QATAR | Page 24 SPORT | Page 1 Xavi to take over as Al Sadd’s new coach Volunteers helped deliver Amir Cup fi nal published in QATAR since 1978

WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11198 May 29, 2019 Ramadan 24, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

FM meets Iran’s deputy FM In brief

QATAR | Offi cial More Metro Amir to meet Iraqi prime minister today His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi feeder buses at the Amiri Diwan today. The Iraqi prime minister arrives in Doha today for an off icial visit to Qatar. The Amir and the Iraqi prime minister will discuss bilateral relations and likely after prospects of developing them, as well as issues of mutual interest. QATAR | Offi cial Amir congratulates Ramadan Ethiopian president His Highness the Amir Sheikh By Joey Aguilar Metro Eid hours Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Staff Reporter Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent The Doha Metro Red Line South and yesterday cables of congratulations ore Metrolink feeder buses Metrolink (feeder bus) services will to Ethiopian President Sahle-Work are expected to be deployed not be available from May 30 to June Zewde on her country’s National Mafter Ramadan to serve the 3 due to network expansion testing, Day. HE the Prime Minister and HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met yesterday growing number of Doha Metro pas- according to a Qatar Rail tweet yes- Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah with the visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations, sengers. terday. During Eid al-Fitr, from June bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani means of boosting them besides regional issues of common concern. The two sides reviewed the situation in the region The feeder bus service has been op- 4-9, Doha Metro will run between 6am also sent a similar cable to Prime and expressed their concern about the escalation and problems in the region. Both sides expressed the importance erating since the soft opening of the and 11pm, with the exception of Friday, Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed. of dialogue to resolve them. The Iranian deputy foreign minister also confirmed his country’s readiness to enter into a Red Line South on May 8 across Metro when the service will start from 11am. dialogue with the Gulf States regarding the region’s stability and security. stations, providing transportation to Page 7 QATAR | Religion commuters around a specifi c area to Call for sighting and from these stations. Speaking to Gulf Times, a number muters benefi t from the free bus serv- Shawwal crescent of Metrolink drivers assigned at the ice, especially at Al Wakra which also The Crescent Sighting Committee Al Wakra Metro station said three take them to key destinations such at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic more routes are expected to be added as Ezdan Mall, Al Wakra Hospital, Al Aff airs has called upon Muslims in Qatar ranks high in world’s to the existing four from this station, Wakrah Sports Club and the Traffi c Qatar to sight the new crescent moon which will include stops at popular Department, among others. (hilal) of Shawwal on 29th Ramadan destinations such as Souq Al Wakrah Some trips such as ‘M134’ take about (June 3). The committee has asked and the newly opened Al Janoub Sta- an hour and 20 minutes from and to the whoever witnesses the crescent to competitive economy list dium. Al Wakra station while others, which head to the ministry’s headquarters “We don’t have routes to these two take passengers to Al Wakrah South for in Al Dafna Towers to report his areas now but after Ramadan, with the example, take about 45 minutes. testimony. The committee will meet atar’s strong performance and low consumer price inflation. new timings of the Doha Metro Red Many commuters lauded the Metro- immediately after Maghrib prayer. across various fi elds has “These results confi rm that our Line South, we will take passengers link feeder bus service, saying it pro- Qhelped it rank 10 out of 63 overall performance is solid, and they there,” one staff er said, adding that vides “a huge relief” while travelling to high-income countries, according to will certainly help us to identify those buses are deployed every 12 minutes. and from the Metro station, as well as RAMADAN THOUGHT the World Competitiveness Yearbook areas where we need to consolidate Currently operational from 8am to going to a number of destinations such 2019, which is annually published by gains and make further improve- 11pm, the new schedule may start at as the hospital and Ezdan Mall. And certainly, We shall test Switzerland-based the International ments,” according to Dr Saleh Mo- 6am after the holy month, from Sun- While the feeder bus service is cur- you with something of fear, Institute for Management Develop- hamed Salem al-Nabit, president of day to Thursday. The Doha Metro takes rently free, it is learnt that charges may hunger, loss of wealth, lives and ment (IMD). the Planning and Statistics Authority. a break during weekends. apply later on as smart card payment fruits, but give glad tidings to The evaluation is based on a set of Highlighting that Qatar’s Sec- However, the revised schedule plans machines have already been installed As-Sabirun (the patient). Who, statistical indicators collected from ond National Development Strategy for services between 5am and 1am from on these buses. when aff licted with calamity, say: diff erent local and international sta- (2018-22) sets out clear goals in the Saturday to Thursday and 9am to 1am “I save a lot of money and if more “Truly! To Allah we belong and tistical sources, as well as on opinions Dr Saleh Mohamed Salem al-Nabit areas of economic infrastructure and every Friday, once all lines of the Doha buses will be deployed, then I don’t truly, to Him we shall return.” private sector development that will Metro are fully operational, according need to take a cab any more,” said a (Qur’an 2: 155-156) collected via surveys distributed to more than 200 local business leaders, influenced by many factors includ- lead to economic and social growth; to a brochure issued by Qatar Rail. resident who was travelling from Vi- Prayer times who provided their views on Qatar’s ing strong economic performance, he said Qatar has no option but to di- Feeder bus services will likely fol- sion International School to the Osama economy competitive position. represented by, Doha’s low unem- versify its economy. low these Metro timings to pick up and Bin Zaid area. Fajr....3.17 Zuhr....11.31 Asr....2.56 The areas where Qatar ranked high ployment rate, and the high percent- “If it is to achieve this, we must drop off passengers in the areas they He added that a possible plan to Maghrib.....6.21 Isha.....7.51 included: economic performance (3), ages of gross fixed capital formation continuously work to increase effi - operate. charge passengers a minimal fee is rea- Fasting times government effi ciency (5) and busi- (capital investments), and saving to ciency and productivity and improve In a circular posted on every bus, sonable and will be still cheaper than ness effi ciency (10). Moreover, Qatar GDP (gross domestic product), of our international competitiveness. Mowasalat has advised passengers that taking a taxi or limousine, which costs Iftar today ...... 6.21pm has achieved its ranking at (40) for trade balance to GDP, and the high These results show us where we need its feeder buses will only halt at desig- QR8 to QR15 on an average. Imsak tomorrow...... 3.06am infrastructure. level of overall productivity, as well to increase our eff orts and improve nated stops as a safety measure. The Red Line’s fi rst phase covers 13 This ranking has been positively as high GDP (PPP) per capita further,” he added. A bus driver noted that many com- of the 18 stations. Qatar’s Fahad becomes first Arab to scale Everest and Lhotse peaks Exciting shows lined up for Eid festival

s the fi nal cannon is fi red to Waqif has also been installed with children – along the beachfront at mark the end of fasting on the children’s games. 8pm. Alast day of Ramadan, three of Mohamed al-Salem, Souq Waqif Theatre lovers will be able to enjoy Qatar’s most popular cultural tour- manager, said: “Souq Waqif is one of The Cake Seller in Theatre Building 16 ism landmarks hope to bring a dif- the most popular destinations in Qa- throughout Eid and until June 9. Daily ferent kind of joy to residents and tar for visitors and residents alike. As Eid celebrations will be capped with visitors. such the Souq’s management is fully breathtaking fi reworks. Katara – the Cultural Village, Souq prepared to receive crowds during Eid The Eid al-Fitr celebrations kick Waqif and Souq Al Wakrah are set to al-Fitr celebrations which will begin off the Summer in Qatar season, bring the spirit of traditional Eid cel- on the second day of Eid and continue featuring unmissable retail offers, ebrations to life with folkloric per- for fi ve consecutive days.” a rich entertainment schedule, and formances, parades, and fi reworks Khalid Saif al-Suwaidi, Souq Al the return of the popular Entertain- from the fi rst day of Eid until the Wakrah manager, said: “Thanks to its ment City. fi fth, Qatar National Tourism Council location by the sea, Souq Al Wakrah Residents in Qatar can enjoy dis- (QNTC) announced yesterday. has been attracting visitors from all counts on a number of hotels and re- “Thanks to their beautiful archi- around Qatar, not just the southern sorts reaching up to 40%, while visi- tecture, diverse cuisine, and en- areas. This year, Eid al-Fitr celebra- tors can benefi t from a 25% discount ticing ambiance, Katara and Souq tions will be particularly special as, in on Qatar Airways fl ights to Doha from Waqif attract thousands of people response to popular demand, we will over 160 destinations. who seek to immerse themselves in vate Engineering Offi ce to curate ex- be launching fi reworks displays start- Summer in Qatar is a nationwide authentic experiences during reli- citing celebrations that will add an ing on the second day of Eid and for programme that celebrates the coun- gious holidays,” said QNTC official authentic fl avour to this Eid, which fi ve consecutive days.” try’s family entertainment, retail, Mashal Shahbik. also marks the beginning of our Sum- Meanwhile, Katara will once again travel and hospitality off erings. “We are delighted to partner with mer in Qatar season.” revive the custom of giving out ‘Ei- This year’s season continues until Fahad Badar after scaling the two peaks. (Images courtesy Badar’s Twitter page) Page 7 Katara Cultural Village and the Pri- An air-conditioned tent in Souq diya’ — a special Eid gift given to the fi nal day of Eid al-Adha.

Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 3 QATAR

OFFICIAL Foreign minister sends message to Kenyan counterpart

Amir greets president of Nepal on National Day

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani have sent cables of congratulations to Nepal’s President Bidya Devi Bhandari on her country’s National Day. HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to Nepal’s Prime Minister K P HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari yesterday met the Regional Director for the WHO Sharma Oli on the occasion of his HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mohamed bin Eastern Mediterranean Off ice Dr Ahmed al-Mandhari, on the sidelines of the WHO World Health Assembly held in country’s National Day. Abdulrahman al-Thani has sent a message to the Minister of Foreign Aff airs of Kenya Geneva. During the meeting, they discussed promoting co-operation fields between Qatar and WHO, in addition to a Monica Juma, pertaining to bilateral relations and means to develop and support number of topics of common interest. Amir sends cables them. The message was conveyed by ambassador of the Qatar to Kenya Jabr bin Ali of congratulations al-Dosari during a meeting with the Kenyan foreign minister in Nairobi. to Azeri leader His Highness the Amir Sheikh Qatar participates in World Health Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday cables QOC wins top ISO Assembly meetings in Geneva of congratulations to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of Republic Day. HE QNA mentation of the Nagoya On the sidelines of the quarters of the League of the Prime Minister and Minister Doha Protocol on public health, World Health Assembly, Arab States in Geneva, the of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin certifi cations again the promotion of the health Qatar organised a sym- Health Ministers’ Meet- Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani sent a of refugees and migrants, posium on “Quality of ing of the Non-Aligned similar cable of congratulations atar has participat- the availability of medi- Healthcare and Patient Movement and a number to the Prime Minister of QNA proves the process and framework for implement- ed in the 72nd ses- cines and vaccines as well Safety in the Face of Emer- of events held on the side- Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov. Doha service quality in a com- ing two or more manage- Qsion of the World as the WHO Global Strate- gencies and Hunger as a lines of the World Health pany and thus leads to in- ment system standards in Health Assembly, which gy on Health, the Environ- prerequisite for achiev- Assembly. Minister meets creased effi ciency within an integrated way. concluded yesterday in ment and Climate Change, ing comprehensive health The World Health As- he Qatar Olympic the system. In the same context of Geneva. and the transformation it coverage”, chaired by HE sembly is the highest de- ambassadors of Committee (QOC) The Qatar Olympic achievement, the Qatar Ol- The main theme of this needs to make to improve Dr Hanan Mohamed al- cision-making body of the Iraq, Argentina Thas been awarded, for Committee (QOC), based ympic Committee was also year was “Comprehensive the health and well-being Kuwari, supported by 17 World Health Organisa- the second time, top certi- on its vision, is committed awarded ISO certifi cation health coverage, no one of people through sustain- countries, the WHO Sec- tion (WHO). HE the Minister of Culture and fi cations for its Integrated to achieving sport sustain- for Information Security left behind”. able environments. retariat and the Regional The Assembly meets Sports Salah bin Ghanim bin Management Systems (IMS) able development through Management System for HE the Minister of The Plan of Action Offi ce of the World Health once a year and is attend- Nasser al-Ali met the ambassador and Information Security constant planning and the second time. Public Health Dr Hanan on Climate Change and Organisation for the East- ed by delegations from of Iraq to Qatar Omar Ahmed Management System Qual- co-ordination to meet the The QOC received its Mohamed al-Kuwari led Health in Developing ern Mediterranean and a all member states of the al-Barazanchi. ity management system, needs of its customers in fi rst award of Information Qatar’s delegation to the Countries and the fol- number of non-govern- organisation, where the HE al-Ali also met the Argentine environmental management compliance with legal and Security Management Sys- meetings held from May low-up to the Political mental organisations. meetings of the assembly ambassador to Qatar Carlos system and professional organisational require- tem certifi cation in 2013 20-28. Declaration of the Third Qatar also participated determine the policies of Hernandez. During the meetings, health management system. ments of IMS. based on the old system, The closing sessions of High-level Meeting of the in the meetings of the 52nd the World Health Organi- they discussed aspects of co- QOC received the same cer- IMS certifi cation aims to then renewed it in 2015 with the meetings witnessed the General Assembly on the Ordinary Session of the sation and to appoint the operation in cultural and sports tifi cation in 2015. have common management new criteria, refl ecting de- discussions of several im- Prevention and Control of Council of Arab Ministers director-general besides fields and means of developing An IMS certifi cation is system requirements and velopment of its networks portant topics, including NCDs “in force” were also of Health and its Execu- monitoring the organisa- them. a quality system that im- is intended to be used as a and digital works. the impact of the imple- discussed. tive Offi ce at the head- tion’s fi nancial policies. HMC completes 80% of study on tobacco use

QNA and residents in Qatar as creating smoking-free work added Dr al-Mulla. Doha well as information on the environments. A number of On behalf of the research usage rates of various to- related topics, including the team and the Tobacco Con- bacco products, including level of public awareness of trol Centre, Dr al-Mulla amad Medical Cor- cigarettes, shisha, sweika local antismoking laws and thanked all co-operating poration’s (HMC) (chewing tobacco), pipes, regulations and the eco- organisations and minis- HTobacco Control cigars, e-cigarettes, and e- nomic eff ects of smoking tries for their support of the Centre has completed shisha. will also be examined,” Dr study. around 80% of the fi eld- Commenting on the al-Mulla said. HMCs Tobacco Control work associated with a study, Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, Employees of ministries, Centre provides educa- national study examining Head of the HMC Tobacco governmental and non-gov- tion, support and treat- knowledge, attitudes, and Control Centre said the ernmental organisations, ment for those wanting to practices related to tobacco main goal of the study is and universities are among stop smoking. In 2017, the use in Qatar. to examine knowledge and those being targeted by re- Centre was designated as a The comprehensive attitudes on tobacco use searchers. Dr al-Mulla said WHO Collaborating Cen- study seeks input from Qa- among the adult population the study has so far involved tre, the fi rst in Qatar and tari citizens and non-Qatari in Qatar and to gather valu- over 6,000 participants. the region. residents aged 18 and above able data on the prevalence “The fi eldwork is expected WHO Collaborating and will help identify ways of smoking and tobacco use to be completed after Ram- Centres, which also in- to better control this harm- and the usage rates of vari- adan, and then we will start clude research institutes ful habit. ous tobacco products. analysing the collected data and parts of universities By conducting this “The study will also ex- and releasing the results of and academies, are desig- study, the centre aims to amine the level of public the study. The results will be nated to carry out activities gather data on key indica- awareness of the harmful used to inform government in support of the WHO’s tors of smoking and to- eff ects of smoking and will policies and tobacco control mandated international bacco use among citizens highlight the importance of public health initiatives,” health work. Ministry of Interior busts international criminal group

QNA withdraw money using sto- Doha len international bank cards and deposited it in the ac- counts of diff erent compa- he Ministry of Inte- nies in collaboration with rior has announced some employees of these Tthe arrest of the companies. members of an interna- It added that a com- tional criminal organisation parison of the business that uses stolen bank cards activity of companies to withdraw money and de- with the withdrawal de- posit it in the account of a tails showed discrepancy, company in collaboration and accordingly, a warrant with its employees. was obtained to search the The ministry said in a residence of the accused. press release yesterday that During the search point- the Department of Com- of-sale devices and with- bating Economic and Elec- drawal receipts were seized, tronic Crimes at the Gen- confi rming the defendants’ eral Directorate of Criminal recognition of the charges Investigation managed to attributed to them during arrest members of an inter- the investigation, and that national criminal organisa- they were referred to the tion after they used Point authorities concerned to Members of the international criminal group with the items of Sale (POS) machines to complete procedures. seized during the search of their accommodation. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 QATAR WCM-Q provides training in simulation-based learning wo leading experts in The course imparted a wealth os. Instructors utilise a range of is a great deal of time pressure portant thing is to clearly defi ne simulation-based learn- of specialist knowledge and techniques and tools to create and urgency. Similarly, simula- what are the learning goals that Ting visited Weill Cornell skills to the participants, such as these scenarios, ranging from tion-based learning allows us to the instructor wants to teach. Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) to how to create safe learning envi- low-tech methods like role-play train in large, multi-disciplinary They also need to understand provide training in the latest ronment, how to give instructive with standardised patients to teams.” their target group and create A participant receives hands-on training. methodologies and techniques debriefi ng feedback after simu- state-of-the-art medical mani- The training course also dem- clinical scenarios that are rel- in the discipline. lated learning exercises, using kins that can be programmed to onstrated how to write and follow evant for them. While the learn- expanded rapidly over the past of the CSSL said, “This course Course directors Dr Stefan video to inform debriefi ng ses- exhibit a wide variety of symp- scripts for simulated scenarios, ing objectives must be clear, the twenty-plus years, challenging was a continuation of our eff orts Gisin, director of Simulation at sions and how to steer simulated toms. how to develop a simulation- instructor should not tell the educators to become comfortable to provide education for simu- University Hospital Basel in Swit- scenarios to maximise learning Explaining the strengths of based course, and how to act learners what or what not to do teaching using this relatively new lation educators in Qatar. With zerland and Dr Ralf Krage, direc- outcomes, among other compe- simulation-based learning, Dr competently when playing a part but should observe and then cre- modality. This course provided the inauguration of the annual tor of the Amsterdam Simulation tencies. Gisin said, “One of the key ad- in a role-play. The group of 16 ate a discussion about what was educators with an excellent op- symposium, the WCM-Q CSSL Centre at VU University Medical Simulation-based learning vantages is that we are able to participants who completed the learnt, how the participants felt portunity to experience simula- recognises the importance of Centre Amsterdam, delivered the is increasingly used in medi- replicate learning opportunities course comprised physician edu- about the experience and how tion from both the perspective of investing in developing educa- three-day EuSim Level 1 Simula- cal schools to give students the we do not have often enough in cators, nursing educators, simu- they can improve.” learner as well as educator.” tors’ skillsets with the new ex- tion Instructor Course at WCM- chance to gain a variety of es- daily clinical work, for example lation-based learning specialists Joshua Vognsen, simulation Dr Stella Major, associate periential teaching modalities Q’s Clinical Skills and Simulation sential skills by practising them rare diseases or very stressful or and a medical sociologist. education specialist, said, “Sim- professor of Family Medicine in off ered by simulation-based Lab (CSSL). in recreated real-world scenari- diffi cult situations where there Dr Krage said, “The most im- ulation-based education has Clinical Medicine, and director learning.” Intercultural collaboration forum concludes he latest edition of the class experts to the three-day linguistic programming, and professional development op- was a participant in the forum, Intercultural Commu- programme. The forum fo- women in leadership. portunity on topics of intercul- said: “Living in Doha and work- Tnication and Collabora- cused on deepening the under- A total of 10 classes and tural competence, taking full ing for Qatar Foundation guar- tion Forum (ICCF) has con- standing of intercultural com- workshops took place dur- advantage of the diverse and antees each of us a fi rst-hand in- cluded at the Education City munication, its challenges, and ing the event. The speakers culturally-rich community at tercultural experience. However, Student Center, at Qatar Foun- the development of intercul- included Dr Basma Ibrahim Education City.” this does not, in and of itself, dation (QF), drawing a large tural competence and collabo- DeVries, an intercultural train- In a place like Education City mean that we will negotiate this number of participants. ration. er and professor at Concordia (EC), where multiple cultures diverse terrain positively. The The forum, a partnership Valerie Jeremijenko, assist- University; Dr Anita Rowe, a and languages are at the helm, complexities of carrying out our with Virginia Commonwealth ant dean of student aff airs and partner in the Emotional In- a rich and diverse environment work in such a landscape can, in University School of the Arts committee chair, VCUarts Qa- telligence and Diversity Insti- is created, requiring collabo- fact, lead to unintentional mis- in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), Weill tar, said: “We work in an incred- tute; and Dr Donna Stringer, a rative initiatives to facilitate understandings and missed op- Cornel Medicine-Qatar, Carn- ibly diverse environment and cross-cultural consultant. greater understandings of how portunities, even when we have egie Mellon University in Qa- there is so much potential to ICCF instructor Basma Ib- faculty, staff and alumni alike the best of intentions. tar, Texas A&M University at learn and grow from such an ex- rahim DeVries, a professor at can fully utilise the opportu- “At a time when diversity is Qatar, Georgetown University perience, but only if we take the the Communication Studies nities brought about by such not only encouraged but in- Qatar, Northwestern Univer- time to refl ect on and discuss Department at Concordia Uni- programmes. evitable, the ICCF workshops sity in Qatar and QF, was cre- our experiences. ICCF provides versity, said: “As an instruc- It was a great opportunity are the much-needed antidote ated to develop intercultural us with that opportunity and tor for the ICCF coming to for members of QF to meet to the dilemmas that occur in collaboration in a diverse and brings us all closer together as Doha for the fi rst time, I was other faculty, staff , alumni and the work place and classroom. rich environment. we share that experience.” impressed, encouraged, and members from the various dif- Each expertly crafted session VCUarts Qatar played a key The forum off ered one, two, inspired by the wonderfully ferent centres at QF. provides a framework through role in this event by collaborat- and three-day classes in topics engaged learning atmosphere. Laura Green, director of Per- which we can see ourselves and ing with the branch campuses such as emotional intelligence, The ICCF committee beauti- sonal Development and Coun- others more deeply and com- A session from the ICCF workshop. as well as QF to bring world cross cultural confl ict, neuro- fully orchestrated this unique seling at VCUarts Qatar, who passionately.” Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 5 QATAR PHCC launches 8 RSCs to off er specialist services rimary Health Care Corpo- optometry, dermatology, ENT, ecutive director, operations, the continuous joint co-oper- Heart Hospital or other hos- ration (PHCC) has launched audiology, mental health, and said that PHCC is currently ation between Primary Health pitals. The clinic will continue Peight Regional Specialised memory clinics. working on introducing a car- Care Corporation and the Heart monitoring their case and pro- Centres (RSCs) to combine several This project will allow PHCC diology clinic. This clinic will Hospital, which is part of the vide all necessary consultations specialist services. to increase the number of clinics be added to PHCC’s range of greater “Better Together” pro- and follow-up for their cases. These centres include Al in morning and evening shifts specialised services to provide gramme between PHCC and The clinic will also receive new Thumama, Rawdat Al Khail, and provide patients with easier the best diversifi ed package of Hamad Medical Corporation. patients who were referred from Leabaib, Muaither, Qatar Uni- access to their desired services services in the region to all Qatar The cardiology clinic will pro- a general practitioner or family versity, Umm Slal and Al Wajbah at the time they need. Reduc- community members. vide a preventive service to pa- physician with an initial diag- health centres. The upcoming Al ing the waiting time of appoint- PHCC has launched a pilot for tients and community members nose, further investigate their Mashaf New Health Centre will ments at secondary care will be new specialised cardiology clinic by providing comprehensive cases, confi rm them, and then also be operating as a Special- another advantage. in Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail awareness to all patients about do any necessary urgent refer- ised Regional Centre after the Moreover, physiotherapy health centres. This clinic will cardiovascular diseases, how to ral to the Heart Hospital for opening in 2021. service will be available at 11 take care of people with cardio- avoid all related risk factors and the cases that need immediate Each of these centres will ac- health centres on daily basis vascular disease and associated how to deal with symptoms if treatment. cept internal medical referrals of in both morning and evening morbidities within primary care they occur. The plan is to gradually roll patients from other health cen- shifts. However, during week- aspects of fi rst diagnose, refer- The PHCC cardiology clinic out the cardiology clinic to other tres according to their geograph- end, it will be available only on ral, follow-up of treatment, and will receive cases of stable car- selected health centres, the date ical locations. These specialised Saturday morning shift. providing consultation. diac patients who are predomi- and the selected health centres services include ophthalmology, Dr Samya al-Abdallah, ex- This new service is a result of nantly discharged recently from will be announced in near future. Dr Samya al-Abdallah, executive director, PHCC. Service providers keeping high levels of accessibility, integrity: CRA

he Communications Regu- indoor locations. To complete the “The audit was conducted in in Qatar, which has had a positive the purpose of the audit was not latory Authority (CRA) has audit, CRA used technologically accordance with CRA’s mandate to and direct impact on the users’ to identify the best network or for Tpublished, on its website, advanced measurement tools with regulate the telecommunications experience of these services,” he any comparison between the serv- the summary results report of an the latest post-processing soft- sector. CRA develops related regu- added. ice providers in Qatar, but was to extensive audit of mobile net- ware, devices and smartphones latory instruments, grants service CRA said it appreciates the ef- ensure that the QoS provided by works that was conducted from installed on dedicated monitoring providers with the needed licences forts made by the service provid- the service providers in Qatar is October to December 2018. vehicles, which are centrally con- and then monitors their compli- ers for the incessant initiatives in consistent with the standards and In a statement yesterday, CRA nected through CRA’s National ance with the conditions of these providing the latest technology to conditions of the licences granted said it conducted the audit to as- Monitoring Centre. licences at the aim of ensuring consumers in Qatar. The author- to them and with the applicable sess improvements in the qual- The audit results indicate that the sector development and the ity also expressed its keenness to regulatory framework. “There- ity of service (QoS) levels of voice the service providers continue to provision of high-quality services support the service providers by fore, the audit’s results should not calls, short message service (SMS) maintain the high standards of for all the consumers in Qatar,” issuing the spectrum licences that be used for any purpose that does and data service off ered by Oore- accessibility, retainability and in- said Mohamed Ali al-Mannai, ensure the availability of various not serve the required value of the doo and Vodafone Qatar. tegrity of the services off ered to its president, CRA. mobile technologies throughout report, or for promoting the best The audit benchmarked some consumers and has improved their “I would like to thank the serv- the country at the earliest. service provider. Service provid- of the key performance indica- capability of providing higher ice providers for their contribu- CRA has issued radio spectrum ers should not take a part or parts tors set by the CRA. The sam- data throughputs from the previ- tion to supporting Qatar’s digital licences for Fifth Generation (5G) of the report to be used in manner ples for the network audit were ous year. The additional spectrum transformation. The high compet- by the end of last year, which gave that might off end another service conducted during busy hours on provided by CRA last year for ad- itiveness among service providers Qatar’s service providers the lead provider, or for other promotional working days in diff erent areas, vanced Fourth Generation (4G) in the mobile market has resulted in the deployment of 5G networks purposes that may be mislead- on streets and highways, in ma- has contributed to improving the in this signifi cant development of in the world. ing or inaccurate,” the statement Mohamed Ali al-Mannai, president, CRA. jor pedestrian areas and at several consumer’s experience in general. the quality of services provided Meanwhile, CRA affi rmed that added. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 QATAR ‘Qatar Reads’ opens chapter to discovery The all-new Toyota Hiace. atar Foundation (QF), values, mindsets, and reading ers – equipped with knowledge, in partnership with the habits that help people to widen broad and open mindsets, and AAB launches new QMinistry of Culture and their perspectives and horizons. positive values, and empowered Sports, yesterday unveiled “Qa- The momentum created by the to make learning a constant part tar Reads”, an initiative to build National Reading Campaign – of their lives,” said Machaille al- Toyota Hiace range on the success of its National which primarily focused on en- Naimi, president of community Reading Campaign, and create gaging those aged 18 and under development at QF. a culture of reading that places – will be capitalised on by Qatar “It prompts a desire for explo- oyota has revealed a excited to launch the all-new storytelling and discovery at the Reads as it reaches out to people ration and discovery, qualities new-generation Hiace Hiace in the region, presenting heart of the nation. with diff ering needs, lifestyles, that are valuable in life and vital Tvan and bus range with our customers with the total Innovative, inclusive, and and characteristics, from young for the future of Qatar and the “advanced safety features, solution for safe, seamless and connecting with diff erent audi- children and their families to generation who will shape that powerful new engines, in- cost-eff ective transportation ences in tailored and interactive teenagers, university students, future,” she said. “Reading is also creased ride comfort and a host of passengers and cargo.” ways, Qatar Reads aims to en- and teachers. a catalyst for imagination, taking of new specifi cations”. The shift to a semi-bonnet- courage and inspire Qatar’s com- Specialised programmes, ini- people – especially young peo- The Hiace was launched at a ed design has enabled the de- munity to recognise how reading tiatives, and channels will be ple – on a journey to new des- customer meet event over Iftar velopment team at Toyota to opens up pathways of knowledge used to inspire a collective, Qa- tinations in their lives and their in Doha. implement signifi cant chang- and opportunities for social en- tar-wide love of reading. The ‘Qatar Reads’ initiative is aimed at creating a culture of reading minds.” At the event, Abdullah Ab- es, which include a stiff er gagement, shapes future leaders Minister of Culture and Sports that places storytelling and discovery. “Qatar Reads is the natu- dulghani & Bros Co (AAB), the frame, stronger straight-line – and takes those who pick up a HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser ral, innovative next step for the exclusive distributor of Toyota performance, greater stability book on a journey driven by im- al-Ali commended the Qatar is ‘Recite’,” the minister said. “The Ministry of Culture and movement initially represented and Lexus, expressed gratitude and manoeuvrability, and more agination and exploration. Reads initiative. “Reading should not be lim- Sports values this partnership, by QF’s National Reading Cam- to loyal customers “who have pliant suspension. The goal of Qatar Reads is to “Reading is rooted in Arab- ited to achieving personal, short- and will harness its full potential paign,” al-Naimi added. signifi cantly and positively Complementing the all-new foster a nation of readers by em- Islamic civilisation as our reli- lived goals,” he said. “Rather, the to further the success of the ini- “It will drive engagement with contributed to the continued vehicle’s enhanced reliabil- phasising the enduring relevance gion places much importance on knowledge gained through read- tiative.” reading in new ways, and have a success and profi tability of the ity, toughness, and functional of the written word, and opening seeking knowledge. With knowl- ing should be for the betterment “Reading is an important new audience scope, but its over- company through the years”. beauty is a dynamic driving eyes and minds to the possibili- edge, mankind has been elevated of society. source of knowledge, and it plays arching purpose will be the same Featuring a semi-bonnet experience powered by two ties for discovery and enjoyment from the rest of the creatures on “These perspectives are re- a central role in shaping the – to raise awareness of the value design that enhances reliabil- new engines. that it presents. earth. fl ected in the mission of the minds of individuals within soci- of reading, not only for intellec- ity, toughness and functional The all-new Hiace has been With the Ministry of Culture “The sacredness of knowledge Ministry of Culture and Sports, ety,” he added. tual stimulation, but for discov- beauty, and off ering a wider revamped inside-out with the and Sports as its strategic part- is deeply rooted in our religion, as which aims to educate society, “Reading is an integral element ery and enjoyment,” the QF of- choice of body sizes the all- objective of addressing two ner, the movement will promote the fi rst word in the Holy Qur’an and equip them with knowledge. of nurturing a society of lead- fi cial said. new Hiace “is set to strengthen goals. the company’s share of the The fi rst is to create a vehi- Middle East’s light commercial cle that increases productivity, vehicle (LCV) market”, accord- and the second is to provide ing to a press statement issued safe, comfortable and reliable in Doha by AAB. transportation for people eve- Al Egda Street in Al Khor City to be partially opened In the region, where tour- rywhere. ist footfall and business ac- The completely redesigned tivity across industries have Hiace features a comfortable he Public Works Authority increased tremendously as a interior that reduces driver fa- (Ashghal) has announced result of the ongoing economic tigue, even over long distances, Tthe partial opening of Al diversifi cation eff orts by re- and new shape cushions and Egda Street in Al Khor City. gional governments, demand seatback that contribute to The new step from part of has risen for passenger and a more comfortable ride and Ashghal ensures better conven- cargo transportation – includ- help reduce fatigue for driver ience for motorists and easy ac- ing tourist minibuses, private and passengers. cess to important locations. buses and vehicles for use in Also, the all-new vehicle’s Al Egda street is located to the logistics, the statement notes. spacious cabin space is built north of Al-Bayt Stadium and The all-new Hiace range has for maximised storage. represents the link between two been developed to respond to In addition, numerous fl at- main roads, Al Khor Road and a these diverse and ever-evolv- mount surfaces and anchor road leading to Al Shamal Road. ing needs. points have been provided to The opening, according to a “The Hiace was developed make it easy to alter the vehicle statement issued by Ashghal, using the keywords ‘Hiace for specialised use. also facilitates the access to Al Pride’ as its foundation, and in Toyota will also off er a de- Bayt Stadium, which is one of the line with the concept of being tailed guide to assist body- 2022 World Cup stadiums. a faithful partner that makes builders in both English and Engineer Ali Ashkanani, head people feel safe, satisfi ed and Arabic languages. of Northern Areas Section, proud. The all-new Hiace comes pointed out that the section that “Owners, drivers and pas- with two drivetrain variants. was opened from the street is A view of the partially-opened Al Egda Street. Al Egda Street is located to the north of Al-Bayt Stadium. sengers know they are in good A 2.8-litre four-cylinder about 2.8km long and includes hands when they own, drive diesel engine producing 154hp three lanes in each direction with The development works also The project features the con- tions Systems will be installed in surface water drainage networks. and ride in a Hiace,” said chief while a 3.5-litre V6 petrol a 3m-wide pedestrian path on include the installation of 145 struction of 5.3km of roads, and this project in addition to the in- Ashghal started the imple- engineer Takuo Ishikawa, who engine with 24 valves incor- each side of the street. lighting poles and the construc- an 8m-wide pedestrian path and stallation of specifi c street light- mentation of the project to up- was at the helm of the all-new porates Dual VVT-i and high Ashghal has implemented four tion of a 2.5km long drainage net- cycle path. ing poles similar to those used grade link roads to Al-Bayt Sta- vehicle’s development. compression and direct injec- signal-controlled intersections work. These are in addition to land- inside stadiums. dium in fourth quarter of 2017. Yugo Miyamoto, chief rep- tion, to generate a maximum on the street in order to increase Al Egda Street works were car- scaping and pavement works that Energy-saving LED lamps will The progress of the project resentative of the Middle East output of 268hp. traffi c fl ow along with the instal- ried as part of the project to up- will be carried out at the sur- be used for street lighting. reached 48% and it is scheduled and North Africa Representa- Both engines have been lation of barriers to improve traf- grade link roads to Al-Bayt Sta- rounding roads. The project also includes link- to be completed in fourth quarter tive Offi ce at Toyota Motor paired to a six-speed manual fi c safety. dium in Al-Khor. Intelligent Telecommunica- ing the stadium to a sewer and of 2019. Corporation, said: “We are or automatic transmission.

