a vicious preliminary state. acceptance of conspiracy theories and containing messages they accept, and spiral. If people begin with a certain In the midst of World War II, a the Ballon d’Or for 2015. And from a certain angle competing positions in international to neglect those they reject. If a story belief, and fi nd information that great US federal judge, Learned Hand, it is tempting simply to shrug, yawn and wonder disputes. fi ts with what people already believe, confi rms it, they will intensify their said that the spirit of liberty is “that The new study, led by Michela they are far more likely to be interested commitment to that very belief, thus spirit which is not too sure that it is what the fuss is about. Let’s be honest. This isn’t Del Vicario of Italy’s Laboratory in it and thus to spread it. strengthening their bias. right”. Users of the social media are exactly news is it? of Computational Social Science, As Del Vicario and her co-authors Suppose, for example, that you certainly exercising their liberty. But FIFA may be keen on casting itself as football’s explores the behaviour of Facebook put it, “users mostly tend to select and think an increase in the minimum there is a real risk that when they fall users from 2010 to 2014. One of the share content according to a specifi c wage is a sensational idea, that the prey to confi rmation bias, they end up key-masters and overseers. But anyone with even study’s goals was to test a question narrative and to ignore the rest”. On nuclear deal with Iran is a mistake, compromising liberty’s spirit - and a passing knowledge of Messi’s extraordinary that continues to be sharply disputed: Facebook, the result is the formation that Obamacare is working well, dead wrong to boot. When people are online, do they of a lot of “homogeneous, polarised that Donald Trump would be a fi ne feats between January and June last year knows encounter opposing views, or do they clusters.” Within those clusters, new president, or that the problem of zCass R Sunstein is a columnist for already he has been, beyond even the tiniest create the virtual equivalent of gated information moves quickly among climate change is greatly overstated. Bloomberg View. He can be reached at crumb of doubt, the best footballer on the planet. communities? friends (often in just a few hours). Arriving at these judgments on [email protected] In London earlier the same day David Cameron had also informed the world — no doubt to the world’s huge relief on this matter — that David Bowie was very good at music. In many ways FIFA’s annual pawing at the shoulders of great- ness feels like it should draw a similar reaction. His performances from the start of January last year to the Champions League fi nal, during which he scored 34 goals in 34 games and drove a thrill- ing champion team on to greatness, were Messi didn’t just relentlessly but also return to his oddly vivid and mov- previous level ing. Here was a player this year, he who had looked surpassed it physically diminished at the end of the 2014 World Cup, who appeared to have entered a pe- riod of adjustment and realignment, to have lost a little of his fearless youthful snap. Not so, it turned out. Messi didn’t just return to his previous level this year, he surpassed it. There were many superlative performances but frankly he deserves that gong simply for the champions league semi-fi nal fi rst leg against Bayern Munich. This file photo taken on November 19, 2014 shows health workers from Guinea’s Red Cross preparing to carry the body of a victim of the Ebola virus in Momo Kanedou In the biggest game of the season, at a moment in Guinea. The world will breathe a collective sigh of relief when west Africa’s Ebola epidemic is finally declared at an end after two long years and more than 11,000 of history-minting importance, Messi was sim- deaths. But with a cure still out of reach, and no vaccine on the market, are we better prepared for next time? ply mesmerising. For 80 minutes he tickled and jabbed and lulled a team of world-class football- ers into submission. Lessons from the Ebola outbreak The decisive blow to the point of the chin was a truly wonderful Messi moment as he drifted past By Zoom Dosso, Brigitte Castelnau infected more than 28,600 people and This led to the discovery that Both were given to infected Jérôme Boateng, who collapsed almost gratefully AFP/Monrovia, Paris killed over 11,300. Ebola virus can live for several medical workers, though it is not like a sleepwalker being ushered into an armchair, Before this epidemic, fewer than months in the semen, spinal column sure that their survival was due to the 2,500 people were known to have been and eye fluid of survivors - though treatment. and then fl oated the ball over Manuel Neuer and he world will heave a killed by the virus since it was fi rst the implications and transmission A lesser-known compound called Rafi nha, leaving three opponents fl at on their collective sigh of relief when discovered in 1976. risk are not yet clear. GS-5734, developed by US-based west Africa’s Ebola epidemic Karteh said local doctors learnt It was also recently found that Gilead Sciences, was given to a backs and an entire defence put to sleep in fi ve Tis fi nally declared at an end much from organisations such as survivors can suff er vision problems, Scottish nurse hospitalised with a perfect strides. after claiming more than 11,000 lives Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF or hearing loss and joint pain for months serious relapse months after her initial over two years. Doctors Without Borders), the Red after being declared cured. recovery. She recovered. Ronaldo was a worthy winner of an overblown But with a cure still out of reach, Cross and the WHO, which deployed The scale of the outbreak, and the Some treatments did not pan out. award last year. This time Messi’s performances and no vaccine on the market, are we staff to help contain the epidemic. global scare caused when infected A