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WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXX No. 11142 April 3, 2019 Rajab 27, 1440 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Blockade a turning point for region’s geopolitics:FM O Siege will serve no purpose O Talks the only way forward

QNA residents, adding that the state appre- Doha ciates the valuable contributions of its diverse society and the role it continues to play in the future development of the E the Deputy Prime Minister country. and Minister of Foreign Aff airs HE Deputy Prime Minister and HSheikh Mohamed bin Abdul- Minister of Foreign Aff airs said he rahman al-Thani said the unjust block- was proud of Georgetown University ade imposed on Qatar has constituted a in Qatar, which has graduated more turning point for the geopolitical situ- than 440 graduates so far, including ation in the entire region, stressing that 12 graduates working for the Ministry HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani and a number of ministers during the meeting with private sector the only way forward is the negotiation of Foreign Aff airs, who are part of the representatives and businessmen. table. team that worked during the blockade. HE the Minister said this will only HE the Minister praised the diversity happen when these (blockading) coun- of Georgetown campus in Qatar, which tries realise that the blockade will not currently houses more than 50 diff er- In brief be the way to achieve their goals, or to ent nationalities. remove their fears, regardless of their In response to the audience’s ques- PM assures private sector defi nition. tions about the future of the Gulf Co- QATAR | Offi cial In an open conversation hosted by operation Council (GCC), HE Sheikh Amir to meet Italian Georgetown University yesterday on Mohamed underscored the impor- prime minister today ‘the priorities of Qatar’s foreign and tance of the council as a framework of government support economic policies, and the future of for regional co-operation and coex- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim Qatari relations with the countries of istence. bin Hamad al-Thani will meet Italian the world’, HE the Foreign Minister HE the Foreign Minister answered a Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at QNA He highlighted the achievements, sustainable development. addressed the successful strategies number of questions regarding the fu- the Amiri Diwan today. The Amir Doha the initiatives launched to support HE the Prime Minister stressed that adopted by Qatar to ensure national ture of the energy sector, seeking new will discuss with him the relations the private sector and the government the promotion of development and security and alleviate the human suf- security arrangements based on co- of friendship and co-operation measures implemented to enhance sustainable economic growth, which fering of the blockade. He said Qatar operation, and the impact of Georget- between the two countries and ways E the Prime Minister and Min- the investment environment in gen- the state aspires to, is a joint respon- would not have been able to face and own’s international aff airs curriculum to develop them, besides discussing ister of Interior Sheikh Abdul- eral, in order to open new horizons for sibility of the government and the pri- overcome the challenges without the on building human capital in Qatar. issues of common concern. Conte Hlah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al- the Qatari private sector and attract vate sector. internal support from citizens and To Page 7 arrived in Doha yesterday evening Thani held an extensive meeting with more foreign investments in various He also highlighted the importance on an off icial visit to Qatar. He and a number of representatives of the pri- sectors. of furthering the partnership between his accompanying delegation were vate sector and businessmen yesterday HE Sheikh Abdullah also discussed the two parties to achieve the eco- welcomed upon arrival at the airport evening. the initiatives launched by the state nomic aspirations and strategic goals among others by HE the Minister Discussions during the meeting to attract investments and encourage of Qatar National Vision 2030. of Commerce and Industry Ali bin dealt with economic and development entrepreneurs to contribute to inno- For their part, the businessmen Ahmed al-Kuwari. Page 4 issues as well as the role of business- vative industrial sectors, as well as the raised some issues that would help men in supporting the State’s eco- nature of the incentives and facilities develop the private sector, drive eco- AFRICA | Diplomacy nomic growth. provided by the government in this nomic growth and increase co-ordi- HE the Prime Minister stressed the regard. nation and co-operation between the Amir sends greetings government’s keenness to implement He added that Qatar has been keen public and private sectors. to Senegal’s president the directives of His Highness the to create an attractive investment HE the Prime Minister concluded HE the Minister of State Dr Hamad Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- environment through modernising by stressing the need to conduct such bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari represented Thani on boosting economic growth legislative and legal frameworks, fa- meetings periodically between the Qatar at the inauguration ceremony in the country by providing the appro- cilitating procedures for investors and public and private sectors and form of Senegalese President Macky Sall priate environment for diversifi cation enhancing confi dence in the business a technical committee from some of in Dakar yesterday. He met with of the economy, attracting domestic environment, in addition to providing the entities concerned in the State and President Sall and conveyed to him and foreign investments and enhanc- advanced infrastructure as the basis businessmen to follow up on the im- greetings of His Highness the Amir ing partnership with the private sector for the continuation of growth and de- plementation of these decisions. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to support development trends, in the velopment in all sectors, and one of the The meeting was attended by a HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in open conversation hosted by wishing him success. light of Qatar National Vision 2030. requirements of comprehensive and number of ministers. Georgetown University yesterday. Over 2,200 to attend IPU Doha meet QP awards contracts for LNG expansion project By Ayman Adly HE al-Mahmoud said Qatar is a ated the standpoint of His Highness Staff Reporter peace-loving country and it wishes the Amir that Qatar is willing to take atar Petroleum has awarded a trains in Ras Laff an Industrial City to the good of all with the various in- any initiative to resolve the GCC crisis, number of contracts related to a joint venture between Consolidated ternational initiatives it has launched provided the country’s sovereignty and Qthe country’s LNG expansion Contractors Company (CCC) and Tey- he upcoming 140th Inter-Par- for education. Accordingly, the main independence are respected. project designed to enhance its capa- seer Trading and Contracting Company. liamentary Union (IPU) Assem- theme of the Doha event ‘Parliaments The Federal Assembly of Russia bilities by increasing LNG production In his speech, al-Kaabi said: “We Tbly in Doha will see the largest as platforms to enhance education (Duma) has confi rmed its participa- capacity from 77mn to 110mn tonnes a are in the tendering phase for eight participation of delegates in the his- for peace, security and the rule of tion with the attendance of its chair- year by 2024. rigs for the development drilling. The tory of its meetings outside the main law’ was selected in co-ordination man, which refl ects the deep ties The contracts were announced by Front End Engineering and Design of headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. with IPU Chairman and its General between Qatar and Russia, he said. HE the Minister of State for Energy Af- the Onshore Facilities with Chiyoda The 140th IPU Assembly will be held Secretariat. It reflects the strong will Besides, there will be considerable fairs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, who is will be completed in the next few days. in Doha from April 6-10. of the country in promoting educa- participation from the parliaments of also President and CEO of QP, during The main Invitations to Tenders for the HE the Advisory Council Speaker HE the Speaker of the Advisory tion and the rule of law as the main Latin America. the 19th International Conference & Engineering, Procurement and Con- Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mah- Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin drivers of peace and development in HE al-Mahmoud explained that Exhibition on Liquefi ed Natural Gas in struction of the Onshore Facilities will moud yesterday said the number of con- Zaid al-Mahmoud addressing a press the world. the event will include both closed and Shanghai (LNG2019). be issued before the end of this month.” fi rmed participants so far has reached conference in Doha yesterday. Regarding the participation of the open meetings with various groups, Al-Kaabi announced awarding the “In a few weeks, qualifi ed ship yards 2,271 from more than 160 countries. countries of the blockade (Saudi Ara- categorised according to the region fabrication and installation of the off - will be invited to participate in a ten- Among them are 80 heads of diff erent they described as the ‘smart diplomacy bia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt), he said such as the Latin American Group, the shore jackets to McDermott; and the der for the provision of LNG ship con- world parliaments. He said this excellent of Qatar’, under the wise leadership of invitations have been sent out but only Asian Group, the Arab Group, the Afri- contract for early site works required struction slots for the LNG shipping participation refl ects the confi dence of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim Egypt has confi rmed its participation can and European Group, among other to prepare the site of the four new 8mn fl eet required for the LNG expansion the world’s parliament leaders in what bin Hamad al-Thani. with an offi cial delegation. He reiter- interrelated groups. To Page 7 tonnes per year (mtpy) LNG mega- project,” he added. To Page 7 Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 QATAR Qatar-Oman bilateral ties reviewed Ashghal signs MoU with British institute

QNA Doha

he Public Works Author- ity Ashghal has signed a TMemorandum of Under- HE the Minister of State for Foreign Aff airs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi met a delegation from Oman standing with the Chartered In- headed by the Acting Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Aff airs, Dr Mohamed stitute of Building (CIOB). bin Awadh al-Hassan, in Doha yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations This agreement aims to between the two countries and means of enhancing them and promoting the prospects for mutual achieve one of Ashghal’s key co-operation, in addition to matters of common concern. corporate objectives, which is to develop the capabilities of its employees, through utilising the services of CIOB towards the Qatar takes ongoing career development of Off icials of Ashghal, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and other dignitaries at the signing part in GCC Ashghal employees in the fi eld of ceremony. Scientists discuss Gulf marine construction, engineering and panel meeting asset management. conferences, forums, seminars, human resources and employee to promote diverse educational The MoU aims to enhance mu- publications and educational potentials. programmes that support their Qatar participated in the 19th environment at QU conference tual co-operation, and benefi t materials, as well as awareness- He added that he was pleased mission and vision,” said Presi- meeting of the ministerial from the resources of both enti- raising activities on sustainabil- to sign a memorandum of under- dent of the CIOB Chris Soff e. committee on follow-up to the ties by sharing experiences in ed- ity in the built environment. standing with the Chartered In- He pointed out that the mem- implementation of resolutions QNA the marine environment in the ucation, training and promotion. Infrastructure Aff airs Director stitute of Building to enhance the orandum promotes the devel- concerning the joint action Doha Arabian Gulf, as well as the risks This is in addition to focusing at Ashghal Engineer Mohamed mutual co-operation between the opment of staff and raises their of the GCC, held yesterday in they face as a result of the human on the importance of managing Masoud al-Marri said that Ash- two parties in many fi elds of edu- competencies through special- Muscat. The delegation of the activities resulting from urban infrastructure projects with the ghal is keen on strengthening cation, and joint research projects ised training courses. State of Qatar participating in number of scientists development in the region, as highest professional effi ciency. the co-operation and partner- which contribute to raising the ef- The Chartered Institute of the meeting, is headed by HE and researchers at Qatar well as the exploration of oil re- The MoU is designed to en- ship with all professional insti- fi ciency of workers in implement- Building is a UK-based world- Secretary-General of the Cabinet AUniversity are discuss- sources in the Gulf waters. able the Public Works Authority tutions, both local and inter- ing high quality projects imple- wide professional body that rep- Hamad bin Ahmed al-Mohannadi. ing the marine environment in The conference also seeks to and the Chartered Institute of national, to implement further mented by the authority. resents construction and prop- the Gulf region, the threats to study the extreme climatic con- Building to collaborate for the capacity building programmes “We are proud to work closely erty professionals who work Foreign ministry endangered marine species and ditions of high temperatures, low organisation of events such as and competencies to enhance with the Public Works Authority within the built environment. ways to protect and preserve this rainfall and sand and dust storms holds workshop environment in the light of sus- in the region in recent decades, tainable development plans. which have aff ected many marine The Human Rights Department The conference brings together species such as coral reefs, sea- of the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs researchers from universities, in- grass, turtles and seabirds, as well Awqaf ministry organises 17 convoys in April organised a workshop entitled stitutions and companies within as marine micro-organisms that ‘Qatar’s reporting obligations under Qatar, as well as researchers from represent the cornerstone of the its accession to the International Oman, Kuwait, Iran, Britain, Amer- biological system. he Ministry of Endow- organisation of religious lec- Covenant on Civil and Political ica and Canada. The conference is Participants in the three-day ments (Awqaf) and Is- tures and the distribution of re- Rights and the International organised by the Environmental research conference will focus Tlamic Aff airs yesterday ligious leafl ets explaining what Covenant on Economic, Social and Science Centre at Qatar University on studying the components of launched its fi rst religion convoy the Muslim needs in his daily Cultural Rights”. The workshop with the support of Qatar National the marine environment in the for April, as part of a programme worship practices. The convoys was held in co-operation with the Research Fund, ExxonMobil Re- Gulf, the biological and environ- run by the Religious Calls and coincide with the preparation United Nations Human Rights search Qatar and Total. mental specifi cations of locally Guidance Department. This of the programmes for the holy Training and Documentation The conference aims at shed- threatened marine species and month will have 17 convoys, four month of Ramadan, when the Centre for South-West Asia and the ding light on the important ma- the current major threats to local days a week in the evening. convoys will address varied and Arab Region in Doha. rine biomes that characterise marine biodiversity. The programme includes the important issues. - QNA The faithful attending a religious lecture in a mosque.

Hearty Welcome to the State of Qatar

Mr. Giuseppe Conte His Excellency the Prime Minister of Italy and his accompanying Delegation.

We also extend Greetings to the Italian Embassy Doha VU[OLVJJHZPVUVM[OLPUH\N\YH[PVUVMP[ZUL^6MÄJLWYLTPZLZ at Al Fardan Tower, West Bay. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 3

The Emergency Response Learning Workshop was co-designed by QFFD and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. QFFD workshop shines light on humanitarian crises

QNA several local and interna- humanitarian work across mented: “Organisations Doha tional organisations shared various geographies, and from Qatar have made valu- their views on the strategic actively supports popula- able contributions to several and programmatic aspects tions facing wars, confl icts global health and develop- he Qatar Fund for De- of the humanitarian aid sec- or natural disasters through ment initiatives that focus velopment (QFFD) tor, as well as operational cash and in-kind contribu- on improving the quality of Tyesterday concluded experiences from the fi eld tions. life for millions of people a two-day knowledge-ex- and the challenges of al- “The Qatar Fund For De- around the world, espe- change workshop in Doha, locating resources between velopment seeks to enhance cially in the areas of greatest which focused on develop- strategic needs and un- its emergency response need. Today’s emergency ing innovative solutions to planned crises. capabilities by leveraging response learning workshop address humanitarian crises, Innovation within a hu- innovative humanitarian has been a great way to share and exchange of knowledge manitarian context was the mechanism and integrat- strategic and program- and experience in this area. core theme of the workshop, ing the global humanitar- matic views within the hu- The Emergency Response and each organisation pre- ian system. This workshop manitarian system, identify Learning Workshop was sented case studies of suc- is an excellent opportunity to promising areas that could co-designed by QFFD and cessful implementation of share experiences and learn- benefi t from innovation, the Bill and Melinda Gates innovation and highlighted ings in the humanitarian fi eld and develop a framework for Foundation and was at- areas of existing need. The between Qatari NGOs and working together to advance tended by over 30 repre- workshop featured a focus institutions, and interna- our shared goals.” sentatives from a selection on digital fi nancial services tional organisations, to share This emergency learning of charities, educational to help empower poor com- experiences and learn from workshop is part of an on- institutions, and interna- munities, as well as innova- each other’s experiences, going commitment by the tional organisations based tions in water, sanitation, thereby contributing to the Gates Foundation to collab- in Doha, including Qatar and health programmes. enhancement of all our ca- orate with regional partners Charity, Qatar Red Crescent The Deputy Director pabilities and enhancing our to address the humanitar- Society, Education Above General for Development ability to achieve our mis- ian and refugee crises in the All; Silatech, Regulatory Projects at the Qatar Fund sion and noble humanitarian world. The foundation is fo- Authority for Charitable For Development Misfer al- goals”. cusing on investing in inno- Activities, Ministry of For- Shahwani said: “Through Dr Valerie Nkamgang vative programmes with the eign Aff airs, and other in- its Government institutions Bemo, who leads the Gates potential to catalyse positive ternational institutions. and NGOs, the State of Qa- Foundations global human- change for communities af- Offi cials and experts from tar is a key contributor to itarian programme, com- fected by displacement. Gulf Times 4 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 QATAR Italian premier to meet Amir today Occupational Safety and he Prime Minister of permanent showcase of ‘Made Italy, Giuseppe Conte, in Italy’ products and Italian Twho is on an offi cial contemporary art. visit to Doha, will meet at the In addition, thanks to an Amiri Diwan today His High- agreement with a Qatari com- ness the Amir Sheikh Tamim pany, the embassy of Italy Health Conference held bin Hamad al-Thani, HE the regularly recycles wastepa- Prime Minister Sheikh Ab- per to enhance responsible aunching of Occupational dullah bin Nasser bin Kha- behaviour in the workplace Safety and Health Con- lifa al-Thani, HE the Deputy and implement environmen- Lference for the month of Prime Minister and Minister tally-friendly procedures in March was held yesterday under of Foreign Aff airs Sheikh Mo- daily activities. The embassy the title “Working together for hammed bin Abdulrahman al- of Italy in Qatar is part of occupational safety and health”. Thani and other members of the “green” network of Ital- The conference was organised the government and offi cials. ian embassies and consulates under the patronage of the Min- In a statement, the Italian around the world. istry of Public Health (MoPH), embassy announced that af- During the opening cer- and in co-operation with the ter the institutional meetings, emony at the embassy of Italy, Ministry of Administrative De- the prime minister will visit Dr Alessandro Masi, the secre- velopment, Labour and Social the recently-opened National tary-general of Società Dante Aff airs in addition to the sup- Off icials at the Occupational Safety and Health Conference. Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) Alighieri - an Italian non- port of the International Labour where he will be welcomed by profi t organisation whose goal Organisation (ILO). holders in order to unite their tional illnesses, in addition to The key members will lead each During the conference, a panel Qatar Museums acting CEO is to foster the diff usion of the The events pertain to the eff orts to improve occupational policies, strategies and compre- of these initiatives considering discussion took place under the Dr Ahmad Musa al-Namla, Italian culture and language fi eld of occupational health and health and safety in Qatar as well hensive plans for occupational the most important elements of title (A joint eff ort between vari- and NMoQ director Sheikha abroad - will announce, in the safety in both governmental and as to take a step forward in im- safety and health in order to re- health and safety such as data, ous sectors to enhance occupa- Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jas- presence of Prime Minister private sectors. plementing the plans of the Na- duce work-related traumatic regulations, awareness of the tional health and safety in Qatar sim al-Thani. Conte, the creation in Qatar of HE the Assistant Minister of tional Health Strategy related to fatalities and accidents. These workforce and tools of workers. “healthy and safe employees”) During his visit in Doha, a local committee formed by Health Aff airs at MoPH, Dr Saleh employees and build health and procedures will ensure that all She mentioned that they will pay with the participation of con- the Italian prime minister will Italian citizens based in Doha al-Marri, said that Qatar pays safety education in workplaces. institutions will comply with the special attention to the most vul- sultative members from the Na- also visit the new DECC Metro to promote cultural and learn- a great attention to employee’s Mohammed Hassan al-Obaid- rules and provisions stipulated in nerable workers like craftsmen. tional Health Strategy’s priority Station, built by the Italian ing activities. health and safety. ly, assistant undersecretary at the laws and regulations which Houtan Homayounpour, di- population group “Healthy and company Salini Impregilo At the end of his visit to He noted that “healthy and the Ministry of Administrative regulate occupational safety and rector, ILO offi ce in Qatar, said, Safe Employees,” from related along with other Italian enter- Doha, Conte will go to LuLu safe employees” have been cho- Development, Labour and Social health in Qatar. “The ILO is happy to support entities. prises, including Italiana Cos- Hypermarket in Al Messila, sen to be one of the seven pri- Aff airs, confi rmed that celebrat- Dr Asma al-Nuaimi, a Nation- the joint eff orts of the Ministry The panel discussed several truzioni and iGuzzini. where he will offi cially open ority population groups in the ing the launching of ‘occupa- al Leader in the National Health of Administrative Development, key topics including priority On the occasion of offi cial the fi rst permanent corner National Health Strategy 2018- tional safety and health month’ Strategy, made a presentation Labour and Social Aff airs, the planning “Healthy and Safe em- visit, Conte will inaugurate of 100% Italian products 2022, to develop a better under- and the related activities, con- on the priority of “healthy and Ministry of Public Health, and ployees” and 2022 FIFA World the new premises of the Italian by Coldiretti, the main in- standing of occupational health tribute to raising the employees’ safe employees” in the National other national stakeholders to Cup, prevention and well-being, embassy, located at Alfardan stitutional agricultural or- in Qatar and promote healthy awareness in all sectors towards Health Strategy. develop a national policy on OSH occupational health and safety Offi ce Tower, where he will ganisation comprising a lifestyles for employees. occupational safety and health She highlighted the great ef- with the aim to prevent occupa- management system/ policy and greet the personnel of the em- large number of associates Dr al-Marri stressed the im- and promote prevention of occu- forts of the task forces to improve tional accidents and injuries. It is guidelines, integrated care of bassy, representatives of the in Italy and Europe. Thanks portance of acting in a proactive pational accidents and diseases. the health and safety of employ- not only the adoption of a policy skilled workers and craft work- main Italian companies based to an agreement between manner to maintain employees’ He pointed out that the MoPH, ees, some local and international that is important, but also the ers, in addition to engaging em- in Qatar and the Italian mili- LuLu and Coldiretti, 10 more health at work and delivering the and the Ministry of Administra- indicators, and main fi ndings of process of its formulation, and ployers and their commitment, tary personnel in service at Al 100% Italian products cor- necessary services for employees tive Development, Labour and the primary survey of occupa- its subsequent implementation and furthering the knowledge Udeid Air base. ners will open in Qatar in to maintain their physical and Social Aff airs have set goals for tional safety and health. and periodic review. This collab- and behaviour of the workforce. Thanks to the sponsorship all LuLu hypermarkets and psychological wellness. co-operation between them that She explained that the prior- oration is the engine driving for- The celebration of the Oc- of leading Italian design com- in a total of 150 LuLu out- He valued the great eff orts on include; setting a unifi ed data ity of “healthy and safe employ- ward eff orts to create a safe and cupational Safety and Health panies the new offi ce of the lets across the world, the the establishment of a working base for work-related traumatic ees” is based on seven initiatives healthy working environment for month will continue throughout embassy is intended to be a statement added. group which involves key stake- injuries, fatalities, and occupa- in the National Health Strategy. all workers across Qatar.” the month. (QNA)

Live show, public events to mark Some lanes of Corniche Street, Al Rumaila DHFC anniversary celebrations Area to be closed for one month oha Festival City (DHFC) is all set The excitement will continue with live to celebrate its second anniversary parades throughout this month, with the Dthis Friday with a series of public fi rst taking place on April 12 and 13, and he Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced activities starting with a live performance the next on April 19 and 20, at 3.30pm, closure of some lanes of Al Corniche Street and Al by Iraqi singer Rahma Riyad at 7.30pm, 6.30pm, and 8pm, for the mall’s visitors TRumaila Area from tomorrow for one month. followed by a giant cake, confetti cannons, to enjoy. The closure is aimed at allowing works of connecting cupcakes for shoppers and giveaways. “I am very excited to be part of the Doha the new Treated Sewage Effl uent line with the old one. The The live performance will take place at Festival City celebration. I am looking for- connecting works are initiated as part of the improvement the Centre Court, free of charge, for eve- ward to meeting my fans and celebrating works for roundabouts and junctions in various areas of ryone to enjoy the performance by Rah- the mall’s second-year anniversary. It is Greater Doha, a statement by Ashghal said. ma, who is famous for her hit song Waed defi nitely the best mall in Qatar with the A 150m stretch will be closed from one of the lanes that Menni. She will sing a number of her other best range of shops,” said Rahma. are dedicated for the left turn at the Qatar National Theatre most-loved songs as well. “It’s been an amazing two years’ jour- Intersection heading from Al Corniche Street to Moham- In a press statement, DHFC said its ney. This anniversary celebration is to med Bin Thani Street. management and visitors will mark mark the day and celebrate with the peo- A 300m stretch of the left lane of Al Bidda Street (Majliss the celebration with an anniversary ple of Qatar for being their preferred shop- Al Taawon Street) will be also closed. This lane is located cake-cutting, accompanied by glittery ping, dining and entertainment mall. We after Wadi Al Sail Intersection towards Al Diwan Al Amiri. confetti showers and a distribution of thank them for their support and look for- In addition to these, 200m of one of the lanes turning bespoke cupcakes and goodie bags. A ward to welcoming everyone to join us this left at Wadi Al Sail Intersection from Mohammed Bin Thani photo booth will also be set up for visi- Friday, April 5, at 7.30pm,” said May Mar- Street to Al Bidda Street will be also closed. tors to take pictures and participate in zooq, senior marketing manager – Doha Ashghal will install road signs advising motorists of the the experience. Festival City. closure. Ashghal has requested all road users to abide by the speed limit of 50 km/hour and follow the road signs in order to ensure safety.

Palestinian historian Thundershowers delivers talk at QNL forecast in some areas he rainy spell continues ing intensity - on social media enowned Palestinian historian, in the country as the channels. Suhad Kulaibo, yesterday deliv- TMet department has The showers are in line with Rered an insightful lecture at Qatar said thundershowers are ex- the earlier forecast by the National Library (QNL), highlighting the pected in some places today. department that unsettled history of the ancient city of Jerusalem. Thundery rain has also been weather conditions are ex- The lecture off ered a panoramic his- forecast in some off shore areas pected in the country until the torical overview of the emergence of today along with strong winds weekend due to the deepening the city, and its foundation over 7,000 and high seas. of a low-pressure system over years ago by tribes migrating from the Doha and other parts of the the region. Arabian Peninsula. country experienced thun- Today’s detailed forecast Mohamed Shaaban, an attendee derstorms since last evening, says the wind speed may go at the lecture, said: “It was a really marked by spells of lightning up to 25 knots off shore during informative lecture and the author and rain, prompting the au- thundershowers, with the sea shared interesting information about Suhad Kulaibo speaking at QNL. thorities concerned to issue level rising to 8ft. the history of Jerusalem. It is always safety tips to be followed dur- It will be cloudy in these refreshing to gain new information “I am very proud and thankful to Qa- ing rainy weather. places today and there is a about the region and especially this tar National Library for inviting me to People should avoid going chance of scattered rain that city. I often attend events at the Library have this lecture here,” she said. to sea during the warning pe- may become thundery at and have borrowed several books about The speaker described the QNL as the riod, the advisory said. They times. This will be followed by the history of the region.” best place to deliver lectures and have should also stay away from partly cloudy conditions later. The Palestinian historian stated that their thoughts listened to. water pools, electrical con- Inshore, too, it will be libraries are very important because they “I am proud to see that Qatar has nections and elevated places cloudy today and there is a provide access to books and raise aware- built the best library in the Arab world,” for protection from lightning. possibility of rain in some ness about important historical causes. she added. “Make sure to know about ex- places – which may turn pected weather conditions in thundery occasionally. order to take necessary pre- The minimum temperature BMW Z4 Roadster 2018 model recalled cautions,” the Met depart- today is expected to be 20C in ment said. “Reduce your car Al Khor, Ruwais, Dukhan and The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in communicate with customers to ensure speed and avoid using mobile Abu Samra, and 21C in Doha, collaboration with Alfardan Automobiles, that the necessary repairs are carried out. phones while driving.” Wakrah and Mesaieed, while has announced the recall of BMW Z4 The ministry urges all customers to The Met department tweet- the maximum will range from Roadster model of 2018 over the incorrect report any violations to its Consumer ed around 10.30pm yesterday 25C in Ruwais to 29C in Abu installation of the accelerator pedal wiring. Protection and Anti-Commercial that scattered thunderstorms Samra, with Doha expected to The recall campaign comes within the Fraud Department, which processes continued to be detected see a high of 28C. framework of the ministry’s continuous complaints, inquires and suggestions across the country. “Please Yesterday, the minimum eff orts to protect consumers and ensure through the following channels: Call take extra care and avoid go- temperature was 20C in Shee- that car dealers follow up on vehicle centre: 16001, e-mail: [email protected]. ing to sea as rain is expected haniya, Dukhan, Abu Samra defects and repairs. qa, Twitter: @MOCIQATAR, Instagram: to continue during the coming and other places, 21C in Wak- The ministry said that it will coordinate MOCIQATAR, Ministry of Commerce and hours,” it said. rah, Abu Hamour, Mesaieed, with the dealer to follow up on the Industry mobile app for android and IOS: People posted images and Qatar University area and maintenance and repair works and will MOCIQATAR videos of the rain - of vary- others, and 22C in Doha. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 5 QATAR HMC hospitals to deliver

medical reports by post Dr Mansour Ali, Prof David Sigalet and Dr Pippi Salle to lead WOFAPs in Qatar. atients requesting cop- fi rst in a set of premium services, medical reports, making it more time. Delivery times will vary de- ies of their medical report HMC plans to off er to patients. convenient for patients. pending on the complexity of the Pfrom Rumailah Hospital, “Under the new service, pa- “Currently, obtaining medi- report requested. Heart Hospital, and the National tients have to visit the hospital cal reports requires a patient, or Al-Naimi explained that the Center for Cancer Care and Re- once – to request their report – their representative, to visit one day before the agreed deliv- Sidra Medicine to search (NCCCR) can get them and then HMC and Qatar Post of our hospitals on multiple oc- ery date, a Qatar Post customer delivered to their doorsteps by take care of the rest,” said Nasser casions. The collaboration with service representative will call Qatar Post for a fee of QR50, it al-Naimi, deputy chief of quali- Qatar Post removes this extra the patient to confi rm the de- host World Congress was announced yesterday. ty, Center for Patient Experience step,” said al-Naimi. livery time and location. Then Following the successful pi- and Staff Engagement, HMC. Under the new system, patients on the agreed date and time, a lot of the delivery programme at In 2018, HMC’s Nesma’ak requesting their medical report Qatar Post representative will of Paediatric Surgery Hamad General Hospital earlier teams responded to more than delivered by Qatar Post, will be deliver the report and collect a this year, four Hamad Medical 46,000 inquiries about pa- asked to provide their Qatar ID delivery fee in cash. Al-Naimi Corporation (HMC), hospitals tient medical reports. Al-Naimi number, a mobile phone number, said the new delivery system idra Medicine will host cal events aimed at improving will now provide patients the Nasser al-Naimi, deputy chief of said the new service simpli- and a delivery address. They will will be rolled out to other HMC the sixth World Con- the care of children around the option to use the service, the quality, HMC. fi es the process of obtaining also be asked to choose a delivery hospitals in the coming months. Sgress of Paediatric Sur- world. Together with my col- gery from November 1-3 with leagues and peers from around about 1,000 delegates, at the the world, we are looking for- Qatar National Convention ward to welcoming our dele- Centre (QNCC). gates to Doha. The conference The congress is organised theme will focus on “Collabo- by the World Federation of ration, Education and Train- QU organises Associations of Paediatric ing: Moving beyond borders Surgeons (WOFAPs). This is to improve the surgical care of the fi rst “World Congress” of children.” WOFAPs in the Middle East. WOFAPs 2019 will include The event aims to cover the a comprehensive discussion annual health most cutting edge advances of the ‘classical’ challenges in in paediatric surgical care in general and urological pae- addition to current challenges diatric surgery. Newsworthy impeding optimal surgical research, surgical techniques Senior representatives of QU attend the forum. care for children in high and and challenges facing the care research forum low income countries. of children in high and low dents to showcase their science, peer-reviewed journals. In this proving the quality of education, WOFAPs Qatar will be un- income countries will frame networking and discuss research 4th Annual Research Symposium which also serves in improving der the leadership of a group each interactive learning atar University’s (QU) Medical Corporation (HMC) also outcome in an informal way. The at QU-Health, the CHS contrib- the healthcare system in Qatar.” of internationally-renowned session. Health Cluster organised attended. A faculty development themes selected, metabolic syn- uted with 41 posters and 10 oral Vice President for Medical and Sidra Medicine surgeons. In addition to the inter- Qthe “Fourth Annual QU workshop called “Team Science” drome, infectious diseases, men- presentations. We are commit- Health Sciences and dean of the These include Prof David Si- national surgical expertise Health Research Symposium” at took place on the second day, tal diseases and health education ted to delivering outstanding College of Medicine, Dr Egon galet, the chair of patient who will be leading ses- the Research Complex, bringing where Professor of Medicine and are aligned with QU Health pri- research outcomes that convey Toft said, “QU Health has since services and the current presi- sions, WOFAPs 2019 expects together QU students, research- Director of the Bone Program at orities and strengths.” the maximum evolving benefi ts its inception a few years ago, dent of WOFAPs; Dr Mansour to showcase more than 400 ers and faculty in the fi eld of the Icahn School of Medicine at The College of Health Sciences to the healthcare sector of Qatar.” developed good collaborative Ali, chair of paediatric surgery presentations by participants, health. Mount Sinai, Dr Mone Zaidi, was (CHS) dean and the director of Dean of College of Pharmacy, research within the wider range and the Middle East WOFAPs including oral, video and post- The event engaged 150 partic- a speaker. the Biomedical Research Center, Dr Mohamed Diab commented of healthcare. This is refl ected in representative; and Dr Pippi er walks. Selected abstracts ipants from QU Health colleges: Director of Research and Prof Asma Althani spoke of CHS saying, “This is a great opportu- the many high quality presenta- Salle, chief of urology and will be eligible for publication College of Medicine, College of Graduate Studies, Medical and eff orts saying, “The College of nity for both faculty and students tions at today’s event. It is an op- the chair of urology for the in a special volume of Paedi- Health Sciences and College of Health Sciences Offi ce, Dr Feras Health Sciences has been vigor- to mingle and share their work portunity to get ideas evaluated congress. atric Surgery International. A Pharmacy and the Biomedical al-Ali said of the symposium, ously contributing to various na- with the other colleges. This col- and improved in discussion with Prof Sigalet said, “This is number of pre and post event Research Center. “This forum is becoming the tional and international research laboration aligns with Qatar Uni- professors from the wide variety our opportunity to show- workshops will also be held External reviewers from Qa- main platform for QU Health activities. In 2018, the CHS pub- versity strategies in developing of health care professions being case Qatar’s commitment to in the days leading up to and tar Foundation (QF) and Hamad faculty, researchers and stu- lished around 75 periodicals in research outputs as well as im- educated at QU Health.” hosting international medi- after the congress. Gulf Times 6 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 QATAR

Speaker meets Turkish ambassador Al-Mahmoud meets speaker of Zimbabwe

E the Speaker of the Ad- visory Council Ahmed Hbin Abdullah bin Zaid al- Mahmoud met Jacob Francis Mu- denda, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe and Chair- person of the African Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, along with his accompanying delega- tion, currently visiting Qatar. During the meeting, they dis- cussed bilateral relations between Qatar and Zimbabwe and means of supporting and developing them, especially in the parliamentary fi eld. The meeting also reviewed the issues on the agenda of the 140th Meeting of the General assembly of the IPU which will begins its meetings in Doha on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Mohamed bin Ali al-Hanzab, Member of the Advisory Council HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud met the and the Chairman of the Qatari- ambassador of Turkey to Qatar Fikret Ozer yesterday. The meeting discussed the bilateral relations African friendship group and the and ways of developing them in various fields, especially in the parliamentary field. Topics of members of the group, and the common interest were also reviewed during the meeting. General Secretary of the Advisory HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud meeting the Council. – QNA delegation headed by Jacob Francis Mudenda, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe.