A scene from Direct From with Dena Takruri. AJ+ shows win 18 Telly Awards

he 40th Annual Telly Awards has honoured AJ+ with 18 awards in diff erent categories for several of Tits stories, of which two are Gold, seven Silver, and nine bronze. Among the winners are Direct From with Dena Takru- ri, which picked up two Gold Telly Awards for its stories Canada’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Nabi Saleh; In Real Life, a show presented by Yara Elm- jouie that explores the intersection of food and social jus- tice, for its stories Why You MUST Try Native American Cuisine and Why Do People Freak Out About MSG in Chi- nese Food?. Other AJ+ stories that were honoured were Macedo- nia’s Fake News Factories and the series Rise of the Robots. “AJ+ keeps pushing boundaries both within the indus- try and inwards. We were awarded in 11 diff erent catego- ries, such as documentary, news and information, food and beverage, craft-editing and more,” said Dima Khatib, managing director of AJ+ Channels. “This refl ects the versatility and innovation of our brand and the talent of our producers, editors and artists. Congratulations to all the AJ+ team.” Along with AJ+, other top organisations honoured at this year’s edition of the Telly Awards were ESPN, CBS, AETN, CNN, HBO Latin America, and PBS. The Telly Awards honours video and television made for all screens and is judged by the Telly Award Judging Council. The full list of awards won by AJ+ can be viewed at ht- tps://www.tellyawards.com/?s=aj%2B Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 7 QATAR

Supreme Judiciary Council Doha Metro announces Eid hours signs MoU with RACA

Services to be halted Al Bidda (Interchange station), Qatar Rail advised passengers QNA is taking into account the hu- from May 30 to June Msheireb (Interchange station), to place litter in the bins provided Doha manitarian conditions of some Al Doha Al Jadeda, Umm Ghu- at stations or take it home to re- families and aims to alleviate 3 to facilitate testing wailina, Al Matar Al Qadeem, cycle; avoid eating on-board to them through its initiatives in Oqba Ibn Nafi e, Free Zone, Ras prevent spills and strong odours; he Supreme Judiciary partnership with the humani- By Joey Aguilar Bu Fontas and Al Wakra. refrain from chewing gum, and to Council (SJC) signed a tarian institutions and bodies Staff Reporter Several retail outlets are also ex- be considerate to other passen- Tmemorandum of un- in the country. pected to open at metro stations in gers at all times, including when derstanding (MoU) with Reg- He said such initiatives ul- the near future, including banks, using mobile phones and other ulatory Authority for Chari- timately contribute to the de- he Doha Metro Red Line convenience stores, and cafes and electronic devices. table Activities (RACA) to velopment of the justice sys- South and Metrolink coff ee shops, among others. Qatar Rail noted that its staff alleviate the suffering of the tem and meet the aspirations T(feeder bus) services will Metro services, Qatar Rail are trained in disability aware- families of those who failed of the council in the speedy not be available from May 30 to noted, are planned to minimise ness to provide proper help for to pay the debt and settle is- implementation of the provi- June 3 due to network expansion crowding at every station and passengers, particularly people sued orders for small finan- sions and procedures of liti- testing, according to a Qatar Rail on-board trains and aimed at with disabilities (PWDs). cial claims. gation, in addition to problem tweet yesterday. maximising passenger comfort, Stations feature dedicated The MoU was signed by solving in innovative and cre- During Eid al-Fitr, from June safety and convenience. drop-off areas for people with chief of enforcement, Judge Dr ative ways that take into ac- 4-9, Doha Metro will run be- “Trains and trams will be reduced mobility; tactile paths to Mansour Nasser al-Qahtani, count the interests of all par- tween 6am and 11pm, with the maintained in a safe condition assist people with visual impair- and RACA general manager Ib- ties involved. exception of Friday, when the and to a high standard of clean- ments; and space for manual and rahim Abdulla al-Duheimi. HE al-Mohannadi appreci- service is to start from 11am. Cars parked at Al Wakra Metro station. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar liness,” it stressed, advising pas- electric wheelchairs on all trains According to the MoU, char- ated the role played by RACA “Network expansion testing sengers to alert its members or and trams, along with dedicated ities supervised by RACA will and the humanitarian insti- will allow us to extend our serv- national Airport, Katara, Qatar ates from 8am to 11pm and its staff if they “notice any issues seating areas for PWDs. contribute to alleviate the suf- tutions in the country and ices, introduce new lines and University, and Lusail in the near fi rst phase covers 13 of the 18 with litter or cleanliness”. “Our staff will treat you with fering of some families aff ect- their tangible eff orts in help- open more stations on the Red future,” the twitter post said. stations, including Al Qassar, “When things go wrong we sensitivity, attention and re- ed by the failure of convicted ing families, to achieve the Line, including Hamad Inter- The Red Line currently oper- DECC, QIC West Bay, Corniche, will fi x them.” spect,” Qatar Rail said. prisoners who are subject to principles of social solidarity, imprisonment because of their adding that this MoU comes inability to pay the sentenced within the framework of a fi nancial sentences. comprehensive plan of SJC to SJC will also provide RACA develop a comprehensive sys- with data of those sentenced tem of justice. Qatar’s Fahad becomes Qatar Post distributes 1,000 meals with the determination of HE al-Mohanadi stressed the amounts ordered and the that the council is always keen date of payment to co-ordi- to benefi t from all social initia- the fi rst Arab to scale in ‘Iftar of the Fasting’ drive nate with the entities that tives aimed at helping specifi c will pay those expenses and groups in society and working debts. on such innovative solutions Everest, Lhotse peaks ringing together senior This new initiative comes that alleviate the suff ering of management and em- within SJC’s keenness to help many. Bployees for one of its families aff ected by the non- SJC and in the framework of atari adventurer Fahad Ba- highest mountain in the world) many Ramadan community payment of fi nancial provi- humanitarian initiatives had dar has made history by within 24 hours of his ascend of initiatives, Qatar Post organ- sions and expenditures to recently signed an MoU with Qbecoming the fi rst Arab to the world’s tallest peak. ised its “Iftar of the Fasting” affi rm the principles of jus- the Sheikh Jassim bin Mo- scale Mt Everest and Mt Lhotse Hailing the achievement, Su- drive yesterday. tice and the development of hamed bin Thani Social Wel- during the same expedition, the of- preme Committee for Delivery & Qatar Post staff packed a system of justice that takes fare Foundation to establish a fi cial Qatar News Agency reports. Legacy secretary-general Hassan and distributed 1,000 Iftar into account the conditions of fund to eliminate the problem This is the latest feat in a series al-Thawadi, tweeted: “Congratu- meals on the road and in cen- those families. of overdue expenses for divor- of Qatari achievements across lations to @Fahadbadar on the in- tral, highly congested areas HE SJC President and Presi- cees, children and relatives and various fi elds, especially sports, credible achievements of climbing in Doha, across fi ve diff erent dent of the Court of Cassa- others sentenced because of the report states. Commenting on Mount Everest and also becoming locations, covering the Imam tion Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr the delay of the convicted to the achievement through its offi - the fi rst Arab to reach the peak of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wah- al-Mohanadi said the council pay their dues. cial Twitter account, the Ministry Mount Lhotse alongside Mariam hab Mosque, Souq Al Wakrah, of Culture and Sports said Badar is Ktiri from Morocco. Fahad took a Al Markhiya signal, Al Sadd the second Qatari to scale Mt Ever- break at the summit to fl y the fl ag Signal, and the Doha Cor- Cultural Aff airs committee meets est, and the fi rst Arab to reach the for 2022!” niche. two peaks on the same trip. On his part, Badar thanked HE the The initiative was launched The Cultural Aff airs and Information Committee of the Advisory Badar made history when he Minister of Culture and Sports Salah by Qatar Post for the third Qatar Post off icials and employees preparing the Iftar kits. Council held a meeting yesterday at the 47th Ordinary Session of reached Mt Everest (the highest bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali for his year in a row to celebrate and the Council, chaired by its Rapporteur, Mohamed bin Ali bin Sultan peak in the world) along with 30 greetings and continued support for share the holy month’s spirit spirit of generosity and soli- Other initiatives launched al-Ma’adeed. others and Lhotse, (the fourth- youth initiatives in Qatar. and values of togetherness darity. With our own social by Qatar Post in celebration At its meeting, the committee reviewed and approved special and solidarity with all Doha responsibility toward our of the holy month included recommendations on the request for general discussion on Japan’s stabbing incident condemned residents and members of the community as our anchor, we its distribution of 120 dai- education and decided to submit them to the Advisory Council. society. strive to build strong, deep- ly lunchboxes among staff Qatar has condemned in the strongest terms the stabbing incident that Qatar Post chairman and rooted human connections, members, donation drive ral- Qatar-Ivory Coast ties reviewed occurred in Kawasaki City, Japan, killing two people, including a girl, and managing director Faleh bin instil a culture of together- lying employees in support injuring others. In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs Mohamed al-Nuaimi said: ness among members of the of charitable activities and The Speaker of the Ivorian National Assembly ( Parliament) reiterated Qatar’s firm position on rejecting violence and terrorism, “Our ‘Iftar of the Fasting’ society, and share with them underprivileged families, Ga- Amadou Soumahoro has met with Qatar’s ambassador Jaber bin regardless of motives and reasons. The statement expressed Qatar’s drive embodies and cel- memorable moments during rangao celebration, and yearly Jarallah al-Marri in Abidjan. They discussed bilateral relations and condolences to the families of the victims, the government and people of ebrates the holy month’s the holy month of Ramadan.” Suhoor gathering. ways of boosting them, besides issues of mutual interest. Japan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Page 13 Doha to host international engineering congress in September

oha will host the Interna- Khalifa al-Khalifa. A team of IEI tional Engineering Con- functionaries will also meet Qa- Dgress, which is to be held tar University authorities. Hope as part of the centenary celebra- they will extend help and co- tions of the Institution of Engi- operation,” said IEI Qatar chapter neers, India (IEI). chairman Abdul Sathar. The two day conference will Since its inception in 1920, IEI start on September 26, it was an- has been active in promoting pro- nounced yesterday. fessional activities, supporting stu- “The conference, which will dents and spreading technological throw light on the latest innova- activities across India. Started in tions and technology in engineer- 1990, Qatar chapter is one of the ing sector, is to be attended by old chapters of IEI. The organisa- delegates from GCC countries and tion has 2,20,000 corporate mem- Food inspection in Al Shamal Municipality. across the world apart from those in IEI president T M Gunaraja flanked by other off icials at the announcement ceremony yesterday. bers and 1,25,000 student members India,” IEI president T M Gunaraja in 15 engineering disciplines. Municipalities prepare Eid checks told a press conference yesterday. to present papers. “We have plans ported by various educational achieve professional excellence. IEI offi cials Major General Experts will present papers on to invite papers from across the institutions in Qatar. “IEI delegation has held dis- Suresh Bhattacharya, Dr Abdul l Shamal Municipality has ensure the readiness of public various topics. Young aspirants will world,” Gunaraja explained. The event will promote en- cussion with College of North Hameed and Sajeeth George were put in place a comprehen- parks to receive the public during be also provided with opportunities The conference will be sup- gineers in Qatar and help them Atlantic- Qatar president Dr also present. Asive plan to prepare for the the Eid holidays. upcoming Eid al-Fitr holidays, Similarly, Al Sheehaniya Mu- which includes inspection tours nicipality’s public gardens and to detect violations of food safety parks are getting ready to wel- and public hygiene regulations. come visitors during the Eid pe- The plan involves two shifts riod and off er the best possible HMC launches 15 sub-speciality services in dermatology of inspection tours across all key public services, the statement areas in the municipality, with notes. inspectors working through- Meanwhile, Al Daayen Munic- By Joseph Varghese tar,” continued the offi cial. out the Eid period from 5am ipality’s Health Control inspec- Staff Reporter According to Dr Steinhoff , the until 5pm daily, the Ministry of tors have conducted an evening new therapies to be introduced Municipality and Environment inspection tour at various res- are targeted ones. (MME) has said in a statement. taurants, cafeterias and other he Department of Derma- “They don’t have side eff ects The initiative also includes food outlets there to ensure the tology at Hamad Medi- like the old therapies. Old thera- constant inspection and super- safety and health of food off ered Tcal Corporation (HMC) is pies had more of side eff ects as vision by municipal veterinar- to the public. launching about 15 sub-special- they killed more cells near the ians at the slaughterhouse and Doha Municipality’s meat ity services which will be intro- treatment spots. The targeted fi sh market, in addition to poul- unit veterinarian checked some duced by the the end of August therapies aff ect only the cells try shops. 84,222 heads of livestock slaugh- this year. that are aff ected by any of the In addition, inspection tours tered between April 21 and May “Our department is under- diseases,” noted the offi cial. will have a special focus on caf- 25, including 82,575 sheep, 978 going a renovation. Once it is The Dermatology Department eterias, restaurants and super- cows and 669 camels, with 505 completed,most probably by the runs 22 clinics a day and treats markets. carcasses being destroyed after end of August, we will be starting about 400 patients. The gardens section also has being deemed unfi t for human several new services for various “We are also launching new taken the necessary measures to consumption. skin diseases. They include new laser treatment and we will have therapies and services for many six laser units when the services of the diseases such as vitiligo, are introduced. Some of these posraisis, eczema among oth- new laser units have either al- ers,” disclosed Dr Martin Stein- ready reached the centre or on hoff , professor and chair at the the way. This will provide serv- Department of Dermatology as ices which were not available so well as the director of the Trans- far,” pointed Dr Steinhoff . lational Research Institute HMC. Dr al-Malki noted that the de- Dr Steinhoff was speaking to partment has the least waiting pe- the media yesterday and high- riod among all the HMC facilities. lighted the activities of his de- Dr Aisha al-Malki and Dr Martin Steinhoff . PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed “For most of the cases, we have partment as well as the services very less waiting period and we available. He was accompanied services in dermatology. We will extending photo therapy services diseases have been developed of sometimes allow patients to come by Dr Aisha al-Malki, specialist have extensive laser treatment for patients,” said Dr Steinhoff . late. We want to bring all the lat- on their own convenience. Some in dermatology, HMC. technologies after the renovation “Several new technologies and est services and facilities avail- even come twice a week whenever Food inspection in Al Shamal Municipality. “We are launching some new work is completed. We are also treatment methods for various able in the US and Europe to Qa- it suits them,” she added. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 QATAR/RAMADAN A glimpse of Paradise

llah The Almighty has cre- ated Paradise for His believ- Aing slaves; He has created in it pleasures that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and no mind could ever comprehend. Abu Hurai- rah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam (may Al- lah exalt his mention), said: “Allah, the Exalted, has said: ‘I have prepared for my righteous slaves (in Paradise) what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and the mind of no man has conceived.’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] There are many verses in the Qur’an that describe Paradise and some of what it contains; the following are a collection of some of them:  It is a wide space: {“And hasten to forgiveness from QIC Iftar kits being distributed. your Lord and a garden [i.e. Paradise] as wide as the heavens and earth, pre- pared for the righteous.”} [Qur’an, 3: 133]  It is an eternal abode: {“Wherein they abide eternally. Qatar Insurance They will not desire from it any trans- fer.”} [Qur’an, 18: 108]  It contains gardens beneath which rivers fl ow: {“Allah has promised the believing distributes Iftar meals men and believing women gardens be- neath which rivers fl ow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwell- ings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is in Ramadan initiative that which the great attainment is.”} [Qur’an, 9: 72]  Its food and shade are everlasting: the special women of Paradise, in ad- even if they were to fall short of it. atar Insurance, the leading in- {“The example [i.e. description] of dition to the wives to whom they were This is so that the joy of the dwellers surer in the Mena region, has Paradise, which the righteous have married in this life: of Paradise will be completed by the Qdistributed 500 Iftar meals to been promised, is [that] beneath it {“And with them will be women presence of their children: the general public during Ramadan as rivers fl ow. Its fruit is lasting, and its limiting [their] glances, with large, {“And those who believed and part of its corporate social responsi- shade. That is the consequence for the [beautiful] eyes, As if they were [deli- whose descendants followed them in bility. righteous…”} [Qur’an, 13: 35] cate] eggs, well protected.”} [Qur’an, faith — We will join with them their Ahead of dusk and before Magh-  Its drinks and foods are delicious 37: 48-49] descendants, and We will not deprive rib prayers, volunteers from QIC pa- and varied:  The people of Paradise will be them of anything of their deeds. Eve- trolled and distributed a total of 500 {“…the description of Paradise, served by beautiful youths who will ry person, for what he earned, is re- Iftar meals in phases at diff erent loca- which the righteous are promised, never die: tained.”} [Qur’an, 52: 21] tions. On the fi rst day, Iftar meals were wherein are rivers of water unaltered, {“There will circulate among them Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be handed out at the traffi c junction near rivers of milk the taste of which never young boys made eternal. When pleased with him, said: “The Mes- Souq Waqif. On the second day, they changes, rivers of wine delicious to you see them, you would think them senger of Allah sallallaahu `alaihi wa were distributed at Doha Sports Sta- those who drink, and rivers of purifi ed [as beautiful as] scattered pearls.”} sallam said: “The first group (of peo- dium. Each Iftar meal was handed out honey, in which they will have from all [Qur’an, 76: 19] ple) to enter Paradise will be shining to public along with a small bottle of [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from  Its utensils are made of gold and like the moon on a full moon night. water. their Lord…”} [Qur’an, 47: 15] silver: Then will come those who follow “We are delighted to be a part of this  Its inhabitants are adorned with {“‘Enter Paradise, you and your them, who will be (shining) like the community-focused initiative. Be- gold and pearl jewellery: kinds, delighted.’ Circulated among brightest planet in the sky. They (i.e., sides spreading the spirit of Ramadan, {“[For them are] gardens of per- them will be plates and vessels of gold. all the people of Paradise) will not the initiative also helped us to spread petual residence, which they will And therein is whatever the souls de- stand in need of urinating, defecat- compassion through simple acts of enter. They will be adorned therein sire and [what] delights the eyes, and ing, spitting, or blowing their noses. kindness, which resonates well with with bracelets of gold and pearls…”} you will abide therein eternally.”} Their combs will be of gold and their the principles of the company,” ac- [Qur’an, 35: 33] [Qur’an, 43: 70-71] sweat will smell of musk. Their wives cording to Ahmed al-Jarboey, senior  Its furniture is extremely beau-  The climate in Paradise is both will be large-eyed maidens. All the vice president, Mena Retail and Motor tiful from the exterior, and it is lined moderate and pleasant: men (in Paradise) will be alike and of QIC Insured. QIC Iftar kits being loaded onto a car ahead of distribution. with silk that is decorated with gold: {“[They will be] reclining therein in the form of their father Aadam — { “[They are] reclining on beds on adorned couches. They will not see sixty cubits tall.”” [Al-Bukhari and whose linings are of silk brocade and therein any [burning] sun or [freezing] Muslim] the fruit of the two gardens is hanging cold.”} [Qur’an, 76: 13] low.”} [Qur’an, 55: 54]  The children of the dwellers of Article source: http://www.is- Katara lines up an array of  In Paradise, men are given Hoor, Paradise will be raised to their rank, lamweb.net/emainpage/ activities for Eid celebration

QNA for entertainment and activities has ent timings. At 5pm and 7pm it will be Doha been dedicated along the Katara cor- screened in English and at 6pm it will niche starting at 5pm. be in Arabic. Eid gifts and money will also be dis- Theatre lovers can also enjoy an he Cultural Village Foundation tributed to the children as is custom- amazing play, “The Cake Vendor” (Katara) is gearing up for Eid ary during every Eid to spread happi- right through the Eid days, starting Tal-Fitr celebrations, by off er- ness among them. at 5pm on the fi rst day of Eid, and at ing a variety of activities to make it a In addition, the Al Thuraya Plan- 5pm and 7pm on the following days hotspot during Eid. etarium located in Katara will screen until June 9. The festivities will con- The festivities are tailored to cover three movies on the second day of Eid, clude with fi reworks at 8pm. The Ka- all age-groups and to suit families, about space and a journey in a space tara beach will also be open daily from especially the children, for whom a shuttle and the fascinating 3D show, 7am, off ering diff erent water sports playground consisting of many games “Dawn in the Space Shuttle” at diff er- for the visitors.

The festivities at Katara will conclude with fireworks.

Mercedes-Benz GLC, E Class 2017-18 models recalled

he Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in co-oper- dealer to follow up on the maintenance and repair works ation with Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, has an- and will communicate with customers to ensure that the Tnounced the recall of Mercedes-Benz GLC, E Class necessary repairs are carried out. models of 2017-2018 due to the stone chipping guard of the The Ministry urges all customers to report any violations additional cooler not conforming to manufacturer specifi - to its Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud cations. Department, which processes complaints, inquiries and The recall campaign comes within the framework of the suggestions through the following channels: Call centre: Ministry’s continuous eff orts to protect consumers and 16001, e-mail: [email protected], Twitter: @MOCIQA- ensure that car dealers follow up on vehicle defects and TAR, Instagram: MOCIQATAR, Ministry of Commerce and repairs. The Ministry said that it will co-ordinate with the Industry mobile app for android and IOS: MOCIQATAR Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 9 REGION/ARAB WORLD

Kushner, Greenblatt in Mideast to seek support for peace plan

Reuters Kushner, Middle East envoy will meet US President Donald this week’s trip is to bolster sup- issues at the heart of the confl ict. ternative vision’ of the Pales- ence in Manama are expected to Washington Jason Greenblatt and US Spe- Trump in London when the lat- port for a June 25-26 conference Palestinian leaders have been tinian-Israeli settlement.” include 300 to 400 representa- cial Representative for Iran and ter makes a state visit there next in Manama, Bahrain, in which sharply critical of the eff ort. “The Palestinian leadership tives and business executives Kushner aide Avi Berkowitz be- week. Kushner is to unveil the fi rst part Saudi Arabia and the United has already categorically re- from Europe, the Middle East enior White House adviser gan their trip in Rabat and were The trip is similar to one that of Trump’s long-awaited Israeli- Arab Emirates have said they fused to take part, saying that and Asia, and possibly some Jared Kushner is leading a to travel to Amman and Jerusa- Kushner and Greenblatt took in Palestinian peace plan. will participate, and a senior the PLO will not surrender to Palestinian business leaders. SUS delegation to the Mid- lem, arriving in Israel tomorrow. February to Gulf states to drum The plan, touted by Trump US official said. anyone its exclusive rights to A source familiar with the dle East this week seeking sup- Kushner also will attend the up support for the economic as the “deal of the century,” is The Russian foreign ministry make crucial decisions regard- planning said it appeared port for a late June workshop Bilderberg conference in Mon- portion of a Middle East peace to encourage investment in the took a dim view of the confer- ing the realisation of Palestin- Egypt, Jordan and Oman, as aimed at helping the Palestin- treux, Switzerland, where he plan they have been developing West Bank and Gaza Strip by ence in a statement yesterday, ians’ national aspirations,” it well as the G7 countries, also ians, a White House offi cial said is expected to be a speaker, at on behalf of Trump. Arab donor countries before saying the United States was said. would send representatives to yesterday. the end of the week and then The offi cial said one reason for grappling with thorny political attempting to “impose an ‘al- Participants in the confer- the conference. Sudan protesters strike as deadlock with military stays

AFP Khartoum

housands of workers went on strike across Sudan Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, gives a Tyesterday, leaving air and press conference in the capital Tehran, yesterday. bus passengers stranded as pro- testers piled pressure on the mil- itary to hand power to a civilian administration. The leaders of an umbrella Iran says does not protest movement remain at loggerheads with army generals who ousted president Omar al- ‘presently’ believe in Bashir last month over whether a civilian or a soldier should head a new governing body. mediation with US The body is expected to in- stall a transitional civilian gov- ernment, which in turn would Agencies it could turn its back on more prepare for the fi rst post-Bashir Tehran substantial parts of the accord. elections after a three-year in- The situation between Iran terim period. and the US has led a number In a bid to step up pressure ran’s foreign ministry yes- of countries in the Middle East on the ruling military council, terday insisted it did not and others such as Japan and the Alliance for Freedom and Icurrently see the need for Switzerland to off er to medi- Change protest movement called mediation with the United ate. for a two-day general strike States, as it played down the Tehran insists that it will starting yesterday. chances of a military clash not hold direct talks with the Thousands of employees of with Washington. US government anytime soon government offi ces, banks, pri- Spokesman Abbas Mousavi despite Trump saying Wash- vate sector fi rms and at the Red told a press conference that ington would “like to talk” if Sea hub of Port Sudan joined the Tehran “does not feel any Iran was ready. strike, insisting that only civilian tension or (the possibility of) Mousavi said Iran was “lis- rule can lift Sudan out of its po- clashes” and said concerns tening to the views of coun- litical crisis. had been “created by others”. tries” who have off ered to me- “This strike is the fi rst step. He told journalists that the Is- diate but had not received or If our demands are not heard lamic republic “does not pres- given any “special message” we will go for comprehensive Employees demonstrate outside Bank of Khartoum yesterday, as they participate in a two-day national strike to step up pressure on the ruling ently believe in” mediation. during a fl urry of diplomatic civil disobedience,” said banker military council. Iran is locked in a standoff visits in recent weeks. Yousef Mohamed, as he chanted with the United States which US CAPACITY FOR slogans along with his colleagues Hundreds of workers in Port the strike. Many carried banners and civil aviation were set to take in by tens of thousands of pro- has beefed up its military pres- WAR ‘SAPPED’ outside his bank in Khartoum. Sudan — a vital economic hub — reading: “Today, tomorrow no part in the strike. testers outside Khartoum’s mili- ence in the Middle East in re- Meanwhile, Iran’s “absolute “We tried a military govern- also joined the strike. buses as we are on strike”. Ahead of the walkout a key tary headquarters. sponse to alleged threats from power” in its region has sapped ment but it didn’t work for us in “We want civilian rule to get “I have to travel to Gadaref to member of the protest move- But the generals, backed by the Islamic republic. the capacity of arch-enemy Sudan.” rid of the corruption in Port Su- be with my family for Eid, but ment, the National Umma Party, key regional powers, have re- Washington has deployed the United States to wage war AFP correspondents who dan,” said Osman Tahir, a worker I’m not angry as I understand rejected the plan saying there sisted calls from protesters and an aircraft carrier strike group against it, the commander of toured parts of the capital saw at the dock. the reason for the strike,” trav- had been no unanimous decision Western governments to step and B-52 bombers to the re- its elite Revolutionary Guards groups of employees taking part Hundreds of passengers were eller Fatima Omar said as she for a strike. down. gion in a show of force. said, according to semi-offi - in the strike and protesting at stranded at Khartoum airport as waited with her children at the Umma and its chief Sadiq al- Thousands of protesters re- The moves are the latest cial Mehr news agency. several squares. scores of employees at the facil- bus terminal. Mahdi have for decades been the main camped outside army spike since US President Don- He was speaking a day after Traffi c in Khartoum was nor- ity went on strike, chanting “ci- Protest leader Siddiq Farukh main opponents of Bashir’s rule, headquarters. ald Trump withdrew from a US President Donald Trump mal but travellers in private vilian rule, civilian rule,” an AFP said that the strike was a mes- and threw their weight behind Before suspending talks last landmark 2015 deal on Iran’s said he was not seeking re- vehicles whistled and clapped correspondent there said. sage to the world that Sudanese the protest movement after na- week, the two sides had agreed nuclear programme and reim- gime change in Iran following to express their solidarity with Many employees carried ban- people “don’t want the power to tionwide demonstrations erupt- on several key issues, including posed sanctions. moves to beef up US forces in those participating in the strike. ners or wore badges that read be with the military”. ed in December. the three-year transition and Iran earlier this month the Middle East, and that a The Sudanese Profession- “we are on strike”. But prominent protester, Wa- Protester Hazar Mustafa said the creation of a 300-member rolled back parts of its com- new deal on Iran’s nuclear pro- als Association, the group that Sudanese airlines Badr, Tarco jdi Saleh, said late Monday “we the generals could not be trust- parliament, with two thirds of mitments under the nuclear gramme was possible. initially launched the campaign and Nova suspended fl ights yes- hope that we reach an agreement ed. lawmakers coming from the pro- deal and gave an ultimatum to “We have been able to... against Bashir, said troops were terday. with the military council and “We see the military council testers’ umbrella group. the remaining world powers empty the enemy’s capac- trying to “force the staff ” of the EgyptAir cancelled fl ights won’t have to go on an indefi nite as part of the former regime. We But negotiations stalled as involved if they did not pro- ity for war. You see the de- central bank to work. during the day to Khartoum, strike”. don’t see it upholding any rights protest leaders insisted a civil- vide sanctions relief. cline and crash of the enemies’ An AFP correspondent saw while fl ydubai said it was “moni- Protest leaders had said med- and building a just state,” she ian must head the new sovereign Mousavi warned that if speech,” Major General Hos- troops and members of para- toring” the situation. ics, lawyers, prosecutors, em- said. council, with civilians making sanctions relief is not off ered sein Salami said, apparently military Rapid Support Force Passengers were also stranded ployees in the electricity and The army ousted Bashir in up the majority of its mem- Tehran “will with severity alluding to Trump’s remarks surrounding the central bank at Khartoum’s main bus termi- water sectors, public transport, April after months of protests bers — proposals rejected by the take the next steps”, meaning during a visit to Japan. building. nal after employees observed railways, telecommunication against his rule, including a sit- military.