study released last week add a lustre to the circus itself. better prepared for next time? doctors started returning home from concluded that transfusions of blood Important lessons were learnt the “The next epidemic west Africa to Europe and the US, plasma from survivors - despite Given the all-round nature of his game as pas- hard way from the unprecedented provided impetus for the fast-track sky-high expectations - failed to ser, dribbler, playmaker, provider of relentless devastation and suff ering wrought on will not be as development of drugs. signifi cantly increase the odds of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - the The resulting pharmaceutical recovery. gobbets of brilliance, perhaps the only real ques- countries hardest hit by the outbreak dramatic” scramble yielded several promising On the upside, doctors recently said tion is not whether he’s the best right now, or the which started in December 2013, say vaccine candidates. a malaria drug given to Ebola patients experts. A key lesson was the need for quick, But none have yet been tested in in Liberia seemed to improve chances best of his era, but whether he’s simply the best. Epidemiological protocols were safe and hygienic burials of people general, non-infected populations - for survival. improved. At first, many infected who died from the virus transmitted the gold standard for proving effi cacy. For now, the focus remains rapid people were not quarantined fast through body fl uids, and speedily Similarly, none of the many potential response, speedy quarantine and enough or given the right type of tracing those who had been in contact treatments under investigation have so quality care - including intravenous To Advertise care. with them. far been proven to work. drip to prevent dehydration - for those The World Health Organisation’s The new knowledge came in handy Many drug studies started when the infected. [email protected] (WHO) much-criticised reaction after Liberia - declared Ebola-free - epidemic was already declining and “We learnt a lot during this Display lag led to an overhaul of epidemic had two further fl are-ups, successfully there were no longer enough patients epidemic,” said Michel Van Herp of Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 response guidelines. Deployment stopped in their tracks. for clinical trials. MSF. “The next epidemic will not be of medical staff, virus-blocking “During the fi rst outbreak our Nevertheless, many studies have as dramatic.” Classified suits, medicines and other material doctors and healthcare workers were advanced to the point that testing can Jean-Francois Delfraissy, French Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 is likely to happen much faster next not (familiar with) the disease,” said continue if there is another outbreak. immunologist, said keeping an eye on time. Karteh. The frontrunners are ZMapp, survivors, and boosting African early Subscription “We know how to stop the spread,” “This is why a good number of them a cocktail of three artifi cial alert systems, were crucial to breaking [email protected] Liberia’s chief medical offi cer Francis (more than 500) died.” Ebola antibodies made by Mapp the transmission chain. Karteh told AFP. “Liberia is no longer An ironic upside of the outbreak’s Biopharmaceutical in California and “Continued research into at risk like the way it was.” massive scale is that it yielded Avigan, an antiviral tablet developed vaccines, treatments and the virus 2014 Gulf Times. All rights reserved The WHO is due to declare today thousands of survivors for medical by a subsidiary of Japan’s Fujifi lm reservoir, both animal and human, is an offi cial end to this outbreak, which research. Holdings. indispensable,” he said. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 29 COMMENT Can car crashes become thing of past? The past decade has seen dramatic development by various automakers in the fi eld of collision-avoidance technology

By Mira Oberman Detroit, Micigan

utomakers are imagining a world where nobody dies in car accidents and they say Ait is closer than most people think. While they maintain that the real solution to a crash-free world lies in self-driving cars, a host of high-tech safety features are making drivers safer - and better - in the meantime. “The long-term vision is that cars shouldn’t crash,” Volvo spokesman Jim Trainor said on Tuesday on the sidelines on the Detroit auto show. Volvo - which has built its reputation on safety leadership - has set a goal that by 2020 nobody will be killed or seriously injured in its new cars. The past decade has seen dramatic development by various automakers in the fi eld of collision-avoidance Volvo displaying an electric C30 sedan that has been in a crash test to show its safety features. Right: Raj Nair of Ford Motor Company introducing the 2017 Fusion at the North American International Auto technology. Show in Detroit. The new Fusion contains 20 driver-assistance technologies, including a pedestrian-detection system and a steering wheel that vibrates if a driver begins drifting from the lane. Blind-spot detectors now watch for oncoming vehicles, adaptive cruise to calibrate the system so it gives the way into lower-priced automobiles. check the back seat for children before simply forgot they were still in their Toyota has now managed to bring controls reduce speed based on cars driver every last possible moment to The new Ford Fusion, which the leaving the car. car seats. the price down to $300 to $630, ahead, and camera systems warn take action.” automaker introduced at the Detroit The safety feature will eventually be “Obviously we want to protect our spokesman Mike Kroll said. drivers when they drift out of their In addition to accident avoidance, auto show on Monday, contains included in all of its models. customers,” Rich Latek, who heads Despite the science fi ction-like lanes. Volvo is developing systems that 20 driver-assistance technologies “Too many children are accidentally