Ministry opens Desert Garden in Sheehaniya

QNA garden is distinctive and serves the Shee- Doha haniya area; it is designed in the form of a desert tree, and it is also characterised by the presence of a number of wild trees and he Ministry of Municipality and Envi- animals from the Qatari environment, and ronment opened yesterday the Desert about 8 types of animals. TGarden in the Al Sheehaniya area. He explained that one of the goals of the Director of Municipality of Al Sheehaniya, garden is to introduce young people and Jaber al-Jaber, stressed that the opening of school students to the Qatari identity and the Desert Garden is part of the ministry’s environment by presenting all the types of eff orts to establish public gardens and parks trees and animals of the desert environment with the aim of increasing green areas and of Qatar, pointing out that the municipality recreation places to serve as an outlet for the seeks to develop and serve the people in Al people of the area. Sheehaniya and increase the green areas of In a press statement, al-Jaber said the gardens and parks in the area.

Off icials of Al Sheehaniya Municipality visiting the Desert Garden.

QRCS offi cials hold talks with Dutch diplomatic delegation

QNA QRCS Chief Executive ian action, particularly the Doha Director Ibrahim Abdul- bureaucratic procedures lah al-Maliki stated that that delay humanitar- QRCS worked in accord- ian response. To overcome atar Red Crescent ance with a set of rules and these challenges, al-Maliki Society (QRCS) offi - laws regulating charity and explained, QRCS adopted Qcials discussed with humanitarian action, un- modern technology and a delegation from the Dutch der the supervision of Qa- techniques, to ensure a Ministry of Foreign Aff airs tar’s Regulatory Authority smooth and balanced work- several issues related to hu- for Charitable Activities fl ow. manitarian activities in the (RACA). “Other ways to facilitate local, regional and Middle “Being a member of the the work include operating East areas, focusing on the International Red Cross and under the umbrella of the most important countries Red Crescent Movement is Movement and the United benefi ting from the largest another strength and legal Nations, associating with share of QRCS aid, and the capacity that gets us well in fellow National Societies huge expansion of the vol- place to reach out to disaster and local partners, and es- ume of this aid to benefi t zones,” said al-Maliki. tablishing foreign repre- 13mn people during the past He highlighted some sentation offi ces,” al-Maliki year. challenges to humanitar- added.

Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) off icials with a delegation from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Aff airs. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 7 QATAR

QP awards contracts

From Page 1

HE al-Kaabi said: “The State of Qatar is partnering with many countries around Intertec and Xiaomi off icials at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 launch event. the world to ensure the secu- rity of their energy supplies and the sustainability of their economic growth. “As the largest LNG pro- Intertec releases Xiaomi’s ducer we are also expanding Sheikh Abdullah bin Thani bin Abdulla al-Thani opens the facility along with other dignitaries and off icials. our capacity in many parts PICTURES: Shaji Kayamkulam of the world. This includes adding 16mn tpy from our Redmi Note 7 in Qatar Golden Pass LNG export project in the United States with our long-term strategic ntertec Group has launched Qatar with our local distribu- rise in Xiaomi’s market share partner ExxonMobil. This in Qatar Xiaomi’s Redmi tor Intertec Group,” said Ron- to an enviable 19% in just two Al Ahli Hospital opens project is under construc- INote 7 smartphone which nie Wang, general manager of years of its foray into Qatar.” tion and should be in op- off ers a ‘fl agship-level experi- Xiaomi’s Global Sales Depart- Xiaomi’s Middle East offi cials eration by 2024. It is worth ence with a powerful 48MP rear ment for the Middle East re- Morgan Wang (eco system man- noting that Qatar Petroleum camera and a gorgeous dual- gion. ager), Richard Cheung (coun- and ExxonMobil have estab- tone gradient glass design’. “Partnered with Xiaomi from try manager) and Ema Cheung new clinic in Wakrah lished Ocean LNG, which is Redmi Note 7 continues the 2016, we have been focusing on (commercial manager) were an international joint venture series’ tradition of featuring a cultivating the trust and sat- also present. marketing company that will large display and excellent bat- isfaction of our customers,” Starting tomorrow, Redmi By Joseph Varghese be responsible for marketing tery life and pushes smartphone added George Thomas, Inter- Note 7 will be available from Mi Staff Reporter all Golden pass LNG produc- photography to a new level in tec Group CFO and adviser to Store at Al Nasr Street and all tion.” this price range, according to a chairman. mobile outlets in Qatar. Al-Kaabi was speaking statement. Intertec’s division manager Redmi Note 7 will be available l Ahli Hospital has opened at the conference’s opening Redmi Note 7 will be available Asraf N K said: “The strong in Space Black, Neptune Blue, a new clinic, ‘Al Wakra session on the global LNG from tomorrow, starting from sales of Xiaomi smartphones and Nebula Red. AClinics and Urgent Care outlook, alongside Exxon- QR749. in Qatar continue to be a key It will retail at QR749 for Unit’, catering to the healthcare Mobil Corporation chairman “We are very excited to bring feature of Intertec’s marketing 4GB+64GB, and QR 849 for needs of the population in the & CEO Darren Woods, and this amazing smartphone to prowess, which facilitated the 4GB+128GB. southern region of the country. Chevron Corporation chair- The facility, located near the man & CEO Mike Wirth. metro station at Wakrah, was The minister stressed that opened yesterday by the chair- natural gas has the “econom- man of the hospital’s board, ic and environmental quali- Sheikh Abdullah bin Thani bin The new facility at Al Wakrah. ties” to make it the energy Qatar Technical High School pupils visit QNB Abdulla al-Thani, in the presence source of the future, which of other members of the board, in most specialities. Now, people cialities such as dentistry, inter- is a key factor in Qatar Petro- NB Group organised a tour around its IT dignitaries, special guests and of the region can avoid travelling nal medicine, surgery, ophthal- leum’s pushing ahead with Division for Qatari students from Qatar other invitees. to Al Ahli main hospital. We have mology among others. its massive LNG expansion QTechnical High School. Dr Abdul Azim Abdul Wahab most of the consultants here The facility also has about 200 project. The students were briefed on the functions of Hussain, chief of medical staff and if any patient needs further staff including physicians, para- “The impact of energy on the division and had the opportunity to engage at Al Ahli Hospital, said it was treatment, they will be referred medical staff as well as other ad- humankind over the past with IT staff to further their knowledge of the de- a major step of expansion of Al to Al Ahli Hospital,” explained ministrative staff . century is unmeasurable. It partment and its scope of work. Ahli Hospital. the chief of medical staff . “We might be able to see has powered homes and in- QNB conducted sessions and organised a tour for “This is a branch of Al Ahli “In case of any emergency, the around 20 to 25 patients per dustrial plants, and acceler- the students to take a closer look at the data centre, Hospital in Al Wakrah. It serves patients will be immediately re- clinic daily. To begin with, we ated production and innova- servers and computer network. The group encour- about half a million people in the ferred to Al Wakra Hospital. We will start working from 8am to tion. In today’s very complex ages school initiatives to understand QNB and its region. We have looked into the also have the urgent care unit 5pm from Saturday to Thurs- world, we need stable, reli- contribution to Qatar, and support young students feasibility of such a clinic and here which will look into such day. We will most probably, able, clean and aff ordable in pursuing careers that will serve their country. found that the area needs such a cases,” added the offi cial. start round the clock services sources of energy to keep that QNB said it is keen to “provide scholarships and facility,” said Dr Hussain. Dr Hussain described that the within six months,” added Dr momentum. We also need a employment opportunities” in line with Qatar Na- “The new facility has clinics facility has clinics in several spe- Hussain. clean source of reliable ener- tional Vision 2030 and to contribute to the educa- QNB Group organised a tour around its IT gy. Natural gas is that source,” tional sector and play an active role in the society. Division for Qatari students from Qatar he said. QNB Group, which is the largest fi nancial insti- Technical High School. tution in the Middle East and Africa, has presence through its subsidiaries and associate companies tinents providing a comprehensive range of ad- Blockade a turning point: FM extends in some 31 countries across three con- vanced products and services.

From Page 1 opined that achieving stability tance of the visit of HE Deputy in the future necessitates invest- Prime Minister and Minister of Over 2,200 delegates to attend IPU meet HE the Deputy Prime Minister ing in tools that enable people to Foreign Aff airs to the university, and Minister of Foreign Aff airs achieve it. Dean of Georgetown University in From Page 1 cluding the protection of human area and the eff orts exerted by spoke of his role as Chairman Dean of Georgetown Univer- Qatar Dr Ahmad Dallal said with rights in diff erent areas such as the country to promote educa- of Qatar Fund for Development sity in Washington Dr Robert regard to the international rela- Besides the main agenda and Yemen and Libya. After the dis- tion, peace and development (QFFD), as an institution dedi- Groves and Dean of Edmund tions students, this was a valuable schedule of the assembly, the cussion of these issues, a report, in diff erent parts of the world. cated to improving the lives of Walsh School of Foreign Service opportunity for direct dialogue suggested topics will be dis- comprising the outcomes, will For instance, Qatar has recently people and communities around Dr Joel Hellman as well as a large with a distinguished fi gure in the cussed by these groups. For be sent to the United Nations. donated $20mn to the African the world, saying that in 2018, number of Georgetown Univer- highest decision-making circles HE Saad Sherida al-Kaabi instance, the Arab Group will HE the Speaker said the main Union to help African refugees QFFD provided assistance to 71 sity in Qatar students, faculty of Qatar’s foreign policy and for a speaking at the 19th discuss the Palestinian issue, Je- target of IPU is to maintain hu- in Libya go back to their coun- countries and provided grants of and staff members and members direct understanding of the power International Conference rusalem as the capital of the Pal- man dignity and protect hu- tries and create jobs and better up to $585mn, 30% of which was of the diplomatic corps attended of diplomacy and its importance & Exhibition on Liquefied estinian State, the issue of the man rights, and the event be- opportunities for them there, earmarked for education. the discussion. in building international multilat- Natural Gas in Shanghai Golan Heights, and other press- ing held in Qatar refl ects the so they can settle in better liv- HE the Foreign Minister Commenting on the impor- eral relations in today’s world. (LNG2019) . ing issues for the Arab world in- strong position of Qatar in this ing conditions.

Vodafone Qatar expands off erings, HEC Paris in Qatar workshop set for April 10 launches mobile satellite services EC Paris, is hosting a work- ence, how is it going to transform me Techno Q to focus on B2B services shop on ‘Maximise the ROI and transform my career?” said Prof odafone Qatar is further H( Return on Investment) on Gaud. expanding its portfolio of your Executive Masters’. “The Specialised Master is de- Vbusiness services with the echno Q has announced staff . We believe that it is our Shoppers can get unprec- The session will be held on April signed to prepare professionals to launch of mobile satellite serv- that it is repositioning responsibility to contribute edented discounts when they 10 at HEC Paris in Qatar and will be face new challenges, but they will ices that provides two-way voice Tits business model to to the Qatar National Vi- visit in Techno Q’s retail shop led by HEC Paris affi liate professor, still have to work to identify how to and data communications to us- only focus on Business-to- sion 2030 and work towards until May 2. Philippe Gaud. maximise the value and turn them ers around the globe who are on Business (B2B) services, ac- achieving the four pillars of “At Techno Q, we believe Through this workshop, Prof into their dream job after the pro- the go or in remote locations. Vodafone Qatar ... expansion cording to a statement. the Vision, namely economic, in off ering everyone the very Gaud will share experiences and of- gramme. The workshop will also pro- Vodafone is the only telecom- The change, concentrating environment, social and hu- fi nest lighting and audio- fer guidelines for professionals so vide participants with some hints on munications operator in Qatar desert or even fl ying and sailing. on major projects in Qatar, man development.” visual equipment to fi t their that they can embrace this learning how to sell their Specialised Master that off ers this service with an This is especially crucial dur- has been aligned to contrib- Al-Jaidah stressed on the homes or businesses. journey and convince the market that to a new employer. I am sure partici- end-to-end solution including ing the event of crisis manage- ute towards His Highness the importance of embracing We wish all visitors to fi nd they are ready for that next level up. pants will be able to gain immensely the provision of hand held satel- ment,” said Vodafone Qatar chief Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Ha- change and the ability to rise special items for themselves, Participants will walk away with by taking up this workshop and to ap- lite devices, accessories and the business offi cer, Mahmud Awad. mad al-Thani’s 2030 vision above challenges that help as this is a one-of-a-kind guiding principles and concrete ac- ply the learning in their professional service’s operations. “Virtually all major industries for sustainable development. organisations become bigger deal, which will conclude the tions aimed at off ering them a com- endeavours,” he added. “As part of our commitment can benefi t from mobile satellite Techno Q managing direc- and better than their compe- fi nal stage of the strategic petitive advantage in taking their ca- The HEC Paris in Qatar Specialised to help our customers succeed in services. For example oil and gas tor Zeyad al-Jaidah, said: “As tition. move. reer forward. Master consists of a core curriculum an increasingly connected world, companies can ensure uninter- many as 24 years in the busi- To celebrate this change From now on, we look for- “You are engaging in the Special- designed as a practical foundation we introduced mobile satellite rupted access to their data, even ness and we are one of the in the strategy, Techno Q of- ward to continue providing ised Master’s Degree. This is an im- for professionals and entrepreneurs services that ensure your busi- during the mining or extracting fastest growing system in- fers customers a very special our pioneer and world-class portant decision and as you begin looking to manage their own busi- ness and employees are safe and process and media networks can tegrators in the Middle East promotion to enjoy one last System Integrating Services to embrace the investment you are ness unit or company in the future. able to operate in remote areas be the fi rst to communicate and because of our innovation, shopping chance in its show- to the businesses of Qatar”, making in yourself, questions un- This programme is led by world-class anywhere in the world wheth- report headline news from all dedication and sheer hard room at Barwa Commercial said Abdulla Alansari, execu- doubtedly arise. How am I going to faculty in a part-time format to fi t in er you are in the middle of the over the world,” Awad added. work of our management and Avenue. tive director of Techno Q. benefi t from this learning experi- the professionals’ busy schedule.

Money Week Qatar imparts fi nancial know-how to kids

atar Stock Exchange (QSE), the ness among school children of the matters. They are the next genera- will help them develop their fi nancial Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), importance of fi nancial education, tion of change makers. It is therefore future. QQNB and the Dutch embassy inclusion and the principles of good so important to empower young peo- “As part of our CSR programme, have come together as part of Money fi nancial management. ple to be aware of the value of money, Mubadarah, we’re committed to rais- Week Qatar 2019, a week-long cam- The QFC’s corporate social respon- know how to spend money wisely, ing the fi nancial literacy of young peo- paign that is designed to promote fi - sibility (CSR) and social investment and realise they must save money ple in Qatar and making them aware of nancial education among school chil- strategy ‘United for Good’ under- for their future,” according to Bahia the many career choices in the fi nance dren. scores its long-term commitment to Tahzib-Lie, Netherlands ambassador sector,” said Michael G Ryan, chief ex- The initiative comes as part of Glo- ethical, social and environmental re- to Qatar. ecutive, QFC Regulatory Authority. bal Money Week, a project that was sponsibilities and with that it places Salem al-Naimi, assistant general Hussein al-Abdulla, Director of originally launched by Queen Maxima very high importance on youth and manager (QNB Public Relations), said Marketing and Communications, of the Netherlands nine years ago, and community development, with a spe- the group is always keen to support QSE, said fi nancial education has been has grown to become an annual global cial emphasis on encouraging fi nan- such initiatives that raise awareness on QSE’s agenda since long time and it initiative that reaches 169 countries cial literacy within the local commu- among children in Qatar about the has its own educational, training and and has touched the lives of 32mn stu- nity, a QFC Authority spokesman said. importance of fi nancial education, awareness activities in line with the dents. “It’s great to see how eager children fi nancial inclusion and the principles human and economic pillars of Qatar The campaign aims to raise aware- and youth are to learn that money of good fi nancial management that National Vision 2030. Children during Global Money Week Qatar 2019. Gulf Times 8 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 REGION/ARAB WORLD Saudi-UAE coalition actively recruits Yemeni child soldiers an even worse reality: being re- family of Mohamed Ali Hameed, also an area that has seen fre- the borders. The traffi cker would recruited to fight on both sides Mohamed’s father said. Al Jazeera Exclusive cruited by either warring side to 15, in February 2019. Both boys quent fi ghting between Houthi then deliver the young recruits in Yemen’s war. “These young and irrational fi ght in the confl ict. left their home, chasing prom- rebels and the Saudi-led coali- to another smuggler who would Ahmad got to al-Wade’a and boys should have never been l Jazeera has obtained According to the United Na- ises of a regular paycheck and tion. provide them with identifi cation went further inland, but did allowed to be enticed and re- exclusive footage that tions, two-thirds of the child non-combatant roles. Ahmad In order to avoid exposure cards — if they did not have one not go all the way to Al-Buqa’. cruited to fight in the war. Aproves the presence of soldiers in Yemen fi ght for the was able to fl ee and tell us his to the Houthis, buses carrying — so they are able to cross into He heard from people in an The government should have child soldiers in the recruitment Houthis. The others fi ght for the story, but Mohamed never made people to Al-Buqa’ were going Saudi Arabia, where they would intermediary camp that they sent them back home to go to camps of the Saudi-UAE-led co- Saudi-UAE-led coalition. it home after he was recruited, through the border town of Al- be placed into a military camp. would only be paid half the school, but in a time like this, alition fi ghting in Yemen. Although Yemen and Saudi leaving his father to tell his story. Wade’a into Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera called a traffi cker, $800 salaries they were prom- conscience is dead. Instead, The children, desperately Arabia signed the international “He had graduated from high ‘THERE ARE MANY posing as a man interested in ised every two or three months they’re welcomed with open poor, are being recruited to fi ght protocol banning involvement school and started working, but JUST LIKE THEM’ travelling to a military camp and that he might not be a cook arms,” he added. along the Saudi border to de- of children in armed confl ict in before we knew it they had re- The teenagers were fi rst with three boys between 15 and after all. “They give you your Al Jazeera obtained access to a fend it from the Houthis, a rebel 2007 and 2011, respectively, at cruited him. contacted by recruiters in the 16 years old. gun and send you to the front secret list containing the names group that overran the capi- the end of 2018, Saudi Arabia He insisted on going to Al-Bu- south’s poverty-stricken villag- The trafficker said the boys lines (to fight the Houthis),” of Yemeni soldiers captured by tal, Sanaa, and large swathes of was accused of recruiting Su- qa’,” Mohamed’s father, Ali, told es; they were looking for young would be “bought” by someone Ahmad was told. the Houthis that Yemen’s gov- Yemen’s northwest in 2014. danese children from Darfur to Al Jazeera in an interview in De- boys to take to the Saudi-Yemeni at Al-Wade’a who would pro- “They take them into bat- ernment submitted during a In 2015, Saudi Arabia and the fi ght on its behalf in Yemen. cember. “It has been fi ve months borders. vide them with military iden- tles to defend Saudi Arabia. As round of talks between the war- United Arab Emirates (UAE) Today, Yemeni children are since he left. We have not heard Ahmad said he and many oth- tification. if these children are the ones ring sides in Sweden last year. formed a coalition to overthrow being recruited using local traf- anything since; we still don’t er boys were recruited ostensibly After expressing concern who will defend the kingdom. Mohamed’s name was not on the Houthis — plunging Yemen fi cking networks to defend the know where he is,” he added. to work in the kitchens of Yeme- that the boys would be turned Where are their weapons, their the list. His fate is still unknown. into a ruinous war — supported Saudi border. Both teenagers, who came ni military units stationed inside away for being obviously un- aeroplanes?” said Mohamed Ahmad, on the other hand, man- by forces loyal to the country’s Bereaved families interviewed from a poor background, em- Saudi Arabia. derage, the trafficker said: al-Naqeeb, Ahmad’s father. aged to come home to his an- internationally recognised gov- by Al Jazeera questioned why the barked last year on separate and “We went because we were “Don’t worry, there are many Ahmad said he and others guished parents after escaping ernment. coalition would need to recruit arduous journeys from their vil- told we would be working in a just like them.” managed to flee the camp late from the camp. The confl ict has created the children to fi ght in its war. lages near Taiz, in the south of kitchen and making SR3,000 In a follow-up phone call last year. But a terrible fate awaited him. world’s worst humanitarian cri- Al Jazeera investigated these Yemen, towards the Saudi bor- ($800)...so we believed them with the trafficker about the Fifteen-year-old Mohamed In January, a stray bullet hit the sis, pushing Yemen to the brink claims. der crossing of Al-Wade’a in the and got on the bus,” Ahmad told fate of the boys, he said: “Don’t was not one of them. “His young boy in the head, ending of famine and leaving about 80% PAYCHEQUE PROMISES north. Al Jazeera. worry, this stuff isn’t impor- mother is devastated. She has his short life. of its population — 24mn people In the southern city of Taiz, According to Ahmad, Al-Bu- Typically, a recruiter would tant to us. What is important is given up. I wish he’d just call to Al Jazeera contacted the Saudi — in need of humanitarian as- Al Jazeera spoke to 16-year-old qa’ in Yemen — close to the Saudi deliver his human cargo to a traf- that they are good soldiers. let us know that he’s OK; that’s Ministry for Foreign Aff airs for sistance. Ahmad al-Naqib and his fam- border — where Yemeni children fi cker at one of the Yemeni cit- Can they handle guns?” all we want. We just want to comment. They have not re- However, many children face ily at the end of 2018, and the are being trained to fi ght, it is ies along the route leading up to Boys as young as 15 or 16 are know if he’s alive or dead,” sponded to the request.

Slain journalist Khashoggi’s children paid by kingdom: report

The children of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal newspaper reported. Salah, the eldest of the Khashoggi have received multimillion-dollar children, plans to continue living in the kingdom, Palestinian killed in clash homes and are being paid thousands of dollars while the others, who live in the United States, are per month by the kingdom’s authorities, The expected to sell the homes, the paper said. Washington Post reported on Monday. Khashog- In addition to the properties, the children are gi — a contributor to the Post and a critic of the receiving $10,000 or more per month and may Saudi government — was killed and dismem- also receive larger payments that could amount with troops: ministry bered in October at the kingdom’s consulate in to tens of millions of dollars each, according to Istanbul by a team of 15 agents sent from Riyadh. the report. AFP His body has not been recovered. The payments Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohamed bin Ramallah to his four children — two sons and two daugh- Salman, has been accused of orchestrating ters — “are part of an eff ort by Saudi Arabia to Khashoggi’s killing, but the kingdom has claimed reach a long-term arrangement with Khashoggi that the prince was not involved. Palestinian was killed family members, aimed in part at ensuring that Saudi Arabia initially said it had no knowledge of during a clash with Israeli they continue to show restraint in their public Khashoggi’s fate but later blamed rogue agents Aforces near Jerusalem statements,” the Post said. The houses given to for his death. overnight, the Palestinian health the Khashoggi children are located in the port Its public prosecutor has charged 11 people over ministry and residents said yes- city of Jeddah and are worth up to $4mn, the his murder. terday. The ministry said Mohamed Adwan, 23, was killed and three others were wounded. Two residents said soldiers ar- rived in the Qalandiya area early yesterday to carry out arrests Iran fl oods force evacuations as US and young men threw stones at them. The Israeli army said dur- ing an operation in the nearby denies sanctions harming aid eff orts Kufr Aqab area, “rocks and ex- plosive devices were hurled at the troops, who responded with Reuters news agency IRNA said. Iran’s and accused Iran’s clerical es- fi re”. “A report was received re- Dubai/Geneva top authority, Supreme Lead- tablishment of “mismanage- garding an injured Palestinian. er Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ment in urban planning and in The incident will be exam- praised rescue eff orts but said emergency preparedness”. ined,” the army statement said. ranian authorities ordered offi cials should have antici- IRNA said Germany and Qufr Aqab is located on the the evacuation of scores pated the disaster better, state Britain, both signatories to the other side of the Israeli separa- Iof villages yesterday as TV reported, as a war of words nuclear deal, had off ered hu- tion barrier which divides Jeru- the impact of severe fl ooding broke out between Tehran and manitarian aid, including 40 salem from the occupied West spread further across the coun- Washington over relief re- boats. Flooding has aff ected at Bank, but is still considered part try, while Washington denied sponses.Iranian Foreign Min- least 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces of the city. Tehran’s claim that US sanc- ister Mohamed Javad Zarif said since heavy downpours began Israeli forces often enter Pal- tions were slowing aid eff orts. on Monday that US sanctions on March 19. A state of emer- estinian towns in the West Bank At least 47 people have been — reimposed after Washington gency was declared in several to carry out arrests in raids that killed in the past two weeks quit a 2015 nuclear deal be- provinces and tens of thousands frequently lead to clashes. from fl ash fl oods after the tween Iran and six world pow- of people have been evacuated. DIES FROM INJURIES Mother (right) of 23-year-old Palestinian Mohamed Adwan, who was killed during a clash with troops near worst rains in the country in at ers — were impeding aid eff orts Iranian media said yesterday Meanwhile, a Palestinian Jerusalem overnight, mourns during his funeral, yesterday in the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah least a decade. to all aff ected communities. that electricity and telecom- wounded three days ago during in the West Bank. State television said armed “Blocked equipment in- munications had been cut in clashes along the Gaza border forces had stepped up relief cludes relief choppers: This aff ected areas, roads had been died yesterday, the health minis- yesterday, the ministry said in a three 17-year-olds, were killed killed over the same period in eff orts, airing footage of mili- isn’t just economic warfare; it’s washed away and people were try in the strip said, bringing to statement. by Israeli fi re Saturday, accord- Gaza-related violence. Israel tary and Red Crescent heli- economic terrorism,” he said on waiting on rooftops to be res- fi ve the number of fatalities from Tens of thousands of Palestin- ing to the ministry. says its actions are necessary to copters taking part in rescue Twitter. In a response that Zarif cued in some villages. the day. ians gathered in diff erent spots At least 263 Palestinians have defend its borders. operations. Flood risks forced described as fake news, US President Hassan Rouhani, Faris Abu Hajaras, 26, was along the Gaza border Saturday been killed by Israeli fi re since A UN probe has said Israeli authorities to order the evacu- Secretary of State Mike Pom- accused by critics of mishan- shot by Israeli fi re in his stom- for the fi rst anniversary of the the protests and clashes began a soldiers intentionally fi red on ci- ation of more than 70 villages peo said yesterday that Wash- dling the fl ooding crisis, has ach east of Khan Yunis Saturday often violent protests there. year ago. vilians in what could constitute in the oil-rich southwestern ington was ready to help via the promised compensation to all and succumbed to his wounds Four other men, including Two Israeli soldiers have been war crimes. province of Khuzestan, state Red Cross and Red Crescent, those aff ected.