DEFENCE Criticism over arms shipments to Saudi

A Saudi Arabian cargo ship arrived at a port in southern France Toll mounts to 21 in Syria regime attacks yesterday to pick up munitions, according to an investigative website, rekindling criticism of weapons sales to the Middle Eastern nation which rights groups say are being used in the devastating war in Yemen. The AFP caught fi re.” Idlib and parts of people had been displaced by shipment was revealed by the Disclose website, whose reporting on a Kafr Halab the neighbouring provinces the fi ghting in Idlib since late similar shipment of French weapons earlier this month led to pressure of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia April. that prompted Riyadh to renounce loading the weapons. Disclose said are under the control of Hay- Aid agencies have been forced the new shipment involved munitions for French Caesar cannons that ine children were among at Tahrir al-Sham, a militant to suspend their work in some would be loaded at the Mediterranean port of Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille. at least 21 civilians killed group led by Syria’s former Al areas, she said, adding that 22 “We are checking this out,” Defence Minister Florence Parly told lawmak- Nyesterday in regime at- Qaeda affi liate. hospitals and clinics had been ers in Parliament who assailed the government for allowing the weapons tacks on Syria’s northwest, a The region is supposed to be hit by air strikes or shelling sales. “And if this is indeed the case, would it be surprising? No, because militant stronghold that has protected from a massive gov- since April 28. we have an accord with Saudi Arabia,” she said. But a representative in come under intensifi ed bom- ernment off ensive by a Septem- “Further military operations France for the Saudi shipping company involved denied any plans for bardment in the past month, a ber buff er zone deal, but Da- will overwhelm all ability to re- a weapons shipment, saying the vessel was picking up only electricity monitor said. mascus and its Russian ally have spond,” she warned. production units from Germany’s Siemens, for civil use. “The reports The strikes, some of which stepped up their bombardment France claimed yesterday about a load of weapons or explosives is completely false,” the off icial hit a hospital, followed two days since late April, seizing several it had an “indication” that a said. Rights groups accuse Riyadh of using the French weapons against of increased bombing by Da- towns on its southern fl ank. chemical attack had been car- civilians in Yemen, where around 10,000 people have died since it began mascus and its Russian ally on Nearly 280 civilians have ried out in the Idlib area, add- its off ensive in 2015 with its ally the United Arab Emirates. militant-dominated Idlib prov- been killed in the spike in vio- ing that “for now it has not been ince and parts of neighbouring lence since then, according to verifi ed”. regions. Syrians remove a motorcycle from the site of regime bombardment the Observatory. The United States reported CONFLICT Regime bombardment on the on the village of Kafr Halab, on the western edge of Aleppo Rescue volunteers and civil- earlier this month that Presi- US, Egypt urge calm in Libya amid offensive area Sunday and Monday killed province, yesterday. ians were seen pulling dust- dent Bashar al-Assad’s regime a total of 31 civilians, according covered victims from the rubble carried out a chemical “attack” The United States and Egypt, a key backer of Libyan militia leader Khalifa to the Britain-based Syrian Ob- lining the side of the road were manitarian offi ce. of destroyed buildings in the on May 19 during its off ensive in Haftar, yesterday called for calm as the strongman pressed ahead in servatory for Human Rights. destroyed. “The facility is reportedly out wake of strikes on Sunday and Idlib, threatening reprisals. his off ensive on Tripoli. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the Yesterday’s strikes on a busy The street was crowded with of service due to severe struc- Monday. International inspectors say crisis in Libya during a phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh street in the village of Kafr people out and about before tural damage,” he said. The United Nations has Assad’s forces have carried out Shoukry, the State Department said. Halab, on the western edge of breaking the daytime fast ob- The hospital’s administrative warned that an all-out off en- a series of chemical attacks in The two discussed “the urgent need to achieve a political solution in Aleppo province, killed at least served by Muslims during the director Majed al-Akraa con- sive on the region would lead to the course of the brutal civil Libya and prevent further escalation,” State Department spokeswoman nine civilians, according to the holy month of Ramadan. fi rmed the attack.”The hospital a humanitarian catastrophe for war, which has killed more than Morgan Ortagus said. Haftar is pressing ahead against the internation- monitor. A hospital in the Idlib town of is completely out of service,” he its nearly 3mn residents. 370,000 people and displaced ally backed government in Tripoli in fighting that has left 510 dead and An AFP photographer said Kafranbel was also hit by artil- said. UN deputy aid chief Ursula millions since 2011. driven more than 75,000 people from their homes, according to World the bodies of the victims were lery shells, said David Swanson, “It was a strong attack. The Mueller told the Security Coun- Syrian authorities have con- Health Organisation figures. Haftar on a visit last week to France rejected torn apart and several stores a spokesman for the UN hu- generators and even my car cil yesterday that some 270,000 sistently denied the charges. a ceasefire urged by President Emmanuel Macron. Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 AFRICA

CRIME TRAGEDY RELOCATION FREE AND SAFE WAGE WOES Bandits murder 23 in 9 ‘illegal’ miners die Nigeria moves thousands ‘Islamic State’ kidnappers Mariners set to strike at pre-dawn massacre in Zimbabwe blasts away from Boko Haram release 22 in DR Congo South African ports

Dozens of gunmen riding motorbikes launched a At least nine miners died in Zimbabwe following Nigeria’s army has moved nearly 10,000 people Twenty-two people who were kidnapped in eastern South Africa’s transport workers union Satawu bandit attack on two villages in northern Nigeria blasts in a shaft north of the capital Harare from areas attacked by Boko Haram fighters DR Congo last week in a raid claimed by Islamic has threatened a “total shutdown” at major yesterday, slaughtering 23 people, residents said. where they were illegally digging for gold, in northeastern Borno state, the International State have been released by their abductors, local ports across the country from tomorrow after Gunmen in the Kauran Namoda district of Nigeria’s police said yesterday. “We confirm eight Organization for Migration (IOM) said yesterday. sources said yesterday. “There are 22 (released) issuing a 48-hour strike notice for mariners over Zamfara state attacked the neighbouring villages people died on Sunday night at Jumbo Mine The area around has seen heavy fighting and people in all — 16 men, five women and a little girl,” a payment dispute, the union said yesterday. The of Tunga and Kabaje as residents ate a pre-dawn in Mazowe while another person died later ambush attacks against soldiers as they escorted the government’s administrator for Beni in North South African Transport and Allied Workers Union meal before daylight fasting began for the holy after another explosive went off while they civilians from villages into larger towns. “As of 27 Kivu province, Donat Kibwana, told AFP. “They (Satawu) called the strike after negotiations with month of Ramadan. “The bandits killed 23 people in were underground,” police spokesman Paul May 2019, a total of 9,432 individuals from Sabon were kidnapped in Samboko-Tchani Tchani in last management became deadlocked over salary the attacks,” said local leader Lawal Isah Abdullahi. Nyathi told AFP. “Their bodies were retrieved Gari community were moved by the military week’s attack.” One of those released AFP that the discrepancies between black and white mariners, “The attackers chased people into farmland... and investigations are being undertaken to to Damboa town,” the IOM said in a statement. kidnappers freed the 22 after a three-day march with what it says are white mariners drawing but as they fled they shot them dead.” Soldiers establish how they got into the mine which was The civilians were moved in four batches since following last Thursday’s raid. He said the kidnappers higher salaries than their black counterparts, accompanied villagers to collect and bury the dead. guarded at the entrance. One person sustained 23 May. The army has repeatedly moved large were physically diff erent from local people and even when less experienced. “The mariners skills “We conducted funerals for the 23 victims this fractures and was admitted to hospital and we numbers of civilians away from areas, ahead of “speak good Swahili, like in East Africa (Tanzania)... set is such that its withdrawal will result in a total afternoon,” Tunga resident Shehu Bello said. are told there could be more.” major military off ensives. and another language that I couldn’t identify.” shutdown at all ports,” Satawu said. South African deputy president Eastern Congo mob kills Ebola health survives ‘disrepute’ accusation worker, loot clinic

Reuters he said, without giving any fur- Reuters Johannesburg ther details. Goma Party spokesman Pule Mabe said developments implied outh Africa’s deputy presi- Mabuza had been cleared of any mob in eastern Congo killed an Ebola health worker and dent David Mabuza was accusations. looted a clinic, the Health Ministry said yesterday, un- Ssworn in as a lawmaker “I wouldn’t know what they had Aderscoring a breakdown in public trust that is hamper- yesterday, after a week’s post- said, but I can tell you now that ing eff orts to contain the deadly virus. ponement for him to address ac- the fact that the deputy president Attacks on treatment centres by armed groups and mistrust cusations he brought the ruling is being sworn in, it means that all among residents who view the disease as a conspiracy have African National Congress (ANC) the issues that the integrity com- become major impediments to containing Democratic Repub- into disrepute, the party said. mission wanted clarity on have lic of Congo’s worst-ever Ebola outbreak. The move clears the way for been clarifi ed,” he told broadcaster The haemorrhagic fever has so far killed 1,281 people, ac- 58-year-old Mabuza, an impor- eNCA. “So it’s all systems go.” cording to the latest ministry fi gures, and shows no signs of tant ally of President Cyril Ram- Daniel Silke, director of the Po- slowing its spread, with dozens of new cases a week. aphosa, to remain his deputy, but litical Futures Consultancy, said The ministry said that on Saturday residents of the village again throws a spotlight on shad- the go-ahead for Mabuza gave of Vusahiro, in the Mabalako district, “rose up and attacked owy corruption allegations that him “a degree of additional re- the local Ebola response team, made up of village residents have hit the ANC’s popularity in spectability”, though he lamented who were trained to carry out certain response activities”. recent years. that the South African public was A hygienist from the infection prevention and control team The ANC easily won this in the dark over the case. died of his injuries when he was transferred to hospital, it said. month’s general election, though “Unfortunately it all seems Responders, healthcare workers, and community members its vote share dropped due to an- very secretive. There is very little are increasingly subjected to threats from armed groups in ger over scandals and persistent transparency in the way this mat- hotspots such as Katwa and Butembo, the World Health Or- inequalities since it took over af- ter has been dealt with,” he told ganization says, complicating eff orts to contain Ebola. ter the end of apartheid and white Reuters, saying that contrasted UN offi cials say that stopping targeted attacks on health minority rule in 1994. with Ramaphosa’s pledge to run workers requires untangling deep-rooted political problems Ramaphosa said last week that a cleaner and more transparent in eastern Congo. Mabuza requested a delay to his government. Dialogue has led to a recent reduction in large-scale attacks swearing-in at parliament after a Mabuza took the parliamentary on health workers, WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan told re- report by the ANC integrity com- oath in front of Ramaphosa and porters in Geneva yesterday. mission alleging he had “preju- new National Assembly speaker Still, an uphill battle remains. diced the integrity” of the party Thandi Modise. Between January and early May, there were 42 attacks on and brought it “into disrepute.” He declined to take any ques- health facilities, with 85 workers either injured or killed, ac- The former schoolteacher and tions from media waiting outside cording to WHO fi gures from May 3. premier of northeastern Mpu- the presidential guest house in the Health workers have been attacked six times in the last eight malanga province has struggled capital Pretoria. days, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to shrug off allegations there South Africa’s Deputy President David Mabuza being sworn-in as lawmaker for the ruling African National Ramaphosa, whose predeces- told the closing session of the annual World Health Assembly over irregular tenders for a 2010 Congress by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in Pretoria. sor Zuma’s 2009-2018 presi- in Geneva on Tuesday. World Cup stadium, political kill- dency was dogged by allegations “These attacks demonstrate that the ongoing Ebola out- ings, and gifts to former president wants all the allegations levelled ANC presidency offi ce head integrity commission in the past of widespread corruption, is due break is more than a health crisis,” he said. “Ending it takes a Jacob Zuma. against him to be tested in a court Zizi Kodwa told Reuters that week. A report would be given to to announce his new cabinet later co-ordinated and strengthened eff ort across the UN system... He denies all wrongdoing, and of law. Mabuza had met members of the the party’s executive committee, this week. with strong leadership from the government.”

WHO counts down Africa polio Think tank urges ‘dialogue’ between Mali and militants clock despite new outbreak frica could be declared free of endemic “wild” polio early next year if a strain last seen in Nigeria almost AFP tack, with force used alongside ef- state and militants in central Mali such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Fulani people, who are tradi- Athree years ago does not resurface, the World Health Dakar forts to bring Katiba Macina lead- has led to growing intercommunal Maghreb. tionally cattle-breeders, have Organization’s Africa head said yesterday, despite a new “vac- ers to the table”, adding that pros- violence,” the ICG said. Delegates to a national confer- confronted the Bambara and Do- cine-derived” outbreak. pects of defeating the movement “To spare civilians additional ence in 2017 called for the open- gon communities of settled farm- A WHO report yesterday said two cases of the crippling dis- ali’s government should on the battlefi eld were “remote”. harm, the government should ex- ing of talks with Amadou Koufa ers and hunters, who in turn have ease had been reported in Central African Republic, only the consider “dialogue” The report said previous con- plore the possibility of talks with and radical Tuareg leader Iyad Ag created “self-defence militias”. 11th and 12th cases in Africa this year. Mwith militants waging tacts had “revealed a degree of the insurgents about local cease- Ghaly, but the resolution was re- In an explosion of violence on “There is a high risk of transmission of the virus as an insurgency in the west Afri- pragmatism among Katiba Maci- fi res and humanitarian aid.” jected by the Malian and French March 23, about 160 Fulani villag- both cases were among internally displaced persons (in can state, the International Crisis na militants, suggesting that even The government in Bamako governments. ers were slaughtered at Ogossa- an area) with an estimated population of eight thousand,” Group (ICG) think tank suggested if the odds are stacked against “should empower religious lead- Amadou Koufa in March 2017 gou, near the border with Burkina the report said. yesterday. success, dialogue with the group ers to explore initial talks” with joined the newly-formed Group Faso, by suspected Dogon hunt- All recent African cases have been “vaccine-derived” polio, The idea of talking to militants is worth trying.” militant leaders and also seek to Support Islam and Muslims ers. which occurs in places with low vaccine coverage and poor may seem ludicrous to some, it An independent group that anal- dialogue among central Malians, (GSIM), which was born of a The UN mission in Mali (MI- sanitation as vaccinated people excrete the virus, putting admitted, but said all avenues yses confl icts and seeks solutions, “including those sympathetic to merger to become the leading ex- NUSMA) announced on May 16 it those who have not been vaccinated at risk of catching it. should be explored to save civil- the ICG acknowledged that the idea the insurgency,” the report sug- tremist alliance in the Sahel re- had recorded “at least 488 deaths” The risk of vaccine-derived polio cases can be avoided by ians from further harm. of talking with militants could out- gested. gion with links to Al Qaeda. since January 2018 in attacks by switching from using live oral polio vaccines (OPV) — which In a report, the ICG did not rage “some Bamako elites” and may To make such talks more pal- Iyad Ag Ghaly is its leader. “traditional hunters against civil- are highly eff ective, cheap and easy to deliver but contain live suggest halting military opera- be seen a step toward a deal. atable to Malian authorities and Since the appearance of Kou- ians of the Peul population” in the virus — to “inactivated” vaccines (IPV), which are not eff ec- tions against Katiba Macina, the Foreign powers, in turn, “might Western allies like France, which fa’s movement, recruited mainly central Mopti and Segou regions. tive for fi ghting the wild type but contain no live virus. armed group of radical preacher see it as legitimising a terrorist has intervened militarily to com- among his own Fulani (Peul) com- Over the same period, armed Africa’s last case of wild polio was recorded in Nigeria in Amadou Koufa behind a four- outfi t with blood on its hands,” bat militants, extremist forces munity, communal violence has Fulanis “caused 63 deaths” 2016, and three years on the country can begin the months of year-old insurgency. the report added. should be compelled to renounce spread in central Mali, a mosaic of among civilians in the Mopti re- paperwork needed before declaring that the virus is no longer But it recommended “a shift of However, “war between the ties to transnational movements ethnic groups. gion, MINUSMA said. circulating there.

President calls on opposition to accept Malawi vote result

By Jack McBrams, AFP a time to unite and develop this plause from party supporters. Phiri told AFP that the election Blantyre country.” Chakwera and the MCP have outcome illustrated that the DPP Mutharika won the ballot not responded since the results was the “capable party”. with 38.57% of the vote, against were declared. “People said we would lose alawi’s President Peter former evangelist Lazarus Chak- MCP spokesman Eisenhower these elections and we are writ- Mutharika yesterday wera of the Malawi Congress Mkaka had said on Saturday the ten off from the beginning,” he Murged opposition par- Party (MCP) on 35.41% — a gap of party had turned to the courts said. ties to accept the outcome of an just 159,000 votes. Turnout was because of “very glaring irregu- A separate presidential inau- election clouded by fraud alle- 74% of 6.8mn registered voters. larities”. guration ceremony is planned at gations as he was sworn in for a The MCP, the main opposition Some documents showed “the the same venue on Friday. second term. party, had obtained a temporary same handwriting coming from Mutharika, a former law pro- Thousands of supporters injunction at the weekend to halt diff erent polling stations which fessor in the US, came to power gathered at a sports stadium in the release of results over alleged are miles apart,” he said, adding in 2014 vowing to tackle corrup- Malawi’s commercial capital vote-rigging, but it was later lift- there was a lot of correction fl uid tion after the “Cashgate” scandal Blantyre to watch him take the ed by the courts. on result sheets. a year earlier revealed massive oath of offi ce, which had been Mutharika dismissed any Mutharika campaigned for looting from state coff ers. announced just hours earlier. doubts over the outcome, say- a second fi ve-year term on his But he has faced corruption al- Mutharika, 78, of the ruling ing international observers had record of improving roads and legations himself. Democratic Progressive Party deemed the May 21 election power infrastructure in the im- Last November, he was forced (DPP), was declared victor on “peaceful, free and fair.” poverished southeast African to return a $200,000 donation Monday after an injunction bar- “It is the victory of the rule of country. from a businessman facing cor- ring the release of the results was law and the rule of democracy. In his fi rst term of offi ce, infl a- ruption charges in a $3mn con- lifted. Democracy has won,” he said. tion fell from 23% to below 9%, tract to supply food to the Malawi “I want to congratulate other Mutharika was speculated to but still just one in nine of the police. leaders who competed with me in have died during the campaign population have access to mains Malawi won independence these elections. But they have to after he cancelled a series of ap- electricity. from colonial ruler Britain in accept that there can only be one pearances. The DPP also won parliamen- 1964, and was then ruled by winner,” Mutharika declared in a In a swipe at the rumours, he tary elections held on the same Hastings Banda as a one-party short speech. opened his speech saying “I did day last week. state until the fi rst multi-party Supporters of Malawi’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party celebrate yesterday at Kamuzu Stadium in “The elections are over. This is not die” — triggering loud ap- DPP campaign director Ben elections in 1994. Blantyre. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 11 AMERICAS

UNAVAILABLE JUSTICE POLITICS IN THE DOCK GREEN DREAM Canadian lawmakers fume Landmark opioid trial Ex-Trudeau ministers to Avenatti pleads not guilty to as Zuckerberg snubs invite begins in Oklahoma run as independents ripping off Stormy Daniels

Canadian lawmakers fumed on Monday when The first civil trial that could end up holding a drug Two former cabinet ministers who quit Canadian Lawyer Michael Avenatti yesterday pleaded not guilty Facebook Inc founder and chief executive Mark company responsible for the US opioid epidemic Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to charges that he stole from Stormy Daniels, the Zuckerberg snubbed an invitation to Ottawa began yesterday in Oklahoma, in a landmark case over his handling of a corruption case will run as client who propelled him to fame as an outspoken to testify on privacy and democracy before that might impact thousands of others like it. The independents in elections later this year. Former adversary of US President Donald Trump. Avenatti’s an international panel, slapping the billionaire bench trial pits the state of Oklahoma against justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould announced attorney Sylvie Levine entered the plea to charges with a standing summons. It is the second year Johnson & Johnson. Two other drug companies her decision on Monday at a press conference of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft before Zuckerberg and Facebook’s chief operating off icer named in the lawsuit settled ahead of the trial. in her Vancouver electoral district, while former US Magistrate Judge James Cott in Manhattan. Sheryl Sandberg have not showed up when Oklahoma has accused the three drug makers of Treasury Board president Jane Philpott declared Cott ordered Avenatti released on a $300,000 bail invited to address a committee of international deceptively marketing addictive opioid painkillers, her move in Toronto. The former Liberals had bond, on condition that he notify authorities of any lawmakers investigating disinformation, privacy hyping their eff ectiveness and downplaying resigned earlier this year. They alleged that travel plans and have no contact with Daniels. In and how to protect democracy. Zuckerberg and the risks of addiction. The lawsuit is seen as an Wilson-Raybould had been pressured to let an indictment made public last week, prosecutors Green Party leader Elizabeth May escorts Sandberg will be served with a formal summons important test of whether drug companies can be engineering and construction giant SNC-Lavalin accused Avenatti, 48, of stealing about $300,000 recently-elected Green Party MP Paul Manly should they “decide to come to Canada to go held accountable in court for an addiction epidemic avoid criminal prosecution in exchange for a from Daniels to fund an extravagant lifestyle after into the House of Commons on Parliament Hill fishing,” said one parliamentarian. that has killed tens of thousands of Americans. remediation agreement supervised by a judge. helping her secure a book contract. in Ottawa on Monday.

Top court takes up Mexican border shooting dispute

Reuters Washington

he US Supreme Court yes- terday agreed to decide Twhether the family of a Mexican teenager fatally shot while on Mexican soil by a US Bor- der Patrol agent who fi red from across the border in Texas can pur- sue a civil rights lawsuit in Ameri- can courts. It marks the second time the Su- preme Court will consider the legal dispute involving Sergio Adrian Hernandez Guereca, who was 15 when he was slain in 2010 along the US-Mexico border — a case that now will be decided during heightened US tensions with Mex- ico over President Donald Trump’s border policies. The justices will decide whether to allow the family’s civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages from Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa to proceed. The court previously ruled in the same case in 2017, but did not decide the important legal ques- tion of whether Hernandez’s fam- ily could sue for a violation of the US Constitution’s Fourth Amend- ment, which bars unjustifi ed deadly force. The lawsuit also states that Hernandez’s right to due proc- ess under the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment was violated. The justices instead threw out a ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals that had barred the lawsuit and asked the lower court to reconsider the matter. Sierra Waver gathers her belongings in Trotwood, near Dayton, Ohio, after powerful tornadoes ripped through the state overnight. The 5th Circuit last year again ruled against Hernandez’s rela- tives, prompting them to seek Supreme Court intervention for a second time. The high court’s action in this case likely will aff ect a similar case in which Border Patrol agent Lon- nie Swartz fatally shot Jose Anto- nio Elena Rodriguez, a 16-year-old Man killed as tornadoes Mexican citizen, from across the border in Arizona. That case is also pending at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, generally has been reluctant to extend the scope of civil rights protections. For example, it ruled in 2017 that fl atten buildings in Ohio former US offi cials who served under George W Bush could not Reuters Jeff rey Hazel said at a news conference nesses in Ohio were left without power “The storm system is weakening as have all activated National Guard units be sued over the treatment of Atlanta yesterday. on Monday morning, according to the it pushes into West Virginia and Vir- to respond to the storms. non-American citizen detainees Another seven people were injured PowerOutage. ginia, but along with the winds, it has Early yesterday, President Donald rounded up in New York after the in the storm, three of them seriously, US tracking service, and offi cials ad- dropped about two or three inches (5- Trump expressed his support for Okla- September 11, 2001 attacks. ornadoes pulverised western he said. vised people to boil water after water 8cm) of rain in just two hours,” said homa Governor Kevin Stitt, a Repub- Trump has pursued hardline im- Ohio early yesterday, killing one At least 35 people in and around plants and pumps went out of service. Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the lican. Trump promised support from migration policies including advo- Tperson, injuring scores of oth- Dayton went to hospitals with inju- Some media outlets reported that NWS Weather Prediction Center in the Federal Emergency Management cating a wall along the US-Mexico ers and requiring emergency offi cials ries, most of them minor, according to rescue workers were going door-to- College Park, Maryland. Agency. border. to send out snowploughs to clear debris Elizabeth Long, a spokeswoman for the door in parts of Dayton. Seven people were reported injured Millions of Americans were under His administration urged the from a major highway, offi cials and me- Kettering Health Network. Twitter users posted images of debris in the storm in Pendleton, Indiana, on fl ood warnings on the Memorial Day Supreme Court not to allow the dia reports said. “We’ve had injuries ranging from fl ying in the air and damaged mobile Monday, about 160km west of Dayton, holiday. Hernandez and Rodriguez law- At least one tornado hit Dayton and lacerations to bumps and bruises from homes and cars. according to media reports. Deluges hit Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa suits. at least two touched down near the city, folks being thrown around in their Media images online showed snow- More damage was reported in Celina, and Illinois. The Texas incident took place in including one near Wright-Patterson houses due to the storms,” she said. ploughs from the Ohio Department of Ohio, about 125km north of Dayton. In Tulsa, offi cials were monitoring June 2010 on the border between El Air Force Base, just east of the city, me- The latest storm follows tornadoes Transportation clearing debris from US Flooded areas of Arkansas and the Arkansas River after the US Army Paso and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. dia reports said. and fl oods killed at least six people in Interstate 75 just north of the city. Oklahoma were bracing for more rain Corps of Engineers raised the fl ow at The Border Patrol said at the An 81-year-old man was killed in Oklahoma during the previous week, The National Weather Service said that will feed the already swollen the upriver Keystone Dam by 65% since time Hernandez was pelting US Celina, a small city 105km north of including two people in El Reno on Sat- multiple tornadoes were reported in the Arkansas River, forecasters said on last week to 275,000cu ft per second. agents with rocks from the Mexi- Dayton, after a tornado sent a vehicle urday. Dayton area between 11pm on Monday Monday. The heavier fl ow is testing two ageing can side of the Rio Grande when he crashing into his home, Celina Mayor More than 60,000 homes and busi- and 1am yesterday. Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri levees in Tulsa, the city said. was shot.