marketing for GMC, told AFP. advancements in safety technology, a Detectors can even pick up on a reduce injuries when crashes are including a pedestrian-detection left behind in vehicles,” Mark Reuss, “We’re really looking at a goal to slew of scandals has undermined trust drowsy driver’s subtle changes in inescapable. system and a steering wheel that head of product development at GM, end up with zero collisions and zero in the reliability of vehicles. behaviour to indicate it’s time for a Among these is a rear impact vibrates if a driver begins drifting from said while introducing the feature. fatalities. It’s a lofty goal but it’s Automakers are still working to break. mitigation system which senses if a the lane. GM is the fi rst automaker to use something that’s possible with the replace potentially explosive airbags The key to making new safety car is approaching too quickly and “As we release more vehicles I think the alert system and is working on technology that’s out there.” by Japanese supplier Takata in 19mn features desirable to drivers is preconditions the interior for impact you’ll anticipate a lot of migration technology that can detect if a child is Meanwhile Toyota recently vehicles in the US. ensuring that they assist rather than by tightening seatbelts and engaging across the lineup,” Ford spokesman left behind. introduced a new suite of features And some of them have become irritate, Trainor said. brakes. John Cangany told AFP. About 30 to 40 children die every called Safety Sense which will be embroiled in scandal - and handed “If it false brakes too often, people Initially reserved for high-end GM unveiled a new rear-door year in the US from heat stroke after off ered on nearly all models by 2017. millions upon millions of dollars in fi nes - get frustrated and they turn the luxury vehicles, the cost of safety monitor in its GMC Acadia crossover being left in a hot vehicle, most When fi rst introduced on Lexus over improperly handling or even covering system off,” he told AFP. “We need technology is falling and fi nding its on Tuesday that reminds drivers to because their distracted parents vehicles it cost an additional $6,000. up defects in a number of vehicles. Letters Weather report Three-day forecast

TODAY A tragedy in hatred. Each side feels that force is Nadu state, after animal rights since then and we should reform our High: 22 C the only language the other side will activists have challenged the move ways. Low : 14 C the Middle East understand. ( “SC imposes temporary ban on The Jallikattu activity cannot be Strong wind and high seas Diplomacy is a must today and ‘Jallikattu’ sport”, Gulf Times, held without serious consequences Dear Sir, the fi rst step in establishing it is January 13). This is a timely and and often leads to injuries to forgetting the past, ignoring polemical welcome decision. participants, to spectators and to FRIDAY The bloodbath in the Middle East is arguments and giving precedence to We should not use animals for our animals. It is high time we put a stop High: 23 C spiralling out of control. At least 1,000 common points. entertainment. Doing so is brutal and to such cruel “sports”. Low : 13 C people are killed across the region War makes poor people yet more causes untold suff ering to animals. In Sunny every day. The biased Western media miserable while it benefi ts the richer medieval times such activities were Ramesh G Jethwani ignores the tragedy. and those who are already powerful. part of life but man has progressed (e-mail address supplied) The special circumstances in War is a folly which does not provide SATURDAY the Middle East these days require the security it promises. Only global High: 24 C a holistic approach. Success disarmament will save us from total Please send us Low : 16 C will depend largely on a multi- and utter destruction. It was Victor Sunny dimensional perspective that brings Hugo who said: “Peace is the virtue of your letters together the energies and insights of civilisation, war is its crime.” a range of state and non-state actors. By e-mail Fishermen’s forecast Trust-building in the Middle East is Farouk Araie [email protected] OFFSHORE DOHA too complex and demanding a task [email protected] Fax 44350474 Wind: NW 12-18 KT to be seen as the preserve of official Waves: 3-5 Feet bodies. Or Post INSHORE DOHA Indian court order is Letters to the Editor Wind: NW 08-18/05 KT Enabling societies and groups in the Waves: 1-3 Feet region to identify areas of mistrust timely and welcome Gulf Times and misunderstanding across political, P O Box 2888 Around the region cultural and religious divide in order Doha, Qatar Weather Weather to open up possibilities of dialogue Dear Sir, today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Abu Dhabi and mutual respect holds the key All letters, which are subject to editing, should have the name Sunny 22/14 P Cloudy 23/14 to creating a favourable negotiating India’s Supreme Court has Baghdad P Cloudy 19/07 Sunny 19/08 Dubai environment. stayed a government decision to of the writer, address and phone number. The writer’s name P Cloudy 23/16 P Cloudy 23/16 and address may be withheld by request. Kuwait City Sunny 19/08 Sunny 19/10 We are all now caught in a web allow the traditional bull-taming Manama Sunny 19/13 Sunny 21/14 of self-justifi cation, bitterness and sport, Jallikattu, held in the Tamil Muscat M Sunny 23/17 Sunny 25/18 Riyadh Sunny 21/09 Sunny 24/12 Tehran Sunny 15/05 M Sunny 16/04 Live issues Having no social life is bad for your health