OPINION UN chief warns against rising hatred UN chief Antonio Guterres warned yesterday against growing hatred of Rebels deny UN access to Hodeidah mills for ‘safety reasons’ Muslims, less than a month after a deadly attack on mosques in New Zea- land killed at least 50 people. His remarks came during a speech at Egypt’s Al-Azhar, where he met Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb. Reuters The WFP regained access troop withdrawal from Hodei- “Around the world, we are seeing ever-rising anti-Muslim hatred, anti- Aden to the mills last month, a step dah. Semitism, racism and xenophobia,” the UN secretary general said. hailed by UN Secretary-General But talks aimed at securing He cited the March 15 New Zealand mosque attacks by a white supremacist Antonio Guterres. a mutual military withdrawal as well as a 2018 synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh that killed 11 people and outhi forces denied the The grain stores there have from Hodeidah have stalled is believed to be the deadliest against Jews in US history. Guterres warned United Nations access more than 51,000 tonnes of despite UN eff orts to salvage of a surge in hate speech he said was “entering the mainstream, spreading Hto a grain storage site in wheat, enough to feed 3.7mn the deal and nudge both sides like wildfire through social media”. “We see it spreading in liberal democracies the Yemeni port of Hodeidah people. to agree on steps towards dis- and as well as in authoritarian states.” Guterres is on a two-day trip to Egypt, yesterday, sources familiar with WFP spokesman Herve Ver- engagement after four years of Following his visit to Al-Azhar, he was scheduled to meet President Abdel Fat- the matter said, hindering ef- hoosel said a WFP mission to war. tah al-Sisi. On Sunday, he attended an Arab League summit in Tunisia. forts to increase food aid to mil- the Red Sea Mills was sched- Under the deal, the govern- lions facing severe hunger. uled but was postponed due to ment retreat would free up ac- Hodeidah is the entry point “safety concerns”. Verhoosel cess to the Red Sea Mills and CONFLICT for most of Yemen’s humani- declined to give details. humanitarian corridors would US-backed force tracks Syria militants tarian aid and commercial im- Houthi offi cials did not im- also be reopened. ports. Retired Danish general Michael Lollesgaard (left), the newly- mediately respond to Reuters The warring sides would still A US-backed force said yesterday it was chasing Islamic State group mili- World Food Programme appointed head of the UN observer mission in war-wracked Yemen, requests for comment. need to agree on which road tants in eastern Syria, as coalition warplanes pound the militants more (WFP) grain stores there have meets people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, yesterday. Yemeni government offi cials could be used to transport sup- than a week after their “caliphate” was declared defeated. been cut off in the confl ict zone accused the Houthis of another plies from the site to needy re- The Syrian Democratic Forces, supported by warplanes of a US-led for six months, putting the con- the wheat stored in the Red Sea attacks on the mills. violation of the peace agree- cipients. coalition, dislodged IS fighters from their last redoubt in the village of tents at risk of rotting. Mills. “The Houthis argued that ment signed last year which the The WFP is now reaching Baghouz near the Iraqi border on March 23, following a months-long A WFP technical team was But Houthi forces told the government forces will target United Nations has been strug- about 10mn Yemenis per month off ensive. The US-backed alliance is now “tracking down remnants of scheduled to cross the front line WFP team they could not leave the UN and then they will be gling to implement. with food aid and hopes to scale the terrorist group”, SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said yesterday. “There between the Houthi movement Houthi-held areas inside Hode- blamed for it,” one source aware The Houthis and the govern- up to 12mn this year, but spo- are groups hiding in caves overlooking Baghouz,” he said. The US-led forces and the Saudi-backed idah city for “security reasons”, of the discussion said. “(But) if ment of Abd-Rabbu Mansour radic clashes make Hodeidah coalition said it was supporting sweeping operations with air strikes on government on the eastern out- asking the United Nations in- the wheat is not fumigated, it Hadi agreed at UN-sponsored and its province unsafe despite militant hideouts. skirts of Hodeidah to fumigate stead for a way to investigate will be lost.” talks in December to a truce and the ceasefi re agreement. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 9 AFRICA

FREEDOM OF SPEECH TRIBAL TWIST OUTCRY DISEASE FEARS IN THE DOCK Burkina local power Police team arrested after Mozambique to start mass Equatorial Guinea dispute leaves 8 dead football fan shot dead cholera vaccinations suspends ‘coup’ trial

Eight people have died in eastern Burkina Members of a police squad suspected of killing a Flood-struck Mozambique yesterday The trial of more than 150 people, accused Faso in what a minister described as a struggle Nigerian football fan in Lagos have been detained received vaccines for a massive cholera of involvement in an alleged December between traditional chiefs. “A group of gunmen for questioning, a force spokesman said after immunisation campaign after the number 2017 coup which the Malabo authorities say from villages along the border with Burkina and an outcry online. Kolade Johnson was watching of cases quadrupled to more than 1,000, a they foiled, has been suspended, a defence Ghana attacked the home of the traditional chief a match involving English Premier League club World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman lawyer said yesterday. “We don’t know Guinean journalists take part in a march in of Zoaga,” said a statement yesterday by Simeon Liverpool on Sunday afternoon when he was hit said in Geneva. The Health Ministry has so why the trial was suspended” on Monday, Conakry yesterday to demand the release of Sawadogo, minister for territorial administration. by a stray bullet fired by police. The killing sparked far counted 1,052 cases, up from 271 at the 10 days after opening, Ponciano Mbomio arrested journalist Lansana Camara, director The attack occurred on Monday in Zoaga, renewed opposition to the police units such as the weekend. Nearly three weeks after Cyclone Nvo, one of 16 lawyers representing the of website conakrylive.info, a day after a an area which lies on Burkina’s border with Special Anti-Robbery Squad, which has become Idai devastated parts of Mozambique, the accused, told AFP. “They don’t tell us judge rejected an application by his lawyer Ghana, about 250km southeast of the capital, synonymous with extra-judicial killings and government and aid organisations are planning anything.” Those in the dock since March for his release. Lansana Camara was arrested Ouagadougou. “This attack unfortunately killed impunity. “Members of the team suspected to be to start administering more than 900,000 22 are accused of “treason” and trying to over article he wrote in which he revealed the eight people and wounded four,” he added, in involved in the shooting have since been arrested doses of vaccines against the water-borne overthrow the head of state, President alleged attempt at misappropriation of funds the latest “twist in a crisis that has rocked the and are undergoing interrogation,” Lagos police disease. Mozambique’s government yesterday Teodoro Obiang Nguema, both charges at the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs. areas traditional chiefdom for some time.” spokesman Bala Elkana said. confirmed 598 dead from Idai and flooding. which could bring the death penalty. IS-backed Boko Rescue in progress faction publishes ‘execution’ video

By Aminu Abubakar, AFP The CJTF assists the military with secu- direction of ISWAP, which has claimed or Kano rity. been blamed for a spate of attacks against ISWAP attacked military bases in and military bases since July last year. around Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad, There is also wider concern about an in- oko Haram’s Islamic State-backed in northern Borno, in December last year. crease in jihadist activity in the wider Sahel faction has claimed to have executed The sources said the militia members region, particularly in Burkina Faso, after Bfi ve Nigerian soldiers but security were trying to fl ee with civilians when they IS’s Middle East “caliphate” was declared sources told AFP yesterday that three of were detained. defeated. those killed were civilian militia members. All three had been presumed dead. ISWAP under Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi The Islamic State West Africa Province “The fi rst three from the right are known broke away from the group led by Abubakar (ISWAP) video, dated April 1 and said to to us by name...We are still working to es- Shekau in mid-2016 in opposition to his have been fi lmed in Borno state, northeast tablish the identity of the other two,” said indiscriminate targeting of civilians. Nigeria, was published online by the IS one source. Well-informed sources told AFP last People watch as a young elephant, one of three, is rescued from deep mud on the shores of the propaganda arm Amaq. “What is surprising is that one of them month al-Barnawi had been ousted, some seasonal Lake Kapnarok, situated at the base of the Kerio valley, part of the Kenyan Rift Valley’s It showed two men in military fatigues in military uniform was arrested in his ci- six months after his deputy, Mamman Nur, ecosystem in Baringo County. The three pachyderms ventured deep into the drying lake bed in and three in red-orange jumpsuits remi- vilian clothing and now he was given some was killed by more hardline fi ghters. an effort to reach the receding waters and ended up mired taking scores of villagers and a Kenya niscent of those worn by IS hostages in military uniform to make him look like a They had been angry at Nur’s more Wildlife Services team six-hours to free the land giants. Syria and Iraq. soldier.” moderate approach and back-channel talks All fi ve are shot in the head at point- The video comes as Nigerian and re- with the government, which is seeking an blank range. gional forces have intensifi ed their activi- end to the confl ict after nearly 10 years and Nigerian Army spokesman Sagir Musa ties against ISWAP in northern Borno, par- 27,000 deaths. said only that he had seen the video. ticularly around the towns of Monguno and He was also accused of pocketing a pu- But three senior security sources said at Marte. tative ransom payment for the release of least three of the fi ve were not soldiers. The Nigerian Army and the Multina- more than 100 schoolgirls abducted from Senegal’s Sall starts second term “We have identifi ed three of them as tional Joint Taskforce (MNJFT) compris- a school in Yobe state in February last year. CJTF (Civilian Joint Taskforce) who were ing troops from Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, ISWAP previously published a video on- held by ISWAP in Baga in December,” said Chad and Niger both claim to have infl icted line showing the execution of an aid worker with ‘constructive’ dialogue vow one of the sources on condition of ano- heavy losses. kidnapped in a raid in the Borno town of nymity. The video will fuel speculation about the Rann last year. AFP Dakar a product of his Emerging Democratic Party which have Diamniadio, Senegal Senegal Plan (PSE) launched in dominated politics since inde- 2014, to make his address. pendence from France in 1960. “In vesting their confi dence in Although the disqualifi cations acky Sall yesterday em- you once again your fellow citi- outraged the opposition, Sall in- Azali confi rmed winner of disputed Comoros vote barked on his second zens have validated your record and sisted he would rule “for all Sen- Mterm as Senegal’s presi- backed your social project, to say egalese, hence “I renew my call dent pledging “constructive” dia- the least,” said Constitutional Court for...a constructive dialogue open AFP The opposition has complained of wide- Azali’s campaign director Houmed logue with the opposition and re- president Pape Oumar Sakho. to all political, economic and so- Moroni spread fraud and irregularities in the elec- Msaidie said his camp was available to dia- forms to spur development. Sall garnered a 58% vote share, cial forces.” tions held in the country on March 24. logue with the opposition “if the opposi- Sall urged optimism as “it well clear of former prime minis- The opposition has so far shown Observers and community groups have tion asks for it”. seems new economic perspectives ter Idrissa Seck on 20%, with the no sign of wanting to grasp any ol- he Supreme Court in Comoros yes- questioned the credibility of the election Comoros has had a volatile political his- are opening up for our country,” rest of the pack left trailing to win ive branch Sall might extend since terday confi rmed Azali Assoumani held on March 24. tory since independence in 1975 and has a reference to Senegal’s plans to easily in a single round on Febru- he was offi cially proclaimed as poll Tas the winner of the disputed presi- Violence broke out last week after one of endured more than 20 attempted coups, enter the hydrocarbons sector in ary 24. winner on March 5. dential election held last week in the vola- the defeated presidential candidates Soilihi four of which were successful. 2021-22 via two ambitious oil and Helping to clear Sall’s path to Sall, who left the ceremony for tile Indian Ocean archipelago. Mohamed, who came fourth in the vote, Azali initially came to power in a coup, gas developments. victory was the authorities’ in- the presidential palace in an open- Azali was declared the winner with 59% was arrested. then ruled the country between 1999 and Clad in a navy blue suit, the validation of several opposition topped saloon with his wife, also of the votes, well ahead of his rivals Ma- Soilihi Mohamed, a widely respected 2006, and was re-elected in 2016. trained geologist swore “before candidacies including those of said he would particularly look to hamoudou Ahamada who scored 15.7% and former colonel, had been named head of an He staged the poll after Comorans voted God and before the nation” to Karim Wade, the son of presiden- aid the young, pursuing employ- Mouigni Baraka Said Soilihi, who was a dis- opposition transitional authority just be- in a referendum, boycotted by the opposi- serve the people as several visiting tial predecessor Abdoulaye Wade ment and training policies pro- tant third with 5.5% of the ballots cast. fore his arrest. tion, to support the extension of presiden- African leaders looked on. (2000-12), as well as popular moting “the entrepreneurial spirit “Having obtained the absolute majority, He stands accused of trying to set up a tial mandates from one fi ve-year term to Also present was Mark Green, Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall. and new technologies.” Azali Assoumani is proclaimed president parallel government, according to a gov- two. administrator of the US develop- Both were disqualifi ed over He added he would commit to of the republic,” said the country’s judge ernment source. He could theoretically rule until 2029, ment agency USAID. convictions for misuse of public “public policies favouring women president Harmia Ahmed. The African Union and France have critics say. Sall, 57 and a self-declared “so- funds. and girls,” ensure “decent hous- The results were confi rmed at a heavily called for restraint in the wake of the po- Several opposition fi gures were arrested cial liberal”, chose the new city The election sidelined the So- ing” for all and “safeguard the en- guarded court house in Moroni. litical crisis sparked by the disputed vote. around the time of the referendum. of Diamniadio, some 32km from cialist Party and the Senegalese vironment”. Seeking justice: the long hunt for Rwanda’s killers

By Cyril Belaud, AFP Some were arrested and taken closed in 2012, the courts handed States, Canada and The Nether- Kigali to the UN-backed International the GFTU a list of nearly 72,000 lands. Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda fugitives who had been sen- Other nations, however, argue (ICTR), based in Tanzania. tenced in absentia. that they do not have extradition he houses along the quiet That court closed in 2015 after And tracking down all those treaties with Rwanda while also tree-lined street look just several dozen convictions. people along with other remain- demonstrating a reluctance to try Tlike the normal homes For many of those who carried ing suspects is tough. suspects themselves. found all across the Rwandan out the killings, justice has been “It’s not easy,” Nkusi said. “We wish they would be capital. at a local level through commu- “We don’t have the upper hand brought back to the country, to But behind the walls of the nity tribunals known as “gacaca” in investigating and arresting. the scene of the crime,” Nkusi three adjoining villas in Kigali courts. We have to work together with said, but pointed out that some are the headquarters of a global Between 2005 and 2012, these other institutions from those countries were “not politically operation involving investigators courts put nearly two mn people countries.” willing to do that”. and prosecutors who are working on trial, with some two-thirds of The GFTU team, which in- France, which denies Kigali’s to track down the very worst kill- cases resulting in a conviction. volves both investigators and accusations of supporting the ers of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. But the search for justice con- prosecutors, works with teams Hutu regime that planned the Inside, French investigators tinues. across the world, including their genocide, has refused multiple have come to talk to witnesses A quarter of a century after the judicial counterparts in countries requests from Rwanda to extra- and to gather evidence. A Nor- genocide, Rwanda is as deter- where suspects are hiding. dite suspects. wegian team is also on site. mined as ever to make sure the It also works with UN experts So far, only one former Rwan- All are supported by Rwanda’s key suspects are arrested and put and the international policing dan army offi cer and two mayors Genocide Fugitive Tracking Unit on trial over the killings. agency, Interpol. have been sentenced in France. (GFTU), a special team created in Many are still at large, scat- Investigators face many chal- “They have an obligation to 2007 to prosecute the architects tered all over the world. lenges: by now, suspects have judge these people,” said Nkusi. behind the slaughter of some The GFTU has issued 1,012 grown much older and have had With Rwanda set this month 800,000 mostly Tutsi victims. international arrest warrants for years to perfect their changed iden- to mark a quarter of a century “The mandate was to investi- suspects in 32 countries. A May 30, 1994, file photo of Rwandan refugees crossing the Rusumo border to Tanzania, carrying their tity as well as to slip across borders. since the genocide, Nkusi hopes gate and compile case fi les for the Several are in neighbouring belongings even goats, mattresses and cows. Some have obtained political the speed of extraditions will in- fugitives who were still at large,” nations like Democratic Republic asylum. crease. said Faustin Nkusi, spokesman of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. Key suspects on the run in- Another is Augustin Bizimana, have been arrested and returned After Rwanda abolished the “Justice has to be done,” Nkusi for the National Public Prosecu- Others are further afi eld in clude Felicien Kabuga, once one a former defence minister be- to Rwanda for trial, while 22 oth- death penalty in 2007, countries said. tion Authority, which oversees places like Kenya, Malawi and of Rwanda’s richest men who is lieved to be hiding in DR Congo. ers have been tried abroad. were encouraged to send sus- “People have to be arrested. the unit. Zambia. accused of fi nancing the geno- The team is having an impact: But this is only a drop in the pects home. People have to be tried — to ei- After the bloodshed, many And still others fl ed to Europe, cide. He was reportedly spotted 19 people who were allegedly in- ocean. In recent years, suspects have ther be found innocent or be perpetrators escaped. North America or even Australia. in Kenya. volved in plotting the genocide When the gacaca process been extradited from United convicted.” Gulf Times 10 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 AMERICA

DEBRIS PROTEST CLEAN-UP MOURNED USAF again halts deliveries Police demand attorney EPA: More actions to curb 19 injured in stampede at of tainted tanker aircraft quits over Smollett fiasco emissions ‘in the works’ Nipsey Hussle memorial

The US Air Force said yesterday that it again Protesting Chicago police off icers on Monday called US Environmental Protection Agency chief Nineteen people were injured during a stampede stopped accepting deliveries of Boeing Co’s for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to resign Andrew Wheeler said yesterday the Trump at a memorial service on Monday for slain KC-46 tanker aircraft after finding foreign after her off ice dropped felony charges against administration has more actions “in the rapper Nipsey Hussle in Los Angeles, the city’s object debris in the planes. Back in February, actor Jussie Smollett last week related to allegations works” related to excess vehicle emissions. In fire department said. Hundreds had gathered in deliveries of the aircraft were halted by the US that he staged a phony hate crime. About 300 January, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV agreed the southern part of the city outside Hussle’s The Air Force because of the same issue in one of people, including off -duty Chicago police off icers, to an $800mn settlement to resolve claims Marathon Clothing store where the Grammy- the aircraft. Deliveries resumed in March after gathered at the building where Foxx’s off ice is by the US Justice Department and the state nominated musician was gunned down on Boeing ramped up the inspection process. “Our located in downtown Chicago, wearing “Foxx Must of California that it used illegal software to Sunday. A stampede started just past 8pm inspectors identified additional foreign object Go!” buttons and carrying signs reading “Resign produce false results on diesel-emissions tests during the service, but it was not clear what debris and areas where Boeing did not meet now” and “Who let the Foxx in the henhouse.” after a bringing a record-setting case against triggered it. “Reports of shots fired at the vigil quality standards,” US Air Force spokesperson Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police organised the Volkswagen AG. “We are moving forward, we do not appear to be accurate,” the Los Angeles People gather on Monday around a makeshift Captain Hope Cronin said. The decision to halt protest, arranging for buses to bring members from have other cases in the works,” Wheeler told Police Department said on Twitter. The Los memorial for Grammy-nominated rapper acceptance of the planes was made on March 23, the city’s South and North sides, said Kevin Graham, a House Appropriations Committee panel Angeles Fire Department said in a statement that Nipsey Hussle who was shot and killed outside the Air Force said. president of a local chapter of the police union. yesterday. it transported 19 patients, two of them critical. his clothing store in Los Angeles. Chicago set to Trump tees up 2020 elect fi rst black healthcare battle female mayor By Nova Safo, AFP Voters have left little doubt Reuters Chicago they want the eventual victor to Washington tackle the major issues vexing the city of 2.7mn people. hicago residents went “The message is that (voters) emocrats yesterday embraced US to the polls yesterday to want new ideas and cleaner gov- President Donald Trump’s call to Celect the US city’s fi rst ernment,” McKenzie said. Drevive a fi ght over healthcare cov- black female mayor in a historic Community groups have for erage, ensuring a prominent role for the vote centred on issues of eco- years complained about dispari- issue in the 2020 election as Trump seeks nomic equality, race and gun ties in living conditions among a second term in offi ce. violence. the sprawling city’s diverse com- Trump last week stepped up his assault Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preck- munities. on Democratic predecessor President winkle, both African-American Gun violence, fuelled by gangs Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health- women, are competing for the and the drug trade, plagues care law by directing the Justice Depart- top elected post in the city — the economically-depressed neigh- ment to oppose it in court and promising former casting herself as an out- bourhoods in the South and an unspecifi ed Republican alternative. sider and reformer, and the latter West, which are majority Afri- In a series of late-night posts on Twit- as an experienced, steady hand. can-American. ter on Monday, however, Trump appeared The election is an infl ection The downtown business dis- to shift course, saying there would be no point in America’s third largest trict, and areas to the North vote on any healthcare legislation until city. and along the city’s famed lake after next year’s election. Since 1837, Chicago has chosen shore, have enjoyed an eco- Republicans are developing “a re- only one other black mayor and nomic boom even as more than ally great HealthCare Plan with far low- one other female mayor. 550 people were murdered last er premiums (cost) & deductibles than Analysts said voters were year alone. Obamacare,” Trump said, referring to the looking to shake up city politics Reforming the police depart- Aff ordable Care Act signed into law by — fed up with gun violence that ment, which has a sordid history Obama. “Vote will be taken right after the claims more lives here than in of abusive tactics, and city hall, Election when Republicans hold the Sen- Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Speaker of the House Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Senator Chuck other major American cities, and which currently is mired in a fed- ate & win back the House.” Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Colin Allred (D-TX) walk towards the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, yesterday. years of political corruption in eral corruption probe of one of its While that timeline would give Repub- the Democratic stronghold. members, are also top of mind, licans more time to knit together an al- vowed in the 2016 presidential election But part of the Democrats’ point in Democrats made healthcare a signa- “This is one of the most signif- McKenzie said. ternative to the Aff ordable Care Act, it all to “repeal and replace” Obamacare but bringing the resolution to a vote in the ture issue in the 2018 midterm congres- icant elections in Chicago histo- “(Voters) are tired of corrup- but guarantees a 2020 battle over an issue failed to do so during their fi rst two years Democratic-run House is to put Republi- sional election, and are gearing up for a ry,” Evan McKenzie, political sci- tion, federal investigations of that helped Democrats wrest control of in power, despite control of both the Sen- cans from swing districts on the spot over repeat defense next year. ence professor at the University city offi cials, police misconduct, the US House of Representatives last year. ate and the House of Representatives. the issue. “Healthcare will be front and centre,” of Illinois in Chicago, told AFP. and a budget crisis,” he said. Democrats happily joined the health- White House spokesman Hogan Gidley Americans “deserve to know exactly Democratic US Representative Ben Ray “Chicago voters seem to be in The two candidates are vying care battle. defended Trump’s tweet, saying it was im- where their representatives stand on the Lujan told MSNBC yesterday. a ‘throw the bums out’ frame of to replace outgoing mayor Rahm “When the president has instructed his possible to vote now on any Republican plan Trump administration’s vicious cam- Lujan, who is seeking a Senate seat in mind,” he said. Emanuel — once a rising star in Department of Justice to eliminate the Af- in the Democratically-controlled House. paign to take away their healthcare,” 2020, cited popular aspects of the law, The initial fi eld consisted of 14 the Democratic Party and former fordable Care Act, them’s fi ghting words,” “He didn’t punt,” Gidley told MSNBC. Pelosi said at the rally. such as protections for pre-existing con- contenders, but most moderates president Barack Obama’s fi rst US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in an At an outdoor rally in front of the The House vote is expected today. ditions that could be threatened by Re- and establishment fi gures were White House chief of staff . interview with Politico yesterday. Supreme Court, Pelosi and Schum- Pelosi said a court decision to toss out publicans, and said Democrats’ protec- sidelined in a February vote. Emanuel sustained political “Last night the president tweeted that er announced they were introducing the Aff ordable Care Act would not just tion of the law could help them also win The two highest vote-getters damage for his handling of the they will come up with their plan in 2021. resolutions condemning the Justice De- harm the 20mn people who have gained control of the upper chamber next year. were competing in yesterday’s Laquan McDonald case and de- Translation: they have no healthcare partment’s legal assault on the law. healthcare coverage, but also impact over Candidates for the Democratic party’s run-off election and are running clined to run for a third term. plan,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck These resolutions will not become 150mn families who have better benefi ts 2020 presidential nomination, including as progressive reformers, prom- McDonald was a 17-year-old Schumer said yesterday. “They are for re- law; the Senate version is unlikely to even because of the law, such as a guarantee a number of current US senators, have ising to clean up city government black teenager shot dead by po- peal, they have no replace.” come up for a vote in the Republican- that no lifetime limits can be placed on also hinged their candidacies on the is- and reduce economic inequality. lice in a 2014 encounter caught Trump and his fellow Republicans had dominated chamber. coverage. sue. While the two are alike in on police dash cam video. many ways, they have sought to The video — showing offi cer diff erentiate themselves with Jason Van Dyke fi ring 16 bullets their backgrounds. Lightfoot has into the knife-wielding teen even never held elected offi ce. after he fell to the ground — was She is a former federal pros- not released for more than a year. White House softens tone on Mexico border closure ecutor who headed a panel in- Emanuel faced accusations of vestigating the city’s policing an attempted cover-up. problems. He fi red the police chief and Reuters sees Mexico “stepping up and taking a the White House. “We’ve also seen them Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador,” Preckwinkle is currently the brought in a reformer who has Washington greater sense of responsibility” for deal- stop more people from coming across the he said. chief executive of Cook County instituted changes, worked to ing with the immigration fl ows that US border so that they aren’t even enter- Trump threatened last Friday to close in which Chicago is located, and rebuild public trust, and reduced offi cials say are overwhelming ports of ing into the United States. So those two the border with this week unless Mex- has held elected offi ce in the city gun violence. he White House yesterday took a entry along the border. things are certainly helpful and we’d like ico took steps to stop immigrants from for decades. But as Van Dyke was about to step back from its threat to close “They have started to do a signifi cant to see them continue,” Sanders said. reaching the United States illegally. Local media reported that go on trial for murder in Sep- Tthe southern US border, saying amount more. We’ve seen them take a Trump hinted at the shift earlier in a Sanders said the administration was Lightfoot appeared to have more tember, Emanuel announced he Mexico has begun to take actions to ad- larger number of individuals” and hold Twitter post earlier yesterday. “looking at all options when it comes to support in pre-election polling. would not run for re-election. dress the immigration problem on its end. those who have asylum claims in Mexico “After many years (decades), Mexico closing the diff erent ports of entry, what “It’s change versus the status Van Dyke was convicted and White House spokeswoman Sarah while they are being processed in the is apprehending large numbers of people that looks like and what the impacts quo,” Lightfoot said at a recent sentenced to nearly seven years Sanders said the Trump administration United States, Sanders told reporters at at their Southern Border, mostly from would be.” debate. in prison. Disaster aid won’t cover crops drowned by Midwest fl oods

By Tom Polansek, Reuters sales from the US trade war with nology company, identifi ed 832 Iowa, who joined Northey on the In this case, fl oods inundat- Malvern, Iowa China — previously their biggest on-farm storage bins within helicopter tour. ed fi elds quickly after multiple buyer of soybean exports. fl ooded Midwest areas. With farm incomes declining for levees failed when rain and melt- The USDA last year made $12bn They hold an estimated 5mn to years before the fl ood, many farm- ing snow fi lled the Missouri River he Black Hawk military in aid available to farmers who suf- 10mn bushels of corn and soy- ers had planned to sell their grain and other waterways. helicopter fl ew over Iowa, fered trade-war losses, without beans — worth between $17.3mn in storage for money to live, pay The frozen ground was unable Tgiving a senior US agri- needing Congressional approval. to $34.6mn — that could have their taxes or fi nance operations, to soak up the water. culture offi cial and US senator an The agency has separate pro- been damaged in the fl oods, the including planting this spring. Near Percival, Iowa, railroad eyeful of the fl ood damage below, grammes that partially cover company told Reuters. From the helicopter, piloted tracks leading up to a grain facil- where yellow corn from ruptured losses from cattle killed in natu- Across the United States, by National Guard members, of- ity were fl ooded and broken. metal silos spilled out into the ral disasters, compensate farmers farmers held soybean stocks of fi cials surveyed miles of fl ooded Iowa’s agriculture secretary muddy water. who cannot plant crops due to 2.716bn bushels as of March 1, fi elds in Iowa, littered with lawn Mike Naig said the US govern- And there’s nothing the US weather, and help them remove the largest on record for the time chairs, fuel tanks, furniture, tires ment also should help compen- government can do about the debris left in fi elds after fl oods. period, the USDA said last week. and other fl ood debris. sate farmers for some of the grain millions of bushels of damaged But it has no programme to Corn stocks were the third- Farmers will have to destroy that was damaged. crops here under current laws cover the catastrophic and large- largest on record. any grains that were contami- “This is clearly a gap that we or disaster-aid programmes, US ly uninsured stored-crop losses Some Congress members nated by fl oodwater, which could think needs to be addressed,” said Agriculture Under Secretary Bill from the widespread fl ooding, have expressed interest in pur- also prevent some growers from Naig, who accompanied Grassley Northey told a Reuters reporter triggered by the “bomb cyclone” suing legislation to provide aid planting oversaturated fi elds. and Northey in the chopper. who joined the fl ight. that hit the region in mid-March. for damaged crops in storage, Near Crescent, Iowa, farmer US Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa and USDA Under Secretary Bill Time is short for a solution, The USDA has no mechanism to Congress would have to pass Northey said. Don Rief said the fl ood damaged Northey speak before boarding a helicopter to view flood damage, in said Carol Vinton, supervisor of compensate farmers for damaged legislation to address the har- But passing legislation could re- more than 60,000 bushels of his Omaha, Nebraska. Mills County, Iowa, one of the crops in storage, Northey said, vests lost in the storm, according quire a lengthy political process in grain, worth hundreds of thou- state’s two most heavily damaged a problem never before seen on to Northey and a USDA state- the face of an urgent disaster, US sands of dollars. hell,” Rief said. “Hopefully USDA typically received more advance counties. Vinton said she was this scale. That’s in part because ment to Reuters. Senator Charles Grassley told farm- He tried to move the crops be- will come in and minimize some notice of rising waters, allow- getting calls from farmers whose US farmers have never stored so “It’s not traditionally been ers at a meeting in Malvern, Iowa. fore the fl ood, but dirt roads were of the damage.” ing them to move crops and limit grain was damaged and are wor- much of their harvests, after years covered,” he said. “But we’ve not “If we have to pass a bill to too soft from the storm to sup- The USDA does not have a losses, said Tom Vilsack, who ran ried about making good on previ- of oversupplied markets, low usually had as many losses.” do it, I hate to tell you how long port trucks. program that covers fl ood-dam- the agency under former presi- ously signed contracts to deliver prices and the latest blow of lost Indigo Ag, an agriculture tech- that takes,” said the senator from “We were just hurrying like aged grain because farmers have dent Barack Obama. those crops to elevators. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 11 ASIA Army chief Thai junta chief calls warns against for action to cut smog protests after AFP/Reuters Chiang Mai disputed poll

hailand’s junta chief gave Reuters their diff erences on the streets the smog-hit northern Bangkok anymore,” Apirat told re- Tcity of Chiang Mai seven porters, adding that both the days to crack down on spiralling eventual winners and losers in pollution yesterday, which has hailand’s army chief the election must settle their seen the tourist hotspot choke yesterday warned diff erences in parliament. on Asia’s most toxic air this Tagainst protests after He also had harsh words for week. a disputed election, invok- politicians he said “distort” The city has far eclipsed other ing the revered monarchy and democratic principles to make notorious pollution hotspots castigating people he said them incompatible with Thai since Sunday, with the level of “distort” democracy. culture that reveres the king dangerous microscopic particles His words were the latest above all else, a clear reference known as PM2.5 peaking at 480 in a series of signals from the to Thaksin’s party and its allies. according to the Air Quality In- military and royalist estab- “This is not right,” Api- dex. Any level over 300 is classed lishment against opposition rat said of such politicians. as “hazardous”. parties loyal to ousted former “Thailand is a democracy with By contrast, the smog-hit In- premier Thaksin Shinawatra. the king as the head of state.” dian capital New Delhi peaked The inconclusive results to Thaksin-loyal parties have at 228, while Beijing reached the March 24 election, pitting won every election since 2001, only 161. the party of the junta leader even after he was ousted in The pollution crisis in Chiang against an opposition alliance, a 2006 coup. Mai has seen residents, street have seen both the pro-army Thaksin has remained an vendors and even monks don- Palang Pracharat party and infl uential political fi gure ning surgical face masks and the opposition claim victory. despite having lived in self- at least two universities have Final results may not be clear imposed exile since he fl ed cancelled classes. for weeks. Thailand in 2008 to escape a Crop burning during the dry General Apirat Kongsom- corruption trial that he said season has long been blamed pong said the military would was politically motivated. for poor air quality, but the remain neutral in the election, Last week, six other parties smog has been exacerbated by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, centre, hands a leaf blower to an off icial at an army base in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai yesterday. in which his predecessor as joined with the pro-Thaksin growing industrialisation and army chief, Prayut Chan-o- Pheu Thai party in a “demo- rising numbers of vehicles on Thailand-based specialist for the ing to Chaicharn Pothirat, a lung Authorities are providing del- ready arriving. There are no plans cha, is seeking to stay in power cratic front” alliance, which the roads. Institute of Research for Devel- disease specialist at Chiang Mai egates to an Asian fi nance min- to change the meeting venue or as an elected prime minister, they claim will gain enough Prayut Chan-o-cha, on a vis- opment, said crop burning was University’s Faculty of Medicine. ister and central bank summit in schedules, offi cials said. fi ve years after he seized power seats in parliament to try to it to Chiang Mai, demanded a not the only culprit. The long-term eff ects include Chiang Mai with face masks this “We have not prepared special in a coup. form a government and block clampdown on crop burning. “The government has en- an increase in respiratory and week as smoggy air pollution hits measures because the dust situ- “General Prayut has to be Prayut from staying in power. “I want to reiterate that the couraged the population to buy cardiovascular diseases, he said, alarming levels. ation is improving and has not on his own path and the army “People should accept win- problem of hotspots (crop burn- more vehicles and coal plants adding that he is sceptical the Thailand will host the Asso- aff ected the meeting schedules,” has to step back,” Apirat said. ning and losing,” Apirat said. ing areas) must be solved in seven are still running at full speed,” government has any “long-term ciation of Southeast Asian Na- Nadhavudh added. “We cannot get involved in “Instead, they constructed days,” said the junta leader, who Evrard said. plan” good enough to tackle the tions’ (Asean) Finance Ministers The government has already politics.” a democratic side and a dic- is angling to become the elected A total of nine provinces are af- problem. and Central Bank Governors’ given out nearly 2mn masks to At the same time, Api- tatorship side, which is not civilian prime minister. fected by the smog as the north- “They show reporters, they fl y meeting this week. residents in the area, he said. rat made clear the military right. We are all Thais.” “Nobody should ignite fi res in ern city of Chiang Rai prepares to Chiang Mai... but... it does not “Masks were prepared, but “The smog problem in nine would not allow a repeat of The army chief also alluded the forest,” he said. to host a meeting of regional clearly improve the situation,” (we) have not seen anybody northern provinces is due to past mass street demonstra- to an election-eve statement Crop burning is normally re- fi nance ministers. Chaicharn said. wearing them in the hotel,” agriculture burning in forests, tions in which both support- from King Maha Vajiralongko- stricted for two months in the dry The seasonal duration of the Earlier this year, the Thai Nadhavudh Dhamasiri, a senior which happens every year,” Sate ers and opponents of Thaksin rn, telling reporters on Tues- season to try to curb pollution, haze, which used to last for capital Bangkok was also hit by fi nance ministry offi cial, said. Sampattagul, head of the Climate paralysed Bangkok for months day “we must choose good but it remains widespread. about three months, has now bad smog, which led to school Some 300 offi cials are expect- Change Data Centre at Chiang on end. people to govern so that bad However, Olivier Evrard, a increased to six months, accord- closures for three days. ed for the meeting, with some al- Mai University, said. “I cannot let Thais settle people don’t have power”.