Spelling Bee aces buzz through early rounds First new iPod model in four years Apple yesterday introduced its first new iPod model in Apple earlier this year unveiled streaming video four years, highlighting music and games as it contin- plans along with news and game subscription of- Reuters hours a week since March to the fi rst time at the tournament of bee words, said bee spokes- ued to make a priority of serving up digital content. ferings as part of an eff ort to shift its focus to digital New York compete in her fourth and fi nal which began in 1925. woman Valerie Miller. The new-generation iPod touch, essentially an content and services to break free of its reliance on year before she ages out of the Krause noted he spent his own That includes “horripilation,” iPhone without the phone calls, was available in iPhone sales. national bee. money on a dictionary to pre- which is the bristling of hairs on more than two dozen countries at Apple’s online An Apple TV+ service, an on-demand, ad-free he Scripps National Spell- “There’s defi nitely a lot pare for the bee, which this year the skin, and “kentledge,” which shop starting at $199. subscription service, will launch this year in 100 ing Bee got underway yes- of pressure to do well,” said drew spelling aces from all 50 is scrap metal used as ballast in a “We’re making the most aff ordable iOS device countries, the company said. Tterday with most young Howard, who advanced to the US states, US territories and six nautical vessel. even better with performance that is twice as fast Apple News+ was launched in the US and Canada spelling aces breezing through next round by correctly spelling other countries including the Ba- Under 2019 tournament rules, as before, Group FaceTime and augmented reality,” in English and French and will be available later this tricky words like “kentledge” but the word “oyez,” a call given by a hamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, if no single winner emerges in said Apple vice president of product marketing year in Britain and Australia, the company said. a few striking out on stumpers court offi cer to command silence Japan and South Korea. the fi nal round, the top prize may Greg Joswiak. Separately, the company said it was launching a like “horripilation.”. and attention. “I’m just so proud of him,” said be split by co-winners, which “The ultra-thin and lightweight design of iPod new game subscription service called Apple Arcade Some 562 youngsters age 7 “I don’t really care about the his mother, Suzette Krause, 50, has occurred six times in its his- touch has always made it ideal for enjoying games, later this year with at least 100 titles at launch. to 15 faced off at the start of the money. I just enjoy the words fi ghting back tears. “It’s hard as a tory, or even tri-winners, which music and so much more wherever you go.” “iOS is the world’s largest gaming platform, and tournament that off ers a $50,000 and being onstage and hang- mama. I don’t want to make him has never happened, said bee The iPod touch evolved from the original iPod with three times faster graphics, games on the new cash jackpot. ing out with the spellers,” she hate spelling.” spokeswoman Valerie Miller. digital music player first launched by Apple in 2007. iPod touch run even smoother and look even more The competition concludes said. The event takes place at the Co-champs would split a total The iPod touch became popular with people, par- beautiful,” Apple said in a release. tomorrow with an ESPN tel- Brody Krause, 10, of Thornton, Gaylord National Resort and of the $50,000 fi rst-place prize ticularly parents of Internet-coveting children, who The first new iPod since the year 2015 comes as ecast. Colorado, didn’t fare as well, de- Convention Center in Oxon Hill, plus the $25,000 second-place wanted mobile devices for getting online without Apple shifts to emphasise digital content and other “My brain is dripping out my parting the stage after misspell- Maryland. prize. the cost of telecommunications services. services to off set a pullback in the once-sizzling ears,” said Erin Howard, 14, of ing “parochialism.” The Unabridged Online ver- Tri-champs would split a to- The mobile devices can connect to the Internet smartphone market, and with many news organisa- Huntsville, Alabama, who has “I’m extremely disappoint- sion of the Merriam-Webster tal of $75,000 plus the $15,000 using Wi-Fi hotspots. tions struggling to monetise their online services. been studying for roughly 25 ed,” said Krause, competing for Dictionary is the offi cial source third-place prize, Miller said. Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 ASIA Bangladesh on alert after Three killed in Thailand second IS-claimed blast violence AFP ing three personnel on board. Bangladesh to charge 16 over murder of teenager burned to death Dhaka Bangladesh police rejected the AFP who was shot dead as authori- claim, saying the explosion was Bangladesh is to charge 16 and mass demonstrations The head of Bangladesh Mahila Pattani ties surrounded his house, still being investigated. people over the murder of a calling for her killers to face Parishad, a women’s rights Thanawee said. angladesh authorities have “No connection of IS has been teenager burned to death last punishment. Prime Minister organisation, said more needed The 37-year-old suspect, put the police force on na- found in the incident,” national month, police said yesterday, Sheikh Hasina met Jahan’s to be done to ensure the safety wo people, including a named as Abdulloh Lateh, was Btionwide alert after the police spokesman Sohel Rana in the latest case to highlight family to assure them the killers of women in Bangladesh. 14-year-old boy, were “head of operations” in the Islamic State group claimed re- said. the treatment of women in the would not be spared. A study conducted by the group Tkilled in a market place Yaha district. sponsibility for a second explo- He said following the blast “all country. The head of the Police Bureau of found that about 950 women were bombing in Thailand’s Mus- The highly secretive rebels, sion targeting security forces in units of Bangladesh police have Nusrat Jahan was 18 when her Investigation said the men and abused in Bangladesh last year. lim-majority south, a military who are pushing for autono- less than a month. been asked to take necessary killers poured kerosene over her women arrested in connection “Justice has to be ensured,” said spokesman said yesterday - an my from Thailand, operate in The Sunday night blast in cautionary measures”. and set her on fire on the roof of with her murder would all be the group’s general secretary apparent retaliatory attack for small village cells, with their Dhaka’s Malibagh neighbour- Last month, IS jihadists said her school after she refused to charged today, with prosecutors Maleka Banu. “(But) just the killing of a wanted rebel senior leaders based overseas hood, just outside the head- they “detonated an explosive withdraw a sexual harassment seeking the death penalty for ensuring that the Nusrat case leader. far from the reach of Thai au- quarters of the police’s Special device” aimed at a group of po- complaint against the head all 16. is taken care of is not enough. Thailand’s three southern- thorities. Branch, left two people injured, lice, the SITE Intelligence Group teacher. “We will be submitting the We need to do a lot more to most provinces, Yala, Pat- The grinding confl ict is including a female offi cer. reported. It was the fi rst IS- She died in hospital five days charge-sheet on Wednesday,” make the situation better for tani and Narathiwat, have characterised by tit-for-tat Dhaka Police Commissioner claimed attack in Bangladesh in later, sparking public outrage Banaj Kumar Majumdar said. Bangladeshi women.” (AFP) since 2004 been plagued attacks that usually target Asaduzzaman Mia told report- more than two years. with confl ict between ethnic symbols of the Thai state and ers yesterday it was a power- According to the US-based Malay-Muslim rebels and the its security forces but civilians ful bomb, and that it had been SITE, which monitors jihad- Police said six people died after attacks in July 2016, when groups have been killed. Hun- Buddhist-majority Thai state, from both Muslim and Bud- planted in a police pick-up van. ist activity, the brief IS state- in those blasts as commandos IS-inspired militants stormed dreds of suspects have been which annexed the region dhist communities often get Islamic State claimed respon- ment said that blast wounded stormed an Islamist hideout. The a Dhaka cafe killing 22 people, detained. around a century ago. caught in the crossfi re. sibility, with its propaganda three police on a road to Dhaka’s government at the time rejected including 18 foreigners. The South Asian nation has Around 7,000 people, The region usually sees an wing Amaq saying the IS mili- Gulistan market. IS claim and blamed a banned Since then, security forces also boosted security since the mostly civilians, have been uptick in violence during the tants targeted the police vehicle IS also said it detonated ex- homegrown organisation. have staged nationwide raids April 21 Easter Sunday bombings killed in violence that rarely Muslim holy month of Ram- with an “explosive device”, de- plosives in the northeastern city Bangladesh launched a crack- in which, they say, nearly 100 in Sri Lanka, which were carried makes international head- adan, which ends next week. stroying the vehicle and wound- of Sylhet in March 2017. down on Islamist extremism members of two extremist out by jihadists affi liated to IS. lines despite taking place a Monday’s violence came a few hours south of some of day after another bomb attack Thailand’s tourist hotspots. in Songkhla province killed a On Monday afternoon, the police offi cer at a checkpoint, insurgents detonated a mo- wounding three others. torcycle bomb at a crowded Video footage of Sunday’s Nasheed market place in Nong Chik, attack showed a plume of Pattani province, killing two thick smoke as the blast went Everest ‘traffi c jam’ survivor off , leaving a police offi cer’s civilians. tipped “A 14-year-old boy and a body lying in the middle of the 38-year-old woman died,” road. Colonel Thanawee Suwan- Thailand’s junta leader as new nathat, spokesman for the Prayut Chan-o-cha - who is calls for tougher rules expected to return as a civilian southern army, said. By Ashok Dahal and Paavan world’s highest mountain have Four military rangers were prime minister in the coming Maldives Mathema, AFP been blamed on overcrowding wounded in the blast. days – condemned the latest Kathmandu with teams waiting sometimes The bombing appeared to be attacks as “inhuman”. for hours in the “death zone” in “retaliation” for the death Peace talks have been in- speaker where the cold is bitter, the of a fugitive suspected rebel conclusive despite an intensi- meesha Chauhan, a air dangerously thin and the leader in neighbouring Yala fi cation of army operations in AFP survivor of the Ever- terrain treacherous. province earlier in the day, the border zone with Malaysia. Colombo Aest “traffi c jam” who This year’s Everest toll is the is in hospital recovering from highest since 2014-15 when frostbite, said climbers with- huge earthquakes triggered ormer Maldives presi- out basic skills should be barred devastating avalanches. dent Mohamed Nasheed to prevent a recurrence of this The crowding was laid bare in Fhas been nominated as the year’s deadly season on the a photo taken last week by Nir- Cambodia confi scates, country’s parliamentary speaker world’s highest peak. mal Purja, a former Gurkha sol- and was set to be sworn yester- Eleven people have died in dier, of a long queue of climbers day, a party offi cial said. little more than two weeks after snaking up to the summit. releases 88kg of snakes Nasheed was unanimously cho- poor weather cut the climbing The photo by the head of the sen to head the People’s Majlis, or window, leaving mountaineers Project Possible charity aiming the parliament, by his Maldivian waiting in long queues to the to climb the fourteen 8,000m- DPA a contract agreeing not to traf- Democratic Party (MDP) which won summit, risking exhaustion and plus peaks in the world in seven Phnom Penh fi c wildlife again. a near three quarter majority in the running out of oxygen. months has gone viral from his They told offi cials that they 87-member assembly in April. Nepal issued a record 381 @nimsdai Twitter handle and did not know what was in the “He is unanimously chosen as Everest permits this season, highlighted the dangers amidst Indian Everest climber Ameesha Chauhan dips her fingers in a ambodian authorities boxes when they picked them the speaker,” a party offi cial said. and several hundred of the the mania to climb Everest. warm solution at a hospital in Kathmandu yesterday. have released some up, Chea Bundy, head of the “He will be sworn in at the inau- summiteers are not properly “Many climbers’ oxygen was C88kg of snakes back Sampov Meas Forestry Ad- gural session of the new parliament trained, take poor decisions running out,” Chauhan said. made the fi rst ascent of Ever- Another Austrian and an into their natural habitat af- ministration in Pursat City, elected at the historic April vote.” and “put their own life in risk “Some climbers died due to est in 1953, with the mountain Irish climber died on the ter seizing the reptiles from a told the Post. Nasheed - who until six and also the Sherpa guides”, their own negligence. They in- becoming a favourite “bucket northern Tibet side. couple accused of illegal wild- “They were allowed free months ago was still in exile - has Chauhan said. sisted on reaching the top even list” feat. One of the Indians who died life traffi cking, local media re- because the snakes found are vowed to use his party’s thump- The 29-year-old Indian if their oxygen is running out, Nepal’s permits this season on the Nepal side, 27-year-old ported yesterday. not a rare species, and the ing mandate to usher in a new era had to wait 20 minutes to which risks their life,” she said. cost $11,000 each, providing Nihal Bagwan, had to wait for A 43-year-old woman and couple provided important of stability and democracy in the come down from the 8,848m Another climber, the “ad- the impoverished Himalayan more than 12 hours and died on her husband, 47, were de- information about who they Maldives. (29,029ft) peak, but others were venture fi lmmaker” Elia Saika- country with much-needed his way back from the summit. tained for several hours after got the snakes from,” Bundy The MDP’s closest rivals, the Jam- held up for hours. ly, posted on Instagram on foreign currency. Donald Lynn Cash, 55, col- authorities in Pursat province said. hooree Party and Progressive Party “I saw some climbers without Sunday that he had reached the At least 140 others were lapsed at the summit as he found boxes containing three “Authorities will investigate of the Maldives, both won fi ve seats. basic skills fully relying on their summit of Everest and “cannot granted permits to climb from was taking photographs, while species of snakes stashed in and take action according to Two minor parties and independents Sherpa guides. The government believe what I saw up there”. the northern fl ank in Tibet. Anjali Kulkarni, also 55, died their vehicle, the Phnom Penh the law,” he added. secured 12 seats among them. should fi x the qualifi cation cri- “Death. Carnage. Chaos. Although fi nal numbers are while descending after reaching Post reported. The snakes were set free into The Maldives, a holiday destina- teria,” she told AFP in Kathman- Lineups. Dead bodies on the yet to be released with the sea- the top. Authorities had received a community forest in Pursat tion popular with honeymooners, du’s general hospital, all the toes route and in tents at camp 4. son set to wrap up this week, Kulkarni’s expedition or- reports from forestry admin- province, located in western is only just emerging from years on her left foot black and blue People who I tried to turn back this could take the total past ganiser, Arun Treks, said heavy istration offi cials in the north- Cambodia and bordering Bat- of strongman rule, political crises and her face weather-worn. who ended up dying. People last year’s record of 807 people traffi c at the summit had de- western province of Battam- tambang and Thailand. and corruption scandals miring the “Only trained climbers being dragged down. Walking reaching the summit. layed her descent and caused bang on Sunday that a truck Under Cambodia’s 2003 government and judiciary. should be granted the permit to over bodies,” Saikaly wrote. The dead included four the tragedy. would be smuggling wildlife forestry law, transport- Nasheed’s comprehensive vic- climb Everest.” “Everything you read in the climbers from India and one “She had to wait for a long from Battambang to the capi- ing, trading, processing or tory was another rebuke for his rival As well as the Everest deaths, sensational headlines all played each from the United States, time to reach the summit and tal Phnom Penh, according to importing common spe- Abdulla Yameen, who was dumped nine climbers have died on oth- out on our summit night.” Britain and Nepal. An Irish descend,” said Thupden Sher- the Post. cies without a permit car- as president in a shock election de- er 8,000m Himalayan peaks, Mountaineering has become mountaineer is presumed dead pa. “She couldn’t move down The couple and their ries a fi ne of two to three feat in September under a cloud of while one is missing. big business since Edmund after he slipped and fell close to on her own and died as Sherpa 6-year-old daughter were re- times the market value of the corruption allegations. At least four deaths on the Hillary and Tenzing Norgay the summit. guides brought her down.” leased after the parents signed confi scated evidence.

Thai queen mother World Milk Day observed recovers, returns Vietnam man jailed for to palace Sirikit, the queen mother of Thailand, has returned to plotting terror attack her palace in Bangkok after recovering from illness, the Royal Household Bureau said yesterday. AFP A court on Monday sen- It added Binh asked for The announcement came a Hanoi tenced him to one year in jail leniency in court before his month and a half after the palace for allegedly planning an at- sentence was announced. said the 86-year-old was admitted tack and another fi ve years for Weapons are not widely to hospital after developing a Vietnamese man has weapons possession, accord- available in Vietnam and vio- fever from a bladder infection. been sentenced to six ing to a court clerk and state lent terror-related attacks are Sirikit was married to King Ayears in jail for terror- media. extremely rare. Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in ism and weapons possession “Binh used Facebook to Seven people were arrested 2016 after seven decades on the after he was convicted for share and popularise the use last year, including three on throne, and is the mother of King smuggling a cache of guns of weapons and violence terrorism charges, for bomb- Maha Vajiralongkorn. into the country from Cam- against the state,” according ing a police station in Ho Chi She has suff ered from numerous bodia, a court offi cial said to a report from Bao Ve Phap Minh City just days after ailments and has rarely appeared yesterday. Luat, the offi cial mouthpiece widespread economic pro- in public in recent years. Terror-related crimes are of the national procuracy tests rocked the country. Due to her illness, the queen dowager rare in the one-party com- offi ce. The demonstrators op- missed her 66-year-old son’s elaborate munist state, where a hard- The report said Binh was posed a draft law for special coronation earlier this month, the line administration in charge disgruntled because his fam- economic zones that some country’s first coronation since her since 2016 has waged a ily was relocated from their feared would be taken over husband’s nearly 70 years ago. crackdown on critics, jailing land in south-central Quy by Chinese investors, though The most recent photographs of dozens last year alone. Nhon city and were unfairly Beijing was not named in the her were released by the palace Le Quoc Binh was arrested compensated. proposal. on her birthday last August. in August ahead of Vietnam’s The offi cial Vietnam News In 2017, 15 people were She was in a wheelchair and national day in central Binh Agency said Binh travelled to jailed for a foiled petrol bomb accompanied by her children. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha greets schoolchildren during an event to promote Dinh province carrying seven Cambodia several times be- attack at Ho Chi Minh’s main Sirikit is revered as the nation’s mother World Milk Day at Government House in Bangkok yesterday. rifl es and 500 bullets that he tween June and August 2018 airport, the busiest in the figure and her birthday is celebrated smuggled in from Cambodia. to procure weapons. country. as Thailand’s Mother’s Day. (DPA) Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 13 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA Trump touts US military power in Pacifi c after Japan emperor visit

AFP this side of the Pacifi c”. clear weapons — so far with only ment” in the region and confi rmed tournament. But the main goal was went to see Naruhito at his pal- tails on how it went. Although the Tokyo The US military has no inten- modest results. Trump told the that the Kaga was being converted to celebrate the countries’ alliance ace Monday morning and then whole Japan trip was designed to tion of losing its paramount status sailors, marines and other per- to take not only helicopters but and, from Japan’s point of view, to again in the evening for a banquet be a feelgood display, there was an in the world, Trump said, insist- sonnel that they were “confront- also fi ghter planes. Trump said charm Trump ahead of tricky ne- featuring six courses, including awkward moment Monday when resident Donald Trump ing it will “forever remain second ing this region’s pressing security the Kaga will carry a version of gotiations on the muscular US de- Trump’s favourite — beef — and Trump fl atly contradicted Abe yesterday used the back- to none”. challenges with unmatched cour- the advanced F-35 stealth fi ghter, mand for more market access. a dessert described as Glace Mont and some of his own advisers on Pdrop of a US naval ship in “We have equipment, missiles, age.” “You know what we’re talk- which Japan is buying in larger That seemed to work, with Fuji. The emperor and Trump North Korea. Japan to tout America’s “fear- rockets, tanks, planes, ships — no ing about,” he said. numbers than any other US ally. Trump signalling there will be no both made toasts praising their Trump insisted that he does some” power in the Pacifi c, wrap- one in the entire world can build Trump said US naval forces “With this extraordinary new move on trade until after an up- countries’ friendship. The US not consider recent North Korean ping up a visit where he became them like we do. It’s not even “proudly patrol” the region’s wa- equipment, the JS Kaga will help per house election here in July. president even sprinkled a few short-range missile tests to have the fi rst foreign guest of Japan’s close,” he said. ters, name-checking fl ashpoint our nations defend against a range The highlight was the meeting Japanese words into his address, violated UN resolutions, or even new emperor. The address to the cheering areas, like the South China Sea, of complex threats in the region with Naruhito, who took over the referencing ancient Japanese po- to pose a particular threat. Addressing more than 800 uni- military marked Memorial Day, where tensions are high over Chi- and far beyond,” Trump added. Chrysanthemum Throne only etry. “My people think it could have formed service members in the the US holiday honouring the war nese naval expansion. There was little real substance three weeks ago, after his father Trump and the fi rst lady said been a violation ... I view it as a belly of the USS Wasp, an am- dead, but it was also clearly aimed Earlier, Trump visited Japanese in Trump’s visit to Japan, which stepped down in the fi rst abdica- goodbye to the Japanese royal man who perhaps wants to get at- phibious assault ship at the Yoko- at growing rival China and North helicopter carrier JS Kaga with started Saturday and included a tion for two centuries. couple on Tuesday before leav- tention,” Trump said of North Ko- suka US naval base, Trump said Korea, where Trump has invested Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. golf game with Abe and presenta- Other world leaders will have ing Tokyo. The White House only rean leader Kim Jong-un, whom they were part of “the most fear- heavy diplomatic eff orts to try Abe talked about the “increas- tion by the American president to wait until larger-scale celebra- described this as a “farewell call”, he once more praised, calling him some group of American warriors and get the regime to give up nu- ingly severe security environ- of a huge trophy at a Tokyo sumo tions in October. The Trumps and there were no immediate de- “very smart”. Two dead, several hurt in Japan mass stabbing

AFP Kawasaki, Japan

wo people, including a schoolgirl, were stabbed Tto death and more than a dozen injured in Japan yesterday in a rampage that targeted chil- dren as they waited for a bus. The attacker, a man in his 50s who has not yet been identifi ed, crept silently up behind a group of children at the bus stop and slashed randomly at them before fatally stabbing himself in the neck. Police said an 11-year-old schoolgirl named Hanako Kuribayashi and a 39-year-old parent, identifi ed as govern- ment offi cial Satoshi Oyama, died in the attack, which shocked a country where violent crime is rare. Seventeen more people, mainly young children, were in- jured, according to authorities who had previously given the A woman pays respects at a memorial site for victims in Kawasaki. schoolgirl’s age as 12. Koji Shimazu of the St Mari- anna University School of Medi- cine, told AFP that one woman in her 40s and three schoolgirls had to undergo surgery for knife A student accompanied by her mother enters at a school whose students were victims of a mass stabbing in Kawasaki, Japan. wounds to the head and neck. “It is a very harrowing case. I or six girls, maybe they were the Teiko Naito, principal of the injured recover quickly... The tending the Caritas school lined feel strong anger,” Japan’s Prime ones who screamed... There was school’s elementary section, students now have deep pain in up for the bus at the site every Minister Shinzo Abe said in blood all over them.” said in an emotional, televised their soul. We will do our best to day. “If you live in this neigh- televised remarks. “I off er my The attack occurred during the news conference: “A man car- off er mental healthcare,” Saito bourhood, everybody knows heartfelt condolences to the vic- busy early morning commute as rying knives in his both hands said. that these kids are there,” the tims and hope the injured recover workers headed to their offi ces and came from a convenience store The bloodshed came as Donald 66-year-old told AFP. “I’ve been quickly.” children to school. Fire depart- and slashed children in the queue Trump wrapped up a state visit to in this area for a long time, I can- A local man living nearby, ment offi cials said they received one-by-one.” Japan, and the US president of- not believe that somebody tar- who identifi ed himself as Mat- the fi rst emergency calls shortly Assistant principal Satoru fered his “prayers and sympathy” geted this bus and targeted these sumoto, 25, said he went outside before 8am on Monday. The scene Shitori, who was on the scene, to the victims as he met troops small children.” after hearing screams. “It’s hard of the attack was still swarming said the attacker crept silently outside Tokyo. Standing aboard Violent crime is extremely Forensic police investigate the crime scene in Kawasaki. to describe what it was like, how with emergency personnel hours up behind the children before a Japanese military ship, he said rare in Japan, and children of- it sounded. It wasn’t girls having later, with three police vans parked launching his attack. that “all Americans stand with ten travel to and from schools a man was arrested in central rail service. And in 2016, a man fun, it was a sound that was ab- around the spot to block it from The director of Caritas the people of Japan and grieve for alone. The country has famous- Japan after stabbing one per- stabbed 19 people to death at a solutely not normal,” he told AFP. view. Emergency workers set up Gakuen, Teturo Saito, said 18 of the victims and for their fami- ly strict gun control regulations son to death and injuring two disability centre south of Tokyo “I saw a man lying on the street. an orange medical tent to treat the her pupils were involved. “The lies”. and gun crime is unusual, but others aboard a bullet train, an in what he described as a mis- I also saw a girl hunched over on wounded, and ambulances and fi re grief is very great. I sincerely pray A local resident, who declined there have been a few high-pro- attack that prompted new se- sion to rid the world of people the ground. There were also fi ve engines were parked nearby. for those who died and hope the to give his name, said children at- file stabbing attacks. In 2018, curity measures on the famed with mental illness.

Sydney imposes first water restrictions in decade Indonesian

Sydney yesterday announced its from next week. “Regional NSW hose running or using a sprinkler plotters aimed first major water restrictions in a has been experiencing a record system to water their gardens. Taiwan fi ghters land on highway to kill four top decade, putting limits on homes drought,” the southeastern state’s Australia sweated through its and businesses amid a record- minister for water Melinda Pavey hottest-ever summer from last security off icials, breaking drought. said in a statement. “Water December to February. The for Chinese ‘invasion’ war games say police The New South Wales govern- restrictions in Sydney mean that country’s water management was ment said the greater Sydney households across NSW are doing a hot-button issue in the recent region water catchments were their bit to conserve water. election following mass fish kills in AFP This week highway strips would be our Unidentified plotters linked to experiencing some of the lowest People in Sydney can be fined the Murray-Darling River system, Changhua priority choice if the runways recent violent protests against flows since the 1940s, and that up to A$220 (US$150) or busi- which authorities blamed on low Taiwan’s 23mn are damaged during a war,” Indonesia’s president planned to the restrictions would be enforced nesses up to A$550 for leaving a water flow and oxygen levels. inhabitants have air force Colonel Shu Kuo- kill at least four of the country’s aiwan displayed how mao told reporters. most senior security officials, its fighter jets can witnessed stark Inspecting the drill yester- police said yesterday. Tland, refuel and rearm reminders of the day, President Tsai referred Police announced on Monday on the island’s highways yes- to the marked uptick in Chi- they had arrested six people French aircraft carrier in Singapore terday as part of its largest military threats nese naval and airforce pa- suspected of plotting to assas- annual exercise simulating they face trols in recent months which sinate four officials during chaos defence against a Chinese have rattled nerves. surrounding protests against invasion. The self-ruled is- The following day 1,600 “They have caused a cer- the confirmation last week of land has long lived under the soldiers were mobilised in tain degree of threat to re- President Joko Widodo’s election threat of invasion by Beijing central Taiwan as aircraft gional peace and stability. We victory. which views Taiwan as part practised landing on a closed should maintain high vigi- National police chief Tito of its territory and has vowed highway for the annual “Han lance,” she said. Karnavian yesterday revealed to take it back by force if nec- Kuang” (Han Glory) war The manoeuvres in Taiwan the identity of the four allegedly essary. games. come after the US, Japan, targeted for assassination: the Chinese military and dip- Three jet fighters as well South Korea and Australia chief security minister, head of lomatic pressure has been as an early warning aircraft kicked off operation “Pa- the intelligence agency, chief significantly ramped up since also practised refuelling and cific Vanguard” near Guam, maritime minister and a special the 2016 election of President loading missiles and other bringing together more than presidential security adviser. Tsai Ing-wen, whose govern- ammunition before taking off 3,000 sailors from the four Karnavian declined to reveal ment refuses to acknowledge again. countries last week. Beijing more details of the plot, or say that the self-ruled island is Taiwan would be massively has also been angered by who was suspected of being part of “one China”. outgunned in terms of troop warming relations between behind it. This week Taiwan’s 23mn numbers and firepower in any Taipei and Washington since “We are still looking into who inhabitants have witnessed war with China but it has de- Tsai came to power. masterminded the plot and soon stark reminders of the mili- veloped sophisticated asym- On Monday, Beijing react- we will prosecute them,” Karna- tary threats they face. On metric tactics to hold out for ed frostily to photos show- vian told a joint news conference Monday, the streets were as long as possible and make ing a rare meeting between with one of the targets — chief briefly deserted as authori- any invasion of the island uniformed Taiwanese offic- security minister Wiranto. ties carried out an annual hugely costly for Beijing. ers and their US counterparts Last week, eight people were missile drill across the is- “There are only a few mili- earlier this month. killed and more than 900 hurt Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas, French ambassador to Singapore Marc Abensour and Captain land’s north, with text mes- tary air bases which would Last week, China lodged in two nights of clashes between Marc-Antoine de St Germain are pictured during a tour of the French Navy’s aircraft carrier sages sent to every mobile become the prime targets in a protest with Washington supporters of defeated presiden- Charles de Gaulle at Changi Naval Base in Singapore, yesterday. phone and air raid sirens the event of an attack. The after two US warships sailed tial candidate Prabowo Subianto wailing. highway drill is necessary as through the Taiwan Strait. and security forces. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 BRITAIN Labour expels Alastair Campbell from party

Guardian News and Media as he felt it had happened on the I won’t be doing media on this. Jeremy Corbyn last year. the rules in all sorts of different They cannot bring our country didate, is ineligible to be or London day the Labour leadership ap- But hard not to point out dif- The former Downing Street ways, but one thing I know is together or be trusted to deliver remain a party member and is peared to be moving in the direc- ference in the way antisemitism director of communications also I’m not going to leave the party on their promises. They propped therefore automatically exclud- tion of supporting another Brexit cases have been handled.” drew attention to Blair’s decision just because some random e- up the Tories for fi ve years and ed from membership. lastair Campbell, the poll because of the exodus of Re- Campbell said there were to allow Corbyn to stay in the mail comes in telling me that imposed the austerity that has Michael Heseltine, the Con- former communications mainers from the party. plenty of previous cases where Labour party in an era when the I’ve been expelled,” he said. devastated our communities. servative former deputy prime Achief to Tony Blair, has Campbell said that after tak- members had voted for other prime minister was being pres- “So I will definitely appeal “Labour will do things very minister, was suspended from been expelled from the Labour ing advice from a lawyer he parties and causes, and some sured to withdraw the whip from against it and we will see where differently, and ensure our so- his party recently for saying party for saying he voted for the would appeal against the deci- were now senior party staff rebellious leftwingers. that goes.” A Labour party ciety is run for the benefit of the he would vote for the Liberal Liberal Democrats in the Euro- sion. members. He appeared to be Later yesterday, speak- spokeswoman said Camp- many, not just a privileged few.” Democrats in the European pean elections because of their “I am and always will be La- alluding to Andrew Murray, ing outside his home in north bell had been expelled because Labour’s rulebook says that elections. Andrew Cooper, the support for a second Brexit ref- bour,” he said in a series of who spent much of his life as London, Campbell said he had “support for another political any party member who sup- founder of the polling firm erendum. tweets. “I voted LibDem, without a member of the Communist voted in the “best interests” of party or candidate is incompat- ports a political organisation Populus and David Cameron’s The People’s Vote campaigner advance publicity, to try to per- party before joining Labour in the Labour party by supporting ible with party membership”. other than Labour or supports director of strategy in Downing said he was “sad and disappoint- suade Labour to do right thing for 2016 and entering the leader’s the LibDems at the European She said: “The LibDems can- any candidate who stands Street, was also suspended by ed” at his expulsion, especially country/party. In light of appeal, office as a part-time adviser to elections. “You can interpret not and will not end austerity. against an official Labour can- the Tories for the same reason. Tory leadership candidates agree to debate on BBC TV

Guardian News and Media Malthouse, a former deputy London mayor to Boris Johnson, was also a surprise addition to the race, having decided he was the man to he Conservative leadership deliver the so-called “Malthouse hopefuls have agreed to compromise” on Brexit, which was Ttake part in a televised de- named after him. The compromise bate on the BBC to test their views – replacing the Irish backstop on Brexit and other policies, as an with alternative arrangements, or 11th candidate to succeed Theresa negotiating a longer-term transi- May entered the race. tion to a no-deal exit – has been The event, hosted by Emily Mait- backed by Conservative Leavers lis, will take place in mid-June fea- and Remainers but was rejected as turing all the candidates left in the unworkable by Downing Street. race at that point: likely to include He raised eyebrows yesterday Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Jer- by suggesting the government emy Hunt and Michael Gove. could buy up lamb chops to feed to The Tory contest will formally school children in the event of a no start on June 10 but all except for deal Brexit. the leading four to six candidates Malthouse told LBC: “Some- are expected to drop out after the thing like 80,000 tonnes of sheep Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to the press as she arrives for a European Union summit at EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday. fi rst couple of rounds of voting by meat is exported every year. Now if Conservative MPs. we go out with no deal, they think A second event, in a BBC Ques- that will be signifi cantly aff ected, so tion Time format, will give the what do we say to them? Do we say, leading two candidates the chance look, what can we do to make sure to submit themselves to audience that the lamb makes it on to British questions. It will be hosted by dining room tables, that probably Fiona Bruce during the fi nal phase equates to four to fi ve lamb chops of the process in which Conserva- per person per year – could we use it No-deal Brexit ‘political tive members will pick who should in hospitals and in schools or could lead the party out of the fi nal we compensate farmers for the dis- shortlist of two. ruption this would cause?” The same two candidates will The pair join Johnson, Dominic subsequently be interviewed by Raab, Michael Gove, Andrea Lead- the political journalist Andrew som, Esther McVey, Jeremy Hunt, Neil in separate standalone pro- Sajid Javid, Matt Hancock and suicide’, warns Hunt grammes. Rory Stewart in a crowded fi eld of Fran Unsworth, the director of candidates. AFP The pro-EU Liberal Democrats rably to a general election is of- She said the elections had been Raab launched his campaign BBC News and Current Aff airs, Others who may yet declare London came second, with the opposi- fering a prospectus for disaster,” “deeply disappointing” for the website and a “fairness” agenda, said: “The decision being made include the hardline Eurosceptic tion Labour Party third and the he wrote. Conservatives and showed her including seeking “a fairer deal by Conservative party members Steve Baker, Stephen Barclay, the Conservatives back in fi fth place. “Trying to deliver no deal eventual successor the impor- from the EU as we leave”. will profoundly aff ect us all, so it Brexit secretary, Penny Mordaunt, oreign Secretary Jeremy “The results contain a sim- through a general election is not tance of “actually delivering on May will step down as Con- feels right that BBC audiences get the defence secretary, the Treas- Hunt yesterday said the ple message which we ignore at a solution. It is political suicide.” Brexit”. servative leader on June 7 and a chance to see the candidates de- ury minister Jesse Norman, Priti Fgoverning Conservative our peril: if we attempt a general Rival leadership candidates, As the leadership race got un- stay on as prime minister until bate with each other, and that we Patel, the development secretary, Party would be committing “po- election before we have delivered including former foreign secre- derway, the contenders began her successor is chosen — a proc- scrutinise the various policy pro- and Graham Brady, until recently litical suicide” if it tried to force Brexit we will be annihilated,” tary Boris Johnson and former setting out their stall with policy ess that should be concluded by posals they will be standing on.” the chair of the 1922 Committee. through a no-deal Brexit. Hunt wrote in The Daily Tel- Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, announcements. July 20. Before this Friday’s deadline for It comes as No 10 confi rmed Hunt, who is among the 10 egraph newspaper. have said Britain must be pre- Environment Secretary Housing Minister Kit Malt- applications, an 11th candidate, that Theresa May had promised declared candidates vying to re- Hunt said any prime minister pared to leave the EU without a Michael Gove said he would of- house is the latest candidate to James Cleverly, was preparing to the EU that the UK would not seek place the outgoing Theresa May who promised to leave the Eu- deal. fer free British citizenship to 3mn enter the leadership race. He announce he had joined the race to reopen the withdrawal agree- as prime minister, said trying to ropean Union by a specifi c date, Britain is due to leave the bloc EU nationals who resided in Brit- headed up the so-called Malt- for the party leadership. ment, as a condition of its exten- take the UK out of the EU with- without the time to renegotiate on October 31, while the next ain at the time of the June 2016 house Compromise — a plan by Cleverly, a junior Brexit minis- sion of Article 50, until the end of out a deal would trigger a general and pass a new deal, would ef- general election is not due until referendum. pro- and anti-Brexit Conserva- ter and former deputy chairman, October. The promise, written into election in which the Conserva- fectively be committing to a gen- 2022. “It’s the right thing to do. As tive MPs intended to fi nd a way is expected to formally make his the Article 50 extension, under- tives risked “extinction”. The eral election because parliament Entering a post-elections EU PM I will guarantee EU nationals’ through the impasse and get a announcement today, but a grass- mines the pledges of Conserva- newly-formed Brexit Party led by would bring down the govern- summit in Brussels yesterday, rights and waive the fee for Brit- divorce deal with Brussels. roots website called “Let’s All Win tive leadership candidates to se- Nigel Farage topped last week’s ment. May told reporters: “The best ish citizenship. I’m ready to unite “We need to end the Brexit with James Cleverly” has appeared cure a renegotiation in the coming European Parliament elections in “Any candidate for prime min- option for the UK is to leave the the country and ready to lead us paralysis,” he wrote in The Sun before that event. months. Britain. ister whose strategy leads inexo- EU with a deal.” out of the EU,” he said on Twitter. newspaper.