Dr Luisa Dillner Mullan Harris, one of the designers London of the research, says that knowing someone is “watching your back” if, for example, there’s a twister coming ow often do you see friends (she lives in North Carolina) reduces or family? Go to a sports stress hormones such as cortisol and club or art group? If the adrenaline. Hanswer is rarely, then you Without social interaction need to get out more. Being socially and support, she says, the body isolated is terribly unhealthy. is chronically exposed to these Studies since the 1980s have shown hormones, which increases the risks Around the world that if you haven’t got friends, family of high blood pressure, a fat waist, Weather Weather or community ties, your chance of diabetes and heart disease. today Max/min tomorrow Max/min dying early may be 50% higher than But what if you are happy being on Athens Sunny 18/10 P Cloudy 17/13 if you did. Social isolation is now your own? While there may be some Beirut Showers 18/13 Sunny 18/12 S Showers 33/26 being touted as similarly detrimental happy loners, Mullan Harris does not Bangkok 32/25 P Cloudy Berlin S Showers 03/-2 S Showers 02/-6 to health as smoking or not taking think there are enough to aff ect her Cairo M Sunny 21/11 Sunny 20/09 exercise. study. Cape Town Cloudy 25/19 Cloudy 32/19 While most studies have A meta-analysis in PLOS Medicine Colombo M Sunny 33/22 P Cloudy 33/22 concentrated on people around of the link between levels of social Dhaka Sunny 26/14 M Sunny 26/16 Hong Kong Cloudy 17/15 Showers 18/15 the age of 60, research in the latest relationships and morbidity and Istanbul P Cloudy 10/05 P Cloudy 12/09 Proceedings of the National Academy including how often people saw their isolation increased the risk of having mortality cited the saddest study ever, Jakarta T Storms 31/24 S T Storms 31/25 of Sciences has looked at adolescents, families, how close they felt to their higher levels of C-reactive protein. which in 1945 found that infants in Karachi M Sunny 27/13 Sunny 28/12 “middle adulthood” and older people. mothers, their “friend count” and how In middle adulthood, when people orphanages were more likely to die if London M Cloudy 05/0 P Cloudy 06/0 P Cloudy P Cloudy 32/23 The researchers used data from much their spouse cared about them. are more likely to interact at work and they did not have social interaction. Manila 31/23 Moscow S Showers -2/-16 M Cloudy -9/-18 American national surveys and Acknowledging that being social their children’s school, the quality of Being social is not always easy – New Delhi M Cloudy 22/09 Sunny 23/09 compared how socially connected can be a double-edged sword, there the connections mattered more than particularly for older people. But New York P Cloudy 05/02 M Cloudy 09/05 and supported people felt with were also questions on whether the number, and protected them from for those of us who can modify this Paris S Showers 08/01 P Cloudy 06/01 markers of disease – blood pressure, friends made too many demands. obesity. risk factor, we should remember Sao Paulo Rain 24/21 T Storms 26/21 Seoul M Sunny 01/-5 P Cloudy 06/-4 body mass index, waist size and Overall, the results showed that Researchers talk of social isolation that seeing friends and family and Singapore M Cloudy 31/26 T Storms 32/26 C-reactive protein levels (a measure of social relationships reduced the risk getting under the skin to infl uence supporting your partner is at least as Sydney S T Storms 34/14 Rain 21/16 infl ammation). of having markers of disease at every the regulation of our hormonal good for us as broccoli.- Guardian Tokyo Clear 1 1 / 0 Cloudy 10/02 They asked many questions, stage of life. In adolescence, social and metabolic systems. Kathleen News and Media Gulf Times 30 Thursday, January 14, 2016 QATAR

Road show soon on tourist spots With a number of tourist destinations, which attract tourists throughout the year, Croatia expects a rise in the Local fi rms exploring Croatia number of visitors from the Gulf region. “Though around 15,000 people from the Gulf states travelled to Croatia last year, my country’s growing acceptance and recognition as a good and for investments, says envoy aff ordable tourist destination would help attract a number of By Ramesh Mathew in Oman and Kuwait too. others from Croatia are also infrastructure and some of the GCC residents in future,” Croatian Staff Reporter “If some 15-20 years ago serving Qatar Airways. best ‘one-off ’ special ships, used ambassador Tomislav Bosnjak Croatia was known more among Bosjnak also informed that for transportation of LNG and said. Qatar residents for sportsmen there are quite a number of similar goods are manufactured Last year, a record 14.2mn tourists roatian expatriates are like tennis legend Goran Ivanise- Croats in this country’s oil and in Croatia. travelled to Croatia, said Bosnjak. happy with the response vic, footballer Davon Suker and gas industry as well. The am- “We are happy that shipyards While Qatar Airways, Fly Cand recognition their NBA star Drazen Petrovic, these bassador said even though Qatar in Croatia are receiving encour- Dubai and Turkish Airways are country is receiving from Qa- days our country is getting a lot has not made any investments aging inquiries from the GCC operating daily flights to Zagreb, tar residents, East European of recognition from all over as a so far in his country, there have States, including Qatar,” the the neighbouring Bosnia’s nation’s ambassador Tomislav good tourist destination of East been some good signs of late as envoy said. “Croatia also boasts capital Sarajevo is well served by Bosnjak has said. Europe,” he stated. Qatari companies are exploring a good industrial sector, host- other airliners, the envoy said, “I am extremely pleased that The envoy said Croatia has a opportunities for investments in ing some of the manufacturing adding that those with Schengen there is a growing familiarity for large number of qualifi ed profes- Croatia. units of several major brands visas are granted entry into the Croatia and its people in Qatar sionals, rendering services in di- “Our engineers’ skills are rec- like General Electric,” the am- country. Visas are also issued in a little over two years since verse areas, in most of the devel- ognised across the world and bassador said, adding that locally at the Croatian embassy we opened in Doha our fi rst em- oped and developing countries. some of the good roads includ- many transformers and other in