Vietnam imprisons Nepal’s storm-hit region receives aid Lankan

two former offi cials DPA novelist for ‘abusing power’ Kathmandu arrested housands of survivors of a devastating storm AFP both also banned from holding Twhich struck southern AFP Hanoi managerial positions in state Nepal over the weekend began Colombo agencies and enterprises for receiving aid yesterday. three years after their release. Relief workers brought dry Hanoi court has jailed Both men were accused of food, tents, mattresses and Sri Lankan novelist has two former senior oil ex- pocketing excessive interest other items to the storm-hit been arrested for writing Aecutives on abuse of power payments from Ocean Bank, villages in the country’s south- Aabout homosexuality in charges, as Vietnam forges ahead a privately-owned lender al- ern region bordering India, the Buddhist clergy and charged with a crackdown on graft. ready embroiled in its own offi cials said. with violating international hu- Dozens of high-fl ying ex- corruption scandal. The rainstorm left 28 peo- man rights law, offi cials said ecutives and former offi cials Dozens of Ocean Bank em- ple dead and injured more than yesterday, outraging free speech have been ensnared in the ployees have been convicted 600 others, with around 343 of advocates. hardline communist govern- including former director the injured still receiving treat- Shakthika Sathkumara, 33, ment’s anti-corruption drag- Nguyen Xuan Son, who was ment at local hospitals, accord- was arrested in the north-central net, captivating a country sentenced to death for em- ing to the National Emergency town of Polgahawela on Mon- unused to seeing powerful bezzlement and economic Operation Centre. day and remanded in custody fi gures punished openly. mismanagement in 2017. Dev Mandal, a government for nine days after monks com- The latest to fall worked for Hanoi has vowed to root offi cer in Bara district, said plained about his writing. Vietsovpetro, a Russia-Vietnam out graft at the highest ranks they were providing free food The short story contained in- joint venture petroleum fi rm of business and government and mattresses to around 3,000 direct references to homosexual- based in the southern port city and said it will also go after people displaced by the storm. ity among the clergy, who hold of Vung Tau, and were arrested day-to-day corruption. “We still face many prob- considerable sway in the Bud- last June on charges of “abusing But analysts have said the lems. We don’t have electric- dhist-majority nation of 21mn. power to appropriate property”. campaign is also being used ity. The farmers have lost their Army soldiers clear debris from damaged homes at Purainiya village in Nepal’s southern Bara district The story was published on Former director-general to settle scores and sideline crops such as wheat and maize,” near Birgunj yesterday, following a rare spring storm. Sathkumara’s Facebook page Tu Thanh Nghia and ex-chief political rivals. he said. and in local Sinhalese language accountant Vo Quang Huy Vietnam is ranked 117 out of Nepal’s weather forecast- Issuing a statement on failure to issue early warnings Rainstorms normally hit the publications. were sentenced to 3.5 years 180 on Transparency Interna- ing service has come under in- Monday, the Department of for the storm. country in spring between April “A group of monks com- and seven years respectively, tional’s Corruption Percep- creased criticism over its failure Hydrology and Meteorology The government said it was and May, but experts said Sun- plained that the reference to state-controlled Vietnam tions Index, among the lowest to predict the extreme weather blamed a lack of technology carrying out a study to assess day’s disaster was unusually homosexual activities among News Agency reported, with in the region. event. and human resources for the the damage from the disaster. severe. the clergy insulted Buddhism,” a police spokesman said. Buddhist monks are expected to be celibate. Homosexuality is also outlawed in Sri Lanka under an 1883 colonial-era law, but it is Cambodia urged to boost funding for ‘bride traffi cking’ pacts rarely enforced. The police spokesman said the monks who complained refused Thomson Reuters Foundation fi cking, said she had no new “The government to help address the problem, scribe experiences of sexual, where exactly they are, have lit- to settle the matter out of court Phnom Penh funds to address the issue and creates mechanisms to including heavier screening of physical and psychological tle or no access to phones and and insisted on Sathkumara referred further questions to a address the problem Cambodian women who apply abuse, confi nement, torture and internet, and usually have their being prosecuted. ministry spokesman who said but they are only on for travel visas. forced labour. passports withheld. He was taken before a lo- ew agreements reached he had no information to share. paper. In reality, they are This drove the trend further Some escaped and made their “Sometimes, we simply can- cal magistrate who charged him between Phnom Penh Over the past decade, tens of ineff ective due to poor underground, human rights way home while others have not help the victims,” said Sa Im, with inciting “religious hatred” Nand Beijing to combat thousands of Southeast Asian implementation” groups said, with an increasing been sold on or discarded after who works on women’s issues at under the United Nation’s inter- the traffi cking of Cambodian women have been lured to Chi- number of women travelling producing a child for the man the Cambodian Human Rights national human rights treaty, to ‘brides’ to China will be useless na by criminal networks prom- ates mechanisms to address overland through Vietnam and who bought them, usually for and Development Association, which Sri Lanka is a signatory. without fresh funding and strict- ising lucrative jobs, only to be the problem but they are then across its mountainous between $10,000 and $20,000, a human rights group. Local activists decried what er enforcement, anti-traffi cking sold as brides as China grapples only on paper. In reality, they northern border to China. according to researchers. Im said that her organisation they called abuse of the Inter- groups warned yesterday. with a gender imbalance of tens are ineff ective due to poor “It seems that the traffi ckers Five Cambodian charities often lost contact with victims national Covenant on Civil and Cambodia’s Interior Minis- of millions of men. implementation,” he said. have relationships with offi cials who work to locate, repatriate while trying to raise funds to Political Rights to clamp down ter Sar Kheng on Sunday an- “It is happening every day, In 2016, Phnom Penh said from all sides,” Thehoya said, and rehabilitate women forced bring them home, and called on free speech. nounced a series of deals to fi ght this bride traffi cking,” said Dy it had identifi ed 7,000 Cam- adding that offi cials at Cam- into marriage said that they re- for the government to allocate “The police have abused transnational crimes, including Thehoya, senior programme of- bodian women living in forced bodian missions abroad had ceived a new call asking for help more funds for repatriation. their powers and carried out an human traffi cking, however no fi cer at the Centre for Alliance marriages in China but anti- often been uncooperative when every other day in 2018. “Offi cials and anti-traffi ck- arbitrary arrest,” the Free Me- details were made available. of Labour and Human Rights, a traffi cking groups said the real contacted for assistance. “They But fi nding the women and ing police on the ground know dia Movement, a local watch- Chou Bun Eng, deputy head Cambodian charity that helps total could easily be double that. share the benefi ts.” getting them out is almost im- and understand the problem dog, said in a statement. “We of the ministry’s National Com- repatriate traffi cking survivors. In recent years, Cambodia has Cambodian women who have possible, as they do not under- but have no budget support,” condemn this action of the mittee to Counter Human Traf- “The government cre- introduced a number of policies returned from China often de- stand the local language or know she said. police.” Gulf Times 12 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Former chairman of China’s Xinjiang region arrested for graft

AFP years until 2014 – a period that sweeping campaign against cor- expelled from the Communist corrupt, and abused his power for three other senior offi cials have the Communist Party and his of- Beijing was marked by a spate of deadly ruption in the Communist Party, Party for “serious violations”. He sexual favours,” the CCDI said. been prosecuted for graft. fi cial positions, and the public se- violence in the region, including which has ensnared 1.5mn offi - had resisted investigators and As deputy director of the Na- The former deputy head of the curity ministry announcing that riots. Bekri later served as head of cials. In Xinjiang, authorities have was untruthful, the country’s tional Development and Reform food and drug administration, Wu it would “completely and thor- former chairman of the the National Energy Agency and stepped up a security clampdown graft watchdog said in a March Commission, Bekri was one of the Zhen; former vice chairman of oughly eliminate the poisonous government of China’s deputy director of the country’s in the name of combating terror- statement. The Central Commis- most powerful ethnic minority Beijing, Li Shixiang; and former infl uence of Meng Hongwei”. Atroubled northwest region top economic planning offi ce. His ism and separatism, detaining as sion for Disciplinary Inspection members of China’s central gov- vice chairman of Henan prov- The men are part of a grow- of Xinjiang, an ethnic Uighur, has arrest was announced in a short many as 1mn Uighurs and other (CCDI) said Bekri had used his ernment. ince, Jin Suidong, had all abused ing group of Communist Party been arrested for graft, national statement by the Supreme Peo- mostly Muslim minorities in in- position to benefi t himself and He was a member of the pow- their positions for their own ben- cadres caught in Xi’s anti-graft prosecutors said yesterday. ple’s Procurate (SPP). ternment camps, according to es- his family, buying luxury cars and erful Central Committee of the efi t, prosecutors said. This comes campaign, which critics say has Nur Bekri was the regional It is among the most high-pro- timates cited by a UN panel. doling out favours to others. “(He) Communist Party until 2017. In a shortly after former Interpol chief served as a way to remove the government’s chairman for seven fi le cases in President Xi Jinping’s Bekri had last month been been lived extravagantly ... was morally separate statement, the SPP said Meng Hongwei was expelled from leader’s political enemies. Rights groups hit out at Singapore’s fake news bill

Reuters “As the most far-reaching leg- by the same political party since ing hefty fi nes and jail terms will People gather at the Xichang funeral parlour in Xichang in China’s southwestern Sichuan province Singapore islation of its kind to date, this independence from Britain more be imposed if the falsehoods are yesterday to mourn the loss of people killed in a forest fire in Muli county. level of overreach poses signifi - than 50 years ago, says it is vul- spread by “malicious actors” cant risks to freedom of expres- nerable to fake news because of who “undermine society”, the ingapore submitted wide- sion and speech, and could have its position as a global fi nancial ministry said, without elaborat- ranging fake news legisla- severe ramifi cations both in Sin- hub, its mixed ethnic and reli- ing. It added that it would cut off Stion in parliament yester- gapore and around the world,” gious population and widespread an online site’s “ability to profi t”, Chinese fi refi ghters contain day, stoking fears from Internet said Jeff Paine, managing direc- Internet access. without shutting it down, if the fi rms and human rights groups tor of the Asia Internet Coalition, It is ranked 151 among 180 site had published three false- that it may give the government an industry association of inter- countries rated in the World hoods that were “against the too much power and hinder free- net and technology companies in Press Freedom Index of Report- public interest” over the previous forest fi re after 30 killed dom of speech. the region. ers Without Borders, a non- six months. The law would require social Speaking to reporters on Mon- government group that promotes It did not say how it would media sites like Facebook to carry day, Singapore’s Law Minister K freedom of information, below block a site’s profi t streams. The AFP tinguish the fi re,” Wu added. scores of residents lining a warnings on posts the govern- Shanmugam said the new leg- the likes of Russia and Myanmar. bill came amid talk of a possible Beijing Five helicopters have also been road where the hearses passed ment deems false and remove islation would not hinder free The new bill proposes that the general election this year. Law deployed to help in fi refi ghting through, many holding stalks comments against “public inter- speech. government get online platforms Minister Shanmugam declined to eff orts, said Tang Yi, head of of chrysanthemum — a tra- est”. “This legislation deals with to publish warnings or “correc- comment when asked if the new irefi ghters in southwest safety enforcement at Liang- ditional Chinese symbol of The move came two days after false statements of facts. It tions” alongside posts carrying legislation was related to a vote. China contained a forest shan Prefecture at a press con- mourning. Facebook founder Mark Zuck- doesn’t deal with opinions, it false information, without re- “This draft law will be a disaster Fblaze yesterday after it ference yesterday. Of the dead, a number were erberg said governments should doesn’t deal with viewpoints. moving them. This would be the for human rights, particularly claimed the lives of 27 fi refi ght- Local authorities had lost from Sichuan province, with play a more active role in regulat- You can have whatever view- “primary response” to counter freedom of expression and media ers and three others, local offi - contact with the 30 victims the youngest victim just 18 ing the online platform. points however reasonable or falsehoods online, the Law Min- freedom,” said Phil Robertson, cials said. Sunday afternoon after a sud- years old, and many in their But Simon Milner, who works unreasonable,” he said. istry said. deputy director, Asia division, at Nearly 700 fi refi ghters were den change in wind direc- early 20s. on Facebook’s public policy in Tech giants Facebook, Twit- “That way, in a sense, peo- Human Rights Watch. deployed to battle the fi re, tion ignited a “huge fi reball”, They have been lauded as Asia, said after the law was ta- ter and Google all have their ple can read whatever they want “The defi nitions in the law are which broke out on Saturday on authorities previously said. heroes who died in the line of bled, the fi rm was “concerned Asia headquarters in the city- and make up their minds. That broad and poorly defi ned, leav- steep, remote terrain at an alti- Twenty seven were fi refi ght- duty, with several offi cial web- with aspects of the law that grant state, a low-tax finance hub is our preference,” Law Minister ing maximum regulatory discre- tude of around 4,000m (13,000 ers, two forestry offi cials and sites, including the ministry of broad powers to the Singapore seen as a island of stability in K Shanmugam told reporters on tion to the government offi cers ft) in Muli County, Sichuan one local volunteer. Authori- emergency management, turn- executive branch to compel us to the middle of the fast-growing Monday. skewed to view as “misleading” province. ties had initially said all 30 were ing their pages monochromatic remove content they deem to be but often-turbulent Southeast Under the proposals, which or “false” the sorts of news that The blaze was contained fi refi ghters. as a mark of respect. false and proactively push a gov- Asia region. must be approved by parlia- challenge Singapore’s preferred around mid-day yesterday, Most of the bodies were Chinese authorities on late ernment notifi cation to users”. Singapore, which has been run ment, criminal sanctions includ- political narratives.” though some areas are still taken to a funeral parlour in Monday also issued a red alert burning, said Wu Song, coun- Xichang city early yesterday, — the highest level — warning ty chief of Muli, according to the fi re department said. of forest fi res in the northern Xinhua. “Due to complex ter- Footage posted to their of- areas of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei rain, we need more time to ex- fi cial social media page showed and Shanxi.

Singapore minister puts Lady Gaga, Singapore carrier grounds two Australia to Boeing jets over engine problem spend $270mn Ariana Grande on ‘off ensive’ playlist on countering Singapore Airlines said which has a maximum capacity yesterday it had grounded two of 330 passengers — and extremism Reuters “denigrating religions and pro- ‘Judas’ and Ariana Grande’s ‘God In his speech on Monday, the of its Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner started operating them last Singapore moting violence”. is a woman’, alongside songs minister had said the govern- aircraft after discovering year. It has nine 787-10 aircraft Australia’s conservative Singapore keeps a tight rein ‘Heresy’ by Nine Inch Nails and ment’s approach had to be guided an engine defect during in its fleet, a spokeswoman government yesterday said on public speech and the media, ‘Take me to the Church’ by Hozi- by common sense. He added ei- inspections. The decision was said. Boeing’s 737 MAX planes it would boost spending to merican pop stars Lady especially when it comes to race er. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande ther banning everything that is taken after the deterioration were grounded globally last counter the threat of violent Gaga and Ariana Grande and religion. have both held concerts in Singa- deemed insulting or off ensive by of some engine blades was month following the second of extremism by A$381mn Aare on an “off ensive lyr- A photo of the ministerial pore. anyone, or allowing everything detected on the jets’ Rolls- two deadly crashes to occur in ($270mn) over the next ics” list presented to members of statement on “restricting hate K Shanmugam, Singapore’s that is insulting or off ensive, was Royce engines, the carrier said. less than five months. Scrutiny four years, following mass parliament in socially-conserva- speech” was posted on Facebook home aff airs minister, said in a not doable. The planes were grounded has centred on an anti-stall shootings at two mosques in tive Singapore as part of a state- by opposition MP Chen Show Facebook post yesterday that he The statement came on a day pending the replacement system developed specifically New Zealand last month. “The ment by the city-state’s home Mao on Monday with the cap- gave the list as an illustration of Singapore submitted wide- of engines. “Some flights to for the planes that has given tragic events in Christchurch minister on hate speech. tion “lesson of the day”. The post things people may fi nd off ensive. ranging fake news legislation in destinations served by the 787- pilots problems. Singapore was last month show the need to Monday’s statement came had been shared more than 1,000 “Doesn’t mean that it can all get parliament, stoking fears among 10 fleet have been aff ected,” one of the first countries to remain vigilant to the threat nearly a month after Swedish times and received hundreds of banned, just because some peo- internet fi rms and human rights it said, adding “safety is our ban 737 MAX planes from its of violent extremism,” Home black metal group Watain’s con- comments by yesterday after- ple fi nd it off ensive,” Shanmu- groups that it may give the gov- top priority”. The city-state’s airspace following the March Aff airs Minister Peter Dutton cert was banned in Singapore noon. gam, who is also the law minister, ernment too much power and flag carrier was the launch crash of one of the models said in a statement as part of on concerns about its history of The list cited Lady’s Gaga’s posted. hinder freedom of speech. customer for the model — operated by Ethiopian Airlines. the government’s budget.

Australia govt cuts taxes ahead of polls Just married

AFP berg told Australia’s parliament management, he said the previ- Canberra the budget was back in the black, ous coalition government of John “and Australia is back on track”. Howard paid off Labor’s debt, and He said the fundamentals of now Morrison’s government was ustralia’s conservative the Australian economy were setting a path to do it again. “This government unveiled sound, but there were genuine matters because over the last year Aa big-spending federal and clear risks emerging at home the interest bill on the national budget yesterday with tax cuts and abroad. “Global trade ten- debt was $18bn. And this was in and new infrastructure invest- sions remain, the Chinese econo- a low-interest environment,” he ment to win voters ahead of the my has slowed, and there has been said. “This is money that could imminent general election. The a loss of momentum in Japan, Eu- have built 500 schools or a world- budget includes a return to sur- rope and other advanced econo- class hospital in each state and plus for the fi rst time in 12 years — mies,” he said. “Notwithstanding territory.” with economic growth bringing these challenges, it is testament Frydenberg said the proposed a surfeit of A$7.1bn (US$5.02bn) to the strength of the Australian tax cuts would reduce tax paid forecast for 2019-20 — allowing economy that it is in the 28th year by 10mn Australians and 3mn the government to tout its eco- of consecutive economic growth. small businesses. There are los- nomic credentials. Our economic plan will see this ers, however. Budget papers re- The election could be held as continue.” veal savings of more than $2bn soon as next month, giving the The Treasurer said growth was over four years through reduced minority Liberal-National gov- expected to pick up to 2.75% in welfare payments. ernment little time to reverse 2019-20. The $7.1bn budget sur- Savings of $77.9mn come from polls which have consistently plus will rise to $11bn in 2020-21, “better targeting of support favoured the Labor centre-left $17.8bn in 2021-22 and $9.2bn in for refugees”. Frydenberg said a opposition. Prime Minister Scott 2022-23. He said the surplus al- strong economy needed roads, Morrison has tried to steer the lowed the government to start rail, bridges, dams and ports and debate away from his unpopular paying off masses of accumu- the government was boosting immigration and climate policies lated debt, with the objective of infrastructure spending to $100 and onto the economy, which his eliminating it entirely by 2030 or billion over the decade. That will party believes is a strong suit. sooner. In a swipe at the former deliver a range of new projects in A newlywed couple has their photographs taken at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. Federal Treasurer Josh Fryden- Labor government’s economic every state and territory. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 13

BRITAIN/IRELAND Short story vending machines to be installed at Tube station

The machines, made by fi rst short-story vending ma- taurant, Cafe Zoetrope. challenge to condense the genre days to write his story, Mr Rob- tweets,” said Horowitz, who is that 36% had given up on at French company Short chines are installed at Canary The three machines being un- into such a short form. inson. currently working on the televi- least one book in the last year Édition, will dispense free Wharf this week. veiled in Canary Wharf tomor- “It was the challenge of writ- The idea of selling books from sion adaptation of his Alex Rider due to lack of time, and 30% had one, three and five-minute Dispensing one, three and row are the fi rst in the UK. Cover- ing a story that could be read a machine is not new; in 1937, books. “So the idea of using that not fi nished a book in over six stories … with the first penned fi ve-minute stories free to pas- ing genres from sci-fi to romance between two stations – not just Penguin founder Allen Lane little chunk of your day for some- months. by Anthony Horowitz sersby at the touch of a button, and children’s fi ction, the stories a short story but a very short installed a “Penguincubator” thing that entertains you, some- Head of arts and events Lucie the vending machines are made will be by authors including Vir- story,” he said. “Because I love on Charing Cross Road, a slot- thing which is, with a very small Moore said: “We’re all guilty of Guardian News and Media by French company Short Edi- ginia Woolf, Lewis Carroll and mystery and whodunnits, the machine book-dispenser that ‘l’, literature, is appealing.” saying we’re too busy, but our London tion. They already feature in lo- Charles Dickens – and the ini- question of would it be possible biographer Jeremy Lewis wrote: The Canary Wharf Group said research found that a staggering cations across France, in Hong tiative launches with a specially to write a proper whodunnit with “shocked his more conservative it had been prompted to install 70% of us would rather get lost Kong and the US, where Godfa- commissioned one-minute tale a solution which made you smile colleagues”. the machines after new research in a good book than get lost down eary city workers will ther director Francis Ford Cop- from bestselling novelist An- in such a short amount of space “What appealed to me was that found that members of the pub- the rabbit hole of social media. have a new way of pola was such a fan he invested in thony Horowitz. He plumped on was irresistible. The whole no- I travel on the tube every single lic were not fi nding time to fi n- Our short story stations provide Wpassing the time on the company and had a dispenser writing a whodunnit for the ma- tion amused me.” day and I see everybody buried in ish books. The research, which the perfect digital antidote – a their commute once the UK’s installed at his San Francisco res- chine, and admitted it had been a He said it took three or four apps and games, or looking at old polled 2,000 UK adults, found return to analogue scrolling.” MPs prepare for race to replace Speaker

Guardian News and Media on “baby leave”, friends said. London Hillier, the chair of the in- fl uential public accounts com- mittee and well known “fi xer” enior MPs are quietly gath- of parliamentary problems, and ering support in a race to Winterton, a popular former Sreplace John Bercow as chief whip, are also being urged Speaker of the House of Com- to stand. mons if he stands down as ex- Traditionally, the two main pected this summer. parties have alternated the role Former Labour ministers of Speaker, but this tradition was Chris Bryant, Harriet Harman, broken by Labour in 2000 when Meg Hillier and Rosie Winterton Betty Boothroyd was replaced by are being urged by their peers to Michael Martin. prepare for the powerful role. Some Conservative candidates Other candidates include the are beginning to emerge. Laing, deputy speakers Sir Lindsay who has been a deputy for fi ve Hoyle and Eleanor Laing. Some years, announced in February Brexiters want the Conserva- that she would stand. tive Sir Henry Bellingham to put “I expect that there will be a himself forward. great many candidates to replace Bercow, who has taken a cen- him and I would expect the dep- tral role in the Brexit crisis, had uty speakers to be amongst those Pro-EU demonstrators brave the rain near the Houses of Parliament in central London yesterday. pledged to stand down in 2018 candidates,” the Conservative after nine years in the chair, but MP told The House magazine. delayed his departure after the Bercow has been under pres- 2017 election. sure to stand down after being Although friends have sig- criticised in Dame Laura Cox’s nalled he could go this summer, report into bullying and harass- there has been no confi rmation ment of staff last year. from the Speaker himself. During nine years in the Bryant, a former shadow lead- Speaker’s chair he has clashed er of the house and a self-con- with prime ministers, survived May to ask for short fessed parliamentary nerd, said attempts to oust him and spoken he would stand as a supporter for out against US President Donald the rights of backbenchers. Trump. “When John goes, I will be a Bercow has also angered many candidate. I think people who in the government. He was ac- know me will know I will be cused of scuppering May’s Brexit ruthlessly impartial and I hope I deal last month after he stopped could diff use any tensions with her from bringing back exactly Brexit extension very, very gentle humour,” the the same bill unless the govern- MP for Rhondda said. ment asked a diff erent question. Guardian News and Media If agreement with the Labour The prime minister’s move a no-deal departure in the short net are now pushing for Britain to He pointed out to Bercow last He has been praised for making London leader was impossible, May said, would seem to point inevitably term. leave on April 12 whatever hap- month that Theresa May’s Brexit it easier for MPs to grill ministers, the plan would be to put to a vote to a softer form of Brexit. Labour Any compromise deal with La- pens, but others fear the econom- deal should not be brought be- increasing the power of back- in parliament a series of Brexit has made it plain it will not back bour would need to include the ic and legal disruption caused by fore the house without substan- benchers to hold the government heresa May is to ask for options, with the government any plan without customs union current withdrawal agreement, exiting with no deal. tial changes. to account, and has relaxed the another brief Brexit exten- committing to enact whatever membership, and a runoff vote she said, explaining that the EU A government analysis leaked Friends of Harman, a former dress code in the Commons. Tsion as a means of seeking idea won support. in parliament could lead to even has said it cannot be swiftly rene- to the Daily Mail suggests a “no solicitor general, said she was A race for a new Speaker could a compromise withdrawal plan This would require another closer ties in the EU. gotiated. Instead, she said, focus deal” scenario would undermine almost certain to put herself for- be one of many elections this with the Labour party, she has extension to Article 50, May said, It remains to be seen how should be on defi ning the future Britain’s security capabilities, ward whenever Bercow chose to summer. The Conservative party announced, heralding the likeli- but added that she aimed for this Leave-minded ministers in May’s relationship, to be put to next cause a recession, and increase quit. “Parliament needs some- could launch a leadership elec- hood of Downing Street backing a to not go beyond May 22, thus en- Cabinet, and her Brexiter MPs will week’s European Council sum- the cost of food by up to 10%. one of national standing at this tion, while ministers are openly softer Brexit. suring the UK would not need to react. May’s Brexit plan has been mit. May says it would be “unac- very diffi cult time,” one said. contemplating a general elec- In a brief TV statement inside take part in European elections. rejected by the Commons three Failure to agree a consensus ceptable” to ask British voters to A reformer of the house, Har- tion. No 10 following a seven-hour “This is a diffi cult time for eve- times, and two attempts by MPs plan would, if Labour agreed, see take part in European Parliament man set up the backbench busi- A candidate for Speaker must Cabinet meeting, the prime min- ryone,” she said. “Passions are to fi nd a diff erent preferred option various options put to MPs to de- elections in May, almost three ness committee and introduced be nominated by 12 MPs and any ister said she would hold talks running high on all sides of the ar- have both ended in deadlock. cide, with the government agree- years after they voted to leave the parliamentary changes known as election would be presided over with Jeremy Corbyn to seek a gument. But we can and must fi nd The prime minister said the ing to “abide by the decision of bloc. And she is expected to try the Wright reforms in 2009 and by the father of the house, Ken Brexit plan they could agree on the compromises to deliver what endless delay was “doing dam- the house”. to push her deal to a fourth vote, proxy voting for women and men Clarke. and “both could put to the house”. the British people voted for.” age to our politics”, and ruled out Some members of May’s Cabi- possibly as soon as today. Long Article 50 extension Ireland won’t be not guaranteed: Macron ‘back door’ into EU AFP “And we certainly wouldn’t Paris want it getting through the Re- French president says there is held hostage long-term by the a way forward. Macron said the public of Ireland into the Euro- “nothing easy or automatic” resolution of a political crisis in EU’s priority was protecting its pean Union,” he said. about agreeing to Brexit delay the UK.” workings and the single market: reland does not want to But he again reiterated his He continued: “The three “We have a future to build to- become a “back door” into opposition to creating a hard Guardian News and Media times rejection of the withdrawal gether in the EU and a future re- Ithe EU single market for border between Ireland and Paris agreement by the House of Com- lationship to build with the UK, Britain in the event of a no- Northern Ireland, for fear that mons and the rejection of all al- which will be an ally, but we can’t deal Brexit, Irish Prime Min- it could jeopardise peace in the ternative plans now puts us on spend the next months still try- ister Leo Varadkar said in Paris British province. he French president, Em- the path of a UK exit without a ing to fi x the rules of our divorce yesterday. Varadkar said that while manuel Macron, has said deal. and looking to the past.” “We don’t want Ireland to be physical inspections would be Tit should not be taken for “As the European council de- Macron met Varadkar, the Irish a back door to the single mar- necessary on imports like live granted that the EU would grant cided in March, it’s now up to taoiseach, to discuss no-deal ket, anymore than anybody animals, they could be done at the UK a long extension on its the UK to present a credible al- plans for the Irish border as well wants us to become a back door ports in Northern Ireland rath- departure from the bloc. ternative plan backed by a ma- as how to handle any extension to the single market,” Varadkar er than in the Irish Republic. Welcoming Ireland’s Leo Var- jority before April 10 in order to request from Theresa May. said after a meeting in Paris “That is the right and best adkar to Paris for talks at the avoid that. If the UK isn’t capa- Macron said France and Ire- with French President Em- place for them,” he said. Elysee yesterday, Macron said ble “almost three years after the land, as the UK’s neighbours, were manuel Macron. But the British government that as the clock ticked down and referendum” of putting forward the two countries most aff ected Varadkar said he was com- has refused to envisage car- a no-deal Brexit became more a solution that gets a majority, it by a potential no-deal exit. Ma- mitted to preventing goods rying out customs checks on likely, it was far from evident that will have decided itself, de facto, cron said the EU had total “unity that do no meet EU norms from goods arriving in Northern the EU would agree to a British to leave without a deal. and solidarity” with Ireland. entering Ireland or the EU. Ireland from Britain, argu- request for a further Article 50 “And we can’t avoid failure for “We’ll never abandon Ireland “In the unlikely event that ing that to do so would drive extension. the UK.” and the Irish people, because that we have a no-deal and the UK a wedge through the United “A long extension, implying Macron, a pro-European, solidarity is the very sense of the were to do trade deals with Kingdom. the UK takes part in European wants to push forward with his European project,” he said. the US or China and we had The EU’s Brexit negotiator, elections and European institu- own plans for EU reform and is Varadkar stressed there was chlorinated chicken or hor- Michel Barnier, said yesterday tions, has nothing easy or auto- keen for Brexit not to overshad- still time for the British prime mone beef, or products made that the EU was working with matic about it,” Macron said. ow all other concerns. minister to come to the Euro- by child labour in Asian coun- Ireland “on a unilateral basis “I say that again very strongly. Publicly, he has positioned pean council before April 10 with tries, the last thing we would in the event of no deal, to know Our priority must be the good France as the toughest-talking “credible” proposals, and he said French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint press want is that coming south of where we can do these checks,” functioning of the EU and the nation in the Brexit saga, stress- the EU should be open to such conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, in the courtyard the border into the Republic of but refused to elaborate fur- single market. The EU can’t be ing the need for the UK to present proposals. of the Elysee Palace, in Paris, yesterday following their meeting. Ireland. ther. Gulf Times 14 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 BRITAIN

BMA launches urgent inquiry into sexual harassment claims

Guardian News and Media mittee (GPC), the body which toll on her mental health”. proposition after giving a speech. in this association and must be tolerate something isn’t good Bramall-Stainer refused to London represents all GPs, have chosen In an article for GPonline.com The article alleges that a stamped out.” He added: “We enough, because it is happen- identify the men involved but to blow the whistle on misogy- aimed at blowing the lid on the former GPC member, Dr Steph- will be launching an urgent in- ing. We need to see an external said she would consider giving nistic behaviour of some mem- “dinosaur-infested depths of GP anie deGiorgio, was patted on the vestigation … and we are reach- professional organisation com- details to an investigation if it llegations by some of the bers and the sexist culture of the politics”, they say they and others knee and, like Bramall-Stainer, ing out to aff ected members to missioned that would be wholly was genuinely independent. UK’s most senior female male-dominated committee. were subject to ongoing belittling was called a “naughty girl” by a invite them to be an integral part independent. Those involved in She said: “I have experienced Adoctors of widespread Hundreds of colleagues have and tiresome innuendo. This is fellow committee member. of this. We would also ask that these behaviours cannot be in- explicit behaviour from perhaps sexual harassment at the top contacted them after Bramall- based on their own experience The BMA issued an apology to any member who feels they have volved in its investigation.” half a dozen men but I don’t of the medical profession have Stainer complained last month and 420 replies from others. the women involved and promised experienced discriminatory or She also called for member- want to get drawn into numbers forced the British Medical As- about being called a “naughty girl” One of their colleagues was an inquiry. In a statement its chair, abusive behaviour to contact us”. ship of the GPC to refl ect the because it is more about the sociation to launch an urgent in- by a member of the committee be- sent an unsolicited lewd picture Dr Chaand Nagpaul, also thanked Bramall-Stainer said the BMA’s current gender balance among wider context. Naming names vestigation. fore giving a speech in Belfast. by a committee member, they the whistleblowers involved. response did not go far enough be- GPs. Women are currently out- makes it a personal issue, and Dr Zoe Norris and Dr Katie Norris is stepping down in pro- claim. It adds that another lo- He said: “Sexist, disrespect- cause it failed to guarantee that the numbered by two to one on the you can then get rid of those Bramall-Stainer, who are mem- test from the GPC and says her ex- cal medical committee chief ex- ful, discriminatory and abusive inquiry would be independent. 77-strong committee, but make people, but the problem still bers of the general practice com- periences have “taken a signifi cant ecutive faced a sexually explicit behaviour will not be tolerated She said: “Saying we will not up 58% of GPs. persists.”