UK refuses to back global In the running Ex-Tesco boss backs resolution on drug pricing Liverpool arts school Guardian News and Media will be used to open an LMA London school in London as well as fi ve Guardian News and Media passed yesterday morning. UN and WTO in Geneva, said: international campuses. London While they stopped short of “The issues, structures and eco- LMA’s founders, Richard and forcing a vote, the UK, Germany nomic principles of improving he former Tesco chief ex- Simon Wallace, will continue to and Hungary have disassociated access to medicines are complex ecutive Sir Terry Leahy has hold a majority stake in the busi- he government has re- themselves from the resolution, and multi-dimensional. The Tmade a multimillion-pound ness. “I’m absolutely thrilled fused to sign up to a glo- which had already been watered UK has been keen to ensure that investment in the performing arts to be part of LMA,” said Leahy. Tbal resolution on greater down. where preferential and diff er- school behind the LMA Choir, “I’m looking forward to working transparency for drug pricing. “WHA resolutions are nor- ential pricing is working well in which featured on last year’s series closely with the team to help take The resolution urges govern- mally approved by consensus,” lower income countries, new ap- of ITV’s The X Factor, to fund its LMA into its next chapter.” ments and others buying health said Elaine Ruth Fletcher, man- proaches to transparency do not international expansion. During his time at Tesco, products to share information on aging editor of the Geneva-based threaten these. Leahy, who is reportedly worth Leahy masterminded the re- actual prices paid, and pushes for Health Policy Watch. “It is rare “We believe that more time more than £70mn, has come on tailer’s disastrous expansion into greater transparency on patents, that delegates resort to disasso- should have been allowed to en- board to help LMA, the Liver- the US and China, prompting his clinical trial results and other ciation.” able all involved to carefully con- pool-based media, music and predecessor, Lord MacLaurin, to factors aff ecting pricing from Aff ordability of medicines sider the potentially far-reaching performing arts school, “develop say he had “lost the plot” in his laboratories to patients. is an issue aff ecting countries implications of the resolution and promote the brand globally”. later years running the business. The aim is to gather evi- worldwide. The UK is involved and to consult stakeholders ap- The 63-year-old, who amassed WCG has previously backed dence on whether openness in a standoff over the price of propriately. an £18mn pension during his 14- ventures including the online re- reduces costs and to help the cystic fi brosis drug Orkambi. “… For (this reason), the UK is year tenure running Tesco until tailer Asos, the Hut Group and the countries negotiate more af- South Africa and Thailand have left with no option but to disas- 2011, has taken a 20% stake in the e-commerce technology com- fordable prices. seen protests over access to can- sociate ourselves with this reso- business. LMA was propelled into pany MetaPack. “It’s clear to see The resolution – considered cer drugs. lution.” the spotlight when a group of its that LMA has a bright future and “game-changing” by campaign- Sixty-six NGOs working in Alex Norris, shadow minister students, the LMA Choir, made is on track for a fantastic period of ers for disclosure of medicines sub-Saharan Africa wrote to the for international development, it through to the live shows stage growth,” said Bill Currie, founder prices – was discussed over the UK government last week calling said: “I am appalled that the gov- of last year’s X Factor with Robbie of WCG. “I’m confi dent that, past week at the World Health on them to support the resolu- ernment failed to support meas- Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Aff airs Williams as their mentor. with the right support and growth Assembly (WHA). Agreement tion. ures that would lower the price Michael Gove, who is running to succeed May as prime The funding from Leahy, strategy, LMA’s students will was fi nally reached late on Julian Braithwaite, the UK’s of medicines at this week’s World minister, returns to his home in London yesterday. alongside the investment fi rm have an unrivalled platform from Monday evening and formally permanent representative to the Health Assembly.” William Currie Group (WCG), which to launch their career.” Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 15 BRITAIN/IRELAND

Prisoners to get more work opportunities as govt eases rules

Guardian News and Media nounced that inmates at open after a review by the then justice being late. So it’s not about seri- had the opportunity to go to could be considered at an ear- ployment strategy last year. The London or women’s prisons would be secretary, Christopher Grayling, ous off ences. We believe we can work on a daily basis then re- lier stage. department said 230 more busi- eligible to do paid work on day after the convicted killer Ian put in place a thorough risk as- turn to prison, and so at the There were 366,868 releases nesses had joined its fl agship of- release after they had passed a McLoughlin murdered a man in sessment – that’s what’s work- point of their final release from on temporary licence in England fender work-placement scheme. ules on temporary release risk assessment. Previously this 2013 while on day release from ing at the moment and I think we prison they are acclimatised to and Wales last year, involving Peter Dawson, the director of from prison are being was only allowed if an inmate HMP Spring Hill in Bucking- can continue with that.” work, then the evidence shows 7,724 people. the Prison Reform Trust, wel- Reased in an attempt to im- was within 12 months of being hamshire. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today that they’re more likely to be The 2018 fi gures were up year- comed the ROTL changes. prove off enders’ job prospects. released. Responding to concerns about programme: “If we want prison- in work. This is about reduc- on-year but remained below “More than three years after Ministers said the move would The changes to the release the rule changes, the Justice ers not to reoff end, we need to ing crime because it will re- those for 2013, when there were it was fi rst promised, the gov- give inmates more opportunities on temporary licence (ROTL) Secretary, David Gauke, said rehabilitate them. The evidence duce reoffending.” Under the more than half a million ROTLs ernment has fi nally delivered to work and train while serving scheme are part of government yesterday: “Well over 99% of and common sense suggests that changes, a restriction on ROTL involving more than 11,000 pris- a signifi cant shift towards the their sentence, boosting their eff orts to reduce reoff ending all releases occur without any prisoners who go into work after in the first three months after oners. greater use of temporary release, chances of securing immediate rates, estimated to cost the UK breach whatsoever, and where they leave prison are less likely to transferring to open condi- Plans to expand the use of recognising its proven benefi ts in employment on release. £15bn a year. there are breaches, overwhelm- reoff end. tions would be lifted, and over- workplace ROTL were set out terms of preparing prisoners for The ministry of justice an- ROTL rules were tightened ingly they’re things like people “And … if prisoners have night release from open prisons in the MoJ’s education and em- a crime-free life,” he said.

Stansted Taking in the sights airport ‘worst in UK Court releases for delays’ £16mn Harrods Daily Mail London

tansted was the worst UK airport for fl ight delays last Syear, an investigation has shopping list in found. Departures from the Essex air- port were an average of 25 min- utes late, according to an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data. Stansted is the fourth busiest ‘McMafi a’ case airport in the UK, and is used by 28mn passengers a year. Guardian News and Media was referred to only as “Mrs A”, posit box at the store. Other pay- It is a hub for holidaymakers London but she is the wife of Jahangir ments were made to the fl orist travelling across Europe on low- Hajiyev, 57, a former chairman of Moyses Stevens and Chai Wu, a cost airlines including Ryanair, the state-owned International Chinese restaurant EasyJet and Jet2. t’s the shopping bill of the Bank of Azerbaijan who was Some parts of the records are Birmingham and Luton century – a spree that added sentenced to 15 years in jail for unclear, with the largest trans- notched up the joint second Iup to more than £16mn. The defrauding the bank out of up to actions described as “non-trade worst punctuality performance, full details of the decade-long 5bn manat (£2.2bn). services” without further de- with aircraft typically taking off spending habit of the woman If Zamira fails to explain to the scription. Harrods off ers a range 19 minutes behind schedule. at the centre of the UK’s fi rst legitimate source of her wealth of services, from interior de- The analysis by the Press As- McMafi a-style “dirty money” to the high court she faces losing sign to estate agency, and it is sociation news agency took into investigation were revealed yes- her £15mn fi ve-bedroom home not clear from the bills which of account every scheduled and terday in 107 pages of receipts – which is just 100 metres from these she used. chartered fl ight from 24 UK air- from Harrods. the doors of Harrods – as well as In concluding that media or- ports in 2018. Cancelled fl ights The statements, which a £10.5mn Berkshire golf course. ganisations should be provided were not included. detail Zamira Hajiyeva’s She denies any wrongdoing with the Harrods evidence earli- It found that fl ights across all £16,309,077.87 of transactions and her lawyers have said the er this year, the high court judge featured airports were delayed from 2006 to 2016, show the case against her husband was Michael Supperstone ruled that by an average of 16 minutes in 55-year-old treated the store politically motivated. “The de- those subject to investigation by 2018. Belfast City (George Best) in Knightsbridge, London, like cision of the high court uphold- law enforcement had no expec- recorded the best performance, a corner shop, popping in for ing the grant of an unexplained tation of privacy if documents with an average delay of eight £24,000 worth of tea and cof- wealth order against Zamira does had been presented in open minutes. Liverpool (John Len- fee spending £10,000 on fruit not and should not be taken to court. non) was in second place at 10 and vegetables, and £32,000 on imply any wrongdoing, whether The court has heard that minutes, followed by Doncaster Godiva chocolates. on her part or that of her hus- Hajiyeva had access to a $42mn Sheffi eld, Exeter and Bourne- She also splashed out £4.9mn band,” her lawyers have said pre- (£33mn) Gulfstream G550 jet. mouth, all with 12-minute av- on Boucheron and Cartier jew- viously. They did not respond to Lawyers for Hajiyeva argued erage delays. Heathrow, East ellery and £300,000 on French requests for comment on the de- in court that she should not have Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Ab- couture label Celine. A further tails of the spending spree. to prove the source of her wealth erdeen and Isle of Man all had a £251,000 was spent in the fa- The Harrods spending because she was not a “politi- 13-minute average. mous toy department and tens records, which were released to cally exposed person”, and said Rory Boland, editor of con- of thousands on Disney princess the media yesterday after a legal her husband was not a state em- sumer magazine Which? Travel, experiences at the Bibbidi Bob- case brought by the Guardian ployee overseeing a state bank said: ‘It’s completely unaccepta- bidi Boutique. and other news outlets, shows but simply a “fat cat” banker. ble for passengers to be regularly Hajiyeva’s bills shows she reg- that on 11 occasions Hajiyeva In January police seized a delayed by nearly half-an-hour. ularly stopped off for a break at spent more than £250,000 in Cartier diamond ring worth These delays aren’t just an in- designer Tom Dixon’s sandwich a single day in the department more than £1mn bought by a Ja- convenience but can leave holi- cafe. A sandwich and crisps at the store. The NCA said she used 35 hangir in Harrods in 2011. The daymakers hundreds of pounds now-defunct cafe cost £13.90, credit cards issued by her hus- NCA seized the ring from a high- out of pocket because of missed but Hajiyeva managed to ring up band’s bank to fund this spend- end London jewellers, where it connections, transfers and fi nes a total of £322,000 at the till. ing. had been taken for repairs. for picking up their hire car late. Hajiyeva is the subject of the Many of the items bought Jahangir’s offi cial salary as “While compensation is UK’s fi rst unexplained wealth may have been presents, as the IBA chairman between 2001 available for delays of over three order (UWO) and the National receipts show that she spent and 2008 was a maximum of hours, airlines should stop pass- Crime Agency (NCA) has taken £6,165 on gift wrapping. Adverts £54,000. But Werner Capital, ing the buck and make it easier her to court to request a clear for jobs in the department claim which manages property invest- for their passengers by fi nally account of how she and her hus- “we wrap everything from en- ments for wealthy people, pro- introducing automatic compen- Tourists follow a tour guide as they walk past Windsor Castle in Windsor. band could aff ord to spend quite gagement rings to helicopters”. duced a report in 2011 that said sation.” so much at Harrods. At fi rst, she Hajiyeva also used a safety de- he was worth £55mn. 500,000 ‘ditch rip-off Tourism promo Warning sounded power fi rms this year’ over DNA websites Daily Mail on and sold all your DNA data to London a pharmaceutical company.” Daily Mail 103,000, and 100,000 were start of January to the end of She said the pharmaceutical London switched from SSE. British Gas March – up from 1.3mn in the fi rm had “obviously paid quite lost 234,000 accounts from same period of last year. or many it is simply a novel a lot of money for this”, add- January to April. As well as customer dissat- way to fi nd out more about ing that many “positive things” ajor energy fi rms are Only British Gas and Npower isfaction, energy fi rms are also Fthe ancestors. could spring from data being thought to have lost have revealed the number of facing the spectre of nationali- But a neuroscientist has raised sold on. Maround 500,000 cus- customers lost, at 183,000 and sation, with leaked documents concerns over popular DNA- “You can get more person- tomers this year alone following 40,000 respectively. showing that the Labour Party testing sites, warning fi rms are alised medicine from it. Hope- accusations of rip-off prices. The French fi rms EDF and is considering bringing util- selling off customers’ personal fully you’ll be able to fi nd new Households are ditching the Eon have not disclosed how ity companies back into public data to third parties. treatments for people that might Big Six of British Gas, EDF, Eon, many accounts or customers ownership. Dr Hannah Critchlow said have been suff ering otherwise SSE, Npower and Scottish Pow- switched this year. Eon said its SSE now wants to offl oad its data gathered by companies because there was no tailored er in favour of smaller rivals. UK business was “under con- beleaguered supply business charging up to £149 for ancestry treatment available to them,” she Following soaring energy siderable pressure”, while EDF – which lost 570,000 domes- tests could potentially be ‘ma- said. tariff s, ministers have accused sales have fallen 2.9%. tic energy accounts last year – nipulated’ before being sold on. But, she added, there is also the dominant players in the But if their fi gures are any- by the middle of 2020, having And she fl agged up one fi rm in “concern for what companies market of greed and campaign- thing like those of their rivals, failed to merge it with Npower’s. particular, 23andme, which last are going to be doing with this ers have urged consumers to and all six continued to lose ac- Laith Khalaf, senior analyst year sold on clients’ DNA data to data and how it might possibly hunt for better deals. counts at a similar rate, the to- at the investment website Har- a large pharmaceutical company. be manipulated”. To prevent fi rms overcharg- tal fi gure could be much higher greaves Lansdown, said: “The Addressing an audience at the In her speech, Dr Critchlow ing, in January the government than the 487,000 gas and elec- big energy providers have been Hay Festival, Dr Critchlow, from also raised concerns over fi rms’ imposed an annual energy price tricity accounts already lost – losing customers hand over fi st the University of Cambridge, inability to warn customers cap, which now stands at £1,254 most likely amounting to more as a host of challenger brands said: “Really worryingly, you about “serious biological re- for a standard default tariff . than 500,000 customers. have sprung up and the new might have heard of a company percussions” that might be dis- But fi gures released by four Figures from industry group energy price cap has disrupted called 23andme where people covered in their test results. She of the Big Six reveal house- Energy UK show the number the market. pay to give their DNA away to a said: “They can’t release those holds switched out of around of customers switching sup- “The threat of nationalisa- company and it will sequence warnings to you because, by 500,000 gas and electricity ac- plier in the fi rst quarter of 2019 tion also hangs over the share that DNA. law, they will have to off er some counts by the end of April. rose by 12% compared with the prices of these companies, as A delegation from the Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous “Then it might make some kind of counselling service to go Between January and March, same period last year. the Labour Party wants the Prefecture of A Ba (also abbreviated as A Ba Prefecture) hold very vague biological predic- alongside it. So they won’t ac- Scottish Power lost 50,000 More than 1.45mn energy government to take control of a tourism promotion meeting in Dublin, Ireland. tions. What this company has tually give you any information accounts, for Npower it was switches took place from the the sector.” done very recently is it has gone that could be useful.” Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 EUROPE

Austria’s Kurz Leaders in disagreement leaves offi ce

Reuters over who to head the EU Vienna

Reuters sion, after Luxembourg’s Jean- ity, the EPP and S&D are look- Brussels Claude Juncker steps down on ing for support from the liberal ebastian Kurz left the offi ce October 31. ALDE and the Greens, since the of the Austrian chancellor Macron pushed back, listing four groups together would Syesterday after parliament erman Chancellor Angela the EU competition commis- command 504 seats, comfort- voted out his conservative provi- Merkel and French Presi- sioner, Denmark’s Margrethe ably enough to approve or reject sional government, blaming him Gdent Emmanuel Macron Vestager, the bloc’s Brexit nego- any nomination made by na- in part for a political crisis trig- disagreed yesterday over who tiator Frenchman Michel Barni- tional leaders. gered by a video sting scandal should be the next chief of the er, and Dutch Social Democrat Among national government that felled his far-right deputy. European Commission as EU Frans Timmermans – but not leaders, only seven are now with President Alexander Van der leaders began bargaining over Weber – as appropriate candi- the EPP. Bellen formally relieved the names for the bloc’s top jobs in dates. French offi cials have said the cabinet of its duties and asked the next fi ve years. The prime ministers of Spain liberal Macron could endorse the ministers except Kurz to carry on A bloc-wide election last and Sweden explicitly backed centre-right Barnier to succeed for some days until a caretaker week returned a European Par- Timmermans, while those of Juncker, but was keeping his op- cabinet is chosen pending the liament with a splintered centre Ireland and Croatia spoke for tions open. next parliamentary election, ex- and gains by pro-EU liberals and Weber. Yesterday a fl urry of sepa- pected in September. Greens as well as eurosceptic Luxembourg’s Bettel sup- rate face-to-face meetings took Being ousted does not spell the nationalists and the far-right, ported Vestager, while eastern place in Brussels before all the political demise of the 32-year- making a common agenda hard- leaders demanded geographical leaders, including outgoing Brit- old Kurz, however. er. balance in awarding the promi- ish Prime Minister Theresa May, He remains leader of his Peo- “We won’t choose Mr or Ms nent Brussels roles. convened at 1600 GMT. ple’s Party and intends to lead it Europe today, but just draw Dutch Prime Minister Mark Their chairman, ex-Polish back to victory in September af- a balance after the European Rutte, also mooted as a possible premier Donald Tusk, expects ter it came fi rst in Sunday’s Eu- election,” Luxembourg’s liberal contender in the obscure re- to continue consultations after ropean Parliament election. prime minister, Xavier Bettel, cruitment process, said yester- the initial debate to have names “I am still here,” he told a party said on arriving to talks among day’s meeting was about “con- ready for the new European Par- rally after Monday’s parliamen- all 28 national leaders in Brus- tent rather than people” and EU leaders and their aides gather for a meeting at the EU Commission Headquarters in Brussels. liament’s approval in July. tary no-confi dence vote against sels. should focus on agreeing policy Otherwise the whole process his ruling coalition. Held once every fi ve years, the priorities for the coming years, jority needed to determine by cil who represents leaders of the Leaders of a majority of par- risks getting delayed until au- The opposition Social Demo- European Union election means including climate change, econ- themselves who should head the 28 EU member states. ties in the newly elected cham- tumn. crats and Kurz’s ex-coalition the heads of major EU institu- omy and migration. Commission, as they had in the The EU would risk an insti- ber called yesterday on national Unanimity is not required, ally, the far-right Freedom Party tions will now be replaced. The centre-right European past. tutional logjam if talks drag on, government leaders to nominate though it is hard to see a candi- (FPOe), backed the move, saying Merkel said on arrival at the People’s Party (EPP) and the Other big roles up for grabs leaving it unable to make pivotal a lawmaker to replace Juncker. date succeeding against the will Kurz was partially responsible gathering that she backed cen- centre-left Socialists & Demo- later this year include the head policy decisions at a time when The EPP’s Weber has so far of more than just a handful of for the scandal that discredited tre-right German lawmaker crats (S&D) group were reduced of the European Parliament and it faces a more assertive Rus- failed to rally the other EU as- leaders, as that would risk dam- FPOe leader Heinz-Christian Manfred Weber to be the next to 326 seats together in the new, the European Central Bank, the sia, China’s growing economic sembly groups behind him. aging their future co-operation Strache. head of the EU’s powerful ex- 751-strong chamber in Sun- bloc’s foreign policy chief and might and an unpredictable US Stripped of their longtime and stalling the EU’s decision- “The disturbing image of Ibi- ecutive, the European Commis- day’s vote, 50 short of the ma- the head of the European Coun- president. combined parliamentary major- making. za – however you say it, Ibiza? – has buried itself deep in our heads, not only here but also of Former Belgian course abroad,” Van der Bellen, 75, said at the ceremony in which king undergoes he dissolved the cabinet, refer- paternity test ring to the video fi lmed on that island in which Strache spoke of The former king Albert II of the fi xing state contracts. Belgians submitted to a DNA test Strache denies committing yesterday in order avoid daily any crime but quit all political fines of €5,000 ($5,600), his posts shortly after the video sur- lawyers said. faced. The test is a major moment in The footage raised questions the long battle between Albert II about money and infl uence ped- and sculptor Delphine Boel, who dling in Austria while shaking launched proceedings before a public trust in the country’s po- top Brussels court in 2013 to have litical parties. Albert’s paternity recognised. “It creates a distorted image The former sovereign carried out of our homeland, a diff erent im- the test yesterday morning, one age to what Austria is really like. of his lawyers told AFP. Now it is our task to change that Boel, born in 1968, claims she is image step by step,” Van der Bel- the child of a long aff air between A guest in baroque period costumes poses for a picture at the len said. her mother, Sibylle de Selys Chateau de Versailles ‘Fetes Galante’” masked ball in Versailles, Vice-Chancellor and Finance Longchamps and the then-crown just south west of the French capital Paris. Minister Hartwig Loeger took prince Albert, married since 1959 over temporarily as chancel- to Paola Ruff o di Calabria. Right: People in period costume sit in the royal opera during the lor and represented Austria at a The 81-year-old former monarch, ‘Fetes Galantes’ fancy dress evening in the Chateau de Versailles. summit of European Union lead- who reigned from 1993 until ers in Brussels yesterday. 2013, has always refused to Van der Bellen must now acknowledge that he could be choose a new chancellor to put her father. together a transitional cabinet. Hundreds party like Marie-Antoinette in Versailles He has said he hopes to reach a solution for a new government Pope Francis still this week. believes his tenure Reuters Famed for her life of opu- expensive tickets granting ac- made it happen,” said Jeff er- Russia, all over Europe, the Van der Bellen called on all Versailles lence and excess – the French cess to the whole palace and a ies, wearing a green tunic and United States, Australia. And parties to show respect for each will be short queen, one of France’s most private concert in the queen’s cream waistcoat which he had they have the night of their other, which the opposition will controversial and fashionable room. sewn himself. dreams here, because there’s see as a swipe at Kurz for failing Pope Francis has reiterated the undreds of guests historical fi gures, met her end Among the many interna- Guests could view the pri- no palace more beautiful than to make a serious eff ort to build belief that his time at the helm donned soaring wigs at the guillotine in 1793, ex- tional visitors was 37-year-old vate chambers of Louis XIV and Versailles,” said Laurent Brun- bridges with them before Mon- of the Catholic Church will be Hand elaborate 18th- ecuted for high treason by the hairdresser Cody Jeff eries from Marie-Antoinette, as well as ner, director of the Palace of day. short, in an interview published century dress to indulge their revolutionaries who had de- Houston in the United States, areas usually closed to the pub- Versailles. “It is not enough in a democ- yesterday. royal fantasies at a ball at the posed and killed her husband who had wanted to come be- lic, such as the chapel and the “We open up all the rooms racy to only speak to the others “I still have the same feeling,” Palace of Versailles on Monday, King Louis XVI. cause of his love of French fash- apartments of Madame Pom- in this palace for them, even when you need them,” Van der Francis said during an interview themed around one of its most Some 630 guests paid be- ion and history. padour, mistress of Louis XV. the Hall of Mirrors where they Bellen said, adding that forg- with veteran Vatican journalist infamous inhabitants – Marie- tween €150 and €510 ($168 to “This was always a dream for “People come from all over get to dance, which is a kind of ing deeper relations was “hard Valentina Alazraki, who works for Antoinette. $570) to attend, with the most us to come here, and we fi nally the world ... from the Far East, dream for them,” he added. work”. Mexican broadcaster Televisa. She reminded the Pope that in a previous 2015 interview, Francis had said: “I have the feeling that my pontificate will be short. Four or five years. Or maybe two or Kosovo police meet ‘armed resistance’ in crime sweep of Serb north three.” In her latest conversation with the Pontiff , Alazraki noted that AFP Seven others were detained among those arrested. “six years have already passed Pristina for “preventing police from per- Since breaking away from [since Francis’ election in March forming their duties”, he added. Serbia in a 1998-99 war, the Ko- 2013], which is not such a short The UN mission in Kosovo sovo authorities have struggled time.” osovo police arrested (UNMIK) said two of its staff to exercise clout in the northern Francis, 82, replied that he didn’t more than a dozen fellow were detained during the raids ethnic Serb communities, who see his pontificate lasting as long Koffi cers as part of a crack- while carrying out their duties. remain loyal to Belgrade. as 20 years. down on organised crime in the They were “subsequently This operation put more pres- mainly Serb north yesterday, transferred to hospital for treat- sure on the already tense rela- triggering concern from the UN, ment of injuries”. tions between the two sides. Saakashvili now which said two of its staff were One member of staff , a Rus- In Belgrade, Serbian President injured. sian national, was later released, Aleksandar Vucic told parlia- Ukrainian again Police said they met “armed UNMIK said. ment that he had put all units of resistance” during the early Moscow had slammed his de- the army on alert, a command he Ukraine’s new President morning operation in the mainly tention as an “outrageous act” routinely gives during spikes in Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ethnic Serb north region of Ko- and violation of his diplomatic tension with Kosovo. restored the Ukrainian citizenship sovo that fl anks the porous bor- immunity. “I guarantee you if an escala- of former Georgian leader Mikheil der with Serbia, a hotspot for According to police direc- tion of the confl ict occurs, if an This picture taken yesterday shows trucks that were removed from a road barricade near Zubin Potok. Saakashvili. smuggling. tor Qalaj, the UN staff members attack against the Serbian peo- A one-time regional governor in Two police offi cers behind the were in a vehicle with UNMIK ple occurs, Serbia will win,” he malise ties if they want to ad- Belgrade’s eff orts to thwart the (Nato)-led troops tasked with Ukraine, Saakashvili dramatically raids were wounded by gunshots plates that was being used as added. vance towards possible EU international recognition of Ko- protecting Kosovo for the past fell out with Zelenskiy’s while three others were injured part of a “barricade” in the Serb But one of his opponents, membership. sovo. two decades, called for “calm” predecessor Petro Poroshenko. in clashes when they tried to re- town of Zubin Potok. right-wing politician Miroslav But diplomatic rows keep de- Around 100 countries, in- and said it was monitoring the The dispute saw Saakashvili move barricades erected by lo- By midday the town appeared Aleksic, accused Vucic – and his railing talks. cluding the US and much of situation. stripped of his Ukrainian passport cals, police said. calm, although several shops Kosovo counterparts – of stir- On Monday, President Vucic Western Europe, have recog- Kosovo’s 1998-1999 inde- in July 2017. Police director Rashit Qalaj had broken windows and scraps ring up the tensions as “thea- repeating a warning that he nised Kosovo’s statehood. pendence war claimed more Zelenskiy restored Saakashvili’s told reporters that his force had from the barricades, including tre” aimed at shoring up public would not offi cially return to But Belgrade allies Moscow than 13,000 lives, mostly ethnic citizenship in a decree posted on arrested 19 police offi cers and burned tires, remained scattered support for a plan to eventually EU-led negotiations with Pris- and Beijing reject it, eff ectively Albanians, and led to a humani- the presidential website. nine civilians for off ences in- on the ground, an AFP reporter recognise the former province’s tina until Kosovo lifted a 100% barring Pristina from a seat in tarian and refuge crisis with Saakashvili was president of tiny cluding smuggling goods, or- noted. independence. tariff slapped on Serbian goods the United Nations. almost 1mn people fl eeing for ex-Soviet Georgia from 2004 to ganised crime, bribes and abuse Kosovo’s customs department The neighbours are under last November. Yesterday KFOR, the North neighbouring Albania and Mac- 2013. of power. said four of its offi cers were pressure from Brussels to nor- The tax was a retaliation for Atlantic Treaty Organisation edonia. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 17 INDIA