Doha. bassy in the Gulf region,” he told “Though Qatar hosts only ing the Eastern Industrial in- advanced electrical equipment The ambassador said Croatia has Gulf Times yesterday. around 500 Croatians, I am terchange and the stretch from seen in Qatar are developed in plans to hold a road show for the The Croatian embassy in happy that almost one-third of Forousiya signal were built by a his country. potential tourists from the region Doha, opened on November 11, my compatriots are senior con- Croatian company, which is exe- The envoy said the visits of HH as part of its eff orts to increase 2013, also provides consular struction engineers or similar cuting some major road projects the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad tourists’ flow. “During July and services for its expatriates resid- highly placed professionals,” the in Oman,” he said. bin Khalifa al-Thani to Croatia August when temperatures are ing in other GCC countries as ambassador said, adding that Though a small country of last year generated considerable at the peak in the Middle East, well. Bosjnak is also in charge of Croatia has at least 20 pilots about 4.5mn people, Croatia interest among the people of Croatia off ers an oasis with cool his country’s diplomatic aff airs serving in this country. Many boasts of an excellent industrial Croatia. Tomislav Bosnjak speaking during an interview. PICTURE: Jayan Orma weather,” he said. Expert for dialogue to ease tensions

t a time of increasing renowned scholars from Iran, tensions in the region, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and a Aexploring areas of mu- number of other Arab countries, tual interest and commonal- with proceedings conducted in ity between Iran and the GCC both Arabic and English. Pres- is of fundamental importance, entation titles included “Com- a noted academic has told a mon Historical Roots of Iran discussion in Doha. and the GCC,” “Iranian and Arab “There are numerous areas Cultural Relations,” “Cultural of overlap and common bonds Commonalities of Iranian and between Iran and the states of Arab Women and Families,” “The the GCC,” explained Dr Mehran Role of Religion and Culture in Kamrava, director of the Centre the Development of Relations,” for International and Regional and “The Role of Common Art Studies (CIRS), Georgetown and Literature between Iran and University in Qatar’s fl agship the GCC.” Dr Menachem Elimelech speaking at Tamuq. research institution. Kamrava pointed out that the “It is our hope that scholarly work of CIRS “involves doing analysis and dialogue will enable globally recognised research on policymakers to make better and a broad range of important top- more informed decisions,” he ics in the areas of international ‘Desalination told a recent roundtable on Iran- relations, political economy, and GCC Dialogue. domestic politics of the Gulf.” The day-long meeting “We routinely take the lead brought together distinguished on identifying emerging socio- key to alleviating scholars and academics from economic issues, and so we are A participant makes a point during the discussion. Iran and neighbouring coun- particularly well placed to initi- tries to explore historical, reli- ate and bring together the lead- into current events by adding to regional academics and scholars. pers, Summary Reports, Briefs, gious, cultural, social, and po- ing scholars who participated in the general body of knowledge In addition to sponsoring and numerous books. Through water scarcity’ litical ties between Iran and the this roundtable. Not only do we about the region.” events such as the recent Iran- its various publications, CIRS states of the Gulf Cooperation seek to create mutually benefi - A follow-up to the recent GCC dialogue, CIRS engages in provides in-depth examination Council. cial links between various edu- CIRS dialogue is likely to be in-depth research throughout of ideas and issues of contem- eawater and brack- Elimelech received his PhD The CIRS-led Iran-GCC dia- cational institutions, we also fo- held in Tehran in a few months the academic year, publishing porary academic and political ish water desalination from Johns Hopkins Univer- logue included as many as 20 cus on providing further insights involving a greater number of their results in Occasional Pa- signifi cance. Sis an important way sity in 1989 in environmental to alleviate the global prob- engineering. Prior to joining lem of freshwater scarcity, Yale, he was a visiting associ- Yale University professor Dr ate at the California Institute Menachem Elimelech has said. of Technology, a guest profes- “Desalination processes sor at the Swiss Federal Insti- have been in use long enough tute of Technology and the to demonstrate their reliabil- Exxon-Mobil Chair Professor ity, but there are continuing at the National University of questions about the tech- Singapore. nology, including the energy Elimelech’s research in- requirements for process terests include engineered operation,” he said. osmosis for sustainable pro- Dr Elimelech was the fi rst duction of water and power; speaker in Texas A&M Uni- environmental applications versity at Qatar’s 2015-2016 and implications of nanoma- Distinguished Lecture Series. terials; membrane separations His lecture explored the energy for desalination and water re- effi ciency of desalination and use; and water and sanitation presented possible solutions to in developing countries. reduce those energy demands. He has received many Tamuq interim vice dean awards including the 2005 and COO Dr Ann Kenimer in- Athalie Richardson Irvine troduced Elimelech, who is the Clarke Prize for excellence director of the Environmental in water research. Elimelech Engineering Programme and was elected to the US National the Roberto Goizueta Pro- Academy of Engineering in fessor of Environmental and 2006. He is on the edito- Chemical Engineering at Yale rial advisory boards of several University. scientifi c journals as well. The roundtable on Iran-GCC Dialogue in progress.