MI6 chief’s Royal exhibition to open son killed Unis ‘spending in car accident millions on

Daily Mail London

he son of MI6 chief Alex marketing to Younger has been killed in Ta crash on a private estate. Sam Younger, 22, described as a “fun-loving” young man, died in the early hours of Saturday. Friends said he was in a car lure students’ crash but police described it only as a “motor vehicle accident”. Guardian News and Media Anglia Ruskin University was tion, citing commercial sensitiv- His parents paid tribute to London the next highest, spending just ity. Among them was Warwick, their “wonderful son”, who was under £1.19mn targeting pro- which said: “Sharing any in- studying at the University of Ed- spective undergraduates in the formation with regard to the inburgh, and asked for space so niversities are spending UK, of which £515,000 went on university’s marketing strategy, they could “remember and cel- millions of pounds on advertising on search engines, budget and spend would allow ebrate” him. Umarketing in a battle to £352,000 on social media and key competitors to have access to Police are investigating the recruit students as competition just £6,000 on print. highly sensitive data and result in “unexplained” death but said it intensifi es in the higher educa- The University of Bedford- a competitive advantage.” did not appear suspicious. tion sector, a Guardian investi- shire was not far behind, with a In England, the lifting of the The tragedy took place on an gation revealed. £1.08mn marketing spend to at- cap on the number of students estate in Stirlingshire, Scotland, Data obtained from freedom of tract new undergraduates, which universities can recruit, to- which police refused to name. information (FoI) requests shows equates to £432 for every under- gether with a demographic fall Before going to Edinburgh, universities spending hundreds graduate enrolled. in the number of 18-year-olds, Sam studied at Dulwich College, of thousands of pounds on digital The Guardian’s FoI requests has resulted in an aggressive one of the country’s top private advertising and social media in a revealed some universities em- new market in higher education. schools, which described him as direct appeal to 18-year-olds, ploying large numbers of staff Higher-ranking universities “selfl ess, big-hearted and fun- as well as adverts on billboards, in their marketing teams. An- are hoovering up students who loving”. buses and the London under- glia Ruskin said it employed 120 would once have gone to mid and His tutor at Edinburgh said ground. full-time equivalent members lower-ranking institutions. he had been left “devastated” by The highest spending univer- of staff ; Warwick University, a Many universities are facing the news of Sam’s death, adding sities are those in the lower and member of the prestigious Rus- fi nancial pressures, with nearly that the student had been “con- middle ranks of the UK league sell group, said it employed 106 one in four in defi cit in England fi dent and excited about the fu- tables, who invest huge sums to staff in a range of marketing roles last year and warnings of redun- ture”. attract suffi cient students to ll fi across the institution. dancies. Brexit and the looming Sam was a keen rugby player their courses and bring in vital The University and College Augar review into higher educa- and played for Dulwich College income with their £9,250 annual Union, which represents higher tion funding, with the possibil- in the Under-18s Schools Cup at tuition fees in an increasingly education staff , accused univer- ity of a cut in tuition fees, is also Twickenham. cut-throat recruitment climate. sities of favouring style over sub- adding to the uncertainty engulf- After leaving the south Lon- Among the big spenders was stance. “It is clearly important ing universities. don school in 2015, he visited In- the University of Central Lan- that universities make potential Nicola Dandridge, chief execu- dia with friends on a motorbike cashire with a total marketing students aware of the benefi ts tive of the higher education sector tour and rode over Khardung spend of £3.4mn for 2017-2018. of higher education,” said the regulator, the Offi ce for Students, La, one of the highest drivable The University of the West of union’s acting general secretary, said: “It’s for universities to decide mountain passes in the world. England’s annual marketing Paul Cottrell, “but the spiralling how they allocate their resources His family has released a pho- budget was £3mn while Mid- growth in spending on market- and it is, of course, understandable tograph of him enjoying the trip, dlesex was not far behind with ing stands in direct contrast to that they will want to market their sporting a rugged beard and £2.6mn, followed by Gloucester- the way the pay and conditions courses to students.” wearing a Dulwich College T- shire with a £1.9mn overall mar- of those who deliver to students In Scotland, which does not shirt. keting spend. has been held down. have the same higher education The student also enjoyed ski- Of the universities who broke “Students pay record levels of market – there is still a cap on ing and scuba diving. He was a down their marketing budgets to fees, staff are not paid enough, student numbers and no tuition member of the university sail- detail specifi cally their spend on yet millions are being spent on fees – universities are spending ing society and was regularly recruiting new undergraduates, marketing as institutions appear signifi cantly less on advertising pictured exploring the Scottish the highest spending institution to favour style over substance. than most of their English coun- countryside. was the University of East Lon- This approach is at odds at what terparts. Glasgow Caledonian Sam’s father Younger, 55, took don, which invested more than students actually say they want.” University spent just £47,504 and on the role of MI6 head – also A Buckingham Palace staff member poses with Queen Victoria’s Stuart Ball costume at the £1.3mn on marketing and adver- Many of the 134 universities the University of Strathclyde spent known by the code letter ‘C’ – in press preview of Queen Victoria’s Palace which goes on public display from July 20. tising, not including expenditure that were approached refused £117,028 (which amounts to £8.22 2014. on open days and publications. to divulge fi nancial informa- for every undergraduate enrolled). Police probe possible Gearing up London backs plans links between stabbings for ‘Tulip’ tower Reuters don, and concerns from London London City airport that it would interfere Guardian News and Media unharmed, whereas in the pre- ter the four earlier attacks with radar coverage. London vious attacks the victims were were being held in custody on “After a lengthy and robust apparently targeted at random suspicion of grievous bodily lans to build a glass view- debate, the committee agreed to while walking on their own. harm. ing tower perched 1,000 approve this truly unique visitor etectives are investi- Officers were tracking down Police had previously said the Pfeet above London on a attraction,” said planning com- gating whether an early local CCTV systems and study- four attacks over the weekend slender tower shaped like a tulip mittee chairman Chris Hayward. Dmorning stabbing in ing the footage to compare the were linked and believed they have been approved by the local Financed by the Brazilian bil- north London is linked to four suspect in the latest stabbing were the work of a sole male authority. lionaire Jacob Safra, the building others they suspect may have with the one in the first four at- suspect, who may have mental The building is expected to be comprises a glass viewing plat- been carried out by a serial at- tacks. health problems. western Europe’s second-tallest form, rotating pods on the out- tacker. The description of yester- Detective superintendent tower when it is complete, beat- side and an education centre. The latest incident happened day’s suspect broadly matches Luke Marks said: “I am aware en only by the nearby “Shard” Construction is likely to begin shortly after 5am yesterday in that of a person police want to that events from the weekend building. next year and fi nish in 2025. For Enfield, close to where the first find in connection with the first have caused a huge amount of Britain’s vote to leave the Eu- centuries, St. Paul’s cathedral, attack happened on Saturday. four attacks. worry and concern among the ropean Union in 2016 initially rebuilt by architect Sir Chris- Four people were attacked in The former is described as “a community, and that this inci- cast a pall over London’s prop- topher Wren in the 17th cen- the area between 7pm on Sat- tall, skinny black man, wearing dent will cause further alarm. erty market but the plans to build tury, was the tallest structure in urday and 9.45am on Sunday, a hoody”, while the latter is “a “While at this stage the inci- the Tulip have been seen as vote London but the skyline now is leading to a large search and two black man, approximately 6ft dent has not yet been formally of confi dence in the city. changing fast. arrests. After the latest attack, 3ins tall, of skinny build and linked, the location and manner Planning authorities in the There are more than 541 build- police are trying to establish wearing dark clothing, possibly of this attack will be of concern City of London’s fi nance district ings of 20 storeys or more in the whether the attacker involved a hooded top”. to the public. recommended the building — pipeline in London, according to in the first stabbings is still at The Met said the man was “Our advice continues that which gets its nickname because a survey earlier this year by New large or if the latest one is un- attacked in Fairfield Road and the public remain vigilant, and it has a thin stalk topped by a London Architecture, an inde- related. made his way to Aberdeen Road, to contact police regarding an- glass bulb — should be granted pendent organisation. The Metropolitan police said where he was found by officers. yone acting suspiciously. You planning permission at a meet- Critics say the City is becom- that in the latest incident the The first victim, a woman, will see additional uniformed ing yesterday. ing increasingly cluttered by male victim, who is in his 30s, 45, was stabbed in the back by a patrols in the Edmonton area; Cambridge University’s “Blue boat” crew train on the river The approval came despite crit- glass-and-metal towers that had life-threatening injuries. lone man on Aberdeen Road just if you have any concerns, please Thames in west London yesterday ahead of the The Boat icism that the building, designed have little architectural interest They said he was walking after 7pm. speak with my officers immedi- Race 2019. by Foster and Partners, would in- and that dwarf historic land- with a companion, who escaped The two men arrested af- ately.” terrupt views of the Tower of Lon- marks. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 15 EUROPE

Blast at Russian military Turkey’s ruling party academy

AFP Saint Petersburg challenges poll results Reuters will of the people as it was re- blast caused by an uni- Istanbul/Ankara fl ected in the ballots,” she told dentifi ed explosive device reporters in Istanbul. Awounded four yesterday The CHP’s Imamoglu said at a military academy in Russia’s resident Recep Tayyip Er- yesterday that he was saddened northwestern city of Saint Pe- dogan’s AK Party has sub- by the AKP failure to congratu- tersburg, the country’s Investi- Pmitted objections to local late him after the election board gative Committee said. election results in all districts of count put him ahead. “According to preliminary in- Istanbul and Ankara, party offi - “I’m watching Mr Binali formation, four servicemen re- cials said yesterday, after results Yildirim with regret. You were ceived various injuries,” it said showed the opposition earned a minister of this nation, the in a statement, adding that the narrow victories in both cities. parliament speaker and a prime injuries are not life-threatening. The AK Party (AKP) is on minister,” Imamoglu said in Is- Earlier, the Russian defence track to lose control of what are tanbul, adding: “What could be ministry said three people were Turkey’s two biggest cities, its more noble than congratulat- wounded in the blast. commercial hub of Istanbul and ing?” “An explosion of an unidenti- the capital Ankara, in a surprise “The world is watching us fi ed explosive device took place election setback that may com- with shame right now. We are around 1.30pm (1030 GMT), in plicate Erdogan’s plans to com- ready to manage the big city of Saint Petersburg in staff premis- bat recession. Istanbul. Let go and congratu- es of an administrative build- In Istanbul, the mayoral late us with honour, so we can do ing at the Mozhaisky academy,” candidate of the main opposi- our job,” he said. the ministry said in a statement tion Republican People’s Party Ahead of the elections, the cited by agencies. (CHP), Ekrem Imamoglu, and CHP had formed an electoral al- It described the device as his AKP rival, former prime liance with the Iyi (Good) Party lacking casing, meaning that it minister Binali Yildirim, both to rival that of the AKP and their was not a military device such as said on Monday that Imamoglu nationalist MHP partners. a mortar shell. was around 25,000 votes ahead. The alliances nominated joint “Everyone is alive,” Saint Pe- Istanbul has an estimated to- candidates in certain cities, in- tersburg’s acting governor Alex- tal population of 15mn. cluding Ankara and Istanbul. ander Belov told the media. The AKP had previously said Imamoglu, who laid a wreath “Three people are injured, that it would use its right to ob- at the mausoleum of modern one is lightly injured,” Belov ject to the results where there are Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Ke- said, without clarifying whether voting irregularities, adding that mal Ataturk, in Ankara, later that made the total number of the errors at the ballots had af- went to CHP headquarters to wounded three or four. fected the outcome. meet Mansur Yavas, the opposi- The Investigative Committee Yesterday, Bayram Senocak, tion’s candidate in the capital. opened a criminal case into the the AKP’s Istanbul head, said Speaking at the CHP build- incident, saying that it is work- objections had been submitted ing, Imamoglu said the elections ing to establish “the origin of the by the 3pm deadline for appeals, marked a “moment of begin- detonated object”. and added that legal action ning” for Turkey. Police had sealed off the area would be taken against electoral In Ankara, Yavas won 50.9% around the academy, an AFP offi cials who made the errors. People go about with their daily life in Istanbul. In the background is a billboard reading ‘Thank You Istanbul’, portraying AKP ruling party of votes, ahead of his AKP rival journalist saw, and cadets and “We have submitted all our mayor candidate Binali Yildirim and President Erdogan. and former minister Mehmet staff were leaving the grounds. appeals to the district electoral Ozhaseki in Sunday’s elections Fire engines were also driving councils,” Senocak said, as he An AKP deputy chairman would keep falling as a result of in Turkish democratic history”. tricts, adding they expected to by nearly four percentage points. out of the gates. waved ballot records in which later said that the diff erence be- their appeals. The CHP’s Istanbul head Ca- receive 4,960 more votes after The AKP said it had also sub- The Tass news agency re- he said vote count irregularities tween Imamoglu and Yildirim He said that the local elec- nan Kaftancioglu said her party the appeals were resolved. mitted objections to results ported that military prosecutors could be seen. was down to 20,509 votes and tions were “the biggest blemish submitted objections in 22 dis- “They are trying to steal the across Ankara. were inspecting the site. A cadet who gave her name only as Natalya told AFP that “everyone is being evacuated”. She added that “it looked like something exploded on the fi rst fl oor” but said she did not have Comedian faces scrutiny over any more information. An emergency services of- fi cial told RIA Novosti that the blast reverberated in a fi rst-fl oor classroom, causing a staircase to oligarch ties in election race collapse and trapping around 20 people. Local independent news site By Matthias Williams and is mine,” Kolomoisky said last since clashing with Poroshenko lions of dollars into shoring up Fontanka reported that mine Natalia Zinets, Reuters year. over Ukraine’s largest bank, PrivatBank’s fi nances, saying clearing specialists were also at Kyiv “It is impossible to infl uence which he used to own. money had been fraudulently the scene. me,” Zelenskiy told the news In a November interview to siphoned off from the lender There was no visible damage website Gordon in December. Ukrainian news site lb.ua, he while Kolomoisky owned it. to the building. omedian Volodymyr Zel- “Neither Kolomoisky, nor any worried Ukraine’s judicial sys- Kolomoisky denied any The academy, one of Russia’s enskiy is leading the race other oligarch, no one will infl u- tem would stop him from leav- wrongdoing and has challenged largest, is overseen by the de- Cto become Ukraine’s next ence me.” ing the country if he came back. the nationalisation in court. fence ministry and trains offi cers president thanks to an insurgent Zelenskiy said last month that Zelenskiy announced he was Asked if there were concerns Tymoshenko: I respect the people’s choice. to serve in air and space defence campaign that rails against cor- he was in the process of exiting running for president on De- about Zelenskiy’s ties to Kolo- and other branches of the armed rupt politicians infl uenced by all his businesses, which in- cember 31 on 1+1, upstaging Po- moisky, Edwin Gutierrez, head forces. rich oligarchs. cludes the production company roshenko, who was giving a tra- of Emerging Market Sovereign It is located in the centre of Yet it is his own relation- whose shows run on 1+1. ditional New Year’s Eve address Debt at Aberdeen Standard In- Saint Petersburg, the former ship with one of the country’s Asked whether the relation- to the nation at the same time. vestments, said: “That is there, Tymoshenko claims imperial capital of Russia whose wealthiest tycoons that could ship was a weak spot for him, On Saturday, the channel’s but at the end of the day the oli- palaces are a major draw for prove an Achilles’ heel. Zelenskiy told Reuters: “We are Zelenskiy-themed schedule garchs always rule the roost in tourists. One of Ukraine’s most popu- working according to TV con- included shows where he and Ukraine.” vote rigging, but will In April 2017, a bomb went lar TV channels, 1+1, owned by tracts and it is fi ne. fellow actors performed jokes, “Maybe this will be another off on a train in the city’s metro, oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, has It is business.” sketches and songs, and a docu- Yanukovych moment where killing 15 people and injuring al- given Zelenskiy a powerful plat- However, President Porosh- mentary voiced by Zelenskiy everyone gets excited but then respect people’s will most 70 more. form in recent months during enko has sought to make po- about Ronald Reagan, a popular in the end Ukraine disappoints,” The alleged perpetrator also his meteoric rise to the brink of litical capital out of the connec- actor who became US president. he added, referring to former died in the attack. the presidency. tion between the two men as he Poroshenko is part of the president Viktor Yanukovych, AFP Any street violence would play On Saturday, a day before Ze- fi ghts to make up ground to the same wealthy elite as Kolo- who fl ed to Russia after the 2014 Kyiv into Russia’s hands, said Ty- lenskiy won the fi rst round of comedian before the run-off moisky, having made a fortune Maidan street protests. moshenko, who came to interna- French shop chain the presidential contest and set vote on April 21. from confectionery that earned Asked in a Reuters interview tional prominence as a face of the up a run-off with the incumbent “In the past few weeks my him the sobriquet of “Chocolate whether he would hand Pri- kraine’s former prime 2004 “Orange Revolution”. apologises over Petro Poroshenko, 1+1 fi lled its opponents have poured on me King”. vatBank back to Kolomoisky if minister Yulia Tymosh- “I respect the people’s choice,” swastika belts schedule with back-to-back rivers of shameless lies. The “The strategic dilemma elected, Zelenskiy said in Febru- Uenko has denounced the she added. shows by the comedian and ac- main source of these lies in re- will be what do you prefer, an ary: “Am I that crazy? Do I want results of a “rigged” vote that Ties between Kyiv and Mos- French supermarket chain tor. cent months – deplorable as it oligarch or someone possibly to lose my life, reputation?” eliminated her from the presi- cow have never recovered after Auchan admitted yesterday that The fact that Zelenskiy is a may be – has been 1+1. 1+1 has controlled by an oligarch, the Accusations from Porosh- dential race, but said that she the 2014 popular uprising in Kyiv it had sold money belts bearing major star on the channel has turned into the obedient imple- puppet or a puppeteer?” said enko and his allies that Zelen- would not urge street protests. that ousted a Kremlin-backed the Nazi swastika at its Polish stoked worries among some menter of the political assign- regional analyst and political skiy is being controlled by an Tymoshenko, an internation- regime. stores. investors and voters, and accu- ments of its owner,” Poroshenko consultant Radu Magdin. oligarch has lent an ironic twist ally-recognised political fi gure, Since those bloody street pro- “Our 2018 product off erings did sations from his political oppo- said. Kolomoisky makes no secret to the presidential race. came third in Sunday’s fi rst- tests, Russia has annexed Crimea indeed include these money nents, that he is in the pocket of “Though the latter may have of his dislike for Poroshenko, Zelenskiy’s campaign has round vote in what was also her and supported a separatist up- belts from a Polish manufacturer, Kolomoisky. fl ed abroad, he still plays the and the two have clashed re- been propelled by his TV show, third bid for the presidency. rising in eastern Ukraine, a con- though our chain wasn’t aware of Both Zelenskiy and Kolo- pre-election political chess- peatedly over issues that threat- Servant of the People, where That means she will take no fl ict that has so far claimed some it,” Auchan Poland spokeswoman moisky say their relationship is board, sometimes moving the Ze ened Kolomoisky’s businesses. he plays a scrupulously honest part in the second-round run-off 13,000 lives. Dorota Patejko told AFP. strictly professional, and cen- (Zelenskiy) pieces, sometimes No hard evidence has been history schoolteacher who be- on April 21, in which actor and Tymoshenko said that neither “It was an oversight on our part, tred on the comedian’s TV work. the Yu (former prime Minister presented by any of Zelenskiy’s comes president by accident. comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, political novice Zelenskiy, nor a situation that we regret,” she Both say no undue infl uence Yulia Tymoshenko) pieces. opponents that Kolomoisky is He challenges the old way of a political novice, will face Presi- the pro-Western Poroshenko, said, adding that the group is being exerted by the oligarch, “Kolomoisky is motivated by indeed pulling the strings be- doing things, outwitting oli- dent Petro Poroshenko. would be able “to cope with the was currently checking stores whose businesses range from a desire for revenge against the hind the campaign. garchs and corrupt politicians. With 99% of the ballots challenges” or “stop the war”. nationwide and would recall any banking and energy to aviation. state,” he wrote on Twitter. However, the ties between the The series blurs the line be- counted, Zelenskiy was ahead Tymoshenko called on her of the belts left in stock. “I’m more his puppet than he Kolomoisky has lived abroad two men have led some political tween fi ction and reality, be- with more than 30% of the fi rst- supporters to mobilise and back “Only one money belt with the analysts and Western diplomats tween the make-believe presi- round vote, nearly twice that of her Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) Nazi symbol has been located so to question how zealously Zel- dent and the real-life challenger. Poroshenko, on almost 16%. party in parliamentary polls in far. It’s been pulled from shelves.” enskiy would try to implement In the fi rst scene of the fi rst Tymoshenko, Poroshenko’s October. The Gazeta Krakowska regional reforms needed to speed up series, three shadowy power- long-time rival, took 13% of the “Our fi ght is not over yet,” she daily on Monday reported the economic growth and keep for- brokers are surveying Kyiv’s vote. said. case of a woman who bought one eign aid fl owing if they clashed Maidan square from a rooftop “These elections were rigged Tymoshenko served three of the belts in an Auchan store in with Kolomoisky’s interests. balcony at night while sipping by Petro Poroshenko,” the years as prime minister and spent the southern city of Krakow. In particular, the relationship drinks and talking about how 58-year-old political veteran told another three years in prison for “It’s sewn out of camouflage puts the spotlight on the fate of they spend money to bring their reporters. abuse of power, charges the West fabric and has various bits of PrivatBank, Ukraine’s largest puppet politicians to power. She had no plans however, to denounced as politically moti- text,” the client said, adding that lender, which the government “It’s one week before the challenge the result of the vote vated. she only recently realised there wrested from Kolomoisky in election. We worked hard for either in court or by calling street A monitoring mission by the was a swastika. 2016 in a clean-up of the bank- our candidates. They’re almost protests. Organisation for Security and Poland was occupied by Nazi ing system under an Interna- neck and neck, now let the best “The current president has Co-operation in Europe said the Germany in World War II and tional Monetary Fund bailout man win,” says one. privatised the judicial system,” fi rst-round vote had in general its current laws forbid the Zelenskiy: It is impossible to influence me ... neither Kolomoisky, nor programme. “What good will that bring she said. “We would simply be been “well-organised, smooth, reproducing of the Nazi swastika. any other oligarch, no one will influence me. The government pumped bil- me?” asks another. wasting time.” transparent and effi cient”. Gulf Times 16 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 EUROPE Church should admit history of abuse, says Pope

Reuters bishops in October on the role of support for greater reciproc- meetings in the future. And while he said that the Vatican City young people in the 1.3bn-mem- ity between males and females, Francis acknowledged that the church should be “attentive to ber church. while not agreeing with every- church had to win back many the legitimate claims of those The Pope, 82, urged young thing some feminist groups pro- young people who see it as in- women who seek greater justice ope Francis said yesterday people not to be disillusioned pose,” he said. signifi cant in their lives or a nui- and equality” and that young that the Catholic Church by the sexual abuse scandal, but Some women’s groups seek a sance. people had complained of a “lack Phad to acknowledge a his- to work with the overwhelm- female priesthood. He said such a view of the of leading female role models”, he tory of male domination and sex- ing majority of priests and other The church has ruled this out, church can “have serious and off ered no new ideas. ual abuse of women and children, clergy faithful to their vocation. arguing that Jesus chose only understandable reasons: sexual Only a handful of women hold and repair its reputation among He said that clergy sexual men as his apostles. and fi nancial scandals; a clergy positions of authority in the young people or risk becoming “a abuse is “a tragedy” and asked In the fi nal document of their ill-prepared to engage eff ec- Vatican. museum”. young people to help the church synod last year, bishops recom- tively with the sensitivities of the This month the all-female However, in a major document in “this dark moment”. mended “that everyone be made young”. staff of the Vatican newspaper’s in which he mentioned an array Pope Francis: A church always on the defensive, which loses her “A living church can look back more aware of the urgency of an The church had to keep and at- monthly magazine on women’s of scandals and again admitted humility and stops listening to others, which leaves no room for on history and acknowledge a inevitable change” in the role of tract young people by better ex- issues resigned, saying that a new signifi cant failings by clergy, he questions, loses her youth and turns into a museum. fair share of male authoritarian- women in the church, but the plaining its doctrine, he said. editor sought to put them “under also said that the church “could ism, domination, various forms Pope did not directly address that “A church always on the de- direct male control”. not agree with everything some criticism over the Catholic seen it pay out billions of dollars of enslavement, abuse and sexist yesterday. fensive, which loses her humil- Recent stories in the magazine feminist groups propose”, a clear Church’s response to a decades- in compensation. violence,” the Pontiff said. His document also did not ad- ity and stops listening to others, include one on sexual abuse of reference to the church’s ban on a long clerical sexual abuse cri- Francis made his comment in “With this outlook, she can dress demands by women par- which leaves no room for ques- nuns by priests. female priesthood. sis that has gravely damaged its a 50-page Apostolic Exhortation support the call to respect wom- ticipants at the synod that they tions, loses her youth and turns The editor has denied their ac- The Pope is grappling with standing around the globe and about a month-long meeting of en’s rights, and off er convinced be allowed to vote during such into a museum,” he said. cusations. Germany fi nds truckers cheating Premiers hail historic to hide emissions