Allies and performers to be rewarded in Modi’s new cabinet

IANS tect of the BJP’s victory in West On Monday night, the troika position in Bihar, may well be re- to get railways in the Modi-led vious cabinet, Shiv Sena member Other contenders are South New Delhi Bengal, Mukul Roy, once a Trina- along with Mukul Roy, who had warded with the Railways Minis- government. Another close as- Anant Geete was minister for Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant, mool strong man who defected to himself jumped ship from the try. It may be a toss up between sociate of Nitish Kumar who has heavy industries and public Sec- Yavatmal Washim MP Bhavana the BJP, is a shoo-in for a cabinet TMC in 2017, landed in New two MPs – R C P Singh, a former won the Lok Sabha election from tor Enterprises. Geete, however, Gawli, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg ven as the count down to position. Delhi. IAS offi cer who like Nitish Kumar Munger seat, Rajiv Ranjan alias lost the Lok Sabha elections to MP Vinayak Raut, Buldhana MP the PM’s swearing in has The Trinamool on Friday ex- All three are legislators repre- is a Bhumihar, and Rajiv Ranjan Lalan Singh, is also in contention Nationalist Congress Party’s Su- Pratap Jadhav and Thane MP Ra- Ebegun for May 30, pelled its legislator Subhranshu senting assembly constituencies Singh (Lalan Singh). for a cabinet slot. nil Tatkare in Raigad this time. jan Vichare. Several names for prominent Roy, Mukul’s son. Roy junior was under Barrackpore Lok Sabha The JD-U which won 16 of the For the third constituent Lok Two names doing the rounds Harsimrat Kaur Badal is ex- ministries in the new Bharatiya expelled for anti-party com- constituency, in which BJP’s Ar- 17 seats it contested will probably Janshakti Party, it is clear that for cabinet berths are both Rajya pected to represent the Shi- Janata Party-led government ments. jun Singh defeated TMC’s two- get one more minister of state Ram Vilas Paswan will return to Sabha members – Anil Desai and romani Akali Dal(SAD) in the are doing the rounds ahead of Three Trinamool Congress time MP Dinesh Trivedi. berth. the Modi cabinet 2.0. Sanjay Raut who kept a fusillade cabinet for the second con- Narendra Modi’s swearing-in legislators, including the par- Mukul Roy is a former Rajya Rajya Sabha member Ram As far as BJP’s traditional ally of fi re at the Modi government secutive term. In the outgo- on May 30 for a second term as ty’s suspended legislator Sub- Sabha member from the TMC. Chandra Prasad Singh, who is Shiv Sena is concerned, it too put as the editor of Saamna and may ing government, she was the prime minister. hrangshu Roy, yesterday joined Similarly, the Janata Dal- also a close aide to Chief Minis- in a red hot performance winning well be nixed for that this time minister for food processing Sources reveal that the archi- the saff ron party in New Delhi. United, which turned in a stellar ter Nitish Kumar, is most likely 18 seats out of 20. In Modi’s pre- round. industries. Congress in deep crisis as Rahul fi rm on quitting

IANS Party sources said Gandhi is un- New Delhi likely to be the party leader in the Lok Sabha and the post may go to someone else as happened in the ith Congress president previous House. But he can be the Rahul Gandhi remain- CPP leader. Wing steadfast on quit- Two senior Congress leaders, ting his post following the party’s whom IANS spoke to, said Gandhi poll drubbing, hectic activities was not willing to take the position were witnessed yesterday to tide of leader of the Congress in the over the crisis amid questions over lower house, which will not have whether there will be a structural the status of Leader of Opposition, overhaul, starting from the top. a cabinet rank, because of the lack Not only was the party in crisis of adequate numbers. at the central level, but its state They said that he was more units in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Mad- eager to continue the ideological hya Pradesh and Karnataka also battle against the BJP and its men- looked in disarray and vulnerable tor RSS in and outside parliament. to a collapse. The leaders said Gandhi had Led by his sister Priyanka Gandhi taken the party’s poor showing in Vadra, a host of party leaders met an the Lok Sabha elections person- angry and sulking Congress presi- ally and off ered to step down as the dent at his residence through the Congress president and called for Trinamool Congress and CPM legislators and councillors join the BJP in the presence of party leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Mukul Roy in New Delhi yesterday. day and Gandhi is believed to have someone outside the Gandhi fam- conveyed to them that he could at ily to head the party. best lead the party in parliament He has told senior leaders that as the chief of the Congress Parlia- he did not want to get into the ap- mentary Party (CPP). pointments of state units and dis- He is believed to have conveyed tricts chiefs. to the party leaders that he was The party is in deep crisis as res- “not running away” but wanted ignations by senior leaders are pil- that someone else should lead the ing up across the states ever since Three MLAs, 60 councillors Congress, not necessarily from his its poor show in the Lok Sabha polls family. in which it bagged only 52 seats in Gandhi cited past examples the 543-member Lok Sabha. The when the party was led by leaders number is just eight more than it got from outside the Nehru-Gandhi in the last Lok Sabha elections. family, according to a senior leader. Gandhi, in the wake of the par- join BJP in blow to Mamata As he stayed fi rm on quitting, ty’s poll debacle, had off ered to re- suggestions poured in noisily from sign during the Congress Working IANS BJP leader Mukul Roy’s son Sub- He said that every month just two bagged in 2014. dra Modi had said that 40 MLAs other members that he should not Committee (CWC) meeting held New Delhi hrangshu Roy, a two-term legis- more and more people will join The councillors who em- from the Trinamool Congress do so but appoint a working presi- on Saturday last but it was unani- lator from Bijpur constituency, the BJP. “Those who feel suf- braced the BJP included 17 each were in touch with him. dent or a vice president to look mously rejected. Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya from focated in the TMC because of from Kanchrapara and Halisha- Reacting to Modi’s claim, Tri- after the day-to-day functioning. The CWC, which is the party’s n a huge blow to West Ben- Bishnupur (Trinamool) and De- Mamata want to join the BJP.” har municipalities and 29 from namool Congress leader Derek Congress leaders said that if he top decision-making body, au- gal Chief Minister Mamata bendra Roy of Hemtabad (CPM) But he said that the BJP will be Naihati municipality. Some pan- O’Brien had boasted: “Nobody had agreed to withdraw his resig- thorised him to make structural IBanerjee, two Trinamool were the MLAs who joined the selective. “Not everyone will chayat heads also walked over to will go with you. Not even one nation, there was scope for further changes in the party. Congress legislators and more BJP at the party headquarters be allowed (to join). Only those the BJP. councillor.” discussion but because of his re- However, he has remained ada- than 60 councillors joined the here. eligible will be allowed.” A despondent Trinamool Con- “When a ship is rocked in the sponse there is no further progress mant on quitting the post and ef- Bharatiya Janata Party in New So did more than 60 council- He said his best wishes were gress admitted there was a “mi- face of a storm, the rats jump into on the matter. forts are being made to convince Delhi yesterday along with lors from the municipalities of with Banerjee so that she re- nor crisis” in the party but vowed the sea without knowing their Besides Priyanka Gandhi, who him to change his position. a Communist Party of India Kanchrapara, Halishahar and mains the chief minister till 2021. to bounce back in the 2021 as- fate. The same is happening now. stayed with her brother for most Gandhi is particularly unhappy (Marxist) lawmaker. Naihati. “But if her ‘karma’ and people sembly elections. We are sure that those who are of the day, those who met Gandhi with Rajasthan Chief Minister BJP veteran Kailash Vijayvar- As a result, all three munici- work like this, we cannot help.” “The Lok Sabha vote was not joining (BJP) are being forced to included party general secretary Ashok Gehlot as he feels he did not giya, who is in charge of West palities will now be ruled by the Added Mukul Roy, once a right based on any people-centric is- do so,” Bengal Urban Develop- K C Venugopal, Rajasthan Deputy do enough for the party to be able Bengal, predicted many more de- BJP. hand of Banerjee and now in the sue. Polarisation and ‘chowki- ment Minister and Kolkata May- Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and to score well in the elections in fections. Vijayvargiya asserted that BJP: “The way Bengal is going dar’ were the issues. It is a minor or Firhad Hakim said. Congress chief spokesman Ran- the state where the Congress per- The dramatic development, more Trinamool Congress lead- under the leadership of Vijayvar- crisis for our party. It has faced Clearly disappointed at the re- deep Singh Surjewala. formed well in the assembly polls just fi ve days after the BJP ers would join the saff ron party giya, all the TMC people will join bigger crises. We will bounce cent development, Trinamool’s With Gandhi remaining ada- and formed the government only breached the Trinamool fortress, soon. the BJP. From June 1 or 2, you will back,” West Bengal Minister of North 24 Parganas district presi- mant, a presidium system to gov- six months back. led to the saff ron party taking “We will do a seven-phase see the queue of MLAs.” State for Parliamentary Aff airs dent and minister Jyotipriyo ern the party is being considered, He refused to meet Gehlot on control of three municipalities in programme of joining, just like The BJP stunned the Trina- Tapas Roy said. Mullick said the party will make a wherein a group of senior leaders Monday and asked him to meet West Bengal from the TMC. the state saw elections in seven mool Congress by winning 18 of While campaigning in West strong comeback and prove itself will run the show. Venugopal instead. Trinamool Congress-turned- phases,” Vijayvargiya said. the 42 Lok Sabha seats – from Bengal, Prime Minister Naren- in the 2021 assembly elections. Rajasthan Congress leader Mann tries to save AAP’s sinking ship wants Pilot as CM amid rift IANS from Sangrur in 2014 too, all other Chandigarh candidates of the party forfeited IANS won because the youth felt that Pi- munist Party of India-Marxist 2, their security deposits. Its vote Jaipur lot would get a chance to lead this Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) 2, the share in the state nosedived from time,” he said in his post. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) 1 and 13 fter the Aam Aadmi Party’s 24.4 to 7.4%. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Bharatiya independent members. drubbing in the Lok Sabha The reason: most of its promi- mid a looming leadership Janata Party vice-president Gyan- Also, state cabinet minister La- Aelections in Punjab, state nent leaders had been either sus- crisis in the Congress, Ra- chand Ahuja said, “I have heard lchand Kataria’s “resignation” – unit president Bhagwant Mann, pended for anti-party activities or Ajasthan party leader Sushil that BSP MLAs are not happy in which was neither confi rmed by who won from Sangrur, is engaged have joined other political parties, Asopa yesterday shared a post on the state and similar is the case the chief minister’s offi ce by the in eff orts to revive his party that is mainly the Congress. his Facebook wall supporting with around 20-25 MLAs.” governor – went viral. now seen as a sinking ship. In an interview to a news channel, Sachin Pilot as chief minister, The comments of these two Other minister, Ramesh Meena, Formerly a popular comedian- Mann admitted that he wanted to bringing factionalism within the leaders have added fuel to the fi re has called for analysing the rea- actor, Mann has extended a hand take along both Khaira and Sandhu. party to the fore. in the latest rounds of controversy sons for the party’s rout in the Lok of friendship to defected promi- Khaira, along with six AAP leg- In his post, Asopa said the re- surrounding leadership change in Sabha polls, saying the bureauc- nent leaders Sukhpal Singh Khaira islators, led the rebellion against sults in the Lok Sabha elections the state. racy dominated the state govern- and journalist-turned-politician AAP leader and Delhi Chief Min- would have been diff erent in Ra- On Monday, six Bahujan Samaj ment resulting in many welfare Kanwar Sandhu. ister Arvind Kejriwal after being jasthan had Pilot been made the Party leaders supporting Chief works remaining incomplete. In February 2017, the AAP won 20 removed as Leader of Opposition chief minister. Minister Ashok Gehlot’s Congress Udai Lal Anjana, state co-op- of Punjab’s 117 assembly seats and in the assembly in July 2018. “No matter where you go in Ra- government had sought appoint- erative minister, also questioned became the main opposition in the Admitting that Mann telephoned jasthan, there is just one voice that ment with the governor. However, distribution of tickets and on the Congress-ruled Punjab, relegating him two days back, two-time leg- echoes: the election results would the meeting was called off at the Congress not aligning with Ha- the Akali Dal to the third place. islator Khaira, now leading the six- have been diff erent had Pilot been last moment. numan Beniwal’s Rashtriya Lok- Now, it has won only one of the party Punjab Democratic Alliance, made the chief minister. People In the 200-member Rajasthan tantrik Party (RLP). He said that Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan holds a joint meeting of 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. In its said his fi rst condition is that the have been saying that it was be- assembly, the Congress has 100 Vaibhav Gehlot, son of the chief the Congress and its ally the Nationalist Congress Party in Mumbai maiden foray in the 2014 Lok Sabha AAP must promise it won’t have any cause of Pilot’s eff orts in the last members, BJP 73, BSP 6, Rashtriya minister, should have contested yesterday after the alliance suff ered a humiliating defeat in the Lok battle, it won four seats from the state. alliance with the Congress in the fi ve years that Congress MLAs Loktantrik Party (RLP) 3, Com- election from Jalore. sabha elections. Barring Mann, who was elected Delhi assembly elections. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 INDIA

TRAGEDY CRIME SCIENCE GRAVE ISSUE INVESTIGATION Mother denied ambulance, Man held for getting MBA Hypertension medicine Woman dead two weeks Woman doctor held carries son’s body in arms paper leaked for girlfriend developed from seaweed ago awaits burial amid row over student’s suicide

A woman was forced to carry the body of her Feroz Alam aka Raja had considerable The Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries A controversy over the maintenance of a In a breakthrough, police have arrested one of son in her arms because no ambulance was political clout till about a day ago. His SUV Research Institute (CMFRI) yesterday unveiled cemetery near Kollam in Kerala has led to the three absconding doctors wanted in connection provided to her. The incident took place in bore the name plate ‘BSP co-ordinator a nutraceutical product, developed from delay in the funeral of a 75-year-old woman who with the suicide case of medical student in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh on Monday night. Patiyali’ and he moved around with half-a- seaweeds, to combat hypertension. The sixth in died of old age complications on May 14. Some Mumbai yesterday. “We have arrested Bhakti The father of the child said that he had taken dozen young boys. On Monday, Raja was the series of the CMFRI’s nutraceutical products, locals are demanding proper maintenance of the Mehere. The Agripada police and local DCP his son to a hospital as the child was suff ering arrested for getting the MBA paper leaked. Cadalmin Antihypertensive extract (Cadalmin cemetery, built in 1999, claiming that seepages off ice have carried out the operation,” Mumbai from high fever. “The doctors told us to take He confessed he wanted to get the paper AHe) was developed from seaweeds, commonly from it were polluting nearby wells and streams. police spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner him elsewhere for treatment. We asked them leaked to help his girlfriend who was taking available in the Indian coastal waters and known They cite a Kerala High Court order that said of Police Manjunath Shinge told IANS. Two for an ambulance but they refused. There were the examination and he used an employee for their extraordinary medicinal properties. Indian the cemetery should be used only after proper others - Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal - three ambulances parked in the premises,” he of the Aligarh Muslim University to get the Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director modernisation. The court recently ordered said are still on the run. On May 22, 25-year-old Payal said. The parents said that they could not hire a paper. He promised to get a permanent job General Trilochan Mohapatra released Cadalmin the funeral should take place after the side walls Tadvi, a second year postgraduate gynaecology private ambulance as they did not have money. in the university for the employee. Raja, who AHe, which was developed from bioactive of the grave where Annamma’s body would student, hanged herself in the hostel room of Doctors, however, denied the claims. A doctor has now been sent to jail, told the police that pharmacophore leads from seaweeds, and can be laid to rest were freshly concreted. Kovoor the Nair Hospital, sparking a huge controversy. said as the child was serious “we advised the he had promised his girlfriend that he could be given orally to regulate hypertension. “The Kunjumon, MLA, said after several round of talks, The family accused Mehere, Ahuja and parents to take him to Lucknow for special obtain the examination paper. The employee extract contains 100% natural marine bioactive the issue was nearing a resolution. “I have been Khandelwal of allegedly discriminating treatment. They said they would take him is also in jail. The girlfriend, however, is ingredients from selected seaweeds by a patented co-ordinating with the police, the parish priest against Tadvi who hailed from a Muslim-tribal wherever they wished and left.” absconding. technology” said senior scientist Kajal Chakraborty. and the local engineer,” said Kunjumon. background. Sizzling day in Amritsar Jagan invites outgoing CM Naidu for his swearing-in

IANS even international level. alcohol, given the failed ex- Amaravati He advised party leaders to fol- periment in undivided Andhra low the footsteps of NTR, who de- Pradesh and the strain the move spite electoral defeats did not lose may impose on the state’s al- SR Congress Party (YS- self-confi dence and played the ready fragile economy. People have their faces covered on a hot summer day in Amritsar, Punjab, yesterday. RCP) leader and Andhra role of a constructive opposition. Financial assistance to farm- YPradesh chief minister- He recalled that NTR was the ers, students’ fee reimburse- designate Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy pioneer of welfare schemes. ment, health insurance, con- yesterday invited Telugu Desam Naidu said during the last four struction of irrigation projects, Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu days many people came to him increase in social security pen- for his swearing-in ceremony. and said they had stood by the sion and prohibition were among Reddy called the outgoing party for over three decades and Jagan’s ‘Navaratnalu’. chief minister on phone to invite they would remain so in future While implementation of SC to hear Puducherry L-G’s him to the ceremony to be held too. Stating that the party was eight schemes requires mobi- tomorrow, TDP sources said. more important for him than lisation of additional resourc- Reddy was also learned to have the family, Naidu said he would es to the tune of Rs30,000 to sought the outgoing Naidu’s ad- stand by the party workers. Rs40,000 crore, prohibition re- vice and suggestions for the The 69-year-old announced quires the government to give up plea for clarity on powers state’s development. The YSRCP that he will come to TDP offi ce a source of revenue. chief is inviting leaders of vari- in Guntur every day and will be For 2019-20, the state had set ous parties to the ceremony. available to party leaders and a target of Rs7,358 crore excise IANS court order and directed the petition claimed that the high He met Prime Minister workers for three hours. duty, which is levied on the sale New Delhi chief secretary, the develop- court had not understood the Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Ja- Naidu called for analysing the of alcohol. The revenue from ment commissioner-cum- true import of the Union Ter- nata Party president Amit Shah election results. excise duty was Rs5,789 crore in secretary and the commis- ritories Act. in New Delhi two days ago to TDP’s Andhra Pradesh unit the previous year. he Supreme Court yes- sioner-cum-secretary should Bedi’s lawyer urged the Su- extend the invitation. He earlier chief Kala Venkat Rao, MP Jagan revealed two days ago terday agreed to hear a review all the existing standing preme Court to direct that of- visited Hyderabad to invite Tel- Galla Jayadev and senior lead- that the state was running on Tpetition fi led by Puduch- orders issued by the depart- fi cers in the Union Territory ad- angana Chief Minister K Chan- ers Kodela Sivaprasada Rao and overdraft. Debt servicing, in- erry Lieutenant Governor Kiran ments concerned and then ministration not be harassed or drashekhar Rao. Y Ramakrishnudu attended the cluding interest payment, alone Bedi seeking clarity in the ad- amend them in tune with the threatened in any manner cit- The YSRCP stormed to power celebrations. is costing Rs40,000 crore to the ministrative control of the Un- high court order. ing the high court order, during by winning 151 seats in 175-mem- Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh is exchequer annually. ion Territory. “A department-wise note in pendency of this petition. ber Andhra Pradesh assembly last set to go dry in phases as Jagan, It was during his record- Bedi, in her plea, argued that this regard has been called for,” “The high court has equated week. Naidu yesterday asked par- as the chief minister-designate breaking 3,600km-long ‘pady- government offi cers in Puduch- said Bedi’s lawyer. the L-G of Puducherry to the ty members not to be disheart- is popularly called, appears de- atra’ that Jagan had promised erry were caught in a bind after Highlighting the confusion L-G of NCT of Delhi, despite ened by the election loss. termined to implement prohibi- prohibition. When women in the court issued a notice on a Bedi: at loggerheads with chief among offi cers in the light of the fact that the former enjoys Naidu along with his wife tion, one of his major election some villages explained to him Madras High Court order that minister the high court order, the peti- greater discretionary powers Nara Bhuvaneswari and son Nara promises. the problems they face from curbed her powers. tion claimed: “The offi cers are and has a special responsibility Lokesh participated in 97th birth As the young leader is sched- alcohol-addicted husbands, he Bedi’s lawyer Gagan Gupta issues ever since she assumed in a quandary as to whether to towards Puducherry,” the plea anniversary celebrations of his uled to take the oath, all eyes will said if voted to power YSRCP said in the petition: “Direct offi ce in May, 2016. In the wake implement the directions of the said. father-in-law and party founder be on the fi rst fi le he will sign. would impose prohibition. that status quo ante be main- of the standoff , Bedi moved the high court or otherwise. That Bedi’s lawyer informed the N T Rama Rao at the TDP offi ce The YSR Congress Party chief He also remarked that the TDP tained as regards administra- Madras High Court seeking the offi cers are being threat- top court that the chief minis- in Guntur. has remained non-committal on was considering liquor merely a tive functioning in the Union clarity on control of bureau- ened with contempt action is ter had issued orders even after Addressing the party leaders the fi rst orders he would give but source of income while it actually Territory of Puducherry as it crats in Puducherry. leading to an administrative its May 10 notice. and workers after hoisting the said implementing ‘Navaratnalu’ amounted to doing business with existed prior to passing of the The high court on April 30 chaos, hence the urgency (for Earlier appearing for the party fl ag, Naidu asked them not (nine gems) will be his priority. the ‘blood and fl esh’ of the people. impugned (Madras High Court ruled that the lieutenant gover- an early hearing).” central government, Solicitor to get demoralised. Prohibition was one of the nine The YSRCP chief also ob- order) judgment of April 30, nor “cannot interfere with the On May 10, the Supreme General Tushar Mehta told the Paying rich tributes to NTR, welfare schemes promised by his served that alcohol consumption during pendency of the present activities of the elected govern- Court admitted Bedi’s appeal court that the government was as the late leader was popularly party during the campaign. was one of the main reasons for petition.” ment”. seeking to stay the high court willing to challenge the Ma- known, Naidu said he brought Storming to power with a the deteriorating fi nancial and Bedi and Chief Minister V Bedi’s petition contended decision and issued a notice to dras High Court’s decision and honour and recognition to Tel- landslide victory, YSRCP is now health conditions of lakhs of Narayanasamy have been at that the chief minister has is- various respondents, including sought an urgent listing of the ugu people at the national and facing a challenge in banning families. loggerheads on administrative sued a note quoting the high the state government. Bedi’s matter. 12 dead, 35 ill after Telangana town pauses for drinking toxic liquor national anthem every day Agencies Sonu and their father Chhotelal. Lucknow All four died after consuming IANS goers, workers and school chil- a similar thing at the town level. the spurious liquor. Hyderabad dren all halt for 52 seconds to The idea was well received by Ramesh’s wife Ramavati told salute the national fl ag. Those people belonging to all sections t least 12 people died and reporters that there is no male who can sing the national an- of the society,” he said. 35 more were hospitalised member left in the family even to ife in Jammikunta, a town them sing it while others stand Senior offi cials including Ka- Aafter drinking illegally carry out the last rites of the four in Telangana, comes to a in silence. rimnagar district superintend- brewed alcohol in Uttar Pradesh, victims. State Chief Minister Yogi Lhalt every day at 8am as After the national anthem, ent of police Kamalasan Reddy offi cials said yesterday. Adityanath has ordered a probe people pause for a minute to sing patriotic songs are also played appreciated his idea and he soon The villagers, mostly poor farm- into the tragedy which is to be the national anthem. but people can disperse and got 16 loud speakers installed at ers and workers, fell ill after drink- completed in two days time. Since August 15, 2017, this has carry on with their normal ac- diff erent places. ing the poisonous alcohol in Bara- A total of 14 excise depart- become a daily routine of the tivities. The police offi cial feels that banki district on Monday night. ment and police offi cials were people of the town located in Ka- Over the last two years, the besides instilling a sense of pa- They procured the liquor from suspended for their laxity and rimnagar district, about 140km town police, with the help of triotism and pride among citi- a local vendor and some boot- negligence in the incident. from Hyderabad. volunteers, have trained citizens zens, beginning the day with the leggers have been arrested. “The police are conducting An initiative of a local police in paying respects to the na- national anthem can keep them Offi cials said many of the raids to arrest people connected inspector, the move is aimed at tional anthem. People have now active throughout the day. victims started complaining of with the illicit trade and seize instilling a sense of patriotism become accustomed to the daily Inspired by this practice in severe abdominal pain and vom- tainted liquor. Three bootleggers among people. practice. Jammikunta, a similar initiative iting soon after consuming the have been arrested, but the king- Sharp at 7.58am an announce- Jammikunta police inspector was launched in Godavarikhani tainted brew. pin, the owner of the unit where ment is made in Telugu and Hin- Pingili Prashanth Reddy intro- town of Peddapalli district in “A total of 12 people have died. the liquor was manufactured, is di from public address systems duced this practice to promote 2018. Seven among those hospital- still at large,” Tripathi said. installed at 16 places in the town a sense of patriotism among the Godavarikhani Chamber of ised are critical and it is likely Illegal liquor trade thrives in to alert the people and two sec- people. Commerce and Trade, with the the death toll could rise,” Bara- India, because it is much cheaper onds later the national anthem “When the Supreme Court help of local authorities, in- banki’s top offi cial Udai Bhanu than commercially produced al- starts playing. made playing of national anthem stalled 25 public address systems Tripathi said. cohol. Methanol, a chemical used Traffi c comes to a standstill mandatory in cinemas before and hoisted 111 national fl ags Among the victims are three in antifreeze and wood spirits, is and those walking stop. Offi ce- every show, I thought why not do across the town. People sing the national anthem in Jammikunta yesterday. brothers, Ramesh, Mukesh and often found in such drinks. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 19 LATIN AMERICA Paraguay fl oodwaters force thousands to evacuate homes

AFP the border into Argentina with Paraguay River, for good. almost to the height of street who peddles his moving serv- portraits, all plucked from the “I’ve lost my sofa, the cup- Nanawa, Paraguay her daughter to seek refuge in a “As soon as the water level signs: in some areas, there is up ices by canoe. It’s a far cry from family vault. board, I had nowhere to put reception centre in the neigh- drops, I’ll go home,” she said. to one or two meters of water January and February, when the “I prefer to take them away them,” said the 51-year-old bouring town of Clorinda. In Nanawa, only around 500 covering roads. river’s level was so low that navi- to be safe,” says the 47-year-old father-of-four. The family has ike 70,000 people living “I’ve had enough! It’s the third people were able to avoid evacu- Paraguayans have seen worse, gating it became diffi cult. traveling salesman. moved into the fi rst fl oor of their close to the broken banks time that I’ve had to move every- ation, due to living in homes though, back in 1983, according “It rained a lot in March, three The town is without electric- house, which is just 15 meters Lof the Paraguay River, thing because of the fl oods,” said with upper fl oors above the fl ood to the assistant director of the times more than usual, and it ity or police and inhabitants are from the river. where the water level has risen Acosta. “I pray that it ends. Eve- levels. country’s meteorology and hy- also rained a lot in April and afraid of looters. “It rained non-stop for a 23 feet in some places, Graciela ry time it costs a lot of money.” They’re used to this as the drology service, Nelson Perez. May,” said Perez, who pointed to Nunez is heading to a recep- week. One day, the water rose Acosta has had to pack up her However, there’s no chance Paraguay River, one of the largest “It’s not the Paraguay River’s deforestation as an added prob- tion centre provided by Argen- one metre. It was impressive, we belongings and evacuate. of Acosta leaving her home in in the Americas, breaks its banks worst fl ood, but the impact is lem. tine authorities in a Clorinda couldn’t save everything,” said Piled up on a canoe are the Nanawa, a town of just 6,000 and causes havoc in the poorest greater because more people live Wading through water up slum where he’s already stashed Cardozo. “There’s nowhere you 39-year-old housewife’s bed, people that borders Argentina Nanawa neighbourhoods built close to the river,” said Perez. to his chest, Rigoberto Nunez his furniture. Enrique Cardozo’s can put your feet on the ground. wardrobe and bedside table. to the west and faces the capital on the fl ood plain. “These are the worst fl oods leaves a cemetery carrying a workshop has already been rav- It’s like being in Venice, we move Acosta is getting ready to cross Asuncion to the east across the The river’s brown waters rise I’ve seen,” said Ruben Acosta, 55, chandelier, a vase, and family aged by the fl oods. about by Gondola!” Death toll in Brazil’s latest jail violence climbs to 55