Italian expats acquitted of fraud and theft charges QU holds symposium on Arabian Gulf ecosystem A Doha Court of Appeal has acquitted two Italian expatriates of the charges of fraud and stealing QR4mn from a Qatari man, local Arabic daily he Department of Biological NOVA Southeastern University, Ban- Arrayah reported yesterday. and Environmental Sciences gor University, University of Copen- Earlier, the court of first instance had given the T(DBES) at Qatar University hagen, University of New York at Abu duo a jail sentence of 18 months. The case relates College of Arts and Sciences held its Dhabi, Aarhus University, Maersk Oil an advertisement put out by the Qatari for sale ninth annual Qatar University Life Research& Technology Centre, Exx- of his vehicle on a social media website. The two Sciences Symposium recently. onMobil Research Qatar, Qatar Min- defendants contacted him to see the car. Then, they The forum themed “Global istry of Environment, Qatar Natural came to his off ice to meet him. Changes: the Arabian Gulf eco- Museum, and University of Wales. However, after the Italians left his off ice the Qatari system” was sponsored by Qatar Dr al-Naemi said: “The sympo- accused them of stealing a bag containing QR4mn Foundation and in partnership with sium presents a platform for discus- in cash, while they were waiting in his off ice QScience.com. It brought together sion on current and relevant topics when he left for prayers. He claimed that he only researchers, experts, and scientists Participants of the symposium pose for a group photo. in life sciences. This year, for the discovered that the bag was missing after from Qatar, GCC and international fi rst time, we are partnered with they left. academic and research institutions the American School of Doha. in Marine Ecosystems: Implications topics such as environmental health, QScience, who has already published The court of the first instance convicted the two to exchange ideas and experiences QU vice president and chief aca- for Semi-Enclosed Arabian Seas” the marine environment, mangrove online 38 abstracts that will be pre- persons based on the testimony of the claimant. with the aim to advance existing and demic offi cer Dr Mazen Hasna de- Dr Hasna said: “This symposium habitats, and biotechnology, among sented during the symposium”. The two defendants did not have an adequate emerging knowledge on the issue. livered welcoming remarks at the has established itself as a leading fo- others – all of which are of para- The forum concluded with a fi eld opportunity to fend off the charges, according to Also attending were faculty and opening ceremony followed by rum that promotes dialogue and ex- mount importance and relevance to trip to Al Khor mangrove as an op- their lawyer. students from DBES and second- DBES head Dr Fatma al-Naemi who change of ideas among outstanding Qatar, the region, and the wider in- portunity for science students and Ultimately, the court of appeal abolished the ary-education students from Qatar opened the forum. Dr Carlos Duarte scientists whose research is focused ternational scientifi c community”. scientists of other disciplines to in- sentence and acquitted them due to the lack Leadership Academy, Ibn Taimiya of King Abdullah University of Sci- on the Gulf region and similar envi- Presentations were delivered by teract with the conference experts of any solid evidence and the absence of any Independent High School, Interna- ence and Technology delivered the ronments. In its earlier editions, the faculty and researchers from Qatar on various aspects of Qatar’s ma- independent witnesses other than the claimant, tional School of London-Qatar, and keynote address on “Global Changes forum addressed other important University, Texas A&M University, rine and coastal ecosystem. the daily added. Gulf Times Thursday, January 14, 2016 31 QATAR PM opens conference on human rights in Arab region

QNA HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdullah bin Doha ing of co-operation between Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, holding talks with Yemen’s Minister of the Arab government and non- Human Rights, Izz al-Din al-Asbahi, in Doha yesterday. The Yemeni government organisations in minister was in Doha to participate in the Conference on UNHCHR’s E the Prime Minister and the fi eld of human rights and Role in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights in the Arab Region. Interior Minister Sheikh the United Nations human The Prime Minister also received the Deputy Secretary-General of the HAbdullah bin Nasser rights system, led by the high Arab League Ahmed Ben Helli, Arab Parliament Speaker Ahmed bin bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday commissioner, the exchange of Mohamed al-Jarwan, Assistant Secretary-General for opened at Ritz-Carlton Hotel lessons learned and good prac- Legislative and Legal Aff airs at the GCC General Secretariat Hamad the conference on UNHCHR’s tices, discussing mechanisms Rashid al-Marri, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Role in Promoting and Protect- of a common understanding Zeid bin Ra’ad in Doha yesterday. They were also in Doha to ing Human Rights in the Arab on some priorities of the hu- participate in the human rights conference. Talks during the Region. man rights, and supporting the meetings dealt with eff orts to enhance co-operation as well as topics The conference is organised commission’s eff orts to pro- on the agenda of the conference. by the National Human Rights mote and protect them in the Committee (NHRC) and the Arab region. United Nations High Commis- The NHRC chairman stressed sioner for Human Rights in co- that the international community operation with the Arab Net- must put an end to the suff ering of work for National Human Rights the Palestinian people and stand Iraq has duty to Institutions (ANNHRI). fi rmly against Israel’s gross viola- Speaking at the opening of tions of international humanitar- the conference, NHRC Chair- ian law and human rights. man Dr Ali bin Samikh al- He called for putting an end help free abducted Marri pointed to the serious to the killing, displacement and threats the Arab region is fac- starvation of the Arab people in ing. He said these threats have Delegates and guests attending the conference on UNHCHR’s Role in Promoting and Protecting Human Yemen and Syria, highlighting in heavily aff ected the human Rights in the Arab Region, at Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha yesterday. this context the siege of the city hunters, says FM rights situation in the region of Taiz in Yemen and the town of