AFP more diffi cult to fi nd” during Frankfurt spot checks, the government added. North Macedonia visit The SZ reported that opera- erman authorities have tors can save up to one-third AFP/Reuters/DPA ment aircraft ... I noticed that ulations poured in from around identifi ed hundreds of of the costs of running a truck Skopje the pilot made a deviation so it the globe for the two young pre- Gtrucks “manipulated” supposedly meeting the Euro wouldn’t enter the airspace of miers, who fought risky domestic to save their operators money 5 or 6 emissions standard by FYROM (Former Yugoslav Re- political battles to push the deal by shutting off exhaust treat- installing one of the boxes or reece’s prime minister public Macedonia),” he said. through, enraging nationalists on ment systems, saying many modifying software – an even was greeted with hugs “This silly behaviour now stops. both sides of the border. more cheating vehicles could harder-to-detect option. Gand “wefi es” yesterday Not only won’t we make devia- Even before the deal was fi nal- be at large on Europe’s roads. Devices or software chang- during his landmark visit to new- tions, but we might also take a ised, they were nominated for the Of around 13,000 trucks es can enable cheating in a ly-renamed North Macedonia, stroll to say hello.” Nobel Peace Prize by 2015 winner whose “AdBlue” fi lter system number of ways. where the neighbours celebrated The one-day trip came a little Wided Bouchamaoui of Tunisia. was checked on German roads Some fool the engine control a new start after resolving their more than a month after Tsipras However, there is still opposi- last year, 300 were “defective”, software into thinking the cat- decades-long identity row. and Zaev fi nalised a deal that tion to the deal among national- a government answer to a par- alytic converter is still working, Upon arrival, Greek Prime added “North” to Macedonia’s ist groups in both countries. liamentary question from the preventing a warning to the Minister Alexis Tsipras and name to distinguish it from a In Greece, some are angry Greens party seen yesterday by driver or an automatic reduc- North Macedonian counterpart bordering province in Greece. that the deal allows its northern AFP showed. tion in performance. Zoran Zaev snapped “wefi es”, “We are starting to cover lost neighbour to continue referring Of 132 such defects spot- Others produce fake read- while the Greek leader’s wife was ground to build a deep friend- Zaev takes a ‘wefie’ with Tsipras prior to their meeting in Skopje. to its people and language as ted since August last year, 84 ings for the outside tempera- presented with fl owers. ship, not only between our gov- Macedonian. could be traced back to delib- ture, triggering a system that “We are writing history,” Zaev ernments, but especially be- ing an offi cial visit of a Greek leaders with him, said he be- Disgruntlement is also palpa- erate manipulation rather than deactivates exhaust treatment said. “You are looking at two tween our people,” Tsipras said. Prime Minister,” Zaev noted lieved critics of the deal would ble in Skopje among those who a technical fault, the govern- at below -11° Celsius (12.2° neighbours, friendly people who It was the fi rst offi cial visit during a joint press conference, be swayed once new fi nancial, feel the name-change is an em- ment added – a distinction not Fahrenheit). have shown Europe and the en- by a Greek prime minister since after he welcomed Tsipras with infrastructure and tourism links barrassing concession and that drawn in statistics collected Clusters of similar rule- tire world that with brave deci- the former Yugoslav republic of a warm embrace outside the gov- kick in. the end-goal – entry into the EU before then. breaking have been identifi ed sions and good wishes for to- Macedonia declared independ- ernment building and raised his “Gradually everyone will start – may never materialise. Electronic devices available elsewhere in Europe, especially getherness, something that was ence in 1991. mobile phone for a picture. to understand, both the Greek In his own protest, the Balkan for around €100 ($112) allow in Spain. impossible yesterday has become In the end, Skopje agreed to With the name issue behind people and the citizens of North state’s President Gjorge Ivanov users to deactivate the exhaust Without exhaust treatment, reality today.” the change in exchange for as- them, the two countries are Macedonia, the damage that has has been refusing to sign bills treatment system, allowing trucks emit far more nitrogen Calling Zaev his “dearest surance that Athens would stop now exploring the potential of been done over the past years from parliament ever since North some trucking fi rms to make oxides (NOx), which studies friend”, Tsipras said it is time to thwarting its eff orts to join the stronger economic ties, with when we were unable to sit to- Macedonia became the offi cial massive savings, daily Sued- have shown is linked to various make up for nearly three “lost” North Atlantic Treaty Organisa- both leaders to attend a business gether and try to solve our dis- name. deutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported respiratory and cardiovascular decades. tion (Nato) and the EU. forum later in the day. putes,” he said. The two-term president is to after revealing the scheme. diseases. “For years, every time I would “Today our republic for the Tsipras, who brought 10 min- After the initial name accord be replaced following elections With their catalytic convert- Since Volkswagen admitted go to Europe with the govern- fi rst time in its history is a host- isters and dozens of business was inked in June 2018, congrat- later this month. ers switched off , the trucks in 2015 to cheating emissions spew far more harmful pollut- tests on 11mn vehicles world- ants. wide, alarm has spread in Ger- “The fact that we are fi nd- many about levels of the gas in ing more manipulated systems city air. than faulty ones is an alarm Federal, state and local gov- Five dead from suspected food signal,” Greens MP Stephan ernments are battling to pre- Kuehn said. vent drivers of older diesel ve- With time, “the parts needed hicles being banned from city poisoning at retirement home for the cheating are becoming centres as the courts order a smaller and smaller and more growing number of exclusion sophisticated, and therefore zones. AFP He said that investigations into choked up as she recounted how Toulouse apparent cases of “involuntary “he was in shock, he collapsed homicide and unintentional in- when he saw me”. jury” would be lengthy, and un- “He was crying,” she added, ive residents at a retirement derscored the “serious” nature of explaining that he became aware home in southern France the aff air. of what happened after watching Fhave died and more than The meals involved have been television in his room. a dozen others are in a serious kept for analysis, the regional Korian says it runs the largest condition after a suspected case health agency said, and residents network of retirement homes in A gendarme stands yesterday in Lhern, southwestern France, at the of mass food poisoning, offi cials were being questioned about Europe, with more than 800 sites entrance of the ‘La Cheneraie’ EHPAD (Housing Establishment for said. what they ate. in fi ve countries, representing Elderly Dependant People), where five residents died in a suspected Twenty-two people at the pri- The management company 78,000 beds. case of mass food poisoning. vately-operated Cheneraie resi- Korian, which runs the home On the Paris stock market, Ko- dence in Lherm, a town south of that opened in 2006 under li- rian shares slumped more than that is subject to strict oversight Perigord salad last night. What Toulouse, began showing symp- cence from the French govern- 7.0% at one stage on Monday be- in terms of food security,” the could that mean? Could it be the toms including vomiting after ment, said in a statement that it fore recovering slightly. AD-PA association of retirement foie gras? They’re going to do an dinner on Sunday, police said. “produces meals onsite with its In January, the company an- home directors said. autopsy in any case,” the woman Four deaths were initially an- own kitchen teams”. nounced its acquisition of the “We suspect food poisoning told the Depeche du Midi news- nounced by offi cials, and a source However, the son of one of the retirement home from Omega, because these events occurred paper. close to the investigation later women who died told report- a French group that operates 12 after the meal,” deputy pros- The daughter of two other Merkel gestures while speaking with pupils during her visit to a told AFP that a fi fth person had ers that he had learned from the homes in France. ecutor Marie-Paule Demiguel residents, who gave her name as secondary school in Berlin. died. home’s doctor that the meal con- “We learned yesterday of told BFM television, adding that Chantal, told journalists outside The victims – four women and cerned had been delivered from these four deaths and illnesses, kitchens at the residence would the home that “apparently the a man – were aged between 72 elsewhere. and that there is suspected food also be investigated. problem was with meals pre- and 95. “I am very angry. It is unac- poisoning, with an investigation The granddaughter of one pared specially for palliative care Toulouse prosecutor Domin- ceptable,” said Alain Lepeyre, and analyses under way, and we woman who died, aged 95, said patients”. Merkel hails pupils ique Alzeari said that 19 of the 82 noting his family paid “close to won’t have any comment while she had been served a Perigord The deaths come as the gov- residents remained under super- €3,000 ($3,360) a month” for the awaiting the results,” Korian said salad, a regional speciality that ernment prepares a bill on re- vision, 16 of whom were in very home to look after his mother, in a statement on Monday. includes duck, ham and foie gras, tirement fi nancing for an ageing for climate protests poor condition, although their who suff ered from Alzheimer’s. “If food poisoning is deter- a duck liver pate. population of baby boomers that lives were not thought to be in Marie, who rushed to check on mined, this situation nonethe- “I still have the menu in my is expected to add €9bn to the danger. her father, who was not aff ected, less remains quite rare in a sector handbag and I know they had national health budget by 2030. DPA school time, Merkel said that Berlin not every Friday could be given off . “But your teachers will dis- he weekly protests held cuss that with you,” she added. by school pupils against Weekly demonstrations, German minister seeks law changes to protect minors Tglobal warming are pro- dubbed “Fridays for Future” viding a boost to eff orts to halt rallies, have been held on Fri- climate change, German Chan- days over recent weeks in re- DPA The legal framework needed lised an alleged headscarf ban in dogan ahead of an election. ment to protect minors using the cellor Angela Merkel said dur- sponse to a campaign led by Berlin urgent updating in the light of public areas and the withdrawal Teachers and social workers Internet recorded 872 infringe- ing a discussion with students 16-year-old Swedish pupil new challenges and risks, Giff ey of Mesut Ozil from the national needed to recognise radical sym- ments with respect to Islamist at a Berlin school yesterday. Greta Thunberg, who initiated said on presenting a report enti- football team to establish con- bols in order to identify problems propaganda last year. “It’s right that you are protests in front of parliament hanges to legislation tled Islamism on the Net 2018. tacts with young people. at an early stage, Giff ey said. YouTube deleted 99% of the putting us under pressure,” in Stockholm in August. protecting minors with The changes would include Ozil, who is of Turkish origin “I’ve often seen all the symbols infringements reported to it, In- Merkel told pupils at the Tho- Thunberg was given the op- Creference to online com- secure default settings for online and currently plays for the Lon- we’re talking about,” the former stagram 98% and Facebook 82%. mas Mann School. “The fact portunity to address the World munication and religious radi- chat services, systems for report- don team Arsenal, withdrew from mayor of the Berlin district of But the messenger service that this signal is being sent out Economic Forum in Davos in calisation in particular will be ing abuse and seeking assistance further appearances for Germany Neukoelln, which is home to a Telegram, seen as “an extremely – that there is concern, that’s January, where she said “pan- introduced this year, German and clear age categories, she said. after a controversy involving his large immigrant population, said. relevant platform for Islamist good for us.” ic” was required in the face of Family Minister Franziska Giff ey The report revealed how Is- being photographed with Turk- An agency called jugends- propaganda” deleted just 58% of With respect to missed climate change. said in Berlin yesterday. lamists had successfully uti- ish President Recep Tayyip Er- chutz.net set up by the govern- the infringements reported. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 17 INDIA Indian satellite test endangering ISS, says Nasa

Agencies missile test to prove it was among above the apogee of the Interna- They are currently tracking despite the increased risk, the six Bridenstine’s statements rep- space operations of all nations. Washington the world’s advanced space pow- tional Space Station,” said Bri- 23,000 objects larger than 10cm. people currently on the station resent the strongest criticism to We took note of Indian govern- ers. denstine. That includes about 10,000 are not in danger. date of the test by a US govern- ment statements that the test Not all of the pieces were big “That is a terrible, terrible pieces of space debris, of which “While the risk went up 44%, ment offi cial. was conducted at a low altitude he head of Nasa yesterday enough to track, Bridenstine ex- thing to create an event that nearly 3,000 were created by a our astronauts are still safe. The While Air Force offi cials con- to limit the orbital lifetime of re- branded India’s destruc- plained. sends debris at an apogee that single event: a Chinese anti-sat- International Space Station is fi rmed they monitored the test sulting debris,” the spokesperson Ttion of one of its satellites a “What we are tracking right goes above the International ellite test in 2007 at 840km from still safe,” he said. and tracked debris from it, nei- said. “terrible thing” that had created now, objects big enough to track Space Station,” he continued, the surface. “If we need to manoeuvre it, ther they nor the State Depart- The lack of response from the 400 pieces of orbital debris and - we’re talking about 10cm or adding: “That kind of activity is As a result of the Indian test, we will. The probability of that, I ment spoke out as forcefully US government, until Bridens- led to new dangers for astronauts bigger - about 60 pieces have not compatible with the future of the risk of collision with the ISS think, is low.” against the Indian test. tine’s remarks, stood in contrast aboard the International Space been tracked.” human spacefl ight.” has increased by 44% over 10 He suggested, though, that last A State Department spokes- to criticism from a number of Station. The Indian satellite was de- “It’s unacceptable and Nasa days, Bridenstine said. week’s test was irresponsible and person off ered only mild criti- companies that operate in low Jim Bridenstine was address- stroyed at a relatively low al- needs to be very clear about what But the risk will dissipate over set a bad precedent. cism of the test. Earth orbit. ing employees of the National titude of 300km, well below its impact to us is.” time as much of the debris will “When one country does it, “The United States recognises, Those companies worry about Aeronautics and Space Admin- the ISS and most satellites in The US military tracks objects burn up as it enters the atmos- then other countries have to feel and encourages other nations how such tests could increase or- istration fi ve days after India shot orbit. in space to predict the collision phere. like they have to do it as well,” he to recognise, that orbital debris bital debris and adversely aff ect down a low-orbiting satellite in a But 24 of the pieces “are going risk for the ISS and for satellites. Bridenstine emphasised that, said. represents a growing threat to the their operations. WhatsApp’s ‘tipline’ aims to fi ght fake information

Agencies It follows a major purge of Fa- denying they do so themselves. New Delhi cebook accounts on Monday by In February, a senior What- the social media giant, with hun- sApp executive said parties were dreds of political pages spam- trying to use the app in “ways for hatsApp launched a ming content supportive of the which it was not intended”. hotline yesterday al- ruling Bharatiya Janata Party “The goal of this project is Wlowing Indians to fl ag (BJP) and the opposition Con- to study the misinformation rumours circulating ahead of gress taken down. phenomenon at scale,” Proto’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures while being garlanded during a public rally in Jamui, Bihar, yesterday. the upcoming election, a major Facebook said nearly 700 of founders Ritvvij Parrikh and concern in a country where fake these were associated with Con- Nasr ul Hadi said in a statement. news has fuelled violence. gress. The party said it was in- “As more data fl ows in, we will It comes a day after What- vestigating the claims. be able to identify the most sus- sApp’s parent company Facebook ceptible or aff ected issues, loca- removed hundreds of pages pro- tions, languages, regions, and Don’t worry about my family, moting India’s ruling and oppo- more.” sition parties for violating rules WhatsApp said Proto would around spam and “co-ordinated be helped by two other organisa- inauthentic behaviour” online. tions with experience working on The spread of viral fake vid- misinformation-related projects. says Pawar after Modi’s attack eos and messages on social media “The challenge of viral mis- platforms has proved incendi- information requires more col- ary in India, where half a billion “As more data fl ows in, laborative eff orts and cannot be IANS nation, his widow Sonia Gandhi the opposition leaders. No other kind of government doe they people are online but limited dig- we will be able to identify solved by any one organisation Kolhapur, Maharashtra did not leave the country but car- leader in the past has ever done (Congress) want - those of trai- ital literacy has helped rumours the most susceptible or alone,” WhatsApp said. ried on her duties and responsi- this,” Pawar said. tors and anti-nationals, or of pa- spread like wildfi re. aff ected issues, locations, The WhatsApp tipline follows bilities to the country. Does it be- “My mother is from Kolhapur triots and nationalists?” As hundreds of millions of languages, regions, and other security measures taken by day after Prime Minister hove a person of the PM’s stature and she has imbibed very good He said that such a party had no people prepare to vote this month more” the fi rm in India, its largest global Narendra Modi attacked to keep insulting the Gandhis like culture in me. Modi has no need right to contest the elections and and next, experts say the biggest market with 200mn users. Athe Pawar political clan this?” Pawar asked. to worry about my family. Ajit the Election Commission must election in history will also prove Another 15 pages shut down WhatsApp restricted message in Maharashtra, Nationalist The former federal minister Pawar is also an excellent admin- derecognise and bar the Congress an immense misinformation for spamming were promoting, forwarding in India last year and Congress Party (NCP) president and three-time Maharashtra istrator,” Pawar said in defence of from the electoral battle. challenge. among other themes, the BJP and ran newspaper adverts to coun- Sharad Pawar yesterday advised chief minister also accused Modi his nephew. Terming the Congress mani- Less than two weeks before the alleged misconduct of its op- ter fake news after a spate of mob him to “not to worry about my of not accepting responsibility The Maratha strongman’s festo promising to end poverty in voting starts, WhatsApp has ponents, Facebook said. killings sparked by hoaxes spread family”. or exercising caution by making response came in response to India within a decade as “full of launched a “tipline” in partner- One belonged to a news organ- on its messaging service. In a restrained but hard-hit- such utterances. a sharp onslaught by Modi in lies”, Thackeray said even Con- ship with local startup Proto that isation, MyNation, owned by BJP In the lead up to the election, ting counter to Modi’s tirade, the Pawar pointed out that in his Wardha on Monday in which he gress president Rahul Gandhi’s it says will allow voters to submit lawmaker Rajeev Chandrasekhar, YouTube last month said it would 78-year-old Maratha strongman fi ve-decade-long political ca- singled out Pawar, his family and grandmother, the late prime uncertain or suspicious content media reports said. start fl agging dubious content in reminded him that “the PM’s of- reer, he had listened to speeches the NCP and asked the people of minister Indira Gandhi, had for verifi cation. These pages were followed by news-related videos in India. fi ce is like an institution” and he by all prime ministers including the state to defeat the Congress- promised ‘garibi hatai’ but noth- Pictures, video links and texts 2.6mn users and “linked to indi- Its parent company Google must be extremely careful while Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur NCP in all the 48 Lok Sabha seats ing happened all these years. will be analysed and debunked viduals associated with an Indian is training Indian journalists speaking about other people. Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv in the state. Thackeray also countered the if untrue in English and four re- IT fi rm, Silver Touch”, Facebook in verifi cation techniques and “Wherever he goes, Modi fi rst Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and In other developments, Shiv Congress arguments on the need gional languages, the company said. boosting stringency over election launches personal attacks on the others but “there was nothing in Sena president Uddhav Thack- to hold talks with Kashmiri sepa- said in a statement. The company based in Prime advertising. Gandhi family. He must not for- Modi’s speech” on Monday. ery yesterday demanded that the ratists to resolve the Jammu and “This combined eff ort by Minister Narendra Modi’s home Facebook has also said it was get that the late prime minister “There are so many burning Congress be derecognised and Kashmir problems. WhatsApp and industry organi- state of Gujarat developed the running its biggest ever election Indira Gandhi created not only issues at the national and state banned from fi ghting the 2019 “There cannot be any talks sations will help contribute to the premier’s personal mobile app monitoring campaign, with ad- history but geography also,” Pa- levels concerning the common- elections as it was propagating with such separatists. We have safety of the elections, by giving and other government projects, verts and announcements to help war told an election rally, refer- ers, farmers, youth, unemployed, “an anti-national agenda”. always been against negotiations people means to know if the in- Indian media reported. people spot misinformation. ring to the creation of Bangla- women, but Modi did not discuss Reacting to the Congress elec- with them,” he said at an election formation is verifi ed and deter Major political parties have It is also working with Indian desh. these. Instead he chose to launch tion manifesto, the Bharatiya rally for the BJP-Sena candidate people from sharing rumors that accused each other of propagat- newsrooms to make false posts “After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassi- direct personal attacks against Janata Party’s ally asked: “What in Palghar constituency. have no basis in fact,” it said. ing fake news on WhatsApp while less visible. Mayawati says statues of SC nixes Hardik’s herself refl ect popular will election plan IANS der which rejected his plea that New Delhi “an irreparable loss” would be Agencies monuments as their legacies. But he stopped short of pass- caused to him if he was not able New Delhi Mayawati, who ended her last ing an order to hear what Maya- to contest the polls. term in offi ce in 2012 but is bid- wati had to say. he Supreme Court yes- He had sought the stay on a ding to play a key national role She also claimed that the stat- terday rejected Congress lower court’s July 2018 decision alit leader and former Ut- in general elections this month, ues of elephants were “mere ar- Tleader Hardik Patel’s plea convicting him for involvement tar Pradesh chief minister said the statues were built with chitectural design” and not rep- for an urgent hearing against his in rioting and arson in Mehsana DMayawati yesterday told the support of lawmakers who resentative of her party’s symbol. conviction for rioting during the during the Patidar stir in 2015 the Supreme Court that setting up wanted to respect a low-caste Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj 2015 Patidar agitation, all but and sentencing him to two years dozens of statues of herself refl ect- woman leader. Party has forged an alliance with ending his chances of contesting in jail. ed the will of the people to honour “Certainly I could not go con- the state’s Samajwadi Party to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Although Patel had got his her and others at the bottom of the trary to the wishes of the state leg- pose a challenge to Prime Min- A bench headed by Justice prison term suspended from the rigid Hindu caste hierarchy. islators,” she said in a signed state- ister Narendra Modi’s ruling Arun Mishra said that the case Gujarat High Court, it did not Mayawati, an icon of the Dalits ment to the court that is weighing Bharatiya Janata Party in general would be taken up as and when stay his conviction. and a four-time chief minister of a request from her critics for per- elections that start on April 11. the registry lists it before the As long as he remains con- the northern state, has been an mission to demolish the statues as She called the case against court. victed, Patel stands barred from aggressive campaigner for the a waste of public funds. her politically motivated and The Patidar leader, who joined contesting polls. According to a rights of the oppressed, vowing Whether the money should “gross abuse” of the court proc- the Congress on March 12, had Supreme Court ruling, a person to shake the stranglehold of In- have been spent on education or ess, and asked why other parties’ sought the stay to enable him to sentenced to two years or more dia’s upper castes on politics. hospitals “is a debatable ques- expenditure of public funds for contest the general elections that is disqualifi ed from contesting As leader of the state, she tion and can’t be decided by a similar causes had not prompted kick off on April 11. The last date elections for the next six years. spent billions of rupees on me- court,” Mayawati said. questions from her critics. for fi ling nominations for all the The Patidar leader joined the morial parks featuring life-sized In February, Chief Justice Ran- She cited the example of a 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, Congress during its president marble and sandstone statues jan Gogoi had said he was of the $400mn statue of Vallabhbhai Patel People attend an election campaign rally of Bahujan Samaj Party chief where polling will be held in the Rahul Gandhi’s public rally in of elephants, her party symbol, tentative view that the BSP chief that Modi inaugurated last year and Mayawati in Lucknow on October 9, 2016 (file photo). Mayawati spent fi rst phase itself, is tomorrow. Gandhinagar and aspired to con- Dalit icons and herself, evoking has to reimburse the taxpayer all which is nearly twice the height of billions of rupees on memorial parks featuring life-sized marble and Patel had challenged the test the Lok Sabha elections from fi gures from history who built the money used in the statues. New York’s Statue of Liberty. sandstone statues of elephants, her party symbol, Dalit icons and herself. March 29 Gujarat High Court or- the Jamnagar constituency. Gulf Times 18 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 INDIA Opposition promise of unity not visible in LS polls

IANS tions earlier of opposition par- Kerala is now the only state (AAP) could not shed their an- Congress and the National The Congress made the move position on forging alliances. New Delhi ties fi elding common candidates where the Congress’ main op- tagonism and jointly take on Conference will be engaged in after the SP and BSP divided “The election is much more against the Bharatiya Janata ponent is the Left. Gandhi’s de- the BJP for the city’s seven Lok “friendly contests” on two seats Uttar Pradesh mostly among important for the Congress Party-led National Democratic cision to also fi ght from Kerala Sabha seats. in the Kashmir Valley. themselves, leaving only two than it is for the BJP as it has to ongress president Ra- Alliance, the idea has failed to has invited scorn from the BJP, The Congress has, how- But while the NCP is a friend seats – Rae Bareli and Amethi – present itself as a viable alterna- hul Gandhi’s decision to materialise. which is determined to defeat ever, sewed up alliances in Bi- in Maharashtra, it will contest all for the Congress. tive. The BJP has shown better Ccontest from a second In some states, opposition the Congress president in Am- har with the Rashtriya Janata the seats in Gujarat, a decision The Congress and the Telugu skills at political accommoda- constituency has created further parties are fi ghting the BJP and ethi. Dal and smaller parties, with likely to queer the pitch for the Desam Party (TDP) had joined tion. They (opposition) should fi ssures in the opposition ranks also among themselves. The Congress is also battling the Nationalist Congress Party Congress. hands for assembly polls in Te- have sorted out the alliances six ahead of the fi rst phase of Lok Gandhi’s decision to pick the the stridently anti-BJP Trina- (NCP) in Maharashtra, with the The worst is the Uttar Pradesh langana but are now fi ghting months earlier,” Mukherjee told Sabha elections on April 11. Wayanad Lok Sabha constitu- mool Congress and also the in- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and story. The Congress is contesting the assembly and Lok Sabha IANS. The main opposition party on ency has drawn strong reac- creasingly also-ran Left in West others in Jharkhand, with the all 80 Lok Sabha seats largely on elections separately in Andhra Like most political pundits, Monday announced that Gandhi tions from the Left. Communist Bengal. The Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam its own and in the process tak- Pradesh. he felt that while the opposi- would contest from Wayanad in Party of India (Marxist) leader Left failed to shake hands in the in Tamil Nadu, with the Janata ing on both the BJP as well as the Political analyst Subrata tion parties may be interested in Left-ruled Kerala apart from his Prakash Karat said the Congress state that was once a Left bas- Dal-Secular in Karnataka and Samajwadi Part-Bahujan Samaj Mukherjee, who taught at protecting their own turfs, there traditional Amethi constituency had “lost the plot” by deciding to tion. with the National Conference in Party combine – something that Delhi University, said that should have been “better give in Uttar Pradesh. contest against the Left instead And in Delhi, the Congress Jammu and Kashmir. has angered BSP chief Mayawati “much better performance and take” to present a united While there were sugges- of the BJP. and the Aam Aadmi Party In Kashmir, however, the more than anyone else. was expected” from the op- picture against the BJP. ‘Dangerous’ promises, says Jaitley

IANS and said the biggest failure in New Delhi independent India was the eth- nic cleansing of Kashmiri Pun- dits. he Bharatiya Janata Party On Congress’s promise of yesterday hit out at Con- amending the sedition law Tgress over its poll prom- and the Armed Forces (Spe- ises over Jammu and Kashmir cial Powers) Act, he said it was and amending the sedition that party’s tradition that they law and Armed Forces (Special withdrew laws like The Preven- Powers) Acts (AFSPA), saying tion of Terrorism Act (POTA) these were “dangerous” and and the Terrorist and Disrup- will break the country. tive Activities (Prevention) Act Addressing a press confer- (TADA). ence soon after Congress man- “No nation over the last 72 Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother and United Progressive Alliance chief Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh display copies of the party’s ifesto was released, Finance years has dealt with terrorism election manifesto in New Delhi yesterday. Minister Arun Jaitley said Con- like India. Our fight against gress president Rahul Gandhi terror didn’t start after 9/11 was makings “unimplementa- Mumbai terror attacks. (In) ble and dangerous promises,” Punjab and northeast, we have out of ignorance. seen many struggles. We lost a “I am sure the nation would part of Jammu and Kashmir. not be in a mood to oblige him “A provision that Nehru, for implementing the kind of Indira, Rajiv Gandhi and even promises which are contained Manmohan Singh didn’t dare Congress vows war on in this manifesto,” he said. touch, they say sedition would The senior BJP leader be done away with, that treason claimed that some ideas in the won’t be a crime anymore; such manifesto are “positively dan- a party doesn’t deserve a single gerous” and agenda for ‘bal- vote,” Jaitley said. kanisation’ of the country. He said the AFSPA was es- sentially a sanctioning law for poverty, hits out at PM “Their mistakes have disturbed or insurgency-hit dragged Jammu and areas and deals with internal Agencies number of lies spoken every day “The fi ve main themes of our scheme dubbing it bogus and pollution. All major sources of Kashmir to a situation subversion. New Delhi by our PM,” the 48-year-old said. manifesto (are) NYAY scheme... useless. emission will be targeted, miti- where it is today. We are “Those who laid down lives Describing unemployment Garibi par waar, 72,000 (war “Today everyone knows how gated and reduced to acceptable establishing the rule of for the nation, you want them as “the gravest challenge to our on poverty with Rs72,000 cash much it helped the country. So levels,” it said. lawthe , Congress wants to be prosecuted at the behest he Congress Party vowed country”, the party promised to support), employment to youth now we want to guarantee jobs Asked why he was also con- to establish the rules of of relatives of terrorists, or yesterday to end abject give the “highest priority to pro- by fi lling 22 lakh government for 150 days, instead of 100 days, testing from Wayanad in Ker- terrorists and insurgents,” their friends. Ingratitude is the Tpoverty by 2030, hand tecting existing jobs and creating vacancies and employment to 10 under the scheme.” ala apart from Amethi in Uttar biggest sin a party can com- cash to 50mn families and tackle new jobs”, helped by the creation lakh youth in gram panchayats, Gandhi said the Congress Pradesh, Gandhi said: “South “Even though there was a mit,” the finance minister said. the “emergency” of air pollution of a new Ministry of Industry, guaranteeing jobs for 150 days government will allow anyone to India feels hostility from Naren- drafting panel, it appears some In Bengaluru, Karnataka as it unveiled its election mani- Services and Employment. under MGNREGA instead of start business without permits dra Modi. They feel they have of the points have been draft- BJP’s Rajya Sabha member festo. It also pledged an “ambitious 100 days, 6% GDP will be used or clearances with tax holiday not been included in decision ed by Congress president’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Recent opinion polls, although programme” of cash transfers in education and no permis- for the fi rst three years to en- making.” ‘tukde-tukde’ friends when it the Congress will ruin the notoriously unreliable, suggest of Rs72,000 to India’s poorest sion required for starting a new courage entrepreneurship and He said his candidature would deals with Jammu and Kash- economy, raise taxes, widen Congress is trailing Prime Min- 50mn families, while still bring- business(for three years),” he create thousands of jobs across send out a message that “we are mir and national security. The fiscal deficit and fuel high in- ister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya ing the fi scal defi cit to under 3% said. the country. with you, I am with you.” Nehru-Gandhi family commit- flation. Janata Party (BJP) ahead of In- of gross domestic product (GDP) Accusing the prime minister The Congress president said The Congress also promised ted a historic mistake regarding “Congress president Rahul dia’s almost six-week mega- by 2020-21. of wrecking the economy, Gan- that he had told the members of to review the Armed Forces Spe- Jammu and Kashmir and the Gandhi is desperate and wants election beginning April 11. The manifesto promised a dhi that there was an “economic the Manifesto Committee a year cial Powers Act that gives special nation can’t forgive them for to shift the poll narrative from In its 55-page manifesto, Con- separate budget to focus on the emergency” in the country. ago that it should not be drafted powers to armed forces battling that. The Congress manifesto the real issues to avoid com- gress chief Rahul Gandhi said welfare of more than 260mn Blaming demonetisation and in closed rooms but should re- insurgency in Kashmir and the takes ahead that agenda dan- paring the UPA government’s Modi has off ered only “grandiose farmers who have been under the Goods and Services Tax fl ect the wishes of the people of northeast, in a bid to balance se- gerously,” Jaitley said. performance for over a decade promises, empty slogans, failed severe distress due to falling crop (GST) for what he said was an India. curity needs and human rights “Their mistakes have (2004-14) with the NDA rule programmes, false statistics and prices, poor yields and crippling economic mess, Gandhi said On the environment, the concerns. dragged Jammu and Kashmir to from 2014-19,” Chandrasekhar an overall climate of fear, intimi- loans. his party was determined to set manifesto said it recognised air The BJP, which decimated a situation where it is today. We said in a statement. dation and hatred”. The Congress also promised to right the situation. pollution – 22 of the world’s 30 Congress as it swept to power are establishing the rule of law- “Instead of making false “The manifesto is the voice of fi ll 2.2mn government vacancies To repeated questions, Gan- most polluted cities are in India, in 2014, is yet to publish its own the , Congress wants to estab- and empty promises, Gandhi the people,” Gandhi said at the and accused Modi of wrecking dhi said the narrative for the Lok according to Greenpeace – to be manifesto. lish the rules of terrorists and should debate with us or the launch of the “Congress will De- the economy. Sabha election had already been a “national public health emer- Modi, 68, has sought in the insurgents,” he said. people on the performance of liver” programme at party head- Gandhi also challenged Modi, set – and it was all about eco- gency”. campaign so far to project him- Jaitley also slammed the the UPA and the NDA govern- quarters in New Delhi. who he said was scared, to en- nomic issues and misery. “We will signifi cantly self as India’s “chowkidar” Congress over the displace- ments on all fronts, including “I do not want a single thing gage in a debate with him on is- Hitting out at the prime min- strengthen the National Clean (watchman) protecting the ment of Kashmiri Pandits find- governance and rebuilding the in this manifesto that is a lie be- sues such as corruption, foreign ister, Gandhi said that Modi Air Programme in order to ur- country against terrorism, while ing no place in the manifesto economy,” he said. cause we have been hearing large policy and national security. made fun of the MGNREGA gently tackle the problem of also depicting Gandhi as weak. BJP president invokes MGR’s I have no desire to name, pledges pro-poor govt become PM: KCR