AFP been expected to add another Sao Paulo 115,000 inmates by the end of 2018, Human Rights Watch said in a recent report. ine inmates suspected Along with severe overcrowd- of ordering the killing of ing and gang violence, riots and N55 prisoners in northern breakout attempts in Brazil’s Brazil in the past two days will prisons are not uncommon. be transferred to federal jails, of- Authorities have little control fi cials said yesterday. over many prisons, which are Most of the victims killed on often ruled by drug traffi cking Sunday and Monday in four Am- gangs who serve as “judges, ju- azonas state prisons died from rors and executioners”, said Rob- Members of Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Guard block the press’ access to the Federal Legislative Palace, which houses both the opposition-led National Assembly and the “asphyxiation”, offi cials said, ert Muggah, research director at pro-government National Constituent Assembly, in Caracas yesterday. in the latest violence to erupt in the Igarape Institute think tank Brazil’s overcrowded and deadly in Rio de Janeiro. penitentiary system. “The fact that the killings “We are going to free up spac- were co-ordinated across four es in our federal prisons for the separate prisons...suggests that leaders involved in these mas- this was a settling of scores,” sacres,” justice minister Sergio Robert Muggah, research direc- Moro said on Twitter. tor at the Igarape Institute think Around 100 federal troops are tank in Rio de Janeiro, said. US boycotts UN forum being deployed to reinforce secu- Outbreaks of deadly vio- rity at the prisons, state governor lence are a recurring problem in Wilson Lima told reporters. Brazil’s jails due to the lack of Fifteen inmates were killed structural changes, experts said. during visiting hours at the “Prisons continue to be places Anisio Jobim Penal Complex on of serious violations of human Sunday. Some were stabbed with rights,” said Juliana Melo, a pro- as Venezuela takes chair sharpened toothbrushes. fessor at the Federal University The following day 40 inmates of Rio Grande do Norte. Reuters the Geneva talks, US disar- should assume the seat, Wood Maduro, who maintains con- Maduro maintains control were found dead in four prisons, “The conditions are appall- Geneva mament ambassador Robert said. trol over Venezuela’s state in- over Venezuela’s state institu- including Anisio Jobim. ing, with a majority of prisoners Wood left the session and an- Latin American delegations stitutions calls Guaido a puppet tions but the country’s opposi- No guns or knives were used in poor, black, badly schooled and nounced a “boycott” while including Argentina, Brazil of Washington and blames US tion is pushing to remove him Monday’s killings, which prison marginalised.” he US walked out of the Maduro ambassador Jorge and Chile who also recognise sanctions for a hyperinfl ation- amid a catastrophic economic offi cials said appeared to have “Deaths in Brazil’s prison sys- Conference on Disarma- Valero chairs it. Guaido stayed away from the ary economic meltdown and collapse that has created a hu- been sparked by a “rift between tem are shamefully recurrent,” Tment yesterday to protest “We have to try to do what conference. Syria and Russia humanitarian crisis. manitarian crisis. prisoners who belonged to the said Julita Lemgruber, a former against Venezuela assuming the we can to prevent these types of denounced what they called its Meanwhile, the European Iglesias, a former Uruguayan same criminal group and were director of Rio de Janeiro’s peni- rotating presidency of the UN- states from presiding over in- politicisation. Union yesterday named Span- foreign minister and a former involved in drug traffi cking in tentiary system and professor at sponsored forum — as it did a ternational bodies,” Wood told Valero condemned the move. ish-Uruguayan former banker president of the Inter-Ameri- the state.” Experts warned the Candido Mendes University. year ago when Syria took the reporters. “We regret that the repre- and diplomat Enrique Iglesias can Development Bank, is seen deaths could trigger payback “They are recurrent because chair. “Clearly, when you have re- sentative of the US and its doc- as its point man to help end the by diplomats as having the con- killings inside and outside the those who die are originally from The Trump administration, gimes like the (Bashar) Assad ile allies continue to bring to crisis in Venezuela, part of an tacts and know-how to talk to prisons in Amazonas, one of the poorest sections of the pop- which has stepped up sanc- regime (of Syria) and the Ma- this forum matters that are out- intensifi cation of diplomatic ef- both Maduro and Venezuelan Brazil’s most violent states. ulation and are people who are tions against the government of duro regime presiding over this side the mandate of the CD,” he forts to seek new elections. opposition leader Juan Guaido, Brazil has the world’s third not clear about their rights.” Nicolas Maduro, has not ruled body, there is something fun- told a news briefi ng. “It is not a The EU, which leads an in- as well as other political groups. largest prison population after While Muggah said there was out military action to remove damentally wrong with how we forum for coup-mongering.” ternational crisis group with Having met Maduro and the US and China, with more no quick fi x available for the sys- what it and dozens of other na- are conducting our business. More than $4.5bn in Ven- South American nations, hopes Guaido this month, the EU’s than 726,000 inmates as of June tem, the government needed to tions consider an illegitimate And we need to examine ezuelan assets have been frozen Iglesias can help fi nd a way to crisis group that includes Brit- 2016 — double the capacity of start by “drastically” reducing government that rigged a 2018 that,” he said. or confi scated under US-led convince Maduro to step aside ain, France and Germany also the nation’s jails, according to the number of pretrial detainees election. A representative of Ven- sanctions that are crippling vi- and allow all political groups in hopes to convince the US to offi cial statistics. who currently make up 40% of As Venezuela took up the ezuelan opposition leader Juan tal imports of food and medi- the country to contest a free and back a peaceful diplomatic The federal government had the prison population. one-month presidency of Guaido, the “interim leader”, cines, Valero added. fair vote. process out of the crisis. Petrobras ‘nears sale Official visit Former Pemex CEO being probed for graft of off shore oilfi elds’ Reuters ministry last Wednesday said Mexico City it punished two Pemex senior executives from the previous Reuters ment. Petrobras, EIG and Tri- exclusive talks with the EIG con- administration of Pena Nieto Rio de Janeiro dent did not respond to a request sortium. exico’s fi nance minis- for misuse of public funds in for comment. However, under rules set try said it had blocked the purchase of fertiliser busi- Together, Pampo and Enchova by Brazil’s federal audit court, Mthe bank accounts of ness Fertinal. It did not iden- razil’s Petroleo Brasileiro produced almost 39,000 barrels Petrobras must carry out a fi nal the former chief executive of tify the executives. SA is nearing the sale of of oil equivalent per day, accord- rebidding process after conclud- state oil fi rm Pemex, one of ex- However, one of those exec- Btwo oilfi elds in a process ing to July 2018 fi gures, making ing bilateral negotiations, allow- president Enrique Pena Nieto’s utives was identifi ed by people that could fetch around $1bn and it the largest mature production ing third parties to submit new closest advisers, for allegedly with knowledge of the matter aid the state-run oil fi rm in its asset in the company’s divest- bids at any value as long as they carrying out “illegal” fi nancial as Lozoya. bid to reduce debt. ment portfolio. have the same contractual terms operations. Two of those sources said Petrobras, as the company is Chief executive Roberto Cas- as the bilateral off er. The ministry’s fi nancial in- Lozoya was barred from hold- known, has set a June 5 deadline tello Branco, who took the reins EIG took advantage of the re- telligence unit (FIU) identifi ed ing public offi ce for 10 years to receive fi nal binding off ers for in January, is overseeing the sale bidding round to reduce its off er, the former CEO of Petroleos but was not fi ned. its Pampo and Enchova oilfi elds of dozens of assets in a bid to re- which caused Petrobras to walk Mexicanos (Pemex) as Emilio Many of the problems at off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, duce debt and refocus the fi rm away from the table, Reuters re- Lozoya Austin. Pemex Fertilisers, a subsidi- said two sources with knowledge on deepwater exploration and ported in January. It also said it froze the bank ary created under Pena Ni- of the matter, who requested an- production. Petrobras then entered into accounts of one of Mexico’s eto’s liberalisation of the onymity to discuss confi dential In April, Petrobras announced exclusive talks with the Trident largest steelmakers, Al- energy sector, stem from its matters. the $8.6bn sale of its TAG pipe- group. tos Hornos de Mexico, or purchase of two fertiliser Trident Energy, an independ- line unit to Engie SA and detailed The June deadline represents AHMSA. plants in 2013 and 2016, ac- ent oil company backed by pri- plans to sell eight refi neries in a the second attempt at a fi nal re- The FIU said the accounts cording to a scathing govern- vate equity fi rm Warburg Pincus, process it said could fetch some bid. The sources warned that a were frozen after “multiple ment audit of Pemex’s 2017 is in the pole position, though $15bn. short delay is possible, but not operations were identifi ed in operations. Petrobras has invited other fi rms On Monday, the fi rm launched expected. the domestic and international One of those plants was pur- to submit a fi nal bid, includ- the sale process for 27 onshore The new contract has a so- fi nancial system that were car- chased from AHMSA. ing Rio de Janeiro-based Petro oilfi elds in the coastal state of called earn-out provision, in ried out with resources that Pemex burned through Rio SA and a consortium of EIG Rio de Janeiro. which the buyer could be re- allegedly do not come from $665mn at its fertiliser unit, Global Energy Partners and local The Pampo and Enchova oil- quired to pay up to $200mn more German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Costa Rica’s lawful activities and which are ignored consultants and made independent Ouro Preto Oleo e fi elds have been among the more to Petrobras after the initial pur- President Carlos Alvarado Quesada at the Chancellery in presumed to have derived from high-risk investments with no Gas, the sources said. challenging sales for Petrobras. chase, depending on crude pric- Berlin, Germany. acts of corruption.” discernible business strategy, Petro Rio declined to com- In 2018, Petrobras entered into es, the sources said. The public administration the report said. Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 PAKISTAN Kartarpur corridor Drastic taxation talks hit roadblock

Internews a dam could be built around the anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Lahore road and the inclination of the in November this year. road could be kept high. The Kartarpur Corridor is ex- The date for next meeting be- pected to provide visa-free ac- measures under echnical experts from Pa- tween the two sides could not be cess to Indian Sikh pilgrims to kistan and India could not agreed upon. the Gurdwara in Kartarpur Sahib Tagree on the joint aff airs of Earlier, technical teams from a small town in Narowal, 4km construction for Kartarpur Cor- Pakistan and India met on April from the Pakistan-India border, ridor in the third meeting held 16 this year. where Sikhism founder Baba between the two sides. The meeting saw the two Guru Nanak spent the last 18 Offi cials of the Federal Inves- countries presenting each other years of his life. tigation Agency (FIA), customs, with some reservations over The groundbreaking of the consideration construction, Pakistan Rangers their recommendations. project on the Pakistani side was Punjab and Survey of Pakistan Delegations of Pakistani and performed by Prime Minister Internews Government proposes amnesty scheme for provinces appeared from the Pakistani side Indian technical experts also met Imran Khan at Kartarpur Sahib Islamabad whereas offi cials of the National on March 19 at the proposed zero on November 28, 2018. The federal government has proposed to introduce requested to introduce the scheme at the provincial Highway Authority of India, line to discuss and fi nalise the In January, Pakistan had an amnesty scheme for provinces to “whiten” black level. Border Security Force, and Cus- development of the Kartarpur shared its draft of Kartarpur n a bid to realise the chal- money made from services. According to a copy of the letter, as per the Asset toms and Immigration appeared Corridor. Corridor Accord with India and lenging revenue collection Off icials in the finance ministry revealed that in this Declaration Ordinance, at 2% sales tax and federal ex- on behalf of India. It was decided after this meet- invited its delegation for a visit to Itarget of Rs5,550bn in the regard, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had sent cise duty, there is a chance to declare the undeclared Sources said that the meet- ing that both sides will present negotiate the document. upcoming budget, the federal a letter to Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance assets made until June 30, 2018. ing lasted only one hour during surveys and maps for border India, however, instead of ac- government has decided to slap Abdul Hafeez Sheikh. But the collection of sales tax on services comes which the representatives of both fencing and developmental work cepting the proposal on that oc- a reduced rate of GST on hotels In the letter, it suggested that similar to the scheme within the domain of provinces; therefore, the pro- the sides exchanged details of the on the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartar- casion, insisted on hosting the and restaurants, abolish zero off ered at the federal level, an asset declaration vincial governments should propose a tax amnesty construction work. pur Sahib Corridor to their re- meeting and asked Pakistani rating regime for fi ve export- scheme should also be presented to the provincial scheme for services like the federal government so Sources said that India wants spective governments. offi cials to visit Delhi either on oriented sectors, and bring in- governments so eff orts for bringing wealth to the that it could be more eff ective and advantageous. the construction of a kilometre- Offi cials from both the coun- February 26 or March 7. come of distributors and dealers mainstream could be fruitful. An FBR off icial said the objective of the tax amnesty is long bridge on Ravi River while tries held a meeting on March 14 Although the counter-propos- into the tax net. Off icials said that during the visit of FBR chairman to document the economy and widen the tax net. Pakistan suggested the need to this year at Attari border in India als from Islamabad and Delhi had The Federal Board of Revenue Shabbar Zaidi to Karachi, the business community The regularisation of the services sector would be construct a road. while a meeting scheduled to be given the impression of a sort of (FBR) has estimated that re- floated the idea, and hence the finance adviser was helpful in documenting the economy. The Indian offi cials were of the held within Pakistani limits on stand-off on the issue, Islama- scinding zero rating regime for view that owing to fl oods in Ravi, April 2 was abruptly cancelled by bad had, instead of reacting neg- fi ve export-oriented sectors – the road could be aff ected. New Delhi. atively to the position taken by textiles, leather, carpets, sports replicated, where the central ation to exempt exporters from city faced by the country. However, the Pakistani offi - Pakistan has said that the work India in response to its original and surgical – will fetch a rev- bank would be bound to provide payment of tax and ensure fi ling It was shown in the meet- cials did not agree to the proposal on Kartarpur Corridor will be suggestion, vowed to “take the enue of Rs75bn in the 2019-20 refunds soon after clearance of of returns along with the decla- ing that the government allo- and said that in case of fl ooding, completed before the 550th birth process forward”. budget. receipts of exporters’ proceeds ration of their expenditures. cated Rs24bn for tribal districts The FBR has also proposed instantly. The presumptive tax regime through the ministry of states reduction in taxes on import There is a lingering contro- for importers would be abol- and frontier regions (Safron) in of mobile phones in the range versy among the Centre and the ished in coming budget. outgoing fi scal year, but no ex- of 10% to 20%, but under the provinces’ on treating restau- However, they would be re- penditure had been incurred so baggage rules provision of al- rants/hotels as goods or service. quired to fi le return and give de- far. Shehbaz to return on Action lowing one mobile phone set Now the FBR has decided to tails of their expenditures. Shaikh said that eff ective uti- will be withdrawn in the coming seek the advice of the law minis- The government has also de- lisation is an area of concern, budget. try and slap reduced GST on all cided to revise income tax slabs and he could raise many ques- June 11, court told taken in The FBR has proposed this restaurants/hotel in the coming for salaried and non-salaried tions on it. change to avoid rampant misuse budget by declaring it as goods. category of taxpayers. “If you like, I can order moni- of allowing one phone set. One top FBR offi cial raised The government is consider- toring on utilisation of so-called Internews 97.6% of The board has also proposed a question in front of a select ing revising taxable income ceil- funds,” he said. Lahore bringing the steel sector into the group of journalists that ingre- ing from Rs1.2mn to Rs800,000, According to an offi cial an- normal tax regime for imposing dients of meals used in restau- but the FBR will have to con- nouncement, Shaikh chaired a decisions GST rate of 17%. rants/hotel should be treated as vince the adviser to the prime meeting to review the social and eader of the Opposition The GST on sugar will be goods or service. minister on fi nance on this pro- economic needs of the merged in the National Assem- brought at the standard rate of He said that there is a need to posal. districts. Lbly Shehbaz Sharif will by public 17%. diff erentiate between goods and The government will intro- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) return from abroad to Pakistan The Federal Excise Duty (FED) service. duce drastic measures for the Finance Minister Taimur Sal- on June 11, an accountability on aerated and beverages will be The offi cial is of view that documentation of economy and eem Jhagra briefed the meeting court in Lahore was told yes- Sharif: left for London last advocate brought into the tax net. the Centre and provinces could broadening the tax base through about the fi nancial require- terday. month. The FBR is also contemplat- work out a distribution mecha- use of technology, including ments of the merged districts. At the last hearing of the ing upon options to abolish nism on the basis of ratio for condition of “tax fi ler” for those He highlighted that the de- two cases against him, Sharif’s reau (NAB) prosecutor Waris Internews presumptive regime for import- treating as goods and service in running credit card machines. velopment funds for tribal lawyer had told the court that Janjua, however, objected to Islamabad ers and exporters in the coming case of hotels. The FBR will also make it districts would be utilised for the opposition leader would Tarar’s statement, arguing that budget. The FBR is also asking the compulsory for the manufac- development of social sector, return after Eid al-Fitr. his power of attorney had not In order to get additional banking sector to share the data turers to ensure declaration and particularly, health and educa- Accountability court judge yet been submitted in court. yed Tahir Shehbaz, the revenue of Rs1tn through taxa- of benami account holders. fi ling of returns by their distrib- tion, besides improving road Jawadul Hassan, however, “In which capacity is Tar- federal ombudsman of tion measures and administra- A benami is a transaction that utors and dealers. and electricity infrastructure in asked for a “fi nal date” of his rar saying this [in court]?” he SPakistan, has shown com- tive steps, the FBR is proposing is considered a form of money On the income tax side, an the area. return. questioned. plete satisfaction on the imple- to make it mandatory for those laundering: a transaction in amendment to the income tax Shaikh informed the meet- Sharif had announced a “Let’s wait for the lawyer of mentation of fi ndings passed by entities to become registered which property is transferred law is expected in coming budg- ing that the federal government “quick visit” to London on Shehbaz Sharif,” the judge said. him against the federal govern- where credit card machines are to one person for consideration et. would extend all possible as- April 9 after his name was re- Amjad Pervez, the counsel ment agencies. installed. paid by another. The manufacturers would be sistance to the erstwhile Feder- moved from the no-fl y list on for Sharif, appeared before the The senior adviser and head The FBR challenged that the Within the mechanism of required to register their dis- ally Administered Tribal Areas Lahore High Court orders. court after a brief break and of the Implementation Wing major chunk of textiles is being dealership, a mechanism of tributors and dealers for fi ling of (Fata) to fulfi l its needs and sup- Party sources had said that confi rmed the same. Shahidullah Baig presented a used in domestic market as the transfer/pricing would be in returns. port the KP government in its he intended to return within Meanwhile, the accountabil- detailed briefi ng on the imple- ratio of domestic sale is esti- place to document the transac- Meanwhile, Adviser to the endeavour to work for the social 10-12 days. ity watchdog asked the court to mentation status of fi ndings mated at Rs1.8tn, while exports tions of the dealers. Prime Minister on Finance and economic development of Spokesperson of the Sharif reject Sharif’s plea seeking ex- passed by the Federal Ombuds- of textile was hovering around A system should be in place to Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has merged districts. family, Atta Tarar, who was emption from appearing dur- man against maladministration Rs1.2tn. document the expenditures of chaired a meeting on the merged He assured the meeting that representing Sharif in the ab- ing hearings of the two cases. of diff erent federal government In a bid to remove liquidity even exporters, distributors and tribal districts, and made it clear the ministry of fi nance would sence of his lawyer, gave the The bureau submitted that agencies. crunch, the FBR offi cial said that dealers. that priorities should be revisit- timely process release of funds date as June 11. all of Sharif’s medical tests can He informed that 97.6% of the Bangladesh model could be A proposal is under consider- ed in the wake of resource scar- for the merged districts. National Accountability Bu- be conducted in Pakistan. fi ndings have been implement- ed. Baig informed that the Hous- ing Foundation had been pushed on a speedy track to complete its projects in sector G-13 and G-14 Minister moves to Pakistan braces for dangerous heatwave of Islamabad. He said that in 95 cases, the National Internship Programme Internews has paid internship money to in- introduce cellular Karachi ternees. The Islamabad Capital Terri- tory, the Pakistan International n intense heatwave is expected to hit Airlines, the Housing Founda- payment system Pakistan in the coming weeks due to tion, and the Pakistan Medical Aa delay in the start of the monsoon and Dental Council have imple- season. mented all fi ndings in letter and Internews debit cards would be abolished According to weather website accuweath- spirit. Islamabad and all the things would be er.com, the heatwave will start in the next He further informed that due shifted to cell phones. few days and last into June. to the intervention of Federal “We already have a system Pakistani cities most aff ected by the heat- Ombudsman’s offi ce, the Paki- fter launching Paki- through which diff erent banks wave will include Lahore, Islamabad, Faisal- stan Housing Authority (PHA) stan’s fi rst moon-sight- and cellular companies receive abad, Multan, and Hyderabad. had handed over 200 fl ats to its Aing website and a calen- utility bills through mobile Karachi is expected to be hit by bouts of owners in G-10 Sector, with the dar, Science and Technology apps. heat but will avoid the projected extreme remaining 168 fl ats would also Minister Fawad Chaudhry has ‘‘However, I have decided to heatwave. be handed over to their owners come up with a new plan to in- take banks and cellular compa- Daily high temperatures are expected to be in couple of months. troduce a payment system that nies on board to implement the between 36° and 40° Celsius into this week- He also informed that in the will operate through mobile brainchild of ministry of sci- end. Kurry road housing project, the phones only. ence and technology,” he said. Pakistan’s meteorological department has PHA is completing 588 fl ats on “During a visit to China, I Chaudhry said that he had forecast mainly hot and dry weather in most a speedy track, out of which 304 observed that every person spoken with fi nance ministry parts of the country for the coming week, fl ats have been handed over to its was paying bills through cell offi cials and had also taken the with extreme heat in the plains of Punjab, owners, and off er letters issued phones. After reaching Pa- State Bank governor into confi - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, north Baluchistan, to the remaining 284 allottees. kistan I decided to introduce dence on the matter. and Sindh. Youths swim in the sea during a hot day in Karachi. an integrated system in which “I am hopeful that we will everything, from banana to car, introduce the integrated sys- will be purchased through cell- tem in Pakistan and after that Special aircraft to bring 320 Baluchistan government to phones,” Chaudhry said. people would be able to pay Reduction by half in train It is worth mentioning their bills through cell phones,” Pakistanis home from Malaysia provide free healthcare fares on first day of Eid that the website and calen- he said. dar, launched by the minister, Meanwhile, Mufti Inamul On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, The Baluchistan province cabinet has approved an A 50% reduction in fares of all train classes has been shows the main Islamic dates Haq has fi led a complaint with arrangements have been made for a special Pakistan amendment in the Baluchistan Endowment Fund granted for the first day of Eid al-Fitr, according to and months for the next fi ve the Secretariat Police Station, International Airlines aircraft will bring back 320 Pakistanis Policy, gearing up for providing free medical facilities, an announcement made this week by the Pakistan years based on scientifi c evi- alleging that Chaudhry had de- from Malaysia, enabling them to celebrate Eid al-Fitr with including cancer treatment, and financial help to Railways. dence. liberately violated norms of Is- their families. patients in need. As per the notification issued by the organisation, The website, pakmoonsight- lam and Shariah by introducing There are more than 320 Pakistani nationals in the Malaysian Underprivileged patients in the province can avail the 50% reduction is for reserved trains on advance ing.pk, has been launched “to a moon-sighting calendar. jails who have completed their sentence term and are unable themselves of treatment at medical facilities in any of reservation to facilitate passengers and enhance halt the moon-sighting con- In the complaint, it is stated to be repatriated as direct flights got suspended in the last the country’s major cities. earnings for railways. troversy” that emerges every that the minister had also used week of February this year owing to the regional situation. It was decided at the meeting, presided over by Chief There is a caveat, however. year prior to religious festivals. derogatory remarks against the The prime minister issued special directives to arrange the Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani, that surgeries, and The off icial notification states that : “No person or party Chaudhry said that with religious fi gures and hurt the return of these detainees so that they may be able to join assistance for the rehabilitation of special persons, will will be allowed to avail two or more concessions at one the passage of time, credit and sentiments of the masses. their families for Eid al-Fitr. also be ensured. time.” Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 21 PHILIPPINES

Dengue cases rise 142% in Zamboanga: Alvarez claims millions on off er health dept

Dengue cases in Zamboanga Peninsula rose from 1,145 in 2018 to 2,767 from January to April this year, a 142% increase, to buy votes for House Speaker a Department of Health (DoH)- Region 9 official said, Manila Two aspirants are allegedly Rep. Martin Romualdez; Pam- who was instrumental in Al- Times reported from Dipolog off ering 500,000 and panga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, varez’s ouster last year. The City. 1mn pesos for votes the ruling Partido Demokra- support of President Rodrigo John Go, health education tiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s Duterte’s daughter is viewed as officer of the DoH Regional By Glee Jalea (PDP-Laban) national dep- crucial for the speakership race Research Epidemiology and Manila Times uty campaign manager; and as she is tipped to succeed her Surveillance Unit, said during a former Foreign Affairs secre- father in 2022. media forum at Mibang Hotel tary Alan Peter Cayetano. Like her father, Duterte- here that the highest rise in otes for House Speaker Incoming Davao City Rep. Carpio has said that she is not dengue cases was in Zamboan- are going for as much as Paolo Duterte and outgo- interested in the presidency. ga Sibugay — from 82 in 2018 VP1mn, an aspirant for the ing Sen. Loren Legarda, who Last week, she denied hav- to 426 cases during the first position claimed yesterday, with will represent Antique in the ing “recommended” Romual- four months of 2019. Dipolog two months left before the 18th 18th Congress, have also been dez, criticised Cayetano for City, whose Corazon Aquino Congress formally convenes and tagged as possible candidates. warning her against Velasco, Memorial Provincial Hospital in chooses its leaders. Both have denied interest in and refused a reconciliation Barangay Sicayab covers most Davao del Norte Rep. Pantale- the post. Velasco — said to be with a “very dangerous and parts of Zamboanga del Norte, on Alvarez, who wants to regain one of the front runners along Machiavellian” Alvarez. recorded 209 dengue patients, the post after being ousted last with Romualdez — denied Meanwhile, an incumbent mostly children aged 1-11. year, alleged in a TV interview buying votes for the speaker- House member condemned the Because of the sharp increase that two lawmakers were off er- ship. alleged vote-buying by speak- in dengue cases in Zamboanga ing huge sums to secure votes. “I’m not giving away a mn ership contenders. Peninsula, Go appealed to “My colleagues told me that pesos … congressmen should “It is disgusting to hear that local residents to always follow someone off ered P500,000 per respect fellow congressmen,” those aspiring to be Speaker the 4S in helping combat the congressman and then this was he said in a separate interview. of the House need to shell out disease. countered by another with P1mn “They won’t go through that money to assure their win,” The 4S, he said, entails, “Search- per congressman,” Alvarez said. dealing just to be able to get the Magdalo party-list Rep.Gary ing and destroying mosquito “I won’t say who it is,” he votes. Each congressman has Alejano said in a statement. breeding places; taking Self- added when asked to identify his or her own views so I don’t “How can we promote fair protection measures by using the legislators. think each congressman can be and clean elections if leaders, mosquito repellent or wearing Alvarez is among the con- bought that easily,” he added. including the president, toler- long pants, long sleeved shirts tenders for the speakership Romualdez had yet to com- ate the practice of bribery and or protective clothing; Seeking along with Marinduque Rep. ment as of press time. vote-buying? How can we at- early consultation; and Support- Lord Allan Velasco — said to He has reportedly already tract well-meaning politicians ing fogging/spraying of places be Davao City Mayor Sara Du- secured the backing of at least to take part in public service if at where mosquitoes usually terte-Carpio’s personal bet; 126 lawmakers but not the en- the end of the day what matters breed. House minority-backed Leyte dorsement of Duterte-Carpio, is money?” he added. Pantaleon Alvarez: vote-buying allegations Call for urgent Senate move to hike tobacco tax

By Ralph Villanueva needs P258bn for its fi rst year of Manila Times implementation in 2020. How- ever, the government, the Phil- ippine Amusement and Gaming resident Rodrigo Duterte Corp and the Philippine Charity has certifi ed as urgent a Sweepstakes Offi ce could only PSenate measure push- raise P195bn. ing for a higher excise tax for The excise tax rates proposed tobacco products, according by the DoF and the Department to Justice Secretary Menardo of Health seeks to increase ex- Guevarra. cise taxes on sin products to at “There is already a certifi ca- least P60 per pack for cigarettes tion of urgency for SB (Senate and at least P40 per litre for al- President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by senator-elect Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chats with Bill) 2233. It is already for trans- cohol products. some off icials at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City before flying to Japan, yesterday. mittal to the Senate,” Guevarra Arjay Mercado of Action for said in a text message shared to Economic Reforms said the to- reporters. bacco tax increase is a popular SB 2233 seeks to impose a P45 measure among Filipinos. He excise tax in 2020, which will go cited a Pulse Asia survey re- up by P5 every year thereafter. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. vealing that three out of four Duterte leaves for Japan to Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Filipinos believe that the tax on Pacquiao said the measure of Finance (DoF) and various plementation of the UHC Law. tobacco products must be in- would prevent new smokers groups prodded senators to “The reason why we’re push- creased. and raise revenues and fund- speed up the approval of a new ing this sin tax bill is to less- “With only fi ve session days attend Nikkei conference ing for the universal healthcare “sin tax” reform law that would en consumption of products remaining in the 17th Congress, programme. impose higher excise tax on al- which have dangerous impacts we appeal to Senate President The Universal Health Care cohol and tobacco products. to our health, prevent the youth Vicente Sotto and the majority Manila Times gic partner, Japan.” The state- and maritime domain aware- (UHC) Law was signed by the Finance Assistant Secretary from taking alcohol and fi ll in fl oor leader Juan Miguel Zubiri Manila ment read that his keynote ad- ness, people-to-people ex- president in February, fulfi lling Tony Lambino said the meas- the funding gap for our Univer- to prioritise the passage of this dress on Friday would highlight changes, and the pursuit of just one of the 28 bills included in ure would discourage Filipi- sal Health Care (Law) which the bill in the agenda, and safely Philippine development goals and lasting peace and progress in his administration’s legislative nos from smoking and help president signed in February shepherd the bill out of the resident Rodrigo Duterte and accomplishments, foreign Mindanao,” it said. agenda. fill in the funding gap of about this year,” he explained. Senate before the adjournment left yesterday for Japan policy thrusts, and insights on The statement also said that Yesterday, the Department P62bn for the first year of im- The healthcare programme on June 7,” Mercado said. Pwhere he would attend the regional and global develop- Duterte would meet with key 25th Nikkei Conference on the ments. Japanese industry and tour- Future of Asia on May 30-31. It said that Duterte would hold ism leaders at a business forum, Duterte will be delivering a a summit meeting with Prime which will encourage Japanese keynote address on May 31. Minister Shinzo Abe to “reaffi rm private sector investments in the He is scheduled to have a busi- the valued friendship between country. Audit report reveals ‘unliquidated’ anti-drug fund ness forum, roundtable meeting the Philippines and Japan and It will also heighten the in- with Japanese companies and a renew the shared commitment terest in the Philippines among meeting with the Filipino com- to further strengthen special ties Japanese tourists. By Ma. Reina L Tolentino standing for over fi ve years as of year-end spectively,” CoA said. Based on the audit re- munity. and realise the common goals of During Duterte’s visit, the Manila Times 2018, CoA said in its Annual Audit Report on port, the balance of inter-agency receivables He will be leaving Japan on Philippines-Japan Strengthened third since taking his oath as the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) for 2018. accounts “representing funds transferred to Friday night and will arrive in the Strategic Partnership.” president in 2016, the chief ex- “Eighty-fi ve percent or P50,427,527.21 of various NGAs, LGUs, GOCCs and NGOs/ Philippines on Saturday morn- “The leaders will review the ecutive will meet with the Fili- ome P50.4mn funds transferred to im- the P59,491,577.34 inter-agency receivables POs as fi nancial assistance for drug treatment ing. progress of agreements made pino community in Japan, where plementing government agencies and were aged more than fi ve years caused by the and rehabilitation centres, establishment and In a statement, Malacanang in previous meetings. They will he will express his appreciation Snon-government and people’s organisa- non-enforcement of the provisions of the maintenance of new drug treatment, as well also said that Duterte’s visit also discuss co-operation in in- for its sacrifi ces and contribu- tions (NGOs/POs) for the anti-drug campaign Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between as the operation and maintenance of existing would “further deepen the Phil- frastructure development, trade tions to the country’s socio-eco- remain “unliquidated,” according to a report by DDB and the implementing agencies and CoA ones and purchase of supplies from the Pro- ippines’ political and economic and investments, agriculture, la- nomic development as overseas the Commission on Audit (CoA). Circular Nos. 94-013 and 2007-001 dated curement Service (PS) totalled” P163.88mn as engagement with its key strate- bour, defence, maritime security Filipino workers. The unliquidated fund transfers were out- December 13, 1994 and October 25, 2007, re- of Dec 31, 2018. Philippines rises to 46th in competitiveness list