and the performance of civil Madaya near Damascus. society organisations and hu- He added that the promotion AFP taris had been granted permits to man rights organisations, and and respect of human rights is Doha hunt by the Iraqi government. led to a signifi cant decline in fi rst a responsibility of states and Asked if he was confi dent that respect of human rights “in second a moral, legitimate and they would be released, Attiyah an unprecedented way and a constitutional demand, stress- E the Foreign Minister said: “God willing”. manner that can’t be ignored ing the role of the high commis- Dr Khalid bin Mohamed The group of at least 26 hunt- or overlooked.” sioner in enhancing and protect- Hal-Attiyah said yesterday ers were taken hostage in De- He said that the conference ing human rights. that Baghdad had a responsibil- cember after their camp in the features a group of senior per- Dr al-Marri stressed the im- ity to help free more than 20 Qa- south of the country, close to the sonalities who are interested portance of employing more taris kidnapped almost a month Saudi border, was attacked. in human rights - government Arab expertise and cadres at the ago while on a hunting trip to Another nine people were able representatives, representatives offi ce of the high commissioner Iraq. to escape and cross into Kuwait. of parliaments and consulta- and providing opportunities HE al-Attiyah, speaking on The hunters were there on an tive councils, international and of training and grants for Arab the sidelines of a rights confer- offi cially licensed expedition. regional organisations, national youth, calling on Arab govern- ence in Doha, said Qatar was Attiyah’s call follows a de- human rights institutions, civil ments to provide more support liaising with Baghdad to try to mand from the Gulf Co-oper- society organisations, research conference refl ects the belief protection and promotion of He expressed hope that the to make Arabic a working lan- secure the release of the hunters. ation Council, of which Qatar and studies centres, and a group in the important and signifi - human rights in the world in conference will be a suitable guage in human rights mecha- “We are working closely with is a member, late last month for of experts and international and cant role of the Offi ce of the general and the Arab region in platform to exchange ideas and nisms and develop the Arabic the Iraqi government. I think Baghdad to take “decisive and Arab personalities. United Nations High Commis- particular and its crucial role in visions on how to support the edition of the commission’s they should hold responsibility,” immediate measures” to secure Dr al-Marri said that the sioner for Human Rights in the this regard. development and strengthen- website. said Attiyah, noting that the Qa- the release of the hunters.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad, and National Human Rights Committee Chairman Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri meeting the residents of the labour city yesterday. UN rights chief visits labour city

QNA bin Samikh al-Marri, yes- artistic, cultural and enter- comply with the highest Doha terday visited the Labour tainment services it off ers standards in safety and se- City in Mesaimeer near the to workers residing there. curity and provides all the Industrial Area, which is He also met individually basic and entertainment nited Nations High the biggest labour city in with a number of resident services. It has a hospital Commissioner the Gulf region. workers. to off er healthcare services Ufor Human Rights Prince Zeid and the ac- The city has a capacity to to residents, a mosque, a Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad, ac- companying delegation house 100,000 people and commercial complex, a companied by National toured the city and learned is constructed over an area cinema, a cricket play- Human Rights Committee about its facilities and the of 1mn square metres. It ground, a cultural theatre (NHRC) Chairman Dr Ali health, security, sports, comprises 55 buildings that and a security centre.

Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad and Dr Ali bin Samikh al-Marri touring the labour city yesterday. Gulf Times 32 Thursday, January 14, 2016 QATAR

A Qapco employee interacts with the management during the event. Right: Qapco’s Qatari employees with off icials at the celebration. Qapco honours top achievers to celebrate Qatarisation strategy atar Petrochemical Com- pany (Qapco), one of the Qleading petrochemical powerhouses in the region and a pioneer in its production, cel- ebrated its annual Qatarisation Day at the company’s sports and recreation club in Mesaieed. For the sixth consecutive year, Qapco rewarded top Qatari achievers, recognising their out- standing achievements and valu- able contribution to the develop- ment of the company. Speaking on the occasion, man- aging director and CEO Dr Mo- hamed Yousef al-Mulla, said Qap- co’s quality Qatarisation strategy has been recognised six times by an award, which is a tribute to the high level of commitment of the Qapco top management and dignitaries at the event. staff . “As Qapco enters a new era revolving around resilience and registered a Qatarisation rate of tion reinforces our competitive to empower the Qatari youth and ployee by 38% and increasing the as delivering specifi c training highly motivated team, which increased effi ciencies, Qatarisa- 33%. and innovative edge. to shape the next generation of number of training hours by 29%. programmes. enhances company maturity and tion will play a central role in the “We also reached out to the “We focus in particular on leaders”. A total of 153 development Many technical courses were improves employee morale. company,” he added. younger generation through sharing our passion for engi- The offi cial explained that Qa- programmes were conducted in conducted in-house for the fi rst In 2014-15, more than 25% of Learning and development partnerships with 16 schools, neering and raising awareness tarisation rates reached 70% in 2014 to enhance the skills and time such as compliance courses Qapco employees have 10 years manager Engineer Abdulla colleges and universities and re- about science and chemistry. senior management levels, 31% knowledge of its employees, and for Qapco’s management sys- of experience in the company, Ahmed Naji recalled that dur- ceived 96 internship students. Our aim is to ensure the next in administrative fi elds and 20% in doing so, to improve the com- tems ISO, OHSAS and Respon- described as a clear indicator of ing the year, in alignment with We raised to four the number of generation of leaders is equipped in technical positions. In 2014, pany’s operational capabilities. sible Care. In addition, Qapco the company’s ability to retain the Qatar National Vision 2030’s Chairs we support in leading lo- with the relevant skills to drive Qapco strategically invested in The focus of Qapco’s training invested heavily in leadership employees by providing chal- objectives, Qapco continued cal universities, as strengthening the ambitions of our industry its training programmes, raising programmes was on core techni- and soft skills programmes in or- lenging and rewarding employ- to support national talent and industry-academia collabora- and of our country. We are proud the average investment per em- cal and HSE related skills as well der to build a more eff ective and ment opportunities. WCM-Q research to aid new medications to fi ght obesity