IANS (leaving Hyderabad for its ally IANS India Anna Dravida Munnetra The BJP chief said the new Warangal, Telangana MIM), he said only TRS can Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu Kazhagam, the Pattali Makkal government headed by Modi work to safeguard the state’s Katchi and the DMDK, Shah said would provide more funds to interests and get the state’s a survey had predicted the NDA Tamil Nadu to implement more elangana Chief Minis- rights. haratiya Janata Party (BJP) winning over 30 Lok Sabha seats developmental projects. ter K Chandrashekhar KCR demanded that president Amit Shah yes- in Tamil Nadu. Shah also brought up the issue TRao yesterday said he Prime Minister Narendra Bterday said the National From Kashmir to Kanyaku- of Kashmir and said it was a part had no desire to become the Modi apologise to the peo- Democratic Alliance (NDA) will mari, people wanted Narendra of India and the Modi govern- prime minister. ple of Telangana for speak- form a poor-friendly govern- Modi to become the prime min- ment would not give it away to Addressing an election rally, ing lies. ment like the ones formed by ister again, he said, and added, anyone. the Telangana Rashtra Samithi He was referring to Modi’s former Tamil Nadu chief minis- “The NDA will not only win the Meanwhile in Hyderabad, (TRS) president said he wants claim at a BJP rally in Hy- ters M G Ramachandran (MGR) Lok Sabha elections but also the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen to see a non-Congress, non- derabad on Monday that the and J Jayalalithaa. assembly polls”. (MIM) president Asaduddin Bharatiya Janata Party gov- Centre had given Rs35,000 Campaigning for BJP Lok Sab- Taking a dig at the DMK- Owaisi said his party stood by ernment to address the real crore to Telangana for various ha candidate Tamilisai Sounda- Congress alliance, the BJP chief Hindu women who were aban- problems of the country projects. rarajan, Shah told a rally here: said it had people like Karti doned by their husbands. which both the national par- The TRS chief dared Modi “In 2014, the BJP did not have a Chidambaram, Kanimozhi and “Majlis stood by our Hindu ties have failed to solve in the to prove this. big alliance in Tamil Nadu. But A Raja against whom there were sisters who are victim to the last 70 years. He said Telangana was we won and gave ministerial corruption charges. cruel social evil of abandonment KCR, as Rao is widely contributing Rs1 lakh crore berths to two MPs from Tamil According to Shah, the 13th without divorce,” tweeted Ow- known, said he would like to to the Centre’s share in taxes Nadu – Pon Radhakrishnan and Finance Commission had given aisi. contribute to bringing a quali- every year while the Centre Nirmala Sitharaman, daughter the state just Rs94,000 crore, His comments came a day tative change in the national was giving only Rs24,000 of the soil.” Stressing that the but the 14th Finance Commis- after Modi raked up the issue of politics. crore to the state. “The BJP had a big electoral alliance sion under the Modi government triple talaq at an election rally in A worker washes textile materials dedicated to the Communist Party Urging people to elect 16 state is giving you Rs76,000 this time with parties like the All allocated Rs5.45 lakh crore. Hyderabad. of India (CPI) on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. TRS Lok Sabha candidates crore,” he said. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 19

LATIN AMERICA Mexico rocker dies in apparent suicide, citing #MeToo charges

AFP fi rmed Vega had been found dead old girl more than a decade ago. from “suff ering the eff ects of this ly severed ties with him. The list of #MeToo Mexico deep, accusers often face hateful Mexico City at his Mexico City home, speak- The accusation was made the false accusation against me.” “I’m sure I’m not the only one. profi les on Twitter also includes backlash and the justice system ing on condition of anonymity previous night on the Twitter ac- “I must clarify that my death is It terrifi es me to know that other accounts where photographers, rarely produces convictions. because she was not authorised count @MeTooMusicaMX, part of not a confession of guilt. On the people probably weren’t as lucky writers, journalists, creative pro- Vega’s death is not the fi rst Mexican rock star was to discuss the investigation. Mexico’s nascent but increasingly contrary, it is a radical declara- as me and fell into his perverse fessionals and academics can time the #MeToo movement found dead yesterday after Vega’s death poured new fuel powerful #MeToo movement. tion of innocence,” he said. trap,” she wrote. accuse powerful fi gures in their has been linked to the suicide of Atweeting that he planned on a fi ery debate over #MeToo in “I categorically deny this ac- Vega was a founding mem- The #MeToo movement fi elds of sexual harassment and someone accused. to kill himself in a “radical decla- Mexico. cusation,” tweeted Vega, who was ber of Botellita de Jerez, a band gained little traction in Mexico assault. Other cases include prominent ration of innocence” after being The movement has triggered also an award-winning poet and formed in the 1980s that fused when it burst onto the interna- The ability to do so anony- Swedish theatre director Benny accused of sexual harassment by a fl ood of sexual assault accusa- writer. rock with traditional Mexican tional scene in 2017 with a se- mously has caused a raging de- Fredriksson, who took his own the country’s #MeToo move- tions against journalists, aca- He wrote that he feared the sounds and slang. ries of sexual assault accusations bate. life in March 2018 after being ac- ment. demics, writers and others in the accusation would end his career, His accuser said he befriended against powerful Hollywood mo- Opponents say anyone with cused of sexual misconduct and Armando Vega Gil, 63, the cultural sphere in recent weeks. and that he would not be able to her some 13 years ago, when she gul Harvey Weinstein. access to Twitter can make po- bullying. bassist for veteran rock band Bo- Vega posted a note on Twitter defend himself on social media, was a 13-year-old aspiring musi- But in recent weeks, the move- tentially false accusations ca- His widow, the opera singer tellita de Jerez (Little Bottle of shortly before his death saying he where “anything I say will be cian and he was 50. ment has made major waves in pable of destroying someone’s Anne Sofi e von Otter, said he was Sherry), died early yesterday, the was taking his own life in reaction used against me.” She said he invited her to his the worlds of Mexican music, career and even life. Advocates the victim of “character assas- group said on Twitter. to an anonymous accusation that He added that he wanted to home and made a series of un- journalism, publishing and uni- say victims have little choice in sination” that drove him into a A prosecution source con- he sexually assaulted a 13-year- spare his eight-year-old son wanted advances. She ultimate- versities. a country where machismo runs deep depression.

Argentina ‘will not Venezuela’s give up claim over apex court Falklands’

AFP Buenos Aires tightens noose rgentina’s historic claim on the Falkland Islands is A“legitimate and irrevoca- ble,” President Mauricio Macri said yesterday at a ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of on Guaido the 1982 war with Britain. Commemorative events were AFP had stripped Guaido of the right Guiare River in Caracas. being held throughout Argen- Caracas to hold public offi ce for 15 years, “We fi ll up from a well near tina to mark the anniversary of a decision he rejected as invalid. here but we don’t know if its the outbreak of the war, when Three major blackouts hit Vene- drinkable. But we’re using it,” Argentina’s then-ruling mili- enezuela’s Supreme Court zuela in March, worsening already said Erimar Vale, who lives in the tary dictatorship sent troops to has called for Juan Guaido dire living and economic condi- capital. the South Atlantic archipela- Vto be stripped of his legis- tions in the country, and prompt- Angel Velazquez said he bathed go, known to Argentina as the lative immunity, tightening the ing authorities to take steps aimed at work because he did not have Malvinas, occupied by Britain noose on the opposition chief at curbing the outages. water at home. since 1833. just days after authorities an- Maduro — whose government Crippled infrastructure, little “The claim to the sovereignty nounced a ban on him holding has blamed “terrorists” for al- investment in the power grid and of the Malvinas islands is a le- public offi ce. leged attacks that have damaged poor maintenance have all con- gitimate and irrevocable claim, Guaido — recognised as Ven- the country’s main hydroelectric tributed to the country’s elec- which unites all Argentines be- ezuela’s interim president by power plant — announced that tricity woes. yond our diff erences,” Macri said some 50 countries — is locked in he was appointing Igor Gavidia A “brain drain” of qualifi ed in a speech to veterans in Buenos a power struggle with President Leon to replace retired general personnel has also hit the indus- Aires. Nicolas Maduro that has drawn Luis Motta Dominguez as energy try, with about 25,000 people in The centre-right president, in neighbouring states as well as minister. the electricity sector among the who has forged a more moder- superpowers such as the US and The new minister “is an elec- 2.7mn Venezuelans who have ate approach to Britain than his Russia. trical industry worker with 25 emigrated since 2015. predecessors, said Argentina As the political battle plays years of experience, an engineer Guaido has asked his support- intended to push its claim by us- out, the country has been hit by who had many responsibilities,” ers to protest each time there is a ing “the tools of dialogue, con- a series of devastating blackouts Maduro said. blackout. fi dence building and trust and that have left millions without On Sunday, Maduro an- “This is going to continue. The respect for international law.” water, prompting the govern- nounced 30 days of electricity situation is very serious, there The 74-day confl ict claimed ment to replace the country’s en- rationing, after his government will be more blackouts and ra- the lives of 649 Argentine troops ergy minister and institute power said it was shortening the work- tioning,” said Winton Cabas, and 255 British forces. rationing in a bid to address the day and keeping schools closed president of the Venezuelan As- It ended with Argentina’s sur- outages. due to blackouts. sociation of Electrical and Me- render on June 14, 1982. The decision by the Supreme The measures are a stark ad- chanical Engineering. Some 500 Argentine ex-com- Court — which is controlled by mission by the government that Jose Aguilar, a Venezuelan batants have committed suicide Maduro loyalists — to call on the there is not enough electricity consultant living in the US, said in the years since, according to ruling Constituent Assembly to go around, and that the power the problems with the power grid a support group, the Malvinas legislature to strip Guaido of his crisis is here to stay. run deep. Combatants Association for Hu- immunity could open the way for With no electricity, pump- “Over the past 20 years, the man Rights. the opposition chief to be pros- ing stations can’t work, so water infrastructure has been abused Among the events in Argen- ecuted. service is limited. due to a lack of maintenance tina, a “Malvinas Vigil” was held The court ruling cited Guaido’s Street lights and traffi c lights and the postponing of upgrade in Rio Grande, a strategic stag- violation of a ban on his travel go dark, pumps at fuel stations plans,” he said. ing centre for Argentine forces, outside Venezuela when he vis- stand idle, and cell phone and Another problem was the “de- 2,800km south of Buenos Aires ited Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, internet service is non-existent. professionalisation” of the sec- and 360 miles west of the Falk- Ecuador and Paraguay from late But people try to fi nd water tor when Chavez nationalised lands. February to early March. wherever they can: from springs, the power company in 2007 — a Players in Argentina’s Superli- The move came after Ven- leaky pipes, gutters, govern- move that led to pro-government ga held a minute’s silence before Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognised as the country’s ezuela’s auditor general’s offi ce ment-provided tankers and loyalists taking positions as their matches at the weekend. rightful interim ruler, arrives at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday. announced on Thursday that it the little that fl ows through the managers and engineers. Peru mayor under probe Wooing voters Uruguay minister, for racist comments army chief sacked AFP 1985 during which many mainly Montevideo leftist opponents of the regime, Reuters blamed Venezuelans for what he The Andean nation is now home like Gomensoro, were impris- Lima claimed was a spike in crime and to 700,000 Venezuelans, the larg- oned and tortured. street hawking in Huancayo, and est population of Venezuelan im- ruguay’s President Tab- Some were forcibly “disap- promised to pass a municipal or- migrants outside of Colombia, are Vazquez sacked his peared”. The government made rosecutors in Peru have dinance requiring companies to which shares a border with Ven- Udefence minister and the no offi cial announcement about opened a preliminary probe ensure locals made up at least 80% ezuela. But the government of chief of the army yesterday over the dismissals, but two members Pinto the mayor of an An- of their workforce. President Martin Vizcarra tight- links to a scandal dating from of Vazquez’s governing coalition dean city who promised to “free” He also suggested a Venezuelan ened entry requirements for Ven- the Latin American country’s confi rmed the sackings. his city of Venezuelan immigrants immigrant who had been working ezuelans last year. 1970s dictatorship, local media Also dismissed yesterday were and force companies to hire more as a security guard plotted to kill a Earlier yesterday, Peru Foreign reported. deputy defence minister Daniel locals, the attorney general’s offi ce local man whose death is still un- Minister Nestor Popolizio said Vazquez dismissed Defence Montiel, and two army generals. said yesterday. der investigation. the government was evaluating Minister Jorge Menendez and Uruguay’s state prosecutor The investigation will seek to “I was elected to bring order to whether to require Venezuelans to army chief General Jose Gonzalez Jorge Diaz said on Twitter that determine if Henry Lopez, the the city. They’ll call me xenopho- obtain a “humanitarian visa” from after a newspaper detailed the he had passed on to prosecutors mayor of Huancayo — a commer- bic but I don’t mind,” Lopez said its consulate in Caracas before evidence of a former intelligence “the open source information cial hub of about 500,000 people in the statement. “Today I declare migrating, similar to a measure offi cer given before a secret mili- about the failure to report the in Peru’s central highlands — com- ‘Huancayo free of Venezuelans.’” Chile implemented that has made tary tribunal. facts and the circumstances of mitted discrimination and incite- Lopez’ comments are part of it harder for Venezuelans to enter Convicted torturer Jose the murder of Roberto Gomen- ment to discrimination, the offi ce a recent fl are-up in xenophobia the country legally. Gavazzo acknowledged to the soro Josman reported to the army said on Twitter. in South America since a fl ood of “Venezuelan migration has im- tribunal last year that in 1973 he court martial by the prisoner Jose Peru’s constitution bans dis- poor and desperate Venezuelan pacted the labour market and our threw the body of a dissident, Gavazzo.” crimination on the basis of origin, migrants entered the region in re- health and education systems. It’s a Roberto Gomensoro, into Uru- Vazquez appointed Gonzalez race, sex, language, religion, opin- cent years, fl eeing an acute eco- reality that our country’s capabili- guay’s Rio Negro. head of the army only two weeks ion or economic status. nomic and political crisis under ties are overwhelmed,” Popolizio The government is facing in- ago. He replaced the previous Lopez was not immediately President Nicolas Maduro. told in televised comments. tense criticism for failing to pass army chief, Guido Manini Rios, af- available for comment but one of Peru has been one of the most Still, Lopez’ comments trig- on the tribunal’s fi ndings to the ter he had criticised the judiciary. his advisors said by telephone that welcoming countries for Venezue- gered a wave of criticism in Peru Panamanian independent presidential candidate Ricardo judiciary, so that Gavazzo could Around 180 people are known prosecutors cannot start an inves- lan immigrants, granting them last week, including condemna- Lombana, of the “Otro Camino Panama” (Another Path be tried in open court and the full to have been killed by the regime, tigation for comments that were special residency cards that allow tion from the culture ministry, Panama) party, walks with his wife Aileen de Lombana as circumstances of Gomensoro’s and many were never found. “taken out of context.” them to work and access public which deemed them “unaccept- he campaigns in Panama City. Panama holds presidential murder made public. Commemorated annually in In a statement published by healthcare as well as education able in a democratic state that re- elections on May 5, 2019. Uruguay was ruled by a mili- Uruguay, they are referred to as his offi ce on Wednesday, Lopez services. spects fundamental rights.” tary dictatorship from 1973 to the “disappeared.” Gulf Times 20 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 PAKISTAN

Pakistan working Tax amnesty scheme to add technical training in schools

Internews provincial governments, in- Islamabad cluding those of Pakistan-ad- expected this month ministered Kashmir and Gilg- it-Baltistan, so that a uniform Pakistan to launch crackdown proposed package, said that the Individuals, who possess un- will also be initiated in selected the highest ever in the country’s n a bid to make the educa- TVET system can be launched against non-tax filers in May Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) taxed wealth and live in posh lo- cases to create credible deter- history. tion imparted in schools across the country. is considering various options, calities, but are not registered on rence. “We have a target of 2mn for Irelevant to the job market, Special Assistant to Prime Internews including ease of fi ling returns, tax rolls, i.e., they have not ob- The incentives package also the tax year 2018,” the offi cial the Pakistan government is Minister on Youth Aff airs Us- Islamabad incentivising fi ling of tax returns, tained national tax numbers, will includes early refunds to more said, while adding that around working on introducing tech- man Dar added that apart from and sending out e-mails to po- be targeted. than 4,000 over-taxed small sal- 40,000 returns are being fi led on nical and professional training enhancing the sector, he said tential taxpayers about the exact The offi cial said that in case a aried taxpayers. daily basis. programmes at the school level they are also looking to bring in he Imran Khan govern- amount of tax and assets details taxpayer fails to comply with the An offi cial source said that Meanwhile, a minister has said so that students who gradu- reforms in the TVET sector. ment is expected to an- they will have to deposit. notice, a provisional assessment top FBR offi cials are expected to that the government will launch ate at the matriculation level “The government will soon Tnounce a scheme later “We have fi nancial transac- will be fi nalised. meet Prime Minister Imran Khan a crackdown against non-tax fi l- come out with some market- launch the National Youth De- this month to attract non-fi lers tions data and other material However, the individual will and Finance Minister Asad Umar ers next month. able skills. velopment Framework which into the tax net and incentivise collected from National Data- have the option to fi le a return, shortly. Speaking with a private news This was stated by Federal will help in synchronising “whitening” of untaxed money base and Registration Authority accompanied by a wealth state- “The meeting will set the tone channel, Minister of State for Education Minister Shafqat training with job placement,” planted at home or abroad. (NADRA),” he explained. ment and reconciliation, within of proposed scheme,” the offi cial Revenue Hammad Azhar said Mahmood, while addressing Dar disclosed, adding that they The work on the package has The FBR has collected data 60 days, whereby the provisional said, adding that the FBR is look- the government has received in- the fi rst Inter-Provincial Min- are also working on a National been fast-tracked in order to pro- from various sources – banks, assessment order will be auto- ing for the prime minister’s input formation about 5mn non-fi lers isterial Conference on Techni- Employment Exchange Por- vide ample time for individuals to utility corporations, immigration matically initiated. on the assets declaration scheme. across the country. cal and Vocational Education tal with the NAVTTC, which avail the scheme before an Inter- department and car manufac- If the taxpayer fails to fi le re- The FBR has set a target to The minister said: “The tax and Training (TVET) this week. will facilitate youth by match- national Monetary Fund (IMF) turers, etc – to identify wealthy turns and the required docu- raise the number taxpayers in the evaders will have to face action as The conference had been or- ing skills with demands of the programme is implemented, as individuals whose names are ab- ments within 60 days, the tax li- country to 5mn by June 2021, and the department concerned will ganised by the National Voca- market. it will be diffi cult for the govern- sent from tax rolls. ability will become fi nal and will tax-to-GDP ratio to 12.5% at the check the non-fi lers across the tional and Technical Training “With the help of the ment to provide such incentive- The tax authority has already be recoverable. end of next fi scal year, from the country.” Commission (NAVTTC). NAVTTC, we are focusing on laden scheme after securing bail- sent out notices to high-net- Moreover, penal and prosecu- current 11.2%. Azhar said that another opera- The minister added that the enhancing innovation-driv- out package from the fund. worth individuals whose names tion proceedings, which may re- The tax authority, for the year tion against fake accounts would government is planning re- en entrepreneurship skills of An offi cial, familiar with the do not appear on tax rolls. sult in imprisonment and fi nes, 2018, received 1.73mn returns – also be launched. forms to bring the education youth and promote blue col- and vocational training system lared and white collared jobs,” in line with the requirements of Dar said. the labour market. NAVTTC chairman Javed Pegging for record In this regard, Mahmood Hassan said that skill devel- disclosed that the federal gov- opment is critical to provide Islamabad planning ernment has constituted a task employment opportunities to force representing all stake- the youth and increase foreign holders in the sector in order to remittances. wing to be revamped identify the challenges in the “Right now, our capacity TVET sector of the country, is limited to imparting skills and to devise a roadmap to ad- to just 400,000 people in the Internews will move away from its previ- dress systemic issues. formal sector. That needs to be Islamabad ous top-heavy organisational The education minister fur- increased considerably apart structure, where multiple of- ther said that he believes edu- from enhancing the quality of fi cers were present at the senior cation and skill development training,” he said. he Capital Development level while there was an acute are beyond politics, and urged NAVTTC executive direc- Authority (CDA) of Is- shortage of offi cers at the op- all political parties to put dif- tor Dr Nasir Khan gave a de- Tlamabad has decided to erational levels. ferences aside and work collec- tailed presentation on the eight revamp, reform, and revitalise The proposed plan suggests tively in the national interest to major areas for intervention, its planning wing. a reduction in redundant di- promote skill development and which included cleansing gov- For this purpose, qualifi ed rectorates and expansion at the empower young people. ernance structure from frag- technical experts and town town planner and technical ex- “We are working in close mentation, increasing capac- planners will be inducted into pert levels. collaboration with the over- ity of TVET system, improving the authority at incentivised The proposal also envisages seas ministry, the chambers of quality, ensuring meaningful packages for better service de- focusing on building control industries, the private sector involvement of industry, de- livery. and enforcement. and the key stakeholders, to livering equal access (skills for This was disclosed at a re- There is also a recommen- identify the skills required in all), producing skilled work- cent briefi ng on reforms in the dation to have three sections the domestic market and over- force to meet international job CDA, which was given to the of building control, which seas,” he said. requirements, and building a Prime Minister’s Special As- would have a set-up that would Mahmood reiterated the positive image of TVET to at- sistant on the Capital Develop- streamline the disposal of government’s plan to soon es- tract more youth towards the ment Authority (CDA) Aff airs pending applications. tablish the fi rst National Skill skill sector. Ali Awan, offi cials here said. Similarly, a monitoring and University in Islamabad, apart Minister Mahmood gave as- The planning wing is con- evaluation directorate will be from fi ve Centres of Excel- surances that all suggestions sidered to be the backbone of set up which will perform the lence. put forward by the participants the CDA, but of late it has faced role of an enforcer. He emphasised working in will be incorporated into the staffi ng issues, impacting its The proposal also includes close collaboration with the TVET roadmap ‘Skills for All”. performance. incentivised salaries for plan- Realising the importance of ning staff to encourage quali- the issue, the incumbent man- fi ed technical experts to work E-passport issued from next month agement of the authority has for the CDA. decided to introduce reforms in Additional salary cou- The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior has been the planning wing. pled with a more decentral- informed that the Directorate General of Immigration and Passport For this purpose, a compre- ised working environment is will introduce an “e-passport system” next month. hensive plan has been formu- planned, where the planning This photograph taken on March 27 shows horse riders with lances used to pick up pegs during an “The system has been developed at a cost of Rs534mn, and can lated to strengthen the plan- wing will be taking care of its attempt in Punjab’s Khanewal district for a Guinness World Record for tent pegging. Traditional be described as clean, secure, and fully automated,” Passport and ning wing of the authority. own fi nancial and human re- drumbeats and melodious shahnai are drowned out by thundering hoofs in the small city of Tulamba, Immigration director general Ishrat Ali informed the parliamentary The proposed reform and re- source matters. as riders pound down a dusty track seeking world record glory in the ancient sport of tent-pegging. body meeting that was chaired by Khurram Nawaz, off icials here vamp plan will see the creation A detailed plan with posts said. of a pyramid structure in the and organogram has been pre- CDA planning wing. pared, and fi nancial impacts This will mean that the wing have also been calculated.

Pakistan launches its fi rst International Social media giants sucked into nations’ information war Information Tourist Corner in Brussels

Pakistan has opened its first International Information Tourist By Drazen Jorgic and the broader information war be- group is made up of volunteers. Corner in Belgium to off er Europeans a sample of Pakistani culture, Alasdair Pal, Reuters ing fought between the nuclear- However, analysts say such cy- stunning scenic view of northern areas, and the traditional lifestyle Islamabad armed foes. ber-armies work directly either of mountain people. “We are countering the Indian for Pakistan’s military or civil- Launched jointly in collaboration with the Pakistan embassy and narrative through social media, ian state organisations, acting as Tribes, a Dutch company established in Brussels, the tourist corner akistani social media cam- we are countering the enemies of de facto proxies or militias in the is the first-ever initiative by the Pakistani mission in Belgium to paigner Hanzala Tayyab Pakistan,” Tayyab told Reuters in online battlefi elds. promote tourism in Pakistan. Pleads about 300 ultra-na- Islamabad. “These groups who are being Speaking at the inauguration of the information corner, Belgian tionalist “cyber-warriors” fi ght- With a combined population resourced and organised are ac- mountaineer Paul Hegge shared his experience and said that he ing an Internet war with India, in of 1.5bn, India and Pakistan are tually a kind of a line of defence was greatly impressed with the beauty of K-2. a battle that is increasingly suck- hot growth markets for Facebook for this fi fth generation warfare,” Hegge, who climbed the world’s second highest peak K-2 last year, ing in global tech giants such as and Twitter, say analysts. said Shahzad Ahmed, from Pa- said: “Mountain lovers will have great and unique opportunity to Twitter and Facebook. However, with many rival kistani digital rights group Bytes climb the chain of Pakistani mountains.” Tayyab, 24, spends his days on ultra-nationalist and extremist for All. Belgian photographer Benoit Sneessens also shared his work and Facebook and encrypted What- groups in the region using Face- Pakistan’s military did not re- experience in Pakistan through his documentary on the northern sApp chatrooms, organising book and Twitter platforms to spond to a Reuters request for areas of Pakistan. members of his Pakistan Cyber advance their political agenda, comment. Sneessens, who has visited Hunza six times and has spent con- Force group to promote anti-In- both companies face accusations In India, similar nationalist siderable time with local people, said they have inspired him with dia content and make it go viral, of bias whenever they suspend groups are popping up and push- their great hospitality and culture. including on Twitter where he accounts. ing to purge and punish those Addressing the gathering, Pakistan Minister for Human Rights Dr has more than 50,000 followers. Facebook has been buff eted by who they perceive to be critical of Shireen Mazari said: “Europeans must come to Pakistan and see That ranges from highlight- controversies across the globe in Tayyab, 24, a social media campaigner and cyber analyst, is seen India – or supportive of Pakistan the stunning beauty of north. Pakistan has mountain peaks. ing alleged Indian human rights recent years, including for not working on computer at a local cafe in Islamabad. – on social media. “If you explore Pakistan, you will find beautiful beaches and lush abuses to lionising insurgents stopping the use of fake accounts One such group, Clean the Na- green landscape.” battling Indian security forces in to try to sway public opinion in Reuters that the company did not dogfi ght over the Kashmir skies. tion, says its actions have result- Meanwhile, a special tourism police force has been established in Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan the 2016 US presidential election remove the Pakistani accounts That fl are-up was accompa- ed in more than 50 people – who Gilgit-Baltistan region to provide the best security to the foreign region at the heart of historic and Britain’s vote to leave the Eu- because of Indian government nied by a fi erce propaganda war had posted what it called anti- and domestic tourists in Pakistan’s mountainous region, it was tensions between Pakistan and ropean Union, and for not acting pressure, but because people be- on social media. India comments and remarks revealed. India. to stamp out hate speech on its hind them co-ordinated with one This online battle of political critical of India’s armed forces Inspector General of Police (Gilgit-Baltistan) Sanaullah Abbasi told Tayyab’s job became harder platform that was fuelling ethnic another and used fake accounts and ideological narratives is one – being arrested or suspended media in Skardu that for now, 150 personnel have been recruited on Monday when the Pakistan violence in Myanmar. to misrepresent themselves. that Pakistan’s military believes from work or education. for the purpose. Cyber Force’s Facebook account Four Facebook and more than “When we disrupt these net- it must win at all costs, analysts “This is our motherland and if was taken down, one of 103 Pa- 20 Twitter accounts belonging works for co-ordinated inau- say. someone is abusing people who kistani accounts that the social to members of the Pakistan Cy- thentic behaviour, it’s because Military spokesmen often are protecting our motherland, media giant said it had deleted ber Force have been shuttered of their deceptive behaviour, warn unconventional “fi fth gen- actually fi ghting on the ground, Punjab to launch youth loan scheme because of “inauthentic behav- in the past two months, accord- and not because of the content eration warfare” is being waged I don’t believe they should be al- iour” and spamming. ing to Tayyab, who is still angry they’re sharing, or the ideology against Pakistan. lowed to work here or allowed to The Punjab government is gearing up to launch a youth business Some Indian nationalist ac- at Twitter for shutting down his or political leanings of the people Facebook said on Monday live here,” Rahul Kaushik, one of loan scheme in the next few days, off icials here say. counts have also been suspended previous personal account in behind them,” Facebook said. that the 103 accounts removed co-founders the group, told Reu- Under the scheme, skilled youth will be provided with short-term in recent weeks. 2016. Pakistan and India fl irted with were part of a network linked to ters. “This is a clear case of trea- loans for starting their own business, Punjab Minister for Industries, Portraying himself as an online A Twitter spokeswoman said: war in February, when the na- employees of the Pakistani mili- son, in our view.” Commerce and Investment Aslam Iqbal said at an IT-focused combatant defending Pakistan “We believe in impartiality and tions carried out aerial bombing tary’s public relations arm. Facebook said on Monday that seminar arranged by the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade from India’s attempts to desta- do not take any actions based on missions against each other’s Tayyab denies the Pakistan it had taken down 549 accounts (PBIT). bilise his country, Tayyab plans political viewpoints.” territory for the fi rst time since Cyber Force is linked to Paki- and 138 pages linked to India’s The state minister added that the loans would be capped at Rs3mn. to continue playing his role in A Facebook spokesperson told the 1971 war and fought a brief stan’s military, saying that the opposition Congress Party. Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 21 PHILIPPINES