Manila Times formance, to 38th from 50th, pares the annual WCY and uses The top fi ve declines, on the Manila followed by business effi ciency data provided by the Asian Insti- other hand, involved the current (32nd from 38th), government tute of Management for the Phil- account balance, infl ation, tax effi ciency (41st from 44th) and ippine portion, listed the fol- revenues, compensation levels he Philippines has re- infrastructure (59th from 60th). lowing challenges for this year: and exchange rate stability. gained ground in a global A year earlier, all four respec- a need to speed up and sustain Executives polled for the Tcompetitiveness ranking, tively plunged by 24, 10, seven investments in infrastructure; yearbook, meanwhile, tagged a climbing four spots to 46th out and six places. inadequate investment in hu- skilled workforce, economic dy- of 63 countries following a nine- Despite this year’s improve- man capital; poor digital com- namism, cost competitiveness, notch plunge last year. ment, the Philippines still has petitiveness and future-read- open and positive attitudes, and Data obtained ahead of the some way to go before it returns iness; need to sustain investor high educational levels as the 2019 World Competitive- to the low 40 rankings it enjoyed and consumer confi dence and Philippines’ “key attractiveness ness Yearbook’s offi cial release in previous years, the most re- persistent political risks. indicators.” showed the country improving cent being 41st in 2017. The fi ve biggest improvements The IMD is expected to release in all four “pillars”: economic It also failed to gain against its for 2019, the data showed, in- the 2019 WCY by the end of the performance, business effi cien- neighbours, remaining in 13th volved the government’s budget month. Last year’s global rank- cy, government effi ciency and place among 14 Asia-Pacifi c defi cit, the eff ective personal in- ing was led by the United States, infrastructure. countries. come tax rate, gross fi xed capital followed by Hong Kong, Singa- The biggest improvement The Institute of Management formation, tourism receipts and pore, the Netherlands and Swit- was in terms of economic per- Development (IMD), which pre- protectionism. zerland. Construction is underway for the Emerald station of LRT Line 2 extension in Cainta, Rizal. Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka 29 - 05 -2019 Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Modi needs to pick up from where he started in 2014

Elections in the world’s biggest democracy is one of the world’s most expensive. The six-week long grant polling narrative has come at the cost of some $7bn, according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies. In a country where about 60% of the population lives on around $3 a day, it amounts to roughly $8 spent per voter. About $6.5bn was spent during the US presidential and congressional races in 2016. Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has powered to victory in the 2019 Modi’s win is a populist general elections with a decisive majority of 303 of the 542 seats in parliament. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won 353 seats. Modi, for sure, has evolved since he fi rst contested India’s top offi ce fi ve years ago. After winning the country’s biggest electoral mandate in three decades, he had some initial success pushing reforms. warning to the world Six of nine major measures — including deregulating diesel prices and opening the coal sector to foreign investment By Mihir Sharma around. Of course they will, that’s how materialise to any substantive degree, to restore the greatness that more than Bloomberg News democracy works. and voters in places like Queensland a thousand years of foreign rule had — came in the administration’s fi rst year, according to In India, Narendra Modi’s opted in larger than expected numbers sapped from India, culminating in the the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and premiership was certainly not working for extremist parties – a choice that government of the Italian-born Sonia International Studies. t’s a terrible feeling to discover that out as hoped. The jobs he had promised ultimately benefi ted the incumbents. Gandhi. Things slowed your country is full of strangers. to create weren’t there. Rural distress These are warning signs for the rest of He implied that the state would cease For some in India, the election was spreading, as the government’s the world. Do you believe that rational decades-old preferential treatment to Finding the money down after that. of Narendra Modi in 2014, with a tight control on food prices kept Brexit voters looking at the mess of the Indians from historically disadvantaged As Modi’s ratings I majority that India hadn’t seen in three farmers from making the sort of profi ts past two years will obviously change or minority communities. His to pay for the dipped during his decades, was that moment. they wanted. The prime minister took their minds? Think again. They may not opponents sought to combat him on his tenure, reform talks Everyone knew there was discontent controversial, indefensible decisions see it with the eyes you do. The Brexit economic platform, or on corruption populist pledges with the status quo; everyone knew like the overnight ban on 86% of Party just won the biggest share of the allegations – but his voters chose not to gave way to populist that Modi was doing well, better India’s cash. And he lost several crucial UK vote in the European Parliament listen to their arguments. Those issues will be the Indian pledges of quotas than anyone had expected before he midterm provincial elections, some elections. Do you think the Democratic simply weren’t what appealed to them prime minister’s for government jobs, became a candidate – but to win an by unusually large margins. Yes, he “blue wave” in the midterms of 2018 in the fi rst place. They liked his vision of income support for unprecedented majority? It meant remained popular, but politics seemed means Trump’s chances of winning re- the country, and so were resolutely deaf that far more Indians than imaginable to be snapping back to normal. election are low? Don’t bet on it. to arguments about anything else. immediate indebted farmers, were willing to trust a leader with so And then came May 23, 2019, If voters can make the wrong choice It turns out that, if you want to fi ght a massive health disquieting a record. when – instead of voting out Modi, once, they can do it again – even nationalist-populists like Modi, you challenge insurance programme Since then, I have seen that feeling of or chastening him by reducing his in the face of objective evidence. can’t treat them like regular politicians. and vows to punish arch-rival Pakistan. shock replicated elsewhere, and often. majority, Indian voters instead rewarded Especially if their fi rst choice has been Nor can you assume away unpalatable In Britain, for example, in the summer him with an even greater majority. His misdiagnosed. If you imagine it was truths about your fellow voters. You Make no mistake, there are pressing challenges facing of 2016, as the country voted narrowly party’s share of the vote jumped by more a protest, or a response to specifi c can’t change their votes by appealing to Modi, right from the start. for Brexit. And again, in the US that fall. than 6%. Instead of seeing his term as a economic circumstances, then listen their pocketbooks, or by big economic The economy is in need of stimulus. Consumer spending After a while, you refuse to believe disappointment, his supporters retained more closely to what your fellow promises, or by excoriating a populist has taken a knock as a crisis among shadow banks curbed what happened. It was special their allegiance – and gained converts. citizens are saying – even if makes you government’s record, because they will circumstances that led to this shock Losing once to the populist might be uncomfortable, because you don’t want always trust such leaders more than lending. Investments have slowed and economists are result, you’re told. Voters who should bad, but you just have to look at India to to believe that’s what they want and they will you. You can’t change how forecasting growth of 6.5% in the three months to March, have known better were carried away realise twice is infi nitely worse. believe. they vote until you change their minds the slowest pace since mid-2017. with anger and enthusiasm, responding Liberals in India weren’t alone in In India, too many liberals came about what sort of country they want to One of the government’s key failures in its fi rst term to a government fl oundering in being shocked in the past fortnight. to the conclusion that Modi won in live in. Only then can you defeat Modi – corruption, or to years of feeling left A few days before Modi’s victory was 2014 just because he promised jobs, or or Trump, or Brexit, or Le Pen. was the lack of job creation, especially for young people. out and ignored by mainstream parties, announced, Australia’s incumbent because the previous government had Questions have for long been raised about Modi’s ability to or to economic policies that didn’t right-wing government – after a been a mess. It made his victory more  Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion fulfi l his 10mn-jobs-a-year, fi rst-term campaign pledge. suffi ciently take their interests into shambolic few years – were returned palatable, more normal. It made our columnist. He was a columnist for the One study put the unemployment rate at a 45-year high account. Voters are sensible, people say; to offi ce, defying opinion polls and country more recognisable. But it was Indian Express and the Business Standard, when they see how their choices aren’t surprising pretty much everybody. A wrong. In fact, Modi promised pride. and he is the author of “Restart: The Last and India will have the world’s biggest labour force by 2027. working out as hoped, they will come predicted swing against them didn’t As his followers saw it, Modi promised Chance for the Indian Economy.” India’s economy is set for a major boost if Modi follows through with key campaign promises following his party’s sweeping election victory. The BJP pledged cash handouts to farmers, $1.44tn to build roads, railways and other infrastructure, a boost to manufacturing, and a doubling in exports. But fi nding the money to pay for the populist pledges will be Modi’s immediate challenge. That means much more dynamic economic reforms, not less. Modi has never disguised his conviction that India needs to promote its Hindu heritage more loudly. In power, he has at least tolerated a rising strain of communal prejudice encouraged by BJP supporters and party offi cials. Modi, one of India’s most polarising politicians, however, talked of inclusion and trust on Saturday. “Whatever religious rituals we follow at home, when we walk out we are only devotees of Mother India,” he said. In his fi rst term, Modi talked about development and growth. In his second, he needs to pick up from where he started in 2014, not where he left off in 2019.

To Advertise [email protected] Display 44466621 44418811 Classified 44466609 44418811 Subscription [email protected]

© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Indian designated Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures during a rally in Ahmedabad on May 26. Gulf Times Wednesday, May 29, 2019 23 COMMENT No, populists haven’t taken over the EU

By Leonid Bershidsky manage to forge some kind of broad Orban will be tempted to join. Bloomberg News alliance, they appear to be falling short In other words, coalition-building of 25% of the 751-seat parliament– the will be a mess – but then, messy coali- cut-off for any serious infl uence on the tions are European trademark. In a espite all the gloomy fore- passage of legislation through parlia- number of key countries, the process casts, Europe’s nationalist mentary committees. now takes months, so why should it be and euroskeptical parties, it For all the eff orts of Italian Interior any diff erent in the European Parlia- Dseems, have failed to make Minister Matteo Salvini and his friend, ment? The centrists need to get used to enough headway in the European Par- former Donald Trump strategist Steve the new reality, in which their support liament election last week to be able to Bannon, to engineer a nationalist wave is divided among a greater number disrupt the legislature’s operation. At in Europe, the movement’s gains look of political forces with more clearly the same time, the higher than usual signifi cant only in Italy itself – and defi ned views than those of the tradi- turnout sends an optimistic message even there Salvini’s League party ap- tional umbrella parties of the centre- about the European project: Voters pears to have won less than 30% of the left and the centre-right. clearly see a purpose to it. vote. The widespread narrative of a And then there is the environmental In that regard, the election showed right-wing takeover of Europe must be imperative. In all but three EU member- that one priority for Europeans is that put to bed now: Far-right power is only states, voter turnout was higher than in the EU tackle climate change: Green a problem in several countries, and it’s the 2014 election, breaking a long decline parties made strong gains in a number hardly unmanageable there. in voter participation. And in some of countries, expanding the environ- In an important sideshow, Poland’s countries – Germany is a prime example mental movement’s representation ruling nationalist party, Law and – much of the additional vote went to in the EU parliament by more than a Justice, appears to have defeated a the Greens. In Germany, the party won a third. broad anti-authoritarian coalition. If strong plurality among people under the Exit polls released on Sunday night confi rmed, that puts a strain on the age of 45, and voters switched to it from show that far-right parties in Ger- coalition, which hoped to ride the all other parties. That’s clear evidence many, Austria, Denmark and Spain momentum from a victory to a strong that Germans – like voters in a number did worse than in these countries’ last showing in the national election in of other important countries, including national elections; in Sweden, Finland the fall. But even as things stand, Law France – see environmental issues as and the Netherlands they failed to and Justice will have diffi culty gaining an important EU purview. Even if other make any signifi cant gains. In France, a majority in that poll – and even an parties have come ahead of the Greens, where Marine Le Pen’s ultranationalist alliance with the far-right Confedera- its a message political leaders can’t party had won a clear victory in the last tion doesn’t get it there, based on exit ignore. European election in 2014, President poll data. An anti-nationalist upset in Overall, the election results show Emmanuel Macron’s Republic on the the election, to be held by November, that the European project is surpris- March appears to have lost to Le Pen’s remains a possibility if the coalition ingly vital despite all the recent chal- National Rally by a hair’s breadth – but can stick together and attract a smaller lenges, including Brexit. The EU is not the Greens’ strong showing gave Le liberal party to its banners. German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with French President Emmanuel Macron prior to a meeting on the sidelines of a on the run from centrifugal, nationalist Pen’s attempts to claim victory a hol- The bad news for Europe’s centrist European Union (EU) summit at EU Commission Headquarters in Brussels yesterday. forces. It’s merely as messy as it might low ring. establishment is that its own showing be expected given the diversity of According to the European Parlia- in the election doesn’t allow for easy tary group, the centre-left Socialists liberals, projected to win 101 seats, ing chip. The Greens are not an easy cultures and interests it encompasses. ment’s own projection based on the coalition-building. The centre-right and Democrats, have suff ered similar with the Greens, expected to win 70 coalition partner for the establishment That wide spectrum may complicate exit polls and partial vote counts, European People’s Party, of which losses, despite some positive surprises seats, or with both. Neither of the two parties – newly empowered, they will decision-making and create an unend- euroskeptics and nationalists were on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s (such as the Labour Party’s plural- big groups – EPP or S&D – can be push for more radical climate action ing string of crises, but around half of course to win 173 seats, compared with Christian Democratic Union is a mem- ity in the Netherlands) and a good excluded if a majority is to emerge. than the EPP or the liberals envis- European voters have spoken up to say 154 in the outgoing parliament. That’s ber, is projected to be the biggest group showing in the Nordic countries. They That’s a problematic setup. The age. The liberals, for their part, will it’s relevant to their lives. a gain, but it’s a weaker showing than in the incoming parliament, as it was were projected to be down to 147 seats smaller centrist parties won’t rubber- be pushing hard for the EPP to expel in preliminary projections. Even if the in the outgoing one, but with 178 seats, from the current 186. This strips the stamp the appointment of Manfred Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime  Leonid Bershidsky is Bloomberg disparate nationalist groups, which down from 217. In Germany itself, EPP/S&D coalition, which dominated Weber, the EPP’s candidate, as presi- Minister Viktor Orban, a sworn enemy Opinion’s Europe columnist. He was the disagree on important issues such Merkel’s party only won a lacklustre the outgoing parliament, of its major- dent of the European Commission, and of liberalism. If the EPP is forced to founding editor of the Russian business as Catalan independence or sanc- plurality, falling below 30% support. ity. They need to build a new coali- there will be tough negotiations with do it, it’ll diminish its infl uence – and daily Vedomosti and founded the opin- tions against Vladimir Putin’s Russia, The second strongest parliamen- tion, perhaps with the pro-business the position turning into a bargain- strengthen the far-right camp, which ion website Slon.ru.

Pelosi’s pragmatism on impeachment may backfi re Three-day forecast TODAY a firm line between politics is, where congressional removal is of on-the-fence voters will hold Maximum Temperature : 430c By Ramesh Ponnuru Minimum Temperature : 300c Bloomberg News and patriotism. But Pelosi permissible but not required. an impeachment attempt against may nonetheless be missing Only in that case could a Democratic candidates). Think THURSDAY something big about the politics of congressman both take the instead about the shape of the Maximum Temperature : 420c ragmatism can lead impeachment. Constitution seriously and weigh campaign. Minimum Temperature : 310c politicians to say the most The Constitution gives Congress the kind of political considerations Presumably the Democratic FRIDAY peculiar things. the power to impeach and remove that seem to be moving Pelosi. presidential nominee isn’t going Maximum Temperature : 420c P Take House Speaker presidents for “high crimes and Those considerations include the to run a typical campaign against Minimum Temperature : 300c misdemeanours,” but the definition imminence of the next presidential an incumbent president, one Nancy Pelosi, who knows that most Fisherman's forecast Democratic voters want President of that term has long been a subject election and the very low probability that rests solely on calling him Donald Trump to be impeached but of dispute. Presumably, it means that Republican senators will vote a failure, opposing his policies in the requisite numbers to convict and disparaging his character. WARNING that the electorate as a whole does something more than “whatever Inshore : Nil not. This combination of political a majority of the House and Trump. The nominee, and much of the facts has led her to make baffling supermajority of the Senate believe Removing Trump from office by a Democratic Party, are instead Offshore : Nil comments. justifies removing a president congressional vote would in practice likely to make a more pointed Inshore : Hot daytime with slight “I think impeachment is too from office.” Otherwise, the require an extraordinary degree of case a major part of the campaign dust at some places good for him,” she said a few weeks Constitution could have dispensed national consensus: a supermajority message: The president is corrupt and some clouds ago. Several days later, she added with the phrase when granting the that is highly unlikely to materialise. and unfit to serve, and that’s why Offshore : Fine to some clouds that “the president is almost self- power. The opposition to Trump could be voters ought to boot him from impeaching.” If you check out the The debate over the term creates much smaller and still defeat him in office. WIND Constitution, you’ll find that self- room for judgment about what November 2020. If Democrats, with votes to spare Inshore : Mainly Northeast- impeaching is ... not really a thing. criteria members of Congress Add in the fear that the less in the House, fail to impeach Trump, erly-05-15 KT By and large, the debate among should use when considering likely route to ending the Trump won’t it undercut that case? Offshrore : Southwesterly-North- Democrats has not centred on impeachment. If different presidency, impeachment, will Picture a presidential debate in westerly 03-10/15 KT whether Trump has committed officeholders can legitimately reach complicate the more likely route, which the Democratic nominee Visibility : 4-8 KM impeachable offences. Even those different judgments about what re-election defeat, and Pelosi’s is taking those hard shots against who are reluctant to impeach seem, constitutes impeachable behaviour preference appears to make sense. Trump. If Democrats don’t impeach Offshore : 1-3/4 FT at least tacitly, to believe that he has. in a president, some presidential The president himself seems more him, Trump will be able to respond: eager to talk about impeachment If your party really believed I was so It has concerned, rather, whether behaviour may fall into a gray zone Around the region acting on that belief is politically in which Congress may reasonably than about his record on health bad, they would have impeached me. Weather wise or morally obligatory. decide to move against a president care, implying that Democrats They didn’t because you’re all just Weather tomorrow Max/min The Democrats on Pelosi’s side but is not obligated in conscience to have available to them more playing political games. today Max/min Sunny 43/25 of the argument say it is neither do so. politically potent lines of attack That’s what Trump will be able to Baghdad Sunny 43/24 Sunny 44/30 of those things. Other Democrats, That’s a reasonable account of the against him than those that rely say, and he will not be wrong. Kuwait CityM Sunny 44/31 M Sunny 40/31 such as Representative Steve congressional power to impeach, on co-ordination with Russia or Manama Sunny 40/31 M Sunny 39/32 Cohen of Tennessee, bitterly and something like it has to be true obstruction of justice.  Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Muscat M Sunny 38/32 M Sunny 30/18 disagree, suggesting that political for Pelosi’s apparent position – that But Pelosi may not be fully Opinion columnist. He is a senior Tehran Sunny 32/19 considerations would not move a Trump deserves impeachment (or accounting for how impeachment editor at National Review, visiting patriot to hesitate to move forward worse!) but Congress should decline would affect the 2020 election. fellow at the American Enterprise with impeachment. to deliver it – to have any merit. Forget, for a minute, the polls (which Institute and contributor to CBS Cohen is wrong to draw such Trump has to be in that zone, that in any case don’t show that a lot News.

Live issues

Around the world Cirrhosis, cancer risks higher with fatty liver Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens Sunny 28/17 Sunny 31/18 By Will Boggs MD Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease the researchers found people with little as six months after a diagnosis of Beirut Sunny 30/25 Sunny 31/24 Reuters Health (NAFLD) has become the most NAFLD or NASH were almost five NASH. Bangkok S T Storms 33/27 S T Storms 33/27 common type of liver disease times more likely than people with “The fact that patients acquired a Berlin P Cloudy 18/06 P Cloudy 23/13 worldwide. Well known causes of healthy livers to develop cirrhosis diagnosis of cirrhosis or HCC within Cairo Sunny 40/22 M Sunny 41/22 atty liver disease that’s not NAFLD include obesity, diabetes, lipid and 3.5 times more likely to develop a few years of being diagnosed with Cape Town P Cloudy 22/12 M Sunny 18/13 related to alcohol use is linked disorders, and infl ammatory bowel liver cancer. NAFLD/NASH (suggests) that patients Colombo S T Storms 31/26 S T Storms 30/26 with an increased risk of disease. Compared to people with NAFLD are being diagnosed late in the disease Dhaka P Cloudy 36/27 S T Storms 34/27 Fcirrhosis and liver cancer, People with NAFLD who already or NASH and mild liver fi brosis, those course,” Alazawi said. Hong Kong S T Storms 24/23 S T Storms 25/24 especially in people with diabetes, have scar tissue (like fi brosis) are with high-risk liver fi brosis were more “Knowing that diabetes is an Istanbul Sunny 28/18 Sunny 27/18 according to a large study from known to be at higher risk for than 33 times more likely to develop independent predictor of cirrhosis and Jakarta P Cloudy 35/25 S T Storms 33/25 Europe. progressing to cirrhosis (advanced cirrhosis and 25 times more likely liver cancer is very important from Karachi Sunny 34/28 Sunny 35/28 “We probably need a more scarring that makes it diffi cult or to develop liver cancer, according to a clinical point of view, as it helps us London M Cloudy 17/14 Cloudy 23/13 systematic way of detecting the liver impossible for the liver to function) the May 20th BMC Medicine online focus eff orts to fi nd patients who may Manila S T Storms 35/27 S T Storms 35/27 disease in patients at risk so we can and liver cancer. report. benefi t from intervention,” Alazawi Moscow P Cloudy 29/18 P Cloudy 29/16 prevent progression,” Dr William Dr Alazawi’s team studied data on Among people with NAFLD or said. New Delhi Sunny 44/28 Sunny 44/29 Alazawi from Barts Liver Centre and 18 million Europeans, to investigate NASH, those with diabetes were more “Liver disease can progress New York S T Storms 25/17 S T Storms 27/16 the University of London told Reuters the odds that people with NAFLD than twice as likely as those without ‘silently’ to advanced stages,” he Paris Cloudy 20/13 Cloudy 21/13 Health by e-mail. “This involves or NASH (a worse stage of NAFLD diabetes to develop liver cirrhosis or said, “and people with diabetes are at Sao Paulo Cloudy 24/17 M Cloudy 27/20 raising awareness of liver disease with liver inflammation and damage) cancer. increased risk. This reminds doctors Seoul Sunny 26/12 Cloudy 26/14 among patients and their doctors and would develop cirrhosis or liver Overall, about half of the patients to consider assessing the liver as they Singapore T Storm 31/27 S T Storms 31/27 also making the most of the blood cancer. who developed cirrhosis did so within review people with diabetes and also Sydney Cloudy 18/07 Sunny 16/08 tests and scans that currently exist in After accounting for age, two or three years after their NAFLD encourages patients to look at lifestyle, Tokyo Rain 28/19 Clear 28/17 people who we know are at risk.” smoking, and body mass index, was fi rst diagnosed and within as and losing weight.” Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, May 29, 2019 QATAR

Volunteers attended training sessions at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) ahead of the Volunteers from Qatar and the region contributed to the successful running of various operations at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah. match on May 16. Volunteers from Qatar, region helped deliver Amir Cup fi nal

QNA “As a Qatari, it was great to see so many edge, managing relationships, Doha understanding and appreciating nationalities at a local match and it the need to be fl exible. Like in made me wonder how amazing it will most events like this, sometimes ore than 1,000 vol- there are last minute adjust- unteers from Qatar be in 2022 when there are nationalities ments so you have to be adapt- Mand across the region from across the globe” able and be able to think on your helped ensure the Amir Cup fi - feet.” nal, the fi rst match to be played standing FIFA World Cup in ence and occasions like this give Latifa al-Darwish, from Qa- at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wak- three years’ time. “Our huge us the opportunity to put our tar, said: “The atmosphere and rah City, was a tremendous suc- thanks to each and every vol- training into practice and ensure the vibe inside the stadium was cess. unteer, they all displayed great we and our volunteers are well better than I expected. It felt like Ahead of the game on May commitment and enthusiasm,” prepared.” it is was a once-in-a-lifetime 16, volunteers attended training said al-Emadi. For the volunteers themselves, experience. sessions at the Supreme Com- “We have more milestones to it was an unforgettable night, “Before the event, more than mittee for Delivery & Legacy come this year and many more with the launch of the second 1,000 volunteers seemed like (SC) to ensure they were well on the road to 2022 and I look Qatar 2022 tournament venue a lot, but when we were in the prepared for the match regard- forward to our volunteers con- stoking their excitement ahead stadium, you realise it’s not that ed as a milestone on the road to tinuing to play an important role of world football’s premier event many when there are 40,000 2022. throughout the delivery of these heading to these shores. spectators! Also, as a Qatari, it On the night, volunteers milestones.” Mgdeldin Mohamed, from was great to see so many na- contributed to the successful Al-Emadi said the SC re- Qatar, said: “The night ex- tionalities at a local match and running of various operations, mained committed to engaging ceeded my expectations to be it made me wonder how amaz- including event management, both local and regional volun- volunteering at an event where ing it will be in 2022 when there hospitality, marketing, com- teers in the lead-up to 2022. His Highness the Amir Sheikh are nationalities from across the For the volunteers, it was an unforgettable night, with the launch of the second Qatar 2022 tournament munications, audience man- “It is important to engage vol- Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is globe.” she added. venue stoking their excitement ahead of world football’s premier event heading to these shores. agement, security and medical unteers in these early stages. It present and the FIFA President Hundreds of volunteers trav- services. not only gives them a glimpse Gianni Infantino, you just feel elled to Qatar especially for the new stadium and to have this is incredible.” Mashal Abdullah, More than 265,000 people The SC’s Community Engage- of what to expect in 2022 but like your hard work has paid off . game, which provided a mem- opportunity to participate. from Kuwait, said: “I am so hap- from across the world have so ment Manager Mead al-Emadi also prepares them and us for I would love to do this again.” orable experience. Zahir al- “I saw Qatar play and win in py to be a part of this huge and far registered their interest in praised the volunteers and said the exciting challenges ahead. Mohamed added: “Volunteer- Ismaili, from Oman, said: “As the AFC tournament earlier this important event and to be rep- joining the SCs volunteering they would play a vital role in They are a key part of helping ing here has added a lot to my someone from a nearby country, year and that was historical, resenting my country on such a programme and supporting our helping Qatar deliver an out- us deliver a smooth fan experi- experience in terms of knowl- I am very proud to be here at the now to be a part of this history historical occasion.” eff orts on the road to 2022.

QRCS volunteers reach out with charity visits

ince the beginning of the Khulaifi , head of Volunteers Sec- holy month of Ramadan, tion at QRCS, said, “Such char- Sthe volunteers of Qatar Red ity visits are a good tradition of Crescent Society (QRCS) have QRCS, as part of its socio-psy- been working hard to serve so- chological support programmes ciety members, with a series of for vulnerable groups such as visits to diff erent locations, as patients, older persons, and or- well as distribution of Iftar meals phans. It is a thank-you message to those present at the time of for the workers who dedicate Maghreb, with an average of themselves to their jobs. Only 1,000 per day. with their eff orts can we live nor- There are 13 visits on the mally. We do care for everyone in schedule, involving 20-30 vol- this country.” unteers of QRCS. Some organi- Al-Khulaifi praised the great sations will take part in the pro- eff orts exerted by the volunteers gramme, including the General in carrying out QRCS’s diff er- Administration of Traffi c, Soul ent social programmes. “This is Riders Qatar, and other youth Traff ic Department personnel greeting a QRCS off icial. particularly evident during the groups. Among the locations to holy month of Ramadan, when be visited are Katara Cultural Vil- tion Institute, Al Wakra Hospital, will be engaged in distributing they perform many tasks such lage, Souq Waqif, Souq Al Wak- and the General Administration the Iftar meals, under the Young as managing Iftar tents, making Snapshots from the Ooredoo visit to Ehsan Centre. rah, Al Khor. of Traffi c. A group Iftar banquet Volunteer programme. The Ga- visits to hospitals and services Some services institutions was held for seniors at the Center rangao was celebrated at a pri- organisations, distributing Iftar that work 24/7 are also included, for Empowerment and Elderly mary school, in co-operation meals on the run and at sightsee- such as the General Directorate Care (Ehsan). Under the Joy Box with the Orphan Care Center ing locations, and receiving the of Civil Defence, Hamad Medical initiative, Eid gifts will be dis- (Dreama). seekers of Ramadan and seasonal Ooredoo surprises elderly Corporation, Qatar Rehabilita- tributed to children. Students In a statement, Ahmed A al- assistance.” residents of Ehsan Centre in Ramadan CSR initiative

oredoo has an- gifts and thanked the Cen- to undertake activities that nounced that teams tre’s staff for their hard work demonstrate our support in Oof volunteers paid a and dedication throughout practical ways. surprise visit to Ehsan Cen- the year. “We are committed to tre For Empowerment and Speaking about the ongo- supporting all sectors of our Elderly Care as part of its on- ing Ramadan CSR activity community, and this activ- going Ramadan CSR activity schedule and the visit to the ity was the ideal way for us schedule. elderly, Manar Khalifa al- to show our gratitude to, and “Teams of our volunteers Muraikhi – director of PR appreciation and respect for, visited the centre, spend- and Corporate Communica- our elders. “Spending time ing time with the elderly tions at Ooredoo – said: “A with them at the Ehsan Cen- residents before undertak- major part of our corporate tre was a great privilege in- ing a schedule of activi- social responsibility sched- deed.” Ooredoo will continue ties arranged for after Iftar,” ule is supporting the com- with its schedule of CSR ac- the company said in a press munities in which we oper- tivities until the end of Ram- statement. ate, and this special time adan and Eid, the statement A group of young volunteers who are supporting the QRCS initiative. Volunteers also distributed of the year is perfect for us adds.