esearchers at Weill Cornell fat cells increase in number. The lished in the renowned medical Medicine–Qatar (WCM- role of SIRT1 is well understood journal, The Journal of Biological RQ) have made important in hypertrophy but not in hyper- Chemistry. discoveries about how fat mass plasia, which is where Dr Maz- Dr Khaled Machaca, associate expands, which could help sci- loum’s research was focused. dean for research at WCM-Q, entists develop new medications Using mice precursor fat cells said: “This research contributes to combat obesity. with artifi cially lowered levels valuable new knowledge about The research, led by WCM- of SIRT1, the WCM-Q research- the metabolic mechanisms un- Q’s Dr Nayef Mazloum, focused ers were able to confi rm that the derlying obesity. This study on a protein known as ‘SIRT1’ protein does indeed play a key will be of great use to the wider that plays a key role in regulating role in limiting accumulation of biomedical research community metabolism and counteracting metabolically dysfunctional hy- as scientists attempt to develop Al-Baker is flanked by Gunter Saurwein, Qatar Airways’ vice president - Americas and Deborah Flint, executive director of Los Angeles World the complications of obesity. perplastic adipose (fat) cells. new therapies to tackle the glo- Airports during a press conference at the Peninsula Beverly Hills on Tuesday. Dr Mazloum, assistant pro- Dr Houari Abdesselem, the bal obesity epidemic.” fessor of research in Microbiol- fi rst author of the study and a Other researchers who con- ogy and Immunology, explained: postdoctoral associate in Dr Ma- tributed to the project were “Clearly, if the body’s ability to zloum’s lab said: “We observed Aisha Madani, Ahmad Hani, properly store or burn fat is com- that with lower levels of SIRT1 Muna al-Noubi, Neha Goswami, Qatar Airways fl ight ‘to add more promised, it will have a negative there was increased accumula- Hisham Ben Hamidane, Anja M impact on health, leading to in- tion of metabolically dysfunc- Billing, Jennifer Pasquier, Najeeb creased risk of diabetes, heart tional hyperplastic adipose (fat) Halabi, Rajaa Dalloul, Mohamed disease and other serious prob- cells. We also analysed the al- Z Sheriff , Johannes Graumann than $600mn to LA economy’ lems. For this reason we wanted tered cellular pathways driving and Nasrin Mesaeli, all from to understand more about the this process. With this knowl- WCM-Q; Michael S Bonkowski precise mechanisms by which edge, future research can look and David A Sinclair of the De- atar Airways’ new inter- nent guests, lavish prize givea- toric service,” said Los Angeles great centres of world aviation SIRT1 aff ects metabolism.” into developing drug therapies partment of Genetics at Harvard national fl ight will add ways and a performance by glo- World Airports executive direc- and will become a vital com- The body accumulates fat in that mimic the function of SIRT1 Medical School, and Mohamed Qmore than $600mn to bal superstar Mariah Carey. tor Deborah Flint. ponent in our expanding glo- two diff erent ways: by hypertro- to help improve metabolic func- El Rayess of the Life Sciences Los Angeles’ economy, in terms The new route comes as the “This is the type of quality bal network. We look forward phy, whereby fat cells increase in tion of people with obesity.” Division of the Anti-Doping Lab of supporting the city’s tourism airline continues to expand and air service we want to keep at- to introducing Angelenos to size, and hyperplasia, in which The study has now been pub- Qatar. sector and thousands of new enhance services across the tracting to LAX and Los Ange- our award-winning signature jobs, said Los Angeles Mayor country. les.” service, with access to more Eric Garcetti. Los Angeles is the eighth US Meanwhile, Qatar Airways than 150 destinations around “It’s exciting to see Los An- destination for Qatar Airways, Group Chief Executive Akbar the world, through our cen- geles International Airport with new services planned to al-Baker addressed interna- tral hub in Doha. Thank you (LAX) take yet another step for- Boston on March 16 and Atlanta tional media at the Peninsula to everyone who has made this ward as it continues to extend on June 1, and a second daily Beverly Hills following the historic route possible.” its reach across the globe. I am fl ight scheduled to commence commencement of a daily, In addition to greater choice pleased to welcome Qatar Air- from New York’s JFK Airport in non-stop service between for passengers, al-Baker also ways’ new service between LAX April. LAX and Hamad International spoke about the increased car- and Doha,” Garcetti said. In addition to new routes, the Airport in Doha. go capacity made available by The fi rst scheduled fl ight airline has brought the state- Al-Baker praised the city the new Los Angeles service. between LAX and Doha took of-the-art Airbus A350 XWB of Los Angeles for helping to He also announced a fourth off on January 1, with the full to America, where it now fl ies bring the airline to LAX and weekly freighter will serve festivities scheduled for Janu- a daily, non-stop service to and spoke about Qatar Airways’ LAX starting January 19. Qatar ary 12. Qatar Airways hosted a from Philadelphia. ongoing growth and expan- Airways is the world’s third celebratory launch gala at the “We are honoured Qatar Air- sion in the United States and largest international cargo world-famous Dolby Theatre ways chose LAX as its US West around the world. carrier and has served the Los From left: Aisha Madani, Dr Nayef Mazloum, Dr Houari Abdesselem and volunteer in Dr Mazloum’s lab, in Hollywood, featuring promi- Coast debut for this new, his- “Los Angeles is one of the Angeles market since 2015. Muneera Vakayil.