Court seeks release of police reports on anti-drug war Duterte seeks review of The Philippine Supreme Court yesterday ordered the government’s top lawyer to release all police reports of killings related to a crack- down on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead since 2016, DPA reported. government contracts The release of the reports were sought by human rights By Catherine S Valente of Appeals, the upper division Carpio said the Kaliwa Dam groups and lawyer organisa- Manila Times of Singapore’s Supreme Court. project also followed a template tions helping victims of the Panelo said the Duterte ad- that sets patrimonial assets as anti-illegal drug campaign ministration would prosecute collateral. launched by President Rod- resident Rodrigo Duterte those behind the “onerous” Panelo said the review would rigo Duterte. has ordered a review of contracts between the Ramos also include the government’s “The court just ordered the Pall government contracts government and Maynilad. loan agreements with China. Solicitor General to submit to remove any “onerous” pro- “We can prosecute. That “Yes, because even if it’s ex- the police report to the visions detrimental to public contract was entered into by ecuted, even if it’s in violation Supreme Court,” and send interest, Malacanang said yes- the government and drafted of the Constitution, you can re- copies to the petitioners, the terday. by lawyers of the government. scind it, you can strike it down. tribunal’s spokesman Brian The president, who met with That could be collusion be- Ask the court to rescind,” he Keith Hosaka said. his Cabinet on Monday, di- tween the lawyers of the gov- told reporters. The documents were request- rected Solicitor General Jose ernment and the lawyers of the “In other words, the presi- ed as part of a petition filed Calida and Justice Secretary private company. We have to dent is warning all and sun- by the Center for Internation- Menardo Guevarra to study, prosecute them,” he said. dry that for as long as he is the al Law on behalf of residents among others, the arbitration “That is a very onerous pro- president, he will not allow an- of a district in Manila seeking case involving Maynilad Water vision when you prohibit your ything that will go against the protection from the anti-drug Services Inc. and the Philip- own government from interfer- interest of the Filipino people. war. A group of human rights pine government, according ing with the terms of the con- He will use the Constitution, all lawyers also filed a petition to Palace spokesman Salvador tract. You cannot even do any- the powers given him to protect questioning the constitution- Panelo. thing when there are losses.” the Filipino people and to serve ality of the campaign against “He (Duterte) directed the Guevarra said the review them faithfully,” the Palace of- illegal drugs and seeking the Solicitor General, the Depart- would focus on “certain provi- fi cial added. release of more than 20,000 ment of Justice secretary, and sions of the concession agree- Panelo expressed confi dence police reports. all legal departments to review, ment that unduly tie the hands that the review of government More than 5,000 people have evaluate, scrutinise every con- of the Republic.” contracts would have no impact been killed in police opera- tract entered by the government Duterte’s order came weeks on potential investors. tions under the government’s and/or each agency with private after parts of Metro Manila and “As I have said some time crackdown against illegal corporations and/or countries, Rizal province were hit with ago, the considerations being drugs since 2016, according and determine whether there Duterte: priority for public interest water crisis. looked at by potential investors to official police statistics. are onerous provisions in the The president’s order to re- are one, the peace and order sit- The New York-based watch- contract that will put the Filipi- that the contract with Mayni- the government intervened. sought from the Philippine gov- view all contracts came on the uation; the lack of bureaucracy dog Human Rights Watch said no people in disadvantage or in lad prohibited the government And by reason of the interven- ernment for revenue losses as heels of Senior Associate Justice or bureaucratic red tape; and the true death toll in the drug violation of the Constitution,” from interfering or intruding tion, Maynilad suff ered dam- a result of the unimplemented Antonio Carpio’s warning that the business climate,” he said. crackdown, including victims Panelo told reporters. into the terms of the contract. ages,” Panelo said. water rate adjustment. the country could lose gas in “On the contrary, in fact, it of hired or vigilante killers, “He reiterated his vow to pro- “That’s why we lost in the ar- In October 2018, Mayni- The water company said the Reed Bank if the Philippine gov- will forewarn them that they could be higher than 12,000, tect the people of the Republic bitration tribunal. And I think lad scored a victory at the decision became fi nal after the ernment failed to pay the loan cannot enter into any agree- based on estimates by local of the Philippines,” he added. we were made to pay P3.5bn High Court in Singapore over Philippine government opted it got from China for the Chico ment that is in violation of the rights and church groups. Panelo said Duterte found out because according to the ruling, the P3.44bn compensation it not to take the case to the Court River pump irrigation project. Constitution or public policy.” Govt crafts roadmap to Police chief orders probe address El Nino challenge into killing of 14 farmers DPA By Catherine S Valente from El Nino have reached Manila & Eireene J Gomez P5bn, the drought would not Manila Times cut down the national produc- tion for this year. he Philippines national “In fact, the records will police chief yesterday or- he government has come show that our losses in relation Tdered the suspension of up with a roadmap to to our national production pro- four police offi cials following Tmitigate the eff ects of a jection for rice would only be the killing of 14 farmers during prolonged El Nino and ensure 0.63%. We are still keep- a series of police operations in a ample supply of water in the ing our (still record-high) pro- central province over the week- country, Malacanang said yes- duction target of 20mn metric end. terday. tonnes (MT), lower by about National police chief Oscar Palace spokesman Salvador 500,000 MT than our previous Albayalde said the suspension Panelo said the roadmap, which target,” he added. of the police officials in Negros was presented when Presi- The roadmap to mitigate eff ects of El Nino involve dredging of Last year, the country’s total Oriental province was aimed at dent Rodrigo Duterte met with waterways, replacing tunnels and aqueducts, as well as installing rice output hit 19.07mn MT, ensuring an impartial investi- his Cabinet in Malacanang on water tank systems in all Department of Health hospitals. which was 1.1% lower from gation into the killings. Monday, included the proposal 19.28mn MT recorded in 2017 The suspensions were “not to create the Department of “dredging of waterways, re- proposed Executive Order (EO) caused by monthly tropical a punitive measure” but were Water and Department of Dis- placing tunnels and aqueducts, on transforming and strength- disturbances. For the corn sec- to “ensure that they will not be aster Resilience. installing water tank systems in ening the National Water Re- tor, Pinol said the DA estimated able to exert any influence in “We had a serious and pro- all Department of Health hos- sources Board (NWRB). that the total damage would the ongoing investigation,” he ductive April Fools’ Day as pitals and providing funding “The EO will merge the reach a rate of 1.2%. said. The suspended officials President Rodrigo Duterte for the establishment of water NWRB and the River Basin Meanwhile, he sought an “in- headed provincial police com- presided a fruitful 36th Cabi- treatment plants.” Control Offi ce into the National stitutional change” in the way mand and were chiefs of police net meeting,” Panelo said in a The Department of Agricul- Water Management Council,” the country handles calamities stations in Canlaon City and statement. ture (DA) has said damage to Panelo said. “This will stream- like El Nino, saying the govern- the towns of Santa Catalina “The Cabinet discussed the agriculture caused by drought line and consolidate planning ment should stop its “post-dis- and Manjuyod, where the kill- fi rst item on the agenda, which had reached P5bn. and regulation of all water and aster intervention mindset.” ings took place. is mitigating the eff ects of El The Philippine Atmospheric, river basins in the country. It “The only way we can miti- Police allege the victims Nino and water shortage. A Geophysical and Astronomical will also draft a National Water gate the damage of drought, dry were suspected communist roadmap was presented, which Services Administration said Management Framework Plan,” spell and El Nino is to come up rebels who resisted officers included immediate, medium El Nino had peaked and would he added. with a viable national irrigation serving search warrants for Oscar Albayalde: focus on impartial investigation and long-term interventions, start weakening in the next few The DA, however, is optimis- programme that would prepare their homes in a pre-dawn raid such as making an intensive months. tic that the agriculture sector the funds for calamities like on Saturday. tions, we find it prudent on our According to the politi- campaign for the conservation Several parts of Metro Ma- would still be able to hit its pro- this. Unless we do that, we will But human rights activ- part to initiate an investigation cal leftist group Kabataan, of water and energy, creating nila have also been hit by water duction target for rice and corn always be picking up the pieces ists said that the victims were if only to discount any doubts the killings in Negros Oriental a Department of Water and a shortage. Panelo said National despite El Nino. after every disaster and we will farmers and included some lo- and satisfy the requirements of province raise the number of Department of Disaster Resil- Economic and Development Agriculture Secretary Em- be spending a lot to rehabilitate cal community leaders. fair and judicious investigation farmers killed, during the ad- ience,” he added. Authority Undersecretary manuel Piñol said that while and assist our farmers,” Pinol “While we maintain the reg- in fairness to our personnel ministration of President Rod- The roadmap also involved Adoracion Navarro presented a the total damage and losses said. ularity of these police opera- also,” Albayalde said. rigo Duterte, to 180.

Palace hopes for Chinese vessels’ exit Chinese vessels on Pagasa Island Paredes admits to leaked private video should immediately leave the area now that the Philippines had decided to file a diplomatic protest, By Aric John Sy Cua “When I saw it on social media, I was than him,” tweeted singer Leah Nav- Malacanang said yesterday. Manila Times in a quandary how to respond. But after arro. “The lengths you went through to Palace spokesman Salvador mulling and praying over it, I decided reveal his private data are criminal and Panelo said the protest was a to come clean,” Paredes wrote. “There you should be charged. You violated his testament that the government is inger-songwriter Jim Paredes ad- are already too many lies and liars in privacy. Karma boomerangs big time.” against the presence of the ships mitted to being in a private video this world. I do not wish to be a part of “The real scandal here is that some- there, Manila Times reported. Sthat had gone viral on social me- that cabal. I have chosen to be truthful one took his *private* video and up- “We are already complaining, why dia after initially denying it. because I know that painful as the truth loaded it without his permission,” are they there? Then, eff ectively, In a statement released on his per- can be, it will eventually set me free.” tweeted lawyer Jego Ragragio. “Will the you are asking them to leave,” Pan- sonal blog, Paredes said that while the He later apologised for the video. uploader admit? Also, what are they elo said, adding that the Chinese video was real, it was not supposed to “I am not saying this to excuse what, trying to distract us from this time? vessels should leave as soon as be distributed publicly. I regret, was broadcast on social me- What other issues does Duterte have possible. The Palace off icial said he “The video was real,” he wrote. “It dia,” he wrote. “I have always expressed now?” took the issue up with President was private, and not meant for public my feelings freely. Today, I wish to ex- Paredes is a known critic of the ad- Rodrigo Duterte during Monday consumption. I do not know how it be- press my truth. I am a fl awed person, a ministration of President Rodrigo Du- evening’s Cabinet meeting. came public. I can only surmise that in human being, much like everyone else. terte. He said the president “just listened.” this ugly season of toxic politics, muck- I made a mistake, I was irresponsible. The viral video, which showed Pare- “That is what the president does, rakers determined to neutralise my And I am truly sorry.” des allegedly doing lewd acts, have been when you make a report, he lis- infl uence by violating my privacy and Paredes’ friends and supporters making the rounds on social media tens, he observes. If he will tell you digging up dirt on me are at work.” came to his defence on Twitter. since Sunday. This video came, amidst anything later, he will say it. He is Initially, Paredes dismissed the viral “Laughing at my friend Jim Paredes the removal of over 200 Facebook and not risky with his words,” he said. video as “fake”, when it was shared on and his predicament doesn’t make you, Instagram pages and accounts that were social media. video thieves and sharers, any better supportive of Duterte administration. Jim Paredes: courting controversy Gulf Times 22 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Europe currently the weakest point in global economy

After a dismal 2018 and a poor start to 2019, the economic outlook for Europe is going from bad to worse. Europe’s position as the weak link in the global economy is now becoming more entrenched amid an intensifying factory slump. A German manufacturing gauge fell further than initially estimated on Monday to the worst in almost seven years; Italy’s industrial contraction deepened, and a eurozone wide measure put confidence and demand at factories at a multi-year low. The gloomy European picture contrasts with the improvement in Asia, where Purchasing Managers’ Indexes Indian women drive were led higher in March by China returning to expansion. Such diverging fortunes indicate that Europe is suffering the most from both the global slowdown and trade-war crossfire between the US and China. “Europe is currently the weakest point in the global economy,” said Christopher Dembik, global head of change – and trains macroeconomic research at Saxo Bank. “We got a horrible set of new data for the euro area that confirms By Amrit Dhillon rates were coming down in Kerala and must be progressive and innovative and old rules by giving us work.” Kochi wondered if we could help. If demand aimed at social inclusion and women’s The metro’s policies stem from a the risk of lower growth than expected by consensus.” goes up, we will install more of them,” empowerment,” says Kochi Metro wider progressive ethos that is perhaps The European says Sumi Nadarajan, senior deputy managing director Mohamed Hanish. unique to Kerala. Forward-leaning Commission said un by an army of women and general manager for planning and Bringing Kerala’s transgender people Although the state has been in the in February that an equipped with solar power and sustainability. into the public eye has not been easy. news recently for the campaign by dedicated breastfeeding pods, This sensitivity typifi es many of the Unlike in other parts of India, women to win the right to pray at the policy signals Italian economy close Kochi Metro is altering the state-owned metro’s policies. transgender people here live hidden Sabarimala temple, where women have to stagnation and R status quo in Kerala. It was an unusual infrastructure away. “In north India, transgenders live been denied entry for decades, this is paint a more significantly weaker Down on the platform, where the air project from the outset. in communities called hamams but in something of an aberration. momentum in Germany is intensely muggy in the March heat, a In a country where projects routinely Kerala they are solitary and isolated,” The state has a high female literacy optimistic train glides in. run over budget and break deadlines, says Sumi Mohan, board member of rate, low maternal and infant mortality, would weigh on growth The driver is a woman. the metro was completed within the human rights organisation Sahayatrika. and a healthy sex ratio compared with picture for global in the euro area this The ticket offi ce is run by a woman. agreed cost and time constraints. The attrition rate among transgender other Indian states. economy year. The commission A transgender woman helps It uses solar power for 35% of its employees has been high. Nevertheless, few women, despite predicted the economy customers at the inquiry desk. energy needs, and more than 200 of Finding aff ordable accommodation being educated, feature in the labour On four of the metro’s stations, the pillars dotted around the station near the station where they work was a force. will expand 1.3% this year, down from 1.9% projected in passengers can go into a special cubicle have been turned into vertical gardens problem for many. “It was a challenge According to the latest offi cial data November. For 2020, it sees growth at 1.6%. to breastfeed their babies. with the use of compost made from keeping them employed. Many took lots for 2011-12, 22% of women work in the The euro-area economy grew at the weakest pace At the station, Rejitha, dressed in a municipal waste. of medical leave. formal sector in rural areas, compared in four years in 2018 as Italy slipped into recession. A turquoise and pink uniform, is on hand to One key decision was to train and They need surgery or they have with 56% of men, lower than the 25% help the hundreds of people who use the appoint female drivers: seven out of the issues with their hormone treatment. fi gure for India as a whole. further slowdown is likely this year as the currency area Kochi Metro every day. “See, you place it 39 drivers are women. And they wanted a daily wage. They This is why the Kochi Metro made a faces growing political tensions and the threat of weaker fl at like this on the sensor to get through,” Another was hiring 60 transgender live from hand to mouth and can’t wait conscious eff ort to give jobs to women. demand for its exports from China and the UK. she tells a customer struggling to get women, the fi rst time any company in for a month before being paid. But we There has been no shortage of takers. To be sure, Europe’s pains are also partly home-grown through the ticket barrier. India has formally decided to hire along couldn’t change the rules for just one Women even work the night shift, An army of women make up about such lines. section of employees,” says Natarajan. which is notable in a society where you with prolonged disruption in the auto industry and the 80% of the 1,300-strong metro As former metro managing director As a result, only a dozen remain. rarely see women out after sunset in threat of a disorderly Brexit hurting confidence. workforce. Elias George said at the time, “society’s One of them is Karthika Raghavan, rural areas. Some of the poor PMI results may be an overreaction to “It’s a safe and clean environment mindset will change only by direct 36, who gave up her job as a biochemist Hima C, as she is known, is a Brexit and trade worries, and won’t be reflected in hard for me. The money I get makes a big interaction with” transgender people. in a laboratory, because it was too 27-year-old driver – an assistant “loco- diff erence to our budget and to what I In a move to give further jobs solitary, to work as a customer assistant pilot”, as it is called. data on the economy. In Germany, the closely watched can do for my family,” says Rejitha, who to women, the metro joined up on the metro. The shifts don’t bother her because Ifo business confidence index rose in March, as did a goes by a single name. with a women’s collective called Raghavan’s parents accepted she loves her job. “The metro is measure of expectations. The predominance of women Kudumbashree to supply meals. her and she continues to live with elevated, so it soars over the city. I Still, the figures will prove disappointing at the explains the decision to install the Women cook lunches in their homes them, something of a rarity among love that sense of space – and the way breastfeeding pods, equipped with a and, travelling on the metro, deliver the transgender people in Kerala. people on the platform, when they see European Central Bank, where there’s hope that seat, fan, and phone charging point. meals in steel “tiffi n” boxes (to avoid “My job in the lab was with non- the train rolling in, smile and wave at the slowdown will soon bottom out, setting up an The pods are located in parts of plastic) to metro employees at various living things. Being out and meeting me,” she says. improvement later this year. stations that can be accessed without a stations. all kinds of people on the metro makes Raghavan also has no problem with The warning signs have already forced the ECB to ticket so that any passing woman who They earn money and metro me feel happy,” she says in fluent shift work. “I want to be trained as a needs it can walk in off the street and employees enjoy home-cooked food. English. “Whenever I used to look for driver. That’s the next logical step and redraw its plans for exiting stimulus measures. use it. “From day one, we believed the jobs, the ad specified male or female. that’s my new ambition,” she says. – Eurozone confi dence has also been weakened by political “We realised that breastfeeding policies that shape this institution The Kochi Metro has smashed all the Guardian News and Media tensions. Elections for the European Parliament are expected to produce gains for anti-establishment parties, increasing uncertainty about future economic policy. Despite the ECB’s upbeat projections, there’s a danger the slowdown might turn into a recession, Europe’s third in a decade. But the central bank could play a crucial part in preventing a disaster. Across the world, forward leaning policy signals paint a more optimistic picture for the global economy. The US Federal Reserve is on hold and financial conditions have eased; China’s credit growth is accelerating and more fiscal firepower is promised; the trade truce appears to be holding; and 2019 will be a year of slower, bumpier growth, according to Bloomberg Economics.

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© 2019 Gulf Times. All rights reserved Kochi Metro train driver Hima C. PICTURE: Sivaram V/The Guardian Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019 23 COMMENT Was the stock-market boom predictable?

By Robert J Shiller You might think that an intelligent crash and no extreme depression in New Haven observer in the US in 2009 would sight, these fears were replaced by have recognised that the decline was their opposite: deeper admiration temporary, and would have expected of business success. A new narrative hould we have known in March earnings – which are relevant to emerged, featuring a new wave of 2009 that the United States’ forecasting long-term growth of billionaire geniuses whose appearance S&P 500 stock index would stock prices – to recover. But the real in the 1990s was interrupted only Squadruple in value in the question is whether the observer could briefl y by the fi nancial crisis. The next ten years, or that Japan’s Nikkei have based a very optimistic forecast publication in 2011 of the number- 225 would triple, followed closely for long-term earnings growth on the one best seller Steve Jobs, Walter by Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index? rebound from that negative earnings Isaacson’s biography of the Apple The conventional wisdom is that it is moment. We now know that long-term founder, is one example. Elon Musk never possible to “time the market.” measures of earnings growth did not has stirred excitement with futuristic But moves as big as these, it might change a lot. Ten-year average S&P companies such as aerospace seem, must have been at least partly 500 earnings per share from 2009 manufacturer SpaceX and Neuralink, foreseeable. to 2019 were up only 71% from the which is developing implantable brain- The problem is that no one can prove previous decade. The quadrupling computer interfaces. why a boom happened, even after the in the S&P 500 price index was thus The accession of a fl amboyant fact, let alone show how it could have driven not by higher earnings but by businessman, Donald Trump, to the US been predicted. The US boom since much higher valuations of earnings. presidency is evidence of the strength 2009 is a case in point. It is true that real interest rates are of many Americans’ identifi cation In looking at the US stock market, down since 2009, with the ten-year US with business heroes. Starting in it is important to bear in mind that Treasury Infl ation-Protected Security 2004, Trump spent much of his time its participants are overwhelmingly yielding 0.8% in February, down from developing his business persona as US investors. According to a US 1.71% in March 2009. But all of that the star of the reality TV show The government study published last decline occurred by 2010 and could Apprentice, and then, from 2008, The year, despite some growth between not justify any of the strong uptrend in Celebrity Apprentice. His campaign 2009 and 2017, the share of the US stock prices since then. marshalled this enthusiasm, and his stock market owned by foreigners In 2009, some people in the US were claim that he would “Make America was still only about one-seventh in using very strong language to express Great Again” appealed to the optimism 2017. But if all people heeded fi nancial their fear. One heard that a “fi nancial of US investors. advisers’ counsel and were completely supernova” was coming. A ProQuest The quadrupling of US stock diversifi ed, people outside the US, News & Newspapers search for prices since 2009, as well as Trump’s who held more than two-thirds of the “derivatives” and “fi nancial weapons election, thus appears to refl ect, world’s wealth as of last year, would of mass destruction” (a phrase at least in part, a process of fear own over two-thirds of the US stock attributed to Warren Buff ett) shows abatement and re-enchantment with market as well. Home-country bias, or that these two terms fi rst appeared American business culture. But it is patriotism, is a big factor in the stock together in 2003 and gained intense hard to forecast such trends – even market. So, to understand the US stock popularity by 2009, only to fade to near the biggest – in the stock market, not market’s strength, we need to consider nothing by 2018. only because forecasting is a highly the thinking of its participants. Those who were prescient enough Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in New York, US, yesterday. competitive business, but also because There seems to have been an to know that derivatives markets spontaneity plays such an important overreaction in the US to a temporary weren’t going to blow up the economy at the time and led to some lost faith. the questions is: What do you think record high (since 1994). role in human behaviour. – Project drop in earnings. S&P 500 earnings might have known that any drag on the Many people were worrying in March is the probability of a catastrophic Likewise, ProQuest News & Syndicate per share had been negative (a very market from the fear that they would 2009 that stocks had a lot further to US stock-market crash, like that of Newspapers counts of the frequency of rare event) in the fourth quarter of could not be sustained for ten years. fall. October 28, 1929 or October 19, 1987, the phrase “Great Depression” soared z Robert J Shiller, a 2013 Nobel 2008, both for “reported earnings” But a forecast based on such prescience Under my direction, the Yale in the next six months, including a to unprecedented heights. There were laureate in economics and Professor and for “operating earnings,” and those is hard to quantify or defend publicly. School of Management has been crash caused by fi nancial contagion more mentions of “Great Depression” of Economics at Yale University, is numbers were just coming in around The fact that economists on the collecting data on the opinions of from other countries? In early 2009, in 2009 than there were during the co-author, with George Akerlof, of March 2009, when the index reached whole had not predicted the 2008 both institutional and individual the percentage of people who gave a Great Depression. Phishing for Phools: The Economics of its nadir. fi nancial crisis was much emphasised investors in the US since 1989. One of probability greater than 10% reached a But then, with no stock-market Manipulation and Deception.

Three-day forecast Mueller report not the end of the world TODAY Maximum Temperature : 280c Minimum Temperature : 210c By Bill Press pays for Medicare; allowing children Tribune News Service to remain on their parents’ health THURSDAY plan until they turn 26; no limits Maximum Temperature : 290c on lifetime benefits. All gone, if Minimum Temperature : 220c or 17 years, starting in the Republicans have their way. FRIDAY 1970s, Southern California Which is a political bonanza for Maximum Temperature : 310c woke up to the lively Democrats. In 2018, they won 40 Minimum Temperature : 230c morning-drive radio show seats in the House, in both liberal F Fisherman's forecast “The Ken and Bob Company.” Day and more conservative districts, in, day out, hosts Ken Minyard and promising to protect people’s WARNING healthcare. Now, thanks to Trump, Inshore : Expected thundery rain Bob Arthur had one theme: Don’t at places worry, EGBOK. “Everything’s going they can again run on healthcare Offshore : Expected thunder rain to be OK.” Thousands of listeners, in 2020. On healthcare, the most at some places associ- including me, wore EGBOK buttons important issue in the country, the ated with strong wind & high sea to work. difference could not be more clear: WEATHER So here’s my message to Democrats are for it; Republicans are Inshore : P cloudy to cloudy at Democrats who’ve spent every day against it. times with c of rain at some places maybe since release of the Mueller report Meanwhile, Trump’s not out of the thundery at times weeping and gnashing their teeth: Robert Mueller woods on the criminal front, either. Offshore : Cloudy with c of sctd EGBOK. This is not the end of the More than a dozen investigations rain maybe thundery at times, becomes p world. Everything’s going to be OK. despair, it’s time to move ahead. nuclear deal, stealing money from are underway by the US Attorney’s cloudy later In fact, this may turn out to be a big On two fronts. First, by recognising schools for children of soldiers to Office for the Southern District WIND advantage. that it was a mistake to put so much pay for his wall, and bloating the of New York, the New York Inshore : Northwesterly-North- easterly 05-15/22 KT Of course it was disappointing to faith in Mueller in the first place. national debt. Attorney General, the District of Offshrore : Northwesterly-North- see Robert Mueller prematurely wrap Indeed, expectations for Mueller’s On that front, Trump did even Columbia Attorney General and easterly 05-15/25 KT things up in a way that seemed to, final report had soared so high more damage this week. For 10 years, other jurisdictions – enough to Visibility : 4-8 KM but did not, clear Donald Trump of that anything less than slapping Republicans had vowed to repeal the keep prosecutors busy, and Trump Offshore : 2-4/8 FT nervous, for the next two years. any wrongdoing. Mueller did not say handcuffs on Trump and frog- Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, Around the region there was no collusion; he just said marching him off the golf course and replace it with “something” Bottom line: Democrats can forget Weather he couldn’t find enough evidence would be considered a big letdown. – even though they never came about Robert Mueller and forget Weather tomorrow Max/min to charge Trump with a criminal As a result, for months Democrats up with any plan of their own. As about impeachment. They’re now today Max/min P Cloudy 27/16 conspiracy. Same on obstruction held off figuring out how to dump late as last week, the Trump White free to focus on building a case Baghdad P Cloudy 24/13 M Sunny 28/18 of justice. Yes, Trump tried to Trump in 2020 because they counted House insisted it wanted to preserve to beat Donald Trump the old- Kuwait CitySunny 27/17 M Sunny 28/21 interfere with the FBI investigation, on Mueller, swooping down some the good parts of Obamacare while fashioned way: by clobbering him Manama M Sunny 27/21 M Sunny 31/27 but Mueller cowardly concluded like deus ex machina, to knock him trashing all the rest. Now even at the ballot box in November 2020. Muscat P Cloudy 30/26 P Cloudy 18/11 he wouldn’t be able to convince a out of the box before the campaign that fig leaf is gone. The Trump EGBOK. Tehran P Cloudy 17/11 jury beyond a reasonable doubt that even got underway. administration suddenly reversed Trump did so with criminal intent. Now Americans know that’s not course, joining a lawsuit brought z Bill Press is host of a nationally- Still, at least according to going to happen, so on to the second by several red states to junk the syndicated radio show, CNN political Attorney General Bill Barr’s four- priority for Democrats: building a Affordable Care Act in its entirety. analyst and the author of the new book, page summary of the Mueller strong case against Trump based That means Trump and the Trump Must Go: The 100 Top Reasons report – which is all one has seen so not on suspicion of collusion with Republican Party are now full square to Dump Trump (And One to Keep far – it was neutral enough to allow Russia but on the severe damage he’s for getting rid of all the provisions Him), which is available in bookstores Trump to gloat: No collusion. No done since taking office, including: of Obamacare Americans have come now. You can hear “The Bill Press obstruction. Exoneration. And soft gutting environmental protection, to love. Yes, protection for pre- Show” at his website: billpressshow. enough to drive many Democrats to inciting white nationalism, fanning existing conditions. But also free com His e-mail address is: bill@ despair. the flames of racism, junking the preventive care, mammograms and billpress.com Readers may also follow Again, EGBOK. It’s not time to Paris climate accord and the Iran checkups; lower premiums and co- him on Twitter at @bpshow.

Around the world Weather Weather today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Athens M Cloudy 18/07 P Cloudy 18/09 Beirut Sunny 18/13 M Sunny 20/14 Live issues Bangkok P Cloudy 34/28 P Cloudy 34/28 Berlin S Showers 18/09 P Cloudy 19/08 Cairo M Sunny 27/13 P Cloudy 27/13 Cape Town P Cloudy 22/16 Rain 18/13 Colombo M Sunny 31/26 M Sunny 31/25 Dhaka P Cloudy 32/23 S T Storms 32/24 Pancreatic cancer odds tied to weight before 50 Hong Kong P Cloudy 25/20 P Cloudy 24/22 Istanbul M Cloudy 12/06 M Cloudy 12/05 QNA current theories suggest that the People who are oesophagus, stomach, kidneys and Jakarta T Storm 32/25 S T Storms 32/25 Washington inflammation that comes with liver, and some brain tumours and Karachi P Cloudy 33/23 M Sunny 34/24 excess weight may encourage cells to overweight or obese cancers of the pancreas, colon and London S T Storms 08/01 Showers 11/06 mutate and become cancerous. rectum and multiple myeloma. Manila P Cloudy 34/26 P Cloudy 34/26 ew American research The researchers stressed that are 150% more The study concluded that although Moscow P Cloudy 09/-2 Cloudy 09/-1 found that Pancreatic people who are overweight or obese pancreatic cancer is a rare form of New Delhi Sunny 37/21 P Cloudy 39/23 cancer is more deadly are 150% more likely to develop likely to develop the disease, it has seen a significant New York Cloudy 18/07 M Cloudy 14/04 Nin patients who were pancreatic cancer at some point in pancreatic cancer at increase in recent years, scientists Paris Showers 10/01 P Cloudy 12/03 overweight before the age of 50. their life than those who have normal became puzzled by the risk, smoking Sao Paulo P Cloudy 30/18 P Cloudy 32/21 Scientific director at the American weights. some point in their was one of the risk factors of Seoul Sunny 13/01 Sunny 14/07 Cancer Society, Dr Eric Jacobs They are not only a major factor the disease and began to decline Singapore S T Storms 31/26 T Storm 31/26 discovered that a BMI of 30 or higher in cancer, but a risk indicator for the life than those who gradually that factor, while obesity Sydney P Cloudy 24/17 Showers 22/17 raises the risks that pancreatic health of many diseases, and many Excess weights are among the most Tokyo Clear 12/03 Clear 17/03 cancer will kill a patient by 25%, types of cancers, namely the uterus, have normal weights common causes of pancreatic cancer. Gulf Times 24 Wednesday, April 3, 2019 QATAR Aspire Wonderland Fest attracts over 70,000 visitors A snapshot from the Aspire Wonderland Festival. spire Zone Foundation The festival (AZF) yesterday said the in numbers Ainaugural Aspire Wonder- land Festival received more than 70,000 visitors over seven days. „ 70,000 visitors The festival, thought to be the „ 400,000 LED light-bulbs “fi rst of its kind” in Qatar, con- „ 310 characters/designs cluded on Monday. Visitors who designed exclusively for the fl ocked to Aspire Park entered an festival imaginary gateway to the world of „ 3,000m of electrical wires fantasy and folk tales, AZF said in „ 20 projectors a statement. „ 38 hours of the dancing foun- They also had the chance to tain show on Aspire Lake witness a “spectacular dancing water fountain on Aspire Lake that moved to the sounds of ma- tinctive activities to Qatar’s cal- jestic melodies and featured ad- endar and plan to provide more in vanced laser techniques”. the coming period. I would like to During the seven-day fes- One of the installations at the festival. extend my appreciation and grati- tival, AZF said it used more tude to the sponsors, partners and than 400,000 LED light-bulbs, persons with special needs to bers of visitors to AZF, and for the AZF’s team for their unceasing 3,000m of electrical wires and 20 reach the event site. successful use of our resources eff orts in making the event a suc- projector systems to design 310 Nasser Abdullah al-Hajri, di- and world-class facilities to serve cess.” characters. The festival was aided rector of PR and Communication the community in new and excit- The festival was sponsored by by facilitation processes that AZF at AZF, said: “We are proud to ing ways. “Over the past week, we Vodafone Qatar and Katara — the provided for adults, children and have welcomed such vast num- succeeded in adding new and dis- Cultural Village Foundation. A view of the Aspire Zone during the festival.

Lit up in blue for World Autism Awareness Day

Ministries and various organisations around the country observed World Autism Awareness Day by lighting up off ices and premises in blue yesterday. These included Advisory Council, Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Qatar Foundation, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and others.

Ooredoo is offi cial telecom sponsor for World Autism Day events

oredoo has announced volcanoes and more. At the that it is the offi cial com- event, Ooredoo gave away MyKi Omunications sponsor of a watches for all kids with autism, series of events commemorating for their safety. World Autism Awareness Day. The second event on the cal- In collaboration with Best endar was the lighting up of Buddies Qatar and Qatar In- Ooredoo’s headquarters in West stitute for Speech and Hearing Bay with a blue projection light (QISH), three fun events were yesterday, along with other organised around Doha to mark buildings on the Doha Corniche. the occasion, which falls on April To wrap up the occasion, QISH 2 every year. will host a walkathon to spread The fi rst, which took place on awareness of this special day in Monday, was a science-based collaboration with Ooredoo. The event for children aged 7-14 event will have a dedicated play years, led by experienced scien- area suitable for children with tists from Qatar-based organisa- autism. tion Science Made Fun. World Autism Awareness Day The event allowed them to aims to highlight the hurdles explore science in a safe yet fun people living with autism — and Children participating in an event held to mark the occasion. environment. The hands-on sci- those living with them — face on a ence programme saw children daily basis, to increase awareness and programmes throughout the understanding, inclusion and our community here in Doha.” undertake a series of practical and understanding of the condi- year. Manar Khalifa al-Muraikhi, cohesion, as part of our corporate More information on World Au- experiments that taught them tion. Best Buddies focuses on en- director of PR and Corporate social responsibility strategy. tism Awareness Day can be found about the science that surrounds suring social inclusion for peo- Communications at Ooredoo, Acting as the telecommunica- at autismspeaks.org, about Best them every day in their natu- ple with diff erent or additional said of the events: “At Ooredoo, tions sponsor of these worth- Buddies Qatar at bestbuddies. ral environment, including the needs, including those with au- we’re completely committed to while events is the perfect way for org.qa and about QISH at www. The Ooredoo Tower turned blue to commemorate World Autism ocean, composition of the earth, tism, through organising events supporting events that promote us to provide practical support to qish.info. Awareness Day.